Chapter five: Dreams that hinder.
I don't own Ghost Hunt. No CLAMP in this chapter either, guys, sorry.
Many, many thanks to my fabulous beta-reader, TitianWren—whose name I always end up misspelling on the first type; don't ask me why. Oh! Don't forget to leave her an offering of sweets.
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Ghost Hunt information that is beyond both anime and current mangas. Read at your own discretion. If you wish to read the spoilers and know all about the Ghost Hunt series, livejournal user LKK has posted a fabulous, detailed essay and has given me permission to post the link in this chapter. Take out the spaces: http:// lkk. livejournal. com/ 189335. html. Also, many, many thanks to kagedreams on livejournal who has been generous enough to post translations of the original novels. Some spoilers from those are found here, too.
Don't expect another chapter quite this long. I really should cut it in half, but that would be cruel and there's no place to do that.
A great many thanks to all my wonderful readers and to those who have inspired me in both this chapter and previous ones: Artemis Bloodshadow, TabbyKat, and Azamiko, just to name a few. Many thanks to all on my LJ who have also inspired this fic and given me words of encouragement when the going for this chapter was long and not going quite as yours truly had planned. A big, big thank you to kagedreams on LJ for her awesome translating work on the GH novels. Without her, this chapter wouldn't be possible. Also, a big shout out to sapphire18 on LJ who is actually drawing this out—seriously, ya'll should check it out!
Well, you guys asked me for a slap, therefore, I present to you, chapter five. As always, leave me cookies—they get me through all-nighters.
………
He had absolutely no idea how late it was—probably around two or three in the morning. All the data he'd planned to get tonight hadn't panned out at all. The woman hadn't shown up. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He should have known not to get his hopes up; this particular woman was quite fickle. He supposed being eighty and dead on top of that made for quite a mercurial temperament. As quietly as he could, he opened the door to the house and shut it. Feeling somewhat like a thief, he snuck quietly up the stairs, and into his room.
The clock on the bed stand said it was two-thirty-three in the morning. Noll cursed silently. All that wasted time. He hated wasting time. He contemplated changing clothes before sleeping, but decided against it. Kicking off his shoes, he pulled back the covers to his bed and dropped onto the mattress. He glared up at the ceiling, frustrated.
'According to the data gathered, she was supposed to appear tonight. But she didn't. Why? Were the conditions just not right? Did she know that we were coming and decide not to show up? Impossible, ghosts don't know the future.'
That, at least was his theory. 'I'll have to recheck all the data again, rerun tests, check the stories, the background, basically, start from scratch.' His glare deepened; he hated wasting time. He didn't notice his door open.
When Gene walked in he didn't take his eyes off the ceiling he was currently assaulting with his glare. When the other side of his mattress depressed with more weight and a pair of feet propped themselves on his pillow next to his cheek, he finally looked down to the foot of his bed. His own face stared back at him with a gentle smile. He didn't need lights to see that smile; he knew it was there as sure as he knew that he was breathing air. A hand grabbed his and held it. 'You look like shit. Rough night?' Gene asked. He didn't use words, he didn't need them; they didn't need them.
Noll always wondered just what kind of bond the two of them had that made it possible for them to speak without words. He made a face, causing his twin to laugh. 'I really don't see what's so funny,' he groused.
'Idiot scientist,' Gene teased.
He shot his twin a vicious glare.
'Oh, scary. Someone save me. Real mature, Noll. Real mature. I told you she wouldn't show up. You should listen to me; I'm the medium, after all. You're just the idiot scientist who happens to have PK-ST. But that's neither here nor there, Noll. You really do need to wake up now.'
'Wake up? Are you daft, Gene? I am awake.'
Gene smiled gently. 'You're really not.'
'Great. Now my own brother's gone insane. What experiment did you work on today?'
Gene shook his head and let go of his hand. Hauling himself up, he plopped down again, right next to his brother. 'This… is just like when we were kids,' Noll thought wistfully as Gene's arms encircled his neck in a hug.
'It is, isn't it? It was just the two us then. Noll, have you forgotten the present? You're at Mai's school trying to solve who cast the lust spell and why.'
A jolt ran through Noll; he smelled cherry blossoms, peaches, and something else; he felt tree bark press into his knee. Impossible, he knew. He was here in Britain, he'd just returned from a useless scouting mission of a ghost he'd been trying to gather information on, the technical lab was going to kill him for having hauled Lin with him all for nothing. He felt bare skin beneath the hand that was stuffed beneath his pillow. He stared at his brother. 'Gene…'
Gently, Gene knocked their foreheads together and smiled. 'Idiot scientist,' he thought affectionately. 'You're feeding the spell and you're hurting Mai.'
It all flooded back. 'Gene—why did the spell go dormant? What can you tell me—'
'No, Noll. Now you wake up and stop what you're doing. It'll all come together soon. Wake up!'
………
What am I doing? Naru wondered, coming back to himself with a jolt. He pulled away to take stock. What had come over him? He couldn't quite remember. He could smell peaches, pomegranates, and cherry blossoms—fragrant scents and he wanted to do nothing but breathe in and forget about everything else. He was…holding someone—the skin beneath his hand was silky and smooth. His knee was wedged between something and against the sakura tree that Mai had pulled him over to.
Mai!
No… he couldn't have… could he?
He looked down.
Yes.
He tore himself away from her and regretted it; her body had been warm and pliant beneath his. Plopping himself down on the ground, he chuckled bitterly. Hadn't Lin tried to warn him? Why had he felt the need to find her, instead of telling Lin to do it? Had the Chinese man been the one to find her, she'd be at the base right now, not slumped against a tree. How could I have forgotten that there was a lust spell floating around and that I'm vulnerable to it? He wanted to blame Matsuzaki-san for not being there with the protective charms; it was tempting to. If she had been at the school instead of picking up spell paper and Hara-san, then this wouldn't have happened. But that kind of logic was for someone who couldn't accept responsibility for their actions and Naru wouldn't waste his time with that roundabout reasoning.
It wasn't Mai's fault for being there; it wasn't Matsuzaki-san's fault for not being there with the charms, either. He'd accepted the case knowing full well that he was dealing with a lust spell. The lapse in judgment was his fault, pure and simple. Lin had tried to warn him and he hadn't listened. It wasn't unlike him to sometimes act impulsively—especially when Mai was concerned. A warm hand settled on his shoulder and he looked up into the face of the girl he'd very nearly ravished.
"Naru?" she asked, her expression radiating concern—concern for him. And thanks to the spell (or maybe not) he wanted to do nothing more than pull her against him again and kiss her until they couldn't see straight. He nearly did.
"Mai," he said, "go back to the base."
She ignored him for the present. "Are you all right, now? Are you back to your old, narcissistic self?"
Am I all right? You have no sense, he thought. He should have found it odd that she was being so nice. At the moment, however, all he could feel was his iron control slipping away from him. "You need to go back to the base, now," he emphasized, shaking off her hand and glaring at her. "Do you want that to happen again, Mai? Because I swear if you don't get away from me it will!" Please go, he thought. Call me a bastard, cry, do what you want, but leave. When she watched him contemplatively for a few seconds he began to get suspicious.
Narrowing her eyes at him, she raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. "That's for stealing my first kiss, you bastard," she whispered, glaring at him; tears started to well up in her eyes. Turning, she ran away from the sakura tree and towards the school building.
Good girl, he thought watching her lithe form sprint away. He touched his cheek with one finger and winced at the stinging sensation. I suppose I deserved that, he thought. He buried his face in his hand. Were anyone actually brave enough to try and glimpse his face, they'd see a sardonic smile lingering on his lips. Looking up, he chuckled quietly. "I really do hate myself, sometimes," he said to no one in particular.
