Author's Note: Okay, this may be my favorite chapter yet. ^.^ I made it extra long for you guys, so I hope you guys like it! On another note, me still being a new writer on Fanfiction, I awoke yesterday (June 1st) to check my story stats, only to find that our beloved tale Beyond the Horizon had 26 views. O.O Seeing as it had around 968 or so views the last time I checked, six hours earlier at around 12:07am, I brilliantly concluded that something, was not right. But upon further inspection, my dumb ass (is that one word or two?) discovered that a story's stats are sorted by month, and I easily found my stats from May. I have now added up my views from May with my views today (on the 2nd of June) at approximately 7:38pm EST, and have more or less 1,000 views. Holy sh*t! Thanks all of you for giving a damn! (Man I'm cursing a lot today! (Not that this is unusual for me, as I swear A LOT)) Shall I do a little dance for you guys? Well, none of you have any say in this matter, because I am ALREADY DANCING! (making it very hard to type)

Does anyone else have these kinds of problems with computers, the internet, and uh, LIFE?!

I own nothing but my own ppl and ideas. (So not Ghost Hunt)

And as usual, enjoy guys!


The first thing Mai noticed was that she was warm, very warm, instead of cold. She could feel all of her limbs again, which were no longer frozen or cold. There was a slight stinging pain in her fingers and toes, which she realized were wrapped in bandages. Her chest and throat burned terribly, but she found that it was much easier to breathe. Mai's body felt so heavy. Was she really that weak?

Upon further inspection, however, Mai found that she was buried under a mountain of thick, furry blankets. Burying her face into the plush, soft bedding, Mai let out a contented sigh, loving the feel of the material on her skin.

Looking around, Mai took in her surroundings. A fire crackled inside a huge, stone fireplace, which sat at the foot of her bed. Firelight danced on the walls and ceiling of her room, illuminating the dark space in a soft orange glow. To her left, there was a comfy looking chair, draped in a blanket. The blanket looked mussed, as if someone had been sitting in it, watching over her as she slept.

Just how long had she been sleeping?

Judging by how stiff her muscles felt, a while.

To her right, Mai could see a tall row of curtains, and guessed that they probably hid an equally large window. Hugging the blankets to herself for warmth, Mai pushed herself up, and forced her body into a sitting position. Looking down at herself, Mai could see she was wearing a lacy, white nightgown. It was incredibly silky, Mai thought, having never been able to afford such luxurious sleep wear.

Remembering the sensation of her clothes being stripped away by unknown people, Mai could feel herself flush. Peeking down her gown, she found that she was even wearing new undergarments. She looked around the room frantically, hoping to find something – anything - that may pass as an article of clothing. She knew that whomever her caretakers were, men or women, they had already seen her. Nonetheless, a more appropriate article of clothing would do well to calm her nerves.

Climbing over the comforter, Mai stood up slowly, testing to see if she could still support her own weight. Though she was shaky on her feet, Mai found that she could walk without too much difficulty. As a precaution, she used the bed for support, and made her way to other side of the room. Once there, she peeled back the curtains, revealing the huge window, and the most spectacular sunset she had ever seen. The scenery only added to its sheer beauty. The glowing orb slowly rose out of the sea, painting the sky in vibrant golds, yellows and oranges, a stark contrast to the deep violets of the early morning. The few clouds dotting the sky were practically on fire, as they shimmered with the rising sun. Waves crashed against the rocky, ice-covered shores, the snow reflecting the lights of the dawn sky. Everywhere there was ice or snow glistened so brightly Mai had to squint in order to see clearly.

It was absolutely breath taking.

Unfortunately, her amazement was short lived. As she scanned the rocky shores below, Mai noticed something odd. Littering the shoreline appeared to be large, dark chunks of debris. At first, Mai thought it merely to be driftwood. However, the chunks seemed far too large.

Confused, Mai looked closer, straining to see in more detail.

An enormous bonfire burned on the beach. Some of the debris appeared to be moving. Looking closer, Mai saw groups of people - villagers, she thought – carrying chunks of the debris, and laying them out in two rows. To her horror, Mai soon understood what those two rows of "debris" were.

They were the bodies of the crew that had washed ashore.

It was then that all the memories came flooding back to her. The howling of the wind, and the pelting rain. A streak of lightning, the snapping of wood, and a crash of thunder, whose warning came too late. The screams of the crew rang in her ears, as she helplessly plunged into the frigid, stormy waters. She remembered how her father had held her for the last time, and how his final actions had left her with so many new, unanswered questions.

Her admiration of the sunrise forgotten, collapsed to her knees, having no more strength left. Her hands flew up to her mouth in attempt to stifle her sobs, to no avail. As the girl's sobs came to their climax, she began coughing terribly, almost choking. Her chest heaved, and soon, she found it increasingly difficult to breathe.


The young Duke was in his study, when at last he could sit still no longer. His once piping hot tea had long since gone cold, forgotten on his desk, where he had been up the entire night, reading. Upon realizing that he had been staring aimlessly at one page for what felt like an eternity, Oliver sighed, and marked his place in the book. Feeling agitated, the young Duke rose from his seat, and exited his study.

He walked at a brisk pace down the winding corridors of his mansion, and made his way to her room. Oliver had not seen the sickly girl for a few days now, as he had been busy with the identification and the burials of the men who had washed ashore. Each and every body that he had bared witness to, their mangled, twisted, lifeless limbs made his stomach turn. Every time he would try to eat, his thoughts would unwillingly drift to the sole, and living maiden he had found amongst them. He had turned over a total of seven bodies before he finally found hers.

