OK. Hi, I know. It's been.....a while. If any of my original readers are still paying attentionand haven't decided I'm a horrible person, AWESOME! I lost my edge on this story and hit a huge roadblock. Then the search for a job tried to kill me, as did college and chronic depression. But that's all gone now.

Yeah. So here. New angle, really new angle. shrug Same story, just continuing and the plot may do some....interesting acrobatics. I'm just gonna let this one fly from here on out pretty much.

Please. PLEASE. PLEASE! Reviews would make my heart sing. I'm gonna try to continue & finish this. But my writing style is makingme twitch nervously and I need LOTS of reassurance -or- (hehe) redirction. Enjoy.

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Guni sat in the crotch of a narrow tree, watching her some of her cousins play in the nearby stream. They splashed and teased each other, flitting about and laughing. She snorted contemptuously and turned her attention to the conversation taking place in the branches above her.

The forests of northeastern India were the most densely populated place as faeries were concerned, so it made sense to have the large reunions there every couple hundred years. Forest faeries, castle faeries, urban faeries, snow faeries, and all the rest gathered to gossip about human development, their newest masters or mates, or whatever else struck their fancy.

Almost a dozen of Guni's European cousins lounged above her, playing with each other's hair.

"Such a large turnout this time!" A well-endowed amber mountain faery exclaimed. "I mean, even Guni came!" The green faery grumbled below them and pretended not to hear.

"Yes, and not everyone's here yet either," replied Maren as she intricately braided the other's long tresses. The silvery Maren was one of the eldest and had flitted about the glens of southern England longer than anyone could remember.

"Who else is coming?" asked another.

"Well, I don't know of everyone, but we've only been here a few days and I heard that Ashaya and her tribe were most definitely coming from the Sahara. As well as Tasha & some of the others from Siberia."

"What of Taku?" asked one of the youngest. Everyone nodded; the cheerful castle faery had been a favorite for many centuries.

Maren scowled at Taku's mention. "I doubt she's coming, or that she'd even remember the reunion," she spat.

At the disappointed protests of her companions she explained. "When those fool Tokugawa lost control of Japan, she left." Guni snapped her head up. She hadn't heard of Taku's move. "She took up with some vampire lord in eastern Europe and now she's become infatuated with him. Or at least that's what I hear." Maren sighed and shook her head in disapproval. "Nasty son of a bitch, too, from what I'm told."

Guni shifted uncomfortably. She only knew of one vampire in eastern Europe, and in her brief experience he was nasty. For the life of her, she couldn't envision the foolishly bright-spirited faery hanging around that bastard. She frowned to herself and went back to ignoring the group perched above her.

The next day Guni sat on a stone by the water, chomping her way through a fruit almost as big as she was. A sudden commotion to her right drew her attention as she continued to munch casually on the juicy pulp. A large number of faeries had assembled in a tight group around someone, squealing and vying for attention.

An authoritative voice cut over the rest of the excited fey. "AAAAALRIGHT! Alright! Calm down, you lot!" Maren chided the others. "There'll be plenty of time for you all to pester Taku over the next few weeks."

A pleasant voice cut in. "Oh, but I'll only be here a day or two. Master Cain has a new ward and he needs me there to help look after her," the affectionate tone informed. There was a chorus of disappointed outbursts at this, but Guni didn't notice.

She'd started and dropped her fruit at the mention of that name. Eyes wide, she zipped to hover above the protesting group of faeries. Guni demanded, "You're working for Cain?! As in, Cain Tepes?!!"

The pink faery happily nodded, almost beaming back at Guni.

"But…he's a monster!" Guni cried out. The group was taken aback at the normally aloof pixie's outburst. Taku frowned, brow creased in insult.

"Look here. You serve a vampire too, I've heard. How dare you judge my Master harshly?! Go away, Guni."

Guni bristled, anger radiating from her, and causing the others to draw back. Taku had turned away from her in a pouting manner. Shaking with rage, Guni did just as she'd been asked. She left. And she didn't go back.

ahem. REVIEW!!!!!>. bows thank-u.