I am a terrible person for not uploading, but I love you all so please try and forgive me. Plus you know I am chronically ill so yeah. But I love you. Really. I just have a funny way of showing it. So I feel like this chapter isn't amazing or brilliant and badly worded but I've kept you waiting so long so I felt that holding it back so I could edit in like a month would be stupid. So here. Plus I just wanted to wrap this case up so I could move on to the next and finally reunite our fated lovers Mai and Naru! Because we all know they have they fancy each other and it's our job to make them come together. Anyway. To recap, sorry, I love you, enjoy! Byeee!

Chapter 5

Mai's Dream

I awake to find myself engulfed in darkness. Soft light orbs slowly start to rise up around me as I lie on my back. Ugh, where am I? I immediately realise what a dumb question this is, duh Mai where do you think? I groan a little as I push myself up into a stand and wait expectantly for a scene to emerge from the darkness and play out before me. Sure enough, images start to twist and form into shapes but - something is wrong with them. I screw up my eyes, trying to make the images come into focus, but they just keep – jarring, and blurring . . . the way a picture might distort on a TV screen. The headache that has been my constant companion since my 'episode' starts to fidget behind my eyes, I pinch the bridge of my nose and try my best to ignore it, I need to pay attention. I attempt to focus on the bleary shapes, taking in their obscure edges and desperately trying to think what they could possibly be.

Suddenly something moves in front of me and I pull back from the scene I've been trying to define, a light starts to radiate, and a hand stretches out, palm up, waiting for me to take it. I hesitate but the light is so warm and gentle, that my hesitation doesn't last long and I place my hand into theirs . . . instantly the scene slams into clarity.

I stagger at the suddenness of the change. My eyes fly open in shock. Looking around, it appears too dark to see anything but gradually, as my eyes adjust, I start to make out a bed, a wardrobe, and a man frantically stuffing clothes into a bag. I leap out of the way as he comes charging past me towards the bathroom, What's he doing? I wonder. Clattersandclanksrattleround the bathroom before the man comes flying back into the room.

This time I manage to get a glimpse of his face and recognise him as Akiko. I watch as he tears back into the bathroom, panic now obvious in his actions, You tried to get away. My thoughts are abruptly torn away from me as the bedroom door begins to open from the corner of my eye. Turning slowly to see who the trespasser is, my jaw hinges open comically at the sight of the intruder, confusion spreads through me as Asahi's sister silently creeps towards the bathroom where Akiko is. A baseball bat is clasped in her hands. I start to cry out to intervene when another thought hits me, I thought Gorou killed Akiko so . . . why-? I flinch at the loud crack of wood on bone, followed by the thud of his body hitting the floor. But why is she attacking him? Ashahi's sister drags Akiko's body out the bathroom, out the bedroom and out onto the landing. I follow her as she drags him down the stairs, his body thumping down every step, an unpleasant flesh cushioned sound is softly audible. An incredibly uneasy feeling begins to grow within me, we pass through the kitchen and into the locker room, I notice another body on the floor, knocked out the same way as Akiko, I rush over, momentarily forgetting that this is a dream, and find she is still breathing. I look at her face and identify her as Akiko's wife, the person's death who I witnessed first-hand. I know she will wake up soon. I know she will die soon. I know there is nothing I can do to help. And these thoughts bring about such an unbearable sadness that tears well up in my eyes and spill over. My emotions wad up and choke in my throat so I decide to move on into the locker room where she is currently binding Akiko up with a rope.

I think back to my first dream and know exactly what is going to happen next. I desperately want to leave and I try willing myself awake but a tiny part of me won't let go, it knows and I know why I have to stay. The case was never conclusively solved so now it falls to me to bring about their closure. Akiko moans as he comes round and Asahi's sister quickly hits send on her phone. She hops into one of the lockers and closes the door with glee.

Despite the panic and fear running through my body, my eyes narrow with anger towards this woman, I can see straight through her plan and know exactly how extreme and terrible the consequences of her actions will be. The reason as to why the ghost has not yet moved on is becoming clearer. The back door begins to open as Gorou walks in and I mentally brace for what is about to happen – PAIN suddenly slams into me. I am thrown threw my own vision.

I gasp for air, the scene fades away.

Another wave of pain hits me again, the darkness is sucked away . . .

Present

"MAI!"

Mai opened her eyes and barely had time to register the ghastly apparition in front of her as another shadow slammed her into her, she screamed as flew across the room from the impact. She collided head first into a locker corner.

"MAI!" Monk started towards Mai but was thrown off course as a motionless Ayako crashed into him.

"Ooofff!" he grunted at the impact.

Pain seared hot across Mai's forehead and something warm and wet ran down into her eyes. She clamped a hand to her head to try and lessen the pain, when she drew her hand away it was slick with blood. She gritted her teeth and turned slowly. She was still groggy from her dream. A terrible howling whipped around the room, she heard groaning next to her and lifting her head she saw Ayako and Monk tangled in an unconscious, uncomfortable pile. Mai crawled over to the entangled pair, after assessing that they weren't too badly hurt, she lay down on her back, panting a little from her injuries. What happened? Negative energy swirled around the room, becoming more and more twisted, with no one to occupy it, the spirit writhed around in its own self-induced pain. Mai closed her eyes and focused on the spiritual energy that was crashing around the room. Reflecting back on her dream, she knew the events that had happened, she knew why the woman had acted the way she did and she knew why she hadn't left. The question now was, how to get rid of her? Her mind flicked through all the spiritual training she had received but the pain kept working its way through and breaking her concentration. I wish Naru was here . . . wait that's it!

