Chapter Fourteen: Open Doors
"So the spirits were expelled not exorcised." Ayako said. "They merely escaped to another place."
"What's the difference between a spirit that devours and one that is devoured?" Jinx asked standing next to Mai. After Masako and Mai had come round they all moved back to the base after the ambulance arrived. During that time neither girl had said anything and Mai had only moved to stroke Sam which was starting to get Jinx worried and if Lin's glances in their direction were any indication, the silent assistance was worried too.
"The spirits that devour grows more powerful." John explained and Mai's eyes widened. If this continued then only one spirit would be left, the strongest one. But what was the point.
"What do we do?" Bou-san asked Naru. The boy said nothing to begin with, his hands clasped in front of his face as he thought.
"We probably should wait a little on the exorcism. What would happen if the spirit were to escape?" he asked himself before there was a knock on the door.
"Ah, may I interrupt?" Yasu said opening the door and walking in. "I've got something you might be interested in…"
"What's that?" Bou-san asked.
"I tried to trace the origin of Orikiri-sama at this school and after discussing it with Mai yesterday I learned it appeared about two semesters ago." Yasu explained. "There are two ways I think it could have gotten here. Either a freshman summoned it, or it was a student in the art club. Also… Sakauchi was a freshman in the art club. Now I'm not suggesting anything I just thought you should know. Anyway this summoned spirit is obviously strange but even with the many means of possession it has at hand, there's no rhyme or reason to its ways. I can't figure out why this place has attracted so many spirits." The schoolboy said feeling bad for not helping more.
"Could it be connected to a burial ground?" Masako asked causing everyone to look at her.
"Well, that would make sense." Bou-san agreed reluctantly.
"Ah! I'm such an idiot." Yasu exclaimed. "I didn't just find on grave. The Ryokuryou ruins were once an entire cemetery!"
"Of course!" Ayako said eyes wide. "The site of an ancient cemetery is bound by kekkai, so spirits are cursed to aimlessly wonder in it."
"What? When did you get a brain?" Bou-san asked then cried out as Ayako used her handbag to hit him over the head.
"A student could, in theory anyway, summon a spirit out. So that's the key to the mystery." John said.
"That makes sense." Naru said. "We didn't know that about this school. Thank you." Mai stared out of the window. They were missing something.
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It had gotten dark very quickly. Naru, Lin, Sam and Mai were sitting in the base waiting for the others to get back from their walk through.
"Mai go get the tape from biology room." Naru ordered not looking up from the screen.
"You could say please." She muttered before grabbing a flashlight, ordering Sam to stay and walking out of the door.
Mai wandered through the halls with just her flashlight to see.
"I'm beginning to think this was a bad idea." Mai said out loud trying to reassure her self with the sound of her own voice. It didn't work. She had done this to show the others she was fine but know she was starting to think all the secrets were not worth it, so far she hadn't seen any spirit but she didn't want to take any risks, as soon as she got back she would tell the others about her ability. She was a fool to think that she could handle this by herself but better to learn late then never. She sped along to the biology room, turned on the lights and quickly entered the room shutting the door behind her.
"Okay lets just get the tape and go." Mai said feeling uneasy all of a sudden. She clinked the button to eject the tape but as she moved to pull it out the lights went out. She moved to turn on the torch but it didn't work.
"What?" she said shaking the torch. "It's broken… what are the chances?" Mai tensed and moved to the door and tried to open the door. It didn't budge. She turned around and used all her strength open it.
"What the hell?" she yelled and yanked at the door as hard as she said. A cold feeling that had become very familiar to her over came her senses. She froze as the sound of laugher filled the room. Turning slowly she prayed to anyone who might be listening that it was not what she thought. There, up against the windows, were the shadows of children. Mai pressed against the wall behind her, spirits. The walls started to shake and jars fell of the shelves before smashing on the floor. A sweet smell filled the air and Mai gasped.
"Chloroform." She whispered and covered her mouth. The children pressed themselves against the window and the room shook harder. A small part of she told her to hold her breath but desperation had set in and she was frantic as her flight or fight instinct kicked in.
"Shit, somebody… help." She screamed banged on the door. The room started to sway and blur but Mai tried to fight it off and kept on trying to open the door.
"Bou-san, John, Lin help." She yelled feeling the darkness getting deeper with each breath she took. In one last desperate attempt to get help she breathed deep as scream as loud as she could before darkness fell over her and she fell to the floor.
"NARU." When she opened her eyes it was dark and spirits where drifting around her before a dark entity devoured a spirit that got to close.
"Like Sakauchi." Mai whispered watching it happen. The darkness shifted and she was in a room. The room was plain but for shelves of books all about ghost hunting.
"It feel like its been abandoned." Mai whispered walking over to the desk. "This train pass has expired." Then she saw the name on the pass. It was Sakauchi's.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you."
"Mai!" the room grew lighter and lighter before Mai's eyes flickered open and she saw Naru leaning over her.
"You're finally coming to?" he said and Mai sat up quickly before getting head rush and falling down again.
"I fiiwl howwible." She groaned and buried her face in to the pillow as Naru sighed and sat on the bed next to her.
"The others will be back soon, they are making sure the place is secure." He assured her.
"I'm sowwy. " She yawned and stretched. Naru sighed and brushed the hair from out of her face.
"You have nothing to be sorry for." The door opened and Bou-san, Jinx, John and Ayako walked in. The priestess tripped over Sam as he rushed in and jumped onto the bed before Jinx order him off so he lay underneath the bed.
"Hey guys." Mai said trying to sit up.
"Ow no you don't you need to stay down." Ayako said and dumped a wet flannel on to her forehead. "Why the hell were you wondering around the halls at night."
"The …tape." Mai grumbled and buried her head into Naru's coat.
