Degeneration of a Soul

Here's the next chappie, we're slowly yet quickly coming to a close.

Chapter 7

The Bridge of Reminiscence

He felt…nothing. Which was odd. However it was as if he was floating, and there was warmth all around him. Opening his teal eyes slowly Hitsugaya came to look upon Degenero. He shot back alarmed, but Degenero didn’t move. It was quiet and nothing else was going on around him. Feeling his feet settle upon a stable surface he looked down but saw nothing. Checking his body over he found his left arm massed with multiple holes as was his side. Other than that he was completely intact. At least he thought so. Wherever he was, he felt safe.

Turning his gaze back to the hollow he shut his eyes tight and clenched his hands into fists. “I just had to get caught in this situation…didn’t I?!” He roared his icy gaze back on the atrocious hollow. He collapsed to his knees and unwillingly let a sob past his lips. “Why are they trying so hard to save me…” He wondered to the emptiness that surrounded him. “I just want to let go of everything. Once I’m gone they’ll find you, and no one else will have to suffer through this!”

Hitsugaya fell back as Degenero’s form appeared before him. He shut his eyes tight waiting for the painful blow to come, but nothing came. He shook his head and curled up into a ball. “I’m too tired to fight this…” He slowly got to his feet and looked angrily up at the Hollow. “If you want my power just take it already, I’ll fight you…even though I’m so tired.” Still no sound came from Degenero and Hitsugaya seethed. Punching forward with his good hand Degenero vanished and he found himself falling forward.

At first he felt nothing, then a wind hit his face and the green of trees and brown of dirt began slashing its way all over the white blank environment. Blue ripped across the sky and the sun blinded him. He flailed as the ground began encroaching closer. He covered his face and prepared for the impact but it never came. He heard gentle laughter and looked around. He was hovering just above the ground. Stepping lightly onto the earth he looked at his surroundings and found himself near a small town.

The people were festive and looked to be celebrating. He walked closer but tried to remain hidden. It was a wedding. His hand twitched and he felt the familiar reiatsu of the hollow rip past him. He watched in horror as Degenero crashed through the unknowing crowd. His eyes widened as the Hollow snared the bride. He made to run forwards but the scenery changed to that of night. He was in a house and standing off to the side as the bride and groom spoke sweet-nothings to each other. He felt a pang of jealousy but then the bride’s body began to degenerate into particles. The new wife screamed in pain and the husband went immediately in search of help.

Hitsugaya watched the woman struggle for breath as her body slowly began to break away. He stepped forward, “don’t worry, I’ll-.” His hand slipped right through the woman, and he wasn’t heard. Then the realization dawned on him. The lady was a previous victim to the Hollow before him. Hitsugaya looked upon her with sympathy…maybe empathy. He didn’t know. He just knew what the woman was going through and he knew what would save her…and obviously her new husband was not the answer to her painful cries.

Soon she was nothing but particles floating around in the room. Hitsugaya reached out. He could still feel the warmth of her. Even if she didn’t know he was there, he hoped it would comfort her that she wasn’t alone when she died. The laughter of the hollow filled his ears and his grit his teeth. Why did he need to see this?

Soon the husband returned and came to an empty room. Hitsugaya watched him fall to his knees in defeat an elderly couple, most likely parents, behind him also in shock. Is this what will happen to him? Hitsugaya smiled bitterly. At least it would save the one he cared about the grief of watching him vanish into nothing. Then he realized…some part of him didn’t want to die, he wanted to live. A powerful wind blew past him and he shielded himself from the blasts.

Slowly it came to a stop and he found himself floating over a cityscape. It was bustling with people. He heard a snort and looked beside him and upon Degenero. “Filthy humans…” He muttered under his breath.

“You’re one to talk Degenero.” Laughed a Hollow who appeared from a rift.

“Shut up, at least I torture my victims.”

“Sorry not all of us can be so sophisticated.” The other Hollow scoffed. “Some of us have been wonderin’, Degenero…why do you do what you do? You give them a chance to live again, why?”

