Hello. This is dedicated 001Kamikakushi because they (sorry I don't know your gender) put this plot bunny in my head and has been so helpful and kind with their reviews. I know I should be working on GG or Prophecy, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone. So I sat down and wrote it and it is now 12:30am and I'm exhausted. I've already tried to clean it up, but my brain doesn't seem to be working. So sorry for any mistakes. For you GG readers, this is the mission Hitsugaya went on in chapter 4. As for the Hollow. I've looked all over the web and I've found like ten different ways to spell its name. In case your confused, its the second class of Menos.
blah Hyourinmaru speaking; "blah" Histu speaking to Hyourinamru; "blah" normal talking
Hope you enjoy! Tell me what you think.
Bleach doesn't belong to me. "I Stand All Alone" is by Bryan White. (I think I need to stop using song titles as the titles.)
I Stand Alone
The thick brush whooshed past him as he ran through the forest. The wind played with his white hair, making it twist and block his view. With a scowl, he quickly smoothed it back with a hand. He really needed to find something to do with the mess of white locks. Just letting the hair fall into his eyes wasn't working.
The dirty reiatsu of a Hollow permeated the air like a fog, making bile rise in his throat. He quickly swallowed. This particular squad wasn't much of a problem, but he still had to deal with the prejudices against his height and age. He did not need his subordinates to think him to weak to take down a simple Hollow by throwing up. But then again, this wasn't a normal mission after a normal Hollow.
Rumors of this particular Hollow had been floating around Rukongai for a while now. Yamamoto- soutaichou had sent out a squad to look into the rumors. Turned out they were true. Or at least, they thought they were. The squad had never returned or been heard from. Several people claimed it was the same Hollow that had killed the tenth's old vice-captain. The rumors only fueled the theory.
Hitsugaya scoffed. People had a tendency to over-exaggerate. This thing probably was a pathetic Hollow that had gotten in a few lucky shots. Nothing more. They should have sensed it on the radar if was such a problem. They would finish this quickly and he could go back to training.
The dragon coiled in his chest, growling in anticipation. Do not underestimate your opponent young one. Sometimes the strongest creatures come in the smallest packages.The closest thing to a chuckle Hyourinmaru could get rumbled through his mind. The boy's frown deepened at the insult to his height, from his own zanpakutou no less.
"Hitsugaya- san?" The genius looked over his shoulder, trusting Hyourinmaru to warn him before he hit anything, and quirked an eyebrow at Shichiro. The man was slightly behind him, working as the communication between this half of the squad and the other half. Getting his superior's attention, the man cleared his throat. "The other group has found the Hollow sir. They are tracking it. Kiyoshi says it is heading northeast in approximately our direction. They are waiting for orders sir."
"Tell him to keep on it. Inform us if it changes its route." The boy frowned again, glancing ahead of him. "Can he give us a description of it yet?" The brown-haired man quickly spoke to the hell butterfly flying next to him, relaying the message to the other half of the squad. A soft voice whispered hurriedly from the butterfly.
"No sir. The most they can tell is that it's big." The boy scoffed again and dodged around a tree. "Any sign of it yet Hyourinmaru?" The dragon grumbled, and shifted.
It's coming. Quickly. There should be a clearing ahead with a wall of boulders you should be able to corner it against.Hitsugaya nodded and winced as he tried to pinpoint the exact location. The air reeked of Hollow. He couldn't differentiate the old trail from the actual beast, his senses too sensitive to the reiatsu. It was usually a good thing, but the Hollow had traveled all over the woods and left its reek everywhere. Light filtered through the trees as the clearing approached and Hitsugaya thanked the dragon's astute senses.
Holding up a hand, the six shinigami behind him came to a halt immediately, looking at him apprehensively. "Spread out. We should intersect it's path here. Corner it and take it out. Wait for my signal. Shichiro, relay that to the others." The man nodded and whispered into the butterfly. The others quickly disappeared into the foliage, waiting to ambush the creature.
The seconds crept by. A bead of sweat trailed down his temple, the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Hyourinmaru twisted, ready to spring at its wielder's call. Licking his dry lips, Hitsugaya leaned behind a tree, watching the clearing with teal eyes.
It's here!
