Toshiro tossed and turned as he slept.
He was once again in the icy plain, face to face with a giant blue dragon.
Child
'That voice.' Toshiro realized. 'It's the same one from before.'
My Name Is
"I can't hear you!"
The dragon roared its frustration.
Rukia lay in her closet.
'This can't be kept a secret.' she thought. 'For a Menos Grande to appear in the world of the living and be beaten back by a human child. The Soul Society will find out about this soon, if they haven't already.'
"Hey, Rukia!" Toshiro yelled, knocking on the closet door. "It's time for school! Rukia!"
Rukia shoved the door open. "Don't be so pushy!" she said irritably.
"Is something wrong?" Toshiro asked.
"No." she said sternly, pushing past him.
'That was weird.' Toshiro thought as he watched her go. 'Sure, we haven't been on the best of terms since the whole Grand Fisher thing, but it's been me who's avoided talking about it. Why would my beating something much worse than the Grand Fisher make her even more upset?'
"Rukia!"
The voice drove Rukia out of her brooding thoughts and she put on her fake smile.
"Oh, hi Orihime. How are you doing?"
Orihime jogged to catch up before settling in beside Rukia at a leisurely pace.
"I'm fine. In fact, I'm really excited about summer vacation! I'm just bursting with energy!"
"That's nice." Rukia said, surprising herself by actually meaning it.
"Do you have any plans for the summer, Rukia?"
"I might."
Orihime leaned closer, expecting a more detailed response.
"Like what?" she asked when none was forthcoming. "Are you doing something with Toshiro?"
"No." Rukia sighed. "The truth is, I'm trying to decide right now what I should do."
"Then why don't you come with Tatsuki and me to the fireworks festival next week?"
"Fireworks festival?"
"Yeah. Every year we have one to celebrate the beginning of the summer. It's amazing. You really must go."
"I'll think about it."
"Awwww." Orihime complained. "That's what adults say whenever they don't plan on doing something and don't want to say so."
"Yoruiiiichiii!" Urahara called. "I've got your milk!"
There was no response.
"Now where has that cat gone to?"
He stepped outside of the store, where the black cat was staring at the sky.
"Here you go." he said, half singing as he put the bowl of mil down.
"It's time you dropped that act." Yoruichi said in a startlingly deep voice. "I heard about what's going on, Urahara. We both know what's coming."
Urahara looked up at the sky as well.
"Do you want to talk about it before or after your milk?"
Uryu did not show up at school until after lunch. When he arrived his arms were covered in bandages most of the way up his forearms.
"Ishida?" the teacher asked. "How did you get hurt so badly?"
"I fell down a flight of stairs." he said nonchalantly.
"Stairs." the teacher asked skeptically.
"Yes. Stairs."
Much of the class stared at him as he took his seat.
'Top of the class,' Toshiro wondered, 'and that's the best story he could come up with?'
One student however, was looking not at Uryu, but out of the classroom window.
'For an instant,' Rukia reflected, 'I seriously considered taking Orihime up on that offer to go to the fireworks festival. I can't believe I even thought I should be here any longer.
'It's been more than a week now since I was ordered back to the Soul Society, and my powers still haven't returned. After yesterday's incident, they'll no longer consider this a minor matter.
'I have only one choice.'
Two figures in black appeared over the central park of Karakura Town.
"I'm checking for higher than usual reiatsus." one said, looking around. "So far nothing. If there is someone with Shinigami powers here, they're doing a good job keeping themselves hidden."
"Toshiro!" Rukia called as they were leaving school.
"What is it?" he asked, turning around. "A hollow?"
Rukia's eyes darted to the side. "No. Not this time."
"Then what?"
"I-I wanted to ask you, what your plans are for the summer."
"Oh." Toshiro thought for a second. "I was going to stick around, but now that you mention it, if Uryu's going to be able to take care of the hollows on his own I might go on a trip. It's been a long time since I've had had a chance to relax."
"I see." Rukia fidgeted uncomfortably. "And…are you feeling all right?"
"What?"
"After yesterday. Most Shinigami would need to take along rest after facing a Menos."
"Sure. I was worn out yesterday, but today I'm fine.
"In fact," Toshiro said seriously, "after yesterday I feel a lot more confident about being a Shinigami."
"That's good."
"Listen, Rukia, I'm sorry about what I said that time after the Grand Fisher fight. I was upset."
"We both were."
"I know." Toshiro smiled. "But things are looking up now. I actually feel like this is working out for the first time."
"I'm glad to hear it."
Rukia looked down. 'How can I tell him?'
She ran through the night.
"I've never had a friend to watch movies with. It's a different experience from watching them by myself."
