IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM THE AUTHOR:

I'm sorry to interrupt the story, but I have to explain something here. Myself and Chiba-kun were 14/15 years old when we wrote this story, and at the time it did not occur to me that I would eventually be sharing this online anywhere. When I first got the idea to begin uploading 'Return of Fire' to FanFiction – I had completely forgotten about this next scene. I'm sorry to have to spoil this for you, but the next scene contains self-harm and suicide and may be distressing to some of you. I'm aware that I rated this story K+ (meaning suitable for young adolescents, aged 8 – 12) but I have to rate this next scene as 'Teen' – meant for 12 – 17 year olds. So please, if distressing scenes containing self-harm and suicide easily upsets you, I ask that you skip to the next chapter. I also apologize if you are reading this and are upset that the following scene does not fall into the K+ category that you first initially intended to read. This is the only scene in the entire story that I believe falls outside of this category. If you intend to read on, please do so at your own risk. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

"Hao? Should we turn back?" gently asked HoroHoro, still staring at his friend in shock from his sudden change of emotion. Hao muttered into his palms, not wanting to look at him. HoroHoro couldn't make out what he was saying, but what ever it was it didn't sound like it was supposed to make any sense at all. HoroHoro stood up strait looking around, trying to work out what he should do. He scratched his head, now beginning to panic slightly. HoroHoro looked back down at him, seeing he was in no state to move now, he needed help. "Hao. Listen. I am going to go and get Ren or someone to come and help you. Do not move!" HoroHoro commanded now running back in the direction of the house, leaving Hao in his sorrowful state. After a few more minutes had past, Hao slowly moved his hands from his face, now looking annoyed and also in pain. He swiftly got to his feet, and now ran all the way down the path and further away into the city. He wasn't really sure where he was going, but he just had to keep running…

Meanwhile, as HoroHoro reached the house again…

"Oh crap…" muttered HoroHoro, now realizing what a stupid mistake he had just made. Of course Hao would run away! Isn't that what always happens to the Asakura brothers? Finding some kind of urge to start running to an un-known destination? Well it happened enough times to Yoh, why not Hao? HoroHoro sighed, now turning back around again and desperately now making his way back to where he left his mourning friend.

"Why do I feel like I know this place?" muttered Hao to himself, pushing open the tall and rusty gate. He stepped inside the huge cemetery, the spookiness of it not seeming to bother him one bit. "Did Yoh come here often?" he asked himself wondering through the gravestones, being careful not to step on one. Hao gazed at the dark and gray morning sky, still muttering nonsense to himself, like in deep shock or thought. He turned a corner, now seeing in front of him, a huge tree overlooking the entire cemetery. Hao sighed and shrugged. "Another tree?" he laughed, now quickly making his way towards it. He jogged up the stairs and walked along the bridge until he came to the cool and relaxing area that he had brought himself to.

Well at least…he thought he brought himself to.

He slid down the tree and sighed longingly and sadly once he sat on the ground. He stretched one leg out and kept the other bent as though to lean upon it. He looked out towards the town, the tall skyscrapers in the city being easier to see from that spot. He smiled slightly, now closing his eyes.

"If you are not alive, then that will mean you are not with me. If you are dead, that means you cannot be alive again. If I want to be with you…then…there is only one answer to it…"

Hao slowly reopened his eyes, thinking about the statement his younger brother had said not too long ago. 'If you are not alive, then that will mean you are not with me.' Which would mean they would be separate if one of them were dead. 'If you are dead, that means you cannot be alive again.' Hao flinched thinking about that sentence. Cannot be alive again? There must be a way… 'If I want to be with you…then…there is only one answer to it…' Hao laughed now thinking about that stupid sentence. His brother was actually thinking of…

But that's when Hao realized.

Suicide.

That's exactly what Yoh wanted.

He wanted to kill himself.

So he could be back with Hao, he had to die…

Hao's eyes grew wide in shock. He had never thought of it until now…

Yoh had wanted to die for a long time…

Just so he could be with Hao again…

"Then does that mean…" trailed off Hao, shifting his eyes to a flat, sharp rock which lay on the ground not to far away from him. "…I must die…too?"

