Number: 10

Title: Reincarnation Blues

Date: February 21, 2009

Characters: Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, mention of Aizen (don't worry, he's dead!)

Summary: Hitsugaya died fighting Aizen and was reincarnated as a human, though he can't remember his past life. That is, until he meets her...

Word Count: 991

Dedication: TheArcanaQuotes, thanks for the reviews! (I'll try to dedicate a chapter to each of my frequent reviewers :D )

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For as long as he could remember, Hitsugaya Toshiro could see spirits. They were everywhere in the small town of Nagasana where the fourteen year old boy lived. He enjoyed watching them as their actions were a welcome diversion from his everyday life. He had lived on the streets by himself for years until he was brought to a foster home. When questioned by the police, he could remember nothing about himself or his family, only his name: Hitsugaya Toshiro. Despite investigations, no record were found of anybody that shared his family name or his peculiar appearance. So he was sent to school where his icy aura made him into an outcast, though he was mocked behind his back about his height, snowy white hair, and emerald green eyes.

So it was only natural that he preferred the company of the undead.

Though there was one that was different. She was dressed in black robes with a pink scarf that draped over her arms. She had icy blue eyes and the biggest chest that he had ever seen, and he felt drawn to her though he couldn't say why.

The first time he saw her, she was standing near one of the spirits that he frequently saw around town, holding a sword. Despite her weapon, he sensed that there was nothing to fear from her and he watched in amazement as she touched the butt of her sword to the spirit's forehead, who dissolved into shimmering particles of light. This act triggered something within him. "Konso," he whispered, though he had no idea where the memory of the word had come from.

He saw her many more times, performing konso or sometimes even fighting giant monsters. He had the feeling that she had been an important part of his past. But no matter how hard he tried, the memories eluded him. And each time that he tried to get closer to her so that they could talk, she would vanish.

Each night his dreams were troubled, filled with fighting and death. A sinister laugh echoed around his unconscious mind, until he woke up with his fists clenched, muttering the name 'Aizen'. Often, after one of those nightmares, he couldn't go back to sleep and lay in the dark, wondering about his past.

He thought about the mysterious woman as he walked home from school. Though he didn't admit, he was eager to see her again, even if it was just a glimpse.

Last night, he had had his worst dream yet. He was lying in a pool of his own blood, with another man lying beside him. They had each given each other a fatal wound. The man laughed. "You should celebrate your victory while you can, because though I might die, you're not going to last much longer either."

"I'll follow you to Hell, to make sure that you stay there, Aizen!" Then Aizen went silent, and there was another shape bending over him, crying, begging him not to leave her.

"Don't worry," he whispered weakly. "I'll be back, I promise."

Then everything went black.

When he had woken up, he had thought he saw a shape crouched on his windowsill. But when he called out, it was gone in a swirl of strawberry-blond hair.

Now, absorbed in his thoughts, he didn't notice when a car veered uncontrollably off the road ahead of him…

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that he felt strangely light and there was a chain sticking out of his chest. Then he saw his mangled body lying a few feet away.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" he whispered. Somehow, he felt strangely calm about this.

"I'm afraid so," came a voice behind him. It was her. She walked over to him, a sad smile on her face. "I am a shinigami. My job is to guide souls to the Soul Society. My name is—" He looked into her beautiful blue eyes, and suddenly all of his memories came flooding back. The Soul Society, Aizen, the Winter War, everything. But especially her.

"Rangiku…" he said, loving the sound of the name as it rolled off his tongue. "I remember."

She looked shocked. "You do?" Then she laughed. "Of course you do, you're the child prodigy."

Then she slapped him across the face.

"What was that for?!" he asked indignantly.

"That was for letting Aizen kill you!" she exclaimed with tears in her eyes. "For leaving me!"

He looked up at her, knowing that there were no words that could express how sorry he was. But he knew that she understood, because she had been his fukutaicho as well as his lover and knew how much he had trained to make sure that Aizen couldn't hurt anybody else.

Then she slapped him again. "And that was for dying just now, how careless was that! That means that you'll still be shorter than me when you get to the Soul Society!"

He started to glare at her, but then she drew him into her arms. "And this is for coming back to me," she whispered, as she put her lips to his.

They tasted even sweeter then he remembered.

Afterwards, they stood facing each other. "You're still a dead soul, so I have to do this," Matsumoto said as she drew Haineko. "I'll come and find you in the Rukongai,!"

He smiled as she gently pressed the butt of her zanpakuto to his forehead, feeling his body dissolve into light. "I'll be waiting."