AN: Final chapter. Sorry it took so long. I had a hard time figuring out just how to finish it. I knew how I wanted the outcome, but it was hard to figure out what happened in-between.

By the way, several people pointed out my error in Kyushin saying Miori was his first, but I just wanted to clarify, I meant his first that he actually wanted. He may not technically be a virgin, but in a way, he was. Sorry about that, I hope it wasn’t too confusing.

Chapter 16

Midori

“You’re my what?”

“Genie.”

“No way.”

“…Yes.”

“Not uh!”

“Afraid so.”

“Genies aren’t real.”

“Oh, if I had a penny for every time I heard that one.”

A young girl placed her hand on her hip, analyzing the man in front of her head to toe. She raised an eyebrow, flipping her blonde pony-tail behind her shoulder.

“Do something magical.”

The genie inhaled deeply, letting out a long, loud sigh. He snapped his finger and the girl’s mouth shut. In a low and obviously bored tone, he drawled, “Now try to talk, oh whoops, you can’t. Fancy that.”

The girl let out a few screams that were muffled due to his magic tricks. He sat down on a chair, propping his legs up on a desk. “My name is Kyushin, I’ll be your genie. You have five wishes, use them wisely. No, you cannot be gracious and set me free, it’s impossible.”

He snapped his finger and the girl’s screams suddenly became audible. She crossed her arms, staring at him suspiciously.

“Kyushin, huh? You’re pretty cute-“

“I’m not interested,” he cut in, picking up a pencil from the desk and attempting to balance it on his nose. “and I never will be.”

“Hmph!” She glared at him, “It’s not like I wanted anything, and I have a boyfriend!”

“Whatever,” he stood up, scratching his head with a bored expression, “if you need me, call. I’m disappearing for awhile, though.”

The girl watched in fascination as he bowed and disappeared in a cloud of green smoke. When the smoke dispersed she reached into her pocket, taking out a cell phone. “Oh, my God. Mimi, you will not believe what just happened.”

Kyushin arrived in what could only be described as a white room. There were no windows, no doors, and no walls; it was just a vast area of pure white. He snapped his fingers, a chair and a huge orb appearing instantly. He fell into the chair, fidgeting until he felt comfortable, and watched the screen.

“Kyushin, what are you doing?”

He looked up to see Ryoshon standing in front of him with folded arms and an unhappy face.

“What do you think I’m doing?” He responded, staring at the orb.

“It’s been four years,” Ryoshon muttered, “shouldn’t you move on?”

“Well, when you think about it, I’ve been alive for…what? 4000 years. And so, when you do the math, four years compared to 4000 years is practically nothing,” he mumbled offhandedly.

“You’re an idiot,” never less, Ryoshon conjured up his own chair and sat down next to his best friend. “What’s she doing today?”

“I don’t know, probably planning for the wedding,” he muttered bitterly, his eyes lingering on the orb.

Inside the orb was an image of a beautiful Japanese woman. She was strolling through town, her long black hair pulled into a braid that was tied by a blue ribbon. She paused at a stand of flowers, fingering a rose gently.

“I feel creepy,” Ryoshon mumbled.

“Shut up, you’re ruining this for me,” he sent his friend a dirty look. Ryoshon sent him his own look that clearly read: “You’re psycho.”

“Doesn’t this drive you crazy? Watching Miori from a distance, watching her fall in love with another guy-“

“Mi doesn’t love him,” Kyushin looked horrified. “Haven’t you seen them together? They’re so awkward! They barely even touch! She’s probably only marrying him because she feels bad, I mean, who would marry him?”

Ryoshon rolled his eyes. Despite thinking that Miori probably was in love with this man, he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. He sighed, leaning back into the chair and watching his best friend obsess over every move his love made.

‘He needs his memory erased too.’

“Don’t you think this would be pretty in a floral decoration? I mean, I know it’s not white, but it’s no secret that you’re not a virgin, so why fake it?”

Miori looked up from the flowers with an annoyed expression. She glared at the woman in front of her, “You’re so sweet to me, Konno.”

“Oh, psh, whatever Miri,” Konno picked a flower and inhaled the scent deeply, “you know I only say the things I say to make you stronger.”

In response to her excuse, Miori snorted and left the flower stand. Konno quickly followed, shouting “Hey!” angrily.

Miori looked similar to what she had as a seventeen year old, if not even more beautiful. She had grown into her features and her body matured in all the right places. The only difference was the constant color of her eyes. When she was younger they changed frequently, but the color was almost always a dull gray, even when she had a smile on her face.

Konno had gotten used to the far away look in her friend’s face. Miori hadn’t been the same since Kyushin left, but the situation was always so difficult because she still could not remember her genie.

As she watched her best friend stroll down the bustling street, Konno flashed back to the past.

She hesitantly knocked on the door, peaking slowly into the room. The day before she had found her friend sobbing on the bed, not remembering her genie but still mourning the loss of his absence.

“Miri?”

Miori didn’t respond, instead stared into the ceiling, a blank look on her face. Konno walked towards her and sat on the bed, gently holding her hand.

“How are you doing?”

Miori said nothing. After a moment she slowly moved her shoulders up and down. Konno squeezed her hand and whispered, “Do you want to talk?”

Her voice was extremely quiet and came out croaked, “W-when…I speak…I just cry.”

Konno had to look away from her best friend, feeling the sting of tears on her own eyes. After listening to Miori wail the previous day, she had come to the conclusion that Kyushin must have done something to make her forget. While Miori had no recollection of him, she still knew something important was gone from her life.

She didn’t even know how to approach the problem. How could you help your friend mourn for someone when they didn’t even know who they were? And Namie just made the situation worse. Konno knew it was possible for Miori to forget Kyushin, but Namie was convinced she had gone into shock, and kept begging her to let her take her to the doctor.

“It’s okay to cry,” she whispered, squeezing Miori’s hand. “I can answer any questions.”

Miori said nothing, choosing instead to sit there numb. Konno curled up against her best friend, wrapping her arms around her tiny figure.

“Why can’t I remember him?”

Konno paused, “I…don’t think…I mean…that’s the one question I can’t answer.”

She inhaled slowly, letting the breath come out in one huge sigh. Miori sniffed, rubbing a tear from her eye. “I don’t want to know anything about him then. If I can’t remember then there’s obviously a reason.”

“Alright. He’s no one to cry over anyway,” Konno whispered, running her hands through her hair, “you should be glad you don’t remember him.”

Miori didn’t respond.

“Konno, are you coming?”

Konno snapped her head up when she heard Miori’s voice. She smiled and nodded, “I’m coming. I just got scatterbrained thinking about your wedding! It’s in just a few days, are you excited?”

Miori shrugged, “I don’t know. I suppose. He’s a good guy.”

Rolling her eyes, Konno mumbled, “You guess? Shouldn’t you be passionate about the person you’re going to marry?”

“Well, I have a feeling I was passionate once in my life, and that didn’t work out too well for me, obviously.” Miori’s voice was bitter, but Konno knew she wasn’t angry. Miori tended to feel apathetic about most situations.

“Yes, but…I mean, when Taisuke and I got married we couldn’t wait for the honeymoon. And you,” she squinted her eyes, “you apparently don’t ever want to touch him.”

“We have moments of intimacy,” her eyes set into a glare, “I just don’t feel like we’re ready for that.”

“If you’re not ready for sex then you’re not ready for marriage!” Konno spit, throwing her arms into the air.

