I do not own anything!
-:-
"There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt."
Erma Bombeck
-:-
"Are you serious?!"
Kiba was looking at her with confusion, with hurt but most importantly, with warmth. His passionate gaze felt hot upon Hiromi's skin, like a rash that she wanted to scratch away at until she bled, but instead she let her right hand fiddle with the blanket in her lap and lay her perishing sapphires upon her limp left arm, wrapped like a mummy's carcass.
"Yes," she spoke calmly and carefree, like she hadn't just stomped upon Kiba's heart, like the words spewing from her honey lips were the sweetest form of toxin, "I think it would be a good idea to break up for a while."
The brunette teen who stood before her took a moment to run a hand through his hair. When he finished, his dark eyes rested on her straw hair that served as a curtain for her fake smile, performing upon the stage that was her shameful expression.
"Hiromi, we've only been dating for a week. What did I do wrong? Did I hurt you? Please, tell me!"
Her futile attempt to clench her left hand in a fist, like her right, caused her to release a squeak of pain.
"You didn't do anything wrong, I just think that maybe being in a relationship right now isn't the best decision."
Kiba frowned, suspicious, "What's wrong? Something happened, right?"
She waved him off, "No, no, no! Nothing happened; I just took a moment to think things out! I was on medication when you asked me about this and so it wasn't a wise choice! We're young, Kiba, and there's the possibility of a war breaking out. Is a relationship really what we need?"
"Is that truly how you feel? Because if you're telling the truth I won't bother you about it again."
Her throat seemed to tighten a significant amount. She made the mistake of glancing up at her boyfriend's visage and hid her own, humiliated and regretful. Her face was scorching with disgrace. Sensei would be ashamed of me, she thought to herself.
Hiromi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before sitting up straight and meeting Kiba's eye. Her cerulean jewels were pitiful and her eyebrows were knitted together semi-permanently.
"I'm sorry," she whimpered, "I lied to you."
"I knew it," The young man placed his hand over hers, "but why?"
Her deceptions were cords wrapped around her neck as she attempted to croak out the truth, the effort being futile.
"Tomorrow I'm having-"
A dry sob cut her off midsentence. She composed herself and continued.
"Tomorrow is the day that I have-… I'm … my left arm is being… amputated."
The stillness and quiet smothered the couple and the tense air was thick enough to be sliced in half and served as desert.
Minutes ticked by until Hiromi continued, her tone intensifying, "Don't you understand, Kiba? I can't fight anymore! I'll be physically disabled!"
Her voice took a sharp variation and was reduced to a discreet murmur, "Useless."
[Soundtrack Suggestion – Going Home 1st Movement from Bleach: Fade To Black]
"Do you even hear yourself?"
Her cloudy sapphire spheres were kindled as her shoulders were grasped sincerely. Dark orbs pierced her own, exaggerated captivatingly by the maroon stripes down his tan cheeks.
"Hiromi, you will never, ever, ever, ever be useless. I would never lie to you, so listen to me! I know- I just know- that you'll find a way around this! I-… I just know it. If there's anyone who can fight with only one arm; it's you!"
"And," Kiba persisted, "what makes you think that breaking up would solve anything? Hiromi, I adore you! Even if you had no arms, no legs, no hair, no eyes, no vocal cords, no ears, I would always, always, always love you."
He sealed his pact with a sweltering kiss that scorched through Hiromi's chapped lips. She didn't even fathom that she had been crying until she tasted the saltiness.
"B-but-! What will happen wh-when they need fighters?" It was certainly futile to debate with the crazily in love teen, but she blubbered on regardless, "I-I can't learn to fight one armed in time!"
"Quit it with the 'I can't's, okay? I'll be honest. I don't know how you're going to do it, but I know for sure that you're going to get it done!"
Kiba soothingly pressed their foreheads together. Using his other hand, he composedly erased the wet streaks from his whimpering sweetheart's countenance.
"How can you be so confident in me?" Hiromi mumbled groggily, "What if I fail?"
"I just believe in you! If you fail, which I highly doubt you will, I'll pick you back up and stand you on your feet. If you fall, I'll be there to catch you. I'm not going to leave your side, Hiromi. Didn't you hear me earlier? I love you."
The blonde chunin hung her head momentarily. It was hushed until she lifted her face, happily crying small tears, trying to cover her expression with her right hand.
