Disclaimer: I don't own Clannad or any of its related materials except for my OCs.
Clannad – The Light In Your Heart
…Of A Forgotten Past
Aaron eventually opened the sliding door and was greeted by the sight of Okazaki and a rather beautiful chestnut-haired girl sitting together.
"Hey what I tell you, it's working." Okazaki said with a smirk.
"Wait, what's working? What's going on?" Aaron asked.
"I-Is this the person you mentioned, Okazaki?" The girl inquired, "This is Carter Aaron from your class right?"
"Hey you okay, you look like you've seen a ghost." Tomoya said looking at Aaron's wide eyes.
"Oh yeah, I'm fine just a little tired I guess." Aaron walked in and looked down to see the poster that was on the desk between the two of them.
"Drama club?" Aaron pointed out. "Is this what you asked me about?"
"Well she wants to revive the Drama Club and we need new members. Since the club's been on hiatus since April." Tomoya explained.
"Is that it huh?" Aaron brought his hand to his chin.
"Would you be willing… to help us?" The girl asked.
"Well, I have been on the lookout for a club to join so maybe…" Aaron said to himself.
"So you will!?" The girl squealed.
"Hang on now, I'd at least like to meet the girl who's trying to revive the club." Aaron said simply.
"Oh, I'm sorry I'm Furukawa Nagisa of 3-B. I've been wanting to revive the Drama club for some time now but no seems interested." Nagisa said.
"I have to ask, what's that picture on the poster you're making?" Aaron inquired as to the many rounded, slit-eyed characters on the page.
"Oh, it's the Big Dango Family it has my favorite song ever!" Nagisa energetically answered. Aaron couldn't help but stare back at the page as he looked over.
"Hey Aaron, you fan too or something?" Tomoya asks again.
"Oh uh, no… felt like I should've been… remembering something." Aaron said s he rubbed the temples of his head.
"But anyway, I would like to know why you want to revive the Drama club first. Was here some kind of show you wanted to put on?" Aaron asked Nagisa.
"Well… there was a play I wanted to do; it's from a really beautiful story I remember as a child." Nagisa answered.
"Beautiful as in…? Emotional, thrilling?" Aaron asked further.
"Well uh… I still need to get the name of the play" Nagisa said with a nervous chuckle.
"I see." Aaron frowned.
"But still, would you be willing to help. I-We need all the help we can get!" Nagisa said.
"Hmm… alright you got me I'll help. Never was one to ignore a plea for help." Aaron acquiesced.
"Yeah!" Nagisa cheered while Tomoya had a smile on his face.
"Well what do you need from me?" Aaron asked.
"Well we need help to put up some more of these posters." Nagisa asked.
"Hmm, you know maybe we could add a bit of color to them, help them stick out more to people. Doesn't help if it's just a white page with just writing on it," Aaron offered.
"Alright, we'll raw them out and you can color them accordingly." Tomoya offered.
"Alright, let's get started." Nagisa said excitedly.
"Yeah!" All three of them cheered as they each got to work making several posters. After making a respectable stack of about 40 of them to hang across the campus they finished and exited the room.
Heading into the common area they hung the poster up on the bulletin board near the stairs as the first perfect place for their recruitment posters.
"Well that's a start. But if you guys don't mind I'm gonna go to the library." Aaron said.
"Library why?" Nagisa asked.
"Well to figure out what kind of play you want to do. If you can't remember it then we got to find it right? So what can you remember about it?" Aaron asked Nagisa.
"Well um… it has a beautiful story, and it's quite heartwarming too. I know this also may seem a bit embarrassing, but it might be for children to enjoy too." Nagisa said the last part with a bit of red on her cheeks.
"Alright, I'll see what I can do. See you guys later." Aaron said as he walked off towards the library.
With that Aaron began making his way towards the double door at the end of the hall, opening the door he was greeted by a modest, but equally great collection books adorning multiple shelves for rows and rows.
As the day is all but over no one was in the library. With the absolute quiet to his advantage Aaron decided that before perusing away he needed to at least know where he was looking first. Good thing too as he spotted a girl at the librarian's desk.
"Um, excuse me I'm looking for some books per chance…" Aaron said to get the girl's attention.
"Of course, what can I do to help?" The girl replied as she replied with a smile.
The girl was shorter than Aaron; her hair past her shoulders it's light brown color accentuated by the orange light of the setting sun outside. Her prominent ahoge in the center of her head was a rather telling point.
"Oh my, you look like a new student. My name's Miyazawa Yukine. What's yours?" She asked.
"You're right, my name's Carter Aaron. This is actually my first week here at this school. I transferred from America with my Mom." Aaron replied.
"I see. So what was it you were looking for?" Yukine inquired to Aaron's last comment.
"Oh, I'm looking for any books on plays with a heartfelt theme behind them. I know that sounds rather vague, but my friend couldn't remember the play they were looking for." Aaron said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Hmm, that is rather vague, but I still think I can help. Let me see what kind of plays we have on record. Maybe we can find what it is your friend needs." Yukine said.
"Yeah, thanks for this." Aaron replied.
"As the school librarian it's just my job really." With that both of them took a cart and began looking for books on plays; everything from compilation books with short plays and whole stories about plays.
After a while the two had amassed a small collection of books, but the pile only seemed to reinforce the belief to Aaron that this was really going to be a needle in the haystack kind of search for whatever play this was that Nagisa was looking for.
"Thanks for this, I never would've even begun to know where to start with all of this without some help." Aaron said gratefully.
