The Heart Turned To Ice (Prequel One-shot to Melt the Ice)
I sighed contentedly, enjoying the feeling of cold snow on my skin, revelling in the silence. Today had been a slow, calm and lazy day within Seireitei, for which I was thankful. I turned my gaze to the stormy grey sky as snow fell across Seireitei in a slow, albeit steady flutter. I looked across the rooftops from my balcony at the Kyuubantai barracks and easily spotted the set of rooftops in the nearby Rukongai that belonged to my home, the Fuyuko clan compound. I smiled as a gust of wind blew across Seireitei, my orange hair fluttering behind me in a whirl as the snow swirled around my body as my golden eyes scanned the barracks for any sign of a disturbance of the threatening sort. I then noticed Ukitake-taicho walking by and waved to him as he waved up at me.
"Konbanwa, Taicho." I called down to him. He smiled kindly as I shun-po'ed down to join him on his walk for a while.
"Konbanwa, Fuyuko-Taicho." Captain Ukitake greeted me with a fatherly smile. In some ways, Ukitake treated me like the daughter he never had, seeing as I grew up on my own for some time, I was given to an orphanage in the Rukongai, before I was adopted into the Fuyuko clan, Ukitake-Taicho had been like my father.
"How are you feeling today, Taicho?" I asked politely as we walked along the street, towards the restaurants that lined the streets. Ukitake-Taicho looked at me solemnly.
"I feel better today, though my condition is neither improving nor worsening." I nodded with a sigh. Ukitake-Taicho suffered from tuberculosis, because of this, he is often bedridden, and can hardly participate in combat as often as he wished he could.
"I can only sympathise, Taicho, but I wish you well." Ukitake-Taicho smiled as we walked through the bustling streets of Seiretei. I left Ukitake-taicho and walked into a restaurant to have dinner for the evening.
I was walking along the street after my meal, a small, pleasant smile on my lips. All seemed to be well in Seireitei this beautiful, winters evening. A breeze fluttered past, ruffling my long, orange hair and making my haori float behind me in an almost regal manner. Being the Taicho of Kubantai meant I had to keep on my toes sometimes, what with all the paper work I get and all. It also kept my Fuku-taicho, Kaname Tousen, busy, and my new third seat, Hisagi Shuuhei, was loving his new job more and more each and every day, despite the fact that he was only young, not much older than myself though, and I was one of the two child prodigies in Seireitei, the first being Hitugaya Toshiro, Taicho of Jyuubantai. He also happened to be my long lasting love interest, although, me being the sometimes shy person that I am, I haven't exactly told him my feelings yet, as I am not quite looking forward to his reaction on the day that I do tell him how I really, truly feel about him.
I sighed, running my fingers through my hair as I walked, as a chill suddenly ran down my spine, which was usually a good indicator that I was being followed. I ignored it, however, and kept walking, until I came across my love interest himself and fourth seat Hinamori Momo. I waved to them in greeting as Momo smiled and waved me over.
"Fuyuko-taicho! How nice to see you. How are you this evening?" I smiled kindly and nodded my head in acknowledgement.
"I am very well, thank you for asking, Hinamori-san. Good evening to you, and you also, Hitsugaya-kun." Toshiro nodded his head in acknowledgement, though did nothing to correct me when I didn't name him by his title. Momo looked between us both then, a wicked smile playing on her lips.
"Hey, Shiro-chan! How come Fuyuko-taicho gets to call you by '–kun'?" Momo asked quizzically. I felt my cheeks redden slightly when she asked this. Toshiro gave Momo an emotionless look.
"Because, Momo," He started as his eyes locked with mine for a moment, before he returned his gaze to Momo. "Fuyuko-san doesn't call me something along the lines of 'Shiro-chan' every time I see her." Momo pouted and crossed her arms indignantly.
"That's not fair and you know it Shiro-chan." Momo mumbled. I giggled a little, causing both to look at me questionably. I smiled at the two as I tried to cover my laughter with my hand.
"Forgive me, but I have not yet seen you two arguing, it's actually quite funny." It was then that Toshiro noticed something on my arm, an arm band to be exact. Blue in colour, it is an inspirational band I got from the World of the Living, from a shop, with the word 'passion' written around the thin band at even intervals.
"Fuyuko-san, where did you get that band on your arm?" Toshiro asked, curiously. I smiled and pulled it off of my wrist, to show it to him.
