Hello all! Sorry for the extremely long wait. For everyone here, I thank each and every one of you personally for sticking around for so long. Your patience must be incredible!
Yes, moving on. I have an excuse (as do all procrastinating authors)! Exams start in two days, so I finished this because I needed a way to de-stress. I apologise for making you wait so very long!
Since lyrics are now banned from due to copyright issues, I have no choice but to stop inserting lyrics. Hopefully you'll prefer that?
Disclaimer: -Insert witty phrase stating that the author does not own Bleach here.-
Deliver Us
Droplets of cold water slid off Hitsugaya's body as he emerged from the slow-moving river. Not bothering to dry himself off, the Captain pulled on the inner portion of his Shinigami uniform and pulled the ends together.
Glad that the cold water had effectively pushed the thought of Urahara and Yoruichi out of his mind, he slipped his arms into the sleeves of the black half, and tied it them with the sash. Finally, Hitsugaya donned the white haori, which symbolised his status as a Captain and slung Hyourinmaru, his pride and joy, over his back.
Hitsugaya wanted to just sit and rest by the tranquil river, but he knew that he had a mission to complete. And after that, he would have to go back to Soul Society and yell at Matsumoto for one thing or another. Sighing, the youth turned reluctantly away from the stream and headed back towards the cliff. Hopefully, Urahara and Yoruichi would be done doing… whatever it was they were doing.
With his damp white hair clinging to his head, Hitsugaya walked until he arrived at camp. To his relief, both Urahara and Yoruichi, who was in human form, were fully dressed and did not seem to act in a peculiar way around each other.
"There you are, Hitsugaya. You left so quickly just now. Anything the matter?" Urahara asked using his most sincere voice while he hid his face behind his fan and his hat. Hitsugaya knew better, though. The ex-captain wasn't being sincere at all – he just wanted to tease him.
Casting around in his mind for an excuse, he thought of what Urahara had suggested earlier. "Bad dream…needed to wash it off." He mumbled, not wanting them to realise he had overheard them.
Urahara nodded. Yoruichi, who had misheard Hitsugaya, whispered in the Urahara's ear. "See, I told you it was a wet dream."
Unfortunately for Hitsugaya, he heard her. He blushed furiously again, but before he could protest, Urahara took out his gigai and riatsu scrambler.
Hitsugaya unwillingly submitted to a reputation as a pervert and let Urahara put the riatsu scrambler on him. It was a small device which could be clipped onto an article of clothing. Urahara showed him how to use it and clipped it on the belt-sash of his Shinigami uniform. Hitsugaya felt no change to his own riatsu, but Urahara confirmed that it was different.
I don't feel any difference because it is meant to disguise my riatsu, not alter it, he realised.
Urahara passed Hitsugaya's gigai to him, and the boy merged with it so that it was no longer just an empty shell. The gigai, and now Hitsugaya, was wearing a plain long sleeved black shirt, dark blue jeans that reached his ankles, a scarf, and gloves. Most of his attire was tattered.
"Good. You're all set. You know how to contact us – the riatsu scrambler has a homing beacon which you can push if you get into trouble as well. We'll come immediately." Urahara's face was dead serious as he passed Hitsugaya a pole with a red-and-white polka-dotted handkerchief attached to its end. There were some items inside the handkerchief.
"For your story. You can't just wonder into a town with nothing. Use that, and make something up." Urahara gestured at the pole-and-handkerchief.
Hitsugaya peeped into an opening. Inside the makeshift bag was a photo frame, which was turned over, a small blanket, another scarf, and some food, along with a few more items he could not immediately identify.
"Ok! Get moving, Hitsugaya! Yoruichi and I have something to attend to back at the shop!" Urahara smiled brightly and winked before he flash-stepped away with Yoruichi.
Hitsugaya shuddered at the thought. Then, he shouldered the pole and proceeded towards the little village at the bottom of the cliff.
Half an hour later, the sky was black with clouds although it was only a few hours after sunrise. Hitsugaya strolled through the outskirts of the village, the pole resting on his shoulder. He glanced at the sky. While Hitsugaya was glad that the weather would soon cool down, he guessed that his gigai might not be able to handle very low temperature.
When he began to see the little huts of the villagers, Hitsugaya slowed down – a traveller on foot should not have so much energy to spare that he can march at a remarkable pace. However, he only stopped when he reached the main part of the village.
The buildings here were much more organised than in the rural regions of the small town. Hitsugaya wandered between the buildings, looking for other humans.
Suddenly, someone tapped the young Captain on the shoulder, and he spun around. Hitsugaya looked up and found himself looking up at a middle-aged woman who was frowning down at him.
"What do you think you're doing, sneaking around like that? And where on God's green Earth did you get those tramp's clothes? You're coming with me, young man!" The woman grabbed his arm and dragged Hitsugaya through several streets and stopped in front of a grey coloured four-storey building.
