RRS.20

Phew! *wipes brow* It's finally the 20th chapter, huh? Happy 20th! I've never written so many chapters before! It's exciting! *Pops party cracker* Congrats to both me and you! We've managed to get so far together! I hope you'll be able to continue with me! *Bows* In honor of this chapter, I'll be using a Ghost Hunt OST as the chapter title. See if you can figure it out?

Chapter Name: 氷海

Normal POV

Mother?!

Mai stared in shock at the woman who stood before her, clad in an elegant kimono. Her wide and gentle smile was dazzling, and in her hands she carried a flower.

A spider lily.

"M-Mother..." Mai choked out. "Wha-What...?"

The woman let out a small chuckle under her breath and stepped closer, reaching out and setting a tiny pale hand to Mai's slack face.

"My dear Mai-chan..." She cooed softly. "Look at how you've grown! You've become so beautiful and strong. I've been watching over you from the Heaven our Father has created for us."

The brunette stared, her entire disposition thrown off at the appearance of one woman in her dreamscape.

"Mother, how-?"

"Shh..." The beautiful woman interrupted softly. "Now is not the time for such questions. I cannot stay here long, my dear. It takes most of my energy away. I hear you're returning to the Society again dear?"

It was all Mai could do to nod her head.

The woman put a hand to her cheek and crinkled her brow worriedly. "And after you had just made such wonderful friends too... it's really too bad." Her mother commented. "But I know you wouldn't leave without reason; you've always been so loyal."

The brunette nodded, finally snapping out of her stupor. "I failed at an important mission, and now I have to clean up my mess and make things right again." Mai declared.

"Oh my..." Her mother's chocolate brown orbs widened- the same ones that Mai had taken after. She chuckled shortly under her breath. "That's so wonderful, Mai-chan. You really have grown up so well- even without my help." She smiled softly. "I don't have much time." The woman sighed softly, her arms dropping to her sides as she stared at Mai seriously. "I came because I heard you were going back to the Society, Mai-chan."

"Why?" Mai asked. "What does me going back to the Society have to do with bringing you here?"

The woman frowned. "There are people coming after you for your powers, Mai-chan, and they know how to find you." She replied. "Scatter all of my belongings that you have. They're using them to track you down because they still have spiritual residue left on them. Every spirit leaves residue on the things they've touched after death, like a fingerprint. However, instead of testing for fingerprints like the police do, these people can easily find my spiritual residue because of my psychic abilities." Her mother explained quickly, waiting for Mai to understand the point.

The brunette's eyes widened. "The residue left by spirits who had psychic abilities in their past lives is like a flare being shot up into the air for all to see..." Mai immediately recalled from her teachings as a Shinigami. But it wasn't only the physic ones that left a mark...

"Material items have residual energy from their owners, Mai." Naru's voice echoed around her mind from the lecture about her suitcase a while back.

"Exactly, Mai-chan. Therefore, you must scatter everything." Her mother grasped her shoulders. "Don't keep a single item- jewelry, clothes, furniture, everything. Get it away from you as soon as you wake up."

Stunned, Mai took a step back uncertainly. "But how? I mean, you've got the rocking chair and the piano and all of the other things... where am I supposed to put them?"

Her mother thought for a moment. "Sell them." She said suddenly.

"Eh?!" Mai nearly shouted.

"It's the best way! With this, you wouldn't be dumping them all into the same place. They'd find those items in an instant and know that you've heard about their search for you. Giving them away to other people would scatter everything and confuse the people after you." Her mother was practically bouncing in place from excitement.

"B-but Mother, those are your precious mementos... how can I just sell them?" Mai's gaze fell to the floor, crestfallen.

Her mother set her hands on both of Mai's cheeks, turning her head towards her. "You are my most precious memento in the whole world, Mai-chan. You don't need any of those material items to cling to."

The brunette stared at her mother for a long moment before nodding. "I'll do it, Mother."

A happy smile blossomed across the woman's lips as she sighed, satisfied. "I love you so much, Mai-chan..." She whispered softly, hugging her daughter close to her.

The petite brunette suddenly noticed her mother's wavering form. Even though she could feel the waist she had her arms wrapped tightly around, she could see her own arms. She gasped.

"Mother!"

The woman looked down at herself, not the slightest bit surprised or panicked. "Ah, it seems as though my time is up, Mai-chan."

