Warning!! Violence, blood, graphic gore, a tidbit of OOCness, angst, dark theme, swearing, failed attempts at humor, MaixNaru

Disclaimer!! Sadly I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of the characters in it. If I did Mai wouldn't be so naïve and Naru wouldn't be such a narcissist.

Authors Note!!! I'm dead tired lol. I've been working nonstop these past few days and I just finished one of my many exams this weekend. I feel like that power bunny but I think I'm loosing my charge lol. I want to thank all of you who have been reviewing and adding me to your alerts and fav's. Everything you do is greatly appreciated but also I want to thank all of you readers who might not be reviewing but have been faithfully reading my story. You have not gone unnoticed.

Bou-Monk

Hōshō- pronounced Ho-u-sho-u

Miko-priestess usually a shrine priestess

Shiki/Shikigami-spirits under an onmyouji command

Oyabun-Boss

Okasan-Mother

Hentai-pervert (in this context)

Dream

Spirit speak

Flashback

"Blah" character talking

'Blah' character thoughts

Gone But Never Forgotten

Chapter 4- Raven's Wings Part 4: Don't close your eyes

Mai looked at the monitors in the base unseeingly as she sat infront of the equipment. Her mind running through everything that had happened in the past thirty minutes thanks to her knew discovery and Naru's revelation. Though she had suspected what he had told her and the rest of the gang from the beginning, having Naru confirm it for her was like the floor falling from beneath her feet. It left her feeling breathless and it made her heart clench painfully. Mai shook her head as she tried to dispel the sudden wave of nausea that washed over her when she remembered Lin's words.

~Flashback~

"If she ever experiences the victim's death…She too will die here, in reality."

Mai felt everything shatter around her at the revelation that the mostly harmless dreams, nightmares she had could now kill her. That the strange, horrifying nightmares that helped the gang with their cases could end up causing her death. It felt like a bad dream suddenly and all Mai wanted to do was wake up as Masako held her. She was somewhat relieved when Naru's cold voice sliced through her almost meltdown as he said,

"You shouldn't have said anything Lin."

Mai looked up a little confused and bewildered but Bou cut in and asked, "What do you mean? Of course he should've. It was for her safety that she had to know, that we had to know."

Naru glared coldly at Bou but the older man didn't back down. Mai could see the ice blue color in Naru's eyes signaling his concern begin to darken showing that he was getting angry. Mai bit her lip but Naru said,

"If she didn't know it wouldn't affect her emotionally."

Mai couldn't help but blush a little realizing in his own way Naru had been trying to protect her state of mind. She caught Ayako's little knowing look but she ignored it when Masako began to speak in her soft voice but Mai could see the paleness in her face from their revelation.

"So…So what does that mean? That Mai can't go back to sleep? That she'll never sleep?"

Mai felt her heart stop before beginning to beat rapidly at Masako's words and missed Naru looking sharply at her hyperventilating form. Before she realized what was happening he had her face between his hands and he was ordering her to calm down. Without thinking she grabbed at his hands that held her face and tried to take deep breaths as he ordered her to. Soon her breathing was back to normal and she was blushing lightly as she realized how close their faces where. She noticed something flash through his eyes before he smirked at her making her anger boil up. Bou had to grab her as Naru moved away to make sure she didn't hit the dark haired young man. Naru's eyes went dull as he held his chin between his fingers as he thought about something it was a few minutes before he said,

"I have a feeling this wont be the last time your powers arrive or the last time you experience a dream like that."

He looked up and their eyes locked as he said, "You have to be more careful when you're in your dreams. You'll have to figure out a way to wake yourself up out of those kind of dreams that can injure you."

Those his voice was monotone Mai could hear the underlying compassion in it and she blushed lightly as she nodded her head in understanding. However, before they could say anything more Takiha knocked and came in. Bowing before them Takiha said,

"Yukori-sama wishes for your presence in the main living room."

Naru nodded his head before he looked around the room and said, "Lin, Osamu-kun please accompany me to see Yukori-san. Takigawa-san, Matsuzaki-san please check all the cameras. Father Brown please accompany Hara-san around the house to do another walk through."

He hesitated when his eyes fell on Mai before he said, "Mai…Stay at the base and watch the cameras."

