Okay so this is for all the Ken/Mash fans who read the first part and wanted to know about Mashiro being injured. So here you go. Get your tissues ready and that's all I'm saying. Oh! That and the cliff they're on is also mentioned in my other Ken/Mash fic 'Jai Ho' so if you wanna know about that go to my profile and find that fic.

The ground beneath her was rocking.

Back and forth, gently, almost like that one time she had been on a boat but not quite. Besides, boats weren't warm like this, nor did they hold her with one arm under her knees, the other under her shoulders, so tight as if they thought she would break but were somehow desperate to keep the pieces together. Mashiro frowned slightly as she saw the ruins of Karakura through her spotty vision, craters she remembered making and some explosions that she couldn't quite recall. She tried to think but her head seemed to be somewhere else. Brow furrowing she tried to push herself but all she got in return was a nauseous feeling that made her regret the action.

"Kensei?" she finally found her voice, "where're we goin?" she asked.

"Away," came the gruff reply.

Mashiro tried to turn her head up to see him but abruptly agony laced her chest. She caught her lip between her teeth, copper filling her mouth as she bit back the scream in her throat. His arms tightened around her as his pace slowed. She forced her lip to drop, though she didn't dare shake her head. Instead she squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her face against his shoulder as strong as she could. She heard his breath hitch and for a moment she was torn between wanting him to yell at her and wishing that he wouldn't. He did the latter, simply continuing to walk across the sky, away from the rubble and the nightmares. She kept her eyes closed as the agony ebbed, like a wave pulled out to the ocean. But it did not fully go away. It dulled, but it did not disappear. Just as the coppery taste registered in the back of her throat, blood that this time had nothing to do with her bitten lip.

"S-stupid Arrancar," she said finally.

He made a sound in his throat that Mashiro knew was him agreeing with her. Abruptly light seared her eyelids and she realized they were stepping through the barrier out of Fake Karakura Town. She was not sorry to see the place go. She had never been sorry to see a battleground go. After the Division was through with them they were never much to look at. A homage to the sheer force of destruction that the Ninth Division was capable of. She remembered Kasaki used to draw them, saying he wanted to remember even when the landscape grew back. She liked to think if he was still around she would've gotten him a digital camera so he could take pictures instead. He never had much talent with drawing anyway. Only Eishima could really draw and he always refused to draw destruction. He said he saw enough of it, he didn't have to draw it too. Gizaeimon would just roll his eyes and ask where they were going next.

"Kensei where're we goin?" she asked.

He said nothing.

Finally the light cleared and she opened her eyes. Blue and black spots seemed to vie for her vision but she managed to clear her eyes enough to see where they were. Grass spread all around them, trees twisting up towards the heavens--trees that had a little over a century to grow since the last time they had been there and destroyed them. But what caught her eye was what she could see through the trees. Rukongai was peeking out, the endless city just visible in the bright sunset. And past that, past that she could see the wall and beyond that she knew was the Court of Pure Souls. As the trees thinned she could see more and more of it until finally they were on top of a cliff. It seemed as though all of Soul Society was spread out before them, lights flickering on one by one in the dimming light. Holding onto her tightly, Kensei slowly lowered himself down until they were sitting.

Sitting there, with his familiar Spiritual Power washing over her, Mashiro felt like weeping. It was as though the last century was nothing more than a terrible dream. It did not take much to imagine the rest of the division behind them, already having set up camp and arguing about who had killed more Hollows. The better part of her brain said they weren't there but the rest of her imagined they were.

"Kensei?" she spoke his name, her voice not coming out as chipper as it usually did, "why're we here?"

"Too damn loud back there," he said, his voice gruff but not harsh.

Mashiro knew what that meant: too many dead, too many dying.

Besides, only a few low level healers made it through the fight and they were up to their necks in people who needed to be healed--people without Hollow Powers. Even if by some miracle they got through the terribly wounded, even if they had time for one green haired Vizard, Mashiro knew they'd never make it in time for anything like her being saved. Mashiro felt tears gather in her eyes as she turned her head slightly to Kensei's chest, looking down in a futile effort to hide her tears.