It began to feel like it was the perfect answer to everything. Even though everything didn't really make sense. He wasn't thinking strait. He didn't have a good enough reason for it. But suddenly he grasped the blade-like rock, holding it tightly in his left hand. What was he doing? Why did this feel like the answer to everything when it meant nothing at all? Almost like…

The earrings…

A voice had told Yoh to do it. It wasn't his fault, to cause so much pain on himself.

This was almost exactly the same.

No, this was the same.

Hao slowly placed the tilted sharp edge onto his right wrist. His eyes stared at it, straining. What was happening? Suicide was not the answer…!

Hao cried out in pain as he slashed his hand as hard and as deeply as he possibly could. Blood began to pour from his veins, dripping down either side of his arm. He had started…

So he carried on.

He lifted his left hand back to his wrist, pressing down hard he slashed his wrist again. More blood. More pain.

But it began to feel so good.

He carried on doing it.

Again…

And again…

And again…

He cut and slashed his arm until it was dripping with the deepest red blood. He dropped his left arm holding his blade to the side of him. Exhausted. His arms felt so heavy, and his head felt so light. He felt dizzy, now losing consciousness. What he had just done, had no meaning. Had no real purpose. He had Opacho to think about, he couldn't die and leave her. He had to stay alive to try to revive his younger twin. He had so many things he needed to live for…

Yet so many things he needed to die for…

"Yoh…" he choked out. "I'm…coming…Yoh…I'm coming to you…"

"Stop!"

It was futile.

I'm almost there…

"Hao! Stop it!"

He blinked. HoroHoro?

"Dude! Wake up, please!" HoroHoro screamed. He had dropped to his knees, trying to slap Hao awake. "Come on! Don't do this to yourself! It's not right and you know it!"

"Horo… Horo?" Hao whispered. His vision was blurred and he could hardly make out the voice of his friend. "Is that … you?"

"Yeah dude come on!" HoroHoro cried. "What were you thinking? By the looks of it you were trying to -"

"I want… to die…" Hao admitted, barely even whispering. "I can't stand it … can't stand … the pain… Yoh's causing me … to … he wanted to … he would have killed …" His sentences were thrown off, he was so weak… "Please…"

"No Hao, I can't let you die." HoroHoro said boldly. Hao sighed.

"It almost feels good like this … to give up."

"Quiet! This isn't the Hao I know!" HoroHoro yelled. He hit Hao hard across the face. "Get a hold of yourself!"

Hao laughed, smiling. "No … I like it this way …" He whispered. "Yoh … you're such a fool…"

"You mean Yoh did this?" HoroHoro asked amazed. Quickly though, he shook it off. "I'm taking you back. Faust will know what to do."

By now though, Hao had completely lost consciousness. HoroHoro quickly swung him over his shoulder, and ran off in the direction of the inn. Oddly enough, Hao was still holding the stone he used to slash himself with. HoroHoro found that really creepy. Why the hell would Hao keep that with him? Then he noticed Hao was still openly bleeding – his blood was soaking through HoroHoro's clothes onto his skin. He only wished he could run faster…

"Kororo!" He called after a few more minutes of running. He grabbed his snowboard, and the tiny little spirit materialized next to him. "In the snowboard!"

"Ku kuru ku!" She cried as she disappeared into the board. HoroHoro sped up quickly as he mounted it, progressing rapidly to the inn, when suddenly…

"HoroHoro! What the hell happened?!"

"Ah! R-Ren!"

HoroHoro jumped off his board, it flew across the ground a few more feet before completely coming to a halt. He looked behind him to see Ren walking quickly towards him, a surprised and shocked look on his face. They were only a few yards away from the house. Ren must have gone looking for them.

"HoroHoro for goodness sake what the hell has happened!" he shouted as he approached him and Hao.

"It's Hao! He's … he's…!" HoroHoro gently placed Hao down on the ground. His face was becoming pale from the rapid loss of blood. Immediately, Ren noticed the blood stain upon HoroHoro's shoulder.

"He's what! What did he do to you!" shouted Ren, expecting the blood to have been coming from HoroHoro.

"He's not done anything to me! Look!" desperately screamed HoroHoro, gently shifting Hao's arm over so his wrist was facing upwards. Ren gasped and almost vomited when he saw the mass of blood and badly damaged flesh. Ren shook his sudden sickness off him.