OK! I'm back! Hope y'all enjoy! Again, I do not own Ghost Hunt.

Lin, Naru, and Mai had finally made it home after the long day. Seeing all of Mai's packages from her apartment at their door, Naru had Lin go ahead and start bringing them in while he carried in Mai's shopping bags and the suitcase from earlier. As the guys went about bringing everything in, Mai gently took her parents' shrine package out and quickly walked into the house. As she was about to head to her room, Naru stopped her.

Mai's POV:

'Mai!' Naru called after her.

Turning, she saw Naru at the door with all her shopping bags and still rolling her suitcase.

"Sorry Naru! I'm going to set my parents down in my room real quick and I'll be back to help!"

'No. Don't put them in your room.'

Freezing her movements. "Eh?"

Sighing a little, 'What I mean is…never mind just stand there for a minute. I'll be right back.'

Taking all the packages, Naru briskly walked off to deposit them in her room.

"What is that all about?" Mai screamed in her head. She continued to stand there, frozen like an idiot, waiting for Naru to come back.

By the time Naru walked back in, she was worried sick that he wouldn't want to house a shrine in the condo and wondered what she would do when he tells her so. Still lost in her thoughts she didn't notice his return and let out a small yip when he suddenly grabbed the shrine package from her hold.

"N-Naru? Uuumm…where are you taking my parents?"

Not saying anything, he just walked off and Mai could only trail after him like a wayward puppy. Soon they came to a small sitting area located next to the kitchen. It was modern and three out of four walls were just full-length windows over-looking the city.

'I think they may like it here better. Don't you think?' Naru asked, still holding her parents.

Taking another look around, she understood what he meant. Although the room was a little out of the way compared to the rest of the place, the windows would allow lots of sunlight, moonlight, and generally a lot more for them to look at than just a small dinky room. Upon closer inspection, there were comfy chaises, plush recliners, and lots of plants.

Sitting down on a chaise she looks up and realizes that the room also has a glass ceiling. Reclining now, while looking up, she can definitely see her parents feeling relaxed here.

"It's almost like a glass garden here." She murmured.

The floor was inlaid with large smooth grey-black stones, but had large patches of moss growing freely.

'It's Lin. He said he needs a place where he can get in touch with some nature even if it's just a little bit. That's why it's so extreme here.'

"It really is clear and soothing here. Thank you Naru. I think Mom and Dad will like the atmosphere in here. You don't think Lin will mind do you? I don't want to invade her personal escape place."

At that moment Lin had walked in.

'I'm glad you like it Mai-san. There is no need to fret, I told Naru that your parents might like it in here, and I could use the company too. I'm sure your parents are wonderful people to get to know.'

Blushing slightly at the warm compliment to her parents, "Eh-ehe. Thank you for the offer then Lin-san. I can drop by and tell you about them sometimes!"

'Ah. Well. Eh. I-if you would like.' Lin replied, a little uncomfortable.

"Lin?" Mai asked a little worried that she did something wrong.

Sigh….'Don't mind him Mai. He just figured that your parents would be good companions because he can't hear them unless he calls them from a séance.' Naru drawled out sarcastically.

Wide-eyed, Mai swung back to look at Lin in silence.

'No! No, I mean…" Lin threw a glare at Naru. 'I would very much like to have your company and have you tell me about your parents. Please don't feel discouraged to do so Mai-san. In fact, I was thinking that this may be a perfect setting for your training lessons.'

At the mention of the lessons, Mai started worrying again about the many changes happening so quickly in her life. Seeing her emotions flitting across her face one after another, the two men exchanged glances of sympathy.

Setting her parents down on a chaise, Naru slowly made his way to leave, 'Mai. Set your parents up. Then make sure to pack for the case.' After giving final instructions, he left.

Turning to her, 'Mai-san, I'll bring some fruit and sake for the offerings.' Lin offered and made his way out as well.

"Thank you Lin-san!" "Most of the time they drink tea, but I guess a little celebratory alcohol is ok." she thought.

