Beneath the Lilac Tree

by archangelBBQ

"Been there, done that." It's been many years, but Mai and Naru finally meet again. Or has it? Moving forward this time, Naru is determined to change the past, even if he cannot predict how it will shape their future. Together the twins, Mai, and Lin will create SPR from scratch, though things are certain to be much different this time around.

7. Part VII

Part VII

This is a dream.

A sunny afternoon, a crisp wind and high clouds in the brilliant cerulean sky. He lifts his head toward the trees, the leaves the bright green of new growth. Spring, he surmises. Late spring, the tulips are opening their buds, and there are countless daffodils in this park he has been walking through. The colors are too pleasant, the air too refreshing to be real.

Someone calls his name but the words seem to be taken by the breeze and he cannot hear them. At least, he cannot hear with his ears—it is with his heart that he seems to know he has been called and so he moves toward them obediently. He hurries forward, approaching a couple and a child in the distance. They have set out a blanket on the grass, sheltered from the wind beneath a lilac tree in full, fragrant bloom. They wave and the child runs toward him. She is a beautiful young girl with the straight black hair and angular face of her father, the chestnut eyes and bright, easy smile of her mother.

"Genie!" She calls, her face vibrant, jumping into his arms and he laughs, spinning her around. She is small and light in his arms; small even for her age, he suspects, but he knows some day she will grow into a beautiful young woman, even more beautiful than her mother.

"What did you make me for lunch?" He teases her, their noses touching before he sets her down again on the grass.

Her face is glowing with happiness. "You know my Mum made the picnic, not me," she laughs.

"Too busy reading, I suppose? Or looking at star charts again?"

"Star charts today," she beams. "If Mum lets me stay up tonight with you and Daddy, I can show you all the stars I learned about today. Did you know Castor and Pollux are the twins in Gemini? Just like you and Daddy!" Her face falls after she says this. "But they're pretty low on the horizon. I don't know if we can see them."

"That's a shame."

"Yeah. Oh—did you know Vega is the fifth brightest star in the night sky? It's close to Earth, too! Younger and bigger than the sun. And they think a planet the size of Jupiter probably orbits it. Oh," she exclaims, clapping her hands together. She looks so much like her mother when she talks and it brings an easy smile to his face. "And! I wanted to tell you that I learned about Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali!" She says the words carefully, and he knows she practiced time and time again so that she could say it to him now.

"Now that's a mouthful."

"Yeah! Isn't that funny? Alpha and Beta Librae. I like the long names better though!" She hums a little. "We can see Mars, tonight, too."

"What time does the moon rise?"

"After my bedtime." She smiles shyly. "But I want to see it with you."

His hand ruffles her hair. "That's my girl. I'll tell your Mum to make an exception to your bedtime tonight. She's pretty easy-going about it, isn't she?"

"Would you?" She grins. "Daddy got me a new book from the library. It has lots of pictures of galaxy fields and star clusters. They're so pretty!" She sighs happily, taking his hand and leading him toward her parents. "I can show it to you later?"

"You convinced your father to break from his work to join us this afternoon, I see."

She makes a face. "He didn't want to! Tried to convince Mum not to let us go. Says he doesn't like picnics."

"Honestly, I can't blame him," he says, and scooping her in his arms again, lifts her to his shoulders and runs toward the couple. The girl's shrieking laughter fades and he closes his eyes.

No, Gene frowns. Not yet. What happened before?

He is standing in front of a pale blue door. His brother is carrying his suitcase and he himself has a heavy knapsack on his back. They can hear the hurried footsteps before they have a chance to open the door, which swings open and the woman behind it is smiling brightly, laughing as she throws her arms around his neck.

"Gene!" She cries happily, releasing him and leading him into their home, his brother following and closing the door behind him. "How was your flight?"

"Long," he says, laughing, stepping away from her and slipping off his pack to drop on the floor. She takes his coat and hangs it on the rack as he follows his brother, taking off their shoes and stepping into the adjacent room. He sits down heavily on the sofa, leaning back into the pillows. "Long, but okay. Man, feels good to be here. Home."

"I'll say," his brother says, a small smile lifting the corners of his lips.

"I'm glad," she smiles. "Do you want coffee? I know it's late, but we have decaf."

He glances toward his brother, who seems to already know what he's about to say and is agreeable with the thought. "Mind putting on a pot of tea?"

"Of course!" She hurries into the kitchen and he can hear the sound of her opening the cupboard to take out the teapot, the pot she always uses to make tea for her husband. Despite the copious amounts of tea they drink in this household, they only have the one. It was he who gave it to her when she moved to London, ten years ago already. "How was your trip?" She calls.

"Good, great. And everyone gave their best to you. I assume you've already heard from Ayako?"

She giggles, bringing teacups on saucers into the room and setting them on the low table in front of them. "Yes. She couldn't wait to tell everyone she was pregnant."

"Masako's doing well. She gave me some things to give to you, they're with the rest of my souvenirs." He waves a non-committal hand toward his suitcase, leaning against the wall under his coat. "Bou-san said he missed you, and when are you going to bring your Princess to Japan to introduce her properly." At his words, she exchanges a glance with his brother.

"Could be sooner than he thinks," his brother says, smiling.

"Speaking of. Is she asleep?"

"She went to bed a couple hours ago. She's in her room if you want to check on her," she says, heading back to the kitchen.

He stands, rubbing his head. "Yeah. I'll be back out for that tea, so don't drink it all, Noll," he cautions, and his brother smirks at him in response.

"No promises when it comes to Mai's tea."

He climbs some stairs and walks down a narrow hallway, stopping at the last closed door. He pushes it open quietly, peeking inside. The dark room is illuminated by the light from the hall and glowing stars on the ceiling. Under a blue and green patchwork quilt lays a young girl. Her eyes open with the light.

"Genie," she says sleepily, smiling. "You're back. Welcome home."

He smiles as he steps into the room, sitting down on the bed beside her. "You're awake? We must've woken you when we came in, huh."

"Mm. I could hear just a little. Can I get up and come downstairs?"

"Better not. Your mother will scold me. Besides, we won't be up long."

"Okay," she says reluctantly, closing her eyes as he smooths her hair. "Genie..?"

