Just a little over two weeks. Awesome. I was working hard on this, reading parts over and over, skipping lunch at school, the works. So I really hope you all enjoy this :D
There's also a poll asking who your favorite of the "next generation" characters is. I may or may not make decisions based on the results, so if you have a minute, I encourage you to vote.
Am I the only one who thinks I should change the summary? -laughs-
Notes: This chapter, it is mentioned how Rong and HoroHoro can't leave for China anytime they want to because of their jobs. What are these jobs, you say? Well, during Rong's first pregnancy, I figured HoroHoro would have a job as a construction worker, helping build houses and things like that, but almost still just a helper. Rong stayed at home and took care of Xue. Now, after going to college, HoroHoro owns a snowboard store. Go on, laugh. I couldn't think of much else. Rong, with her background as a guard, has an on/off job as a bouncer at a night club. That way, she still gets to beat up people – and get paid for it!
Consider "are" Xue's little sound of confusion.
More violence.
I added a nice little feature about Houraiken and how it's used/who can use it.
I really don't like how we don't know exactly where Tao Castle is. The Guizhou province is pretty big and has a lot of mountains. So when I say "a mountain" just picture one of the many around the castle's area.
Disclaimer: The anime/manga Shaman King 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 Seventy-Five: You Supply the Rumors, I'll Provide the Wrath
Lien slowly walked back to her room. After shooing Níu-Năi away, she had come back to listen to what her parents were saying. What she heard had made her uneasy, but what she saw had horrified her.
Never before had she seen her parents lay their hands on each other in anything less than a loving way. Yet, there they had stood, each with a burning cheek and reddened hand. She had hid as her father left, listening to her mother cry as they both tried to make sense of the situation, albeit separately. Lien stood barely within earshot of her mother's crying, not being able to completely abandon her.
Horrible thoughts flashed in her mind. What if they divorced?
She pictured her mother being forced out into the cold with nowhere to go. Her father would have custody of the children, seeing as how her mother lacked a college degree, and would thus be unable to find a job that gave her the ability to raise them. Her mother…all alone…still crying to her husband about how much she loved him…What would that feel like?...What would she do for the rest of her life?...
…How long would that even be?
Lien fell to her knees, grasping her head, her eyes wide. "No…No…NO! I don't want a broken family! I want us all to be together! Why is this happening? They were so in love! Mama said she was going to ask him if he wanted to go somewhere with her, just so they could be alone like they were before Niisama and I were born! Why…Why did she have to ask Papa to tell her he loves her? WHY DIDN'T HE ANSWER?"
But as her own foolish cries left her lips, the sobs of her mother could be heard. She turned to see the distraught woman walk past her in a daze, mumbling to herself.
"If I hadn't changed…he would have told me he loved me…I know it…I shouldn't have gone against him…That's not my role…I'm the wife…All I have to do is love and support him…I won't go against him again…"
Lien stared at her as she trudged up the stairs and into her bedroom, shutting the door. She glanced at the ground again, only to look back up as a horrible wail came from the room a few moments later.
"Mama…" Her gaze went to the floor once more. "Isn't there anything I can do?" No matter how hard she thought, nothing was coming. "Darn it…How do I stop all this?" She clenched her fists and hid her head again. "I never should have tried to tell Niisama how I feel. If I hadn't…he wouldn't have…and then Papa wouldn't be…Is…Isn't there a way for me to be with Niisama, and have my parents stay together as well? A way so that we can all be happy?"
"Ojouchama? What is Milady doing on the floor?"
Lien looked up to see Huan staring down at her, a nervous smile on her face. She offered her master her hand and pulled her up.
"Is Ojouchama upset about something?"
Lien tossed her head away from her. She wasn't in the mood for this. "Did the red eyes give it away?"
"Ojouchama…This maid just wants to help her lady," the maid said. She quietly put her hands together. "And this maid knows what to do. This humble person can make sure both Ojouchama and Bocchama are happy together."
At this, Lien looked at her. "You…You can?"
Huan smiled and nodded. "There's one way that will make it so not even Master Ren can oppose Ojouchama and Bocchama's union."
Lien frantically grabbed her by her shoulders. "You can? HOW?"
She grinned.
"No one can defy the wishes of a god."
Pin-Mei slowly reached and picked up the phone. After staring at it for a moment, she slowly pressed the memory button, put it to her ear, and waited.
"Hello?"
She paused. "…Hi Horo, can I speak to Rong, please?"
"Um, sure," he replied, a little confused. She usually was all peppy, asking him how he was, forcing him to engage in small talk, and then asking for Rong. Today, she sounded drained, as if she wasn't interested in anyone else's lives.
Pin-Mei leaned against the wall on her side, looking at the floor. She passed the phone from her left hand to her right, her ring catching her eye. Stone-faced, she put the hand out in front of her and studied it. Her eyes were apathetic as the stone glistened along with the platinum wedding band Ren had given her.
"As the pledge of my eternal and undying love..."
The arm snapped back to her side, her hand now in a fist. Is that so?
"Pin-Mei?"
She softened as Rong's voice reached her ear. "…Yes?"
Rong seemed to give a small nervous laugh. "Answer me before the fifth time next time, okay?"
Her head drooped. "Yes…alright…"
Silence. Rong seemed to be waiting for her to start explaining why she had called, but got nothing.
"What's wrong?" She chuckled for real. "Is Ren being an ass or something? Haha."
But when all she heard on the other end was silence, she stopped. Other times when Pin-Mei had called her sounding depressed, she would ask that same question. At this, Pin-Mei would usually fly into an explanation about why Ren had nothing to do with why she was upset, then would go on to tell about something nice he had done for her recently that had set her heart aflutter like a love-sick schoolgirl. By the time she was done, she had usually forgotten what had made her call in the first place, so they would have a normal, friendly conversation, devoid of drama and unhappiness.
But this time, there was no explanation. No stories of subtle sweetness on the part of her husband. Just a lifeless voice. But that wasn't going to tell her what was wrong. Her former master had called her for help, and she would be failing at her duty as a friend if she didn't get to the bottom of the situation so she could offer advice.