She chuckled euphoniously, "Gosh… How did I manage to romance a guy like you? I-… I think now I can say with true confidence…"
Her hand fell to her side, revealing a euphoric and enraptured smile, "I love you, too, Inuzuka Kiba."
-:-
Maiko's arms were useless at her sides as panic set in and branches and briers scratched and grabbed at her as she sprinted. She was running and stumbling, gasping for air desperately.
What had she done? What had she possibly done to deserve this? Her mind was a white puzzle, finished except for a single shard.
She didn't stop when she reached a steep hill, but ran down it until she tumbled onto her knees at the bottom, near a derisory stream. She took this opportunity to slog through the icy water and peer behind her.
Atop the cliff she had just threw herself down, there were two figures, ominously lit singly by their eyes. Crimson orbs pierced Maiko's mind from above.
"Stay away from me, you mother(curse.)!"
"This is getting boring, don't you think?" menacingly, the tallest figure jeered.
"Leave me alone!"
The tomboy plunged her hand into the freezing water that pooled around her knees and grabbed a satisfactory stone, clenching it in her fist before yanking it out of its icy prison and throwing it with all her strength in the air.
Her ninja equipment wasn't with her; why had she left them at home? She was such an idiot!
"Arakawa Maiko."
The one with the blood eyes peered down disdainfully.
"You have lost. You will be coming with us now."
Fear struck her dead center and her mouth open and closed, not unlike a fish. Her heart beat was pounding in her chest, like a ticking time bomb, until it finally burst, sending Maiko sprawling as adrenaline kicked in and her flight or fight response spurred her to wade out of the treacherously arctic waters.
Hopelessness was setting in like a drying cement solution, but it was all she could do to keep scampering away, her abnormal pupils seeking for a nook to hide herself in. Footsteps were clearly following her closely, but Maiko didn't give up until she had crawled hastily into a hampered alcove that she rammed herself into, sucking in her stomach to achieve the wanted goal.
A single, meager ray of light landed near her constricted pale limbs, caused by a trifling puncture in the ceiling of Maiko's current hideaway. She dared to peer through it, only to be met with the alleviating sight of the lack of crimson.
The sound of a twig being mercilessly stomped upon nearby caused the teen to stiffen with apprehension. She sucked in her final breath before sinking further into the darkness, wrapping her darkly clad arms over her head as to cover her mint colored hair.
So, in silence, she waited for another noise to be made, flinching at the slightest crinkle of leaves as she shivered in her contained nook. Her breathing made its return upon the lapse of several minutes, though Maiko kept it low.
They were gone. She had lost them.
As the tomboy sucked in air as to escape from her cranny, she felt some emotion akin to disappointment, but couldn't understand why. Did she want those men to catch her? She didn't even know their motives!
Maiko inhaled the fresh air of the deathly quiet forest upon her exit, shakily standing to her feet. Her hands were still vibrating from the adrenaline rush that had allowed her to escape…
"As I said earlier…"
The sky was an ominous red, with ravens dotting its plane. For some unknown reason, she wasn't afraid, but fell into a hazy unconsciousness with ease, like she was welcoming an old friend into her arms.
"You will be coming with us, Arakawa Maiko."
-:-
"… and so you'll be in charge of - Maiko, are you listening?"
Blank, murky eyes blinked inattentively. Tobi glared from behind his mask at the girl who had her chin propped up in her hand, absentmindedly rapping her fingers on the table in a make-believe pattern.
"I miss them, Tobi. I'm going to cry when you bring them back to life," the bony Akatsuki rapidly and dreamily spat out.
He didn't respond, but pushed himself off of his stool with an annoyed noise.
"Just be sure to understand the coordinates I've given you. If you disappoint me, I'll be angry with you."
Before Tobi could walk away, his path was blocked by a tuft of mint green hair and a disillusioned frown.
"Don't you remember all the fun we all had together?"
She was off in the distance in another dream, this time with an eerily peaceful expression.
-:-
"Hiromi?"
Said blonde girl looked up from her parents' weeping visages to look at the tent entrance. The flap was lifted and Kotone stood in its path, her figure outlined by the light from the outside, but her face darkened by her furrowed brow.
"Hello, Kotone."
She said nothing for a while before taking a seat beside the bed and nodding politely to the grieving Sato's, who moved aside slightly, though never once releasing Hiromi's right hand from their doubled tight grips.
"Hello."
"I'm glad you're back. A lot has happened."
