A/N: I apologise for the lack of most of the team members in the last chapter, they will reappear…maybe.
Aya looked at me strangely. So she didn't know I was the same Mai? She kept looking at me, and I felt myself go bright red, because all three of them were still looking at me, although Naru and Lin pretended not to be interested. Typical Naru and Lin. Normal Naru and Lin. They were better like this. I could deal with them like this.
But still! There was too much attention focused on me.
"Is it really… you?" I eventually heard Aya say. She looked so desperate for it to be true. I looked at her and smiled a little.
"Sure is." I gave her my hand, and she reached out and hugged me. So tight I could hardly breathe.
"I can't believe I've… well, you found me." She looked so overjoyed. I couldn't help but beam back at her.
"If the pair of you are quite finished. Go somewhere that will not disrupt our investigation." I was getting out of having to make tea again? I smiled to myself.
"Of course your royal coughpainintheasscough highness. Your wish is our command" Aya bowed theatrically, and we made our exit.
Aya dragged me through to the girls room, where both Masako and Ayako were sitting. They stared at me grumpily.
"Aya… did you keep them up wondering where I was?" I asked my sister. She looked away from me and glanced upwards.
"What put such an idea into your head Mai?" She asked, in that all too innocent tone that told me she was lying.
"Don't believe you." I said, trying to imitate Naru. Didn't work very well. Both Ayako and Masako gave me odd looks.
"Mai! You hand?" Ayako gasped, pointing to the hand in question, looking -not surprisingly- aghast. I shrugged
"You know me, I'm a magnet for accidents. Which is why Aya and me are going to be staying out of the way of the investigation. Naru's orders." Now Masako looked surprised.
"Really?" She asked me, unable to keep the glee out of her voice. The urge to go and give her the old one two was very strong, but I kept it in check.
"No, it's because Mai is my long lost sister and an old family enemy had picked now to come knocking." Aya told them.
"Aya!" I whined. Did she really have to go and be a big blabbermouth?
Ayako and Masako looked at each other. Then to Aya. Then me. It took a while for them to process the information.
"Family enemy?" Masako asked. I got the feeling she knew something. Aya nodded. Masako mimed a word. I wasn't so great at lip reading, so I didn't know what she said. Aya nodded again.
The medium turned to me, and she no longer looked like that vain little brat I had come to know and loathe. She actually looked freaked. She placed her hand on my shoulder, and looked me in the eyes.
"I wish you luck" and with that, she walked off. Ayako stood up.
"I guess since we're not going to get any sleep, we'd better get back to work." With that, she was gone too.
As I watched Aya, I tried to figure out why she had told them.
The more people that know, the harder it is to forget Gene's voice in my head told me.
If you say so. I sighed. It was so confusing having conversations in my head with someone who was dead. But then again… stranger, and scarier things have happened.
"Aya… who is the figure in shadow from my dreams?" I asked after a long time of just sitting awkwardly.
She looked up at me, a pained look on her face.
"He…It was our uncle. Once, a long time ago… But our family's bloodline, it drove him to the point of madness. He became a creature of the shadows."
She looked out of the window, onto the lawn, where two little children were playing. Wait? They looked like…
"Aya?" I asked, scared.
"Mai… I didn't just buy this house on a whim… our family used to live here. All the ones with blood of the dragons running through them." I nodded, not seeing where this was going, but I listened for anything that would make sense.
"Some of the children had strong, active abilities, like fire breathing, flight, or telekinesis." She looked to me, to check if I was following. I nodded again. "But others had less potent abilities. They were latent psychics, and mediums and such."
I looked at her, still not following completely, but I had an idea of what she was going to say next.
"The two groups were separated, active powers on one side, latent on others. Brothers and sisters were torn from each other. Our father and uncle were like this. So were we." She looked down at the ground. I shifted and sat closer to her, although she didn't seem to notice.
"But then, one day, Uncle snapped… His powers went crazy." I remembered the case when Naru had used his power. I thought of that, but imagined it out of control. Not pretty.
