Chapter Text
Endless night shrouded Hueco Mundo when a single young man exited the senkaimon. His slightly longer, spiky white hair rustled gently in the wind as the senkaimon door closed and disappeared behind him. Sharp turquoise eyes scanned the expansive dunes for life. He sensed a few small Hollows off to his right but they were too scared to come outright.
"That's where I need to go," he muttered when he spotted what he was looking for in the distance. The infamous palace beneath the crescent moon laid in ruins from the winter war three years ago. He still remembers that war as if it were yesterday. The war that made him almost lose his lieutenant and murder his best friend in cold blood. Aizen has been captured and is paying for his crimes. But after all that death and destruction, executing him slowly and painfully will still be far too merciful.
Many things have changed in the past three years. The missing Captain positions were quickly filled by their respective predessesors. A corteous invitation from Head Captain Yamamoto, the captain scoffed at the idea. Even though the new Captains have been pardoned for their past crimes, he still hates the idea of a certain blonde visorde being around the only other person he cared about.
With the loss of his arm, Head Captain Yamamoto recently stepped down to give reign to a younger, more open-minded Captain. He believed his successor will steer Soul Society in a more understanding direction, instead of his own steadfast traditional ways. Captain Shunsui Kyoraku accepted his new title reluctantly but being one of Yamamoto's original two students, the old drunkard knew he would make his master proud.
The new Head Captain and Gotei Thirteen have made it their mission to hunt down all the remaining Arrancars and Vasto Lordes in Hueco Mundo. It has been going quite well. But lately, several reports have been coming in about unusual spikes of energy from the palace ruins. None was sent to investigate... Until now.
"Cap~tain," The voluptuous Matsumoto almost sang as she ran up the white dune beside her young superior. Seven officers and a handful of unseated members of squad ten joined her beside their Captain.
"You're late," the young Captain huffed and threw the edge of his dark green scarf over his shoulder.
"Awww! Captain, do you know how exhausting it is to run after all that paperwork?" she whined playfully.
"Maybe if you do more actual work instead of drinking, you won't be so out of shape," one slender eyebrow twitched with annoyance as he adjusted the new chain that held Hyourinmaru in place.
She gasped loudly, "Are you calling me fa-?!"
"Captain Hitsugaya!" A small, dark haired figure landed out of her flash step with several more officers.
"Rukia Kuchiki," Hitsugaya greeted, welcoming the interruption.
"Captain Ukitake sends his apologies. He won't be joining us today," she informed him with a sad smile. "He's been feeling under the weather for the past week."
"It's quite alright. I believe congratulations are in order for your official promotion," he nodded towards her Lieutenant's badge as he eyed several of her officers with a stern look. They looked a little nervous under his gaze and stood a little straighter behind their Lieutenant.
"Thank you, sir," she bowed as her smile grew wider. "This is my first official mission as Lieutenant."
"I am sure you will lead your men well. Now, to business," Hitsugaya stepped forward. He eyed the ruins one more time before turning fully to the group gathered. "Everyone here has been briefed about the strange occurrences at the ruins of Las Noches. We are here to seek out the source and investigate. If it is an immediate danger to Soul Society or the world of the Living, we must not hesitate to eliminate it. Be alert and hide your spirit energy as much as possible."
"Permission to speak, Sir?" An unseated member raised his hand cautiously.
"Granted," the young Captain watched his concerned face.
"What is the worst thing we can expect in there?" Most of the other members' ears perked up at the question.
"It can either be Arrancars or Vasto Lordes but hopefully it's just some small fry messing around. Though, if my suspicions are correct..." He trailed off deep in thought then turned. "Expect the worst in there. Be at your full power at all times when encountering an enemy," Hitsugaya's eyes swept over the people in front of him. A bad feeling started to creep into his heart and it took no effort to keep it from surfacing.
"Why? What can be worse, Captain?" An officer of squad thirteen grew worried.
The young captain turned his back, "Espada." He let it sink in for a few seconds, "Move out!"
"Yes, sir!" Both squads cheered and followed the Squad Ten Captain to the palace.
Halfway to their destination Matsumoto decided to get some answers. He hasn't raised this issue at all before leaving. If she had known the risks, she would have never brought unseated members. "Captain... I thought all the Espada were destroyed in the war."
