Willow here;

Sorry for the lateness guys! I've had a severe case of the I-don't-wannas the past two days.(Truth be told I'm still dealing with it) I'm just really tired this week so my motivation is super low. Still I'm curious how everybody is liking the story so far, it's kind of turned into a whole lot more than I think I originally envisioned in the beginning. I think this is a good thing but I'd love some feed back. This relationship is on a slow burn but is it too slow? Am I boring you all with all this extra stuff? Do I need to put more focus on some of our side characters or is there too much of that already? I was thinking of giving each wish it's own attention but is that going to be too much? I'm dying for your opinions. You're all so kind and quick to tell me what you love but what do you want? What are you really hoping for and what do you wish I would avoid? Fell free to let me know if you're willing!

(Also side note: Where did all these follows come from! O_O You guys are so amazingly awesome!)

Hikari's Pov

"Oh Gill let me help you with that!" I called out rushing over glad for the escape.

"It's fine," Gill insisted strictly, "I can handle this myself."

"Don't be so stubborn." I said easily as I took some books off the top, "No shame in taking help when it's offered."

Gill let out an indignant huff but had no more refusal on the matter.

"So what are all these for?" I asked curiously as I followed Gill down the street actively ignoring Finn who was staring me down just a little ways away. With any luck by time I had finished up with Gill the orange sprite would have forgotten all about it.

"Just some paperwork." Gill answered vaguely, "There's a lot that has to be done before winter each year."

I nodded understandingly though in truth I had no idea what kind of things a town had to take care of before winter. Still unless I was looking for a long winded and more than slightly arrogant lesson on the subject it was better to nod understandingly than admit ignorance.

Gill however was not oblivious to this tactic, he eyed me suspiciously as we approached the door to town hall. "You don't have any idea what I'm talking about do you?" he accused.

"Not a one." I admitted fully without the slightest hint of guilt.

Gill shook his head, "Typical." He muttered irritably under his breath quickly making his way across the floor. "This way, you can dump those over here."

I quickened my pace to keep up when I unwittingly collided with something causing me to fall back and send all of the papers and books in my hands to flying all around me.

"Ouch." I exclaimed as I landed hard on my rear, "Oops…"

I looked over at what, or rather whom, I had run into. Hamilton was sitting on the ground not far from me looking around bewildered.

"Oh my." Hamilton commented looking at the mess of paper scattered around us.

I heard an exasperated sigh and looked up to see Gill standing over us disapprovingly.

"Don't you two ever watch were you're going?" He asked shaking his head before extending a hand to help me up. I took it gladly, "Is anyone hurt?" He asked in a business like tone as he helped his father up in turn.

I brushed myself off and did a quick inspection, nothing seemed to hurt, "No harm done!" I reported enthusiastically.

"Everything's fine on my end." The mayor said calmly.

Gil looked disparagingly at the mess scattered all around the floor, "I wouldn't say there was no damage at all." He sighed, "It's going to take hours to reorganize all this."

"I'm really sorry Gill." I said bending down to start gathering it all up, "I should have been paying more attention."

"No I'm to blame I'm afraid." Hamilton said gravely, "One could hardly have expected you to see me around all those papers."

"What's done is done." Gill said practically as he picked up the papers around his feet, "No sense in wasting time looking for who to blame."

Hamilton and I nodded in agreement as together we finished picking everything up.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I offered still wanting to make it right. I knew Hamilton and Gil were probably very busy and couldn't afford the extra hours of work I had just so unceremoniously saddled them with.

"That's very kind of you Hikari," Hamilton said gratefully "But…How to put this…."

"You're unqualified to fix this mess." Gill said bluntly.

"Gill…" Hamilton chided and then sighed, "My son is blunt, but in this case he's right. Those are sensitive documents and unfortunately we can't let just anybody take care of them."

"I understand." I nodded despite feeling a bit snubbed, "It doesn't have to be directly related to it though," I offered refusing to be turned down, "There must be something you can let me do to give you some time to fix this."

"But don't you have your ranch to attend to Hikari?" Gill asked arching an eyebrow, "As I understand it, autumn is a very busy time for farmers."

I blushed slightly and rubbed the back of my head looking sheepishly in Finn's direction in spite of myself, "Actually….." I said guilty, "I'm supposed to be taking it easy today… Doctor's orders."

