Lost Child (Bleach Fanfic)

Burning Wounds

The song of a bird and warm sunlight caused Momo to open her eyes. The small female sat up and stretched her arms into the air. She glanced around to speak with the girls she shared the dorm with only to stop short upon realizing that they weren't there. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened into a circle of panic. Pushing back the sheets she pushed her legs out of the bed.

The clothes she wore during the night were tossed aside and she slipped on the school uniform and then the shoes. She grabbed her bag forgetting her homework and realized this fact only after she was already running at a fast pace. She stopped to turn back in order to get the papers, only to stop when she realized that she'd rather not have her homework then be late.

She took off again only to have her sandal break which in turn caused her to go tumbling head over toe making it so that her already messy hair became even more messy. She began to bounce up and down when the bell for first classes rang. She looked up with her eyes wide. "And I'd been doing so well to be on time this year."

The small female suddenly jumped when she heard the voice of the teacher from behind her. "Hinamori Momo?"

The girl spun around to see the head master of the academy looking at her with a rather serious look on his face. "I'm sorry for being late. I'm sorry for not making my bed. I'm sorry for my uniform being in such disarray. I'm sorry for forgetting my homework again."

"What we need to is more important. Please come to my office."

"Please tell me I'm not being kicked out."

"This matter is more serious then that."

Momo blinked a couple of times before bending over and retying the broken strap to the best of her ability. "Am I being selected to help teach one of the first year classes. That would honestly make my day." They arrived at the office to see Tatsukichi standing there. Momo blinked a couple of times. "Te-chan... what are you doing here?"

"You're needed back home Momo. Something has happened to your grandmother." The boy glanced at the floor. "I've explained things to the head master."

"You'll be given time off from school Hinamori. Take care of things at home and then come back."

The small female turned to follow the male back to her village when she remembered something. She turned to the head master. "Would you please tell Renji and Izuru where I am so they don't worry about me?"

"I will do that."

The two began to walk back to the village at a brisk pace. "What ever is the matter with granny?"

The boy remained silent. "You're granny has passed away."

Momo stopped short, her right hand coming up to her mouth and her eyes widening in horror. "Te-chan... whose taking care of Shiro-chan?"

The boy paused then, turning his head to look at her. "Your little brother has gone missing."

"Why?" The small female shook her head. "Never mind." The small female made to move faster, only for the strap on her sandal to give way again. Bending down she removed the sandals and then the socks. "I don't have time for this."

The academy student took off at a run, only to find herself out of breath without coming anywhere near the village. Momo bent over, feeling the tears well in her eyes. "Why?" Why did something have to happen to granny and Shiro-chan? If I had never joined the academy he would at least not have run off like he did. Why?"

Her tears hit the ground, soaking in as she tried to comprehend what was going on. She then walked quietly back with her companion, staring at the ground as she did so. Tears continue to trickle down her face. She arrived to see many from the village gathered around her house. She folded her hands with her sandals still in them and walked up to her village elder. "What happened?"

One of the villagers spoke then. "Your little brother killed your granny."

Momo's eyes went wide. "What do you mean he killed granny? Shiro-chan wouldn't hurt someone on purpose!"

The village elder waved at the women who were preparing the old woman's body for funeral purposes as well as burning incense to drive away the smell. The man turned to her. "He didn't kill her on purpose. The child' reiatsu froze her to death."

A man who was lurking spoke out of turn. "That child should be put to death."

"Hold on!" Momo bent down, the tears coming in heavy sobs. "Shiro-chan is... he... how could he freeze her to death with his reiatsu?"

"It's honestly to bad the academy doesn't take children that young."

"But surely they could have made an exception."

"That child is a monster! We've know that since the day he was left with the old woman."

"She's now paying for that."

The village elder grabbed Momo's shoulder and walked her away from the house to sit down. "I'm sorry about this. The rest of the village up to now were really good about hiding their dislike of that child from you."

"But the entire village even you didn't like him?"

The elder let out a deep breath. "That child... your little brother. There are certain children out there that have monstrous amounts of power like he has that end up being not just a danger to others but to themselves. People stayed away from him because strange things always happened around him."

"But where is he? Did he run off because people falsely accused him of murder."

"No. A few of the men beat him when they found your granny dead. Then when he came too some of the villagers talked about how the Shinigami should execute him."

Momo began to cry harder then. "But he hasn't committed any crime! He's just a little kid. Please! Look for him."

"Who is going to take care of him? None of the people in the village want anything to do with him. You are in the academy and have a year left to go."

"I'll drop out! I'll drop out, so please just find him."

The village elder shook his head. "I will have the villagers look for him, but if we manage to find him you need to find a Shinigami who is willing to adopt him."

"I don't understand."

"He needs someone who can earn money to feed him, cloth him not to mention the fact he needs someone who isn't effect by his reiatsu. Just get him away from this village."

"You do understand that after this I have no reason to come back." Momo's hands tightened around her pant legs.

Tatsukichi blinked a couple of times. "Wait... why not?"

"I can't handle the way everyone's treated him. The real reason you... all of you... didn't want me to know that you were treating my brother the way you did is because you all know very well that you are wrong for treating him the way you have."