"How can you act so calm? Hiromi…"
The white-haired teen reached over and gently turned her teammate's body towards herself. Hiromi's entire upper torso was wrapped politely in bandages, officiating her fatal wound finally as her left shoulder no longer met with an arm, but a bandaged lump.
There was now a swollen feeling in Kotone's throat and she let her fingers glide over the bump as if to ensure that the smaller teen's arm was not simply hidden.
"There's no use in moping, right?" Hiromi smiled, though her eyes twinkled with misery.
"Those are encouraging words, but your voice does not imply them." Kotone pointedly spoke.
The blonde girl grimaced, "How am I supposed to be hopeful when I can't even fight?"
"You'll learn. You've always been good at adapting."
"That's a lie and we both know that."
The group of mourners lamented in taciturnity. The guilt in Kotone's white eyes shined in the dull light that swam in from the tent's opening.
Hiromi turned towards her parents, "Mom, dad."
The two looked up with red faces and blurry eyes.
"Could you step out for a single moment? I need to speak with Kotone in private."
Izanami huffed, "But, Hiromi-!"
"Mom, please."
The teen's clipped and hard tone caused the tent to sluggishly drain out its guests until the only two remaining were Hiromi and Kotone.
After a lengthy pause, the girl with a single arm softly said, "I can't learn to fight in time for the next battle."
"You don't know that," Kotone protested, "The next fight could be in months, possibly years."
"And you don't know that."
The white-haired queen bit her tongue and fell silent.
Hiromi took a calm breathe before continuing, "There's no way I'll ever be able to cast a jutsu with one hand. I know there are some who can, but they're amazingly skilled, beyond my own comprehension. There's really no point in me even trying to recover."
"You can't just give up like this," Amaterasu objected with a louder voice.
"Kotone, stop. Kiba already told me that I would find a way, and I've been searching, but there's no way! It's not like I can just regrow my arm…"
The pale teen sighed in quiet surrender. It was true. There was no way for something so absurd like a new arm simply growing back to actually happen. Wait.
... Wooden limbs were hanging up by metal strings…
"Oh, hey, you're Kotone, right?" Kankuro finally noticed her and spoke, "Do you need something?"
"Hiromi!"
The handicapped adolescent leapt in her skin at the sound of Kotone's exclamation.
"Wh-what is it? You nearly scared the life out of me!"
Pale hands gripped Hiromi's shoulders and milky white eyes strongly burnt into azure orbs, "Sabaku no Kankuro. He can create for you a new arm!"
"Kankuro-san? But isn't he-? A new arm..."
Realization hit Hiromi and she was suddenly as worked up as her teammate, "He's a puppeteer! He can make me a wooden arm to use during combat!"
Kotone released the blonde and flew towards the entrance of the tent.
"That's exactly it. Hiromi," she threw a determined glance over her shoulder, "I'm going to find a way to get him here."
-:-
As a single father, Kakashi was horribly exhausted, but terribly satisfied with his life. Haru wasn't much of a mess-maker anymore, so his apartment wasn't sticky with foreign solutions and the bathroom was limited to only a few puddles of unidentifiable liquids.
He made breakfast, lunch and dinner every day except for the days when random friends came and babysat Haru for the sake of Kakashi leaving for a mission or a few errands.
Currently, he was making dinner. It was actually one of Haru's least favorite meals: chicken noodle soup. She had once told him that it made her think of worms, but he couldn't help but grab something warm to feed her just in case the weather started to get a little chilly (which it never really did go below sixty degrees in Konoha).
Kakashi was stirring the pot filled with noodles, several selected vegetables, and precise pieces of chicken, when he heard the outrageous roar of Haru's laughter from her bedroom.
This would not have been any sort of surprise if it had not been for the recent decline of the silver-haired toddler's charisma. She laughed and smiled less, and was often found in Kakashi's closet, sitting in the pile of clothes that were once Hanako's.
So, the masked jounin tiptoed to his daughter's room and creaked the door open, careful to not bring much attention to himself in case Haru saw him and stopped having fun (usually that sort of thing would occur in the tot's teenage years, but he had every right to be cautious).
Inside, the little girl was sitting at a short table, snorting and chuckling at the empty chair across from her. Strangely enough, her posse of stuffed animals was forgotten on her bed. Haru was giggling with an imaginary friend, it seemed.
Suddenly, the little girl fell to the floor in a fit of laughter and rolled viciously to and fro, swatting at the air like she was being tickled by some invisible force.