"Yes?"

"Is it true that you died once?"

He pauses, thrown off guard by the unexpectedness of the question. "It is," he says.

"Is that why you can see ghosts?"

"No, I could see spirits before I died."

"Oh." She pauses, thinking. "You're okay, now, though, right?"

"Of course."

"I'm glad you're not dead anymore."

"Me, too," he agrees, his hand resting gently on her head.

"I heard Mummy and Daddy talking about it last night. Mummy said she was worried you were lonely." She opens her eyes, searching his face. "You're not lonely, are you?"

"Of course not," he says honestly, smiling. "I am very happy, to be with you and your mother and father. And your grandparents and all of my friends. I'm surrounded by people I love, so why should I be lonely?"

"I suppose so," she agrees. Satisfied, her eyes closed once more.

"What else did you hear?" He asks, knowing there is more.

Her eyelashes flutter but her eyes remain closed, her small lips pursing in a frown. He almost laughs, thinking how much she looks like her father. "Daddy said, he asked Mummy how she would feel about living in Japan for a little while. He said he wanted to work there again."

The news does not come as a surprise to him as his brother had confided his idea to him some time before breaching the topic with his wife. In fact, he'd told him on the drive back from the airport that they were planning the move and had asked if he would come with them.

The girl continues. "And when Mummy asked Daddy if he wanted to live in Tokyo, he said no, he wanted to live in the country and somewhere by the ocean. He said they should look around Tsuruga," she says the name of the city carefully, "and then Mummy did that thing where she cries, even though she's happy."

He smiles. He had actually gone through Tsuruga during his trip at his brother's request, to determine if it would be an appropriate place to work. And his trip had suggested it would be most auspicious indeed. A thought strikes him and he pauses, frowning.

"You overheard all this, after you'd gone to bed?" He asks and she nods. He listens quietly, knowing that from this bedroom, by the arrangement of the house it is all but impossible to distinguish the muffled sounds of voices from downstairs. A suspicion begins to grow in his mind. "How long have you been able to send your mind outside your body?"

Her eyes open wide, surprised. "How did you know I..." She frowns, perhaps embarrassed that her secret has been exposed.

"I can do that, too," he says, laughing lightly. "Though it is not a practice I partake in often, anymore. Did you just learn how to do this recently?"

"Mn, yeah," she says and her embarrassment turns to hope. "Does this mean I'll be able to do the things you do?"

"Maybe someday," he says, smiling, leaning forward to kiss her forehead before rising to his feet. "I'd better go downstairs before your father drinks all the tea and let you get back to sleep."

"Mmkay," she says, closing her eyes. "Make me pancakes for breakfast tomorrow? You said you'd make me pancakes when you came back."

He laughs out loud. "It's a deal. Pancakes and I'll give you your belated birthday present."

"It's late," she agrees, smiling and pouting. "It's already been so long." She looks a little sad, gazing up at him in the dim room. "You were gone so long this time, Genie. How long are you going to stay before you leave again?"

He pauses, wondering himself the answer to that question. "I don't know. We'll talk about it tomorrow, okay?"

"Promise?"

"Promise. Over pancakes." This brings a smile to her lips and she closes her eyes. "And don't listen in on your parents too often," he warns, a smile tugging at his lips. Eventually, no doubt, she would hear something she didn't want to and he wanted to spare her that. "You don't need to. They'll tell you everything, you know?"

"Mmkay," she says again, her voice sleepy. "I won't listen anymore. Good night, Genie."

"Good night," he says, stepping into the dim hallway and closing the door behind him. Shaking his head slightly, a smile on his lips, he returns downstairs.

"She was awake?" His brother asks, glancing up at him as he sits down, pouring two cups of tea.

"Yeah." He grins, running his hand through his hair. "I can hardly believe it! Two months. Seems like she's grown incredibly. Her vocabulary's better, too. She must be picking up new words all the time."

"She is," his brother says, smiling with undisguised satisfaction and taking a sip of the tea. "I'll say a word and can tell by the look on her face that it's unfamiliar to her, but then we hear her try it out a few days later."

"She's jolly brilliant, you know. Amazing for being just five years old."

"Of course she is." He snorts slightly, reaching for his cup of tea again as his wife brings a platter with jam and toast from the kitchen. "Look who her father is."

"Luckily she takes after her father," she says, smiling demurely as she sets the tray down on the table. She kneels and begins to spread jam on a piece of toast, holding it toward her husband. "Toast, Gene? We can reheat some dinner too, if you'd rather."

He waves his hands quickly in refusal. "No, no, toast is fine."

"Luckily she doesn't only take after me," his brother retorts, taking the proffered slice of bread and taking a bite.

"Yeah, she takes after me, too." He is laughing, and tells them his revelation of her ability to send her mind outside her body, as he can do. Her mother seems surprised at the news, but his brother is not, instead stating matter-of-factly that he'd been waiting for something like this to happen.

It seems almost strange, he thinks, that this immense happiness isn't astounding. It is simply normal, comfortable. Even after everything they've gone through, the three of them. They can sit like this, drinking tea and eating toast in the sitting room, talking and laughing.

He is no longer part of the scene, but rather finds himself watching it from afar. The lights grow dimmer and he turns his head, searching for a new sound that has just reached his ears.

He realizes he has been standing in a hospital waiting room, though for how long he does not remember. His arms had been folded across his chest and he drops them, shifting on his feet when suddenly his brother appears from the next room. His hair is dishevelled and there is a shadow of stubble around his chin, but there is a joy in his eyes he's never seen before.

"It's a girl," he laughs, laying his hand on his shoulder. "Mai is asking for you! Come on."

A baby girl, he thinks. My brother is a father.

But he already knew that, didn't he? He closes his eyes once more, shaking his head. No, no, no. Not yet.

And then there is the screech of tires, the pain of impact, and he is sinking, sinking again into the dark, murky depths of the lake. Deeper, into the darkness, fear like a sharp hook in his belly.

Was it all for nothing? Will I be forgotten?

Let me stay at their side, so that I can watch over them. Always by their side.

...

Gene awoke with a gasp, his eyes wide as the ceiling appeared above him, shadowed unevenly as light from the street filtered through the hotel room curtains.

