Orderly Madness, the Melody of Chaos #19: Realisation
Orderly Madness, the Melody of Chaos [#19/?]
Chapter rating: PG
Chapter specific warning: None
Chapter specific spoiler: Anime Episode 100 regarding Soi Fon and the use of Suzumebachi
Chapter summary: The crisis that had befallen upon the festive dinner is frozen and Ichigo dashes to Soul Society.
Author’s Note:
MINNA-SAN, KANON IS BACK!!! XDD PLEASE WELCOME ME BACK WITH A WARM ROUND OF… REVIEWS!!
Yup, I’m not dead, still alive and kicking (unfortunately?!), Orderly Madness along with it. I apologise for insanely long hiatus; I ended up having a long break from actually writing it so my return was unavoidably delayed.
While I’m sorry for the forever waiting, I have to say that it had done me some good to take a breather from the marathon-running I’ve been doing since Empathy. After returning to my study after a year out, getting infatuated with Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, getting myself into the fansub world, neglecting Hitsugaya over Hibari with much guilt, I’ve come back to Orderly Madness.
The life back at the uni is absolute MADNESS and it had been at the price of my precious sleep that I continued to indulge myself in this sweet obsession while I shrivel to a dried mummy. …That’s my excuse anyway. *shot*
Anyway, many gratitude and luff to everyone who sent me encouragements and feedbacks regarding my last notice. *showers cookies* The final decision has been made based on the votes and it is, DUN DUN DUN, sporadic updates! *bricked* So, expect to hear from me at random occasions.
On the other hand, I’ve in fact gone mental enough to sign up for NaNoWriMo and therefore my entire November will be spent on it. If you click here, you’ll land on my writing community where it will be random bits and pieces from the fiction I’m writing for it; you might be glad to hear that it’s another IchiHitsu one to go with Empathy. It’s about the time we did not get to see between Empathy and Orderly Madness :D I am hoping to post them much later but for now, I need to write 50,000 words before 30th Nov so it’s just a mess of words.
Now, just a sidenote. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the break I had but I’ve decided to introduce Shirosaki into the story (not here but soon) but he’s not going to a strawberry-ass-kicking badboy he is in the canon (or at least not as bad as that anyway) because in this universe, Ichigo does have him under complete control. Shirosaki’s entrance was going to happen anyway but I’ve brought his first appearance earlier than I had planned and given him a slightly bigger role as Ichigo’s not-so-friendly-but-friendly annoying sadistic companion when it permits. How often he will appear, even I haven’t got a clue at the moment. *shot*
And now, after all that rambling, let the curtain rise again and-
HAJIME!
PS. I’ve hit 300 marks for reviews, not counting your replies to my notice! Thank you very much for your support and love! -- Of course, that refers to FF.net but of course, thanks to you guys here in LJ too :D
:::::Orderly Madness, the Melody of Chaos by Kanon Ch.19:::::
Realisation
“Unohana taichou, we have a problem! Kurotsuchi fukutaichou cannot determine what poison it is, it’s a type we’ve never seen before!”
Not even the thunderous coughs from the poisoned captains could disturb the thickness that engulfed the blood-scented atmosphere. The intense stench of death suddenly thickening in the doomed silence made the shinigamis present in the hall choke on what little air they had taken in a gasp, the saucer-sized eyes filled with stunned incredulity and instinctive refusal to believe that this was happening. For all the talented personnel the 12th division was filled with, there was now no way the antidote would be in their hands before too late.
Instantly, almost out of reflex, Unohana snapped round to the only other captain standing to find that the said shinigami had taken a place nearer to the wall on the other side. She easily found the frosty teal eyes, astonishingly calm and undeterred for his age and their circumstances; they were already locked on her in all seriousness. There was an invisible spark as the two gazes clashed in mid-air and the prodigy was on the move at once, nodding as he swiftly crossed the room towards Ukitake whose consciousness swayed in a limbo; it was the poison that had pushed the thirteenth division captain to the abyss yet it was the agony of it that did not allow him to simply rest in the darkness. The braided healer averted her eyes in helpless resignation, hidden by the calm exterior. Much to her dismay, nothing within her division’s renowned healing abilities had been able to fully counteract the toxin that was robbing the captains of their desperate wheezes but the medics had given all they had relentlessly, believing the antidote would soon arrive to end this unexpected calamity.
However, as fate would have it, the burden of the lives of the eleven captains, its weight unfathomable, was to befall on the exceptional but young genius, praised to be the reincarnation of the heavenly guardian, that had only just escaped the near certain death himself.
The understanding had the fourth division captain halting for a second in her last, time-pressed instructions to stabilise Ukitake’s condition as much as possible. Hitsugaya was already only a step away from her and it was only then that something about him caught her eyes.
The stiff face was a little paler than usual and the professionally trained eyes did not miss the indiscernible falters in the agile captain’s usually adroit and precise movements. Then just as she watched her subordinates stepping away for Hitsugaya, a realisation struck her hard and Unohana could only blink, the distressed anxiety inside her growing with every wet cough that echoed shrilly around the hall, ringing in different pitches and mingled with laboured groans. In the commotion of focusing on those still in critical danger, no one, not even she, had remembered to check the tenth division captain.
Hitsugaya was, she belatedly realised, not as well-recovered as she had previously thought.
“...Hitusga…”
It was not a vocal reply that cut her short in the middle of the call but a simple look from the cool emerald eyes, a wordless yet candidly unyielding glance over his shoulder that threw her into a stunned silence. The knowing acknowledgement of the urgency of the situation and the sheer resolve, somewhat inapt for his relatively short lifetime but entirely befitting the rank the boy held at the said age, were enough to make her swallow the words, though what she had been about to say, she did not know. Most of the times she had come across Hitsugaya was in the dreary meetings and there was not much else that she had seen from the youngest captain apart from impassiveness and perhaps a hint of annoyed boredom. More likely that the fire of perseverance presently roaring in the glacial globes was what Hitsugaya’s enemies were more familiar with. Even in her centuries-long captaincy, only for a handful of times had Unohana been struck speechless by the pure force in a mere gaze.
His face set in an unreadable mask, Hitsugaya shifted his eyes to the raven-haired girl who had her captain’s jerking head resting on her laps as she held him down at the shoulders to ground the lurching body. The tormented cobalt orbs were brimming with tears that she was evidently refusing to let flow down as the desperate gaze flickered between her Rukongai, noble and division family steadily stepping closer to eternal departure.
We are not going to lose anyone tonight, Hitsugaya told himself decisively, turning to his self-appointed-step-father. It was as simple as that. They were not losing anyone tonight.
‘Toushiro.’
The small hand that had been reaching for Ukitake’s arm stopped in midair in response to the call that came not from the outside, but from his inner world, and Hitsugaya frowned ever so slightly, his eyes rooted on the 13th division captain. Countless streams of red trailed down either side of the man’s mouth, leading to a thick puddle on the floor, and the long white tresses were losing their purity to the tainted fluid.
‘Little one, you are in no condition to go through it 11 times.’
‘We were the last resort, Hyourinmaru. And now, we are the only chance they have.’
Hitsugaya nearly smiled at the disgruntled rumble resonating within him; despite the sound, he knew Hyourinmaru would not deny of his wish.
‘We are going to make it possible but I cannot do it alone, Hyourinmaru.’
‘…You are my master.’
The unwillingness and discontent were clear in the growling voice even as the legendary creature’s wings spread out imposingly again, the familiar gust of wind mixed with piercing shards of arctic ice rushing through his inner world. This time, Hitsugaya did let the barest of smiles touch his stiffened face, the tiny twitch indiscernible. Hyourinmaru would not have let others die on them; the dragon was just too protective of its wielder not to say anything, always putting his sake before anyone else’s.
