Blackstar | Shyan

Chapter 4: Day 4: Second Reset - "It won't happen again!"

The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains of his window as Shane slowly faded into consciousness. With a stretch, he turned, glancing over at his clock on the nightstand.

6:14 am.

Shane closed his eyes with an exhale, head hitting the pillow again as the memories of his dream flashed through his mind haphazardly.

No...

His thumb brushed along the inside of his middle finger, connecting with smooth cool metal. Shane opened his eyes again, feeling determination welling deep within him.

Not a dream.

Reaching for his phone, just to be sure, he typed the passcode and glanced at the date.

April 13th, 2018

He was back again, to the day before the crew went to investigate 'The Murder House.'

Demon house. He corrected himself in a mild annoyance. Sitting up on the bed, mind now fully awake, the memories from before began to sharpen as he tried to come up with some kind of solution.

Clearly, he had miscalculated how strong the demon was. The question now was how he would get Ryan to understand how dangerous the house is, and why they should call the whole thing off. Suddenly, the memories of their conversation from before returned to him.

"What kind of ghost hunters would we be if we were too scared to record proof like that? Sure it's gonna be scary, but if we manage to get something on camera that explains why people keep going missing, not only would we be heroes, but we would go into history as the ones who proved the truth about the supernatural!"

No.. Telling him there's a demon there, or even just insinuating how dangerous the place is wouldn't work.

Proof is what Ryan's been looking for ever since his experience on the Queen Mary. Also not to mention that this particular investigation was Shane's idea, along with the fact that looking for demons and ghosts is the whole purpose for Unsolved in the first place; It's the reason the show exists.

To run the other direction when you know for sure it contains what you are looking for is counterproductive. Of course Ryan would want to go-- especially if he knew there was a demon there.

Swinging his feet off the bed, Shane made his way to the shower, mulling over what to do.

No, he wouldn't be able to convince Ryan not to go using that information. So what now? How could he get him to understand that it's dangerous? That he needs to be careful.

How exactly is he going to keep Ryan safe?

The water from the shower was warm as it beat down on Shane's head, the tall man's mind whirling with questions, trying to puzzle out the best solution to his problem.

He supposed he could show Ryan his soul gem. Maybe that would be enough to ease his mind and give the man closure that what happened on the Queen Mary was real.

Shane smiled into the spray. Yeah, that might work. Ryan would probably freak out, and ask how Shane ended up becoming a Magi. Probably get scared that the fans were right about him and that he's actually a demon. Maybe make Shane use his powers in front of him or something.

He laughed, finally reaching for his shampoo bottle and squirting a liberal amount into the palm of his hand. Of course Ryan would probably think he's actually a demon, when really he's the thing that is meant to -fight- demons. It's all part of the contract he agreed to.

But would that be enough to convince Ryan that the trip was a bad idea? And what would he do if Ryan still wanted to go anyway?

Shane scrubbed his head roughly, partially in cleaning and partially in frustration at the thought of Ryan being stubborn. Knowing the little guy, he would want to go so he could see it for himself. Shane's little magic show be damned.

That would mean that Shane would have to face off against the beast again. He flexed his hands into two tight fists, feeling the gentle pulse of magic coursing through his veins.

Suddenly, he felt a lump in his left fist. He opened his hand, his eyes drawing to that familiar pod and stem which proceeded sway back and forth briefly before balancing on its tip in the center of his palm cleanly.

The grief seed.

It managed to come back with him. Kyubey had told him that it restores a Magi's magical power. This could come in handy, he thought to himself casually.

Shane rinsed off, stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around himself. He then proceeded to wander to his dresser and grab some clothes for the day. The tall ghost hunter (or demon hunter, really.. heh..) supposed that he would have to see how things played out. Chances are those eerie eyes would be on Ryan today again as well. It would probably be a good idea to get a head start on that and just explain everything to the man outright. The sooner he did, the easier it would be to keep him safe.

Deciding to skip breakfast again, Shane grabbed his bag and phone and headed to work early.

***

Sure enough, the office was pretty much empty as he took his seat at his desk. Shane opened his emails and proceeded to type off the finalization for the investigation. Hovering his mouse over the 'send' button, he paused.

If he could just convince Ryan not to go...

Shane closed his email, the draft saved. It was worth a shot - he could always send it if Ryan overruled his suggestion, but if he sent it now then they would have no choice but to go.

Turning his attention to the clock, he noted the time.

8:45 am. Ryan was late.

