Author's note: Hey hey hey all my beautiful readers :D. Cue the dramatic music because I have a long chapter for you! I shall say this a thousand times, I. Love. All. Of. You.~ You guys brighten my day with your reviews and I always come here time and time again to see if I got any new reviewers or favorites for this story :D. It shows up in my email and lately it's been going berserk! I swear I think around 50 people have favorited it in the past week! Wow! So I wanted to make it up to all of you for sticking with my long disclaimers and late updates. This chapter is going to be much like Destroyed Heart, it's going to be dramatic, but! Just like that chapter, there is going to be some angsty romance ;). I bet you've all been dying for it and finally, I'm allowing some of it to appear in this story. I really hope you guys all love it as much as I do xD. Oh and hey make sure to stop by and read You Belong to Me :D I'd really appreciate if you commented ^^. By the way, this is my first chapter that I've tried to write a huge battle scene, so I'm sorry if it goes a bit fast ^^' I hope I was detailed enough for you guys all to enjoy it. Anyways enough with all my rambles, onto the story!
Disclaimer: Bleach ended on March 27th and won't start till Summer of 2013. If I owned it, I'd continue it much sooner!
Beautiful Lie
Chapter 12: Unable to see
"Stop him!" yowled Hisagi, unsheathing his Zanpakuto and whispering its name along his lips. The sword split into two individual spiked rods connected by a thin chain. Two blades protruded out of each rod, one of each of the blades inverted towards Hisagi, giving it the resemblance of a pinwheel. He swung his arm and threw one of Kazeshini's blades towards Hitsugaya, the sword spinning like a fan as it hurtled towards the captain.
Toshiro smirked, raising his own Zanpakuto and easily blocking Kazeshini's blades, cutting it off on its path to murder. He twisted Hyourinmaru around it and knocked it to the ground, quickly grabbing the chain and pulling the lieutenant towards him at excessive speeds. Hisagi gasped as he barely dodged Hitsugaya's sharpened blade that lunged for his neck, ducking underneath the rather long sword and making a jab for his legs.
However, Hitsugaya anticipated this move and sent a flying kick right into Shuuhei's face, knocking the black-haired man several feet away from him. Hisagi clutched his face in pain and looked up to see Toshiro charging towards him, his blade raised over his head and a roar erupting from his throat. Hisagi was prepared to meet with a Zanpakuto in his heart but was astonished to see that Kira had appeared and blocked the attack, Wabisuke meeting the captain's blade.
Toshiro laughed, pressing his blade forcefully against Kira's causing him to stagger back. Sparks flew as the pressure increased and Kira was forced to jump back as Toshiro made a swing towards him. Sweat beat down his neck as Toshiro ran at him, sword in one hand as he struck the blonde's blade once more. This time Kira couldn't keep up against the power that was in the captain's blade and was pushed back, his hand pressed against his Zanpakuto to prevent it from breaking.
"Hah, is this all you guys are capable of? Pathetic!" Hitsugaya laughed mockingly, his glowing eyes narrowing in annoyance. He looked from the corner of his eye to see that Hisagi had recovered and was heading towards him, both of his blades in his hand once more. He looked up to see Renji thrusting Zabimaru down at him, the blade extending as it reached towards him. So they were going to all go against him at once, thinking that if they outnumbered him that they could beat him.
Oh this was getting fun.
He pushed Kira's blade away from him and raised his one hand with his Zanpakuto high into the air. Ice formed from its tip as mist surrounded him, swirling in delicate patterns and ruffling his messy snowy hair. He looked up and smiled at seeing Renji's frightened expression as he tried to pull away for he knew what was coming. He may be arrogant but he wasn't stupid. That stance was obvious enough and the ice shards that started to surround him was proof. The ancient language of Hyourinmaru spilled from Hitsugaya's lips as he twisted his blade in the air, his eyes alight with excitement.
"Bankai."
