Disclaimer: I believe saying that I don't own all this, characters and all, is unnecessary.
Note: This is something like a semi-vignette. This is probably my first time writing like this, so please bear with me!
Chasing Rainbows
The rains were stopping, drops from heaven floating down to Earth. Despite my constant warnings, she had once again left my side. Her footsteps echoed emptily as her shadow skipped merrily through the street. She's a labyrinth. Unfortunately, she's a puzzle I can't quite figure out just yet. The worst part was that when you felt that you've got it all figured out, you get caught in a dead end.
The water splashed beneath her feet, a grin spreading over her face. It gave me the chills. Normally, she'd give everyone a plastic smile. It was very rare to see the genuine article. It was a shimmer through a mask, but, indeed, it was there. She never truly acted "happy" very often and this sudden burst caught me off guard.
"Hey!" I called to her. She never listened to me, anyhow. "Why the hell are you running? If you catch a cold, take care of yourself!"
Her small figure paused abruptly. She glared at me, apparently annoyed that I ruined her joy. Something made my insides move slightly. Though I was being responsible, I was taking her short moment of bliss away.
"Fool! You're letting it get away!"
My eyes widened. She stood her ground forcefully, her dark eyes staring at me with determination. She was tapping her foot on the pavement impatiently, waiting for a response.
"What's getting away?" I shot back at her. At that instant, her eyes widened as well. "That!" She pointed toward the sky, a prism of colors forming an arch in the sky: a rainbow. "Idiot! That's a rainbow! You can't chase a rainbow. Didn't they have rainbows where you came from?" I asked. That very moment, I noticed that I never should have said that.
"Rainbow?" she repeated quietly. Her head tilted to the side as she contemplated her next few sentences. I felt really lousy at the time. "They never came out in Soul Society. When it rained, it kept raining. Nothing came out after the rain."
I brought my umbrella over her head; short taps of the remnant raindrops still falling. "Don't worry. It won't leave. It'll be back." I retracted my umbrella, the rain finally stopping. "It'll greet you again." I muttered under my breath. For a fleeting moment, she was smiling again. Her sundress was soaked, but she was still happy. It's odd how she can change so quickly, like a chameleon. She's too hard to figure out, I suppose.
Maybe by the time I get her all figured out, she'd have caught a rainbow.