Bleach 1. Tell Me a Story

(_rewritten over the course of who knows when, gone over with several people, and now ready to face the hitsuhina community again. _

_thank you so much to the people who helped me go over this- sarah, my beautiful sunshine, and alyssa aka icyangel27. i love all of you, believe it.  
_  
_i don't own bleach, but i hope you guys enjoy it the same.)  
_

It was peaceful on a late night of December, in one distant and desolate town. Snow was not uncommon where the town was set, high up in the mountains. And it was cold enough for the flakes to kiss the ground in their white wonder. They covered it, giving a magical glow to the forest floor. The trees that were around were large and sturdy pines. Green needles smelled of mint, and the scent could be followed to the low-lying houses and the black smoke flying out of their chimneys. In a way, it could be seen as lively— the kind of lively that would make an inner child leap out and fall into a pile of snow.

All of the houses were scattered. While each set of windows and great wooden doors could be seen from inside a home, there was plenty of space in the town. It was a wilderness, one where only those who knew it could live. The rest were stuck passing by after grabbing a quick mug of coffee, and stuck wondering as to _why the heck _anyone would bother staying where blizzards often fell and an avalanche was not uncommon. But for those that were local, it was their home. This small town, hidden away in a place where oxygen was scarce and it looked like Christmas all year 'round, was everything they had ever known. It would be told in stories, written in novels, and passed on from child to child as they grew up and had children of their own to tell and teach. Each of those children would either love it or move on.

The little girl who had her face stuck against the window was no exception.

With pasty skin and straight black hair, one could easily spy her from outside. She was fixated on watching everything from her perch, face flushed as her skin grazed the cold glass. She was too young to be thankful for heating and technology, and too young to be anything but comfortable in her home and naive in her world. Hypothermia, frostbite, anything that was dangerous did not matter. All that mattered was the snow and the frosted glass.

Hesitantly, she reached out a hand and smacked the window. A print appeared, detailing her fingers and palm. Her hand was damp as she wiped it on her pajamas.

This did nothing but make her stare, her three year old self trying in vain to coherently mumble her awe at the window and its Disney-esque side. She was about to try and mimic the _black witch lady _and the mirror from _Sleeping Beauty_ when an amused voice chimed in.

"Momo, what are you up to now?" She turned to the voice. Her first instinct was to point at the man who was standing several feet away in the doorway. The tiny girl could see a small cup in his hand, which made her mouth water. While she didn't know the exact name of it, the brown liquid tasted like chocolate and was warm enough to fill her tummy.

The man smiled, walking over and bending down with the two porcelain cups held carefully. His skin stood out against their bright red and green paint— tanned slightly and almost unnoticeable against his short black tresses. But his eyes were friendly, a light, joyful green whenever they looked at the girl. She loved that about it; the fact that they were as green as the grass in the summer and always seemed to light up whenever he looked at her or her mommy. There was no better dad she could ask for when it came to his eyes, unless there was a daddy in the world with pink eyes. She doubted it though, since pink eyes 'didn't exist' according to her mom.

When her father held out the cup with a snowman on its side, she carefully took it. It wasn't hot like his, but it was still warm. She could stand the temperature since there were marshmallows. Five of them to be exact, all in the shape of a snowflake and melting in her cup. The white puffiness that made them so enjoyable would soon be gone. But she was too busy staring at them to notice, so distracted that she almost tripped. Her father reached out a hand to steady her, before chuckling to himself and moving to ruffle her hand. She squeaked in response.

"I got a new book today when the mail came by," her father began; Momo looked on, sipping her cocoa. "It's kind of old though, and full of fairy tales…."

That got her attention. She _loved _fairy tales. From _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves_ to _Cinderella_— any picture book that she could get her hands on was bound to fall victim. Unable to contain herself, she threw herself at her dad and her arms latched onto his side. He grunted in surprise, trying to get her empty cup away before it fell to the ground and crashed.

He finally spoke when he was able to wrestle it from her and set it nearby. "Well Momo, there's a bunch of stories in there you might like but I don't know if you want me to read them to you..."

"Daddy read?" the little girl gasped and dropped her now-empty cup carelessly, latching onto her father's side. "Read, daddy! Daddy! Story!"

She was demanding. It was a trait that had been inherited from her mother's side. But while her temper was a bit sharp at times and she was prone to throwing tantrums, she had a good heart. There had been several times when she had gone out of her way and ignored her parent's wishes to feed the squirrels and deer roaming around. Her father could even remember when she brought in a dead bird and thought it was injured, then begged him and her mother to help it '_wake up!'_

That thought alone made him smile. If it weren't for the fact that he was so amused, he might have noticed that she had climbed up unto his back and was now wringing his hair out. There was no doubt in his mind that his clothes were probably wrinkled. The white shirt he had been wearing had a crease that his wife would yell at him for later, and in the small ruckus his mug had spilled and a few drops hit the edges of his trousers.

"H-Hey!" Kunio mustered, bending over so he was able to pry the girl off and let her cling to his chest with clumsy hands.

She was only his daughter by a few genes. His black hair was the only thing that had been passed on to her, as it was his lovely wife's eyes and beautiful skin that had been given to the girl. When it came to personality, she had a considerable amount of energy that came from her mother and a fiery attitude to add to it. If her heart wasn't set in the right place, she could cause more trouble than his boss' daughter at work. Still, she was _his_ daughter. He loved everything about her for it: demands, window fascination, sneak attacks, and all.

With nothing but a few playful retorts on how he was going to read the book already, he turned with his precious little girl in arm.

. . .

_It was late._

_Brilliant aquamarine eyes stared into the night, the shadows hiding their confused glint as the woman stood there and watched. The afterlife was still partially alive and buzzing in these evening hours. But that was back in the city, where she was home to the golden rooftops and the bleached white walls. This was familiar, but not her home. This was the Rukongai- the outer part of the realm of the dead where all the poor and lost souls would wander. Some of the black devils would find their way here too, and she couldn't let her guard down for a minute on that thought. It was unnerving to stand still in the silence; s__he had become terribly uncomfortable in this wilderness._

_Here in the outback, the two moons of Rukongai were busy shining in the sky like beacons. They were the only things Mizuki was thankful for right now, as the light helped illuminate the abandoned buildings and what was held inside. Everything else was black, and her pathetic vision did not match up to it. She did not want to stumble over a sleeping body or make noise by stepping on a rat's nest._

_The thought disgusted her. She wished she could have been where she normally found herself__—_ off in the city of Seireitei, the capital of the afterlife, and busy with papers and officers who were ranked lower. She would be enjoying a cup of tea while ordering around her lazy vice-captain and listening to the argument. Then, as usual, she would spout out some barbaric nonsense that would leave her companion and herself in tears before the fight would settle and everything would return back to normal. Fight fire with sadistic humor, she once recalled from some old Asian proverb. 

