Author's Note: Thank you again for all your reviews, and for your positive comments! Well, from this point in the story onwards, the chapters go along in days - one chapter tells the events of one day. As Horo has seven days before he leaves, there will be seven more chapters in total (including this one), and I'm considering putting two more chapters after that. Anyway, about this chapter: I didn't realise until a few days ago that the events here are actually very close to what happens in one of MeeLee's RenxHoro fics... well, I hope you don't mind me kind of borrowing your ideas, MeeLee... your fics have been so good they made a subconscious effect on me! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one! Please leave another review, if you can. Thank you so much!

Before Ren knew it, the next day had risen, and the countdown to Horohoro's departure had begun.

Just as they were yesterday, everybody else seemed none the wiser. Horo obviously meant what he said – he wasn't going to tell anyone but Ren.

Ren left the roof to arrive downstairs in time for breakfast. Without thinking, he sat down absent-mindedly at the table, the other's jokes and laughter washing right over him. Horo was sitting there too, in usual place just opposite. Ren refused to look at him, although he could feel Horo's midnight eyes upon him.

Ryu and Chocolove seemed to be at each other's necks this morning, to make up for Ren and Horo's silence.

"But Ryu…" Chocolove was whining. "Jokes are like eggs – they're just waiting to be cracked!"

"That was even worse than your last one!" Ryu fumed. "You can't even call that a joke!"

"You just don't appreciate my comical wit," Chocolove grinned, standing up from the table.

Ryu followed suit. "You have no comical wit!"

Ren stared down at the bowl Manta had placed in front of him. The pressure of Horo's stare made him feel very uncomfortable, and Ryu and Chocolove's confrontation blaring away didn't help his situation. Horo's glare was firm, boring right through him, as though he was expecting something…

"I'd like to see you outmatch me in a battle of strength!"

"Just because you know you wouldn't beat me in a battle of humour!"

"A lunchbox could make me laugh more than you!"

"Why, would it just sandwich you with jokes?"

"That's the last of your pathetic jokes I am going to tolerate!"

"Bring it, hair-freak!"

"All of you… just be QUIET!"

Immediately, everything fell silent. Everybody stopped in the middle of their actions – Ryu seizing Chocolove by the shirt, Manta serving more food into Tamao's bowl, Yoh with a mouthful of food – all turned to look at Ren, who was standing up, shoulders slumped over, breathing heavy, eyes cast down and fists clenched. Everyone knew he had a short temper, but no one had expected him to explode like that.

"Ren, buddy-" Yoh began.

"Just let me be…" Ren snapped, wearily, walking quickly out of the room and storming up the stairs.

Everyone stared after him, shock written on their faces.

Banging into his room, Ren slammed the door closed behind him, then slumped to the floor in a pathetic heap, back square against the door.

His heart sank with shame as he imagined the look on Horo's face just now. Why did his temper always get the better of him like that?

Though he supposed it didn't matter much – the others would just dismiss it as another one of his anger flares and think no more of it, and Horo… even if Ren did make a fool of himself in front of him, it wasn't as if he'd be around much longer to judge Ren because of it…

Ren gripped his head with his hands, whole body numb. What was happening to him? Only hearing a little news from someone, and he was getting like this…?

Ren breathed heavier into his hands. But Horo isn't just someone, is he? a small part of his mind remarked. He pushed it away, exhausted in both body and spirit. He blamed it on taking no sleep last night, though he knew deep down that was far from the reason.

Lifting up his head slightly, he saw, through the small strands of purple hair that fell into his eyes, his bed. Without even making a conscience decision, he doggedly pulled himself up from the floor and walked over to his bed. Letting his muscles turn lax, he slumped down on to it, eyes closing on his silent room. Though he felt as though he could sleep for ages, a part of his mind just didn't seem to want to rest. He could still feel it racing, flashing images and thoughts on the backs of his eyelids.

Sharply pulling the covers right up over himself, over his head, he fought against them, desperately trying to reach sleep, where he knew no thinking was necessary.

A dream… Ren told himself. A dream, that's all…

Filling his eardrums was the steady beat of traditional tribal music. He tried not to focus on it as it pounded through his head. Looking around himself, he saw the colourful decorations of Northern tribes – wood-made, handcrafted and all adorned with the strange emblems of Gods from the natural world. Looking down at himself, he could see that even he was garbed in peculiar Ainu clothing. He could see a small crowd gathered around him, all dressed the same way he was. All of them were kneeling down, expectantly watching a small wooden stage set out in front of them. It was obvious something was about to happen.

Suddenly, a small and dignified procession came in to view. A cloud of tiny Koroppo Kuru spirits floated serenely on to the stage structure, followed by a group of fourteen graceful Ainus, all adorned in the purest white.

Without even putting a single second of thought into it, Ren recognised the group as the Ainu council that Horo had told him about. He did not know why he even cared.

The others around him bowed their heads respectfully. He decided not to follow them. Why should I bow? This is just a dream, after all… he told himself.

With a few more harsh notes, the music came to an abrupt end, as two more people stepped on to the stage. One of them was old and tall, and he was wearing what Ren supposed was the attire of the Ainu elder. Following him, wearing the traditional white, was Horo.

Ren's eyes widened as he watched him take his place alongside the other council members, expression stone-cast.

The music began again, easing from nothing into a serene, almost sacred-sounding tune.

The elder stepped forward and began to address the crowd in a foreign tongue that Ren could not understand. He clenched his fists as he watched the ritual appointment unfold in front of him. He could not follow the strange Ainu chanting that followed, and could not even smile happily like the others that were watching the ceremony. In fact, smiling was the last thing he wanted to do. Horo – the only one he ever cared for – was merely feet away from him, taking part in a tradition that would bind him away from Ren forever.

He couldn't suppress the thoughts any longer. All ideas of this only being a dream had escaped him now – all he cared for was Horo's beaming face just in front of him, joining the tribe's council. Ren hated all of this; all of this tribal music, their beautiful decorations and the traditional clothes even he himself was dressed in, the unfair Ainu customs, the fact that Horo could smile through all of this…

Before he could stop himself, he was on his feet in the centre of the kneeling crowd, yelling out, "Stop this!"…

Author's Note: I'll update soon!