A/N: *hides from readers* Can I say one word? NaNoWriMo. Does that explain the lateness of this chapter? If not, sorry, but I made sure this chapter was extra-long as an extra-special sorry. On with the story!

Disclaimer: If I owned Ghost Hunt, the apology Naru gives at the end of the English anime (the extra scene!) would be way more drawn out. Way, way more drawn out.

Chapter 10: Balcony

For just a few seconds in that black oblivion, the scenery blurred. The hovering lights distorted. Naru even seemed to disappear and reappear again. Mai could not help but feel herself sway slightly. But the lightheadedness and odd images faded as quickly as they had come. She paused. She knew she was asleep. But then… why did she notice such minute details? She even could see the concern flicker past Naru's eyes as he noticed the difference as well. Naru soon brushed it off as if nothing had happened, but Mai couldn't even assure herself. Maybe it was only a dream, and she had nothing to worry about, but something in her gut told her otherwise.

"Naru?"

He looked up with a complacent smile. "You're back."

Mai could not help but grin in return. Why couldn't he act like this normally? It would make life so much easier – for everyone. She stepped forward with a steady rhythm, her arms limp at her sides. "I guess I am," she said enthusiastically. Her voice sounded detached and airier than usual. She tilted her chin up to take clearer look at him. Why did he look so welcoming now? Why not normally, when she was absolutely positive she was not dreaming? She gave a small sigh and dropped her head. She knew if Naru was acting nicer it was too good to be true.

"What am I doing here?" Mai asked, lacing her fingers together.

"I'll show you. Follow me." With those words, he took off. Mai had no choice but to rush and see where he was going. It seemed too good to miss.

The black nothingness around Naru and her seemed to stretch on for eternity. Mai could not see anything other than Naru, herself, and the white lights hovering before them. The lights were always just a bit too far away for her too reach. She could hear her footsteps patter on the nonexistent ground, but for some reason she noticed, not Naru's. A sharp prickling ran up her as the blackness suddenly morphed into a carpeted hallway leading up to a set of white double doors.

"Here we are." Naru turned to her again, a new expression upon his face that Mai just couldn't place. Like the lights in the void, the meaning to the expression was barely – just barely – out of reach. But it was out of reach nonetheless. "Do you recognize anything, Mai?"

Mai glanced around again, taking in the surroundings, but she knew where she was without a second try. She could not forget this hallway where she had just happened upon the door and out of sheer curiosity taken a peek inside. But Bou-san had caught her before she could make anything out. Naru had promptly forbidden her from the offending wing of the manor and then had dismissed it.

"Of course I recognize it," Mai said. She brushed her bangs hastily away from her eyes and looked back up at Naru eagerly. Even though this was a dream, and she knew it, the wing looked identical to its real-world counterpart. Her subconscious could not possibly get every detail this close. But every dusty lamp, the twisted and braided orange-gold fringe on the red carpets, the blood-colored drapes, even the cobwebs seemed to be in place, just like she remembered. It was weird, really… "It's the West Wing."

"Correct," Naru replied. He sighed softly, shifting his weight, and somberly looked up at the doors. A new tension pressed down on her shoulders when Naru did not continue. Mai wriggled uncomfortably under this awkward and painful silence. She was not exactly sure where this conversation was headed, but she was positive staring off into space was not one of Naru's goals for the night.

"Ah… Naru? Are you… okay?" Mai asked, concern deepening her words. Naru paused and snapped from his trance. After a few quick blinks, he gave a curt nod; a signal he had at least heard Mai. He did not utter a word and only remained unsure of himself. Mai furrowed her eyebrows and watched as he cautiously approached the white doors. She didn't even try to follow. It just did not feel right.

Naru almost seemed to be regretting step he took, all the while growing more hesitant. His pale white hand reached for the door knob. Mai leaned forward in anticipation, wondering if she was actually going to get to see the inside of the forbidden room. Of course, this was her dream, and she had only glimpsed inside the room for a second. Whatever was in there was not going to be the real thing, no matter how desperately she wished for it.

