Part Three - Resolution
Chapter Eleven - Enemies Behind Enemies
...
"We aren't supposed to play with their reiatsu. That was our only rule."
"Rules are meant to be broken. Besides how could my piece ever hope to stand up next to yours? You went ahead and chose the anomaly. I simply countered you."
"By cheating!"
A grin. "Maybe so, but we're too far in to back out now. What will your next move be, I wonder."
...
Toushiro stumbled backwards, just barely avoiding Momo's attack. His eyebrows might have been singed off, but at least the rest of him was unharmed. He didn't remember Momo's attacks ever being this large or explosive. Had Aizen done something to her reiatsu while she was gone? Momo didn't wait for the fireball to fizzle out before she launched another at him. He jumped to the side, brandishing his zanpakuto and let loose some of his reiatsu. The temperature of the room plummeted, but Momo didn't seem to be bothered.
"You can't intimidate me, Shiro," she said softly.
Toushiro huffed and pointed Hyourinmaru in her direction; the complete darkness was the least of his problems right now. He had no choice but to fight back; Momo seemed intent on beating him, if not seriously harming him. He didn't like it; he didn't want to hurt her. Even under this new facade, this new power, she was still his sister. Anger bubbled in his chest as he thought of what Aizen had to have done to her to make her act this way. Momo was easily impressionable, but he could have had done nothing short of brainwashing to get her to act like this. Toushiro would end that bastard and make him pay. He clenched his jaw tightly and took up an offensive stance. His left leg was starting to protest all the movement, but he could not afford to be bothered by it now.
"Why are you doing this, Hinamori? For revenge? For Aizen? You have to know what he did to us, to you, he betrayed everyone. How can you still side with him after-"
"Snap, Tobiume!"
The black cavern was momentarily consumed by red-orange light, shadows danced along the walls and floor, and Toushiro threw himself to the ground to avoid the blast.
"Hinamori!" he yelled as he shoved his crutch out of the way and shunpoed to a safer point.
Momo shunpoed as well, he heard the rush of air and his spine bristled as she appeared behind him. He spun around just in time to meet her zanpakuto with his. The metal blades clashed together with a high pitched zing and Toushiro felt the vibrations travel up his arms. He gritted his teeth as his left shoulder trembled and pushed her back a few steps before swinging Hyourinmaru at her midriff. He heard her jump away, a few light footsteps, and then she was back at him. Toushiro braced himself and once again met her blow. His leg trembled, sending heated jolts up his thigh and down to his toes, and he knew that it was nothing but willpower keeping him standing. Battling Momo, or any lieutenant, should have been easy for him, but his stupid leg, that should have healed months ago, stood in his way. He nearly lost his balance as she swiped at his right side and he had to lean left to avoid it. Growling, he shunpoed away, trying to gain the upper hand and pin her down. This time it was he who appeared behind her. She still wasn't as quick as him, but she managed to turn just in time and block his attack.
Sweat ran freely down his back; the heat in the Muken had increased tenfold because of Momo's attacks. The air smelt burnt and his throat was achingly dry. He adjusted his grip on Hyourinmaru and changed his stance so that most of his weight was on his right foot. It was not the best stance ever, but he would much rather accommodate for being unbalanced than have his leg give out on him. Momo's footsteps pat-patted across the floor as she came at him once more. Their zanpakuto met in a clash of reiatsu; her fire met his ice and steam stung his cheeks.
"What are you trying to do?" he growled, and this time struggled to push her away.
The edges of their blades slid against one another, the metal sparking and scraping.
"Join us," Momo replied, her voice tinged with strain.
"Are you insane? Why the hell would I join Aizen after what he did?"
"He's misunderstood," she snapped, suddenly jabbing Tobiume at his shoulder.
Toushiro spun away and his leg nearly gave out; he dropped to his knee for a second before shunpoing away as Momo jumped on the spot he had been seconds before.
"Misunderstood, my ass. He's brainwashing you! He has been since you first became his lieutenant-"
"That's not true," she yelled and followed his shunpo, thrusting her blade as if it was a jousting pole. "I believe in him and his vision for a new Soul Society."
He side-stepped her attack, swallowing a jolt of pain that radiated from his thigh. "A new Soul Society with him as king! That's not something I can stand behind, Hinamori, and neither should you."