Ice exploded from his body and the mist thickened into layers of ice as it spread across the vast area. Wind spiraled around him and sent the lieutenants flying in opposite directions, their bodies crashing into the hardened ground and he heard their cries of pain from the impact. Ice trailed down his right arm, enveloping it completely and forming the appearance of a dragon's head, its teeth grasping the hilt of the blade within its jaws. His other arm was covered in ice and it sharpened his fingernails into lethal talons, his feet following the same procedure. The hilt's detailed star rapidly changed as the four stars morphed into eight stars, jutting out at the top of the hilt. Daggers formed over his shoulders and a long serpent-like tail appeared underneath his hakama, both which were encased in ice. He screamed as two large majestic wings sprouted from his back and stretched several meters into the air, showing the awe-inspiring detail that was imprinted within their wingspan.
"Daiguren Hyourinmaru."
He lowered his sword and the mist cleared from the vacancy, allowing him to detect where the lieutenants were. Renji had crashed into the fourth division's headquarters, a huge hole revealing where he had broken through. Hisagi was sprawled on the ground, Kazeshini absent from his grasp. The lieutenant shook as he tried to get to his knees but Hitsugaya judged by his face that it was excruciatingly painful. Kira was sent flying into the forest, for Hitsugaya noticed his blonde hair sticking out of one of the tall oaks. Toshiro turned his head to notice that all the bodies that he had attacked earlier were hidden underneath the thick ice, and he smiled at his cleverness.
Now who should he kill first?
His questioned hung in the air as he suddenly remembered the other captain that had accompanied the lieutenants earlier. He turned his head and saw that she was still standing there, staring at him like an idiot. He growled and pointed Hyourinmaru at her, his eyes glinting menacingly. She made no move nor did she flinch, she just kept staring at him intently, worry and disappointment flashing in her eyes. She whispered incoherent words to him but he couldn't understand them due to the dragon roaring in his ears, demanding him to kill everything in sight.
Instincts child, instincts!
He whipped around when he heard the swinging of a blade and felt a chain wrap around his wrist tightly. He looked up to see Hisagi panting roughly as he clutched the chain tightly in his grip, tugging Hitsugaya forward. Hitsugaya huffed and grabbed the chain and yanked it, watching as Hisagi charged at him, the other multisided blade reaching for his throat. Toshiro lifted his wings and flew into the air with a powerful stroke of his muscles, hearing Hisagi's gasp as he tried to hang onto the chain that was still around the captain's wrist.
Toshiro somersaulted in the air and dived down towards Hisagi, crashing into his body and hurtling them towards the ground at unbelievable speeds. Hisagi grunted as he tried to push Hitsugaya away from his body but failed unsuccessfully and his body made contact with the ground, shattering the ice. The lieutenant coughed up blood and he felt the breath get knocked out of his chest as he struggled to breathe. Looking up he quickly blocked the blade that was coming down on him and prevented it from slicing his neck, a slight cry escaping from the back of this throat. Pulling on the chain, Hitsugaya fell forward and Hisagi saw his chance and struck him with his blade, watching as blood pooled from the fresh wound that had cut him across his chest.
Toshiro hissed and jumped back, the chain unfurling around his wrist as he clutched the wound that was now bleeding profusely. His breath came out in ragged gasps and he felt the exhaustion weigh him down. He had forgotten that he wasn't completely healed and that was putting him at a disadvantage against the three lieutenants. He cursed and clutched onto Hyourinmaru, his knuckles turning white from the tight grip he had on the sword. The cut bubbled and more blood erupted from his chest, causing him to yowl in pain. He fell to his knees, his left hand trying to stop the blood that was seeping through his fingers but the sticky liquid wouldn't stop pouring out of his skin.
He had completely forgotten about the rain and he felt the slight patter of it against his bare skin. Even though the atmosphere was frozen the rain refused to be slowed down by it, dripping down his face in a slow rhythm. He hung his head and felt water droplets fall from the spiky mass of snowy hair, freezing upon contact with the ground. He didn't have to look up to know that Hisagi was walking towards him, probably unsure on how he should react. He could hear the slight clinging of chains as Kazeshini was raised, causing Hitsugaya to look up at the black-haired man.
