Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King

CHAPTER SIX – Rahu Awakens

Beside him, Pilika stood with an unsure look on her face. "Onii, I'm sorry, he came looking for Ren. I had to tell him. He threatened to kill me and you and it's for your own good, anyway. You've become obsessed with him, and he can't be good for you, so it's better for us all if you just let Cole take him back to where he belongs in China, with his family." she said unemotionally.

"Pilika, you little bitch! I love him! I'm sorry; Cole, but you can't have him! He's mine, and I'm his, and we love each other! You can't just take that away from us! He's the only person who never expected me to screw up, who always expected me to do the best that it was in my power to do! You'll have to take him over my dead, lifeless body, and through my spirit! I will fight for him with every section of my being, in this life, or the next!" Horo yelled, standing in front of Ren.

"How amusing, he's going to try to stop me. Do you really believe you could beat me? You could not strike fear into the heart of a Tao! I can, and have, and even now, the Tao over there is white with fear!" Cole smirked.

Horo glanced back to see Ren ten shades paler and shaking, his eyes downcast. A moment passed when he thought Ren would actually give in to his fear and leave him, but that disappeared when tiger eyes snapped up, anger burning brightly in them. 'He's not shaking in fear... He's angry!' Horo thought. Turning back, he could see Cole's shock was even greater than his own.

"That's it! Look, Cole, I hate you! I hate you more than my father, even! You bastard! You have ruined everything good in my life, and just when I think I may have found some form of relief, you destroy it! No more! It ends here!" Ren yelled, standing. His body shook with rage and his eyes were clouded to an almost black color. In his hand, a blade had formed of pure furyoku, a large black spirit control flaming about his entire body.

"Wha-! Spirit Control! What spirit is it!" Cole stuttered a bit. Everyone backed up from the Tao as black mist seeped through the room and it became instantly freezing. Clouds formed above and lightning and thunder crashed in them threateningly. When Ren spoke again, his voice was not his own.

"The time has come at last! The time when the powers of light and dark, good and evil, have merged within a Tao! The prophecy will be fulfilled through the body of this one. One who has the capacity to see the future, to summon spirits, to integrate, the powers of a shaman, the furyoku of one so young, so alive, yet so bitter. One Tao, who has learned the true meaning of love, yet was always denied the one thing he longed for. For a Tao does not, can not, love. He has seen the way to darkness, his choice is made, and all shall perish before the might of Rahu!"

"Rahu! The harbinger of the Shaman Tournament! It means... Destruction!" Pilika said.

"But... What about Ren? What did you do to my Ren!" Horo yelled, not caring that he was yelling at the god of destruction.

"Him? He is irrelevant. He was only my means of ruling this pathetic planet. He knew of the power he held, but he was biding his time to use me. He didn't truly want to be Shaman King as badly as he gave you reason to believe. It was a means to an end. He was chosen at birth to be the outlet of my power, but first he had to learn to love. As you know, where I go, Ketu must follow. And so the Tao has finally embraced his destiny, and Rahu and Ketu have returned to their rightful places as rulers of the world of men and shamans!" he laughed maliciously.

"Now you will die!" he growled, lunging at Horo.

"Nooooo!" Cole shouted and jumped in front of him, sharp claws tearing through his flesh.

"Horo, he truly loves you. If it comes down to it, use that to protect yourself and strike. If you do not strike with all your mind and heart made up, the world will fall and Ren will be lost forever." Cole choked out between labored breaths before his body drooped over the flaming sword. Most of the sword disappeared and he fell limply to the floor, blood pooling into the carpet. Ren laughed in satisfaction and jumped off out the window.

"...Kororo. Spirit Form. Into the board..." Horo whispered halfheartedly. His koropokkuru flared to life into a small spirit control, his board floating a foot above the ground. He hesitantly jumped on and pulled Pilika with him, flying out the window following the black clouds.