Momo yelled as she spun around and slashed at his neck. "You don't know anything, Toushiro! Do you really think the Soul Society is worth saving? All this corruption and crookedness? You can't stand behind Aizen, but you would gladly play the good little soldier that the Central Forty-six wants!"
Toushiro's back hit a rough wall and he dropped to the floor just as Momo's blade connected with the stone his head had been in front of. He grazed his palms on the ground as he rolled away.
"Aizen was a good man. And like any good man, he wants to see the end of all this corruption. It's not fair that the Society is ruled by a bunch of people who don't even have zanpakuto!"
She blindly stabbed at the ground and Toushiro felt her blade knick his calf. He hissed and scrambled to his feet.
"Aizen betrayed us all, Hinamori, he cut you down and left you for dead. How can you forgive him? How can you even stand him?"
"Because I don't keep grudges," she screamed and threw herself at him.
He stumbled forward and braced himself against the wall again.
"It was all part of a bigger plan. He has a place for me in his new world. I'm going to rule alongside him and" she suddenly stopped moving. All Toushiro could hear was her ragged breaths in the darkness. He straightened and guarded himself with Hyourinmaru. The cut on his calf seemed deeper than he had originally thought. He couldn't see it, but the amount of blood that he felt running down his leg told him that she had got him pretty badly.
"Join us, Shiro, please. Aizen would treat you well, better than how you're being treated here."
"Is that why you came back?" Toushiro asked, licking his lips with a dry tongue. "To convince me to join you?"
Momo swallowed. "In part. I miss you. Please, don't turn your back on me again; we can work together."
Toushiro bristled. "I never turned my back on you! I tried, I tried my damn hardest to help you! You're the one who slapped me in the face and left!"
"I had to! Aizen needed me. Why don't you understand that? He's not the villain you make him out to be-"
"No..." his hands were starting to tremble and Hyourmaru's hilt rattled. "I don't know what he did to you-"
"He didn't do anything to me!" She paused and took a deep breath, "I need your help, Shiro. Kurotsuchi's seals are much more tricky than they seem -"
"No!" He found himself shouting and shaking his head. "I can't, not after... No. You picked sides, and I can't just look past that."
"Pity," she murmured and Toushiro was instantly on edge. His spine itched and he adjusted his stance and grip on Hyourinmaru again. "I was hoping that someone as smart and strong as you would choose the better choice. You could have helped us."
Toushiro narrowed his eyes and swallowed thickly. "I think... I'm done with helping you, Hinamori." The words sat heavily on his tongue; he was basically abandoning his sister, the same person who he had spent most of his life trying to protect. But the situation had changed and, as much as it hurt, he couldn't help her much anymore. He breathed deeply as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.
He didn't hear her speak her release command, but the next thing he knew a fireball had collided with the wall, centimetres away from where he stood. The heat was unbelievable, suffocating, and smoke filled his lungs and made his eyes water. He dove to the side as a scorching pain lanced up his right arm. He choked back a hiss as his arm, from his shoulder to his knuckles, seared and throbbed. He countered the heat as quickly as he could with a blast of his own reiatsu. The fireball was reduced to steam as the temperature inside Muken reached freezing point in a matter of milliseconds. He rolled to his feet and ripped away the remains of his charred sleeve. Momo's blade was at his neck almost instantly. He planted his feet into the frozen ground ignoring the defined tremor in his thigh and met Momo blow for blow.
"Snap Tobiume!"
He saw the spark ignite as it left the tip of his blade and he pushed more reiatsu outwards, snuffing out the attack before it could form. Momo growled in frustration and swung at his side. He skittered away, gritting his teeth as his knee locked painfully and threw him off balance. He caught himself before he could fall, but Momo didn't let him rest. She took a low blow this time, swinging at his legs. Toushiro jumped away, pulling his left leg away as fast as he could. But, he was already overcompensating on his right side and the added imbalance from having to pull back so awkwardly caused his good leg to slip and he tumbled to the ground. He swore aloud as the back of his head connected harshly with the floor and he saw stars for a second too long. Then a flash of metal and his cheek stung something fierce. He held his breath as Momo fisted the front of his uniform pulling him up from the ground slightly.