Miori whirled around on her friend, a fierce look in her eye. “Konno, I’m sorry, but it’s a complicated situation and you know that. She needs a father, and not many people are willing to wed someone who had a baby but has no idea who the father is.” Konno slunk back and Miori felt remorse trickle into her body. “Look, I’m sorry, I’m just…stressed.”

“I know you are,” Konno placed her hand affectionately on her friend’s shoulder. “I’m just worried. I don’t want you to go into a marriage where there’s no love.”

“There’s love,” she said in response, “it’s just not a passionate love. Eiji’s a good guy, and he’ll support us. That’s all I need. I just can’t feel anything like that for anyone. I’ve tried, I honestly have. Let‘s just get home.”

Konno watched with sad eyes as Miori walked towards home. Silently she muttered, “Kyushin, you bastard.”

Little did she know that from very far away Kyushin cursed back at her.

“You shouldn’t go!”

“I’m going.”

“But you shouldn’t! You can’t survive it!”

Kyushin turned to glare at Ryoshon, conjuring up a suit and putting it on. “I’m a big boy, Ryoshon. I know what I’m getting myself into.”

Ryoshon didn‘t look satisfied. “What if Zen finds out, what if she recognizes you, what if you do something stupid, what if you-”

“What if I what? Go up to her and tell her that I love her and she shouldn’t marry him?” Kyushin snapped, a bitter tone in his voice. He watched the face of his best friend drop and he clicked his tongue, “It doesn’t matter. She won’t remember me. If I do that she’ll just think I’m crazy.”

The both fell silent for a moment, but Ryoshon spoke up again, “And the little girl? Are you going to talk to her?”

Kyushin’s face fell emotionless at the moment of her. He struggled with his tie, and after several failed attempts he simply snapped his finger and let his magic do the trick.

“I just want to see her up close,” his voice was so quiet Ryoshon had to strain to hear it. “I may never get a chance to see either of them. Zen shouldn’t be a problem today, Yana said she’d keep him busy.”

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea,” he rested his hand on Kyushin’s shoulder, “she’s getting married. You’ll watch her go off with someone else. “

The two men locked eyes, and after an intense moment, Kyushin grabbed Ryoshon’s hand and took it gently off of his shoulder. He smiled gently, “It’s okay. I’ll be fine. I’m only going for the receptionist anyway. Miori will probably be so busy I won’t even see her.”

His best friend sighed, throwing his hands up into the air in defeat. “Well, if something…well…you know, happens…just call me. I’ll come for you.”

“Come for me?” Kyushin snorted, “I’m not a baby. I’ll be fine.”

Ryoshon stared at him seriously, however. “I will.”

He disappeared in a cloud of red smoke, leaving Kyushin with a lingering feeling of dread. He shook it off and examined himself in the mirror. He didn’t have time to worry, he had a wedding to attend.

“Congratulations!”

Miori smiled at the couple and bowed her head, “Thank you so much. It’s so good to see you.” The couple smiled and moved on, chatting quietly to themselves about the lovely wedding they just witnessed.

Miori was standing off to the side, watching the guests of her wedding with little curiosity. She didn’t want to be here, she hated this. Everyone looked so happy and kept asking her how happy she was when the truth was…she just wasn’t. Eiji was a wonderful guy, but even he knew he was going into a loveless marriage.

“You look beautiful!” An older woman walked up to Miori and handed her a card, “This is for Midori. I missed her birthday!”

Miori bowed once again and thanked the old woman. She inwardly groaned when she felt the presence of another person behind her, but she was pleasantly surprised when a familiar man locked her by the neck and rubbed the top of her head.

“Woah, look at you! All married!”

Miori glared at Taisuke, hitting his arms until he let go of her. She smoothed down her head and with an irritated tone said, “Way to ruin my hair!”

He grinned, nudging her in the side, “Wait till the wedding night! It won’t last long in bed!”

She laughed quietly along with him, hoping that he would notice how uncomfortable she felt. Konno was the only one she had confided in with the knowledge of her true feelings for Eiji, and as far as she knew, Konno didn’t even inform her husband.

“I can’t believe you got married. It seems so long ago that Kon and I were here ourselves,” he sighed wistfully, “those were the days.”

Miori rolled her eyes, “Those were the days? It was two months ago!”

“Yes, but we’re still veterans compared to you!”

The two turned to see Konno walking up to them, looking beautiful in a gold fitted dress. When she came close to Taisuke he kissed her quickly, running his hands through her long hair.

“Oh, get a room!” Miori pretended to puke, but Konno hit her quickly. The three laughed quietly, but Miori was left the only one laughing suddenly. She looked up at Konno and Taisuke, confused at the sudden solemn looks upon their faces.

“Guys? I was puking?”

She followed their gaze to a man who had just entered the room. He was tall, with the most shocking shade of hair she had ever seen in her life. Green? Never less, he was handsome.

“Do you know him?” Miori asked, tilting her head in the man’s direction.

Konno locked eyes with Taisuke quickly, and after a minute she muttered, “No, I uh, I just think…his hair. Seems strange to have that color when you’re attending a formal wedding.”

Miori looked back at the man. He was looking around the room with a strange look on his face. She muttered, “I don’t know. It almost seems to suit him.”

Konno shot Taisuke another look and he suddenly grabbed Miori by the arm. “Hey, Miori, let’s go look at all your presents! I want to guess what they are.”

He quickly dragged the bride off, creating a spectacle as Miori shouted, “That’s juvenile! I won’t do it! It’s a coffee maker!”

Konno watched as Kyushin saw Miori finally. He stared at her so intently that he didn’t notice Konno stomping across the room and firmly grabbing onto his arm. His head snapped to her and his eye widened upon seeing her face.

“You. Outside!” Konno barked, pulling him off with her.

Kyushin knew better than to object , letting her pull him outside. They walked until Konno knew they would have privacy, before she let go of his arm and shouted, “What the hell are you doing here?”

He rubbed his arm, surprised at her strength. “What the hell Konno? Aren’t you happy to see me?”

She shot him a dirty look. “It’s really you, isn’t it? Kyushin?”

“The one and only,” he stuffed his hands in his pockets, “how have you been, Konno?”

“Awful!” she slammed her fist into his shoulder, “How could you? How could you do that to her?”

“Do what?” he shouted, rubbing his arm slowly. “God, Konno. You’re supposed to hit like a girl.”

“You left her!” she ran a hand through her hair, pacing back and forth. “You left her! You were supposed to tell her that you loved her and find a way to be with her!”

His face hardened, “I didn’t have much of a choice. You know as well as I do that I would have stayed if it was possible, but it wasn’t.”

She shook her head back and forth, determined to not let him get away that easily. “But still. Why take everything away from her? Wouldn’t it have been better for her to remember you?”

“And let her be depressed?” his expression dropped from a hard glare to completely blank. “At least she didn’t know anything was wrong.”

“She did, though! She cried for months, and she still cries now, but she just doesn’t know why!” As she yelled at him he slowly raised his face to meet hers. “And she doesn’t know why she got pregnant!”

He raised his hand to his face, rubbing his forehead to ease his headache. “I didn’t know about that until it was too late…”

The two said nothing, and time lapsed into an awkward silence. After a moment Konno finally softened her expression. “Have you seen her?”

“Midori? Yeah.” His mind wandered off at the mention of his daughter. “Not up close, though. Only from a distance.”

“She’s sweet,” Konno reached into her purse, digging for something. “Do you want a picture?”

