Author's Note: I don't own DP or any other TV show I've made a cultural reference to in past, or future, chapters.

After this chapter, the main plot behind "The First Portal" really gets under way, so I'd recommend reading and getting yourself as familiar with the facts as possible.

Also, There are a few third-person narrations in this chapter as well, and there may or may not be any in the next few chapters.

Try and imagine the main ghost with the voice of the Lava Monster from Samurai Jack.

Chapter 12 (Hunters and Hunted)

"Taka Somi," Sensei Yamata called out, "Second Kyu."

Kara, Tai, and myself had all tested for our chodan (black belts) less than a week ago. Now the results of that testing were being announced.

So far, he had announced all the kyu (coloured belt) testings, and was just announcing whether or not the five of us that had tested for black passed.

"We also had some youngsters," he glanced momentarily at us, "Test for their dan levels."

"Kara Nami," he barked. She stared for a moment, unsure of what to think until he said a heartbeat later, "chodan."

Her mystified stare immediately turned into a huge grin as she dashed up to the front, having bowed to sensei, then received her dan certificate and thanked him by shaking his hand, amid great applause. I never saw any of these events, but since I had tested before I knew the feeling of suspense and accomplishment.

"Tai Fenbutsu," he called. Tai's head snapped up as Yamata barked, "chodan."

Then Tai too went up and received his certificate. The next two that had tested, Gichin, who had tested for his nidan, or second black belt, and Shin Ashuka, who had, like us, tested for his chodan, had both failed their testings. By the time Shin had been informed of his failure I felt like a somewhat lost cause. The two successful students had already been announced, and while I was
unbelievably happy for them, I still felt a bit lower on the totem pole than them.

I think they felt the same way, because I could feel someone giving me almost shamed looks.

"And finally, Tirrell Morgan..." Sensei Yamata called.

"Osu?" I asked defeatedly.

He looked really hard at me for a second, then said, without changing his expression, "chodan."

It took me a second to register what he had just said, but my eyes bugged out and my face split into a huge smile as I strode confidently up to the front.

I felt like the happiest man alive when he handed me my official certificate.

As he handed it to me he whispered, "Good work. Come back in two or three years and we'll test you for your nidan."

"Osu," was my only response.

He then made a gesture with his hand and said, "You got a little lady and your friend there waiting for you. Class dismissed!"

I ran over to them. Both of them slapped me a high-five and Kara gave me a bone-crusher that nearly did crack a few ribs.

OOOOO

"That was awesome!" I roared, leaping and jumping around like the happiest man on earth.

"Hey, you've earned it, lover boy," Ronnie taunted on our way home. Tai had some errands to run, so he congratulated me on my achievement, and I on his, and he left.

"Uh, Tir?" Kara asked. I noticed that she had been rather quiet during our walk home.

"Yes?" I asked in return.

"I'll leave you two alone," Ronnie said as she cut a corner and ditched us.

"Uh, you were saying?" I asked a bit nervously. I'd never seen or heard Kara act like this before, so I assumed that something must be up. But I never expected her answer to be what it was.

"My folks wanted to take me out to dinner on Friday to celebrate me getting my black belt, and they said I could bring someone along. Would you like to come?" she asked almost piteously.

For perhaps the first time in my life, my mind drew a blank. I didn't know what to do. I think a little voice in my head was telling me to throw myself over the nearest dumpster and run like a scared rabbit, but I tuned it out.

"Uh, would this be anything along the lines of a date?" I asked after the longest of pauses.

"Noooo," she said quickly, "It's just a little celebration. So, will you come?"

"Uh, sure," I answered, "I'll just check with my mom and see if it's alright, okay?"

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow," she called as she ran home.

OOOOO

"So lover boy has a date?" Ronnie teased as she wheedled the information out of me.

"It's not a date!" I hissed, "We're merely celebrating the attaining of our black belts."

"Then why isn't Tai going with you?" Ronnie asked, finally thrusting me into a verbal corner.

