Yasu rushed into the house as if his shoes had caught on fire. He had called ahead of time so of course Mai had been watching for him again. She met him in the foyer. Not long after Noll followed but instead of joining in the foyer he sat on a nearby plush armchair in the sitting room to listen in. "Mai, the owner of the journal was Shouta. He documented nearly everything he had ever done, only he worded it in such a way where it makes him look like the one that is cheated or that lost his love." Yasu grabbed one of the pages he had obviously deemed important.

The days are easy. I go to work. I set up my wares. I come home at a set time. The nights are hard. I often find myself sitting by her favorite tree, the sakura tree in the courtyard. I miss her dreadfully. She had gotten so caught up in Katsuo's drama. She no longer wanted to be a part of this world anymore. I tried to talk some sense in her. I tried to talk her down from the horrible decision she made. But she kept back pedaling away from me. A puddle of water beside the pond had made one of the stones slippery and she fell and hit her head. She died because of his interference in our affairs. So now all I can do is come out to this tree, sit beside it, and talk to her.

"He made it sound like they were the two in love. He made it sound like Sayuri's death was an accident!" Mai was flabbergasted by his nerve, or perhaps it was just his own level of crazy.

"That's not all listen to this passage."

Katsuo invaded my home the night she died. He applied so much false grief to his face I nearly believed him. It wasn't until he came after me with a knife that I truly grew concerned for my own well being. I didn't mean to do it. But somehow in the heat of everything I knocked the knife away from him and it ended up in my own hand. He lunged for the knife back but he impaled himself on the blade. Now the anniversary of my beloved's death is also the anniversary of my rivals. I can't bare to acknowledge how they share that with each other. I can't let them be together in death how they were not in life. I have them buried separately hoping that will be enough.

"Do you think he wrote this because it was what he truly believed?" Mai asked. It felt strange but if that was the case she almost sympathized with the creep. Almost.

"I couldn't say. It's just as likely he wrote all this down to cover his own ass, and keep himself out of trouble."

Noll finally made his presence known. "I think regardless that we should use this information to our benefit. I have an idea on how to wrap up this case. Let's go back to base and I will type it all out."

John grabbed the stapler and began opening and closing the lid. It was the closest thing to him on the desk, and he was becoming impatient waiting on Atsuko to come back. He never liked waiting. It was never his strong suit. The trouble was that it had grown worse over the past few years.

What John could do in his job was limited. He preferred to only work on the orphanage portion of the business. But he was the only one with the ability to exorcise a spirit. He detested performing that practice now. He would, of course, help his friends any way he could. But to perform the practice that he had committed a treasonous act to even learn... He wasn't a priest. He wasn't a man of the cloth. He still believed in his religion that much could not be taken away from him. Unfortunately, the depth of his level of belief, the framework of his faith had been damaged. Not quite fractured or broken but the foundations were definitely tested. He couldn't even look at himself in the mirror anymore without a modest amount of self-hate.

John wished it wasn't Atsuko he was trading places with. He was aware that on some level she knew his torment. She hadn't yet confronted him about it, however. He had to get himself in order before she had walked through the doors. That of course would have been easier if he knew how long the drive time between PRI and the Hisakawa residence would take. It had been just over an hour since he received the call telling him to be ready.

Be ready? That was also a laughable notion. He would wear the rosary. He would apply the holy water. But what was the point in donning the robes? They would have been symbolic at best.

Suddenly the door burst open. Atsuko didn't have to test the emotions in the room to know what he was feeling. It came off him in tempestuous waves. She sighed as she sat down her large handbag and keys on the desk. "John, we don't have time for this now. But I know what you are feeling, and honestly I think it's about time it gets addressed. I won't read you the riot act now. I won't point fingers. But while you are driving there I want you to think on this. If anyone hated you for your choices that lived and worked under this roof you would have heard it already. You would never be asked to perform the duties you so obviously have grown to hate. Not to mention that the only reason I know you feel this way is because I can read your emotions. You haven't shared your self doubt with anyone. You need to talk to someone about what you are feeling."

"Atsuko, I know you mean well. I'm not the type to go around saying this so please forgive me for doing so. But kindly butt out." He got up from the desk chair and walked out the door.

Atsuko sighed as she fell in the chair he just vacated. "That went well..."

Naru took John to base so he could show him the notes on what needed done. No one wanted to risk reading aloud in case that somehow tipped off Shouta. Mai honestly hated this plan. There were too many variables and they would be attempting too many things at once.