Mai quickly, but carefully set up her parents' shrine on a lavish side-table in a corner. When Lin came back with the offerings, he also brought some "offering money" and a lighter. Setting the offerings on their plates and pouring the sake, he stepped back as Mai lit the candles and incense. As she kneeled down for a quick prayer, he lit the offering money and placed it on an empty dish. He looked down to see that Mai had finished her prayer and was looking at the shrine with a subdued expression.

'Mai-san?'

"Hmm? What is it Lin-san?" she asked, her mind still off in someplace.

'Is something the matter?'

Sighing slightly, she got up and made it over to the windows on the other side and leaned against them while looking out, eyes not truly seeing anything.

"I-No matter what, I love my parents unconditionally. I'm just so confused right now. I wish I could talk to them and ask them all sorts of questions. I want to meet my relatives, and I don't want to at the same time. I'm both fascinated and scared of what Gene has told me. I'm worried that I won't be able to deal with the curse. I feel a little awkward about living here with you and Naru, and I'm also wondering if Naru and I are an item now."

Unbeknownst to her, Naru was standing outside the door listening to everything. Lin knew of course, because his Shikis like to roam around the condo freely and told him about Naru. Knowing that he's listening in, he decided to give the emotionally awkward teen a little bit of advice and hope that he understands it.

Walking over to her, Lin places a comforting hand on her shoulder and gazes at her reflection in the window.

'Mai-san. I understand that there are many thoughts going through your mind lately. There have been many changes in your life in too short a time frame. Just take know that we are all here to support you. What happened to your parents was unfortunate, but their sacrifice was made from love. Although it's hard and lonely, you have no greater proof of your parents' love than those sacrifices. Do not cave into doubt and despair. We have seen enough of the workings of spirits to know that they are indeed watching over you. Especially if those two are as powerful as Gene makes them out to be. I will be with you every step of the way to train and refine your powers. As to the rest, I hope in time you will become accustomed and comfortable in your new home. It's nice to have a presence around that feels like an actual human being and not a cyborg.'

The unexpected joke caused Mai to jerk out of her doubts and let lose a delightful giggle.

"Cy-cyborg? Lin-san! Are you talking about Naru?"

Smiling down at her, he just shrugged his shoulder slightly and smirked at the report of a frown from the youth outside the door.

"Naru's not a cyborg. You should know that best right Lin-san?" she asked looking up at the man.

Eyes softening, "He really is just socially awkward. Well, no, he knows what to do in polite company, and can even charm anyone he sets out to. It's just he hates doing so. He doesn't really care if others think badly of him. He only cares about those close to him."

Eyes narrowing, "In fact, I've come to wonder if he acts the way he does sometimes purely because he get a sadistic form of satisfaction from royally pissing people off."

Eyes softening again, "Still, after you stand back and look at him, you can't deny he's spectacular. Gifted with intelligence, looks, and charisma. The occasional slips of affection and care becomes even more precious when it comes from such as he."

'You really do love him don't you Mai-san?' Lin asked softly.

"Yes. Without a doubt, I do. I wondered a little if I mixed his and Gene's personalities together and if I loved Gene….But I don't love Gene. Not in the romantic sense at least. More like a mischievous, and happy older brother. As much as I make myself sound like a masochist when I say this, the Naru that argues with me only, and seems to always poke fun at me, is the one I want. I'm not saying I like the abuse Lin! I'm just saying that it feels like he's at least communicating with me more than anyone else and that makes me feel special? Does that make any sense at all Lin?"

Gently giving her pats on her head, 'Yes Mai-san. That makes perfect sense.'

Leaving her in her position against the window, he walked over and opened the door. Using his height to his advantage, he blocked her view of Naru in the reflection and softly closed the door behind him. Looking down at his frozen charge, he could only chuckle. Clearing his throat to bring himself back into a more serious frame of mind, 'Noll, I want to spend a little time with Mai tonight to teach her some defensive spells.'

Mentally shaking himself out of the stupor Mai's confession put him in, Naru finally looked back up at his guardian. 'That's fine. Let's have her work on barrier spells first. Those will be easier for her to focus on than the deflective types.'

Nodding his head in agreement, Lin moved to go back into the garden room when Naru stopped him.

'Lin.'