He swallowed and rubbed his forehead with his fingers, counting silently to eight and back again to steady his heavy breathing. His heartbeat was pounding so loud within his ears it seemed as if the bed itself was shaking.

He turned his head to the side, seeking out the dark shape of his brother next to him. His twin's breathing was slow and steady, his rest undisturbed. Gene then turned his head to the other direction, seeking out the form of Mai on the other bed. He could not see her features but could make out the shape of her form under the comforter.

When his breathing became even and calm, he slid out of the bed as quietly as he could and walked across the carpet toward the doorway, stepping into the bathroom and turning on the light.

A soft overhead fan turned on with the light, a warm wave of air following and he sighed, turning on the faucet and splashing some water onto his face. He took a hand towel and wiped the droplets from his skin, turning when he heard the soft sound of covers rustling and feet on the carpet, barely audible over the sound of the fan. Mai appeared in the doorway, tilting slightly on her bare feet and leaning against the door frame, hesitating.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly, concern evident in her eyes.

"Yeah," he sighed, rubbing his eyes and tossing the towel onto the sink. "I'm fine." He sat down on the edge of the bathtub, his eyes flicking towards his reflection in the tall mirror. Mai did not seem assured and he had no reason to blame her. He did not look fine; he looked like a tired and lonely sixteen year old boy, too scared to admit he was afraid.

Mai approached him, dropping to her knees to sit in front of him on the rug that covered the tiles next to the bathtub. "Can't sleep?" She whispered. "Bad dream?"

He turned his gaze away from her, remembering her smiling face as he ran with her daughter on his shoulders, her laughter as she refilled their cups of tea in the sitting room. Or, he wondered, was it her smiling face from their trip to Ueno Zoo that he remembered? Her profile as she spoke quietly to the monkeys, or the way she giggled at the elephants? During the in-between hours of deep night before the dawn, he was not completely certain what were his real memories and what was yet to come. "Something like that," he mumbled. He dropped his face into his hands. "Sorry," he sighed. "I'm just a little.. disoriented."

"Did you have a vision?" She asked and bit her lip nervously as she continued. "Of today...?"

"No, no," he shook his head quickly. "Mostly the future, a distant future." A smile lifted his lips. "Or a possible future. I suppose it's not guaranteed that it will come to pass." He turned his gaze toward her, studying her features and feeling a smile move across his lips. She will make a wonderful mother, he thought. And being a father will transform Noll, too. I suppose the birth of that child will change all of us. His smile slipped from his features and he suddenly felt extremely lonely. Not that I can tell either of them any of this.

Then, with a shiver, he felt the cold water on his skin and the suffocating darkness closing around him. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, focusing on the warm air blowing from the fan. Mai, sensing his anxiety, leaned forward toward him and rested her hands against his knees. He focused his thoughts on the warmth of her fingers.

He exhaled again, dropping his hands and resting his elbows against his thighs. "And then I dreamed, again, of something that happened a long time ago," he began, letting out a brief chuckle. He turned his head and raised his hand to rub the bridge of his nose. He felt antsy and nervous.

"I suppose you could say it was something that never happened at all," he sighed. Mai looked somewhat bewildered and he continued, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just another dream about the past," he sighed, and corrected himself quickly. "Your past. Though, I suppose it was my past, too, but I was dead already. You were alive, so it seems to make more sense to say it that way."

Mai looked worried, reaching toward him to take his hand in her own. "You're not... I mean, you haven't... seen your own death, have you?"

He nodded apologetically, a guilty feeling spreading throughout his core when he saw her eyebrows knit together and tears form in her eyes. "It's all right, Mai. It's probably better this way." A small smile formed on his lips. "I think I would rather remember, in all honesty, remember everything. Otherwise," his words faltered and he swallowed. "Otherwise I fear I'll never understand you and Noll."

"That's not—" she started, but Gene cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"I mean, it's true. I'm none the wiser, but Noll's lived far into the future. Are we still peers? You could probably say he's less my twin brother and more of a mentor."

"Naru wouldn't say that," Mai said crossly.

"He wouldn't, but only to be nice," Gene said, and Mai snorted.

"Naru isn't nice," she said, her voice sullen and her eyes downcast. "We both know that."

He chuckled weakly. "He is to you."

"And you." A wistful smile crossed her lips as she thought of the sleeping boy in the next room. Gene was again struck with amazement of how much she cared for him and how obvious it was that she loved him in a way that would never, could never be rivalled.

"Lucky git," he muttered, finding a smile on his face.

"Eh?"

He shook his head. "Nothing," and the two drifted back into silence.

"How much have you remembered?" Mai finally asked. "Will you remember everything?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. "I know a lot of what has happened. You've both told me. Seeing it through my own eyes," he paused, thinking. "I think that would help."

Mai bit her lip nervously. "If that's what you want. But... but, isn't it painful? To remember such things? To know that at the time..." Her voice trailed off, unable to complete her statement. Instead, her hands squeezed his gently. Her hands seemed small in his own, he noticed, almost delicate in their fragility.

"Maybe," Gene sounded dubious. "Though from the perspective of one who investigates paranormal experiences, it was actually very interesting." He sighed and rubbed his face with his other hand. Mai could see that he was tired. Even before the vision he had slept restlessly. "Of course only after the fact am I able to think about it rationally. Now, I am grateful that I was able to see it and experience it as it happened."

"Grateful?"

Gene gazed forward, unseeing. Mai had the distinct impression that somehow he was able to see outside the walls of the hotel to the world around them, that his eyes were in fact taking in the twinkling lights of the city and the pale shapes of the mountains that surrounded them. That those eyes could see everything, could take it all in even when others would turn away, overwhelmed by it all. Naru's eyes were like that, she knew. The brothers both saw the world through an inner eye, though Naru's eye was informed by his mind while Gene's was often guided by his heart.

"I felt two very distinct emotions. One was a peaceful detachment, the serenity of letting go. Que sera sera. What will be, will be." He sighed deeply, then, sadness etched into his features. "The other, an incredible sense of loss, the terrible realization that there was no turning back from this moment. That it could not be undone." He paused, and his eyes seemed to focus as he suddenly looked toward the bedroom, if he could see it, where the form of his sleeping brother lay silently. When he resumed his voice was lower and quite solemn. "Even when my heartbeat had stopped, I could hear the frantic pumping of another. The terror and the indescribable horror of what was happening. So I can only imagine those were Noll's feelings," he said ruefully. "So now I think I can understand what he felt when you died. And for that, I am grateful."

