AN~ Holy snap! I spat this one out in two days. Shit is about to go down and this will be the last light-ish chapter before the climax so enjoy it while you can!
Mai strolled along through the hotel, her hands behind her back and an obedient Rocco at her side, and smiled at the people who passed by. She found herself in the positive state she had been searching for since she had first set foot on the property. She had been so drawn in by the horrors that Prudence had shown them and had faltered under her immense power as an evil spirit. But now she had a plan, sort of, and she was on her way to put it into action. She trotted up the steps of the main foyer and laughed when Rocco pulled at the leash to sniff at a passing by family who was towing a little girl after them. She was reaching for the dog that was twice her height and Mai had to admire her for her bravery. Most kids would have shied away from a dog of his mass.
"Rocco," she called through her chuckles and tugged on the leash. He hurried back to her side with his tail wagging.
They made it back to the base and she unclipped his leash so that he could reclaim his spot on the couch while she scanned the room for a certain man. She only found Martin, Luella, and Masako present. It was an odd combination and left her more than a bit confused as she approached Masako at her favored table with a cup of tea between her delicate hands.
"Where is everybody?" she asked curiously as she came to a stop next to the table and crossed her arms. She immediately felt irritation well up upon sighting Martin and was studiously ignoring him even as she felt his eyes on her.
"They are out preparing for tonight, they plan on exorcising Prudence," Masako answered quietly. It was obvious she was still a bit miffed by Mai's behavior towards her that morning but Mai did not hold it against her.
"Is Yasuhara with them?" she asked with a tired sighed.
"No, I believe he said he was going to go for a swim since he would be of little help," she answered coolly.
Okay, so Mai had not known where to find Yasuhara but she had been able to find out through other means, so she still counted it as a win in her book. Though she wasn't really competing with anyone. She hummed and uncrossed her arms before turning away from the woman and heading towards the door of the base. She would find him shortly and request that he help her dig up some information on Prudence's mother. She knew he would be up to the challenge and would love a chance to ruffle Naru's feathers at the same time. Any chance for mischief would be irresistible to him and in that sense she realized Yasu was a lot like Gene. She pondered the thought as she reached for the nob of the door but her lightened mood was instantly dashed the moment she heard her name called.
"Mai," Martin addressed her from where he stood across the room.
Mai paused, wondering what it was about her name being called in such a manner that was really beginning to irk her, and turned to look back at the man with a quirked brow. For lack of a better term he was on her shit list and would have to work hard to alter her opinion of him. She debated on leaving the room before he could actually utter another syllable but shot the idea down with a mental shake of her head and turned to face the man fully. "Yes?" she responded in a civil tone.
Next to him, Luella was watching with a tight lipped expression, obviously irritated by her husband's treatment of her but not yet willing to speak out against him in public.
"What are you planning on doing?" he asked bluntly but with a hint of hesitation.
Mai did not immediately respond to his question and instead eyed him thoughtfully. What had prompted that kind of question from him? She recalled the other day when Naru had taken her away and stated that his father had become interested in her abilities and wondered just how much he was aware of. Whether or not Naru had discussed with him in detail just how capable she was of handling cases. How many unique abilities she had displayed a talent for over time. At the thought she recalled the day when Naru had first tested her for psychic abilities and mentally paused. It was funny that just the day before that she had been lamenting over the sufferings most psychic users were forced to deal with and how much she would hate to have abilities of her own. She had missed every light on that test and she understood then that she had missed them all intentionally. Since that day she had delved deeper and deeper into the world of spiritual sensitivity and had helped to solve as many cases as she could while her talents grew and developed with the gentle teachings of Gene. Martin's very own son.
She straightened her shoulders and sighed, "I plan on cleansing her," she answered simply.
"On your own?" he muttered in shock. "I highly doubt you are capable of such a thing," he added intensely and eyed her up and down thoughtfully. He did not recall ever hearing anything about her being able to cleanse a spirit, something normally only a medium could do, and scowled at the lack of information he had been able to gather on her.
"I assure you I am quite capable," she shot back with an impish grin before she opened the door and shut it behind her with finality.
She had left Rocco behind but she was not concerned with entertaining the dog as she once again found herself strolling through the hotel, a sense of accomplishment swelled within her upon getting one up on Martin, and she was enjoying the high as she made her way down to the indoor pool in search of Yasuhara. She adjusted the waist belt she was wearing over her long plaid shirt as she stepped through the doors into the warm room and scanned over the small crowd that had gathered for a mid day swim. She did not see Yasuhara among them at first but as she wandered further in she reached an angle where she could just spot the hot tub through the potted foliage and spotted her target lounging about on his own.
With a smirk she walked across the cracked blue ceramic tile and came to a stop just behind his head, "Yasu~" she called in a sing song voice and looked down at him from above.
Yasuhara dropped his head back to look up at her curiously, a brow raised, and she noted that he had left his glasses behind somewhere. Probably due to the fact that they would have fogged up in the steam billowing up from the water. He blinked at her, trying to make her out through his blurry vision, but finally grinned.
"What can I do for you, Mai-chan?" he questioned in an equally sing song voice.
"I need your help," she stated simply.
"With what, if I may ask?" he responded smoothly and shut his eyes as a mischievous smile grew upon his face.
Mai smiled back, "I need to do some research and who better to ask than the great Yasuahara?" she answered.
