Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Whatever you read here is a work of my twisted, sadistic imagination and too many dot-to-dots.
A.C.: Sometime down the line I realize that it's not normal for someone to stalk a website just so he or she can sign up for some stupid #$)&$?!(#&# exam. Guess what I'm doing? TT;;
Yeah screw you too TOEFL
As always, thanks for the reviews x3
How many people actually read the author's note anyways?
Warnings: possible spoilers, oocness, breach of grammar security rule number something, something, something, mature themes, implied rape, noncon and general BL-ness that you can ignore by skipping the italicized parts in the beginning.
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::Are you well?::
The snow cleared and the dragon blinked open one frosted eyelid. He saw not one but many, many others that had come to see him. He looked up and saw that it was no longer snowing. Perhaps it was he that was the weak one; Ryuujin Jakka shouldn't have affected his realm, his sanctuary to this extent. Millennia of sleep weighing on his mind, he lifted his head in greetings.
::I am well, I wish to go back.::
Sougyo no Kotowan made a sound as if to protest, the globes of light dancing wearily at the edge of Hyourinmaru's vision. The ice dragon gave a nod in gratitude and the lights stopped moving. The flames jumped up trifle impatient. Ryuujin Jakka had always been the hotheaded one, time wouldn't change the fact. Not now not ever, not when he had been awake for so long...
::You must watch::
Hyourinmaru bore his lips in annoyance.
::Still I wish to go back, I must::
::You must watch::
::...He needs me::
::Perhaps... but not now, you will watch Hyourinmaru.::
A feminine voice interrupted the exchange,
::Let him go Ryuujin, it is not his fault his master is...::
The dragon snarled and the maiden looked back coolly. ::It is the truth Hyourimaru. It is why you cannot bare to watch as you have done to those before him. It is because he is weak.::
::Then I must go, to make him strong::
He lifted himself to his full height and everyone took a step back. Ryuujin Jakka watched carefully, the edges of violent blue and orange flames licking Hyourinmaru's sides. That had never happened before and it shouldn't have happened at all. It was almost as if... someone had tampered with the flow of power between the dragon and his master, almost as if someone was attempting to put Hyourinmaru back to eternal slumber.
::Hyourinmaru, you will watch.:: the bulbous eyes glittered like molten lava as the dragon bathed in the ancient pyres. ::I, Ryuujin Jakka command it.::
It was a while before Hyourinmaru spoke again,
::Then I must... obey::
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"Wait Hitsugaya-kun!" It must have been what people felt right before they were hit by a car, or a truck, or a train. He stiffly turned his head, already anticipating a barrage of sweets when he came face to face with Ukitake Jyuushiro. He wasn't disappointed. If it had been possible, the older captain would have buried the younger in a mountain of candy. Fortunately for the 'naturally' platinum haired captain, Soul Society still had to adhere to 'some' laws of physics. "Here." The volley of candy stopped. Hitsugaya looked up and saw the length of woven cloth being tied loosely around his neck.
"It looks nice on you," Ukitake's smile was a bit strained, unusual seeing as how the sickly captain had so cheerfully fought through ups and downs of his chronic disease for over centuries. The elegant fingers reached out, smoothing down the scarf. "It goes well with your eyes." There was an underlying subtext he could not discern, something that quietly uncoiled fear in his stomach as the other captain examined him closely. Brown eyes gave off sorrow and perhaps something else altogether, then it was gone and so was the apprehension that had been building up. Ukitake patted Hitsugaya's head affectionately, "Take care Hitsugaya-kun."
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The clock ticked loudly as their work continued, Matsumoto slept on the couch as a part of her 'two days' package Hitsugaya had given her. Hitsugaya had half a mind to wake her up and make her go fetch tea but left her be, a sigh flowing out as he finished the last of the paperwork. Turning around in his seat, he stared at his zanpakuto expecting some sort of reaction from his partner as he experimentally toed the sheath.
Nothing
"Che..." he got up, rearranging the papers so that they were in order. If he was lucky, he would be able to find someone to deliver it to the first division white getting a drink in the kitchens. Slinging Hyourinmaru's sheath over his shoulders, he idly contemplated visiting Hinamori in the morning. He was about to wake Matsumoto up when he felt it.
It started as a slight tingling at the base of his neck. When he stretched out his senses, he realized that it wasn't an ordinary shinigami out for a midnight stroll. He or she was quickly moving from the third, pausing briefly on the fifth –he could have sworn his heart had stopped once before restarting- before stepping over towards the 10th. A captain, his forehead furrowed as he recognized the familiar signature, Ichimaru.
