Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights of the series goes to Tite Kubo.

Author's Note: Gah, sorry for taking so long! It took me a while to finish this chapter. Special thanks goes to KnowledgeandImagination, kRyStAlt3aRz, FrozenIceCream, Avith, feronia. wings, Chibiussa, Neko-cheung, Momo - Toshiro, halliegirl, Shadowface26, Kazeek, Teddybear22 for your precious reviews! Ahem, without any further delay, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

LEGEND

"Talking." "Thinking."

Blessed from the Heavens II

Chapter One: Heavenly Guardian Once More

Without any moment to waste, Matsumoto flew as fast as her wings could carry her. In the process, she dodged and evaded all the obstacles that are in her way; from angels to guardians including buildings and statues too. She demand some answers right now! The only way to do that is to bring the issue up to Central Chamber 46, but knowing them, they wouldn't listen to her. So she decided to go with the next best thing, the Thirteen Guardian Squads. The partner guardian opened the large doors to the Captain's Meeting Barracks in the heavenly afterlife to reveal the twelve guardians that are present. "Soitaicho!" she exclaimed.

"What is the meaning of this, Matsumoto?" asked the old man, Yamamoto-Genryusai Shigekuni, who is standing in the center of the guardians.

Bending a knee down in front of him, the strawberry orange haired woman apologized, "Sumi masen for the disturbance, but I have to know the truth. Did Hitsugaya-taicho get attacked a few minutes ago?"

"Unfortunately yes," replied a voice to her right. Raising her head, she recognized the voice is coming from the Thirteenth Squad Captain, Ukitake Jushiro. "He was attacked at Seireitei Park. Luckily, his girlfriend, Hinamori Momo immediately call an ambulance to pick them up. He is currently being sent to Seireitei Hospital for treatment."

"He's going to live, right?"

It is when he didn't reply. Matsumoto's eyes widened with shock. "You mean he's de--"

"Why don't we go down there and visit the little heavenly guardian, right Ran-chan?" replied an all too familiar voice coming from the captain commander's left side.

It is her childhood friend and the Third Captain of the Thirteen Guardian Squads. "Gin..."

The gray haired man then turned his attention to the elderly captain, giving him a wide smile on his face. "Is it alright, soitaicho?"

"Shiro-chan..."

He slowly opened his eyes to find the raven haired girl sobbing in the embrace of her arms. Sitting up, Toshiro said, "I'm alright Momo. I'm awake now."

"Please wake up, you have to..."

Raising an eyebrow, the white haired teenager replied once more, "Oi, can't you hear me Baka Momo? I'm awake already! Now stop wetting the bed and look at me!"

Watching her continue to cry definitely ticked him off. Just when he thought she is completely ignoring him, he extended his hand to grab her wrist only to realize he couldn't. Quickly pulling it back, he began staring at the palm of his hand. "W-What's going on?" he asked.

He was afraid of the worse, but he had to know. Hitsugaya turned his head to face the sleeping being resting in bed. Apparently it is him lying there, equipped with an electrocardiograph machine (A/N: the one that measures your heart beat) and a gas mask. "I must be unconscious(1)," Hitsugaya said.

It is not too long after he suspended the thought in his mind. Right now, he needs to tell Momo that he has become a heavenly guardian once more. Flying across the room, he landed at her side. Closing his emerald-teal eyes, he concentrated on giving off a bit of his reiatsu, letting her know that he's is there.

Her cell phone began to vibrate in her pants pocket. She didn't want to pick it up. Right now, all Momo cared about is hope for her Shiro-chan to wake up. But when the phone vibrated for a fifth time, she got fed up, and quickly took it out. Flipping the phone open, she pointed the camera lens to where it is coming from and yelled, "Stop bothering me!"

"Momo it's me," Hitsugaya replied.

A snap of realization hit her. Her boyfriend is standing right next to her. "Sh-Shiro-chan!" she exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay."

She then gave him a faint smile. "I'm glad. I thought you died."

"Me too. It felt painful. Hn, where's Obaa-san?"

"Obaa-san went out to buy some bentos for dinner. She was really worried about you."

"Yeah, I know."

"The doctors told me that if you came any sooner, you would have not made it. It was an asthma attack. Right now you're stabilized. It's only a matter of time before you wake up."

"Asthma attack?" Hitsugaya questioned. "I don't have asthma."

"You don't? How strange..."

"Anyway, I better get back into my body then and we'll talk about it some more."

