Yay! I make HoroHoro sound intelligent in this chapter!

I'm sorry if this is getting long. Don't worry. Next chapter starts the final arc, then a couple wrap up chapters for the end. I'll let you in on a secret: At least two characters are going to die by the end of the story – and stay dead.

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga Shaman King. The story and its characters were created by Hiroyuki Takei. All original characters made specifically for this fanfiction and any tie-in/spinoff pieces were created by Jezebel Parks.

A Gift of Love – Chapter Sixty-Seven: Sad Resolution

Father and son watched as Lien's body fell from view. There was silence. Suddenly, Ren looked up as the boy standing on him threw his head back and laughed. His eyes narrowed as he glared at him.

"What are you laughing at?"

The boy grasped his bangs. "I can't believe that bitch actually did it! She seemed like someone who would chicken out at the last minute, but she proved me wrong. I don't even know if that's laudable or LAUGHable. I think it's the latter." He laughed again.

Ren turned to look through the rails once more before his face hardened and his eyes burned with rage. He grabbed his son by the throat and threw him off his chest and against the rails. The demon hit his head on the banister, causing him to grab it in pain. Ren stood, eying him with murderous intent.

"That was my only daughter, you fucking bastard," he said in a low voice.

"So what?"

Ren picked up the Kwan Dao his son had been using and stuck it into the brute's shoulder, pinning him to the rails. He wailed in pain.

"Your sister is dead, Ren...AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" Ren yelled.

When his son looked up at him with wide eyes, Ren knew that he had struck a cord. Even if it was too late to save Lien, he could at least not let her death be in vain.

"She killed herself because of you," he whispered darkly. "Do you think she wanted to die? Do you think she wanted to throw her life away like that? DO YOU?"

Young Ren's eyes were widening by the second. He looked over his shoulder with eyes of horror, his mouth gaping. He reached for the weapon still embedded in his shoulder and pulled it out, then slowly backed away from the railing. Ren watched him intently. His son was obviously horrified by the tragedy he had caused. Maybe he had him back once and for all.

Suddenly, the young boy sprinted toward the railing, Kwan Dao in hand, and started to vault it. Ren ran and grabbed his right ankle. His son remained still, his voice clam.

"Father, let go of me."

"No! I'm not losing both of you!"

"You won't." He looked up at him. "Father, I know that I don't deserve your trust now because of what I've done, but please, even if it's only out of spite, let me fall. I'll save Lien..." He looked him in the eye, not blinking. "...I swear on my honor as the scion of the Tao family."

Ren closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly in pain. "I want you to bring her back," he said softly as he opened his eyes.

His son smiled brightly, getting what he was saying. "I promise I will, Father."

He let go of him.

"Thank you," they both whispered.

As his father's face faded from view, Ren pointed himself toward the ground. He held out his Kwan Dao.

"Bason, Hyoi Gattai,"

The spirit obeyed as the golden spiked ball appeared near the blade. Ren positioned it behind him.

"Forgive me, Bason,"

The over soul exploded, propelling him toward the ground. Lien's limp body came into view. Moments later, he grabbed her and held her close to him.

"Bason, Hyoi Gattai," he repeated.

Again he obeyed. Ren closed his eyes and concentrated as he pumped every last drop of his furyoku into the oversoul.

Lien suddenly woke up. She looked at her brother. "Ren...? What's going on?"

He smiled weakly at her. "I'm saving you after you did something stupid."

"What?" She looked around. "You dummy! Now we're both gonna die!"

He laughed slightly and shook his head. "No...Not both of us."

She blinked. "Niisama? What are you-?"

She was silenced when he kissed her cheek.

"I love you, Mei Mei," he whispered as he held her close. Lien watched as her brother took her hands and forced them to grasp the pole. "Whatever you do, don't let go."

She nodded, and he moved down until he was holding the hilt near the blade. He put himself in front of it so the blade was positioned at his chest. Her eyes widened. She reached out for him.

