A/N: Oh yeah, I won't say that Lorney has a crush on Ren AND… Eric is macho ( Echo-guy: cho… cho… cho… cho…). Since Mother's Day has just passed, I want to dedicate this chappie to my "kids" Gee and Louise… And as usual, to Francis… You guys really rock! Feast on this crap… er… chappie! O.o

Disclaimer: I so do not own Shaman King

Chapter 3: Wandering Melodies

The sunlight streamed through Ren's window as he lay awake in bed early in the morning. He heard the sound of torrential showers of water from inside the bathroom. Jun evidently had a morning shower. It was also getting very noisy outside and it seemed like the others were making their way down to breakfast.

"I'll be going downstairs, Ren," Jun told him, her hair was still down and very wet.

"Ok, go ahead," Ren said to Jun, who was wearing a short version of her black and green cheongsam and was now styling her hair up.

"You seem preoccupied, Ren," Jun told him, "Is there something in your mind?"

"I was just thinking of what happened last night," Ren answered.

"I thought you didn't care, Ren," Jun smiled, "This is a bit unexpected of you."

Jun left him in the room and Ren made his way towards the shower. He stripped off his clothes (N/A: I'm not looking! O.o) and turned on the shower. He felt the cold droplets making in contact with his body as the events of last night came into mind. He didn't know why he was focusing on it, he just did. Pirika's crying face came into his mind and he felt the same jolt in his stomach again.

Suddenly, the bathroom went icy cold; as if a gust of Siberian wind had just blown into Ren's body. It was strange since he had turned on the hot water shower. He shivered and turned off the shower, but the cold was still there. He wrapped a towel around himself. He felt something strange… something sad and sorrowful...

He turned to the mirror to comb his hair… but it wasn't his face who he was gazing at. It was of a beautiful girl with long, dark hair and beautiful, pleading dark eyes… Pleading, crying eyes… In fact, she looked exactly like…

"Ren?"

Ren blinked and the image was gone from the mirror, only his familiar, yellow-eyed, purple-haired self was in it. He quickly put on his shirt and his "short pants" and combed his hair.

"Ren, are you still in there? Can I come in?"

Ren fled from the bathroom and found Pirika sitting on his bed, which was nearer to the door. The usual glow from Pirika's eyes seemed to have dimmed and she had a tired, tear-stricken face.

"I felt it," Pirika said softly, "I know you saw her too."

"I did," Ren answered as he looked at her seriously.

"She was beside me… All night…" Pirika shivered, "It was so cold… And she whispered terrible things to me… I don't know Chinese, but somehow… somehow… I understood her… And she…"

Pirika wasn't able to finish what she was saying. Her eyes suddenly grew wide, and Ren knew why.

Hush little baby, don't say a word,

Mommy's gonna buy you a mockingbird…

If that mockingbird don't sing,
Mommy's gonna buy you a diamond ring…

A haunting melody was playing around and the singing of a woman was heard. Ren and Pirika stared at each other.

"I think it's time for us to go and have some breakfast," Ren gulped, not knowing why he was showing signs of weakness at Pirika.

"We better," Pirika was breathing so hard that Ren feared that she was going to have a heart attack anytime soon.

Ren grabbed Pirika's hand and they both sprinted out the room and down the staircase. They stopped at the foot of the stairs and they were clutching each other's hands tightly. Pirika seemed absolutely terrified and out of breath and Ren had composed back to his calm self. Lun-Lun suddenly went into the room through the dining room door and Ren let go of Pirika's hand.

"Why aren't you having breakfast yet?" Lun-Lun asked them cheerfully, "The others are almost done."

Lun-Lun walked away and they entered the dining room. Horo was now leaving the room very quickly and gave Pirika a smile before leaving. The others were still in their seats, eating porridge and munching toast with strawberry jam. They stared at Pirika and Ren, obviously seeing them for the first time together. Pirika took her seat beside Anna and began to eat; Ren did the same as well.

"I wonder if the old Ainu village is still there," Yoh wondered out loud.

"Yes, I wonder," Ryu echoed.

"If I were you, the smart thing to do would be not to meddle in the spirits' affairs," Grandpa suddenly came in the room, "Did you not wonder why we didn't let you sleep in single rooms?"

"Yeah, I was hoping you'd bring that up," Manta said, "It was getting really stuffy inside our room."

"I didn't want the wandering spirits to harm you," Grandpa said solemnly, "It's better that way. I suggest you not to go to the old Ainu village, but I can't really stop you, can I?"

Grandpa left with a very great sense of foreboding settling over the group, except for Anna and Ren who were eating quietly.

