I really wanted to get something out for Mai's birthday! (Happy Birthday, Mai!) I hope you all enjoy the update and please, please, please review! They serve as inspiration and I really do read every single one of them even if I don't reply!
Mai woke up with a gasp. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment as her breathing was hard. She slowly sat up and she noticed that Madoka and Masako were asleep in the room. The teen girl winced as she realized she had once again fallen asleep, suddenly, while talking to the older woman. She hoped Madoka didn't think Mai thought she was boring. Mai made a note to tell Gene to not summon her so much when she was with Madoka.
'Who is Azami, though? I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep after that dream. I think I'm going to see if I can find that book Yumi told us about.' she thought. Mai climbed to her feet only to blink as she saw she had been changed into her pajamas. She realized Madoka had changed her after she had joined Gene on the astral plane. She stood there for a moment before quietly making her way to the door. She made sure she opened the door quietly, slipped out, and shut the door just as quietly. She stood listening for a moment then sighed in relief when she didn't hear them move.
'I'd hate to wake them. Who knows what time they were able to go to sleep with that Naru running the show?' she thought with a scowl. She still hadn't forgiven him for making her take temperatures when she thought it had been completely unnecessary. She just hoped he didn't catch her up snooping behind the hotel desk. She could just imagine the way he would immediately find something for her to do.
'And knowing that workaholic, he's still awake. I don't think I've ever seen him actually head to bed before.' Mai thought as she entered the lobby. She looked around quickly to make sure neither Naru nor Lin were in the area. She was thankful Lin had helped her escape earlier but she didn't know how long that helpfulness would last in the face of Naru's determination. She let out a sigh of relief when she didn't see either of them. She was also thankful, although confused as to why, when she saw there hadn't been a camera set up in the lobby. She shook her head before making her way over to the desk.
'Yumi said the book should be under the desk somewhere.' she thought as she bent down. She noticed there were two doors that were closed to hide the inside of the desk. Mai opened the doors and found the book she was looking forward on the shelf inside. She sat down as she pulled out the volume. She flipped through the pages looking for a familiar name. The only names she recognized were Takae's and Kasumi's. She frowned before flipping through the book again only to sigh when she realized she didn't find the name she had thought she would find as an owner of the Ryokan.
'The way that first vision with Azami went, I thought she had been forced to become an owner and that's why she supposedly killed herself. According to this, though, and the dates listed in the family registrar Miwako let us look at…she must have died before her mother could have forced her to take on the responsibility.' Mai thought with a frown. She tapped her fingers on the last page of the book that told her Kasumi had been the most recent owner. Her fingers continued to brush over the name as she allowed her mind to wander away from her.
Mai was pulled from her thoughts as the lights suddenly went out. She quickly put the book beside her and slowly stood while being sure not to hit her head on the desk. She stood still as she allowed her eyes to adjust to the darkness only to jump as a bright flash of light entered through the windows. She winced as a loud clap of thunder quickly followed the light. She let out a soft sigh as she realized it was just a storm that had caused the electricity to go off and nothing paranormal.
She shook her head with a soft smile before blinking as a figure appeared in the left doorway of the lobby. She felt her mood drop when she saw it was Naru standing there with a flashlight and a frown on his face. She winced as he guided the beam of light towards her to see she was standing behind the desk.
"Mai, what are you doing?" he said. Mai rolled her eyes as she knew it wasn't a question but rather an order to tell him. She would have shook her head at him if he hadn't been shining a light in her eyes as well as being able to see her because of the light.
"I woke up and decided to come investigate something Yumi had told me about when I called her. Along with what Gene told me when I saw him in my dream." she added. She was relieved when he lowered the flashlight to allow her once again to see him instead of the blinding light that was the flashlight.
"What, exactly, did Gene find fit to tell you this time?" he once again asked although it certainly didn't sound like a question. Mai wondered if Naru had ever truly been taught how to ask a question.
"That there's another entity here by the name of Azami. I dreamed of her once but I had thought she would be one of the owners from what I saw. However, she isn't listed in the book Yumi told me had all of the owners listed. At the same time, though, Miwako looked her up in the family registrar and it showed that she died when she was sixteen. Miwako said Kasumi thought this girl had committed suicide." Mai told him as they stood in the dark. She couldn't read his expression because he had the flashlight pointed at the floor.
"You think this…Azami is the entity who attacked you? What connection does she have with water and the hot springs? Kasumi has a connection that makes sense when looking at the paranormal events happening here." he told her. Mai bit back a frown when she realized she hadn't told Naru how she thought the girl had taken her life.
"I'm positive. And she does have a connection…I think she killed herself in the hot springs. I'm also sure she was the one that cause Kasumi's accident. This is going to sound unrealistic to even you but I'm sure Azami wanted another spirit with her so she could consume it." Mai told him. She might have not been able to see his face but she did hear him shift and knew she had caught him off guard. She felt ridiculous now that she had voiced her theory on the cause behind the hauntings.
"You think there was already a ghost here before Kasumi passed away." he repeated. She blinked before letting out a sigh.
