Christmas Nightmare
~Saving Christmas~
What he was feeling to say the least was rather hard to describe, as he had problems moving his body. This could have been due to the dull ache that ran through his limps and head, or due to the lack of energy that he felt running through his body. An attempt to roll over, was completely stiff, and resulted in no results towards the goal at mind, getting up.
He wondered where he was, and found himself able to flex his fingers and felt that the ground was soft and easily filtered through his fingers. The ground was granular like sand… perhaps it even was sand, though how he had gotten from a city, to a place that could likely only be found in nature was beyond his mind, not to mention why someone hadn't yet come and get him from where he was.
Forcing his eyes open was also a task in itself, as they didn't at all wish to cooperate. They felt heavy, and he would get them part way open, or so his mind thought, and they would close again. This was because he remembered dreams where he thought he was waking up, but he really wasn't. He however, had an odd feeling, yet it wasn't a kind of feeling where he felt that his life was in danger, and he almost felt comfortable staying as he was.
However, it wasn't his personality to sit around doing nothing, so eventually he was able to force his eyes open, only to see a violet sky, that was vividly bright, yet dim at the same time. There were also white clouds tinged with a blue color, floating above his head, and he didn't remember this being where he had been before at all.
He still was struggling to sit up, or move the rest of his body. One part of him told him to give up and rest awhile, but the other part, the part that he tended to listen to, wished to push forward, no matter what happened, with the idea that giving up so easily was not an option. Though truthfully, he wasn't really giving, up, just dealing with the facts his body had laid out for him.
"I am not feeling well," the small taicho stated to no one in particular. The only possible one that he thought was near enough to respond to what he had said was Hyorinmaru, yet the dragon didn't speak up, not to lecture, or even point out that the white haired boy almost never admitted when he was more ill than he liked.
"Well, isn't that rather obvious Shiro-chan?" came someone else's voice, distant in memory, but still all too familiar to the small boy. The white haired taicho somehow managed to raise his right hand to be in front of his face, where it showed five fingers, then ten, then five again. He then turned towards the direction that he had heard the man call from, his eyes narrowing somewhat.
The man was dressed in the usual black shingami robes, however, the crazy old man had found the need to add a little bit of what Toshiro deemed had to be Christmas cheer to his uniform. The man trimmed the hem with white fur, and added sprigs of leaves and red berries to his uniform, not to mention his sash and haori were red and green colored.
Toshiro let out a sigh at this, rather annoyed. "I have got to be dreaming…"
Isshin tilted his head from where he stood on the sand dune, and shook his head, giving Toshiro an odd look, asking why he would say such a thing, when it shouldn't possibly be true. Then again, sometimes when one dreamed, oneself liked to trick themselves that they weren't dreaming, and this was likely the case. "Now why would you say that Shiro-chan?"
"There is no way in hell that Yamamoto would let you get away with your uniform like that… I mean, that goes beyond anything anyone else has done," Hitsugaya mumbled, rather irritated with the whole situation, as he had gotten a whole lot more than what he had bargained for when he came on the mission that the old general had assigned to him. Why he had to go it alone, he now definitely had no clue.
"Ahh… but Shiro-chan," Isshin stated, using that dreadful nickname. Of course, this had been one of the few people who had gotten away with calling him that, due to his seniority in many areas... among other things. A lot of that was gone now, or so it seemed. "Kyoraku wears a kimono with his. Kenpachi's haori is torn. That weird scientist dude wears makeup…"
"You're the one who's always gone overboard… and its Hitsugaya Taicho now… the small boy stated, finally finding the strength to be able to sit up. He rubbed his eyes, attempting to make the slight ache to go away. His former taicho was still as troublesome as always, and the next statement out of his mouth only served to prove the whole matter.
"Not for this special mission that we just so happen to be assigned too!" Isshin stated, a huge smirk on his face. "It is of the most upmost importance to work together, just like the good old days, when we made a good team. Too bad Ran-chan isn't here to help, because that would make things even more fun.
"Hell, as if it would," the small taicho muttered, thinking of the two of them drinking, and feeding off each other, something he most definitely didn't need. His throat was dry, so he reached up to rub it, only to have his eyes go wide, as he felt his old lieutenants badge there. He quickly felt his shoulders for his haori. "Nani! This most definitely is a dream… isn't it?"
"Not sure what you are talking about," the old man sighed, shrugging his shoulders. Even Isshin wouldn't have been rude enough to have forced the uniform change on the small taicho, making it so that the small boy had a better idea of where he was… or wasn't, in the scheme of things. Suddenly, he shunpooed over to the small boy and offered him a hand up. "Don't you want to know what the mission is?"
"I know this is a dream because I left my lieutenants badge where it has been for the last twenty years… in my desk drawer… baka… you should know, if you were the real Isshin," the boy sighed, accepting the hand to help get him on his feet.
"I still don't know what you're talking about. You sure you don't want to know what our mission is?" Isshin smiled, that stupid, corny smile of his, when everyone knew not to take him seriously, or that one had to prod him to get him to act seriously.
