This wasn't necessary, but she couldn't help it. Anna couldn't keep her eyes off Yoh for long… even if he was gone…

She opened the door slowly, though not quite understanding why. Somehow, she could sense something wasn't right.

And at that moment…

Her worst fears were confirmed.

"Yoh?!" She ran up to where his body had lay before. She threw herself to her knees. Surely her eyes were playing tricks on her?

"Anna! We heard screaming!" Ren and Lyserg had burst into the room. "What's wr…" Lyserg began. He stopped suddenly, noticing the missing body. "What happened?"

"I don't know!" She cried, holding back tears desperately. Lyserg clenched his hands into a fist. "I'll go see where Hao is."

"But why…?" Anna asked. "You don't think he…?" Yet Lyserg had already gone. Ren shook his head. "HoroHoro hasn't come back either, he should be back by now."

"So are you saying they took Yoh's body?"

"I don't know. I'd like to think they didn't, but…" Ren looked out the window sadly. Lyserg returned minutes later. "Well?"

"He's not here."

"Then… I think it's safe to say that… Hao and HoroHoro have taken him." Ren sighed. But why? Why would they do that?

"Have – you – got – a – plan?"

"No."

"What – are – we – going – to – do?"

"I don't know."

"Can – we – rest?"

"Can't you keep running?"

"No…" HoroHoro gasped as he fell to the floor. Hao stopped and looked at him.

"Get up. We need to keep going." He said, as briskly as possible.

"Awh…man…" HoroHoro wheezed. "We've been running for about an hour now…" He suddenly stopped and looked up at Hao. "Hang on a second. Why haven't we used the Spirit of Fire?" Hao turned away from HoroHoro looking slightly angry.

"I can't."

"Why not? Because we –"

"It's too dangerous! I am not putting you and Yoh at risk."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't you remember what happened last time I used the Spirit of Fire?" Hao now glared at him. "Or the time before that? Or the time before that?"

"Okay I get your point."

"What's your excuse? Why aren't you using Kororo and your board?"

"I can only carry one person. I can carry three but that's only if it were Opacho or Manta." explained HoroHoro. Hao sighed, slightly stressed. He didn't know what power the council possibly could have obtained, but he wasn't going to take any chances. The Patch aren't stupid. They wouldn't be foolish enough to threaten me with anything less than something extremely powerful.

"Where are going to go?" said Hao, looking back at HoroHoro. HoroHoro got up off the ground, wiping his front down now beginning to think. Hao looked at his younger brother lay in his arms, and wondered what Yoh would do in a situation like this.

"We could go back and see if they've turned back?" opted HoroHoro.

"No we've come this far now we have to keep going." They began to slowly walk, taking a small rest from the running by walking instead. They both now could have a proper look at their surroundings. They had gone further away from the city and the village, and now they were in the over looking nature voyage. To their left was a clear view of some of the city; to there right stood tall trees and bushes, obscuring the view to what ever was behind. The path they were walking along was very wide and seemed to go on for some time as well. Hao suddenly stopped in his tracks, and had a glance around him. HoroHoro stopped a few steps ahead.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Hao didn't reply, as he could sense something was going to happen. He eyed everything within his view from his left to his right. "Hao?" called HoroHoro.

"Shhh…HoroHoro…I think I just heard something…" HoroHoro looked around him, but nothing peculiar came to his attention. But he trusted Hao's statement, and didn't say anything to attract what ever it was he had heard. Hao slowly took a step forward, he stood on a twig making a snapping sound. Quickly something, or someone, moved in the trees and then stopped. HoroHoro noticed it, and stayed focused and completely alert. "Is anyone there?" called Hao, showing anger in his tone of voice. He was not in any kind of mood to start a fight. Not while protecting Yoh, anyway. "Show yourself." He commanded. Hao was not paying any attention to HoroHoro, and suddenly gasped when HoroHoro fell the ground, completely blacked out. He hurried over to him and stood over him. "HoroHoro? Are you okay? What happened?" he gazed at his friend until slowly HoroHoro began to get back up again. He blinked a few times and then focused on Hao. "Don't scare me like that HoroHoro. Try to stay awake will you?" HoroHoro didn't say anything, just slowly nodded his head. Hao found it unnerving but chose not to worry about it. "Good." Hao then focused back on the trees.

"Let's go Hao it was probably just your imagination." said HoroHoro, in a voice Hao had never really heard him use before. He didn't sound hyper, funny and caring. He sounded dull, boring and irritated. Hao frowned at him. Some thing had just happened, but he didn't know what. Hao still gazed at the trees and he began to follow. HoroHoro glanced behind him, and suddenly dived into the trees and began to run away from Hao.

"Hey! H-HoroHoro where are you going?!" shouted Hao finding no other option but to follow HoroHoro into the trees. He clutched Yoh's body tightly, trying hard not to drop or hurt him as he brushed past the branches and bushes. "HoroHoro!" he called. "HoroHoro!" Hao could see him stood further away, watching him. "What the hell are you doing?" He then turned and continued to run, Hao desperately trying to keep him in sight. "HoroHoro!" Hao reached a clearance where the trees came round surrounding the area. Hao glanced around, it didn't seem right. It was like HoroHoro lured him to this place. He was stood a few yards away, his back to him. Hao sighed deeply, something was about to take place he could feel it. He stepped backwards and began to approach a wide trunk of a tree, the grass growing around the roots. A reasonable comfortable spot. Hao knelt down and gently placed Yoh on the ground. He placed him with his back to the tree, and his legs spread out. He lent his head back carefully, so he was resting on the tree. Hao noticed Yoh was still smiling which some how made him smile too. Hao felt himself suddenly forgetting where he was, and just concentrated on Yoh. He gently caressed his forehead with his left hand. "Yoh…" he sighed, still smiling at him. He quickly shook his head, bringing himself back to the situation. He had lost himself in Yoh's peaceful smile. He stood up and turned, now finding all of the Patch tribe stood behind him. Silva stood on Goldva's right and Karim stood on his left. The rest of them stood slightly further back in a neat saluted row. Stood next to Silva, was HoroHoro.

