A Very Good Liar
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Disclaimer: As much as I wish it so, Shaman King will never be mine. God knows the knows the havoc I'd unleash. This fic revolves around RenPirika, though there are hints of YohAnna and HorohoroTamao.
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Chapter Two
Where Do We Go From Here?
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Taking five minutes to reassure himself that he could solve this, he finally was able to move his body. Walking to the counter, he picked up a rag and mopped up the mess that he had made when he spit his water into the cabinets. Then he strode out into the living room, past Yoh and Anna, and up the stairs into Horohoro's room. Luckily, he had regained his voice during his climb up the stairs.

"Horohoro! Don't tell her that we're engaged!" He walked into the room to find Horohoro and Tamao locked in an embrace. Turning around and trying to give them privacy, Ren heard Tamao say with surprise, "They're engaged!"

Horohoro laughed nervously and glared at Ren's back, unpleased that he had been interrupted "But you said yourself that she probably would like to know if she's engaged." Ren numbly nodded his head and focused on the wall he was facing. "I want to tell her." Horohoro shrugged and smiled, "Sure!" With that done and temporarily off his chest, Ren walked into his own room, walking right past Pirika's, changed, and lay upon his black futon.

Two hours later, Ren was left grumpily staring at the ceiling. Getting up, he reached into his closet and started packing a suitcase, for lack of anything better to do. He packed four pairs of pants, two of them were dark grey cargo pants, the others, black. Two sweatshirts, one black with a silver dragon on the right arm, the other blood red with a skull that had black flames on it imprinted on the chest. He shoved in two plain, black t-shirts, so the only colors he ever wore were black, grey, and blood red.

He carefully considered his other options before he grabbed his swimming trunks, if there was nothing better to do he could always swim laps in the resorts indoor pool. They were black with silver dragons printed on each pant leg, looking like they were tearing the fabric.

After packing in the other useful items (AN: Such as boxers, socks, deodorant, cologne...), he set his suitcase near the door way and rested his kwan dao near his futon, so he could reach it in an emergency. Laying back down, Ren stared at the ceiling. Then the back of his eyelids. Then the stars outside through the window.

There was a nagging in the back of his mind that further prevented sleep. Nothing worked, he even tried counting sheep. Not that he even expected that to work. After discovering the pleasures of insomnia, meaning all you do is stare at the wall for half an hour, he got up and grabbed his kwan dao. Staring at it's dingy surface, he sat cross legged in the middle of the floor, and started polishing it with a strip of cloth he kept for such situations. (AN: Insomnia is so fun!)

For some deranged reason, this made him sleepy as he continued the polishing for an hour, falling asleep at three fifteen in the morning. For some other deranged reason, he had to be up at five thirty.

Just as fate predicted, someone came to wake him up. The shy Tamao crept into his room and knocked on the sill of the door. She eeped and backed away from the slouching boy as he tightened his grip on the hilt of his kwan dao, which was leaning against his shoulder.

"Go away." Ren mumbled, he lay down on the floor, eager to get back to sleep. Tamao gulped loudly and ran out of the room, right into Pirika, who had been taking her suitcase downstairs. The pink haired girl explained what had happened, and Pirika, being who she is, marched right into Ren's room and lay down next to him.

She draped her arm over his chest and whispered in his ear, "Time to get up, dear." Her ploy did not have it's desired effect. Instead of jumping clear to the other side of the room, Ren was awake and decided he wanted to go back to sleep. He released his kwan dao, smiled, and grabbed the hand she layed upon him, pulling her closer and hugging her to his chest.

"Just a few more minutes." he mumbled in her hair, breathing in the small amount of perfume she wore. She smelled like lilacs, a nice touch. That and she didn't marinade herself in it. Pirika was blushing like mad, and Tamao was trying not to laugh. She could be heard giggling in the hall, as she went to get some help.

Pirika glared at the black t-shirt Ren wore while he slept, "I know you're awake." She heard him chuckle, "Yes, I know that too."

"Then get off me." She heard nothing for a second or two, and no reprieve was supplied when Ren broke the silence. "No, I'm too sleepy, insomnia plagued me last night." If looks could kill then Ren would be dead. Pirika just glared at his t-shirt for a few seconds. Her mood was not lessened by the laughing she heard coming from the group outside near the SUV.

Threatening Ren was obviously not going to work, this guy probably sent the family therapists home crying. Something that would possibly get her killed seemed the only way out of his embrace. Cracking her knuckles, she prepared herself for death. "Ren, as long as I'm here will you answer a question?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"If I think it's a stupid question."

