JADE: On to the next chapter! ENJOY! ^.^
"Well done, Mai," the female voice echoed in her head. Mai smiled and turned, tears in her eyes. There before her and the rest of the team was a woman, floating and transparent, smiling proudly at Mai.
"M-mom?" she whispered as she stepped forward. The brunette woman smiled and nodded. Her feet touched the floor and her form became more solid, barely transparent anymore. She opened her arms and Mai flew into them, sobbing.
"Mai, my little girl. I am so very proud of the woman you've become," she cooed into her daughter's ear. Mai looked up, almost eye level with her mother now, and smiled, wiping at her tears.
Ayako, Takigawa, John, Lin, and Naru were standing behind her mother's form, clearly awed and touched by the situation. Ayako was crying a little, Takigawa and John were smiling, Lin was surprised but also smirking a little, and even Naru had a faint smile on his face. Masako was still behind them, but she was smiling too.
"Ehem," a deeper voice interrupted. "Don't hog our darling daughter, dear," Mai gasped as she watched her father's form appear beside her mother's. He was a full head taller than Mai, and he too, opened his arms to her.
"Dad? Wow, you really are as handsome as mom always said you were!" Mai said. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand when she realized what had popped out and blushed, making her parents and everyone around her, minus Lin and Naru, laugh.
"I see she has your mouth, Mayu," her father said playfully. Her mother laughed and slapped his arm.
"And your charm, Ren, apparently," she smiled and he smiled back. Mai gave them a quizzical look.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked innocently. They turned to her and smiled brightly. Her father patted her head affectionately.
"Look at all who have gathered around you, little one. You have that uncanny ability to attract people to you, especially those who need someone like you to brighten their lives," as he said this her father looked to everyone circling them. They all smiled knowingly, even Lin and Naru. Their reactions made Mai blush even more.
" Now, we haven't long, so listen, please," his voice sobered up and they both looked at her, all traces of humor gone. Mai frowned and sighed.
"I knew it was too good to be true. You're only here to give me a message aren't you?" the disappointment in no way could be missed.
"I'm afraid so, Mai. With the way things work, we unfortunately can't stick around long." Her mother pulled Mai closer and gave her a big hug and a kiss on her cheek. She wiped at Mai's tears.
"I understand I suppose. So, what is it?" The petite girl stepped back and looked at them both again, trying to stop the tears from coming. They smiled hesitantly.
"We need to tell you two things. One, you have not destroyed that demon yet, just injured it pretty badly," her father began.
"And two?" she asked nervously.
"You have more power inside you than you know, and I am so sorry I never taught you about them before I died." Her mother's face turned to one of guilt as she looked at her daughter. "You need to learn to control them, Mai, or you will end up hurting someone, if not yourself," she finished.
Mai's brows furrowed together as she glanced from her mother to her father. She was about to ask what they meant, but someone else beat her to it.
"What exactly do you mean, besides the obvious?" Naru asked, stepping next to his assistant. Her parents hesitated on answering, but did so nonetheless.
"Mai is a very special case in several ways, Oliver." Mai's father smiled when he saw the shock on the young boss's face. " In fact, she is not so different from you, with one major exception."
"And that is?" Naru recovered from the fact that they knew him, and pressed for more information, setting aside the shock for a later time.
"Mai's abilities to see, of course. Where you must touch something in order to get a vision, Mai must dream of it. Also, where you can see flashes of a person's life, dead or alive, past, present, or future, Mai can only see what a deceased individual wants her to see."
"So I can only see their pasts, right?" Mai interjected the conversation. Her mother shook her head.
"No Mai. That's all you have been allowed to see so far, but your visions truly have no constraints. In fact, in time you will come to see many things. And I should know," her mother smiled wryly. "After all, it is the gift you inherited from me."
Mai knitted her brows together and shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense. I mean, it isn't like a ghost can show me the future, right? That's impossible because that would mean that I'm not confined to seeing a ghost's memories alone. So then what? I just don't understand what you're saying!" Mai looked completely lost. Naru, however, caught on quickly. His eyes widened at the thought.
"Wait, so you're saying that a deceased individual may have the capability of showing Mai the future, past, or present that doesn't pertain to her? Such as a spirit guide, perhaps?" Mai's and Lin's eyes also widened as their boss revealed this. Mai's parents smiled at Naru and nodded.