Pausing to look over his shoulder, Naru was looking as if through the door trying to find Mai, not really seeing Lin there. 'I. I just find it so hard to believe that I could be chosen over Gene. I thought Gene, although gone, would never cease to be my rival for her heart. Just how much more does that girl need to disrupt me? Why does she keep surprising me just when I have her pegged?'

Smiling again, Lin just easily replied, 'Why don't you just spend the rest of your life trying to figure her out? I have a feeling she won't stop even when you both turn old and grey.'

After saying that, he went back into the garden room, leaving Naru stunned with what Lin just suggested.

'Lin sees Mai possibly becoming my future wife! More importantly, why does not sounds like a bad idea?'

Shaking himself out of yet another mental stupor, he heard Mai and Lin talking inside and decided to retreat to his room before he hears anything else that may make him lose more brain capacity. Once in his room, he leaned back against the door and took out the portraits he had commissioned today on their date. Looking at them, he realizes that Mai incorporates happiness. Happiness that lately has been severely tainted with all the troubles going on. Thinking about that he went to his dresser and rummaged around till he found what he was looking for. Finding a small jewelry box, he opened it and gave a nod of satisfaction. Making plans for Lin to add something else to it, he decided to look over the case files while waiting for Lin and Mai to finish with their first lesson.

Back with Lin and Mai, Lin had told Mai his plans to go over some basic barrier spells. Nodding in consent he motioned for her to sit across from him on a couple large throw pillows that he had taken from the chaises.

Lin's POV:

"Mai-san, I want you to close your eyes and take deep breaths."

After a minute of observing her, Lin continued. "Good. Now focus on your heartbeat and learn the rhythm. Now think of something that frightens you. Something like your dream at Urado's mansion for example."

Lin saw the pulse on her neck fluttering and her body tensing. "Focus on your heartbeat even as you imagine it. Listen to the sound of it rushing through your ear."

"She's getting more and more agitated. Normally I'd want to train her by learning how to calm and center herself, but Mai is in too many situations that cause her extreme fear to train quickly. Mine as well train her to take advantage of her adrenaline and channel her powers."

"Mai-san, feel your whole body pulse from your heartbeat."

Suddenly her body was glowing with the color of flames. 'This aural color! It's not a normal white or black! It's the element of fire she pulled directly from her chi! She can use this!'

"Now, open your eyes, but keep thinking about the thought of being trapped with no way out and no idea of anyone coming to help you." "Yeah right! You'll always have someone running to you. That is just the type of person you are. You draw people to you. People both good and bad. They seek redemption and they seek to consume your pureness."

Suddenly Mai's eyes flew open and her whole body became rigid in her fear. The glow around her body kept lashing out, and Lin's Shikis were called to try and contain it. Seeing this, Lin loudly shouted at her to calm down.

"MAI-SAN! Restrain yourself! We are still in the garden room! With your parents!"

At the mention of her parents, the lashing flames of her aura settled back down. Breathing hard, Mai's unfocused eyes lifted till they saw Lin.

'Gomen Lin-san. I'm not quite sure what happened.' She breathed out.

"There is no need to apologize Mai-san. This is the whole purpose of training. Please just relax yourself for a moment while I check something and we shall continue from there."

Nodding slightly she slumped down on her cushion and continued to try and calm her heart.

"Mai-san, I will be attempting to enter your mind and assess your power potential. It may feel like another person's mind is sharing your body. It is essentially that. Just stay calm."

'I understand.'

Closing his own eyes, Lin felt for one of his Shikis and had it guide a path from him to Mai. Once he felt the Shiki's direction, he sent his mind into hers, but was immediately bounced off. Blinking in shock he realizes that Mai had effectively blocked him. Thinking it was a mistake; he re-focused himself and attempted to enter her mind again. This time he was prepared and drove at her mind with half an intention to break her under his will. Again, he was bounced off. Looking up, he sees that Mai had felt what he was trying to do and it made her uncomfortable.

'She easily repelled me! I was even using half the force it would take to break a normal person's mind!' Not wanting to potentially harm her if he went all out, although at this rate she may be able to easily deflect that too, he had to think of another route.

