Because I know I'm not the only one to see the similarities and possibilities.
Disclaimer: I own naught but my own name.
Cold
By Nanikato
8/22/08
Hitsugaya Toshirou was considered cold, logical, and practical. He was also considered a prodigy, being the youngest of the thirteen captains.
He was currently going through the paperwork on his own; Matsumoto had run off somewhere and he didn't bother to hunt her down. He needed something to take his mind off of things.
"Hey, Mannen," Himeno bent over to address the Leafe Knight of Ice, "Do you think you can distract Hayate for me? I need to get his present but he won't leave me alone."
He instantly agreed, more than happy to help Himeno out. "Sure thing, just leave it to me!"
Hitsugaya threw himself out of his memories as quickly as he could. He growled softly to himself, focusing on the work that needed to be done and trying not to think of that time so long ago.
"Would you cut that out?" he demanded, irritated. He attempted to flatten his hair but the other simply ruffled it up again. "My hair is never gonna lie flat!"
"Why would you care about your hair? You've never cared about your hair." Goh replied.
He scowled. "Kei said that girls like guys that look smart and he also said that my hair makes me look like I crawled out of the dirt."
Goh laughed at him. "Ignore Kei. He's just being stupid again. Besides, if you have to change yourself to get a girl, she's not worth it."
Hitsugaya put his pen down with a sigh. It was obvious he was never going to get rid of these thoughts. The memories of so long ago continued to haunt him.
He had searched for them after he died. He looked everywhere he could think of. That he couldn't find them meant that they hadn't died or he hadn't looked hard enough.
Leafe Knights were like shinigami. They lived for a very long time unless killed. It had been a few hundred years since he had died. There was a distinct possibility that the other Knights were still alive. At least he had died protecting the Pretear.
After the first hundred years, he had managed to completely bury the memories of his life on Earth. He had even picked a new name.
It seemed impossible to forget. Everything seemed to trigger memories.
Aizen's betrayal had ripped open wounds from long ago. Sasame's betrayal had hurt much worse than Aizen's. Even though he buried the memories, he had subconsciously remembered the sting of betrayal. It made him rather jaded.
Because of Aizen, Hinamori—so like Himeno it hurt—had fallen into a coma and Hitsugaya couldn't—wouldn't forgive him for that.
Could he even face the other Knights now? He wasn't the same boy he was in life. He had become jaded and harsh. He was as cold as the element he commanded. He had become a leader, rather than a follower. He didn't think he'd be able to let Hayate or Sasame tell him what to do.
Hitsugaya put his head in his hands, indulging in a moment of weakness in the privacy of his office. He missed everyone. He wanted to see them again but he felt guilty. It wasn't even that he was ashamed of who he'd become or what he had done.
The worst thing was that he could barely remember their names. As it was, their faces were nothing more than blurs in his mind's eye.
Realizing he had put it off for long enough, he picked up his pen to begin work on the reports. He couldn't help but ponder one last thought.
What would they think of him now?