Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.
Author's Note: OMFG, an early update! I've only posted sixteen chapters for this story and already I have received over TWO HUNDRED REVIEWS!!! Gah, this calls for a big celebration. YAY! *throws confetti into the air* Free HitsuHina cookies for everyone!! Anyway, special thanks goes to my reviewers: The Sweet Peach, MoonLightView, tlg, AznInvasionGirl, Tamashi Aisuto, WhitePrincessOfHope, Supreme cookieeater NANCY, Samantha, i-is-animefreak (x16), Kaye. Shirogane, becomeafan, KnowledgeandImagination, Pieps XD, Neko-cheung, Maya-chan2007. You're all awesome and please continue to support me! Anyway, enough with all the delays, here is chapter seventeen. Enjoy!
LEGEND
"Talking." "Thinking or Dreaming."
The Greatest Treasure
Chapter Seventeen: Decision
She stood in the middle of darkness, looking back and forth in search of something. It is pitch-black with no sign of an exit anywhere. "Is there anyone out there?" she called out. "Please, I'm lost!"
"Momo..."
The princess turned her body to the side. There in the distance, somewhere through that darkness, stood her happiness. "Toshiro."
A smile appeared on her face. Hinamori began running towards him. As long as he is here, there is nothing to worry about. She believed all that; Hitsugaya will always be there. Just as she is about to embrace him with open arms, he suddenly disappeared.
"Where did he go?"
Momo looked around to find herself once again alone in the dark. Wrapping her arms around her body, she began to feel lonely and scared. When she took a step back, she felt something against the back of her heel. Hinamori turned around and gasped. Instantly, she began covering her mouth with both her hands, horrified by the scene before her. Her boyfriend is suddenly lying on the ground, slashed up in different places, leaving a large flow of his blood to drip down his body and staining the floor.
She could feel her body fiercely shaking as her worst fear has become true. He is dead.
"TOSHIRO!!!"
Momo gasped as she quickly sat up from bed. As she is calming down, the princess realized it is all nothing but a dream. However, it doesn't change the fact that the event has already happened even if she is not there. After hearing about it, Hinamori locked herself in her bedroom, refusing to meet up with anyone. All she wants is to be alone; crying her sorrows out for the one she loves. She put her knees up against her chest and buried her face in her arms. She began to cry. "Toshiro...I miss you."
All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. It slowly opened, allowing the happy captain of the Royal Guard to enter her chambers. "Good morning Princess!" Gin greeted. "It's time for you to wake up."
The princess sniffled as she took a glance at the gray haired man and rested her chin on her arms. "I don't want to wake up Ichimaru-taicho," she replied. "Just leave me alone."
Ichimaru walked up to the raven haired girl and said, "I'm afraid I can't let you do that. There's a lot that needs to be done such as...your marriage."
She stopped crying, raised her head up, and then turned to him. "M-Marriage? I'm getting married?"
"Of course you are. You are at the right age."
"Who am I getting married to?"
A grin appeared on his face. "Aizen Sosuke."
Momo suddenly got on her knees and hands. Crawling up to the captain, she asked, "G-General Aizen, why am I getting married to him?"
"What? There's nothing wrong with that." Ichimaru shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, the higher ups from Central Chambers 46 have already agreed with the choice."
Hinamori then sat back down on her bottom and stared down at her hands. "I see."
"Anyway, I'll see you downstairs."
She stood there until he left the room. Once she heard the door close, Momo immediately placed her hands on her face. She wanted to change the law so that they could share a bright future together. However, there is no point in doing so. She lost her boyfriend and now, she's going to move forward in a life without him. "I-I'm sorry...I wasn't strong enough to save you. I'm really sorry, Toshiro."
Aizen and his troops passed through the gate to meet with the people of West Rukongai. "Where is our money?" one of the citizens asked.
"We handed you Aisu no Ryu and the princess," another added. "Where is our fifteen million kan?"
"Hand over the cash now!" a third person demanded.
