'‡://c o m a\\:‡'

Sleeping is so boring,

Death is too extreme,

Go for the coma

It'll make much less a scene

The Hinamori Family never had much to worry about with their eldest daughter. Amu was always a fairly independent girl who they could rely on to watch herself and Ami at the same time. She was responsible and was a role model to younger kids. She was always healthy; they couldn't remember the last time she even had a small cold!

So it came as much more than a shock when their daughter had, quote, '…passed out in The Boutique as her heart had abruptly cut off her blood distribution network'.

Midori Hinamori, Tsumugu Hinamori, and Ami Hinamori were the first ones to Shounin Kiru: Emergency Hospital, where their daughter had been rushed to.

Tsumugu Hinamori, who was known for his fatherly over protectiveness, was a wreck. He paced all around the waiting room (he learned the waiting room's floor had exactly 334 tiles) and he would occasionally go sob in a corner whenever he saw bright girls like his Amu walk out, all better.

Ami Hinamori, like her father, wasn't taking this well. To distract herself she would often humming Utau's 'Heartful Song'. But when the distracting didn't work, she would go up to her Mama and ask her what was wrong with her Onee-chan until she got an answer that wasn't "I don't know, honey".

Speaking of which, Midori Hinamori perhaps had the strangest reaction. She was being eerily calm and solemn, often staring into space. People thought this was a sign that she was taking this harder than her husband and daughter. But, Midori was actually eerily calm and solemn on the inside too. She had a particular confidence in her Amu.

A tall man with neat brown hair wearing a white lab coat and bifocal glasses came out into the waiting room and called out, "Hinamori Amu's family!" Midori composedly picked her daughter up into her arms, grabbed her husband by the shirt, and followed the doctor inside a small hospital ward's room with one single bed inside, the occupant being Amu. Midori had to tighten her grip on her husband, to keep him from running up and crushing Amu in a massive hug.

"So, doctor, how is she?" Midori inquired the orderly man.

"She's doing fine; her blood distribution network reactivated just when her heart started beating again."

"Her heart stopped beating?" Midori reiterated him, not informed that her daughter's heart had stopped beating. The doctor nodded.

"Yes. It's quite odd; we can't find anything that would tell us why her heart stopped beating. Once we examined her, there was no trace of anything that could've interfered with her pulse. In fact, she seemed over all perfect when we inspected her circulatory system. It's like nothing ever happened to her."

Midori bit down on her lip. She had known her daughter to have pulled through miracles before, but this was just…odd.

"That's not the strangest thing, though. I hate to tell you this, but…it seems Amu has succumbed to a coma." The doctor looked mildly uncomfortable. Midori was speechless.

"But—I thought you said she was fine!" Midori hissed at him.

"Well, technically, she is fine. Her body is functioning normally, and her heart rate has returned to normal, but…this sounds so strange, but, it's like her soul has taken a temporary nap. We can't find any trace of any actual…soul in your daughter's body."

Midori had never felt so shocked in her life. Her daughter had…no soul?!

"If she has no soul, doesn't that mean she's dead?!" Midori was getting closer to hysteria by the second. The doctor sighed and rubbed his temples. Midori heard him mutter something like, "This is why I need Advil everyday."

"She does have a soul, Mrs. Hinamori. What I'm trying to say is that her soul has gone into hibernation! That's why she's unconscious," the doctor answered. Midori was still beyond comprehension of this situation. The doctor sighed again, and continued.

"I know this all sounds…impossible…but all of the doctors here have agreed that Amu has most definitely gone into a permanent coma. We aren't assured it will be permanent, but…when a soul goes into hibernation, the person subdued do not rise conscious ever again. I don't know, we've been proved wrong before. But I suggest you take her home. Perhaps sleeping in her own bed will help."

Midori felt her own soul shatter. This wasn't right…her bright, beautiful daughter with her signature Cool N' Spicy character…would be sleeping forever. Tsumugu was struggling even harder now, crying out how his oldest sparrow was lost forever. Ami was crying into her mother's shirt, being able to tell by her parent's moods that the news was not good.

Midori, still trying to keep collective, gently picked Amu up into her arms, while handing Ami to Tsumugu. Midori walked out of the hospital, her husband and youngest daughter in tow. In the car, Midori refused to let go of Amu, and kept her cradled on her lap. Keeping her bangs over her eyes, Midori let the tears of worry and loss fall onto the cold cheeks of her beloved daughter.

