Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters

I'm starting a new project!

He said he painted a star just for me and if I wished upon them he would grant my wish. At first I didn't believe him but when I wished to be faster, he gave me the speed of a cheetah. When I asked how he could grant wishes, he told me that he and his friend had great power. They painted the seas and skies themselves and could create anything with their paintbrushes.

"What are you reading?" Lyra looked over her sister's shoulder to see what she was reading. She knew Crystal would often stay up late stargazing on her balcony and worried that she wouldn't get enough sleep. It was Crystal's dream to chart every star in the sky with her own two hands. She was an astronomer and had been interested in stars since she was little.

Crystal was known to be a very serious person so people were surprised that she was fascinated with constellations and the stories behind them. But the stars held a balance of science and fantasy that she enjoyed. No matter how many nights she stared up at the sky, there seemed to be something different about it and she could almost believe that someone was painting them every night.

Almost…

"I was looking for a history book on astrology when I found this book and thought it was interesting." Crystal turned the cover for Lyra to see the title, The Man Who Painted the Stars. "It's a collection of stories about a group of painters that create nature and the world around us. If you wish on something they created, they grant your wish."

"Like wishing on a star?" Lyra tilted her head to the sky and the stars in her eyes rivaled the ones in the sky. She had always been a dreamer and Crystal wasn't surprise that she accepted the concept. Lyra jumped to her feet and Crystal was worried that she might stumble off the balcony. Lyra didn't have that worry as she reached towards the sky and screamed. "I wish for you to paint my sister a beautiful star!"

Crystal stared at the night sky before turning to look at her sister. Their eyes met and they both burst out laughing. Crystal admired how Lyra was able to forget her surroundings and be silly. Watching her easy made the act look freeing. Crystal sighed, "I guess it was silly to think that the stars can actually grant wishes. It's a nice thought but it's better that we achieve things ourselves without relying on others."

"Don't be like that," Lyra knew that Crystal found the stories people created around the stars were as interesting as knowing how they were made. "I have a meeting with my publisher early so I need to go to bed now. Make sure not to stay up too late, okay?"

"Aren't I the one that have to tell you to rest when you're caught up in a story?" Crystal words weren't barbed and Lyra had to laugh in agreement. They were always close and Lyra knew that it was more than the fact that they were twins. Whispering goodnight to her sister, she returned to her room while Crystal continued to stare up at the sky.

She wasn't the creative type like her sister and had never held a paintbrush in her life but she always appreciated art. She wondered what it would be like to have an entire sky as a canvas. But something as beautiful as the world's natural beauty couldn't have been made by a regular human.

She looked at the map she was charting the stars on before turning back to the sky. What would she wish for if the concept was true? It was a fanciful dream, a man painting stars for people to wish upon, but unrealistic. She knew that the stars were mere gases in the air with the tragic ending of fading long before anyone notice. Every time a star faded, her star chart was outdated.

Closing her eyes, she thought for a moment. She started to voice a wish but a deep voice spoke over hers. "I wish-"

"For me to paint you a beautiful star." A face appeared in front of her and Crystal jumped back in shock. She felt warmth surround her hand and she looked up to see a man before. She didn't know how he appeared before her or if she was dreaming. He seemed perfectly calm about the situation while she was still trying to understand what was happening for her to give a proper reaction.

He moved his face much too close to hers and she could swear she saw stars in his eyes. His shaggy black hair fell over his eyes and he leaned back from her, brushing them back. She gapped at him since he wore a strange mantle over his shoulders. Even though it covered his entire body, she could tell he had strong shoulders. He reached into his mantle and she didn't want to know what he was going to pull out.

"Don't touch me, delinquent!" She kicked his leg and he couldn't regain his balance before he started to fall off her balcony. Crystal began to get worried when she didn't hear a scream or thud and ran to see what happened to him. She looked down and didn't see any hint of the man. For a moment she thought she went mad and created him in her mind.

"I come to grant your wish and you try to murder me," Crystal turned and gapped at the man behind her. He was floating in the air but he had no wings or platform to hold him in the sky. His mantle was much longer now and bellowed despite the fact that there was no wind. "If you weren't so cute I wouldn't grant your wish. Now about that star…"

"I don't understand what's happening!" Crystal placed a hand over her chest to stop her heart from beating out of it. She looked at the book she was reading and wondered if that was the cause of her dream. It wasn't possible that a man was floating in front of her. "Who are you and what are you doing here? There's nothing here for you to steal!"

