Disclaimer: I do not own anything besides the few original works I may include in the future.
Summary: Kiyoko never had a chance against them. Her fate was sealed from the moment she recognized them as Shinigami. After all they were souls and she was only a mere living human. Maybe if they had told her the truth she would have listened to them when they said to stay away from Shinigami. They know she is not really gone, just unavailable to them. But that doesn't ease the pain.
WARNING: May have triggers, drug usage, death, and mild swearing.
"Fly Away Home"
He fell to his knees. She laid crumbled in a pool of blood. He brought two fingers to her neck. He wrap his arms around her frail lifeform. Her chest rose struggling for every breath. He scooped the teenage girl in his arms like he had done when she was only an infant. Her turquoise eyes were murky grey the life being sucked right out of her before his eyes. He kissed the top of her head.
"I'm sorry. It's all my fault," he whispered pleading not only to her, but to his own soul.
"I-I-I didn't listen. I-I ne-never thought it would happen. I'm the-the who should be sorry," she stuttered out forcing her lips to move her chest to rise and fall.
"I should have sealed your power when you were just a baby. He would have never gone after you if I had. You would be been safe."
"I-I-I was never going to be safe. I already had-had borrowed time when-you saved me it-it changed fate. I'm not scared of dying. I-I know deep down it will be okay."
"Shh child," he said brushing a strand of pale blond hair out of the way of her eyes.
"The stars…"
"Yes it is a starry night."
"At least I got see them-one more time."
Flushed skin now pasty white her eyes misted over. He could no longer see the bright blue eyes that brought him so much joy. Her cheeks were cold as steel in winter as he gently stroked them. The crimson liquid had seeped through his clothes.
"Kiyoko, remember him if anyone, don't forget what he did. Don't trust him. Please be wary of those three. Just be careful. Don't die on me again," he spat out his plea as quickly as possible.
Her arm fell limply out of his grasp. A bright sea green light rose out of her hovering above her body. The others arrived as she turned into a butterfly flying away. His fan was left on the ground. He did not hide behind its paper. The tears burst through the levees and the sounds of soul wrenching sobs escaped him. He knew that she was there in the Soul Society, but she was lost to him now. He would never see her again. She was in his domain. He swore he was going to make him pay for this. She had nothing to do with Soul Society. She was just a kid.
Her arms wrap around his shoulders and neck. She bared her head into the crook of his neck. Cold, stoic yellow eyes look down at the young girl she had helped raise. The young girl she had been so sure was going to make a great doctor one day. The young girl who she fought with every day over curfew and doing chores. She swore she would never feel this pain again. She knew could rely on Kūkaku to find and keep the kid safe. But trouble was part of that girl. There was no doubt in her mind that she would become a Shinigami. For once kid just go slow. You have a long time ahead of you in the Soul Society.
No one spoke. She vanished from the world without a trance. The only memories lied in those eleven souls she touched in her short sixteen years. Her friends, her teachers, her co-workers, and even her neighbors all forgot about the young girl with the turquoise eyes and the smile that could outshine the full moon at midnight.
The memories haunted him. He didn't sleep. He barely ate. No new ideas came. The will to even get out of bed was hard to find. He stumbled around late at night when his basic needs became too great to ignore. He tore through his drawers looking for something but yet nothing at the same time. He picked up the tiny pink soft liquid filled chewing ring that had laid in the bottom of one of the drawers for just over a decade and a half.
The small toddler wasn't so small anymore. She toddled across the floor of the shop pulling things off the lower shelves and getting into the cupboards. She had found a large blue bottle and was trying to gnaw the cap off.
"Hey! Don't chew on that!"
Tessai pulled the blue jug out of her tiny hands. Those turquoise eyes of her grew to the size of a table tennis balls then the dam broke. She wailed on the top of her lungs from opening her hands open and closed. The black cat sleeping onto of the checkout counter hissed at the racket during her name time.
"Now, now, what's going on in here?"
"You ought to watch the kid better she was chewing on the cap of the bleach bottle."
"Why don't we just get lock for it then it won't happen again. And Yoruichi-san is it necessary to hiss at her."