_But tonight was different. It left her in the dark, with mixed feelings and a dread that would not leave. She had never felt so ill in her life. Even her sword spirit called out to her in concern, the normally sarcastic dragon begging her to return home. But she was supposed to bright! She had even been named after the moon itself. And while her spiky white hair may have had a key role in that, she still felt responsible to finish investigating the area. For now she would pray that the moon would guide her way and the stars would keep her safe as she backed down near a corner and peeked out. _

_Men were standing there. She could count a few dozen, all of them with the insignia of the Fifth sewn unto their sleeves. The black robes with their puffing sleeves and lower trousers were neat and prim. The white undergarments they were wearing underneath barely poked out of the edges and lacked any stains__—_ probably put on recently, she figured. She also could note many lacked the spirits of their swords. While their sheaths hung at their sides, the spiritual pressure and energy of the actual soul-cutting blades was gone.

_Maybe they could have been passed off as being on drills. It wasn't uncommon that some of the nightly squads would go out and practice sparring in the cold winds and dim light. She herself had ordered several teams of the best gods of death to assemble and hunt down demons in the early hours of morning. Once or twice she had even run across the legendary men of the Second division. That had been a terrifying experience that left her chilled to the bone, as the official secret squad of the Second__—_ the Stealth Ops_—_ had terrorized her subordinates. Even the captain had seemed a bit cocky and full of herself, though she had later explained that it was all good fun that the division could rarely 'play' with another and that no real harm was meant. Mizuki couldn't remember a time where she didn't check with that captain afterward to make sure they didn't cross paths again... _But there was still something wrong with that theory. It was not the fact she was out at around three in the morning. Nor was it the fact the swords were gone in the first place, and that the men standing there all had badges that bore the sign of a high-ranking officer. _

_It was the fact that there were terrible, flickering spiritual pressures that made her gag. The pressure was not felt from this distant at the city, but here it was slowly getting to her with its uneasiness. It was like these men had a bit too much to drink! She could spy the small sways if she looked long enough, along with quivering arms. Were they scared? Why would they be out here, scared, in the first place? What could be so important to take them out here? Where was the captain? Was it possible that some or all of these men had been drugged? She did smell herbal mixes when the wind passed by... All these questions demanded an answer but she begged herself to be patient a bit longer. _

_Being a captain meant she had to be reasonable__—_ even if it looked to be the worst.

___She was starting to get restless. _Her hand drifted to the sword lying flat against her back horizontally for comfort. There rested the blade of winter that she cherished: Hyourinmaru. The dragon's spirit was ready to mesh with her own and be called out if needed, but she prayed and begged to the gods in charge of all of this that it would never be the case. She touched the hilt and shivered. Being so close to the dragon gave her some support, but what came next made her stare in shock.

_Wearing a white coat that had broad shoulders and bell-sleeves, a man stepped out from the dark shadows of another building. Mizuki couldn't see his face in the dark as clouds rolled across her moon. There was the symbol of the Fifth in black stitching across his coat, barely visible as he walked out and the men knelt clumsily._

_That was when she keeled over and fought back the hacking coughs to the best of her ability. Vile rose up to her throat as she struggled not to vomit. Hyourinmaru kept silent inside. She was thankful for the little peace while her mind tried to comprehend the murders that had just happened._

. . .

Of all the places that his daughter liked to go, it was the living room. The room was toward the center of the house, spot on after the hallway which connected the dining room, the _theatre _as his piano-playing wife called it, and the front door. While a cold draft seeped in now and then, it was generally warm thanks to the gas fireplace there. The fireplace was only the first homey addition to the room, where the hardwood floor of the hallway met with soft white carpet. Two oak shelves sat on the side happily storing dozens of books, and a faded red couch huddled near a corner. A coffee table and its plant was the last addition. Overall, it was very comfortable; although Kunio often doubted his wife's taste with the decor he would not question it. It was the perfect spot for his daughter to drag him to, pushing him toward the couch.

When he had settled, Momo jumped unto his lap. Then she laughed while he fumbled for the stack of books left on the table, barely managing to pry one with a worn cover out before his daughter began to poke him in the gut.

It was old; he had bought it from an antique dealer across the country and shipped it all the way out here just for his little girl. A dozen hands had probably been through the pages already, and he could spy a stain on the side before the book was even open. Still, it was a beautiful book. It smelled of leather and the spine appeared to be some sort of metal. The cover had small etchings across it, and scratches that added to the age. The title, a bold _Black and_ _White_, stood in delicate script toward the top. All of this delighted Momo, who reached out and ran her finger down the side with glee while light from the fireplace danced across it.

"You like it?" Kunio smiled and looked at his daughter.

The girl pouted. "Name's funny..."

With that, the two of them began to look through the cook. The paper felt like old parchment to Kunio, and he carefully turned the pages. Momo watched, her eyes bright and hopeful for a good story.

There were many tales to be found in the words. The different texts him think it was all handwritten, complete with faded but still beautiful illustrations of dragons, damsels, and danger. Momo found it amusing at times to look at the different pictures, but she could be caught going off in an awe-struck ramble at some. She would let her father flip through a few pages, make him stop at one of a fierce looking wyvern, and then make him come back to it five minutes later. The little girl giggled whenever this occurred, having planned it all along. She was happy, even if her father had yet to read her any of the stories; looking at the pictures and the weird letters was enough to entertain her.

It was only when the two came across one certain page with one certain picture that they stopped. Leaning forward, the girl moved her finger down the page where a large blue dragon and a red bird in flames entwined together.

Her father noticed the fascination his little girl had for the picture. Chuckling, he adjusted the book and leaned down. "This story is called _The Dragon and the Fue-Huang:_ _Legend of the Heavenly Guardian_. It's supposed to be a good story."

Momo jabbed her father in the gut, frowning. "We have angels..."

Sighing, Kunio leaned back, letting Momo stay on his lap and cradle the book, "Well, err- yes, we do, but… This one is different. It's a much older tale."

"How different? Daddy! Tell...! " She turned around, and gave a timid and innocent face. It worked wonders on the older man. Any willpower fell in a moment.