He was breathing heavily and sweat ran freely down his neck and forehead, but he still felt a few warm drops fall from Momo's face to the bridge of his nose and his cheeks. He heard her sniffle softly as she raised her blade from the floor with the grating sound of metal against stone.
"Snap-"
Suddenly the door was blown open with a great whoosh. The pressure in the room disappeared instantly. Light from a dozen torches lit up the doorway and he felt Momo let go of his uniform. He wasn't sure if he should have felt relieved or not, because as the guards swarmed Muken, Momo's reiatsu was already fading away.
...
Toushiro sat silently as a medic worked on his burnt arm. He stared blankly at the wall of his prison cell feeling like he was about to vomit. He wasn't sure how long he had been in the cell or even how long it was since he had been in Muken, but he was worn out and just wanted the medic to hurry up so that he could sleep. It felt like ages until the medic rolled down the sleeve of Toushiro's pure white robe – prisoner's garments – and stepped away. Toushiro nodded in thanks and rolled his shoulder; the skin still felt very sensitive and he probably wouldn't be able to hold Hyourinmaru for a while. Though, that wouldn't be much of a problem since his zanpakuto had been confiscated. The prison guards had physically pried it from his brunt palm, ripping pieces of charred fabric and skin. He could still feel Hyourinmaru's presence, but it was distant, strained, and left him with an empty feeling in his chest. He couldn't hear the dragon speak but he felt his agitation.
The medic wordlessly disappeared and Toushiro was left to sit in silence on the thin futon in the corner. His left leg was throbbing and he could barely move it. Once the guards had dragged him to the cell he had collapsed to the ground, unable to move. He didn't want to move. He shut his eyes and breathed deeply. How had Momo just disappeared like that and how had she suddenly gotten so strong? If Aizen was still sealed then he couldn't have altered her powers in any way. There must have been something he was missing, something big. He needed to do more research, but he couldn't. He cracked his eyes open and glared at the thick, steel bars that ran the length of his cell.
He had messed up again. And this time there was no possible way he could fix it. He hadn't even been arrested by the omnitsukido but by the guards of the Underground Prison. He was a prisoner of the Central Forty-six and nothing could help him. Punishment was sure to be severe, too.
He sighed deeply and threw himself sideways onto the futon. This was so stupid; he was so pathetic. How could he have let Momo get away again? Why had he trusted someone like Kurotsuchi? He should never have gone to Muken. He shut his eyes tightly, feeling them start to prickle and his vision blurred. He balled the threadbare sheet in his fists and clenched his jaw tightly. That was it, he was simply a failure. He couldn't protect his sister, his squad, or even himself. He took a deep breath, frustrated at how shaky it sounded. He had tried and tried, but he just kept on messing up. He should have just quit after Yamamoto had given him that warning. He should have known that nothing ever went in his favour. He had always just been a stupid kid who didn't know when to stop and never did anything right. In fact, it was probably for the best that he had been arrested, that way he couldn't screw up anymore-
"Toushiro Hitsugaya, what is the meaning of this?"
Toushiro shot up straight and rubbed at his eyes as the head-captain marched through the doorway followed closely by Rangiku, and Captains Unohana, Kyoraku, Ukitake, and Kurotsuchi. Yamamoto marched up to the bars, his thick eyebrows knitted into a deep frown. Toushiro felt himself shrink.
"I..." he started but stopped and hung his head.
Yamamoto sighed deeply. "Tell me what happened."
Toushiro blinked rapidly, fighting the hot wetness that consumed his vision. "Th-there's no excuse for my actions, sir. I made some very poor decisions and deserve every bit of the punishment that's coming."
"Captain..." Rangiku said sadly. Toushiro tried his best not to make eye contact with her.
"I don't deny that," Yamamoto growled, "But what happened? Is it true that Momo Hinamori was in Muken with you?"
Toushiro's tongue was bitter. "Yes, sir. She was there. We fought... and I let her escape."
"What was she doing there? What was her reason for coming back?"
"She... Aizen might still be sealed. She mentioned something about that..." Toushiro debated whether or not he should say anything about her wanting him to join Aizen, but Yamamoto had already moved on.
