POLL RESULTS!!

Hey guys!

Finally got the results in for the last Poll ^^

The results is that u guys want Libra!

I'm glad you guys ended up with this, not Virgo (close 2nd -_-)

Well, It'll be out soon, ENJOY M.S.A.A. UNTIL THEN!!

BYE BYE 4 NOW

Maddie ^o^

M.S.A.A. BLEACH pt. 63

"...Time Psychic Abilities. They are said to appear in mentally strong Soul Reapers with a high aptitude for learning quickly and efficently. Abilities under this name range from the ability to use telepathy, turn invisible, stop time for short periods of time, and like the name, predict the future. Though little is known about how Soul Reapers attain the abilities, what is known is that there's few who can use these abilities, the person is born with these abilities, and it's almost non-existent for a T.P.A. Soul Reaper to use every single ability. Because there was enough of us, Central 46 created a secret squad made up of these individuals, and the strongest out of all of them was made the Captain of that Squad. It just turned out that the strongest was me, the youngest of the group. So, now with that heavy loud on my mind, I have to remember my powers, and train them all over again...fun..."

July 6
SOUL SOCIETY
Cree's Perspective
"Again!" Mariya yells, panting a bit.
"Mariya, I don't think you're ready for-" Toshiro starts.
"No, if I don't learn how to do it, I'll never be able to regain memories about using barrier, now attack me again!" Mariya snaps.
Toshiro sighs.
"Alright, but if it becomes too much, we're stopping for the day, alright?" Toshiro calls.
Mariya nods.
"Release shikai!" Mariya yells.
"Hmm." Toshiro answers, flashstepping to disappear from sight, then reappearing behind Mariya, "Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyourinmaru(Ice Ring)!"
Within moments, the familiar ice dragon shoots from the tip of Toshiro's blade, heading straight for Mariya.
"What's going on?"
Cree blinks as she's pulled from the action below, turning to see Kayla now standing beside her.
"Don't you remember? Mariya forced Toshiro to train her T.P. abilities with her."
Kayla sighs.
"Oh, yeah, I remember. I still don't see the point though, when the going gets rough, she'll just pull our Mamori Koudoutai(Zodiac Charmer) to defend herself." Kayla answers.
"She can't..." Cree trails.
Kayla turns towards her in surprise.
"What do you mean?" Kayla asks.
"She can't pull Mamori out..." Cree starts.
To Kayla's surprise, Cree reaches over to her side, and she gasps when she sees the familiar cane hilt.
"...because she gave Mamori Koudoutai to me." Cree finishes.
"What?!" Kayla says, sitting beside Cree and taking hold of the hilt.
"Yeah, she said that she wanted to gain her powers back without Mamori's help."
They look back up as a loud bang sounds from the grounds below. In the distance, Mariya appears out of the cloud of dirt, a little bloody on the face and left part of her body, probably where Toshiro's attack made the most impact. Panting, she falls to one knee, trying to catch her breath, coughing a bit.
Toshiro appears momentarily, running over to Mariya.
"Hey! Are you alright?" Toshiro calls.
Mariya nods, and looks up to look him in the eye.
"Again!" Mariya shouts as she stands, a bit wobbly on her feet.
"What?! Are you crazy?!" Toshiro yells.
"Do it again!" Mariya yells, "C'mon, I know I'm close!"
"She definitely has a lot of endurance. That's for sure." Kayla comments.
"Yeah, and on top of being prideful, she'll make Toshiro work her until she gets it. Even if that means she's brutally injured from head to toe." Cree replies.
Toshiro sighs below.
"Fine. But you're starting to reach your end, Mariya." Toshiro says, "If we don't end soon, you're going to collapse."
"So until then, just keeping sending Hyourinmaru at me." Mariya calls.
"She's stronger then the three of us are...isn't she Cree?"
Kayla and Cree blink, turning to see Bianca walking up behind them, looking over the training grounds.
Cree semi-nods.
"Yeah..." Cree says as she looks back at the grounds, "Stronger...a lot stronger..."
Without warning, an echoing sound of what seems to be a horse calls over the wind, taking the trio by surprise.
"What the.." Cree trails.
"Did you guys hear that?" Bianca asks.
Kayla nods.
"I did, did you Cree?" Kayla asks.
Cree nods.
"Yeah, but where could it of come from?" Cree says, looking around to see no animals in sight.
It calls again, though louder now.
"What the heck..." Kayla trails.
Without warning, Mamori Koudoutai begins to glow uncontrolably.
"WHAT THE-!" Bianca yells.
Suddenly, white light appears with another neighing, louder then ever before.
Cree's eyes widen.
...Wait a sec...isn't Mamori Koudoutai's...spirit...a Pegasus?!...
She turns towards the sword.
Without warning, the light disappears, leaving them blinking from the shock of light.
Kayla looks up.
"YEEK!" Kayla screeches.
Cree and Bianca jolt a bit.
"KAYLA!" Bianca yells, before looking up, silenced.
Cree looks up too.
"Oh my god..." Cree trails.
Floating above them is a great pegasus, transparent, but it's coat is clearly white.
"W-What is...that..?" Kayla trails.
"Mamori..." Cree trails.
"What?" Bianca asks.
"It's Mamori Koudoutai's spirit." Cree answers.
At the sound of it's name, the pegasus looks down at her, it's brown eyes deep.
"...Seems that Mariya has told you about me..."
Their eyes widen at the sound of the strong motherly voice.
"Who said that?" Kayla asks.
"She did...Mamori.." Cree answers.
Both Kayla and Bianca stare at her.
"Mamori did?!" they yell at once.
With a loud crash, the trio's attention turns towards the grounds below, even Mamori Koudoutai looks up at the sound.
Another cloud of dust blows from below this time, but this time, Mariya goes flying out the other side, heading straight for the cliff.
"MARIYA!" Cree yells.
"MASTER!"
With a harsh blast of wind, Mamori Koudoutai takes off, her transparentcy fading as she flies towards Mariya.
They all stare in shock as Mamori catches Mariya by the back of her haori with her teeth, stopping her in mid-flight. With a flick of her head, she somehow gets Mariya on her back between her wings, and slowly, Mariya comes to, taking hold of Mamori's mane as she gains back some control of her body. Cree looks back to see Toshiro running towards where Mamori is landing, a look of worry plastered on his face.
Cree stands.
"C'mon, we need to get down there." Cree says, flashstepping.
"Hey, w-wait up!" Kayla yells, flashstepping, followed by Bianca.
Within moments, they find themselves running over to the site where Toshiro is now helping Mariya get off Mamori's back.
"Is she alright?" Bianca calls.
Toshiro nods.
"Yeah, she's just over-maxed herself." Toshiro says, holding Mariya up.
"...Not only that...by stressing her body without using my help, she's also weakened her spiritual presure a bit...She won't be fit for any battle for at least a week..."
They all turn as Mamori's voice echoes, though her mouth never moves. The Pegasus walks over, nudging Mariya with her nose, causing her to look up, her eyes still a little dazzed.
"...Mariya,...you're so stubborn...If you keep doing this, you'll harm yourself not only physically, but mentally..." Mamori says.
Mariya chuckles.
"I'll be fine...besides, I got done what I wanted to acomplish." Mariya says.
Their eyes widen.
"What?" Toshiro says.
Mariya struggles to stand up straight.
"Step back a bit." Mariya says, gesturing at Toshiro.
With hesitation, he steps back a few steps, as does Cree, Mamori, and the others.
After a moment, she breaths a deep breath and sighs, closing her eyes.
Nostalgically, she puts her hands up in a familiar sign position, and calls.
"Barrier!"
Instantly, a box glowing a yellowish orange appears around her, and with a gesture, Bianca walks up, and puts her hand on it.
Like it should, her hand wouldn't go through, and is actually repelled, causing her to blink.
"Wow." Bianca says.
"Yeah.." Mariya trails.
Suddenly, the barrier gives out, and she falls to her knees, panting.
Toshiro kneels beside her, and in good time, for Mariya falls into him only seconds later, no longer able to keep herself conscious.
He sighs.
"I told you that you were gonna collapse, idiot." Toshiro comments.
She answers with a small snoor, causing him to roll his eyes.
"Poor Mariya, it must be hard having to learn this stuff all over again." Kayla says.
"Yeah, and she has to remember us again too, must suck to know that you had a connection to someone, but you can't remember that connection, no matter how hard you try." Cree comments.
They all fall silent.
"It must be unbareable..." Bianca trails.
Within moments, Toshiro takes Mariya in his arms, cradling her as he stands.
He sighs, then turns to Mamori Koudoutai.
"Is there any way she'll be able to gain back her lost spiritual presure?" he asks.
Mamori sighs.
"...Yes. Either she must not release me for 10 days, or she regains her memories, releasing her blocked powers..." Mamori answers.
He nods.
"Alright." he says.
Mamori nods, then looks over at Mariya.
"...Keep her safe...The Bijuu will do all they can to get her in the state she is..." Mamori says.
They nod.
"We'll keep her safe, trust us." Bianca says.
A neigh escapes Mamori, her body becoming quickly transparent.
"...I do...So with that...I leave my Master...with you..." Mamori says, trailing off as she suddenly disappears, transforming back into a katana, before vanishing altogether.
Toshiro turns from the group.
"I'm taking Mariya to her quarters. You guys should probably get with Rangiku or Aneko and train a bit." Toshiro suggests.
Cree nods.
"Alright, we can do that." Kayla says.
With a nod, he flashsteps and vanishes, leaving with a weak and unconscious Mariya held tight in his arms.
They turn towards each other.
"Alright, I'll go get Aneko." Bianca says.
"I'll get Rangiku." Kayla says.
"And I'm going to go ask if we can open the Squad 1 training grounds because we'll have more room." Cree responds.
They grin.
"Awesome, meet in a half hour?" Kayla asks.
"Good." Cree and Bianca say at the same time.
And with that, they all disappear with the flashstep, heading in three separate directions.
As she touches ground, many things run through her head, especially the reality of Mariya's situation.
"...she has to remember us again too, must suck to know that you had a connection to someone, but you can't remember that connection, no matter how hard you try..."
She sighs.
"Mariya...I'm sorry.."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE SOUL SOCIETY
"We must find a way to attack them before they realize what's happening!" Nekomata yells.
"Why couldn't we just diguise you as Mariya again?" a lean, lanky man calls from above.
"NO! Imbecile, they've already figured out that ability, and remember that the idea of disguising as that wench Mariya got Kaku killed!" Nekomata snaps, angered.
"Well then, why couldn't you just attack at night and use your invisibility?" a younger female calls, sounding only a little older then Mariya and the others.
"Unfortunately, Mariya has the ability to see clearly in the dark, as well as become invisible, so she could tell the Seireitei that we are attacking, and because invisibility uses a lot of power, I would be too weak to take a lot of them on." Nekomata answers, irritated by her helplessness.
"Why do we just rush attack? It's fast, and they won't know what hit them!" Shukaku says, appearing behind Nekomata.
She chuckles.

