A Renji Abarai One-Shot, Disclaimer, I don't own Bleach, nor the OC in this One Shot! Thank you ^^ Enjoy.
Dark clouds loomed overhead of the vast forest that resided near the Seireitei.
It was to no ones surprise when the droplets of rain began to leak out, embracing both the forest and the Seireitei in the blanket of a light drizzle.
A single figure could be seen making its way into the dense forest, the reason behind it yet to be revealed.
Renji trudged along the nonexistent path that led deeper into the dark wooded area.
A scowl upon his lips as his mind paid no attention to anything beside the scenes that kept replaying themselves in his head.
He had recently went against his Captain, Byakuya Kuchiki, once again challenging him, and once again was made a fool from.
It was just dawning on Renji that he didn't even remember why he had been so bold, or idiotic to face his Captain in the first place.
The deed was done. There was nothing to do about it anymore.
This was what his mind was trying to tell him, but Renji refused to listen.
There was only one thing that could make up for what he did, and that was train until he couldn't lift his Zanpauktou any more, until he was stronger, strong enough to stand on equal grounds with Byakuya.
And so that was what this red head set out to do.
The rain had gone from a light drizzle to an outright downpour, drenching this Shinigami and anyone who was outside as well.
With Zabimaru in his grasp, Renji stood there, alone in the clearing, his slender frame shivering not because of the rain, but from each breath he took, he was exhausted, but that didn't mean he was giving up just yet.
That just meant that the training was barely getting started.
Unbeknownst to Renji however, a pair of crystal blue eyes were watching the entire time, Hoshi hadn't meant to follow him just to watch him.
Hoshi was a new arrival to the Rukongai District, she couldn't remember anything, nothing except her name.
And this red head was the first person whom she had seen.
Normally souls arrive in the city nearest to the Seireitei but there are some exceptions, and Hoshi happened to be one of them.
And since this sullen red head was the first person she saw, she followed him.
As she was following him, Hoshi couldn't help but feel that she was somehow invisible to him, for no matter how loud the crunch of a leaf, or snap of a tree, the boy kept walking.
Now Hoshi wasn't one to randomly talk to strangers but she was beginning to change her mind when he stopped at a sudden meadow.
The meadow was decorated with targets and abused trunks of trees, that's when the red head did something Hoshi would have never suspected.
Pulling out his katana, all he had to do was recite what sounded like a chant, "Roar, Zabimaru."
And the blade would take on a completely different appearance.
It amazed Hoshi, enough to capture her attention fully and remain hidden in the foliage of the trees and do nothing but watch the unnamed boy.
Renji was too troubled by his own thoughts to even realize that he was followed, and by an unprotected and new soul.
All Renji cared about was his training, to make himself better, to earn the respect of the 6th Division Captain.
Raising Zabimaru for yet another strike at the already tired posts Renji prepared for yet another barrel of attacks upon them, when all of a sudden a screech and cry of terror caught him by surprise.
A girl came racing out of the bushes, and if that wasn't strange enough, right after her came a snake like Hollow.
Its unnaturally deep eye sockets holding the unnerving bright red lights that stood out from the starkly white mask that was its face, its wide mouth opening to reveal a pair of elongated fangs and hundreds of jagged teeth, but the teeth weren't what froze the girl in terror now, it was the nails on chalkboard screech that it released into the night again.
His prior fatigue now forgotten, the instincts that had been rooted into him since his joining into the Academy kicked in.
Without further hesitation, Renji recovered from the small slip into shock and moved himself to stand between the girl and the Hollow.
That was when the Hollow had decided to strike, but it wasn't with its head the way that anyone would have suspected. It had a different and more effective weapon.
The tip of its tail; like a stinger on a bee, or even the stinger of a scorpion, only much slimmer and crafted with a better hand.
Like a deadly whip, the Hollow's tail swung out and truck at Renji.
Renji hadn't immediately saw it coming and thus was late to react, dodging fast enough to prevent any fatal injuries, but not quick enough to escape the entire blow.
Renji grit his teeth in obvious pain as the fine point of the stinger cut a clean gash against his side, a feet or so to the flesh under his left arm.
"Stay back and don't get in the way!" Renji ordered through clenched teeth to the Soul behind him, glancing only briefly to see weather she had or hadn't obeyed him.
Renji didn't know why but he thought she would protest, to his amazement she didn't and he was glad for that.
Returning his gaze to the Hollow, Renji had a single objective, to kill the Hollow.
Again the Hollow let out its deafening shriek once again as its tail flicked and readied for the next plow, but this time Renji was ready.
Much like the Hollow's tail, Zabimaru was like a whip also.
With his right hand firmly on Zabimaru's hilt, Renji stood his ground, bending his knees ever so slightly that the sudden action could have been overlooked, that simple act though propelled him into the air, his right arm whipping back just as the Hollow's tail was sent to where Renji's form would have been.
Renji smirked for he knew that he now had the Hollow, Zabimaru snaked out extending as it does, its menacing blades all heading out in the same direction.
