AmyNChan: Okay, this is late and whatnot, but I wanted it to be perfect!

Yui: You can't make anything perfect, that's impossible

AmyNChan: That's so mean…

Yui: It's the truth.

AmyNChan: At least you're not your dad. Him and the universe to which her pertains I do not own. You, however…

Yui: You can't scare me!

AmyNChan: *glares*

What awoke him that night? All of the tension in the air? The amount of drama unfolding in the peripheral vision of his head and of his heart? The knowledge that he was in an amusement park where there was activity of the paranormal sort happening? Perhaps the drainage of his energy somehow caused him to awaken at this odd hour of three in the morning?

No, he simply had to go to the bathroom.

Of course, Kazi felt extremely sluggish as he lifted his small body up from the couch. It took much more coordination than he had in him to shimmy past his sister without disturbing her at all. Thankfully, in his sight at least, his sister had never ever ever been a light sleeper. Ever. He was grateful for that as he clumsily and uncharacteristically fell over her sleeping body on his way to the necessary facilities.

The young boy made his way with stumbling feet and sleepy eyes. He yawned widely yet silently, the only noise emanating from his person being the soft pitter patter of his bare feet against the cool carpeted floor. The little boys' room was not too far from his sleeping quarters as base had been set up in the employee's lounge. That was one more thing he was grateful for as he did his business and dutifully washed his hands.

I wonder who's watching the base… Kazi wondered silently through his sleepy mind, having not heard anyone. No typing, no chatting, no routine arguments, no nothing. But… someone has to be there… I can hear the monitors…

Curiously, Kazi made his way to the room he remembered the huge computer screens to be in. He knew he was getting closer because the humming grew louder. Inquisitively, he turned the corner and was quite surprised to see the two people who he thought would not work together at this point in time sitting together. Both had their eyes shut and were obviously in the middle of deep discussion with their hands linked together. An early form of telepathy, used particularly with beginners.

I wonder what they're talking about…? he wondered, the sleepiness quickly vanishing from his mind. Instead, his attentions were increasingly focused on his rising curiosity and budding hope. Maybe they could hear me now… but what if I'm not supposed to? But…

The small boy took a seat beside the two adults, watching them intently as he warred with himself. He wanted them to hear him, but what if he interrupted them? What if he ended up hearing something that he was not supposed to hear? What if they heard something they were not supposed to hear?

The child frowned silently as he sat there, debating what to do.

The first thing Oliver became aware of was the darkness which he suddenly found himself in. Disoriented and confused, the young man glanced all around himself, searching for a land marker or some other sort of indicator as to his present location. Of course he was aware that he was sharing a telepathic link with Mai, but she was nowhere to be—

"Uf!" a familiar voice cried out from behind Oliver. He rolled his eyes as he turned to her. No matter how much time would pass, no matter how many new abilities she would gain, there would always be instances of a clumsy Mai Taniyama. He easily made his way toward her as she attempted to push herself off of the invisible surface she had just collided with. "I hate that part…"

Oliver bit back a retort that was ready and waiting. Instead of commenting on her lack of grace or coordination, he simply approached her and extended a hand. Mai looked at it as though it were the most alien thing on the face of her mind—Oliver felt certain it was not—and he opted into offering a brief explanation.

"You can't show me your evidence from the floor."

Mai's face flushed angrily as she accepted his hand and allowed his helping her off of the ground. Once righted on her feet, Mai began to lead the way due east of their starting position. The darkness that surrounded them was then instantly filled with pictures and sounds. These were her memories. A million memories of a million faces in a million places. Out of respect, Oliver kept his eyes trained only on the Mai before him. The one that was leading him through her mind. He would see what she needed him to see and refrain from observing the passerby memories.

Well, at least I know she's new to this… Oliver thought as he kept his eyes trained on the back of Mai's bobbing head. If she were more experienced, she would be able to hide what she does not want me to see more securely.

"Who said I was hiding these memories?" Mai quipped. Oliver was not surprised that she had heard his thoughts now that they were sharing a telepathic link. Part of him had hoped that she would hear him recognize that she was new and what she could be able to do with more practice. He did not, however, expect her openness. "I don't really have anything to hide here. These memories that we're walking through now are of how Yui and Kazi came to me, but since you're not interested, we'll just go farther back to what I wanted you to see in the first place. We're short on time, anyway."

Before Oliver could take a proper look around—that was what he got for being respectful—the scenery around them changed once more. Rather than surrounded by different memories in a seemingly endless hallway, they were on a single road that was illuminated only by the occasional lamp. It was dark and far out of the way of normal Tokyo city limits.

What 'evidence' could be this far out of town?

Why this particular memory?

Soft steps indicated that a person was on the road alongside the two. Oliver turned to see Mai walking up the street, only a bit younger than the Mai who was beside him, hosting the memory.

"I like to call that point in time 'agent Taniyama'," Mai commented off-handedly, a joking lilt hiding the strain in her voice. Oliver's eyes narrowed. Either Mai was playing one large joke on him—the repercussions of which would be severe—or she had done something at this point in time to warrant the ridiculous nickname.

