Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.
Author's Note: Special thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers: tlg, Maya-chan2007, Pieps XD, KnowledgeandImagination, MoonLightView, Ziya Hitsugaya, The Sweet Peach, BLEACHISAWESOMEANDIMAWESOME XP, AznInvasionGirl, HeavenPheonix561, Supreme cookieeater NANCY, Neko-cheung, becomeafan, divprince, Samantha, applestoapples, athfdrizzle, chococat450, WhitePrincessOfHope. Now that the great battle at the Hinamori Palace is over, it's time to wind things down from all the action and find out what happens in the aftermath. Here is chapter twenty-four. Enjoy!
LEGEND
"Talking." "Thinking."
The Greatest Treasure
Chapter Twenty-Four: To Start Anew
Even though the battle is over, there is still a lot to do. But for now, the four members of the Royal Guard, the Princess of Seireitei, and the two Rukongai Citizens deserve a nice long rest. "Stand still Renji!" Matsumoto complained as the red head winced in pain. "You know I can't bandage you properly if you keep whining like that!"
"It-t-te!" Abarai cried out. "That hurts Rangiku-san! Ouch! The bandage is too tight!"
"Why can't you be like the big guy, Jidanbo?" the female swordsman said. "He's totally stood still when I was bandaging him."
"I think you're doing this on purpose."
After giving him a short look, a grin suddenly appeared on her face. Without any warning, she began tying the bandage tightly together causing the red head to yell in pain. "Now, this is what I call tight."
"It-t-te! Okay! Okay! I got it already!"
"Say sorry Renji!"
"Ouch! Okay, I'm sorry! Now, can you take it easy on me?"
"Now you two," the West Gatekeeper replied, trying to settle them down, "stop complaining. There's no point in starting a fight here."
As the three swordsmen continued to bicker with one another, sitting on the steps together, Momo has just finished doing first aid on Toshiro. "There, that should do the trick!" Hinamori said.
Hitsugaya took a look at the palm of his injured hand and clenched it into a fist. He then let out a sigh of relief, content that the pain he had felt a while ago is fading away. "Thanks..."
She smiled back. "No problem. Hisagi-san managed to get in contact with my doctor. So, she'll be coming over later to do a full inspection of your injuries and properly treat it."
He nodded with agreement. "Okay."
"Hinamori," Hisagi called out. The thief and the princess turned their heads to see the oldest Trio Knight kneeling right next to the dead body of their enemy. "His death is confirmed. The cause of it is a fatal neck breaking from Hitsugaya's grappling hook."
Momo slowly gave him a nod. "Alright then."
Noticing her let out a sigh, Toshiro asked, "Are you alright?"
She then turned to the white haired teenager with her hands put up in mock stance. "Oh, I'm okay!" Hinamori replied. "It-It's just...I still can't believe he's dead and the source of our problems are over."
Hitsugaya then looked down to stare at his hands in front of him. "Yeah, I know; we have prevented a wide scaled catastrophe from happening."
"There are so many things to that needs to be done: the rebuilding of the palace, the clean up of all the dead bodies, informing the people of Seireitei, ah...there's too many to mention!"
Toshiro closed his eyes and smiled. He hooked an arm over the back of her neck and then pulled her close to his side. The two lovers just sat there in that semi-intimate position for a few moments before he said, "Take it one step at a time and before you know it, dealing with all those things won't be such a problem anymore."
She smiled back. "Yeah..."
He opened his eyes and nodded with agreement. "Of course, I'll be there with you every step of the way."
"Arigato Toshiro."
With that said, they began closing the distance between one another in preparation for a kiss. Just as they closed their eyes and get their lips to make contact with one another, a voice suddenly interrupted, "Aw, look at the pretty sight here."
While Hinamori reopened her eyes and glanced to the side, she jumped with surprise. Quickly, she pulled away from her boyfriend, embarrassed by the fact that they were about to share their little moment in the presence of others. On the other hand, Hitsugaya let out a serious glare at the smiling strawberry orange haired woman leaning towards them. Despite being slightly upset, he asked, "What is it Matsumoto?"
Standing upright and placing her hands over her chest, Rangiku replied, "Oh nothing; Whenever you two are together, I just feel butterflies in my stomach. You two are just too cute together."
"W-Wait a minute, so what you said is true Rangiku-san?" Abarai asked, joining in on the conversation.
"Of course Renji! What makes you think I'm joking?"
The red headed knight then turned to the princess. "Hinamori, is it true?"
She could feel her cheeks heat up. Momo slowly nodded with agreement. "Yeah, Toshiro and I are...dating right now."
"I-I see..."
Hinamori blinked. "Is there something wrong with that?"
"Ah no, there's nothing wrong with your decision. I-It's just...what if the members of Central Chambers 46 find out about this?" Hisagi asked after he joined the conversation with the others. "They'll for sure do whatever it takes to ensure that the both of you are separated because he is not from the royal or the wealthy families."
Momo then lowered her head and began staring down at her feet.