"Mai-san, do you trust me?"

Glancing up quickly in surprise, 'Of course I do Lin-san! I've lost count of the number of times you've been there to save me!'

Smiling gently, "Please allow me to try something else then."

'Alright.'

Moving his seat in front of her, he took her hands in his and looked directly into her eyes. He leaned his forehead against hers he directed her to breathe in time with his breaths. Blushing slightly from the close proximity, she calmed herself and soon they were both breathing in sync.

"Very good Mai-san, now I want you to seek my mind out. Do you know that feeling when the power goes out and you try to find something or someone in the dark? That's the same thing I want you to do, but with your eyes opened ok?"

Nodding, she felt her mind look past the Lin so close to her and astonishingly found his mind. With the aid of his Shiki, Mai quickly established a link with Lin. Once she was in his mind, he was able to see the enormous power she was housing this whole time.

"How could I have not seen this? The amount of raw power she possesses is almost monstrous! No wonder her parents sealed her power. Her body would have combusted otherwise."

'You got that right Lin!'

The sound of the new voice nearly shocked him out of his connection with Mai.

"Gene?"

'Yep! I see you finally made some time to check out Mai's powers huh? Bet you're feeling stupid for not noticing it earlier.'

"Gene…how..?"

'It's Mai, the seal is weakening at an alarming rate. You'll need to find other ways to seal it until she can master them. With her powers, it's easier for spirit guides like me to wonder from mind to mind.'

"I see. Where or what is her seal right now?"

'It's her hair. She's always had short hair to level off the power. But over the last two years, she hasn't cut it. As it grows, more power is released. Strangely enough, it's been growing really fast these past few months. I believe that the more power is released the stronger the push for growth and in return, for more power.'

"Come to think of it, two years is a rather short time to go from ear-length hair to mid-back! Hair normally grows at a rate of maybe two-inches a month. She's doubled that rate."

'Yep. Soon, the power would've been redistributed among her normal chi flow and it won't matter if her hair gets cut or not.'

Stopping to think for a moment. Lin thought of a decent temporary seal that he could put together for Mai.

'Lin. Please take care of her for me please. I know Noll wants to know about where I am and all, but I don't want him to pull his attention away from Mai. I'm already gone. Honestly, where I am right now is a very nice place and I can see it as my burial place. So I don't want him to be thinking of anything else than keeping Mai safe and hopefully creating something special between the both of them.'

"Gene…sigh. I will do my best, but you know how stubborn your little brother is."

'Hahaha! I know! I know! Be careful on your upcoming case. I'll try my best, but Mai's going to suffer, I just know it.'

"What do you mean by that Gene?"

'Just be extra careful.'And he drifted away.

Sighing, Lin realizes that Mai has become a little tired from maintaining the connection and uncomfortable with how he hasn't said anything to her in the last couple minutes. Severing the link, he pulls back from her and helps her steady herself.

"Mai. Let's try something else ok?"

Nodding slightly, she sat back and looked at Lin curiously.

"Have you ever been chased by a big dog or something scary like that?"

Looking at him like he's lost his mind, 'Y-yes, but that doesn't scare me that much anymore Lin-san. Honestly, after every thing I've been through at SPR, things like dogs, bears, and snakes aren't that scary anymore.'

Chuckling a little at the irony, "OK, close eyes and try to pretend that a wild lion is watching you."

Watching her do so, he waited a minute before continuing. "Now imagine a whole pack, slowly making its way to you. What do you feel?"

'Like I want to run!'

"Good! Now open your eyes!"

Opening her eyes, she looks at Lin curiously again.

"Keep your eyes opened, listen to the pulse of your heartbeat, and imagine the pack of lions!"

Another minute passes by, "Scared?"

'Yes! Who wouldn't be?'

Trying not to laugh out loud, "Now imagine the pulse of your heartbeat at energy. Let's imagine, say, flames. Concentrate on it and direct the flow of the flames until it creates a bubble around you. There is nowhere left to run, and it's either this or they get to you. The flame bubble is meant to protect you from the lions, so don't hesitate to push it out!"

