Theatre Wars

Chapter 5: In which there are a lot of actors and Naru is annoying.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Ghost Hunt.

Hola! I know I said this chapter will be out earlier and it's really a rough one - sitting on it is only going to make it more convoluted - so here it is.

Enjoy!

"Naru…" my voice falters as he leans wearily into the table edge. He traces the scar gingerly. "This is unexpected," he says tersely when Lin bursts in, followed more slowly by Ayako and Masako. "What happened?"

Their breaths catch at the sight of the red welts around Naru's previously unblemished skin.

"I suppose I'm well-favoured by the lady of the house."

… How can he joke at a time like this? He hands the cursed letter to Lin, who takes it carefully by the edges. "When?"

"The letter began bleeding when I had Mai read them out."

Ayako and Masako crowd round as well, the older woman wrinkling her nose in distaste at the three words repeated across the page. "Ouch. Looks like a rather unpleasant warning letter. Does it hurt?"

Naru's fingers go unconsciously to the scarring. "No," he says too quickly for me to believe it to be true. Ayako's professional interest is clearly piqued. "Mind if I have a look? I may not look it, but I am a certified doctor."

"Not at all."

We all watch as she examines him, Lin joining her at one point. "Has it changed since earlier on?" he asks.

"Not any that I can sense."

Ayako steps back. "It doesn't look very deep. At the least, it shouldn't affect your eating or breathing, which if you ask me, you should be extremely thankful for. The only problem…"

Masako nods once. "Yes… The problem is the rate at which the curse progresses." We all look expectantly at Naru and he gives a careless shrug. "In my opinion, I think less than five days," he says. "Shizuko died on the 17th, and it's her death anniversary three days from today."

"Three days?" Ayako snorts. "Isn't that a little difficult, even for someone like you?" Naru walks towards the only exit and we all instinctively move aside for him. The door flies open and Hiro rushes in, panting. "Shibuya-san? It's an emergency!"

The emergency as it turns out, is Natsume. Well, not just Natsume, but all the men from Aoi. They had all varying brands on them, similar to Naru's. They had all been sitting, too stunned to move, but on spotting Naru, Natsume jumps up, and before anyone can stop him, grabs hold of Naru by his collar. "What do you think you're doing?" he yells loud enough for me, standing metres away, to wince. Naru disengages himself curtly. "If you're dissatisfied with my company, you may dismiss us."

"Natsume!" Umezou-san snaps irritably. "This is not how you treat people!"

"Yes-yes, you should calm down, Natsume-dono," Takashi adds tremulously, to which Natsume glares venomously. "Of course you would say that, secretary-san, you're as anyone with eyes to see, unscathed, as are all of the Icibara men! If this isn't proof that they're cursing us, I don't know what is!"

Naru frowns. "Is this true?"

Haru nods. "None of them have the scarring."

"Well?" Natsume growls. "What has the great detective to say, huh?"

Naru silently unbuttons his collar, revealing the scarring that he too bears. "To be exact, not all of Aoi's members."

His announcement is met with mute silence which is finally broken by Ike-san. "Neither Umezou nor I have the scars."

Naru raises an eyebrow sarcastically. "I believe I was not mistaken in hearing that all the men in Aoi have been cursed?"

"Well, actually, it's only me, Natsume and Kouki," Hiro admits nervously. "I'm guessing only men below thirty are affected."

"Either way, he isn't," Natsume yells, jabbing a finger at Anzai accusingly, and who lifts both his shoulders in a shrug. "I didn't curse you," he mutters irritably. "And the other men are fine too."

He looks at Naru steadily. "It looks more to me like someone wants to stop the investigation, seeing as you weren't spared either Shibuya."

"You seem very certain that someone is involved," Naru remarks. He hasn't told them about the cursed letter. A cold feeling grips me. What if by reading that letter, I'd somehow caused this? I try to speak but Natusme throws himself into a nearby chair agitatedly. "I give up. We're all going to die."

"It could have been me," I murmur, hanging my head guiltily.

"What? Why?" Hiro asks.

"I-I opened a letter written by Shizuko, and – and there was blood…"

"Mai!" Naru growls. "Don't be stupid. You don't even have the mental capability to curse."

"It could have been an accident," I protest, stung at being insulted twice over. Anzai snorts, breaking into laughter. "Mai-chan, how sweet of you to take responsibility." Naru stiffens. "As the situation stands, I can hardly call it a laughing matter, Anzai-san, and kindly do not involve my assistant."

