Being engulfed in scorching flames and being burnt alive in the sweltering heat was how it felt like for an average Shinigami in hell but Hitsugaya Momo of the fifth, the emotionless taicho was no ordinary soul.
Apart from being a Shinigami of high caliber, her zanpaktou, Tobiume,' was the manifestation of an elegant phoenix, possessing the flame of resurrection. The ability to consume the ash of the dead and emerge into a new being, igniting the flame of life.
If one possessed the ability to run hastily in a manner so elegant it looked like one was flying gently like a fragile butterfly fluttering from flower to flower. Then the taicho of the fifth was dashing in that manner through the depths of hell, a deadly maze.
Her jet-black ivory hair was tenderly placed in a half-updo with lush locks flowing down her robe.
Eyes, bearing no emotion, she scanned the corners of the fiery dimension. Sweat beading from her forehead, she was just about ready to leave when a high-pitched wail erupted from the abyss.
Her eyes widened and lips gaped, she was startled and her whole body trembled.
'How...'
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'why...'
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'...was that the cry of an infant?,'
her mind wandered.
How could an infant survive the infernal rage of hell and what was it doing in a place meant for wretched creatures and souls filled with hate. How could such a pure thing be cursed to lurk in the pain of eternal suffering?
Concerned, she dashed towards the cry, louder it boomed through the domain as she neared the source of the wailing echoes.
There her eyes set upon the most beautiful sight. A measly baby no smaller than her arm, radiated like gleaming moonlight under the influence of vibrant flames. Her hair bloomed like a white daffodil blooming in crystalline snow.
The taicho, stood there dumbfounded. Why was such a pure being in the most cursed place of all, filled with vile beasts made of ash and the putrid smell of miasma.
The ethereal creature as she called squinted its face while salty tears rolled down its chubby cheeks, traumatized as a large ashy worm of miasma emerged from the ground and charged directly to the creatures forehead, which for some strange reason glowed an odd shade of grey. Resembling the ashes which laid the foundations of fire.
Momo's eyes unconventionally widened for the second time that day as she once again dashed with all her might and swooped the pure child, cradling it in her arms as she tumbled along the rugged rocky terrain.
Shifting her body, she firmly gripped her feet on the ground, one arm clutching rock the other holding the child.
Catching her breath, she stared at the infant, it slowly opened its eyes to reveal dazzling honey brown eyes much like hers.
A small smile tugged at the taichos lips as she finally said,
"Shira...you remind me of someone I hold dear...hair white as snow.'
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250 years ago...
Snow glimmered on the harsh streets of Rukongai.
She still remembers to this day, how he looked the first time she saw him.
The boy rumored to be a curse because of his odd looks and the fact that snow seemingly followed him where ever he set foot. Isolated from society, there he was covered in a pile of snow.
Hair white as the first blankets of snow on a chilly morning, she would have mistaken him for lump of snow if not for those brilliantly emerald eyes that shined like gemstones.
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Returning back to soul society from the infernal dimension, there she stood behind the doors of the first division for the missions report. The reports from Hell were treated with utmost importance as they determined the state of balance between the world of living and the soul society.
The grand doors slowly opened to reveal the sou-taicho, the head captain who sat inside with an unreadable expression.
The taicho of the fifth entered cautiously, not wanting to trip on her haori like she did in the past.
"Come in Momo Hitsugaya of the fifth," Kyoraku sou-taicho said in a deep voice, echoing through the room.
She sat Infront of him staring intently at him with cold eyes despite having a fire-wielding zanpaktou.
A sling tied across her bodice, arose suspicion from the sou-taicho but he chose to address that later, first came the missions report.
"What is the current state of hell and were there any signs of internal peace breaking between the worlds." He inquired
"There wasn't anything too far from the usual, Miasma and Miasmatic beasts were taken off, however..." She bit her lip and clenched her fists as the head captain stared at her perplexed, she had always maintained a poker face, with only the barest hint of emotion at times but now it looked like she was anxious...how strange.
"I-I saw..." she started, lips quivering and irises shaken.
"...an infant in the depths of hell...she looked so innocent."
"She was about to be corrupted by a large worm of miasmatic energy when I scooped her in my arms and saved her from being devoured..." she finished
Before the sou-taicho could continue.
She exclaimed with shimmering eyes and rosy cheeks, "She reminded me greatly of someone dear to me, and...and I don't think she should be left alone...I want to be there for her...If that's acceptable."
