I have been going back through the entire story and trying to fix all those nasty typos, as well as get rid of gratuitous swearing and fix some wordings (Pin-Mei's eyes are no longer "full of starts" during her dance with Ren at their wedding). I've changed much of this since it was first posted, but I hope that's only made it all the more enjoyable.
By the way, new Shaman King stuff is coming in March 2012. Neato. What could be better than that? Oneshots coming in November. That's happening too.
There's also a new poll out of sheer curiosity since I've been PMed about this a couple times. How would you have felt if Ren and Lien had become a legit couple? I know everyone's views are different, but this is for my own amusement. Vote if you get the chance/feel like it.
One more thing to think about: Following Takei's lead with these Remix Tracks, if I were to have another fic that was a collection of scenes that weren't included in this fic, would you read it? Examples would be when Ren leaves Pin-Mei to tame the Spirit of Thunder, his early interactions with the twins as babies, similar scenes with HoroHoro and Rong, Tadashi and Xue on a date…or anything else you might be wondering about. I don't want to make it seem as though I'm a. milking this fic beyond capacity, and b. acting pompous by even considering doing such a thing. I'll probably do these anyway just for my own enjoyment (I'm still having fun!), but whether or not I post them is up to you. If even two people want it, it'll be posted.
Oh, there's a chapter here too? Well, let's get to that, then!
Notes: This chapter begins about one to two hours before the final scene of the previous chapter. Hopefully I won't confuse too many of you.
Refresher - JieJie means "Older sister."
I'm playing up Pin-Mei's deficiency in Japanese. You can assume any other time that she either understood enough of it to respond in Chinese, someone relayed the conversation to her if it was important enough, or they just spoke Chinese entirely. HoroHoro on the other hand is basically fluent in Chinese now. Thumbs up to the Wei family for making sure their girls are multilingual.
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 Ninety-Seven: Jiāzú ài (Familial Love)
"I see…" Pin-Mei said softly.
She, Chun, and Li had been riding through the mountain for the last hour and a half trying to locate the battle that she assumed had taken a turn for the worst. True, sensing furyoku wasn't her most developed skill, but the distinct absence of the familiar, comforting feeling that she had grown so used to had put her on edge. It had returned minimally within the last twenty minutes, but it was only as strong as a chill, a draft.
But one moment of happiness had been found in the form of Níu-Năi, who had suddenly appeared out of the brush. She had cried happily and embraced him tightly, thanking the gods for protecting him, before her little boy dropped a bombshell on her. It had been one she half suspected, but had tried to ignore. Now that it was out in the open she couldn't deny it anymore.
"Yes…Ren told me his concerns about a month before you were born," she continued. "Da-Xia had told him you had vanished around the time of conception but…and Ren tried to ease the idea into me in case it was true but I…I just didn't want to believe it…" She slowly covered her mouth.
Yi looked up at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't ask for this to happen."
Her head picked up suddenly, her hand falling. "I-I'm not sad, just…surprised…" She smiled nervously. "I'm just a bit self-conscious now is all…"
He smiled weakly. "Remember, I only realized it a few months ago myself, and I've only surfaced a few times since then. It's not like you're babying me. I'm your son the rest of the time – unaware that I'm a reincarnation, only knowing myself as Tao Níu-Năi. After tonight…" The smile faded. He stared at the ground.
Pin-Mei saw his eyes and panicked. "What? What about tonight? Tell me!"
He looked up at her. "There's a decent chance that Da-Xia and I will have to die again tonight."
Her face became ashen. She fell to her knees. "Why…? Why are you talking like it's definite? How could that possibly help things?"
"It's not definite. I just want you to be ready in case it does happen." He looked to Da-Xia. They both nodded. He turned back to his mother with a smile. "Okay, we'll be off now!"
"What…?" her voice squeaked out. Níu-Năi ran and hugged her. She looked down at him, bewildered. "W-Where are you going?"
"Neechan needs some help, so we're going to rush over and give it to her!"
