Chapter 2- Favor, Letters & Memories
Rangiku and Momo went to the 10th Squad and saw Sasakibe with his comrades. All of the 10th Squad members were looking at Sasakibe. Momo halted while Rangiku stood infront of her comrades.
"For the time being, the 10th Squad will be placed under house arrest. Furthermore, until such times as Captain Hitsugaya is captured, or the incident is resolved, you are to remain confined in your barracks, and your zanpakutou will be confiscated!" Sasakibe stated.
"Wha- Why?"
"That's-!"
"Are we suspects too?"
"You're telling us to just sit around until you figure things out?"
"No way!"
"That's fascist!"
"Give us a chance to prove our innocence..."
Rukia and Renji arrived at the 10th Squad and saw all the commotion. They also saw Momo and went near to her.
"Hinamori-fuku-taichou, when did you wake up?" Rukia said as she looked at Momo.
"An hour ago. I had a dream about Hitsugaya-kun and it felt so real. I thought that I needed to do something about this." Momo said as she sadly smiled.
"Hinamori-fuku-taichou..."
"But what can you do right now, Hinamori? You haven't even regained half of your reiatsu to fight or do something." Renji said.
"Renji, that's too much." Rukia said as she glared at him.
"I maybe rude but... I know things you don't know of. I may still be weak but I know lots of things about Hitsugaya-kun that no one knows. Rukia-san, can you please tell Rangiku-san that I went ahead? There are things I need to confirm."
"H-Hai."
Momo nodded before leaving the 10th Squad. Rukia looked at Renji.
"You made her angry. If Hitsugaya-taichou was here, you would've been an ice statue."
"What can I do?"
"Have you forgotten the fact that Hinamori-fuku-taichou and Hitsugaya-taichou were childhood friends? They grew up together and she was right, she's the only one who knows about things concerning Hitsugaya-taichou." Renji didn't answer and just looked at Sasakibe.
"The subject is closed." He said.
"Vice Captain!"
"Vice Captain Matsumoto!"
Rangiku sighed and took her zanpakutou from her sash. Her subordinates were surprised of this. One of Sasakibe's members stepped forward and Rangiku placed her zanpakutou on his hands.
"Excuse me."
Rukia and Renji approached Rangiku who was leaning on the wall.
"Rangiku-san, what's with the confiscation of zanpakutou?" Renji said.
"It can't be helped. Hitsugaya-taichou's considered as a thief."
"What? A thief?"
"Why?"
"You know about the King's Seal, right?"
-"Hai."-
"Someone stole it. Hitsugaya-taichou went after him without telling me anything. Then, the Sou-taichou decided to capture 's how it is..."
"But they don't know anything yet! This is..." Rukia said.
"It just means that the King's Seal is that important."
"I'm sure Hitsugaya-taichou will be back soon." Renji said.
"I guess. Sheesh, why does everyone disappear without saying anything to me?"
"Captain Hitsugaya's not like Ichimaru!" Renji said while Rangiku sighed.
"Renji..."
The collection of zanpakutou is complete. I will transfer them to the storeroom." One of Sasakibe's comrades said as Sasakibe nodded.
"Now, everyone here is to wait patiently and obediently."
"We're about to lock down the barracks. Matsumoto-fuku-taichou, kindly return to your own room. Abarai-fuku-taichou, it's time."
"Yeah, I'm going. Come on."
-"Goodbye."-
"Wait." Rangiku said as she held Renji's wrist.
"There's one thing I want you to look into..."
After saying her favor, Rukia and Renji walked out of the 10th Squad. Rukia glanced at her while walking.
"The man that Captain went after... I think the two of them must be connected somehow. The Captain wouldn't have done that if they weren't..." That was what Rangiku asked of them before the 10th Squad was locked down.
"Where is it? Where could that be? Where did I put it? Geez!" Momo said as she threw things from her cabinet.