The black cat flicked its tail at Kisuke before jumping off the counter trotting across the floor to find a more suitable place to nap. The toddler tried to fallow after Yoruichi, but Kisuke scooped her up.
"Oh no you don't. I prefer you alive."
A light hearted giggle floated in the air. He smiled at the little girl. It was impossible to be angry with her. He brought her into his bedroom where she wasn't going to create a mess for Tessai or harass Yoruichi. The baby found a sandal to gnaw on while Kisuke sat at his desk working on his next project. His eyes drifted down and he reached inside the draw of his desk bringing out of the those rings with water inside of plastic balls for the fifteen-month-old to chew on. She wrapped her tiny fingers around it and pulled it to her mouth. The next time he looked down she had curled up into a ball on the floor and fallen asleep. He gently lift her onto his futon.
Drowning in his own despair he could not see the floods that threaten to destroy his friends. Each of them grieved in their own ways. One soul had touched them so deeply in such a short time. The fact she was going to die was unavoidable, but why did it happen so early? She never had the chance to enjoy this life before passing to the next.
Yoruichi stood at backdoor of the shop. She looked out in the distant roar of traffic. Watching him just stumbled around like a zombie was too much. She could still hear her voice in the hallways. She closed her eyes as she forced herself to transform to escape into the night. She didn't know when she'd return or where she was going. But she had to leave.
She scowled at him as if he had brought home another cat. Tiny strands of fuzzy strawberry blond hair stuck out the wadded up haori. It squirmed in his arms. It didn't cry, whimper or even babbly. It just eerily starred at new surroundings.
"What are you doing?" yawned Yoruichi.
He jumped then slyly smiled as if he had been acting being surprised. He felt sweat trickling down his neck with those yellow eyes bearing into him as if they could read his mind. He had nearly forgotten about the bundle in his arms until it began to squirm.
"What the hell is that?"
"Interesting story…"
"I don't care. Go take it back to where you found it."
"I can't do that."
"Why the hell can't you?"
"You cannot be suggesting I let a poor little thing like this starve on the streets until it either was overcame with starvation, dehydration or froze to death."
Beady yellow eyes drifted back and forth from Kisuke and the tiny creature in his arms. Her semi-asleep, semi-pissed face soften and she let out a huff of defeat. That pathetic pleading looking he gave her won out. Only this one time will she let him get his way. Just this one time. She turned away from him.
"It's your reasonability."
"Well, little guy or I should say little girl that went better than I expected," he said in a gentle sooth low voice.
She never thought about the fact she was his rock. She never saw that she was part of their family. She failed to see that he would pull through like he always did. Who was going to pick up the pieces? She ran off into the night to the carcasses of ignorance. She could only run so far. She always came back in the end.
Tessai picked up the scattered remains of the home-made shrine. He scooped up the bits and pieces putting them into a box. He knew his friend would want them in due time. He had a second box he had gathered from the abandoned shop on the other side of town. He couldn't just leave that there either. He put the box on the top shelf of a closet. Shutting the door and turning the key he locked away the memories. Right now it was not good for any of them to have access to it. The wounds had to heal.
He slid the door open. Dust danced in the dim light. He pulled up the curtain allowing the light in. It was too dark in here. It did not feel right to let the darkness possess the room. He picked up scattered garments off the ground tossing them into the small basket in the corner. He put the textbook back on the shelf of her bookcase. He noticed a sliver of color sticking out of her pillow case. He pulled it out. He flipped through the pages briefly. His eyes went big and a reddish tint grew across his cheeks. What was she doing with something like this? He slipped it between two books so he would never again come across it. He had seen nothing. He knew nothing of a magazine in Kiyoko's room.
He noticed an ajar drawer on the desk. He tried to push gently shut. It wouldn't budge. He tried pushing harder. Nothing. He tried pulling it out some. The drawer came all the way out nearly falling to the floor before he caught it. He shifted through the papers. Her birth certificate, a death certificate, several other odd documents. Did she know the truth? Then he came across the silver bracket. The cross. She had known. For how long he wondered. He frowned thinking back a few years ago.
"Get out!" she barked at him.
