This chapter is going over the AN. For those who are just now reading the story, I took a couple months long a break due to a death in the family and moving.

Stupidly I made a poll. That's not the problem, no, the problem is I forgot to post it to my profile. Its there now, guys, you can actually vote now. I was all like "why isn't anyone voting?...oh..."

That friend who was with me with the cop for a family friend just got back to me, it was a robbery. Neither of us could see inside the building, but we just felt nervous like something was happening, and it really was a robbery. Woo~ we're psychic~

I just saw Warcraft, it was really good and I've never felt such a strong longing for the ability to manipulate magic before. Though, I didn't get the free key, which is annoying.

Anyways, should prolly get on with the story.

"regular talking"

thoughts from Mai to Allen

Allen talking to Mai

"Ghost talking"

"English"

text and the title of the story

~line breaks~

Hope you enjoy~

Chapter 9

It all falls into place.

I opened the sliding door with a loud bang, irritated at the state of affairs. After I bandaged up his hand, Naru rolled off, a ball of self disgust.

Takigawa-san turned to me. "..Oh, Naru isn't with you? By the way, what happened to that other girl?" He asked.

"Kuroda-san went home," I replied.

"Oh? I guess maybe he was so embarrassed, he went home," Ayako said haughtily.

"Maybe..."

I grabbed a monitor and continued to clean up the remaining equipment. John walked up to me.

"Is it okay to put this stuff away?" He asked.

"If we need it we can take it out again later. Besides, we don't know when this building might collapse. I replied, smiling.

"You still believe what the little boy said?" Ayako taunted. The smile was wiped off my face and I started towards her in rage.

"How do you know he's wrong? Why don't you prove to me that there are evil spirits here! Or better yet, why don't you do your job and exorcise them!" I snapped in anger.

"Susoba nisusoba uso bazara uso hatsuta jiaku uso bao koku—oso" The blond monk chanted. Allen looked at him with interest.

He seems to have been trained well. The spectral boy noted. I looked at him curiously.

Is it doing anything? I asked.

I can feel it tugging on me, it's not making me do anything as I am not a malevolent spirit, no, more like it's asking me to assist him should the need arise. I shot him a surprised look.

What do you mean?

Well most spirituals call upon another force to help them in some way, the Miko deals pretty much solely with the ancient spirits within trees. Imagine those rattle heads with beards, he explained, his manner of explanation not dissimilar to a teacher's.

Anyways, the monk calls upon all energy sources around that are not an opposing force, and the priest asks for divine power from his god, and works on the fear that the name of his god invokes, he finished.

I stood and pondered this information, soon getting distracted by other thoughts.

I looked at my brother curiously, catching his eye.

Ne, sister, what's on your mind? He asked.

I tilted my head. Well.. I guess precisely that.

He stared at me blankly...What?

I was just thinking, how do other people think? For me, I can sort of block out my vision and play scenarios almost like a movie, I said. Also, when I focus on a thought, it almost turns into a stutter as I hear the thought echoing around in my head. Like I hear the beginning of the word before I say it, and it's repeated after. Though, that's only when I'm focusing really hard.

Allen looked at me strangely. Well.. I guess for me it's like my thoughts are a web, and my internal monologue shoots from connection to connection really fast. Though, to be fair, I'm dead and have been my whole life, he answered.

I smiled at him, then paused at the door. You know, I've always kind of imagined thoughts like raindrops. Just like the temperatures affecting if it's nice the day after or gross and sticky, your thoughts affect how things end up.

Say your best friend takes another friend out to something cool for her birthday without inviting you. You could be negative and think they hate you, or you can realize that it was a special day for the birthday girl: an exclusive present, I said.

Allen looked at me, choosing his words carefully. That's because it does to an extent affect the outcome. Your thoughts and actions are sent out to the universe, and while individually small, they add up.

You know, he started, from your brain to the base of your spinal column is a good amount of electrical energy moving about. This like, all running electricity, forms an electromagnetic field of some kind. Just like how different colors are on the spectrum, these currents vary depending on what neurons fire. Your thoughts change the patterns, changing the field. This field commonly goes by one name: your Aura, he explained. This is why it's so rare for someone to see all layers, most only see one if any. It's a mutation in their eyes to see something other than the normal light spectrum.

… Interesting, I muttered.

John and I walked down the creaking stairs.

"Mai-san," he started, "I set up a tape recorder on the second floor."

"Ah, thanks. Thank you for helping me." I said, dipping my head politely in his direction.

"No problem. I'm gonna go look around a little as well." The priest said, walking away.

Turning, I walked down the worn hallway, my shoes softly clacking against the mahogany floors. As I walked, I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye. I ran up to the offending window, but saw nothing.

What was that? I asked my brother, wondering if he saw.

Ever since the flute incident and our going into the woods, some of the little woodland spirits have been following you around. They mean no harm, age wise they are only children. He stood next to me and held his hand against the window.

Come child, he urged. There is nothing to fear, never shall harm nor judgment befall you by our hands.

There in front of my very eyes a small orb of pulsating green light tentatively approached. Once it reached its perch in front of us it expanded to take the form of a small creature about a foot tall.

I gazed in awe at the small spirit. …Hello, I said shyly, waving slightly. The sound of wooden wind chimes echoed around me with a note of childlike joy, seemingly in response to my greeting.

