Pairing: Lin Koujo x Taniyama Mai

Hi, Nana here! This isn't my first ghost hunt story. For those who have read my previous story, YES, I'm long overdue with an update but I apologize if it still hasn't come. I'm still in the process – yes, still in the process of editing some parts of the last chapter. With work and reality coming in between, it's a bit hard for me to actually sit down and let my imagination run wild with how I want the ending to go.

I've always been a die-hard fan of the Lin and Mai pairing. So, this is my take of a fictional story between the two of them.

Just to give you guys a heads up, I'm also a big fan of the Final Fantasy games. Been a fan since FF6 up to latest which is FFXV so I might incorporate a thing or two… or three… in this story. And some other characters from games and animes that I'm in love with. Hope you guys don't mind that.

I hope you guys will enjoy this one!

xxxxx

"Mai-san?"

"Hai?"

"It's time."

"I'll be right there."

…

"Gene? What are those orb-looking things?"

He smiled. "Will-o'-wisps."

"Are they a good sign or a bad sign?"

"Usually, people see them as an ominous ghost light. In some countries, they believe the will-o'-wisps to be the spirits of the dead who lead travelers to deathly places."

The brunette tilted her head to one side, still eyeing the will-o'-wisp that's below her. "Then, how about that one?" Pointing to the orb that she was looking. "Is that will-o'-wisp a bad sign?"

Gene nodded. "It's a very –"

BOOM!

Gene instantly looked at his surroundings, trying to look for the source of the loud noise.

But he found nothing.

Then realized something else.

The brunette that was beside him earlier wasn't there anymore.

"Hey! Where are yo -!"

BOOM!

"Eugene!"

Gene instantly opened his eyes. He could see his twin hovering over him, his cerulean eyes looking intensely at his own.

"You had a dream."

It was then he noticed that his breathing was labored. He could feel beads of sweat dripping down his forehead and neck. His hands were gripping the sheets too tight. His back was soaked with his own sweat.

His entire body was feeling too worn out to even nod to his brother. Instead, he closed his eyes and focused on getting his breathing stable. He had to clear the panic that was still in his body. He needed to clear his mind to remember the dream that he just had.

"Noll, what's going on? I just heard you scream."

It was his mom.

"Hold on a minute, Mom."

With his brother's support, he could finally focus on the dream that he just had.

It was the same girl, over and over. She seemed so familiar, yet he could not place a name. His dreams with her are so random. First, he dreamed about her in an old school house. Next, in a white two-story house. Next, in a school. He was always in different places, yet he would always be with her.

He needed to tell his brother and Lin about this.

It's been going on for months.

"Noll." He spoke softly.

"Gene."

"I need to talk to you and Lin."

He heard footsteps on his side. "Darling, what is this about?"

Slowly, he turned to his side and opened his tired eyes. He smiled at his mom despite his fatigue. "I'll tell you later Mom, I promise."

Seeing his mother's furrowed eyebrows and worried eyes, he knew she didn't want to be left out of the loop. "Do you want me to call Lin?"

"Yes, please."

His mother straightened up and looked at him directly in his eyes with an intense gaze. "You WILL tell me after. No excuses."

He chuckled. "Yes Mom, no excuses."

Satisfied with his answer, his mom finally turned and left.

"What's going on, Gene?"

Gene sighed. His twin was always so impatient. He raised his arm up and held his hand out to his twin. "Help me up first, will you?"

Without missing a second, he was brought to a sitting position. The sudden change of posture made his head swim. His body still wasn't done being exhausted. "Gently, why don't you?" He complained, massaging the sides of his head to ease the dull pain.

"If you're complaining then that means you're well enough to handle yourself."

"Idiot Scientist…"

The sound of knocking and a door opening interrupted their conversation. "Eugene." It was Lin.

Gene grinned sheepishly at their long-time companion. "Terribly sorry for waking you up at this hour, Lin."

Lin closed the door and inched towards Gene's bed. "Luella said that you needed me."

Gene nodded and patted his side of the bed. "Take a seat. This might take a while."

The onmyouji nodded and took a seat on the side of Gene's bed.

Gene breathed out slowly before starting. "I've been having dreams that I don't really understand."

"What dreams?" Lin asked.

"I…" Gene scratched his head. "It's so random, really."

"How long have you been having this dreams, Gene?" His brother finally asked.

"3 months ago."

Gene saw Noll's eyes narrow. "That long? And you didn't even bother to tell us?"

Gene knew that his twin was about to start scolding him for not telling important dreams. "Listen Noll, hear me out first before you start your nagging."

His silence was Gene's cue to start.

"I honestly didn't think so much about this dreams when it first started." He ran his hand through his hair, trying to settle the anxiety that was building up again. "I thought it was just some spirit that needed help. But then when this girl came, and the scene started to form in front of me, I suddenly felt like I was on auto-pilot."

"What do you mean?" The onmyouji asked.

"I don't know if it's the right word to use for this situation, but it felt like deja-vu to me. Like, the entire scene, the conversation that I was having with this girl, it felt like it had already happened."

Noll's eyes narrowed. A girl?

"What does this 'girl' look like, Gene?" Noll inquired.

He racked his brain again for the image of the girl. "She's short. From her looks, she's like about 15 or 16 years old. Brown hair with a bob-cut and brown eyes."