Chun bowed. "Thank you for bringing me, Mrs. Tao. Bye!"
"Bye, Mom!" He turned, but she tugged him.
"No, you're staying here!" she cried. "Your father will take care of things, so you just stay here with me!" She pulled him back to her and clutched him. "Just stay…"
He struggled against her, his face red. "M-Mom! Come on! You're embarrassing me!"
She clung to him, crying. "I don't care! I'm not letting you go!"
But as he continued to flail, he finally became more than she could handle. He broke free, starting to run from her. She gasped so hard that she almost choked.
"C-Come back!" she cried hoarsely. "I'll…I'll tell your father about how you're disobeying me! You know he won't like that!"
"He'll understand, Mom!" her son called back.
Pin-Mei quickly stood and ran after the two children. "Níu-Năi! Níu-Na-!" She fell into the mud, helpless watching them vanish into the forest.
Li ran past her. "I will retrieve them, Mistress."
"No…Stop...Let them go, Li."
She froze, then turned. "Are you sure, My Lady?"
Tears streaming down her face, Pin-Mei writhed in the mud, clenching it. "There's nothing you or I can do to stop them." She sobbed for a few moments before trying to get a hold of herself. "Yi…he was trying to give me the opportunity to say goodbye. I should have cherished it….instead of my last memory of him being how he wanted to get away from me." She crumbled, her body shaking.
Li watched her with placid eyes. "Mistress…"
"Mom?"
Pin-Mei quickly looked up. Níu-Năi was looking down at her, a look of discomfort on his face. She sat up and tried to brush the mud off her clothes.
She stared at him, her eyes still tearful. "You came back…"
He nodded. "Well yeah…I mean…" He fidgeted, looking away from her.
She breathed deeply, then tilted her head, trying to act as she normally would. "What is it, sweetheart?"
He finally made eye contact, a blush covering his face. "You didn't give me a goodbye kiss."
She looked slightly astonished, then tried to smile. "I'm sorry. Would you like one now?" He nodded sheepishly. "Well then, come here, you!"
She hugged him tightly, then gave him a quick peck. Biting her lip, she stared into his eyes.
"Be careful, okay? I want you home for dinner. It's been a long time since we all ate together." She was still trying to keep a calm façade – she knew it was nowhere near dinnertime.
He smiled and nodded. "I'll be careful." He gave a small saluting gesture. "Tao's honor!"
Pin-Mei laughed and wiped her eyes. She spread her arms again. "One more for the road?" He nodded and she held him close one last time. With one last squeeze, she let go.
"I'm going, Mom."
"Alright. Goodbye," she whispered. She turned him and gave him a light tap on the backside. "Go have fun."
"I plan on it!" He looked over his shoulder at her and smiled, then ran to catch up with Chun, waving back at her. "See you later!"
She waved back. "I love you!"
"Love you too!"
He disappeared into the fog.
Pin-Mei tried to smile as she lowered her hand. She stared into the darkness her son had willingly run into. Li came up next to her.
"My Lady."
Pin-Mei nodded. "Yes, let's go. That's all we can do for now. "
Back on their horses, Li tried her best to feel for a familiar furyoku signature. It was no use. Most were too weak to latch onto but more than enough to muddle and obscure the ones that she actually needed to make out. After another ten minutes, she spied a staggering figure.
Pin-Mei squinted. "Who is that?" The woman clung to a tree as she tried to walk. "Let's stop. I can't imagine she isn't involved somehow."
Li silently halted her horse, then jogged up to spot her master as she dismounted hers.
She nodded. "Thank you." Her guard gave a bow of the head and Pin-Mei turned to the wounded female before her. She cautiously stepped toward her. "Miss? Are you alright? What happened?"
The woman stiffened. She looked up. "You're…" She practically fell forward, meaning to grab her arm. Li got between them and held up her chakram with stern eyes.
"I discourage you from making any sudden movements until we can establish your loyalty," she warned.