~Flashback End~

That was how it had ended up but for some reason Mai couldn't help the slightly ominous feeling that seemed to hover over her. She sighed lightly before looking up at one of the cameras out of instinct but she gasped at what she saw. The tower door was wide open and the camera was staring straight at the form of a women in the doorway. Mai shrieked softly before she picked up a walkie-talkie and cried into it,

"Naru!! There's something happening at the tower!!"

Without thinking she stumbled out of the chair and into the hall as she ran towards the tower stairway just as Naru's voice came from the walkie-talkie.

"What do you mean, Mai? Where are you?"

Mai ran up the tower stairs, taking to at a time as she replied into the walkie-talkie, "The door is open and there was a woman standing in the doorway. I'm on-"

She couldn't finish that sentence because the moment her foot touched the towers floor, the temperature plummeted and her feet were yanked from under her. She shrieked in fright but it was cut off as her head slammed against the floor. She heard the sickening crack as her head met the floor and she was dragged towards the door but suddenly something cold wrapped around her wrist. She shrieked as she felt as though she was being pulled in two as something tried to pull her down the stairs and something else tried to pull her towards the tower room. Something there was an enraged snarl and whatever had been trying to pull her towards the tower room let go of her ankle. She was dragged down the stairs harshly, her body colliding with the stairs roughly making her cry out in pain. Whatever had her switched its grip to her hair and she clawed at it as it dragged her away from the tower stairs. She screamed in terror and frustration, unable to get it to release her and too terrified to open her eyes and see what it was. As she felt her back meet stairs again and her stomach began to churn, Mai's eyes snapped open. She screamed in terror as she recognized the staircase to the cellar and she fought more viciously. It let out a angry hiss as it let go of her and she tried to scramble back up the stairs.

"Help me!!! Someone please save me!!"

Mai finally heard familiar voices screaming her name as she got closer to the door that would get her away from the cellar.

"I'm in the cellar stairs!! Help m-"

Her words were cut off as she was flung away from the door and back down the stairs. She tumbled down the stairs and moaned in pain as she curled up into a ball when she finally stopped falling down the stairs. She yelped when it yanked her hair again and dragged her further into the cellar, it was then that Mai realized she was crying. She thrashed one final time as she tried to get away but another painful tug on her hair made her stop altogether and grip whatever had her. She heard the far off sound of a door slamming open just as she saw a blur of white and a piercing sound fill the area. Suddenly her world went dark as a flash of pain filled her she saw nothing and felt nothing after that but the last thing she saw was piercing blue eyes before she slipped away.

I couldn't feel my body. There was nothing to feel though as I felt myself floating above everything. I felt so tired and numb but at the same time I felt so awake and alert. It was like every nerve in my body was humming loudly. Slowly my eyes opened and I saw I was surrounded in darkness, but not the usual kind, not the kind that usually comfort me or terrified me. This one left me feeling numb and alert all over. I watched as a scene began to unfold infront of my eyes and I immediately recognized it. It was when i was attacked what seemed not to long ago by the two entities.

I saw myself running up the stairs talking to Naru, completely oblivious to the form of a man. I recognized him though he looked more contorted, it was the father of the girl, Mari. I watched as he moved around the girl in the doorway and make his way towards me. I watched as his body began to twist into and unnatural position till he was on all fours just as my foot touched the tower hallways floor. His hand whipped out and grabbed my ankle yanking my feet from out under me. I saw as my head hit the floor and I became disorientated as he dragged me towards the tower room. I saw more women and girls reaching out towards us as he dragged me towards them but I recognized only one of them. Yukari was there in the mix and she was reaching out for us desperately. I could see her mouth moving, saying something but I only caught pieces of it.

"Hurry…Bring her…he's…hurry!"

Suddenly, the temperature dropped more and suddenly the thing that had wanted her showed up. The man froze for a moment before yanking at the me in the scene more harshly trying to hurry up. Its red eyes flared angrily before it grabbed at my wrist tugging harshly at my arm. I suddenly realized what was going on when the man swatted at the disgusting creature, yanking me harder towards the door that the woman had disappeared from. The creature lashed out and caught the man's twisted face making him let go of me and cry out in rage. Then it was dragging me away from the twisted form of the man and I knew what would happen next. I closed my eyes and suddenly I was feeling warm and comforted again. I opened my eyes and I was surprised to see both Mari and Yukari infront of me. I turned around when I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw Gene smiling sadly at me. But it was Mari and Yukari that spoke as they stepped up to me and they said simultaneously,

"We're sorry. We were trying to protect you but we couldn't explain it in the moment. We're sorry we didn't protect you."