He was hesitating.
That would be the worst mistake of his life.
Toshiro snarled, reaching out and grabbing the lieutenant's leg with his clawed hand, tearing through his hakama and ripping the skin under his jagged nails. Hisagi fell to the ground in pain as Toshiro pulled his leg from underneath him, causing him to collapse beside the captain. Hisagi had barely any time to determine what had occurred before Hitsugaya's clawed fingers caught his face and threw him with amazing power away from his body.
Toshiro stood up, panting slightly, his breath coming out in cool wisps from the chilly air. He held Hyourinmaru in front of his, daring anybody to make a move in his weakened state. He didn't know how much longer he could last against all of Aizen's illusions, but he refused to fall against that bastard of a traitor. He could never forgive himself if he did.
He looked over towards the fourth division building to see Renji emerge from the broken wall, dust and several bruises smeared across his face before he sent a challenging glare in the captain's direction. He looked worn out but that didn't hide the obvious glimmering intent in his eyes to murder the white-haired prodigy. After all, possibly those bodies behind him could have been some of his apprentices that would soon join his division. Hitsugaya wondered if he murdered any of his possible recruits.
"Hitsugaya-taicho. Do you have any idea what you're doing right now?" he thrusted Zabimaru in his direction and Toshiro easily dodged the segmented blade, watching it crash into the ice where he originally stood. The blade retracted back as Renji continued his slow pace towards the bankai enhanced captain, speaking meaningless words as he sought to get an explanation from him.
"You murdered apprentices that looked up to you. They honored you, admired you, and you just show up crazed with a hunger to murder and slaughtered each and every one of them. Do you not feel any remorse?" he taunted with normally horrifying words but they didn't even make the stoic captain flinch, instead he grinned even wider, his lips stretching across his face.
"Your taunting is irreverent and quite irritating. You're asking if I'm regretting my actions? Let me answer your question with another question. Why would I feel remorse against them when I did the world a favor by ending their miserable lives?" his eyes glinted with menace and he smiled in amusement at seeing the red-haired lieutenant's eyes widen in shock.
"You monster! I respected you Hitsugaya-taicho, but this is going way too far. I've never heard of a more bloodthirsty act than that! You're a horrible sadistic bastard, you're worse than Aizen!" he regretted letting those words slip from his mouth as soon as he said them. He saw Hitsugaya's body jerk at the mention of the traitorous captain and the most outraged expression flashed over his face. The area went down several degrees as Toshiro uncapped his spiritual pressure, causing Renji to sputter and fall to his knees. Oxygen refused to fill his lungs and he tried to counteract the overwhelming reiatsu with his own, but it overpowered him and he found himself gasping for breath.
He looked up at the sound of ice cracking and watched to his amazement as glaciers jutted out of the ground on all sides of Hitsugaya. The rain became snow and he felt it painfully sting his bruised face, occasional flakes catching in his eyelashes. The ground rumbled as if something beneath it struggled to reach the surface. A huge crack formed behind Hitsugaya but he seemed unfazed by it, his savage, bright eyes only locked on him. Renji noticed that Hisagi's wound that he inflicted on Hitsugaya was dissolving as ice concealed it beneath the icy structure, freezing the blood to his skin. Toshiro's bare chest rippled underneath the cold wind but he made no move to cover himself, fully content with seeing his prey freeze under his menacing glare.
Spider web cracks ran across the area as the indent behind Hitsugaya dug deeper into the ice. Renji watched in unpronounced shock as a massive serpent broke through the thick platform of frozen water, showering crystal shards as it soared high into the sky. Its tremendous wings stretched high into the air, the wind heaving the heavy beast over them as it circled the group. Hitsugaya raised his sword, the long chain that was connected to his hilt whipped rapidly in the sudden increase in pressure, the crescent like blade swirling dangerous around him. The dragon flew down towards them when Hitsugaya uttered the name of his Zanpakuto's release loudly against the roaring wind.
"Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens, Hyourinmaru!"
