Ren's fists clenched over his knees as he prepared to tell his tale. This was one of the few instances where I could say I was genuinely interested. I had gained friends, and I was ready with open arms to learn all I could about them. This was also an ideal opportunity for me to discover why I had felt like I had a deeper connection with Ren since the moment I met him.

"I'm not looking for a pity party, let me just settle that right now," he injected defensively.

"I-I never thought you were… I just want to get to know you, is all…" I shied away from his glance, slightly startled by his reaction.

His contemplative silence lingered only a moment more, then was put aside to make way for the story. "It seems both of our families hold grudges against the past, don't they? Before all this modernization, the Taos were one of the most powerful clans to rule the land. It was their Shaman abilities that protected everyone, that provided for their day to day lives, and kept everything settled. Their power was legendary, unchallenged, and unquestioned. That is, until your family brought in the revolution and had them all prosecuted. Of course, the war was waged, and the Taos came out victorious, but things would never be the same after.

I had to admit to myself at that point that I was ashamed of my family's history. Their arrogance and naivety knew no boundaries, and even to this day were bringing misfortune to others.

"Just a minority of humans who believed they were better than everyone else…" Ren scoffed. "They weren't the only ones. Soon all the human clans had turned their backs on the Taos and they were as good as exiled."

"That's terrible…" I sighed, hunching my shoulders forward.

"My Uncle hates everything about what happened to our ancestors," he nodded in agreement.

"I can't say I blame him…"

"Well I can!" His fists clenched tighter more, and resentment hung on to his every syllable. "He carried his hatred and anger on his back, and everyone else suffered for it. Me, my sister Jun, and even my mother. He forced his ideas on us like it was the meaning of the whole world. 'Humans are at fault for everything,' 'humans are vile and disgusting creatures,' "we were made to rule them.'"

"Is that why you entered the Shaman Fight?" I asked impulsively, immediately regretting my action.

"Originally, yes." His calm reaction startled me greatly. "I was taught from a young age that I must become Shaman King at all costs, to restore my family's glory. I must 'destroy or be destroyed,' and nothing should get in my way. Failure was simply not an option. I didn't care what I did to get what I wanted, even if it meant… hurting people…"

My eyes moved around his sharp, handsome face comprehensively. The back story that he was telling me put me off only slightly. None of the things he said matched with the Ren I knew then. I was compelled to know more.

"So what changed that for you?"

The expression that appeared on his face read "How did you know?" His eyes reverted from mine for a short moment, then fell upon the lightly waving branches that were hanging in front of us. "It was… Yoh!" he continued, and he sounded almost surprised by his own response. "After he defeated my sister and Pai Long, I began to question the methods my uncle had instilled in us for all those years. Yoh was always so carefree and joked about everything, and I could never understand why he won every time, against me or my sister. I thought it ridiculous at the time, but he has this absurd idea that spirits were friends to shamans and had more to offer than just power. My family believed he was weak because of this, and commanded me to destroy him before the tournament started."

"How wrong they were!" I added with a small grin.

"How wrong indeed," he agreed. "My uncle was displeased that I had not defeated Yoh, and that he was somehow turning me 'soft,' so my very life was riding on the last match of the preliminary round, in which Yoh was my opponent. During that fight I learned that it was not my strength alone that would carry me through. No, it was my spirit as well. My hatred and anger held me back from seeing that."

"Who won that fight?"

Ren grinned thoughtfully at my latest inquiry. "The fight ended in a draw, actually. I spent the night with Yoh and his friends after that match was over. While I was there, I came to some vital revelations." He paused again to deliberate on his next words.

I had never imagined that another human being could make me feel such a way as I was with Ren. I'd never cared to look deeper into the soul of another, and hearing these stories from him made me feel whole, and worthy of something. It seemed like what he was telling me wasn't something that he would share with just anyone, so it was a privilege for me to be hearing it.

"And what were they?" I asked after he remained silent for longer than usual.

