Yes, we have updated two chapter in the same day. It is because we feel bad that all of you had to wait to SO long for an update. We hope you enjoy it ^_^
Mai wasn't too surprised. After all, Naru was, by no means, a social butterfly. She excused herself and started the process, which had inevitably become mundane, of making tea. She watched the rest of the team through the doorway and saw Aya bouncing on her feet nervously. She clutched the edge of the bench outside so hard that her knuckles were white. Mai left the tea and approached Aya.
"Yes Mai?" Aya asked.
"You aren't hearing the ghost again are you?" Mai asked. "You look really nervous."
Aya shook her head. "No, but I'm afraid I might."
"Come with me, some tea might help calm your nerves." Mai smiled brightly and started back towards the base.
When they had reached the kitchen Aya pulled herself onto the counter and sat cross legged facing Mai. Mai poured a cup of tea and handed it to her.
"Isn't this for-" Aya started.
Mai shrugged. "You look like you needed it. Besides, he can wait."
Aya chuckled at the faint growl in her head. She was pretending she didn't hear him. It was so odd, why was she able to hear him and no one else? He could hear her too. Which was on the discomforting side, but still, no one should be able to see other people's thoughts and desires. It could be embarrassing or worse.
"Oh. My. Gosh. What if I see something that Naru doesn't want me to see. That dream was weird enough-" She thought as she sipped the tea.
"I knew you were lying Aya." Naru thought. "Now about that dream, we need to talk about when you should shut up and when you should speak. And how to lie better. You could use some help in that area."
She jumped and mentally cursed herself for thinking about that dream. She'd told Naru she hadn't dreamed that night. Mai stared at her curiously. She would get him back somehow.
"Are you okay?" Mai asked.
Aya nodded. "Yeah, I was just remembering a really creepy dream I had last night."
"Don't. You. Dare." Went through her head but she ignored it.
"These two people were kissing and suddenly a mirror was shook loose and it hit the girl. She was bleeding really bad but there was nothing the boy could do about it. So she died in his arms and some man came out of nowhere and said 'it was you who killed her Oliver.'" Aya looked up at Mai who had her face in her hands and was listening eagerly for the rest. "You could really tell the guy was totally in love with her. It was like he would die before he would see her hurt in any way. It was like it wasn't even me dreaming."
"That's because it wasn't." Naru hissed. "It wasn't yours to tell."
Mai nodded absentmindedly. "Maybe you should tell Naru. It might have something to do with the case." She grabbed a second teacup and poured the rest of the drink in it. "Here, bring this to him."
Aya stared at the new teacup in her hands. She pushed her fear of Naru out of her system and focused more on the fear of being pulled into the train tracks. She got up and opened the door.
"I'll be right back." She told Mai.
She walked down the hallway being way to paranoid for her own good.
'You know, if you had listened to me and told me the truth, this wouldn't be a problem.'
She rounded the corner and walked past one of the other offices that were scattered around the station.
'Please, if I had listened to you, I'd be home right now, missing all of this.'
She actually heard him laugh. It was a real laugh. Not forced or anything, just natural. Which was completely out of character for him.
'And by 'all of this' you mean Lin?'
Aya blushed and walked even deeper into the hallway. Changing the subject she asked about the dream.
'Nothing.' Was his reply.
'That was Mai in your dream wasn't it?' She pressed.
'I said it was-"
'Yeah well, you say a lot of things.' She cut him off.
There was silence on the other end as Aya opened the door. She didn't know exactly what room Naru was in but somehow she could feel it. And there he was, seated on one of the couches, poring over his black book. She set his tea down next to him and sat down across from him. She wondered why he chose this room, then she felt a chill come over her. He looked up at her.
"What's going to happen is that the ghost is going to contact you. Give in to it." He took a sip of his tea and folded his arms. "I'll be here to supervise so don't worry."
