Bleach: The Untold Saga

Chapter Two: Goodbye

Cain's vision had only just faded to black when he suddenly found himself standing and looking to where the Hollow had been about to devour Kagura. What he saw made him sigh in relief; the Shinigami had caught up with them and apparently killed the Hollow, as it was falling backwards to the ground with blood spurting from the vertical slash through its mask.

Cain quickly ran over to Kagura and gripped her by her shoulders and asked, "Kagura, are you alright?"

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, and replied. "Yes, he saved me before it could get me."

Cain turned to the Shinigami and the Hollow's body and said, "Thank you, Shinigami." His eyes widened as the Hollow suddenly dissolved into thin air, and asked, "What happened to it?"

"I purified the Hollow. We Shinigami have two jobs: purify evil spirits which are known as Hollows, and send Wholes, otherwise known as human souls to Soul Society, the afterlife. I'll give the two you a moment to say goodbye," the Shinigami replied as he turned to them.

As Cain nodded and turned back to Kagura he noticed her wide-eyed stare focused on his chest. "Kagura? What's wrong?" he asked her quietly. She simply pointed at his chest, when he looked down he saw the thing that confirmed his suspicion: a chain connected to his chest.

"Y-you have a chain now too, that means…" Kagura trailed off as she looked up at him with fresh tears in her eyes.

"It means I'm dead. It's okay Kagura, I'm not gonna lie and say I'm happy about being dead, but at least I died for a good reason," Cain stated as he rubbed her back.

"A good reason?" she asked in confusion.

"I held the Hollow off long enough for the Shinigami to catch up and get rid of it. Because I gave my life to protect you, the Hollow didn't eat you, so I'm alright with it," Cain replied as he ruffled her hair.

"Thank you for everything Cain," Kagura said as she wrapped her small arms around his neck and he returned the embrace.

As they separated Cain said, "Alright, it's time for you to go. I have some things I have to take care of before I go, but I promise to find you after I get there."

"Pinkie swear?" Kagura asked with a smile as she held out her pinkie finger.

Cain smirked slightly as he interlocked their pinkie fingers and replied, "Pinkie swear."

As they separated their fingers, the Shinigami put a hand on her shoulder and said, "It's time to go." She nodded and he raised his sword so the pommel was facing her. Noticing Cain's twitch at the motion of raising his sword he said, "Don't worry, I know what it looks like, it freaks a lot of souls out." The pommel then began to glow with a blue design, he then stamped Kagura's head and a light engulfed her. As the light cleared a small black butterfly flew into the sky and vanished.

"So she's in the afterlife, Soul Society you called it?" Cain asked as he watched the butterfly disappear.

"Yes, now it's your turn," the Shinigami said as he turned to Cain.

"I can't go yet Shinigami, I have something I need to do," Cain replied as he faced the Shinigami.

Before he could reply, a woman's screaming voice interrupted him, "Cain!"

They both turned to face the direction of the voice to see a woman, a man, a little girl, and a few police officers running towards Cain's very dead body.

"Your family?" the Shinigami asked simply, Cain nodding in reply.

When one of the officers confirmed that Cain's body was dead, his mother and sister burst into uncontrollable tears. Cain's father turned away and clenched his fists and mouth in order to hold back his own tears.

As they carried his body away, Lilith turned towards Cain and the Shinigami. Her eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in confusion as what she thought she saw was replaced by a shimmering patch of air. She then followed after the others down the street, struggling to control her tears.

As they went out of sight Cain asked, "She saw us didn't she?"

"Yes, for a moment at least. Can she see spirits like you could?" the Shinigami asked in a curious tone.

"Not as far as I know, but since I could it makes sense that she might be able to as well. I have to say goodbye to her before I go Shinigami. Just give me until tonight," Cain replied seriously.

"Alright, but after you say goodbye, I have to send you to Soul Society, no arguments. And I have a name you know," the Shinigami stated.

"What is it, I'd rather call you by your name," Cain asked.

"It's Daisuke, and you're Cain, correct?" Daisuke said as they began to walk down the road, Cain nodding in reply.

As the sun was beginning to set, Cain and Daisuke sat on the roof opposite Lilith's window waiting for her to go to bed so Cain could say his goodbye to her.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Cain asked, "Hey Daisuke, what did you mean when you said you purified the Hollow?"

"This may be hard to believe but Hollows were once human souls like you. When a human soul remains in the living world for too long their Chain of Fate, the chain attached to their chests, starts to corrode. If it gets all the way to their chest, they become a Hollow. The hole in their chests symbolizes that they have lost their human hearts," Daisuke answered. When Cain nodded in understanding he continued, "When I say purify, I mean just that. When a Shinigami kills a Hollow using their zanpakutou, it purifies the evil spirit, and cleanses it of any sins it committed as a Hollow, so it can pass on to Soul Society."

