--Hearts Of Ice--

-Chapter 1- The Closing of a Dreamer-

A hand reaching from the clouds, a thick fog, a cold chill, that sense of falling. A distant echo through my mind, a weak interruption. He won't catch you this time; he's not there anymore…

"Hitomi…. Hitomi please you've got to wake up." The blurred face cried shattering the silence. Emotionless eyes, tears falling to the ground, the need, the wanting…the drifting.
"Hitomi…" ………Silence again let me remember, recall my past. Leave me alone dreamer…. let me be…. I want Van I want him back I need him here by my side once more…. Let me close my eyes. Let me drift back…. back to that far away world, back to him…

Hitomi had lain in the hospital bed now for almost two weeks. Her mind constantly active remembering Van and Gaea. Afraid that she might forget…afraid she won't feel the same. She heard distant voices within her head, each one calling her name begging to her. She was in a state of unconsciousness but every now and then she became aware that someone was watching her…calling to her. She wished them to disappear so she could drift back…to Gaea, but like all things she began to come round and seemed to be responding to her treatment. Her visitor came to her bedside constantly waiting for her to awake. That same old face, the one she wished would vanish. If it vanished then maybe she could silently slip back. Back into that far away place, back into his arms...Van... Everyday the visitor came and waited beside her talking to her, singing to her and laughing to her hoping with every word she would awake, but Hitomi lay still, still trying to drift back to Gaea, drift back to the past.

It was a warm sunny day when Hitomi's visitor came to discover her bed empty. She looked at the bed, which had been made and looked as though no one had been in it at all. The girls face light up a little as she looked around the untouched room illuminated by the suns morning rays. A small breeze picked up and washed around the girl's legs as she looked over to the open balcony. A figure silhouetted upon it like a mystical shadow frozen in time. Hitomi was seated upon the balcony her hands supporting her head as she stared off into the distant sky. The wind was blowing around her gently and the sun cast slight warmth over her. The visitor stepped nearer to her and smiled to herself.
"I see your finally awake Hitomi." The girl leaned against the door panel and looked off into the sky as well.
"Its good to see you again Yukari…." Hitomi almost whispered her words but didn't make any effort to look at her friend. Yukari stood and looked at Hitomi.
"How did you know it was me?" Hitomi lowered her head slightly and looked at her hands.
"How did you know it was me?" She again almost whispered her words. Yukari stood in silence staring at Hitomi half with shock and half with confusion. She walked to Hitomi and kneeled before her looking at her.
"Hitomi…. What's wrong with you?" Hitomi continued staring at her hands and ignored Yukari. She pushed the chair back and got to her feet slowly. Making no attempt to look at Yukari she walked back into the hospital room. Hitomi paused just as she moved in the doorway and looked around her. The room was dull due to her figure blocking the suns light and casting the room into slight darkness. Yukari got to her feet not once taking her eyes off Hitomi. Her lips moved slowly but no words were spoken. Yukari clasped her hands over her mouth as her eyes widened, shaking her head slightly she leant back against the wall. It was as though something had cast a silence upon her, as though she could scream for the rest of her life and no one would hear her once. Hitomi seemed to feel there was something wrong and gave Yukari a quick glance over her shoulder.
"Don't worry...It'll pass..." She sat on her bed her head in her hands. Yukari didn't quite know what to do her throat felt open and she sighed and slowly brought her hands from her mouth. She walked back inside and sat on the other side of the bed and looked at the floor.
"It's been over two weeks Hitomi…you went into a mysterious unconsciousness…" Hitomi appeared to be listening but her head remained within her hands.
"Everyone's been really worried, they thought you weren't going to make it. Hitomi…we miss you..." Yukari turned to look over her shoulder at Hitomi whose head was still in her hands. Yukari got to her feet and walked to the door. She took one look back and whispered just loud enough for Hitomi to hear.
"We care about you Hitomi…" With that the door closed softly and Hitomi was alone in the hospital room. A small tear slid down through her fingers and onto her nightclothes.
"Van…" Hitomi gave a small whisper then lay herself down and stared up at the ceiling. Another small tear fell down her face and onto the pillow as she slowly drifted off to sleep once more.


