A/N: OK so.... I re-read this and what not and... I'm not really sure what you guys are looking for when you ask me to be more descriptive. I mean, for you to say "you should add more description" well, that's a little vague. Description on what? What else do you want to know? Leave me a specific comment or whatever, specify what you think needs to be described better, and I'll be happy to add more.. Anyway, here's the next chapter, only two more after this. Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters. I do, however, own Emiko and her zanpachtou.

Hitsugaya reached his hand towards the water and gently dipped his fingers in. Just like the pebble, the water simply parted for his hand but made no other movement. Emiko hesitated for a moment, then reached out to mimic him. However, just before her fingers brushed the surface, Hitsugaya's free hand grabbed hers.

"Wait." He said firmly. "You have to know what you're doing before you touch it."

"What do you mean?" Emiko asked quietly.

"I mean, you have to decide what it is you want to do. If you want to keep your memories, then simply concentrate on them and picture them before you. If you don't want them any more then imagine them slipping away from you like the water. Fill their space with emptiness and let them go."

Emiko looked down and thought for a minute. She closed her eyes and tried to picture all the images from long ago. Did she want to keep them? Yes, there were good memories that she would like to have, but they couldn't be conjured without bringing up the bad that was tied with them. It was impossible.

Emiko jumped as a particularly horrifying memory surfaced. Her eyes opened and she frowned deeply. There was nothing for it, the memories had to go. No more hurting her, torturing her, eating her alive. She had to sacrifice the good to rid herself of the bad.

"I want to let them go." She said finally, her voice soft and weary.

"Are you sure?" Hitsugaya asked firmly. Emiko nodded. Hitsugaya nodded as well and let her hand go, allowing her to dip it into the the water like he had.

Emiko watched in wonder as a gasoline-like substance seemed to leak from her hand.

"What is it?" She whispered.

"Your memories." Hitsugaya answered softly. He then starred at the water and watched the rainbow substance swirl until it formed an image. His brows furrowed and his eyes widened slightly as a look of horror crossed his face.

Emiko felt as if a great weight was lifting from her chest and shoulders with each passing memory, as if she'd been struggling for breath for so many years but now the weight on her chest was lifting and she could finally breathe again.

It was obvious Hitsugaya wasn't enjoying watching her past and something in his eyes told Emiko it burned him down to the very core of his soul. This touched something deep inside her. Why should he care what happened to her? He didn't know her. Besides it was the past, she'd gotten over it, so why should he trouble himself with her?

Then it hit her. This wasn't right. She was who she was because of her past and experiences. Sure, she may be colder than she once was, but she was strong, her experiences made her stronger -- good and bad. These things were her burden and hers alone, she shouldn't be scarring someone else's mind with her mistakes and memories, it just wasn't right. It had to stop.

Emiko pulled her hand from the water and Hitsugaya's eyes widened more than ever as he made to grab her arm.

"NO!" He shouted in horror. But it was too late.

The rainbow substance that was her memories caught aflame, flew across the water, up Emiko's arms and consumed her entirely.

Emiko screamed blue murder and grabbed her head, pressing and clawing at her skull to push out the horrid scenes flashing before her eyes. Her entire body seared with a white-hot pain and felt like she was both being burned alive and torn apart from the inside out. Everything that she had tried to let go, she was reliving at the same time, every nightmarish scene and image was consuming her all at once and it was driving her mad.

"Hahaoya! HAHAOYAAAAA!!!!"

Hitsugaya lept to his feet and folded is hands in front of him, muttering an incantation at high speed. Finally his hands flew out and aimed at Emiko.

"RELEASE HER!"

In an explosion of sparks and flame, the fire disappeared and Emiko dropped limply. Hitsugaya shot out and caught her, lowering her to the ground.

It took her a few moments, but eventually Emiko's eyes opened. She blinked at Hitsugaya a few times before her face contorted and she began to scream and sob uncontrollably.

Hitsugaya pulled her close.

"Baka! I told you not to pull back if you decided to release them!" He spat angrily, but his voice was flooded with concern.

After holding her close and listening to her sob for a long time, Hitsugaya finally pulled away from Emiko a little and placed two fingers on her forehead.

"Shhhh.... Hush onna. Let it go... let it go....let it go...."

He stroked her forehead as he quietly chanted those three words over and over.

Eventually, Emiko's screams stopped and her tears and sobs slowly began to ebb away. Hitsugaya pulled her to him again.

"I've never seen anything so terrifying as in my life as your past..." He whispered softly. "It's no wonder you are the way you are. You're stronger than I am... I would have gone mad with grief..."

Emiko sobbed again and fresh, hot tears streamed down her face.

"I should have listened to you." She whispered painfully. "I should have let them go... but I... I didn't want to let them go... to let her go..."

Hitsugaya hushed her and laid his head on hers, stroking her hair gently.

"I know. I understand.... I'm so sorry, you weren't ready for this. I never should have taken you here."

"I should have let them go..." Emiko whispered again.

Hitsugaya frowned.

"Yes, but it's done now.... Emiko, I said I was going to help you, and I intend to. Let me share this burden, let me help you deal with your past. Just because you lost so many, just because what happened to them was a nightmare, that doesn't mean you'll lose everyone else you care about. You need someone. You need a channel, someone to help you mend your heart. It's not good to be alone forever. Let me help you."

More tears streamed down Emiko's face and she grabbed the front of Hitsugaya's robes, burying her face in his chest.

"Just don't die..." She whispered painfully. Hitsugaya frowned and closed his eyes, hugging her as tight to him as possible.