"But Naru, he was only trying to…"

Anzai's smile fades. "No, he's right. I'll better be off then. You wouldn't need us anymore will you?"

"That's right," Naru replies coldly.

"Well, what now, Shibuya-san?" Umezou presses as several of the men left. Naru, whose attention is fixed on Anzai's exit, turns at the mention of his name. The men who have been affected by the curse are all listening anxiously. "What interests me is why Ito Shizuko would curse her own descendants."

There is a low murmur. They haven't considered that yet. "But how…" Takashi asks.

Naru smirks, his first in a while. "I suppose we'll have to ask her."

The air is filled with the scent of incense. "Can you feel it?" Masako asks me. "Mmhmm," I whisper, seeing her glance carefully at Naru. "Lin-san isn't taking any chances is he?" We're in the main auditorium, the place where she has felt the strongest presence so far. There is a sort of fierce buzz around Naru, thanks to the shiki that are protecting him. "They're making their presence felt. Something must worry them," Masako says, as she scans the area with the same measured care which she had used to observe Naru.

"Are you scared?" I whisper back. Masako's nose wrinkles in disdain. "I've dealt with things worse than you have ever seen." I blink innocently.

"Worse even than Urado?" Her face pales and she lifts a sleeve close to her. "You shouldn't ask about things you don't really want an answer to," she answers delicately. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I actually have work to do."

I watch as she moves to the centre of the stage, the single candle which she had lit gutting in the air. The flame, the only source of light in the theatre, wavers and then goes out with a soft puff, the smoke rising slowly. As my eyes adjust, darker and lighter shades of black dancing in front of me, I become aware that one patch is deeper and denser than the rest. Masako's attention is fixed on it.

"Itou Shizuko?" Masako enquires cautiously. The spirit doesn't move.

"We won't hurt you. I just want to speak to you," she entreats cajolingly. The vaguely human-shaped patch wavers like the shadow of a candle flame. "I want… him." No guesses who Shizuko wants. Lin inches closer to Naru.

"You can't. He isn't who you're looking for. If we can help in any way…"

Remembering all too well what had happened earlier, I know Masako must be trying to make up for her blunder. The blurry figure seems to darken angrily, but it's hard to tell what's going on without any light.

"He's the right one. He…likes his tea…"

There is a loud guffaw, cut abruptly, which must have been Ayako. Masako frowns. "Why have you been cursing the people of Aoi?"

The spirit shakes, and a low, hoarse sound emits from where its mouth should be. "They deserve it. Those who got in our way… They'll pay." The spirit turns to gaze back down at Masako. "Don't you agree?" it says sweetly.

"That shouldn't be the way…"

I frown. Masako's voice seems to be fainter, as if it's coming from a very long way. "Itou-san, please hear us out…" I lean forward, straining to hear, as the spirit bends to speak to Masako. I feel Ayako put a restraining hand on me. "Don't. Something's wrong," she warns when Lin rushes forward. "Damn! Hara-san! Get away from her!"

Masako's face, white and her lips trembling murmurs something, shaking her head, but we cannot hear her. The spirit splits into a wide, red grin as it looks at Naru. "Meet me in the powder room," it whispers.

"I prefer not to," Naru replies shortly. The shiki have morphed into wisps of light, their attack mode. He glances at Masako, wide-eyed, stiff, and clearly frightened as Shizuko grips her shoulder in a vice. "Let her go first."

"Naru!" Lin growls. "Don't interfere!"

"What do you want with us?" Masako whispers finally. The spirit leers. "Right question at last, little medium." It jabs a wavy black shadow appendage in Naru's direction. "I'll be waiting. Or else those men…"

"Wait."

There is the sound of a match striking, and the light of a single candle blossoms against the dark. With an anguished moan, the shadow of Shizuko fades away, Masako collapsing in relief on the ground. We all turn to the source of light, Naru looking particularly irritated.

"Oh, gomen. Was I interrupting something?" Anzai asks, holding up a bundle of red candles. "Who needs these? Seems our power got cut…"

Not unexpectedly, after what happened, Lin ha gone into full blown mother-hen mode and for the moment, Naru is off the case, at least on an official basis. This hasn't stopped him from walking about or ordering the rest of us around though.

"Mai. Hand me the black file. No, the other one."