Sitting back up, Kunio reached up a hand and ruffled Momo's hair. "You see, Momo, in our culture... well, the bird of _fire_, also known as the _Fue-Huang_, is often put with the _Dragon_, the most respected of the spiritual creatures. This story is about a boy, the _Heavenly Guardian_, and his eternal love."

. . .

_The clouds had begun to move in. The light was thinning, unlike anything that Mizuki had ever seen before. She could feel an incoming gale, the wind whipping her face. Not that she mattered. Many innocent souls had just died and she had been helpless to stop it. Worse, it was getting colder and the wrath of winter was getting riled up. She couldn't risk Hyourinmaru going on a bloody rage over these deaths; she couldn't risk herself doing the same. While she might have been a Heavenly Being, her violent breakdowns would hurt far more souls then the ones killed here. She needed to figure out something, and quickly._

_What was there to do? Stand there and take it? The spilling of blood had left puddles large enough for her to see from a distance. A metallic scent was in the air._

_'Blood... So much carnage...' she threw up on the side. _

_Someone needed to be told._

_People were being murdered and sure as hell someone needed to be told. Where to go? Who could be trusted and pressed to inform the General of the first and most powerful division? __How would she get away? _She was a prodigy, a being reincarnated through the death of another, but even if she was mature… there was no guarantee she could fight off the captain if noticed. And she wasn't going to risk telling a random subordinate only to have them butchered a moment later. Her heart wouldn't be able to handle it, and Seireitei much less could handle an unspeakable blizzard that would come with her temper. It all posted too much of a risk, and too many potential consequences.

_"But what if it continues?" She wiped off vile from her lips, staring at the new stain on her sleeve. A stone-cold look set in. "I can't... I can't just let him get away. Can I? Maybe... Maybe if I can get this information to the General himself... Maybe he'll believe me."_

_ Quickly, quietly, she turned away from the sight of bodies on fire and masked her spiritual pressure. She had unintentionally flared it in her shock. If anyone were to notice, she would soon be minced meat and buried seven feet in the ground. She prayed that the moon would conceal her as she took off, the heavenly guardian unaware that it was already too late._

_The snake had noticed._

. . .

"You see," her father stroked Momo's hair carefully, as he tried not to snag on a tangle. "A long time ago when the dragon and the bird stopped fighting, they fell in love..."

The girl bolted upright, no longer in her awe-filled trance to the words and staring suspiciously. Kunio sighed, throwing his head back and staring at the ceiling as he tried to figure out what he had done to upset the peace he had just created.

His daughter gave him the answer. "This story _real_ stupid."

"I never said it was great," the older man patted Momo's head and went on. "Now shush, or else you won't be allowed to hear the rest of it."

That quieted her down. She held the book up for her father to take, the man's green eyes carefully scurrying across the page as he looked for the best way to tell the tale. Then he spoke again, his voice deep and setting the younger girl into a string of giggles. Curling against her father, she relaxed and settled down to listen.

"Long ago, the dragon and fue-huang were at war, trying to knock each other out of power…" he pointed to a picture where the bird in all its blazing glory was leaving a trail of red and orange flames. The fire curled and coiled against another creature, long whiskered dragon with ice spouting out of its great jaws. Both had vibrant eyes, the bird's eyes painted a once-shining amber,

The younger Hinamori whimpered and clung to her dad while he spoke in a softer tone. "But the great clans of the other spirit animals decided to put a stop to it. They came together and ordered the dragon and the bird to be wed. This way, even though the two were opposites, they would be able live in peace and co-exist in this marriage…"

Kunio smiled at his daughter. "Much like your mom and I today. Even if I'm quiet and she's loud, we still love each other very much. We aren't actually birds or dragons, but we had the candles that represent these creatures bought for our wedding."

"Oh." This answer suited the girl very much.

She smiled. "Daddy, what happen to the bird and dragon?"

"They marry," he leaned down to flip the page, where a golden egg was nested in a large cave with twigs, branches, and feathers all skillfully woven together. "And they have a kid. See?"

"That's... son?" Momo said dutifully as she stared at the egg. "He's weird, daddy."

Turning the page, there was a new picture of a bird, cradling a baby with tanned skin and a fluff of white hair. While the little girl couldn't see the eyes of the infant, she noticed the way the mother turned her neck to watch over her child. She looked very protective. Momo's brown eyes turned back to the rest of the bird, and she traced a finger down the Fue-huang's wing. _It would be so soft... So fluffy... _

Kunio smiled and pointed to the dragon in the corner, who was no longer ferocious or spitting out ice.

"Daddy," the little Hinamori poked her father. "That bird not human. How is kid human?"

The father scratched his head sheepishly, "It's a story, Momo. I… um… I can't explain it all."

"Not good enough." She frowned, and stuck out her tongue at him before turning her attention back to the book.

The girl turned to the next page. "Read! Read!"

. . .

_She could feel the other spiritual signatures of those in the distance, where the walls of the Seireitei etched the horizon. _

_The walls, large, heavy, and yellow. It would only take a few minutes now to get there, find the First division, and report the killings to the General. There she would be safe, not having to worry about attack or capture against the traitor. Even if the evidence was destroyed, she had her testimony to prove it happened. The Second could look over her mind for it, and together they could go hunt down who had done this. That was the only hope she had, to get there in time before someone found out what she had seen and came after her for it- _

_"'Ey, 'ey, Rie-Rie!"_

_She flinched and drew her sword. If it wasn't for the yells of her dragon's spirit, the sword screeching against her blade would have taken her head clean off. Panic filled her veins and her grip tightened as she stared into death's face__—_ pale, with ruby red eyes, and a brush of silver hair. This face had the smile of a snake but the eyes of a fox. And to any person familiar with the old fables, they knew that those two creatures had given birth to a devil. 

_The devil which stood before her with its twisted smile and blood-stained coat._

"_Ichimaru."_

. . .

"…you see, the son had odd powers; but he wasn't the only one around like that. While he was the child of the Fue-huang-"

"Birdy." Momo poked him and looked up. "Birdy, not fo-sho."

The older man sighed. "While he was the child of the _birdy _and the Dragon, he was still human." Kunio ignored the look his daughter gave him and read on, his voice going back to its deep tone. "There were _others _like him! Can you imagine? A snake bred with a fox to create an _evil_ devil, a cat and a tiger bred to create a beautiful sphinx... Even a mongoose married a porcupine…! The list could go on and on about the many different children that came from these animals. But there was a very important child, a special one that caught the son's eye. One that was different from all the rest. Can you guess who it was?"

