Chapter 19 – Hate Vs. Love

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China
Honshu Mountains

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"…Momo…?"

The deathly tone in which he whispered her name instilled fear into her. She was afraid; one wrong word could destroy everything they shared in the past…and everything they might share in the future; but somewhere in her muddled thoughts, she realized that she was still dangling over the chasm.

"Could you…pull me up…please," she breathed, daring not to use his name.

Toshiro's eyes widened, startled that he did not pull her up sooner. It was a small blessing for both of them, to be able to forget the situation during the time he pulled her into safety. On instinct, they inched away from the edge until they were a fair distance away. Still they did not stand; nor could they bring themselves to look away from the frozen grounds.

The silence was strained between them. There was nothing to provide distraction. The mountains remained silent with is winds tamed; and the rest of the soldiers could not be heard. Where were they? Hearing only the sounds of their breathing was terrifying; proof that they would have to face the inevitable. It was something that they wanted to run away from…but confront at the same time.

Momo curled her hands, scraping flakes of ice off the ground. She felt like she was going to implode if she didn't say something. Whatever would happen, she didn't want Toshiro to just disappear from her life. Any chance to recover what they once had, she would take it. So she took in a shaky breath, and took the plunge.

"Toshiro," she whispered pleadingly, turning her head to face him, and finding that he responded to her voice. "Toshiro…I'm sorry."

He looked at her, unblinking, unmoving, as if she spoke in a foreign language. But this silence did not stay long; a sharp, whip-like sound sliced through it as if it was a jagged knife. He was leaning forward and breathing heavily while she withdrew into a state of shock, slowly moving her hand to cover her numb cheek. He had slapped her.

"Why, Momo?" he begged angrily. "All this time…why?"

Momo looked piteous. Even though she was not crying, her eyes had melted in brown seas; they were shined over with tears. She couldn't respond; the guilt that was lodged in her throat told her she deserved at the very least this much. Before another moment flew by, the chattering of the rest of the soldiers could finally be heard. They were coming into view.

Toshiro looked from the fog and back, quickly standing up. He took a step forward and without saying a word, pulled Momo's hood back over her head so she was concealed. His eyes failed to meet hers and he coldly turned away, mounting up on his stallion. A gallop later and Momo was left quite alone, kneeling on the cold, unforgiving ground.

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He didn't understand.

Toshiro urged his stallion to run faster. It tore through the night, sending the snow flying wildly to the sides. The few colours of his surroundings melded and became a bland stretch of grey canvas. A blind left turn, a right turn; he didn't have a destination. All he wanted was to have the exhilaration of speed take away all his confusion and pain, but it did not even allow him that.

He pulled hard on his reins; his stallion dug its hooves into the ground and skidded to a sudden halt. He stopped on the spur of the moment, but he was lucky; the very same chasm was only a couple feet in front of him. He swung his leg over to dismount, but misjudged his condition. Lightheaded from his reckless ride, instead of a smooth dismount he tumbled down onto the ground. Even with the snow it knocked the wind out of him. His roll stopped with him facing skyward and he felt content to remain unmoving.

"Momo…"

His heart throbbed from her name and he sucked in a sharp breath. The frigid mountain air stung his nose, causing him to feel an unpleasant prickling sensation. He wrinkled his nose and took to breathing through his mouth instead. Pain was best avoided.

Yet he couldn't avoid this pain.

Momo; she had deceived him, and on more than one occasion. He actually felt connected to her and truly thought that he could have been himself around her; just her. In fact, her warm touch had begun to melt his barricaded heart. It didn't feel right, having himself so exposed and vulnerable, but he had been willing to try, just for her. A closed heart only represents the reluctance to trust, and the fear of having the fragile emotion toyed with.

And she did just that.

But…it wasn't all pain; and that was what frustrated him.

Even if she did betray his trust, cheated on him, deceived him, it couldn't change the fact that he loved, and still loves her to this very moment. While opening up felt uncomfortable on some levels, it felt like such a wonderful, liberating relief; because that's what you felt when you were accepted wholly by another. And…the feeling that she did accept him was so strong; so strong that it threatened to consume him.

Love…what a strange emotion.

How can you hate and love a person at the exact same time?

Deciding that the current time and place was not suited for those kinds of thoughts, Toshiro rose up and attempted to take his mind elsewhere.