She grinned, I sizzled. Then she waved the matter aside and said, "Now that that's out of the way, we need to focus on more important
things."

"How do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean," she answered, skimming through an old notebook, "Like how you not only gained the use of your sword's sheath, but how you were able to transform both mediums into different things."

"Well, I can't help us there," I sighed, sitting down on the bed, "It just, happened, I guess."

"You guess?" she said as Umbrus rubbed himself up under her arm and tried to jam his nose into her armpit.

"Yeah, like a spur of the moment kind of thing. Something triggered it and it just happened," I chanced, "Although it would be cool if I could learn to control it."

"An interesting theory," she speculated, "And if what you've said is any indication, then it seems likely."

"Whatever you say, sis," I replied, trying to stifle a yawn, "But as for me, I'll be in bed, catching up on my sleep. 'Night."

OOOOO

Just outside, no more than ten feet from Ronnie's window, a pair of emerald eyes shimmered ever so slightly in the dark.

A great form was perched on the branch of the tree, watching.

"My target is selected," a lone, deep voice rumbled quietly to the darkness.

OOOOO

"So you and Kara are going out on a date?" Tai asked seriously as I was getting the books out of my locker for second period.

"It's not a date! How many times do I have to tell you people?" I ranted.

"Hey, relax dude, I'm sure it's not a date," he soothed. I looked at him for a second before he continued, "You two are just going out to celebrate your- your- (Snort) hahahhahhhahhahhahahhha! I really had you there, didn't I? Man, I didn't think I'd be able to keep it up for that long. Hahahahahahahaahh! You two, not going on a date! Yeah, it makes me laugh! Hahhahahhahahaha! Oh Lord, make it stop! Hahahhahahah! I'm killing myself here!"

While Tai was still hooting and hollering his head off, I slammed my locker in his face and steamed off for my class.

OOOOO

I was sitting alone during lunch. Not because nobody else would sit with me. But because Ronnie and Tai would bug the hell out of me if I sat with them.

Ronnie had already cracked her "try not to steal second" line on me, and Tai just laughed his head off like an idiot, almost to the extent that I thought he'd inhaled a dosage of Smilex.

I could almost see them on the opposite side of the cafeteria, turning in my direction every few minutes and giggling like a couple of ninnies.

"Mind if I sit here?" Kara asked. I nodded, and she sat down on my right side.

"Why is it that people find the truth so hard to believe?" I just asked out of nowhere.

"They heard about Friday?" she guessed accurately. She had an annoying habit of doing that.

"Yeah," I answered indifferently, "Why can't they just believe that it's not a celebration, it's a date!"

I could feel Kara just staring at me, so after a momentary lapse in speech I asked, "I said that backwards, didn't I?"

"Yup," she replied, taking a bite of her lunch, which I guessed by the smell had been wisely home-made.

"So it's a date?" she asked as I got up to go. I stopped and just stared in her direction for a minute before she said, "Figure of speech. Sorry."

OOOOO

I have absolutely no idea how schools do it, but by the time school was over for the day, everyone knew that Kara and I were having dinner with her parents that Friday, which was no further away than the day after tomorrow. Some guys high-fived me in the halls, while others just laughed.

"Why are people bugging me worse than they're bugging you?" I asked Kara as we walked over to her house. She had a homework assignment, and I had some frustration to work through.

"Well, it's mostly girls who bug girls about this sort of thing, and weirdly, they approve, that and they respect me enough not to say anything," she answered.

"What is there for them to approve of?" I asked.

"That's just how they think of it," she replied, "whether they respect me enough to keep their mouths shut or not, they still think that it's a date."

"Which it isn't," I answered.

"Of course," she answered, "Can you imagine what it would be like for you to be my boyfriend?"

We both chuckled for a second. Then we stared at each other nervously, then laughed even harder, though it sounded kind of forced from both sides.

