The world is a harsh place. Everyone that lives knows this truth to some extent. There are numerous paths that branch out ahead of you and you are forced to choose one, to stay on that path until its conclusion through which another choice will emerge, to which even more paths will branch out. Life is unfair. The world is harsh and cruel. That is the cold reality that we live in.
"It's so cold," Makoto said to himself, as he felt an eerie chill soak through him. It was relentless and unforgiving, making his face tingle. His body felt heavy and weak. Even his eyes didn't wish to open anymore. "So this is what death feels like? Honestly, I thought it would be horrible but this feels almost calming like I'm in the middle of a thunderstorm, listening as the rain hits the ground."
There was a flash of light followed by a crack so loud that it seemed to shake the very earth. Makoto opened his eyes and sat up with a jolt. He was in the middle of a street with familiar houses lining both sides. Above great rainclouds poured down upon him soaking his clothes thoroughly.
"What the heck happened now?!" Makoto exclaimed as he got a familiar sense of deja vu. "Where the heck am I? Don't tell me? It happened again!" He quickly looked at his clothes. "They're still the same, minus that they're soaking wet now. But how the heck did I get here? And where is here?"
There was another crack of lightning followed by the rumble of thunder as the rain started to come down harder. "Shoot," Makoto replied, as he covered his head from the pounding rain. He quickly ran down the street searching for somewhere to take cover. "Dang it! It wasn't scheduled to rain this morning. How long have I been unconscious for?" His eyes scanned the surroundings for anything to protect him from the falling rain, only to stop a few seconds later.
Standing before him was a great black wolf, the likes of which Makoto had never seen. Its eyes were a brilliant blue, reminding Makoto of the flashing lightning that he had witnessed only moments prior, and despite the pouring rain not a drop seemed to touch the giant beast's jet black fur.
Finally, Makoto spoke to the beast. "Can you help me?" he said, his voice quiet and shaky as he used every ounce of will he had remaining to not flee the wolf. "Is there somewhere that I can get out of this storm?"
The wolf looked at him silently, every second more agonizing than the last for Makoto before the wolf turned around and took off in the direction he had been walking.
"Wait!" Makoto cried out as he started chasing after the wolf, "Slow down!" The wolf however did not seem to hear and started running faster. Even the wind seemed to be against him as he felt it pushing behind them as they ran, only making the wolf even faster.
"Wait up!" Makoto yelled, his feet flying across the wet pavement beneath him, the splashing sound of his steps echoing off the surrounding buildings as he followed the beast. The two ran through the streets of the sprawling city, each step taking them deeper into the reaches of its history. They turned left, then right, then right again, each turn the wolf growing further and further away from Makoto.
"Where are you taking me?!" Makoto yelled but the wolf just continued to lead him on silently. As they continued running the city seemed to grow older, and foliage started to grow more prominent. Bushes started popping up as well as trees, first small then big, then trees with vines and moss. The farther they went the more forested the place seemed to grow. He passed rocks the size of himself and trees growing from inside of buildings, the windows broken by the long limbs of the massive trees and the ceilings forced up by the tree tops.
"What the heck happened here?" Makoto thought to himself as he ran by the destroyed buildings. He quickly returned his eyes forward just in time to dodge a stone that stood in the middle of the street. "That was close," Makoto said before his foot snagged on a vine and sent him tumbling to the ground.
"Damn it," he said as he quickly looked up trying to find which way the wolf had gone. "I lost him! And in possibly the worst place I could." Makoto looked at the overgrown street as the rain continued to come down even harder, further obscuring everything from his view.
"Shoot! The storm is getting even worse," Makoto said, unzipping his jacket and covering his head with it. "I need to get out of this rain or I'm going to get sick. There were some bigger buildings a ways back. Maybe I can find a semi-dry place somewhere there to take a rest and wait for the storm to pass. Then I'll see if I can find someone else in this abandoned city."
He then began the long trek for shelter, this time around examining the surroundings more thoroughly. The buildings were similar to those that he found in Karakura but there were other styles and despite not ever seeing them they still gave Makoto an odd sense that he had seen them before. Or had he visited them? He looked at the next building and the one after that, even the ones on the other side of the street seemed familiar!
"Where am I?" Makoto asked aloud despite knowing he was alone. "Why do I feel like I've been here before?" He continued walking down the street, his thoughts growing more confused the deeper into the jungle he went. Every house and building drew his attention, each bringing an even greater sense of something with it but what that feeling was he couldn't tell. Was it dread? Maybe excitement? Makoto didn't know and that only unsettled him more.
He walked a little farther as he felt water begin to leak through the jacket he held above his head, finally coming to the end of the long street and the eeriest sight he had seen by far. Before him lay a long bridge and beyond was a large mansion with a huge ominous tree jutting out from the roof.
Alarm bells went off in his head as he looked at the decrepit building but something about it seemed to draw him in. "What was this place? How did I get here? Didn't I walk back the way I had come?" More and more questions began popping into his head as he continued gazing at the place.
