(I dedicate this chapter to my friend Goruto-kun as a belated happy birthday greeting. Please enjoy.)

Chapter 5

An Unknown Ally

The next morning at 4.30 found Mai groaning and mumbling in her bed. Something was irritating her. And badly. She huffed and woke up to see what was the damn thing annoying her. Then she saw a hand very close to her face. 'A hand?' She wondered. Looking up she saw the face of the hand's owner. 'What? No face?' All Mai could see was black. And to sleepy Mai's eyes it looked something like hair. And with shock she realized what it was 'Wait it is hair and Naru's hair at that.' she soon realized the position she was in.

Mai was currently lying on the floor next to Naru's bed, like she went to sleep yesterday. Naru was sleeping on his side with his face buried in the pillow, making only his black messy mop of his hair visible. And his right hand was now dangling outside the bed, hovering over Mai's face.

Mai fought the urge to scream out of embarrassment. She quietly and quickly got up and made her way to the desk chair. On the chair was her school top, which she had put for drying last night. Looking at the clock she realized how early she had woken up, which was rare for her since she always overslept.

Confirming that both men were sleeping, Mai quickly and quietly went into the bathroom to change to her school uniform after a really quick bath. She desperately hoped ayako packed her suitcase for her. Mai then started thinking about what Naru had said the previous night-"And tomorrow I will put you through the wringer." Mai hoped he wouldn't be too hard on her. She didn't really want to account what she had experienced. With her mind busy making up answers to her boss's expected questions, Mai made her way outside the room and into the corridor. Before she knew it, she was already in the first floor in front of Rawl's room.

On a sudden impulse, Mai opened the door and went in. the room was as it was the previous night. She saw on the walls pictures with captions all starting with Jet….. The pale blue and green paint made the room seem gloomy. The atmosphere was strangely cold and lonely and sad. It held no feeling of attachment and more importantly it had no warmth in it.

There was a light breeze in the room which made Mai shudder. Then she suddenly realized Kurasu-san had locked the windows the previous night and Mai saw it was still closed. Something was not right in this room. There seemed to be another presence. She suddenly whirled around hoping to see the person or rather she should call it the apparition. There near the door was a woman with very long soft willowing black hair and gentle black eyes.

"you are….." Mai said with shocking realization. The young woman was wearing what looked like a really rich and royal clothes. She was definitely not from around here. Mai suddenly felt warm yet uneasy.

"You are not looking at the right place…..help…him." she said in a hollow whisper, her voice cracking near the end. With a painful expression in her eyes she started fading into oblivion.

"wait!" Mai called out "what do you mean." by the time Mai finished her sentence she was gone. Her sad and distressing face made even Mai miserable, cold and confused. She didn't understand. Everything was a jumble in Mai's mind and her head hurt because of the few hours of sleep she got. She made up her mind to tell Naru everything no matter hw hard and painful it was for her and leave all the thinking to him.

Feeling restless and uneasy, Mai made her way back to their own room. She walked towards the chair. With her mind fully about the woman she just met, she dragged the chair closed towards the window. Sitting on the chair, her arms resting on the window sill, she went into light and fitful sleep.

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"Ayako!" Mai shouted in dismay and embarrassment. She was staring at an overly large suitcase and a tote bag. Ayako Matsuzaki looked at her with complete indifference.

"I just brought the things that I thought you would be needing. Is something wrong?" ayako asked confused and annoyed. Mai quickly unzipped her suitcase which ayako had so kindly packed for her muttering under her breath "I cant even remember having so many things."

"why do I need a foundation now." she asked pulling out various objects from the bag. "and why should I wear a brooch on a case. And AH…..you brought my best dresses which I don't even wear for parties."

Before Mai could become hysterical ayako calmed her down and said "Mai you need these things to make yourself beautiful in front of Naru." and she gave Mai a mischievous smirk. Mai blushed as a reflex action.

Earlier in the day when Mai was sleeping on the chair, Naru and Lin had woken up 7 o'clock sharp and were really surprised to find Mai where she was. Guessing by the carefully folded black shirt lying on the lounge chaise they knew Mai had woken up in the night and so they let her sleep. Within a few hours monk-san, ayako, john brown had arrived at the place all ready to start working. The family had gone out early morning telling them they would be back in the afternoon. Naru didn't approve this because there were some very important questions that needed to be answered. But they said they wanted to take Rawl out somewhere for some relaxation. And another thing that bothered Naru was what Rachel had said while leaving…"I would like to talk about it in the presence of your assistant." why had she said that about Mai. Naru was already sure that Mai was holding back some vital poits in this case. Giving all his employees various tasks of setting the cameras, he has sent ayako to their room and had asked her to wake Mai up.

