Note: Song that inspired this chapter: Wham - Like a Baby


"Is it a thing for you to just adopt people randomly?" Victoria asked curiously which made Soleil cough on her food and glare at Victoria.

Yoh simply laughed.

"Lyserg is not that bad. He just needed someone to show him the right way."

"That's a rude thing to ask, Victoria." Soleil said nudging her friend. Victoria just rolled her eyes and stared at her food. It was already a week since she last saw Neave, she didn't know anything about her, she didn't know if that maniac killed her or left her in the middle of the desert. They needed to find Neave and fast, not adopt random strangers from the streets.

"What are you thinking about?"

Soleil's question snapped Victoria back to reality.

"Nothing."

Soleil just looked at her strangely and returned to her food, stealing a glance now and then from Horokeu. He simply couldn't notice her and she didn't understand why, which made her angry at herself for being too shy to talk to him, but she did try nonetheless.

"Horokeu, can you pass me the soy sauce please?"

"Sure, Nee-chan. Here you go." He said grinning at her and handing the soy sauce.

'NEE-CHAN?! This can't be happening to me!' Soleil thought while she picked the soy sauce and poured half of the bottle in her bowl of rice. This made Horokeu cock his eyebrow at her.

"Nee-chan?"

"WHAT?!" she yelled in his face which took everyone by surprise. "Oh, my. Sorry, I'm so sorry that was so rude of me." She said looking flustered.

"Don't worry, Nee-chan. It happens to the best of us."

Soleil just sighed and stared at her now soy rice soup. She pushed the bowl away from her and looked outside of the window.


Hao was staring at the girl that was sleeping right next to him. He traced his fingers slowly on her smooth pale skin, stopping here and there to draw small circles. He pondered on what was happening, on he could stop what was about to happen without having to hurt her again. The last time he tried redeeming the situation it wasn't that efficient and it took him quite a while to restore her faith in him. The only problem was that he couldn't stand losing her.

His continuous movements made Neave open her eyes.

"What part of the day is it?" she asked while yawning.

"Almost morning." He said caressing the hair away from her face.

"Is anyone awake?"

"Not yet."

With a seductive smile, Neave pulled Hao down to her level kissing him like there was no tomorrow, which he gladly returned.

"Don't kill me, again." She said in between kisses, which took him a bit off guard.

He looked at her with what seemed guilt. He was going to find a way to keep her his.

"I won't. I promise." He said and then started kissing her again, not wanting to let go.


"This is ridiculous, why is there so much snow?!"

"You are the only one that always complains, Victoria! Are we going in the right direction Lyserg?" Ren asked while becoming impatient minute by minute.

"We were minutes ago, don't know what to say about now. It's like something is blocking my powers."

"It's full of Shamans on this mountain." Amidamaru said appearing next to Yoh.

"He's right master Ren, we can see them everywhere."

"Bombs away! Here I come."

"Roux? Roux?! ROUX!" Victoria screamed when she saw the girl riding on the back of Horokeu who was descending insanely with his snowboard towards their group.

"You people are nuts! You were about to kills us!" Victoria seemed to be really annoyed with everything that was happening.

She was getting a strange feeling, but she just couldn't put her finger on it what it was.

"I can feel it too." Amon whispered to her.

"You think…?"

"I'm pretty sure they are around here."

Victoria just smiled.

"Aww! Look at those cute snowmen!"

"Soleil, I think those are actual humans."

"They are!" Yoh screamed and motioned for everybody to help them into a cave nearby.

As soon as they got into the cave they made a fire to warm up a bit. Ryu was clearly on cloud nine, surrounded by all those girls, which made Victoria and Soleil disgusted. They still couldn't get it how it was so easy for him to fall for every girl he saw.

"They do have nice dresses." Soleil said looking at Sharona's long blue dress.

"Of course it is wonderful, it would be too expensive for you to even to look at it." She said smiling proudly.

"Whatever. You girls are just plain stupid waking around half naked." Victoria said rolling her eyes.

"Excuse me, at least we know how to dress. Boys probably get scared when they see you."

"Of course they do. Want to try it too?" Victoria asked Elly, while pointing her Glaive-guisarme directly at her.

"Let's just calm down." Yoh said trying to convince Victoria to put her weapon down. "Why don't you guys travel with us?"

"WHAT?!" Both Ren and Horokeu shouted at Yoh.

"Are you cou-cou?!" Victoria asked him. "They should still be outside freezing, not fluttering their eyelashes to get whatever they want."

