Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King.

A/N: You must have finished the manga before continuing. May contain spoilers. You've been warned =p

Chapter 6

Tokyo Desert Island—After the Ren team's fight…

"That's because you don't care about anything!" The three shouted at Yoh.

"Really?" He answered indifferently.

*KONG*KONG*KONG*

"And they're out for the count everybody." Manta stated as if addressing an audience, pointing to the members of team the Ren plopped down on the floor with bumps on their heads.

"You're all so noisy in here. And why are you not eating the food I cooked for you?!" Rue shouted holding a food bowl on her hand.

She released an exasperated sigh, and sat down across Ryu – who was eating his food in the speed of light. She boasts to Anna and they start their bickering. The three share thoughts, "You're the one making noise now."

"Ahh. Everybody's here." A voice from the door said.

The BOz brothers came to thank everyone. They started to tell their story on how they got recruited by Hao, and then left. They will now continue their dream as The Monks.

Everybody was still staring at their retreating forms when Rue spoke, "Hmm, I wonder."

"What?" Manta asked.

"I was imagining Hao as an infant. Not good, I'm imagining a cute child." Rue actually blushed.

"Where are you getting these weird ideas?"

Yoh and the others have a different conversation going on, when Ryu checked out the next battle. All their heads snapped to look at Ryu as his hair style collapsed.

It was X-1's turn to fight – one of the team formed by X-Laws members. Apparently, Lyserg should be in this team.

With Yoh's encouragement, they hurried to the field to support Lyserg. Rue stayed behind to clean up. Ren wanted to stay, too, but was kicked out when he refused to help Rue with the cleaning.

"I'm not interested in that fight, anyway." he reasoned. Horohoro and Chocolove pulled him to the arena.

Lyserg was halfway in his match when Rue arrived.

"Lyserg seems to have changed." She noted. He seemed to have a good heart when I first saw him. I don't think it's something you could have changed over a few weeks. Not without help, that is.

She kept quiet while the match progresses, being patient, as Yoh said. He still has a good heart. She thought when Morphin did not continue her attack on Anatel. However, she was more interested in Lyserg's so-called comrades. Who are you really, X-laws?

When Jeanne was revealed, Rue could not tear her eyes off the little girl inside the metal coffin. Blood?! How could she live there? This is the leader of the X-Laws? Various questions kept swimming in her head.

But, Yoh noticed she was topless, which made Rue's head whip to Yoh's direction. Anna immediately smacked her hand to his face, followed by Rue kicking his head until it was down on the ledge of the stadium.

"Ahrrm Shoorry" (I'm sorry) Yoh apologized while his face was still glued on the ledge.

While the Maiden was talking, Rue can't help but agree with the things she said. "The world is full of darkness. Humans being cruel to humans; to their own kind. But what about the things that Lyserg said? To kill for his justice. How does it all fit?"

They looked at Rue, but no one had the answer.

In the blink of an eye, Anatel was already trapped in a human-shaped cage. The girl started to say something, but Rue only understood one word: Death. She knew it was the end for the long-nosed man. She immediately closed her eyes just as the audience gasped in horror and silence filled the arena.

Watching Jeanne fight was terrible for Rue. She was really sensitive with watching people killing each other. She unconsciously clenched her hands as she tried to look somewhere else. She felt pain in her chest – whether she imagined it, she was not sure – as she heard the gasps of the audience and the screams of the Niles team members.

The little girl, who claimed to be the leader of the X-Laws, started saying something with her sing-song voice, but she couldn't understand a word; her mind refused to process what she was saying anymore.

She saw Tamao collapse with Anna helping her. Manta, finally not able to stand it, passed out.

"It's his first time seeing someone getting killed." Horohoro explained.

The thought of killing people and calling it justice is truly maddening. Rue turned around when she couldn't handle it anymore. She noticed she was gritting her teeth.

"I don't like her. I don't like them – those X-laws fools." She started, which caught everybody's attention. "Yoh, I'm sorry, but I don't agree. I think Lyserg just made the biggest mistake of his life." With that, she walked away.