The trees exploded outward as the Hollow rammed into them. Eyes widening to try and take in the entire mass of the beast, the boy had to disagree with the beast being classified as 'big'. The thing was huge! Shaped like an ape, its head was a few feet from the treetops. Huge quills like a porcupine's protruded from its body, dripping with yellow goo, probably poison. The Hollow's wild eyes quickly flashed around as it walked farther into the clearing.
Waiting for it to get close enough to the rocks, Hitsugaya sent out a quick burst of reiatsu. The Hollow pivoted and looked in his direction, hunger gleaming in its eyes. The squad pulled out from the trees, some of the closer shinigami swinging at the giant mask. Fear replaced the hunger as the Hollow realized it was surrounded. Twisting to try and find an escape, all attacks aimed for its mask missed. Zanpakutou sliced into the skin under the spiny hide and drew blood.
Enraged, it swung at the shinigami with its arms, spines defending its back from attacks. Huge fists flailed wildly, knocking out a recruit who hadn't moved in time. Dancing around the Hollow, two shinigami were finally able to land an attack, the mask cracked but didn't split. Spines shot into the air, tearing clothing and, in some cases, leaving gashes on skin.
White brows furrowed. Something wasn't right. There was no way this thing had defeated one, possibly two squads. It was too stupid for something of that caliber. The thing didn't even have the intelligence to speak. If there weren't so many people in the way, he could destroy it with one hit from Hyourinmaru.
His turquoise eyes widened and he tightened his grip on Hyourinmaru. "Move! Get out of here now!" Several of his squad looked at him with confusion written clearly on his face. Shichiro landed next to him.
"What's wrong Hitsugaya- san?" The boy turned to face the man.
"That's not the real target! It's just a distract..." Out of the corner of his eye, he say something thin and white shoot at him. Unable to fully dodge, he threw himself backward. There was the sickening sound of flesh being torn and blood splattered on the ground and on his robes.
"Hitsugaya -san!" Groaning, the boy-genius propped himself on his elbows. Touching his fingertips to his forehead, he wasn't entirely surprised to find them coated in blood. The prodigy watched in horror as more of the white strips flew across the clearing from behind the boulders. They wrapped themselves around half of the shinigami. Cries of pain resounded through the forest as steam rolled off the captured soul reapers. Angry burn marks bordered the white strips as the wound around their prisoners bodies.
"You're very smart little shinigami. Too bad it took you so long to figure it out." The white tentacles released the captured shinigami, their limp bodies falling lifelessly to the ground where they stayed. Some of the remaining members raced over to help their wounded comrades. Blood seeped from the wounds and he was sure he could see bone on some of the fallen reapers. Hitsugaya gritted his teeth. This wasn't how he had planned it.
"Get the wounded out of here! Send for backup." Even with the stench of the giant Hollow, he could sense the power of the puppeteer Hollow. This wasn't going to be an easy fight. People scrambled to fulfill his orders, the rest staying to fend off the ape Hollow.
"Don't think I'll let my prey get away so quickly, little soul reaper." The tentacles whipped out and left bleeding wounds across the shinigami trying to help their comrades. Eyes watching the white strips, the boy rushed forward after the limbs. Someone called his name.
"Take care of the wounded and get rid of the puppet! Don't come after me. That's an order!" There was another shout, but he ignored it, his mind bent on finding the real problem. He trusted Shichiro to take care of the squad. The man was competent and had more of a brain than most.
The tentacle passed between two boulders in a crack to small for him to fit into. Vaulting over the wall of rock, he rolled as he hit the ground. The drop had been farther than he expected. It seemed the ground behind the boulders had given way to form a large crater with a cave in the middle. There was a flash of white as the appendage disappeared into the darkness.
Hesitating, the boy crept over to the side of the opening. Gathering his reiatsu, he held out a small hand. "Hadou 31. Shot of Red Fire." The flames curled in his hand before shooting off into the darkness. The light illuminated the area below for a second before the attack fizzled out against the ground. Drawing his zanpakutou, he jumped down into the cave. Landing in a crouch, Hitsugaya waited for his eyes to adjust.
I smell Hollow in the left corridor. The genius nodded and thanked the dragon. Stretching all his senses for any sign of life, he jogged into the rough opening. The darkness seemed to be a sentient thing as it wrapped itself around him and blinded him.
"Hyourinmaru!" The spirit growled in understanding and projected an image of the area into his mind. Closing his eyes and devoting his energy to finding the Hollow, he let the dragon guide him through the pitch darkness.
