Ren prised open his eyes the next morning and sat up. The first thing he notice was the bright light streaming in through the window. The next thing was his pounding headache from lack of sleep - his thoughts of Kacia and arguments against loving her had been swimming around his head all night. Why couldn't she leave him alone? Life had never been easy for Ren, but such a pathetic thing as love interfering with him was just…just…ridiculous.

And what was love anyway? Ren had only ever loved Jun and she was his sister. What is strange feeling love? Ren closed his eyes again and tried to go back to sleep, but now he was awake he was going to stay awake. Finally giving up he got up and had a shower. In the shower he want into deep thought again. Kacia was a very strange person. A shaman with too much power…Ren had never heard of such a thing…he had this strange urge to help her…

---

"Another 10 press ups!" Anna shouted at Yoh. Yoh had already leant that it would be better not to argue.

"And you Horo Horo! Another 10 press ups." Jessica ordered. This had been going on for a few hours now. At first Jessica and Anna's training programmes had been different, but then at the same time they ordered the boys to do 50 press ups. After that Anna had told Yoh to do another 10. Jessica, knowing that Anna had only done this to make Yoh's training harder, had told Horo Horo to do another 10.

Ryu walked outside to see his two friends on the ground, red in the face and sweaty. He managed to slip away without being seen so he could go on his own training programme. Ren too managed to get away from the two girls, to go back to his own house to train there by himself for a few hours. He was also especially pleased with himself, as he had also managed to convincingly dodge Kacia, who he was still unsure of his feelings of.

Kacia decided to go outside and watch the boys train while talking to Anna and Jessica. It was very awkward between them. Neither girl would so much as look at the other. Kacia, not wanting to get involved, left them to find Pirika.

"Another 10!" Anna yelled.

"And you too!" Jessica cried. Horo Horo and Yoh collapsed at the same time. "Hmmm," Jessica said thoughtfully. "Maybe you have done enough for one day."

"Good!" Horo Horo said taking his shirt off. "I feel like I'm dying! So how was that Jessica?…….Jess?" Jessica had not answered. She was staring at Horo Horo with the tiniest smile across her lips. "Jess?" He asked again. Jessica snapped out of her trance.

"Oh" she said blushing. "You are fit. I mean you are fitter. No I mean…you have done well today." Horo Horo smiled, not sure whether he should make something out of this muddled complement. Jessica had always seemed so tough, just like Anna. Seeing her embarrassed was quite alienating for Horo Horo. He remembered the times when Anna had shown her sensitive side thought that maybe, he really shouldn't be surprised.

---

Ren slipped back into the house, again, unseen. He was embarrassed at what he had been reduced to, but he didn't care. He just wanted to avoid Kacia until she was gone and he would never have to deal with her again. He bumped into Jessica, who he thought would yell some order at him but to his surprise she did not. She mumbled an apology and went upstairs. She had worn a vacant smile on her face. Ren shrugged. Who knew how girls' minds worked anyway?

Jessica had been carrying a towel. She was busy tidying up. She was about to walk into the bathroom when Anna appeared around the corner.

"Enjoy training toady? It is a shame that your boy will never meet Yoh's standards." she sneered.

"You poor delusional child." Jessica sighed.

"You are the one who is deluded." Anna retorted.

"Anna, just go away, I do not have time for you." Jessica opened the door and was about to walk inside when an alarming sight stopped her. Horo Horo was getting out of the bath that Yoh had outside. He stared at Jessica, eyes wide, expression mortified. Jessica was paralysed to the spot. "Oh." she said quietly and disappeared behind the door again. To her relief, Anna was no longer out there.

---

That dinner time was one of the most awkward times Ryu could remember. Anna and Yoh were sitting next to each other. Yoh wasn't talking much and couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with Horo Horo, who was sitting next to his sister. He too couldn't look at Yoh. Neither of them were enjoying their training as they were friends and didn't like having to compete against each other.

Anna was glaring at Pirika and Pirika was glaring at anna, though neither of them spoke. Jessica was not in the room. Ryu hadn't seen what had happened between Horo Horo and Jessica, but he could guess quite accurately. Though it appeared he was the only other person that knew about this, as Pirika, Anna, Kacia and Ren were all too busy worring about their own problems.

Kacia was bright and cheerful and couldn't understand what was going on. She made very forced conversation with everyone else. During this Ren did very little. He stared at his plate, though it was empty. Ryu noticed that the more Kacia spoke, the more Ren seemed to sink lower and lower, until his forehead was almost toughing the table.

Ryu got up and walked away from this scene. The awkwardness was making him cringe. He took one last look at Horo Horo, Yoh and Ren and a thought crossed his minbd that had never done so before. Maybe it is best that I do not have a Shaman Queen…

He walked out side and noticed a pretty girl walking down the road. The thought disappeared from his mind instantly.

(A/N) Thanks for reading. Please review. Will update when I can.