DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KIMI NO NA WA ( a sad fact that is only too true…)
oOoOoOo
It had all started with a dream. A dream so beautiful and realistic that Mitsuha had wondered if the gods had indeed heard her wish. She'd woken up that first morning with a wistful feeling, as if a part of her soul was still reaching for something thousands of miles away.
That feeling quickly faded away, replaced by horror as her family, friends, and classmates recounted her actions the previous day. The question scrawled in her notebook, in an unfamiliar hand, lingered in the back of her mind as she realized that she couldn't remember any of the events they described.
"Who are you?"
oOoOoOo
The strangeness of reality continued to unnerve Taki as the day continued. The journal entry on his phone, which he definitely hadn't written himself, caused him to flush every time he read it. While he hadn't been able to recall anything, Okudera-senpai had been noticeably friendlier towards him during their shift, even winking as if they shared a secret. Tsukasa and Takagi were apparently also clued in, looking at him oddly after he had declined their invitation to the cafe.
It took him a while, but he finally realized the truth.
"We're switching bodies when we sleep."
oOoOoOo
It had a hassle at first, but she'd slowly become accustomed to Taki's life. School from nine to four, work from six to nine, then a quick paragraph in his journal before homework and bed. Tokyo awed her with its magnificent skyscrapers and shining architecture, not to mention the cafes. Strawberry crepes were simply heavenly.
Okudera-senpai proved to be a woman with courage and a wealth of humour under her gentle, attractive exterior. Playing matchmaker was fun, as was imagining the boy's reaction to her reports.
She hadn't expected to feel sadness with her success.
oOoOoOo
They passed picture after picture in silence. Something prompted him to turn his head. He stared in shock at the image of a town encircling a lake, cloudy mountains in the distance. In front of him, Okedura-senpai turned.
She stepped towards him, pausing at his shoulder. He couldn't help but wonder why he was so calm as she leaned to whisper in his ear, almost playfully, but not quite.
"You seem like a different person today."
oOoOoOo
She let the strands of her half-braided hair fall, reaching to touch her damp cheeks. Why? Overcome by a sudden urge to stop, to change, she grabbed the closest object on her vanity.
Snip.
oOoOoOo
The woman tilted her head, letting auburn strands slip out of the clasp of her bonnet. "Taki, correct me if I'm mistaken." She smiled. "You used to have a bit of a crush on me, didn't you?" He gaped at her as she went on. "But now you like someone else."
"I, um," he flushed, immediately thinking of a certain girl, before snapping his mouth open in appallation and vehemently denying the statement.
"I don't," he stifled an awkward chuckle before scratching his head. "Yeah, I don't."
"Mm," Okedura seemed unconvinced. "Oh well. Thank you for today. I'll see you at work tomorrow." Her abrupt departure left the boy standing on the bridge, a bit disappointed, but mostly relieved.
Later, he would ponder their conversation and think about the truthfulness of his words.
oOoOoOo
"Hey, do you think she's okay?" Tessie asked, thick eyebrows creased in concern.
"Yeah," Sayaka replied quietly. "Or she will be." They watched their friend stroll up the hill. She suddenly turned off the road, glancing up from the grassy outcrop and waving.
"You can see it from here!"
oOoOoOo
The sun had descended below the horizon by the time Taki finished reading. He could hear her voice through the words, soft and cheerful with a hint of steel. He knew that the days they switched were eventful, but he couldn't help but want something more. From his experiences, he knew that she was a girl that was generally popular with her classmates and loved by her family and friends.
I want to meet you.
He paused as he noticed a new addition to his contacts. Slowly, he clicked on it, watching as her name and number appeared. His thumb hovered over the screen.
By the time the date's over, the comet will be visible in the sky.
He pressed the button.
oOoOoOo
It was stunning. The orb of light streaked a trail of glowing colors across the starlit sky.
"Wow," Sayaka breathed in wonder from behind. Mitsuha could only continue to gaze upwards, marveling as the wind flattened the grass and whipped at her hair.
