Hello, back again. Nothing to say aside from thanks to those who have reviewed and see you again in a fortnight. Now I'm going to curl up and sleep, lol. Laters.

Yoh looked over everything within his field of vision, things were progressing nicely now. As well as his field, which was now more flowers than grass and his woodland, he now had a lake. He had been working more on giving life to the place rather than expanding it recently however, adding fauna to the already flourishing flora. It was beautiful and peaceful, everything felt warm and safe. He loved being there and when morning came around and he had to wake up, he always felt very reluctant to leave.

Something felt different tonight however, though he had yet to figure out what that was yet. It felt like there was another presence there, one that he was sure he hadn't created but he wasn't sure who or what said presence was. It was always that way when he first arrived, it took a while before his abilities (and his head in general) started working properly.

Sighing softly, Yoh decided to ignore it for the time being and headed to the lake. It was night for a change and the stars and full moon were glowing brightly overhead. It was beautiful already, but the night sky always seemed to be that bit more incredible when a body of water was involved.

As Yoh neared the lake he was surprised to see the silhouette of a person sat by it, seconds later it hit him what the presence was he felt since his arrival – Hao was there with him. He didn't feel anything threatening, not that it necessarily meant much where Hao was concerned. He had always come across as being calm even when he was ending someone's life, up until their final fight at least.

Building up as much resolve as he could, Yoh made his way towards Hao. He was definitely nervous about speaking to the other, as much as he felt the need to try and resolve things. Once again he was questioning what exactly it was that worried him, though he was more certain now that it was how his twin would react to him, rather than any action Hao might take against him.

Hao turned to face him once he was only a few feet away. "Hello Yoh."

Yoh studied Hao briefly, relieved that he didn't seem to be angry with him. "Hi."

Hao motioned for Yoh to take a seat beside him, which Yoh accepted without hesitation. Things seemed to be different with Hao, though it was entirely possible that none of this was real and it was purely Yoh's mind giving him what he wanted. Hao smiled and shook his head, and Yoh didn't doubt that the other knew the thoughts flitting through his head.

"I have no more idea than you how all of this has come to pass, but it is all very real. This place and my being here, none of it is a dream or a fabrication of your mind."

"You're okay? You're not mad?"

"No, I'm not angry. I know you did what you felt was right and I know you've been hurting over it despite that. It's okay now, I've found myself again."

Yoh smiled softly, he couldn't remember anything making him feel so happy and relieved before. "I'm glad Hao, I really am. Thank you for this."

"Yoh, you're trying to find a way to block the reishi, aren't you? Let me know if you do manage it. I can't stay here any longer right now but I'll come again if you'd like?"

"I am and I will and yes, I'd very much like a chance for us to talk properly."

Hao nodded, standing up. "Then I'll see you again soon. Take care Yoh, and thank you."

Yoh nodded, turning his attention to the lake instead, he didn't want to watch Hao leave. He knew Hao was telling the truth, that this was real and that he would come back, but it had been nice to see him and to hear those words said and he didn't want to let go of it so quickly.

He was a little disappointed that Hao didn't know anything but he was sure that the other was most definitely looking into the matter. Hao would have a much better idea of where to look, while Yoh was completely clueless as to where he could even start, though honestly he was more interested in what he could do, rather than how it happened.

He felt safe and content and it felt right in helping everything grow; that was good enough for him. The fact that he had the chance to speak to Hao and hear the words he needed to was a major bonus. It was true that from the beginning he had heard Hao calling but he didn't ever presume that he would be able to speak with him; the voice he had heard didn't herald the presence that Hao had, it was never real.

Yoh lay back on the grass looking up at the starlit sky. He wasn't sure what to do next, both with proceeding here and in his normal life. Seeing Hao had changed things but he wasn't sure how much, though he certainly didn't want to hear anymore congratulations for killing Hao. He'd hated them before but now he disliked the idea even more.

Sighing softly the brunette decided he really ought to continue what he had started. As much as he didn't like fighting and killing, he did understand the importance of a natural balance, so he had to be sure to set up a proper ecosystem, rather than just leaving it as all herbivores.

It was very tempting not to have any carnivores but he knew better, the cycle existed to maintain an equal balance; otherwise there was prolonged suffering and over-population, something humanity chose to ignore. They had no predators to protect themselves from, and to which the old and the weak would be picked off. Medical science and technology served to prolong lifespan even further; it all went against nature's plan.

The excuse had always been that humanity was higher than the animal kingdom because humanity was a sentient life form, but it was questionable whether sentience was really beneficial. How it could be considered that the inability to live alongside nature and its other creatures, let alone destroying the aforementioned was a good thing, was completely nonsensical.

That wasn't to say that he disagreed with everything, he could understand the reasons and he wasn't any different in that he didn't want to lose anyone important to him. It wasn't the same for shamans, they knew there was an after, but he still wanted his family and friends around him for as long as possible and not as ghosts. There was so much that he and Amidamaru couldn't do that he and Manta could. Yes he was always there but it wasn't the same as having someone of flesh and blood around.

