Death and Reincarnation (Madison Shecker's Story) pt.. 27

...Princess Mahinaheme, Daughter to the Soul King and Queen, the rulers of the Soul Society. Many say that she was an angel born into this world in time of need, for she had many abilities like those in S. Squad T.P. today. Except, her pure power was much greater. And her eyes glowed like fires of heaven, not hot red, but the coolest of light blue. As the first born, she would of ruled the Soul Society. Many thought that this was a miracle. But, the miracle was shattered. About 140 years ago, the royal palace was attacked by rouge Soul Reapers who had betrayed the Soul Society, aiming on killing all of the Royal Family. After the great battle, it was found that all of the Royal Family had survived. Well...all but one...

January 6, 2011
SOUL SOCIETY
Madison's Perspective
"It...what?..." Madison says, starring at Toshiro.
Toshiro turns back to face her, surprise in his eyes.
"Yattamori, you don't remember?" Toshiro asks.
She shakes her head.
"I remember a few times when I was researching, but that's about it." Madison answers, "What do you mean by "It's because of this cursed search that I died in the first place?" 
Toshiro looks away, then sighs and turns back to face her.
"After you died, we were able to learn a few reasons why the hollow might of wanted to kill you. One of the reasons was that you might of been getting too close to uncovering some key information in the missing Princess's case." Toshiro explains.
"I also looked into other files and found that other Soul Reapers who been assigned the case had died by some of the same actions." the Head Captain interjects, "Though, your death was the most unique."
Toshiro and Yattamori look surprised.
"How was it unique?" she asks.
"I read the records and discovered the usual way the Soul Reaper was killed. It seems that instead of facing it head on, the hollow would kill someone or something important to the true target, so to make the target weaker. But, instead of doing it by usual means, they killed you directly instead of taking the time to kill the person with you, Toshiro." the Head Captain explains.
Yattamori's eyes widen.
...They were using that tactic...if I hadn't had the vision, then pushed him out of the way...Toshiro would of died too...
She looks over at Toshiro, who's probably thinking the same thing. His hand is now clenched in a tight fist.
"Toshiro-" she whispers.
"So, why did you give it to her, knowing that will probably be the outcome!?" Toshiro yells as he steps in front of Madison, cutting her off.
"Because, she now will have a good idea of what to expect-" the Head Captain starts.
"No, you're just gonna send her back to the grave!" Toshiro snaps, making Madison gasp as her eyes widen.
"Captain Hitsugaya, please-" the Head Captain starts, trying to calm Toshiro.
"I won't allow you to put her in that position again! I won't let her die-!" Toshiro interrupts again.
"Toshiro, please!" Madison says as takes hold of his middle from behind, dropping the file.
Her cry stops Toshiro in mid yell, making him speechless. She hears him cock his head to see her face smushed into the back of his haori, her eyes squeezed shut.
"Madison...?" he says.
"I know you're worried, but you can't just go around barking at the Head Captain about his decisions. I have no choice, and you can't change the course of the matter. What's final is final. I have to take the assignment. And there's nothing you can do that will change that fact, Toshiro." Madison says, looking up at him.
Toshiro's eyes widen as her words sink in. The stay like that for a few moments, until Toshiro breaks his stare. He then quickly turns back to face away from her. She in return lets go of him and picks up her file, which amazingly didn't sprawl all over the floor. She looks down to see his fists to clenched tight, but says or does nothing to notion that she noticed.
"I'm sorry, I you'll excuse me, there's some work I need to get done. Goodbye." Toshiro says as he bows then walks towards the door, all without even turning towards Madison.
"Toshiro, wait!" she yells after him, walking a few steps behind him and reaching out to catch him, then stopping.
He doesn't respond, and keeps walking. She lowers her hand and turns away in response, slightly looking over her shoulder to see that he's gone. A hurt frown becomes her expression as she turns to face Grandpa Yamma. He seems concerned, but tries to ignore the scene.
"So, does this mean you except the assignment given?" he asks.
"Didn't you hear me? I said I have no choice but to accept. So, in the text said, I made clear that I accept. Thank you for having such belief in me. I'll try not to fail this time." Madison says as a bitter sweet smile comes to her face and she bows.
Grandpa Yamma, looks concerned, but doesn't address anything.
"Thank you, Captain Yattamori, you may leave now if you wish." Grandpa Yamma says.
She nods then turns and walks out the door. 