"That's right, Oliver. I see why Mai is so attracted to you," her mother answered. Mai's face turned five shades of red as she glared at her mom.
"Mother! Really? I've seen you for the first time in how many years and you find the need to embarrass me?! In front of my coworkers no less!" She turned her face to the floor, willing it to open up and swallow her right there. However, everyone's laughter made her glance up, glaring everyone down.
"Oh Mai, come on! It's not like it's some big secret! Honestly, you couldn't be more transparent!" Ayako beamed before laughing again. Mai huffed and turned around, her arms crossing over her chest. She really was at a loss for words, so she just silently prayed this scene was some kind of crazy fantasy as she waited for the laughter to die down.
"Darling, she has your mannerisms alright! That's exactly how you used to be whenever we'd get in argument and I'd win!" Her mother's musings brought Mai back around, where she laughed as she pictured her father acting that way. She giggled at her father's pouty look.
"Now wait a minute-"
"Wow dad, mom's right!" Mai chimed in. Everyone giggled at the spectacle before them, wiping at their tears. Mai smiled brightly as she looked around her, taking in the moment.
So this is what things might have been like if they were alive, she mused. We're only missing one person though, she thought as her eyes came to Naru. He was smirking and looking at her. Their eyes met and she blushed again before shyly looking away.
Suddenly her parents' forms began to dissipate and Mai began to panic. She grabbed for both of their hands, but hers went through them. She fell to her knees as they floated up, smiling sadly and blowing her kisses goodbye.
"Remember what we said, Mai. We love you, and always will," her mom's voice echoed in her head as they disappeared through the ceiling. Mai stared after them, shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. She felt her heart wrench in pain, the beats becoming frantic and off kilter. She began to breathe rapidly, unable to stop the tears. She grasped over her heart and fell forward, dizziness setting in.
"MAI!" she heard everyone yelling, and then a voice echoed in her head again.
'Mai, breathe deeply and slowly,' the voice commanded. It didn't take her long to figure out it was Gene. She tried to do what he said, but it wasn't working. Soon she felt hands clasping her face on each side, forcing her to look up. Brown eyes met blue, and Mai could already feel the stress backing down.
"Mai, I want you to focus on me. Can you do that?" Naru asked. She nodded in reply and he smiled, ever so slightly, but she caught it.
"Good. Now listen to my voice and breathe, in, and then out," he mimicked taking slow, deep breaths, and she followed suit until they were in perfect sync with each other. She felt her heart slowing and the dizziness leaving her head, so she sat up more. Naru smiled genuinely at her before letting her face go and standing up.
"Takigawa, take her to our room. Ms. Matsuzaki, follow them and make sure she's alright. When you're sure that she is, report back here, and I will go take watch over her," he ordered. They nodded and did as they were told. Once they were in the room and the door was shut, Naru headed for base, the others on his tail.
"Naru, what do you intend to do about this entity?" John asked. The black haired young man turned to the blonde and smirked.
"I don't intend to do anything. However, Lin," he turned to the Chinese man and nodded. Lin sat at his computer and began typing away. "Lin, it seems, can actually affect the creature with his shiki. So, we will be counting on him for protection for the time being. Aside from those charms and Mai's new power, it seems that's all we have for now." Naru sat in front of the monitors and began messing with the tapes.
Masako and John looked at each other and frowned, then looked back at Naru.
"What about Mai's parents, Naru? You know they haven't been released from it yet," Masako said. Naru nodded.
"I know that, but we have no choice. This thing must be destroyed, for Mai's sake, if not our own."
"And what of Mai, if you don't mind me asking?" Lin looked over his shoulder to his boss. "If my theories are correct, then she is in danger with this new power of hers, is she not?" he asked coolly. Naru froze his movements and looked up at his assistant.
"She may well be. However, since we do not know for sure, I do not want her using those new gifts just yet. Not until I can test them myself," he finished. Everyone nodded in understanding. They knew Mai very well, and knew how reckless she could be. No doubt she already figured out the consequences of using her PK, but no one could know for sure whether or not that would stop her from using them. And they knew it was going to take a lot of babysitting to make sure she didn't go overboard…