Shunsui Kyoraku sat there dumbfounded at the woman in from of him. It had been so long since he had saw any trace of emotion on her fragile porcelain face after great war of Hell and heaven.
After the tragedy that earned her the position of the 5th division captain.
His expression was now soft and he stared at her solemnly, the sling around her probably held the infant.
"Ah so...The baby remined her of her dear shiro-chan, is it?" he thought sorrowfully.
Now, in a soft voice he stated, "As long as it doesn't affect your duties as a captain and...helps you in finding peace...Then it won't be a problem."
Her eyes shined like the brightest star after she heard his words and was about to whisper in gratitude when she was cut off.
"...However, I do have to get the opinions of central 46 since the child was found in hell."
She smiled and uttered, "Thank you sou-taicho, it won't be a problem."
"its Kyoraku."
"Yes sou-taicho, thank you...for everything."
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The matter on whether to allow the fifth to keep the baby was a controversial topic of discussion. Some members thought the idea was heart-warming perfectly embodying the spirit of the fifth division, 'Sacrifice...'
Sacrificing yourself, your time and effort to guide a bud into blossoming.
Others argued, that the child was found in hell, so it must have been evil in its past life, associated with the devil or the guardian of hell itself.
Some agreed to keep the child but experiment on it and see if it had potential powers.
In the end, a mean decision was taken, to keep the child and have regular check ups with members of squad 4 and squad 12 to confirm if it had any association with hell and its potential powers.
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Shira hitsugaya was a she, yes she was a beautiful girl with locks of feather-like white hair and golden-brown cat-eyes eyes. She was a happy little thing yet she preferred to keep herself, never having any friends of her age because of her odd looks and quiet personality. She preferred being with members of the gotei-13 like the calm 10th division vice captain whom she considered an aunt.
Her mother often bought her those big green juicy melons, called watermelons.
They would often eat it during the summer times and it was a tradition to do so every summer.
Curious little shira always wondered why they would eat the fruit every summer instead of her mothers favorite peaches which were in full bloom. She never bought it up until one fateful day where she couldn't resist the urge to ask.
'Mama, Why do we eat watermelons when peaches bloom?'
Hitsugaya-san chuckled and pulled her daughters cheeks, "Because I love watermelons that's why."
"I thought you liked peaches," she questioned confused.
A faraway look masked the previously happy taicho and poor little shira-chan wondered if she had upset her mother.
Her mother suddenly smiled down at her daughter, "It reminds me of someone who looks just like you...your father, Toshiro loved them growing up."
Shira knew from a young age that she never had a father, seeing other children like Ichika with not one but two parents. One female known as a mama and the other a male who was the papa. It was the duty of both the papa and mama to raise a child but she had only one mama who was always with her for now.
She never minded it though, she loved her mama dearly and that was enough, she was content but sometimes she couldn't help but wonder what kind of person her papa was, how did he die, In what way was she like him?
She kept these thoughts to herself in the dead of night not wanting to disclose it with her mama in fear of resurfacing her hidden despair. The despair that was evident in the way she smiled at times.
However, being a curious child, she just had to ask, the temptation was too much, she could no longer hold her questions in.
So she asked hesitantly, "What kind of person was papa like?"
Suddenly her mother burst out laughing, "Oh, he was probably the grumpiest and most stubborn man in the whole wide world." she exclaimed.
"You chose someone like that!?," shira gawked
At the little girls reaction, Hitsugaya-san laughed even harder.
Eventually she stopped chuckling and looked at her daughter with a thoughtful gaze.
"He was the kindest person I had ever met and he had the purest heart, a heart of gold." she admitted before poking her finger to Shiras chest, "He was kind and adorable just like you." she smiled brightly while saying that and looked at shira with a heartfelt expression.
"Will I ever get to meet him?"
"One day, you will definitely meet him but that time will come way, way later." Momo replied while tickling little shira.
That's when Shira Hitsugaya learnt about her parents.
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Two members of the fourth division helped the battle-injured fuku-taicho of the fifth, Momo hitsugaya to walk from the battle scene. She resisted and tried to break free from their grasp despite their concerns and urges on staying put.
After a while of her battered body squirming in their grip desperately, she succeeded and shunpoed to the area where Toshiro Hitsugaya, captain of the tenth was fighting a deadly battle with the Overlord of hell.
Her legs gave out and while trying to regain strength, she felt his spiritual pressure dwindle down to nothing. shocked, lips parted, eyes welled up with tears. She screamed with all her might, "TOSHIRO HISTUGAYA IF YOU DIE ON ME I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"
Her voice echoed through the battlefield, All the captains and the lieutenants who fought were shocked at her proclamation.
