Sleeping Cold

The Love Between Siblings

Uta's POV

I opened my eyes to a beautiful beach, the sun shining overhead without a single cloud blocking the blue sky. I could see dolphins off the shore, and I was the only human around. I gazed at the crab that scuttled by me, before my eyes were drawn to the family of seagulls nesting in the shrubbery just off the sand. The waves surged forward, but always missed my feet.

I noticed that my clothes were much different. My hair was out, flowing down to my knees. I wasn't wearing any shoes, and a knee-length white sundress adorned my body. And the many scars that usually covered me from the shoulders down were gone.

And then I heard it. The twang of guitar strings. Faint, soft and absolutely mesmerising. I only knew one person with such a talent, but he had been dead for a long time. But then again, so had I. I followed the sound, walking just beside the water that came rushing towards me. Soon I saw the faint outline of another person, and I quickened my steps. When I was close enough to make out his features I stopped, and tears welled up in my eyes. The black hair with a green tint, those brown eyes, and his stupid just-got-out-of-bed-styled hair. He was wearing a light blue men's tank top, with light brown shorts.

He glanced up from his guitar and stopped. Placing the instrument carefully aside, he stood up and smiled, whispering the words "You haven't aged a bit." I fell to my knees, letting out choking sobs. Bringing my hands up, I wiped my face furiously, before saying, "I could say the same about you." He threw back his head and laughed, the sound pure and light.

I scrambled back to my feet and ran towards him, launching myself into his embrace. He steadied the both of us before wrapping his arms around me, lowering himself to his knees to accommodate our height differences. Silent tears still leaked from my eyes, but I ignored them, breathing in the scent of my long dead brother. He smelled of Apples and citrus.

I can't believe you're really here," I choked out, tightening my hold on him. "It seems you have managed quite fine on your own little sister." I smiled into his shirt. He drew back, his arms resting on my shoulders. "I never doubted that you'd become strong. That you'd be the best of both of us." I shook my head. "I'm not. I couldn't find you or mum or dad. I searched and searched, but I could never get even a hint about your whereabouts! What does that say about me? Fifty years, and not a single lead!"

He gave me a sad look. "You wouldn't have found us. We hadn't passed on." I froze. "What? What do mean? Didn't a soul reaper come and help you, or- "We couldn't have even if we tried Uta! That man... I don't know how, but he managed to trap our souls." He emphasised that with a shake. "We couldn't leave, and we were forced to sit back and watch him commit terrible crimes. But he couldn't get to you. You were so young, and naïve, that you'd already convinced yourself that we'd already gone, so you immediately moved on and into the soul society. And thank heavens you did."

I was shaking. Fifty years. Fifty years chasing someone that wasn't even there. God that was just... "But you're here, with me right now! How could he have-" "Don't you get it Uta? You saved us! By killing him, you released all the souls he had trapped for so many years. Not just our parents and I, but other people, other families. You saved them. You saved us."

My eyes were as wide as saucers, and my body was shaking almost uncontrollably. I had done that? Then a terrifying thought entered my mind, and I grabbed his shirt. "Takumi, where are mum and dad? Tell me I didn't, I couldn't have kill-" "God no! Uta, they've already left. They just wanted to get out of all it. I stayed behind, because I knew I needed to talk to you. They're okay." I nodded numbly.

"And I'm not the only one that stayed behind." I frowned at him in confusion, about to ask what he was on about before something slightly brushed my shoulder. I froze, not daring to move. But Takumi slowly turned me around to face whatever was behind me. I gasped at the sight before me. What looked like over a hundred people stood there, ages young and old, all smiling at me.