Disclaimer: don't own anything about Shaman King except for the plot… and only a human for mistakes…
To all reviewers: Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Please keep on sending those reviews… I really love to read all of them…
To all reviewers that think Pirika is going weird: Yes she is going weird… I pity her…but don't worry in the end everything will be all right… and I think being weird is a side effect of having amnesia. She doesn't know what she's doing anymore!
To pendulum-swing: thanks for the plot but if I use that it would be unfair for you… and besides… if I use that it would end at once and I would want to make this longer… Ren still hadn't had a chance against Horo
So let's see if Ren could mend her broken heart…
Hope you'll like this one…
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Chapter 9: Then there's Ren (it has a title!)
Pirika was still moping… I mean crying in the rooftop all alone under the bright and soft radiance of the moon.
"I didn't know that the moon can make your face look so angelic." A voice said behind her.
She then looked at where the voice came from and saw Ren sitting on the roof as well.
"Why are you here?" Pirika snapped.
Ren sensed at once that she's not in a good mood. His lips twitched smirking a bit.
"Why are you so angry tonight? Something happened?" Ren asked with a trace of concern in his voice.
Pirika then looked at him, her eyes puffy with all her crying. She tried to wipe her tears but they poured again. Whenever she really cries she can't stop that easily
"Who did this? Want me to kill him?" Ren said while motioning that he's coming down.
"No!" Pirika stopped him grabbing his shirt.
"Why? That devil made you cry and I won't rest until he repays it." Ren said angrily.
"Thank you but I don't want anymore fighting to happen. Besides it was my fault… I hoped too much." Pirika said her eyes turning miserable than ever.
'Argh! How can I do what I promised her… how can I keep her from crying! I hate it when she cries. I always want to see her smile. What should I do?' Ren started to think as he just stared at the sad little blue-haired girl in front of him.
"Pirika… why are you crying?" Ren just asked, blushing a bit… he's not used to being so nice… but when it comes to Pirika… he just can't understand why he's being like this.
"It's because of… of Horohoro." Pirika said rolling her eyes.
"Horo! Why? What did he told you?" Ren asked in a shock. He was thinking that his stupid friend already told her the truth.
"No… he didn't tell me anything." Pirika answered.
"Then what did he do to make you cry?"
"He…" Pirika the paused her brows arching, "oh I'm so stupid!" Pirika shouted pummeling her head. "Stupid! Stupid!" She cried again and again.
Ren was so confused now, he doesn't know what her problem is but he won't let her hurt herself. He suddenly grabbed her hand to stop her from knocking her head.
"Ren…" Pirika muttered looking at Ren with her shining eyes.
"Don't do this! I don't know what you're problem is but I won't let you hurt yourself. You can always talk to me… I'm always here for you… you know that."
Pirika then nod and wiped her tears again convincing herself that she won't cry.
"Horohoro told Tamao that he loves her… and I… I was hurt… because… I love him too. He said that I won't be alone but now… he already has a Tamao… and I'm alone again."
"You'll never be alone!" Ren shouted at her. Pirika looked at him, stunned.
"But… but…"
"Pirika, you'll never be alone… Horo treats you like a little sister… sure he's nice, a gentleman and very funny when he's around you… but…" Ren rolled his eyes to one side and started to turn red, "but he's not the only man in the world… because I'm here too… I would give anything for you to notice me. I know that you like Horo much more than me but at least bear in mind that he's not the only one caring for you because… I'm here. Don't ever forget that."
Ren is a really tough guy but when he was talking he was so captivating. Every word he said was very heartwarming and sincere… those words were coming from the heart.
Pirika's heart was beating very rapidly; she was turning red from head to toe… the first one she really met was Ren… if it weren't for that cell-o-scope and Amanda… she wouldn't have forced herself to fall in love with Horo…
"Ren… thank you. You know… I really had a crush on Horohoro… and when she started treating me very special… I felt something inside of me then I thought that he was my destiny… but I was wrong… now after you told me that… I realized that I do love him…" Ren started to look depressed, "as a brother that is." Pirika continued and with that Ren looked at her, his eyes telling her that he was very happy to hear that.
"Ren… from now on Ill never cry. Thank you Ren… for everything."
