Hiya everyone! Guess what?! I have finished writing chapter 25 of Houkiboshi! Which means I am halfway through! So, to celebrate and because you are all so patient, I am giving you 2 new chapters as a gift! Thanks for reading and staying with me!
Disclaimer: I DO NOOOOT OWN BLEACH!
Chapter 10. How It All Began
Hinamori jolted and swung her head around towards where the noise was coming from.
There was a gray cloud of dust surrounding the corner of a nearby building, and within seconds, the structure fell to the ground. From the midst of the debris, Renji, with his sword drawn, flew down from the collapsing building and landed on the ground below. He gritted his teeth in annoyance of failing to destroy the Dummy.
"Hinamori, it's coming to you!" He called to her.
The girl saw the approaching Hollow and knew that her only option at that angle was Kidou. She quickly placed her hands together and called out. "Way of Destruction No. 31, Shakahou!" A blast of blinding red light flew from her palms and she squeezed her eyes closed from the light.
A thick, gray cloud surrounded her enemy and she thought that she had it. However, when she re-opened them, she only saw that she had just barely missed her target, which was now headed in another direction.
Well, at least it was that direction.
"Kira-kun!" She called to her comrade.
Only seconds after he had been summoned, Izuru had brought down his sword and sliced the Hollow, causing it to explode in another thick cloud of dust. The blonde boy landed neatly as he sheathed his sword. He looked up and smiled with satisfaction as he saw Renji running towards him.
"Kira!" He called as he reached the other boy.
"Abarai-kun!" He was relieved that both of his friends were unhurt and Hinamori jumped down beside them.
"That was unexpectedly simple." Renji concluded.
"It's because of our triple play. If it were solo it wouldn't have gone like that." Izuru told him. But the taller boy just said that it would have been a piece of cake for him even if it had been a real Hollow. Hinamori rolled her eyes and just followed behind the two as they started to head back to where the sensei and other students were waiting.
Suddenly, a strange feeling came over her and she felt a very unusual and intimidating reiatsu. She turned around but then the feeling vanished like a dewdrop in a desert. But she continued to look back, uncertain if she should warn the others or if it was just her imagination.
However, she thought that the fearful sensation in her body told her that there was something there. By now, Kira and Renji had turned around, noticing her absence.
"Oy. Doushita, Hinamori?" Renji spoke to her. At the sound of his voice, Hinamori came back into reality and turned back to them.
"Ah, I-it's n-nothing." She said unsteadily, and she continued walking back with them, an uncomfortable feeling still lingering in the air behind her and following her, telling her that she should have spoken up sooner.
Hisagi tried desperately to make contact with the other sixth round students, but all of his efforts were in vain.
There was no reply, from any of them. Only he and the other two sensei that Hinamori was familiar with were gathered there with the students.
"Something's not right." Hisagi gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "No one from the barrier team is responding." His voice was dark.
Suddenly, before the sensei could ponder about what to do in their situation, a ferocious roar broke out and echoed menacingly throughout the cold, empty town. All present Shinigami whipped around at the sound, only to find the huge, lumbering shadow of a Hollow larger than Hinamori could ever have imagined existed.
She froze completely; her feet were rooted to the spot. Everyone was so utterly shocked at the unexpected appearance of the Hollow that they only snapped back into reality when they heard a scream. Hinamori tried to look away, but fear did not allow her to and forced her to see the limp and bloody figure of Kanisawa senpai fall to the ground. There was then a furious shout from Aoga, but then, the way the Hollow roared, and the students screeched told Hinamori that he too had been killed only seconds later.
"I-It's a…Huge Hollow." Hisagi stammered, drawing his Zanpakutou and staring at the spot where his comrades had stood only seconds before. Then, he remembered just what was happening and that there were students here and that they were all in terrible danger. "Run away, first-years! Run as far as you can!" He shouted at the top of his voice.
They did not need to be told a second time.
The students began to turn and flee; leaving Hisagi to deal with the Hollow by himself. Kira and Renji turned tail and fled as well; Hinamori saw them in the crowd with all of the others out of the corners of her eyes as they all passed her.
But she still could not move. She was totally numb, and no longer had a choice if she wanted to move or not. Her body decided that for her, and did not let her move.