"Though effective, we don't want to rush in recklessly. We do have some pride to keep as elite Bijuu." Nekomata answers.

He smirks, taking Nekomata around the waist.

"Why don't we just make a diversion, and allow me to choke her out with my sand?" Shukaku suggests.
She thinks for a moment.
"I'm afraid that you've forgotten that you can't go anywhere without me, so that would leave some of the others wide for attack, and besides, we'll probably face the same group, and maybe a few others if we try to attack her." Nekomata says, leaning her weight against him.
They sigh, until footsteps echoe from one of the corners of the room.
"Why don't we just forget about this stupid mission, and get the Hell out of here." a deep voice says, slamming a large fist on the table in the middle of the room, "I signed up cause that women promised us freedom, NOT to treat us like dogs and make us do her dirty work!"
"It can't be helped, she has us at arms length by the collar." Shukaku says.
"I still hate her, if only we could find a way to make it so we could move without her stupid help." the man says.
They sigh.
"Well..." Neomata starts.
Theyall look at her.
"What is it Neko?" Shukaku asks.
"We could...attack with that..." Nekomata trails.
The girl gasps.
"But she said never to do that!" the girl yells.
"Well, I think that it's time that we begin to decide what to do without her." Nekomata answers.
"Hehehe, I agree. It's time that we do what we want. Starting with those Soul Reapers." the man agrees, chuckling.
"Yes, and I have to get revenge on that Damn wench, Mariya, before anything else. That simple mission has made my reputation a total laugh out in the eyes of the enemy." Nekomata says, her tails whiping at the thought.
Shukaku kisses her neck, calming her a bit.
"Alright then, what's the full scale?" the man asks.
Instantly, the room starts into a full on debate on how to use the groups secret weapon, only to be used on the true target, though now being used for the lot of the enemy.
A chuckles sounds quietly from the hall, not loud enough to raise the suspicions of any inside the room.
Though, he stops when he sees the door open, and hides in the shadows.
It's the girl...the girl with five tails...Houkou.
"Ugh...why must they go and try to go against the master. They'll just get themselves killed by it in the end." Houkou comments, rubbing the back of her neck.
Her dog ears turn away, trying to sound out the stupid chatter, though her nose catches something.
She stops.
Sniffing the air, she turns towards the shadows.
"You're there, aren't you?" Houkou asks.
The same chuckle sounds.
"Why yes, it is." he says, walking out of the shadows, his silver eyes catching the small light of the torches lining the walls.
Houkou sighs.
"You're going to tell on them?" she asks, worry in her voice.
He rolls his eyes, something he does to say he's thinking.
"Who knows. If I feel so, I may keep Master in the dark. But then again, I might want to see what she does to your comrades." he shrugs.
"P-Please don't! We're just tired of being treated poorly." Houkou says.
He laughs.
"I'm sad to say I don't know what that feels like by the way she treats me. But I can say I have felt the same pain before."
Houkou blinks in surprise.
"Really? From where?" Houkou asks.
"Trust me...it's better left untold...then out in the open for all to see." he answers, walking away, the air blowing back his jacket and shirt, the scar on his lower abdomen that speaks more then we think...

M.S.A.A. BLEACH pt. 62

"...A name is something contains the personality and the whole story of something's life. From the smallest grain of sand, to the biggest star in the sky, everything has a name. But, in the way of a zanpakuto, you can't figure out the name without two things. One, is strength. Without the strength to work and fight with the zanpakuto, to train and perfect it to it's peak performance, then it's name will never be acheived. Then, the second. That is trust and kindness. If you do not trust the power of the zanpakuto, then it won't trust you with it's name. If you do not show the kindness that everything needs to be healthy and right to create a relationship, possibilies of ever discovering your zanpakuto's name because close to none. But, luckily, I don't need to worry about anymore. So, come back, Mamori Koudoutai...."

June 28
SOUL SOCIETY
Toshiro's Perspective
The clashing of metal on metal is surprising, considering his view is blocked by two great angelic wings.
His eyes widen.
...That looks like...
"WHAT?!" Shukaku yells.
He immediately moves away, allowing to let Toshiro be caught by Mariya.
"Are you alright?" Mariya asks.
He just stares at her.
"Y-You're...in shikai..." Toshiro trails.
She blinks in surprise, then grins.
"Yeah, you're right. Looks like you helped me out once again. You're fall caused me to be relinked to Mamori." Mariya says as she turns to look at the approaching Bijuu, "They look pretty pissed off."
He looks up, seeing that Mariya is right.
Shukaku is building great sand dagger looking forms, while a dark energy begins to spit around Nekomata, her sword at her side, both of them wearing snears.
"Yepe." Toshiro agrees.
Mariya chuckles a bit and backs up to stand right beside him.
"You take Shukaku, and I take Nekomata?" Mariya suggests.
He nods.
"Sounds good to me." Toshiro answers, Hyourinmaru changing into shikai state.
"Alright, on three. One-"
"Two-"
"THREE!"
With a quick push off, the two instantly meet with intensity as they begin their clashes with each of their opponents.
Toshiro grins as he hears staggering through Mariya pronounce sword strikes, meaning she caught Nekomata off guard.
"You damn mice." Shukaku spits.
Toshiro sighs.
"Why do I always get the stupid trash talking ones?" Toshiro asks himself.
"What did you say?!" Shukaku yells.
Without warning, three of Shukaku's sand daggers begin flying at Toshiro.
Luckily, with a flick of his sword, Hyourinmaru's true form, an ice dragon, races from the tip, swallowing the sand attack easily before continuing towards Shukaku.
In a trial attempt, Shukaku tries to run, finding that the dragon just follows his movements. He grits his teeth as he creates a sand barrier, protecting him from the attack as it crashes on the sand's hard surface.
"Damn you...boy." Shukaku hisses.
...At least he stopped calling me a mouse...
"I'm exterminate you like the rat you are, you damn pest!" Shukaku yells, creating a sand sword in his right hand.
Toshiro sighs.
...And he's moved on to rats...great...
With great velocity, Shukaku's sword crashes on Toshiro's, the force sending Toshiro flying a few yards, before he catches himself.
Before he knows it, Shukaku is on him again, his sword raised over his head.
"DIE, RAT!" Shukaku spits.
With flashstep, Shukaku misses, his eyes widening in surprise as Toshiro vanishes.
Toshiro soon appears behind him, and with a quick slash, blood splats in all directions as the cut goes into the bijuu's skin, causing him to growl in pain.
Flashstepping again, Toshiro misses being attacked.
Shukaku turns, anger burning in his eyes.
Toshiro sighs again.
...Here it comes...
"YOU RAT!" Shukaku growls.
"Ugh.." Toshiro starts.
"ACK!"
Toshiro's eyes widen as Mariya's yell hits his ear, causing him to turn.
Nekomata is laughing, watching as Mariya pants, blood dripping from her right arm, which is limp.
Toshiro grits his teeth.
...Oh no, and her dominant arm too....
"Keep your eyes on me, you RAT!"
Toshiro dodges as sand pours out above him, crashing hard on where he had just been standing.
With a quick flashstep, he appears behind Mariya.
"Are you alright?" Toshiro asks.
As she pants, she looks at him, clutching Mamori Koudoutai in her left hand.
"Y-Yeah, I think she dislocated my shoulder though." Mariya answers.
"DIE, YOU FOOLS!"
Mariya and Toshiro look up and gasp as they see both Shukaku and Nekomata heading for them.
...Damn it, they did this on purpose!....
"Captain Hitsugaya, Mariya!"
Toshiro blinks in surprise as a barrier appears, sheilding Mariya and him from the coming attacks.
Aneko appears, her sword drawn as she stares down Nekomata and Shukaku.
"A-Aneko-" Toshiro starts.
"Captain!"
His eyes widen as Rangiku appears beside him.
"Rangiku! Where were you two?!" Toshiro asks.
"I'm sorry Sir, we were kept by servants." Aneko answers.
"You defeated them?" Toshiro asks.
"Thanks to Heineko and Kumomusei(silent cloud)." Rangiku replies.
"Damn you all..." Nekomata hisses.
They all look up at her to see her snearing at them.
"I'll finish all you rats with this attack-!" Shukaku starts.
"Stop fool."
Everyone blinks in surprise as Nekomata pulls Shukaku back, even taking him back.
He turns and stares at her.
"What are you-" Shukaku starts.
"We've been ordered to pull back." Nekomata interupts.
"Ordered?" Mariya restates.
"Yes, ordered..."
Their eyes widen as a new voice calls from nothing.
"What the-" Rangiku starts.
"What? Did you really think that these Bijuu were acting on their own? Ha! They couldn't even move without my help."
"Shut up." Nekomata growls, apparently irritated.
Suddenly, Nekomata bends in ways that are inhumane, screams of agony escaping her mouth.
"NEKO!" Shukaku yells as Nekomata falls, pulled close in his arms.
"H-How did-" Aneko starts.
"My apologies, seems like my comrads can't keep their place." the voice calls, a chuckle esaping the air, "I shall leave you for now, but be prepared, we the Association, will be back soon..."
"Wait!" Mariya calls.
"Hmm...?"
"You...you're behind everything aren't you?!" Mariya yells.
The voice laughs.
"What do you mean by that?" it asks.
Mariya's fist clentches, taking Toshiro by surprise.
"You..." Mariya starts, beginning to be surrounded by the aura of lime green spiritual pressure.
"Ma-Mariya...?" Toshiro trails.
"YOU KILLED ME, YOU BITCH!" Mariya screams, her spiritual pressure sky-rocketing as it surrounds them.
"WHAT THE-?!" Kayla starts appearing next to Aneko.
Nekomata laughs, finally coming to.
"What's wrong, wanna kill her? Seems you can't considering." Nekomata smirks.
Mariya whips her head around, her eyes now shining light blue, causing Nekomata to gasp in shock.
"Shut the HELL up! I'll-" Mariya snaps.
Before she can finish, Toshiro pulls her back.
"Mariya, STOP!" he yells, pinning her left arm behind her back.
"W-What are you-?!" Mariya starts.
"If you get to angry, Devena will come out! Calm down!" Toshiro interupts.
Mariya falls silent, panting as the idea passes her mind, calming a bit.
"Hehehe...We'll meet soon Mariya...I promise you that..."
Mariya grits her teeth and snears as the voice calls, followed by some laughter.
"No way..."
Toshiro blinks in surprise as they all turn to face Nekomata, gasping a bit as her shocked expression.
"She really is...her...She's..." Nekomata trails.
Without warning, Shukaku pulls her back, and in an instant, they're gone, vanished in thin air along with the voice that tempted Mariya to release Devena.
...What was she...gonna say...
Suddenly, Mariya falls into him, panting even harder as she grasps her arm.
"Mariya?" Toshiro says, holding her arms to keep her from falling any more.
"I-I feel dizzy..." Mariya stutters.
...she's lost a lot of blood...
"Aneko! I need your help." Toshiro calls to Aneko.
"Yes sir." Aneko answers, appearing beside him instantly.
Gently, she presses her hand to Mariya's arm wound, the familiar yellow glow appearing around the blood dried gash.
As Mariya pants, slowly color begins to return to her face, meaning her health is returning.
He looks back up at the sky, Nekomata's words replaying in his head.
..."She really is...her...She's..."...
His expression turns questioning.
...She's who?...
To his lack of knowledge, it's more unbelievable then he can ever imagine.

