A/N: I know this sounds horrible but maybe I should insult you guys more often... I got many reviews! YAY!! Ok, I promise that I will never, ever insult you guys as long as you'll keep reviewing, deal?
Um... anyone ever see the movie 'Whisper of the Heart'? Anyone notice how similar it is to Ghost Hunt? (Ok, you've got a cute guy who makes fun of the heroine at first. A girl with short brown hair who's slightly oblivious and falls for said cute guy. The guy leaves for Italy at the end and doesn't Naru go to England at the end of the book? o.0... AND they both come back.)
Disclaimer: I'll stop my author's note here and allow you to read... I own my idea.
Oh and my email won't send me messages that I have reviews any more so I'm sorry, but I can't reply to everyone any more... (I really am sorry!)
By the light of the moon
Mai clasped her hands over her mouth to stifle the scream that was at the back of her throat. Tears fell down the side of her face and onto her lap, soaking the cloth.
"I-I'm so sorry, Mai." Ayako pulled the distressed princess into a friendly hug. Mai grabbed onto the older woman as though her life depended on it. She sobbed into the ruby red cloth of Ayako's dress and Ayako tried not to move.
"Why... I just... don't get it... Why?" Mai choked out and Houshou appeared around the corner.
"L-Lady Mai? Oh... I'm sorry." He siad and tried to give her a reassuring hug but Mai chose that time to pull away from Ayako. She raised her fists and made a determined face. One of those said fists hit Houshou in the face, sending him sprawling across the floor.
"S-Sorry." She apoligized then took her determined stance again. "I can't let Marie down! I have to live for her!" She declared and was 'shushed' by the occupants of the library. Mai made a face but pulled Ayako out of the library. The two ladies went down the hall to Mai's bedroom, followed by Houshou.
--
"H-Hello, my Lady. I am Kaori Nazuka. Um... I am to be your maid." A girl with light brown hair, a bright smile, and big green eyes introduced herself to Mai.
"Hello. Good afternoon. Please sit down." Mai smiled and gestured to the seat next to her. Despite the brilliant smiled fixed upon her face, Mai's tone was some-what icy.
"Y-Yes, ma'am." Kaori sat down right away. Mai waved away the woman who brought Kaori to her. She bowed and closed the doors.
"I want you to understand, I do not want you to get close to me. No one can replace Marie and so you shouldn't even try." Mai said, dropping the happy facade. Kaori nodded dutifully.
"I understand, but I want to be your friend anyway. I do not wish to take Miss Marie's place, she was a good friend of mine too, I want to be myself. I want to be your friend." Kaori said with determination and Mai found a real smile on her face.
"Ok then. Tell me about yourself and drop all this formality junk. When it's just us, just call me Mai. And I'll call you Kaori, ok?" Mai smiled and Kaori grinned as well.
--
"B-But, why are we sneaking up on him?" Kaori whispered into Mai's ear as the snuck into the dark confines of the library. Mai had told Kaori all about Naru and she commented lightly about how it might be interesting to meet the siad boy. Mai smiled at the excuse to see him again. For some reason, he was invading her mind, interrupting her sleep, and filling her heart with something she either didn't recognize or didn't want to recognize.
"Come on, you said yourself that you wanted to see him. Let's go! Besides he's my friend and what friend doesn't visit once in a while?" Mai winked and approached the familar table. But there was no one sitting at it.
"Is he invisible?" Kaori joked and Mai stuck out her tongue.
"This is where... I thought he..." Mai looked at the empty desk and frowned. It wasn't right.
"I moved my working place where noisy girls can't find it." His voice was smooth and emotionless as he teased. Mai turned around, her light blue dress twisting to keep up with her. Her face was in a bright smile and Kaori looked at him with a blush upon her cheeks.
"Naru! You're here." Mai exclaimed and Naru looked at her sharply.
"'Naru?' Where did you hear that?" He asked and Mai covered her mouth.
"Sorry... I just..." A blush creeped up and Mai failed with her words. Just how did he have this power over her? Why do words fail when she's around him?
"Fine, just leave." He said and walked down an aisle full of medical books. Mai quitely followed him gesturing for Kaori to follow. The maid sighed but followed none the less.
"Gosh, have you got a crush or what?" She whispered into Mai's ear and Mai stopped.
"N-No! It's nothing like that!" She stammered and Kaori grinned in triumph. Mai turned around and made for the enterance of the library.
"Mai... I thought we came this way." Kaori said pointing the opposite way that Mai was going.
