Author's note: I'm back, after being bitten by the plot bunnies. My latest fix has been MLR and the lack of reviews on my other fics. I'm spreading the MayuraxLoki love! Yay!

Warning: Mayura is gonna be a little ooc, but you will see why shortly. Also, she's gonna be closer to the manga Mayura since that one was just naïve and lively instead of plain stupid and noisy like in the anime. I was slightly offended by how the anime portrayed her.

Chapter One

The reflection in the mirror never lied. Not once. It showed who she should be underneath her clueless mask. Mayura resisted the urge to shiver as a chill shot down her spine. She hid her true self just like Loki hid his. Oh yes, she knew his secret, knew from day one but she had kept quiet. Made it look like she was spiritually blind when in fact she was the exact opposite. She saw. Mayura saw it all but acted like she didn't, acted ignorant, accepted the pathetic excuses.

It hurt. Badly.

Mayura wanted to tell (scream) at them that she knew, but she always chickened out. It had been a few months since Loki had attempted to leave, attempted to abandon her down here in this hellish existence. Words couldn't describe how happy she was that he had stayed, he was her one anchor besides her father. Even if he didn't know what she was really like beneath her mask. Another grimace worked up onto her pretty face as another flash of pain worked its way through her body.

This had started a few days ago, the week before her birthday. Her 18th birthday to be exact was now the day after tomorrow and the pain was getting worse. Her father had kept her home from school and kept apologizing about not telling her when he thought she was asleep. One time she actually saw him placing spiritual wards around her room, but she didn't have the nerve (strength) to question him.

Mama, make it stop. But her mother was dead, unable to help as was her father. Mayura just wanted the pain to go away, the awareness of the other side to stop rising to all new heights and the lies to turn into truths. The pain became white hot, running a rapid trail through her blood and she cried out, falling against the mirror. She looked at it with crimson eyes, grey eyes stared back at her.

Meanwhile...

Loki was worried. Scratch that, he was EXTREMELY worried. Mayura hadn't been over ranting about mysteries for close to a week and that in itself was cause for concern. It didn't help that when Narugami came over for food that he would report that she had been out of school as well.

Currently he sat at his desk, fingers interlaced so his chin could rest on them, lost in thought. He tried to assure himself that she probably just had the flu and would be in here annoying (entertaining) him in no time at all. That thought only made him feel worse, he couldn't stand to see Mayura in any kind of pain. Some months had passed since he had stayed for her and he was coming to terms with the real reason why.

He loved her.

The great Trickster god Loki had fallen in love with a mortal, a mere mortal girl barely a woman at that. Life seemed to be out to get him lately.

"Loki-sama?" He turned and looked at his son who stood in the doorway carrying a tray of tea and cookies. "I brought you your tea, I even made a little extra in case Mayura-san stops by today." Yamino said as he set the serving tray down and poured the god some tea. Loki could see the concern hidden in the depths of his eyes.

Even Yamino is worried. Fenrir too, he runs to the door every time there is a knock mumbling about 'mystery girl'. Loki thought as he sipped his tea, nearly sighing at how bland it tasted to him.

"Yo Loki!" He jumped slightly and looked at Narugami as he burst through the office door. "Oh good!" He exclaimed when he saw the cookies and grabbed one. "I was hungry too. Have you seen Daidouji today?" The thunder god asked, his mouth full of cookie.

Mayura wasn't at school again? "I haven't." Loki stated as he stood, earning him curious looks from the others. "I will soon though. Yamino, I'm going to go check on Mayura and make sure that whatever is wrong with her isn't a present Odin left for me. I'll take Fenrir since he really seems to miss her." If said wolf puppy had been in the room, he would have denied it to his sister's realm and back.

Another player in his game of life...

Daidouji Misao sighed for the hundredth time that afternoon as he swept up around the temple, silently sending up a prayer to thank the gods that Mayura had finally managed to fall asleep. It pained him to see his only daughter in such agony as she had been in recently. Looking up at the sky, he prayed that his beloved, her mother, would watch over her and take the pain away. A ghost of a smile crossed his face as the sky cleared up suddenly and became brighter, as if his prayer had been heard.

Said smile disappeared when he saw a certain someone walking up the stairs to the temple, causing him to sigh again. He was going to loose his breath that way if he continued this.

