Author's note: Hey guys! UnbelievableAnimeFreak here! Many of you guys probably don't know me since well.. I've never actually posted a story before! This is my first and I'm kind of hoping to get some good reviews on it! I really hope you guys all love it! I'll try to get the first chapter uploaded since well I just typed this up like 1 hour ago. So I'll try my best! Edit: I have edited the prologue and chapters 1-6 since they had several grammar and spelling mistakes. Sorry for the inconvience. Please enjoy reading Beautiful Lie Chapter 1: Prologue
Beautiful Lie
Chapter 1: Prologue
It was pitch black, extremely cold, and a layer of mist covered the cave. Hoarse cries could be heard echoing deep within the mouth, along with a deafening roar, shaking the newly formed icicles hanging from the ceiling like stalactites. Rapid footsteps could be heard somewhere inside the bottomless pit, skidding and sliding as if they were on a thin sheet of ice in the first snowfall of the season. Panting could be heard below the sound of the padding footsteps, gasping and choking on air while running away from an unseen enemy. Clutching its shihakusho as if holding onto their own life, the figure raced towards the entrance, hoping for a quick escape.
The piercing roar sounded off again, louder this time. Meaning it was closing in, ready to kill. The figure gasped and ran faster. Hoping to escape the terrifying beast that was chasing him; yet somehow, the roar sounded… full of agony. As if it had no choice but to chase after him like his life depended on it, or it was out of control and had no idea what it was doing.
Chasing after a shinigami as if he was prey made him feel weak, however the enormous amount of spiritual pressure that was coming from the creature made him want to run for his life. It was captain level spiritual pressure and just running away from it made him want to collapse. He had to find the entrance again and escape to the Seiretei, in order to inform the 13 Gotei squads what he had found. If he could make it out alive that is.
XxXx
Earlier that evening, he had come across a rather intriguing investigation when he was walking through a hidden forest he had found that morning. It looked like a closed-in cave from his point of view, but what was the most surprising, was what was blocking anyone from accessing the cave.
Flowers.
Billions of ice coated lilies layered every opening, every crack. Not allowing anyone to even get a glimpse of what was inside. It had a natural beauty and it astonished him of the craftsmanship of the flowers, which made them look like polished glass. He wondered how they had appeared in front of a cave entrance of all places. Were they placed there, or did someone create them? The lilies also had an eerie air about them, since normally frosted flowers don't appear in the middle of the summer. It gave him a fearful feeling that whatever was inside was never allowed to come out, or have any visitors. He was tempted to grab a lily and bring it back to the Seiretei, but his curiosity excited him, for he wanted to explore this hidden cave behind the hundreds of flowers. For who knows if he discovered something. They might promote him.
Approaching the cave, he unsheathed his zanpakuto. A thin katana appeared. He grabbed the hilt with both hands and brought the blade down, slicing several lilies. He continued this pattern until there was a big enough opening for him to crawl through. Being cautious as to not touch any of the ice-coated lilies, he slipped inside, landing softly on the cave floor. He stared in awe as he noticed icicles hung from the ceiling, dangerously hovering over him. He began to walk deeper into the mouth of the cave. Watching for any signs of life. However, he didn't notice that the lilies had already recovered the hole that he had made.
...He was trapped.
XxXx
Running faster than he ever imagined possible, he knew he was finally nearing the entrance. He was relieved that he couldn't hear the roars of the beast within the cave anymore. Maybe since it knew he was leaving, it decided to let him go. He turned a corner and instantly smiled. Up ahead was the entrance to the cave. Although it was pitch black he could make out the beautiful lilies covering the entrance, since they were glistening with frost. Reaching for his zanpakuto, he prepared to cut his way through the flowers like he did before, but he noticed that his previous hole had disappeared and in its place, were more lilies. Suddenly feeling a bit nervous, he ran forward and sliced every lily near him, prepared to create an exit and be on his way. He was dearly mistaken. Whenever he cut or sliced a lily, two more would be put in its place. Meaning that his nonstop slashing was getting him nowhere!