"Niisama!"

"DON'T LET GO!" he screamed with an anger she had never heard him use.

Scared, she grasped the pole even tighter.

"It's better this way..." he whispered. "This way...I know that I won't hurt you anymore."

"Niisama!" Tears were in her eyes.

The ground was so close.

She reached her hand out.

"Please...I'm scared..." she reasoned before he could yell at her again.

He smiled at her with soft eyes and winced as he extended his own hand to grasp hers.

"I love you, too, Niisama," she whispered.

Her ill-fated brother smiled at her kindly. "Took you long enough..."

They hit the ground.

Lien screamed.

"Where did they go?" Pin-Mei wondered as she passed the front doors, the Usui family in tow.

"They couldn't have gone far," Rong asserted, passing her.

They heard something between a crash, a crack, a snap, and a splat. Then a scream.

Pin-Mei stopped dead in her tracks, her face instantly turning white. She ran as fast as she could manage, which was barely a speed walk, through the doors and to the left side of the castle. She turned the corner, she stopped again, her eyes wide. As rain poured down on her, her hands went to her cheeks in sheer disbelief.

"REN!"

Ren had been running down the stairs at light speed. He thought he heard a thump, so he went a little faster. There was a scream. He ran faster. But when he heard his name being screamed, he went as fast as his legs would carry him.

Suddenly, he was in front of his son, who lay motionless on the ground. His Kwan Dao was standing on end, its blade impaling the boy's midsection. Lien was crumpled over his chest, sobbing. Pin-Mei was kneeling next to his body doing the same. Ren fell to his knees next to her. She saw him and latched onto him, silently begging him to wake her up from this horrible nightmare.

Holding his breath, he reached out in a fruitless attempt to take the boy's pulse. Nothing. He inhaled sharply.

Inside, he felt guilty. His words came back to him. He felt that he had maybe unintentionally given his son the notion that he cared more about Lien's safety than her brother's. This of course wasn't the case, but it is to be expected that every parent question their past actions, wondering if they could have prevented such a tragedy.

"Lien, what happened?" He was still the head of the family. He couldn't show weakness, even at a time such as this.

Lien tried to control herself, wiping her eyes constantly. "He...He...used his over soul and made it real big...so I wouldn't get hurt when we landed...B...But he made sure the blade hit him because he didn't want to...to...be able to hurt me anymore..." She broke down as her voice trailed off and then hid her face again.

Ren wished that this was a time to be proud. His son was indeed a genius. To know that he could use over soul for such a thing without being taught or even told...It was amazing. But now, other than the fact that Lien had been saved using that technique, it meant nothing. He wrapped his arms around Pin-Mei and rested his head on top of hers.

"It's such a shame. I was never really able to have any fun."

Ren looked up slowly. The evil apparition, now separated from the boy's body, was standing before them. He said nothing, only glared at him.

The spirit sighed. "You and your son are the same. When you sister gets into trouble, you cast me aside to foolishly risk your life to save her." He grinned at the corpse. "Except this time, I'm actually quite amused by the results."

"Shut the fuck up."

Ren stood slowly, his eyes fixed on the shadow of his former self.

"My son knew you would separate from him if he died. After all, a dead body is incapable of harboring a soul. I'd praise his intelligence, but something tells me he got that idea from you."

The apparition's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Ren smirked. "You've forgotten how I had planned to take Amidamaru from Yoh?" When an expression of worry crossed the demon's face, his grin grew slightly wider. "Now that you're no longer attached to him, I have no problem banishing you from my sight." He turned his head. "HoroHoro."

The Ainu was already standing next to him. "I know." The Sprit of Rain rose up behind him. "Drown him," he whispered darkly.

The spirit raised its hand and clenched it. Water shot out of its fist and and surrounded the apparition, encasing it in a spherical prison.

Ren looked back at his son as the Spirit of Thunder appeared.