The head-captain raised an arm to rub his temple. "That... that may work out to our advantage," he sighed. "But, am I to understand that Hinamori made it into the highest guarded place in the Seireitei undetected twice? As a matter of fact, how did you get there, Captain Hitsugaya?"
Toushiro spared a glance to Kurotsuchi. The bastard had the guts to show his face after he had led him into a trap? He clenched his jaw. "I was-"
"I brought him," Kurotsuchi cut him off. Everyone in the room turned to him. "What? I'm not letting the brat take credit for my accomplishments."
"Why did you bring him?" Kyoraku asked, as he twirled his hat with his fingertips.
"Why? Because people with true intellect are so hard to find, apparently," Kurotsuchi sneered. "The child wanted to investigate the conditions of Muken in order to figure out how Aizen escaped."
"Oh?" Yamamoto raised an eyebrow and glanced from Kurotsuchi to Toushiro.
"Everyone is so focused on finding Aizen that no one stopped to consider how Hinamori, a lieutenant, could free him. There's some trickery going on here. And we're talking about inside help. I did some investigating myself and there was something off about the guards' rotation schedule."
Toushiro blinked in shock. It... it hadn't been a trap? Or rather Kurotsuchi hadn't led him into it. He stared at the scientist.
"Is that so?" Yamamoto sighed again. "Let's forget about the politics for a while. Aizen may still be sealed, but someone else could be pulling the strings. What evidence do we have of this?"
"The copy-cat," Ukitake mumbled, looking from Toushiro to Kyoraku to Yamamoto.
"What was that?"
"The incident with Toushiro's soldiers... being turned into hollows; we assumed that there was someone else behind it, as well. The timing would have been nigh impossible for Aizen to pull off. We assumed that there was someone else, or Aizen had been planning this even before his imprisonment."
Yamamoto stroked his beard. "I shudder to think that some like, or even worse than, Aizen is out there, but it would be wise if we prepared ourselves this time. And Hinamori, what is her role in this?"
Toushiro swallowed. "She... I couldn't apprehend her. But... but I believe that she has been brainwashed by Aizen... her reason for following him... it just didn't make sense."
He saw Rangiku chew her bottom lip worriedly.
"And... there was something else. Her reiatsu is somehow stronger."
"Stronger how?" Kurotsuchi asked.
"She matched me in battle." Toushiro chewed the inside of his cheek and looked away.
"Interesting... there's definitely something going on in the background here. I'll be doing some more investigating." He turned to leave.
"Captain Kurotsuchi," Yamamoto stopped him at the doorway, "Be careful; I don't need any more of my Captains imprisoned."
"Of course, I'm not an amateur."
Toushiro winced as the scientist's haori fluttered around the doorway.
The room was silent for a few long moments. Toushiro could practically feel the pity from each of their gazes. He dug his nails into his palms and bit his bottom lip, wishing that they all would leave. Yes, he had failed. He didn't need to see them look at him this way. They had a right to be disappointed, but still...
"I'm sure you're aware that I can't help you out of this, Captain Hitsugaya," Yamamoto said slowly.
"I know, sir. This is my own fault; you shouldn't have to stick your neck out for me. I will willingly accept any punishment."
"What?" Rangiku exclaimed, clutching the bars with tight, white knuckles. "There's nothing you can do, absolutely nothing?"
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but Central Forty-six overrules me-"
"No! You know what they'll do to him! We can't... I won't-"
"Matsumoto..." Toushiro warned.
"No, Captain! You, you... you can't do this!"
Ukitake came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure this out, Rangiku."
She sent Toushiro a sharp glare with narrowed eyes and full lips pulled into a thin line. He would have liked to believe that her eyes didn't look wet as she stormed out of the room.
Toushiro brought his hands to his temples and took a few calming breaths, but found that they didn't work. There was a dark, cold feeling clawing up his chest, trying to escape and take over his body. He swallowed thickly.
"Your leg, Captain Hitsugaya," Unohana said, gliding up to the bars. "How is it fairing?"
"Honestly," Toushiro sighed, "not too well."
I'm terrible, I know. I have a tendency to not explain things until the last minute, so hang on a bit longer and I swear everything will make sense.
And to those who are still wondering, the players are very much real.
Comments and queries are welcome.
-Mymomomo