“Hitsugaya taichou…”
Rukia swallowed thickly, trying her best not to be swept away by the gut-wrenching fear knotting in her stomach. When Hitsugaya, the last of their hope, lifted his head and looked at her, she felt an inexplicable wave of composure dousing her frizzled mind. The teal eyes were illuminated with unwavering willpower and there was not a falter in the direct gaze for a single moment as he spoke.
“Hold yourself together. He’ll be fine.”
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-IchiHitsu-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
A small, somewhat weary sigh signalled the swift withdrawal of Hyourinmaru and all the shinigamis blinked owlishly at the tenth division captain. Ukitake had fallen comatose a while ago, having at last fallen up under the arduous suffering, but his breathing was undoubtedly less strenuous and the feeble coughs had lost the distressing gurgling sounds.
The only sign Hitsugaya gave of the exertion was a barely noticeable wince which could have easily passed as his perpetual frown. The moment he stepped away, Hanatarou rushed in, quickly healing the gashed wrist, and when he scanned the unconscious captain, he could not help but gasp in astonishment at the feedback.
The 13th division captain’s entire system was at an almost complete standstill, the beating of the heart threateningly slow, the echoes only just detectable. However with the right treatment from now on, the fourth division’s regular patient would surely survive another close brush with death in the end.
Hanatarou turned around with a shaky smile, his hands already glowing with yellow light over Ukitake. A relieved smile lit up the anxious faces of many and Unohana instantly called for her vice-captain, hidden relief washing through her. From the moment Kotetsu had returned with the unexpected announcement, the lethal crisis had become something out of her capability, her medical responsibility passed onto Hitsugaya out of necessity. However they still had just as important a job and the fourth division was not going to stand by idly.
“Kotetsu fukutaichou.”
“Hai!”
“Transport Ukitake taichou to the relief station. His illness would have been undoubtedly worsened and it would start to take hold of him once his system is released from the chill. Third Seat Iemura, please go with Kotetsu fukutaichou. I will remain here with Seventh Seat Yamada.”
There were echoes of the collective affirmations as the shinigamis promptly placed Ukitake’s limp body on a stretcher and rushed out of the hall. Rukia followed them out of the room with her eyes until they disappeared from the view then crawled over to her brothers, noble and Rukongai alike. The healer turned towards Hitsugaya, wondering what exactly his condition was, but the said shinigami was already on his way to the Head Captain whose old age seemed to be aiding the toxin.
Hitsugaya tightly sealed his thinned lips, scowling when the splitting migraine returned, or rather, when his consciousness re-registered it. Ukitake had been far more difficult than Unohana; the sick man had been hardly awake from the beginning and his reiatsu had started to fluctuate out of control, instinctively pushing back the icy one that was attempting to intrude its ill owner’s corrupted system. Forcing his way in ruthlessly had been out of option in fear of inciting further harm and it had taken a while of cautious and precise prodding and weaving until Hyourinmaru could take control at last.
Straining to stop his hand reaching for his crushing head, Hitsugaya took a quick glance over his shoulder at where Ukitake had been lying. The usual, cloudy frost covered the polished floor, the far outside of it already melting. The pale face twisted into a grimace as he realised the rime ice had spread out further than it should have. Every time the afflicted captain had entered another tormenting fit of blood-splattered coughs, his chest dramatically heaving as if to explode, his concentration had unavoidably wavered before he knew it and too many times had his tighter than possible control almost slipped out of his grasp. All he could hope was that he himself had not caused as much damage as the poison itself.
The turquoise orbs glistened in surreal shimmer from the strained exertion of reiatsu as they surveyed the room, the frown disappearing from the whitish features and leaving it strikingly blank of any readable emotions; one down, ten to go. He made sure no part of him gave away the grimness he felt inside. Suddenly, he found himself with the lives of all captains of Gotei 13 on his shoulders and that was certainly no light weight. Getting down on one knee next to the Head captain, he briefly locked his gaze with Unohana.
“Unohana taichou, I cannot work on them all at the same time. Please do whatever you can to keep everyone alive.”
The fourth division captain nodded then she quietly whispered to her Seventh Seat who had been tending Kyouraku as she took over his place.
“Seventh Seat Yamada, please keep an eye on Hitsugaya taichou. I doubt he will let you intervene regardless of his own condition so remember any signs you see. We will need to deal with them afterwards straight away. I leave the task to you as I need to tend taichous.”
“Hai, taichou.”
The corner of her eyes caught Yamada’s navy blue hair moving out and Unohana cast one last glance at Hitsugaya for a flitting moment before regrouping her subordinates, moving from one patient to another. Various orders were issued for each of them and were promptly followed, many pairs of hands busily but methodically moving over the ailing shinigamis. Even if she was concerned about his state, the young prodigy was their only promise of survival and the least she could do was lessening the mighty pressure on him by prolonging the other’s lives as long as he needed.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-IchiHitsu-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The atmosphere in the meeting hall was palpably different from when the catastrophe had first struck the celebration. The tension was still dense in the air along with the sickening smell of raw blood but a bud of hope was shyly making its way through along with victorious calmness as Abarai Renji was carried out to the infirmary. That made him the seventh captain to leave the room alive, the score for lost victims remaining firmly at zero. Now, only four more remained and the sure approach of a winning end made the medics move their hands that much faster and pour that much more reiatsu.
“This is bloody weird. Man, I should fight you with that zan…”
“Shut up, Zaraki.”
Zaraki only flashed a feral snicker with a bloodthirsty look at the blade that currently pierced his wrist but the display of untamed joy swiftly vanished at the knife-sharp glare from the emerald eyes. He’s only a midget but that look is as good as the old man’s, he thought and would have shrugged if he could.
Just a step away from the two captains stood Matsumoto and Hanatarou, both of them fixedly watching the white-haired captain. The Seventh Seat timidly glanced at the vice-captain next to him then to Unohana who was setting up a new, more complicated shield around Soi Fon. The poised black eyes caught his then glided across to the tendo and the braided shinigami clamped down her lips so the subordinates would not hear the resigned sigh.
The increasing fatigue and the taxing stress were starting to show their own small hints on the typically inexpressive shinigami who spent just a second longer on the floor, discreetly leaning on Hyourinmaru, before standing back up. In fact, ‘standing up’ was perhaps not the most correct description because the sharp tip of the chilled zanpaktou had left a significant indentation on the floor; it was the only visible sign of Hitsugaya’s concealed need of leverage. The chest rose and fell rapidly as the tired body demanded for more and more oxygen and the deadpan visage gleamed with heavy perspiration under the bright light, the white bang plastered on the face that had gained a disturbing tinge of pallid grey at some point.
Even if Hitsugaya had taken the least damage from the poison, Unohana knew he would be out of commission for some time just like everyone else.
However the time was growing even more critical. The instructions from the fourth division captain were progressively more and more urgent and complex, the language something that only medics could understand since long, and from the looks of it, the prodigy was also in increasingly challenging fights against the poison as it gained a firmer grip on its victims by every second.
“…Done. Move Kuchiki taichou to…!”
“Taichou!!”
A string of muffled curses flew out of the ashen lips as Hitsugaya instantaneously stabbed Hyourinmaru onto the frost-covered ground to prevent himself sprawling out on it. Apparently, the aching muscles decided to stop begging him for rest and take their own action. A pair of hands that he somehow just knew was Matsumoto’s were on his hunched shoulders as he gulped in the frigid air. Its iciness was welcoming, fresh in his drained lungs and cleared the blurry fog out of his vision.
‘Toushiro, you have to stop at least for a bit.’
