Chuck: Hee hee hee. I'm glad I still got reviewers. XD! I'm updating this on my Birthday! - I'm now a 17 year old! Eerie . . . anyway, I hope all is still enjoying this.

Please R&R

Chapter 10

Best Intentions

"A grudge?"

"Aa."

The masked man was quiet for a moment, then he became embarrassed. "I'm afraid I don't know what that is."

"Imbecile! Put it on speaker phone!"

"Aa." He fiddled with the equipment, then finally found the speaker phone button.

"Is it on?"

The group looked up hearing the elderly voice.

Ryu smiled. "Yo, Kino-san! It's been awhile since we've heard your voice."

"Yes it has. Now listen everyone. I'm sorry I haven't been able to talk to you since Sunday. The phone's been kind of weird."

Hao shrugged. "Why didn't you just come here?"

"I'd rather not doom myself."

"Huh?" Hao frowned. "What does that mean?"

"The ghostly image you've been seeing, it's not really Yoh. It's a grudge."

Horo Horo cocked an eyebrow. "Nani? What's that?"

"When someone dies in the grip of a powerful sorrow or rage a curse is born. The curse gathers in that place of death, and those who encounter it will be consumed by its fury, and become part of it."

Horo became serious. "What does that mean?"

Kino sighed. "It means you're all screwed. When Yoh died, this grudge was left in the hotel. Anyone who's been in since Saturday night is going to be killed, or already has been. It follows you around, and only a victim can see it."

Ren thought for a moment. "That explains the paramedics getting killed."

Hao shook his head. "No! Those were too random! Yoh wouldn't do that!"

"Hao, it isn't Yoh! It's a build up of emotions. It's . . . like a shadow."

Amidamaru sighed. "That would explain why the spirits and I can't since him."

Keiko stared at the speaker. "So, Yoh hasn't been killing people?"

"No."

Keiko sighed in relief.

"You have to at least leave the hotel. It's not safe there."

"Yoh-sama wouldn't really try and hurt us, would he?"

"It's as I've said, Tamao. It's not really Yoh."

"Wait." Horo looked to the speaker. "You said anyone consumed in it's fury becomes part of it. What does that mean?"

"It means it hasn't just been Yoh's image that's hurting people. Anyone who it's killed has and will also hurt people."

Ren cringed. "The bullies! Maybe the thing in the elevator wasn't Yoh, but one of the bullies."

Ryu nodded. "Yoko or Junen. It makes sense, I guess."

Tamao placed her head on Ryu's chest. "The pieces of hair on my pants were dark but they were to dark to be Yoh-sama's."

Hao sighed. "So it was Yoko then, or something that looks like him."

"As I've said it's the emotions left behind, though they're probably all connected to Yoh's."

Keiko looked down. "So . . . Yoh was either extremely sad when he died or . . ."

There was a strange bumping from upstairs. It sounded like it was moving around upstairs.

"What's going on there?"

"Just a moment, Grandma." Hao was silent until he thought he heard a muffled cry, then he looked to Ryu. "Lyserg's upstairs!"

Ryu was gone in an instant. He shot up the stairs, the grew barely able to keep up, then he saw Lyserg's feet pulled into Mikihisa and Keiko's room. "Lyserg-chan!" He shot into the room, then stared at the closet, seeing a pale figure pull the emerald shaman into the attic. "No!" He chased after, but when he climbed into the attic, he saw Lyserg disappear into the shadows. There was a struggle, the all grew silent. There was no movement, no sounds. "Lyserg-chan . . ."

"Ryu-chan, don't go in up there! Please!"

He was reluctant, but he finally climbed out of the dark space and hugged Tamao who's eyes were beginning to grow misty. "Gomen, Tamao-chan. I . . . I couldn't save him."

"Daijoubu, Ryu. You tried."

Ren cringed. "This is what attacked him at school."

There was suddenly a loud rattling from the closet.

"Crap!" Horo jumped back, and wrapped an arm around Ren. "We gotta get out of here!"

The group nodded, then they shot downstairs.

"Is everyone alright!"

Hao skidded to a stop. "We're getting out of here Grandma! Are you in Isumo?"

"No. I'm staying in an apartment building in Tokyo. I believe it's where Ren lives. Where is his room? I can meet you there."

