A/N: Hi! I've been in the Ghost Hunt fandom for a good while now and finally decided to contribute—we gotta keep the fandom alive after all! Occasionally, I may* post fan art that I make for this fic.
Do note: This story is a rewrite but only the first case is similar to the original (it's still not 100% the same either). The rest of the cases play out much differently, not to mention some original cases as well! So hope you enjoy the changes made!
7/3/24: For re-readers, this chapter has been updated for flow and detail! Just letting you know in case you noticed some changes.
Italics = Mai's thoughts
Prologue: Her Beginning
Mai hadn't always had "trippy" dreams or inklings of the unexplainable. In fact, her first years of life were uneventful—not that she would have recalled much as a toddler anyway.
The odd dreams began at the tender age of four. They usually involved the discombobulated memories of strangers. Though initially infrequent enough that she hardly remembered the contents, they became progressively recurrent and clearer with age. Her parents didn't pay the dreams much attention since they were seemingly harmless. Not to mention their skepticism of the whole ordeal.
Well, that is until one specific dream—
A young lady, who vaguely reminded Mai of the nice Obaa-chan next door, had been softly weeping. It looked like she was saying her goodbyes to a handsome gentleman of the same age. She remembered his smile as he whispered into the lady's ear and placed a violet floral brooch in her hand. His whispers were too quiet for Mai to hear, but she thought even they deserved a little privacy from the ears of an intruding four-year-old. The man kissed the lady softly before leaving, allowing one stray tear to fall before the vision ended.
Mai could still recall how beautiful the brooch had been when she peeked at it on her tippy-toes. It had flower-shaped silver with violet gems for petals and a small engraving she couldn't make out on the back. She couldn't understand everything the people in her dreams had to say but didn't need to—she had a basic understanding of their body language and facial expressions.
She told her Okaa-san about the dream the next day while making onigiri. While her mother thought it oddly specific, she didn't question it much, assuming Mai had seen a similar storyline during a daytime drama. Thus, it ended up getting forgotten about entirely.
That is, until Mai's mother told their neighbor about it in passing over tea and rice crackers.
Higashi-san, known as "Obaa-chan" to Mai, had been frozen mid-tea-serve upon hearing about the dream. The old woman recounted the entire backstory of the dream and visited the Taniyama residence at the end of the school day with a small box to confirm her suspicion.
"Mai-chan, is this what you saw in your dream?" The elderly lady dropped to Mai's height and opened the box. Inside revealed a silver brooch shaped into a flower with gems of amethyst.
Mai stared in awe at the brooch, taken by its beauty in person. "Yeah! There were words on the back too, but Mai can't read them yet." She flipped the brooch over much to the horror of her mother—sticky child fingers were not compatible with valued jewelry.
"Hiro-oji-san said he's sorry he couldn't make it back and that he loves you."
Higashi-san smiled cheek to cheek, patting the child's head. "Thank you, Mai-chan."
Mai's parents paid closer attention to her dreams from then on. Since most of her dreams were unconnected or about trivial events, they continued to listen with a grain of salt. Mai's first recurring nightmares prompted her mother to take some advice from a coworker to visit the local shrine. She got a talisman that warded negativity. The talisman worked well enough throughout Mai's childhood but ended up missing during her moves later on.
The next pivotal point in her life was not a positive one. This came in the form of the untimely death of her father.
At the time, Mai, aged 7, recalled a restless energy she couldn't shake—the oppressive feeling of dread. She had been unable to fall asleep at her usual time that night, tossing and turning until she gave up.
Her mother surmised that she had "the jitters" because her father had recently left for a business trip and she probably missed him. Mai fell asleep an hour to two after a cup of tea and a short story.
She didn't expect her father to visit her that night.
He had ruffled her hair like always and kissed her forehead, hugging her and apologizing for leaving so soon. He pulled the blankets up over her shoulders before fading away. She sometimes wondered if she'd been dreaming or if he truly appeared in her room.
The following morning, she awoke to the sound of her mother sobbing over the phone, and the feeling in her gut told her exactly what she needed to know.
The next time she experienced intense dread was one morning when she couldn't shake the urge to stop her mother from leaving the house. Her mother had laughed it off, wondering what her daughter was so worried about. It would've been a waste to not go to work and eat the bento Mai had proudly made for her. Ultimately, Mai couldn't convince her and eventually stopped her insistence—and yet, the voice inside her pushed her to continue.
She should have listened.
Middle school left her with a fear of what her dreams could reveal. On occasion, she would experience brief snippets of her parents' lives in nightmares—both the good and the bad—followed by memories of her last moments with them.
While apprehensive, Mai still involved herself with the paranormal in some form, albeit not always intentionally. She understood that, at the very least, she was more sensitive to the other side than other people. She didn't care to explore her abilities further aside from helping the occasional spirit. And that was whether she was aware of them being dead or not.
She didn't call herself a medium either. She wasn't like that doll-like girl on the one TV show. Hara Masako, was it? Sometimes, she wished she couldn't tap into the other side at all. Sure, it had its benefits but also its caveats, like that one time in middle school.
