Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the rightful owners. This is purely a fanfic starring my favourite characters, from one of my favourite manga-series. It is made for fun, and I hope people will enjoy reading it, as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

A/N: It's been 5 years or so since I last updated the original version of this story. I'm terrible, I know; all I can say is life got in the way. I graduated from high school, started at the university and had my first job… A lot of things have happened. But as chance would have it, I was sifting through files on my 8-year old laptop and came upon this and I thought: I put a lot of effort into this, I owe the people who read it and myself to finish it. And so here I am after an insane hiatus, not only with new content, but with an improved and revised version of the original that fits with the current canon and hopefully has less grammar issues. I hope this story can still be enjoyed. Reviews are always welcome, thank you for reading.

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A new beginning

Why the hell did it have to be so damn cold? Matsumoto cursed under her breath, while jumping from rooftop to rooftop along with some of her squad-members. She bit her lip in frustration. Go to the real world and perform soulburials, exterminate all weak hollows you come across and request backup, if you encounter stronger ones. Yeah right! As if even hollows would move around in weather like this. The wind was biting her face making her cheeks burn, and the falling snow made her hair and kimono stiff. Despite the cold and her bad mood, she still concentrated on the task at hand, her sky-blue eyes scanning the ground and her body itching to sense even the slightest bit of reiatsu.

…

The boy trudged slowly through the snow-covered forest, wincing slightly at every other step from the pain in his side. He shivered from cold as the wind pierced his thin clothing, his hands and feet numb and red from the biting frost. Exhausted, he sighed and heaved up the bundle of firewood he was carrying, trying without much success to manoeuvre it so that it wasn't hitting any of his bruises. It would get dark soon, but he didn't dare return to the shack, not yet. If he didn't gather more wood he was in for another beating and no supper. The boy clenched his teeth; anger welling up inside him. The humiliation he had to endure every day was almost too much to bear. He blinked rapidly to avoid shedding tears, crying meant he'd lost, only babies cried. Tired and out of breath, he sat down in the soft, powdery snow, leaning against the trunk of a large tree. Just a moment, he thought to himself. He'd just rest for a moment. He curled up as best he could in an attempt to shield himself from the cold. The snow was falling faster now, it was beautiful, soothing, lulling him to sleep with its gentleness. Closing his eyes, the boy gave in to the urge to sleep, a few minutes couldn't hurt.

…

It was getting dark when they found a lonely soul, who had sought refuge from the horrible weather in a trash bin. The soul was that of a short, balding man. He was holding a suitcase and wore an expression of horror, as he eyed the group approaching of shinigami. Matsumoto pitied the poor guy, not sure whether he was shivering from the cold or fear.

"B-But I... I'm not r-ready t-to leave..." the soul stammered.

"Don't be afraid, there is nothing more for you here and if you go to the Soul Society you won't have to worry about the cold anymore," she said in her most cheery voice sending the soul a dazzling smile.

The soul looked thoughtful for a moment before he said: "Okay... I guess i-it's time t-to go then..."

Matsumoto drew Haineko from her sheath and carefully stamped the soul's forehead, with her Zanpakutou's hilt. A warm, blue light emitted, as the soul seemed to fuse with the ground. The light grew stronger until it suddenly disappeared, leaving behind only a delicate, black butterfly fluttering its way upwards against the falling snow. The somewhat sad and symbolic beauty of the ritual never failed to surprise Matsumoto.

Even when the butterfly was no longer in sight, she kept staring at the never ending sky lost in thought, the dancing snowflakes and the subtle wind seemed the only things alive. So it was until an explosion of reiatsu hit her without warning. Never in her life had she felt so small and so cold. The wind had become a storm, the white sky had turned dark, thunder roared in the distance, crushing, engulfing, terrifying... And yet magnificent.

…

When your whore of a mother took her own life I got stuck with you, now make yourself useful and gather wood enough to warm this sorry excuse for a house, don't bother coming back otherwise! The boy sat up with a start, his breathing fast and erratic, his arms raised to shield him from a blow that never came. Confused and disoriented he tried to stand up only to land face first in the snow when he stumbled on something lying at his feet. Turning around the boy let out a shocked cry when he realised what had tripped him. Time was a vague concept for him as he sat there, wide-eyed in the cold, staring at what appeared to be himself lying on his side, half of his pale face hidden from view by the fresh snow. Absentmindedly he hugged his shoulders; it was then that he noticed the chain protruding from his chest.

…

What was that just now? She wondered, as she searched for the slightest trace of the amazing reiatsu, she had just felt. For a brief moment the sky had darkened, and the wind had become a storm, but now the snow was once again falling calmly from white clouds as if nothing had happened. It was still too cold for her liking though. She tried to remember, exactly how the reiatsu had felt. It had been wild, rough and uncontrollable energy. Quite different from anything she had ever felt before, but she could tell it hadn't been a hollow.

After the strange reiatsu had disappeared, her group had split in 3 parties, two pairs and her solo, to seek more efficiently for the source of it. Reaching the city outskirts, she used an old phone-pole as a vantage point, scanning the forested mountainside before her. The sensation was stronger here; she was on the right track. Using a few flash steps she scouted from above the canopy, grateful for the first time that day that it was mid-winter. Silently she landed in a small clearing she had pinpointed as the origination point of the strange reiatsu.

Shinigami weren't supposed to show their emotions while on missions, but the sight that greeted Matsumoto once she reached the ground made it hard for her to uphold that rule. The boy couldn't be older than 5, sitting there all alone in the cold, looking completely lost; his eyes wide in shock as he stared at his own corpse.

