Okay, this was definitely a challenge since I didn't exactly know where I wanted to go next. At any rate I think it could have been longer but the end seemed like a good stopping point so I did.

Disclaimer: I do not hold ownership to Ghost Hunt or the Swan Princess


Naru had gotten everyone back the base before they woke up, and under Mai's explicit discretion he told no one he knew what happened to her because; as she put it, "The walls have ears!"

No one else mentioned anything of the dreams they had, it seems they were still coming to grips with the reality that they had all had a past life involving this castle. Naru himself was still trying to get a handle on his memory reel.

In it he had been a young prince named Derek, and his mother -Ayako of all people- was conspiring with the king of another kingdom -Monk, unbelievably- to set him up with the young princess of him. She looked like Mai, but her name was Odette. Every summer, they were brought together in hopes that they'd fall in love and on more than one occasion they were at each other's throats, mostly because they didn't really get along and because Odette would best him in everything from mock sword fights to simple card games.

But the years passed and the last memory he remembered seeing was Derek and Odette, dancing, happily in love as only two people who have always loved each other can be. They stared into each other's eyes and the distance closed, Derek's lips taking Odette's in a gentle kiss. There had to have been some mistake. If he really was to believe that he and Mai were reincarnations of Odette and Derek then it meant that Mai really did love him and it was up to him to break the spell. But Mai loved Gene, right?

He just didn't know anymore. He was sure he knew when Mai first confessed to him three months ago. She was just substituting him for his brother, as many girls often did when they came confessing to him thinking he was Gene. It couldn't be him; there was no reason for it to be. He was as Mai said; cold, arrogant, narcissistic, and an all-around pain in the derriere. Mai had fallen for the kind smiles, the reassuring words of comfort, the tenderness that he didn't possess. So why would it be him?

His thoughts turned to Derek. The prince, in essence, was the same as him and yet Odette fell in love regardless of how he had treated her over the years. They had been cruel to one another, and couldn't stand being in the same room with each other for more than five minutes. So why had they fallen in love? The answer was simple; when you spend an extended amount of time with someone, your walls start to lower because you start to trust the person. Eventually you can see hidden sides surface, sides you keep hidden so no one will use you. Both Odette and Mai had that quality about them that made people do those things. You would let out sides of yourself you thought you'd never see because they let you feel it was okay to do so.

Maybe that was why he had kept her on after that first case. Sure she had been a little irritating, but he had forced her to do as he said with a nonexistent threat of prosecution hanging over her head. Of course she'd be a little resentful towards him. But on top of all that she trusted him implicitly on some sort of deep, stupid level and she always gave someone either a second chance when they didn't deserve it or the benefit of the doubt when asking them.

Overall it made her presence very calming and it made her very hard to hate, you could get irritated with her for sure but you could never actually hate her.

His mind was wandering. He needed to figure out why Mai would have fallen in love with him for some reason other than his looks. He had no idea that it was the way he cared for all the people he surrounded himself with, though he had odd ways of showing it, or maybe it was when he smiled at her for the first time. Actually smiled, not the fake one he'd used when they first met or the condescending smirk he used when she made a wrong assumption of something that was clearly in line with what he thought. She knew then that it had been something special and something he hadn't done in a long, long time.

As it was though, Naru had no idea what it was that had made Mai fall in love with him, well if that was the truth. Surprisingly, though he had always been narcissistic about himself and his abilities, he was very hard on himself when it came to matters of the heart. No real surprise since he'd always been compared to his brother when it came to their personalities.

"Look, it's Gene and Oliver." One little girl whispered to another as the boys walked past them through the park, hand in hand with their new mother.

"Oh, they're so cute!" the second exclaimed.

"I know." The first agreed. "I really, really like Gene."

"What about Oliver?"

"Well, he's good looking, but so cold. If only he'd be more like his brother." The first sighed whimsically.

"Why do you think Gene is so nice and Oliver's so rude?" the second asked, a confused look surfacing.

"Maybe when Gene and Oliver were born some evil witch came and took all of Oliver's kindness and put it in Gene." The first reasoned with her six-year old mind.

"Oh, I wish I could break the spell! I want to grow up and marry a prince as good-looking as they are!" The second squealed.

"Me too!" The first agreed; sighing dreamily as the boys walked out of sight.

They thought he had not heard them, how stupid. It had been a huge annoyance for them to think that he would grow up to be a prince -though the irony of that statement was not lost on him now- and a huge blow to his ego. He could be polite, but never genuinely kind like Gene always was. People -mostly girls- had always preferred Gene to him, and before it had never bothered him. But when he now thought of Mai preferring Gene to him felt like he had just plunged a knife into his chest.

Why? The memories had dictated that he'd fallen in love with Odette as Derek, but that was centuries ago and there may have been changes to them that wouldn't allow for the same thing to happen, yet it was. So was he falling in love with Mai? He honestly didn't know.

