I REFUSE TO DISCONTINUE MY STORIES! So here you have it, after 4 grueling months, I got the time and will-power to finish. I deeply apologize for the inconvenience, I'm sure I lost all my faithful reviewers, but just so the story can be finished for anyone out there who needs to know, here you are.

Disclaimer: Wow. Good thing I don't own Hisaya Nakajo's Hana-Kimi, huh?

Ch. 5: Investigation. Truth. Horror.

"Then, then he pulled me back up! And—and—and—"

"That's when we met up with you guys." Nakao murmured, cutting Nakatsu off.

"Can I see the bruise?" Kayashima asked in a hollow tone. The small boy lifted his shirt revealing the mark he had obtained after the spirit knocked him down a flight of stairs. The medium's violet eyes narrowed. "You're really hurt…the wound is tangible…but Yamimaru's weak…a spirit, how could he…?"

"You look pale. Take a breath." Sano advised. Mizuki, who was too close for friendly comfort at the moment (although neither teen seemed to mind), nodded. "We need to work this out. And if you're too scared, we leave. It's as simple as that."

"Taiki. The point is that whether or not we want to face it, Yamimaru's back and stronger than ever. I heard his voice so clear, and he's just…I don't know, it's hard to describe. He has a more obvious presence than before. Like Izumi said, why don't we go home—"

"Go home?" Kayashima echoed incredulously, "Are you insane? I want to stay! I want to learn everything I can about this creep…and stop him once and for all. The only question is if you all want to stick around."

"You know I'm not going anywhere." Nakatsu said with a grin.

"Neither am I!" exclaimed Mizuki.

"And someone needs to look out for you guys, which is where I come in," Sano added.

"Don't count me out just yet!" Sekime said loudly.

"Me, either," Noe piped.

"I'm…staying too." Nakao spoke softly with his head resting on his knees and his eyes on the ground.

"You guys…" Kayashima said.

"Aw, he's touched. We're there for ya, Taiki!"

"No, Nakatsu. I was saying, you guys are all idiots. But…it means so much to me. Having friends to hold on to is what got me through this last time…it's what's going to help me this time, too." As he spoke, he pulled out his Ouiji board. "Ready?"

The boys all held hands, creating a circuit of energy. Kayashima put the board on his lap. Heheh…do you really think you need that? The black-haired boy froze. "Did you hear that…?" All the boys nodded. There was clearly a connection of more than just chi around them. "Yamimaru. How are you alive?"

My, my, my. And I thought you were a bright child. It's simple. Don't you realize existence isn't the same in the after-life? I exist as long as I have a strong desire to…and the power from my living years to counter-curse your spells.

"Great," Nakatsu muttered, annoyed. "So he's invincible."

"No." Kayashima responded flatly. "I refuse to let him get away this time. Tell me, it's my grandmother who killed you?"

Yes. A dark spell for such a good witch. It sent my soul straight to the spirit world where I built up strength and began haunting you at a young age. Hinata had died years earlier and followed me. Even after our deaths we continue to do battle. She passed on happily after you supposedly banished me last year. Too bad I wasn't really gone.

"So my grandmother…has moved on happily," the medium breathed a sigh of relief.

So I've decided to take revenge on you instead, Taiki-kun. This time, I'll really kill you. But it might be more fun if I kill your little friends first.

"NO!" he cried. "This is between you and me, I refuse to lose them to you. Focus on conserving your strength, you shadow of a warlock!"

How dare you?!

Kayashima screamed as an icy wave washed over him and he began to lose sight of his friends around him. "Kayashima!" Mizuki screamed.

"Wait…don't break the circuit," Sano cautioned as she moved to help him. "I have an idea. Will Kayashima to be OK, everyone. Keep your minds on one thing: Kayashima fighting him off."

Obediently, the other five boys closed their eyes and tried to channel their thoughts to Kayashima, who stopped screaming abruptly and blinked in shock. "Wh-what did you do?! He's gone!"

"For now," The high-jumper answered flatly. "Just a little idea we had. I've read it in enough books. We just all joined together and our thoughts transferred to you and gave you strength."

Kayashima was panting from fear. His face was pale and sweaty, but he smiled. "Sano…you're a lot more clever than I give you credit for."