"It's number 515 on the 5th floor. We'll get there as soon as we can."

"Alright. Be careful."

The phone hung up, then Hao turned to the others. "You heard her. Let's get going." They left the hotel, and soon found themselves on Spirit of Fire's back headed to Tokyo.

Horo rode holding his arms up. "This is is kind of cool! I've always wanted to fly on this thing!"

Ren frowned then slapped the blunette.

"Ow! What!"

"Lyserg just died. You wanna show a little respect?"

"I'm sorry."

Ren drew his cell phone and began dialing a number.

"Nani?" Horo looked to him. "Who're you calling?"

"Manta. He was in the hotel too. I gotta let him know."

Manta sat at the dining room table, his father to the left end. Mansumi had been going over different colleges he could attend when the phone suddenly went off.

"I'll get it, Dad." The small boy hopped down from the chair, and lifted the receiver from a small end table against the wall. "Hai! Muchi muchi!"

"Manta you have to come to my apartment!"

"Nani?"

"There's something trying to kill us! You have to come now!"

"Ren-kun what are you talking about?"

"There's something at the hotel called a grudge! Anyone who's been in the hotel since Yoh died is going to be killed by it unless we can find a way to stop it!"

"A grudge? What's that?"

The Tao grew quiet. "When Yoh died his emotions left a stain in the hotel, and now it is hunting down everyone who's been in the hotel since his death. It's killed his murders, who turned out to be Takashi, Yoko, Junen, and Goro; who were hired by someone who we weren't able to identify, now it's coming after us! That includes you!"

The Oyamada was quiet. He thought he had rid himself of the supernatural. "I . . . I can deal with it. I don't need you guys. I'll tell me dad, and . . ."

"Manta, only the people who've been in the hotel can see it! No one else can help you! Please come!"

There was another pause then Manta sighed. "I don't belong with you guys anymore. I'm . . . I'm sorry."

"Manta wait!" Static suddenly filled the speaker..

"Nani?" He stared at the black receiver for a moment, then began to tremble when he heard a soft rattling noise cutting through the white noise. He quickly hung up, then turned to his father who now stood staring at him curiously. "What is it, Manta?"

"It's . . . it's nothing." His father was not convinced. "Really, I'm fine."

Mansumi slid off the chair. "You know you can tell me anything, Manta."

"I know; it's just . . ." There was a strange sound from above him. He looked up, then jumped seeing a pale figure crawling along the ceiling. It twisted around in a strange fashion as it traveled.

"Manta, what is it?"

"Uh . . . I . . ."

"Manta . . ." Mansumi began to approach him. "I know what happened last weekend was hard, but you have to move on. You can't let your life wither away when one person dies. It takes a truly strong person to move on, and you are a strong person."

As he listened to his father's words, Manta's eyes followed the ghostly image. It was now hanging over the gap between the boy and his father. It stopped moving.

"Manta, are you even listening to what I'm saying?"

"Uh, yeah Dad. The strong move on."

"Hm, perhaps I should send you away to finish the rest of your schooling in America."

The figure suddenly let itself drop from the ceiling, and hang before the small Oyamada.

"Ah!"

Manta jumped back, then stared when he realized his cry had not been alone. Mansumi now stood leaning against the table and breathing heavily. It then dawned on him that the figure was facing his father. "Dad?"

"What the hell is this!" Mansumi drew a gun and aimed it at the corpse-like boy, then froze whenhe began to recognize him. "Nani!"

Manta stared. "I don't understand. Ren-kun said that only people who've been in the hotel can see it, but you've been here since Saturday night after you . . . . ." The small boy froze. " . . . went out." Pieces began fitting together, forming an image of death and deceit. It had been so obvious! Why hadn't he realized it before? "You . . . you killed Yoh-kun!"

"Nani!"

"Yoh hired the bullies from my school, and you killed him!"

The small man stared at his son, then releasing a long sigh, he lowered the gun. "Yes. I did."

"How could you! Yoh-kun never did anything to you! He was my best friend!"

"Exactly."

"What."

Mansumi searched through on of the folders on the table, then drew several report cards. "Ever since you met him, your grades have been slipping. That boy was going to destroy your future."