All thoughts of paperwork and Hinamori set aside, Hitsugaya jumped out through the window and out into the night.
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"So you are here after all... just as I thought" The figure in the shadows stopped. Gin fixed Hitsugaya with an eerie leer. "If you're planning to do something, it isn't very smart of you to make it so obvious... Ichimaru."
"Ya misunderstood," Gin sneered. "I did that 'cause I wanted ya ta know."
"We... had an agreement..."
Gin's grin widened. The silver haired man took a leaf of paper out of his shinigami garb and held it loosely between two fingers while waving it satirically at the green-eyed captain.
"...Ya mean this...?"
Hitsugaya's eyes darkened. Through in the cover of the darkness the third division captain could see the normally teal green irises shimmering like black emeralds as the boy's hands moved towards the hilt of his zanpakuto. If anything, the action made the other's grin grow wider.
"... What are you planning to do?" Hitsugaya asked icily, Gin simply smirked. Hitsugaya's answer came a moment later in the form of his childhood friend. Hinamori landed on the rooftop, just in front of the white-haired captain. She deliberately turned her back on him as she drew Tobiume from her sheath. She extended her arm sideways, neutral, neither pointed at him nor Ichimaru.
"Hinamori?"
"Finally, I've found you. I didn't think you'd be here..." her voice quavered, breaking near the end. Ichimaru tossed his head up, looking down imposingly at them. No, just at him as the long fingers deliberately took their time tucking the paper back into the folds of the kimono. An alarm sounded in his head –keep Hinamori away from him!- Hitsugaya stepped forward to catch his friend's trailing sleeve.
"Stop Hinamori! He's too strong for..."
Hinamori flicked her wrist and pointed Tobiume at Hitsugaya's neck, the latter just barely twisting his head out of the way as the sword's flat side rested against his jaw. Hitsugaya felt cold sweat slide down his back as she slowly turned her tragic, beautiful face towards him.
"You are... Captain Aizen's murderer!"
"Hina... mori?" Hitsugaya stumbled, his foot pivoting in place as he backed away. Hinamori did not pursue. Instead she bit her lips, silver streams flowing down her smooth cheeks as he cited Aizen's will word for word.
How long had she been left alone with the supposed 'letter'? How long had she been left alone to ponder the next course of actions in her grief-stricken mind?
"The conspirator..." she continued, "plans to use that power to destroy the city as well as all of Soul Society. And the name of that cursed man is... Hitsugaya Toushiro." She choked out a sob, her shoulders going limp but her hand steady as Tobiume pulsed with energy beneath her fingers. "Please inherit my will and slay him. This is my last wish... not as the captain of the fifth diversion but as a man..." at this Gin's smile widened even further. "...Pleading for your help."
Hinamori shot forward with a cry, Tobiume instantly slicing the section of the rooftop. The smoke cleared and Hinamori swung again. Hitsugaya spun on his foot and brought his other leg up to block her blow.
"Think you idiot!" Hitsugaya snarled as snowy strands flew up into the air with Tobiume's strike. The green-eyed captain was just glad that Hinamori was too distressed to perform an initial release or the number of kidou moves she had in her arsenal. "Because he's dead he wants you to fight? Aizen Sousuke I knew wouldn't have gone into battle if he knew he wasn't going to win!"
"But that's what it said! It has to be true." Hinamori paused briefly before resuming the chase. Tobiume made her mark on the rooftops several times before the black haired lieutenant spoke again. "It was definitely Captain Aizen's hand writing!" a stab and a whirl. The moves were sloppy but packed with power, her emotions fueling all her needs as they danced away the night on the rooftop. "I don't want to believe it but that's what Captain Aizen wrote!" Hitsugaya's white haori flickered and stuck to his legs when he doubled back under her arms to avoid the next stroke "I have to do this!! For Captain Aizen!!" Hinamori was finally beginning to tire, both hands on the hilt as her chest heaved up and down. "I... I...!" she stopped, sweat and tears coating her face in a pearly glow as she stopped. "I don't know what to do anymore Shiro-chan..." she screamed and launched herself forward.
For a moment he stopped, just watching her as she came closer and closer with each millisecond that passed him by. It was like seeing her for the first time, same body a different person. His face crumpled in sorrow and he took to the air, floating freely as she missed him by an inch once more.
