UPDATE!! Read and Enjoy
For a full minute, Toshiro couldn't respond- he could only stare in complete and absolute shock at Mitsuki. His thoughts whirled- Chiyo? How? She was dead! He had killed her! How was it possible?!
Finally words formed. "How…?"
Mitsuki shook her head. "I don't know." She whispered. "But, when I told Chiyo of my dreams, the dreams of a winged unicorn illuminated by a moonbeam, she started calling me luna unicorn. I know it's her… no one else would know…" She closed her eyes.
Toshiro was still shocked, but he knew, deep down, that it was truly Chiyo- the familiar zanpaku-to, the mysterious fog that distorted her voice, the sparkles that hung in the air, similar to the time when she died- it made sense. Chiyo, somehow, someway, was back- and her target would be Mitsuki.
Fear gripped him, and he stood up, pacing. "We've got to contact the Soul Society." He said, trying to remain calm. "They've got to know about this…"
"No!" Mitsuki cried, horrified. "You can't! If they learn about this, they'll blame Kiyoshi! He's just starting to fit in- you can't do that!"
"I don't have a choice!" Toshiro said in desperation. "Chiyo could single-handedly kill you, the Soul Society, everything- especially with the help of the hollows! Yamamoto has to know! We have to warn them!"
Mitsuki shook her head stubbornly. "Tell them that a rouge shinigami has started causing trouble, but do not mention her name! I'll contact Kiyoshi myself and tell him- he's got to be prepared as well!"
Anger replaced the fear, and Toshiro clenched his hands. "Mitsuki, I'm a Captain of the Court Guard Companies. It is my duty to report everything and anything that goes wrong on patrol. This includes telling Yamamoto that Chiyo is back! I don't want to do it, but if I don't, the consequences will be worse then if I say something. I know you feel loyal to your brother, but sometimes duty comes before family."
Those were the wrong words. Mitsuki jumped up, tears forming. "Duty before family? Are you telling me that I should abandon my brother? After everything he's done? Are you telling me that you will abandon me and our child if it's your duty? Don't talk to me about duty, Toshiro, if you're so willing to abandon the people who care for you!" Wiping the tears from her eyes, she was gone in an instant, leaving her gigai behind. Through the shock and surprise, he saw her through the window, running across the buildings, trying to find someplace quiet and lonely where she could be to herself. He wanted to go after her, to apologize, but the anger still existed. She didn't know what pressure existed with the job, the feeling that he had to be perfect since he was the youngest, and the expectations to be above and beyond those of ordinary rank. He had thought that after all the time she spent with him she would have realized it- but apparently not. Pulling out his cell phone, he typed up the report, nearly trembling with rage.
Five blocks away, in a woodsy part of the city, Mitsuki hid in the branches of a tree. Tears falling freely, she huddled against the trunk, head buried between her arms and legs. Sobbing, she let the tears consume her, her mind refreshingly blank. It was only when the tears died down that she began to think. Sniffing, she wiped the tears away, trying to figure out how to warn Kiyoshi. But it would be too late now- most likely Toshiro had already alerted them.
Toshiro…
It pained her that he hadn't followed after, but it didn't really surprise her. Hadn't this happened before? He promised to never let her go, yet he had let her run off. She knew that she wouldn't get hurt, since it was quiet and no one could see her, so there really was no need to worry. And he would come running if hollows were present. The thought comforting her somewhat, she tried to ignore his last words- duty before family.
They persisted, sending a seed of doubt within her heart. "Hogosha Chuusin." She whispered. "Was he telling the truth?"
It's hard to say. The unicorn replied. In a way he is, but in a way he isn't… he will leave you if it is to protect you, but he won't abandon you easily. I don't know what he is referring to.
"I don't know either." Mitsuki whispered. "I just don't know…" the tears threatened to fall again. Hastily she got up and jumped down from the tree, pacing, trying to get her mind off of things. Fingering the hilt of her sword, she absently stared around the clearing, her thoughts jumping rapidly from one topic to the other.
A snapping twig alerted her. Leaping back onto the previous branch, her eyes scanned the area, one hand already on the hilt. There wasn't any spiritual presence, but that could have easily been hidden. She hid her own, pressing against the branch, still looking for any sign of an attacker.
She felt something bite her shoulder, and absently she swatted at it- she stared at her hand when she realized it was wet. Blood.
She turned her head, staring at the figure behind her. Then she screamed.
o0o
The report done, Toshiro pushed the 'send' button with more force than necessary, feeling a sort of wicked delight, which changed to guilt a millisecond later. Shaking it off, he snapped the phone closed, going downstairs to get a snack. Ichigo was there, lounging on the couch in the living room, flicking through the channels on the TV with a bored expression. Getting a leftover sandwich from the fridge, Toshiro joined him, absently eating it as watched the channels flick by in a rapid tempo.
"Where's Mitsuki?" Ichigo asked blandly, still focused on the screen. Toshiro shrugged. "Ran off somewhere. She got upset and left."
Ichigo frowned. "You don't know? That's weird."
"What's wrong with it?"
"Dude, she's pregnant. Everyone knows pregnant women are hormonal and moody. They jump from mood to mood like that." He snapped his fingers for an emphasis. "Right about now she's probably worried that you don't love her anymore or something."