But all of a sudden, at the very last second, he slipped away. His arm fell limply to his side. Naru swore hoarsely under his breath, eyes darting everywhere except to the doors. Mai couldn't help but feel a crushing disappointment sweep over her. Oh… so close.

"Even I dare not go in there anymore. That room – just that room – has not been touched in nearly four years."

Questions swelled in her throat, begging and pleading to burst out into the open and be answered. The look on Naru's face struck daggers at her heart. She knew she shouldn't say anything; he looked too heartbroken. But why? Why did this upset him? And it was with that her silence broke.

"Why? Why did you forbid me from the West Wing? Why aren't I allowed in only that one place? I – I just don't get it!"

Her chest heaved, an unwanted pout painted her lips, and her eyes were set in determination. Naru simply stared back. His eyes shone oddly bright, emotions exploding into fireworks beneath cyan. A small smirk curled over his lips and he cocked his head ever so slightly. Mai's knees nearly buckled.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

With that, he turned and walked away from the double doors.

"Never enter that room, Mai. Never."

The words echoed painfully in her ears. Mai stared after him longingly and realized she still had not received a straight answer from the master. She wrung her hands, unsure of what she should do. Naru did not seem to falter in his steps nor did he look like he was going to backtrack. Despair tugged on her heart and with a deep breath, she began to run after him.

"You have a total of one hundred days left," he began without turning around. If anything, his strides began to speed up. "One hundred days beginning this Friday to be exact. When our fifteen hundred days are up, we lose everything. When your hundred days are up your presence here will mean nothing anymore."

"What in the world does that mean?" Mai yelped with an inconsolable tremor in her voice. It was getting harder and harder to keep up with him now. His tone was bordering on dangerous, but Mai wanted to get to the bottom of this whole ordeal too much to let his manner obstruct the answers.

"You'll find out in time. Just keep following me."

The minutes ticked along as they raced around corners and sped down the hallways of the dark manor. Naru knew exactly where he was going but didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. He also didn't bother to mention where exactly they were headed. Halting suddenly, he flung open a pair of double doors and led Mai outside into the night.

Mai stepped out onto a small patio, her black shoes clicking against the stone tiles. Moonlight washed over the ledge that had been converted into a small seating area. A wall about a meter high a little ways in front of her closed off the area. Naru finally turned and gave her a slightly forced but nevertheless warm-hearted smile.

"I doubt I've taken you here before," he said softly, holding his hand out so Mai would take it and come forward. She placed her hand in his with a slight blush and let herself be pulled farther outside. "We're still on the third floor so be careful out here. It's a high fall all the way down there."

"It's so pretty though…" Mai whispered, stepping forward farther into the light, wanting to peer over the edge. "I actually feel free out here. Not trapped in the house like I usually do."

Naru's grip on her hand tightened as he jerked her arm back. He dared not go farther than a few steps. Mai stood beside him contently and did not question his actions.

"I always used to love coming out here and sitting on one of the chairs to just look out at the horizon, day or night. It was always so peaceful out here. No one other than me and—" He stopped short suddenly. Mai could see the whites all the way around his eyes. Her heart lurched uneasily, but before she had the chance to ask what was wrong, he simply shook his head and continued.

"No one other than me could find this place. It was much quieter than inside, where Takigawa and Ayako were always bickering or trying to strangle each other."

Mai giggled. The times now were no different. "Well, why don't you come out to the patio anymore? I wouldn't bother you; not if you didn't want me to. And I'm sure everyone else would leave you alone, too, if you just told them. You can come out here anytime you wish."

Mai attempted a comforting expression, but Naru did the opposite of what she expected. The kind smile slowly slipped to a heartbreaking one. The blue eyes darkened. His pallid face cleansed itself of all emotions. The master gazed up at the moon and dropped Mai's hand, avoiding his response. Mai's stomach flipped and her eyes widened in concern. Had she said something wrong?

"Remember everything you see, Mai. You must remember. That's all I can say for now. I wish I could help more. Good night."

