Ghost Hunt 1. File 1

As some of you know from early AN in LoM that story has gone to a standstill because I said I had another idea. Here's the beginning of that idea! It _is_ based on the Nancy Drew game of the same time. The main characters do have the same name but I've tweaked relationships a little and definitely the ending. It's a Ghost Hunt fic, how could it be a human instead of a ghost, right? Well, I hope you enjoy and before anyone worries, yes I do intend to finish this. Also, I have done this before with Vacation or a Curse? Nancy Drew games give such good ideas when it comes to hauntings! Please review! It inspires me as an author!

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Mai had known it was going to be a long day when Masako had entered the office and not gone straight to Naru's office. The medium had renewed her romantic efforts almost the moment after Naru had returned from England to reopen the office. Mai had been irritated at the fact but had reminded herself Naru seemed to have the emotional capacity of a rock. At any rate, Mai just knew Masako was there for more than flirting when she entered the office and took a seat on the couch.

"Is there something I can get you, Masako?" Mai managed to ask nicely. She could feel a twitch threatening to come out when the other girl looked at her before turning her head away quickly. Mai could also feel her fists clenching tightly at the abrupt dismissal.

"No. Naru knows I've come here to talk to him about a possible case." Masako answered. Mai scowled before letting out a sigh. She knew it Masako brought it to them chances were Naru would take it. She hated how it worked that way but she knew she had to let the man know he had a visitor. Even if she wasn't exactly fond of said visitor.

"I'll go let him know you're here." Mai said she made her way to Naru's office door. She could almost feel Masako's eyes following her. She had to suppress the shiver. Since starting her job she had always got nervous about the feeling of being watched. It had certainly become a pet peeve of hers.

"Thank you, Mai." she froze as she reached for the handle to Naru's office. She turned to look at the medium so see she was smiling at her gently. Mai returned the smile easily.

"You're welcome, Masako. I'll be right back!" she opened the door and disappeared into the recesses of Naru's office. She wasn't surprised to find the only light was coming from the lamp on his desk. That and his computer screen. She really did wonder how he still had such good eyesight when he chose to read in such bad lighting. She had learned to stop questioning about that particular habit when she realized he was never going to answer.

"Yes, Mai?" he asked without even looking up from the book he was reading. She rolled her eyes at him even though she knew he couldn't see. She also knew, however, that even though he didn't see he knew. Their relationship may have not progressed at all but he certainly seemed to know more about her habits than any of the others. She wouldn't mention that to him though because he would only deny it.

"Masako's here. She said she has a case to talk to you about and that you were expecting her." Mai told him. She watched as he finally looked up from his book to meet her eyes. He sighed before standing up as he grabbed his notebook that never seemed to be far from his side. Mai was still sure he drew doodles in it instead of actually taking notes. She hadn't managed to snatch it yet to prove her theory but it was on her list of things to do.

"Very well. Let's hear what she to say then." Naru basically pushed her back out of his office as he followed. Mai knew she couldn't be offended because he had never allowed her to be in his office by herself. Even if it was for a few seconds.

"Good evening, Naru. I'm surprised to see Mai didn't have to drag you out of your office." Masako commented as Naru and Mai took their seats. Mai had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. She was surprised that Masako had made such a jab at Naru. Since his return, though, the others seemed to feel more comfortable around. Mai figured it was because they knew he was no longer hiding secrets from them.

"You said that you had a case you thought I would be interested in. You have yet to disappoint me when you bring cases, Miss Hara, so it's only natural I would willingly hear you out. Now, please tell us what has brought you here." Mai watched as Masako's eyes narrowed at the comeback. She also watched as the other girl covered her mouth to hide her expression. Mai was sure she was scowling at the man.

"Well, the client is actually a close friend of mine. She was two years my senior in high school and she would tutor me if I had to miss a lot of classes because of work. The other day she contacted me nearly in tears." Masako started. Mai tilted her head curiously while wondering what was wrong with Masako's friend.

"Her family owns a Ryokan not far from the outer city limits of Kyoto. She told me the family has owned it for many generations even before World War I. At any rate she said some strange things have been happening or so her sister told her. She decided she wanted to see herself if perhaps her sister was just imagining things." Masako whispered. Mai reached out to cover one of the girl's hands that had curled into her kimono. Masako blinked at her.

"I'm guessing that wasn't the answer, was it?" Mai asked. Masako shook her head before letting out a deep breath.

"No. She said over the course of the few days that she stayed there strange things were happening. Footprints appeared out of nowhere, doors were opening and closing by themselves, shadows moved on their own, and the one thing that really unsettled her most was the sound of dripping water every time something happened. The hauntings have also started to scare off their customers. Yumi is afraid they'll lose the Ryokan at this rate." Masako continued. Mai couldn't stop the shiver that went down her spine this time. She hated hearing about ghost stories more than being in the middle of one since she had started her job. Mostly because she knew whatever the story said was going to be much worse once they started investigating.

"Has anything happened that you think could have possibly started this paranormal activity?" Naru asked. Mai looked at him to see he was writing in his notebook.

"Well, yes. Their mother passed away about two years ago. Yumi, my friend, won't talk about what happened. I looked it up myself when I decided to bring the case to you. She drowned in one of the hot springs but the only thing I could find in the newspapers would that the police have declared it accidental. It also said Yumi was the first one to find her mother. It wasn't long after that Yumi moved out of the Ryokan. Now, it's just her sister and grandmother that live there." Masako explained. Mai gasped as her hands went to her mouth.

"How horrible! I can't imagine how she must have felt!" Mai cried. Masako nodded as she let out a soft sigh.

"I'm her friend and I don't even know how she felt. She won't talk about it. She gets mad every time I try to bring her mother up so I've stopped doing so for the sake of our friendship." Masako whispered. Mai let out a small breath before looking at Naru. He was looking at Masako with a curious gleam in her eyes. Mai could tell he was intrigued by the case but was trying to hide it. He didn't want her to know.

"Miss Hara, could it be their mother causing these mysterious happenings?" he asked. The medium looked up from her lap before shrugging her shoulders.

"I've not been there since she passed away. It could be their mother but I don't think she would do anything to scare them. Yumi said her grandmother is terrified even though she's trying to hide it. I'm asking for your help, Naru. I don't know if I have the mental strength to do this by myself." Masako whispered. Mai bit her lip before turning to Naru. She tilted her head when he looked at her.

"Naru, I think we should help this family. I can't imagine what they're going through. If it is their mother…to think she could possibly be trapped in the spirit world…its sad." Mai whispered softly. She watched as Naru closed his eyes before sighing. She could almost see it in his face despite his eyes being closed. He was going to accept the case even if it wasn't a case he would normally take.

"Miss Hara, I will take the case but unfortunately we cannot be there for a few days at least. Lin and I have a conference call with my father in a few days and we must be in the office for it." he informed her. Mai turned back to Masako only to see the girl slightly disheartened at the news.

"Oh, dear. I had hoped we could get started immediately. I don't want them to suffer any longer than they have to. I suppose it's because they're my friends." Masako whispered. Mai looked to Naru hoping for an answer. The man sighed before shaking his head.

"Very well, I'll let Mai accompany you there early. If you could contact the others they may be able to arrive early as well. Yasu will arrive with Lin and myself so he can help us load the equipment we need. You said they owned a Ryokan, will they have enough rooms open for us to use?" he asked. Masako nodded as she and Mai watched the boy stand up from his chair.

"As I said earlier, the Ryokan is losing business. Yumi told me there are currently only three rooms occupied at the moment. She doesn't know how much longer they'll be occupied." Masako replied. Mai bit back a sigh. She couldn't help but feel bad for the family.

"Very well. You may tell your friend we will come help her. I will contact you at a later time, Miss Hara. Good day." Mai blinked as Naru disappeared back into his office. She shook her head before looking back at Masako. The girl was once again looking at floor with a pained look on her face.

"I just…I can't believe it's their mother. She would never do anything to hurt the Ryokan's reputation." she whispered. Mai reached out and placed a gentle hand on Masako's shoulder. The medium looked up at her with wide eyes. Even though they were rivals in love Mai gave her a gentle smile.

"We're going to find out what's going on, Masako. We will help your friend no matter what. You know Naru is good at his job." she told her. Masako smiled before standing up and bowing.

"You're right, Mai. Can you be ready to go tomorrow? I'll buy the train tickets. We won't have to worry about transportation as the Ryokan is right there at the station without being too close to get noise disturbance. It's actually one of its novelties." Masako said. Mai blinked before also standing up as she nodded.

"I'll be ready. Can we meet at the station outside the office? It would be closest for me." Mai told her. Masako nodded in agreement.

"Very well. I will call you with details tomorrow. Good-bye, Mai." the woman then left as quietly as she came.

'For some reason I get the feeling this case won't be as simple as it seems. I wonder what could really be going on. I guess Naru will want me to play detective before he gets there. Great.' Mai thought before scowling as the man called for tea. She rolled her eyes as she disappeared into the kitchen. As much as she cared for him it would be nice to be away from his tea addiction for a little bit.

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"Wow, it is absolutely beautiful. Amazing." Mai whispered as they stood in front of the old fashioned inn. It looked as though it belonged in the 1800s. Mai had to wonder what things the structure must have seen during its time.

"We should get inside, Mai. Yumi said her sister, Miwako, was waiting on us because we had such a later start. I'm going to warn you though. Miwako is a very stubborn business woman. She hates that she has to blame some of these problems on a ghost. Miwako is a logical person and ghosts just aren't logical." Masako told her as they began to walk towards the front door of the large building.

"I understand. It's probably even harder to think it could possibly be her mother. I'll tread lightly around her, don't worry." Mai said before opening the door. She walked into the lobby only for her eyes to widen in surprise.

The elevated floor was covered in expensive looking hardwood. The entire lobby was decorated in traditional Japanese décor. There were paintings of Sakura trees on each wall along with a tea table in each corner except for one. A small fire was burning in the other corner with a tea pot hanging over it. Mai felt as though she had just stepped into the past as she slipped her shoes off.

She approached the desk that two women were standing behind. The younger one was dressed in a business suit while the older one was in a kimono. They looked as though they were having a private conversation. Mai tried to keep her distance with Masako until the younger one looked up. She gave them a tight smile.

"Masako, how nice to see you again. You must be Taniyama-san. Welcome to our Ryokan. Give me a minute and I'll get the keys to your rooms." the girl said. Mai realized she had to be Miwako. She looked exhausted and stressed. Mai felt her heart go out to the young woman.

Mai was about to thank the girl for her hospitality before there was a loud knocking on one of the walls. Mai looked around as she attempted to figure out where the noise was coming from. Her eyes were drawn to a painting next to the desk of a young woman dressed very traditionally down to her hair. Her mouth opened slightly as the picture began to shake violently before it fell to the floor. Mai let out a soft gasp as the glass protecting the painting shattered when it hit.

"Mai, are you alright?" Masako asked. Mai looked at the other girl as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She nodded even though she was slightly stunned at the show of paranormal activity so early. She had never seen a reaction so quickly to her presence in a haunted building.

"She does not want them here. Tell them to leave." the older woman said. Mai blinked as Miwako turned to her elder.

"Obaa-san, please." she said quietly. Mai swallowed at the scowl the woman sent Miwako.

"Tell them to leave. Now!" the woman turned and walked away. Mai turned her attention back to Miwako as the girl dropped her head.

"I'm sorry about her. It's hard to believe what is going on here so she doesn't like it when outsiders come in to try and figure it out. I'm at my wits' end which is why I asked Yumi to contact you, Masako. Maybe this was a bad idea. I can give you your rooms for a night but it might be best for you to leave tomorrow and cancel this whole expedition." Miwako said softly under her breath. Mai had to bite back a scowl as she knew she needed to be gentle with the girl.

"Absolutely not." Mai turned to look at Masako in shock. "You're having trouble here, Miwako, that's easy to see. She may not be here but Yumi cares enough about you and Takae to ask for my help. I want to help, Miwako. Please, I know family is a big thing for you but we aren't going to drag any of this through the media, I promise. Let us help."

"M-Masako…al-alright. I guess you're right. I know we can trust you. I just have one favor to ask you and your colleagues." the young woman asked. Mai sent her a gentle smile.

"What is it, Miwako?" she asked.

"If this is mother, I know she doesn't mean it. She would never do anything to hurt the Ryokan. This is her home. If it is her…something has changed. All I ask is that you help her cross over." Miwako whispered. Mai looked at Masako who nodded.

"We have some of the best people coming to help with this case, Miwako. I know, with their help, we will do everything we can to stop this activity and to help your mother if it is her behind this. I give my promise." Masako said. Mai nodded in agreement before looking down at the destroyed picture frame.

'That feeling is back. There is something here that is not as it seems. I just hope we can help their mother…if she's truly the one behind this.'

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Please, please, please review! I can't know if you like it or not if you don't review! Also, I hope you enjoyed!


	2. File 2

Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!

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"That was certainly an interesting welcome. I don't think I've ever seen such a quick response to outsiders." Mai said as she flopped down on her futon. She watched as Masako straightened her sleeping yukata before she took a seat on her futon.

"Indeed but somehow it's not surprising. Kasumi, that's the mother's name, was always quick to welcome visitors to the Ryokan. She didn't do it so dangerously when she was alive though." Masako hummed as she continued to fuss with her clothing. Mai hummed under her breath as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Do you sense anything here, Masako? Naru will be unhappy if he has to come all the way out here and there's nothing to investigate." Mai told her. She heard Masako also lay down after she obviously got the yukata to fit how she wanted.

"I know. I do sense a presence here. It was stronger when the picture fell off the wall. I don't know if it's her or not. It's almost as though she's hiding and when she does something she doesn't use all her power. I get the feeling Kasumi doesn't want it to be known where she's hiding at." Masako whispered. Mai sighed in agreement before sitting back up. She found her mind was racing and she couldn't calm it. She looked at Masako who was studying her quietly.

"I'm going to go for a walk to clear my mind. I want to explore the gardens outside. I haven't been able to get my mind off of it since I caught a glimpse through that open door in the lobby." Mai told her. Masako nodded even though her face remained blank. It was clear to Mai the other girl was distracted by what was happening in the Ryokan.

"The gardens are beautiful this time of year. Enjoy." Masako told her. Mai nodded before disappearing through the shoji door. She let out a soft sigh as she paused in the long hallway where their room was located. Miwako had told them they had the whole corridor to themselves but it was currently the only room cleaned for them to stay in. The girl had promised them the other rooms would be ready before Naru and the others arrived.

Mai shook her head before making her way down the hall and the stairs to reach the first floor of the building. She made her way towards the gardens that were situated behind the large Ryokan. Mai took in a deep breath once she had made it outside. The scenery really was beautiful with all the trees and flowers growing around the small pond. It certainly fit in with the traditional feel of the Ryokan. Mai wondered how long the garden had been there.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Mai jumped at the voice. She turned to see Miwako was standing behind her with her arms crossed. Mai sent her a friendly smile. Miwako tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear in response.

"It is. I was just thinking how long it must've been here along with how hard it has to be to keep it so pretty. Do you have a gardener?" Mai inquired gently. Miwako giggled before shaking her head as she moved to stand beside Mai. They stared out at the garden together as the moon shone brightly down on the scene.

"No. My grandmother has taken care of it most of her life. A few years ago she began to get arthritis in her joints so my mother took over. She was taking care of the gardens…and the hot springs. Sometimes it seems as though the only thing we have left of her is the gardens." Miwako whispered. Mai felt her heart go out to the girl before she placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Don't think like that, Miwako. You and your family keep your mother's memory alive inside your hearts. If the happenings here are your mother it's because she can't bear to leave a family who obviously loved her very much." Mai told her. She watched as tears welled in Miwako's eyes before the older girl shook her head.

"Those are kind words, Taniyama-san, but…I don't think you can understand the hatred my mother felt when she died. Please, I don't feel like talking about this. Excuse me." Mai watched with her mouth open as Miwako disappeared back into the Ryokan. She let out a soft sigh before shaking her head. That went better than she had thought it would but she hadn't wanted to upset Miwako.

Mai understood, better than most people, what it was like to lose a person's mother suddenly. She had tried to tread carefully but it seemed not matter how caution a person was it would set Miwako off. Mai shuddered as she thought about how Miwako had undoubtedly also seen the dead body of her mother before she'd been taken to the hospital. Mai may understand losing her parents but she couldn't understand the horror of actually seeing the parent's body.

"Well, there's no reason to dwell out here. I should get some sleep before Naru decides to call me early in the morning just to wake me up out of pure meanness." Mai mused as she turned back to the door that would lead her into the lobby. She froze as the lights suddenly flickered before going out. "That's not normal."

Mai swallowed as the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand on end. She slowly turned back towards the garden. Her eyes searched for anything that seemed out of the ordinary in the scenery. She let out a small breath as she realized that perhaps it was just an electricity outage. She felt a cold shiver go down her spine and knew she was wrong.

