Bleach: The Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya x OC

Chapter 1: The New Captain

The sound of panicked footsteps echoed around me as I made my way through the empty streets. I had been running for so long that I couldn't feel my feet hitting ground; numbness was creeping its way into my legs. I had to concentrate to keep my body moving forward. My breathing felt laboured and my lungs threatened to stop working. How did this happen? A sickening feeling ate its way through my stomach.

There, in the clearing, propped under a large overhanging tree, was a figure. My body felt disconnected as I made my way to him. I collapsed to my feet next to his too still form. The air surrounding him was stale and dead. His eyes were blank, staring, unseeing into the distance.

"No-no-no-NO-- you can't be-- wake up god damn it!" I shoke his shoulders roughly. His head fell forward, limp. He made no other movement. I sobbed into his shirt. "This can't be happening!"

I let my sorrow consume me, feeling my shoulders heaving as I cried. My body was completely numb. I couldn't bring myself to look at him. I burrowed my face into his shoulder and held his hand. He was so cold, even his scent was fading.

"Akira," a calm voice spoke behind me. "You can't be here kiddo, investigators will be here any moment." the man put his arms around me and pulled me up.

My robes were soaked through with blood. I looked down at his body. So much of his blood had pooled around him. Where he lay, propped against the tree, he looked almost as though he was sleeping. His one hand was still clutching his blade. I relieved him of his burden.

I held the knife up to the moonlight. "W-why isn't there any blood on his blade, didn't he t-try to defend himself?" I tried to keep tears from welling up again.

He shoke his head, unable to answer me. He pointed to the object in question. "You have to leave that here Akira." the man urged, pushing me in the direction the tree line.

"It was his. I'm not letting them take this away from me." I tried to sound determined.

He sighed. "Do you know how a zanpakuto works? When their master dies it disappears with them Akira."

I didn't care. "If that's the case then the investigators won't miss it," I tucked it into my robe. He didn't argue.

We heard voices in the distance and the man pushed me forward into the bushes of the surrounding forest. "Get going," he urged.

I needed no second bidding. I ran as far as my weary body could take me, far enough into the forest that I could no longer smell the stench of death. An image of his empty face invaded my thoughts. I dropped to my knees and curled up on the cold, damp ground, clutching his sword, crying quietly to myself as I slowly drifted into oblivion.

***

I woke up covered in sweat. Sitting up, I wiped my brow with the back of my hand. Relax Akira, I reminded myself, that was over fifty years ago and this was just a dream. I pulled myself out of bed and grabbed my clothes on the way to the bathroom. A shower would help me out of my stupor.

Feeling significantly better after an hour in the bathroom, I reminded myself of the things I had to look forward to this morning. Turning slowly in my room, I gazed at my newly acquired white haori. The number five was emblazoned on the back. I was the new captain of Squad Five. Leaning against the door jam of my old room, I let this little bit of information sink in. Could this be real? I rubbed my new haori between my thumb and forefinger feeling its rich fabric. It definitely was.

I climbed onto the small plush couch in the corner of my room, remembering the previous days events.

***