Dedication: This one is dedicated to Raye-san, who's kept FY fanfiction alive to me, and Azurite, who has reminded me that sometimes new writers DO have talent and add to the fandom.

I tell you, if you want to see the weirdest of the weird, become a cab driver in Morioka. Sure, they'll tell you New York has all the looneys, or California and its lack of decent drivers, or even Tokyo with its damn Tower, but Morioka is where the truly crazy things go down.

My friends make fun of me for my belief in aliens, but I've seen some stuff that makes the idea of little green men see positively tame. At least they're part of this universe. Ghosts, alternate worlds, magic books... I've seen it all.

Ah... maybe I should start from the beginning of this particular story. First off, my name is Seguchi Akito, and I'm a cabbie. Blood type B (festive type, according to my sister), 38 years old, medium height, medium looks. Obvious enough. Now the story I'm going to tell you takes place... about four years ago? Yeah, that sounds about right.

I was hanging out at Station #12 at Morioka. Any cabbie will tell you that it's a prime place to get clients- tourists arrive all the time from Tokyo, and they need transportation to either the rental companirs, or, more often then not, hotels. There's usually a line of cabs ready to pick up passengers. I have the train schedule memorized- I know which trains tend to carry the richer clients.

Anyway, that Tuesday I had just gotten on shift- I work the second shift Sunday through Thursday, so I would guess it was around three when I noticed two college age guys come darting out of the station like they were being chased by something rather nasty. The opened the door and piled in, out of breath. "Oh, wow. You came out of the bullet train that fast?" I admit to being impressed by them.

The one without glasses on spoke to me. "Iwate Police Station. And hurry!" His voice was low and desperate.

I was momentarily taken aback. "Huh? You guys cops?" They certainly didn't look it. "You're so young. By the way, do you want to go east or west?" Earlier in my career I had made the mistake of assuming where people had wanted to go, rather then asking to clarify dirrections. I didn't do that anymore.

"No, we're not cops. Which one's closer?" The urgency was still there.

"Well...the east, west, and the main headquarters are all pretty close to here."

"There's that many?" the one who hadn't spoken asked.

I was flustered- this wasn't one of my usual encounters with a client- usual the passenger at least knew where they wanted to go. Aside from the one who claimed that radishes were going to save the world, and the one who was determined to speak in verse, swearing that he was hunting a foul sorcerer, these guys took the cake. Of COURSE Morioka had more then one station- it was a city! "Um, yes," I said finally.

"Just pick one, then!" the first practically growled.

I sighed and started for the West one. I had friends who lived on that side, so I was more familiar with that area, though, as a cabbie, I knew most of the city like the back of my hand. I knew that Genkai Station was easier to get in and out of, and these guys struck a chord in me.

I heard their voices murmur in the backseat and they focused their attention on a book they shared between them. Occassionally a word would float up to me, and I listened carefully to their conversation, wondering what had them so worked up. "Suzaku no Miko.... Tamahome... tower... Byakko... murder..." It sounded absolutely fascinating.

Fifteen minutes I pulled up in front of Genkai Station. "We're here," I announced, turning around to receive my payment.

The first got out of the car, shutting the door behind him, but his friend made no move to follow. "You wanna go somewhere?"

The young man shook his head. "Well pay you for waiting. Keisuke is just going in to check something out."

I nodded slowly. "What's so interesting?"

The young man flipped a page in the book he was holding. "A murder that took place during the Taisho Era," he stated shortly.

"A murder that took place during the Taisho Era?" I echoed. That was over seventy years ago, and certainly should be no cause for urgency. "And you came all the way out here to research that?" I asked in disbelief.

"Well, quite a few unbelieveable things have happened, so..." He flipped another page, his lips moving slightly as he read.

I noticed movement from the building, and was surprised again. Keisuke (I assumed that was what his name was, since the other man had called him that) had barely been gone for any time at all. "Hey, your friend's back."

"Hey, how'd it go?" The young man asked curiously as the other man practically dived for the door.

"Run for it!" Keisuke ordered me.

"What?! Why?"

"They know I have the criminal records papers!"

I blinked. He had WHAT?!

"You showed them?!" the other man exclaimed in disgust and disbelief.

Keisuke ignored him and turned his attention to me. "Yo, mister! Let's move!"

"Uh...yeah." My foot hit the gas before I had a chance to think. I should have, by rights, let the police catch them, but my curiosity had been roused. Something very odd was going on here, and I wanted to know what it was.