"Oh that totally makes me feel better." She said weakly. She really hated him right now. "There is no way I'm-"
"Oh but you are. Seeing as you don't know how to defend yourself against them." He smirked at her, knowing he'd won.
She sighed and braced herself for the impact of the ghost's memories. "Why do you need my help anyway? Shouldn't you be able to do this without me?"
She heard Naru sigh. "Because, whether I want to admit it or not, we've gotten absolutely nowhere in this case and you're the only one who can actually have a conversation with the ghosts."
She nodded. "Now let the ghost in before I make you." And she did.
She sat up and her vision went from fuzzy to clear. She made a mental note that she was now in the train station.
"Naru?" She called. "Houshou?"
There wasn't an answer. A man about Houshou's age appeared on the other side of the tracks.
"It's been a long time since someone called me."
Aya looked around the station, trying to find who the man was talking to. The man sighed and shook his head.
"You. You called me little girl."
"Me?" Aya sat up straight and looked him in the- well, he didn't exactly have eyes to look into. A girl appeared next to him.
"Would you tell my parent I love them?"
The man shoved her out of the way. "Shut up. You should've told that when you were alive."
Suddenly the whole other half of the station was filled with ghosts. Old and young, big and small. It was actually kind of sad to see all of these people here because of one person- or thing.
"Tell my husband-" One woman started. She was drowned out by hundreds of other requests. At this rate she wasn't getting anywhere.
"Stop!" She screamed. Everyone went silent. She could feel warmth returning to her body and she knew she didn't have much time. She took a shaky breath.
"I need to know why you're down here."
The man she'd first spoken to cleared his throat. "Well that's an easy question to answer." He paused. "If we actually knew. See we saw a person standing in the tracks and the next thing we know, we're here."
Aya nodded. "So who was the first to arrive here?"
The man glanced around nervously. "The person you need to talk to isn't here. Besides, I don't think the thing she works for would want her to talk to you."
"Oh?" Aya said. "Well go get her anyway."
The man held up his hands. "You come and get her. I should warn you though, crossing over the tracks for too long will kill you. You'd be crossing over into the spirit realm."
Aya hesitated but she could hear Naru's first command. 'Do it.' She sighed and stood up.
"Wait, you're actually going to do this?" The man asked astonished. "What are you insane?"
She shook her head and stepped onto the tracks. "You better take me to her, you know, before I die."
The man took her hand and pulled her up. "I can't take you." Aya took a step back. "But Liz can."
He motioned for the little girl he'd shoved out of the way to come over. "She hasn't been here long so they'll be expecting her." He paused. "Oh and, good luck."
Aya nodded and followed Liz into the hallways.
〇肆〇
Naru noticed Aya had stopped breathing. He put his hand on her neck but she was cold. He cursed under his breath and tried to contact her. He'd lost the connection when she'd stepped over. This was so not good. For one thing, Mai, Lin, and Takigawa would try to kill him. He wasn't scared of Mai though so that worked out. Well he wasn't scared of any of them but still.... Secondly, even though he hated to admit he was wrong, he would feel horrible that she'd actually listened and she died because of that. Just another way he was a danger to society.
"Naru?" He heard Mai call. "Are you down here?"
He snapped out of his semi-panicked state and started making strategic plans. He could cover Aya up and say it was pillows. He could run. That was always an option. He could tell Mai she was stupid and tell her to get out. He heard the door creak open and he knew he was caught. Because not only was it Mai looking for him, but Lin and Takigawa. Great. He thought. 'The three people who'll want to kill me after this and dance on my grave. Lovely.'
"Naru?" Lin asked. "What are you doing down here?"
"Checking out the scenery." He lied. A lame one too. That was when Takigawa spotted Aya.
"What is this?!" He yelled.
"A human being." He replied cooly. "Don't worry she'll wake up."
"You can't just experiment on people Naru!" Mai yelled. "It's wrong!"
Naru looked back and forth between the three of them. "I must've missed that memo."
