Chapter 4

Disclaimer : I Don't own Yu Gi Oh! & I Don't own Shaman King!

Thought / Dreams / Event from the past

[Voice from the past]

'Telepathic Voice'

"Spirit Talking"

-Telephone-

Letter

"Dialogue"

Emphasis

Dangerous Tone

Yoh looked at the exchange with a confused expression before the other man noticed him, "Ah, someone confused." He announced, causing the three other men to looked at him, and he fidget at the sudden attention he got by that statement.

"Ah, right." Yugi said as he turned around in the other man's hug to look at Yoh, "I forget that you don't know what happened around here." He said apologetically.

Yoh nodded, "It's alright." He said from his spot beside Jounouchi.

"Well, we better explain everything to him whether it's believable or not." The brown haired man said calmly before he glared at Yugi's look-alike, "But first, Mou Hitori no Yugi, you better remove your hand from him this instant".

The said Mou Hitori no Yugi smirked at the man, "What is it, Kaiba?" He asked teasingly, "Jealous that your boyfriend in the arms his own other half?".

Kaiba growled, "If you know that we are dating, then you should know not to hold him like that." He said angrily.

"Oh, come on, Seto." Yugi groaned, "It's not like I and Atem are thinking of each other intimately!" He said in frustration.

"Yami." Atem interrupted, causing Yugi to turn to look at him, "For you, Aibou, it's Yami." He smiled warmly as he removed his hands from around Yugi's waist, "Just like in the past".

Yugi smiled and nodded before walking to his boyfriend while dragging Yami, "Since you, Seto, are my boyfriend, you should know that I would never feel a whole person unless Yami is around." He said to the man, "Try to at least be civil with Yami even though he is your rival".

Kaiba Seto sighed and reluctantly nod, he then looked at Yoh, "Alright, I will let you hugging or holding each other, but not for a long time, once in a while is okay." He said in defeat.

Other Half . . . a Whole person . . . I wonder what they mean by that. I know that in my and Hao's case, it's because Hao literally torn in halves when he reborn this time around, and that's make me and him as a Half of a whole person. But them? I wonder what their relationship are . . . Yoh thought as he laid his eyes on Yami . . . or Atem since the man said that Yami was a name especially for Yugi.

Yoh was well aware that he was attracted to the man at first sight, who was he kidding? This Atem person was drop dead gorgeous, not to mention his well build body was clearly shown by his strange clothes, although he was wondering why he was wearing a skirt, he still thought that the man was regal looking. Atem was wearing a Cream and Blue colored dress-looking clothes, with a big Golden belt, and a Red cape was attacked to his clothes. The way he brought himself and his Aristocratic face make him suited to be a King of some kind, even more so with his clothing. What attracted his attention the most was the man's eyes, they are Blood Red color, so rare to be seen in human eyes. Unless the man was not human, that kind of eye color was unnatural, but enchanting at the same time.

Atem caught his eyes and he smiled at the young man, "Hello." He said softly, "My name is Asakura Yoh." He decided to introduce himself since Yugi seemed to be forgotten that he didn't know them at all.

Atem inhaled sharply, but softly so Yugi or Seto didn't noticed it, he know right away that the boy was a pure hearted person like his Hikari. From the way the boy's eyes shown with warm and gentleness, and his smile which make you believe that everything would be alright, he know that the boy would be easily to be loved, as a friend, family, or even a lover.

The truth was . . . he already feel attracted to the boy. It's because he was watching his Hikari all this time, and so he saw Yoh entered the scene by helped Yugi out from bullies, and he saw that Yoh was a kind hearted boy. He didn't think that seeing and hearing the boy's smile and face would be so much different than watching and hearing them from the Divine Pond, he was taken aback by the beauty in them.

Atem then smiled at the boy as well, "My name is Atem." He told the boy.

"Save the introduction for later, will you?!" Malik suddenly snapped, he pointed at his look-alike, "What are you doing here, Other Personality?! You should be in the Shadow Realm!".