'Someone must have changed the will,' he thought as gravity called to his body. 'Aizen would have never written that.' He looked down to check Hinamori's location; she wasn't on the broken tiles anymore. Instead, something else caught his attention. In the dark of the night the silvery-lavender hair lit up like a flare beneath the moon. And hidden by the pale locks of hair was...
"It was you!!" but before Hitsugaya could draw his sword on the treacherous captain, Hinamori phased in front of him intending to cut him down.
"Hinamori...!" he saw her tears and cried with her in a different way. He knew that at this range the blow would cripple him leaving them both at Gin's mercy. Even with his experience as a captain he wouldn't be fast enough to dodge her in midair.
The seconds that followed was a blur. He had an acute feeling something else was controlling his moves as he sent a disabling chop to Hinamori's neck. They fell together, Hitsugaya just managing to grab a hold of the girl's collar to slow her down before she hit the rooftops.
The minute he landed he looked towards Hinamori and found her unconscious –as he hoped and feared- still holding onto Tobiume. Her hands were bleeding, the palm and the pads of her fingers rubbed raw. He turned around in anger as Ichimaru approached; tsking his disproval as he observed the two juniors.
"The captain of the 10th division is so cruel!" Gin sneered as Hitsugaya glared back at him. "There is no need to hit that hard... a girl who's lost her mind to her emotions." He bristled in rage at the taller captain's incisive observation. He didn't know then that Ichimaru's words would prove to be a premonition for things to come.
"I'll ask you once again Ichimaru-taichou, what are you planning to do?" Hitsugaya's hands once more strayed to the pale hilt of his zanpakuto. He stood up slowly, deliberately as Gin raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"Ara, 'm afraid I dun' understand..."
"She held her zanpakuto tight enough to make her hands bleed..." Hitsugaya drew his sword, the blue ice glowing ominously as it was pointed at Ichimaru.
"That's no good Captain Hitsugaya, if ya draw yer sword here, 'll have no choice but to stop it with mine." As soon as Shinsou was drawn, the shorter captain threw himself at the elder. The frozen blade cracked, broke but managing to hold as they clashed once and drew apart. Hitsugaya whirled around snarling, not unlike his draconian partner, and swung again. Gin blocked the quick strikes with ease, almost effortlessly as Hitsugaya went back and forth looking for a weak spot in his defense. Deciding he had enough, Gin dodged the next blow and locked the younger in place by bearing down with his zanpakuto, throwing his weight against it so that the white haired captain could do little more than breathe out tiny puffs of air in succession.
"We... had an agreement Ichimaru." The crack in the ice grew, just like when Hyourinmaru shattered. The thought made him shudder as his arms shook with strain, Shinsou biting further and further into his makeshift sword as their fight continued. "We..."
"Kinda useless ain't ya? Coming go little ol' me for help." Gin snickered as he looked down on Hitsugaya. Maybe he wasn't looking at all, he knew for a fact that various shinigami had ongoing bets on whether or not Ichimaru Gin actually used his eyes. Maybe he was just as blind as Tousen was but didn't want to admit it. But Hitsugaya had seen the bloody red eyes before, the eyes alone that proclaimed his captaincy within Gotei 13. "Even yer zanpakuto has shattered."
Hitsugaya winced as the comment hit home. The pale lashes fluttered, almost revealing the crimson orbs but choosing not to. Gin's lips stretched as the prodigy's arms began to fold beneath his zanpakuto.
"Ya think that's just a bruise on yer neck?"
Hitsugaya jumped backwards as if he had been stung. The ice blade broke cleanly in two. The front half burying itself by Ichimaru's feet. With one free hand Hitsugaya touched the base of his neck and immediately withdrew when he felt the skin pop and blister.
"You sick bastard..." He grabbed desperately at the pulsing brand, feeling it sear through his fingers as he attempted to get it off.
With the strange collar on, Ichimaru could essentially read all his moves and counter them before Hitsugaya could even think about raising his hand, but with this forced bond, the boy genius realized that as the battle dragged on he too could read the other's moves. Gin looked displeased at the turn of events as Hitsugaya dodged a blow from Shinsou that should have been impossible for him to avoid.
Hyourinmaru was gone but Hitsugaya did not become a captain just by achieving bankai. What he desperately lacked in speed he made up with kidou in spades. He was taught by one of the experts of the demon arts, the same expert slumped on the rooftop behind them. He remade his sword completely transparent this time and encased Ichimaru's left arm in ice, smiling grimly as the other captain's reiatsu resisted the freeze and exposed the damage to the open air. Hitsugaya pressed the transparent blue blade against the base of Gin's spine.
