Title Broken China

Author Kyrie Sanctus

Rating PG-13 for Shounen-ai situations.

Begun September 27, 2003

Finished ???

Chapters 1/??

Synopsis Unfortunately for Ren, Jun has invited Horohoro to accompany them to China. But perhaps, Ren's disgust at this situation is just a cover up for the feelings he hasn't realized he could have for the shaman of ice? A bit plotless, just a device for fluff. HoroRen.

Comments Well, the title does NOT refer to the many plates I've broken in trying to come up with an idea for a HoroRen story good enough to post on FF.net. Instead, it's about China. You know, the country? Broken. Not literally broken, but rather.. .. It's symbolism! Ren's feelings about Horohoro going to China with them are like.. Mixed, you know? The inspiration for this came from me buying a Chinese dictionary and looking up the word 'peach.' Yep. That's how it all got started.

Dedications this goes out to Tanjo, for being the one who made me interested in the Chinese language in the first place. Katie, for no darn reason. Krissy, for always being the little inspiration in my life, and whoever else writes HoroRen fanfics. Because I didn't want you to be alone anymore!

Disclaimer I own no rights to Shaman King, it's plots, or it's characters. Those are all belong to the masterful Hiroyuki Takei. However, I do own the Chinese dictionary used in making all of these pretty Chinese words possible!

Broken China

Dance One: Learning Chinese

"Taozi.. Pingguo.. Juzi.. Xigua!" Horohoro was seated Indian style on the floor in the hotel room, a book in one hand, and the other pointing down at each of a various assortment of fruits before him. He looked rather relaxed in just a black t-shirt and his shorts, hair, as usual pulled away from his face by his headband.

He heard something stir from behind him, so he turned.

"What are you doing?"

Tao Ren stood, arms crossed, looking at his teammate, who had turned to face him completely. Horohoro held the book up, and began to explain. "I'm learning Chinese! See? I've got a book and everything!"

He raised an eyebrow. "And were did you acquire this book?"

"Jun gave it to me."

There was silence for a moment.

"Why?"

"Well," he started, looking back over to the small beige and bright orange book he held before him. "She said I'm going to need it for when I go with you two to China."

"When you what?"

"When I go with you to China."

Another silence, and then Ren shook his head. "Sorry, I thought you said that Jun gave you that Chinese dictionary because she said you'll need it for when you go with us to China."

"That's what I said, Ren."

Ren just stood there for a moment, staring down at the bluenette, who was slowly turning back to his fruit and book. He clenched and unclenched his fists a few times, watching him recite the words for pedestrian and task over and over again.

Suddenly all the blood seemed to rush to his head at once and he turned, stomping away, leaving Horohoro to practice 'renwu' and 'xingren' by himself.

"Jun!" He yelled as soon as he entered her room. She was lain out on her bed, her back to him, fingering boredly through a late April issue of some random American magazine, even though it was in the middle of July. Her reply? "Hai, Ren?"

He stomped over to her, standing behind her, fuming like a recently pulled from the oven baked potato. "What. Did. You. Mean. By. Giving. That. Idiot. A. Chinese. Dictionary. And. Telling. Him. We. Were. Taking. Him. To. China?" All of his words seemed to be punctuated by a heaving breath.

"Simply that," she stared, turning the page to a section about 'How to Steal Your Best Friend's Man Without Causing Harm to Your Relationship.' "I thought you might want a companion to come along with us this time. I think you'd enjoy his company."

"Yes, but.. WHY HIM?"

Jun looked over her shoulder at him, raising her eyebrows. "What's wrong with him? He seems to be the one of your friends you're closest to besides Yoh, and you know Yoh would never go to China again, not without Anna-san at least."

Ren tapped his foot impatiently. Her calm attitude wasn't helping his anger at all. He tried not to vent it out, not to his sister, at least, but couldn't help the tenseness of his voice. "Yes, but…"

"No buts. He's going with us. I already told him that he is, and he's in there right now, practicing Chinese with that manual I gave him, isn't he?" Jun's prediction was right on, and Ren cringed and his cheeks tinted pink. "Father has even approved of it. Said you might enjoy some company while you relax." This made him cringe further. Since when did his father care about him having company? "He and mother are rather lonely, you know. No one comes to visit. Just family." So that's what it was. They just wanted to show off? "There's no getting out of it, Ren." Well why not? "That's final. Now, if you'll excuse me."

She rose and closed her magazine, sliding it into the drawer on the dresser beside the bed. She walked over to him. Although he was a boy, she was still 4 years older, and had an advantage in height. Her brother was much shorter than she, even at that age. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you'll have fun, once we get there. Just wait and see." She kissed his cheek gently before exiting.

Ren watched her exit before kicking the dresser as hard as he could. "KISAMA!!"

"Yanshi," he spoke aloud, looking over at his partner on the other side of the couch, who was holding the same copy of the Chinese manual he was. Jun smiled and nodded, and he looked back down to his book. "Cesuo."

She placed her hand on his book and pulled it gently from his hands, closing it, and placing it in a neat stack on the table before them. "You're doing very well. You know a lot of words already." She smiled. "I didn't expect you to be such a quick learner."

Horohoro rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, since I had to learn Ainu after I learned Japanese, it made studying for learning languages a lot easier." He smiled back.

"You're very proud of being Ainu, aren't you?"

He nodded.

"Just like you and Ren are proud to be Chinese."

Another smile. "You're right."

They sat there for a moment, basking in the glow of a good afternoon spent doing something constructive. Neither of them had seen Ren since the previous day, yet neither of them were worried. Ren disappearing for days at a time when he was upset and ready to strike the nearest living person dead was a normal occurrence.

"He really doesn't mean to be that cruel," Jun started, as if she felt like she needed to explain her brother's behavior. "Really. He's actually a very sweet person. But something about you, just like Yoh and everyone else, strikes up this need in him to be better than he already is. He feels like you are all competition for him. In a sense, you are, but.. I suppose he doesn't see it as friendly rivalry, and rather.. A war."

Horohoro sighed. "I understand where he's coming from. After all.. I've always felt the need to be better than Yoh. It just doesn't work that way, though."

"You're right."

They stared out the window for a moment, the sun setting slowly, bringing bright oranges and yellows to the sky. "I think he really wants you to go. To China."

"I hope so," he turned to look at her, and smiled. "After all, I'm going for more than the food this time!"

Author's End-note What did you think so far? I'm going to continue it, even though it's plotless. Like I said. Fluff device! Anyway, if you liked it, please review. If you hated it, please review. If you think I'm a crap writer and that I need to quit at it before I put all of the actually talented writers into cardiac-arrest, please review then jump off a bridge. Just kidding.