Disclaimer: We do not own Ghost Hunt or any of the original settings/characters we may write about or choose to include in our story. Spirit_Weaver owns her original characters! Thank you!
A/n: Thanks to those of you who've chosen to read from my neck of the woods, Spirit_Weaver from the AO3 community and I started working together on stories recently and quickly found out that our writing styles complement each other well, so we turned this story of Spirit_Weaver's into a joint effort, and have some in mind for the future. Just as a heads up, it is marked mature for a reason. We don't intend to be graphic about any of it, but there are some sensitive issues that will come up. That said, we hope you like reading Soul Bound as much as we've had fun writing it.
-Koujinbutsu
"There is an old saying that has started to have greater meaning for my young colleague and friend as well as for myself, 'Soul meets soul when eye meets eye.' Many claim to have found their 'soulmate' yet few actually form a truly lasting connection. Do you know what it is that bonds two individuals together? Is it fate or merely happenstance?"
-Koujo Lin
The Disappearance of Mai Taniyama Part 1: Another Day, Late
August, Day 1:
Naru sat at his desk trying to read an article by his favorite parapsychologist author, Marie McLoughlin, yet, for once, he was having a hard time focusing on the article. It was entitled: "Empathic Influence Throughout History." The reason he couldn't concentrate on the article was simple. He was too busy feeling irritated and ill at ease all because Mai was late again! Looking at his watch, he realized that she was now three hours late.
She'd never been this late before, fifteen minutes to a half-hour, maybe, but never three hours. He stood and grabbed the slip of paper he'd discarded on the desk prior so the bookmark wouldn't be in his way while he read. Now he closed the parapsychology magazine around it.
Just as he was about to pick up his phone to dial her cell, he heard the bell above the office door chime. There she is, he breathed as relief flooded through him, returning him to his seat, and yet out of his mouth spewed cold and condescending words, "Mai, you're extremely late and lucky to still have a job! Tea, now!"
"Excuse me," came a female voice. It wasn't hers. He freezes in place, listening to the voice still coming from the main room, "I don't mean to disturb you. However, I'm looking for Taniyama, Mai. Is this where she works? Can you tell me where I might find her," the woman asked, an obvious note of concern lacing her words. She's looking for Mai and Mai is severely late. Could the two coincidences be related?
Again, he stood, this time with the intent of exiting his office. With quick strides, he entered the main room to find a woman standing by the door. She was perhaps 5' 3" and maybe 100 pounds, if that, he guesstimates. Her skin tone was a creamy, mocha that made him think of the pictures he'd seen of people native to the Hawaiian islands. She had long, straight black hair and eyes the shade of spring leaves, but he only caught a quick glimpse of them before she lowered her eyes at his entrance. Her lips were full, yet it was unmistakable to notice that her face was set with worry, bordering on fear. That can't be a good sign.
"I am sorry, Taniyama-san is not in yet." he said as calmly as he could, "My name is Shibuya, Kazuya," Praying that things weren't as bad as they were starting to seem he asked, "Is there something I can help you with?"
She shook her head, "It's not me that needs help, it's Mai-chan. I came to protect her." Naru felt a touch of worry creep in like an intruder. "I really need to find her. I am afraid for her." Afraid. This woman acted like she was close to Mai and there was a possibility it was true, but he didn't want to believe this stranger. She wouldn't even keep eye contact. The woman paused, looking past Naru's shoulder. Turning, he followed her gaze to see that Lin had also come out of his office.
Naru looked back at the woman who had once again lowered her eyes. Looks like I'm not the only one she won't keep eye contact with, Naru realised. With a mental sigh, he took in more information about her, taking in her appearance. As his eyes roamed over her, he took in the way her hands had been constantly fiddling with her purse or it's long straps and the fact that since they'd begun talking about Mai, she'd continually adjusted either her feet or her stance and he found himself realigning his opinion of her. Naru knew well enough that not looking into people's eyes wasn't always a sign of suspicious behavior, but with the added fiddling she'd been doing with her hands, it was a definite sign of worry, but he still had his doubts, Mai hadn't ever mentioned the woman. He thought back to the previous evening. Mai had seemed cheery when she'd left, teasing him about his "tea addiction" of all things. She definitely hadn't acted like anything was wrong when she'd left, just the normal, cheery Mai.
"Who are you, and why are you afraid for her?" Even as he asked it, he found himself wondering if there was more to this woman's anxieties than simply Mai's safety.
With a sigh, she spoke once more. "Would you mind if we sat down to discuss this?"
