To Dream or Not to Dream

Importance

Author's Note:  Another short chapter!  Tell me how it is.  Also, thank you very much toBeAnime.  Your comments are very sweet and make me happy! =)

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2016 Canada- Toronto Cricket Club

Yuzuru Hanyu's face was expressionless as he stepped into his practice area.  He bowed to the ice before entering, his arms reaching down to feel the texture on his hands, thanking the cool substance for its existence.  His lips twitched into a small smile before fading away into nothing.

He had work to do, and it was serious.

There was a distinct goal embedded into his mind.  One that had lived within him since he was a small child, and one he had promised to never turn away from: To be the best, the greatest to ever exist.

He would succeed.

He glided in the ice rink, ear-pods in.  

Like most mornings, he had arrived at the ice rink before most people would consider waking up.  Meaning, he was here alone, again.  Not that he cared if others observed his practice; he couldn't care less. Yuzuru was going to fine tune his performance regardless, and that was all there was to it.

Because skating wasn't just a pastime; it was his life. 

It had slowly weaved its way into his soul as a child until it embraced his entire existence as an adult.

His performances mirrored the countless hours he devoted to the ice rink as a child, refining his skills when he could have been playing with friends. It showcased his triumphs and setbacks, the injuries and victories. It displayed the time he could never get back but wouldn't trade for anything.

Some would call him obsessed.

He would call himself obsessed.

He had been told many times, that there is more to life than a sport.  Of course he would agree, but his actions would beg to differ.  Maybe his preoccupation was selfish, egocentric, and single-minded. Maybe he should have been thinking about his family more, as they had sacrificed so much for him to be in the place he was now. 

Maybe he was making himself miss out on other amazing things of life.

He didn't know.

Frankly, he didn't care.

Skating was his reason for being, his one and only dream.

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2016 Toronto Canada

Isabella shuffled through a crowd of people, gripping the straps of her book bag tightly.  A multitude of individuals hurried around her, all moving in different directions. The airport, bustling with activity, ranked among her least favorite places on Earth.  The irony wasn't lost on her, given her current employment with a travel company.

Isabella winced when a child's high pitched cry met her ears.

"Mom, I don't want to go!" The child begged through tears.

The mother lifted the little girl onto her hip, struggling to carry the child and her luggage.

"We are going on vacation, sweetie.  It will be fun," the mother cooed, trying to placate her tired child.

"I'm scared!"

Isabella sighed, she kind of felt like that child.

As she came to a clearing in the crowd, Isabella's eyes searched around, looking for her destination.  It had only been a few minutes since she landed here in Toronto, Canada, and her palms were already sweating. 

Isabella was nervous.

Because this was where she was supposed to meet up with Tracy Wilson. The Tracy Wilson.  The person that had won medals for figure skating on global stages and currently coached some of the most gifted athletes on the planet.

'What am I doing here?'

For a fleeting moment, Isabella contemplated catching the next flight back to where she came from.