Once upon a time, he was the prince, and she the princess.  They first met each other by their parents' wishes, in a time where tiny kingdoms scrabbled for alliances within countries ravaged by war.

There was no feeling formed between them but the frozen rage that had sparked from the first meeting of their gazes, brown meeting gold in a clash of regal defiance.  Neither wanted to have anything to do with each other, yet they were forced to by the rules of the court and the lives they were born into.

He found her cold, so cold, yet at the same time unbelievably fascinating. 

----------

You don't remember.  I should have known.

I guessed, before I even spoke, that you would refuse to join me.  It was like that in the beginning (and by this I mean the very beginning.)  You always scorned me, proud creature that you were, showing the bare minimum of manners within the court, and outside of it, not even that.

Of course, I could stand that easily.  I was Asakura Hao, after all, whole and complete – this was long before the time when my twin brother came into the equation.  It was ingrained in my nature (as it is now, although I believe Yoh has taken on much of that trait himself) to overcome any obstacle in my path.  Fiery one, you believed you could send me away with your temper?  It was what attracted me in the first place!

…Well, that, and your body.  Hah, any fool could have seen you were your clan's pride, striking everyone with your exotic looks and those fierce, beautiful, unforgettable golden eyes!

I grow sentimental – ah, how like me, confusing the lives I have lived.  You stand before me now as you did before, yet much of the scene is different.  We are younger, no longer surrounded by the walls of our palaces and far more tempered by the battles that characterize this particular area of time.  And of course, I am not all of what I was (thanks to the annoying quirk that is Asakura Yoh)…and neither are you.

I see it so very, very clearly.  Unlike other incarnations, these particular ones seem to have an incredibly bad habit – as it is with me and my brother, so it is with you…and your sister.  Yoh has taken on a part of my soul and turned it into his own.  Tao Jun has, on the other hand, her own unique soul, yet small pieces of yours have been incorporated throughout it.  Much as I hate to say it, the best comparison for the change is a pair of kyonshii, bodies altered and parts switched around.  After all, for you and your sister, it works both ways.  She has taken some of your gentler traits; you have taken much of her fierce joy in battle.  Fitting and fortunate, for a priestess and a warrior. 

This, your gender, and the way in which you have grown up, have molded you into a different sort of perfection.  Yet…though you are Tao Ren, when you look at me with those same enthralling eyes…I still see what you were.  Wei Lian, the grace of the emperor's courts.

It doesn't matter, all these petty little things that have changed the two of us. 

Prince and princess, prince and prince.

Asakura and Wei…or Tao.  Hao and Lian.  Hao and Ren.

You will be mine again…

Because I have all the time in the world, and the desire to give it to you.

You'll see.

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"The stars are beautiful tonight."

She doesn't turn around, too used to hearing his voice behind her shoulder.  "Hmm."

An uncomfortable silence stretches between the two of them for long minutes.  At long last, he finally sighs and gets up from his seat, gliding (yes, gliding, Asakura Hao would never stoop to doing something as simple and unrefined as walking) to lean on the balcony beside her.  She rolls her eyes.  "Go away."

"Why do you hate me?"

The question comes out of nowhere and takes her by surprise for one of the few times in her young life.  He makes her uneasy - yes, infuriates her - very much so.  But…

"I don't hate you."

 

"Hmm," he replies, in an unconscious imitation, turning away from the balcony, eyes capturing her own.  The stars and her own visage (slanted golden eyes, upswept dark hair and that one stubborn curl that always hangs low over her forehead) glimmer darkly, trapped in his gaze.

How confusing.

Almost as one they break off their stares, accepting the stalemate to watch the moon rise, full and round and bright in the clear glittering sky.  And when his hand rests lightly upon hers, she finds a degree of tolerance within herself that she never thought she could have, and leaves it there.

~-~-~-~-~

A/N: Mrrew, twisty HaoRen.  Blame Chocolove for this.  It was his 'Cinderella Lian' joke that got me started.  So Ren and Horohoro can go kill him, not me. *snerks at the screams of bloody murder behind her*

After all…if Hao can reincarnate, why not the rest of the Shaman King cast? =P I was going to have HoroRen undertones in there, but I couldn't bring myself to ruin the story that way.  Ah, Hao with multi-life complex. =3

EneriRenie – Sankyuu =D 'Messiah' actually took me the longest, more of a five-day one than a five-minute one -_-; *finds self pulled toward keyboard by your order* ACK!  Dragon Faere – Yesh, ish dark.  What else would a HaoJeanne be? XD Unless I write Jeanne like Tamao…urgh. *shudder*

Adding to the future one-shots list!

Cliffside (RenHoro, similar to this one.  Will be my X-mas fic ^.^)

Kittens (Once upon a time, there was Ren-chan, Yoh-kitty, Hao-neko…and more, because Draconicality likes random crazy shtuff.)

Bet (Ren asks Pailong, "Do you love my sister?" _ Knew I'd do it sooner or later.)

Wall (Reflection on Tamamura Tamao, and the timidness she characterizes.  Angstfest, in other words.)

I also want to do a fic for Chocolove or Mick (they're so underappreciated,) but I need an idea first.

Seeeeeeee you on Christmas Daaaaaay!  *tumbles off the roof*