Author: BebePanda401
Story Title: Air and Dream.
Warnings: None.
Rating: 'K+' to be on the safe side.
A/N: So...I've decided to write a Munto/Air cross-over. I've been meaning to do one of these for a long time now- and this is only going to be a quick drabble, before you ask. But- why do this, you ask me? Well...the plots do work, if you think about it. And for those of you who may get confused in this small piece of writing, I'm trying to follow the trend of Clannad in this story as well- about a sort of parallel universe, yet a time paradox as well. Misuzu does exist, she just isn't fully formed in Yumemi's world. The only person who knows she exists is Yumemi- because they both have a special connection to the sky and the creatures that dwell there. Well, enough of spoilers, on with the story...drabble...thing!


~Air and Dream~

When she was young, Yumemi liked to dream of a world, it was a world where a girl felt the same as her.

The girl she dreamt of was a very nice and friendly girl- quite childish, loved dinosaurs and birds. This girl's name was Misuzu Kamio, and she was Yumemi's imaginary friend. She also understood why the sky was so pretty, and didn't call her a space cadet all the time. Everyday, Yumemi would talk to her about her day, and about her feelings and her friends. Of course, she never spoke back to her with verbal words.

She was unable to speak back. People often laughed at Yumemi for telling them about Misuzu. Because to the normal, civilized world, Misuzu wasn't a real, living person. She was just a childish dream that would never be able to go to school, make friends with anyone other than birds or Yumemi, or eat yummy food that Yumemi's mother made for her every tea time. No, she wasn't able to breathe, or offer anyone a warm hug.

That was fine though. She was real to Yumemi.

She lived in her heart- and that was enough.

Misuzu had often told Yumemi in her mind, that she may be real- in an ancient past, or even a distant future. She may even exist now, in the present days of Yumemi's childhood. Yumemi was sure that Misuzu would have life someday, just not now- it was hard to explain who Misuzu was exactly. A time paradox, or a wandering spirit? She was unsure. But did it matter to a child? Misuzu was able to understand why Yumemi looked at the sky. And that is something her friends were currently unable to achieve.

As Yumemi got older, Misuzu began to see her less and less- and this upset Yumemi a lot. It didn't make sense- didn't they say that they would always be together? That no matter what happened, or who they were with...or where they went, that they would always be together? It didn't make any sense! She didn't even know what her imaginary friend truly looked like!

"Why do you keep ignoring me!" She shouted out loud one day.

But of course, she never got a true, verbal answer.

Because Misuzu didn't exist.

Yet...and yet...she thought she heard cries. She thought, in that inky darkness that she often escaped to, she saw small gleams of tears, cascading from a child's face. Yumemi tried to run and approach her, but she couldn't move at all. She wasn't even allowed to hug her friend? Or...did Misuzu not want Yumemi as a friend any more?

Was she not a good friend?

Fine! She wouldn't speak to Misuzu ever again!

"I won't speak to Misuzu again! If I'm not a good friend, then neither is she! She ignored me FIRST!"


~Air and Dream~

As time went on, and as Yumemi got older- she began to forget her imaginary childhood friend. Her almost audible voice, what she may have looked like...the memory of her existence began to slip, and falter into the shadows of the edge of the dreamer's mind. Misuzu was nothing more than a flickering ember, compared to the igniting, proud fire she had been all of those years ago, in the childhood days of splendour.

Yes, she began to never exist in the first place. But the thing was, Misuzu didn't mind. Not one bit.

Everyday, with her bright blue eyes (she liked the colour blue, so she decided that her eyes would be that colour), she watched her friend grow and grow. She gazed on at her pain and anguish, and her friends struggling to understand her inner turmoil of nobody being able to understand her. Oh, how she did wish she could embrace all of her sorrows, and tell her that somebody understood.

But she couldn't. For Misuzu did not exist. Not properly, anyway. In the eyes of a normal world, she did not exist, for she could not breathe, write, read- she couldn't even speak. But she didn't care. She could feel emotions, which emitted off of her dear friend. And besides, Misuzu knew that one day, somebody with a strong mind (but a weaker heart) would reach out for Yumemi.

She couldn't tell who exactly would reach out for Yumemi, but she could tell he had the strength of a king.

And as the days passed by, that person eventually did reach out to Yumemi. At first, she was uncertain if she could save the two worlds. But she assured in her own strength, and gained enough courage to break the barrier of the space-time continuum, allowing two very different worlds to embrace each other for the first time in centuries. Misuzu was happy- ever so happy! Now that he had reached out to her, Yumemi was able to become a little bit stronger.

...

Somehow, this gave Misuzu an emotion of relief. Her very, very first emotion that she had ever experienced in the form that she was in now. She had felt emotions before, but they were often expressed through Yumemi. Yumemi's doubt of being sane passed through to Misuzu's doubt of being truly real...and so many other emotions she had felt, but they were second hand.

This was the first emotion she had felt for herself. That she had wanted to feel.

Misuzu, if she could see herself in a mirror, would have probably smiled. She would have closed her eyes, and allowed her lips to perk upwards. Perhaps, if she had a heart, it would beat in screaming ecstasy and galore. Maybe after, she would have sighed, and looked up at the sun she had never been able to see. However, this was a dream for Misuzu.

At least she could feel now.

And yet, with this wonderful feeling, Misuzu felt the remaining conciousness of her current form begin to slip away.

Slip away...

S...lip...away...

"Sayonara, Yumemi."

Yumemi shot up from the bed sheets, her forehead dripping in sweat. Turning on the light, she began looking around, she saw nothing but an empty room, par a few bits of furniture. As she placed her hands to her head, she began to ask her mind a series of questions. What was that voice? It was childish, almost like a newly-made bell, ringing its very first chime.

How had it known her name? Who was it?

And then, Yumemi felt her green eyes begin to prick with tears. They widened, confused and upset.

"Why do these tears fall?" She asked herself. Perhaps, it wasn't herself she was asking, though. Maybe, she was hoping that the air would hear her plea for someone to answer her, and give her a sign. A hint. Anything.

Sighing, Yumemi knew she'd never know. She'd probably forget that voice in due time as well.

Turning off the light, Yumemi closed her eyes, and fell back to sleep, allowing her mind to escape to the one friend she could never meet with again.


A/N: I...think that sucked. Oh well, I did like the ending. Please review!