A/N: I have no excuse for the lateness of this chapter. I just hope you like it. The creepiness/goriness of the first part of this chapter compensates for the total fluffiness at the end. Thanks for reading!
(PS, I met Travis Willingham – the English voice of Takigawa, for any of y'all who don't know. Oh, my God, was he hot. And I got his autograph. -squee!-)
If I owned Ghost Hunt, I would have met everyone else on the English cast and I would have gotten their autographs, too. But I haven't.
New and a bit alarming
Who'd have ever thought that it could be?
True that he's no Prince Charming
But there's something in him that I simply didn't see
Chapter 11: Something There
And so weeks passed. Days in and out of sheer normalcy – something Mai appreciated greatly. Well, only if normal included talking to moving objects and obeying odd orders from a master barely older than herself. Mai continued to remember the dire warning the Naru in her dreams had told her. If she had counted right, she now had eighty-eight days left… whatever that meant.
She wasn't going to forget the warnings issued to her, even if they were just in her dreams. She had eighty-eight days to do what? She hadn't had a dream since then, although it was getting harder not to think about her dream Naru day in and out. Sometimes Mai would find herself in the middle of making tea thinking about it, and only be awakened from her daydream by the sharp whistle of the teapot.
The tea-making only reminded her of her reality. Naru was not caring, was not compassionate, was not her prince coming to rescue her – was not who she wanted him to be. Ever so slowly, she was getting used to that unfortunate fact. She wished her life would finally stop throwing her these surprises - Mai had to admit she sort of missed her mundane life. Maybe fate would give her a break soon enough. Maybe, if she just kept wishing on that one lucky star…
It was much too soon in her story for the cruel games to stop.
Night met her again. She crawled into bed, nursing the hand she had burnt on the teapot after dinner. It was actually a surprise to her that she hadn't received a burn until today, seeing that she had made at least three full kettles per day – and whenever she came back to retrieve them, they were empty. Mai checked her palm again, tracing gently over the red mark. She recalled the day's incident with a smile.
Naru had offered to retrieve the ice for her. She had immediately felt blood rush to her face and had shaken her head incessantly. Politely as she could, she declined with as little words as possible, knowing she'd make a fool of herself somehow if she said too much. Naru watched her with a stern glare, shook his head, and dragged her all the way back to the kitchen anyway.
He had said while he forcefully held her hand under the freezing water that she would be useless if she could only use one hand. Mai couldn't manage to say anything more except a soft, "Thanks," as he shoved the cloth-covered ice into her arms. She felt the servants watching their every move from the cupboards. If Naru had noticed, he paid them no mind.
And now the day's events were over and she was tired as hell, just like any other day spent here. She couldn't believe that her stay had only been a little over two weeks – it felt like an eternity. The words, 'eighty-eight days left' rang through her mind like a plague… and she couldn't figure out what they meant for the life of her.
Mai sunk under her sheets, ran her fingers back through her hair, and flopped down on her pillows. It was a mystery for another day… because, before she knew it, she was asleep and her dreams were back. As Mai wandered through these familiar hallways, looking for a face she recognized, she wondered why it was so silent. Always had she appeared before Naru and everything he had engaged her in conversation or adventure.
And now, all of a sudden, it was different.
"Don't – don't…" Mai stopped dead in her tracks. A frightened voice faded in and out. Mai listened desperately for words, a sign of life among these empty halls. The voice came again, sending chills ricocheting up and down her spine.
"Don't be afraid."
She was plunged instantly into never-ending darkness, holding her ears in vain to block out horrific screeches coming at her from every direction. Invisible winds knocked her all around, finally sending Mai to her knees. She lay there, crouched with her arms over her neck for cover until everything died down.
Mai looked up from her position, wondering if peace had come again. Never had that happened in her dreams before. Gazing around, she strained her ears for anything else that was coming upon her. Only small, seemingly harmless noises reached her now and her nerves were calmed. She quickly got up, straining her eyes for a light. In the distance, a small pinprick glowed like a beacon.
Mai sprinted toward it.
As the shape grew closer, Mai tried to make out what it was. It was no bigger than a meter tall and nothing but a blue-white blob. Mai could see her breath in the light it was giving off – and it only just occurred to her the air was below freezing. She bit her tongue and slowed her steps as the image registered in her mind.
The shape was a child. There were no doubts. It had a big, round head, ears that could have doubled as baseball mitts, and a thin, almost skeletal body. The child-like thing was turned away from her and its short hair danced in the nonexistent breeze.