Ren just nod smiling at her. Even without words Pirika knew that Ren was glad to help her… he really was his knight from the beginning up until now… sure he's sometimes cold and very snobbish to look at but that's just him… and because of that I'm-so-strong-don't-underestimate-me look people fear him as the same time respect him.
"I think it's getting late… I should go home now." Pirika said looking at the time.
"I think you're right. This time I'll walk with you home." Ren offered as he stood. He then offered his hand for the girl to stand up. But Pirika shook her head, her eyes saying 'I could stand on my own'.
Pirika then stood up but suddenly as if the cold night's breeze had touched her… she slipped. Her feet were not properly settled in the roof and as soon as she stood up, the sudden motion caused her to become unbalanced… causing her to fall.
"Pirika!" Ren shouted following her with just a gaze. Could he do nothing to save her now? Would she be in danger again because of his irresponsibility?
It was very quick… in just a blink of an eye Pirika slipped, her blue locks waving in the air like silk cloth against the wind.
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Good thing though she was an Ainu… and the tribe's blood still flows through her veins… without a doubt… she was still a Shaman.
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"I got to live! For me… for my parents… for my destiny!"
And with eyes closed, thinking that she must save herself and determined to survive, she felt a hand holding her and pulling her safely to grab on the down spout of the roof.
Though she was safe for now… Ren could see that the down spout was not enough to hold her weight for long. She was very far from him and his hands were very short to reach her.
"Damn it!" Ren muttered as he still tries to reach her.
"Ren… Help me." Pirika whispered still holding on.
"Don't worry." Ren assured, he then stood up and looked around. For some reason the onsen suddenly became empty… as if nobody not even a soul is around.
"Damn it. Where are they?"
"Ren! Help!" Pirika shouted her fingers being bruised by the rusting metal of the spout.
Ren then looked around, panic started to grow inside of him as the fear of Pirika getting hurt submerge further into his mind. Then he saw it… his kwan dao, the weapon which he brought when he went up the roof.
"I got it!"
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Pirika is still holding on tighter as her fingers slowly slip. But just before her fingers slip, or her hope faded she saw something beside her. She knew what it was for she already saw Ren use it when he was training earlier this morning… it was the part of Ren's kwan dao… the part where he holds it. She was about to grab on to it when she felt something drop on her cheeks. It was a liquid but surely not her tears, nor is it sweat… it was thicker and smelled like…
"Blood? Ren!" Pirika muttered at once as she looked up.
There she saw Ren holding onto the blade of the kwan dao. She can't believe her eyes; this boy is tolerating pain just so that she would live…
"Why?" Pirika thought, flattered and touched by the heroic deed Ren executed.
"Hurry up before you fall there!" Ren commanded at once. Pirika snapped from her thinking.
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At once she grabbed hold on to the weapon. When she was settled Ren pulled her up slowly. Pirika knew that Ren's hands were still bleeding and they must really hurt… that made her think a lot… about Ren.
This surely was a long and tiring day… oh how Pirika wish that it would be over.
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After being settled again in the roof, Ren checked Pirika's feet at once. It was swelling turning reddish… making Ren worry.
"Can you use them?" Ren asked.
Pirika tried to stretch them but as soon as she moved the swelling part on her ankle a sudden yet severe amount of pain swirled in her feet.
"It hurts." Pirika just muttered turning her feet to their original position at once.
"I'll carry you down." Ren decided.
"Wait! You're injured too." Pirika said recalling the blood in her cheeks that was now falling like a drop of tear.
Ren looked at her and saw his blood racing down the smooth and rosy flesh of the Ainu. He took his handkerchief at once and wiped them.
"You look like you're crying blood. Don't worry about that."
"But Ren…"
"Don't argue. I'll carry you down and let's show that to Faust. After that I'll take you home at once. You need to rest." Ren said, his voice almost shouting but Pirika was not irritated by it for she knew that deep inside, behind those fierce eyes… he was worried.
But still Ren was injured, his hands may have stopped bleeding but the wound was deep, she knew because she saw how tightly Ren held the blade when he pulled her up.
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So Ren carried Pirika on his back. He first threw his kwan dao to the ground before he jumped from the roof to the ground while still making sure that Pirika was safe and sound behind his back.
Pirika though feeling the sting on her ankles was enjoying this… a lot.