"Fair enough, are you ticklish?" There was a silence as Pirika moved her fingers closer to his sides, she knew what Ren's answer would be, as this very event had happened years ago. "That's absurd. " Pirika raised an eyebrow as Ren stiffened when she touched his side.

"Don't you dare." he whispered dangerously. Pirika narrowed her eyes, "Watch me." His arms flung off her and he glared at her as she pushed herself off his chest.

Both glares disappeared and were replaced with blushes, embarrassed at the proximity between them. The moment was shattered as Ren recalled that he and Pirika were engaged. He turned his head to face the wall, afraid to fall into her eyes like he had years ago. He was still pinned to the floor, and his kwan dao was out of arm's reach. (AN: As if he would use it anyway.) He thought she was pretty, not beautiful, from a distance, but being this close made him realize she was a goddess.

Pirika saw him turn away and realized how close she was to him. She then saw Ren go into a pensive mode, and got suspicious about what was going on in his purple-topped head. Whatever it was, it was important.

Taking into account that she had him pinned to the floor, she blushed and stood up. Ren rolled onto his side and sat up, grabbing his kwan dao for support he hoisted himself up. Pirika left the room and toted her suitcase downstairs. Ren stayed in his room and changed into the newly washed dragon clothes that started the entire prank. Then he grabbed his suitcase, put his kwan dao over his shoulder and walked downstairs to the SUV.

Horohoro took his bag and kwan dao and put them on the top. Thankfully, everyone took note of Ren and Pirika's uncomfortable silence and decided to suppress their teasing.

In the two front seats were Yoh, driver's side, and Anna, passenger's side. In the middle row was Horohoro, passenger's side, and Tamao, driver's side. Which left Ren and Pirika in the third row, Ren on the driver's side, Pirika on the passenger's side. The SUV started up and Yoh rolled down his window, talking to Amidamaru.

"Just watch the place while we're gone. If there's any major problem the just come by Spirit Mountain and ask for us." Amidamaru nodded, "Yes, Master Yoh. Have a nice vacation."

"We will, don't let any of the spirits wreck the place. See ya in three days." Yoh then backed out of the driveway, and started heading North to Spirit Mountain.

Yoh was focused on making small talk with his fiancée and driving, Anna was navigating the way to the resort, Horohoro and Tamao had started a game that involved finding an expired liscence plate, Ren and Pirika were looking out of the limousine black windows, avoiding looking at the other person. The silence between the two was getting annoying, and everyone else sighed with relief when Pirika started talking to him.

"So, why'd you have insomnia?" Okay, so it wasn't the best subject in the world, but she was drawing a blank. "I'm not sure. I stayed up until three fifteen trying to figure it out."

"Maybe your feeling guilty about something?" Ren scoffed at the question "I've nothing to be guilty for." Pirika frowned, 'He's probably got alot to be guilty for. He just doesn't want to tell me. Maybe I can use some of my old tricks...But then we'll probably end up arguing...And having to defend our own pride against the other's...But that's a chance I'll have to take.'

Ren kept glancing over at Pirika every few seconds. "How long until we get there?" Pirika asked, looking out the window. Anna looked at her watch, "About four hours if Yoh pays attention and goes left. "

Yoh quickly changed lanes and grinned "But I was busy staring at you." This made Anna blush, "Eyes on the road." Pirika smiled at Yoh's simple way of showing affection. He just said what he felt to Anna. She may criticize what he says, but she always acknowledges that he said it. Pirika's brother was the same way, only he said what he felt or thought about everything.

Very unlike Yoh was Ren. He kept everything, whether it mattered or not, bottled up inside. Like, for example, the fact that Horohoro got him engaged. Things involved with Ren, Pirika supposed, just weren't meant to get comfortable like that.

"You ever consider being a psychologist?" This threw Pirika off. Ren exhaled a breath he'd been holding. All he had to do was distract her and everyone else until he could get this whole thing called off.

"Once or twice, why? Are you about to spill some big secret you've been holding in all your life?" Ren looked at her with a blank expression. "You just seem to analyze other people, like Yoh and Anna. And you're very unsettling. What with your azure hair, inquisitive attitude, and piercing gaze. And I'm not disturbed very easily. "

"As disturbing as you are."

"What? Why am I disturbing?" Pirika raised her eyebrows.

"You want to know how you're disturbing?"

"Yes. What could possibly be wrong with me?" Pirika laughed at him, which made him frown. "I'm serious."

"About what? You think that there's nothing wrong with you?"

"Quite."

"Okay, you have purple hair."

"I cannot choose my hair color."