Shane began to get up from his chair for a coffee when the man in question arrived, right on time. Well, as on time as he was the last two time loops. Once again, he was sporting a backpack that was probably filled with various items that he had packed for safety. Shane couldn't help the knowing smile that tugged the corner of his lips and addressed his co-host with the same question as before, deciding to play out the scenario.

"Hey man. What'cha got there?"

He gestured to the bag as Ryan proceeded to park himself in his chair. He then began unzipping the front and pulling various items out.

"Just a few things I want to have on hand for tomorrow. Ya know. Just in case."

The shorter man started placing the items on his desk as Shane watched him. His eyes followed Ryan's hands, trying to think of a way to cut in.

Pepper spray.

He placed it on the desk first before reaching back into the bag to grab the second item. Shane continued to watch.

A utility knife.

Hmm... Shane's eyes glanced at the silver tip of the blade, thinking. Ryan reached back into the bag.

A set of walkie-talkies.

The memory of TJ's voice over them flashed briefly through his mind as Ryan once more reached into his bag.

Holy water.

Bingo.

Shane grabbed the glass bottle, opening it up and guzzling it down as Ryan gawked, reaching to try and take it from his larger (apparently thirsty) friend.

"HEY! That's not water for drinking, dude! It's--"

"--Holy water," Shane replied as he lowered the lip of the bottle from his mouth with a smirk, "Honestly Ryan, what we're going up against, I don't think it'll be of much use to us."

Ryan, looking more than a little disgruntled, grumbled, "You don't know that..."

He then went to reach back into his bag as Shane continued, "Nor will the crucifix or the bag of goldfish that you're harbouring either. I'll gladly take some if you're offering though."

Ryan paused, his hand still in the backpack, opening his mouth and closing it a couple of times before levelling a look at his taller best friend. Shane was smiling at him teasingly, but his expression was not unkind. He had a knowing glint in his eyes that Ryan couldn't place.

"How did you....?" Shaking his head, he continued, "Nevermind. The goldfish are for me, but if you share your snacks I might think about letting you have some of mine. As it is, I'm now gonna have to go get some more Holy water from Father Thomas, jerk. Besides, weren't the Holy water and crosses your idea, Giles?"

Shane chuckled, glancing at the clock on his computer screen briefly before turning his eyes back to a confused and flustered Ryan who was now organizing all the items he brought.

Not much time...

Turning from his computer, Shane leaned over, tapping Ryan on the shoulder,

"Hey... Teej and Mark are going to be coming over here in a minute to asses the plans for tomorrow... Um, about that. Can I talk to you in private afterwards? It's kind of important."

Turning his attention away from his defense articles, Ryan gazed at Shane, his expression growing worried, "Yeah. Why? What's up?"

Shane shook his head, Teej already making his way over, Mark just behind him.

"Don't worry about it, I'll tell you after," He whispered just as their cameramen approached within earshot.

"Hey." TJ said, Mark walking to stand behind him, "Just wanted to check in and make sure everything is ready to go for tomorrow."

TJ eyed Ryan's various arsenal of items before adding, "You certainly look like you are."

Ryan tossed a small glance at Shane before turning his attention back to TJ, "Yeah. I was telling the big guy here, I just wanted to make sure we're all safe, ya know? We don't know what we're getting into-- Which actually reminds me! Teej, Mark, we need to come up with some kind of plan in case there really is someone hiding in the house and actually murdering people."

Ryan motioned to the radios, "I brought us some walkie-talkies so we are all in contact with one another at all times, but what do you propose we do if we actually find someone we shouldn't?"

TJ and Mark paused to think for a moment as Shane made eye contact with Ryan, who was glancing between him and the others. The silence between them stretched out as everyone was thinking.

Eventually, Ryan picked up the pepper spray, "I mean..We should be carrying some kind of weapons for self-defense on us. We could maybe use the walkie-talkies so If we find someone, we walkie each other and If anything really bad goes down, we can always call 911."

"That sounds like a good idea," TJ agreed. Everyone nodded at Ryan's assessment about the weapons when Mark spoke up, "I have my grandfather's swiss army knife I could bring." Shane smirked as Teej then chimed in, "I have one as well, just not as lame."

"It's a family heirloom!"

"It's rusty and outdated."

"Still sharp enough to stab somebody!" Mark pouted, then waving his hands at everybody's weird looks. "Not that that's happening anytime soon or—you know, in case—what Ryan said. Oh come on stop looking at me like that."

Shane snickered and leaned towards Ryan, "Better keep that pepper spray handy. Wouldn't want Mark to accidentally stab you."

Ryan rolled his eyes with a smile, choosing to ignore the comment and pointing to the gold cross that he had just placed on the table, "Don't forget to wear a crucifix around your neck guys. We don't know if whatever's in there is human or not and I doubt physical weapons would protect against what we are actually going there to look for after all."