"Are you lost?" Mai asked, coming closer. She blindly sensed no danger as the ghost-child turned her way. Her kind smiled faltered when she saw its face.
It cocked its head before all hell broke loose. A wide, Joker-esque smile split across its young face, each white Chiclet tooth visible. Mai stared on in fascination, not seeing the wickedness in its blank golf-ball eyes. It let out an earsplitting shriek, causing Mai to stumble backwards in surprise, losing her balance. She plugged her ears again, but could still hear the window-shattering squeal despite her blocked hearing.
Mai tried to get up, tried to run from the approaching demon-child, but her legs were pinned to the ground. Looking down at the inky floor to try and loosen her legs, she saw she was slowly sinking. Black tendrils clasped her ankles and two more were snaking up to grab her wrists. The child moved closer, still emitting that high-pitched helium cry. She pulled her fingers from her ears to try and tug her legs free. This only succeeded in getting her wrists trapped.
The wisps pulled her arms down to her sides, forcing her to lie down so that her shoulders wouldn't have been dislocated. A thick, branch-like black arm wound around her waist before she could even blink. The branch constricted on her waist and Mai was sent into a coughing fit. The last tendril wrapped around her neck and she was silenced.
All of a sudden, the child bent down next to her as she writhed for freedom. He held that same spine-chilling grin, dead eyes, but held a blood-soaked dagger in his fist. Mai's eyes widened and her throat constricted before the knife all too quickly plunged into her heart. Mai tried to scream, tried to speak, tried to breathe, but found she couldn't. The child cackled quietly and held the knife in place.
Red spilled across her shirt in every direction, much to the glee of the little child. Mai was going to be sick as she watched her blood drain from her body. Her resistance was slowly considerably and it was getting harder to keep her eyes open. She swallowed desperately, cringing as the knife dug deeper, searching for an untouched part of her body.
The child suddenly leaned over her, pushing the knife far to the left. Mai gasped, disgusted, as more blood gushed out, trailing down her arm, down her neck, and she could even feel it on her back. Or maybe that was just the knife making its way completely through her body. He stared at her, centimeters away from her face and hissed, "I told you not to be afraid. You should have listened."
He tore the knife from her heart, her body jerking violently as he did. His eyes glowed brighter, slightly red as Mai moaned. The shackles were released, and she rolled over, facing away from the child, bringing her arms to her chest. Instantly they were soaked with warm blood.
"Do you want it to end? I want you to beg for mercy!" She flinched as the demon's voice reached that nails-on-a-chalkboard tone again. Mai clenched her teeth, not wanting to give in. The thing cried out again in anguish and something kicked her hard in the back, throwing her across the oblivion. Mai landed on her side, her arms still tucked to her chest. Her body convulsed again as she gave another wracking cough. She tasted blood in her mouth, trailing down her chin. She was through being strong. Enough was enough.
"End it!" she screamed, the words spilling from her mouth, her voice not her own. The words weren't of her own choosing. "Please! End it! Do anything, just stop! Stop! I beg of you!"
The child appeared before her again, still grinning, still holding the dagger now soaked with her blood. He rested on his elbows, watching her. Watching her bleed herself to death. She tried to close her eyes now, but couldn't stop staring into those bright orbs. It would be the last thing she saw.
"That's what I thought. Good night." She could have sworn she heard running footsteps and a screamed name she didn't recognize, but before she could look to see where the other noises were coming from, the child snapped its bony fingers.
Dark swirls of crimson and ebony overcame her vision as her whole body was tugged into the black floor below.
Mai shot up in bed, gasping for air. Raising a clammy hand to her face, she rubbed her temples and flipped out of bed. The orange light from the window told her that it was daybreak. Mai sighed and uncoiled her taut muscles. She luckily didn't have to go back to sleep. Not like she would be able to, anyway.
She rushed to the bathroom and turned every single faucet on in her bathtub. Naru would have to wait a little bit longer for his tea this morning, because she needed a serious calming down session. She poked several fingers under one faucet, the water warm and soothing. She peeled off her sweat-drenched clothes and slipped into the tub.
Mai looked down at herself, making sure that no blood was on her. Her breath caught in her throat. Oh, Gods. The place where the child had stabbed her, just below her collarbone, was a bright, disturbing red. Mai clenched her eyes tightly shut and sunk under the water, blowing out even bubbles. A dream. It was only a dream. She just had to remember that and she'd be okay.
