JADE: I am back again! Sorry this is taking so long to update, but I just started a new job and happen to have a ton of things going on when I am not at work, at least for the next two weeks, so updates may be slow. On the other hand, I am so into this that maybe I will be able to update quickly on the weekends!
MAI: A new job? What do you do? Ghost Hunt like us? Cuz that takes a LOT of time!
JADE: *sigh* I wish (no, really I do!) but I just work at a daycare and take care of 9 infants, with help of course, but it is exhausting!
MAI: Ooooh! Little babies! They are so kawaii! So fun, huh Jade?
JADE: *smiles* Yes and no, but I wouldn't want things any other way right now ^.^ Now where is that annoying narcissist of ours? *looks around room*
NARU: Hello.
JADE: *jumps ten feet in the air* OH MY GOD! I swear, one of these times I am going to end up punching your lights out!
NARU: *smirk* Right…Anyway, Jade wants to thank the following people for reviewing the story and continuing to encourage her on her minuscule journey: BloddyXandra, sushilover19, missyangel87, annoying little twit, softball2240, HappyBunny855, Liris, pinchfield, krisaku, seiyuurabu, Flamegirl5500aniAngelxx, heavenslilagl420, whispered25, and Ariana Taniyama. *bows and turns to leave*
JADE: Miniscule journey! I'LL SHOW YOU MINISCULE! COME HERE NARU! *proceeds to chase Naru around, attempting to punch his lights out*
MAI: ^.^" Uh, enjoy the next chapter…JADE! DON'T KILL HIM! *runs after the two*
Naru looked at Mai and went to move, but found that he was rooted in place. He couldn't even lift his head from the floor, or wiggle a finger. And judging by Mai's lack of movement and the fact that she looked so scared, he assumed she couldn't move as well.
This is not good, he thought as he looked on, for once in his life feeling helpless. Fear began to stretch through him, and he began to pray that he wouldn't have to witness another death of someone close to him.
Mai scrunched her eyes shut as the hand kept coming, waiting to feel those talons on her. Her heart was beating a thousand miles a minute, causing her breath to come in shorter gasps. She shook and whimpered helplessly, willing her body to move, but it wouldn't. She tried everything and still she was rooted to the floor, as if she were a tree in the earth.
She wasn't waiting long before she felt a cold hand circle her wrist. And then she felt it. What could only be described as agonizing gashes were being made by those very claws into her forearm. They were slow and deep, making her cry out in pain, tears running down her face.
Is this it? Am I finally going to die? She thought, scared more than she ever had been in her life, even more than she had been on the case at that crazy mansion, the one with the Urado monster. At least that guy wasn't specifically after her, unlike this thing before her now.
She suddenly felt herself hit the floor with a loud thud, and the air rushed out of her, making her dizzy. She felt pain shooting up her back and into her head, making her wince. When she could breath, she began to hyperventilate, her body hitting the maximum on her panic button. She tried to see Naru out of the corner of her eyes, but then something very cold forced her to look up, and she immediately wished she hadn't opened them in the first place.
Hovering above her was the form of what she could only assume was some kind of demon. It was dark and ominous, the aura surrounding it full of hatred and something else…Mai tried to concentrate on what it was, feeling that it was important. It's, it's sadness, she thought, shocked. I feel sadness as well as anger. What does it mean?
Suddenly she saw two white streaks fly over them and straight through her attacker. It winced and cried out in pain, retreating from Mai as it attempted to fend off Lin's Shiki. The Shiki were relentless in their attacks, backing the hissing monster toward the mirror it came from.
Mai quickly realized she could move and began making her way to her boss, who was also starting to sit up, grabbing the back of his head with his hand. She stopped and turned, however when she heard the most horrid laugh coming from the thing.
'Your spirit will be mine, Mai Taniyama, just like theirs are now;' it promised, its voice dripping with humor and delight. It licked it's claw, the one that had cut Mai's arm and grimaced. A hand yanked her up by her good arm and she glanced up into Naru's cold and calculating face. Then she saw his eyes go wide, and though her gut told her not to, she turned to look at the creature again, only he wasn't there anymore.
Instead, she saw two figures in the mirror, a man and woman. Both were young, with brownish red hair, only the male's eyes were a chocolate brown, where the female's were the same color as her hair. They frowned at Mai, tears running down their faces, before they screamed in agony and were gone. Then the demon returned, a wicked smile on its face.
'If you want to save their souls, you will succumb to your fate,' it boomed, before also disappearing.
Mai's form was rigid, and her breathing started up again, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she was holding until that moment. She felt Naru drop her arm, but he didn't move from his place beside her. He turned, watching her face and body, looking for any sign that she was okay.
"Mai…"he started, but he didn't know what to say. He knew who was in the mirror, who was in that demon's grasp, and he, for all his knowledge in the world, couldn't figure out what to say to the petite young woman before him. Nothing could come out. Kazuya Shibuya, no, Oliver Davis, for once in his life could not form a coherent thought.
Mai released her fists and glared at the mirror before her, tears fresh in her eyes. And before either really knew what was happening, one nightstand flew into the mirror, then the other. And as she turned to her boss to look him in the face, both beds flew across the floor, slamming into the wall with the door, effectively knocking the mirror off of it with a satisfying shatter.