Naru gestured to the couches while Lin slipped back into his office to retrieve his laptop to keep notes. The more Naru pondered the situation, the more he felt that something was terribly wrong.
After they were all seated, she explained, "My name is Aria Kalani, I met Mai through my younger sister, but I've known her since before her mother passed away. As for what's going on, something happened to me recently and it caused me to worry if she was going to be alright."
This Kalani woman is beating around the bush, Naru thought and he didn't like it. How was he to know how to help Mai if the woman wouldn't let him know the details? "You're being too vague. What was it that happened to you recently?" He added as an afterthought, "And how does it connect to Mai?"
Aria hesitated, her eyes flitting to one of the two males in the room and onto the next before lowering them again and answering, "Well..." There was another pause before she admitted, "I...I've had dreams featuring horrific monsters and Mai." The room stayed silent after her admission, Lin even stopped clicking away at his keyboard to glance at Naru. "They aren't just any dreams, they're visionary ones. I called her last night as soon as I could and, immediately after, made the arrangements to fly here. It's a serious threat. One I felt like I could help her with. You guys are acting like this is the first you've ever heard of it. She'd told me about you, previously, several times in fact, and I figured she'd be safe with you. So when I called her, I told her to call you. Didn't she call you?"
Naru shifted positions, even more ill at ease and glanced at Lin and he shook his head, "No, she didn't call last night. What time did you contact her?"
Aria paled a bit causing her swarthy complexion to turn a lighter, coffee color. She closes her eyes and a hand raises to rub her temple. "Oh, I hope I'm not too late," she muttered under her breath. Lowering her hand she raises her eyes to Naru's and holds them there for the first time. At her normal volume she says, "I called her around 11 P.M., local time." She paused, studying the young man in front of her. "I've got to ask," she paused, again. "Have you ever read any of Marie McLoughlin's papers on extra-dimensional beings?"
Naru's eyes narrowed as he studied her in return, wondering where she was going with this question, before admitting, "Yes, I've actually read all of her published research papers." The woman is, after all, one of the top paranormal researchers in the US-if not the entire northern hemisphere.
"Do you believe what you have read in her research papers," she asked, still studying him to the same extent as he did her, still not shying away.
"I think she's done well pointing out things to watch for when dealing with unknown entities in places that appear haunted," Naru offered without giving away a clue to how much he desperately wanted to meet the author.
Seeming satisfied she nodded. "My visions revealed creatures that I believe may be extra-dimensional in nature." Her jaw clenches and she looks down at the hands now clamped together in her lap. "I believe they are a race that she wrote about in one of her articles. I believe them to be a race that feeds off of psychics-especially empaths. For a while now, I've felt Mai's latent psychic abilities slowly developing. I sincerely hope that they've not beat me to her."
She looked up, locking eyes with Naru's once again. "I am a fairly powerful empath and psychic, and I have helped fight these creatures before. Please tell me you'll help me find her and keep her safe?"
Though she'd shied away from his gaze earlier, now her eyes seem to reach into him, displaying a confidence that seemed to whisper that she knew something about him that he didn't. No matter the change in her, he finds that he can not bring himself to reject her request and he nods his acceptance. Something about Mai's absence felt utterly wrong to him and he couldn't ignore it. "Mai should have been here three hours ago," he discloses. "Her apartment is only a 15 minute walk away from here. Shall we go check on her?"
Relief flooded Aria's face and she smiled at him for the first time since they'd met. "Yes, please. I would appreciate that very much."
"Lin," Naru says authoritatively, "stay here and call me if Mai turns up while we are gone."
"Of course." Lin said in a monotone, with a short glance towards the woman. He closed his laptop and got up to return to his office. Naru and Aria also stood and after Naru grabbed a few items, they exited the Shibuya Psychic Research office, both hoping against hope to find the girl safe and sound when they arrived.
14 hours earlier…
Mai picked up her ringing cell phone, taking the time to check the caller ID before answering. "Hi Aria! I wasn't expecting to hear from you today, especially this late. I thought you said we wouldn't get a chance to talk until next week. I was about to head-"
"Mai," Aria cut her off sharply, "I'm sorry but I need you to stop talking and listen." Mai immediately knew that something was wrong, Aria rarely ever snapped at anyone, she'd made it a point ever since her younger sister had died.
"I am listening. Aria," Mai assured her. "You sound stressed, is something wrong?"
