16

Cover and Uncover

…

"Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya, you have let all of the Arrancar escape," Yamamoto reprimanded.

"I apologize, Head Captain," Toshiro replied. There was no life to his voice.

"I am placing you under orders to capture them and purify their souls," Yamamoto said.

"I understand, Head Captain." No life at all.

"Also, I have received the report that Ulquiorra Schiffer has been taken care of."

Toshiro's hands twitched. "Yes, Head Captain. I did so myself."

"We will be on the lookout for him in Soul Society," the old man informed. The edges of his face softened the slightest amount. "Report back in three days or when you have disposed of the other Arrancar."

"I will, Head Captain."

"Also, Lieutenant Momo Hinamori wishes to speak with you."

Toshiro kept a straight face. "Of course."

Yamamoto moved out of the screen, revealing the girl's small form. She didn't smile, knowing this was not the right place and time for it.

"Shiro," she said, "you did the right thing."

"I know."

She winced at the emptiness he held around him like a shroud. So dark…

"I'm still here," she assured. "Remember, Toshiro? I'm still your sister."

"No, Hinamori," he answered. "You are like a sister to me."

Her mouth fell open slightly, big brown eyes widening. "Shiro…"

He turned his face away from her. She should know the difference. She should understand that, while she had always been there for him and while he held her as close as he did family, this had hurt him badly.

She set her features into a stern expression. "Katashi was there for seven years of your life. Seven years you haven't remembered until now. I've been there for many times that. Does that make any difference to you?"

"Have you ever considered that only remembering now makes it worse?" Toshiro rebuked. "Finally discovering what those dreams were about all this time? Hinamori, it's only been a month. One month since I uncovered that I even had a brother and now he's dead. He's dead because I killed him. All of you keep saying that it's alright because I did the right thing and he will be a peace in Soul Society. Yes, I understand that, but I'm not naïve. I know that he will not remember."

"You remembered."

Toshiro was about to answer, but she cut off communications. He hung his head. It wasn't enough for him to lose Katashi, but now he had to push Momo away as well? What was wrong with him? He must be a masochist. Or a sadist. Perhaps some twisted combination of the two.

Toshiro fled the room and bounded across the city. He only hesitated upon passing the Kurosaki house. Then he kept going. Reiatsu buzzed all around him, but none of it was important. None of it was the reiatsu he wanted to feel.

The reiatsu he might never feel again.

…

"Tell him, Ukitake," Ichigo demanded. "Tell Toshiro that Ulquiorra killed himself."

Ukitake shook his head. "Toshiro knows. We've never faced this situation before. If an Arrancar kills itself with its own blade, there's no guarantee it's going to Soul Society. At least this way, there's hope."

"D—nit, Ukitake!" Ichigo roared, slamming his fist into the table. "If you don't tell him, I will."

"You're not thinking rationally."

"If Ulquiorra wanted Toshiro to kill him, he would have made it happen," Ichigo protested.

Ukitake shook his head. "Toshiro wouldn't have done it."

Ichigo thrust the note Ulquiorra entrusted to him at Ukitake. "Did you read this?"

"No, I—"

"Read it."

"Ichigo…"

"Read. It."

Reluctantly, Ukitake did so. His expression didn't change. "Katashi already told me as much."

"And that didn't strike you as alarming?" Ichigo snapped. "Unless…you knew he was going to kill himself." Shock registered on Ichigo's face. "You knew and you didn't do anything about it."

"I tried," Ukitake defended. "Several times, in fact. If you knew Katashi like I do, though, you would also know that there's no changing his mind once it is set on something. When I found him in that street, blade in hand, he…"

Ukitake winced.

He arrived there just in time. Ulquiorra stood there solemnly. His gigai was thrown off to the side. Murcielago was pointed at his chest.

"Katashi, don't do this."

Ulquiorra shifted his eyes toward the man. "I have to," he said. "If I don't, Toshiro is likely to act unreasonably. He will lose everything he has ever worked for. I cannot let him do that on my behalf."

"You are going to hurt him."

"At first," Ulquiorra agreed. "Over time, it will lessen."

"Katashi…" Ukitake warned.

"I am in his past and not meant to interfere," Ulquiorra explained. "His life is in Soul Society now. Take care of him."