CRACK! Another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky as the thunder shook the world and made Makoto's eardrums ring, and the heavens responded by unleashing even more rain than Makoto had ever seen in his life. It poured down, chilling him to his bones as if fear itself had taken hold and now controlled his every action. He wanted to flee from the place but in the current situation he had no idea how long it would be until he found another place to get out of the rain. He took a shaky step forward, then another, another one.
"I would not go that way if I were you," Makoto heard a voice say. He whipped around and to his surprise and fear there stood the wolf from before. No wait. This one is different. Instead of the jet black fur from before this wolf's fur was a grayish white. "Beyond that bridge you will find only pain and sorrow."
"You…how long have you been following me?!" Makoto asked.
"Since you first entered this place," the wolf replied in a deep voice. "Though it is a relief that I have found you unharmed."
"I wish I could share your enthusiasm but I've been running in the rain for the last hour or so," Makoto replied, still slightly stunned by the appearance of the giant wolf.
"I should be able to remedy that," the wolf stated as he turned around, "We must first leave this forest, however. This is not a welcome place for you. Come, follow me." With that the wolf turned and started walking away from the decrepit manor.
"Am I really about to trust this wolf?" Makoto thought to himself, as he looked back at the mysterious building beyond the bridge.
"What other choice do you have if I might ask?" the wolf spoke without looking back.
Makoto looked back at the wolf dumbfounded. "Did you just…"
"Read your mind? No," the creature returned quickly, "I just know…someone like you. He also did not trust me at first but he eventually decided that I was one of the only ways to safely escape this dreadful place."
Makoto looked at the wolf, he could not see his face but he couldn't help but give pause upon hearing the wolf hesitate saying he knew someone like him. The way he talked about this person made him think there was more to this story than the wolf was letting on. Yet he still couldn't help but notice that he seemed drawn towards this wolf just like the one before.
"Why should I trust you?" Makoto asked.
"I can tell you that there are few things more dangerous here than this forest," remarked the wolf turning his head back to look at the boy. "And unless we leave then it may very well take us with it. I leave the decision to you boy. Wander endlessly in these forgotten woods till you lose your mind or follow me in hopes that you might live to see another day. It's your choice."
With that the wolf turned forward and started walking away. "What do I do?" Makoto thought to himself. "That manor is right there and could easily provide shelter?" Questions tore through Makoto's mind as he tried to weigh the options he had.
"Damn it," Makoto said, before he turned and yelled back to the wolf. "Wait for me!"
The wolf looked back at him, the faint trace of a smile crossing his features. "I knew you would come around," he said to Makoto, "Come, we should make haste before the storm grows worse than it already is."
"It can get worse than this?!" Makoto asked and as if to spite him the rain started to come down even harder. "Seriously!"
"I would state not to doubt the elements that you would find here," the wolf said, turning forward, his smile growing slightly more pronounced. "You will find they do not take kindly to those like you. It would be recommended that you refrain from anything that might insult them from here on out."
"It would have been nice to know that before I got soaked," Makoto retorted, as beads of water dropped from the tips of his waterlogged hair.
"You were already completely drenched before that," the wolf remarked as he continued forward, "Now stop your complaining and move your feet lest I lose you in the dense overgrowth and you may lose yourself once more."
Makoto grumbled to himself but did not refuse the wolf's command and quickened his pace to lessen the gap between the two of them. In silence they would walk like this for many minutes, the wolf guiding while Makoto diligently followed behind as if he were the faithful hound trailing closely in the footsteps of his trusted master.
They walked past many ruined and wrecked places each in various stages of decay and destruction, yet no matter how many they passed or how worn the exteriors might look every building still stood strong despite the world around trying with all their power to destroy them. Yet despite their ragged condition Makoto still seemed to recognize them, even felt faint tinges of nostalgia and joy as he was reminded of what happened inside those walls.
Wait! What did happen inside them?! He couldn't recall. When did it take place? Where had he seen this before? Was this all a bad dream? Or wait was that it? Had he seen this place in a dream before?
"Is something the matter?" the wolf asked Makoto after noticing he had stopped moving. "If you're wondering, none of these buildings will offer any sense of safety from the rain and lightning."
"No. It's not that," Makoto said as his gaze shifted back to his guide, his eyes filled with a hint of sorrow. "Where is everyone? I haven't seen hide nor hair of a single person"
The wolf sighed. "I figured that you might ask that but it is a long story," he replied in a mournful tone.
"Then maybe you could explain why this forest is so dangerous," Makoto stated, turning to look at the beast.
"An equally long story," the wolf responded.
"Well I have nothing but time as long as I'm traveling with you," Makoto said as he walked up beside his bestial guide. "And from the sound of it this place we are heading to isn't exactly close."
"I guess that is fair but know that this story is anything but happy," the wolf warned as he continued to walk forward. "May I ask what do you picture this place looked like?"
