I read this story for the first time ten years ago and I just reread it for the first time. This fic had a huge impact on me when I was 18. I could provide criticism for the writing and the story and the characters, but, really, the way this story made me feel stuck with me. After reading this back then I read almost all your other fics (I still bemoan the unfinished ones) and I read those on your fictionpress account. I think about several of those stories still. Rereading this, I skimmed more than when I first read it, but many of those emotions the first time around were still evoked and I still hold this story in a special place in my mind. Thank you again for a moving story, and I hope you are still writing.

there's a lot id like to say about this story but for the sake of brevity, ill just say this; i read this story years ago when i was a teenager and it left something in me, just a little piece and now rereading with greater appreciation, i can say this is one of the more impressive and long lasting things ive read, , be proud.

Yo traduci su historia para poder leerla! Sigue escribiendo! Yo también compraría libros de usted! :)

Amazing history!

Its amazing how much time will pass, and yet still your story will remain timeless. Still draw in a stray reader or two and just...just utterly break them.

And gods. When most of the books lining the shelves or online is the same rehashed formula thrown together for the purpose of leisure, of catering to the reader...Suburbia is a precious diamond in the rough.

Why? Its offensive to the reader. Aristotle defined art as "a race against the water cooler." It had to be long, but short enough to remember the plot. Its very definition to call it a story had to follow a linear tragedy to prosperity, or prosperity to tragedy. Otherwise, its lost as a confusing mess and scorned upon. Indeed, its hard pressing to think of many "classics" of this ilk off the top of the head.

This is art. Pure and simple. Reflecting on this over the years, I have likened it to the thought and care of the details as if you were painting your words with gold. How funny it was, and I mean with dark humor, that at the end to the horror of the reader, that it was only gilded. Fool's gold. That the secret so heavily hinted at, that the answer to the mystery, to the questions and despairs we so desperately hoped for because by gods not only did you keep them in character but you made them alive, so alive we hoped to find an answer.

It was a story about life. Of course there wouldn't be a definite answer. A swooping knight to save the princess. No, the pages were as real and breathing as skin and bone, so they didn't even have to use words to directly answer us. I loved the subtlety of everything. How every detail, character, setting, and pace was set in every cog just so, that the whole story flowed.

Your strength as a writer itself is amazing. I've read and read and pored over scenes, but I really can't find a "boring" or needless scene. Its beautiful. If I could just fill this review box with lavish adjective upon adjective heralding such a masterpiece over and over again.

I reviewed this back in '08. If I will ever have any critique or anything to mourn over, it is that this story isn't published to cast the wider net it deserves.

But well...I always felt pulled to go back and review again, if only to testify that I still feel just as breathless, lamenting, but yet so strangely hopeful and content with life after reading this. Whether you ever decide to formally publish this, original characters, or are content enough to leave it here, I don't think its beauty or message will ever diminish. If anything, its a time capsule. A wondrous self-reflection, critique, and analysis of itself.

I always feel compelled to thank you, again and again for writing it for us. I've read countless books, but this will always hold a special place in my heart. I feel this story will always haunt me, pull at me to read it. That's perhaps why I found it originally and still find it so compelling, sitting after sitting, I can take something novel from it.

So just...sorry for rambling, I really am. I tried my best not to. But thank you.

This is impeccably written, but I hesitate to call it a favorite.

I bawled. Broke into huge, ugly tears, sobbing, the whole thing. I'm not a pretty crier.

I mean... oh, Riku... I just...
I wanted things to be okay for him, because life had been cruel enough to him.

Still, this is so well-written that I'd probably read it again sometime -when I've gotten over all of the sadness of it, maybe.

There's a lot of sadness, a lot of longing, and some definite soul-searching. The desperate empty numbness of depression drives us to do anything, *anything* to feel, yet at the same time, you steep in it, like Riku does.
That you have such an intimate understanding of depression saddens me, but it certainly adds to how real this story feels to me.