Mai's throat constricted, but she tried to say something, tried to understand his words – words that seemed more like a warning than anything else. Naru stepped back into the house and vanished before her eyes. Mai stepped back a couple of times, leading herself back towards the wall.

Remember what? And why?

Mai clenched her fists and tilted her head back, moaning quietly. She just wanted a straight answer for once. She turned as soon as she felt something bump against her back. Mai at first thought it was the barrier, but as she turned her saw the wall was another meter away. She swiveled around on her heel and her heart jumped in her chest. What had that been?

A chilling breeze swept over her back, causing the hairs on her neck to stand up. Against her will, her feet were drawn together and suddenly she couldn't move. Something pinched at her right hip and kept its hold as she struggled to break free. The grip now latched onto her left shoulder, dragging her back. Even using all of her strength, there was no way she was going to get away from the invisible captor. All at once, Mai lost her balance. She fell backwards.

Farther, farther, farther - until all sense of direction was gone.

Mai's eyes shot open. She found herself staring at the dark canopy above her bed, twisted up in her own sheets. A shadow beside her fizzled away as light filtered in through the windows. Slowly, she sat up and looked around. Here she was, back in her room – with no idea how she got there. She'd fallen asleep in the hallway. She knew it, she remembered it, she was absolutely positive of the fact.

Mai ran a hand through her hair and whimpered softly. Was 'confused' the only emotion she was able to feel here? Mai slumped back against the pillows and tried to brush the feeling off. She was just making a big deal out of something that was very little. She had probably woken up and walked herself back here, and just didn't remember. If that wasn't the case, Naru might have found her and led her back. She blushed immediately at the thought of it, but knew otherwise.

Like Naru, of all people, would do something like that, her mind mentioned dryly. Mai ignored her own conscience. She needed to get ready, not waste her time on wishful thinking. She began to loosen the sheets from around her legs and noticed she had fallen asleep in her clothes. Nevertheless, a new outfit was laid out at the bottom her bed for her to wear today. She almost began to wonder once more who had put those there, but shoved the emotions away.

She just needed to learn to accept the happenings here and deal with it. Maybe then she would finally come to peace with her environment. It was certainly one way to deal with the situation. Slipping her fingers across the blanket her mother had made (it had been the first thing she packed when she had been summoned to this place), Mai started her third day at Shibuya Manor.

The morning continued like before – snippy comments from Masako, no sign of life from Yasuhara, and the warm shower greeting her a little too brightly for the early morning. She delivered Naru's tea without question or complaining, mainly because she knew she had forgotten it last night, and waited for her orders for the day.

And for once, her day was normal. Naru treated her like a person, and not a diminutive little bug under his shoe. The servants were happy to talk with her all day, leading her around the house, and even helping her with tasks that they were able to do. Takigawa helped light up the ballroom that Ayako helped her sweep and dust. John helped her prepare part of the master's dinner. (Naru was obnoxiously precise about what he wanted.) And even though Lin didn't participate much in the 'talking' department, he was a huge help in navigating her around the castle.

The one person she didn't see all day, however, was Madoka. And although Mai found it odd that the talkative teapot did not show up, she supposed she had better things to do. Masako and Yasuhara, of course, were stuck in her room and no one knew what Naru was doing. No one really bothered to find out for themselves.

And at exactly six-seventeen that evening after her eventful dinner with John and Takigawa in the kitchen, consisting of a miniature-scale food fight and an interesting conversation about Ayako's habits, Mai collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. She blew her bangs from her eyes feebly, just to have them fall right back in place again. She moaned softly when her legs refused to move.

"Another rough day?" Mai tilted her head back and looked at an upside-down Yasuhara grinning.

"Hey, it was better than the last two days. I can say that much. I just don't think I've walked up and down staircases that many times in one day…" Yasuhara chuckled again, but didn't say anything else. Mai wanted to sleep, wanted to close her eyes, and wanted to let the soreness in her legs leave her until the morning (when, of course, she had to start all over again) but her subconscious wouldn't let her. Mai opened her eyes, glaring down the windows.