"Where could that box be? Hinamori Momo, you are so messy! Shirou-chan's life is on the line here!" She told herself as she opened the other cabinet. She took and tossed everything out then saw what she was looking for.
"There it is!" She said as she took the box with green ribbon. She sat down on the tatami mat and opened the box. Inside were letters and three pictures. She took the picture which seemed to be taken from the Academy years ago. Toushirou was there and there was a guy next to him. They were both wearing white shihakushou and blue hakama. The guy next to Toushirou had black hair and violet eyes.
Momo took the letter attached to it on the back.
'Dear Meshunden Momo,
How are you, Meshunden? If you want to be a Shinigami, you better stop wetting the bed! And don't you ever think of calling me Shirou-chan even in your thoughts! I'm not a kid anymore, remember that. You also should stop eating loads of sweet foods. You'll have lots of toothache.
Anyway, I did what you asked me in the letter you sent before. That's Kusaka Soujirou, my classmate. It was taken in the Shinigami Academy before our mission to the Southern Part of Soul Society. I'd probably still be on the mission since it was said to last for atleast two weeks. That's why I might send the reply late. If you want, you can write lots of letters and I'll read them when I come back.
Ja ne, Meshunden Momo.
From,
Toushirou'
That was the letter that Toushirou sent her when they were still studying at the Academy. Since they were on different sections, they couldn't talk to each other personally. Also, going to the boys' dormitory is forbidden so their only means of communication back then was to write letters to each other.
Momo took the letter beneath the one she read. It didn't have any picture anymore.
'Dear Momo,
You heard about it, right? Kusaka is... dead. We had Hyourinmaru for our zanpakutou and the Central Room 46 decided for us to fight with each other to find out who the true wielder of Hyourinamru should be. I didn't want to fight Kusaka but he was desperate... Then, the Secret Mobile Corps came and killed him...
Can I... Never mind. It's nothing.
Ja ne, Momo.
From,
Toushirou'
Momo remembered that night fully well. That's a day that she'll never forget.
~flashback~
The moment she finished reading the letter that Toushirou sent, Momo concealed her reiatsu and went out of her room. Since she was getting the hang of using Kidou, she also mastered how to conceal her reiatsu and move without any noise.
She jumped on the roofs and made her way to the boys' dormitory. She didn't know its exact location but all she did was focus her attention on Toushirou's reiatsu and she found her way. She jumped to the window and Toushirou was surprised to see her.
"Momo... what are you doing here?" Toushirou said as he opened the window and Momo went inside his room.
"I'm here for you, Shirou-chan. I know what you're feeling right now. It's terrible." Momo then wrapped her arms around him.
"Wh-What are you..."
"Shirou-chan... just for this one time... will you let me see your real emotions? Keeping them bottled up inside of you is bad for your health."
Toushirou looked down and closed his eyes. He placed his arms around her and few tears fell from his eyes. That was the first time that Momo saw Toushirou cry.
"It's alright, Shirou-chan. You can cry all your sadness out. I'm here."
For the next few minutes, Toushirou continued crying and after a while, he stopped. Momo looked at him and smiled a little.
"I knew that you needed to talk to someone. I noticed that when I read the letter."
"Baka. You'd be in trouble if the higher ups find out that you went here."
"Don't worry. I made an illusion in my room. I kinda mixed and matched some kidou and an illusion appeared. No one will find out."
"Baka, Meshunden."
"I'm glad that I finally became a true friend to you."
"You're my friend, baka Meshunden Momo."
Momo giggled when she heard the confirmation from Toushirou. She kissed him on the forehead and Toushirou blushed then let go of her.
"W-Wh-What are you doing?"
"I just kissed you, what's wrong with that?" Momo asked innocently.
"W-Whatever. Just go back to your room and sleep."
"No way. I went all the way here then you'll tell me to go back to my room? Shirou-chan, you're mean." Momo said as she pouted.
