This is a fic about RenxHoro (two-sided) and RenxHao (one sided) and the test of friendship and love.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters in this story.

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Ren stormed out of the door, ignoring Yoh's shout of apology, calling him back. His Kwan Dao was in his hand, Bason floating by his side, silent but worried about his master. Ren was angry, annoyed and sad. Horo had been waiting for this day to end, as had Ren, because they could have slipped into bed besides each other for at least one comfortable night. Lost in his thoughts, Ren did not realise where his feet were taking him.

"My Ren you are angry tonight." A smooth voice echoed around the empty area. Ren tightened his hand around his Kwan Dao as he recognised the voice. Stepping from the shadows came one of the reason he was in the Shaman tournament, Hao Asakura, relaxed and smiling lightly. He seemed alone but Ren knew that his guardian ghost was hiding somewhere near by. He reached out to Bason, only to find an empty space where his guardian's thoughts usually were.

"Where is Bason!" Ren snapped anger growing as Hao continued forward, arms by his sides, no signs of anger inside him. Ren backed away, hands tightening around his weapon, angry.

"Bason is gone Ren, he isn't here. The spirit of fire needed a new play thing. Play nicely and he shall be set free, make things difficult and he won't be the only one that is hurt." Hao replied, a hidden line of threat beneath the usual calm of his voice. Ren stopped backing away and glanced backwards. That was his mistake. When he turned his eyes from Hao the other jumped forward and twisted his wrists, making him drop his weapon. Pulling Ren forward onto his knees Hao did not stop there and placed a foot on Ren's back, putting pressure in the right place so Ren could not move.

"What do you want Hao?" Ren growled.

"I want you to join my team." Hao replied softly. Ren's mouth fell open in shock. Shaking his head to gather his thoughts Ren pushed Hao off with one smooth movement and stood up. He did not grab his weapon, but faced Hao anyway.

"Why would I join you Hao?" He spat. Hao smiled and advanced, snatching Ren's arms in his hands and pulling the boy close. A blush darted across Ren's cheeks as Hao forced his head backwards and looked deeply into his eyes.

"I can see your underlying desires Ren. You want the power that my side can offer. You do." Hao breathed. Ren shook his head, breaking the hypnotic eye contact.

"In your dreams Hao." He snapped.

"Oh no Ren, in yours." Hao replied smiling. Ren opened his mouth to reply when Hao sighed and walked away, pulling the Chinese boy with him, swinging his feet from the floor. He carried the boy, kicking him and cursing him, screaming at him to let go only Hao ignored the boy's requests and carried on walking. Deciding that screaming and kicking was not going to get Hao to put him down Ren fell silent and began to brood on how he could escape.

"It won't work Ren. I can see your thoughts, whatever you decide to do, I'll see it first." Hao tutted and wagged a finger. Ren scowled and looked away, anger growing more now. Hao just continued smiling, but stopped walking. Ren looked around at his surroundings and was deridingly unimpressed. It was a dense clearing, impossible to see into, where God knows what Hao intended to do to him. Hao however had no special plans as of yet, he was forming them. Ren turned away as soon as he was set to the ground and noticed the spirit of fire was toying with Bason above their heads. Fear for his spirit blossomed inside him and Ren clenched a hand in a fist, arms shaking from the effort of controlling his emotions.

"Ren, look at me." Despite himself Ren turned and looked Hao straight in his dark eyes, yellow ones full of fury.

"What is it?" He asked menacingly.

"Ren, your anger is your power, your uncle has always told you the truth and Yoh the lies. Your power could be even greater if you joined me. So why not consider it?" Hao asked, voice even and even calm. Ren rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded like "Rather eat dog shit," under his breath. Hao laughed quietly.

"That can be arranged Ren." He said, waving a hand in no actually direction. He was thinking hard now. He needed to find a weakness, and he knew that a Tao was hard to break, and Ren was no exception. The boy seemed reclusive, locked away in his own shell of protectiveness, even reading his mind was hard for Hao, and he could do it fine otherwise. Ren was really unbreakable on the outside, but their must be something that made him scared, or angry enough to act stupidly.

"Are we done?" Ren asked angrily, interrupting Hao's thoughts.

"No we are not. Tell me Ren, how was your uncle wrong? And why in the world do you stay with Yoh and his idiotic band of friends, surely you do not see yourself as one of them?" Hao probed, wondering if there was one of Yoh's group that Ren was more attached to then the others.

"Ha. My uncle was wrong because since joining forces with Yoh, and defeating him, I have become stronger, now I am not ruled by anger and hatred alone. As for why I stay with them, they are…friends." Ren hesitated to admit it but he knew it was true. But he had wanted to say Horo he knew Hao would try and use that against him. No matter if he did not say it, for he thought it and Hao saw it, smiling when he realised.

"Your sister, is she travelling with you?" He asked, wanting to know whether he could get an even tighter grip.

"No." Came Ren's short reply.

"No matter, if you do not join me now, I can just focus most of my energy on taking out one particular shaman of the group first. I'm sure it would be very easy for me to do. I believe his name is Horo is it not?" Hao teased, but he had a serious, threatening tone hidden below it. He smiled when he saw Ren reacted to it. The Chinese boys eyes had gone wide and a shocked look had crossed his face. It was soon replaced by anger.

"You wouldn't dare, I would not let you." He shouted back.

"Oh I would. If you got in my way, well then, it's just a waste of a good shaman but no matter, if you don't join now you won't be a shaman much longer anyway. Poor Bason will be spirit food." As Hao spoke his words the spirit of fire tightened his grip on the Chinese warrior and his roar of pain shook Ren to the core. He had never heard Bason make such a noise, and it pained him to hear it. He was faced with an impossible choice now. If he joined Hao, then Horo and Bason would be spared, but he would undoubtedly turn out as worse as the rest of them. Horo would surely hate him if he chose to go with Hao, but that could not be helped, they all would.

But if he refused, he would have to let go of Bason, which saddened him, and Horo would be in more danger then before. Ren did not look at Hao as he felt his heart breaking. He did not want Horo to be in any danger, and he did not want to hurt Bason. But if he joined Hao then he would be the danger to Horo and the one hurting Bason. It could not be helped, whichever he chose, the two would be hurt, but at least one came out with both of them living a little longer then if he refused. His heart screamed no, run away and returned to Horo and maybe Anna could save Bason when they met her again, but his head shouted yes, agree, but strike a deal to leave Horo in Hao's shaman only world and beg him not to kill him. Ren did not know, but he felt like his head had the smartest answer.

"Okay Hao, I'll join you. But one condition." Ren choked out, tears filling his eyes as he felt his heart break.

"Oh what is that condition?" Hao asked, eyes narrowed.

"Horo. You won't hurt him, you won't hurt any of them, and when you win, they can all live in this world." Ren said determined. Hao thought about it. Though Yoh's group were all weaker now, they could be changed and Ren had a point, the more shaman the better.

"Alright Ren, you have your deal. You can leave your Kwan Dao, you won't need it. You have the sword of thunder right? Come, now we leave." Hao agreed, smiling and signalling to his spirit to drop Bason who immediately went to Ren.

"Master Ren, what are you doing?" He whispered.

"I'm doing it for you Bason, and for Horo. I love you both, and this way you can survive." Ren replied, before stepping after Hao to his new destiny.