Chapter 18

 

Toshiro ran as fast as his legs could carry him. His lungs burned in his chest and his breathing continued to grow more ragged. The muscles in his legs protested with a stinging burn in each step he took. He didn’t know how long he’d been in that place, Las Noches, as he’d come to know it. Time appeared to stand still in this world. Inside the walls, it was always day and outside the fortress walls, he was plunged into perpetual night. The words the leader of the realm, Aizen, had spoken still rang clearly in his mind. Your name is Toshiro Hitsugaya and ten years ago, I ended your life.

 

Toshiro shook his head, tears falling from his eyes and a lump forming in his throat. It only became harder to breathe. It scared him to think of all he’d learned. His life had been in jeopardy since his birth, and Minako’s by extension. All his strange dreams were memories of his time as a Soul Reaper, the captain of Division Ten. All the people he felt he recognized were his friends from before. He even remembered his own death…

 

Toshiro was surrounded by his allies, all of them injured. Very few could still fight, and they’d only been able to take down the Arrancar and Tousen. Even the Vizards had been unable to his Aizen or kill Gin. Ichigo Kurosaki, the only one who could have overcome Aizen’s zanpakuto, had even fallen victim. The chance of victory was slim to none, but he had to try one last time. Toshiro’s bankai was about to run out on him. He had one shot at this. In a series of flash-steps, he’d found himself face-to-face with Sousuke Aizen. Toshiro’s zanpakuto, the ever-faithful Hyorinmaru, made contact with Aizen’s shoulder, surrounding the traitor – the b*****d – in a block of ice. Before he had a chance to assess the situation, pain ripped through Toshiro’s chest.

 

Everything became clear in that instant.

 

The image of the frozen Aizen disappeared, revealing the real traitor alive and well. A smirk formed on Aizen’s lips and Toshiro bit back a curse. He’d fallen for one of the former captain’s illusions, again. The sword was ripped from Toshiro’s heart and the iron taste of blood invaded his sense of taste as he gasped. Within a second, Aizen’s zanpakuto slid across the young captain’s throat, nearly decapitating him.

 

Blood began pouring from each broken vein as he plummeted to the earth. Windows and buildings passed by him at an alarming rate. Stars were forming in Toshiro’s vision, but he couldn’t close his eyes. They warm liquid that was his life-force flowed over his face and into his hair. His haori was stained as well.

 

“Captain!” It was his lieutenant who had screamed that. Toshiro knew he’d never see her, or any of his friends, again. I failed, Momo. When he hit the ground, he wished he’d died then. The pain that screamed from his body was excruciating. He wouldn’t be getting up again. The last thing he heard was the anguished cry of Momo Hinamori, his childhood friend.

 

“Shiro-chan!”

 

Toshiro’s fists clenched tighter as he ran, the tears flowing freely down his face. He knew everything about his time as a Soul Reaper. It was the reason he’d been able to use ice like he did. His spiritual pressure was the reason Aizen was after him. He’d caused an imbalance and killing Toshiro would make it irreversible. Aizen would win the war against the Soul Reapers. Toshiro wouldn’t allow that and he’d finally managed to escape.

 

As he glanced around, he found himself to be hopelessly lost. Everything looked the same in this realm, Hueco Mundo. It was like a desert. Toshiro looked behind him and was shocked to see that the fortress still appeared so close. He’d been running for hours, but that made no difference in his perception. Toshiro stumbled and fell to his knees, sobbing into the sand. His lungs hurt and every muscle screamed in pain, but he couldn’t stop the tears that racked his body.

 

“Why are you crying?” a feminine voice asked as a gentle hand rested on Toshiro’s shoulder.

 

The boy jumped and pushed himself away, his eyes wide. The woman before him was tall and thin, though with a very large chest. She was dressed in dark clothes, as though to hide herself in any shadows. The woman’s skin was pale, though she had a red streak across the bridge of her nose and under her gray eyes. She had long green hair and a cracked ram’s skull atop her head.

 

“W-Who are you?” Toshiro asked shakily

 

“My name is Neliel Tu Oderschvank.”