"I believe you are in immediate danger! I'll be on my way to Japan as soon as I can be, but I need you to stay safe til I can get there. Call your boss, that Naru boy you keep telling me about, and tell him you believe you have fallen victim to a haunting."
"What!? Why...What kind of danger?" Mai asked in confusion.
"Please Mai, just do it." Aria insists, "From what you've told me about him, I think your boss will be able to keep you safe until I can get there."
"I don't think we need to trouble Naru about it. Nothing has happened to me. Plus," Mai added, rubbing a hand through her hair and picturing her boss and his response, "I can see him just telling me that I'm being an idiot over nothing when he finds out that I'm not being haunted. How about I just keep myself at home til you get here or something?"
Aria's voice slid into the realm of desperation, "Please, Mai, just call him and tell him!"
"Okay, fine," Mai conceded, "If it will make you feel better, I'll call him as soon as we hang up. I promise" With a sigh, she asked, "When should I expect you?"
"There's a flight happening soon that will arrive around 12 in the afternoon, your time. I'll be doing my best to get on it, but if I can't then I'll take the next best option. It will have several more connecting flights, but I'll do anything I can to get there by tomorrow. If I can get the first flight, I should be able to arrive at your office by about 1 PM. You said it was in the Shibuya district, right?"
"Yeah," Mai confirms.
"1PM, Mai," Aria reiterates, "Maybe 4PM at the latest!"
Mai smiles affectionately at the woman's insistence before replying, "Okay."
"Don't forget to call him," Aria reminds her.
"I haven't forgotten, I'll call Naru as soon as we hang up, and I'll see you tomorrow!" Mai said brightly, her smile showing in her voice.
"Yes, see you tomorrow, my little bird!" With that they both hit the end call button.
Mai smiled down at her phone thinking of her adoptive "sister." Then she remembered the original reason for the call and her smile drooped. As she promised, she switched over to her contacts and scrolled down the list to look for Naru's number, all the while thinking over Aria's worry that she was in danger. She cast about in her mind, looking for anything she might have seen or heard that might confirm her pseudo-sister's worries. She didn't doubt Aria's claim, but it was harder to worry when she couldn't find anything to be worried about.
Before Mai could find Naru in her contacts, a knock sounded on her door, a rather forceful knock at that. It sounded, to her, like her neighbor, old man Suzuki, was mad at her again for something. Last time he'd come knocking like this, he'd complained to her for a full hour about how she'd put out her trash bags. Mai sighed and put down her phone, knowing Suzuki-san's anger would only get worse the longer she avoided the issue. Reluctantly, she called out, "Coming! Just a minute," and made her way over to answer the door. On the way, she continued wondering just what she'd done to make him mad at her again.
Going to the door, she turned on her entryway light only for the bulb to make a pop sound less than a second later. Even with her living room light on, the space remained dark. Wonderful, now he'll have more to complain to me about. Looking out the peephole, Mai was surprised to see the outside dark as well. She could barely make out the man's figure. She sighs again. Well, I guess that explains what he's mad about. She slipped the chain lock from its place, knowing the old man wouldn't tolerate her speaking to him through it.
Almost as soon as she unlocked and turned the handle, the door flew open, knocking her backwards, making her trip over the entryway step and causing her to pinwheel and fall back on her derriere. She could hear someone step into her entryway and looked up to see a hulking, masculine figure take a step towards her. Mai scrambled backwards and got to her feet as another figure joined the first. By the time she'd bumped into her kitchen table three figures had intruded into her house. As the first intruded into the light, Mai could see that he was a wide shouldered, heavier set man that exuded a sense of strength, but not intelligence.
The second was also male, definitely a few inches shorter than the first, but, even though he was similarly blocky, he was much thinner with a muscular build and intelligent eyes. Both men were fair skinned and bald on top, but their brows were thick and heavy. Both also had wide noses and extremely thin lips. Neither could be considered handsome and something about them seemed strange, off, almost like they'd been molded into existence by someone who didn't fully understand what human proportions were supposed to be like. The two were so similar to each other that she immediately assumed that they were related. Even the way they moved was similar and strange, strange in a way Mai couldn't put her finger on, but it creeped her out and so did their eyes. The two either had their eyes fully dilated-to the point where you couldn't see any hint of the iris or they had black irises. Either way, it set Mai on edge even further.
