Hello everyone! I decided to change the rating to M due to the violence in the upcoming case and possibly cases.

Ghost. Zer0: Thank you! I hope you enjoy and I'm taking your suggestion and bumping up the rating to M. Thank you for your review :)

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Chapter 4

—Naru's POV—

Everyone was hard at work preparing for their respective tasks. I merely glanced at my team to monitor their progress. They were more than capable to be on their own. They had proven themselves time and time again though , their work comportment could improve. I will give them credit for taking difficult cases like this with a serious mien not, that I would tell them of course. I turned my gaze back at Lin listening to his opinion of possible evil spirits and where they might be located when Mai's scream broke my concentration.

"NAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" My neck snapped to Mai. She was screaming in terror her eyes wide and unseeing. I dropped my files and was with her in a second. Hara was trying to calm Mai down by holding her shoulders and speaking to her. She screamed louder and started to struggle against Hara.

"Mai!" My voice tried to bring her back. I reached towards her as she struggled even harder.

"Nai, nai, nai get away!" Tears of terror were rushing down her face. I had to snap her out of her trance.

I grabbed both of her shoulders looked her straight in the eyes and gently shook her. "Mai! Mai! Mai!" My voice was strong asking her to come out of her trance and by the third time I called out her name it worked. She snapped her gaze up to mine. Her eyes clearing and focusing on mine. Terror filled eyes met mine with a frantic fear that slowly started to fade. "Naru?" She looked into my eyes and searching for something. My chest tightened as I looked at her small trembling body.

"Thank God." And with those words her tears started anew and she leaned into my arms. As her sobs grew I shifted so she could wrap her arms around my neck. Her tears wet my neck as she sobbed.

—Mai's POV —

'He was coming for me! He was going to kill me! No no no no no no!' I knew he was coming for me he knew that I saw him! I was going to die I knew I was going to die. I felt arms grab me and I started to fight! ' He found me! He's going to kill me! No no no get away!' The arms didn't go away and I struggled harder. I didn't want to die! 'Naru!' I wanted him to save me so badly. I knew this spirit, no this demon was too much for me.

"Mai!" I heard a voice. I knew it was familiar. It was a safe voice I knew they wouldn't hurt me but who was it?

"Naru?" Was that Naru? My eyes focused and I saw him. Where was the monster? Was it a dream? I was scared so so scared and so relived I wasn't there any more.

It was Naru. He was holding me looking at me with worry in his deep blue eyes. My eyes filled up and I started to sob. I was safe I was with Naru.

—Naru POV —

My chest tinged as I held Mai. Her sobs affecting me more than I will ever admit. I rested my arms on her lower back to hold her steady. My hands covered her small waist as her tiny form trembled. Mai was one of the most courages and headstrong people I've ever met. For her to be so terrified of something was not a good sign. My mind whirled as I thought what could have possibly happened. I knew she was meditating with Hara just a few minutes ago. Had her powers grown enough for her to have a vision? Had her powers grown so much?

" Matsuzuki, are the bedrooms ready?" I still stood with my back facing the team, Mai in my arms. Mai needed to calm down and once she did she needed rest.

"Yes. I will go prepare the bed and set her clothes out." Perfect. Once she came back I will ask her to check over Mai but not yet.

"Takigawa please accompany Matsuzuki. Do not leave her side. This case may be more troubling than we initially thought." I heard them both hesitate before leaving the room. They loved Mai and to see her so affected must be troubling to them. Mai needed to have her things taken care of and in any case she was safe with me.

Mai's sobs had lessened but her figure still trembled. "Hara, prepare tea then you can explain what happened." I felt her move from Mai's side to the other side of the large room. Good. Mai needed tea right now.

"Lin make sure the the charms have held and check the monitors to see any activity. John contact Osamu inform him to start searching immediately for anything related to the murders." Mai stiffened in my arms as she heard the last word I mention. I internally cursed and slowly rubbed her back with my thumbs reassuring after my blunder. Her form relaxed as her body tired and her senses returned.

I sensed Hara approaching. Mai had stopped sobbing and deeply breathed. No doubt calming her self. She motioned her body backwards and I let her pull away from my arms. I instantly felt the loss of her warmth but ignored it.

Mai's face was tear streaked and pale. Her eyes were tinged pink as she turned her gaze from me to Hara. She slowly accepted the tea and held it in front of her face. She closed her eyes inhaling the sent and sipped. Her form relaxed more, although I had sufficiently calmed her myself, and opened her eyes and nodded her thanks to Hara.

"Mai" I said, " Let's move the to couch." It would be easier to obtain information once she was more comfortable. Hara made to move to help Mai but I reached her first. Gently leading her to the couch. I took my jacket she had earlier draped across the back of the couch and laid it on her shoulders.