She looked up at the second floor terrace that connected all the rooms on the outside. Her eyes went wide at the sight that met her eyes. A glowing figure with long hair seemed to be floating down the terrace. The figures arms were held out in front of it while the hands were hanging limply from the arms. Mai continued to watch in stunned amazement before suddenly the figure stopped in front of one of the doors that led into a room.

'What is it doing? Is…that sounds like dripping water!' Mai though as the sound echoed through the garden. She watched in horror as the figure turned its head toward her. Her heart stopped as the head snapped up. The black hair fell in front of the face but it didn't hide the blank eyes staring at her. She watched as the hands lifted up in a stopping motion before her mouth opened.

Mai's hands covered her ears at the loud, horrible scream that filled the air. She couldn't block out the despair and anger in the scream. She lifted her eyes to look once more at the figure as the screaming continued. The figure began to contort into different shapes before bursting into water. Mai stood there stunned before letting her hands drop from her ears.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" the scream pushed Mai into action. She ran into the lobby and up the stairs in the direction the scream had come. She skidded to a stop as she found Miwako and Masako standing outside one of the many rooms. She realized it must have been the room Miwako lived in. She watched as Miwako buried her head into Masako's shoulder.

"What happened?! Are you okay?" Mai cried as she approached the girls. Masako looked at her before shakily pointing into the room. Mai was surprised to see Masako was not only shaking but pale. Masako shook her head telling Mai wordlessly they would talk later. Mai nodded before turning to the room. Her eyes went wide. The paper on the door that led to the terrace had been ripped to shreds allowing Mai to see the garden through the small now empty squares.

It wasn't the tattered door that caught her attention for long. It was what was written on the wall above the door. It was in blood and looked messy, almost as though the person writing had been angry. She couldn't believe the words but her mind easily comprehended what they meant.

'_You are guilty, I will never forgive you.'_

"It's mother's writing! She's blaming us for her death! She hates us!" Miwako cried before collapsing on her knees. Mai couldn't take her eyes off the writing as Miwako's sobs echoed around her. She couldn't believe there had been such a show of power from a ghost that was possibly Miwako's mother.

"Come on, Miwako, let's get you to your grandmother. I'm sure she'll understand if you want to spend the night with her. We call someone tomorrow to come clean the damage." Mai turned to see Masako was helping the other girl to her feet. Miwako was still shaking but shook her head at the medium's suggestion.

"No, it's alright. I'll have Rentaro fix it when he comes in tomorrow. I can get to Obaa-san's by myself. You two need your sleep, it's a long trip from Tokyo." Miwako whispered before disappearing from the sight of the two women. Mai shared a look with Masako who was shaking her head.

"Did you see her as well?" Masako asked softly in case Miwako was still around. Mai understood why she didn't want the other girl to hear what they were talking about. It would only make it worse if she heard them talking about the incident.

"Yeah, it was horrifying. How did you see?" Mai replied quietly as they began to walk toward their room.

"I had stepped out onto the terrace to get some fresh air. I saw her across the garden since we're in the other wing. I realized when she stopped to look at you that she was in front of Miwako's room. I ran as fast as I could to Miwako while the apparition was screaming only to find the damage had already be done." Masako told her. Mai let out a soft breath before pausing in the hallway that led to their room. She watched as Masako turned to study her when she realized Mai wasn't beside her.

"What did you feel when you saw her, Masako? What emotion?" Mai whispered. She glanced at Masako to see the girl's eyes had gone wise and she was staring out into space. Mai swallowed as she wondered if she even wanted to know the answer.

"Hate. There was so much hate coming from that…whatever it was." Masako finally answered. Mai frowned at the reply as it was unusual for the medium refer to any ghost as a thing rather than a person.

"Why do you say that?" she asked. Masako shook her head at the other girl. Mai was sure she could detect despair in the dark gaze.

"I just can't believe someone as kind hearted as Shimizu Kasumi could turn into something that holds so much hate. I can't and won't believe it." Masako whispered before disappearing into their room.

"I hope you're right, Masako. Still, there's something inside telling me there is just something weird different about all of this." Mai said as she clutched the fabric of her shirt over her heart. She took a deep breath before also reentering their room to hopefully get some sleep for the night.

* * *

The ringing of her cell phone pulled Mai from her dreams of forcing Naru to get his own damned tea. She turned over as she tried to ignore the ringing. The person could call her back at a later time when she was actually awake. She heard Masako groan as the ringing continued to disrupt their otherwise silent room. Mai let out an aggravated sigh before turning onto her back as she grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" she mumbled sleepily. She could feel her mind slowly moving back towards unconscious despite the fact she was on the phone.

"What took you so long?" she bit back a scowl at the voice that met her ears. She should have known when he said he would call it meant early the next morning. She brought her wrist up to look at her watch. Her scowl deepened at time that she read.

"It is six-thirty in the morning, Naru. Normal people are still asleep…oh wait! You aren't normal!" Mai said. She turned back onto her side with the phone cradled between her ear and the pillow. She really was half-tempted to just fall asleep on him.

"I told you I would call to get the schematics of the building. We need them to know how much of the equipment we need to bring. I was also going to remind you to start interviewing the family members." he replied. Mai let out an audible yawn just so he would hear her. She bit back a smirk as she heard him sigh on the other end. She knew she had managed to irritate him. As far as she was concerned her day had already been a success and she hadn't even gotten out of bed yet.

"They aren't exactly eager about talking the incident that triggered this. I can't exactly blame them. At any rate, it's a big structure so I'd bring all the equipment. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going back to sleep like a normal person." she told him. She could hear him mumbling under her breath but couldn't make out what he was saying. She had learned early on that if he started mumbling she probably didn't want to know what he was saying. It was then that she started drifting back to sleep.

"Mai!" she jumped at the call that came from the phone. She realized he was going to keep her awake no matter how much she wanted to sleep. She hoped he realized how lucky he was to be in Tokyo instead of across the hall in one of the other rooms. If he was she had no doubt she would have hit him across the face no matter the consequences. She was far too sleepy to think clearly at the moment.

"What is it now?" she grumbled. She actually wished he was across the hall. He had yet to see her right hook. She had paid enough attention to Ayako beating on Takigawa to learn a few things.

"Has anything happened since you arrived?" he asked. Mai had to bite back the desire to start yelling at him over the phone.

"How about this, Naru? I go to sleep, if I see Gene I'll tell him what happened, and he can pass it on. If that doesn't happen I will call you back at a more _decent_ hour and let you know myself. Good-bye!" she hung the phone up and placed it on the floor beside her futon. She turned onto her back in an attempt to go back to sleep.

She could only blink up at the ceiling before sighing in defeat. She glared at the phone as it notified her of a new text message. She reached over to pick the object up. She flipped the phone open only for her mouth to drop open. She was going to kill him! She was going to absolutely throttle him.

'_I win_.'

"I suppose we should began our day. Until you start responding to him you know he will do everything he possibly can to keep you up." Masako said as she also sat up. Mai had the feeling she looked as tired as Mai felt.

"Yeah, but I really don't want to give in to him. You know his ego will only grow once he realizes he's succeeded." Mai told her. Masako nodded as she managed to climb to her feet.

"I know. I'm going to get ready then go check on Miwako. I worried about her all night." Masako told her. Mai nodded in agreement as she brought a hand to her chin. She couldn't deny she was also worried about the girl. She was sure it had been horrible to enter your room to see that scene.

"Okay, I'm going to go look at the room. I know it's paranormal but I want to see if perhaps there are any clues for the identity of the ghost. I don't know what it is, maybe my institution, but something is telling me there is more to this whole thing than meets the eye." Mai said as she also climbed to her feet.

"I see. Well, we can meet later and talk about where to go from here. Who is supposed to arrive today?" Masako asked.

"I think John and Takigawa are coming in tonight. Ayako said she has two more shifts at her hospital before she can come out to help. Remind me to talk to Yasuhara when I finally call back the narcissist. Him or Lin." Mai said as she began to change out of her pajamas. She looked up as Masako cleared her throat.

"Why do you need to talk to them?" Masako asked. Mai gave a small smile that showed no joy. It was nothing more than an expression for her face to take on.

"The ghost, there was something odd about it. She had long black hair that looked wet but her eyes…it was her eyes that were so odd. I could see the pupils. I was going to ask them if they could research and see if they could find anything similar to that." Mai told her. She watched as Masako brought one of her sleeves up to her mouth. Mai wondered what the other girl was thinking.

"I see. It could possibly be a _yurei_. It would make no sense though why she would be like that." Masako whispered. Mai could only blink in confusion.

"A what?" she asked. Masako looked at her with a sigh before shaking her head.

"A poltergeist bent on revenge is the only way I can really explain it. The person most likely died a violent death. A _yurei_ is their spirit searching for revenge because of the circumstances surrounding their death. If that is what we're dealing with, I can't be a hundred percent positive it is, then this far more dangerous than I thought. I would certainly ask Lin-san and Yasuhara-san to see what they can find…especially about the history of the Ryokan." Masako told her. Mai blinked once again. She felt as though that was all she was doing every time Masako explained something. She didn't like the feeling.

"History?" she finally asked.

"It may just be my hopeful thinking but perhaps this ghost is from the past and not Yumi's mother. I just…I can't believe she would turn into that. I know I've been saying that since we got here, Mai, but I really can't believe it." Masako whispered. Mai couldn't stop from walking over to the girl and putting a hand on her shoulder. Masako met her eyes.

"We'll figure this out. Go check on Miwako and her grandmother. I'll see if I can get any answers by looking at Miwako's bedroom." Mai told her. Masako nodded. Mai gave her one last smile before leaving the room.

She let out a soft sigh before walking towards the destroyed room. She still couldn't believe she was up so early. Who else was possibly up working at this time of day? She frowned as her mind instantly supplied an image of Naru. She was sure he probably hadn't even gone to sleep the previous night. She had noticed lately he slept very little whenever they happened to be on a case. She wondered why but had never managed to gather her courage to ask him. She doubted he'd even answer.

'Well, here I am. Let's get this over with. This room gave me the creeps last night. I doubt it will be any different now.' Mai thought as she slide the door open. She took a deep breath at the scene, exactly like it had been last night, that met her eyes along with the new scent accompanying it. 'It smells like water.'

Mai soon found out why. The entire floor had been soaked even though she was sure it had been dry the night before. She bent down to touch the wet tatami that covered the floor only to wince at the squishing sound that met her ears. It was completely soaked through. She stood up before carefully walking into the room. She couldn't hold back the wince as her socks quickly became soaked.

'It looks the same despite the soaked tatami and…oh, the shoji is wet to. I wonder what it means when a ghost is obsessed with water.' she thought. She shivered as the image of someone drowning came to mind. She swallowed before going back over to the damaged door that led out to the terrace. She gently slid the door open to step outside.

She looked out over the gardens only to sigh. They really were beautiful. She wished she would have more time to enjoy them. She shook her head before looking down at the flooring of the terrace. Her eyebrows rose before she knelt down. Wet footprints were heading in the direction of the stairs at the end of the terrace.

'How odd. I could have sworn the figure was floating. This water thing is really beginning to weird me out.' Mai thought as she straightened up. She let out a soft sigh. She had come for answers but only ended up with more questions.

"Holy cow! This room is a mess!" Mai almost jumped out of her skin at the unfamiliar voice. She turned to see a young man in glasses standing there as he rubbed his head. He grinned at her in a friendly manner when he noticed she was staring at him from the terrace.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. In all honesty I didn't see you there. You're one of the ghost hunters, right?" he asked. Mai had the distinct impression of Yasuhara on a sugar high along with a huge caffeine overdose. "I'm Rentaro, by the way."

"You could say we're ghost hunter, yeah. I'm Taniyama Mai. Nice to meet you. I'll get out of your way so you can take care of this. I was just looking to see if I could find any answers." Mai told him. He chuckled before shrugging his shoulders.

"Wish I could be of some help but there aren't any water pipes under the floor to indicate one of them burst. This is also the top floor so there's no reason for the ceiling and walls to be wet." he told her. Mai blinked before putting a hand to her chin, a thinking habit she had picked up from Naru.

"Could you check the other room to see if they're damaged at all?" Mai asked. She watched as the boy nodded before disappearing. She could hear him checking the rooms beside Miwako's. It only took him a few moments to return back to the doorway of the room. Mai met his eyes as he shook his head.

"They're as dry as a desert. I don't understand." Rentaro said. Mai let out a soft sigh before looking back down at the wet floor of the room.

"It's called paranormal for a reason, we aren't supposed to understand. Thank you for your help, Rentaro. I'll have to call my boss to see what he says. I'll let you get back to work for Miwako starts berating you. I'm sure she's stressed by all of this." Mai told her with a small smile on her face.

"No problem. If I can help with anything else please let me know." he said. Mai nodded before taking a step back towards the room. She froze as a cold chill went down her spine. The next thing she seemed to be falling backwards even as Rentaro called out to her.

She landed on her feet in what Naru had told her was the astral plane. She swallowed as she realized that while she was on the astral plane it was almost as though it was transparent enough for her to see the Ryokan's garden. She supposed she had fainted and had the upmost trust that Rentaro would make sure her body was taken care of.

"_Hello, Mai. It's been awhile._" she turned to smile at the black haired boy walking towards her. He also had a kind smile on his face.

"Hi, Gene. I was wondering when I'd see you."

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I hope you enjoyed! Please review! I'd really appreciate it! They inspire authors! They also just make me very happy and I'm greed! Haha. Also, by the way for anyone who has a tumblr I also have an account under hpfan0324! If you follow me I'll try to follow you back! Thanks! Next update shouldn't be far away.


	3. File 3

New chapter is new! Hehe, get ready for some ghostly action! Enjoy!

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"_There is something odd in this Ryokan, Mai. I would feel better if Noll hadn't waited to follow you here._" Gene told her as they began to walk through the garden. Mai watched as glowing orbs floated up towards the sky. She had become used to seeing them each time she entered the astral plane to meet with Gene.

"I've felt something weird here since we entered the building. I also saw the ghost, at least I _think_ it was the ghost, causing all this trouble. It might have very well been one of the scariest things I've seen." she told him. Gene nodded before pointing as they entered one of the hallways.

Mai blinked at the beautiful woman dressed in a kimono that was pacing up and down the hallway. Mai felt her mouth drop slightly as she realized it was the same woman from the picture that had broken. Her black hair was in a low ponytail instead of the bun in the picture but it was the same profile and brown eyes. She looked at Gene but he shook his head and once against motioned to the woman.

_"Kaa-san? Are you coming?_" Mai watched as a younger Miwako appeared at the other end of the hallway also dressed in a kimono. Mai realized belatedly how much she looked like her mother. She shook her head as she returned her attention to the scene playing before her knowing it would be important if Gene felt she needed to see it.

"_Not right now. Your grandmother's arthritis is acting up and she needs me to clean the hot spring before I leave. Why don't you and Yumi go together?_" the woman said, the woman Mai now classified as Kasumi, as she put a gentle hand on Miwako's shoulder. The younger girl looked up at her mother as she shook her head.

"_It's dangerous to clean them by yourself, Kaa-san. Let me and Yumi help you so we can all go together._" Miwako said. Kasumi shook her head as she began to push Miwako out of the hallway.

"_Go on and enjoy the festival with your sister. I can handle cleaning it by myself._" she managed to push Miwako out. Mai watched as the woman put a hand to her hand before shaking it. Mai furrowed her brow as suddenly Kasumi collapsed against the wall. She began to move towards her as something began to tug on her heart. "_Oh, come on, Kasumi. You can't let a little fever get you down!_"

Mai felt her heart drop as the woman pushed herself away from the wall. She watched as she also disappeared from the hallway. Mai turned to Gene to see he had also watched the scene play out in front of them. Their eyes met and he gave her a small smile. Mai managed to return it as she wondered what he was going to say.

"She was running a fever and dizzy. Why would she do something as dangerous as cleaning the hot springs?" she asked. Gene shrugged his shoulders before a sad smile spread across his face.

"_Because someone she loved asked her to do so. It's hard to say no to someone who loves you and needs you to do something._" he managed to reply. She realized he was right. If her mother had asked her to do something, despite being sick herself, chances were she would do it. She could understand Kasumi's stubbornness. She was saddened by the fact that stubbornness had cost her life in the end.

"Gene, is the ghost really Kasumi? It doesn't make sense for her…for her to turn into something filled with so much hate!" Mai asked. The boy blinked before shrugging his shoulders. Mai realized she wasn't going to like the answer he was about to give her.

"_I don't know, Mai. There is a sense of deep hatred but as to who or what it could possibly be…even I don't have answers. Tell that idiot brother of mine to hurry up and get here. You need his help._" Gene told her as he began to fade away. She reached out towards him only to watch as her surroundings began to fade in darkness. It only took one good deep breath to wake herself up.

As her eyes opened she realized there was a very familiar face over hers. She watched as John gave her a small smile before moving back to give her room. Mai slowly sat up and realized she was back in the room she had spent the night before in. She looked around and saw John was not the only one in the room. Masako and Takigawa were sitting against one of the walls. When the monk realized she was awake he gave her a small smile.