Just as the laughter died down my eyes went off. "Uh, can you excuse me?" I asked as I ran for cover.

I emerged from under a bench just as a huge eagle plummeted to earth, inches away from Kara.

Light blue in colour, with emerald eyes it shook itself off as it studied Kara.

A pair of shimmering sapphire-feathered wings extended from its shoulders, as a shimmering gold beak hooked out from its face.

Just as it started to circle around her I decided to intervene. I drew my sword, its black sheath in my opposite hand, and dropped on my foe like a rock.

Immediately it twisted around me, its thick talons slowly starting to crush me and its claws dug into the fabric of my suit.

Just as its jaws opened wide something small and white slammed into the side of its head.

While it was momentarily stunned I went intangible and slipped out of its grasp. Righting myself I turned to face the beast.

It had just recovered and was glaring at me savagely. We circled each other, like two rivals squaring off, winner take all. The bird twitched, and I swear my sword flickered as it charged. I whipped to one side and blasted it with my sword.

But instead of being struck by my sword its body twisted on a severe angle and narrowly evaded the stroke.

It landed in front of me, and opened its large mouth. Sparks shot from it as a small white orb formed. For a split second, we stared at each other, then the ghost ball contracted and fired right at me with tremendous speed.

I barely had time to raise my sheath before the ball struck. I was only just able to hold back the vicious blast, but it carved cracks into the ground behind me.

The beast glared at me momentarily, then flicked its tongue out and flew off. I stared after it for a moment.

As I turned around, every spark going through my grey matter died. I was lost for thought and words at the sight.

She was a blonde beauty! There wasn't a single flaw in that girl's form, clothes, hair or otherwise. Only her cool blue eyes told me that this was Kara.

"Uh, can I help you?" I asked awkwardly.

She just stared open-mouthed at me, until I phased into the ground, came up behind a dumpster, and changed back.

When I returned, Kara hadn't moved an inch. Her pupils were small, and there was some drool coming from her mouth.

"Uh, Kara? You're starting to drool," I commented as I waved a hand in front of her eyes.

She blinked a few times, then shook herself and shrieked hysterically, "Did you see that! That was totally nuts! And can you grab my shoe?"

OOOOO

A dark form watched from a nearby building, observing Tir with sharp, experienced eyes.

"So, my target has surpassed our expectations, has he not?"

A large creature, sitting beside the dark form, nodded its assent.

"He shall indeed be most worthy of me. I shall enjoy this in great measure."

OOOOO

"So, where are you two going to be?" I asked as I donned a set of dress shirt and pants, and I looked fairly well groomed. Even Ronnie had to admit that I looked good.

"Ooh, there's just one thing you're missing," she replied as she dashed off to her room. She returned a short time later with something in her hand.

I looked in the mirror as I saw a tiny wooden cross on a black cord fall around my neck. "Just in case you need a little divine intervention," she said with a grin.

I was about to snarl a vicious riposte to her, but instead I smiled and said, "Thanks, sis. Now remember, the headset is turned off. I don't want any interruptions."

OOOOO

Two forms watched through the window from the safety of a nearby tree, hidden from mortal eyes entirely.

"We strike soon, old friend. And we shall bring down this prey. Let us fly!"

The two flew off into the night.

OOOOO

I knocked ever so slightly on the door. Once again my backbone had deserted me.

The door opened, and an enormous man ducked and stepped through the doorway. He was dark, as tall as a sasquatch, though not as hairy, and as broad as a bull. He certainly didn't seem fat, but he was
extremely muscular, as his muscles bulged underneath his own dress shirt.

His momentarily chizelled features melted as soon as he clapped eyes on me. "You must be Tir! I'm Mr. Nami, and you'll be accompanying us tonight."

"Pleased to meet you sir," I said nervously, shaking his extended hand, which easily enveloped mine, "It's my honor to be coming with you tonight."

"Now that's what I like to hear," he said enthusiastically, "By the way, do you ever watch MASH?"

