GIRL ON FIRE (The Eternal Flame Series)
Author's Notes: First of all, I would like to thanks the following people for supporting the story.
For the reviews...
Hortensea - Errrmm thanks? The idea just sparked out of my *imagination* (insert rainbow here) so I decided to give it a shot.
T - Hello there dear guest! Can't agree with you more. I'm starting to think I should create a IchigoxMomo community to actually count how many fics are out there!
diagokpo30 - Hey there! I'm glad you like the story. Yes. There's going to be a lot of changes now Peachy is no longer Aizen's little toy. So yeah, keep in touch. :)
For the follows... (CzarAndrew, Hortensea, darth73, diagokpo30 and hardoraku)
For the favs... (trinalove, darth73, diagokpo30 and hardoraku)
You have no idea how these motivated me to continue this. I am a graduating student so I don't actually think that I would have all the luxury of time to continue this once I graduated but I would like to keep this going. Again, really, thank you for the love!
SUMMARY: Missing for almost ten years, Hinamori Momo returns to Soul Society with no memory of who she was.
Chapter 2: The Girl who forgot
"What's wrong?"
"Hm?"
"I said what's wrong? You've been spacing out this whole time."
"Am I?"
"Obviously."
"A-ano... I was thinking about the-"
"Momo."
"What?"
"Psh. Three years and still a terrible liar."
"Am not!"
"You are."
"Am not!"
There it was again. That look on her eyes as if she is going somewhere far - away from him, his grasp, his world. He knew of course, as told by Urahara, that she is not from his world and it's just a matter of time until fate decides to claim what is rightfully hers. He already lost his mother - he'd been through that. Losing his lover - the second loss - he would not permit it.
"Tell me." he said as he wrapped his arm to her for comfort as she welcomed his warmth surrounding hers, both of them in bare skin. She took a deep sigh before beginning and Ichigo instantly knew that this is something he does not want to hear about.
"What if my memories come back?" she asked in a low voice as if she's scared. She tightened her grip to his arms as if he were her lifeline, as if he would vanish anytime she loosens her grasp.
"Have they?"
"No... But what if they come back?"
"So what then?"
With the tone of his voice, Hinamori knew he was getting annoyed with her questions. The ever present scowl on his face only made it clear she would not win this argument with him, no matter how hard she try to prove her point. She pulled her gaze away from the strawberry blonde as if shielding herself from the shame of seeing her insecurities laid in front of her lover.
"Don't ever think that who you were before us will make me love you any less." he said, as he lifted her chin with his thumb as hazel met gold.
"What if I don't belong to your world?" she asked, her eyes glossy from the tears threatening to fall down her hazel orbs.
"Silly." he chuckled at her.
He wonder how could she ever ask that to herself. How could she be so vain if entirety, she is actually perfect.
"What are you talking about? You are my world." he answered as he pulled her towards him.
Before the she could even utter a word, the strawberry blonde assaulted her mouth with his.
Renji (2nd Person) POV
"You don't look surprised." you said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world - because at the moment it is. The truth is you have not seen this coming but you tell yourself that you should have, because if she was missing for almost a decade and alive, what other reason could she have for not immediately returning to Soul Society?
At first you were hesitant. There were more suitable candidates to tell her who she was...of course one of them was you. Still... how do you explain a hundred years of lost memories? Eventually, after all the mental debates, you volunteered (before anyone else does) to explain to her everything because everyone seems to be overwhelmed by the discovery. You were one of the reasons why she went MIA, anyway.
Kira could have done it but you bet he ain't gonna last a minute without stuttering or breaking down in front of Hinamori. That won't do. Matsumoto could have done it too, but she's too loud for her own good and her explanation might include unnecessary side stories. Hitsugaya-taicho...well, he ain't much of a talker. And Aizen-taicho he was... How could he put it into words...shocked? Overwhelmed? How could you not if the first thing you got from your lieutenant who went missing for almost ten years is a makeshift weapon aimed at your face? That was when you knocked her out cold. You panicked, dammit.
Unohana-taicho said that it might have been a defense mechanism - that Hinamori must have lived rogue in the past decade, basically trusting on her instincts when the rest of the senses are unconscious. Before the amnesiac girl manage to awake in her slumber, you asked everyone (albeit hesitantly) to leave the room to give both of you the privacy you needed. Hinamori liked privacy and peaceful atmosphere. Perhaps this could help her ease compared to the crowded space they had awhile ago.
"Well, it does not seem like you're lying." she answered as she looked at you with those always curious, big hazel eyes.
"Hinamori, why would I lie to you?" you asked her back.
"I don't know." she said, her eyes looking away from you. The room was once again filled with awkward silence. It was as if you two were total strangers from the world. As if the two of you have not been classmates. Have not been friends. Almost have been - No. Now is not the perfect time to remind her.How could you blame her for not remembering?
As if to save you from bursting out in front of the amnesiac girl, a tall figure clad in glassses and white haori emerged from the shadows and you immediately pay your respects.
"Aizen-taicho!" you said as you kneel before him.
"Rise. You know there is no need for such formalities, Abarai-kun." he told you although his eyes were fixed at the girl in the bed. She herself is observing the scene before her and judging from the look from her eyes, it seemed like she was also looking at him - a manner which is inappropriate because a lieutenant must never look his captain directly in the eye unless permitted. You tell yourself that this is alright because they already shared centuries together and who knew what things have they done on closed doors?