Suddenly, my body stopped thrumming and I closed my eyes as my sense of floating stopped and I felt like I was slammed back down onto the ground. Pain filled all my senses and I tried to curl up into myself as though I wanted to get out of my skin. The darkness was suddenly overwhelmingly bright as I clenched my eyes shut. My dark dream world disappearing around me.

Mai's eyes opened for a seconds to see bright lights whizzing by her as people yelled above her before her eyes closed again. She woke again to see a bright white room surrounding her before her eyes closed once more.

Again they opened and she heard voices.

Again they opened and she saw Ayako's crying face.

Again they opened and she heard Masako begging her to keep her eyes open and speak.

Again and Bou was sitting next to her with Lin gripping her hand like a life line.

Again and Yasuhara was reading to her in a quiet voice.

Once more she opened her eyes and Naru was bending over her softly saying the same words over and over. "I'm sorry I should have gotten there sooner."

Mai closed her eyes once more and she was taken my the darkness completely.

There was yelling, it was loud but I couldn't tell who was doing it. My eyes still felt so heavy and all I wanted was for everything to disappear. I let out a heavy tired sigh before I peeled my eyes open and I saw that it wasn't Bou and Ayako yelling like I thought it would be. I was dreaming, dreaming about what happened to that family in the house and suddenly I felt ill but I kept watching. It was Mari, Mari and a young man only a few years older than herself. They were arguing and I had to listen closely to hear what they were saying to each other.

"But I love you!! What you're doing isn't right!!! It's disgusting!"

"What right do you have to tell me what's right and what isn't?! If you really love me you know exactly how I feel about him! Whether he's blood or not I love him!"

"I don't care!! It's disgusting!! He's disgusting!! How could you even do something like that with your father?"

Mari smacked him hard across the face making his head snap to the side as she glared at him angrily. Tears spilled over her eyes as she hissed out,

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare say that, Aki. You have no right to call my father that. You have no right to judge our love for each other. I never want to see you again. I hate you. I will always hate you."

The young man, Aki, turned his head slowly towards her with his eyes burning with rage as he said, "You'll regret this, Mari. You and the rest of your family. If I can't have you no one will."

Suddenly the scene changed for me and I was staring at Mari looking down at her bloody little sisters that had their clothes torn. Tears fell recklessly down her face before her mother ran into the room and screamed at the sight. She ran out yelling that she had to call someone but it was cut short causing Mari to whirl around and look into the face of Aki. He hit her once knocking her out instantly and raped her along with her mother before killing them too. He left only for three hours later Mari's father returned to see his murdered family. He cried over each of them but none more so than Mari. He wept and screamed for her until his throat was raw and he could weep and scream no more. When the police finally came he told them all he could, even his involvement with his daughter. They quickly caught Aki but he just laughed and said he would continue to kill girls after he got the taste of their blood. When they executed him Mari's father vowed to protect all the girls Aki ever put his sights on.

Suddenly I was yanked away from the scene and I was in my usual comforting darkness. It was then my whole body seemed to throb but all I could tell was that the throbbing was uncomfortable. Not comforting and not painful just…uncomfortable. I looked to my left and I saw Mari and her father smiling sadly at me holding hands. They bowed formally and he said,

"I'm sorry for the fright I caused you. I just panicked."

I nodded my head before something caught my attention and I frowned. Shaking my head at his words I asked,

"Then what was that before…When I first came here?"

The man gave her a confused look but Mari answered her this time as she said, "That wasn't my father. That was him. He was trying to confuse you but he hadn't counted on you being a psychic. He hadn't counted on us getting in contact with you."

Mari's sad smile twisted into a cruel one and her whole aura changed like that first time I had met her when she possessed my body. I stepped back suddenly afraid but the smile was gone and she gave me an apologetic look. Suddenly, the look behind them and looked back to me before they said,

"Becareful…He's not a spirit and he's not a poltergeist. He's beyond that now. He's twisted our spirits in such a way that…We've almost completely lost our way. He's a demon, a monster and he won't stop unless you stop him."