"Naru you ass. You said yourself we shouldn't walk around alone." Ayako hissed. Naru stood up and patted Mai's head as the girl groaned before walked over to the door and opened it.
"I made a mistake." He said before walking out. Everyone started at the door in shock.
"Well that was… interesting." Bou-san said.
"Tell us what happened." Ayako ordered softly as Jinx hugged Mai to her keeping Mai upright as Mai retold what happened leaving nothing out.
"You can see spirits?" Ayako shrieked.
"Christ woman stop trying to burst my ear drums." Bou-san complained.
"How can you be so calm about this?" the priestess yelled and then glared at him. "You know… didn't you?" Bou-san tensed and quickly changed the subject.
"Why didn't you use the counter spell you made me teach you?" He said sighing.
"I forgot." Mai admitted and lay back down.
"Well not to be a kill joy but I think we should get to work before Shibuya gets mad." John suggested and held out a hand to Jinx who blush and grabbed it allowing the priest to pull her up. Mai raised and eyebrow at Jinx who mentally told her to shut up. Bou-san, John and Jinx walked out but not before saying they would come back a soon as they could.
"Are you still woozy?" Ayako asked as smiled down at her. "You should get some more rest." Ayako stood up and moved to leave and let Mai sleep in peace but something stopped her. Mai was holding on to her sleeve, blushing and biting her lip.
"What's wrong?" the priestess asked seeing Mai's embarrassed look.
"Could you … stay?" Mai asked. As Ayako looked down on the girl she was reminded of just how young Mai was, it surprised her that despite all the heartbreak and pain the girl had suffered she was still willing to trust people not to betray or leave her. Maybe Mai was just as naïve as everyone else her age.
"I'll be right here. Now, good night." Ayako said and ruffled Mai's hair. As she walked away Mai patted the bed next to her and Sam jumped up and curled into his masters side. Mai closed her eyes and drifted off. She frowned feeling weight on her feet and opened her eyes. She was outside. There were trees surrounding her and on one side there was a shrine guarded by two stone foxes.
"What does a shrine have to do with all this?" Mai asked out loud. Turning round Mai was breath taken. Naru was standing in front of her looking as handsome and serious as ever, she almost blushed but then she remembered this was a dream and the boy in front of her was not really Naru.
"It's dangerous." Copycat said his ever-present smile missing. "It's extremely dangerous here wake up and get out." Mai frowned.
"Wake up?" she asked. "You mean get out of the nurse's office?" he nodded and looked over to the school. Mai watched him before looking her self. There, curled up like some grotesque slug, was a massive spirit.
"That's…" Mai breathed.
"It's still sleeping… but…" copycat explained. "It must have devoured enough human souls to grow so … so it will hatch… and when it does no one will be able to stop it."
"There are four." Mai said glancing over the school.
"There is one in the nurses office. It would be smart to get out while we still can." The boy said.
"We?" Mai asked. "You can leave whenever. Can't you?" the boy smiled at her and Mai suddenly put two and two together. Mai started to talk but was cut off when a movement caught her eye. It was Jinx and John.
"Let's check this room." Jinx said, she looked better then she did when Mai had woken up but Mai guessed that was because she was worried. But what caught Mai's attention was the room Jinx had suggested they check.
"No don't." she yelled. "One of those things is in there." But they didn't hear. Growling Mai turned back to copycat.
"This conversation is not over." She said.
"Watch yourself." He warned. Mai's eyes snapped open and she sat up causing Sam to jump of the bed and Ayako to jump.
"Mai?" she asked and caught her when Mai fell trying to stand up. "What is wrong?"
"Ayako the first floor. It's in the print shop." Mai gasped.
"Huh?" Ayako questioned.
"John and Jinx are in danger you have to warn him." Mai ordered.
"But I can't leave you alone."
"I'm okay monk-san taught me the counter spell its called Acala something." Ayako frowned at her words then sighed.
"I see. Well then remember these nine words too." Ayako said and held up two figures, which were pressed together and moved them in horizontal and vertical lines as she spoke. "'Rin pyou tou sha kai jin retsu zai zen.' Got it?"
"Do I have to wave my hand as well?" Mai asked.
"Yes." Ayako stood up and rushed to the door. "Chant them after the Acala I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Sam, go find Jinx." Mai ordered and Sam ran out the open door and Ayako followed. Mai sighed and slumped into the bed. It was far more comfortable then what she had been sleeping on before but she couldn't relax. Sitting up slowly Mai pulled about the curtain surrounding her bed and looked over to the second bed on the end. There was some kind of body. She pulled the over off of her and the spirit did the same. Mai frowned; it was time to test the counter spell. Moving her hands onto the position Bou-san had shown her she took a breath.
"Naumaku sanmanda bazaradan kan. Naumaku sanmanda bazaradan kan." She yelled focusing her will. "Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha…." Before she could finish the floor shook, the bed broke and Mai fell to the floor. The temperature in the room dropped and when Mai looked up the spirit was gone. Mai slid her back along the wall to were the door was but as she tried to open the door. The room shook again and Mai fell forwards.
"Fuck." Mai hissed as she landed hard on her shoulder. "Why does this always happen to me." She reach up and tried to open the door gave, then shot up when she couldn't find the handle.
"Where the hell did the door go?" She yelled and then looked up. "The floor gave way" above her were the broken edge of the floor and the door. A scratching noise drew her attention away form finding a way up to the door. The rubble in front of her hid everything from view. The noise got louder and closer and Mai thought back to how she got here in the first place. Those children. Mai shut her eyes and yelled.
"Stay away."
"Mai?" a familiar voice called out. It was Naru.
"The floor…" he said looked almost worried. "What happed?" Naru crouched down and grabbing on to Mai's hand ready to pull her out.
