Chapter 10: Hyorinmaru

As he watched the snow swirl outside his mountain cave, he felt a cold feeling of dread. Someone, or something, had entered his world without his permission. And this something was powerful. Extremely powerful. But the blizzard was raging like it never had before- no sane creature would dare to climb up the highest mountain in the middle of a storm just to speak with one zanpakuto. Of course, he reminded himself, there were often a few insane people living in Soul Society. But still, if this creature had managed to get within his world, that might mean it wanted to harm Hitsugaya. He bristled at the very thought of it. An unknown force… trying to harm Hitsugaya! He wouldn't allow it- he would never allow it.

He growled dangerously, his wings furling out so far that the tips scraped the sides of his cave. He would protect the hatchling no matter what the cost. Hitsugaya was his master, and the dragon would always serve his master. But the boy was still young, and still had much to learn. He raised and taught his master through the hard times in life, and in return, Hitsugaya cared for him as no other Shinigami cared for their zanpakuto. Hyorinmaru knew how lucky he was, and he was grateful to his master for it.

Hyorinmaru took his job as a zanpakuto, a guardian, very seriously. He would make sure that no man hurt Hitsugaya. He followed his master's every command, trusting the boy's intellect to the utmost. But there were times when he failed.

The great dragon tensed as he recalled the painful memory. He and his master had rushed to save Tobiume and her wielder, who also happened to be Hitsugaya's childhood friend. Anyone who harmed someone close to Hitsugaya would perish, and Hyorinmaru would make sure of that. When they had arrived, however, they had been too late. Momo Hinamori lay on the ground, blood splattered across her chest. Tobiume was barely clinging to consciousness, and it was all Hyorinmaru could do to ease the young zanpakuto. He had told her that all would be okay, and he had seen her relief. But then… that traitorous Kyoka Suigetsu!

Hyorinmaru let out a bellowing roar as he remembered that no-good zanpakuto. He, and that Aizen man, had tricked the entire Soul Society. Hitsugaya had been angry, and so was Hyorinmaru. He had obeyed his master's call for a Bankai, and became the boy's wings. Hitsugaya had rushed at Aizen and impaled him, but Hyorinmaru had realized instantly that it was a fake. He had screeched to warn Hitsugaya, but it had been far too late. His master, his master, had fallen. He had failed as a zanpakuto. He had felt his master's pain as blood sprayed out of him, and he had known when Hitsugaya had fallen unconscious. They were beaten. He had failed to protect his master, the poor young captain.

He remembered seeing the horror and pain in Tobiume's eyes, and another pang of guilt stabbed at him. He had told her they would win, but they hadn't. He saw all the hope disappear from her, and he realized that he was feeling hopeless as well. Now, Aizen would come over and finish off his master, and they would both cease to exist.

But then, the most wonderful miracle had happened upon them. The captain and lieutenant of the Fourth Division had arrived, and chased away Aizen and his fellow traitor, Gin. It was one of the best things Hyorinmaru could have asked for. They could take care of his young master, and they would take care of Tobiume and Momo as well. What better thing could have come out of it?

But even so, although Hitsugaya had survived, that had been one of the largest failures in Hyorinmaru's life. He had been too weak to protect him, and it had almost led to his master's demise. That alone was unforgivable for a zanpakuto. As a weapon, Hyorinmaru was supposed to prevent any harm from befalling his wielder, and to let his guard down while fighting a dangerous enemy… that broke every law that the zanpakuto were bound to. It was unforgivable, and that was that.

Hyorinmaru shut his eyes tightly, trying to forget that incident had ever happened. His tail thrashed about wildly, slamming into the walls of the cave and sending a few pebbles falling from the ceiling. He didn't want to remember, but forgetting it was more than unlikely. It was impossible. That very same memory of the three captains' betrayal was embedded in every Shinigami and zanpakuto's mind, and it wasn't very likely that any of them had forgotten it yet.

Just then, a horrible thought crossed his mind. What if it was Kyoka Suigetsu who had forced his way into his world? Hitsugaya would never have allowed it, but what if Kyoka Suigetsu had hypnotized him with his powers? And now, the traitor zanpakuto was making his way here, into his cave, to attack him. Hyorinmaru reared up and snorted. There was no way Kyoka Suigetsu could hurt him! He was in his natural element here, and he fought best during a blizzard, which was exactly what was happening right outside of his cave. And even more so, if Kyoka Suigetsu had hurt his young master in any way, Hyorinmaru would kill him personally. No need to kill him politely- just rip your claws into him, and sink your teeth into his neck. Hyorinmaru felt water gush to his mouth as his imagination took over; he could almost taste the zanpakuto's blood flooding down his throat. The salty, metallic taste that he usually hated so much. But he wouldn't mind it if it was Kyoka Suigetsu's.