Before I could ask how they were gone and I suddenly realized the dull throb was becoming more intense for me. The darkness that had been surrounding me had begun to glow more and more until it became blinding. I had to clench my eyes closed as my dark world became filled with blinding light and loud noises.

A soft almost inaudible groan escaped Mai's lips as her eyes fluttered open before shutting against the bright light. There was a rustle of movement and someone had both of her hands making her open her eyes again to see who it was. She was a little shocked to see Naru on one side of her while Bou and Ayako were on the other side of her. Ayako's eyes were red and puffy as though she had been crying for a long time while Bou and Naru looked tired and ruffled. Mai blinked a couple of time before closing her mouth then opening it again trying to force something out of her throat. She felt someone squeeze her hand and she looked to see Masako next to Naru though she was sitting down by the bedside. Mai blinked again before taking everything in around her, the beeping heart monitor, the white bleached room, the I.V. attached to her and the bed she was on. Mai's face scrunched up as it all caught up in her mind and a raspy voice she realized later on was her own, asked,

"Am I in a hospital?"

Ayako bit her lip as she nodded and Mai's frown deepened as she asked, "For how long? Why?"

Masako choked on a sob as she looked away letting go of Mai's hand while Ayako looked away, pain clear on her face. Bou bowed his head as Lin walked in and stopped walking instantly at seeing Mai awake. He looked from everyone in the room before looking back to her and putting his stuff down on a chair. He walked over to her slowly and asked,

"How are you feeling?"

Mai thought about it for a moment before saying in a raspy voice, "Foggy…and I hurt a little."

Lin nodded his head just as Naru reached over and pressed a red button making Mai look at him questioningly but he didn't meet her eyes. She looked at everyone trying to figure out what happened to her before Bou said,

"You've been in the hospital for three weeks, Mai-chan."

Ayako shook her head as she said, "There was so much blood and you just lost so much blood. You were all bruised and broken…It was horrible, Mai."

Mai could feel her mind racing to register her words as she tried to remember everything that happened before she woke up. Then finally Naru spoke but he wasn't looking at her when she looked at him instead he was standing by the window with his fist clenched at his sides.

"You died, Mai. You were technically dead for twenty minutes."

Mai felt her heart stop and she knew it did by the beeping on the heart monitor. It stopped for a second before picking up a little speed as she shook her head. Then she remembered it, what she couldn't remember from in-between when the darkness took her and she began to dream. It had been cold at first before everything began to warm up and she could feel someone stroking her cheek. They'd been warm, comforting and when she opened her eyes she had seen her mother smiling down at her. Mai had staid like that for a while, just enjoying her mother's presence. However, there faces changed to sad looks as everything became cold again. She remembered seeing a huge raven looking down at them with eerily gold eyes before flapping its powerful wings. Then everything was black again and Mai had started dreaming. Mai closed her eyes and breathed deeply as she tried to calm her racing heart. She opened her eyes to see a glass in her face filled with water and she looked up to see Lin. She smiled gratefully at him and drank it thirstily before she asked,

"How? How did it happen…The last thing I remember is…It dragging me to the cellar."

Everyone was quiet until Lin began to speak and he said, "We had heard your screams but by the time we reached the tower staircase it was already dragging you towards the cellar. We ran as fast as we could to try to catch up…"

"When we got there I think we got it mad." Mai jumped a little at hearing Yasuhara's voice, she had not noticed him in the background. He was watching her with barely concealed guilt and concern. Mai gave him a confused look before asking,

"What do you mean?"

"It attacked you. It shoved a knife into you barely missing your heart."

Mai looked at Naru as he spoke, her eyes wide open as he finally met her eyes and she saw why he had not been looking at her. He knew she would see what the others would not see in his eyes, no one else but Lin and her would notice the emotions whirling around in those seemingly cold eyes. He was feeling guilty because of what had happened and he had also been scared like that time when the car almost hit her. Mai closed her eyes as she tried to process everything. She had died…She really had died? She had seen her mother? She had been with her mother? But then what had that raven been? What did it signify…if it signified anything at all? It was so confusing to Mai yet so serene. Frightening yet beautiful. Suddenly, Masako's voice cut into her thoughts as she asked,

"What did you see when you died, Mai?"