However the heeding plead from the concerned dragon fell on deaf ear as Hitsugaya returned to his feet persistently with a swallowed grunt, Matsumoto’s hands sliding off the tense shoulders from the movement. His breathing was ragged and erratic, his limbs heavy as if they were each burdened with a ton-heavy weight at wrists and ankles. It did not surprise either the zanpaktou or the wielder though; what they were constantly repeating was already a difficult enough task on its own yet Hitsugaya had been constantly pushing the speed of the elimination despite Hyourinmaru’s assurance that one or two seconds more would not cause any more harm than already done. Nothing the anxious spirit said was enough to dissuade the iron-hard resolution that carried its master to the next victim incessantly. With the remaining captains’ conditions deteriorating at an alarming rate, the hypothermia kicked in earlier and earlier every time and Hitsugaya was not going to take any risks.
If anything comforted the worn-out shinigami, the good news was that there were now only two left; Soi Fon and Kurotshuchi. The bad news was that the poison seemed to have now reached its last stage before the climax even with Unohana’s personal expert care.
Matsumoto bit her lips in a crestfallen look, staring at the back of her captain who had just thrust the long blade into Kurotshuchi’s eerily white wrist. It was obvious that Hitsugaya was losing his suppression over the mythical ruler, much to her dread in many senses. The telltale frost was now carpeting more grounds at faster speed and the unearthly chill emanating from Hyourinmaru was shockingly clear even in the cold air.
Nevertheless it seemed that the boy genius was somehow managing to keep the powerful freeze restrained enough, most likely through sheer willpower that rivalled his obstinacy, and the medics gradually slowed down their frantic treatments on Kurotshuchi, their stares full of wonder. Kurotshuchi’s vital was still precariously low but it was at last starting to lose its shooting and diving fluctuation as his numerously modified body rapidly lost what little warmth it had.
A moment later, the second last victim of the attempted poisoning was carted off to the fourth division with the last team of the medics. Now, all that remained in the crimson-spoilt hall were Matsumoto, Unohana, Yamada, a couple more of the medics, Soi Fon and Hitsugaya.
Unohana frowned ever so slightly as she shifted her gaze from Soi Fon to Hitsugaya uncomfortably. The petite Chinese had been holding out astonishingly well, thanks to her guard training, and Suzumebachi had also provided her a room for a much needed breather. Nevertheless the inky poison of the golden hornet had not been enough to fully counteract whatever mysterious toxin it was and the indiscriminating, brutal attack was eating her away to the dangerous brink.
Nevertheless, she could not urge Hitsugaya who was yet to stand back up, the white-spiked head lowered so that no one could see his face, though the violent ups and downs of the small shoulders were a sure sign of what was going on.
Hitsugaya shook his head slightly in a scowl, trying to drive away the maddening throbs at his temples as his pulses pounded away. His chest tightened with a harsh squeeze that made the white eyebrows furrow so deeply that they almost met each other on the creased forehead. Taking in a laborious breath, he forced the ribcages away, the crushing pressure chased out with the fresh, greedy intake of oxygen. The damp kimono clung to his skin thickly, soaked with sweat, and both the master and the zanpaktou were aware that it was only through utter determination that they had got through the 12th division captain. And now, if they were not to have a slip-up now, a few seconds to put the weakened focus back in shape was a necessity before the last captain.
‘Little one, you are pushing yourself unnecessarily too far.’
‘Only one remains, Hyourinmaru.’
‘I cannot stop you from saving your nakamas but promise me that you will rest after this.’
The white-crowned head shook again but this time, more out of exasperation, with an odd expression on his face; a minute tug upcurled the lips but the eyebrows knitted, earning himself several confused looks. Unaware of the unsettled glances, Hitsugaya peeled himself away from the floor against his wish to spread eagle on the sheet of frost and dragged his heavy feet across to Soi Fon.
‘I’ll try.’
There was no mistake in the irritated sigh from the wise, protective soul companion, accompanied with a displeased grunt. However Hyourinmaru did not press the matter any further because its intimate link with its little master was disclosing Hitsugaya’s own admittance of his condition. With the unbreakable stubbornness came the exceptional mind and there were occasions, once in a blue moon, that the immovable captain in fact accepted that nothing productive would come out in the end should he insist. The legendary creature could only hope this would be one of those handful times that were too few and far between. Then suddenly, a wave of uneasiness reached him through the connection and Hyourinmaru soon found out the reason, the one thing that had been nagging the boy’s weary mind more and more with each captain saved.
‘Hyourinmaru… Don’t we know this reiatsu?’
‘…Perhaps. I do sense familiarity. However we will have to rescue your last nakama and take some rest before conjecturing.’
Hitsugaya did not miss the emphasis on ‘and’ and intentionally fixed his tone rather wry.
‘Of course.’
Was that a scoff from the mythical, sombre ruler of the icy plain that he had just heard?
‘I doubt you will have much choice in the matter.’
Hitsugaya fixed his grip on the blue hilt once more before bringing it straight down onto Soi Fon’s wrist and called forth the last of his exhausted energy.
‘We’ll find out soon enough.’
‘Then we shall begin.’
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-IchiHitsu-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Two pairs of eyes, one silver and one black, collided in the frigid air, both mirroring each other’s fretfulness and concerns, as the temperature dove down for one last time. Unohana signalled Yamada to come to her side and when she looked at him, the Seventh Seat nodded, discreetly pointing at his own temples, followed by a general circle around his chest before closing and opening his hand which then moved to the right side of his abdomen, and lastly, his left calf. Having caught the broad meaning, the healer turned her gaze to the prodigy whose clothing had turned a shade darker than its original from the bucketful of sweat that had seeped into it.
“Matsumoto fukutaichou, please bring Hitsugaya taichou to the relief station afterwards, no matter what he says.”
Matsumoto nodded, oblivious to her unconscious twisting of the long sleeves in her fists throughout the entire ordeal. Then, much to her relief, her captain was at last pulling the zanpaktou out from the Onmitsukidou commander and she immediately rushed to his side, completely missing the taut shock on his face, disbelief and bitterness mingled together in the dull emeralds. However before she could reach him, Hyourinmaru fell from the slack hold to the rime-coated floor with a piercing clang and she cried out in alarm as Hitsugaya swayed dangerously on his feet then crumpled down to his side, finally falling a victim to the overstraining.
“Taichou!!”
“Seventh Seat Yamada, let’s return to the relief station. Matsumoto fukutaichou.”
She did not need to be told twice. Matsumoto quickly pulled back her sleeves and picked up Hyourinmaru that had begun to lose its frostiness then put her arms under her unconscious captain’s shoulders and knees. Her anxious face turned closer to panicked fright when the white-crowned head floppily rolled back and she hurriedly shifted her arms so that it safely rested against her bosom; it was far too disturbing for her, to say the least. The usually alert shinigami was completely unaware of her presence and of her action and while Matsumoto could not say she found it surprising, it had been less than seldom she had seen him in this state.
When they reached the fourth division, they were greeted with chaos unleashed to full as what seemed to be the entire division bustled about, trying to up the vitals of the latest arrivals and keep them very warmly heated. Matsumoto was delightfully surprised to see that Renji was already awake even if he looked very ashen. The redhead was wrapped in a thick blanket with his arm around Rukia, their gazes fixed on Byakuya who appeared to be yet to rouse from the comatose.
“Matsumoto fukutaichou, place Hitsugaya taichou on the bed next to Kuchiki taichou, please.”
“Unohana taichou, is he just tired or…”
Unohana placed her hand over the cataleptic shinigami, her voice in a perfect suavity as usual in contrary to the trepidation in the vice-captain’s.
“I believe so. Hitsugaya taichou mentioned the feat was quite demanding for him and thirteen times he had to repeat it immediately after getting poisoned himself. Seventh Seat Yamada will come to check his condition and we will know more then.”
The healer’s words were not all too reassuring and Matsumoto sighed as she looked down at her captain. Thanks to Hitsugaya, Gotei 13 could avoid any abrupt vacancies in the captains’ posts but she could not help rolling her eyes at his rather reckless resolution. What was worse was that she knew what he would say if she tried to lecture him later on; a dismissive ‘I’m fine, everyone else is fine, so there’s no problem’, probably swatting his hands at her and then firing questions about paperwork.
