"A passing dream, it was a passing dream..." Hirame woke up to find three faces staring at her; one had a cute bunny nose. "Byakuya...? Rukia, other Rukia?"
"You gave us a fright," Rukia stated. "And yea, we brought you back home."
"That time, what happened? What was that thing?" Hirame sputtered. Her head hurt immensely.
"Hollows, shinigami, all of that is for another day, isn't it, nii-sama? You should rest now."
"No, I wish to know. Back then, when I was attacked by that thing, I had a strange feeling. When you cut that monster and when I saw everything...! I..."
Hirame fell back asleep. Byakuya sighed and covered her with an extra blanket. "We'll leave now."
"But nii-sama, she doesn't know anything about what happened," Rukia countered.
"Maybe it was best if didn't know anything at all," Byakuya left the room, signalling Rukia to follow. Rukia sighed and touched Hirame's cheek. It was too cold.
--
"I'm sorry...I have no right..."
"Don't say anymore..."
"were like a dream come true..."
"...only one has bloomed..."
"...passing dream..."
"No!" Hirame screamed, waking up. She fell back onto her pillow and listened to her breathing. Her heart was throbbing and her pulse was rapid. What dream was that? She wiped the tears out of her eyes and sat up, looking at the sky, through the window. A bird twirled in the air outside and crashed into the tree. "Byakuya? Rukia?"
Hirame opened the door, but no one was there. She clutched her head and thought back. Who was talking in her dream? No, there were two people, a man and a woman. One was dying, the woman. Why did everything seem so familiar? Putting on her slippers, she walked out the door, determined to let the crisp morning air run through her system.
She looked up from the ground and saw a young man cramming the head of another into the ground. Puzzled, Hirame hid behind a wall, and every so often, she peeked into the scene. The loud-mouth orange haired kid was yelling at the man and swung around a plush toy that looked like a duck...bird.
"Where's Kariya!"
"Where is he?"
He stomped the man into the dirt and sighed. There were those strange clothes again. Was it in style nowadays? Hirame coughed and looked away. She didn't want any part of that. There was paperwork and then the olice would question her and then she would be put on trial...She stopped. Byakuya was standing on the side of the street and waiting. Hirame scratched her head. She remembered now. There was a monster attacking her yesterday and he saved her. No wonder she had a bandage on her butt. Hirame waved and walked over to the man dressed in a suit and patted him on the shoulder.
"Going to a business meeting?"
"Hm?"
"Nevermind. Where's Rukia?" Hirame asked. She looked around to watch for impending danger.
"Somewhere here, but she won't be joining us today," Byakuya answered. "Listen. I fear that you may think even worse of us because of what happened yesterday. Would you like to go somewhere at my expense?"
Hirame looked down. She was attacked and he saved her. Why would she think that he needed an apology? "Byakuya-sam...I mean Byakuya-san, I don't need you to do anything more. I don't feel so bad about you two, but...it's alright if you want to do something anyways. I heard there was something happening at the fair a few blocks from here. Should we go?"
"Fine."
--
"Could you see that?" Hirame asked.
A ghost flew by, lick a ghostly lollipop. Byakuya looked up and sighed. He nodded to Hirame.
"I started to see them when I was little. They were always floating around and disappearing. I didn't know what to do so I ignored them altogether, but lately I've been seeing more and more and so clearly too. You can see them too, right? How long has it been...for you?"
"Many, many...many years ago. Many," stated Byakuya. Many many many.
Hirame looked up at the sign above. It read in rusty gold letters: "Haunted Street Fair" Past the sign were aging tents and wheels, even the people looked older than usual. Hirame shivered and mumbled, "It's daytime." She took Byakuya's arm and dragged him across the street. No customers of any kind were present and the owrkers started to leave.
"Maybe we're too late?"
"That one is still open," Byakuya pointed out. A large tent billowed in the wind. (A/N: It totally screams out, "DON'T GO IN! But since I'm so demanding, they'll go in.) It was a mirror room. Simple enough? Hirame dragged him into the tent and they were enclosed inside the smelly, shiny room.
She looked at the mirror and saw her reflection. (A/N: Duh.) There were her eyes, purple-blue naturally. A neat collection of hairs ran between her eyes and the rest wrapped around her face. She had a small frame, one you could hold and hug gently and small eyebrows that made her look sad when she wasn't. This face was so familiar, but not of this world. She turned around and saw Byakuya standing in front of another mirror. He was quite handsome, she admitted. Kinda weird, but handsome nonetheless. He was familiar... A soft wind closed the entrance curtains and the room went dark. Hirame yelped and pulled his sleeve against her.
"Can you see anything?" Hirame whispered. "Why am I whispering? Can you see anything?" she asked.
Byakuya gave her a cold silence, until he answered a minute later. "I can't see, but I know and I can feel it."
"Huh?"
"You're mind is wandering and your image is distorted in the glass. Are all thoughts leading to me?" Byakuya questioned.
"...corny pick-up line!" Hirame slapped what she thought was his forehead. Maybe it was something else. I don't know. "You could think of something better than that!"
"I'm sorry?"
"Nevermind, what are you saying?"
"What do you see in the mirror in front of you?"
"I see me? Is this a magic trick or something?"
"Please be serious, Hisana."
"Fine fine, I see my image, but it's hard with no light. I can see my eyes and oh...I still don't get it," Hirame said exasperated. "Something else."
"Do you remember being fataly sick, Hisana?"
"No..."
"The pain of a lost one?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Hisana."
"What?"
"Why are you responding to that name?"
Hirame stuttered, confused. He was right. It was three times he said, "Hisana" and she responded thrice. The Hisana in her dream was real and the sickness and the pain of a lost one were real. She looked at the man in front of her in the darkness.
"I think I'm starting to feel the pain."
"That's good, Hisana."
"That's good, Byakuya-sama," she smiled.
--
"It's closing time, you punks. Get outta' my tent!"