The next picture showed the various children. A white-haired snake-human was the first one the little Hinamori saw. The child was a boy, tall and lanky with a smile that sent shivers down her smile. Next came whatever her daddy called the _sphicks. _A girl there was very pretty. Her hair was glowing orange, and went down past the shoulders it curls. She looked very friendly and made Momo smile. Those two were the only ones that she paid much attention to. The others varied from a red-headed spike monster-boy to the daughter of a swan and fae, with dark hair in tiny curls toward the sky and a petite face. While they were pretty, she didn't care too much about them.

It wasn't until her father pointed to a girl in the back that Momo saw her. Hidden in the back was a young girl with the plainest hair she had ever seen- straight down and black. It was her eyes that captivated the younger Hinamori: dark gold ones that were faded in color but had so much depth.

"Since the original Fue-huang had wed the Dragon, there was no more. So she blessed a human girl every few years to mirror her heart. That child who would be born would not have supernatural powers. She would not be like the devil with its venom or the sphinx and her beauty. She wouldn't even have strength of the porcupine or the grace of the swan. But instead, she would be good. She would be pure and kind, even as a human. She would win the Fue-huang's son and give him her heart. This was supposed to be a set according to the other animals. The girl and boy would fall in love, and bear the next generation. But there was always someone who didn't agree with this. This evil would come and try to separate the two hearts..."

. . .

"_Ichimaru, what the hell are you doing?" Mizuki said._

_She knew what he was doing__—_ or at least she had a theory on why he was out here this late and suddenly attacking her. Her muscles screamed under the weight of his sword. Both of the blades flashed against the moonlight, and Mizuki yelled when she felt the edge slip and slice right through her wrist. Hyourinmaru dropped and she ducked under a sweep, grabbing at the blade with her other hand and staring at the blood dropping. Had it ever been play with him? No_—_ he would never rise to her level and attack with respect. She couldn't expect him to, not now and not ever. She had to step up and take this seriously. Even if this man did have a relationship with her lieutenant, she would not let it affect her actions.

"_Sorr', Rie-Rie, ya dragg'd yerself into this, now ya got t' pay yer price," his voice was thick with an accent. To anyone else, they would have taken it as mocking; a bully of a soul. But not Mizuki; she knew better. She knew he was speaking seriously from the years they had served together. "Pity, 'oo. Ya were one of me favor'ts and a friend of Ran."_

_'Rangiku... I'm sorry. Forgive me for anything I do tonight.'_

_Mizuki swung and charged, sword in hand and the blade glowing blue. The air chilled. She could spy the snake avoiding the attack with ease as she feinted left and plunged her blade up toward the captain's chest, "Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyourinmaru!"_

. . .

Kunio flipped the page, frowning when his daughter squeaked and flung herself at his chest.

A devil fighting the white-haired boy now.

Momo could see the boy's blue-green eyes, and the slits that glowed red belonging to the devil. One was as she put it: '_pretty'_. The other scared her more than the monster under her bed did. Kunio gave her a reassuring pat and went on, "He fought bravely for her when evil came and tried to steal her away. She meant the world to him. All of his heart, his soul, and his mind had become dedicated to her. Nothing would stop him from rescuing his princess."

"He win, daddy?" The girl seemed hesitant on knowing the answer. "Boy do good?"

Turning the page, he looked on absentmindedly. "No. He lost."

. . .

_She twisted with the dragon in full force, altering its direction when the ice barreled out of her sword's tip into the air. The temperature plummeted with that, clouds rolling in thicker than before and frost covering the ground. The man blinked, vanishing into thin air, but she could guess he was trying to exploit her blind spot- a common mistake when fighting a captain Throwing her sword into the earth, she landed, her palms going to the ground and pushing back as heel hit jaw._

_There was a crack, and she fell to her feet, pulling out Hyourinmaru with her good hand and slicing it toward his chest. In his pain and haste, he almost failed to notice and the tip grazed his stomach, cloak billowing open to reveal sculpted white muscles underneath with a trickle of red blood. Then Mizuki was moving again, sword meeting sword and an annoyed face looking to her. Pushing back, she tried to turn her blade upward__—_ only to feel rustle and long locks of white from her ponytail go flying. 

"_Yer forgettin' my sword an' I," the snake-like god slithered as Shinso returned back to its normal shape, a white glow fading, "Ya know I can call I' ou' in a figh' when yer leas' expectin' I', righ'?"_

_"How could I forget?" 'You've killed so many with that... I've seen you...' "It's only the most annoying reapers blade around."_

_The man took mock offense, trying to smile despite the breaking jaw. "Feelin' is mutual, Rie-Rie."_

_Mizuki ignored a retort, shoving him back and holding up a palm, "Shakkaho!"_

_This was not a battle she could afford to lose._

. . .

"He fought, and he fought, but he was too young and the evil was too powerful for him to beat." Kunio held the book up for his daughter to see, while she began to examine the paper and the new picture on it.

It was nothing huge. In fact, it looked almost as if it was a collage of many pictures; they were combined in such a way to illustrate the different states of life. One was of a baby and a golden egg; another picture was of a young child, and a third of him hunting with a spear. The pictures did not stop there, continuing on and on until he was a young teenager; he could be seen eating, playing, and studying in the collage. But they were dark from old age. If it wasn't for the black ink, Momo might have missed the black vines that coiled around all of the images.

"That bad?" she touched one of the rope-like plants in the picture. Her finger ran up and down its length, shivering at the thought of how it might feel next to her.

_Bad plant is bad... _she thought.

Her father chuckled. "Yes, a very bad evil, Momo. You see, this son of the Dragon and Fue-huang lost the girl that day. Her good and pure and innocent heart was lost to the evil. She was tainted, like how you might accidentally spill coffee on our carpet." He pointed to a brown patch on the carpet where an incident had occurred just a week ago.

Momo nodded in response, amber eyes looking over at the older Hinamori and silently begging for him to go on. "See, this made him upset. _Really _upset. He lost his favorite person in the _whole _wide world that day. Because of that, he became very sad."

Holding the book in her small hands, she let it shut under the guidance of her dad. "Sad, daddy? Like 'you lose mommy sad'?" her head tilted with the question.

Kunio nodded. "Exactly. He was so upset, it felt like he was the daddy and he had lost the mommy. He became so upset that he died in his anger and sadness."

. . .