"Hello Mayura-papa. Is Mayura home?" The child detective asked, focusing deep green eyes on the father hoping to get some clues to this situation.

"Yes but she's too ill to be seeing you. That's why you came, isn't it? Because she hasn't come around to your agency?" The older man snapped, wanting the boy to go away.

If anyone could figure out what was happening to Mayura, it was Loki. And he wasn't about to loose his daughter to him. Not at all!

"PAPA!" The scream erupted from the house causing the two males to jump then sprint into the house. The pinkette was curled in a fetal position, whimpering in pain when the two arrived. "It….hurts…"

Shards of glass littered the floor and surrounded her in an ark, sad remnants of the once proud mirror that had been hanging on her wall. A book lay at the base of the mirror, the object used to destroy it for some unknown reason.

Misao quickly scooped her up and placed her back onto her bed, placing a hand over her forehead to feel the blazing heat of her fever. "Don't worry sweetie, it'll be over soon." He whispered as he covered her with a thin blanket. As he stood, he saw Loki standing in the doorway watching with concerned eyes but stern features. "I told you she was sick."

Fenrir watched with mournful eyes. No one that lively deserved to be this sick, it was almost a crime.

That night...

"Mayura…" Red eyes snapped open, dull and lifeless, trapped in a trance. "Mayura… Come to me… Come Mayura…" She silently stood from her bed and walked slowly out the door.

The night air was frigid yet going unnoticed by the teenage girl as she walked down the deserted street at the ungodly hour of two in the morning. The faint echoing of that strange voice continued as she went down the road towards her destination.

"Daidouji?" Narugami asked as he headed home from his job, noticing his unusually silent friend. Concern bubbled up in his system when he saw the blank look on her face. "Daidouji!" He ran over to her and the moment his hand landed on her shoulder she fell backwards in a dead faint.

The thunder god caught her with ease and winced when he felt the high fever through his uniform. Picking her up bridal style, he proceeded to carry her to the one place that would be safe for her considering what he had just seen.

Loki's mansion quickly came into view. Shifting his load slightly, he knocked on the door loudly then waited. A half asleep Yamino appeared at the door a few moments later. It took a minute before it must have dawned on the disguised snake as to what was right in front of him and he quickly ushered them inside. Narugami placed Mayura on the couch in Loki's office while Yamino went to awaken the Trickster god and inform him of their visitors.

"The….mirror…." Narugami jumped and looked down at Mayura. Her eyes were closed tightly and she looked to be in pain. "Mirror…. The seal….too late…. I know…."

"What's too late Daidouji? What about a seal and mirror? And what do you know?!" He asked but she didn't answer, only whimpered and began to curl up into a ball.

After a minute, she seemed to get the strength to speak again. "Mirror…. Portal…. He's looking for me! ….Wants me to…." She blacked out.

"Daidouji…." Narugami whispered as he smoothed back her hair from her face, feeling useless for one of the rare moments of his life. Just then the door banged open and Loki strolled in, looking none too amused.

At least until he saw who occupied his couch in such a feeble state.

"Mayura!" He ran over and knelt down beside the piece of furniture to lay a small hand on the side of her face. Realizing that she was out cold and was going to be for a while, he ordered Yamino to bring pillows and a blanket before turning to Narugami.

"I found her walking down the street in some kind of weird trance that broke as soon as I touched her." He answered before Loki could question him. "She fainted so I brought her here. She was muttering something just before you came in." Narugami was surprised that the next time he blinked that he was facing a decidedly adult Loki who was using magic to see if there was any spells on their favorite mortal.

"What did she say?" Loki asked quietly as he gazed at Mayura.

"Something about a mirror, a seal, being too late, knowing something and that 'he' was looking for her, wanting her to do something. She passed out before she could tell me what though."

"I will inform Mayura-papa she is over here. Thank you Thor." Loki said seriously even though he did not budge from his spot even as the Thunder god nodded and left. "Mayura… be alright…." So intent was his gaze on his beloved that he failed to notice the dark shape outside the window.

"She won't be if I have a say…"

(End chapter one)

Phew! Done. This idea had been nagging me for who knows how long! Sorry for the cliffy but more people review that way. I'm not setting a limit but I want a few reviews before I post the next chapter. Bye for now!