Hamilton's eyes grew wide with concern, "is everything alright? You do look a bit run down."

I waved my wands defensively, "Oh it's nothing serious!" I insisted, "It's just I'm not supposed to push myself too much to keep it that way. So in a way you'd be helping me out if you gave me a way to stay out of trouble for the day." I laughed nervously seeing Finn beaming smugly at me from the corner of my eye. Part of me felt like I had lost in some way just now.

Gill looked at me skeptically, "I don't know…."

"We could let her do some of the filing," Hamilton suggested, "The public records of course," I he added quickly to wave off Gills initial protest, "Gill weren't you going to do that this afternoon?"

Gill nodded in response, "I suppose that could work." He said in a businesslike tone, "it certainly would clear up my schedule a bit."

Hamilton nodded happily, "There you go!" He said clapping his hands together. "Gill why don't to show Hikari the filing system while I get started on organizing these?"

Gill nodded and motioned for me to follow him. I quickly moved to fall in step with his long stride as he led me out of the main room and into a small hallway in the back.

"You're going to regret opening your mouth." Gill said as soon as his father was out of ear shot. A few months ago I might have interpreted his tone as a threat but now I knew it to be a warning, "The public records are a mess," Gill explained crisply, "They keep getting put off in favor of more urgent tasks. The last time they were taken care of was last year when father trapped me into doing them for him."

"Are they that bad?" I asked nervously.

Gill nodded, "Worse." He answered, "It's supposed to be father's job but he hates doing it. I was going to take care of it today simply because it couldn't be put off anymore."

What have I gotten myself into? I thought nervously to myself.

Gill opened up a door to reveal a room filled with filing cabinets and a large table with a wooden chair in the center of the room. On the table covering every spare inch of its surface were tall stacks of files and loose pages evidently waiting to be filed. My eyes grew wide in shock, this wasn't an afternoons worth of filing but a week's worth! Maybe even two or three.

"Oh…" I said speechless, "That's a lot of files….."

"Don't worry about finishing. Just do what you can." Gil said, "There's way too much here for one person to handle. Just do a little until you get tired of it, then feel free to leave."

Part of me realized Gill was saying that just to be kind but I couldn't help but feel as though he had issued a challenge. Like he didn't think a rancher had what it took to stick it out and work through a massive paperwork project like this. Well joke was on him, while it was true my current line of work didn't require any more than minimal book keeping and filing I was still the daughter of a shopkeeper and there was considerably more paperwork involved in that. I didn't become an expert book keeper from nowhere.

"I'll be fine thanks." I assured him, "You go ahead and get to work I'll tackle this on my own."

Gil raised his eyebrows in disbelief, "Are you sure?" He asked skeptically, "Don't bite off more than you can chew Hikari."

That did it.

"I'm more than sure." I said sweetly, "Now shoo! You've got more important things to do than sit around here and babysit me." I made a shooing motion with my hands and chased him out the door leaving me alone with the massive undertaking before me.

"Hikari…." Finn called uncertainly, "This is a lot of filing…."

I let out a heavy sigh, "Tell me about it." I went over and began moving things to clear a workspace at the table, "Still it's nothing I can't handle, it's just filing."

"But isn't that boring?" Finn asked curiously.

"Extremely." I admitted, "That's probably why Hamilton kept putting it off. I thought you'd be happy though."

"What?" Finn asked confused.

"Well I'm taking it easy just like you wanted." I said sitting down and taking a file off the top of one of the stacks at random, "I won't be doing anything all that strenuous while stuck in here."

"I guess…." Finn agreed reluctantly, "Still…."

Finn said nothing more and I became too engrossed in the task at hand to listen anyway.

"Ugh this pile is endless!" I exclaimed moving another large stack closer to my now much larger work space, "Finn remind me to never owe Hamilton a favor." I muttered unhappily, "I get the feeling he'd put anyone from town in here if it meant he didn't have to do this. Some of these things go back 20 years!"

"Hikari why don't you quit now?" Finn offered gently, "After all Gill said you could leave whenever you wanted and you've already done a lot."

He gestured to the now almost halved mass of unfiled documents. It was true I had made quite a dent in it but it wasn't enough, not yet, I had something to prove here. Even I wasn't sure why is so important to do this. Ii might have had something to do with the way Gill had wrote me off so quickly. It might have been because I was desperate to actually be helpful after the catastrophe I caused earlier in the lobby. I had only been helping Gill out of my own selfishness after all.

