Amaranthine

Here's another Ghost Hunt fic! It's been years since I've written for it, but horror is a passion of mine to write and Ghost Hunt is my writing baby. While I don't own it, I do own my own scenarios! So please enjoy!

Disclaim – I do not own Ghost Hunt

Mai had imagined a thousand difference scenarios in her head of the moment she reunited with her ex-boss cum love interest. This was not one of them...

'There's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.' – Lewis Carroll

Chapter 1: Deja Vu

"Mai..." The familiar voice had her spinning, the flora around her swaying in the ever-present breeze of her astral plane. Her whole body froze when her eyes landed on his form, molten honey clashing with a never-ending sea of blue that threatened to drown her, "I like what you've done to the place Mai."

Tears instantly clouded her vision when she noticed the slight upturn of his lips, throughs crashing to a halt with only one name breaking through the chaos, "Eugene..."

Her hand quivered, reaching out blindly in disbelief, only to come in contact with a cold hand, fingers twinging together as though they hadn't spent years apart. Her perpetually sixteen-year-old spirit guide sighed, a content sound that almost seemed strangled to her.

"Mai. You've grown so much." He gently picked up a strand of her hair, the waist length brunette locks twisting easily around his fingers.

"Gene... why are you here?" She caught herself, gasping as she blinked away the tears, as if remembering something terrible, "Gene. I'm so sorry. I thought... the whole time I thought-"

With a swift shift he pressed her into his chest, noticing that despite her mature figure he was still taller than her, "Don't even think about it Mai. But I have to warn you..."

She tensed, fearing the worst, "Gene? What's wrong?"

He sighed and pushed away, turning his back to her, "I won't be able to stay around very long Mai. At least not yet. But you need to be prepared. Things aren't going to happen the way you think they will."

"What? Is this about the case?" A sense of professionalism washed over her, drying her tears and pushing aside her guilt, "Is something going to happen?" She pushed out with her othersense, feeling beyond the body she had left behind, "Is something going to happen Gene?"

He smiled, not too surprised by how forward she was, "You've grown a lot more than I suspected. Should be a good lesson for him." His whispers were too quiet for her to catch, "Regardless Mai. You need to be careful."

"Gene? What are you talking about? Gene!" Her voice echoed through the field, bouncing around like the thoughts in her head, filling the void he left in his place, "Eugene!"

xXx Amaranthine xXx

She woke with a jolt, jacket falling to the floor, tears dried on her cheeks, pulling her skin tight as she sighed.

"Jou-chan? Are you alright?" Bou-san walked into based, a bag in either hand as he approached her, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

A dark laugh left her as she scrubbed a hand across her face, wiping away the signs of her distress, "Something like that." She glanced at the clock on the wall, noticing just how early it was, "Why are you back anyway? Isn't Ayako with you?"

Houshou lowered the bags to the counter, eyes scanning the monitors as he sorted through the items he'd bought, "Ayako had an emergency shift at the hospital again. So I came here and brought breakfast. I figured you probably stayed the night again." They shared a smile, the older knowing that Mai had picked up her workaholic habits as a way to cope, "Now eat up, you don't look like you slept well and we need to try make some progress on the case."

The brunette nodded, taking the offered container of food and digging in. Her eyes ran over the details of the case in front of her, numerous reports scattered across the floor that she had dropped when she was pulled from her body rather unceremoniously by Gene.

"Was you're vision useful?" Bou-san's voice pulled her from her reading, and she shook her head. Everything about it still confused her, but the warning stuck.

"The only thing I got out of it was that we need to be careful. But nothing else. The spirits aren't doing anything. It's like they're waiting for something. But I can't figure out what..." Mai racked her brain for an answer to jump out at her, but as she stretched her senses, nothing sparked her interest, "There's a few lingering spirits... but other than that, they don't pose a threat."

Which only confused them more.

xXx Two day earlier - March - Wednesday xXx

"Bou-san... Are you sure this is where he said to meet him?" Mai looked around in distain, realising the alley was more than likely occupied by rebelling students during break times.

"I'm sure. He was really nervous when he approached me after the gig. He doesn't want the school board finding out. The parents apparently cause trouble at the smallest thing, so he doesn't want them to know. Yet anyway. I'm sure the students will talk."

