Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the plot ideas I've introduced. Thanks to all my constant readers and I hope you enjoy and review this latest creation. Have a great day.

In Our Dream

It was a warm summer day without a cloud in the sky. Some would have said it wasn't the sort of weather appropriate for a funeral but on this day, for this funeral, it seemed appropriate that the world was bathed in light. After all, they'd come to bury the first documented light aura user. There was no one on earth who did not know the name of Ai Shiomi, the aura master whose fame had equaled, even exceeded that of his older brother's. His brother, Zero, was nearly inconsolable that day. His wife Wakana and their two boys did everything they could but what could they say? Zero had spent most of his life looking after and fighting along side his beloved younger brother. Now Ai was gone and there had been nothing the powerful aura user could have done to prevent it. Ai had only been thirty five after all. No one expected to die so young. Than again, some would argue that he'd been living on borrowed time to begin with. Ai, since his years in high school had courted death and it had taken its toll on the light user however apt Ai had been at hiding that from others.

Ai Shiomi, a man who'd dedicated his life to destroying the A.D.C. and helping bring about a new organization, one which actually did what A.D.C. had pretended to. This new organization did no testing on the aura children born into the world other than to reveal their aura codings and monitor them for health reasons. Now there was finally an organization designed to forge a positive bond between aura users and the general public. Thanks to it there was finally peace and laws put into place to protect the aura users from anyone who might wish to exploit them. That was Ai Shiomi's legacy and the world mourned his passing.

No one knew quite what had killed him either. He'd been alive and healthy one day and the next he'd gone to bed and closed his eyes for the last time. Tests were performed of course but no answers could be found. It was as if his body had just decided to shut down. To the surprise of his family Ai had already had his funeral plans laid out and so that chore at least hadn't been on their already burdened shoulders.

Aura schools across the globe held moments of silence and there were services and memorials to mark his passing. Hundreds showed up for visitations, people pouring in from all cultures and nations to bid farewell to the man who'd made such a mark on the aura community. Standing in line for the greetings were his brothers family as well as Orina Mido and her husband. She'd been Ai's best friend and a close friend of the family since childhood. Along side Orina were three others, two men, a young woman and a rabbit who'd been Ai's closest friends and companions, Telda Janar Guga and Tokimitsu Shinano had both been by Ai's side since the beginning and grief was plain on their faces as they shook hands with the many who'd come to pay their respects. The girl in the simple black suit's name was Fafa and for once her usual exuberance was gone, her smiles replaced by red eyes and a pale complexion. Ai had been her rock throughout the hardest times in her life and she didn't know what she was going to do without him. The rabbit and Ai's master, Master Boo, stood on a tall chair beside Ai's open coffin and only nodded to the few who knew him. His pupil and friend was dead. There was nothing more to be said. Many that showed up were school mates, all with a story to tell about Ai and his brief two years at their Academy. Everyone had a kind word for him. He would be remembered.

The streets were blocked off for his funeral procession as he was driven to his final resting place. People lined the streets and many threw flowers, all knowing this was an event they would never forget. A hero had died and they'd all come to pay their final respects to him. Arriving at the gates those invited to attend were let in, then the gates were closed to keep the gawkers out. Ai's final resting place was on top of a hill, as if to allow him to watch over the world below. The sun shone down as everyone moved to crowd around the spot, their heads bowed in sorrow with Zero in the middle, tears streaming down his pale cheeks.

"Zero...the headstone." Wakana said quietly, wiping tears off her own cheeks. Ai had first been her student, than her brother in law and she'd loved him very much.

"What about it?" Zero asked, not even looking at it. To look at it would make this too real for him to stand. As it was it took all his courage to stand there, to just stand there and watch them put his baby brother in the ground. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. Ai wasn't supposed to die before him. They were always supposed to be together. He'd been too young to die. There had just been no warning. No warning at all.

"It's a double headstone." Orina said in surprise, her eyes going wide. She hadn't noticed anything strange until Chiroro sensei had mentioned it. 'Do you...think they made a mistake?"

Frowning at the idea Tokimitsu marched over to the stone, intending to see for himself. If they'd gotten his master's stone wrong there was going to be hell to pay. Reading the inscription on the left his frown only grew. It was Ai's all right but then whose...Turning his head to the right he read that inscription as well, understanding dawning. The frown being replaced with a look of peace Tokimitsu backed away, returning to the others. "It wasn't a mistake." He said quietly, under his breath. "Master Shiomi wished it this way."

Before any of the others could go over to see for themselves what Tokimitsu meant the priest began to speak. Everyone falling silent they listened to the man as he recounted Ai's many achievements, his contributions to society and the legacy he had left behind. Those closest tuned the man out, they didn't need to be told to know what sort of man Ai had been. When the priest finished his sermon a representative from the new A.D.C. gave a speech in Shiomi's honor. Then it was time for Ai to be lowered into the ground, a friend of Ai's using his earth aura ability to close the hole once Ai was settle in, the ground covering him quickly growing grass so that in mere moments it was as if the ground had never been disturbed. A few more words were spoken and then everyone began to leave, only those closest to him remaining behind to say their final good byes.

Stepping forward first Telda stood in front of the stone, staring hard at the ground where his friend lay. "Ai...I cannot believe you are gone, my friend. I am standing here, trying to find the words to say good bye to you and I cannot. I would give up my crown and all my fortunes to bring you back. You lived your life to the fullest. You always did what was right and you were never afraid to put yourself at risk to help anyone in need, including me. There are thousands of people in this world, myself included, who owe you a debt that can never be repaid. I hope you rest in peace, my friend. I look forward to the day when we meet again and I can tell you how very glad and privilege I am, to have had a friend such as you."