Degenero chuckled. “Perhaps it is because in one lifetime, I wanted the chance, and some idiot Hollow like yourself never gave ‘me’ the chance.” He said darkly. “I have my reasons you worm. Now leave me be, I’m going hunting.” With that Degenero took off, Hitsugaya followed.

Degenero moved fiercely through the buildings and ripped into an apartment building. He crept up to a couple and snared the man around the throat. He said some things to the man, Hitsugaya wondered if it was what he had told him. Degenero then left. Hitsugaya remained and felt a massive amount of reiatsu nearby. The man had begun to degenerate. “Honey…oh my god! What’s going on?” She cried as her lover continued to break into pieces.

“I…” he tried but he screamed in pain. “Motoko…I love you.”

She gaped. “What? Just tell me why…what’s going on Sano?” She cried. Hitsugaya wondered how many times the Hollow cause these painful goodbyes between lovers. “Honey…please, what’s going on? I don’t understand.”

“I love you…” He whispered again.

Hitsugaya’s whole world came crashing down on him. ‘It can’t be…’

“I love you too.” She sobbed into his vanishing body.

A wave of power exerted itself around the room and the woman, Motoko, found Sano back to normal. He looked at her in awe and ran his hands over himself to make sure. She touched his face gently and kissed him softly.

Hitsugaya turned away from the scene. A realization yet a heart wrenching feeling passed through his body. He passed through more scenes, of various couples. He saw those who were stripped and broken down for power for Degenero, and those who saved themselves. He came to a stop somewhere in the past. A beautiful man sat in a garden. He was playing an instrument. He stopped though and looked somewhere beyond Hitsugaya. Turning around he noticed another man coming.

“It’s going to rain you know, you should come and play inside.”

“I guess you’re right,” laughed the musician.

Hitsugaya felt a familiar aura around the musician. His eyes widened. It couldn’t be possible. This was the Hollow’s past. The two were inseparable, but Hitsugaya noticed the musician was slowly becoming weary of his partner. The man left at night and went elsewhere. The musician confronted him one evening and it ended badly. The musician was heartbroken and grew in hatred. He was killed by a Hollow and so became one.

“You bring pain to people…because you yourself suffered at the hands of it…” Hitsugaya muttered empathically. He smirked and tilted his head. “And here I thought I would never feel bad for a Hollow.”

He was back to a world of nothing. The form of the Hollow once again before him. “I really don’t know…” He muttered looking away into whatever place he was. “I really don’t know if he would love me…enough to save me.” He shrugged helplessly and smiled sadly. “But I know…I would love him.” He found himself in a familiar place and looked around. He was back in Karakura town. He gripped his yukata tightly and walked towards the place he needed to go. “Where are you Kurosaki?”

*

Ichigo jolted awake in his sleep. Looking around nothing was out of the ordinary. He felt this nagging feeling in the back of his head however, so he got up. He wandered down to the Chamber again and found Rukia and Renji already there. “How is he?”

“Still the same,” Rukia answered. “Unohana said that his degeneration is at a standstill right now.” She explained then looked up at him. “Are you okay, Ichigo?”

“Yeah I guess. How’s Tomoyo?”

“She’s doing much better now. Her arm is completely back to normal.”

“Sounds good.” He said and settled himself down next to a sleeping Renji. “He’s really worried about him isn’t he?”

“We all are.” Rukia sighed. “This is beginning to take it’s toll on everyone. Now that we know the Hollow is still alive, no one really knows how to deal with the situation.” She said and took a seat next to him. “The 1st is considering using Hitsugaya as bait to lure him into Seireitei. It could kill him…but this Hollow is too dangerous to keep roaming free.”

Ichigo reluctantly nodded in agreement. ‘I don’t know how to save you Toshiro…I need you to wake up, so you can tell us.’

I know the chapters have been short and brief but if there are people who would like it longer, I have considered editing and broadening on the story to possibly accommodate more. Let me know, chapter 8 is almost finished.

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Frozen-Wings