"Mystic Maya! Mystic Maya!"

Maya woke as a flash of lightning illuminated the Master's sleeping quarters. She glanced at the clock on her ornate bedside cabinet; the red numbers read 3:30. She sighed, closed her eyes and rolled over, burying her face into her pillow.

A thunderclap so loud it shook the room brought her back to her senses.

"Mystic Maya!"

She sighed, swinging her legs out of bed and wandering over to the door.

"Pearly," She pleaded quietly, hoping not to have to open the door and instead send the young acolyte back to her room to sleep. "It's just a storm. Go back to bed; it's stupid early."

A muffled sob was all she heard, then, all but for the sounds of the storm outside, silence. Maya frowned; had it really become this easy? She caught sight of her confused expression in the mirror on her dressing table and stifled a giggle. Maybe it was.

She had barely made it three steps back to her bed when another flash of light filled her room, followed by a shriek from outside.

This was not a battle she was going to win tonight.

"Alright Pearly," She said, opening her bedroom to her young cousin. "You win."

The little girl grinned at her before rushing to her bed and crawling under the sheets, all tears conveniently forgotten. Maya climbed in next to her, brushing a few loose strands of hair away from Pearl's face and tucking it behind her ear.

"You should wear your hair down sometimes," Maya whispered affectionately. "It makes you look much more grown up."

Pearl contemplated this for a moment, pursing her lips and staring off into the middle distance.

"I don't think I'm ready to be a grown up yet." She stated flatly.

"Why's that?" Maya asked.

"It's too complicated." Pearl flopped over and faced the ceiling. "No, I'm definitely not ready."

Maya giggled, mirroring Pearl's actions until she was staring at the ceiling herself. She sighed contentedly. They lay there in comfortable silence for a few moments.

"Mystic Maya?" Pearl asked quietly. "Are you awake?"

Maya "uh-huhed" in acknowledgement.

Pearl rolled onto her side and propped her head up on her shoulder.

"Could you tell me a story?" She asked tentatively.

"Wouldn't you prefer to sleep first?" Maya asked her eleven year old cousin.

As if on cue, her room was once again bathed in a flash of white light. The harsh light and the angle of penetration accentuated the dramatic lines though her elaborate decorative bedroom furniture and the startled expression on Pearl's face. Her eyes were wide like saucers and her mouth had morphed into a perfect "o". That was enough answer for Maya.

"You stay here sweetheart, I'll go get you a story." She made to get out of the bed but Pearl placed a stubborn hand over her wrist. Maya looked down, briefly contemplating how small Pearl's hand looked against her own. Her young cousin knelt on the bed looking up at her.

"I've read all my stories," Pearl protested. "Can you make one up?"

Maya thought for a moment, placing a hand on her chin while supporting her elbow with her other hand.

"What sort of story?" She asked the young girl staring at her expectantly.

Pearl looked down bashfully.

"I don't know," She said quietly, looking up at Maya through long eyelashes. "What about a fairy story, with a Princess?"

Maya grinned; the expectant smile on Pearl's face was infectious.

"And you can be the princess!" Pearl exclaimed, grinning even further.

"I'm no princess." Maya said bashfully, looking away from her cousin.

"Mystic Maya! You are a perfect princess!" Pearl said, patting the bed next to her. Maya sidled back in to bed, placing a protective arm around the small girl. Pearl snuggled in next to her, tensing only slightly as another thunderclap echoed around Maya's bedroom.

"Perfect Princess Maya." She whispered. "I like that."

Pearl sat bolt upright turning to face Maya.

"Mr Nick!" She exclaimed. Maya's face faltered at the sound of the young acolyte's nickname for her old boss.

"What about Nick?" She asked.

"He can be your prince!" Pearl said, bringing her hands to her face in glee. "You are 'special someones' after all; he can be your 'special someone' in my story!"

"Pearly, I haven't seen Nick for ages." Maya said quietly, looking out of her window at the rain lashing down outside. It was true; since she had become the Master of Kurain they had grown further and further apart. Sure, they still spoke on the phone, and Maya would always know if she needed him he would be there in a heartbeat, and she would always return the favour. He had other responsibilities now, and she was happy for him. She sighed, feeling a frown work its way onto her face.

She was shocked out of her quiet contemplation with the realisation that Pearl had been talking for the past minute and she hadn't heard a word of it. She tuned back into the present to hear the last of Pearl's epic plan for the story she was supposed to tell her.

"… Or maybe you could tell me about a case you both worked on." She finished.

"Yes!" Maya said happily, Sitting up and resting her back against the headboard. "That sounds like a much better plan."

"Excellent!" Pearl said happily, snuggling into Maya's waist in anticipation. The older spirit medium stroked her cousin's hair gently.

"We were in the office, watching the episode of the Steel Samurai where the Pink Princess was finally introduced, when the phone rang…"

I struggled with characterisation in my last fic, so I thought I'd give it another shot. I hope I have achieved a bit more with this.

I may continue this, I'm as yet undecided, so I guess I'll leave it up to you guys. [EDIT: I Have decided to continue with this, so expect the next chapter up soon, featuring everyone's favourite defense attorney!]

Thanks for reading, please leave a review - it's the only way I improve ;o)