CHAPTER 66: CHOICES

Hitsugaya heaved a sigh of relief, putting aside the paperwork that needed to be completed for the day. He lay back on his chair and closed his eyes, still unable to process the way things had been for the past two weeks. Though it was a miracle that she had survived her own kidou, the fact that she had shown no signs of waking up in the past two weeks made the situation appear bleak. Even Captain Unohana had warned him that her chances of coming to were almost zero at this point, and that Tayomi's health had been deteriorating with each day. He was just about to fall asleep when he heard the sound of his office door being thrown open, causing him to jump to his feet.

"Matsumoto! What the-"

"TAICHO! PLEASE COME TO THE FIFTH DIVISION'S BARRACKS NOW!"

"NO, YOU CAN'T DO THAT! STEP AWAY FROM THE DOOR AT ONCE!"

Hinamori shouted, her arms stretched across the doors leading to Tayomi's quarters. The other members of the Fifth Division looked horrified as well, stunned and unable to react to what was going on in front of them. Members of the First Division had entered the division barracks, requesting to clear out Tayomi's belongings. Most of the members of the Fifth Division had never seen their Vice-Captain so furious before.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE TOUCHING ANYTHING THAT BELONGS TO MY CAPTAIN!"

"Vice-Captain Hinamori, the Captain-Commander himself has heard that it is very unlikely that Captain Tayomi will be able to come to… And given that she has contributed so much in defeating Aizen, he has requested that we prepare for her to be given a proper military funeral…"

"MY CAPTAIN ISN'T DEAD YET, AND EVEN IF SHE WAS, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE DOING THIS!"

"That's right."

The members of the First Division turned around instantly, only to come face to face with Hitsugaya and Matsumoto. Hitsugaya stepped towards them, his hand gripping the hilt of his zanpakutou.

"As long as she is alive, there's no need to prepare for a funeral."

"But, Hitsugaya Taicho…"

"Should anything happen to her, I will make the necessary arrangements on my own. Please relay that message to the Captain-Commander."

Slowly, he unsheathed his zanpakutou, pointing it at the First Division members.

"And if you mention the word 'funeral' to me ever again, I will refuse the offer to be the next Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 and kill you in my capacity as her fiancé."

He stepped into the vacant office, where she once used to work. Her desk was still as neat as ever, just like it had been ever since they left for the World of the Living. He opened the bottom drawer and pulled out the photo album kept hidden in it, gingerly opening it to reveal all the photos of them ever since the day they met.

"Ooh Taicho, is that you when you were in school with Tayomi-chan?"

Matsumoto turned up behind him, peeping at the photo album with a playful grin on her face.

"Matsumoto! You're still around?"

"Of course I am, Taicho! Oh Taicho, both of you were so tiny here!"

"SHUT UP! It's not like you've never seen me when I was this age before!"

"Yeah, but still! You've grown so much since then Taicho! I feel so proud just being part of your growth, it's like watching your child go through puberty without the growth spurt…"

"MATSUMOTO!"

Tayomi slowly treaded along an empty pathway, her physical body limp and listless, yet somehow she had managed to muster up enough energy to get up and walk. Lightning streaked across the darkened sky relentlessly, and the thunder that followed roared across the vicinity, causing even the ground to tremble. All of a sudden, black water rushed into the area from all directions, the rampant waves headed straight for her. Summoning any energy she had left, Tayomi jumped up, just in time to avoid being crushed by the impact of the water.

"So this is when Inazuma Kaze changes her mood huh…" Tayomi muttered to herself.

"Tayomi."

Tayomi spun around, coming face to face with her own zanpakutou, Inazuma Kaze. Her appearance had not changed much, aside from the fact that her hair was now slightly longer. But Tayomi recognised this version of her zanpakutou's spirit. It wasn't the normal Inazuma Kaze, it was her dark side.

"I thought you only come out when it's raining outside… But I'm quite sure it's not raining in Soul Society…" Tayomi mumbled.

"Most of the time, yes. But not in today's case. Apparently, your Captain-Commander is already mobilising his members to prepare for your funeral."

"What?"

