13 A Shadow and a Memory
It had been twenty years since that fateful day when Yuri had died. The war with Aizen and his Arrancar had come and gone, and the traitor was dealt with. Toshiro had preferred it if he had been killed, but that was not his decision. Their friends in the human world had finished school, had grown and most had left Karakura Town. A few familiar faces remained, and some new ones had been born. Toshiro thought about the strange passage of time in the human world verses the Soul Society. In the many years since the war he had barely changed, but the humans he knew from that time were drastically different.
Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Uryu; they all moved on and moved away. The familiar faces of a time that seemed so long ago were gone. Only a few remained to remind him of that time. On some occasions he wished to forget the whole thing, and other times, most times, he would never change a thing. His time with his sweet Yuri were irreplaceable.
Ichigo's sisters were grown, and not the young girls that he had interacted with at the time he was happiest. Karin most of all. She was still as much a tomboy as she ever was, but now she had the figure of a grown woman. In some strange way the two young siblings had the most impact on Toshiro. The way they both had that, 'never fail' mentality. Yuzu had grown, married and moved away from the town. Karin on the other hand did not. She finished all her schooling and remained as a teacher in the town. After school and on the weekends she would couch a local soccer team. Many afternoons she would look up to the ridge above the field and find the familiar face of Toshiro watching over her and her team. Most of the time he would be clicking at his soul phone, and did not seem to be paying any attention.
Toshiro and a few of his squad members had been sent to the living world for a route reconnaissance mission. They had been in town for two days already, and nothing note worthy had happened. Toshiro sat in his usual spot overlooking the soccer field. He leaned casually against the railing clicking the buttons on his soul phone. Below him, Karin and her soccer team practiced for their up coming match that weekend. When Toshiro could find no more distraction from his phone, he looked down on the field. A moment later Karin turned to look at him. When she saw him looking down on her, she waved to him with a smile. Toshiro smirked and gave a small wave back.
The captain sat quietly on the cold railing, his mind wandered away from him. He began to think of the brief time that he and Yuri had spent together, and the time they had shared in the human world. It was happy memories, but the pain of his lose caught up with him and he closed his eyes to shut out the hurt. When the aching had subsided he opened his eyes again. The sky was dimming and the air sticky with the heat of summer. How he hated the summer. How he wished he could make the snow fall in summer. The way that she did that day.
Toshiro watched as the sun began to sink low behind the many buildings. The oranges and reds shot over the field, and across the children that played there. Behind him he heard people shuffling back and forth, as they made there way to and from homes and businesses. He paid them no mind as the human's scurried about their business.
"Excuse me." A woman's soft voice came from behind him.
Toshiro paid her no mind. There were several people walking by and suspected she was talking to someone else on the street. Some steps came closer to him and a hand was placed gently on his shoulder.
"Excuse me." The woman's voice repeated.
The captain didn't turn to face her, but sat firm where he was. The woman withdraw her hand. She was dismayed by the young man's odd behavior. Something compelled her to persist in getting his attention. There was something about him, and she had to know what it was. She clutched her hand to her chest, her dark brown hair laying over her chest. She absently grabbed for the loose lock and began to twirl it in her fingers. She would have to try again.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but do I know you?" She asked again.
"That's not possible." Toshiro replied.
"I'm sorry, but you seem so familiar to me." She said with a sad tone. "I didn't mean to bother you."
The woman turned away and began to walk away from the man sitting on the railing. She stopped for a minute, and turned to look at him one more time. Something about him was so familiar to her, but she could not put her finger on it. It was unexplainable to her, like déjà vu. When she turned back again, a man bumped into her and broke open her shopping bag. The contents of the bag spilled onto the walkway. An apple rolled away from her grasp, and bumped into the heal of the white haired man. He looked down at the offending fruit, and leaned down to pick it up. The woman sat on the sidewalk dismayed by her clumsiness. She was grabbing at her other groceries when the young man stopped and stood in front of her. She kept her head down, embraced by her mishap.
Toshiro stood in front of the woman that had been attempting to get his attention just moments before. Her head was down as her slender arms reached for the groceries that were scattered in front of her. Her long brown hair cascaded over her shoulders and nearly hit the ground as she was bent over. Toshiro stretched out the hand holding the apple, offering it to the young woman. She paused for a moment before collecting the broken bag in her arms and standing up again. When she was standing, and the bag situated in her arms, she finally looked up and reached for the apple. When she did the man in front of her jumped. The look of shock clearly written across his face. Toshiro stood stunned at the woman in front of him. That face, those eyes. There was no doubt who she was, but she wouldn't know him. She couldn't know him.
"Is there something wrong?" She asked timidly.
"No. I'm sorry. Here is your apple." Toshiro said as calmly as he could.
"Thanks." She said with a smile, while reaching for the bright red fruit. "I'm sorry I bothered you."
"It's alright. I didn't mean to be rude. My name is Toshiro." He said warmly.
"Nice to meet you, Toshiro. I'm Yuri." She replied with the same bright smile he had missed for so long.
"Yuri." He savored the name on his lips. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Can I help you with your bag?" Yuri, my lily. It was his Yuri. How is it possible that he would meet her again; here, and so soon?
"Thank you, Toshiro." She smiled again while carefully handing him the broken bag.
The two people turned together and started walking down the sidewalk together, quickly entering into a conversation together. The sun was setting in front of them as they walked together. Karin looked up to see Toshiro walking away with the woman she had seen so many times before, and a happy smile came across her lips.
A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to get this last chapter out. I have been busy with other projects, but I found it very difficult to write for whatever reason. A big thanks to all of you that have read and/or followed this little piece. I hope it was enjoyable.