Valis I, Part III: Frozen Hell

Yuko's body trembled as she trudged along in the freezing cold, through snow that came up almost to her knees. She was so very cold, the metal her boots were made of were making everything below her knees numb, while her bare thighs were going numb from the extended exposure to the air. The same fate was shared by most of her body; she wondered why she couldn't have just worn her school unfirom, that would have offered far more protection from the elements than a gold bikini top and a tiny damned skirt.

A bitter wind picked up and she had to shield her eyes from the biting snow, sacrificing her mostly bare arm so that she wouldn't be too blinded than she was already; there was just so much whiteness that it was making it hard to keep her eyes from hurting. She had to wonder if this Valia she had met was an evil woman; after all she had given her this "armor" then shipped her off to this frozen Hell.

"When I see her again... I'm going... going to..."

Another wind picked up, this one was so strong that she had to use all of her strength to keep from sprawling backwards. Her joints felt so stiff, she swore she could feel her blood freezing. She was going to die if she stayed out here much longer, but where else could she go? There were no structures as far as the eye could see, no sign of wood for fire; as if she could even start one. There weren't even any caves!

"I... I can't go on... much longer..."

She mumbled, trying to push forward. She had go choice but to place the sword she'd been given between the waist of her skirt and her body, then wrapped her arms around her chest to keep herself even the slightest bit warm. She subconsiously began to shiver faster, trying to generate more body heat, her core temperature beginning to go even lower than it already was. The cold metal of the blade didn't bite as much as she'd expect, but then, that just told her how numb she was. Another wind came, and this time she was unable to hold against it; she was sent sprawling backwards.

She hit the cold snow covered ground, arms still wrapped around her chest. She tried to move them, but they wouldn't budge, they felt like they were made of stone. She whimpered, the snow licking even more heat from her body... she stopped shivering all together. She felt tired, her eyes were getting very heavy. She looks up at the sky, it seemed so blue... so very blue...

"I don't want to die... not here... not alone..."

She thought but the words couldn't come out. The image of the sky began to blur as her eyes slowly lost focus; tears began to form as she knew her fate was sealed. Her mind was shutting down; it was harder to think, it was harder to maintain any kind of focus. She'd never see her family again... her friends... her home...

Her eyes began to close, she figured that if she slipped into sleep, it would all be over faster, or atleast she wouldn't have to be consious until her death came. They closed ever so slowly, her mind shutting down ever further, she couldn't even hear the footsteps coming toward her. Her eyes went completely out of focus as they closed to mere slivers, the last thing she thought she'd see was the blue sky... but just as they closed something else came into view, something that blocked the sky completely. With her last ounce of strength, she forced her eyes to open just enough to see again, but it was of no use; her eyes were too out of focus to make out anything more than a shape.

It was the shape of a head... a Human head.

She dreamed... she dreamed of home, of her family. She dreamed of her friends, of her school. She dreamed that she was back in Japan, away from the frozen Hell, she was in her uniform, just as she was before this all started. But nobody could see her; she spoke but they didn't hear her. She tried to touch them but she went through them... she was a spirit. Was it a dream, or was it her reality now?

She ran as hard as she could, she ran to the ends of the planet she called home, never growing tired. She saw many people as she passed by them and through buildings. She saw people laughing, people crying, people in the throes of passion and in bitter hatred, in peace and in war, admist the joys of life and the sorrows of death. She was a silent witness to Humanity at its best and worst, and she kept running, never stopping...

But then she came to a wall; one she could not pass, one that threw her back. She tried to go through but it rejected her every time... and then the voice of Valia came. It told her that she could not die, that she had to live on, that all of those people were depending upon her. But more so, the fates of entire worlds were on her shoulders; she had to live to protect them all.

She screamed at the wall, at the voice as she sank to her knees, crying, begging that she be allowed to have this weight lifted from her shoulders; she wasn't strong enough to bear the burden of so much. She was just a normal teenage girl, she wasn't a warrior, she wasn't a savior! The wall was not moved by her pleas, and suddenly she felt the world closing in on her. She looked to her sides; more walls came into view, as did one behind her. She rose to her feet and tried to get away, but the walls closed in on her.

She screamed and begged to be released, accusing Valia of being a vile and hateful being, but Valia did not respond. The walls closed in ever further, and she collapsed to the ground, her body curled into a fetal position. She whimpered and whined, tears flowing, she felt so trapped and helpless... hopeless...

And then there was darkness... but in this darkness there was warmth. Through the inky darkness she swore she could see a light; tiny at first, but it began to grow quickly. She felt calmed by this light, a serene feeling began to flow through her form, accompined by the warmth. As she uncurled her small form, the light seemed to vanish... but she could see her shadow being cast from behind. She turned quickly, her eyes focusing on the source of the light as it came closer, her arms reached out for it. She touched it with her fingers and it flowed over her body, sourrounding her, shielding her from the walls that seemed to threaten to close in on her completely.

She felt so warm and safe, it felt like somebody was holding her in their arms. She sighed softly as her eyes closed, feeling any lingering doubt and fear draining from her, replaced with a calm that she hadn't felt in the whole of her life. She could feel something else, like she were resting against something solid, that feeling of arms wrapping tighter; she felt like somebody was holding her close...

Her eyes slowly began to open, her head felt like it was aching, her entire body felt like it as well. She could feel warmth coming from all over, but one source was more intense. She could hear crackling coming from that source and she was very sure that it was a fire.