Only then did she see the red that stained her bodysuit wasn't just from her wound.

"You're hurt," she gasped, trying to lift her head as much as she could.

"Don't worry about it," he said, his arm tightening around her to stop her from moving and hurting herself further.

"But Kensei--" she began.

"I said don't worry about it!" he growled, though the force in his tone only caused red to spread with even more speed, "couldn't stand that place," he said finally, though whether he meant Karakura Town or the Court that existed in his mind, she didn't know.

"I always thought we'd die on a battlefield," she said finally.

"I can take you back," he offered.

"No," she said, "I like it here," she added, "its pretty," she sighed turning to look as the lights in Rukongai came on with more frequency, "they're safe now," she said looking at the people.

"Yeah," Kensei said, "they're safe."

"Somethin else'll come along," she said, "someone else'll have to do it though," she sighed, "I'm too sleepy to clean up more messes."

She heard something that sounded like his breath hitching above her before a gruff sound of confirmation came from his lips. She frowned as the world got much blurrier, blinking her eyes furiously to try and clear them--to no avail. Mashiro closed her eyes for a moment but when she opened them the world was only blurrier. She shivered slightly, her fingers tightening as much as they could in the fabric of Kensei's shirt. The world began to darken as well and Mashiro felt terror seep through her.

"K-kensei I can't see," she whispered.

"Its going to be okay," he said, his voice low and softer than she'd ever heard it but steady, steady and firm. She felt her terror begin to abate, "you're gonna go somewhere else, somewhere better than this shithole."

"But--"

"I'll be right behind you," he said firmly, as if he knew what she'd ask next.

"That's where I'm supposed to be," she protested softly.

"Well its my turn now," he said, his fingers tightening against her arm, "so you go ahead, I'll be there soon."

She faintly nodded, her head just barely moving as her eyes drifted completely shut. Her breath was still warm against his chest. He tightened his hold on her as he felt her breath become fainter and fainter, knowing that no matter how he held her she'd still slip away eventually. Her breath caught and he held her harder, praying that this wasn't happening, not after everything that they had been through, not after they finally got their revenge. How could it end like this? She never should have been on that mission, she never should have gotten Hollowified, she never should have lived her life like she had been forced to. He heard her exhale and then inhale as her eyes fluttered open. Clouded and distorted, they seemed to still be trying to find something. She was too injured to raise her head but he knew she was looking for him. As careful as he could he shifted her, moving her so that she could see him.

"Kensei," she whispered, her voice barely audible. He looked at her desperately, his throat too tight to form words. One of her hands moved upwards slightly on his chest, "I don't regret--" she took another, horribly rattling breath, "anything."

"I--" he stopped, knowing that apologies would have been brushed off, that they wouldn't have mattered to her anyway. So instead he gathered his courage and spoke the one thing he had never told her.

"I'm glad you were there," he said.

Her lips broke into the most heartbreaking and happy smile he'd ever seen. Kensei felt the burning in his eyes increase tenfold as hers began to slip shut for what he knew would be the last time. Before it could happen he angled his head and brushed his lips against hers, ignoring the blood that tainted both their lips. He felt the first of his tears fall onto her face.

He pulled back as her eyes fluttered shut completely. Her fingers tightened fractionally on his shirt one last time before they went completely limp, falling to her side. Her head lolled on his shoulder, her features forever in a mask of serenity. Kensei felt his heart stop as he stared at her, horror filling him. But as he watched her, out of the corner of his eye he began to see her body glow. He turned and watched as the glow moved up her body, engulfing her completely before the solid form in his arms became weightless, turning completely into Spiritual Particles that stayed for a moment before they too vanished into the air, leaving him frozen and alone.

For a heartbeat Kensei felt as weightless as they were, weightless and numb until reality came crashing into him. She was gone.

She was gone and for the first time he could remember, Kensei Muguruma was alone.