A pink horizon peeked out at her, teasing her. There would be no sleep for her unless it became dark. Because that time coming did not arrive for another hour or so, Mai had to choice but to see what else she could do in the house to keep herself occupied.

Mai pulled herself from the bed and let her hand drop to the quilts, reaching to touch her mother's blanket instinctively. But to her shock, her hand simply fell to the silky bedspread. Mai looked down at the bed and her eyes widened. Her heart jerked in her chest and for what seemed like hours, her breath lodged in her throat.

Her mother's blanket was gone.

Just this morning, she had seen it, touched it, slept under it. The small patchwork couldn't have gotten far in less than twelve hours. It just couldn't. Mai pulled up the purple top cover and reached frantically underneath the other quilts, hoping in vain that she would find it misplaced under there. She had no such luck.

"What in the world are you scrabbling for?" Masako yawned, her glare dull. Mai didn't bother to reply, but began to tear up her room, looking for that one blanket that meant the world to her. The only thing left she had from her family – the tattered memories of her family – was currently missing. She needed to find it. There were no questions asked.

"My blanket. The one my mother made for me right before she died," Mai muttered, her tone strained. Masako coughed slightly, but didn't say anything in return. Mai growled under her breath, yanking open drawers, throwing back curtains, turning the room upside down.

"I don't think you'll find it in here, Mai-chan." Yasuhara spoke up suddenly. Mai stood up from searching under her bed and glared at the bookcase. His eyes betrayed none of his thoughts or emotions. Advancing, Mai replied as calm as she could.

"Where would it be then?"

Yasuhara didn't respond for a while. When he did, it wasn't the answer Mai had wanted to hear. "I… suggest you ask Naru."

Mai huffed angrily, but knew she was going to get no other response. She sped from the room towards Naru's office, hoping her would know where her most prized possession was. She was going to kill him if he had taken it from her, no matter what the consequences. Even if she had done something he had not approved of, and this was her punishment, she thought taking the quilt was too far below the belt – even for Naru.

Mai passed Lin on her way there without a word. He gazed at her as she flew past, breathing heavily. He closed his eyes halfway and ignored the guilt pressing against his throat. As Madoka said, what they were doing was all for the better. Everything would work itself out in the end – they were sure of it. They needed to give their all for their second chance. They were lucky they even had this chance.

"Naru!" Mai yelled. She didn't bother to knock on his office door and didn't slow herself until she reached his desk. Slamming down both hands onto the table, she saw him jump as she glared him down. Mai had caught him off guard. "Na-naru, have you seen the quilt that was on my bed earlier? It-it's no bigger than half a meter by half a meter, and it was a patchwork with dark blue and maroon squares. Yasuhara-san said I should ask you!"

Naru stared back at her with widened eyes. He finally showed the first signs emotions on his face – taken aback. Mai didn't bother reveling at this new development.

"No. No, I haven't. Why?"

"My mother made it. It's the last thing I have from my family; I need to find it!" Her voice cracked on her last words, but she bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. Naru stared at her for a moment longer, but stood with an unexpected start. Mai backed up instinctively, but heard the opposite of what she expected.

"I'll help."

Mai's heart raced and a grateful smile burst across her face. Without another word, Naru pushed past her and beckoned her from the room. Mai slipped out the door with him and jogged beside him to keep up. She never knew his attitude could change so quickly.

"Where did you last see the quilt?"

"My-my bed, this morning. I went out to do the things you told me to do today and when I came back, it was just… gone. I tore my room apart looking for it, but Yasuhara and Masako said I needed to ask you if I wanted to find it." Mai couldn't help but keep the desperate edge away from her voice. She adored that quilt too much to bother.

"I have a feeling I know where it is, but I can't be too sure. This is exactly like the library yesterday. What are they getting at?" Naru said more to himself than to Mai. Mai looked up at him, unconsciously chewing on her lower lip. How could her quilt being stolen relate to when the two of them were locked in the library a day previously?