"That's quite the compliment," Yasuahra drawled but it was obvious he would not give her a straight answer until she had divulged further details.
Mai sighed and dropped her arms, which she had been crossing across her chest as she spoke to him, and rolled her eyes. "I have a plan to cleanse Prudence but I need to find out about her mother in order to do so." She watched as his smile fell and he took on a serious expression before he straightened and turned to look at her full on.
"I won't bother trying to persuade you not to try cleansing her," he began and let out a sigh, "I guess I have no choice in the matter really."
Mai blinked at him in surprise and cocked her head questioningly. He certainly had the will to deny her, it was in his right as she was technically going against their boss, but yet he acted as if she were twisting his arm. "What do you mean?" she asked curiously.
"Mai, you know me," he declared in an admonishing tone before he stood up out of the water and climbed to his feet, "I can't pass up an opportunity to go against the big boss." He moved over towards the bench sat near the hot tub and lifted a folded towel and dried his hair and face. "Besides," he added as he pulled the towel away to reveal a rather serious expression, "I don't think it's right to exorcise her."
Mai was shocked but she was quick to mask it as Yasuhara draped the towel over his shoulders with an uncharacteristically kind smile. "That means a lot, Yasu," she said quietly and returned his kind smile. Now that she finally had an accomplice she felt a weight lift from her chest and sighed. She had been ready to go it alone and take on the spirit of Prudence but knowing that she had Yasuhara's support seemed to steady her in a way she never thought possible. He had been such a kind friend to her when Naru had left that he had become like a brother to her.
"I'll go get changed and then we can walk to the library, it's only about a fifteen minute trip, we can even stop and get lunch," he said as they moved through the room towards the doors.
Mai clasped her hands behind her back and smiled up at him, "That sounds great actually, I never did get breakfast this morning." She recalled the mornings events and felt the slight burn that still lingered over her feet, which were also still bare, and grimaced. The anger had fueled her belly and allowed her to turn a blind eye to her hunger but now that she had calmed down and Yasuhara had mentioned food she felt it kick in with full force. She even felt a little shaky though it was no surprise since she had been living off of little else but ramen since the closing of the office, and she had developed slight anemia. She needed more red meat in her life and the thought of a burger made fresh from one of the family owned restaurants in town was more than tempting.
"I don't think I've ever seen little Mai so scary before," Yasuhara commented with a mock look of dread on his face and Mai scowled and swatted him in the shoulder as they left the indoor pool room.
While she and Yasuhara split to prepare for their trip, he to get changed and she to grab her boots, she was suddenly overcome with dread. It was not the kind of heart stopping dread associated with spirits or the scary but was frightening all the same. She would have to return to the base where she was sure Martin still remained after she had indirectly brushed him off before rudely departing before he could utter a response. She paused in front of the door, one hand hovering over the handle while she struggled against her urge to flee and wondered if she could get away with walking all the way to the library with bare feet, before she shook her head and opened the door. She peeked in warily and was immediately relieved to find that Martin had left. Masako had too, now that she thought about, and she assumed the woman had slipped away to film more for her show as she had repeatedly throughout their stay. Mai suddenly wondered if any of the team had been caught on camera . . .
"Don't hover in the door, Mai," Luella's light reprimand floated to her from across the room and Mai jumped to do as she was told.
"Sorry," she laughed nervously and pulled the door shut behind her before making her way over to the girl's room. She swiftly pulled her boots on before stepping back into the base and was greeted by a cheery Rocco. She scratched his head as she walked passed and glanced over at the monitors where Luella sat. On one of the monitors Prudence's room was displayed and she noted that all the boxes had been moved out in the hall so that the team could set up for the exorcism. The room was filled with all of the others as they conversed amongst each other, adjusted their robes, or set about making charms. Naru could be seen in the doorway discussing something with Lin.
"It won't work," she mumbled absently. The feeling of certainty washed over her as she stared absently, lost in thought, at the screen from over Luella's shoulder.
Luella turned to look back at her curiously, "What makes you say that?"
"Wrong room," she answered thoughtlessly and adjusted the bag she had thrown over her shoulder with her wallet and various belongings inside.
"And which room is the right one?" Luella questioned lightly.
Mai tightened her lips and dropped her eyes to the woman before her warily but her nerves were calmed when she saw the slight knowing smirk that adorned her lips and she chuckled. "The actual room they need to exorcise," she responded vaguely and turned away from the bank of monitors.
"I thought so," Luella agreed with a laugh and returned her attention to the monitors as Mai left. Though this time she did not take Rocco with her.
The walk through the park with Yasuhara was much more pleasant than Mai had expected. Yasuhara was strangely quiet as they walked along the gravel path towards the park entrance and Mai could only guess at why. She assumed the case was weighing on him as it was weighing on all of them and the lack of chatter was just a tell. She did not blame him in the least as she herself was nearly frustrated to tears with the whole thing even though she was attempting to enact her half baked plan to solve it. Just recalling all the nightmares and horrors she had suffered in the last week was enough to slow her step and weigh her down. And to top if all off she now had Martin Davis breathing down her neck like an evil spirit all her own. She felt his eyes on her whenever she entered the room and it was unnerving. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and crossed her arms as if to hold herself together as they walked.
"Is something wrong?" Mai asked to distract herself and turned her eyes onto the man walking next to her.