The howl that had been caught behind his teeth broke free as he buried his fist in the grass and screamed, not caring as his injury tore and worsened and pain seared through him. All that mattered was what was not there any more. He felt tears fall from his eyes. He hadn't cried since his sister had died all those years ago but on top of that hill, where no-one could see, he did. Somewhere deep inside he could hear Tachikaze cry out in pain as well. He was paralyzed by pain too deep to be physical. The tears stopped and his voice gave out as Tachikaze was finally quiet. The world lurched nauseatingly when he dared to move, to raise his head. But Kensei didn't care, in fact he welcomed it. It was only a matter of time before they found him, before the bastards tried to heal him. He didn't want that. Damn it he didn't want them to try and save him, not now, not after what had happened.

Behind him he heard voices suddenly, voices that were getting closer. Blinking the fog from his eyes Kensei tried to shove himself up but failed to do it properly, his arms giving out after the strain of carrying her there. The men seemed to have stopped, one voice obviously giving out orders. Kensei didn't move, didn't turn. With any luck he'd be dead by the time they came. He was able to identify one set of feet as they walked forward, but it was one and not many. He caught sight of a pair of feet before the form sat down. Even though his blurred vision he could identify the unruly black hair of that scared little kid he'd saved. Only it wasn't a kid anymore, it was a Lieutenant if he remembered right. Hard to tell considering both his arms were covered in bloody bandages. Still it was difficult to forget the 69 tattooed on his cheek.

"I sent the men away," Hisagi said finally, his voice slow and steady, "they're going to get medical help."

"There ain't any," Kensei managed to get out.

"I know," he said, telling him in much fewer words that he understood Kensei didn't want to survive.

"They listen to you?" he asked.

"I'm the Lieutenant of the 9th Division," he said.

"Huh. So you killed your old Captain?"

"He wasn't my Captain anymore," Hisagi said, one of his hands gripping Kazeshini.

"Shouldn't have been your Captain in the first place," Kensei grumbled.

He had a moment before pain flared in his torso. One hand clenched his shirt as he coughed and tasted more blood on his lips. He glanced over at Hisagi and then at the darkness that blanketed Rukongai, at the lights that danced below. Carefully he pushed himself to his feet. He felt the world sway and knew that it wouldn't be long now. He heard Hisagi get up behind him, standing there like he was waiting for orders--or for wisdom. Kensei had neither to give, not anymore. Silhouetted faintly behind him was the ghostly form of what Kensei knew what Hisagi's Zanpakuto. Despite the ache in his chest, Kensei felt his lips twitch in a smile before he turned and looked at Rukongai.

"Well kid," he began as he felt the sensation in his arms vanish. He didn't need to look down to know his arm was gone, "next shit storm's all yours."

"Yes, Captain Muguruma," Hisagi said as he watched him fade, "we got it from here."

Kensei gave a faint nod before the wind took the Spirit Particles he had become away. Hisagi stayed for a moment on the hill, one hand tight on Kazeshini's hilt as he looked out at the blanket of Rukongai. It didn't take long for one of the men to run back, just one, probably to tell him that there was no help to be spared. But he stopped short, no words leaving his lips. Hisagi hesitated for a moment before he turned to the man, his eyes widening when he saw it was Kira standing there. The blond man walked quietly forward, standing next to Hisagi on the hill.

"He said we'd have the next shit storm," Hisagi said finally.

"Makes sense," Kira said.

"I thought you'd be healing," he said.

"I'm supposed to be resting," Kira replied.

"Then what're you doing up here?" Hisagi asked.

"I thought you could use a friend."

Hisagi nodded and the two men stood there, watching the people below them. The cliff they stood on had played stage to many things. It had witnessed love and destruction, endings and beginnings. But with the two men standing there for the first time the cliff played stage to the beginning of a new era of peace.

At least until the next shit storm came along.

Well that's gotta be the saddest Ken/Mash fic i've ever written.

I'm gonna go cry now--or update Shukra where they can live happily ever after!

*sob*

R&R please!