"I'm not sure," Makoto said as he closed his eyes trying to picture what this once great city looked like. "Perhaps it was a beautiful village in the tree tops, where people lived happily, the sun filtering through the leaves, the golden rays a sign of the first light. Then this storm came and threw the houses down beneath the tree line and ever since this place has been plagued with eternal rain."
"Impressive," the wolf commented.
"Wait, I got it right?!" Makoto exclaimed.
"No," the wolf replied as he turned back to look at his companion. "You just painted such a vivid picture I couldn't help but commend you on your imagination. Wordplay is an art that has lost its form over the years and I must acknowledge the talent you hold."
"Your praise is nice but you're dodging giving me a straight answer," Makoto said as he began climbing over a giant root coming from a nearby tree. "If this place is so dangerous it would be nice to know why," he said as he turned back to where the wolf had been standing to find him gone.
"Knowledge is one of the few things that is more dangerous once it has been said than when it was never known," Makoto heard as he quickly whipped his head to the side to find the wolf standing next to him on the branch, the wolf's brown eyes locked onto him. "It has the ability to save yet also destroy. To free and chain one at the same time. To tell you could set you on a path in which you are cast into a deeper grief than you already find yourself in."
"I doubt that," Makoto said as he swung his legs to the other side of the large root he sat upon. "I've been cast into a world I know little about with no rhyme or reason and with zero clue of my purpose on top of that. I move through life with a mask to my face. A mask that no one can see and I can't remove."
"That's life kid," the wolf sighed.
"Like hell it is!" Makoto yelled back at him, causing the wolf to flinch slightly. "Maybe that's how you live but it's not how I want to! I want to be a part of something! I want to be the person that others go to when they need help! To help those who can't help themselves! I'm sick and tired of feeling weak and powerless. I want to feel like I am doing something. That I'm fighting for something worth protecting."
The wolf stared at the boy, his eyes wide with shock at the declaration he had just been given. After a moment the wolf let out a light chuckle, "Ha. I never thought I'd hear those words coming from you."
"What do you mean by that?" Makoto asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It is not often that those who journey here are overcome with such sentiment," he replied to Makoto. "It is truly a gift. But maybe I should have expected more from one who could think of so eloquent a place as a village among the trees. Maybe you may yet exceed my expectations even more."
With that the wolf jumped down from the place he once stood atop the root to the ground below, to which Makoto soon joined shortly after and the wolf began speaking once more.
"You were right about one thing," the wolf told Makoto as they began to walk onwards. "This city was once bustling with life and happiness. People smiling, children playing in the streets and parents and adults talking and laughing with one another while they watched the little ones play."
"I thought you said that I shouldn't hear this because it could change my life forever," Makoto said, turning to the wolf, his eyes questioning why he would change his mind so quickly. "Isn't that the reason that you chose not to tell me?"
"My reasons are my own. What and why I give or keep information is for me alone to know," the wolf replied in an even voice. "The reasons could be as grandiose as you could change the fate of this world or as simple as it is required for your survival. Now do you want me to continue or do you have any more questions that you find of a more vital importance?"
Makoto cast his eyes to the ground before mumbling for the wolf to continue with his story, to which he graciously accepted. "As I was saying this place didn't always look like this. It was once sunny, peaceful and happy. The people who lived here loved it and the population only grew as time went on. There was not a day that you couldn't feel that happiness, and even when it rained or snowed people were never down, they just went about their days as if there wasn't a cloud in the sky."
"It sounds wonderful," Makoto replied, a faint smile crossing his face.
"Oh, it was," the wolf said back as a wistful look came into his eyes, as his face grew dark and mournful. "And we would have been happy, if it had only remained that way forever."
"What happened?" Makoto asked.
"It was about six years ago," the wolf began, "I was enjoying the day as normal when the dark clouds seemed to appear out of nowhere. At first we didn't think much of it. It hadn't been predicted on the weather that it would rain but many people were fine with it. However I was one to know better. Those clouds were far too ominous to be normal. And to my dismay I was right, because not more than a minute later the trees began to come. They ran through houses, collapsed entire buildings, and upheaved entire streets destroying everything here in a matter of hours."
Makoto stared at the wolf in horror. He had never heard of anything like this. He thought this place seemed apocalyptic, but he never expected something like this. "What about all the people?" Makoto asked, his voice filled with worry. "Did they…"
"No," the wolf responded, causing Makoto to breathe a sigh of relief only to immediately regret it as the wolf continued. "But some may say they suffered a fate worse than death."
Makoto felt his heart jump into his throat. Worse than death?! What fate could be worse than death?! Makoto tried to speak but the words got caught in his throat. "What h…happened to them?" he managed to choke out.
The wolf stopped walking and gazed at an oddly shaped rock. It was rather big, about the same size as Makoto but much more slender, its width fluctuating in size before sharply contracting to form a thin column that caused the whole structure to remain upright. A small arch emanating just beneath a large rounded protrusion at the top.