Yasuahra grinned and looked at her slyly from the corner of his eye, "Worried that your presence isn't as captivating as you thought?" he prodded jokingly.
"What? No!" she scowled and turned her face away with a huff.
Yasu fell silent again before he let out a heavy sigh and lifted his eyes to the blue sky above, "I forgot to turn in an assignment . . ."
Mai whipped her head around to stare at him in disbelief before a fit of laughter overcame her and she covered her mouth. How odd that in the midst of a life threatening case Yasuhara was more troubled by his lack of dedication to his school work than the threat of death. She shook her head when he frowned at her and waved him off while she laughed. It was like a paradigm shift. She was suddenly pulled from the intense and frightening case and thrust back into the realm of school work and social lives with such force it left her head reeling. Once again she found herself awash with relief and certainty as they walked and she let out a contented sigh. She wondered what her friends back home were doing and what kind of assignments she herself was missing.
"I completely forgot about school," she admitted and stretched her hands up towards the sky as relief flooded through her body and left her feeling like jelly. She had a life outside of the cleansing of Prudence's soul and that horrid mansion it was trapped within. As if to solidify that thought they stepped out onto the cobblestone street and left the park behind them.
"Poor Mai, how will you ever graduate," Yasu bemoaned tragically. "Naru will never marry you if you can't even finish high school you know."
Mai scowled and crossed her arms again. "I can't imagine him marrying anybody . . ." she grouched and dropped her eyes to her shoes in frustration.
"Don't worry, little Mai, there will come a day when his heart will beat for the first time and only thoughts of you will flood his unnaturally large brain . . ." Yasuhara continued to berate her playfully as they walked along the street in search of a decent restaurant to get lunch at. It was just like old times, before Naru had returned, when they would meet up to go over homework with each other or wonder what the others were up to. Sometimes they had gotten distracted and scoured the internet for possible cases that would never be taken by the previously disbanded SPR. There had been days when they would sit within a booth for well into the night talking and theorizing over possible scenarios.
They found a decently busy burger joint, family owned of course, and claimed a seat outside so they could enjoy the nice weather. It wasn't particularly hot or cold that day, the temperature was just right and the sun was shinning, and naturally this meant the streets were flooded with people of the same mind.
"What's the probability of Monk and Ayako getting married?" Yasu pondered out loud while they waited on their server.
Mai lifted a finger to her chin in thought, noting how they had fallen into their old routine of theorizing, and chuckled, "I couldn't tell you. Monk doesn't seem like the type to settle down and I can't imagine him proposing, but he is full of surprises . . ." she trailed off with a shrug.
"I agree," Yasu responded thoughtfully just as their waiter came to greet them. They each ordered a burger and some water and while the boy, obviously new to the restaurant, repeated their order with a nervous stutter the two made eye contact. Yasuhara waggled his eyebrows and caused Mai to giggle. Sensing the atmosphere of the table they boy snapped his book shut and barely managed to hide the scowl of annoyance before he left. "Uh oh, it looks like we upset him," Yasu observed.
"Yasu," Mai admonished but she could not fight the infectious grin that bloomed across her face.
After they had eaten they traveled to the library, which was only a few blocks down from the restaurant, and passed many interesting shops on the way. A man sat at a corner strumming his guitar and singing in a soft voice, Mai slowed her pace as they passed and watched him for a moment, wondering what made him so different from the people that had performed at the concert not a day before. She was stunned to realize that she had nearly died just the night before. She had been chugging away at a nearly unstoppable pace and had not stopped to consider the fact that they had only been within that house for a week at most. It felt like she had been trapped within those walls for months, not days, and she wondered how the others were feeling as well.
She focused on the man again, obviously homeless judging by the state of his attire, but he had such a lively face that it beguiled her. Yasuhara came a stop and glanced back at her before following her line of sight. He stopped to listen to the song, a bittersweet tune about some woman, and grinned. Just as he moved towards the man he finished the song and Yasuhara greeted him cheerfully, going so far as to grasp his hand in his own and shake it firmly, before he asked him how long he had been playing. The man seemed genuinely glad to be addressed and was eager to share his story to the bright young man.
Mai watched as Yasuhara offered him the rest of his lunch, contained within a white styrofoam box, and leaned closer as the man thanked him and showed him his guitar. She wondered what he had suffered. He was homeless and reduced to playing on the street for leftovers and petty cash yet he seemed so jovial. What had caused him to lose his home? But what bothered her more was how positive he was. She could practically feel the energy he exuded and yet people like Prudence had declined into an emotional wreck. She could not place what it was exactly that was bothering her so much only that she wished she could understand. It just seemed so unfair but at the same time she understood how ignorant that thought was. Life was unfair and everyone was dealt their own hand of hardships to weather. Prudence had just not been able to stand against the harshness of her reality. A reality she should have never had to suffer as it seemed uncommonly dark and gruesome.
Yasuhara returned from his conversation with the man, who Mai later learned was named Daniel, before they returned to their trek to the library. But her mind continued to circulate with the thoughts of Prudence and Daniel.
The library was, as all buildings in downtown St. Pete were, older than dirt. It stood amongst the tall buildings, sheltered by ancient oaks, and gave off an air of quite dignity that one would expect of a library. There were a couple people milling about out front, smoking cigarettes and talking on their phones, while several people could be seen moving around inside.