Tessai stood in shock for a moment. Had she really just yelled at him? He starred wide-eyed at the young teenage girl before her. What had happened to that sweet, shy, innocent little girl he had raised. Now she glowered at him while she protectively had her back pressed up against her desk.
"Young lady do not yell at me. Don't make me punish you."
"Whatever."
"What are you hiding?"
"Nothing."
He raised an eyebrow. The peachy pink color rising in her cheeks and ears told him otherwise.
"Dinner is done."
"Fine."
He shut the door behind him. He rubbed his neck. Why were teenagers so difficult? He heard shuffling and struggling behind the door. He sighed deeply. What was he going to do with her? He would tell Kisuke like always, but he never did anything. Even the time he found the wadded up paper and thick heavy stench of herbs that one day when she was at school. It had been quite some time since the last time he had across that. She must have stopped for some reason. He hopped she hadn't found a worse habit.
All of eight of them had the same regret. The all wonder if they had if she would have been hanging out with them today instead of fighting for survival a world away.
A small shrine had been made in their tiny piece of Karakura in an abandoned shop. It was a small building teetering on tumbling over. It was a roof over their heads. No one bothered them. Life wasn't half that bad. Each piece was added privately but everyone knew who had put what on the shrine. In the center of the shrine a four leaf clover charm hung on hook. It didn't take much effort to know where it came from for the group.
Shinji held the four leaf clover charm he had wrapped up in a box for a surprise gift. He had picked it up in a small dusty shop in a tiny costal town in Ireland with a crazy old lady that chased him out of her shop with a broomstick. He wished he had given it to her when they first got back. If he she would have been wearing it on her charm bracelet full of different charms he had collected for her.
Shinji stood straight up when he felt tiny arms wrapping around his legs as he tried to leave the shop to go on another trip with the rest of the gang. He had no idea when he was coming back for all he knew the toddler hanging on him might be a grown woman when he returned.
"No go. Stay shinny."
"I'll come back. I promise."
"No go."
"Look kid I'll bring back something for ya."
Puppy dog eyes and a puffy lower lip. He was sucker for those turquoise eyes.
((Line Break))
The tiny hairpin with two tiny pink and blue balls. The second piece to the set of four hair pins. The fact it was even there at all still shocked Shinji.
"Come on, it would look cute," pleased the young girl her hair reaching her shoulders the ends flipping up.
"It's pink and girly! Do I look like the girly type to you?"
"No need to shout. Here, what about these? See there is pink and blue. Cute, simple and totally not girly at all."
"Fine. If it will get you to shut up. I want to get back to training."
"Why is it all about violence with you? There is so much more than just training."
"You won't get it. You're too young."
"People just say that because they don't want to be wrong."
"What did you say!"
"Pfft, you think you scare me. I see someone who bottles everything up so that it is a constant eruption so no one will dare get close enough because they don't want be hurt. You may be alive, but you are not living. I don't care who you are or what you are you shouldn't waste life. Why not stiff the flowers? Why not eat something new or travel without a plan? Or pull a fire alarm or leave food for the homeless?"
"You are weird."
"Maybe so, but there is something beautiful in being weird."
Hiyori pressed her knees into her chest wrapping her arms around them. She couldn't cry. She wouldn't cry. Friend. She had never said that word to her, but it was unspoken. Now she was there, alone, with him. She was going to kill him. She would rip him limp to limp. Never again would she let a human this close. This hurt too much.
Fresh from the print. The binding holding the fragile pages together. The symbols inside where not Japanese, but English. A story of demons, murder, curses, and romance. It wasn't a typical book that was in their collection of books. It was a story lacking pervasion and gore, well for the most part. Lisa would never admit she had actually barrowed the book from her. She would never read such a book.
"Why can't we ever trade books?"
"Because your books are for kids."
"Pfft that's no excuse and not all my books are for kids."
"Here, don't let you dad know I gave up this."
Opening up her blue backpack she pulled out a pile of books laying them out for Lisa to choose. Lisa picked them up examining them. She was drawn to the book in English. She didn't even know that Kiyoko could read English.
"That's a children's book."
"It looks interesting. I didn't know you could read English."
"Of course I can, I don't go to school for nothing. I'm in the top of my class for English actually," she said crossing her arms.
