Nine


It's been one year since June the seventeenth, the last day he saw his siblings, and Hollow has gotten used to his new home.

Grimmjow, Nel and Ulquiorra are about the best friends he could ask for. Over the months spent in the institute he gradually learns how they came to be in this place.

Grimmjow ran away from each and every foster home he was placed in, starting at age four, eleven times in total. He stayed alive by robbing and occasionally fighting other homeless people with whatever weapon he could find. In his trial, like Hollow, he was deemed unstable and insane, and so he was placed in the asylum.

Nel lost her entire family to a gang who broke into her home. This, apparently, drove her insane, too, and she seriously wounded one of the gang members. After that, she went out of her way to get revenge on all of them. She herself had hidden in a cupboard when they killed her family, and after that she tried tracking them down in vengeance. The court never found the gang members guilty, but they sent Nel to the asylum because she was 'crazy'.

Ulquiorra's story is a very peculiar. He woke up on the streets when he was seven years old with amnesia. He therefore was never taught what was right and what was wrong, and this is why he's very good at not portraying any emotions. He soon learnt that the only way he could survive would be by stealing, similar to Grimmjow's situation, and he managed to rob many places (including a bank) before he was finally caught. Because he had no family (and no apparent past) the authorities decided to send him here as he, like all the others, was deemed unfit to lead a normal life.

But none of them have ever killed someone.

Neither did I. I can't have... but it's not as if that even matters now anyway... I... that's the past now... it might as well be forgotten.

'Hey, Nel, what's the date today?'

'Hm?' Nel says, looking up from the drawing of a tree she's been concentrating on for the last ten minutes. Both she and Hollow are sitting in their Performing Arts class right now. 'The date? Uh... the sixteenth, I think.'

'The sixteenth of June...' Hollow murmurs. 'So... it's tomorrow...'

'What is?'

'Oh... nothing...'

'Is it your birthday?'

'No... that's July the fifteenth.'

'Okay, I'll try to remember that.'

.


The next morning Hollow stays in his room, not wanting to leave. The staff at the institute work out why he doesn't want to come out today from looking at Hollow's paperwork. After all, today is June the seventeenth, one year from the day he killed his mother. The staff have been told that he is the culprit, but the chances are it was an accident and he didn't mean to stab her. So, out of consideration, they let him stay in his room.

That's not good enough for his three friends, though.

'Hollow! Open up!'

'What's wrong?'

'Hollow?'

'I... I'm fine, guys. I just... I'm not feeling very well today... that's all!'

'Are you sure?' comes Nel's worried voice.

Hollow, who is sitting on the end of his bed, pressed up against the corner of the room, hugs his legs closer to his chest and whispers in a voice barely audible from outside the door, 'Honestly. I'm fine, really.'

'… Okay.'

He hears them walking away a few seconds later.

Over the last few hours, Hollow has contemplated quite a lot things. For instance, the fact that he hasn't seen his siblings in one year proves that they're not coming. Ever.

They must believe that he is a murderer.

With a sob, Hollow pulls his pillow off his bed and buries his face into it. He is unable to cry actual tears- they haven't come for a very long time- but he still tries. He wants to be able to. He wants to feel human.

But he cannot cry, no matter how hard he tries.

Tears of sorrow never come any more.

.


'When can we visit Shiro-chan?' Karin demands as she and Ichigo and Yuzu walk away from Masaki's grave. 'I want to visit the place where he's buried.'

Ichigo gulps. 'I told you... I don't know.'

'Should we ask Daddy?' Yuzu asks, tears streaming down her face.

'Uh... yeah...'

'How come he wasn't buried here, like Mommy was?' Karin asks.

'Um... this is a cemetery for adults... I think...'

Lying is so hard for Ichigo, but his father told him not to let Karin or Yuzu (or any of his friends like Tatsuki or Tensa) know that Hichigo is really in an asylum.

'But where is Shiro-chan buried?'

'I don't know... I'm sorry, Karin, Yuzu...'

Their father is waiting for them at the bottom of the hill, and he is with Uncle Sôsuke. They appear to be having quite a lengthy conversation, but when Yuzu calls, 'Daddy! Uncle Sôsuke!' they look up and both smile.

