A/N: I've been in a bout of Ishida depression for the past week. Who knew the fluffy little nerd would get to me so? This was inspired by the last chapter so IF YOU HAVEN'T READ TO CHAPTER 293, GO BACK! THAR BE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Sleeping Sun
ZTX
10/3/07
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this fiction! TT-TT
I wish for this night time to last for a life time. The darkness around me-shores of a solar sea...
.-ø-.
She stood alone in the empty park, the winds of November enveloping her in their frosty tendrils. Lengthy, honey-coloured strands of hair battered in the flurry, whipping violently about her face. It was so cold here...so lonely.
"Inoue-san."
Gasping, she glanced up at hearing the voice, so warm and inviting. Thick fog clouded the area, however, and she could see no one.
"Inoue-san."
They called again and she placed a hand to her heart, running absent-mindedly in it's direction. Despite the cold, the girl was sweating. Her breath was laboured as she ran, her fear rising as the fog grew even thicker. She stopped then, dropping to her knees as the voice called to her a third time,
"Inoue-san."
Her gasps for air soon turned to sobs, and she shook her head,
"I-I can't..."
The voice seemed to fade away then, the girl sobbing even harder. He was gone, wasn't he? He'd never come back for her. Burying her face in her hands, she leaned far over, tears pouring from her eyes,
"I-I can't...Kurosaki-kun... Kurosaki-kun!!"
The air around her was still. She could hear nothing. Not the trees, not the birds...was she still in the park? The only sound was that of her unbearable weeping.
"Inoue-san."
She gasped, glancing up at him slowly. At first, he was only a silhouette. A spiky-haired silhouette...with draping robes. She blinked, wiping her tears away happily,
"Kurosaki-kun...you came!"
He held out a hand to her, and she reached for it, pulling herself up. The silhouette now had a smile. A brilliant and beautiful smile,
"I was afraid that I'd never see you again...Inoue-san."
Hand in hand, they walked through the fog, Inoue blushing madly. He came. She knew he would. Kurosaki-kun always came for her...
"K-Kurosaki-kun... I'm so glad you're here. I-I was scared...scared that you might not come for me. It was so lonely here...and so cold. But then...but then you called out to me. And you found me...I'm so glad."
He remained silent. She spotted a few other silhouettes in the fog, their shapes all too familiar,
"Kuchiki-san! Sado-kun!"
And then they were gone. Inoue gasped softly, glancing about frantically,
"Kuchiki-san...Sado-kun...I don't feel them anymore!"
Turning to the boy beside her, she tugged at his hand,
"Kurosaki-kun! We have to help them!"
A pained cry tore through the silence and she turned around. Her eyes widened as she spotted his silhouette fall to the ground, blood splattering everywhere. She covered her mouth in fright, breaking free from the boy's grasp as she ran to it,
"Ishida-kun!!"
She reached the silhouette, and knelt down, placing her hands on his back. Shaking him, her eyes filled with tears,
"Ishida-kun! Ishida-kun!!"
"He can't hear you, Inoue-san."
Glancing back at the boy behind her, she sniffled,
"What...what do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said," the spiky-haired silhouette repeated,
"He can't hear you. No one can."
"Wh-Why not?"
He didn't answer. She shook her head, turning back to the silhouette. She gasped softly. It was no longer Ishida lying there, but instead...
"K-Kurosaki-kun?"
"Inoue-san."
She glanced back, frowning curiously as tears glinted down her fair cheeks. The fog was gone, and another boy stood in Ichigo's place,
"Ishida...kun?"
He smiled slightly as she stood. Raising an eyebrow, she glanced around. They stood on a grassy hillside, a variety of flowers littering the area. It was night fall. Shaking her head, she turned to him in confusion,
"I don't understand."
"What don't you understand, Inoue-san?"
"Why...why are we here?"
"For the festival, why else?"
She straightened, blinking in surprise,
"Festival?"
The boom of fireworks behind her made her jump and she spun around, a dazzling array of pink and gold lights filling the skies,
"Fireworks...?"
"This is a reflection of your deepest desires, Inoue-san."
She glanced back at the boy, placing a hand to her heart as she lowered her head,
"My deepest desires...?"
He nodded, his pure, white cape flapping softly in the warm breeze. Sighing, she wrung her hands together, biting her lip,
"If this...if this is a reflection of my deepest desires...then...then why are you here, Ishida-kun?"
