"If you wish to live– run for your life."
The Head Captain spoke but it was not his voice. It was the unholy utterance of the arrancar spores that took control over him at Aizen's command. The captains had watched the transformation take place before their very eyes in the middle of the great hall. Now they stood in a line facing their commander, swords drawn, but none wanting to attack. Ryoku Jakka was pointed at them all and they knew they had no choice.
"Run."
The voice came from Captain Hitsugaya, the smallest in their ranks but in no way the weakest. Still, in his youth his powers were still immature but as he stood now his eyes showed raw determination. Soifon was the first to protest.
"Don't be a fool, we're not going to run."
"Yes you are. You'd be the fool not too." The young captain stepped forward and bared his sword.
"Captain Hitsugaya!"
"Go! Aizen is surely using this to distract us, and besides, what can any of you do against flames?"
His voice was hard, he didn't even look back at them. No one spoke for a few seconds, then it came, the terrible, violent onslaught of flames.
Hitsugaya was right. The captains held up their Zampakutos but indeed the only reason they were still alive was the young captain before them.
"Go now!" came his strained voice. "Protect the Seireitei." and as if to prove that he was right a shrill scream pierced the air, coming from behind those massive doors. They could feel the spiritual pressure of the arrancars.
There were no more words. The captains had no choice but to leave their youngest member to face the oldest.
All the power was in his blade. He didn't enter bankai, the energy to form the ice wings would be wastes so he stood with his bare steel countering the blast of fire. Still, he could not hold out against the head captain for long– just long enough for the other captains to save the Soul Society.
He wasn't sure how long he stood engaged with the Head Captain. An hour, maybe longer, but he knew the flames had reached far beyond his initial barrier, he just hoped the damage outside was not too great. He was weak, his energy almost nearly spent and the flames kept moving closer and closer to his body but he knew that the instant he gave up not only his body but the whole Soul Society could be swallowed in those flames.
"Hitsugaya!" it was a captain, he thought maybe Byakuya but he couldn't turn to see. The flames had gotten close enough to scorch his hands and arms and burn away patches of his uniform.
"Byakuya...?"
"They've found the main body of the arrancar controlling Yamamoto. It should be over any moment now. Just hang on a little longer."
Toshiro grit his teeth and held his ground. Sure enough, a few seconds later there was a break in the constant flow of energy. He had been tensed against their onslaught for so long that now he stumbled forward and his blade clashed with Yamamoto's. Their eyes connected and he could see the captain was fighting but one last burst of flames came.
Hitsugaya didn't feel the heat. He didn't see the orange haze or steel blade or even the Head Captain before him but instead an unending series of images flashed through his mind. Faces, places, battles and training, decisions, emotions, dreams– spanning more than a thousand years and none of them belonging to him.
The flames died, he staggered back, the remnants of his uniform hanging off him but he wasn't aware of that or the pain. Hyorinmaru clattered to the ground, he clasped his head in physical and emotional agony. Someone caught him before he fell, he sensed the other captains but suddenly they were different. He knew everything about them, their history in the Soul Society even if they were centuries older than him. He looked at Byakuya who'd caught him and saw a mere child.
Past the other captains he saw Yamamoto, their eyes connected and all he felt was hatred.
"What is this? What did you do?" he demanded.
The Head Captain sheathed his sword, fully recovered from the arrancar's attack but his features merciless and cold.
"Arrest him."
"What?" It was Unohana. "Sir, forgive me, but you were under the influence of an arrancar, Captain Hitsugaya was simply containing your pow–"
"Enough, you have your orders. Byakua, Kenpachi, take him to the squad one cells."
The captains didn't understand but Toshiro did. Every memory– every awful and unforgivable secret in Yamamoto's thousand years of reigning the soul society now resided in his head, and he would never let those sins be revealed.
Byakuya hesitated for but a moment before placing his arms under Hitsugaya's and raising him to his feet. He staggered, the weight of his exhaustion penetrating his anger but the strong arm of Kenpachi on one side and Byakuya on the other kept him upright. They made their way out of the hall in silence.
Unohana stared after them in quiet anger. "Sir– "
"Enough, you are all dismissed."