He nodded, avoiding eye contact with Konno. After a minute of searching, she pulled out a picture and handed it to him. He took it from her, a small smile spreading across his face when he saw the image. Midori was wearing a frilly pink dress covered in hearts. Her light brown hair was put into two pig tails, and her familiar blue eyes were opened wide in surprise.

“Miori wonders why her daughter has such foreign features. Is that what you looked like before you became a genie? Light hair, big eyes?” Konno whispered, watching his expression carefully.

He swallowed, the words caught in his throat. “Yeah. She looks like I did, except much more pretty. Do you…have a picture of Miori?”

Konno nodded, instantly handing him another picture. “It’s got Eiji in it, though. You can always cut him out.”

“No, it’s okay,” he stared at the other photograph, analyzing the man next to Miori. The two looked happy together, although he noticed they were not touching. “I’ve gotten used to seeing them together.”

She couldn’t keep the look of pity out of her eyes, and Konno shrugged her off. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m a genie. I’m used to not having life go my way.”

She shrugged, “So what are you doing here?”

He tried to come up with a great reason, but his mind mustered a blank. “I…just wanted to see her. And Midori. I had the opportunity and it seemed like a good day.”

“A good day?” the glare came back onto Konno’s face, “What if she saw you and remembered? What a great wedding day.”

“But she won’t remember me,” Kyushin cut in. “You and Ryoshon, one in the same. Don’t be concerned about her, she won’t feel a thing for me. I’ve been watching her since I left, I can tell her mind doesn’t linger to me.”

“Well, it does, for your information,” she tried to fill her voice with contempt, but it came out softly. “She has no idea who you are, but she knows that she’s missing something. I made you out to be this bastard, told her she was lucky you ran away.”

“Oh thanks.”

Konno rolled her eyes, “What was I supposed to say? The truth? She would never believe me without proof. Plus, somewhere, in the back of her mind, she knows she’s not supposed to remember you. She doesn’t ask about you.”

As much as he tried to ignore it, the last sentence stung. True, he made Miori forget him, but in the back of his mind he couldn’t help but hope she still wanted to remember him.

“Look, I got to get back to the party,” she reached up and smoothed down his hair, “if you want to come in, I can’t stop you. Just don’t do anything stupid.”

“I won’t,” he promised.

Konno gave a small wave as she walked back inside. “Nice seeing you.”

He nodded in response, watching as she pulled open the door to the room and walked back in. He waited a few moments before taking in a deep breath of air and walking in the opposite direction. A small park was a few feet away, where several of the guests were chatting. His eyes slowly fell upon a small girl who was playing in the park.

Kyushin slowly walked up to the little girl, entranced by her present. She was busy picking flowers from the grass. He plopped down next to her, immediately attracting her attention.

“Hi, mister,” she bubbled, “my name is Midori!”

His expression remained blank. He asked softly, “Why is your name Midori?”

“Because Mom named me that, duh!” she began to rip chunks of grass out of the ground. “Mom says it’s her most favorist color.”

“Most favorist color, huh?” He chuckled, watching her with strong eyes. After a moment of debating the next question he had in his mind, he finally asked, “W-where’s your dad?”

He was worried that she might become sad at the mention of her missing father, but she didn‘t seem to put much thought into it. “Dunno’! Mommy says I don’t have one. Mommy says she doesn’t have one either. Mommy says that Daddys are over…over…” Midori trailed off, scrunching her eyebrows together in confusion.

“Overrated?” he offered.

“Yes!” She giggled as she planted herself on the ground, spreading her legs out to mimic him. “What’s your name?”

“Kyushin,” he said as he picked a flower. “It doesn’t mean anything like your name does.”

Her lip twitched upward, “You have a weird name!”

“I know.” He began to tie the flowers together, slowly forming a crown of daisies. “Are you excited that you have a Daddy now?”

“Eiji?” She echoed.

“Yes.”

“Eiji is not my daddy!” She began to roll around on the grass, “Eiji is a dummy! He tells me to pick up my blocks! I pick up my blocks just fine by myself!”

“Oh yeah?” He watched in amusement as she continued to roll. “Won’t your mom be mad if you get your dress all green?”

“Nope!” She sat up proudly, dusting the pieces of grass from her dress. “Grass is green like my name, duh! She’ll think it’s so cool!”

He laughed. “She must have changed since I knew her, then.”

“Oh, you know Mommy?” she stood up, wobbling on account of her thin legs.

He flinched, “Well, not exactly-“

“Moooom!” Midori ran off suddenly, calling out for her mother. “Moooom come heeeere!”

Kyushin cursed, then upon realizing he was in the presence of a child covered his mouth and inwardly cursed. Midori kept calling until Miori came rushing out the door and looking for her child. When she spotted her and noticed she was safe, she calmly walked over.

“What Mi?” She asked gently, clearly used to her daughter’s behaviors.

“This guy knows you! Come say hello!”

Kyushin cursed again and turned around, looking for an escape so that he didn’t have to face her. Unfortunately he had backed himself into a corner, and the only way out was past the woman who was approaching him quickly.

“He says he knows me, hm?” Miori bent down and picked Midori into her arms, then switched her gaze to Kyushin. When she saw him her brows deepened slightly. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe…well, I mean…”

He slowly brought his eyes up to look at her. She was really beautiful, he couldn’t deny that. Her wedding dress was simple, a sleeveless white gown that hugged her curves nicely. Her long raven hair was pulled up in an elegant bun, and a string of pearls dangled from tresses.

Kyushin cleared his throat and put his hands in his pocket, “No, it’s fine, you wouldn’t remember me. We only had one class together way back in high school.”

“High school? Then I’m sure I can remember you…what’s your name?” Before Kyushin could even respond, Midori piped up, “Kyushin! His name is Kyushin!”

Miori cocked her head slightly to the side, almost as if the name rang a bell. Without realizing it he held his breath, hoping for her to remember him.

“Kyushin?” She laughed, embarrassed. “I’m so sorry, I really don’t remember you. I was kind of scatter brained in high school, if that helps?”

He smiled hesitantly, trying to ignore the disappointed feeling rising in his gut. Shrugging, he mumbled, “It’s fine. I didn’t expect you to remember me. Congratulations on your wedding, though.”

“Oh, thank you. Do you know Eiji?” she shifted Midori in her arms, huffing slightly. “Boy, you’re getting heavy.”

“Oh, yeah…uh…his cousin and I are dating,” he muttered, watching her as she continued to struggle holding her daughter. “Would it be alright if…I mean…could I hold her, just for a second?”

Miori looked surprised and a bit reluctant. “Oh, well, she’s quite big, I don’t think-“

“No, mom!” Midori shuffled down her mom’s arms until her feet touched the bottom. “I like him! Pick me up, pick me up!”

Kyushin looked over at Miori, unsure if he was allowed to pick her up. She smiled, however, and nodded. He hoisted the little girl up into the air, a soft smile touching his face when he saw her own light up.

“You like kids?”

He looked over at her, noting the surprised look on her face. “Oh, well…she…reminds me of my own daughter. Back home.”

“Back home?”

He cleared his throat and set Midori back on the ground. “Yes, uh, her mother and I are…separated.”

Miori nodded, suddenly feeling awkward. “I’m sorry.”

Kyushin stared at her for a second, his breath catching in his throat. “Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault. It was mine.”

She didn’t catch the soft tone in his voice, and it went unaware that he was speaking about them. The two were silent for an awkward moment, and sensing this, Kyushin nodded at her. “Well, congratulations again. I must be going.”

“Oh, yes, thank you,” she reached down and took her daughter’s hand, “it was nice meeting you.”