"Not your natural hair color, anyway. If you can call purple 'natural'." Ren glared at her. "I refuse to put chemicals on my hair that could damage me permanently. And you have no room to talk, your hair is azure." Pirika glared back at him, her competitive streak taking over any sense of judgment she currently held. "What about shampoo? Don't tell me you don't use shampoo. And how do you know that I didn't dye my hair?"

"I don't use shampoo." Pirika's eyes widened, "What?" Ren sighed at her new reluctance to sit next to him. "I use a natural blend of boiled herbs, at least they don't poison me." Pirika then felt safer sitting next to him.

"And I know that's your natural hair color because it's also your brother's, and because you don't smell like pesticides. You smell like lilacs." Ren quickly realized his mistake and looked out the window, turning crimson. Pirika also blushed, but only for a second.

"I only smell like lilacs, because you bought me that perfume for Christmas last year. " Ren now turned to face her, he'd forgotten about that. "I thought you threw that out."

She blushed and looked at the clothes Ren was wearing, "I thought you burned the clothes. I just started wearing the perfume yesterday." Ren smiled, finally feeling comfortable around his 'finance'. "Same thing with the clothes."

It was strange, but right now Ren didn't care. He didn't worry about the stares people gave him. He didn't think about his engagement to Pirika. He wasn't self conscious at all and completely oblivious of the world around him. The only thing he noticed for the next few seconds, was her.

Every move she made, it was graceful to him. Every time she smiled, it was like meeting an angel. When she laughed, the sky erupted into sweet music only found in romance. In every way, shape, and form he had become infatuated with the girl who's existence to him years before, or at least after he was fourteen, was nothing but a dead fly on the windshield of life when the wiper blades weren't working.

Snapping out of his little vacation to Loony Land, he noticed the hand that Pirika had been waving in front of his face for fifteen seconds. "Stop that." he said pushing her hand away. She put her hand down and said, "You were out of it for a second. Did you hear me?"

"Hear what?"

"We were talking about what's wrong with you." Ren berated himself mentally, 'Of course it's that! How the hell could you think it was something else! Baka!' Instead of insulting himself out loud (AN: As much as we all wish to see that.) he said, "I know that! What could possibly be wrong with me? And don't say 'purple hair', because I can't help it."

"You have yellow eyes."

"Alot of people have yellow eyes."

"Uh-huh." Pirka said as she slowly nodded her head, a sign that Ren took as non-belief. "Fine, not many people have yellow eyes or purple hair." Pirika nodded with satisfaction, glad she had won the argument. Or so she thought.

"But, since those are both characteristics that I can't help, there is nothing wrong with me." Pirika frowned and started debating whether or not to tell him the long list she had put together of what was wrong with him. She chose to tell him.

"You have a large ego, you think too highly of yourself, you're very obsessive, when you were thirteen you had a six-pack-"

"Thanks for noticing." He said sarcastically. "Shut up. I wasn't done."

"Then, please, continue. " Pirika glared at him and did just that. "You're too sarcastic, you wear black-"

"What's wrong with black?" Pirika thought for a minute, " It may go with anything, but everyone needs a little bit more color. Now stop interrupting me. You're short, you don't use shampoo, you carry a weapon, you've tried to murder my brother several times, you get money from your sister, you don't even have a job, Hao is nicer than you and he tried to kill everyone!"

Ren was paying strict attention, surprisingly. "Go on, I like the direction this is taking." This made Pirika flustered. Little did she know, that everything she said brought a stab of pain to Ren. In the back of his mind, he was considering whether or not he was a good person, and if he should consider changing himself.

"Your attitude towards everyone around you is that of a sadistic little jerk." That hurt, alot. It actually made Ren flinch. 'Am I really that horrible? Does she actually believe that? I don't mean it, Pirika, I'm sorry.'

"And you're such a damn good liar!" Ren noticed that everyone else was staring at them. He secretly nudged Pirika, "So, there's nothing that's even remotely close to perfect about me?"

"No, but people love others for their imperfections."

Ren smiled, and to himself it was sincere. Pirika also smiled, and noticed that they were still staring at them, "What?" Everyone started laughing. "What?" Ren asked, narrowing his eyes.

Anna (AN: She too was laughing, amazing as that may seem.) was the only one with enough sense to stop laughing and explain everyone. "Maybe you should stop flirting and help unload the truck. Because, if I'm not mistaken, we're here."

Ren and Pirika blushed and looked out the window. The mountain was about a mile away from the actual resort, but it was tall and proud. It's white surface was so bright you couldn't stare at it for very long. So instead of looking at something so beautiful it was painful, they all averted their attention to the majestic resort. Five stories tall, you'd have to look close to make sure it wasn't a mirage.