Mai could only stare at the looming building, the pristine white of the walls spoke volumes of how prestigious the school was. She knew she had tried hard to study, but there was only so much someone of her standing could do. Her emotions showed on her face and Bou-san instantly pressed her against him, holding her to him with one arm.

"Jou-chan... you really didn't need to do this with me..." He whispered against her head, "I know it wasn't easy."

She just nodded her head, taking a deep breath before pushing away from him, "I know Bou-san. But I wanted to help. I don't like you guys doing cases on your own. I k-"

"Takigawa-san. Thank you for meeting me. I know the location of this meeting is unusual. And who would this be?" An elderly man dressed in a suit approached from the mouth of the alley, his dress shoes splashing water from the various puddles on the ground.

"Ito-san. Yes. This is Taniyama, Mai. We've worked together for years." Bou-san pushed her forward, pressing her to introduce herself properly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ito-san." Mai bowed low to the headmaster of the school, recalling all the small details Bou-san had told her about the client, "Bou-san has explained a little bit about your... dilemma... but could you please explain in a little more detail?"

She straightened, watching the headmaster fidgeted with the corners of his jacket, "Oh yes. Of course. You see, we recently had an influx of international students. But things started happening around the same time. We couldn't connect the dots, but students started getting hurt you see. Doors would close on them or shelves would suddenly drop, and books would fly out at random. We rely on our students and their families for funding. We've tried to see for ourselves… if it were… haunted. But we came up with no negative history, no deaths or incidents. I'm at a loss and the teachers aren't sure what to do. The parents are riled up enough as it is…"

"So you want to leave it as low key as possible, correct?" Mai stared at him, eyes searching anything that would give him away as a falsifying client.

"Of course. The teachers are stressed. The parents are furious that their children are getting injured. If this keeps up I'll lose my job…" Mai instantly tuned out of his ramblings, noticing that his suit, along with his watch and shoes were all top of the line. A dark part of her laughed at his plight, that his only true concern was the money that his job offered. But the investigator in her wanted to find the truth and protect those getting hurt.

"We'll take the case." She knew it was rude to interrupt him, but she couldn't be bothered listening, ignoring the look Houshou threw at her, "If you have a security room, we'd like to be based in there. It saves us having to intrude on the students' day to day activities. It will also diminish any suspicion amongst other faculty and family."

Pleased with her words he bowed, passing her a folder with details and pass keys before departing.

xXx Amaranthine xXx

A knock pulled them from their small breakfast, "Excuse me, Taniyama-san, Takigawa-san. Um… I think you should see something…"

A young student poked her head into the surveillance room, a look of concern etched in her features.

"Yes, is something the matter?" Mai was up and out of the room before the dark-haired girl had a chance to speak.

"Oh! Well you see," The young student, known to her classmates as Stephanie Taylor, struggled to keep up with Mai's pace, not questioning how the brunette woman knew which direction to walk in, "The headmaster… Well. He's called in some men. And one of my classmates, she's been bragging that she's been asked to assist the Professor. Though I know she's doing it because she got the Professors assistant hurt."

Mai's eyes narrowed as she burst from the administration building, her hair blowing in the morning breeze. Instantly she heard it, the tell-tale yelling of an angry student and something heavy weighed on her instantly as she overheard the conversation.

"Headmaster Ito! You can't be serious? I'm the best qualified to assist and you know it! If you don't allow me to, than I guess I'll just have to tell father about all this nonsense-" The voice stopped, as though the speaker finally realised what she'd said, "I mean no offence Professor. But not everyone understands the complexities of the work you do. I do however. Completely."

Mai rounded the corner of the building, heading towards an achingly familiar black van. She could feel Bou-san slow down behind her and the young student that had followed them stepped away, taking her place behind the blonde monk.

"Charlotte please. Your parents needn't be involved. I'm sure the professor can handle it just fine on his own. Your education is important." Mai recognised Headmaster Ito's voice easily, despite only having met him twice in just as many days.

"Ito-san. Is everything alright?" She stepped around the van, every muscle in her tensing. The view that greeted her however was of a tall teenage girl with short brown hair and deep blue eyes, but it was her expression that gave her away. Everything about her came across as spoilt, from her handbag to the way her uniform was tailored to the way her lips puffed in a pout at not getting her way.

