Chapter Text
Early mornings were a beautiful thing to behold. Soft colors painting the sky in cool shades with a pale yellow breaking through the starry veil. Dew from cooled off leaves dripped onto the grass below gnarled roots, the sun slowly inching its warm hands across the lands with a soothing touch. Birds began to wake, chattering and pecking for food in the dirt, crickets go silent, their melody leaving with the moon. A cool breeze fought against the suns warmth, gentle yet unpleasant as the tip of spring began usher in its last breaths of winter. It was harmonious. Peac-
ACHOO
A few birds scattered from their perch on low branches, some moving to land on the fence that surrounded an older style house with a large tori gate as the opening to its front lawn. Momo watched with a frown as the birds that stayed stared at her for a second, beady eyes gazing like they knew something. Sniffing and rubbing her nose with the large black sleeve of her shihakushō, momo turned away from the birds and looked back at the screen door that lead back into the warmth of her home- a nice comfy bed calling her name, begging for her to return to its magical embrace. She almost reached for the door if it wasn't for a small beep in her pocket that had her groaning. Reaching into the robes, she pulled out the modified phone, watching as a map app pulled open without her even touching the screen. It pinged with an annoying alarm. A single red dot moving a bit to fast for her liking. She hoped it was just a glitch, not liking the idea of being woken up so early to deal with a restless spir-
"The hollow is gonna eat soon if you don't move."
Momo couldn't help the groan of annoyance as her grandmother's voice registered through the screen door. The faint silhouette of her grandmother on the other side, in the warm house, was like a mockery to momos shivering form.
"Why do I still have to feel cold in this form!!" Momo gripped the sheath of her sword- (zanpakto, she had to remind herself. Not wishing to be hit in the noggin again for calling it a simple blade.) As a way to ground herself. Her fingers instantly finding the small charm she attached to the hilts end, nails lightly tapping the cliche alien face. She found herself always grabbing it when she could in this form, a small reminder to herself. A promise.
"Your dead. Not immune." Was all her grandma said before the silhouette turned away and walked further into the house. Momo bit out a curse, muttering 'old hag' as she turned away, finally stepping off the porch and onto the dew soaked ground. Removing her hand from the charm, Momo looked up... and was gone in a single step. Seemingly dissapering from sight with only a few leaves and grass blades being ruffled by a forgein breeze.
"Damn old woman.. stupid spirits. Dumb hollows!" Momo moved from roof to roof, occasionally gathering her reishi at her feet to make longer jumps in the air when a building wasn't close enough for her to make a nice landing. Her earrings jingled a tad, each landing making them flip up and glint in the rising sun; yet they didn't distract her as she continued to grumble obscurities, eyes focused on her phone that had the little map app still up. The blinking red dot was a couple blocks away, and momo used that realization to reach out through the air and find the spiritual pressure of the hollow she had to purify. Reishi swirled around her, yet momo only focused in the direction the hollow was supposed to be in- gazing through the swirling energy before her own reiyoku snapped to attention at the darker presence she felt further up ahead.
'Gotcha asshole-'
Momos steps increased, sliding into a flash step for a few just to get there before the hollow found a poor soul. As much as momo hated the cold morning, she despised the idea of a soul being eaten when she could've helped. The charm on her zanpakto felt heavy with a reminder curling into her gut and festering in her mind. She wouldn't break her oath, she wouldn't stand by ever again and witness the horrors a hollow could cause. She owed it to Him.
Skidding to a halt, momo peered down from the roof she was atop on as the dark spiritual pressure became stronger. Flicks of wild whites and reds curling like fire through the air had momo sweating a tad as her own reiatsu fought against the opposing one. Her eyes landed on the cause of the wild energy, a slim, lanky hollow lumbered forwards, masked muzzle tilted to the ground with slumped shoulders in black fur like texture hung low. It's clawed hands and feet clicked on the street pavement, not once making a sign that it sensed she was near. The hollow was very thin from most she's seen so far, it's spine weirdly exposed while it's mask sat in a mane of white whisp with red streaks curling along in a constant moving pattern. It was definitely a weird hollow in shape, but momo didn't think much as she jumped down, landing a good safe distance away from the hollow and drawing her Zanpakto from its sheath. She held the blade, taking a deep breath before flaring her reiatsu to catch the hollows attention.