"Do the souls ever remember what they did while they were Hollows?" Cain asked.

"Very rarely, but it does happen from time to time. These souls often shut themselves off from others or try to make up for the horrible things they did," Daisuke replied.

Before Cain could ask any more questions, they saw Lilith run into her room crying and collapse on her bed. "Well, I guess that's my cue, isn't it?" Cain asked solemnly as he started to make his way over.

"It certainly looks like it," Daisuke replied as he followed Cain.

"Why, why did you have to die?" Lilith mumbled between her tears into her pillow. She continued to cry for several minutes before she heard a familiar voice calling her name from near the window. She turned and gasped at what she saw, "Cain!" Sure enough, there was her dead brother standing there with a chain attached to his chest.

"Sorry I'm late Lilith, I sort of got caught up helping another spirit," Cain said with sad grin. He then walked forward and kneeled by her bedside.

"How did you die?" Lilith asked as tears starting again.

"I helped the spirit of girl your age say goodbye to her mother. After that, we were attacked by a monster, I protected her from it, but it killed me. But we were saved from being eaten by it by a Shinigami; he killed the monster and sent the girl to the afterlife. He let me come here to say goodbye before he sends me as well." Cain explained. Then asked with a glance at the window, "He's right next to window, can you see him?"

Lilith strained her eyes then replied, "Not really, I can tell something is there, but no details."

"I see. Lilith, it's gonna be up to you to help the spirits around here now that I'll be gone, they'll probably seek you out like they did me," Cain stated as he turned back to her.

"I don't want you to go," she said simply.

Cain put his hand on her shoulder as he said, "I have to go Lilith, if I stay here too long something bad might happen. That's why you have to help the spirits so they can pass on."

"Alright, I'll do my best, I promise," she replied as she looked up with a small smile.

"I know you will," Cain said with a proud smile. He then started to tuck her in as he said, "It's time for me to go, and for you to sleep. Remember, as long as you keep me in your heart and memory, I'll never be completely gone."

As he went to stand she quietly asked, "Cain?"

"Yes?" he asked in return as he knelt back down to the bedside.

"Could you sing me a song so I can sleep, one last time?" she asked with a few tears escaping her eyes.

Cain smiled sadly as he nodded and started rubbing her back. He then started singing, having to use all his will power to keep his voice from cracking from his own sadness:

Lay your head down and sleep on my shoulder

Lay your head down and start a new dream

And for tonight the moment is over

Drift in a lullaby here where the stars reside

And angels are only seen

Lilith's eyes began to close from the peaceful sound of her brother's voice as he sang the lullaby, though she struggled to keep them open. Daisuke silently watched the scene unfold with a small smile.

And lay your head down, the stars they have whispered

Hear what they say, and know that it means:

The moon is you guide, the stars they have kissed her

As she goes gently by, light as a baby's sigh

Safe on a fairy-tale stream

And start a new dream

Cain held the final note out for as long as he had breath, and gradually let it fade into silence.

As she drifted off to sleep, Lilith quietly said, "I love you Cain."

Cain leaned down and kissed her on the cheek as he replied, "I love you too Lilith." Lilith slipped off to sleep with dried tears and a smile on her face as Cain and Daisuke silently left through the window.

"She could almost see you Daisuke; does that mean that Hollows could be attracted to her as well as normal spirits?" Cain asked after they shut the window behind them.

"It's possible yes. But I am stationed here for the foreseeable future, so I promise you that will watch out for her," Daisuke replied as presented his hand to Cain.

Cain grasped his hand and firmly shook it as he said, "Thank you Daisuke, for everything."

"Don't mention it, it's part of the job. Besides, if she eventually can see me, it means I'll have somebody to talk to while I'm here," he replied with a laugh.

"Alright, I'm ready to go now Daisuke, if I don't leave now I won't have the will to later," Cain stated as he looked at the night sky.

"Alright, this might feel a little weird," Daisuke replied as he unsheathed his zanpakutou and the pommel began to glow with the blue light. "Who knows, maybe we'll see each other again someday," he said as he stamped Cain's forehead.

"Yeah, maybe we will. See you then," Cain replied with a grin as the light engulfed him. After a few moments, the light dissipated and black butterfly flew into the night sky before vanishing.

A/N: And that's the end of chapter 2, I hope whoever read this enjoyed, and please review. The song Cain sings in this chapter is called A Final Dream, by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.