“Rangiku-san, what’s happened to him?”
The voice was hoarse and croaky but Matsumoto recognised it nevertheless; Abarai Renji.
“He’s drained but they are going to confirm there’s nothing else.”
The redhead nodded with a look of understanding.
“Yeah, I heard he saved all our asses. How did he do it anyway? That was some damn intense stuff back there. For a moment, I thought it really was the end, but now, all I feel like is as if I had a dip in a hell-frozen lake in the middle of a blizzard.”
Matsumoto did not get the chance to answer the question -she did not know the answer anyway- as Hanatarou arrived and the two stepped aside, Renji throwing a casual greeting which was returned with a shy smile. The warm glowing of yellow reiatsu took its time in examining the unconscious captain from head to toe then the Seventh Seat looked up with relief.
“It’s just overtiredness. The poison’s done some damage here and there but they are nothing too serious that I cannot heal right now. He will just need to recover his strength afterwards.”
The vice-captain let out a breath that she had not realised she had been holding back and the redhead patted her shoulder. Matsumoto might not like her own administration office much but she cared about the irritable prodigy to a great deal, remaining adamant that Hitsugaya was the most understanding and nicest captain she had ever served. Apparently, no other shinigamis understood him like she did and she was probably right as well.
“Renji, do you mind watching over taichou for a minute? I’ll be back ASAP.”
The burgundy eyes blinked in surprise at the sudden request, shuddering a little when the last remnant of frosty chill like he had never known sent a shiver down his spine. The Rangiku he knew would never leave the young captain’s side in situations like this. He took a quick glance over his shoulder at the bed where his ex-captain lied then nodded with a shrug. He was not going to be leaving here anytime soon anyway.
“Sure but what’s so important that you are leaving Hitsugaya taichou on his own when he has just fainted?”
“Something important enough for me to leave my cute little taichou on his own when he has just fainted.”
Leaving the perplexed man behind, Matsumoto rushed out of the relief station and headed to her division. With no serious injuries, Hitsugaya would probably wake up soon enough and insist on leaving the infirmary that he seemed to dislike rather a lot.
She would not worry so much -relatively speaking- if that was all but then the departure would so naturally lead to his arrival at the office. Nothing but the gravest injuries had achieved to keep the stubborn captain tied down to the required rest and she knew that mere tiredness did not really fit into the ‘serious’ category in Hitsugaya’s mind. Of course, she was not going to let that happen, not if she could help it.
Having said that, Matsumoto was also aware that she did not have what it would take to stop her captain, hence the mad dash into the corridor where the hell butterflies were fluttering around in the walled-cages. Luckily for her, she also knew the one person that could and would succeed in the task, just as insistent as the temperamental dragon.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-IchiHitsu-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
An orange and black blur shot through the cold winter evening, fast enough to create gusty whirlwinds in its tail. It jumped onto the roofs and the walls at a speed no normal eyes could follow and only seemed to grow quicker with each step.
Ichigo bit his lower lip as he constantly pushed himself one step closer to Urahara shoten, his hands tightly clenched into his fists. A stray cat that had been strolling along the alley shrieked and darted away at the turbulent disturbance of air he left behind but he was already not there to hear the angry hiss.
The sudden crisis that had befallen upon the Kurosaki clinic had finally ended with most of the patients now transferred to a bigger hospital and with an all too late phone call to Karin to explain their absence, Ichigo and Yuzu had been released from the extended hours when it was already well into the evening.
Tired and weary from the hectic hours, Ichigo had decided to deliver his letter to the shop after recharging himself with the take-away they had ordered for late dinner and had just been marvelling on whether he should go ahead with the revelation tomorrow despite Karin’s absence when the buzz of his mobile startled him, the caller-ID unexpected; geta-boshi.
Oh and how much he hated that sly, secretive bastard right now.
-x-
“Moshi moshi.”
-Kurosaki-san, it’s Urahara. Could you come over, please? I have an urgent message from Matsumoto fukutaichou.-
“Rangiku-san?” Ichigo tilted his head in confusion then abruptly sat up on his bed in alarm. “Wait, what do you mean ‘urgent’?”
-I will explain when you arrive.-
He felt restless apprehension abruptly gripping his entire body like a vice and shouted into the phone as he scrambled to get up. “What’s going on?!”
-I’ll see you soon.-
“Wait, Urahara-san!”
-x-
In the end, he failed to hear any further explanation -the shopkeeper had already hung up- and without wasting a second, he had left his home, leaving behind a thoroughly confused and stunned mod soul in his body with the briefest instruction ever; ‘I leave the rest to you!’
The small shop came into his view in the distance and he put even more speed into his shunpo, if possible. Sudden sickening dread was like a devastating storm looming over him, ready to let loose its disasters, while Urahara’s unusually serious voice continued to haunt him. An urgent message, he had said. There could be only one person Rangiku would contact him about so pressingly. The hasty shunpo was not the only reason that his heart was threatening to break through his ribcage.
Astoundingly, he found the blonde man waiting for him outside despite the freezing temperature and Ichigo nearly grabbed the pensive shopkeeper at his neck as soon as he skidded to a halt.
“Urahara-san! What’s going on? What happened to Toushiro?!”
“I’ll explain as we go down, please come in.”
The former captain shut his fan and turned around, his voice without the usual teasing tone and while he usually preferred this lack of playfulness in the mischievous man, this time, it only unsettled the teen even more. As soon as Ichigo followed him in, he saw a hell butterfly fluttering around in the shoten. The moment he stepped in, it started to circle around his head, making him stop in his track and Urahara explained its fixation on him.
“It’s from Matsumoto fukutaichou. They were holding New Year feast tonight but there was an attempted poisoning of the taichous.”
The hazel irises widened and fell back onto Urahara, their gaze frozen in shock. Suddenly, the ring on his fourth finger felt even colder than usual, the lack of the warm pulse all the more prominent.
“…Poison?”
Urahara whipped open his fan again, quickly delivering the rest of the message. Ichigo had visibly stopped breathing, the leanly muscled body turning statue-like, and fortunately, the obvious distress on his face was one of unnecessary.
“Don’t worry, Hitsugaya taichou has saved everyone by the means of Hyourinmaru. However the effort has worn him out badly and he is currently under the fourth division’s care, unconscious. The hell butterfly has been waiting to guide you to the place.”
“So Toushiro is okay?”
The question was quiet, the shaky tone barely hidden in the volume, and the shopkeeper nodded.
“The message was very short, Kurosaki-san, but yes, I think so. Senkaimon is ready for you.”
The confirmation finally snapped the teen out of his shock as he suddenly gasped at the painful signals from his lungs. Toushiro is alright, he blankly repeated to himself, then again and again until it set in through the numbness his mind was shrouded with. His baby dragon was alright. Then it came out in outspoken words.
“Toushiro is alright.”
Urahara did not say anything, knowing that its aim was not to garner verification from him. Giving up an unsteady laugh, Ichigo finally spared a glance at the midnight butterfly that had fluttered down onto his shoulder and with a small smile, the ex-captain inclined his head towards the open door that led to the basement at which his star student nodded and followed him down.
However Ichigo was still far from being flooded with the waves of relief. Apparently Urahara’s words alone were not enough to set his mind at rest even if he trusted the man to be telling the truth. He knew that he was going to have to see his boyfriend with his own eyes, look into those cold teal orbs himself and feel the soft lips on his, and nothing but that was going to erase all doubts and worries out of his mind.
“Thanks, Urahara-san.”
“No problem. I hope Hitsugaya taichou doesn’t give you too much grief.”
Ichigo paused only for a second before a barely discernible snicker flitted across his face, jumping into the pitch-black space of dangai.
