A/N: Hi guys! I'm finally back! I'm so sorry for not updating in soo long :( I hope you can all forgive me, I've had such a busy year, I passed my exams :D I'm now in college, and thats taking up a lot of my time right now, so I'm not getting that much writing down, so I'm really sorry for that. But yeah, I have a fiance now too :) so thats taking up time too! Haha :) So yes! I really can't apologise enough for the wait.... so I've put my head down and I wrote a lot :D So I really hope you guys enjoy this, coz you all deserve it for being so patient! Anyway, on with the lovely reviewers! :

lil sakura haruno: I know! He's such a big meanie :( ~hands a knife~ here you go! :D enjoy! :) mwuhaha

ONIX-21: Haha thank you very much! And here is another update, finally!! I know what you mean about Lin! ahaha! He's so sweet ^^ mwuhaha you'll see what happens now! :D hope you like it!

meri47: Thank you very much! ^^ and yeahh, I feel sorry for writing this! haha! a 9/10?! really!! :D wow!! Thank you!! I hope you like this one just as much!

rubyxdragon: Waaa! I never kept up!! I'm sorry!! T.T haha! totally feel sorry for her! Could you ever imagine Lin comforting anyone!? XD! Its so cute! Hope you like this chapter!!

: Haha I know :P

.-X-: Haha! I know what you mean, even I'm like "tell someone!" and I'm writing it!! XD I really hope you enjoy this! :)

Aoi Faith: Haha! I wish I could write about Gene and stuff, but I haven't actually read up there :( I cant find the manga online, and all it is, is where the anime ends! But yeah! He might suffer... He might get away! :D mwuhaha! Nahh we'll see won't we :D

LyssAU17: I know poor Mai :( and stupid Sasame!! .! Haha! Yay for hell yeah's and thumbs up for Lin! :D he's great! Well I really hope you enjoy this chapter and yeah! Hehe!

-silencer-LOLLIPOP-: I know! She's good at this silence thing! haha! Awwwh! We must stop the bullying! haha :) Hope you enjoy!

kristy1452: Awwwh, really!? Thanks! :D Hmmm, we'll have to see if they figure it out! mwuhahaha! :D please enjoy this!

Lady Light: I knoww T.T

xSapphirexRosesxFanx: Thanks! :D

GrimReaperIAm: Thank you! :D

Otaku Nayami: I'm so glad you like it! :D I hope that you like this chapter! :D

Angelic Kitsune: Haha! Yay for caring Naru! ^^ I know, they totally should die in pain, causing Mai all this pain and suffering T.T Haha! I know! It's so cute! XD and I'm sorry that this wasn't soon... :( but I really hope you enjoy this! :D

Lansky: Haha! 120! ^^ I knoww, poor Mai T.T I hope you enjoy this chapter!

crazymel2008: Thanks a lot! Haha, well I dunno when Mai will tell them, she is so stubborn after all! XD I hope you enjoy this chapter!

-Skyz-Angels-: I know T.T

dutchangel1979: I'm sorry for the wait T.T I really hope you enjoy this chapter 3

Gaaragirl91: Haha awwwh thank you! I hope you like this chapter! :D

Yuki the Ryuujin No Miko: Thank you very much! Hope you enjoy this, and I totally agree that Soshi must burn in hell :D

Gildra Evestar : Awwwh thank you! ^^ Only time will tell if/when she'll crack ^^

Lilly Moon: Thank you for taking a chance with this story! haha! :) I really glad you like it! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

AstigzBFF07: Hiii! I'm glad you love it :D That makes me happy haha! Well, your wait is over! Hope you like it!

hatsuyuki hime: Awwh, thank you very much! hehe! I feel terrible too :( I mean, for making this happen to her... mwuhaha. :D Here's your update!

SylvanSpirit: Really!? You think?! Thank you! That means a lot to me ^^ I thought that it might be a bit too... taboo to write about, but thank you ^^ and hehe! We'll just have to wait and see ;)! I hope you like this chapter!

Ok so that's my reviewers answered! ^^
So I guess it's time for the story, but before I do, I just want to dedicate this chapter to two friends of mine, Joe Aveling and Dexter Skinner, who sadly passed away 6 months ago. I will never forget them and they'll always be in my heart and I'm still not over their sudden and tragic deaths, but I'm coping.
But it just made me think, and I'd like to pass this on to everyone out there, that no matter what happens, live every day like its your last, and cherish everyone in your life, because you never know whats around the corner. Thank you for reading this bit. 3

On with the story :)


Naru decided that he'd ask Mai about what she had meant later, and ask her on her own so that no one was around to interfere.