"Mai…" he warned, digging for information. Yet that was when he felt it. An imminent sense of danger. Echoes of the young woman's intense instincts telling her to run. To flee as far and as fast as her feet would take her. Mai, the younger Mai, was not alone on this obscure path. And this other person was obviously someone that was dangerous.

Oliver felt rather than heard the approaching woman.

She was not very tall, or at least she would not be if she did not wear those ludicrous heels. The woman appeared to be somewhere in her early forties with far too much makeup on her face. Her dirty-blonde hair was pulled back into an intricate braid that pulled on the sides of her face a bit too much yet somehow managed to have a few fly aways here and there. The business suit she wore was crumpled and old. She wore an entire aura of distaste and anger, masked thinly under a veil of civility.

"Good evening," the younger Mai stated with what Oliver would certainly call a faux calmness. He could tell from the simple signs that she was not as composed as she appeared to be. She was mimicking calmness in the only way she knew how to be so without allowing herself the comfort of empathy. She was cold. In truth, he knew she was scared. And upon seeing the woman's shoes, he knew exactly why. "I trust the directions were not too difficult, Yuu-san?"

"Not at all, Juuri-san," the woman responded with a cordial reply. She spat the faux name out with equally faux politeness. "I must say, those notes you sent me were not a pleasant surprise. You are aware of the only thing preventing me from turning over such evidence to the police or to my husband, aren't you?"

"Of course," Mai responded. She was trembling slightly, but her eyes held a glint that Oliver had not seen in a long time. It was a glint that usually got her into trouble.

"Mai, you don't have to do this…"

The sound of his brother's voice threw Oliver for another loop. Not only was Mai confronting a dangerous woman who was calloused enough to commit murder and still live in modern society, but she was still in contact with his deceased brother at this point in her life.

"You know he won't thank you…"

"I know."

"Mai, we've done all we can! You've already done enough! Stop!"

"No, I haven't and no, I won't. I'm sorry, Gene."

"MAI!"

"Then you should be aware that I absolutely cannot have anyone who knows the truth of the matter to live. My poor reputation would only worsen. After all, if no one else will rise to the task of ridding the world of freaks, then who am I to die? I should cleanse the world of filth such as that lying cheat," the woman smiled. It was as though her logic made perfect sense somewhere in her warped mind.

The memory continued to play as Oliver's anger mounted. This should not have happened. Mai should have never found his brother's murderess. How stupid was she? She could have been ki—

The woman withdrew a small pistol from her crumpled business suit. The psychotic smile never left her face as she waved the dangerous weapon about as if it were a mere plaything.

"Speaking of cheats, you never did tell me how you came to know of my sin, Juuri-san," the woman mused aloud. Her eyes were wide with a curiosity that was all too real. "Oh, but let's dispense of this tiresome game. Remembering your codename really is quite a bother, Taniyama-san. Would you mind telling me who you are? After all, Taniyama Juuri has been deceased for nine years."

"Just a girl who took a few psych courses on the side," Mai admitted, not even batting an eye. She did not seem even remotely interested in the gun whose safety was being clicked into the off position. She remained calm and collected as the woman looked at the black object in her hand with a cast-away look, stroking the trigger like an endearing pet.

"I see. Then perhaps you'll continue your studies in the afterlife?" the woman asked, finally pointing the gun. It was aimed—cleverly—at Mai's torso rather than her head. The woman smiled. "I would go for your mouth, as it might be a bigger target than your heart, but the rules are still the rules."

"Are you sure you should be the one to discuss small hearts, Tukiyo Yuko-san?" Mai inquired innocently, her eyes housing an accusatory glint. Oliver could tell that she was terrified now and wondered when on earth the backup support would intervene. Surely Mai would not do something as dangerous as this without backup—

As if on cue, sirens blasted into the night air, indicating the Calvary. Oliver would have been relieved if it were not for the look of surprise and unabashed rage on the face of Mai's verbal opponent. Oliver's face whitened at the weapon that was now a very real threat. He ran to intercept the scene, forgetting momentarily that this was only a memory.

"YOU BITCH!" the woman screamed, the threads of her sanity cut. The shot was not muffled and rang loudly through the night, yet had horrifying aim. Mai fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, obviously in pain. Oliver was at her side instantly, inspecting the damage critically. The present-day Mai followed his actions silently, settling across from his position over her body.

"Bitch, huh?" the girl on the ground gasped, a hollow smile on her face. "Not really… just an idiot…"

The scene around Oliver descended into darkness and he looked at the host herself, eyes ablaze with anger. Anger and hurt. How could she do that to herself? Why would she do that to herself? What the hell had she been thinking?

"Why didn't you listen to Gene?" he finally hissed, that question able to wrap all of his queries together in his mind. Even if she had not always listened to him, he would have thought she would have paid heed to the twin who was just as rambunctious and wild as herself. When Mai gave no answer, he reached out and grabbed her shoulders. A portion of his mind was relieved when her form was solid beneath his fingertips.