Well, hopefully that will be good enough and a balanced ecosystem will form. I don't know enough about them to plan out every little detail, so hopefully the intent will suffice. I don't think I could find out what and how many would be needed for everything to work, nature is best left to do that job.

I'm so glad I got to see Hao and that everything is okay, though part of me still can't believe it happened. I feel so much lighter and happier now, more like myself before the tournament. I don't regret the maturity I have now though, as unpleasant as some of the experiences were, I'm glad for the knowledge and understanding I have now.

If Hao is right and this place is real, that hopefully means I'll be able to come here properly, rather than just while I sleep. It would be nice to live here all the time, I hate having to wake up and leave this place. Hao seemed to like it here too, I thought he would but it was nice to have the confirmation. I'd like for us to become closer, it's no fun fighting him.

The tug of the waking world was felt and Yoh's bright smile dimmed somewhat. His time always felt so short, even more so tonight. It didn't feel like he'd been there for even half an hour yet it was already morning. Still, he had started the next process, and he had met Hao and made amends, so the time as short as it seemed had been well spent. Besides, he had to leave for Hao to visit him again, a thought that easily bought the smile back to his face.

He was only half surprised to see Ren sat beside him when he woke, having already felt his presence there. Ren was the only one in the room, the others were absent, whether that was by their own choice on Ren's, Yoh couldn't say, though it was clear the Tao wanted to talk to him without the others being present.

Yoh sat up, studying the other teen. For once all pretences were dropped and not just for Ren, Yoh equally hadn't bothered with any of his usual (expected) responses. Ren studied Yoh as well, though he clearly wasn't surprised by Yoh's lack of façade. Eventually the purple-haired teen nodded and walked to the window. Yoh sat still, waiting for the other to speak his mind.

"A lot has changed, hasn't it? I'm not surprised really, given everything that happened. I appreciate you've been keeping a lot of things to yourself, presumably with good reason, but I'm going to ask anyway. What were you doing while you were sleeping?"

Yoh deliberated the question and whether or not to tell the truth. "I can't really explain because I'm not sure what it is myself, but I've been tending to a world, helping it grow."

"A world? Somewhere else entirely? You think it's more than just your imagination? Though I suppose if that has something to do with the changes we felt, then maybe it really is true…"

"What changes and who is 'we'?"

"Jun and I, we've been studying a few new things, some of which link very closely with nature and the cosmos. As you can't explain your world or how it came to be, nor can I explain what we've felt. Massive changes in the cosmos, almost like the birth of something new, so maybe it's this world you're creating."

"I see. Maybe that's the case, if it is, then maybe one day I'll get to go there for real, ne?"

"Maybe. There's something more than that though isn't there? Something else has happened?"

Yoh cringed on reflex, knowing exactly what Ren meant. "Promise not to yell or make a big fuss?"

Ren frowned but nodded his acceptance of the terms. "Very well, I shall endeavour to control my reaction."

"Hao came to speak to me. He couldn't stay very long, but I heard what I needed to."

Ren had bitten his lip when Yoh had mentioned Hao, in order that he didn't react exactly how Yoh had predicted, but the initial reaction dimmed over Yoh's second sentence. He had thought that Yoh had been harbouring guilt over what happened, so if Hao really had taken that away, their meeting wasn't a negative occurrence.

"I see, so you're feeling better about all that now? What did he say to you?"

"Not a lot, just that he's okay now and he isn't mad with me."

"Nothing more?"

"He said that both he and that place were real, not constructs and that we'd speak another time if I wanted."

"I won't comment on the later, but you're still leaving something out."

Yoh grinned slightly, Ren really could read him far too well, but at least he was being very mature about the whole thing. "I've been 'playing' in a lot of new areas, trying to find a way to block Hao's reishi. He asked me if I'd teach him if I found a way, which I of course agreed to, since that's why I'm trying to learn it."

"Which you can't tell anyone about because they'd react badly…okay, I understand and I'll support you if you need me to. Thank you for telling me the truth about everything."

"We both know each other well enough to know what it's okay to say or not, right? You've trusted me with things so it's only fair. Besides, given your reaction to our match yesterday, I was pretty sure you'd be okay with all of this."

"You'd better get up, I'll see you outside."

Yoh nodded and watched Ren leave the room. He felt much better having spoken to someone about everything – though only because Ren's response hadn't been derogatory. He knew the information wouldn't go any further than Jun and that she was just as accepting and trusting of him as her brother.

Ren's words encouraged the belief that things had most certainly changed and were continuing to do so. To what end it was too early to tell but so far everything seemed to be a positive step forward. He could achieve their dreams; he just had to keeping working at it. They would have a beautiful new world to live in and Hao would be free of the binds of empathy.

Yoh's smile returned, even as he brushed his thoughts aside. Today looked set to be a good one, things were finally fitting into place and now he was no longer alone in this. He had people he could talk to and confide it and that took a lot of weight off his shoulders, on top of what Hao's words had already removed. His signature phrase and view of life came to mind and he was once again reminded how true it was.

Nantoka naru.