She gave a nod of agreement. He took a deep breath and looked at himself. Just when he is about to touch his body's hand, Hitsugaya quickly pulled his hand away. "What's wrong?" Momo asked.

"A jolt...I can't return to my body," he replied, feeling the leftover voltage soon fading away from his fingertips, "as if...someone is preventing me from going back."

"W-What do we do now?"

Just when he was about to say his next sentence, Hitsugaya could feel the presence of an all too familiar person that is about to fly into the room. Making his way to the window, he opened it, allowing the strawberry orange haired woman zoom in and capture him in her deep embrace. Maybe he shouldn't have let her in after all. "TAICHO, YOU'RE ALRIGHT!" she exclaimed.

As he struggled to pull her away, Hitsugaya retorted back, "Get off of me!"

"Eh, you're unconscious at the moment," Matsumoto said, releasing him. "Oh well, at least it's only temporary. So, what are you just standing there? Get back into your body!"

"Matsumoto, I can't. Someone's keeping me from returning to my body."

"Someone you say?" asked a voice.

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Momo moved her cell phone camera lens towards herself so that she can see the third presence standing between Hitsugaya and Matsumoto. "Who are you?" Momo asked.

"Ichimaru Gin, it's a pleasure to meet you Hinamori-chan," Gin replied.

"Just like taicho, Gin's a captain guardian," Matsumoto added.

"And former child prodigy until Hitsugaya-kun joined the Thirteen Guardian Squads."

"Souka?" Momo asked.

He then gave her a smiling grin. "Hai."

"What are you doing here Ichimaru?" Hitsugaya asked, giving him a serious look.

"Now that's mean to say little guardian," he replied, turning to the glaring young captain guardian. "Is there something wrong with visiting your former peer?"

"No, but I just cannot comprehend your actions. It always deem rather suspicious."

"Well it can't be helped, I am a guardian who is obsessed with the many ways a person can die especially the crude ones that deal with gory blood shedding."

Holding out his hand, Gin summoned a clipboard and began scrolling through the papers. "According to the seal of fate, it says that you're not due to return back to the heavenly afterlife until you're at least seventy years old. Oh oops, I'm not supposed to tell that to you am I?"

Hitsugaya's right eye slightly twitched. "So I have about fifty-five years to go huh?" he thought. "In other words, this is an unnatural phenomenon."

"Hai, I will head on back up there to send in the report. The others should be able to get to the bottom of this soon. In the meantime, try to stay put Hitsugaya-kun and accompany your cute girlfriend, okay?"

Giving him a short glare, Hitsugaya replied, "Fine."

Gin just smiled. Turning to his childhood friend, he asked, "So Ran-chan, are you staying here as well?"

"Of course," Matsumoto replied. "It is my part of my job description to help my taicho."

"Aw, the way you said that totally broke my heart."

"Yeah yeah, it's not like I'm going to die again soon Gin. Run along now," she said, shooing him away with a flick of her hand.

"Hai hai, ja ne minna! Ja ne Hinamori-chan," the third captain said, waving good-bye to the group of friends. It is not long until he disappeared into thin air.

Just then, the door slammed open. Startled by the sudden presence of her school friends, Hinamori jumped out of her seat, and quickly closed the cell phone. "Oi Momo, we heard the news!" Kurosaki Ichigo exclaimed.

"We heard that Toshiro-kun collapsed and had to be sent to the hospital," Inoue Orihime said.

"We came by your Obaa-san and she told us all this," Kira Izuru added.

"Minna-san, thanks for coming," Momo replied, sitting back down on her seat.

"How is Hitsugaya?" Kuchiki Rukia asked as they all entered the room.

"He's going to be alright. It's only a matter of time before he wakes up."

"Souka? That's good to hear," Ichigo said.

"What exactly happened anyway?" Abarai Renji asked.

It is when she became nervous. From this point on, she has to make up an excuse. Besides, they won't believe her if she told them that Hitsugaya, currently in his guardian state, won't be able to wake up because of the doings of some unknown force. "Mou, what should I say?"

"Taicho, think of something!" Matsumoto exclaimed.

"Even if I could, I can't communicate with her," Hitsugaya retorted, "especially when the cell phone is closed at the moment."

"Ou, if only she was still your client!(2)"

"H-He has a terrible asthma attack," Momo lied. "The doctors said that he has to stay here for a while so that they can monitor his situation."

"Now that sucks," Ichigo said. "We just started our final year in Seireitei High and he already gets to skip his classes over this."

"Some feeble boyfriend you got there," Renji said.

