Through the Night

Another Dream

18 years ago

"Mitsu! Wanna go out this weekend?" I called, skipping across the lawn of the college campus to my petite blonde friend. 

"I have an assignment..." She trailed, though she was obviously disappointed that she couldn't go. I sighed.

"I'll help you with it. I know my sister's course better than anyone." I bribed, eager to get some time alone with her. Mitsuba, or Mitsu, as I called her, took my older sister's course, Microbiology. She'd been teaching it for a couple of years now, and so I knew the material well.

"I guess. But you have to find reasons to support my thesis." Mitsuba stated, sticking her tongue out in a cute way. I almost blushed, almost. I'd had a crush on her since at least junior year of highschool, and now that we're sophomores in college, I thought it'd get easier. It hasn't.

"Yay!" I cried, throwing my arms around her. I caught sight of my third ghost at the moment. It was standing right behind Mitsu, and I recognized her immediately. The ghost had a side ponytail, held up by a black ribbon, and was wearing the office uniform I'd seen so many times. It was Aoi, Mistu's sister. From the expression on her face, she knew she was dead, and gave me a pained smile.

"You know what, Mistu? I'll catch up with you. I have to get something from one of my professors." I excused, motioning subtly for Aoi to follow me. Mitsu gave me a confused look, but smiled and waved anyways as I headed off.

I jogged to a place most people didn't know about, and sat down on a bench, head in hands.

"What happened?" I choked out.

"Car accident." She responded. "She'll find out in an hour." Aoi was talking about Mitsu. I felt sick.

"I am so so sorry." I whispered, on the verge of tears. This shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't.

"It's alright, Shinoa. Though I am surprised you're a medium." Aoi offered a nervous smile.

"What is it you want me to say to her?" I asked, finally calm enough to let her go.

"That I'm sorry and wished I could be there for her. I'll always love her and I never told her how proud I was. That she's the reason I took that job in the first place. Because after our parents died I realized that she had dreams and had the intelligence and creativity to make it happen. Tell her that I worked so hard all those years to make sure she could reach her goals. Tell her that I'll be watching over her and I'll be there for her when she needs it most. Tell her that I'm sorry and it's not her fault." Aoi finished, ghostly tears streaming down her pale face.

"Oh my God, Aoi." I laughed through the tears. "You should've told her all that."

"I was saving it for her graduation." Aoi whispered as she started fading.

"You were like an older sister to me too." I told her. She smiled.

"I knew that. Please be there for her where I can't." And she was gone.

I smiled up at the sky. God must've known what he was doing when he endowed me with these powers. He, whoever He is, is such an asshole, in my opinion.

I stands up, and in another second I'm running. I know I still has time, but I need to tell Mitsu, my beloved happy Mitsu, about my powers. Then about her sister.

"Mistu!!!!" I yell as soon as I see the girl. She's talking to Yuu, who's sitting on the bench, with his long back hair pulled into a pony tail. He glances up in suprise, green eyes puffy from crying. For a small second I think he might know, but then, Mitsu doesn't look sad. It's probably just bullies, whom I will beat later with Kimizuki.

"Shinoa?!" Mitsu whisper yells as I take her hand.

"I need to talk to you." I say with such urgency that she actually looks surprised for a second. Yuu smiles up at us.

"I'll see you two later, then." And he stands, brushing off his skirt before walking off, hands in his jean jacket's pockets.

I half run all the way to the garden I was just in, all the while ignoring Mitsuba's sputters.

"Mitsu." I say, holding her in place. "I can see and talk to ghosts."

"Wha-?"

"Mistu." My voice is unusually strained. The voice I've only used once. The time after my father slapped when I said I wanted to live on my own.

"You're serious." I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Yes. Yes I am." I take a deep breath mentally preparing myself.

"You've been crying." She notes, eyes cast to the ground. "Who was it?"

"That's why it's relevant. It was Aoi." My voice is breaking. Crap. I can't do this, not to her.

"It.. it's okay." Mitsuba whispers bitterly. She still has no proof, but she trusts me, and that mean everything to me.

"She gave me a few things to say to you."

"Really? I would've thought she just gave you the notification." I take a depp breath steeling myself for the process. I remember when they told me what they wanted to say, and I open my mouth.

"That I'm sorry and wished I could be there for her. I'll always love her and I never told her how proud I was. That she's the reason I took that job in the first place. Because after our parents died I realized that she had dreams and had the intelligence and creativity to make it happen. Tell her that I worked so hard all those years to make sure she could reach her goals. Tell her that I'll be watching over her and I'll be there for her when she needs it most. Tell her that I'm sorry and it's not her fault." The repetition is perfect. A part of my powers.  It even mimics their voice. Mitsu starts crying halfway through what I say, and I hug her to me.

"It's okay." I soothe, smoothing her hair, hugging her tight. "It's okay." And I repeat it until she's no longer crying and her breathing evens out. I choke back more tears of my own as she sleeps turbulently in my arms.

"What use is this ability if it only causes others pain?!" I whisper yell at the mellowing sky. It's already evening. I finally let the tears fall as I pick her up, and start walking to her dorm.