"Not at all, like I said it's my job to help people search for what they need. If you'd want would you like some tea or coffee while you read? I find it's relaxing." Yukine offered.
"Drinks? But I thought you couldn't bring food or drinks into the library?" Aaron said remembering the seemingly universal rule of libraries.
"Hehe, I try my best to keep it hidden. But when students are here studying for exams I'll offer them tea so they can relax, even students in the morning who haven't had breakfast I'll offer some in the morning." Yukine further explained.
"I-I see. I'll take some tea then." Aaron answered as he sat down.
"Understood." Yukine replied as she went behind the desk and began preparing the tea. After a few minutes Yukine returned with two tea cups and a tea set.
"Here you are." She offered.
"Thank you." Aaron replied. Lifting the cup to his parched lips, Aaron gulps down the tea in the cup quite quenched since lunch time and he can't help but smile.
"It's good!" Aaron replies.
"Thank you very much." Yukine replies with a similar smile as she too sits down and joins him.
As Aaron looks over the books he finds that Yukine's eyes haven't left him, was still waiting for him to ask for something else. It didn't help that his stomach gave him away when it growled lowly.
"Um, Miyazawa…" Aaron tried to hide his embarrassment from his loud stomach but the girl merely smiled as she replied.
"Would you like some friend rice? I have some leftovers that I wasn't able to finish." Yukine offered.
"Eh? Are you sure?" Aaron asked surprised. "You can cook here?"
"Yes actually. I have a small cooking space in the reference in the back of the library. Would you like to have some?" She again offered.
"S-Sure…" Aaron sheepishly agreed.
"Very well, I'll be back in a little while." Yukine replied as she headed for the back of the library. Again leaving Aaron alone to himself as he poured more tea and read through yet another compilation book with no luck it felt like.
After once again going through another compilation book, Aaron put his head on the table just as he heard what seemed to be a plate being put on the table.
"Here you are. I hope you like it." Yukine offered as Aaron looked up to see a bowl of friend rice in front of him with a spoon in all.
"T-Thanks for meal." Aaron replied as he bowed in his seat from there he began to quietly eat his food and read while Yukine watched on still saying nothing.
Even with this rather awkward quiet between them Aaron couldn't help but admit that as this girl, Yukine looked back at him he found her stare to be rather… comforting, almost motherly like.
Someone who wanted to help people no matter what kind of situation they came into contact with. She really was like a pure soul, but even then it felt like she carried… something with her. Aaron couldn't put his fingers on them, but maybe…
"Hey Miyazawa?" Aaron began.
"What?" Yukine inquired.
"Why… do all of this? I mean really I'm just a stranger to you." Aaron explained.
"Well… when you told me about your search for books about plays I just wanted to help as best I can. I'm not bothering you am I?" Yukine said with a slight frown.
"No, no; not at all. If anything I should thank you. You've gone above and beyond, but now I just feel kind of obligated to pay you back is all." Aaron said sheepishly.
"Oh no, please don't think that. I just like to help people here in the library as best I can. It's no problem at all." Yukine tried to dissuade Aaron's worry.
So she was someone who just really cared for this library and that's why she's helpful. I wonder how many other kids she's helped too.
After about an hour of reading more books, the two notice that the sunset is getting more and more darker.
"Uh oh, it's getting late. We should put these back and go home." Aaron said.
"Yes." Yukine replied. With the both of them working together both of them were able to return all the books to their natural spots.
"Well then, it was nice to meet you Carter-san." With that Miyazawa bows lightly as she gathers her things and heads for the door with Aaron slightly behind her.
"Ah…" Aaron lightly called out to her again.
"Yes, Carter-san?" Yukine asked as she turned.
"Thank you for the food and the tea as well." Aaron said nervously.
"Yes." And with that Miyazawa smiled and walked away.
Watching her form walk away, Aaron couldn't help but wonder why it was that she made her space here of all places.
"It looks like a pretty good place to take a proper nap…" Aaron looked back at the room, but given how his mother would have a cow if he didn't come home at a reasonable hour that and being locked up in the school was not a very good idea at all.
Eventually making it home and enjoying a nice dinner with his mom; Aaron showered, bathed and got ready for bed as he finally pulled the covers over him and waited for the Sandman to take him to the world of dreams.
He closed his eyes, but something in his head began to repeat…
Dango…
"Ugh…"
…Dango, Dango…
"Stop…"
Despite his want for sleep this song would not leave him be…
Dango… Big Dango Family…
Yet right by the end Aaron found peace in something that should've annoyed him. His body became loose as he slowly drifted to sleep.
"AAAAAAH! WAAAAH!"
"Dango, Dango, Dango, Dango, Dango… Big Dango Family"
"Hah…?"
"Don't worry little one… everything will be just fine… we'll always be one great family ~"
Little did Aaron know as he slept he embraced his other pillow in his arms as he fell asleep deeper and deeper.
"Mom… Dad..."
AN#1 – Well welcome to the fourth chapter of my new Clannad story, The Light In Your Heart", here Aaron meets Nagisa Furukawa for the first time and is made a member of the Drama Club helping to get new members as their first task.
He overhears Nagisa singing a rather familiar song, but just what does it mean to someone like Aaron, huh…?
While searching the library for play ideas as the others go on a poster run he runs into the local school librarian Yukine Miyazawa and bonds with the rather motherly and peculiar girl.
AN#2 – I hope you guys will join me in this new story of mine. So please don't forget to leave reviews and also follow and favorite as well too!
AN#3 – Remember I wouldn't be here without you guys! Remember to Favorite, Follow and Review! :)