_Vibrant, dancing flames whirled out in a shot of energy and scorched the ground; it exploded in the dirt near the man and a sound wave crashed the air. A crater was visible, and the wind blew up the scent of burning plants and earth. Whirling, the man dove off to the side with what was known as the 'flash-step' and avoided the next blast of fire. She could see he was trying hard not to laugh at the irony of its element and user. Mizuki could still see the short curl of lips from the distance, as she disappeared in a flash and moved to step behind him._

_But the captain of the Third was no laughing matter. He was gone, barreling a sharp and shining white blade into her side after pretending to be hit. Mizuki gasped with the rush of pain, her senses reeling as she wrenched the blade out to avoid the spirit's poison. Then she leaped away and gasped for breath to the side. _

_'So much pain...' Time was going to run out. She could bleed to death if the hit in her gut and the cut on her wrist didn't let up. Normally she could have stopped to apply a healing kido, but there was no time. She wouldn't be able to mutter the incantation fast enough with this captain's attacks, much less have the energy to do so. Her head felt light with the loss of blood as it was. Biting her lip to stop the pain, she focused all her spiritual energy into the wounds and forced iced to cover them. It was bitter cold and burned more then her first failed attempt at fire kido- but her circulation began to slow and the blood stopped flowing out._

_Pre-occupied with her thoughts, she was unable to do anything but bring an arm up to block when Ichimaru came storming in on her side with a kick. The captain was much better at hand-to-hand combat then she thought, and with a sick crunch she lost all feeling from her left shoulder-down. It had been a miracle that it hit her bad arm, but Hyourinmaru was barely being raised thanks to her pain of a dislocated appendage. She felt another numb cut ramming in across her good arm and shoulder and cried out from the pain of a new venom dissolving her muscles. Turning her head, she forced a spike of ice to run up through the ground and impale the man's foot. Blood flew with what she thought was bone through the night air._

_Ichimaru growled, and limped back. She took the chance to bite down hard on her lip and calm her racing spirit. Unable to drop her sword and push her shoulder back in, her bad arm hung uselessly. But through the pain she had some grip on Hyourinmaru. As long as her sword was with her, she could struggle on._

"_Bett'r then I though', sad how th's ha' to play ou', Rie-Rie." Ichimaru said. She looked up at the captain with a white brow raised._

_There were many unspoken questions that she wanted to ask Ichimaru: About how or why he was involved with such traitorous deeds__—_ but she forced them back. Any info would be needed to bring in Ichimaru himself. She was wounded, and badly needed help with her shoulder and side. If she couldn't take down one captain as the Heavenly Guardian, it would take a legion to bring the devil down. 

_'But there isn't time for that... I can't...' Mizuki forced herself to stay away, letting tiny ice shards scrape her skin underneath her uniform. The pain made her reel, and she stabbed Hyourinmaru into the ground and used his handle for balance. 'I can't be picky... I just got to... to stall... for now...' _

"_What... brought you here, Ichimaru...?" The snake's name was spoken dully. Mizuki did not like to cover up the dislike she had for the man, but she couldn't handle a retort right now. It used too much energy._

_The ruby red eyes that stared at her seemed to notice her slow replies._

_Ichimaru sneered and hobbled a bit away, waving a hand disdainfully into the air. "Ne, a guy can' have some 'ime ou'? Rie-Rie, how rude…"_

_She raised Hyourinmaru again. The dragon begged to go into the fierce second release of the sword, so that his wielder could end it once and for all. But she couldn't. Her energy had to be saved for now or it would mean certain death. Though she had begun to get a feeling that the devil was playing with her. "Just... tell me, something, Ichimaru... Tell me..."_

_Mizuki's marine green eyes glared. "What... what really is... going on?"_

"_Lemme ask ya somethin', Rie-Rie. Why would' I be tellin' ya thi' when yer 'bout to die like tha' rest of 'em?" Ichimaru said._

_The heavenly reincarnate wanted to kill him right there, and stain her clothes with his blood. There was no other way to right those who had been murdered. "You… damn bastard…"_

"_Each t' their own." He flinched at his own pain. Mizuki could see the flash of it across his face as she looked to his injured foot. "I'm no' tha' bad of 'em, Rie-Rie. If yer thinkin' goes back to a mister Kiyoshi Akihiko…" Her eyes widened in fear._

___"The one wit' Tobiume, if I can recall him righ'…"_

_The once glossy, bright and brave eyes of the reincarnated heavenly guardian were now dark. Their luster was lost, even with the full moon shining. Her stance had changed with her eyes, back hunching and good arm shaking while her knuckles went to white from the grip. Small bits of blood from where her nails curled around the hilt and dug into her palm could be seen dripping off into tiny droplets. To the sickest of minds, they could appear to be tainted tears. _

"_Don't… you dare… dare mention… him…" the woman stood back, shaking. "He wasn't... he wasn't even involved... Why..."_

___"Was tha' so? Oops. Ya should'a tol' me earlier..." _Ichimaru grinned. "Before me pal an' I go' to him..."

"_You... You..." _

_The captain smiled. His coat swayed with the fierce wind that had begun to ravage their battlefield. "What are ya gonna do 'bout it?"_

_Mizuki pushed her sword down, using the momentum to stand tall as the ice in her wounds snapped and a dragon began to screech inside. __Hyourinmaru quickly reclaimed grasp with her good hand, pointing out fiercely with a hollow passion. __Blood dropped off freely, but her mind was too dark to care about life anymore. _

_"I'll kill you."_

. . .

Momo looked shocked. Her attention went from the book to her father, then back again to the old book in her lap.

The older Hinamori chuckled, patting his daughter's hair, "But…"

. . .

"_BANKAI!"_

. . .

"…there was a catch." Kunio looked over to the fire. It was starting to die down.

"You see, in the boy's last dying breaths, he vowed to find the girl and protect her. It didn't matter who they were in the future. Male or female, the two were always destined to find each other and be together before they passed on. It is the purest form of love that exists in our stories today, but it is also said to be the most tainted." The younger Hinamori nodded to his words while two sets of eyes, one brown and one green, watched the cooling flames.

"Throughout the generations, he is said to have been reincarnated through all forms and find his love. He will search far and wide for her, no matter what cost. Even if hell itself forms and throws itself between them, he will do whatever he can to find and stay with the girl until they have to part. "

"And do you know why?" he asked, taking the book from his daughter. He began to flip open the pages once more.

Momo shook her head. "No, daddy."

. . .

