Chapter 1 - A Possible Future
It was just before I began my last year in middle school that the world was saved from complete destruction. That was also when I found the courage to believe in myself and my own power. I learned that everything flows from the spirit; if you have the will and the strength to protect those that you love, your spirit will shine brightly and anything becomes possible.
At that time, the Heavens were descending onto Earth and the subsequent collision would have annihilated both the Heavenly Beings and the humans living in the Lower World. Munto, the ruler from the Magical Kingdom in the Heavens, my two dearest friends, Ichiko and Suzume, and I joined our powers to give birth to a wonderful new world. The Heavens and Earth were saved, but the journey to true reconciliation and balance between our peoples has only just begun.
At the center of town was a plateau that had sprung forth from the earth when the pillar connecting the upper and lower worlds had been created. Delicate white strands of solidified akuto arced around the edge of the plateau.
Atop this plateau, Munto gazed out across Yumemi's town. He glanced up towards his kingdom, barely able to distinguish the floating island from the puffy white clouds that swirled beneath it. He shielded his eyes from the flares of the setting sun and smiled.
Only months ago the world was about to end, and now here he was, basking in an amber sunset of Earth. Both the Heavens and the Lower World had started to heal.
Today, parties representing Heavenly Beings and humans would be meeting for the first time to discuss the future. Although the meeting was billed as a social gathering, a glorified meet-and-greet, rulers from across the Heavens would be attendance.
Despite being the king that had helped bring about the salvation of the Heavenly Beings, Munto would not be among their number that day.
His absence would not go unnoticed by his fellow monarchs.
He smiled slightly. No doubt his right-hand man, Louie, was panicking. Well, if a representative from the Magical Kingdom was needed, there was always the Lady Prophetess, Ryuely.
The young king clenched his fist tightly and his smiled faded as he turned his gaze downwards to the peaceful town below. Soon, his freedom would disappear; he would no longer be able to escape the political intrigues that were sure to follow today's conference. The young king would need his wits about him, and all the strength he could muster.
Before facing those challenges, there were some special preparations that he absolutely had to do.
Relaxing his fist, he looked at a small, golden ring nestled in his palm. Remembering his objective, a small smile returned to his face. Munto put the ring in his pocket and then jumped down from the plateau, gliding down to his final destination.
"Yumemi, don't fall asleep in the bath!"
The fifteen-year-old jerked awake and called in response, "I'm not asleep, Mama!" She stretched her neck, which had started to ache from her uncomfortable sleeping position.
It had been an exhausting day – the first of many as a third year in middle school. Since the only thing on the agenda was the entrance ceremony to welcome new and returning students, everyone had been released before lunchtime.
She had gone over to Ichiko's house with Suzume to enjoy tea and snacks to celebrate. There would not be many more opportunities to relax as the arduous task of preparing for entrance exams began.
Surely she was entitled to a little daydream, wasn't she? Yumemi sighed.
Munto had once again graced her dreams, very much in the same way that he had since they first made contact during the spring of her first year. Each vision of the red-haired king came with poignant emotions, as strong as if the feelings were her very own.
Today's vision was no different: the young heavenly being was sitting atop the pillar acropolis in the center of town. His emotions had been a whirlwind of anxiety and resolve. But, there had been flashes of warm happiness, especially as he looked at a ring in his hand.
Getting out of the bath, she looked at her neatly folded clothes and the gold ring laid on top. Too big for her, it was laced through a golden chain that she wore around her neck under her clothing.
She received the ring from Munto on the day they had built the pillar together. Together with Suzume and Ichiko, she reminded herself.
He had pressed the golden ring into her hand, paired with sincere words of gratitude. His caring grin completely disarmed the young maiden, making her heart pound and her face flush.
Remembering his strong grip and his even stronger gaze, fixing her into place, a blush crept across her cheeks and she shook her head to clear her thoughts.
