We found out we weren't strong enough. We are alone.
Dearest, you were never alone. Return, be strong.
.
I woke to the 'pitter patter' of rain on our roof, and also to the 'drip drip drip' of the rain falling from my windowsill. My name is Inua Kateroshi, and this day couldn't get any worse.
"Inua! Time to get up!" my mom called from downstairs. I sighed and dragged myself out of bed. I went to my closet and slid it open. Before I could reach my hand inside, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was familiar, and then I smelled the cinnamon my sister had been using when she'd died.
"Inua. Please don't be sad." she told me.
"How can I not be? You were the only other person I knew who could also see the ghosts. It got you killed too. I wasn't there like you asked me to." I replied. My twin sister, Shirokon, had been killed a week ago in our own kitchen. About the same time this new family had moved in.
"Inua. I understand how difficult this is going to be, but you need to move on. I won't be mad if you forget about me. But you have to move past this." Shirokon said again.
"No!" I yelled.
"Inua? Who are you telling at?" My mother opened my door and my sister disappeared. "No one." I replied quietly.
"Hurry up and get dressed. We'll be late." she said as she walked back out of my room.
Two hours later, we were in the cemetery, and it was still raining. But it was coming down in sheets, but they hadn't had time to put up a tent for us. Our family consisted of my dad's parents, my mom's, and my parents siblings. And if Shirokon if she wouldn't have been killed.
My sister's casket was simply but elegant, but if it was left out here for too long, the wood start to rot well before her corpse did. When the normal things were said by the priest for any funeral, we paid our respects, placed flowers on the casket, and many mom and I watched as the rest of our family walked away in tears and sharing memories of my twin.
"Inua? Do you want to go to the car and wait for me?" Mom asked me.
"No. You go ahead, I'll catch up with you." I replied sadly. My mom bit her lip, trying to think of something kind to say, but she finally just started crying and turned and walked to the car. Once she was out of my sight and ear range, I spoke.
"I know you're there. Why don't you come out already?" I said. "She's human, so how was she able to see me?" a male voice said aloud, completely ignoring me. I dolled my eyes and looked straight at him. He was dressed strangely. A black kimono, and a sword at his side.
"Ask yourself that later. Who are you?" I snapped. The strange man just stared at me. "Answer me!" I cried.
"Why should I?" he asked. I clenched my fists and ground my teeth together in anger. The man's expression changed.
"Your spiritual pressure is strong. Strong enough to-" He stopped midsentence, a hand on the hilt and his eyes looking for signs of whatever it was he was looking for. "You need to go. Now." he said calmly.
"No. Not until you tell me who you are." I snapped. Then a roar that made the hairs on my neck and arms stood up. It also sent a chill up my spine.
"Dammit!" the man exclaimed loudly. I was frozen in place, a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I felt like I couldn't breathe.
Suddenly the man was beside me, took my hand, and somehow transported us somewhere else. "Why'd you do that for?" I shouted.
"Quiet girl." he said back. I was about to say something when I felt sick again and I fell to my knees. "What is going on?" I asked hoarsely. The man still had his right hand on the hilt of his sword, but his focus was somewhere else. "A Hollow found us, especially after you got angry. Try and not to do that right now." he explained. I huffed at him, then swept my long curly red hair out of my face. Right now, all I wanted was to punch this guy in the face, but his warning of not getting angry made enough sense to me I decided to listen. Then the roar of that thing the man called a 'Hollow', materialized out of nowhere.
The man drew his sword and took a defensive position. "Can I ask you something?" I asked him as I pulled myself back onto my feet. "What do you want?" he asked without even looking at me.
"What are you?" He looked at me for a split second before moving to cut down the Hollow. It was a disgusting looking creature, and it stank more than it was ugly. The man swung his sword without any effort and the Hollow gave one more cry before disappearing in a poor of black ashes.
