The sun has set
Hinamori Momo had been in coma since the Aizen tragedy and woke occasionally to stare blankly at the ceiling and close her eyes to sleep again. Time heals everything, but what has time ever done that satisfied an empty heart? Time took everything away. It pushed everything in the opposite direction, making your heart run for it, sometimes that's good but to Momo it's no good at all.
"Hinamori, I'm going to the real world, be awake and healthy when I'm back ok?"
Hitsugaya Toshirou's voice echoed, rebounding against the roofs of Momo's mind. Why aren't I awake? Why can't I be healthy? I want to be alive again! I want to be able to be me again. I want to be here to exist.
Momo lead herself to think of the wonderful things she might've achieved if she wee awake and moving. "I would be able to watch the sun set, the ripples in the lake tremble and the blossoms blooming among the trees at spring."
Momo opened her eyes and watched the morning sunlight play through the glass window. She stared at the ceiling wondering when her eyelids would grow heavy and slowly drift back into a sleeping state. She had slept long enough; it was about time to face reality, to take it into alliance, to take in what the world had offered, what destiny awaits her. She was too young to die. Her life would still move on with time, dragging it further out if reach. She could move on, be brave.
All she had to do was build up her mental health, to forget her previous captain and move on. Move on with time. Let the past be forgotten. Let the memories shatter.
She couldn't feel the relief sensation of victory though she knew she hadn't won yet. She was to put her feet on the ground and support her entire body weight. She had to regain confidence, skill, regain what she had always meant to be-Vice-captain, Hinamori Momo.
Momo heard footsteps. Her hearing had become sharp since her eyes were always closed and all her other senses blocked by the dullness of hospital/Division 4. She heard the foot steps again. Two people shuffling towards her door. Momo's eyes gazed directly at the door knob, as it twisted open, the noise of the opening door and the click of the knob made Momo jump.
"Hinamori, I thought you were still sleeping, drink some water" Momo looked up at Toshirou who had grown taller, everything was changing. I can't sleep anymore; I'm missing out on everything.
Toshirou watered the pot plant by Momo's bed and poured some water into a glass mug.
"Momo! You're finally awake! Captain bought a necklace for you from the real world! I chose the design!" Rangiku hadn't become any different but there were bags under her eyes and her smiles didn't reach her eyes, her cheeks pale, her eyes clear-blue but lifeless. Rangiku also had her hair tied up into a ponytail, something she used to despise doing.
Toshirou lifted Momo into a sitting position and lifted the cup to her lips. Momo felt the cold flavourless liquid tickle her tongue as it flowed down her oesophagus. Her dried throat yearned for more water but she relented and gave her friends are slow, gentle nod.
The pendant was the exact mirror image of Hyourinmaru (A/N Toshirou's Zanpakutou), the vibrant colours of his hide (A/N skin/scales) and the piercing glower of his life-like eyes. Inside the jaws of the open mouthed dragon were his glistening white teeth.
Momo held the small pendant in her palm and smiled her first smile in months. Hyourinmaru was curled in a ring shape, wrapping around a pink ball that spun...a peach. Momo fingers felt the exquisite beauty and the coldness of the chain. She sighed and smiled once again.
She spoke for the first time since the Betrayal of Aizen and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Thank you."
Momo's voice sounded unfamiliar to herself but it made Toshirou smile. Momo's voice trailed in the breeze. For a few seconds Momo thought she was going to die because the air she breathed in refused to enter her lungs.
Toshirou said his goodbyes and faked a few jokes. He hurried outside and Rangiku closed the door behind her. It was clear especially to Momo that that smile meant nothing, Toshirou's acting made Momo feel uncomfortable because she had to admit she nearly fell for it. When her guests left everywhere and everything became empty again. Momo's world became black and white again. She felt a longing to close her heavy eyelids. She forced them open to look one last time out at the approaching dusk. She heard whispers outside, she could hear perfectly well what was being said, she knew this would have to happen and she was prepared to endure every minute.
"Captain Hitsugaya, I'm very sorry, I'm afraid we're going to lose Hinamori fuku-taichou."
"I know...I had lost her a long time ago." She could hear his voice crack and a woman sobbing, most possibly Matsumoto.
"Any last minute requests?" The man with the bad news about Momo seemed very gentle.
"Yes, but only one...I want her to know I'm sorry." She could hear him trying to control his emotions and she could see him in the future training really hard to forget his past trying to forget 'the misery that I caused him.'
She put the necklace against her chest and kissed it.
"Thank you, Shirou-chan, thank you"
Momo smiled and let her eyelids fall, her mind to go vacant, heart beat to fade and allow the darkness to engulf her to the other world.
The sun vanished behind the horizon.
Hope you liked it!
Sequel coming called 'The sun will never rise again'