A/N: Oh heck, I actually updated? How longs it been? I have no excuse except I wasn't interested in writing for awhile. Just so you know I updated the previous chapters before even writing this chapter. All I can say is sorry :P but just so you know I actually haven't forgotten the plot for this. I'm trying to pace more and add more into the chapters. I don't wanna make them OOC except for Mai. I always end up making Mai OOC. I like the idea of keeping a family dynamic between her and everyone no matter what.

Please keep in mind I might go missing from the site again. I am subject to my muses after all.

Naru and Mai went ahead to knock on the door. Wantina answered and they set up within the sitting room on the second floor. The house was a rather large 3 story house. It was very old by the feel of it. The ghosts had taken to hiding themselves from the newcomers. The outside of the house was surrounded by healthy looking trees so Mai took some comfort in knowing Ayako could summon the tree spirits if required.

Mai and Gene sensed a few different spirits here and there as they set up cameras and took temperatures. Gene was talking to Lin as he set up a camera while she was in thought. She got the feeling that she shouldn't have pushed so much and that she was going to regret this case later.

"So when are the others arriving?" Koda asked making her jump and whirl around in surprise.

"Don't sneak up on me like that please," she pleaded making him laugh at her flushed face. "Monk and Ayako should be arriving in a few hours, Masako and John should be here sometime later, and our researcher Yasuhara will be arriving tomorrow as he has his finals today." Mai answering his previous question after calming down a bit.

"I see... I can't thank you enough for getting your boss to accept. He seems like a real hardass." Koda scratch his cheek sheepishly as Gene now joined them with a curious expression on his face.

"It wasn't that hard, all I had to do was deprive him of tea among other things." Koda stared at her warily wondering exactly what she meant by that.

"Wait, you're telling me you did all that so he would accept the case?" Gene was a little more surprised than he should have been.

"If I thought I could do this myself I would have, but my gut was telling me I needed help with this one," Mai explained shrugging. "Your brother had to make asking extra difficult. And people wonder why I don't ask for things," she rolled her eyes thinking about the stoic twins previous attitude towards her asking him for help.

Gene winced inwardly at his brother. He honestly didn't blame her for being fed up with him despite knowing Noll only wanted to protect her. Noll was just pushing her away and indirectly sending her running into the danger neither of them could keep her from.

Mai blinked her eyes open curiously looking around the transparent house. She'd just been talking with Koda and Gene a moment ago she could have sworn. But she guessed she just didn't remember going back to base again. She took a moment to look around at the little spirit orbs smiling as she touched one to reveal a playful cat. It had become apparent that most of the orbs were animals or other spirits that weren't quite human. Some tree spirits danced in the distance of where she suspected the trees were.

She looked over towards base trying to locate her body. In case she needed to wake up quick it was easier to wake up when she knew where her body was. Her shiki were playing around with one another while Lin's seems to disapprove of it. That made her giggle inter her hand.

"It's good to see you, Mai," a familiar voice distinctly male greeted her ears and she turned to see him with a smile.

"Kyoya has the atrial plain been treating you alright?" Mai asked as he gave her a warm smile.

Kyoya was a handsome young man in his late twenties of chines decent with rust red hair. Mai was certain since he was an Omioji in his life. He had been a master in his time and as perusal, those who showed exceptional talent regarding the spirit realm would remain in that realm in order to teach the living what they knew. Having in life helped the dead, they now help the living to do the very same. Though he taught her despite her being Japenese.

Kyoya offered his hand with a sad smile meaning this vision was probably going to hurt. She took his hand still smiling as they walked now suddenly on a pure white line towards a doorway of sorts. Mai regretted the moment she stepped through as she was pulled into the body of a young woman.

Looking to her left and right she took in the house when it was practically brand new. Her stomach hurt and her legs felt like lead. Frantically she banged on the door begging to be let in or she would die. The woman was scared out of her mind when a man barreled out of the tree line. The door swung open and she tumbled in.

"What are you doing shut the door he'll kill us both!" Mai cried at the slightly older woman who only watched her with cold and dull gray eyes as if she'd heard that a million times before. The woman's hair was a very dark shade of brown and looked foreign.

