Konnichiwa, Minna-san! Thank you so much for all your reviews!! It really encouraged me to type this up so soon!
This is a completely new chappi from the old version, so old readers, this should be a change for you, ne? ^^
The Infamous Salem-chan, queenofspades19, SweetNightmaresGoodBye, TheScarletWolf, waterlily777, narukaze, HistugayaDream, Soulless Ghosty, steel-alchemist, AngelTenshi-chan(ARMONY!), rockbellrocksroll, NeverEndingDreamEnds, Rose of the Full Moon, IkuXYori and KurokamiHaruhi
DOMO ARIGATO GOZAIMAS!!!! DAISUKIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING!!!
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DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING, GODDAMMIT, EXCEPT FOR THE FAN-IDEA OF THIS FANFIC, AND THE OC
VERY IMPORTANT INFO!!!!!! READERS WHO ARE VERY SENSITIVE ABOUT JAPANESE SPELLING, MUST READ!!!!
I am a local Japanese who so I don't know how to 'spell' Japanese with alphabets. I donnot use the rules by the Romanji terms, I write down how the character pronounce the words, not how they spell it.
e.g. Suman nai-(I'm sorry,etc) will become 'sman ne', because that it how they PRONOUNCE it. I'm sorry if this causes any difficulties for anyone. If someone has any questions as how the term would be spelled by the book, send me a pm and I'd gladly sort things out for you
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Chapter Three- Daisies Through a Kaleidoscope
It's always the smallest Things which causes the greatest Disasters.
-xXx-
''Kaa-saaaan~!! (mom)'' I yelled as I ran towards a beautiful woman with black hair. She turned to face me with a kind smile and eyes on her snow white face, showing her amazing, dark blue eyes. I was a young child at the time. My in the middle splitted bangs were long and reached below my chest, and my hair just the nape of my neck.
''Doushdano (what is it), Sweetheart?'' she asked as I came running to her. 'Sweetheart' was a petname for me which she always said in English. She was hanging the white sheets in the garden.
I loved my mothers voice. It was soft, kind, and so gentle...It was enough to be a lullaby...
I smiled brightly and held out a chain of wild daisies. I had to stand on my tip-toes and stretch so that she could have a clear view of what it was. It wasn't very neatly made, in fact, it was quite messy. There were bits and pieces hanging off, some blossoms were damaged because I wasn't careful and the knots were either overdone or too weak. Okay, okay, it wasn't a bit messy, it was so tangled and distorted that you wouldn't know what it was.
''Presento! (the jap. term for present)'' I said ''I made it from the flowers in the garden!''. She soften her eyes as she kneeled down to my eye-level to look at me endearingly. When she took it in her hands I frowned slightly.
''Gomen ne (i'm sorry), ka-chan, it didn't come out so nice...'' I trailed disappointed. She patted my head softly and lovingly.
''I think it came out just fine'' she said ''No one can do something perfectly after just one try''. I looked up at my mother's face. She closed her eyes to support her smile ''If you do more for me, I'm sure you'll be able to make a perfect one soon!'' she encouraged.
''Really?'' I asked, unconvinced. She smiled and stroked my head.
''Of course! If it's you, I'm sure you can do it!'' after those words left her lips I smiled brightly.
''Okay!! I'll go make some more for you!!'' I announced and ran past her back to the patch of wild flowers in the front garden on the other side of our house.
''Don't go out of the gate, Miyuki, stay in the garden'' she ordered ''You have to be careful'' she said with that motherly tone of hers. I rolled my eyes.
What is there to be careful about?
The wild daisies in our garden were very small and fragile, I noticed. But then I remembered that the park right next to our house also had wild daisies- which were a lot stronger and the blossoms were bigger and prettier. Mother's words flashed through my head.
'Don't go out the gate, Miyuki, stay in the garden.'
I wrinkled my nose and stood up before I ran over to a corner of the house to peek at my mother. She was humming a melody to herself, completely unaware of my stares. I then turned around and ran out the gate, past the road and to the park.
She won't notice, I'll be real quick! Just pick the flowers, then come back!
