"Ren! C'mon we need to do something! I don't get it! He's not the kind of guy who would do this to himself…!" he yelled, panicking badly. Ren just stared at HoroHoro. HoroHoro shut his eyes and jumped up and down on the spot a few times, still frustrated and panicked. "He needs help!" he shouted, now sprinting towards the house.

"Faust isn't here!" he shouted. HoroHoro paused in his tracks, turning and glaring back at him.

"What?!" he shouted.

"He's gone back to the Patch Village! To be with Eliza!" replied Ren, calling to him. HoroHoro turned and faced the way he was running and then back at Hao and Ren.

"We need to call an Ambulance!" desperately screamed HoroHoro, now running back towards the house.

"HoroHoro! Get back here!" shouted Ren, now running after him. HoroHoro turned around.

"What are you talking about I can't waste time!" he replied still running.

"You will probably choke on the phone and forget where we are and who needs help you're so incompetent. I shall call for help while you watch over him." Confirmed Ren, rolling his eyes, trying to stay calm. HoroHoro didn't find this the right time to argue, and nodded at Ren, turning to run back to Hao.

"Opacho hear Horo-kun!" came and squeal of delight. "Opacho missed Horo-kun and Hao-sama!" HoroHoro slapped his head.

"No…No…" muttered HoroHoro. He couldn't bare to see Opacho heart broken. "Err Opacho! Go on back inside I'll…we'll be there in a minute!" he called behind him to the child about to run through the gate of the Inn.

"Opacho want to see Horo-kun!" she cried.

"Yeah Opacho I missed you too go now do as your good friend HoroHoro says!" quickly said HoroHoro, wanting to tend to Hao as soon as possible. He hurried to his side, now kneeling next to him. He gently removed the slate from Hao's left hand, and placed it on the ground. He then gripped Hao's hand, squeezing it tightly, as if to wake him up. "Please Hao…" he said, almost in tears. "Don't die…don't go…"

"Ah…this place feels so much warmer now. So much…better and relaxing." Smiled Hao.

"How can you do this?! C'mon Hao don't give up!" shouted Yoh. Hao laughed.

"It seems now our roles have changed." He grinned. "This seems so familiar."

"Hao don't do this! Don't give in please!" screamed Yoh. Hao opened his eyes to see Yoh's desperate face over him, tears staining his face, agony in his eyes. He was knelt on the ground next to him, Hao was lay on his back his hands behind his head, relaxed and happy.

"What is the point in living?" he asked.

"Lots of things! To be with your friends and family –"

"I have no family."

"You have HoroHoro!"

"He's not family."

"You have Opacho!"

"She's not family."

"Yes they are!"

"They are my friends."

"Even so! You have them to live for…" Yoh suddenly trailed off. He knew where Hao was going with this. He was getting back at Yoh. Showing him what he's missing.

"What about Anna?" asked Hao closing his eyes. "Amidamaru. Manta. Ren. Tamao. I could go on." Yoh began to shake his head.

"You're cheating!" he accused once again. "Cut it out!"

"Cut what out?"

"Arggh!" shouted Yoh now burying his face in his hands. "There is no winning with you!"

"Don't you mean there is not winning with yourself?" muttered Hao. Hao had changed roles with Yoh. This time, making it harder for Yoh to overcome.

"You're not being fair!" screamed Yoh lifting his head, glaring at him. "Stop it!"

"I want my little brother back." said Hao. "That's all I want. Why can't you let me have what I want for a change? Yoh?"

"Stop calling me that!"

"You keep saying that now we're whole. I don't know about you but I am emptier than ever…"

"Don't say that!"

"It's the truth!" replied Hao opening his eyes again, looking up at his twin. "I want you Yoh. I want you to be with me – "

"I am with you!"

"No! Not like this! This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me!" Hao's eyes began to fill with tears. "I just want you to be Yoh. Yoh Asakura. Brother, to Hao Asakura. I want you to be alive with me. I just want you Yoh."

"I want you too!"

"Then let me revive you!"

"No!"

"Fine." Sniffed Hao. "Then I die today." Yoh's eyes widened, he grabbed Hao by the shoulders.

"That's black mail Hao!" he shouted.

"It's the way it is."

"Hao…"

"Let me revive you…brother…"

"I…I…"

"I miss you."

"I miss you too…Hao…"

"Please Yoh. Let me. I just want you back…I just want you back…" Hao closed his eyes, now whimpering, beginning to cry. Yoh was speechless, this was so hard. He slowly lifted Hao so he was sat up more, and now wrapped his arms around him, holding him tightly, trying to comfort him. Hao lifted his hands to Yoh's back, now hugging him too. This felt like it had happened before, when Yoh had stopped breathing and Hao's truth about his real state came out into the open, and Yoh helped him not to give up. This felt the same. "There's nothing I can do now…I'm bleeding…so…badly…"

"There must be a way. You can survive this."

"I don't know…this is just about my limit…"

"Please…" desperately whispered Yoh. "You can't…"

"I'm sorry…"

"No! Please!" cried Yoh.

"Goodbye…Yoh…"

"Please Hao! Please no I'm sorry! I didn't want any of this to ever happen! Please! Just hold on! Everything will be all right! Please!" But suddenly, Hao wouldn't reply. Yoh shook him. "Hao!" Yoh let Hao gently fall back so Yoh could see his face. His eyes were closed, and he wasn't breathing. "No!" Screamed Yoh. "No!" he repeated. He tried shaking Hao again, desperately wanting him to wake up. "Please…" he whispered. "I'm sorry…" He held him tightly again, now crying into his shoulder. "I'll let you…I'll let you…Just…don't…Hao…I…"

"You'll…let me…?"

"Yes… anything to keep you here!" Yoh said, sobbing into Hao's shoulder, putting a bit of stress and pain on it. Hao smiled.

"Thank you… Yoh…"

"But, I'm not …" Yoh cut himself off. Now was not the time.

"Shh… Just let me rest."

"Anything, Hao. Anything."

"No! Horo-kun not let Opacho see anything. Opacho want to see him!" She said, coming up a bit closer. HoroHoro began to panic, not knowing how he could stop Opacho from getting much closer. "Come on, Opacho! Not now!"

"What that?" Opacho asked, bending over and picking up the blade Hao had dropped by HoroHoro's feet. "Ouch! Opacho get cut! Opacho bleeding!" She cried, showing HoroHoro the small cut (no bigger than a hairline) on her palm.

"Oh, Opacho!" HoroHoro said. "Go get a band-aid okay?"

"Opacho see Hao-sama first."

"No! Opacho wait!" He insisted. "Go get a band-aid first okay?"

"Fine Horo-kun!" Opacho said impatiently, scurrying off to find a band-aid inside the inn. Moments later, Ren returned, holding her. She had chosen an orange band-aid with stars on it. "Horo-kun," she said. "Opacho's band-aid glow in dark!"

"That's cool, Opacho!" He said, then turned back to Ren seriously. "Did you call?"

"Yes. They should be here soon, but we have to get him inside."

"Who?" Opacho asked innocently. "Who did Ren-sama call?"

HoroHoro, finding no other way out, decided to tell her. "Opacho … He called the ambulance. Hao needs help."

"Oh no!" She cried. "What happen to Hao-sama?"

"He … hurt himself." HoroHoro said, almost truthfully.

"Hao-sama okay?"

"To be honest, Opacho … I don't know." HoroHoro said. He took a worrying glance at Hao, who was lying still and hardly breathing …

Wait.

He was breathing!

So that meant he wasn't dead.

Yet…

That one thought lingered at the back of his head as sirens were heard. The ambulance could be seen in the distance…