--Hearts Of Ice--
-Chapter One: The Beginning-
Sometimes perfect places, perfect worlds even dreams can fall apart. A strong belief may never be enough. Sometimes only words can hold that special something, which binds you so. I am a dreamer, I feel you beside me. I want you beside me…always. My dream will come true. I will find you…you can count on that.
Hitomi smiled as she reached out for Van's hand. He pulled her up the cliff and she fell into his arms. Blushing slightly she brushed herself off and beamed at him. Looking back she found a forest horizon, trees jutted out creating a blanket over Gaea. The sun licking the treetops as it slowly began to disappear behind the forest. Hitomi turned back to look at Van who seemed to be mesmerised by the view. She smiled to herself and watched silently as the sun slipped behind the trees slowly cutting off the light source.
The air had a cold chill in it causing Hitomi to shudder slightly. She felt his arms wrapping around her tightly locking the cold air out. She buried her head into his chest feeling herself begin to well up with tears. Fighting them back she looked up at Van. His face not once moved from where he was looking. The sky now dark and not much could be seen, yet, his eyes hazily searched the darkened horizon for something. Hitomi bowed her head, then looked off into the distance as well. They both knew what was coming, but Hitomi tried not to believe it. She pushed her hand into his and held it tight to reassure him. His eyes slowly met hers as he gave her a warm smile. Though silent each knew what they felt.
A small rustling sound could be heard over the howls of the wind. The rustling turned into a slight rumble as Hitomi and Van looked off into the distance. Hitomi heard the rumble get slightly louder as it closed in on them. She felt her heart jump as they waited. A loud rustle caught both their attention as Van sharply turned his head in time to catch a deep red glow ignite deep within the forest.
"It's here…" Van's lips moved slightly creating a small whisper. The glows in the forest began to increase as Hitomi realised the glows seemed to flicker and dance spreading their light throughout the surrounding area. A strong smell slowly drifted up to them. It smelled like charcoal, that strong unmistakable aroma. Hitomi stepped forward and looked over the valley below them.
"Fire…." She turned back to Van whose head was bowed as he looked to the floor. Hitomi put a hand upon his shoulder and opened her mouth about to say something to him until she realised they were being watched. She looked over his shoulder and froze looking off into the blackness. She felt someone's eyes watching them closely. She felt a strike of fear run through her as Van grasped her hand tightly. She looked to him, his face blackened by the darkness. Footsteps…someone was getting closer to them. She felt her heart hit a panic.
'Why can't Van hear them…. why isn't he frightened?' Van stood frozen as the footsteps drew ever nearer. He finally raised his head a little and looked off to the horizon.
"Stop thinking about me Hitomi…Stop caring…." Hitomi stood still and looked to him.
"But… but Van I…"
"I don't care…. Hitomi…" Hitomi stepped back a little as he released her hand. She felt her heart sink. Looking into his eyes split her soul in two. He was now looking straight at her, his eyes blackened over and thin. He scowled at her showing no affection to her at all. She stepped further back and shook her head.
"No… Van…." She looked to him as though trying to search his soul for a glimpse of feeling for her, a little affection. But…for some strange reason…she couldn't find it. In an instant her lover had changed. A cold uncaring man stood in his place she knew deep down it was really Van but what had happened.
She heard the footsteps louder…louder. Wait…. there were more behind her she turned around suddenly and came face to face with a tall blond haired man. His long hair blowing in the wind, his hands down by his side. On his right a sheathed sword rested. Hitomi's eyes widened…
"Allen…" The tall man nodded slowly. She went to step nearer to him as he held his hand out and shook his head.
"Van's dead Hitomi…" Hitomi froze in her steps, her eyes widened as her mouth dropped. When she caught her breath she turned to face Van to prove Allen wrong. Sure enough Van stood there only now he was nearer the edge of the cliff. He was now watching the fires below as they blazed nearer to them with each passing moment. Van tilted his head to her and gave a brief smile
"Don't follow me Hitomi… don't care for me anymore…" A sudden patter of feet behind them and the unsheathing of a sword made it all clear to her. Before she had chance to move an inch a Centai burst from the trees his sword held outwards as he ran at Van. The cool blade slipped easily through Van's body. His head jerked back a little as he gave out a small groan. Hitomi watched as the Centai removed the blade and fell to the floor. Blood began to seep endlessly from the Cetai's body and to his side…a sword laid. Not his own… Van's sword…Hitomi looked to Van as he edged nearer to the cliff face.
"This is fate Hitomi…. my fate…" Her eyes darted to the deep sword wound in his side as his dagger clattered to the floor beside him. Two beautiful crystal white wings spread from his back as dark crimson blood dripped onto the floor. He gave her a warm smile.
"I love you Hitomi and I'll always be with you…Goddess of Wings…" Hitomi watched on as tears flooded her eyes. Van edged nearer the cliff edge as Hitomi mouthed words but no sound emerged. He gave her one last warm smile as his eyes closed and his head dipped back. Finally his legs gave way and he fell backwards and out of her view. Hitomi ran forwards and kneeled over the cliff. Tears now streamed down her face as she reached out her hand as though trying to reach him.
"…Van...I...I love you as well. P…please…come back…I can't go on without you…I don't want to be alone anymore…" She whispered hoping he would hear. She got to her feet and thrust herself forwards. Van opened his eyes slowly as he fell sensing her presence and hearing her words. He gathered as much strength as he could as Hitomi's hands outstretched in the hope of touching him one last time. Van moved his hands over his soft wings and pulled hard as he tore his wings from his back. He gave out a loud cry as her fell faster and the wings floated up towards her. Hitomi became showered in feathers as her vision turned white.