The female studied her, then nodded, her eyes low. "I understand…however, I doubt that I have a way to prove myself."
Li stepped to the side, still covering Pin-Mei. "Then I suggest you be on your way."
Their eyes met again. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't…I just can't die…If I die, that group can't come back…" She looked past her at Pin-Mei. "Please…Just so I'll live. I don't need to be fully healed."
Pin-Mei was torn. Someone before her was mortally wounded. Normally she would immediately run over and heal her, not about to turn away from someone in need. Now she was forced to hesitate; healing this person could prove to be a fatal mistake if it just so happened that she was on the wrong side.
She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I can't."
The woman looked at the ground. "Please understand."
"I ask the same of you," Li said as she slowly reattached her chakram to her belt. "We are not in a position where we can just trust anyone who comes along without any personal ties. We can't afford betrayal at the moment." She looked back at Pin-Mei with a nod. "My Lady, we mustn't waste any more time here." She carefully turned her and guided her back to her horse. Pin-Mei reluctantly obeyed.
"Mrs. Tao, please wait!"
She stopped. "That voice…" She whirled around. "Tadashi?"
Sure enough, there was a faint outline of the young man's spirit standing next to the victim. He touched her arms as if trying to support her, but knew that with his intangible state it was impossible for him to do so.
"Kaasan, it's okay. I'll make sure you get help," he said softly. He looked up at Pin-Mei. "Please heal her! She's not your enemy!"
But she was staring at him in disbelief. "Tadashi…you're…"
"Forget me! Just heal my mother!" he yelled. He squeezed his eyes shut. "All of this is my fault, so I'm in no place to ask for any favors…" He looked her in the eye. "But Kaasan is innocent! It's because of her that Ren and the Usuis will be revived! But if she dies, so do they! They need to feed off of her life force in order to truly live. She's offering her life in place of theirs, so don't punish her!"
Aika looked at him with tired eyes. "Yuntaku…"
He smiled at her. "We'll be together soon anyway, right? But you have something you want to accomplish first, so I'll make sure that happens." He turned back to Pin-Mei who was still staring at them. "Ren and Lien said you loved your husband more than anything. If that's true, then you'll heal her. Without her, he'll die, and you'll never be able to bring him back."
At this, Pin-Mei's eyes widened. "Ren is…?-!" Without wasting another moment, she ran over and lowered the Ryukyuan to the ground. She saw that the mother's hand was pressed against her stomach, and she prudently removed it. Her blouse was drenched with blood which was coming from the stab wound Hao had inflicted on her. "This is horrible…"
As she placed her hand over the impalement Li came to sit behind Aika to keep her from falling over. They all sat in silence for a few moments as the process began.
"Tao Pin-Mei, yes?" Aika whispered.
"Yes, that's right," the healer replied, her face placid as she concentrated on her task.
"I can only assume that you plan on joining your family in the battle up ahead, so there are some things you should know."
She waited for her to make some noise of acknowledgement, but finally continued when nothing came.
"Your son…Ren…he's been possessed by Hao." She could feel her muscles tense, but she said nothing. "When you go there, you mustn't under any circumstances hold back. Your husband did and he paid dearly for it."
Pin-Mei's eyes were now wide and quivering. She'd already had to deal with almost losing Ren once that night. The thought of losing him again, this time for good, was unbearable. Part of her wanted to leave the woman and rush to him, making sure he was alive before coming back to tend to her, but she knew that wasn't the most benevolent option. She tried to change the subject briefly. She looked to Tadashi.
"So what happened to you? You look different from the last time I saw you. And…how did you die?"
He looked mildly surprised at her concern, then smiled. "I've been dead all along. I forgot about how I died, and that Hao resurrected me for his own purposes. I forgot everything until Suo made me remember." He bowed his head. "You were right to be upset at me for having her picture." He reached into his blazer and took out the small, thin case. He opened it. "See? Now that I'm free the picture is of who it's supposed to be."
