A soft murmur of silence had fallen over the battle field. Moments ago, hours ago this oddly tranquil scene had been chaos, a clashing of swords, a fight for dominance – the place soldiers laid down their lives for the causes that marched them forward. Scenes had been horrific, bloodshed of hundreds – if not thousands – men and women cut down in their prime. The fearful were scattered and lodged between the strong – so even as their knees buckled, and feet dug into the ground hoping for escape they were pushed forward by the ranks behind and at their sides – there was no escaping this war.
The cries of the dying and wounded seemed distant now, their screams drowned out by the ringing in the ears of all who survived. They were aware – painfully aware of those crying out for aid or for death – but they were far more aware of the sound of their own heart beat and the fact they had survived. They moved like zombies, letting the medical division to handle the corpses and fallen as they dragged themselves away – shutting the door on the events of battle behind them.
The hushed murmur of silence over the now littered hills was shattered by the heart wrenching scream of a woman. Finally, someone had snapped – realizing that the piles they were walking over were that of the dead, friends, comrades, division members and the like. Someone had finally snapped.
Say Something.
Her scream was painful to hear but her frantic pull to be at his side was far more excruciating to see. It took two pairs of strong arms, sore from wielding blades; to restrain her as the medical division kneeled at his side. Their grim faces offering no signs of hope or promise to ease her heartbreak.
"—Toshiro!"
Her voice was horse from screaming orders but she screamed for him, as if hearing her voice would force him to open his eyes. She struggled and fought against the hold of the two at her side, not even realizing they were there till their voices came to her in a whisper.
"—Ran stop."
"They're doing what they can."
Renji, Hisagi – yes – she remembered now. They had located her, slumped on the ground, trembling, panting, and gasping for air. They had drawn her from the trance, pulled her up and began the grim task of accounting for the dead and the dying of their divisions. That was when the whisper had spread like fire over the rolling hills soaked in blood – of a fallen taichou. The whisper had gotten to her before anyone could defend her from it, it had struck her harder than the blows she had withstood in the battle and she had broken. She had bolted, with her two fellow fukutaichous racing to grab her. Renji had gotten ahead of her, his arm snaking around her waist just as she came upon the scene of his war torn body lying lifelessly in a pool of blood. He drew her in, blocking the image from view but she had struggled out of his grasp, her blooded fists hitting hard against his chest, clawing, screaming like a crazed beast. He had released her but Hisagi detained her and both of them struggled to keep her at bay.
I'm sorry I couldn't get to you.
She should have been there, been at his side – but they had become separated in the fight. She had gone to defend members of their division overwhelmed by the opposition and she had lost sight. She had searched, but the blur of the battle had taken her attention in every direction and she had grown farther and farther away. But – he would be fine. She told herself over and over – he would be fine. This was just another battle, another war that they would walk away from bandaged and broken – but alive. He would be fine.
"His wounds are deep."
"I have 30 percent of the chest wound healed but I'm not sure if it will…"
Her struggle had finally given in and the two males found themselves supporting the slumping, broken, crying form of their friend. Gently, they eased her to the ground; sitting beside her as a fourth division member blocked the view of the others tending to her taichou. They were healing her, the wound on her head that caused her vision to blur in and out, the one on her side that had only gotten worse during her struggle. Still, her focus was on the large pool of blood surrounding the man she loved – only a couple feet away. She could reach out to him, she could be at his side, sitting there, holding his hand as she should have been.
It should have been her – she was his shield, she was his guard – that was her duty. That was the oath she had sworn to him on bended knee that she would lay down her life to defend him. That oath had been ratified by her pledging to him her undying love. But what difference would have it made? If he had been cut down in his prime –alone or at her side?
Now, she was a few mere feet away, unable to even hold his hand – but simply watch another man die whom she loved because space had gotten between them. She was numb, numb to the world – numb to the touch of the Fourth, numb to the sickness in her stomach and the ache in her heart. Broken – utterly and completely broken – as her lifeless eyes stared at the lifeless body of a man who had gone down fighting, seeking the woman he loved.
Anywhere I would've followed you.
Say something, I'm giving up on you.
And I will swallow my pride.
You're the one that I love
And I'm saying goodbye.
Again – again the man she loved was being ripped from her grasp. Cold, lifeless eyes turned for a split second to face the Fourth Division member as his body was raised, hoisted over her head. They had given in, given up on healing a dead man. Empty – she was empty – she felt not even her own heart beat, or heard her own breath in that moment. Nothing. If only she could close her eyes, wake from this nightmare or slip – slip away to wherever he was for there was nothing left in this world for her now.
Say something, I'm giving up on you.
"—Toshiro."
Lids fluttered close as the weight of the world, the pain of the battle bore down on her. If she just slipped away, quietly, softly, just left to follow him – anywhere I would've followed you. Even in death.
Say something...
"—Ran…"
It was a horse whisper, barely audible but the world ceased to exist in that moment and she was well aware of his heart beat – for his was as her own.