All right, then. Hello, friendly reader, to my very first Bleach story. Hooray! I took me a while to even come up with the idea of this story, but I finally figured out how I want to write this. And sorry if it's a bit short, but I wrote this all last night because I really, really wanted to get it posted before I left my computer for a week. I also really didn't have time to edit, so please read what I have right now, hopefully you'll find it interesting, and I'll write longer, much more detailed chapters in the near future.
Disclaimer: I certainly do not own this amazing series.
"Momo!"
I could hear his voice, but just barely. It was now so distant, so very far away from me, it was terrifying. I felt two soothingly cold hands grasp my shoulders as the panicked voice continued to yell.
"Momo! Can you hear me? Say something!"
I tried to open my mouth, tried to speak, but words were beyond my capacity now. My throat had been crushed making it impossible for me to even utter the apology I wished so desperately to say. It wasn't like there much I had to say now anyway. Nothing he would want to hear.
"Momo!"
Shiro-chan…
His voice grew more and more faded by the second. I knew he was there, kneeling beside me, screaming hopelessly at my broken body as though that would bring me back to life, so why did he sound so faint? And why did he sound so distressed? How could he still worry for me even after all I put him through?
"Just stay with me, Momo! I'll get you help! I promise!"
I could have sworn I felt little droplets of water fall down onto my pale face. Hmmm… Must've been rain.
"MOMO!"
My vision was hazy. I couldn't move. My eyes involuntarily began to close. Everything around me began to fade from my awareness. Every sound, scent, and feeling gradually disappeared from my senses along with Shiro's voice. The cero blast explosions, the battle cries of shinigami and arrancar and the twisted laugh of the man who I once admired were no more than mere background noise. I was encircled by what seemed like never ending darkness and at that moment I knew my fate was sealed. I was going to die.
"How could this happen?" I heard Shiro mutter desolately as the droplets continued to pour down upon me. "How could I have let this happen?"
I couldn't recall what it was like to die. I doubt anyone else did. I had no idea it would be this simple, this soothing. Dying was much easier than I had thought it would be.
"Don't die, Momo," Shiro said almost pleadingly. "I won't be able to live with myself if you do."
Funny. If I didn't know any better, I could've sworn he was sobbing. Maybe the droplets on my face weren't rain…? I tried to open my eyes to see him one last time, but it was a pointless effort. I couldn't move at all.
I could no longer feel his hands on my shoulders. I could hear his voice, but it was now too distorted for me to make any sense of the words. The droplets on my face slithered down mixed with my blood and sweat. This wasn't the way I had wished to die… and I couldn't truly say I was content considering the current circumstances, and I couldn't at all say I was leaving with a clear conscience, but at the very least I knew I wouldn't be a burden to the people I cared about anymore. At least I wouldn't be able to make all the wrong decisions. Maybe this was good. Maybe the world could do better without me.
"Momo… I'm sorry."
I'm not sure if that was exactly what he said, but judging from the apologetic tone of his voice, it seemed likely. How very backwards. I was the one who needed to apologize, wasn't I?
"Toshiro… I'm so sorry."
I couldn't tell if I simply thought the words or somehow said them, but… I doubt he could hear it anyway. I couldn't feel Toshiro's icy presence by my side anymore. As far as I knew, he had probably already left me to return to the battle. Oh well. Not like it really mattered. I suppose I deserved to die alone after all I put him through. I didn't mind being alone in my final moment.
A new cold distinctively different from Toshiro's swept over me. It was strange. I felt as though this had all happened to me before. This cold and darkness… This must have been like the last time I had died.
Captain Hitsugaya… Toshiro… thank you for everything. I'm sorry.
With that last thought, I fell. Fell to the dark bottomless pit of despair called death and knew I was already too late to save.
That's what I thought at least.