"Pin-Mei? What's going on? Is it something with Ren?"
A muffled noise of agreement. Rong blinked.
"An argument?"
Agreement.
"Verbal?"
Agreement.
"...Physical?"
No answer, except for a slight whimper. Rong froze.
"Pin-Mei...Did it get physical?...Did he hit you?"
"...Yes."
She stiffened.
"I...I hit him first...so I guess I asked for it."
She shook her head. "No, that's not right. You don't hit someone because they hit you. You're supposed to be the bigger person and let the violence stop there."
There was silence. Rong could hear more of the woman's whimpers, letting her know that her friend was lost.
"Rong..."
"Yes?"
"H...How many times has Horo hit you? I mean...since you got married..."
"Never."
There was a sharp intake on the other end.
"He hasn't laid a hand on me since I was pregnant with Xue, and he's never done more than the occasional name-calling when we're having those 'intentionally immature' fights."
Pin-Mei slumped to the ground. "Then it's not okay...? What...should I do?"
"Okay, slow down. First things first: what was the argument about?"
There was silence. Pin-Mei didn't know if she should tell her what was going on. There was no way of knowing how she would react.
"Ren…Little Ren, I mean, did something that displeased "my" Ren…I mean…they're both mine, but…"
"I get it."
"Right…well, Ren decided to punish him, and we're disagreeing on how that punishment is being carried out. Then I said something I shouldn't have."
"And that was…"
"I-I got so frustrated that I told him he was like his father."
Rong thought for a moment, biting her thumb. Unfortunately, she was unable to understand the sort of anger a statement of that nature would illicit from the head Tao. She looked behind her at HoroHoro, who was seated on the couch watching television.
"Hold on," she said.
"O…kay…"
She put the phone on the counter and turned to her husband. "Horokeu?"
He didn't turn away from the screen. "Yeah?"
Slightly irritated, Rong took the remote and switched the TV to the Sightseeing Channel, which had shots of mountains and flowers accompanied by classical music – a universal sign that meant, "Give me your attention now or I'll throw the TV out the window". It was only used when there was something serious they needed to talk about.
He turned around this time. "What's going on?"
"Horo, what type of relationship did Ren have with his father?" she asked after a brief pause.
His eyes narrowed and he looked at the ground. "I don't know the whole story," he said finally. "But I know their relationship wasn't the best."
"Do you know why?"
"He didn't treat Ren well when he was a kid, I know that. I guess you could call it 'child abuse'. He beat him up and things like that, ya know? Ren said he forgave him, but I don't really think it's possible to completely forgive someone who took your childhood and made it hell. I mean, come on, say Suo was here, and Pin-Mei said she forgave her after all the shit she pulled – would you honestly believe that she didn't still hold some things against her?"
Rong was silent, then nodded. "That's all I needed to know. Thank you."
"No problem, I'm your local database," he said smugly.
She smiled weakly, then picked up the phone again. "Hi, sorry."
"Where did you go?"
"Bathroom."
"I see."
"Anyway, I understand that saying that Ren's like his father would make him angry, but do you understand that no one, under any normal circumstances, has the right to hit another person?"
"I guess...but I still shouldn't have said it I think I knew it would cause him some amount of pain but I just didn't plan on the anger so it's my own fault I only have one person to blame and that's myself so really I guess I shouldn't even be calling-"
"Woah, HOLD IT!" Rong cried.
At that moment she knew that her friend really was distressed by whatever the situation was. Pin-Mei was known for going into fits of run-on sentences when she got excited, but that was when she was younger. She hadn't done it since becoming a mother at the very least. For her to deteriorate to this sort of state proved that her mind was overloaded with stress.
"Pin-Mei, listen to me: Ren had no right to hit you, and if you just let him get away with it, he might do it again. I don't want that to happen, and I don't think you do either."
"N-No…"
She sighed. "Ren loves you. I know he does, even if he left his brain in another room for that moment. Just apologize for when you hit him, and I think he might find his own way of apologizing to you."
"…What if it continues?"
She froze. "Why are you even thinking about that?"
"Because I just don't know when this whole thing is going to be over; how much longer he and I are going to disagree about it. I just…want to be prepared. I want to know what my options are."
Inside, Rong felt sick. This wasn't the Pin-Mei she knew. She wouldn't be giving up so easily. She'd be asking how to reconcile with her husband so they could move on and put the ordeal behind them. Her fist clenched. She couldn't stop the anger that was steadily rising within her.
"Rong?"
"Do it yourself."
"W-What?"
The fist clenched tighter. "You heard me. I'm not helping a weak person like you give up so easily on a man I had to spend ten years hearing about! Ren this, Ren that – you never stopped! If you love him so much, go apologize to him, and if he really loves you, he'll forgive you!"
"It's not that easy…"
"Oh really? Well sorry then, but I guess my advice isn't worth shit to you right now. Go look up the divorce laws for China yourself if you're so pathetic that you're going to let one argument ruin twenty-three years of happiness between you two! Didn't you hit him first? That means you're just as guilty! He could be plotting to divorce you as we speak – it wouldn't surprise me! Honestly, I'm so disgusted with you right now that I wish you hadn't called! Don't call me again about this unless you actually want some ideas on how to make up with him!"
"Rong wait I-"
"What is it?"
"I…I called because I wanted to ask if you or HoroHoro could come earlier, if even just a day or two…I mean…I think things will get better if you're here…"
"Oh, so I'm a pawn for you to set in order to make your marriage problems go away? After all I've done for you, you just see me as a tool, don't you?"
"No, Rong! I don't! I really-!"
"Save it. Just save it. We'll get there when we get there. Don't call me again until you have this divorce mentality completely wiped from your mind!"
She slammed the phone down, breathing heavily. She braced her hands against the counter in the center of the kitchen as she stared at the floor on the other side.
"Rong…"
She jerked around to see her husband standing there, an almost scared look on his face. Her gaze fell back to the counter, not wanting to look him in the eye.
"Rong, what was all that about?" he asked.
She held her breath, somehow thinking it would calm her down. She finally exhaled.
"Pin-Mei's decided that after one physical argument with her beloved, the only solution is divorce. I bet you anything she hasn't even tried to apologize to him."