The dragon landed behind Hitsugaya where he had emerged, sending mist across the area from the impact. The monster raised its head into the air and a guttural roar erupted from its throat at the sound of its name, spreading its wings to demonstrate how superior the magnificent dragon was compared to their opponent. The serpent lowered its head as it faced Renji, the normally scarlet irises no longer visible underneath the blinding glow of turquoise, matching its master's own blazing orbs. The dragon's eyes narrowed along with Hitsugaya when his smirk disappeared from his face as he pointed the Zanpakuto at Renji's bowing form.
"Never. Never compare me to Aizen. I will never match him, no matter how much I kill. His betrayal to Soul Society and to the ones that admired him sent everyone into a long stage of depression. My murders could never succumb to that level."
Renji dared to raise his head and meet the captain's icy gaze, catching a growl that ripped from Hyourinmaru's throat. Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow but didn't attack as Renji slowly rose to his feet, his knees shaking from the amount of energy it took to stand. He didn't reach down for Zabimaru, fearing that he would strike if he made a move towards the weapon.
Renji panted as he tried to still reason with the confounded captain. "You have affected people with your murders Hitsugaya-taicho."
Toshiro raised his other eyebrow, joining it with the one that was already near his hairline. "Oh, how so?"
Renji knew that he was going to regret saying this, probably even killed but the unstable captain needed to know this, it might bring his rampage to an end. For now. "Do you have any idea how many people are mourning for Hinamori's death? You murdered her. Her of all people! You always swore to protect her and would kill anybody who made her spill a drop of blood. You're a hypocrite, you killed her in cold blood and she's dead because of you!"
Toshiro's eyes widened immensely before they lowered and Renji could distinguish the agony that was hidden behind the glowing shields. He had hit a soft spot and he could tell that the captain was distracted, his body shaking as his emotions snapped one by one and he was consumed in self-hatred. He screamed and hid his face within his hands as he collapsed to his knees, having already dropped his Zanpakuto. The dragon that loomed over him began to shake as well, his eyes flashing from deep magenta to the incandescent white that took control over his body. Sobs wrecked the poor man's body and he looked back over at Renji, his rare tears spilling down his face.
"I never wanted to hurt her!" he cried, his spiritual pressure thickening as he lost control. "I wanted to protect her and comfort her but instead I was careless and ended her life! It's all my fault!" he choked between sobs, his words rushing out his mouth as he spilled out all his depression and agony onto the world around him.
Renji didn't think he'd react like this, he's never seen the apathetic captain so upset before. The mention of the dead lieutenant had sent all of his recent murder attempts down the drain and his more prominent emotions rose to the surface. Sending him into a stage that was horrifying enough to just stand by and watch.
Renji looked over to see that Hisagi was slowly rising to his knees, his face badly scratched up from Hitsugaya's earlier attack. He saw Kira collapse from the tall trees a few miles away and scramble to his feet, revealing to be the least hurt among the group. Kira, having been knocked out for the past few hours that they had been fighting Hitsugaya, looked up at the towering beast that was behind Hitsugaya, his eyes wide in terror. He then noticed the slumped frame of the once collected captain crying into the frozen ice that lay beneath him.
Unohana still stood there, unmoving. She had ordered the subordinates to not make any moves of attacking and allow the lieutenants to fight Hitsugaya. She never imagined that the fight would drag on this long but it looked like Hitsugaya was getting more and more worked up and if this progressed any further he could permanently be dragged into his subconscious, forever seeing Aizen among his friends and fellow shinigami. He would have to be locked up for the rest of his life, not being able to see the outside world. Unohana was prepared to fight with all she had to prevent that from happening.
Toshiro lifted his head from the ground and sniffed, his tears freezing along his face from the blistering cold. He pounded his fist on the ground, feeling his knuckles rip open from the cold that seeped through them, causing blood to spatter on the ice. He clenched his eyes shut and repeated this pattern, ignoring the dull pain that ran through his fingertips. He could hear Hyourinmaru's soft cries within his head, obviously being affected by his state of mind, but he didn't care. He glared up at the lieutenants who were now grouped together a few feet in front of him, placing his clawed hand over his heart, he wailed in a hoarse voice.