M.S.A.A. BLEACH pt. 61

"...Zanapkuto...they are said to be born with their Soul Reapers, and die with their Soul Reapers. Though, has it ever happened that the zanpakuto has disappeared before the Soul Reaper has died? I guess I'm a single case in that, but still, it makes you wonder. Was it the fact that I couldn't remember it's name that it's gone. Because I couldn't remember how to use it? What it's powers were? What it's spirit even looked like? No one might ever know that, but here's something I think we all know. That if I can remember it's name, it could possibly come back. But who knows, it could just be a silly want that might never come to be a reality. But, I want to know it again. I want my zanpakuto back..."

June 28
SOUL SOCIETY
Mariya's Perspective
Her eyes widen a bit, blushing insanely as Toshiro's lips touch her's, taking her by complete surprise.
Blush immediately rises to her cheeks.
...Toshiro...
Something in her mind clicks.
Without warning, images and memories begins to reenter her mind, filling it to the point that it's almost painful.
...My memories...
More and more memories come fourth from nothing.
...THEY'RE COMING BACK!...
Though, she soon notices something similar about the memories.
...They're all memories of Toshiro....and I...
Suddenly, she blinks to find herself back in the red space.
"Now what? I've had enough crap happen to me today." Mariya comments.
"...Hehehe..I don't usually complain...it's weird to hear me do so..."
Mariya's eyes widen as she turns. Immediately she recognizes the transparent, luminesant being behind her, caught and trapped in vine-like things...as herself.
"ACK!" Mariya yelps, not knowing how to react.
Transparent Mariya chuckles again.
"And you're easily spooked, now I know we're opposites."
"H-How, When, W-Where did you-" Mariya stutters.
"But you're easily confused, at least we have something in common, I guess that makes me feel a bit better."
As she walks closer, Mariya gets a better look at her transparent self. She's a bit beaten up, dried blood seeming to line her arms and legs, a line also running from the corner of her mouth, and she hangs from the vines, all her strength to fight and break free looking to be gone. Her hair drags around her body , the ribbon missing that usually holds her hair up, causing it to string randomly around her face and arms. Her eyes are almost lifeless, not matching the sound of her voice.
"Who are you?" Mariya asks.
Her transparent self looks up at her.
"I guess...you could call me...the real Mariya..."
"What?"
"I'm the memories and personality of Mariya."
Mariya's eyes widen.
"You've been here this whole time?"
Her transparent self nods.
"Pretty much."
"Why am I just now meeting you?"
"..Because some big shock has caused a vast amount of my memories to show themselves. If it had only been one or two, you wouldn't of noticed me. But since a lot of my early memories involve Toshiro, many have shown up.."
"Oh..."
"Mariya."
"Y-Yes?"
"Call her..."
Mariya blinks in confusion.
"What?" Mariya asks.
"Call our zanpakuto, and go after Nekomata."
"Wh-What?! I can't do that! I don't know her name!"
Suddenly, her transparent self fades a lot, alarming Mariya.
"If you doubt or hesitate, I'll fade, and when I fade entirely, we're both dead."
"I-I-I'm sorry."
Her transparent self grins bitter-sweetly.
"So...hopeless I am sometimes..."
Without warning, her transparent self disappears, causing Mariya to gasp.
"M-Mariya!" she yells.
"Master..."
Mariya stops in mid-step.
She turns and her eyes widen as she sees a different scene in front of her.
She's standing alone on the shore of a ocean. The air's warm and salty, cool water sides over her feet and slids back to the great body of water before her, and repeats many times over as her feet, her tabi and waraji gone, begin to sink in the mushy sand. Bright rays of light beams down from above causing her to cover her eyes as she would on a sunny day. She looks up at the sky to see that it's not the Sun lighting the world, but a full Moon that shines brighter then she has ever seen it. Around it are far more stars then she has ever seen, or anyone has ever seen in any place in the galaxy. Each shine with their own light and power, making her feel warm and happy as she still stares up at them. She then pulls her attention away and looks to her left to see that a large meadow streches out from the beach and dissappears into the far distance, a variety of different wildflowers blowing in a light breeze, even causing some of her hair to fly away from her face.
...This place...it feels...familiar...
"...Master!..."
 She looks up towards the sky as a bright light begins to grow and come towards her. She sheilds her eyes, and when the light dims, she blinks as she tries to see the being in front of her.
When she finally makes out what it is, her jaw drops in aw.
A 10 foot tall white Pegasus.
"Oh my God." Mariya comments.
"Master, I thought I lost you!" the voice speaks again as the Pegasus neighs, excited.
Mariya's eyes widen.
"Uh...I'm ok."
The Pegasus backs up a bit.
"You didn't...forget about me...did you?" the voice asks.
Mariya gasps.
...she's my...
"You're my zanpakuto! Aren't you?!" Mariya yells, running to the Pegasus' side.
The Pegasus blinks, before seeming to become calm.
She steps closer and nudges at Mariya shoulder gently.
Mariya grins.
"...At least you know that much." the Pegasus says.
"I'm sorry about this, I wish I could remember." Mariya apologizes.
"You were able to call me back, were you not?"
She blinks in surprise.
"Huh?" Mariya says.
"You called me back into reality, which means you still contain the power to wield me, Master."
...That is true, I did call her back...maybe I can do something afterall...
"I have to do something about Nekomata, please, you need to help me. For all of these people I once knew..." Mariya begs.
"You must remember my name...Master." the Pegasus replies, "Unless you remember my name...I cannot help you..."
"Please, you must help me remember..." Mariya answers, "For my lost friends...for Toshiro..."
The Pegasus grins.
"You'll know when the time is right...Mariya...Master..."
Without warning, the Pegasus disappears into Sakura petals, taking Mariya by surprise.
She gasps.
"Wait!" Mariya calls.
"...When the time...is right...I'll be there for you..."
"Mariya..."
Her eyes widen, wind blowing rapidly as the scene disappears too, bringing her back to reality, and back to Toshiro.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toshiro's Perspective
He holds her up as Mariya now lays unconscious in his arms, her breathing almost silent as her head leans against his chest.
He holds her tighter.
...I couldn't save her...
"Toshiro...."
His eyes widen.
"Toshiro...could you loosen your hold, I'm having a little trouble breathing."
He loosens his grip and looks down at her in sheer shock as she breaths heavily.
"Ma-Mariya..."
Her eyes open wide, and she looks up at him.
A nostalgic light is in her hazel eyes.
"Toshiro...did you really think I'd die cause she set up rules about my soul?" Mariya asks, her voice still cracking a bit.
Speechless, Toshiro just stares at her.
She laughs.
"Cat got your tounge?" Mariya asks, "God, you really are gullible. Just as gullible as that time I convinced you to stand outside while it was snowing for three hours in only your summer robe."
Toshiro's breath catches.
"Wait a minute...you remembered that?" Toshiro asks.
She nods.
"That's right." Mariya answers.
He grins.
"Your memories are back!" Toshiro says.
Her smile fades a little.
"Actually, I only contain memories of you and I. Everything else was lost again with Nekomata's deletion attack." Mariya explains.
Toshiro blinks.
...only memories...of us?...
He realizes something, and suddenly begins to redden.
Mariya blinks, noticing as Toshiro tries to hide his blushing.
She smiles.
Without warning, she wraps her arms around his neck, taking him by more surprise as she hugs him.
"Ma-Mariya..." Toshiro stutters.
She giggles.
"I'll keep that a little secret between us." she whispers into his ear.
His eyes widen.
Before he can blink, Mariya releases him and stands up, turning towards where Cree, Kayla, and Bianca had gone sprinting after Nekomata.
"Mariya?" Toshiro asks.
"I'm going after her."
He jumps up as soon as her words hit his ears.
"What?! You can't go after her!" Toshiro yells.
Mariya turns towards him, her eyes explaining herself without her moving her lips or speaking a single word.
When she had regained her memories, she also gained something else back.
Her courage.
After a few moments of thought, he rubs the back of his neck and sighs.
"Alright..." Toshiro breaths.
She grins, before holding out her hand.
He blinks in confusion.
"What?" he asks.
"Unfortunately, I can't flashstep, the memories of doing so are lost to me." Mariya explains, "Do you mind giving me a lift?"
He sighs sarcastically.
"I guess." Toshiro answers, grinning.
She grins.
He takes her arm and pulls her onto his back, and immediately sets off for Cree and the others.
Within minutes, the two are deep within the forest near the Sereitei.
"Do you see Cree or the others yet?" Toshiro asks.
Mariya blinks.
"Who's Cree?" Mariya asks.
He shakes his head.
"Looks like we'll have to do this all over again."
"Do what?"
He sighs.
"Nevermind."
"Oh, alright."
"Kayla, watch out!"
The pair whips their heads around to see Cree rushing after Kayla, who's in line for a sand attack.
Toshiro grits his teeth.
"Damn it, he's there." Toshiro mutters.
Mariya's eyes widen.
"You mean that sand Bijuu?" she asks.
He nods.
Her grip tightens on his haori as her temper seems to flare up for a minute.
"Go in."
"What?!" Toshiro answers, not beliving Mariya's audacity.
"Just go in, please."
"Mariya, you don't have your zanpakuto. You'll just get hurt.
She doesn't answer for a minute.
"Not yet anyway..." she mumbles.
Suddenly, Bianca passes by, even more injured then before.
She looks over and her eyes widen as she spots Mariya.
"Mariya!" Bianca yells, flashstepping over to Toshiro's side, "She's alright!"
"Yeah, I'm fine...uh..." Mariya trails off.
"Unfortunately, she lost her memories of you guys again." Toshiro says.
Bianca groans.
"You gotta be kidding me." Bianca says.
"Sorry, I really wish I could have some recollection." Mariya answers.
Suddenly, Mariya whips her head around as a loud sound comes from behind them.
"Cree!" Kayla's voice yells from below.
Seeming unconscious, Cree flies through the air, blood escaping a new would.
Without warning, Mariya releases her grip from Toshiro, and jumps off.
"Ma-Mariya!" Toshiro yells.
Remarkably, Mariya hits the air, and suddenly, she dissappears.
His eyes widen.
...Flashstep!...
Seconds later, as Cree begins to fall from her climax, Mariya reappears, and catches Cree, before dissapearing once more.
"She saved Cree!"
"That's her name?"
Bianca and Toshiro turn and gape as Mariya appears, Cree cradled in her arms.
"Yeah." Bianca answers.
Mariya nods.
"We need to get her someplace safe, now." Mariya says.
"You aren't going anywhere...wench..."
Her eyes widen as she recognizes Nekomata's voice.
Toshiro immediately flashsteps in front of her as Nekomata goes to slam a sword down on her head.
Her sly smirk is now a full on snear, her cold eyes fuming with rage.
"How the Hell is she still alive, you mouse?!" Nekomata spits.
"Don't underestimate me." Mariya comments.
Nekomata disappears.
Mariya turns and hands Cree to Bianca.
"Get her someplace safe." Mariya instructs.
"R-Right!" Bianca answers, disappearing too.
Mariya sighs.
"It seems that there's more to all this then I probably first thought." Mariya says as she turns.
"Got that right." Toshiro agrees.
"You won't have to worry about that for long, brat!"
Toshiro immediately takes hold of Mariya wrist and pulls her out of the way as Nekomata's sword again comes crashing down.
They fly for a few moments until Toshiro gains his footing in the air.
"Are you alright?" Toshiro asks.
"Y-Yeah." Mariya answers.
Suddenly, Toshiro feels a sharp pain shoot through his body.
"Ack!" Toshiro gasps.
"I'm glad I finally get to take you out, both of you."
Toshiro's eyes widen as he recognizes Shukaku, the other Bijuu.
"Toshiro!" Mariya yells.
"Get back!" Toshiro answers, trying to find a way out of there.
Without warning, he feels someone catch his collar, riping him from Mariya, and leaving her defenseless.
He catches himself and looks up to see Shukaku heading straight towards him.
He grits his teeth.
...Damn it...
Without warning, he looses feeling in all his limbs, leaving him even more defenseless then Mariya as he now can't make pressure to flashstep.
...Damn it!...
"DIE MOUSE!" Shukaku yells, sending storms of sand at Toshiro at high speeds.
It's the next few moments that make a true differenece in the fight, the signal being the pure white wings of a return.