Ren's scent was very tickling to the nose. Pirika can almost imagine again the scene she saw this morning, Ren's wet shirt clinging to his body, making his physical features stand out... and yet that was not the most striking element Tao Ren has… true, he has a good body but his eyes are the most marvelous part a girl would want to look at. It was very mysterious, deep, secretive and truly dazzling. It was… as it seems almost hypnotizing for her.
The wind from their down fall brushed her hair and after being airborne for a while a small impact from the ground knocked Pirika a bit… making her wake up… the ride was over.
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"Where were you guys?" Yoh suddenly asked, the two not even realizing where he came from… he just appeared.
"Where we are? You are the ones who were gone!" Ren shouted.
"What happened to her?" Horohoro asked seeing Pirika from the door.
"None of your business Boroboro! Where's Faust?" Ren barked keeping Pirika from him.
"Here I am." Faust said raising his hand, also coming out from the door.
"Tend to her feet. They're swelling." Ren ordered giving Pirika to Faust.
Faust looked at her at once, Horo wanted to see her too but Ren got in his way at once.
"What happened? What did you do?" Horo asked while Ren was wrapping his hands with a bandage that he got from his pockets.
"We were on the roof you idiot! Why didn't you hear us?" Ren shouted as he finished both hands at once.
"We didn't hear anything." Yoh answered.
Ren then looked at him as if scanning his eyes for the truth… but before he could talk Fast suddenly tapped Ren on the shoulders.
"She'll be fine now. I suggest taking her home to rest." Faust said smiling at Ren.
"Okay, I'll carry him home." Horohoro volunteered.
"No way!" Ren shouted, stopping him again.
"Wonder what happened?" Horo can't help to ask himself, he was very much confused.
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"Okay now?" Ren asked with all gentleness.
"Yup. Thanks… but how about your hands?" Pirika asked worryingly as Ren hid them at his back at once.
"Don't worry I'm used to getting hurt… I use my kwan dao often and I get these kinds of accidents all the time." He assured.
"Sure?"
"I'm sure. Now let's get you home."
"Can I ride on your back?"
"What?... um… I mean of course." Ren agreed. Though he didn't want to walk all the way to Pirika's house… he was forced to… well at least for her.
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Can this be love I'm feeling right now
I hope this wouldn't end somehow
I don't recall ever feeling this way
So to him what can I say
How can he know that he's my dream…
"Ren?" Pirika called after singing on her mind those words. It came from a song she just heard on the radio but she didn't know the title not even the singer… only those words.
"What?"
"Am I heavy?"
"Not really… don't worry. Now rest…I'll just wake you up when we're there."
"Okay."
His voice so assuring, his hands so comforting, his eyes so loving… his presence so securing…
Can this be love I'm feeling right now
I'm unfamiliar, it's confusing me now
Why do I tremble whenever you're near
I can't seem to say my words so you'll hear
Though she doesn't know who sang that, the picture of Ren suddenly flashed on her mind when she heard it.
Can this be love I'm feeling right now
I love the feeling it's giving me now
A voice inside me is guiding me now…
"Pirika…" Ren called snapping her from singing on her mind again and truly drifting to dreamland.
"Hmm?"
"Will you get hurt if I say 'I love you' to somebody else first?" Ren asked, blushing.
"Um…" Pirika can only utter, while at the back of her mind a volcano suddenly erupted. 'Of course I would get hurt! I won't let you disappear from me too.' She thought.
"But before you answer that… what if you knew that she was already dead?" Ren asked.
Pirika got confused, is this real-life question or a hypothetical one?
"Saying those words to someone is not a game… you must mean every word you speak of. Well all I can say is if she's gone…" her hands hugging Ren in the chest slowly became tighter as Pirika settled her head comfortably on his back, her eyes closed and her lips curved in a smile, "I hope I can at least suffice the part she left in your heart."
'True… the old Pirika, the one who hates me because I'm one of his brother's enemies to the throne of the Shaman King, the one who shouts at me for no reason at all, and the first woman I loved is gone… but now this Pirika, though a little weird… have already filled that missing hole… ever since she woke up.'
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What can you say? What can Horo say to this? Will this two end up in each other's arms in the end or will there be a greater hindrance?
Hope you like this chapter… by the way the italicized words starting with Can this be love is actually lyrics from the song 'can this be love'… now since I don't want to disobey the rule in about copy n paste lyrics I rewrite it in my own words… I know I'm a failure when it comes to composing… but thank you in reading it by the way… please review.