After a few minutes of searching, I found the daisies I was looking for. I smiled brightly at my success of my found and hurried towards it. I picked out one, two, three, four, five...ten, eleven, twelve...fifteen! I looked at my collection with a satisfied grin. This should do the trick!
''Hehehe...hehe...'' I giggled when I skipped towards the entrance to the park.
''Miyuki-chan?''
I widen my eyes and turned to a man's voice who called my name. I looked at him, he was tall and had a very gentle voice. But he was under a tree so I couldn't see his face because of the shadow, but I could see the shine of glasses from his eyes.
''Why don't you come here, Miyuki-chan?'' he asked. I blinked and frowned.
''Ka-san told me not to follow strangers'' I said innocently.
''Do you always listen to your Oka-sama? (politer term for mother)'' he asked ''Like when she told you not to leave the house?''. I widen my eyes in surprise as I stared at the man in awe. I turned to completely face him and smiled. His voice held no menace so I wasn't scared at all. Not at all... because his voice reminded me of mother's.
''Sugoi! (Awesome)'' I exclaimed. ''How did you know that? Are you a magician??'' I asked with excitement. I heard him chuckle.
''Maybe'' he answered. ''Are you going to make a necklass for your Oka-sama with those flowers?'' he asked. I nodded before I bent down to rub my nose in the blossoms. They smelt so nice!
''They're very beautiful. Would you come over here and show me?'' he asked. I smiled and ran over to him.
''They're beautiful? You really think so? I wanted to make a better one because these were-'' I explanation was cut off when my words died in my throat. I was standing in front of the man, but my eyes didn't have time to adjust to the change of light, so I still couldn't see anything but the shine of his glasses on his face. But that wasn't a reason to be surprised and slightly intimidated.
But if a group of men in white overcoats surround you out of nowhere, that's a reason to be intimidated, isn't it?
''Na-Nani?? (what)'' I asked, looking around as they formed a circle around me. I was scared, I wanted to go home, I wished I didn't run away to come to the park...
I want Ka-san and Tou-san!!
''MIYUKI!!''
I widen my tear-filled eyes at snapped my head to face where I heard the voice coming from. In the slit between two of these men I saw two familiar figures running towards me. I made a move to run towards them, one hand reached out, one still holding the daisies.
''KA-SAN! TOU-SAN! (father)'' I called, but I was held back by one of the men. I squirmed as hard as I could, the daisies shattered on the ground during the struggle. But he only held on tighter.
''My baby!!'' I heard my mother yell with a shaking voice.
''YOU BASTARDS!!!'' Father roared and dashed towards us.
''Finish them'' I heard the man with the gentle voice said. The kindness in his tone unchanged, but my eyes were too busy starring at my parent's every movement to turn to look at his face.
''Hai''
One of the men took a small, black box out of his pocket. He pushed a button on it, and light blue sparks were charged. Just before father was about to punch the one holding me, the other swiftly jabbed him with the sparked side of the box. Father's body trembled greatly as he let out a yell of agony. Tears were flowing down my eyes. I didn't know what was going on, but father was in pain, I don't need to know more than that to know that I should be very scared.
''TOU-SAAAAN!!!!!!!'' I called before he slumped to the ground, motionless.
''KAZUMA!!'' I heard mother yell. I stared at my father with wide, disbelieving eyes. His dark, reddish-brown orbs were half-lidded and dull. His shoulder length, jet-black hair, which was pulled into a pony-tail at the nape of his neck, was strayed. He just laid there. Motionless.
Why...why is Tou-san like this...?
Why is he like this...?
I don't like this...I don't like this...!
I snapped my eyes from my father's form to my mother when I heard her scream. She was also jabbed by that black box and soon fell motionless on the ground.
''Ka-chan...!'' I gasped, sobbing. I was scared. I was very scared.
''KAAAA-SAAN!!! TOOUU-SAAN!!!'' I yelled, but no motion from either of them.
The next thing I knew someone put a white cloth over my nose and mouth. I widen my eyes at their actions. But my eyes soon grew tired.
Hen no...Kaori...(weird..smell)
After that everything went black.
So...I guess this is the thing mother told me to be careful about...but...
