(A/N) I have had two reviews, one veeeeery long about Mary Sues. Before I ask this question I would like to make this known, I am ginger NOT blonde! my apologies if I have offended anyone - I meant that in jest One of the reviews gave me a loooong description of what a Mary Sue is, but I still am not really sure on this. Simplify this for me….have I done something wrong and is a Mary Sue bad? Please let me know! But now, back to the story!

It had been raining a lot recently. But this didn't seem to bother Ren in the slightest. He would sit outside in the rain for hours at a time, but only once it had grown dark. If anyone asked what he was doing, he would simply reply "Thinking." Everyone could guess what, or rather, who he was thinking about. At first everyone thought he was thinking about Kacia, for she had been on his mind for so long. But they could tell from the sour look on his face and darkness in his eyes that it was Hao he was thinking about.

"He is probably thinking of unusual and exotic ways of hurting him." Horo Horo said. He meant this as a joke, but realised soon after that he was probably correct.

"Do you think we should get him inside?" Yoh asked. "I think he will die if he stays out there for much longer."

"I do not think we should disturb him." Anna said. No one questioned her.

"I know what he is going through." Jessica sighed. Jessica, though she had started talking and was certainly smiling a lot more, was still not quite back to her usual self. Pirika would often find herself giving Horo Horo an extra work out since Jessica would often go into deep thought and would forget about Horo Horo's training.

"I must be strange" Horo Horo said. "I mean, none us ever thought that Kacia…would.. His voice trailed away not knowing how to say what was necessary.

"It is." Jessica admited. "But I think things will get better."

"Only because they can not get any worse." Ren's cold voice replied. He made them jump. They had not noticed him enter the room. His hair was dripping wet and was plastered to his forehead.

"I didn't hear you come in." Jessica breathed.

"Only because you were not listening." Ren ywned. He looked at the clock. It was late and he did not know when his next Shaman fight was. "I am going to bed." He said yawning again.

"Night." Yoh called.

---

Ren didn't often find himself unable to wake in the morning. But that next morning he just could not be bothered to get up. He was just about to roll over and try top go back to sleep again, when Anna poured a glass of water over his head with shouts of, "Get up and help Yoh with breakfast."

He staggered downstairs and pumped into Horo Horo. "Good morning sunshine!" He teased.

"Shhh." Ren said lazily.

"What' up with you?"

"Bed." Ren said simply. Ren walked into the kitchen without a backward glance. Horo Horo turned to see Ryu who had been watching then in astonishment and made a face at HoroHoro.

---

Ren's attitude had not changed all day and everyone began to get worried. This was not like Ren. "This is strange. Ren is more active than everyone else here." Anna said.

"You don't suppose this is…well… Hao has done to slow Ren down or something." Ryu suggested. "I will go and look for evidence in Ren's room." He got up and left. After a few minuted he returned. "There is nothing there. Only Ren who is asleep."

"I think you are right Ryu." Anna said getting up herself. "Hao would do something like this. But I can not think of how he could do it."

"We might not know how, but if there was a way, Hao would know it." Yoh said darkly.

"Right, I am going to go and research this." Anna said. Jessica followed her wanting to help. They had only been gone a few seconds, when everyone heard an almighty explosion from the front of the house. They all ran to see what had happened. Hao was standing there with Kacia. He was smiling maliciously.

"What are you doing here?" Yoh shouted at him. Hao did not answer. Ren stumbled out of the house. He had evidently been awoken.

"Ren." Hao greeted. "How nice to see you." Ren blinked at him, still looking half asleep.

"What are you doing here?" Yoh repeated. Hao was still smiling."

"I have come for Ren." He answered.

"What do you want with him?" Yoh shouted.

"I knew he would be seeking revenge, and so I have dulled his consciousness so the fight between us would be quick and easy."

"You have dulled his what?" Horo Horo asked.

"He has made him sleepy." Anna explained, standing in the door way. Ren still didn't say anything.

"Ren is not fighting you like this." Yoh snarled.

"He has to unless he agrees to join me. What do you think Ren? You would be back with Kacia." Hao said. Ren remained silent. "If you do not join me, I will fight you and…well…that would be the end of you."

Hao gazed at Ren and a sort of golden dust flew straight into Ren's face. Ren shook his head, but the golden dust made him feel even sleepier. He was finding it harder to keep his eyes open. What was even worse, is he was finding it harder to breathe.

"Stop him!" Anna yelled. Yoh looked at her. "Too much of that stuff, and Ren wont…he wont wake up." Ren leant against the wall of the house. He wasn't really sure what was going on. He knew Hao was out with him, but that was about it. He also knew that everyone was yelling, but he couldn't really hear what they were saying. It was like his body was refusing t function.

"I will not be long now." Hao said, "Until Ren is gone."

(A/N) Thanks for reading. Please Rate. Will up date soon.