This story's coming to an end, guys. Next chapter is the epilogue. Can you believe it? It makes me kinda sad. I really loved this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt. If I did, I would run out of ideas for endings so fast. I really have no idea how the writer managed all those cool endings and explanations.

Mai remembered her mother's funeral in a haze, but one thing she did remember very clearly was when she saw her body in the coffin. She had suddenly had a brief moment of insanity in which she believed that her mother was alive - must be alive - and that they were going to bury her alive.

She had screamed at the top of her lungs until someone - a neighbor, who was a doctor she later found out - had slapped her across the face, jerking tears and reality into her. That had brought her to her senses, except then she had lost it all over again when she realized that her mother really was dead.

But there was no one now to slap her back into her senses. She went on screaming his name until it hurt, until she was hoarse. She went on screaming and screaming until she shook him a little and somehow, something clattered to the floor behind him and she jerked a little when she heard the noise. Her screaming came to a sudden halt.

It was the black compact mirror Naru had shoved into his pants pocket not an hour ago. Mai swallowed with difficulty - her throat hurt so bad she wasn't sure she could ever swallow anything again - and released the cold hand that she had been holding since Naru had asked her to. With her other hand she was still gripping the hand that Naru had put to her cheek only moments ago.

She picked up the mirror and held it, crushing it in her palm.

Come on, Gene, do something. Do something, please, DO SOMETHING.

She found that she wasn't just thinking it, she was shouting it, too, and when she realized that, she dropped the mirror and dropped Naru's hand and pinched both of her cheeks as hard as she could.

I am not crazy, she repeated to herself. Get a hold of yourself. Get a hold of yourself. Gene's not going to come. You have to do it yourself!

Myself.

Come on, Mai.

Mai took a breath and held it so she could momentarily stop her sobs. She took Naru's wrist in one hand and pressed her fingertips to it with the other. When she felt a weak, sputtering pulse, she allowed herself to let out her breath and then quickly sucked another one in. She held out her fingers under Naru's nose and tried to feel for any sign of breathing, but her head and heart were both pounding so hard she wasn't sure if it was wishful thinking or some cold draft in the tunnel or his actual breaths, so she quickly gave up and then sat back.

She took one of his hands in her own and squeezed it, trying to rub life into it as she thought.

Think, Mai! What would Naru do?

Naru would already have the answer thought out ten minutes beforehand, she thought regretfully.

Focus.

Focus!

FOCUS!

Naru would use his PK. What did she have?

I am a latent psychic.

I have crazy but real dreams.

Gene helps me.

He guides me through the house.

I can bend the house to my will.

Something was escaping her.

There was an answer there, somewhere - surely there had to be. Naru himself had taught her there was answer to anything.

What was it?

She didn't know how long she sat there, trying to think. She wasn't going to risk falling asleep to ask Gene what to do - she might lose Naru that way. She kept a thumb against his pulse, breathing in ragged breaths and swallowing hard to stop the tears. Tears weren't going to help Naru come back.

Hesitantly, she reached out and brushed away the damp, black strands away from his face. His face was still warm, and it gave her hope. Dead bodies were cold, weren't they? Naru was okay.

He was okay.

He had to be okay.

He was, wasn't he?

Mai pressed her forehead to his knee to stop a fresh wave of tears. If only Gene were here. If only he had never died. She remembered that Gene and Naru used to bounce their PK off each other until there was enough. She ached for Gene to be alive and well, not for herself, but for the gaping, ragged hole in Naru's life.

His pulse fluttered under her thumb and her breath hitch unsteadily until it resumed its weak beating. She wanted to press her own life into him, give him everything she had. She would give her life for him if only -

There was the answer.

She had been wishing it this whole time, when she could. She could press her own life into him.

Master of Manipulation, eh?

She had rolled her eyes then, at Monk's offhand, goofy comment, but now she gripped Naru's arm tight, clinging to that one remark. If she could manipulate the house's energy to do her bidding, she could use her own, too, couldn't she?

Carefully, she put a hand on Naru's chest, above his heart, and allowed his warmth to seep into her fingers. She remembered him just a few hours ago with his arm around her waist, when he had saved her in the dark. He had been firm and strong and warm.

Mai squeezed his hand, and this time, she wasn't calling for Gene.

Naru, help me.

She summoned all the little butterflies he gave her when he looked at her, when he was kind to her when no one was there. She gathered up all the weaknesses she had for him, the flush that rose to her face when she thought of him. She imagined herself as full of warmth and light, and of all of it flowing into Naru until he was no longer cold and weak. She imagined him filling with her warmth as it left her. She felt herself grow a little dizzy as she did, but Naru's pulse seemed to grow stronger against her thumb, and it gave her hope. She kept pressing her strength into him until she was exhausted and weak, until his breath was warm against her cheek and his heart beat strong under her fingers.

She smiled a little to herself, weary and dead tired. She had done it. Screw the stupid demon. She had brought Naru back from the edge of death.

Then black spots clouded her vision, and enshrouded her in darkness.

Aw. I loved that chapter. Naru gives me little butterflies too.

I just felt like Naru had been saving Mai this whole time, so she needed to go rescue her own Prince Charming too. A girl who's always the damsel in distress is no fun.

For next time: Are they going to get together? You guys decide!