"Fine. Stay here for the night but the moment you wake up tomorrow, go to your own room."
"Hai. Thank you."
Toushirou sighed then laid on his futon. Momo also laid down next to him while looking at him.
"W-What is it this time?"
"Nothing. I missed you, Shirou-chan."
"How many times should I tell you that it's Hitsugaya to you?"
"Lots of times." Momo said as she smiled. She curled next to him and Toushirou sighed.
"Goodnight, Shirou-chan."
"Good night, Meshunden Momo."
~end of flashback~
Momo placed everything back in the box and hid it under her pillow. She stood up and went out of her room. She jumped on the roofs with her reiatsu concealed.
'I'll help you, Hitsugaya-kun. There's no way that you'll die on me.'
"Are you the Hitsugaya Toushirou, the young genius everyone's talking about?" A guy said as he approached Toushirou who was looking outside the window.
"Who're you?"
"I'm Kusaka Soujirou. Nice to meet you."
During their kendo practice, Toushirou and Kusaka were up against each other.
"I swear to become a Shinigami and put my life at stake for Soul Society!" Kusaka said.
"Oh, yeah? I'm gonna... protect someone. That's why I'm going to be a Shinigami."
The test results came out and Toushirou was the top while Kusaka was the second.
"Wow, Toushirou, you're really a genius!" Kusaka said as Toushirou approached him.
"It doesn't matter."
"But, I won't let you beat me next time!"
During their dry-run mission, Toushirou and Kusaka stepped up in front and fought the enemies. The both of them were a good combination.
"Toushirou, we'll always be friends, right?" Kusaka said as he and Toushirou jumped.
The next scene, Kusaka was bleeding while the members of the S.M.C were surrouding him and the others were holding Toushirou back.
Kusaka disappeared right infront of Toushirou.
Toushirou opened his eyes and woke up from his dreams. He looked at the ceiling then sat with pain.
"Where am I?"
Someone opened the door and the light from outside lit up the room even just a little bit.
"Yo."
Ichigo then went inside. Toushirou looked at him.
"Kurosaki? Where is this-?"
"My house. I found you collapsed and exhausted. I couldn't just leave you."
"I see. Sorry for the trouble." Toushirou said as Ichigo rubbed the back of his head as he sat on the chair.
"The Secret Mobile Corps was looking for you."
"Uh-huh."
"Uh-huh'? Thwat's all you have to say?" Ichigo said, a little pissed.
"What're you hiding?" He added as Toushirou had his head down. Ichigo leaned in a little.
"Say something!" Ichigo said as Toushirou glanced at him then looked down.
"It's none of your business."
Ichigo snapped with his answer and clenched his fist.
"You little-" He said as he continued clenching his fist but still, Toushirou didn't respond. He gave up.
"Meh, whatever."
"I'll get it back." Toushirou said out of the blue.
"Huh?"
"What they stole was a treasure from the Royal Family, the King's Seal. It's not something a Substitute Shinigami needs to be concerned with."
Ichigo's eyes widened then twitched.
"Being coy doesn't work for you, you bastard!"
Toushirou grunted then Ichigo stood up.
"H-Hey, are you okay?"
"It's nothing. Sorry, but I need to rest a little bit." Toushirou laid down wit folded knees. Ichigo sighed.
"Fine. I'll call Inoue tomorrow morning so until then, keep quiet." Ichigo walked out and turned the lights off.
Toushirou was frowning and grunting while lying down.
Momo continued jumping on the roofs of the squads then reached her destination. She went to the Research Bureau where Nemu was.
"Nemu-san..."
"Hinamori-fuku-taichou, what can I do for you?" Nemu said as she looked at her.
"Nemu-san, I need your help."
"Help in what form?"
"In something that can assist Hitsugaya-kun."
"What?"
Yay! I'm finally done with Chapter 2! I apologize once again if there are any mistakes.
Please read and review! =)