"Every evening," I answered, lapsing into a more relaxing subject, "Long live Alan Alda, David Ogden Stiers, Harry Morgan and everyone else on the MASH crew!"

"Amen!" Mrs. Nami called as she descended the stairs. She had a heavier frame than many women, though she was by no means overweight. The red and black blouse-skirt combination she was wearing said everything.

Then Kara descended the stairs. And my eyes nearly burned to cinders as they popped out of my head and my jaw dropped. She was wearing an elegant light blue skirt that extended almost to her knees, and a red blouse that looked good. She had a gold amulet with a sapphire stone around her neck, and emerald earrings shaped like perfect spheres.

Her hair was held back on one side with a barette, whilst the other side was left free, with a small lock just hanging over her left eye, giving her this strange appearance that seemed to me very interesting.

"How do I look, Tir?" she asked playfully.

"Like a million dollars," I answered. I watched the smile form on her face before I finished the joke, "Old and wrinkled."

Everyone laughed at my joke. Then we piled into their car and took off for the restaurant.

OOOOO

"When he least suspects us, old friend, we will strike..."

OOOOO

The food was delicious! The sushi was excellent, as were the various other delectibles on my plate. Even the soft-shelled crab tasted good!

"Mmm, this is excellent," I grinned after I had finished eating.

"That's why we don't eat here often, so we appreciate the food more," Kara's mother explained.

I lapsed back into my digestion as we started talking about various things. School, food, karate, and so on. Kara's parents were all too happy to relate the news from Amity. Apparently ghost attacks were getting more common back home. There was a theory that some sort of mystery ghost was behind it.

It wasn't until we got onto the subject of the ghost attacks here that I started to get nervous. It wasn't that Kara's parents disliked Team Yurei, quite the opposite. It was just that Kara seemed very quiet through those proceedings.

After the conversation had died down, I asked, "Uh, Kara, can I talk to you outside for a second?"

She glanced up at her father, who gave a slight nod. As we got up and headed for the door he called, "Try to hold off on first until the third date, okay?"

I think we both blushed at that one as we slipped out the door. We sat on a bench nearby, staring off into the sky for a minute before I asked, "Is there something the matter?"

"Why do you say that?" she asked blankly, looking me in the eye.

"Well, you've been pretty quiet all evening. I just wondered if there was something up."

She looked at me very seriously. I could see a lot of pain in her eyes, as if she were fighting with something inside her.

"Everyone has their secrets, Tirrell," she answered, "You have secrets you don't want anyone to know, and I have secrets of the like."

"Girl, you have no idea," I said as I folded my arms behind my head. I looked over at her, and I noticed that the dichotomy in her eyes had vanished, and seemed to have been replaced with guilt.

"Tir, I have to tell you..." just then something huge rammed into my side, knocking me off the bench. When I hit the ground I went intangible, transformed and ascended several feet from where I had landed.

The eagle was back, but this time it stood over Kara and snarled. Green slime oozed slowly from its beak as it spread it wings wide.

"Leave her alone!" I yelled, rushing at the behemoth with all speed. It simply turned its head and fired an energy sphere at me. It caught me a glancing blow on one arm, and if not for that I may well have died. Either way the resulting explosion broke my arm. But other than that I was unhurt.

The raptor turned back to Kara and calmly wrapped its talons around her waist, then beat its wings once and flew off. I think that Kara had been knocked out because she had barely twitched.

OOOOO

Broken arm or not I took off after them, flying as fast as my body would allow. I was just catching up to them outside the forest where Ronnie and I practiced when a whoosh of something rocketed past my ears, then slammed into my back. I hit the ground a short time later.

As I raised myself to my knees the thing that had slammed into my back landed lightly in front of me.

He was garbed in dark brown fabric that ended at his forearms, and was replaced by bronze chain-mail. Thick, dark brown boots covered his feet, and he wore a set of pants and a leather fauld (or a form
of leather or chain-mail armor that extends over the legs) that matched the dark brown of his torso.