His mother turned her head to see her high school portrait staring back at her. She looked up at him. "You had this?"
He nodded with another smile. "I found it in Dad's things when I was cleaning. He had thrown some others away, but I also found a picture of you holding a baby in the hospital…with my name on the back of it. I could only assume it was you."
She looked at the ground sadly. "He changed it, just as I knew he would. I had spent so long thinking of a good name, too." She looked up at him. "W-Would you mind if I called you by the name I gave you? I know I have a couple times already, but I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable…"
"Of course you can. I don't mind having two names." He let out a small chuckle.
For the first time, she smiled. "Thank you."
He poked her. "Just as long as you make that face more often. It suits you better."
She paused, then smiled again. "Alright."
Pin-Mei watched them, thinking of how Ren had begun to open his heart to her all those years ago.
"Don't cry so much. You're much prettier when you smile."
All she wanted was to go to his side, to make sure he was okay. If he's hurt again, I'm not sure I'll be able to handle it…Twice in one night is far too much…
Aika suddenly grabbed her wrist and lifted it off of her. "Thank you, that's all I need." Their eyes met again. She still looked tired and pale, as if the healing had barely been enough.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded. "It's more important that you reach your daughter and husband right now. They need you in their own ways." She pointed in the way which she had come. "That way. About one kilometer. Ignore the battle and tend to your husband first."
Pin-Mei digested her words. Ignore the battle? Would that even be possible?
"I know you're confused, but just do as I say. Ignore Lien and make sure the two legendary warriors are healed. Then you can worry about her."
Pin-Mei bit her lip. "Will I even have enough furyoku for this?"
Li hesitated, then opened her vest. "My Lady, I will give you this." She held up a small vial of cloudy liquid. "Once you feel your furyoku is almost gone, you can have a sip of this. It will boost it temporarily, but it could be very damaging once it wears off."
Pin-Mei studied her. "How long does it last?"
"Unfortunately it varies by the user."
She nodded. "Alright. I'll accept that. Come, Li." She turned and walked back to her horse. As she trotted past Aika and Tadashi, she paused. "…Thank you for the information."
Aika nodded.
"Thank you, Mrs. Tao," Tadashi said, still beaming.
She smiled weakly. "Of course. Ren himself would scold me if I didn't help you out."
"So I guess I'll scold you if you don't help him out," he said with a small laugh. "Go on! If you get there too late, then everyone's in deep trouble!"
Pin-Mei nodded. "Right. I'll be going now." She raced off into the darkness, Li following close behind.
She could feel her hands shake as she gripped the reigns. What Aika had said had her more on edge than ever. Ren…I know you'll be okay. You're far too strong to be outdone by the likes of Suo, and I know you can hold your own against Hao. Even if you do end up needing me, I'm coming. I'll be there soon. I won't let you down!
"My Lady, we should dismount to avoid making unnecessary noise."
She quickly looked up to see that something was off in the distance. A small gasp escaped her as she halted her horse, then leapt from in. She stumbled, her landing shaky and making her fall to the ground. Before Li could pull her up, she frantically stood, brushing her away. The sinking feeling from earlier that evening had returned. She began a slow trek over to what she saw. As it came into focus, she paused, then sprinted toward it. Li matched her pace, anticipating what was about to happen.
Pin-Mei stopped short and looked down. Just as she feared, Ren lay before her. He showed no signs of movement, no signs of breathing.
Li heard a sharp intake of breath from her mistress, and immediately grabbed her around the waist with her left arm, then used her right to cover her mouth. Muffled screams came from her as her body flailed, unable to accept that once again, for the second time in less than six hours, her husband was laying half-dead in front of her.
If I don't calm her down, there's no doubt that we'll be discovered. Li released her waist to reach into her vest for a burdock vial. Pin-Mei fell to her knees, causing Li to nearly land on top of her as she tried to keep her mouth covered. She hit a pressure point to momentarily silence her, then reached around and tipped the liquid into her mouth. Pin-Mei's eyes shot open and she spit it back out, the foreign taste being too much for her to handle.