He raised his fingers to his lips. Her first kiss—and I stole it from her. She must hate me right now; I would if I were her. Who am I kidding? She probably doesn't have it within her to hate anyone. The most I can expect is the awkwardness between us for the next couple of days.
A memory of their bodies pressed together; his knee between her legs.
Red exploded across his fair cheeks—even his iron will couldn't suppress it or stop it. Good God, he thought, burying his face in both hands and willing the blush to go away. What does this spell want? What does the caster want? What the hell's going on at this school, he wondered looking up at the building when he could no longer feel the burning sensation against his palms. He looked down at his hands again, especially his left, which had rested on the bare skin of her back; it had been soft, just like the rest of her skin; he wanted to feel it again… the blush threatened to return with a vengeance. God, I can't stop thinking about it! Is this part of it?
'Oh, and idiot scientist, Lin told you about the counter-spell already, didn't he? You shouldn't have been so hot to veto it. This case of yours may just come to that. Don't get angry if it does; it might be the only way to solve this.'
"Gene?" he whispered, looking around.
"Ah, Shibuya-san, are you all right?"
That's not who I think it is, is it? Naru looked up; the concerned face of Mai's would-be suitor peered down at him. Great, just great, why couldn't Bou-san have found me instead?
"Naru-chan?" Speak of the devil.
On the other hand, why can't I just be left alone to brood?
………
Mai ran as fast as she could towards the small teacher's lounge that was always too cold. She flew past students and teachers alike, not hearing any of them call out to her asking what was wrong; or yell at her to slow down before she hurt herself. Her first kiss had just been stolen, and by her boss no less—they couldn't possibly understand her mental state right now. Upon reaching the room, she opened the door and bolted in, letting the door shut of its own accord. She collapsed to her knees, no longer able to stand; tears poured down her cheeks and she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. She heard footsteps approach her and wished whoever it was would go away and let her cry in peace.
"Mai?"
Lin-san, she wondered. Lifting her head, she looked up. The tall Chinese man seemed to loom over her and she tried to back up—she'd had enough of people looming over her for the day, too bad her back was against a wall that couldn't move. Seeing her try to scuttle away, Lin crouched down so that he was more at her level. He'd seen her in many stages, but never this broken. Naru certainly is an impulsive creature when it comes to her, he thought. He liked to think she brought out his human side. He's been a robot for so long, it seems.
"Mai," he said again. "What happened? Are you all right? Are you hurt?" Did he hurt you is the question I should ask—except it would only make things worse.
Her tears continued and for a moment, he thought that all she would do was cry. He could feel himself becoming frustrated with her and ruthlessly put a cap on it—he had no rights to frustration; were their situations reversed, he would probably do the same as she was. He blinked. Then again, if that kid kissed me, I'd let my Shiki devour him. Good thing he prefers Mai. Standing again, he reached down, grabbed her elbow, and gently pulled her to her feet. He had in mind to lead her to the couch and make her sit, but she prevented that by once again latching onto him and crying.
This, he thought, staring down at her in consternation, is happening far too often. And if this is any indication, it's going to keep happening. My dry-cleaning bill is going to cost a bloody fortune! If she can sleep, then perhaps she can dream. It's better than me being used as a teddy bear and Mai sobbing herself to exhaustion and sickness, at any rate. Borrowing power from one of his Shiki, he wove a simple sleeping spell. "Mai," he said quietly.
She looked up at him.
"Sleep," he said, holding her eye.
Mai felt like she was falling—like "Alice in Wonderland", she thought, drowsily. Down and down, a hole with no bottom that passes through dimensions and into another world… what…no, no…I can't fall asleep! Naru will kill me, she thought, desperately trying to overcome the sudden bout of tiredness. In the end, sleep won out and she slumped against Lin. The Chinese man caught and lifted her easily. He was fairly impressed—she'd put up a decent fight. She probably thought Naru would be upset with her for falling asleep while she was working. Lin, however, was willing to bet that Naru would be glad she wasn't awake—things were going to be very awkward between them for the next couple of days. Naru might act as if it didn't matter and that'd he'd forgotten, but he wouldn't and neither would Mai.
He carried her over to the large couch and set her down. Leaving her side for a few seconds he returned with his suit coat. He didn't know whose bright idea it had been to paint the vent so that it couldn't shut, but he did know that it was very cold in this room. With her uniform the way it was, she needed the coat more than he did. He draped it over her petite form, vaguely amused at how it dwarfed her. Taking a seat on the other end of the couch, he frowned. How fast does this spell work, he wondered. Is it as fast as a computer virus, or a normal human virus? He glanced at his watch. Naru's been gone for nearly forty-five minutes and Mai came in about six or seven minutes ago. Maybe it's not stagnant at all—dormant? Same connotation. Stagnant, dormant, whichever word works best, it still doesn't mean that this spell isn't dangerous. We need to solve this fast before it becomes worse.
Looking over at Mai, he nodded, satisfied that she would sleep for a little bit, at least. He hoped she'd dream something, too. As for equipment, there's nothing I can think of for this. How does one record magic, post casting? Our cameras can pick up and record spirits and their activities true enough, but a spell that's already been set in motion? Microphones, same thing—there are no odd sounds to pick up on, either. Thermometers, what good will they be? We're completely in the dark here. What we need is someone sensitive enough to pick up on magical residue. I sincerely doubt that Hara-san is talented enough to do that. But Mai can when she dreams. If we're lucky, then she'll have something for us to go on when she wakes up.
The door opened, bringing Lin out of his reverie. He looked up to see Naru walk in—his eyes stormy and face set in a severe frown, and unless it was Lin's imagination, his cheek looked a bit puffy; he resisted the urge to smirk at the younger man. Takigawa walked in next with a fierce scowl on his face that seemed out of place and bringing up the rear was the reason for Takigawa-san's and Naru's frowns: the young man from yesterday who had embarrassed Mai quite badly. He couldn't blame either of them for being upset. Naru turned and looked at Mai and for just an instant, Lin saw the anger in his eyes disappear—they softened and grew sad. Then they hardened again and focused on him. "Lin, what equipment do you think we'll need, if any at all."
"Debatable at this point," the Chinese man replied promptly. "Does magic fall under psychic phenomenon? Can it be recorded or tested? I don't think any of our equipment will help us; we seem to be completely in the dark. What we need is someone who can pick up on magical residue."
"Then that's good," Takigawa said crossing over to the couch and looking down at the girl with a brotherly smile. "If Mai's asleep, she can dream. If she dreams, she'll probably see what happened."
"That's why I put her to sleep," Lin said, nodding at the former monk.
"You?" Akira said, coming to attention at Lin's last statement. "You put Mai to sleep? How dare you! What kind of man are you? What were you planning once she was asleep?"
I would hope I'm compassionate, he thought. What was I planning? Does he think I planned to ravish her? Probably, he thought darkly. Is every high school boy so dirty-minded? Or is that the spell talking?
Crossing over to the couch, Akira took a protective stance in between Mai and Lin and glared down at the older man accusingly.
"Ah… hey kid, maybe… you should leave now and let the adults work," Takigawa said, noticing Lin's frigid expression.
Akira wasn't listening to him; instead, he was completely focused on Lin. "Well? I asked you some questions. What kind of man are you and what were you planning? How many sleeping pills did you give her?"
Lin blinked. Sleeping… pills? Lin couldn't stop the snigger that escaped his lips. Sleeping pills, really, he thought, still snickering.
