I'm back with and update! Wooo! I'm actually really happy about how this one turned out! :D Ah, so I'll try to put out a new chappie by the end of this week, so please hold on! :)
Thanks to all of my reviewers! Everything you say is greatly appreciated!
Disclaimer : I do not own Bleach, but I do Toshiro's little Hollow.
Enjoy!
MPOV
I woke up with the sun in my eyes. I groaned and turned over, trying to shield my eyes from the burning light. But eventually, I opened my eyes and stared at the white wall. I could feel that there were no emotions in my eyes – no emotions anywhere on my face. It was blank. It has been blank for seven days.
It has been seven days since I was captured. Since I was ripped from a dying – dead – body. Since I saw the life die from those beautiful teal eyes. I remember blacking out and then waking up here. At this castle. I had cried for three days,, over Toshiro, wondering where Orihime was. If she was alright. If everyone else was alright. But then everything seemed to evaporate. My tears dried and my heart stopped hurting. Perhaps it had accepted that he was dead and that I would never see him – or any other of my friends again. Perhaps it had gone into denial, or maybe, it was just building a shield to protect it from any more damage.
I wasn't sure exactly where this castle was, and I had never met the 'King' who ruled this castle. I had encountered servants, or accomplices. Whatever you could call them. Some were the ones that had taken me away, others, I had never seen before. All were cold, mean, but somehow, they showed no life. That is, except one. She showed compassion, she would smile at me everyday when she brought me a tray of food. She was also beautiful. And I envied her the smallest bit because of that trait. Although she was a servant, I was sure, by just seeing her, the way she did not feel….powerful, she was not here on her own free-will. She really was a slave.
So I sat there, on this stranger's bed and stared at the wall. But then something caught my eye. I stood up slowly and shuffled over to the window. The robe that had been given to me was draped over my shoulders, covering the other robes that were given to me. It was trying to keep me warm, but failing. I stood up on my tiptoes and glanced out the small window.
Snow. It was snowing. I felt my eyebrows pull together at the thought of new snow falling on the ground. Just like it had…
"Momo-chan!" Her high-pitched voice echoed throughout the room.
I turned and dropped to my heels. There she was. She had a bright smile on her face as she carried a tray. There was something else tucked under her arm. I tried to smile back at her, how I would before, but it wouldn't come. I couldn't muster even a sad smile. It was pathetic. Pathetic how broken I was. There are people far worse off than me. Yet here I was, willowing in my sadness and heart-broken state. I was pathetic.
"Hello, Momo-chan!" She said with a very enthusiastic wave as she set the tray down. She walked towards me, pulling out a bag from her pocket.
I sat back down on the bed and curled my knees up to my chest.
"Hello, Nel-chan."
TPOV
Our swords clashed, pushing against one another. I grunted, trying to push him off – away – from me. During our fight, his grin has never faltered. How, how the hell was he smiling like a maniac while fighting me? He let out a cackle and brought his sword down harder, pushing my own blade closer to my throat. I ground my teeth together and pushed back. Then he disappeared, only to reappear a few meters away from me.
My chest was heaving, blood dripped from a cut in my forehead and fell into my eyes. I didn't dare brush it away. I kept my eyes on this man…my monster.
Ahahahaha! He cackled, opening his arms, his mouth wide in a grin. You can't kill me, little King. I know everything little fucking thing that you do! I. Am. You!
I growled at him as he laughed. He wasn't even breathing hard. If he knew me… that meant that I had to do something that I have never done before…something that I would never do in a real fight. Something that would get me…
"What's your name?" I yelled back at him, loosening my hold on my sword a little bit. How could I do this? I needed to defeat him, I needed to get out of my Inner World. I needed to get up, come back to life. I needed to find Hinamori. Hinamori…suddenly, her smiling face as it looked up at me pushed its way through my mind. Hinamori. I needed to get to her. I had to know if she was alright. She had better be alright, or I would never forgive myself.
The monster laughed, loud and clear as he lifted one hand to point at me.
'The fuck you think it is, genius? He sneered, his eyes narrowing. You are the 'genius' aren't ya?
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Your name is Toshiro?" I asked, my voice containing no emotion what so-ever. It was blank. Dead.
He laughed maniacally. Like I'd be called somethin' that means white. 'The fuck you take me for, Shortie? White is pure. I'm the farthest damn thing from pure. He stopped and the grin on his face stretched out even more, holding something secret. I glared at him. Was this what Kurosaki's monster was like? Foul-mouthed, psychotic, and blinded by pure instinct?
How could I beat someone that was blinded by just the pure instinct of the battle? Who knew everything I had?