"Malik." Ishizu said calmly to him, "Calm down, Marik would not harm anyone anymore. Ra had given him a second chance to live, with his own body, so that he could redeem his past mistake and learn to start a new life as a better man." She explained before sending a sharp look at the crazy haired young man, "Right, Marik?".

Marik nodded, "Yes, that's right." He confirmed, "After my experience in Shadow Realm, I learn that I was making a great mistake in the past, and Ra had decided to have mercy and offer me a second chance as long as I would never repeat my past actions".

Malik looked at Marik for a long time before he sighed, "Alright." He said reluctantly, "I will let him have his second chance and earn forgiveness from the others".

Marik smiled gratefully, "Thank you, Other Personality." He said, and he sounded honest with his words.

Other Personality? Yoh thought in confusion as he looked at them.

"Does that mean that you would also try to be a better man, Bakura?" Ryou asked hopefully at his look-alike.

Bakura smiled and nodded, "Yeah, Yadonushi." He answered, "Fortunately, I had given my own body as well, so there's no need for me to be a parasite in your body anymore".

What does that mean I wonder? Yoh thought to himself again, And why Bakura? Isn't that Ryou's family name? Or they just accidentally have the same name?

"I'm glad." Ryou said with a gentle smile, "I will help you to be a better man then".

"Thanks." Bakura said with a smirk, but Ryou know that Bakura was really grateful that Ryou offered to help him out.

"Well." Atem drawled, "We could catching up later, but first, we need to explain what happened first to Yoh so that he wouldn't wear that confused face anymore." He said as he smirked at Yoh.

Yoh laughed in carefree way, "I would like that." He agreed.

Ishizu nodded, "Let's go to the room beside this one then, we could all sit and told the story there." She suggested with a smile on her face.

And so, they went to the next room, then they told Yoh what kind of adventure they had in the past and what had happened. From the time when Yugi completed the Millennium Puzzle and befriends Anzu, Jou and Honda. About what had happened with Seto and the Death-T that Seto built just to defeat Yugi due to him being blinded by his ambition, which ended with Atem, who was known as Yami that time, gave Seto a Mind Crush to let Seto woken up his true self. About the gang fighting against The Spirit of the Millennium Ring in a Shadow Game, and thus freeing Ryou from Bakura's control, then they become friends with Ryou.

Then, they told Yoh about Duelist Kingdom, how Pegasus forced Yugi to joined the tournament, and how Yugi and Yami won against Pegasus's Mind Reading power by using the Millennium Eye, and thus earning the tittle as King of Games. Continued with the Battle City tournament Seto held to get the Egyptian God Cards, Yugi and friends encounter with Malik and the Ghouls, and eventually the fight between Yami and Marik in a Shadow Game.

After that, they told Yoh about their journey into the Memory World to help Atem remember his past and his name, the battle against the Dark God Zork. And lastly, the Ceremonial Duel between Yugi and Atem to let Atem enter the afterlife, and to seal away the Millennium Items for good.

"And so, we tried to get back to our normal lives." Yugi concluded, "But it kind of hard for me since I lost the other half of myself, I couldn't move on since I felt really empty without Yami around".

"Yes." Atem agreed, "I had watching over you all this time, since I was restless myself." He admitted, "I thought that my place was belong to the afterlife, but I was wrong, and I always have a constant ache in my heart and soul. That's why I watched over you to ease the pain I felt, even if it's for a bit only, and that's how I know that you were still holding onto me, and about Seto asked you out at your Birthday one month and a week ago".

"You saw that?" Yugi asked with a blush.

Atem laughed and nodded, "But I left you alone every time you started making out." He added with a teasing smirk.

Yugi blushed even more and hid his face in Seto's chest, "Mou Hitori no Boku is a meanie." He mumbled softly against Seto's chest.

Atem's smirk turned into a soft smile, "Then the Ra let me to have a second chance to live alongside you with my own body, considering I had saved the world twice." He finished.

