Chapter: 6

Kept Apart

What My Heart Desires

It is like an invisible string that life on earth sustains us at its fragile tips of life. Sometimes people pull at those strings to control another person, making them feel guilt, pain, regret…but sometimes such humiliation is enough.

There was a point that the string could break, and that is when you stand alone. Only you can make your choices, to listen to them or to follow your own…whatever come your way you can't fear it anymore…

2 days later

Anna watched Yoh sit shirtless meditating, with Manta vigilant and beside him. She sighed, and walked out of the small garden and back into the palace to talk with Yoh's mother. She had asked to see her. Anna just did not know what Keiko had to say to her right now. As she walked through the palace, she thought about everything that had happened yesterday. If Tamamura was right, and Yoh's twin brother was here, they were going to have to keep on their toes.

There was no telling what was going to happen, but she was not sure if Yoh was mentally ready for this battle to come so soon. There was no time to waste.

Besides that, how had Hao broken through the barrier!

It was impossible. There was no way he could break Witch magic so easily. Something was not right…Sighing; she knocked the door and waited for it to open. Keiko smiled at her as soon as she came in. "Anna, I have some good news for you"

"And what is that"

"Well, I have decided that you and Yoh are to be married as soon as possible, sometime this week" Keiko looked so happy, but shock ran through Anna's body. After all, as she was, she had expected battle and she had expected blood. She had expected both twins to be the destruction of everything and end all this deepened misery that Keiko and her divorced husband had created around them. It was all their fault!

For their separation, and for their choice of divorce. Why did they have to complicate things as if they were simpleton humans!

"WHAT!" she snapped.

"You're excited, that's good" Keiko stood and walked over to her, patted her on the shoulder.

"No!" Anna roared as she pulled away, her eyes flashing a slight red color "Why?"

"Well, It is the only way that Yoh can get the throne without battling" Anna shook her head, and then stared hard into Keiko's brown eyes.

"That is just the cowards way out!" she snapped "No, no way. And besides, if Hao is here, the war has started, it's too late!"

"No it's not"

"Forget it!" she could not believe it. To be said that she was Yoh's fiancée, was one thing, to be told to get married now, of all times. They were insane! Even though, part of her always believed that Yoh was hers, for be faced with this reality was like a ton of bricks. She scoffed and ran out of the room. She had to talk to Yoh about this, and make him set his mother straight. However, as she walked back out into the gardens and searched for the young prince, she came to the startling fact that he was gone.

As soon as Anna had left the gardens, Yoh's eyes had snapped open. Perhaps, learning some things was not such a bad thing. He really was not meditating; he was really seeking the essence that was Hao. And Hao was no longer in Izumo, no, Hao was somewhere else now. Yoh was not exactly sure what the place was called, but all he knew that he was willing to go and find Hao no matter what. As he stood up, so did Manta and followed him.

"Where are you going?" Manta asked in a robotic monotone. He did seem strange since two days ago when the fire started over the mountains. Yoh suspiciously glanced at him from the corner of his eye and then sped up his walk until he placed a yard of distance between him and Manta. After all, whatever was wrong with Manta, the small boy was still just human. He was going to get his friend later, for now, he needed to get to his room and pack up. Things would be so much easier if he actually had Admidamaru with him, but he still had not figured how to break Anna's spell.

He was about to reach his room when Horo appeared besides him "Hey Yoh, where are you going?" This was when Yoh noticed he had the same monotone as Manta did. Although, he had not seen much of Horo, his eyes were also dull in color.

"To my room" he answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I see, I see" Horo seemed to smirk.

"Umm…Horo, are you feeling alright, you sound kind of strange"

"Yeah! OH YEAH! Why would I not be fine" The laugh he made was an awkward "Ha ha ha" Yoh just stared at him blankly. Silence fell over them as they just kept staring. Out of nowhere, Ren came out, and he looked pissed off.

"HORO! I have no idea what has gotten into your stupid head, but I'm going to knock you back straight!" the Tao dragged his boyfriend off with him and Yoh just watched. The relationship between those two was odd and yet at the same time it seemed to work out so beautifully. It made him wonder if he was ever going to find a mate to share such a deep connection with. The Image of Hao popped into his mind and it briefly made him blush, before chuckling, and rushing to his room. He was there in less than a heartbeat. 'That's kind of ridiculous'

He packed his essentials into a backpack, and then decided to change into comfortable clothing. As he looked through his closet, he brought out a simple clean and neat white shirt. He quickly put it on and fixed his bear claw necklace over it. He then looked back for something else, and brought out some slightly baggy black jeans out. Once done, he appeared near his cabinet and took out a pair of black socks to put on. He then pulled on his air Nicky shoes, and left the room with his bag.