This is for you, Ren. "Spirit of Thunder, attack him until there's nothing left. Don't stop until his flame is completely extinguished."

The spirit roared as bolts of electricity shot out of its body and toward the hellion. Rong frantically covered her children's eyes to shield them from the flashes of lightning in front of them as she herself closed her eyes. When she sensed that the light had died down, she slowly opened them. Knowing it was safe to do so, she removed her hands from Xue and Seta's eyes. They blinked and looked around.

"Where'd that weird Uncle Renny go?" Xue wondered aloud.

Seta jiggled her arm and pointed. In the direction of his finger was a blackened spot on the ground.

"Oh."

Ren breathed deeply and went back to sit with his wife. She immediately latched onto him once more and cried, seemingly harder.

Rong and HoroHoro turned their heads away. Then Rong mimicked Pin-Mei and latched onto her husband, sobbing into his chest. Seta had just stood stiffly, staring at his best friends bloodied body. Xue stood by her father's side, suddenly wanting to join her parents' embrace.

Seta almost followed suit when he looked at Lien. She had by now sat up, her brother's blood on her chest. No one was there to hold her, to catch her tears. After making eye contact with his father, he walked over to the distraught twin and knelt next to her. He just barely touched her arm and she snapped her head up to look at him. Seta lifted his arms slightly, and she collapsed onto his chest.

HoroHoro looked at his son, regret in his eyes. Part of him wanted to be happy, as it had almost been a "goal" of Seta's to hug Lien...He just wished the circumstances were different.

As he looked at Ren's body, he couldn't help but think about how ironic it was that his father had once been in the same position – knocking on Death's door. Blood spread on the ground near his head and midsection. His body temperature, respiration, and heart rate all dwindling.

If Faust hadn't come up with that idea of using furyoku like a defibrillator, he would have died for sure...

His eyes shot wide open.

"Ren," he whispered.

Nothing. He said it louder.

"Ren."

"What?" he snapped.

HoroHoro ignored the attitude. "We can still save him."

Ren's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?" He sounded doubtful all the same.

But Pin-Mei, her naivety getting the best of her, was willing to place everything on an idea. "Horokeu, please!" She tugged on his pants lightly.

The Ainu looked down at her sympathetically. Whenever it came to her children, Pin-Mei would sometimes lose control. Then again, he had no idea what it was like to lose a child, so he wasn't in any place to judge her. He let go of Rong, who quickly wiped her eyes.

"Almost sixteen years ago, when you were in the same position, Ren, Faust was the one who came up with the method to revive you using furyoku." He looked away for a moment. "I'm no doctor, but I was watching out of the corner of my eye, so I think I get the basic idea. I might not even know how to do it right...but we don't have many options do we?"

Pin-Mei looked to her husband with pleading eyes.

"Like he said, we don't have a lot of options," Ren said finally. "Let's try it."

Ren, Pin-Mei, HoroHoro, and Rong assembled around the boy, kneeling. The remaining children stood around them.

"Okay," HoroHoro said, "what we're going to do is place our hands on Ren's chest. Then I heard Faust say something like "concentrate you consciousness, as if pouring life into him"."

He watched Pin-Mei motion to put her hands in position. He stopped her.

"Pin-Mei, we're going to need you to heal Ren's wound when we take the Kwan Dao out of him," he said. "That's what has been lessening how much blood he's losing. Once we pull it out, the blood that was being blocked by it is going to rush out, so you need to close it as quickly as possible. If the blade went all the way through him and into the ground, then the wound is obviously very deep."

Pin-Mei nodded dumbly. She surveyed her son's body once again. The sight of seeing the weapon embedded in his body was arguably the most horrific sight she had ever had the misfortune of seeing. Ren touched her thigh gently before turning to the remaining children.

"Lien, go to the medical wing and get a bag of blood, type AB; we're going to need it. Seta, you go with her in case she gets squeamish. Xue, I want you to get a few towels in case we need them." They just stood there. "WHAT ARE YOU STANDING AROUND FOR? GO!"