HoroHoro scratched his head. "Well, he can be a tough person to approach…"
"Not when you've been married for more than fifteen years. She's so simple-minded sometimes. It just pisses me off!"
He tilted his head. "Was she upset?"
"Well, yeah. I'd be surprised if she wasn't."
"Sorry, but I'm having trouble understanding how you made the situation better by tearing her apart like that." He scratched his head. "I mean, she called you for help, right? Couldn't you have simply told her that it's too early to think about divorce, then tell her how to work things out with Ren?"
She looked up at him. "That was the first time I've ever really yelled at her…" she said listlessly. "Maybe I got angry because I knew that there isn't really anything I can do from over here. I'm still not completely over the fact that I'm not in charge of her well-being anymore."
"Does that mean you're going to bite off Xue's head soon, too?"
Her eyes widened. "What?"
"Within the next few years, Xue's going to be on her own. Are you going to do the same thing to her? Because if you are, we're going to have a major problem."
Rong looked down again. "I don't know why I did it…I just…"
"It's not too late to help her,"
Rong shut her eyes tight. "She probably won't answer the phone."
"Well, then what was it she wanted? Is there anything we can do on our end?"
"I…" She bit her thumb, then her eyes shot open. "Wait, can one of us go there now?"
"Eh?"
"If one of us just suddenly shows up, if we catch them mid-fight or something, we can sit them down and help them work it out!"
He grinned nervously. "Look, I know you want to help Pin-Mei and all, but I can't just drop my job at the last second. There are things that need to be done around the store. Plus, you're on guard duty at that night club, right?"
His wife's shoulders drooped. He was right. "Isn't there anything we can do?"
Before he could reply, the phone rang. Rong stared at it as it rang a second time, then slowly picked it up. "Hello?"
"HI MOMMY!"
She held the phone away from her, glancing at her husband.
"Xue?" he asked.
"Of course. Who else would scream into the phone like she does?" She put the phone to her ear again. "Why hello there, little girl. What are you up to?"
"Xue just got off the plane and is heading home soon!" She had been on a trip to Okinawa with her university's Culture Club.
"That's good to hear." Then it dawned on her. "Xue, when does the next plane for China leave?"
"Are? Um…in an hour or two says the big electronic board."
"Would you mind getting on the plane so you can go Uncle and Auntie's house?"
"Xue could, but why?"
"Auntie just called, and she said she can't wait to see you, she misses you so much! She wants to see you as soon as possible!"
"Really? OKAY XUE WILL GO!" her daughter cried happily.
Rong smiled. That was easy. "Okay, we'll wire you some money, so just get on the plane, okay? We'll be heading over there tomorrow night."
"Okies! Bye! Love you muchly!"
Rong hung up the phone, then leaned back with a sigh. "At least now Pin-Mei can busy herself paying attention to Xue. Knowing her, she brought back things from that trip for EVERYONE, so she'll want to give them out as soon as she gets there. That should break up the tension."
The father smiled. "Yeah. She has a big heart. I think it'll do them some good to have her around."
For a long time after her phone's off-hook signal began to sound, Pin-Mei held it to her ear, her eyes wide in astonishment.
Rong's…never spoken to me like that before. Did just mentioning divorce cause her to act like that? Does it really make her sick? Do I…really disgust her?
"Is Mistress aware that her phone is making that noise?"
Pin-Mei snapped awake and turned to look at Huan. Sheepish, she stood and quickly put the phone back in its cradle. She smiled nervously.
"I was just thinking, so I must have gotten lost in my thoughts and blocked it out. Thank you, Huan."
The maid tilted her head. "There are many things on Mistress's mind?"
The smile completely faded. She turned her head. "Yes, I suppose that would be correct."
"Is it because of the fight the Master and Mistress had recently?"
She froze. "You…You heard us?"
Huan nodded rather sadly. "Yes, Mistress. This person heard everything…and saw the end of it. This lowly servant apologizes for her rudeness. She should not have eavesdropped."
Pin-Mei shook her head. "No, it's fine. We were a little loud, so I shouldn't be surprised that you heard us."
"Does Mistress…think she is at fault for her fight with Master?"
"I know that I hold at least half the blame," she replied slowly.
Huan shook her head. "Mistress should not let what Master said control her. She should make sure Master never treats her that way again."
"What do you mean?"
Huan clasped her hands together, almost in a pleading fashion. "Mistress should leave here and never come back. She should cut all ties to Master so she can be safe and never be hurt again."
Her mistress's eyes widened. "You think separation is the best option?"
The servant nodded earnestly. "Yes, Mistress's servant knows that Mistress is better off without Master's cruelty and infidelity."
Pin-Mei's heart stopped. "I-Infidelity…?"
"Yes, Mistress. Master is unfaithful to his wife. This humble servant regrets that she must be the one alert her Mistress of this, but she cannot stand to see her suffer anymore." Pin-Mei just kept staring, silent as stone. "This one regrets even more that she is the cause of Master's infidelity." Her mistress snapped her head up at her. "During this ordeal, every night that Master is not in his bed with Mistress, he breaks into the room of this lowly maid and uses her for his own needs. This one has tried again and again to escape him, to tell him that he should be with Mistress, the one who truly loves him, but he does not hear. This one has also been told by Ojouchama's guard that she has been a target of Master's lust as well."
Pin-Mei fell to her knees, grabbing her head. No, it wasn't possible. Even if Ren was angry with her, he would never be unfaithful to her…would he? She looked up at Huan, who knelt down in front of her, stretching her arms out in offering. Not knowing what else to do, she fell into her, sobbing uncontrollably into her shoulder.
In reality, I should hate her, shouldn't I? For taking Ren away…but from what she said, she was forced.
She felt the young woman's breasts against her sternum, the realization slowly dawning on her.
My body isn't good enough for him anymore, is it? I'm not young anymore, and it shows. Huan and Sheng…They're only twenty. Their bodies haven't been wrecked by pregnancy and childbirth. They're new, fresh…unlike mine, which is old and used. If given the choice, any man would choose either one of theirs over mine.