"So, when do we set off for the village?" Ryu asked them.

"Right away," Yoh grinned, "Let's get Horo. You coming, Anna?"

"Hmm?" Anna gulped down some chocolate milk, "Sure, I don't have anything better to do, anyway."

"I'm going to the gym," Ren stood up and left the others.

"Ren, we're supposed to be having a break, remember?" Jun called out after him.

Ren grabbed his Kwan Dao which was propped on the wall of the gym with Yoh's samurai sword, Horo Horo's snowboard and Ryu's wooden sword. He began to exercise vigorously. The wind slashed at his face as his body moved to perfect rhythm with his surroundings and everything was calm. Each movement was a fluid flow and each gesture was art in itself. But as Oscar Wilde once said, all art is quite useless.

CRASH!

"Oh, for the love of Pete!"

"Pirika?" Ren saw the Ainu's face once again, this time cleaning up a mess she made on the gym floor, "Who is this Pete person? Someone I should know about?"

"It's just an expression, Ren," Pirika wiped off the juice from the floor and picked up the soiled cookies, "I was just baking and I decided to bring you some cookies."

"Didn't you go with the others to the Ainu village?" Ren asked, sitting down on the floor and munching Pirika's cookies.

"I'd rather stay here, I might end up being attacked again," Pirika gave out a nervous laugh.

"Mmm… These cookies are really good…"

"Really? Wow, thanks!" Pirika beamed as she sat down beside him, "Nobody ever really commented about my cooking that way."

"Yes, really," Ren had begun to smile unknowingly, but ended up twitching his mouth into an awkward position.

Oh hell, what am I thinking? What am I even doing? Ren thought.

Suddenly, a cold gut blew in the room and Pirika shivered. Her breathing suddenly came out in gasps, as if she were choking. The same haunting song was heard again, like it was trying to continue the interrupted melody earlier that day.

If that diamond ring turns brass,
Mommy's gonna buy you a lookin' glass…

If that lookin' glass gets broke,
Mommy's gonna buy you billy goat…

The singing gradually weakened, as if the singer was going farther away.

"Let's follow it!" Pirika, although at the end of her wits, bravely said.

"What? Are you serious?" Ren muttered as he followed Pirika out the gym and up the staircase.

They went up the staircase, to the third floor and to a series of corridors that even Ren hasn't seen yet. All the way, the melody still haunted them…

If that billy goat don't pull
Mommy's gonna buy you a cart and bull

If that cart and bull turns over
Mommy's gonna buy you a doggie named Rover

The singing abruptly stopped right there and they found themselves facing the door to the attic. They looked at each other and,as if by mental communication, opened the door in unison. As soon as they stepped in, a gust of wind shut the door closed with a bang. Swirls and clouds of dust flew into the air.

"Ack…" Ren coughed, "Pirika?"

"Still here," Pirika said, also coughing.

"Let's get out of here, shall we?" Ren rubbed his eyes furiously.

"We can't!" Pirika shrieked in horror, tugging at the doorknob furiously, "The door! It's locked from the outside!"

"What!" Ren tackled the door, but to no avail, "Oh crud, it seems we are stuck here until somebody opens that door."

"I'm scared," Pirika succumbed to the floor and tears rolled down her eyes.

Suddenly, it was Ren who began singing:

"If that dog named Rover don't bark,
Mommy's gonna buy you a horse and cart…

If that horse and cart fall down,
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town…"

"You know that song?" Pirika stared at him with teary eyes in amazement, feeling a bit relieved when Ren sung.

"By heart," Ren said, sitting beside her, "My mom used to sing it to me."

A/N: Ren sings! Hahahaha! Ok, that was a little bit of weirdness. Anyway, here are my replies to your reviews:

Mystical Blue Silver Roses- Lol, glad you like it! I'll try to update more soon! Anyway, I love your pen name!

PepperMintBlue123- O.o Whoah… Go easy on yourself! But that was a really flattering comment, thanks! I think you'll like the next chappie, Lol!

Chonki- Eric is macho… I mean, don't let the Ryu-faced Gremlins get me! shudders Anyway, Chonki, Uncle En isn't even involved in the plot, Ren just hates the house because it makes him remember horrible stuff.

RemedyTheThief- Since you said please, I couldn't resist! Lol!

Carlos Vinci- You do have a crush on Ren, Lorney, admit it! Lun-Lun was a character that popped out of my head, just read on!

Gee/Feathertop- We believe Eric is Macho! Haha!

Whew… thanks a lot to you guys! Hey, you mean the world to me right now, beh… Well, you know that already, right? Well, 'till the next chappie! Stay rockin' guys!