"Alright ugly. You ruined my day to sleep in so let's make this nice and easy yeah?" She raised her sword, watching as the hollow paused in its crawl. The hollow turned its mask towards her, finally letting her see it's shape and design clearly. Flat teeth with a pointed nose of sorts. Round black eyes with the typical golden fire hollows held within the black void squinted at her. Finally, two crimson lines ran from its chin on each side, mirroring one another perfectly up to the top of its eyes, ending in a clean line before it reached the mask forehead. Not the most ugly mask she's seen to be honest, a flash of a twisted mask that still haunted her nightmares would always stand as the ugliest one yet. Though she supposed that also had to do with the reason that one mask haunted her...
The hollow stood still, hunched in on itself as it just stared. Momo glared back, hoping it'd make the first move so she didn't have to play guessing games on if it had abilities or not. Another silent moment passed and momo felt her annoyance rise again. Why wasn't the hollow taking the bait? She inched forwards, noting how the hollow just stared silently- okkkkaaayy, she totally wasn't getting the chills over the way the hollow stared her down. Flaring her reiatsu one more time, momo decided to make the first move, getting impatient as she moved forwards in a blink, sword aimed for the hollows mask. Her blade arched upwards, a solid clean cut. Through air...
A horrible buzz noise had her flinching, whirling around in time as the hollows teeth clamped down on the flat edge of her sword, thankful she thought to guard herself. She stared in slight shock... the hollow just.. teleported? No... it was something else. A sizzling in the air that made her spine crawl, arms fighting against the open maw of the hollows mask, blunt teeth grinding against her zanpakto. The screeching sound that followed made momo wince, her own teeth clenching at the noise. The hollows yellow eyes were narrowed into thin slits, a cold hunger in them that she come to associate with all hollows that come clambering into the world of the living. Struggling to free her sword from the hollows jaw, Momo yelled and sent a kick into the hollows lower stomach, adding enough force behind the kick to make the hollow release her blade. Wrenching it back, she swung again- the hollow dissapering with that sound again, momos reiatsu grasping onto the hollows to keep track of where it went. It was hard, like for a moment she couldn't sense the hollow until it reappeared. Arching her sword to her left, momo felt a sting of pride as her blade was able to cut a nice slice into the hollows left arm- its jaw opening to let out a screech that definitely didn't still send dread into her chest or memories into her head. Her slight hesitancy cost her as the hollow sprung forth with speed like a bullet, a clawed hand raking downwards and if it wasn't for the instincts honed into her body, momo was sure she'd be missing an arm. Her zanpakto shook against the pressure the hollow forced onto her, letting out another wailing screech. It raised its other hand, using its speed to swing downwards on momo. She flinched, knowing if she couldn't move without dropping her sword, and she rather not lose her only weapon to cleansing this son of a bitch because she whimped out on taking a hit. Then again, the hit was going to hurt. She was very aware and could brace herself to be struck hard in her shoulder given the trajectory of the hollows free hand.
Only... it never came.
Momo dared to look up at the hollows hand, seeing it suspended in air and not moving an inch. The grip it had on her sword loosened a tad, but momo found her gaze snapping to the hollows face.
Its golden eyes was stuck on the charm that dangled from her hilt.
A surge of protective anger flared in her soul and momo swiped her sword out of the hollows hand, cutting a few fingers off in the process. The hollow reared back, holding its hand close to its chest in a way that made momo blink in confusion. Expecting a roar of rage from the beast, momo ran forwards, she needed to end this.
"m...miss...a-...Ayase..."
Momo felt her feet freezing in place. Sword aimed just close enough that in one movement, she could cut throw the hollows mask.
The hollow that just spoke. It's maw opened, blacken mist escaping from its teeth, golden eyes locked onto her. She felt her very being just turn to ice. Heart dropping to her gut as her mind ran through with what she just heard.
Only one person ever called her that. Only one person was so admit on staying proper even after she told him not to.
But that wasn't right. This wasnt...
she was crying. Screaming. Holding his mangled body within her arms, calling for help yet refusing to let go as the paramedics urged her to. She had wished it rain that day. Maybe then she wouldn't have felt his blood. Maybe then she wouldn't have felt in the suns heat how cold he was. Maybe then she wouldn't have seen how pale he truly was.
Momos arms shook, staring into the eyes of the hollow.
Her grandmother finally got her to let go. Bundling her close and promising her he'll be okay. But it was a half lie. Seiko staring at something momo couldn't see through her tears. Her cries and screaming apologies filling the air.
"M...miss...Aya...se.." The hand she had nearly cleaved off moved towards her face. It swiped its thumb over her cheek, smearing a wetness she didn't realize was on her face until she registered the stinging in her eyes.
Her grandmother explained things in a blur. Telling her how he needed to pass on properly. Momo was too numb to understand; her hands gripping the little alien charm like a life line. Like it would shatter in an instance.
Her breath hitched.
"...o-okarun...?"