Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King

CHAPTER EIGHT – Sisterly Love

Pilika Usui had always looked up to her older brother, as every good sister does. She admired him for his determination in his dreams, though at times it could turn him into a stubborn fool. She had known for some time now that her brother was thinking of leaving, and didn't have the heart to tell her.

He didn't need her anymore; he had grown up in that year since the accident. She knew in her heart that Ren was the best thing that had ever happened to Horo Horo, but she wouldn't, couldn't, accept it. With Ren in the picture, Horo would leave her, of that she was sure.

She had done everything in her power to protect her brother, but it all seemed to be in vain. She had told the Tao to back off before the accident, she had warned him not to get in her way, but he wouldn't listen. So she took it a bit further. She hired a hit man. She hadn't meant for it to go that far, but it did. She almost lost her brother.

She thought that would be the end of it, there, but that stupid Chinese shaman had to get up again. So she called Tao Cole, hired him to get rid of the Tao that was ruining her perfect world. She hadn't meant for Rahu to show up, but he did. Now, if her brother died, she knew it would be all her fault.

Silently, she tiptoed into the room of mirror. Using her surprising geometry skills, she found the door easily from the angles of the reflections. When she stepped through, she was just in time to see the space between her brother and Ren close as they shared their first real kiss. She watched, feeling her heart bursting into hundreds of thousands of pieces as they turned to stone on the spot.

She ran up to them and tried to revive them, but it was no use. Because of her jealousy, her brother and his true love were reduced to a bit of fine, chiseled art. Hot tears bubbled up in her eyes and she sat on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest.

It was midnight and she still hadn't moved, when a light tune floated about the cave. It was sad and sorrowful, and only made her feel worse, because it was the song of her stone brother. He had played it for her once, a long time ago...

!FLASHBACK!

Horo ended the short song on his lute, his eyes glistening. He looked up to see his younger sister crying in her nightdress. "Pilika..." he muttered, putting an arm around her bare shoulders.

"What are you doing out here this late without proper clothing?" he asked.

"Mommy and daddy are fighting again. D-Daddy hit mommy and she didn't get up. He told me to come get you, onii-chan." she sniffled and shivered. Her brother's eyes widened.

"Pilika, was mommy's chest moving? Did daddy start packing?" he asked urgently. She nodded sadly.

"Daddy says we're going to the city." she said.

"...Pilika, stay here, okay?" he said gravely. She nodded again in obedience, confused about what was going on. He stalked off with his snowboard toward their house. Minutes seemed like hours and Pilika was freezing. Determined to obey, however, she started following a bug as it hopped on the ground.

Suddenly, she went flying through the air and landed harshly in knee-deep snow. Her little head swiveled to focus on her father's rage-filled face. "You little bitch!" he shouted at her, taking a menacing step forward. Her eyes went wide in fear and she saw her brother lying to the side in the snow, unconscious.

"Otou-san?" she stuttered, her toddler mind trying to understand why her father was angry at her.

"I will kill you!" he yelled, his eyes filled with an anger she could not comprehend. She stumbled to her brother, shaking his still form.

"Onii! Onii!" she sobbed. A large hand grabbed the back of her nightgown and she was lifted and thrown again into the cold powder. She covered her head and waited for a blow that never came. Looking up, she saw her brother standing on his board between her and their father.

"You will not touch her again." he growled between clenched teeth.

"Get out of my way, boy!" the taller man yelled, stomping forward. Horo flew up higher and released a spray of ice, freezing his father where he stood. He jumped off his board and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked kindly. She nodded numbly.

"C'mon, Pilika, that won't hold him for long. We gotta get out of here." he said. That night they reached an Ainu village, miles away from their small cabin. The kind Ainu race immediately accepted them, as their mother had come from there, and they took up their roles in society. Their first night, Pilika lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Pilika, are you okay?" her brother asked worriedly.

"Is daddy gonna come kill me? Where's mommy?" she asked. He sighed.

"I'll never let that bastard get you. You remember when mommy sang to you about death not being the end? Well, it's not. Mommy's watching us, so we gotta be good, okay?" he told her.

"I can't remember mommy's singing voice. She never sang ever since dad started yelling." she whispered.

"Here, then, you just go to sleep. I'll play, Tears of Crystal, that song mom always sang, okay?" he waited for her to close her eyes before he skillfully played the sad melody...

!END FLASHBACK!

She was brought out of her reminisce by an insistent ringing from her pocket. She hesitantly brought the cell phone to her ear. "Hello?" she croaked.

"Pilika! Am I too late! I had a premonition that Horo and Ren were turned to stone and you cured them!" Tamao exclaimed on the other end.

"You know how to cure them!" she asked, getting excited.

"Not exactly, I know where you get the cure!" Tamao said hopefully.

"Tam, you're the best! Where?" Pilika asked in joy, jumping up.

"That's the problem. It's in the Land of the Stars." she said.

"Then why the hell did you call me!" she asked angrily.

"Yoh can get you in. He is the Shaman King, after all." the shy girl said happily.

"Just meet us at Patch Village in two days!" she instructed.

"Bye!"

"Bye!" Pilika happily bounded out of the cave, she was going to save her brother.