The sharp memory of Shane's blade slicing through the flesh of the beast flashed through his mind briefly at the comment. His scythe felt physically real enough. But then, it was also a magical weapon. Shane wasn't even sure how he knew he could do that, or how he figured out how to create and use a weapon. It was like instinct took over. The pulse of his soulgem guiding him.

TJ shrugged. "Sure. Not to worry about Mark and his granddad's super efficient two hundred-year-old swiss knife, sharp enough to slice up some butter and spread over some delicious toast."

"If I kill and hide you in that house no one will blame me," Mark grumbled.

"You'd just be adding to the missing body count," Quipped Ryan.

With a chuckle, they all then agreed on a time to meet up, and with that Mark and TJ made their way back to their own desks. As soon as they were out of earshot, Ryan turned to his taller counterpart with a frown. His eyes panned around the room before returning to Shane.

"So, what was it you wanted to talk about, big guy?"

Shane pinned his gaze on Ryan, a knowing but concerned look flitting across his face.

"Walk with me, Ryan. I'm gonna grab a coffee."

Standing up, Shane took a couple steps from their desk before turning back around to look at Ryan. There was a brief pause before the shorter man stepped beside him and the two made their way towards the break room. All the while, Ryan's eyes discreetly cast about the room, a small worried frown on the corner of his lips. As the two approached the door of the break room, Shane whispered to him quietly, eyes making sure no one was close enough to eavesdrop.

"They're watching you, aren't they."

Ryan's eyebrows raised as his attention snapped to Shane in surprise. Leaning in towards his taller friend, Ryan whispered back,

"You can tell?! Do you feel the gaze too? Oh god, is that why you drank the Holy water? You asshole, you should have saved some for me!"

Shane turned his head to look at Ryan, shaking it gently, "No, that's not why I drank it. I did because I was thirsty,"

Shooting Shane an annoyed look, Ryan opened his mouth to reply but the taller man continued, joking aside, "Well, that and also so I could get your attention. Look... There are some... Things... I need you to see. This whole situation is really crazy and it's not something that I can just tell you."

Shane turned to the coffee machine, pouring in the grinds and closing the lid as Ryan stared up at Shane with an indignant, somewhat insulted look.

"What.. You think I wouldn't believe you or something? I thought you knew me better than that, dude," Then quieter, under his breath, the shorter man added, "Hell, you know about what happened to me. Of course I would believe whatever you have to say."

Finally looking Ryan in the eye again, Shane answered, "It's not a matter of you not believing me. This is more of a case of trying to get you to listen to me when I tell you that we shouldn't....." Shane let the sentence hang, trailing off. There was a pause of silence before Ryan spoke.

"...Shouldn't what?" Ryan asked, eyes on Shane before momentarily flicking around the room and back to Shane again.

The tall man was thinking. How could he get Ryan to see? He needed a way to get Ryan alone so he could show him his soul gem and explain everything. But they were at work, and his scheduled lunch hour wasn't for a while. Plus, other Buzzfeed employees tended to sometimes want to hang out at lunch with the two of them.

Case in point, Andrew and Steven would be popping by their desks today if the loop was the same as the last two times. The coffee machine beeped, signalling their drinks were ready. Pouring the hot liquid into their mugs, Shane heaved a sigh.

"Come over to my place tonight, man. We can watch movies."

Ryan frowned, "That isn't answering my question. What shouldn't we do?"

Shane picked up his and Ryan's mugs, with a look of defeat. After a pause, finally, he spoke, "..I think we should call off the investigation."

At the words, Ryan looked at him, incredulously, "What? Why?!"

Shane looked at his shorter friend, both mugs in each hand. The break room was empty, the two hunters the only ones present. He pinned Ryan with his gaze, expression deadly serious,

"You feel eyes on you and they have been following you since this morning. It's probably the reason you were late, besides trying to gather those supplies you showed off earlier." Ryan's eyes widened as Shane continued to speak, "I can't tell you why they're watching you, or what is going on but I suspect it has a lot to do with the fact that the house we are set to check out... It contains a very-- and I mean very-- dangerous demon within it."

Ryan opened his mouth to respond, but said nothing. After a pause he closed it again, looking at one of the mugs in Shane's hand. Suddenly, his eyes were drawn to the silver ring on the guys left middle finger, it's bluish-purple crystal almost glowing in the fluorescent light of the room.

"You're wearing a ring," He simply said. Shane handed him the mug of coffee with a nod, "Yeah. It's special, and part of what I wanted to show you."