She then gasped, clamping a hand over her mouth as she turned to him, flailing her arms frantically,
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean it that way!! I just...what I meant to say was 'Why are you here instead of Kurosaki-kun?' Kyaaah! That's no better!! I'm sorry! I'm sorry--"
"I don't know why I'm here, Inoue-san. You tell me."
The honey-haired girl straightened, blushing softly at his unfading smile. Lowering her head, she sat down on the grass, placing one hand on her grey skirt to keep it down,
"I...I don't know."
He sat down beside her, his hand absently laying over top of hers. She jumped, blushing as she glanced down at it,
"I-Ishida-kun--"
"I don't have much time here..."
She stopped, glancing up at him with a concerned frown. His expression seemed so sad. He sighed deeply, turning his gaze toward the sky,
"I was hoping that it wouldn't be like this...Inoue-san."
Letting out a short laugh, he lowered his head,
"But...I guess there was no helping it."
His grip on her hand tightened, and she straightened. A lump developed in her throat. She didn't know why. He lowered his head, gazing at the glittering river before them,
"There were so many things that I wanted to say to you...but I knew that if I did...my words would become a hindrance for you."
He laughed. She'd never heard him laugh before. It sounded...sweet. He continued,
"You...you were always out of my reach, Inoue-san. No matter how far I extended my hand, I couldn't get to you. You were always too far away from me."
Raising his head, he gazed out into the space before him,
"I always felt that I had time...that if I waited long enough...it would pay off in the end."
He then turned back to her, his eyes glistening strangely,
"I suppose that was foolish of me...wasn't it?"
Inoue swallowed hard, unsure of what to say to him,
"Ishida-kun..."
More fireworks boomed above them, the scenery glowing in reds, blues, and golds. The breeze snaking around them rustled through the grass and the trees, filling the silence between them with sound. He sighed,
"My grandfather told me once...that when I found something that I wished to protect...I'd understand my father's words."
She raised an eyebrow, tucking her hair behind her ear,
"What words were those?"
He shook his head, lowering his gaze to the water again,
"It doesn't matter, now."
He turned to face her, taking her hand into both of his,
"Because...I found it."
A blush crossed her face as he gazed into her eyes, her heart beating fast. Suddenly, he grunted, doubling over in pain. Gasping, she placed a hand on his back, her eyes filling with tears,
"Ishida-kun!!"
He pushed himself up, tightly clutching his middle as a bit of blood dribbled from his lips,
"I...I'm out of time..."
The fog began to roll back in and she gasped, clinging to him tightly,
"What...what's happening?"
"Inoue-san..."
She glanced down at him. It was sudden. Abrupt. He placed a hand to her cheek and drew her close, pressing his lips tight to hers. Her eyes widened a moment, then fluttered to a close, the distant sound of fireworks booming nearby.
Upon opening her eyes again, she gasped. The fog had returned, clouding the area. She spotted him in the distance, his back turned. He glanced back as the fog around him thickened, fading him from her view. There were tears in his eyes. She shook her head, eyes wide as she reached for him,
"No...no!!"
He disappeared, leaving no trace behind. Falling to her knees, she let out a shrill cry, hands clamped to her head,
"ISHIDA-KUN!!"
.-ø-.
Ichigo straightened as Inoue fell to her knees, quickly jogging to her side,
"Inoue!"
Nel's battle with Nnoitora raged on nearby, the booms and blasts of their exchanged attacks mimicking the sounds of fireworks. He knelt down, placing a strong hand on her shoulder,
"Inoue!"
Her shoulders shuddered violently, tears streaming down her cheeks,
"He's gone..."
He straightened, raising an eyebrow at her,
"Who?"
That was when he felt it. The sharp plummeting of a distant spiritual pressure,
'It can't be...'
She let out another sob, tugging at her dusty, white garments with trembling hands. A tear fell from her cheek, glistening brightly as it splattered on her knee.
'Ishida-kun...'
.-ø-.
He laid there, silent and still. His breath had halted. Blood dribbled from his mouth and nose, stained his clothes...slickened the floor. His eyes, foggy and distant, expelled a river of glistening tears. The pink-haired Espada saw this and laughed, Renji glancing behind him with wide eyes...
"ISHIDA!"
.-ø-.
Oh, how I wish to go down with the sun. Sleeping, weeping...with you.
-Nightwish, Sleeping Sun
-FIN