Song – 3: Kui tuuled pöörduvad

Artist – 3: Sandra Nurmsalu

Note: This song is one of Estonian candidates for Eurovision Song Contest 2014. If you want the translation of lyrics, I've got them. Just let me know.

Disclaimer: I don't own the song nor the anime.

Daffodils

Part six

The temperature began to fall. Mai shivered, but continued to read. Funnily enough, it calmed her to be in the presence of fictional characters. She wiped a tear, when one of her favorite creatures was stabbed to death at a windmill.

Only when she felt two hands grip her from shoulders, did she realize the coldness was not from the fire going out. She stiffened. The hands moved, grazing the back of her neck. Then she felt it on her face, but it didn't frighten her. Like the ghost was simply getting to know her.

The door opened with a bang and the feeling of cold hands disappeared. "Are you okay?" It was Takigawa, who had come on Naru's orders, when Lin noticed the heat-levels lowering. Mai nodded, still shivering.

"I don't think it meant harm," she whispered. "Besides, it's still not the time.."

"What do you mean, Mai?" He was concerned. Mai stood up and shook her head.

"Never mind. Shall we go back to the base?" She rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself up. Houshou nodded and wrapped his arm around her petite shoulders. Mai smiled at it's warmth.

"What's this book about anyway?" he asked, turning all his attention at the small girl.

"This?" She raised the book in her hand. "It's main character is Eugene Strider. You have got to have seen the movies at least!" Houshou shook his head no.

"I haven't had time," he admitted.

"It's about a nomad. But he's not a normal one. He is looking for something, but he doesn't know what, so he tries different jobs. He's a pirate, a ghost hunter, an acrobat... Pretty much everything you can think of! But it all comes with a curse. He's a total narcissist."

"Oh. Sounds like Naru," he stretched. Mai shrugged. The way back seemed longer than it was before.

"You're lost, aren't you?" she teased. "I don't think I've been here before." She looked at the paintings. These were different from the ones she'd seen before and there were no cameras around. They were of different kinds of animals. She recognized storm birds and scorpions and a circus artist walking on a rope between two skyscrapers.

"It's a completely different place," she said. "Houshou!"

The man laughed and scratched his head. "Sorry, Mai," he said with a grin. "This place is too big." Mai nodded in agreement.

The coldness followed. Mai was the first one to feel it, the crawling behind them, the iciness of it's bony fingers. "Bou-san," she said warily. "We're not alone."

"Huh? What are you talking about, Mai?" he didn't feel it. He didn't understand. Mai felt panic grow.

The darkness grabbed her left leg and she cried out, freezing on the spot. At the sound, the coldness retreated. They were alone and it was driving Mai mad. There was no way she was imagining it, was there? After all, Masako too had said she felt nothing in the house.

"Let's hurry up," she said and started walking quicker. The corridor seemed endless, but finally they managed to get to a stairway she'd been on before. It was easy finding the way back to the base now.

Mai returned the book to Masako with a grateful smile. "So, what did you find?" Masako asked her. "What you wanted to show Naru, I mean. I noticed." The medium looked curious, but Mai shook her head.

"It was nothing," she told her. "I'm going to our room." She glanced at her boss, who nodded. Their eyes met and she remembered how the monk had mentioned the similarity between Eugene Strider and Naru. It made her smile a little.

She exited the base – how little time had she spent there on that day? - and made her way to the bedroom. When she opened the door, she gasped. She walked closer to confirm that her eyes weren't betraying her. They weren't. On her pillow laid a single daffodil.

"Mai?" She raised questioningly her head and saw Shinji staring at the doorway.

"Did you.." she started and the man took it as an invitation to step in. Mai nodded towards the flower and picked it up.

"No," the man said. "I would never bring a girl as beautiful as you a single daffodil." He frowned at the sight. "In the language of flowers, giving a single daffodil means upcoming misfortune."

Mai gave a small laugh. "I'm already as unfortunate as to be nearly always targeted," she said in a moment of silence. "A beautiful flower like this can't really make things worse." Shinji shrugged, wrapping her in a hug. Mai's face reddened at the contact.

"I wouldn't be able to handle it, if anything happened to you on my watch," he whispered in her hair. Mai's heart raced. She pushed him gently away, feeling awkward in his embrace. Shinji was reluctant to let her go.

"You know," she said to ease the tension. "I think you would look gorgeous with blond hair." When she realized what she had said, she blushed again. Shinji laughed.

"For you, I would," he said with a wink and walked out, leaving Mai alone with the yellow daffodil. She brought it to her nose and smiled, when the scent was sweeter than she expected. She placed it on the table and went to bed. When she closed her eyes, she saw Naru. It calmed down her reckless heart.

"Of course," she thought. There was no chance there could be anyone else.

The winds were changing. Mai looked up and saw the kites fluttering around. Next to her sat Gene, who smiled at her. They were sitting in a port and the sun was setting. If she had to guess, it was probably late summer. It was warm enough to be without a jacket.

"It's out there, you know," Gene told her. "What you guys are looking for."

"Out there?" Mai questioned. "You mean the sea?" Gene nodded.

"Can I give you a little advice?" he asked, turning to face her. Mai found it hard to look away from the glimmering waves, but did so to see Naru's twin's sincerity. She nodded. "I'm not telling you to stay away from Shinji or anything, but my brother's growing rather uncomfortable with you two acting so close."