After he had left, a voice behind Miori asked, “Who was that?”

Miori turned her head to lock eyes with Konno for a second. “I don’t know, some man who is dating Eiji’s cousin. Apparently we went to high school together.”

Konno nodded. Her gaze was stern as she watched Kyushin stare off into the distance. “Ah, yes, now I remember him. I think I had a class with him.”

“You’re better than I am,” she laughed, “I felt so stupid, I can’t recall him at all! He probably thinks I’m so rude-“

“Not at all?” Konno asked suddenly, “You really don’t remember him at all?”

She stared at her best friend with one eyebrow raised. After a second she drawled, “Yes. I’m positive. What’s the big deal?”

“Nothing,” Konno sighed quietly, “it’s nothing. He’s quite looker, hm?”

Miori shoved Konno on the shoulder, “I can’t believe you! I just got married! You’re married!”

“I’m just saying!”

“I think my husband is cute,” she reached up and flattened her hair.

“Then you’ll sleep with him tonight?”

“Konno! I can’t believe you!” her face flushed a scarlet red. “I’ll sleep with him if I want to. If I’m not ready then I’m not ready.”

“You were ready for him,” Konno muttered, quietly enough for Miori not to hear.

“Oh! They’re taking out the cake! I better go cut it before this thing starts to complain,” she ruffled the top of Midori’s hair, and as if on cue, she began to chant, “Cake! Cake! Cake!”

The pair walked off in search of the sweet pastry. Konno looked over her shoulder to look at Kyushin one more time, but she realized that he had disappeared.

“KYUSHIN.”

He awoke with a start, lifting his head from his pillow. He felt quite gorging and his eyes were blurry, but the moment he felt the dark presence in the room he sobered up.

“Zen,” he muttered, casting his eyes upon the head genie.

“You think you’re sneaky, huh?” Zen walked over to him and slapped him across the face, “You think she could distract me? You have strict orders that you are never allowed to see her!”

“I know, I know!” Kyushin rubbed his cheek, trying to keep his voice steady. “I just…I thought, maybe once-”

“Don’t be stupid!” Zen laughed, but it wasn’t friendly. “I’m doing this for your benefit! The more you see her, the more you’ll want to be with her.”

Kyushin had to bite his cheek from replying, “If you were doing this for my benefit, I’d be with her.”

Zen rolled up his sleeves and clicked his tongue, “Now how should I punish you?”

“I don’t care,” he dropped his shoulders and stared at the ground with no expression on his face, “do what you want. It can’t get much worse.”

Zen reveled in his genie’s depression., however, it did not come without it’s annoyances. He had been dealing with Kyushin since he took him way from his love, and no matter what he didn’t it didn’t seem to hurt the genie. He simply took it in stride. It was getting rather annoying. His genies were supposed to be afraid of him, and Kyushin didn’t seem to care.

“I think I’ll sit you in an empty room and make you watch that bitch make love to her husband. How about that? Does that sound fun?”

Surprisingly Kyushin didn’t respond. He looked up at Zen with a clear look of hatred in his eyes, but there was no fear. “What don’t you get? You can’t get any worse. I know she married him, I’ve accepted that. To see her with him won’t do anything. It’s a nightmare I’ve seen in my dreams since she met him. Nothing knew.”

Zen growled in frustration. He was almost willing to gamble with Kyushin.

“And if I locked you in a room with no contact for a thousand years?”

“I’ll just sleep,” Kyushin muttered. “And then she’ll be dead by the time I wake up, so it won’t matter anyway.”

The head genie slammed his arm against the wall, “You should fear me!”

“I don’t fear anything, have you forgotten?” Kyushin glared at Zen, not worrying about what would happen. “Fear is a feeling. You don’t feel fear when you don’t feel anything.”

A laugh escaped his lips and his mind whirled. Fine. Kyushin was obviously going to play hard ball.

“Let’s make a deal, Kyushin, shall we?” Zen sat down on the bed next to him, “It’ll make things interesting.”

Kyushin said nothing, but turned his head towards Zen in interest.

“I’m a nice man, so I think this is a generous offer myself. She just got married, and she’s obviously not in love with this human. After all, who could she really love after you?” He sneered, chuckling under his breath. “So I propose a deal. You get her little husband to switch bodies with you and you can be with her. You become him, he’ll become you. “

Kyushin stared at him suspiciously, “That seems to easy.”

“Ah, not so easy when you think about it,” Zen sat down on the table, examining his finger nails closely. “First off, you’ll have to convince him to leave his new wife and that cute little new daughter of his-”

“She’s not his daughter!” Kyushin barked.

“Pish, posh, he’s got a good life right now, that’s all that matters. You getting him to leave that life forever is challenge enough. And even if you do, will you really have the heart to send someone to the life you have now?”

He stared Zen straight into his eyes, clenching his fists tightly. After a moment he muttered, “How long do I get?”

“Two days,” he grinned, “and if you don’t do it, you never get to see her again. Ever. Plus, you‘re my personal slave. No more being a genie on a side, I‘ll be your master forever.”

Kyushin said nothing for a moment, but after a minute he finally said, “Deal.”

“Then let the game begin,” and with a snap of his thumb, Kyushin disappeared.

Kyushin landed abruptly on the ground of a dark apartment. He groaned at the hard impact, rubbing the side of his leg that ached.

‘I suppose he could have done worse,’ he thought.

He pushed himself off the ground and searched for a light switch. After a minute of looking he cursed and snapped his finger, instantly igniting light into the room.

“Now where am I?” he mumbled to himself. He walked towards the nearest door, reaching down to turn the door knob, but before he could finish his task he heard voices talking from within.

“I’m sorry, I’m just…I’m not ready, okay?”

“We’re married! Are you ever going to be ready?”

“Eiji! Calm down, you’ll wake Midori up!”

The door opened suddenly and Kyushin slammed his body against the wall. He watched the all-to-familiar form of Eiji, Miori’s new husband, enter the room and slam the door behind him. He was muttering curses under his breath and kicking moving boxes around.

“Why so moody?” Kyushin murmured, leaning against the wall with folded arms.

Eiji spun around quickly and hissed, “Shit!” Kyushin held up his hands in defense and said, “No need to be afraid.”

“Who the hell are you and why are you in my house?” his voice was loud, and Kyushin could hear Miori from the other room calling her husband’s name.

He held a finger up to his mouth to symbolize Eiji to be quiet, and just to make sure he snapped his fingers and silenced the man. In his best Eiji impersonation, he called back, “I’m fine!” and locked the door.

“Now, don’t be alarmed, I’m no one to be afraid of. My name is Kyushin and I am a genie.” He began to walk circles around the very alarmed Eiji. “I have come to offer a proposition for you. If you’re willing to talk quietly and without the presence of anyone else, I can make your wildest dreams come true. Do we have a deal?”

Eiji stared at him, bewildered, but fearing he had nothing to lose, he nodded his head. Kyushin smiled, “Good. Let’s talk somewhere else, shall we?” He rested his hand on Eiji’s shoulder and they disappeared. A moment later the two reappeared in a world filled of completely white space.

“Welcome to my home,” Kyushin bowed, his arms spread out wide, “it’s not much, but it serves me well.”

“W-what’s going on?” Eiji stuttered.

“I told you already, no need to go over it again. Listen, Eiji, if there was one thing in life you could have, what would it be?”

He laughed bitterly and mumbled, “My wife to have sex with me.”

Kyushin glared, “Pig!”