M.S.A.A. BLEACH pt. 60

This is my 100th post! thx to all you guys who have read M.S.A.A. and have enjoyed it ^^
I hope you continue reading
Thx
Maddie ^o^

"...Toshiro sounded so sure I was just scared about all this when he left. He sounded so confident that I convinced myself he was right, and went along with it. But of course the one time I go along, he's wrong. Ugh, note, try to remember to stick with gut instinct next time something like this happens. Wait...No, it couldn't be. She wouldn't wipe my memory AGAIN, would she?! Of come on, I was just beginning to get comfortable. Please, don't take away my new memories, they're all I have. I don't want to forget these people...I don't want to forget what they've done for me. And...I don't want to forget that day, that moment...that feeling I had when I finally was able to trust Toshiro again...and really call him my friend. Please, don't take it away...I'll die...."

June 28
SOUL SOCIETY
Mariya's Perspective
"Cree? Are you alright?" Mariya asks, noticing that Cree is shaking.
Suddenly, Cree breaks into histaric laughter, taking Mariya by surprise.
"Hahaha...Damn, that boy is probably the dumbest boy I've seen in my life."
Mariya's eyes widen as she notices the change in voice.
"What the..." Mariya trails.
Cree turns to face her, her eyes darker and more sinister.
"You were right...yet you let that idiot talk you into believing him..." she says, morphing as she speaks, "Big mistake."
Before Mariya can think out a reason, Nekomata lunges for her, she luckily dodging in time.
"ACK!" Mariya yells as she hits the ground hard.
"Hahaha, what's wrong girly? Afraid cause no one is here to protect you? Well, YOU SHOULD BE!"
Mariya jumps again, barely missed by Nekomata.
She looks for the exit, and groans as she finds it.
On the other side of the room.
"Damn it." Mariya breaths.
Without warning, Nekomata appears.
"Gotcha!" Nekomata yells.
Mariya feels for something, and smiles as she grabs something somewhat nostalgic. Before Nekomata reaches her, Mariya pulls the wooden sword in front of her, perying the Bijuu's attack.
As Nekomata blinks in surprise, Mariya takes the opportunity to dash for the door.
Though, Nekomata tackles her before she reaches the handle.
"Where do you think you're goin?" Nekomata asks.
Mariya struggles to breath.
"G-Get off me!" Mariya yells.
Nekomata laughs.
"Why should I? I'm having too much fun!"
With all the strength in her body, Mariya tries to cry out.
"T-Toshiro!" she screams.
Nekomata laughs even harder.
"Are you really calling that idiot? Face it, you're dead hone', and trust me when I say I'll make it nice and slow."
"No..."
Nekomata smirks.
"But before anything, let's just readjust that mind of your's, shall we?"
Instantly, Nekomata's claws grow drastically, taking Mariya back, and reminding her of something.
...That's how she...
Mariya immediately tries to get free, though her attempts are futile against Nekomata immense strength.
Nekotmata laughs at her weakness.
"So, you do remember this?" Nekomata chuckles, "Well, you won't for long."
"NO!" Mariya screams.
Before she knows what's happening, Mariya finds herself in a red place, everything that was once around her gone.
"What the.." Mariya trails.
Suddenly, pictures begin to flash past her mind.
...What?!...
"Momo...ERASED."
Mariya's eyes widen.
...Oh no...
"Aneko...ERASED."
"NO! Not again! PLEASE!"
"Kayla...ERASED!"
"STOP!" she screams, tears pouring from her eyes.
"MARIYA!"
Her eyes widen in surprise.
"TOSHIRO!" Mariya yells.
The red fades a bit, though still tight around her.
"What?! How are you already back?!"
...Nekomata...sounds surprised...
"Get off of her Nekomata!" Mariya hears Toshiro snap, anger in his voice, "You're gonna pay for tricking me like that!"
"And for using me to get her alone."
...Cree's here too...
"B..ian..ca..."
She gasps.
...It's still erasing?!...
"ERASED."
Nekomata laughs, aware of Mariya's situation.
"Unfortunately, you're already too late for most of you."
"That can't be true! Mariya, answer me!"
Mariya feels her mouth move.
"W-Who..."
"Cree! She doesn't know me again!"
"Kayla, calm down."
"Cr..."
"No...not Cree..."
She hears Cree gasp.
"GET OFF OF HER!" Toshiro snaps.
Mariya blinks a bit as she feels Nekomata move a bit, probably defending against Toshiro's attack.
"..ee...ERASED."
"Who's Cree, Mariya? Hahahaha.."
..Nekomata...damn you..
"To.."
She jumps a bit, surprising Nekomata.
"NOT TOSHIRO TOO!" Mariya screams.
"MARIYA!" Toshiro yells.
"shi.."
..he's fading...
Nekomata laughs, and suddenly releases her, throwing her in the air, luckily to be caught by Toshiro.
"She's already lost most of her regained memories. Any moment you will be entirely erased...Toshiro Hitsugaya..."
"We can rebuild them." Toshiro answers.
...he's farther away..but he's right here...no...
Tears stream down her cheeks, causing Toshiro to hold her tighter.
Nekomata laughs.
"You don't know yet? The loss of her memories a second time will overpower Mariya's soul. And because her memories are what brought her here, if she no longer has them, she's gone, forever.."
"No..." Toshiro whispers as the others gasp.
Nekomata laughs harder then ever before.
"Well, I'll leave that with you, see ya later, idiots!"
With a flash, Nekomata crushes the wall, running at immense speeds.
"COME BACK!" one of the girls yells, the two others close behind as the first flashsteps after Nekomata.
"r..."
"Mariya..."
Her eyes widen as she tries her best to raise her head, her strength vainishing quickly.
"T-To..." Mariya trails, trying to remember something.
...Remember! He's your friend! He's someone you rely on! He's...He's...
Toshiro pulls her closer.
"...I'm sorry...Toshi-" Mariya starts.
Suddenly, the unexpected happens.
"O...ERASED."