-Chapter One: The Beginning-
Sometimes perfect places, perfect worlds even dreams can fall apart. A strong belief may never be enough. Sometimes only words can hold that special something, which binds you so. I am a dreamer, I feel you beside me. I want you beside me…always. My dream will come true. I will find you…you can count on that.
Hitomi smiled as she reached out for Van's hand. He pulled her up the cliff and she fell into his arms. Blushing slightly she brushed herself off and beamed at him. Looking back she found a forest horizon, trees jutted out creating a blanket over Gaea. The sun licking the treetops as it slowly began to disappear behind the forest. Hitomi turned back to look at Van who seemed to be mesmerised by the view. She smiled to herself and watched silently as the sun slipped behind the trees slowly cutting off the light source.
The air had a cold chill in it causing Hitomi to shudder slightly. She felt his arms wrapping around her tightly locking the cold air out. She buried her head into his chest feeling herself begin to well up with tears. Fighting them back she looked up at Van. His face not once moved from where he was looking. The sky now dark and not much could be seen, yet, his eyes hazily searched the darkened horizon for something. Hitomi bowed her head, then looked off into the distance as well. They both knew what was coming, but Hitomi tried not to believe it. She pushed her hand into his and held it tight to reassure him. His eyes slowly met hers as he gave her a warm smile. Though silent each knew what they felt.
A small rustling sound could be heard over the howls of the wind. The rustling turned into a slight rumble as Hitomi and Van looked off into the distance. Hitomi heard the rumble get slightly louder as it closed in on them. She felt her heart jump as they waited. A loud rustle caught both their attention as Van sharply turned his head in time to catch a deep red glow ignite deep within the forest.
"It's here…" Van's lips moved slightly creating a small whisper. The glows in the forest began to increase as Hitomi realised the glows seemed to flicker and dance spreading their light throughout the surrounding area. A strong smell slowly drifted up to them. It smelled like charcoal, that strong unmistakable aroma. Hitomi stepped forward and looked over the valley below them.
"Fire…." She turned back to Van whose head was bowed as he looked to the floor. Hitomi put a hand upon his shoulder and opened her mouth about to say something to him until she realised they were being watched. She looked over his shoulder and froze looking off into the blackness. She felt someone's eyes watching them closely. She felt a strike of fear run through her as Van grasped her hand tightly. She looked to him, his face blackened by the darkness. Footsteps…someone was getting closer to them. She felt her heart hit a panic.
'Why can't Van hear them…. why isn't he frightened?' Van stood frozen as the footsteps drew ever nearer. He finally raised his head a little and looked off to the horizon.
"Stop thinking about me Hitomi…Stop caring…." Hitomi stood still and looked to him.
"But… but Van I…"
"I don't care…. Hitomi…" Hitomi stepped back a little as he released her hand. She felt her heart sink. Looking into his eyes split her soul in two. He was now looking straight at her, his eyes blackened over and thin. He scowled at her showing no affection to her at all. She stepped further back and shook her head.
"No… Van…." She looked to him as though trying to search his soul for a glimpse of feeling for her, a little affection. But…for some strange reason…she couldn't find it. In an instant her lover had changed. A cold uncaring man stood in his place she knew deep down it was really Van but what had happened.
She heard the footsteps louder…louder. Wait…. there were more behind her she turned around suddenly and came face to face with a tall blond haired man. His long hair blowing in the wind, his hands down by his side. On his right a sheathed sword rested. Hitomi's eyes widened…
"Allen…" The tall man nodded slowly. She went to step nearer to him as he held his hand out and shook his head.
"Van's dead Hitomi…" Hitomi froze in her steps, her eyes widened as her mouth dropped. When she caught her breath she turned to face Van to prove Allen wrong. Sure enough Van stood there only now he was nearer the edge of the cliff. He was now watching the fires below as they blazed nearer to them with each passing moment. Van tilted his head to her and gave a brief smile
"Don't follow me Hitomi… don't care for me anymore…" A sudden patter of feet behind them and the unsheathing of a sword made it all clear to her. Before she had chance to move an inch a Centai burst from the trees his sword held outwards as he ran at Van. The cool blade slipped easily through Van's body. His head jerked back a little as he gave out a small groan. Hitomi watched as the Centai removed the blade and fell to the floor. Blood began to seep endlessly from the Cetai's body and to his side…a sword laid. Not his own… Van's sword…Hitomi looked to Van as he edged nearer to the cliff face.
"This is fate Hitomi…. my fate…" Her eyes darted to the deep sword wound in his side as his dagger clattered to the floor beside him. Two beautiful crystal white wings spread from his back as dark crimson blood dripped onto the floor. He gave her a warm smile.
"I love you Hitomi and I'll always be with you…Goddess of Wings…" Hitomi watched on as tears flooded her eyes. Van edged nearer the cliff edge as Hitomi mouthed words but no sound emerged. He gave her one last warm smile as his eyes closed and his head dipped back. Finally his legs gave way and he fell backwards and out of her view. Hitomi ran forwards and kneeled over the cliff. Tears now streamed down her face as she reached out her hand as though trying to reach him.
"…Van...I...I love you as well. P…please…come back…I can't go on without you…I don't want to be alone anymore…" She whispered hoping he would hear. She got to her feet and thrust herself forwards. Van opened his eyes slowly as he fell sensing her presence and hearing her words. He gathered as much strength as he could as Hitomi's hands outstretched in the hope of touching him one last time. Van moved his hands over his soft wings and pulled hard as he tore his wings from his back. He gave out a loud cry as her fell faster and the wings floated up towards her. Hitomi became showered in feathers as her vision turned white.