"I have no idea, there was a loud noise and the next thing I know …" Mai started to explain but a creaking noise cut her off. She tensed and looked up. Then the ceiling fell.
"Naru run!" she yelled before letting go of his hand and bracing herself for one hell of a painful death before the world went blank.
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Jinx blushed as she walked next to John. They had been sent of to do a walk through and Bou-san had paired them together with a sly smile.
"Don't worry about Mai, she will be fine." John said cutting through her thoughts.
"Huh? I'm not worried about her." Jinx said.
"Yes you are, that what you are like." John said with a smile.
"She's a bit of a lose cannon." Jinx explained.
"But you don't mind." Jinx looked up at John in shock, who smiled and continued. "You wouldn't work for SPR if you didn't enjoy the excitement and mystery. You're the kind of person who enjoys helping people and you get to in this job. Why else would you agree to work here other then the pay?" John smiled again looking ever bit like the angels in his religion.
"You're here." Jinx said. Both of them stop completely and Jinx's eyes widened realizing what she just said.
"I-I … Mmmm." Jinx stuttered trying to back track. "Lets check this room." And then moved to open the closed door trying to stop the blush that covered her face.
"Same…" John's voice made her stop and slowly turn to face him. "Your part of the reason I agreed to work for SPR is you." The priest face was covering in a deep blush. Jinx considered blushing and being embarrassed but decided to take a leaf out of Mai's book so to speak and see this thought to the end. That is until Sam came rushing up to them barking.
"Something must have happened to Mai." Jinx said looking scared.
"Jinx, John" Ayako's voice called out and the red haired came running round the corner.
"Ayako what's wrong?" Jinx asked rushing up to her.
"Mai sent you see said your were in danger." Ayako said causing Jinx to frown.
"We're fine nothings happened." Jinx explained before the entire school shock.
"What was that?"
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Mai drifted in and out of the waking world trying to piece together what happened.
'The ceiling fell on me.' She thought. 'Yet I'm still alive.' She tried to move about but something was crushing her in place, a warm something.
"Mai say something! Are you okay?" a voice asked urgently in her ear. "Mai."
"I'm fine." She groaned out and opened her eyes and saw Naru above her, his face showing the strain of the rubble on his back.
"We really need to stop getting into these messes." Mai said trying to breath with Naru's chest crushing her own. Naru chuckled and Mai tried to calm her racing heart well aware Naru would be able to tell.
"You mean you need to stop getting us into these messes." Naru said if he had noticed her heart rate increase he said nothing. Mai glared at him in the half-light before changing the subject.
"Say Naru…" Mai enquired. "Can spirits change who they look?"
"No. Why the sudden interest?" Naru asked clearly knowing more then he let on and Mai remembered her promise to herself.
"I'm a medium." She breathed and Naru groaned and the rubble pressed down on them coursing Naru and Mai's heads to get even closer so much so that Naru had to bury his head into her neck to make them more comfortable. Mai tensed feeling Naru's breath over her bare neck.
"That would make sense." He said and Mai shuddered unable to stop herself. She felt Naru smirk and frowned.
"How?" she asked.
"You've been acting strange since you went missing for the hospital Jinx-san's mother was at." He explained.
"I guess." Mai agreed, embarrassed Naru had noticed she was out of it. "You know it's funny how Shibuya Psychic Research and the Society of Psychic Research are both SPR." Getting back to a subject that she felt more comfortable with.
"Mmmm that is a strange coincidence."
"There's not such thing a coincidence, you told me that Naru."
"You really are to smart for your own good." Naru said and moved his head so he could look at her.
"The what does that make you?" Mai asked mesmerized by him.
"You doing it again." Naru muttered to himself but because of how close they were she heard.
"Doing what?" she asked.
"Trying to work me out."
"So I'm not aloud to work out a mystery?"
"Can I just stay a mystery?" Mai stared at Naru and shook her head gently.
"Every action, everything we wear and everything we say tells something about us. It all depends on weather or not the people around are perceptive enough to make the correct deduction." Mai explained and seeing Naru's quizzical look elaborated. "I read a lot of Sherlock Holmes as a child."
"So can you?" Naru asked.
"Can I what?" Mai frowned not following.
"Make deductions?"
"I've never tried?"
"Then try." Naru ordered. Mai took a deep breath and really looked at her boss.
"You're always in smart expensive looking cloths and carry that black book with you. That and how you are always so serious and hardly sleep on cases shows you're a workaholic; this alienates you from your peers but that fact that you are wearing black is not down to that. Black is the colour people wear when they are mourning the death of someone close to them. So you lost someone close t you recently and maybe that is why you refuse to open up to anyone." Mai said before shrugging. "That's all I have got." But before she could asks if she was right, about the lose of some one she already knew he was a workaholic, someone yelled out Mai's name.
"We're under here." Mai yelled and getting muffled cry.
"What do you mean by 'we'?" it took the others about 20 minutes to dig both of them out. Mai was blushing when the rubble was cleared away and everyone saw the position Mai and Naru were in, though thankfully Ayako smacked Bou-san before he could say anything.
"Say anything monk and I swear I will kill you." She growled. Naru sat up and brushed the dirt from of his back and looked down at Mai, seeming to not notice that he was now straddling her waist, before pushing himself up, taking off his jacket and dropping it into Mai's lap then tried to walk off but was stopped by Ayako who checked him over.
"Why did he do that?" Jinx asked and Mai blushed a brighter red and pulled the jacket on which fell to just above her knees as she stood up. Sam came rushing up and weaved his way between her legs giving her the doggie equivalent of a hug.
"Jinx you know how you said I could have my trousers if I was good?" Mai asked grabbing everyone's attention. "Can I have them now?" Yasu started laughing and clapped Mai on the back as the girl blushed and wondered if she would have a brain hemorrhage with the amount of blushing she was doing.