"Welcome back to the world of the living. Did you find out anything useful?" he greeted her. She swallowed as she looked down at her lap. She was slightly disappointed herself that she hadn't learned anything new and somehow felt Takigawa would feel the same way.

"Nothing we didn't already know. Well, except for the fact Kasumi was sick when she went to clean the hot springs. It probably played a part in her death. She got dizzy and slipped on a wet spot." Mai revealed. She looked at Masako to see the other girl didn't seem to be surprised at the news. Mai let out a soft sigh. There was no doubt Masako had already been aware of Kasumi's illness.

"It's unlike Davis-san to be unable to help, Mai." John said. She looked at the priest before nodding in agreement. It was unusual for Gene to be unable to assist. He was normally able to get information that they would otherwise not have. Mai wondered if there was probably something in the dream she was missing.

"He did back up what Masako has been saying, though. He said he could feel a deep hatred as well but didn't know who or what was causing it. He seemed rather confused by the whole thing." Mai said. She let out a soft sigh before looking back up at Masako.

"What did you find out from Miwako? When she gets done explaining, could someone tell me how long I was out for John and Takigawa to be here already?" Mai asked. Masako shook her head at the other girl.

"I'll answer both. John and Takigawa got here extremely early. It's barely ten o'clock in the morning. At any rate, I only found out a little from Miwako. She's doing okay and confirmed what you just said. Apparently her mother had been fighting a summer cold for almost two weeks so she could go to a small summer festival held on the outskirts of the small village about ten minutes from the Ryokan.

"She said she and Yumi went together but Yumi got a headache and left early. Miwako said she could a call about twenty minutes later telling her Yumi had found Kasumi in the hot springs dead. It was then Takae demanded we stop talking about. She's afraid if we talk about Kasumi too much then her ghost will get angry and only cause more damage." Masako revealed softly. Mai sighed as she looked up at the ceiling of the room.

"What do you want to do, Mai? I mean you're the only one here from the office so you could technically be considered the boss." Takigawa asked. Mai made a face at him before shaking her head.

"I guess we should count and measure the rooms. If I don't call Naru back with schematics before he has to pack he'll have a coronary. I have no desire to meet anyone else who is as much of a control freak as him." Mai said as she stood up. She watched as the other occupants of the room shared looks before dropping their heads. They all realized she was right in her observation.

"Alright then. How about Mai and I take this wing while John and Masako take the other wing? That way, Masako, if you bump into any of the family you might be able to get some more information out of them. Especially if it's the Miwako girl and her grandmother isn't around." Takigawa suggested as he also climbed to his feet. Masako blinked before nodding in agreement.

"You're right, if her grandmother isn't present I might be able to get more information from Miwako. I wish to ask her if these things were happening on a much severe level before her mother passed away." Masako murmured before she joined John at the door where he had moved during the conversations.

"Let's meet back here once we're all done!" John said with a bright smile on his face as the door shut behind them. Mai let out a soft sigh before looking at Takigawa as he cleared his throat. She blinked at the question in his eyes. She didn't understand what he could be confused about other than the case.

"You and Masako seem to be getting along well. If I remember correctly…the last time you two were together in the office all you were doing was glaring at each other. What changed?" he asked. Mai blinked before shrugging her shoulders.

"I guess it could be a number of things. I think the big one is the fact she's attached to the client. Her mind is probably somewhere else instead of focusing on how much she dislikes me." Mai told him as they also left the room. They began down the hallway as Mai silently counted them in her mind. She realized quickly there was no way the office had enough equipment to cover the entire Ryokan.

"Tell me, Mai. Do you think Kasumi could be behind all of this?" Takigawa asked after they had walked in silence for almost ten minutes. Mai paused as she turned the question over in her mind. She was unsure how to answer the question because it seem as though her intuition had split in two parts and were battling with each other.

"One part of me wants to say yes but then another part says there's no way she could be doing this to her family." Mai finally answered. She looked at Takigawa to see he had brought a hand up to his chin indicating he was deep in thought. She swallowed as she once again couldn't read his face. It was so unusual for her to be unable to detect what the monk was thinking.

"That's not good, Mai. It worries me you don't have a clear feeling about this." he told her. Mai sighed in agreement. It was unusual for her instincts to not give her a clear feeling of what was going on. The only thing she was sure of was there was something just not right about the ghost she had seen or the problems plaguing the family.

"I wonder if it's possibly for someone to be playing a very cruel prank on this family." the monk mused as they walked downstairs. Mai shook her head at him. They entered the hallway that contained the entryway to the hot springs.

"This is no prank, Bou-san. I've seen her and she was transparent. It would be hard for any human to do the things I saw last night. I'm sure it's paranormal…I just don't know what _kind_ of paranormal." Mai whispered. She stopped at the hot springs doorway before letting out a soft sigh. She tilted her head as the cloth hanging in the doorway was red.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot. I asked that Rentaro guy where the hot springs were. He said there is only one at the Ryokan. He said because of that they alternate the days different genders can use it. The red cloth means women only while blue means guys." Takigawa said. Mai furrowed her brow before shaking her head again. Takigawa blinked at her.

"I thought there was two." she murmured before turning back to the door. She shrugged her shoulders before shooting a smile at him over her shoulder. "I'm going to go check it out. Maybe I'll bully Ayako and Masako into joining me before we solve the case."

"Alright, while you're doing that I'm going to go look at the gardens to see what I can find." he told her. She giggled as she watched him disappear around the corner at the end of the hallway that also opened into the gardens. She entered the door to the hot springs only to find there was a changing area that allowed the visitors to store their belongings.

'I guess the actual hot springs is through that door.' Mai thought as she noticed a door on the other side of the room. It wasn't the door that caught her attention but the mirror beside the door. She wasn't sure why she was being pulled towards but she felt her heart beating up in her throat as the lights flickered overhead.

She stopped in front of the mirror with her head bent as she looked at the sinks in front of her. Something was telling her she really didn't want to look in the mirror. She swallowed before finally forcing herself to look up. Her eyes went wide as she saw the reflection of the ghost behind her with her head bent. She whirled around as the lights finally went out only for her heart rate to speed up. There was nothing behind her. She turned back to the mirror only to jump as the ghost had moved closer with its face now clearly seen. The mouth was open and her hands were pressing against the class.

'_I will never forgive them!_' echoed a raspy voice in Mai's mind. The brown headed girl screamed as the mirror shattered and she brought her arms up to protect her face from the flying glass. She collapsed to the ground breathing hard as the light flickered back on.

'What…it was that thing again!' Mai thought as she stared up at the broken mirror in shocked horror. She had only come that close to a ghost once before. She still had nightmares about Urado's face. She looked down at her bare arms as she wearing a t-shirt only to sigh as she saw the cuts on her arms. She knew she shouldn't have been surprised about getting hurt so early on. It was new to her, though, that the ghost wasn't _targeting_ her. Rather, it seemed to be only trying to make a point.

"MAI! Are you okay?!" she shook her head as she heard Takigawa calling for her outside of the door to lead into the changing room. She climbed to her feet and quickly left. She had no desire to be in the room by herself at the moment. When she finally appeared in front of Takigawa she watched as his eyes went wide at the sight of her arms.

"What happened?!" he asked. Mai sighed as she looked down once again at her scratched arms. She was relieved the cuts weren't deep enough to be bleeding. They were just deep enough to be red. She looked back at Takigawa only to realize he was waiting for an answer about what had happened.

"Well, I guess I don't have to tell you I saw the ghost again. She wasn't exactly friendly but how is that surprising?" she asked. He shook his head before taking her hands to take a closer look at her injuries.

"Well, they don't look too bad. I suppose we can clean and bandage them. It'll keep them clean long enough until Ayako can get here tomorrow night. When, exactly, is Naru supposed to get here? It's too much to ask for him to not get here until they heal, right?" he asked. She gave him a small smile.

"Not unless they heal before the day after tomorrow. Trust me, I don't really want to explain to him either how I managed to get this many cuts on my arms." Mai said with a small smile on her face. The smile fell from her face when she thought about the expression that would be on Naru's face when he saw her arms. It was not a pleasant thought.

"Let's go see if Miwako is at the desk. She'll probably know where bandages and some antiseptic can be located." he told her. Mai sighed before nodding in agreement. She followed the older man to the lobby. She let out a small sigh as Miwako's eyes went wide at Mai's arms.

"Oh, Taniyama-san! What in the world happened?" she asked. Mai gave her a sheepish smile before explaining. She watched as the girl's face paled at the explanation. Mai watched in concern as Miwako's eyes closed with tears slowly running down her cheeks. She could tell this was beginning to take its toll on Miwako.

"I'm so sorry, Taniyama-san. Maybe it will be for the best if you all leave. I don't want anyone else to get hurt." Miwako whispered. Mai frowned before walking behind the desk and took the older girl's hands in her own. She smiled at the widening of Miwako's eyes.

"In this profession I'm used to getting scrapes and bruises. Don't worry about it, Miwako. I want to help you figure this out. If, for some reason, it is your mother I want to find out a way to help her. That and I don't see my boss leaving without an answer as to what is happening here." she said. She met Miwako's eyes as the other girl stared at her before a shy smile spread across her face.

"Thank you. Let me go get you some bandages and disinfectant. I'll be right back." she watched as Miwako disappeared down the hallway Mai realized the girl's grandmother resided in. She looked at Takigawa with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Now all we have to worry about is how the others here are going to react to this." he said with chuckle. Mai could almost imagine the look John would give her.

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John's expression was exactly as Mai had imagined. What she hadn't expected was him calling Naru the moment she'd told the story. It explained why they were all sitting in a circle around the exorcist's phone on speaker. Mai couldn't stop from shooting the blonde a glare. He scooted closer to Takigawa and farther away from her in response. She sharpened her glare to allow him to know it was a good decision.

"Mai!" she jumped at the call. She turned her attention back to the phone with a glare as she could almost imagine the condescending look on his face. She thought, not for the first time, he really was lucky to be in another city. Really, really, _really _lucky.

"Yes, Naru?" she managed to ask without letting her resentment show. She felt as though she had been tattled on when she hadn't even done anything wrong.

"I have no doubt you and my impossible brother have been traipsing around on the astral plane. What did you find?" he demanded. Mai scowled at the phone even though he was unable to see it. It certainly made her feel better.

"Other than he agrees with Masako there is a sense of hatred here? Absolutely nothing. I get the feeling we can't rely on him as much as we're used to. I feel as though…there's just something off about this ghost! It would make sense if something happened to anger her but it was an accident! If their mother's ghost was still here you would think she'd be trying to convince her family it was not their fault. Instead, this thing is torturing them." Mai whispered softly.

"I see. Very well. As all of you know Lin and myself cannot be there until the day after tomorrow. Yasuhara will be riding with us. I want each of you to keep a list of activities that are occurring there. See if you can find certain areas that seem more affected than others. It will be a starting point. Which we should already have, Mai, if you were doing your job." Mai realized the hand Takigawa put on her shoulder wasn't meant to be comforting. It was meant to keep her from launching at John's innocent phone to destroy it.

"Sorry, you idiot scientist! I've been more worried about trying to figure out what is going on here rather that figuring out where it's centered! I will make sure to have my priorities straightened out when you get here! Good-bye!" she reached over and hit the red button with more force than was necessary. She ignored the looks the others were giving her as she breathed heavily. She wished she could hit him.

"Excuse me?" Mai looked up as Miwako poked her head into the room. She managed to give her a small smile despite the anger still bubbling in her veins. She didn't want to show how easy she was riled up.

"How can we help you, Miwako?" Masako asked gently. The girl looked at her before turning her attention back to Mai.

"I know this is going to sound odd but my Obaa-san wishes to speak with Taniyama-san if she's agreeable." Miwako said. Mai blinked before climbing to her feet as she waved away a worried Takigawa. She knew she would be alright with the old woman.

"It's not a problem. Would you take me to her, Miwako?" she asked. The girl nodded then bowed to the rest of the room. Mai waved as the door closed behind them. She followed Miwako to the other wing of the Ryokan. She watched as Miwako knocked on one of the doors closer to where the hallway opened to the gardens. Mai swallowed as Takae called for them to come in.

Mai entered the room and was surprised to find the elderly woman kneeling at a tea table. Mai smiled at her as she watched the woman look up from the table. Mai bowed her head silently asking if she could join the other woman. She received a nod in reply.

"I'd heard about the incident in the hot springs changing room. I must ask forgiveness for Kasumi's actions. She was not like this in life." the woman finally said once Miwako left them in silence. Mai gave Takae a gentle smile. She could see Kasumi in the older woman and realized if Kasumi had made it to an older age she would have looked like her mother. It made Mai's heart ache in sympathy.

"I know you think this is Kasumi, Takae, and maybe it is. However, I get the feeling even if it is her…this is not her will. Tell me about her. I feel as though she was a good woman." Mai whispered softly. She watched Takae's eyes go wide before the woman nodded.

"She was a good woman. She always tried to help others. When we were having slow weeks here at the Ryokan she would go volunteer at the hospitals in the city. She would also volunteer at animal shelters. She would even take Yumi and Miwako with her. I have heard Yumi still helps others." Takae said. Mai furrowed her brow. She had wondered why she hadn't met Yumi yet since she was the girl who had requested their help originally.

"Why doesn't Yumi live here?" she questioned gently. She didn't want to set off a bomb that could cause more emotional damage to this woman who had lost her only daughter.

"Yumi loved her mother. It was a hard blow to her when Kasumi passed on. Unfortunately, we have all suffered from Kasumi's absence. It was my daughter's wish that her daughters would run the Ryokan together. Yumi refuses to even get involved. She would rather run her little…bento business at the train station." Mai swallowed at the look that crossed over Takae's face.

"I take it you agree with your daughter's wish?" Mai ventured. Takae nodded with a pained look on her face.

"I do. This Ryokan passes through the eldest daughter. Yumi is supposed to be the only owner but Kasumi convinced me it would be best if they ran it together. It would give Yumi the freedom she so wanted as well as the structure Miwako desires. Unfortunately, Kasumi's passing changed everything." Takae said with a steel edge in her voice. Mai decided it was probably for the best to change the subject. Takae obviously did not want to talk about her granddaughter's choice any longer. Before Mai could change the subject the lights went out.

'Again?!' Mai thought stunned. Takae gasped in surprise causing Mai to look at the shoji wall that led out to the porch that wrapped around the building. Her heart jumped into her throat as the shadowy figure of the ghost appeared. Mai watched as it raised its hand and the paper in the squares began to rip violently.

"No….Kasumi, please!" Takae cried weakly. Mai watched as the ghost reached a hand through one of the now empty squares in the paneling.

"_Nau Maku San Manda Bazara Dan Kan!_" Mai let out a soft breath as Takigawa burst in. She watched as the spirit disappeared from sight. She looked up at the ceiling as relief finally took hold of her. She wasn't sure how much longer she was going to be able to survive if the attacks continued at the rate they were going.

"Obaa-san!" Mai turned only to gasp when she saw Takae was slumped on the ground and unmoving. Mai watched as Miwako felt for a pulse before the girl looked up with terror in her eyes.

"Call an ambulance! She doesn't have a pulse!"

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Don't forget to review! I do read them even if I can't reply!


	4. File 4

Sorry for the wait! I've been busy getting ready for the new school year as well as settling in. I've also been rewatching Rurouni Kenshin so...I got a little lazy. Anyway expects some surprises in this chapter! I tried to make it long! I hope you all enjoy! Please review! I really do read them even if I don't get a chance to respond to all of them because it's a chaptered fic and I don't know who I've responded to and not! So please, continue with those reviews!

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Mai was sitting in the waiting room at the hospital with Miwako and Masako. John and Takigawa had said they would watch over the Ryokan with the help of a worried Rentaro. Mai just hoped there was no more activity while they were gone. She'd had about as much as she could handle in two days.

She glanced at Miwako who still had her face covered as she sobbed. If Mai had to guess she would say Miwako and the rest of her family had enough of it as well. Mai just didn't understand why the ghost, if it was Kasumi, would want to torment them so. The only time she had seen something so vicious was when Kasai's teacher had been placing curses on everyone who spoke out against the supernatural. The smile on the woman's face still gave her the creeps when she thought about it.

"I just…don't understand. Obaa-san has always been healthy! Why…why a heart attack so suddenly?" Miwako whimpered. Mai turned to the girl to see she had dropped her hand and were now ringing them in her lap. Masako had a gentle hand on her shoulder as she attempted to calm the young woman down.

"It'll be okay. The doctors are doing everything they can. We just need to wait on Yumi to get here and then wait on them to come and tell us what is going on. I know, deep in my heart, Takae is going to pull through." Masako told her gently. Mai watched Miwako only nodded and felt her heart go out to the young girl. She knew it had to be hard on the girl to be alone in the waiting room with no other family around. Mai wondered where Yumi was.

"Miwako!" Mai blinked as another figure ran into the waiting room. She was slightly shock by the enormous amount of pink the girl wore.

