Rain, Forgive Me
Chapter 6: Don't give up
"Guard." Riina tapped against the bars of the prison cell with a rock. This created a loud clinging sound.
"What is it now?" The guard turned around red faced. "You haven't left me alone since I got here this morning!" He growled.
"I need to take a walk again." Riina stopped hitting the rock against the bars.
"That was a onetime deal. You said that you'd shut up if I'd let you out for a walk but you never did stop talking!"
Riina gripped the rock. "Let me out or else I'll.."
"Threatening the guard extends your sentence." The guard said with a smirk.
"Does it look like I care?" Riina yelled and stuck her arms through the parts between the bars. She couldn't reach him but she clawed madly in mid air trying to get him.
"Hehe, you're too short!" He laughed and stuck out his tongue.
Riina pelted him in the face with her rock.
"OOUUUCH!" He rubbed his face frantically. "I'll make sure they add twenty years to your sentence for that!"
"Good. Cuz it was worth it." Riina crossed her arms after retrieving them back.
"Why I outta!" The guard now plunged his arms past the bars. Riina stood back far enough so he couldn't reach.
Riina's arms uncrossed. 'Not again!' Riina went to the window quickly and jumped. She couldn't reach it. Jump jump jump. No she was still too short. She would have used spiritual pressure to help her get up there but the bars of the prison deflected spiritual pressure unless it was in great amounts. And unfortunately, she didn't have loads of spiritual pressure.
Jump jump jump. "AHHG!" Riina ran to the opposite end of the cell towards the guard. "You have to let me out!" She exclaimed.
"Not a chance." The guard scoffed.
"You don't understand!" Riina yelled. "He'll die!"
"I don't care who's gonna die. You are not leaving this cell!" The guard decided to take a break and go outside the prison for awhile.
"No wait!" Riina yelled her arm outstretched. He closed the prisoner door anyway. Riina let her hand fall till it hit her side. She looked at the ground. 'Why do I even care about that guy? He didn't break me out of prison. He didn't think twice about it. Yet, I still consider him a friend.' Riina was thinking all of these things because she felt and recognized two strong spiritual pressures. They broke through the prison walls of repellant.
It was Renji's and Kuchiki's.
They were battling. She felt Renji's spiritual pressure drop suddenly. And that's when she knew he was going to die. It was different than before, she had a gut feeling telling her that he was going to die.
Riina sat down on her chair. 'Serves him right… breaking out of prison. All for what?' Riina had recalled him saying that he had to… had to do what? Maybe it had to do with his friend Rukia being executed. 'Is that what he had to do? Talk to her? Save her? Like the humans? Who cares, he's dead now.'
Riina pinched herself for thinking that way. 'Renji…why?'
She felt like the strength had been beaten out of her. She couldn't move a muscle. She just stared at the ground. That's all she could do. She couldn't help, she couldn't get out of this prison. She couldn't do anything.
Anything.
All black, there was no light underneath her eye lids. Riina sat there with her eyes closed trying to escape from reality.
Then she felt coldness. Spiritual pressure like no other. She recognized it. There was no mistaking it, it was Captain Hitsugaya's. Riina opened her eyes. 'There have been so many different spiritual pressures that I have sensed beyond these walls. All were so strong, and now I can feel his. He must be battling, what's going on out there? So many people are battling, it's chaos.'
Riina got up out of her chair slowly. 'It's the day of Rukia's execution. Maybe the humans were able to save her. But why… why are there all kinds of strong battles going on. If the spiritual pressure wasn't this great I wouldn't be able to sense it through these repellant walls.'
Then, the spiritual pressure… Riina gasped. 'I have to get out of here!' She thought and went to the prison bars. "Guard, guard let me out!" She yelled.
'All of these things happening, I'm sure people are dying. I have to get out of here. I have to help, I have to do something!' Riina found a rock, one of the few left, and she clicked it against the prison bars.
"Guard!" She yelled loudly. "I have to get out of here! What's going on out there? It's like a full out war!"
But what Riina did not know was there were no guards at the prison. They were all ordered to defend the Seretei from a certain traitor. One that had been presumed to be dead. Captain Aizen had been named a traitor after Captain Unahona and her lieutenant saw him and he had committed crimes of killing all the central forty six members. Along with severely injuring several others. He and Gin were traitors and they were to be caught. But the Soul Society was in chaos. Some still battled against one another and others tried to stop Aizen.
Riina yelled again, "What's going on? Let me out already!" There was no answer.
'Darn it.' She frowned. She had to know what was going on. She had to make sure that they were alive… Riina gripped the rock in her hand. She jabbed the rock into the bars of the prison. She struck the bar harder and harder.