Careful young one. It's in the cavern ahead. There should be enough light to see there.
"I hope you're right. I don't know if I'll be able to beat this thing if I can't see it for myself."Reaching the opening to the cavern, Hitsugaya shivered from the cold. Maybe it was better that he had come alone. Normal people might not have been able to survive these temperatures. Tightening his grip of Hyourinmaru, he pressed himself against the wall and looked into the cavern.
It was probably a bit smaller than the clearing. The floor was clear of any debris or cracks, the ground unnaturally smooth. An old pool perhaps? There were waterlines on the sides of the wall and a slick algae on the ground. A small crack in the ceiling let a shaft of pale light touch the floor, the light giving him just enough light to see. "Where is it Hyourinmaru?"
The dragon didn't answer, concentrating. Glancing around the room, the boy-genius couldn't find any sign of the Hollow. Stepping warily into the room, he felt like he was walking into the lions' den. "Hyourinmaru?" The stench was even worse in the room. His head pounded and his stomach churned. The small drip of water was the only sound besides his breathing.
Move!Hitsugaya had learned long ago that when the dragon ordered you to do something, you did it, even if the thundering roar left his pounding head felling like it was splitting open. Throwing himself to the side and rolling as the ground exploded when the Hollow crashed down on the spot he had been seconds ago. Flipping and facing the beast, he couldn't stop his heartbeat from increasing. This wasn't a normal Hollow. This was a Menos, an Adjucha.
"Sit upon the frozen heavens Hyourinmaru." The sword in his hand became as cold as ice as he released his zanpakutou. His other hand deftly caught the chain to the sickle and he twirled the sharp crescent. The Adjucha watched with intelligent eyes.
The Hollow looked like mound of rocks that formed a hunchback shape with the head halfway down the body. "I was wondering if you would come little shinigami. Not many are stupid enough to enter. Now sit still so I can eat you. It's been a while since I've had shinigami flesh and especially someone with your reiatsu." A crude smile pulled at its mouth as it lunged forward, reflexes like a cat.
Hitsugaya flipped out of the way, tossing the sickle with expert precision. The chain wrapped around the creatures hand and bit into its rocky flesh. Blood spurted form the wound, but the Hollow ignored the pain as it continued its charge. A tentacle flicked out, sharped like a sword, and thrust at him. He was forced to drop the tension on the chain to dodge, the sickle falling from the Hollow's hand.
Claws ripped through the air as he ducked beneath the attack. Flipping backward, he held up his hand in front of his face to ward off an rocks that flew toward him as a huge paw slammed into the ground. The dragon in him coiled restlessly. Enough dodging young one. It is time we bared our fangs. The prodigy nodded and twirled around the incoming claws aimed for his chest. His sword sunk into the Adjucha's arm, blood spilling from the wound.
A group of the tentacles sprouted from the Hollow's back and shot toward him. Using his speed and small size, he dodged around the attacks, gracefully slicing through the appendages as they slid past him. This time, the creature did shriek in pain, cowering away from him. He lunged at it, zanpakutou flying in a steady arc aimed for its mask.
Murderous rage flashed in the monster's eyes. Claws as long as his sword swiped at him furiously. In the air, he was unable to completely dodge, clothes ripping and thin scratches covering his chest. More tentacles snapped out at him, each sharp enough to pierce steel. Blood dribbled slowly from when the points had gotten too close.
Moving quickly to block the incoming paws with Hyourinmaru, Hitsugaya didn't see the other pair tear into his side. He was thrown to the ground, the wind knocked out of him. Blood gushed from the wound and he futilely held a hand against it in hopes of stemming the flow. The boy-genius winced as he pushed himself to his feet. Great, all he needed was a few broken ribs now.
Jumping back from the next punch, he painfully suck in a breath through his teeth. He had to finish it quickly. His vision was already blurring from blood loss. Hacking at the tentacles, his grace forfeited in his haste, he tensed his leg and pushed off. Blood dripped onto the Adjucha as he passed overhead. Grasping the chain attached to his pommel, he watched as it wrapped around the beast's neck.
Landing behind the Hollow, Hitsugaya tugged at the chain, hoping the sickle would cut through the flesh at the mask. The creature pivoted and swiped at him, his other hand working to untangle to chain. Tentacles grew from his back and bombarded the chain. One of them found their mark, shearing the chain.
