Story: Starry Sky Promise

Author: AutumnsFlowers

Summary: A mission to the Real World, a chance to move on from the past, a mysterious town in the Meditarranean, pizza, fireworks and a special night, the 10th of August, when stars fall down and wishes come true.

Disclaimer: guess what... I don´t own Bleach.

A/N: First chapter! Big big thank you to my beta *sends her chocolate cookies*. The story is set after the Winter War and beofre the Fullbringer arc. Yes, Hinamori has a ponytail. I know in the recent chapters she appeared to have short hair and this will be explained in my fic. Also, this is not going to be a HitsuHina fluffy fanfic with romance (though I love those kind of HitsuHina fics *O*). It will about them restoring the relationship they had before the Aizen mess (with some fluffy scenes only because they are too cute :3) but nothing that goes against the canon. It´s a story about overcoming. And not only for these two, but also the other characters will have their deep moment.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. Leave me a review telling me what you liked and what you didn´t and what you think will happen in the next chapters.

Ah for those who don´t know, the 10th of August is celebrated in Italy. There is this belief that the majority of falling stars fall on that night. And you all know what we do when see a falling star ;D

Chapter 1

"Why do we have to have meetings on such hot days?" Hinamori Momo yawned while brushing her hair. She was getting ready for an emergency meeting early in the morning. Yawning she placed her ribbon and finished making her ponytail. She then took her lieutenant badge and carefully placed it on her left arm. After the hole Aizen mess, that badge now held a new meaning for her. It wasn´t the symbol of her being Aizen´s lieutenant, it was the symbol of her being the 5th Division lieutenant. It was something to wear with honour, something that reminded her every single day of the promise she had made when she woke up from her coma after the Winter War.

She was told yesterday in the evening to meet up with the other lieutenants for an important meeting regarding the last events that where taking place in the World of the Living. The Captains had had a similar meeting yesterday evening too and the decision they had made would be referred to the lieutenants during the meeting.

Hinamori walked out from her apartment and headed to the First Divisions barracks. It was the beginning of August and even though it was early morning it was already very hot.

She arrived at the meeting place and since no sound was coming from the building no one had arrived before her. She was normally the first to arrive and she didn´t mind it. She would have some time to just chill a bit and fantasize. That´s why she was surprised when she found out that someone actually had arrived before her.

A raven haired girl turned around at the sound of footsteps and Hinamori found herself in the presence of the recently nominated lieutenant of the 13th Division, Kuchiki Rukia.

"Hinamori-san! Ano… Good morning!" Rukia bowed her head with respect.

Hinamori smiled: "Good morning Kuchiki-san."

Rukia grinned, but suddenly she frowned, "Hinamori-san, where is everyone? The meeting should be starting right now!"

Right! This is her first real lieutenant meeting! She still doesn´t know how things work here! Hinamori giggled.

"Well, you see Kuchiki-san, the lieutenant meetings are very… unpredictable… they are much more different than the Captain´s ones for example." She remembered being told by Hitsugaya and Aizen about how the Captains meetings where usually very boring, with everyone trying to look as serious as they could, reiatsu always on the limit of control, and Captain Kyoraku trying to break the ice with a joke that usually ended up with a glare from the other Captains, especially Sui Feng and Byakuya.

"Our meetings usually start two hours after the communicated hour, and usually not all the lieutenants are there!"

Rukia´s frown deepened, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Renji better not make me wait much longer, I want to know what this is all about!"

Hinamori nodded, she was curious too. Her captain couldn´t tell her much and just said she would know everything today. She only got to know that it was something rather serious. She secretly hoped it would involve a mission for the lieutenants. After her recovery, she had started to train hard and was now looking for a chance to prove herself. To prove herself of being worthy of her title. She looked at Rukia and said:

"Well then, we can just sit down and wait for now." The girls laughed, sat near each other, and started chatting relaxed. They'd known each other since Academy days but they never really spoke with one another before Rukia became a lieutenant. They now had become friends and both enjoyed each other´s company, they would also spend their afternoons together drawing, a passion they both shared.