"Ah… it's hard to explain. Let's just say, I decided that night that everything my uncle taught me was wrong, and that it was time for me to walk my own path. I left with Bason to confront my uncle, but he captured me, along with Jun. He was determined to set us both back on the course he had started, but I wasn't going to go down without a fight. And then something amazing happened… he came to save us! He and the others put their own lives on the line to save ours. My uncle was completely appalled, but in the end he was no match for them. Their friendships won."

"But also faith, right?" I said quietly.

"Hn, yes. They had faith in me, each other. And that's where the cycle of Tao treachery ended. I had broken free of my uncle's hold, and even helped him let go. He had fallen slave to our past and was unable to know anything else. I'm sure he was thoroughly embarrassed that it took a group of kids to knock some sense into him… He finally accepted the fact that I am my own person, and who or what I followed did not dictate my worthiness as heir to the Tao family. What happened in the past has nothing to do with me, so why should I suffer for it? I'm capable of moving forward and making decisions on my own."

"You're right," I concurred. "It takes a lot of courage to do what you did. I see it in you every day. You are your own man.

"I am, but I am still rightful leader of the Tao family." He was confident and proud in the fact that he knew where he stood.

"I admire that," I thought out loud. "Thank you, Ren."

His head turned towards me sharply. "What for?" he asked with a puzzled expression.

"For sharing this with me," I replied softly. "I can't imagine it would be easy for you, but I commend you for your resilience. You said I was hard to understand, well, you're much the same!"

His cheeked flushed a subtle shade of pink, and he didn't even try to deny it. "I'll have you know I don't hand out trust easily," he insisted.

I nodded my understanding before releasing his gaze. I was at a loss as to what to say next. I was delighted that he was willing to open up to me, which sparked a new longing inside of me. I'd spent so many of my years with people who blocked themselves out of the world, never telling anyone who they truly were, what they wanted, that I'd rarely entertained the thought of trying to get to know anyone.

So this was what having friends felt like…

Ren:

It was strangely gratifying, getting all that off of my chest. I had lapsed into a moment of self-realization which brought to light how much better things had become. I wasn't ashamed to look back on my less-than-desirable past, for it was what made me who I was then. The images would never leave my mind, but would remain strung up, like a mural of time always making way for new images.

There was still so much more that I wanted to say to her, but I didn't know how. I'd never had anyone other than my sister to divulge personal thoughts to. The others surely wouldn't understand, even if they were my closest friends.

This girl… her spirit was like an open, empty book that one could write their deepest contemplations in without fear of judgement or loss, a limitless resource that could be tapped into at any time or any place, and all the contents would be right there, untouched and completely safe. With each word that was added to that book, more of her own would appear before one's eyes if one looked deep enough. It was a mystery to me, one that I intended to solve completely, and hold close.

The low-hanging branches of the trees swayed carelessly as the breeze snatched at them. The hotel in which we were staying did in fact have a lot to offer on its own. I'd read a map in the suite, and there appeared to be a nice hot spring at the rear of the building. I felt Sung's eyes still on me, but I was not uncomfortable from it. I usually preferred to stay near the back of the group on my own, but being near her felt nice.

Mei Shao appeared in spirit ball form suddenly, which tore my gaze away from the sea of teal green leaves in front of me.

"Miss Sung, the others are becoming concerned of your whereabouts," he said dutifully.

"Hm, I suppose we should head back inside?" Sung glanced in my direction questioningly.

"Alright," I conceded, standing up and offering her my hand.

"What were you two doing out there for so long?" Trey greeted us obnoxiously as we entered the suite.

I slipped out of my shoes then turned to face him. "None of your business!" I snapped.

"Aha… hey guys!" Yoh interrupted wearily. "There's a hot spring really close to here! I say we grab some grub then check it out?"

The group's enthusiasm immediately turned to Yoh at the mention of food, while the other girls babbled about the hot spring, hoping there was a separate one for them. Sung seemed rather indifferent, for she was zoned out with a small, pensive grin on her face. Once the plan was set, we all grabbed our bags and set out for the diner down the street.

"Ren," Jun said suddenly in my ear after we had paid the food bill. "We need to talk. Now."