Makoto looked at it for a while before turning to his companion. The wolf had a deeply sorrowful look on its face as it gazed at the stone monument, a single tear falling from its once serious eyes and mixing with the rain as it dripped down from his face.
"Are you okay?" Makoto asked. "Is this rock important to you?"
"It is not the rock but what the rock once was that was important," the wolf replied, its normally calm and even voice breaking slightly as his eyes remained fixed upon the rock. "For this statue as well as all like them is what remains of the people that once lived here."
Makoto's eyes went wide as he turned his head back to the statue. "No," he cried out in disbelief, "That's not…it can't be…" He examined the statue again each second more agonizing than the last. This was no oddly shaped rock, it was a statue of a young girl! Her long hair cascading down her back as her head seemed to rest on her left arm, which reached out in front of her as if she were hugging something, and while the face was too weather-worn to make out any of the features he could tell that the only thing this girl was feeling was sorrow and fear.
"How…why…?" He looked to his guide who could only look down at the ground as he watched the boy struggle with the reality before him.
"It is a true tragedy," the wolf said to Makoto as he collapsed to his knees. "I was with her that day and watched with my very eyes as she transformed into what you now see before you, a shell of what she used to be."
Makoto looked at the mourning wolf, the pain of the canine was so palpable he could feel it as his own. "That was but a couple months ago and the taste is still raw in my throat," the wolf said, his eyes not breaking from the petrified girl. "I could not save her and now she is doomed to this fate. Nothing more than a fleeting memory of what could have been."
Makoto didn't want to say anything as he looked at his hands as they sat there in silence. He felt horrible for some reason. He didn't know this girl yet tears were streaming down his face as quickly as the rain came down from the heavens. Why did his heart break for this nameless visage that stood before him? He knew worse things existed and he knew that it was possible that there were no survivors, but he wasn't a bleeding heart so why did seeing this feel so painful to him?
"Is this," Makoto started his voice hoarse as he choked back tears, "Is this what could have happened to me?"
His wolven companion let out a deep sigh as he stood up from where he had sat. "It is possible," he replied, his voice returning to its original tone of seriousness. "Thus you could imagine my surprise to find you completely unaffected, and not a moment too soon."
"What do you mean?" Makoto asked, as he shakily got to his feet.
"I wasn't always a wolf," the canine replied to his human companion. "And it was on that bridge that six years ago that I lost my form to that which you see before you." The wolf then began to walk off to which Makoto quickly ran up next to him.
"You weren't always a wolf?" Makoto said as he ran in front of the beast before turning around and walking backwards to keep eye contact with his companion.
"You act like that's the most shocking thing I've told you so far," the wolf snarked.
"Well why was it just you?" Makoto questioned, as the wolf passed by him only for Makoto to match his pace to follow beside him. "What if you weren't the only one who transformed. Maybe there are others like you who turned into wolves or other creatures. Did that ever cross your mind? Maybe you aren't the only survivor?"
The wolf seemed to flinch as that last word dropped from Makoto's mouth but masked it well with its naturally calm exterior. "There was no other," he replied firmly. "I was left alone to save this desolate land and protect those who lie within. That is the solemn wish that I was entrusted with and I will do it till the strength leaves me."
Makoto watched as the wolf gave his ultimatum but he could tell that there was more that this person wasn't telling him but he decided not to pry further. He was about to change the subject when the wolf cut him off. "It appears we have arrived," he said as the trees began to part and give way to the buildings that he saw when he arrived and among the nearest ones was a very familiar three-story tall building he knew all too well.
"Is that…Karakura High School?!" he exclaimed as his eyes widened with shock. "What the hell is going on?!"
"So you know that place?" the wolf said, turning to the building before returning his gaze to Makoto, a seemingly out of place grin on his face amongst the unfolding events.
"Know it!" Makoto exclaimed, absolutely distraught. "I go to school there damn it! And that's not even considering the fact that I was there before this whole nightmare started!" There was a crack of lightning that flashed across the sky as he looked out the abandoned building, the ominous air surrounding him growing even more and more unsettling by the second.
The wolf let a thoughtful hum, "I see," he said before turning and walking in the direction of the abandoned school. "Well I'm sorry to unsettle you more but that's where we are going. It's been the sort of hideout for those who I find and rescue from the forest and its accentuated growth."
As they approached the school Makoto noticed various makeshift barricades forged from cut down trees as well as other pieces of collapsed buildings to hinder the progress of others. For a supposed hideaway to save the survivors of this forest incident it sure looked like they were trying to keep more people out than in.
The two companions made their way across the courtyard and into the confines of the building, and to his surprise, or maybe expectation at this point the interior didn't look too much better. Many of the classrooms had the desks still placed in a normal manner but there were a few he noticed that had extra desks thrown in or moved off to the side to make a large open space where several chairs sat in a circular manner around a group of collected desks forming tables that sported various different objects atop them, from hand drawn maps to cards, there was even one room that had a makeshift fire pit with desks stacked on top of each other in the corner forming a makeshift pantry though most of the food seemed to be canned. But this was an apocalypse scenario so he supposed it made sense.