"Mistress, please forgive this lowly, pathetic servant for allowing such a thing to happen to her," Huan whispered, tears in her eyes. "Mistress is beautiful. Master should sleep with her instead. This pathetic one doesn't understand why Master cannot see the same."
I don't understand, either. If only I could ask him why…
She sat up and wiped her eyes. "Huan, I thank you for telling me these things. But I can't leave until I've asked him why he chose to do this."
"But Mistress!"
She shook her head. "It's something I have to do."
She stood and began walking up the stairs to the room she and Ren shared. After looking in the mirror and seeing her makeup running down her face, she washed up and put on her facial cream. She examined her face in the mirror, satisfied when she only saw a few wrinkles.
As she opened her side of the closet, she pulled out a set of her nicer robes and put them on. After standing in the middle of the room for a few minutes, she went and sat on the large silk-sheeted bed.
Once I figure out what to say, I'm going to go find him and confront him about this. Rong's right. After all we've been through, I can't give up so easily.
She looked out the window. It was night already. Hours had flown by when she was in that same room crying that morning. It was most likely time for dinner, but she didn't feel like eating. In fact, she felt that the dinner table probably wouldn't have more than two people at it for a long time.
Lien moved a few stones and slipped into the dungeon hall. Quietly, she crept to her brother's prison and pulled a pin from her hair, artfully jiggling it around in the lock until it finally opened. She slowly opened the door, and, not finding her father inside, went in and shut it behind her.
"Mei-Mei?"
Lien looked up to see her brother once again chained to the dragon chair. He was obviously surprised to see her there, considering the precautions their father had taken to make sure only he could get in.
"How did you get here? Why?"
Lien smiled and ran up to him, vaulting the chair and straddling it. "Huan showed me a stone that was loose outside, so I could crawl through a hole to reach here. She was so helpful!"
He tried to smile, but failed. "Why are you here, though? Father will be angry if he sees you!"
"I just came to tell you something," Lien said. She leaned closer to him. "I'm going away."
"What? Where?"
"It's a secret," she replied, putting a finger to her lips. "It was Huan's idea. She said that if I do this, then Father won't be able to torture you anymore! We can be together!"
"Together? What do you mean by that?"
"It has to do with the old legend about Fu Xi and Nu Wa. They were just like us!" Lien cried as she clapped her hands together. "They loved each other, but since they were brother and sister, their love was forbidden. But they went to the top of a mountain and prayed for the blessing of the gods. 'If you will allow us to marry, have mist surround us,' they said. Well, guess what? It did! If we do the same, then I'm sure we'll get the same blessing!"
"Wait, what? I don't understand why we would want that. I mean, you're my sister and-"
He was cut off as Lien threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. His restraints prevented him from moving or pushing her away, so he sat and received it. He didn't close his eyes, nor did he find the ability to return the kiss. For each second it went on, he felt as if a hole in his heart was getting wider and wider. Her face was red as she pulled away. She smiled.
"I promise you, I won't fail!" she declared.
"L-Lien…I…"
"I have to go, but I promise that I'll come back with good news! I absolutely promise!"
She turned and ran from the room. As she passed the weapons that lined the walls of the corridor, she stopped and examined them. After studying them for a few moments, she picked up a smaller one, surprised at how the weight brought her hand down. Still, she considered it the only weapon that she would have any idea how to use.
"Just in case," she said quietly. "I have to make sure I get this done. I can't let anything stop me."
She ran to the basement door, since she wouldn't be able to climb the vents, and used the weapon she chose to dispose of the door knob. Cautiously, she looked around to make sure that no one was watching, then began running toward the main hall. As she neared it, she saw Huan looking at the staircase to the second floor, seemingly in thought.
"Huan!" she called to her. The maid turned around and bowed to her.
"Is Ojouchama ready?"
Lien nodded. "Yeah," she said, attaching the weapon to her side.
Huan frowned. "Ojouchama did not take Houraiken?"
Lien looked at her, slightly confused. "No, of course not. That's Papa's sword, plus he's been carrying it with him lately, so even if I wanted it, I probably wouldn't be able to get it from him."
"This person understands…" Huan said quietly, tightening her fists on her apron. "Anyway, it is time for Ojouchama to leave. Ojouchama must go pray for Heaven's blessing so she and Bocchama may be together."
Lien nodded, and they went to the stables to retrieve a horse. She mounted a black mare and looked down at Huan again. "This will work, right? Father will stop hurting Niisama if I pray hard enough?" she asked as they neared the gates that separated Tao Castle from the rest of the world.
Huan smiled and nodded. "This humble person is sure of it."
"Milady! What are you doing?"
They both looked back to see Sheng bolting toward them. Lien looked slightly frightened, the idea of being found out hadn't crossed her mind.
"Ojouchama, leave!" Huan urged.
Lien looked down at her, then at Sheng.
"Milady! You must stop! Master Ren has forbidden you to leave the estate!"
"I-I'm sorry!" she cried. She turned the horse and galloped off, not looking back.
"Wait!" Sheng cried, but was blocked by Huan. She jumped back as the maid produced a small chained sickle, a wide grin on her face. "What are you doing? How can you disobey Master Ren's orders like this?"
Huan threw her head back and laughed. "His orders mean nothing to me. I only do was Kaasan tells me to."
Sheng looked confused. "What are you talking about? Who's Kaasan?"
"Lien will meet her soon, and don't worry, she'll be taken care of. Kaasan is a very loving person." She laughed again.
Sheng grit her teeth and removed her bladed tonfas from their sheaths and put herself in a ready position. "I don't know what you're doing, or what your motives are, but I won't allow Lady Lien to be put in harm's way."
Huan smirked. "Such bold words, Sheng, but it doesn't change the fact that you're not even half the guard Pin-Mei's was. She never left her side, but I was able to prep Lien for this night without even meeting you once."
The Wei warrior gripped the tonfas' handles. "I WILL protect Lady Lien! Even if I'm not one fourth of the soldier Mistress Pin-Mei's was! AND I'LL START BY STRIKING YOU DOWN!"
She charged at her enemy with a cry. Her adversary swung back and threw the scythe at her. Sheng blocked it with the bladed side of her tonfa and continued charging. Huan smirked.