As people started to get rowdy, Aizen just stood there and grinned. "Sorry for the delay, but first, I would like to thank you all for putting such great effort in capturing them."
"Cut with the crap! I want the money!"
"Me too!" another person yelled out.
Once again, people started getting pushy and noisy. Knowing that they want to receive what they rightfully deserve, the general of the Royal Guard finally said, "Alright then...you can have it."
All of a sudden, lower leveled guards began surrounding the area. They soon drew their weapons. People became intimidated and began stepping back. "W-What is all this?"
"There's only one conclusion..." The people turned to Aizen. "You traitor! You don't intend to give the money at all!"
"You heartless bastard!"
Aizen grinned with amusement as the guards began cutting people down, hearing the sounds of yelling and pleas for help. Suddenly, he is confronted by the money dealer. "Aizen..."
Already, he was inflicted with an injury on his lower abdomen. Placing a hand on his arm wound, the money dealer took a step closer to Aizen. The general turned to him and said, "Well, it seems like you're still alive."
He growled with frustration. "Of course, I won't die by the likes of you. How dare you not hold your part of the agreement."
"Gomen nesai, but you're the one who is at fault."
"Our fault?"
"Yes, it's your own greed that got you to do these things in the first place," he explained. "I just had to tweak things around and voila, I got you to hand over your rebellious leader. That's what you get for giving up your saviour."
"Damn you! Once Aisu no Ryu escapes from jail, he'll avenge us!"
"Hn, what an interesting statement, but that's only if Hitsugaya-kun gets away," Aizen replied, watching his subordinates cut down the money dealer, who screamed with agony and pain. A few moments later, he laid on the ground, lifeless and covered in his pool of blood.
"What are you talking about? He's the notorious thief! He managed to get away with everything whenever he steals valuables from you stinkin' rich people!" a Rukongai resident exclaimed.
"Yeah! Cut with the nonsense!" another shouted.
"It's such a sad story...It's just too bad he's only minutes away from meeting his grave," Aizen said with a grin.
"Hitsugaya..."
"Aisu no Ryu," a citizen replied.
"We're not going to let you get away with it!" one person yelled.
"Yeah! You'll never win Aizen!"
As screams and cries continued to echo in the background, Aizen drew his sword from its sheath. With the entertainment still going on, he decided to join in on the fun. "Too bad, it's already too late to save him and yourselves. Sayonara..."
After leaving things to his guards to look after the princess, Gin arrived at his next destination to see everything has been already set up. There is not much time left until the execution takes place. He walked up the platform and checked the tightness of the loop rope with his bare hands. "Ichimaru-taicho!"
Before turning his attention to one of his subordinates, he did one last tug at the rope and let go of it. "Alright then everyone, it's time to pick him up."
"Yes sir!" they replied.
He watched the guards leave his presence and headed straight for the prison where Aisu no Ryu is locked up in. With a grin on his face, the gray haired captain began leaving the premises and headed back to check up on the Princess of Seireitei inside the Hinamori Palace. "Let's see if you can escape from death, Hitsugaya-kun..."
Hearing the sound of opening doors, Jidanbo raised his head up and turned to the side. A pair of guards have entered the room. "Guards from the Royal Guard, what are they doing here?" he wondered.
Walking up to the chained up thief, they stood in front of him. Sensing their presence, he opened his emerald-teal eyes and slowly raised his head up. "It's time for your execution," one of them said.
Hitsugaya then tilted his head forward. "In the end, I couldn't do anything to get out of here. I am too drained from hunger and the injuries from the previous battle. Shit..."
A guard got down to his knees and attached a neck handcuff and chain on him. The thief didn't resist as they freed his arms from the wall. They handcuffed him again with his arms on his back. One of the guards took hold of the chain. He began pulling it, forcing the teenager to stand up on his feet. However, Hitsugaya fell back down to his knees and began to cough, seeking air to breathe through his lungs. "Stand up you little brat!"