The king was very with political matters. She had her own concerns to worry about – entrance exams and her career survey sheet. Now was not the time to get carried away. She had Munto were friends – just friends. Very close friends, but still, just friends.
"Yumemi?" Her mother's voice drifted down the hall. "You have a visitor?"
She paused in the middle of dressing. Her mother was usually very steadfast. It was rare to hear uncertainty and confusion in her tone.
Quickly throwing on the rest of her clothes, she tried to wring the water from her hair at the same time. Her hair was still damp, with little water droplets dripping from the ends, as she quickly walked down the hall.
"Mama, who is it?" Then she stopped in her tracks.
In the middle of the very small living room, stood his royal highness, king of the Heavenly Magical Kingdom.
She blinked a few times lest her eyes deceived her. But no, the image remained, his elongated form towering above her parents.
He turned his smiling face to her, causing her heart to twinge in all sorts of mysterious ways.
"Yumemi." Munto walked over to her, took her by the hand and led her back to her parents, who were gaping in rapt awe. "Won't you introduce ore-sama to your parents?"
A look of surprise flashed over her father's face. There might be trouble brewing soon if this strange, but handsome man, kept referring to himself as ore-sama: 'the great me'. Her father was already recovering from the initial shock of having a visitor from another world and started shifting his weight into a stance known by fathers and daughters everywhere as the 'What are your intentions towards my daughter?' pose.
Luckily, her mother was much faster on the uptake and jumped in to salvage the situation before it came to blows. "So you are Munto-sama, the person who helped keep the floating islands from crashing into our town?"
Munto nodded sincerely. "Your daughter was of great service at that time."
He turned to face Yumemi again. "I must ask for your assistance once more, if you will hear me out."
Her face immediately flushed.
"Your father and I will be down the hall. You know where the tea and snacks are." Her mother forcefully ushered Mr. Hidaka away from the young couple. Muffled words of protestation filtered down the hall.
Yumemi smiled and then looked up at Munto, who had adopted a grave countenance. Instantly, any embarrassment that she felt before melted away as worry settled into her heart.
He rubbed his thumb gently over the back of her hand. He shifted on his feet, took a deep breath, and let it out shakily. But he remained silent; his anxiety and uncertainty hung in the air. To be so discomposed was unlike the proud and assertive king.
"What is it?" Yumemi took his other hand in her own. "If there is any way that I can lend you my power, I will be happy to."
These words of encouragement appeared to give him the push that he needed and he began slowly. "Yumemi, you are a very important person to me. Without your power, this current future that we live in could not have been opened. You have a strong spirit that shines brightly."
Her breath caught in her throat, leaving her a little lightheaded. Surely even the man before her could hear the rapid beat of her heart and feel the heat spreading through her fingers.
Munto looked down at their entwined hands before raising his head and locking his gaze with hers. "There are troubling times ahead as our countries, as our worlds learn to live together once again. I will need your light to help guide me as I guide my country and all of the Heavens out of the darkness."
His grip on her hands grew tighter as the rest of the words tumbled out. "Yumemi, come to my palace. Be by my side."
Frozen in shock, she was unable to form a reply.
He had just proposed, hadn't he? Granted, the Heavens probably had differences when it came to the institution of marriage, so she couldn't be sure. But if this was a proposal, did that mean that he wanted to marry her and for both of them to live together at the palace?
Maybe she was jumping to conclusions and he didn't mean it that way.
"Do you mean as an advisor?" She asked, feeling silly almost as soon as the words left her mouth, for she already knew the answer.
His expression didn't change. "No, Yumemi. I want you to be my life partner."
Thousands of questions and concerns bubbled in her mind, creating a cacophony in her heart. Yet, her answer rang out clear and true.
"Munto, I can't."
The confusion and disappointment showed in his eyes and she carefully explained. "I have many things that I need to do here. I need to go to school and take my entrance exams. I need to go to high school and figure out what I want to do with my life. I want to spend time getting to know my classmates and do the things that other children my age do. I cannot leave that behind - not yet."
