Darkness
by: Kalow of FanFiction.net
Chapter Three
“T-Tobiume, is it really you?” Momo asked in shock. She had not seen her zanpakuto’s spirit since she had been stabbed. Tobiume looked just like her, but she wore a powder blue yukata and her hair was worn loose and slightly messy.
“Yes, it’s me,” Tobiume said.
“Why did you take me here all of a sudden?” Momo asked.
“To help you of course! We’ve been separated far too long. I’ve missed you greatly Momo, and I want to help you,” Tobiume said.
“Nothing can help me. I’m a lost cause,” Momo said dully.
“Don’t say that, you can still lift yourself out of this mess!” Tobiume said inistently.
“How? How can I ever go back to the way I once was? Even if I somehow manage to escape the grief, I’ll never be able to be truly happy again! Why can’t I just die like the weak coward I am!”
“You’re no coward Momo and you’re not weak,” Tobiume said.
“Yes I am! I’m weak and stupid and a coward! There is no hope at all for me!” Momo cried. Tobiume sighed.
“Let’s go up in the trees, it’s more comfortable there,” she said, leaping up into the branches. Momo slowly climbed up behind her. She managed to pull herself up onto one of the main branches, broad enough for her to sit on as if it were level ground. Tobiume was hanging upside-down from a smaller branch above, her legs hooked around the branch.
“Where’s your energy? You used to love climbing these trees,” Tobiume said.
“I ‘used to’ do a lot of things, like having the will to live and not being in a hospital where everyone thinks I’m crazy,” Momo said in a very depressed voice.
“Aw, come on! Here, some fruit will cheer you up!” Tobiume picked one of the round, pinkish fruits and held it in front of Momo’s face. “Come on, eat it!”
“No, I don’t want any,” Momo murmured.
“Eat it,” Tobiume said.
“No, I don’t want-” Momo was interrupted when Tobiume shoved the fruit into her mouth. Momo tried to spit it out but Tobiume held it in and made her eat it. She chewed and swallowed it with a big gulp panting as she looked up at Tobiume hanging from the branch above her, a big grin on her face.
“There, isn’t that better?” she said.
“Better? You could have choked me!” Momo said indignantly.
“But you love the fruit, they always make you feel better!” Tobiume said.
“Well not today,” Momo said, “I don’t want anything other than death.”
“You don’t mean that,” Tobiume said.
“Yes I do! I do mean it! I have nothing to live for, nothing! Captain Aizen was my world, I can’t go on without him! I don’t know what to do! He can’t be doing all of this, he just can’t!” Momo cried, “I’m so confused! I know what he did to me, but I just can’t accept it! He must have had a reason, the Captain Aizen I know would never hurt me! He’s always been so good, how could he have done such a thing? Did I do something wrong? Was he angry at me? Why do I have to go through all of this? Haven’t I served him faithfully? Haven’t I dedicated my life to serving him? Why?” Tobiume listened as Momo sobbed and cried, jumping down to a branch next to Momo and sitting on it.
“You should know. You’ve been told already what is happening. Aizen betrayed you and all of Soul Society and is leading the arrancar in an attack against-”
“No!” Momo shouted, her eyes closed tight, “No, I refuse to believe it!
Captain Aizen couldn’t do all of that, he just couldn’t! I know Captain Aizen, he’s a good man and an honorable captain. He’s not evil! He must have a really good reason for doing all of this, or maybe he’s being forced to by Ichimaru or the arrancar! He can’t be doing such evil on his own! He cared for me, he would never hurt me intentionally, he was forced to!”
Tobiume sighed as she watched Momo crying and shaking her head back and forth. She leapt off of the branch she was on and landed next to Momo.
“Momo, it would be easy for me to reinforce these delusions you’re forcing yourself to believe, but I can’t. Aizen has hurt you so badly, and I will never forgive him for that. You mustn’t give up hope Momo, you can still go on.”
“B-but without Aizen I have no reason to-”
“No! You do have reasons to live without him,” Tobiume said firmly, “You are a strong and respected Vice-Captain, you have good friends, and you have subordinates who will serve you to the end! You have plenty to live for Momo, don’t give it up just because of your grief over your old captain’s betrayal.”
“Those things mean nothing now,” Momo said despondently, “I’m weak, I was only made Vice-captain because it worked well for Aizen, my friends all hate me, and my subordinates will never follow a weak person who lets her emotions control her.”
“Your friends care about you and want to help you Momo, they will always be there for you. And I’ll always be here for you. You are not weak Momo, I know you can get stronger,” Tobiume said.
“I-I can?” Momo asked. Tobiume nodded.
“You are a genius at Kido, you must realize that much. You can master the other Shinigami fighting styles as well. You are powerful Momo, you need only train yourself. You must not let Aizen win over you Momo. He thought you to be weak and threw you away. Make him sorry for that, and prove your strength to him,” Tobiume said.
“I…I’m not sure I’m ready to accept what he’s doing. I know he’s doing bad things, but I’m still not sure that it could really be him that is doing such awful things…” Momo said.
“Fine, but you will have to confront the truth someday. For now though, get stronger. You can do it Momo, find strength within yourself and the answers will come to you. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand,” Momo said, “I will get stronger. I do not know if Aizen is really evil or not. If he is, I will fight him, if not, I will free him. But either way, I promise to fight against the evil he is committing.” Momo suddenly felt funny, like she was getting light-headed. She found herself fading away from her inner world. As she dissipitated into the air, she shouted out once more.
“Thank you so much Tobiume!” her echoing voice called out. Tobiume smiled.
“Your welcome Momo, good luck.”
Momo blinked her eyes, looking around in confusion. She realized that she was in the Fourth Division once more. She looked down to see her blade pointed at her chest. She moved it away and placed it back in the scabbard.
“Thank you Tobiume,” she whispered. Suddenly there was a rattling at the door.
Toushiro ran in, with Unohana holding him back.
“We need to stop her, we-”
“Take a look, it worked,” Unohana said gently to him. Toushiro calmed down and looked more closely at Momo. She still was frail and sickly looking, but she no longer had a miserable look to her. Instead, she seemed to be filled with newfound determination and strength.
“Momo…” he said in surprise.
“Toushiro, what’s going on? What worked?” Momo asked.
“We gave you back your zanpakuto in the hopes that Tobiume would help you. While viewing you through the security cameras, we saw that you had your blade pointed at yourself. I tried to tell him that you were going through your own personal experience, but he was certain you were about to kill yourself and rushed down here. It would appear that Tobiume has helped you greatly, correct?”
“Yes, I have found reason to go on thanks to her,” Momo said.
“Excellent,” Unohana said, “I will go get you something to eat. I forsee that we will be able to release you soon.” Momo smiled.
“Thank you Captain Unohana, thank you Toushiro. Thank you for not giving up on me.”
