Hey all, Sorry, I forgot to post last week. Sorry, sorry sorry... Been working on NaNoWriMo, up to 45k words and I am supposed to have 50k by the end of november. It is a good story and a little distracting.

I want to just thank everyone who had been reading and reviewing, I do enjoy your words of encouragement even if I forget to mention it and thanks Rosaji for your first review, and those on my other stories. I am glad you all like them.

Here comes the next part, Please enjoy.

Charon, Chapter 20

"The first step you take, is the longest stride."

"Isn't that the truth." Mai agreed as Lin approached she was just out of sight beyond the dead trees that bordered the river. "You say I have no choice, this will happen?" She asked voice a little shaky and Lin stopped in his tracks.

"Everything for a human is a choice. What you are is more, I told you how to change it, if you don't it will not be denied." He cleared his throat and Lin felt a shiver crawl down his spine. Charon knew he was there. He stepped out into the clearing by the river and saw Mai sitting cross legged in front of the Ferryman who assumed the same position, between laid something Lin could not discern. Purposefully he scuffed his feet on the ground and saw Mai lift her eyes and turn to see him.

"Lin!" she called happily waving to him. "What are you doing here, again?"

"I should ask you that."

"Don't avoid my questions," she scowled turning and leaning over the items in front of her. As Lin approached he could tell it wasn't much, several holes in the ground, with stones in some and a larger hole at each end and on her other side watching over the game stood a crow nearly as tall as she was sitting there. Mai picked up a set of stones and dropped them in the next few holes before looking up again.

"Everyone is worried. It took me 15 days to wake up. I have been awake for 5 and although your body shows signs of improvement," he paused, hesitant on how to put it but decided to put it plainly. "but other tests show brain damage."

"Brain damage?" Mai's eyes widened.

"Borderline brain dead."

"I didn't think there was any permanent damage?" she turned from Lin and looked at Charon, he leaned forward and scooped up several stones and deposited them in the next holes, dropping one in his larger pool and leaving one more at the end of the row on Mai's side. He didn't answer, at least not that Lin could hear but Mai turned back to Lin as if she had. "I should probably return and make sure everyone is ok, sorry to worry you Lin."

The edges of his lips curved up slightly, seeing it Mai giggled. "If you would wait a few minutes the game is almost over then we can head back. It should be faster and easier than the path you came here on."

"I do not mean to interrupt." He took a step back.

"Please sit and watch," she looked up to Charon, "If you don't mind, as you said you don't get visitors to often."

"That is true," Charon nodded to Lin and he felt the riverbed glow welcomingly. "I do not mind if you watch since you were invited." Lin caught the hidden reprimand; he showed bad manners earlier and had not gained a friend.

"Thank you," Lin bowed formally to each before sitting to the right and slightly behind Mai. He silently watched as Mai and Charon moved stones. Slowly depositing stones into the larger hole. The last stone on the board was the one Charon deposited on Mai's side. She picked up the one stone and deposited it in the next hole. Picking it up again she deposited one stone in the next two holes. She picked p the second stone and deposited it into the next two pods. Taking the last stone she deposited it into her largest hole, then moved the second to last, and deposited it also in two holes. This proceeded and Lin watched as Mai placed 21 stones in her final pod from just that one stone. She left one stone one hop away from the hole and grinned up at Charon, her eyes danced and even though he heard nothing nor saw her lips move, Lin had the feeling he was missing out on part of the conversation. When Mai finally turned to him he asked.

"Do you count the stones to find out who won?"

"You never count your own stones, Lin master of demons." Charon told his as he reached forward and swiped the stones from Mai's largest pod. He deposited them into a small black bag and handed them to Mai. "You did well, kohai. You may find need of them someday. let no one touch them or the bag." He rose to a stand and Mai followed suit.

Mai nodded solemnly. "Thank you for teaching me." She bowed deeply, "I will hold your words in my heart."