"I bought it during one of my missions in the World of the Living, it's pretty cool, isn't it?" I asked happily as Toshiro and Momo admired my arm band, before Toshiro held it out from me to take. I took my hand in his and curled his fingers around the band.
"No, you keep it, Hitsugaya-kun. When I bought it, I thought of you, and I thought that you might like to have it." Momo smiled coyly, before coming up with some kind of excuse and leaving myself and Hitsugaya-kun alone. I thought I saw a shade of pink tint Toshiro's cheeks, but due to the fading light, I couldn't truly be sure if I actually did see anything or not.
"So, um, Hitsugaya-kun, how are things with Jyuubantai going?" I asked tentatively as he and I started to walk in no particular direction. There was a small silence as he started to play with the armband that was now on his arm.
"Things are going alright, I suppose. Although, Matsumoto-fuku-taicho's drinking habits are getting on my nerves at every point of the day on a regular basis." I brought my hand up to my mouth to stifle a giggle. One thing I found hilarious was the constant bickering between Hitsugaya-kun and his fuku-taicho, Matsumoto Rangiku. She loved parties and despised paperwork. One mention of the aforementioned word and she was literally gone the next second. It happened to be hilarious to watch at some points of the years since Hitsugaya-kun took up the position of Jyuubantai-taicho. I had been given the position of Kyuubantai-taicho not long after Hitsugaya-kun was given his position. Beforehand, I was a 4th seat of Jyuunibantai, under Ukitake-taicho. The kindly man even gave me sweets on occasion, which I found delightful, as they were always my favourites, either jars of humbugs, or jars of watermelon flavoured rock candies, both from the world of the living.
I returned from my thoughts, however, as I noticed a third reiatsu had spiked directly behind me. Thinking quickly, I drew my zanpaku-to, Koorikyoui, and twirled on my toes quickly enough to block the zanpaku-to that collided with my own. I gasped upon realising that my possible assailant is my own subordinate, my third seat Aizen Takashi. I jumped back quickly, landing in front of Toshiro-san, holding Koorikyoui in front of me defensively.
"Toshiro-san, go get help, I'll try and detain Aizen Takashi as long as possible." He was hesitant to leave, but nodded, before shunpo-ing away to get help. I turned back to Aizen Takashi, a glare fixated on my face now
"You dare raise your zanpaku-to against your colleagues, let alone your taicho. You disgrace your family name, Aizen Takashi." I snarled as the temperature in the immediate area dropped.
"I wish only to become the taicho of my own division, if that means killing my currant taicho and disgracing my family name, then so be it." He released his zanpaku-to, charging at me as he went. I raised my zanpaku-to as the temperature dropped further still.
"Itetsuku! Koorikyoui!*" I commanded as my blade lengthened and half the blade became black and a chain appeared at the end of the hilt, a weapon similar to Toshiro-san's Hyourinmaru's carrion chain. I blocked Aizen's attack, wrapping my chain around his blade, holding him in place. After a few moments, he smirked, and placed his open palm in front of me.
"Hadou no sanjyuusan.**" I jumped back quickly as he finished the incantation, barely dodging the kidou spell. I lunged forward, holding his blade back with my own as ice started to form, slowly freezing the blade. He noticed, and jumped back as the ice shattered. I gritted my teeth as I held Koorikyoui steady, gripping the hilt tighter.
'He is more powerful than he appears.' Koorikyoui's musical voice chimed in my head. I mentally nodded in agreement, keeping my eyes trained on him.
'So I noticed. I did train him after all, Kyoui-sama.' I replied as what appeared to be steam rose from Koorikyoui's blade.
'Shall we use Bankai then?' My eyes widened slightly as Aizen surged forward, and I locked blades with him a moment, trying to freeze his blade again, to no affect. He simply jumped back again. I gritted my teeth, before standing tall as snow started to fall again, swirling around me as my reiatsu flared, forming a golden aura around me, my orange hair rising and floating behind me, as if I were some sort of deity for a mere moment, before I raised my sword again.
"Bankai." I commanded, as my reiatsu flared even higher.
"Koorikyoui-Kakera.***" I called, as my blade was surrounded in a blue-white aura and became longer still, now almost as long as I myself am tall, now 150 centimetres in length, the blade now having a streak of silver, the rest black, a blue-white ribbon dangling from the hilt elegantly. I brought Koorikyoui-Kakera up in front of me again, taking up my former defensive position.