Mai felt the tears slip from her eyes, down her cheeks and falling to her lap, the droplets soaking into the fabric of her pyjamas.

Gene lifted his hand and leaned forward, reaching toward her to smooth her hair gently, a tender smile lifting his lips. Mai felt her heart lurch, recognizing the face immediately as the gentle face she had seen in her dreams so long ago, the face she had mistaken for Naru's. She felt a blush creep across her features and she pulled away from his touch. The action immediately shamed her. "I'm sorry," she stammered, uncomfortable. "I don't... I mean... I..."

"No, Mai," Gene said softly, a sad smile upon his lips. "I'm the one who's sorry." He leaned forward and pressed his lips tenderly against her forehead, taking her arms and drawing her to her feet and into a gentle hug. "You are so incredibly precious to my brother," he whispered. "And you are precious to me. Thank you for being here."

Mai, her eyes wide in surprise, found tears forming in her eyes again and she did not know what to say.

"I promise," he continued, "I'll be there for you. I'll stay by your, and by Noll's, side. Always."

Not knowing exactly why she was crying, Mai nodded, returning his embrace tightly. "As long as you let me return the favor," she whispered. She could feel his calm heart, beating next to her own.

They stood for a long time, hugging under the warm vent of the quiet bathroom fan. Gene slowly released her, stepping away and covering a large yawn with his hand. She could see that some of the strain had disappeared from his features and she supposed he would sleep peacefully until dawn.

"Let's go back to sleep, Mai." He smiled sleepily. "After all, we're going to meet our grandmother today so we ought to get some rest."

She followed him back into the room, worry gripping at her heart. Gene would sleep soundly, but she would lay awake, thoughts tumbling nervously in her head until the alarm clock sounded to signal their departure.

...

The three left the hotel before the sun rose, instead making their way back to the train station under the silent gaze of a lonely quarter moon. Outside the station, Mai turned her head as she scanned the sky, noting the clouds that were sweeping over the city and wondering if she could attribute the foreboding feeling simply to the changing weather and incoming storm. After they entered the building, Naru went to buy the tickets to Omachi while she bought some snacks at a kiosk that would suffice for breakfast. Gene waited with their luggage, his eyes heavy and covering his yawns with his hand.

"We can sleep on the train, it's a couple hours, right?" Mai asked as she returned to his side, packing the food she had purchased carefully in her bag.

"Yeah," Gene said, yawning again. "An hour to Matsumoto and then an hour after we transfer, I think."

"Stop it, it's contagious," she laughed, turning her head to the side and yawning.

Gene levelled his gaze across the platform, his eyes narrowing for several moments before relaxing.

"What is it?"

He shook his head. "Just a wandering spirit. It won't cause any trouble, though. It will pass soon."

"You see them everywhere, huh..." Mai's voice trailed off.

He shrugged, nodding and yawning again, stretching his arms to the side and closing his eyes. "You get used to it," he said simply. "Most spirits are benign, just spectres waiting about before they move on, without difficulty." He rose to his feet. "Here's Noll, finally."

"Sorry for the wait," Naru apologized, sounding annoyed. "The tickets took longer than I'd thought. How troublesome."

"Everything okay?" Mai asked, pursing her lips.

"Yeah," he sighed and shook his head. "Let's go."

It began to snow as they waited on the train. When the train pulled out of the station, heading south, Mai looked up at the sky and saw that the moon was obscured and the falling snow hid the surrounding mountains.

Gene fell asleep almost immediately. Naru unzipped his bag, pulling out a water bottle and taking a drink.

"What was the trouble with the tickets?" She asked.

"Nothing much." He shook his head, pausing to take another drink. "The attendant seemed surprised to see three teenagers headed out so early in the morning and perhaps a little reluctant to give me the tickets because of that. He kept asking questions about where we were going and how long we were staying." He snorted with disgust. "Of course, when I said we were going to visit our grandmother, he seemed to think it was all right. People," he frowned, "are too nosy for their own good."

"Oh, is that all," Mai said, sounding relieved.

He nodded, watching her as he took a long drink. "What's wrong, Mai?" He finally asked, offering her the water bottle.

She frowned slightly, lifting the bottle to take a drink. "I don't know," she said as she passed it back to him, shaking her head. "I didn't sleep well, I guess. Somehow I feel.. nervous." She laughed quietly, but there was no mirth in her voice. "Sorry. I'm probably just tired."

"Don't belittle your instincts," he said, replacing the bottle in his bag.

She frowned. "My instincts haven't been worth anything, lately."

"Don't say that." He settled back into his chair, considering her. "We wouldn't be here without your instincts."

"We wouldn't be here without Gene," she corrected, her frown deepining. "I wouldn't have lasted a month at SPR without Gene."

"Maybe," he said, though his voice was dubious. "You give yourself too little credit."

She gazed out the window, watching the snow whip past the train windows. "When you open the office, again, will it be as Shibuya Kazuya? And Shibuya Ichirou?"

"Of course. After all, it is SPR." A smile twitched at his lips.

"Do you think you'll be recognized as Oliver and Eugene Davis?" Mai frowned. "After all, what about Bou-san? And Masako? Masako, surely. She saw the video of you two."

Naru shrugged. "I imagine we can ask them to be discreet."

"Yeah." She giggled. "Masako will do anything for you, if you ask her nicely."

"Maybe not, if she knows I'm not available." His face lightened. "I imagine it will be much easier to build your friendship again with her, if she doesn't have to consider herself your rival."

"Yeah, maybe," Mai agreed and laughed. "Or she'll resent me even more."

"We can keep our relationship a secret, if you'd rather," he suggested dryly.

"No way! I'd definitely blow it," She laughed and he smiled, relieved to see her anxious face replaced by a happy one.

"It's strange, isn't it?" Mai said, smiling wistfully. "But I guess we're lucky, huh? To have a second chance at this." She giggled, leaning her head against her hand. "I hope I'm kinder this time."