"Pay attention."
"What?"
She turned slightly as the sickle's trail bent and began returning to its wielder. The blade pierced her chest, and she paused. In one last desperate attempt, the swung her right tonfa out and tried to slash at her foe's chest. The Qiao just continued to smile.
It disappeared as she felt the sharpened steel edge cut into her. Sheng fell to the ground, her eyes blank as her blood started to wash the ground. Huan scowled at her in rage, kicking her victim on her side so she pull her weapon from the her chest. Without it there to block the hole, blood started pouring out of her.
Huan looked down at her in disgust. "Just lay there and die. I still have some business to attend to inside." She walked past her body and back into the castle.
Ren stared after Lien as she dashed through the door, carelessly leaving it open. He squeezed his eyes shut, still able to feel her lips against his. Part of him wondered if she had left lip gloss on him. He tried not to worry about something so trivial, but he licked his lips, just in case. Who knows what his father would do if he saw it. When he finished, he stared at the ground.
What is this all about? Talking about us being together…Getting some sort of blessing…Forbidden love between siblings…
His eyes widened.
No…She doesn't…There's no way…Not with how cold that other me is…It's…Impossible…
He clenched his fists.
Why? Why are you going this far when I never even told you I felt the same?
You're so weak.
What?
If I was in control, I could break these chains and go after her. But no, you're too worried about hurting your precious little wrists. Pansy.
I am NOT a pansy!
Fine, a wimp, then. Either way, I think it's undeniable that I'm the stronger one here. I don't want Lien to get hurt, just as you don't, so put me back in control – now
N-No! You'll never let me out again!
Listen, I'm not about to lose Lien because you're too much of a coward to let me get things done.
D-Don't!
Suddenly, there was a blood-curdling scream. Ren looked at the doorway.
"Mu Qin?"
That's it. I'm not even giving you the option anymore. Consider yourself usurped.
No! Stop it!
He shut his eyes and shook his head, as if trying to fight his other self. Finally, he stilled, then opened his eyes.
"I'm much better off without a weak persona like you."
"What the hell…?"
Ren picked the broken lock up off the ground, studied it, then clenched his fist around it.
"Who the hell did this?" He stiffened, then scowled. "…Pin-Mei…"
He stomped down the stairs, and sure enough, there she was, slowly making her way to their son's prison. He grit his teeth and he started walking toward her.
"PIN-MEI!"
She froze and slowly turned, fear apparent in her eyes. She cowered as he came to stand in front of her.
"Ren, I…"
"What the hell is this about?" he asked sharply. He held up the broken lock. "The doorknob is busted as well." Silence. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
Her eyes misted. "Ren…Please…I…I don't want to fight right now. Please, just talk to me…"
"DID YOU DO THIS?"
"Y-Yes! Yes I did!" she cried, covering her head with her arms. Then she lowered them and looked at the ground. "Please, hit me if you feel I deserve it."
"What?"
She shifted her eyes at him. "You were right to hit me before…I was being unruly. I don't know what got into me. I'm sorry, Ren, please forgive me."
Ren was taken aback at the sudden change of heart. He had expected another battle, but she was acting so meek and timid that he couldn't possibly yell at her any further. He looked away from her. "It's fine." He saw her moving out of the corner of his eye and looked at her again. His eyes widened
"Ren, please, make love to me," she said as she slipped a shoulder out of her robe.
He just stared at her, unsure of what was going on. "You want to have sex here? In the dungeon?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't tame my desire any longer," she said with sultry eyes. She moved him against the wall, causing him to almost trip over a large tub of water, and wrapped her arms around him. "I want another child, Ren. That will bring us together, won't it?" She unfastened a few knots of his black shirt and kissed his toned chest.
"I said…no more kids…" he breathed.
"Then just stay close to me…Don't let me leave your side…I love you, Darling. I'll do anything for you." She leaned up and kissed him deeply. "My beloved…"
Giving himself over to the situation, he pulled the other shoulder of her robe down and reached around to pull her hair tie out. His hand trailed down her side to unravel the sash of her robe as he kissed her neck.
He was stopped by a sudden deep pain in his stomach. He looked down to see a handsaw embedded in his midsection, blood already beginning to pour from it. His wife looked up at him, smiling.
"I love you, Darling," she said in a sweet voice, then drove the saw deeper into him, successfully pinning him to the wall.
Blood spilled from his mouth as he coughed, his vision blurring. Desperately, he took Houraiken from his belt, extended it, and swung at her. She dodged, then grabbed his hand and forced the sword into him. He couldn't hold in a yell of pain as his breathing staggered. He looked up at her.
"Pin-Mei...Wh…Why…?"
She smiled at him evilly and stroked his face.
"Because," she said. "Kaasan wills it."
Okay, I'm going. I've done all I can to prepare. I'll just go, apologize, and hope that he and I can work things out.
She left the master bedroom and made her way downstairs.
A peace offering would be a good idea.
She stopped in the kitchen to grab a bottle of milk from the refrigerator, then continued on her way. As she passed the basement, she noticed the door was open, something unusual seeing as Ren was careful not to let anyone in.
Maybe he's down there…
She picked up her skirt as she descended into the dungeon. "Ren?" she called. Wait, maybe I shouldn't announce myself like that. I'll just look around.
A sinking feeling filled her. She touched her heart as she stared at the ground. "Everything will be alright. We love each other too much to give up. We've been through too much. Even if he wants a divorce, I'll do everything I can to change his mind...and still try to stay by his side," she whispered.
She resumed her mission, looking around as she went. A wall was off in the distance, facing her with only one small door near it. She squinted her eyes.
Is that some sort of decoration?
The sinking feeling got worse. She got closer to the wall, her eyes widening. Her pace quickened, and soon she was running, tripping and stumbling on her skirt along the way. She stopped short, dropping the bottle as her eyes widened. It hit the stone floor, shattering and sending glass and milk everywhere. Her movements disjointed, she slowly brought her hands to her face and grabbed the sides of it as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.