"You've ripped your skirt haven't you?" Yasu asked thought the glint in his eye said he didn't need an answer.
"How did you know?" Bou-san asked with a weird look on his face.
"I only guessed through Naru's actions." Yasu explained. "The really question is how did Naru know?" John blushed realizing what Yasu was hinting at whilst Naru simply didn't react. Lin sighed and shook his head realizing no one was doing anything about the cut on Mai's face so he walked over and tilled her head so he could see the cut better. Naru's eyes narrowed.
"Its just a shallow cut you'll be fine." He said despite the fact that Mai didn't even seem to realize she had been cut.
"You two are bloody lucky." Ayako snapped finally deeming Naru to be okay. "How the hell did the ceiling fall down anyway?" Mai glance at Naru though her fringe praying he wouldn't tell Ayako it was a spirit after her because she was a medium. If she knew she would try to stop Mai from working at SPR. Mai knew it put her in danger but SPR was the only family she had and she would die before she lost them.
"The building's ceiling boards were weak." Naru lied smoothly. "It's no big deal."
"This is no joke! A spirit would have to have the strength of an army to make a whole ceiling cave in." Bou-san said.
"So you're saying that entity has gotten even stronger?" Ayako asked and Yasu turned away looking worried. "Stronger and more brutal."
"-It… … hatched." Mai whispered remembering what copycat had said as she patted Sam as he pressed herself against Mai's legs. "It's been sleeping until now, it built up enough strength and now … no one can stop it."
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Jinx and Mai stared in shock as the guys started to break down base.
"What? We're giving up?" Mai asked. She was back in trousers again that's to Jinx and had never been happier for long cloths.
"In the middle of our investigation?" Jinx joined in.
"Yeah, we decided in a meeting." Bou-san explained.
"Even as bad as everything has gotten we can't give up." Mai yelled and watched as Naru leaned against windowsill and read.
"We told our client we are giving up." Bou-san said sounding miffed.
"That's impossible." Mai snapped and turned to her boss. "Naru! You're okay with this?" Naru slammed the book shut and Mai narrowed her eyes. Everyone tensed and looked at each other in agreement. It was time to leave.
"What ever happened to 'I'm good at what I do' what happened to you never having a case you couldn't solve. Huh?" Mai growled as Yasu, John, Ayako, and Jinx dragged Masako and Lin out of the room. Sam took one look at his enraged master and hid under the desk whimpering. Naru looked away from her and out of the window.
"So your not gonna to even look at me now?" She asked and got no answer. After a minute of silent she had had enough.
"We need to pack up." Naru said and moved to walk out but was stopped when Mai grabbed the collar of his shirt in her hand and twisted his body so she could see his face.
"You never gave up before why know?" Mai hissed glaring at her boss.
"That was before." Naru said, his face blank but Mai could hear the anger in his voice.
"Before what?"
"Before you." Silence filled the base as Mai registered what he had said.
"I refuse to give up Naru, not now." She explained.
"I refuse to let my pride get you killed." Naru countered his anger beginning to show.
"Why?" Mai asked their face's almost as close as when they were under the rubble. "I'm just a street orphan with nothing to lose so why do you insist on saving me?"
"Why do you insist we stay?" Naru asked moving closer to her and Mai loosened her grip on his shirt.
"If we leave now that … thing will keep devouring the remaining spirits." Mai said. Their foreheads were touching now.
"Go on." Naru urged looking captivated. Their lips almost brushing.
"And … it will get even stronger until there is only the most … powerful spirit left." Mai finish her eyes flickering shut.
"That it." Naru said his eyes wider open and he to the door calling the others in. Mai stared at him in shock. One minute they were fighting and then Naru had almost kissed her. Almost kissed her but something she had said had snapped him back into jackass mode.
"I really do need to learn to shut up." Mai groaned as everyone scuttled back in.
"What was that?" Masako asked her sleeve covering her mouth looking strangely worried.
"Nothing." Mai said quickly and sat up.
"It's a spirit kodoku," Naru said. "It's a type of curse."
"How does it work?" Yasu asked not really wanting to know. Mai walked over to the desk that had Sam under and sat stroking his fur to calm him.
"A curse usually employs an instrument – most of the time it's an object, like a figurine or a charm but some curses employ a living creature. That kind of curse is called a Kodoku." Naru explained completely seriously and Mai blushed remembering how close they were. "A common instrument for a kodoku is an insect – for example, the insect that's known as kinsan. However, it can use other creatures as well. Snakes, centipedes and so on. The conjurer of the curse would fill a jar with the insects and bury it in the ground. After some months, he would dig up the jar, and nearly all of the insects would have devoured one another. But always there was one remaining. That last surviving insect is the one they would use in the curse. The insect would bring great prosperity to the conjuror's house."
"But at a price right?" Yasu asked.
"Yes. Every so often the conjurer would have to bring it a human sacrifice or else be devoured by the cursed insect." Naru continued.
"That's horrible." Jinx said rapped her arms around herself. Mai started to move over to her friend but stopped when John placed a hand on her shoulder. Jinx looked up before blushing and Mai could see a faint pick flush on the priests face.
"If the master couldn't take care of the insect any more … he would cast out into the street all of the riches it had brought to his house." Mai's head snapped away from the cute couple moment when she heard this.
"B-but … if all of those riches were just laying around in the street, couldn't just anyone take them?" Mai said.
"Anyone who tried wouldn't know about the curse." Ayako thought out loud.
"And would himself be devoured." Bou-san added.
"That is how this curse is used to kill their enemies." Their boss agreed. "They would send a cursed insect, along with silver and gold to the person they despised and the clueless recipient wouldn't know how to care for the insect and the insect would devour him."
"That's what is happening here." Bou-san exclaimed. "The spirits will keep devouring one another until the most powerful remains."
