Chapter: 14

Kept Apart

Cause And Effect

Jeanne and Marco wasted no time in reassembling their old building, but it was not the same. The legion of witches that had followed her beliefs were no longer with her. It was just her and Marco now. As it had always been from the very beginning. This time though, it was because of someone that she hated, someone that still stood in her way, and that was Hao. Jeanne hated him with a dire passion, but her small form, and doe red eyes wouldn't allow her to show such malice. So she remained calm and cool.

She was going to make him pay anyway.

From the very beginning, she had been shunned by other witches. They had always complained about the Vampires, and when she suggested getting rid of them- they dared turn to look at her like she was crazy. Why not get rid of the problem? She had asked. But they had just looked at her oddly, and then looked away. They were the same as Hao! Looking at her and judging her on what she knew was right.

When she suggested that they should strip vampires of their powers, and turn them humans the witches shook their head and would no longer speak to her, yet they still complained about the miscreants!. But Marco, and several other witches had agreed with her. But not the elderly ones. Witches themselves were limited, not being able to mate and reproduce as fast as most other creatures on earth- and then there was a risk of having an infant with no magical attributes at all. Being a Witch was like a gift, and sometimes you just didn't have the magic in you.

Jeanne had been one of the lucky ones to be born with such exponential power- and she felt honored. She loved harvesting her own strength and using it only for when she needed it. Since she had been a small girl she always wished that she could do something to change the world, and finally, she had her reason. Making vampires extinct, and she was going to start with Asakura Hao.

It had taken some time, but finally, she had found him again.

"Jeanne, he's not alone you know," Marco said in a warning tone.

"Yes I know, the small witch is with him," Jeanne said, keeping her eyes closed as she thought of a perfect method to get Hao on her side. She didn't want to destroy him just like that. She wanted to use him as her key to destroying everyone of his race.

"No, I mean there is someone else with him, a male. I don't know who he is. I have never seen him before. And I Can't find him in the archives either, he's definitely not human" Marco said, a troubled look coming over his face. Jeanne glanced at him and frowned.

"A male, that's new. Hao is so surrounded by females, could it be..." she frowned, thinking of many reasons why Hao would have a male around him. It didn't make any sense to her.

"Either way, we have to get him," Marco said.

"We'll get both and figure out what game he is trying to play. This doesn't seem like Hao at all." Jeanne smirked as she looked at Marco. The tall blond had a stiff look on his face. "Lets attend that school that he is going to, I am going to need both of them, and that little witch for what I have planned to do," Jeanne said as she narrowed her eyes.

Marco just stared at her, wondering what kind of magic she had in mind.

Yoh lightly groaned, resting his head against Hao's shoulder as his brother made sure that Opacho made it all the way inside the school and to her class. Hao had decided to keep the routine to dropping her off and then leaving school early to pick her up. Yoh on the other hand still stayed in school and kept Manta Company.

"So, where do you want to go?" Hao asked.

Yoh snapped his head up, and Hao started to walk once more. "What do you mean?" He gave off a confused look.

"For our date tonight Yoh," Hao smiled at his brother, "Don't keep falling asleep. You have to be kept alert,"

Yoh returned the smile, "If I could sleep, it could be forever." Yoh said. Hao raised an eyebrow.

"Then you'd never see me, or get to talk to me if you slept forever," Hao commented, making Yon flinch a bit, and then nod his head in understanding.

"Yeah, I forgot about that," Yoh looked around him as they walked to school. He was not sure where he wanted to go or what he wanted to do. He didn't really care what it was, so long as he got to spend time with Hao. "Let's do something that you like, so I can get to know you better,"

Hao looked at his younger twin a bit surprised, before an idea hit him and he nodded his head, "I got the perfect first date for us then," he muttered. Yoh watched him for a moment, as they kept walking. It didn't take long to get to class. Yoh fell asleep first lesson, and somehow managed to sleep until lunch, when Hao approached him, running his finger through his thick brown hair. Yoh was pleasantly awaken by the voice of his older brother whispering to him. Yoh looked at Hao before heading to lunch with Manta who started to complain about his bad sleeping habits.

"You and Hao look a bit closer now," Manta said once they started to eat

"Yeah, I told him about my fear of relationships, and he understood." Yoh said, a soaft smile on his lips, "he asked me ou tin a date, I Don't know where he is taking me, but I'm excited for it,"

Manta smiled ackwardly, "I wouldn't doubt it."

Yoh laughed.

As they were eating, a tall blond man walked past them, with a short girl with whitish bluish hair. Yoh felt a shiver run down his spine as he watch them go, his eyes wide as he looked at them go. Manta himself felt a bit of dread enter him as he saw the both of them. "Yoh, there's something not right about those two, is there?" he asked in a shaky whisper.

