Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or any of the Bleach characters used in this fic. They all belong to Tite Kubo: the genius behind the captivating manga that started it all. I only own any of my original characters that I choose to include, as well as any of my own original plot ideas.
Always Here
Prompt: Always in my thoughts...
A/N: I liked Sora, even if he was one of the most minor characters in the series. Set after the loss of Ichigo's powers.
From the night he'd disappeared, she'd wanted to find him, if only one last time. She wanted to correct the things that had gone wrong when she had seen him last, as human and Hollow. They had said their farewells when he had regained himself, shattering his mask and impaling himself with Ichigo's blade, but such an thing couldn't have been the end to his story. It simply didn't do his memory justice, namely after all the years he'd loved and cared for her.
It was wrong for him to perish in that way: As a beast with the face of her brother.
Her desires, which had lived on for so long, were what prompted her to travel to the Soul Society on her own, unknown to Ichigo and the others. Without Rukia there to guide her, the task had proven difficult, but Kisuke Urahara certainly wasn't the washed-up character Ichigo had made him out to be. With his help, she had found her way to the other side, meeting up with several familiar faces upon stepping out of the Senkaimon.
But it was Rukia who had stood at the back of the group, waiting for her, hand outstretched.
Upon determining that Sora remained in the Fifth District, they had traveled to the Rukongai to seek him out. And that was what had led her to the present. Even now, she could see him, staring out over the city with quiet eyes. He had always liked the peaceful feeling that came with being alone, overlooking their fair city. That, she assumed, was what had led him to such a familiar action: It reminded him of home... And of her.
His time was short, as Rukia had informed her. He was soon to be sent back to the World of the Living, to start life anew. Truly, fortune had smiled upon her, granting her this chance to see him as he was.
Fear had spread its roots within her heart, turning her nerves to ice. But Rukia, insistent that she fulfill her wish, pushed her to his side. He turned, bright eyes widening as she saw herself reflected in gentle tears. His hands slowly moved to take her shoulders, smiling as he pulled her close.
"You grew your hair again," he whispered, running a hand through her hair.
She nodded, leaning her head against him, listening to the gentle murmur of his heart. "I never stopped thinking of you," she said, her eyes widening slightly as he began to fade from her grasp. Placing his fading hand over her heart, she said, "You were always here... with me..."
It's been stated in the series that souls cleansed by Soul Reapers go to the Soul Society to live, and that those souls are reborn into the world. It seemed appropriate for Sora and Orihime to meet again before he forgot her completely.