"I talked with Yumi and she said they had experienced minor occurrences when put together could be paranormal. However, it wasn't like anything they've suffered in the years after Kasumi's passing. I think her death awakened whatever power might have already been here." Mai told him. She jumped as he suddenly appear in front of her with the desk between them. She could see his face clearly as he put the flashlight on the flat surface. The storm outside continued to rage as they stood there. Mai could see Naru was processing what she had just told him.
"Your intuition continues to surprise me." he told her. She blinked only to bit back a scowl as she knew he had just complimented her. In his own Naru-esque way.
"What do you mean?" she asked. She wasn't sure what he meant by the compliment now that she thought about what he had actually said.
"You mentioned you thought the ghost had been possessed when you talked to us while at the hospital. I said ghosts can't be possessed but if they encounter another ghost or entity they can be consumed. It sounds as though from what you were describing this is what is happening to Kasumi-san." he told her. She studied him for a moment before leaning forward so she had her arms crossed on the desk. She bit her lip as she thought about what he had just told her before sighing.
"Do you think we can save Kasumi? Azami's spirit was so very dark when I saw it." she whispered. Naru didn't answer her. She knew what it meant when he didn't answer her. "I won't give up on her, Naru. I made a promise to Miwako that we would help her mother. There has to be a way."
"I will talk to John about performing an exorcism tomorrow. He was with Lin and I watching the monitors until the electricity went out." he told her. Mai quickly shook her head as fear tightened in her stomach. She knew they couldn't wait.
"No, Naru. It has to be tonight. I don't think Kasumi will be able to last much longer." she told him. She could feel him look at her as she put a hand to her heart. "Something is telling me, right here, that we don't have time to wait until the morning."
"Come on." he told her. She blinked at him as he moved away. Mai jumped as he turned to look at her with a scowl on his face. "Come on. If we want John to perform an exorcism tonight we have to tell him."
"Oh! Right." she said with a nervous laugh. She quickly followed him as he led her through the darkened hallways with the flashlight as hand. She swallowed her nerves back when she realized they had set their base up next to the room that held the entry to the hot springs. Mai was surprised to see John was the only one in the room sitting in front of the dark monitors as they had no power.
"Where is Lin?" Naru asked as he placed the flashlight down to add more light to the room. Mai realized there were four flashlights, one in each corner of the room, plus the one Naru had just set down in front of the monitors. Mai saw John had a sheepish smile on his face.
"The handyman, Rentaro, I think that was his name, came and asked one of us to come help him start the generators. Lin said he would help and told me to stay here. What are you doing here, Mai? I figured you and the other girls would still be in your room." the blonde priest said. Mai scratched the back of her head with a laugh.
"I woke up and was restless. I was down in the lobby before the electricity went out. Naru found me down there shortly after. I actually have a big favor to ask, John." she told him. He tilted his head cutely at her causing her to sigh. He probably had no idea what he did to the female population.
"What do you need?" he asked.
"For you to perform an exorcism. Tonight. There's a dark entity here, I think it's been here a long time, and it is trying to consume Kasumi. I don't think she'll make it much longer." Mai told him. He stared for a moment before standing with a gentle smile on his face.
"I'll go get ready and start right away. I would appreciate if someone would come with me to hold the flashlight, though. With the power off I won't be able to see much." he told them. Mai opened her mouth to volunteer before Naru interrupted her.
"We will both accompany you. If this entity is capable of what Mai is implying then it would be better to stay in a group." Naru said. Mai blinked at him in surprise. He rarely, if ever, suggested they covered ground in groups. Naru had always been of the mindset that the more ground covered the better which usually meant traveling alone. She looked at him only to swallow at the expression on his face. She assumed he was remembering what had happened with Gene earlier that day.
"Of course, give me a moment to go change. I will be right back." he said. Mai watched as he took the flashlight Naru had just put down before disappearing through the door. They stood in silence as Mai let her thoughts turn to Kasumi and Azami. She really hoped they would be able to help the woman who had fallen victim to a vengeful ghost. She glanced at Naru to see he was staring blankly ahead causing her to sigh. She knew he wouldn't strike up a conversation unless his life depended on it.
"He's alright, you know." she blurted out. She felt her eyes widen as he turned to look at her. Mai put a hand to her mouth as she wondered what had possessed her. She hadn't even been thinking about telling him Gene was alright. She had thought it would be obvious since the older Davis twin had summoned her back to the astral plane after his show of power.
"Hmm." was the only reply Naru gave. Mai rolled her eyes as he turned away from her. She knew she shouldn't have expected anything else out of him. Naru truly didn't know how to show his feelings, at least not outwardly, and she was coming to terms with that. He may have not accepted her confession so many months ago but she noticed the little things he did for her. It might have not meant much to anyone else but the way he was always there for her, whether it be to save her life or to cheer her up in his Naru way, she knew she could count on him.
"When was the last time you talked to him, Naru?" she asked. She could feel him tense even though he was almost on the other side of the room. She was surprised at how attuned she had become to him in the short time they had known each other. She had been able to tell on the first day they worked together when he became agitated with her.