Mai sauntered out of Naru's office and into the lounge where everyone was sat, and sure enough – just as she had expected – she was verbally attacked and questioned by the man she had come to see as the older brother she never had.

"Mai? What happened to you? Why were you crying like that? Did Lin do it?! Are you ok now- " Mai walked up to him and punched him in the chest. Only softly, but enough to shock him and shut him up.

"Bou san, I'm fine. Now please, shut up!" She said as she giggled looking at his shocked expression.

"But Maiiii…" He whined, until she hit him again.

"As I said, I'm fine. I was just a bit shocked coz I got a cut on my arm from a lose bit of equipment from the box, and dropped it. It hurt, so as any girl would do, I cried, and then I thought of what Naru would say to me if he saw all the equipment broke and lying on the floor." While saying that, she nodded to Lin who had already been down to clear the mess and pack it away into the van, knowing full well he had seen a cut, trying to cover up the truth.

"You got cut!? Show me now!" Bou san demanded as he grabbed her arm. Mai's eyes opened wide in fear, and ragged her arm back out of his grip.

"N-n-no, its ok, it's not that bad anyway!" She stuttered, hoping full well that they wouldn't ask anymore or ask to see it. Takigawa looked at her with raised eyebrows and then tapped her on top of her head.

"Fine then! But still… the cut could get infected if it was that bad it made you cry like that…" He asked wirily. She placed her hands in the air and waved them about, as if saying no.

"Nope, its ok, it's not that bad!" Mai looked over and noticed Masako looking her way, and then she placed her kimono sleeve to her mouth and turned her head away.

'Well, I don't really care if she doesn't believe me. It'll be fine anyway.' Mai thought, but was dragged out of her head by the opening of a door.

"Right. Everyone, to your transport. We're already running late as it is, thanks to certain problems." Naru glanced over at Mai.

"WHAT!? ME!? How dare you! You narcissistic, egotistical jerk!" Mai shouted and turned on her heals to walk straight past him and out the door leading to the back steps, to get the van.

"Well… can't please them all, can you Naru?" Yasuhara winked at him. Naru just rolled his eyes and followed after Mai.

Down by the van, three cars had been parked behind the van. The first one was Takigawa's sky blue soft-top Saab, and the other was John's silver Picasso. Most of the team was outside, waiting at their transport. Mai was leaned up against the side of the van, playing with her nails with one foot pressed against the van. Naru was stood in front of her waiting for Lin to finish his phone call from inside, letting Soshi know that they were on their way.

"What's the man doing?! Deciding on who's gonna hang up first?" Takigawa exasperated. Mai snorted at this, and Naru just rolled his eyes. Ayako was waiting outside Takigawa's car, as was Yasuhara. Masako was quietly talking to John, waiting outside of his own car. Finally, Lin came out, and walked over to Naru.

"Ohh, who hung up then? Did you tell him you loved him lots and you'll see him soon?" Takigawa winked, and Mai tried to hold in her laughter, while Lin just raised his eyebrows and shook it off.

"He's expecting us. I told him we shouldn't be too long if the traffic isn't too bad." Lin nodded to Naru, and then made his way to the driver's side and got in. Naru looked around and started to speak.

"Right. As you know, it is a fair bit away from here, and we'll probably be arriving about three hours from now. You all have directions, I expect, so if any of you lose the van, you can refer to those." Naru nodded to the rest of the team who then got into their designated cars, Ayako and Yasuhara into Takigawa's, and Masako into John's.

Naru shouted Mai over, noticing she was still lent against the van, then she rushed over and into the van, and sat next to Lin, Naru following her, and slamming the door shut.

The van had three seats in the front, so it was ideal for the three of them, but to say the least, they didn't have much personal room.

Mai took out her iPod out that she had remembered to take before she left her apartment and placed both earphones into her ears. She flicked through, and just decided to place it on shuffle, and let the music fill her ears.