Yes, they needed a plan to counter Aizen and his army. His army was at most half the size of his father's, and in addition less experienced. Unless they devised a suitable tactic, they would be slaughtered on the battlefield. He surveyed his surroundings; with small numbers, the situation practically demanded you to use other areas to your advantage; your surroundings for example.

Mountains peaked up for as far as the eye could see, laden with a copious amount of snow. Ledges were supplied here and there; access was somewhat limited but coverage was excellent.

The path he had taken to this place sloped down compared to the flat lands on the other side of the chasm, where they were this afternoon. They had crossed over a natural bridge; it was very narrow. A rock was situated just a little to the left of him. He walked onto the bridge and peered down into the unfathomable gap, heedless of the simmering winds that wanted to push him down. Looking back up, he could see a new fog rolling in.

Unpleasantness tingled through his back. He turned his head sharply up; there it was: Aizen's falcon. Even though it was drifting at lofty heights, he could tell it was scrutinizing him with piercing eyes. As soon as Toshiro had caught eyes with it, it flapped its wings and flew off. This was bad.

"Hyo!"

He called out to his stallion, who immediately met him at the end of the bridge. Without so much as a stumble, he mounted and rode back up the path. This falcon; it acted as an omen. Even today he still remembered the day he saw it floating above Chang'an; and hour later the Chao army had invaded. He was only seven.

'I have to get back now!'

He gritted his teeth, urging Hyo to make it back to their camp as quick as possible. If his instincts were correct, they had at most two days before their confrontation with the Chao army. Time was running out, but with just a little bit of luck, they would emerge victorious.

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Honshu Mountains
Chao Army Encampment

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"Very well."

Aizen nodded once to his falcon and it flew from his arm to rest atop of a pole. He had a feeling that the last of China's forces were close, but this close? A gleam of excitement appeared in his eyes. He was one victory away from making his dream a reality and that thought pleased him to no end. He licked his lips in anticipation.

"Iba, Gin, Tousen; tell everybody to start packing immediately. We leave in two hours."

"Yes, sir!"

Aizen turned his back to his three subordinates rushing out of his tent and withdrew the silver dagger. Picking up a worn rag, he began to polish it slowly even though it already had a mirror-like coat.

"The mother, the father…and now the son," he murmured to it. "What a wonderful history you will have."

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China
Honshu Mountains

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Hyo dug at the ground nervously, sensing his master's tension Toshiro was sitting up stiffly, waiting in the middle of the path that led to the chasm. A few hours previous his scout had returned, telling him that the Chao army was advancing quickly. In a few moments the air would no longer be still.

The suspense of the moment was eating away at him, and he turned his head around to make sure everything was still in proper order. They were lucky; an extremely thick fog had recently rolled in behind them. It would make everything run smoother. He checked his soldiers; as far as he could see they were all in position. He nodded gravely and directed his eyes back to the top of the path.

Any moment now.

And just one minute of that moment would decide everything.

Any moment now.

The ground beneath him shook; slightly at first, but then growing until the loose fragments of ice jumped in the air. Loud, thunder-like booms followed, shaking the air as much as the ground shook. His hands tightened on his reigns, and then he saw them, appearing in an intimidating black mass at the very end of the path.

The Chao army.

One figure – swathed in a much deeper black that the entire army paled in comparison – moved forward, removing his fur lined hood in the process. Sosuke Aizen, murderer of both his mother and father, leered down at him. Toshiro steeled himself for the anticipated head-on rampage, but it didn't come. Aizen took in his solitude and then looked up at the mountains. He snapped his fingers.

A flurry of lighted arrows were released, piercing the hidden imperial soldiers. Their screams made the first noise of war. Aizen swung his arm forward and led his men charging down the path towards the captain, standing there without anyone else.

"NOW!" Toshiro screamed while turning around and running towards the shrouded chasm.

He could hear them. The soldiers of the Chao army screamed through the air, delighted in seeing their enemy shamelessly fleeing. They quickened their pace so they could catch him. He strained his ears to catch the noise that would decide everything…but it never came. Panicking, he turned his head and could see no light, no fire, nor a war rocket making its accent.

What was going on?

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"Renji!" Momo quickly ran over towards him and helped him into a sitting position. An arrow was embedded into his shoulder, but it was not alight.

"Don't worry about me!" he screamed desperately when he saw Izuru and Shuuhei making their way over. "I…I dropped the flint."

"Where?" whispered Izuru.