He then turned to the white haired thief. "Sorry Hitsugaya..."
Toshiro knew it is too good to be true. Even though he's now a hero, rules still apply. It will take a while before they can truly be together. Before the white haired thief could answer, another voice interrupted, "Well, they don't have to worry about such small matters anymore."
Heads turned to see Ichimaru and Kira entering the throne room. "What do you mean?" Renji asked.
"We went to find where the judicial members of Central Chambers 46 are," Kira explained. "By the time we found them, they were all murdered."
"Murdered?" Matsumoto asked.
"What they are?"
"No way," Momo said with disbelief. "What happened?"
"Aizen has murdered every single one of them," Ichimaru answered.
Suddenly, people began staring at the Captain of the Royal Guard. "Are you sure it isn't you who did that?" Renji asked.
He then raised his hands in mock stance. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I didn't do it. Judging from the blood and the rigor mortis, the estimated time of death is around 64 hours ago."
"Three days ago?" Hisagi asked.
"During that time, Ichimaru was fighting against me in West Rukongai," Toshiro replied.
"That's right; I'm glad you remembered that detail," Ichimaru said. "You're such a smart boy."
Hitsugaya just hissed between his teeth and turned his head away. "Uruse..."
"Now that's unfortunate," Renji said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"That's not the only thing," Ichimaru added. "Aizen has also caused quite the disaster in West Rukongai."
Toshiro, Rangiku, and Momo suddenly became high alert. "What did Aizen do over there?" Matsumoto asked.
"Murdered the people and destroyed the houses."
The Princess of Seireitei placed a hand over her mouth. "Oh no..."
"Are there any survivors?" Hitsugaya suddenly asked.
"Yeah, there are," Kira replied.
The white haired teenager then left his seat and then headed towards the door. "Where are you going?" Hisagi asked.
He stopped and glanced back. Toshiro replied, "I'm going to see them."
"Even after they betrayed you and turned you in, you still want to help?" Renji questioned.
"I know what they did made me lose their trust, but they're still the people I grew up with."
"Aw, how kind..." Ichimaru said.
Matsumoto folded her arms and smiled. "That's why he's a likable person," she replied, "when he doesn't act like a serious brat."
"I'm still in this room Matsumoto," Hitsugaya retorted. "Are you coming or not?"
The strawberry orange haired woman then turned to the princess. "What about you Hinamori?"
Momo smiled and then stood up. "I'll come too after I change my clothes."
"Hinamori-kun, let us escort you there," Kira suggested.
"Daijobou, I trust Rangiku-san and Toshiro to look after me," the princess replied. "Besides, the rest of you still need to deal with your subordinates."
The Trio Knights looked at one another while their captain merely smiled. "Let the princess do whatever she wants," Ichimaru suggested. "Not only she is in good care, but Hinamori-chan cares for the people in Rukongai after living there for a while."
"Ichimaru-taicho..."
"As for us, we'll be busy."
"Busy keeping our eyes on him," Renji added.
"Now, that's mean..."
With a nod of agreement, she and Matsumoto caught up with Toshiro, who patiently waited. The Princess of Seireitei extended an arm up and said, "We'll see you later!"
"Have a safe trip Hinamori-kun!" Kira said.
"Hitsugaya!" Jidanbo called out. "What abou--"
"Just worry about resting," Hitsugaya said. "It's not like we're going to have any trouble passing through the gate anymore."
"I see."
Matsumoto smiled. "What he says; we're not saps. We're lean mean Rukongai people who kicked ass in the final showdown against Aizen!"
The white haired teenager gave the strawberry orange haired woman a stern look. He retorted, "You didn't even get the chance to fight against that dead bastard. So, you don't even have a right to say such things."
"Aw, can't you let a woman dream for a while?" she asked.
"No."
"Meanie!"
"Shut up and let's get going."
She folded her arms over her chest and then pouted. "Yes, whatever you say Mr. Sourpuss."
"MATSUMOTO!" Hitsugaya yelled as Hinamori just sighed with defeat. Things has not changed one bit between these two friends despite all the events that has happened over the past few hours.
Rukongai survivors, who have managed to live through the harsh after battle against the Royal Guard, have been struggling to stay alive. Life without Aisu no Ryu, they have been living in fear. The Royal Guard from the Hinamori Palace may return once more to cause more suffering. Suddenly, they saw the Western Gate open. Immediately, people hid in their shelters and peeked to see who has intruded their land. "I can't believe it! This place is just what Ichimaru-taicho has described to us."
"Yeah, Aizen has done a great job turning this place into a ruined town. Ew, I can already smell the decay from the many dead bodies lying around!"
"It sounds like Rangiku," one of the citizens said.
"Wait, isn't she captured by the Royal Guard?" another person asked.
"That's not all," a third one replied. "It seems like Toshiro is with her too."
"Toshiro?!"