Naru's blue eyes widened in disbelief for a moment, and then he narrowed his eyes at his assistant's determined look. He knew that look all too well and he'd be damned if he was going to let her do anymore stupid things. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly, then pulled her into a hug, surprising himself and her in the process. But Mai would not be deterred from her decision. She pushed hard against him and made him stumble back as she fell to the floor from the force. Her face moved from determination to pissed off in two seconds. The tears were rolling silently down her cheeks as she moved to stand.
Naru glared harder at his assistant and went to say something, but then the door banged open against one of the beds and a head poked through.
"Mai, Naru, are you alright?" It was Lin. They looked at him briefly before going back to their stare off. Before either teen could respond, Lin had gone back out and pushing could be heard against the door. Within minutes the room was flooded with the SPR team. Ayako ran to Mai and began examining her arm as Lin went to his charge's side. Mai and Naru's eyes never left each other's, a seemingly silent conversation going on.
"Mai? Mai, did you hear me?" Ayako asked for the umpteenth time.
"What?" the young woman spit at her, causing everyone to go silent, and then she instantly regretted it. Ayako had dropped her arm, and everyone was giving her a shocked look, even Naru and Lin.
"Mai, what's wrong? That isn't like you," John said, moving closer to the young girl. She just dipped her head, allowing her hair to hide her ashamed face. She slumped to floor, suddenly feeling the exhaustion from all of the events hit her. She caught herself on her knees, arms stretched din front of her, her forming beginning to shake. Sobs began to fill the quiet room.
Monk, without hesitating, scooped the frail girl up and proceeded to the base room next door, Ayako close behind them. Everyone filed in as they watched him place her gently on the small couch in the room, then step back so Ayako could clean her arm. Naru pulled his rolling chair up to the couch so he was right on the side of it.
"Mai, these gashes are pretty bad. I may need to stitch them up, which I can do here, seeing as they only need a couple in each. However," Ayako paused, waiting for the young woman to look at her, and then continued as she did. "I don't have anything to numb the area. And I am afraid they will scar," she finished carefully.
"Do what you need to," Mai replied softly. She stared off into space, not paying any attention to anyone else. Ayako looked at Monk and Naru.
"Monk, grab my first aid kit and my other small black bag from my suitcase. Naru, I need you to get me a bowl with some warm water in it so I can clean the skin around the wounds before I begin." The men were up and off to do their tasks as everyone else waited in silence.
"Here Ayako," Monk handed her the items she requested. Ayako nodded her thanks and began pulling out everything she needed. Naru set the warm water and towels next to the bags, then resumed his place near Mai. Ayako began lightly scrubbing Mai's skin, and the blood washed away, but not painlessly, as everyone saw Mai wince now and again. She bit her lip in an attempt not to scream.
"Okay Mai, you need to be very still. Can you do that?" Ayako asked. Mai turned to look at the priestess then back down to her arm, and then straight ahead.
"Can I have a pillow please?" Mai asked.
"A pillow? Why?" Monk asked, brow raised in question. Naru had moved to grab one on the floor next to him and handed to Mai, who took it without a word.
"So she doesn't scream," Naru replied for her. Monk nodded in understanding, and then a throat being cleared caught everyone's attention. They all turned to the source of the sound.
"I believe we should leave Miss Matsuzaki and Mai alone for this. Perhaps we should all get ready for bed? It is late, and I don't believe anything more will happen tonight," Lin finished. Mai turned to him, a grateful look in her eyes toward the man, and he nodded slightly toward her as his response.
"Yea, I guess you're right, Lin." Monk turned to Mai. "If you need anything, I am staying right across the hall from you. Just holler if you need me, okay?" Mai nodded in response, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Everyone sighed as exhaustion set in from the mention of sleep. They filed out quietly, Lin and Monk the last to go. Mai moved from her position on the couch to sit up straight, feet on the floor in front of her. Ayako took the spot next to her and grimaced.
"You sure you don't want us to take you to the hospital? It's only five minutes away," she said. Mai shook her head.
"I know that, but I really don't want to go there again." Ayako raised a brow.
"What do you mean, Mai?" she asked innocently.
"That's where both of my parents died," she replied quietly. Ayako just nodded in understanding and moved to grab her needle and thread. Mai felt a hand on hers as she moved the pillow in front of her face. She looked over to see that Naru hadn't moved an inch from where he was earlier.
"Just remember to breath, Mai," he said. She looked in his eyes and saw something there that she couldn't quite place, but she supposed it was something like fear, anger, and sympathy. She smirked at him.
"What person doesn't remember to do that, Naru? Like I needed to be reminded to do the one thing that keeps me alive," she chided him. "Boy, for a scientist, you really are an idiot sometimes." The last part came out playful. He simply raised a brow at her.
"Well obviously you do, Mai, or I wouldn't have said it. Besides, we all know how little you use that brain of yours, and quite honestly, I wonder sometimes how you could possible remember to do something so simple as breathing," he countered, all seriousness evident.
Ayako smacked her forehead, waiting for Mai to blow up at her boss like she always did. When she looked up, however, her jaw dropped. Mai was smiling at Naru, as if she might laugh at any moment, and Naru was simple smirking at her, but not his usual snide, I-am-better-than-you smirk. If Ayako didn't know any better, she could have sworn that he was actually flirting with his assistant. The red head sighed and gently grabbed Mai's arm.
"The world must be ending," she muttered, before getting to work.
JADE: Ta-da! This story is beginning to have a mind of its own!!! Anyhoo, thanks for reading, and as always, PUSH THE LITTLE GREEN BUTTON PLEASE! THANKS!