They entered the building and were immediately overwhelmed by the musty scent of old books and new carpeting. Mai paused at the door while Yasuhara strode in confidently, as he had already been to the library with Madoka, and went about procuring a computer for them to use. Mai had hoped that she could have been of more service to the man but as he sat down in front of the computer and immediately began sifting through thousands of online websites and documentations she realized she was useless. She did not know how to navigate the internet as deftly as him and so she had fallen into a daydream while Yasuhara combed through the web in silent concentration.
Behind them was a wall of glass looking out onto a courtyard of sorts, filled with many trees and plants, as well as a few cement benches that stood unused. It was such a calming and peaceful atmosphere that Mai worried she would fall asleep where she sat, tired from her sleepless night, and she had to pinch herself to remain awake. The rest of the library was quiet, aside from a few hushed conversations, and the isles upon isles of books seemed to absorb the thoughts and sounds of those around them. It was like a mental blanket.
Mai groaned quietly and dropped her head into her hands.
It was nearly thirty minutes later when Yasuhara straightened in his seat and hummed in thought. Mai blinked back in to reality and turned to face his computer screen, which displayed nothing but text, and asked "Did you find something?"
"I did," Yasuhara admitted with a tone of resigned frustration, "Prudence's mother was named Catherine and she passed away at the age of twenty-nine. It says here that she was sick but they could never figure out was wrong with her, only that she had very poor health and often fell ill before her body gave up. She was married to a man named Jacob who drowned at sea when Prudence was very young."
Mai stared wide eyed and lowered her stare to the computer desk in quiet awe. How similar their lives had been. Again she wondered how she would have turned out had she continued along the path Prudence had and shivered. She was so lucky, she thought, so lucky that Naru had waltzed into her life. He had pulled them all together and dragged them along for the ride like some kind of maniacal composure. He moved to a completely different music and they were forced to stumble about like idiots to keep up with him but they had grown so much since that first day and come so far. . .
"It says here she was buried in the local cemetery, but other than that there are no outstanding incidences or dark history to dig up," he scratched his head and turned in his seat to look at Mai with a slightly embarrassed expression. "I could have found all this out at the hotel on my laptop . . ."
"That's alright Yasu, I wanted to get out and get something to eat anyways, but now I'm stumped," she mumbled with and lifted a curled finger to her lips in worried thought. Alexander had told her that Prudence's mother would know best how to handle her but Mai had no way of contacting her. She could try summoning her but she would have to ask Masako for help. She was certain she could convince the woman to help her but she felt bad about pulling another member of the team into going behind Naru's back. She glanced over at Yasu and let out a sigh. She sent him a tired smile before clasping her hands together in her lap. "Honestly, I haven't been very truthful with you guys on this case and I want to apologize for that. Recently I had come into contact with a spirit named Alexander, a childhood friend of Prudence, and he advised me that her mother would know how to help her . . . but now I'm stumped."
Yasuhara blinked at her in confusion before resting his chin in the palm of his hand, elbow propped on the table, and hummed in thought. "Well, I think our next step then would be to recruit Masako into our rebellion and enlist her unique abilities to give Catherine a call," he stated matter of factly, unknowingly echoing her thoughts, and smiled over at Mai who wore a stunned expression.
"Alright," Mai said quietly and gave a determined nod before standing from her chair just as Yasuhara did, and together they returned to the hotel.
The walk back was not as pleasant as the trip to the library had been as they were both laden with heavy thoughts and hopes for the outcome of the case. But the weather was still nice and they had plenty of daylight hours ahead of them to work. Their shoes crunched across the gravel as they walked back through the park, now a bit more populated than it had been earlier, but the cheerful atmosphere was not enough to quell the determination the two had gathered after their trip.
As luck would have it, Masako was filming upon their arrival, and so the two came to a stop among the filming crew while Masako stood in front of the mansion talking in a quiet and pleasant voice. She was explaining the unique haunting of the building when they came to a stop and though she was immediately aware of their presence the medium's eyes never wavered from the camera in front of her. It wasn't until she had finished the shoot, some ten minutes later, that she gracefully crossed the distance between them and greeted them.
"Mai, Yasuhara-san," she said quietly though there was a curious spark in her eye as she examined them. "What brings you out here, I would have thought you would be back at base helping to prepare for tonight."
Mai shifted uncomfortably under Masako's slightly disapproving but saddened look while Yasuhara only smiled and shrugged. "We have a proposition for you," Yasuhara began cheerfully.
"Oh?" Masako lifted a brow and shifted her eyes between the two, clearly waiting for further explanation.
When Mai realized Yasuhara would explain no further she sighed and stepped forward. "I need your help summoning a spirit," she muttered, knowing Masako would enjoy her situation. She would just love a chance to flaunt her abilities in front of Mai and brag, passively of course, and Mai knew it.
Masako pulled her lips into a tight line and clasped her hands together in front of her, "Who is it you want me to summon, Mai?" Her voice was low and held a wary tone but Mai brushed it aside.
"The spirit I need you to summon is named Catherine, and she is Prudence's mother . . ." she explained quietly.