"Fine, go ahead and tell me what the stupid dream or not real mission is," Toshiro stated, wobbling on his legs as he dusted his clothes off, and rolled his eyes at the idiocracy of the whole matter.
"We're going to go and rescue Santa Clause! "Isshin blurted out, his voice filled with such glee that meant that he was enjoying acting like a complete fool. Not only did Hitsugaya's face twist is surprise and shock, he ended up falling onto his bottom, and needing another hand up. It was going to be a very long, and awkward dream and he hoped they wouldn't get so far as having to meet an imaginary person.
Isshin helped him up again, and then had the nerve to state. "Now won't it be fun, me and son… having a great adv…", only to find a knee in his groin. "Owe!"
"What the fuck! Don't you dare play these kinds of jokes on me, you sick old man bastard!" The small taicho was livid, due to Isshin suggesting one of the most childish, and most unbelievable things he could ever imagine. However, another piece of proof, that this was all just a dream occurred, as a small bar of soap was in his mouth, causing him to have to spit it out. "Bleehh!"
"Shiro-chan!" The old ex-taicho's aura suddenly turned dark, causing the boy to shrink back, remembering that Isshin could also have a temper on him at times. "I've told you many timed, not to go and say bad words!"
"Well… still! Do you expect me to believe in Santa Clause!" the small white haired boy stated, still shrinking back, but his irritation over the whole matter still evident. It was a complete and utter nightmare. Sure, someone like Yachiru might think of it as a dream come true, but he most definitely didn't .
He continued, emphasizing the fact that the terrain was off. "This whole place! I may not know anything about Christmas, and all the childishness that goes along with the stupid holiday, but I do know this isn't real, and the fact that he is in the Arctic, which is made up of snow, not sand! I've had enough times having Yachiru asking me to take her there every year because I have an ice zampaktuo…"
"But would this be what snow would feel life if it wasn't cold, and wet?" Isshin smiled at the small boy, making completely no sense at all.
Except that in real life, that wouldn't work…" the boy muttered, still glaring at the man. "Seriously… that is just one more thing that proves the whole thing is a dream. Hyorinmaru… hurry up and wake me up already! This isn't funny!"
"He can't, because you aren't in a dream, Isshin smiled, making Toshiro hope that this was one of those dreams… no, nightmares that made it so that it definitely tried to make you think this was reality. Toshiro made to get going in the opposite direction of the man, yet his legs didn't move as well as he wanted them too.
This allowed Isshin to grab him by the sleeve and begin to drag him through the sand dunes, going wherever they were going. Toshiro really had no clue, nor did he really care, just so long as he could eventually wake up. He was seriously glad that this wasn't real, as he happened to not want anyone he knew to see him being treated like a child, or even acting like a child. "Oh… and you are a child, Shiro-chan…"
This statement, which came from his psyche reading his ego, suddenly caused his eyebrow to twitch. He had the idea that his mind was trying to make him go insane, trying to make him break down, yet he was far from letting this happen. When his taicho had been around, he might have actually lost his temper at him, but he made the decision not to, at least for now.
Thus, he followed the man along, Isshin pulling him by the sleeve, the white haired boy following behind him, through a span of nothingness… a desert of what Hitsugaya was thinking of as fake snow. This made him wish for his inner world, where he at least felt safe, and his dragon protected him from the cold, not to mention, he could have what he considered a decent conversation.
Suddenly, Isshin cried out, pointing off to something that they had come upon. "Look, a Christmas tree with an angel on top!"
Toshiro narrowed his eyes, and saw a familiar strawberry headed female sitting on top of a column., wearing a silky dress that was a tad frilly. And no, it wasn't Matsumoto but Inoue-san. She had one of those huge smiles on her face. While Toshiro could say that her dress was angel like there were some problems that he indeed happen to see, regarding what his former taicho had said. "Hello Toshiro-kun and funny goat beard man!"
"First off… that isn't a tree taicho… and as I recall something Matsumoto telling me… it is supposed to be decorated with some sort of lights… these long ones that are pointed on each end… she likes to decorate the office with them, though… so I know at least what they look like," the boy muttered.
At this statement from him, the column remained there, but it was suddenly entwined with lights. Orihime clapped her hands together. "Now isn't that better?"
"Look Shiro-chan! The tree now has lights!" his former taicho laughed insanely.
"That isn't a tree baka!" Toshiro snapped out loud. "That was the second thing that I have a problem with, and the third is that if she's an angel, where are her wings?"
At that, Orihime hopped down and turned around, pointing at the middle of her back and pouting. There were to really small, stubby wings, sticking out from the middle of her back. "I am an angel without wings… until I help someone on some really big mission, I can't get my wings. Unfortunately for myself, I am not able to fight, like the other angels… so I am practically useless…"
As the orange haired girl turned back around and laughed at them in her usual manner, possibly knowing that she looked like a dork, Isshin spoke up. "How would you like to help us on our mission! We are saving Santa Clause!"
"Ehh! Santy!" Orihime clapped her hands together in glee. "Of course I would like to help you rescue Santa Clause."