At this moment, Kakashi decided to step in. As he entered the room, he thought he saw a tuft of gray hair disappear into the darkness of the room, but brushed it off as just a trick of his eyes. Just as this illusion occurred, Haru stopped laughing.
She peered around with her big blue eyes as though confused until they landed upon her father and she lowered her gaze.
"Hi, daddy."
"What were you doing sitting all by yourself?" Kakashi asked sweetly, kneeling down to his daughter's level.
"Listening."
"To what, Haru?"
"Stories."
The silver-haired jounin smiled, his suspicions wiped away. Haru was making up stories and telling them to herself. He guessed that when she was rolling around on the floor, she was also reenacting a scene or she had just told herself something very, very funny.
"Alright then. Dinner will be ready soon. Have fun, Haru-chan."
Azure orbs watched the door shut after Kakashi and waited cautiously. When the sound of the man's feet was further away, Haru perched herself up on her chair.
"Where did you go?"
Silence.
"More stories?"
Nothing.
"Erin?"
Haru peeked under her bed and pouted when the boy with grey hair was not found beneath it. Where did he go? He was sitting across from her, telling her amazing tales and tickling her just a minute ago…
-:-
"Kotone-san, what are you doing? Didn't you just recently return? Why are you packing?"
Aiko and Akio bombarded their previous leader with questions as she arrived in their home, shoving random article of importance into her white traveling satchel.
They had formerly been drying laundry together, cheerily making conversation when Kotone came barreling down the streets with an excited gleam in her eye.
She accepted their inquiries patiently, grabbing a generous handful of money and folding it into the many pocket of her bag, "I'm not traveling far, according to some jounin I just overheard on my way back. I'll only be gone for a day or two, three at most."
The white-haired teen was definitely putting it lightly when she said that she had simply overheard some ninja discussing the meeting going on soon between the kage at the Summit in the Land of Iron. She had nearly grabbed the two conversing fellows by their collars, demanding more information, until she was informed that Gaara would be there, thus giving her indirectly what she needed.
"Why are you leaving us, Kotone-san?" Aiko frowned, "Can't you let us come with you?"
Akio nodded in agreement and signaled packing his own bag, but Amaterasu shut down the idea immediately.
"What would I do if our home was completely unguarded? I wouldn't feel secure by any means."
"Our home?" The twin Akivi paused as they contemplated.
None of our neighbors seem likely to rob us of our few belongings, Kotone, Akio motioned.
"No, you misunderstand me. I mean our home, as in Konoha. What if there was an attack while I was gone? If I were to know that the two of you were there, helping to protect this village, it would relieve me of unneeded stress."
"Hasn't this place already been attacked enough?"
"We're in a vulnerable state, Aiko; there's no telling who will take advantage of it."
"But, Kotone, please at least take one of us! Take Akio. I'll stay behind."
This statement caused uproar of disagreement as Akio shook his head incessantly and Kotone continuously refused any offer of aid.
"I'm only running a simple errand for Hiromi. There's no need for an escort of any kind."
"We're in a vulnerable state, though, Miss. There's no telling who will take advantage of you," Aiko mocked childishly.
Kotone sighed, "Honestly. I won't need any assistance what-so-ever. If either of you follows me, I'll be sure to notice it or will punish you appropriately."
"Punish us?" Aiko crossed her arms, "I thought you said we were equals now!"
"That's what I insisted, yet the two of you are still acting as though I am the young princess you met thousands of years ago needing guidance and assistance."
Nothing was said between them for a while, and no sound was heard besides the exciting ruckus outside caused by the building of homes and trading of foods and other necessities.
I give up, and so should you, Aiko. Kotone should be allowed to go where she pleases without one of us following her around, Akio suddenly indicated, turning back towards the neglected laundry.
"But, brother…" his twin trailed off.
The tan male placed a gentle hand on his sister's arm before nodding towards Kotone.
Exasperated, Aiko threw her hands up in the air with a groan, "Fine! Go on, then, Kotone, and get yourself killed for all we care, apparently!"
Shortly after, she added in a concerned voice, "You will be safe, won't you? And you'll send us a message if you're delayed by anything?"
"I will," The white-haired queen concurred with the ghost of a smile on her lips, "I promise."
Taking her white bag then, annoyingly filled with dreadfully little, as it still appeared baggy and spacious, Kotone left the door open as she left, letting the kind and warm sunshine into the wooden sanctuary.
-:-
"I wish he were dead. I hate him so much. Don't you hate him?"