"I don't know what's getting into them. My servants are normally much more civil than this."

Realization slapped in her the face. The servants stole her blanket?

"No, not all of them," Naru gazed at her over her shoulder. Mai jumped. It was like he had read her mind. "It was Madoka, mainly. Yesterday's… events also came from her mind. She seems to think that…" Naru narrowed his eyes and trailed off. "No. Never mind."

Mai opened her mouth to protest, but was silenced by a warning look from Naru that seemed to say, 'If you ask you question, you will surely regret it later.' She had no idea that very soon, she would find out why the servants were acting so out of character, as Naru said. She had no idea she was the very reason for it.

"How dare they go out there," Naru hissed under his breath. His tone had hardened all of a sudden and he had tensed up. "That one place… They know. They know."

Mai's expression had changed from blank to perplexed.

"Follow," was the one word Naru barely managed out before taking off down the hallways, past two very familiar looking doors and down a pathway Mai thought she had already traveled down before. By the time Naru swung open two glass-paned doors, Mai was completely out of breath. She leaned against the doorframe to steady herself and gazed out into the early night. As she did, her heart caught in her throat.

Staring at the ground, ignoring his surroundings apprehensively, Naru spotted cloth peeking out from a shadow. "Just as I thought." Naru swiftly knelt beneath one of the fading chairs and snatched the blanket from the corner. Mai stepped out behind him, and instantly recognized the balcony.

"This is…" Mai gasped, but had no time to take in the scenery. With one harsh shove, Naru had dropped her blanket back into her arms and turned her around to head back inside. He slammed the French doors behind him shut more forcefully than was needed. Mai was too preoccupied to notice.

"Thank you," she whispered, rubbing it against her cheek and completely forgetting about the fact that the patio on the third floor of the manor looked very similar to what she had seen in her dream last night. Identical, in fact. The familiar scratchiness of the cloth reassured her. The blanket was safe. Her mother's memory remained. Mai looked back up at Naru, trying to find better words. None came to mind. Once more, she said, "Thank you. So much."

Naru simply nodded. Any words he wanted to say escaped from him as well as he gazed down at his brunette servant. He denied the small butterflies in his stomach and blamed it on not having enough dinner. "It's not a problem. Now… get to bed. This doesn't excuse you from your chores tomorrow, or any other day."

Mai could only smile. "I wouldn't expect it to."

Naru watched Mai disappear back into the darkness, laughing to herself quietly. He exhaled softly, but turned on his heel. Naru was not heading back toward his office, but toward the kitchen. Unbridled fury burned in his ribcage. Naru never thought that she would go this low. He never thought they were this impulsive to go so far. He couldn't believe it.

"Madoka," he called out, in a tone that meant business as he slammed the kitchen door open. The teapot poked around the corner while mutterings of, 'damn it,' and, 'run for it,' were heard from the kitchen doorways. Everyone had fled in a matter of seconds.

Naru crouched down to her level. Madoka matched his even glare with a pleasant, unruffled expression of her own. "Can I help you, Naru?" she asked with an overly sweet smile. Naru resisted from rolling his eyes.

"What in the world did you do, Madoka?" he bit out. Madoka blinked innocently, as if she had no idea what he was talking about.

"I don't understand the question," she replied breezily. Naru's gaze intensified.

"I believe you do."

The glint in Madoka's eyes grew brighter all of a sudden. Naru's fists slowly clenched at his sides, wanting an answer – and a damn good one at that. Her actions were just too awful to fully believe. The teapot tilted forward then backward on her base, the excited smile never leaving her expression. Every time Naru showed a notch more of emotion, Madoka's glee seemed to grow.

Her offbeat and off topic question threw him. Unfortunately, Naru knew what she meant.

"Well, it's working, though, isn't it?"

Naru didn't dignify those words with a response. He didn't want to admit the truth.

A/N: I'm not moving too fast, am I? I hope not. Anyways, review please!