"Do you always scream like this?" The man drifted to the ground while laughing, obviously amused by her confusion. He started to walk towards her but she couldn't back any further from him without falling off the balcony herself. He reached out to her and she closed her eyes when she felt his hand on her cheek. Something tickled her ears and she opened her eyes just as he leaned away from her.

"I haven't had someone wish on my star for a long time. I wouldn't mind if you do it again even if you tried to kill me." He had a paintbrush in his hand and she realized that he must've tickled her ear with it. His wide smile reminded her of the stars since the gold in his eyes stood out against his dark hair. "You wear my stars beautifully."

"Wait, who are you?" She tried to stop him from leaving. He acted so strangely that she didn't know how she should react to the power he seemed to have. She was taken back when he shook his mantle and splashes of colours appeared on it. He dipped his paintbrush into one of the spots before lifting the brush to the sky and making a brush stroke.

To her amazement, the paint didn't fall to the ground but an image started to appear instead. He painted a mirror and he turned it towards her so she could see the star earrings he created for her. She looked beyond the mirror to his large grin, obviously proud of something. "Do you like the stars I made? I know they're pretty rushed but I think they came out well."

Crystal touched the earrings and was surprised that they were warm to the touch. She wanted to ask him to explain away the crazed dream but she already asked several times and he never answered once. Should she waste her breath on what was a crazed dream? There was no way he could paint on the sky and create something from nothing.

"Well, I should be getting back or Silver will give me a lecture. It was nice to meet you sweetie," He nodded to her as he tucked the mirror into the pocket of his mantle. He started to float away but stopped when he spotted the star chart she was making. Crystal couldn't stop him before he lifted it into his hands to study it closer. "So this is what my stars look like to humans. You missed one by the way."

"Your stars?" There was something different in his voice this time when he spoke about the stars she was charting. He made a quick mark on the map before handing it back to her. "Please tell me who you are and what you are!"

"My name's Gold and I'm a painter for the gods. I guess it's okay to tell you since you admire my stars so much." To her surprise he answered her. He stepped off the balcony and faded away before her eyes. She sat on the balcony looking after him for a moment, still wondering about the man and if he was real.

Gold sat among the stars and added another layer of acrylic paint to one so that it would maintain its glow. He hated to describe painting the stars that way since it sounded like a chore but he didn't know how else to describe it. He didn't know when exactly he lost interest in painting stars but knew that it had been that way for a long time now.

He thought back to the star earrings he made the previous night and the woman that wished upon his stars. Gold lied when he said that it had been a long time since someone wished upon his stars. In truth, it had been a long time since he answered a wish. Some people wished for fame and fortune while others wish for good will for their love ones.

He answered neither. When he started granted wishes, it was fun but he met far too many people he didn't care for. But at the mention of his stars in her wish, Gold thought about entertaining the woman. Her voice was much different than the one that made the wish but the fact that she wished for a star intrigued him. She was even making a portrait of his stars!

While she was sketching them on her map, he couldn't find himself to paint them in his sky. The gods had tasked him with painting the stars but he almost immediately lost interest in doing it. His inspiration was lost and found himself neglecting the stars rather than creating new ones. What he needed was a muse!

But he doubted that the gods would let him leave his duties to find one. Gold wished he could ask one of the others to take over painting the stars while he looked but each of their medium was specially tasked to create something. His acrylic couldn't create forest animals any more than Yellow's charcoals could make stars. He could create others things but couldn't create their natural scenery as the others.

Gold didn't want to simple give up though. He loved painting too much to give it up.

"Yo Silver!" Gold called out to his friend after contemplating for a moment. Silver was his best friend and also an artist who created clouds with chalk. The man could read trouble in Gold's grin and sighed. It wasn't a question of Silver's willingness to help his friend but the punishment they would face once they were caught. He would always help his friend but he'll give him hell the entire time.

"Aren't you already on probation for painting the stars to look like a nude woman last week? Shouldn't you think twice before angering the gods again and dragging me with you?" Silver signed and wiped the chalk on his finger onto his pants. Gold was always rebelling against the gods but luckily Gold corrected it before anyone could see it. "Can't you wait until you finish painting the stars before you start causing trouble? At least then the gods will have one less thing to yell at you for."