Towards the mask of the Hollow.
Slashing through the mask, six of the hooked like blades that made up Zabimaru were past the mask.
The Hollow let out a cry that was worse than before as the pain hit it; its end was coming, but it wasn't done yet. All because the mask was still in tact, it may have a greater gash in it but it wasn't shattering just yet.
Renji cursed, pulling out and dragging each painful razor blade out hoping that the mere act would finish the monster.
The pain that had until then hidden behind the rush of adrenaline was beginning to make itself known to Renji. He had to finish this, and soon if both he and the girl were to survive.
His strength was failing him though, not just from the loss of blood he was encountering, but from the previous training he had done.
Hoshi watched with more amazement than terror as the boy fought the creature she had yet to put a name on.
Her crystal blue eyes were mainly on his frame, his movements it was obvious that he was used to such occurrences and this might not be the last time he would be faced with such a challenge.
But soon that speculation was brought to further question as she saw the change in his posture, it was small, hardly worth the notice, but she couldn't help but feel dread overtake her as she knew he wasn't in the best shape.
The wound that had befallen him had only made his situation worse.
He was no longer in any shape to fight, how she knew this she didn't know. All she knew was that she knew.
As if on cue, the Serpent's tail came in for another attack, but this time not so deadly, it was as if it was testing the situation, wanting to get something affirmed before it continued.
The blow, whether it caught the boy by surprise or not, didn't matter for it caught him either way.
Hitting his already wounded torso, he was sent soaring across the meadow, a thundering crack as his back hit a trunk of a very sturdy tree.
His form drooped a second after the collision, a sure sign to Hoshi that he wouldn't be getting up any moment soon.
Hoshi didn't know what possessed her that moment to race to the boys figure and take the once again changed sword.
Now with her standing protectively over the body of the boy. Hoshi looked up at the monster, she should have been frozen to place once again, but she wasn't she guessed it was because anger was fueling her, anger of being alone in a place she didn't recognize, anger of this thing hunting her down, of having felt helpless as she watched the boy face this thing.
Now all that stood between her and the creature was the boys sword, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't remember the chant he had recited to cause its change.
Hoshi couldn't dwell on that though, all she could do right now was finish what was started.
No longer seeing the threat of the Shinigami, the Hollow saw no use of using his tail on the girl before him.
Little did it know that that would be its demise.
As it went mask first, Hoshi raised the sword, she was a novice and she knew it, but a deep instinct in her led her to raise the sword and slice downwards, the gash ending up ironically on the same spot where the boy had stuck.
Finishing the job and thus the Hollow.
Alerted by the cries of the Hollow, officers of the Seireitei finally arrived on the scene.
Both Hoshi and Renji were taken to the infirmary, Hoshi taken mostly because she refused to leave the Lieutenant's side.
Hoshi spent the rest of the night and most of the morning studying the boy who had saved her life.
He was gorgeous she thought, with the reddest hair that she had ever seen, she had even stoked it out of curiosity. It was strangely softer than she had thought it would be, it brought a smile to her face.
Renji's dark eyes fluttered open, to a strange image. The most beautiful girl he had ever seen with equally long red hair only tints lighter than his own, with the deepest blue eyes he had ever seen was sitting there, right next to him.
Renji could feel his face redden in a blush as he processed what was going on. His first thoughts were that he had died that night and gone to whatever lies beyond the Seireitei and Rukongai, for there was a red headed Angel before him.
But his next action proved him wrong.
Renji sat abruptly and immediately regretted it. A sharp pain shot through him and caused him to once again grit his teeth, breathing shallowly.
The girl next to him appeared worried, "A lady said you shouldn't move or you'll open your wound again." she informed him.
Renji nodded and laid himself back down, watching the girl he had thought was an angel curiously, "You're that girl form the woods right?" he asked.
Hoshi nodded, then smiled warmly to him "It was brave what you did."
Renji looked away, "I didn't finish it though, did I?"
Hoshi frowned herself, not willing to lie to him, "No, but you did cripple it enough for someone else to finish it." she said softly.
Renji nodded, "I'm sorry I was unable to kill it."
Hoshi shook her head placing a gentle hand on his arm, "Don't apologize, if it wasn't for you that thing would still be alive."
At that Renji looked at her surprised, "So does that mean other Shinigami got there to finish it?" he asked wondering who ended up killing the Hollow.
And again Hoshi shook her head, "Your sword finished it."
Renji looked at her bewildered, had she or anyone else gotten hold of Zabimaru and killed that Hollow?"
At the stare, Hoshi looked away sheepishly, confirming his suspicion with her silence.
Renji smiled, "You have a fighter's spirit, maybe one day you'll join the Seireitei if you haven't already." he said pretty sure that he had never seen her before until last night.
Hoshi brightened as he no longer seemed to be upset about the past night, "My name's Hoshi Aki."
Renji nodded enveloping her small hand in his and giving her a slight squeeze of thanks for finishing the Hollow. "Renji Abarai, Nice to meet you."