Her hands hit the ground and she hung her head, shutting her eyes tight as she coughed. This is too much…I don't want to go through this again…Ren…How did you end up like this? Tears fell from her eyes as she continued to mourn. Her crying had quieted, so Li allowed her to sob without restraining her. Still, she was inconsolable.
"Please don't leave me…I need you…I love you…"
She felt a finger collapse onto her lips. Her eyes slowly opened, then widened.
Ren was looking up at her with heavy eyes, his breathing impeded. "Your furyoku is pouring out of you…I should have done a better job of…making sure you could adequately suppress it. It's a miracle…that Hao and Suo…haven't noticed you yet."
She just stared down at him, new tears brimming in her eyes then slowly falling down her cheeks. Her shoulders shook as she sat back on her legs.
"Calm down."
She nodded, trying to obey him, but she fisted her tunic, overcome with relief over him being alive. Still, it was doing nothing to stop her emotions and furyoku from going haywire. He tilted his head up, then grabbed the front of her outfit and roughly pulled her down.
Their lips crashed together. Pin-Mei blinked a couple times, a small blush on her face. Her eyes finally closed, her mind realizing that he was still with her, that there was no need to cry anymore. When he let go of her, she sat up, the tears gone from her eyes.
"Calmed down now?" Ren asked her in a curt voice. She nodded dumbly and he smirked. "Good. Now put that furyoku to good use and heal me. We don't have time for this."
His eyes shifted to look behind him, and she followed. Voices could be heard from a few meters away, obscured by the trees.
"I, Tao Lien, as acting head of the Tao family, will annihilate you."
Her eyes widened. "Lien…"
Their eyes met. "We both know that Lien can't hold him for long. We've got to hurry. Heal me."
She nodded and gently turned him onto his back. Her eyes went sad when the fatal wound on his chest came into view. She quickly covered as much of it with her hands as she could. They began to glow with a faint light.
Ren and Pin-Mei's eyes met once more. "I thought something bad had happened," she whispered. "I'm just sorry that I was right."
His eyes shifted away from her. "It's my own fault. I held back…"
"Because it's Ren, right?" Shocked, he looked to her again. She smiled nervously. "I was told before I got here. Even knowing that, I'm not sure if I can fight against him." Her head lowered.
He slowly lifted his right hand to cover hers. "It's fine. I'll take care of this. Just make sure you heal HoroHoro as well. I need that idiot."
She let out a small laugh. "Alright I will."
Footsteps came as Li passed her. Pin-Mei watched as she walked over to a discolored body and lightly touched it. After a few moments she made a fist with her right hand and crossed the arm against her chest, bowing her head. She stood and looked around. Her eyes rested on a pale yet burned body next to HoroHoro. She now went to this one, her stride much brisker.
"JieJie…" she whispered as she knelt down. She ran her hand through Rong's hair, her eyes and mouth twitching as if they were unsure of how to react.
"Rong…" Pin-Mei whispered. She looked to Ren again. "Is everyone…?" His stoic nod made her wish she hadn't asked. J-Just concentrate on healing him…
Li grabbed her opposite wrist as it began to shake. She stared at it. No…No emotion…No emotion for anyone other than the one I live to protect…
"JieJie, why don't you ever cry?"
"Because I have no need to. As long as Lady Pin-Mei is alive, I have no reason to be sad."
"…I don't understand."
Rong put her hands on Li's shoulders. "As hard as it sounds, you can't cry, no matter what happens. Since beginning my duties as Lady Pin-Mei's guard, I've had to bury my feelings. A guard cannot feel anything aside from happiness for her mistress."
"So...Are you happy, JieJie?"
Rong stopped, then smiled. "Lady Pin-Mei is happy. So long as that is true, I too shall be happy."
No emotion. Not for an outsider… She froze.