Takigawa grinned at the Chinese man—he understood the man's amusement. Lin was a Chinese spell-caster; sleeping spells were probably one of the easiest things in the world for him, assuming that he'd used one. Naru crossed his arms and looked away, but they could both see the tiny smirk on his face.
"Did I say something funny?" the third year asked, glaring at them.
"Actually, yes," Takigawa said, trying to hold in the guffaws threatening to escape. "Do you see any sleeping pills?"
Akira looked around, noting the lack of anything medicinal—except the first aid kit that he knew from personal experience didn't contain any sleeping medication—unless one counted aspirin, but he didn't. There didn't seem to be anything in the man's pockets. Turning to Mai, he searched the outer pockets of the suit coat only to find them empty. He turned back to Lin who had a shuttered expression on his face. "All right," he grumbled, having to concede that sleeping medicine had not been used, "how did you put her to sleep?"
"Pressure point," Lin said. He couldn't very well tell them that he'd used a sleeping spell with Akira-san in the room. He was certain that Naru and Takigawa had an inkling that he hadn't used a pressure point at all.
Takigawa shot Lin a look that said plainly that he didn't believe what the man said. Frowning, he went with the flow. "Will she be able to dream, Lin-san? I've heard that pressure points can put a person into a dreamless sleep. She's the only one of us that can see and trace magical residue—I hope. I can't see Masako-chan being any good in that area."
Lin shrugged.
"May I ask a question?"
Takigawa looked at Akira. Not that any of us really want to answer your question… but… "Shoot."
"You keep talking about Mai-chan as if she's someone special. Why is that? Why do you keep referring to her dreams? Dreams don't mean anything except an overactive imagination, right? So why do you treat her as though she can do something extraordinary?"
"Dreams do mean something, if you're psychic," Naru said.
Akira stared at him and then started to laugh. "Don't tell me you think Mai-chan is psychic?"
The three paranormal investigators stayed silent.
"You're dead wrong, you know that? She can't be psychic because psychics don't exist."
"It's always refreshing to deal with skeptics," Naru said, picking up his customary folder, opening it, and tuning out everyone else as he sat down in the chair Lin had been sitting in before Mai had entered the base.
"Why can't Mai be psychic, kid?" the former monk asked, crossing his arms and watching Mai's would-be suitor intently. "I'm a Buddhist monk and I'm psychic. How else could I know if my exorcisms have any success? Besides, Mai's dreams definitely mean something. In our last case, thanks to her, we found Masako when she went missing and the others who'd disappeared, as well." He didn't tell the young man that those three were dead; there was no need to upset him, after all.
The third year turned a vicious glare at him. "Psychic powers aren't real," he said, firmly. The fact that Mai had managed to find people with her powers didn't seem to penetrate his brain. "They're for attention-grabbers like Kuroda-san, or money schemers. Communicating with the dead isn't possible—the dead can't speak; they're dead after all. Did you guys convince her that psychic powers are real and that she possessed them instead of being normal?" he asked, his voice growing in volume.
Naru, Lin, and Takigawa just stared at him. What in the world is his bone of contention with psychics, Takigawa wondered; he'd never met someone as young as this kid who was so opposed to psychic abilities. Perhaps Mai knew the reason.
"You did," Akira accused, shoving blue-black hair out of his face with a grimace. "Why are you trying to turn her into a freak like Kuroda? Don't you know what will happen to her here?"
The room became so silent a dropped pin could be heard when it hit the floor.
"Freak?" Takigawa asked quietly, his face unusually grave. "I don't get your logic, kid. I've worked with Mai for little over a year now and I've never considered her a freak. She's clumsy at times, a magnet for trouble, inordinately helpful—sometimes—but never once has any of us considered her a freak."
"I think," Lin interjected quietly, "that you see Taniyama-san not as a person, but rather an ideal. And according to the ideal of your perfect Mai, she can't be psychic, because then like Kuroda-san, you'd have to view her as a freak and the attraction you feel just might be lost."
"You!" he said, rounding back to Lin with fury, "what do you know about her? What do any of you know about her?" he spat, pinning Naru and Takigawa with a vicious glare. "You, especially!" he cried, turning back and pointing at the Chinese man. "You hate her anyways—she told me so herself, so don't you go acting all high and mighty!"
What's wrong with this kid, Takigawa wondered. I can't believe that Mai would tell him that Lin hates her, especially since it's not true. Is this a by-product of the spell? It must be; he looks… he looks insanely jealous, for some reason.
………
Oblivious to what was going on outside of her dream, Mai ran up to Naru. It seemed to be her usual dream; he was here, after all. He had a welcoming smile on his face as he always did when she dreamed. She trotted over to his side—but never reached him. Before she could, she felt herself hit a barrier and get thrown back. She saw panic overtake her boss's handsome features and he began to pound frantically on the invisible wall separating them; it looked like he was screaming her name.
"Naru!" she called back. Getting up, she approached the obstruction separating them. "Naru," she said again, "I can't hear you."
But it seemed that he could hear her. His pounding grew more frantic. Mai reached out and placed one hand where his fist continually hit. Please stop, she thought. As if he heard her plea, he calmed down and put his own palm right where hers was. She smiled softly. His hand is so much bigger than mine is, she thought.
Memories of those larger hands grasping the back of her neck and creeping under her school uniform top assaulted her mind and she jerked her hand away instinctively. Naru watched her sadly. She flashed what she hoped was a reassuring smile and said, "It wasn't your fault, I know that."
He gave her a look that she could only describe as loving. A blush spread across her cheeks and she stared at him slack-jawed. Was this what Masako had meant when she'd told Mai that Naru had visited her in a dream with a loving look? Turning his head to the left, he lifted his arm and pointed to something.
"Eh?" Following his point with her eyes, she found herself looking at her school. It looked as boring as ever and she frowned at the building that took up so much of her time. A tap reclaimed her attention and she saw Naru pointing down. She gasped. They were now floating above the school. She expected to see will-o-the-wisps, but instead, she saw a malevolent red cloud hanging over the school and spanning further beyond school grounds. She could see her apartment and saw that while the cloud there was thinner, it was still there, nonetheless.
What is that, she wondered. I've never seen such a dark shade of red before. She looked back at Naru for an explanation and found him watching her expectantly.
"That's the spell, isn't it?" she asked him.
He nodded and mouthed something. Mai suddenly remembered that when she'd been at Noriko-san's house way back when she'd first started working for SPR, Naru had visited her in a dream and she hadn't been able to hear him until she'd focused on his voice. Frowning, she concentrated on the rich tenor of Naru's voice. When she still couldn't hear him, she decided that it wasn't her fault for not concentrating; she looked at the ground, frustrated. A knock got her attention and she looked up at her handsome boss. He was pointing again, this time to the right. Turning her head, she saw the school again—No, that's not the school, she thought. That's something different.
It was a mansion to be precise. The design reminded her strongly of Kaneyuki's mansion; there was something familiar about the overall motif. Mai hoped that this place didn't contain the same dark secrets that the aforementioned house did—it didn't look like it, though; it looked like there was a party going on. She felt the wind rush past her and suddenly, she was there inside the house. There was indeed a ball taking place—and a grand one from the looks of it. I suppose I should collect information to tell Naru and the others when I wake up. Looking down the staircase that she was standing at the top of, she made to descend and start collecting data, when she felt a tug on her hand. Startled, she rounded on whoever had the ability to actually touch her while she dreamed, and came face to face with Naru.
"Naru!" she exclaimed.
He smiled at her. "That barrier can't affect us here, Mai. This is the past."
