Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. A/N: hello again! I'm really shocked that this came out, another HitsuRuki one-shot! Be warned slight au and character death ahead. Enjoy.

It was over. After a hundred years of war the victors stood in a field of carnage. Swords lay broken beside their wielders' dying bodies; a smoky haze swirled low upon the ground covering the faces of those who lay there. Sometimes cloudy eyes would turn up at his impassive face and a thin voice would beg for help. Each and every time his great turquoise eyes would sweep the crimson field…searching for her.

But to no avail. The voice that cried for help wasn't hers. He turned away and sighed; a hand suddenly grasped the edge of his white hakama pants. Hitsugaya looked down already annoyed at being tarried, "Toshiro…it's me," said a voice from beneath the veil of fog, "Momo."

Momo?

Why did that name sound familiar?

"I knew a Hinamori Momo once many years ago," he said slowly. The hand loosened its hold just a little bit, "so…you do remember me." The girl's voice had a note of hope in it, "when they said you had been taken by Aizen I thought that you were gone forever." Hitsugaya stayed silent. The girl continued, "They had even said that you'd become one of the Espada, an Arrancar. But I didn't believe it. Not while I was sick all that time I knew you couldn't forget us so easily…Toshiro, I'm right aren't I?"

Hitsugaya quietly withdrew his sword from its sheath, "Ryusenka," he muttered. Momo didn't utter a word as ice encased her beaten body. "Fool. I went on my own accord," he said coldly and walked away; a Hollow hole situated just a few inches below his collarbone was plainly visible.

Now that he had killed one more he felt better; he knew he would find her.

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Kuchiki Rukia knew it was the end. Sode no Shirayuki began to waver between the pure white of its shikai state and the plain silver of the unreleased. "Dance number one, Tsuki-shiro!" she yelled for the unaccountable something times that day. White ice spiraled up halfway around the wounded Arrancar and then stopped, "damn," Rukia muttered. The Zanpaku-to flashed weakly once and the Arrancar disappeared.

'I'm sorry, Rukia,' Sode no Shirayuki apologized quietly, 'we can't take much more.'

"I know Shirayuki, I know," she murmured. Few Soulreapers were left standing on this side of the mountainous plain, which meant that the many remaining Arrancars and Adjucha like Hollows were coming after her. Rukia glanced at the plain blade and raised her left hand, "Path of destruction four, Byaku Rai!"

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Many hours had passed and the dead Soulreapers were being carted away; their bodies once devoid of spirit began to dissolve eventually becoming a part of the very air itself. Hitsugaya observed one of his former comrades Renji Abarai the lieutenant of sixth Squad; whom he'd personally dispatched disintegrate into fine particles. Hitsugaya shook his head, if she wasn't here than maybe…a small reiatsu suddenly flared up and then began to rapidly fade.

It was she.

"I've found you, Rukia," Hitsugaya said. He'd used Sonido to reach her within seconds of the initial reiatsu charge. She had her back against a pile of boulders; blood seeped from a deep cut on her forehead. Sode no Shirayuki lay across her lap, the white blade fading once more. Two Adjucha Hollows lay in icy chunks; he was proud of her. The rest of them backed off when they saw him, "Hitsugaya-sama," they muttered.

"Leave this one to me," he said; they acquiesced and melted away into the tall grasses. Alone, he approached the little Kuchiki the only survivor who still carried the Kuchiki name, Byakuya being long dead. Hitsugaya had made sure of that. Even that pathetic former Ryoka boy- Kurosaki had fallen to an Espada's blade. And he'd done it all for her.

"Rukia," he said again and knelt down in front of her. Her head was tilted to the side, her eyes closed, Hitsugaya reached out to stroke her face. "C-Captain T-Toshiro?" she mumbled as he pressed his hand to her cheek. He got a little closer and saw the gaping wound in her torso; he realized that she didn't have long to live.

"C-Captain, we've lost…I-I'm s-sooorry I tried to l-learn b-bankai…I-I really tried a-after you were g-gone…b-but I-I just c-couldn't," she said, her voice was shaking. Hitsugaya cupped her face gently in both hands, "it's okay, and I know you did the best you could. And I'm proud of you for it." Rukia tried to smile and trembled in pain instead, "Captain, p-please there's s-something I want you t-to do." Hitsugaya waited patiently. "P-please kill me."

A moment passed and Hitsugaya continued to study her pallid face, "are you sure…that this is what you want?" he asked. She nodded gently. The infamous scowl crossed his features; "nothing I say can sway you from this?" Rukia's eyes narrowed a familiar impatient look came to her face, "nope."

Hitsugaya sighed, "stubborn until the end," He moved her Zanpaku-to out of the way and leaned forward to draw her into an embrace. "W-What are you…?" He inhaled the faint sweet smell that was always a unique part of her and remembered when this had all started, "you idiot. You know I love you." A smile crossed his face; Aizen was going to have to find a new General. Rukia clutched him weakly, "I never t-thought you would ever…no. I l-love you too!" She cried relieved, Hitsugaya pressed her into his chest and held the star-shaped hilted sword point downward, "if you go, Rukia," He said, "then I'm going with you. Ryusenka!"

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A/N: just a brief notation, Hitsugaya betrayed the Soul society because Aizen promised him Rukia. And obviously the Arrancars were the victors. During the couple of hours it took me to write this I almost burned our dinner! So please review!