It was just to pick some prettier daisies to make a better flower chain for mother.
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I gasped when I sat right up.
Was I dreaming again?
I looked around me. I was in my room of the 10th Division. The half moon shone dimly through the window in the dark scenery. I sighed.
At least it wasn't one of those nightmares...
I shook my head when a scene of a flashback during an experiment went through my head. I don't need to see it now. In fact, I don't need to see it ever!
I don't know what I hated more from that time on. Myself for not listening to mother, or daisies. I scoffed at my own childishness, it was myself and myself alone to blame. I have no intentions of shoving those faults to type of flower.
But it still didn't change the fact that I'm intimidated my daisies now. Daisies! For the love of...
I rubbed my temple and stood up, I need to get some fresh air. Maybe I can distract myself with something random then. I walked through my door and even though everything was dim, I could still see my surroundings good enough to walk around them.
Speaking about distracted...I've been distracted my that white-haired Taichou lately. I could actually take my mind off depressing subjects when I let my thoughts wonder around him. I smiled slightly at that. He's quite the captivating type, isn't he?
Generally mature and serious and he's easily annoyed by people goofing off. He hates anything that he deems childish and hates to be described as something close to a child as well as having a cold attitude and works hard.
...and is down-right gorgeous. I chuckled out quietly as I noticed my face warming.
But beneath all that he's a brat. Likes to poke fun at things, teasing, mocking, you name it. The reason why he acts so mature is because he wants the respect for the title he worked very hard for.
After looking at Toshiro's desk, I remembered some of the moments I've shared with him.
''Hitsugaya, you don't need to start paperwork in six in the morning! What on earth are you always rushing your work for?!'' I asked as I wobbled over to the couch. I was so tired I felt like I would slump over, face-first on the floor if I wasn't careful. He kept his eyes fixed on his paperwork, only leaving enough focus for one retort:
''Urusei (zip it)''
My eyes twitched in annoyance before I fell on the couch.
''Seriously, what's the hurry? You don't have to give those in until tomorrow!'' I reasoned, completely ignoring his retort.
''You talk too much'' he said simply.
''I'm proud of my ability of making conversations, unlike a certain someone I know'' I answered.
''You hope you're not implying me'' he answered with irritation in his voice.
''I'd change my statement if I knew what the motivation is'' I told.
''...nap...''
I snapped my eyes open, sat up and looked at him ridiculously. He was looking down, facing his paperwork, but I could see the blush of embarrassment of his tanned visage.
''Nani?!'' I asked.
''...I wanna finish...so that I can have my nap...'' He said in a barely audible whisper. We just stayed in silence for a while until I bursted out laughing. He glared at me with a vein sign popping on his head.
''DAMARE!!! (shut up)'' he yelled, but I just tried to keep myself from rolling down the floor.
''Gomen! *gasp* It's just that *gasp* I wasn't *gasp* expecting that!'' I explained, wiping the tears of laughter from the corner of my eyes. But when I looked at him again with his pissed off expression I just bursted out a second time. ''AND IT'S SO FUNNY!!'' I added
''OI!! HIGURASHI!!'' he yelled, more vein signs now pulsing. After a few seconds of laughing like an idiot and calmed down, and turned to him.
''There's nothing wrong with that desire, I was laughing because it was unexpected'' I explained with the most serious expression and voice to muster, though it was obvious that I was trying my best not to laugh out loud. His narrowed eyes never wavered at me, in fact I think he just narrowed them further. But I was so busy keeping a straight face that I didn't pay enough attention.
''Ou, Sou da (oh, really)'' he muttered sarcastically.
'' 'A child who sleeps, grows' '' I dictated one of the phrases that Hitsugaya believed in. ''I hope that you grow up to be taller than a shougakusei (elementary student) soon, Hi-chibi-chan!'' I said, his eyes widen and more vein signs appearing when he narrowed them again.
''WILL YOU QUIT IT WITH THE SHOGAKUSEI?! AND WHO ARE YOU CALLING CHIBI-CHAN?!?!''
I grinned at that memory. Childish and sensitive to the very end. I quietly slid the office door open and went down the hall to go outside. When I came to a fork of three paths I took the left one, but I halted to look back at the path I was on a few moments ago.