Ren was pinned against the wall with both Houraiken and a handsaw impaling his stomach. Blood was falling down the front of him, as well as trailing down the wall. He wasn't moving. He wasn't crying out in pain. He was motionless.
Finally, she found enough breath let out one horrific scream. More soon followed, containing unintelligible words as she staggered and finally fell to her knees. It wouldn't have mattered if someone had been there to try to quell her cries. There was no doubt in her mind that he was dead, and she knew that there was no way to bring him back. She finally managed to pull herself up and clutched his body, the hilts of the blades inside him jabbing into her as she tried to embrace him.
"No…No…NO!" she screamed, her voice strained and hoarse. "This can't be real...This isn't happening...WHY? WHY DID IT END LIKE THIS?"
She looked up at his face. His eyes were open, but faded. Blood was still trailing from his mouth. His body was hunched over slightly, his arms dangling at his sides. Pin-Mei touched his face, hoping that he would close his eyes and lean into her as he would sometimes do. His eyes merely twitched.
This wasn't good enough. She needed to hear his voice. She needed him to move. She didn't even care at that point if he slapped her again. Just any sign that he was alive would do.
She continued howling and screaming. She didn't know if it actually was too late to do anything, but her mind couldn't wrap itself around that option.
"I LOVE YOU!" she screamed as she held him once more. "I wish the last time I touched you wasn't to hurt you! I'm so sorry, Ren! I'M SO SORRY! PLEASE, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, FORGIVE ME! FORGIVE SOMEONE AS STUPID AS I AM FOR LETTING MYSELF DO THAT!"
Her mind clouded and empty, she leaned up and tried to kiss him. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. She finally pulled away, burying her face in his chest.
"Why…" she continued to whisper. "Why…He never even knew how sorry I was…"
Her fingers suddenly dug into his back as her whole body tensed. She looked up over the still-warm shoulder, her eyes dark and burning with hatred.
"I'll find out who did this to you, and when I do, I'll kill them. No matter how much they beg me to stop, I won't. I'll give them the most painful and traumatic death possible. Their eyes will be just as open as yours are. I promise you, Ren. I'll kill them in the most inhumane way possible."
"That would be fun to watch."
Pin-Mei snapped her head around to stare at a mirror image of herself. Her eyes widened and she left her husband's body to step closer to the figure before her.
"What are you?" she whispered.
Her other self smirked. "Can't you tell just by looking? There aren't too many other things I could be except you."
Pin-Mei clenched her hands into fists. "Did…Did you…"
"If that's what you're asking, yes, that's my handiwork."
Her eyes widened for a moment, then she glared at her darkly. "You admit it?"
"I would be most upset if someone else tried to take all the credit, that is to say, after all the work and effort I put into my plan"
"WHY DID YOU DO IT?"
The clone laughed. "Because," she said. She turned to dust, revealing Huan behind her. The girl smirked.
"It's what Kaasan wants."
Pin-Mei stared at her in disbelief. "H-Huan? YOU did this?"
"Yes, I did. I'm quite happy with the results. Now that affair he's having will be over, right?" She laughed. "And yet, the damage may already be done..." she taunted as she placed her hand on her stomach.
As the cackling echoed through her ears, Pin-Mei looked back at the bloodied body of her husband. She looked at the ground in front of her, her head down, then took her robe off, leaving only an under dress with leggings.
"Oh, what's this? Is my Mistress going to have some revenge?"
She held her left hand, kissing her wedding ring. Ren…
Another fit of laughter. Pin-Mei glared at her darkly, her black eyes possessing both sadness and anger, and almost a sense of evil as well.
"You lying bitch..." she whispered. "I don't know how I believed you in the first place. Ren would never betray me like that, even if he was angry with me. I believe in him, and I trust him. He'd never do anything like that to me. The only thing I believe is..."
She took a sword from the nearby rack and charged at the maid.
"...you're jealous that he would never want a body as black and corrupt as yours!"
Not even attempting to dodge, Huan accepted the slash that landed across her chest, adding to the one left by Sheng. Again and again, she took all the blows Pin-Mei gave her, not complaining about the pain or worrying about her blood spilling onto the floor.
"Why don't you fight back?" her Mistress asked in a sharp voice.
"Because, I don't need to live. I've done what Kaasan wanted me to do. I'm no longer needed. Cut me to death. It means nothing to me."
Pin-Mei dropped her sword on the floor. She stomped over to her victim and grabbed her by the throat. Throwing her to the ground, she pressed her thumbs into her throat, strangling her.
"YOU KILLED MY HUSBAND!" she screamed. "THE ONLY PERSON I COULD EVER LOVE! NOT ONLY THAT, BUT YOU MADE SURE HE SUFFERED! I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE TO SELL MY SOUL TO DO IT, BUT I WILL KILL YOU AND MAKE SURE YOUR SUFFERING IS TEN TIMES AS WORSE AS HIS!"
Her victim's face was starting to turn slightly blue. She reluctantly let go.
"No…Not good enough," she whispered. She looked to the doors of the various torture chambers that lined the hall. "What should I do to you? Rip out your fingernails one by one? Twist your limbs around in a perfect circle until your body snaps? Behead you with 1000 cuts?"
Huan just continued smiling. "Mistress is too kind. She wants me to be comfortable when I die," she cackled.
Pin-Mei grabbed her by the throat, lifted her, then slammed her head on the ground again. The girl only continued to laugh. Frustrated, she looked around and saw a large tub of water on the far side of the room. Gripping Huan by the hair, she dragged her over to it.
"Huan, I seem to remember you once saying how much you feared drowning." She pulled her up to look her straight in the eye. "I wonder if that still holds true."
Huan's eyes had widened. She was actually afraid this time. Pin-Mei smirked. Without any hesitation, she grabbed the servant's hair again and forcefully dunked her head underwater.
The girl struggled, but Pin-Mei held her there, her eyes emotionless. The bubbles began disappearing, her arms flailing less. Finally, the body was still.
Pin-Mei let go of the head and watched it float of a moment. "I'd electrify you if I could," she murmured. She was about to stand up when her foot touched the sword she had used. She silently stared at it, then at Huan.
"And yet, the damage may already be done..."
