- Chapter 18 -

They arrived

Toshiro

We were currently near the woods, training for the upcomming battle with the Arrancars that we were informed we would have. Actually, we were trying to connect with our swords so we could gain more power or something similar to it. Loud noises came from the direction where Yumichika was training with Miyori, growing louder as Yumichika became more frustrated.

"Shut up you guys! FOCUS!!" I yelled annoyed at them as a vein popped on my head. "Or I"M GONNA SEND YOU BACK TO SOUL SOCIETY!!!"

They seemed to get the point so they stopped the ruckus. "Geez, are they incapable of calming down and talking to their swords?" I asked myself as I left a small sigh and continued concentraning on my sword again.

When I was ready to connect with my sword, I swear I heard Madarame mumbling something. I turned my head to him and raised an eyebrow. "Hm? You said something, Madarame?"

He shook his head negatively and kept his eyes off of the sky. "Nah. It is nothing..."

Suddenly, a creacking noise started echoing around which made us all to turn our attention towards the direction of the loud noise. The sky had a small crack which immediately grew wider and revealed four white figures with high spiritual pressure. Arrancars.

Yumichika glued his eyes on the Arrancars and stared at them in disbelied and shock. "Arrancars?" he exclaimed in a bit of high-pitched tone, not wanting to believe the sight in front of him. "There... There's no way, isn't it too soon?!"

I regained my composure but looked with hatred at the new guests. "It is too soon... but it seems that we don't have time to figure out the reason"

"OH?" the most muscular Arrancar exclaimed as he adverted his gaze playfully on our group. "We came out in a pretty nice place, didn't we?"

"Yes, so we can kick your ass!!" Miyori yelled from behind, her yellow eyes now seeming to getting in fire, the sun making them look like pale red.

The Arrancars ignored us utterly with one of them leaving the group behind. As long as they were chatting with each other, we had left our gigais by swallowing the special caramel Urahara had given us. I unseathed my zanpakuto, Hyorinmaru, and made a direct attack at the muscular Arrancar who was the first one to get in my way. But, his reflexes blocked me from slicing his chest in two. He had unseathed his sword half-way and was keeping my zanpakuto away from his body.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro, Squad 10 Captain" I introduced myself with my usual emotionless face.

A wide smirk spread across his face and looked at me with glimmering eyes. "What a coincidence! I'm a 10 too!! Arrancar Diez (= ten), Yammy"

I quickly tensed up. "Diez...! Are you an Espada?"

"You know quite a lot, don't you?" he retorded and send daggers at my skull with his sharp glare. "Seems you fought with someone who doesn't know how to shut up"

I returned the glare and made my first attack with my ice dragon. He quickly melted and became water, which in progress wrapped around his body and freezed, making him a complete ice cube. But as soon as he was completely frozen, he tightened his muscles which affected the ice which surrounded him and made it brake in small snowflakes.

"The hell's that?? It's soooo~ cold!"

"Tch" I muttered in annoyance as I took a defensive posture. He's only tenth but, even with the limit released, it's useless without bankai. I was ready to make another charge at the vigorous Arrancar, when a voice disturbed us.

"Yammy!" a high-pitched voice called my current opponent. "Pass that boy over here!"

His sudden command made my eyes widen is shock. Just... what is the world is happening? I thought puzzled, trying to evaluate what the Arrancar meant.

A wide smirk spread across the dreadful face of the Arrancar. "Since these guys are really annoying let's do this 4 on 1 right now. Cause I'm gonna release and take you guys on as a group" And with those words, his sword was unseathed.

Miyori

I watched as my comprades fought the Arrancars. Judging from their abnormal reiatsu, two of them are certainly one of those Espadas, the high-classed Arrancars. Despite their reiatsu that was resting steady, the Shinigamis couldn't compete against them.

Leaving a small sigh, I sat down from a tree and watched them fighting and struggling against the modified Hollows. I bit my lip hard, to the point that I felt some blood streaming down my upper lip. If only I could help them... If only I could combat against those bastards and feel the adrenaline of the battle running through my veins... If only... I thought pitfully, clenching my zanpakuto to my side.

That reminded me something that we were doing before and that could help me hold myself back from charging in the fight. The zanpakuto connection. I held my sword in front of my eyes and stared at its precise red line, its black midnight color and its magnificent hold. I sighed happily and crossed my feet, unseathed the sword and placed it on my lap while gently holding it. In a blink of an eye, I sank into darkness.

Falling into the darkness and being swallowed by my inner world.

Feeling like water was surrouding me and I was trapped in a water cage.

But then, there is warmness.

Coming closer... and closer... and closer... until I see him.

I see him right in front of my bare eyes as a smile appeared on my face. Flames rising behind the giant firy-red bird which was staring at me with half-closed eyes.

"Faiabado" I mumbled with a small laugh of nostalgia and placed my hand on its head. I leaned on it and extended my hands as far as I could so I could hug him. "I missed you so muuuuuch!"

I received a groan from the bird. "Miyori, stop clinging on my wings and hurting me. You are holding me everyday; no need to make it worse"

My left eye twitched in annoyance and I gave him a light punch on the head. "Faiabado, teme!" I exclaimed and a dark aura appeared behind me.