---

Tadase, Rima, Yaya, Nagihiko, and Kukai rushed over to the Hinamori household as soon as they overheard the news that Amu had gotten out of the hospital. Tadase and Rima seemed to be the most upset. Tadase had gone out and bought a beautiful, thriving bouquet—one that resembled what Tadase believed Amu's image to be. You see, Tadase had recently come to terms with his true feelings; in short, he had recently admitted to himself he was in love with Amu, not one part of Amu.

Rima had bought Amu her favorite sweet: strawberry cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes. Rima was depressed because she believed it was her fault Amu had passed out. She believed that Amu must have seen something to spook her, and if she had been there, she could've prevented Amu from seeing anything.

Nagihiko, seeing Rima's obvious guilt, slung his arm over her shoulder in comfort. Rima blushed, but decided to be brave: she gently hugged him from the side. Nagihiko was surprised, but did not object.

Yaya clung to Kukai, also feeling guilty for not being by Amu's side during the happening. Kukai, who was sick of this heavy mood, managed to put every one of them in a head lock. All of them cried out in protest, but Kukai merely grinned down at them.

"You guys need to lighten up! If Hinamori sees us like this when we visit her, she'll get upset! Besides, she probably just fainted when she saw somebody grab 'that totally cute outfit' before her," Kukai enthused. Rima and Yaya giggled, while Nagihiko and Tadase smiled at their helpful friend.

Tadase was the one to ring the doorbell to the Hinamori household, since he had been here before. It took a moment before Mrs. Hinamori opened the door.

"Ye—Oh, hello. You all must be here to visit Amu-chan. Please, come in."

There was something…off about Mrs. Hinamori to Tadase. Either way, Tadase was too anxious to see the condition of Amu. Mrs. Hinamori led them up their staircase to a door that everyone, besides Tadase, guessed was Amu's room. Just when she was about to open the door, Mrs. Hinamori turned back to the Guardians.

"There's something I have to tell all of you. But before I do, I have to ask you all to be quiet. I just put Ami to bed, and noise really won't be helpful to Amu at the moment," Mrs. Hinamori informed them all. They all nodded, understanding. Mrs. Hinamori opened Amu's bedroom door.

There, on the bed's raspberry pink comforters, was a girl. A girl with pale white skin, shoulder-length, rose pink hair that fanned out against the mattress, and wearing a white gown with X pattern straps, it's skirt slightly ruffled, and a tartan plaid bow in the back. Tadase's heart sank when he saw her.

"Amu," he whispered, for the first time.

"Well, the doctors said that after Amu's heart stopped, that her soul went into hibernation. So, because of this, they believe…she's gone into a permanent coma."

This time, everyone's hearts sank.

"Her soul…went into…hibernation?" Rima repeated. Nagihiko squeezed closer to her. Mrs. Hinamori nodded.

"Is that even possible?!" Nagihiko questioned, outraged that this could ever happen. Mrs. Hinamori smiled bitterly and replied, "Apparently so."

"I'll just go get a vase for the flowers. You guys can have a private moment with Amu-chan if you'd like," Mrs. Hinamori said, as she walked out of the room.

Rima was the first to go up. Keeping up her stubborn façade, she simply set down the box of cupcakes on her nightstand and murmured, "They're your favorites."

Nagihiko went next. He gently put a petal from a cherry blossom tree in her palms.

Kukai went third. He ruffled her hair and said to her quietly, "You'll be able to pull though, Hinamori, I'm sure!"

Yaya came fourth. She had tears in her eyes as she held Amu's right hand and whispered, "Amu-chi."

Tadase was the last one. The rest of the Guardians seemed to get that Tadase needed to be alone with Amu. So, they scooted out of the room as quietly as they could.

"Amu," Tadase whispered again. Tadase yearned to reach out and hug Amu's beautiful body. He yearned to hold her cold hands. He yearned to kiss her…

But something was holding him back. Every time he tried to get close to her, it was like some force would erase any thought of being intimate with her in his mind. It was unbelievably irritating.

Just when he was about to break this invisible force, Mrs. Hinamori walked back inside. She seemed slightly surprised that Tadase was still there.

"Hotori-san, I believe it's time for you to leave. Your mother will worry about you," she said to him. Tadase nodded reluctantly and left Amu's room.