"Now I will answer your questions." the man said. Then my phone rang, and I knew it was my mom. "Hold, gotta answer this." I said, pulled my phone out and answered. "What's taking so long?" My mom's concerned voice asked. "I'm walking home. I need some space. I hope you can understand." I explained with a little lie. I could hear her starting and rethinking several sentences, but she told me to go ahead and she'd meet me at the house. I hung up and stuffed my phone in my pocket.
"Are you ready for your answers yet?" the man asked. I nodded. "I'm what's called a Soul Reaper. My name is Renji Abari. I was told to investigate when the news of a new soul was wandering around. I now know it to be your sister. She has strong spirit energy." he explained. I gave him a curious look at his words, but yet it made sense to me. "But why exactly are you investigating Renji Abari? It's not like she's done anything wrong." I asked. Renji rubbed his forehead with his free hand and sheathed his sword.
"Souls who are left in the world of the living with no intention of moving on to the other side-or in my case the Soul Society-or they don't have the strength to cross over. They need a helper, or a guide, to help them along. Your sister is capable of moving on, but she hasn't." Renji explained in more detail.
"Shirokon always was stubborn. It was either her way or no one's way." I said with a chuckle. "Your sister, Shirokon, she needs to cross over. You need to reassure her that you can survive without her." Renji pushed.
I glared at him. He was pushin' it with me, and telling me what my twin should do makes me mad. "Shut up. Just because you may think you know what's best for her, doesn't mean that it would be. Besides, I think she'd be happier here." I snapped.
"Inua! That was rude!" Shirokon's angry voice called. She appeared beside me, shimmering into existence. "But Shirokon-!" I started to say, but she gave me a cold look. I gave her the same one.
"Sorry about this Renji. But I feel like I need to stay. Do you think the Soul Society could give me like an extra few days?" Shirokon said apologetically.
Renji Abari raised an eyebrow at her, but the serious look on her face said it all. I smirked.
"I can give you until tonight. You're drawing too many Hollows to this world." Renji explained. Shirokon looked at me once more, and then she sighed. "I understand." she whispered.
I was about to protest when the roar of the Hollow stopped me, and then thundering footsteps. "It's close. Too close." Renji commented, once again going for his sword.
"Renji! Behind you!" a new voice cried. But it was too late, the thing that had been chasing us appeared and slashed downwards toward the Soul Reaper. "Renji!" Shirokon screamed.
I just stood there, frozen. I couldn't even breathe. Whatever this Hollow was exactly, it was so strong just standing in its presence could kill you. Then a much shorter girl materialized and she too had a sword, but hers was drawn. She swung so hard, I thought she would be thrown into the ground, but the Hollows body took some of the momentum out of her swing. But it was still strong enough to slice clean through.
"Whoa." I murmured. The Hollow imploded, and the ashes blew away into the wind. The girl had rushed over to Renji as soon as she'd killed the Hollow and she looked like she was doing something with my sister beside her.
"Are you sure you want to do this. You won't be able to be resurrected." the girl asked as I approached. "What are you talking about?" I asked.
"I'm sorry Inua." Shirokon said, and she gave one last smile, before disappearing. As if there was no evidence of her ever being there. Renji's eyes fluttered open, and the girl helped him to his feet. I fell to my knees, thinking ' why?'.
"How was I healed?" Renji asked. "Shirokon Kateroshi gave her spirit energy to you, and the rest of it to her sister, Inua Kateroshi. She wished it to be so." the girl explained as if it meant nothing to her.
"Shirokon." I said quietly. The two people looked at me, realizing my pain. But how could they know what my pain was when they've never lost the most important part of you. Shirokon may have been my fraternal twin, but we were still twins. "SHIROKON!" I screamed. The girl came to me, Knowles in front of me, and placed a hand on my shoulder a few inches above my heart. "My name is Rukia Kuchiki. I'm sorry about your sister." she said, then her hand started to glow. I gasped at the weird sensation running through me, but then it gave way to nothingness.
what is this? am I dead?