Title: Glimmer
Author: hermie & nevi
Beta: rasvi
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Ichimaru Gin, mentions of others.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 648
Summary: Gin thinking about Hueco Mundo and Aizen. Inspired by a prompt from a Live Journal community.
Warnings: It's Gin thinking. Could be a little disturbing for some people.
Disclaimer: Don't own them, not making anything off them
Spoilers: Takes place during the time taken up by the Bounto arc, with some hints at the story after that. Nothing too vital is given away.
hol·low n.
1. A cavity, gap, or space: a hollow behind a wall.
2. An indented or concave surface or area.
3. A void; an emptiness: a hollow in one's life.
4. A small valley between mountains.
It was a quiet night in Hueco Mundo. But it was always a quiet night here, Gin reminded himself with a little sardonic laugh. Even when the voices of the Arrancar echoed through the halls of Las Noches, they didn't seem to be capable of breaking up the silence that hung heavy over the world of the Hollows. Nothing made this place seem like more than it was- death waiting to take all joy and color out of anything that came within its reach.
He leaned onto the sill of the high window and watched the thin streams of moonlight play over the glittering white sand and he wondered why it was that he was not swallowed up into that soft white light of deathly silence. It didn't seem to affect Tousen-san or Aizen-taicho either. Was it some protection that Aizen-taicho had cast over them? But he knew there was no Kido strong enough to stop the horrible emptiness of Hueco Mundo. It was something else, something inside a soul that could keep it out.
Tousen was rarely outside of his chambers, where he lay staring into the darkness of his sightless world, thinking thoughts that Gin's mind would not trouble him with. Thoughts of justice and doubts about if he had done the right thing by leaving with Aizen-taicho. With a mind constantly reminding himself of the feelings and morals of a living creature, Tousen had no space for the subtle hollowing out of the soul that happens here in Hueco Mundo.
And Aizen himself was untouchable by his very nature. Nothing in the world of the Shinigamis could blemish him and this world likewise held no power over him. Aizen was a surreal being, whom Gin would follow to the very gates of Hell and beyond.
Gin couldn't help but laugh at that thought. He had followed him into what most would call a Hell of sorts, this barren land of death they now called home. So he wondered again what it was that kept him alive here, what was it that made him not like the pitiful creatures that filled this realm.
There was a time when he would have been taken over by it all in moments. Before he had a purpose in his life, he may have been just another soul with its heart eaten out. What had changed him was Aizen-taicho. Though back then he was just Aizen-sama, a ranked officer in the Gotei 13 who had found an empty shell and encouraged him to enter the Shinigami school. Gin was certain now that even then Aizen-taicho was manipulating him as he had Momoshiro, Abarai and the others. He had been no more than a tool for the genius Shinigami to use to reach his ultimate goal of ascending to Hueco Mundo.
What made Gin different from the others was the fact that he didn't mind being used. He wasn't concerned with what it was Aizen-taicho was exploiting his abilities to do, just that he could serve a purpose in the man's life. The deep empty hole that had longed to be filled was now consumed with the desire to fulfill every whim of the man he called Taicho.
And as he walked away from the window, headed to the main hall of Las Noches to make his appearance at Aizen-taicho's side when he greeted the returning Arrancar, Gin understood. He knew why it was that he was not going to change. Why he was no longer living with that hollow place in his soul.
Gin had hope. Just a tiny thing like that could protect a mind and soul from so much. He had the tiny spark of hope that one day, he would look into Aizen's eyes and see his secret heart reflected back in them.