Pin-Mei grabbed the corpse's head and threw her onto her back. Grabbing the sword, she held it over the stomach.
Should I check to make sure she was lying? Does it even matter now? If there was a baby, it wouldn't survive with Huan dead like this. But still, this would tell me the truth once and for all...
She raised the blade and and brought it down – straight into the demon's chest. After staring down at it, she sighed.
I don't need to confirm anything, because she was lying in the first place. The person I married isn't so shallow that he would only love someone because of their body.
She looked up at Ren, and her eyes suddenly became softer. She ran to him, clutching him again.
"Ren..." she whispered. "I killed her. I killed the girl who did this to you. Y-You were right…If I had just kicked her out when you said to…"
There was a gurgling sound. She stepped back. Ren's mouth seemed to be trying to move, but dried blood had crusted his lips and more only continued to pour out. She stared at him, unable to believe the possibility that he was still alive.
"Ren?"
She could hardly hear her own voice as she stiffly walked up to him again and grasped his hand.
"Are you there? Can you hear me?" Saying such things…it made her feel as if she was walking around searching for him when he was right there in front of her. "Are you…alive?"
Nothing. She stared at the ground, clutching his right hand in both of hers. Her tears fell and ran off his knuckles as she brought it close to her face.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered again. "I'm so so sorry, Ren. I wish I could have at least told you how much I love you before now…I wish I had told you what I came down here to say."
Maybe it's not too late. Even if he's gone, maybe he can still hear me.
She looked up at him and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for what happened this morning," she began. "I…It was wrong of me to let our children see that side of us. You were right…It's not okay to let them witness something like that." She laughed weakly. "Now I realize why you led me out of the room. To spare them. You…You really wer-…You are a wonderful father." She stiffened, thinking of the boy locked up in that same basement. "Even though I disagree with how you're treating Ren, I should have found some other way to let you know. I…I shouldn't have hit you…The person you married would have never even thought of such a thing.
"But I'll ask you one last time: Please find it in your heart to spare him of any more pain. Have mercy on him. I…I'm still not convinced that he did it, but if he did, then please, let's find a different way to deal with this. I…I want my son back."
She sighed, looking down and stroking his hand.
"Even if we fight, even if you hit me again, I'll still love you. Ehehe…Some people would probably tell me to get out if you did that a lot, that it's an abusive relationship, but I'd stay regardless. I'd take it. I love you that much. E…Even if you did…that with Huan or Sheng, I'd still want to stay by your side…even if I became a mere concubine. It's so stupid to want that, I know. It's like in movies and television – the girl is too stupid to leave. Honestly, I can't help it. I can't break that stereotype. Not after all we've been through together…and how much you mean to me."
She intertwined their fingers as best she could and held them against her chest.
"I love you so much!" she cried. "I love you with all my heart and soul! With every fiber of my being! Everything I am! I'm incomplete without you! I won't let us fall apart this easily! I love you! I'd do anything for you! I'd switch places with you if I could! I'd-!"
She nearly choked on her own breath. Her eyes drifted to their hands. She could feel a slight pressure being exerted on hers, clutching it. But it suddenly released, the hand becoming limp again. Her eyes widened, and she looked up at him.
"R-Ren?" She stepped closer to look at his face, then gasped.
A single tear was making its way down his right cheek, but she hadn't been close enough for it to be her own. There was only one possible explanation. She loosened her grip on his hand slightly.
It's the most clichéd thing ever, but…
"Ren…If you're alive…if you can hear me, squeeze my hand again."
She smiled when he responded and squeezed her again, happy tears falling down her own cheeks. She nuzzled it for a moment, then started to gently release it.
"I'm sorry…I've been wasting all this time. I…I thought you were dead!" She wiped her tears away, then gripped Houraiken's hilt. "Don't worry, I'll save you. I won't let you die! I promise!"
But when she pulled it out, she found that the sword had sheathed itself. She stared at it for a moment, perplexed, then threw it behind her and pulled the saw from her husband's torso. With nothing to hold it up, his body started falling to the ground, but was pulled up before he could hit the floor.
Pin-Mei looked up to see her son supporting his father, his wrists still in chains, albeit broken. "Houraiken sheaths itself when held by someone without Tao blood. Unfortunately, Mu Qin, you're included in that."
She blinked at him. "Ren…? How did you get out?"
He didn't look at her. "Hearing you scream made me remember who I was. Chains are powerless against me…" He mumbled something. ...especially when you're involved.
"What?"
"Nothing." He looked at his father. "What's going on?"
"I don't have time to explain," she said quickly. "Put on him on the ground. If we waste any more time, it may be too late."
Ren silently laid him flat on the ground and his mother quickly covered his wounds with her hands. "This isn't like last time, Ren," she said. "I've been working on my healing this time, I'll be able to do it for a lot longer, so I know I can do this!" She closed her eyes as she concentrated.
He watched for a moment, then fidgeted a little. "Is there anything I can do?"
Pin-Mei opened her eyes, her gaze not leaving her patient's body. "Ren…I know your father's been cruel to you this past week, but I do have something to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"Please go to the medical wing and get me some blood, type AB. As you can probably tell, he's lost a massive amount of his. Even if I heal his wounds, if we don't get some blood into him fast, it may not matter."
Ren looked at his father's body again, then stood up. "I'll be right back." He started running off.
"Ren,"
He stopped and looked back at her. She was smiling.
"Thank you. You're a wonderful son."
He slowly turned and ran down the hall again, not saying a word. Pin-Mei's smile faded as she turned back to her husband.
"See that, Ren? Your son still loves you very much, despite all that's happened. We're very fortunate to have him. I don't want to argue, but…this is one of the reasons why I can't possibly believe that he did it. It's the same reason why I find it hard to believe that you would want anyone's body other than mine." She shook her head quickly, her face a little red. "I mean, it's just…You never seemed displeased with me."
She was silent for a minute or two, then breathed. "Ren, I…I have a favor to ask. It's an incredibly selfish one, but I'm hoping you won't feel less of me for it." She drooped her head and removed one of her hands from the wound and weakly held one of his. "Will you…tell me I'm beautiful? I just…with all of this, I need to know that you still feel that way about me. That…I'm good enough in your eyes." She patted the hand and placed hers back on the partially healed stomach.