'I should have left after he said that. There is no place in a Shinigami's life for friendship with a human. I do not belong here.'
"Great! You can try out my new recipe! Peanut butter with olives and anchovies cooked with-"
'I'm ashamed. I let myself grow attached to these people, to this environment. I actually wanted to stay longer.
'This is the end of that. No more hiding behind children for me. I'll move on to a different town, then to a different country, and when my powers return I'll be able to-'
"We've found you," a voice said from behind and above her, "Rukia Kuchiki."
Slowly, trembling with grim apprehension, Rukia turned around.
"Renji."
"They're here." Yoruichi said.
"Yes." Urahara acknowledged.
"Are you going to the boy now?"
Urahara shook his head. "I don't believe it's necessary."
The man with the long, red hair tied in a large ponytail leapt down and drew his sword. Rukia backed up instinctively.
"You had a pursuer from the Soul Society following you and you didn't even notice until I spoke?" he spat. "I don't care if you are in a gigai. In just two months you've gotten way to soft."
He raised his sword and pointer it at her. "Spit it out, Rukia."
When she did not answer he yelled in frustration. "Where's the stinking human who took your powers!?"
"What are you talking about?" she protested. "Just because I'm in a gigai doesn't mean I lost my powers! Furthermore," she said with all the authority she could muster, "who says the one who supposedly took them is a human?"
"He is human." Renji said flatly. "Otherwise you wouldn't look so worried about him!"
Rukia's eyes widened as she realized her mistake at being unable to hide her feelings.
"You're just another kid from Rukungai like me." Renji said. "And yet you got taken in by the noble Kuchiki family. With all the money and training spent on you, you were to become one of the Shinigami elite."
He pointed at her. "You're Rukia Kuchiki! It's not right for you to have such a human expression on your face. Isn't that right, Captain Kuchiki?"
Rukia froze. Slowly, as if her neck was a rusty lever, she turned her head to see the man standing behind her.
"Byakuya…brother."
"Rukia." Byakuya said emotionlessly.
"Hya!" Renji yelled, swinging his sword down at Rukia. She jumped out of the way, but her face was still cut from the attack.
"The transfer of Shinigami powers to a human is a class one felony." he said. "Leaving your capture to us instead of the correction corps was probably the brass' version of mercy.
"Now spill it, Rukia. Stop trying to hide the one who has your powers." He raised his sword over her head. "Don't think you dodged my attack before. I let you avoid it. This time I won't miss, unless you give him up."
Rukia was surprised to see Renji suddenly squint, and even more surprised to see him react and move out of the way of a blue bolt of energy.
"Who the hell did that?"
Rukia turned around. Uryu was walking towards them, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"My, my. Two men with swords attacking an unarmed girl. I don't like that sort of thing."
"Who are you supposed to be?" Renji demanded.
"Just a classmate of Rukia's. One who hates Shinigami."
"What are you doing here?" Rukia asked.
"That hardly matters right now, Rukia." Uryu held up his hand, summoning his bow.
Toshiro yawned as he got ready for bed.
'I guess Rukia went to sleep early. She did seem kind of tired today.'
He wrapped himself in his blanket.
'That dream I've been having. The voice is definitely the same one I heard when I fought that Menos Grande, but I started having those dreams long before I got Shiniami powers.
'What does it mean?'
Suddenly, Toshiro bolted up.
"Holy!" he yelled, looking out of the window.
'Those reiatsus that just appeared, they're insane!'
"Rukia!" he yelled, knocking on the closet door. When there was no answer he pulled it open. The closet was empty.
"Of all the times-Zilla." he realized.
"Zilla!" he called. "Where are you?"
He searched under his bed, in his drawers, and all over his room
"Damn it. Where the heck is he? Snooping around the house while everyone's asleep?"
Toshiro left his room and started looking through the house. He began with the living room, half expecting to find Zilla watching television when no one was around, but there was no toy to be found there at all, animate or otherwise. He checked the kitchen next.
Toshiro then began looking in the bathrooms. He quickly ruled out the ones he used. Soon the only places left in the house were the other bedrooms and the master bathroom. Deciding that the bathroom would be the easiest to check without waking anyone else he carefully snuck inside it.
Toshiro heard the sounds of a mumbled struggle. He found Zilla attached with scotch tape to the back of the toilet and his mouth was taped shut. Toshiro brought him back to his room before freeing his mouth.
"Ouch!" Zilla said. "What took you so long? I was stuck there for hours! I didn't care who the next person to come in was anymore! I was gonna scream for help like my life depended on it!"
"I never use the master bathroom. What happened?"
"It was Rukia!"
"Rukia?"
"Yeah! I saw her writing something earlier. When I asked her what it was she grabbed me and did this to me!"
