Disclaimer: I do not own Sunrise or any of its creations.

Three Wishes or You

Chapter 9

Nimara

"So what did you think of the movie?" Natsuki called from behind me as we left the old but well-maintained theater and into the welcome embrace of a warm autumn night. There was the slightest hint of positive expectation in her voice.

"It was wonderful," I replied, smiling and turning on heel to face Natsuki waiting for her to draw nearer. She deftly maneuvered herself through the small crowd of movie-goers on the sidewalk, being careful not to touch anyone. Finally she came closer to me, and we moved out of the way of the theater's main entrance. With a content sigh, she pushed herself up against the brick wall of the theater and smiled back.

"Yeah it was pretty damn cool. Tommy-what's-his-face had some badass lines. Kind of a James Bond meets Al Capone type of guy."

I chuckled at the thought—indeed she was right but she may have been a little biased. She did, after all, just watch all the Agent Bond movies, old and new, that last week. "Pandora was ara—an interesting choice in character."

Natsuki laughed and looked down the street's sidewalk. For the nth time that night I subtly took in her appearance. She was wearing a maroon v-neck, long sleeve shirt, a light leather jacket, and dark-washed pants. I had seen her wear several sets of clothing but nothing so stylishly modern. It was a while ago that I resigned to the fact that her literal 'out-of-thin-air' wardrobe was the magic of a genie. I had to admit it made me somewhat jealous. I sure would enjoy the convenience of pulling perfect fitting clothes out of no where.

Leaning so casually against the brick wall with her thumbs in her pockets, she looked a little more than just appealing. She was dangerously alluring. I could not deny that watching her in new environments such as the theater, made my heart's pace quicken.

"When she brought out the bazooka, I thought I'd lose it right there. It was twice as big as her. And, I'll be, digital effects have sure come far since the last time I stepped into a theater."

"The entire entertainment industry has changed even since I last stepped on stage," I replied automatically in a quiet voice. It was hard not to occasionally think of the career I had once abandoned and now had a chance of grasping at again. After a brief meeting with the famous Director Maruyama's assistant, my schedule began to pile up with social and business events that would lead up to my grand re-debut on-screen. I was nervous because despite the advocacy of Director Maruyama, himself, it was the critics I had to worry about. I surely did not miss that part of my career.

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Natsuki said and I could almost feel her take my hand in hers with reassurance. Her moss-green eyes told me everything I needed to know to feel inspirited about my decision to return to film.

With a gentle smile in her direction I said, "You never know. A million things can happen, which include all that you never expected to."

I caught small frown twitch across her face and pressed my smile even further to keep the mood from dropping out of thin air. I took in several deep breaths to focus on my change in mood so I may return to the beautiful night.

A new wave of theater go-ers began to line up for the next set of screenings and I joined Natsuki in leaning up against the wall to avoid the foot traffic. A couple of taxis drove slowly by, looking to pick up any early retirees of the night. Natsuki tilted her head in the direction of an oncoming green and white taxi and said, "Do you want to catch a taxi back home?"

I gave the suggestion some thought but then shook my head. The little town was at the foot of the large hill my residence stood on, which was about two miles away. The climb up the hill would harder than the walk down to the theater, but it was something I had grown accustomed to in my more frequent trips to the town.

"It's a nice night out. If it's fine with you, I'd like to take the long stroll home."

Natsuki kicked herself off the brick wall and clapped her hands together, "Fine by me! It's not like a genie can fatigue from walking or anything."

She winked and I joined her in walking down the sidewalk and away from the small entertainment district. For a while we walked in silence as I led the way. I chose to cut through a little park that would lead me to the winding road up the hillside. Even without Natsuki at my side, I knew the town was a particularly peaceful place. Though small, it was well-funded and maintained mostly due to the nearby residences on the hill. The hills surrounding the small town of Atoya, belonged to the wealthy and retired and gave the area a sense of prestige. I felt that the once quiet town would slowly begin to bustle with more traffic as more of the wealthy sought out residences on the beautiful rolling hills. Change was everywhere and it was invigorating.

"What's got you smiling, princess?" I heard Natsuki with her teasing voice just a breath away from me.

"I am delighted by your company, of course," I replied without hesitation. I meant it to be a tease in response so I may see her beautiful blush but it was more than that. It was entirely true but for the first time I was not comfortable with the idea of not having Natsuki's company. The idea made me dizzy and confused. I shook it off, knowing Natsuki would pick up on any strong feelings if I let them sit in my mind for too long.