"I'll return it when I'm done."
"Likewise."
Oh that's right, she was going to have to get that book back somehow. Kisuke would be really unhappy if he found a book like that with Kiyoko's belongings. It wouldn't take much to figure out it came from her. She needed a plan.
A thin pale blue scarf and a miniature gargoyle. It looked vaguely like his hallow form, he supposed that's why she got it for him. Kensei was going to miss the kid. She was a good fight. And so not annoying like the sniffling green-haired girl next to him.
"Stop that, it's annoying!"
A piercing wail made everyone cringle covered their ears. The girl had just started to sob as if she had lost her best friend, which she had. Volcanic glares were shot Kensei's way.
"Mashiro stop that."
"You big meanie! You aren't even sad!"
A sigh that went straight to the depths of his soul. He grabbed her under her arms dragging her as she went limp turning into sack of bricks instead of a girl. He grunted dragging her away to her room. As the distant door slammed the rattles in the shop rattled.
Leg back. Swing. Kick. Leg back. Swing. Kick. Again and again she missed the target. Turquoise eyes flickered, a brewing storm in the distance. The speed of the moves increased but the accuracy remained the same.
"You got to be fucking kidding me!"
A swinging fist brought straight into the head of the training dummy. It bounced down then back up whacking her in the face. Her rubbed nose noticing a few droplets of blood dripping on the ground. Damn.
"You idiot. You are never going to hit the target like that. You are doing it all wrong."
"Don't be so mean, meanie!"
"Shut up will ya!"
Swinging legs and flaying arms. The neon green haired girl rolled around like a two-year-old toddler. He glowered at her.
"Stop that!"
"Just ignore her and she'll stop," said Kiyoko swinging at the dummy.
"Who do you think you are you haven't been around her as long as I have?" he growled.
"Maybe not, but she clearly does it because it pisses you off."
"You a pain in the ass kid."
"So you tell me."
"Your form is all wrong. You are leaning too much on your back leg. I'm surprised you haven't fallen on your ass standing like that. It's all in the foot. A good stance can make a fight."
"Why the hell does it matter how I stand?"
"It's….just good form."
"Like that makes me want to put the extra effort into worrying about that."
"Don't be a smartass! If you want to get yourself killed not doing things right be my guest!"
"Don't say that!" gasped Mashiro covering her mouth.
"Move your legs back."
"Hey! Don't touch me pervert!"
"Pervert! Who are you calling a pervert?"
Kiyoko laughed like a hyena as he turned tomato red looking ready to explode. It was like watching one of those American kid TV shows right before someone blows up. Mashiro clenched her stomach collapsing to her knees. She took off running like a cheetah knowing she was playing the horns of the pull. It was so worth it.
A small black shinny rock that could fit in the palm on his hand. It had a long deep white streak that stretched around the entire rock. Simple yet elegant. Perfect shape for skipping. Putting in in the shrine was the hard part, part of him wanted to hang onto it. He didn't need a rock to remember that smile though.
The birds fluttered around lazily quietly singing in the branches. Sweet trickled down his neck. It should not be this hot at ten in the morning let alone in the haze of spring. He heard loud laughing from bellow. He jogged down the side road only to see a group of teenagers sitting around at the bank of the river passing around something. He would have thought nothing of it besides the fact they were in their school uniform. What he knew that uniform? He instantly recognized the chestnut haired girl. Her eyes glassed over pass the point she could really recognize him.
"Hey! Shouldn't you kids be in school!" he called.
"What's it to you?"
"Yeah old man."
"Old man, you say, get out of her before I call the police."
"Come on Kiyoko!" called the group running off.
She didn't run after them. She stood after her group of friends bailed. She looked around dazed then shrugged puffing up a cloud of smoke before she meandered her way after them until he caught her arm. She pulled her arm half-heartily.
"I ought to tell your father what you're doing."
"Whatever, like he can stop me."
"Look here, you are going to kill yourself with that crap. I don't think you really want to work in that shop the rest of your life either. If you get caught everything you wanted to do is out the window."
"Whatever," she said rolling her eyes.