"Destroy it! My life meant nothing before him!" Manta then realized the ghostly boy was gone. "Nani?"

"Hmp! That bastard has found a way to pester me from beyond the grave. It figures." He began to approach his son, the gun still in his hand. "See! This is why I did it. He's nothing but a disaster waiting to happen. You stopped listening to me after you met him."

Manta began to back away from his father. "Why? Why did you tell them to do it in Mikihisa and Keiko's room?"

"His parents and me go back way before you were even born. Lets call it a gesture of disagreement." The gun was lifted once again, but this time it was pointed at his son.

"Nani? What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, my son but I can't have you running around and telling your little friends what I've done. This is the only way."

Manta stumbled back, and hit the wall. "You'd . . . you'd shoot your own son?"

The man continued to approach him, then sighed. "It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make." The gun was pointed at the small boy's head, then the man sighed. "Gomen, my son. I only have the best intentions."

Manta shut his eyes and awaited the sound of the bullet, but there was nothing. After a moment he looked up, then started with widened eyes. Mansumi now laid on the floor, his eyes blank, and his head scarlet. A large figure stood by the man's feet, studying the small boy with black eyes. He was easily recognized. "Goro?" He was about to panic when he was suddenly heard the soft rattling again. "Nani!" He looked past the bully and found Yoh across the room.

The ghostly boy was sitting propped up against the wall across the room, his eyes dark and empty. "Yoh-kun!" He ran past Goro, and began to shake his friend's hand. "Yoh-kun! Yoh-kun! Daijoubu!" There was no pulse. "Nani?" The rattling began to sound once again, then the small Oyamada was scooped up into the cold arms. He struggled at first, the sound strange and frightening, then he realized how sorrow stricken it sounded. He slowly rose his head to look at the pale boy. "Yoh . . . kun . . ." The boy was suddenly lifted up, and embraced in a kiss. At first it was soft, as if something that one only dreams of, then he felt a strange substance entering his mouth. It was drowning him. He tried to spit it out, but more would enter. His eyes became misty then he felt his world become unstable, the room spinning and his head becoming light. He would have panicked, but his un-dead friend was now stroking his back and no matter how painful it was, he still had that comfort, no matter how small it seemed. "Yoh-kun . . ."

"Damn it!"

Horo looked to the Tao. "What is it?"

"The phone went dead! We've gotta get to his place now!"

Hao looked down to Spirit of Fire. "You have to fly faster!"

The spirit nodded, then began to double his speed, almost losing all of the shamans, with the exception of Hao of course. On a train it would've taken at several hours to arrive in the city, but with Spirit of Fire traveling as fast as it was, it only took half an hour. They went to Manta's house first, but when the shamans ran in, all that remained was the corpses of the two Oyamadas.

Faust ran over to Manta, then shuddered when he found his mouth stained with scarlet. "I don't want to know what happened to him."

"It's pretty obvious what happened to him." Horo pointed to Mansumi's head.

Ryu cringed. "Nani? Why was Mansumi killed? I mean, a grudge only kills people that have been in the place of death, but Mansumi hasn't been in the hotel in weeks."

Mikihisa stared down at the fallen man, then he sighed. "It all makes sense now."

The others looked to the masked man.

Hao cringed. "What are you talking about, dad?"

"I couldn't figure out who would actually hire someone to hurt Yoh, but now . . . I can't believe I didn't see it before."

Hao stared at his father, then realized what he was saying. "Oyamada Mansumi was . . ."

Mikihias nodded. "Aa. The employer."

Tamao began to weep, then she nuzzled her face in Ryu's chest. "But why? Why would he do such a thing?"

Keiko hung her head. "It's . . . complicated. Let's talk about it when we arrive at Ren's."

The group was hesitant, then they finally agreed. A note was found explaining that Keiko and Mannoko were in America. Manta's body was cremated on the lawn, Hao controlling the fire of coarse, but Mansumi's was left inside the house. They would not allow him the peace of crossing over. It was grim, but justified.

Chuck: Hee hee hee! How was it? I have to give credit to Falcon Strife for helping my find an appropriate way for Manta to die. I'm glad I updated it so soon. There's still s'more to come so stay tuned, alright? Laterz!