Return of Fire, Chapter 1

'Where is she?' screamed Anna. 'Where is that backstabber?' she yelled running down the street towards the village.

'Anna! C'mon it wasn't her fault!' Yelled Yoh calling after her. The sun was beating down on that hot summer afternoon. Heat was really rising, but not just from the sun. Ren appeared at the bottom of the road and saw the raging mad Anna coming towards him. Just seeing her like that made Ren go completely cold. Even in a heat wave.

'What the hell is the matter with her?' he muttered stepping back.

'Ren! Ren! Grab her before she does something she'll regret!' shouted Yoh as loud as he could. Ren jumped in Anna's path and held his hands out towards her ready to grab her.

'Don't you dare lay a finger on me Ren!' she exclaimed at him. Not paying attention, Ren ran towards her and grabbed her by the arms, swung her over his shoulder and began to carry her back up the hill. Anna repeatedly smacking him and kicking him. 'Get off me now you halfwit!' she sobbed. 'What she did was unforgivable!'

'I'm not sure I want to know what has happened do I?' muttered Ren when he passed Yoh walking into the house.

'You don't, believe me; you really don't.' he sighed following.

"Oh? And why not?" Ren asked. Yoh shrugged.

"I don't know… It's just…" he shuddered. "Horrible." Ren sighed, a little annoyed. "Just tell me, will you? Or will I have to inflict the most horrendous of damage on you?"

"Tell what? What's going on!" Another voice came around the corner. "Hey, dudes!" HoroHoro yelled once he reached them. "Fill me in, could you?" Yoh sighed. "Okay … Well, first off, Anna's a little angry…"

"A little?"

"Isn't she always?"

"Let me finish!" Yoh said, and laughed a little. "Yeah HoroHoro, You're kinda right there…"

"Hey!" Anna yelled. "I am not!" Yoh laughed. "If you say so… Anyways. Anna was running, fuming, and I saw Ren at the bottom of the road. I called out to him to grab her and stop her, and He did."

"No, of course not! I would never do such a preposterous thing! Why do you think she's on my back right now?" Ren yelled, nearly making Yoh faint. "Sorry!" he said. "Just explaining this to HoroHoro! Sue me!"

"Woah, quit yelling!" HoroHoro whispered. "I think I get it now. So what made her mad?"

'No wait…' trailed off Ren. 'It isn't?'

'Yep.' sighed Yoh. 'Got it in one.'

'Huh?' muttered HoroHoro puzzled. 'Got it in one? What the hell! He didn't say anything!'

'Oh he did!' screamed Anna. 'He definitely did and PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW!' she yelled kicking harder and faster.

'I refuse to put you down Anna because if I do, I am putting everyone in this room lives at risk.'

'I won't do anything just put me down and I will explain everything to this goof ball.' muttered Anna pointing to HoroHoro.

'Hey!' he objected trailing off. He put both of his hands on his head and then screwed up his face.

'What on earth are you doing now?' spat Ren.

'Oh My God! He's going to blow up!' screamed Yoh.

'No' muttered Horo Horo. 'I am thinking'

'Oh dear god he is going to blow up.' sniffed Ren.

'HAO!' he yelled nearly tipping everyone over. 'That's the worst thing I can possibly think of! The dude is back!'

'HoroHoro. You're not a stupid as you look.' sighed Yoh patting him on the shoulder.

'And it is all Tamao's fault!' screamed Anna shocking both Ren and HoroHoro.

'But thought she was on our side dudes!' gasped HoroHoro.

'Well you thought wrong!' she cried as Ren placed her down on her feet.

'But it wasn't her fault it was an accident.' said Yoh concerned looking at Anna.' I don't care what it was Yoh! All I know is if it wasn't for her he would still be dead.'

"Why?" Ren asked. "Why would she do such a thing!"

"It wasn't her fault…" Yoh repeated, feeling like he was being ignored.

"Will he… Come after you again?" HoroHoro asked uncertainly. Yoh shrugged, and earned a slap from Anna. "What kind of question is that! How dare you!"