M.S.A.A. BLEACH pt. 59

"...I have absolutely no idea what is going on. I mean, one minute, Cree and I are just sitting here doing nothing, and the next, Toshiro's trying to get me out of my house, while Kayla, Bianca, and Cree are trying to fend off some cat-lady. And, who's the cat-lady?! Man, I'm so confused. Even more then I have over the past days while my memory has been off. Though, I do know one thing through all this confusion. This cat-lady wants me to disappear. Literally and hypathetically, if that's even possible. And, it's for no reason. I never did anything to make these people want to take my life. All i did was do my job. I did nothing wrong to deserve this. None of us did. Though, there is one thing I know is all my fault. I've put all of my friends in danger...I put Toshiro in danger..."

June 28
SOUL SOCIETY
Cree's Perspective
"Sooo..." Kayla starts as they finally find Mariya.
Mariya turns and sighs as they run to catch up with her.
"What, Kayla?" Mariya asks.
"How was your date?" Bianca asks.
"Fine." Mariya answers.
"That's not very enthusiatic." Cree comments, "Didn't you enjoy yourself?"
"Sure I did." Mariya answers.
"Well then, why do you sound so bored?" Kayla asks.
"Because, I don't think I want to talk about it." Mariya answers.
"Oh. I get it," Bianca says with a smirk, "You don't want to tell us because you got dumped!"
"Huh?! I did not!-" Mariya starts.
"If you didn't, then why don't you want to talk about it?-" Bianca starts back.
"Because I made him take me home!" Mariya snaps.
Everyone falls silent as Mariya turns away.
"What?" Cree asks.
"You heard me, I made Rikuto take me home." Mariya answers.
"B-But why? He's such a great guy! Why did you send him away?!" Kayla says.
Mariya doesn't answer for a moment.
"It didn't feel right..." Mariya comments, "I didn't want to drag it out if I knew it wasn't right for me to be with him."
They just gape at her for a few moments, unable to register what could of happened to make Mariya not want to be with Rikuto.
Though, as they stare, Cree grins.
"Alright, if you didn't feel anything, you didn't feel anything. That's your choice, not our's." Cree says as she walks over and takes Mariya's wrist, "Come with me."
Mariya blinks, and Cree takes off in Flashstep.
"H-Hey, where are you two going?!" Kayla yells after them, irritated that they left her and Bianca behind.
But, Cree doesn't hear them, and soon, she's in her guest bedroom, panting as Mariya clutches the floor.
"C-Cree, d-don't d-do that...I'm n-not use to i-it y-yet." Mariya stutters as she sits.
"Mariya, can I trust you with something?" Cree asks.
Mariya blinks in surprise.
"Huh? Uh, s-sure, what?" Mariya asks.
Suddenly, for the first time, Cree feels her cheeks suddenly beginning to redden, causing her to hide her face a bit.
Mariya blinks.
"Mariya..." Cree trails.
"Cree? Why are you blushing?" Mariya asks.
"Is it wrong?"
"Huh?"
"Is is wrong...that I happy you decided not to..."
"Not to what?"
Cree doesn't answer for a moment.
"..Be with him...Rikuto.." Cree answers.
Mariya's eyes widen in surprise.
She rises to her feet.
"Wait a minute. Cree, are you saying that..." Mariya trails.
Cree turns to look her in the eye.
She nods.
"Yeah, I have a crush on Rikuto." Cree admits.
Mariya's jaw drops to the floor.
"WHAT?!" she yells.
"Shh!" Cree whispers harshly as she covers Mariya's mouth, before removing slowly, "Yes, I...I like him."
"When did this happen?" Mariya asks.
"Well, um..." Cree starts, blushing.
A FEW WEEKS BACK
"Ugh, Mariya, I'm taking a break, alright?" Cree calls as she walks out the door of Mariya's office.
"Fine, just be back soon to help me file these new reports for the Mahinahime file, Toshiro's already busy, so I need all the help I can get!" Mariya calls back (this occured before the memory accident).
"Kay! Be back soon."
Minutes later, Cree finds herself amonst flowers, in a patch of meadow outside the Sereitei. She smiles as the breeze carries the late wildflower's smell through her hair, causing her to sneeze a bit as pollen gets up her nose.
...Man, I wish mom and dad could see this place...
She sits, and sighs as she plays with the triangle charm around her neck.
"Hmm."
...Mariya gave this to met the day after I came here...She said it will allow me to come back here without her help, and it also allows my soul to stay here as long as I want, unlike her's...though I think that's why she got that purple charm bracelet...
A crunching sound catches her attention and diverts it from her necklace to look behind her.
Her eyes widen.
"R-Rikuto!" Cree breaths as Rikuto looks down at her.
He grins.
"Hey, Cree, right? Funny to run into you here." Rikuto says, laughing.
"I know. I didn't anyone else knew about this spot." Cree answers.
"Well, you'd be wrong about that. There's a few from our Squad that know about this place, but that's about it. Wait, no. Considering that Mariya and Miyoko were the ones that found this place, I bet Captain Hitsugaya has been here at least once or twice." he responds, before turning towards her, "So, you're close friends with the Captain?"
"Oh yeah, she and I met about two years ago, and ever since we've been best friends." Cree answers, smiling.
He chuckles.
Without warning, he plots down right next to Cree, causing her to blush a bit.
She raises her hand to her cheeks in alarm.
...huh? W-Why am I..?...
"So, do you like it here. The Soul Society?" Rikuto asks, pulling her from her thoughts.
She nods.
"Yeah, it's really fun. And it's so peaceful here, it's nice." Cree answers.
"I wouldn't really call it peaceful." Rikuto chuckles.
Cree turns and blinks.
"Huh?" she says.
"Well, I guess we could call this the calm before the storm, I guess, this seems to always happen before something bad goes down." Rikuto explains.
"Oh."
"Like for example, the few weeks before Mariya died for example. Everything was just like this. Then...boom, she was dead, just like that..." Rikuto trails.
Cree's eyes widen as she notices the change of tone in Rikuto's voice. From being happy and optimistic, to...depressed and...shook up.
"Rikuto?" Cree asks.
"Hm?" he answers.
"You really do care for Mariya, don't you?"
He immediately begins to blush.
"N-No, of course not! I mean, sure, she's pretty, and really kind, on top of being really funny and super smart, but-" Rikuto trails.
"Rikuto." Cree interupts.
"What?"
"You're going on and on about her. You care for her, dude."
He falls silent.
Cree shrinks a bit.
"Sorry did I go to far?" she asks.
He sighs, and lays down.
"You know, ever since I first joined the Squad, I thought that Mariya was probably one of the strongest Soul Reapers I'd ever seen, and she was so much younger then me. It was amazing. But, when she died, wow, it shook me up. And to see Captain Hitsugaya as he was just made it all the worse. Man, he was the most depressed kid I'd ever seen in my life." Rikuto explains.
"You seem to look up to both of them." Cree comments.
"Yeah, they're so powerful, but so young. And the fact that they're so close makes it so much more special to watch. To see two people feed off each other that much, it's incredible." Rikuto answers.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I thought the same thing when I saw them work together. Even though I wasn't even aware of this stuff at the time, and was defenseless, I still could sense the power the two of them seemed to be able to create together. And then, when Mariya got injured, Toshiro was right there to help her." Cree says, "And though I'm not as advanced as any of you, I can sense when I train with her that we're feeding off each other. It's one of the most amazing feelings. Though, it's not complete."
Rikuto raises an eyebrow.
"Not complete?" he asks.
"It doesn't feel completely  synced together, like Mariya and Toshiro are. Though strong, I can sense loose areas. I want to find the person who I can gain a bond with, like Mariya and Toshiro did." she explains, the breeze catching her hair.
For what feels like hours, Rikuto just stares at her, the feeling of him doing so causing her to redden a bit.
Suddenly, he sits up, and holds out his hand, taking Cree by surprise.
"What?" Cree asks.
"How about we make a pact?" Rikuto says.
"Huh?"
"I say we make a pact to promise we'll both find our bond. What do ya say?" Rikuto explains.
Blush rises to her cheeks.
"Rikuto..." she trails.
He laughs.
As the wind blows again, she grins.
...Rikuto...you..could you...be...
She takes strong hold of his hand, taking Rikuto by surprise.
"Promise?" Cree asks.
He stares for a moment, before grinning.
"Promise." Rikuto answers.
PRESENT
"Oh." Mariya breaths.
"Yeah..." Cree trails.
The two are speechless.
Without warning, Mariya begins to chuckle.
"Mariya?" Cree says.
"You are perfect, Cree." Mariya comments.
"Huh?"
"You're perfect...for Rikuto...Cree."
Blush rises to Cree's cheeks.
"Thanks..but...he already has his heart set on you, Mariya." Cree answers.
Mariya sighs.
"Cree, let me tell you something. You see, there are things in the world that we want, but we are not choosen to have. For example, yes, Rikuto does have feelings for me, I know that. But, even when I did have a crush on him...somewhere, I knew that I didn't contain the same feelings for him, and sadly...that I never would. Toshiro helped me realize that." Mariya explains.
Cree's eyes widen at the thought Toshiro had something to do with all this.
"Toshiro?" Cree comments.
"Yes. Cree, I know that somehow, he will eventually forget about me, and go on to find someone else. And who knows. For all we know, Rikuto might end up falling for Bianca, or Kayla...or even you Cree. We can't predict who we were choosen for, but we can sense if that person might be able to give us what we need. We all want to find that bond, so we all must keep searching til we find it." Mariya goes on.
Cree just stares at her, astonished by Mariya's knowledge on the subject.