"Asakura Hao." Stated Goldva. "We have been looking for you." Hao wasn't listening to him. He was concentrating on HoroHoro. HoroHoro was glaring at him, with eyes that shown no emotion at all.

"HoroHoro?" muttered Hao. "What's the matter?"

"We have come a long way to find you, Hao." said Silva, frowning.

"HoroHoro?" said Hao, stepping forward.

"Hao, come with us and agree to sacrifice yourself." said Goldva, talking loudly and clearly. Hao suddenly blinked at him, and began to focus on what was happening. He stood strait and smirked. Slipping in his daring and confident attitude.

"Oh, is that all?" he smirked.

"If you do not surrender to us and simply do as we ask, there will be consequences." Karim stated. Out of the entire Patch, Silva was the only one who was looking slightly worried. He nudged Goldva.

"Goldva. I don't think this is right. HoroHoro has done nothing to deserve this." He hissed.

"HoroHoro betrayed us all. By becoming an ally of Hao's he is now an enemy." Replied Goldva. Hao was alert to what these men were saying.

"Yes but still…"

"Silva, as a member of this tribe, you should know what is tolerated and what is not." said Goldva.

"Yes I understand." Said Silva, although his expression still showed some uncertainty.

"And what exactly are you planning to do if I refuse this truly tempting offer?" smiled Hao, taunting them.

"This." Plainly muttered Goldva. Suddenly, Karim and Silva both grabbed HoroHoro by the arms and forced him to kneel upon the ground. Another of the members pulled out what seemed to be a blade like weapon and approached HoroHoro. He grabbed him by the hair and pulled it back so his head faced the sky. He then placed the sharp blade upon HoroHoro's neck, and didn't make another move.

Although Hao was showing a non caring expression…

He was beginning to panic very badly inside.

"And what, do tell, would this be in aid of?" Hao said, forcing an un-caring chuckle.

"Not long ago, Hao, the Great Spirits gave you a test. Do you remember it?"

"A test?"

"It usually takes place just before a shaman enters the Patch Village." said Goldva. Hao thought back to the day he, HoroHoro and Opacho first arrived in the Patch Village. They did talk about a test they had all experienced. With the huge tree and each of them hanging helplessly from the branches…

He is a demon with a human face!

But…Hao's was different…

"Ever since that day the Great Spirits has been testing your soul. And has been observing your every day life as time went by. So far the Great Spirits has been very intrigued with the results. It so happens, they have uncovered a weakness…" explained Silva.

"A weakness? Me?" laughed Hao. "I think you and I both know, I do not have a weakness."

"That is what we thought too." said Karim.

"But the Great Spirits thinks differently." Added Silva.

"Actually, you have two of them." Smiled Goldva.

"Two…?" muttered Hao under his breath.

"Hao?" came a voice from behind him.

Hao stopped breathing…

That voice…

Hao turned…

"Yoh?" Hao stared at the boy sat at the foot of the tree. His eyes were slightly open, his mouth was still curved into a grin. His eyes closed and reopened slowly.

"Hao…" Yoh whispered. Hao had froze. His dead brother…

Was alive?

But surely…it was impossible?

It didn't matter.

Not anymore.

Hao hurried to his side, still taken back and in shock. He knelt beside him.

"Yoh?" he repeated. "What…what is happening?"

"I was about to ask you the same question…" whispered Yoh, in a carefree voice. He was so convincing! Was it really for real?

"Yoh! You're alive!" laughed Hao. "This is amazing!" Quickly though, from strait out of the blue, Yoh gripped hold of Hao's left wrist and clutched it tightly. Yoh swiftly got to his feet, Hao was just dragged along by his sudden movement, Yoh then turned with great speed, and kicked Hao hard in the chest and then threw him to the floor. Hao clutched his ribs in shock and pain, cringing at what had just happened.

"Yoh is one of those weaknesses." said Goldva after a small period of silence. Hao slowly began to get to his feet, he turned and glared in Goldva's direction.

"That was a dirty trick…" he said through gritted teeth.

"The Great Spirits decided we must do whatever it takes to eliminate you from the face of the earth." said Silva.

"Which means you must be defeated at all costs." Added Karim.

"And harming both Yoh and HoroHoro is just going to be some kind of little side effect to this little plan of yours?!" shouted Hao, now relieving the fact he was feeling aggressive more than calm. Silva cringed, he wasn't sure of this either. Hao suddenly noticed Yoh was approaching the Patch Tribe. Hao reached out to him as if to stop him, but Yoh moved quickly and arrived with HoroHoro. Hao watched his brother suddenly lose all the life within him and fall to the ground. He just lay on his side, back in his dead state. Hao felt like a huge part of him had just been torn away from him. He felt like he had just been hit hard in the stomach and it made him feel sick. He then began to realize…

He really did have a weakness…

It was his friends…

"Surrender your life to us and they will not be harmed." Stated Goldva.

Hao didn't really believe the Patch had any intention of hurting them, but he wasn't going to gamble his brother's and his best friend's lives on it.

"Okay…" he said quietly, ashamed of himself. "You…win…" he could hardly say the words. "Just…don't hurt them."

"I'm sorry but this little party is over." Came another voice. HoroHoro and Yoh were both suddenly grabbed and pulled away from the Patch Tribe. Goldva gasped and Silva and Karim stood in shock. It happened so quickly it really was not expected. Hao looked up and smiled.

"Ren!"