Hyourinmaru roared in pain, thrashing around in his mind. Gasping as the sudden wave of pain washed over him, the boy held his palm to his nose, feeling the blood pool in his hand. Tears blurred his vision, making it hard to see the Adjucha. Silently cursing, the boy dropped to the ground as a tentacle soared over him. The break would repair itself once he dropped the shikai, but that didn't stop the pain the dragon felt as a part of him was detached.
"Looks like this is the end little shinigami. Hopefully, you are as tasty as you look and smell." The Adjucha's dark eyes gleamed with hunger and glee at its assured kill. Scrambling to his feet and facing the Hollow, he held out his zanpakutou, willing Hyourinmaru to ignore the pain. The monster looked confused and then smiled. "Still looking for a fight?" Tentacles shot out at him, but her fended them off.
A paw shot at him, making him drop to his knees to avoid. More tentacles flew at him and he hacked into them. There was as swoosh as one shot over his head and aimed for his back. Holding his arm to block, he was surprised when it wrapped around the appendage instead of biting into his skin. Heat exploded around the white strip. He felt the skin on his arm boil from the fire placed against it.
Ignoring the ones in front of him, his sword tore through the tentacle around his arm. The white appendage dropped to the floor, the end still wrapped around his forearm. Grabbing the material, he ripped it from his arm, biting his lip to keep from screaming. The burnt skin under and around the tentacle peeled off with it. The jagged edges of his remaining skin fell over the white material of his bone.
Finish this young one. It will not be long before you cannot go any longer. You have lost to much blood.Hitsugaya felt his lips twitch. The rational, intelligent dragon was back, though his voice was till tinged with pain. Getting to his feet, he felt his legs start to give out. Locking his knees, he glared at the Adjucha that had caused him, his squad, and most importantly, his dragon pain.
Taking a deep breath, he ignore the cries his body gave as he dodged beneath the next attacks. The dragon was right. He wasn't going to last long. Seeing his opening, he steeled himself. His body wasn't going to like this. Ducking beneath the incoming tentacles, he dropped to the ground, sliding along the wet cavern floor. Tightening his grip on the hilt, he dug his sword into the Hollow's leg muscles. The creature faltered, collapsing on its hand and knees in pain.
Jumping to his feet as the head neared, he shoved the tip of his zanpakutou into the fleshy skin at its neck. It screamed in pain and thrashed, but he wasn't going to let this chance go. "Hyourinmaru!" The dragon roared in acknowledgment and ice blasted from the end of the sword, covering the Hollow's neck and mask in the crystal liquid. Scrambling out from underneath the creature, he watched it fall, evaporating into black specks.
Sighing deeply, the boy struggled to his feet, using Hyourinmaru as a cane, something the dragon despised and wasn't afraid to tell him so. Smirking at the dragon, Hitsugaya checked his reiatsu reserves. He had enough for a few shunpo back to the clearing. The cave flashed by quickly and the warmth of the outside air hit him like a truck after being in the freezing cavern for so long. Looking down at his destroyed arm, he prayed Unohana would be able to fix it. Swordsmanship had been one of his top subjects in school. It would be a shame to have his arm permanently damaged. The dragon needed his freedom and being handicapped was going to make that harder than it already was.
He was relieved to find the clearing absent of the giant Hollow when he arrived. He gave a quick burst of reiatsu to warn the others of his arrival, too tired and injured to try and find them. Shichiro and two others that hadn't been in the squad earlier came to meet him. Reinforcements had obviously come. Shichiro had a worried look on his face as he took in the prodigy's state. Hitsugaya noticed his arm was in a sling and bandages were wrapped around his head, chest and leg. Cool teal eyes met his dark ones. "Report?"
"The puppet Hollow was taken care of sir. No deaths in the squad, but several are in critical conditions. All grievously injured shinigami have already been taken back to Seireitei. The rest are lightly injured and waiting for the next gate to open." The man hesitated and his lips thinned. "And you sir?"
"The puppeteer Hollow is dead." He tried to get his lips to form the words, but his body was slowly shutting down. Blinking, he saw the two others close in on him, supporting him. He scowled at them. "I'm fine!" One of the medics smiled sweetly like she was humoring a child and he felt anger bubble in his chest, but his world went dark before he could reprimand her.