When she comes to stand outside the building in the cold, crisp, winter air, she quickly hides in the undergrowth of dead bushes and shurbs. As soon as she can't be seen, she silently begins to cry, clutching the file close to her as if it was a plush toy. She stays there for about 25 minutes, crying and thinking over the afternoon's events. She finally stops when she feels something hit her already soaked cheeks. She looks up towards the sky to see tiny snowflakes sprinkling down onto the already white ground. She quickly wipes her face of any more tears and sneaks back out onto the barrick cobble path, then begins to walk alone.
"You'd better hurry if you want to get to your quarters before the worst of the storm hits." a familiar voice says from behind her.
She turns around to see Captain Ukitake and Captain Kuoraku standing behind her. When they noticed her face, they begin to look concerned.
"Is something wrong Yattamori? You look as if you've been crying." Kuoraku says.
"I do? Oh, it must be the weather, it makes my eyes water sometimes." Madison lies, putting on a fake smile.
"Oh, I see. Hey, is that your first assignment?" Ukitake says as he notices the file in her arms.
She nods.
"What is it?" Kuoraku asks.
She looks surprised, then frowns as she hands it to Ukitake, who reads it. His eyes widen.
"You got the Mahinaheme case again?!" Ukitake asks as Kuoraku reads it.
"That's right." she says, smiling weakly.
"But that's the same one that-" Kuoraku begins.
"-lead to my ultimate demise, I know, I know. Toshiro went on a full rampage because of it." Madison finishes.
Kuoraku and Ukitake look surprised.
"Captain Hitsugaya? Went on a rampage? That doesn't sound like him at all. He's usually all cool and mature about situations." Kuoraku comments.
"Well, he did. Snapped on Grandpa Yamma and everything." Madison interjects.
They look even more surprised.
"The Head Captain?! Man, now I can't even imagine that." Ukitake says.
"Speaking of Captain Hitsugaya, where is he?" Kuoraku asks as he holds the file to her.
Madison looks surprised, then fades back to frowning.
"I don't know. After I told him to stop and that I was taking the assignment, he left...without even looking at me..." Madison answers as she takes the file and holds it close in her arms.
Ukitake and Kuoraku look surprised, then look at each in guilt.
"We're sorry, we didn't know-" Ukitake starts.
"It's alright. It's not like you knew. Besides, Toshiro does this all the time. Once he's cooled down, I'm sure everything will be fine and back to normal." Madison says as she falsely smiles, trying to reassure them.
"O-Oh, alright. So, where are you headed." Ukitake asks.
"I'm going to the Sereitei Library and Records. I decided that it would be a good idea to get a jump-start on my assignment." Madison answers.
"Do you want us to tag along?" Kuoraku asks.
...YES!!....
"No, that's alright. I'll be ok on my own. I get more done that way too." Madison answers.
"Well, alright, See you later." Ukitake says.
"Bye!" Madison says as she turns back.
She doesn't notice, but Ukitake and Kuoraku see new tears beginning to escape down her face as she runs away from them.
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Toshiro's Perspective
9:21 p.m.
Toshiro sits alone in his office drinking a hot cup of fresh tea. The day's events run past his mind in jumbles. He soon gets frustrated and slams his cup hard on his desk, then turns to looks out the window, to see large snowflakes sailing down in the sky. He smiles. He, having a snow and ice type zampakutou, loves the winter months and it's weather.
...Yattamori used to always throw the hardest snowballs...
His eyes widen as Yattamori rises back to his mind. Her hurt frown had been plastered in his mind all day and he couldn't get it out.
"It's her fault for accepting that assignment in the first place. So why should feel bad? It's her fault!" Toshiro says as takes another sip of his tea.
He sits it back down and turns back towards the window.
"...I have no choice, and you can't change the course of the matter. What's final is final. I have to take the assignment. And there's nothing you can do that will change that fact, Toshiro..."
Her voice stream past his mind. He sighs then places his head in his hands.
...It can't...It was never her fault...
He begins to chuckle.
"Look at me. Here I am blaming everything on her, when the fact is she had no choice but to take it. And, on top of that, it was her that saved me from dying so she could be sacrificed later. I should be thanking her, not blaming her..." he says.
"Then why don't you?" a voice says, surprising him.
He turns around.
"Ukitake, Kuoraku. What are you two doing here?" Toshrio asks.
"Looking for you. We've been looking for you since about 2:30 this afternoon." Ukitake answers.
"Why?"
"Because we wanted to know why you really went off on Old Man, Yamma." Kuroaku answers.
Toshiro looks surprised.
"How did you-?" Toshrio starts.
"We ran into Captain Yattamori. She told us what happened." Ukitake answers.
"Oh..." Toshiro says
"What exactly happened?" Kuoraku asks.