The woman pulled Hitsugaya through the gates and into the building. Hitsugaya didn't protest -- he wanted to find out more about the system in the town.
Inside the building were many rooms filled with chairs, desks, and humans about the same age as what Hitsugaya appeared to be, give or take a few years.
Hitsugaya was ushered into a room on the left on the first floor. As they walked in, the students and the teacher looked up.
"Good afternoon, Samantha. I've just found a student playing truant and I think that he should be able to cope best your class of monkeys. Good luck, Samantha." The woman shoved Hitsugaya into the room and left.
"Well, don't just stand there! Come in and introduce yourself to the class! What's your name, boy?"
Hitsugaya sighed. He had a very bad feeling about this. "Hitsugaya Toushiro."
"Ok. You are to address me as Miss Harrington. Sit beside Benjamin here," the teacher pointed to a bored boy in the third row. "He'll share his materials with you for today. After each day, you will get a new partner; it increases your interaction with your new classmates."
Hitsugaya glared around the classroom. It was bad enough that he had been mistaken for a renegade student and hauled to school, but now he was being virtually ignored, even by the teacher.
Still, Hitsugaya did not mind the second part too much. It gave him a wide opportunity to explore and eavesdrop. Unfortunately for him, no one seemed at all interested in their ruler. All he was able to fine out was that some girl named Jessie had a crush on one of their teachers and that Miss Harrington might spring a pop quiz the later that day because her boyfriend didn't turn up for a date last night.
He groaned and left the classroom immediately after school ended. Finally, he thought. Time to look around a bit.
He walked out the gate, unnoticed, and headed in the direction of the towering castle. On the way, Hitsugaya passed many other adults, but they also acted like he was invisible.
School had apparently ended quite late, because by the time Hitsugaya could see the shadow of the castle, the sun was about to set. He sighed and decided to get some rest. He would need all the energy he could muster to explore the castle the next day.
Hitsugaya rolled behind a hedge and sat down, preparing for the night. It did not matter that he had no water to bathe in; Hitsugaya had not done any strenuous activities anyway. He took out some bread from the handkerchief and began eating, never letting his eyes leave the castle's huge front double doors.
Hitsugaya bundled up his blanket and scarf and put them on the dry ground. He had spent many hours staring at the doors until he found that he was stiff from sitting still so long. Finally, after deciding that nothing would happen that night, Hitsugaya had chosen to get some well-deserved rest.
After what felt like a few minutes of sleep, but was probably a few hours, Hitsugaya sat up, wide-awake.
"Arrrrooouuuhh!!" The beastly cry filled the air.
Definitely a Hollow's cry. What if it was hunting for humans like the last one? Hitsugaya knew that he had to intervene.
He stepped out of his gigai and looked out from the hedge. The animalistic sounds had stopped. The Hollow, a small one that resembled a black dog, was sniffing the air, sucking it in through its enlarged nostrils.
Hitsugaya found this strange; there were plenty of houses near the Hollow – why was it acting like it was looking for something? Maybe this Hollow had a certain preference in souls?
Then the Hollow swivelled its head in mid-sniff and stared at Hitsugaya with burning red eyes. It howled and started galloping towards him.
Crap. It's hunting for me. Hitsugaya scowled and scrambled out of his gigai and onto the road before the Hollow reached him.
He pulled Hyourinmaru out of its sheath and felt his riatsu go up a significantly (but not completely) from the adrenaline rush, even though he had tried to curb it.
With a quick slash to its head, the Hollow faded, the corrupted soul heading for Soul Society.
Hitsugaya sighed and sheathed his sword. As he was returning to his gigai, he considered reducing his own spiritual power. Then, he remembered the people living in the surrounding buildings. They had probably felt him, and while it was not exactly his own riatsu (due to the riatsu scrambler), they would still recognise it. If he could control the amount of spiritual power he released so soon after he had 'gained' so much, it would appear suspicious.
Hitsugaya rolled behind the hedge and went back to sleep.
The sun rose bright and early the next day. As usual, Hitsugaya was up before it had risen and had completed his routine morning workout just as the sky was getting bright.
He nibbled on his reducing reserves of bread while planning his next move. Hitsugaya decided that after breakfast, he would scout around the castle for a bit to learn the security patterns of the building before attempting to break in.
After fifteen minutes, Hitsugaya stood, mentally steeling himself for the next task. He slipped out of the bushes in his gigai and headed towards the castle.
Oh boy. I hope this wasn't too short for your liking. Especially since you've waited so long. If you want it longer, just say the word and I'll do my best. I'll also try to get it out faster next time, but there's no guarantee as I am about to begin my mid-terms. In two days, actually.
Oh yes. Please take care of yourself and don't contract swine flu.
Have a nice day!