_She snapped._

_ The snow that had once been peppering the ground lightly kicked into full force. Milestones of it came raining down in a shower that was soon coating the earth and leaving it barren. Hoarse yells and screeches came from the surroundings as souls were disrupted and buildings toppled over in the turmoil. Across the ground and under cracks, blue ice spread. It took the shape of spires and icicles as an arctic wasteland began to form. Mizuki's spiritual energy was quickly becoming out of control as her soul raged on. Hyourinmaru's cries had since blown off dozens of sound waves in his terrible yells and screeches._

_And that wasn't all of the ice. Two large wings were forming. They glittered in the light, reflected a million times and one inside their icy feathers and subzero down. Scales of the same frozen element turned upward in the shape of claws, going from her knees and her forearms down. A crest of the same beautiful blue ice went around her neck, flaring out threateningly. The final piece to the second release of her dragon's spirit, a tail, formed and whipped with a battle cry._

_Then she was doubling over in pain, blood running down her chin from the blade shoved inside. Hyourinmaru was in a panic in her inner mind, as her eyes trailed down. They followed the blade lodged in her chest to the presence behind her. It was almost invisible, and she could tell some illusion had taken place while she was releasing Hyourinmaru's Bankai into the world. _

_'Stupid... Why was I so...' __It was her carelessness that did her in. She knew that. Mizuki wanted to cry as her body went numb. 'I was so stupid...'_

_The blade slid out with a pop as her knees doubled, the ice shattering. Her sword of winter's fury fell and landed with a clan while the icy spiritual energy she had wrapped up disappeared into the air. The last thing she saw was her precious moon and the faint stars before she faded away into a limp, dark world._

"_You should remember, Captain Mizuki," the brown-haired man behind her said politely, sheathing his sword while he looked at the dead soul. "to always watch your back."_

. . .

"You want to know why, Momo?"

The picture he stopped at was blank, save for the spiraling script listing _The End _at the bottom.

Then as Momo leaned in closer, she could make out two figures in silver against a whiter parchment and hidden in the page. Specks of the same blank paint made her think of falling snow, and the snow outside.

When her father spoke again, it was with a growing smile, "Because he is the Heavenly Guardian, silly. Life or death will never keep him from finding his true love."


	2. Fistful of Splinters

_(i don't own bleach._

_thank you to everyone who has reviewed this! i don't respond to each review but i read them all (repeatedly) and i appreciate each one.  
_

_something i failed to mention is that status on how the story/next chapter is coming along is on my profile. i update it often, if you are curious about when the next chapter will be out. _

_ enjoy the next chapter of memories.)_

"The body was found at approximately seven in the morning, sir." The man knelt, his eyes downcast. Black cloth covered the rest of his body from head to toe, concealing any other body language. "Souls reported it to the sentries hours earlier but it did not get back to us until recently due to a mix-up in paperwork between the Second and the Fifth."

She tsk'd, a finger swirling around the tip of a knife. It fit into her palm perfectly, and the steel was a familiar comfort in these times. But metal didn't solve problems on its own. She paused for a moment to watch it burrow into the desk before her eyes flashed back up and two dark, gray orbs stared. Her voice was sharp as the blade in her hand. "No witnesses?"

"All found appear to be mad, sir." Her companion's voice was carefully muffled to obscure any emotion. "Although there have been numerous claims on who killed her."

"...and those would be?" _It would be so easy to slice a person apart out there. Hell- it could even be a Hollow that did it. Those devils can sometimes sneak by undetected to the districts.. And to attack in the morning? Must have been smart. _The captain pursed her lips and crinkled a brow in thought. Her eyes move to the knife that was digging and raising small chips of wood in its wake. _Or was it something else? A deal gone wrong in the districts? No- would a god of death really do that? Sneak out for a bit of cash from some information or drugs? Or even to visit a brothel? Could it be that this god was stupid enough to risk punishment?_

"...a snake, m'am." Her head snapped back up.

"Repeat it, soldier." Her eyes tensed as she lifted up her precious dagger and slide it back into its beautiful silver sheath. "Don't slur your words. How do you expect someone like me to understand you if you can't say things straight?" The man flinched. She glared and rested a hand on her hip, waiting for him to go on.

"From what we have gathered..." the man twitched. "All souls appear to be... mad. They continue to spout out claims that a snake killed the woman, and that it had help. From the various descriptions of the accomplice, it appears that they believe a snake and a brown rat killed the god."

"Is there proof of this?" Soi Fon brushed back a strand of loose, dark hair. The rest was held tightly by white cloth in two braids. "Have there been any signs of disease on the corpse? Poison? Any signs of strangulation of crushed internal organs that could indicate a struggle?"

"None, sir. The only injuries found on the body were a stab wound to the side, numerous small cuts, a fractured shoulder and..." she saw the man twitch again. Was that _fear__? _For a moment she could have sworn his whole body... "S-Sir. The entire skull was punched in to the point that it is... gibe. There is nothing but a hollow where the skull attaches to the spinal cord left. Any recognition of a face, eyes, brain, anything that could be used to identify the body has been destroyed along with part of an arm."

_"Shit."_ Soi Fon cursed and punched the desk, leaving an indent with splinters driven deep into her knuckles. Then the captain pulled her hand back and scowled, "Hell... Unohana doesn't even have an idea?"

The man cowered under her gaze. "N-No, sir."

"Damnit, doesn't she know these first few hours after finding the body are the most important? Get out, drag her sorry ass back here and have her identify this damn body!"

The man nodded, straightening up and bowing before he turned and left. Soi Fon sat down, the edges of her white coat and black robes crumbling underneath as she leaned back in her chair. Her gray eyes stared at the ceiling, bleached white as snow. Her mind raced with thoughts while bangs fell against her face. _Someone did murder this body, and they did it well enough so that we wouldn't be able to draw out memories of the soul. They even went the length to properly dispose of the face so that it can't be told at a glance. And with the twelfth's technological-breakdown last night, we can't even run forensics on the DNA and look for a match! Who would to this? Why? Who even is this god and what was she doing late at night?_

Her knuckles were bleeding. She could see the skin swelling around the splinters in her flesh, and she hurriedly grabbed a sharp needle, a _senbon_, and began to dig them out. _There are plenty of gods that go missing each night and are labeled as missing in action due to their misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. For all we know, this could be a sentry who went out by themselves after they saw a soul in trouble. Maybe a case of corruption? That would explain why the head is beyond recognition..._ She winced as a splinter cracked and was left inside her pale skin with at least six others.

"To hell with this, Unohana can get them out later." Soi Fon flicked the needle away. It landed expertly in a bin on the side, to which she smirked and stared at the air.