"You were always kind," he scoffed.

She made a vague sound, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with him. "Gene's remembering it all, isn't he?" She sighed again, her eyes saddening. "Do you think he'll remember everything?"

"I imagine he will." He turned his gaze to his sleeping brother. "Gene's abilities are more incredible than I could have ever thought. He can look to the past or the future much more clearly than he ever could before. We went to Tokyo Tower yesterday," he gazed at his brother, a perplexed look growing on his face. "He managed to look into the past, and singled out the moment our parents passed by the same place in which we stood, nearly twenty years ago." He shook his head in amazement. "I've never heard of a clairvoyant with such precise precognition or postcognition. To be capable of both is quite amazing, indeed."

"Amazing," Mai echoed, tilting her head to the side and releasing a sigh. "But it would be lonely for anyone else, I imagine." She smiled at him. "I'm glad he has you."

"Us," Naru corrected. "The three of us together. Isn't that what you wanted?"

A wide smile spread over her features and moisture formed in her eyes. She suddenly wished they weren't on the train because she had the desire to embrace them both, to hold the two most important people close to her tightly. "Yes," she whispered. "Yeah. It is."

...

The dreams are filled with visions of the past, of a future that had once cycled by and will now never come to pass. It varies between the mundane and the extraordinary. There are vengeful ghosts and long forgotten spirits, clinging to a life they can never reclaim, just as there are overnight train rides and slow afternoons in the office doing paperwork. All the while, he stands behind his brother silently. This, he knows, was a past his brother lived without Mai. He sees his adopted mother arranging meetings with young English girls, girls who are pretty and mild mannered, intelligent and talented. It is almost funny to him, to see these unsuccessful matchmaking attempts when he knows that Mai is the one who really holds his heart. It is a fact even his brother is blind to.

Then he sees a scene that nearly breaks his heart. His brother paling as he learns of her death. Speechless, fumbling for words. A look of hopelessness crossing his face. Dropping his face into his hands as he weeps. He hasn't seen his brother cry since he himself passed from the world of the living. It is an agonizing afternoon, watching him struggle with the truth, turning his thoughts over in his mind. He knows what he will attempt to do and that he must help him so he is successful.

He sees their meeting again, after their return to the past, but this time he sees the encounter in full. He finds himself smiling as their hands settle together tentatively, whooping with delight when they kiss. He is witness to the beginning of their new beginning and he hums happily to himself as he follows his brother back to England. He watches his own funeral with a disinterested gaze. Finally, it seems, Mai arrives in London and things seem to move in fast forward. There is so much that happens in the coming years and what he feels is joy and sadness wound into one. Great joy that his brother has found something precious, something he himself will never see, and tremendous sadness that he has been doomed to walk alone, unseen beside them.

Finally, the memories come to a halt at that final, fateful day. He knows something terrible is coming. When he sees her standing on the sidewalk, waiting for the light to change, it becomes clear what is about to happen and he begins to weep. "Mai," he shouts, over and over again, his voice hoarse and his vision blurry from the tears. He knows he cannot change this outcome but he wishes he could with all of his being. "It's dangerous! Get away from there!"

Mai's humming stops. For the first time in years her eyes search the air for his voice. She turns her head, looking behind her frantically, not hearing his voice but knowing it is there, calling out to her.

But it is too late. He drops to his knees, his head turned away, unable to watch as the sounds of his brother's sobs fill his ears.

The vision changes and he watches his own meeting with Mai at the train station, only seven days ago. This is how it begins, he thinks. But the dream does not linger there; he is thrust suddenly into the future, finding himself suddenly standing in a sunny kitchen next to a petite woman. Though he knows immediately this future is not guaranteed to come to pass, the vision is so idyllic that he wants to pretend it is real. She is in front of the sink and there is a dishtowel in his hand. He dries the dishes as she washes them, stacking them neatly on the counter. They are talking, laughing, as they perform this mundane task together. When she finishes, wiping her hands on the front of her apron, she steps away from the sink and he realizes she is pregnant.

She begins the task of putting the dishes away in the cupboard and the sound of the front door opening reaches their ears. She calls out the name of his brother happily, even though she does not turn away from her chore. A mirror image of himself enters the room, smiling as he crosses the room, taking her shoulders from behind and gently leaning around her to kiss her cheek. He finds himself watching the glowing expression on her face, the way she smiles happily, lowering her eyes demurely. His brother is apologizing that he had to work on the weekend. He finally turns his gaze away from her face when she laughs and she reaches toward him to squeeze his arm. She is telling his brother that it was okay, the two of them spent the whole day together. She turns toward him and with a wistful smile says she can't believe his week with them is already over and that he's off again to Japan tomorrow.

His brother smiles though his eyes are also serious, and he clasps his shoulder gently. Time flies, he says with a small grin lifting the corners of his lips.

Gene closes his eyes. In the distance, he hears his brother's voice.

"The three of us together. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Then Gene opened his eyes again, the steady rumbling of the train growing louder and louder and pulling him out of his slumber. His eyes drifted over his companions. Mai was leaning against her hand, eyes closed and breathing peacefully; his twin was leaning back into the seat, dozing. He felt as if years had passed in his sleep, as if he had lived many moments since he sat down on the train only an hour ago. He knew with certainty he had seen the past—his past after his own death as he lingered by the side of his brother—but he'd also caught a glimpse of what could be the future.

His thoughts drifted to the final vision, standing by Mai's side as they washed the dishes, waiting for his brother to return from his visit to the office. Was it the future, he wondered again, pondering his dream and turning the details over in his mind. This was not the first vision that implied his brother and Mai would be living together in London, while he travelled in Japan. Strange, he pondered, a smile growing slowly on his lips. That the twins would separate from each other's side for such extended periods of time. Gene exhaled and smiled to himself, stretching his arms in front of his body and turning his gaze to the train window and the snow that rushed past it. And yet, he thought, the two of them will be my home. I will always have them to return to.

He watched the snowy landscape rush by and turned his head when he realized his brother had awoken.

"Sorry," he said quietly.

Naru rubbed his forehead as if to wipe the last vestiges of sleep from his mind and frowned slightly, puzzled. "Why?"