A thick gray sash was wrapped around his waist, with a dagger thrust through it on the left side, and a pair of green and red bottles on the right. The only decorations he had were two bands of dark leather around the middle and ring fingers on his right hand.

His huge golden left eye glared at me from under a dull green hood and cloak, which hid his face. His other eye was a dull green, and shifted blankly in its socket.

"What do you want with her?" I asked as I got to my feet. My hand was on my swordhilt, ready to be drawn if necessary.

"With the mortal? Don't be a fool," he said with a very slight lisp. He cast a scornful glance in Kara's direction and added, "It is you that I want."

"Me?" I asked, "What do you want with me?"

"You are a powerful hunter, and a worthy adversary. I have observed you for some time, learning of your movements and arts. And soon I shall claim your ashes as mine!"

"Okay, dude," I said, drawing my katana, "Part of me is horrified at the idea of you wanting to kill me, and yet part of me is flattered."

"Enough! Now you die by the shaft of Meiyorn!" Before I could speak a great longbow formed out of thin air in Meiyorn's hand. An arrow formed in the centre of the bow, and as he pulled it back, I rushed
as fast as I could to one side. The shaft just whistled past my ear and struck the ground behind me.

"For many years I have hunted across both worlds, seeking only the rarest and most elusive of prey."

My eyes flicked to the forest, thinking I could try and lose him there. He nodded before saying, "Good. I love it when my prey is willing to fight for its freedom. Flee into the forest, if you will."

I flew into the forest as he called after me, "I can track a falcon ghost on a stormy night, ninja. You shall be far simpler to follow. My mount, and most loyal friend Aile Garde could not elude me, and neither can you."

I flew as fast as ghostly possible before I stopped. Then an idea snapped into my head, and I flew off, deeper into the forest.

OOOOO

"His scent reaches deep into this forest," the hunter of hunters observed, "He has been here many times before. His old smell shall make it more difficult for me to follow him."

The hunter turned to his beast and said, "Watch the girl, but do not harm her. If the ninja attempts to double back on me and rescue her, kill him."

The beast, though somewhat disappointed, nodded its obediance to its master's request.

The hunter smiled to himself, then scratched the beast's head and praised it, "You have never yet failed me, Aile. I do not think you will fail me now."

With that the hunter turned and strode into the forest.

OOOOO

My plan was ready. I had only to wait before Meiyorn came after me. I just prayed that my hunch was right. Otherwise, I would surely lose this fight.

OOOOO

The hunter trod quietly through the undergrowth, not making so much as a sound. He wielded no bow for the time being, as it would hinder his stealthy movements and give him away to his prey.

He had no powers of invisibility, nor did he need them. Under the right conditions he could vanish entirely from sight. He could even nullify the gold of his left eye to a dull green, to blend it better as well.

Every so often he would float from the ground, ever so slowly, to examine this trunk, or that branch.

Sometimes he would stick his hooded visage over the thickets and draw deep breaths, as if he could scent his prey like a dog.

He thought to himself, "This ninja knows his game well. Even with my mastery of wind-scent it is most difficult to track his fresh odor." The hunter smiled deeply to himself. He was enjoying this hunt greatly.

OOOOO

I clung upside-down to the trunk of a tree, poised to leap at the slightest instant.

Meiyorn would soon come, I didn't doubt that. I had already tried to call for reinforcements from Ronnie, but I vividly remembered myself telling her to turn her headset off. Either way, my plan was set.

I just had to wait.

OOOOO

The hunter paused in a crouch. He could sense that his target was very near. His acute, experienced sense of smell, plus his hunting instinct, told him this. However, those senses did not tell him where his target was.

He flicked his golden eye closed, and concentrated all of his focus into his green eye. Most of the time it was dormant, totally useless to the hunter. But when he concentrated with it, he could see the faint auras that ghosts give off.