"Oh, Yumi! Thank goodness!" Mai blinked as Miwako stood up and hugged the other girl tightly. Mai stared at them for a moment before her eyes went wide.

'One Miwako. Two Miwako. Eh?!' Mai thought before looking at Masako shocked. The girl was looking at her with raised eyebrows. Mai scowled at the expression as she had seen it far too many times in knowing the girl. "You forgot to mention they were twins."

"Did I? It slipped my mind." Masako said as she hid her expression behind her kimono sleeve. Mai found she didn't believe the girl. She turned her attention back to the sisters as they separated from their hug. She was surprised at how differently they were dressed. Miwako was in a business suit while Yumi looked as though she had stepped out of a Lolita magazine with all of her clothes dyed pink.

"Taniyama-san, this is my older twin, Yumi. Yumi, this is Taniyama Mai-san. She's part of the group Masako-san was telling us about when you asked for her help." Miwako explained to her look alike. Yumi studied Mai for a moment before approaching her and bowing slightly.

"Thank you for agreeing to help us. Miwako told me you were doing chest compressions before the medics arrive to bring our Obaa-san here. I'm sure you helped improve her chances at living." Yumi said with a small smile. Mai returned it with a nod.

"I did what I could. We have a miko who also works as a doctor on our team. I just did what she's taught me in case something bad happens. I just hope I was able to help." Mai told her. Yumi opened her mouth in surprise.

"Oh? That's very fortunate then. To be honest, I was afraid something like this would happen if Obaa-san continued to stay there. She believes so deeply in her heart that Kaa-san is the one causing all this trouble." Yumi whispered. Mai blinked at the news as Yumi sat down next to her. She had the feeling the girl wanted to talk to keep her mind off what was happening.

"You don't think it's your mother causing all this trouble? Your sister and grandmother seem very insistent." Mai pointed out. Yumi shook her head.

"No. Kaa-san would never do things like this. I think it hit my Obaa-san and Miwako-chan so hard when she passed they want to find a way to bring her back. Even if it is horrible like this. As much as I miss her I've gotten on with my life. I found the only way to do that, peacefully, was to leave the Ryokan behind. I would never ask Miwako to leave because that's how she's found her comfort. Obaa-san, however, she…she lets it torture her day and night." Yumi whispered softly. Mai blinked before furrowing her brows.

"Torture? What do you mean torture?" Mai asked as Miwako returned to Masako. The medium continued to comfort the distraught girl while Mai talked to the much calmer twin. Mai, for some reason, felt as though Yumi had seen this episode coming.

"She was alone in the Ryokan when kaa-san had her accident. She blames herself because she asked kaa-san to clean the hot springs when she was the one that was supposed to do it that week. We all knew kaa-san hadn't been feeling well but…we only thought it to be a cough. She told Miwako and myself to go on to the festival so we did. But…now, now I wish for once we weren't so obedient!" Yumi said. Mai blinked at the tears forming in the girl's eyes. She realized that even if Yumi had foreseen Takae's attack it had broken the barriers around her emotions.

"It was an accident, Yumi. Your mother, wherever she is, knows that. She knew the dangers of cleaning a hot springs when she was dizzy." Mai whispered. She blinked as Yumi put a hand on her shoulder. She tilted her head curiously at the girl.

"Dizzy? She…she never said anything about being dizzy. The coroner told us she was suffering another case of pneumonia as she was prone to that time of year but nothing about her being dizzy. How could you possibly know something like that?" the girl asked. Mai blinked as she wondered how she should phrase her answer. She certainly couldn't tell the girl she dreamed about her boss's twin brother and he showed her things he thought could possibly be relevant.

"She's a psychic, Yumi-san. She can sense things even if you don't tell her. In all honesty, couldn't it be possible your mother was dizzy, perhaps from a fever or dehydration? It would make more sense for her fall. She had never fallen in the hot springs before." Masako suddenly spoke. Mai sent her a look and saw she was more focused on her friend. Mai had to wonder how the two had befriended each other as they were certainly day and night.

"I guess…it's just, I've never really talked about Kaa-san's death before. It's a sore subject, obviously. To think she was worse off than what she was telling us…it makes my heart hurt when I realize this all could have been easily prevented." Yumi whispered.

"Don't say that! None of us knew. It really was an accident. Besides, even if Kaa-san had told us do you think she would have let either of us do it? She was adamant that we didn't clean the hot springs. She was always talking about how dangerous they were. I guess she was right." Miwako burst out. Mai watched as Yumi looked at her before sighing softly.

"But!" Yumi protested. Miwako shook her head stubbornly. Mai watched as they glared at each other and for a moment was reminded of Gene and Naru. She would almost bet money they were the same way when they were growing. She blinked as her phone began ringing and looked down. She sighed as she saw the name on the screen. He had to have ESP as well. There was no other way.

"Excuse me, my boss is calling. I let him know what was going on. Chances are he wants an update." Mai said as she stood up with a bow. She quickly walked into the hallway before flipping the phone open as she headed for the nearest exit. She didn't want to start yelling at Naru in a hospital. It was usually how their phone calls went.

"Hello?" she asked as she attempted to keep her irritation out of her voice. She really didn't feel like talking to him after their last conversation before she had called to tell him of Takae's condition.

"Give me that, you rude boy!" she blinked at the voice. She knew that voice. "Hi, Mai-chan! It's Madoka! I came in for a surprise visit! Imagine _my_ surprise when Noll told me you had headed out early on an investigation!"

"M-Madoka! How nice to hear from you!" Mai said as she laughed nervously. 'Oh, man, I bet Naru is fit to be tied. He's going to be in an even worse mood when she actually lets me talk to him.'

"At least you'll give me a nice greeting! Both Lin and Noll are sticks in the mud. No fun at all! Now, Noll has been telling me about this case. How's the grandmother?" Mai heard a clicking sound and realized she was probably on speaker phone. She let out a soft sigh as she tried to think of a way to explain what was going on.

"We haven't really heard anything else except the fact the doctors are working on it. I met Yumi though. Naru, she and Miwako are twins. I know twins are prone to psychic activity so is there any way they could be doing this subconsciously? Perhaps out of a sense of misplaced guilt on not being there for their mother?" Mai asked. The thought had been nagging her since she had met Yumi. However, as soon as she said something told her she was wrong.

"That's not a bad theory, Mai-chan!" Madoka cried. Mai kept from giggling. She knew she would be enjoying the expression on Naru's face if she was there. Unfortunately, she wasn't which was probably a good thing considering. It meant her job was still safe.

"The amount of activity you and Miss Hara have reported seem far more than a human influence poltergeist. The fact that you've seen a full bodied apparition supports it. I'll do the suggestion test when we get there tomorrow night." Naru said. Mai bit her lip before letting out a soft sigh.

"No, don't bother. I realized it was wrong the minute I said it. There's just something so…wrong about this. Man…is there a way for ghosts themselves to be possessed? That's about the only viable option there is if this thing really is Kasumi!" Mai cried as she finally managed to exit the building. She leaned against the stone wall beside the entrance.

"Possessing a ghost? Really, Mai, have you gotten dumber since you've been there? I wouldn't be surprised. I'm sure they're letting you sleep all the time." Mai scowled at the insult. She wondered if he'd be able to go a day without actually insulting her or her intelligence. She somehow really doubted it.

"What did I tell you about appropriate tone, Noll! There's also a way to learn when to say something and when to _not_ say something! At any rate, Mai could be on something. Not about ghost possessing ghost but spirits do change once they've left the body." Madoka said. Mai sighed before shaking her head even though they couldn't see her.

"But to change so much? From what these girls and the grandmother are saying she was one of the kindest people you could meet. Why on earth would she start targeting her family so viciously. I understand she must be hurt that she died the way she did but it was just an accident no one could've prevented." Mai said. She heard Madoka hum in thought. She wondered what the researcher was going to pull out of her head.

"What all do you know about Kasumi-san's passing?" she finally asked.

"Well, she told her daughters to go to the festival that was being held nearby. She told them she would meet them once she finished cleaning the hot springs after…wait a minute!" Mai exclaimed.

"What? What is it?" Madoka asked.

"I examined the hot springs earlier after we had cleaned my injuries from when the ghost broke the mirror on me. There were steps around the entire hot spring to allow for safer entry and exit. I had Bou-san ask Rentaro, he's a family friend, about it and he said those steps were there as long as he could remember! Which means…they were there when Kasumi was still alive! There was no way she could've fell!" Mai cried.

"Even with such safety precautions, Mai, you said Kasumi-san was dizzy when you last spoke to Noll before the grandmother had her heart attack. It is possible the dizziness affected her?" Lin spoke. Mai hummed as she thought back on her mental image of the hot springs. She shook her head once again.

"No way. Even if she had gotten dizzy she would have fallen forward into the water. She hit her head before falling." Mai answered.

"What could this possibly mean then? It sounds as though you're describing a man-made hot spring. They're nice and all but you would think with a Ryokan as old as that one they would at least have a natural hot spring." Madoka observed. Mai felt her eyes widen in surprise.

'Two. I told Bou-san I thought there should be two. It's because there is!' she thought before swallowing determinedly. "That's because there are two. The one guests can use and the one Kasumi had her accident in. Listen, I'm going to go check on the family before calling Bou-san to come get me. I'm going to see if I can find that hot spring! Chances are they've sealed it off!"

"No!" she paused at the rough response she had gotten from the normally leveled headed teen on the other end.

"Why not? This could help us find answers!" she shot back.

"Think about it, you idiot. One person, someone who grew up cleaning that hot spring, slipped and killed herself there. It wouldn't be hard for someone as clumsy as you to do the same!" he replied. Mai forced her heart out of her throat as she knew better than to get excited. He was only worried because she was an employee he had to pay medical insurance on.

"I'm not going to get near the water. I just want to look around! I'll let you know what I find!" she said brightly as she ignored what he'd said.

"Mai!" she ignored the call of her name as she hung up. She let out a soft sigh before quickly dialing Bou-san's number. He picked up on the second ring.

"Mai! How is Takae?" he asked immediately. She let out a soft sigh. She wished she had more information on the kind old woman. However, she wanted to figure out what was going at the house so she could put the woman at ease.

"Still with the doctors. Bou-san, remember how I said I though there should be two hot springs? Well, I'm not almost a hundred percent sure I'm right. We need to look for it while everyone else except John, you, and myself are there. I want to find it and get a good look to see if there's any clues as to why Kasumi's possible ghost could be causing all this trouble." Mai told him. He sighed on the other end and she could almost imagine him ruffling his hair.

"Alright, I'll come pick you up. I feel kinda bad about leaving John with this Rentaro guy though. He keeps asking us questions about paranormal stuff and is about to drive me insane. I'm grateful to get away from him. I'll tell John to see if he can convince him to go home or to the hospital so we can have the Ryokan to ourselves." he told her. She made a face at the perverted tone that he was using.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, old man! I'm only seventeen!" she told him angrily. His only response was to laugh. Before long Mai found she had to laugh as well.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be there in ten minutes to get you. You should be really grateful I was already in Kyoto with my car when Naru told me about this case!" he reminded her. She sighed before bidding him farewell and hanging up. It was only as she hung up that another phone call came in. She sighed as she saw it was from Naru once again. She felt a smirk spread across her face as she did the one thing she should have done the moment he called her so early that morning. She turned her phone off.

* * *

"Where do you think we should start, Mai?" John asked as they stood in the lobby of the Ryokan. They had just sent Rentaro off with a change of clothes for both Miwako and Masako. Takae had been taken to a normal room with the doctors telling them she was going to be fine but had a long recovery ahead of her. Masako had volunteered to spend the night with Miwako and Yumi at the hospital.

"I doubt it's on the same wing as the other one so all of those rooms are out." Mai murmured softly.

"Rooms? Where in the world would they keep a hot spring hidden in one of these rooms? They aren't very big. I doubt something like that is easily hidden." Takigawa said. Mai glanced at him before shaking her head.

"True, but they would want it completely out of sight. What better way to do that then hide the door with a room in front of it? Man, I wish we had original blue prints of the Ryokan. It would help a lot." Mai sighed. She knew it had been a long shot. There was no way they would be able to find the other hot spring she knew existed without the help of the family. She wasn't exactly willing to try to ask them either.

"Wait! I saw a blue bring on Rentaro's table out in the shed while Bou-san was picking

you up. Let's go see if it's got an anomaly on it versus what we know the Ryokan looks like!" John suddenly exclaimed. Mai grinned at him brightly before following him out into the gardens where a small shed stood off to the side. She watched him open the two small doors and they piled in.

"Good going, John!" Takigawa said while slapping the blonde priest on the back. Mai leaned closer as she studied the map. She noticed the hot spring they knew about was marked. What she found so strange was two rooms had been drawn over a blank block that looked as though the name had been erased. She compared the block to the other one that contained the hot spring. Her eyes went wide as she realized they were the same but on different wings of the building.

"Found it." she whispered. She pointed as John and Takigawa looked over her shoulder at the odd rooms. She could feel it in her gut that was where the hot spring that had taken Kasumi's life was.

"That's odd, those are second floor rooms." Takigawa mentioned. Mai nodded.

"Yeah, but not so odd if they had steps leading down to the hot springs. It all makes sense now. The reason they change the days girls and boys can use the hot spring. It's because they sealed off the other one, the natural one, they were using. It's almost like they were trying to cut off the painful memories it must give them. Mai whispered. She could feel her heart breaking at the thought of what the family had gone through.

"Should we get started then? We have all night to explore." John said. Mai looked at him before nodding.

"I think it would be best if we stuck together though. I don't know when, or if, the ghost will show back up. I really don't want any more run-ins with her by myself. She's so scary I feel as though I can't breathe." Mai whispered. She glanced at Takigawa as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. He looked concerned.

"Can't breathe? Could it be that when you see her…for some reason your ESP is trying to tell you something?" he asked. She blinked before laughing as she pulled away.

"I doubt it, Bou-san. We already know she drowned. I don't see why my ESP would be trying to tell me something I already know. Let's get started though. I don't want Miwako or Yumi to find out about this. They've got enough on their plates and I don't want to dredge up bad memories." Mai said. He gave a kind smile before ruffling her hair. She once again pulled away bumping into John who steadied her.

"Now, now, let's not get too excited. I agree with Mai, though. I think we should keep this under wraps. We don't need them worrying more than they already are." he laughed. Mai was about to answer before a cold chill entered the air. John had let go of her to talk with Takigawa and she suddenly felt as though she were going to faint.

Her sense of balance suddenly shifted and she began to fall. With a start she realized she was headed towards the small pond in the middle of the garden. Her eyes went wide as she saw the large rock she was headed for. Her mouth opened in a scream but she began to cough making her unable to scream. Her eyes searched for Takigawa and John only to find them gone. Her eyes continued to look around wildly as she fell. She gasped inwardly as she saw the ghost watching her from one of the corners. Her mouth began to open and Mai closed her eyes as she waited for the scream that would come.

"Mai!" her head snapped up. She found herself sitting on the ground with John and Takigawa kneeling over her worried. She looked up at them with tears in her eyes.

"What did you see, Mai?" John asked. She shook her head as she looked down at her knees as her hands clenched.

"She couldn't scream because she was coughing so hard as she fell. Chances are she hit her head so hard she was knocked unconscious. Poor Kasumi." Mai whispered. John put a gentle hand on her shoulder and she glanced at him. He was smiling at her gently and she sighed. She didn't know what she would do without her friends.

"That really is horrible. Do you feel up to…eh? Water?" Mai looked up to see Takigawa had his palm turned upward as though catching rain. She immediately looked at the corner she had been staring at during her vision. Her eyes went wide as the ghost was still standing there.

Mai opened her mouth to warn them only to let out a scream as she was suddenly soaked to the bone. She looked down at her clothes in shock before up at the two men to see they hadn't fared any better than her. She was about to say something before the smell began to choke her. She had never smelled something so bad before!

"Ugh! She didn't just soak us…she soaked us in rancid, warm water! Man, she has a vindictive, our little ghost does." Takigawa said as he pulled his clothes as far away from his body as possible.

"Rancid…water…oh. I see, it's because Kasumi was cleaning the hot springs." John said as he held his nose. Mai felt her heart drop as she looked at the corner where the ghost had been standing.

'Kasumi, is it really you doing all of this? But…I don't understand. Why…why would you do this to people who still mourn your passing every day? They love you so much so…why?!'

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed! Please remember to review! And speculation is always welcome as well! I love hearing theories!


	5. File 5

New chapter is new. Thanks for all the reviews, keep 'em coming! Enjoy!

* * *

Mai let out a soft sigh as she dried her hair with a towel as she went back to her room. She, John, and Takigawa had all agreed they needed to take showers before even attempting to search for the second hot springs. Mai shuddered at the thought of the smelly water they had been doused in.

'I'm not sure I can take many ghost appearances before Naru, Lin, and Yasuhara can get here. This is just too much. She's going to tear this family to shreds before she's happy. I don't understand.' she thought as she entered the room. She tossed the wet towel on her futon before shaking her head. She turned to leave the room again before sighing softly. A sudden sadness had entered her heart. She didn't understand where it had come from but it suddenly hit her.

