A/N: I probably should've mentioned this earlier, but it totally slipped my mind. This story contains spoilers (is there even anyone left on here who doesn't know about it already?). Anyway, it's set after Naru returns to Japan, so... yeah. Also, this IS a Mai/Naru fanfic. Just so you know. And um... there may be more, but I don't wanna spoil it, so I'll stop.
~Thanks to all you readers out there! I honestly didn't expect to get that many reviews XD
Sorry for any grammar or spelling errors. I try my best, but there are always a few things I miss.
Disclaimer: If I did own Ghost Hunt, then I wouldn't have to try to think of something funny to say in the disclaimer... and then fail at it...
The first the that registered in Naru's mind when he woke was the smell of... pancakes? He found himself still sitting on Mai's sofa with a fuzzy blanket now draped around him. Lin was sitting on the floor looking through a mass of old worn out books that lie scattered across Mai's coffee table.
"...Well that was quick," Naru said. "I didn't know Madoka was in the area. What time is it?"
"Ten o'clock. She and Mai made breakfast if you want any," Lin replied.
"Madoka's still here? I thought you said we should keep everyone else out of this case for now."
"She refused to leave without any explanation. Besides," Lin continued, "she does have some experience when it comes to the dark arts. More importantly, she can be of excellent use to Taniyama-san right now." He paused. "Unless you would prefer to comfort her?"
"...Point taken." Naru said no more and Lin continued flipping through books. In the mean time, the young narcissist took the next few minutes to look around from where he sat. It felt odd not being at the SPR building. It felt odd not working. No... he was working. Technically. They were on a case. Naru just never expected it would be taking place in his assistant, rather, his friend's apartment. At least in a stranger's home, there was no excuse for slacking off. Right now he wanted nothing more than to just continue sitting there. Perhaps there was something wrong with the tea had drunken when he first got there?
Still surveying his assistant's home, Naru found many pictures placed all over the living room. Some of them contained friends from school, a few of them what Naru expected to be Mai's parents, but most of them were of SPR. He found only one candid shot of himself and Lin, while the rest of the pictures were of everyone else who occasionally worked for SPR. A group that seemed to gradually be growing apart. Mai's only family. Naru continued studying the apartment. Though it wasn't that large, it did feel very open, even with all the furniture in it. Probably gifts from teachers and friends, he thought to himself. Everything seemed to be decorated very simply and was, surprisingly, neat.
"Naru, did you eat yet?" Mai came walking out of the hallway that led to her bedroom, no longer in her pajamas.
"...No," Naru answered, throwing the blanket to the side and standing up. "I'm not hungry."
This seemed to make Mai angry. She was well aware of the fact that her boss hadn't gotten that much sleep in the last few days. She at least hoped that he had been eating enough. "Well we made plenty, so please help yourself!"
"Maybe later." Though Naru was glad to see Mai acting more like herself again, he knew it was just a facade. How could he eat at a time like this?
Madoka came storming out the hallway with a phone clenched in her right hand. "Really, Naru, I wish you would quit being so rude. Anyway, you need to stay healthy and fit if you wanna help Mai, so eat."
As usual, Naru couldn't argue with Madoka, so he gave in and headed for the kitchen. Mai followed, figuring she'd make more tea.
"Did you get a hold of them?" Lin pulled his eyes away from the book he was currently examining and stared at Madoka, who looked like she wanted to smash something. It was a very strange sight for Mai - she had never seen the woman so vexed. Well, maybe she had just a little when it came time to criticize Naru for his attitude towards people, but this was something else. As strange as it was, Mai had to admit, even in her current situation, it was a bit funny for some reason.
"Yes!" Madoka sat where Naru had previously been sitting and exhaled loudly. "We're on our own. Well, I can just cross them off the list for next year's Christmas party! I mean really, the nerve!"
"Who did you call?" Naru asked, setting his plate of food on the small dining table. He was grateful that Mai's place was small enough so that he could still see what was going on in the living room.
"Remember the Palmer's? They're old family friends of your parents," Madoka answered. "Anyway, they kind of specialize in what we're dealing with. Spells and stuff, you know. They helped your father out on more than one of his investigations and they've always been there for me, so Lin and I figured that we might as well give them a call."
"What exactly did they say?" Mai asked nervously, setting a cup of tea by Naru's plate.
"Nothing you need worry about, dear." Madoka said sweetly. Setting the phone to the side, she turned to Lin and asked, "Did you find it?"
"Yes," he replied. "But I'm still unsure of how to take care of it. It seems that no matter what, it would require some kind of sacrifice."
Mai took a seat on the floor, opposite of Lin. "You mean someone has to die?"
"Only from what I've read so far, but it's possible there are other ways." Lin picked up one of the more ragged looking books and began flipping through it. "It would seem your intuition had been right, Taniyama-san. These eye-less creatures you've seen in your dreams... the ones that are surrounding this building as we speak are in fact guardians of another realm. Because they're in no way connected to this world, they're unable to harm you or anyone else." When Lin found the page he was looking for, he held it up for the others to see.
"That's it," Mai said, tears forming at her eyes. "That's the symbol in my dream..."