“Knowing him, he probably would.”
( #18 l #20 )
Chapter rating: PG
Chapter specific warning: None
Chapter specific spoiler: Anime Episode 100 regarding Soi Fon and the use of Suzumebachi
Chapter summary: The crisis that had befallen upon the festive dinner is frozen and Ichigo dashes to Soul Society.
Author’s Note:
MINNA-SAN, KANON IS BACK!!! XDD PLEASE WELCOME ME BACK WITH A WARM ROUND OF… REVIEWS!!
Yup, I’m not dead, still alive and kicking (unfortunately?!), Orderly Madness along with it. I apologise for insanely long hiatus; I ended up having a long break from actually writing it so my return was unavoidably delayed.
While I’m sorry for the forever waiting, I have to say that it had done me some good to take a breather from the marathon-running I’ve been doing since Empathy. After returning to my study after a year out, getting infatuated with Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, getting myself into the fansub world, neglecting Hitsugaya over Hibari with much guilt, I’ve come back to Orderly Madness.
The life back at the uni is absolute MADNESS and it had been at the price of my precious sleep that I continued to indulge myself in this sweet obsession while I shrivel to a dried mummy. …That’s my excuse anyway. *shot*
Anyway, many gratitude and luff to everyone who sent me encouragements and feedbacks regarding my last notice. *showers cookies* The final decision has been made based on the votes and it is, DUN DUN DUN, sporadic updates! *bricked* So, expect to hear from me at random occasions.
On the other hand, I’ve in fact gone mental enough to sign up for NaNoWriMo and therefore my entire November will be spent on it. If you click here, you’ll land on my writing community where it will be random bits and pieces from the fiction I’m writing for it; you might be glad to hear that it’s another IchiHitsu one to go with Empathy. It’s about the time we did not get to see between Empathy and Orderly Madness :D I am hoping to post them much later but for now, I need to write 50,000 words before 30th Nov so it’s just a mess of words.
Now, just a sidenote. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the break I had but I’ve decided to introduce Shirosaki into the story (not here but soon) but he’s not going to a strawberry-ass-kicking badboy he is in the canon (or at least not as bad as that anyway) because in this universe, Ichigo does have him under complete control. Shirosaki’s entrance was going to happen anyway but I’ve brought his first appearance earlier than I had planned and given him a slightly bigger role as Ichigo’s not-so-friendly-but-friendly annoying sadistic companion when it permits. How often he will appear, even I haven’t got a clue at the moment. *shot*
And now, after all that rambling, let the curtain rise again and-
HAJIME!
PS. I’ve hit 300 marks for reviews, not counting your replies to my notice! Thank you very much for your support and love! -- Of course, that refers to FF.net but of course, thanks to you guys here in LJ too :D
:::::Orderly Madness, the Melody of Chaos by Kanon Ch.19:::::
Realisation
“Unohana taichou, we have a problem! Kurotsuchi fukutaichou cannot determine what poison it is, it’s a type we’ve never seen before!”
Not even the thunderous coughs from the poisoned captains could disturb the thickness that engulfed the blood-scented atmosphere. The intense stench of death suddenly thickening in the doomed silence made the shinigamis present in the hall choke on what little air they had taken in a gasp, the saucer-sized eyes filled with stunned incredulity and instinctive refusal to believe that this was happening. For all the talented personnel the 12th division was filled with, there was now no way the antidote would be in their hands before too late.
Instantly, almost out of reflex, Unohana snapped round to the only other captain standing to find that the said shinigami had taken a place nearer to the wall on the other side. She easily found the frosty teal eyes, astonishingly calm and undeterred for his age and their circumstances; they were already locked on her in all seriousness. There was an invisible spark as the two gazes clashed in mid-air and the prodigy was on the move at once, nodding as he swiftly crossed the room towards Ukitake whose consciousness swayed in a limbo; it was the poison that had pushed the thirteenth division captain to the abyss yet it was the agony of it that did not allow him to simply rest in the darkness. The braided healer averted her eyes in helpless resignation, hidden by the calm exterior. Much to her dismay, nothing within her division’s renowned healing abilities had been able to fully counteract the toxin that was robbing the captains of their desperate wheezes but the medics had given all they had relentlessly, believing the antidote would soon arrive to end this unexpected calamity.
However, as fate would have it, the burden of the lives of the eleven captains, its weight unfathomable, was to befall on the exceptional but young genius, praised to be the reincarnation of the heavenly guardian, that had only just escaped the near certain death himself.
The understanding had the fourth division captain halting for a second in her last, time-pressed instructions to stabilise Ukitake’s condition as much as possible. Hitsugaya was already only a step away from her and it was only then that something about him caught her eyes.
The stiff face was a little paler than usual and the professionally trained eyes did not miss the indiscernible falters in the agile captain’s usually adroit and precise movements. Then just as she watched her subordinates stepping away for Hitsugaya, a realisation struck her hard and Unohana could only blink, the distressed anxiety inside her growing with every wet cough that echoed shrilly around the hall, ringing in different pitches and mingled with laboured groans. In the commotion of focusing on those still in critical danger, no one, not even she, had remembered to check the tenth division captain.
Hitsugaya was, she belatedly realised, not as well-recovered as she had previously thought.
“...Hitusga…”
It was not a vocal reply that cut her short in the middle of the call but a simple look from the cool emerald eyes, a wordless yet candidly unyielding glance over his shoulder that threw her into a stunned silence. The knowing acknowledgement of the urgency of the situation and the sheer resolve, somewhat inapt for his relatively short lifetime but entirely befitting the rank the boy held at the said age, were enough to make her swallow the words, though what she had been about to say, she did not know. Most of the times she had come across Hitsugaya was in the dreary meetings and there was not much else that she had seen from the youngest captain apart from impassiveness and perhaps a hint of annoyed boredom. More likely that the fire of perseverance presently roaring in the glacial globes was what Hitsugaya’s enemies were more familiar with. Even in her centuries-long captaincy, only for a handful of times had Unohana been struck speechless by the pure force in a mere gaze.
His face set in an unreadable mask, Hitsugaya shifted his eyes to the raven-haired girl who had her captain’s jerking head resting on her laps as she held him down at the shoulders to ground the lurching body. The tormented cobalt orbs were brimming with tears that she was evidently refusing to let flow down as the desperate gaze flickered between her Rukongai, noble and division family steadily stepping closer to eternal departure.
We are not going to lose anyone tonight, Hitsugaya told himself decisively, turning to his self-appointed-step-father. It was as simple as that. They were not losing anyone tonight.
‘Toushiro.’
The small hand that had been reaching for Ukitake’s arm stopped in midair in response to the call that came not from the outside, but from his inner world, and Hitsugaya frowned ever so slightly, his eyes rooted on the 13th division captain. Countless streams of red trailed down either side of the man’s mouth, leading to a thick puddle on the floor, and the long white tresses were losing their purity to the tainted fluid.
‘Little one, you are in no condition to go through it 11 times.’
‘We were the last resort, Hyourinmaru. And now, we are the only chance they have.’
Hitsugaya nearly smiled at the disgruntled rumble resonating within him; despite the sound, he knew Hyourinmaru would not deny of his wish.
‘We are going to make it possible but I cannot do it alone, Hyourinmaru.’
‘…You are my master.’
The unwillingness and discontent were clear in the growling voice even as the legendary creature’s wings spread out imposingly again, the familiar gust of wind mixed with piercing shards of arctic ice rushing through his inner world. This time, Hitsugaya did let the barest of smiles touch his stiffened face, the tiny twitch indiscernible. Hyourinmaru would not have let others die on them; the dragon was just too protective of its wielder not to say anything, always putting his sake before anyone else’s.