"I just need you to do me one little favour while I go and find something!" Gold begged and he could see Silver brows together as if he was considering helping him. He jumped on the opportunity before Silver could think better. "While I'm on earth, can you create a whole bunch of clouds so people won't be able to see the parts I haven't finished yet?"

"You want me to work more while you run off doing who knows what?" Silver scoffed and Gold would've laughed if he received the proposal as well. While people might think Gold as indolent, Silver knew that he wouldn't neglect any of his duties unless needed. "Tell me why you want to go to earth and then I'll help you."

"I just need to find another muse," Gold answered honestly and quickly. "I don't know why painting the stars aren't making me happy anymore. But if I find a muse, I can paint again! It shouldn't take too long for me to find a muse. Usually eating human food gives me inspiration so I'll just try a whole bunch new food. It shouldn't take me more than a month or so!"

"A month?" Silver found himself snapping. He would be willing to help his friend for a week but not a month. Gold should know just as well as he that if he didn't repaint the stars every two week than they would fade away completely. Even if he found his muse, Gold would have to paint a trillion more stars after that. There was also the issue of humans questioning why stars were suddenly disappearing.

"I'll come back every once in a while to paint the stars," Gold promised. "I'm always stuck here in this night sky. How can you expect me to find inspiration? At least your sister gets to interact with people as she's painting the sea. You can create clouds during the day and night. You guys are too busy to keep me company while I paint and it gets lonely being here by myself."

So even you can get lonely? Silver sighed. A long time ago he was in a dark place and Gold was the one to show from friendship. Creating clouds didn't take too much of his time and he owed him far more than time. "I'm going to be checking on you to make sure you're not goofing off while you're looking for a muse."

"I knew I could count on you!" Gold threw his arm around Silver's shoulder. He looked down at the earth and tried to think of places he could stay while he was searching for a muse. There were other artist on the earth but he didn't know if he should stay with them. "I'm going to go find my muse now!"

"Gold," Silver called after him as he was leaving. "Be careful."

"Greenie, can I get a ride on your boat?" The man in question tried to quickly untie his boat and set off into the river before the woman calling him could reach the docks. She ran far quicker than an ordinary human could and grabbed onto the rope he was desperately trying to untie. "Thank the gods I reached you before you set sail!"

"You thank God while I damn him for siding with you again," Green muttered. She didn't even ask before climbing into his boat and sitting in a chair. They had only known each other for a month but she felt comfortable enough to invade his space. "Don't you have a job to do instead of invading my boat every week? I just want to fish in peace."

"I'll be a paying passenger now so don't look so annoyed." Blue opened her purse and handed him a large bill of cash. He stared at the money she always offered him whenever he tried to push her off his boat. He didn't know where she got such a large of money. In fact he didn't know much about her but her name since she never talked about her private life.

"I don't need your money. Just don't scare away the fish," Green declined the money like he did every time. He knew that if he couldn't convince her to leave within the first five minutes it was useless to continue arguing. He pushed the boat away from the dock and the moved into the center of the river. He prepared his line but watched her creating something with watercolour from the corner of his eye.

Green had so many questions about her and they kept growing since the first day he found her drowning in the middle of the river. He saved her and pulled her onto his ship. She was wearing a mantle then as she was wearing now. Since then she made an attempt to ride on his boat whenever he came down to the river to fish. When she wasn't speaking with him and was creating something with her watercolour.

"So how's your grandfather?" She asked him once the boat was at a standstill and there was nothing but the lull of the river around them. At first he didn't want to talk to her about his personal life but she always had the ability to draw him in with her ocean blue eyes. Blue kept the conversation light and he found himself answering her.

"He's finally able to pull himself away from his research so Daisy and I are thinking of making him a special meal. He likes eating fish so I'm hoping to catch a big one for him. I thought that coming here on a weekday would allow me a quiet fishing day without someone humming in my ear."

"So you were thinking of me?" Blue said sweetly and Green wondered if she could understand sarcasm. She stopped painting for a moment and took out another canvas from her mantle to draw something new. She showed him some of her work and he had to admit that she was talented. "That's very sweet of you and I think you touched the lady of the lake so much that she'll make sure you catch a big fish."