"Wait!" The brunette shrieked, reaching out. Her form merely passed through her mother's. "I still have questions! Who's chasing me?! Why do I have to lose you all over again?!" She exclaimed, tears swelling up and blurring her vision.

The woman smiled as she blinked out of focus and returned again. She spoke, but Mai couldn't hear a single word as her lips moved slightly. The woman was already out of Mai's wavelength, disappearing from sight.

"Mother! Mother!" Mai shrieked, barely taking a breath in between the words. She felt her voice give in and crack under strain. "Please!" She begged. "Please, please, please! Stay here!"

The woman merely smiled softly at her once more with pained eyes.

And then she was gone.

"Mother!" Mai screamed, shooting up from bed.

It was early morning, according to the small amounts of bluish light filtering through her window. Mai stared, taking in her room for a moment as she breathed harshly, her small lungs working frantically and her heart pumping wildly.

"Mother..." Mai whispered, falling back onto the bed and curling up into a ball.

And so the saint who fell from heaven sobbed, her heart full of excruciating pain for a loved one she would never see again.

Mai moved slowly, passing in her paperwork at the school, saying goodbye to her friends Keiko and Michiru, selling her mother's beautiful mementos...

It was the day of her field trip now, and she had managed to sell her mother's items to various stores that could scatter them for her. There was no time for her to do it herself, anyway, since her mother had warned her the morning she was due to leave.

Angel sat in her lap and Mai absentmindedly stroked his glossy fur as she stared outside the window. Everyone was frantically preparing to leave the school with last minute errands and check-ins. No one witnessed the girl performing her strange actions on an invisible animal.

Mai sighed once heavily, her eyes focused on the sky above her and the large clouds floating in the air. Her eyes focused down at three large buses as they came rolling in. She turned to the class. "The buses are here!" She announced.

The teacher had them all line up at the door and soon, they were all on the buses, listening for their names in the roll call.

"Taniyama Mai!"

"Here!"

The brunette zoned out again, knowing that she would not be need again until they reached the forests of the Noto peninsula. There was a long trip ahead.

What is next? Angel peered up at her.

Mai glanced down at her guardian. "After this field trip ends, Bou-san will pick us up and we'll be on the site of the case. That's in two days."

How long is this drive?

Mai frowned. "Almost eight hours." She replied, deadpanning. "Going from Shibuya-ku in Tokyo to the Hosu District in Noto is seven hours and forty-five minutes..."

The Shinigami and Shiki stared at each other, both ready to burst into tears. "I didn't bring anything to do for an entire eight hours!" Mai cried, throwing her hands to clutch at her head. Angel whimpered, having watched the girl pack clothing and other items the day before.

Mai scribbled numbers on the large mirror in front of her, watching as her reflection warped and disappeared and the glass became a clear blue. The girl pushed a chair through the mirror, watching carefully as it was swallowed by the clear glass portal.

The girl walked through the mirror herself, masking her presence and making sure she had the right destination. She nodded to herself once approvingly, hands on her hips as she scanned the large apartment before her.

This was where she would be living when she returned to the Society in a few days.

The brunette walked back to the mirror, passing through it once more. She lifted the mirror up and walked over to another piece of furniture she would be using, dropping the mirror over it. The furniture disappeared and the mirror landed on the floor with a soft thud. It looked as though the mirror had swallowed the furniture that was too heavy for her to push around.

She repeated this action with all of the furniture she would be taking with her to the Society. When it came to smaller items, like her clothes, she merely threw them through the mirror, as long as they couldn't break.

Mai put her hands on her hips and looked around the apartment. She still had a few pieces of furniture here and there that she wouldn't be using since she wanted to redecorate at the next apartment. Those would be sold to the stores nearby along with her mother's things.

The brunette waved a hand to the mirror again, erasing the numbers on the glass and closing the portal. She smiled to herself proudly. Somehow, moving apartments always lifted her spirits and made her chest swell with excitement. Just the thought of having a new life and new opportunities could make her jump for joy. Mai grinned to herself as she contacted the stores, explaining that she had some items she'd like to donate. They welcomed her cheerfully as she talked about the furniture and her mother's mementos.

"You've got quite a few things here, young lady." The man smiled, happy to bring new items to his store.