"You did all this?" Makoto asked, turning to the wolf after inspecting most of the rooms on the lower level.
"With these things," the wolf said while holding up one of his front paws. "Of course I had help. You think I can stack those things like this." Makoto just rolled his eyes before looking back into the room that housed the fire pit.
"Did something happen to them?" he asked before walking up to the next door and sliding it open. On the floor were blankets and pillows located sparsely across the room, counting no more than a dozen.
"I hope not," the wolf replied back, his tone holding a hint of worry though he did not show it on his face. "They are strong but I think even they would stand little chance against the forest. I hope that you might get to meet them but that offers little promise that they will return. After all I have seen those far greater become mere statues in this forgotten wasteland."
Makoto let out a soft chuckle, "Yeah, I suppose seeing stuff like that will really do a number on you." He then looked back at the room, "I thought there would be more people, from the looks it seems like there are a little less than a dozen people here."
"It was larger," the wolf replied as he turned and walked into the room that held the fire pit. "Back when I started this crew about a year or two ago we had upwards of 25 members. Many weren't strong and few couldn't do much more than guard duty but they were survivors none the less and ever life mattered. However we were careless and unprepared, while we were enjoying ourselves the forest began to expand once more. We tried our best to run but it ultimately overcame them all and well you know the rest."
"Wait! All of them?!" Makoto said completely flabbergasted. "You mean that…"
"Not a single one of the members in the current group survived the last encroachment," the wolf confirmed as he laid down by the smoldering fire pit looking out the broken windows at the falling rain.
"That's horrible," Makoto said as he walked up next to the wolf, joining him as he gazed out at the chaotic storm outside. "I'm sorry for your loss. I know what it feels like to be alone, especially in a world that you think you don't belong in."
"Your pity is appreciated," the wolf replied, "But you should worry more about yourself. As long as this world exists I shall wait to fulfill my duty, whether that be in ten days or ten years I shall wait till I am called to protect, and when that time comes I will not falter like I did before. I shall not fail like I did all those years ago."
"I'm sure that day is not far off my friend," Makoto said confidently as he patted the head of the giant wolf, before sighing to look out the window once more. "At least you can do your duty unlike me."
"Those are the words of someone who does not know the value of their own life," the wolf replied as he looked at the boy. "Why do you speak this way about yourself?"
Makoto gave a soft chuckle, his gaze still transfixed on the falling rain. "Because my life doesn't hold any value," he said in a somber voice. "I am just an amusing side character in the story of someone else's life. I'm powerless to stand up against a hollow, I don't know who my parents are, or where I came from. I don't even know how I got to the place I stand now. Did I die? Why am I here?! It's so stupid! Can't for once in my life something go my way!"
He could barely take it any more. Why did he have to live this way? He knew nothing about himself. Where the world saw an ignorant school boy was really a scarred soul, so beaten and bruised that his face didn't even look like what it was before. What being had cursed him to live this life? Why did he have to suffer so much in this life as well as in his past one? He just wanted to live a normal life.
"It's a shame that the clouds never clear here." The voice pulled Makoto out of his rantings as he turned to face the wolf. "It's been a long time since I've seen the moon." Makoto looked at the wolf in confusion but he just smirked and continued. "I always found the moon inspiring the way she watched over and protected those beneath her. She filled me with an overwhelming sense of calm even when I felt like the world could end."
"I can see why you might feel that way," Makoto replied as he buried his face in his hands. "Sorry, for going off on a tirade. These past few months haven't been easy on me."
"It is fine. We all need to get a little off our chests every once in a while," the wolf said before turning to look out the window once more. "Confounded rain, you really will never clear up, will you?"
"I don't mind it," Makoto said, his voice surprisingly mellow.
The wolf turned to him with a shocked expression "You don't?"
"No," he replied with a shake of his head, walking closer to the window and resting his arms on the sill. "In fact I love the rain, even if it is in the middle of a thunderstorm." There was a crack of lightning that flashed across the sky, but Makoto didn't flinch. "I find it calming to be in a storm. There is just something about them that calms me."
"You mean when you aren't trying to get out of it, right?" the wolf smirked, getting a slight chuckle out of Makoto, who gave a nod confirming what he had guessed. "May I ask why, if you don't mind that is?"
"It's kinda hard to explain but I'll try," Makoto replied, his expression turning pensive. "It is viewed as an unrelenting and tumultuous entity. Something capable of uprooting trees and ripping up houses, even flooding cities if the rain continues long enough. Yet despite all of that some of the most peaceful connotations are always in reference to them, like 'the calm before the storm.' We perceive things as horrible or atrocious to draw out the good of all the things that we love and hold dear to us. I see life like a storm sometimes, constantly turning and changing. At one moment it lets you feel like the king of the world while the next makes you feel like the filthiest being on this earth. But we still live, breathe, and push on even when your body feels like quitting, because you want to see what comes next. What lies just beyond the next bend just out of your reach. What is it you hear behind the bushes that obscure your vision? I think that is why I enjoy them, because in that storm there is more peace than any other time you might find in the world, because your life seems to stand still along with everyone else's. It's like the saying 'stop and smell the roses.' If you rush through life you don't appreciate the finer details it has, likewise if you charge through the rain viewing it only as a hindrance, you'll never appreciate the brief moment of respite it can give you from the grueling battle that is life."