Soon enough, Mai had dropped off, her iPod still playing. Naru looked to her, and smiled a little, not noticing Lin's use of his peripheral vision, which made the driver himself smile. Naru looked away and out of the window, looking at the Japanese landscape around him. He loved the winter, when the tree's looked lonely and bare. He thought, although they were kind of sad looking, it was nice. Bits of leaves were still hanging onto branches, clinging for dear life, trying not to fall. But a slight pressure to his right shoulder took Naru out of his thoughts. He slowly twisted his head, to see Mai had softly rested her head onto his shoulder. He contemplated whether or not to wake her up and make her move, but then he decided that she could have a bit of rest, and shifted slightly so that she'd be a little more comfy. She moved slightly and unconsciously lifted her arms to her face, resting them between his shoulder and her face. Naru then shifted his body so that his arm was slightly around Mai's waist, and she was leaning on his chest. After he was sure this was more comfy - for both of them - he resumed back to his thoughts and carried on watching the landscape fly by.

Lin was just sat smiling, having witnessed Naru's move. That boy was too stubborn for his own good, Lin had always said. He looked at Naru using his peripheral vision, and smiled yet again. One arm around Mai's waist, the other on his chin, leant on the arm rest. Mai was sleeping soundly using both her hands as a pillow on Naru's chest, smiling soundly, her earphones still intact with her ears. He then focused his vision back onto the road and sighed. Traffic up ahead. Great.

As soon as they arrived, they were greeted with huge iron gates, with overgrown ivy lacing through the welds within it. Tall evergreen trees were topped with snow and icicles due to the on falling snow. Two tall looking men stood at either side of the gates, draped in huge winter coats with fur around the hoods and large black boots. Not one moved, but just stood with arms folded, as still as the soldiers outside Buckingham Palace in London. Lin had slowed down the van, as the icy roads would be too dangerous to go over twenty miles per hour. Mai was still asleep on Naru's chest, and Naru still had his arm around her, but he was looking in one of the car mirrors to make sure two cars were stationed behind them, and sure enough, a blue Saab and a sliver Picasso was in toe. Naru looked back and waited for the gates to be opened. The men at the gates weren't as still now, as one man turned to his side, and pressed a button, evidently making his side of the gate open slowly and loudly, and then the other man copied this action. Both side of the gate was open, so Lin took the chance and started moving slowly up the long drive. Although the road had grit clustered everywhere, the on falling snow and forming ice wasn't making it much easier for the van. The drive was winding and very dark, overgrown evergreen tree's blocked any light from the winter sun, and even the huge trees without leaves on blocked any light. Finally, they turned a corner and a huge mansion came into view. Naru raised his eyes at the sight, it truly was one of the biggest mansions he had witnessed, and he sure had witnessed a lot. But then a slight noise and grip onto his chest caught his attention. Mai was whimpering in her sleep, and gripping tight onto Naru's chest, almost crying. He got his free arm and shook the distressed girl slightly, whispering her name. Her grip on his shirt was getting tighter and her whimpers were becoming louder and slightly more distressed. Suddenly, she started trembling.

Lin had stopped the van, noticing the sleeping Mai and started to shake her shoulders too.

"Taniyama san?" He shook a little harder, "Taniyama san, wake up, we're here."

Then, she started crying.

"No, no - not again. Please!" She started whispering.

Darkness. It was everywhere. No bit of light was to be seen. Mai was wondering around, looking for anyone, anything.

"Naru? Are you here?" She asked as her eyes darted about everywhere. "Hello?" She kept walking, until she saw the tiniest glow of light. "Naru?" She asked hopefully.

"Mai, you can't stay here." A voice came, sounding worried and nervous. She recognised it instantly.

"Naru?! Where are you?" She was moving her body all around, to see if he would appear somewhere. Suddenly, a burst of light entered the room she was in, and she had to shield her eyes due to how bright it was. It dimmed slightly, and took her hands from over her eyes and looked around. She was inside a mansion, guessing by the side of the room. It was a great big hall, with a huge wide staircase at the back of the room, leading onto balconies all around the room. It was magnificent.

"It's not all flowers and butterflies here, Mai." A voice came from beside her which startled her. Her dream Naru was stood beside her, looking quite disturbed by the place that he was looking at. She looked at him quizzically and turned her head into the direction of Naru's, and then gasped, her hand flying up to her mouth to stop her screaming, her eyes wide and threatening to spill with tears.