"Don't whatever me. I know you care about your future. Do you really think hanging out with them is going to help you?"
"Will you stop nagging me?" she said puffing a cloud of smoke in his face. His eyes flickered for a moment before he took a deep breath.
"Hey! Let her go!"
"No, she's coming with me. Maybe I should let you try to explain this Kisuke or Yoruichi."
"Come on Love, don't be such a spoil sport."
He knocked the smoldering wrapping out of her and dragged her away from her 'friends'. She dragged her feet behind him mumbling nonsense under her breath. She pouted as he dumped her into the kitchen at the warehouse. The burly man with small beady eyes and pink hair and mustache hovered over the girl as if she was ill. She mumbled to herself about the stars eating anything the man put in front of her. When Love came back with a black cat in tow she had curled up into a ball sleeping in a corner.
"This is what you made me get up for," yawned Yoruichi arching her black as she stretched out her paws.
"She should be in school," said Love.
"Like we don't know she skips. The school does contact us. Nothing wrong with letting the kid let loose once in a while. She studies day and night."
"Maybe you are letting her let loose a little too much," muttered Love under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"I thought so. I'm going back to my nap. Just send her home when she wakes up."
A tiny sunflower seed. Food and a simple joy. There was an army of sunflowers behind the shop along with other herbs and flowers that had sprouted over the years. The grey backdrop of the abandoned area had been lit up sunset orange, fuchsia, sunshine yellow, pearly white, and spring green. It brought a tiny ray of happiness to the lifeless area.
Five years. Traveling the countryside of Japan proved to be worthwhile. Everyone smile more. That made the burly man smile as while. It was nice to see everyone happy even if it was for seconds at the time. Returning to the tiny forgotten shop was relieving but yet a growing sense of tiresome grew over them. Once again they would be finding temporary jobs or at least attempt to. Everyone plopped down in the dark, dingy space after traveling so many hours. They had traveled for so long to return that the sun was already starting to rise.
Pushing open the back door to let the fresh, spring air in his eyes let up when he found a rainbow forest in the back garden. His eyes widen in surprise. There had been a semi-dead rice plants when they left. Flowers and herbs of all kinds now were fully nature plants. He heard shuffling behind the shed. He wordlessly walked a few strides to peer over the side of the building.
Barely up to his waist stood a tiny girl clutching a green pail quivering in the spot. Those eyes. It could be? She had barely been to his knee. Five years. Five years. She would be eight. This little girl had to be her. Short braids and plain white and blue school uniform.
"Hello there. You sure got big. Do you remember me?" he asked softly.
She shook her head firmly.
"I'm Hacchi."
She shook her head not remembering the man before her.
"Her memory is a little jumbled from an accident with one of Kisuke's experiment. She hasn't really spoken much since," said the black cat jumping down from its napping perch on top of the shed roof.
"Is she responsible for the garden?" he asked.
"It was Kisuke's idea. He hoped giving her something productive to do would help. It did give her a new hobby. But she is still scared of her own shadow and barely says a word unless it is in school where she has to."
"Come on, there are some people would like to meet you," he said holding out a hand to her.
Once again she shook her head back up against the wall.
"Relax kid, he is a friend."
The young girl slowly crept behind the large man hiding within his shadow. Leading her into the shop he reviled her to the group. The fact quickly the child had grown seemed to stun everyone for a few moments. Then the overzealous green-haired girl bounced. The young girl cowered away clutching the pant leg of the large man.
"Mashiro! You are frightening her!" scolded Kensei pulling the girl away by her scarf.
Hacchi petted the top of the girl's hair. She looked up with an unease glance. Curious about the new people, but yet warry of being touched by a stranger. The black cat rubbed against her leg. She scooped the cat up. It squirmed to be let free.
"Put me down, Kiyoko!" hissed the cat. After a fierce battle of wiggling, squirming, hisses, pawing and meows the cat broke free dashing away.
Kiyoko pouted starting to chase after the cat, but stopped feeling so many eyes on her. She recoiled back to her hiding place.
A shinny golden dragon curled up into ball its sapphire eye in the center of the brooch and its tail flicking outwards. A few sparse nicks and scratches from several years of wear. The eye glimmer in the dim as if it was a living breathing dragon.