"Mariya..." Cree trails.
Mariya grins as she turns gets up and turns towards the door.
"Cree, I want you to remember something." Mariya says.
Cree blinks.
"What?" Cree asks.
"You actually had an indepth conversation with him. Right?" Mariya asks.
"Y-Yeah..."
Mariya smiles and turns back to face her.
"Cree, you're already closer to him then I ever was."
"What?"
"He has never talked to me about himself or said anything to me about my death. Though it might partcially be because it's a quiet subject, I think there's another reason."
"What?"
"He's not comfortable. He's comfortable around you Cree. He trusts you. Remember that-"
"No, not that. You remember your..." Cree trails.
Mariya's eyes widen as she realizes what Cree is trying to say, before turning, becoming more solemn.
"Yes, I remember...my death. It unfortunately was also a memory left behind by the Bijuu who did this to me..." Mariya says, her eyes seeming heavier with the images, "It seems they wanted my to rot in my own agonizing descisions..."
"Mariya..."
She smiles, ironically.
"See Cree, no wonder Rikuto trusts you! You are great to talk to, you make everyone feel better." Mariya compliments, "Cree, you're an amazing person that Rikuto would be lucky to be with!"
Within seconds of letting Mariya's words sink in, Cree chuckles, and smiles, blush once again rising to her cheeks.
...Even in this state Mariya...you still make the world...a little brighter...
Though, a large explosion breaks the peace, and brings the storm.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toshiro's Perspective
"Mariya! Cree! Where are you guys?!" he yells as he enters the spoke filled home.
"Wah! We should of followed them! We could of warned them about the Bijuu attack!" Kayla wails, following Toshiro with Bianca close behind.
"Crying won't change anything Kayla-" Bianca starts.
"Toshiro! Guys, up here!"
Cree's voice immediately draws the three's attention.
Toshiro flashsteps as fast as he can towards the direction of Cree's voice, soon arriving at the door to Cree's guest room. Ground zero for the explosion.
"No..." Toshiro whispers, opening the door.
His eyes widen as he sees all distruction. The full bed was disentergrated, along with most of the furniture that was only there minutes earlier.
"Cree...?" he trails off.
"O-Over here!"
He whips his head around to see a large amount of rubble cast on the floor, boards, and broken beams of wood cast in all directions. Running over, he catches sight of a familiar yellow/orange glow.
Instantly, he starts pulling away at the different pieces, until he finally reaches the barrier.
"Cree!" he yells.
Inside, Cree is sitting, panting as she's probably the one who created the barrier, another surprise. Though, Mariya isn't as well.
She's infront of Cree, unconscious.
As Cree breaks her barrier, Toshiro takes the first chance to grab Mariya and turn her over to see if she's alright.
"M-Mariya, can you hear me?" he whispers, shaking her lightly, before looking up at Cree, "What happened?"
"W-We were talking, and out of nowhere, this big thing of fire just appeared. I-I panicked, I couldn't think of anything." Cree stutters, before looking at Mariya, "T-Then, as the flames showed up, Mariya jumped in front of me, and fixed my hands in the sign position she had been teaching me. A pole hit her in the back, and she went out. I guess in the emotional stress, I created a barrier."
"That's right..."
Cree and Toshiro's eyes widen as they look down at the awakening Mariya.
"Hey! Are you alright?" Toshiro asks as she begins to look around.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Mariya answers, her voice cracking a bit, "Cree, great job...making the barrier.."
Tears rise in Cree's eyes.
"Ma-Mariya.." she trails.
"Are they alright?!"
They turn to see Kayla and Bianca running in the room.
"OMG, is Mariya alright?" Bianca asks as they kneel beside Toshiro.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just a bit dizzy." Mariya answers, trying to sit up.
"How the hell did you survive?"
They all turn to see someone that had been dreading to return.
"Nekomata!" Toshiro yells.
She smirks.
"Wonderful, you remembered my name. I thought I would have to introduce myself all over again." Nekomata laughs, before looking at Mariya, "Though you on the otherhand might not remember me."
"Toshiro." Cree says.
"Yes?" Toshiro answers.
"Take Mariya and get out of here."
Toshiro and Mariya's eyes widen in surprise.
"Do what?!" they both whisper.
"Mariya is the target, if we don't get her hidden, they'll fully eliminate her." Cree explains, turning towards Nekomata, "Get her someplace safe Toshiro, you're the strongest out of all of us, so if attack, you'd have a better chance then us at keeping Mariya alive."
His eyes widen in surprise, taken back by Cree's action of taking command.
"She's right, you two need to get out of here."
He gasps as both Kayla and Bianca stand, pulling their zanpakuto's from their sheaths, spiritual pressure beginning to seep out of their bodies.
"We'll hold her off, you guys get out of here." Bianca says, "Now, Shine from Heaven, Aratatsuki."
Within seconds, Bianca's sword contorts a bit, and immediately turns into a staff, a long blade on either side. Like a paton, it circles her hand faster with just a movement of her wrist, until she stops it suddenly.
"Right, just get out of here for now." Kayla says, "Soar, Washikaen!"
Bright flames burst from Kayla's blade, transforming it into a red three blade whip, a wood-looking handle on the end.
Nekomata laughs.
"What? Are you two gonna fight me?" she laughs.
"What are you afraid of us?" Cree asks as she rises too, yellow spiritual pressure escaping her body, "Strike Hebi Denkou!"
Her sword twists as it brightens, taking the shape of a lightning bolt.
Nekomata's eyes looks dangerously at Cree.
"You, make me afraid? Ridiculous." Nekomata answers, her tone different and more angry.
"Toshiro, GO!" Kayla says.
Before he can stop himself, Toshiro takes strong hold of Mariya, and flashsteps from sight, taking her by surprise.
"T-Toshiro! What are you doing?!" Mariya yells.
"I'm trying to keep you safe!-" Toshiro answers.
"At the cost of their lives?!"
He's taken back by that.
"Mariya..." he trails.
"You know that they aren't strong enough! Besides, she's after me!-" Mariya says.
"Which is exactly why we're doing this! To get you hidden."
"I don't need you guys to fight my battles!" Mariya says.
Her nostalgic words take him by surprise.
"Mariya, I'm sorry...you can't fight."
"Why not?!"
"What's your zanpakuto's name?"
His sudden question causes her to gasp a little, before turning away.
"I don't know..." Mariya answers.
"I know...and that's why you can't fight. Without your zanpakuto, you can't do anything." Toshiro answers.
Mariya grits her teeth.
"Damn it, I hate this...so helpless..." Mariya comments, "I want my memories..."
"Trust me, we all do." Toshiro responds.
Soon, they find themselves in a random sector of the Squad 10 quarters.
"Luckily, my squad is training with squad 5 right now, so no one is around." Toshiro says.
"That's good. No one will get caught up in a fight if someone tries to follow us." Mariya comments.
"M-Mariya! Toshiro!"
The two turn in surprise to see Cree, beaten a bit, appearing from nowhere.
"C-Cree? What are you doing here?" Mariya asks.
"N-Nekomata, she split me, Kayla, and Bianca up. She's on her way here now. Toshiro..." Cree starts, before falling to her knees.
"Cree!" Mariya says as she kneels at Cree's side.
Cree looks up at Toshiro.
"Toshiro, you're a captain. You're the only one left that can at least fend her off now, considering how injured I am." Cree says, "I'm sorry for being weak."
"It's alright Cree, you just rest." Toshiro says as he turns towards the doors.
Mariya catches his shoulder.
"Where are you going?" Mariya asks.
"To take care of that feline before she gets to Bianca or Kayla." Toshiro answers.
"Toshiro, wait." Mariya whispers, surprising him.
"What?"
"Something doesn't feel right."
"Huh?"
"Something about Cree is off. I don't know why, but it is."
"Mariya, you're just scared. Cree is injured, you need to keep moving, so you'd better get going."
"Toshiro-"
"Mariya, you'll be fine. Trust me. Nekomata can't transform, only Kaku could, and we killed her."
"Oh...alright. But you'll be right back right?"
He grins.
"I will, I promise." Toshiro answers.
She smiles bitter-sweetly.
"Well, good-luck. Be safe." Mariya says, releasing him from her grip.
"Always am."
Without another word, he flashsteps out, heading back towards where he'd last seen Kayla and Bianca.
Soon, he winds up back on the grounds of Mariya's home. He looks around to see neigther.
...maybe they went off into the woods...
"Toshiro!"
He turns to see both Kayla and Bianca, which makes him releaved.
Like Cree, they each carry their own amount of injury, though not as serious as Cree's are.
"Good, you guys are ok." Toshiro says.
"What are you doing here?! Where's Mariya?" Bianca asks.
"She's ok, she's hiding in the Squad 10 barricks with Cree.
"With Cree?" Kayla asks.
"Yeah, she was badly injured, so I left her there with Mariya." Toshiro answers.
Both Kayla and Bianca turn pale, worrying him.
"What?" Toshiro asks.
"Toshiro.."
His eyes widen as he turns towards the familiar voice.
He gasps.
In front of him stands Cree, wounded like Kayla and Bianca.
"I'm fine Toshiro...and I never went after you guys. After you two left, we did a group attack on Nekomata, and fought with her for a few minutes before she used some power on us to knock us out for a few minutes." Cree explains, "We just woke up a minute ago."
Toshiro turns ash white.
"...Something about Cree is off. I don't know why, but it is..."
"OH NO!"
Toshiro whips around, and flashsteps, knowing that his dumb mistake could possibly lead to seeing Mariya's death...by a fake Cree.