Ever at your pleasure,
Sins

So, after constantly thinking about and re-reading this story. I realize that it wasn't so much their deaths that had me sobbing, but more of the fact that he was left to the world on his own;Just when everything was looking up for all three of last scene, i realize, is what really had the tears going, because i'm left wondering," how does he survive this?". I'm scared he won't survive this, at least the way his those two would have wanted him too. I'm sorry, I just can't stop coming back to a story that does this to me; a story that leaves me to search for some type of closure. I'm was in this same position not two weeks ago, so hopefully recovery will go a lot smoother this time around. Thank you again for this wonderful story.

Everything Sora said to Riku, every Fucking word, was soo very fucking true. Why does it have to be so fucking true. This story is one of those rare beauties, that i am soo very happy to have read, even if it hit close to home. Even though i come to this website to escape life, for just a little bit, I am still so irreversibly drawn to these rare jewels that are soo hard to come by. Thank you. This was, is an absolutely story. You have a beautiful gift going for you.

There are some truly beautiful and profound things in this story. They ring so deeply in me that I find myself shaking and wanting to cry. You must have such a deep understanding of people, so observant and patient and kind. Thank you for this story.

I first read this story in high school.

Like 2008 or something. Maybe '07.

But now, in 2013, after I've graduated college, and went on and got a new life, I still come back to this story.
I downloaded it, and put it on my Kindle, even (hope that's okay with you, by the way).

If someone asked me what my favorite book was, this would be on my top ten, probably right underneath "Perks of Being a Wallflower."

And you haven't been active on here or Fictionpress for a long time, and that's okay, neither have I. People grow up and get lives and jobs and kids and things. We can't come back to post stories, I get that. We have to focus on our real lives.

But if you ever decided to come back to writing, or even decided to write your own book, with your own wonderful characters, there would be a LOT of us backing you. This story makes me cry every time, even as an adult now. It makes me FEEL. And that's something I don't get with a lot of PUBLISHED books, you know.

I guess the point of this review is that I hope you come back to writing, when you get the time. You're a wonderful writer. Absolutely wonderful. And I would buy and read and re-read every single one of your books.

Thanks for making such a fantastic story, and hope your life is currently going well :)

Your Story was fabulous. It makes me cry in my car during ten minutes almost. I wasn't prepare for the end and... Well this was so sad...

This was clearly, undeniably the best fic I have read in a long time.
Your writing style astounds me, it's so descriptive and poetic. You have a real talent.

Also, this story, I don't know how you came up with it, it's so touching, and strangely relatable (although that might just be me)
The ending shocked me, enough to read the last couple of paragraphs three times before it all sunk in.
and I couldn't have asked for a more fitting, better ending.
I don't know what it says about me, but I love unhappy endings, when it fits like this.
Beautiful

Ryu

I have no idea what's wrong with me this week. I've read no less than 5 fics, all of them, sad and awful and terrible. Please understand that I'm not criticizing your writing skills. Only the plot. Maybe I'm naive and like happy endings. Maybe I am. I just think this sort of fic should have a BIG BOLD SIGN, saying this WILL screw you over, you will hate life by reading this. Because life sucks, and that is why I read fiction, because I want happy in the end, just one time y'know?

I'm sorry I'm doing this, I just reached a sort of breaking point with this one. Damn you for making this story end like it did.

And damn you for writing so well, that I cared about how it ended. I'll just go try to find a mindless, happy, silly little thing to read, even if it sucks. I kind of need it now.

This was a good story!

I'm at a loss of words! As I was reading the last chapter And saw there wasnt much left i was like well maybe Riku gets better and there's a short bit about their happy ever after at the end. Boy was I shocked. I've read many fanfics with tragic endings but I can honestly say that this one left me in the most shock. I actually feel numb from the idea of Kairi and Riku dying!
You are an absolutely amazing writer. Im positive you've heard that many times from other people, but one thing I hope for you is that you never stop writing. Your ability to captivate people with your writing is amazing and I am so glad I read this fanfic. Thank you so much!

I've been reading this story for...God I don't even know how long. I do remember waiting and waiting for it to be finished so I could have the whole picture to myself but that was a long time ago. But...every once in a while I come back and read this, hell, I have it saved on my computer in case this or you disappears and I'm so worried about losing it I even have a paper copy somewhere. Anyways...what I wanted to know is...what inspired you to writ this? I mean, this is one hell of something, there must have been something to churn this out from...right?