King of Dreams
a Munto fanfiction by Tripleguess
Genre: Fantasy/Drama
Rated PG+
March 9, 2009
Summary: She made a promise. She has to keep it.

Author's Note: OVAverse only. Borrows elements from the TV series, but otherwise ignores it. Certified moe-free.

"We're pinned down!" Shuza yelled, slicing at the air in front of him. The morph soldier backing him into the pillars came apart at the seams, but three more pressed in to take its place. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!"

Rui let fly another hail of Akuto bolts and mopped his brow hastily, not daring to take his eyes off the enemy between barrages. If Shuza was tired, he was running on empty.

The situation was not good. Gus, drained from attacking Gunther's fleet and from the loss of his arm, could no longer hold his own against Guridori. Morph soldiers were flooding the borders of the Kingdom, and the weary soldiers were hard pressed to slow their progress. Even Leica's fresher forces, fighting under her fierce direction, were losing ground.

"We have to hold out as long as we can -"

"I know that!"

Then it happened. An eruption of light that blinded the sun - light one could feel, pulsating and warm, beating against the skin like birdwings.

And for reasons no one could explain, the enemy fell back.

He was on his knees, Rui realized, blown there by the force of an explosion that must have come from far, far below. Shuza had lost his footing too. And raining upwards in luminous streamers…

"Akuto," Rui breathed. Raw, unadulterated Akuto, more than he'd ever dreamed existed, was stabbing through the clouds in solid rays. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen, except for -

"It's so much stronger this time," Shuza observed, following the same train of thought. He reached out a tentative hand, stirring the air with his fingers; it shimmered like a living thing, as though full of gold dust.

"No kidding." Rui brought up a hand and flexed experimentally. The morph soldiers in front of them imploded, crumpling like tin foil in a blast furnace.

They grinned at each other, their strength flooding back, fed by the hope that suddenly flamed inside of them. Unspeakable, incredible hope that -

"Oh yeah. Much stronger."

X X X

They'd been losing when he left. Fighting valiantly, contesting every inch, but losing nonetheless.

But now, as he hurtled through the last of the clouds and the final webs of cirrus sank from view, he could see that it was the enemy who was on the run.

They all depended on Akuto - every skydweller drew sustenance from it, looked to it for heat and energy and power. But only those of the Magical Kingdom could use it directly, drawing it straight from the air and rechanneling it as they chose. If what they chose was battle, it made a frightening weapon indeed.

And now, looking at his warriors as they pursued a beaten foe, he understood why the other lands had been so anxious to bring his land down when they'd had the chance.

Not that he agreed. Oh no, not in the least. And now, with the counter to it all in his arms, he was going to make sure they never attacked his people again.

He hadn't wanted her to come. There were so many fears swirling around that outline, fears that went to a depth he'd never thought he'd feel again. They stabbed at him again even now; she'd pierced time without effort, and his newly gained Outsider powers had allowed him to meet her halfway. But she'd lost consciousness on the way up, and he could feel her heart rate dropping.

"STOP THE FIGHTING!" he roared.

The sparks of Akuto attacks suddenly faded. The morph bots not yet fleeing began to; those already withdrawing redoubled their pace. A surge of movement to one side caught his eye; Guridori, evidently in the midst of teaching Gus a lesson.

Munto caught his breath and veered in that direction. Wisps of cloud flew past him, and her hair stung his face. "Let him go."

Guridori sneered. Behind his cracked mask, one eye glowed malevolently. Strange thread-like feelers ran from a nearby morph soldier through the Outsider's body. Gus was unconscious, or dead… but Munto doubted that Guridori would pay that much attention to a nerveless corpse.

The Elders might sanction crimes in the name of the good of the many, but the king of Holgooze enjoyed inflicting pain for its own sake.

"Make me, boy."

That was all the invitation Munto needed.

"I said --" and each word was deliberate, as though talking to a rather dull child - "Let. Him. Go."

He gestured as he spoke. Guridori flinched as the air crackled, red threading gold in agitated bands. Munto flinched, himself, as a surge of Akuto poured into his attack, eagerly following his lead.

Even in her sleep, she was helping him.

Energy forked into the wirelike threads holding Gus, and Guridori howled as they vaporized, curling in on himself with pain. Controlling his automatons so directly had its drawbacks.

Gus plummeted, helpless to stop himself. But that was all right, because Leica did it for him, catching him on the deck of her hoversail. Irita rushed to the Outsider and began yanking out the singed ends of the feelers with her quick, sensitive hands, while battle-wise Leica put the ship out of range before Guridori could react. Munto attacked again, this time targeting Guridori. Furs sparked and smoked.

"I'll remember this!" Guridori hissed, and caught hold of a passing morph soldier. Within moments he was out of sight, trailing ash all the way. Munto watched long enough to make sure Guridori wasn't doubling back. Then he filled his lungs and headed for the island he called home.

"Shuza!" he bellowed. "Shuza! Come here this instant!"

X X X

They met him at the steps of the palace, their faces jubilant. One look at his expression, though, and the circle of welcomers backed away to give him room.

"Shuza! Shuza!"

Shuza pushed to the front of the crowd as Munto dropped to the ground and then to his knees, his burden spilling across his lap.

"Is she all right?"

Shuza crouched and touched her neck, then her wrist. "So small," he marveled. He held a lock of her hair near her mouth; it fluttered. Munto bit his lip with impatience, but it wouldn't do to hurry a doctor.

"She's fine," Shuza assured him, checking the skin on the inside of one wrist with his large, gentle hands. "Just asleep. I think she's a bit dehydrated, and her heartbeat is rapid, but that's probably normal given her size…"

Rapid? This was nothing; she'd been thrumming like a hummingbird when he caught her. He tuned back in in time to catch the tail end of Shuza's assessment.

" ...let's let her rest and keep her warm. When she wakes, make sure she has plenty to drink."

Drink. Of course. Akuto could stand in for food, for them, but Yumemi had depended on food and water all her life. "Asleep? That's it?"

Shuza nodded.

Munto bowed his head. "Thank God."