"Hold it! Don't both of you know that he's not real?" Toshiro asked, giving them a look that said that he completely couldn't believe that they might actually say the opposite. Even his tone reflected this.
"Ehh! Of course Santa is real!" Orihime pouted, suddenly wrapping Toshiro in her arms. "Why wouldn't a cute little kid like you not believe in him! Don't you get Christmas presents every year."
"That isn't proof!" the small taicho wiggled out of her grip, aggravated at being touched.
"Toshiro… he's real… that's why we are going on a mission to save him!" Isshin stated firmly, as if what he said would actually make sense in the long run. The small taicho opened his mouth to argue, but realized that out of all the people he knew, these to actually might believe in the old man up north.
M
Gin sat in the corner of the room, watching carefully, half sulking, and not speaking even to Isshin. While the truth had been spilled out to the two older men, things practically remained the same as they had been before, Gin distancing himself from the boy, pretending that there was no connection between him and the boy.
Urahara had demanded that Gin hand over his zampaktuo though, before he even went to draw the blood from the small boy's arm. He had been quite clear, that while those in Soul Society that found it apt to leave it with him with his powers sealed, there was the fact that Urahara was not of the same mindset, even after finding out why the man had done what he had. He also had the problem with the fact that Gin's powers were now unsealed.
The man had the tendency to keep the same attitude about him, until something startled him enough, and the peppermint hat man's sudden proposal, or more of demand, hand caused him to flinch, and that smirk to suddenly turn upside down, and… perhaps a little more normal, but really, Urahara doubted that it ever would look normal.
No symptoms were present that something had gotten into the blood stream of the small taicho, but then the events had been only a few short minutes ago, and there was the fact that some symptoms would take longer, Urahara had no problem with getting the equipment to withdraw the blood from the small boys arm.
And that was one of the few other times that Gin's expression changed. His aura had grown… not so much as dark, but more of a grey dim as he watched the small amount of blood being withdrawn from the small boy's arm. When Urahara was finished, the atmosphere turned to normal, and the shopkeeper took his leave, scribbling a note for Tessai up at the front of the store to let him know what was going on.
Isshin sat next to the small boy, who was under the covers of the futon, down to the undermost part of his uniform, the under kimono. His eyes were closed, his face tensed up and his small chest rising and falling in a rhythmic movement. However, this was one of the first signs, about half an hour later, that showed that something was wrong.
His breathing became a little bit hagridden, and he broke out into a cold sweat, as his body tried to fight off whatever was causing the problems in his body. Isshin couldn't be sure if the ivy had something in it, and he also couldn't be sure if it was because the boy's spiritual power was heavily lowered. That, or a combination of both.
Suddenly, the small boy's body began to twitch, and Gin nearly jumped out of his skin. "Ne… is he going to be all right…"
"Unless the twitching gets violent, I'll be right in assuming that he is simply having a nightmare," Isshin sighed. However, Urahara came into the room, a frown on his face.
"Yes… it is likely that he is having a nightmare… but the question of how the nightmare will affect him depends on how strong that substance that was on the ivy. I confirmed that much with my examination of his blood, there is something there, and the chemistry behind it means that there is slim chance it isn't just a simple dream…"
"Is there something we can do about it, an antidote?" Isshin asked, as Gin fidgeted a little. "I mean, surely you could whip up something."
They could hear the movements of a few others arriving outside, that being the entirety of shop that had preceded to also go out and look for Gin when they had felt the rietsu go off. Luck had been in the favor if the battle that had occurred not lasting very long, but there was also the factor that young Hitsugaya lay in front of them, not like he had been before.
"If I have time, that is the thing… and I haven't analyzed all the properties that the substance has. It will take awhile, and I don't know how mild or strong it is," the man sighed. "Nor do I know how bad the dreams will be, or how psychologically scarring, if at all. I mean, this is Arrancar that we are talking about, Hollows… we really don't know what the full extent is, but I can't hope that it is pretty… or nice…"
"And what do you suggest doing about this?" Isshin sighed, frowning at the man.
"We need to somehow get into Hitsugaya-kun's inner world, which is likely being manipulated to be something else. However, that requires gaining Hyorinmaru's trust, because without it, none of us will be allowed in…"
At this, Isshin suddenly glanced at Gin. "Hey… why don't you go ahead and give it a try. Hyorinmaru let him use you earlier…"
"No… I don't like the idea about imparting myself on him…" Gin muttered, glaring at the ground, his mood darkening.
"Even if it is a means of helping him?" Urahara asked, already knowing the answer that he would get.
Author's note - I know… possibly not what anyone expected… and rather odd.
Challenge Forum – I opened up a forum with writing challenges… if people wish to participate in them. I've kind of kept moving up the dates, due to me not getting a big enough response, but oh well. I'm kinda hoping some other people will throw out some challenges there to. Some are easy, others not…
Writing – I have had the luck of not only not feeling good, but I can tell you, while the chapter is very similar to the first person, it is completely rewritten. Most especially towards the end. It just seemed, not so believable, how I got things together. Took a few tries and is hard to explain really.
