Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. I do not make any profit from this writing.
Hisana walked at the edge of the street, avoiding the mass of people churning the damp street into a slippery paste underfoot. Already there was quite a crowd pushing past, rushing to get to the marketplace. This world was not much different from the one she had left.
Although most her memories of life in the material world faded when she crossed over, there were still flashes of recognition or fleeting scenes of her history. The woman had been able to cobble together small fragments of that past life. Rukia's arrival, sewing clothes for her new younger sibling, the man she was supposed to marry; some clear were as the street in front of her, and others were still barely just familiar dreams. Last night's dream has been of her mother – a half-remembered face singing the baby girl in her arms to sleep while the elder child watched from behind an invisible wall, unable to comfort when terrible coughs wracked the woman's thin frame…
A body brushing past broke her out of her reverie and she started, but it was only the trio she had seen earlier, now joined by another boy. Watching as they scampered off through the crowd and over to a water merchant, Hisana banished the dream from her head. Being caught unawares – even in daylight – more often than not that you lost whatever valuables you were carrying. Not that many people had much of value in these parts. She kept walking, carefully skirting around the market stalls, pausing only once to buy water before quickly moving on again.
The woman rapidly found her way onto the eastern artery and out towards the factories and workhouses. It was here that she and many others made their living preparing clay or working looms for clay and material to be sent off to more prosperous, skilled districts. Large buildings littered the area, but today there were no looms clacking or women chattering as they sifted; only those on the street made noise. The gates would be locked to prevent thievery while everyone was at the markets.
At least the sun was warm on her face whenever it found a gap in the clouds. There was still a way to go before she reached the edge of Inuzuri and could begin her search in earnest.
Nearly a year had passed since Hisana had worked up the courage to admit to herself that she needed to find her sister and set things right. For nearly ninety years, the woman had been utterly riddled with guilt but unable to do anything. This place was so incredibly resistant to change. Only recently, had she been able turn her misery into quiet determination. Now she no longer drifted in the wind, hopeless; there was purpose in her steps.
Hisana prayed for fair weather as she travelled, but by mid-afternoon, it was becoming increasingly apparent that more rain was ahead. What little sky had been earlier was rapidly vanishing behind a curtain of grey and the air was beginning to lose what warmth it gathered. Pulling her hanten closer about her shoulders, the young woman made her way along the building limits, begging passer-by if they had seen a child that resembled her.
It had been weeks since anyone had given her hope that Rukia still survived, but the woman refused to lose faith. Eventually someone would remember seeing something. Most folk understood her plight and were considerate enough of her pleas, but in a place as large as this – where people kept to themselves – coming across someone who had seen her sister was very unlikely.
Up ahead, an elderly woman struggled with a large basket of clothes, barely able to keep it out of the dirt as she made her way towards a shack at the edge of the settlement. Without a moment's hesitation, Hisana scurried over and steadied the basket moments before it could deposit its cargo in the dirt. The old lady flinched at unexpected help, instinctively wary of the stranger, but Hisana quickly spoke to allay her fears, "Here, let me help you. It would be horrible for you to be caught out in the weather if you had to wash them again."
"Oh, thank you, my dear. I thought I would…" Whatever the woman was about to say was lost as she took a close look at her helper's face. Whatever she saw there made her eyes widen and the basket nearly slip from her hands again. After a moment's struggle, the pair quickly set the load right and hauled it inside. Hisana stood silently in hope while the older lady caught her breath; was it recognition she had seen in the woman's eyes? Could this stranger known her sister?
"Would you be kind enough to give Obaa-san a hand setting these to dry? My back gives me such trouble these days, I'm afraid it takes me so very long." The young woman wordlessly obeyed, stringing the damp clothes on lines hanging from the rafters. "Now, my memory is not what it used to be, but your face looks awfully familiar. What is your name, child?"
Her heart beat a little faster as she replied earnestly.
"Hisana? Pretty name, but not the one I was looking for. You don't have a daughter or sister by any chance now, dearie?"