"No," Ukitake refused. He flash-stepped to Ulquiorra's side, grabbing the sword hilt, preventing Ulquiorra from stabbing himself. "You are going to be there to help take care of him."

Ukitake was stunned by what Ulquiorra did next. A slight smile rose to his pale face, something pained and tragic. He chuckled deeply, darkly. Heart-wrenchingly. "Look out for me in Soul Society, will you?"

Then there was a flash. Ukitake was thrown by a minor cero. He skidded to a stop on the pavement, back hitting a wall. His eyes shot open. The flash was gone.

And so was Katashi Hitsugaya.

"It would have been impossible for him to have erased his reiatsu like that," Ukitake explained. "Not without his gigai. I had to accept that he was truly gone."

"Then look for him."

Ukitake blinked at Ichigo's tone.

The orange-haired teen continued. "I can take care of Toshiro. That was Ulquiorra's final request for me. Go back to Soul Society and look for Ulquiorra like he asked of you."

"I have to stay here," Ukitake protested. "It's orders."

"Then pretend you're sick," Ichigo said. "They will have to let you return then."

"Fake illness?"

"I hate to point this out, but you are ill. It's not that far of a stretch."

Ukitake's eyes focused on the floor. "You are right. I will go back to Soul Society to look for Katashi."

Ichigo nodded.

"You should return now," Ukitake continued. "Toshiro needs you."

…

Ichigo closed his eyes. He was horrible at tracking reiatsu. This much was obvious. But he was growing accustomed to the reiatsu of those closest to him. Karin he could feel the easiest. It took him seconds. Toshiro's took much more effort, but was still traceable. Ichigo took off in that direction.

At the end of the trail, he found the young boy on a rooftop. Ichigo sighed at the captain's antics. He apparently had an affinity for heights. Luckily, he was in Shinigami form or else he would attract attention to himself. It wasn't everyday an average human saw a white-haired child sleeping on a rooftop.

Also, the teen realized, this was potentially dangerous. Toshiro shifted in his sleep. One wrong move and he could fall off. Kneeling down, Ichigo checked Toshiro's expression. A twitching scowl was there. If Ichigo had learned anything, he knew that the expression meant the boy was dreaming about something. But what is he dreaming about? Ichigo wondered. Another memory?

…

Teal eyes opened to the world. It was so bright and confusing. Sound flowed from every direction, swirling around him into a whirlpool. He sat up and rubbed his throbbing head, ruffling snowy white hair as he did so. This place…he did not recognize it. He gazed at its residents. They immediately looked away, scurrying off. What reason did they have to treat him like a plague?

This behavior continued as he pushed through the conglomeration of run-down flats. This was only interrupted by something hard barreling into his head. He soon discovered this object to be a rock. Children scuffled out of sight.

The figure paused in realizing that a small line of blood was trickling down from his temple. No one seemed to care and, for some reason, neither did he. A sharp sting greeted his repetitive touch. To add to this, his hunger was clawing at him from the inside out and the thirst became raw. He continued to walk in search of nourishment, but found himself turned away at every corner. He fell to the ground in a heap. What was this torture?

"Oh my," a feminine voice said.

He cracked one eye open. An old woman stood over him. She appeared genuinely concerned.

"Poor dear," she continued. "It is so cruel of them to treat people such as you in that manner. Why don't you come back with me and we can get you something to eat or drink?"

"That is a very generous offer," he stated, words blurred in his state. "Why be so kind to a stranger?"

"You remind me of someone that I care for very much," she answered.

He nodded, satisfied with this answer. It took a great amount of effort to stand. She had to support him as they walked the short distance to her house. "Why do they avoid me? I am not aware of having committed any crime."

"They shun you for the same reason that they shunned my grandson," she replied. "You both have white hair."

White hair, he thought to himself. That was not normal. She handed him a cup of water as he pondered over this. Looking into the liquid's depths, he could see his reflection staring back at him. Indeed, snowy locks and blue-green irises stared unnervingly back, set into hard features.

"May I ask," she began, "what your name is?"

He paused and looked at his face again. "My name is…Katashi Hitsugaya."

…

Thank you: fight4love, -SoManyUpsAndDowns-, mika, Windschatten69, fan girl 666, and Rachel-angelhero.

Also, the companion piece to this, First Strike, gives a tiny bit of insight as to why Toshiro sleeps on roof-tops.