Her father, Duke Taniyama, had been among them.

Oliver had turned quickly away from the others, but the sight of the man from his vision made him freeze in place. He had closed the man's eyes for him, before moving on to the next body, then another, and finally, Mai.

The Duke took a deep breath to still himself, hoping to quiet his mind, and will his attention back to reality.

Arriving at her room, he found himself hesitating, his hand lingering on the handle of her door, listening to see if any servants were nearby. As soon as he caught himself doing so, he frowned, annoyed. This was, after all, his home. He need not tip toe about in his own estate. Why should he fear being seen, if he was only checking in on the sickly girl he had taken in to his care? Surely, he had earned that right, after taking care of her for nearly four days now.

But while he stood there, his mind and heart in utter turmoil, he heard it – the young girl's horrid coughing.

His internal conflicts forgotten, Oliver burst through the door, where he found her doubled over on the floor by the window. Wasting no time, the young man rushed to her side.

"You're alright now. Try to calm down," he told her, as he placed one hand on the small of her back, and his other under her arm, helping her into a sitting position. Surprised by the sudden contact and the odd familiarity of his voice, Mai's coughing paused briefly, as she blinked up at him. It was then that he noticed she was crying. Trails of her tears shined with the aid of the firelight, and the sun streaming in through the window.

"~Who…Who are you? Where…am I?" Mai managed to say between breaths, clutching to the stranger, as she gasped for air, happy that her coughing was beginning to subside.

"I am the Duke of this land, Lord Oliver Davis of Azmaria. I am the one that found you after you washed up on our shores," he explained to her slowly, his face taking on a soft expression. "You are in the port town of Shibuya, near the village of Dogenzaka. You were the only survivor." He watched helplessly as several expressions crossed her face, followed by more tears. After giving her a moment to process what he had just said, he gently lifted her up into his arms. The last time he held her, she had been soaking wet. Now, without the added weight of the water, Oliver was able to feel just how light she truly was.

Still coughing, though not nearly as awful as before, Mai allowed him to help her back into her bed. It was not until he pulled the blankets over her legs that she finally found her voice. Leaning up against the headboard of the bed for support, Mai spoke.

"Thank you, Duke Oliver. I am-"

"Lady Mai Taniyama, of Rosenwood," he finished for her, amused as her eyes grew wide with wonder. "Lord Taniyama's ship was the last vessel scheduled to arrive in Azmaria from Rosenwood this season. Even among the wreckage of the ship, it was obvious whom the vessel had belonged to," Oliver explained, pausing when he saw Mai shiver, prompting him to wrap a blanket around he shoulders, which he pulled off of the chair that sat near the bed. However, he ignored the chair, instead choosing to sit on the edge of the bed, beside her.

"But surely any of the other men could have had a daughter. How did you know I am-…was the Duke's?" Mai questioned, confused. "If I truly am the only survivor, as you say, then 'tis not as if you were able to ask any of the crew of my identity?"

"The how is inconsequential. Now, why in the world were you, the only daughter of the Taniyama household, dressed as a boy?" he asked her, ignoring her question. True he already knew the answer, but still, he wished to hear her side of the story all the same.

This had hit a nerve with Mai.

"I-Inconsequential?! I asked you a question, Oliver, and I expect a proper answer to it!" she exclaimed, angry.

"As did I. And proper? What would a cross-dressing tomboy such as yourself know about that?" he cracked a smile, though it did not seem to show in his eyes. "And that is Duke Oliver to you."

Strike that, he was tap dancing on Mai's nerve.

"Listen here, you, we are on equal footing in terms of rank, so I will call you as I please! Now answer me!" she demanded, furious, though she hardly sounded the least bit threatening. Her voice was hoarse, though she could not tell if it was due to her illness, or because she had not used it in some time. Here she was, feeling physically and emotionally exhausted, hardly dressed, and her so-called savior was demanding answers from her as if he had a right to them!

Mai glared up at the Duke, this time really looking at him. All the while, failing to notice how closely he watched her, as she examined him.

Pale, grey eyes with hints of purple stared back at her. He had shining locks of raven black hair, which spilled over a little into his eyes. His skin was nearly as white as hers, though a few shades closer to a healthy glow. He was dressed entirely in black, from his coat to his shoes.

She did not wish to admit it, but he was positively gorgeous.

"Is there something on my face?" Oliver asked her coyly, breaking the silence that had settled between them.

"N-No! There is not!" Mai exclaimed, feeling her face heat up as she flushed with embarrassment.

"I understand that I am rather handsome, and I commend you for your excellent taste, but I have no intention of marrying you, even if you are nobility," he teased her, though he kept a straight face. "Now will you kindly cease your staring?"

That 'nerve' he had struck with Mai earlier, just exploded.

"Why you conceited little- creep! And who said anything about marriage!-" Mai began, only to be cut off again by another fit of coughing. She was coughing so hard, she failed to see the look of concern that flashed across the young man's face. His expression had immediately turned serious, filled with worry. He leaned over from where he sat at the edge of her bed and placed a hand on her shoulder, while his other rubbed warm circles into her lower back.

Mai covered her mouth with one hand, while the other clutched at the Duke's shirt.

"~Stupid narcissist," Mai choked out.