Well, maybe not.
For three nights straight she had these horrific nightmares. The dreams continually worsened each night. Each night she died a different way, but still died at the hands of the glowing demon with the dagger. From each one she awoke in a cold sweat. The first night she had been stabbed in the chest, obviously. The second night she had been pinned against a wall and beaten about the head with the handle of that dagger until she succumbed to the black. The third night her throat had been slit cleanly as she had been pleading with the ghost-child to spare her life because she said she loved him.
Mai had no control over her actions, words, or her imminent death in any one of these dreams. That much was obvious. On the fourth night, she simply couldn't take it anymore. She was going to go insane if she had another one of these dreams. So there was only thing left to do – stay up.
At nine o'clock that night, after Naru had dismissed her for the day, Mai made her way back into the kitchen, where John, Madoka, and Takigawa still lingered. All talking together, they didn't notice Mai as she slipped in until she spoke up.
"Um… hi."
The three turned to face her, the room becoming deathly silent. Mai blinked.
"Am I not supposed to be here or something? Because I can go…" Mai started to move toward the door, but Madoka welcomed her back in quickly.
"No, no, no! We were just taken by surprise is all. You're normally asleep by now, aren't you?" she questioned, her tone motherly. Mai walked back toward the center island of the kitchen, smiling because Madoka seemed to act more as her mother now than her biological mother had. What she remembered of her real mother, anyways.
"Yeah, but… I, er, I'm not really tired right now," she replied. Lies, lies, lies, but she really didn't feel like telling anyone about the nightmares quite yet. Not if she wanted to explain how she had died each night. Madoka gazed at her for a moment more, almost catching the deceit behind Mai's eyes. But her smile merely widened and she nodded.
"That's fine, then. Just be sure you'll get enough sleep for tomorrow's work, ne?"
Mai faked a smile and grabbed one of the dust-covered stools from the corner, pulling it up to the island. She wasn't sure how many grueling nights she would need to stay up for the nightmares to leave her. Mai shrugged noncommittally and, luckily, Madoka took that as a sign of agreement.
"Good girl."
"So what's on your mind, jou-chan?" Takigawa asked, looking up at her with an anxious gleam in his eyes. Mai blew out a sigh.
"Nothing really," Mai said as nonchalantly as she could. Nothing but a whole bunch of different ways to die. Nothing they needed to hear about. "I was just wondering if there was something other to do around here than work, sleep, eat, and talk. No offense."
"None taken," the candelabra chuckled. "We get bored around here a lot, too. Now that you're here, there's more to talk about, but…" Mai caught the warning glare John sent the monk, but he just seemed to shrug it off. Mai had yet to figure out the problem with telling people a little background information around here. It seemed as if they said one word wrong, everyone jumped at the opportunity to make sure they shut up.
"There's always the library, Mai-chan, if you're interested," John offered. Mai perked up, raising her head off the counter. Now that was something she could do. Read until day broke, do her work, and then look forward to a new story for the night to come. Mai smiled warmly at John and shoved herself up off the stool.
"That's absolutely perfect, just what I need. Thank you!" Mai had raced out before anyone had said another world. Madoka clicked her tongue, but said nothing else. John watched her leave, sighing softly. She may have been their last hope, and she certainly was a very good candidate… just very slow on the pickup.
"She's in and out in the blink of an eye," John laughed, turning back to his companions, also watching Mai race out the door. Takigawa smirked, his eyes flashing gravely. Madoka just snorted.
"Now let's just hope that doesn't happen in real life," Takigawa said.
Mai lay comfortably back in her room with a stack of books placed next to her bed. Every single light was on in the room, and the moon shone brightly through the window on the clear night. After her brief visit in the kitchen, she had gone on her merry little way up to the library where she had gathered in her arms every ghost story she could find. Mai couldn't deny the stories intrigued her. Naru really was onto something.
Of course, the light stayed on in her room that night. Every five minutes or so, Masako would exhale sharply, indicating she wanted something. Mai was too entranced in her current book – a story about a giant life size teddy bear that had come to life and become an alcoholic, soon trying to commit suicide – to notice Masako's exasperation. The story was ridiculous, but funny. It had definitely been one of the lighter-hearted stories she had read that night.
But as soon as the story had ended and the bear had been taken care of, Mai noticed light peeking into her window. Masako moaned again, saying something about how she was never going to get her beauty sleep now. Slowly, Mai rubbed her eyes and jumped from the bed.