Then there still is hesitation. She cannot remember anything or anyone - though she had not been striped of her title. The captain seemed noticed your uneasiness and smiled at you in reassurance. You suddenly felt another presence in the room. It is there, familiar although not intruding.
"I believe that is your cue to leave."the captain said politely.
It was then the messenger from your squad came in and announced, "Abarai-fukutaicho, you are ordered to report your mission to Kutchiki-taicho. Your presence is being requested at this moment." With that you spare one last glance at Hinamori and left her with the man you knew she once entrusted her life before.
Meanwhile in the World of Living...
OPENING MESSAGES
CONVERSATIONS:
I'll be coming home after the tour. Can't wait to see you!
Received: Three days ago at 03:24pm
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I told Yuzu you're coming. She's already shopping for dinner.
Sent: Three days ago at 03:25pm
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Ehhh? You spoil sport! It's supposed to be a surprise! (insert pouting face here)
Received: Three days ago at 03:26pm
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Really? Too bad. HAHAHAHAHAHA! Btw, dad's asking you to stay the night.
Sent: Three days ago at 03:27pm
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You evil~ You planned for this, didn't you? :) As if I could refuse 'dad'. ;) I'll stay, of course.
Received: Three days ago at 03:28pm
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Really? In 'our' room? (blink, blink)
Sent: Three days ago at 03:29pm
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I dunno whut r u talkin' about :P
Received: Three days ago at 03:30pm
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Pshh. Have a safe flight, peachy.
Sent: Three days ago at 03:31pm
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Ah. Love you too, strawberry-kun. :*
PS. I told you to stop calling me that.
Received: Three days ago at 03:32pm
Where are you?
Sent: Three days ago at 07:45pm
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I'm sorry, I don't think I can make it.
Received: Three days ago at 07:56pm
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What happened? Is everything alright there?
Sent: Three days ago at 07:56pm
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Why are you not picking up?
Sent: Three days ago at 08:05pm
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Momo, I'm starting to get worried. Stay safe, okay?
Sent: Three days ago at 08:06pm
-end of conversation-
"Kurosaki, for the last time I will give you a warning. Off with the phone." the teacher said as she tapped her annoyed fingers in her desk.
"Hai. Gomenasai, sensei." you apologized as you keep your phone in your pocket. You continued to pretend to listen to the lesson but your mind drifted somewhere afar, of some place she could be.
It had been three days. No messages. No replies. No calls. Why isn't she picking up?
As the teacher turned to face the board to scribble the lecture, once again you fished the phone out of your pocket and typed... It's been three days. Where have you_
"Ichigo, INCOMING!" whispered Keigo on your side and in an instant your phone was back from where it was before the teacher turned once again to face the class.
"Phew... That was a close one. You owe me, Ichigo!" Keigo whispered to you.
"Ah. Arigatou." you answered as your mind once again drifted somewhere afar. Even Chad and Orihime seems to be worried about you since but you told them you'll be okay, that you'll manage.
Maybe you could ask Shinji of where she could be after class? Afterall, she always visits that man every time she comes home from Tokyo. Yes, that could work but first you'll have to go to her apartment to feed her cat - the black one that does not eat cat food.
"She has not visited here since we caught the two of you making up in Hiyori's room." said that blonde guy in peculiar haircut said as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Is that so?" you asked as if you were a lost kid finding his way home.
"Ahh... You love sick puppies..." Shinji muttered under his breath. You met him sometime after Momo officially became your girlfriend. And by 'official', that meant she introduced to you probably the weirdest people you met in your existence - her friends. Or family, she chose to call them, since she doesn't have any or anything that she remembered.
You know you should not worry this much. She could take care of herself, that's a fact but still, she is a girl - your girlfriend to be specific. Meaning, you have every right and reason to be worried for her well-being. You arrived at your home and was greeted by a dramatic welcome from your ever enthusiastic father and the bipolar, fraternal twins. You noticed that Yuzu was talking to someone over the phone, while Karin kept her self busy in the living room.
"Ichigo, you have a visitor upstairs."
"Telll that person I don't want visitors now."
"Are you sure?"
"Yuzu-chan? Is that him?" a voice emerged from the phone the said girl was holding. This immediately captured your attention as you halted your steps to the stairs and stared at your sister from disbelief.
"C-chotto..is that-?" you asked, not knowing which word should come out next.
"Why don't you see for yourself, nii-chan?" Yuzu smiled as your heart raced in anticipation.
With that, you sprinted your way upstairs and bolted the door of your bedroom, expecting a hazel-eyed girl sitting on her favorite spot in your bed where she would be waiting for you... But instead, what you saw was the similar raven locks as hers though her eyes instead of hazel were steel violet.
"Yo. Ichigo." she greeted you in her usual cool facade.
"Ah. Rukia." you greeted her back.
It immediately dawned to you that there is something really wrong. The said girl stood in your room, clad in her full-shinigami glory and these times you knew something crazy shit is about to happen. Your eyes gave a disapproving look at her and at the same time, you pulled out the gigai in your cabinet and plunged it into your body.
Up next:
"Five years. That long you've known who I really am. Why have you not said anything, Byakuya-sama?" she asked, her voice mixed with betrayal and accusation.
"If I told you then, would you leave the Human World right away?" you asked her back. You noticed her eyes drifted away from you - a habit she does when she does not want to answer a personal question or when she simply does not know what to answer. Of course, you knew. She won't.
Author's Notes: And there you have it! It's quite longer than the first chapter since this took two weeks to be completed so... Tell me what you think about it in the Review box over there.. (insert happy face here)