"And he killed people?" I asked in a whisper. She nodded and beckoned for me to come over to the window, to watch the spirit children playing.
"Everyone who was there. Except us." She sighed and ran her hand through her hair. I guess she did that when she was stressed. Mum used to.
"We got away because of sheer dumb luck. My wings grew in then." She shuddered, looking over her shoulder at me.
"You saw the wings in your dream too, didn't you?" She asked me, looking into my eyes with her own, tear stained ones.
"Yeah" I admitted. Though I had been more worried that she was okay than if she was anything dangerous. She had been protecting me, and she was my sister. I wasn't going to doubt her for something as meaningless as wings.
"Were you scared?" She asked. She looked so scared of what I might say.
"Not of the wings… Of him… the one that used to be our uncle."
Before I knew what she was doing, Aya took me roughly and held me tight. It was the sort of thing that Bou-san would do. Why was Aya…
It didn't feel right.
Which family will you choose Mai? I was sure I heard Gene's voice whisper. It made me feel strange.
What could he mean? I shook my head to try and take the thought away.
"Mai?" Aya asked. Why did I feel so torn in two?
"I… We have to tell them that this whole case is about the family, Aya. You shouldn't have kept that from Naru." I told her firmly. She couldn't hold my gaze.
"But… he wouldn't have taken it." She started sobbing.
"What, why?" I asked. She was edging towards the door, hoping to get away from my question, and her hand was on the handle, when someone opened it from the other side.
Naru.
He'd heard all of that, no doubt.
"Mai… We can't continue this case. It's getting too dangerous. Miss Matsuzaki and Monk have both been injured." He looked back at me. "It's up to you whether you go or stay." He didn't sound or look any different from his usual narcissistic self, but there was something in his eyes. I knew he needed me. After all, who would make his tea for him if I wasn't there to do it?
But Aya grabbed my hand.
"Sister… I can't lose you again." She pleaded. She was playing the sympathy card. I knew fine well where I belonged. I belonged at S.P.R, with Bou-san, John, Ayako, Lin, even Masako. And Naru.
But would it be right to leave this case unsolved? It was so difficult.
"I'm sorry, but family sticks together." I saw Naru's face fall slightly, and Aya's brighten. He's such an idiot I thought quietly to myself.
"And my family is everyone I know at Shibuya Psychic Research." I smiled at Naru.
Good choice. Gene whispered, pleased with me.
I'd rather be with the people who were like a family to me, than with a dead family that I'd never known. I hoped Aya would understand that.
But I didn't think she would.
A/N: Shorter chapter this time. And I know John and Yasu didn't appear, I don't think Bou-san did either… but I couldn't think of a way for them to appear, since Mai was one on one with Aya most of the time XD.
So for now, they are abandoning the case. Naru decided he didn't like that Mai was caught up in all of it, because he wuvs her too much. (he'd never admit to it though. More's the pity)
But will they be back?
Who knows :D
After all… the ties that bind us all cannot be broken :p
Mai: what does that mean?
Naru: It's simple, really.
Mai: Everything's simple for you.
Naru: My mind works differently from yours, that's all.
Mai: Grrr….
Bou-san: Mai and Naru sittin' in a tree K.I.S.S.I.N.G
Mai: Bou-san!!!!
Me: Do you think Aya's gonna go crazy like your uncle now?
Mai:…
Naru:…
Bou-san: Huh?
Aya: IMGONNAKILLYOUALL!!!!!! *turns into crazy ass dragon thingie and gobbles up SPR team*
(that last part may or may not be spoilers. I havent decided on how I'm going to do the rest of it. Why don't you guys decide?)
A) Aya doesn't care and moves on with her life (boring!)
B) Aya goes crazy and turns into some badass dragon creature.
C) Aya gets killed by her uncle.
Fingers on keypads... now! *giggle*
Well, until next chapter. See y'all.