Mai giggled. "Yes, I do." She agreed. "It's because I'm moving in a few days, and would like to redecorate when I get to the next apartment."

The man bobbed his head. "Ah, you mean new house, new life, huh?"

Mai's smile brightened falsely. "Yeah... That's exactly it." She replied softly, staring blankly ahead for a moment before smiling at the truck driver.

She conversed with the man for a bit longer, helping him move heavier pieces down to the truck waiting in front of the apartment building. Before long, he was tipping his hat at her and hopping into his truck as Mai waved goodbye cheerfully.

As the brunette stepped into her apartment, she felt a sense of loneliness tug at her heartstrings. The life she had led as a ghost hunting high school student would soon be over, and that chapter of her life would close. It reminded her of the other times she had spent making friends in various parts of the world, only to watch as they grew older and withered away.

Human beings are so beautiful that way; vibrant with life in their youth and wilting away so soon, like a flower. That is why humans are the most interesting to Mai, and the most highly prized. Beauty was a thing that lasted a short time, and humans are the epitome of such a statement.

Mai walked through the rooms once more, noting how clean everything was. She frowned once as she spotted the cleaning supplies sitting in the bathroom- she'd have to use those. The apartment had to be cleaned up for the next resident, and she had to erase any evidence of her existence here.

The brunette's lips thinned into a line as her thoughts became a bit darker. The ACE Society was not afraid to meticulously check every nook and cranny for evidence of Mai having lived in the apartment. She was a walking spirit herself, and like her mother and Naru had said, spirits left behind residue. Her residue was all over this apartment, just like fingerprints.

Mai took a deep breath with her eyes closed and spread her hands around her, in an attempt to reinforce her othersense by pointing in the direction she was looking for. She began with one wall, watching as multiple ebbs of power in her three colors (She still didn't know why there were three colors, and couldn't recall a time where it was any different) danced behind her closed eyelids. She slowly tightened her soul seal, attempting to shut off the flow of her presence in order to not leave anymore residue behind.

As a Shinigami, she had learned much about aura manipulation as it was quite a useful skill for Shinigami should they ever have a reason to hide. However, no matter how often she attempted to conceal her aura completely, it failed. The reason was because concealing one's aura had to do with drawing it within one's self. To spiritualists like her, one's aura was exactly like having another, expandable, sense. If she could stretch her aura, she was stretching her othersense. Therefore, drawing in the aura was a difficult task because it involved shutting down the othersense. Closing her othersense meant that she could no longer sense any kind of the supernatural nearby, including a range from mere residual energy to powerful beings like herself. This concept, however, was what frightened Mai the most. She loathed not being able to sense anything around her, as it left her feeling blind and vulnerable to attacks.

This time however, Mai would have to overcome her fear if she didn't want to leave the ACE Society hints of her existence here.

The brunette closed her eyes, focusing on anything else rather than her fears, finally closing in on the reason why she was attempting this. It was no longer just to protect Naru, though he was a huge reason, but to protect her whole family and anyone who had ever made contact with her.

Suddenly, her aura snapped back and Mai stumbled a bit, relating the feeling to the recoil of a gun. As the brunette sat facing the wall, she realized it was much more difficult to sense her own residue without letting her aura leak out. If Mai wanted to do this, she'd have to concentrate.

With a deep breath, she shoved all thoughts that did not involve her current task into a dark closet in the back of her mind and locked the door. A determined fire blazed in her eyes as she picked up the first rag. Cleaning residue first required cleaning the surface to get to what was underneath. Then she'd get the real work done.

"Mai," A familiar voice called. "Mai, come on,"

The brunette stirred from her sleep, immediately feeling sore in her neck from the way she had slept. "Ugh, what is it?" She let out, putting a hand to her tender muscles.

"We're here, Mai! Come on!" Keiko suddenly squealed, and Mai realized she had been using the same tone when she first awoke. For once, Keiko's squealing was not welcome.

The brunette sat up, facing Keiko and Michiru as they floundered around her, attempting to bring her back to her full senses and get off the bus. She complied easily, just to shut them up for a few moments longer until she could completely shake off her feelings of drowsiness.

"Okay, okay, I'm up." She sighed, subtly gesturing to Angel to find his place on her shoulders so they could leave peacefully. "We're already in Noto?" She asked.