"Yet again, your words astound me," the wolf stated as he rested his head upon his front paws. "You look young yet speak the words of one well beyond your age. Even when faced with the overwhelming despair of this place you can still manage to speak as if the world is not yet lost."
Makoto gave a soft chuckle as he turned back to the wolf, gently leaning against the wall making sure to not put too much strain on the window to stop the already cracked glass that could cause him to fall through. "Thanks," he replied, "Not many people tend to notice because they don't get to know me well enough. All they see is a semi-serious guy with a goofy habit to get side tracked by stories and can barely understand a single human thought."
"And yet you spill your deepest thoughts upon a strange wolf you find in the middle of a forest," his lupine companion said with a smirk on his face.
"Way to ruin it," Makoto said as he rolled his eyes. "But it's not like I'm getting out of here anytime soon and besides at least I know that one person knows who and what I really am. If you can call yourself a person, that is." To that the wolf couldn't help but laugh. It was hearty and full of cheer that seemed to echo around the quiet building.
"Besides, it's better than getting caught up on the whole Memento Mori stuff," Makoto added, which caused the wolf to straighten up at the sound.
"Memento Mori?" he said, an unreadable expression crossing his face as he stared at Makoto.
"Yeah," Makoto replied, but the wolf still remained silent. Makoto searched the canine's face for any sign of what could be wrong but he could find nothing to give him a glimpse of what it was until an idea hit him. "You don't know what that saying means do you?" This caused the wolf to perk up slightly, its ears turning to face the boy so that it might better hear him.
"I'm sorry," Makoto chuckled nervously, "I guess that's what I get for using a saying from a language that no one speaks anymore. Though with the amount of times you hear this phrase you would think that people would actually know how to use it properly."
"So you know this saying and the language it is originally from?" the wolf asked, his face a mix of suspicion and curiosity.
"Yeah I do. Well, sorta," Makoto replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know a little bit about the language but I'm not fluent in it. I couldn't hold a normal conversation while speaking it but I know enough to tell you what it means."
"And this is how you know that it is often misused in context today," the wolf replied. Makoto nodded, confirming the wolf's comment. "Well then what does it mean?"
Makoto looked over his shoulder, gazing back out at the seemingly lifeless world he found himself in. "These days it's often used as a title for an object that commonly symbolizes death, but it was never that to begin with in the first place. It was a phrase spoken by great generals of ancient Rome, a phrase meant to remind them who they were and what was to come. Memento Mori means 'Remember that you are dying.'"
There was another boom of thunder as lightning flashed across the sky once more, illuminating the dull world with a flash of white light that spread across the sky as the rain poured down harder than Makoto had ever seen before. The wolf stood up instantly, his ears moving as if he heard a voice and was trying to locate the source of the sound.
"What's wrong?" Makoto asked, his voice drowned out by another crash of thunder that shook the window he leaned against, causing the cracks to worsen.
"m…oto"
"What was that?" Makoto said shakily as sounds began to trickle into his ears. At first they seemed like faint whispers but as another flash of lightning crossed the sky they seemed to grow louder.
"M…OTO"
"Boy," the wolf said, his tone deep and serious as he turned to the boy staring into the depth of his soul. "What is your name?"
Makoto looked at the wolf nervously, a cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck as the creature locked its eyes on him like a hunting dog that finally spotted its prey. He didn't like that look and instinctively searched for a way out of the room. The door? No good. The wolf would tackle him in an instant. The window? That wouldn't help either. Despite the cracks on them there he didn't have the strength to break it. What else could he do?
"Boy, tell me now. What is your name?" The wolf said, his tone much more forceful than before as he took a step forward.
There was another crash of thunder as the windows fractured even more. He was running out of time. What could he do? This wolf seemed to know something was wrong and with how he was looking at him he doubted he was asking for a reason that would benefit him.
There was another crash of thunder and the voices in his ears grew louder.
"Ts….yo, ..at's…ron..?"
Was this the rain and wind messing with him? He thought he heard his name being called. The wolf's gaze shifted from one of anger to disbelief. "It can't be? Step away from the window!"
"What!" Makoto shouted in reply, shifting his weight so he was no longer leaning up against the wall but stood on both feet. "You just looked as if you were going to attack me and now you want me to come closer? I don't think so."
"Makoto, get away from the window!" the wolf exclaimed in distress.
"How the hell do you know my name?!" There was another crash of lightning that drowned out Makoto's voice.