The three children jumped and ran back into the house.

"An umbrella or five would be nice!" Rong called.

"Yeah, we can't move him or he'll lose too much blood by the time we get him to infirmary," Ren whispered.

Silence.

"So...who wants to pull it out?" Rong said, trying to sound casual.

"I'll do it," Ren said quickly as he stood. "It was my weapon that did this." His bangs were covering his eyes. He was obviously trying to hide the irrational guilt he carried for what happened to his son.

Slowly, he grasped the pole. After a count of three, he pulled the blade from his son's body. Pin-Mei laid her hands on the wound and immediately went to work trying to heal it. The children soon returned with the blood and towels. A few servants were following close behind them in raincoats holding large umbrellas.

After about five minutes, Ren noticed that she was beginning to nod off. He shook her shoulder lightly.

"What's going on? Are you tired already?"

She laughed nervously. "Yeah...pathetic isn't it? It's because I slacked off and never tried to improve my healing techniques...I just never thought I'd have to use them like this again. I'm sorry...after you went through the trouble of trying to help me control my furyoku, too..."

"Don't worry about that right now! It doesn't matter! Just as long as you can seal Ren's wound!" he cried.

She lowered her eyes. "But what if I can't? The last time I used it like this was eleven years ago...and I was able to go for almost an hour then..." She laughed again. "...I guess I'm getting old."

"Aw come on, Pin-Mei," HoroHoro laughed. "No one would have guessed you're knocking on 30's door!"

Pin-Mei smiled at him. "Thanks...I'm 26 by the way."

Rong smacked him. "Consult me before you go talking to people about their age!"

He held his head in pain. "Yes, ma'am."

Lien blinked as she leaned over to Seta and Xue.

"Your mom's scary sometimes."

The Usui siblings sighed. "You have no idea."

Ren looked at Pin-Mei again. She was panting. He couldn't tell if she was sweating due to her already rain-soaked skin, but there was no doubt in his mind that if it were dry, she would be.

"Pin-Mei, try to calm down. Just do the best you can," he said, his hand returning to her thigh.

No more than a minute later, the glow of her hands faded. Ren caught her as she started falling to the side.

"I...I didn't finish," she whispered, her eyes filled with tears.

Ren ripped open his son's shirt and looked at the wound. There was still a scar.

"You did well. No more blood is coming out, so you did your job," he assured her as he patted her head a few times. "We'll take care of the rest."

Li came and laid down a towel, then a small plush mattress for Pin-Mei to lie down on, as she refused to go inside. She wanted to see her son open his eyes.

"The three of us should be enough," HoroHoro said as he, Ren, and Rong placed their hands on the boy's chest. "Okay, remember think like you're pouring life into him." They all took a deep breath. "Go."

The three adults closed their eyes as they began to revival process. Their hands glowed as orbs of furyoku formed in them. All at once, they pushed them into the lifeless boy, causing his chest to heave upwards for a moment, then fall. They tried again. Ren placed his ear to his son's chest. He shook his head.

The children watched their parents force more of their furyoku into the breathless boy before them. Lien was shaking. This was the closest she had ever been to death. She hadn't gone to Grandpa Zhen's funeral as her parents had not allowed her to attend. Now she knew it was because someone like her couldn't handle seeing a lifeless body in front of them. Her parents had each already felt that pain and had attempted to shield her from it.

As tears filled her eyes once more, she took a few steps forward. Xue grabbed her arm.

"Hey, hey, our parents are trying to fix him. You shouldn't-"

"You're such a jerk, Ren!" Lien screamed.

The adults didn't seem to hear her. They were concentrating on their task. Lien clenched her fists tight as she gritted her teeth. She stomped her foot.

