Mai's body shivered in the change of atmosphere. There was a breeze permeating through the house. As she walked past a door she noticed the cherry blossoms fluttering in the courtyard. That was her first clue she was in a dream. It was a different season then the one of reality.

In the reality she currently occupied the house looked different. The basic structure of the interior the same but just by glancing it was easy for Mai to distinguish that this was the original house, and the one her body now resided in was merely a replica built in it's place. So, someone along the lines of the ownership of the house wanted to keep as much of the original floor plan intact. It momentarily made a shiver of happiness settle upon her and she found herself smiling briefly.

Mai walked out to the courtyard and looked down into a gentle spring. It was twilight so the fluttering cherry blossoms and the hues of pink and purple in the sky complimented each other aesthetically. There was a small pond tucked away in the courtyard, nearly unnoticeable with the amount of blossoming trees here and there.

Mai bent at the knees and reached out to the water of the pond. She didn't gasp when she saw her reflection. It was becoming fairy common to see a reflection that was not her own. The woman that looked back at her was beautiful. She had dark hair woven up in an intricate style atop her head. It was obvious the lady did not get outside much. Her skin was a pale ivory that probably rarely saw the bright rays of the sun. The kimono she currently wore was fairly simple but something about her posture, and the way she carried herself when she walked made Mai believe that it wasn't her typical attire.

The sound of a twig snapping alerted Mai to another presence in the courtyard. She gasped when a figure came from a shadow corner of the courtyard.

The man had a fierce expression on his face. Mai felt her body tense of it's own accord. The man in front of her was not someone the woman trusted. He was someone she feared.

A calming presence resonated inside her and she knew that Gene was now in the dream's landscape also. Mai still feared the man in front of her but with Gene nearby the chill that resonated inside her became obsolete. She would push herself through this dream.

The fierce looking man was now only a foot in front of her. "Sayuri, I will tell you again. You can't do this! I won't allow it!" Each word he uttered was punctuated with malice and contempt. However, his hands shook as if he were afraid or emotionally overwhelmed.

Mai shivered involuntarily as she felt a presence compelling her. Suddenly words were coming from her. Her vocal chords taken over by the spirit that veiled her inward existence. "I told you. I am not going to live that life anymore. I am going to live a better one, a happier one."

The man growled at he then pushed down her body to the ground. His hands clamped around her neck fiercely. Mai struggled for breath. It wasn't the first time she was strangled in a dream. It always surprised her how the hands around the throat always felt different. The man above her was fiercely applying most of his pressure with the tips of his fingers. Nearly unconscious in the dream she momentarily wondered why he wouldn't use the force from the palms of his hands which would apply more strength.

Noll stared down at the two unconscious figures. He had moved Mai to base and Gene had followed. When he laid Mai down on the couch his brother had suddenly fallen unconscious also.

Gene had apologized left and right when they discovered Mai's prone form in the master bedroom. He had explained the reason but Noll did not care. He had voiced his opinion of his recklessness and mentally shut him out to focus on relocating Mai and ensuring her safety.

Suddenly, Mai's body began to shake and Noll went to kneel at her side. He knew better then to wake her up. She would discover nothing if he woke her up too soon. His chosen course of action took a turn when he sensed Gene's worry build up inside him, and suddenly Mai was coughing and gasping for breath. "Mai, wake up." The others looked over his shoulder. He told them to get back to work but because it was Mai he didn't enforce it.

He looked down at her. Her eyelids blinked and her cinnamon brown eyes were revealed to him. He didn't hesitate over the bubbly emotions of worry and fear that briefly resided inside him. Instead he took a mental breath and got back to the business at hand. "Tell me what you learned, Mai."

Gene woke up from the floor. "Sure, you give Mai a couch but I wake up from the floor? You know you shouldn't annoy her when she first wakes up."

"No, Gene, it's okay." Ayako must have left the room for a moment because suddenly she was handing Mai a glass of water. "Thank you, Ayako." She smiled up at her.

Noll became momentarily jealous because she hadn't shined that brilliant smile of hers his way since he returned. He wanted to be lit up by that glow only she could provide with her happiness.

After Mai took a sip she informed the group of what happened in her dream. She paused over the part where she was strangled because of how it would affect the group. Gene took it upon himself to inform them of that nugget of information. She openly glared at Gene. Being the merry guy he was Gene chuckled at her glare then cleared his throat. "Sorry, Mai, I know you are trying to keep them from worrying but knowing all the details takes precedence."

"He's quite right, Mai." Noll noticed the bruises forming along her neck. "It appears this will be a case where you can get hurt in your dreams. You have marks from where that," Noll bit his lip to keep from saying bastard, "man attacked you."

Mai gingerly touched her neck. "It's strange. I don't think he intended to kill Sayuri. He used his fingertips to apply the pressure. I think he just wanted to knock her out."

The information didn't quell Noll's concern. The group had business to conduct and that took precedent over the emotions that were nagging at him from the corner of his mind. "Hmm, I think it's time we look into some of the background of this place."

"Yasu will be here tomorrow. He will go over what he learned with us then."