The Frozen Flower, a Bleach fanfiction
Warning: Most characters and places belong to the Bleach manga and anime series. This is merely a fanfiction.
Dear readers,
(I know, it's been a long time. I've lately been very busy.)
Some of you asked if the mysterious woman was Hitsugaya's mother. Well, read on and you'll find out ;)
Thank you for your support :)
Last time on The Frozen Flower
The Real World
"Pass the ball, Kurosaki", Hitsugaya Toshiro called.
Karin gave a hard kick on the soccer ball. "Aye."
Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro easily caught the ball and smashed it against his foot. It went directly into the goal. Karin's friends ran toward Toshiro and cheered for him. Karin smiled. She was glad that her Shinigami friend came back on holiday.
A new match began. Toshiro had the ball. He was about to shot it when he sensed a stranger's reiastsu. The captain froze.
The following events all happened in a flash of a few seconds, but time seemed extremely slow to the captain. The soccer ball, which was kicked too hard, flew out of the field. Hitsugaya was about to run after it when he saw a person with long white hair standing on the sidewalk.
Captain Ukitake? he thought. The ball was about to land on the person's head.
"Be careful!" Hitsugaya screamed before he could stop himself.
The soccer ball suddenly froze in the air, then cracked, like a broken mirror, before anyone could do anything. Karin's friends ran toward Hitsugaya.
"Toshiro-kun! What happened? What was that?" the first friend asked.
"The ball just cracked", stated another friend.
"Who were you talking to, Toshiro-kun?" The last friend was staring at the captain quizzically.
Karin came after them. "Are you all right, Toshiro?"
"... Yeah..."
Hitsugaya stopped. The person just turned her head. She was a young lady, who seemed a bit older than Hitsugaya. However, what surprised the captain were her cold, turquoise eyes. Just like mine... he thought, stupefied.
Karakura town's park
"Jushiro. Jushiro!"
"Huh? What? Is there a Hollow?" Ukitake slowly turned to his friend, Kyouraku.
"Nope. You were just spacing out", the Eigth squad captain answered with a smile. This made Ukitake uneasier.
"Oh, hum... It's... It's just been a long time since I last came to the human world."
"Got it, Jushiro. Why don't we go check the next district?"
"Ah, okay, yes. Yes, that's a good idea."
Captain Kyouraku worriedly observed his friend. He knew Ukitake well and already realized that it was one of his bad lies.
Ukitake's inner world
Sogyo no Kotowari appeared in front of Ukitake. The two twins ran toward their master (see the anime to find out about the zanpakuto's materialized form). One of them dragged the captain's arm. "Uncle, why didn't you tell Mister Kyouraku the truth?"
"Um..."
The second twin added, "You sensed it, right? Her reiatsu..."
"I was surely dreaming. That's impossible... It's impossible for her to be here..." Ukitake told himself.
The Real World, toward the Kurosaki Clinic
Captain Hitsugaya had wanted to run after the strangely familiar woman, but he had a feeling that he was the only one who was able to see her. Not even Karin saw that person, he thought. I'm sure, or, at least, Karin acted as if she didn't see anything. Both ways, I don't want her to be involved. Her brother would make me pay, would she be in danger.
"Hey, Toshiro, you look so damn serious. Is there something wrong?"
"No... Not really."
Karin looked at him quizzically.
"I'm just tired", Hitsugaya added indifferently.
"Is it about that woman?"
Hitsugaya's heart skipped a beat. Karin continued curiously, "Was she a Shinigami? However, she didn't wear a black kimono... I mean, her kimono was pure white."
"..."
"And she looks incredibly like you, Toshiro. Do you know her?"
"Karin."
Hitsugaya's sudden serious expression made her shiver.
"Yeah?"
"Promise me that you won't tell your brother, or anyone else, about this."
"I see. So it's a secret?"
"I would also like to tell you to forget about this, but you won't. Am I wrong?"
"Nope, not at all. You're right."
Captain Hitsugaya sighed. She is just like her brother. Now that she is involved in this, I must make sure that she is safe.
Karin asked again, "So, do you know that person?"
"No, I don't, but I have a bad feeling about this."
Ukitake's memory
They were sitting on the marble bridge across the koi pond. The girl suddenly turned to the black-haired Ukitake. Her reached for his arm. Her head lay on his shoulder.
"It 's so good to be with you, Ukitake-kun."
He gave an awkward smile. The girl suddenly became serious.
"There is something that I need to tell", she added.
"Hmmm..."
"I've been assigned a mission in the Real World. It's going to take a few months."
The young Ukitake's eyes were wide open, then he mentally sighed.
"I'll be waiting for you, then", he whispered.
The girl smiled. "Of course."
Ukitake woke from his thoughts when he sensed the unknown reiatsu.
"Kyouraku!"
"Yes, I know. (He smirked.) So it was easy to find them after all."
The captains put their hands on their zanpakuto's hilts. A growling sound came from behind the bushes in the street where they were. Suddenly, a black wolf jumped out. From every perspective, it looked like an ordinary animal, except that there was a strong concentration of reiatsu coming from the wolf.
"This is?" Ukitake asked, not expecting any answer.
Snarling, the creature ran toward the captains.