Visiting an Old Friend (Solo)

The air here was bitingly cold, and the sun seemed to be saving its heat for itself only. The sky looked heavy, as if it could rain at any moment. Yet Kaoseu continued on, picking his way through the rows of gravestones, to the familiar spot he went to, every year. He looked at the markers, occasionally seeing a spirit, making notes to himself that he'd release them before he left. There were always some spirits still hanging around in graveyards, and it saddened him more than he already was. He was looking at the ground and made a left turn, without even looking up, and walked a little ways, then looked up.

"Here Lies Kaika Soenn, Beloved Daughter and Sister." he read as his fingers traced over the inset carving on the stone. A lone tear escaped the dam made to keep his tears from flowing as he did so. He emptied the flowers in the vase set against her gravestone and added more. He always brought roses, a dozen of them, each a different color, evrey time he saw her, a habit he had gotten when he was living and had been with her. He pulled out a bottle of water and poured its contents into the vase.

"Oh dear... It really is you... Kaoseu!" a very femenine and eerily familiar voice called to him, but from what seemed to be the other side of the grave marker. Kaoseu didn't want to, but he looked up, slowly. His heart was beating faster as he looked up steadily. First he saw the legs. Then, he saw the familiar print on the dress, and his heart began beating faster. He continued to lift his head and saw the ever so familiar shirt, and now his heart was hammering away at his ribcage. Finally he completed his head-tilting and was looking in the face of the very woman he had come here to see.

"Kaika... Kaika!!!" he said, rocketing slightly backwards and up. "What... Why are you...?"he managed to stutter. Kaika looked down, her auburn hair cascading in rivulets down her shoulders as she spoke, quietly.

"You mean... Why am I dead...?" she asked. Kaoseu could only nod, his tongue no longer able to function properly. "Well... I'll start from the beginning..." she began, "After Hakai shot you... I couldn't bear it... I didn't love him... I don't know what it was that came over me that night... But I left him... And he said I'd regret it, for the rest of my life... He said he'd kill me... that if he couldn't have me, no one else could either... Years passed and I was always depressed, always so scared... I become scared to leave my own home... Then one day, I couldn't take it anymore... I knew he'd been watching my house, waiting for me to come out on my own... He was ready to kill me... I left, and only got down the front steps when I heard the gunshot... It was the same way you died... one bullet through the skull... I don't remember anything else, except waking up here, and this chain connecting me to my casket... I managed to finally break it, but I've been hurting since then... And then I saw you... I knew you came every year, I just never knew if you would see me... No one else does..." she said. By the time she had finished, both her and Kaoseu were crying freely.

Then it hit Kaoseu. "You... You broke the chain?!?!" he asked, a bit frantically. She shook her head, a little confused at his panic. "Please... allow me to send you on to the afterlife, to Soul Society." he asked. He could see the chain deteriorating as they spoke, and awaited her answer. She nodded and Kaoseu told her what needed to be done. He waited for her to make herself comfortable, then smiled, and gently pressed the hilt of his blade against her forehead, creating the light blue seal. Then the seal faded, and she still remained. Kaoseu was confused and then realized it. There was still something she had to do before she passed on. But they had hardly any time.

"Kaika, tell me, is there something you've felt compelled to do since you've died? Something you felt was left unfinished?" he asked quickly and with urgency in his voice. Kaika just smiled and stood, shaking her head. Kaoseu was terrified now, and closed his eyes, realizing Kaika was about to become a Hollow. He steeled himself, telling himself he could kill her if he had to. Then something odd happened.

He felt a weight against him, and then arms slide around his back. He looked down, and saw that Kaika was hugging him closely, a look of utter peace on her face. He could feel her tears staining his shirt as she spoke. "Im... I'm sorry, Kaoseu... I never wanted to hurt you... ever... I... I love you." she said, looking at him in the eye. She stood on her toes and leaned up, then kissed him gently, but it was filled the emotion and tenderness of 100 years. Kaoseu smiled sadly and said she was ready to be sent now. This time, he set the seal and she was enveloped in a blue aura. "Please, find me again." she said as she disappeared, beginning the first leg of her journey in Soul Society. Kaoseu knew he'd never find her again unless she became a Shinigami. He looked up at the clouds, just as it began to rain.

The water was cold and heavy, and the hours that followed were wearisome as he sent the souls he had seen on his way here, on their way to Soul Society. The rain disguised the tears he was still letting flow, although his voice betrayed nothing. He finished late and began walking away from the cemetary. He passed through the gates, then made his way to the Senkai gate's location and walked through, back to Soul Society. Back to a life he now had some peace with.