"Well, in my case." Bakura started his story, "After Zork lost against the Pharaoh, I was free from his control. My guilt kind of eating me away, since my evil doing was because Zork brainwashed me, but it was still me who killed all those people and whatever I had done in the past, so I felt, and still feel, guilty over it. Ra offered me a chance to redeem my wrong doing, and you could say I jumped at the chance right away." He looked at Ryou, "And I need to apologize to you as well, for you have suffered the most from what I had done".

Ryou smiled and nodded, "I forgive you." He said softly, "You are still my Yami even though you were bad, so I'm glad that you were given a second chance and you are willing to try to redeem yourself".

Malik raised an eyebrow at Marik, "So, how did you get out of Shadow Realm?" He asked nonchalantly, but there's a bit of curiosity in his voice.

Marik leaned onto the back of his chair, "Well, I didn't get out." He started, "I was wandering aimlessly in there and had to constantly fight with the Shadow Creatures to survive, as time passed, I started to think why I did what I had done and then started feeling guilty. I often sending people to the Shadow Realm when they lose against me, and by experiencing it myself, I know that they had suffered greatly since they don't have a Shadow Magic like I do. Ra then offered me a chance to redeem myself, I kind of unsure if I could change my personalty, but I'm willing to try." He looked at the others, "And so, here I am, given a second chance to start a new and to be a better man".

Yugi looked at Yoh, "Yoh, do believe us?" He asked in worry, "I know that it's pretty unbelievable, but . . ." He trailed off when Yoh shook his head and smiled at him.

"I believe you." Yoh assured him, "I was just surprised that you had so many adventure like that." His smile softened and his eyes grew warm as he looked at Yugi, "The fact that you had greatly suffered, the fact that you faced them without thinking twice, and that you still have it in you to forgive your enemies. I understand now why your soul is so pure, shining so bright until I could feel the warmth radiating for your light".

Yugi blushed so red like a tomato at the praise, "I'm not that good." He denied.

"Oh, but what he said is true, Aibou." Atem argued, "Don't deny it, since it's the truth".

Yugi whined, "You two could get me die from embarrassment!" He complained cutely.

"But . . ." Bakura's voice make him looked at the older albino, "How come you believe us so easily?".

Yoh grinned at him, "I have my share of unbelievable experience, so if what I had experience is true, why not yours?" He asked rhetorically to the albino before looking at the painting in front of him, but his eyes didn't registered what the painting was. No, his eyes, as well as his mind was locked in the past, the short moment he had with Hao, the one time when they weren't enemies and simply Brothers who had a cup of coffee together.

XXXXX

He was floating in the darkness, and his mind was able to understand that he was in a state of unconscious but conscious enough to know that he was alive, but his mind couldn't comprehend why he was even still alive. Sure, if he was someone else, he wouldn't even understand that he was in between consciousness and unconsciousness, let alone remember who he was. But he was Asakura Hao, he was different than other people, Shamans or not. He know who he was, what his goal, and what he had done. Everything about himself and what he had done as well as witnessed in the world, everything, really.

But now that he was in this state, he wasn't even understand anymore why he pursue such a goal, it seems pointless now. Even if he managed to eradicated all humans . . . one thing that he had learn from his fight with his Little Brother, it was to see beyond appearance, into the Soul instead of the vessel. Even if his goal had succeed, would the world really become a better world? Sure, since there would be none of the normal humans around, Shamans would never be shunned again. But . . . Were humans and Shamans really that different?

Hao had noticed and seen, but refused to believe, that Shamans were no different than normal humans. They abused others, Shamans or no Shamans, they also used Nature-endangering technology like normal humans, and they were also selfish Creature. Just like Hao himself, his selfish self blinded by hatred and thirst of vengeance to normal humans since they killed his Mother. Hao hate the man who killed his Mother, but who he was to judge? He was a murderer himself.