She held her breath as a sphere shining scarlet fell away from the ribbon of vibrant blues, greens, and purples. It was so pretty, she thought distantly as it plummeted downwards, almost as if it were encased in flames.
There was only blackness then, and the sweet, heartrending sound of bells.
oOoOoOo
Something was wrong. They hadn't switched places for almost a month and his calls and texts hadn't gone through. He spent hours at his desk sketching, erasing, and drawing again the peaceful little town in his already hazy memories. At last, he decided to take the final step.
"WHY ARE YOU HERE?" he glared at the two. Tsukasa and Okedura-san merely laughed at him, standing in the midst of the bustling train station.
"We were worried about you," Tsukasa informed him, putting his phone in his bag. "What if it's a con act? We can't let you go alone."
"Con act? Worried?" Taki repeated in confusion. "But-"
"You're visiting an online friend, aren't you?" Okedura-san chimed in, crunching on a Pocky stick.
"Not exactly…"
"I think he's using a dating site."
"NO!" His outburst silenced the entire car, and he snorted in annoyance. At the same time, though, warmth blossomed inside him. He was glad that he had companions; the main problem was rather worrying.
Hours later, they had traveled through countless villages and miles of countryside. They stopped at a small restaurant to rest.
"How do you not know where we're going?" Tsukasa groaned, sitting heavily.
"I have sketches," Taki answered for the hundredth time. Okudera-san opened a can of coffee and sighed.
"It's not getting us anywhere," she complained.
The boy glanced at the travel-stained papers before grumbling: "We might have to return to Tokyo soon."
"Already?!"
"Weren't you two just-oh a bowl of ramen please," he told the waitress. She wrote down the other two orders before looking over his shoulder.
"My, that is a very good drawing. Isn't that Itomori?"
His eyes widened as she called over her shoulder. A man with hair gray with age stepped out of the kitchen. He took one look at the paper before nodding.
"That's Itomori alright. I was born and raised there myself. Sure brings back memories."
"That's it!" he bolted to his feet. "Itomori Town! It's nearby, isn't it?"
There was silence. Tsukasa and Okedura-san glanced at each other, mirror expressions of surprise and dawning horror on their faces.
"Wasn't Itomori Town the one where the comet…"
Vultures circled the ruins, shrill screams piercing in the still air. Taki gazed at the dazzling waters of the lake, then the destruction that surrounded it.
"Hey, is this really the place? Maybe you misremembered it," Tsukasa said quietly.
"No, this is it. I remember this schoolyard, the mountains, this high school clearly. This is it!"
"But, you surely must remember the disaster that took place three years ago, which took hundreds of lives?"
"Hundreds of lives?" Taki said blankly. "Three years ago?" A sudden memory came to him, an image of the bright comet speeding towards the horizon as he watched in wonder from his roof. "That's, it's impossible. I still have the memos she left on my phone." He pulled it out and scrolled through them. They were still there, but began blinking in and out, one by one, and fading until there were none left.
At the library, the three searched the shelves, pulling articles and newspapers from dusty alcoves before they finally found it. Tsukasa sat down at a computer as Taki leafed through a thick book, running a finger up and down the list of names. Okedura-san leaned against the wall, gaze somber.
I don't know any of these names, please don't let me know any of these names, Taki chanted quietly in his mind. He turned the page and froze, feeling hot tears prickle at the back of his eyes. Tessie and Sayaka. He inhaled and kept going, pushing down the knowing, refusing to acknowledge the truth, the horrible thoughts the two names had brought, until he saw her name.
Age 17. Miyazaki Mitsuha.
He was hollow inside, empty, spiraling down and down in the darkest recesses of his mind.
Okedura leaned forward. "Is that her?" she asked quietly.
He couldn't move, couldn't bring himself to even nod a yes because that would make it all true, real, something he couldn't handle yet. He remembered their arguments, her laughter, her sadness, and the way her grandmother had looked at him, realization mirrored in her eyes.
You're dreaming, aren't you?
She's gone.
oOoOoOoOo
Reviews, comments and criticism appreciated!
This may become a multi-chapter fic, depending on how much time I have to spare and if inspiration strikes. Nevertheless, I do have ideas.