"It's always about you!" she screamed again. "You're such an attention bum, you idiot! You always needed to be the freakin' center of attention or else you'd get all upset! Whenever I called you a dummy or an idiot you'd always go crying to Mom and she'd pick you up and hold you and tell you how cute and handsome you were becoming and what a good boy you were! You'd just smile and blush like a freakin' idiot and tell her you loved her!"

She stopped and stared at the ground. She shut her eyes.

"That's what you used to be like...You never cried after that day at school...you changed! I couldn't even call you by your name anymore – you told me not to. You didn't hug me anymore and tell me you love me...You didn't play with me anymore...You didn't even pay much attention to me at school..."

She tried to take another step forward, but was again tugged back by Xue. Lien fell to her knees instead.

"I want my old brother back!" she screamed. "I want that little wuss who would drink milk just to get out of school and needed a night light to go to sleep! I want that stupid showoff who was reading while I was still playing with blocks! I want that clueless idiot who believed me when I said he'd die if he didn't let me give him a cootie shot!

"Even if you aren't the same when you come back...Even if you're still all serious and you won't let me touch you...Even if you start making fun of me and call me names like I used to do to you...I don't want the be the oldest! You're my twin – you have to come back, you idiot! You better! If you don't, I'll hate you forever!"

She lowered her head as the adults continued their efforts to revive her brother. Ren put his ear to his son's chest.

"Once more."

They counted to three and pushed their furyoku into him one last time. Lien looked at her father's face intently. Seeing him close his eyes, she whimpered and took a deep breath.

"I HATE YOU REN!" she screamed.

Almost instantly, there was coughing. She looked up to see her brother's body twitching as it turned on its side. A few drops of blood fell from his mouth and onto the ground as he rolled over and finally sat up. He looked around at the small crowd of people that had gathered, his eyes wide.

"Father? What's going on? Why am I-?"

Ren grabbed his shoulder and lightly slapped him across the face. The boy slowly brought his hand up to his cheek and grasped it.

"Ren! What are you doing?"

Ren ignored her. "That's for disobeying me," he said quietly.

His son looked up at him. "What?"

Ren grabbed him and forced him to look at Pin-Mei, whose eyes were still red and swollen.

"I told you to NEVER upset your mother like you did a few months ago, and then you go try to commit suicide because you think it will fix things? What were you thinking?"

The revived Ren looked back at his father to see a hint of tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Father..."

Ren turned away and shoved his smaller self toward Pin-Mei, who was sitting up and ready to receive her son. She put a towel on his shoulders and embraced him tightly.

"You have no idea how scared I was," she whispered. "I thought I'd never be able to hold you like this again..." She squeezed him tighter. "Please don't ever endanger yourself like that again. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you."

"You'd still have Lien," Ren said flatly.

"Yes...But I wouldn't have you. I'd miss looking at that cute little face of yours."

"Father and I look the same. You could look at his instead of mine."

"But it wouldn't be the same as looking at you. The two of you are more different than you may think."

"You'll be having another baby anyway."

"No two people are the same. The baby would never be able to replace you." She looked up at her daughter. "The same goes for you, Lien. I don't want you to do anything like that ever again. I'd be devastated if I lost either one of you."

Lien went to walk over to her, but her father called her over. She trudged up to him slowly, seemingly expecting a punishment similar to her brother's for allowing herself to fall from the railing. "Yes, Papa?"

He lowered himself to her level and grabbed her shoulders. "I'm going to tell you what I told your brother; Don't EVER do anything like that again. Killing yourself will only hurt those around you. Your mother and I found that out the hard way, and neither of us ever want to experience anything like that ever again. Especially not with our children." He shook her. "Do you understand me?"

She nodded, seemingly frightened. "Yes, Papa."

He sighed and hugged her. "Let's go inside. I'm exhausted just as I'm guessing the rest of us are."

Lien nodded and moved to turn to walk into the house, but Ren silently scooped her up into his arms.

For the first time that she could remember, he carried her to bed.