"But what will happen then?" John asked, his hand still on Jinx's shoulder.
"I don't know, but I think if it was indeed done on purpose… then the last living insect could be used as a weapon." Naru explained. "But if it was an accident … if it's just a coincidence that this school happens to be 'sealed off,' spiritually speaking, from the rest of the world I can't say what will happen."
"Mmmm…" Bou-san thought "if the most powerful spirit survives won't it still need to devour something, even when trapped in the school?"
"Every so often, it has to feed on a human." Ayako said.
"Then that's our immediate problem, if its hunger can't be satisfied, it will turn on its master. But who…" Bou-san trailed off thinking.
"It must be all the students who invoked the spirits." Naru informed them.
"Now we really shouldn't leave." Mai yelled. "The students are not even aware that it exists, right? It will devour them all. Including Yasu." The schoolboy looked at her in shock, he hadn't realized this would mean his life was in danger until now.
"There is nothing we can do." Naru told her sounding angry at his helplessness.
"Wait…" a familiar but mostly unheard voice, said. It was Lin.
"Lin?" Mai asked hopefully, praying he knew of someway to save her friend.
"It's true that a kodoku is a pretty obscure curse. Even we haven't encountered one before." Lin explained. It was clear by we he meant him and Naru. Sam whimpered and pressed himself closer to Mai's leg as the atmosphere grew in intensity.
"But if this is a kodoku, it would be no different than a regular curse. Defeating it will be easy, though not without unintended side effects." The man continued, pulling the headphones that were covering his ears down. "We have two options for releasing the kodoku. Transferring it to someone or agreeing to care for it."
"Right." Bou-san unwillingly agreed.
"We don't even know for sure that it is a kodoku." Ayako said not liking either of their options.
"If this is a curse, Lin will deal with it. We've barely started to examine it." Naru said before walking out saying he would talk to the principle. Everyone stood in silence looking at the door their boss had just walked out off.
"I hope he can convince the principal." Jinx said leaning against John.
"Don't worry." Bou-san said scratching the back of his head. " Naru-Bou will handle it. So what do you think we should look into first?"
"Try using your brain." Ayako sneered.
"Says you who doesn't even have one." Bou-san glared back not in the mood to tease the priestess but this didn't stop Ayako from pummeling him.
"Why don't we review what we already know?" Yasu asked Mai seeing the oddly blank look on her face.
"Okay." Mai said absentmindedly as her thoughts moved at a thousand miles an hour, never staying on anything to long.
"You know the drawing used in the Kokkuri was a little odd." Bou-san said.
"I know what you mean." Yasu agreed. "It has the usually characters, the numbers and the 'yes' and 'no' but instead of the shrine gate it has some kind of figure and the words demon scrawled over it."
"A demon?" Lin asked standing up.
"Lin what…" Jinx began but was interrupted.
"What kind of figure was it?" Naru's true assistant asked.
"I did it too, but only one." Yasu explained as he tried to remember what was on the paper.
"When you invoked Orikiri-sama, did the incantation have a chant writing on it?" Lin asked and continued when the boy nodded. "And was the paper buried somewhere after it was used?"
"That's right." Yasu exclaimed. "You can only use it ones. Afterwards it must be buried at a shrine."
"The shire with the foxes gate." Mai said remembering her dream before the ceiling feel down.
"How do you know about that?" Yasu enquired looking perplexed but was quickly distracted by Lin.
"Can we retrieve this paper?"
"Probably. Please wait a moment. I'll ask some students." Yasu said before running out of the room only to return a few moments later with the paper.
"Here it is." Yasu handed over the paper looking proud. Lin studied it for a moment before sighing.
"Of course."
"What is it?" Mai demanded, her heart racing.
"'For dementia, the cross-roads. For murder under the shrine.' This is a cursed charm." Lin said sounding even more serious then before.
"Murder under a shrine." Jinx repeated and looked at Mai, who stared back. They really were in trouble.
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"So it is a curse." Naru stated after coming back from the principal. He had been successful in telling the man they would be staying.
"Yes. If you bury it at a cross-roads, you can drive someone mad." Lin explained. "But if you bury it under a shrine, you ca kill someone."
"So this Kokkuri-san was being used as a tool to spread the curse with the unsuspecting students carrying it out." Naru muttered sounding almost impressed.
"They did everything from making the charm to actually performing the curse. With just this single sheet, you could kill anyone." Lin added.
"So all this time the students have been performing a death curse." Bou-san said. he shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Who is the person who will die?"
"Hideharu Matsuyama-shi." Lin translated and then the door opened.
"Aren't you ready to leave yet?" Matsuyama sneered. Masako, who had been very quiet all this time, almost pitied the man when she heard he would die but then he opened his mouth as she caught the way Mai glared at him.
"There's nothing left for you to do. Do me a favor and pack your things and go." The man snapped.
"I'm terribly sorry," Naru said sounding anything but sorry. "But there is something else we need to talk about."
"What's left to discuss?" Matsuyama asked annoyed.
"Sensei, I think that you should hear this." Naru insisted.
"Is this about your fees?" the teacher snapped and took a step forwards but stopped when Sam started to growl at him. His eyes drifted from the mutt to his master and decided to stay where he was. Jinx sneaked over to Mai as Lin began to explain what was happened by getting Bou-san and Naru to translate things on the paper..
"Okay what's wrong?' she asked and Mai knew better then to lie.
"Lin said the only way to get rid of this type of curse is to agree to look after the thing or reverse it on the owners."
"Yer so?" the elder asked not seeing her friends point.
"That means we can either let Matsuyama get killed or…" Mai trailed of but Jinx caught on.
"Or reverse it and let the students die." Jinx finished looking horrified.