I wrapped a string around a spinning top I had received as a present from Ukitake-taichou. A very nice man, similar to Aizen, but I preferred Ukitake over Aizen for some reason...
...must be the white hair, I thought. Oh, and maybe the for simple fact that he looks a bit too similar to my kidnapper that I liked.
I was standing in the hallway outside the office which lead outside. Normally no one's here because only the taichou and fukutaichou use this path, so I wouldn't be in people's way with this little game.
''Ikeee!!! (gooo)'' I said to myself enthusiastically and pulled the sting by swinging my arm from one side to another. The white fabric unraveled and caused the spinning top to spin in mid air before it fell to the ground. After a few seconds of spinning...well, wobbling, it fell over. I narrowed my eyes in annoyance.
''Ack...'' I muttered. ''Well that turned out as well as could be expected, eh?'' I asked myself.
''You're completely hopeless''
I jumped at that voice, but it was obvious who it was. I sighed.
''Histugaya, you know it's not a good habit to sneak up on people'' I said as I picked my spinning top up.
''Urusei'' he retorted. But I could feel his mocking smirk on my back. ''But you gotta admit that you suck at it''. I peeked over to him with narrowed eyes.
''So? You're point?'' I asked suspiciously. He raised his eye-brows.
''I'm surprised that you couldn't even make something decent out of such a painfully simple game'' he said flatly. I could feel a vein-sign pulsing and see his smirk widening.
''Okay, then! Smarty-panto-san! (mr. smartypants)'' I said as I threw the spinning top to him which he easily caught with one hand, and used the same hand to grab the string. ''If it's really such a simple game, then show me your supreme power!'' I dared. He shrugged and swiftly wrapped the string around the spinning top.
''Fine'' he said simply. I widen my eyes when he skillfully pulled the string and the spinning top did a few saltos and back flips, still spinning, in mid-air before it landed on the ground perfectly. It made a couple of rounds in circles and I was at a loss for words.
''Finally admit that you're talentless, Higurashi?'' he asked, I glared at him.
''Absolutly no way in hell was this your first time'' I stated as a fact. He gave the string back to me.
''Tried it a long time ago'' He answered and walked passed me with his hands in sleeves. I picked the still spinning and let out an audible grunt.
''Sore loser'' I heard him say and turned around to face him, his smirk plastered on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him and walked towards the taichou. When I had caughz up he started walking as well, so we were walking side-by-side down the hall.
''You tried it a long time ago? Before or after you became a Shinigami?'' I asked.
''Omai wa kakenei yo (it's none of your business)'' he answered, I sighed and mentally smacked my head.
''Okay, Hitsugaya. This is how it's gonna work: I'll be pestering you to tell you that you can trust me with your personal life or past or whatever. That will take about...five to ten minutes. Then you'll be completely deflective until you realise that I'm right. That will take about 15 minutes. So do us both the favor by just skipping the whole act and just tell me already'' I said in an annoyed tone. He turned to me and gave me an irritated glare.
''Who the heck do you think you are?!'' he asked, I looked at him with bored, half-lidded eyes and high brows.
''Someone's who's not gonna leave you in peace until she hears what she wants'' I answered simply. ''You always give in anyway, Hitsugaya.''. He opened his mouth to retort, but closed it again before letting out a long sigh.
''You're so annoying'' he said as he looked ahead again. ''It was before I went into the Shinigami-acadamy'' he answered.
''Where did you live at that time?'' I asked, he turned to me again with an irritated look.
''Higurashi-''
''The 25 minutes, Hitsugaya, 25 minutes.'' I reminded. He growled in annoyance before looking ahead again.
''Province of Jurin'an, 1st District West Rukongai.'' he muttered. I smiled.
''So you started with your spinning-top career there, huh?'' I asked. ''Did you participate in any tournaments?''. He looked at me weirdly.
''Who in their right mind would have a tournament for freakin' tops?!'' he asked, I sweat dropped as I laughed nervously. Guess he doesn't know about ShwayBlades(*)...
''So I take it that you did have a title?'' I asked, trying to avoid that awkward topic.