"But what if I died, JieJie? Would you show emotion then?"
Rong gave a serene smile and hugged her. "I would cry rivers if I lost my dear sister."
The tears began flowing down her cheeks. As she realized it, she frantically began wiping them away. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry I tossed you aside like Father did, even after all you did for me. You trained me so I was able to take over for you. I'm sorry that I'm shaming my post and showing emotion for someone other than Lady Pin-Mei. I'm sorry, JieJie."
She reached into her vest and took out a vial. She poured the contents on her hands and rubbed them together, then ran them over her sister's skin.
"Forgive me. This is the only thing I can do for you."
Pin-Mei had been watching, but now tried to distract herself. "How do you feel? Has most of the pain gone away?"
Ren nodded, though he was clearly a bit tired.
She gave a small smile. "I'm glad."
After a few more minutes he stopped her. "I'll be fine like this. Get to healing HoroHoro."
She nodded and gave his hand one last squeeze before she stiffly went to kneel by Li and laid her hands on the Ainu's chest. Pin-Mei couldn't decide if she wanted to look over at Rong, if she could handle her appearance. She soon decided that she at least owed her old friend and guardian that much.
But as she looked over, she saw that Li was blocking her view. "Li, why are you…"
"I would rather my mistress not see. She does not need to be upset even more tonight."
Pin-Mei's eyes trailed to the ground, knowing that if Li was shielding her that Rong must look worse than she thought. She kept her eyes on HoroHoro, who wasn't exactly a beautiful sight, either. The burns on his skin were slowly healing, but he had yet to awaken. She looked over her shoulder to see Ren sitting up, stretching his arms and getting his muscles ready for the battle ahead. She cringed at the audible cracking, yet couldn't help but smile at the knowledge that he was alright. He glanced at her and she quickly turned back to her task, not wanting to be scolded again.
"I saw that."
She made a small nervous noise and looked at him again. He was suddenly right behind her, causing her to jump.
"How long do you think he'll be?"
She turned back to the Ainu. "It's going to take longer than it did with you. The burns all over his skin are taking a while to heal, and I can't simply bypass healing them to work on his vitals instead." Her head drooped. "I'm sorry."
He gently put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. This wouldn't even be possible without you here, so anything you can do is fine." He stood again. "I'm going to keep an eye on Lien. As much as I hate to wait, we can't move until he's up."
Pin-Mei nodded once more, and he left to stand some feet away where he could keep an eye on both girls. She closed her eyes. Please hold out, Lien. I don't want to lose anyone else tonight!
She jolted back to reality as she felt one of her hands being moved. Slowly, her right hand was inching toward Li, who was also watching it with a stoic face.
Pin-Mei looked to HoroHoro, whose eyes were half-open and eyeing his wife desperately. He looked up at her.
"Can you do two at once?" he whispered.
She looked at him blankly, unable to decipher what he was saying. Li leaned over and whispered the sentence to her in Chinese. After thinking it over, she nodded slowly. "I can try."
He gave a small smile and looked to the guard. "Li...Please..."
She stared at it before looking to her mistress. "If I may, My Lady."
Pin-Mei nodded, and she took the hand and rested it on Rong's face. Instantly, Pin-Mei felt weaker, and a deep pain erupted in her chest. She had never tried this before; there was no telling how long she could hold out. Part of her knew she should only concentrate on HoroHoro, but all the same she couldn't find it in her to lift her hand from her friend's face.
"L-Li, the vial."
Her guard nodded and produced the elixir. "Just to warn My Mistress due to her rejection of my previous medicine, this is extremely bitter. All of it must be swallowed or the effectiveness will suffer dramatically."
"That's fine. Just give it to me. I need to hurry."
Li pulled the cap off and poured the liquid into her mouth. Squeezing her eyes shut in disgust, she reluctantly swallowed it.
"That was…horrible…"
Li bowed. "We consider it the price we pay for its benefits."
