graveyard

“Taichou…I need a personal day.”

“A personal day, Matsumoto you’re always takin-”

Silence fell when Hitsugaya’s eyes landed on his fukutaichou. He could see the pain in her eyes, the tears that she was trying so hard to hold back in front of him. He knew why, he knew who was causing her this much pain, but he couldn’t do anything about it. He was already dead.

“Fine.” The young taichou said, trying to soften the harshness in his voice that had been present earlier. “Just…be careful alright?”

She gave a curt nod before exiting the tenth division office for the day. The journey could be over in a very short amount of time, but she rather take it slow. She had a few stops to make before arriving at her final destination.

Weaving her way through the buildings and alley ways of Soul Society she reached the Third division’s barracks and paused. She took in the sight of the building once more. She had passed by here so many times, but for the longest time now she had avoided it, much to Kira’s displeasure. Slender digits ran over the door frame for a moment before a soft chuckle escaped her lips. Pushing her form away from the walled exterior she moved slowly down the main roadway. Members of all squads passed by, some nodding in her direction, other’s ignoring her presence entirely.

She had permission to leave the Seireitei, but still she lingered a moment. It had been such a long time since she had been back to the districts. She knew the animosity held for Shinigami in some of these parts that she would be passing through, thus she made note to keep her guard up. Yet, stepping into the first district nothing changed much. It was busier than the streets within the Seireitei, much more lively as children played and vendor shouted out their goods. There was only one thing she truly wanted. She found the vendor, after placing her order the older gentlemen handed her a small box with a strange look. Rangiku ignored it and simply carried on her way.

Soon leaving behind the noise and chaos of the main market she made her way down the beaten path. She took a deep breath, pausing to glance around her surroundings for a moment before her form vanished in the use of shunpo. While the time to travel from the first district to her real destination would have most likely taken a few days on foot it took her only a matter of minutes. Surprised that she still remembered the place she paused on the out skirts of the clearing. There was no sound out here, just as she remembered it. The weeds had become over grown and it seemed at some point one of the trees had fallen. Still, not much had changed. Vaguely there was still a little worn path that she knew she had walked countless times before, and she followed it once more. The shade of the trees gave way to a small dirty lot, which oddly enough had finally grown a little grass. Yet, pleasantly shocking her childhood home still stood. She paused, taking in the small shack that had been her only home prior to going off to the academy. It almost seemed that time here had frozen.

She made her way inside slowly, kicking off her sandals as she stepped up onto the raised platform. The scrap of a blanket still laid in a heap in the corner of the room, just as she left it the morning she went off to the academy. She sat slowly, in the center of the small room and placed the box she had carried with her since the first district down. Reaching inside her obi she pulled out a folded up, clean white haori, with the third divisions’ emblem proudly showing, and with shaking hands she laid it down.

She had fought, long and hard with the Captain Commander, her taichou even joining her at one point. Begging for the honor that should have been bestowed on his death, pleading for a grave marker within the third division’s courtyard, but the answer had been no. They didn’t care about his final acts, that he had spared her life, and lost his, all because he had been plotting against the man they all believed him to be partners with.    

“I’m sorry Gin.”  She whispered as she choked back a small cry. “I tried. I tried to get you a place in the third. They wouldn’t allow it. So…it will be here…at home.” This would be his grave. This whole shack, the little lot out front. The memories that they shared here, the summers and the winters. The springs and falls. This would be his legacy, because she knew that he would be forever tainted a traitor in the history books, but she knew the real truth. Rocking back on her heels she felt the tears beginning to bud, unable to control them any longer.

She cried then, silently, but those tears turned slowly into a light laughter as she tossed her head back and smiled. “Actually…this is better than some silly grave in the Third, wouldn’t you say?” She smiled, knowing her question would go unanswered. Slender digits reached up to brush away the tears as she reached for the box and pushed open the lid. Inside sat two dried persimmons, oddly enough, her favorite food because of Gin. Taking one in her hand she took a bite, staring down at the three marks of the third division. A sad smile pulled at the corner of her lips as she took another small bite.

So she’d never see his grin again. Hear his laugh, feel his touch. She’d never see him again. Never hear his voice calling her name. She’d never play hooky for work to run off to see him. They’d never hold one another in each other’s arms again. She’d never fall asleep against him. She’d never be able to tell him all the wonderful things she wanted to or the hurtful words she wanted to yell at him. She’d never get the chance…but she’d always have the memories.

She finished the fruit and pushed the box to the side. Drawing her legs up to her chest she slowly began to speak, softly, as if she was whispering secrets to her best friend…well that she was. She promised herself in that moment that she’d visit this place every month…and would make sure to never forget.

***

I totally started crying while writing this. I hope you enjoy it.