I continued to speak as we walked past the last trees of the park and onto another sidewalk that led up the hill. "Rin is ending her lessons with me in two weeks, which is well enough since I have to start reviewing my script for rehearsal at the end of the month."

Natsuki tucked her thumbs into jean pockets and nodded, "What do you think of her progress? Do you think she needs more...tutelage?"

"A true actor, or any professional, should never and will never cease to learn their trade," I replied smartly. "She has, though, learned from me most of what she can. I know her mother and agent have even more lessons in plan for her. She did rank second in the Tokyo Young Idol competition, after all."

Natsuki clenched her fist out in front of her and made a circular grinding motion with a chuckle, "She better know how to make some darn good tea by now, that's for sure!"

"You're doing it wrong, Natsuki dear." With a smile I placed my clenched hand in front of me and demonstrated the proper angle and speed of whisking tea. Natsuki glared at me with a smile. She was right though. Rin had spent many, many hours under my supervision learning to perfect the art of tea making and the ceremony conducted along with it. Through the many hours, I found my own skills being honed in the traditional way of tea making.

We continued to chat about everything under the moon as we walked up the hill including how the cicadas were starting to quiet down now that it was fall. Time passed quickly and I soon found myself at the halfway viewpoint. It was an area of ground off of the sidewalk that over looked the town of Atoya. There was a stump but no bench to sit on. The magnificent view of the sparkling little town and the hills yonder always made me stop there in my trips home. The sun had set, leaving the last vestiges of twilight before night truly came. The moon was already glowing high above us.

I walked to the stump and took in a fresh breath of air and looked out at my beautiful homeland. I hope I did not have to move back into the hubbub of Tokyo too soon but it was inevitable. My career would never cease and I would always be moving, doing something, changing something, saying something. At the same time I was both excited and hesitant.

Natsuki took a seat on the stump with a small sense of wonder in her emerald eyes. It was the same look she had when she saw any "big picture" of our current world. I could only guess how she did not feel completely lost in it. Even many of our own, born into this time had a hard time finding their way and understanding what was around them.

"Say, Shizuru..." She looked up at me but I was already looking at her. She paused for a moment with a quizzical look but just smiled in return. I used to be flustered when she caught me looking at her (at some moments I still am), but recently all I wanted to do was look at her.

"Mm, Natsuki?"

"Uh...," she broke our eye contact and she could not hide her blushing cheeks under the moonlight. "Well, uh, what is your family like?"

I blinked a view times, running query through my head, "Ara, that sure is a question."

"Well, you don't need to tell me," she said shyly as she looked back up at me for a moment.

"No, of course I'll tell you. I'm just not sure where to start," I replied as I smoothed out my skirt and then placed my hands into the pockets of my cashmere sweater.

"You can start with your mom."

"My mother, it is, then." I scraped my mind for the important tidbits of my mother and family. "I grew up in Koyto with her in a very high-class traditional area outside of the city. I don't think she ever took mothering well and I am surprised she went ahead and had me, her third child. My birth father was a deadbeat business man that my mother tells me she hooked up with on a trip to China. I've never met him and he's never met me, and there hasn't been much love lost there. I have two half-sisters, both older than me and from my mother's late husband who was deemed inconsequential by her. Fujino is actually my mother's family name. She demanded we adopt the family name instead of that of our father's mostly because the Fujino name held much more prominence."

"Well I see that Japanese tradition has not died much in this new era," Natsuki chimed in.

"It truly only matters among the rich and famous who try to hold onto their power in that manner. Strip them of their name and you strip away a portion of their elitist armor, you can say. They come closer to being just one human out of the population, without their name. With their name they are a corporation, a trust fund, a government, or the marriage of the decade."

The stars shined brightly above. They were going to be another thing I missed as I spent more time in the big city of Tokyo. As Reito once said when I was a young idol in Tokyo, 'Stars? You mean the men and women you'll be dining with later tonight? You are your own star in this city, remember that.'

I wrinkled my nose with a delicate smile. Natsuki talked with suppressed excitement, "You have two sisters? Wow. Do they look like you? Uh I mean, do they, are they as pretty as you? No wait, I mean, arg..."

Her red cheeks and shy look made me laugh aloud, "I dare say, I am the most beautiful of my sisters but they look...similar."

I continued on talking with my family, giving Natsuki the moment she needed to gather herself from her little slip. I felt my own cheeks warming at the indirect compliment though. "The eldest sister took over my mother's semi-conductor corporation which has been the latest success in a long line of Fujino corporations and investments. My other sister is part of Japan's Diet, sitting in the House of Chancellors. Originally she did not want to have any hand in the government but there is always one politician in the Fujino family. Like my mother, my sisters don't care much for me. They are deeply tied up in their own lives and businesses and, as such, extended family is not a priority."

"What was your mother like?" There was a bite to Natsuki's words.

I pursed my lips and folded my arms across my chest as I looked out a the view. "I cannot say she is a caring mother. She only cares for the rich and the famous and that means she only keeps company of those who fulfill both requirements. Simply stated, my mother does not care for anyone who does not have some sort of influence. I've only heard from her a few times since I decided to retire from my acting career."

"Sounds harsh for a mother," my genie gritted out. "Doesn't she call to see how you're doing?"

I shrugged and nonchalantly said, "No, not really. I don't hold it against her either. She loves me in her own way but this is how she is and I've grown up knowing that. I've never tried to obtain her favor and I am glad of that decision I made."

"I grew up in a good, well-known family as well but I'm sure growing up these days is much different."

"You can say that the way I grew up was typical of someone of my status. I was doted on even though I qualified as the bastard child of the family. It was the one way I figured my mother loved me. She never let anyone call me a bastard. The entire Fujino clan had to accept me as theirs or else face her wrath. I'm sure I was a mistake on her part, or at least my father was, but she made sure I developed into a 'True Fujino'.

"When middle school came around, I was sent to an elite boarding school in Hiroshima and there I stayed until I graduated. You learn to fend for yourself at those types of schools, and that's exactly what the wealthy families intended for their children to do. The families coddle their children up till that moment and then put them in a pack of wolves to see who comes out the fittest. To some, the boarding school of the elites seemed cruel and selfish but it truly did breed character and strength for those who could manage it. You learn, though, to create your own alliances with other children, compete to get to the top, and strike deals that benefit you, your family, and your future. I doubt most of the elite boarding schools were as competitive as mine. Even my mother had to pull some strings to get me and my sisters in. It was meant to be hard on the mind and body. It was meant to weed out those who were weak."

I could feel the gently boiling anger in me as I remembered my days at the school of elite children. I had it easy. I was lucky, and I was smart and I had a ruthless mother to help me play my cards. I knew of many children, both boys and girls, who did not make it out in one piece.

"In my school, you learned to protect who you really were by surrounding yourself with good friends, allies. Some children did grow to be quite vile adults but no one can say much because they are the same people who own the largest companies in Japan. I'm happy to say though, for the years I ran as Student Council President, there was a stronger sense of unity and friendship among everyone. Blatant bullying and browbeating was not something I was going to stand for."

"It's a wonder, with how you grew up, that you're such a compassionate and lovely person..." Natsuki stiffened at her own words and did not make eye contact. I licked my lips at the perfect opportunity she left me. I tucked some of my hair behind my ear as I bent down next to her and whispered in her ear, "I am quite merciless and evil in the bedroom, dear."

I grinned and pulled myself back from her as she sputtered and blinked with astonishment. Finally she was able to choke out a few words, "I thought modesty was part of a young woman's training in school!"

I put a finger to my chin and looked up at the stars, "Ara, I must have missed that lesson then."

We shared a mutual laugh and I sat next to her on the large wood stump. Whenever I'm close to her, I could always feel her gentle and warm breeze about me. It was comforting and settling.

"Yomari-san would have loved to talk with someone like you..." Natsuki said with a wistful smile.

"Yomari-san? Was he someone you...fulfilled wishes for?" More and more often it slipped my mind she was a genie, that she had lived for almost half a millennium, but like me, she would not be here forever.

"Mhm. Kiyoshi Yomari. He was an old man who happened to find me about sixty years ago. He was a well known pianomaker in Chiba. He was so unbelievably kind at heart.

I picked up my hand to stroke the seam on her jeans but of course my fingers came in contact with nothing but air. She did not seem to catch the gesture. "Could you tell me more about him?" I asked curiously.

She tucked a knee up to her chest. "I was in a vase, back then. He bought the vase at a stand during a local festival and brought it to his home, very much like you did. When I was awoken, I found myself being placed in his family shrine as a decoration on his late wife's pedestal. Now, with you, I knew I could pop out of thin air and you'd recover from the traumatic ordeal."

She smirked but I feigned an indignant look, "You know, I almost burned myself!"

"No you wouldn't have. I wouldn't have let it happen," Natsuki firmly stated as she gave me one of her critical looks. "For Yomari-san, I had to be careful. I did not want the old geezer to have a heart attack. There is probably some sort of added penalty to genies who kill their wishers right off the bat. So, I slowly appeared out of my vase. When I mean slowly, I mean I took a whole damn minute to appear solid. The old man still fainted! Eventually he woke up and I spoke to him and went through the usual demonstrations to insure him I was not a demon or a ghost but an actual genie- or as he called it 'wisher spirit'. That very first day he wished for the arthritis in his joints to be cured. So I did just that, I made him well and strong.

"We didn't talk much for months after that. I asked him for his permission to walk around his home and workshop and he allowed me to. Eventually I asked if I could help with anything and he said no. He continued to make his pianos with the assistance of a handful of helpers and such. I watched over him for a very long time. Often I'd put a kettle of water on the stove for him so he could use it to fill a hot water bottle at night. He never said thank you but he always made sure my vase was clean. He spoke very few words to me but said that I could play the pianos he made. He was an extremely quiet man but he make himself present in the community and donated nearly every extra yen to nearby charities.

"One day his two main assistants left him and never came back. I suspected it was due to the technological boom that was beginning to take the world. Making pianos was hard work and even if Yomari paid decently, not many people could manage to keep up with his need for detail and quality. When there was no one to be found to replace his assistant, he still continued to make pianos. One afternoon I asked him why he made pianos. He said he was a horrible musician but could never get over how important music was to life. The piano, he said, was the ultimate instrument to express oneself whether it be grief or happiness. If he could just make one piano, that could be played to give happiness, then he knew his purpose would be fulfilled. Damn...his pianos were amazing and no less than a piece of his heart and soul went into each one."

She paused, probably to collect herself and her memories. The way she spoke was with such reverence of the man. Her voice hid none of her complex emotions which included grief but as well as a calmness. It made me want to touch her even more, but though my shoulder was next to hers, I could not feel a thing.

"After that, I helped him finish making his pianos. I had paid attention to him make the pianos before but I was still lousy at it. I cheated, of course. Hah, I'm a genie, I was going to take advantage of it. Even with a little bit of magic, I could not make a piano like he did. I did very well at carving the wood pieces and setting joints into place, though, which took a load off his back. I painted the pianos, I polished them, I reached for parts that were hard for him to get to or too heavy to lift. Together we made big pianos and small pianos and even did a reconstruction on a grand pipe organ in Tokyo.

"Then came the day when he made his second wish. Something happened to him that I never did figure out. Whether it was a dream or something real and tangible, he said he spoke to his deceased wife. He came to me one early morning and wished to make the best piano he had ever made in his life, by himself, but that he would need my guidance to do so. I gave him his wish. Sometimes wishes aren't specific, like this one. They just are, and they are fulfilled in many ways. Only he knew the true affects of the wish on his body and mind. I could not help him make this piano and he slowly stopped taking in requests for piano making to dedicate his entire day to this one piano. Occasionally, he would request that I make a small piano with him for a school or a private household he knew very well. Still day after day and night after night he worked on this piano of his and rarely let me see it. He was never tired, his body was never sore, and his mind was sharp. Still it took him four and a half years."

"Four years..." I gasped but the anticipation to know more of the pianomaker made me keep quiet so Natsuki could finish.

"When he finished the last coat of paint and tuned the last string, he locked his workshop and slept for two days straight, I think. I went inside the workshop, while he was asleep...and I stood at the piano for hours just looking at it. It was...beautiful, no, it was beyond words. It was a white grand piano with no insignia on it. Everything about it was perfect and it had pieces of Yomari-san right down to the wheels. I remember putting a small protective charm over it but the moment I touched the piano I knew it had already been blessed by someone else. Someone far more powerful and pure than me."

Shizuru let out a small yelp as she felt heavy cloth drop down over her shoulders. It was Natsuki's jacket. It was not until then did Shizuru realize she was shivering, but not from the cold. Simply from the story.

Natsuki stood and stretched, not looking at Shizuru but at the moon. "When he woke up, he donated the piano to the Christian Church on the hillside. His wife was a Christian but he would always remain a spiritualist. He said that the name of the religion did not matter. Apparently his wife's favorite place to be was at that church. I think he was giving back to the community, whether he believed in the western faith or not. I arranged for him to donate it anonymously and by the end of the day the piano was sitting peacefully in the church. I told him how beautiful it was, over dinner that night, and he agreed. He never spoke of the piano again, and neither did I.

"He went to that Church, but refused to be baptized, and sat there during the services just to hear the piano. It made such beautiful music no matter who played it. I could feel he was the happiest when he heard children play the piano. He never entered his workshop again after that, either. He just lived the life of an old man, though he was still very healthy. We talked a little bit more in the oncoming months. He told me about his life and his wife and his son who was away in America. I was with him for years after that, and I swore he thought of me more like a faithful dog than anything."

I laughed lightly. A faithful dog did suit Natsuki's personality. My shivering had settled down and it seemed that pianomaker's story was coming to an end.

Natsuki mumbled a few things to herself, but then started her story against with a soft tone. "I knew when he'd make his third wish days before he did. I could tell by looking into his eyes that he was thinking about it. One morning, much like the morning when he made his second wish, I went to his room and saw him lying on the bed. I knew to come to his bedside and he knew I would come without being called. It was a bright and sunny morning and for a moment I thought he'd get up and go make his old man's miso soup and natto for breakfast. No, instead he looked up at me with a rare smile. Then he said...no wait, let me see if this works."

I was thrown off by Natsuki's sudden stop but she had turned around to me and placed her hand close to my face. I longed for that hand to touch me. I leaned my head closer to her hand until I felt the gentle breeze on my cheek. We looked into each others eyes and I closed mine for just a brief moment. In that moment, I felt the warmth of her palm on my cheek. My eyes snapped open and her touch was still there. I looked at her and she smiled gently. "Close your eyes so I can show you his last day."

I would do anything as long as I could continue to feel her palm against my cheek. I closed my eyes and she began to speak again. As she did my mind was filled with images until it settled on one. It was a small room, modest, and an old man with a balding head lay on the bed. Natsuki, dressed in overalls, knelt at his side. All the colors were faded and if I concentrated too hard on one particular detail or another it would blur. The sensation was surreal and akin to what I felt when Natsuki and I went to see my past self at the time Yukino died.

There was no sound though. Just colors and delayed movements. I could see the man speak and clear his throat with a cough. I could see Natsuki pat the sheets of his bed. There was a sadness in her eyes as she looked at the man.

My Natsuki was gone though, but there was still a faint touch on my cheek and a gentle squeeze around my waist. I heard her voice in my mind as I watched the scene play out in front of me.

"Yomari-san's first words were, 'Natsuki, I had such a wonderful dream last night.' I wanted to take his hand but I knew I could not so I just waited next to him. He closed his eyes and said 'I am a pianomaker and I have made many pianos. How many do you think made other people happy?'"

While Natsuki narrated in my mind, I could see the old man reach out to his Natsuki as he spoke. He seemed at peace but a little doubtful as well. Natsuki's gentle voice returned as I saw the Natsuki in the memories began to speak.

"I told him that all of them...made people happy." The old man brought his sheet up to his chin, still smiling and he grabbed at Natsuki's hand on the bed. He coughed again, into his hand and spoke.

"The old man then said to me, 'That dream was truly wonderful, my wisher spirit. I was sitting with my wife and she was playing the piano. Such a magnificent piano she was playing. Beyond anything I could ever make. Do you think I could go back to sleep and have that dream again?' I told him...if that is what he wished for, I could make it happen. It was hard not to cry at that moment."

Indeed it seemed such, even though the Natsuki in front of me was turned away, I could see her hand clench by her side in an effort to not let tears fall. The old man nodded at her response.

"Yomari-san asked if it would be painful. I said it would not be. He would just fall asleep. Then he started to cry and close his eyes. Those moments seemed like an eternity, even to me. Then he looked at me, smiling, and said 'Thank you, Natsuki, my wisher spirit. I wish...to go to sleep and be with my wife.' And I granted his wish. He went to sleep and died peacefully."

The colors of the memory began to fade even more as I saw Natsuki rise up next to the old man and place her hand on his head. Soon he was breathing evenly but slowly and as I seemed to be drawn away from the memory and the realm I was in, Yomari-san took his last breath.

The next time I closed my eyes and reopened them I was back at the viewpoint with Natsuki standing next to me. I was standing as well. Natsuki's cheeks glimmered under the moon light with her tears and I struggled to get control of my own. She looked at me with a playful scowl as she wiped her cheeks quickly, "Stop crying, 'Zuru."

"I can't help it, you idiot! It's your fault!" I turned to her, to thump her chest with my closed fist but it fell through thin air. The effect made me angry and frustrated. I wanted to touch her! I wanted to comfort her! I wanted to be touched by her! I could always...wish...

I looked at her squarely in the eyes. Natsuki was clearly confused by my sudden feelings of anger. I brought myself close to her, looking at every detail of her body. The blue tresses that were tugged gently by the breeze, her beautiful shining eyes, and her lips that I had once felt but never again.

Looking at her lips made me painfully aware of my longing. Licking my own lips, I let the words fall out of my mouth, "I wish I could ki..."

Her lips were then on mine, not allowing me to complete my wish but I thought I had. It was gentle and soft, with almost no pressure, but that alone made me only crave more. I pushed against her lips and sought to put my hand around her body but my hand did not come in contact with anything. She was eagerly returning my kiss, so the disappointment of not being about to touch her body was quickly forgotten. I probed her lips lightly with my tongue, hoping to gain access. With a soft moan she allowed me entrance. I reveled in her taste, the softness of her tongue and lips. I wanted more.

"Shit," Natsuki pulled away with a pout and I groaned at the loss contact. I looked at her and was alarmed to see her half faded, nearly transparent. Natsuki looked flustered but in her eyes mirrored the same hunger that I knew was in mine.

"What was that...?" I muttered, putting my fingers to my lips.

"Well, I couldn't let you go wasting a wish on a kiss," Natsuki replied as she moved her hand through her hair and sighed. Her face was red and she did not look at me.

I felt disappointed enough to cry out but instead I mustered a questioning look at her. She bit at her bottom lip and drove her hands into her pockets.

"It's hard to explain."

"Explain it," I pressed firmly, driving the rest of my confusing thoughts out of my head.

"I've been wanting to experiment on the limits of my powers. It has to do with a combination of focusing my energy as well as half transporting us to a different plane in which we both exist physically. Unfortunately, it only lasts a minute and leaves me completely drained. Hence me looking like Ghost-san here."

"Can you...do it again?" I asked slyly with a smirk. I was serious though. There was a heat in the core of my body that I knew would not easily go away. All my mind could do was replay the sensations over and over so I would never forget.

"Not really," she mumbled and kicked at a pebble at her foot. Her foot did not make contact with the pebble though. "Or at least not for a while," she smirked back with a glimmer of deviance in her eyes. She looked tired and worn out but still she smiled. "I've gotta get some rest though. I'm not sure I can keep up this form for much longer, but I will accompany you back home in my misty-whispy form."

I nodded, still processing everything. Yes, home, I had almost forgot we were outside and still a good twenty minutes from my residence. I could see Natsuki fading more, the little blue mist returning. Before she could change forms, I said, "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure, Shizuru," she said before her entire body faded into a blue mist that glided gently around my arm and by my side.

Silently we made our way up the hill and back home. The warm night was beginning to become chilly and I quickened my pace. All the while I was thinking...What door did I just open? Did I just fall in love? Or did I want her because she was someone I could never have?

A/N: Here is the next chapter of Three Wishes or You. Sorry I've been gone for a while. Life, school, and hey did I tell you? I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND! Hehe. I have updates for the other stories coming as well. I've been working on a couple of very large ShizNat fics that I hope to put out once TWOY is done.

Forgive any errors for this chapter. I am busy with school starting but will go over it and fine-comb it in the next coming days. If the tone of the story seems off, all I have to say is that it'll smooth out the more I write it. Each story I write usually is a different tone and sometimes I get them mixed up for whatever reason.

Thank you for all your support. Even with such long hiatus, I have never stopped receiving reviews, personal messages, and favorites. I appreciate it all so much.

I generally reply to everyone's review directly, so get a FFnet account so I can do so!

Nimara