It couldn't be true...it just couldn't be. All that time, everything they had done together. Hitomi...Van...why? Hitomi's head was spinning with what had happened that day. She knew what was coming she knew it endangered all of them. Van told her many times to go back home...to earth. Hitomi had refused countless times...

"I cannot leave you, not now, not this time. Van...I promised you I would never run away again." Back then he had taken her into his arms, he had held her close making her feel like this would never end. It would never fall apart.
"Hitomi... They are coming...and I...don't know how to stop them..." She had looked into his warm brown eyes and seen the love he once held for her.
"Never give up hope. I will remain here to help you Van...I...I don't want to be alone anymore..." Back then he always cared...back then he always held her close.
"Hitomi..." Van's sweet calm voice…
"Hitomi..." What...Who are you?
"I will never leave you..." If only it were true my sweet kind Van…
"I will never leave you..." That other voice again... Hitomi opened her eyes slowly. It took a while to adjust the light.
"WHA????" A loud thud and a clatter followed by silence as Hitomi fell backwards taking the desk and all that was upon it with her.
"Ow...my head..." The whole classroom was silent and staring at her. Yukari was sitting twiddling her thumbs and looking at the ceiling. Hitomi took a wild guess at what had happened. Yukari had been leaning over to her desk again and talking to her while she was in a deep daydream. Once awoken Yukari's close face always startled her. The teacher walked to her with her hands on her hips and a very stern look on her face.
"Hitomi Kanzaki! That's the second time this week you have disrupted my lesson." She pointed at the door and stared at her. She took another wild guess and nodded.
"Sorry Mrs. Onizai...I um..." She looked around at all the people staring at her feeling her face glow bright red. She picked up her things and stuffed them into her bag as Mrs. Onizai stormed back to the front of the classroom. Hitomi pulled the desk and chair back upright and walked silently out of the room. She sighed as the door closed behind her and straightened her hair out as she headed off in the direction of the principals office.

"Hey Hitomi." Yukari shouted waving her hand madly as she approached her at the end of school. Hitomi lay upon the floor staring up at the sky. Yukari's happy face came into view and disturbed the peaceful afternoon. Hitomi watched her sit beside her. Closing her eyes she spoke to her in a low tone.
"Yukari...?"
"Yes Hitomi??"
"Was that you...back there in the classroom did you speak to me...?" Hitomi opened her eyes but continued to look up at the sky. Yukari nodded slightly then looked away from her. Hitomi pulled herself up and sat upright as she held her knees to her.
"How did you know what was going on inside my head?" Yukari bowed her head and smiled a little.
"Oh that's easy." She looked at Hitomi and grinned. "You see. You've been doing that for a while now, that drifting off into you own little world and well. Hee hee you talk out load silly." She ruffled up Hitomi's hair and pushed her down. Hitomi laughed and tried to fight her off as Yukari ruffled her hair more and made a mess of her. Hitomi managed to squeeze free and stole Yukari's bag and made a run for it.
"Hey give that back..." The two laughed and chased each other for a while. It was something Hitomi hadn't done for a long time and it was something she hadn't felt in a while...happiness.

The day slowly began to draw to a close it had been almost one month since Hitomi had seen the last of Gaea...and of Van.
"Hey...Hitomi?" The two had settled down in the nearby park. A long stretch of plain grass upon a slight hill. The perfect place to watch the sun slowly disappear behind the horizon. The grass flowed over Hitomi's ears as she turned her head to look at Yukari.
"What is it?" She smiled to her as the two lay upon their backs feeling like the whole world was disappearing at their feet. Yukari stared off into the distant sun and smiled a little.
"What were you thinking about back there? What made you say those things?" Hitomi's mind was refreshed with the incident earlier on. Why did she keep saying those words over in her head? It was because of him...Van. Hitomi looked up into the sky and watched the clouds. Should she tell? Should she say what had happened? No. She liked where he was, she liked him there in her mind where no one else could see or feel him. Even if he and his world were just a past now she knew both existed and she would never let either go.
"Its...a dream...just a dream." She curled up and rolled onto her side turning her back on Yukari. Yes that's right...just a dream...