“What? We’ve been married for a week now and she still refuses to have sex. I waited all while we courted one another, but this is absurd! I want to have children and start a life!”

Knowing that he couldn‘t blow his cover, Kyushin tried to refrain from strangling him. “Okay, fine, fine, so sex with your wife. That one doesn’t really work with our situation.”

“Our situation?”

“Don’t ask questions,” Kyushin snapped. “Just tell me what you want. Riches? Women? Power?”

“Why?”

“I said, don’t ask questions, just tell me!” he barked.

“Alright, alright!” he held up his hands in defense. “A successful life is what I want. A family. A wife who loves me and a couple kids who like to play in our yard. And a big house. And lots of money so I can support them.”

“Awh, cut the crap!” Kyushin shoved him down, causing Eiji to yelp in surprise. Fortunately for him, a chair appeared beneath him and he landed safely on the cushions. Kyushin pulled up a chair of his own and sat facing Eiji.

“A family? A good life? Come on, think about it…what if you had the power to do whatever you wanted? Conjure up anything you desired, be able to control others, have an infinity of anything you wanted, and to live forever. Doesn’t that sound good?”

“Well, sure, I guess,” Eiji began, “But-”

“But nothing! It sounds great! You could conjure up the hottest women you’ve ever imagined and have sex with them all day long if that’s what you wanted!” Kyushin stared him in the eyes, “And I know that’s what any guy would want.”

Eiji zoned out for a moment, seemingly contemplating what Kyushin just said. After a minute he said, “Yeah, sure, sounds like any guys fantasy. But what about my wife?”

“What about her?” Kyushin waved his hand in front of his face, “She’ll live! In fact, I can even make it so that her life is amazing.”

“But I made a commitment to her. And to my daughter-”

“She’s not your daughter!” he hissed once again.

Eiji looked alarmed at the outburst, but Kyushin quickly apologized and said, “For you, I could do anything. Reverse time to before she ever met you. She was doing fine on her own then, she can do fine always!”

“This doesn’t sound right to me-”

“Sounds great! What are you talking about?” Kyushin patted his leg affectionately, “What’s not to love?”

Eiji shrugged, “It doesn’t feel right-”

“Ignore your instincts!” He grabbed onto his hands tightly, “Please, for God’s sake, just think about it. There are no downsides!”

He took his hands out of Kyushin’s grasp and eyed him nervously, “Exactly. Why would you be doing it?”

‘Because I’m in love with your wife. No, be clever. He wouldn’t like that.’

“Because I’m a good guy,” he put his hands up in the air as if he show himself off. Eiji’s eyes narrowed and he stared suspiciously at him, and after a moment he stood up and said, “No.”

“No?” He saw Miori disappearing from his grasp, “NO? How could you pass this up? It’s a great deal!”

“A great deal that sounds suspicious!” Eiji poked Kyushin in the stomach, looking up at the tall man with a glare. “Now bring me home. Even if my wife won’t do me, I can still try to make her.”

It took all of Kyushin’s strength to refrain from punching Eiji, but clenched his hands at his sides instead. After the two men had stared each other down for a minute Kyushin folded his arms, “Fine. But I’ll be back. I’m not letting this opportunity slip away.”

Eiji looked at him in confusion, but it was momentary. Kyushin snapped his fingers and sent Eiji back to his home. Tired, he collapsed into a chair and held his head in his hands.

‘What now? What now?’ Eiji was proving to possess more chivalry than he thought. He had to appeal to him, but he didn’t know what he wanted. ‘I’m dooming this man.’

He pushed the thought out of his mind. ‘I’ve been a genie for too long. He can do it. I’ve paid my dues.’

Yet the idea that he was putting another man in his same shoes conquered Kyushin’s thought process. He leaned back in the chair and tried to relax.

“You still have a day,” he said positively. “Appeal to him tomorrow. Maybe he wants to be a gourmet chef? Genies can make whatever food they want.”

“Do you still hate me?”

Kyushin’s eyes snapped to the side of the room. He hadn’t heard any noise, and the sight of the intruder surprised him.

“What are you doing here?” He wasn’t in the mood to deal with this right now.

“Don’t worry, it’s not like that,” walking up to him, she set her hand on his shoulder, “I can just help, if you really want.”

“Help? You?” He snorted, “And why would you help me?”

“Let’s just say,” she trailed off, “that I’d do anything to see Zen pissed off.”

The idea lingered in his mind and he conjured up a chair for her to sit in. “What’s your plan?”

Eiji woke up in his bed. His eyes darted to the clock and noticed it read “7:30.” He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. “What a strange dream,” he murmured.

“Strange dreams. Hate those.”

Eiji’s head snapped up at the voice and his eyes filled with surprise when he saw Kyushin. “Y-you!” he sputtered.

“Me! Yes, I know. It wasn’t a dream, sorry!” Kyushin hopped off the dresser he was sitting on and walked towards the man, “I came to give you another chance at my offer.”

Eiji flung the covers back and stood up, “No! I told you! My answer is no!”

Kyushin rolled his eyes, “Thought you might say that. So I brought a friend.”

“A f-friend?” his eyes darted around the empty room, “You’re going to kill me aren’t you!”

He rolled and patted him on the shoulder, “This friend, you’ll like.”

Pink smoke filled the air and Eiji began to cough, unused to the way genies moved. When the dust cleared he found himself looking up at a beautiful woman. She was smiling at him, tossing her long blond hair over her shoulder.

“Hi,” Sharaea smiled, “I’m the genie of love.”

Eiji merely gulped. Sharaea rested her hand on his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. “Let’s go out to eat, shall we?”

She disappeared with him, leaving Kyushin alone in the bedroom. He drummed his fingers against his leg, unsure what to do with himself. After a moment’s decision, he left the bedroom and crept through the halls. It was early in the morning, and Midori was still sleeping. Kyushin knew the pattern. Mori went shopping early in the morning, came home around eight, woke her daughter up, and then Eiji would usually leave for work when she got back.

Just in case he checked the whole house for Miori, but to his relief, and yet displeasure at the same time, she was not there. Gently he walked towards his daughter’s room and cracked open the door.

Her room was that of a little girl’s, the walls covered with teddy bears and hearts, and the ground filled with toys. Kyushin’s eyes lingered towards the bed pushed against the wall, watching his daughter’s tummy rise up and down with every breath she took. He didn’t want to wake her up so he watched from a distance. Originally he only planned to look at her for a minute or two, but he quickly realized that he would spend the rest of the morning with her.

Sharaea wasn’t sure what to do. She was sitting across from Eiji at a romantic little café, hoping that her charm and sex appeal would win him over to Kyushin’s side. So far he seemed determined to stay with his wife.

“I’d like to go home now,” Eiji said stiffly, “my daughter is home alone as we speak.”

Sharaea poured some sugar into her coffee, “Don’t worry about it. And she’s not your daughter.”

“Well, she is now!” He tried to look tough by swiping his coffee cup from the table and taking a quick gulp, but the liquid was too hot and he spit it back out.

“No, she’s not,” she stirred in the sugar slowly, debating whether or not the best tactic for Eiji was good, old fashioned truth. After hesitating, she finally said, “She’s his.”

Eiji wiped the coffee away from his mouth, “Who’s?”

“Kyushin’s. Midori is Kyushin’s daughter. Don’t you think they look alike?” She watched Eiji’s stunned face and mumbled, “I guess you don’t.”