Without Gene's knowledge, both Lin and Noll's eyes widened at the description. They knew someone who looked like that.

"When she's around, the plane seems a lot brighter and the atmosphere feels lighter." Gene continued.

"Do you think this girl is dead?" Lin could not help but ask. He looked at Gene's twin. His facial expression was tight.

Gene immediately shook his head.

A breath that both men didn't even think that they were holding was silently let out.

Noll ran a pale hand through his hair, discreetly relieving the built-up stress from Lin's question. "Can you remember the first dream you had when she appeared?"

"It was in an old school building," He started slowly, trying to remember how his dream started. "Initially, I thought it was an old house but when I checked inside, I saw a science laboratory, some shelves, desks and chairs."

"I heard a sound and it came from below me, that's when I knew that I was on the second floor. When I went down, that was when I saw her. The moment I saw her," He paused, looking at his crumpled sheets. "It felt like my soul knew her, yet my mind can't come up with a name."

"She was sitting on the floor and she looked lost." He chuckled softly, remembering the girl's facial expression. "I helped her up and she started asking me who I was. Just when I was about to answer, I felt myself being pulled away from her… then I woke up."

Gene looked at his two silent companions… something in their eyes was making him feel uncomfortable. They were starting at him quite intensely.

"Did I say something wrong?" His voice hinted uneasiness. "You guys are looking at me like I'm some lunatic." Gene commented.

"Gene," His twin started slowly. "Before I say anything else, I would like you to give me another account of one of your dreams with her."

Gene could see the gears turning in his brother's head. He wanted to know what was inside his head. He used to be able to know what his brother was thinking but ever since… Gene shook his head and discarded his train of thought. There was no point in dwelling over what happened three years ago. "I woke up in a relatively large house," He started again slowly, trying to remember his second dream. "I was in the kitchen. I could see several will-o'-wisps floating around but even though I was in the kitchen, I could feel something heavy that was coming from another room."

"When I stepped out of the kitchen, the scene immediately changed… then I saw her again. I was standing behind her but wasn't anywhere near her. In front of us was a well and a little girl playing a ball. Suddenly, a man came out from the trees and took the girl with him. A few seconds later, a woman appeared and seemed to be looking for the little girl. The scene then continuously changed from season to season. The woman," He paused for a bit, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "went back to the well where the man took the child, climbed over the well and jumped in it."

"So she did commit suicide…" His twin suddenly uttered in a low voice.

Gene looked at his companions. They were both looking at each other. From their expressions, he could tell that they know something.

"Gene." Lin finally decided to speak.

"Yes, Lin?"

"Does the name Taniyama Mai seem familiar to you?"

…

"Mai."

"Yes, Lin-san?"

"Your circle is too small. Test your limits."

The brunette concentrated on releasing more of her power yet containing it in a much bigger circle around her. Tendrils of her now long hair were flying everywhere yet she paid it no mind. Lin Wei would make her clean the entire beach if she didn't at least try to test her powers to the limit.

"That's good." Lin's deep voice floated through her ears. "Keep going."

The more that she stretched her powers outwards, the more her body is feeling the strain. She couldn't see how far her circle had gone with her eyes closed but she could guess that it was at least a good distance away from her since her instructor had dished out a compliment which was truly rare.

Her body was starting to feel the toll on over-exerting her powers. She can feel sweat forming and her breathing was coming out in short gasps.

"Like what I taught you," Her instructor started. "Release the energy slowly like smoke."

Finally… Releasing the control of her powers was much more easier to her than releasing then containing it.

FWIP!

Mai lazily flopped onto the sand and was breathing in and out heavily. "Haaaa~."

"Tired?"

The brunette chuckled. "Very." She let out a few heavy breaths before finally asking the question that was on her mind. "What's the big deal with you forcing me to go beyond my usual power circle, Lin-san?"

She could hear shoes squishing against sand, an indication that her instructor was walking towards her spot. "You'll know in time, Mai."

Mai shrugged, somehow already expecting that her instructor wouldn't respond. She knew that whatever her instructor taught her, it was always very important.

"And besides," Lin started again. "Next week will probably be an interesting week."

Mai's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What's happening next week?"

Lin Wei simply smiled and told the brunette to clean up and start her duties at the shrine.

"Stupid Lin-san…" Mai mumbled under her breath. Slowly, she got up and dusted off the sand particles that got stuck on her clothes. "If he didn't wanna say it, then he shouldn't have just said it in the first place…"

"Oh well, at least he isn't as stoic as his younger brother…" She pulled her hair up in a pony tail to keep it from looking too messy.

"Ojou-san?"

"Hai, Tomoe?"

"It's time for you to go back."

"Hai, hai." With one final check on her clothes, she started her trek back to the shrine. "Someone has to listen to the prayers, right?"

"Hai, Ojou."

xxxxx

And there you go! The first chapter for my Lin x Mai fic! I've always wanted to do a Lin x Mai fic and finally it's here! I'm so so so so so excited!

As always, honest reviews are appreciated so that I can improve my skills.

With Christmas holidays, hopefully I can at least update a chapter or two.

Merry Christmas to everybody and a Happy New Year in advance!

Ciao!
Nana xxx