From her voice, she seemed to be holding out her tears.

"Rue…"

"Let her be alone for now. She really hates seeing people getting killed." Yoh told Horohoro.

Same day: Team The Ren after the clash with IceMen at King's Corn

"Do you think Yoh and the others will be okay in their match?" Horohoro asked.

"Of course, Yoh will be the shaman king." Rue answered as she was healing Chocolove's bruises.

"Tsk. You still say that nonsense." Ren commented.

"Whatever, just eat." She said waving him off.

"You look like you're in a bad mood." Ren pushed, still not eating.

"Who wouldn't after seeing that last match?"

"But I never thought Lyserg could give that expression." said Horohoro.

"That Lyserg guy looked scary. I really thought he would have killed that flying man." Chocolove added.

"At least he didn't, right? Yoh said he's still our friend, right?" Horohoro looked at the others hoping they agree.

"But that doesn't mean Lyserg is right in choosing those people." It was Rue who answered, looking at Horohoro.

"You hated them from one match." Ren pointed out.

"Who wouldn't?"

"I feel sorry for Ryu." Horohoro said, more to himself.

"Yeah – he was affected the most." Chocolove added.

"Come to think of it, when we came to visit you in America, you and Lyserg looked like you were getting along well." Horohoro said looking at Rue.

"Yeah – but this Lyserg was different, don't you agree?"

"I always wanted to know how you came to be familiarized with his homeland." Ren inquired.

"Oh, I never told you, didn't I?"

"What? What is it?" Chocolove kept asking, not following the conversation anymore.

"Lyserg came from London, England. That's in Europe. I knew a little about the place from reading books about it. But I've only been there once; perhaps, a little over 5 months ago."

"That's not long ago." Ren commented.

"Yup! I want to come back, too. Anyway, the reason I was there, and the reason I had to leave at once, was because of Hao."

"What?!" all three shouted in chorus.

"You've known him since long ago?" Horohoro further asked.

"Well, not exactly. Let me finish, idiot!"

"Sorry."

"Yoh may have told you my state when we came to China, right?"

"What? No."

"Shh! Stop interrupting Chocolove." Horohoro whispered.

"Okay. Moving on. I said I went to America to live with my grandmother and study. While that's partly true, I still maintained contact with the Asakura's elders. We have been made aware of a mysterious shaman going around the world who others claimed to be recruiting. Death, to those who will refuse."

"What did it have to do with you?" Ren asked.

"Ah, yes, it was only weeks after my grandmother's death, when they asked me to go to London. That was where the last news came from. They want me to investigate on this mysterious shaman."

"Hao."

"Apparently so. When I got there, he was already waiting for me, as if he was sure I'd come. It was surprising since I wasn't planned to be the one going. It was more of a last minute decision. So then, he told me his name was Hao. He said I should not meddle in things anymore."

"What does that mean?" It was Horohoro's turn to ask.

"I'm not sure exactly, I thought he meant me following him. Maybe he thought I was intercepting his recruitment."

Everybody waited for her to continue.

"Well, don't get me wrong, I did sense a strong power from him, so I decided to escape." She chucked lightly, "but I was too powerless. I haven't even ran a few steps, and he already got me writhing on the ground."

Someone gulped loudly. Tension was beginning to build up as Rue relayed her story.

"What he told me afterwards was the greatest puzzle at that time. He said, 'I'll make sure you won't be of any more use to Yoh.' How could he have known Yoh and my ties with him?"

"Wait, he already knew Yoh?" Horohoro shouted, shocked.

"He did know every one of us when we met him." Ren reasoned. He put his fist to his chin, trying to figure something out.

"Maybe it was because of the last round of the shaman preliminaries between you and Yoh." He said to Ren. Even I have seen it. Chocolove thought.

"No, it couldn't be that. I met Hao even before the shaman fight started. Yeah, apparently whatever he did to me, it made my furyoku weaker. Whenever I use up my furyoku, unlike the usual, it doesn't regenerate as fast."