Tayomi's eyes widened in shock. She wasn't dead yet, she was just asleep, too exhausted and drained to open her eyes. Yet, was she already dead in her colleagues' eyes?

"The spell should have killed you. Maybe it would've been better if it did."

"WHAT?" Tayomi shouted. "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?"

"You've had such a painful life, after all."

"NO! STOP IT! STOP HITTING HIM!"

Tayomi watched helplessly as the gangsters in her village pounded away at her elder brother, killing him before her very eyes. Her brother's eyes were completely listless as blood poured from his mouth and his wounds, leaving him covered with bruises and bloodstains. One of the gangsters held her brother's head in his hand and smashed it against the wall, just to ensure that his breath had stopped. Tayomi held her breath as they slowly approached her, with sinister smiles wiped all over their faces.

"Now… Where were we, little girl? I believe we weren't done checking you… Even though we're quite sure you'll fetch us a high price in the slave trade…"

Tayomi recalled that moment. The devastation from watching her only family die in front of her. The disgust she felt as the leader of the gangsters ran his filthy hands down her arm. The hopelessness that overwhelmed her. But all of that changed in the next instant, a change that came at the right moment.

"I would have had a painful life. But I was saved in time."

Tayomi could feel herself being overcome with so many emotions in the same moment. Her brother's death made her upset, yet angry. Her supposed fate made her feel resignation, yet she didn't want things to end that way. She needed to save herself somehow. Her brother died saving her, and she didn't feel like simply letting things be.

"Let go of me."

Before she knew it, the sky had turned from blue to black in a split second and lightning began to strike the area around her, causing most of the gangsters to jump back in fear, except for the leader.

"No way. I'm not done with you yet!"

He grabbed her by the arm and tried to drag her along with him, causing Tayomi to resist. But he was much bigger and stronger than she was, and he just did not seem to be loosening his grip on her.

"Looks like we've found our culprit. Put them under arrest!"

A man with long white hair, dressed in black robes and a white haori appeared on the scene, ordering his subordinates to capture the gangsters. One of them went over to check on her brother, seeing if he could be saved. The man captured the leader of the gangsters in less than a second, prying Tayomi's hand away and incapacitating the leader. After the group of gangsters were rounded up and his subordinates brought them away, the man turned to Tayomi.

"Are you alright?"

Tayomi nodded.

"That lightning… That was you, wasn't it?"

Tayomi was stunned at this point, still digesting the events that had unfolded. What was that lightning? Was it really her, who did that?

"It was you, I can sense it. It's so rare for a child your age to wield such a great amount of spiritual pressure."

He put a hand on her head and smiled at her kindly.

"My name is Juushiro Ukitake, I'm the Captain of the Thirteenth Division, from the Gotei 13. I'm sorry we were unable to save your brother."

"It's okay…" Tayomi shook her head. "I just hope those who hurt him get the punishment they deserve… And that those children who disappeared before me will be saved like I was today."

"We will definitely save the other children, but I'd like to talk about you…" Ukitake spoke. "Do you want to become a Shinigami? You possess an unusually high amount of spiritual pressure… And I think it would be good for you to learn how to control your powers as soon as possible."

He smiled.

"I sense kindness in your heart… And maybe once you learn to utilise your powers, you can be the one who saves others as well."

"Sure, I've been through a lot. But, I think I've been quite fortunate too. That's why to a certain extent, I was alright with dying for the sake of Soul Society, as a Captain of the Gotei 13. Because my job is to protect others… And save them when needed."

"Well then," Inazuma Kaze chuckled. "Show me that you're ready to wake up from your slumber."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I originally wanted to write a short side-story about Tayomi's past, since at this point we know most of the Captains' backstories expect for Tayomi. But I decided to incorporate it here since it was quite appropriate? Plus I've never actually explained Ukitake's relationship with her properly, besides mentioning that he was the one who found her in Rukongai in Chapter 16 :)

Next chapter, Tayomi will fight with the Drowning Inazuma Kaze and Hitsugaya will step in!

Thank you for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it and that you've liked the story so far :) Thank you for sticking around and do leave any feedback if you'd like :) Thank you for reading and do stay tuned!