The boy didn't seem to notice her when she approached. Carefully she reached down to touch his shoulder. He whirled around at her touch and she found herself staring into a pair of mesmerizing, turquoise eyes, like deep icy ponds on a chilly winter's day. His spiky hair framed his face in soft, messy tofts that rivalled the whiteness of the snow, his slightly rounded cheeks, the delicate nose and his subtle jaw all testimony to his young age. The second she touched him it returned. It was the same reiatsu as before, only this time it was just a faint, cool sensation. Taking in his appearance, she didn't miss the dark bruises at the base of the boy's neck. She felt anger and disgust boiling in her stomach; It was obvious that the child had been physically abused.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you," she said, offering him a soft and reassuring smile. He observed her silently for a moment, his expression gradually changing from terrified to serious all the while emitting an air of distrust. If the situation hadn't been so tragic in nature Matsumoto might have laughed at the scowl he sent her.

"What are you doing?" He asked in a somewhat cold and casual tone clearly trying to put on a brave face.

"I'm looking for you… It's my job to make sure that souls like you make it to the afterlife, I'm a shinigami," she said.

The boy's eyes widened. "A shinigami?" he eyed her sceptically, taking in her appearance. Matsumoto felt a pang of annoyance blooming. A lot of people judged and underestimated her continuously because of the way she looked without even knowing her. It hurt that people often assumed she was nothing more than just some big bosomed bimbo. Her thoughts were interrupted, when the boy spoke: "So… you'll help me get to the afterlife?" He paused for a moment. "Thanks I guess." Matsumoto nodded, sending him a beaming smile, before moving towards his corpse. Gently she brushed away the snow that had fallen on it, the skin was pale and cool to the touch. The boy sent her a quizzical look, when she carefully lifted the limb body from the ground.

"Well we can't just let your body lie around like this… Right..?"

"I guess…" the boy shrugged hesitantly.

"Let's burry you properly before you pass on." The serious expression returned to the boy's face, and he nodded in silent consent.

Matsumoto knelt down, her back towards the boy, sending him an expectant look over her shoulder. "What…?" he asked, eyeing her strange actions suspiciously.

"You won't be able to keep up with my pace, so I'm offering you a piggyback." She thought it was quite natural, but it took a moment, before the boy finally came over and reluctantly wrapped his thin arms around her neck… "Hold on tight," she said, and they took off.

…

He had no idea why he put such trust in this strange woman. He had no idea who she was or where she came from and she dressed strange. Nevertheless he found her presence comforting, reassuring from just the fact that she was there, so he didn't have to be alone. At first he held almost convulsively on to her, afraid he might fall. As he watched the ground pass by below, illuminated by the infant moonlight, and felt the wind on his face however, the fear was replaced with a fluttering feeling in his chest, as if his heart had spawned wings and tried to fly away. It was the strangest sensation. He'd always been very fond of the sky; now he wished he'd never have to come down.

…

The snow made a soft scrunching noise, when they landed. She had brought them to a small hill, further up the mountainside. The moon was peeking out from its clouded curtain in its full, rounded splendour, making the snow glimmer with a silvery light. A grand, solitary oak stood on the hilltop, stretching its branches, as if trying to reach the sky. "Is this a good spot?" Matsumoto asked, as the boy let go of her and landed on his own feet.

"Yeah… It's perfect, but how are we going to dig the hole?" He asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Hmm? Oh that's not a problem, you better step back though." Matsumoto placed the body gently on the ground, before taking a stance and saying: "Hadou no sanjuusan Shakkahou!" The boy leapt back in surprise, when a red ball of energy erupted from her palm, leaving behind a minor crater when it hit the ground near the roots of the great tree. Carefully she manoeuvred the small body into the hole, before covering it up.

"That should do the trick," she said, turning so she was once again facing him.

"Well… I guess it's time for you to go kiddo." She smiled, but the thought that she would probably never see him again was a melancholic one. She could tell he was special. Not just because of the reiatsu she had felt him emit earlier, she felt comfortable in his presence. It was calming, white and unstained like the falling snow. Turquoise and sky-blue met, as their eyes locked and they stood in solemn silence for a moment.

"Thanks for what you did. Will…" Matsumoto's curiosity peeked at the boy's hesitation. "Will I ever see you again?"

Deeply touched by the question, Matsumoto pulled him into a soft embrace, mindful not to smother him and whispered in his ear: "Don't worry. I have a feeling we'll meet again someday." The boy staggered backwards slightly when she let him go, seemingly a bit overwhelmed by her sudden display of affection. Slowly she stood up and drew Haineko. Winking at him, her trademark smile in place, she said: "Until we meet again boy." With a light touch to his forehead from Haineko's hilt, she performed the soulburial.

Matsumoto couldn't count how many soulburials she had performed during her time as shinigami. She mused about this, as she watched yet another butterfly flutter towards the sky. Somehow this time was different. Never had she wished so strongly that she would meet a soul on the other side. She knew the odds were bad, and in time the boy would certainly forget about her, as the memories of his life and death got erased. She sighed and promised herself that she would never forget him. Sheathing her Zanpakutou a small smile grazed her lips. Somehow it felt more like a new beginning than an end.

…

AN: This chapter is very different from the original. Firstly because it is a merge of chapters 1, 2 and 3, but more importantly because the cause and circumstances surrounding Hitsugaya's death was changed completely. Reading the old chapter I wrote sometime in my mid-teens I felt that this version was more fitting somehow. The original can still be found among the stories I have listed on my profile, it's title: 'Legend of the Heavenly Guardian'