Smile

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of or related to BLEACH.

Everything has been for you, even if you don't realize, recognize, or remember any of it.

Our time together as children in Rukongai, my painful parting with you for Seireitei, my designs to get close to Aizen. All this and so much more has been for you. From the day I picked you up, you were mine to take care of, mine to heal.

But I couldn't heal you. No one else could see that something was missing, stolen, but I could. I saw the hole in you, reminiscent of those in the hollows we destroy, and I couldn't fill it back in.

So I gave up our days of peace, followed that bastard to where I knew he would be, to try to make a world where you wouldn't have to cry.

My precious Ran-chan, I'm so sorry, but it looks like you're crying again, and it's my fault now.

I sold my soul to try to save yours.

But I'm not strong enough. I tried to be. I tried so hard to be more manipulative than Aizen, but he was still a step ahead of me to the very end.

I thought the poison hidden in my soul would be enough to make him vanish once and for all—you should be only one even remotely resistant to me—but he just remade himself from dust.

Part of me wants to say that that ability of his comes from the piece of you he stole, the piece of you and your Ash-Cat, but I don't even try to figure out how the damn orb works anymore. Even when I stole it, I didn't know how I would get back the piece of you it held.

I still tried. After all, we're connected, Ran-chan. That is something I've firmly believed since I learned of your shikai.

My zanpakuto turns to dust. Yours to ash. And they both come back together again. There are so many ways we could try to explain that—our swords breaking down then reforming could be like when I always left as a child, doing something for you, and returning, always. Our swords being of the same type, so we belong together, only whole when we're with each other. Your ash is the only thing that should withstand my poison—you're the only person I can be with because I ruin everything else around me. Just look at what I did to Kira.

We belong together, connected in a way Aizen could never dream of. That's why I wanted you whole and happen, never crying.

But I failed at that, too, Ran-chan.

I can feel you're tears falling onto my bloody face. It's my fault this time. If I was stronger, better, I wouldn't be dying, so you wouldn't cry.

I'm sorry, Rangiku, for leaving you alone for so long. Ichigo's got good eyes now, though. He'll defeat Aizen, and you'll be happy. The problem now is, I don't know if I even have a chance of living to see it.

So please, Ran-chan, smile for me?

AN: :sniffle: I wrote this in response to the latest couple of Bleach chapters. God, I really hope Gin doesn't die. I'll cry and blubber in my dorm while my roommate looks at me like I'm nuts and not speak to me for days cause she's ashamed. :sweatdrop: That's a really accurate, prediction actually... not that I'm thinking Gin will die because he can't yet. He can't leave Rangiku alone! :pout: Leave me a review if you feel the same way I do!