We waited for everyone to return from their assignments to begin. John had finished talking to Osamu and sat closest to Hara to the love seat on the side. He looked with concern at Mai waiting for to calm enough to talk. Matsuzuki and Takigawa retuned ten minutes later. They both headed straight for Mai. Takigawa sat on the floor in front of Mai eyes filled with concern for her. Matsuzuki approached Mai and checked her over. She checked her pulse and took note of her pale complexion. She stood and approached the kitchenette presumably for something to raise Mai's blood sugar levels. Lin stood from the monitors and sat on the love seat near me with his laptop ready for any information Mai could give us.

Matsuzuki returned with a few sweet cookies which she offered to Mai. " Eat Mai, these will help you." She gently handed one to Mai who tried to refuse. " Mai you need to keep your sugar levels up." She looked at Mai with a stern motherly gaze. Mai tentatively grabbed a cookie and ate slowly under Matsuzuki's watchful gaze. As she ate the first cookie her shock started wearing off and she quickly finished three more. I watched her color return back to her normal complexion, a smooth milky peach.

With Mai calm and fed I could begin the questioning. " Hara explain what happened." Hara looked at me and began, " Mai and I had finished the preparations for the cleansing. I have been instructing Mai on her growing powers and decided it was a perfect time to teach Mai. We sat in the corner of the room to practice meditation and seeing the in between to be able to see spirits. I instructed her to start meditating as I explained how to reach it so she may get an idea of how to reach out her five senses to see the in between." Takigawa intrupted her. " Wait you mean to tell me you taught her how in a place such as this?! With lots of troubled spirits and evil ones!?" He sounded upset of the carelessness Hara displayed. " There is no telling what she could have seen!"

I too was upset with Hara's carelessness. How could she let Mai do this in such a place? John intervened, " Now everyone I'm sure Masako-san knew what she was doing. From what she has told me she had just started teaching Mai the basics there's no way should could have taught her something so difficult mates." Matsuzuki's hand rose as she lightly smacked Takigawa across the head. " Shut up and let her explain! There's no way Masako would have put Mai in danger." Hara looked at Matsuzuki in appreciation.

"I was just explaining to her what she had to do in the future to see the in between. Mai has very little training or polished skill to actually achieve this. I am thinking I was proven wrong Mai's powers have grown. I looked at Mai wondering why she was so quiet. She looked to be trembling again her hair bangs covering her eyes. "Mai?"

—Mai's POV—

I had finally calmed down enough and knew I was safe. The cookies Ayako gave me and the jacket Naru had laid on my shoulders gave me strength and warmth. I was listening to what everyone was saying and when Masako started to explain what happened I got scared. That thing I saw in the forest was evil and somewhere out there. He knew I saw him and I was afraid he would come looking for me. The sun had already started to go down and I had no doubt that it would appear at some point. That evil thing with large red human eyes widened far enough they looked ready to pop. This mouth was wide with thin cracked lips his teeth were yellow and broken. He had tangled matted shoulder length hair that-

"Mai?" Naru's voices called me to attention and I looked up. Everybody was looking at me with concern.

"What happened Mai?" I looked down at the small plate in my hands as I started speaking. "Masako was showing me how to see the in between. I was meditating and reached out my senses like she said and knew I could do more so I pushed. I saw the film she had mentioned and I went past it. I saw everyone and what they were doing but it's different from when I astral project. I could see everything from my minds eye I never left my body. I saw everyone with strange colors radiating from their bodies but my senses were still going and I felt all the spirits. I felt those woman who were crying and hiding. Those poor children with out their families that were so lost and those men who died in battle or were murdered. I also felt evil spirits they were hunting them trying to take the other spirits power." I looked up at Naru," Naru there's 3 evil spirits doing this. We have to stop them!" Naru looked at me and nodded and I knew he wanted me to continue. I took a deep breath controlling my emotions. "I reached the whole house and land when I felt him. He was so evil. His eyes were red and I knew he wasn't normal. I knew he was a monster. He saw me and I screamed." Everyone was silent.

I looked around and saw everyone in shock.

"But how can that be? It's too soon you shouldn't have been able to do that yet." Masako looked at me with wide eyes, kimono sleeve covering her face. " You said you saw that thing in the forest? He saw you?How can that be!?" Bou-San asked. I nodded and he looked back at me. "You felt all the spirits in this house? Are you sure Mai?" I looked at Ayako and nodded again. Lin-San spoke next, " You felt all the spirits on this land and saw our auras?" I nodded , I know this serious but I was getting tired of all this nodding. I getting sleepy too I hope I can sleep soon.

"Heavenly Father." John gasped.

Naru stood up from the couch and address's everyone," We are taking no chances. John call Osuma again and inform him of what is happening. Tell him to look for any myths or legends of a the spirit Mai described. I need him to tell us everything he knows." John nodded. "Lin see what you can find out as well. Matsuzuki-san and Takigawa-san check the charms to see everything is in order. Hara-san monitor the spirits emotions and report any changes. Mai, tea."

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Thank you for reading I hope you enjoy! I will hopefully have the next chapter up by Friday :)