"No, no! This can't be happening!" he cried, furiously hacking the flowers, hoping with some stroke of luck they'd disappear, but they just kept regrowing.
...Then a snowy lily appeared on his zanpakuto.
Gazing down at his newly flowered sword, he reached down and was about to grab the flower, when another lily formed next to it, followed by several more appearing along the blade of his katana, nearly covering the whole sword. Letting out a terrified shriek, he immediately dropped his sword as it was engulfed in icy blue lilies, which then disappeared along the mountain of flowers. Just as the hole he created had vanished earlier.
Just then the ceiling caved in, followed by a shadowy figure landing below the rubble. The icicles clanged together causing a small sound to be heard, but they did not fall. The figure rose from the rubble and the terrifying roar sounded. Before he had a chance to think, claws enclosed around his neck, grasping his throat. Slamming him against the wall of the cave, the beast started to suffocate him; tightening its grip around the shinigami's neck. Struggling and gasping, he placed both hands on the arm of the monster and weakly attempted to push him away. Only then did he notice that the creature's left arm was encased in ice, which caused him to have claw-like fingers.
A low growl sounded and he was thrown in the opposite direction, smashing into the wall. He heard his arm snap and he gasped in pain. Clutching his left arm, he looked up and noticed teal eyes glaring down at him, but he couldn't see a pupil or any kind of light in his eyes. Only sorrow and hatred. Reaching forward the savage beast grabbed him again by the throat, thrusting him against the wall. He noticed the creature lift his right hand and his eyes widened at what he saw.
A zanpakuto.
This monster was a shinigami? He wasn't surprised that he didn't notice the black shihakusho, since the cave was dim. The creature's eyes narrowed down to slits and it roared again. The roar sounded centuries old, like an ancient dragon.
Powerful. Merciless. Deadly.
Just then he noticed the creature blink something out of its eye. Was that… a tear? Why would this creature be crying when he knew that he was going to kill him? When he was going to win. This monster was strangling him, yet he was sobbing and crying at the same time. It didn't make any sense to him.
"I'm so sorry Hinamori, I never meant to hurt you…" a deep voice sounded from the dragon-like creature. Followed by a body wrecked sob. "Hinamori…" it cried, followed by an agonizing roar that echoed throughout the cave. The roar was full of misery and remorse, he almost felt bad for the creature. Almost.
The beast's grip tightened on his exposed neck as it turned back towards him. His expression was phlegmatic, as if that vulnerable scene never happened. Raising its zanpakuto, he knew that the beast was going to finally finish him. The shinigami began shaking.
He thought he'd make it out alive.
The creature twisted his zanpakuto, causing a mist of ice to swirl around it.
He thought he'd be able to tell everyone he had found a shinigami that was not in the 13 Gotei divisions.
He noticed large wings that sprouted from the monster's back.
He thought that the creature would let him live.
He was wrong.
He had invaded a depressed uncontrollable monster's home. One that was grieving for something he lost. One who wanted nothing in the world but the thing he wanted most. The sword was brought down and slashed through his shoulder all the way to the ground. Blood spurted out from the wound and the shinigami's eyes rolled into his head. The monster released his grip on him and he collapsed on the cave's floor.
The last thing he remembered was sea green eyes, filled with nothing but pain and regret.
Author's note: Hmm... I wonder who that was.. You probably already know thanks to the summary. Not to mention all the ice. I loved writing the part about the Hyoten Hyakkaso. (100 ice flowers). And the shinigami is no one in particular; it was just someone I decided to choose. Maybe a regular commoner shinigami. Since he wanted to be promoted.
By the way, the shinigami was NOT Momo, there was some confusion since it seemed like Toshiro was apologizing to the shinigami. He was actually talking to himself, since he hurt Hinamori; he was never able to forgive himself and constantly mumbles apologies to her. (I'm making Shiro so depressed don't hate me!)
Thank you for reviewing this chapter; I hope that you will continue to read this angst romance story of a man who believed he killed his love :)