Coming out of the bathroom in fresh clothes Mai asked ayako if masako was also there. She replied in the negative telling her that it seemed masako was busy and couldn't make it till the day after. Pulling Mai downstairs, ayako went into the base, where all the equipments were ready. After some light breakfat for Mai, Naru immediately put Mai under questioning. Seating Mai on the couch and himself in front of her with the light falling directly on her face, Naru contemplated on how to start the interrogation.

"start from the beginning and don't miss any part." Naru said.

"uh… my first dream didn't have any significance to it. I just met Gene as usual and he promised to help me." Mai spoke looking downwards, afraid to look into his eyes. 'Gene' was a tender subject to both Naru and Mai. Naru showed no reaction whatsoever, on the outside anyway.

Monk-san and ayako were gathered around behind the sofa on which Mai was sitting, ready to send Naru glares if he said something insensitive to Mai. John sat next to Mai while Lin was sitting in front of his laptop acting as a shorthand.

"then the second dream was last night." Mai stopped abruptly, unsure how to proceed.

"continue Mai." Naru stated looking carefully at her face to check whether she was lying. "what was is it that you saw last night." Naru said this with almost a bitter note, anger building up within him because Mai had to go through such a nightmare which he was yet to know. Mai looked up surprised but continued.

"well…about that…."

What happened in Mai's dream :

Mai was transported to another era. An era in the past. At first she could only hear loud noises. It was more like cheerful talking. Then Mai saw what looked like a party where ther were many people as many as thousand. The hall looked like a large mansion's grand hall. It was lit with lamp lights giving the room a golden and festive atmosphere. Then Mai noticed the most strange thing. She couldn't understand what the people were speaking, like a foreign language. Then she looked at the people, they were dressed in what Mai thought was Indian clothing; women wearing sarees and men donned in expensive raja-like cloaks. Their gold and precious stone ornaments were imposing and magnificent. And most people were dark.

Mai then tried to find the reason for such a grand occasion. There in the centre of the room she saw, a woman sitting in a chair with a cradle in front of her. The lady was absolutely beautiful slightly dark yet extremely delicate with almond shaped black eyes and lustrous red lips which matched her red dress. She looked really very happy. The bundle in the cradle was delightfully adorable, Mai noticed. He had the same black locks as his mother, which Mai assumed to be the sitting lady. Mai then concluded that this was a christening ceremony done by Indians.

Walking awkwardly around the place looking for clues, Mai came back to the mother and child acdoring the dark baby. All of a suuden the main enterance opened and a man walked in. Mai was staring at him in awe. All the guests had become quiet. He seemed like the master of the mansion. His clothes, jewels and his turban with a large diamond studded in the centre denoted authority. With black hair and brown eyes, he seemed vaguely familiar to Mai. He walked with an elegant grace toward the woman, his eyes softening as he saw the child. Mai guessed that they were a family. And they lloked really content and happy. Mai suddenly felt really warm and a feeling of goodness passed through her body. It was like she was feeling what the parents were feeling for their child, who was going to inherit all the fortune of his family.

Before Mai could enjoy the overwhelming feeling of happiness, she suddenly felt cold. Trying to spot the souce of such clodness Mai looked around, then she suddenly noticed a dark figure behind one of the pillars. It seemed like a woman and she did not look all too happy. Her feelings of hatred, anger, jealousy, revulsion, odium all at once took over Mai's body that shook her to the core. Unable to bear the emotion override Mai started having a seizure, that was when she woke up to a splash of water.

End of Mai's dream.

Everybody in the room were stunned. They were really shocked, not at what the dream was about but the way it was convayed. Mai expressed her dream with such intense feelings and words that the dream became almost vivid before their eyes. But the next words that Mai uttered were the last thing they expected to hear.

"I saw that mother this morning…in spirit."

To be continued………

(A/N: Very sorry for the late update. I thank all my reviewers for their encouraging reviews. I had been absolutely busy with exams and house shifting and I didn't have my net connection. Next chapter will be hopefully updated sooner. Its half done already. And my friends have also been nagging me to complete the chapters. What do you think about this chapter? Add it in your reviews. Suggestions and criticism are most welcomed.)

(PS: DO YOU WANT MY PROFILE UPDATED TOO?)

-Shams Chan