Author's Note:

I don't own Ghost Hunt or its characters. However, I do own this fic. LOL. Love the anime the most. Keep reading fellas!

Legend:

'Dream state conversation'

/Dream state thoughts/

"Real time conversations"

'Real time thoughts'

/Dream scenes/

"Dream scenes' conversations"

'Dream scenes' thoughts'

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits: they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. - Frank Outlaw

In Both Realms

Chapter 4

Naru's POV

He watches Mai as she keeps on twitching and her burrows furrowed in confusion as she sleeps. This is his first time seeing Mai in one of her 'dream gathering' situations and it doesn't look too pleasing. He would never ever in his sane mind, admit to anyone that it got him 'slightly' worried about the young girl.

Naru decided that watching the girl wouldn't help her in her dreams. He decided to review the case over again, he opened his clipboard and browse the information and try to process it into his bright and intelligent mind.

However, Mai's consistent whimper makes his concentration waver. He tried to focus harder but when Mai sobbed, he had flown in her place before he could stop himself. He knelt down beside her in the makeshift bed made for Mai in the base.

"What's happening Mai?" Naru asked in a very soft and almost affectionate voice.

Mai whimpered again in response tears spilling in her eyes. "It's too painful to lose your love ones… especially when they are the only ones you have" she whispered her voice filled with anxiety and loneliness.

Naru stared at Mai's crying face. Mai's tone were sad almost lonely. He knew that Mai was an orphan but she seems to have accepted it so well, she answered the questions asked about her regarding her parents like it was the easiest questions in the world and it doesn't bother her at all. Then, where does this deep emotions coming from…

The phrase Mai uttered made its way to his heart; he knew exactly how it felt to lose someone that you share your life with, but having Mai live in that kind of pain and suffering… it was unimaginable. It made Naru think where she gets the courage to smile and become optimistic when deep inside you were hurt, suffering and even to the point of breaking.

'Is she not the one I think she is? Are her smiles her mask to stop the pain from showing? Just like the one I am wearing. Who is Mai exactly? Is she or not the girl I hired? Or is she somewhere beneath a surface of lies.' Naru thought.

A soft muffled cough from behind made Naru aware of the added presence inside the base. Instead of acknowledging his assistant's presence, he leans down to Mai.

"Mai, what's going on?" he asked again in the same soft voice that made his assistant stop turning the pages of his report and stare at his young boss.

Naru would bet that Lin's thinking how on earth did Naru posses such a tone in his voice. Hell, even him was wondering where the tone came from.

"Reno-san's spirit is haunting Lina-san & those people. And also because she haven't accepted her brother's death & Reno-san wants revenge to those people that killed him and try to hurt Lina-san too. Then, he accidentally hurt Lina-san. When he meant to save her, he didn't mean to hurt her! He can't move on too… because of the guilt and the loneliness." Mai said in her light voice. As if, she's conversing with someone in her dreams.

It almost made Naru smile as he wipe Mai's tears with his fingers, instead his eyes soften a bit as he brushed some strands of Mai's bangs so that her face would look much brighter.

"Very good Mai…" he said his voice sounds proud, so his theory has been right all along. Mai did a great job into informing him.

Mai gave him a smile and a sweet "Thank you."

Naru suppress the smile forming in his face so he move back to his desk and start planning the moves he's going to give to everyone when everyone has arrived from their investigations.

Then all of a sudden, he felt the temperature drop inside the base. Even Lin felt it and sat straight alert.

"Naru" he said to him. "I know" Naru answered. He had this sudden urge to turn and look at a mirror or any glass that can mirror himself.

"Lin, mirror" he said to the Chinese man. Lin gave him a weird look; it almost seemed as if his assistant is gawking at him.

"Now" he said sternly. The feeling intensified. Lin being all prepared and all reached for his case and handed Naru a pocket mirror.

Naru nearly grabbed the item and look into it. Because of the limited space of the mirror, all he can see is himself looking back at him.

Then he realized that the entire background ceased to darkness. It is as if he was transported into the mirror. That's when he heard voices he never heard before and a voice very familiar to him but hasn't heard it for the longest time imaginable. 'Gene' he thought.

'What do you want?' Gene's voice said, Naru felt himself frown, why does Gene sound so much like him? Is he angry with someone? Is that possible?

A soft giggle & light chuckles replied Gene in the darkness. 'Who are they? What do they want from Gene?' Naru thought.

'Eugene Davis' a male voice said. Naru forced himself not to talk out loud for the fear of losing the contact. 'Just how did they know Gene's name' his older twin brother voiced out his thoughts.

'Who are you & how did you know my name?' Gene replied. Naru knew that his brother wasn't so pleased at all.

'Please don't get us wrong Mr. Davis. We meant no harm' a girl's voice said Naru remained listening trying his best to spot in the darkness the outline of the people talking to his brother.

'Instead, we bring a warning, chevalier of light… watch over the gifted one… evil is coming' another male voice said. With this Naru felt, a shiver ran along his spine. 'Chevalier? Gifted One? Evil? What are they talking about?' Naru thought miserably.

'Why would I believe you?' Gene asked, and Naru can't help but agree with him. 'Why would they believe these strangers?'

Another soft laugh from the female entity. Naru had an urge to bark his own remark but restraint himself.

'See, Kazuki he is so much like you…' the girl voiced out, Naru thought that she was referring to the first male voice. That earned a grunt of disapproval from the said man.

'My dear chevalier… the time has come to fulfill your destiny.' She said in a serious tone without a single hint of malice. It made Naru shiver at the tone of her voice. 'She called Gene a chevalier?! What destiny?! Gene was dead for Pete's sake!' Naru thought angrily. Are these spirits trying to spite Gene for being dead?