Coming forward next Fafa just stood there for several moments, tears streaming down her face. Feeling so choked up she wasn't sure she'd be able to speak. But she had to speak, she had so much she needed to say. To tell him. "Ai...Ai you were the first real friend I ever had. You were the best friend Ren and I ever had. No matter how bad things got in my life I always knew I could count on you to be there at my side, helping me carry on. Nothing seemed so bad when you were there. I know I'm supposed to say good bye..but I don't want to say good bye. I want you just to appear with that stupid happy smile of yours and ruffle my hair the way you always do. I want you to come back so much there's nothing I wouldn't do to make it happen. You were the first boy I ever loved..and I think maybe you ruined me for other guys." Fafa said with a watery laugh, wiping the tears away. "But I remember what you said to me after Ren and Mew died. You said we had to live for them. That we had to do our best to live the lives they would have wanted us to live. So that's what I'm going to do. I swear here and now that that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to make you and Ren proud. And every time I think about giving up I'm going to come back here and remember my promise. And I'll keep going because of it." Breaking out into another fit of crying Wakana came over to give Fafa a hug, the girl curling into her former teacher for comfort.

"I guess I will go next, Master Shiomi." Tokimitsu said quietly, as he stepped forward while his former teacher led Fafa away to stand to the side. "I've been trying to think of what to say to you since I got the news. I haven't come up with anything yet. You were always our light in the darkness...and I hope you will continue to look down upon us and lead us down the right path. I hope I will continue to lead a life you would be proud of. Good bye, Master." Returning to his spot beside Telda he watched as the rabbit walked forward, dragging his feet. Poor Master Boo.

Coming to a stop at the foot of Ai's grave Boo just stood there, not saying a single word. There was a huge lump in his throat and so instead of trying and failing to speak he stood still, thinking of his one and only pupil. He'd been a good kid, the best Boo had ever known. It had been a privilege to be his teacher. Bending down Boo patted the ground. "I'll be seeing ya, boyo." Straightening Boo nodded once then transported in a blink back to the school. He needed to be alone now and he knew Orina would try to baby him, bless her gorgeous heart.

"Orina? Do you want to say anything?" Wakana asked, looking over at the girl who'd taken over comforting Fafa. She knew how special Ai had been to Orina, she was proud of the girl for holding it together for the sake of everyone else. They'd all done a lot of leaning on her in the last couple of days.

Nodding her head Orina let go of Fafa and on legs that shook slightly moved to stand where Master Boo had been moments ago. Staring at gravestone as her vision blurred she blinked repeatedly, seeing what had caught Tokimitsu and Chiroro sensei's attention earlier. Stumbling forward she dropped to her knees in front of the stone, her hand shaking as she laid her hand against the hard surface.

"What is it, Orina?" Zero asked, taking a couple steps forward, to help her.

"He...it's his and Mew's." Orina choked out as she read aloud what was written on the tombstone. On the left was Ai's name, birth and death while on the other side..was the inscription for one Suzumi Mew Shiomi with Mew's birth and death. Across the bottom the inscription read, Together In Our Dream. Suzumi...the name on that stamp Mew had carried around after Ai had brought her back from the A.D.C.. Mew had said she couldn't remember how she'd gotten it but she'd treasured it none the less. She knew Ai had been buried with that stamp in his pocket moments before. Mew had told her that her parents had never given her a real name. It looked like Ai must have given her one instead. Just as he'd given her a final resting place, something else the A.D.C. had denied her as well. "Oh, Ai!"

Everyone crowding in except for Tokimitsu they all examined the stone, their surprise showing plainly on their faces, then understanding blooming as they realized just what Ai had done.

"This is right, no?" Telda said huskily, setting a hand on Fafa's shoulder.

"Yeah. It helps too. To remember that he's gone to be with her now. That means he's happy wherever he is." Fafa said with a sniff, wiping her eyes as her first smile in days crossed her tired face. "He loved her so much. He never stopped, did he?"

"No, he never did." Orina said softly, a watery smile on her one face as she smiled through her own tears. "100 percent compatibility. Everything he did after she died was for her. To create a world she could have been happy in he said."

"Maybe that's why he's gone." Wakana said softly, wrapping her arms around her husband's waist. "Once he finished what he set out to do he felt it was okay to finally stop and do something for himself. We all know he was never the same after Mew was killed. He devoted himself to his mission and that was what he lived for. All he lived for. It was what kept him from dying along with Mew I think. Now he can finally be happy and whole. With his other half."

"Yeah." Zero said softly, turning to kiss his wife's hair. Feeling a sense of peace he hadn't felt since he'd felt his brother's life force slip away Zero breathed in her scent, finding comfort in it. He could understand it now. Why his brother had had to go. His brother was where he could be happy, that was what was important. Turning to look into the horizon he blinked for a moment, sure that what he was seeing couldn't possibly be there. When he saw the figures remain there, their hands lifted in greeting he felt a grin cross his own features as he lifted his own hand to wave back. Everyone turning to see who he was waving to they too could only stare.

Both made up of a milky white mist the aura forms of Ai and Suzumi Shiomi stood watching, smiles on their faces as they waved at their friends and family. They looked as they had in high school, young and eager to take on the world. Orina had never seen Mew look so happy. Their hands lowering everyone watched as Mew and Ai linked hands then disappeared, as though they had really been nothing more then fog.

They were finally together, in their never ending dream.