"This is what my school was, isn't it?" She blushed when he looked at her questioningly. "Eh… this was here before my school, wasn't it?"
"It was, yes. This main section and the East Wing are the only remaining parts of the house; the West was torn down completely. Well, the East Wing doesn't remain any longer, does it?" he asked. "The renovation into a school happened shortly after World War I when this house was inexplicably abandoned."
"I see," she said.
His smile returned and he took her hand. "Let's dance," he said, leading her down the steps.
"Eh?" she asked. She looked at Naru in his customary black outfit—which she still for the life of her couldn't figure out; she looked down at herself wearing a school uniform that couldn't be called proper. "But neither of us is dressed for a party," she said, gesturing to the costumed people.
"So? Who's going to notice? We're not really here, you know. It's just a dream," he told her. "You know how to waltz, right?"
"I remember bits and pieces," she told him feeling self-conscious—bits and pieces from when one of the girls in middle school had tried to teach her, shortly after her mother's death. Looking at their joined hands brought a faint flush to her cheeks, as it always did. Why couldn't Naru be like this in real life? Why only in her dreams?
"That's enough, then. It'll come back to you." When they reached the dance floor, Naru turned to face her. He guided her right hand to his left arm and her left hand to his right shoulder. That done, he put his right hand to just under her left shoulder blade: the closed position. Grinning at her, he leaned in close and whispered, "Ready?"
A bright blush stained her cheeks and she nodded shyly—she hoped he wouldn't try any fancy tricks; she didn't know any. The music that she heard certainly wasn't a waltz, but Naru closed his eyes for a moment and tapped his foot to a beat that only he could hear. When he found his rhythm, he opened his eyes and began to move. Their dance was clumsy at first, Mai hadn't been kidding when she told him that she only remembered bits and pieces; she couldn't remember how many times she'd stepped on his feet, or he'd landed on hers because she'd moved wrong. It didn't deter him or make him stop; he just continued on with the steps and guided her in the same. He'd been right, gradually it had all started to come back to her and soon, the dance flowed as it should, despite the slower melody pouring out from the orchestra. Their steps were lively as they danced around the room to a rhythm that only they could feel.
Smiling at her, he spun her away, brought her back, and continued their dance smoothly. "There's something amiss here," he said, never taking his eyes from her face.
"There is?" she asked.
He nodded once. Frowning, she looked around, but didn't see anything odd. That, however, didn't surprise her. "What's wrong?" she asked him.
It was then that his eyes left her to glance around the room. "The lord of the house isn't here. Do you see that lady by the doors, smiling, greeting the new arrivals, and bidding the leaving guests goodbye?"
Mai turned her head and caught a glimpse of the person he'd commented on. Standing at the door was a stunningly beautiful woman with gilded skin and exotic eyes. Her long black hair trailed down her back in banana curls, held in place at her neck with a fantastic barrette in the shape of a lotus blossom. Her hairstyle looked odd with the cone-shape design of her dress and tube sleeves. The dress bodice covered a good portion of her chest, leaving only a small, square patch near her throat uncovered. The vaquero made up part of her sleeves and then blended into the voluminous, funnel sleeves at the biceps; the vaquero was also tailored to trail down to her waist and seamlessly blend into the inner fabric of the bell skirt, a layer of fabric wrapped around the inner portion of the skirt, hiding this. Around her neck sat a fabulous cameo necklace that probably would have pulled Mai to the ground had she been the one wearing it.
So if the lord's missing, then who's that standing near her, she wondered, focusing back on Naru again.
"That's her lover," he told her, spinning her again. "Shall we see if we can find the lord of the house?"
"Sure," she said.
He spun her again and when she came to rest in his arms, she found that they were no longer upstairs, but in a very familiar place: the basement. Mai and her friends often traveled down to the school's basement to tell ghost stories, much to the janitor's anger. They couldn't help it though! The basement was always dark and creepy; there were odd sounds all the time and coming from every direction. The single, low-wattage bulb cast more shadows than it dispelled. It was a wonderfully scary place that always had the perfect atmosphere for telling creepy tales. It was with a combination of amusement and sternness that the school principal forbade Mai and her friends from telling ghost stories in the basement. If they wanted to tell stories, they'd have to make do with classrooms.
But this basement was different. It didn't contain the single light bulb—there was no electricity, period. Large, fat tapers sat against the masonry wall on ornate holders and their flames seemed to be echoing the dance she and Naru had just ended. Great, now the candles were copying her. There was a door sitting in the eastern wall that she'd never seen before, either. She felt Naru's hand on her shoulder and turned to him.
"Is this place at all familiar to you?"
She nodded. "Everything except the candles and that door," she said, pointing to it.
"Let's check it out, then," he said, offering her his hand.
Holding hands, they ventured over to the door and through it. This room wasn't familiar to Mai at all; it was cramped, for one thing. She estimated that the room was four-by-eight feet—it was little better than a closet. What grabbed her attention most was the man trapped in a transparent, black cube that stretched from the floor to the ceiling.
"How despicable," he said. "That cube is a trap made of black magic. It holds his soul captive and allows whoever created it to feed off him for energy and life. Well, Mai, we've found the lord of the house, what's left over, at any rate."
The spirit seemed to have heard him. Opening his eyes, he looked at them and Mai took a step back. John, she wondered. No, John's much shorter and his hair is a shade darker, but other than that, they're twins. Are they related, somehow?
"You there, girl," an imperious voice called.
"Eh? What?" she asked, looking around. She pointed to herself. "Me?" she asked. This was new, she'd never been addressed by anyone except Naru in her dreams.
"Yes, you," he said, rolling his eyes at her. "Release me."
"Release you, how?" she asked, letting go of Naru's hand and walking over to the cube. Naru however, hauled her back to his side. "We can't do that; we're not really here."
"Don't play games with me, child! I see you two plain as day!"
"That's because you're dead," Naru said bluntly. " Where's your body?" he asked, looking around.
The lord shrugged arrogantly. "I have no clue where that traitorous bitch's lover dumped it."
Mai gasped at the crude words and Naru put his arm around her shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze of comfort. "Watch yourself, ghost. She's the only one who can free you."
"I, whelp, am not a ghost."
"Oh, really? Pray, tell, then—what are you, if not a ghost?"
Mai stared at the bickering duo and rolled her eyes when they weren't watching her. She yawned. Honestly, what was it about men that made them argue for supremacy? Deciding to leave them to entertain each other, she touched Naru's arm gently to get his attention. Smiling, she said, "I should get back and relay this."
"Yes," he said, giving her his undivided attention, much to the spirit's annoyance. Leaning forward his kissed her forehead gently, much to her astonishment. "Thank you for the dance, my lady," he intoned, bowing deeply. "Be careful," he told her, straightening.
She blushed. The scenery began to shift and change. Although he didn't move per se, there was distance growing between them until Naru faded away completely. Harsh voices began to fill the void she stood in and they grew louder with each passing second. What's going on, she wondered.
"Why do you think I hate Taniyama-san?"
Lin-san? You're back to calling me that? Why?
"She told me that you're quite rude to her!"
Akira-kun? Why are you fighting with Lin-san? Are you fighting with Naru and Bou-san, too? And that's not true! I've never said anything of the sort to you! You've been listening in on my phone conversations with Michiru again, haven't you?
"Release me!"
"She can't; she's not here any more."
"Damn you, release me!"
"Hey, watch it. And I can't."
"Ah, I see, you're—"
The conversation trickled away from her as she regained her awareness. Mai opened her eyes slowly and she looked around. "Is someone trapped?" she asked, sitting up and sweeping the area again with a puzzled frown.