"We're not done here yet Finn!" I insisted sitting down with the next stack quickly sorting it into various piles to make the filing easier, "I said I'd help, and I'm not going to quit just because it's hard."

Finn sighed wearily and flew over to one of the stacks in the back appearing to be settling in for a nap. I watched him and rubbed my strained eyes with jealousy. I was the one who needed a nap. I was the one who had been out and about all hours of the night after all. Stupid dream, it caused nothing but trouble.

It wasn't bad enough that it had woken me up and denied me sleep but because of that I had actually thought it was a good idea to go out and impose on the wizard in the middle of night. I could feel my face heating up as I stared blankly at the document in front of me. What had I been thinking? Then I went and threw a tantrum. That hadn't been my finest moment, had it?

"Argh!" I growled and buried my face in my hands. There was no telling what the Wizard thought of me now. Despite my best efforts I always came across as so incapable around him. Why someone who was always so in control put up with an eternal mess up like myself was beyond me.

Still, he had made me feel better. Some part of me had known he would. Maybe it was because it always seemed like he could see right through me to the heart of whatever was on my mind. Perhaps that kind of focused seeing was what I had needed last night. I yawned and stretched my arms out over my head. Of course it helped that the wizard was one of the few people aside from Finn who knew everything that was going on. I couldn't talk to Finn about everything because I didn't want to worry or upset the little guy. He was my eternally sunny support. I wasn't sure I could make it if he were to suddenly become depressed. It was a selfish way of thinking I knew, but I needed at least one place I could be selfish right now.

The Wizard had proved the perfect confident. I wondered what he might be up to right now while I was locked away in this crowded file room. Probably reading, I thought with a smile, he was always reading something from his massive collection. Or using his crystal ball maybe, though I hadn't seen him using it much recently. I shook myself mentally I needed to focus on the task at hand. What was doing daydreaming? My face flushed anew, I was starting act all love struck again…

Wizard's PoV

I stared nervously at the crystal's gleaming surface not quite ready to believe what was evidently happening. After Hikari had left last night I had decided it was high time I too got some sleep. Since it was so late it was late morning early afternoon before I awoke. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the local bird's antics had not caused me to wake in the usual early hours of the morning. The second surprise that assaulted me was that a certain familiar but recently lacking, lurking in the back of my mind had returned.

After preparing a cup of coffee and taking an appropriate time to become fully awake I reassessed myself and the crystal ball. I had to be sure this wasn't a mistaken sense brought on by drowsiness from a rare good night's sleep. I inhaled deeply and focused completely on that now oh so familiar beckoning calling out to come over and fall prey to the temptation of power. My eyes flew open and I nodded to myself clinically, yes that was most defiantly the crystal ball.

Wasting no time I strode across the room to the place where it had been resting these last few days in its stubborn isolation. I had placed it on a top shelf tucked away and out of sight in an attempt to forget about its troubling implications for a time. I was likely to drive myself mad if I had to see it out and unused all the time. In truth, though the visit to the goddess had answered some questions about what it was up to, it offered little or no answers on how to mend the issue. Now it seemed the crystal had found a solution for itself. That could spell trouble…

I carefully brought it down from its banishment and set it in its customary place on the small table in the center of the room and now I was just staring at the crystal with a leery kind of curiosity. I had known the crystal a long time it was a resentful partner and belligerent ally, if it had come to a place of reconciliation unprompted, then there could only be evil at hand. I sighed heavily, still, like it or not we each needed the other; the crystal knew this as well as I. This tantrum it had been throwing couldn't go on forever, it could seep it's power out into the world if it went unused for too long but what it truly desired, what it thrived on was the decay and consumption of one who wielded it. For that it would have to accept its user.

In a sense I liked my crystal ball, for all its wicked intentions and dangerous plotting it was at least easily understood. It wanted to destroy me, to get the better of me until the user became the one who was used. Recent events aside its motives were always easily understood and with the crystal ball I always knew just what to expect. To someone as unused to and not fond of figuring out difficult social situations as myself the crystal ball was refreshing and astoundingly simple to manage.