Ryan continued to stare at it, his mind wandering absently. There were just so many questions Ryan had now that he didn't even know where to begin. The ring added yet another to the list. It was quite pretty. It looked expensive.

"It looks cool. What is that? Tanzanite?"

"No. It's something much rarer," Shane responded with a smile, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Rarer? But Tanzanite is one of the rarest gemstones on earth."

Shane simply nodded into his coffee. There was a silent pause before Ryan continued, "I never took you as one to wear jewellery, dude."

Shane grinned at Ryan as he walked past him towards the door. Opening it, he simply replied, "Oh, there's a lot about me that would probably surprise you," and then proceeded to walk out the door leaving Ryan behind in the break room to contemplate that.

***

Heading to his desk, Shane knew Ryan would have questions. He wasn't sure how to go about answering them just yet, but he was sure that he would be able to explain better by showing him. They just had to make it through the day first.

Sitting down and pulling out the email, Shane regretfully hit send. He had a feeling Ryan was going to be fighting him the whole way, so he decided that he should maybe take a different approach.

He just wouldn't let it happen again. They'd show up, and he would kill the demon, and they would move on with their lives.

Shane's eyes caught Ryan heading towards his desk, his coffee mug in hand, looking straight at him.

"Dude, you can't just.. Say something like that then just walk away."

The shorter man proceeded to seat himself into his chair, spinning it around to face him, "I have so many questions." He looked about the room again, before looking back at Shane, "Obviously there is something watching us and you're acting as if you know why, but you're refusing to tell me... And somehow that ties into the idea that you want to call off the episode of Unsolved? Like, I get that there could be a demon, but isn't that the whole point of this?"

Shane looked over at Ryan in exasperation, heaving a sigh. He knew this was coming.

"Not 'could be'. Is. There is a demon. In that house. And if we go, it's going to kill you." He said finally, matter of fact.

Ryan just stared at his friend in a long silent pause. Eventually, he said, "And you know this, how?"

Shane looked down at the ring on his finger, whispering softly, "If I told you now, you wouldn't believe me." Ryan threw him an angry glare as he responded, "Dude, we went over this. I promise I will believe anything you have to say. You know me, man!"

Looking back up at Ryan, Shane held his gaze before saying, "If I told you I'm from the future and that's how I know, you would believe me?"

Ryan's eyes stayed on Shane's as a pause of silence came between them. Then, suddenly, Ryan burst out laughing.

"Hahaha"

Shane turned back to his computer as Ryan's giggles filled the air, "Oh man.. hehe...You got me good, dude"

Ryan chuckled, the laugh tapering down, "For a second there, I thought..hehehe....Back to the Future, hahaha... Yeah, yeah, I remember the conversation. Funny bit, dude. But I still don't think we're in the Matrix."

Shane didn't laugh with him, his attention back to his emails, quietly. As the silence returned, Ryan watched him a moment before continuing, ".. Wait... You're not joking."

"No," Was all Shane said. Ryan just stared. Unable to think of anything else to say, he turned back to his own computer, finally addressing Shane's comment from much earlier.

"Yeah, I'll come over tonight. But we're still going, tomorrow. Even if you are right and there's a demon there, I'll just make sure to visit Father Thomas and get his guidance on what to do if we encounter one. I have to see him anyway since someone drank my Holy water."

Shane nodded, a small chuckle of his own under his breath, "I figured that was going to be your answer."

The two then went back to their work in silence, Ryan occasionally looking around the office in worry. It was only when Steven and Andrew approached that he began to relax.

"Hey ghoul boys, what's up?" Steven asked, his smile beaming, "Have you had lunch yet? Andrew and I just found this awesome new taco place and we figured it would be fun to check it out."

Looking up from his pc, the younger man grinned, "I could use some food, yeah. What about you, Shane? Feeling like trying something new?"

Shane turned to the three of them with a smile. The tacos were not really anything special - He had tried them before, so he already knew - But he was hungry and it would get him out of his chair for a little while.

"Sure. Just let me grab my bag."

Shortly afterwards, the group made their way to the truck, idle chatter filling the air. All the while, Shane continued to run over the events of the day, bracing himself for that evening. He was sure that it was going to be an adventure.

How was he going to explain his Magi power to Ryan? How would the man react when he learned about the wish? A light blush began to creep upon Shane's cheeks as he thought about telling him.

Yeah Ry, I gave my only chance at having literally anything I want up, just to get you back.

The blush began to heat further.

He glanced over at his best friend who was engaged in a conversation about basketball with Steven, Andrew just walking silently beside him, listening. Ryan seemed at ease, not thinking about the looming sense that they were being watched. Distractions probably helped a lot.