"TS..K..YO, PL…SE"
There it was again! Those sounds…were they someone calling to him?!
"Who's there!" he called back the pouring rain drowning out his voice as he tried to listen for the source of the voice. "Hello?! Who are you?!"
"No!" the wolf yelled, "Don't answer it!"
All of a sudden the air began to rumble, the hairs on Makoto's body standing on edge as he felt his senses heighten to the extreme. Everything he perceived seemed too slow from the movements of the wolf across from him to the sounds that entered his ears. "What's going on?" he thought.
"Damn it, I'm out of time!" the wolf exclaimed before quickly turning to Makoto once more. "Makoto, listen to me! Your very life may depend on it! You need to know who I am. I…" There was a crash of thunder that caused Makoto's ears to ring.
"M...ko…can…ear…e?" The wolf's lips moved but no sound seemed to reach him. Makoto stood there as paralyzed by fear as his surroundings seemed to slow even further. He felt his skin tingle and a weird taste and smell assaulted his senses. He heard his own breath, his skin began to buzz and sweat uncontrollably.
He slowly looked behind him one last time to see a bolt of lightning coming right for him. There was a sound of shattering glass, then he felt nothing as his mind went completely blank.
"Makoto?"
________________________________________________________________________________________
The bell rang signifying the end of school as Rukia and Ichigo made their way back onto the terrace. "I still can't believe that no one can see me," Ichigo said as he came through the door. "You could be right in front of someone and they would never notice."
"That may be true but you still interact with things as if you had a normal body, such as making footprints in the snow or causing water to ripple," Rukia replied, "So there are ways for normal people to perceive your presence still. But if done properly you shouldn't need to worry about that, now hurry up and get back in your body before anyone gets here."
"Alright. I got it," Ichigo said, approaching his lifeless body that lay at Makoto's feet. "Thanks for watching my body Makoto." Makoto remained silent as Ichigo returned to his body catching Rukia's attention.
"Hey, wake up! We know you're alright, there's no need to act all beat up," Rukia said to the motionless boy. Makoto continued to remain unresponsive, which started to annoy Rukia. "Hey, stop ignoring your girlfriend!" Makoto didn't answer, causing Ichigo to start to get weirded out. With all that had happened he could have sworn Makoto would have reacted to that.
"Makoto?" Ichigo asked, kneeling down next to his friend, "Are you alright?" Once again Makoto didn't respond which caused Ichigo to worry more. Makoto was slouched down with his back to the wall, his face was pale as a small trickle of blood ran down from the corner of his mouth to the bottom of his chin, his clothes soaked in sweat.
"Crap," Ichigo said aloud as he checked Makoto's pulse, it was faint but his heart was beating. How long had he been like this? Why didn't he return to normal once the Hollow was defeated.
"He's alive but only barely. Damn it! I thought you said he would be fine!" Ichigo yelled back at Rukia who stood there in silence as Ichigo continued yelling at the motionless body of his friend. "MAKOTO!"
"What's going on?!" Rukia thought to herself as she stared at Makoto. "He only reacts that way when there is a Hollow around! So why is he not responding?! Was there another Hollow around?!" She quickly pulled out her phone and quickly checked the screen for any hollow activity. Nothing. There wasn't even a Hollow remotely close. So why was this happening?! He couldn't be dead could he?!
She quickly put her phone away and crouched down next to the unconscious boy. "Tsukiyo, what's wrong? Please say something!" Rukia cried out, tears filling her eyes. "Ichigo go get help!" Without hesitation Ichigo nodded and ran back into the building to find help.
"Please! You can't be!" she thought to herself as her mind flashed back to the night her mentor died. "NO! You're not dead! You can't be!"
"TSUKIYO, PLEASE!" she exclaimed as she felt the hot tears slowly drip down her face. "Please wake up! Don't die on me!" How could she have been so stupid?! She should have made sure that he would have been fine. They still would have been there in plenty of time to save that boy in the park, so why didn't she check up on him and make sure he was stable? Now he was dying and it was all her fault. She buried her face in her hands as she started crying freely.
"Who's there?" Makoto mumbled out, his speech was so quiet and slurred that the words were unrecognizable. But that little bit was enough for Rukia who quickly grabbed his shoulders and started shaking him.
"Makoto! Makoto, please come back to me!" she cried out not caring to keep up appearances any longer. She couldn't take someone else dying because of her. If the world saw her as a complete mess she didn't care, she would scream and cry until her voice was hoarse. She didn't care to be a noble now, or even act like a lady would. All she wanted was for Makoto to wake up. She couldn't let his death be on her hands. She couldn't let him die like Kaien!
Rukia suddenly felt an explosion of energy that ripped her away from Makoto, sending her sprawling a few feet away. Then she heard a sound that made her heart leap as Makoto started gasping for air. She quickly looked up at him. He looked ragged, his hair was a complete mess and he was drenched in sweat as he breathed heavily. Rukia could barely believe it.