"I- I have a younger sister… Please, I have been looking for her. Do you know where she is, where I could find her?" Eyes lighting up, the young woman's hands trembled as she hung the next garment. If this woman knew where Rukia was, it could be a matter of days before they were reunited. In the back of her mind, Hisana sent a prayer to the gods in hopes that her search was almost over. The elderly lady chuckled softly as she dragged the now-empty bask to a corner. Sitting on her cot, she beckoned her guest to join her. Hisana obeyed.
"One question at a time, child, I will tell you what I can. Her name doesn't happen to be Risaka- no? Rieko- that's not right either…"
"Rukia?" Hisana's heart pounded now. Please, she thought, let it be her.
"Yes, that sounds right. Now, don't get yourself worked up, dearie," Hisana had opened her mouth to ask a barrage of questions but quickly reconsidered, "I haven't seen her for nearly two years. Sweet little child used to help me out with chores and in return I mended a few things for her. The resemblance is uncanny, really. No doubt she will turn out to be just as pretty as her older sister."
The younger woman blushed pink at the compliment, running a hand through her black hair timidly.
For over an hour the two women exchanged stories, both glad for the company. Eventually they ran out of words and Hisana had gleaned all the information she could about her sister. She now knew that Rukia had been living with a group of youngsters on the northern edge of town when the older lady had last seen her. It seems that whatever hardships the girl faced had not dampened the cheerful spirit that she seemed to have as a baby. It was getting late and the elderly woman was tiring quickly. She hugged the woman gratefully and bowed.
With a heartfelt thank you, Hisana left and started working her way back towards the marketplace through the maze of alleys, renewed hope evident in every step. For the first time in days, she smiled unreservedly even as the clouds above began to unload their bounty.
Last night's rain returned with vengeance; first a few drops, but rapidly the buildings at the end of the alley became barely visible, a mere two dozen paces away. The compacted earth underfoot would quickly turn into mire and already, Hisana could barely feel her toes through the chill that had set in them. It was fruitless to continue her search now – everyone would be out of the torrential rain and safely back in their houses. It was all too easy to get sick to stay out in this weather. Shifting from the doorway that barely served as cover, the young woman huddled into her hanten (already soaked in her hesitation to stop) and looked for a familiar street.
Still caught up in her joy, she failed to notice a terrified whimper as she rounded the corner. It was the screams that followed that caught the woman's attention. Only a handful of paces ahead, a small group of people were huddled against the dead end. In front of them, an enormous Hollow gripped a youth in nasty pincers, several spindly legs blocking all escape.
Another scream pierced the evening air as the monster tore a limb from its prey. Had she not been utterly frozen in fear, Hisana might have retched at the horrifying scene and the crunch of bones shearing between nightmarish teeth as the creature devoured his morsel. One in the trapped group was not so lucky and doubled over, falling to the ground. It might have been that, the scream, or pure terror that drove the two men to act. They grabbed whatever they could for weapons – one wielded a plank of wood, the other pulled out a rough knife – and darted forward, blindly attacking.
For a moment the Hollow seem to ignore its assailants, seemingly preferring finish the mouthful, but then the knife-wielder managed to lodge his blade in the joint of a leg. With an unearthly screech, the dark beast flung its catch against a wall and turned towards the group and lashed out. Suddenly able to move again, Hisana didn't even give herself time to contemplate running. She snatched a broken pot and threw it as hard as she could. It shattered over the creature's back just as it used those great pincers to lop one of the men clean in half. Although too late for one, the distraction worked and the Hollow span around, still balanced on five legs; knife still wedged in the sixth. Now she was the target.
Now behind the monster and with a clear path to safety, the remainder of the group fled into the night without a second thought for their savior.
Unable to think beyond the fear gripping her mind, the woman hurled another pot, this time hitting the monster's signature mask and showering it with clay. It didn't even hesitate at the blow. Slowly the creature advanced, bloodied pincers clicking as Hisana backed away in terror. She tripped as she whirled to run, floundering in the mud, and a single thought crossed her mind. Chieko-san had been right after all, and now she was going to pay for her mistakes with her life.
A pincer closed around her waist and her world turned pink.