Yoh swallowed, "I felt it," he said, "Their aura is so dark and cold, there is no doub that there is something wrong about them," Yoh stood up, "Let's go back inside,"

It was at the final lesson that Manta found himself sitting near a few girls. Yoh was struggling to stay awake, but Manta was paying attention to what they were saying. "The new girl is so weird, and that new guy, he looks so old. There is no way that he is a kid in this school,"

"He almost seems like her body guard." The other one whispered, "She probably thinks she's a queen or sometheing, with havingn a body guard and all,"

Manta frowned.

"She does. She even tried to take over the taechers position, because, I quote, she was doing her job right," The girls kept gossiping. Manta turned to tell Yoh, but he didn't need to say anything. Even through his laziness, Yoh was alert, and he had heard every word. Manta could see it on the way that Yoh's eyes were narrowed, and looked so dark.

"His name is Yoh Asakura," Marco grumbled, but other than that he didn't learn anything about the other boy.

"Asakura?" Jeanne asked, while packing away her books. "In relations to Hao? Is he something to him?"

"Related maybe, as to how, I have yet to find out," Marco gravely said, while Jeanne moved around in the classroom. It was empty and school had just let out, but he still felt so out of place. He looked much older than most of the students here, but Jeanne had insisted that she needed him to be at her side all the time. After all, they were playing around what she called Hao's playground. When they had gotten to school, they had noted that Hao was no longer around, but he had let his companion alone.

Either that meant that he didn't value him much, or he was just a nobody.

Did perhaps Hao not come to school?

Jeanne was confused, but she was not going to ponder over it all day. She would get to face Hao again, the next day when school begun again, but for now, she was just glad that she was able to move in so close.

She practically had them at her grasp.

"In just a few days, we will be able to start manipulating the world again, and Hao, even if not willing, will help me do it," Jeanne smirked, and Marco joined her, smirking as well.

When Yoh got home, he found Hao sitting outside, in the center of their backyard, wearing nothing but his pants, and shoes. Yoh slowly approached him, knowing that Hao was probably meditating and in deep concentration. He didn't want to startled his brother. Or for that matter, alert him that he was home just yet. For now he just wanted to watch him.

"Yoh," Hao suddenly said, making his younger twin flinch "Why are you staring?"

"I was just…"

Hao opened his eyes and looked at his brother. There was something odd that he didn't like. He stood up, and walked back to the house, making Yon sprint to catch up with him and his fast speed. Opacho was in her room coloring when Hao entered. "Opacho, I sense danger,"

Yoh frowned, "You sensed danger when I approached you?"

Opacho's eyes became white as she started to look into the past, present, future, and what was currently happening.

"Well, it's around you," Hao said, "Someone dangerous has been around you. And their malignance is so great that it lingered on you. I can't afford for any enemies to come searching for me here," Hao said. Yoh looked at his brother oddly.

"Enemies, you have enemies?" he asked. Obviously he still didn't know that much about his brother.

Hao smiled at him, "When I was younger I left home, and did as I wanted. I was on edge, you can kind of say that I acted crooked. I pissed off the wrong people, and the wrong people pissed me off." Hao said, "Don't worry, it's nothing that I can't handle,"

"So people want to hurt you?" Yoh asked with concern.

"Not lately no,"

Opacho gasped, getting to her feet. "She's here Master Hao, Jeanne and Marco are here!" she said, getting a scared look on her face as she threw herself to Hao, hugging him tight. The long haired vampire narrowed his eyes, and Yoh looked at them with slight confusion.

"Who is that?" he asked.

"Jeanne and Marco are two witches, and they want to take over the world. I stopped them from doing it before, but now, I guess they have found me," Hao shook his head. He wouldn't doubt that Jeanne would find him. She was a strong and smart witch.

But then again, how smart can she be if she decided to come all this way to get him. "So she's bad."

"Even though she thinks she's good," Opacho hissed. "I don't want her hurting Master Hao,"

"Yoh, our date will have to wait until I can figure out the situation more," Hao said. Yoh numbly nodded his head. Hao could see that his brother was a bit startled by the news as well as a bit flustered and confused. He couldn't blame his brother. Gently pulling Opacho away from him, he walked to his brother, and kissed him.

"Everything is going to be okay" he whispered when he released the short kiss. He could feel Yoh's breath catch, and couldn't stop himself from kissing him again. Yoh took a few seconds to register that he was being kissed before he responded, feeling himself trust his brother.

Everything was going to be alright.