With Each Sunrise

Summary: The closer they've come to their mother's birthday, the more down Amber has become. On that day, James plans a surprise for his sister to turn a sad day into a happy one.

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of this beautiful show. :D

A/N: Thank you for your kind and beautiful reviews here recently. So sweet! :) This story is the last one in my Amber/James "miniseries" type of thing I have going on here. Most of the ones coming soon will feature other or additional characters in different situations. I plan to get a surprise story out for y'all today at some point, so keep an eye out for that. ;) Just as a preview of other upcoming stories, here's what to expect soon: 1) Final chapter of "Hostage," 2) "Rainbow Connection," 3) "To the Moon and Back," and 4) "Friend in Need." I don't know which will come first, but these will be the first ones I'll start working on when I get the opportunity. I'll be heading out for my last trip of the summer tomorrow, so if I update it'll be slow. Okay, here we go!

A/N 2 for "Promises":

theblindwriter95—Thank you so much for that review! I agree with you on many levels. I love pairings, but I also like keeping things familiar and simple, which is why I fell in love with the show in the first place. I feel like I owe it to the show to keep things as similar as possible, with a flair of "possibilities," such as things that could happen in the show, you know? Thanks for that comment. I REALLY do appreciate it on so many levels!

Sofia2015—Glad to inspire, and looking forward to it. ;)

CedricAmber—Aw, thanks. :) Glad you liked the potassium throwback. :D And I'm happy you liked the story in general.

LongLiveNiNoKuni—Aw, thanks, girl! :) I'm getting a cavity from all this sweetness. :P But you know I love it.

Royal Detective—Aw. :) You're about to find out James's plan. So simple yet so meaningful. :D

TheOliviaOcti—Hi! Yes, I do actually try my best to maintain a timeline, so even if the reference is miniscule people may recognize it and go, 'Hey! I know what she's talking about!' lol And yes, Cedric kills me with his cluelessness. :P I'm quite sure he'd have a general lack of knowledge about a lot of things, especially that sort of thing. And you're right! Haha! He probably thinks it's all magic. Boy, is he in for a surprise. Lol!

In the Enchancian Mountains, it's relatively calm and quiet. Flowers bloom and sway in the wind. Trees reach heavenly heights. Animals like to play. And if sought out, waterfalls and babbling brooks are tucked in remote areas well worth the journey.

It's here where Amber and James had journeyed on this early morning. The sun hadn't even fully risen yet, though the blue skies and pink-tinted clouds were visible. Roland had given them permission to venture here—after James had privately told him his plan, of course—so long as they took one of the flying coaches with the coachman awaiting their return. Upon agreeing, they received validation for the trip.

The twins were now walking along one of the grassier mountain tops, wildflowers blowing beneath their feet as they moved. As beautiful a scene as it was, this was a rather sad day for them: it was their birth mother's birthday, although of course she was no longer there to celebrate it with them. But to keep her memory alive, James proposed his surprise.

"How much farther?" Amber asked tiredly as she followed her brother. "I didn't exactly wear hiking shoes, you know. Ooh, I should have brought those Buttercup shoes…"

James grinned back at her. "Not much farther. We're almost there actually."

So she followed him onward, reassured that they'd make it to their destination soon. As they walked, Amber looked around at their surroundings. It really was beautiful out here, though she'd never really taken the time to appreciate it. She gasped when she bumped into James, who had abruptly stopped. "What is it?"

"We're here," he replied simply before turning to her and gesturing forward.

Amber blinked and looked past him before inhaling silently. "Oh, James…"

The energetic boy grinned and tugged his sister toward a small setup he'd arranged. There were two chairs, each with a basket sitting in the middle. Both were facing in the direction of the sunrise. "Hurry, we don't want to miss it!"

"Miss what?" She followed him and picked up her basket before sitting down in her chair. She placed her basket in her lap.

"The sunrise," he replied just as the sun peaked over the edge of the distant mountains, bathing the earth in a luminous radiance.

The sky, now a mixture of purple, pink, and blue, grew a golden haze as the sun touched it. The sun continued to rise, much to the pleasure of the twins.

"James, this is beautiful," Amber whispered, scared to break the moment. She hadn't seen many sunrises, and the ones she had she hadn't found time to truly appreciate. But this—this was special, and it had an even more sentimental reason behind it, naturally.

"I'm glad you liked it. Look in your basket."

She tore her eyes from the sun and glanced into the brown basket, which was lined with a green cloth. Inside were a muffin, a small stack of goldenberry pancakes, and what appeared to be a small golden journal. She smiled at the thoughtfulness of the pancakes before reaching for the journal and opening it to the front. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the previously picked forget me not flowers had been pressed within, making a slight imprint on the paper.

Beneath the pressed bouquet was a message:

Amber,

I know we have times when we argue or don't get along, but don't forget that I love you. You've literally been there for me since the beginning, and I'll always be there for you. We can always celebrate Mom's birthday the right way from now on: by remembering her in the good times. This will be a happy day from here on out. By the way, enjoy those goldenberry pancakes. I slaved over them. :)

Love,

James

She had to laugh at the last line before glancing over at James. "You're a goof ball, James."

He smiled proudly. "And don't you forget it!"

"Thank you." She smiled sincerely before frowning. "But…how did you do all of this?"

"I had a lot of help," he admitted. "From Dad to Baileywick and Cedric…even Sofia."

She blinked in surprise. "They all helped…just for us?"

"What can I say? People love us." He laughed.

Amber smiled and rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Naturally. You never cease to amaze me, James."

"I aim to please."

So the twins sat watching the sunrise and talking while enjoying their breakfast. It was comforting to know that their mother's birthday would be a positive experience from now on, because she deserved as much as it was celebrated in her memory. And really, who could ask for better?

The end