Ayako entered the base with her hair pulled back and donning the attire of her status as miko, shrine maiden. She held her tool of trade,her gohei, in her hands and waited until it was time for her to set up her side of the plan. Monk grabbed her right shoulder. "I really, really dislike this plan."

"What? Just because you aren't the one in the limelight this time?" She attempted to make a joke. The normal easy going monk didn't even crack a smile, let alone laugh.

"If this isn't timed properly. If something goes wrong on the other side of the house..."

Ayako sighed at his serious tone. Of course he wasn't wrong but it was rare she was able to show her true power. This was one of those times. "To make sure it is timed properly I need to start setting up."

Monk groaned aloud. He knew there was no point in starting an argument but that didn't mean he wouldn't at least voice his opinion.

Mai shook as she walked into the master bedroom. She took a deep breath to calm her fears. The temperature grew slightly colder and she was thankful to think of donning the jacket before entering this particular room. She sat at the end of the bed and pulled out an item from her pocket. It was crumbling and falling apart from age. She opened the ancient journal and began reading aloud.

Mai read the same passages that Yasu had read to her before. Once she was done reading she sat it aside. "Did you believe your own lies, Shouta? Or were those merely words inked on paper? Personally, with all I have witnessed I don't see how you could have loved her. To love someone you help cultivate and share in what they love. Shouta, she didn't love you. She loved Katsuo. In a way he was her prince. He was her savior. You were the villain in this story, Shouta. You were not the respectable man you made yourself out to be in this," she held up the book, "fabrication of your life."

The room drew colder and Mai signaled John in just before the door shut tight behind him.

Back at the base, Noll watched and grew perturbed when the door shut. But he had a part to play also. Gene, tell Ayako to begin now.

Ayako began to twirl and turn in the backyard. It was a technique that none of the group from SPR had seen before. They knew of Kagura dances to dispense of evil but this was somehow different. It was a calling. It was a joining. It was almost a marriage in ways. Ayako's plan was to send the two lovers off in a ceremony much similar to that of marriage. They would be able to hold each other. Just before going off into the light.

Monk watched her spins and her graceful movement and sighed. "By the gods she is glorious."

Gene snickered. "I know you two are together and all. But have you told her that recently?"

Monk was stunned for a moment. He hadn't. He hadn't told her how important she was to him in quite some time. How had he forgotten between the fights and lust filled moments to verbalize how it made his heart ache when they were apart? How had he forgotten to tell her how he may joke, and they may fight but nothing would keep him from worshiping her day in and day out. Then in that moment he realized he wanted it to be even more then that. He wanted to worship her day in and day out for the rest of his life...

Monk looked back at his girl and his smile grew as he found a new confidence. It grew as he realized she was his new dream. By the gods he would do anything to make that dream come true.

John was sweating profusely as he recited the lines that were ingrained in his memory. The lines he almost hated to verbalize but were important to the exorcism. Once he said the final lines he worried that his prayers lacked conviction and his job would have been for naught. But the malevolent spirit of Shouta dissipated from the space. The lock on the door disengaged and Mai and John were free to join the others. As he was crossing the threshold John couldn't help but to also think that in some ways he almost wished it hadn't worked. Then perhaps he would have never been called on for these types of services again.

Mai flew out the back door to watch as the two lovers joined hands again. Their shared joy was written all over their face. Both of them turned to her when they sensed her. Sayuri smiled at her. Katsuo pulled Sayuri close and turned a bright smile on Mai as well. "Mai, I know it is not solely rested upon you. We are thankful to you all. But, Mai, we want to thank you specifically for all you have done."

Monk pulled Mai close to him. "I always cry at happy endings."

She chuckled and bowed to the retreating spirits as they went into the light.

"Speaking of happy endings," Gene cryptically said. "Did we tell you that we won't be going back to England just yet?"

Noll watched as Mai's face lit up. She hugged Gene enthusiastically. But then she glanced his way and her lips turned downward. He couldn't decipher what her somewhat sad look meant. He only knew that he had his work cut out for him.

Gohei, is the wand with strands of crinkly paper that miko (shrine maidens) use.

I do apologize about John. He's just going through a lot of self hate. Don't worry though that will start working itself out.

Next few chapters will probably be spent between learning more about the original characters that I have only briefly mentioned, Gene and Atsuko's date, Monk possibly popping the question (come on that's not a spoiler I basically said out right he planned on doing it), maybe some Madoka and Lin love (after all I never defined how they were together quite yet), learning about some of the orphans, and of course Mai and Naru drama.

I hope to hear from all you that have read soon!