"Sorry, Anna! Just asking…"

Yoh shrugged again. "I don't know. It makes sense if he does, and I don't know if I can beat him again."

"By overcoming death, you will gain only more power…" Ren muttered. He had a facial expression suggesting he was about to be sick. He was very pale and shaking, his eyes white. Everyone stared at him in horror.

"What?"

"I … I … know this …" he laughed, without humour, stifled by terror. "When I … Nearly died … I felt more powerful than I ever had…" he said, voice faint. "So… just imagine what power he … he could have now." He finished, covering his face in his hands, muttering something in his language.

"But how did it happen?" HoroHoro asked again.

"I… I'm sorry… I'll tell you, but please don't be mad at me…" Shy little Tamao said, coming into the room. "I've been listening to you … and I feel really bad …" A tear fell down her cheek. "Okay. This is what happened ..."

'I was simply overlooking my ouija board yesterday afternoon, when it happened again. I have been feeling these weird trances, like something was trying to talk through me. But as I knelt over my board, I opened my mouth and a drop of blood landed in front of me. I stood up and covered my mouth in fear and stared mindlessly at this drop of red blood.

Instead of staining the surface, it began to change shape. And it turned into a Japanese symbol. I never recognized it before so I looked it up. I remember the dictionary said 'Leaf King'. And I had no idea what that could have possibly meant. Soon after that I felt a shock vibe through my entire body and my ears rang with the same words.'

'Say It! Say It! Say It!' she sobbed into tears. Yoh walked up to her and gave her a comfort hug.

'It's okay Tamao just tell them what you told Me.' he whispered. Tamao stepped backwards and shook her head and then spat it out.

'Hao! That voice forced me to say Hao!' she then fell to her knees and began to cry.

'Tamao don't get upset!' said HoroHoro.

'Yeah just try to explain what happened next okay?' said Yoh softly. Tamao began to nod her head.

'Okay the room suddenly filled with heat and I felt myself being possessed to walk out of the door and into the street out side.

This force threw me next to the nearest leaf and it burned in my hand. I then picked up another and another and another and each one burned and I couldn't help myself. Soon the whole garden was on fire and I was sat in the center of it all.

The flames rushed around me and I couldn't get out. Suddenly each of the flames grew higher and formed and formed.'

'The Spirit of Fire.' muttered Yoh. His hair covering his eyes so no one could see his face clearly.

The demon picked me up and to my horror there he stood. Smiling at me. He told me everyone was going to be all right now. And he thanked me for summoning him back to the world. I then realized what I had done. I had summoned his spirit back and he embodied himself within the flames and regenerated the Spirit of Fire.

That way recreating life.' she then began to sob. 'I am so sorry but I didn't know any revive rituals! I didn't know what was happening! Yoh found me lay in front of my home and noticed the burnt garden. I didn't need to tell him everything. He guessed right from the start'

'What are we going to do?' sighed Ren. 'What are we going to do?'

"Find him."

"What! Yoh! Dude, you can't be serious."

"I am serious. We have to find him and somehow stop him."

"Yoh… Think about this! You may not make it out alive… and then I don't know what I'd do … I couldn't…" Anna trailed off, realizing what she was saying. She blushed fiercely, and Yoh did the same after she turned away from him.

"It's getting late…" Yoh said. "I'm going up to bed. I have some things I need to think about." He turned around and walked to his room, closing the door gently. As he began to undress, Amidamaru came in. "Yoh-dono… May I ask what's troubling you?"

"At this point … Everything."

"How so?"

"Well, Hao's back. I need to find him… and stop him. But I can't put Anna, or the others, in danger…" he said, sighing. "And I'm having mixed feelings about Tamao. Should I be mad, or not? I'm just not sure." He closed his eyes, and lay down. "What do you think?"

"You're right, Yoh-dono. You cant risk put anyone in danger by going after Hao. And about Tamao, what exactly did she do?"

"She's the one who brought him back. Not on purpose, of course."

"Oh. I see. Well, do not be mad at her if it was an honest mistake."

"Yeah… Hey, Amidamaru? I think that we'll be going on a little adventure tonight."