"Mai, tell me," he demanded. She infuriatingly avoided his burning gaze. He needed her to look at him, to tell him what had propelled her to take such drastic action. "Mai!"

"Two years ago I realized that she was still out there," she started, still refusing to meet his gaze. Oliver noticed that she began to rub her fingers nervously as she continued. "All I had to go on was a spoken description and the fact that she killed Gene. I took a couple of psychology courses while working on my business major and tried to make a profile based on what I knew, but that didn't get me anywhere. I caught a lucky break when Gene recognized one of my classmates as the woman who ran him over. I thought about taking my case to the police, but I didn't have anything to go on except the fact that I knew she did it. I needed proof."

"So you decided to play vigilante?" Oliver hissed, his grip subconsciously tightening on her shoulders. If she had not survived that ordeal, if she had actually died… He would have had no one to return to here in Japan. Someone he considered to be one of the most important persons in the world would have been gone from it forever. "Do you have any idea what would have happened to you? What I assume almost did happen to you?"

"I'm—"

"Don't you dare say you're fine, Mai. I don't want to hear 'sorry' either. I want you tell me what it was that told you it was a good idea to play 'agent Taniyama'," he ordered. He needed to know. What had caused her to do something so unbelievably stupid and dangerous? Mai's face remained obscured from his vision, but that was when he saw them. Her tears. She was not making a sound, repressing how she felt in order to not lose face in front of him. Something inside of him shifted. Either his stomach was shifting or his lungs gained a new weight.

Or he felt sad. No. 'Sad' did not capture the emotion adequately. Perhaps 'guilt' was a more appropriate word. Yes, he felt guilty.

Mai's tears, or seeing them for the second time in his life, made him feel guilty. The last time she had cried before him she had been mourning Gene. He had not left her, but nor had he the courage to look her in the eye. At the time, it was the only comfort he could give. To refuse to leave her alone with her tears. It was the only comfort he could give to them both. Now? Now she was so close, yet she was crying again. He always said things to make her cry. Why?

He decided to at least try and make slight amends. He was not wrong in wanting to know why she had placed herself in unmistakable danger, but nor was he right in making her cry. But what to do? What could he do?

He could stop ordering her in her own mind. He was, after all, a guest here. She wanted him to see that for a reason, and if there was a reason he would assume it to be that his brother's murderess was caught and in jail for her crime against Mai. Of course, that was what she had to have meant by 'evidence'. He would have never believed it had she simply told him. She understood this and showed him the proof first rather than waste her words attempting to convince him.

He took a deep breath as she continued to cry. He understood why she had shown him that horrible memory.

"You're so reckless…" he muttered. He looked at her shoulders where his hands still lay. He pressed his thumbs against her shirt, feeling. Just to know she was solid and she was here. Her risk had been stupid and brash, and he was certain there had to be a scar somewhere because of the shot. He was sure she had worked through the trauma enough to show him the memory, but she was still Mai and still able to be frightened, even by memories.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered. Oliver sighed, releasing a breath and tension he did not know would alleviate itself with those two words spoken in earnest. His frown remained in place.

"I do not want you to do anything that stupid again," he said honestly. Mai's breath hitched and her tears seemed to be easing themselves. "I don't care what reason you have, don't put yourself in danger of the living for the sake of the dead. Do you understand?"

"Do you…?" Mai asked softly before she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, finally giving in to the gentle calls of sleep. Her mental energy was gone. Their time in her mind was up.

"Hi, uncle Gene," Yui said, attempting to act cool as she remained on the ground. She frowned. "You've got a funny look on your face…"

"How did you get here?" he asked, confused as he chose to rise to his feet. "The plane is dangerous and you could get really hurt if you're not careful."

"I know," Yui waved off his warning with a single motion of her hand. She rested her head against the ground. "I mean, I'm safe as long as I'm here on your plane, right? You already keep it free of mean ghosts so Mom can come over, right?"

"How did you know that? Not even Mai knows that…" Gene asked, previous suspicions rising to the forefront of his mind. There had been a theory in the back of his mind as to the identity of these children, but that was impossible. There was no way as he had checked in on Mai and Noll equally over the course of the past four years. He would have seen or even noticed—

"Um… I think I'm gonna go now," Yui said quickly, flopping over onto her back and rising up to her feet. "I'm kinda hungry."

"Yui, who—"

"Bye, uncle Gene!" the girl cried out in a hurry, allowing herself to fall backwards and out of Gene's astral plane. But the boy already had a few more pieces of the puzzle.

He was going to figure this out.

AmyNChan: There we go! I hope this is satisfactory!

Yui: What happened to 'perfect'?

AmyNChan: Whatever happened to 'nothing's perfect'?

Yui: Lowering your standards because of a child is shameful.

AmyNChan: Why you—!

Kazi: *comes in and holds up a sign in messy handwriting that says "Please read and review!"*