Chapter 4:

"Where is he?"

"He's resting."

Sapphire peered into the next room where Hitsugaya was fast asleep on the couch, blue blanket covering his legs. He looked cute, like a little boy during his afternoon nap. His arms were drawn up to his chin and his lips were slightly parted.

After allowing herself to indulge in such a cute sight, she turned back to her sister, her eyes now filled with anger. "Do you have any idea how foolish you were?" She was keeping her voice down for Hitsugaya's sake, but Lavender could clearly hear the malice in her voice. She was mad.

"I'm sorry, sister, but-"

"Don't sister me! You could have gotten yourself killed! It's a good thing he was there to save you."

"But from the way you were acting, I thought you didn't care!"

"Of course I care!" Sapphire grabbed her sister's shoulders and dug her nails into her skin. "How could you think I didn't care? I can't lose anyone else!"

Lavender's face softened.

"I knew he would be there to help you if you needed it."

"So it was a test? You were testing him to see how much of our control he was under?"

"No, not test… Not exactly. I knew he would help you. I just…"

"So it was a test?" Lavender pulled away from her sister's grip. "That's why you didn't stop me. I knew you could stop me if you really wanted to. I knew it."

"Believe me, I knew you were in no danger. Believe me! You know how much I love you. You're my little sister. How could I not?"

"But you wanted to see how strong he was, right? You wanted to see how well he could protect me. But you also knew that I wouldn't be in danger." Then Lavender's eyes hazel eyes darkened. "But then… if that were the case, then you also knew that he may not come back."

It all made sense now.

"You knew I wouldn't die because you would have had him die first! You would have had him die protecting me! That's why you did it!"

"Lavender…"

"You were testing to see how sturdy he was. You wanted to see if he could protect me while coming back alive. I knew you thought of him as nothing more than an expendable tool. You don't care about him at all!"

"That's not true!"

"Other than caring enough that he's strong enough to protect us!"

Sapphire said nothing.

"I knew it!" She tried to storm off to her room but Sapphire grabbed her arm and held her back. "Let me go!"

"Lavender, listen to me!" She pulled her back and held both her hands in hers, preventing her from going anywhere. "Can you blame me for being this way? Can you? After all the horrible things we witnessed? I've given those Soul Reapers every chance to make things right but all they've ever done was attack our village and kill all our friends! How can I forgive them? How can I overlook all of that? Every time I see a Soul Reaper all I can see is a heartless murderer! All I see is flame and blood."

Lavender remembered what had happened to her just a little while ago when she ran into those Soul Reapers. She had experienced the very same thing.

"And Hitsugaya is a Soul Reaper as well."

She looked into Sapphire's blue eyes.

"How can I not see him as another one of them? He's a Soul Reaper, too. All Soul Reapers are evil. He's no different other than the fact that he is now under our control."

"So you treat him as a tool?"

"I don't know how else to treat him. All I ever learned from Soul Reapers is how life just isn't fair and how easily they can take anything they want. I'm sorry but I just can't see myself treating them as human beings. I can't treat them with kindness like someone who really matters."

Lavender had nothing to say to her. She knew she was right but at the same time she also knew that she was wrong. She had mixed feelings about the whole thing. Perhaps she was just too kindhearted a person to hate every last one of them. Or was it that Hitsugaya was different from them in that he was under their full control and therefore saw him in a different light? It was anybody's guess.

Hitsugaya rolled over onto his other side, back now turned to them.

Sapphire watched him for a moment before turning her attention back to her younger sister. "It's late. I'm going to bed."

Lavender watched her leave up the stairs to the second floor. Rather than following her, she turned into the room with Hitsugaya and sat on the floor next to the couch. She ran her fingers through his hair and smelled her fingertips. They smelled just like his hair. Like ice and snow.

"Thank you, Toshiro."


Ichigo jumped from building to building across the World of the Living. "Damn it!" he cursed under his breath. "And just when I thought I didn't have to get involved for once!"