All around were bodies of different women. They lined the floor, draped over the balcony and over the stairs. Blood was everywhere, up the walls, all around the floor and all over the bodies. There had to be over a hundred bodies draped on the floor alone. Some where stacked onto others, some still had murder weapons lodged into their bodies. Some had limbs missing, even heads, and Mai stumbled back into the great door that she was stood in front of, and cried.

"N-Naru…" She stuttered. She was too shocked and scared to speak. She didn't know what to do, or what to say. None of it made sense, before Naru had appeared, it was fine, none of these…bodies.

"It's all the murders that have happened in here over the past two hundred years. See some of the women wearing old fashioned maid's clothes and outfits?" He pointed to some more old fashioned looking victims. She nodded jerkily, her eyes still wide, her hand still over her mouth. "Mai, this place is dangerous. If you get the chance, please go home." He pleaded. Mai just looked at him, and looked back to the bodies.

"You…you mean this is at, it's at Soshi's mansion?!" She asked, her breath becoming unsteady with fear. He nodded solemnly, and held out his hand, which she shakily took.

"But, if you stay, which I'm pretty sure you will, you must promise me Mai, promise that you will never ever go into this room that I am about to show you." He looked at her sternly, and she nodded. He guided her to behind the grand staircase, walking in between the many pale bodies. They had gotten round and at the back of the stair case was a black curtain, draped over a long silver pole about seven foot high. Naru moved away the curtain gently, to reveal a brown wooden door, with engraved patterns within it. "Never, ever go in there." He said as he squeezed her hand.

"But…but why?" She was confused and nervous, but she had to know. Naru sighed slightly, and reached for the door handle. It was a bright gold colour, and the knob itself was designed in the shape of a Lion's head, mid- roar. However, she noticed that the eyes on the head were made with a red ruby, and the teeth were slightly crooked, some of the paint worn off. Naru twisted it and pushed it open slightly. He bowed his head slightly, and led her into the room quietly and slowly. Mai adjusted her eyes to see into the dark room, and looked around. Inside was a chair in the middle of the room. Nothing else. Just a chair. The walls were made of rough and uneven stone, which reminded Mai slightly of a cave. She looked up at Naru, who had suddenly tightened his grip on Mai's hand.

"Naru, I don't get it-" He put a finger to his lips, and pointed towards a door that was behind the chair, and then suddenly a scream was heard, and the door flew open. A man was laughing menacingly, dragging a woman out of the door by her hair. She kept screaming, while the man just laughed, dragging her to the chair.

"No, no - not again, please!" she kept screaming. She was dressed in fairly modern clothes, which consisted of a red sundress, with black flowers imprinted, however, some parts of it had been torn, most likely done by the man who was currently in the mists of tying the woman's arms to the chair, as well as her legs to either side of the legs of the chair. The man was laughing again.

"Your screams drive me crazy, Pariya. You drive me crazy." He said suggestively. Once he had tied 'Pariya' to the chair, he circled her, while she sat crying and shaking. His fingers made circular movements on her bare upper arms and from behind her, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her neck. He trailed them down, as well as his arms, slowly massaging every part it passed.

"Naru… he's going to rape her!" Mai exclaimed as she backed away from the scene, up to the door in which they had came in. Naru looked at her and looked down. "I…I can't watch this Naru, please, make it stop!" She said as she clung to him and sobbed. Naru turned around, and walked her out the door. He then tapped her lightly on the head, and everything started to disappear.

"What's wrong with her?!" A worried Bou san had exclaimed. After they had stopped the van, Mai's cries and screams had become worse and worse, her shaking became almost unable to control, and everyone had gotten out of their cars to talk, when they noticed Mai. She was still clutching Naru's shirt unconsciously, and everyone was worried about what was happening.

"She's sleeping, evidently having a dream before she's even got inside the house." Naru said monotonously, but his arm was still around her waist, his hand slightly stroking her side.

"Naru, please, MAKE IT STOP!" Mai shot up. Her breathing was heavy and uneven, shocking everyone around her, especially Naru.

"Mai, what did you see?" He asked straight away. She snapped her head towards him, eyes wide, and she jerked her head looking at her surroundings.