"It was Sakauchi!" the teacher screamed making both girls jump and pay attention again. Mai curled her fingers through Sam's fur to comfort the dog, who wasn't copping well with all the anger in the room.
"Don't you realize why you were chosen?" Yasu said, only through his voice could they hear the rage. "'I'm not a dog.' That's all his suicide note said. We all feel like this school treats use like dogs and if you asked any student they would say it was because of you."
"it won't make a difference if we root our the perpetrators now. Once they've invoked the curse, it can't be stopped." Naru said.
"What is going to happen?" Matsuyama said looking crazed and scared.
"Is it possible to reverse the curse?" Naru asked Lin and Jinx clutched Mai's arm out of comfort and out of the hope that Mai wouldn't hit Naru.
"We could." Lin said and surprised both girls when he looked at them. "But should we?" Naru didn't seem to notice the diversion of his assistance attention.
"We don't have a choice." Naru sighed. "Reverse the curse." Jinx and Mai looked at him in shock. How could he condemn the students and let this wicked man get of scot-free.
"Once the last spirit has devoured everything time will run out and the kodoku will be complete. If that happens, death awaits Matsuyama." Naru continued.
"You're… going to help me?" Matsuyama giggled nervously. "I won't die after all."
"This is all your fault. Please keep that in mind." Naru reminded him but the teacher no longer cared.
"So you're just going to let the students die huh?" Mai growled and gave a dark chuckle when Bou-san, John, Ayako, Yasu and Masako looked at her his shock. "Looks like they haven't worked it out yet, shall I tell them Naru? Shall I tell them what reversing the curse will do?" Bou-san shivered seeing the menacing look on Mai's face. It was almost the same look from when jinx screamed at Mai in the hospital, one his wished to never see on Mai's face again. The only person who wasn't surprised by the sudden coldness in Mai's personality was Jinx, who looked harder then usual too.
"Reversing the curse means turning it back on to the people who invoked it, the student." Jinx said trying to glare and not cry at the same time. "This is wrong."
"Would you rather see Matsuyama die?" Naru said glaring back at the girl who dare say he was wrong. "You're the one who is wrong. Those clueless students invoked the curse. If they are not punished then by law we will be accomplices in murder."
"I can live with that." Mai said meeting Naru's gaze with a cool indifference, as if she hadn't just said she would let someone die. For the first time Naru realized just how little they knew about these two girls they worked with almost everyday, Mai may say he was the mystery but the true is she was too and possible a more dangerous one.
"We'll be reversing the curse upon the students." Naru said making sure there was no room for augments.
"Shibuya-san…" Yasu said trying to cope with the sudden heap of information. "What will happen to us?"
"A lot of people invoked the curse, so many that I think the power of the curse reversal will be split and the effect on each person will be limited. Lets pray that's true." Naru explained and Jinx had to bit her lip so as not to scream at him.
'Lets pray… a fuck load of good that will do." She thought and accidentally sent it to Mai.
"Don't worry hime, I'll think of something.' Mai sent back. Jinx didn't shuddered and the silky smooth deadly tone to Mai's voice, she had been through enough to have developed her own darker side, one she was never really sure existed until now. Although Jinx had said nothing she would be more then willing to let Matsuyama die to save the students. That thought in its self was more the enough to scare her and question who she really was but she also knew now was not the time. Now was the time to act.
"In that case I agree." Yasu said bowing.
"What about him?" Mai said not even willing to say Matsuyama's name. "Why save him at the expense of everyone else?"
"No matter how despicable someone maybe, that's not a good enough reason to kill him." Naru said still surprised the girl who made it her personal mission to annoy him could have this darker side hidden away.
"None of them knew the consequence." Jinx snapped shocking everyone at the dangerous tone to her voice.
"Ignorance is no excuse." Sam growled at Naru's words. He may have been unable to understand what they were saying but the reaction from his master and her friend was enough to clue him in to the fact that this boy clothed in black was pushing it.
"I hate you." Mai said and for the first time in a long time meant it.
"It is an honor to be despised by fools." Naru said walking passed her followed by Masako. "Lin, begin the preparations." And Jinx knew at that point Mai was gone and standing in her place was the shadow from her past, their past. When Naru was gone Bou-san sighed, glad that the show down between Mai and Naru, and Jinx to some extent, was over.
"Mai, you see…" he began but was stopped when Mai spoke.
"I don't have to see anything Takigawa-san." The girl said. Bou-san sighed again and walked away. Ayako looked between the door Bou-san had just walked out of and the two girls who stood side by side looking ready to take on the world. She had always guessed there would be some consequence to the two of them having to grow up alone with only the streets as their parents and she was heartbroken to see the normally bright a cheerful pair acting more and more like Naru. Making a quick decision she engulfed the two of them in a hug.
"I'll talk to the ass and see what I can do." Ayako assured them before dragging Yasu and John away. Before John left he smiled at Jinx reassuring her he was there. Then it was just them and Lin. the man looked between the two of them happy Ayako's hug and dragged them part of the way out of the pit their had fallen into.
"This is the only way." Lin said making Jinx jump and Mai glared weakly at him.
"How can it be? Naru doesn't know everything." Mai said. "I don't care if he calls me a fool. I won't say said yes to everything he says."
"I don't expect you too." Lin said with a half smile on his face. Jinx stared in amazement at the interaction between Mai and Lin. Clearly something had happened that everyone had missed, as Lin was more talkative and open then he was with the others.
"I have to get to work." He said to them but as he got to the door Mai ordered Sam to go with him. When Lin looked confused and Mai smiled.
"Look after him for me." She asked and he could tell by the look in their eyes they were up to something.
"Be careful what you try to do. Some doors once open can not be closed but I'm here to help if something does happen." He warned before leaving knowing there was nothing he could say to change their mind. Looking down at the black fur ball trotting next to him he sighed.