Lin frowned. "What if she gets hurt? What then? Did you ever stop to think of how it would effect others Naru? Or were you only thinking of yourself?"
Naru glared at all of them. "I was well aware of the consequences and so was she. I was not the one to take into consideration of other people's feelings, it would be her death not mine, that would effect people."
Takigawa was still fuming. "You put her up to this didn't you?"
Mai frowned. "Even if he did, it would be her choice." Mai looked at Aya more closely. "She's not dead is she?"
"I wouldn't say dead." Naru said slowly. "I'd say more along the lines of asleep for a temporary, which may become permanent, sleep."
"NARU!" They all yelled at once. John, Ayako, Masako, and Yasuhara then entered the room.
"Now what's going on?" John asked. He looked at Aya. "What's wrong with her?"
"Is she dead?" Ayako asked. "Naru didn't kill her did he?"
Lin picked Aya up and walked out the door with Takigawa trailing behind him. The door slammed shut and Mai glared at Naru.
"Why did you do that?" She asked him.
There was no way on earth he was telling her what he told Aya. "It doesn't concern you Mai. Now go make some tea."
〇肆〇
Lin carried Aya down the hallway. He didn't exactly know why he'd done that anyway.
It wasn't like him to be impulsive. Aya still wasn't moving and Monk-san was hovering over her. He went into the base and layed her down on the couch. Monk-san was furious at Naru. He was too. That was a risky thing to do, even for Naru who'd gotten himself possesed by an evil spirit in one of their cases.
"D-do you think she'll be okay?" Monk asked. He placed his hand on her forehead.
"I don't know." Lin muttered. He wished he did though
〇肆〇
She could hear Lin saying something when she and Liz entered a giant room.
"Whoa." Aya looked around. "This is huge."
Liz nodded. Her blonde hair was pulled into a pony-tail and she was still in her school uniform. "It's too bad I'm dead." She said in a monotonus voice.
Aya felt sorry for her. "Tell you what. I'll tell your parents anything you want."
Liz smiled at her. "Would you tell them I loved them? It would mean a lot to them."
Aya smiled back. "Of course."
Liz's face got a stoney expression. "We have to hurry or you won't go back."
Aya nodded. "So where is-"
The emaciated girl who'd attacked her in the train station appeared in front of her face. "Why is she here?" She hissed, causing Aya to jump back.
Liz swallowed. "She wants to know why we were killed."
The girl laughed. "You'll never find it. Where I was killed."
Aya took an unsteady breath. "But we could help you."
The girl glared at her. "You think I need your help? I like it here." She laughed harshly and turned on her heals. "Kisho was never a patient man anyway. I must go."
She disappeared. Liz and Aya looked at eachother.
"Well that helped a lot." Aya said flatly. " Who's Kisho?"
Liz shrugged. "I don't know. But you have to go. Now."
Aya nodded and squeezed Liz's hand. "We'll help you. I promise."
Harsh light hit her eyes as she woke up. She felt someone squeeze her hand. Her vision cleared to reveal it as Lin.
"Um, Lin?" She said hoarsly. "Why are you holding my hand?"
Lin cleared his throat and withdrew. "Aya?" He said in a more serious voice. "Did Naru put you up to this?"
She tried to sit up but her head hurt. "It was his idea but I went along with it."
Lin nodded and went to get up. Aya suddenly felt very afraid of the other ghosts. She'd just realized how close to dieing she'd come.
"Lin?" She said softly.
"Yes?" He sat back down and gave her his full atttention.
"Hold my hand now. I'm scared." He wrapped his hand around hers and squeezed it.
"It'll be okay."
Ok everyone I know we said that we wouldn't do this anymore but because it has taken us so long to update, we have no idea who is still reading this story. So that is why we are doing this. Please don't be mad at us. But we need 40 reviews for the next chapter to be posted. The next chapter is already typed and ready. Thank you everyone for staying with our story!!! We love you all!! Thanks ^_^