People pushed past her, knocking into her and continued to run, but still she could not take her eyes away from the scene before her, that consisted of the Huge Hollow and only one out of three sixth round students that had brought them there.
Why…She wondered, all of the fear suddenly melted away, and the slightest bit of courage seized the brown-eyed girl. What is everyone running for?
Kira had almost passed her and not noticed her at all, but he stopped dead in his tracks and caused Renji to stop as well.
"What are you doing, Hinamori-kun?!" Izuru shouted to her so that she could hear over the commotion. But Hinamori did not budge. "He told us to run away! The group leader's orders are absolute!" His efforts were in ineffective.
"Demo…" Her chestnut-brown eyes that were filled with fear only moments before were now filled with a burning determination to fight. Her mind told her that it was her turn to show her skills and assist her friends in battle.
Meanwhile, Hisagi was trying to reach Seireitei and call for backup. Suddenly, he was cut off when the Hollow leapt at him with a howl. He drew his Zanpakutou and slashed, blood spattered but it was not enough to slow the beast down. The last of the students had just fled, except for three certain first-years.
"It's useless!" Renji was shouting at Hinamori. "Two sixth rounders got taken out in an instant!" But it seemed as though his warnings only encouraged her, for the fierce willpower that surged throughout her body finally overtook her.
They only realized what she intended to do when she suddenly broke away from them and headed away towards Hisagi.
"HINAMORI!" Renji shouted after her as Izuru gasped in alarm. They shared an uncomfortable glance, but then reluctantly followed after her.
By now, Hisagi had lost quite an amount of blood, but the Hollow was almost untouched. There was blood leaking out over Shuuhei's eyes and it was getting even harder to see his enemy and make a move. He knew that backup would not come in time, and he knew that he was going to die.
"Dammit, I can't…see ahead clearly." He murmured to himself as he stared down at the blood dripping off of his face. This is just like last year. He thought. The ambush…almost all of their students killed…less than 30 had come back…No, not again…not again… His thoughts trailed off and the memories haunted him once again.
He was so lost in the horrible images of the past that he only stood there as the Hollow charged him. He closed his eyes only to wind up re-opening them a few seconds later as he heard the sound of metal clashing and a blood-curdling roar.
He slowly opened his eyes to see three of his first year students standing in front of him, each one blocking off a deadly claw.
"Sumimasen." Apologized the blonde boy. "I know that we're disobeying orders, demo…"
And after that, what happened was all very blurry to Hinamori.
All that she remembered was that as they fought off that one Hollow, and more and more just appeared out of what seemed nowhere. She remembered indescribable fear and terror that froze her heart and numbed her entire body. She recalled her comrades shaking beside her and an outburst from Izuru that he did not want to die, and she knew that she found herself silently agreeing with him. She witnessed the monsters coming forth and only mere feet away from taking all of their lives…until…until…
She saw two men standing in front of them, one with short, smooth, silver hair, and one with brown hair, wearing a taichou's haori. And she remembered, in about a minute, all of the Hollow were dead.
The brown haired taichou had walked over to her, and then she recognized him as the taichou that had come to inspect the Academy earlier. He had walked calmly over to her, and rested his hand on her head, saying that it was all right and that she need not worry anymore. She saw sincerity and caring in his tranquil, brown eyes and she soon felt the numbness fade and leave her body.
And at that very second in time, she knew that she had a goal that she needed to achieve, for she desired to serve him until the day she died.
This man, there was something about him that she could not help but admire, yet she did not know what. She envied the silver haired man that was currently known as his lieutenant.
Hinamori then remembered being taken back to the Academy along with her companions. She remembered saying goodbye to her saviors and thanking them from the bottom of her heart. She remembered wishing her friends and sensei good night as she wearily made her way back to her room.
And there, she remembered seeing the distraught, worried and relieved face of her roommate, who had been frightened sick for her, since she had not returned until about midnight.
And Hinamori remembered as she fell onto her bed and fell unconscious with sleep almost automatically, dreaming of the vow that she made that she would serve under Aizen taichou, until she breathed her last breath.
A/N: Gomen, it kinda skipped around at the end.
Yay! Next chapter starts the songfics! As you may know, all chapters after this one will be songfics except the last one. You can go to my profile or ask me for more info.
Please reivew!!