"No, some weren't. A few of them survived but where they have gone however... is uncertain."
"Which ones?" Matsumoto tried to remember.
"The blue haired Espade that almost killed Kuchiki and Kurosaki. I believe his rank was number six," Hitsugaya peered at Rukia from the corner of his eye.
Rukia gasped, "Grimmjow? He's still alive? I thought Ichigo defeated him."
"No, Captain Kurotsuchi confirmed his status and is monitoring him as far as my knowledge stretches," he dodged around one of the crystal trees. "Then there is the one I fought. She was ranked number three," he felt a pang of anger for letting her get away.
Matsumoto kept silent when she felt his spirit energy fluctuated a bit but was hidden again just as quickly. She fell behind to run besides Rukia once more.
"What is wrong with the Captain?" Rukia asked her when Matsumoto was within earshot.
"Just reminiscing, I guess," the blonde shrugged.
"I know the feeling. I mean, the last time I was here, it was to save Orihime," Rukia looked towards their destination with disgust.
Hitsugaya suddenly skidded to a stop. The entire group came to such a screaming halt, the unseated members almost ran into each other.
"Captain?" Matsumoto stopped beside her superior. He watched him close his eyes. His breathing became ragged. She has never seen him like this before.
Rukia came up behind Matsumoto, "He's probably talking to Hyourinmaru."
Matsumoto only nodded without reverting her gaze anywhere else. She felt the temperature drop around him sharply. What was going on?
"It's a dragon!" The Captain's eyes snapped open. His turquoise eyes glowed with his spirit energy.
"A dragon?" Rukia asked watching her men in her peripheral vision. Some gasped in awe, others in terror.
"Yes. There is no mistaking it. Lieutenant Kuchiki, take your men and the rest of my squad back to Soul Society. It already knows we're here. I trust Hyourinmaru is correct about this situation. This is not a Hollow or even Espada we're dealing with here," Hitsugaya concluded. An old would in his side pulsated at the memory...
"Sir, I earned my Bankai. Let me fight!" Rukia pleaded.
"Are you disobeying my direct order?" Hitsugaya glared at her.
"N-no, sir," Rukia begrudgingly turned as the rest of the group followed her. Some murmuring and stared at the Captain and Lieutenant of Squad ten. The senkaimon opening ahead of her.
"Rangiku... Go with them," Hitsugaya spoke in a barely audible voice. Matsumoto looked at him with baffled eyes at the use of her first name. She tried to read him but his longer hair shrouded his eyes.
"What? With all due respect, sir... No!" Matsumoto was so perplexed that he would even suggest it. "It's the duty of a Lieutenant to protect her Captain, remember? No matter the cost."
Hitsugaya scoffed lowly, "Why is that when someone says 'With all due respect', they really mean 'Kiss my ass'?" He finally looked at his Lieutenant, her blue eyes widened when she heard him. He sighed but gave her a small smile. It was somewhat of a relief when she saw the corners of his mouth twitch to keep her calm. "I need you to deliver this message to Head Captain Kyouraku," as he finished, a hell butterfly materialised on his fingertip.
He relayed the message and the small black being floated into Matsumoto's awaiting hands. Matsumoto looked at the butterfly, then back to her Captain. "Please be careful," she gave a nod and entered the open gate behind the small group.
Hitsugaya kept watching her silently until the door closed and disappeared. "No promises," his face fell and turned serious. Unsheathing Hyourinmaru, he breathed in the Reishi rich air as the wind swirling around him slowly start to pick up.
The blade in his hand reverberated in anticipation of a glorious battle. With the sound of a roar echoing in his ears, he pointed his blade towards the sky, "Bankai! Diaguren Hyourinmaru!"
Magnificent wings of ice sprouted from the Captain's back as an icy tail whipped into place. The legendary serpentine dragon roared as it emerged from the tip of its master's blade.
"So we meet again... demon," was the only thing the young Captain said before he launched into the air with a flap of his wings.
Las Noches was approaching quickly as both master and blade prepared themselves for their foe. Old memories of their last battle stirred in the back of his mind. The red eyes of his dragon glinting with the same memories. This time they will surely be ready for it...