"Mai?" she blinked as she realized she was standing the hallway and John was staring at her. She shook her head before giving him a small smile.

"Sorry, my head was in the clouds. There seems to be such a sense of sadness about this place." she whispered. He nodded in agreement before walking closer to her.

"You're right. It's almost as though the Ryokan itself misses Kasumi. This is going to be a rather difficult case, both supernaturally and emotionally." he told her. Mai hummed in agreement before turning to him from where she had been staring down the hallway.

"Is Bou-san still in the shower?" she asked. John nodded and she giggled. She had learned early on the monk absolutely loathed being dirty. Every time something that required them to get their hands dirty he would do it but he would also be the first one in the shower. She felt he and Ayako shared that trait.

"Do you want to check out the gardens again or perhaps the lobby? I want to see if there's anything else we can find." John suggested. Mai sighed as she thought about it. She found she really didn't want to return to the gardens. She glanced at John to see he was looking at her while waiting for her response.

"We probably need to go get the blue print just so we know where we are when we start poking around. I would rather not spend too much time in the gardens though. Something about them just bothers me." she told him. He blinked before tilting his head.

"Perhaps it's your intuition acting up again. There might be more to the gardens than we think there is." he pointed out. Mai sighed before bringing a hand up to her chin. She knew John was more than likely right.

"Go get the blue print. I want to call Yasuhara to see if he can find any more information about the accident that apparently started all of this." she said. He nodded before leaving her alone in the hallway. She pulled her cellphone out and dialed Yasuhara's personal line. She didn't want to call and risk getting Naru. She knew he was still upset with her about hanging up on him. She could only hope Madoka would have him calmed down by the time he showed up.

"Mai, I was just about to call you! Boss is so not happy with you." was his greeting. She rolled her eyes as she leaned against the wall beside the door leading into the bedroom.

"When is he not mad at me? Anyway, I need a favor. What do you think you can find out about the accident that happened to Kasumi? Something is just rubbing me the wrong way." she told him. She heard him chuckle but didn't say anything about it.

"From what boss has been saying you're saying, I understand. Something does seem off about this. Give me a second. The police report should be public. Ah, here we go, the accident report and the obituary were both published in the local newspaper. Do you want me to read them?" he asked.

"That would be good." she replied.

"Alright, this is the police report. '_Shimizu Yumi called and reported her mother laying face down in the waters of one of their hot springs. An ambulance responded and declared Shimizu Kasumi, age 45, dead at the scene. Drowning is the suspected cause of death, the investigation is still open._' That's all that one has. Let's see what the newspaper article has to say.

"Here we go. '_Shimizu Kasumi, daughter and mother, was found deceased in her home. It is thought she slipped while cleaning the hot springs, hit her head, and drowned. Her young daughter found her when she went looking for her mother after realizing she hadn't shown at the local festival as she had promised. The police are not answering questions but above anything this has been a tragic loss not only to the Ryokan but the family as well._' That's all there is in the newspaper article. I can do a little more digging if you want." he told her. She sighed before shaking her head. There was something telling her there was more to the story than what met the eye.

"Alright, I'll see you the day after tomorrow, then." she told him with a sigh. Her brows furrowed as she heard what sounded like a car horn on his end. "Where are you?"

"Eh…well, you see…I was out of milk. I decided to walk since it was so nice out. You know how traffic is in Tokyo. See you later!" he told her. She jerked as he hung up on her before pulling the phone away from her ear. She had a weird feeling he had been lying to her but she wasn't sure why.

"Mai, I've got the blue print. Takigawa is waiting for us." she glanced at John as he was peeking around the corner. She nodded before following him downstairs to where the monk was waiting for them sitting in front of the small fireplace. He climbed to his feet to walk over to where they were standing.

"Alright, so…how, exactly, are we going to tackle this?" he asked. Mai took the blueprint to look at the two weird rooms. She motioned with her head to follow her as she walked. She climbed up the stairs and into the second floor hallway on the wing opposite of the one she was staying in. She counted the number of doors down on the paper before walking down that many doors. She pulled on the handle only to frown as it opened easily. She certainly hadn't expected it.

"This is one of the rooms. The next one down is also over it. I bet that door will be locked." she said. She watched as John tried the handle before shaking his head. She had been right. She sighed before entering the small room. It looked exactly like the one she was staying in. She blinked as she realized there was one difference. There was a sliding door on the wall that undoubtedly led to the room they needed access to.

She walked over and was surprised when it slid open easily. She swallowed as she heard Takigawa and John follow her into the room. All their eyes went wide as they saw the back of the door that led into the hallway. It had three long of pieces of wood across it and were bolted on the door frame.

"Chances are they did this shortly after Kasumi passed away. I bet they realize at a later date they needed access to the room so they cut part of the wall away. People do irrational things when they've lost a loved one." Takigawa said. Mai nodded in agreement as she looked around the room. She walked over to the closet and slid the door open. Her eyes went wide as she saw how different the side wall on the right looked.

"I've found it." she told them. She could feel them peeking over her shoulders. She knew they had reached the same conclusion as her when she heard the quick intakes of breath. She went over and began pushing on the wall. She frowned as it refused to give. She continued to push before her hand brushed something and the wall gave in. She blinked at the stairs before turning to the two men behind her.

"We should probably get flashlights." she told them.

"I packed some. I'll go get them." John volunteered. She nodded before turning back to stare down the stairwell. She shivered as she came to the realization that a short distance down the stairs was the place Kasumi had died. There was no other way around it. She could feel the same sadness from earlier only stronger as she continued to stare. She felt as though she could cry at any moment. She jumped in surprise when Takigawa put a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay? You look kind of spaced out. Do you need to lay down?" he asked. She frowned before shaking her head. The feeling inside her wasn't the same one as when Gene was trying to show her something. She was surprised he hadn't tried to get her attention again in all honesty. It made her realize he was having as much trouble with this case as she was.

"I'm okay…this place just seems to be infested with such sadness is all. Since there are live trees here perhaps Ayako can do a ritual to disperse the sadness and maybe even help this ghost, if it is Kasumi, realize this isn't the right thing to do." Mai suggested. Takigawa hummed in thought before shrugging his shoulders.

"After seeing what she can do it isn't a bad idea. The only downside is that if it doesn't work it'll only upset the ghost. Not that we haven't done it to others." he replied. Mai nodded in agreement before looking up as John entered the room with only one flashlight.

"The batteries in the other one are dead. I'm going to see if I can find some in the desk. I called Miwako and she said I could poke around. You all can go down to see what you can find. I didn't tell her what we needed them for." he said as he handed the light to Mai. She nodded in gratitude before he once again left.

She turned the flashlight on before turning to the stairwell. She took a deep breath then began to descend. She had to force herself not to hold her breath when the smell of rancid water once again hit her nose. They reached the bottom of the stairs that opened out into another hot spring with no changing area. Her eyes went wide as she saw the water was bubbling almost angrily.

"Man, what is with the water? Even if it's not kept it shouldn't be that odd looking!" Takigawa exclaimed. Mai nodded in agreement before looking around the cave like enclosure the hot spring was in. She noticed a table and walked over to it.

She felt her eyes sadden as she noticed pictures of Kasumi were sitting on it. She supposed this was where they'd had all the pictures removed to once it got too painful to look at her. She also noticed the incense holder and realized this was also their shrine to a woman they had loved dearly. Mai found she could relate as her parents' deaths had also hit her hard even though she hadn't known her father very well.

"Hey, Mai, come look at this. These rocks do look dangerous." Mai turned and walked over to where he was standing at the edge of hot spring. She realized he was right. The rocks were jagged and chances were if anyone hit their head they would be in danger of drowning.

"You're right. I wonder why there wasn't something for her to hold onto to clean. I know one of my friends work at a hot springs and they have a rail for them to hold onto as they clean." Mai whispered softly. She glanced at Takigawa and he shrugged.

"Maybe they just didn't think about it. Who knows? Hey, I think I hear voices." Mai watched as he turned and walked back to the stairwell. She took a step to follow him only to gasp as something tripped her. She let out a cry and heard Takigawa call her name in surprise. She gasped again as whatever was around her ankle began to pulled her towards the water.

"Mai!" she was jerked to a stop as someone grabbed her wrist. Her eyes snapped up only to widen as she saw Naru was the one who had grabbed her. She sat up with his help only for her eyes to widen as she saw the roped tangled around her ankle. She wasn't sure how she had managed to miss it.

"A rope?" she whispered softly. She reached out and managed to undo the rope on her ankle. She blinked as the light on her flashlight went out. Her eyes were drawn to the hot spring only to widen again.

There was a glowing figure walking across the rocks holding onto the rope tangled around her ankle. She realized the roped had been attached to the wall as something the person cleaning could hold onto. She watched as the figure slowly made its way across the rock. Her eyes went wide as she realized it was Kasumi when her head turned to look into the water. Mai gasped as Kasumi began to sway. Mai reached a hand out to try to stop her only to wince as the woman crashed into the water.

She watched with horrified eyes as a warm glowing light floated up from the water. She realized it had to be Kasumi's soul. Her eyes widened even more as the soul began to transform into the figure she had been seeing around the Ryokan. She felt tears swelling in her eyes as she realized as much as she had denied it she had been wrong. Kasumi was the ghost haunting the Ryokan.

"Mai!" she was jerked as the light flooded her senses once again. She realized she had been seeing another vision. She glanced at Naru to see he was staring at her as though he were confused. She could feel wetness on her cheeks and realized belatedly she was crying. She covered her face as sobs began to wrack her frame. She looked up through her fingers when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She wasn't surprised to see Madoka was standing there looking worried.

"It's Kasumi. I was wrong. The ghost…it is her." she whispered as the tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

"What makes you say that?" Madoka asked gently. Mai shook her head as she began to lower her hands. She rested them in her lap as she looked over at the hot spring. She could almost see the memory of her vision playing out.

"She must have gotten dizzy and fell. When…when her soul left her body it began to transform in that ghost…thing. I just don't understand. I really didn't think it was her. I really, really didn't." Mai whispered softly. She glanced at Naru as he stood up. She should have known better than to think he would comfort her.

"This is why I told you to wait to come down here, idiot." he told her. She glared at him as he turned away to talk to Lin. She glanced at Madoka as the woman actually growled at what he said. She stopped when she realized Mai was looking up at her.

"He was worried. He dragged both Yasuhara and I from doing other things so we could get here early. I had to let Martin know we needed to reschedule the conference call because everyone will be distracted. He wanted to get here to make sure you were alright." Madoka told her. Mai felt warmth bloom in her chest but quickly stomped it down. She knew Naru would never admit to what Madoka had just told her.

"Mai, I need you to walk us through which incident has occurred so we can set up equipment." Naru turned to her as he spoke. She blinked at him before her eyes widen as everything grew blurry. Before she knew what was happening everything went black.

* * *

Mai blinked her eyes open only to jerk back when she realized Gene was kneeling over top of her. He moved back to allow her to sit up. She looked around and realized with a start that she was in the room she had been visiting Takae in. She also realized that both Takae and Kasumi were sitting at the table drinking tea.

"_They want me to come with them because it's their first time going to the festival. I can clean the hot springs when we get back._" Kasumi said as she set her teacup down. Mai blinked at the scowl on Takae's face. She hadn't thought the gentle old woman could look so mean.

"_No! There needs to be someone here to run the Ryokan. My arthritis is acting up too much to watch it and clean the hot springs. It needs to be done before our guests going to the festival get back. We cannot let them bathe in that filthy hot spring._" Takae told her. Mai breathed deeply at the tone. She wondered why Takae was desperate to not have her daughter go.

"_Okaa-san, it will be fine. The girls want me to go. Just for one night to stop being an innkeeper and be their mother. Surely, you can understand how I feel_." Kasumi said gently. Mai had the feeling she had dealt with her mother acting like this before.

"_I do not. You are the owner of the Ryokan, it is your responsibility. It comes before all else._" Takae said stubbornly. Mai could feel her mouth drop open. She had really not thought the old woman to be so mean.

"_Okaa-san, I am sorry. The hot springs will be cleaned when they are cleaned. I promised the girls and I will not break it. If this disappoints you, I am sorry._" Mai watched as Kasumi stood up and left the room. Mai found herself following the woman. She watched as Kasumi stopped outside of the door before shaking her head.

"_Alright, okaa-san, I'll clean them as a surprise for you before I leave. I won't tell anyone just so you'll be surprised._" Kasumi whispered before disappearing down the hallway. Mai felt her eyes widen before turning to Gene. He nodded in agreement at her look.

"_Exactly. She only told her daughters so they wouldn't worry about her being at the festival. It could very well be that because of her giving into her mother that her spirit is angry. People change after they die._" he reminded her. Mai shook her head. Even though she knew the ghost was upset she just got the feeling there was more than met the eye. She was positive that this time she wasn't wrong.

"But to change that much? It's just not right. Something made Kasumi this way. Something angered her so much she can't find rest and is taking it out on those who loved her because she doesn't…oh my gosh! What if she doesn't realize who she's terrorizing?" Mai cried exactly. She watched as Gene shook his head.

"_She knows. The real question is…who is her true intended target? She's still around and upset even after Takae got hurt_." he pointed out. Mai crossed her arms before her eyes went wide as a knot formed in her stomach.

"The twins and that Rentaro guy. I just don't get what any of them could have to do with Kasumi's accident or her death that would make her so angry." she said. She watched as Gene furrowed his eyebrows. She could tell he was confused. She didn't blame him. The case was getting more and more confusing as the days went on.

"_Perhaps it's not the accident nor her death we should be focusing on. We might need to focus on the time before the accident. She was obviously irritated with her mother. Maybe you should ask around and see what the last conversations with her were like._" he suggested. Mai nodded in agreement only to wince. She knew those conversations were going to be painful for both parties involved.

"You're right. I'm not looking forward to it though. Naru is as subtle as a rock to be honest and Lin isn't much better." Mai told him. The older twin winced before getting a glazed look in his eyes.

"_Speaking of…you might want to go back. The ghost is giving them a welcome party that has him irritated. Maybe if you show up she'll go away_." he told her. Mai nodded as she felt herself drifting back towards consciousness. She could hear Takigawa's chanting already.

"Gene, do you think we'll be able to help her and solve this case?" she asked as he slowly began to fade away from her vision.

"_Honestly, Mai, I don't know._"

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Naru's here! That means everything is going to be okay, right? Hmm. At any rate, please remember to review!


	6. File 6

School is kicking my butt. That is my excuse and I'm sticking to it! Read, enjoy, and review!

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"Naru, she's not breathing!" was the first thing Mai heard as her consciousness returned to her slowly. She recognized the voice as Madoka's and wondered who the older woman was talking about. It didn't take long for Mai to realize _she_ was the one who wasn't breathing causing her to start coughing loudly as she fought for breath. Her eyes snapped open as she realized she was coughing up water.

Mai felt someone patting her on the back as she coughed up water. She was so confused as to why she felt as though she had a gallon of water in her lungs. Once she was finally able to breath normally again she realized she was soaked to the bone. She also realized she smelled the same as the water in the hot springs. She cleared her throat before slowly pushing herself up so she was sitting with the help of the person beside her who she quickly identified as Madoka.

She slowly looked around only to realize the hot springs looked as though there had been a huge brawl. She could see the scratch marks in the wall that looked similar to an animal's claws. Mai also looked at her other friends in the room only for her eyes to widen when she saw the cuts and scrapes on their faces and arms as well as the tears in their clothes. She swallowed before looking at Madoka only to realize the other woman was in the same situation as the men.

"What happened? Gene told me the ghost was being unruly but…this was not what I expected." Mai whispered as she looked around. She glanced down at her clothes only to sigh to herself. This would be the second time she would have to shower and change clothes. She could only hope there were laundry facilities nearby because she was growing short on clothing quickly or at least what she packed.

"Unruly? If this is unruly I'd hate to see chaos." Takigawa said from where he was leaning against the wall. Mai blinked at him before taking another look around. She realized he was right. She wondered why Gene thought the ghost had only been giving them a little trouble when it was the opposite.

"Yeah, I can see that. Why am I soaked and why do I feel as though I just coughed up a gallon of that nasty water?" she asked. She glanced at Naru only to sigh when she saw he was in no better condition than the rest of the group. She met his eyes as he looked at her and she noticed with a swallow that he was also soaked.

"Right after you passed out the ghost decided she _really_ didn't like you. We weren't even able to blink before she had dragged you into the water. Naru was the one who jumped after you and pulled you out. He said she had a rope around your throat so you might notice some bruising in the morning." Madoka told her. Mai blinked at the news and watched as Naru broke the stare they were sharing. She also lowered her gaze as a small smile played on her lips.

"Ah, I see. Thank you, Naru." the girl whispered. They all stood and sat in the silence for nearly ten minutes. Mai finally let out a breath as she decided that sitting around wasn't going to get them anywhere. Naru, she soon discovered, felt the same.