The thought crossed his mind that Shane also felt like they were being watched... But it didn't seem as pressing now that he knew he had the power to protect himself. For Ryan, it was probably much worse. At that moment, Shane was glad Steven and Andrew popped by for lunch.

Shane wondered if he could pinpoint where the feeling was coming from. If something was watching them, maybe he could find out what... and take care of it, if needed be.

His thoughts were broken as the Taco place came within view. They approached the truck and Shane went first,

"I'll have an al pastor with extra guac." He ordered without thinking.

As Shane handed the man a five, Ryan watched as his taller friend waited a moment, taking the taco and walking towards one of the picnic tables nearby. His expression was inquisitive. He ordered his own, and followed Shane to the table, Steven and Andrew stepping up in line to get theirs as Ryan sat down.

"You've had these before," Ryan said to him as Shane took a large bite. It wasn't a question. Shane nodded as Ryan elaborated his observation, "You normally are a baby when it comes to spice, but you just ordered without asking them how hot it was."

Swallowing, Shane nodded again and answered, "I wasn't joking about what I said earlier."

Ryan just stared, before giving a slight nod of his own, taking a bite of his own taco. They continued to eat in silence until Steven and Andrew finally approached with theirs, sitting down at the table. The golden boys tapped their tacos together with a "cheers" and simultaneously bit down.

"Wow," Steven said, turning to the taller blond beside him, "These are really good. And this place just opened up the other day. I have a feeling they're going to be getting a lot of business."

"We should do a taco episode of Worth It," Andrew agreed, already halfway through his. Ryan chuckled, tossing the last bite of his own into his mouth, finishing it off with a smile.

"Yeah," He said after swallowing, "These are alright." He then turned a challenging grin towards Steven.

"Ya know... Must be nice to have a show where you can just go eat food, and Buzzfeed will pay for it for you. I'd like to see you try to manage on one of our hunts. You probably wouldn't last three seconds."

Steven smirked back at him, rolling his eyes, "Oh, you mean like the way you go into these supposedly haunted locations and talk to spirits. That must be SO hard. You don't hunt, you make powerpoint slides."

"So says the boy who spends most of his time eating nothing but salted fish eggs and expensive fungus."

"Hey, Truffles are amazing! You would know that if you weren't too cheap to buy them."

As the two continued to bicker, Shane zoned out, his mind returning back to the last timeline. Flashes of Ryan's lifeless face haunted his memories as he finished off his own final bite. Internally, he berated himself, tightening his fist, ring pulsing gently in response to his emotions.

Ryan, smiling like the sun, the challenging note in his voice as Steven and he traded insults. His best friend. He couldn't let it happen again.

He wouldn't fail this time!

It was at that point Shane noticed the shadow. It was blending in with the surrounding trees, but it was just a tinge darker. He stood up abruptly, causing both Ryan and Steven to stop as all three eyes focused on the lanky giant.

"Uh, what's wrong Shane?" Ryan asked.

Turning his attention back to his co-host, Shane shrugged and then looked over at Andrew and Steven before replying, "I just remembered I had an email I needed to send off, that's all. I should be heading back. Thanks for inviting me though."

Without further word, he excused himself, making his way towards the area where he saw the shadow flicker. His ring was pulsing warmly on his finger. Whatever was watching them was close by. As he discreetly cast his gaze around the area, the weird feeling of eyes on him suddenly vanished. Whatever it was must have realized he could sense it, and probably took off.

Shane swore under his breath.

He turned back towards the road to head back to work as Ryan made his way over to him, his expression looking concerned.

"Hey! Wait up!"

Shane stopped walking, turning to his shorter companion as Ryan fell into step beside him. Steven and Andrew were still sitting at the table, now chatting to themselves and Shane decided that was for the best as he and Ryan headed back to the office on their own. They walked for about maybe three minutes before Ryan finally addressed what happened.

"So, wanna tell me what that was all about?" He probed.

Shane turned his head to look at Ryan, before whispering under his breath, just quiet enough for the shorter man to hear.

"Do you still feel like we're being watched?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ryan stopped walking. Shane turned around, two paces ahead and focused on the little guy as his co-host answered in surprise, "Actually.. no. I don't. Shane, what did you do?"

Shane shook his head, though a small smile still came to his lips. He didn't think he did anything, but maybe by proxy of him noticing whatever it was, he may have.

"Nothing.. At least I don't think I did anything. I felt the eyes on us... kind of like how they have been all day. But then I saw a weird shadow and decided to go and confront whatever it was. When it realized I knew, it must have taken off."