"I-I don't know." Renji winced in pain, but when he opened his eyes they were helplessly directed at the lone war rocket perched on a rock; one that was already meant to have been lit.

"No one else has one?" Momo asked, receiving mutual shakes. She looked around desperately. They had to get it alight!

Alight…

An idea struck her. It was a crazy, insane idea with so many flaws, but what else could they afford to lose? She ran towards the edge and quickly spotted one of Aizen's archers. He was preparing another fire arrow. Grabbing a sizeable pebble, she took aim and threw it at him with all her might. It bounced hardly off his head, causing him to furiously look around.

"Over here!" she screamed.

"You! You'll pay for that!"

The arrow was released, and it was exactly what she wanted him to do. It whizzed dangerously at her, arrow and shaft alight, and she sucked in a breath because a second later her arm was on fire. She gasped but could not afford to waste any more time. Quickly, she removed the arrow and lit the war rocket. It went off with an almighty bang, heading straight for its intended destination: the snow-laden peak of the adjacent mountain.

The mountain groaned. It didn't seem like the rocket had any affect when quite suddenly the accumulated snow plunged down in a tremulous waterfall. The soldiers at the back were swallowed before they could fully comprehend what had happened. The screams of terror caused Aizen to look back. His triumphant expression was quickly replaced by indescribable fury. Wrenching the bow and arrow from a nearby subordinate, he turned and took aim at Toshiro.

"TOSHIRO!" Momo screamed.

The arrow missed its mark, instead driving itself deeply into the upper thigh of Hyo. His legs buckled and he collapsed heavily, causing Toshiro to be flung in the air. He crashed into the ground, rolling down a few feet before coming to a stop. More arrows flew, all puncturing through Hyo. Though very shaken and bruised, Toshiro picked himself up and with one last look at his fallen steed, continued to run.

Momo looked down, feeling slightly more relieved that Toshiro was still moving, but it did not last long. Toshiro…he was running towards the rock that marked the bridge, but on the wrong side. If he kept going straight he would fall to his death. Momo scrambled to get up, tripping in the process. Ignoring her bloodied arm, she swung herself up and Jin and directed him down. She quickly passed Toshiro and stopped Jin just before the concealed bridge.

"Toshiro! Over here!"

Although not the smartest thing to do, Toshiro slowed down to a standstill. "…What are you doing down here?"

"There's no time for that! You're running on the wrong side!"

She saw him look towards the rock and then back at her, doubt clearly in his eyes; he still did not trust her. Her heart broke, but if she could just get him safely across, if she could keep this one person that she loved with all her heart alive…then he could doubt her for the rest of her life. Just as long as he was alive.

"Toshiro, please Toshiro. I did deceive you as Ichigo…but as Momo, as me, everything was from my heart…because it wouldn't let me lie to you." She held out a waiting hand. "Please, Toshiro…If you could trust me again, one last time, it's now."

He was still fighting inside himself; she could see that. Time was running out. Aizen, the avalanche: both were coming in as quickly as an enraged bull. But then he sprinted towards her, grabbing her outstretched hand and allowing himself to be pulled up onto Jin. With an urgent cry, Momo led Jin galloping into the fog…and onto the bridge.

"Kenpachi!"

"Right!"

Kenpachi flew out and took a focusing stance in midair. His muscles tensed up, giving him more bulk and he gathered all of his spiritual power, releasing it in one blow. The water vapour in the fog became infinitely heavier, hurtling down. The bridge was smashed through and began to crumble away. It destroyed itself completely as Jin reached the other side. He walked slowly out of the fog.

Toshiro and Momo waited, unmoving as they listened to the noises beyond. Finally, they could hear no more falling screams and allowed their bodies to relax. Mom swung a leg over so both were dangling down on the same side, and turned to face Toshiro.

"I'm…I'm glad you're alright–"

Her body tensed up, not because of the exhilaration, anxiety or even the biting cold. Her sentence was effectively cut off because Toshiro had leant over and kissed her. Was this a dream?

She raised a shaky hand, wanting to touch him but afraid to do so. Sensing this, Toshiro grabbed her hand and placed it around his back, winding his around her neck. She closed her eyes and kissed back with fervour. His lips softly against hers; this was a feeling she would never forget.

Toshiro pulled away just enough so he could speak. He still kept her close, caressing her bare cheek. "Forgive me, Momo," he whispered in a husky voice.

"Toshiro…" With a drained sigh, Momo fell against him, cold and unconscious from the loss of blood.

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