"Why would she do that?" He asked, curiously.
Ichigo shrugged. "You had an argument, right? I heard you from down here. You need to go apologize, Toshiro." He turned his attention back to the screen, indicating that the conversation was over.
Though Toshiro knew he needed to apologize, it annoyed him that Ichigo was the one to tell him. Snorting, he returned to his room, and left his gigai behind as he leapt out the window. Taking the direction she had, he searched for her spiritual energy- nothing. She must have been hiding it.
About a block or two from the park he felt it flare, then die down. Startled, he followed it, picking up his mediocre pace a bit so that he was jogging. It was coming from the direction of the woods, and when he caught a trace of another Shinigami's spirit energy he grew concerned. Now running, he weaved through the trees until he came upon a clearing. At first, nothing- then his head snapped up when he saw a figure leaping out of a tree, and a slumped figure on a limb. Flash-stepping forward, he caught Mitsuki as she fell off of it, breathing shallowly, her head rolled backwards. There was a sword wound on her left shoulder, and a long, trailing cut from that shoulder, down her chest, cutting jaggedly across her stomach to her right hip. Blood was soaking her uniform, the blue scarf that held her zanpaku-to across her back shredded and stained with blood. His heart skipped a beat. No, not again…not this… he thought, utterly frozen with shock.
Mitsuki's eyes fluttered open, looking at him for a second before closing again. Her arms covered her stomach. "The baby…" she mumbled, pain crossing her features. Her actions snapped him back. Immediately he was gone, returning to the Kurosaki's in seconds.
"ICHIGO!" He roared, slamming the front door down. Ichigo was at his side in an instant, paling when he saw Mitsuki. "Second room on the right, that hallway." He gasped out, already racing away to find his dad. Toshiro raced into the room, laying Mitsuki onto the cold metal examination table that was in there. A harsh fluorescent light above them made her look astonishingly pale, almost like a corpse…he shoved the thought from his mind, holding her hand, wishing he could stop the blood flow in some way.
Isshin ran in seconds later, taking one look at the shinigami on the table. His face was neutral, giving nothing away, so as to not worry Toshiro. "Help me take these clothes off. We need to get to the wounds. Ichigo, get out of here." Isshin said, and his son left, closing the door behind him. The doctor shed her uniform away from her, throwing them into a pile near the door, examining her wounds. "I need cloths, water, and a scalpel. The drawers are named. Hurry!" Toshiro ran to the cupboards, giving him the items. Isshin used the damp cloths to clean away her wounds, and Toshiro gave him bandages on command. The doctor nodded to himself. "Not infected. Good."
"What about the baby…?" Toshiro asked anxiously, remembering how Mitsuki was still protecting it, even though she herself was bleeding. Isshin shook his head. "I don't know. We'll have to see." He wrapped her shoulder wound first, cleaning off the jagged wound one section at a time and wrapping it. Toshiro helped, supporting Mitsuki so he could get to her wound better. As Toshiro's eyes followed his progress, he stopped suddenly on the small, rough star-shaped scar in the center of her chest, the wound that Chiyo had inflicted. The one she had nearly died from. Bile rose in his mouth, but he forced it back, swallowing as he felt Mitsuki wince in pain. He sighed in relief- at least she could feel the alcohol Isshin was using to clean her wounds.
After the doctor finished wrapping them, traces of blood still showing through even though there was a layer of square cloth and two of bandages, he said, "She'll have to stay here for a while, Toshiro. Her wounds are going to take a long time to heal. She's lucky none of the main arteries were severed."
"What about her shoulder?"
"Deep, but it will be fine. She will probably be affected by the long on for years to come. Their will most likely be scarring." He hesitated, than bit his lip. "The baby, if it lives, may be affected somewhat as well."
"In what way?" Toshiro demanded, alarmed.
"I don't know. It could be perfectly healthy. But that wound gets deeper the farther it travels downward. Mitsuki herself has lost a lot of blood- I'll be able to give her some, but we need to worry about keeping her alive at the moment." Isshin went over to the door, opened it, than quickly disappeared out the door. Toshiro remained, carefully setting Mitsuki down, holding her hand tightly. He had thought that he would never see something like this again, yet it was all too real. Why had the dream turned into a nightmare? He didn't know. Please, Mitsuki, get better soon… he squeezed her hand tighter, wanting to say something, anything, but not finding the words to do so.
Isshin and Ichigo returned, carrying a stretcher between them. "Toshiro, help us get Mitsuki on here." The doctor said, and he did so, carefully sliding the unconscious shinigami onto it, then following them to the room next door to lay her on a bed found in hospitals. The Kurosaki's left, leaving Toshiro to arrange her on the bed, trying to ignore the blood clots in her hair and the leftover streaks on her body. Getting a cloth and dampening it, he wiped the excess off, than covered her body in a blanket he found in a cupboard nearby. That done, he simply stood there, hoping she would wake soon.
He would be waiting for a long time.
Yeah, this chapter was darker. Somewhat. And no, I'm not so cruel as to make Mitsuki loose the baby. Or am I...? :)
PLEASE REVEIW! I am down on my knees, begging you to! please please please!!
