A/N: Welcome to chapter 7 of Memories Of Old. This story is really starting to get good. I am proud of the way the plot is turning out too. If there is anything anyone doesn't understand just ask. Remember to read and review.
Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt. Do you think I would be writing fanfics if I did?
"Who's there?" Mai asked as she glanced around.
'Please let it just be Naru playing around,' she thought hopefully. A condescending laughter echoed loud and clear from all sides of the teenager.
"That's rich. You think anyone but me can save your from what is going to happen?" it taunted. Mai felt very cold as the voice spoke. But for some reason she didn't feel scared.
"What do you want?" she asked. Suddenly a figure emerged from the darkness and Mai gasped. Fiery red hair swayed behind the woman as she appeared.
"Minari," she whispered. A smile broke out over the woman's features, as she looked Mai up and down.
"That's right," she said. She noticed that Mai stepped back when she reached out a hand to touch her.
"Are you afraid of me?" she said genuinely curious. Mai nodded.
"You killed her," she replied. Minari sighed and nodded.
"I know. I killed her. But I won't kill you," she said finally. Mai's eyes widened considerably.
"You won't kill me? But then why did you attack us in the study?" the young brunette said. Minari sighed.
"I didn't attack you. I just wanted to scare you off," she said.
"Scare me off? But why?" Mai asked becoming more and more confused.
"I wanted to save you. I've been watching you since you arrived. Paolo has set his sights on you and he will do anything to have you," she explained. At Mai's curious stare she continued.
"Yes, I did kill Isabella but what's done is done. Paolo believes that you are Isabella's reincarnate. The only way for you to be together, if that were true, would be if you were to die," Mai gasped at this admission. Ignoring her once again, Minari pushed on.
"I have seen that young man you like and I saw what happened between the two of you. I am sure he would make it very painful for me if anything were to happen to you. Besides, I know you are not Isabella. You couldn't be. And I refuse to let Paolo take another innocent girl's life because of his obsession." Mai nodded. She had this completely wrong. Minari wasn't trying to be vengeful. She was trying to protect her!
"So you are trying to stop Paolo from killing me?" she asked after a while. Minari simply nodded. She looked to the side as another figure approached the pair.'
"Naru? Where have you been? I thought something happened to you," Mai said running over to him. Minari slowly approached the pair.
"You are not Naru," she said simply when she stopped. Mai turned and looked at her.
"What are you talking about? Of course this is Naru," she said gesturing to the said young man. Minari shook her head.
"No it's not. Remember that I was there when he kissed you and I am telling you. This is not that guy," she said adamantly. Mai was about to protest once again when 'Naru' put a hand on her shoulder.
"She's right Mai," he said. Mai shook off his hand and stepped back.
"What are you talking about? You have to be Naru. You look exactly like him!" she yelled.
"Yes I look exactly like him, but that's only because…" he trailed off. He really didn't want to have to explain all this to her.
"We are twins," he said quietly. Mai felt her whole world spinning at his statement. He wasn't Naru. He was Naru's twin. A twin Naru never mentioned.
"What's your name?" she asked in a whisper.
"Eugene," he supplied. Mai nodded and wrapped her arms around herself.
"How are you in my dreams?" she asked.
"I have some of my own psychic abilities," he replied.
"But why has Naru never mentioned you before?" she said, not noticing as Minari disappeared.
"I'm…" he trailed off. How would she take it? It's not everyday you find out the person you see in your dreams is dead.
"Your what?" she coaxed.
"Dead," he said eventually.
"De…dea…dead," she stuttered as it sunk in. "You are dead." Gene nodded as he felt a weight lift from his chest. Now he didn't have to lie to her. Well it wasn't lying per se he just didn't correct her mistakes.
Eventually Mai felt the shock recede. With everything going on, this didn't really seem all that strange.
"So why are you in my dreams?" she asked after a moment. Gene just shrugged.
"I don't know. When you dream, you enter an astral plane that my spirit is still lingering on. Hence we run into each other every now and then," he mused. Mai sighed and ran a hand over her face when she heard a voice.
"Mai," it called.
"Mai,"
"Can you hear that Gene?" she asked looking around. He nodded.
"He needs you to wake up now. If you don't he might start panicking," he said.
"Who?" she said.
"My brother," he supplied. Mai nodded before closing her eyes. The last thing she saw was Gene standing over her.
"Goodbye," he said.
When Mai re-opened her eyes she thought she was still dreaming. Gene was still standing over her.
"Wait a minute. That's not Gene," she said noticing slight differences that separated the brothers. She vaguely noted how Naru stiffened as she spoke, but before she could question it Takigawa was at her side.
"Oh thank the lord. We were so worried about you when you passed out," he exclaimed. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the young girl looked around.
"How long was I out?" she asked rising to a sitting position.
