A Munto Fanfiction: Anew © RedWingedAngel002
Disclaimer: Munto; Sora o Miageru Shōjo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai © Kyoto Animation; Yoshiji Kigami and Tomoe Aratani
Genre: Fantasy, Family, and Hurt-Comfort
Summary: Taking her first step, she moved toward their new future, no longer alone.


A/N: Here's a scene I had to cut in the upcoming fifth chapter of Castles in the Sky. Short and simple.
Consider it an alternative to my 2011 oldie, New Beginnings.


Songs: Yet by: Duncan Laurence, Have You Got It in You by: Imogen Heap, Best Is Yet to Come by: Red


Japanese Index:
-san: Carries the meaning of "Mr.," "Mrs.," "Miss," etc., but used more extensively in Japanese than its English equivalent (Japanese honorific)


"Talking."
'Thinking.'
Memories/Flashbacks.


Chapter 1: Reassurance

Yumemi's bare toes chilled when Munto placed her down at the Hidaka doorstep.

"Thank you," she whispered and already missed his warmth.

It was colder down here. One would think the opposite, given the elevated heights above.

Luckily, the odd-suited 'fighting' uniform materialized before their decent. Shuza and General Rui went to return her two friends home, while the Akuto Doll whisked Gntarl off to who knows where. Her Heavenly dress had been torn to shreds—pity, she really liked the gift—and in a magical sweep, the sweater she came up with was back clean on her shoulders.

Funny, without the viewing wreckage from bird's eye view, her neighborhood would almost feel normal, untouched, as she had left it yesterday morning. However, there was an unsettling stillness in the air. The birds were quiet. A thickened sorrow cloaked and weighed heavy, which kept the hairs at her neck to stand. The aftermath of Armageddon's knocking on Christmas Eve.

"I want to tell them what happened. They deserve to know," her fixated daze on the front door broke to look up at him, from where they stood out at the entrance gate near her mailbox. "Will you help me?"

His hand gently reached out to hold hers in reassurance.

"Of course."

"I told them about you—kind of. The other day," her fingers squeezed, and she questioned the curious flutter at her breast.

"Oh?" Thick brows rose in surprise.

Swallowing, she nodded, and exhaled shaken.

"The night before… all of this," her spare right grasped the ruby pendant at her neck. "I saw you in the rock at the shrine."

A look of confusion flickered across his tanned features.

"That must have been while I was unconscious from the fall," his amber gaze turned astray. A wind ruffled his white collar and bright hair.

She affirmed again and was leading to explain, only to be interrupted by a yell.

"Sis?!" her brother's muffled voice echoed from the second floor window. "Papa! Mama!"

Twin emeralds veered to connect with wide brown, to then disappear as he rushed down the stairs. Soon, the door swung open with the holly wreath jostled awry, to reveal her family of three in haggard appearance due to little sleep.

A tense beat struck and her throat ached by some welled emotion.

"I-I…"

Munto's touch left her hand.

"Sis, you're back…!" Chikara's slippers were left abandoned when he ran out in the slush with his socks.

"Yumemi…! Oh!"

Her parents followed suit and they collided into her in a scrambled mass of eight pulling limbs and warm embraces. This was whom she opened the future for—to continue living through to see tomorrow. Her heart could not have been more full in that moment.

"Thank the gods you're safe!" her mother wept, and cradled her cheeks in her palms, and kissed her to embarrassing lengths. "Where were you? Your father went out looking for you! We were worried sick!"

"I'm sorry," she sniffled into the crook of her neck when held tight, with the familiar perfume to calm her. "It's a lot to explain but… I'm home."

"Oh, welcome home, Yumemi," a peck came at her caressed hair by her father. "We are so glad you're home."

Together, they sighed in their reunion.

Minutes passed before they pulled apart with tearful grins. Chikara had yet to let go of her waist.

"You must be…" Nozomi craned up at the older teen's towering height.

"I am Munto, Lord of the Magical Kingdom," he introduced with grace and offered a curt bow, despite his status. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you all in person."

"I, uh…" She gaped and turned to her husband. "Oh."

"Ah…" Shigeru stared on just as shocked, and then focus down to her when connecting the dots, mentally reeling, "The other day when… That Munto?"

Yumemi smiled. The prideful strain caused her flushed cheeks to ache.

"Munto protected me and brought me back home," she said. "I thought it might be easier to show and then tell."

Her parents continue to gawk and Chikara finally released her to set into his innocent curiosity.

"Hey, are your ears real?"

"Chikara," Shigeru's tone warned. The boy knew better than to draw attention to differences. "Don't be rude."

"Why, yes," he flicked a wisp back into place without shame. The ring at his hand caught in the overcast when brushed under red lashes. "These are no contacts, either."

"Wow," Chikara gasped, absolutely star struck. "So cool."

The King chuckled, bemused.

"Thank you for bringing Yumemi back unharmed, Munto-san," her mother composed herself quicker than her father, and welcomed him, "Would you like to come in? It is dreadfully cold."

"I would like that, thank you."

The three moved up the cobblestone path, where she stood, rooted at her spot.

"Yumemi?"

Her chest palpitated with a sudden onslaught of nerves.

"Hey," Munto stayed by her side and his hand hovered at her back. "You can do this. I know you can."

"Y-yeah," her lungs heaved, and her toes curled with invisible vines clinging. "I know."

Then, the touch solidified at her shoulder, grounding her. Patient, he waited, his smile soft and reassuring.

Her heart quickened in a different sense.

"Ready?"

Breathing deep, she looked to the clouds above, as so many times before. She had reconstructed time and space, and altered their fate with united skies. The anchors of self-doubt fell away in these feelings of acceptance and her fists slacked serene with a confident heart.

It would be all right.

"I'm ready."

Taking her first step, she moved toward their new future, no longer alone.


A/N: I'm still chipping away at chapter four! I'm hoping to get it finished by October!
— Ari [8.15.21]