"I'll remember that Abarai," Hitsugaya warned, glaring at the red headed teenager.

"Are you staying here for tonight?" Orihime asked.

"Ah yeah, I am," Momo replied.

"Alright then, we'll come by and visit tomorrow," Ichigo said as the group of teenagers began to leave the room.

"Sorry we couldn't stay longer," Rukia apologized. "It's late in the day."

"Iie, it's alright. I'm glad you came and I'm sure Hitsugaya-kun's happy too."

"Tch, after what Abarai said, maybe not..." Hitsugaya replied, crossing his arms, knowing that only Matsumoto is listening.

"Are you coming to school next week?" Orihime asked.

"Maybe...we'll just see what happens," Hinamori answered.

"Alright then, we'll do our best to visit again."

"Hai, ja ne minna-san!"

"Ja ne."

"Get some sleep Hinamori-kun," Kira said.

"Yeah, you'll need it," Renji added.

"Bye everyone!" Momo said.

Once they all left, Hinamori flipped open her cell phone once more and pointed the camera lens at the two guardians standing next to her. "Gomen nesai, sorry it took a while."

"Nah, it's alright," Matsumoto replied. "I'm glad that you're able to manage the situation yourself Hinamori-chan."

"Ah hai."

"What do we do now taicho?" she asked, turning to her captain guardian.

"As we are waiting for the message from above, we are going to investigate the place where I collapsed for possible clues," Hitsugaya replied.

"Yes sir."

"W-Wait, are you going now?" Hinamori asked.

Before Hitsugaya could say anything, the strawberry orange haired guardian partner interrupted, "Daijobou taicho, leave it to me!"

"Matsumoto, bu--" Hitsugaya said.

Placing her hands on her hips, she boldly replied, "No buts for you! Let me do what I want. Besides, even though you're in guardian state, you need to attend more important matters than your heavenly guardian duties, am I right?"

Winking at him, Hitsugaya couldn't help, but sigh with defeat. "Alright then, be sure to report back once you're done."

"Understood!" Once she sat on the window sill, Matsumoto gave Hinamori a wave of good-bye. "I'll see you later Hinamori-chan!"

"Ah hai, ja ne Rangiku-san!" Hinamori said.

With that said, the partner guardian flew out the window, leaving the lovers alone. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Hitsugaya is face to face with the raven haired girl. "Momo...are you tired?" he asked.

"My arm's feeling numb from holding the cell phone for too long," Momo replied.

"You can put it down, I won't go anywhere."

"Even though I know that, I-I'm afraid you might not be there when I wake up tomorrow. It's already hard enough to see you in such a state; your body's lying there like a log and I'm seeing you as a heavenly guardian once more. Toshiro, I don't want to experience the same feeling I felt when you left me."

He wanted to wrapped his arms around her, but the white haired prodigy knew he couldn't touch her at all. It angers him for not being able to be there for her even though he is there physically. "Momo...I."

"Please, I want to hold onto you."

"Me or my sleeping self?"

Momo gave him a stern look. "Shiro-chan, you know what I mean."

"Alright."

He left his seat and appeared behind her. Draping his arms over her shoulders, Hitsugaya closed his eyes and slowly pulled her close. Despite not physically feeling one another, they allowed their imaginations do the work. As his chin rested on one side of her shoulder, he whispered in her ear, "I love you Momo. I promise to not leave you."

Hearing those words (spoken through from the cell phone) is what she needed. Momo closed her eyes and smiled. "Toshiro, I love you too and thank you."

References

Sumi masen - Excuse me

Taicho - Captain

Soitaicho - Captain Commander

Baka - Idiot / Stupid

Reiatsu - Spiritual Pressure

Obaa-san - Grandmother

Bento - Boxed Lunch

Souka - Is that so

Hai - Yes

Ja ne - Good bye

Minna - Everyone

Gomen nesai - I'm sorry

(1) There are two ways for Hitsugaya to return to his heavenly guardian form: one, is to be unconscious (that does not include sleeping) and two, well...he has to be dead. xD

(2) Living beings are given the ability to see their guardians until the time they have to leave them. In Momo's case, she's only able to feel, touch, and communicate with Hitsugaya during the first three months they've met. Refer to the prequel, Blessed from the Heavens.

Author's Note: Yes, it's such a sad situation Hitsugaya's stuck in. As Hitsugaya and Momo wait for the response from the Thirteen Guardian Squads, the enemy's on the loose somewhere...xD Any guesses maybe? Hn, too early huh? Oh well, stay tuned for the next update! Please review! Thanks!