It had been hours since Rukia showed up in his room with the news of Hitsugaya's betrayal. After Soi Fon and her troops were thawed out, they went straight to the Head Captain and told him what had happened. In a matter of seconds, Hitsugaya went from captain of Squad 10 to traitor. Everyone thought that he was guilty of treason. All the facts were there: he attacked a fellow captain and her squad members, he aided the enemy and ran off with them after threatening to kill them all.

But Ichigo wasn't so sure. Soi Fon was quick to judge and often came to the wrong conclusion. For all they knew, it was a horrible misunderstanding. Even Rukia thought so. That's why she came to inform him of the news.

And that's how Ichigo found himself involved, searching high and low for any sign of the young captain in the World of the Living. Why he would be there of all places was beyond him, but when you were on the run, you were on the run. He could have been anywhere by now.

He stopped in the middle of the park and watched the younger children run past him without so much as a glance. He walked past women on park benches with their babies, old men playing chess or chatting about the good old days, young women jogging and people walking their dogs. There was no sign of Hitsugaya anywhere.

"Ah, why the hell would he be here anyway?" Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck and put a hand on his hip. "Why would Toshiro come to the World of the Living anyway? Rukia's got no idea what she's doing anymore. Why'd she have me look around here of all places? I should be looking for him in the other world. Too bad I can't get there without help… Damn it!"

He kept walking through the grass keeping an eye out for him. He stopped when he found an all too familiar head of orange hair peering around from behind a tree, checking out the teenage girls in miniskirts walking down the stone path.

"Kon!"

"Ahh!" His body gave a jump and fell back into the grass.

"I didn't give you my body so that you could spy on girls!"

"Hey, is that really my problem?" Ichigo watched his own lips say with Kon's attitude backing it up. "Then why did you bring me along?"

"To help me find Toshiro. Now get up and start doing your job."

Kon pouted. "I would much rather be with Rukia! How'd I get stuck with you?"

"Get up!"

Ichigo and Kon combed through the park looking everywhere. No sign of him.

Then they went into the woods to search.

"Ichigo, I wanna go home!"

"Shut it."

"But I do! There's nothing to do! We're never gonna find him and besides, Rukia's not here to save your ass if you get into trouble."

"Hey! If anyone gets me into trouble, it's you! You're the one who's always-" Ichigo ran headlong into what felt like a brick wall and fell backwards into the leaf-covered grass.

Kon stood over his body. "You ok?"

"Ow!" Ichigo sat up holding his nose. "No, I'm not ok! Something just hit me!"

Kon looked around. "I don't see anything."

"It was right there!" Ichigo pointed straight ahead, but all they saw were trees. "I knew I ran into something. I'm sure of it."

Kon stuck an arm straight out directly where Ichigo had been going before he fell. His arm started to vanish before his eyes. Gasping, he wrenched it back. "Holy crap, did you see that?"

Ichigo stood up and stuck his arm out as well. But instead of disappearing into nothing like Kon's, Ichigo's hand hit a solid wall. "It's some sort of barrier."

"Way to go, genius." Kon repeatedly poked his fingers through the air where they disappeared into nothingness. "But here's what I want to know: why am I the only one who can go through?"

Ichigo wanted to know that as well. He looked from Kon to himself and then had an idea. "I think it's a barrier to repel Soul Reapers. Which means…"

Knowing what was to come, Kon backed up. "No way! Back off! Get away from me!"

Ichigo grabbed him and pressed the Soul Badge to his forehead. The light green orb that was Kon popped out of his mouth and his body went limp in his arms. Ichigo slipped back into his body and stuck Kon into his pocket. He reached forward and his hand passed through the barrier.

"So humans can use it. Now the question is, who put it up?"

He pushed his way through the barrier and found himself in a world of fog. Everything was white. He couldn't see an inch in front of his nose. Nonetheless, he pushed onward. He had been walking in a straight line for quite some time now and was beginning to wonder if he would ever find his way out.

Finally, the fog began to clear and he found himself standing in front of a large mansion. He stopped in his tracks, dumbfounded. What was a mansion doing all the way out here in the middle of nowhere? This place was like a dream. But it was also real. He would feel the wind in his hair and the warm sunshine on his face. There was also a strong smell of flowers in the air. It was very tranquil. He looked back and saw nothing but a field of grass. But he had just come from there and there wasn't any grass before.