He remembered one of Yoh's friends, Lyserg Diethel, whose parents had died in Hao's hands just because they refused to help him to create Shaman only world, and that's just prove that he was no different than normal human who killed his Mother. He was foolish and selfish that he killed people who opposed him, because . . . most of those who opposed him were Shamans, and if he killed Shamans, who will live in his Shaman only world? Only him and his followers then.

Hao finally coming out of his unconsciousness and opened his eyes, Why am I still alive? Was his first thought, the next was, How am I still alive? Because really, he was sure that the attack Yoh had delivered would kill him off for sure, such a strong attack with the same strength of determination to kill him, and Hao was frozen when he was about to kill Yoh, that alone was enough to get himself killed.

But it was his wish.

When he saw that Yoh received the support of the other Shamans and non Shamans who support their family and friends, then miraculously turning that support into a power to create a God Class Oversoul like that, one that could rivaled the Great Spirit he had obtained by force. Hao know that he was wrong right then and there, because if the people could send their support like that to make a mutual goal come true, then they wouldn't kill each other.

Knowing that he was wrong, and that there's only two possible outcomes in that situation, which was one of them died, Hao had given up all hope to live, and his desire to live. He had frozen his own attack by a second to let Yoh attack to kill him, because if he had to die that time, his only wish was for Yoh to be the one to kill him. Because deep inside his heart he know that Yoh was the one who suffered the most because of his existence, he wished that by dying in Yoh's hand, he had somehow paying for the pain he had given his own Twin.

So, why was he still alive?

Hao sat up, fully aware that his injury had been healed, and looked around to see that he was in the Patch Hospital. He could see an ugly scar on his front, from his navel to his collar bone, he was surprised that the scar was so small, he thought that such an attack would surely split himself in halves. He noticed that he was in a Hospital gown, something that he hate no matter what, and grimaced. He looked to the side and found a set of clothes, he climbed down from the bed and picked it up. A white shirt and a blue jeans, a simple clothes but better than the Hospital gown. He looked around and saw that the room was closed off, he then quickly, or as quickly as he could since his body feel like jelly, changed into the set of clothes in the Hospital Room, not bothering to go to the Bathroom.

Hao tried to summon his Great Spirit but couldn't, so he come to conclusion that the Great Spirit had been returned to the vessel in the Land of The Stars when he was unconscious by the Patch, meaning he didn't have a Guardian Spirit anymore. Not that he mind though, he was still an Onmyouji, he could fight using Shikigami, and he could still summon his Onis if he want. He was an Oni Summoner before becoming a Dai Onmyouji, and he still keeping his Oni Summoning skill just in case his Oversoul alone wouldn't enough.

He then tried to teleported himself, glad that he could still teleported himself at will, and teleported to the spot on top of the cliff where he would go to see the Stars at night. He layed down on his usual spot and looked at the sky, it's still in the afternoon. So, instead of watching the stars, he found himself watching the Clouds. Hao was then reminded of his Little Brother, Yoh loved to watch the Stars and the Clouds, with a content smile on his face as if he had no problem in the world at all.

Yoh, Hao thought as he closed his eyes, I wonder if you think that you had killed me? Are you happy by killing me? Or you are getting drowned by guilt? Knowing Yoh, he know that the answer was the latter, even if the one that was killed was Hao, Yoh would still feeling guilty and blamed himself to death. Another thing that he now understand, that if he had really died in Yoh's hands, then he wouldn't pay for the pain he had given Yoh, but added it even more. He sighed quietly, he had lost his desire to live, life seemingly meaningless for him now.

"Shouldn't you be resting now?" Silva's voice rang from behind him.

Hao didn't surprised to hear Silva's voice, he could feel the man's presence when the man landed from his flight using his Wings Oversoul, but he was a bit surprised by the question. "Why do you care?" He asked simply as he opened his eyes.

"The Great Spirit had spoken to Goldva and they want you to be saved." Silva answered as he sat beside Hao, "If you don't rest now, you wouldn't heal up, you know?".