"But I thought it was this way..." Mai said pointing. Kaori and her sighed.
"Rock, paper, sissors for the way?" Mai suggested and Kaori held out her hand in a fist.
"Rock, paper, sissors, shoot!" They chanted, moving the hands and Mai formed rock while Kaori formed paper.
"This way, then!" Kaori happily said and Mai reluctantly followed.
"Come on, how can paper beat rock? Paper is just so flimsy. I mean, you could throw a rock at someone and when they yell 'What's your problem?' you just say 'Oh, sorry. I thought your paper would protect you." She ranted and Kaori fought her giggles. Soon they were even more lost than before.
"I'm sorry Mai. I suppose you're way was right..." Kaori said and they tried to go the other way to escape. Mai led the way and soon they were hopelessly lost.
"I suppose we can't get any more lost can we?" Mai said sadly. She felt so pathetic, getting lost in her own library.
"Go that way. Don't make any turns." Naru appeared before them and pointed down an aisle to their right.
"N-Naru! Thanks." Mai bowed slightly, showing her respect for the man who probably saved their lives. (It was soon to be dinner and both girls had a mighty appetite by now.)
"..." The boy didn't respond but the light blush that was playing on his cheeks was not unnoticed by Kaori. Anxious to tell Mai, she pulled Mai down the aisle and they were soon outside the library. Mai heaved a heavy sigh and a couple sevants ran up to tell the exhausted girls that they were late to dinner.
"Ma- Lady Mai, I have something to tell you after dinner." Kaori was not about to delay their dinner for she was quite hungry. Mai nodded and they hurried to the dinning hall.
--
"Did he really?" Mai gasped and blushed herself after Kaori informed Mai of what she had seen. Mai giggled. "I must go back there more often." She said and Kaori smiled gently.
"Do you like him? As more than a friend?" She asked and Mai's face gave only the ripest tomato competition. Kaori giggled and Mai shot her question right back at her.
"Do you like him?" She asked sourly and Kaori shook her head.
"I don't think he's my type. I like the more loud, strong, and some what stupider men. They are fun to tease..." Kaori described her ideal man and Mai felt herself missing Marie. The two maids had similar tastes in men.
'Oh, Maire... why?' Kaori took notice of Mai's depression and tried to cheer her up.
"Mai! Where were you all day?" Ayako barged in and both girls jumped in fright.
"I-In the library. I kinda got lost..." She admitted and Ayako slapped a (well manicured) hand to her forehead.
"Only you, Mai. Only you." She said before patiently listening to Mai's tale.
"Why?" Mai asked after she finished. "You seemed sort of frantic when you came in." Ayako looked at her seriously.
"Another servant has been killed. But this was an obvious murder. So I'm thinking that Marie's death was a murder as well." Ayako said and Mai was gripped with fear.
"W-Who?" She asked and Ayako took on a thoughtful expression before answering.
"They say it's a girl by the name of Rin Nazuka." And Kaori sank to the floor.
"M-My little sister!" She whispered and started crying. "H-How was s-she killed?"
"Strangled then pushed from a balcony. The murder wepon was missing at the scene of the crime and this odd little note was beside the body." Ayako explained and gave the note to Mai.
"Dearest Sister,
Please do not miss me or cry for me for I will be back soon. I am heading to grandmother's. I regret that I couldn't see you and you couldn't tell me about our Lady Mai. (I hear she's quite a slave-worker! Just kidding!) I will miss you dearly. And this was no accident. I might be killed because you are connected to our Lady Mai. I overheard a group of men talking about taking over the throne and I foolishly declared that you are the closest maiden to our princess. They will pursue me so I won't be staying long at Grammy's.
They are here! Dearest sister, I lov..."
Mai read the letter aloud and cried as she saw that the word was cut off in the middle. She was, no doubt, killed by the men. Kaori wiped her eyes and took the letter.
"I must stay strong for my dear sister. Lady Mai, please I must go to her funeral." Kaori pleaded and Mai smiled back at her maid.
"Of course, but take some guards with you. If they killed your sister they may go after you as well. I don't think I could bare the thought of getting another new maid." Mai joked and Kaori nodded. The somber girl stood and ran to her room to pack.
"Mai, this is a problem. What are you going to do about it?" Ayako asked seriously.
"I don't know, Ayako. I just don't know." Mai said looking out her window across the lands of people she loved. She drew the curtains and fell into a fit-full slumber.
A/N: Just an interesting fact: Kaori Nazuka is Mai's voice actor in the anime. Please review!