Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
A/N: A very delayed update ever since I've uploaded the Chinese version. This is probably the longest fanfic I've ever written.
I'm not good in English so this fanfic might contain all sorts of errors. If you found any, please feel free to point out to me. Thanks! :D
It's a weird story, might have OOC-ness. XD
Rukia
Alone in a secluded forest, I was walking with strenuous effort after fighting a tough battle.
I could feel the viscous liquid flowing out from the wounds as they splits open. It's like an unrelenting waterfall, dyeing the ground scarlet red.
Enduring the pain of unstoppable bleeding, I continue to head forward. Just few more steps and I could make it to the first aid, please hang on, hang on…
I could feel the strength of my legs deteriorating as I struggled to move. The pain was so intense that I might just pass out anytime.
Unable to defeat the pain, I collapsed under a huge tall tree. The bleeding had finally stopped.
Leaning against the tree, I stared at the moon, my vision started to fade gradually. I felt so giddy that I couldn't open my eyes anymore.
Almost immediately, what I could see now was left with absolute darkness. The pain that tormented me some time ago had slowly disappeared.
It seems like I had completely lost conscious...
Hisana
There's a force, a force which is powerful yet so gentle. It's calling me, like a voice that keeps calling my name.
Depending solely on my instinct, I started to wander around in a world of pure whiteness, searching for the place where the force was originated from.
I couldn't tell what kind of force is this, it just kept me moving on tirelessly despite of my frail health condition.
As I got nearer to the force, the stronger the nostalgia feeling becomes. It's like immersing under the moonlight, so warm and nice.
I did not understand why, but I began to sense a little pain in my heart. The pain, though it does not hurt so much, yet there's an urge that almost brought me to tears.
In a blink of an eye, the whole white surrounding suddenly changes into a quiet and secluded forest.
Is this Soul Society? I thought I had passed away? How am I able to come here?
I wondered.
So I continue to pursue the force, and eventually found myself standing under a huge tall tree. In a matter of seconds, the force becomes so aggressive that I started to shiver with nervousness.
I took a deep breath and looked down, there's a petite figure leaning against the tree unconsciously. I lowered my body, so to have a clearer view of the figure, and to my surprise…
I couldn't believe my eyes, the young girl that I was seeing right now, she holds so much resemblance as me…
Rukia
This is the world of absolute darkness.
There's nothing I could see or feel in this world, and the only thing I could do is to wander around aimlessly, searching for the right direction.
I remembered an article that I've read during the Academy days: One of the possible scenarios when someone passes away in Soul Society, immediately he will be bought into the darkness.
He had to fight against the negative emotions, in order to enter a place which is filled with joy and happiness. That place, we called it "Paradise".
If that's the case, there might be a possibility that I had already passed away.
But I have goals that still yet to be accomplished, and the people who cared for me, they are waiting for my return. How could I just abandon everything and go to the "Paradise"?
It's not the right time for me to give up now. I have to be back to where I belong. I have to be alive again.
Trying hard to fight for my own will, I started hearing the melodies of the chirping birds, and the sweet-smelling scent of the flowers.
It's like a force, a strange force that attempts to pull me back to Soul Society. It's powerful yet so gentle…
I'm not so sure whether this force could grant my wish or not, but somehow my instinct tells me that this is the only hope.
So I continue to chase after the force. Passing through the stage of continuous darkness, passing through the difficulties of wandering aimlessly, and finally…
I opened my eyes, and to realize that I was back in the forest again.
Shortly after, I saw a very familiar human figure. I tried to look carefully, and to my surprise…
"Nee…sama…"
I startled at the sight of the young lady who appeared before my eyes, it's unbelievable that we looked so incredibly alike…
Hisana
"Ru… Rukia?" I was totally stunned when I first saw her.
Such uncanny resemblance…The violet orbs, the snow-like pale complexion, and the raven black hair…
Probably the only difference between us is the hair length, besides that we are just like the mirror image of each other…
"Nee-sama..." She stared at me, with a deeply astonished expression.
I couldn't speak as the joy of this sudden reunion overwhelms me, and the tears had started making their way down my face involuntarily.
"I miss you, Nee-sama…" She held out her arms and pulled me to her embrace. I could feel her body trembling as she sobbed softly.
So she's really Rukia, so she's my beloved younger sister, I didn't expect to see her again, after so much had happened…
Is this a dream? Or is this an illusion? Despite of the cruel fact that I had abandoned her when she was still an infant, yet she's willing to forgive me. I don't deserve her forgiveness, how could I…
Embracing my lost long sister, I began to weep uncontrollably.