Suddenly the atmosphere in the room became tense and everyone was looking at Mai but she wasn't looking at them. Her eyes were at the ceiling as she remembered everything that had passed. Closing her eyes she breathed deeply and said,

"It was…It is…hard to explain. Its was…peaceful but…it was frightening at the same time. Nothing made sense yet everything made sense. You were warm but…you were cold to. I just…I just can't explain it clearly."

Mai shook her head in frustration before everything suddenly became foggy and her heart jumped in fright. Someone squeezed her hand and she heard Ayako's voice say,

"Calm down, Mai. It's just the medication taking affect. Just relax and get some sleep, okay?"

Mai shook her head weakly as she said, "No..can't…have to…tell you…what I dreamed…about. I know the…truth."

Naru's soft voice slipped its way into her brain as he said, "You can tell us when you wake again."

Mai hummed softly before she slipped into a dreamless sleep, the world around her fading out as her mind shut down. When she woke again she looked around and saw that everyone was asleep. She smiled warmly before she reached out to try and grab a glass of water by her bed on the table. She inhaled sharply as pain lanced through her and her heart monitor's beep quickened a bit before slowing down again. Mai took a few deep breaths as she stopped reaching out for the cup only to have a pale crème hand grab it and hand it to her. She turned just in time to lock eyes with Naru's and she froze for a moment before taking the glass with a mumbled thank you. Naru didn't say anything and neither did he smirk like he usually would, instead he just watched her as she drank. They staid like that for a while before Mai looked at Naru and said,

"It's not a ghost and it's not a poltergeist…It's a demon."

Naru looked at her for a moment before nodding his head and saying, "I know…I figured it out when it attacked you."

Mai looked away not really surprised that Naru had figured it out but she was surprised when he asked her softly, "How are you feelings?"

Mai looked at him and blinked a few times before looking back at the ceiling as she thought about it. Taking a deep breath she said softly, "I'm doing better."

She saw him nod his head from the corner of her eyes before he asked, "What did you dream about?"

She looked at him this time with tired eyes and said, "I dreamed about a lot of things."

He opened his eyes to say something but she cut him off and continued speaking, "At first I dreamed about what happened in the tower. I saw everything…They were trying to protect me when they got me to that tower. Mari and her father and all the other victims were trying to get me into the tower room to protect me from Aki."

Naru frowned and asked, "Aki? Who's that?"

Mai rubbed her temples as they began to a little before she said,

"Aki's the demon, that creature. He'd been a human spirit before but his hate and disgust twisted his spirit so much that…now he's a demon. He had been in 'love' with Mari but because she refused him…he killed her. Her family was in the way and he wanted her father to suffer also so he killed them all after raping them."

She sighed tiredly before looking at Naru; his eyes were dark as he lost himself in thought. Mai reached out her hand as she remembered the words he had said before at the moment she had opened her eyes. She touched his hand lightly and said,

"I don't blame you. It was my fault since I should have stayed at the base."

Naru looked up at her and she saw something flash through his eyes as his blue eyes locked on hers. Mai felt her breath hitch slightly before someone moved beside her breaking the intense moment. Mai looked over and saw Masako waking up slowly as she yawned and got up. Mai watched her not noticing Naru's eyes only on her before he looked away as everyone else began to wake as well. Mai blinked tiredly as she sighed heavily before she repositioned the bed so she could sit up. She smiled warmly as she watched everyone around her wake. A sense of peace enveloping her but it was different from the peace she had felt when she was with her mother. She closed her eyes and sighed not realizing that she was felling asleep again, not hearing when the doctor came in as she slipped away. Masako looked at Mai worriedly as she slipped away as she sat but the doctor just smiled and said,

"Don't worry. It's natural for people who went through what she went through to be tired. I'm surprised she woke up so soon though. That's why I'm not to surprised she slips back into sleep at the oddest hours. Just let her sleep, the more the better."

They nodded their heads and sighed as they all looked at the sleeping Mai. Naru suddenly got up and said facing the gang, "Mai gave me what we needed to know to end this case. Let's go and finish this."

Nobody but Lin heard the anger under Naru's monotone voice but he said nothing as they began filing out the room.