"Where are we?" She asked, almost slightly out of breath, due to her unsteady breathing. She looked out of the windscreen, looking towards the big mansion covered in snow. "Are we here?" She asked slowly, turning her head towards Naru, and noticing everyone was by the open door, looking shocked. "What's wrong?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"What's wrong!? You have the nerve to ask US, WHAT'S WRONG?!" Takigawa shouted, moving right into Mai's face, squashing Naru in the process. Mai stared at him, but then looked away, and towards Lin.

"You fell asleep, and then you started to cry, and say things. We were just a little bit worried." Lin explained gently.

"Oh. Ok, well. Since we're here, why are we all still in here? Shouldn't we be getting all the equipment out, or something?" She pulled a bright smile, and laughed slightly.

"Mai is right. Everyone, help unload the equipment. Mai," Naru turned towards her and said quietly "After everything set up. I want a word. Is that clear?" She looked at him and she just shrugged.

"Sure, knock yourself out." Straight after that, Lin and Naru started to edge their ways out of the van, Mai following suit. She stood outside the van, shivering, and wrapping her arms around the other and rubbing them while her teeth chattered. Naru looked over to her, noticing this, and he sighed.

"Mai, if you're too incapable of being able to bring suitable clothing in winter, I think it's best if you just go inside and get warm. You'd be no help shaking like that anyway." He sighed again, and turned to the back of the van, unloading more equipment. Mai just shrugged, not caring about the insult, and walked off towards the giant wooden door, hidden within two white pillars. Her trainers made the snow underneath her crunch, and imprint her tracks as she hurriedly made her way towards the warmth. Up a few steps and under the dimly lit entrance, she got to the door and knocked. She stood back, looking at the door. Something then caught her attention. The door knob was the head of a bird, gold in colour. Mai's eye widened slightly, but was brought out of her thoughts, by the door opening very slowly, creaking as it did so. Mai took a short step back, looking at the whole door as it opened, and just as she had pictured so vividly in her dream, it was the same grand hall that greeted her, minus the bodies. She stepped in carefully, looking all around her. She took in the ceiling, the walls, the massive staircase in the middle of the hall, the balconies, the grand windows, everything. It was all just so…big.

"Woahh…" Mai turned her head sharply behind her to the man standing in awe, as still as a statue.

"Big or what, don't you think Bou san?" Mai asked, and all the man could do was nod. He had a big box of equipment in his arms, and Mai was scared he was going to drop them, so she rushed to get the box out of his arms. She turned away from him, looking around to see if anyone was around.

"HELLO? ANYONE HERE?" Mai shouted, her echo's following her. Suddenly a small woman dressed in a black maid's outfit came bustling out. She had strawberry blonde hair, that curled just past her shoulders. She was slim, but had curves in just the right place, and her skin looked flawless. Anyone with sense could see that this woman was breath taking.

"Oh, I am ever so sorry. I didn't hear you come in." She bowed, and then carried on speaking. "Master Soshi told us that he was expecting a ghost hunting team. It's so exciting! Don't you think? That's why I'm one of the only maid's left. I love all this paranormal stuff, don't you?!" She smiled so widely, it made Mai's cheeks hurt, let alone the maid's own.

"Ermm… sure." Mai said, looking at the maid.

"You're so lucky! You know that? You get all the good stuff! I wanna see the ghosties too, but master Soshi make's us go away from anything abnormal. He says it's not good, so of course we must obey him!" She tilted her head to the side and smiled broadly again. This woman was too happy for Mai's liking. "So I guess you want to see the master, right?" She asked. Mai scoffed and turned her head to the side, until she heard a voice.

"That would be best, thank you." Naru's cold voice entered Mai's head as she turned to look at the group already in the mansion, shivering from the weather conditions, and trying to warm up now they were inside. "Remember, Mai. That word. After the equipment is set up, meet me in the base, alone." She nodded at him, and walked over to Ayako, who was talking to John.

"Nothing harmful is in this place." Masako peeped up, looking all around her. Mai turned her head and looked at her gone out. She was about to disagree when she remembered the others didn't know of her dream. So she turned back to Ayako and John and carried on darting her eyes around the hall, waiting for Soshi to come and meet them.


A/N: Ok so that's that chapter done! I made sure it was long, because you all deserve a lot for being patient! So yeah :)

With reviews? I'm aiming for 145 - 150 plus :) doesn't seem too bad, no?

Thanks again! Keiko :) x