"Be careful what you put there," his voice somber, "Come back and visit, bring a friend I do not get much lively company." He chuckled and Mai giggled along with him. He turned to look at Lin, "You have read something, but understand nothing. She has her own path to choose, the more people who know the more dangerous it will become for those she cares about."

"I understand," he looked down toward Mai and it seemed a totally different person older, wiser, and almost vibrated with a power he didn't understand. "Are we ready?"

"Yeah, is your body near mine?" He recognized Kurasu land on her shoulder, back in his smaller form.

He nodded. She reached out her hand to him. "Relax, close your eyes." she schooled him and he did as he was bid. "Let's go home."

He had to smile at her confidence, and opened his eyes to look at her one last time. They were no longer by the riverbed. Darkness engulfed him darker than he'd ever known, it started creeping into his soul as demons screamed around him, shapes morphed and rearranged as it sped by to fast for him to distinguish. One demon, dark slick reptilian thing lifted its head to stare at them, a long thin tongue whipped between its jaws and dark liquid dripped to the surface below, pieces of something else laid strewn around it forgotten in preference to them. Mai turned her head and he saw sadness and disappointment in her eyes. Still holding his hand she reached forward and placed her other hand over his eyes. "It is not good for you to see." He closed his eyes again and a squeeze of her hand in his made the images fade to the back of his mind as he breathed, determined to trust her. He felt her hand move away from his eyes then her hand he held began loosening. "We are here," she told him, gently shaking his hand loose. "Rest." The world echoed into the darkness that surrounded him, but somehow it didn't seem that dark to him anymore as he heard the flutter of wings depart.

~ Dn dn dn Dn ~

Naru arrived at 5am to check in on them, it was before visiting hours but Matsuzaki-san would be asleep and the nurses station didn't seem to notice. He was surprised to find Mai awake and Lin asleep. "Mai?"

"Naru," she exclaimed in a hoarse whisper. "Lin's asleep, I don't know if I have ever seen him look so peaceful."

Naru's eyes strayed to his assistant and found that his face slackened in sleep did seem more relaxed than normal. "If one of my assistants doesn't decide to work again soon I will fire them both." He studied Lin slightly longer than necessary, since when did he ever sleep this late? Was he paler again or was it the lighting?

"Naru," Madoka's voice scolded from the doorway. "That is no way to speak to someone just woken up from a coma." She looked closer at Mai, "Hey Mai, how you feeling?"

"A little stiff." Mai admitted but her smile hadn't faded. "Not bad though, can't wait to get out of here."

"I heard you didn't like hospitals."

Mai nodded, "I will tell Matsuzaki-san you are awake."

"No, let her sleep." Mai smiled brilliantly up at Madoka. "I am sure she can use any sleep she can get." She looked toward Lin then back at Madoka, "You have to tell me what happened, later."

"Will do Mai-chan, suffice to say everyone has been worried about you."

"And you need to fill out a case report." Naru interrupted Madoka handing Mai a piece of paper. "I know there was a lot you didn't tell us before and I do not like being left in the dark."

"I will tell you what I can."

"All of it Mai."

"Naru, she might not remember any of it, she just woke up so she might not have even thought of it yet." She took the page and handed it back to Naru. "Put that away until she is more recovered."

"It is best to fill this out while it is fresh." He stated taking the paper and setting it on the night stand. "We will be back after work." Naru turned and headed out the door.

"Get some sleep Mai," Madoka turned to leave behind Naru.

Lin woke at nearly 7 am, less than an hour before visiting hours would officially begin. Mai noticed he looked slightly pale and seemed stiffer than usual.

"Lin-san, You ok?"

He paused studying her for a moment before he answered. "Yes, how are you feeling?"

"Stiff, but full of energy. A lot better than I thought I would, I have you to thank for it," She made and awkward bow towards him while still in bed, "I want to get out of here, but I know I shouldn't." Her eyes met Lin's and he saw that older more mature side coming out again. "I have a lot to think about but this isn't a good place."

"You should learn to meditate."

