Bleach © Tite Kubo. Bleach: Cross original characters and elements, including the "past life backstory" © Eugena.

A/N: I just read the new manga chapter (392) and I thought I should come up with a fix for it. I wrote it mostly in Hinamori's point of view, and I may continue the story.

Seigen Suzunami is from Bleach: The 3rd Phantom DS game. I'm working on an adaptation of this.

This is part of my "Bleach: Cross" universe, but it is AU to the original story.

Brief Bleach: Cross Overview: Shinnouhi (Imperial Princess of the Royal Family) Shirahime Thorne is the new Fifth Division Taicho. She is Yachiru's biological mother. Daichi Takeya is the third seat of Squad Five and her adopted son. Shirahime and Daichi are immune to Kyoka Suigetsu's influence. Shirahime's zanpaku-tos are Yukihime and Shinnou. Ichigo is now the fourth seat in Squad Five.

I originally had this take place in Hueco Mundo as I didn't realize it was in Karakura. Thanks to Samantha for pointing this out and to Yemi Hikari for pointing it out in a review.

Opening Theme: Believe Own Way by AAA

Ending Theme: TBD

Within Your Heart

A Bleach: Cross AU Story for Manga Chapter 392

By Eugena

Rated: T

Chapter One: The Hidden Shikai

KARAKURA TOWN

She felt the earth stop spinning beneath her. That slow, usually unnoticeable rhythm ended and what was left of her life began to fade away. She had always imagined her last thoughts would be of her new taicho that she loved. She had been the woman to show her how to pick up the pieces after Aizen and to spread her own wings.

"Shiro-chan why?"

Momo had learned a lot about love. She had first fallen in love with Aizen who did nothing but use her. She found a new taicho who protected her "because you're my fukutaicho, even if I'm not your taicho." She loved the taicho who had been good to her. She thought she fell in love with the taicho's adopted son who was the third seat.

But at the end of her life, she loved Hitsugaya, Thorne Taicho's "Shiro Taicho."

She could hear Tobiume's voice calling out to her. No matter how much she strained, she couldn't hear her zanpaku-to's words.

She thought of Shiro. Why?

Wings flapped in the distance. Dragon wings.

"First Revival."

The world faded from her. Had she really been so deceived? Why?

oOo

Yukihime's ice barrier surrounded Hinamori's body, preventing her fall. Shirahime Thorne Taicho dove swiftly towards Hinamori. With Shinnou in bankai mode, the outstretched dragon wings quickly soaked up the reiatsu from the fallen shinigami and arrancar. She gave no thought to Gin's tricks in delaying her, knowing full well he was close behind her. Gin could celebrate a small victory: only she, Ichigo, and her son Daichi were immune to Kyoka Suigetsu, and she had arrived too late to save Hinamori from it.

"Raika." She commanded Yukihime's second shikai. Flames shot from Thorne's fingertips towards Gin. She held on tighter to Yukihime, feeling uneasy as Shinnou began to take in some of Gin's reiatsu.

Hitsugaya screamed. His bankai form began to break as he fell.

"Ichigo, take Gin!" she yelled to him. She flew towards Hitsugaya and caught him in her arms. She struck him across the face.

"You're all open," Aizen taunted.

"Stay on Gin!" she yelled to Ichigo, not wanting him to avert his attention. Though she had not once looked at him, she knew he would want to go in for the kill now.

It wasn't quite time for Aizen.

She could hear Kail, Ichigo's Hollow in her mind. "What are you doing?" he was enraged, wondering what strange scheme she had thought of now.

"Keep Ichigo focused and on Gin," she warned. She didn't have time to explain.

She struck Hitsugaya again, this time drawing blood. He still did not look at her. Damn it.

She flash stepped to Soi Fon, expecting Aizen to strike at any moment. Pushing Hitsugaya in her arms, she said, "Take the shinigami and leave. Kill Gin if you can, but leave right now. You're in no shape for Kyoka Suigetsu."

She didn't wait for Soi Fon to object. She knew the taichos had enough to worry about with Aizen striking them. For once Aizen seemed to ignore her, overconfident in his abilities, focusing various strikes and kidos against his enemies.

None of that mattered to her. She saw now only her fukutaicho encased in ice.

oOo

HINAMORI'S INNER BATTLEFIELD – FIELD OF BURNING TREES

Hinamori could no longer see herself. She could hear her thoughts, but she could not see her body. She kept walking towards Tobiume's reiatsu.

Two hands on either side of her face stopped her. "Hinamori," the voice commanded. Her body began to form again. She could see where Hyorinmaru pierced her chest. "Hinamori."

Did she know that voice? It seemed familiar.

Taicho.

Yukihime. She felt Yukihime's reiatsu surround her.

She remembered the last thing Taicho asked of her: "Promise me you'll remember me."

"I'll remember you forever," Hinamori whispered out into the burning forest.

Tobiume faded into view in front of her. She was weakened by her master's injury. Tobiume heard Thorne Taicho's voice: "Tobiume, take care of her."

oOo

KARAKURA TOWN

Thorne Taicho stretched her hands out to the ice barrier. Hinamori's life had already ebbed away, kept intact only within the barrier. She spoke to Yukhime: "Yukihime, will you do this?"

Yukihime responded in Thorne's own voice: "I have always been you. What you have wanted, I have wanted."

"And Shinnou?" Thorne asked of her other zanpaku-to.

"Shinnou can survive without us. Shinnouhi, what will you command?"

She gave one last thought to Yachiru, safe somewhere with Kenpachi, and to Daichi, injured but still alive.

"Promise you'll remember me," Thorne said as tears gleamed in her eyes. Without turning, she said in an even voice, "Aizen, I've finally realized how to destroy you." In a past life with Seigen Suzunami, Aizen had given her Kyoka Suigetsu's power in a futile attempt to save her. He had loved her, and now she would make sure he would kill her once and for all.

Hitsugaya lost his heart killing Hinamori. If Aizen still had a heart, he would lose it when Thorne died.

"Final Revival."

The reiatsu drained from her body. Shinnou's wings folded and they faded back into their sealed zanpaku-to form. The zanpaku-to plummeted toward the earth.

Shirahime had left her human form behind at Urahara's. Soon they would know what she had done.

Aizen looked toward her. Only now had he realized what she was doing. He had ignored her up until now, having left her to Gin. He remembered when he had been Shinji's fukutaicho. He remembered Yukihime Suzunami. He remembered when she died. He began rushing towards her.

"Now Ichigo!" she shouted. "Go for Aizen!"

Pouring the last of her reiatsu into the barrier, her shinigami body faded. As the barrier broke, Hinamori's eyes opened and the Shirahime's blue reiatsu shone from them.

With a snap, Kyoka Suigetsu's mirror Aizen broke and its pieces scattered in the dust.