"They will be fine." He said not knowing weather he was trying to comfort the dog or himself.
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"So what is the plan?" Jinx yelled running after Mai thought the halls.
"Plan?" Mai asked looking around.
"What are we going to do?" Jinx asked. "Can't you do some witch stuff or what ever?"
"No." Mai said, breathing heavily. She stopped running and looked at the panting friend.
"What?" Jinx said looking shocked. "What about all the stuff you and Ayami did?"
"That was potions which is more like borrowing the magic from the ingredients you use and before you ask exorcism involves using your will power." Mai explained. Jinx frowned.
"Then why don't we?"
"Why don't we what?" Mai asked.
"Witch craft." Jinx said with a grin.
"You have to actually have some magical abilities to pull of spells." Mai informed her.
"Look, we have very few choices as it is so if you have a better plan let hear it." Jinx said.
"I don't have any spell books." Mai smiled with a shrug.
"Lin does." Jinx smiled back. Causing Mai to sigh.
"I really am a bad influence." Mai muttered as they rushed back into the base room and raided Naru and Lin's book collections.
"Ah… here what we need." Mai said showing Jinx a book.
"Shielding magic?" Jinx asked.
"It's the only plan we have." Mai teased. Jinx only shock her head as she followed Mai into a near by room. It wouldn't be good to have the others walk in. Mai placed the book down on to a desk and flicked to random pages until she found what she though was the appropriate spell.
"What do we need?" Jinx asked.
"Chalk and 5 candles." Mai read out of the book before helping Jinx rummage around to find the stuff.
"Has it occurred to you that if Lin and Naru now about this stuff and are not doing it then it will not work?" Jinx asked pulling open a cupboard. Mai looked over her shoulder at her friend.
"We have to try right?" Mai said hoping she sounded confident. Jinx nodded and pulled open another cupboard.
"Well what do you know?" Jinx laughed pulling out candles. "What school has candles in the classroom?"
"What schoolgirls attempt to do magic?" Mai countered swiping the chalk from the black board. "Jinx if this does work…"
"We would have proven Naru wrong."
"No… if the spell works and we create a shield, which is highly unlikely, everything will change." Mai explained. "Magic is not something you can ignore if you have it… are we really ready for that?"
"Were we ever ready for anything the world threw at us?" Jinx asked smiling sadly.
"Then lets do this." Mai said. Then a chill ran down her spin. The room grew colder and colder and the lights went out. Mai looking over to Jinx.
"Spirits." The elder whispered before she was slammed into a wall. Jinx let out a scream as her shoulder slammed into the wall followed by her head before she slid to the floor stunned.
"Jinx." Mai yelled watching as her friend was tossed like a rage doll. Mai swallowed as the thing turned to face her. Her feet seemed to sink into the floor and a coppery smell filled the air as the spirit moved towards her. Mai screamed out as something hit her right arm forcing it back and she span to the floor landing with a wet thud. Sharp pain throbbed onto in her arm and something that could only be blood trickled down her arm. She pushed herself up and looked over to Jinx. Her friend was struggling to get away fro the creature that where creeping towards her. Mai growled and pushed herself up and ran at the spirit in front of her barreling into it and knocking it aside. Mai cringed as her upper arm throbbed as she forced her way thought the line of spirits to Jinx.
"Jinx, Jinx waking up." Mai yelled as the other girl slumped against her. The growling noise caught her attention. Mai cursed realizing she had lost the chalk before grabbing her wound hard covering her hand in blood. As the spirits came closer Mai drew a crude and quick pentagram on the floor and dragged Jinx into the middle of the star.
"Goddess, bless and cleanse this space." Mai said drawing a circle connecting the 5 points of the star all the time pray this worked or they would die here. "So that I may be protected from harm and surrounded by your love and light. As I will it, so mote it be." Mai blinked feeling dizzy all of a sudden.
"Mai I feel faint." Jinx moaned leaning against Mai. A spirit reacted to grab them and Mai pulled Jinx close to her chest and closed her eyes … and opened them when it screamed and pulled away. The door slammed open and Bou-san rushed in yelling his chant. The spirits let out and ear piercing scream and vanished. The lights flickered on and Bou-san ran over to the girls and hugged them.
"Lets get out of here." He muttered and picked up Jinx and helped support Mai and led them out of the room to the others. Ayako grabbed Mai from Bou-san and sat her down inspecting her cut in her arm and John took hold of Jinx and hugged her.
"That's one deep cut." Yasu said cringing as Ayako cut away the sleeve of Mai's top with the scissors from the medical kit before cleaning and binding her arm.
"It's a shame…" Masako said. "That was a nice top." But she got no response.
"Just what were you trying to do in there?" Bou-san asked. "You two are no match for these spirits you could have got yourselves killed." Jinx looked at his as Ayako check her over.
"We're sorry." She whispered clinging on to John.
"Sorry?" Bou-san said in disbelief. "You think sorry covers this."
"No, sorry doesn't cover this." Mai said standing up show the tears streaming down her face. "But do you really think I would just stand by and wait as see what would happen? Wait and see if Yasu dies or not. No. I've lost to many people I care about to just stand still and let it happen."
"Think about for their point of view." John asked.
"He's our friend." Jinx said tear falling down her face. "And I know I would risk anything to protect the people close to me." John pulled her closer. Bou-san sighed looked between the crying Jinx and Mai. Ayako glared at Bou-san before hugging Mai and Masako joined in much to Mai's surprise.
"You don't have to go through thing along anymore." Masako explained. "I'll even help you with your medium powers."
"Thanks." Mai said leaning against the medium.
"You just have to trust us we'll protect you now." Bou-san said. "Naru wants to protect you more then anything Mai even if it means you hating him."