"So you assumed I was an idiot?" he responded, but he was smiling too.

"How long do you think he'll be gone for?" Mizuki asked.

"Not long," the ebony-haired boy responded. "Which is why I want to finish him off tonight. You guys all with me?"

They all nodded. "But how do we finish him off forever?" asked Noe.

"With a little tough love," Kayashima responded with a small grin.

Everyone sweatdropped. "Dude, was that your attempt at like a super-hero using a cool pun?" Nakatsu cried. "Oh, it so didn't work!"

"Hey, shut up!"

"No, Kayashima, he's right," Mizuki agreed.

He groaned. "Fine, whatever. It doesn't matter. My plan is simple. We're going to make a circuit again and focus all our energy on how we want to defeat him…and how we care about each other."

"Love? Like we're all gonna be really gay in other words?" Nakao asked.

"Wow, of all people to say that," Sekime started. But a scary growl in the back of Nakao's throat shut him up.

"Well, kind of," Kayashima admitted. "I think love is enough to stop him. Love for each other, love for people we hold close to us, any kind really. I mean, it worked in Harry Potter."

"In what?" Noe asked.

Mizuki shot a glance at Sano who chanced a peak at her. They caught each other's stare and looked away, flustered. They hardly noticed the look Nakatsu dared at Mizuki and chose to ignore the distant look in Nakao's eye at the thought of Nanba.

"I'm going to make sure we're ready for him," Kayashima stated, pulling out more candles and lighting them. Some of them glowed strange colors like dark blues and purples. He opened several books out, opened to bookmarked pages, and started muttering incantations. He also removed some tarrot cards from his pocket and placed them at various angles around the circle.

"This is the Taiki I remember!" Nakatsu whispered proudly. Kayashima gave a small smile in response.

"Okay, I'll admit, I'm getting into this," he murmured. "I mean, my grandmother was a powerful spell caster. I knew she could speak to spirits like I do, but...wow. In a way I guess I'm really proud. I want...to be like her. Help defeat Yamimaru. And finally," he added, turning back to his bag. He pulled out a large talisman Nakatsu had originally gotten him for protection when they first became friends. "Now I definitely feel safe," he said proudly.

"Aw...Kayashima..." Mizuki started.

"Your aura just turned the strangest color," he teased.

She laughed, "It's just touching, that's all." She was going to say more, when she noticed he had suddenly stopped what he was doing. He stood frozen, staring at nothing in particular. Or so it seemed.

"Yamimaru..." he hissed.

Nakao screamed. "I see him too! See, Nakatsu?! It's him!"

"Hot damn!"

They all faced the stairs, where a young man stood. He was thin and dressed in a black cloak with a crimson-red broach holding it around his narrow shoulders. His long black hair fell down, elbow-length. Unlike Kayashima had always imagined, his eyes were not red. They were a pale, pale brown. Almost diluted-looking. He smiled in a malicious, inhuman way right at the terrified child. Taiki.

"I-it's you."

Yes. I'm afraid this is the last we will ever see of each other. I'm so sick of watching you go about, pretending you know what you're doing. And now dragging innocent school-boys into this. You're nothing like your grandmother. She was brave, noble. Meddlesome. When she died, it was tragic to all the foolish people who worshiped her. When you die, Taiki, it will be a relief.

"That's......not........t-true....."

Oh, isn't it? What good have you done? Begged for help and fallen back on people, take the pride of the woman who banished me while you yourself have no power whatsoever—

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Nakatsu bellowed. Kayashima jumped about a foot in the air while Yamimaru simply turned and stared.

Can I help you, boy?

"You sure as hell can! I've been listening to you blabber on and on, but it's all lies. Taiki's not a coward like you make him seem. He's smart and knows teamwork is the way to go. Maybe he doesn't have powers and know spells the way Hinata Kayashima did, but it doesn't matter because he's still managed to keep you at bay. And now with our help, he's gonna do away with you once and for all!"

Ah, yes, the loud-mouthed Yakuza, I remember you.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLIN' YAKUZA?!" the blond yelled indignantly.

"Guys, if you want to help play hero and stop Yamimaru," Kayashima started, jumping back into his spot, "now might be a good time to start! PROTECOUS, ELLEVIOUS, SATANIA! PROSPARIO LUSIA!"