Masako was silent for some time while she stared at the girl in front of her, who's eyes had dropped to her feet as she spoke, before she sighed through her nose and nodded. "It was the kind one that told you of her . . ." she spoke evenly, stating it as a fact, and lowered her own eyes when Mai nodded in return. The Kind One was Alexander, though Masako had only caught his presence a handful of times throughout their stay she had understood him to be a gentle being and his gentleness had piqued her interest the moment she sensed it. The house was filled with anger, hatred, and loneliness. Yet his soul had remained intact. "Alright," she agreed in a louder tone and lifted her eyes to the two with a determined nod. "But you owe me one," she stated primly and turned on the spot to return to the hotel.
Mai scowled after the woman and clenched her teeth in annoyance but she grinned when she heard Yasuhara's laughter. It was obvious then that he had left the explaining to Mai purely for the entertainment but she did not mind as it helped to lighten the mood.
They followed Masako back into the hotel and up to the base, excited to make some headway on the case, and tailed her even as she entered the girl's room to rummage through her belongings for incense and a candle. Mai did not comment on the oddness of carrying such items around but she realized it was actually a norm for their group and chuckled. Ayako always had paper for her charms while John always had his bible and rosary beads. They all had robes and accessories for their practices while NAru had all his equipment. She was certain Lin always had a collection of useful items related the his skills as an omyoji. Really, the only ones who had nothing of the like were Yasuhara and herself.
"Well that's convenient," Yasuahra commented as Masako straightened with the necessary items in hand.
"I always carry such items in case of situations like these," Masako stated and brushed past them. She walked back into the base room while the two shrugged and followed after her once more. It was quite obvious who was in charge at that moment but neither were the type to dispute it and so they trailed behind her like obedient children.
"May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
They all slowed to a stop at the main door and turned to look back at the man who had spoken. He stood, leaning against the table on which the monitors rested, black book open and held in one hand while the other crossed his stomach in a pose reminiscent of one someone would find in a male fashion magazine. Accept this model looked rather annoyed and was wearing all black. Not to mention he had the behemoth of a dog that was Rocco resting at his feet.
Damn him for always looking so good.
Mai was not able to think quickly enough to form a valid excuse and for whatever reason her heart was pounding in her chest as Naru snapped his book shut and placed it on the table to cross his arm over the other. Luckily she had the most steadfast and confident woman on her left and the best liar in the world on her right.
"We're helping Masako with her show," Yasuhara answered simply and his eyes never wavered from the man across the room. Even as he stared back and the tension between them grew ten times in the span of a second Yasuhara did not falter.
"I will be setting up a fake seance as I advised a real one would be dangerous," Masako explained delicately, "Since these two had nothing better to do I enlisted their help."
Naru did not respond, simply stared at them with a cold and knowing look, before turning away and joining Lin at another table where the man was studiously typing away at his laptop.
The three took their chance to escape and slipped out of the room before anymore could be said. They did not need their boss to hinder them any further in that moment as they were all sure they were at the beginning of the end of this case and Prudence's soul would be saved. It was decided that they would preform the seance in an unoccupied room, as it did not particularly matter where they did it since Catherine had never graced the property with her presence. It would make summoning her all the more difficult but Masako assured them it could be done with enough concentration.
So they slipped into a room on the second floor and locked the door behind them. They pulled a low table into the center of the large suit and set up the candles and incense while Masako sat quietly and prepared herself for the upcoming event. Once they had all settled around the table Masako lifted her hands, pressed together in prayer, and steadied her breathing.
The candle flame flickered with her slow breaths and Mai held her own in anticipation.
They had drawn the curtains to darken the room but a few strands of sunlight filtered in through the drapes and fell across her legs and arms as she watched. Yasuhara was quiet and his usually cheery disposition had been replaced by a more serious one as he sat ramrod straight atop the patterned rug. Out of habit they had both removed their shoes before seating themselves so their sock covered toes wiggled in an effort to relieve the lack of blood flow.
It was a tense silence that fell over them.
Masako continued to breath, eyes shut against the flickering light of the candle, and ignored the growing tension of the room as easily as one would ignore strangers on the street.
They waited for several minutes. Those minutes spanned into thirty. And before they knew it an hour had passed.
It was at this point that Masako's brows scrunched together in a sign of frustration before she let out a sigh and dropped her hands to her lap and opened her eyes. "It would appear Catherine is no longer a part of this world," she stated quietly and watched as the two slumped in defeat.
"I don't understand," Mai mumbled in frustration and sighed, dropping her head onto the coffee table in front of her and groaned.
"What does that mean, exactly?" Yasuhara questioned politely and leaned over the table curiously, "Aren't they all 'no longer a part of this world'?"
Masako lifted a kimono sleeve to her mouth and a rather sad expression took over her previously frustrated one. "It simply means that Prudence has moved on. She was cleansed and departed for the next world. Simply put, the spirits that we often summon or come in contact with have never moved on and still wander this plain but Catherine is now out of reach," she explained quietly and dropped her eyes to her lap forlornly, "I am sorry I could not be of more help."
"It's alright," Mai answered as she lifted her head from the table, "You did your best." She smiled kindly and pushed herself to her feet, relieving the ache in her ankles with a grimace, while the others followed suit and returned the room back to its original order.
Little did they know that Mai was in turmoil. She had exhausted all her options but one and it had been the very one she had wished to avoid. She would not want to admit it but she feared what Prudence had become, as there was very little humanity left within her, and the thought of facing her left her frightened. But it had to be done. Somehow. Every fiber of her being told her so and she was as powerless to deny that as mouse before a lion. Catherine could be of no help to them in that moment but she knew that, had the woman's spirit been available, she would have come running at the chance to help. That too she could feel.