Pin-Mei realized that her pain and fatigue had gone away. Of course, the replenished furyoku made it possible for her to continue, but her healing was much more effective when she was comfortable.
She sighed. I wish Ren would come back so I can heal him some more…He didn't look well enough for my tastes.
HoroHoro seemed to be trying to gaze around her. "Where'd that guy go?"
Her eyes lowered. "He's watching over Lien."
He looked confused. "What? Just watching over her? Wait, did she wake up?"
After Li had translated for her, Pin-Mei sat back, blinking. "She was asleep?"
It was clear that they weren't even in the same chapter, never mind the same page. He gave up. Moments later he tensed. "Wait, where's Seta?"
Li looked away. Pin-Mei tried not to look at the boy's body a few feet away, but failed. He saw her gaze and followed it to his son. His eyes widened.
"Seta…SETA!" He tried to jump up, but Li stomped on his chest, forcing him back down again.
"I ask that my honorable jiě fū remain on the ground as my mistress has not yet finished healing him. That would suit him best." She moved her foot. They stared at each other before she turned. "I am going to ask Master Ren if he requires anything of me. I will return." She walked away.
HoroHoro stared up at the sky in confusion. "What the hell did she just call me?" Pin-Mei simply smiled down at him.
"She called you her brother-in-law…It looks like she's finally accepting us."
He turned his head to see Rong's eyes open slightly. "Rong…You're okay…"
She tried to muster a smirk. "I told you he couldn't get me so easily. Stupid bastard." They shared a smile before he sat up.
"I'm okay now, Pin-Mei," he said quietly, his gaze once again resting on his son's body.
She saw the hurt in his eyes. "Do not worry. I promise he will be good," she said in shaky Japanese.
"She'll heal him, Horokeu. You go on," Rong said softly.
He nodded. "Alright." He got up and went over to the head Tao, who was still gazing at his daughter. "Looks like she's better," he said coming up behind him.
Ren glanced back at him, a look of relief in his eyes, then turned back to Lien. "It would seem so. However, she's not going to win this. Hao is tearing her apart mentally." He tensed, his eyes widening. "What the hell?"
Lien had ripped her pants to reveal the emblem she had somehow carved into herself. Being a practiced artist, it was easy to see how she could have accurately replicated it without a stencil, but the fact that it was there at all brought a wave of mixed emotions to her father.
"Why would she do that to herself?" he asked himself quietly. "How did she even manage to do it?" He had once made it clear that he lamented his son having to bear the symbol of hatred and pain that had disappeared from his own back so long ago. She had seemed to understand why he hated it so much, so he couldn't understand why she would willingly do something that she knew he would be against. He clenched the fists of his folded arms, gritting his teeth.
"Someone's in trouble~!" HoroHoro sang.
Ren glared at him and he cringed. Satisfied, he turned back to the fight. "I don't care if I have to fly her all the way to Beijing Xiehei Hospital, I'm getting that hell marking off her."
HoroHoro slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Well, first we've got to get rid of those hell markings over there…or something witty like that."
Ren smirked. "You're right."
They heard Suo's cry and looked over to see Da-Xia, in Chun's body, climbing over Suo's shoulder and trying to reach into her robe. His eyes narrowed in confusion.
"Chun? What's she doing here?" He then looked and saw his son. "Níu-Năi!" But when he saw the serious look in his eyes, he knew that his son wasn't actually there. "Yi…So I was right." He looked back to the little girl as he heard Suo scream once more.
HoroHoro stood next to him, dumbfounded. "Hey, Ren, aren't those…"
Ren looked more closely at what she had in her little hands. They were tags. As they were crumpled up and seemingly disposed of, his eyes widened. "Those were the binds that prevented the Spirit of Thunder and the Spirit of Rain from appearing!" He grinned. "Once we know the tags are completely destroyed, we'll summon the spirits, and then we can end this quickly."