Slowly scanning back and forth with his eye he finally saw his target. Very slowly he formed his longbow in his hands, then selected an arrow from thin air.

Standing back ever so slightly he raised himself to his feet amd leveled the barbed shaft at his prey. Gripping the string of his bow he pulled it back as far as he could by the two leather bands on his fingers on his right hand.

Then, with his green eye still glimmering, he fired.

OOOOO

If it hadn't been for the fact that it was total silence I would have died. As it was I heard the arrow fire, and leapt from my perch in the nick of time.

Meiyorn's shaft thudded into the trunk of the tree where I had been clinging a split second before.

Turning visible again I flew down a thin trail off to my left. I approached a turn in the path, just as I implemented my plan.

OOOOO

The hunter followed his prey, sticking to the undergrowth, which is perhaps why he didn't see the huge log swinging towards him until the last second.

He whipped to one side, and just avoided being crushed. His arm was grazed, however, just under the shoulder.

"Well done, my prize," he thought to himself as he once again stowed his bow.

He picked himself through the undergrowth, though with much more stealth and care than before.

It was this very same care that saved his after-life a second time, for his prey whistled through the brush with tremendous speed and would have finished him, had he not ducked.

OOOOO

My knees whizzed over his head, and would have finished him then and there, had he not ducked.

As it was I zipped by like a flash, then turned and brought my sword down in a vicious arc. White light screamed from its surface in a blazing flash of energy.

I thought for sure that Meiyorn was finished. I didn't think that even he could survive a point-blank blast. I was wrong.

As I turned I saw that he still stood as I had last seen him. However, this time he wielded in his hands his dagger and of the two small bottles on his right hip, he held the red one.

"You think it that easy, ninja?" he asked as he put away the bottle and dagger, drawing instead his bow from thin air.

"I have awakened my inner eye. I can see with one eye what you can
with neither. You will never have the power to beat me, not without your eye."

Again a shaft formed in his fingers, ready to be fired.

My arm was in excruciating pain, almost to the extent that I couldn't hold it in.

I could feel my ghost powers failing, even as I fell to my knees. Then, just as I once again descended into darkness, my eyes felt like they'd just gone through a round with the "jaws of life."

My eyes flashed open. And I could see. I could see everything. And better yet, I could feel my body healing itself. My arm was already mended. I looked down and saw why.

A glowing green shaft was protruding from my heart. It suddenly dawned on me that I was in human form, and that the arrow, if it had been fired so much as a second earlier, would have killed me for sure.

Without so much as a twitch I removed the arrow. There was a small, dissolving hole where I had removed the arrow, which took no more than a few seconds for it to disappear.

I looked up. Meiyorn had lowered his weapon, though another arrow was already perched on his bow. But there was something different about him.

His whole body glowed and flickered with a dark, smouldering energy.

"How could you have withstood my shaft, mortal?" he glared after a few seconds, "My shaft is an arrow of darkness. There is no way you could have withstood it!"

"Meiyorn," I said calmly, transforming and drawing sheath and sword, "Your doom has come!"

I could feel the bright white energy rising and flickering from me in waves.

My sword was vibrating and thrumming with an eerie light. Similar waves of energy that fell from me fell from it as well.

I looked to my sheath, and the only difference between the two was that the sheath flickered with dark energy.

"Let's dance," I said, setting myself into a low stance. I could feel my energy flowing through my two media, and I could feel their's flowing through me.

Feeling a sudden rush of power, I sent a huge burst of energy through my weapons. Instead of them flaring up, as I had expected them to, they seemed to grow more focused.

After a second, they formed a pair of vicious katanas, each reflecting its opposite.

"No! You are mine!" Meiyorn roared, firing an arrow with vicious accuracy. Immediately, my black sword dissolved and formed a small shield. The shaft simply thudded into it.

"But how can your shield withstand my shafts? You are a ghost!"

"I am also human," I answered as both my swords formed deadly black rods with flaming white ends.