She had been with a few friends who were too curious for their own good. The idea of an old property that was the scene of a brutal murder was too interesting to pass up. So, they thought it was a good idea to investigate the decrepit building, all safety awareness out the window.
This was only the first of many instances of Mai's decision-making deficit.
Since most of her friends were chickens, they never had the gall to explore the inside of the home. They opted to walk the perimeter of the yard, Mai wanting to run for the hills but teenage pride holding her back. She remembered feeling watched by something from the second-story windows. Despite several glances, she never caught anything. Her one friend was also pushed into some dead bushes by seemingly nothing—she had cut up her arms and legs with dull but plentiful scrapes.
When they finally left, almost everyone unscathed, Mai felt the hugest wave of relief.
If only she knew.
Night terrors plagued her every night for the next month, appearing at least five nights a month from then on. The visions were sometimes from an outside view… and sometimes from a first-person perspective.
Thus, began Mai's habit of taking sleeping pills upon the recommendation of her peers.
She knew it was a bad habit to start, but she didn't believe the adults in her life would understand her predicament, so she resorted to friends under the guise of "insomnia."
Despite avoiding her dreams, she couldn't completely ignore the paranormal—especially when it found its way to her.
"Um, is this it? Seems like no one's been here for a long time," Mai whispered to her companion as they approached a small worn-down shrine.
The structure was surrounded by small round stones embedded into the ground. They had various faces engraved into them almost like little spirits. Two rabbit statues stood guard at the front of the small stone platform that the shrine stood upon. With the sun drifting lower and casting a shadow over the area, Mai reminded herself how she even got wrapped up in this situation in the first place.
She had been merely trying to mind her own business on her way to the train station after school. That was when she noticed a miko on the corner attempting to catch the attention of several pedestrians. Everyone seemed to disregard her—or rather, they couldn't see her.
The miko adorned the traditional white kimono under a red hakama. Her midnight black hair was in a low ponytail tied with a small white ribbon. What differed from the usual miko attire was the small red crescent moon marking on her forehead.
I've never seen her around here before.
Mai debated crossing to the opposite side of the street to avoid contact with this suspiciously ethereal figure and whatever shenanigans she brought with her. Noting the distress of the maiden though, something told her she needed to help.
That she was meant to help.
Thus, cue her current predicament. The miko, known as Hiroko, claimed that she was running out of time—for what, Mai could only assume. Hiroko explained she was in a hurry to find some ancient artifact that she had a duty to watch over.
She had been in a slumber for the past few decades following the world war and was only now awake. She woke beneath a nearby plum blossom tree with no recollection of her general orientation. Being the nice person she was, Mai begrudgingly agreed to help. The duo spent a good hour or two searching different shrines in the area in hopes of finding the artifact. It wasn't until they came across a promising trail did their escapade feel worth it.
A large shrine had a nearly hidden trail that led into the woods. Having no qualms about her safety, Mai marched right in. The trail revealed the small abandoned shrine they were searching for.
Hiroko approached Mai from behind, floating herself to the left. "Yes! This is indeed the one," she said. "Should you lift off the head of the tanuki stone, there will be a key. Please use that to unlock the box in the shrine."
Scrunching her face in doubt, Mai followed her directions. "You sure this is okay? I don't want to get cursed or anything. I have enough on my plate as it is."
"Surely not! This will be a blessing!"
"If you say so," she mumbled. With reluctance, Mai retrieved the key. She was careful not to drop the stone head lest she angered whatever spirit inhabited it. She picked up the small wooden box nesting in the shrine and noted the wear on the corners as well as the fading of the body.
Unlocking and lifting the top, the rusted hinge broke off, leaving the lid to clatter against the ground. Inside was a small foldable pocket mirror that remained well protected from the elements. The mirror featured an intricate design of red, white, and gold embroidered into the top and bottom pieces. It resembled the ancient Chinese robes she had seen in her history textbooks.
Cloud designs bordered the perimeter followed by a pattern of what looked like white rabbits closer to the middle. Even closer to the center were ancient characters wrapped around that she couldn't quite read. She could only make out the character for "moon." The gold clasp was a full circle, leading her to think it was supposed to represent the full moon.
"Wow, this is beautiful! Looks like it could have belonged to Chinese royalty or something." She stared in awe at the beautiful piece of work as it lay in its box. Considering the circumstances of the whole ordeal, a thought crossed her mind. "I'm not going to open this and find a ghost or something in the reflection, right?" she asked, not daring to pick up the object.
Hiroko rolled her eyes. "You must jest. This is a sacred item believed to have been gifted from the heavens. It has been enshrined here for years, forgotten with the ages." Her face betrayed a wistful smile as she stared from over Mai's shoulder. She glanced back at the larger shrine that they stood behind, allowing herself to reminisce. "I have protected this treasure for centuries at Tsukiyano shrine. I will surely miss it." Smiling warmly, she dipped her head in a bow. "Thank you, Mai-san. For I wish that you will care for the artifact well in my absence."