Speaking of Mai, the girl turned swan just sat there on the surface, occasionally talking to Gene but the spirit could tell she wanted to be alone. After all she had practically confessed to her boss again and he inadvertently turned her down. She felt as though she had fallen into the depths of despair at the realization.

Mai sighed; he really never was going to love anyone was he? Even though he'd rescued Gene, well what was left of him, and brought him home Naru was still too consumed with his twin's death to even consider something like that. It was hopeless; Mai would never break the spell unless she decided to marry the scumbag sorcerer spirit that had cast it on her. Yeah right, like that was gonna happen.

Then again, Mai started to wonder, why not marry the sorcerer? She could be human full time again, and with his magic she would never be wanting, she would live surrounded by spirits whose sole purpose was to serve her. What was not to like?

But, she would also not be able to live as a free person; she'd forever be chained to the castle. She'd never be able to go home, never be able to see the graves of her parents, and never be able to be with the man she really loved, and worst of all; never hold her newborn child in her arms. Yes, that had to be the ultimate price for all this. She was becoming an eternal sacrificial virgin. Mai sighed again, there really was no way she could win was there?

Naru looked over at the screens once more, specifically the one that held the camera which had been moved to keep an eye on Mai. The bird girl seemed to be brooding over something; he just wished he could figure out what. Unfortunately, he could not do so until nightfall, more specifically after the spirit sorcerer was flat out rejected by Mai. In the recesses of his mind Naru let out a dark chuckle: the spirit could ask Mai every night until the end of time: she would say no; that much he was sure of.

But where did that leave him? He still didn't know, he wondered; why hadn't Mai just agreed to marry the sorcerer? Then all the things Mai had thought about came, unbidden, through his mind. He startled, that was new. It was almost as if he'd heard Mai's voice as she thought about these things. Naru thought back to the memories he'd relived last night. Something didn't add up. Why was the sorcerer after Mai in the first place? It seemed as though Derek was the one with more land. The memories had begun at their first summer together and ended at the kiss. He needed the full story about this; and of course the only one who could provide it was a swan. And he couldn't very well just go over to Mai and ask her to try and dream about it.

Maybe…. No. No, no, no, no, no. he could not do it. He did not have the power to do so. And even if he did, there was no telling what he would dream about. But, there was no other choice. However, when Mai had a dream she was usually called into the dream and that was the reason she fell asleep on cases. There was no telling what he would do when he got there. Well, he had to try something.

There was just one problem. Naru had very certain sleeping conditions. It had to be pitch black in his room and absolutely silent. So what could he do? Maybe Lin would have some ideas.

Mai watched the sun wane as the day passed by slowly, only looking forward to the coming of the evening to be human for a few precious moments. She idly wondered if Naru would come and visit her again. That was silly, he was probably working himself to death simply to solve the case and add another notch to his already extensive belt of achievements.

Mai sighed, what was she to do? Repetitive, but there was really nothing else to think of when all she wanted was to be human again.

Time passed. Night fell, and Rothbart came a courting once more.

"Odette!" he called. "Where are you?"

Mai, though she now had the ability to speak, chose not to reply.

"Odette! If you don't show yourself this instant I swear I will vaporize your little friends!" the sorcerer threatened.

Mai, spurned by worry for her family came from the bushes. "You called." She said sullenly.

"Have you thought about my little offer?" Rothbart asked.

"I have," Mai replied. "and my answer is still the same. I will never marry you." She finished disdainfully.

Rothbart growled. "Very well." He conceded. "But remember, we have all of eternity to repeat thins until you say yes." with that, the spirit disappeared.

Sighing, Mai turned to the surface of the lake. The reflection of the moon and her human form stared back at her and Mai let the tears trail; unbidden in their course. Naru was never going to come around. She was going to be stuck like this forever.

Sounds of footsteps drew her attention. Mai turned to see Naru strolling towards her; his brow furrowed in concentration.

"Naru? " Mai asked. "Naru what is it?"

He looked at her. Beautiful. "Mai. I-" he cut himself off. "I need your help."

"With what?" Mai asked.

"I need some information, but I need it directly from the source." Naru said as way of an explanation.

"What does this have to with me?" Mai asked.

"When you get pulled into a dream, what happens?"

"Oh," this was unexpected. "well, normally I just feel this slight pull, and I go under. There's not much to it really."

"Do you think you could help get me to sleep?" Naru asked.

"I suppose." Mai said looking around. "Come here." She led him to the base of an overly large willow tree and sat down against it. She motioned for him to sit down beside her. He did so, resting his head against the trunk. Mai bit her lip. "Um, Naru?"

He looked over at her. "What is it?"

Instead of replying, Mai pulled on his shirt until his head fell into her lap. Ashe began stroking his hair and humming a soft tune. Naru stilled, Luella had never done this for him, mostly because he wouldn't let her, and he found it felt nice. It was comforting, it was soothing, it was loving. And that's what hit him most of all. So, as Mai continued to stroke his hair, Naru fell into a fitful sleep. The branches of the weeping tree hiding them from view and creating a land of enchanting bliss.


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