"I loved her!"
His confession sent the lieutenants into a state of shock, all of them eyeing the captain as he grabbed his blade and stood back up. His back hunched over and he had to prevent himself from collapsing to the ground and passing out, he had to finish this. He could feel all the aches in his body from the course of their fights but he held his Zanpakuto high, feeling Hyourinmaru's physical embodiment stretch its neck to appear even larger. Their eyes radiating the same blue-green light.
"I promised to protect her and I broke that promise. I promised to stay with her to the end and I lied. Her end came but mine hasn't. She was my best friend and I wanted to be her savior. I helped her pull through the betrayal of Aizen and constantly worried over her health when I wasn't nearby. I wished to have something more than friendship; I wanted her to come to me whenever she was down and let me hold her to calm her fears. I wanted to be more than just friends; I wanted her to be with me. I wanted her to see me the same way I saw her; I wanted her to see that I've grown into a man that is willing to spend the rest of eternity with her. I wanted her to know that I would cherish her every day of my life, mind, body, and soul,"
"But she died before I could tell her how I truly felt. I never get to see her pure smile anymore or the laughter in her eyes when she calls me Shiro-chan. I'll never be able to embrace her when she's scared and in need of protection. I'll never have the chance to kiss her underneath the illuminating moonlight. I lost all of these chances because I was careless and fury filled my senses and I didn't realize until it was too late."
The lieutenants just stared at the captain, unknowing if he was speaking to them or talking to himself, lost in his swarm of dreams that couldn't become reality. Unohana lowered her gaze, unbeknownst information running through her head as she thought about Hinamori and how she was hiding within Hitsugaya's grasp. However, she couldn't reveal herself yet. It was still much too soon even under the circumstances at hand. She hoped that Hitsugaya can find his right mind and calm himself down before she would have to intervene.
Toshiro raised his sword above his head, both hands clutching the hilt while he lifted his wings in the air. A gust of wind flew away from his body and hit the lieutenants, causing them to take a step back from the force. The dragon behind the captain raised its head and stared into the ashy sky, as if the tip of Hitsugaya's blade was the dragon's jaws, beckoning him to face the heavens. Toshiro looked at the lieutenants, his once rampaged look flashing across his eyes.
"I'll finish you all off before I end my own life."
With a twist of his Zanpakuto the dragon flapped its powerful muscles and launched in their direction, its glazed scales reflecting underneath the snow that still fell from the sky. It roared as it twisted through the air, its enormous wings spread out away from its slim body as it aided its dive towards the group. Sharpened Icicles elongated from the dragon's gums and it opened its jaws as it prepared to crash into the trio.
Unohana's eyes widened and she placed her hand on her Zanpakuto, prepared to step in and finally finish this dreaded fight, but something flashed past her eyes and she gasped as it headed straight towards the immense dragon that was rapidly descending towards the ground.
"Stop this Shiro-chan!"
A voice called out from the vicinity but no one could pinpoint the location of it. Hitsugaya's eyes were wide as he was tackled to the ground unexpectedly, feeling arms wrap around him securely in a tight embrace. He struggled underneath the grip, his eyes wild as he searched for whatever had attacked him but he couldn't see anything, he could only feel the obvious weight that held him to the ground. He ended his struggles when he saw little drops of water appear on his chest and he noticed to his astonishment, that they were tears.
"Please… Stop this…" the weak voice cried and he saw more teardrops land on his bare chest.
The sudden distraction had caused his flying ice dragon to halt in its path, searing upwards at the last moment and dodging the group by mere inches. The lieutenants all stared in shock, trying to digest what had just occurred. They noticed that Hitsugaya was pinned to the ground by an invisible object that had suddenly appeared and knocked him back, causing his attack to swerve in the opposite direction and miss them. They looked up and watched as the beast swirled around the area, its eyes intently watching each and every shinigami as it contemplated on what to do.