Then it all became clear to him. He was in another dimension. Not everything here was real. It was created to suit the owner of this place. The horizon he saw was nothing more than a painted canvas. This reality wasn't very big at all.

Rather than dwell on the technicality of this place, Ichigo decided to continue his search. He moved forward toward the mansion. Surely a mansion of this size would have someone around to answer a few things for him. One of his first questions would be why they wanted to keep Soul Reapers out but not human beings. That made very little sense to him. What if a human somehow managed to stumble upon this place? Then they would be the ones answering a bunch of questions. There would be no end of trouble if that were to happen.

Ichigo got to the large double doors and prepared to knock. But then he had another idea. He decided to sneak around the side of the building and see if there was anyone else around. As he recalled, there was a distinct scent of flowers in the air which could only mean one thing: there was a garden nearby. And if there was a garden then surely someone would have to be around to take care of it.

His hunch was correct. Around the side of the mansion, he discovered a large garden. It was beautiful.

He was on a roll today. There sitting in a deck chair was an all too familiar head of white hair. Just the person he was looking for.

"Toshiro."

He just sat there in the deck chair, apparently unaware of his visitor.

So Ichigo moved closer and called again. "Toshiro."

This time he got a response. Hitsugaya whirled around in his chair and jumped to his feet. He faced Ichigo with large eyes. He reached for his sword which was propped up against the side of the round white table next to his seat. "Who are you?"

Ichigo stopped in place just a few feet from where he stood. "Huh?"

"I said, who are you?" Judging from the tone of his voice, he wasn't about to repeat himself a third time.

"It's me- Ichigo. Wait, don't you remember me?"

Hitsugaya moved his hand away from his sword, now certain that this person wasn't a threat. He eyed Ichigo up and down, studying every detail of him. "Ichigo you said? Hmm…"

"Toshiro, you don't remember me at all?"

Hitsugaya cocked his head from side to side, thinking. "Nope. But you must know me because you know my name."

That's right! If he remembered correctly, Rukia had told him that Hitsugaya had amnesia. Was that why Hitsugaya didn't remember him? That would explain why he didn't correct him for calling him Toshiro like he usually did.

"That's ok. It's ok that you don't remember me. It's been a while."

That's when Hitsugaya did something he had never done before: he smiled. And it wasn't a grin, either. It was a big cheerful smile, much like the kind a child would show when receiving a brand new toy. Smiling brightly at him, Hitsugaya said, "Well, I guess it's ok that you're here, even if I don't know who you are. At least you're not a Soul Reaper."

Ichigo blinked. "Huh?"

"I said that it's a good thing that you're not a Soul Reaper."

"Why don't you think I'm a Soul Reaper?"

Hitsugaya pointed to his T-shirt and jeans. "Because Soul Reapers wear black kimonos and have big swords. You don't have that stuff."

Confused to know end, Ichigo decided to go with his gut and play along. Maybe he would find out some information that way. "So tell me, Toshiro, why don't you like Soul Reapers?"

His expression changed from cheerful to bitter. "Because they're evil, that's why. They take whatever they want and hurt people for no reason. And they hurt the girls!"

"Girls?"

"The girls I live with. They hate Soul Reapers and fear them. It's my job to protect them."

"Oh, that's right. I almost forgot that that's what you do." He really had no idea what he was talking about, but he kept playing along anyway. "So remind me, just how long have you been protecting them? I lost track."

"All my life!" Hitsugaya confirmed with a nod. "I've always protected them. It's my job, after all."

Now he was starting to see some inconsistencies with his story. "But wait a minute. If you hate Soul Reapers, then why are you dressed as one?"

Hitsugaya looked down at his outfit. "Oh. Sorry about the confusion. I'm not really a Soul Reaper. I'm supposed to be getting some new clothes soon."

"If you're not one, then why are you dressed like one?"

"Because I was kidnapped by the Soul Society a while ago and they brainwashed me into thinking that I was one of them to lure me away from the girls I protect and use me for their own purposes. But I managed to break free from their control and made it back here."