"Thank you, Nee-sama." She pushed me away gently, looking at me with a pair of tearful eyes.
"Why?" I asked her while trying to stop crying.
"I thought I will be dead, it's you who brought me back." She answered me firmly.
"Really? I was here because of some mysterious force. I didn't know that it actually saved you from dying. Rukia, it's me who abandoned you, I… I'm sorry…" I hung my head down, feeling extremely ashamed. As the older sister, I'm such a failure, how could I expect her to forgive me?
"Nee-sama, it's over. I understand your difficulties." Those heart-warming words that she had said, it touches my heart so much that I couldn't help but to let the tears fall again.
She raised her hand and wiped away my tears, then she held my hand and said, "Let's go and look for Nii-sama, he misses you a lot."
I nodded and grasped her hand tightly. Together we walked towards the direction that lead us back to home.
Home, it's a place that I had left long time ago. I wondered how Byakuya-sama had been doing. Besides Rukia, he's another person that I really missed.
Rukia
Being able to walk side-by-side with Nee-sama, I felt so blessed.
I couldn't differentiate what I had seen was real or not, but I could feel the warmth when holding Nee-sama's hand.
It must be fate that arranged this reunion for us…
Even if this is only a dream, or an illusion, I'm still grateful for the chance to see Nee-sama again.
Walking together, we chatted about a lot of things, especially Nii-sama.
"Nee-sama, tell me how you met Nii-sama?" I remembered asking Nii-sama the same question too, but what he gave me was merely a brief reply.
"Right after I abandoned you in the alley, I tried to attempt suicide by drowning myself into the river. When I woke up, I saw Byakuya-sama, he was the one who saved me."
Sighing deeply, Nee-sama continued her story, "I didn't want to interrupt Byakuya-sama for too long, so after staying for few days in Kuchiki manor, I wrote a thank you letter to him and left. Unexpectedly, I met him again after 20 years had passed…"
20 years…
Though in Soul Society, 20 years doesn't mean anything, but for the two who loved each other, it seems like a really long period…
No wonder people always said, "Fate is unpredictable, yet interesting."
Passing by a maple tree which is about a century old, Nee-sama suddenly stopped.
"Rukia, this is the place when I've met Byakuya-sama after that 20 years, under this tree. During this period of time, he had been searching for my whereabouts. His sincerity had moved me, so I decided to go back to the Kuchiki Manor with him."
I guess if Nee-sama didn't tell me this, I probably wouldn't know that Nii-sama was such a passionate person. Searching for a person, 20 years… It's not easy…
I could see the radiance of happiness shining in Nee-sama's eyes, like the dazzling stars in the sky.
So I remained silent and continue listening to Nee-sama's story.
"One day when he was accompanying me to search for you, we came to this tree for shelter again. He took out his Zanpakutou and released Shikai. The moment when the flower petals were fluttering in the wind, he proposed to me."
After hearing what Nee-sama had told me, I could feel that there's another kind of admiration for Nii-sama, rising up from the bottom of my heart now.
"Although initially I was afraid of him as he always shows a cold front, but actually he has a very gentle heart…" Nee-sama told me while she hung her head down with shyness.
Hours had passed as we chatted and the raven sky had started fading its color, suddenly…
Without any omen, the wind began to blow violently, causing a separation force between the hands that we had been holding all the while.
"Rukia, I don't think I can look for Byakuya-sama anymore…" Grasping my hand tighter, Nee-sama tried her best to resist the overwhelming power of the wind.
"What's going on?" I grabbed Nee-sama's hand, attempting to stop her from drifting away.
"I guess my time here has already used up, so I have to go back to another world. Rukia, promise me, no matter what happens, you must stay strong, just like who you are now…" The power of the wind that was pulling us apart had become so intense that we couldn't hold on anymore.
"I will …" My eyes started to water when I gave my promise to Nee-sama.
"Take care of Byakuya-sama on my behalf… Bye…" With tears shimmering in her violet orbs, Nee-sama whispered her last few words to me before she was gone with the wind.
I watched Nee-sama as she drifted far away from me, till she disappears completely out of my sight.
Finally, the wind had stopped.
Wiping away the tears that still linger on the corners of my eyes, I switched my vision to the sky, looking at the moon. Deep in my heart, I prayed silently that Nee-sama would be safe and happy in another world.
I smiled at the moon, and started walking towards the way to home, feeling light-hearted.
- End -