Chapter 16. Fallen Angel
I do not own Bleach.
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The fresh scarlet blood re-coated the drying crimson.
Hitsugaya and Akuma stood motionless, face-to-face. Hitsugaya was no longer demonically possessed, as he had been, so now his untainted aqua eyes glared into sickening brown-green. Akuma glared back with equal detestation, a low rumble bubbled in his throat. Likewise, Hitsugaya's throat hid an evenly vicious growl, his face twisted into a snarl like a ruthless wolf.
The blood continued to fall; yet neither side moved, not the side mixed with the colors of blue and white, nor the side of brown and gray.
Finally, claws clasp together and closed on one another, more blood flowing blissfully from either one, the precious life flowing out behind it. Then, Hitsugaya staggered, and then stumbled forward, face down onto the cold, blood spattered ground once again.
Seconds later, Akuma smirked with satisfaction and then followed, and fell forward, landing hardly on the cave floor as well. Never had he fought such a fearsome opponent, and never again would he face any opponent.
He was beaten, he knew that, but the boy had wasted too much of his valuable time, and the girl that he had come all this way for was probably already dead. And just to make sure that she did in fact die, Akuma, instead of honorably giving up and dying, tried his hardest to stay alive for as long as he could.
He struggled stubbornly to hang onto life for as long as he possibly could just so he could make sure that the girl died, for once he died, she would be free of the spell. But if he just stayed alive for a few moments longer…
Finally, Akuma scented death, somewhere in the cave. He knew for a fact that it was not the dragon boy; he had come too far, and had too stubborn a will to die now.
The smell of death, is it the girl? He wondered. Or, is it me?
He never received the answer to his question, for seconds later, Akuma, the last Vasto Lorde and leader of his clan, died.
Hitsugaya pushed himself up into a hunched sitting position, panting he glanced at the Arrancar's un-moving form.
Am I…too late? He though desperately.
No response came to him. His Zanpakutou had skidded near to the place where he had fallen and he shakily gripped the hilt in his hands.
"Arigatou, Hyorinmaru. I never could have gotten this far without you."
As if in response, his massive wings and long, colossal tail evaporated into frost and absorbed into the blade of the Zanpakutou, as did his claws and fangs. He had lost his dragon-like form for the moment, but this current loss of power had lifted a burden from his shoulders. And this power had merged with his Hyorinmaru, storing the power, and energy for battles later to come.
Suddenly, he remembered everything that the numbing fall had caused him to forget.
"Hinamori." He whispered.
Shakily, with the support of his Zanpakutou, Hitsugaya rose to his feet, and with one last glance at Akuma's corpse raced away through the shadows. Blood dripped out a scarlet trail behind him, but he did not stop going.
His senses guided him as they had done before, with the exception that he had to use his hands now and not his wings. He felt his way through the dark, shadowy tunnel, and blindly focusing on what lay ahead of him, lost his footing and tripped.
He lay there, once again having no desire to get up back up. But then, his mind snapped back into the present matter; Hinamori needed him.
He was becoming his own problem; he kept falling and doubting himself and Hinamori. He doubted that she would still be alive, but he was not giving her enough credit. She was, after all, one of the lucky select Shinigami that had been chosen as fukuutaichou. He was underestimating her, and that he deeply regretted for not having faith in her, and trusting that she would pull through.
Hitsugaya knew that falling was a lot easier then getting back up. But, if one were to get back up, then one would solve their problems. Hitsugaya's will was too great to let him remain lying there in the untamed shadows. He pulled himself to his feet once more, and felt his way out of the rest of the tunnel.
Finally, the darkness became more lighted and the other side of the cave came into view. He could still scent the strong, tangy smell of blood, and the rock walls were just as distraught as when he had left them.
Rocks and pebbles scattered the ground in a blanket of gravel mixed with blood. Icicles still dangled from the topmost portions of the cave. The air here was just as cold as it was in the other part of the cave.
White mist puffed out before Hitsugaya and then evaporated into the freezing air. Hitsugaya frantically tried to jog his mangled memories of what exactly had happened here, and where he had last seen Hinamori. The faintest bit of light filtered through a hole near the center of the roof of the cave.
The light was from the moon, for Hueco Mundo was a land of eternal night, and only the faintest bit of light ever touched it. As the moonlight bathed the cave from icicle to pebble, Hitsugaya's gaze fretfully scoured the area. As he saw the scene before him, his blurred memories became clear once again.
He stepped past the bodies of the Arrancar that he had killed, stepping in the small puddles of blood strewn about their lifeless forms. He slid Hyorinmaru back into the sheath that was strapped onto his back.
As Hitsugaya slowly and silently picked his was through the corpses of the Vasto Lorde, his aqua gaze finally came to rest upon the small, shadowy, crumpled form of Hinamori in the corner of the cave.
Fear, grief and agony all stabbed at Hitsugaya at once.
Her body was still, too still, and no white mist lifted from her body to signal that she was breathing.
Her limp form lay, un-moving in the shadows; her delicate, and frail body was broken and crushed, like a fallen angel.
As Hitsugaya slowly made his way over to his friend, tears began to fill his aqua eyes.
He lingered above her motionless form and collapsed onto his knees next to her.
"Hinamori..."
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A/N: Sumimasen it was so short and I am really sorry that it took so long! Please do not hate / flame me! But please take 60 seconds out of your life to review and give meaning to my writings and stories!