Gene spread his hands wide. "All of this. This... wild goose chase." When his brother's frown deepened, he continued. "Searching for these answers about the past."

"I thought this was what you wanted."

"It was." He exhaled heavily. "But the more I remember about what really happened..." The more I see of the future, he thought, "..the less important this seems. It's all in the past, isn't it?"

"Perhaps." Naru agreed slowly. "However, knowing the past can be valuable for the future. That's something I did not understand before, when I first refused." Gene nodded dubiously. "And didn't you say you were certain we'd meet her today?"

He sighed slightly and nodded again. "Yes. I suppose we're already on our way. Might as well make the best of it."

"If you really don't want to..." Naru's voice trailed off. "We don't have to, you know. We can sightsee or find some way to pass the time. Or simply turn around once we get there."

Gene remained silent for several moments, wondering what it was he really wanted. "What do you want, Noll?"

His brother smiled wryly. "I want you to be happy. Honestly, I don't care if we find our maternal grandmother or not. I can't imagine what effect it would have on me. But," he paused slightly, considering, "of course, it's difficult to predict. And I certainly don't want you to regret not finding her. Not asking her the questions you want answers to."

"You're right, of course." Gene nodded. "After all, it's just one more day. After this, we'll return to Tokyo. We can work on opening our psychic research office." A sad smile spread over his lips. "We need to do it before you return to England. I can't do it alone."

"I'm sure our parents will insist on having Lin chaperone you."

Gene rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

Naru smirked. "You just don't want to deal with the details." His expression lightened and he placed his hand on his brother's arm gently. "I'll be here as much as I can. You know that."

Gene grinned in response. "I know."

...

It was still snowing when they arrived in the city of Omachi, though the sky had lightened and it seemed to have let up quite a bit. Exiting the station, Mai squinted into the snowflakes as she shouldered her bag, her cheeks growing rosy from the wind. Gene, too, was glancing around, looking somewhat at a loss.

"Sorry," he apologized, his voice low. "I thought it would be obvious what to do when we got here, but..." his voice trailed off and he pursed his lips, his face troubled.

"Take your time," Naru said calmly, adjusting his gloves on his hands. Save for windswept hair under his knit hat, he did not look disturbed in the least by the weather. "We got here early so we'd have all day, right?"

Gene nodded and they set off down the street, into the peaceful, snowy city.

The trio walked for hours, meandering down streets and quiet neighborhoods, looking through windows of shops and businesses. They were lighthearted at first. Gene was quick to scoop the new snow in his hands and throw the compact balls at signposts or tree trunks with surprising accuracy. And when he threw a snowball at his brother's back, Mai was almost surprised to see Naru laughing, scooping snow himself and whipping it back squarely into his twin's face. The first time he had lived this age, as she had known him, he never would have done such a thing. The three ran down the deserted alleyway, laughing and throwing snow at each other.

But as the time passed, their games stopped and they simply continued to walk. Eventually even their conversation grew sparse and it was obvious they were all growing weary of the cold. Naru, seeing that Gene was disheartened and Mai's feet were beginning to drag, motioned for them to follow him and he led the way into a small, cozy restaurant. They ordered hot ramen and were grateful when they were quick to be served. Mai cupped her hands loosely around the bowl, blowing on the steaming noodles and broth.

"Sorry," Gene muttered, gazing at his soup and stirring it half-heartedly with his chopsticks. "I thought... I thought it would be easy to find. The place where we'll meet her. I guess I was wrong." He sighed, frowning at his soup.

"Would it help if we split up?" Mai ventured. When Naru looked at her questioningly, she shrugged slightly in response. "We might be able to find it a lot faster... if you knew what we were looking for..."

"But I don't know." He frowned, shaking his head as he lifted his bowl to drink his broth. "Not yet."

"I don't think we should separate, either." Naru said quietly. Even the thought of separation caused an anxious knot to form in his stomach. "I would prefer we didn't."

After lunch, they had just stepped outside again when Gene lifted his nose toward the sky. Snowflakes drifted downward and settled on his cheeks, melting into small spots of moisture. "It's letting up," he remarked. "And... I have a feeling there's a knitting store around here somewhere. Or a yarn shop. Or maybe fabrics... no, it's definitely yarn." He smiled at his companions. "We should go there."

Again they began to search. Mai felt much better after lunch—sitting in a cozy room with hot food had certainly warmed her up a bit, though her feet were getting tired. However, she refused to complain and followed the twins down the street.

The brothers together seemed to have an excellent sense of direction. They never passed down the same street twice and she knew they always knew exactly where they were in relation to the train station. They came to a craft store and Naru turned toward his brother hopefully, but Gene shook his head. And so they continued on.

After some time Gene's face suddenly brightened. "It's close," he said hopefully. "I have a feeling we're close." As they came to an intersection, he looked down each of the streets, hoping for something to guide him down one of them.

"Will she be there?" Mai asked him.

"Maybe," Gene said dubiously. "I don't know about that. But if we go there, we'll definitely meet her today." An annoyed frown grew on his face. "This way, I guess," he said, and they turned another corner. But as they walked down that street with no success, he grew agitated. "I know it's around here somewhere."

"Let me ask. Someone might know," Naru said, turning to observe the few pedestrians on the street. And before Mai or Gene could say anything, he stepped toward an elderly woman. "Excuse me..."

The woman seemed surprised to be stopped, but even more startled when she looked up at him. Mai noticed that she visibly paled as she saw him, and even more so when she saw his brother close behind him.

"Sorry to bother you," Naru said, looking politely apologetic. "We're looking for a store that sells yarn. Do you happen to know one in this area?"

"Noll," Gene whispered, his voice hoarse.

The woman's eyes darted between them: twins, one calm and the other agitated. Behind them, a girl stood waiting, her cheeks rosy from the cold. "Yes," she stammered. "In fact it is just down the street. Not far from here." She looked between them again, her eyes lingering on their features. "I was going there myself. Ah, I can... lead you there, if you like?"

"Thank you," Naru said. "That is most kind."

"Might I ask, why you are interested in yarn?"

"For me," Mai said quickly, glancing between the twins. "I wanted some yarn. To knit a scarf."

