Stardust and Moondreams

All rights to the anime and manga 'Here is Greenwood' belong to Yuki Nasu/Hakusensha Inc./Victor Entertainment and associated parties; the English version copyright is held by Software Sculptors Ltd. All characters and plotlines from 'Here is Greenwood' belong to their respective creators and are used without permission for entertainmet purposes. All original characters and plotlines not claimed by the previously mentioned parties are the property of and are copyrighted by Lady Koneko. This is a non-profit story by fans for fans.
Thank you.
=^._.^=


Stardust and Moondreams
a 'Here is Greenwood' OAV story
by Lady Koneko


Mitsuru was walking through a dark tunnel. How and when he had arrived here was a mystery. All that he knew was that he was here, alone, walking toward a distant light. The silence was near deafening in its intensity, the beating of his heart and the soft flow of his breath unnaturally loud. Still, he walked on. There wasn't much else he could do.
The light grew brighter, a pure, glowing light. So bright before him that he could not see if anything laid beyond it. Six feet from it he stopped. Should he continue forward, not knowing what lay before him in the light, or stay here in the silence?
He walked forward and entered the light.

* * * * *

The light was brilliant, blinding him through closed eyes but not hurting. Something caressed his skin, warmth that reminded him of lazy summer days. It was comforting, the long forgotten memory of a special person and a fleeting hug. Then he was through.
Mitsuru looked around curiously. He was now in a sun kissed meadow, the entrance to the tunnel nowhere in sight. A soft breeze filled with spring scents of flowers, warm earth and sunshine played with his auburn gold locks. Around him was the soft rustling of the grass as the breeze similarly caressed it. Mitsuru looked around suspiciously, having the distinct unpleasant feeling that something was up. This scene, it was too perfect to be real. Then he looked up.
"Sugee..." he breathed, the first sound he had made since this strange adventure started. The sky above him, it was incredible. It was an astronomer's fantasy, come true. High in the blue sky, were the heavens. Brilliant stars, shining to rival the most beautiful diamonds, were twinkling against a blue silk background. There was no sun, in this brilliant sky; instead glowing novas and gaseous nebulas lit the world around him. It was beautiful, and for some reason, he felt glad to have seen it.Beautiful, isn't it Ikeda-san?"
He spun around at the unexpected voice behind him. He had thought that he was alone in this fantasy world. Behind him was the ever-so-cute ghost Misako. Except... even she looked different here. Her green-blond hair was pulled back with two jeweled hair combs instead of being pulled up into her usual ponytails. The dress she was wearing looked to be from a renaissance fair, low cut in the front, tight at the bodice, and falling into waves of white silk to the ground. The sleeves were the same, long and flowing, the trailing ends nearly reaching the ground. He had never seen her like this.
"Misako?" Mitsuru breathed, stepping back a step to look at her better. She shyly nodded, a soft pink creeping across her pale cheeks.
"Mmmm," she nodded then looked around. "You know, it's strange. I fell asleep, and here I was. I started walking around, and there you were."
Mitsuru blinked. Ghosts slept? Well, it was possible, he thought. Misako had broken everything he had ever known about ghosts, why not this.
"I like your outfit, it makes you look like a prince."
What outfit? Mitsuru hastily looked down at himself. He was wearing a white silk tunic top embroidered with silver with a long rich blue sleeveless robe over it. It had some sort of intricate design stitched onto it, also in silver thread. Underneath he noticed that he was wearing a pair of tight blue breeches and had matching blue boots.
"What the..." he raised his arms and looked at himself. "This just proves it. This has to be a dream."
Misako giggled. "I like this dream. I am glad you are in it Ikeda-san."
"Hold it," Mitsuru turned his attention away from his cloths to the ghost. Surely she wasn't implying... "Who says that this is your dream? What if it is my dream?"
Misako placed a finger on her lip and gave Mitsuru a quizzical look. "You think? Do you normally have dreams like this?"
"Do you?" he retorted, crossing his arms and scowling at her. He knew this was his dream, he knew it was. After all, he was aware of himself. How could he be aware of himself in ~her~ dream?
"Does it really matter?" she said softly, a sad note in her voice. Misako turned away, looking up at the sky. "We are here, does it really matter whose dream this is?"
He sighed. "I guess not." But it is still my dream. He was not giving up that point.
She continued to gaze into the sky above, Mitsuru watching her. The breeze danced with the sleeves of her dress, and the flowing edge of his robe. They remained silent, for how long Mitsuru didn't know, when Misako turned and looked at him over her shoulder, a familiar look of mischievousness in her eyes.
With arms spread wide, she turned back to face him. "We are all alone in the world! Just us. Isn't this wonderful?"
Mitsuru started to open his mouth to say no, that it wasn't. That the last thing he ever wanted was to be trapped in some strange dreamscape with a lovesick ghost, when the words stuck in his throat. Misako had continued to turn in a circle, her head thrown back, a smile on her face. The wind caused her sleeves to fly, and for some reason Mitsuru could not look away.