"I won't leave you alone." He said, avoiding the comment. This satisfied Emiko and she relaxed a little.

Hitsugaya waited for hours, making sure that Emiko had cried all her tears, had drained most of her memories away, and had exhausted herself. Most of them; the most horrifying ones, had melted away and flowed out of her -- thanks, and yet no thanks, to the enchanted water. Unfortunately, the pain from them still remained and would for some time. Luckily, once she finally healed from that, she would finally be able to move on, now having nothing to scar her or hold her back. And he intended to be there for her every step of the way. She needed someone, and that someone would have to be him. He was the only one who knew her and knew her secrets. He would have to be her channel.

Hitsugaya made sure Emiko had fully drained and exhausted herself before finally picking her up. With little effort, he flashed back to Sei Rei Tei and to her room. Walking inside, he placed her gently on her bed and leaned down into her face.

"Forget." He said enchantingly. "Close your eyes and see only darkness. Rest your body, your soul, your mind. Close your eyes. Close your eyes.... and sleep."

On the word 'sleep', Hitsugaya waved a hand down her face, and down with it went Emiko's eyelids, taking with them her consciousness.

Emiko awoke late in the afternoon the next day. Looking around she realized she was in her room.

"How did I get here?" She asked herself softly. Then it hit her. Everything from the night before flashed back to her and her eyes glossed over again.

Emiko sat up and hugged her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them like a child. She remembered everything that had happened, everything Hitsugaya had said and done, and all the pain she'd felt. But somehow, she couldn't pinpoint the exact cause of her pain. She knew they were caused by memories, but no matter how hard she raked her mind, she couldn't for the life of her recall them. Her eyes then suddenly widened. She couldn't remember because he had taken them away -- or perhaps the water had -- either way, they were gone. She wasn't entirely sure if she liked that idea, but she vaguely remembered attempting to will them away, so they couldn't have been nice enough to miss. In any case, they were gone now forever and there was nothing she could do about it.

It was when Emiko realized this fact that she remembered something else.

"Emiko, I said I was going to help you, and I intend to. Let me share this burden, let me help you deal with your past...........You need a channel, someone to help you mend your heart. It's not good to be alone forever. Let me help you."

Emiko rested her chin on her knees and frowned. She wasn't exactly sure in what way Hitsugaya wanted to help, or in what way he intended to be there for her, but after that night, she was wiling to take whatever he was willing to give her. She was tired of being alone.

After sitting and mulling over her thoughts and most recent memories for a long time, Emiko finally decided she had to get up. She grabbed a few things, then headed out to take a long, relaxing bath. After nearly falling asleep in there twice, she decided to get out and get dressed.

It was when Emiko was heading back to her room that someone finally interrupted her solitude.

"Kurosawa-sama!!!" Her little pink-haired Lieutenant yelled, bounding up to her with a very un-characteristic worried expression. She was so flustered she didn't even dub Emiko with a nickname or attempt any form of humor or playfulness at all. This worried Emiko greatly.

"I've been looking for you all day!! You have to come quick, Kenny needs you!!"

Emiko didn't have a chance to speak before Yachiru grabbed her hand and dragged her along at top speed.

Soon enough, the two arrived at Squad Eleven's headquarters. There they found Kenpachi sitting in a chair leaning on his zanpachtou. Emiko was shocked to see that he was rather beaten and bloodied, the first time she'd ever seen him in such a state.

"Captain??" She exclaimed in disbelief. Kenpachi waved off her concern before she could say anything more.

"I'm fine." He grunted roughly. "I've got another mission for you. We need you to take care of another pain-in-the-ass hallow. It's pretty much the same kind as last night so you shouldn't have much trouble."

Emiko starred at him for a minute, then took a step towards him.

"Captain.. are you sure-"

"What are you still standing there for?!" Kenpachi barked angrily. "Get out! Go do what I told you!"

Emiko swallowed and hesitated for a moment, then finally took a step back and nodded.

"Yes sir." She said gravely. She then turned and obediently flashed away.

Emiko stopped at the gates to the world of the living. The gates opened and Emiko hesitated again before taking a deep breath and walking towards them. Something felt different, wrong, unusual. She had a strange feeling that this time the outcome would be very different then the night before. Inside, she felt a terrible sense of foreboding.

Swallowing her doubts, Emiko stepped up to the gate, ready to walk through. She didn't get a chance however because a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

Emiko turned around only to come face-to-face with Captain Hitsugaya.

"What are you doing here?" She asked quietly. Hitsugaya frowned.

"Trying to stop you. You can't go through Kurosawa."

Emiko furrowed her brows.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't think it will be the same this time. You're still weak, and after everything that happened last night...."

Hitsugaya's voice trailed off and his frown deepened before continuing again.

"It's not a good idea." He said simply. "They'll have to send someone else."

Emiko starred at him.

"There is no one else." She said firmly. "I have to go. I'll be fine... Captain."

Hitsugaya's frown deepened impossibly but he said nothing more.

Emiko looked at the gates, then looked back at Hitsugaya.

"Will you... will you be here when I get back?"

Hitsugaya looked like he was fighting some internal battle, ready to grab her at any moment and force her to stay. Emiko could tell he was strongly against letting her go and that only made the knot in her stomach tighter. That made the two of them -- they both knew something was going to go terribly wrong. But, she'd been given a direct order and couldn't refuse it, no more then Hitsugaya could counter it.

Finally, Hitsugaya's jaw tightened and he nodded tersely. Emiko gave him a small, respectful nod in return, then turned and walked through the gates.