Mai slowly started to pull herself up off the floor, she glanced down at her guardians but luckily they were out for the count, Well lucky for me, not so much them she corrected herself, at least now they wouldn't have to know. She made her way to the middle of the room, the ghost was still howling away, unaware that most of its audience was not paying attention. Mai took a big breath and bellowed:

"HEY YOU!"

The entity swooped down to her.

"I think it's time for you to stop now, don't you?"

"Never! Others should suffer as much as I did!"

"But it was your own fault that-!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NO! IT WASN'T!"

The spirit screamed at her, sending a fist of shadows straight into Mai who shot backwards and slammed into the wall.

She landed heavily. The ghost continued to scream in its own personal Hell, freak shadows flaring out around it. Wheezing slightly from the impact, Mai muttered to herself:

"That wasn't part of the plan." She winced at the pain in her head.

Using the wall as support, Mai gradually heaved herself to a standing position. Breathing deeply, Mai centred her energy and started to let her mind slip into her dream plane . . .

A soft, light started emanating from her body, pure energy surged through her veins, lighting up every cell, warming every fibre, mingling with her bloodstream as it began to rush and pump and course through her being. That sensation she felt, the sensation she used to feel, came back all at once. She felt so alive. Her power started to concentrate within her and Mai focused it into her hands and fingertips, she opened her eyes which had taken on a peculiar quality, and walked calmly back to the centre of the room. The ghost in the midst of its angst, spotted that Mai was still conscious and started towards her, snarling, shadows angled towards Mai's fragile body, suddenly they darted out. The ghost grinned nastily. The shadows however, became weaker and more tattered as they sailed towards Mai before finally breaking away gently to nothing. A howl erupted from the spirits throat but was quickly cut off as Mai touched her fingers to the spirits forehead. The ghost appeared transfixed in mid-air, she looked directly into its eyes.

"What you did was absolutely unforgiveable. But I hope you find peace." Mai said quietly.

With this, Mai shot her spiritual energy through the fragmented echo of a person, vanquishing the darkness before her. A withered moan escaped the twisted mouth as the entity dissipated, but it fell on deaf ears as Mai was already feeling the effects of using her powers so soon after her recent medical drama. Her body was buzzing and her head felt hot and fuzzy, she staggered a little before she collapsed to her knees. Her breathing came out heavy.

Ayako groaned a little as she came to. Her ankle hurt from where she had sprained it trying t get Mai away from the ghost and her head hurt from hitting the floor. But why did her ribs feel so . . . heavy? She opened her eyes. Monk was on top of her. His body flush with hers, his face turned towards her neck and his hair tickling her nose. A steady heat built its way up Ayako's cheeks as she tried to determine if she was going to throw Monk off her or pretend to be unconscious a few minutes longer.

Yasu's eyes flickered open. The world was blurry. And his shoulder really hurt. He reached a hand up to his face to discover his glasses were missing.

"NOBODY MOVE!"

Mai, Monk and Ayako snapped their heads up expecting the worst.

"What? What?"

"I've lost my glasses!"

Mai rolled her eyes. "Seriously?! I just took down a ghost, single handedly, and you're worried about your glasses?"

"Well Mai to you it may not be a big deal because you were born with pretty eyes and 20/20 vision but right now, I can't see, so excuse me!"

Mai blushed and looked away, he thinks my eyes are pretty?

"Wait Mai, you took down this ghost?"

She grinned at Monk.

"Yup! All by myself, not bad eh? Looks like you taught me well!"

"Well aren't you the little power player, looks like you don't need us anymore, you can take down spirits all by yourself." Retorted Ayako.

Monk smiled goofily at Mai as tears of pride welled up in his eyes.

"Oh my little girl all grown up and fighting ghosts. I'm so proud!" Monk broke off, as he pulled Mai into a hug. Mai laughed whilst Ayako grabbed hold of Monk's collar and hauled him off, he didn't seem to notice as he carried on burbling away to himself about the very elaborate plan of making Mai into an international ghost hunter. Ayako dusted herself down and took a closer look at Mai's injuries, particularly as the girl had half her face covered in blood streaks.

"Seriously though Mai are you okay? You didn't over exert yourself? How's your head? How's your injuries? Oh my god Mai you didn't use your powers did you?"

"Uh well-"

"We told you not to! Especially after what's just happened! You need to take better care!"

"But Ayako! I had to! Everyone was knocked out and I only did it to reinforce the nine cuts." Mai looked at Ayako with big eyes and tried to ignore the nagging feeling of guilt as she lied to her friends face.

"Hmmmmm. Well. I suppose, but we are taking you to the hospital right now!"

"It's one thirty in the morning"

"We are taking you to the hospital first thing tomorrow!"

"But I have college tomorrow!"

"I don't care. We will be taking you and that's that. I'll inform your college so don't worry about it."

Mai smiled warmly at her as Ayako gave her a much gentler hug than Monk, before she turned her attention to fuss over him. Mai surveyed the room, there was less damage than she had been expecting, just the lights and benches and chairs and other miscellaneous things. She yawned quietly as she thought about her comfy bed waiting for her at home. Maybe it won't take that long to tidy this all up Mai hoped, a spectacular crash was heard as Yasu triumphantly announced he had found his glasses. Then again she sighed.

Shibuya, 23:00

The smell of the musty office assaulted their noses as they walked in. Dust and stale air and damp stung at them. Naru flicked on a light switch and a dim glow flickered on. Lin caught sight of the boy's face.

"You can't expect it to be as pristine as we left it." He stated. A look of irritation passed over Naru's face.

"I wasn't expecting it to Lin, because, as I hope you're aware, I'm not an idiot."

Lin smirked, maybe not but you do have a habit of being extremely dense. Naru walked further into his old office and dropped a file onto the dust enveloped coffee table. He turned round and faced Lin.

"Tomorrow morning I want you to call Mai and the others, tell them to meet here and inform them, we have a new case."