"I do."
"You both hate everyone, don't you? Besides yourselves of course."
Maiko sat perched upon a wooden table, her knees curled to her chest and peering over the tops of them like a child peering upon the horrors of reality. Hovering beside her was Yami, its dark being shimmering like ebony, with darkness seeping from its form, while its counterpart, Hikari, stood by the entrance to the room, providing light and sun from its shining and breathtakingly bright appearance.
"Shut up; you don't understand anything!"
"If you would just stop and listen to me for once, you would understand that I do."
"Why would I listen to you? Yami is so much smarter; Yami knows everything about me. What do you know, Hikari? Nothing!"
The beautiful creature that shined bright stepped towards Maiko with good intent, proceeding to lay a dazzling hand upon the girl's bony knee, but the imp scattered backwards, falling off of the table with a thud and a cry.
Pulling back its hand, in an offended and saddened gesture, Hikari spoke, "I know very much about you, my child. I love you and would protect you, lest you let me."
Yami then stepped down onto the table, leaning into Maiko face with a growl. It gave off a venomous stench, and its growl was a shrill noise, like the sudden shriek of a violin's highest string.
"Hikari is a liar. Everyone besides Tobi and I are liars, Maiko. Listen only to me, Maiko. Listen only to us…"
"I know, Yami, I know."
Tobi entered the room cautiously, hoping that the teen was at her best behavior, and would not hiss at him with her sharp tongue and even sharper teeth, as she had earlier.
He had heard a crash a moment before and was worried that the girl had finally committed suicide from her increasingly nerve-wracking insanity, putting a dent in his ultimate plan due to her stupidity.
Luckily, though, the green-haired imp sat alone on the floor, murmuring and yelling unexpectedly at imaginary creatures with her black eyes darting about with terror and alarm.
Sooner or later, Tobi realized with a sigh as he left the demon to her own concerns, she would completely lose herself and he'd have to permanently silence her.
In fact, just a few hours before, the hellish spitfire had leapt across a table at Sasuke, as he explained his battle techniques to Tobi, grappling at his pale neck with her skeletal fingers, shrieking and screaming at him.
"GO DIE!" Tobi remembered her shrilly yelling as he dragged her away.
He wondered in the back of his mind if she had always been this way. Before her fifteenth birthday, these mad spurts of time where she would angrily destroy all around her were less frequent and rather rare, causing her to go into a depressed state of shame for a few hours before she would find something else to occupy her mind.
In fact, he could remember the first time he witnessed one of her episodes, back when she had first gotten used to the idea of staying with the Akatsuki, attaching herself like a duckling, or rather, a parasite to Deidara and himself during his previous, flamboyant act.
-:-
It was not a plain day, but rather, one of importance, as it was the day that Leader-sama was to finally observe how far Maiko's training had advanced from her beginnings as a frightened, confused whelp. The last time he had seen her was when she had been dumped onto this certain headquarters unceremoniously only with the clothes on her back and a sword bequeathed to her from the barracks.
"Hey, Tobi, can you watch me for a just a sec? I promise I won't take long!"
"Of course, Maiko-chan! Tobi would be happy to help!"
The lithe teen sprang up with her weapon, her hand gripping its hilt so tight that her knuckles appeared white, cutting down the straw dummy created specifically for her and by her, with ease, and landing less than perfectly a few feet back, wobbling for a moment before standing straight as a rod.
"Hurray for Maiko-chan! Amazing!"
The praise went over the girl's green head and she threw her sword across the room, narrowly missing the leader of the Akatsuki himself as he entered. He glowered at the teen as her face turned multiple shades of purple and she retrieved her weapon with many uttered apologies.
"I hope you are ready," Konan began solemnly, "to demonstrate your improved abilities and to prove your capabilities as a trainee."
"Yes, ma'am!" Maiko stated enthusiastically, with a slanted grin on her face.
Tobi took a few steps forward; preparing himself and watching Maiko prepare herself for the upcoming spar. He had told the girl before that it was custom to fight one of the other Akatsuki members for entry, so there was no look of shock, but one of determination on the green-haired teen's face.
As the battle began, Maiko proved semi-formidable. She was obviously sloppy, likely nervous being in front of her most favored mentor, Konan, who uncharacteristically had taught the girl how to make a paper flower clip during the first few days of the her stay, but besides that she was decent.
Just as the sparring began to come to a close, the green-haired teen slipped on her own baggy sleeves as she was knelt down, dodging an attack, and she fell stupidly upon her bum, with an echoing sound .
