Disclaimer: I do not own bleach, or any of the characters.
Chapter 01 – rain
It was raining in the city that night, the kind of rain that never seemed to stop.
People walked along the streets, umbrella in hand, wearing raincoats in a failed attempt to keep dry. The water seeped into everything, it dripped into the gaps of the pavement and trickled down window panes, it gushed like a mighty river in the canals, threatening to overflow at any time.
Inoue was walking home with her brother. He had finished work late that night, and they had met at their favourite ramen restaurant before returning home. They were sharing an umbrella that was no use against the rain. Inoue smiled as she noticed the way the umbrella seemed to favour her more. Her brother's suit was already soaked, as she protested, and took hold of the umbrella to shelter him.
The row of street lamps along their house, had short circuited again, and they were greeted by darkness as they neared their home. The rain fell in sheets, and Inoue shivered in the cold. As they crossed the road, a car suddenly turned the corner, and they were caught, like deer in the head lamps.
At the last moment, Inoue felt herself being pushed away from danger. The driver broke and swerved, but the road was too wet that night. With a loud thump, Inoue's brother was thrown a couple of feet in the air, before landing on the wet ground, now stained with blood. The car, crashed into a lamp post and the driver slumped down, unmoving.
Inoue got up, walking towards her brother, she knelt beside him, asking him to wake up, telling him to open his eyes, but she got no response.
She felt two hands grabbing her; she heard a voice asking her if she was alright. She saw a bespectacled young man, with blue hair, before she saw nothing at all.
It was a wet night, and time stopped.
Aisha stood in front of a bed, covered with a white sheet. There was someone lying under the sheet, but she didn't have the courage to look.
The hospital they were in was spotless clean. The smell of antiseptic, the bright fluorescent lights, and the shiny floor that squeaked as you walked on it. Outside it was raining; she could hear the rhythm of the rain, even though she could not see it.
She felt cheated. The hospital that had promised to save lives, had failed. She could see the death it was trying to hide, under its false image of perfection.
Why? She asked herself.
She looked across the room at Byakuya. He stood motionless, staring at the form under the white sheet. There was no emotion in his eyes, no expression on his face, yet she knew that he must feel the same way.
He walked towards the bed, hands slightly shaking as he lifted the sheet.
A pale face looked up at them, forehead slightly caked in blood, eyes gently closed as if sleeping, but it was a lie, just like everything else. She would never wake up again.
One had lost a wife, the other a best friend.
It was a wet night, and time stopped.
"Rukia." He said softly, it was barely audible above the rain.
They were sitting under a pavilion in the park, their umbrellas side by side on the ground, while the owners stood side by side, watching the rain.
"Ichigo?" she asked, after a long silence. She had heard him after all.
He looked at her, staring back at him. Her little dress she wore so often, the way her hair fell around her face. Her eyes, so full of emotions and that glimmer of hope he had heard in her voice as she called his name.
He wanted to tell her something, he wanted to scream it out to the world, but there was a lump in his throat, and it held him back.
She looked at him questioningly, not fully understanding why she was getting impatient when he didn't say anything. What did she want him to say? What was this feeling that made her so warm, even though it was so cold in the rain?
She turned to look back at the rain. It had been raining for one, no two hours, and it didn't look like it was going to stop. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. The smell of rain and the smell of him.
She stopped herself. The smell of him?
But a phone call interrupted her thoughts. Flipping it open, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Byakuya-san."
There was a long a pause, before she whispered, "Hisana"
Without a word, she grabbed the umbrella, and ran through the rain, not caring that she stepped into puddles, not caring that she was getting dirty and wet.
Ichigo stood watching. Soon she faded out of his sight, and all he saw was the rain.
It was a wet night, and time stopped.
Somewhere in the opposite side of the city, a fight was going on.
A battle raged in her mind, as she lay there, facing the sky, letting it rain on her. She clutched at her side, as the cold began to seep into her wound. Already she had lost a lot of blood, but it couldn't compare to the hurt she felt in her heart.
The words of Aizen kept ringing in her ears. Thank you. Sorry. Goodbye. She didn't understand. When he had shot her, she couldn't comprehend.
She wished that the rain would wash all her memories away, all the hurt, pain and betrayal.
She mouthed the words 'I loved you' into the rain that came down and closed her eyes.
You couldn't tell if she was crying or not.
It was a wet night, and time stopped.
She woke up to the sound of rain. Looking out she saw the rain pelting against the window pane. The city lights illuminated the room slightly and she realized why she had woken up.
Staring at the space beside her, she sighed.
This was not the first time.
"Gin." She called out to the empty room.
He had left her behind again, but somehow she felt that this time, he wouldn't come back.
She curled up into a ball, and wrapped the sheets around her, letting the rain lull her back to sleep, and ignoring the feelings that coursed through her.
It was a wet night, and time stopped.
The rain continued, as if for eternity, but at day break, only the wet earth was proof of the rain before.
Note: I didn't follow the bleach time line in writing this; I hope you all don't mind. In this rukia knows her sister, and is not adopted by byakuya. Also I added my own character – Aisha. I know it seems very serious and all, but it won't stay like that. More characters should be appearing in the next few chapters, so I just hope you like it. If you have any comments what so ever, please feel free to review. Thank you! It's greatly appreciated.