"Well, nature calls, I'll see you ladies at dinner," Yasuhara exclaimed before he gave them a brief wave and left them at the entrance to the room.
The two women did not move as he left and instead stood, side by side, in tense silence. Both had thoughts raging through their minds at that moment but it was Masako who broke the quiet first.
"Mai," she said in a hesitant tone and glanced at the girl from the corner of her eye.
"It has to be done," Mai responded simply, her own eyes locked on the opposite wall as she thought. After all, she had told Martin not a few hours ago that she was quite capable of cleansing Prudence on her own. Now was not the time to back down.
"It's dangerous," Masako stated blankly, already knowing that no amount of words could convince the girl to change her mind, but still she felt obligated to try.
"I know," Mai answered before she left the room and headed down the hall in the opposite direction.
Masako watched her go, worry evident on her face, before turning to hurry back to base in earnest. It was clear that Mai was way over her head but yet she seemed not to care and that sort of attitude was a dangerous one to have in their line of business as it often ended with one's death.
Mai sat down amongst the pile of water resistant pillows stacked up under the little cement pavilion under which the hot tub was located. She adjusted a pillow behind her and crossed her legs before she leaned back and let out a deep breath. She had chosen the pool room because, as dinner was drawing near, it was empty of occupants at the moment. She could have easily used the room the failed seance had taken place in but it had felt too stuffy and the dust had irritated her nose. And she could not deny the sense of peace she felt when she was in that room. She had felt it the day she had taken a swim and had spent the time admiring the plants and lights that decorated it.
She sighed and slowly relaxed her body just as Gene had once shown her starting with her toes. During the process of breathing and relaxing she cleared her mind so that only the image of Prudence, pure and innocent, filled it. The bubbling of the hot tub and gentle swaying of the pool water easily lulled her into a trance like state as she focused.
Poor Prudence, she thought as she stared at the back of her eyelids. She wanted to recall the most radiant image of the woman she could muster and it was no surprise that what came to mind was the memories shared with her by Alexander, when she was still just a child, laughing and grinning the impish grin she had always seemed to be wearing.
She felt her mind grow hazy and the vibrant colors she pictured dulled as her breathing slowed into the calm of sleep. She was moments away from garnering access to the astral plain but a flicker of a thought reminded her that she wanted to project into the current realm, not the limbo that was the astral plain, and she redirected her conscious promptly to correct it.
As she stood, leaving her body behind, she was overwhelmed by the crushing loneliness that the house seemed to seal off from the rest of the world. It was stale and stagnant and had not been touched by any light of positivity in nearly a century. Like the unused rooms of the house it had gathered a kind of residue of disuse. The world had turned to blue and black as her soul stood up and examined her surroundings. There were many spirits here, she noticed, and she could only assume they had been gathered by the murderous acts of William and afterwards, Prudence herself. They floated about sporadically as if in search of a way to escape to suffocating loneliness.
"Prudence," she called lightly into the open air but was only met with silence. If it weren't for the gentle sounds of the water around her then she was certain her ears would have been ringing against the quiet.
"Who are you?" A rasping voice finally asked, it echoed across the room and sent shivers up Mai's spine. Her eyes cast about the room until they landed upon a dark figure standing in the corner, just behind a pillar, and therefore half out of sight. She was not able to make out much other than the grey dress she wore and the tangles of dirty matted hair that fell around her shoulders and face.
"Someone who wants to help," Mai answered reassuringly and smiled at the woman despite the warning bells the sounded in her mind. This was wrong, somehow, but she did not waste time in thinking it over. In the situation she was one could not afford to falter. It was like facing down a wild and rabid animal and one wrong move, one moment of hesitation, could spell certain doom.
The dirt covered woman cocked her head curiously and slowly lifted a hand to the pillar that she stood behind. It left smears of sticky grim in its wake as she pulled herself out from behind it and into the light of the astral plain. Mai could now see that there was a copious amount of blood that coated her face and neck, from what she could see beneath the tangled locks of hair, and she recalled the woman had been shot in the head before her body had fallen into the lake to join Kikio's.
"To help?" she questioned in a whisper.
"Yes, I know that you have suffered much, but it is over now. Peace is waiting for you. Where you are going there is nothing but warmth and love of those who have been watching over you," Mai answered with a smile as the woman shuffled forward and closer to the pool. She could feel the warmth in her own chest grow as she spoke to the spirit and urged her to feel the same. "Your mother is there," she added quietly. She was once again reminded of her own mother, as she had often been on this case, and yearned to see her face one last time. But that was a silly thought, she thought absently, as even if she were to see her mother's face one last time she would later wish again for the same thing. How saddening that thought was but she mentally shook her head and squared her shoulders. Remember the good things, the smiles and laughter, the nights she had fallen asleep in her mother's arms, and all that she had taught her.
The woman paused before she cocked her head again and whispered, "I don't want to go anywhere."
Mai's smile grew into a saddened one but she continued, "There is nothing to be afraid of."