The coat fell from her shoulders and pooled into a heap in her lap; she looked at it curiously and then at Lin-san. He smiled faintly at her. She returned his smile and tugged it around her when cold air from the vent poured out and seemed to head straight for her. At the way things in this school were going, Mai wouldn't be surprised if the air conditioning was affected by the lust spell, too. She glared up at the vent, grateful for Lin-san's coat. Naru moved over to her side and sat down next to her. "Mai?" he asked.
She looked at him, confused. What did he want her to do now? Naru bit his cheek and clenched his fist to keep himself right where he was. The desire to kiss her, to feel her body beneath his again was almost overwhelming. That coat would provide adequate cover for them both, right? Concentrate! he admonished himself. What are you, a teenager? Sadly, he was.
"What did you see?" he asked. The only one who noticed that his voice was a bit harsh was Lin, who frowned, but stayed where he was. He hoped Naru would keep his control.
"Mai, don't answer him. I don't know why, but he seems to think you're a freak like Kuroda."
Naru glared at the young man who was trying to win Mai's affections. For her part, Mai was losing patience. So Kuroda was a freak, was she? Well, then I'm an even bigger freak! Kuroda-san's a latent psychic; I don't think my abilities are latent anymore, not after what we went through in the Prime Minister's house. And I want to know why you were trying to pick a fight with Lin-san.
Oblivious to what she was thinking, Akira continued. "Let's go, Mai-chan. I'll walk you home."
Mai froze. Walk me home? What am I, helpless, she thought, as anger started to course through her veins in the more reasonable level that she usually kept herself at (or tried to, at any rate), she knew that Akira had offered to walk her home in kindness (for some reason, Mai had the feeling that he was unaffected by the spell), but she was too upset with him to care. It was then that she turned to face him. Akira found himself taking an involuntary step back at the anger in her eyes. "Akira-kun, why were you trying to pick a fight with Lin-san?" she asked, her voice reminded the SPR workers of icicles—they'd never heard her use that tone before.
"Umm…you heard that?" he asked sheepishly, looking at his feet. "I thought you were asleep."
"You woke me," she said. Technically, it wasn't true, but why not lay on the guilt? "Why were you trying to pick a fight with someone I work with? Do you realize he could fire me?" Another technicality, she knew; Naru was the only one who had the power in the SPR office to fire her. Mai, however, didn't feel the need to point that out.
For his part, Naru decided to keep his mouth shut and let Mai deal with her suitor-in-question. She hadn't exactly introduced Lin last night as anyone overly special and she certainly hadn't said that Lin was his assistant.
"Well?" Mai asked.
"Umm… well… he hates you, doesn't he? He's rude to you, isn't he? Why do you work for someone who hates you? You could always find another job, Mai-chan."
Naru's eyes narrowed into slits and he glared at the third-year standing near them. How dare he? But it's true, he acknowledged. With her sunny disposition, anyone would hire her, lack of skills not withstanding. All she has to do is smile at people. It was then that he noticed the silence. Blinking, he looked over at Mai and realized from the expression on her face that a storm was just about to break. Had he been of lesser discipline he would have grinned at the poor boy who was about to be on the receiving end of a very angry Mai Taniyama. Naru, Lin, Takigawa, and the rest of the people associated with SPR knew Mai had a temper and that it surfaced frequently; Takigawa had restrained her often enough when she tried to inflict bodily harm upon Naru when he annoyed her.
Mai was starting to shake, she was so angry; her heart pounded heavily in her chest and she curled her hands into fists, praying that she wouldn't physically lash out. She'd never been so angry with Akira in all the time that she'd known him. "You have no right to listen in on my phone calls with Michiru!" she said, her voice starting to shake. "What I say to her is private and should be kept that way. And I can guarantee you that some of the clients we've dealt with have been much ruder than Lin-san."
That's certainly true, Takigawa thought, crossing his arms, Matsuyama-sensei…no, the entire staff at Ryokuryou High School was ruder than Lin's ever been.
"But Mai, I did hear that he was quite rude when you first met him—I didn't listen in on the phone call, I swear it! Michiru told me," he said. "And…I heard he was rude when you were on your last case."
This kid has no brains, Takigawa thought, shaking his head ruefully. Rule one, never admit that you listened in on your little sister's phone calls. Instead of one female killing you, you'll have two—and your body might not ever be found. Not that that's a bad thing in this case…
"True, he was a bit rude when we first met," Mai acknowledged with a curt nod. "I can't exactly picture hugs and kisses after having three shoe cases land on you; I was in a bad mood after one fell on me! Imagine how Lin-san felt when three of them fell on him at once!" she cried. She continued, "By the way, thanks to my idiocy, I broke an expensive camera and even managed to sprain Lin-san's leg quite badly. He had crutches when he got out of the hospital and couldn't stand without them!" Tears started to slip down her cheeks as she remembered the first time she met her boss's associate. She paused and wiped away the tears, missing Lin's wince. "I'd say all the glares were well justified, wouldn't you?" she asked quietly.
"And I'll admit," she continued, before Akira could say anything, "that he was pretty brusque towards me during our last case. Of course, I inadvertently insulted him, first."
In other words, Naru thought, looking at Lin, who watched Mai with an unreadable expression on his face, Mai was on the receiving end of his bias against the Japanese people. He really needs to grow up. Although… whatever Mai told Lin in return apparently broke the ice; after all, he called upon his Shiki to help her; he certainly wasn't trying to help Hara-san. He turned back to Mai and watched her contemplatively as she chastised her would-be suitor. Would-be suitor! His mind snorted in contempt …over my dead body will he ever go out with her!
There is something very odd about being defended by a sixteen-year-old sophomore, Lin decided. He wasn't sure whether to be amused, or touched. When was the last time anyone had ever stuck up for him? Madoka, he wondered. No. The Professor? No, it wasn't him, either. Well, wait—there was that one time… ah, no, I wouldn't call that sticking up for me. He shook his head; he couldn't remember. He knew with certainty that the last person who had wasn't a high school student who only managed to reach his stomach when she stood. Mai looked odd sitting there on the large, battered couch, buried up to her neck in a suit coat that looked like it was swallowing her, and chastising her friend's elder brother over how rude he was acting to the people she worked with—Lin, especially. This girl is something else, he thought. We found a real gem in her. A diamond in the rough; who'd have thought it possible?
"I want you to apologize," Mai announced firmly. Her words brought Lin back to the current conversation.
"What?" Akira asked, hardly able to believe what he'd just heard.
Mai aimed a particularly nasty glare at the third-year, who looked back guiltily. "You owe Lin-san an apology. And if you've been fighting with Bou-san and Naru, then you owe them an apology as well. Now let's hear it," she commanded, with an imperious look.
"That's not necessary," Lin said.
"Yes, Lin-san, it is. I say it is," she said, turning her glare to him. Her eyes softened ever so slightly before hardening again and turning back to Akira. "I will not allow you to insult my friends and I most certainly will not tolerate you insulting the people I work with. I don't care which spell is floating where—that's not going to excuse your own rudeness—which, might I add, you've had your own spectacular instances of. Apologize and go home!" she cried.
Cue the water-works again, Takigawa thought, watching the tears start to run down her cheeks. Wanting to do nothing more than offer comfort, the former monk approached the couch, crouched down, and gathered the distraught girl in his arms, allowing her to sob as he rubbed her back, soothingly.
"Mai," Akira said, sighing. "Don't tell me you believe this magic and psychics-are-real crap."
Mai pulled away from Takigawa and looked at him. "And if I do?" she challenged. "I've seen a lot of things that modern science will never be able to explain, no matter how far it advances. You tell me how a freshman can manage to nearly kill a teacher after he's committed suicide," she said.