"It's over Gin!"
Gin turned his head, eyes fluttered open to reveal scarlet irises as he ordered,
"Shoot to kill, Shinsou!"
The blade seemed to move in slow motion as it lengthened to stab at Hitsugaya's left eye. The 10th division captain barely ducked in time –getting his eyebrow nicked in the process- to bring up his ice blade to deflect it away from his face.
"Are ya sure? If ya dodge, she will..." Hitsugaya rolled from his place on the ground, already anticipating the next series of events as Gin finished dramatically "...die."
"Hina...!"
With a clang of metal on metal, a familiar figure blocked Shinsou's attack. The defender's zanpakuto splintered slightly as it gave out beneath the captain-ranked zanpakuto's initial release. Lowering her sword with some effort Matsumoto Rangiku faced her best friend.
"Please put away your sword Captain Ichimaru. If not, I will be your opponent."
Gin smiled.
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IV fluids dropped down steadily, the only sound in the sterile room with Lieutenant Hinamori's comatose form in the middle. The two 10th division officers looked down gloomily at the still form, each lingering upon their own thoughts as the beat continued.
"If you hadn't come around..." Hitsugaya spoke up softly, "she would have died..." Matsumoto grabbed her pink scarf with her injured wrist, biting her lips and wondering if it had been worth it. The fourth division had concluded that the fifth's lieutenant had been strained to the point of her bodily functions shutting down. If they weren't careful, they might have to declare her unable to lead the fifth in the wake of its captain's murder. "Thank you Matsumoto." But Hitsugaya's words had been worth it, so Matsumoto gave her captain a brief smile.
"My pleasure Hitsugaya-taichou."
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"Gin." A perfume of flowers –one that he couldn't quite place- followed her as she greeted him.
"Hiya Ran-chan. Ya mad at me?" Gin didn't bother turning around. She knew he wouldn't. the captain of the 3rd division did as he wished and she knew that no force on heaven or earth could persuade him to do otherwise. She couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.
"No"
He didn't miss a beat
"I ain't talkin' about last night."
"No. Just... just disappointed, Captain is not a child. I have no right to interfere."
But it was obvious that the blonde was upset, seeing as how she chose to lean against the walls moodily as Gin stared out at the pond. Rangiku's hand was bandaged Gin noted with slight guilt.
"The water reflects the sun almost perfectly, but that don't mean ya can touch the sun." Gin turned to look at Matsumoto, customary smile in its place though it was not as sharply angled just a little softer –for her- than usual.
"A wish..." Rangiku said slowly, "a dream..." Gin smiled pleased. He turned back to look at the lotus dotted pond once more. They stood, sat there in silence, as content as the situation allowed them to be. Rangiku finished, "a temptation."
"Do ya know where 'Gaya is?"
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Gathering his reiatsu in his index and middle finger, he touched the throbbing hollow of his neck. His expression turned sour when he saw the band light up brightly against his dusky skin. The collar was made up of pure energy, white with wisps of ghostly violet where it met the skin. Any powerful shinigami that was looking, it must have been like a neon sign with flashing bulbs. He paled immediately letting go of his neck.
Just how many knew then?
Kuchiki perhaps, Unohana certainly. Zaraki had always been perceptive for his own good and he couldn't dismiss the stares from Captain Yamamoto nor the gift in a form of scarf from Ukitake. His hands immediately flew to the scarf Ukitake had given him and tied it around his neck as tightly as he dared without strangling himself.
He shuddered, suddenly feeling cold as he wrapped an arm around himself.
"Captain Hitsugaya?" 2nd division's Soifon and the 4th's Isane entered his office.
The latter looked worried and fidgeted in one spot while the former stepped forward boldly.
"There are intruders in Soul Society. We need to find them now."
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He breathed deeply, the room temperature dropping with each second. Isane looked disturbed as she looked around to see frost forming. Soifon merely glared harder as the teen's face began to show strain.
"Well?" she asked testily when Hitsugaya opened his eyes. "Did you find where the intruders are?"
"They're close to seireitei, they're in Rukongai right now but it should only be a matter of time." He replied automatically, his eyes glazed over. "There are others though... others that do not... that are not human." Why did he say that and first of all how had he noticed? He had trouble scanning past Seireitei even with Hyourinmaru's help.
