February

Yoshino- The Samurai Temple

11:23 A.M.

I propped my feet up on the coffee table, and leaned back in the uncomfortable wheelie chair. The stack of papers in the folder were thinning out as I was able to separate what we would consider paranormal, and what would just be trash. I sighed as another familiar story had shown up.

'Come on people, it's just a blinker. Things like that happen when you're close to the road at night.' I growled angrily in my head.

I flipped the paper over my shoulder into the trash pile. I heard the faint taps of Lin's keyboard, and knew that Naru was sitting next to him, watching the monitors. I flipped another paper over my shoulder.

'A cat. That's all that it was.' I growled angrily in my head.

I knew I get stuck with some of the worst jobs ever, but this had to have been the worst. And why was I flipping through papers like this?

I glared down at my cast. Damn my clumsiness.

I threw the final paper into the trash pile behind me, and smiled triumphantly. Done!

I swiveled the chair to face the trash pile. It was more than half of the folder that managed to get tossed. I began to pick the papers up, and throw them in the trash. Sure it was a waste of paper, but it certainly narrowed down the places we needed to investigate.

I pulled out a notepad, and took note of the places with the most haunting. Since the ground was large to cover, we'd need as many cameras as we could get.

The entrance.

The court yard.

The main room of the temple.

The battle field.

The forest. Every where in the flipping forest of course.

I jotted it down very quickly. Sighing, I crossed my legs, and propped my head in my hand, contemplating on the camera angles. But I wouldn't get to happy about deciding that, Lin would take care of it as always. And we'd also have to get the special plastic covers for the cameras that were going outside. They had no protection from the weather, and I heard it was supposed to snow. Again. I let out a frustrated huff.

"Mai," Naru growled from his seat. "If you're going to get frustrated over nothing, then go make me tea."

I quickly swiveled my chair to face him, and I made sure I had a hold of the folder and the notepad before I jumped up.

"Make sure you take someone with you, Mai." He called out after me.

"Yeah yeah."

I shut the door behind me, and jumped when I felt a hand land on my shoulder. I turned to see Monk behind me.

"Good Gods Monk!" I exclaimed. "Don't scare me like that!"

The older man shrugged and smirked.

"What can I say? Where you heading?"

"I'm gonna make Naru's tea, and I need someone with me at all times."

I raised an eyebrow, hoping he'd catch my drift. He stopped, and a slow smile crept on his face. Okay, this might have been a bad idea.

"Sure thing Mai." He chuckled, and followed me to the kitchen.

I handed Naru his cup of tea grumpily, and Naru shot a look up. Apparently, my expression was quiet angry that it even got Naru's attention. I heard that nefarious creature laughing in the back ground with Yasu as he re-told his wonderful expedition to the kitchenette with me.

'I'm not doing that EVER again.'

3:52 P.M.

"This good Lin-san?" I asked into the microphone.

"Move it up just a little bit Mai."

I held the camera with both hands, and gently moved it up.

"Now to the left."

I started thinking about his left and my left, and made the adjustment.

"No, the other way Taniyama-san."

I sighed inwardly, and moved the camera accordingly.

"Good. Now make sure you get a couple of cameras out to the battlefield Mai, and come back in." Naru's voice instructed over the headphones.

"Right."

I turned to Yasu.

"All right, it's off to the battlefield!" I said cheerfully and led the way.

"Uhhmmm Mai?"

I stopped, and turned to see Yasu standing in the clearing, holding the mikes and the cameras. He seemed confused.

"What?"

"You're going the wrong way."

I stopped, and frowned.

"Oh."

And it was I who ended up following Yasu to the battlefield.

We made it over a tall hill, and saw the biggest clearing I had ever seen full of nothing but dead grass. It was massive and open! The wind blew hard around us both, whipping my scarf around in the wind. I glanced at Yasu.

"One right here will do."

I grabbed a stand and a camera from him, and quickly set it up. I hit the little on button, and prayed it worked. The cameras we had sat outside were the new wireless ones. Battery charged only. So that meant we had to change batteries every eight hours. Lovely. More work to do. I pressed a button on the head phones.

"Okay Lin, this is camera one on the battlefield. Are we looking good?"

"Yep. Perfect view Mai." It was Monk.

I frowned.

"Where did Lin go?"

"I'm back. I leave for one minute and idiots descend."

I stifled a giggle.

"Is Ayako following us behind to put the covers on? It looks like it'll start snowing?"

"She stayed behind with Masako. John will be following behind. Get the rest of the cameras up and help John."

I nodded my head, and turned to Yasu.

"Okay, I'll take a camera, and go over there." I pointed across the field.

"All right. Then I'll go set up the last one over there." Yasu pointed at another hill, and I nodded. This should be spaced out well.

I grabbed a set from Yasu, and took off across the field. It took a little while, but I managed to make it across there. I sat the stand up, and turned the equipment on.

"Okay Lin, is this good? This is camera two for the battlefield."

"Looks good Mai, move it to the right just a bit."

I did as he instructed.

"How does the third one sit?"

"Good. Is John there yet?"

I looked across the field and saw John and Yasu walking towards me.

"Yeah, they're coming right now. We'll finish up here and be back."

"Alright. Stop by the kitchen on your way in. Naru will want some tea."

I smirked. I was beginning to wonder if Naru could live without my tea.

"Ten-four boss!" I said cheerfully, and received a sigh from the other end.

I giggled and met the other two. I saw the plastic protector that John had, and retrieved it from him.

"Thanks John."

I turned and placed the protector on the camera.

"Let's go back." Yasu suggested, and I followed them both back as little snow flakes began to kiss the crisp air.

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom in the courtyard. A man stood in the middle of the courtyard, a hand reaching out to a flower on the beautiful tree. His fingers caught a flower, and he gently pulled it off with such ease and grace. He turned around and faced his men, and I could see a ceremonial sword at his side. He walked up to a man, and handed him the flower.

"You may spend an entire life time looking for the perfect flower, and your life will not be wasted."

He placed a firm hand on the man's shoulder.

"We are the last of our kind. If we shall be destroyed, let us be destroyed in victory. Let us not be forgotten. This is our homeland, and with that, we must protect it. No matter what."

The man nodded his head, understanding.

"This is a Samurai temple. It is our sanctuary, and we are to protect it, no matter the cost. You must understand it."

There was a quick flash of silver as a blade came down.

A/N: Yeah! Another chapter! So, my dear readers, you might be wondering: WHAT THE HELL IS THIS WRITER DOING? Is she writing on the same story, or updating something completely random? I promise, this connects in every way it can. It's just…shocking really! Anywho… if you guys are artists, and have a deviant art account, let's talk, I have a request. And so, here is another chapter. Thanks for the awesome support I've been receiving. You guys are worth it you know. I'm risking my Spanish grade by typing this up instead of studying a poem that I'm supposed to recite from memory tomorrow! Eeeep! Oh well, the teacher likes me enough, and said I could sing it! :P I had an inspiration for another story, but I'm not going to write it until this one is done! And so, the fourth chapter is up! You know, no one has mentioned it, but I mispelled my own TITLE!!! Whaa! It'll be fixed soon. I promise.

Love forever and always,

Jazzy