Almost in slow motion Meiyorn fired ten separate arrows, probably within the space of about three seconds.

Closing my eyes, I could "see" them. My left arm flicked up and intercepted the first. My right knocked aside the second with an angled swing, then it turned aside the third with a sideways sweep.

Bringing both arms down I blocked the fourth, then I brought them up, out to both sides, then up over my head, blocking the rest of the ten arrows.

As Meiyorn prepared another volley, I formed my white weapon into a dagger. I threw it with all my strength, just as I had the day Dad gave me that dagger.

Although it missed Meiyorn it did cut his bowstring. He took one look at the white dagger reforming in my right hand, then at his now next to useless bow, and he ran.

I followed close behind, my black weapon forming a long haft, and my white weapon forming a harsh metal trident point.

We flew on for a long time, as I gradually gained on him. Just when I was close enough for a vicious thrust he barked, "Kill him!"

Without thinking I threw the trident at the glowing white orb flying towards me. There was a huge explosion, and my trident struck the ground below.

As I touched down it dissolved, then reformed in my hands as a vicious war scythe, with a keen curving blade about two feet long.

Aile came screeching from the sky. As I raised my arm to deflect the blast...

OOOOO

"Dichotomic fission is when a being separates the energies of light, and the energies of darkness that flow through it. Often, only one, either light energy or dark energy, can be used at a time, although they can,albeit very rarely, be used in tandem."

"For dichotomic fission to work, the light and dark energies that are being separated must be exactly even. It is very rarely that any being can do this. A living being is often more light than darkness, and a post-living being is the reverse. One would have to be both in order to perform it."

"This being impossible..."

OOOOO

Aile's enormous talons raked viciously against my shield as his wings tried to batter me to the ground.

As I thrust forwards, I felt his talons grip the edges of my shield. His huge beak arced through the air, intent on tearing my head to pieces.

My fist shot up, now in the form of a white gauntlet with black knuckles. There was a loud "clang" and my hand hurt as the impact reverberated through it several times. I almost hated to imagine the vibrations that must have been going through Aile's head.

As Aile was knocked back, then came in for another dive, I charged towards him. Knuckles met beak as we swung around and came in for another clash.

We repeated that process several times before I took Aile's full weight on my left arm. My arm vibrated with pain, but my other arm flicked out and struck Aile in the back. My left hand then grasped him around the beak and I threw him to the ground below. He bounced once, then lay motionless.

As I landed before Aile, my sword and sheath returned to their normal forms, I spread my hands wide, ready to banish him back into the Ghost Zone.

Just as I was forming the word on my tongue, a familiar voice spoke to me. The voice didn't frighten me at all. It was what the voice said that chilled the marrow in my bones.

"What is the price of a life?"

I turned around, and just stared. I had felt fear like this only once before. Just once. And a great portion of me had died that night.

Meiyorn stood before me, his mouth pressed into a firm line. Regret outlined his every feature as he held his knife to Kara's throat. She was still unconscious, lying at Meiyorn's mercy.

"I have hunted across lands that you cannot imagine, capturing and defeating more creatures, people and ghosts than you can fathom."

The line of a mouth on his face pressed even thinner as he said, "But I have never once taken a life. Not like this. I do not want to start now, ninja, but I will do it in a second if you try that again."

"You can't harm her with that blade, Meiyorn," I said, turning back to Aile as I said, "She's mortal."

"Ash, mixed with blood, can cause a ghost weapon to deal harm to humans," he answered flatly, "What do you think is in that red vial on my sash?"

I turned back to him as he said, "You cannot take the chance, ninja. So answer me this. Is the price of her life less than his after-life?"

My reply was this: "Is yours?"

Just then, a green beam struck Meiyorn. He doubled over as someone in a grey suit, very similar to Ronnie's, landed behind him.

The person in the suit was definitely not slight of frame. Whoever it was, they were quite heavily set.