Confirming that one of the three people is their savior, Aisu no Ryu also known as Hitsugaya Toshiro, citizens started to creep out of their hiding spots and reveal their presence. The princess, the busty woman, and the thief stopped and watched the worried expressions on their faces. Momo took a glance at Toshiro. Judging by the serious look on his face, she wondered what he is currently thinking. It is obvious that he has been hurt by their actions. After all his efforts to make their lives better, he almost got executed for being turned in for ten million kan. "Y-You're alive Hitsugaya," one of the Rukongai people said.
"We're so glad you're alright."
"Sure, you're only saying that because you feel guilty over handing me over to the Royal Guard," Hitsugaya finally said, folding his arms over his chest. "You never got your money at all, didn't you?"
A few people lowered their heads while others turned away. Feeling sympathetic, Matsumoto whispered into the thief's ear. "Give them some slack Hitsugaya," she suggested. "They're really sorry for betraying you. Besides, not all of them are totally involved in the whole incident. Think about the innocent children."
"No, we didn't...and it cost most people their lives," one of them explained. "We're sorry for what we have done. We'll make it up to you."
The white haired thief let out a sigh and then turned to Momo for a few moments. Resuming his attention to the citizens, he said, "Just to let you know, I have already forgiven you. I'm not really the type of person who hold grudges against others when bad stuff happens to me. However, you must apologize to Matsumoto, who has no previous involvement to the whole situation and Mom--I mean Hinamori-hime, for using her for your own selfish ambitions."
"Okay, we're sorry...but you're no better Toshiro," another Rukongai citizen said. "You knew the princess' whereabouts the whole time."
"I-I have my own reasons for lying to everyone! It's for her safety!" Hitsugaya exclaimed.
"Toshiro is right," Momo replied. Heads turned to the princess including the young thief. "To be honest, I wasn't really aware of the dark ambitions that have been going on in Seireitei. General Aizen of the Royal Guard wanted to take over my family throne and gain power over the kingdom. It was a pure coincidence that I was taken away from home. So, he used this chance to use Aisu no Ryu as his scapegoat. I'm pretty certain that the money dealer also has something to do with this whole situation too, but I don't want to get into anymore details. The reason that I came along with Toshiro and Rangiku-san is because I want to help everyone rebuild this town once more. Of course, that means I'll be working extra hard to fix matters on the other side of the gate, but don't worry...I'll do my best."
"There is no need to worry everyone," Matsumoto said. "Princess Hinamori means well. You just have to trust her."
People looked at one another, uncertain whether to trust the young princess. Hitsugaya suddenly said, "Never mind that for a moment, she'll prove to you that she is capable of looking after you people. To start things off, let's recover all the dead bodies and bury them. We don't want anyone catching any infectious diseases around here."
With Hitsugaya moving into one of the houses and starting the exclusive clean up operation, residents began to follow his lead. "He never cease to amaze me," Momo said. "Toshiro is quite young yet he's able to do such great things."
Matsumoto nodded with agreement and smiled. "Yeah, he is..."
"Maybe those are one of the main reasons why I have gotten to love him in the first place."
"You're probably right Hinamori."
The princess smiled. "Well, I better catch up with him and see what is going on."
"Hai, I'll be checking the houses for more survivors."
"Alright." Momo caught up with her boyfriend and noticed he is looking down at a particular body. "What's wrong?"
"He's dead," Hitsugaya stated. "The money dealer died..."
"Oh..."
He then folded his arms over his chest and turned his body away. "He deserved that. For the longest time, that bastard has been urging me to hand you over for money. I knew he was a shady figure from the start."
"There's no use worry about that anymore Toshiro," Hinamori reassured him. "There is no use reminiscing over it. We have to move forward."
He let out a sigh of defeat. "I suppose you're right."
After gathering up a few bodies and burying them in nearby grave sites, the thief and the princess went through a few houses until they stopped by at the bar. When they went inside, the place has turned into a wreck. Broken tables, chairs, sake bottles, and glassware are scattered on the floor along with several dead bodies of people. Checking the back room, Toshiro ended up recovering all the valuable items he traded with the deceased money dealer except for one. Picking it up from the ground, he turned to Hinamori. "I'm sorry Momo for stealing the young maiden. I wish I could return it, but I found it like this," he apologized.
Looking down at her mother's treasure, she let out a faint smile. Raising her head up to look at Toshiro, Momo replied, "Don't be sorry. If it weren't for you stealing it in the first place, I would have never met you."
She then cuddled against the young white haired thief and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Besides, it's only one of the many treasures my parents owned. I'm sure my mother will forgive you."
"...I see."
"Once we're finished burying all the bodies and rebuild Rukongai, we'll return all the valuable items back to their owners, okay?"
Hitsugaya smiled back. "Alright then Momo."
References
Itte - Ouch, Arigato - Thank You, Uruse - Shut Up, Daijobou - It's Alright, Taicho - Captain, Aisu no Ryu - Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename as the notorious thief, Kan - The currency used in the Bleach universe, Hai - Yes
Author's Note: There's one chapter left in the story! Gah, it's finally coming to an end! What will happen to everyone in the final chapter? Well, stay turned and find out! In the meantime, please review! Thanks.