Ryan stared over at Shane as the two began walking again. Shane continued the thought aloud, "That's what I think happened, anyway. I can't really be sure though. Whatever the cause, however... I don't think it's following us anymore. At least for now."

Ryan let out a relieved sigh, a genuine smile now forming upon his lips. He looked up at Shane again, grateful.

"Thanks, big guy. I mean, you may not be sure if it was you but.. if it was, I appreciate it."

Shane flashed him a grin of his own as the Buzzfeed office came within view.

"You know you're safe with me, right?" He said, looking down at his best friend.

Once more the image of Ryan laying lifeless in the jaws of the beast flashed through his mind. Shane turned his attention back to the building, his expression hardening.

It won't happen again!

"I do," Ryan replied, though noticing Shane's expression his smile faded.

Shane nodded, determined. The two made their way back to the office in silence.

***

The rest of the day passed without further event as Shane and Ryan finished up the last of their prep work for the upcoming episode. By the time 6 pm rolled around, Shane pushed back his chair and tapped Ryan on the shoulder, breaking him from his work induced haze.

"So, we taking my car, or yours?"

Ryan turned his chair meeting Shane's eyes with a smile, "Yours I guess. It's bigger, and better suited to your long Sasquatch legs."

Shane chuckled and turned to sling his bag over his shoulder. The two then made their way down to the parking lot, loading up into the lanky man's car.

As Ryan closed the door and clicked the seat-belt into the buckle, he turned to Shane who looked like he was deep in thought.

"So... I am guessing you plan on showing me whatever it was you were going to once we get to your place?" He asked. Shane put the car in drive, his attention focused on the road. There was a stretch of silence before he spoke.

"Yeah... I already told you the cliff notes version... But I don't think you truly understand the depth of the situation, Ryan."

There was another beat of quiet before Ryan replied.

"..That you're from the future and that there's a demon waiting to kill me in the murder house..."

Shane nodded. Ryan continued, "Not gonna lie dude, I'm still kind of expecting you to turn around and say that this is just some huge elaborate bit. But I also promised you that I would believe you, so I am withholding judgment for now."

"I expected as much," Shane simply replied. The quiet stretched on until about the point they reached the highway. Almost as if an afterthought Shane added, "I'm not worried though. With what I have to show you, Ry... You'll come to understand soon enough."

Ryan hummed in acknowledgment, turning his attention to his supply bag that was sitting on his lap. Before long, the two were back at Shane's place, the chocolate haired man pulling into his parking space with an anxious sigh.

Ryan was the first to get out, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. He made his way towards the door, turning to see Shane just standing by his car looking kind of nervous.

"You know.. It's weird to see you nervous," Ryan told him, "I mean, it's just me, dude. Is what you have to share really that bad?"

Shane turned to look at him, slowly walking towards the door, "I'm not nervous because of..." His voice trailed off.

Approaching the door, he pulled out his keys and unlocked it, letting the two of them in. Taking a deep breath, he tried again, turning his eyes to Ryan's, and for the first time letting all of his emotions show through.

"It's because it's you, man."

Ryan cocked his head to the side slightly, not understanding. Shane continued, "I just... I don't want you to be scared of me. I know how you get whenever we go on location. If there is even the slightest sign that there's a ghost, you get all jumpy and worried. It doesn't take a genius to know that you get scared of things easily. Especially things to you don't understand."

Shane toed off his shoes and wandered to his couch, taking a seat in on the end, focusing his eyes on the turned off television. Ryan followed, sitting opposite him, just listening.

Still looking forward, not meeting his eyes, Shane continued, "This is something that even if I show you, you won't be able to understand. And what I am about to tell you-- hell, what I've already told you-- isn't the nicest news to learn about yourself. But I can't let it happen again!"

Shane's voice was filled with conviction. Then quieter, "I can't...."

Ryan swallowed and then nodded. Shane then finally looked over at him and he looked like he was on the verge of tears. The shorter man's heart clenched at the sight, unsure of what to do to help. Quietly, he said, "Would it be easier if you just didn't show me?"

Shane shook his head, his resolve hardening, determined.

"No. If I want to change the past, I need you to see."

At that, Shane rose from the couch and turned his back to the TV, facing Ryan who was still sitting. They held one another's gaze as Shane then rose his left hand out towards the shorter man, the gem in his ring starting to glow. Ryan's eyes widened.

Shane could feel the comforting warmth of the ring heat up on his finger as he let his eyes slip shut. He focused on the feeling, letting its warmth surround his hand, visualizing the ring shifting and changing into that familiar glowing egg.