Toshiro Hitsugaya whose bloodied bankai form was sprawled on the dirt ground, grinned while standing up. His strength now regained, he looked at his enemy with dead eyes and charged in.
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He somehow managed in sealing the overlord, using all his strength and spiritual energy to defeat the one who had caused ruckus in the heavenly lands. He now stared at the red sky, his time was running out, Toshiro Hitsugaya was about to die, looks like Momo was not going to forgive him. He smiles at the thought of her, her jet-black hair, glistening woody eyes and bright smile bought back memories.
If he was going to die with no regrets he wanted to see her one last time and embed her picture to the back of his mind for the rest of eternity. Finding determination in Momo yet again, he struggled to get up with bruised legs but managed to crawl on the ground, blood trailing behind him, his eyes scanned the depths of fire for any sign of his love.
Until he saw her, struggling to run, she limped and fell into his embrace. They tumbled along the ashy soil until Toshiro wrapped his strong arms around Momo, protecting her from oblivion as she cried into his shoulder.
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It was known that from a young age that Shira Hitsugaya had an extremely high spiritual pressure, it made Shinigami fall to the ground, lieutenants internally crushed and captains pukish. That very spiritual pressure resembled that of a guardian.
It was then found that Shira Hitsugaya was indeed the guardian of Hell as central 46 speculated and this discovery immediately sparked controversy. Many wanted her banished, fearing her capabilities and intent.
'Such a disgusting feral creature of hell.'
'Does the Gotei-13 not care about the citizens of rukongai, that infernal wretch can kill the whole of rukongai with just her reiatsu.'
'Has everyone forgot about the war of heaven and hell, are they planning to repeat such a vile threat to soul society.'
However these were just the arguments of the common citizens of runkongai those who didn't know the truth, The Gotei-13 knew that the guardian of hell was essential in maintaining the balance of miasma and reiatsu between the world of living and the dead.
Having the Guardian of Hell in the midst on the Gotei-13, proved to be very useful
That's when Shira Hitsugaya learnt about who she was, a guardian.
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Young shira-chan was walking in the fifth division garden, when shira who had no control over her reiatsu spotted a small bird on the grass patch. Amazed at the yellow creatures appearance, she picked it up with her bare hands and hurriedly rushed to show it to her mama who was having a chat with the 10th division lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto.
"Mama, Auntie!," she exclaimed with wide eyes and voice filled with child like wonder.
"Look, I found a birdie on the ground, isn't it pretty!," she opened the palms of her hand to reveal ash.
She stared at her palms puzzled at where the bird went, realizing that she had decomposed it using her uncontrolled reiatsu. Startled her lips quivered and fresh tears pured down her face.
That's when Shira Hitsugaya learnt the affects of her power.
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'HEY you!,' one of the Rukongai kids shouted when Shira was heading back to the Gotei-13 headquarters playing with jidanbo.
"My mom says that you are a curse, a wretched demon!" he shouted his voice laced with venom as he threw a pebble at her.
The pebble hit her arm and she stared at him blank eyed, comments like these were usual for her. She never minded them as she had people who loved her like mama and auntie and if she did her reiatsu would spike out of control killing the people in the surrounding areas. So she gave the boy a cold glare and continued walking.
"You know, your lucky to even have a single mother who adopted you from the depths of hell out of pity," he screeched and ran away in fear of his life. He was satisfied, he had conveyed what his mother had wanted to say at the central 46 public discussion but wasn't able to.
Shira started at the area where the boy stood in a cold sweat.
"Was it true...am I not really her child?"
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"Shira-chan, you may not come from me biologically but you will forever be my child, always."
Somehow, her mama's words gave her peace.
"Besides you certainly look like a mini Hitsugaya-taicho." she patted her head grinning widely.
That day, Shira learnt her origins.
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"Mama..." Shira whimpered as she witnessed the 5th division taicho giving in all her reiatsu to defeat the forces of hell that tried to capture shira in obsidian.
The taicho of the fifth was incredibly strong, one of the strongest in the Gotei-13 yet that wouldn't be enough, she needed to merge with her zanpaktou's true form that of a phoenix and deplete all her reiatsu into one final attack. This technique was known as 'Mano,' it was a technique that only guardians could do, however strong captains of the court guard squads could also accomplish this technique yet the rate of survival was close to none.