Hyorinmaru narrowed his eyes, and blew out an icy breath. He saw a figure approaching his cave, despite the harsh snowstorm whirling around it, and he was in all honesty hoping that it was Kyoka Suigetsu, just so he could claw out his heart. However, the man who entered his cave and shook out the snow that had nestled in his hair was not Kyoka Suigetsu. In fact, despite Hyorinmaru's vast knowledge of most other zanpakuto, he had no idea who this stranger was. The man was tall, and his expression was anything but fearful. His thick coat was covered in snow, although Hyorinmaru was quite sure that the man's head wasn't cold, considering the bushy fur collar that surrounded his neck. But the blank expression the man bore when facing a giant ice dragon wasn't the only part of him that made Hyorinmaru wary; the long fingernails he had reminded the zanpakuto of very long, very sharp claws.

Hyorinmaru eyed the man suspiciously, uncoiling himself and rearing up like a cobra. He hissed a warning, and then snarled, hoping to chase the man away. He was in no mood for uninvited guests. But the man gave no indication that he had noticed the dragon's obvious attempts at getting him away. A low growl came from Hyorinmaru's throat, the sound enough to scare away even the most ferocious of beasts. But, apparently, not the man.

"Greetings," The man said once the ice zanpakuto had finished. "My name is Muramasa, and I must say… it was quite the journey trying to get up here."

So why did you try? Hyorinmaru asked in a series of grunts and growls.

"Because I needed to talk to you," Muramasa replied. "You are the strongest ice zanpakuto in history, and I needed you in my army."

Army? Hyorinmaru was so confused by that one word, that he forgot about wondering how the man could understand him.

Muramasa nodded. "Yes. You see, I am building an army of zanpakuto to rebel against the Shinigami and their cruel ways. Have you never felt neglected by your wielder? Most other zanpakuto have, and all the previous ones I had visited had all joined."

You're trying to go against the Shinigami? Hyorinmaru snarled. That is pure foolishness.

This time, it took a while for the man to reply. His face was now a frown of concentration, and he murmured many quick words before finally saying, "Oh, yes, I have been told that before. But please, Hyorinmaru, hear me out. And, if you don't mind, could you please switch to your human form? Although I can speak a little dragon, I'm afraid I'm not entirely fluent in the language."

Hyorinmaru found himself taken aback. How did this strange man know that he had a human form? And where in the world did Muramasa learn how to speak the ancient language of dragons? Shaking it off, he decided to morph into his human form just for the sake of the conversation ending quicker. He began to shrink, and as he did so, his frozen skin became soft and human-colored. His snout shrunk back into his face becoming a flat human's, and his teeth lost their sharp gleam. Paws became hands and feet, and scales turned into magnificent blue robes. Long green hair flowed down, and an X-shaped scar topped it all off. Hyorinmaru looked down at himself; he didn't like his human form all too well, mainly because it had no claws and fangs, but it was acceptable.

"Now speak, Muramasa," He ordered, trying to adapt back into the human language. Why should he be the one to humiliate himself by attempting to speak with a foreign tongue?

Muramasa nodded. "I must say, I like your human form much better. Less… intimidating."

"Get on with it!" He barked. He was officially in a bad mood, and he had no intention on making this man's visit longer than necessary with idle talk.

"… of course. As I was saying, I feel as though the Shinigami have been mistreating their zanpakuto. We are the ones doing all the fighting for them, but when a particularly dangerous opponent is defeated, who are the ones getting all the credit? Certainly not us zanpakuto. It is the Shinigami who are rewarded so warmly, yet the real fighters receive nothing. So why continue to live in this shame? I know that Toshiro Hitsugaya is a respected captain, for one so young, and he certainly earned himself many titles. And what are you known as? Simply, Hyorinmaru. You shouldn't have to put up with such things. Join me, and we shall get the honor we deserve."

Hyorinmaru stared at him. What this man was suggesting was nothing less than stupidity. Deciding that he would not embarrass himself with messing up with human tongue, he simply took to shaking his head. No, he would not join.

"Hyorinmaru, I know that Hitsugaya has been a good master to you, but just think of the possibilities. You could be free. Don't all zanpakuto yearn to be free? And now I am giving you that chance." Muramasa urged.

Yes, zanpakuto did want to be free. Sometimes, Hyorinmaru wondered about it, as well. But joining this man would mean leaving his young master, and Hitsugaya still had much to learn. Again, he shook his head, and then gestured for Muramasa to leave.

Muramasa looked slightly irritated. "If you're going to refuse, you could at the very least say 'no'. That's the whole reason why I wanted you to switch to your human form. And as for your answer, I sincerely doubt that is the correct one. Freedom and revenge… those are the two things that caused all the previous zanpakuto I have questioned to come." Just then, a gleam caught in his eye, as though he had just realized something. "Including Tobiume."

