Cold.
That’s all she could feel. It surrounded her body like a blanket, snow piling on more and more. She felt the gradual warmth from Ulrich’s body slipping away as he tried to keep her warm. However, the storm continued relentlessly, her mind and body slipping into numbness as her surroundings got whiter and fuzzy.
She could see herself in that moment, how sad and pathetic she looked pinned underneath that damn tree. The urge to sleep from now on felt nice, like someone helping her up after an especially nasty fall. The world seemed to become brighter with every second, the sensations she felt disconnected from her body, each sensation was flipped off one by one like a light switch.
“...Please, don’t leave me…”
She heard vaguely. She didn’t have the energy to reply, but she wished she could have.
The moment she closed her eyes, she was back in class. The teacher's insistent babbling ventured past her head. She couldn’t grasp where she was; stuck in the moment.
…How do I…? Am I…? No…I’m…
She blinked, looking around the class, specifically towards the windows. There was not a single speck of snow. It was bright and sunny, like any normal day in spring. She looked at her sheet of paper, seeing the same notes written down as if she had never left.
How?
Well- She knew why, but she thought she actually died this time.
…Some parts of her wanted to stay dead.
The bell rang, snapping her out of her sinking disconnection with herself.
…Right, lunch, with that smug wannabe TV star too…Fun.
She reached the lunch hall, eyeing her usual table. She got her lunch, plopping down weightlessly, meeting everyone’s gaze. She didn’t have much energy to talk, so she waved, which was good enough for everyone. They were just as tired as her and focused more on eating than simple small talk, which was fine enough for her.
Aelita and Jeremie were the only ones talking to each other, simple talk about their latest plans for her anti-virus…The nerdy talk she couldn’t quite understand...She kept on eating like she was alone.
She didn’t know when, but eventually someone nudged her shoulder lightly. She looked up, only to see Aelita staring at her, concern spread on her face.
“Are you okay?” She asked, sensing she already knew the answer. Yumi gave all her energy to shrug her shoulders, her gaze crashing down to her tray. Aelita hummed, retracting her hand nervously, acting like she just stepped on a puppy's tail. The two sat quietly for what felt like forever until Aelita cleared her throat softly.
“Would you…Like to talk about it after school?” She asked, her voice honeyed sweet. Yumi looked back up at her, nodding her heavy head, even giving a smile to her way. Aelita returned the gesture, giving a soft enduring smile. Yumi felt her body warmth creep up solely to her cheeks, which felt too intense to keep staring. Her eyes backed away, staring down at her now empty tray instead.
Aelita hummed, subtly nodding as she dug back into her meal. Yumi tried to do as much as she could, but her body felt weighted, like every movement she wanted to do held her back. At least it was something to look forward to.
Yumi knocked softly on Aelitas door, hesitant to do so despite her kindness. Aelita opened the door and then met Yumi's gaze.
“Hey Yumi,” She smiled softly, stepping aside so she could enter. Yumi smiled in return, knowing the rest of her day would be easy for her. She sat on her bed, leaning her head on the wall. Aelita followed suit, but kept her head upright, giving Yumi a soft, affirming look.
Yumi met her gaze, feeling comfort within her emerald-green eyes. She always thought her eyes reflected the same gemstone, how the light hits her eyes, making them glitter much like the real thing…They seemed prettier than the actual gemstone…
She shook her head, the same warmth from earlier creeping up on her face. She tried pushing it back- Err, attempting to by putting a hand over her cheeks, averting her gaze. Aelita sensed her hesitancy, so she backed off chuckling nervously.
The two sat in a long string of silence, neither one meeting the other's gaze.
“…So…What’s gotten you so down? Was it Xana?” Aelita perked up, eyeing her from her side. Yumi furrowed her brow with a soft sigh. The previous fluster she felt vanished like an ice-cold breeze, her sadness returning with a crushing force.
“...Well, yes…But it wasn’t like a normal mission either, it’s…” She couldn’t find the right words. She became silent once more.
“Was it the cold?”
“Not just that, but I could feel myself slipping away, like…I’ve experienced near-death before, but that was cutting it close…Too close...It’s disturbing to think about.” She shuddered, instinctually drawing her knees to her chest, hoping for any scraps of comfort. Aelita didn’t say anything for a bit.
“I don’t know if this makes you feel better…But you know the Schyphozoa?”
“How do I not? That thing is such a pain to get rid of…Why?” She found herself staring at her again, curious. Aelita furrowed her eyebrows in thought, resting her head on her knees that were drawn to her chest.
“It’s just… Whenever it attacks, it feels more like slowly dying than it trying to take my memory…Like, my head becoming emptier by the second, or something like that, it doesn't feel right… And I’m afraid to see what happens when it finishes that process…”
“You know I won't let that happen,” Yumi spoke without thinking. Aelita perked up, before smiling, averting her gaze.
“You promise?” Aelita teased. Yumi rolled her eyes.
“I swear on my brother’s Gameboy,” She raised a hand with a teasing smile. Aelita furrowed her brows, confused.
“What’s so important about that?” She chuckled.
“I dunno, but it's important to him apparently,” She shook her head, remembering her brother, considering he may be less annoying than she thought, something she should be grateful to see. Aelita giggled, closing her eyes.
“Well then I suppose I swear on Odds Gameboy that I won’t let you die either,” She remarked. Yumi shook her head, smiling.
“I don’t think he would like that,” Yumi giggled.
“At least it's something, and he can get a new one!” Aelita replied. The two smiled at each other before Yumi hesitantly put her head on her shoulder.
“I think...Everything will be okay in the end...After all, I have you,” She whispered. Aelita couldn't help but smile.
"Awe...You're so sweet," Aelita whispered back, inching her body closer to Yumi's. They both found each other staring at each other again, their eyes competing on which one could have a softer look, with none of them winning. Yumi looked away first, closing her eyes and focusing on Aelita's warmth, something she hadn't felt since she'd gotten back, she couldn't help but melt in her radius.
Everything will be okay.
We'll be okay.