Over the next week Mai listened to one of the most complex, unbelievable interesting history lessons of her life.
It didn't even matter that this was her history. She would have felt the same way she did now even if it was someone else's history, but it was hers and that made it so much more then she could imagine.
Her line began with a man named Ryuu, who had been born with a large well of Spirit Energy and was thus sent to learn with the monks of his time when his parents mistook it for Holy Energy. The monks helped him control his Spirit Energy even if it was different then their own. He traveled and learned and searched for anything he could find on what he could do. He had never conformed to just Monk beliefs, instead he had followed his personal belief that he could learn from everyone equally if he only gave them a chance to teach him, or if he watched long enough.
Ryuu had realized long before he had been sent to the monks that he could see the departed, though he hid it at the time. He eventually ran into Satoru who had died years before, but had not moved on, and offered to help him as he had offered all the spirits he could help before him. Satoru had refused his help, but asked to travel with him when he learned that Ryuu had offered his help indiscriminately to any spirit he met. Satoru told Mai that Ryuu was, and remains, one of the most remarkable men he had ever met.
Ryuu had continued to travel and search for new ways to help the spirits around him. Satoru explained that back then, it had been much harder for spirits to get any kind of help moving on if they were stuck. People had been terrified of ghosts and curses and it had been dangerous to Ryuu to let anyone know what he could do. Back then none of the things used today by Ghost Hunters existed. The only people that could help the spirits were the people born with gifts who trained to use them or were trained by someone who could use them and even then those people could still ignore what they saw or could do. In short Ryuu was a rare man, and Satoru had recognized it even in that first meeting.
Satoru explained the different teachers Ryuu had sought out in an attempt to understand what he could do-most knowing and some simply observed- and how he continued to grow more and more powerful as he trained himself. Satoru explained some of the experiences and lessons Ryuu had learned along the way, until he met the woman who would take him under her wing and eventually become his wife.
Her name was Sakura and she was a fully trained Shaman. Sakura, Satoru explained, had actually stumbled on Ryuu while he had been helping the spirits of a family move on from their land after they had died in a fire. Sakura had taken one look at Ryuu, seen him carefully and caringly helping the last of the family- a little girl only six years old- move on, seen Satoru step in front of Ryuu as if to protect him from her when she was noticed, seen the way Ryuu had turned and spoken to Satoru as if he was a friend and just as alive as any other, had seen the trust between them and the large well of partially trained Spirit Energy and she recognized what Satoru had not known- that Ryuu was a first generation Shaman.
Satoru shared the story of Sakura and Ryuu with Mai, explaining the way Sakura had approached him, how she had offered to teach him how to really use his skills, how she had offered Satoru a place as well. Satoru explained the many months of training, the way he had watched over Ryuu and later became his spirit partner, the way he had seen the two grow closer and closer and realized long before either partner that they were falling in love. Satoru even took the time to share some of his matchmaking attempts with her ranging from simple things- like tripping Ryuu at just the right moment- to more complicated plans- like carefully leading the two though a series of steps and tricks.
By the time Satoru explains how Sakura and Ryuu got together and had a son and daughter Mai feels like she knows them. Satoru explains how the children grew older, how he stood beside Ryuu and Sakura and their children, how on Ryuu's deathbed Satoru had made him the same promise he had made Sakura on her own three years before. "I will watch over your children and the children after them until the day your line dies. I swear it on my honor my friend."
Satoru had kept his promise. He had watched over Ryuu's line all the way down to Mai.
Mai was in awe. This spirit had watched her family grow from very close to its beginning. He had watched over her, had pulled her from the flames that had almost killed her. She stared up into green eyes before she stood and bowed to him. "Thank you Satoru-san."
Satoru grinned at her from his place on the couch where he had sat down. "You are very welcome Mai-san."
Mai rose from her bow and sat on the opposite side of the couch again. "Call me Mai."
"Then you may call me Satoru."
"Where do we start then Satoru?"
"Do you know how to meditate Mai?"
"Err….no."
"We will start there then."