Author's note: Trying to write when you are stressed about your winter's exams and you start preparing three montns earlier isn't a good idea. Let's reduce the stress
levels for the next exams.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach
For your convinience:
Velonica the city and kingdom of witches.
Uverworld, known as the outer too, the rest of the kingdoms excluding Velonica.
Asterisk capital of Oz kingdom
Aqua Timez capital of Falis
Serrahield and Endra-La cities of Falis.
Chapter 12: Nocturne meetings under the moonlight.
The heavy scents of the flowers filled the light night breeze. That fine aroma intoxicated her brain but also brought her a feeling of freshness. Due to that clarity of mind she was able to notice the sound of light footsteps amidst other night sounds. The moon, almost in its full state, was sending mercifully its pale silver rays to the earth. Thanks to that Hinamori saw immediately the figure of a short (hey!) white-haired prince.
"Can't you sleep either?" he asked with a slight smirk as he was a few steps away from the young witch.
"No. My head was too full to relax. So I decided to come here where I was sure I could let some of my worries slip away", Admitted Hinamori with a smile as he sat next to her.
"I know what you mean. Actually the same reason led me here, though I didn't expect to find company".
"I can go if you want to be alone. The Royal gardens are huge, I'll certainly find spots of equal beauty to distract my mind".
"My breeding as a gentleman would never allow me to send away a lady who was already here", Said Hitsugaya sternly.
"People from the outer do not usually treat witches as ladies", commented Hinamori with a faint hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Witches do not usually treat normal humans so gently and kindly… as you do... They do not usually step in the front to defend them", was Hitsugaya's reply.
Hinamori turned her head to gaze at the waxing moon, before she said.
"I don't see normal people and witches as something different".
"All the others do though".
"Not all of them. Nanao-san, Unohana-sama, Yachiru-san, Kuchiki-san and Matsumoto are able to see the person and do not put labels on him whether she or he is normal human or a witch", said Hinamori in defense of her friends. "They bother eee treat both equally".
"I am talking about you this very moment. You were the first witch I met with this characteristic", emphasized the prince.
"But I tell you Matsumoto-san…"
"All that alcohol confuses her".
"That is rude Hitsugaya-kun!" exclaimed Hinamori with shock.
"I'm joking. But she truly belongs in a league of her own", said he.
Hinamori smiled and said.
"That's true. You wouldn't be able to put her along with common people or witches".
"Exactly because she belongs in the category of super annoying people", continued Hitsugaya. Hinamori threw him another shocked look but her lips were pressured as so not to smile. Silence fall for a few minutes before he spoke again.
"The truth is that I haven't said my thanks to you yet".
"Thanks about what?" asked Hinamori puzzled.
"For saving me…and Kurosaki".
"I didn't have my consciousness back then so I would like it if you didn't give me credits for that", said the ebony-haired girl looking at her feet.
"But it was thanks to your abilities that so many disasters were avoided", disagreed Hitsugaya.
The witch didn't reply to that. Obviously she was lost in stormy thinking seas Hitsugaya could not have access to. He longed though to calm those seas and see her smile from her heart like his mother did. He blushed at his thoughts and then scolded himself for them thankful for the fact that Hinamori was lost in her own thoughts.
"You don't act yourself after that incident", he finally said desiring to have a share of her troubles.
"I know", she admitted with a sigh. "That's exactly why I can't sleep".
"Why? Is there something that seems off to you?"
The young witch looked at him with half closed eyes and then said.
"Everything is off with me Hitsugaya-kun. From the very beginning there was nothing normal with me. I am the first witch after Snow white, I have a beating heart and unusual powers and now I had my heart stopping completely for more than a few seconds for the first time. I thing of all those things everyday. I think so much of them that my head hurts".
The white-haired prince draw back unconsciously and said murmuring.
"I never thought that you were strange or abnormal".
"Maybe you should. This time I even had a little conversation with my unconsciousness", said Hinamori smiling bitterly to herself.
"What do you mean?"
"Before I lost my senses I heard a little voice saying I'm sorry mother, which confirms the Mirror saying that my mother has something to do with my condition", explained Hinamori.
"Hm... You know I have never heard you talk about your father or the rest of your family. Don't they have something to say about all this?", asked Hitsugaya wondering. Hinamori jerked suddenly from her position as if she had violently woke up from a bad dream and said surprised.
"Haven't I ever mentioned that I have a really bad relationship with my family. Or at least I had because now I don't have any relationship at all".
"What?" asked Hitsugaya. He knew that having a witch as a kid was not welcoming news but he thought that still they wouldn't cast away their kids.
"My stepmother didn't want her own kids to be related to a witch in any way. She was really insufferable when I become a witch so I decided to run away and leave them live in peace", explained Hinamori in the most natural tone ever.
Hitsugaya wanted to say that this was horrible but he was so shocked he could not utter a word.
"How did your father allow that?", he managed to say.
"Well I didn't exactly ask his permission to run away, but the whole situation distressed him. I mean he had a wife he loved who died and then he was pretty much forced to marry another woman for the sake of the family. Even though he chose her himself it wasn't his best time when she nagged from morning to night about me".
Hitsugaya remained silent for a while thinking and then said.
"You had a tough time as a witch".