"About 10 minutes," Masako replied. Mai nodded before looking at Naru once again. She smiled softly as she remembered Gene. They really did look a lot alike. No wonder she got them confused.
"Are you okay Mai?" Lin asked with unusual concern lacing his tone. She nodded as she noticed another face peering down at her.
'Paolo,' her heart skipped a beat in fear as he smiled down at her.
"You are not Isabella," Minari's voice rang through her head. The only problem would be if Paolo would believe that."I need to speak with Naru," she said looking at the black haired teen. He merely nodded and sent everyone a look that was asking them to leave. Everyone did so and closed the door behind them.
"What did you want to speak with me about?" he said as she climbed from the floor.
"Gene," she said simply, watching as his back straightened and he turned to look at her.
"How do you know that name?" he asked quietly. Mai walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"He told me," she said. Naru turned to look at her with an expression she had never seen before. Confusion.
"How?" he said once he got over the initial shock.
"Remember on that first case, the one at my school, I asked if you came back to the building?" he nodded in understanding, interested in seeing where she was going with this.
"Well when I was knocked unconscious I had a dream and he was in it. At the time I thought it was you. But just now I found out he is your dead brother. Naru why didn't you tell me?" she finished. He shook his head and turned away from her.
"It doesn't concern you," he said.
"The hell it doesn't. I have been dreaming of your dead brother for ages and now you tell me it doesn't concern me? That's rich," she huffed angrily. Naru shook her hand off his shoulder and walked to the other side of the room. All the while ignoring her.
"Please Naru," she said in a pleading voice, "Don't shut me out like this. Let me help you." She walked over to his turned back once again. When he didn't reply she slid her arms around his waist and squeezed lightly.
"Please," she tried again. This time Naru sighed and turned in her embrace. He wrapped his own arms around her waist in reply.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "Thank you for being as stubborn as you are."
"I'm not sure if I should take that as a insult. Your words say yes, but your tone says no," she said laughing and burying her face into his chest. He just tightened his hold on her and smiled secretly.
"Awww," a voice cooed from the doorway. The pair looked up to find Takigawa, Ayako and John all standing there with big smiles.
"It's about time you guys," Ayako said. "Although I really shouldn't be saying that. You were together before until someone who shall remain nameless, cough Naru cough, screwed it up." Ayako just gave a big smile as Naru shot her a withering glare.
"Yes well a smart man learns from his mistakes," he said eventually, not releasing his grip on his assistant. Now that everyone knew there was no need to be all-secretive.
"True, true," Takigawa said nodding thoughtfully. "Although a perfect man such as myself doesn't make the mistakes to begin with," he added. Ayako promptly went about beating up the monk as the others, minus Lin but including Naru, laughed at the pair.
"Has anyone forgotten that there is a case to be solved here?" Masako said angrily from the door. Everyone's mood turned slightly sour at her words. She was right after all. They still had a case to solve.
"Oh that reminds me," Mai said suddenly, "There was more to my dream. Minari's spirit came and spoke to me. She said she wasn't trying to hurt me but rather protect me."
"Protect you?" Masako said listening intently. Mai nodded and moved from Naru's arms. "She said that she was trying to stop Paolo from killing me." Mai's eyes widened as she realised she had said his name. He was now looking at her with eyes wider than her own.
"Me? Trying to protect you from me?" he said uncertainly. Mai nodded. He shakily stood and exited the base.
"I didn't mean to say his name," she said quietly.
"It's okay Mai. Its better he finds out now. Maybe we can help him come up with a way to stop being possessed now," John said kindly. Everyone reassured Mai that it would be okay as well. Even Lin.
"Are you sure Minari was trying to protect you? She might have been lying," Naru said breaking the mood.
"I doubt it. She didn't even lie to me when she saw who Gene really was. She said she had seen you and I before and the guy standing before her wasn't you," Mai countered without a second thought.
Naru nodded thoughtfully before launching into order giving mode.
"Well since we can't be 100 sure of Minari's intentions, I would like Ayako to stay with you at all times. Takigawa," he said gaining the monks attention, "I would like you to keep an eye on Paolo. We can't have him gallivanting about when he gets possessed. Masako, I want you to go around the house and see if you can contact the spirit ball. We are still not sure as to who that is. We need to identify whether or not it could pose a threat to our group."
"What about me Naru?" John asked politely. Naru glanced at the monitors for a moment before addressing the priest.
"John, could you go with Lin into town and see if anyone knows of the woman Mai and I found in the garden?" John nodded, as did Lin, and the pair left to go into town. Everyone separated and went off to do their respective jobs.
A/N: Sorry for not updating in a while. I've been busy with one of my other stories and all my tests I have to study for. Just when I manage to finish all my assignments they are making us to tests too.