Ichigo couldn't hide the twitch in his left eye. What a story! And it was all a huge lie! What the hell did this amnesia do to his brain? He was seriously screwed up. He ignored the urge to smack him upside the head and asked him his next question. "So just how many girls are you protecting here?"

"Three."

"Oh, really?"

"Yup!"

"How many are with you right now?"

"Two. Sapphire's upstairs and Lavender's over in the garden."

"Oh." Ichigo looked around, but could see no one.

Hitsugaya sat back down in his chair. "We just finished breakfast a while ago. Do you want anything?"

"Uh, no thanks." Ichigo watched Hitsugaya's every move. It was Hitsugaya alright, but he was so different. Perhaps it wasn't the Soul Society that brainwashed him. He suspected these girls had a little something to do with it. Now he had about a million questions for the little captain. "Listen, Toshiro, I-"

"Shh!" He put a finger to his lips. "She's about to sing."

"Hm?" Ichigo looked up and saw a young girl walk out into the middle of the garden wearing a light purple kimono and white heeled sandals. She looked very pretty. But Ichigo wasn't going to be fooled by her innocent looks. He knew she was one of the girls who had brainwashed Hitsugaya. "Which one's that?"

"That's Lavender." Hitsugaya made himself comfortable in his chair and watched her make her way across the grass.

She was moving very slowly, as if trying to work up the nerve to sing her song. She looked from flower to flower, as if looking for the right words. She cupped her hands before her chest as if wishing upon a star. She took a few deep breaths.

"Toshiro…"

"I said, shh! Don't interrupt."

"But…"

Ichigo silenced as Lavender paced the garden, preparing to sing. He had anticipated the first notes from the songstress's mouth to be modest or even the sound one would hear from the average girl in the neighborhood. But he was betrayed by his expectations. What came from her throat were not words, but a beautiful sound. It took hold of him in a matter of seconds and soon he was watching her, open-mouthed.

It was the voice of an angel.

Now more comfortable with her performance, Lavender began to move more elegantly across the garden, now adding her arms in with the song. Her hands orchestrated the range and pitch of her song. She even added a few spins to her movement as well. She was dancing and singing like a star.

Hitsugaya laid his head atop the table and watched from the folds of his arms. "Mmm… Pretty, isn't it?"

Pretty didn't even begin to describe her voice. It was magnificent. The song rang in the air of the garden, mesmerizing all who heard.

Suddenly weak, Ichigo's legs gave out on him, forcing him to collapse into a deck chair next to Hitsugaya. The song had a way of calming him. He doubted if he even had the strength to raise his arms. His body felt numb but in a pleasant way. It was very relaxing.

He looked to the boy on his left. Hitsugaya was sprawled out over the white table, resting his head in the folds of his arms. He looked quite comfortable and mellow.

"Hey, Toshiro?" Ichigo's voice was as weak as he felt.

"Hm?"

"So, you're staying with her?"

He gave a weak nod. "Yeah… I'm never leaving. I'll stay here and protect them forever…" His quiet voice sounded like a sigh to the wind.

Too tired to question him further, Ichigo slumped in his chair and watched the rest of Lavender's performance.


After what felt like hours, Ichigo finally left the barrier far behind and went to find Rukia. There was really no point in dragging Hitsugaya back with him at this point. With no memory and believing that he had to stay and protect those girls, it was rather pointless to make him leave. But now he knew where he was and what was going on. Now all he needed were answers.

Rukia jumped down and landed next to him on the street. "Well? Any luck? I couldn't find him."

"Yeah, but I did."

Her jaw dropped. "You did?"

"Oh, yeah."

"What do you mean 'oh, yeah'? We're looking everywhere for him and the entire Soul Society thinks that he's a traitor and all you can say is that? Where is he?"

Ichigo looked over his shoulder and then back to her. "Back there."

She followed his gaze. "Back where?"

"Later."

"What do you mean later? This is important!" When Ichigo didn't say anything, she knew something was up. "What happened back there? What's wrong?"

Ichigo looked from the woods back to her with a sigh. "I think we have a problem."


I'll say. Please review! ^-^