"Of course," the woman said, sounding almost relieved. "I apologize for my rudeness. When I first saw you, you reminded me of someone. But that's impossible..." her voice trailed off and she gestured for them to follow her. As they walked, Mai studied the woman, a strange suspicion growing in her mind. Naru's eyes met hers, and she mouthed a question at him. Is it? In return, his eyes went to Gene, who was watching the woman carefully. I don't know, he mouthed back, shaking his head slightly. His hand slipped into hers and he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

As the woman had said, it was not far but they would not have been likely to find it on their own. Mai wondered if they had actually walked past it before. It was a tiny establishment, the door unmarked but for the name of a family that presumably ran the place. The woman moved forward and opened the door, the bells on the door jingling merrily, and the trio entered the shop behind her.

"Thank you very much," Naru thanked the woman. "It is much appreciated."

"Not at all. I was coming here myself." The woman repeated, and inclining her head politely, turned to walk away.

Naru turned toward his twin, eyes questioning. Gene shook his head slightly in response, still watching the woman. "I don't know," he muttered. "I thought..." His words trailed off when the shop woman noticed the elderly woman that had led them there.

"Ah, Shibuya-san," the woman at the counter said, smiling brightly. "I have the order you requested."

"Shibuya?" Naru repeated in disbelief, and Gene made a strangled sound.

The woman frowned slightly, turning to study them again. "What is it?"

"Ah, that is," Naru faltered, looking at Gene's flustered expression and realizing how rude he had been to simply call out her name so suddenly. "It just seems an odd coincidence. I am Shibuya Kazuya, and this is my brother, Ichirou."

"Shibuya.. Kazuya?" The woman repeated, staring at him, her voice just above a whisper. "Shibuya Kazuya was my husband," she managed, eyes darting between the twins once more. Naru stepped back in shock, speechless, and Gene did not yet seem capable to speak.

"When I first saw you, I could not help but be reminded of my daughter." She drew in a shuddering breath. "I'm sorry. It is not possible. It is surely only a coincidence."

"Shibuya Harumi," Gene finally said quietly, his eyes gazing steadily at the floor. "Our mother died shortly after giving birth to us. Following the Otaki earthquake of 1984." He lifted his eyes to hers. "Your daughter," he finished.

"No," the woman said, trembling. "That's impossible. They would have told me if she had delivered." She looked between them once more and sighed, shaking her head. "It's absurd. It is certainly not possible."

"Um," Mai started, lifting her hand as if to apologize for her intrusion. "I noticed we passed a café on our way here. Would you allow us to treat you to something to drink, Shibuya-san?"

The woman seemed to have forgotten that Mai was there. "I suppose... I suppose that would be all right," she acquiesced.

"Shibuya-san?" The shopkeeper questioned, but the woman had left without picking up her order, following the teenagers outside.

...

"It's not possible," Mitsuki repeated. The four were seated at a small table near the shop window and had already ordered tea. Her eyes seemed to be constantly moving between the twins, once again completely ignoring Mai. "It's true that my daughter had been expecting, but when I returned to Japan to claim Harumi I heard nothing about her having delivered before her death. And it's true that her due date would have been close to the time that she died. She told me when I spoke her a few months before, when I told her to break it off with that foolish American..." Her gaze swung and locked onto Gene's. "What did you say your name was?"

"Shibuya Ichirou," Gene said simply.

The woman's lips tightened. "I suppose it would make sense to name her sons after the two most important men in her life." She sighed and rested her head in her hands. "Impossible," she reiterated.

The waitress arrived with their order, giving them a strange look to see the elderly woman in such an anxious state. Naru took the tea and waved her away. "Here's your tea," he said, passing it toward her. "I'm... very sorry this has been such a shock."

She looked up, accepting the teacup. "Assuming... you aren't lying," she started dubiously, "and you are in fact my daughter's children... what do you want?" She let out a bitter chuckle. "If it's money you're after, it's gone. I have nothing to give you."

"We only came here because we wanted to know what happened," Gene said quietly, "nothing else." He looked at his brother, who gave a short nod. Gene continued, reaching into his pocket to retrieve several pieces of folded paper, which he began to unfold. "We were born on September 19th, 1984, at the Kiso Hospital. As we understand it, the Kiso Hospital was under a lot of stress after the earthquake so we were transferred to a hospital in Takayama City after our mother passed away."

"And the hospital had no record of Harumi's family?" Mitsuki asked, frowning, lifting her tea to take a sip for the first time. Gene, likewise, had not drank, where Naru's tea was half gone and Mai held hers in her fingers, sipping slowly.

"We believe not. Our birth records and our mother's death certificate say nothing to indicate the fact." He passed the papers toward her, copies of their birth certificates. "I hope this will assure you that we are not lying, Shibuya-san. And I hope you will believe me when I say that we did not seek you out because we sought anything material from you."

Her fingers were trembling as she looked at the papers. "Yes," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "I suppose this... this would put truth behind your words."

Naru set his teacup, now empty, on the table. "May I ask of your husband, Shibuya Kazuya?"

"He passed a long time ago. When Harumi was still in school."

"You said, Shibuya-san, that you returned to Japan to claim her remains... you were out of the country at the time?"

"Yes," she said, nodding. "My parents lived overseas at the time. I was visiting them." The twins gazed at her expectantly, and she continued, albeit hesitantly. "In France. My father was a scientist and had taken a visiting position at a university. They have both since passed on; in the last ten years."

"Your father was a scientist?" Naru inquired.

"Yes. And a doctor. He studied cardiac physiology."

"And your mother?"

Mitsuki's lips thinned slightly in a strained smile. "My mother spent her time managing household affairs, nothing more."

"I see." There was a brief awkward silence. "Was it true that you and Harumi were not very close?"

Mitsuki stiffened. "Who said such a thing?"

"It was the impression Lukas Nilson, Ichirou's father, had."

"Oh," she said, startled. "I never did meet Ichirou," she said, her face drooping with regret. "From the circumstances, I can see how one might think that." She sighed heavily. "I was furious with Harumi for letting herself become pregnant." She smiled sadly, bitterly. "Of course I regret that now. I should not have been so angry."