The stories had been much more pleasant than the nightmares. They probably weren't the best things to be reading if she wanted nightmares to go away, but at least it was something to distract her. Naru probably didn't own anything else, anyways. Mai smiled to herself on the way to the bathroom. These nights were going to go quicker than she thought.
Day came and went for the servant girl and once more she lay upon her bed, stomach down, book open to read about a doll that had tried to kill its owners – and had succeeded at killing many. She was finally put to rest after the owners had cleansed the spirit and burned the doll. Mai glanced suspiciously around the room and was grateful there were no porcelain dolls staring at her through lifeless eyes. What she could see of Masako's face looked just as porcelain and perfect as a doll's - but Masako seemed nicer than a child-killing doll.
Mai was soon relieved of the nightmares, but as a side effect, her work became slow. She had forgotten Naru's tea many more times than once – and had to face the consequences each time – but Mai had to admit, this was much better than her dreams. No sleep equaled no terror.
Each story she read seemed even better and even creepier than the last. The next night she read of two lovers who had jumped into the ocean to escape arranged marriages. They would have never seen each other again if the marriage had taken place, but the gods took pity on the lovers and turned them into rocks. But after hundreds of years, people began to drown instantly around the rocks. The gods were then angered with the lovers' spirits and, a day later, their bodies were seen floating in the water where the rocks had once been.
The story she remembered most was about a put-down rebellion. The five leaders of the rebellion were attacked and killed by their former followers and all seemed peaceful after that – until the ghosts of the leaders came back to haunts and torture the followers for betraying them. Everyone in the village, save for the children, eventually went crazy.
Mai could begin to see why Naru liked ghost stories. Sure, they were a little sick-minded, but no doubt page turners. Mai flipped the book closed and threw it back on the small mountain of books she had already completed. Now every morning when she forcefully hauled herself out of bed, all she could hear was the amount of days she "had left." Of course, she still had to figure out that meant.
Eighty, eighty, eighty… managed to get stuck in her head that morning.
She was dressed and in the kitchen before she knew it. Mai went on her tiptoes and pulled out a teacup from the cupboard, teetering slightly. Placing her fingers to the bridge of her nose, Mai grabbed the cup, set it down safely on the counter, and closed her eyes.
How long must this go on? She thought to herself before being shoved from her half-sleep by the obnoxious whistling kettle. This cruel trick of fate… There was really no denying it – she needed sleep, and fast. But she wasn't going to risk having those ridiculous nightmares again.
She picked a black tea out of the various types they had in stock, dumped a spoonful in a teapot, and poured the boiling water in. She'd done this routine so many times she could have accomplished it blindfolded. Mai sighed, stirring the water with a small silver spoon. The cycle was never-ending.
Up carpeted staircases robotically, down darkened hallways without even counting the doors. Pushing through cobwebs she needed to clear, swatting away spiders that threatened to freak her out. All in a day's work. And, finally, the big double doors that lead into Naru's cave – oh, office. Right. Of course, she'd never seen him leave that office at nightfall… she wondered if he just holed himself up in there every night.
"Tea," she called out, her voice weaker than usual. Naru looked up from a letter he had been writing, and pushed it off to the side to clear room for the tray. Mai stepped back from his desk once he had taken his tea and waited obediently for her chores today… waited as her eyes started to close… waited as her grip on the surrounding world began to shut down…
"Mai… are you… feeling alright?" Naru asked, a suspicious glimmer in his eyes as Mai jerked her chin off her chest again. She looked around wildly for a moment, but then relaxed, slipping back into that zombified mode.
"Oh, uh… yeah. Sure. Dandy. What did you want me to do today?" she asked, her words slurred, her eyes barely half open. Naru looked her over again. She had been acting more and more tired each day for the past week. He'd thought nothing of it… but he'd never seen her act quite like this. She had always tried to hide her fatigue before, but now it seemed she was too dead on her feet to even do that.
Naru cringed inwardly as a pang of what seemed to be guilt swept over him. Before he could stop the words from coming, Naru gave orders than surprised even himself. "Just sweep the kitchen. Then make me lunch. And… that can be all for today."
This woke Mai up. She blinked, frozen in place for a brief moment, but nodded eagerly. He had just given her the afternoon off. Wow. Mai bowed and exited quickly, the grin quickly growing on her face. She had to be grateful for this one moment while she could.
Because she was sure there wasn't going to be another like it.
