Title: Mayuhorin
Summary: Toushiro's ill mother sends him to live with his twin sister, Mayuhorin. Momo, accompanying Toushiro, becomes jealous of her, and soon discovers that Mayuhorin is not an ordinary girl…
Genre: Friendship, Family, Drama.
A/N: I was originally planning on putting this story out at the end of the month, but the idea was so good that I decided to start it now! Enjoy!
Mayuhorin
Toushiro Hitsugaya was lying on the side of a hill, lazily gazing at the passing clouds. He appeared to not have a care in the world. That appearance was deceptive though.
"Toushiro?"
Toushiro turned his head to see Momo Hinamori walking up the side of the hill. Momo was Toushiro's best friend and next-door neighbor. They looked after eachother and spent most of their time with eachother. Toushiro was twelve years old and Momo was thirteen, though due to his high academic grades, Toushiro moved up a grade and was in the same classes as Momo at their school.
"What do you want?" he asked grumpily.
"Your mother wants to see you," Momo said. Toushiro immediately sat up, now fully alert.
"Why? Is something wrong with her?"
"No no, nothing like that. She just wants to talk to you," Momo said.
"About what?" Toushiro asked.
"Just come and we can see," Momo said. Toushiro got up to his feet and began walking back up the hill towards his house. They lived at the edge of a small town in an area full of grassy plains and rolling hills. They weren't quite in the country, but neither were they really in the city.
They walked up the hill, Toushiro's house on the other side of it. When they reached the house, they walked in through the back door. They stepped quietly through the halls until they reached Toushiro's mothers room. Momo stayed outside as Toushiro walked into the dimly lit room.
"Mom?" he said quietly.
"Toushiro…" his mother said from her reclined chair. She was pale and rather thin, with water, food, and medicine stacked around the chair. An old book lay open on the short table next to her.
"Are-are you okay Mom?" he asked. His mother smiled at him.
"I'm doing well enough," she said, "But there is something I need to discuss with you."
"What?" Toushiro asked. His mother sighed.
"I should think this is obvious, but I'm not getting any better. You've been taking care of yourself lately, but you can't do everything on your own, you need someone to help you, and that someone isn't me right now."
"You'll get better Mom," Toushiro said.
"With luck, maybe some day, but not soon," his mother said, "Unfortunately, I can't let this go on. You need someone to take care of you and raise you properly. I'm too sick to do that. In fact, it feels like half the time, you're the one taking care of me. I'm afraid I'm going to have to send you off to someone who can take care of you while I am unable to."
"Mom…please," Toushiro pleaded with her, "Don't make me go. I like it here, I don't want to leave. I don't mind taking care of you. Don't make me leave you and Momo and everything else!"
"I'm sorry, but I've already made the arrangements," his mother said, "In one week, you will be going to live with your father and sister."
"But-but they live halfway across the country!" Toushiro said in shock, "Besides, I haven't seen them in five years!"
Toushiro was shocked by what his mother had said. It had been five years since their parents split up. Five years since he had seen his father and twin sister. To him, it seemed like an eternity ago. Toushiro originally had two siblings, his twin sister Mayuhorin and his little sister Yuuki. However, when they were seven, a three year old Yuuki died in a tragic accident. It tore the family apart, and their parents eventually divorced, unable to maintain their ties with eachother. Toushiro and his mother left for their current residence while his father and Mayuhorin left their original home for a remote coastal area far away. Ever since then, they had hardly ever spoken to eachother, let alone seen eachother.
Toushiro and Mayuhorin had been very close at the time, and being separated from her made him lonely and depressed at first, and was initially unable to fit into the new town. Then he met Momo, and slowly grew attached to this home and the area. He didn't want to leave. He didn't want to leave his mother, he didn't want to leave Momo, and he didn't want to leave his home.
"Please Mom, I don't want to go," Toushiro said, "I don't want to leave everything and have to start everything I gained here over again."
"I'm sorry Toushiro, it's for the best," his mother said.
"But what about you? Who will take care of you?" Toushiro asked. His mother smiled.
"Don't worry, I'm not entirely helpless, at least not yet. Besides, there are a few neighbors who are willing to help me out. Don't worry about me though, just make sure that you are doing fine, and I'll do fine."
"What about Momo? I can't leave her! I want to stay here with her!" Toushiro said. Suddenly the door burst open.
"I'll come with you then!" Momo said.
"Momo, were you listening at the door?" Toushiro asked.
"Yes, but forget about that," Momo said with a small blush, "I'll come with you! That way you won't be alone while you're there and you'll have someone there to talk to! Schools almost out, so we can stay together at your dad's house all summer! Is that okay Mrs. Hitsugaya?"
"I think that is a wonderful idea, but is it okay with your parents?"
"Don't worry, it will be fine with them. I've already gone on long vacations with Toushiro before, so they're used to that sort of thing. How were you planning on having Toushiro travel there?" Momo said.
"By bus. It will be a three day trip with two night's at hotels," Toushiro's mother said.
"Okay, I'll go make the arrangements and get tickets right away. Don't worry, I'll take good care of Toushiro and make sure he stays out of trouble," Momo said with a grin.
"Momo…" Toushiro said, shocked that she would devote her entire summer to helping him like this.
"Don't worry Toushiro, it's not a problem at all. I'm happy to do this. Now you can go without being alone. I'll be there to keep you company and look out for you. Don't worry, everything will turn out fine," Momo said. After a moment, Toushiro gave her a rare smile.
"Thank you, Momo."