---

Ikuto was still rooted to the spot on Amu's balcony. Amu…is in…a permanent…coma. Those words repeated themselves in his head, over and over again.

Ikuto wasn't sure how to react to this.

It was true, Ikuto did like Amu; he wasn't going to deny it. He had known he liked her for a long time. He would get irritated every time she was with Kiddy King, and he found her warmth…tempting.

But then again, they had always been on opposite sides. Don't get him wrong, he didn't want to be the bad guy. But he couldn't break his contract with Easter.

When Amu's mother and Amu's Guardian friends were safely gone, Ikuto silently slid her balcony doors open. He creeped up to Amu's bedside. Ikuto had never seen her look so supernaturally beautiful. It was like her spirit had been sapped out of her. He gently caressed her freezing cheeks.

Of course, that was about the time he met Future Amu.

---

Cross stared at her beautiful stream of water.

Unlike most streams, the water in her stream was a beautiful, luminous, glittery ice blue color; and also unlike usual streams, the water in her stream moved calmly and at it's own pace.

And right above the serene waters was a slim, sinuous, roan stump that was seemingly connected to the land that surrounded Cross's stream. Speaking of the surrounding, around the waters was well grown grass, with an occasional Calypso orchid here and there.

Cross was able to see this by the two oak trees that grew right in front of the stream. To go inside the stream, you would have to walk in between them. So, Cross did just that. And when she did, she transformed.

The dirty, bloody bandages she wore increased in size and the wind forced it to whirl around her body.

During that time, a tight leather, black corset with an interesting trim pattern at its ends, a large, violet bow hooked onto the center of her breast line, a velvet black choker with the intricate trimming, leather black gloves with the complicated trimming pattern, and thigh high, black boots with the violet bows on their sides appeared on her body. An alarmingly tiny bowler hat with a tiny violet bow topped off Cross's stunning outfit.

Cross smiled at her stream and muttered, "I'm back."

---

Future Amu was even more alluring to Ikuto than she was to Amu. She omitted a glowing white light that seemed so inviting. And when she smiled that enchanting smile of hers, he might as well have kissed her toes and called her 'master'.

Then, she held out her soft, appealing hand to him.

And I think we all know what Ikuto did. He reached out and took her hand. The light that came after their fingers touched was much more than just blinding. Ikuto couldn't take the light, so he fell unconscious.

When he woke up, he realized he was resting on something that felt strange against his skin. Ikuto's azure blue eyes fluttered open to see the blue sky.

That's odd…if I remember correctly, I was inside Amu's room, he thought.

He managed to sit himself up, and when he did that, he found that we was laying down on grass.

Wait a second—grass?!

That wasn't all. Ikuto found himself resting in forest clearing. This most definitely wasn't Amu's room. Then he saw Future Amu again.

She was standing right in front of him, with her hand gesturing for him to follow her. And because Ikuto couldn't resist, he stood up and blindly followed her through the shady forest.

Abruptly, she just disappeared. Ikuto turned his head around frantically. Suddenly, he spotted an impossibly large gate before him. He was instantly reminded of the gates of Heaven.

Am I…dead?

But there was something different about these gates…they weren't golden. Instead, they were a shimmering rainbow color. Also, there was a girl who was sitting at the top of the gates.

And she looked like she was about to fall.

---

A/N: URGH! I am so sorry, readers. I spent so much time on this chapter, and it ended up being pretty crappy. Oh well, enough emoing! Okay, so I lied. There was only one bit of Amutoness...but I really do have to get to the part where Ikuto meets everyone in Amu's Dream World. Anyways, here goes:

Amuto VS Tadamu- I know, I put in some Tadamu, but at least I made it so he didn't do anything to her. I assure you, this is Amuto. I just had to add Tadase in there to give you some hints about how Amu's Dream World affects reality.

Sprinkles Cupcakes- there really is a company named Sprinkles Cupcakes. Go to www. sprinkles cupcakes .com (Without the spaces)

Future Amu- just to tell you, Future Amu isn't all that she seems...remember, who might "she" be from the last chapter?

Cross's Stream- Well, since everyone else has their own special landmark, I let Cross have one too.

Cross's Dress- Actually I took this idea from an outfit that Freya from Chobits wears; go to my profile for the image.

The Gates- these gates are the doorways into certain Dream Worlds or Dimensions.

Okay, then! See you guys in the next chapter, where Ikuto meets some of Amu's Dream World occupants (wonder how that's going to go!)