Both Keiko and Michiru nodded, the later fixing her with an amused look. Mai shot the girl a brief glare for laughing at her and huffed, turning to Keiko instead. "Yeah, we're the last ones off since we couldn't wake you up." She giggled.

Mai groaned. Had the whole class seen any of that? How embarrassing! "Sorry. Apparently, I'm a heavy sleeper." She admitted sheepishly.

"Don't apologize," Michiru laughed, whacking her once in the back between her shoulder blades. Mai let out an 'oof!' sound as she was knocked forward. "It was actually pretty funny."

Mai fixed her friend with a dry look as they finally caught up with the class at the base of a hill, armed with baggage. "Yeah, I thought I noticed you laughing at me."

Michiru merely grinned back impishly before their attention was called to the teacher at the front of the group.

"Our little field trip involves staying at two villas; one for the boys and one for the girls. It will be seen as a test of your home economics skills, as we will all be cooking, shopping, and even fishing for our meat at the nearby lake." The teacher smiled. "As long as you do your best, you'll get a fine grade. The point is to reward you for all of the hard work you've put into this year and into your testing. And as an added bonus, we will be visiting a nearby shrine that specializes in fortunes and good luck charms."

The girls erupted into a frenzy of excited whispers.

The teachers all sent each other knowing glances before the speaker chuckled. "And we will also be holding a series of events throughout today and tomorrow so that you are able to have loads of fun and bond with your classmates a little more before you all move onto a new homeroom next year. There will be obstacle courses, a test of courage through the nearby forest at night, bonfires, ghost story telling-"

Michiru let out a whoop. "Mai's specialty!"

The class laughed as Mai flushed a deep scarlet. "Michiru!" She nearly yelled.

"And of course," The teacher continued with a helpless chuckle. "a cooking contest in order to find the class's best chefs!"

The class began buzzing with excitement as the teachers separated them into groups of four and sent them into the villas to find their rooms and look around.

"Whatever you do, do not go anywhere alone." The teachers warned. "If you have at least one other person with you, then we will notice if you end up lost with the periodic roll calls we will be taking throughout the day. And going into the forest without permission from one of the teachers is absolutely forbidden. Understood?"

The teens chorused a, "Hai," together before dispersing again.

Mai let out a secretive smile. It sounded like a great field trip to her.

The two days at the outdoor cabins had been spectacular. Mai especially shined during the cooking challenges and the ghost story telling. At first, she had been a bit shy with all the expectant gazes her way, but as she went along, her voice wavered with excitement and fear, rising and falling for effect.

Her captivated classmates leaned forward as Mai got to an especially good part.

"Suddenly, the door swung open with an eerie creak," Mai began in a low voice. "The girl lay paralyzed in her bed, not by fear, but by the power of the two men who suddenly stepped into the room." The bonfire flickered ominously. "She desperately tried to move and speak to try and wake up her sleeping friends on both sides of her, but no matter how hard the girl tried, she couldn't even lift a pinky or let out a whisper."

A few girls shivered.

"Suddenly, the men stepped forward, ripping her away from the bed and grasping both her arms in iron grips, dragging her away from the room. She tried to scream for help, but her mouth would not open, no matter who much she tried. She was dragged out of the room, forced to walk in between the two tall men dressed in lab coats. Shadows danced across their faces, hiding their expressions so that the girl could only see their huge bodies, which were no doubt strong enough to snap her like a twig."

A few boys gulped.

"As the girl was walked down the dimly lit halls, she fought with all her might to regain control over her body, but to no avail. Suddenly, she stopped in shock. They had led her to a room she had never seen in the mansion before. It was very small, with a fireplace, an armchair, and a small round table with a glass of wine sitting atop of it." Mai recalled softly, her voice dipping suddenly. "'Someone's here,' the girl automatically thought, feeling fear grip at her heart in an unbreakable hold. She didn't know why she thought so, but the presence of a sinister being just waiting to pounce on her blanketed the room."

Mai's voice had risen in pitch as she recounted her own thoughts, allowing it to shake in fear as the silent group hung onto her every word. The fire crackled and popped quietly.

"Her attention was brought to a closet in the corner of the room. It was wide open, but she could see nothing inside. Suddenly, the girl was brought to the closet and led inside. But instead of the clothes and hangers she wanted to see, she saw a path embraced by hedges on both sides. As she stepped forward, her feet touched the cool earth, and she knew she was outside. There was also an odd squishing sound beneath her feet, and the girl knew she was stepping in a cold, thick liquid." Mai swallowed thickly and audibly for affect.

