Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

The reiatsu's were warm, comforting, beckoning.

Everything else was cold, icy. Somehow though, that was comforting too.

But the reiatsus'….

Though they gave me strength and made me want to go to them, the chill was calling to me. It was on top of me, inside of me. And sometimes, I wanted it to just engulf me whole. It was the warmth on my either side that kept me from giving up and giving in.

I didn't want to give up - I didn't - but oh did I hurt!

The pain, it was excruciating. Horrible, terrible. I couldn't breathe. My sole thoughts were focused only on it. The hurt, the pain, the burning. And it all hurt. Everything. I couldn't even pinpoint where I hurt the most; where the cause of my anguish was coming from. My entire body was one throbbing ball of fire.

I wanted so badly to get rid of the pain and let that numbing chill take over, that numbing blissfulness that I knew only Sode no Shirayuki could give - just have her take it all away, but those two beacons of life wouldn't let me… those strongly flaring reiatsu. Every time I mentally shut my already physically closed eyes, whenever I told myself I couldn't take it anymore - the pain, I'd feel those spiritual pressures raise wildly and frantically. It was as if they were urging me to hang on a little longer, just for a little bit more, and I could dream that help was on the way. And I could breathe just a little bit better.

The warmth's of those reiatsu'; they were familiar. One was wild and untamed. A homey and safe feeling at the same time. I'd felt it practically my entire life - or maybe I should say 'afterlife'. It was constantly there, always there. One of those rare things I could depend on. Even through those long and lonely forty years of not actually, physically being in it's presence, I could feel it, off to the side of my sub-consciousness. It was still there. And it means more than the world to me to know that even now I can feel it. It's still there, after all this time - all these years; even at what feels like to be my end…

The other, it became familiar to me so fast. It's much the same as the first; warm yet pulsing and beating with a sort of wild abandonment. Comforting in a way, but not in the same sense. There is a pure and unadulterated strength to it. A quiet and fierce determination. Just being in it's presence wraps me up in this aura. This - this sensation of protected-ness overcomes me. It was odd at first; I'm a warrior, I protect my self, have always done so. But that feeling, that feeling that only it can give me, it quickly became a reassurance. Even now it makes me feel like maybe, if this is the end, that maybe it won't be so bad…

It's not bad this way. They're there. Even if I can't open my eyes to see. Even if I can't reach my hand out to feel…

I have no recollection of how long it's been. Time could be at a standstill or it could be flying by at the speed of light. I'd never know the difference.

I do know that the breaths that I found almost impossible to get; they're coming easier now. My eyes that were unbearably heavy before, they feel a tad bit lighter. The pain that was indescribable as it took over my entire body is still there; not near as agonizing though.

I feel warmer now. The frozen ache that seemed to spur from within me has dulled. And the warmth, from them, the one I only felt at my sides, has spanned. I can feel individual parts of me now. My arms, my toes, my lips; I can feel them. And I can feel that… I'm going to make it.

I'm going to make it. I'm going to… 'live'.

There's commotion beside me, on either side actually. Shouting, movement. It's very loud, but it's hard for me to pick out individual sounds or voices.

I wince. My head pounds.

And at that wince, I somehow hear a very distinct sounding 'Oi', and my name. I can pick those out, those two uttering voices, from all the other noise around me. I probably will always be able to…

There's more shouting, more yelling and franticness. I struggle to open my eyes. Because of those two. They sound worried. They throw out profanities and encouragement. I almost want to laugh, because apparently I'm a 'dumb fuck of a midget that needs to open her eyes'.

From the effort my head hurts tenfold, but I fight to open my heavy lids.

"That's it. C'mon midget." the rough baritone of his voice pushes my resolve.

The two sets of eyes I'm greeted with are wide with worry and fear… so unlike I've ever seen them.

Looking into them, I realize now that those're two of my favorite colors. Are my favorite colors I'm gazing into. The only two colors that will ever matter to me.

…Those amber eyes I've grown to love and those crimson ones I've always loved.

A/N:

I think it might be somewhat hard to follow at first, but I like it that way XD I was going for something with this... Don't think I succeeded though, haha. Inspiration loosely (very loosely) came from a Renruki story I've been following by Zyephen.