With the addition of extra incantations to assure their safety, he closed his eyes and grabbed Nakatsu's hand and Noe's hand and focused on one sole thing: we must defeat him, we must defeat him. We're all here together to defeat him. To protect my family, and my friends. So I can go back to school and see R.A. Nanba and all the other dorm mates...

Around him, the others did the same. The room seemed to drop ten degrees, but Yamimaru disappeared, so they hoped it was a good sign. Unfortunately, his voice could still be heard.

Really? Last time at least you tried to use a book. This time you're what? Meditating me away? Hahaha! You disappoint, Taiki.

"Ignore him, just ignore him and focus on what you love most," Kayashima ordered.

Simultaneously, Sano and Mizuki thought of each other. They both threw a huge amount of strength and energy into their medium. Nakao blushed as he thought of Nanba, and his pink aura flooded into Kayashima. Noe and Sekime thought of girls. Nice, pretty girls that they would some day date...smiling, they channeled their aura into the violet-eyed boy too. Nakatsu thought of Mizuki, but he also thought of his best friend. How much they had been through. For all these times, Taiki. And many more, he thought. Kayashima actually opened his eyes and cried out as he felt waves of strength wash over him.

"You guys...we're going to...win," he revealed. Was it only in his head it could be heard? The hiss of anguish as Yamimaru tried to escape. But the entire house was washed in the safe glow of their auras...and he was, after all, bound to the house.

I'll get you for this, child...mark my words...

"Oh, shut up. You're never coming back," he responded with a confident grin. And with a final shriek, the spirit was vanquished.

The friends all stood still for another minute, afraid to move. Finally, Nakatsu whispered, "Is he gone? Is it over?"

"Yeah. We won. We...f-finally won..." the aura-reading teen responded.

"Taiki?" asked the bleach blond. He rushed over and wrapped a supportive arm around the smaller boy's shoulders. "It's alright. You're safe. For real this time."

"I-I know. It's just hard to believe. Th-thank you, everyone."

Nakao scoffed. "It was nothing."

"Really, Kayashima, I'm just glad you made it out OK," Mizuki piped. Sano nodded in fervent agreement.

"Wow, we did it!" cried Sekime. "Way to go, guys! Yeah, we're heroes!" he and Noe had begun to hop around the room in excitement.

"Yeah," he agreed, watching all his friends and feeling a mix of pride and gratefulness wash over him. "Now I don't know about you guys, but as long as this place doesn't have spirits anymore, I think it's really boring. Why don't we see if we can find a cheap motel to stay the night?"

"You mean we can leave this place?!" Mizuki piped. "Yeah! Let's pack our stuff and go!"

XXX

"Doesn't if feel strange to be back at school after all that?" asked Nakatsu during lunch. They had ended their little adventure and were back and school. "I mean...all that happened in one night. It feels like a whole chapter out of our lives."

Kayashima looked up from Dracula. "I suppose. But I'd rather not think about it much."

"What ever you say, Taiki. I'm just glad we got you back."

"Yes, I can tell. Your aura is yellow, it's a bit painful to look at," he responded, looking away from his friend and re-immersing himself in Dr. Van Helsing's journal. The others chuckled as Nakatsu looked a little rejected but bounced back quickly.

"Yeah, well, it should be yellow. I mean, we stopped that creep Yamimaru for good without using powers...just the power of love—"

"LAME." Noe and Sekime interjected.

"A-aaand," he ignored them, "we saved not only Taiki, but that whole town when you think about it. Plus I gained a friend. Isn't that right, Nakao?"

"Don't talk to me, Monkey Boy." the bisshounen snapped.

"Hey, what gives?! I save your life and this is how you repay me?!"

"Technically, I saved your life."

"You saved each other's lives now shut up," Sano ordered.

"C'mon, Izumi don't be so emo!"

"What did you just call me?!"

Kayashima smiled to himself, not because Lucy had become a vampire thanks to Dracula in his book, but because life-changing events didn't seem to change the way the people he loved interacted. It was annoying sometimes, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

End.

Woo! Taiki is saved! Sorry if it's short and kinda different from the original, but hey, it's been a while. I'm so glad I finally finished the story. I hope you enjoyed and if anyone's still out there, please review!