"We should set equipment up down here first. She's undoubtedly tired herself after that particular show. Madoka, help Lin set up while Mai and I go clean ourselves up. Then she and I will sit down and have a little chat about that brother of mine." Naru said. Mai let her head drop as despair rolled over her. Conversations with Naru about Gene always ended up with her yelling at Naru and storming off.

"I'd feel better if I was with her for a couple of hours Naru which includes the time during your conversation. She almost drowned, in case you've forgotten, and if she happens to faint I certainly don't trust you to know what to do. Besides, Lin has Takigawa and John to help him set up." Madoka replied with before Mai could even open her mouth to complain. She looked at the older woman with a relieved look on her face. She had never been more thankful for Madoka in her life.

"Fine." Naru had never truly argued with his mentor. Mai was sure he had tried before only to be shut down quickly. Mai could tell the older woman would make a formidable opponent. Mai shot her a grateful smile as the woman helped her up and walk through the hallways for the Ryokan. Mai felt extremely dizzy by the time they reached her room and had to sit down for a moment to gain her bearings. She jumped when Naru spoke as she had thought he would go to his own room to get his things so he could shower.

"What, exactly, has Gene been showing you?" he asked. She blinked up at him before sighing. She should have known the sooner he could have gotten the information he was looking for the better. She just didn't know how to tell him Gene didn't know much more than they did and that was a scary thought.

"Only what happened before Kasumi fell into the water as well as what might have caused it. Or at least what he thought was the most plausible cause. He knows only a little more than we do but that's because he's on the other side." she finally told him. She watched as his eyes widened with surprise. She would've normally reveled at the fact she had taken him by surprise. However, the fact he was surprised because his brother seemed to be of no help on this case deterred her from her reveling. She knew they had to find a way to get information on this case without Gene's help this time.

"Are you saying he's not going to be able to help us?" Madoka asked as she placed a gentle hand on her should. Mai glanced at her for a moment as she realized that was exactly what she was saying. Gene wasn't going to be able to help them unless something changed quickly.

"That idiot!" she jumped at the shout. She turned her attention to the male in the room. He was glaring out the window towards the room where she knew Lin and the others were setting up equipment. Mai could only hope this ghost, she was still refusing to accept it was Kasumi, didn't hurt them.

"It's not his fault. I don't have any proof but I feel as though there's something here that's keeping him from finding his normal answers." Mai said. She didn't see the other two people in the room look at her in surprise. She was staring at the wall almost dazed and seemed to tune out everything else. Madoka reached out to touch Mai's shoulder only to gasp as the younger woman fell over onto her side with her eyes closed.

"Mai! See, this is why I told you I had to come! She's fainted! MAI!" Madoka cried as she attempted to bring the other female back to consciousness. She felt for a pulse and was relieved when she realized her heartbeat was still very strong. She paused for a moment before looking at Naru to see he was staring. She let out an annoyed breath before turning back to Mai as she attempted to revive the girl. It was only as she realized the woman wasn't going to wake up. Madoka knew that Mai was in one of her unnatural sleeps.

* * *

_There was something different about this vision. For one, it was completely dark, and two, Gene was nowhere to be found. Mai looked around as she tried to figure out what was going on. She had only had one other vision that Gene had not led her through and she could still remember the feeling of the knife cutting into her skin. She swallowed as the darkness started to press down onto her. She could feel her lungs constricting._

_ "Breathe!" she didn't recognize the voice but it seemed the moment it spoke her lungs started working. She collapsed to her knees as she took deep breaths until she stopped shaking from realizing she had almost suffocated. She looked at her surroundings once again as her eyes tried to pierce the darkness. She swallowed as light slowly began to flow into the area almost like water. It didn't take long for her to realize, rather quickly, that she was sitting in the gardens._

_ "How could you do that?!" her head turned at the voice. She blinked at the two women standing near the garden pond. They were dressed in old fashioned kimonos. Mai silently climbed to her feet and made her way to them. As she drew closer she realized she didn't recognize either of the women. Her brow furrowed as she thought one of them would be Kasumi._

_ "It was for her own good! He was not one of us!" the older looking woman stated calmly. Mai's attention turned to the younger woman and she realized with a start she realized the woman looked like Takae. She watched as this look alike shook her head._

_ "It did not matter! He was willing to learn! How could you do this to Azami?" she cried. The older woman did not respond but turned and walked away. Mai jumped as the scenery quickly changed and she was back in the hot springs._

_ She blinked as there was a woman standing on the edge looking down into the water. Mai turned as there were footsteps and the woman who looked like Takae appeared. Mai heard the other girl, who looked to be the same age as Mai herself, turn around. The three of them stood in silence before finally the look-alike spoke._

_ "Are you going to let this consume you? You have so much more to live for! He wasn't worth it if he left without saying goodbye! He's not worth your pain and sadness!" she said. Mai's gaze turned towards the other girl as she began to put the pieces together._

_ "I loved him. It was her fault! If she hadn't…_lied_ he would still be here with me! I just know it!" she answered. Mai's eyes went wide as she noticed how close to the edge of the hot springs the girl was._

_ "She made a mistake! Our mother is senile! Please, you have to learn to live without him and find happiness!" the woman cried._

_ "What would you know about that?! You are happy! You aren't the eldest! I'm trapped here!" she cried. Mai blinked before looking at the look alike then back at the girl, she assumed Azami, and found the other looked older._

_ "Can't you find happiness here?" the look-alike whispered._

_ "I will never find happiness in this prison." Azami whispered. Mai watched with wide eyes as the girl threw herself into the waters behind her. Mai quickly went to the water only for her eyes to widen as she saw the red color spreading through the water. She could see the figure laying at the bottom of the spring. She swallowed as she saw Azami's eyes were closed. She jumped back as the woman's eyes snapped open and a sinister smirk spread across her face._

_ "I will never forgive this family!" Mai covered her ears as the sound echoed in her ears before everything went black and she fell into darkness._

* * *

"Masako, she's waking up!" Mai slowly opened her eyes and saw Miwako leaning over her. The girl moved out of her way as Mai sat up. She realized she was still in her room with only the two girls. She blinked in confusion as she was sure Naru and Madoka were the ones that had been with her when she went down.

"Madoka and Naru went to help set up equipment when it was established you would wake up. What did you see?" Masako asked as she turned from the vanity. Mai opened her mouth to explain before realizing that they were back from the hospital.

"How's your grandmother?" she asked Miwako. The girl blinked before shrugging her shoulders with a sigh.

"They said she's old and should take better care of herself. Yumi is going to stay with her tonight. They might send her home in the next couple of days if she continues to improve." Miwako said with a small smile. Mai returned it before looking at Masako as the girl cleared her throat. She watched as she raised an eyebrow and realized she had never answered her question. She quickly explained before pausing then turning to Miwako.

"I do have a question…do you know anyone by the name of Azami?" she asked. She watched as Miwako's eyes went wide as she slowly nodded. Mai waited for her to speak as she wondered how the woman fit into the case.

"She was my grandmother's great-aunt. Grandmother doesn't know much about her because she said she always saw a shadow pass across her grandmother's eyes whenever Azami-san was mention. My mother said she thought she had committed suicide because of how young she was when her death was listed." Miwako said. Mai forced her face to remain blank as she didn't want to give anything away.

"Listed? What do you mean listed?" Masako asked. Miwako glanced at her before shrugging her shoulders.

"We have a family registrar where we record every birthday, engagement, marriage, and death. It's kept by the innkeepers but since I've been running the inn and grandmother's health was declining I've been keeping it. I can show it to you if that would help any." she offered. Mai quickly nodded at the offer and the girl told them to wait as she went to retrieve it. Mai and Masako waited until she was out of the room before looking at each other.

"Kasumi-san was right wasn't she was?" Masako asked. Mai nodded in confirmation.

"Her heart was broken. I think she was the oldest and her mother was forcing her to be the innkeeper. I wasn't able to learn the whole story and I was surprised by Miwako saying she thought Azami had committed suicide since I didn't say anything. I think her mother had something to do with her heart break. I have a feeling the registrar might be able to reveal something." Mai revealed. Masako continued to stare at her before her eyes widened.

"This could mean that Kasumi isn't the ghost causing all this trouble, Mai! It means we were right!" she exclaimed. Mai gave a small nod before moving her gaze to the wall behind Masako. She knew what she had seen of Kasumi's death. She didn't want to think of what it could mean if Azami was the presence causing all the problems. She knew if all she had seen was true that Azami had taken Kasumi's soul to increase her powers. It meant Kasumi's soul was gone.

"Here we go!" Mai's attention turned to Miwako as the girl entered the room with a very old book in her grasp. Mai moved over so she could sit by her. She watched as Miwako flipped through the book before stopping and handing the book.

"Shimizu Azami born 1870, died 1886. She was really young. Wait…it says here she was engaged in 1885. What do you know about this, Miwako?" Mai asked as she stared at the line that only gave a glimpse into Azami.

"Huh…I never noticed that she was engaged. How odd. I have heard rumors about a German gentleman who stayed here that summer. It was odd at the time because while there were a lot of foreign visitors they didn't stay the entire season but he did. I've never really caught his name but could it be possible that the reason he stayed the entire season was the fact he was in love with her? You did say the two women out in the garden in your vision were talking about something like that, right?" Miwako asked. Mai blinked as she realized how into the vision the girl seemed to be. It didn't take long for her to realize, after looking in her eyes, that it was because it meant the ghost might not be her mother.

"Yeah…from the way the younger one was talking it sounded like the older woman had run him off or something. At any rate he wasn't around anymore. I bet Yasuhara could find more information on Azami and possibly track down a lead on this mysterious man. Could you take Miwako to him, Masako? I'll be down in a minute." she said. Masako nodded before leading the other girl out of the room. Mai didn't see the worried look the medium shot her before the door closed.

Mai let out a sigh as she fell back onto the futon and stared up at the ceiling. She didn't understand this case or where it was taking her. However, she was used to be confused until the end but what she wasn't used to was that Gene was just as baffled. He brow furrowed as she realized he hadn't even shown up after her vision to explain what she had seen. She rolled on her side to stare at Masako's belongings.

'Why weren't you there, Gene?' she thought before sitting up as there was a knocking on the door. She called for the person to enter only to blink as she saw it was Naru. She supposed he wanted to continue their earlier conversation. Mai decided Masako probably ratted her out. She would have to talk to the medium about when she wanted Naru to know when she was conscious.

"Did you see Gene?" he asked. She blinked before tilting her head. She could tell there was something different about Naru at the moment. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"No, he didn't show up this time…it was odd. He usually makes at least a short appearance. Why? What's wrong?" she asked. She watched as he pulled out the mirror she knew he carried on him. She met his eyes as he held it up. She saw it then. It was well hidden but there was worry and fear in his eyes.

"I can't sense him."

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Remember to read and review! Also if you have a Tumblr and like KPOP and occasional anime, feel free to follow me! My username is hpfan0324!


	7. File 7

I'm sorry this is so short and choppy and just overall not good to me. However, I wanted to get another chapter out before I started back at school and didn't leave you all with that cliff hanger. On that note it's my birthday! :D So it fits to update a story for one of my favorite animes! Anyway, as always, please Read and Review!

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"Can't…sense him?" she repeated slowly, breaking the heavy silence that pressed down on them for the past ten minutes. Mai continued to stare at him in shock. She had never known Naru to be unable to contact Gene. She had thought perhaps the reason Gene hadn't been in her vision was because she had not, technically, been in the dream world. She hadn't entertained the idea it was because he couldn't reach her.

"He isn't there." Naru confirmed. Mai swallowed as she noticed the deadened look in his eyes. She had only seen him that way once before and the memory caused her heart to clench tightly in her chest. They continued to stand in silence before Mai finally spoke again as she knew Naru wouldn't say anything.

"I could see if I can contact him. Maybe…maybe there's just something blocking him from you…or maybe you're tired…you've been traveling all day." Mai suggested. She met Naru's eyes as she nodded enthusiastically. He blinked at her before opening his mouth to reply. She could only hope the comment wouldn't be as snarky as the expression on his face was leading her to believe it would be.

"_RUN!_" Mai blinked at the voice. She recognized it as Gene's voice only to gasp as Naru reached out and pulled her to him. She jumped as she heard a loud crash with the lights in the room going out. She had her ear against Naru's chest and could hear his heartbeat. She swallowed as the sound slowly calmed her even though there was still the tingling on her skin that told her they weren't alone.

"Mai, I need you to move very slowly with me." he told her. Mai could tell from his voice and the way he tensed up that there was something he could see that she couldn't. She swallowed before nodding as she found her voice was lodged in her throat.

Mai followed his steps as he walked backwards towards the door. She could feel her heart beating up in her throat as she suddenly got the feeling they weren't going to be able to leave as easily as Naru had probably hoped. She tightened her grip on him causing him to stop moving. She slowly moved away from him, ignoring the way he hissed her name, and turned to look at what was behind her. She felt all of the breath left her body in one gasp.

There was a huge hole in the floor of her room where they had been standing only a few moments ago. There was fog coming out of the floor and she could see the silhouette of a person through it. She swallowed as the fog slowly dissipated and she felt her heart drop down to her feet at the hateful gaze and sinister smile on the apparition's face. Mai realized with a start that could hear the sound of dripping water once again.

"Yurei…" she heard Naru breath out. She watched stunned as the apparition's mouth opened. She knew what was coming and closed her eyes as she waited for the scream to pierce her eardrums. She was surprised when it never came.

"_What are you waiting for?! GO!_" her eyes widened as it was Gene's voice echoed through the room. She cried out as she felt Naru grab her arm to attempt to drag her out of the room. She fought him as the only thing going through her mind was to find out if Gene was alright.

"Gene! Are you okay? What's going on?!" she cried as she fought Naru. She couldn't see the older boy but she knew he was there. She could sense him but the feeling was faint. It felt almost as though he was fighting something. She just didn't know what was happening which scared her deeply.

"_I'm fine! You idiot scientist, get her out of here!_" Mai gasped as Naru tugged on her arm hard, digging his fingers in her upper arm. She was sure she would have a bruise in the shape of his fingers as he finally managed to pull her out in the hallway. She blinked as the door to the room she had been sharing with Masako slammed shut. She attempted to pull away from Naru but his hand tightened around her arm again.

"Do not go back in there." he ordered. She blinked at the tone of his voice. She looked at him only to blink at the look in his eyes. They were no long anguished at the fact he hadn't been able to contact Gene but dead. She found herself unable to look away from his eyes as he stared at the door. She slowly reached out to place a gentle hand on his arm. She knew he was lost in his thoughts when he didn't flinch away from her touch. They continued to stand there in silence until Mai heard loud footsteps approaching. She turned towards the sound and watched as Lin and Takigawa appeared.

"We heard a loud crash from the hot spring! Are you two alright?!" Takigawa exclaimed when he saw them in the hallway. Mai sent a look at Naru and saw he was still not moving. She quickly filled the two men in what had happened. She watched as Lin's eyes went wide before he quickly moved to the door. Mai opened her mouth to protest but was cut off as he threw the door open.

She blinked as she caught sight of the destruction the apparition had caused. There was the hole in the floor and Mai noticed there was a matching hole in the ceiling. She swallowed as she noticed the walls were also damaged. She felt her heart beating up in her throat as she wondered if Gene was alright.

"It looks like a bomb went off!" Takigawa cried. Mai started to feel woozy and had to lean against the wall opposite the door. She slowly slid to the ground as she continued to stare.

"What….about Gene?" she finally whispered as Lin and Takigawa surveyed the damage done by the ghost. She met the Chinese man's eyes as he turned to look at her. She waited for him to say something to assure her that Gene was going to be alright.

"He's there." her eyes shot to Naru as he finally spoke. She met his eyes as he turned to her. She was relieved to see some of the life had returned to his eyes. The sight made her heart return to its normal rhythm. She blinked only for her hands to raise to her cheeks when she felt tears escaped her eyes. She hadn't even realized they were forming.

"You can sense him?" Lin asked. Naru nodded as he continued to stare at Mai. He wasn't sure how to feel about the fact she was crying in relief over his twin. He was relieved as well that Gene seemed to be alright, if not a little exhausted. He mentally shook away the reasoning his mind was giving him over being bothered by her tears. He was not going to acknowledge them.

"Yes. He's exhausted…that idiot has done something stupid." he whispered. Mai blinked before shaking her head.

"What did he do?" she asked. Naru met her gaze before letting out a breath. Mai watched as his shoulders slumped for a moment then straightened. She swallowed as she waited for him to explain what had happened. She had a feeling she knew what he was going to tell her.

"He blocked the yurei and prevented her from hurting or killing us." Naru told her. Mai swallowed before allowing her head to drop. She had wondered if it was something like that. She sighed before biting back her tears. She knew she needed to stop crying because he was alright. Naru wouldn't lie to her about something like that.

"Okay. I guess the next question is why that yurei wanted to kill us." Mai said after sitting in silence. Naru crossed his arms with a sigh before shaking his head. She told her heart to calm down when she realized he didn't have an answer. Naru always had an answer.

