Tori: Wow! Thanks to everyone who had reviewed and followed!
Nollene: This chapter will be answering the main question in the reviews, so Tori apologizes for confusing you all.
Mei: Again, thanks to reviewers AmyNChan, Naruisawesome, comwiz, Ishval, NaginiFay, slvrphoenx, dutchangel1979 and mowens00.
Tori: Please Enjoy!
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Oliver had been told once that he gave good hugs.
But, since it was coming from Nollene, he didn't think much of it.
So when Mai pretty much threw herself at him, sobbing, he instinctively put his arms around her.
She was talking really fast about some boy who was raising demons, and then getting beheaded (she obviously got the gruesome end of the psychic powers) and then about how the demon came to her in the hallway after she was dragged and how it gave her a message...
It became rather hard to understand her, but she wasn't slowing down, so Oliver took a deep breath and hoped that she wouldn't slap him.
He kissed her.
It was quick, and was only meant to shut her up for a few seconds, but he kept thinking about it.
'Dang, I should have done this a long time ago.'
He broke it off, and Mai gaped at him, eyebrows raised.
He smirked at her.
"You need to slow down. I can't understand a word of what you're saying."
Mai glared at him, but it lacked anger.
"So you only kissed me because you wanted me to shut up?"
She asked, quirking an eyebrow. Oliver raised one back.
"That was half of the reason."
Mai, to his delight, blushed a slight pink colour. He decided to start interrogating her.
"You had a dream?"
Mai nodded, blush disappearing.
"Yeah. It's on Lin's laptop. Frost said that it's a bad idea to say the dream out loud, because you're practically begging the spirits for attention."
Oliver frowned.
"Frost?"
Mai shrugged.
"My new spirit guide. She's pretty cool."
Oliver nodded slightly.
"You mentioned a demon coming to visit you in the hallway. What did it say?"
Mai looked around nervously.
"I'll wait till everyone's up. Then I won't have to repeat it. It's..." she looked around again, before meeting his eyes,' not pleasant."
Oliver shrugged.
"Then we wait. Sorry, for kissing you, by the way."
Mai raised an eyebrow.
"Are you possessed? I didn't think that you're one to apologize."
Oliver sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.
"I am capable of using manners."
Mai smirked.
"Sometimes."
Oliver nodded, giving her a wry smile.
"Sometimes. When I feel like it."
Mai rolled her eyes and then yawned.
"Damn spirits just can't leave me alone."
"You're not the only one."
Oliver turned to look at Nollene, who was pale and holding a cup of tea. Nollene shrugged.
"I've had a rather persistent spirit yammering on in my ear ever since we got here. It's annoying."
Oliver rolled his eyes.
"Then cleanse it." He suggested, as if talking to an idiot.
Nollene walked up and punched him on the shoulder.
"Jerk."
Oliver simply shrugged. Mai looked at him oddly.
"How come you're already dressed?"
Oliver shrugged again.
"I was awake at 4:30, so I got dressed. Then Nollene screamed, so I went to deal with her."
Nollene huffed, and sat on the couch that Mai had occupied, her shorts revealing a large expanse of leg.
"It's not like I wanted to have those nightmares, Noll."
"No one does, Lene." Oliver sighed, moving into the kitchen to grab some tea.
'No one ever does.'
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John knew a lot about demons, but it wasn't in his nature to brag.
But this demon confused the living daylights out of him.
1) Demons usually target girls, yeah. But they don't usually let them go.
2) He left a monstrous bruise on Mai's shoulder; they generally break bones and
3) He left a message, without blood.
Most peculiar.
Maybe Japanese demons acted differently then Western ones, but he wasn't taking any chances.
Mai sat next to Naru on the couch, leaning slightly into him, while Naru was writing in his black notebook.
Lin was typing on his laptop, providing a continuous background noise, while Monk, Yasu, Ayako and John sat arranged around Mai.
"...Then he said "Tell the Yang to watch his back, because very soon, I'll be chewing on it. And that he needs to remember what happens when a contract is broken with a demon. Young ones such as you shouldn't meddle with old laws, Mai Taniyama."
Mai looked around hopefully at the group.
"Any ideas?"
Monk shook his head, and Yasu frowned. John tilted his head.
"Yang? That sounds familiar."
Naru tapped his pen against his chin thoughtfully.
"The white side of the Yin-Yang symbol. Taoism."
John nodded, before he became aware of two things.
1) Lin had, miraculously, stopped typing.
2) Madoka, who had entered the room when Mai was finishing, had dropped the stack of files that she was carrying.
A silence fell over the room when the rest of them realized what just happened.
"Madoka, are you alright?" Yasu asked, taking in Madoka's pale face. Madoka however, locked eyes with Lin.
"Is it possible?" she asked him.
Heads turned to look at Lin, who was looking decidedly shocked.
"It shouldn't be. It was broken." He whispered.
Madoka shook her head.
"But aren't you a strong enough Onmyouji anyway? You could easily take down a demon by yourself."
"It's not about the demon, Madoka. It's about what was used to summon the demon. If this moron used blood then we're screwed."
John narrowed his eyes.
'Obviously Lin knows far more than he lets on.'
Naru raised his eyebrows.
"Since when were you an expert on demonology?"
Lin spared him a glance.
"Onmyouji. Do you think that the book would still be here, Ka?"
John saw Madoka smile slightly, before her face fell into on of concentration.
"Maybe. The files state that this was a boarding school until very recently, so it might still be here in the old dormitory."
Lin pursed his lips.
"Where is it?"
Madoka shrugged.
"North side of the school. Why?" She froze. "No. No, no, no, no way in hell you are going to be that stupid. I won't let you."
John watched the debate unfold between the two senior members of SPR. Madoka looked like she was going to strangle Lin, while Lin had a slight smirk on his face.
"How are you planning to stop me? The demon here asked for someone who no longer exists, so...?"
Madoka gritted her teeth, and a dangerous light came into her eyes. John blinked at the transformation; Madoka was not someone you crossed.
"I will taser you, strap you to a chair, and hoist you up to be three metres above the ground."
Lin sighed.
"Trust me, Ka. I know what I'm doing."
Madoka gave a bitter laugh, ignoring the surprised gazes being sent her way.
"You said that last time this happened. Afterwards, you'd broken your collarbone, fractured your wrist, dislocated you knee and pulled a tendon."
John raised his eyebrows.
'Ouch. That would've hurt.'
Lin gave a dismissive wave of his hand.
"I was sixteen, cocky and stupid. And they were minor injuries. So, either I go exorcise this thing, or it kills more people while we sit here."
John looked at Naru, who looked at though he had a headache.
"If you die Lin,' Naru began, fixing Lin with a glare,' Then I won't speak to you again."
Lin stood up, and reached behind the monitors, pulling out a small black backpack which clinked with the sound of metal when he swung it onto his back
"Let's go find a demon."
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The box is looking suspiciously empty. READ AND REVIEW 20 SECONDS IS ALL IT TAKES!