"So, then. What is your name if it's not Toshiro?" I asked again. He shrugged his shoulders, lifting his hands in the air. Meh, not sure if I wanna tell ya. He scratched his chin, tilting it up into the air. I watched him, waiting. Waiting for him to do something…to attack.
"Alright. Then tell me….how to come to be in my Inner World?"
He stared at me, his eyes widening the slightest bit. Whaaaat? His voice came out almost whiny, but it still held that strange tone to it. The way Kurosaki sounded when he was in this form. Don't tell me that you think the only one lucky enough to get one of us is just Kurosaki Ichigo?
I said nothing.
Ah, I see. You did! And people thought you were a fuckin' genius? Ha! Funny how that works, eh? He peered at me.
I waited for him to continue. With a sigh, he raised a hand and twirled it around.
Everyone – every shinigami – has a hollow inside of them. Whether they let it out or not is entirely up to them, but that's where they get their fighting instinct from. Where they get the urge to kill the enemy. But sometimes, that little hollow has a damn big voice and can take over. Like it does with that Ichigo kid. Like I'm doing with you right now. He finished and grinned at me.
"So, to get rid of you, I have to kill you, yes?"
Precisely! He yelled and pointed a finger at me. Took ya fuckin' long enough.
And he disappeared, and when he reappeared, we began to fight. Clashing swords, ice crashing against ice. The frown never leaving my face, his grin never leaving his. Whatever his name was.
I wasn't sure how long we were fighting for, it could have been minutes, hours…even days. But at one point, when I had a last landing a few scratches on him, leaving us both breathing heavily and bleeding. I had a thought. He was a part of me. Was he like a zanpaktou? If their master died, they would also die? So in theory….if I was to die….
I looked at him as he jumped away from me, finally, the grin on his lips had died down to a slight grin. I let out a breath. I glared at him. I wasn't sure of my theory, but then, that's why it was just a theory.
Hey, little King!
I gave him my full attention.
Why do ya wanna go back? He asked, and truly, I was puzzled by his question.
"What?"
Why do ya wanna go back to being alive? Why not die?
And as soon as his words were out of his mouth, Hinamori's face appeared before me. He raven hair pulled tightly back into a bun that was covered with a white cloth and tied with a blue ribbon. Her big brown eyes starring at me as she begged me to let her down when her brother lay dead on the ground. Her eyes when she watched me fight Starrk. Her eyes when she saw the sword impale me. Her eyes as they watched me fall to the ground. Her eyes as they watched me die.
Before I had time to respond, he lunged at me, his sword – my sword – held in front of him, ready to stab me. And I prayed to God that my theory was right.
Her mouth as it was only a few inches apart from mine. Her mouth as it screamed out my name, willing me to stay alive. Her voice cracking from sadness. And then her screaming as she was ripped out of my arms.
'The fuck?
His sword plunged deep into my chest. I let my head fall as blood dripped from my mouth. He left his sword in me and I could feel his stare on me. I could imagine his eyes being wide with shock and confusion as to why I didn't try to stop him.
I looked up and found that his face was exactly how I pictured it. I gave him a smirk.
"Not to cocky now, are you?" I hissed at him.
He let go of the sword's hilt and stepped back, shock still displayed clearly on his face. I watched him as I fell to my knees. His hand started to disappear. He held it up in front of his face, his eyes going even wider at the sight of himself disappearing. But then his eyes fell and he smirked at me.
Ryukuro.
"What?" I asked, surprised that there was no pain in my chest.
Ryukuro. My name, you moron. He grinned at me, a full toothed grin. Well, well, I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes. Damn, I was hopin' that you'd be the stupid fucking moron and not figure it out. Shit. Ah, well.
He was almost gone now, and the sword had disappeared from my chest, but there was no hole. I stared at him as he looked at me once again.
He smiled at me, not a psychotic smile, but a genuine smile. Protect her. Keep her safe. And tell her before you can't anymore. And remember: I'll be back. And with that, he disappeared completely from my sight. I stared at the spot where he was.
Toshiro?
I turned my head and saw Hyorinmaru standing behind me. I stood slowly, slightly surprised that I could.
"How am I not dead?"
You can't die in your Inner World, Toshiro.
"Oh." I turn and face him. "What happens now?"
You return to your body. You live. You find her. Save her. You know what to do.
And before I knew it, I was losing sight, everything was going white.
"Thank you, Hyorinmaru."
Everything went white and they were gone.
"Thank you….Ryukuro."
YAY! woow, i really like writing that one, and for those who would like to know Ryukuro mean dark dragon spirit. I thought it fit... :p
Please review!