"He can't, if he's dead," Akira responded.
"He can," she said. "One did; I was on that case at Ryokuryou High School. I know things the papers will never be able to tell you."
"All right, how did he do it, then?"
Hesitating, she looked at Naru for permission; he nodded at her curtly. "Magic," she said. "A nasty, nasty spell. You'd believe in spells and curses too, if you'd seen that," she told him. "Now I want you to apologize and go home!"
Seeing that she wasn't going to tell him more, Akira decided to appease her; it was better than her remaining angry with him. Sighing, he turned to Lin and bowed. "I'm sorry. Please forgive my rudeness."
Lin inclined his head.
"I'll see you later, Mai-chan."
"Maybe," she said. "Maybe not."
The young man winced and walked to the door with Lin following him. "And Akira?"
Both men stopped and turned back to her.
"One last thing—if Kuroda-san's a freak, then you can bet I'm an even bigger one." That said, she dismissed him completely by turning back to Naru.
Giving the third-year a pointed look, Lin opened the door and preceded him out of the room. When the door closed, the Chinese man turned back to the high school junior and said, "I would advise you not to show your face to Taniyama-san or at the base for the next couple of days." That said, he walked past the dark-haired boy and over to the door he'd just stepped out of, grasping the doorknob.
"Will she forgive me, do you think?"
Lin turned back to him. "Who can say?" he asked. "That's up to her, isn't it? She's very angry right now—even I've never heard her voice that cold before." Lin brought the conversation to an end by opening the door and stepping back inside the room, leaving the young man there to either.
When Lin returned, Naru resumed his questioning of Mai. "What did you see?" he asked.
She frowned. "I saw the school," she began. "There was a dark red cloud hovering over it. I've never seen such an ugly color in my life. It felt wrong, somehow."
"How so?"
She shook her head, unable to describe why it felt so wrong. "I think that was the spell," she said, instead.
Naru seemed to accept that. "And who's trapped?" he asked.
"Huh? Someone's trapped? On school grounds? Where? Will they be okay?"
The three men in the room blinked and shared a look—that definitely wasn't good.
"You were the one who asked if someone was trapped when you first woke up," Naru said.
"I did?" she asked, pointing to herself.
Naru's eyes narrowed. "Lin," he called, standing.
"Right," the Chinese man said, crossing the room and taking his place. "Please don't move or be alarmed," he told her, putting his hands on her cheeks and gently tilting her head back until she was eye-level with him.
What's he doing, she wondered, as he simply stared into her eyes. He's not reacting to the spell, is he? No, no, stupid Mai! This is Lin-san we're talking about. He's not affected by stupid things like lust spells!
"She definitely saw something more when she dreamed," Lin said at last. "But it's been repressed," he finished, breaking eye contact with her and looking at Naru. He let go of her face and waited for the young man to speak.
"If she gives permission, go a bit deeper into her memories and see what you can find out. No deeper than the surface, though."
Mai shivered. Go through my mind? I don't want you to do that, she thought, gripping the fabric of his coat and squeezing her eyes shut.
how tense she suddenly became, Lin turned back to her and said, "Please don't worry. I would never attempt such a thing without your consent. That's one of the biggest taboos among psychics: one doesn't go mucking about in someone's mind without their permission. Doing so is considered rape."
Somewhat reassured, Mai gave the man a faint smile, still not totally ready to agree. "What's the difference between what he just did and what you want him to do?" Mai asked curiously
"He peeked at your surface thoughts—your conscious thoughts—the first time. This time I want him try and skim your memories to see if he can find just who or what repressed them."
Somehow, I don't think that will work. Anyhow, I'm not sure I want him to peek into my memories. I think I'd die of embarrassment if he found out that I dream about Naru!
"Think chicken soup," Takigawa said.
"What?" Mai asked, craning her neck back so she could see the monk. What's he going on about, she wondered. The coat around her fell open, giving both Lin and Naru a perfect view of her throat. Naru clenched a fist and looked away—where the hell was Matsuzaki-san with her charms? He wanted—oh, hell, he still wanted to ravish her! Lin let his gaze travel down her throat to her collarbone and lower until that stupid bow hid everything; he felt his stomach tighten in response. Ignoring it, he focused on Takigawa, wondering how the monk was going to equate chicken soup with mind-skimming.
"When you make chicken soup you have to skim off the fat, right?"
"Right," Mai said, still puzzled. Bou-san could cook? That just struck her as weird. The image of the monk in a pink apron dotted with flowers, skimming a big pot of chicken soup of fat in its beginning stages made her throat convulse with laughter; unable to stop sniggering, she finally dropped her head and laughed. The former monk waited patiently for her to stop, wondering what was so funny.
"If you view your repressed memories as fat floating on soup broth," he resumed, with a slight wince—this really was starting to sound stupid. "Then all Lin's going to do is skim for them and get them out so we have something to work with. See? Chicken soup," he finished. No more food analogies, he told himself. They make you sound stupid. At least he knew what Mai had found so amusing.
Mai stared at the former monk; she was too busy snickering over the image her mind had conjured to notice the expressions on the faces of the guys she worked with. Sobering, she drew her hands together and said, "I'm sorry Lin-san, Naru, but I don't think that method will do any good."
"What do you mean, Mai?" Naru asked.
Her eyes distorted, telling them that she'd slipped into a trance-like state. "Because…" she trailed off and raised her hand to her forehead where Naru had kissed her in her dream and caressed the area with one finger.
"Because what?" Lin asked.
"I don't know; I just know it won't do any good. I think… I'll remember when the time is right," she told them.
Naru crossed his arms and sighed. There was nothing to be done—if Mai's intuition told her that she wouldn't remember anything until the time was right, then he'd take her word for it. "Bou-san," he said, turning to the monk, "I'm going to ask Matsuzaki-san to cleanse this room and write up some protective charms. After she does, I want you to put up a barrier to compliment her spells."
"Gotcha," the monk said, nodding. "Hmm… it might not be a bad idea for me to also draw up a few of my own in case hers fail."
"Either way. You two work that out amongst yourselves. Mai," he said, turning away from Takigawa and focusing on the sophomore. "I want you to compile a list of the most persistent boys that come to mind. Give it to Lin when you're done."
"Okay," she said.
"Lin, I want you to take Mai home and stay with her. You're officially guarding her for the duration of this case."
Lin narrowed his eyes at his young boss. "Naru," he began.
Naru crossed his arms over his chest. "I won't need your protection nearly as much as she will. You're the only one who won't succumb to this and I need Mai protected by someone I trust. Don't worry about my parents—I'll tell them myself. Besides, however will you explain it to the Professor if I did something that you could have prevented?"
Lin frowned at Naru and watched him steadily; he was right of course, as he often was. He didn't like the idea, but saw the logic of it. Naru had already succumbed to this spell and it was still affecting him. The amount of willpower that he'd exerted to keep himself aloof and detached, Lin knew, was astronomical. Damn him, he thought. Lin hated being backed into a corner. "This once," he said finally. "I'll deviate from my duty this once and guard Mai. You will not do this again, however. Do we have an understanding, Naru?"
Naru nodded curtly at his Chinese associate. "Agreed. I want a report on the patterns that you found in the notes. Start researching lust spells, as well. Let's see if the pattern you found ties in somehow to what's currently happening."