In a blink of an eye, he was already out of the kingdom, where he found Manta. It startled him. Manta's eyes suddenly glowed a red color and a devilish smirk appeared on the small boys lips. "Leaving, are we Yoh?"

"Huh"

"It's me, Hao, speaking though this …human" Manta shrugged "I'll meet you at the shrine," Manta said pointing towards a place that Yoh could not see. At least, not at this moment.

"Shrine?"

"Uh huh" Manta made a motion to follow him. Confused as he was, Yoh decided to take his chances and followed the possessed boy.

Autumn leaves, they seemed to litter the ground like the wild fire of nature. It was beautiful.

Hao had reached his father's kingdom again. "I really hoped I didn't have to return here again," he said. Opacho beside him nodded her head. Hao created a barrier around himself for protection, a red sphere that surrounded him, and gave her a nod. Opacho closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before she let out a startling and shrilling sonic boom out of her mouth and onto the house. The sound waves travelled hard and when they reached vampires accurate ears, the ringing was just painful.

Hao flinched as some still managed to penetrate his safety bubble, but it was ten times worse out there for his father and his grandfather who were not protected. It was time now, this was the way that Hao was calling out war against his own father. He was going to make the man pay, and somehow he was going to have to bring this war over to Izumo. As soon as Yoh reached the Shrine, he was going to ask him to open it. Yoh had to be able to do that much, Hao was counting on him to be able to do so. It did not matter if he raised alarm that was what they needed as well.

The waves increased by the second and the ground around them seemed to shake in melting motions as some particles of dirt raised over. And then everything ceased. Hao sighed out and allowed the bubble to fall from around him. "They shall be coming out soon master Hao" She spoke and looked over at him, looking slightly pale and dizzy, since she was out of breath. Hao nodded his head.

"Good job Opacho" he said. The small girl grinned and nodded. Hao smirked and swung his arm out, sending a heat wave that crumbled the walls to the mansion he had once called home.

"HAO!" The growl was expected. An angry amount of Vampires just crawled out of the ruins of the mansion. His father's eyes were a blazing red color and so were his grandfathers. Every other vampire was a slave or servant with low blue glowing eyes. That just marked how low in the food chain they were.

"My my, such anger" Hao mocked as he crossed his arms.

"What do you think you are doing!" his father growled, "You know, I should have done with you, I should have killed you from birth" The man then sneered "No…all this could have been avoided if I just would have killed your brother from birth"

"I doubt you'd ever could" Hao said, his voice with malice "I met him father, but I guess if you would just open your eyes, you might understand even better" the smirked left Hao's lips as anger fueled him.

"We'd figure as much, but just you wait Hao, soon both you and he will fight" That was when Hao let out a loud laughter that made them all stare at him warily.

"You're jokes are too much" Hao suddenly stopped laughing, flames dancing around him and his long hair fluttering around him, a sinister glint on his eyes "I wage a war, like you made a war between me and my own brother, I don't think I wish you to live either, if he must die"

"What are you suggesting?"

"Suggesting? What makes you think that I'm suggesting anything?" Hao asked, almost seeming innocent, almost "I'm going to kill you" Growls sounded all around him, making Hao chuckle.

"You'd betray us!" Yoken yelled a growl that ripped from his throat. Hao sighed, having enough of this talk, feeling as he had explained his motives well. He was going to annihilate them, tear them limb from limb and spill their blood upon the earth that sustained their life. He was going to make sure that they were born to ashes and that their souls never once again returned to this earth. This is what he most desired.

For all of them to die.

One hand movement and fire breathed life in a straight line towards the people that were supposed to be his family. The people that wished to control his life no matter what and get him to kill his own brother to rule a land that was dead in itself. Izumo's land was dead, the flowers were all black and shriveled, and that mountain did not cry when he burned it. "Flames, rise from the pits of hell and allow yourselves to pitch black the world known around you, lick everything to its death!"

Opacho moved close to Hao, and as she did, she was protected by him.