"That's why you fainted in China!"

"Good conclusion, Horohoro." She said flatly.

"But why concern yourselves over him?" Ren asked further.

"I'm not particularly sure. Maybe they're concerned since it's all happening just in time for the shaman fight. And this was really getting conspicuous."

"I still don't get it. Didn't you even ask why?" Horohoro added.

"Not my duty to ask questions."

"Even if it endangers your life?"

"I don't think you're grasping the idea, Ren." She said looking at him intently, "I was born to serve the main branch, nothing more."

"So why are you with us now?" Ren said unkindly.

Rue kept silent after that. She just stared at Ren with an expression, he couldn't place.

"Ren, what are you saying all of a sudden? Of course because we're friends, right? How could we even survive with each other if Rue wasn't here." Horohoro tried to calm Ren down.

"Sorry – it just slipped." Ren said as he looked away.

"No, I get it. You deserve to know the reason. You've been asking me that since the start."

Everybody stood silently watching her. Rue smiled – a rather sad smile – as she continued.

"Ever since I was a child, I was raised to serve the main branch. But I lost my parents, and Yoh's family took me in. It meant freedom from that tradition, I would believe. But you know that already. But for me it meant losing like my life's purpose. While everything Yoh did was to prepare for something in the future – the shaman fight. I grew up with adults telling children what they need to work for, how am I supposed to know I should decide that for myself?" she chuckled softly as she remembered. "That's when the marriage arrangement came up. I was happy for a number of reasons – well, one was that I had something to live for again." She sighed before she continued "Then Anna came, it felt like I had no meaning in life. I lost my purpose again, you see. Maybe that's why I busied myself doing whatever they told me just to feel like I'm still worth something, if it makes sense. Funny thing is, after this shaman fight I really don't know what to do with my life. Should I be cooking up a new mission? Isn't it too late for that?"

Rue sighed, unable to continue. She tightened her balled fist as she pushed herself to talk, "Sorry I got carried away – please don't think that I'm using you as replacement or something to busy myself with. I'd like to think that Horohoro is right. We're friends, so I'm helping you."

"Stop!" Ren said abruptly as he turned around, his back facing the others.

Rue, who was not looking at them all the while, pushed her face up to look at Ren, and noticed the other two crying.

"You're important to us. Don't even think you're alone and your life is meaningless; no it's not, as long as you live it for your friends. Of course, even if he has Anna, Yoh surely values you, too."

"Ren…"

"Rue," the crying duo of Horohoro and Chocolove chorused. "we didn't think you were that sad." Chocolove finished as both of them hugged Rue.

"You don't have to think like that now. Cause you have us." Horohoro tearfully added.

"Thank you." She answered as she placed her hands on the duo's arms snaked around her neck.

Ren turned around and smiled at her. A few minutes passed and the two didn't budge; Ren got pissed and shouted at his two teammates, "How long are you gonna stay like that?"

Rue kept silent as she watched the three; grateful for their friendship.

"Ehh, you're just jealous you're not included in our group hug. C'mon Ren, we'll make space for you." Chocolove said as he stretched his arms towards Ren.

"Idiots!" Ren kicked the two off of Rue, "That's harassment!"

"Bastard, why'd you suddenly kick us like that?" Horohoro shouted, annoyed.

"Yeah! Don't tell me you want to hug Rue all by yourself!" Chocolove added.

With that, everybody felt a little awkward, and stared at Chocolove.

"Ehh! What in the world are you saying?!" the three said in chorus.

Hey, hey!

Thank you for all those who gave their reviews! :) I feel really happy reading your messages! For all of you readers, thank you so much for supporting this story! You guys are awesome! \ (^_^) / Yay!

So there! X-laws had appeared in the story! But, there's not much interaction with them yet in this chapter. As for Hao, by this time, the SF contestants (Yoh and his friends) and Anna (with Manta and Tamao) have already encountered Hao. Rue and Hao's second meeting is yet to come =P