They were just in the middle of a conversation about whether Chappi the Bunny should be the new mascot of the shinigami Women Association when they heard a noise from outside. The strange noise was getting louder and louder and suddenly a huge BROUUUM welcomed the entrance of 6th Division lieutenant Abarai Renji and 7th Division lieutenant Iba Tetsuzaemon. The two lieutenants looked like they had run through half of the Seireitei. Ignoring the two girls that where looking at them with shocked expressions, they looked around themselves curiously.
"Where is she?" Renji was sweating, his eyes growing bigger from fear, "where is the little devil?" You couldn´t really say that Iba was as scared as Renji because he wore his glasses, but his voice was shaking.

"Who are you looking for?" Asked a sweet voice coming from above them. The two men screamed when a little pink haired girl jumped and landed in front of them. The two lieutenants, suddenly aware of the presence of Rukia and Hinamori, hid behind the two girls, which caused Rukia to send a huge glare at Renji. Hinamori faced the little girl:

"Hello Kusajishi-san. What were you three doing?". Yachiru smiled innocently: "We were just playing a game I saw yesterday from Ken-chan! I don´t know why, but they suddenly started running right in the middle of the game! It´s not fair to interrupt, we have to finish the game!"

Hinamori could just imagine what kind of game Yachiru could put up.

Eventually, the rest of the lieutenants arrived without major other incidents. All the lieutenants (minus one 10th Division lieutenant, as usual, late) and the meeting finally started.

Chojiro Sasakibe stood up, and began speaking:

"As you know there has recently been unusually strong Hollow activity in the real world. All of them concentrating on a particular town. As you all know every century the juureichi place changes. The current place of high reiatsu concentration is Karakura Town" at the sound of that name Rukia shivered impercentively and only Renji noticed it, "but it´s not here that the Hollows are concentrating. We still don´t know if this is a coincidence but the town where this is all taking place is the previous juureichi, in a completely other part of the world, Italy."

"The situation is getting worse. Every week stronger and stronger Hollows are appearing and we fear there might be someone controlling them all". Everyone's mind ran to the past battle against the Arrancars. Tier Harribel, now Queen of Hueco Mundo had been ruling in the past months, but had made no sign of particular rebellion towards the shinigami.

"Normal ranked shinigami are not able to fight against them. The Captains have decided to send a group of lieutenants and one Captain to investigate, and protect the town´s citizens."

Hinamori felt a bit disappointed. If it was a mission to the Real World then she was most likely not going to take part in it. Since she first became a shinigami, she hardly ever went on missions in the Real World and her knowledge of it was mostly attributed to things she had heard from others. No, she wasn´t going to take part to the mission. Though she had badly hoped she could.

Chojiro Sasakibe cleared his throat and began:"The shinigami that will take part are the following: 6th Division lieutenant Abarai Renji and 13th Division lieutenant Kuchiki Rukia, you are the two lieutenants with the most experience in the Real World" at this statement Rukia´s mind immediately ran to Ichigo, and she let out a faint sigh "you two will be helped by 3rd Division lieutenant Kira Izuru, 8th Division lieutenant Hisagi Shuuhei and 5th Division lieutenant Hinamori Momo!"

Hinamori gasped in surprise. Sasakibe looked at her and explained: "Your Captain expressively recommended you to the Captain Commander for this mission"

Hinamori smiled thinking about her Captain. He knew how hard she had been training in the past months and noticed her will to take part in something big, to take a chance and prove finally what she's got.

"Now I will report to the Captain Commander that you have received your orders, and he will ask a Captain willing to accompany you to…"

"MY CAPTAIN WILL GO!" A loud voice came from outside and a moment later a blonde tall woman made her entrance in the room. "… and I will go too." Matsumoto sent a long look to Sasakibe who was ready to answer back, but changed his mind soon. No one is able to contradict Matsumoto when she makes her mind up on something.

Matsumoto continued cheerily: "My Captain has kindly agreed to take part on the mission!"

Somehow everyone doubted that Captain Hitsugaya had agreed to the mission, but none said anything.