"Why though?" Hao asked calmly, "I took them by force, didn't I?" He then closed his eyes again.

"Only the Great Spirit knows the answer." Silva answered calmly as well.

"How could you sit there so calmly?" Hao asked then, "Last time I remember, you tried to kill me along with Yoh's friends".

"Your Furyoku felt different." Silva said as he looked at Hao, "More calmer than before, didn't held a single malice in them, didn't flared like a huge obon fire anymore. Instead, it's like the fire in the fireplace, warm and kind, so I figure you wouldn't use your power to harm others anymore".

Hao opened his eyes and met with Silva's eyes, "And so you don't scared of me anymore." He stated, "And you don't feel the need to be hostile towards me anymore".

"It's like that." Silva confirmed with a nod and looked ahead of him in the distance, "Why do you changed so suddenly, Hao?".

"Asaha." Hao . . . or Asaha interrupted.

"What?" Silva questioned in confusion.

"My real name is Asaha, Asakura Hao was only a made up name to try and start a new as an Onmyouji, though I become more of a monster, didn't I?" Asaha chuckled, "As Asaha, I'm simply a young and oblivious boy who was hurting, one that accepted himself as a Demon boy and didn't care what happened to him anymore, just like I am now".

"Hurting . . ." Silva repeated, "Is that why you wanted to kill all humans? Because they did something to hurt you enough to make you thirst of vengeance?".

Asaha sat up, "What happened to me in the past was what I had done to the people, my Mother was killed right in front of me so that the Priest would become famous for exorcising a Fox in disguise, and that was I did to them, killing people who are dear to them and their own selves." He said with a sad smile, "Just like what Ohachiyo said, I'm also a mere human, no different than the one that I hated".

"Who is Ohachiyo?" Silva asked curiously.

"My very first friend and Guardian Spirit." Asaha answered, "The one who had to merged with me because I used to much of his energy in my thirst of vengeance, I destroyed him because I want to have my revenge, stupid me".

Silva sighed, "At least you finally understand it." He said as he stood up, "Yoh always believe that you had a reason for your hatred towards humanity, not just because they destroyed the nature, turned out he was right all along".

"He is a strange person, isn't he?" Asaha asked softly, "Even until the end, he never show any hate to me, only sadness that he had to kill me since I was so stubborn to see the good in humanity".

"He is a priceless treasure." Silva agreed, "I think that he would be happy knowing that you didn't die and had changed your view towards humans".

"I know he will." Asaha agreed, "But it will bring him danger, right? Not that he couldn't protect himself though".

Silva laughed, "Of course, he defeated you after all." He said cheerfully, but then he become sober, "He ran away from home, you know?".

Asaha looked up at the taller man, "Why?" He asked calmly, but curiously, "And . . . how long is it since that time?".

"It's already a month and a half after the Shaman Fight ended." Silva answered, "And about why Yoh ran away, they couldn't understand his pain for killing you, he was so depressed that he chose to run so he could finally mourn your death." Silva looked at him with a grin, "But you didn't die, so if he know, he would be happy again".

"You told him about me being alive?" Asaha asked as he looked at the distance.

"No." Silva shook his head, "That decision is yours, the Patch only followed the Great Spirit's will to saved you, the other matters are yours to decide. Such as what will you do from now on, are you still going to pursue your goal, and so on. We don't really care since we are the neutral, though I would be at ease knowing Yoh is happy, since he was so depressed that I thought he would kill himself".

Asaha stood up, "Say my thanks to the Patch and Great Spirit." He said as he turned around, "I'm already healed, and I want to be by myself for the time being. Whether I would want to pursue my goal again or not, the answer is no, rest assure that I wouldn't cause anymore trouble to you." He looked up at the sky, "I will have to go on a journey to find a new purpose in life, it wouldn't wise to just throw away your life after being returned to you, don't you agree?" He then vanished in a burst of fire.

To be continued . . .

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