It was exactly this easily understood simplicity of its motives that made me certain that the crystal was up to something. I wondered if it would be better not to act on this summoning from the crystal, for that was essentially what it was. I usually endeavored to never approach the crystal on its terms since that was a mistake that could prove deadly. Unfortunately the same harsh fact that trapped the Crystal so too entrapped myself; we each needed the other. To refuse now could prolong things and things were quickly reaching the point where I was desperate to re-forge our connection.

It was undesirable but I had little choice but to proceed and use the crystal ball. I slowly raised my hands above the surface and the connection was made instantly. The crystal grabbed at my mind forcefully and ripped my consciousness jarringly out of the physical realm and into a place where its dominion was much stronger than mine own.

I quickly took note of my surroundings trying to determine where exactly the crystal had brought me fearing the worst. To my vast surprise I realized that we had arrived in the scape of my own heart. It seemed the crystal wished to do this on neutral ground. I furrowed my brows in suspicion. That was uncharacteristically diplomatic of it. Perhaps it was up to more evil than I feared...

Hikari's PoV

"Hikari?" A voice called out to me from the hazy distance.

I furrowed my brow in confusion at the sound. The voice was familiar but not the expected one. Usually it was Finn trying to wake me up and start the day. I shrugged it off mentally, I was probably just still too much in the grips of sleep. I readjusted myself and tried to settle in and go back to sleep.

"Not yet Finn…." I muttered drowsily, "Five more minutes."

"Hikari this isn't your bed and who is Finn?" The voice called out crisply, "Hikari you're sleeping on the table of the filing room!"

My eyes flew open. "What?" I asked my voice sounding too drowsy to aptly convey my panic and confusion.

"You heard me," Gill said flatly, "You must have fallen asleep while filing, what did you do with the stacks anyway?" He asked glancing around the room for the missing mess.

"I filed it all." I said yawning with a stretch still not entirely self-aware, "I thought that's what you wanted me to do."

Gill was quiet for a moment as he did a quick circle around the table as if expecting to find stacks hidden just beyond it, "All of it?" He asked astonished.

I nodded delicately wiping the sleep from my eyes, "Sorry I must have fallen asleep after I finished up." I apologized, "What time is it anyway?" I asked dazedly.

"You filed all those stacks?" Gill questioned seriously, "You didn't just stuff a bunch of them somewhere did you?"

"Hey I know how to file properly Gill!" I snapped feeling insulted by his accusation, "I know better than to pull something like that, give me SOME credit."

Gill looked around in disbelief, "But how did you get through all of it?" he asked more bewildered than accusatory.

I shrugged my shoulders carelessly, "Just keep at it and don't stop until the job is done." I said as though it were of no consequence, "It takes a while but you get there eventually, it's just filing."

Gill shook his head, "My father isn't going to believe this…" He said still lost in disbelief.

I stood up starting to feel a bit more awake as I thought about Hamilton for a moment, "It would probably be best not to tell him." I said thoughtfully.

Gill looked at me as if I had claimed the sky was green, "Why not?" He asked shocked.

"Think about it," I said nervously, "He already seems to hate filing as it is, if he finds out I can tackle a big mess like that in one day he'll have an excuse to be even more carless and I'll be getting called in all the time to clean up filing messes. I'm a rancher Gill not a paper pusher."

Gill seemed to think it over a moment before nodding in agreement, "You have a valid point," He consented, "But how am I going to explain the lack of unfiled papers?"

I shrugged, "Just keep him out for a few days." I said easily, "When he finally comes in to see it done just tell him you did it. Complain a lot about all the hassle and tell him to be more vigilant next time blah blah blah, I'm sure you can do it." I gave him an encouraging slap on the back.

Gill looked uncertain, "But then I'd be taking the credit." The idea seemed to repulse him.

I shook my head; Gill and his useless pride, he and Luna really were like sometimes.

"Please just do me this favor Gill." I pleaded deciding to try a different tactic hoping he was the type to have a soft spot for helping girls in trouble, "I really can't afford to spend my days locked up in here filing for your father."

Ok maybe I was playing up the damsel in distress a little too much even I could sympathize with the small sneer that briefly crossed Gill's features.

Gill let out a heavy sigh, "Fine." He said grudgingly, "Only because you really helped out today, and don't expect any more favors from me for a while."

I beamed triumphantly, "Thanks Gill!" I said happily, "Hey let's get out of here, if I spend even one more minute in this closet I think I'll go mad."