The two stepped to the opposite sides of her dark entry hall to make room for the third, taller figure, a woman this time. As she walked into the light Mai quickly found her looks to be the most disturbing of the three. She was stangantly different from the two males on either side of her. Her body was spindly with large hips and barely any bosom to speak of, but what little she did have came to sharp points, like short, twin spikes. She didn't have eyebrows, but her hair was long, brown, stringy. It appeared too flat in volume, like she'd lost some of it. Her olive complexion would have been beautiful had it not been for the fact that, except for the flair of her hips, she was too thin overall: Her arms were bone-thin, her nose came to a thin, sharp ridge at its center; Even the woman's lips were thin, so much so that they nearly didn't exist on her face. Her eyes were, by far, the most off-putting feature of all. They were orbs of complete black with no sign of sclera in sight and they seemed to pull Mai in. More disturbing to Mai was how she was moving her body. The woman's legs seemed to tip and sway precariously as she walked, but the woman, herself, didn't seem at all concerned about the ungraceful motions she made. The overall effect of the woman made her seem like some kind of spider or insect who'd been forced to deal with only two legs.
The trio exuded threat and violence, and the feeling somehow felt as if it was reaching out to stroke and caress Mai's skin-as if it were a physical thing. The smaller and thinner of the two males spoke up, "What a pretty little mouse! Her fear has such a pleasant taste. Doesn't it brother?" His words seemed odd to Mai and she found she couldn't comprehend what he was talking about, until the other male agreed with the first and added, "We'll feed well off of this one."
Mai watched as the female's thin mouth stretched into a vile, sharp toothed smirk that soon curved into something that was almost a sneer before ordering, "Go get her boys." The heavier set male was the first to make a grab for Mai and she threw herself to the side in the nick of time and scrambled around her table, hoping to put something between her and these brutes. It was unexpected when the guy grabbed the edge of the table and upended it, sending it flying through the light fixture, shattering it, with enough force to smash the cupboards beyond.
Mai had no time to deal with the shock of what he'd just done because the smaller guy was reaching for her. She managed to dodge away from his grasp, but was forced to flee further into the kitchen. The two's attacks and lunges were quick and surprisingly agile, and it wasn't hard to comprehend that she'd be in serious trouble if they caught her. With each moment that passed, dodging the two, her fear ratcheted up, but that fact only seemed to drive them faster and encourage them more.
Amongst her attempts to dodge, she managed to run into the counter. And, with the need to defend herself, and not having time to think much about how, she found herself throwing open a drawer and randomly grabbed an object from within. Thankfully her hand hit the handle because if she hadn't, her hand would have been cut by the knife that she'd snagged before having to dodge away again. The larger of the two broke the drawer she'd just pulled from. She dodged around the discarded table and ran into her living room. As she'd ran, Mai had caught a glimpse of the knife in her hand and decided it was time to try to fight. Right before entering the obstacle course of furniture, she turned to her attackers and brandished the knife.
The first male to come close was the shorter, skinnier one of the pair. His only reaction to the blade was to smile and reach out for her. Taking the opportunity, she plunged the blade down through the air and rammed it into his arm. Immediately, she knew that something was wrong, the sound, how the blade slid across his arm, the fact that his flesh didn't break. The male's smile only widened as he grabbed the blade itself and jerked it out of her hands. Immediately after he did so she began backing further into the room, until she bumped into a wall. "I like your spirit little mouse, but that's not going to work on me." He says nonchalantly and throws the blade, embedding it, quivering, into the wall next to her head. These two weren't just brutes, they were monsters!
Mai glanced around and spied the female that had stayed in the doorway, who seemed content to stay and watch the chaos from where she was, cutting off her only true escape route and realized she'd passed within feet of the woman only moments before. Mai was running out of time and room to run, unless she wanted to run down her short hallway and try barricading herself in her room. That seemed a foolhardy plan at best. The two brutes were strong, strong enough to pick up and toss around the furniture with little more than a grunt of effort. If she did make it to the room and get her door shut in time, she figured they might just be able to break through that, all too thin, barrier.
She looked sideways at her front window but doubted she'd be able to make it through. She was certain they wouldn't give her the time to try opening the window beside her even if she tried. Doing so would only end in them grabbing her when her back was turned. As she assessed it as a possibility, the small side table rammed through the window and lodged itself in place now within the glass. Her eyes dodge back to the smaller guy in time to notice the larger one grab a hold of her couch. Hiding isn't an option, she thought as the couch flew past her. Fighting back is suicide. The only other option she could think of was a spiritualist attack. The skinnier monster reached out and grabbed a hold of Mai's innocent little bookshelf, and flipped it and it's contents in such a way that it scattered everything in it across the room for seemingly no reason except to litter the floor with books and things but the movement broke into Mai's thoughts and sent another trill of fear through her.
