"Damn! He's gone!" Ren yelled as they reached the spot Patch village was in.

"We're too late!" Anna cried. Silva looked at the ground. "They discovered how to get in."

"Silva it's this thing isn't it? The secret to getting in?" Lyserg asked, pointing at the symbol and box.

"Yes," he replied. "That's it. Not too obvious, is it?"

"Not at all," Ren said, rolling his eyes. "Hao figured it out, it wasn't hard for him at all."

"Ren, Relax okay!" Chocolove said. "You need to cool down."

"I'm plenty cool. I just want to get to Hao and stop him!"

"Fine. You know we will. Just relax already!"

"Fine. I'm… relaxed." Ren took a deep breath, exhaled, then shut up.

"Good," Silva said. "Now let's go in." Silva made a few movements with his hands, called out to the great Spirits, and the village appeared before them.

"How did you do that?" Ryu asked. Silva shook his head, and decided to make a little joke about it. "It's maaaaaaaaagic," he said mysteriously.

"Really? It is?"

Everyone laughed at Ryu, who obviously took it seriously. He shook his head to try and rid himself of the embarrassment. They all began to walk into Patch Village, hoping to catch up with Hao. "They're probably asleep," Lyserg said, yawning. "I'm about to myself."
"Yeah. I think we should rest and find them in the morning." Chocolove muttered to nobody in particular. Everyone seemed to agree, except, of course, Anna.

"No! We can't stop now…" She too, however, was blinking heavily. "We just can't…"

"Anna," Silva soothed, "let's sleep first."

"Hao… wouldn't sleep…"

"Shh… close your eyes and rest."

"But…"

"Anna…"

"I…"

"Sleep."

Anna closed her eyes slowly, drifting off into an unwilling slumber.

"Anna?"

"…Yoh? Is that you?"

"Get up Anna! Come on!" The voice was familiar and playful. "Come on, I miss you."

"Miss me?" Anna asked. This was obviously a dream. Yoh was standing right in front of her, but… he was dead! How could it be? "What?"

"Come on!" Yoh began to run away from her, laughing. "You know you want to! Just come and get me!"

Anna laughed. "Yoh…"

Yoh shook his head. "I can see you're not going to move. In that case…" He ran up to her and grabbed her hand. "I'm going to have to drag you along." He ran, Anna with him. "You know I could never leave you, Anna!"

"Yoh… what are you trying to say?"

"I'm always here with you."

"Yoh!"

"Forever."

"Yoh, stop it!" Anna cried, breaking free from his grasp.

"I can't." Yoh said, looking away sadly. "Its… too hard."

"What?"

"I can't leave you Anna!"

"Yoh, what are you talking about?" She walked up to him slowly, and he put his hand on her cheek. "Anna… I…"

Anna sat up quickly. "What… What was that?" She whispered, tears flowing down her cheeks. "I saw Yoh… but I was dreaming…"

Ren got up. "Anna, what's wrong?"

"Its Yoh…"

"What about him?"

"He's always here… He told me so…"

Chocolove stretched and yawned. "What are you on about now?"

"Yoh…" Anna whispered again, now crying full out, not caring who saw. "Yoh…"

"Anna. It was only a bad dream." Comforted Ren sitting beside her.

"No! It was nothing like a bad dream!" she cried, tears sill streaming.

"What happened?" soothed Ren.

"He said…he'd always be here. It was so real. It was like he was trying to take me somewhere."

"Where?"

"Maybe he…" she trailed her self off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"Maybe he what Anna?" sighed Ren trying to get her to finish her explanation as calmly as he could.

"He couldn't possibly…want him to…want us to allow him to…" Anna couldn't say it.

"Give Hao a second chance? To bring Yoh back?"

"I don't know." She lied. "I just don't know what he wanted. It was just a dream anyway!" she suddenly sniffed ignoring her emotions. "Just a dream. And dreams don't mean anything!" And threw her self back down on her bed pulling the covers over her face hiding from him. Chocolove tutted.

"She loves him really." He said.

"Oh really? You think!" spat Ren getting back in bed.

"Sorry just saying!" replied Chocolove turning over. Ren sighed.

"HoroHoro…" he whispered very quietly falling asleep.

Elsewhere…

"Uh…" groaned HoroHoro opening his eyes and blinking. He was lay on his side with half of his face buried in fresh green grass. He awoke fully and sat up quickly looking all around him. He noticed the very easily recognizable waterfall-like image in the distance. "Patch Village?" he muttered looking around him. He suddenly noticed Hao and Opacho asleep next to him. Hao was on his back with his arm over his stomach while Opacho was on the other side of him curled up in a ball sucking her thumb. HoroHoro decided to wake Hao up. "Hey…" he whispered shaking Hao's shoulder gently. "Hao! Dude!" He said shaking a little harder when Hao's eyes didn't react. "Oi! Wake up!" he yelled. Hao slowly opened his eyes to him and then smiled.

"HoroHoro…" he whispered smiling.

"Yeah?" blinked HoroHoro.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.

"Yeah I'm fine. Should we get a move on?"

"What's the rush?" he smiled closing his eyes, exhausted. "We just got here. And it's the middle of the night."

"Hey Hao are you alright? You're acting all different."

"I'm just so happy you are okay." Replied Hao.

"Oh…" said HoroHoro, not sure what to say. "Why?"

"Don't you remember? I had to save you from the Great Spirits…"

"No dude! You're confused! I saved you!"

"Opacho save Hao-Sama and Horo-Kun…" whimpered Opacho still in her sleeping position sucking her thumb.

"No it was I who saved you both." Said Hao opening his eyes looking at him slightly confused.

"But…I remember finding your glove, and then a part of Opacho's orange cloak. When I went looking for you I had to fight this weird tree thing that wouldn't let me get to you." Explained HoroHoro.

"Opacho find glove too. And snowboard. Opacho refused to leave friends in tree. Then Opacho ended up here." Said Opacho quietly still looking fast asleep.

"And the Imperial Court? And the crowd?" asked Hao sitting up.

"What?" blinked HoroHoro.

"You know, in the village center?"

"I remember a village but I don't remember a crowd."

"Opacho neither." Added Opacho.

"Oh…that's odd…" said Hao thinking about it for a while.

"So does that mean we each got the same test?" said HoroHoro.

"Looks that way…" sighed Hao. "But…mine was different…"

"Hey Hao. Just so we're clear, you are a great friend." Smiled HoroHoro.

"What makes you say that?"

"You didn't leave me or Opacho behind and refused to leave, just like I had to do. That's so cool dude! It totally proves your loyalty!"

"Wait a second…and you tried to save me too?" smiled Hao.

"Yup!" laughed HoroHoro. "Put it there bro!" he held his hand out to him, Hao took it and they shook hands happily and friendly, smiling at one another. Opacho simply got up and gave them both a hug.

"Thank you for saving Opacho." She recited each time she held one of them.

"You're welcome Opacho, I'm glad to have a couple of friends like you both."

"And me you Hao. And Yoh is lucky to have a brother like you as well. Going through all of this to get him back. Don't worry you know, he'll convince the others if they don't come round before then." Said HoroHoro.

"You really think so?" smiled Hao. Thoughts of having a real life with his twin and his friends seemed like the perfect thing, something that he would give up anything to have. But…was it just a fantasy? Or will it really come true? And was Yoh really gone, or not? Or was he still trying to tell Anna and Hao something? Only time will tell…