"Kira No Koorikakera!****" I commanded, as ice shards gathered around my blade, forming into needle sharp points, circling my blade and body. A light – my reiatsu – glowed brightly in each one of them.
"If I have to go down, you will be brought down with me, Aizen Takashi." He simply smirked.
"So long as I have the pleasure of running my zanpaku-to through you, Taicho." He mocked. I growled.
"Kira No Koorikakera! Kai!" I commanded as the ice needles shot towards Aizen and ran through a disappearing illusion. I knew he would pull a disgusting trick like that, so I concentrated on his reiatsu until I found him behind me and flipped out of the way at the same moment that he tried to cleave me open down the middle. I spun around on my toes some feet away from him and turned to face him, holding Koorikyoui-Kakera defensively in front of me, at least until I spun around and locked blades with the real Aizen Takashi as his second illusion disappeared. My lip turned up at the corner the slightest bit as I held y blade firm.
"Koorika No Kyoui!" I called upon my zanpaku-to's second attack as I jumped back a few feet from Aizen as he became encased in ice which resembled a flame in shape. I panted slightly, coming to a stand slowly as Aizen stared back at me, an expressionless look forever frozen on his face. A look that I didn't like. If I had caught him by surprise, he would truly have had a look of surprise on his face, that could only mean -.
Shink!
"Arashi!" I heard a voice scream as I looked down at my abdomen to see Aizen's blade had indeed run me clean through. I gasped as he yanked his blade out roughly. Before I fell though, I managed hazily And clumsily to spin around and slit his throat before my grip loosened on Koorikyoui-Kakera and I fell in a heap to the ground, a dying Aizen not too far away.
I clutched at my wound as I gasped for breath, opening my eyes and blearily staring up into icy, distraught, worried teal eyes.
"Arashi." He murmured my name, and I offered a weak, pain filled smile. I reached for him weakly and laid my hand upon his cheek, which was quickly surrounded by his. Tears slipped from his beautiful eyes, and I rubbed one away with my thumb tiredly. I was running out of time.
"Toshiro, wait for me, in the next lifetime." I whispered, giving him another pained smile, before I groaned, and pressed at my side harder. He clutched at my hand as my fingers curled slightly, before I became even more tired, and I started to feel cold as well.
I vaguely heard Toshiro say something, but it was as if I were hearing things through a filter, or from under water. Then, I felt nothing, except a feeling of floating. I couldn't feel Toshiro's hand in mine any longer, or the pain I was feeling. All I felt was that I was engulfed in nothingness. I chanced at opening my eyes to see that I was indeed surrounded in darkness, the only light was the reiatsu emanating from me…somewhere. I racked my memories for something relating to how I came to be in this dark place, but could remember nothing at all. I looked all around me in the darkness, searching for what, I didn't know, but when I came across a light, I moved towards it, believing that the light had been what I was looking for….
I shot up from my bed, panting, a cold sweat on my forehead. I sighed and wiped my forehead with the back of my hand.
"What a strange dream." I murmured, looking around my bedroom warily, as if I would see something or someone out of place in my bedroom. I looked over to the door as somebody knocked on it, before baka-Ichi-chan stuck his head in.
"You up Rashi? Good, we have school soon. Happy birthday by the way." I looked at the calendar hanging near my desk to see that it was indeed my birthday, and Ichi-chan's as well. I smiled and looked at my twin brother as I pushed the covers back off my legs.
"Thanks Ichi, Happy birthday to you as well." Ichigo nodded before backing out of my room and leaving me to get dressed for school. I pushed the dream out of my mind for the moment as I pulled out my drab school uniform.
Little did I know, was that the dream I had experienced was a reality, and that tonight would change my life completely.
Owari
Author's Note: Well, there it is, The Heart Turned To Ice is finished. I can't really think of much else to say, other than once I get the first chapter finished, that I will start posting the story that this one-shot is partnered with. Thank you for reading, and I hope it wasn't too obscure ^^. Once again, thank you to those who put up with the strange ramblings involved in this prequel one-shot, but I have actually been contemplating a lot of things between my assignments, one obviously being what it would be like to die. Yes, I'm a strange child, but I'm not emo, or cutting my wrists or anything, but really, who wouldn't think about things like that at some stage in their lives? Anyways….umm…..what was I gonna say? –laughs – oh! I decided that I would write this part way through writing chapter one of the story that follows this, so I hope that you have something to look forward to once I finish my assignments ^^. Jyaa ne!
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