She remembered her mother's words about children and responsibility. "Whether I like it or not, I am still a child. I have only just learned how to protect my own spirit and to have confidence in my own strength. I am not ready to bear the responsibility of protecting and supporting another."
Munto released a great exasperated sigh, but looked down at her fondly, his smile was somewhat melancholy. "I had a feeling you might say that."
He led her over to the sofa and they both sunk into the soft, white cushions. Letting go of her hands, he asked, "Do you have the ring I gave you a few months ago?"
Alarm flooded through her system. Was he asking for the ring back? Was he preparing to cut ties with her?
Still, she reached for her collar and pulled out the ring, which dangled from its delicate golden chain. She attempted to unclasp the necklace, but it got tangled in her hair.
"Allow me."
He leaned forward, bracing her against his chest as he carefully freed the strands of hair. The last time she had been pressed against him, she had seen visions of the Heaven's past. No visions this time - just the dull thud of his heartbeat.
Munto pulled away the chain and dropped the ring into one of his hands. Then he reached into his pocket and produced a second ring. He held up the first ring with great solemnity.
"This is the symbol of the king in my country. My father gave me this ring when he returned to the akuto. Tradition dictates that I should have forged my own ring when I ascended to the throne, but I was much too young then."
He held it up between his index finger and thumb, letting the light glint off the gilded surface. "I now have the ability to forge my own ring, but I would like to continue using my father's ring as I lead my country and my people."
His hand dropped slowly to his lap and he looked at it fondly before meeting Yumemi's gaze again.
"I gave this ring to you as a token of my sincerest appreciation for the help you gave me. But now, I would like to propose an exchange."
He held up the second ring, the one that had appeared in her vision. This second ring was made of woven golden threads that looked like they might disintegrate if touched.
"This ring belonged to my mother. It is the only tangible memento I have of her. It is extremely precious to me and I would like you to have it, as a token of not just my appreciation, but as a token of my affection as well." He took one of her hands and carefully pressed the ring into her palm.
"I know that you have a life here that you want to protect, but I would like it if you could accept this ring." He gave her a bit of an awkward smile. "Think of it as my way of opening a new future, a possible future. If you decide that you cannot see yourself in that future, you may return the ring and I will harbor no ill will."
Yumemi contemplated his words carefully, trying to ignore the giddiness welling up inside of her.
Regardless of what Munto might say, the return of such a gift - and all the accompanying implications - would be a painful experience for both of them. Right now, her future was unlimited with opportunities. Committing to a relationship with royalty was not a trivial act: it could pose a threat to some of the many futures open to her.
As much as her heart wanted to her to proclaim yes, there was one more thing she needed to check.
"Munto." He looked at her in honest seriousness. "Let me see into your heart."
He seemed a little taken aback, but then he smiled softly. "That is your way, isn't it?" He placed the rings next to them on the sofa and then reached out to embrace her, nestling her softly against his chest.
Yumemi closed her eyes as his emotions washed over her. There was a hint of sadness that Yumemi had not immediately accepted his proposal, but the overwhelmingly dominant emotions were unclouded resolve and warm affection. Yumemi could tell that he had no expectations of a promise. She could feel his love and desire to protect her overflowing into her mind.
She opened her eyes and slowly broke from the embrace. Munto met her eyes once more, searching for an answer.
"Will you accept it?"
Yumemi smiled. "I will."
A/N: This story is based on the anime version of Munto - Sora o Miageru Shōjo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai. Some details were taken from the closing and post-closing in Episode 9 (Yumemi starting school, the ring).
I love this anime and I suddenly felt inspired to write about Yumemi and Munto post-anime. The story is a bit on the shorter side, but longer than a one shot.
Let me know what you think!
Update: This chapter has been edited with minor corrections since the initial release.