Naru watched the heavy doors swing closed. He took a quick sip of the hot tea, his now-burned tongue keeping him alert. Snap out of it, you idiot. You're a hopeless basket case. You have been since you were turned into a monster. Of course, you were pretty much always a monster. You threw your life and your friends' lives down the drain – and you deserved everything given to you. Your friends, on the other hand…
Sharply, Naru ran a hand through his hair, pulling a little more forcefully than he needed. His conscience really did have the absolute worst timing. In the world. Really. Naru set the teacup back down on the platter with a bit more force than he would have likely and focused intently on the letter he was writing. He would not let his mind wander to Mai. Not today.
…Not again.
The grandfather clock standing proudly in the corner struck one.
And then two.
…And then four.
Naru sighed. Maybe she hadn't gotten the whole message. She was supposed to bring him lunch before she took off work. He signed the letter in his signature slanted script and shoved away from the desk. He placed the letter in the drawer and flipped off the desk lamp. He was going to have to go find her before he starved.
Naru supposed whoever was in the kitchen may have seen her last. Madoka and John rarely left the kitchen. Unless they had another plot to force Naru and Mai in a room together again. Which hadn't worked in the first place. Nope. Absolutely not. Naru refused to give into anything like that. All it would do is bring him false hope. That was the last thing he needed.
Naru preferred to wait until nothing could be done any more. Then he would serve the same end as the people he cared so deeply about. Unfortunately, it was what he deserved, and he knew it. Some considered it selfish – he was simply shying away from the severe mistakes he had made. Naru thought it was… well, fitting.
But Mai had so suddenly changed all that.
Naru shook his head roughly to clear the young servant girl from his mind. He wasn't going to think about that. His mind had been set for so long on what he was going to have to do. In the last one hundred days, something that had been set for over three years couldn't be changed so easily… could it? He didn't want to answer that question. He wanted to avoid reality.
The truth? He didn't want the same thing to happen to Mai.
Pushing his way into the kitchen, he saw once it was empty. Swept, but empty. His gaze traveled over the countertops, and saw his lunch (albeit cold) sitting on a tray. He moved forward to take the lunch back to his office, but what was below his lunch surprised him.
Mai, sound asleep, using the broom as her pillow. Naru held in an exasperated groan, stared at her for a few seconds longer, but came to the conclusion he had to do something. Just like the time when he had found her asleep in the hallway. His growling stomach and stale lunch would have to wait. Walking forward, he kneeled down next to her and shook her awake.
"N-huh…?" Her eyelids fluttered and she raised her head a couple of centimeters from her broom-pillow, obviously confused.
"Come on, Mai. You're going back to bed."
Who knew what had possessed him to sound so concerned. Naru gritted his teeth, but knew he couldn't do much about it now. All Naru did was gently pull Mai to her feet and began to lead her back to her bedroom. He wasn't quite sure if she was awake yet.
As soon as Naru had practically dragged his young servant back to her room, she simply collapsed onto the ruffled bed and was asleep in seconds. Naru shook his head disbelievingly. Not a comprehensible word and she was out cold again.
"The poor thing," Yasuhara muttered when Naru was almost out the door. "She finally caved."
Naru whirled around, staring at the bookcase. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"She hasn't been sleeping well for a week. Hasn't been sleeping at all, actually." Masako put in her two cents. "We were beginning to worry about her. But now, finally, she's given in. I just hope…"
"Yeah, me too," Yasuhara supplied, talking more to themselves than to the irritated boss. They had this all planned out. But it was a win-win situation for everyone – if it all turned out right. It was only lucky Mai had chosen to fall asleep after they had come up with the plan.
"Hope what?" Naru snarled, his voice barely audible. Masako slowly turned her gaze towards him, her eyelids fluttering.
"That is none of our business, Naru," she said. "If Mai chooses to share it with you, then it is okay. But until then…" Masako shrugged and fell silent. Naru ground his teeth and turned to Yasuhara, but if Masako wasn't going to break, neither was he.
"Actually…" Masako spoke up as Naru was in the doorway. He swung back around in seconds and didn't see Yasuhara trying to keep his laughter in. "I know something that might help her. You know, relax. Get her to sleep a bit better so she's not too… overworked."
Naru tensed. Was she implying he had overworked Mai? Because, for all that he knew, he had done nothing of the sort. He had even given her the rest of the afternoon off! That wasn't overworking her at all. Still, these two had been living with her for the past three weeks. Had Mai told them something he hadn't heard…?