Toshiro rubbed his chin. "She put you in a place where I wouldn't be able to find you easily, then disappeared. Now two huge reaitsus show up, and without either of you I couldn't turn into a Shinigami."
"Huge…reiatsus?"
"It's time to switch, Zilla. Rukia's in trouble."
Uryu collapsed in a pool of blood.
"That's what you get when a human tries to fight a Shinigami." Renji said.
'Renji's improved his skills again!' Rukia observed. 'With my full powers I wouldn't even stand a chance against him!
Renji raised his sword to deliver the final blow.
Suddenly, the pavement beneath his feet rose and cracked, forcing him to jump away to keep his balance.
"What now?" he complained, looking at the source of the newest distraction.
A small figure was hunched over several meters from where Renji had just been standing, holding a long sword to the smashed pavement.
"Who are you supposed to be?"
The figure rose, and it was still extremely small. "Toshiro Hitsugaya. And you are?"
'Toshiro!' Rukia thought, beginning to panic. 'What's he doing here? I thought he wouldn't be able to find Zilla for a least a day! That idiot! Why couldn't he just keep away?'
Renji smiled. "Renji Abarai. You're one tiny Shinigami, aren't you?" Then Renji saw his sword. "With a freaking long Zanpakuto. What squad are you with?"
'The size of a Shinigami's Zanpakuto is proportionate to the size of their reiatsu.' Renji thought. 'How can someone so small have one that big?'
He took his eyes from the sword to study Toshiro again.
"I get it. You're the human who took Rukia's powers."
"What makes you think that?" Toshiro asked.
"The way you carry yourself. A real Shinigami wouldn't have their head bowed down like that. They'd look their opponents in the eye!"
Renji sprang at Toshiro, bringing his Zanpakuto down on the boy's and not letting up. Toshiro was able to block each strike, but was forced to back up.
"Come on!" Renji screamed. "Is that huge Zanpakuto just for show!?"
He stepped back, and Toshiro finally took a swing at him. But Renji had already leapt over him. He brought his sword around while Toshiro was still out of position, and scored a direct hit on Toshiro's left shoulder.
Toshiro fell to his knees, holding the wound.
"Toshiro!" Rukia yelled.
"It's over." Renji said. "You'll die, and the powers will go back to Rukia. Then she'll go back to the Soul Society to stand trial for her crimes. She may even die."
"Bastards." Toshiro whispered to himself.
"But man, are you a stupid little runt." Renji held his head up as if overcome with laughter. "Rukia left by herself so you wouldn't get involved. She was trying to save you! And you decided to come here and get yourself killed anyway.
"What did you expect? You're just a human who became a Substitute Shinigami. You could never hope to even put a scratch on us real one-"
Renji stopped and raised his hand to his chin. He was bleeding.
"If 'real' Shinigami distract themselves so easily," Toshiro said, brandishing his sword, "then this is going to be easy."
"Why you-" Renji breathed.
"You were careless, Renji."
Renji stopped. "Captain…"
"This boy," Byakuya said, "I've seen him before. The Secret Mobile Corps reported the other day that he inflicted a wound on a Menos Grande and sent it back to Hueco Mundo."
This time Renji really was overcome with laughter.
"You've got to be kidding me! The Secret Mobile Corps must be slipping!" He pointed at Toshiro. "This kid wounded a Menos Grande!? I couldn't believe that even if I wanted to!
"Just look at him, captain! He's not even old enough to know his Zanpakuto's name!"
"Zanpakuto's…name?" Toshiro asked, looking at his sword.
My Name Is
Wield Me
'The dreams-does he mean there's a spirit in my sword that's trying to communicate with me?'
"I knew it." Renji scoffed. "You don't know your sword's name. Someone like that trying to take me on is two thousand years too early!"
Renji held his sword up and ran his hand over it.
"Howl, Zabimaru!"
Renji's sword transformed before Toshiro's eyes. It lengthened and split into six connected segments, each with two, long, sharp, pick-like protrusions.
Renji threw his arm forward, and his sword shot forth even farther than its length. The six joints, connected to each other by impossibly flexible joints, separated, giving the Zanpakuto a whip-like function.
Toshiro did not even try to block the attack. Instead he stepped to the side and let it pass him.
"Look out!" Rukia warned.
Toshiro had no time to even comprehend what happened next. The Zanpakuto spun around and raked him across the back, each pick-like protrusion digging deeper than the last.
Again, Toshiro fell forward, and this time, he dropped his sword.
"Sorry about that, kid." Renji said, not sounding apologetic at all. "But that's what's called a power gap." His sword pulled itself back together, and he raised it over Toshiro's head.
"Good bye."
"No!"