She yelled with every blow that she put into the bar. It didn't seem to be working but she wasn't going to give up. She kept hitting the rock against the metal till her hand began to bleed.
"YOU HAVE TO LET ME OUT!" She yelled. She let go of the rock and grabbed the chair. She swung at the bar as hard as she could. It hurt her palms and made them bleed more. The chair hit the metal and made a loud CLANG sound.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG! Over and over again she struck the metal. Battering it with the chair.
The only thing that began to give way was the chair itself. It's legs bended and threatened to break. And Riina's bruised hands were having enough as well.
But she didn't give up. She wouldn't give up even if her hands disintegrated and she had to use her legs to kick down the bars.
'He can't die. I have to get out of here! I have to make sure they're all okay!'
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG!
Riina dropped the chair and fell to her knees. She gasped for air. It had been nearly an hour and the bar had only a slight dent in it. The chair was unrecognizable and so were her hands.
She let her body collapse because she was too tired to stand. Her hands dropped to her sides and faced palms up. This let the blood drip off of her hands unto the ground easily. It was no use. Trying to break down the thick metal was impossible. And she felt angry at herself for not knowing that the idea was foolish.
Riina fell unto her back and stretched out her legs. She panted. She had nothing left to give. She had no strength. Her hands couldn't grip the chair any more. Her skin was torn and her red fluids were stained on her clothes.
'I said I wouldn't give up.' Riina remembered. 'Even if my hands gave way. That I would use my legs if that were to happen.' Riina took in a deep breath then sat up. She kicked the metal bar. It sent a wave of pain through her body.
But she kept kicking it, making no apparent progress. Still she kicked it with the bottom of her foot, then with the side of her foot. Then with her knee.
It was night. The third seat walked with determination in his step. He knew where he was going. He smiled a bit. It was great that she'd be out of jail but it was horrible what tragedy had happened that very evening.
He walked inside of the jail house. It was so dark in there, there were no lights on. 'The guards must have forgotten to return to their post.' He thought. Then he turned on the lights and went to the cell.
'Hmm?' He questioned in his thoughts.
The red headed girl lay on the ground, her eyes tightened shut and she was murmuring something. Clink clink. He heard the faint sounds of her foot softly hitting the metal bar. It was if she was asleep but her foot moved on its own.
He heard her panting heavily, then he really did think she was asleep until she opened her eyes slowly.
She lifted her head just barely. That's when the third seat noticed the blood on her clothes and on her opened hands. Her legs were blue with bruises. The chair that was in the cell was bent and twisted so badly that it would be impossible to sit on. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion.
The blood that had gotten unto the chair dripped to the floor. The sound echoed. Riina gripped the metal bar in front of her. It was dented in a good three inches.
She spoke, "So…" She panted. "Somebody finally came." She gripped the cell tighter, "I don't care how long you guys leave me in here, I'm going to keep pounding on this bar till it gives way. And then I'm going to kick all of you in the face." She wasn't yelling when she said this, she was too busy breathing to yell.
The third seat smiled a little, "Well good news. You're getting out of that cell sooner than you think."
"Are you, " Riina let go of the bar, "Playing mind games with me? Cuz I'm still gonna kick you in the face for leaving me in here this long."
The third seat thought she was merely being delirious. He went to the wall around the corner and brought out some keys. "No, you're really getting out." He smiled but then his smile vanished. "A lot of things have changed since this morning."
"I know." Riina said her breath slowing a little. "I could sense all the battles going on. What happened?"
The third seat shifted through the keys trying to find which one unlocked this cell. "Aizen. He was behind everything. He betrayed us all. Now the Ryoka are being admired as heroes and not villains." He found the right key and placed it into the key hole.
"What?" She asked. "That's insane." She paused.
The third seat opened the prison gate. WHAM! The third seat covered his nose. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR? DIDN'T I JUST LET YOU FREE?"
"I told you it was coming." Riina was hunched over, unable to stand up straight.
The third seat rubbed his face, "You're so mean." He whined.
Riina hobbled past him, "Is… did anybody die?" She asked while hobbling to the door.
"Not that I know of." He said with his voice muffled behind his hands.
"Really?" She smiled a little. "That's great."
"Where are you going?" The third seat asked.
"I need to see some people." She said but suddenly collapsed to the ground.
"Riina!" He bent over next to her.
"Darn my legs." Riina huffed. Her hands bled unto the ground.
"I think we should go to squad four first." He literally meant both of them, considering his face hurt so bad.
"Yeah." Riina nodded.
The third seat helped her up with one arm and they walked together.