The only pieces of furniture the two hadn't thrown were her lamp and kitchen chairs. The larger brute, maybe having the same trail of thought, picks up the nearby lamp and tosses it into the kitchen, knocking over one of the chairs, but as he does so, he turns his back on her and gives her a clear shot to the hallway.
Seeing the opportunity, she makes a break for it, just barely missing his fist grabbing after her. She managed to elude his hand, but she felt the necklace around her neck snap as she brushed past and raced down the hall. The brute didn't even bother looking at it as he threw it to the floor and followed his smaller brother into the hall.
Mai doesn't stop to worry or mourn for the loss of her lucky key, nor the chain from which it hung. She was more concerned with reaching her room. Once she does, she slams the door behind her, and engages the lock. Something was seriously wrong with these people and she didn't have much time.
Turning to her room and leaning against the door, she takes stock of her room as she catches her breath somewhat. The room looked so normal and untouched in all the mayhem that she could almost believe that she'd imagined the whole outrageous experience, but she knew the truth. The window was her only escape route now. If she used it, and didn't make the jump to safety, there was a steep three story fall and she was wearing nothing but her pajamas and slippers-not the best option, but her only one unless she could grab something more modest first. If she could make it down, she could run to the SPR office. Hopefully she wouldn't be too late to catch Naru and Lin before...it was the middle of the night. They weren't at the office. They would have gone home hours ago. She wished she'd been able to call Naru before she'd opened the door! Thinking of it, she realized that she didn't even know where her phone had ended up in the confusion.
Next to her, a lean, muscular arm burst through the door and she ran, making a break for the window, forgetting to grab any clothes. There was no time anyway. As she worked the window latch, she looked behind her only to watch as the door admitted the skinnier, creepier male.
With the shake of his head, he said, "Oh, no you don't," and bounded over the bed. He reached for Mai just as she got the window up. Before she could get out, he'd wrapped his arm around her torso and flung her back and onto her bed. He stood upright afterwards, remaining between her and the window. "Nowhere left to run, little mouse."
The larger monster entered the room and Mai panicked, forgetting her promise not to use the nine cuts on another person, Mai lashes out, striking her hand across and down through the air and chanting. Aiming her attack at the larger of the two who was barring the only sane path out of the room, she finished the chant with a horizontal slash and a smile as she spoke the last word of the prayer and it flew at the male.
When the flabby brute just grinned evilly, after her attack hit him, without even being phased, her smile faltered and she felt tears rise to her eyes.
The larger one reached for her and Mai, once again, began dodging both his hands and the furniture he was overturning. She kept dodging until one of her dodges put her within striking distance of the female who now occupied her room's doorway.
Mai felt a sharp pain in her neck and skull and fell to the floor. The last sight she saw of the room was the skinnier of the two brutes grinning as he casually leaned against the window frame. Her thoughts turned to Naru and within her mind she pleaded, Naru! Please…help...me! The room seemed to grow distant as darkness closed over her mind.
The present… Just outside Mai's apartment…
Naru and Aria arrived at the apartment building and took no time to pause before entering and making their way up the stairs. Neither of the two had made any chit chat during the whole walk to Mai's apartment, but both were hoping the same thing, Please let Mai be okay! The closer they'd gotten, the larger their unease had grown, but it would all be behind them soon, or so they'd hoped.
As they passed the second floor, Naru informed Aria, "She's on the third floor, apartment 3C." He'd intended to point out the door as they topped the next flight, but when he looked up, ready to show her, Naru felt his stomach drop. The corridor light had been shattered and glass littered the ground beside her door. Even from the top of the stairs, he could tell her door stood ajar. Without thinking, Naru ran over to it, fear bubbling up with every step through the daylight lit corridor, the fear rising in him to the point where he began to feel sick.
Back at the office…
Lin had a gut feeling that something was very wrong. He found himself picking up his phone and dialing one of the numbers in his contacts. It was only when Takigawa picked up that he realized what he needed to do and asked the man to hurry to the office. After Takigawa, he continued placing calls and speaking the same message until he'd called all of the irregulars.
When any of the others he'd called asked, "Why?" Lin could only reply that they may have a priority case coming in within the hour, though he continued to hope that Naru and Miss Kalani would prove his worries wrong and return with Mai in tow.
What is going to happen? Will they find Mai in time? And just how does this stranger know so much about Mai?
Please review and let us know what you think. We're hoping to hear from you!