A few moments later, Ren came rushing down the hall with a stand and a bag of blood. He quickly put the stand on the ground, steadying it, then attached the bag to the intravenous line. After tying a tourniquet to his father's arm, he surveyed it.
"Do you know how to do it?" she asked him.
He nodded. "I read it in a book once. Plus, none of the nurses were anywhere to be found. It took me such a long time because I had to find everything myself." His eyes focused on the arm. "Okay, right here." He stuck the needle into the largest vein he could see, then quickly placed a compress bandage over it.
Pin-Mei sighed. "I feel so much better about this now." She glanced at her son, who was staring at the victim intently. "Ren…I've noticed that you…well, you're…"
"That I'm not a coward anymore?"
"Well…yes, but I was looking for a more polite word, like timid."
"Either way, I told you; I thought you were in trouble, so I found the strength to break then chains and come to your aid." He looked at Huan's corpse. "But it would seem as though you didn't need it."
His mother looked at the ground. "It's awful of me, but I feel no remorse for what I did to her, just as I know she showed none for what she did to Ren."
He smirked. "But now at least I don't have to listen to her talk. That was the most annoying speech pattern I've ever come across."
She laughed weakly. Then took her hands off her lover's body. "Okay, the wound's closed."
"Now, we wait," Ren said, trying to make himself comfortable.
Silence.
"…S…Someone…please…"
After they had propped Ren up against the wall in a sitting position, they glanced in the direction of the voice.
"It's…Milady…she's…"
"That sounds like Sheng," Pin-Mei whispered.
Her son darted down the hall and came back carrying the wounded soldier in his arms. Pin-Mei gasped as he laid her on the ground. She was gasping for breath. Her bracers and the armored flap of her halter top were opened, exposing the number of vials missing from them. It was obvious that she had tried her best to numb the pain until she could alert someone of what had transpired outside.
"Sheng! What happened?"
She slowly turned her head to look at her
"Mistress…Huan…she's…"
Pin-Mei nodded. "I know. She's been…taken care of. What happened? Was she the one who did this to you?"
Sheng nodded. "But…there's more to it…than that…Lady Lien…is gone…"
"What?" Ren said, folding his arms. "Explain yourself."
"Yes, Sheng, please. Do you know why she left or where she was going?"
"No…I don't…All I know is she's going to someone…named 'Kaasan'. She headed…toward the woods…"
Pin-Mei leaned closer earnestly. "Is that all? You don't know why?"
"No…forgive me…"
Ren bit his thumb. Where could she have possibly…?
"Huan said that if I go to a mountain and pray hard enough, we can get Heaven's blessing!"
He froze. "There's no way..."
"Ren? Do you know where she is?"
He nodded. "I think so."
"I-Is she safe?"
"I have no way of knowing that, unfortunately, which is why I'm going to find her." He removed a Kwan Dao from the rack and swung it, then began walking down the hall.
"W-Wait! I'll go with you!" Pin-Mei cried standing up.
"No. Stay here. You need to heal Sheng, as well as tell Father in on what's going on when he wakes up. I'll go on ahead. Tell him to go to the top of the tallest mountain."
"Alright, but why?"
"Because Lien is so foolish that, when she's desperate, she'll believe any fairytale she's told. Huan knew that and took advantage of it. Now we have to pick up the pieces and catch up to her before it's too late." He looked back at her. "Mother, I'll bring her back, I promise."
She nodded. "Alright, Ren. I'm counting on you."
He nodded back at her and sprinted to the stables. It was raining, and he could hear thunder rumbling in the clouds. He saddled his horse and began riding up the mountain. What scared him was that he had no idea how much of a head start his sister had, and there was no telling if she had even chosen the particular mountain he was heading for. His hands gripped the reins tightly as he urged his steed to go faster, despite the treacherous mud that covered their path.
Dammit, Lien! You better not have gotten yourself killed over this!
"Okay, girl, woah," Lien said as she tugged the reins, bringing her horse to a stop. She positioned her under a tree to shelter her from the rain, and tied the bridle to a branch. She patted her and attached a feeding bucket to her bridle before leaving. "I'll be back soon, okay?"
Lien stared at the flat peak she had arrived at. No trees or rocks were in its center, allowing her to decide just where she wanted to situate herself.
"There might as well be a neon sign that says 'PRAY HERE' with an arrow pointing down," she mumbled to herself.
She cautiously walked to the center of the clearing and looked at the ground.
I really hope this works…
But before she could even bring her hands together, a hand slapped her shoulder.
"Hey! Lien! You really did come!"
Her eyes widened as she looked back to see Tadashi standing behind her, a big smile on his face. He was wet, just as she was, but he didn't seem to mind.
"Tadashi? What are you doing here? How did you know I was coming?"
He smiled more. "Well, I told Kaasan about the person you love and she said she could help! So she went and told Huan about that old legend, and lo and behold, you came! Now you can be happy!"
She stared at him. "You…You knew…about…"
His smile weakened a little. "Yeah, I did. I could tell. But like I said, your happiness is most important to me. That's why I'm helping you. I just want the person I love most to be happy."
She looked away from him. "Thank you…"
He grabbed her hand. "Come on! Come meet Kaasan!"
"Um, o-okay!"
He guided her to a large umbrella and pulled her under it. "Kaasan, this is Lien, the one I told you about."
Lien bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Meihou." She looks familiar...almost like I've seen her in one of Mama's photo albums before...
A tall woman with dark gray hair, only a tone brighter than black, and elegant robes gave her a plastic smile. "Nice to meet you as well." Then she reached into her sleeve and pulled out a fan, then opened it and started waving it in an attempt to cool herself off. "It so humid up here."
She looked over the fan at her guest, then closed it as she leaned forward to look at her face more clearly. Lien blinked, slightly intimidated by the vibe she was receiving from the woman. Finally, Mrs. Meihou smiled at her before standing upright and resuming fanning herself.
Lien swallowed. "Is there something wrong?"
The woman cackled as she leaned over to whisper in her ear.
"You look just like your father."