"What were you thinking?" Naru replied, making his way back into the room for a third time. Masako and Yasuhara shot each other a meaningful look that the master ignored and this time, Yasuhara answered.
"Well, it would be nice if you gave her more than a couple hours off. Like… oh, I don't know… the weekends, maybe? I'm sure she would appreciate that." Yasuhara raised his eyebrows and his glasses flashed. Naru made no movement, didn't even signal that he had heard Yasuhara. But the two waited for the master in silence – they would let Naru take his time, because if they didn't, they could kiss this proposal goodbye.
"She wouldn't be able to pay me back in her lifetime if I gave her the weekends off."
There was a brief glint in Yasuhara's eyes that was about to tell Naru what he could do to fix it, but thought better of it. There was a visible slump in the attitudes of the two persuaders. Naru hadn't been pondering the suggestion; he'd simply being doing the math for the debt in his head.
"You could pay her on the weekends, even when she's off," Masako said, but almost immediately she knew Naru was going to shoot this down. Yasuhara noticed that little factor, too. He jumped in again without a second thought.
"Come on, Shibuya-san. You can't keep being 'the evil boss master.' Ease up on the work load. I think she's barely sixteen; she can't handle twelve hours of work a day just to pay off a debt left over by her father. You've got to open up to her a little. Just maybe she'll open up to you a little, too. You never know what will happen…" Yasuhara dwindled off, using the same tone everyone else took on when talking to Naru about Mai's circumstances and what she could do for all of them. In truth, Naru hated that tone of voice. But he couldn't deny that Mai really was the last shot they had.
"If I pay her on the weekends…" Naru mused quietly. Masako and Yasuhara watched on. It was out of their hands now. Naru paced back and forth. Every time he changed his mind, he changed directions. Mai made a soft sound on the bed, rolled over, but didn't wake. Naru ran a hand through his black hair once and looked up.
"It won't hurt."
Masako gasped, pursing her lips to keep the overjoyed smile from her pale face. Yasuhara's eyes flashed. Another success. He had given in. Naru nodded, reconfirming his decision.
"Mai can have the weekends off. She needs a break. She's a hard worker and she deserves it."
These compliments to the sleeping servant only made Yasuhara and Masako's excitement grow. He was learning – finally. And just like that it was over.
"Don't you think that was a little easier than we thought it was going to be?" Yasuhara muttered with a slight cocky lilt to his voice once the master had left. A note lay on the pillow Mai had not used. They had planned a whole speech for Naru… and the supposed ice-cold master had yielded to their suggestion in a matter of minutes. Masako giggled softly.
"You noticed it, too."
Mai awoke in bed when dawn broke the next morning.
At first, she was incredibly confused. Questions galore swirled through her head as she flipped over, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. She came face to face with a small square piece of paper. In slanted cursive it read, "You now have paid weekends off. Your hard work is appreciated."
The message was from Naru, no doubt. She stared at it gleefully, eyes wide and bright, and leapt from the bed. She pulled her sheets back over her bed, flattened them, and laid the note directly where she had found it. Mai raced to the bathroom to get ready for the day.
She went over the events of the morning before, just to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Mai had started out practically asleep, but had gotten out of her bed after reading. She had then reported to Naru for her chores, giving him his tea. She went back to the kitchen, had swept…
…and then had fallen asleep. Oh. So that meant she could still be dead asleep in her bed, and this perfect scene could turn into another murder scene in a matter of seconds. In the next half an hour, Mai constantly found ways to prove her thoughts wrong. Think positive…
The sting of the hot shower told her she was awake. The small bruise that she had received when tripping on a puddle of water told her she was awake. And when she came back out to grab her clothes, the note was lying on top of her shirt. The pinch she gave herself that drew blood confirmed it all. Mai just couldn't keep the smile off her face. She was definitely getting used to it here. And she definitely liked it better than that ratty old shack she had been living in for the four years previously. She just couldn't believe how she had survived.
Mai stopped short. Oh, my God. She hadn't had a nightmare. After seven days of either awful sleeps or no sleep whatsoever, the nightmares had left her. Mai felt lighter than she ever had. This was definitely the best day of her life.
Word had spread through the manor like fire to a dry forest. Masako and Yasuhara had to feign surprise when Mai had squeaked out the news to them after she had gotten dressed. Before they knew it, everyone else had heard as well. Well, once Madoka had heard, everyone else knew. Things were looking up, to say the least.