“Hitsugaya taichou…”
Rukia swallowed thickly, trying her best not to be swept away by the gut-wrenching fear knotting in her stomach. When Hitsugaya, the last of their hope, lifted his head and looked at her, she felt an inexplicable wave of composure dousing her frizzled mind. The teal eyes were illuminated with unwavering willpower and there was not a falter in the direct gaze for a single moment as he spoke.
“Hold yourself together. He’ll be fine.”
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-IchiHitsu-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
A small, somewhat weary sigh signalled the swift withdrawal of Hyourinmaru and all the shinigamis blinked owlishly at the tenth division captain. Ukitake had fallen comatose a while ago, having at last fallen up under the arduous suffering, but his breathing was undoubtedly less strenuous and the feeble coughs had lost the distressing gurgling sounds.
The only sign Hitsugaya gave of the exertion was a barely noticeable wince which could have easily passed as his perpetual frown. The moment he stepped away, Hanatarou rushed in, quickly healing the gashed wrist, and when he scanned the unconscious captain, he could not help but gasp in astonishment at the feedback.
The 13th division captain’s entire system was at an almost complete standstill, the beating of the heart threateningly slow, the echoes only just detectable. However with the right treatment from now on, the fourth division’s regular patient would surely survive another close brush with death in the end.
Hanatarou turned around with a shaky smile, his hands already glowing with yellow light over Ukitake. A relieved smile lit up the anxious faces of many and Unohana instantly called for her vice-captain, hidden relief washing through her. From the moment Kotetsu had returned with the unexpected announcement, the lethal crisis had become something out of her capability, her medical responsibility passed onto Hitsugaya out of necessity. However they still had just as important a job and the fourth division was not going to stand by idly.
“Kotetsu fukutaichou.”
“Hai!”
“Transport Ukitake taichou to the relief station. His illness would have been undoubtedly worsened and it would start to take hold of him once his system is released from the chill. Third Seat Iemura, please go with Kotetsu fukutaichou. I will remain here with Seventh Seat Yamada.”
There were echoes of the collective affirmations as the shinigamis promptly placed Ukitake’s limp body on a stretcher and rushed out of the hall. Rukia followed them out of the room with her eyes until they disappeared from the view then crawled over to her brothers, noble and Rukongai alike. The healer turned towards Hitsugaya, wondering what exactly his condition was, but the said shinigami was already on his way to the Head Captain whose old age seemed to be aiding the toxin.
Hitsugaya tightly sealed his thinned lips, scowling when the splitting migraine returned, or rather, when his consciousness re-registered it. Ukitake had been far more difficult than Unohana; the sick man had been hardly awake from the beginning and his reiatsu had started to fluctuate out of control, instinctively pushing back the icy one that was attempting to intrude its ill owner’s corrupted system. Forcing his way in ruthlessly had been out of option in fear of inciting further harm and it had taken a while of cautious and precise prodding and weaving until Hyourinmaru could take control at last.
Straining to stop his hand reaching for his crushing head, Hitsugaya took a quick glance over his shoulder at where Ukitake had been lying. The usual, cloudy frost covered the polished floor, the far outside of it already melting. The pale face twisted into a grimace as he realised the rime ice had spread out further than it should have. Every time the afflicted captain had entered another tormenting fit of blood-splattered coughs, his chest dramatically heaving as if to explode, his concentration had unavoidably wavered before he knew it and too many times had his tighter than possible control almost slipped out of his grasp. All he could hope was that he himself had not caused as much damage as the poison itself.
The turquoise orbs glistened in surreal shimmer from the strained exertion of reiatsu as they surveyed the room, the frown disappearing from the whitish features and leaving it strikingly blank of any readable emotions; one down, ten to go. He made sure no part of him gave away the grimness he felt inside. Suddenly, he found himself with the lives of all captains of Gotei 13 on his shoulders and that was certainly no light weight. Getting down on one knee next to the Head captain, he briefly locked his gaze with Unohana.
“Unohana taichou, I cannot work on them all at the same time. Please do whatever you can to keep everyone alive.”
The fourth division captain nodded then she quietly whispered to her Seventh Seat who had been tending Kyouraku as she took over his place.
“Seventh Seat Yamada, please keep an eye on Hitsugaya taichou. I doubt he will let you intervene regardless of his own condition so remember any signs you see. We will need to deal with them afterwards straight away. I leave the task to you as I need to tend taichous.”
“Hai, taichou.”
The corner of her eyes caught Yamada’s navy blue hair moving out and Unohana cast one last glance at Hitsugaya for a flitting moment before regrouping her subordinates, moving from one patient to another. Various orders were issued for each of them and were promptly followed, many pairs of hands busily but methodically moving over the ailing shinigamis. Even if she was concerned about his state, the young prodigy was their only promise of survival and the least she could do was lessening the mighty pressure on him by prolonging the other’s lives as long as he needed.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-IchiHitsu-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The atmosphere in the meeting hall was palpably different from when the catastrophe had first struck the celebration. The tension was still dense in the air along with the sickening smell of raw blood but a bud of hope was shyly making its way through along with victorious calmness as Abarai Renji was carried out to the infirmary. That made him the seventh captain to leave the room alive, the score for lost victims remaining firmly at zero. Now, only four more remained and the sure approach of a winning end made the medics move their hands that much faster and pour that much more reiatsu.
“This is bloody weird. Man, I should fight you with that zan…”
“Shut up, Zaraki.”
Zaraki only flashed a feral snicker with a bloodthirsty look at the blade that currently pierced his wrist but the display of untamed joy swiftly vanished at the knife-sharp glare from the emerald eyes. He’s only a midget but that look is as good as the old man’s, he thought and would have shrugged if he could.
Just a step away from the two captains stood Matsumoto and Hanatarou, both of them fixedly watching the white-haired captain. The Seventh Seat timidly glanced at the vice-captain next to him then to Unohana who was setting up a new, more complicated shield around Soi Fon. The poised black eyes caught his then glided across to the tendo and the braided shinigami clamped down her lips so the subordinates would not hear the resigned sigh.
The increasing fatigue and the taxing stress were starting to show their own small hints on the typically inexpressive shinigami who spent just a second longer on the floor, discreetly leaning on Hyourinmaru, before standing back up. In fact, ‘standing up’ was perhaps not the most correct description because the sharp tip of the chilled zanpaktou had left a significant indentation on the floor; it was the only visible sign of Hitsugaya’s concealed need of leverage. The chest rose and fell rapidly as the tired body demanded for more and more oxygen and the deadpan visage gleamed with heavy perspiration under the bright light, the white bang plastered on the face that had gained a disturbing tinge of pallid grey at some point.
Even if Hitsugaya had taken the least damage from the poison, Unohana knew he would be out of commission for some time just like everyone else.
However the time was growing even more critical. The instructions from the fourth division captain were progressively more and more urgent and complex, the language something that only medics could understand since long, and from the looks of it, the prodigy was also in increasingly challenging fights against the poison as it gained a firmer grip on its victims by every second.
“…Done. Move Kuchiki taichou to…!”
“Taichou!!”
A string of muffled curses flew out of the ashen lips as Hitsugaya instantaneously stabbed Hyourinmaru onto the frost-covered ground to prevent himself sprawling out on it. Apparently, the aching muscles decided to stop begging him for rest and take their own action. A pair of hands that he somehow just knew was Matsumoto’s were on his hunched shoulders as he gulped in the frigid air. Its iciness was welcoming, fresh in his drained lungs and cleared the blurry fog out of his vision.
‘Toushiro, you have to stop at least for a bit.’