"Eh…" she shook her head, "Gene taught me to do that to get to the astral plane and to dreams." She finished more softly, "I don't need them right now."

"Them?" She shook her head looking down at her fingers. Concerned, Lin prodded where he normally wouldn't. "Taniyama-san, I do not know what you and the god of death discussed, what fate or future he hinted at but nothing is set in stone. It can be changed."

"He told me that. He told me how to stop it, how to discard the cards fate had dealt and walk a different path. Is that what I should do?" she mumbled almost to herself. "Lin-san, if you had a choice to change your life, your associations with the other side the losses you incurred would you do it?"

"Taniyama-san," he paused thinking over her words, "I have no regrets in my life. The prices I paid I will pay again but each choice I made of my own freewill, that was my path."

"But even if you knew that you would become an assistant to Oliver Davis, live in Japan and confront Karun for me would it have been any less your own choice, your own freewill?"

"I don't know Taniyama-san."

"Knowing the consequences and doing it anyway, it seems more free than walking unknowingly through life. If you knew that stepping between two people would save one and kill another wouldn't that knowledge make the answer more my own choice the accidentally stepping in front of the knife?"

Lin was uncomfortable repeating his words but knew little else to say. "I don't know, but Taniyama-san, even knowing the future you cannot save everyone."

At this Mai looked up and smiled at him, "Karun, said you could have been a great diviner, it was in your cards, but you chose not to. That it was a wise choice and benefited you greatly." Lin was abashed, Charon or as Mai was calling him Karun had spoken of him and seemed to have complimented him. "Eh sorry Lin-san," She bobbed a quick awkward bow in the bed. "I didn't mean to speak of you in your absence; we only spoke of your choice as an example. There were others but..." she looked slowly away and studied her hands. Lin could guess someone else they might have discussed, someone whose choices not only changed his life, but alot of other peoples as well.

"That is fine Taniyama-san." He forced himself to breathe and regain composure. "I was just surprised he would know of me."

"He knows many things," another voice called as Kurasu, in human form appeared leaning in the corner of the room. "He knows of no other who could hold one of my kind on a tether." Lin frowned; he was not used to Kurasu being so straightforward nor open around humans. "Even if you do not see it, many things have been proven in recent times and people have proven their worth."

"I suppose that is true." Lin looked hesitantly toward Taniyama-san. Kurasu gave Mai a knowing smile, it wasn't only Mai who had shown something, but Lin couldn't see that.

"Lin-san, I appreciate your research. I do not know if you do it to help me or to prevent some disaster but I am glad. I have to warn you, the more you know the more dangerous it will be for you and the sooner others will know. Even my further understanding has sped up the spread of knowledge but also gives me a chance to choose and prepare." She said the word others in a tone that was less than pleasant undertones.

"Do you want me to stop?"

Mai let the silence stretch, in it Lin found the dilemma over her answer. Either would be a horrible choice. "That is your choice." She fell silent pulling the blankets closer. Kaminara climbed atop the covers spreading itself over most of Mai's body and Yukitsune curled around the girl's shoulders. "You can tell them to stay or go, they are not mine to command." Lin studied her as his shiki crowded around the girl protectively and said nothing. What was going to happen that worried his shiki so much?

Mai had managed to doze for a few minutes before Matsuzaki-san came in, the doctor took a quick look at Mai then moved toward Lin.

"Were you?" she let her question fall off unsure what she had asked him to do, exactly. Lin nodded. "When do you think she will wake up?"

"I'm up, I'm up!" Mai moaned from the bed. "I'll get Naru his tea in a moment."

"Mai!" Matsuzaki-san nearly jumped onto the girls bed, grabbing a wrist for a pulse and brushing the girls hair out of her face. "We were worried about you."

"Ayako," Mai turned and hugged the miko, "I didn't mean to worry you." Tears slid down her face and Lin opened his laptop to give the two of them some semblance of privacy.

Hey, hey, what do you think? Let me know please review.