But there was still a long way to go.
For the whole household, Friday locked itself in place. Every time Mai checked the clock, only thirty seconds had passed by. She wondered if Naru had rigged the clocks so that she spent more time working. She wouldn't be surprised if he had.
But Naru had nothing to do with the fact that Mai was simply excited for her first break in nearly a month. Even he was waiting to see how she would take her days off. There was a small sliver of hope in his heart that maybe, just maybe, she'd want to spend the day with him.
The rest of the house was waiting on baited breath. They wanted Mai to spend the weekend with Naru, too. Except they were a bit more outspoken about it. Madoka definitely was. Every time Mai would enter the kitchen (a total of seven times that day) Madoka could somehow always bring up the fact that Naru had all the time in the world off too – and if she asked him, he would accompany her anything. Mai would laugh it off and nod and listen. That was what made Madoka happy. She'd make her actually decision later.
She wasn't exactly sure if Naru would be so… forthcoming – she thought Madoka was more putting words in the master's mouth.
And so Mai lay in bed that night, staring up at the chiffon canopy, waiting, waiting, waiting for the next day to come. She still didn't know what she would o the next day. She still didn't know if she would bend to Madoka's will and ask Naru to talk and walk around with her… there really was nothing else to do… Mai would just have to figure it all out tomorrow…
Night truly was the opposite of day. The sky seemed to darken and lighten in a matter of seconds. Today, Masako did not snap at her to get up before eight, and when she woke up (past ten!) her clothes were already laid out. But today, her outfit did not consist of a black skirt, white button up, and black shoes. No, today fuzzy, knee-high snow boots, dark cargos, and a long, black jacket lay on her bed. Mai grinned and fingered the warm jacket. Not able to keep her emotion in much longer, Mai let out a yell and spun around in a circle, throwing her arms up in the air.
Her jaw dropped and she froze at the window. A blanket of white covered her whole view. And it was nothing less than gorgeous. Mai sprinted over to the window, pressing her fingertips against the cold pane.
Well, now she knew what she was doing today.
She got ready and dressed as quickly as possible, bolting out the door while buttoning her coat. Mai ran into Naru on her way to the kitchen.
…Literally. Luckily, he had already finished his morning tea and she didn't have to worry about spilling it all over him.
"Did you see it was snowing?" Mai chirped immediately after recovery. Naru stared down at her, eyebrow cocked, in that all too familiar, 'Did you seriously just say that?' stare. Mai blushed and cupped the back of her neck in her palm.
"Yes, I realized that when I woke up this morning. Have you never seen snow before?" he asked with a teasing tone. Mai scrunched her nose.
"I've seen snow before plenty of times – I had to walk all the way here, looking at snow the whole way.
But it's always been so grey and… icky. I've never seen snow so pretty before! I'm going outside right now, come with me, please!" Mai bounced on the balls of her feet, clasping her hands together in front of her chest with wide eyes.
Oh, wow, she made her decision.
Naru was silent for a long time. So long that Mai had resorted to dropping her hands and giving him a full-blown pout. Naru gave a heavy sigh and shrugged. That mirror caught Mai's eye again as he did so.
"Why not? I can even show you around grounds and give you an official tour if you want."
Mai's pout evaporated and she clapped giddily. Naru rolled her eyes at her behavior, but something sparked within both of them. They had gotten what they wanted today. The rest of the house members would watch them all the way downstairs and out the doors, scrambling to the windows when they could not see them anymore.
"Was this place ever… I dunno… new?" Mai giggled as she fingered frozen pieces of broken statue. Naru stayed silent, his hands deep in his pockets, black coat buttoned tight around his thin frame. The only color besides black and white that seemed to be on him ever were dead blue eyes. Eyes that had seen too much.
"A long, long time ago," he started softly. "I've never bothered taking care of it out here. I'm too busy and there's no use. No one's here to see it. Or at least no one has been in a long time. I've given up on the outside looks. The whole castle used to be described as majestic, glorious, a sight to behold, one of the greatest structure in the land… before I bought it. And when everything fell apart, the manor did too. I just—"
Something cold and wet pelted Naru just below the ear. His speech ended, his hand rose to the slush slipping down his neck, and his lips twitched with the challenge. Mai stood there innocently, her hands together behind her back. Naru shook his head slowly.