M.S.A.A. BLEACH pt. 58

"...Water. It seems that it plays a lot into the lives of those who I used to know so well when my memory was still normal. Toshiro especially. His zanpakuto is an Ice type, and ice derives from water, so it connects him even further. But, who knew something of water that seems so irrelevent, like the pond in front of us, could hold so much within it's cool surface. Well, I for one, didn't. And who knew that one accident could become a key factor to finally revealing a truth to me that I haven't been able to see from the time I lost my memories? Well, that one, I guess none of us knew. But, it has become a key, and in truth, I'm quite grateful to the water the splashes beneath me now, because without it, I would of never really discovered anything I know now..."

June 27
SOUL SOCIETY
Mariya's Perspective
Wind blasts past her face as she holds onto Toshiro, afraid for her life about what might happen if she releases her grip from his kimono as he flashsteps, cradling her.
"Uh, T-Toshiro?" Mariya stutters.
"Yes?" he answers.
"W-Where are we going? And, w-why are you carrying me?"
"You'll see soon. And as for carrying you..."
Without warning, Toshiro releases his grip, causing her to sherk a bit as she feels herself beginning to fall. But, Toshiro grabs hold of her wrist, and before Mariya knows it, she's on his back, her arms wrapped loosely around his neck.
"Is that better?" he asks.
For unknown reasons to her, she begins to blush.
"Uh, y-yeah. Thanks." she answers.
He chuckles.
"You are definitely more shy now, I'll tell you that." Toshiro comments.
"Sorry! I don't mean to be, I just-" she starts, blushing even more.
"Hey, calm down. It's ok, it's nice to see you act more like this from time to time."
"Oh, ok..."
For the next two minutes, nothing else is said, but it's nice as the wind blows her hair, which is still down because Toshiro took her before she could take back her ribbon.
Soon, she and Toshiro finally stop in the middle of what seems to be a forest.
"What the..." Mariya trails as Toshiro puts her down.
"I'm guessing this place doesn't look familiar, right?" Toshiro asks as he turns to look at her.
She shakes her head.
"Unfortunately, no, sorry." Mariya answers.
"It's alright, just follow me, okay?"
She nods and follows as Toshiro walks towards a open area ahead of them. As they come closer, Mariya questions herself as she starts to hear something.
Water.
As they walk out in the open space, Mariya walks a little farther ahead to a bolder that from afar seems to drop off to nothing, until you look down. Her eyes widen as she looks to see what she heard was indeed water, but actually a whole pond, a small waterfall running into it, then flowing into a small creek at the other end.
"Wow..." Mariya whispers.
"This is Kibou Pond. It's only about 20 minutes away from where we lived when we were younger." Toshiro says as he walks up to stand right next to her, "We used to come here on days like this and swim."
"Days like this? It's cloudy, and you can't see the sun." she points out.
"Exactly. I'm not a big fan of heat or sun, so days like today were the only days I would go out during summer time."
"Doesn't exactly sound like much fun, but I'll take your word for it."
"Hey! Sorry I'm late!" a voice calls from behind them.
Mariya and Toshiro turn to see another young Soul Reaper, probably only a little older then them. She's only about an inch or two taller then Mariya, and her ebony brown hair is pulled back, held in some weird pouch thing, kept back by a draw string, side-swept bangs revealing her big brown eyes. 
"Momo, where were you?" Toshiro asks, his tone changed a bit.
"I was talking to Captain Aizen, sorry Shiro." Momo answers, before turning to look at Mariya, "Mari! I haven't seen you in a while!"
"Uh...no, I guess not." Mariya says, before moving closer to Toshiro to whisper in his ear, "Who's she?"
He seems to deflat a bit.
"Mariya, this is Momo, she grew up with us, and is a childhood friend. She's also the lieutenant of Squad 5." Toshiro says, some irritation in my voice, "And my name isn't Shiro, you are to call me Captain Hitsugaya, Momo."
"You don't make me call you Captain." Mariya points out.
"Because you are closer to my age." Toshiro answers.
"Oh..." Mariya trails.
She looks over to see that Momo's expression has faded some.
"You mean you don't remember me either?" Momo asks.
Mariya shakes her head.
"Sorry." Mariya answers.
Momo looks at Toshiro, who seems to give her some gesture.
"Well, that doesn't matter. What matters right now is trying to see if we can help you remember anything." Momo says as she walks to stand with the two of them.
"Like what?" Mariya asks.
"Well, for example, let's see if we can get anything out of Kibou Pond." Momo says as she gestures towards the pond, "We have a lot of memories here from when we were kids, so there's a good possibility you might remember something."
Mariya turns back and looks down into the water.
"I don't remember anything." Mariya says, looking hard into the clear surface of the water.
"Well, it's going to take longer then five seconds, Mari, just think." Momo says, "Think. Um, try to imagine a day kinda like today. You are only about 70 years old, as is Toshiro, and I'm 100. There are a few other kids, but there's enough room for us to do our own thing. Without warning, it begins to rain, and many of the kids run for home, but we stay, and the funniest thing happened."
Mariya kneels, still looking into the water, hoping that Momo's decription brings something up to the surface of her mind.
Nothing.
"I can't remember, Momo." Mariya says.
Momo looks over at Toshiro, hoping he can convey something to her.
"Mariya, you just think about it for a little longer, alright." Toshiro says.
"Oh, a-alright." Mariya answers, before looking back into the pond.
With her knowledge, Mariya hears Toshiro being pulled a little ways by Momo.
"..Toshiro, she doesn't remember anything, what can we do?!-..." Momo whispers.
"..Momo, calm down, just give her some time. She is remembering stuff-.." Toshiro answers.
"...-Like what?! Toshiro, she might be able to remain a Captain if she doesn't get her memory back soon-.."
"...-That's why we're here! Momo, she can remember things, we just have to give her more time then 5 minutes..."
Mariya doesn't hear Momo's response, but they soon come back.
Momo kneels beside Mariya, looking down at the water, overlooking the pond from the bolder.
"You really aren't the same person anymore, Mari..." Momo comments.
Mariya's eyes widen when something clicks as she sees all three of their reflections in the water.
"....You don't own the pond, you can't just kick us out!..."
Momo voice, but younger, yells through her brain, irritated by something.
"...He, who do you think you are, little munckin? If you wanna stay, just get rid of Snowflake right next to ya-"
It's a boy's voice, and just the way it sounds makes her a little irritated.
"His name is Toshiro, and he has just a big as a right as we all do-"
Her eyes widen as she recognizes her own voice.
"Oh look, miss Mari is protecting Snowflake-"
"His name is TOSHIRO, you fat pig!"
It cuts off there.
She stands immediately, causing Toshiro and Momo to blink in surprise.
"Mari, what is it?" Momo asks as she stands.
"I called him a fat pig..." Mariya trails, "But, who was the boy I called a fat pig?..."
Momo's eyes widen.
"Mari! That's right, what happened after that?!" Momo yells as she takes hold of Mariya's shoulders.
Mariya stares at her in surprise.
"I-I don't know-" Mariya answers.
"Oh course you know! Just think!" Momo yells, shaking Mariya.
"No, really, that's all I remember-"
"No it's not!" Momo snaps.
"Momo, she doesn't remember anything else-" Toshiro tries to interject.
"She has to remember, she has to-" Momo starts, shoving Mariya a bit.
Suddenly, as Momo shoves, Mariya looses her footing.
"ACK!" Mariya sherks as she falls over the edge.
"MARIYA!" Toshiro yells.
As she hits the water, the horrible truth traces her mind.
She doesn't remember how to swim...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toshiro's Perspective
"MARIYA!" Toshiro yells as he tries to grab Mariya before she falls off the bolder completely.
His hand just misses her.
"Oh no!" Momo yells as she follows Mariya with her eyes, shaking.
"Momo, why did you do that?!" Toshiro snaps.
"I-I didn't mean to!" Momo yells back.
"HA!"
They both look down to see Mariya coming back up to the surface, splashing eractically.
His eyes widen as he notices familiar patterns.
"She doesn't remember.." Toshiro trails.
"What?!" Momo starts.
"-She doesn't remember how to swim!" Toshiro snaps.
Momo's face turns white.
"H-HELP!" Mariya screams.
"Damn it!" Toshiro yells.
Momo blinks in surprise as he hands his haori to her.
"W-What are you doing?-" Momo starts.
"What does it look like? I replaying that day 70 years back!" Toshiro yells, taking off the top part of his kimono so he's bare chest.
He looks down.
Mariya's gone below the surface.
...Damn it! She'll drown!...
"Wh-What?!" Momo yells.
Without delay, Toshiro takes a running start and jumps, aiming directly for the same spot he had last seen Mariya bobbing.
He lands instantly with a cold shock, the water immediately shoaking him.
As he opens his eyes, the familiar memories from 70 years ago enter his mind.
Though, he turns, and immediately his mind changes to focusing on Mariya as he sees her floating a few feet away, unconscious.
He kicks hard and gets to her within seconds, seeing immediately what pulled her under so fast. A piece of some underwater plant caught her foot. He yanks hard, and luckily loosens it enough that Mariya's foot frees.
Still, she's unconscious.
He swims to face her, moving her free-floating hair out of the way of her face, before plugging her nose and using a regular CPR type method to get air into her lungs, which seems to reanimate her, she immediately blinking and starting to freak out. He pulls her close, allowing her to realize that he has her, then takes hold of her around the waist, and begins to kick hard to get them both to the surface.
Finally, they break the surface, both immediately taking deep breaths of air when they meet oxygen.
"Are you both ok?!" Momo yells, still standing atop the bolder, holding his haori and his kimono top.
He looks down and inspects Mariya.