"Did you know you speak strangely?" Green asked her. At times she spoke as anyone would but then she would reference something from centuries ago. She looked to be his age so he didn't understand why she used phases from the Victorian era. Her eyes were sharp and he could see years of intelligence in them. "I don't know if it's fair that you force yourself on my boat yet I only know that your name is Blue."

"You know I like watercolour," Blue pointed out but knew that wouldn't satisfy him. He was a scientist and not knowing something bothered him. She originally wanted to talk to a human out of pure curiosity since he saved her when there was no danger of her drowning. She was immortal and creating fish under the ocean. But the gesture touched her so she found herself saying. "I have a brother name Silver."

Green wasn't expecting her to answer so he looked up at her in shock. She went on and smiled brightly at him. "My friend Yellow also likes to fish but I've never caught one before. I like sitting on your boat and being surrounded by my work. It's just so peaceful here on your boat and I can work without any distractions. It's also funny when you scowl at me. Is there anything else you wanted to know?"

"I have a question if he doesn't!" A yell interrupted what Green wanted to say. Green jumped back when it seemed like a man fell from the sky and landed on his boat between him and Blue. He gapped at how the man's fall slowed until he was floating above his boat, facing Blue. "Do you think I can stay with you while I'm on earth looking for a muse?"

"What are you doing here Gold?" Blue couldn't see Green behind Gold's mantle but she could very well imagine his shock at his sudden appearance. She knew Gold didn't think of consequences very often but this was too far! Didn't he realize that he appeared before a human while they were supposed to keep their powers a secret? She would have to repaint Green's memory of the instance.

Gold finally noticed Green and quickly pulled out his paintbrush. He tapped the boat, stopping time and creating an illusion around them. Blue looked annoyed for a reason Gold didn't understand. He didn't think he was interrupting anything and it was easy to rewrite human memories. Blue was usually easy going like him so he didn't understand when she reminded him. "You're supposed to be painting the stars right now so why are you here?"

"Don't worry I'll go back to painting them right after I find my muse! I think a change of scenery will help the slump I'm in and all I need is a place to stay. I already talked to Silver about it and it's not like I'm going to stop painting all together. I can't paint the way I am right now so please help another artist out! It'll be a month at the most."

Blue sighed and thought over it for a moment. She had been living among the humans for years now but her apartment was small and wouldn't be able to accommodate more than her and Yellow. There was also the risk that Gold would reveal his power since he hadn't been among the humans in such a long time- ever since he granted his last wish.

"I want to help you but we don't have room for one more person. The landlady has a maximum on the amount of people we can have," Blue explained. "But I can help you find a place to stay if you're willing to find a job to pay for it. If you spend more time on earth you could probably find a friend who'll take you in as long as you're careful to not show them your power."

"Find a friend?" Gold repeated and thought over the option. "That's it! I know who to turn to. If you or Silver needs to find me then you can find me at this address."

The soft singing of the birds woke Crystal but she didn't immediately sit up. Her head felt heavy since she barely slept the previous night. The strange dream she had felt all too real and it kept replaying in her mind. Could it really be a dream?

Crystal shook off the nothing and forced herself to sit up. She worked at a planetarium but had late hours so she didn't need to wake early. But she didn't want to stay in bed for so long and forced herself to sit up. She started to get ready for the day when her reflection caught her eye. She ran to her mirror in shock and touched her reflection.

She was wearing star shaped earrings…

Thoughts raced through Crystal's mind and she was so distracted that she didn't notice something land on her balcony. It took several knocks on the glass door to catch her attention and she turned to see the very man that caused her questions. He smiled to her as he started to write something on the glass door.

"Hey can I stay with you for a while?"

I have to admit that I'm better at writing fantasy and paranormal than I am with contemporary. I had trouble writing Seasons and now I'm having trouble with Stolen. I just lost interest in A Stolen Heart but I'm still going back and forth writing the other three books in the series since they still interest me. They're on hiatus at the moment until I decide if I want to finish.

Until I make a decision I'm going to write this AU that I've been interested in for a long time now. I liked this concept from the start and I'm excited to start this! This will involve the usual ships but I'm going to focus on Mangaquestshiping. The other shippings (SoulSilvershipping, Specialshipping, and Oldrivalshipping) will appear more in later chapters.