"Why can't you do it yourself eh?" Bou-san grumps. Naru spares him a withering glance. "Unlike you, I am busy," he answers as he flips to a page. I peer over his shoulder curiously at the portrait of the handsome dark-eyed man dominating the engagement announcement in a scan of a yellow newspaper.

"Is that the notorious Haruo?" Bou-san asks noisily as he comes to look as well. Both he and John have been recruited since Naru's "retirement" from the case, though, they have been, in Naru's terms, "nuisances more than they are help".

Naru doesn't bother to reply. "From this and the clients' respective accounts, Haruo and Shziuko's match was looked favourably on by all the interested parties."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Bou-san demands, earning himself an impatient glare.

"Because Shizuko claims their relationship to have been thwarted by her own family," Naru explains in a bored tone when the computer emits a beeping sound.

"The temperature reading in the powder room is showing an unusual dip. Mai, go and check if Takigawa's accidentally tripped over the wire on his patrols earlier."

"Oi. There's no need to be spiteful, Naru, just because you're stuck in base."

"Ignore him," I say loudly as I set three tea cups down on the table. "He's just in a bad mood because, unlike normal people, he needs two people to babysit him." John smiles nervously as Bou-san and Naru both express their disagreement by silently glaring at each other. No one had trusted that Bou-san would not accidentally allow Naru to escape, but then neither had Lin been confident that John's mild temperament would be suited to the job while he and Masako investigated the room as Naru's proxies. Half a day has passed, with no success, and in the peace at least, rehearsals have been going on smoothly, the cast's unease having been resolved temporarily by Ayako's paper charms.

"Are you sure you three will be alright while I'm gone?" I ask as I head for the door.

"Yes." Naru and Bou-san say before glaring and walking away to opposite ends of the room.

Heh.

"Excuse me miss, coming through…"

"Oh, sorry, didn't see you there."

"You aren't part of the cast? Where's the director?" I shake my head and nearly ram it into Ike-san carrying a large piece of board.

"Whoa there jou-chan," he says, his eyes twinkling. "What's the rush?"

"There's no rush," I say guiltily and promptly tread on somebody's shoes. "Ouch," Anzai winces. "Oh my foot! I can't perform anymore! Umezou-jisan! Help!" he cries, pretending to fall over dramatically in an eerie imitation of Natsume. I grin as Ike-san frowns disapprovingly. "Ichibara antics," he mutters sourly. Anzai swiftly darts over to him, holding up the other end of the board. "If I may assist?" he offers, flashing a disarmingly charming smile. Ike-san snorts. "Really, there's no need. Besides, Yukiko is here," he states ominously as Anzai's attention is immediately caught, the cheeky smirk softening at the sight of her. Sighing, Ike-san makes a shooing action at Anzai. "Run along then, I can manage. I'm not that old," he adds as Anzai strodes quickly away with only a hasty "goodbye ojiisan".

"Well. That's the Ichibara stray cat for you," he sighs as he mops his brow with the edge of the towel he'd draped round his shoulders.

"It's a nickname that suits him," I chuckle as I watch Anzai's failed attempts to flirt with Yukiko. "Doesn't she like him?" Ike-san shrugs.

"Who knows. She's always been pokerfaced, that one. As it is, given how pretty she is, she barely only makes it to deshi. She's a good dancer though. Pity about her acting skills."

I thought about it. "Natsume isn't as good as Anzai either," I point out. Ike shrugs again.

"That brat will completely outshine her, and he's not from the family is he? And well, I suppose it's only appropriate for them to perform against each other. I know the bosses are trying to get them together."

I stare at Yukiko as she stands in the middle of the stage dreamily as Anzai flutters around her and at Natsume who is lounging in the director's chair and fanning himself darkly, completely uninterested in either his potential fiancée or the competition. It'd be hard to find two people more indifferent to each other. A loud cough jolts me and Ike-san ruffles my hair. "Well, you aren't hearing anything else from me. I'm holding you up aren't I? Can I help point you there?" he asks, gesturing at the mess onstage. I shake my head.

"Thanks, but I'm going to the powder room." To my surprise, his gaze darkens suddenly and he waves over Hiro, who has just walked in with Haru. "Here, Hiro-kun," he says as Hiro separates from Haru and moves over.

I eye the pink muffler which he is wearing and catching where I was looking, he blushes slightly. "Ha-Haru-chan made that for me," he says almost bashfully.

"Oh." I share a knowing smile with Ike-san. Hiro blushes some more and coughs awkwardly. "Anything I can help with?"