"Aw c'mon you guys, we were all once enemies. And look at us now, one big happy family."

"You're searching for trouble Yoh." Horokeu said looking annoyed at his friend.

Suddenly Lyserg's pendulum starts moving pointing at the entrance of the cave.

'He must've felt it too.' Victoria thought getting up and going straight outside. Lyserg followed Victoria promptly.

"Victoria! Where are you going?" Soleil shouted after her, but it was too late for her to hear.

Everyone soon followed the two shamans, and to their surprise when they got out they saw that the storm had stopped.

"Oh wow, it actually stopped." Horokeu said looking at the sky.

"It didn't stop you bird-brain. Look over there." Ren said pointing into the direction of a group of shamans.

"So he's responsible for this bad weather." Yoh said glaring at Hao.

"Victoria. Lyserg. It's always a pleasure to see you." He said giving them a devilish smile.

"Victoria!" Neave shouted at her friend and tried to get over to her but Hao stopped her.

"Hanagumi, take Neave to a safer place."

The H-Team only smiled and went towards Neave to get her, which only confused her more.

"Hao! Let me talk to her! What's wrong with you?" she said while struggling to get out of the girls grip. She locked eyes with Hao and tried to find an answer to why he was acting that way.

'What is wrong with you?' was all she could think. Everything seemed so perfect the last days, but as soon as she gets near the group where Victoria is, he starts acting as a control-maniac.

Neave tried to look around to get a glimpse of her friend. And she did, but it was someone else's gaze that she met which made her heart stop. She felt it, he felt it. But what's worse is that Hao felt it too.

"I said take her away!" Hao roared at the H-Team, which scared all his followers. The girls immediately complied and took Neave as far from the site as possible.

"Yoh, you should really decide what's best. You see, I need you to be strong and to get to the Patch Village as soon as possible. And I think that these people, you call friends are doing you no good. So make a smart choice now and come with me." He said extending his hand for Yoh to take.

"I think I know what's best for me. I'll stick with them." Yoh said glaring at Hao.

"As you wish." Hao said and started to walk away.

"Wait for us!" yelled some of the Lily Five.

"What the…" was all that Soleil and Victoria could say as the girls left the team.

"Now that's what I call a real back stab."

"Ren, are you ok?" Horokeu said with concern in his voice, looking at his now pale friend.

He seemed to snap out of it and regain control immediately.

"Of course I am ok. What kind of question is that? I am a Tao." He said with a snobbish attitude.

"We should get going again before we die of cold." Yoh suggested.

"I was so weak I just couldn't get to him." Lyserg said disappointed.

"You sure whine a lot for a boy." Victoria retorted, which made Lyserg glare at her.

"Guys, we have problems. There's water coming directly at us!" Ryu yelled.


"Neave."

Silence. She had her back at him, looking at the stars and ignoring him.

"It's been hours, stop being so childish."

No response.

"You're going to catch a cold there."

Still no response.

"I know you want to come under my poncho, Neave. Even though you're not thinking it, I can hear your heart earning for it."

She just simply rolled her eyes and gave him a quick glance without turning around completely.

"I know what you felt back there. I felt it too."

This caught Neave's attention, but not enough to turn around. So she just waited, hoping he'll continue. But he didn't, he remained silent also.

"What was that?"

"What?"

She frowned. She was pretty sure he knew what happened but he didn't want to tell her.

"I know you know. Tell me." She said getting up and sitting next to him.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, dear Neave." He said giving her a smile and caressing her cheek.

She just turned her head away to keep him from touching her.

"You've lied to me so many times, that it's getting old."

"I thought you never minded that."

"Not since my life actually started to depend on it." She said glaring.

He simply sighed and got up, going straight to his tent.

"You're sleeping in the Hanagumi's tent tonight." He said before disappearing.

'Screw you, Asakura.' She thought before turning back to gaze at the stars.


And hooray for another chapter! Woohoo xD

So what do you guys think? What is going to happen next? I'm really curious to know if you guys think I'm managing to keep everyone into character or are they becoming a bit OOC. Can't wait to read your reviews.

Taaataaa!

p.s. look at this cute edit I just made for them couple xD -

http : slash slash media dot tumblr dot com slash 9e16d05a98be15149ba9da7996752a8e slash tumblr underscore inline underscore ncxxeaaTc41ryuam8 dot png

or just go to my profile and click on 'Neave and Hao' :)