Disclaimer: I haven't gotten enough money to own Shaman King. And I probably never will, too.

The Beauty of Silence — Chapter 25

"It hasn't been easy, but we're officially together now…"

***

Horohoro yawned. Although acting last night had been quite fun while it lasted, the consequences — starting from sleep deprivation, were just terrible. The Ainu had barely managed to return to his room in one piece after dealing with one extremely annoyed Tao Ren somewhere much more private, since the Chinese was predictably less-than-pleased at having control wrested away from him like that. After a conversation that involved much suppressed yelling, for neither of them wanted the entire inn and its occupants to be privy to their secrets, a strange awkward sort of silence had followed. It was the kind of silence that warranted one to say something, but which no one wanted to break either. Both shamans were used to tackling any problem head-on, but their preferred method of getting physical probably wouldn't be of any help there.

As if the following heart-to-heart talk (or something as close to that as the two of them could possibly achieve) wasn't enough, Horohoro still had to deal with Pillica when he finally returned to his room. One look at his hysterical sister dashed all his hopes of getting a wink of sleep that night, which explained why he was yawning constantly the next morning. Trying to convince Pillica not to let her overactive imagination get the best of her (what she was certain the two shamans had already done was mortifying to say the least) was one embarrassing incident, and the only saving grace was that Horohoro couldn't hear the details Pillica was probably providing. Of course, her flushed face and explicit gestures left no room for feigned ignorance, and the ice shaman had half a mind (though not the courage) to ban his sister from reading shoujo manga and romance novels anymore.

Breakfast the next day was a predictably strange affair. Interaction with Horohoro thus far had taught Tao Ren that even the best laid plans would go awry, and it had thrown the Chinese, perfectionist as he was, into a loop regarding how best to communicate their newly decided on commitment to the rest of the world (which admittedly only included the people Ren actually cared about). Unlike in the trashy love movies that Ren never had time for, both shamans were unanimous in understanding that being in love wasn't just a "two-people" kind of thing. By default, family and friends were involved, and their opinions, reasonably valued. Abandoning them and living some surreal life with just the Ainu was not an option to Tao Ren; it just didn't sound or feel right. And he knew that Horohoro felt the same way too.

Not surprisingly, the only proposal that the simple-minded Ainu had to offer was just letting things develop on their own, but time was obviously not on their side for that idea to be even considered feasible. Besides, it felt too much like living in denial or procrastination still. Eventually, it was decided upon that they would inform the other shamans very soon about their relationship as a start. Presumably, those shamans would be more open-minded than the elders, and having their acceptance would come as a relief. Of course, Ren reflexively tried to justify that the acceptance was more for Horohoro's benefits really, but his traitorous inner-mind (which had somehow gained prominence without him ever noticing) protested otherwise. Years of practice made ignoring such protest easy, and the Chinese shaman focused his attention into thinking about when and how they should break the news instead. Tao Ren just never expected someone else to beat him to it.

***

It was definitely time for him to quit.

For one, he wasn't stupid. Even if he was, it was still impossible to not know that becoming Shaman King in the near future was certainly out of the question. Asakura Hao had proven himself to be a very patient man when the need arose, and he supposed there was no harm in waiting for another five hundred years now that he no longer had a say in the matter.

Instead, he was kind of annoyed really. Those idiotic friends of his brother all seemed to be thinking hard recently, right after Hao had decided to not purposefully eavesdrop on private thoughts and conversations too. The volume at which they 'broadcast' their thoughts had been amusing at times, but now it was just annoying. Especially since a fair bit of those thoughts were centred on love.

Love was something which baffled Hao. Normally brave warriors lose their valour where love was concerned and logical souls, their clear minds. In a fairly detached manner, the fire shaman supposed that experiencing love might prove to be quite educational, but all the trouble associated with it put him off. Watching from the sidelines was a much more relaxing choice by far.

Unknown to that oblivious bunch (though some were marginally less dense than their counterparts), love had been blossoming in more than a couple of them. Hao had been intrigued by how people in love seemed to change for better or for worse, and what held his attention was the quiet determination that had taken root in all those involved.

Maybe it would be impossible for a man as arrogant as he was, but Hao too wanted a taste of that determination. After all, it appeared to make people stronger, and strength had always been a quality he valued. Hao could not remember a time when he had felt that same love or determination before, and he wondered if that was the reason for the hollowness he sometimes felt. Sure, he must have loved the Earth and her people before, but that was probably a long, long time ago before the birth of his cynical nature. Of course, Hao still loved the idea of dominating the world, and crushing all who dared oppose his might, but that kind of love made a poor substitute for what he was currently witnessing. Offhandedly, the fire shaman wondered where the differences between the two ideas of love lie, and why that elusive determination had never been felt by him before.

Each time Hao had faced off his opponents, he did so knowing there could only be one outcome — him emerging victorious. He was always smirking; laughing inwardly at the others' pathetic attempts to dethrone him, and was almost always bored with the matches. His brother had been an exception. Hao noticed the way Yoh gritted his teeth whenever those the easy-going shaman cared about had been threatened, and how Yoh seemed to get stronger each time it happened. If that was determination, then it was probably worth experiencing. Hao never needed to be determined; he knew he was destined for all he had set out to do, right until the day Yoh had proved him otherwise.