Ryan watched on as the blue-purple stone within the ring began to glow bright. Suddenly, Shane himself began to emit a strange light of his own as the ring seemed to morph and change into a glowing crystal about the shape of an egg.

As the warmth permeated his body, Shane opened his eyes to look at Ryan, gauging his reaction. Ryan was staring, open-mouthed, eyes wide as his best friend directed his soulgem towards his belt area, the article shifting and changing to house the magical item.

Shane felt his clothing shift and change as well; His typical red and black flannel shirt growing longer and lighter, draping around him comfortably. He felt fingerless gloves manifest over his hands, as well as perfectly fitting boots upon his feet. He felt lighter. Stronger. The magic within him now outward and surrounding him. Protecting him.

With a wink, he did a small spin around for Ryan's benefit as the final light from his battle gear faded to normal. The two continued to stare at one another before Ryan finally spoke.

"W...Wow, Shane..."

At least he wasn't screaming. That was a good thing, the magi supposed. He shot Ryan another smile, pointing finger guns with a grin.

"You're so... so...."

"Cool? ... Awesome?"

Ryan's shock melted into a wheeze, "...Pastel."

If there was any tension in the air, it was gone. Shooting him an indignant look, Shane grumbled, "Hey... I rather like my robes thank you very much!"

The chuckle died down as his bright eyes filled with curiosity to which Ryan rose to his feet and took a few steps around the Magi, getting a full view of him.

"So like... You have magic then." Ryan assessed.

"Yeah," Shane confirmed, spinning around like a girl in a pretty dress, "This is my battle gear, as odd looking for that task as it might be. It's light and easy to move around in, and when I wear it, I feel like I weigh practically nothing."

Ryan nodded, stepping into his space slightly, "is it ok if I touch it?"

Turning his head away from Ryan, Shane could feel his cheeks heat slightly from the close proximity, "Y..yeah."

Ryan reached out, catching the fabric of Shane's sleeve between his thumb and forefinger, rubbing gently.

"It's so soft..." He whispered in awe, looking at it before turning his eyes to meet Shane's once more. The two shared a smile before the shorter man dropped the fabric, casting a glance to Shane's belt.

"Is that the ring?--er.. was the ring?"

Shane nodded and began to explain, "It's called a soul gem and it houses my magical powers. I am what the bunny cat--Kyubey-- referred to as a Magi. I met him shortly after we...."

Shane trailed off, his expression turning solemn. Silence filled the room once more until Ryan spoke up.

"After we what?... Shane, what happened? You said you'd explain and that showing me would help."

Shane proceeded to step back towards the couch, sitting down again. Looking up at Ryan, he braved on.

"You know how I told you that I am not from this timeline?" Ryan nodded, no hint of disbelief in his face anymore. Shane continued, "Well... I guess I should start with that feeling of being watched. I'll start from the beginning. See, on my first go around it was me who felt like I was being watched. Ignoring it, we went to the site and began to shoot the episode.

Immediately upon entering the building, I felt the press of eyes watching me intently. The walls began to shift and change colour -- like the way they did in that video of the Queen Mary. You and I headed for the stairs and that was when shit began to get real."

Ryan sat down beside him, listening as Shane continued to explain. He closed his eyes as he recalled it all, the mans voice taking on an almost haunted tone.

"It was like a scene out of a horror movie. We heard that creepy laugh--somewhere between a cackle and a hiss. You told me it was the same.. and I thought we might finally get you the closure you've been searching for, man."

Shane opened his eyes, turning to look at Ryan. With a deep breath, he continued on, "We opened the door to one of the rooms and in it... In it was the demon. It was a hideous creature that I can't even begin to describe to you, Ryan. It noticed us and lunged to attack and you... you.. You pushed me out of the way, telling me to run."

Shane's voice was shaking as he relived the moment again in his mind. Closing his eyes again he spoke quietly, muttering as he continued, "I remember the look on your face as your life was snuffed out... I eventually tried to get away, and that's when I met Kyubey."

Opening his eyes, Shane gazed at Ryan who had paled a little, but was still paying attention, "Kyubey told me that if I made a contract with him, he could give me anything I wanted... A wish. But in exchange for that wish, I had to fight the demon. Thinking about everything that had just transpired, I agreed and asked to be sent back to the past--a do over, if you will. I wanted to make sure that you survived, Ryan."

"So that's why you're here now then --- to try and save me from getting killed."

Shane shrugged, "Basically. But this isn't the first time I'd been sent back. At first, I thought it was a dream... But then things kept happening that I remembered, and the ring on my finger basically confirmed it. We went to the demon house and I tried to kill it... But I.. I failed, Ryan. Once again you were the one that saved my ass, pushing me out of the way from the things jaws and inevitably ending up dead again."