With that he called all his Shikis to form a barrier in front of him, while he created a water barrier for himself. Suddenly, like he predicted from her earlier responses, the glowing flames erupted from her body and encircled her for a moment before bursting out at him. Luckily he was only slammed back from the force.

Opening her eyes and looking around, Mai started panicking. 'Oh Kami, I am so sorry Lin-san! I don't know what happened? Was that fire? Did you just create water out of thin air?'

"Calm down Mai-san. Calm down and I'll explain everything to you. Again, there is no need to be sorry for you can't control what you don't know. Now as Gene had told you, at your birth there were signs of you being able to wield considerable power and not just normal psychic ones either. You have the ability to draw upon the elements. The enormity of your power is the reason why your grandmother and parents sealed your powers, remember?"

Mai nodded slowly, still reeling from all the power that coursed through her.

"If what we just saw was just from the seal breaking and only defensive barriers at that! I wonder what it'll be like once all her powers are opened and she uses them to strike in attacks."

"Anyway. What you did was called a defensive barrier. Because your powers are still unstable and you can't control them yet, we figured that it's best to at least learn something to protect you and hold off anything bad at bay until someone is able to come aid you. If you were taught other warding defensive spells, they may miss their target and cause unneeded damage. Besides, the instincts for self-preservation generate greater power than just seeking to aim and destroy. Does this all make sense?"

'Yes, in a way. That's why you had me imagine all the scary things right?'

"Exactly. Now the energy that you drew from was your internal chi. Chi is like the fire of your soul. That is where you manifested the fire. To answer your question as to why I was able to create a water barrier. I saw earlier that you instinctively reached for your chi as your source of power. That is instinctive. Most do not know that they can pull from other elements, and even fewer can even manage it. I drew my water from the plants in the room."

'So in other words, you, Lin-san can also call upon the elements, the same as I?'

"In a way yes, but not in the same way you can. I have to use the aid of my Shikis. I was lucky enough to be able to obtain one for each of the elements. They draw the energy from their respective element, and channel to me. "

'I see.'

"Lets stop here for now. For your first time, you've used a lot of energy and I think we need to consider power limiters."

'Power limiters?'

"Yes. They are used on novices so they can send a signal when your power is getting out of hand."

'I see.'

"I'll have something prepared by morning Mai-san. Why don't you go and make sure your bags are packed for tomorrow while I work on dinner?"

'Oh! Since I'm living here now, I should be the one to make the meals! That's what Naru and I agreed upon!'

"While I thank you for your offer, gardening and cooking are the two things I do to relax. So please don't worry about those things. Cleaning on the other hand, I shall leave it to you."

'Ah. Is that so? Well I don't want to stop you from seeking your enjoyment. I guess I'll head to my room now.'

"That would be perfect Mai-san. I'll call you when dinner is ready."

Bowing slightly, Mai made to leave. At the door she stopped and turned back to look at the tall Chinese man who up until recently still seemed unreachable.

'Lin-san?'

"Yes, Mai-san?"

'Thank you for finally referring to me by my first name."

Bowing again, "Most importantly, I'll be in your guidance from now on. Please take care of me."

As he watched Mai leave, he turned to her parents' shrine and was almost certain that he saw them there watching her go as well. No he is positive they were there.

"Taniyama-sans, please watch over me as I try to guide your daughter, and also, welcome to your new home."

Bowing slightly to them, he also made his way out. However, tonight opened up the doors to even more things to think about. He was able to speak to Gene again. Mai's power is enormous and he had to put the limiter charm together quickly. He also has to report everything to Noll.

"I wonder if he's going to be upset that Gene hasn't spoke to him directly yet."

All matter aside, it's the warnings he got about the upcoming case tomorrow that is causing him the most worries right now.

Sigh…"What's for dinner tonight?"

Argh! I am trying so hard to get to the case, but as I kept typing, new ideas and details keep showing up on my screen! Next thing I knew, it's already 11 pages and 2:30 AM! Gah! Hopefully I can make it safely to at least the beginning of the case on my next chapter. Sorry if any of you wants me to hurry up and get to it! As usual, please RxR! Thank you all so much!