"I wonder where that came from…?" he drawled, bending to pick up a handful of fresh snow. Mai whistled innocently, ambling through the yard. She didn't respond, swaying side to side as she walked. Right when she turned her back, Naru threw a fast pitch no one could avoid.
Mai yelped as she swiveled immediately around, the noise like the sound of a stepped-on dog, and her eyes flashed. The war was on.
Two hours later, when both were sopping wet and incredibly hungry, they staggered back into the house for lunch and dry clothes. Mai could have sworn Naru cracked as least two smiles as they were eating; another fight (only with food and not snow) almost erupting. Mai didn't know how the servants, who were obviously watching from somewhere, kept themselves quiet. This day was going amazingly well.
"Can we start a fire in the library? I saw the fireplace when we were locked in there and you made me clean it. Then it'll be all warm in there and we can read the ghost stories and talk and… and… oh, and have hot cocoa!" Mai knew she sounded not nearly seventeen, but almost seven, but today was the day she wasn't going to care. Anything was possible.
Without responding, Naru beckoned her from the room, heading toward the library. Mai stood in place for a moment, taking this all in, and sprinted after Naru. He showed her how to start a fire in the fireplace, and even though she already knew perfectly well, she let him take her hands and show her how to strike the match. She threw it onto the dry logs and stepped back. Before she knew it, they had a roaring fire going on.
Mai snagged several of the books she had read in the past week that had been her favorites from the shelves and laid them all at her feet. She took her place on the couch next to Naru and, without even asking, began to read aloud. This was the two lovers story. Although the story did not end on a happy note, Mai was left with a bright, warm feeling inside.
"Naru…" she started, halfway through a sentence. "I… I just wanted to say thank you, so much, for today. It… it was amazing. I've haven't felt like this in a long time. It feels like home again, back with my parents, when life actually seemed perfect."
"Oh…" was all Naru could say. "I'm sorry I brought back the memories of your parents."
"No, it was good to remember them again. I love all the happy memories I have of my family. It all seemed so perfect up until my mother became sick. My parents didn't really like to tell me everything – they wanted to keep me sheltered until I was old enough to understand everything, I suppose. But because of that, I never really got to say goodbye to my mother properly.
"They wouldn't stop keeping secrets from me. And then my father told me the day before he left we were in debt. The day before, and I still don't understand why he didn't tell me to this day. I sent that question in every single one of my letters to him, and in each response, he ignored it. I guess he was… ashamed, to say the least. Ashamed he couldn't take care of his only daughter without outside help. I'll never know the answer now, but I can't say I didn't try to find out. The only thing that I really learned from them was to never keep important secrets. Never. Because you never know if the next day will be your last."
Mai glanced at her nails and sighed softly. Naru had that, 'Oh, damn it,' look on his face, but as soon as Mai looked up with a renewed smile, it was gone. He nodded firmly, his lips upturning the slightest bit.
"I hope your life continues like this here then. I had a good time with you today, too, Mai. Thank you."
It was truly a miracle that Naru and Mai didn't hear the gasps and squeals and whispers coming from the hallway. The sound could have woken a sleeping bear. Between 'ohmigod's' from Ayako, laughter from Takigawa, 'aww's' from John, grunts of surprise from Lin, and an occasional 'This was all my doing' sniff from Madoka, the level of noise they reach was surprising.
"She's going to save us. She's really going to save us," John muttered under his breath in disbelief. Takigawa snorted and nodded next to him.
"Let's just hope our socially challenged Naru doesn't screw this up, huh?"
They watched the pair talk and talk and read and read and then talk some more until night fell. One by one, the servants began to leave, afraid of getting caught. Soon, only Madoka and Lin were left. Lin was ready to go – he'd had enough eavesdropping and spying to cover for the rest of his life.
"I guess we didn't really need to push them after all, huh?" Lin whispered to Madoka. "They seem to be doing ideally without all our 'help.'" She turned to glare at him, and he merely smiled. Madoka didn't say anything as he left.
Because she knew he was right.
Who'd have thought they'd come together on their own?
Wait and see
A few days more
There may be something there that wasn't there before
A/N: -breathes deeply- There. Longest chapter yet. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much I enjoyed writing it… and if you'd so kindly tell me what you though in a review, I'd love you forever!
Oh, and one more thing. If anyone can tell me both songs that were used in this chapter, I'll send you a sneak peek of the coming chapter. One's a give-away, one's very hard to find - in my opinion. Both are in 'Beauty and the Beast.' First person who guesses correctly wins!