“N-No! How could she be his daughter? He doesn’t know Miori-”

“Yes, he does,” she leaned back in her chair and became stiff, “and there was once a time when I hated that they knew each other. Kyushin’s a fine catch, and the idea that she got him? Not pleasing, especially to me. However…” she trailed off, turning her head to watch the cars drive by. “However, he loved her.”

Eiji looked incredibly irritated and shouted, “Explain!”

She shot him an annoyed glance. “Don’t get to irritable. Kyushin used to be Miori’s genie. She came across him one day and it turns out they were stuck with each other for a year. But, slowly, the two fell in love. Unfortunately they were doomed to separate, as all genies are, and Kyushin erased any memory of him that Miori had.

“Ever wonder why your wife doesn’t have sex with you? Or, in fact, that she just doesn’t seem to want to be with you? It’s because of him. And don’t look at me like that,” she added, upon noticing his look of contempt, “he hasn’t done anything to sabotage it. It’s just natural. Miori still loves him, she doesn’t know she does, but that’s why she doesn’t love you.”

“She loves me,” he said stiffly.

“No, she doesn’t,” she inhaled deeply, “but don’t feel bad. You’re not the only one. Kyushin doesn’t love me either. Unlike you, I have the courage to accept the fact and move on.”

Eiji was silent for a moment, taking in all that she told him. Hesitantly he said, “So what is this really all about? Him coming to me? Is it just to be with her?”

Sharaea shrugged, “More or less. If you switch with him, meaning you become a genie and he becomes you, Zen will let Miori and Kyushin be together. You, however, would be with me and the rest of us.”

For the first time in an hour and a half Eiji seemed as if he was actually considering switching lives with Kyushin. Sharaea watched him carefully, noticing how his eyes flicked back and forth as if he was thinking deeply.

After a long minute he said, “I just don’t think I can do it. I‘m sorry. ”

He stood up to leave but Sharaea grabbed him by the wrist.

“Just hear me out,” she took his hand in her own and looked up at him with intense eyes, “you will never have her love. Never. And she will always pine for him, no matter what you do. Even if you two finally make love and even if she did marry you, she will never love you. And real love is something so incredible, and you know two people who are deeply in love, and you’re keeping them away from each other. Just think about it. You could make two people happier than they have ever been.

“And do you really want to be in this marriage? Are you content with being with a woman who doesn’t love you? Because, even as a genie, we can still fall in love. I mean, I did” she laughed gently, “all you have to do is fall in love with another genie and you’ve got it made!”

Eiji withdrew his hand from Sharaea’s, a small blush covering his face. She put her elbow on the table and leaned her chin into her fist. Giving him a dazzling smile she said, “Maybe you and I can fall I love, hm?”

He turned bright red at the idea of being with a girl like Sharaea. She was the equivalent to a model here, and while he knew he was decent looking, he could never score a girl like that normally.

“Come on,” she trailed her fingers up his arm, “take a chance. But better yet, give them a chance.”

Kyushin had finally torn himself away from his daughter. He had stayed there an hour, watching her the entire time and dreaming of a life where he could actually raise her. She looked so much like Miori, and yet so much like him.

He was now waiting back in his realm, waiting for Eiji and Sharaea to turn up. He had no idea what her plan was, other than seducing him. Everyone thought she was gorgeous, and if the genie of love couldn’t get someone to fall in love with her, then Eiji was clearly gay.

Ryoshon was laying next to him on the bed, clearly there to support his best friend with whatever the outcome was. He jumped in shock when pink smoke filled the air, but Kyushin stayed calm. He knew she would be showing up within the horror. Sharaea had pulled Eiji along with her, and he wasn’t sure whether to take that as a good sign. She pushed him towards Kyushin and said, “Go on, tell him your decision.”

Eiji stumbled forward, fidgeting with his hands. The two male genies instantly sat up at the mention of his decision. After a minute of mumbling under his breath, Eiji finally said, “This doesn’t seem right. I don’t want to leave my family and my life, and I don’t like the idea of never seeing my parents or my friends again. And as much as having powers and being immortal sounds wonderful, I just can’t see doing that the rest of my life.”

Kyushin’s heart sank. He heard the tone in Eiji’s voice, and he saw his expression. He would never be able to see Miori again, or any of his friends, and god damnit! He would have to serve that brat the rest of his existence!”

“She told me that you’re Midori’s father. And that you love Miori. Is that true?”

The statement shook Kyushin out of his thoughts. He stared at Sharaea, shocked that she would mention that. ‘Of course he wouldn’t agree to it! He knows I want his wife!’

“I can tell by your expression that it is,” Eiji said softly, a look of pity in his eyes. “But I’m sorry. I just can’t.”

Kyushin swallowed but it did no use. The lump in his throat stayed there. Soon after Eiji’s sentence a crackling laugh filled the white void and Zen appeared. He fell onto the ground, laughing hysterically and wiping the tears from his eyes.

“Kyushin! You couldn’t be more hilarious! The expression on your face!” He pointed at him rudely, “Are you going to cry?”

Eiji looked surprised to see Zen there, and he whispered, “Who is that?” to Sharaea. Under her breath she responded, “The leader.”

“No, no! Please don’t let me stop you from bawling, Kyushin. I love taking in your anguish, your depression. And I love that I’ll get to see this face for the rest of my life!” Zen laughed again, pushing himself off the ground and fixing his clothes.

Kyushin could say nothing. He wanted to come back with a witty retort, but his brain was not functioning well, and even if it was, his throat was too dry to speak.

“Can’t you be nice for once in your life Zen?” Ryoshon spat, glaring at his master. “Just take back the deal.”

“And why would I do that?” he walked up to Kyushin, grabbing his chin with his hand and forcing them to meet each other’s gaze. “My life is miserable, and miserable loves company.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to spare him then?” Sharaea’s shaking fists were clenched at her sides.

“No,” Zen’s expression became solemn, “no, that just wouldn’t be fair to me.”

“You’re the head genie, then?” Eiji asked suddenly.

For the first time since he got there Zen turned to look at Eiji. Sharaea and Ryoshon followed suit, but Kyushin kept his eyes to the ground. They were becoming increasingly hollow and lifeless.

Zen raised an eyebrow and examined Eiji head to toe. “Yes. Who are you? That bitch’s husband?”

Picking his battles, Eiji ignored the comment about his wife and merely said, “Yes. You are the one that has the power to switch us?”

He shrugged in response. “I did, but you don’t seem to want to. Wise choice. You get stuck with me if you become a genie.”

Sharaea turned to look at Eiji with a small smile, indicating that it wasn’t so bad. Eiji was silent for a minute before saying, “I-I want to switch.”

Kyushin’s eyes slowly trailed over to Eiji, but he didn’t celebrate. The words seemed too good to be true, and there was no way that anyone would choose to be a genie after meeting Zen.

“Oh,” Zen said cooly, not taking this as a threat, “is that so?”

“Y-yes,” he didn’t sound very confident, but when he saw Sharaea’s face break into a smile he said with more force, “Yes. I want to become a genie.”

Zen faltered for a second. “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

Ryoshon growled, “That’s the deal wasn’t it?”

“Yes, but it’s too late now! He already said no!” Zen threw his hands up to the air and pretended to act innocent, “Oh well!”

“No it is not too late!” Sharaea marched up to Zen and flicked her hair over one shoulder, “You said he had two days to convince him! The second day has barely begun!”

Zen was silent, his expression suddenly completely serious and his body shaking slightly. Before he had any chance to respond there was a quiet, “No.”

Everyone turned to look at Kyushin. When he saw their confused faces he repeated, “No. I won’t let him do it.”