Alarmed by her words, Mai spun around only to see the view of the trees and the shrine in the distance. "Wait! I thought you just wanted me to find it? I didn't know I'd have to take responsibility for something so important!" she yelled out to no one.
The space where Hiroko once stood showed no indication of the miko's presence. The wind blew against the trees, lending the scent of jasmine to her nose.
Well, that was kind of cheap. Way to push your job onto someone else! Mai sighed, cursing herself for being too nice. What else was new.
Remembering the box in her hands, she studied the mirror—conflicted between keeping watch over the item or finding another shrine, or even a museum, to drop off the item.
As if to answer her question, the mirror unlatched itself, remaining ajar.
Feeling her breath hitch in her throat, she closed her eyes and attempted to calm herself down. Of course, it has to be haunted!
After what felt like half an hour of debating, she ultimately decided to take the object with her. What happened after that, she would have to figure out later. Given that the original storage box was out of commission, she neatly placed the pieces back into the safety of the shrine. With some thorough mental preparation, she picked up the mirror and shut it before sliding it into her coat pocket.
Feeling her phone buzz in her other pocket, she pulled it out. Popping up on the screen was her reminder about the ground beef sale at the grocery store by the school.
I completely forgot! I hope they don't run out. I even have a coupon!
Unfortunately for her, she was in the complete opposite direction and would have to pass by the school again. In normal circumstances, she would have just given up and cursed her forgetfulness. However, beef was a luxury and she'd been looking forward to hamburger steak for lunch. If she could stretch it on a good deal, distance be damned. Humans were created with legs for a reason!
Running off, the speed of her takeoff fluttered the nearby leaves. Her presence marked the last sign of life on the vacant plane before it closed off.
When Mai reached the platform of the larger shrine, she paused and glanced back. Her eyes widened when she spotted that the trail was gone. No evidence existed that the small shrine in the woods even existed. Now that she thought about it, the woods had seemed much denser and more remote than what Tokyo would allow.
Goosebumps traveled up from the tips of her extremities to her back. Not wanting to dwell in the area any longer, she scurried off, set on beating the grocery store's hours.
By the time the school gates and old schoolhouse entered her line of vision, the sun had begun to set. It cast a yellow-orange film over the buildings and trees, reminding her of her "late" night.
Switching her run to a speed walk after she got tired, she pulled out her phone to check the time. It was already 7 pm and it was getting dark. She needed to get on the train soon before the schedule switched to hourly. As she put her phone away, a text from Michiru had her pulling it back out. She was asking about ghost stories tomorrow after school. Thursday was their usual day, but they almost skipped this week since Michiru had a risky date scheduled.
I guess that didn't work out, huh?
Mid-reply, Mai failed to notice someone standing on the sidewalk observing the old schoolhouse. She promptly collided with their side, nearly knocking them both over and successfully dropping her phone as well as knocking the stranger's folder onto the sidewalk.
"Eeeh, I am so sorry! That was my fault for not paying attention."
The stranger—a handsome black-clad teenager—grunted briefly. "I know it was," he said. "You shouldn't stare at your phone while you're walking."
Feeling embarrassment creep up her cheeks, she redirected her attention to his scattered papers. "Here, let me help you," she said, already crouching down to help.
"It's fine. I had organized them in a fashion that would be too complicated for you, anyway."
Am I hearing thisright?!
"And what is that supposed to mean?" When her reply received no response, she huffed and picked up her phone, stomping away. "That's what I get for being so nice today," she grumbled.
The mystery individual paid her no mind as he gathered his dropped reports.
That's when he noticed something.
Where the girl had been standing not too long ago was a small circular item. It was a pocket mirror, but not like an item casually carried around by teenage girls. Perhaps a family heirloom of some sort?
By the time he realized he didn't have his handkerchief and had to pick it up bare-handed, she was long gone out of sight.
Sighing, he inspected the mirror, hoping to find a name. Instead, he was pulled into a vision—one of the same girl as she stood amongst floating orbs in an otherwise black space. A small luminescent white rabbit stood off in he distance as though watching her. What the vision meant to convey, he wasn't sure. He would be lying if he said he wasn't at least a bit intrigued.
Oliver studied the outside of the mirror once more, identifying small Chinese characters. He could ask Lin about them later if he cared enough to know. For now, he had work to do.
He would return it the next he saw her—she was wearing this school's uniform after all.
A/N: And there is the prologue! I wanted to start off this story differently than just with the usual series of events.
Originally, this story was going feature only some of the actual cases as I wanted to mainly focus on how things occur differently. However, I'm thinking of including at least the big cases with some original cases throughout. However, this might change and could include them all!
Either way, the focus is on Mai's life and how earlier presentation of her abilities can alter her development as a psychic, as well as possibly change the development of her relationship with Naru.
I'm an avid paranormal fan, so I hope to include more elements of real life psychics and paranormal phenomena they don't talk about as much in the series :)
Please let me know what you think!