Christmas Nightmare (Bleach Fanfic)

Gin Rummy

Gin sat at the head of the small taicho's futon, not moving, but not going into the boy's inner world as of yet. Even though there had been the insistence that it was rather important that someone go into the boy's inner world, to find out exactly what was going on, he couldn't help but feel some reluctance in doing so, and was taking his time.

The former taicho of the tenth division sat in a corner, fast asleep, yet alert enough to wake up if any serious changes came to the young man, or something else occurred that his attention needed to be drawn too. In Gin's opinion, this man was in truth the best person to go into Toshiro's inner world, simply from the fact that Toshiro was more trusting of that man out of all three of them.

However, Urahara, who had gone to his lab, and Isshin had both formed the idea that Gin was the best and most likely, simply because of the fact that Hyorinmaru had in fact trusted him, which was in truth the greatest barrier that one would need to overcome in order to get into the young boy's inner world. It could easily be said that the ice dragon was like a shield over who Toshiro really was.

Ichimaru had no smile on his face, and instead had a frown. Not to mention, his eyes were open wider than normal, giving off a dark aura, as he watched the young child's rough breathing. Things were not supposed to be like this, as he had done everything that he had done, to make sure that the young one would remain safe. Thus his curiosity, to know that Hitsugaya would be all right, overcame him.

The right hand of Gin carefully moved, tense at the idea of touching, as his mental state rather told him he had no right to. Finally, though, his fingers brushed against the boy's forehead, brushing away that oddball lock of hair that seemed to always come into his face. The fact that there was no reaction at all from the white haired boy, let Gin know, he might as well proceed with the whole matter.

His ling, bony fingers settled to touch lightly against the skin of Toshiro's forehead, and he closed his eyes, trying to meditate, to go into his own inner world, and perhaps find some breach between his and the icy world that he knew Toshiro to have. However, he didn't expect to be greeted by a fuzziness, which wasn't characteristic of his world, nor for the ice dragon to present himself in front of him.

Gin stood in front of the huge beast, remaining calm, even though the dragon could at times be more unsettling then his own zampaktuo, or his own inner hollow. The man's usual customary smirk suddenly reappeared. "Hello, Hyorinmaru. I know that you don't like me, but I have a good reason for intruding like I am."

"As I have said before, it is not my place to decide if I like you or not. You've entered masters inner world a long time ago, telling me to hold off on letting his powers emerge, to not call to him…" the dragon stated, the last part said rather darkly.

"Couldn't you have held off a little longer? You and I both know that he's the youngest to have ever entered the academy, the distance between him and the others, about forty years, or the equivalent of four year," Ichimaru stated firmly, asserting his own problem that he had had. "And I don't think that chibi-taicho would like you calling him master, would he?"

"I'll call mine shingami what I will," the ice dragon muttered, breathing deeply through his nostrils. "You are free to enter, though I doubt that Hitsugaya-sama would be happy with you there, but while I am able to call to him, and here his pleas for me to interfere, I am unable to have him hear my words."

"Is there a chance that I will not be able to enter…" Gin stated firmly, slight concern in his voice.

"No… the chance of you being able to enter has actually grown, Ichimaru Gin. Something else has taken control of his inner world…"

"Please tell me it is not an inner hollow developing," came the hurried reply, not to mention a slight, but short lived frown from the silver headed man.