"All witches have a hard time you know. I'm no exception but I'm lucky to have wonderful friends and the chance to meet interesting people", said the girl smiling broadly.
"Still I don't understand how can you smile so cheerfully after losing your mother and being forced to leave your family and fend for yourself", asked Hitsugaya icily and gloomily. Hinamori looked at him worried and surprised.
"Hitsugaya-kun you have lost both your parents right?"
"How do you know?"
"A blond witch I got to meet lately told me".
"Who else! She never keeps her mouth closed", said Hitsugaya frowing.
«Don't be mean to Matsumoto-san she's really cares for you. But I quess you are right it's not nice having others talk around for your personal matters».
Hitsugaya didn't say anything but he kept his icy gaze fixed on the moon. Hinamori remained silent watching his face and then said.
"Anyway what I wanted to say by mentioning them is that even if your beloveds are away you are also doing your best to live on. You have many things to keep you occupied like your kingdom, your training, gaining more knowledge through reading, joining the search party for prince Ichigo, meeting new people, finding your special someone and the prospect of starting your own family with her. Do all that leave you uninterested?"
"I'm not the kind of person who thinks everything in a positive way", replied Hitsugaya still not looking at her.
"Then what do you intend to do with your life. Stay locked in your castle and go out only for political reasons? Just because your parents died you are going to live like a dead person yourself?"
"No!"
"Then what do you intent to do? Shut away your emotions so that you won't get hurt anymore?"
"Enough!»,bellowed the prince as he stood up. « What do you know about my life? Even if our circumstances are similar we are not the same, our lives are not the same, so how I decide to deal with my life is my business".
"I am well aware of that. I just don't find your reaction healthy, you are just like the prince in that fairy tale who surrendered to the witch so that he wouldn't have to feel... the loss of his lover...!".
The young witch had started her reply in a half-angry tone affected by the prince but at the end of her sentence she slowed down puzzled. Hitsugaya noticed that and asked her still angry.
"What is it now?"
The girl didn't reply immediately but when she did she said.
"I think I know what Elvira wants to do!"
Suddenly the white haired prince put away his anger and asked.
"How can that be?"
"Elvira was kicked out of the magic council because she tried to steal a book from the forbidden part of the royal library, right?"
"That's what I heard from Ise".
"Well the book she tried to steal was actually a fairy tales' book".
"Seriously? Why would she go all that trouble for a book that contained fairy tales?".
"Because that version of the book actually contains the whole circle of the fairy tales. In the original book there were more stories that weren't included in latter editions. Humans haven't even heard of them. They are far more dark than the original stories of the five great witches so it was decided that they wouldn't be included in future editions to prevent witches from getting ideas. The already existing books were destroyed or hidden in the Forbidden part of the royal library and no one is allowed to read them not even the librarians".
"In this case how do you know what story inspired her plan?"
"Because I own the original version. It belonged to Snow-white and it was passed down from mother to daughter. When I was a child my mother read me those stories before I go to bed. I know all of them", explained Hinamori with a smile.
"What are we waiting for then? Let's go inform everyone!"said Hitsugaya as he turned towards the direction the exit of the Gardens was.
"Ah! I think Matsumoto has gone out with prince Ichigo's party".
Hitsugaya stopped and went back to Hinamori's side and said.
"Why I'm not surprised!"
"It's okay. We'll tell them tomorrow when we'll also have time to form our own strategy".
"You are right...But we're going to have the meeting first thing in the morning", said Hitsugaya with a broad grin.
"I don't know if everyone will agree to that", commented the girl.
"I know...but you still haven't told me what Elvira plans to do".
"Oh! The story talks about a witch who used different parts from a wizard a prince and a knight to create one super human who would help her conquer Uverworld", explained Hinamori.
"What do you mean she used parts from three different humans to create another?" asked Hitsugaya confused.
"She used a spell to take the head of the wizard, the body of the knight and the heart of the prince".
"She intents to do the same thing with us?"
"I believe so. Remember what the mirror showed us. A shorter Urahara. She must want to use his head, prince Ichigo's body and your heart".
"Is that possible?"
"It is! The story contains the spell to do that. That's why Elvira wanted the book".
"You are the expert in spells".
Awkward silence fall after the conversation and the two of them sat again in their previous seats looking at the moon again.
"... I'm sorry about what I said earlier I was too aggressive", said Hinamori in the end.
"It's okay. I didn't act very calmly before and you said some right things. I'm sorry for snapping at you".
"Well you tend to snap at several people so I don't really mind. Not to mention that I touched a sensitive subject".
Hitsugaya didn't reply as he thought that he didn't felt very well for having snapped at Hinamori of all people. For some reason he felt all upset and his stomach was in a mess. It felt as if someone had released a sack filled with butterflies. However all of a sudden he realized that he was awfully tired.
"I think it's finally time to return to my room. It seems my visit here served its purpose", he said as he got up and stretched his hands. "Are you going to follow me Hinamori?"
"No, I think I'll stay here for a little longer», said the witch. «Have a good rest because tomorrow you'll have struggle to get everyone up the time you want".
"We'll see about that!", said he grinning menacingly. "Good night Hinamori!"
"Good night Hitsugaya-kun!"
So Hinamori was left all alone under the rays of the silver moon thinking that lately she felt really weird whenever she was with Hitsugaya.