Lin-san's agreed to guard me? Mai thought incredulously. And he called me by my name! she thought, happily. She sobered when she thought of Naru alone, without protection as he would have been in Kaneyuki's mansion, had Yasuhara-san not agreed to leave. But… if Lin-san isn't with Naru, what could happen to him? she wondered, tears starting to well up in her eyes. I can't bear the thought of anyone getting hurt because of me! The tears started to drop from her eyes and progressed to a steady flow seconds later. When have I ever cried so much, she wondered, as sobs started to wrack her body, drawing the attention of three very bewildered men.
"Mai?" Takigawa asked.
"Lin-san," she said through her tears, "what happens if Naru has no protection? He could get hurt, right? Someone in my school could pick a fight with him and hurt him badly! It's almost guaranteed to happen! Isn't he in more danger than me? I can't accept you protecting me and leaving him vulnerable! I won't let you—"
"Mai!" Naru snapped, cutting her off in the middle of her tirade. "Be selfish for once, would you? Your concern for me is flattering—but right now, I'm not in danger, I am the danger. I don't think you quite understand."
"Eh?"
Sighing, he frowned at her. "Idiot," he said. "Think, will you? Unlike the other two boys that tried to steal a kiss from you, I actually succeeded. And were Lin not been sitting next to you and Bou-san standing where he is, I would kiss you again and again until you couldn't see straight, and go from there. And there would be nothing you could do to stop me," he told her matter-of-factly.
She looked at him, horrified, and tears began to slip down her cheeks again. Naru felt his self-loathing intensify. Can't I do anything but scare her, he wondered.
"Hey, Naru-bou, I think that was a little too much," Takigawa said, attempting to bring some semblance of calm to the room.
"She needs to understand," Naru said steadily, holding her eye.
"Trust me, I think you managed," said a new voice. "You really do have a talent for making her cry, don't you?"
The dark-haired young man turned to the door. "Matsuzaki-san. How good of you to finally join us. Hara-san," he said, nodding in greeting to the young medium who was watching the scene with barely veiled shock.
………
Tuesday, day four.
Mai sat at a table closest to the librarian, who watched her like a hawk. In her pocket, rested a hastily drawn charm that Lin-san had given her and though she couldn't see it, she could definitely feel the presence of one of his Shiki as it floated around her. It wasn't exactly trying to be unobtrusive. It reminded her of a very big and very curious dog—though she doubted that the creature in question would appreciate the comparison. Between the charm and the one Shiki that was with her, no one would bother her, she was sure. Still, better safe than sorry, which was why she sat as close to the librarian as she could—the old bat would scare off the most ardent pursuer—just in case the Shiki and the charm failed. Naru had come into the library and reclaimed Lin earlier to help interview the boys on the list that she'd made up for him. Bou-san, he'd promised, would be along shortly to watch her.
She thought back to the other day after Ayako had arrived. Naru seemed uncharacteristically happy to see her, Mai thought, putting her pencil down and shoving the current book away from her with disgust—Church Councils, what a pain! This was Japan, for crying out loud! Why her class was studying European History was beyond her! But Ayako had bad news.
………
Ayako deposited her stuff on the nearest table and made her way over to Mai, not missing the fact that she was still wearing Lin's coat. That idiot, she thought, shooting the narcissistic boy a glare. Sitting down next to the girl, she put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to lean against her. "Men are so dense," Ayako said, stroking the girl's short, silky hair. "I guess that's the difference between men and women—they never know when enough is enough. Cheer up, Mai, and ignore him, right?" she said, hugging the younger girl.
"Matsuzaki-san," Naru said sharply.
"Hmm?" she said, looking up at the seventeen-year-old. "Yes?"
Naru smiled at her coldly. "How about doing something useful, for a change? Did you at least manage to bring the charms like I asked?"
"I'll take that one in stride because I'm right," she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Smiling down at Mai, she eased the young woman back against the couch cushions and stood. "Of course I brought the wards," she told him with a smile. Her smile vanished. "But they won't last very long," the priestess said, going back to the stack of spell paper and picking one up. Turning to the rest of the people in the room, she showed it to them, pointing their attention to the upper right-hand corner where a small, black circle sat. There was a collective gasp from the others in the room, except Lin who didn't look overly surprised. It wasn't a random ink stain, either. That would have made the charm useless, Mai knew.
Bou-san approached the other wards and started to rifle through them. "What's the meaning of this?" he asked, when he saw that they were all alike. So far as they knew, Ayako's wards had never failed or had a limit, even though her exorcisms generally failed.
"The spell is causing them to degrade. I noticed it when I first got here. These should be good for a few hours. Later this evening, I'll pick up a sealed box that I have for tomorrow's batch, but ultimately, you guys will have to be the ones to keep an eye on them and get fresh ones when you need them."
………
A spell that makes protective charms degrade, she thought, fingering the one in her pocket. Creepy. She pulled the book over to her again and tried to focus on it with little success. Her eyelids started to droop a few minutes later. I'll… just ask John, she thought, resting her head on the table. I'll bet this is one of those dreams. I hope I remember something, she thought, drifting off.
………
She was hovering over the roof of the school. Below her, Mai could see the malevolent red cloud hanging over the school and panning out from it to cover the general area, including her apartment and a little beyond. She frowned at the representation of the lust spell and wondered why it had been cast. What could the caster have wanted or thought to gain by rattling her? Maybe there was something more sinister at work. But what? It would boil down to finding the caster and asking, she supposed.
A black wisp trailed past her, caressing her cheek as it did. The effect was instantaneous. Extreme cold filled her body and she clutched her arms around herself and bent, shivering; she could see her breath on the air in front of her. Gradually, the cold seeped away and other sensations filled her: jealousy, greed, and… want? Mai shook her head; she didn't understand. She watched the wisp as it got closer and closer to the red nebula that she hovered over; when it reached the cloud, it sailed through without dispersing it, heading straight to the center. When it arrived, it curled up into a smaller circle and settled there, like a content cat that had succeeded in eating the goldfish. The eye of the storm, Mai thought.
Her dream shifted and warped around her, changing—all that she'd just experienced drained away leaving her empty. She found herself back at the barrier; Naru was there waiting. She walked up to where he stood, intent that she was going to do something about this accursed barrier. She'd been thinking about it all last night. "You can hear me, right?"
He nodded and smiled at her; she thought she would melt and shook her head sternly. Now was not the time to turn to goo over her crush. "Good," she said. "I want to try and shatter this barrier."
He looked at her questioningly and started to ask something when he realized she couldn't hear him; he broke off, looking frustrated.
"I figure that this is my dream. And because it's my dream, I don't want the barrier there."
He nodded in understanding. She smiled at him grimly and clasped her hands in the Fudo Myoo position that Bou-san had taught her. Looking at where Naru stood, she built an image of the barrier in her mind. Tall, it went to the roof of the school; thick, she couldn't hear him when he spoke—but thin enough that he could hear her, and transparent—she wanted to see it. It became visible. Narrowing her eyes, Mai centered herself and started to chant softly.
"Nau Maku San Manda Bazara Dankan." She envisioned a large, spider-web crack in the barrier, like a large ball had hit the middle dead on. She heard the crack and saw it a second later. Naru stepped back a few feet and smiled at her encouragingly.
Focusing on making the crack bigger and making smaller ones around it, she chanted again. "Nau Maku San Manda Bazara Dankan!"
Small fissures appeared in the glass-like barrier and the larger one expanded, overtaking and incorporating the small fractures and spreading from there over the surface. One more time, she thought. "Nau Maku San Manda Bazara Dankan!"
Unclasping her hands, she raised her right hand began to slash her fingers in sync with sutra she learned from Ayako. "Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!"