Shane took another deep breath, leveling a determined look at the raven haired man standing in front of him.

"I can't let that happen again! I managed to kill it in the end last time, but you still didn't make it. Luckily, it dropped this:"

Shane closed his hand, focusing as he began to feel the grief seed manifest into his palm. Opening his fingers again, it balanced cleanly on its tip before Ryan, palm open.

"This is what Kyubey called a grief seed. These drop off of demons and are meant to restore magical power. Hopefully this time, with this I can kill it and then we can move on with our lives."

Ryan stared at the odd black item. It looked a little like a spinning top, the way it balanced unnaturally in the palm of Shane's hand. Turning his gaze back to his chocolate haired friend, Ryan asked,

"So let me get this straight. Demons are real."

Shane nodded.

"You're from the future because you went back in time to save me from dying to it."

Shane nodded

"And now you have magical time powers thanks to the stone in your belt, like Dr. Strange."

Shane cracked a grin, "Well, when you put it like that.."

"Dude, you're a freaking superhero!"

As Ryan beamed at him, Shane suddenly felt a wash of amusement cascade over his emotions and he began to laugh. Ryan soon joined in and the two of them just cackled and wheezed at the absurdity of the whole situation. After a good three minutes, Shane tapered off, wiping his eyes.

"Heheh.. ahem.. But yeah, That's basically the whole story. So now you can see why I really don't think going tomorrow is a good idea."

Ryan nodded, but Shane didn't like his expression. He leveled a look at his taller friend before asking, "But.. Kyubey you said his name was? Didn't he tell you that it was in your contract to kill this demon? What happens if you don't?"

Shane's eyes widened as that thought began to settle in his mind. Ryan elaborated his theory further, "For all we know, I could end up dead again if you don't fulfill your end of the bargain."

Shane shook his head at his partner, knowing exactly where the conversation was going, "Then I'll go on my own. You call in sick tomorrow and I'll convince TJ and Mark that we're getting B shots while you are recovering."

Shaking his head, Ryan raised an eye brow at Shane, "You think I'm letting you head into the belly of the beast alone? Naw dude, that's not how this works. We're the ghoul boys - package deal, remember?"

"No way, Ryan. Absolutely not!"

Turning from Shane, Ryan's expression was serious. The raven haired ghost hunter raised his eyes to look up at the ceiling, thinking aloud, "But what if I were to help you kill it somehow?"

He then turned his eyes back to Shane, beaming bright like they always do when he has an idea, "Just think, man... We'd be heroes."

Shane frowned as Ryan got up from the couch, heading towards his bag of supplies. Shane stood as well, eyes following the man, his voice filled with worry as he spoke,

"Ryan, I really don't think you coming is a good idea."

Opening the bag, Ryan reached inside pulling out the crucifix necklace and looking back over at Shane with a steely gaze,

"Dude, you're not facing that thing alone. Sure, if you don't fight it then there is a chance that I could die. But if you do fight it, then there is a chance that you could die! And I'll be damned if I let my best friend risk his life for me while I am sitting around here with my thumb up my ass, worrying about him. No, fuck that! I'm going!"

Shane held his gaze, Ryan's conviction shining strong through the little guys eyes. It was clear. There was no room for argument. Closing his own, Shane let out a long sigh, throwing his hands in the air in defeat as his Magi outfit dissolved back into street clothes.

"Fine," He said, a small smile starting to tug the corner of his lips. Opening his eyes again, Shane wandered back to the couch, sitting down once more. Ryan followed, the necklace still in his hand. Clasping it around himself, he said with a light chuckle,

"I was gonna suggest we take a trip to see Father Thomas, but after everything that you just filled me in on, I have a feeling there'd be no point."

Shane shrugged, reaching for the TV remote for the first time that evening, "Yeah... No offence to the guy, but I don't think he has anything that would help against a real demon."

"So that's why you drank the Holy water," Ryan assessed. Shane smirked as he replied.

"Naw. I did it because I wanted to piss you off."

Ryan punched him lightly in the arm, "Jerk."

The two of them shared a laugh as Shane proceeded to pull up Netflix. The rest of the evening was spent binging various TV shows and ignoring the obvious danger that the next day would bring. Ryan agreed to stay the night as the two of them relaxed, simply just spending time with each other. Neither of them brought up the contract again as well as both of them being quiet about the investigation it's self.

It was an unspoken agreement that they would just have this night to be themselves. Because in the back of their minds they both knew; Regardless of the outcome, after tomorrow? Nothing would be the same.

***