Like sardines on a conveyer belt people rolled through the stalls. Jingling coins inside pouches. The sun dancing across the stone street piercing through the thin cloth of the stalls. The consistent hum of voices. Weaving between people Kiyoko pulled the older blond haired man behind her.
"Come on, come on, walk faster," said the young teenage girl walking as quickly as she could without running.
"Kiyoko, you are going to pull my arm out of its socket? Why are you in such a rush?" he whined.
"Stop whining Rose," she giggled.
She huffed and puffed standing between two large buildings. She looked to her right down the dark alleyway. A tiny stall, with pale green cloth dripped over it, stood only a few strides away from her shoved between the two buildings.
"Doesn't Kisuke tell you not to go into dark alleys," said Rose grabbing her wrist.
She rolled her eyes at him trying to yank her arm out of his grip. Rose was not about to let her go into a dark alley. She grinned before pulling Rose down the alley with her. She smiled at the frail elderly woman in the stall. Kiyoko pulled out several pieces of bread from her tiny clutch purse putting it on the wooden counter. She reached around the side of the stall and pulled out two stools. They had uneven legs and creaked when sat on.
"Hello, Urahara-chan," said the elderly women with a soft wary smile.
"Hello, Fujioka-san."
"I brought bread."
"Thank you."
"Aren't you going to have some?"
"Not right now, I'm not very hungry."
Kiyoko lips curved downwards as she looked at the breed. As soon as she looked up at the women her slips curved up slightly once again. Her eyes glimmer like the sea in the hue of dawn. She watched the women curiously.
"Who have you brought with you?"
"Otoribashi," said Rose.
"Nice to meet you Otoribashi."
"Urahara-chan, mentioned she'd bring a guest."
The women's hands shook as she put two bowls and two set of chopsticks on the table. Kiyoko wasted no time eating the noodles. She was practically inhaling it slurping sloppily with compliments. Rose's eyebrow went up. He had never seen Kiyoko eat so aggressively. She had dragged him here for noodles. Noodles. He watched the elderly women as he ate the noodles. The women leaned up against the wall closing her eye occasionally. He looked over at Kiyoko. It wasn't noodles after all. A sweet fruity smell blew across Rose's face. He looked over to see a young women looming over Kiyoko. He felt himself slowly start to reach for Kinshara, put the quick glance Kiyoko shot him made him return his hand to holding the bowl. Wait, Kiyoko could see spirits? Of course she could, duh. She was around souls all the time.
"Natsuko wants you to know she is waiting for you. She always has been," said Kiyoko.
The elderly women smiled. Rose notice that it was not at Kiyoko, but in the direction of the spirit. What was going on here?
"She didn't need to tell me what I already knew the first time we met. From that first day you invited me to your stall for noodles I recognized something. The air felt differently around you. Not like most I felt, but strangely familiar. I know somehow I know you, and her," said Kiyoko.
The women's smile faltered slightly. It dipped down slightly. She let out a soft raspy breath filled with regret and sorrow. The young women, Natsuko, lips curled downwards as well. Her eyes flickered slightly with remorse with a tinge of scorn and what looked very much like a mother's pride.
"I know it is coming. I've been filling it for weeks. Please. I just want answers and she won't tell me anything just creeps at my window at night."
"I told her to stay away. She should just pass on and stop dwelling in the past," said the women.
"Dwelling in the past! I never had a future to begin with!" snapped Natsuko.
The sharp outburst sounded so much like Kiyoko Rose's eyes first went to the young girl with disapproval. Her eyes opened wide and a hand covered her mouth. He realized it was the spirit.
"Do you mind, I like my hearing," said Kiyoko.
The spirit crossed her arms tapping her foot. This was very odd. Creepy almost. It was like watching an older version of Kiyoko. Oh no. Like brick it hit him all at once. He felt the sudden urge to pull Kiyoko away and never let her find out the answer she wanted.
"Looks like your friend figured it out," said Natsuko.
"What are you talking about?" said Kiyoko rolling her eyes.
"Kiyoko I think you should leave this alone," said Rose.
