黒と白天使
Dark and White Angel
"An angel in disguise she was, but somehow you fell for her. Until she broke your heart that day, and left you in the rain, but still you love her."
Michiko entered a small clearing in the dark and dense forest. Still no sign of her Zanpakutō, but she still sensed Hana's lingering spiritual pressure. She took a breath in, out, and then closed her eyes to pinpoint her reiatsu. Suddenly, she felt something pounce on her.
"Michiko!" she heard a fond voice cry out. Next thing she knew she was being twirled around in Hana's arm. A swell of euphoria instantaneously filled Michiko's heart. She smiled with elation. She felt like sobbing with joy, though she was too ecstatic to even do that. She wrapped her arms around her.
"Hana, I never thought I'd see you again!" Michiko exclaimed joyfully. "I'm so happy, Onee-chan!" she said, snuggling closer.
"I'm so happy to see you again, my dear imouto (1)." Hana said blissfully, draping her arms around her, smiling contently. Tears started to form and run down Michiko's cheeks.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you… I'm sorry I allowed them to take you away…" she lamented sorrowfully, bursting into cries and tightening her embrace. Hana just smiled and gently stroked Michiko's blackish blue locks.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Michi-chan. Even if you do I'd forgive you right away. To be honest I was thinking the same thing." She said, her tone suddenly changing. Michiko gawked up at her, confused.
"What do you mean Hana?" she asked.
"I'm sorry too; that I couldn't protect you, protect your happiness, that I let them take you away." Hana clarified. "I'm sorry that I let them make you cry." She continued apologizing; the feeling of her spiritual pressure becoming intense but emotionless, like the calm before the storm, like it usually did in an antebellum. Michiko started shaking in Hana's arms.
"W-what do you mean? I don't understand Onee-chan." She said in a frightened voice. Hana's hand slid to the center of Michiko's back, the spiritual pressure becoming more intense.
"Chūrippu… Nete… (2)" she casted, her hand glowing whitish yellow. The spell of Hana's pulsated through Michiko's body, and slowly every limb felt numb. Her head became heavy and everything looked like it was spinning. Hana was still holding her and while she did, her eyes started watering, her bottom lip quivering as she started to mouth her lament.
"I'm sorry for doing this, my sweet Michiko. But you'll see, this is for the best." She reasoned, caringly stroking her back. Michiko was about to speak but soon her mouth too became anesthetized, her eyes were no longer lustrous, and they soon faded and dulled. The last thing she felt was being in Hana's arms. After that, everything went white. Her numbed body slumped in Hana's arms. She gently placed her unconscious wielder on the lush grassy ground. She swept the wisps of hair out of Michiko's sweet sleeping face and delicately stroked her cheek. Such a sweet face. She thought.
"I promise Michiko, you'll be happier after I'm through with those Soul Reapers. After that, we can go back to how it used to be, like all those times when we were little in the garden. It'll be just you and me happily, I promise." She whispered nostalgically. Before leaving she pulled up a protective barrier around Michiko.
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Did I do the right thing? Hana asked herself as she lingered through the forest, far away from Michiko. She tried to assure herself that she did the right thing, but she felt something dark tearing and clawing her soul. Did… I hurt her? I could never live with myself if I did that. She thought, herself trembling from the thought. She committed the act, from what she thought, was for her dear wielder's safety, but it didn't excuse the act of betrayal. Not only did she feel that she had been unfaithful to Michiko, but that she had deceived Hyourinmaru as well. Why did she care? He was the one who snatched her away during the battle which lead to this. Despite that fact, she didn't hate, or have even the slightest shred of redemption against him. Was it possible, she thought, that she liked him more than an ally, more than a companion, a best friend? Or was it simply because they had the same situation and bonded solely on that? Again her contemplation was interrupted when she sensed his presence; cold yet at the same time sort of soothing. He easily sensed something troubling her.
"Are you alright Hana no Tenshi?" Hyourinmaru asked with no tone of concern. She spun around and forced a smile.
"Yeah I'm fine, just a little tired." She lied.
"Did you find your mistress?" he inquired. Her beguiling beam faded.
"Uh… no I-I didn't." she deluded uneasily. His expression didn't change much as he placed his icy hand upon her shoulder.
"I'm sorry about that." He apologized impassively. She hesitatingly wrapped her hand around the one that rested on her shoulder.
"It's okay, you've got nothing to feel sorry for." She pardoned with a smile. I should be the one apologizing, to you and especially Michiko. She thought to herself. Suddenly, she sensed another presence, this time Toshiro's and Ichigo's. She flinched and spun around.
"Is something wrong Hana no Tenshi?" he asked.
"I sense someone's presence, your master perhaps." she answered. "Let's go." She said, but then was halted when he rested his hand on her head.
"You stay back Hana, you've been through an ordeal already." He told. Her cheeks flushed rosy pink.
"Uh… um alright." She said shakily. She watched him as he flash stepped and vanished.
Translations
(1) Imouto: little sister
(2) Chūrippu Nete: Sleeping Tulip; a spell of Hana's that puts a person to sleep instantly and leaves them temporarily paralyzed.