"I don't see how that could possibly be any of your business." he replied coldly. Mai rolled her eyes at him. She knew exactly what that type of reply meant.
"You should talk to him. He's your brother after all." she told him.
"He's dead, Mai, there should be no talking to him." he quickly said. She crossed her arms as her frustration began to grow.
"Do you realize how many people would give the world just to have the chance you have?" she asked as evenly as possible. She found it was becoming harder than normal not to reach out and strangle him. He really made it easy for people to hate him.
"I'm not one of them." he said. She felt her eyes widen and her jaw drop.
"Oliver!" she cried catching his attention. She rarely used his given name. She wasn't sure what she would have said to him as John reappeared at that moment.
"I'm ready to get started. Where do you want to go first, Mai?" the blonde asked, oblivious to the tension in the air. Mai sent Naru one last look, he was scowling at her although she wasn't surprised, before turning to John with a smile on her face. She wasn't going to let her fight with Naru deter her from the mission they were on.
"I think we should go to the hot springs. I think the entity, whatever it is, usually hides down there." she said. The priest nodded in agreement. Mai grabbed one of the flashlights and followed John out of the room. She heard Naru following them. They made their way down to the hot springs causing Mai to swallow as she saw it was much darker now there was absolutely no light entering it other than their flashlight beams.
"Mai, if you could point the light at my Bible." John requested. Mai hummed in agreement as she did what he said. She could feel Naru standing beside her causing her nerves to grate on each other. She had a feeling if they were alone he would be giving her a piece of his mind after the way she had spoken to him. She knew she couldn't blame him as she knew she had crossed a line that was not meant to be crossed.
They continued to stand in silence as John started exorcism. Mai looked around as she waited for a reaction from the spirits. She wasn't sure if it was because of the type of exorcism but spirits tended to react more to John than either Takigawa or Ayako. She directed her flashlight to the water of the hot spring only to gasp at what she could see. The water had started boiling as John continued to read.
"Naru!" she gasped as she saw a figure emerging from the water. The figure was completely black and the beam of the flashlight seemed to reflect off it. It didn't take Mai long to realize they were looking at what was left of Azami. If it had ever truly been Azami, Mai told herself.
"Remain calm." Naru told her. She nodded as the figure began to distort. She realized that John's reading was having an effect on it. Her eyes went wide as the blackness seemed to dissolve around the spirit revealing two female figures. One was Kasumi, Mai recognized her from the picture hanging in the lobby, and the other was Azami, which Mai also recognized only this time it was her vision that told her who the woman was.
"Kasumi-san, you have to pass on! You're free right now! Your family wants you to be happy in your next life." Mai cried. She met the woman's eyes and watched as a soft smile spread across her face.
"Thank you. Please tell your friend, that male ghost, thank you. Also tell my family I am waiting for them and to live happy lives." she responded. Mai nodded with a smile. She watched as the woman faded away while the other figure stood there blinking in confusion. When she realized the other spirit standing beside her was gone she let out a scream that had Mai covering her ears.
"What have you done?! Who the hell are you?!" she screamed. Mai could hear that John had stopped reading when he realized Kasumi had passed on.
Naru started speaking causing Mai to blink. She didn't understand the language he was speaking but knew it wasn't English. It sounded much rougher than his native language. She glanced at John to see he was also staring at their boss in surprise. He caught her eye and Mai tilted her head towards the younger man. John just shook his head as he glanced at the ghost in front of them. Mai also looked at her only to blink at the surprised look on Azami's face.
"You!" the ghost screamed. Mai watched as she reached out for Naru as he continued to talk in the language Mai didn't recognize.
"Naru, watch out!" Mai cried as she moved towards her boss. She grabbed his shirt sleeve causing him to look away from the ghost. Mai met his eyes as panic began to settle deep in her stomach once again. She just shook her head as she tried to convey her panic to him.
Mai gasped as she felt something hit her stomach pushing her away from Naru and into the wall opposite them. She sat there blinking in surprise as she heard John yell at the entity and from the scream Azami gave she was sure he had used holy water on her. She continued to sit there as she tried to process she had just been thrown by a spirit. It wasn't the first time she had been attacked but it was the first time she had been thrown by one.
"I will have him! I will have his powers! He is MINE!" she gasped at the voice in her head before looking at the hot springs. She blinked as the electricity blinked on suddenly allowing her to see the water clearly instead of just what the flashlight had allowed her to see. She swallowed as she saw how calm the water was now that she was gone. She looked at Naru as she slowly pushed herself before John could help her.
"Naru, what was that language you were talking in?" she asked. She met his eyes as he looked at her.
"German. Something told me she would respond to me." he answered. She shook her head at him as fear firmly settled in her stomach.
"She responded to you, alright. She knows about your powers and she wants them, Naru. I think…I think her sights are set on you." she told him. She could feel tears in her eyes at the thought Naru had just put himself in danger. She knew she should have warned him about Azami's past lover being German. She just hadn't thought it would be important.
"Interesting." Mai felt her mouth drop open at the smirk spreading across his face.
'Noll, that's not something to be happy about, you idiot scientist!'
I hope you enjoyed! Please remember to review! I really appreciate it!