Together, the mantra and sutra had the desired effect. It started with a piercing chink that made Mai flinch and cover her ears. The crackling sound that followed was faint at first but grew louder with each passing second. Soon, it began to crumble before shattering to dust and disappearing. Mai fell to her knees exhausted and breathing heavily. Naru approached her, smiling warmly.
"That was nicely done," he commented, crouching down next to her. "Seems like learning those exorcisms came in handy after all."
"Yeah," she wheezed.
"Are you well enough to stand?" he asked, straightening and holding out his hand to her.
"Reasonably," she replied, grabbing his hand and allowing him to pull her up.
"Good. I have another segment to show you." That said, he began to walk; Mai followed him until he stopped, squeezed her hand reassuringly, and then propelled her forward handing her to… a fishing village? Mai looked around confused.
The plain yukata was worn and fit her slim body snuggly. She was beautiful and she knew it. Men admired her; he had admired her, too. Of course he would. Her features were delicate and lovely, just like a doll's. Her skin was a dusky shade of gold from the sun and her high, arched cheekbones were exotic. Her eyes were a brown-gold color—the color of fine whiskey and framed with long lashes that created shadows on her cheekbones; their expression was hard and flinty. Her lovely mouth was stretched into a ferocious frown. Where did that pale, sickly bitch get off insulting her?
Just you wait, she thought. I'll get you and I'll get you good. I'll be his bride before long. Men, after all, are men and they lust after anything pretty. I'll be in your place yet!
It was night; the moon was full. She held a small mirror in her hand. Looking into it, she began to chant. The mantra was harsh and called for dark spirits to attend to her wishes. Magic—she'd gotten it from her mother. Her expression grew harder, her words more sour. Her wonderful mother who had done nothing with her magic except heal people. And then she got sick and died. One of the people she was treating passed their illness to her. After that, I wasn't so concerned with helping people!
Magic was the one thing that his bride didn't have. Her body was too delicate to do naught but sit and cling to the man whom she thought she would marry. As the chant continued, she built his features in the mirror; he was beautiful. Pale skin like his bride's, but unlike hers, his shone with health. He had such black hair; she'd never seen such a color before—it was so black that in the light, it looked like it had blue streaks; it was thick, too, her fingers itched to run through it. His eyes were the color of the sea when Susanowo raged. She continued to build his face in the mirror and watched as it appeared. Her spell reached its peak and she brought it into being with a sharp word.
An odd wind flew through the quiet village and she watched a dark red cloud settle over it, especially over the village leader's house where the English lord and his soon to be ex-bride slept. Smiling, her eyes glittering with malice, she lowered the mirror and returned to her house. She needed to replenish her energies.
The scene changed. Her spells had worked and worked well. He lay next to her in her own bed, breathing hard; she stroked his hair gently, marveling at how soft it was. When he finally regained his breath, he rolled onto his side and leaned over her. "Marry me," he whispered, leaning in close.
"Of course I will," she replied, just before their lips met; her mouth curved upwards into a smile.
Everything dissolved. Mai found herself standing next to Naru. Her face turned scarlet when she looked at him. She buried her face in her hands—she remembered that last part all too vividly. Dropping to her knees, she glared at him from between her fingers. He watched her with barely veiled amusement.
"Why did you show me a dream like that?" she demanded. "It was almost pornographic!"
He laughed and crouched down next to her. "Nothing of the sort," he said, gently prying her hands away from her flaming face. "People make love all the time. You're in high school—you should know that."
Her cheeks grew warmer and she muttered something incoherent under her breath. Smiling, he cradled her in his arms and held her close. Mai found herself wondering again why Naru couldn't act this way in real life. The warmth of his body seeped into hers and she felt herself relaxing; the tension and embarrassment were draining away. She snuggled close. "Why?" she asked.
"It's important for you to understand the past," he told her kissing her forehead gently, just like last time.
She closed her eyes and smiled. When she reopened them, she was alone and standing on the school roof. "Eh? Naru?" she called, looking around. She heard a voice calling her name. "Naru?"
"…ai. …M..ai. Mai! Snap out of it! Mai!"
Her eyes snapped open suddenly and she found Bou-san and the librarian hovering over her worriedly.
"Bou-…sa-a-n?" she stuttered, yawning and rubbing her eyes. She looked at him curiously.
"What is wrong with you, Taniyama? The bell rang half an hour ago and you wouldn't wake up even when this young man shook you!" the librarian scolded.
"I'm sorry," Mai said meekly.
The librarian sighed and closed Mai's books with brisk snap. Gathering them up she smiled down at the young woman. "No harm done, I suppose. With all the idiocy going on at the school it's no wonder you haven't been sleeping right. Take advice from an old woman, chamomile tea works. I'll hold these for you," she said, gesturing to the books.
"Thank you," Mai replied gratefully.
Giving the girl a curt nod, she turned and walked back to her desk. Takigawa slid into the chair next to her and waited until the older woman was busy arranging the books on the wheeled cart. "So?" he asked quietly. "What did you see?"
Mai scrunched her brow and frowned. "The only thing I recall clearly is the cloud over the school, the black cloud drifting into the center—"
"Wait, wait," the ex-monk said. "Slow down. You're going too fast. Calm down and take a deep breath." He waited until she had and then said, "Now start again from the beginning with what you can remember. I'm not going to test you on this and I'm not here to pass judgment on you," he told her, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.
"I saw… the school," she began. At his encouraging nod, she continued. "There weren't any will-o-the-wisps, just that dark red cloud. But then this black wisp… thing went past me. It made contact with my cheek and I felt an incredible cold fill my body. When that melted away, I felt… greed, jealousy… and want—I think. I don't know, I can't really explain them. Then it cut through the red cloud and went to the center where it just curled up into a miniature circle—like the eye of a hurricane," she said.
"I see. Do you think you dreamt more?" he asked.
"I… can't remember—maybe, possibly?" She broke off and shook her head helplessly, clearly frustrated that she couldn't remember anything more.
Takigawa sighed. This was going to be another long case. Naru-bou, you sure know how to pick 'em, he thought. "Come on, kiddo," he said standing. "Let's go see what Lin-san can find by skimming your surface thoughts again."
"Okay," she replied. Grabbing her bag, she stuffed her notebooks and pencils into it and walked with the former monk back to the base.
As they traveled down the hallway, Takigawa thought about what Mai had told him. A red cloud, he thought, ignoring the niggling warning to check his charm. He'd checked it before going to the library—it should be fine. That red cloud obviously represents the lust spell. But what about the black wisp? What does that stand for? A stolen kiss? Possibly, he thought. But what's the point? His eyes widened as a thought struck him.
This is just a spell, right? Maybe not. Can spells change into curses, he wondered. Immediately, however, he saw the flaw in his logic: curses were spells. He grit his teeth, frustrated. This wasn't his area of expertise—it was Lin's. Now, more than ever, he needed to talk to him. He returned to his thoughts, or rather, he tried to. For some reason, his mind kept returning back to the kiss that Naru had stolen. Stolen kisses—Naru-bou actually succumbed to the spell. Aww! I knew he had a crush on Mai-chan! He smiled bitterly. Truth be told, I'm actually kind of jealous. After all I've done for her, after all the times I've saved her from outside malice, or her own folly, and after all the times I've treated her to meals and sweets, I haven't gotten a kiss in return. Sucks, he thought, watching her from the corner of his eye. I think… I think I want a kiss for all my troubles.
Reaching out, he grabbed Mai by the shoulders, shoved her into the lockers, and molded his lips to hers.
Bou-san! she thought, her eyes widening as he crushed her against him and kissed her hungrily. This just isn't my day, she thought as the former monk plundered her mouth.