A grin surfaced onto Zen’s face again. “See? He won’t allow!”

“No, it’s fine, I agreed,” Eiji said firmly. “I want to be a genie.”

“No,” Kyushin said once again. “You don’t know what you’re getting into. I’m not putting someone in the same position I have been in for thousands of years. The less people to become genies the better.”

Ryoshon and Sharaea wanted to convince him otherwise, but deep down they agreed with him.

“It’s alright, I know what I’m getting into-” Eiji began, but Kyushin once again repeated, “No. You said it yourself, you can‘t see yourself doing this the rest of your life. Your never ending life. ”

Eiji was silent, but finally said, “Yes…but…I can’t see you doing it either.”

Kyushin looked up at him, surprised at the softness in his voice. Before he could say anything, Eiji said, “No, listen. I don’t want to be a genie the rest of my life. But…I don’t like the idea of anyone being a genie the rest of their lives. But here you are, given a perfect opportunity to escape being a genie, and who knows if I’ll get that opportunity as well.”

From behind him Zen said “You won’t!” but everyone ignored him. With a sad look in his eyes, Eiji suddenly added, “I don’t want Miori to be alone, anyways.”

“But she wouldn’t be alone, she’d have you,” Kyushin pointed out. He was determined not to let that familiar surge of hope flow through his veins. Nothing ended perfectly.

“Yes she would. She always feels alone,” his eyes looked distant, and everyone knew he was thinking of his wife. “We could be surrounded by people, but she would still feel alone. Even with Midori, she doesn’t feel complete. Every time she looks at her she thinks about her father, and this missing thing in her life. And as much as I tried to ignore it, Sharaea’s right.

“She’ll never love me. And I don’t even know if I love her. You can’t love someone if they don’t love you back. Not truly love them, anyway. But I love her enough to want to do what’s right for her. Even if that means I might not have a perfect life. But, really, who does? Life is still unfortunate as humans, and I would be stupid to go into this thinking that everything would be wonderful.

“So…just…switch with me. I’m telling you, I know what I’m doing. I’m not doing it for you, more for her.”

Everyone, including Zen, were silent. They all watched Kyushin carefully. No expression had dawned on his face during the entire speech. After a moment he sighed, then walked over to Eiji. The two stared at each other for another long moment, and finally, Kyushin said, “Ok.”

Zen screamed instantly, a scream so loud that everyone jumped. His hair stood on end and the presence in the room felt grave. He continued to scream until he finally shouted, “FINE. FINE. God damnit, you stupid, filty human! Are you an idiot? Yes, Kyushin, stop looking at me like that! I hate seeing hope in anyone’s eyes.” Zen snapped his fingers and calmed down, “Fine.” With that he disappeared.

Ryoshon and Sharaea looked at Eiji and Kyushin. Nothing physically happened to either of them, but after Zen’s fit, they had understood that the deal had been made. But when would it happen?

“Sharaea,” Eiji said suddenly, “thank you.”

“Why? For telling you the truth?” she raised an eyebrow.

“No, that thank you is from me,” Kyushin smiled at her, a blush covering his cheeks.

She looked back and forth between the two, one eyebrow raised. “Am I missing something?”

“Ryoshon,” Eiji walked towards the genie and slugged him on the shoulder, “you’ll find a way to visit me, yes?”

It was Ryoshon’s turn to look confused, but Eiji’s face broke out into a smirk. “Idiot, it’s me. Kyushin.”

Ryoshon was silent for a minute, trying to process what Eiji had just said, but after a minute he slug his arm around his neck and said, “Don’t threaten me! You have no powers.”

From under his arm Eiji, or better yet, Kyushin laughed. He looked nothing like himself, and he sounded nothing like himself, but it was obviously him. Sharaea and Ryoshon could also tell the man in Kyushin’s body was clearly Eiji. He did not look quite as confident as Kyushin normally did, and the fact that he was staring at Sharaea with a blush contradicted him as well.

“It worked!” Sharaea screamed, running up to the real Eiji. She threw her arms around him and drew him into her body. “I’m so happy!”

Kyushin watched with slight disgust at seeing his body and Sharaea so close. Even though he knew it wasn’t him, the sight of it still made him feel like he was betraying Miori.

‘Miori!’

Excitement bubbled inside him. He would finally be with her. Forever. Just the two of them. And Midori! If it weren’t for his manly composure, he would have cried out of happiness.

“I want to go back right now!” Kyushin said, walking over to Eiji and grabbing him by the shoulders. “Take me home!”

“You can’t go home now,” Eiji said, “you should be going to work! You’re going to have to do that, you know. To support them?”

Kyushin cursed. He had forgotten about that. Eiji patted him on the shoulder, “My job isn’t too hard. You go sit at a desk and do whatever job the boss says.”

“But, still! I got to see her-”

Eiji grabbed Kyushin’s wrist and looked at the watch that once belonged to him. “I know you do! But you have to get to work in a matter of minutes or you’ll be fired. You’ve waited this long, I’m sure you can wait another day.”

Kyushin growled, but never less agreed. Miori didn’t have a job, and without his powers it would be very hard to support them without a job.

“I’ll transport you back,” Ryoshon said, “I’m sure Eiji won’t know how to use his powers yet.”

Placing his hand on his best friend’s shoulder, Ryoshon and Kyushin quickly disappeared in a cloud of red. They reappeared a second later in the ally of a huge building. Kyushin felt nauseous suddenly, and he leaned against the wall to support himself.

Ryoshon watched his best friend with fascination. He wasn’t a genie anymore. When Kyushin realized he was being stared at he said, “You need to break free too.”

Ryoshon shrugged, “I don’t know. I don’t see any chances popping up soon. I think I’ll just try to get Yana to like me. Nothing better than spending your life with the genie of hope. She’d be so positive I’d explode.”

Kyushin laughed, but it died off his lips quickly. It dawned on him that this might be the last chance he saw Ryoshon for a long time, if even that. Sensing his feelings, Ryoshon slugged him on the shoulder. “Come on, man, we’ll see each other. My current master lives in Kyoto, it’s really close. Zen can’t get mad if my master wants to take trips to Tokyo and drags me along with.”

He knew that it probably wouldn’t be so easy, but to make it easier on both of them Kyushin said nothing. Instead, almost shyly, Kyushin leaned over and hugged him. Ryoshon hugged back, not caring whether or not they weren’t being manly.

After a moment Kyushin pushed him away, a disgusted look on his face. “Well, now that that’s over with.”

Ryoshon agreed, his face looking very solemn.

“Well, you better get in there,” Ryoshon nodded to the building, “you’re going to be horrible at your job, and you don’t want to start the day with your boss not liking you.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Kyushin stuck out his hand, wanting Ryoshon to shake it. The other man complied, and they shook with grins on their faces.

“Have fun with your wife! If you have a son, you better name it after me!”

Before Kyushin could say anything more Ryoshon disappeared. He looked at the space in silence before finally turning towards the building. He inhaled deeply and then walked out of the ally. It was time to face life.

Kyushin cursed at the door, fumbling with the lock. It was dark outside and he wasn’t used to using a key to unlock doors. Work had run late, and as much as Kyushin wanted to run from that evil building, he knew he had to stick it out. But here he was, running into the worst obstacle of all: not being able to get into the house.

The key finally slid into the lock and he opened the door quickly. The house was completely silent, and judging by the time, Miori and Midori were probably in bed. He crept through the house, not wanting to wake up his daughter, and stumbled until he found his wife’s room.

His wife. The term sent a small shiver up his spine..