'What destiny? In case you don't know I am dead…' Gene's replied, Naru couldn't help but chuckle at his brother's reply. Oh, how much he misses that annoying 'YOU-ARE-STUPID' tone.

'Eugene Davis, you are the rational one not the absurd one' the second guy said 'leave that part to your 'Brother' Oliver Davis' he said. Naru glared at the darkness. 'Just did the spirit called him absurd?!' he thought grimly.

'Kazuya, that's half insulting yourself' again the female one said. Naru raised an eyebrow. 'Kazuya? Him? Insulting himself?!' Naru's confusion grew ten folds.

The connection began to blur and Gene's voice became erratic. The phrases…

'I think I misjudged your intentions. Why do you keep calling me chevalier? Who is this gifted one?' are the only ones Naru was able to hear before the connection completely broke.

Naru stared at the mirror blankly while giving the poor item a death grip, when he felt a hand on his shoulders.

"Are you alright Naru?" Lin's voice brought Naru back into reality.

"Lin" he acknowledges the man.

Lin nodded and went back to his desk. Naru flop down his chair as he glanced at the mirror again but he cant bring the connection back. He sighed in irritation.

'Who are those people? Are they really spirits? Why did I have that kind of vision?' Naru thought to himself. He never had one like that before then why now?!

'But her life is already on the line of death since her birth… in the past, in the present and so is in the future.' A female voice resonates in his mind like a sonic wave that vibrated all through his mind and body that shook his very being. Only one name came into his psyche and he wished he didn't have to think about that name, but that wish is futile because it kept repeating hopelessly in his mind. 'Mai… I have to protect Mai.'

The swinging of the base's door caught both men's attention and in came Takigawa Housho, Ayako, John Brown, Hara Masako, and Yasuhara Osamu.

"Are?! Mai?!" Takigawa exclaimed looking at the sleeping girl in the cot. "What happened to her?" Ayako's worried voice asked seeing the bandage in Mai's hand.

"She passed out and accidentally knocked a burning kettle down with her, don't worry I've cleaned the burn and bandage it up" Lin informed the woman. Ayako sighed in relief.

"Good grief… any reason why she passed out?" John asked as he and the rest sat down at the available seats. His questions were never answered as Naru started barking orders for everyone to do.

"I want everything ready in 2 hours. Lin." Naru said.

The tall Chinese man nodded, "I can get the things needed in a record time don't worry. It's Hara-san I am worried about" Lin said as he looked at Masako with scrutinizing look. Masako stared back at Lin asking the Chinese to explain further.

"This won't be an ordinary exorcism… as you all know an ordinary exorcism uses mainly of holy water or chants and spells together with the spirit or spirit representation or the hirogata if we cant bring forth the spirit itself..." Lin explained, he looked at everyone and continued his explanation mainly concentrating his explanation to Hara Masako.

"This time we have to exorcise the ghost in a host. Because we first need to communicate with the spirit before we exorcise it. We need to let him know of the gravity of his actions as a spirit being. And we're going to use your body, after that we exorcise the spirit within you therefore you're going to feel the same pain the spirit is going through until it was fully cleansed and would be able to get on and head to the light on its own. It is a grave try but it is possible. But first you must undergo purification first just to keep your spirit protected." Lin explained.

Masako nodded "I am willing to under purification but will you give me a few minutes to have my own preparation?" she asked the man. Lin was silent for a while then nods his head. Then everyone started to move and do his or her part of the job.

After an hour of intense preparation, everything is set. Bou-san, Ayako, and John are in there customary ritual clothes and were ready as soon as Naru gave his signal. Masako also undergone the purification and is ready.

Naru closed his clipboard and glanced at Lin, the Chinese assistant gave his positive nod. "Alright. Let's---" He was about to say a word when a voice stopped them.

"Wait! Not yet." Mai's voice cut Naru off. Everyone was caught at her tone of voice.

"Mai-san, what do you mean 'not yet'?" Lin asked.

"Let's wait for Lina-san to arrive before you get on with the ceremony." Mai said her voice sounds pleading.

"If we want her here we should have called her here, do you understand?" Naru answered in an ominous voice.

"Let here at least say goodbye" Mai said tears threatening to fall in her eyes. As an unknown pent up emotion is trying to break free in her eyes. "Please." She looked away. "At least with goodbye there is conclusion… the end, it wouldn't be as much painful as leaving without saying goodbye at least." Mai's voice cracked. "Naru…" she stared at his handsome impassive face with hopeful look.

Silence.

Mai's about to frown when Naru spoke turning away from Mai. "What are you waiting for? Make yourself useful, the telephone won't walk up to you know. Stupid." he said. Takigawa snickered, Ayako gaped, and John-san stifled a laugh as Masako lift her kimono to hide her apparently obvious smile.

Mai smiled brightly and literally jump off the makeshift bed and grab the telephone and was about to punch the number when she look up slightly blushing. "E-err… I don't have her number." she shyly said. Everyone excluding Naru who muttered another 'Stupid' remark and Lin who just gave Mai an apologetic smile as he handed her a piece of paper, laughed.

After a good 30 minutes, Lina-san arrived and thus the purification and ceremony began.

Unknown to them, somewhere, far away, in the shadows of the dark night. Two-colored eye gleamed maliciously in the dark. Red signifies fire/blood and blue signifies ice/death.

Author's note:

There you have it the 4thchapter of my fic 'In both Realms'. Please do submit reviews. Thank you for reading!