"Who."
"It feels almost like a cat sneaked in..." he muttered to himself. Soifon's eyes widened when she heard the last part. Without even saying a goodbye, she left with a quick shunpo, leaving the other two in the office.
"Captain Hitsugaya?" Isane came near, her blue eyes inquiring passively as the white-haired captain began to rub his temples. "I was ordered by Unohana-taichou to heal you should you need for our services." Hitsugaya waved her away. The lavender haired woman pursed her lips. "There is also another news..."
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Matsumoto shunpo-ed into the room just slightly out of breath. She saw her captain and her fellow co-worker in the middle as they talked in a low-tone about something. As soon as she came in, Isane blushed and stammered out apologies before excusing herself. Hitsugaya gave his lieutenant a flat look,
"Intruders are in Soul Society and Kuchiki Rukia's execution has been moved up."
Matsumoto couldn't hide her surprise. From what she had heard through Renji, Rukia had her reasons for giving a human her powers. The blonde had thought surely as an associate with one of the most powerful noble families in Seireitei that the girl would be excused of a minor offense.
"Again?" Hitsugaya turned around, hand dropping to his side as he went out the door. "Captain?"
"Come Matsumoto," he had an expression on. The same he wore before going into battle. Matsumot watched in quiet wonder as she followed him out, the ache in her bandaged hands subsiding as his cool aura reached her. "We are going to stop the trial."
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'Hey, leave him alone alright? You got what you wanted.'
Senbonzakura gave a slight sniff before turning away. The cream and coral sleeves began to melt into soft petals as she gave a low bow.
::I only wish that you realize what you are doing::
::Be gone:: Hyourinmaru rumbled::all of you.::
And one by one, other zanpakuto made their leave leaving only Hyourinmaru, Ryuujin Jakka and a black clothed man in the eye of the storm.
The flames tried to come near again. To surround the ice in not-quite embrace as the water droplets turned to steam. The dragon melted into waters before evaporating into mist. He did not shrug off the fire's approach but the burning in his sun-like eyes did not disappear as the flames backed away in disappointment. The mist-being turned its faint jaws towards the outline of a flowing form in the burning embers.
::Be gone Ryuujin Jakka, there is only so much I can take::
And the flames too dispersed into the air, barest ripple in the air where the strongest of the fire families had been just moments before. Sighing, the man approached the serpentine form. He patted the frozen scales as they sublimated from steam. Hyourinmaru shrugged off the touches and settled back down, turning his head half-way so that the left side was immersed in liquid slush.
'You're not even half awake' the man muttered, poking at the dragon's neck with the hilt of his zanpakuto. Hyourinmaru turned one burning eye towards the wayward soul before lifting his head, too tired to form a reply other than a cross flick of his tail. 'You're in danger, both of you' the man sat by the raised head, not at all bothered when Hyourinmaru lifted his lips to reveal sword-like teeth.
::Be grateful that I let you stay shinigami.::
'Yeah, yeah, not like you can do anything about it. Two thousand years is a long time, don't you guys have an alarm clock?'
::Yes:: Hyourinmaru replied dryly. He pointed his head towards the parting sky, the front part to the back disintegrating to fine flakes of ice as he left. ::You:: and the man was alone with only his zanpakuto by his side as the wind whipped all around him in a dazzling kaleidoscope of chromic white. He sighed, looking up where the snow danced under the sun. It reminded him of many things but mostly of his death. He lowered his head, the grip on the sheath growing just a little tighter.
'Yeah... it was stupid of me wasn't it?'
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A.C.: -groans- that wasn't the longest chapter I've written so far but that was one of the longer ones -collapses- please excuse any grammatic mistakes in this chapter as I was probably half-asleep writing this.
Ace: When are you not alseep?
A.C.: shut up
Preview
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::Will you tell him then, Shinsou?::
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"So it's true then."
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The snow was falling, oh so softly falling.
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"Dun die yet 'Gaya, ya still have a world ta save that ya do."
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::Call on me if you need me::
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"Why are you here?" Hitsugaya asked softly, his hand already reaching back for Hyourinmaru. The man did the same, only his zanpakuto was on his waist.
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"You don't think he left us... do you?" Hinamori pounced on him, her bandaged fingers taking his duskier hands into her own as she closed in. "do you Hitsugaya?!"
A.C.: ):D
umm... surely Hinamori isn't that bad... err is she? Well I'll just have to wait and see if you guys like the role I placed her in