The man who was covered in shadow laughed as he entered the house. The woman shutting the door once he was inside. Mai clenches her stomach now realizing she was bleeding before something hit her in the head knocking her out cold. The woman Mai had been was about average for a young Japanese woman with brown hair.

Mai opened her eyes in another vision assumably from the other woman's perspective as the girl who Mai had once been was dragged off by the man covered in shadows.

"Tina be a dear and fetch the dogs." He grinned his teeth clearly visible and white.

"Yes, Master Fujioka! Right away sir." The woman Tina paled and hurried to get the dogs terrified of what he might do if she wasted time.

The dogs were vicious beasts upon seeing them snap and snarl at Tina. Tina opened their cages carefully trying not to show them fear else they might attack her. She led them into a cellar where the man was just finishing tieing the unconscious woman up. The girl stirred and Mai found herself back in the younger woman's body.

The dogs barked and licked their lips hungrily licking their lips. Terror washed over Mai as she realized what was about to happen. "No, please what did I do!? Please let me go I promise I won't say anything," Mai's voice wasn't her own. It was softer and sounded nice. The man only smirked as he walked to be beside Tina who had her eyes closed.

"Dinner~" He sang and the dogs attacked.

Naru frowned as he watched the screens. His female assistant had fainted and was now sleeping in the girl's room. She had been carried there by Gene who'd been with her when she fainted. Naru really wanted some tea, but the mild distraction when Gene and the recently arrived Monk and shrine maiden opened the base door. Was enough to quell his craving for just a moment.

"Oh where's Mai," John inquired having arrived at the same time as the others. Traffic had been kind to him, unlike Monk who always got the worst of the jam.

"Napping like the Sleeping Princess she is," Gene answered bemused when Naru shot him yet another glare. "Masako would you be kind enough to make my poor brother some tea? Mai won't make him a single drop for who knows how long."

"Why not?" Ayako wondered clearly out of the loop her curiosity spiking when Naru actually scowled at Gene.

"Because he's a stupid scientist," Gene stated shrugging in amusement when his brother buried his face back into the file in his hands.

"What did he do?" Monk grinned crossing his arms bemused at the turn of events.

"Well, he refused to take a case she specifically asked him to take." Gene sent his brother a knowing look, "He said no and now he is in fact on the very case he so refused and still has yet to be rewarded with his prize."

Naru paused looking up at his brother from the file. Mai's madness making more sense at this piece of information. They laughed at the idea of Mai forcing Naru to do something.

"Mai officially has Naru wrapped around her little finger," Ayako chuckled no one taking notice of the girl standing in the doorway.

"I wouldn't go that far." Mai yawned closing the door behind her. Her hair disheveled but she didn't care because everything hurt.

Eyes turned to her except for Lin who was focused on his laptop. Mai had several bruises and a few cuts and small bite marks on the visible skin she had. She'd already tended to them all as the worst of it was already bandaged.

"What in the hell happened to you Mai." Ayako started fussing over her and Mai just laughed as Lin took the time to look at her.

"That's an interesting story actually," Mai stated and plopped herself down beside Masako on the couch. "Because it all started with a dream," Naru crossed his arms clearly unamused at her joking.

It took awhile for Mai to explain her dream in detail making sure to leave out her spirit guide. She yawned stretching her arms over her head until she heard a satisfying pop when she finished retelling the horrifying events of her dream.

"Thing is I didn't have a chance to ground myself before I was pulled into the astral plain," Mai added looking at a particularly long scratch on her arm. "I should have done it before coming in the house, but my thoughts were occupied."

"Mai how long have you been astral projecting on your own?" Naru asked and she hummed in thought clearly not taking it seriously.

"Never, I usually have a guide or I'm being chased by a spirit, or with the glowing orbs. But, never alone." Gene chuckled as his brother narrowed his eyes at her.

"Chased?" Making it clear she had more explaining to do.

"Sometimes a spirit for whatever the reason can see me and they aren't always kind. But that was only after I learned how to sense them." Mai shrugged nonchalantly.

So another chapter is done. Give me some helpful tips by writing a review down below. Have a wonderful day.