Her head hurt. _Not a normal case, that's for sure. There are too many possibilities on who this could be, and the only thing we've found so far was that the spiritual energy is cool and that the corpse is a woman. But where does that leave us? How many MIA's are there with that kind of energy and are female?_ _What about academy students? Is it possible that they could also been out that early? They haven't even discovered what kind of spiritual energy that they have, so all this that was residue could easily be one of them... Damn, I need a cup of sake or something.  
_  
She stood up. Ignoring the dull throbs that came from her fist, she moved to the window. There large courtyards and golden roofs greeted her. The Second division's complex was huge— and for good reason. The training was rigorous and went through the demonic arts, hand-to-hand combat, sword-fighting and meditation. The tests were rumored to surpass the Captain's test to get in, and there was no limit to what she could make one do to be worthy of joining her forces. For this, she took great pride in building such a beautiful compound. Full of tranquil gardens and open, cobble-stoned areas for spiritual and physical focus, it was clean to the hand-cut grass and the scrubbed walkways. Not even the Fourth could out-do her men in cleaning when ordered to!

"Even then if Unohana herself got involved..." Soi Fon smirked. There was no doubting the other captains' prestige reputation of a healer, but in the back there were vicious rumors swirling around her sweeping the barracks with a _swing of her sword_. Silly rumors, she always remarked, but it did amuse her to indulge in them once in a while when she was able to compare her division's skills to the woman.

_But beyond that, in battle... _Her ego swelled inside. She grinned fearlessly at the group of men filing in below, dressed in black cloth and lining up in rows as they prepared for a battle. _Only the First could defeat us! And that would be after a long and furious battle... We would not be destroyed in one hit. _

"Maybe this is why it's a big deal." Soi Fon's voice dropped. She froze, watching the men go through a series of kicks and punches together in perfect unison. _Her men. _They were tougher than nails, faster than a striking snake and with the strength of a dozen souls each. "I..."

"I can't figure it out." She stepped back, mind full of thoughts. "I can't figure out the body. I can't figure out the killer. There's too many possibilities and... and... which one is it? Who killed this woman? Who was she? What did she see or do or knew that got her killed? Is it even her fault? Is it my fault? I'm supposed to be the best and yet..." _I don't know anything more than... than my men. That's the truth. _She stumbled backwards, flinching at the pain in her hand as she rested it on her cracked desk and looked down.

There, a line of weapons greeted her. _Senbon_ wrapped up, the needles sharp and some tipped with paralyzing toxins. A sheathed dagger was to the side, and multiple _kunai_ in dire need of sharpening littered a messed up pile of forms. Her eyes could also spy the miscellaneous pens and reports that she still needed to work on, none of which reflected her pride and her skill. All of them reflected weakness of some kind- procrastination, the unknown. She would be seen as lazy and dumb in the eyes of her peers if they saw its state. But what if the guard from before told someone? No, no, _no! _Damnit! She would have his head, and cut it off herself if she had to—

"...Captain Soi Fon?" Someone knocked at her door. She felt chills go down her spine and shook her head.

"I am not weak... I am not lazy, or dumb, or dim or any of that shit that they try to pull... This is just a mix-up; I'll find this killer and catch them before they hurt anyone else. That man won't tell, and I'll still have my reputation. Deep breaths, take deep breaths..." Quickly, she opened a drawer and shoved all but a few loose papers and a pen into it. Straightening the papers, she was able to sit down and look _very _busy as the door opened and an older woman walked in.

Retsu Unohana was a kind woman, and everyone, including Soi Fon, knew that. She was the head of the Fourth division, where all the healers and cleaners worked, and as such she would wear a long white coat with bell sleeves and the insignia of the Fourth sewn on. Small stains from more critical operations could always be seen on it, but underneath was a long black robe that trailed just above the floor. The only thing that Soi Fon would say was off about her at any given time was the long black hair that Unohana usually wore in a twisted braid, straight down the front. But besides that, the Fourth's captain normally looked quite _normal _compared to some of the get-up that was seen in the other divisions.

But _today_ was different.

Today, she looked thinner than the late-night janitors and her eyes were overcast. There was nothing good about the way she walked: jerking back and forth, and with timid movements. Her hands shook slightly, arms lowered at her sides while a large black robe hung on. Her coat was nowhere to be seen, and she could have passed off for just getting out of bed. While her braid was intact, the hair was loose in some places and looked like it had been subject to the long hours of the night. Soi Fon straightened up as the disfigured woman walked, stopping near the desk and bowing. For once the Second's captain didn't have a clue what to say, as the two sets of eyes stared back and forth.

The silence hung until she choked out; "No gray-haired assistant joining us today, captain?"

"You should know as well as the others that all lieutenants are still in their meeting. Otherwise I would have been greeted by that lovely lieutenant of yours." Unohana was motioned to a seat on the side. Soi Fon lowered her gaze to the papers in front of her, careful to avoid eye contact. "Besides, this is not something that the lieutenants have been told about. So far, only you, me, the Third division, and the First are aware of this matter."

Soi Fon shifted in her seat. Her earlier insecurity of pride and posture was gone, mind numbing it with the thoughts of murder and death. "I can guarantee you that we will solve this before others are involved. But to do that I need your full cooperation."

She looked at the other woman. Unohana's dreary eyes greeted her and her head snapped back down to a form of grass-trimming duties on her desk. "You mean the body? I have already gone over it..."

"You reported fractures in the shoulders, minor cuts and bruises, and a stab wound to the abdomen. I was wondering if you would be willing to look it over again, for the sake of the investigation. I understand that trying to perform an autopsy without the Twelfth's equipment is hard enough as is, but you might have missed something when you were still half-asleep."

"I'm still half-asleep as is." The healer tried to smile. Soi Fon could see the wrinkles across her forehead, and the bags under her eyes. "I suppose I can take another look, but I cannot tell you that something will have changed. Even in this state, I have been trained to perform my best when I am needed so that I can be available at any given time."

She sighed. Soi Fon certainly did have a lot of respect for the woman, but at times like this she seemed stubborn. _Every soul can make a mistake, no matter how high-up they are in the Thirteen Court Guards, _the captain thought, eyes looking toward the window.

She heard Unohana rise. "Is that all, captain? I am a busy woman and have many patients to tend for." The woman's footsteps filled her ears. She could hear her walk to the door, and slide it an inch open.

"Wait." Soi Fon rose. Her eyes did not leave the desk. "Wait, Captain Unohana... tell me, what do you want in return for performing another autopsy on this corpse?" The two captain's eyes met. Soi Fon bit her lip. _Is this really the best way to approach this? No, no, it has to be done... I- no. Me, my men, our division, all of us together must catch this killer._

"If you are implying I would take a bribe, captain..." The healer tilted her head and looked back.