"A yurei is a spirit bent on revenge. It is possible she is targeting the team because we are here to help the family. We are trying to stop her from getting her revenge and she, obviously, does not like it." Takigawa said as he turned away from the destroyed room. Mai noticed Lin was still studying the room. She wondered what he was looking for but knew better than to ask. He would tell them when he was ready. "At any rate…are you two uninjured? I'd be surprised considering the damage."

"Gene warned us in time." Mai whispered. She swallowed before climbing to her feet while ignoring the hand Takigawa held out for her. The shock of what had just happened was beginning to seep into her bones and it scared her. It scared her at how close they come to dying as well as Gene almost disappearing for good. She knew what it had taken out of him to warn them in time so they would not get hurt.

"Mai, where are you going?" Takigawa asked as she began to walk away from them. She paused before letting out a breath as she shook her head.

"I'm going to get some fresh air to clear my head. I'll be in the gardens if anyone needs me." she whispered before quickly disappearing down the hallway. She made her way into the garden as quickly as possible while thankful she didn't run into anyone else. She sank to her knees as she breathed slowly. She realized, now that she was out in the gardens, that she had felt claustrophobic in the hallway.

'Get yourself together, Mai! Gene is just tired, he is fine! Naru wouldn't lie about something like that. So, calm down! It's going to be okay…if we can just find out what is going on. That is what we need to focus on.' Mai told herself. She took one more breath before climbing to her feet. She looked around the garden as she felt a strong calming effect settle over her. She nodded to herself before turning back to the entrance of the Ryokan. She had finally regained control of her emotions again.

'_I'm okay, Mai._' she blinked at the voice before smiling. She slowly walked towards the entrance before freezing as she felt as though someone was staring her down. She slowly turned as she looked for where the stare was coming from.

Mai bit back a gasp as she once again saw a ghostly apparition in the shadows. She studied it for a moment before furrowing her brow as she realized this was not the same figure she had been seeing for the past few days. This figure was different and seemed to have a softer glow around it. Mai's eyes widened as one of the figure's hands raised and pointed at the room that held the secret entrance to the hot springs.

"_Please, help me….help me!_" Mai's eyes widened at the voice before gasping as the figure disappeared in black mist. She swallowed as she wondered who the figure was before jumping out of her skin as another voice spoke from behind her.

"Mother?!" Mai turned to see Miwako standing behind her pale as a sheet. "That…was mother's voice!"

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I hope you enjoyed! Please remember to review! Thank you!


	8. File 8

Slow update is slow. I apologize. There has been a lot going on in my life. I just graduated from college (YAY!) but now I'm going to graduate school (Ugh...) HOWEVER, I will be finishing this story even if it takes forever, of that you have my promise. So please wait patiently and for those that have already done so...THANK YOU! Enjoy the new chapter and look for more, hopefully within the coming weeks.

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"Miwako!" Mai rushed forward as the woman began to fall into a faint. She barely made it before the girl would have hit the ground. She helped her sit down on the small platform porch that was off the main lobby looking out over the garden. She was glad to see Miwako had already regained consciousness. Her color was still very low and there were tears in her eyes as she stared passed Mai and where the ghost had been only moments before.

"Miwako, are you alright? Please, say something!" Mai told her. She watched as the older girl blinked before focusing on her. Mai gave her a comforting smile causing Miwako's lips spread into a trembling smile. She watched as the tears began to roll down her cheeks. She waited for her to say something.

"I never thought I would hear her voice again. It's been so long since I've heard mother speak." Miwako whispered. Mai gently took her hand as she felt her own eyes well. She understood what the other girl was talking about. She smiled as Miwako met her eyes surprised at the touch.

"I understand. I lost both my parents when I was young. I would give anything to hear them again. We are going to do everything we can to help your mother, I promise." Mai whispered. Miwako nodded as she gave Mai a wavering smile. Mai returned the smile as she realized how much it had to have taken for the girl to smile in light of what had just happened.

"I don't need for you to do this for me or even for Yumi. Please do it for my grandmother. She thinks mother is doing this because she's mad at us for what happened and hates us. Please show my grandmother that's not true." Miwako whispered. Mai nodded with a small smile. She stood up with Miwako ready to catch the girl if she looked unsteady on her feet.

"I'm going to call Yumi to see how grandmother is doing. She agreed to stay with her while I came here to finish up some business things. I'll be returning to the hospital in the morning. Also, I've set up another room for you to stay in. It's downstairs in the left wing. It's the only door downstairs on that wing. If you need anything please call us. " Miwako told her. Mai blinked as she realized what that particular statement meant.

"You're going to leave us alone in the Ryokan? I mean…we won't do anything but that certainly is a lot of trust in people you barely know." Mai said. Miwako laughed before nodding with a smile on her face. Mai blinked as she realized she could see true happiness in the girl's smile. It warmed her heart to see the emotion.

"Yumi trusts Masako so I will trust all of you. I want you to help mother." she said. Mai nodded before her ears perked up as she heard Takigawa calling for her. Miwako bowed before leaving her alone in the garden. Mai sighed as she realized things had just gotten much more complicated than she had anticipated.

'Isn't that how it usually goes, though? When has there ever been a case that was simple?' she asked herself with a sheepish smile. She jumped as she felt a hand come down on her shoulder. She whirled around to see Takigawa staring down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"There you are. We've got a temporary walkway nailed up so we can get to the entrance of the second hot springs. It wasn't just your room she took out. Amazingly, the hot springs is still intact after that show of power." he told her. She blinked at him in surprise.

"Really…I guess that isn't surprising. As far as we know the hot springs seems to be a source of power for the ghost. It wouldn't make sense to destroy that. Something seems dangerous about this case, Takigawa. I know we've had a lot of dangerous cases but something about this one just seems wrong. It scares me." she confessed. She blinked as Takigawa squeezed her shoulder as he continued to smile down at her.

"It's going to be alright, Mai. We're going to figure it out." he told her. She managed to smile at him before feeling her shoulders drop as she heard Naru calling for her. She turned to see he was standing at the entrance to the lobby. She frowned as she saw he had his arms crossed with a frown also on his face. She swallowed as Takigawa let go of her shoulder. She tried to convince herself that Naru's eyes didn't lighten at the movement but her heart insisted on telling her he had been jealous. She swallowed as she pushed the thought to the back of her mind. She didn't have time to dwell on her feelings.

"I need temperatures." he told her. She had to keep her jaw from dropping.

"Temperatures? Why? We know where the ghost likes to haunt so why do I need to take temperatures?" she demanded. If there was one thing she absolutely hated doing in her job it was taking temperatures. The Ryokan was big and she could just feel her calf muscles already protesting at how much walking she would have to do just to get a portion of the rooms in building.

"Temperatures. Now." he said before turning and walking away. Mai stared after him with her jaw hanging open. She closed her mouth as she glared after him. She began to go after him, ready to let him know exactly what she thought of him. She was stopped by Takigawa placing a hand on her shoulder again.

"Normally I would say to let him have it but he was acting oddly when we were building the walkway. My bet would be he was more worried about Gene than what he wanted to let anyone know. I'd give him some time alone." Takigawa told her. She looked back at him before nodding in agreement.

Mai had been with Naru when they thought his brother was gone. She had seen the sadness hidden deeply within in his eyes. She knew better than to comment on it. She cared deeply for Naru but she had no desire to push him. She had been on the receiving edge of his cutting wit before and at the moment she had no desire to face it again. Especially after they thought Gene had disappeared.

"I guess I'll go get the thermometer." she said as her head dropped. She didn't even react when Takigawa patter her on the back. The only thing Mai could think about was how sore she was going to be after taking the temperatures of every room in the Ryokan. She suddenly felt as though she were going to burst into tears.

"It'll be alright! I'll even help!" Takigawa told her. She glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "I'll take the hot springs and the garden!"

Mai just blinked at him before dropping her head. She didn't have the heart to tell her friend that taking those three locations was going to be little to no help. She just sighed before walking away from the monk so she could get started on the task Naru had given her. She really wished she could punch him if only once. She was sure it would make her feel better.

* * *

"I hate him. I didn't think it was possible. I hate that man." Mai groaned as she slumped against the wall of the last room she had gotten the temperature in. Takigawa had sought her out when she had barely started in her chore to tell her he had finished. She had been about to ask him to help her with other rooms until Naru had interrupted them to give Takigawa another task. She was sure she had seen a glint of superiority in the man's eyes as he led the monk away.

"Remember, Mai, murder is bad. You can go to jail for murder…even if the victim is that narcissistic pain in my rear boss." she grumbled under her breath. She started the journey back to her room as her calves protested the movement.

"There you are, Mai. Naru told me he had you checking temperatures." Mai looked up only to sigh as she saw Lin standing in front of her. She had a feeling he had sought her out because Naru had thought of another task for her. She narrowed her eyes at Lin as she mentally dared him to tell her she had to do something else that involved her moving. She watched as he blinked at her.

"I just finished. If he needs something else I have a message for you to relay to him." she told him with a frown. She watched as he shook his head at her and she could feel her hackles rising. She was ready to throw something at him if he didn't tell her what could possibly want from her again.

"Actually I was coming to get the data from you. I thought it would save you time and allow you to head straight to your room for the night." he told her. Mai blinked before allowing herself to smile as she handed him the readings she had taken down. He took it from her as she continued to smile at him hoping her apology was conveyed.

"Thanks, Lin. You can tell him all the temperatures are normal except for the two hot springs, which according to Takigawa are at least twenty degrees lower than what they should be." she told him as he looked over the paper she had handed him. He nodded before giving her a small smile and tilting his head.

"Go get some rest. I'll make up an excuse to make him stay away." he told her. She felt her grin brighten at the offer. She thanked the older man before quickly leaving him in the hallway. She made it to her new room in record time as she had been afraid Naru would sense she was trying to avoid him. She sighed in relief when she closed the door behind her.

'Why did he have to come early?' she asked herself as she slumped against the closed door of her room. She looked up at the ceiling as she slowly slid to the floor. It was hard to believe that morning she had been arguing with Naru over the phone while he was in Shibuya barking orders at her. Now, he was here at the Ryokan with Lin and Madoka as well as Takae being in the hospital. Mai felt as though she had lived a week out in the first full day at the Ryokan.

"Mai? Are you in there?" Mai was pulled from her thoughts as she heard Madoka outside the door. She quickly climbed to her feet and opened the door. She greeted Naru's former mentor with a tired smile. She didn't realize how tired she actually was until she had climbed to her sore feet to open the door.

"Hi, Madoka, do you need something?" she asked. She really hoped the older woman didn't need her to do anything that required her to move. She didn't think she would be able to physically do it.

"I just wanted to come talk before you went to sleep. Lin told me you look exhausted and he wanted to find a foolproof way to keep Naru away. Therefore, I told Naru that I had some things I had to discuss with you and to leave us alone. Which wasn't exactly a lie but this way you can sit down and relax." she said with a bright smile. Mai blinked before moving away so the woman could enter the room. She happily sat down on her bedding and smiled as Madoka joined her.

"Dr. and Mrs. Davis have been asking about you." Madoka told her. Mai blinked before looking down with a sigh.

"Naru didn't tell me that. I would have called them if I knew they wanted to hear from me." Mai told her. She looked at Madoka when the woman laughed. She wondered why her friend was laughing.

"In Noll's mind if he had told you his parents were asking about you it would mean he is attached to you. Noll, for better or worse, is afraid to become attached to anyone ever again. The last person he was truly attached to was Gene. Noll has been through the heartbreak many people don't have to suffer for forty or fifty years." Madoka told her. Mai tilted her head before smiling sadly. She understood what Madoka was telling her. She couldn't imagine having a twin only for them to die so suddenly.

"I doubt Naru could ever become that attached to me, Madoka. He loved Gene, as much as he refuses to admit it, but me? I'm just another employee to him." she said softly. There was no bitterness to her voice. It was just a fact to Mai, there was no changing what Naru thought or felt. It was just how stubborn he was.

"The people who are the most predictable can sometimes surprise us the most among all the people we know. Do me a favor, Mai, don't write Noll's feelings off so easily. Why do you think he made me and Lin pack up so quickly to get here in what has to be a record time?" Madoka asked. Mai furrowed her brows in confusion as she wasn't sure what the woman was talking about.

"I don't know." she finally mumbled. She watched as Madoka covered her mouth while laughing.

"You really can't think of a reason? It's obvious he was worried about you going into the hot springs that Kasumi died in by yourself. Good thing as when we got here she almost had you at the bottom of said hot springs." Madoka pointed out. Mai shook her head before falling back so she was laying down on her bedding. She looked up at the ceiling before closing her eyes as she took a deep breath.

"The ghost that tried to kill me earlier wasn't Kasumi. I can just feel it. There is something going on here that just doesn't…feel _right_. I know everyone else really thinks it's Kasumi but something is telling me we're on the wrong road by blaming her." Mai murmured under her breath. She glanced at Madoka to see the woman also seemed to be deep in thought over something.

'What is going on here? Kasumi…from the way others talk about her and from what I saw earlier…why is she getting so much blame? Is it because of when she died?' Mai blinked before her eyes went wide. She jumped to her feet causing Madoka to ask why she suddenly seemed so excited.

"Madoka, have we ever, truly, asked when these hauntings started? I don't mean the big things like the apparition appearing or major accidents. I mean little things. Kind of like things moving on their own when no one was looking or maybe hearing disembodied voice or even lights turning themselves on and off. We've been looking at this as though we already have the answers…what if we don't?" Mai suddenly stated. She glanced at Madoka causing the woman to furrow her eyebrows before she suddenly chuckled.

"Good thinking, Mai. However, the people who would have that answer for us are at the hospital with Takae-san. I doubt they'd be able to remember anything that happened before Kasumi's death especially with the given circumstances." Madoka told her. Mai sighed as she crossed her arms. She had the feeling Madoka was right. She hadn't thought about the fact that they would have to count on the family.

"Wait a minute…I think I might have an answer. Do you have your cell phone? I don't know where mine ended up after I threw it the last time Naru called me." Mai asked with a smile. Madoka sighed before digging in her pocket and handing it to the teenager.

"I'm going to say a prayer that he doesn't call my phone while you're using it." Madoka told her. Mai rolled her eyes with a laugh before quickly dialing Masako's number. She really hoped the psychic was still at the hospital with her friends.

"Hello?" the girl finally picked up. Mai had the feeling she had been hesitant to answer because she undoubtedly didn't recognize the number.

"Hi, Masako, it's Mai. Are you still at the hospital?" she asked. She heard the other girl clear her throat.

"Yes. Yumi and I are actually finishing dinner in the cafeteria. Did you need something, Mai?" she asked.

"Great. I need to talk to Yumi. Can I talk to her?" she asked. She could almost imagine Masako blinking at her. She really hoped the psychic wasn't going to make a snarky comment about her request. It was because of Masako that they were there trying to figure out what was going on in the Ryokan.

"Hello? This is Yumi." Mai jumped at the introduction. She hadn't been expecting for Masako to hand the other girl the phone without any warning.

"Hello, Yumi. This is Mai, we met earlier at the hospital. I have a question for you and I just want to warn you that it might seem blunt to you." Mai told her. She heard the other girl laugh.

"Just tell me straight out. After the day I've had I doubt anything will catch me by surprise. Also, you're trying to help my family keep the inn running. As much as I don't want anything to do with that place, I know how much it means to my grandmother and sister. So, anything you need please just let me know." Yumi told her. Mai let a small smile play on her lips before sitting back down. She nodded at Madoka when the woman sent her a look.

"Well, I want to know if you noticed anything odd at the inn…before your mother passed away. You're the only person who lived here before her passing then moved out before the hauntings reached this level." Mai told her. She listened to the silence that engulfed the other end. She swallowed as she wondered if she could have delivered the question a little differently.

"Now that you mention it. I remember when I was a child I could hear voices in the garden. I thought it was just my imagination because of how young I was. Now that I think about it…I remember listening to my mother and grandmother talking about the voices as well as how they seemed to misplace things. As I got older, I realized what they meant. It always seemed I was misplacing my school bag or keys or even my shoes. I wouldn't call it odd, really, but it certainly wasn't _normal_." Yumi mused. Mai processed the information before shaking her head. She had got the answer she wanted but she had no idea what to do with it now that she had the information.

"Thanks, Yumi. I appreciate you telling me this." Mai told her as she felt her own heart sink. She had hoped for a little more than what she had gotten from the girl.

"It's not a problem. Oh, yeah, one more thing. Masako was telling me about how you might want to know about the history of the Ryokan. There is a book that details the family members that lived there, when, and who was in charge at the time. It's a little more detailed than the family registrar. It should be under the front desk. It's pretty interesting if you like that kind of stuff. I don't." Yumi said with a laugh. Mai just blinked before letting out her own laugh.

"Thanks, Yumi. I hope your grandmother continues to improve." Mai told her. She ended the call before handing the phone back to Madoka. She smiled with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I'm not sure how much help it would be but I want to guess that there might have been a slight haunting here before Kasumi." Mai told her. Madoka hummed slightly as she crossed her arms.

