No More Goodbyes

Chapter 1


"Hey, that's not nice!" came the voice of a girl. She was with a boy who looked to be older than her, both wearing the dirty clothes of the children in Rukongai. She had just scolded the boy she was with. Her friend? No, her brother, that's right. The boy was her older brother, holding a bag of amanatto he had just bought from the store. Her older brother had just stolen a bagful of amanatto from a boy who had been walking out of the store. Him, actually. The girl's brother had taken the amanatto from him, and he was angry. But the boy looked bigger and stronger than him. He didn't want to fight. If he came home hurt or bloodied, Granny would have a heart attack. He didn't want Granny to worry about him. But he didn't want the older boy to take his amanatto. He'd just bought it!

"Give it back to him Michio! That's not nice!" the girl said again. She slapped her brother's arm. Michio was his name? That's right. He remembered now. And he watched as the boy glared down at his younger sister with the same green eyes she had. Regretfully the older, stronger boy gave the amanatto back to him. His sister had ordered him to do it, and he had just obeyed like a dog! He wanted to smirk at the boy, but he didn't. Instead he turned his attention to the girl, to the younger sister with the same green eyes. She was glaring up at her brother, who hadn't even bothered to look at him when he took the amanatto from him. It wasn't until now that the bigger boy even looked at him. The older brother's eyes widened a little, becoming frightened.

"You.. You're that freaky little kid! With the white hair!" the older boy choked out. He took a step back, then dropped his recently purchased bag of amanatto and sprinted out the door. Scared? Of him? It came as no surprise to him anymore… everyone was scared of him… why? He didn't know. He had never done anything to anyone. The older boy just now? He'd never even seen him, and he was even frightened of him, terrified even. He was used to it now… but he didn't like it.

"Sorry, he can be such a jerk! I don't get him sometimes…" the girl spoke, her green eyes now focused on him. They were bright, open wide and the color of the grass outside in the summer. The girl had her arms on her hips, an apologetic look on her face accompanied her shaking head. She had brown hair, which was normal. He had white hair; had she not noticed or something? He was, after all, "that freaky little kid," as her brother had so tenderly described him. But she didn't seem to care. The girl… he knew her name… what was it? He pondered this as she picked up the bag of amanatto her brother had dropped and handed it to him.

"Here, take it. I don't like it at all, and my brother doesn't deserve it after that. He was very rude just now!" the girl said in a sweet voice. It was the voice of a child, innocent and naïve, but embracing as well. She smiled at him encouragingly to take the bag of amanatto when he hesitated. This made him hesitate more. Why was she smiling at him? Only Granny and Hinamori ever smiled at him… everyone else was scared… why wasn't she scared?

"Well? Do you want it? Please take it…" she said in a pleading tone. She even tilted her head to the side with a smile still on her face. He reached for the bag she held out, and her smile widened with pleasure.

"My name is Ka…"

A knock at the door suddenly awoke him. What time was it? Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro ran a hand through his snow white hair, blinking away sleep as he glanced toward the window. The faded light of morning filtered in through the window; still dawn. The blankets were in a tangled mess around his feet. He'd gotten too hot again and kicked them all off in his sleep. He didn't need blankets, he just fell asleep faster if he had one over him. But, why was someone waking him at this hour? Interrupting his sleep? The captain? And again came the knock.

"What is it?" he called to the door. It slid open to Matsumoto Rangiku, his tall, pretty lieutenant. She looked even sleepier than he felt, her hair a mess and her shihakusho tied on clumsily.

"Captain, there's a meeting in thirty minutes… you need to be there…" Matsumoto said as she fought a yawn, then gave in and lifted her hand to a black Hell butterfly that replayed it's message.

"All captains appear in the first division headquarters within thirty minutes. Captains meeting."

Hitsugaya nodded, fighting a yawn that had snuck up on him as he watched Matsumoto. She bowed slightly before gathering herself and leaving the captain to his business. He let the yawn come and laid back in bed for a moment to collect his thoughts. Why would the head captain call a Captains meeting so early in the morning? Was there an emergency? Wouldn't the alarms have sounded? That didn't make much sense… and his dream! He hadn't really thought of the girl much in the past few years. But he remembered her clearly.

"Kasumi…" he whispered softly. Why had he dreamt of her so suddenly? Maybe something had happened to her in Rukongai? But.. He had no time to think of the girl right now. She was in the past, and if he wanted to deal with that, he could do it later. Right now what was important was the meeting.

...

"Captain Ukitake, please explain the situation," boomed the voice of old man Yamamoto, the head captain of the Gotei 13, also known as the Seireitei- the home of the Soul Reapers in the center of the Soul Society, where souls went after being deceased in the material world. Inside the first division quarters were the most powerful of the Gotei 13. Ten members stood within the room, all standing straight and in attention in order of the divisions they commanded with the head captain at the front of the room. A man with long white hair stepped forward; Captain Ukitake.

"Yes head captain… well, it seems that as of last night I've lost now six members of my division. Three nights ago, a member of my squad was killed while on night patrol alone. Then the next night, two members of my division were on night patrol, but we all awoke to them…dead. We investigated, but found nothing.. And last night, three more murders occurred. However, we have evidence of strange activity confirmed from the twelfth division. Isn't that correct, Captain Kurotsuchi?" The older captain turned toward the twelfth division captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Captain Ukitake headed division thirteen with no lieutenant. He was an older man with tuberculosis, suffering from violent coughing fits and a weakened body. Mayuri Kurotsuchi was much the opposite; a scientist with strange ways and an even stranger appearance, resembling one of a clown almost! He headed the research and science department, which was under control of the twelfth division. An intelligent, possibly crazed man with so many tricks up his sleeve that it was almost pointless to try and figure them all out. He stepped forward and cleared his throat loudly.

"That would be correct Captain Ukitake. A hole in the defense of the Seireitei wall was somehow opened around the hour of two this morning, and again only forty minutes later. I'm not sure what could have opened this hole, but it could not have been any Kido. We've confirmed that this same hole was opened the nights of Captain Ukitake's other murders. This must mean someone from the outside is somehow opening up a hole in the wall, coming through to commit the murders, and exiting once again," the strange scientist explained lazily. His tone was uninterested and nonchalant.

"But why would someone target Captain Ukitake's men?" this came from Captain Unohana, commander of the fourth division in charge of medical and supply relief division. She was one of the oldest captains, appearing young and motherly, her appearance augmenting her gentle personality.

"Who knows? My question is, how did they get in?" claimed Kurotsuchi with a casual shrug. It was obvious that he was more interested in finding the how, rather than the why to the situation. Figures- scientists.

"I've called you all here to warn you and keep your squads alert for this mystery murderer. If anyone finds out anything, report it to me immediately. That is all. Dismissed!" came the booming voice of old man Yamamoto. A few of the faces among the ten seemed angry to have been awoken for such a short meeting. But it was obvious that Ukitake was concerned, and it was an unusual happening. There had been peace for so long in the Gotei 13 that something like this was quite peculiar indeed. In any case, the captains intended to tell the members of their divisions to keep an open eye for anything outlandish or bizarre.

"Jeez, this doesn't really call for such an early meeting does it?" Kenpachi complained. He was the biggest of the captains, with tall pointed hair and an eye patch. Kenpachi headed the eleventh division, the division known for being fighters, which was appropriate for him. He fought with sheer power and swordsmanship, and he was tremendously powerful.

"I suppose not, but better to be informed than not," Hitsugaya said to him shortly before heading off back to his room to catch another hour of sleep.


Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. More to come soon. Hope you enjoyed~!