". . . Afraid . . .?" she stepped down into the pool, or at least, Mai assumed she had. But her foot did not pass through the surface as she shuffled across the water towards her. Behind her blood turned the water red. It poured down her face and across her dress now and gushed down her legs into the pool beneath her as she moved and it was then that Mai felt fear grip her heart. She was not faltering in the least, her words were having no affect, and she was drawing ever closer to her defenseless body and soul.
And the closer she got the more horrible she appeared. She no longer resembled a woman in the least. Her figure was genderless beneath the bloodstained dress and her face had morphed into a hideous collection of wounds and rotted flesh. What was left of her mouth pulled into a grimace.
Mai wanted to take a step back but she was frozen in place as the world around her took on a greenish hue and warped under the influence of Prudence's hatred and anger.
All the while she drew closer. The water rippled beneath her feet and each step was clearly discernible in the silence. But her next step was the wet slap her flesh of tile. She lifted a hand towards Mai, reaching for her, fingers grasping at air.
Suddenly the door to the indoor pool was thrown open and a figure in black darted in. "Mai!" Naru's voice wrung out across the pool and Mai was startled into action. She turned and dove back into her body so quickly that she nearly lost consciousness when she returned. She was afraid to open her eyes lest she still see Prudence shuffling across the pool surface, coated in running blood, and so kept her lids squeezed shut against the possibility. She had been so close to reaching her, she had taken her first step onto the tiled floor just as Naru had entered and the girl was certain the monster was still there. Perhaps out of sight but no where near out of mind. She shivered violently and clenched her fists atop her crossed legs to regain control of her body.
There were a few tense moments of silence and then . . . "Mai . . . don't open your eyes."
She heard Naru's voice, noted that he was not as close as she had expected him to be with the speed in which in he had entered, and then finally registered what he had said and her heart literally stopped. She felt her lungs cry out for air while her whole body, every muscle, tensed, and she became aware of the breath that was hitting her face. It was putrid and hot, smelt of rotting flesh, and she struggled not to gag.
She was still there.
She had not disappeared even after Mai had severed contact.
The fear she felt in that moment was so intense that she could not rightly compare it to any she had ever felt before. She had been afraid when Urado himself had loomed over her pinned figure but in that case she had been protecting Masako. She had had to put on a brave face and stand her ground in order to see Masako to safety. But now. Now there was no one behind her to protect and keep calm. No one to bolster her courage. And the only one who could help her was separated from her by the very thing that was after her. She felt droplets of blood landing on her arms and legs as what she assumed was Prudence leaned over her form and breathed into her face hungrily. A new sound became apparent in the midst of her terror. The sound of growling. But it was not coming from Prudence and for some reason that frightened her even more. She was so scared that in that moment she wished Gene was there as well, but she did not feel his presence, and so she whispered the name of the only person she hoped could help her in that moment.
". . .Oliver . . .help . . ." the words had barely escaped her mouth before she heard him bark out a command in english and she found herself being thrown back into the pillows as the sounds of a rabid and enraged dog attacked the twisted spirit of Prudence in front of her. Before she could react she felt arms hauling her away from the fight and she was pulled up onto the bench against his chest. She knew it was him because she could hear his heart thudding away beneath his shirt at such an intense rate she worried for his health. But she was in no better condition, in fact, she couldn't feel her own heartbeat at all. It was more of a constant thrum beneath her ribs. His arms tightened around her as the sounds of fighting stopped and Prudence's last growl of rage had fallen silent.
Her eyes had remained shut the entire time but in that moment her mind went blank and the tension left her body all at once. Naru rushed to compensate for her dead weight, catching her head just before it fell back against the armrest of the bench and let out a string of curses in various languages that would have surprised her if she had not fainted.
"Mai!" he called urgently. Rocco's head appeared and sniffed at Mai's face worriedly while his tail dropped between his legs. Naru lifted her head in his hand, bringing her face up to his as he called her name again and lightly slapped her cheek in an effort to bring her back into the realm of the living. "Mai, wake up," he demanded quietly and let out a small sigh of relief when she jolted up in his arms and gripped his shoulder with one hand while she gasped for breath and struggled to calm her racing heart. He gave her a minute to collect herself before his expression turned heartstoppingly cold and he glowered down at her, "You stupid girl," he began lowly. "I would normally ask what you were thinking in that moment but it has become quite obvious to me that you weren't thinking at all."
Mai turned wide eyes on to him, tears streaming from them as he spoke, before dropping her eyes to her knees in front of her blankly. She was shaking so bad that she felt certain she would have fallen off of Naru's lap had he not been holding her in place. She didn't even seem to register that the man she loved was holding her in his lap while the remaineder of the adrenaline eddied away and she was left as a quivering heap in his arms. "Oh god . . ." she whispered and felt her stomach revolt in disgust and fear. She forced back the bile rising in her throat however, and instead dropped her head onto his shoulder as a sob wracked her body.
Naru sighed again as he felt her tears run down his neck and beneath his shirt collar but he tightened his grip regardless of his wavering irritation for her lack of common sense. "Calm down, Mai, it's over," he muttered quietly.
Mai shook her head against his words, "She's so twisted and wrong . . ." she mumbled through her slowing tears. "And none of it is her fault . . ."
"She will be exorcised tonight, her suffering must end," Naru said lowly.
"No . . ." she sobbed. "You can't . . . they've been working so hard to help her . . ."