His smile faded as he watched his son's friend fall against him and get up again, only to be pierced by a fiery dagger. He took a step forward, then looked back at Pin-Mei, wondering if he should alert her so she could heal the child. When he heard paper ripping, he looked to Yi to see that he had successfully ripped up the tags, rendering them useless.
"Alright, let's go."
He froze as he heard the nauseating sound of pierced flesh. Slowly, he looked to see the small boy's body skewered by Hao's oversoul.
His eyes widened in horror. As Hao then turned to his daughter – the only child he had left – Ren hastily stepped forward. "I can't let him get her, too. I refuse to!"
HoroHoro hesitated, then grabbed him and reluctantly held him back. His friend turned to him angrily. "Let go of me! I have to save her! I'm not about to sit here and allow her to die!"
HoroHoro struggled with him. "I know how you feel, Ren, but if we just rush in there without our spirits, we'll be dead, too."
"I'll figure out what I'm going to do once I get out there! I just need to get Lien-!"
"Come on, then. Show me what that fool taught you."
Ren stopped. Lien was trying to stand firmly on her own two legs, trying to shake off the painful slump she had found herself in. His struggling ceased as his eyes fixed on her.
Her breathing was staggered, as if she were already tired. Indeed, he could feel how low her furyoku level was. She couldn't last much longer. Still, if Yi had taught her something, perhaps it was worth waiting to see what she would come up with.
A deep breath.
"Sp—"
Ren's eyes widened. "He…told her how to summon the Spirit of Thunder?" he whispered in disbelief. "How did he even know how to?" He fell silent, feeling for her furyoku once more. "It's impossible. She could never summon it in her state."
HoroHoro had been trying to think of a plan during this time. "Okay, so after she fails, we'll rush in and do it for real and—"
"She won't fail."
He blinked. "What? Didn't you just say she couldn't summon it?"
Ren remained silent, his bangs covering his eyes. He had been listening to her desperate speeches for the past few minutes, those pep talks to give herself courage. He had heard her demean herself, cut herself down for not being a prodigy like her brother.
"I know that compared to my twin, I'm a failure in terms of fighting and shamanism…"
All she wanted was to do something right. Something that she felt her father would honestly care about. She loved her music and her acting – but she felt that those things mattered very little to him, someone she imagined nodding off during a musical or opera. For her to win his respect, she believed that she would have to succeed in more "masculine" activities like her brothers.
"That fool…She honestly thinks I'd allow any of my children to be failures. I would be on her back day and night if that were true. How dare she think such foolish things about herself."
HoroHoro looked back at him. "Huh? What are you mumbling about?" He watched Ren pass him. "Wait, where are you going?"
"To give my daughter the confidence she deserves."
He stepped forward. His arm rose in near synchronization with Lien's.
"SPIRIT OF THUNDER! I SUMMON YOU!"
He breathed deeply as the sky opened up. Lightning was sparking across the sky, bolts heading for the ground and landing between the two Taos. Ren allowed his arm to fall as he stepped forward, passing in between the spirit's legs. Lien's stance looked shaky, as if she were about to crumble at any moment. He got ready to hit a pressure point that would put her into a restful sleep, but was stopped as her voice came in a soft whisper.
"Papa…"
He softened, but chose not to respond. He wanted her to think she had managed this feat on her own.
"Papa…Can you see me? Are you proud of me…? Am I a daughter you're proud to call yours? Am I…"
With that, her body finally failed her - her arm still raised, she began falling to the side. Her father quickly stepped in, simply catching her with his right arm and holding her around her midsection. He gave a kind smile as he patted her head.
"I am proud of you, Lien. So very, very proud," he whispered. He looked up, his eyes meeting Hao's. A pompous smirk appeared on his face. "Let's just keep this our little secret."
He snapped his fingers. Hao's eyes widened as he looked down at Houraiken. The sword was fighting against his grip, eager to return to its true master. He tried with all his might to keep it in his hands, but it ultimately flew from them and into Ren's left hand. He swung it, then pointed it at his enemies.
"Now, where were we?"