"You only wanted the best for your daughter." Gene said quietly. "No one can fault you for that."

"Yes." She sighed and set the papers down on the table, sliding them back toward Gene. "How did you ever find me, having only my name to go on? Surely you did not seek out every Shibuya in Nagano prefecture."

The twins exchanged glances. "Do you believe in premonitions, Shibuya-san?" Gene asked tentatively.

"No," Mitsuki said. "But Harumi lived her life believing in things like that. She relied on good luck charms and she always placed too much meaning on her dreams." She frowned, looking at her tea cup and missing the curious glances the teenagers in front of her exchanged. "She was so certain that nothing could go wrong as long as she was with the man she loved." She shook her head disapprovingly. "And all that did was get her killed."

"But she was very happy with him," Gene said quietly.

"Maybe," Mitsuki said, exhaling another deep sigh. "Little consolation for those of us left behind."

Naru leaned back in his chair, frowning. "I can't say we share the sentiment. After all, we were born out of their love."

Mitsuki sighed again and shook her head, gazing at the brothers with curiosity. "I suppose. What's done is done, after all. I may wish that my only child hadn't died, but my regret can't bring Harumi back, and holding onto such a feeling certainly..." Her words trailed off and she gazed at them in silence. A small smile lifted her lips, her face lightening as she moved her eyes between the twins. "At least now I know what happened. I am glad to know she did not die in vain. If she was anything like her own mother... Certainly she would have been content to give her life for her children, knowing that they would live on."

Both Mitsuki and Mai started when there was a sudden knock on the glass, and four heads turned to see the source of the sound. A young girl stood on the other side, bright-eyed and rosy cheeks under a thick wool hat, grinning at them. One hand waved merrily, the other held a black case at her side. An instrument, Gene realized: either a flute or a clarinet.

"Ah, excuse me," Mitsuki said, rising gingerly to her feet. The girl had dashed from the window toward the shop door, pulling it open. Mai, Naru and Gene watched as their grandmother met her, bending slightly to greet her.

"Granny Mitsuki, hello! I saw you from the street so..."

"Quite all right, Fuuka-chan. Done with your lessons all ready?"

"Yeah! Sensei gave me some new music. I want to practice it when I get home." Her eyes moved curiously toward the twins. "Granny Mitsuki, what are you doing here? Who're they?" She asked, jabbing her mittened thumb toward the table.

The woman smiled kindly. "I've just stopped for a cup of tea. I've just finished."

"Will you walk home with me?"

"Yes. Please wait just a moment while I get my coat."

Mitsuki returned to the table, the girl lagging behind her shyly by several steps. "I'm sorry, but I must take my leave."

Naru rose to his feet smoothly. "I apologize we've kept you so long. Your granddaughter?"

"By marriage," Mitsuki said, a small smile lifting her lips as the girl clasped her arm, standing partially behind her.

"Thank you for allowing us to inconvenience you," Gene said as he rose to his feet, sensing that Mitsuki was uncomfortable and at a loss of how to act around them. "We are grateful for what you've told us."

The woman gazed at him, mystified. "I should thank you," she finally said, clearing her throat slightly as took her coat. "Thank you for... for seeking me out. For telling me the truth of what became of my daughter." The girl looked up at her grandmother questioningly and tugged on her arm. Bowing, the woman turned and left with her granddaughter.

The three stood in silence as the shop door closed, watching as the young girl became animated as she spoke with her grandmother, hurrying down the street.

"Is it okay?" Mai finally ventured. "Will you ever see her again?"

"No," Gene said, exhaling deeply and a smile crossing his lips. "This was enough, wasn't it?"

Naru nodded wordlessly, watching his brother carefully.

Gene turned toward them, a smile crossing his lips. Suddenly, he remembered his dream of their daughter, and he grinned widely.

"Gene?" Mai questioned.

"I suppose I've realized," he sighed heavily, a smile growing on his face, "that the future is much more important to me than the past." He put his hands on each Mai's and Naru's shoulders. "It's getting late. Let's go back to Tokyo, shall we?"

"Yes," Naru agreed, smiling and picking up his coat. "Let's go back to Tokyo."

...

They took the first train from Omachi back to Nagano and once there they waited for the train that would take them back to Tokyo. Mai was looking over an assignment and Gene was reading over her shoulder, but Naru could see they were both lifeless and exhausted. It had been a long day—they would probably both sleep on the train for the duration of the trip. He closed his eyes, imagining how nice it would be to have a cup of hot tea, settling back into a comfortable chair after a hot bath. When they returned to Tokyo, back at the hotel, perhaps that is just what he would do. Though—dinner first, Gene would insist. Some hot soup sounded appropriate.

He was pulled from his reverie when Mai suddenly jumped, her phone ringing in her pocket. Pulling it out with a frown, she flipped it open to her ear. "Hello?" She began tentatively.

Naru watched as her face paled. "Um," she said hoarsely, her voice dropping close to a whisper. "I went to.. Nagano... with some friends..." She then began to nod, making soft affirmative sounds. "Yes, yes. I understand. I... will. I'll be there as soon as I return."

"What is it?" Naru asked as her hands dropped to her lap, the phone held tightly between them.

"Mai?" Gene questioned when she did not immediately answer.

"There was a fire," she began, her voice wavering. "At my apartment building." She raised her eyes to Naru's and he took her shaking hands with his own, squeezing them tightly when he saw the tears gather in her eyes. "This... didn't happen before. What did I do?"

...

---

A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and of course if you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or theories about what's going to happen.. please please do let me know with a review! It means so much to me, and who knows. Sometimes I get feedback and think, 'hey, that's a pretty good idea actually…' :) ;)

Since I first posted this chapter update (way back in 2012 if you can believe it) I have come to re-read, minor edits and fixes as I go. No promises that there aren't still mistakes (in fact I am sure there will be) and I expect everyone who reads this story will wish I would just make up my mind about American/Commonwealth spellings. (Sorry about that. Impostor syndrome hits pretty hard when I change previous American spellings, but British English has been pretty deeply ingrained through my day job and is what comes natural now.)

Anyway – enough from me on that. Thank you again everyone for reading and your support. I can't say it enough! If you've made it this far, I hope you continue on - please enjoy the next chapter!