"Perhaps Kasumi's death woke up the dormant spirits that were here. It's very possible that a very violent spirit has always been here but never had the strength to do anything other than play harmless pranks. I wonder…no, I would be money that the spirit that was already here has been feeding off the guilt and anguish Kasumi felt for leaving her family behind." Madoka said. Mai blinked before scratching the back of her head.

"That explains why Kasumi was asking for help earlier when I saw her in the garden. I think the spirit is doing more than just feeding off Kasumi's emotions…I think it has her trapped here! We have to help her!" Mai cried. Madoka smiled at her with a nod.

'_That might not be as easy as you hope._' Mai blinked at the voice before she felt the world spin as she crashed against the floor.

"Mai!"

* * *

_"Gene! Are you alright?!" Mai exclaimed when her eyes opened. The man was standing only a few feet away from her looking exhausted but alright. Mai couldn't see any injuries and for that she was very thankful._

_ "I'm fine. I wish you and Noll would listen to me when I tell you to run, though. If you had I probably wouldn't have had to use so much energy to contain the damage she did." he told her. She gave him a sheepish look before dropping her head._

_ "I'm sorry. I was just worried about you. I didn't want you to get hurt." she told him. She looked up at him as he chuckled at her. She watched as he shook his head at her._

_ "Mai…you have to remember…I'm dead. I can't get hurt. Not like you or Noll…and if either of you got hurt by something that I could prevent…I would never forgive myself." he told her. She felt her eyes widen before watching as he pointed at something behind him. "That's not why I brought you here, though. There's something you need to see."_

_ "Huh?" Mai whispered. She recognized the orb of light floating in front of them as a spirit. She watched with her heart in her throat as darkness began to surround the orb almost suffocating its light. The orb struggled against the darkness for a moment before finally escaping if not a little a dimmer than what it had been._

_ "Whose spirit is that?" Mai asked. She had a sickening feeling she knew as she looked at Gene's face. She had never seen such a terrifying look on his face before. Nor had she seen the look on Naru's face._

_ "Kasumi is the orb. That wretched darkness is Azami."_


	9. File 9

I really wanted to get something out for Mai's birthday! (Happy Birthday, Mai!) I hope you all enjoy the update and please, please, please review! They serve as inspiration and I really do read every single one of them even if I don't reply!

* * *

Mai woke up with a gasp. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment as her breathing was hard. She slowly sat up and she noticed that Madoka and Masako were asleep in the room. The teen girl winced as she realized she had once again fallen asleep, suddenly, while talking to the older woman. She hoped Madoka didn't think Mai thought she was boring. Mai made a note to tell Gene to not summon her so much when she was with Madoka.

'Who is Azami, though? I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep after that dream. I think I'm going to see if I can find that book Yumi told us about.' she thought. Mai climbed to her feet only to blink as she saw she had been changed into her pajamas. She realized Madoka had changed her after she had joined Gene on the astral plane. She stood there for a moment before quietly making her way to the door. She made sure she opened the door quietly, slipped out, and shut the door just as quietly. She stood listening for a moment then sighed in relief when she didn't hear them move.

'I'd hate to wake them. Who knows what time they were able to go to sleep with that Naru running the show?' she thought with a scowl. She still hadn't forgiven him for making her take temperatures when she thought it had been completely unnecessary. She just hoped he didn't catch her up snooping behind the hotel desk. She could just imagine the way he would immediately find something for her to do.

'And knowing that workaholic, he's still awake. I don't think I've ever seen him actually head to bed before.' Mai thought as she entered the lobby. She looked around quickly to make sure neither Naru nor Lin were in the area. She was thankful Lin had helped her escape earlier but she didn't know how long that helpfulness would last in the face of Naru's determination. She let out a sigh of relief when she didn't see either of them. She was also thankful, although confused as to why, when she saw there hadn't been a camera set up in the lobby. She shook her head before making her way over to the desk.

'Yumi said the book should be under the desk somewhere.' she thought as she bent down. She noticed there were two doors that were closed to hide the inside of the desk. Mai opened the doors and found the book she was looking forward on the shelf inside. She sat down as she pulled out the volume. She flipped through the pages looking for a familiar name. The only names she recognized were Takae's and Kasumi's. She frowned before flipping through the book again only to sigh when she realized she didn't find the name she had thought she would find as an owner of the Ryokan.

'The way that first vision with Azami went, I thought she had been forced to become an owner and that's why she supposedly killed herself. According to this, though, and the dates listed in the family registrar Miwako let us look at…she must have died before her mother could have forced her to take on the responsibility.' Mai thought with a frown. She tapped her fingers on the last page of the book that told her Kasumi had been the most recent owner. Her fingers continued to brush over the name as she allowed her mind to wander away from her.

Mai was pulled from her thoughts as the lights suddenly went out. She quickly put the book beside her and slowly stood while being sure not to hit her head on the desk. She stood still as she allowed her eyes to adjust to the darkness only to jump as a bright flash of light entered through the windows. She winced as a loud clap of thunder quickly followed the light. She let out a soft sigh as she realized it was just a storm that had caused the electricity to go off and nothing paranormal.

She shook her head with a soft smile before blinking as a figure appeared in the left doorway of the lobby. She felt her mood drop when she saw it was Naru standing there with a flashlight and a frown on his face. She winced as he guided the beam of light towards her to see she was standing behind the desk.

"Mai, what are you doing?" he said. Mai rolled her eyes as she knew it wasn't a question but rather an order to tell him. She would have shook her head at him if he hadn't been shining a light in her eyes as well as being able to see her because of the light.

"I woke up and decided to come investigate something Yumi had told me about when I called her. Along with what Gene told me when I saw him in my dream." she added. She was relieved when he lowered the flashlight to allow her once again to see him instead of the blinding light that was the flashlight.

"What, exactly, did Gene find fit to tell you this time?" he once again asked although it certainly didn't sound like a question. Mai wondered if Naru had ever truly been taught how to ask a question.

"That there's another entity here by the name of Azami. I dreamed of her once but I had thought she would be one of the owners from what I saw. However, she isn't listed in the book Yumi told me had all of the owners listed. At the same time, though, Miwako looked her up in the family registrar and it showed that she died when she was sixteen. Miwako said Kasumi thought this girl had committed suicide." Mai told him as they stood in the dark. She couldn't read his expression because he had the flashlight pointed at the floor.

"You think this…Azami is the entity who attacked you? What connection does she have with water and the hot springs? Kasumi has a connection that makes sense when looking at the paranormal events happening here." he told her. Mai bit back a frown when she realized she hadn't told Naru how she thought the girl had taken her life.

"I'm positive. And she does have a connection…I think she killed herself in the hot springs. I'm also sure she was the one that cause Kasumi's accident. This is going to sound unrealistic to even you but I'm sure Azami wanted another spirit with her so she could consume it." Mai told him. She might have not been able to see his face but she did hear him shift and knew she had caught him off guard. She felt ridiculous now that she had voiced her theory on the cause behind the hauntings.

"You think there was already a ghost here before Kasumi passed away." he repeated. She blinked before letting out a sigh.

"I talked with Yumi and she said they had experienced minor occurrences when put together could be paranormal. However, it wasn't like anything they've suffered in the years after Kasumi's passing. I think her death awakened whatever power might have already been here." Mai told him. She jumped as he suddenly appear in front of her with the desk between them. She could see his face clearly as he put the flashlight on the flat surface. The storm outside continued to rage as they stood there. Mai could see Naru was processing what she had just told him.

"Your intuition continues to surprise me." he told her. She blinked only to bit back a scowl as she knew he had just complimented her. In his own Naru-esque way.

"What do you mean?" she asked. She wasn't sure what he meant by the compliment now that she thought about what he had actually said.

"You mentioned you thought the ghost had been possessed when you talked to us while at the hospital. I said ghosts can't be possessed but if they encounter another ghost or entity they can be consumed. It sounds as though from what you were describing this is what is happening to Kasumi-san." he told her. She studied him for a moment before leaning forward so she had her arms crossed on the desk. She bit her lip as she thought about what he had just told her before sighing.

"Do you think we can save Kasumi? Azami's spirit was so very dark when I saw it." she whispered. Naru didn't answer her. She knew what it meant when he didn't answer her. "I won't give up on her, Naru. I made a promise to Miwako that we would help her mother. There has to be a way."

"I will talk to John about performing an exorcism tomorrow. He was with Lin and I watching the monitors until the electricity went out." he told her. Mai quickly shook her head as fear tightened in her stomach. She knew they couldn't wait.

"No, Naru. It has to be tonight. I don't think Kasumi will be able to last much longer." she told him. She could feel him look at her as she put a hand to her heart. "Something is telling me, right here, that we don't have time to wait until the morning."

"Come on." he told her. She blinked at him as he moved away. Mai jumped as he turned to look at her with a scowl on his face. "Come on. If we want John to perform an exorcism tonight we have to tell him."

"Oh! Right." she said with a nervous laugh. She quickly followed him as he led her through the darkened hallways with the flashlight as hand. She swallowed her nerves back when she realized they had set their base up next to the room that held the entry to the hot springs. Mai was surprised to see John was the only one in the room sitting in front of the dark monitors as they had no power.

"Where is Lin?" Naru asked as he placed the flashlight down to add more light to the room. Mai realized there were four flashlights, one in each corner of the room, plus the one Naru had just set down in front of the monitors. Mai saw John had a sheepish smile on his face.

"The handyman, Rentaro, I think that was his name, came and asked one of us to come help him start the generators. Lin said he would help and told me to stay here. What are you doing here, Mai? I figured you and the other girls would still be in your room." the blonde priest said. Mai scratched the back of her head with a laugh.

"I woke up and was restless. I was down in the lobby before the electricity went out. Naru found me down there shortly after. I actually have a big favor to ask, John." she told him. He tilted his head cutely at her causing her to sigh. He probably had no idea what he did to the female population.

"What do you need?" he asked.

"For you to perform an exorcism. Tonight. There's a dark entity here, I think it's been here a long time, and it is trying to consume Kasumi. I don't think she'll make it much longer." Mai told him. He stared for a moment before standing with a gentle smile on his face.

"I'll go get ready and start right away. I would appreciate if someone would come with me to hold the flashlight, though. With the power off I won't be able to see much." he told them. Mai opened her mouth to volunteer before Naru interrupted her.

"We will both accompany you. If this entity is capable of what Mai is implying then it would be better to stay in a group." Naru said. Mai blinked at him in surprise. He rarely, if ever, suggested they covered ground in groups. Naru had always been of the mindset that the more ground covered the better which usually meant traveling alone. She looked at him only to swallow at the expression on his face. She assumed he was remembering what had happened with Gene earlier that day.

"Of course, give me a moment to go change. I will be right back." he said. Mai watched as he took the flashlight Naru had just put down before disappearing through the door. They stood in silence as Mai let her thoughts turn to Kasumi and Azami. She really hoped they would be able to help the woman who had fallen victim to a vengeful ghost. She glanced at Naru to see he was staring blankly ahead causing her to sigh. She knew he wouldn't strike up a conversation unless his life depended on it.

"He's alright, you know." she blurted out. She felt her eyes widen as he turned to look at her. Mai put a hand to her mouth as she wondered what had possessed her. She hadn't even been thinking about telling him Gene was alright. She had thought it would be obvious since the older Davis twin had summoned her back to the astral plane after his show of power.

"Hmm." was the only reply Naru gave. Mai rolled her eyes as he turned away from her. She knew she shouldn't have expected anything else out of him. Naru truly didn't know how to show his feelings, at least not outwardly, and she was coming to terms with that. He may have not accepted her confession so many months ago but she noticed the little things he did for her. It might have not meant much to anyone else but the way he was always there for her, whether it be to save her life or to cheer her up in his Naru way, she knew she could count on him.

"When was the last time you talked to him, Naru?" she asked. She could feel him tense even though he was almost on the other side of the room. She was surprised at how attuned she had become to him in the short time they had known each other. She had been able to tell on the first day they worked together when he became agitated with her.

"I don't see how that could possibly be any of your business." he replied coldly. Mai rolled her eyes at him. She knew exactly what that type of reply meant.

"You should talk to him. He's your brother after all." she told him.

"He's dead, Mai, there should be no talking to him." he quickly said. She crossed her arms as her frustration began to grow.

"Do you realize how many people would give the world just to have the chance you have?" she asked as evenly as possible. She found it was becoming harder than normal not to reach out and strangle him. He really made it easy for people to hate him.

"I'm not one of them." he said. She felt her eyes widen and her jaw drop.

"Oliver!" she cried catching his attention. She rarely used his given name. She wasn't sure what she would have said to him as John reappeared at that moment.

"I'm ready to get started. Where do you want to go first, Mai?" the blonde asked, oblivious to the tension in the air. Mai sent Naru one last look, he was scowling at her although she wasn't surprised, before turning to John with a smile on her face. She wasn't going to let her fight with Naru deter her from the mission they were on.

"I think we should go to the hot springs. I think the entity, whatever it is, usually hides down there." she said. The priest nodded in agreement. Mai grabbed one of the flashlights and followed John out of the room. She heard Naru following them. They made their way down to the hot springs causing Mai to swallow as she saw it was much darker now there was absolutely no light entering it other than their flashlight beams.

"Mai, if you could point the light at my Bible." John requested. Mai hummed in agreement as she did what he said. She could feel Naru standing beside her causing her nerves to grate on each other. She had a feeling if they were alone he would be giving her a piece of his mind after the way she had spoken to him. She knew she couldn't blame him as she knew she had crossed a line that was not meant to be crossed.

They continued to stand in silence as John started exorcism. Mai looked around as she waited for a reaction from the spirits. She wasn't sure if it was because of the type of exorcism but spirits tended to react more to John than either Takigawa or Ayako. She directed her flashlight to the water of the hot spring only to gasp at what she could see. The water had started boiling as John continued to read.

"Naru!" she gasped as she saw a figure emerging from the water. The figure was completely black and the beam of the flashlight seemed to reflect off it. It didn't take Mai long to realize they were looking at what was left of Azami. If it had ever truly been Azami, Mai told herself.

"Remain calm." Naru told her. She nodded as the figure began to distort. She realized that John's reading was having an effect on it. Her eyes went wide as the blackness seemed to dissolve around the spirit revealing two female figures. One was Kasumi, Mai recognized her from the picture hanging in the lobby, and the other was Azami, which Mai also recognized only this time it was her vision that told her who the woman was.

"Kasumi-san, you have to pass on! You're free right now! Your family wants you to be happy in your next life." Mai cried. She met the woman's eyes and watched as a soft smile spread across her face.

"Thank you. Please tell your friend, that male ghost, thank you. Also tell my family I am waiting for them and to live happy lives." she responded. Mai nodded with a smile. She watched as the woman faded away while the other figure stood there blinking in confusion. When she realized the other spirit standing beside her was gone she let out a scream that had Mai covering her ears.

"What have you done?! Who the hell are you?!" she screamed. Mai could hear that John had stopped reading when he realized Kasumi had passed on.

Naru started speaking causing Mai to blink. She didn't understand the language he was speaking but knew it wasn't English. It sounded much rougher than his native language. She glanced at John to see he was also staring at their boss in surprise. He caught her eye and Mai tilted her head towards the younger man. John just shook his head as he glanced at the ghost in front of them. Mai also looked at her only to blink at the surprised look on Azami's face.

"You!" the ghost screamed. Mai watched as she reached out for Naru as he continued to talk in the language Mai didn't recognize.

"Naru, watch out!" Mai cried as she moved towards her boss. She grabbed his shirt sleeve causing him to look away from the ghost. Mai met his eyes as panic began to settle deep in her stomach once again. She just shook her head as she tried to convey her panic to him.

Mai gasped as she felt something hit her stomach pushing her away from Naru and into the wall opposite them. She sat there blinking in surprise as she heard John yell at the entity and from the scream Azami gave she was sure he had used holy water on her. She continued to sit there as she tried to process she had just been thrown by a spirit. It wasn't the first time she had been attacked but it was the first time she had been thrown by one.

"_I will have him! I will have his powers! He is MINE!_" she gasped at the voice in her head before looking at the hot springs. She blinked as the electricity blinked on suddenly allowing her to see the water clearly instead of just what the flashlight had allowed her to see. She swallowed as she saw how calm the water was now that she was gone. She looked at Naru as she slowly pushed herself before John could help her.

"Naru, what was that language you were talking in?" she asked. She met his eyes as he looked at her.

"German. Something told me she would respond to me." he answered. She shook her head at him as fear firmly settled in her stomach.

"She responded to you, alright. She knows about your powers and she wants them, Naru. I think…I think her sights are set on you." she told him. She could feel tears in her eyes at the thought Naru had just put himself in danger. She knew she should have warned him about Azami's past lover being German. She just hadn't thought it would be important.

"Interesting." Mai felt her mouth drop open at the smirk spreading across his face.

'_Noll, that's not something to be happy about, you idiot scientist!_'

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I hope you enjoyed! Please remember to review! I really appreciate it!


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