Disclaimer: I do not own any of the copyrighted characters in this fanfic.
Prologue: Summer's Fall
When Yukito woke up, he realized that he was back in Misuzu's room, as if nothing had happened. He looked out towards the window in her room, and saw that it was still nighttime. He then remembered in a flash the dream that he just had:
"Yukito. Now is the time for you to do what you must. She is the one you have been looking for all this time. The girl in the sky… Misuzu," said a voice.
He looked for the source of the voice and saw, to his surprise, a younger version of himself.
"Use the power that Mother and Grandmother and before them, our ancestors, sealed within the doll you have right now. With that power, you can help Misuzu find happiness, so that the curse will be broken. Do it successfully and when she has the last dream, she will not forget everything and die, instead she will be reborn, given a second chance at life," said his younger self.
Yukito shifted his gaze from the window towards the blond girl sleeping in the bed, hugging a stuffed dinosaur doll.
"To break the curse… I need her to experience true happiness and friendship," Yukito whispered to himself. "But if that's the case… That's it, I guess. I've been happy staying here with Misuzu. All my life, I've wandered and traveled, trying to find the girl in the sky that I had to save. Perhaps it is fate's hand that guided me towards my first true friend, the girl in the sky that I had been longing to find ever since the day I left my home. But perhaps not only my first true friend, but someone I had grown to love more than myself, even."
And Yukito now knew exactly how to break the curse on Misuzu. He had to confirm if Misuzu, despite the curse that had been placed on her, the curse that involuntarily caused her to experience pain, anguish and sadness whenever she got close to someone, also felt the same way about him.
There was only one way to find out. The last dream was happening right now. He had to break the curse now, or Misuzu would never wake up.
Yukito stood up and sat down on Misuzu's bed. He gently touched her face and said,
"Misuzu. Hey, Misuzu, wake up. Misuzuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…"
"Y-Yukito-san… H-help me," she moaned.
Shit! She's already within the last dream. If I don't help her now, she could die! I can't let that happen!
"Misuzu! Misuzu! I'm right here!" shouted Yukito as he gripped Misuzu's hand. "Misuzu! Misuzu! Wake up, Misuzu!"
Misuzu still wasn't waking up, and Yukito knew he was running out of time. Then, without warning, everything turned white for Yukito.
"Yukito-san," said a woman's voice.
"Who are you?" asked Yukito.
"Heed my words first. You never really needed the power of the doll from your mother and grandmother. The power to help Kanna--, I mean Misuzu was always within you," said the woman. "Trust your heart, and it will show you the way."
Before he knew it, he was back in the bedroom, still holding onto Misuzu's hand, while she was writhing in pain. There was only one thing he could do now, and it was now or never. Yukito let go of Misuzu's hand, and he gently held her face in his hands, and he simply kissed her.
Misuzu's eyes snapped open, and Yukito broke away immediately.
"M-Misuzu! You're alright!" Yukito exclaimed.
"I am now, Yukito-san. Thank you for saving me," said Misuzu as she sat up in bed.
"Misuzu… I realized that I was happy being with you. I realized that my travels were over at the moment that I set foot in this town. You were the girl in the sky that I had journeyed for so long to find and save. I'm glad that I was finally able to fulfill my life's goal. Now, I can be happy staying here with you," said Yukito.
"I know, Yukito-san. I knew that you were happy when you were with me, even if it has only been two months. When I met you for the first time, there was something about you that seemed so detached. But after spending your time here, you began to slowly open up to others. You even started to help others, like Kirishima-san and Tohno-san," said Misuzu. "I'm sorry if I might appear to be conceited, but I honestly think that your time with me has changed you into a better person."
"It's okay Misuzu, because I agree with you."
He then took Misuzu's hand in his and said,
"Misuzu… Can we be together from now on?"
Misuzu was turning pink in the cheeks, and she replied,
"Of course, Yukito-san."
"Misuzu… I think I'm in love with you," blurted out Yukito all of a sudden.
"Yukito-san… I know that I am," replied Misuzu, as she leaned towards Yukito to kiss him.
A year and three months had passed since then. Yukito still lived in Misuzu's home, along with Haruko. After Yukito explained everything to Haruko, she became closer to Misuzu than she had ever been before. She had said,
"Finally, now I can stop holding back. I can finally love Misuzu."
Yukito had found a permanent job at the Kirishima clinic. Hijiri taught him useful things, things that would be useful to someone assisting a doctor. He also did manual labor, and he had enough money so that he wouldn't be such a freeloader at the Kamio household.
One day, during fall, Yukito was watching the Kamio household; Misuzu was in school, and Haruko was out at work, when the phone suddenly rang. He picked up the phone.
"Hello, is this the Kamio household?" shouted a voice over the phone.
"Yes, this the Kamio household, may I know who's speaking?" asked Yukito.
"I'm a teacher at Misuzu's school. There's been an emergency here. Earlier, I was patrolling the corridors when I found her slumped against a broom closet's door, clutching her head. She suddenly started to shout the words, 'Please make it stop, it hurts!' over and over again, and just as suddenly as she started, she suddenly stopped and fell limp onto the floor. I performed CPR on her and we phoned the Kirishima clinic, because the nearest hospital is miles away. Kirishima-san immediately proceeded here, but when she arrived… "
"WHAT!? WHAT HAPPENED TO MISUZU!?" Yukito shouted.
"According to her, she suffered a fourth grade aneurysm. Kirishima-san was perplexed, as despite Misuzu's tendency to fall ill, a fourth grade aneurysm was typical of older people who had extremely unhealthy diets. Obviously, Misuzu does not fall into those categories so─"
"CUT THE CRAP AND GET TO THE POINT!" screamed Yukito through the phone. "How is she right now?"