If he was a human, I'm sure he would have rolled his eyes right now. "Hai, hai, what do ya want?"

I bit my lower lip and looked down, rubbing my arm. "You know, Faiabado... there's a huge battle at winter. Everyone is training in order to get stronger, but I am not allowed to by the Captain Commander. Before we left Soul Society, he informed me that my reiatsu had an abnormal number and that I was allowed neither to fight the Arrancars nor to train" I blutered out with sadness.

"Hmm..." Faiabado hummed while thinking, "I think that the Captain Commander is right about the use of your power and about the number of your reiatsu"

"O-oi!! You are supposed to support me here!?"

"Miyori, he is right. Look how much I have grown up! Your reiatsu has the same size as I have, ne?" Faiabado tried to explain to me and the only thing I could do was stare at him startled.

GRAGH.

A loud yet faded noise was heard from somewhere outside, outside from my inner world. Before I could say a thing, a bright light blocked my vision. The next thing I saw was my zanpakuto lying on my lap.

I snapped my head up, only to see Toshiro falling on the ground a few meters away from me. I blinked a few times to wake up from this nightmare but as much as I tried, Toshiro was still lying on the ground, a pool of blood summoning around his body.

"T-Toshiro!" I squealed frightened ad crawled close to him. His eyes were still open and he was breathing steadily which made sure he wasn't severly injured.

I placed my hands on his left side where blood was streaming from and spilling on the ground. But as soon as I touched him, he almost slapped my hands away. "I don't need to be healed" he said harshly and looked at me with his hard stare.

That made me look at him stunned, my heart aching into my chest. Coldness reached out for my vital spot and I held back myself from crying right now. I looked at the spot he was previously lying but he had vanished. Currently, he had emerged for the feminine-like Arrancar with the 8 arms and a wall of ice had covered him, making the Hollow not able to move.

I huffed and looked away, turning my heels to the opposite direction of the fight. If you don't want my help, choose your own path. Because I'm not going to help you anymore.

Toshiro

Afterthe fight had ended, me and the others walked in Urahara's shop, in the Underground Training Field. I had my injures healed by Ururu and I was sitting on a rock.

Suddenly, I noticed Urahara lookinh distantly at the horizon. "What's the matter, Urahara?" I asked him a bit curious.

He didn't even turn to look at me; his eyes stayed glued to something certain I couldn't figure out. "Hono-san... She hasn't returned back yet..." Those words were enough to make me stand up and walk out of the Training Field.

...

Miyori, if you want to run away, at least hide your reiatsu -___-" At least I have found her in less than 5 minutes. I stepped on the roof quietly and saw her figure staring at the stars with glimmering eyes.

"The stars are beautiful tonight..." she mumbled and didn't take her gaze away from the captivating lightening of the stars.

I walked quietly towards her while my eyes were gazing at the night sky as well. "Indeed..."

Miyori left out a shriek and looked at me surprised, jumping up a little. I sweatdropped heavily. "You didn't take notice of me, did you?"

Her surprised and funny look wuickly turned into a cold and hard as stone glare. The red head clicked her tongue annoyed and looked away from me. "What do you want here, Captain Hitsugaya?"

I flinched slightly at the 'captain Hitsugaya' part but soon I remembered how many times I have scolded her for calling me like that. Now, I was a few feet away from her, staring at her short silouete.

Her sudden movement made me snap out of it. She was now walking towards me but not looking at me and it proved that all she wanted was to pass by me, leaving me alone.

"Wait" I said in a demanding tone and I heard her tracks fadding.

"What?!" her voice asked me out-loud, harshly and painfully.

I turned around and looked at her, leaving a small sigh. "What is wrong? Why did you disappear like that?" I asked and waited for an answer while I crossed my arms demandingly in front of my chest.

Soon, a small giggle was heard, soft and happy. I raised an eyebrow at her sudden mood for laughing when she finally stopped. Her face expression couldn't be seen because of the bangs which were covering her eyes.

The red-haired shinigami charged for me and stood right in front of me. When she lifted up her head, tears could be seen under her eyes while in her eyes was burning hatred and pain.

My eyes widened in the sight in frot of me.

"You know what, Toshiro? Not talking to me for at least one week, not even giving a damn about me and now coming like a lost puppy to find me; I'm fucking sick from all these!! You damned idiot! Bastard! GO AND BURN TO THE PIT'S OF HELL!" she yelled at my face while punching my chest weakly.

My eyes were widened from shock and her sudden reaction, but her next words made my heart beat faster and freeze on my spot.

Her small punches stopped hitting me and she clenched my shirt. "...you know why... why I am doing this...?" she asked me, obviously not waiting for an answer.

"Because I love you"

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Hewwoooo, guys! I made a sin .____. i updated while I was supposed to be studying xD But do not worry, I'm sick so I couldn't study anyways XD

And here I am, with an awful chapter full of cliff hangers .____. Yep, that's Katsu for you xD

Firstly, I would like to thank Levee_Ayzis for making me the incredible cover for Melted Ice! You are a real gem, Ayzis :')

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Arigato gozaimasu! ^_^ Have a nice exam period xD