Soi Fon stared at the forms below her. "Not at all. I am asking you what it... _would _take in return for assisting me in this case. I am not offering you anything." _Yet._

The door slid shut. Unohana turned, her arms folded semi-neatly into her sleeves. Her eyes had something in them that was rarely seen in the gentle, motherly captain; but it terrified Soi Fon. For some reason, they looked... malicious? _No, not the word. Evil? Cunning? Malevolent? _The captain shivered under the gaze and looked to the side. The Fourth Captain's cruel gaze was reserved only for the worst. It was always accompanied by a creeping smile and curl of the lips that could have rivaled Gin Ichimaru, the so called 'snake' of the Third. There was something unearthly about it, and Soi Fon could feel shivers run down her spine.

"But you are saying," she tilted her head, "that you would offer me something in return? Outside of the..." her eyes shut. Soi Fon could imagine she was concentrating for spiritual energy nearby, taking note of any eavesdroppers and location of all men.

Unohana's voice lowered. "..._legal_ jurisdiction?"

The captain nodded slowly. Everything that she had been taught was shoved to the side for a moment, a greater need to finish this mystery and satiate her pride swelling. It was not surprise that corruption existed in the city— she herself had dealt with warrants for many cases, mainly those from the Third, Eleventh, and Twelfth. But others existed, and she always advocated equal punishment to all. It was ironic how the system worked, where all the little cases would be weeded out but she would find herself in this position when she needed something from another captain.

_Justice..._ she cringed. _That's what we preach._

Unohana let her gaze soften. Soi Fon wanted to breathe out a sigh of relief, but she calmed her nerves and attempted to smile. "What we say here will not... will not leave this room, I assure you, captain."

"You do not sound confident," the Fourth division healer commented. "You of all people know the risks that are involved with things like this. I am surprised you would not throw me to the ground right now and have me arrested for corruption, Captain Soi Fon. I am stepping on thin ice talking about it as is."

"For the sake of..." _Me, my men, and everything I have worked to prove. _"...the investigation, I can overlook certain things in return for your help."

"I can trust you on this?"

"I imagine that even if I were to arrest you... I would face some sort of punishment too? Some sort of whiplash? Perhaps not among my men, my division, but... I do not know of your connections, Unohana. You are everything that people expect in a female god. Kind, gentle, motherly, but with a vicious power to heal and restore wounds while the men fight. Yet you are corrupt, and the people you could know..." Unohana nodded gingerly to her every word. "I would never win against the forty-six judges, would I?"

The other captain smiled, and straightened up. "You are very smart, Captain Soi Fon. I am glad we have come to an understanding. Please ignore any complaints or requests to look into... _certain_ matters at the Fourth, and do overlook the shifts on the guards near the South-Eastern walls. In fact, it would be best if you could remove them altogether..."

"That is reasonable." Soi Fon choked down the shame in her voice. She would never come off as weak! _Especially not to a corrupt figure!_ "I will see to it, Unohana."

The woman walked to the window. Unohana's hair swayed with each step, accompanying her thin voice. "Don't feel so bad." Soi Fon flinched. "Everyone acts like this the first time they have to deal with matters like... these. You are doing what is best for yourself, and for this investigation. That is a noble reason."

"Reasons alone do not justify the actions I am taking, Unohana. I don't know what you are involved with or what it will cause for this city and the other divisions." The captain turned her head away.

"That is my business and mine alone. Rest assured that this will bring no harm to the city or the inhabitants. I am not that cruel, or I would have had you killed and replaced from the start." The Fourth's leader smiled a sad smile, and looked back. Soi Fon refused to meet her gaze. "I would advise you to be careful, Captain Soi Fon. In this city, there is more corruption behind the scenes then you think. I am respected enough for my abilities to avoid much of it, but others have not been so lucky. There are times where you must learn to turn a blind eye."

The other woman's shoulders slumped. "All of this... for our justice? For fair and due punishment and order? Is this our city, Retsu?" She did not easily show insecurities, weaknesses, or anything that would be disgraceful to herself or her division. But here she was, helpless at the Fourth's mercy. _And I call myself strong. My teacher, if she were here... would she laugh? _

"You are young; you still have a ways to go. But you are better than most, Soi Fon, do not doubt yourself. Some of these judgements are for the best. Now if you excuse me, I have patients to see and matters to attend to." Footsteps moved to the door, and the Second division's captain could hear it slide open.

She bolted upright. "And the body? Unohana— we came to an agreement. You must review it again."

The woman turned back and smiled. "Ah, yes. This woman was powerful, as her blade has disappeared and there is no trace of it. It would indicate that the corpse was of some high ranking officer, not an academy student, and that the spirit of the blade has moved on to someone else. I would look into the spirits of swords and see if there are any consistent ones that might match the cooler spiritual energy of this corpse." Soi Fon let this information sink in while Unohana paused. "There is one other thing, captain... the woman was pregnant, but it was in its early stages. Despite this, there is no sign of the baby's body or residue spiritual energy, as if it has been sent somewhere or disposed of."

Soi Fon could feel the eyes burn into her skull while she looked away. "But I thought..."

"I didn't have a clue? Please, Captain." The woman tilted her head, voice innocent and pure as a mother's as she slid the door shut behind her and her footsteps died away.

Unohana had spoken in a way that forced a realization unto the captain: a bitter stalemate. Soi Fon could see it now. Everything was easily been planned from the start: a generative autopsy, the way she had to be called back in for private, even the way that the lieutenants would not suspect anything with the meeting... Certainly she did not doubt the innocence of the captain involved in this particular case, but she could tell how easy it was for the Fourth's leader to manipulate them all as if they were no more than pieces to a board game. And there was more to it, to the other divisions, and to the political figures and officers that were tied to this woman. But she couldn't risk running an investigation, even a covert one. No— this murder was taking too much of a toll on her mentality and it hadn't even been a full day. All she could do was sit and wonder what the Fourth's captain was up to, and how many people were corrupt.

_Funny, _the Captain mused as she stared down at her fistful of splinters, _how we're the face of justice in this dead world. _

...

That evening in the living world, a news report on a car crash came on across stations everywhere. One older woman was left dead after a car slid on black ice into a passing vehicle, and another man was rushed to the nearest hospital in critical condition. In addition, a woman and young girl were sent there with minor injuries. Ironically enough, it seemed as if death had helped balance out life that night. In the evening, the pregnant woman who had been involved, Miyako Hitsugaya, gave birth at a nearby hospital. The baby boy had his _mothers_ shining white hair and a set of teal eyes that watched everything that moved. They named him Toshiro Masahiko Hitsugaya.

When the snow settled that night, there was a full moon.


End file.