There was an empty, covered, outdoor pool to the left, and to the right was a mass amount of forest. They were in front of the resort, in the massive parking lot that was filling with cars full of shaman couples.

Horohoro whipped open the doors to the SUV and jumped outside. "Not bad, not bad. I've seen better mountains." He stated, before he dodged his sister's punch. "Onii-chan, Jun bought this mountain, you should be grateful she even let you come!"

"I am!"

Ren looked away from his source of amusement and walked to each car door, checking the power locks. Yoh walked up to him and grinned.

"You have a spear, Ren. And quite the reputation as a Tao, I don't think anyone is going to come near our truck. And if you don't scare them, maybe a Shaman King can."

"You say Shaman King like it's a common career." Ren couldn't help but grin as Yoh shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe there's someone else who could beat me?"

"Don't count on it, Anna wouldn't let you lose." They both laughed until Pirika walked up. "Hey guys, we have to get out our coupons, they'll send someone for our stuff."

"Thanks, Pirika." Yoh said, heading over to Anna and linking his arm in hers. They then proceeded to the entrance to the resort. The man at the entrance was a very large shaman who could have taken on Ren and Yoh put together easily. Yoh may have been a powerful shaman and role model, but even Hao wouldn't try anything with this guy around.

The name tag said "Hi my name is: Eric", and Eric was taking the coupons, ripping them in half and giving everyone a pass. He was also the person judging if you were a couple or not. Alot of people were taken out of line, and kicking the ground in frustration because Eric had seen through their ploy.

Just to make it look realistic, as they walked toward the entrance, Ren grabbed Pirika's hand and walked closer to her. It was more because she had been about to back out than because he wanted to...Right?

Eric took their coupons, ripped them in half, took one look at them, and handed them their passes with a big grin on his large mug. When they got away from Eric and near the group again, they unclasped their hands and put the passes in their pockets.

"Whoa, that is one big guy." Horohoro said, trying hard not to look at Eric. The muscular man had found some fakers, they caused trouble, and he busted the boy's jaw. The girl was so frightened that she just backed off, dragging the boy back to their car. Personally Ren thought it was better than a horror movie. (AN: Me too...)

"We're going to get our rooms, you coming?" Pirika asked him. He shook his head, "I want to look for my sister." Pirika shrugged, "Okay, I'll meet up with you in front of the checkout desk in an hour?"

"Sure." he said, actually smiling. He watched her as she walked into the building, the smile still there. "I always knew you would go back to her." Ren jumped when he realized his sister was next to him.

"Don't do that!" He said, regaining his composure. Jun laughed, Ren frowned a this. "What, exactly, do you find amusing?" Jun stifled her giggles and said "Nothing, it's just that are you always this tense, or is it just when you're around your fiancée?"

"That's not funny. She shouldn't be my fiance in the first place, if Horohoro would've just kept to his own business then I wouldn't be in this situation!" Jun raised an eyebrow, "What's going on, Ren?" Ren crossed his arms and forced himself to say, "We were playing a prank on her baka brother. So now he's gotten us engaged! Father's never going to let me live this down!"

Jun listened carefully to her little brother's story. But she was taken by surprise when Ren asked her to call the whole thing off.

"Ren, you can't just call off a wedding."

"Well, why not! We shouldn't get married, we have no reason to! She's just my friend! I thought we went over all of this last time!" They were in Jun's office now, having walked there during Ren's explanation. "I know, I'll do what I can, but I'm not guaranteeing anything."

Ren nodded and got up from his seat. When his hand was placed on the doorknob jun stopped him. "HoroHoro called me, he said that you wanted to tell her of your engagement. She doesn't know, does she?"

Ren grimaced, his sister knew him far too well for his own liking. "No, I didn't plan on telling her." He took note of his sister's oh so reassuring silence (AN: It's a little thing called sarcasm.), and took it as a sign to continue. "She's made it quite clear what kind of person I am. I don't think she'd put up with me for very long if we were wed. She's my friend, the only one who pays attention to what I say. I've known her for eleven years, and over that period of time I've concluded that we were never meant to be more than friends. And I would give my friend...No, my best friend...anything she wanted. And I don't think she wants to put up with me. Not again."

Jun stared dumbstruck at the door as Ren quietly shut it behind him. 'The past is catching up, it's nice to see Pirika again...' She then called up her parents.
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I need those ideas! If you don't contribute Eric will be sent over to intimidate you.

Man I feel pathetic right now... Anyway, read and review. Max, the voice in the back of my head, says I should stop being so mean to Ren. I told him to stick his head in the gutter and hope it doesn't fall off.

Yes, Ren has been an acquaintance of Pirika's for eleven years. Find out more in later chapters.

Read and review, the usual.