Place In Time

Title: Yin and Yang
Author: Allera Htor
Disclaimer: No own, you no sue.
Theme: 22 Last meal
Fandom: Shaman King
Pairing: Ren/ Anna
Rating: T
Summary: Ren's Political Correctness starts to annoy Anna.

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"What do you want for the winter season?" Tao Ren said with a smirk. He knew it would upset her, and that's what made it all worth while.
Anna glared at him with contempt. They had been through this almost half a dozen times already, why did he continue to say that even though it enraged her. And she had a feeling that was his reason for doing it anyway. "Why can't you just say 'Christmas' or 'Holidays' like everyone else?"
Ignoring her question, which infuriated her even more, he stood and walked into the kitchen, returning a moment later with a cup of tea in his hands. Anna glared even harder and if it was anyone else they would have ran in fear, but Ren was used to it by now. He had to be. She glared at him like that at least once a day. He sat down on the couch and took a sip of the warm liquid, enjoying the sensation of it going down his throat.
Silence settled between to two of them and it was made worse by the fact that he kept of smirking as if he knew some deep dark secret that he would not tell her.
And dammit she wanted to know!
Gritting her teeth in anger, Anna spoke harshly. "Well?"
"Well, What darling?" Ahh how he loved to tease her, and Pet names was her one pet peeve that he knew would leave her fuming.And he was right.
"Tao Ren with the great spirit as my witness I will throttle you if you don't tell me why you won't say Christmas!!!!!!" Anna yelled with rage in her eyes. She did not like understand something that other did.
Ren rolled his eyes in enjoyment, seriously this woman had anger issues. "Fine, Precious, One reason is Because It's politically incorrect" He stole a glace at his girlfriend who was giving him a look that clearly said 'There better be more to it then that'
Taking another sip of tea, he added "The second of three being that I do not normally celebrate Christmas or any Winter holiday for that matter."
This clearly surprised Anna, though she only allowed a look of shock to grace her features for a micro second, before she regained her mask. "Oh really? And why would that be?"
At this time Ren sat down his tea cup and began to circle Anna like a animal about to capture it's pray. Although she didn't seemed to be effected by this at all. She just awaited his answer.
"Because, I am Taoist, and we do not celebrate the birth of Christ."
It was rare that Anna having 'blond' moments but this was one of those so very rare times. "Whoa, wait a minute, You have your own religion?" If only Ren had a video camera to record this wonderfully rare moment in Anna history. He pulled a strand of her blond hair and laughed.
"I always wondered if you really were natural blond and now I have my answer. " Anna growled at him, Which he took as a way to tell him to just answer the question. "And No, I am not some crazy cult leader with my own religion, although I'm sure that the Pyromaniac has that one down. Taoism is a religion that has been around since 403 BC, I did not create it. That was a rather stupid question. Have you been spending too much time with the Ainu idiot?"
Ignoring him Anna threw another question at him "But why don't you celebrate some holiday, if not Christmas?"
Rolling his eyes yet again, something he seemed to be doing a lot this night."Because-" At this time Ren wrapped his arms around her small form. Although Anna did not pull away she didn't not loosen up either. "Taoism isn't about holidays and deities. It's about following your path and finding a balance."
"......."
Taking this as another sign for him to continue he went on. "See I believe that everything has a place and everything is here for a reason even the weakest of beings. It took me a long time to understand this concept, but know I understand. That everything has reason and there can not be one thing with out the other. there could be no light without darkness, Good without evil, right without wrong. Hate without love"
At this Anna smirked. "I'll remind you of that later-" She was silenced as his lips meet her in an ever so soft kiss. It was sweet innocent something neither of them really claimed to be, but that was what made it all the more pleasing.
"No man without woman" He finished, resting his forehead against hers. There was silence in the room for a moment.
"Whats the other reason?"
"Eh?"
Anna smirked, "The other Reason for not saying 'Christmas' You said there were three"
"..............."
"Well?"
Ren smiled very un-Ren like and moved close to her ear "......Because it annoys you my pet"
A moment later Ren's teacup collided with his skull.
---Owari----

Fandom: Shaman King
Title: Statues
Author/Artist: Allera Htor aka Chibi Ra Chan
Theme: 1. Ten Years Ago...
Pairing/Characters: Tao Ren/Kyouyama Anna
Rating: T (To be safe)
Disclaimer/claimer:I don't own Mankin, if I did I'd be a very rich girl. And unfortunatly, I am not a Very rich girl. T.T
Summary: They stand in the snow, human statues morning the loss of a child.

+ - + - +

It had been ten years.

And just like every year before this one they stood in the cold winter snow, neither caring about the harsh weather, or even feeling it.

They where virtually statues to the world, to their friends, to eachother. It was such a pity. They where both young, storng, and fierce, but neither seemed to care anymore. To them nothing mattered. Becasue if they moved on then it would be real, they would no longer be able to deny reality.

And slowly year after year the numbness wore off and they where just one step closer to crumbling like the statues they had become.

The young women slowly and silently let go of her husbands hand and walked toward the grave. She remebered coming here last year, and the years before, nothing changed.

She wished it would.

"He would have been 13 this year." She manged to say without turning to face him. He silently begged her to stop.

'Don't do this Anna, don't.'

"He would be going into 7th grade now." She faultered, almost trying to deside if she really wanted to tread there. "He would probably look just like you, You'd be training him, he'd be a wonderful shaman, A strong one, just like his father."

"Anna don-"

"He'd be going out with girls now. Then he would be graduating, going on to colloge.He'd be married not too long after that. We'd be grandparents now" Anna's voiced quieted down to barely above a whisper.

"Anna Stop-"

"Shut up Ren! I don't want to be a statue anymore! He's gone Ren! Nothing we do can bring him back!! He's gone!" She sunk to her knees, the snow making the already harsh reality even worce.For the first time in ten years, Ren Tao watched as his wife cry for the loss of their only son.

"I know Anna, I know" He did not try to comfort her, he did not try to soothe the pain away, he did not try to deny it. Instead he let her shed the long awaited tears. It was time for her to move on. And him too.

So their they stood in the snow in front of the grave of a child who left to early.

Their only child.

They where no longer statues.

+Owari+

A/N: Hmmmmm so sad. I hate killing off characteres but, oh well. Cheers to my favorite pairing!

--Ri-Ri