"Hao don't you dare!" his father yelled, and raised his own hands "Birds with wings of all kind come and do my biding, come and help us fly on your nailed fingers, help us!" Hawking and chirping noises filled the blue sky that was slowly becoming a foggy dark color. Hao's vibrant brown eyes looked up at the birds and smirked.

"Climb" he said, in a low seductive voice, and that was just what the flames did, blowing themselves up to reach the birds and burn them.

"MOVE OUT!" Yoken yelled. He brought out some scrolls as the vampires around him jumped for their safety, and the humans inside their mansion walls also started to run as flames tried to touch them.

"AAAAH!" The high pitches of women. Yoken ignored it all as he brought out a scroll and pressed his hand to the center of it as he unraveled it.

"WATER TSUNAMI!" He said firmly and water rushed everywhere, quenching the burning thirst of the earth. Hao chuckled.

"Boil" He whispered, and that is what the water did that hit the earth, simmering at first and finally sizzling itself into a slow boil that made it into a thick fog.

"Lord Hao," Opacho called.

"Hmm" He said as he watched everyone struggle to find safety from his flames. Where ever they went, wherever they ran, whatever they tried to do, he was going to be right there to make sure he never let them a moment of peace. He was going to torture them, make them suffer, and show them the burning hatred they planted in his heart. Hatred that should have been for his brother, it was for them instead.

"Lord Yoh has reached the shrine" Hao smirked.

"Perfect" Then he hummed "I will make them scream"

"GYAAAAAAAAA" A lower Vampire fell to his knees, his eyes burnt out of his sockets, and blood flowing from his lips. Flames enveloped him then, his flesh screaming in agony as he was burnt to ashes.

"Burning pain"

Yoh looked around him, Manta had finally stopped "Here" He said. Still confused Yoh looked in front of him where Manta was pointing and he stared. After a few seconds, he finally saw something, and the pupil in his eye shifted in itself so he could see the illusion of the mirror walled. It had been spelled by Anna to fool the eye, but now he could see it. "The shrine" he said to himself, and walked towards it, pushing the heavy door to the side.

Once inside, all he saw was a statue. It was in the image of a beautiful woman carved out of beautiful white marble. Although, his attention was soon drawn to the Azure gem on her forehead and he stared at it. 'The Iron Maiden Jeanne' He thought to himself, having been thought about her before 'the protector and savior of all of Izumo, she still protects even as to now' Yoh was still confused. "What do I do now?" he asked aloud.

Twins…

The word could repeat itself in his head over and over again, but Hao was no longer here and yet his magic stayed. That only proved that his twin was a strong Vampire, someone not to take lightly. But, there was a hidden double meaning that he was not understanding all together, what was it? What did he not understand just yet? "Yoh?" Manta called out, the tone soft, but at the same time Yoh could hear Hao's voice.

He closed his eyes then, and he concentrated. He searched through Manta this time, and the short boy gasped as soon as he felt a splitting pain in his skull. 'Hao' Yoh called out mentally.

"AAAGGGAHHH!" Manta cried, tears running down his eyes before he was knocked out.

As twins, we have to share a lot. Telepathy, our own empathy that lets us feel each other's feelings, and finally, the fact that as twins…we can switch roles.

Yoh opened his eyes as he listened to Hao in his head. He looked up at the blue gem and then, as if Hao was ride beside him, he heard his twin whisper in his ear something he had never once been asked before…

'Yoh…what is it that you most wish for…what is what you most desire'

Hao let out a sharp gasp as he heard Yoh's voice clearly in his head; calling out to him 'Hao' the sound of such, a melodic tone had been unexpected.

"Opacho" he said, calling his faithful servant.

"Yes master"

"Go, and rile up Izumo, drag my mother to her knees" Hao growled. Opacho would never protest, she just nodded her head and vanished. Concern shone in her deep black eyes for her Master's safely, the concern of leaving him to fight alone. But as he looked back at him, she could see that he was not along.

Yoh was with him.

"Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust, bring upon the destruction my heart craves from tonight until the final bathing of blood from dawn"

Hao's smirk burned the land.

And sometimes that string wraps you around someone else, someone that connects you deeply.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT REVIEWED! Although Umm, it's been some time, I guess this chapter isn't as long as the other either. But I hope you all enjoyed it! I'll try to hurry the next chapter, but can't promise much.

Please Review.