Meanwhile down near the icy ground, Hitsugaya was staring at the concealed individual, trying to analyze who had prevented him from completing his quest. He growled as he tried to shove off the hidden body, his one hand reaching around for his Zanpakuto that had slid away from his grasp when he fell to the ground.
"It's okay, everything's okay…" a feminine voice whispered in his ear and he shut down all thoughts of ripping the figure off of his body and killing her for interrupting a very precise moment before he would end his own life. He felt soft fingers touch his frozen cheeks and they burned from their warmth. He felt glued to the spot, he couldn't move a muscle, couldn't move a limb or anything important. The only thing that could move were his eyes and they searched for the woman's hidden orbs, seeking answers to the billions of questions that were running through his mind.
Unknowingly, tears began to overflow down his cheeks before he could control them. He couldn't raise his hands up to remove the wretched salty substance since he was restrained by the woman above him, so he had no choice but to allow her to see his distressed state. Her hands worked their way up his face and stopped underneath his eyes, wiping the endless tears with her fingers.
"I'm here Shiro-chan… I'm here…" she cooed, and stroked his face gently. A sob wrecked his body, shaking both of them as his emotions pooled out of his body in waves. Hitsugaya's eyes slowly widened as recognition suddenly hit him full force. That voice. The capability to calm him down with a simple embrace. The name 'Shiro-chan' that echoed off her lips.
"Hina-"
He was abruptly cut off when a soft pair of lips pressed against his in a silencing matter. He gasped against her petal-like mouth but found himself lured into the peachy fragrance that emitted from her and he closed his eyes, leaning in to deepen the kiss. His mind was foggy and he felt like he was dreaming, all those suicidal thoughts disappearing from his mind. He found his arms wrapping around where he assumed her waist was as he pulled her closer to his body, enjoying the feeling of the woman resting upon his chest. Was it really Hinamori? The question kept running through his head over and over. He saw her die in front of his very eyes. Was there a possibility… that she survived?
Did she see everything that just happened?
He reluctantly released her lips when she pulled back, wishing that he could see her flushed face from the entrancing kiss. He raised his hands and felt silken hair touch his fingertips as he ran his fingers through her luscious locks. He moved his fingers up her neck, feeling a shiver course through her from his delicate touch. He stopped when he reached her face and held her chin, bringing her back down to eye level with him. He stared into the empty space where he assumed her tawny-brown eyes were and he swore that he saw a glimpse of the light in her eyes behind her shield. He lowered her head and brushed his thumb across the smooth surface of her mouth, bringing her lips back to his.
He was unaware of the sudden grunts and groans that sounded from a few feet away; instead his full attention was on the girl that was in his arms that he was kissing ever so passionately. He didn't notice Unohana chanting out 'Inemuri' and causing all of the subordinates and lieutenants to crash to the ground in a deep sleep. He didn't notice that Hyourinmaru had roared pleasantly in the sky before shattering into a million ice shards, scattering over the Seireitei like frozen raindrops. He didn't notice that Unohana was making their way towards him, a kido spell already among her fingertips. And he certainly didn't notice the solitary tear that ran down his cheek before he blacked out.
Author's note: Ta-dah, angsty romantic chapter :D. I hope I did good at describing the battle scene heh ^_^. So Toshiro fights against the lieutenants and easily beats them, even in his weakened state. Hisagi was his first match followed by Kira, then Renji. How could Toshiro say such a cruel thing? T_T Those apprentices didn't need to die. Then Renji sets Shiro off by saying he's WORSE than Aizen. Big no no. Hyourinmaru's physical form shows and aids Shiro in his fight and he FINALLY admits his love for Hinamori (I thought you'd all like that) Then he proceeds to kill everyone off before he kills himself. But! Someone stops him before Unohana gets into the fight :D. And you can guess who it is~ Even though she was told not to help she went anyways (Yayyy for her!). And of course, a more detailed kiss between the two of them. Even though she was invisible, he wasn't unconscious unlike in Destroyed Heart. What will happen now that the two meet? Will Toshiro continue on his rampage or will he finally find peace? Please Review! :D Arigatou!
