Sorry everyone! Here is the next installment,
Hope you are all still patiently waiting...
Tell me what you think!

Mai laid awake that night, muscles sore bones aching but she had no tears left. She had made it through the day and the pain built slowly into an undeniable throb. Outside the office a taxi awaited her and she slid into it thankful to be away from the office. Tears coming unbidden down her cheeks as she let her strength fade. She didn't know the taxi driver, didn't even look at him and she knew she would never see him again so she didn't have to be strong from him. She barely remembered making it to her apartment. The doors opened in front of her and she thanked the shiki before sliding into her bed to rest.

Resting didn't help the pain, only put less strain on her body and less distractions from it. Curling under the covers gave her the minor comfort it always did. A slight weight on the bed and warmth flooded through the covers soothing the soreness.

After hours of laying there a voice penetrated her numbness. "Taniyama-san," the familiar voice of Lin's crow shiki. "Would you like to dream?"She opened her eyes to study the crow for a moment then nodded. "Please…"

"As you wish," the voice agreed and darkness covered her, separating her from her body and its pain. Familiar memories filtered without rhyme or reason until she came to stand in a familiar plane of darkness only a single source of light shown around her but it seemed faded and duller then it had before.

She looked around hoping to find Gene but then again hoping she wouldn't. Time stretched on in the lonely plane as she relaxed, enjoying the time away from the pain, knowing it wouldn't be too much longer. Fog gathered around hanging in the air blurring the area clouding her mind.

"Mai dear, look how you've grown." A warm familiar feminine voice greeted Mai.

"Oka-san?" she asked turning as the fog cleared from her mind.

"Yes honey, it's been so long." A short brown haired woman and older replica of Mai grasped her in her arms. "but it seems like it won't be too much longer."

"We have wanted to see you," A somber male voice spoke as a hand settled on her shoulder. "But not like this, it's too soon."

"What is done is done," Mai said resolutely with more confidence then she felt looking up at him with a smile. "And who knows, they might figure it out in time."

"You aren't fooling us dear." her mother scolded. "Even though we are sad, we are very proud of you." Mai looked between her and her father seeing their dull figures against her own fading light.

"You have done our family proud."

"Thanks mom, dad." Mai tried to hold back the tears she felt coming. "I've missed you too." Hand wrapped around her gently holding her tight.

"Only a little longer." they soothed her. Letting her tears fall into their embrace.

Mai woke feeling weaker then the night before, attempting to stand from the bed she collapsed onto the floor. a middle aged monk One of Lin's shiki, came to her side, carefully lifting her in his arms to the bathroom where he drew her a bath. The salts and herbs he put into the water seemed to rejuvenate her and she climbed free after washing completely. Staring at her reflection in the mirror she paused. Her shoulders and arms were speckled with bruises from the size of her pinky to the size of a fist. Somehow they avoided her face but it was pale and slightly splotchy. The monk shiki laid her makeup kit on the sink and proceeded to comb out her hair and dress her.

Mai had to admit it was an odd feeling have someone clothed her but the shiki's hands barely grazed her body while he worked deftly and professionally. She put on just enough makeup to cover the splotchiness and even the skin tone.

"Don't you think this is a bit too much?" Mai asked looking at herself in the mirror. The shiki had robed her in her only yukata. One her mother had and that had sat in her closet for years.

"She would have wanted you to enjoy it." The monk shiki replied.

"I suppose you are right." She agreed trying not to be overwhelmed by the image in her own mirror. "Off to work then, Thank you for your assistance." She gave half a bow, stopping short feeling nausea building in her head.

"It is my duty, Master."

"Please, stop calling me that." Mai whispered opening the door to leave.

"As you wish." She heard him reply as she closed the door.

"We should tell Master Lin about this."

"We can't," the monk Shiki's turned toward the fox who seemed to curl around the foot of Mai's bed.

"How can a ghost bind us?"

"It can't," replied the monk again, "But it can bind the understanding of the humans. Even Master Kojou's. If we told him it would just be garbled words. He would understand something but nothing like what we intended."

"Is that why Kurasu is focusing so hard on his dreams?"

The monk nodded. "I don't know if it will work, but Master Lin is smart, for a human. That girl is stronger then everyone expected but she can't win alone."

"No... and time is running out for help." The fox sniffed the blankets, the scent of death hung heavy on them. "How much longer?"

"Most humans would not have woken this morning."

Flash! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ :hsalF

Mai found a taxi waiting at her front door, inside sat a man with a striking resemblance to Lin. Tall Chinese-ish figure with a crew cut wearing a black slacks and vest. Mai gave the driver the directions as she sat next to him, his piercing red eyes watching her movements as though she were the most fascinating person on earth.

"You can see the future?" she asked him and was thankful when the driver didn't seem to hear her.

"No."

"You were the ones that told the others that day. Made them interested in me, help me before the dance." She told him, instincts telling her she was right.

"They have always liked you." He mused looking away from her towards the driver.

"But you haven't." she stated, it felt right, truthful.

"No."

"Is it because I hurt Lin?"

The man gave her and incredulous look. "No," he seemed to hesitate, "Let's just say we have conflicting personalities."

"Oh," Mai wondered how they could conflict if they had never spoken before. "But you knew before the dance what would happen." Something niggled at her mind, on that morning everything had been so odd and something told her he would know more than the others.

"I saw Master Lin's name appear on the lists, it stayed there only a moment, before I could see the cause yours replaced it."

"You knew I would die." Mai stated in disbelief. She wondered if she should be mad he didn't try to prevent it, but couldn't find the energy or the anger to do so.

He gave her a slight sorrowful look. "I knew you would replace him in death." The taxi came to a halt and he handed the man some money before Mai could realize they had arrived. He moved around to her side and opened the door for her.

She was still in a daze thinking the implications her mind grasped a thought and she spoke it before thinking it through. "Will I get to see the Christmas party?"

"Maybe," he seemed to consider for a moment, "It will depend on how much you want it." He helped her stand, her hands almost as cold as his own. It had been a long time since he was so close to someone whom he could feel the messenger of death on their heels. When she had turned toward the office he waved off the messenger. 'Not yet,' he silently told it. 'I will take care of it when it is time.' The messenger, a kin of his of the corvid kind squawked its annoyance but left. He knew how much they hated the strong ones. The ones that fought until the last moment to pass, they had to stay with them until it was time, opening the door took only a second and then they could rest again free from the wait until another spirit was ready.

Well? Tell me what you think. Please!