Taking a seat beside Mai, Naru carefully examined the shapes and lettering drawn onto the paper before him. Even to him, it looked like the typical kind of symbol you might find in a horror game or movie. A circle with some ancient language he couldn't make out written around it and a bunch of other strange shapes inside.
"So why are they here?" Naru asked.
"They're getting ready," Lin answered. "The design on Taniyama-san's back will continue to grow until it forms this..." He turned the paged and showed them a different image. Unlike the former which had seemed vastly demonic, this one was the opposite. Several intricate lines flowed and linked together, creating a rather beautiful pattern. If you looked carefully, it almost seemed as if they formed several different pairs of wings even.
"When the design is finished," Lin continued, "The first half of the spell will be complete. Taniyama-san will be forced to enter the other realm. Once there, the guardians of that place will probably, I'm assuming, take you to the place in your dream."
"...And then?" Mai could barely keep her voice from cracking.
Lin hesitated for a moment. "Black magic is an extremely cruel and inhumane form of art. This spell in particular is by far one of the worst ones known to mankind. It's anyone's guess as to what will happen. But we'll find a cure before then. I'm sure of it..." he managed.
"Of course we will," Madoka pitched in, joining the others on the floor and wrapping her arm around Mai.
"What are our options so far?" Naru asked.
"As of right now... the caster must be killed before the first part of the spell is complete. Unless we have some kind of idea of who that might be... and even then, as horrible as this is, it would still be murder. The other alternative doesn't apply to Taniyama-san," Lin answered, setting the book down."
"Which is...?" Naru reached across the table to pick up the book and observe the second picture again.
"The sacrifice of an unborn child. Mai would have to be pregnant and the first part of the spell would have to be complete so she could enter the other realm for the ritual to take place."
Madoka began grumbling. "These evil books won't help us fight this! There has to be a better way. What about using white magic or something? And whatever happened to love conquering all?"
Lin thought for a while. "Actually, you may be right about using white magic to counterattack. But finding someone nowadays with that type of power would be near impossible. For now I think we should keep searching for other possibilities."
"Mai... do you have any idea who might've done this to you?" Naru asked, setting the book aside.
After taking a minute to think of every person she could remember ever meeting, she replied, "No."
Lin stood up, suddenly alert, and faced the direction of the hallway.
"What's wrong?" Naru questioned him.
"Madoka, stay with Mai." The Chinese man headed for Mai's bedroom, Naru following suit.
As Lin opened the door, both men could hear Mai complaining, "Hey, what's wrong? You can't just go waltzing in there..."
After squeezing through both of her co-workers to see what they were staring at, she gasped. "What does it mean?"
Covering the entire wall behind Mai's bed was the symbol they had all previewed just moments ago, painted in a deep red.
"Madoka... it's time." Lin turned to look at his friend, now standing right behind Mai.
"Naru, you have a free room, you should put it to use," Madoka smiled at her former student.
Naru simply sighed. "I guess there's no other choice." He began walking away, pausing right before he completely exited the small hallway. "Mai. Pack your things."
"Eh? You're kidding, right?" Mai continued to stare in shock at her poor wall that had just been magically vandalized. "I mean, is there really a need?"
"I think it would be in your best interest, Taniyama-san. Those who guard this other realm we have spoken of now seem to be gathering here in this room." Lin left Mai to gather whatever belongings she would need.
Madoka, of course, decided to stay and help the young girl. "Don't you worry, Mai," she tried to sound as cheerful as she could. "Naru will take good care of you while Lin and I leave to search for a way to stop this. We promise to come back as soon as we have what we need, alright?"
"What? You don't mean you're going away! Leaving me with the worst person you could possibly leave me with... Naru will never agree!" Mai whined.
"He doesn't have much of a choice, really. Anyway, until we get a hold of Ayako, he'll just have to do." Madoka zipped up Mai's last bag and handed it to her. "Got everything?"
"...Yes," Mai grumbled. Compared to her rather slow morning, things were suddenly moving way too fast. Whatever Lin and Madoka had planned on the phone, they weren't wasting any time on getting it done. Though maybe it was necessary. No one knew how much time Mai had left. It didn't make her any less angry about the situation, though. Apparently Naru was not too happy about it, either. Mai could hear him and Lin talking as she walked out of her room.
"Since when do you make all the decisions around here?" her boss asked sternly.
"This is the most efficient way to go about things. Madoka and I are more trained in this field than you are and someone needs to stay with Mai at all times. You're to report to us whenever the pattern on her back grows. Also, I'll be leaving my shiki with you both just in case." Lin turned to face Madoka. "Is everything ready?"
"Yep. Our flight leaves in an hour and a half. We'd better drop them off now." Madoka gathered her things. "We need to make a quick stop at the hotel afterwards - I left something important there."
"Did you ever think to share your plans with me?" Naru asked.
"We just did share them," his assistant answered. "And anyway, you were asleep before. Let's go now."
Like Madoka had previously said, Naru had no choice but to comply. It would be pointless for someone like him to try and find a solution for Mai. He wouldn't have a clue as to what he was doing. For once in Naru's life, he truly felt useless. Even so, he would work with what he had. If that meant baby sitting his own assistant, then so be it.