"This doesn't change anything." Riina said. "They're still a lot of people who I need to kick."
"Stop following me, I told you I don't forgive you." Riina had her arms crossed and was walking around the squad barracks with no destination at all. She was just trying to lose the annoying man behind her.
"You should be grateful I apologized at all!" Renji flung his arms into the air. Three days. That's how long it had been since he recovered fully. But the Aizen incident itself had been nearly a week ago.
Riina stopped walking and peeked over her shoulder. She was glad he was alive but she was angry that he had left her in jail. But was it really his fault? 'Probably not.' She reasoned with herself. "Alright, whatever its fine." Riina waved her hand a little.
Renji sighed, at least that was over with. "So, have you visited the Captain?" He asked. He himself had visited the captain a few times.
"HMPH!" Riina reclosed her arms. "Why would I?"
"Riina, I know how you feel about what happened. I battled him and he left me for dead. But he's still our Captain." Renji said with a sympathetic voice.
Riina still huffed. "Well I guess I'll visit him, maybe." She spun around to look at the taller man. She gave him a smile. Then she looked down at the ground. "See ya later, I have some things to do." She walked away.
Did she have some things to do? No. She had nothing to do. She just wanted to have some time to herself.
Riina walked to her dorm. But she didn't go inside the door. Her hand rested on the handle but she couldn't slide the door open. She sighed.
She looked up to the sky. It had been sunny only minutes ago but now the clouds covered the sky. Grey clouds.
Riina sat down on the stairs leading to her dorm and waited for the rain.
'Why am I feeling so dismal?' She thought. 'Maybe its because I keep having that same nightmare. The one about Akahana.' Riina gripped her knees. She felt water land on her hand. She watched the rain drop as it splattered on her skin and left the area moist.
Riina smiled at the cool feeling. Then she felt another drop. 'A slow rain. Just what I need.' She smiled and closed her eyes for as moment.
'Everyone is fine, I'm glad to know that. I should be celebrating with them. But I'm not. Why?' Riina questioned. 'Because I'm not in the mood.'
She felt another drop land on her hand. Then one on her head. 'Akahana. What do you think I should do?' She asked her imaginary image in her head. 'Stay and wait in the rain?' Riina chuckled a little, 'No, that's not what you'd say. You'd tell me to go celebrate and make some new friends.'
The clouds began to open and let their tears fall. Riina was pelted with several drops.
'How long has it been? Akahana?' Riina's smile faded. 'Since we talked? Besides in my own imagination? A long time.'
Riina shook her head. 'Too long.'
She felt the drizzle of rain begin to sink into her clothes. Making them damp. Her hair strands let the water slip off of them and unto the concrete ground. Riina pressed her knees closer to her face.
Her eyes were open, looking out into the grey surroundings. It was like the world had been converted to black and white. There were no other shinigame out, they had all scrambled to get out of the rain but not Riina. She loved the rain. She thought it was comforting.
'Akahana, I don't understand that nightmare.' Riina thought. 'It's completely wrong in every way. That's not what you looked like, you were beautiful. You had long silver hair and deep red eyes just like mine. Your hair was always smooth and combed perfectly. I was always a bit jealous of that. And your hands were small and soft.'
Riina felt the rain increase. She squinted to not let the downpour come into her eyes. 'And you never yelled at me. You were always so kind to me.' Riina felt her eyes water, maybe from the rain falling so much that some got in her eyes or maybe she was sad. 'Akahana, my sister, you were always there for me. Sometimes I felt like I was the younger sister. You were so much wiser than me. I wish you were the older one and not me. You would have been better at it than I was.'
Riina loosened her grip on her clothes. Her hands weren't fully recovered yet. So they hurt slightly. Her knees were still pressed up against her though.
'Akahana, I don't want to celebrate right now.' Riina revisited the subject, 'I want to sit here with you.'
More rain fell. 'I sound insane.' She chuckled sadly to herself. 'You're not really in my thoughts. But I wish you were here for real. Sitting with me. Akahana.'
Riina was a small girl caught in this large storm. The rain that fell on her made her blend into the storm and made her look as grey as the clouds. The storm always welcomed her and made her part of its own. Riina smiled at that. The rain, the storm was so comforting. She belonged there. She belonged in the pouring rain and she belonged with the grey of the surroundings. She was happy, that she fit in with them. She wished that the rain would last forever.
She was drenched by now. Her red bangs covered her face. 'Akahana, I'm going to pretend you're with me a little longer. Come and sit down with me.'
Riina felt a cold chill up her spine. She smiled at the thought of Akahana sitting with her.