Rukia jumped on top of Renji, grabbing his sword arm to keep him from bringing it down.
"Stop this, Renji! He's just a child!"
"What are you doing?" Renji demanded of her. "Are you trying to make things worse for yourself?"
"Toshiro, if you can stand, please listen to me! You've got to run!"
Renji threw her to the ground. "That's enough out of you!" He turned back to Toshiro, who had picked up his sword and was starting to rise.
"You can still stand after that wound?" Renji asked, impressed. "Good. I was thinking it would be a shame to finish off someone who couldn't move anymore. What the hell are you mumbling about?"
Toshiro was looking at the ground whispering to himself. He raised a hand and looked straight at Renji.
"Bakudo Number Nine! Geki!"
A red energy surrounded Renji, freezing him in place. He grunted as he struggled against the spell, but ultimately could not even move his sword arm.
"You-taught-him-kido?" he growled at Rukia through clenched teeth. He was about to say more, but was stopped by the tip of Toshiro's sword appearing within an inch of his throat.
'He actually cast a bakudo spell powerful enough to hold Renji!' Rukia thought. 'This just makes it that much more likely that I'm going to face the death penalty.'
"This time it really is over." Toshiro said. "Go back where you came from, and I'll let you go."
Renji's eyes narrowed as he stared into Toshiro's.
"Go ahead. Do it."
"What?"
"I was wondering why you didn't kill me when you had two opportunities to do so before, especially when you first arrived. Now I see. You don't have the guts to kill me." He smirked. "Killing hollows that look like monsters is easy. Killing someone who looks like a person-for a child like you it's impossible."
Toshiro's hands shook as he tried to think of a response.
"If I'm wrong then do it!"
Toshiro, Renji, and Rukia all stared at his Zanpakuto with open mouths. Most of the blade had disappeared, leaving a stump only a few inches long.
'What happened?' Toshiro wondered. He turned to Byakuya, who was still in the same spot he had been standing in the whole time, ten meters away. 'He couldn't have done anything at that distance.'
Toshiro's eyes widened as they saw what Byakuya was holding, the majority of a broken Zanpakuto.
Byakuya dropped the sword and reached for his own. Toshiro turned to face him.
The next thing Toshiro knew, there was a hole in his chest.
'How? He stabbed me, but I don't even know if it was from the front, or the back.'
He fell forward, and next to him Byakuya muttered "How slow, even when falling."
He stabbed Toshiro again in midfall.
Rukia screamed, running towards Toshiro. Renji, now able to free himself of the binding spell, grabbed her by the throat.
"Don't. He's already dead. Don't add twenty years to your sentence for someone too far gone to even notice."
Rukia looked away, unable to take it. Renji let her go, and she collapsed in a sobbing heap.
Renji shook his head, then looked at Byakuya. "There was no need for you to interfere, captain. I had the situation under control."
"Come now, Renji." Byakuya said. "Even I will grow rusty if all I ever do is watch from the sidelines. Now let's go. It is time we bring Rukia back to face her fate."
"No…"
Byakuya looked down. Toshiro had pulled himself up slightly by grabbing onto the leg of Byakuya's kimono.
Rukia and Renji both gaped. 'How can he still be alive after being stabbed twice by Captain Kuchiki?' Renji wondered.
"You're….not…taking anyone…anywhere." Toshiro said in a pained voice.
Rukia appeared between him and Byakuya, kicking his hand away.
"Filthy human." she spat. "How dare you touch my brother."
Toshiro could only stare in shock as Rukia turned to Byakuya.
"I am ready to go back now, brother. This human's actions have opened my eyes. I will accept whatever punishment is awaiting me."
She nodded at Toshiro. "Let us go now. There is no need to waste a killing blow on this."
"Rukia…" Toshiro said, despair mixing with the pain in his voice.
Byakuya took another look at Toshiro. "Very well. We will leave now."
"Captain!" Renji said.
"I shattered his soul chain and soul sleep." Byakuya said. "His powers are gone for good, and with his his injuries he will bleed to death within the hour. Open the gate so we can leave this world."
"Very well sir." Renji stepped forward and held his sword as if he were performing a konso. A wooden gate appeared in midair. It opened, and the three Shinigami from the Soul Society stepped towards it.
"Wait…" Toshiro said, trying to crawl forwards.
"Stop." Rukia ordered. The venom in her voice did stop him.
"Just try to come after me. Just try to take one more step." She turned around, and Toshiro saw that her face was contorted with anger even as tears gushed from her eyes.
"I'll never forgive you!"
The hatred in her final words tore through Toshiro as hard as Renji and Byakuya's Zanpakuto. She turned and followed the others into gate, leaving a dying and despondent Toshiro.
"Ru…kia…"