He opened the door quietly, sneaking in and shutting it behind him. He began to undress, taking off the stuffy outfit of Eiji’s. Kyushin passed a mirror and was taken aback. He still wasn’t used to seeing himself in another body.

Looking over at the bed he noticed Miori was asleep, and as much as he wanted to wake her, he didn’t think she would appreciate it. Sure, this was the most amazing thing that had ever happened, and he was more than thrilled to know that he would get to spend the rest of his life with her, but to her, he was just returning from work.

Kyushin slipped into bed, being careful not to make too much noise, but his effort was in vain. He felt her stir and then her voice came.

“Eiji? Why are you so late?” She turned over on her side and stared at him with a concerned expression. “Things okay at work?”

Kyushin stared at her, taking in every lash on her eyes, the way her bangs brushed up against her forehead, and most importantly the familiar smell that he had lost. It felt as if he were viewing her for the first time in years. True, he saw her at the wedding, but this was the first time that he was able to look at her and know she was his.

“Eiji?”

“Yeah,” his voice came out breathy, and he had to clear his throat to strengthen the sound. “Everything’s fine. How are you? Are you feeling okay? Did you miss me?”

Miori looked taken aback and she chuckled under her breath, “I’m fine, I suppose. And, sure, I missed you.”

“No, but did you really miss me? Me?” His voice was pleading and he stared into her blue orbs, hoping that she’d somehow be able to see who he really was.

She stared right back, but after a moment she just smiled awkwardly, “Well, you’re my husband. Of course I did.”

A wave of disappointment fled over Kyushin but he smiled despite it. He was still laying next to the love of his life, and it seemed that they’d be together forever…but…

“Now,” she snuggled into the blankets and yawned, “let’s get some sleep.”

He watched as she shut her eyes delicately, content with simply looking at her. After a quick moment, however, Kyushin felt a tingling in his stomach and the overwhelming urge to kiss her.

“Miori, kiss me.”

She opened her eyes with an irritated look and muttered, “Eiji, I’m still not ready-”

“I don’t need that, I don’t,” he gently grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers in-between her own. “I just want a kiss. For…energy.”

Miori stared at him peculiarly, not for the first time that night, but open hearing those words she felt a tug at her heart. She contemplated the action in her head, finally deciding that it wasn’t too horrible to give your husband a single kiss.

“Alright, but just one, I am seriously tired-”

Before she could say anything more Kyushin leaned over and placed his lips on hers. The kiss was gentle, but that didn’t stop Kyushin’s whole body from turning on fire. It was nothing more than a lingering peck, and although he wanted more, he forced himself to pull away. She stared up at him with dazed eyes, and her lips parted as if she was going to say something.

“Eiji?” She asked tentatively.

“Don’t call me that, I hate that name,” he smiled at her when she shot him a confused look, “call me Kyushin.”

“Kyushin?” The strange feeling came back to her suddenly. It reminded her of being in a dream. “Why? That sounds nothing like your name.”

“It’s an old nickname from high school. I just…please? Would you call me that?”

Miori watched him with a careful eye. She had never known Eiji-or, should she say Kyushin, to act this way before, but the strange thing was that it was all so familiar. She felt like something was prickling at the back of her mind, as if she should know why she felt so…flustered.

Kyushin uttered another please, and she smiled faintly, “Alright…Kyushin.”

The sound of his name on her lips sent his heart soaring, and he immediately wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her, but knowing her feelings towards Eiji he held back. Instead, he gently said, “You’re tired. Sleep.”

She nodded, “Goodnight…Kyushin.”

He expected her to lay her head back onto her pillow, but she pushed herself up by her elbows and leaned over towards him. She put her hand on his cheek and pulled him in close, kissing him with more strength that he had done to her previously. Miori pulled away quickly, however, with an incredibly flushed face.

His heart skipped a beat, “Do you remember?”

Miori tilted her head slightly to the side, “Remember…?”

He realized instantly that no, she did not remember. Kyushin shrugged slowly, then mumbled, “No, it’s nothing.”

She smiled hesitantly and fell back onto the bed. He mumbled “goodnight” to her, trying to keep his spirits high. Miori didn’t need to remember everything about their past, they didn’t have much of a past anyway. As long as she was happy…

He swallowed. It was still hard for him to feel completely happy. He had hoped that should would remember him, that her love for him would have broken his powers.

Miori opened her eyes suddenly and looked up at him. “Oh, by the way, can you give Midori a ride to school tomorrow? I’m meeting Konno for breakfast.”

It was not a particularly romantic sentence, but when he looked down on her he couldn’t help but grin. He had trouble finding his voice, but when she raised an eyebrow at his silence he sputtered, “O-of course, anything for you.”

She gave him another smile that clearly stated she thought he was crazy. But he didn’t care. He didn’t care that she couldn’t remember their past. He didn’t care that she would never remember that he was a genie or that he was really the father of her daughter. All that mattered was that she remembered that he was the one she loved.

Because, for the first time since he left her, he saw her eyes turn the shade of ice blue.

Edit on 4/20/08: You can read what I wrote down below, it's the original authors note, but I actually decided to write a sequel. So if you were dissatisfied with the ending (as most tend to be, hah) you can read "He Said It Was the Greatest Love Story Ever Told" which is from the perspective of a different character, but Miori and Kyushin are in it, and help start the plot. I think it'll be fun. Now, back to the original note:

AN: I hope you enjoyed the ending and that it wasn’t too…well, hm, how do I describe this. I was very torn on how to end this story, because for the longest time I was completely determined that I would end it with them not being together. It just seemed right. I didn’t want there to be some loophole that Kyushin could become human, and I certainly didn’t want it to seem to perfect.

Then this idea kind of came to me, and it seemed like a good balance. Things weren’t perfect. She wouldn’t remember him, but they could still be together. She knew, deep down, that there was something different about “Eiji” when Kyushin became him, and because of this, she recognizes that she loves him. She probably doesn’t understand why, out of the blue, she seems to have intensified her feelings for her husband, but she obviously does.

Anyhow, I’m sorry if there are missing parts to this story. It’s been so long since I started, about 3 and a half years ago, and I have changed so much since that and I have forgotten things and changed things. If I ever go back an edit it, I will definitely try and fix the time frame. It was a challenge.

I’m sorry for getting this out so late. I just graduated, so things got kind of busy in the last few months, and I really wanted to spend time with my friends before we all go separate ways, but after finishing Harry Potter (my inspiration for setting out and writing 50 of this chapter, if not 75 last night and just now for an hour) I decided I really wanted to complete this.

Thank you so much to everyone who read, and especially those who review. I sincerely love them all, even the ones that critique me. I like to know what I should fix. You guys are all so sweet, I don’t think I had a single flame for this entire story, and that makes me so happy.

Unlike with Arisatayuu, I’m not sure what I will be working on next. I think I might do the Little Mermaid spinoff, but if I do, I’m aiming for that to be a fairly short story. Probably only 5 chapters or so. And I’ve been really wanting to do a project where it isn’t manga style. I honestly don’t really read anything manga anymore, and the style always makes me feel a bit limited, so I kind of want to try my hand at that. I created another pen name, Devonny Auriel, so look for that and maybe add it if you like. The mermaid story would go on Kaika N, any other would probably be Devonny.

Well, I’m anxious to get this out, so once again, thank you everyone. If you see an update on this story, it’ll likely be thank you to all those reviewers, but I want to get this chapter out now, and that’ll take me a good couple hours.

I hope you enjoyed the story! Thank you so much!