Naru did not need to ask who it was she was speaking of. He had had his own experience back in the lake and recalled the words Kikio had said to him just before Lin had severed contact. He knew that Alexander had played a part in it as well but he did not understand why this caused Mai to feel so much obligation towards them. He was certain her concerns were well founded but he was unable to grasp them without further explanation and he knew now would not be a good time to ask. He dropped his eyes to what he could see of her face on his shoulder, saw the way her tears trailed glistening streaks across her cheeks, and grimaced. She had so much emotion bottled up within her that it surprised even him. She had been such a lonely little thing when he had first met her, though she had covered it up with sass and anger, he had seen right through her act just as she had his. But where he was lacking in emotion she made up for it ten times over and he would be lying if he said it did not occasionally overwhelm him. But he often used her reactions as a base for his. Thanks to her he had solved several cases at a rate he had never thought capable before. She was able to delve into the reasoning behind the actions of both the living and the dead so deftly he sometimes wondered if she were not some director who was calling the shots first while her subjects hurried to comply.
He looked down at the distressed girl in his arms in a whole new light.
Without further thought he turned his head and captured her lips with his.
It was right, he decided then, that he was allowed to have the girl he knew his brother cared for. Because she needed someone who could hold her like this and Gene was no longer capable of such a thing. It was right because, he realized then, that he deserved something in return. Return for all that life had put him through. And the uncharacteristically emotional and selfish thought was noted by him and his usual stoic control was promptly shunted to the side.
They never had good timing. It was something both had come to realize over the years. Mai had first confessed to him while his brother's body had been discovered and had been in the process of rejoining the surface world and again hours after she had nearly died and he had pulled her from the depths, all the while cursing his luck with water, and now he had stolen a kiss from her not seconds after she had experienced another brush with what he was certain was almost death. It would be something they would have to work around, it would seem, and grudgingly accept.
Mai had at first jumped, startled when she felt him shift and then met her lips with his, but she found herself lost in pure joy soon after and returned his kiss without further hesitation. Without a second to spare all the fear and jumbled emotions of distress and despair were washed away with the realization that the man she had been pining after for years had finally given in.
In that moment no amount of evil spirits would have been able to pull them a part. It was like they were in their own little astral plain, complete with floating lights and gentle quiet, and thoughts of the real world slipped away from them as easily as water.
Naru pulled back from the kiss and stared down at her dazed expression, noted the way her cheeks had taken on a pinkish hue, and decided that he was quite tempted to kiss her again. But instead he stood, with her cradled into his arms, and headed for the door. She did not react as he knew she wouldn't by their abrupt departure and spared the dog a brief glance to assure himself that he was following, before exiting the room and gliding down the hallway towards the foyer. They traveled in silence, neither daring to speak for differing reasons, but each lost in their own thoughts yet content with their lack of communication. Mai had dropped her head back onto his shoulder, reveling in the warmth and steadiness he provided, and closed her eyes against reality. She could feel the edge of his collar bone just beneath her temple and sighed. Despite the horror she had just experienced she felt calm and peaceful in his arms.
There it is, she thought in quiet amusement, that kindness he so loathes.
By the time they had made it back to base she had yet to open her mouth and utter a complaint, for which Naru was grateful, because he did not know if he was capable of dodging her questions in that moment. His head hurt from sleep deprivation and most likely dehydration, his hands hurt from holding Rocco back by his leash while the dog strained to attack the monster that had been looming over Mai, and his chest hurt . . . He could not filter all the pain and emotion while attempting to strategically distract Mai from what it was he was about to do.
The base was empty of everyone but his mother who shot to her feet upon their entrance and rushed to close the door after them before hurrying after Naru worriedly. He stalked through the room, arms laden with an exhausted Mail, and studiously ignored his mother's hovering and questioning.
"She's fine, mum," he muttered as he slid through the doorway of the girl's room and set Mai down upon her bed. The girl didn't even complain and leaned back against the headboard and mountain of pillows with a tired sigh. He took a moment to assure himself that she was not physically injured and their eyes met for just a moment before she turned her attention to his mother.
"Are you sure?" she questioned as she hurried across the room but paused when Naru straightened and leveled a look at her. It was clear that he wanted to speak with Mai alone and Luella was not one to ignore such things so she clamped her mouth shut and shot him a warning look, daring him to treat her in such a manner again, before turning on her heel and closing the door gently behind her. She would not slam, though she was sorely tempted, as she was an adult and lady but she would certainly have a few words with her son later.
"Naru . . .?" Mai called his name questioningly from where she sat on the bed. The sheets were still cold against her skin and she relished in the freshness and comfort it brought her but she instead focused on the man beside her curiously.
Naru turned back to her and sat down on the side of the bed. "How do you feel?" he asked after a moment of silence between the two.
"I'm fine, why did you bring me all the way back here?" she wondered dazedly and lifted her eyes to his questioningly. She had been staring at his hand which had been placed precariously close to her leg in that moment and was still fighting the blush that threatened to erupt across her cheeks.
Naru did not answer her immediately as he busied himself with pulling the covers over her legs and situating the comforter so that it properly covered her. "Because you need rest. You are exhausted. You've been pushing yourself and living out of the lives of several spirits who have suffered much in life. You've nearly been killed three times alone on this case. And have suffered far too many injuries. So from now on . . ." he paused in his work and trailed off before he lifted his eyes to hers with finality. "You are no longer taking part in this case."