However the heeding plead from the concerned dragon fell on deaf ear as Hitsugaya returned to his feet persistently with a swallowed grunt, Matsumoto’s hands sliding off the tense shoulders from the movement. His breathing was ragged and erratic, his limbs heavy as if they were each burdened with a ton-heavy weight at wrists and ankles. It did not surprise either the zanpaktou or the wielder though; what they were constantly repeating was already a difficult enough task on its own yet Hitsugaya had been constantly pushing the speed of the elimination despite Hyourinmaru’s assurance that one or two seconds more would not cause any more harm than already done. Nothing the anxious spirit said was enough to dissuade the iron-hard resolution that carried its master to the next victim incessantly. With the remaining captains’ conditions deteriorating at an alarming rate, the hypothermia kicked in earlier and earlier every time and Hitsugaya was not going to take any risks.
If anything comforted the worn-out shinigami, the good news was that there were now only two left; Soi Fon and Kurotshuchi. The bad news was that the poison seemed to have now reached its last stage before the climax even with Unohana’s personal expert care.
Matsumoto bit her lips in a crestfallen look, staring at the back of her captain who had just thrust the long blade into Kurotshuchi’s eerily white wrist. It was obvious that Hitsugaya was losing his suppression over the mythical ruler, much to her dread in many senses. The telltale frost was now carpeting more grounds at faster speed and the unearthly chill emanating from Hyourinmaru was shockingly clear even in the cold air.
Nevertheless it seemed that the boy genius was somehow managing to keep the powerful freeze restrained enough, most likely through sheer willpower that rivalled his obstinacy, and the medics gradually slowed down their frantic treatments on Kurotshuchi, their stares full of wonder. Kurotshuchi’s vital was still precariously low but it was at last starting to lose its shooting and diving fluctuation as his numerously modified body rapidly lost what little warmth it had.
A moment later, the second last victim of the attempted poisoning was carted off to the fourth division with the last team of the medics. Now, all that remained in the crimson-spoilt hall were Matsumoto, Unohana, Yamada, a couple more of the medics, Soi Fon and Hitsugaya.
Unohana frowned ever so slightly as she shifted her gaze from Soi Fon to Hitsugaya uncomfortably. The petite Chinese had been holding out astonishingly well, thanks to her guard training, and Suzumebachi had also provided her a room for a much needed breather. Nevertheless the inky poison of the golden hornet had not been enough to fully counteract whatever mysterious toxin it was and the indiscriminating, brutal attack was eating her away to the dangerous brink.
Nevertheless, she could not urge Hitsugaya who was yet to stand back up, the white-spiked head lowered so that no one could see his face, though the violent ups and downs of the small shoulders were a sure sign of what was going on.
Hitsugaya shook his head slightly in a scowl, trying to drive away the maddening throbs at his temples as his pulses pounded away. His chest tightened with a harsh squeeze that made the white eyebrows furrow so deeply that they almost met each other on the creased forehead. Taking in a laborious breath, he forced the ribcages away, the crushing pressure chased out with the fresh, greedy intake of oxygen. The damp kimono clung to his skin thickly, soaked with sweat, and both the master and the zanpaktou were aware that it was only through utter determination that they had got through the 12th division captain. And now, if they were not to have a slip-up now, a few seconds to put the weakened focus back in shape was a necessity before the last captain.
‘Little one, you are pushing yourself unnecessarily too far.’
‘Only one remains, Hyourinmaru.’
‘I cannot stop you from saving your nakamas but promise me that you will rest after this.’
The white-crowned head shook again but this time, more out of exasperation, with an odd expression on his face; a minute tug upcurled the lips but the eyebrows knitted, earning himself several confused looks. Unaware of the unsettled glances, Hitsugaya peeled himself away from the floor against his wish to spread eagle on the sheet of frost and dragged his heavy feet across to Soi Fon.
‘I’ll try.’
There was no mistake in the irritated sigh from the wise, protective soul companion, accompanied with a displeased grunt. However Hyourinmaru did not press the matter any further because its intimate link with its little master was disclosing Hitsugaya’s own admittance of his condition. With the unbreakable stubbornness came the exceptional mind and there were occasions, once in a blue moon, that the immovable captain in fact accepted that nothing productive would come out in the end should he insist. The legendary creature could only hope this would be one of those handful times that were too few and far between. Then suddenly, a wave of uneasiness reached him through the connection and Hyourinmaru soon found out the reason, the one thing that had been nagging the boy’s weary mind more and more with each captain saved.
‘Hyourinmaru… Don’t we know this reiatsu?’
‘…Perhaps. I do sense familiarity. However we will have to rescue your last nakama and take some rest before conjecturing.’
Hitsugaya did not miss the emphasis on ‘and’ and intentionally fixed his tone rather wry.
‘Of course.’
Was that a scoff from the mythical, sombre ruler of the icy plain that he had just heard?
‘I doubt you will have much choice in the matter.’
Hitsugaya fixed his grip on the blue hilt once more before bringing it straight down onto Soi Fon’s wrist and called forth the last of his exhausted energy.
‘We’ll find out soon enough.’
‘Then we shall begin.’
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-IchiHitsu-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Two pairs of eyes, one silver and one black, collided in the frigid air, both mirroring each other’s fretfulness and concerns, as the temperature dove down for one last time. Unohana signalled Yamada to come to her side and when she looked at him, the Seventh Seat nodded, discreetly pointing at his own temples, followed by a general circle around his chest before closing and opening his hand which then moved to the right side of his abdomen, and lastly, his left calf. Having caught the broad meaning, the healer turned her gaze to the prodigy whose clothing had turned a shade darker than its original from the bucketful of sweat that had seeped into it.
“Matsumoto fukutaichou, please bring Hitsugaya taichou to the relief station afterwards, no matter what he says.”
Matsumoto nodded, oblivious to her unconscious twisting of the long sleeves in her fists throughout the entire ordeal. Then, much to her relief, her captain was at last pulling the zanpaktou out from the Onmitsukidou commander and she immediately rushed to his side, completely missing the taut shock on his face, disbelief and bitterness mingled together in the dull emeralds. However before she could reach him, Hyourinmaru fell from the slack hold to the rime-coated floor with a piercing clang and she cried out in alarm as Hitsugaya swayed dangerously on his feet then crumpled down to his side, finally falling a victim to the overstraining.
“Taichou!!”
“Seventh Seat Yamada, let’s return to the relief station. Matsumoto fukutaichou.”
She did not need to be told twice. Matsumoto quickly pulled back her sleeves and picked up Hyourinmaru that had begun to lose its frostiness then put her arms under her unconscious captain’s shoulders and knees. Her anxious face turned closer to panicked fright when the white-crowned head floppily rolled back and she hurriedly shifted her arms so that it safely rested against her bosom; it was far too disturbing for her, to say the least. The usually alert shinigami was completely unaware of her presence and of her action and while Matsumoto could not say she found it surprising, it had been less than seldom she had seen him in this state.
When they reached the fourth division, they were greeted with chaos unleashed to full as what seemed to be the entire division bustled about, trying to up the vitals of the latest arrivals and keep them very warmly heated. Matsumoto was delightfully surprised to see that Renji was already awake even if he looked very ashen. The redhead was wrapped in a thick blanket with his arm around Rukia, their gazes fixed on Byakuya who appeared to be yet to rouse from the comatose.
“Matsumoto fukutaichou, place Hitsugaya taichou on the bed next to Kuchiki taichou, please.”
“Unohana taichou, is he just tired or…”
Unohana placed her hand over the cataleptic shinigami, her voice in a perfect suavity as usual in contrary to the trepidation in the vice-captain’s.
“I believe so. Hitsugaya taichou mentioned the feat was quite demanding for him and thirteen times he had to repeat it immediately after getting poisoned himself. Seventh Seat Yamada will come to check his condition and we will know more then.”
The healer’s words were not all too reassuring and Matsumoto sighed as she looked down at her captain. Thanks to Hitsugaya, Gotei 13 could avoid any abrupt vacancies in the captains’ posts but she could not help rolling her eyes at his rather reckless resolution. What was worse was that she knew what he would say if she tried to lecture him later on; a dismissive ‘I’m fine, everyone else is fine, so there’s no problem’, probably swatting his hands at her and then firing questions about paperwork.