Both his followers and his victims had been busy carving out new paths for themselves with the end of the Shaman tournament, and Hao supposed it was finally time for him to enjoy his life too. Perhaps finding something he could become determined for was one way for him to initiate change in his now routine, boring life. The fire shaman would not expect changes to appear instantaneously, but he had already established himself as a very patient man.

Even in the midst of possible change, Asakura Hao had no doubt that five hundred years later, he would be back.

***

"It hasn't been easy, but we're officially together now…"

It was a sign of pure courage. To Horohoro at least, that was what Lyserg's confession had represented. Right before breakfast was about to start, the English shaman had stood up and all but announced his undying love to Tamao. Or what the Ainu had guessed happened from a 'silent film' point of view. Without the sounds which would have normally distracted him, Horohoro noticed how the shy pink-haired girl had moved instinctively to stand beside her boyfriend, and how their fingers were laced together without an ounce of hesitation. Horohoro did not need to hear the words being spoken; he thought he had managed a rather good grasp of the situation just by looking at the expressions on their faces. Now that the ice shaman thought about it, it was really amazing how no one had caught all the little hints those two had displayed since their return to the Funbari Inn. He wondered if it was the same with him and Ren.

"…I'm probably far from being the perfect boyfriend, but Tamao…"

Sincerity was definitely the key to a confession. In fact, it practically shone from the emerald eyes that were currently flitting from person to person seated at the table. Occasionally those eyes would steal a peek at the girl right beside the British dowser, and the insecurity that had always lurked behind them would vanish momentarily to be replaced with something akin to gratitude and love. It alarmed Tao Ren how easy the little signs were to read. To be fair, Lyserg had never been good at hiding emotions from being openly displayed on his face, but Ren had an unsettling inkling that his growing empathy was responsible for his ease in understanding the subtle signals instead. When it was their turn to confess, he most certainly did not want everyone else privy to all his emotions. Of course, the Tao did not appreciate becoming 'sensitive'; he was a tough guy for goodness sake!

"…and we'll try our best to be always there for each other."

Mutual love was definitely the key to a successful relationship. Horohoro marvelled at how even shy Tamao had no trouble speaking to a crowd as long as her boyfriend was next to her. Her face did turn obviously pinker with each moment, but that did not prevent her from concluding the announcement with a determined look on her face. Horohoro thought she must truly be in love with Lyserg for her to overcome her reservations about public speaking, and he had to first become blind before he could ever miss the tender looks she gave the British shaman throughout their 'speech'. It made him look at his relationship with Ren from a different angle altogether. Sure, they had never used the word love with each other before, but the Ainu was certain it was the same. Just like how Tamao and Lyserg could accept each other's personalities and flaws, the Ainu knew he could do the same with Ren. In a manner of speaking, the Chinese had probably already done so before he would even get involved right at the beginning. And Horohoro felt his smile widen as he blessed the other couple in his native Ainu tongue.

***

Tao Ren was startled when Lyserg and Tamao approached him after breakfast, although his expression gave nothing away. At their request, a confused Horohoro joined them as they made their way towards the courtyard where the Ainu and him had been just a few hours ago. Ren suspected that the choice of venue was deliberate, and was about to demand an explanation when Lyserg began to speak.

"Thank you for last night."

As if suddenly realising just how that sentence could be taken the wrong way, Lyserg fumbled into a hasty explanation amidst the giggling of his girlfriend. Previously, the British shaman had spoken slowly enough for Horohoro to catch the words, but the Ainu was now officially lost. A quick glance in Ren's direction made him curious as to what was being said though. Instead of the usual scowl that appears whenever the Chinese shaman was being spoken to, a pensive look was taking over his features this time round. Furthermore, Horohoro had yet to figure out just what they were being thanked for. He knew both Lyserg and Tamao had seen their act last night, but couldn't connect it to anything else other than thanks for the entertainment that provided. It was however, definitely something too trivial for the current situation. Horohoro guessed he would just have to sharpen up his other senses to help him piece the story better together next time.

"I'm pretty sure the two of you were just playing a prank on Pilica last night, but if you two are comfortable enough with the way your relationship is going to mak- k-kiss so blatantly, even if it was just acting, then I thought I could…"

He did not reply; just listened thoughtfully to all that was being said. Ren had never thought of his relationship with Horohoro in this way, that they were comfortable with its very existence and the progress that it was making. Now that he considered it, he supposed it made sense. A few months ago Ren would have been offended at the mere suggestion of faking a kiss with Horohoro; yesterday, he didn't care if anyone saw the act. When had the Ainu become more important than the reputation the Tao stubbornly wanted to keep? Steering himself away from that train of thought, Ren focused on what could now be done instead. The mischievous spark that Ren must have contracted from Horohoro was apparently still around, for he suddenly had a serious mind to continue the surprise that Lyserg and Tamao had given the others in the morning.

I wonder if the others will be up to another announcement right before dinner…

***

Happy Easter everyone! It took more than a month, but I'm finally okay with how chapter 25 has turned out. As an apology for being late, this chapter is slightly longer than usual.

As a side note, I haven't forgotten Hao! He's finally back after being totally ignored for a few chapters, for I wanted to tie up loose ends here and there before heading towards the conclusion.

For those who have been awaiting more Ren-Horo action, you may be slightly disappointed that I was mostly developing little sub-plots here instead. But hey, everything that happens in the story has an impact on their relationship (I think)!

Please leave a review (and you may just find an Easter bunny with eggs for you)!

Thank you to everyone for reading TBoS! (: