Mayu was screaming. The sound of it pierced Sasuke's ears, and traveled straight to his gut. Had she been struck, too—like Naruto? It would not have been a surprise. She had never seriously gotten hurt before. None of them had. The needle strikes were nothing compared to their enemy's latest attack. Sasuke grimaced, prying his eyes open. However, the position of his body made it hard to check his surroundings. The ice had slid across skin because he had not been quick enough. He was bleeding, and near paralyzed. It was something he had felt previously. And like before, he could not do a thing. Unbidden, thoughts of his brother came to mind. He gnashed his teeth. No. He could not be that same scared little boy. He had to do something. He had to get them all out of this. Somehow.

Then the screaming abruptly cut off. Sasuke felt his airway constrict, nearly choking because of it. Struggling hard, the shinobi lifted his head. His limbs trembled, but he managed to rise from the ground, palms and knees digging into the concrete. His teammate, still encased in ice, had gone slack. From his vantage point, Sasuke could not see a fatal injury. Superficial wounds from the earlier needle strikes, yes, but from the looks of it, her borrowed body had not been punctured severely. Not like Naruto had been. Sasuke stole a glance at his blond teammate. There was a lot of blood. Clearly, he needed the most attention.

Sasuke slowly dragged his body over to Naruto. Wincing, he tried to move quickly in pulling bandages from his pouch. Hand shaking, he pulled the zipper down and managed to get the orange jacket off. So much blood. But Sasuke tried his best not to allow the queasiness get to him. At the Academy, they had been taught basic medical skills. Very basic. Still, he knew to apply pressure. The attack, thankfully, had not hit a vital point, but the bleeding needed to end if Naruto stood a chance of making it out alive. Yes, his teammate still lived. More than likely, he had passed out from the shock of such a brutal attack. So Sasuke went to work dressing the wound. The blood quickly seeped and drenched the bandages, but it would have to do for now. However, it was strange that the enemy allowed this. Why was Haku giving this time of reprieve?

Not wanting to become distracted in his task, Sasuke focused solely on tightly wrapping Naruto's shoulder. Only when he finished did he look towards one of the mirror images of their enemy. However, Haku's eyes were not watching him. Instead, they were trained behind him. Looking around, Sasuke realized that all of the replicas stared beyond him. Furrowing his brow, the Uchiha shifted his attention as well. His lips parted in surprise. Wisps of grey smoke arose from his teammate. She still did not move, and her body remained slack, but the smoke continue to waft from her, seemingly without a reason.

It was then that Sasuke noticed the change in temperature. It reminded him of being near a hot spring in the winter. No longer being a stifling cold, the air around them changed to a pleasant heat. "What is this…?" he murmured. Clearly, this changed stemmed from his teammate, but she had never shown something of this nature before. Obviously dumbstruck, and intrigued as well, Haku look on, seemingly allowing whatever event to play out. Finally, Mayu tensed, fingers curling. Sasuke found himself leaning forward in anticipation. Her head suddenly snapped up, revealing the deepest blue eyes he had ever seen. Before he could question where the familiar shade of green had gone, blue flames erupted from her arms. Sasuke gaped, watching his teammate slid through her ice prison like a hot blade through butter.

Mayu landed in a crouched position, palms against the ground. The flames licked at her skin, but she did not blemish or burn. She stood with a purpose, movement similar to a feline. The comparison confused him, but Sasuke paid no mind to the fleeting thought. His eyes were glued to hers, waiting for the next motion. Her gaze, still blue, was unfocused. Like she was in a daze. Like she did not know her own actions. Mayu tilted her head up, and then raised her arms. The blue fire surged from her body, lashing out at the ice that surrounded them. The impact of fire and ice seemingly exploded upon contact. Sasuke clenched his teeth, covering Naruto's body with his own. He had not needed to. The ice debris had shattered outwards, and the flames had risen over his head.

Eventually, the swirls of hot and cold wind faded, and Sasuke looked around. The dome was gone, destroyed by the fire. He suddenly recalled Haku mocking his own efforts of attempting the same thing with his family's signature jutsu. It had been Mayu's fire in the end. She had broken them out of the prison of ice. Sasuke turned to her, a slight frown tugging at his mouth. He noticed that her eyes were green again. Had they changed at all? Or had that been a part of whatever powerful jutsu she had wielded? At any rate, her green eyes did not meet his. Instead, she focused on their enemy, something Sasuke should have done first. "Did she get him?" he wondered, gaze darting around in search of Haku.

Standing a few meters away, the older shinobi stared back at Mayu. Sasuke did not see new damage, so he must have escaped before the fire reached the one ice mirror he had been in. However, Haku appeared startled. Throughout this battle, his stoic expression had cracked many times. This was no different. It was as though this battle had been the first where he had struggled so much. "Impossible," Haku whispered. He had said that a lot as well. "No one has ever… You… Do you also have a cursed bloodline?"

The lack of answer drew Sasuke's attention to his teammate. Mayu blinked once, and then slapped her palms together. She was gathering chakra by use of hand seals. Sasuke had seen her performing seals before. She had been crap at it. It had been surprising to witness, but then again, the disappointment came before he had discovered her real name. Based on what she had told him, it would make sense that she would not be as efficient. But here she was, racing through seals as though she had done it most of her life. Her last seal was the ram sign. Then her mouth opened.

"Ishikari Style: Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

A startled gasp nearly escaped his mouth. Sasuke knew little about Mind Transfer—mostly because his former classmate had been too annoying to ask—but he knew that it was a jutsu for reconnaissance. More than that, it had to be used on a nonmoving target because of how slow the jutsu worked. It had never been used for battle. Could this style be so different? "But she said she wasn't a ninja," Sasuke thought, narrowing his eyes. He watched as the two, Mayu and Haku, become limp in their standing positions. Their heads tilted forward at the same time. Sasuke swallowed, waiting apprehensively.

Mayu moved first, green eyes wide and darting around, openly showing confusion. "What did you do?" To Sasuke's astonishment, it had been Haku's voice to question. Only his voice had come from a different body. He turned his eyes towards Haku's body, expecting to hear Mayu's voice—Sakura's voice—coming out of the wrong body. Instead, Haku's body moved forward. The steps were unhurried, but resolute. Footsteps halted and the ninja lowered to the ground. Fingers wrapped around a dropped kunai. The same blade that had been forced out of his hand earlier. "H-How?! What is this?!" Haku raised his voice, watching his own body move about as though controlled by a different force. Clearly, a switch had been made, and the force using his body was Mayu.

Without warning, Mayu impaled the sharp end of the kunai into the shoulder. She grit teeth that did not belong to her, but did not cry out. "An eye for an eye," she said through clenched teeth. The kunai dug deeper, and blood poured out, staining the fabric and sliding down. She pulled the kunai out, and then tossed it away. From his position, Sasuke could see the body trembling. He stared, unable to decipher the reason for the pounding of his heart. It had been brutal, but… something else as well. It gave him chills, witnessing such a display. Mayu pressed her hands together. "Release," she said, calm despite the injury she had inflicted on herself.

Again, the two went slack before Haku abruptly leapt backwards, holding a hand to the bleeding wound. Expression completely cracked, the older shinobi grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut. Undoubtedly, the attack had pained him. Haku dropped to one knee, clutching his shoulder in order to stop the bleeding. However, Mayu was not done yet. She slammed her palms against the ground, expression fierce and directed at Haku. "Tooth for a tooth." The water surrounding the enemy lifted and formed into large ice projectiles. They were not as big as what had been summoned before, but they attacked Haku swiftly all the same. The ice crashed into each other, attempting to get at him, sounding similar to glass breaking.

Sasuke did not wait to see the result. He took the chance to grabbed Naruto. He lifted the blond, slinging his arm across his shoulder. He was careful to avoid the injury. It was only then that Mayu's words made sense. An eye for an eye. She had been referring to Naruto's shoulder. The chills came again, stronger than before. As he stood up, Sasuke turned his eyes to Mayu. He still did not know how to describe the feeling within his chest.

Then her brown eyes shifted to him. Finally, the hard look disappeared and she focused. She ran towards him—them—with her arms outstretched. Sasuke hobbled in her direction as well. As she still had a needle sticking out of her leg, her run had just been a fast limp, so the three of them met halfway. "Is he-he okay?" Mayu questioned, warily touching.

Her first question after displaying such power. It confused him just as much as the actual abilities. She had said that she had no prior ninja training, but that did not seem to be the case. The blue fire, hot and strong, had been utilized, but without chakra. Well, he could not sense any like in other battles. She had also copied a technique from Haku. Not just a technique, though. She had copied an advanced bloodline. Was that even possible…? He had never heard of such a thing.

Furthermore, her eyes were brown. Brown like Haku's. Sasuke was exhausted, baffled, and a multitude of thoughts came to mind, all wanting to break free from his mouth. He had just watched his teammate transform into a fiery storm of fury and devastation, and sent his senses reeling and snapping to attention. No one had ever come close to making him feel anything like this.

"What the fuck are you?" Sasuke blurted. Out of all the thoughts that had manifested, that had been the one to come out, bursting like a faucet. Rightfully offended, Mayu glared at him. He felt his cheeks flush as he slid his tongue over his front teeth. Bad way to start the questions, he admitted to himself. "I-I meant, how did you… do all of that? You've never-"

"I don't know, I don't care, and honestly, I don't remember some of it," Mayu confessed. "But can we please talk about this later? When we're not in immediate danger?" Couldn't remember some of it? That was… bizarre. Did she even know her eye color had changed? Now that he had a good look at her, her pink roots had seemed to change to black. "Naruto's hurt badly. We need to get him to-" She did not finish her sentence. Her eyes suddenly grew wide, and she choked on a scream. Her body jerked forward before she fell to her knees. Sasuke could only watch horrified as senbon needles—two of them—struck the side of her neck.

"Mayu…!" he shouted. Blood shot out of her mouth, spattering against his cheek. Sasuke could not stop the gasp. She fell on her side, body unmoving, yet wails of pain leaving her mouth as blood dripped. "You bastard!" he nearly growled, shifting his attention to Haku. The older shinobi was still poised after launching his attack from where he stood. He seemed to be on his last leg, though. Sasuke carefully, and hastily, lowered Naruto to the ground before examining Mayu's body. Three senbon had gotten her spine. He lifted her up a bit, and the wails faded to whimpers. "I'm going to pull these out," he told her, though his hands shook.

"S-Sasuke…" she wheezed. Bracing himself, he yanked the needles from her back all at once. "Gah! I-I-I think yo-you should have-have left the-them in." Sasuke ignored her words, laying her flat on her back now. "I didn't know Haku-san was so resilient." Her voice was fading, getting weaker. And so was her focus.

"Mayu…" Sasuke muttered, frowning. "You'd better not die. Don't you dare die right now!" Despite the situation, she had the nerve to chuckle. Her expression shifted from mildly scared to wholly amused. "I mean it! You can't just-"

"Wh-Why are you… so concerned?" she questioned, eyelids lowering. Right before they shut, he saw them change. They had reverted to green. It only served in alarming Sasuke further. "I don't really matter to you, right, Sasuke?" He did not have an answer for her, mostly because the words clogged in his throat. "Still… This was fun. I-I'm glad… you became someone who mattered to me."

"Shut up… Shut up!" Sasuke said, recognizing the plea in his tone. Mayu's eyes opened again, focusing on him with furrowed brow. "Don't… Just don't talk like that. You're not going to die."

"Of course I'm not gonna die, idiot," Mayu whispered. "It's too early for the heroine to die."

"You idiot," Sasuke called her. He clenched his teeth. "You're such a damn idiot." He did not realize how hard he was holding onto her until she winced. Even then, he did not let go. She was going to bruise. "Stay with me, Mayu. Don't become someone else I have to avenge."

"I'm sorry… I didn't know you cared," she replied, barely audible now.

"I-I don't… cocoon."

"Whatever… bird brain."

Mayu gave him one final smile, and then she closed her eyes for good.

Sasuke almost could not believe it. But she did not react to the pressure of his fingers around her arms anymore. Her pink roots had returned. Her breaths had ceased. Her body had become loose and unmoving. She was gone. Like so many others. Sasuke shut his eyes. He swallowed the bile and it was painful on the way down. The sound of his heartbeat increased in volume, becoming the only thing he could hear. He was vaguely aware of his own breathing becoming harsher with each passing second. Logic fled his mind then. He did not care for his injuries. He did not care that his body hurt. All he wanted in this moment was justice. No. Not justice. Vengeance.

The young Uchiha opened his eyes, unaware that onyx black had shifted to blood red.

0-0

A finger twitched once, twice, before eyes moved beneath closed eyelids. Body feeling heavy and numb, Mayu did not try to pry her eyes open yet. Despite the numbness, she grimaced. Her body lied on a soft surface, but it was far from comfortable. She had to get up. So clenching her teeth, the girl slowly cracked her eyes open. The brightness of the room was near painful on her eyes, but it did chase away the numbness. Slowly, feeling returned to her body. Mayu sat upright in her bed—no, not her bed—and examined her surroundings. A faint beeping caught her attention, and she groggily shifted to stare at the medical equipment. Strange. She did not think the machine was supposed to be here, though this was clearly a hospital.

"Oh," she murmured. Her voice was hoarse from disuse. She was in a hospital. She must have passed out on the bridge. Still, they must have won since she was somewhere relatively safe. However, the equipment seemed too advanced. Mayu sighed through her nose, and then lifted her arm. It took a few moments to recognize her own brown skin. She blinked three times before practically shoving her hands to her face. "I'm me…!" Then she proceeded to cough and sputter because her lungs had not been ready for that gasp. Also, there was a disgusting taste in her mouth—like she had not brushed for years.

Once she calmed down enough, Mayu clutched her forehead, feeling a pounding in her brain. She had returned. That, or she had hopped into another body. Doubtful, though. She felt… like herself. Tired, but the same as before. Why was she in a hospital, though? The door to the room suddenly slid open, causing Mayu to look ahead. Ishikari Chinotori entered the room. Her father's presence was startling even though she knew that she had returned. She felt a stinging in the corner of her eyes. His dark gaze found her and he froze in place. For a moment, father and daughter simply stared at one another.

"M-Mayu…" The silence broke with a choked whisper. Then the man came closer, arms outstretched. "Mayu!" Her father practically launched himself at her, wrapping his arms around and her pulling her into a fierce hug. Mayu returned the embrace, not has strong as she would have liked, taking comfort in her parent's arms. She had not realized, until this moment, that she had missed him. She had missed home so much. Eventually, the hug ended, but her father kept his hands clamped around her shoulders. "My daughter…" he murmured. "Do you know how much pain you've caused me?" He appeared near tears.

"I'm sorry," Mayu immediately replied. Her father opened his mouth, but he did not utter a word. The door to the room slid open again. The new arrival was Ishikari Sheena. Her mother. Much like her husband, she halted her movements, brown eyes growing wide. "Mommy!" The title had been blurted in English. Her mother, normally strong and cool and mostly apathetic, let out a broken sob, face crumbling into disturbed relief. The woman rushed forward, practically shoving her husband away so that she could partake in hugging as well.

Both of her parents doted on her in their own way, so to have them share similar reactions threw Mayu for a loop. She had assumed that Sakura had been using her body, but based on her parents' behavior, could she have been in the hospital for the same length of time as her… Oh. No, she had not been away, after all. Most likely, it had been a coma-induced dream. Very realistic and immersive, but… a dream all the same. "Al-Alright, mom! Mom! Your ta-tas are gonna kill me!" Mayu protested, attempting to pull away. Unceremoniously, her mother released her, and then knocked her upside the head. "Ouch! I am a hospital patient!"

"Do you know how worried I was?!" Ignoring her husband's slight protest, the woman placed her hands on her hips and glared. "Jesus! It's been almost two months! Do you know how much your bill will be?!" She spoke in English, clearly irritated. Mayu nearly rolled her eyes. Of course, her frugal mother had also been anxious about the cost of medical treatment. Time and time again, her father had to inform his wife that the insurance system worked differently in Japan. But a woman that had been raised in America—by Granny Theresa, of all people—could not be convinced.

"Two months?!" Mayu matched her mother's raised voice. "What the hell happened to me?!"

"I said almost two months," mother said. Her eyebrow twitch and her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't cuss." The warning came equipped with a waving fist. Mayu instantly shied away. Her mother may dote on her, but she was violent. Well, at the very least, the woman was intimidating. Never would she dare to cross her mother. How could her father put up with this woman, and the rest of the family, for that matter? For years, Mayu had wondered how her family had accepted a foreigner into their midst. It must have been a hot-blooded romance from the start. One day, she would ask, but not today.

"You do not remember?" her father questioned. He frowned tightly. "Mayu, you ran into a car." She blinked slowly. Her ears must have been playing tricks because she could have sworn- "I'm serious. You ran into a stopped car. You've been unconscious for a month and a half. Physically, you were fine, but you… wouldn't wake up."

"Why would I even do that?"

"A man refused to apologize to your friend after he ran over his bike," her mother explained. Mayu blinked again, mind slowly forming images of the day before waking up in the wrong body. She grimaced, recalling the scene. As her mother said, she could remember not being able to halt her run. Her head had rammed right into the back. The girl groaned lightly, pressing her face to her palm. She had always taken offense on behalf of her friends. It had never landed her in a hospital before. Ichiro had better pay her back for this.

"Well, at least I got a cool dream out of this," Mayu muttered with a shake of her head.

"Dream…?" father repeated, furrowing his brow. "What type of dream did you have?"

"Naruto!" she stated, cracking a grin. "It was mega cool, father. I dreamed I got to be his teammate, but I didn't have my own body." Instead of grinning with her, his lips parted, seemingly stunned by the news. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing," he stammered. He turned away from her, heading towards the door. "I will retrieve the nurse."

Her father left then, almost hastily closing the door behind him. Well… That had been odd of him. Mayu turned to her mother, question on the tip of her tongue, but she noticed the crestfallen look on her face. Gaze focused on the floor, her mother pursed her lips. "It's happening…" she said in a barely audible whisper. Mayu waited for elaboration or context, but it never came. Instead, her mother sighed heavy before lifting her brown eyes to her. A smile appeared, though it looked forced, and the woman stepped closer. "Mayu, tell me what you dreamed."

"I don't think you want to know," she said. "You were never interested in anime, were you, mother?"

"Tell me regardless," mother insisted. Her eyes were not eager. In fact, Mayu could recognize the resignation in them. "I want to know."

She had never wanted to know before. Actually, whenever Mayu indulged in one of her favorite shows, her mother would show signs of disapproval. However, she worked a lot, so the frowns had been rare. Still, like a good girl, she told her mother as much as she could remember. She staunchly left out the part about Sasuke demanding her hand in marriage. It still weirded her out even now. There were other parts, of course. Parts she had decided to leave out as well. Her mother did not need to know every single detail, after all. Especially how much danger she had willingly placed herself in. Perhaps she would not be allowed out of the house if the whole truth had been told.

"That was… You have a vivid imagination, Mayu," her mother finally spoke again after the story finished. The girl flushed, unable to hold back a smile at the compliment. "But it was a dream. Nothing more. If your father asks you, you barely remember, understood?"

"… Yes, mother," Mayu said with an unsure nod. At her mother's behest, she would not describe her time as Haruno Sakura. Though, the request left her with questions. Why would it be a bad thing for her father to know the details? The man did not exactly seek out anime, but he was not disapproving of it. "It was just a dream, anyway." Her mother nodded curtly, pleased by the answer.

Before the silence stretched, the door opened again. Her father had returned, along with a nurse in pink scrubs. The young nurse was all smiles and friendly as she poked and prodded. She asked questions to her parents, and then simple questions to Mayu. No, her body did not hurt. No, she did not feel dizzy. The most discomfort she had had to do with the nasty taste in her mouth. Done with the slight evaluation, the nurse left the room, claiming she would fetch the doctor. Once gone, her father approached.

"Mayu-chan, once you are discharged, you will be able to function as normal after about a week," he stated.

"A week…?" Mayu pouted.

"You must go through physical therapy," he explained. "You have not been using your body for some time now." Mayu whined out, not bothering to form words. "I know you're eager to get back to it, but it's for the best." She only pouted a little more. "I'm sure you had all the physical activity you could stand as a ninja. Why don't you tell me about it while we wait for your doctor? It sounds like an intriguing tale."

"Not really," Mayu shrugged. "It was a weird dream. That's all. Besides, I pretended to be someone else so no one could spot the difference. There's nothing intriguing about being Haruno Sakura. I can barely remember the tedious things I did."

"Ah… I see." His dark eyes glanced at his wife, but she held her gaze with the opposite wall. "Well, in any case, I am happy you are awake." Mayu forced her own smile, but she felt guilty about lying just now. "Your friends have been visiting occasionally. Once we hear what the doctor says, you can contact them."

"Thanks, can't wait!" she exclaimed. She would definitely tell Kyoko, Megumi, and Ichiro about her awesome dream. Ichiro would be so jealous that she had had a chance to see Hinata in person… even if she had not gotten the chance to actually talk with her. Then her grin fell, realization dawning on her. "Nooooo!" she howled, falling back against the bed dramatically.

"What? What's wrong?!" father asked, nearly frantic.

"Does your head hurt?" mother questioned, probably because Mayu had pressed the back of her hand against her forehead.

"There was no Panda… I didn't get to see Panda-chaaaan!" she sobbed.

"Huh…?"

"Haaah… Our silly daughter means her favorite character in Naruto," father stated. "She didn't get to meet him."

The girl's mother rolled her eyes, clearly holding back from swiping at her daughter.

0-0

Mayu had fallen asleep sometime during the doctor's visit. He had spouted medical jargon and it had been boring. The heaviness returned to her body, and she had not been able to keep her eyes open. Now, she was awake again. Opening her eyes, she saw that the room had not been as bright. The light had dimmed significantly. Voices had been the reason she had been pulled from slumber. Her dream had been awesome. She had just been about to receive the reward of becoming an international champion. Shame she had been rudely awakened. Keeping the groan to herself, Mayu strained to hear the conversation. The voices belonged to her parents. They seemed to be arguing.

"It's not her. It's not my daughter," Sheena insisted. Her mother sounded as stubborn as she could be in court. "I know nothing about techniques and chakra and whatever else, but I do know that she is my child. What she had was a dream, Tori."

"I don't believe it was," Chinotori said. "I was told this could happen. We both were. She was born from death. Just as they said. She is Ishikari, but she does not have our eyes." He sounded frustrated. However, Mayu was more focused on the 'eyes' part. Of course, she was a rarity. Dark skin, blue eyes. Wasn't exactly common, especially not in Japan. Still, genetics were fickle sometimes. She could be explained with science. So why had her father brought it up? Also, he had said born from death. Ominous. "We… We should tell my parents."

"No…! I raised her! I love her! She and this-this Mayuka have nothing to do with each other!"

Eh…?

"Sheena!" her father raised his voice. It had been the first time Mayu had ever heard him speak to his wife that way. Seconds passed, and her mother did not give any type of rebuttal. "I hate this just as much as you, but she was pulled… I know she was. Despite her lack of detail. I'm… not sure why she held back, but her dreams have always been vivid, especially recently. It will happen again and again until she-" He stopped, letting out a sigh. "I have to tell them. This dream lasted almost two months."

"Please, Tori-kun," mother said. "We don't know anything for sure. G-Give it time. We don't have to say anything yet. Please… Do it for me?"

"Shee-chan…"

Of course, it was that moment Mayu's body decided to betray her. She unleased a mighty yawn. Scolding herself, the girl feigned just waking. She stretched and turned over, blinking at the figures of her parents standing near the window. They appeared quite caught. "You didn't go home…?" Mayu pretended to yawn.

"Ah… No, we didn't," her father said. "You will be discharged early in the morning, so we decided to stay."

"Alright," Mayu said, nodding her head. "Back to dreamland then. Goodnight, father, mother." She turned back on her side, pulling the covers up to her neck. The strange conversation, however, would not leave her mind. No matter how long she waited, or held her breath, her parents did not resume the conversation. Sighing lightly, Mayu shut her eyes. Admittedly, she was still tired. Her logical mind was still sluggish, and did not do well in connecting dots. Maybe she was looking at dots that were not there. Besides, there were more important things. Like becoming international champion of MMA. Yeah. Best dream.

0-0

Well that was an exciting adventure! I guess my life will return to normal now that I'm out of the hospital! But what were my parents talking about? Strange! Hey, wait a minute! I'm back... in Naruto's world! Yes! I've actually come back! Mega cool! I can't wait to see everyone in person again!

NEXT TIME:

My Life as Hyuga Hinata

Wait a minute! Rewind that! 'My Life as Hyuga Hinata?' What? Not again! Why can't I have my own body? But wait… What...? This is the chuunin exams? Sweet! I get to show what I've learned since I've been in my world! PANDA-CHAN! Panda-chan is gonna be there! Gaara-kun, wait for me!

So I ended up changing something, plot-wise, anyway, which means, I have to edit some chapters of the sequel. I mean, I was going to edit the first chapter anyway since part of it is in first person, but I had planned on editing just the first chapter. Haaah. Well, this one is done. Hopefully, I don't suddenly decide to come back and edit it even more.

For those who are new to the trilogy, welcome! I look forward to your reviews/comments. For those who have been here, done this, did you like the edit? The changes that were made? I certainly did. I think my writing has definitely improved from the first round. Regardless if you're new or not, head on over to the sequel... after leaving a comment, perhaps? It's already up and completed. I will not be removing all the chapters to edit them like I did for this story. I will merely replace the original chapters with the edited versions and indicate the edit at the beginning of whichever chapter.

Thanks for sticking with me so far!