"The two men dragged her forward again as she attempted not to think about the substance she knew was on the floor." Mai began again. "A door abruptly appeared and opened with a loud groan. A horrible smell suddenly blasted all three of them in the face, as though someone was letting out a breath. 'It smells like blood!'" Mai shivered in a quiet tone. "The girl immediately cried her eyes on the new staircase before them. They climbed the steps quickly, the girl had to comply least she fell down them. They stopped in front of a hall with a wooden floor," Mai paused for a moment dramatically. "With a tall, green, metal door waiting at the end. As they pulled her along, the girl began crying out, 'Stop! I don't wanna go in that room!' Though she didn't know what was there."

Mai's voice came out shaking and high pitched. "'No!'" Mai screamed, surprising many of the students as they leaped back. "The door opened and the girl looked around. The entire room was covered in tile and pipes ran across the walls. In the very center of the room was a tiled table in the rough shape of a person with restraining belts around all over. A few supplies were scattered around, but the girl kept her eyes trained on the testing table. A moment later, a bathtub on the other side of the room caught her attention. Though it was dark, she could very clearly see that the tub was filled in thick blood." Mai's voice went up again. "'What is this?' The girl thought, shivering in fear as she noticed another bucket like container with tubes sticking out of it here and there. The girl could very easily see the blood there too."

"Abruptly, one of the men grabbed her shoulders, yanking on the pajamas she was wearing. But as they slipped off like banana peels, she found herself in a white kimono. 'Why am I wearing a kimono?' The girl asked herself, lifting one of her feet, but there was a tight resistance, and she looked down to see that she had been standing in old and sticky blood the entire time. It stuck to her foot the same way gum stuck on your shoe, except that she was barefooted." Mai told the story, her eyes darkening a bit. "The girl let out a cry as one of the men grabbed her by the hair and led her to a place she couldn't see. He walked forward, but she was facing the other way, desperately clawing at the man's arm and watching in horror as her feet left behind bloody footprints."

"'What are you doing to me?!'" Mai screamed in the same voice she had back then, and her classmates jumped. "The girl was suddenly thrown onto what she discovered to be the table from earlier, her head hanging off of it. Blood trailed down her neck and dripped to the floor as she winced in pain. They suddenly had her strapped down completely, everything from her shoulders down the only things on the table. She was forced to expose her neck with her head hanging in that way, almost upside down." Mai paused. "The girl looked to the side where the two men were approaching her upside down, and one of them was stretching latex gloves over their hands. The girl watched in muted horror as the man in gloves suddenly lifted a glinting knife and came closer and closer," Mai's voice quivered in fear as her teachers and classmates leaned forward.

"'I don't want to die.' A voice that didn't belong to her echoed around her mind. It was raspy and dry.

'Somebody...' The girl whimpered.

'I don't want to die.' That same voice repeated.

The knife was suddenly much closer, and the girl stared, paralyzed with fear and unable to fight back.

'help!'

'I don't want to die.' The voice came again, this time stronger, and more urgent.

The man grabbed a handful of the girl's hair, pulling it down to expose the girl's neck even further and to keep her from moving. The knife was suddenly brought to her neck, glinting in the dim light. It paused for just a moment, just long enough for the girl to let out one last thought,

'No...'"

Mai let out her horrifying scream, long and powerful as the whole class jumped up and scrambled away from her in fright. Mai cut off the airflow abruptly. "And then the girl was slapped awake." She ended cheerfully, smiling sweetly at her classmates.

Needless to say, she was reprimanded pretty harshly for that stunt, but she had gained a whole new level of respect from her classmates.

She could ask for nothing more as she packed her bags and waved goodbye to her classmates on the last afternoon, watching as Bou-san's car rolled up to her and their busses disappeared in the distance.

Thanks for reading~! Leave a review? Just in case you didn't figure it out already, that middle part was the last few things Mai did before officially leaving her apartment. As of the field trip, she is 'homeless." XD

Also, I've been editing the chapters. As of now, I think I have up to chapter 17 or 18 done. I am now almost 100% satisfied with this story. :D

~Crescent T.