"I didn't bring you here for you to lecture me," said Kiyoko. She gasped after hearing the words that came out of her mouth. What was wrong with her?
"That is enough," said Rose glaring at Natsuko.
"Such a spoil sport," said Natsuko.
"You do know us because I am…."
The women collapsed into a heap on the floor of the stall. Kiyoko leap off the stool knocking it over. She yanked the rackety door open making it fall off.
"Mother," gasped Natsuko floating through the stall.
"Don't just stand there do something!" said Kiyoko.
Two beams of pale blue light floated out from the women. One faded away, but the other shattered into a million shards of pure white light before melting back together forming the women.
Too late. Nothing could be done. Time had ran out for the women, or maybe fate had cut the very last few strings. Rose hated to see anyone die, but he was stop sure it was a bad thing. It would have broken her heart to hear what the woman was going to tell her.
"Take that," said the elderly spirit pointing the green pooch. Kiyoko just sat there starring at the spirit for several minutes before removing the brooch. She held it in her hand starring it for a moment. A feeling in the pit of her stomach started to stir. A strange burning sensation danced around the palm of her hand.
"Don't touch that!" shouted Natsuko.
Kiyoko jumped sending the brooch flying. Rose caught the piece of jewelry that came flying at him. He bounced it around a few times before being able to use his sleeve to hold it. It left a slight burn on his palm. A burn in the exact shape of a Quincy cross.
A sharp exhale of air brought Rose out of his thoughts. The stall had disintegrated into nothing along with the woman's body. Kiyoko was on her hands and knees gasping for air. He wrapped his arms around her pulling towards one of the walls of the building as the skeletal gate appear in the tiny alley. The hand reached out and grabbed the elderly woman's soul yanking her through the gate. Rose used his own reiatsu to create a shield around Kiyoko. Her human body couldn't withstand the heavy, dark reiryoku that seeped through the gates. They clattered shut vanishing into nothingness.
"Goodbye mother, have fun in hell. Say hi to my uncles for me," said Natsuko.
"What was that?" whimpered Kiyoko. She clung to Rose's jacket and shirt as if she was hanging onto the last threads of her life. She shook head to toe. Her breathing rapid as her lungs gasped for the calmness.
"The gates of hell," said Rose in a low, serious voice.
"I don't ever want to feel that again."
"It always feels like that the first time you see it. It doesn't help your living not a soul," said Rose comfortingly.
"There you are. Late as always. I'm always having to be the one to be watching over her. I can't do a damn thing really besides yell at her."
"What happened?" asked a concerned voice.
Wooden sandals clacked on the stone bellow. Kiyoko let go of Rose. She stumbled forward catching herself before she fell. She regained her footing and ran straight to him wrapping her arms around him.
"She almost got away with breaking the binding, but I started the girl into dropping it. Then the Gates of Hell decided to finally get rid of the old hag for good," said Natsuko.
Kisuke stroked her hair gently. He glowered at the spirit. She knew nothing of being a parent. Maybe it was not such a bad thing she hadn't been able to raise her after all. The girl's quivering breath made his eyes flicker for a moment. Keiko was gone. The binding couldn't be broken before the process would be completed when Kiyoko died. A very long time into the future.
"Do you want me to do it?" asked Kisuke.
"No, need. I'll be on my way now. With her dead I know she's safe now we you guys," said Natsuko disappearing into a black butterfly fluttering away.
"Thank you," said Kisuke.
"Any one of us would have done it," said Rose "is she okay?"
"Yes, it just drained her energy," said Kisuke scoping her up like a small child.
AN: After several weeks of work this story is finally finished. I took ages to do this oneshot. It has to be the longest oneshot I've ever written. I am so happy that it is done. Please leave me a review to let me know your thoughts. Should I continue Kiyoko's story or leave it as this?
There are a few things I need explain. The year Kisuke found Kiyoko was 1920, a year after she was born. She died in 1934. So if names do not match the historical period I don't know what names in Japan were back then, so pardon those inconsistence. The suggestion of drug usage was very well researched before I added it in, this was set before a lot of the laws prohibiting the usage of what are now illegal drugs.
Update 4/24- minor mistakes fixed