"Geez, now the wannabe investigators are here. You should just send them away Headmaster." The young girl, Charlotte, tossed her hair over her shoulder, "They won't be much use here now that the Professor has arrived."

A vein ticked in Mai's forehead and she forced herself to take a calming breath, straightening her jacket as she approached, "Whether you speak English or Japanese makes no difference to me, Charlotte-san. However, your attitude could use some adjustment when speaking to your elders."

Her fluency was obviously unexpected with the way both client and student stared at her, mouths agape in shock, but what drew her attention most was the way the items in the van shook ever so slightly, the cause going unseen.

"And what would you know? You're obviously young, but you aren't in school. Couldn't hack it could you?" Charlotte spoke with enough venom to put the men, and a cowering fellow student, on edge.

"That's of no concern to you." Mai hissed, eyes narrowing, keeping an eye both on the van and the snappy girl.

"It is when someone tells me to show respect. I'm on a scholarship. If anything, you should show me respect." Her attitude reminded Mai of Masako when they'd first met, but even then, Masako hadn't been as disrespecting to her elders as Charlotte acted.

"You're obviously not as smart as you think you are if that's the way you act." Mai rolled her shoulders, taking a pre-emptive step forward, the windows of the administrative building rattling in their frames.

"How dare you-" Instantly the glass window closest to her exploded, raining sharp shards on the group. Mai dove forward, shielding Charlotte while Bou-san did similarly with the student that had collected them. Both students screamed, and the scenario tugged at something in the back of Mai's mind, something eerily familiar; nostalgic even.

The sound of running feet echoed in her ears and Mai lifted herself from the ground, her shoulders aching from the angle she hit the ground in an effort to avoid squishing the snobbish student. A sharp sting had her sitting up, placing a hand to her cheek only to feel it come away wet.

"Jou-chan, are you okay?" Bou-san was instantly at her side, surveying the wound, "Stupid. What were you thinking?"

"That's what I was thinking." The voice made them freeze, the pair glancing at each other before trying to find the source of the voice, "It seems things haven't changed while I was away."

The ever-present smirk that accompanied his smug comments had Mai on overdrive, her eyes taking in what was truly in front of her. Everything in her wanted to believe it was true, and that the way they had parted had only been a dream… a nightmare. But the logical side of her, the side that had been forced to face reality, knew the truth and squashed down every teenage emotion that tried to rear its ugly head.

"Professor Davis." Her voice trembled at she swore under her breath, standing from her place on the ground while Bou-san helped Charlotte. Everything about the situation had her reeling. The pieces of information that she had been given, the hint that Lin, she assumed, had been injured and required the girl who had been the cause of his absence to take his place, the exploding glass. The sudden introduction of a new parapsychology team. Everything clicked into place in her head, "Ito-san. If you need us, we'll be back in the surveillance room."

Mai went to turn, ignoring the sting in her cheek. She had almost succeeded in passing both Professor Davis and the Headmaster when the older man placed a hand on her shoulder, "Actually, Taniyama-san… Davis-san will be requiring that room. He will be wiring into our surveillance system through there. I'm sure you understand."

She did her best to keep a straight face, but her mind was in turmoil and the burning in her eyes only added fuel to the fire. So, trying to save face, Mai bowed lowly, keeping her back as straight as possible, "Of course Ito-san, I understand. We'll collect our items then, were would you like us to continue-"

"You're not needed. Now that Professor Davis is here, Headmaster Ito was going to get rid of you both." Charlotte rounded on the pair, patching Mai's glare easily.

"Mai… let's go." Bou-san placed a gently hand on her shoulder, while giving both his client, ex-client, and the newly found Professor a stern look. He didn't have to look at Mai to see the disappointment and frustration on her face.

"Taniyama-san… Takigawa-san. Please understand-"

"We understand just fine Ito-san. We'll leave." Bou-san usher Mai back the way they'd come, waving a quick goodbye to Stephanie as they went.

"Good riddance." Charlotte huffed, turning to the remaining members of the group.

To those that remained by the van, the most unexpected thing happened, "Charlotte, be quiet. And get me tea."

xXx Amaranthine xXx

I was hit with the inspiration for this really suddenly, but I promise it won't be abandoned. Now, mega points to anyone that can guess what the title of the chapter is referring to! If you guess right, I'll be asking you for what case you'd like to see the team go on. No matter what it is, I'll write it in!