''The kids had little competitions here and there locally, and I won the most of them like the last match before leaving so I'm the undefeated champion'' he told, though he was trying to push it down, I could hear some pride in the last part. He really enjoyed playing the game, didn't he?
''You must have had quite a few friends when you were younger, huh?'' I asked. He frowned his brows slightly.
''No, I didn't'' he answered simply. I raised my brows ''Everyone in the district were afraid of me, the only exceptions were Granny and Hinamori'' I inwardly smiled that he was now starting to open up without any protests and was surprised that he used the term 'granny' instead of grandmother, or something like that. I peeked over to him to see that he had a slightly down-casted look.
''It must've been hard on you at that time...But it's okay now!'' I told, I could see him snap his head up slightly from the corner of my eye. ''You're not alone anymore. You have experiences and memories to hold onto and friends to support you.'' I turned to face him with a smile ''I also want to become one of those friends!'' I said. He looked at me with wide eyes and I grinned before I patted his white, spiky-haired head. I ran my hand through his white mane when I ruffled his hair.
''Good boy, Hitsugaya, you finally learned how to tell things about yourself'' I praised somewhat close to a dog. I could see the vein-signs popping on his head and could feel them pulsing beneath my hand. He tilted his head down slightly and had his eyes closed when he was trembling with leashed extreme irritation. Before he exploded I pulled my hand back and gave held out the spinning-top to him.
''Kore yo (here)'' I said, and he looked at me and the object in my hand with wide eyes. ''You can do something with it, right, Undefeated champion-san?'' I asked with a smirk.
Ah, yes, the spinning top. I shoved them in his hands so he had no choice but to take it. He went on and on and on that it's too childish for him, but it was obvious that he wanted to keep it.
Because he held the top with both hands the whole time.
After that memory which flashed by for a split second, I turned and continued walking down the path outside. Nothing like a visit down memory lane, is there?
It must've been midnight or the very beginning of the morning, no one was around except for a few guards. They bowed their heads to greet me silently and I returned the gesture as I walked past them before I had arrived in the 10th Division gardens. I sighed in annoyance.
Great, it just had to be a garden, didn't it? Now all I need are freakin' daisies!!
The fact that I was here was actually my fault that I actually brought myself here didn't bother me in the slightest. I walked towards the trees, I always went there to think for myself when I was alone...
Alone...
I widen my eyes when I saw a few white spikes from behind the tree I always sit under. That hair...
My feet made their way around the tree and I raised my eyebrows at the person sitting in my usual spot.
''...Toshiro!'' I exclaimed, he looked up at me with wide eyes.
''Miyuki, what are you doing up so late?'' he asked, I scratched my head and laughed nervously.
''Sleeping doesn't like me tonight, so I decided to get out a bit'' I answered, ''What brings you here?''
''Couldn't sleep either'' he answered and leaned his back against the tree again and looked ahead. I sat next to him with half a meter distance between us before making a comment.
''That's no good, Toshiro, you need your sleep so that you can grow'',
''Urusei'' he retorted.
''You do realise that telling me to shut up is just gonna make me talk even more,'' I said as if it were most obvious thing in the world. He sighed heavily when looked up at the half moon.
''You're annoying'' he commented.
''I know'' I said, grinning from ear to ear. I blinked when I dropped my smile because I just remembered something. I narrowed my eyes at him.
''Speaking about annoying, where is my stetch book?!'' I asked, I had to suppress my irritated grunt when I saw that smirk of his plastered on that goddamn sexy face. Bye bye Mr. Uptight and Serious, helloooo mocking, stubborn, little brat.
''I really don't know why you're always saying that I stole it'' he said. It was dripping with so much fake ignorance that I could grasp it!
''I'm saying that you stole it because you stole it! You pad-knapped my stetches!'' I accused. He turned his head to face me, his smirk still on his lips.
''Why are you so sure?'' he asked, my eyes widen and my face went red.
Dammit, he got me there. I groaned and ran a hand through my bangs before I leaned my back against the tree and looked ahead with a grumpy look as I crossed my arms. I could hear his amused scoff.