"Ikeda-san?" Misako stopped twirling and looked at him. She had tilted her head to one side, eyes curious. Her pale skin was flushed, from what he did not know. "Ikeda-san," she repeated, stepping closer. "Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing is wrong. Why would it be?" He spoke a bit faster than he intended, his unexpected nervousness taking over. She just shrugged and took a step closer. She was now within touching distance, if one could touch a ghost.
Misako bent forward, looking him straight in the eye. "I don't know," she said in all seriousness and stood back up, her ever-present smile back on her face. "Lets dance!"
"NANI!" Mitsuru tensed up, preparing to bolt for it. She didn't just ask him to...
"Dance," she said, unwittingly finishing his thought for him. She tilted her head to one side. "There is no one else here." She sniffled. "No one will know." She sniffled again, a little more forcefully and her lower lip quivered. "Please?" she whispered.
Misako had never asked him please before. The whole thing was taking on a surreal aspect. She was looking at him with sad eyes, sniffling and holding back her tears. Misako usually burst into tears at the first sign of opposition from him, wrecking whatever room they were in and calling down the wrath of his dorm mates upon him. He continued to look at her, and he couldn't take it. Those sad tear filled eyes and quiet acceptance to his protest gained what no amount of tears and crying had ever managed to do before. His willing acquiesces to do something. Taking a deep breath, and knowing that his hand would pass through hers if they touched, he held his hand out to her. She smiled, a bright smile of the like he had never seen before. She reached out her hand to his, hovering over his for a moment, before she softly grasped it in hers.
"If this is a dream, we should be able to do what we want," she said in reply to his totally shocked look at their joined hands. Mitsuru swallowed, and looked up at Misako. "This is probably my only chance to dance with someone Ikeda-san. I am glad it is with you."
Mitsuru didn't answer; instead he rearranged his hand in hers; then grasped her around the waist with the other. Misako gasped at his sudden move. "So, lets dance."
"H-hai," she weakly responded. He smiled at her, at the look on her face. He had surprised her. Good. Goodness knows; she had constantly surprised him since she had barged into his life and had taken up residence in it.
He swung her around, and they waltzed in the meadow, to the music of the birds and bees and the gently swaying grass. Misako's eyes lit up with joy, and a soft laugh of happiness came with the pink in her cheeks. Mitsuru smiled himself. He put aside his questions about being here, his distress about Misako's feelings toward him, which could never be fulfilled, and lived for the moment.
They danced without care to the time; it had no meaning here after all. It didn't seem too much later when finally Mitsuru lifted his gaze away from Misako and noticed that it was dark out. The spell broken, he stilled, still holding Misako. Together they looked at the darkened sky. The blue silk of the daytime sky had been replaced by black velvet. The stars still shone, their intensity increased a hundred fold. The novas and nebulas now like hazy clouds. And off in the distance, a blue orb covered in clouds, only visible now that it was night in this fantasy world.
"That's the earth, isn't it?" Misako asked a bit breathlessly. It was unknown whether that was from the awe at seeing the world she was born on in the distance, the dance she had just completed, or from Mitsuru's arm still around her waist.
Mitsuru nodded, a strange ping in his heart at the sight, as though this was something he had seen before. Misako tugged on his arm and then held out her free hand. Sometime in the last few moments, bits of glowing golden light had started to fall from the sky like snow. Stardust. Time was growing short, he knew. On an impulse, he turned back to his ghost and cupped her cheek in his hand. Her eyes widened in surprise, and her lips parted on an 'oh!'
He smiled, a sad smile. "I am glad we had this dance Misako." He lowered his head and gently kissed her open lips. "Mata ne, Misa-chan."
Mitsuru stepped back, his hand falling from Misako's face. Slowly she brought her fingers to her lips, touching them. The stardust continued to fall, and Misako's form started to grow dim.
"Mitsuru-san!" Misako's eyes grew frantic. "What is happening?" She reached for him, her form growing more and more indistinct. "I love you, Mitsuru-san," she called out, her voice so very faint, as though she was calling from a distance.
"I know Misako," Mitsuru said gently to faint form in front of him. "I know, and I love you too."
The last thing Mitsuru saw was the gentle, loving smile on Misako's face as she faded from view.

* * * * *

Mitsuru sat up with a gasp, his heart pounding. He blinked and looked around. Was he... was it... He slid open the curtain to his bunk and looked out. The bright light of the full moon came through the window, lighting everything with a silver light. He was in his dorm room; the whole thing was nothing more than a dream.
That's it, Mitsuru, he thought to himself as he fell back against his pillow in relief, no more heavy snacking before going to bed. The last thing you need are dreams like that!
"Is something wrong?" a cool voice asked from below. Mitsuru rolled over and met the slightly curious gaze of his roommate, who looking up at him.
"No."
Shinobu frowned suddenly, giving Mitsuru a studying look. "Mitsuru, why do you have glitter in your hair?"
"Ehh?" Mitsuru frowned and ran his hand through his hair. Small flecks of gold fell, drifting down to the floor. Shinobu pulled back into his bunk so that none of it would fall on him, a puzzled frown on his face. Mitsuru silently watched as the slightly glowing bits of light fell to the floor, then looked at his hand. It was covered in the same bits of light. "Stardust..." he whispered.
It had been a dream, hadn't it?


The End
*giggle* =^._.^=