"Oof!"
Silence spread throughout the room before Tobi began to laugh loudly and point childishly at the stunned child on the floor who looked sad and crumpled sitting on the ground with her mouth gaping like a fish.
"Aha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Maiko-chan fell!"
Pain and Konan said nothing, but Konan's expression showed pity as the girl froze and Tobi danced around her corpse, going mad with laughter.
Finally, after a long sentence of painful quiet, Tobi's laughter was interrupted.
"Shut up…"
"W-?"
"I SAID SHUT UP, TOBI! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!"
Leaping up off the ground, in an instant, Tobi was pinned to a wall by Maiko's clenched fist and her suddenly sharp teeth gleamed at him maliciously.
"SHUT UP!" She shrieked, "SHUT UP!"
Then, flipping her attitude like a coin, tears flew out of her completely black eyes and Tobi was dropped down to the floor.
"I'm sorry, Tobi!" She whimpered as she crumpled down into a ball, "I'm so so sorry…"
-:-
It had taken a while for Konan to comfort the sobbing female, if Tobi remembered correctly, and even then, Maiko seemed a tad bit more somber, but whatever had happened to her that made her like this, he didn't want to know.
"Why are you looking at us like that?! Go away!"
Tobi turned his masked face away from the mint green mane of his once most powerful pawn. Her face was twisted in misery and insanity, and her usefulness was soon to die down.
So it was decided, Tobi was glad his mask could hide his relief, he would be getting rid of Maiko later anyways, after the war, so there was no need to worry about keeping her sane. As long she she knew and performed her part correctly, then it wouldn't matter to him what was going through her ridiculously turned-around head.
-:-
A/N: Hello, everyone! :) It's been quite a long time, hasn't it? Sorry! D: I've been really busy! There's been a lot of stuff going around here on my end, but I'm thankful that everyone has been patient with me! So, before I begin thanking all reviewers, followers, and favoritiers, I would like to say something!
ATTENTION! THIS IS UBER IMPORTANT!
Okay, so, I was thinking, since it is, once again, the Christmas season, I would do another "Special" chapter. But, seeing as to how I've already done a Christmas chapter, I'm thinking of doing a "BEACH" chapter! :D Seeing as to how almost every anime has at least one time where they go to the beach or rather, the episode is dubbed, 'THE SWIMSUIT EPISODE' :)
Anyways, I would love to hear feedback about the idea, and I've already got some ideas prepared. If anyone would like to request certain events to occur like, x kisses y, and a punches b, then I am more than happy to include the event! :) Just be sure to request these things before it's too late!
Reviewers
PsychoIdiotLady :
Well, I had to take something! :D I figured it might as well be her arm considering it won't completely kill her, but it will totally traumatize her! Hurray! XD
Just kidding. Sorry for making you sad :o
Thank you :) I had to add something funny or else I would feel like I was torturing my readers!
Yes, her eyes. They contain a power that hasn't quite been thoroughly explained yet ;) And yes, it is characteristic of Tobi to take people's eyes out of their heads, but in this case, he can't, because Maiko's eyes are special to her clan, and can only really be activated through her own brain and mentality. I know Kakashi got an Uchiha eye and everything worked out, but this is very different.. Yami and Hikari, anyone?
I had to rush story time :P Sorry! And I definitely wanted to throw in Hanako where I could.
I think the PTSD will do both. As you can see, Haru was become different, but she's also going to be receiving guidance from her brother, as far as a ghost's guidance can go, anyways. She does have nightmares, which I haven't addressed yet because of laziness, but Haru will never be the same as she was before.
It might be sad, it might not be... You'll just have to find out ;)
Followers
justanotherHanlover and Iamskittles:
Thank you both very much for following me, my stories, etc.! :) I really do appreciate it!
Favoritiers
justanotherHanlover, AngelBunnyluvr, xXxtotallyoddxXx, littleangelickitten, RylinSparks, UrbanWonderland, Awkward duck, and Iamskittles:
Thank you all soooo much! :) I really appreciate you all for favoriting any piece of my work.
As a final note, I would like to say that I REALLY appreciate anyone who follows, favorites, or reviews. Reviews, I just have to say, are especially loved because they give me your opinion and feedback. Don't be afraid to send me one, and I will always respond :) Unless I die. Which I don't plan on doing any time soon. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed!
Be looking forward to the next chapter!