Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt.

The image of the house burning was embedded into Mai's mind. When the rest of the town came, the two were already in their rooms asleep. The town police questioned the two for the witnesses but both had lied that they were asleep. Mai's mom came home later that night. She worried for Mai and Joanna's safety.

"You don't think the arsonist will target our house next, do you?" Mai and Joanna heard Mai's mom ask the officer quietly.

They were supposed to be asleep but they couldn't. Joanna was filled with the adrenaline of burning down the house next door so she could barely close her eyes. Mai was haunted by the image of the old woman's house burning and Joanna's grin when they'd finished. Apparently, Joanna had learned everything from the people that killed her dad.

The town was in an uproar the next day. Theories spread like wildfire and soon at least thirty different versions of what happened had been spread around.

'I heard the old lady was in the yakuza so she burned down her own house because the police was after her!'

'Really? I heard that she had debts to settle but when they found out she couldn't pay, they made her pay... with her life!'

Eventually, the entire thing died down.

Mai and Joanna were walking in the marketplace when they heard someone talking about the old lady once again. They both froze.

'... reckon it's that woman next door.' Mai and Joanna turned to see who was talking. 'She's always been suspicious. See, nothing like this has ever happened. That woman turns up with her kid and a fire starts. We're supposed to think that's a coincidence?!'

Mai, who couldn't handle the guilt, ran home.

One day, the two of them were playing jacks. Mai stared at the jacks as Joanna counted them.

"Maybe we should just tell the town the truth," Mai suggested uneasily, "They'll understand, right?"

"No they won't," Joanna immediately said, "They won't make us leave or anything. They'll do worse things."

"What kind of things?"

"They have a word for people like us two," she looked Mai straight in the eye, "Do you know what that word is?"

"... No."

"Murderer." Joanna's voice was cruel and uncaring. "You're a murderer, Mai. You know what they do to murderers? They kill them."

Two weeks passed and one day, Joanna got sick. Mai's mom brought her to a hospital and Mai, who was bored, roamed around town.

"It's that freak girl Joanna," she heard someone say.

Mai didn't want to hear them so she tried to walk away quickly but she still heard them say the next part.

"She's been bragging, I heard, in the next town that she set a house on fire AND that she was about to pin it on her little brown-haired friend."

It was unbelievable but Mai stopped cold anyway.

"It makes sense," said another voice, "I heard Mizuki left her because Joanna threatened to kill her."

The two went on with blaming Joanna and Mai believed the lot of it. To her, all of it made sense. Mai even believed that Joanna plotted to kill her mom. She went home dejected. When she got there, Joanna and her mom were already home.

"Stay here with Joanna," her mom said, "I have to go and buy the medicine. I'll be back later tonight, I hope."

Joanna and Mai played normally but the happier Joanna acted, the angrier Mai seemed to get. Why was Joanna happy, when Mai was suffering from guilt? What right did Joanna have, to frame Mai and kill people as she pleases?

Darkness fell upon the town and the stars were shining. By this time, Mai was filled with fury. But still, she smiled because she had a plan.

"Let's go onto the roof and watch the stars!" Mai suggested. Joanna nodded and they climbed up and out onto the roof.

Mai motioned for Joanna to follow her near the edge.

"Tell me the truth," Mai said to Joanna, "Do you plan on framing me and killing my mom?"

"What?" Joanna felt offended, "No! Who told you that?"

"I heard you've been bragging about it."

Joanna glared at Mai. "And you believed them over me?"

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Mai's voice was getting louder by the second. "I mean, you're bursting with happiness and I'm the one suffering!"

"It's not my fault you're weak!" Joanna was screaming.

Mai was at the edge of her sanity. She started crying, sobbing and laughing at the same time. It was actually a cool night but the two were sweating. When Mai finished crying and laughing, she glared at Joanna.

"WE'RE NOT FRIENDS ANYMORE!" Mai screamed so loud that her throat hurt.

"Mai, be reasonable," younger Joanna said nervously, "They're lying..."

"They're not lying, ARE THEY?!" younger Mai screamed, "I'M DONE BEING USED BY YOU!"

"Mai..." Joanna's eyes filled with tears. "I swear! They're lying! They're lying!"

Joanna shook her head violently, murmuring protests of denial.

"No," Mai shook her head, "No, no, no, no, no, NO!"

Joanna took a step forward with her hand outstretched.

"Mai..."

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Mai screamed, "DON'T TOUCH ME! DON'T TOUCH ME! DON'T TOUCH ME!"

"Mai!" Tears streamed down Joanna's cheeks, "They're lying! It's you and me, remember?"

"You and me, against the world?" Mai glared, "Don't even joke!"

"Mai... Mai-chan?"

"Don't call me that! YOU WERE GOING TO PIN EVERYTHING ON ME! YOU WERE GOING TO KILL MY MOM!"

Mai went back in for a bit and when she came out she had in her hands, a box of matches and a bottle of familiar looking liquid. She started pouring it behind her.

"Mai?" Joanna's voice was shaking, "Mai, what are you doing? That's oil!"

"Oh, really?" came Mai's sarcastic reply, "So what?"

"Mai! That's dangerous!" Joanna shrunk back, "We'll both die here!"

"I'm not dying," Mai said simply, "You are."

"Huh?"

"I'll be sure to tell them you're sorry. I'll tell them that you told me you'd kill me if I didn't. I'll tell them everything."

"Mai, you're wrong! MAI!"

"Shut it, Joanna."

"What about your mom?"

"She'll believe me. I'm her daughter. She's out right now. She won't know a thing!"

"Mai, MAI!"

"Don't lie to me. I know everything about you."

Mai stood behind the oil and struck a match. Joanna started running towards her with a frantic expression. Mai tried to push her back with one hand but Joanna grabbed her arm and pulled her in. The match in Mai's hands had fallen into the oil and the two were trapped.

"It's not enough that you were going to walk away with a clean slate?!" Mai slapped Joanna.

"I only meant to get out!" More tears fell down Joanna's cheeks.

Mai started pushing Joanna back towards the edge of the roof. Joanna struggled and resisted.

"I'm not going to die with you!" Mai growled, "You're dying first!"

Mai pushed Joanna and they were wrestling with each other. Mai tried to get her foot onto Joanna's stomach and Joanna tried to turn around. Joanna tried to trip Mai but Mai stepped on her foot. Suddenly, they heard calls of 'Fire! Fire!' in the distance. Using all the strength she can, Mai pushed Joanna to the edge.

"Mai..." Joanna looked Mai in the eye. "They're lying..."

For a second, Joanna looked like she was telling the truth. Mai almost let go. Except... she didn't. Out of shock, Mai gave a push and Joanna fell backwards off the roof.

By this time, the officials had come. They had started dousing the fires. A few people checked on Joanna. Mai had a faint hope that maybe Joanna had lived. But that was no good too.

"Someone!" the person down there screamed, "Someone help us! She's stopped breathing! Her heartbeat's slowing!"

People crowded Joanna until one looked up and saw Mai, looking over the roof, kneeling.

"There's a kid up there!" they screamed. "Put the fire out quickly!"

Oh. I thought this would be shorter. I guess there'll be a part 3 to this recap. Anyway, sorry if I bore you. Oh and someone sent me a review in I think, Indonesian but the online translator didn't translate very well so sorry but I didn't understand.

PLEASE REVIEW!