"I was about to tell you just that. I'm sorry, but we couldn't save her. A fourth grade aneurysm only has around a 20% survival rate if the patient is treated at a hospital. With that not happening, the odds were even lowered against our favor. I'm sorry," said the man.
Without another word, Yukito shut the phone. He dialed Haruko's number and gave her the bad news. After that was done, Yukito just slumped against Misuzu's room and thought about everything.
And just last night, we were building a card house in her room. I would never be able to do that with her again…
With that realization, Yukito Kunisaki began to cry.
Misuzu's funeral was a small affair. Only the people she had made friends with were there. The Kirishimas came over and paid their respects, and Minagi and her sister Michiru also came. Misuzu's biological father was there, with his new wife and their child. Haruko still couldn't stop sobbing, but Yukito had already become an emotionless stoic. He tried to detach himself from everything, so that this loss wouldn't be as painful as it really should be.
That night, after Misuzu was buried, Yukito and Haruko both drank their guts out. The Kamio household was such a mess, with two bawling drunkards inside it, grieving the death of Misuzu.
Nothing productive happened, and when Yukito came to, it was already morning.
"What a night… I shouldn't have done that… But yeah, perhaps it's for the best that I distract myself from…"
He couldn't bear to say her name.
Yukito then cleaned up, all the while wondering where Haruko was. When he reached her room, his question was answered in the form of a note that was on her table.
Dear Yukito,
I have decided to get away from this town. I'm sorry if it was this sudden, as we were just drinking all night long last night, but I have to do this. The only way for me to forget about all of this is to get away from the place where it all happened. I'm sorry for leaving everything to you Yukito, but since you were Misuzu's boyfriend, I knew that I could trust you. You are now the owner of my house until I come back. Please watch over everything until them. And once again, I'm really sorry.
With love, Haruko.
With the note were the keys to the house. Yukito picked them up, along with Haruko's note, and pocketed them.
He took his rucksack, put the doll in it, locked up the house, and wandered around town aimlessly. He really needed some sort of guidance right now, so he decided to walk towards the town's shrine. As he walked there, he remembered the past year that he spent with Misuzu, despite all his efforts not to think about her. The days that they played with each other in her room, the day that they went to the beach, the day that they first kissed, the day that they admitted to each other that they were in love with each other… All of it was torture for Yukito.
When he arrived at the shrine, he rang the bells and prayed to the gods that he wouldn't go mad with Misuzu's death. He prayed that someone could be able to help him, and he also prayed that, though impossible it may seem, somehow, Misuzu could come back.
"Nah… That's impossible," said Yukito to himself.
"Oh, I don't think it's that impossible."
Yukito abruptly turned to the voice and he saw a young man wearing a t-shirt and jeans.
"What's your problem anyway? This is none of your business," snapped Yukito.
"Now now, Yukito-san, let's not be rude. I know how I can help you," said the young man.
"Wait a minute… How do you know my name?" asked Yukito.
"Nevermind that, that isn't important. I know a lot of people's names, so that isn't really a problem, is it? Anyway, I can help you bring Misuzu back," he said.
Yukito choked and asked,
"H-How?"
"It's going to be a long and complicated journey, but if we succeed, I think not only will I be able to help you, but two other men who have suffered the same fate."
"Wait a second. How can I trust you? How can I make sure that you're not just some swindler who's trying to make money off of me?" said Yukito, one eyebrow raised.
"I can't. Nothing I can say will logically convince you. But, after all, no one else has offered to help you bring Misuzu back, and you're probably desperate, since you would've been lovers and all…"
Yukito charged towards the man in anger and grabbed the man by the shirt.
"Don't. Say. That," said Yukito angrily.
"I'm sorry if I was rude, but you'll just have to trust me if you want to try to bring Misuzu back."
"Fine, I will," grumbled Yukito. "So, where do we start?"
"Firstly, I'll introduce myself. My name is Alan. It doesn't matter what my surname is, so just call me Alan," said the man.
"Alright then, Alan."
"Now, with that out of the way, we're going on a cross-country trip. But I think I can make things much faster if we travel my way," chuckled Alan.
He waved his hands and suddenly, the shrine disappeared from Yukito's eyes, and the next thing he knew was that he was sitting on a wooden bench that was located near a train-station. What surprised him the most was that it was snowing.
"How the hell…?" Yukito trailed.
"Don't think about how, just appreciate the fact that you're here," said Alan, who was sitting on the bench beside him. "Ah, now there's someone I want you to meet."
He gestured towards a man around his own age, walking towards them. Yukito appraised the man, and saw that he was just a student. He was wearing a blue blazer, and he had a scarf around his neck.
When the man reached them, he spoke to Alan first, who stood up to acknowledge him.
"So Alan, is this the guy you wanted me to meet?" said the man.
"Yes, he is. Now, why don't you introduce yourself to him? I'm sure the two of you will be really helpful to each other in solving your problems."
"Alright, I will then."
He turned to Yukito and said,
"According to Alan, we have the same problems. I'm close to losing someone I really love to supernatural causes," said the man.
"Correction: I've already lost her," said Yukito angrily as he stood up.
"Well, if Alan is to be believed, that can be remedied if we help each other out. Anyway, on to the introductions," said the man.
"'I'll go first. My name is Yukito Kunisaki," said Yukito.
"I'm glad I could find someone who's in the same boat as I am. I look forward to working with you in solving our problems."
"My name is Yuuichi Aizawa."
A/N: And so, the crossover begins. I'm not expecting any reviews this early into the story, so please just read on. If you're wondering why this did not begin from AIR's (the Kyo Ani version) anime ending, I decided to use one of the good endings from the visual novel as my start button, where Misuzu is cured of the curse after the last dream takes place instead of her dying.