“Rangiku-san, what’s happened to him?”
The voice was hoarse and croaky but Matsumoto recognised it nevertheless; Abarai Renji.
“He’s drained but they are going to confirm there’s nothing else.”
The redhead nodded with a look of understanding.
“Yeah, I heard he saved all our asses. How did he do it anyway? That was some damn intense stuff back there. For a moment, I thought it really was the end, but now, all I feel like is as if I had a dip in a hell-frozen lake in the middle of a blizzard.”
Matsumoto did not get the chance to answer the question -she did not know the answer anyway- as Hanatarou arrived and the two stepped aside, Renji throwing a casual greeting which was returned with a shy smile. The warm glowing of yellow reiatsu took its time in examining the unconscious captain from head to toe then the Seventh Seat looked up with relief.
“It’s just overtiredness. The poison’s done some damage here and there but they are nothing too serious that I cannot heal right now. He will just need to recover his strength afterwards.”
The vice-captain let out a breath that she had not realised she had been holding back and the redhead patted her shoulder. Matsumoto might not like her own administration office much but she cared about the irritable prodigy to a great deal, remaining adamant that Hitsugaya was the most understanding and nicest captain she had ever served. Apparently, no other shinigamis understood him like she did and she was probably right as well.
“Renji, do you mind watching over taichou for a minute? I’ll be back ASAP.”
The burgundy eyes blinked in surprise at the sudden request, shuddering a little when the last remnant of frosty chill like he had never known sent a shiver down his spine. The Rangiku he knew would never leave the young captain’s side in situations like this. He took a quick glance over his shoulder at the bed where his ex-captain lied then nodded with a shrug. He was not going to be leaving here anytime soon anyway.
“Sure but what’s so important that you are leaving Hitsugaya taichou on his own when he has just fainted?”
“Something important enough for me to leave my cute little taichou on his own when he has just fainted.”
Leaving the perplexed man behind, Matsumoto rushed out of the relief station and headed to her division. With no serious injuries, Hitsugaya would probably wake up soon enough and insist on leaving the infirmary that he seemed to dislike rather a lot.
She would not worry so much -relatively speaking- if that was all but then the departure would so naturally lead to his arrival at the office. Nothing but the gravest injuries had achieved to keep the stubborn captain tied down to the required rest and she knew that mere tiredness did not really fit into the ‘serious’ category in Hitsugaya’s mind. Of course, she was not going to let that happen, not if she could help it.
Having said that, Matsumoto was also aware that she did not have what it would take to stop her captain, hence the mad dash into the corridor where the hell butterflies were fluttering around in the walled-cages. Luckily for her, she also knew the one person that could and would succeed in the task, just as insistent as the temperamental dragon.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-IchiHitsu-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
An orange and black blur shot through the cold winter evening, fast enough to create gusty whirlwinds in its tail. It jumped onto the roofs and the walls at a speed no normal eyes could follow and only seemed to grow quicker with each step.
Ichigo bit his lower lip as he constantly pushed himself one step closer to Urahara shoten, his hands tightly clenched into his fists. A stray cat that had been strolling along the alley shrieked and darted away at the turbulent disturbance of air he left behind but he was already not there to hear the angry hiss.
The sudden crisis that had befallen upon the Kurosaki clinic had finally ended with most of the patients now transferred to a bigger hospital and with an all too late phone call to Karin to explain their absence, Ichigo and Yuzu had been released from the extended hours when it was already well into the evening.
Tired and weary from the hectic hours, Ichigo had decided to deliver his letter to the shop after recharging himself with the take-away they had ordered for late dinner and had just been marvelling on whether he should go ahead with the revelation tomorrow despite Karin’s absence when the buzz of his mobile startled him, the caller-ID unexpected; geta-boshi.
Oh and how much he hated that sly, secretive bastard right now.
-x-
“Moshi moshi.”
-Kurosaki-san, it’s Urahara. Could you come over, please? I have an urgent message from Matsumoto fukutaichou.-
“Rangiku-san?” Ichigo tilted his head in confusion then abruptly sat up on his bed in alarm. “Wait, what do you mean ‘urgent’?”
-I will explain when you arrive.-
He felt restless apprehension abruptly gripping his entire body like a vice and shouted into the phone as he scrambled to get up. “What’s going on?!”
-I’ll see you soon.-
“Wait, Urahara-san!”
-x-
In the end, he failed to hear any further explanation -the shopkeeper had already hung up- and without wasting a second, he had left his home, leaving behind a thoroughly confused and stunned mod soul in his body with the briefest instruction ever; ‘I leave the rest to you!’
The small shop came into his view in the distance and he put even more speed into his shunpo, if possible. Sudden sickening dread was like a devastating storm looming over him, ready to let loose its disasters, while Urahara’s unusually serious voice continued to haunt him. An urgent message, he had said. There could be only one person Rangiku would contact him about so pressingly. The hasty shunpo was not the only reason that his heart was threatening to break through his ribcage.
Astoundingly, he found the blonde man waiting for him outside despite the freezing temperature and Ichigo nearly grabbed the pensive shopkeeper at his neck as soon as he skidded to a halt.
“Urahara-san! What’s going on? What happened to Toushiro?!”
“I’ll explain as we go down, please come in.”
The former captain shut his fan and turned around, his voice without the usual teasing tone and while he usually preferred this lack of playfulness in the mischievous man, this time, it only unsettled the teen even more. As soon as Ichigo followed him in, he saw a hell butterfly fluttering around in the shoten. The moment he stepped in, it started to circle around his head, making him stop in his track and Urahara explained its fixation on him.
“It’s from Matsumoto fukutaichou. They were holding New Year feast tonight but there was an attempted poisoning of the taichous.”
The hazel irises widened and fell back onto Urahara, their gaze frozen in shock. Suddenly, the ring on his fourth finger felt even colder than usual, the lack of the warm pulse all the more prominent.
“…Poison?”
Urahara whipped open his fan again, quickly delivering the rest of the message. Ichigo had visibly stopped breathing, the leanly muscled body turning statue-like, and fortunately, the obvious distress on his face was one of unnecessary.
“Don’t worry, Hitsugaya taichou has saved everyone by the means of Hyourinmaru. However the effort has worn him out badly and he is currently under the fourth division’s care, unconscious. The hell butterfly has been waiting to guide you to the place.”
“So Toushiro is okay?”
The question was quiet, the shaky tone barely hidden in the volume, and the shopkeeper nodded.
“The message was very short, Kurosaki-san, but yes, I think so. Senkaimon is ready for you.”
The confirmation finally snapped the teen out of his shock as he suddenly gasped at the painful signals from his lungs. Toushiro is alright, he blankly repeated to himself, then again and again until it set in through the numbness his mind was shrouded with. His baby dragon was alright. Then it came out in outspoken words.
“Toushiro is alright.”
Urahara did not say anything, knowing that its aim was not to garner verification from him. Giving up an unsteady laugh, Ichigo finally spared a glance at the midnight butterfly that had fluttered down onto his shoulder and with a small smile, the ex-captain inclined his head towards the open door that led to the basement at which his star student nodded and followed him down.
However Ichigo was still far from being flooded with the waves of relief. Apparently Urahara’s words alone were not enough to set his mind at rest even if he trusted the man to be telling the truth. He knew that he was going to have to see his boyfriend with his own eyes, look into those cold teal orbs himself and feel the soft lips on his, and nothing but that was going to erase all doubts and worries out of his mind.
“Thanks, Urahara-san.”
“No problem. I hope Hitsugaya taichou doesn’t give you too much grief.”
Ichigo paused only for a second before a barely discernible snicker flitted across his face, jumping into the pitch-black space of dangai.
“Knowing him, he probably would.”
( #18 l #20 )