Aile, drawn out of his stun by the noise, flew at the person in the grey suit.

Whoever it was, they were well equipped, because they wielded, as best I could identify them, smaller versions of the Fenton Ghost Grabbers, which knocked back Aile a fair ways.

"Are we late to the party?" Ronnie herself asked as she landed perfectly in front of me, as Umbrus landed beside her, then trotted up to me and started sniffing me from worry and licking my face.

Massaging my sore arm as I tried to fight Umbrus off I answered, "Just a tiny bit. So, come to think of it, how did you three know to get here at all? And by the way, what's with the muscle?"

"You don't recognize him?" Ronnie asked as our brawny companion knocked Aile around like an old shoe.

"Hmm.. let me think.. I may have seen him in the Phantom Menace..."

"Ha ha, lover boy," she answered with her usual cheery sarcasm, "So are you gonna bag ranger boy over there, or should I?"

I turned to Meiyorn, lying there on the ground, unconscious. "Wait," was all that I said for a few moments.

When Aile had been brought down, and lay beside his master, I shook Meiyorn until he awoke.

I stared him in the eye for a long time. Then it dawned on me that even at this range I couldn't see his face.

"So, ninja," he almost spat the words, "What are you going to do with us now?"

"I have defended this place from powers greater than you can imagine, and defeated foes that you cannot fathom."

The scowl on his face lifted ever so slightly as I finished my vaguely-modified quote, "But I have never once taken a life, or ended an after-life. I do not intend to start now."

I didn't tell him what I was going to do, but I think that he did understand a bit.

He answered me with a simple nod. Within a minute, he, as well as his beast, were back in the Ghost Zone, and we were on our way home.

OOOOO

Just as we stopped outside mine and Ronnie's house I turned to the guy in the grey suit and asked, "Seriously, though, who the hell are you?"

The guy hesitated a moment, then reached up and started peeling back his mask. My jaw dropped as I saw who it was.

"Tai?" I gaped.

He then turned to Ronnie and said, "two hundred yin," as he flipped her the money, "I honestly didn't think he would be this surprised."

"Well, I've known him a long time," she grinned maliciously as she pocketed the money. She then turned to me and said, "Please tell me you aren't that surprised. I made the bet and even I didn't think you'd be this surprised."

"Uh! Oh! Ohohohouhuuuh!" I stammered as my eyes bugged out and I started shifting my index fingers between Ronnie and Tai.

I was at it a few minutes before Ronnie slapped me across the face. "Thanks," I said as I looked at Tai.
"So, what's your secret identity?"

"The Grey Ghost, or Haiiro-Kun Yurei, " he said without hesitation.

"I swear I've heard that somewhere before," I mused for a second before I extended my hand to the newest member of Team Yurei.

"Welcome to the team," I said after he took my hand and shook it, "The t-shirts'll be in on Tuesday."

"Why do I feel like we've forgotten something," I said, as a strange nagging feeling started gnawing into my subconscious.

"Uh, lover boy..." Ronnie said, waving a hand in my face.

Then it hit me like a slap across the face with a rat's tail.

"I'll be a few minutes," I said as I leapt into the air and soared off.

OOOOO

I shook her gently, trying to wake her from unconsciousness. For a second her eyes fluttered, then opened fully.

"Tir?" she asked dazedly, "What happened?"

"It should come back to ya in a few seconds," I said confidently. My statement was followed about four seconds later by an unearthly shriek.

I could barely even move as she flung her arms around my neck and cried, "I was so scared. Both times that thing looked at me I had this huge chill going down my spine, as if it were going to kill me."

I stood up and tried to steady her with one arm. "It's gone now, Kara. It's not going to hurt you... ever."

"Now can I give you a helping hand home?" I asked. She smiled a bit, then nodded.

XXXXX

How's that for a chapter? And if you think this one's good, my last few are going to be even better.

I think there are going to be another five or six chapters after this one, plus an epilogue, just so everybody knows.