Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nada. Zilch. Non. You get my drift.
Author's Note:
Well. WE'RE BACK FOR ROUND 3 CAUSE I SUCK AND FUCKED EVERYTHING UP. Though this will be the last time. I pinky promise. I don't know about you guys, but third time's the charm, right? Right. It's gonna have to be cause I'm not going through the stress of figuring this story out again. *Laughs awkwardly*
I have no shame. Please forgive me.
To any old followers: HELLO. AND WELCOME BACK. To any new ones: HELLO TO THIS WONDERFUL SHITFEST THAT IS GONNA HAPPEN. It'll be fun, I swear. But maybe that's just my dry humor trying to be funny over the internet, but no one will know since this is the Internet and the Internet is always right apparently.
Anyway. LET'S GET THIS STARTED!
It's All His Fault
Chapter O.N.E.
_"Remember"_
"History is not a burden on the memory, but an illumination of the soul." -Unknown
"Living has its perks. We as humans go through hell and back just to live and as a reward, we get to experience the joys and wonders of what it means to breath for another day."
The room I was in was white. A pure and blindingly white that burned my eyes and made me want to close them out of reflex despite knowing it wouldn't do much to alleviate the sting. Almost like snow, but it was the smell that shattered that pure look. Sterile, like chemicals. Like antiseptic and alcohol and bleach.
Like a hospital.
I blinked slowly. My body ached something fierce, my limbs feeling like absolute dead weight and a dizziness swimming through my head that was both unnerving and relentless. Cold air caressed the bare skin of my neck and shoulders and if I hadn't known any better, I'd assume I was lying naked for the whole world to see if not for the slightest feeling of fabric that was settled just at my collarbone.
"You're awake." I cast my gaze to the left, catching the gentle stare of a woman with flowing black hair held in a loose ponytail down her front and wearing an off-white haori that thankfully didn't hurt my eyes to look at. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out, barely a breath escaping my lips. Understanding, the woman introduced herself. "I am Retsu Unohana, Captain of Squad Four. You are currently in the medical bay of my Squad Barracks." She gave a wry smile. "It's a miracle you're even alive right now, Miss. Ryoka."
It took me a minute to comprehend what she had said, my thoughts feeling unusually slow and sluggish. "I'm hardly an intruder if you tended to my wounds," I rasped out, my voice cracking. I could barely get it above a whisper and it was a miracle she had even heard me.
"It is not within my morals as a Healer to leave someone to die who has done no harm to myself or the other Squads."
"A Healer, huh?" I mumbled. She was a Healer...like me. I decided to risk sitting up despite my body's clear objections to such a thought. Grimacing, I tried to sit up and nearly started sobbing then and there at the sharp pain that wracked my frame all at once. A hand firmly pressed my shoulder back into the mattress, eyes slightly narrowed as they watched me gasp for air.
"You shouldn't move, Miss. Ryoka. Your body is still recovering. Any attempts to push it now could jeopardize your chances of getting better faster."
I desperately tried to recall what had happened to me, tried to remember how it was that I got to be in the state I was currently in, but nothing came to mind. Nothing but a fog that made my already spinning head spin even faster.
"What happened to me?" I breathed as I struggled to regain control of myself. It was alright. I had to keep my cool. It didn't matter that I was in a completely foreign place with no idea where the hell I even was with no recollection of how I had gotten to my present state. It was alright. I just had to stay calm. Things would work out. They would. They had to.
"I was hoping you would tell me that," the woman said. She relaxed into her seat, fingers clasped in her lap as she pierced me with grey eyes. "You were found by a pair of Seated Officers covered in blood that couldn't possibly be all yours."
"We are always told to treasure what we have. To live our lives like it was our last day and to never regret our actions."
"Blood?" I whispered. Lifting my arms took more effort than it should've, the muscles screaming in protest as the sheet covering me fell away and revealed my bandage-covered arms. Red splotches dotted areas from my wrists to my elbows, said areas stinging like multiple bees were attacking those places all at once. Focusing my attention on the rest of my body, I could feel the scratchiness of more bandages covering practically every area of skin possible. I couldn't hide the shock that colored my voice. "How did this happen?"
"Memory loss isn't uncommon if one has experienced severe trauma," the Captain explained. "Do you remember who you are?"
I was horrified that it took me a solid minute to gather myself to tell her my name and that it was only triggered by a medium length pink strand falling into my face that helped me recall who I was. "Sakura. My name is Sakura Haruno." I think.
The Captain smiled. "And do you know where you are in the Soul Society?"
Now that was a word unfamiliar to me and I couldn't stop the confusion from showing on my face. It was the only thing I could focus on.
"Soul Society? What's that?"
Unohana's smile faltered, a look of concentration crossing her face. "How long have you been here?"
The question threw me off guard, my eyes blinking furiously. "Been where?"
"In Rukongai."
"But what if there was more to it than that?"
"Rukongai?" I repeated slowly, the word sounding weird on my tongue despite it being in the same language I had grown up with. It didn't ring any bells in my mind. I couldn't recall ever even hearing such a word.
"It is the area that surrounds the Seireitei and that which is populated by Souls who have come to accept their death and passed on," She readily explained. If she was surprised by my lack of knowledge, she hid it well behind a patient smile and calm facials. I furrowed my eyebrows, feeling a headache coming on.
"I don't understand," I whispered.
What was she talking about? Rukongai? Souls? My mind raced at the information, struggling to process it around the heavy throbbing in my skull. She made it sound like...some sort of afterlife or something. Was that even possible?
"I'm...dead?" Her silence was answer enough for me despite my desperately wanting to reject it all.
No way. There was no possible way I could be dead. No. I had to remember what happened. How did I get here? What happened to me? I had to remember. I had to...remember...had to...
Remember what?
"Death is the next greatest adventure, after all, Sakura. Enjoy it while it lasts."
"When the time comes, don't fight it. It's a natural cycle for us and there's no point fighting it once it comes knocking."
The lone candle that illuminated the office caused rippling shadows to dance across the walls and the stern face of the blond sitting in the high-backed chair behind a beautiful wooden desk crammed full of paperwork. Long fingers painted blood red were clasped underneath an aristocratic chin, thin lips pressed tightly together as if she had swallowed something sour.
"I don't understand why you're telling me this."
The woman sighed and she turned her chair around, her profile reflecting back in the clean, glass windows. Dark circles were beginning to form beneath hazel-brown eyes, giving off the impression that she hadn't slept properly in a while. The green overcoat she was ever so fond of had wrinkles and alcohol stains on it, a clear indication that she also wasn't taking proper care of herself. It wouldn't be long before she was forced out of it so it could be washed and so she could get a reprieve.
"You'll understand one day," was the solemn reply that sent shivers down spines.
Author's Note:
To you returning readers: This story is DEFINITELY taking a turn just from this short chapter. Though hopefully it'll be a good turn because let me say. I nit picked the shit out of this. *Laughs*
Not all of the chapters will be this horrendously short. I don't do short chapters. There's too much to do and too much to say. This chapter is sort of like...a mood setter? Yeah we'll go with that.
As life is hectic, I cannot give a set schedule for updates, but I will do my very best to get chapters out at good times. The support I had for this story before was wonderful and to hear from former followers about when this will be up has warmed my heart. You all are wonderful. *Hearts*
Stay safe, everyone!
~OQ