Ike-san sighs. "Then, I suggest you be careful. Listen to what we know about that room."

When we first arrived, I was naturally curious about the stage. Ginsui's a grand old dame of a theatre and I wanted to have a look before anyone else. Now, I'm not the sort to be terrified of the dark or crammed spaces; I can't be because it's my job to go into such places. But, you know, the green room on the house right terrifies me. No one uses the left wing's balcony level changing room, not since I was last here… and that was… I would say about six years ago. I get a sense of horror, like there's something nasty waiting in there whenever I go near it…

Ike-san's account has sent an unpleasant chill down when he spoke of this place and I hover uncertainly between the curtains. Inside, it is almost pitch-dark, the only light source coming from the stage area, where Ike-san and the rest are. Where are Lin, Masako or Ayako? How strange… the wings are empty of people. It's so quiet here I can hear my own breathing. The sounds of the rehearsal starting up again seem to come from very far away. Perhaps I missed the others being delayed on stage and I walk round to the narrow wooden stairs at the back when someone grabs me.

"Naru!" I squeak. "You idiot!"

"Where were you?"

He doesn't wait but starts up the stairs. "Umm… Naru? What are you doing? You shouldn't be here!" I whisper angrily. The very slight pause in his steps and turned profile shows he's listening. "When you hadn't reached the room after ten minutes, the monk became convinced you might have been attacked by spirits," he explains dryly.

I flush. "Well, speak of yourself! And how did you get past them?" Even in the gloom, I can see Naru's smirk. "Too easily. And there is something I want to personally investigate."

"Lin is going to flip," I mutter as we reach the top. Naru walks ahead cautiously as he gropes for the light switch. Finding a row of switches, he gives them a few experimental flicks but nothing happens.

"That's right," adds Hiro-kun as he joins the conversation around the dinner table .The electricity is funny on that side. No matter what we do, it switches on and off sporadically…

"Never mind," says Naru calmly as he goes towards the door. A sense of dread washes over me.

"Interesting."

I jump, instinctively grabbing Naru's elbow. He stiffens and I let go hurriedly, feeling a blush spread across my face. "Sorry."

He sweeps one finger along the pipe, wiping a layer of green off it. I wrinkle my nose. "What's that? Mould?"

"Algae, to be specific. Remind me to ask about the water source for the theatre later."

"Uh…h-hai…"

We move on.

But that's not all. Once, I dropped my torchlight up here accidentally and it rolled over to the door on that side. The switch hit the floor when it fell, and in the beam of light, I saw a pair of feet standing in the doorway. I must have blinked though, because it was gone after that.

I clutch Naru's black sleeve. "Er, I don't think we should be up here," I whisper, frightened. Hiro's account of the ghost sighting is still echoing through my mind. Naru doesn't reply and I look up anxiously. But, instead of Naru, I am holding the pale kimono sleeve of a woman.

Her head twists slowly round to look down at me, and her square mouth parts, emitting a cat-like wail. Dear kami-sama…it's all wrong, the way her head is on back-to-front. Every nerve in my body is screaming at me to run, run, run, but I can't even blink. "Don't look away." A familiar solid presence comes to stand between me and the ghost woman. It's Naru, his back to me. The spirit and he are standing almost nose to nose but Naru doesn't even flinch. "Stay calm," he says. Slowly, he puts his hand over mine and pries it from the kimono sleeve. The ghost is watching us through black, pupil-less eyes. We back away from her when I step on something wet. Resisting the urge to look down, we back further into the passageway cautiously when Naru accidentally treads on my foot and with a squeak, I fall heavily on the ground. The ghost, which has been watching us, utters a wail suddenly and scrabbles forward on all fours.

"Run!" Naru shouts, yanking me back up. We pound down the narrow walkway, sounds of the creature pursuing behind us. "Ha…ru…o…." it rasps, its spindly arms and legs gaining ground rapidly. Why aren't we getting to an exit? I turn to look.

"Don't look back," Naru yells, and putting his hand to the small of my back, he shoves me forward suddenly. My feet trip over something that has been strung across the walkway and I land again, painfully on my elbows.

"Ha…ru…o…." There are stars dancing before my eyes as I climb shakily to my feet. "Naru?"

The corridor is void of Shizuko or Naru.

Notes: Augh! And it got all explanatory and draggy again. *clutches head in dramatic exasperation* the plot will pick up again next chapter, which I am working on already, so hopefully, the next update won't be so long. Till then!

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