''ANYWAY, I'd like to hear about your childhood a bit more'' I said, trying to change the subject. I could feel his eye-brows raising at me.
''My childhood? You already wringed out everything like a sponge.'' he said.
''Not true. Like...when did you decide to become a Shinigami? You told me were weren't too keen on the idea of becoming one when Hinamori-san left for the academy, even though you were having dreams about Hyourinmaru. What changed your mind?'' I asked, he sighed.
''Long story'' he answered.
''Got time'' I answered back. He looked back up to the moon, as if to wonder where to start. I mentally sighed in relief when he didn't become all closed-off and stubborn.
Maybe it was a good thing that I told him about the whole 'Subject 00' incident. It really made me feel...lighter, somehow. Because I've always bottled up all those emotions, I kept thinking about those nights of terror for the majority of the time, always seeing it as a horrible, sickening punishment for my ignorance. Now that I let the cap come off, it's different. I would still think about all those events from time to time, but I would only see it as a memory. A terrible memory, but nothing else.
And I think that maybe, just maybe, Toshiro and I have been brought closer because of this.
''I went off to buy Ama-nattou at the local store. Got a rude treatment by the store-keeper, and Matsumoto complained to the guy for that'' he started.
''Just like that? Matsumoto? No...No weird..incidences??'' I asked, eyes wide. If Mastumoto makes and entrance then she makes one hell of an impression. I don't care of this was 100 or 50 years ago, Matsumoto is Matsumoto! Toshiro sighed in dread when he looked exhausted just by thinking about it.
''Holy...She rammed into you with her inhuman breasts, didn't she?!'' I asked. I didn't give me an answer and I just rolled over laughing.
''OI!! THAT'S NOT FUNNY!!'' he yelled, I looked at him with laughter which wasn't intending to fade soon.
''No, Toshiro, you're right, it's not funny, it's HILARIOUS!!!'' I corrected, and I could feel his eyes narrowing at me. After a few seconds I caughed my breath before I sat back up against the tree again. ''Sorry, but there's nothing to be grumpy over, it's something you should be able to laugh about, you know'' I said. He looked at me with an arched brow.
''Do you laugh when you remember the time Matsumoto got you in that death-grip of hers?'' he asked. I blinked and shivered at the memory.
''Okay, point taken'' I admitted ''Now please continue so that I can distract my mind with something else!''. He looked at me ridiculously before shaking his head, as if he had already categorised me as a moron.
''She was the one who told me that the dreams were my Zanpakto calling out to me'' he continued as he looked ahead again with me looking at him. ''And that my Reiatsu had to be controlled since the leaking out energy was freezing granny when I had these dreams. The only way to do that is to become a Shinigami.'' he looked up the half moon again.
''Granny understood, saying that 'Thinking of not wanting to leave your old granny all alone and hurting yourself like that...I think for me as your grandmother, that was the hardest thing of all.' '' He said. He had a mixture between regret and sorrow on his face. I frowned my eye-brows at him.
''You know when I told you that everyone in the district were afraid of me? They all said that I was 'just like ice'. I didn't know if it was my white hair and blue-green eyes or my cold behavior. But granny never said that...that's why I liked her'' he said. I widen my eyes when I could hear all the emotions when he said that.
''Toshiro...you...'' I started.
''You cried when you said goodbye to her, didn't you?'' I asked. He turned to me and looked at me with wide eyes before forming them to an annoyed, but unconvincing glare.
''Baka! I didn't cry!'' He retorted and looked away before he crossed his arms. I sighed at his stubbornness but also in relief. At least he had gotten over it.
''Souka (I see)'' I answered when I looked up to the moon. ''Ama-nattou...your favorite since the very beginning, huh?'' I chuckled.
''Urusei''
''Hai, hai, Taichou-san'' I said. Then we just sat there in silence as we gazed up the moon. Though it was incomplete, it was still there. It was still amazing.
Like our bond.
As comfortable and calming the silence between us was, it was soon ended by our mocking and teasing and bickering. Yeap...somethings I guess won't ever change.
But then again I don't want them to.
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Not much lovey-dovey scenes here, but fear not, it'll come XD
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