"Yattamori told you didn't she?" Toshiro says.
"All she told us was that you went off because of her assignment." Ukitake says.
"That's pretty much it." Toshiro says, turning back to the window in his hair.
"She also told us that you walked out without even looking at her." Ukitake says.
Toshiro tenses.
"Is that also true?" Ukitake asks.
Toshiro sighs and turns some to look at them.
"Yes, I did." he answers.
"Why?" Kuoraku asks.
"I was frustrated. I didn't want Yattamori see me like that. So I walked away." Toshiro explains.
"Then why didn't you answer her when she called out to you to come back?" Kuoraku asks.
Toshiro becomes wide eyed.
"She told you that?" Toshiro asks quietly.
"No, we could just tell by how she was acting when she told us about you walking out on her." Kuoraku answers.
Toshiro looks away and turns around in his seat, taking his tea in his hand.
"Did she look like she had been crying...?" Toshiro asks, still turned around.
Ukitake and Kuoraku look surprised, then turn towards each other before saying anything.
"We didn't say anything, but she still had a few tears streaming down her face." Ukitake answers.
Toshiro's hand clenched around his cup, and he turns back and slams it on the table, surprising the two captains. He stays quiet for a few moments before he releases his cup and puts his head in his hands.
...I made her cry...
"What the heck is wrong with me?" Toshiro says.
"What?" Ukitake asks.
"Here I am, saying that I won't let her be hurt again, and I'm the one making her hurt..." Toshiro says, his head still in his hands.
Ukitake and Kuoraku look at each in surprise, then turn back to him.
"You got upset because you know there's a chance she might be targeted again, is that right?" Kuoraku asks.
Toshiro stays quiet.
"And you left Madison after she said that she accepted because you didn't want her to see you all torn up about it." Ukitake says.
Toshiro looks up and sighs.
"You two know me too well." Toshiro comments.
"You have been a Captain for over a decade, we begin to notice traits." Kuoraku says.
"Yeah, but you were slightly off on the last thing." Toshiro says as he stands to face the window.
"Really, what?" Kuoraku asks.
"I left her behind because, I didn't want to break down myself..." Toshiro answers.
"Huh?" Kuoraku says.
"If I had looked at her for another minute, I probably would of walked out of there crying out of helplessness." Toshiro answers.
"You, cry?" Ukitake says.
"I know, hard to imagine right?" Toshiro says, "But you need to understand, I want to help her so bad. I want to be there to protect her. But, in this situation, I can't. And, I hate that she's being put in danger again. That's why."
"You know, you can still help her." Ukitake says.
"How?" Toshiro asks, still turned away.
"To start off, go to the Sereitei Library and Records and apologize. She's probably still there doing research." Kuoraku says.
Toshiro then turns with out saying anything, and walks past them. He stops at the door, then turns back.
"Thanks, for everything." Toshiro says as he opens the door, then flashsteps away.
After a few minutes, Toshiro finds himself infront of the Sereitei Library and Records, walking up the steps to the large building. When he enters, he sees little around him, the building almost deserted. As he walks through more of the Library, he spots a desk in the sitting area with a light on. As he nears, he notices a lime green ribbon, and smiles.
When he reaches the table, he finds Yattamori sound asleep, laying over at least 10 open books and loose papers. He looks at the information that she was looking at.
"Mahinaheme's I.D. profile, Spotting Records, Her Zampakutou analysis, Presipse World Records from 1870, dang, she looking at everything." Toshiro comments as he looks through the research.
After a few minutes of putting the books and papers in a safe place for the next day, he walks back over to Yattamori, who's still snoring away.
"Ok, Yattamori, picking you up now, so be prepared." Toshiro says as he puts arms around her and picks her up to cradle her.
"Dang, you need to eat more, you weigh lighter then the last time." Toshiro comments as he carries her out into the night.
The sudden rush of cold air causes Yattamori to pull herself closer to him, causing him to blush a little.
After a moment, Toshiro looks down and notices a tear in the corner of Yattamori's eye, reminding him of earlier.
"I'm sorry Yattamori, I didn't mean to make you cry. I just got frustrated, is all." Toshiro says as he turns a corner.
Suddenly, Yattamori's arms rise around him and lock on his right shoulder, causing him to become redder then before. He looks down at her, and gasps quietly when he notices her grinning. He smiles.
"Thank you Madison." Toshiro says as he still walks.
He doesn't notice, but her eyes flutter slightly open, revealing dark, cold eyes, and she smiles a devilish grin, thinking only one thing...
...And thank you for playing perfectly into our trap...