Momo Hitsugaya took the chances and put all her energy into her strongest attack ever, a large brightly colored phoenix emerged from the ashes and burst into a billion tarnishing flames that destroyed everything in its way, the army of hellish forces were disintegrated into mere ash.
On the day of her mothers death, Shira saw the virtue of Sacrifice with her own eyes.
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Her mothers battered body sprawled on the ground, Shira ran as fast as her young legs could carry her and embraced Momo Hitsugaya, eyes widened and shocked, utterly speechless as her mothers bloodied body clutched her tightly.
she looked up to see her mother smiling while crying and tears rolled down her trauma-stricken face as well.
Momo lifted her daughters soft head using her wounded hand and slowly removed the plum colored ribbon that held her hair in place, and tied a strand of Shiras hair in a pretty little bow using the ribbon.
"I will always be with you Shira."
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"LET ME GO, I WANT MY MOTHER, GIVE HER BACK," She screamed with a broken voice as squad 4 struggled to pull her back.
She saw them carrying her mothers corpse and she wanted to be with her for a while long, time had passed so fast. Why did god have to take away the light of her life now, why was the world so cruel to them?
she kicked, threw her fist and tried to squirm her way out of the strong grasp of the 4th division Shinigami, all was stopped when she heard the profound voice of the sou-taicho behind her.
"Kyoraku-taicho," she muttered.
"Take a look around you, your reiatsu has spiked out of your control due to your emotional state."
Shira's tear-stricken eyes scanned her surroundings and saw members of the fourth division sprawled on the ground
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To live with the Gotei-13, Shira was urged to become a Shinigami. She was a child prodigy graduated from the Shinigami academy in less than a year and became the lieutenant of the 10th division under Rangiku Matsumoto who was like a second mother to her for a year before becoming the captain of the 5th when she was 10 human years old(100 shinigami years) and in charge of hell just like her mother.
she was the strongest Shinigami apart from the sou-taicho himself and was talented in Shinigami arts however, she wore an emotionless poker face and her voice was devoid of any feelings.
just like how Momo Hitsugaya was after the 10th division taicho's death.
Just a bear shell
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It was dark and Shira Hitsugaya could barely see, she felt young for some reason and that was when she realized her soul had reverted to her younger form, she was a little girl again.
Oh yes, Now she remembered. She had sacrificed herself and fulfilled her duty as the guardian of hell and cleansed the source of miasma of the living world and soul society, ensuring the eternal balance between these lands.
Shira tried to make out where she was by trying to sense her surroundings using reikaku but she wasn't able to sense anything.
"Oh right, I had depleted all of my reiatsu during the final battle,' shaking her head she was now concerned as she didn't know where she was.
Was Shira Hitsugaya destined to be stuck in this empty void forever?
Suddenly a thunderous voice spoke from the chasm.
"Shira Hitsugaya, you have done well."
Sweat beading from her forehead, knees shaking she fell haplessly on the clear floor, bowing.
"T-thank you," her lips moved on their own, her eyes now wide, wondering where and who was this mighty being.
Sensing her hesitation, the voice spoke, "They call me Kami-sama and you are currently in the place where souls move onto the world of living, the other side of hell...There are two important souls waiting for you at the end of this tunnel, so walk on my child with your head held high."
Nodding, she got up and ran towards the end of the tunnel, knowing the two people he was talking about.
Mama...
...papa...I am coming...
...I will meet you...
and this time, I won't let go...
Its quite ironic she thought, Hell is supposed to be the place of demise however I found love in the flames of hell.
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A high pitched wail echoed through the walls of the sterile delivery room. A brunette of her late twenties with golden honey brown eyes, stared at her white-haired, emerald-eyed husband wearily.
Seeing concern evident in his eyes, she gave him a bright jovial smile as she tightened her grip around his masculine hand, reassuring him that she was alright.
A doctor decked in white robes slowly approached the young couple and handed them a fragile creature, a tiny baby girl and acclaimed them with utmost pride.
Toshiro Hitsugaya was the first to hold his baby girl, His arms trembled as he slowly received her from the doctors arm, afraid of hurting the pure being.
The moment he held her, he felt elated and tears of joy crept to the corners of his eyes slowly dripping down his face. He was smiling as her soft little hand gripped his finger.
The brunette witnessing their interaction sobbed, something in her heart had been glued back together with love, a subconscious memory?
She didn't know and didn't care.
For all that mattered to her now, it was this moment.
"Welcome home, Shira-chan."