Hyorinmaru widened his eyes. Tobiume? Momo's zanpakuto? That couldn't be, she was gentle, and sweet, and kind… how could she turn against her own wielder? And after everything he'd done for her, too. Did she even know what she was doing, joining this man? It could very well spell out her demise.

"Oh, yes. Your dear friend Tobiume decided to join me, because she felt neglected and mistreated from Momo. And I believe she has made very good friends with Jushiro's zanpakuto, Sogyo no Kotowari. And now, with this knowledge, do you still refuse?"

Hyorinmaru hesitated. He had absolutely no intention of leaving Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya was his master, and he would always stay loyal to him. But… what if Tobiume was confused? Too confused to know what she was doing, and that was why she joined? If that was the case, then he needed to protect her. Surely Hitsugaya would understand. Hyorinmaru knew that his wielder would have done the same should Momo be in the same position as Tobiume. Hitsugaya would understand, and Hyorinmaru knew it.

"Very well," Hyorinmaru coughed out with a glare at the man. "I will go with you. But let me make this clear: it is not because I am betraying my master."

Muramasa nodded in acknowledgement. "Of course not. Now then, we'd best get going."

He outstretched his hand, and motioned for Hyorinmaru to take it. The ice zanpakuto hesitated. Yes, he would join for Tobiume's sake, but what would happen if his master got injured during the rebellion? All because his supposedly loyal zanpakuto wasn't there to help. But then, he shook his head. Tobiume was younger, and needed help. Hitsugaya could surely wait. So Hyorinmaru shook his hand with Muramasa, and immediately, his wonderful frozen world disappeared. The ground beneath him seemed to shift a little, and a slight throbbing pulsed at his head, but it soon subsided, and the ground came a firm stop.

Hyorinmaru retreated his hand and lightly brushed it on his robe, trying not to look altogether rude. He glanced around, finding himself in a cave, and a dark one at that. To his discomfort, there was absolutely no ice, and compared to his world the cave was like summer. He shook his head; if he'd known it'd be this bad…

"Down the stairs," Muramasa said, standing by a staircase. "All the others are there. But I'm afraid I won't be joining you. I'll have to speak to the infamously obnoxious Ruri'iro Kujaku."

Hyorinmaru glared at him. "Please, take all the time you need." And without waiting for a reply, he walked briskly down the stairs and turned and faced all the other zanpakuto. It was certainly quite the arrangement. Judging by their appearances, it would seemed that Muramasa had gathered: Haineko, Sode no Shirayuki, Kazeshini, Suzumebachi, Wabisuke, Tobiume, Katen Kyokotsu, Sogyo no Kotowari, and Senbonzakura.

They all stared at each other for a few moments, and Hyorinmaru stared at Tobiume. Occasionally, his gaze would flicker to some of the other zanpakuto, and he was surprised to see Sogyo no Kotowari, who seemed to be two separate spirits, looking at him with a hard intensity. This was what Muramasa must have meant when he said that Tobiume had struck up a friendship with the two.

All the zanpakuto were silent for a moment, and then Tobiume stepped up and said in her soft voice, "Welcome, Hyorinmaru."

Hyorinmaru, though relieved to see that she seemed to be doing better than he'd expected, only nodded in return.

However, her small greeting had triggered all the other zanpakuto. Haineko ran up to him and began to purr, which he found quite impossible to do considering she looked more human than cat. Kazeshini laughed, said something about him not being quite what he'd expected, and then leapt away.

Sode no Shirayuki had smiled at him, and Hyorinmaru realized that she was another ice zanpakuto, so she must realize how terribly warm this cave was, but she gave no indication of it and simply turned away. Suzumebachi had approached him, and bluntly told him that he looked 'kinda cool'. He decided to take it as a compliment. Wabisuke had not said anything, nor Katen Kyokotsu, but Sogyo and Kotowari bounced up eagerly to him and introduced themselves as 'Sogy-chan' and 'Koto-chan'. But then, Katen Kyokotsu had called something to them, and they immediately scurried back to her. Finally, Senbonzakura came up to him, said a few blunt words as a greeting, and then walked away.

At least the zanpakuto didn't look as depressed as he thought they would.

And then, Hyorinmaru remembered the reason that he'd come here for, and turned to Tobiume. Are you unhappy here?

Tobiume was looking at him, an expression that could rival Muramasa's on her face. But then, she smiled. No.

Hyorinmaru stared at her, a slight prickle of disbelief coming over him. Then he shook his head; he trusted Tobiume's judgment. But from now on, she would be the one he protected. Not Hitsugaya.