Though probably scared out of her wits, she coughs, meaning that she's getting some air into her lungs as she rests her head against him, shaking a bit, maybe even shuttering.
"W-We're fine!" Toshiro yells back.
"T-Toshiro..."
His eyes widen as he looks down at her, and sees something.
Tears.
"Toshiro, I-I thought I was-" Mariya stutters.
"I know, I know, you're fine, calm down. You're ok." Toshiro reassures her, holding her closer as she does her best to calm down.
"Should I go get someone from Squad 4?" Momo calls.
"No, I think she's alright, just a bit frazzled is all." Toshiro answers.
"Do you at least want me to go get her friend Cree?"
He looks down at Mariya, as she still shakes.
...She could help out...
"Yeah, get Cree, Momo!" Toshiro calls.
Momo nods, and runs off, leaving his haori and kimono top on the bolder.
For a few minutes, they just float there, Toshiro holding her close as she slowly begins to shake less and less.
"Mariya..." Toshiro whispers.
She lifts her head and looks up at him, the light in her eyes barely showing.
"Y-Yes?" she answers.
"You don't remember how to swim, do you?" he asks.
She shakes her head.
"I guess everything I knew and learned with you was wiped out with my memories. I feel so hopeless." Mariya answers.
He sighs, before releasing her a bit and moving a bit away, putting her a bit on edge.
"Here, I guess I'll just have to reteach you I guess."
"H-Huh?!" Mariya starts, already beginning to panic.
"Mariya, just stay calm, now, when I let go, just move you're legs calmly back and fourth, and sway your arms to keep above the water. Ok?" Toshiro says.
A little hesitant, Mariya nods.
"Alright, now, I'm right here, so don't worry." Toshiro says, moving farther away.
With caution, Toshiro watches as Mariya does her best to follow his instructions, moving her feet side to side as she keeps herself afloat.
Then he lets go,
At first, she's a little off, bobbing like she was when she first hit the water. Though, within a minute or two, she's nicely floating.
He grins.
"See, you're floating." Toshiro says.
She smiles.
"I am, aren't I?" she says, grinning bigger then he's seen her done since the accident.
"Alright, now, try to swim over to me." Toshiro says.
Mariya's cheeks redden a bit.
"Um, o-ok." she says.
Slowly, her mind seems to think out the steps to the dog-paddle, and soon those of a normal stroke, as she soon is closing in on him. She reaches out, and he grabs her wrist, pulling her into him, causing her to laugh.
"See, you swam there." Toshiro comments.
"You." Mariya says.
He blinks, confused.
"What?" he asks.
"You...you were the one that taught me how to swim." she says.
His eyes widen.
"That day...the first time we came here..." she continues.
Instantly the memory unfolds again, replaying in both of their heads.
JULY 1940
Mariya(69) and Momo(100) drag Toshiro(69) towards Kibou Pond, hoping that because of the cloudy wheather that Toshiro will swim.
"Why did you have to drag me along?" Toshiro groans.
"Because, we wanted you to enjoy yourself for once during summer, besides, the sun isn't out, so you shouldn't be complaining as much." Momo answers.
"Ugh, I don't like heat." Toshiro groans.
"We know that, but once you jump in, you should be fine." Mariya says, before beginning to trail, "...besides...I've been waiting to learn..."
"Huh?" Toshiro asks.
Mariya looks away, embarassed about something.
"What is it Mariya?" Toshiro asks.
"Mari, do you want me to tell him?" Momo asks.
Mariya nods.
"What?" Toshiro asks again, beginning to get irritated.
Momo sighs and looks down at him.
"Mariya doesn't know how to swim." Momo admits.
Toshiro's eyes widen a bit.
"What?" he says.
"She was never taught by her parents, and she's been waiting for you to go with us before she tries to learn how so that you can help her." Momo finishes.
He blinks in surprise, before looking over at her, to she she's blushing more then before, causing him to grin a bit.
"Well, will you teach me?" Mariya asks, still not looking at him, too embarassed.
Suddenly, he feels his own cheeks beginning to redden.
"Uh, yeah, s-sure." he answers.
Immediately, Mariya cheers up, and hugs him.
"Thank you Shiro!" Mariya says.
"Don't call me Shiro!" Toshiro yells as Mariya and Momo laugh.
Soon, they arrive at the pond, to see other kids playing in the water and along the waterfall.
Though, once some spot him, some seem to back off and quiet, whispering to one another.
Mariya notices, and grabs his arm.
"C'mon Toshiro, let's go get in, I wanna start now-" Mariya starts as she begins to pull him down the hill.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The three of them look up to see a boy, maybe a little older then Momo, standing over them as they come to stop by the edge that drops down to the water. He's a bit plump, wearing only what looks like a loin cloth to cover himself, allowing all his fat to show.
"We're here to swim, is all." Momo answers.
"Well, sorry, but we would like to abide by the rules of the pond." the boy says.
"What rules?" Mariya asks.
The boy smirks, before pointing at Toshiro.
"Kids like him are not allowed here." he answers.
"What did you just say?" Mariya yells, now angered.
"You heard me, as long as you're with him, you can't come into the pond." the boy answers, gesturing to where all the kids stand, all out of the pond.
"You don't own the pond, you can't just kick us out!" Momo yells, now standing in front of Mariya and Toshiro.
"He, who do you think you are, little munckin? If you wanna stay, just get rid of Snowflake right next to ya-" the boy starts, staring Momo down.
"His name is Toshiro, and he has just a big as a right as we all do-" Mariya says, stepping in front of both Momo and Toshiro.
"Mari-" Momo starts, concerned.
"Oh look, miss Mari is protecting Snowflake-" the boy starts again as he leans over to get in Mariya's face.
Mariya cracks, and slaps the boy right across the face.
"His name is TOSHIRO, you fat pig!" Mariya snaps, surprising even Toshiro.
In a moment of rage, the boy pushes her with all his might, and infortunately, at the angle she's standing, she goes right over.
"AHHH!" she screams, petrified.
"MARIYA!" Toshiro yells as she falls over the edge, trying to grab her, but missing, then in rage, turning and punching the boy hard, "You dumbASS! She doesn't know how to swim!-"
He stops.
...She doesn't know how to swim....
He whips around and immediately runs to the edge, looking down into the water.
Mariya isn't there.
...No! She's gone under!...
Without much thought, he backs up and takes a running start, and dives head first into the water, immediately for Mariya. Within about 10 seconds, he spots her, her kimono caught in a crack of the bolder. He swims over and takes hold and rips the cloth to get her free. Then, taking her around the waist, he hoists her up to the surface. When they break for air, he takes the first chance he can to breath, though Mariya stays silent.
"Toshiro! Is Mari ok?!" Momo yells from above.
He does what he can to see if she's alright. He puts his hand in front of her nose.
He goes pale.
Nothing was happening.
"M-Momo, she's-" Toshiro starts.
"ACK!"
Toshiro looks down at the sound of the cough, and his eyes widen as he sees Mariya's eyes beginning to blink.
"She's...ok." Toshiro finishes, followed by the sounds of many releaved sighs.
She looks up at him.
"T-Toshiro..." she trails.
He grins solemnly.
"Sorry that your first lesson had to start off so bad." he apologizes.
Without warning, she burst into tears, and buries her face in his now soaked kimono.
Her cries cause his heart to...actually, ache, and he pulls her closer, allowing her to cry as much as she needs to, scared by the near-death experience...
PRESENT
He blinks as he comes back to reality, not believing he had to relive the experience again.
"That boy ran away because he didn't want to be caught if I ended up dying."
He gasps slightly as he looks down to see Mariya still holding on to him, her head resting under his chin.
"You remembered all that..?.." Toshiro asks.
Mariya lifts her head and looks up at him, and grins.
"Yeah." she answers.
He smiles.
"Good, you're gaining back more memories." Toshiro says
She chuckles.
"Not only that..." she comments.
Red raises a bit in his cheeks as she comes closer.
"H-Huh?"
"You are not only bringing back my memories, but you're saving our relationship...you're saving me..and all I ever was...Toshiro." she answers, blushing a bit herself.
"M-Mariya..." Toshiro trails.
Grinning, she places her head back under his chin, the contours of his neck perfectly fitting the shape of her head. Her arms raise to give him a hug around the neck, causing him to blush more.
Though, naturally, he wraps his arms around her waist, causing Mariya to redden.
"You really are my best friend...Toshiro.." Mariya whispers, "I was scared I wouldn't find the same affection to really call you that..I'm happy."
Not answering, Toshiro tightens his grip, letting Mariya know that he agreed, causing her to chuckle.
After about 10 more minutes of floating like that, Toshiro finally brought them to shore.
He takes his own kimono top and throws it to Mariya.
"It may not match, by it's dry, change out of your top into that." Toshiro instructs.
Blushing slightly, she nods and walk a little ways into the forest so she can change in private.
He sighs and leans over to grab his haori.
"Captain Hitsugaya!"
Toshiro's eyes widen as he sees Rikuto running towards him.
"R-Rikuto? What are you doing here?" Toshiro asks.
"I ran into Lieutenant Hinamori, and she told me what happened, is Mariya alright?" Rikuto asks.
"Rikuto?"
Both Rikuto and Toshiro turn to see Mariya walking towards them, changed into Toshiro's top, and holding her soaking one.
"Mariya! You're ok!" Rikuto says as he rushes to Mariya's side, pulling her into a hug.
Toshiro watches as a strange feeling enters his body.
"R-Rikuto, I'm fine, really." Mariya answers, stuttering as she begins to blush.
"Well, c'mon, Lieutenant Hinamori wanted me to take you to Cree as soon as possible." Rikuto says as he secretly guides her off and away from Toshiro.
"O-Oh...alright." she trails.
As Rikuto walks Mariya away, Toshiro sighs.
...oh well...
But, when he looks back at them, his eyes widen in surprise.
She was still watching him, looking back as she was taken away by Rikuto.
He grins, and waves, knowing that she has probably made her descision about her date with Rikuto.