My brother held out his hand. Child of earth, I have a job for you and your friends, if you are up to it, he offered.

The spirit nodded excitedly, jumping up and down while holding its hands up in the air above its head.

Allen got down to its level, running a hand through his auburn colored hair. My child, you recall the accident that happened a moon ago? He asked.

At the positive reply he continued. Some people were injured. I ask that you and your friends help us gather the herbs and natural remedies to make a first aid kit, should it ever happen again.

The spirit seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding and compressing back to that ball of light, zipping away in an instant.

Allen stood up then looked at me. Reaching out he grasped the obsidian arrowhead, feeling the thrum of energy under his fingers.

You know, this really suits you, he murmured, obsidian is known not only to protect one from psychic attacks, but it also protects the kind and soft-hearted from negative energies.

He smiled softly. You've always been the kind of person to reach out to those in need, he remarked, before sharply spinning on his heel. He walked a few steps then turned to me, a wide smile on his face. This ghost hunting thing, I think it'll be good for you.

Both of us started violently when a loud bang rang through the hall.

Naru? I guessed, running towards the sound. I stopped short when I caught a familiar figure. A glasses clad, braided figure.

"Kuroda-san..." I trailed off.

"How's it going?" She asked, stepping onto the raised wooden platform away from the show shelves.

"Ah.. Well.. Since you left... The Monk and the Miko-san have both performed exorcisms, just in case. I don't think they did all that much, though the Monk had promise." I replied.

"Where's Shibuya-san?" She questioned.

"I have no idea," I answered. "From what we can tell there don't seem to be any site-bound spirits at this location."

"I saw one," she stated stubbornly.

"Yes, you mentioned that," I deadpanned. "Even if you saw one that doesn't mean it's bound to this site. It could just as easily dislike your abilities and be following you." I told her, trying to appeal to her pride. She turned red and looked away.

"Playtime is over, you kids should go home. The exorcism was a success," Ayako said. The fiery-haired Miko had stepped down the stairs, and was wearing a floral dress.

"That's what you said last time," I stated plainly.

"This time we're sure," she snapped angrily.

"No. Spirits are still here," Kuroda cut in, staring straight at me. "I can feel it, there are still powerful spirits here."

Walking up to her, I muttered, "We are talking about spirits that can do harm, girly. Trust me, I would know by now if there were any malevolent spirits," in her ear.

"Playing your psychic game again? Cut it out. Leave it to the professionals," Ayako interjected patronizingly. "I don't believe it."

"You should know by now that just because you don't believe it doesn't mean it doesn't exist, with your line of work," I muttered, Allen snickered in the background.

"Rest assured, Ayako may have blown it, but I did it right," Monk stated arrogantly, with John trailing behind him quietly.

"How dare you!?" The banshee screeched.

"I'm just being honest." He replied.

"You're just trying to take all the credit for MY work."

"No, you are."

"Will you knock it off!" I yelled, royally pissed. Suddenly, thumps and footsteps could be heard from the upper floors.

"-Is someone up there...?" I asked, addressing the question to both the living and the dead.

No, all are accounted for, Allen said from where he was resting in my shadow.

"All of us are here... NO WAY!" Monk exclaimed as the thumps and bangs crescendoed.

At the most recent loud bang, Takigawa bounded up the stairs, taking steps three at a time. I called after him in a wordless shout of exclamation.

"It seriously sounds like someone is up there..." Ayako muttered.

He came back down slowly with a blank face. "No... there can't be..." He said, trailing off.

"Wait..!" I snapped, suddenly extremely pissed. "There can't be!? I know I heard it! Every-one else heard it. And Takigawa heard it too, right!?"

"It was just the wind!" Ayako said, in denial.

I suddenly got extremely quiet. "The wind...? The wind...!? Excuse me? Do you really think I'm that stupid?!" I ended screaming.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! You were so arrogant earlier when you were lecturing Naru, but did Naru try to give you lame excuses like you're giving us!?" I yelled.

I sneered in disgust, "You all make me sick. Why don't you guys try acting like adults!" My voice rang with not so subtle contempt.

Suddenly the banging returned, almost ten times louder this time. The lights above us shattered, raining glass upon us.

"More footsteps!" John yelled out.

"It sounds like an indoor athletic competition! Hey get out of there! That ceiling could collapse!" Monk warned. I nodded.

I ran down the hall, but when I turned the corner I noticed something way too late.

The wooden shoe shelf was falling towards me.

Putting my hands up in a last ditch attempt to stop it I discovered something; the cubbie was warm to the touch.

And then I knew no more.

:) Well, that's that chapter done.

Monk's chant was annoying to translate because on my version of the manga it wasn't translated and when I looked it up, apparently there is a soundtrack from the show called "monk's mantra" which was wonderful. I could translate the characters themselves, but the order left me guessing. I basically read it going down from right to left.

3 my beta is awesome, dealing with my random breaks and still beta-ing my writing.

I sincerely thank you all for your support in my time of mourning. The one thing I hate the most about my father's death was with all he was on our asses about grades, he didn't live to see the graduation of his first born. He died the day before the Grad Walk, more than a week before my brother's graduation.

Anyways, I gotta get working on the next chapter. :)

I will see you all next time, have a great day!

~AzureSkyTower