Recap: Ren's POV

End of Flashback

"Do you remember this?" I asked her. She looked at it.

"That's mine!" She declared, then seemed to remember me. "Ren!" She clomped and hugged me tightly.

"Yeah..." I said smiling and when I looked down, she was the regular Ayuma (the older version). Our eyes locked and we leaned towards each other. "Ayuma..." Our lips brushed gently at first; and as soon as we went to kiss, water was poured on us. I screamed at how cold it was and Ayuma looked at me sadly.

"Bye Ren..." She whispered as she drifted slowly away from me. I tried to run after her, but I couldn't move. With all the strength I had I shouted.

End Of Dream

"Ayuma!" I shouted as I awoke jerking upward. I panted as I looked around and saw a guilty looking Pailong along with Jun, Bason, a bear spirit, and Mother. I sighed and laid back. "That dream...I have to go after her."

"Ren, you must rest and think first." Jun stated.

"Maybe you're right..." I said sighing again, but held determination in my voice. "But then again...Maybe you're wrong..."

Ren's POV

It's been about a week since, I...lost the battle and Ayuma. I've lost patience with my family and we all had an argument. At the end, we decided that we'll go if we collect some more allies. So, now I have to make phone calls to everyone.

"Moshi Moshi!" Prika's voice greeted me.

"Is Bora Bora home?" I asked.

"Oh, hello Ren!" She greeted in recognition. "Yes, Horo Horo is here. Please wait a second. She then shouts at Horo in the background Horo, it's Ren! He wants to talk to you! Muffled sounds in the background. Yes now! More muffled sounds I don't care if you're finally on level 20! Come now! Muffled sounds I mean it Horo!"

I heard the phone being sat down and waited. Five minutes had passed.

"..." I sigh.

"Don't you sigh at me Ren!" Horo said. "What do you want?"

"I need your help...Can you get in contact with Yoh and the others..."

"What do you mean help?" Horo asked confused. "And why do you need Yoh and the others?"

"Something big is about to happen."

"How big?"

"Bigger than Had."

"I'll contact everyone..." Hero said seriously. "Ren, what's the deal?"

"I'll explain once everyone is together."

"Ok, where do we meet?"

"My Uncle Tao's house and try to come before a the end of the week."

"Right! I'll contact them immediately!"

"Good, I'll see you." I said and hung up the phone. I picked up my weapon ready to start trying with Bason and my new spirit whom I've named Okaasan. "Bason! Bason appears on my left. Okaasan! Okaasan appears on my right Let's train!"

Jun's POV

"I've never seen him train so hard...even he was training to be Shaman King." I told Mom, who nodded her head in agreement. "It's odd..."

"What is?" Mom asked.

"They meet and stayed together for a little under a month...yet..." I trailed off not knowing how to word the rest of the sentence.

"He finds himself in love with her and she him." She finished for me.

"Yeah..." I said, nodding. "And that..."

"He'll do anything to protect her and she him." She finished again.

"Yeah!" I said astonished. "How do you know what I'm trying to say?"

"Because, I was like Ren and Ayuma. Well, except that no one was trying to kidnap me and make me help them take over the world with an ancient spirit."

"...--; ..."

"Anyway...I was in an arrange marriage with a guy that I didn't love. While out on walking, I bumped into your father. He was like Ren...young, stubborn, and didn't know how love works...sigh. We became friends after that and shortly I confessed to having an arrange marriage. He was furious at my father for that and said that he wish that he could take me away. Blush...Sigh with a hands clasped together and a dreamy look on face. It was at the end of the month, with much arguing of my father, that he and I were engaged...And the week after that, we found out that we were arranged to marry each other. Your father's father just didn't tell him yet." She said, smiling dreamily and sighing.

"How is that like Ren and Ayuma?" I asked confused.

"She, like me, is being forced into a marriage she doesn't want and she loves Ren. And Ren, like your father, feels that he needs to do everything to help her. He loves her, but its hard for him to show it other than protecting her when she needs him. And now that she's in danger again, he feels weak...that it was his fault." She explained.

"Oh..." I sigh and look at Ren. "It would be nice if someone were to love me like that..."

"Don't worry Jun. I'm sure someone will." My mom said as she looked at me while smiling. I frowned slightly, but didn't say anything.