Gill looked at me skeptically perhaps he thought me to be already mad but he said nothing as he held the door open for me to exit. I skipped out happily, I had done it! I completed the task successfully, it was nice to have a victory to celebrate that didn't come with four more tasks attached to it.

"So how are things going on your ranch Hikari?" Gill asked conversationally.

"Pretty good." I said casually, "Your tips helped out a lot. I took a bit of a gamble on the crops this season, spending more than I could practically afford on seeds and all. When that storm blew in I thought for sure I'd be destitute! But it seems lady luck was on my side. My field was hardly touched."

Gill seemed to be considering what I told him seriously, "It'd be wise to keep your risks to a minimum." He advised grimly, "This town doesn't currently have to resources to help bail you out should you find yourself on hard times."

I nodded gravely. "I know." I answered with honest sincerity, "Things have gotten better in the time I've been here but I can see Castanet is far from out of the woods." My tone was grim and held a gravity that was not customary of me.

Gill looked at me in surprise, "I didn't think you were the type to notice." Gill admitted apologetically.

I smiled then hoping to wave the sad air from the room, "This is my home too Gill," I said brightly, "Of course I notice."

Gill sighed again and brought his hand to his temple in thought, "Naturally." He mumbled disgruntled, "Of course you would think that way, should have considered it that way."

I looked at Gill with concerned confusion, "It's not a big deal." I said lightly, "No need to trouble yourself with it."

"No I just sometimes forget that I'm not the only one who wants to make this place great." Gill sighed, "I just want to make this town a great place to live, where everyone is safe and happy. And I want to the town to prosper for as long as it stands. It's been my wish for as long as I can remember."

Somehow I felt that Gill's wish deeply resonated with one of my own. Difference was while he worked on improving things here on the mortal side I was stuck trying to navigate the hidden magical world working in the background. Still with such a sincere desire as that I was sure some day Gill would make a fantastic mayor.

"Hikari that's another wish for the shrine!" Finn burst out happily, "All your hard work today paid off!"

I gave a small smile in silent answer to Finn. He was right another wish collected, perhaps this whole wish thing wasn't going to be as hard as I had previously believed.

"Oh Hikari I asked you earlier but you didn't answer." Gill said interrupting Finn and I's silent celebration. "But who is Finn?"

Suddenly I felt the blood drain for my face, "What do you mean?" I asked nervously. Where had he heard about Finn? I never mentioned him to anyone around town since they couldn't see him. Had someone overheard the two of us talking at some point? I really should start being more careful about when we spoke to each other. Still Gill was the last person I wanted asking that question. He had nearly seen Finn once after all and of all the townsfolk he was the closest to figuring out my secret.

"When I was trying to wake up you called me Finn." Gill said simply, "I don't know of anyone named Finn in Castanet." He said with a frown.

I felt sweat collecting on my brow, I needed to come up with something and I needed to come with it quickly, "Oh that's because he doesn't!" I said laughing uneasily, "Finn was a friend of the family who worked in my parents shop back home!" I said the words tumbling out of my mouth like a babbling torrent of spontaneous fibs, "He used to come in and wake up if I slept in too late sometimes. I guess you just jogged a childhood memory earlier." I laughed again just a touch too forcefully. Until now I never had to lie outright to keep my secret and now that I was I felt absolutely wretched about the whole thing. Especially just moments after I had been so honestly confided in.

"I see." Gill said understandingly, "It was just a surprise to be called Finn."

I chuckled nervously, "It could have been worse." I offered my mouth now running away with itself, "I could have called you mommy."

Oh WHY did I say THAT?! I was suddenly wishing somebody would come along and shut me up already. The situation was rapidly spiraling out of my control. What was I going to do if I said anything else ridiculously idiotic?

"That would have been far more surprising." Gill agreed without laughing.

"Well it's pretty late in the day." I said hoping to still manage some semblance of a graceful exit, "There is still a lot to do back home on my ranch so I had better get going."

Gill nodded in understanding, "Thanks for all your help Hikari, don't work too hard."

I smiled brightly grateful to finally be able to head for the door and away from any more potentially dangerous questions, "I just hope I helped enough to undo the trouble I caused." I said cheerily, "See you around!" I waved in a friendly manner and skipped through the door and out into the golden light of the waning day.