Toshiro slowly looked up to see him yelling while the other took out a long whip. Grinding his teeth together, Hitsugaya lowered his head again and began to brace himself. The guard began whip lashing on different parts on his body. Jidanbo, who has been watching the whole time, froze with horror.
It went on for several minutes as the young thief struggled to endure against the assaults. Compared to the mental pain he has experienced in the past, physical pain means nothing to him. Once the lashing ceased, Hitsugaya slowly got back on his feet, feeling a little shaky. Even though he shot a very icy glare at them, it is not going to change a thing. It is evident that is he being treated as trash. "Let's go," the guard said, pulling another tug on the chain causing the prisoner to choke a bit.
Just as the white haired thief walk passed by his companion, he took one glance and revealed a faint smile on the corner of his lips. Without any verbal communication, Jidanbo understood. If Hitsugaya Toshiro is not able to get out of this mess, he will die with great pride and justice. After watching him leave, he offered a silent prayer. "You'll never be forgotten Hitsugaya..."
"Sokyoku Hill, the execution ground where everyone gets murdered for their crimes," the young thief thought as he came across his demise. His eyes narrowed at the method that is going to be used to end his life. "So I'm going to be hanged to death, huh?"
Hitsugaya walked onto the platform and waited. As the executioners are making preparations for the special occasion, Aisu no Ryu scanned the area. There are only low to middle leveled guards around. He thought, "How expected; no one will come and watch me die except for these useless spectators..."
A rope tied up as a lasso is worn around his neck. Once the executioner is done, he walked up to the thief and asked, "Do you have any last words to say?"
The white haired thief suddenly let out a short laugh. With one look at him, he replied, "Isn't that quite interesting? You, an executioner is giving me, Aisu no Ryu, a chance to say my final prayer? You do realize that I might go to heaven if I say it."
"Shut up, do you want this moment or not?"
"Heh, I guess it's because they are feeling sorry for me. I am only fifteen years old," he thought. He tilted his head forward and stared down at the creases on the flooring around him. After a few moments, he looked up into the partially cloudy sky above. He closed his eyes and felt the gentle breeze blow through his hair, skin, and clothes. "Even if I deserved to die, I had a great life. I got to live a decent one with Obaa-san and Matsumoto, got along well with the people of Rukongai...well, even though they betrayed me in the end. But most of all, I found love. I got to experience true happiness with the Princess of Seireitei. I have no regrets..."
Suddenly, he began to laugh out loud. Staring out into the open, he shouted on the top of his lungs, "He won't get what he wants; Aizen Sosuke won't become King. This world won't meet despair! They will live in prosperity! As long as she lives, there is hope. Long live Hinamori Momo, the Princess of Seireitei!"
Hitsugaya continued laugh until tears started appearing in the corner of his eyes. He lowered his head and let out a faint smile. "Thank you to the heavens above for allowing me to live this long..."
The executioner turned away and left the thief to stand alone on the platform.
"Thank you Matsumoto for always watching my back..."
He placed his hand on the handle.
"...and thank you Momo for giving me the greatest happiness I could ever ask for."
Guards quietly watched as Aisu no Ryu's last moments alive are seen. A few of them tilted their heads forward and pay tribute to him while others just watched.
"Once you find out the news, I know I will make you very sad, but no matter what becomes of me, I will always look after you and..."
With a smile appearing on his lips, Toshiro slowly closed his emerald-teal eyes.
"...I will always love you."
The executioner turned the handle.
"Ja ne..."
Seconds later, the platform below him suddenly disappeared...
References
Taicho - Captain, Aisu no Ryu - Ice Dragon. Hitsugaya's codename as the notorious thief, Kan - the Bleach currency used in the anime/manga, Gomen nesai - I'm Sorry, Sayonara - Good Bye (formal), Obaa-san - Grandmother, Ja ne - Good Bye (informal/casual)
Author's Note: *cricket sounds in the silent background* Ahem, what to say...please review? I'm very certain you have something to say about this chapter. Thanks.