"If only that were true...Most guys are intimidated by me..." I thought and sighed. "Love...is there really true love at first site...it happened to Mother and Father, to Ren and Ayuma...maybe...it'll happen again...to me...(1)"

Ren's POV

Must train harder! I yelled in my mind as I continued pushing my body beyond its limits.

Master, you must rest. Bason said inside my mind. I heard Okaasan growl in agreement.

I will rest, when I become strong enough to defeat that bastard Houlka!

Master...

Ayuma, I will save you! Until then, be strong!

Ayuma's POV

"Saut, don't eat that! You'll get sick!" I scolded Saut as he tried to eat a whole strawberry cake with chocolate icing. I got a cloth and wet it with some drinking water from a pitcher on the drawers beside the bed I sleep in with Saut. I wiped off the excess amount of icing from his face. When I was sure I got everything, I leaned back and searched to see if I left anything. After my search, I was satisfied. "Good, you're nice and clean again!"

"Ow, what a sweet moment." Houlka stated. I looked over to see him standing leaning against the frame of the doorway. He wore a smirk. Saut growled at him slightly.

Houlka walked to Saut and squatted before him looking him straight in the eyes. Saut's growling increased as he started to bear his baby teeth. Houlka held his hand out. I waited to see what Saut would do. I was expecting him to bite him; however, Saut sniffed his hand.

"OO"

"..." Saut continued growling and turned lied down on the ground; he still kept his eyes on Houlka. Houlka looked at me and chuckled.

"Why are you surprised?" He asked amused. I frown slightly.

"..."

"The reason he didn't bite me is because I don't have the scent on me."

"A scent, what scent?"

"The one of a murderer or a person who intends harm." He stated sitting down in a chair. He patted his lap. "Come sit."

"... --; ..." I sweat dropped. "What do you mean? You are a murderer."

"Ah, that's where you're wrong." He said smiling and patted a spot next to him in the chair.

"What do you mean I'm wrong?"

"I never killed anyone before. I may have a slight evil aura, however that's all there is."

"... Yeah, right... " I snorted. He frowned and leaned forward as he grabbed my wrist. I tried to pull away.

"Trust me...You have not meet a murder yet..." He said while smirking balefully. I shrunk back in daunting fear. His smiled wolfishly and pulled me to him. "And when you do, you'll wish that you stayed with me instead..."

"Wh-What are yo-you tal-talking about?" I stuttered in slight terror.

"..." He said nothing. All he did was kiss me savagely. I closed my eyes and lips tightly as he tried to force his way into my mouth.

He's different...this isn't Houlka...are is it? No, every time I see him he's not this demanding. He's not the same...then again...I don't know him...I hate this side of him...

I felt him pull away sharply and I opened my eyes to see Saut bitting his right leg. He growled and kicked Saut with his right leg. Saut was knocked off and onto his back on the floor several feet away.

"You better start keeping better control over this bastard." He said while walking to Saut who rolled over and growled at him. I ran in front of Saut.

"Don't touch him!" I commanded him. He smirked evilly again.

"I think that since he bit me, I should 'bite' back." He stated attempting to step besides me. I moved again to block his way again. "You know what they say: an eye for an eye..."

"I-I said...don't touch him." I stuttered feared as I sternly told him, while glaring.

"You're afraid..."

"No, I'm not..." I said as I bent down and covered Saut up.

"Don't worry, you'll learn once we marry."

"What?"

"You'll learn that you can't run-"

"I'm not running!"

"Silly Ayuma...you do run."

"That's stupid!" I argued. "I never run from anything!"

"Really, as I recall...didn't you run when we killed your parents."

"I...I...I..." Tears wielded up in my eyes. "That was when I was younger and...I was afraid...I got rid of that fear!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! I'm not afraid of you! I don't run from fear of you anymore! I no longer run from fear!"

"I didn't say me...Silly Ayuma...You have no idea..."

"What?"

"You don't run from fear, you run from yourself."

(1)! It means that I'm thinking about doing a spin off story when the last subsequent story ends. I haven't gotten a name for that! I hope that you turn in a suggestion about too!

Yep, this is the end . . . sigh . . . at least of this story! In the next chapter I'll give you a preview of the next story, which has no name! I would like suggestions of what name I should use! I will also give credit to the person who named it! Anyway . . . thanks for all the reviews! I love all of them!