The First Snow
Rukongai was a strange place – different, very different from Earth in some ways, but in many ways the same. It hadn't been long that a young child of maybe eight had arrived on the back of a pearl white butterfly. He arrived in a bustling metropolis of the East quadrant. No one spared him a second glance as he gracefully landed on the ground, on his feet. The dust settled around his feet and he wore a short hakama like most other children do in a dull olive green shade. His wide eyes were an odd aquamarine colour and his spiked hair was pure white, so much so that it almost appeared silver at times when the sun hit it just right.
He looked around at the people bustling about, children running and playing, all ignoring him and gaped. He was lost.
Like many others when they first arrive to Rukongai, he was disoriented. He was unsure what he should look for. He vaguely remembered someone had told him he'd be alright here. Deep inside that comforted him, the stranger's words. It had taken away the pain he had been in and the sorrow he'd felt on Earth.
Hitsugaya Toshirou didn't want to think about Earth anymore. It had been nothing but a place where he held a painful past and an early death and he didn't care for it at all. At the same time, he didn't want to stand in the street, looking like a lost little boy. He began walking, arms crossed over his stomach as he tried to appear less lost.
The evening found him curled up between two houses, unknown to the occupants, alone and frightened. He'd watched the children all day. They all seemed happy, they had friends and large families, as well as homes to run to at the end of the day. He couldn't help the jealousy that welled up in his chest when he thought about it, so he didn't.
He was getting hungry. Strangely enough he hadn't seen anyone eating, not even the other children, and here he was feeling the faint beginnings of hunger setting in. He didn't even know what he was supposed to do in that regard. He hadn't seen any shops either. Toshirou was very confused.
It was three days later that his stomach grumbled at him angrily, begging to be filled. In all that time and observation, he'd seen one person eat, and even then they bore strange black clothing, reminiscent of the person who'd helped him to this Hell, this afterlife that made him so miserable.
There were less people around as the cool weather began to set in, frigid winds blowing through the square where the children played less and less. But Toshirou didn't shiver. The cold didn't bother him for some reason, despite the fact he wasn't properly dressed. He felt it, yes, he felt the stinging air on his skin, however, it wasn't something that made him want to dress further, nor run for cover. This, he simply didn't understand, like his hunger.
Night brought the square deserted and it was nicer then staying in the shadows alone, and so he spent his nights there. Sleeping, daydreaming and staring up at the stars. He sat there, alone watching the first snowflakes drop down on Rukongai. He sat in the middle of the square, knees drawn to his chest as he watched the snow fall gracefully.
It had been perhaps an hour before he felt someone's hand – at least it had to have been someone's hand,it was warm – on his shoulder, shaking him awake. He opened his eyes and rubbed them, attempting to clear them of their foggy state.
A young girl, perhaps a year younger in looks, stared at him with wide brown eyes, chestnut brown hair pulled back into a bun and the most curious look on her face. Then she broke into a smile, a wide one and it was a moment before Toshirou realized he was smiling back.
"What are you doing out here?" She asked.
"I was...watching the snow." Toshirou decided was a good answer, and it seemed to be because the girl sat down next to him, crossing her legs elegantly, smiling wide.
"I love the snow." The girl slid one arm through his and held it close as they watched the soft snowflakes blanket the ground with fluffy white snow.
At the arm's contact, Toshirou could feel his cheeks heat up as he blushed a little, but he said nothing to deter this kind spirit.
"What's your name?" She whispered after some time.
"Hitsugaya Toshirou."
The girl grinned wide again. "Nice to meet you, Shiro-chan. I'm Hinamori Momo."
Toshirou smiled a bit. "Nice to meet you," he answered.
Together, they watched the snow fall all night, alone together in the square.