"Makoto?" she called out, which made him turn to face her and the sight nearly made her start crying once more as she raced over to his side. "Are you okay?"
Makoto sat there silently for a moment as his eyes refocused on the raven haired girl. "Rukia," he said, his voice quiet and breathy. "Where…"
At that moment Ichigo burst through the door with a group of people in tow including the school nurse and some of their friends, all of them with worried looks on their faces. Makoto barely had time to register who they all were before they all crowded around him.
They were all questioning him about all the different things and if he had the strength he would have yelled at them all to just shut up, but as he was he was just happy to see friendly faces. Though that was quickly dashed as the school nurse came up and began examining him. He tried to answer to the best of his ability but his mind wandered to the others around him, especially Rukia whose cheeks seemed to have streaks as if she had been crying. What had happened, and how long had he been asleep?
"I think you're just incredibly exhausted and disoriented," the school nurse said to Makoto, drawing his attention back to her. "You should be fine to go home but I would advise you to call your parents to let them come pick you up."
"Okay," Makoto said, pulling out his phone only to remember that he lived alone, which led to him awkwardly staring at it instead. "Actually, I don't think that will be possible. I'll just walk home."
"Not in your condition you aren't," the nurse said, before turning to the group of friends that surrounded the two. "Does anyone think they can give Tsukiyo-san a ride home?"
"I c…" Keigo started to say only to be interrupted by Tatsuki knocking him on the back of the head.
"Don't even. Can't you see he is not in the condition to answer any of your obnoxious questions," she said, crossing her arms in front of her, before turning to Makoto herself. "Sorry but my parents are busy and I won't be able to come."
"That's fine," Makoto said, waving it off with a smile trying to seem as normal as possible.
"Sorry, but I live by myself," Orihime said, "But I'd be happy to help in any other way."
"Don't worry about it, Orihime. I'll be fine." Makoto replied back.
"I live in the same area as him," Ichigo said, "I can call my dad…"
"Not a chance Ichigo," Makoto said forcefully, not even letting him finish his sentence. The last thing he needed was to deal with was Mr. Kurosaki when he felt like this. "Knowing your dad he'll just make my condition worse. Please, I'll be fine to walk home. I just need to rest for a little bit."
The school nurse sighed in exasperation, "Fine. But I want to make sure you're alright before I send you on your way."
"Fair enough," Makoto replied as he shakily pushed himself onto his feet. "It's better than the alternative."
"Rukia and I will get your stuff for you so don't worry," Ichigo said which Makoto answered with a weak smile. After which he left with the school nurse leaving the group of friends alone.
It was Orihime who made the first move, walking over to Rukia and tapping her on the shoulder. "Are you okay Kuchiki-san?" she asked, causing Rukia to jump.
"Yes, I'll be fine," Rukia responded with a smile. "Thank you for worrying though."
"Do you want us to stay with you?" Mizuiro asked Rukia, "Makoto is our friend and it might make you feel a little bit more comfortable while you wait."
"There is no need for that," Rukia replied with a small smile. "I'll be just fine. Besides, I'm sure you are all busy and have plenty of things you need to do."
The group of people looked between each other then to Rukia a little uncertain, many of them protesting but with a little help from Ichigo promising to keep everyone informed they ultimately caved and agreed to let the two of them handle it. After the lengthy debate Rukia followed Ichigo to retrieve Makoto's belongings from the classroom.
"That idiot better have answers for what the heck is going on," Ichigo muttered half to Rukia and half to himself. "Geez. Is this what it's going to be like everyday?"
Rukia gave a mischievous smile. "Don't worry you'll need to carry him eventually. Once I have trained him properly he will be invaluable in lactating Hollows."
"Could you teach him a way to not almost die every time he gets in close proximity with one as well?" Ichigo said, his voice sounding annoyed but Rukia secretly knew that Ichigo was relieved.
"I'll see what I can do," she replied, casting her eyes down to the floor. "I would really like to avoid that from happening again." She didn't understand. Makoto clearly had the ability to withstand high amounts of spiritual pressure since he charged that Hollow yesterday so why did this happen? At least she was able to save his life this time. She didn't know what she would have been able to do if he had died because of her.
Ichigo watched Rukia's eyes fill with tears as they continued walking. "Don't worry about Makoto, Rukia," Ichigo said in a comforting tone. "He's tougher than he looks. I'm sure he'll be fine."
"I'm not worried about him," Rukia said in a grouchy voice.
"Then why are you crying?"
"That's…" Rukia began as she wiped the tears from her eyes, unsure whether to tell him the truth or not. "...none of your business."
"Whatever," Ichigo said in exasperation, as he walked into the classroom to his and Makoto's belongings, then returning and handing Makoto's bag to Rukia. "Let's just get Makoto and get out of here so I can get home and take a nap today has been exhausting."
"Yes, make sure you are well rested because tomorrow we will be starting your training," Rukia replied in a proud tone.
"What?!"