As He Sat in the Sands

by TarnishedMorph

A Book sits collecting dust within the innumerable library of the Seireitei, unmarked and unremembered. Within its pages hold the life of a Shinigami who fought, bled, and sacrificed for his ideals. It is the story of an ordinary man, thrusted into extraordinary circumstances who made a single choice: 'I choose to be defiant.' The story of Desmond Hayden, in its first part.

1. The Long Arduous Road

Prologue: The Long Arduous Road

Some stories were never meant to be told; some men were simply meant to be forgotten. For every hero or villain, we remember, ten thousand more go unsung and unremembered. And such is the nature of the unbroken wheel of life and death, reincarnation and destruction. Perhaps picking up these pages you seek to remember the life of a wholly unremarkable man, forced to become remarkable, by extraordinary circumstances. For that is the story that is committed to these pages.

You will see the failures and success of a Shinigami confronted with complex questions regarding his life and existences. The trials and tribulations he faced never quite knew if he was making the right choices. And at some of these pages, when the story is finished and the book closed, you may judge him. It is well within your right too, dear reader. I only hope that by the end you grow to understand the man that was, see him true and honest.

I suppose that is quite a bit of build up for the name of our titular protagonist. I assure you, all questions you may have regarding him will in due time be answered. But for now, you can know this about him: He was Desmond Hayden. A Shinigami once committed wholly and truly to the institution of the Gotei Thirteen. A soldier who never knew peace, a white knuckled grip on life, and a foolish idealistic man.

The words on these pages are the life and trials of the man, as known by a distant figure. I do not know if I would have called us friends, but we were allies at one point. Enemies at another.

I will not muse any longer. I present to you: AS HE SAT IN THE SANDS.

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AN: Hello! This will be my first publish fanfiction, and I'm happy to have you along for this ride. I truly appreciate the time and effort given to this project of mine, and look forward to all feedback. I don't want to reveal much but this is a story I've wanted to tell a long time about a Shinigami, and I hope... you enjoy it.