"Naru will have found some way to make sure the students are safe." John said hug Jinx tightly. "Yasu will be fine."
"Yer Jou-chans you have us." Bou-san said. "I will always look out for you two." He ruffled their hair in turn.
"Well there goes the whole magic plan thing." Jinx said.
"That's what you two where trying to do? Magic?" Ayako asked.
"Yer but it didn't work." Jinx assured her.
"I'm not so sure." Mai said frowning.
"Why do you say that?" Jinx asked.
"Well when I was drawing the magic circle remembers we both got really dizzy and weak." Mai reminded her.
"Could have been blood lose." Ayako suggested.
"No there was a barrier of some kind protecting them when I got into the room." Bou-san said.
"So their like witches?" Masako asked.
"No." Mai said shaking her head. "But something did happen."
"Will talk to Lin after this is over." Bou-san said. "No more secrets then."
"Ow wait I can read minds." Jinx said realizing no one but Mai and Bou-san knew. Everyone started at her, most looked a little worried.
"Well only if I really, really try and I've never tried with anyone but Mai before so you have nothing to worry about." Jinx reassured them.
"You two are quiet the little power mixture." Bou-san teased. They all walked together through the school just talking and mucking around trying not to think about what was about to happen until Masako stopped.
"I can't sense any other living things around." She said. "We must be the only one here."
"That's odd, shouldn't classes be starting soon?" Mai asked looking around.
"Close your eyes." Masako order suddenly and Mai did as she said. "Try to feel the energy around you." Mai tried to do as she said but could only vague sense the others around her. She growled in annoyance.
"Don't worry it takes a lot of practice." Masako explained.
"Hey look everyone is in the hall." Bou-san yelled to them pointing to the window where they could see feet.
"But you said…" Mai trailed off as Masako and Mai looked in the window.
"Lets head back to the base." Jinx suggested no wanting to be near here when the curse was reversed. However it was no better in the base. Naru, Sam and Lin were in there with everything set up.
"You're still going to reverse it." Jinx muttered.
"You're not still going on about that are you?" Naru sighed sounding annoying.
"Naru top tip if you don't want your ass handed to you on a sliver plat I wouldn't have a go a hime." Mai warned him. "We'll be going now so we don't disturbed your alone time but just remember if anything happens to Yasu its all on your head." as they all left Mai called out for Sam.
"Thank you for looking out for him Lin." Mai said causing Naru to raise an eyebrow.
"I seem to be missing a book." Lin said still focusing on the task at hand. "Looks like us three need to have a talk." Mai looked and Jinx who was looking just as nervous as her.
"We should be going." Mai said and all but ran out of the room.
"It really didn't that him long to figure it out." Ayako said. They all sat on the stairs as they waited for Naru to emerge from the base room. Masako taught Mai some of the basics of being a medium and Jinx grilled the others for more information on how to be an exorcist. After a few minutes they heard the door to the base open and Mai was up and running followed closely by Sam.
"Mai wait up." Bou-san yelled and chased after her. He caught up just as she opened the door and froze.
"What's wrong?" he asked then froze as well seeing the carnage in front of him. Wood was scattered everywhere. Mai jump as Naru entered her sight and watched as he picked up a piece of wood.
"Please go through the Hitogatas and gather the undamaged ones. We need to make sure they are okay." Naru order once everyone had caught up. Mai stood up and turned to face Naru. He watched as she opened her mouth trying to find something to say but in the end settled for something else. She punched him. Naru's body twisted round as Mai swore. She had used her injured arm and had caused it to bleed again.
"so we have a job to do." She said started going through the Hitogatas ignoring everyone's shocked expression.
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As it turned out very few Hitogatas where undamaged and the one that weren't we for people who had never invoked the curse. Mai put the phone down after confirming the last one was okay and turned to the others.
"Their all fine." Mai said. "I guess I need to find Naru and tell him."
"Try not to hit him." Jinx called after her and Mai raised her middle figure at her whilst grinning. It didn't take her long to find him but when she did she was at a lost for words.
"How did it go?" he asked making Mai jump, she was sure he didn't know she was there.
"Everyone's fine well everyone who didn't invoke the curse." She told him which left them in awkward silence.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked looking way from him.
"It's hard to transfer curses onto Hitogatas. As much as he wanted to Lin couldn't save everyone." Naru explained. "I'm sorry for what I said to you it just you giving up on people so easily is annoying." Mai stared at him not sure if this was real or just copycat screwing with her mind.
"I've never had anyone to rely on before. I'm not use to putting my trust in people." Mai said.
"Even so, what I said was wrong. I apologize." He said before waking off.
"Unbelievable!" Mai snapped causing Naru to stop. "I can here to apologize to you but you just had to go first you selfish git." Mai walked up to him and traced the out line of the bruise forming there.
"You can hit pretty hard." He complemented her but Mai was remembering the last time they where this close.
"Before we worked out this was a curse, before when we were alone in the base room…" Mai started but trailed off.
"Go on." Naru urged her.
"Were you going to kiss me?" Mai asked. A small part of Mai was screaming at her in embarrassment but the rest was captivated by the man in front of her.
"That answer depends on whether or not you're going to hit me again." Naru said smiling slightly at her.
"I promise not to." Naru hand tilted Mai's face up and there was nothing Mai could do to stop herself getting caught up in his gaze.
"I'm not a great person to get attached to Mai." He said and walked way. Mai watched as he walked away from her and tried to stop the pain in her chest. He was always so far way even when he was right in front of her. No mater what she did he would never be hers. Before she knew what she was doing Mai grabbed Naru's coat and span him round to face her.
"To late." Mai said. Then kissed him.
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Well this chapter took forever to write. I hope it was worth the wait for you guys and Naru and Mai's relationship (or what ever you would call it) is finally taking form. I will try to update soon but am making no promised