Sasakibe sighed: "Very well, I will report to the Captain Commander that Captain Hitsugaya has decided to lead the mission and that lieutenant Matsumoto has been added to the group too. You will be heading to the real world tomorrow morning at dawn at the Senkaimon. The meeting is over."

With this the lieutenants headed towards their barracks, discussing what had been said during the meeting and making predictions about what is really happening in the Real World.

Matsumoto walked peacefully to the 10th Division barracks enjoying the morning breeze. She lifted her head towards the sky. Today the sky was blue with no clouds, a deep blue that makes you wonder how deep the sky actually is. A shade of melancholy overwhelmed her and she quickly shook her head not allowing such thoughts to take over.

Arriving in front of the 10th division barracks, she wasn´t surprised to find a certain short white haired boy with a frowned expression waiting for her.

"Matsumoto, I was just told that the Captain Commander has accepted my request of leading tomorrow´s mission" his brows deepened "I don´t remember making such a request…"

Matsumoto smiled "Good morning to you too taichou! Isn´t this a lovely morning, look how calm the sky is!"

"Matsumoto…"

Matsumoto suddenly turned serious, "Yes taichou, I told them that you requested it. I´m sorry I didn't ask you before But… "she paused, unsure on how to continue. How was she going to tell him that it hurt her to see how the young boy was killing himself with practice and work on the Division. He would wake up every morning early to do his duty as a Captain and would spend every spare moment training with his Zanpakuto, never content with the results he achieved. He was just a boy, yet he had suffered and still suffers so much. "I thought you might need a distraction. You´ve been working so much and a mission to the real world would help you concentrate on something else."

The boy only looked at her with an annoyed expression. Boy is he stubborn. "Besides.. Hinamori is coming too".

She pressed on the wrong button "WHAT?" but it was too late to back off. "Yes, she is. You both need to get away from here for a while, to clear up your minds" her voice softened a bit "you haven´t talked to each other that much lately have you? I hate to see Hinamori-san upset taichou. And you should talk to her about that. You should take this chance to spend some time with her".

She had never spoken to her Captain like this before but he seemed to understand what she had meant to say. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"All right Matsumoto… I´ll see you tomorrow then at the Senkaimon. Don´t be late".

"I never am taichou, it´s the rest of the world who´s early!"

"And Matsumoto…". He turned his back and entered the building.

"Yes?"

"Thank you".

Matsumoto smiled "You´re welcome".

She sent again a quick look to the blue sky before entering the building along with her captain.

Meanwhile Hinamori had just entered her captain´s apartment. She found him sitting in the garden. She greeted him and sat near him.

"Taichou… thank you for proposing me for tomorrow´s mission".

Shinji looked at her: "Ya needn´t to thank me. You wanted to go right?"

"Yes." She said with a bright smile.

They sat there for a while looking at the garden.

"Ne, taichou… what is the real world like?"

"Huh?" Shinji turned his head so he could face her.

"Well, I mean. I haven´t been there in a very long time and I don´t remember it very well. I actually haven´t seen much of it."

"How is it like" Shinji took his time to choose an answer "I don´t think there is a word that can describe how exactly the Real World is but yet you could use every word to describe it."

Hinamori wasn´t quite sure she had understood what he meant and Shinji noticed it.

"Well, you can say that it is very different from this place. It is much more… lively. Hell, there is life everywhere. The people, the animals, the plants, the air even. Everything is fuller of life than here."

Hinamori sat in silence thinking about his words.

"Hey, don´t look like that." He shook her arm and smirked. "Ya don´t have to trust my every word. You will find out tomorrow. I just want to tell you this, whether you like it there or not, you will never forget it."

And with that he stood up, stretched his arms lazily and headed to his office.

Hinamori continued sitting there. The Real World… Rukia had told her amazing things about that place. She wanted to experience them too. But more than that, she wanted her chance to fight. This time she was not going to lose. This time, she will definitely win.

And with that thought she headed to the office too ready to take care of her daily duties. The next day she would have to wake up early. Again, she thought with a sigh of false sadness. Then, with a bright smile, she entered her office.