'Hey, Yuzu. How are you?'

Yuzu gives her 'uncle' a big hug, and, after a moment's hesitation, Ichigo joins them.

'Good to see you, Ichigo. How's it going?'

'Come on, Karin,' Isshin calls. 'Come say hello to Uncle Sôsuke.'

Karin stands exactly where she is, then utters, 'He is not our uncle. That's what Shiro-chan always said.'

Ichigo flinches. Isshin says in a warning voice, 'Karin...'

'When are we going to visit Shiro-chan's grave?' Karin asks, angry tears forming in her eyes.

'Karin-' Ichigo begins.

'I want to see the place where my big brother is buried!' Karin shouts. 'I want to visit Shiro-chan's grave! I want to say goodbye properly!'

Yuzu begins to cry, and she runs over to her father. Karin swallows, and then she too bounds over to Isshin for a hug. Ichigo clenches his fists and stares at the ground, remembering how Hichigo hated Uncle Sôsuke. If he was so full of hate, then is it possible that he did actually murder... her?

Does Ichigo really believe that?

I... I don't know what to believe any more.

.


The next day, Grimmjow, Nel and Ulquiorra are sitting at their table for breakfast when Hollow walks into the hall, a sad look in his eyes. He shuffles over to the table and sits next to Nel without saying anything.

'Good morning, Hollow-chan,' Nel says, making her voice sound cheerful.

Hollow blinks. 'What? What did you call me?'

'Hollow-chan. Don't you like it?'

Hollow is silent for a few moments, and then he says, 'No... it's fine, I guess. I, um... used to have a nickname... like that..'

'What was it?' Ulquiorra asks curiously.

'… Shiro-chan.'

Grimmjow chokes on the orange juice he's drinking. 'Shiro-chan?!' he splutters.

A pink blush appears on Hollow's pale cheeks. 'Yeah... you got a problem with that?' he adds, trying to sound menacing.

'No, no, it's fine. Absolutely fine!' Grimmjow coughs. 'Do we get to call you that?' he asks after a moment, a smirk on his face.

'Hell, no!' Hollow protests. 'It was really annoying, I hated it when my family called me that!'

'But is Hollow-chan okay?'

'Uh, yeah, sure...'

'So anyway, how're you feeling today.'

'Hm? Oh, much better, thank you!'

'So you were ill yesterday...?' Ulquiorra begins slowly.

'Is that what you told them?' comes a loud voice from another table nearby. The four friends look up to see Nnoitora leaving his seat and walking over to them. He stares at Hollow and grins. 'I heard some of the staff talking yesterday. You weren't ill, were you, kid?'

'Piss off, Nnoitora,' Grimmjow says angrily.

Nnoitora's grin widens. 'Or what?'

'None of us want to talk to you,' Grimmjow growls. 'Just get lost.'

Nnoitora looks back at Hollow. 'I heard that you were hiding in your room 'cause it's been one year since you killed your mom-'

'SHUT UP!' Hollow screams, jumping to his feet and before anyone can hold him back, he's swinging his fists and then Nnoitora is stumbling back with a yelp, clutching a bloody nose. He looks up to glare at Hollow, who is a younger (and considerably smaller) kid, before deciding that he will retaliate. Nel holds Hollow back and Grimmjow and Ulquiorra step in front of the albino protectively By this point, every other kid in the room has turned away from their food to stare at the five in the corner.

'What's going on?' one of the staff asks, walking over to the scene.

'This crazy kid hit me!' Nnoitora yells, pointing a finger shaking with anger at Hollow.

'You provoked him,' Ulquiorra says calmly but with quiet fury behind his words.

In the end, Hollow doesn't get into too much trouble and Nnoitora has to go to the medical room for his bleeding nose. After this, Grimmjow, Ulquiorra and Nel decide not ask Hollow about what Nnoitora was talking about, which he is grateful for.

But Nnoitora was right, wasn't he?

Even if it was an accident, even if he never wanted it...

… he killed Masaki.

Oh, hell, no.


Oh dear. I believe I mentioned in an earlier chapter that me making Hollow hide in his room reminded me of Crona off Soul Eater, and the scene where he was hugging his pillow brought those memories back. What the hell? They're nothing alike!

Oh well.