Chapter Thirty Five:
Eternity
It was dark out by the time she was ready. The sky was a gorgeous dark blue, sparkling like a blanket with diamonds scattered across it. The moon was gone tonight- it was a new moon. She was outside, breathing in the cool night air, outside Kisuke's house in his backyard, savoring the last time she would ever be there.
If anything, the darkness comforted her. It was better to go forward blinded to something you were scared of.
And she was scared. She was terrified. What if she was reborn to a poverty stricken family and had to live in the streets? What if she was born to abusive parents? What if… and she hated to think of it… she never met Kisuke again?
Then, she assured herself, he would forget. He would find someone else. And her- well, she could go around on her own. Maybe she could be the rich and powerful one this time, who had to support him. She smiled at that part.
She would find him. She would use Fuerda and find him, no matter what. That she had to believe at least, or she would surely rip apart.
She remembered all her life, savoring it with nostalgia.
Her lessons with Ukitake, her kind teacher. Hiyori, who was now the vice captain of the fifth division, Darth, who had been killed in battle, the academy days. She remembered being promoted, her missions and fights, all the wonderful people she had met, her loving family- her younger sister had married a pretty wealthy guy and lived happily in Rukongai with two childer, and her mother and father had moved on.
"I'm coming to meet you, mom and dad, and Darth" she whispered softly.
And of course, she was forgetting the person she would miss most.
Kisuke. Young Kisuke, laughing as he teased her. Teenage Kisuke, the shady lady (er, guy) class president. Grown up Kisuke, fresh into the shinigami world.
And now, captain Kisuke. He strode towards her across the lawn, Benihime, his zanpakutoh, unsheathed.
"Kisuke," she called softly.
He smiled at her, weakly.
"I guess this is goodbye, huh," she said. Not for the first time, she considered going back on everything she said. Maybe he could think of something-
No! and risk another person getting killed because you are so selfish? She reprimanded herself. No, there was no turning back.
Instead of answer her, Kisuke swept her into a great bear hug and held her there tightly.
They just breathed for a couple minutes.
Eventually she broke away. "Goodbye, Kisuke Urahara." She said, a single tear gently sliding down her face. "I love you. I'm going to miss you, shady lady," she joked, ruffling his shaggy hair. "By the way, I'm surprised you weren't kicked out of town yet because people thought you were a robber who sneaked past the guards!"
"Very funny. I love you too." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, which were as deep as sad as the ocean.
"Okay." She braced herself, as Kisuke gently picked up Benihime, and prepared to press it to her forehead for release-
"And that, Seren, is when he instead went back on his word and wiped your memory and transported you to Hueco Mundo, where you were for many years," Rabeath finished.
Seren watched, shaken, sure that she would never recover.
Kisuke! Kisuke! If she could, she would run back to him, embrace him, and never let go.
"Kisuke," she croaked. "Oh Kisuke, you fool…"
"Time to go back. You've been out for a week." Rabaeth said, right before he touched her forehead and released her…
