So sorry for the delay! I really struggled with a lot of the scenes, but hopefully all the extra time I spent on it paid off… Everything belongs to Tate Kubo.

Chapter 4

"Snap, Tobiume!"

The violet sword split into twelve violet stilettos, each stabbing into the tile in a circle around her, ready to be commanded.

"That is not Tobiume's release." Toshiro muttered.

"Oh but it is," Saha corrected, "Now Tobiume has two masters, when I use her, this is the form she must take." then the hollow spun, snatching up the twelve stilettos, and threw them towards Toshiro.

The captain was well aware that he could move out of the way in time, so he waited to see her next move. Saha leapt forward into the midst of the projectiles, gathering them with various parts of her body, making them rest behind her knees, in her elbows, beside her neck, in her mouth, above her wrists and in her hands.

What's that battle form? Hitsugaya wondered in astonishment.

Then Saha attacked, the blades seemed to swim around her from limb to limb as she stabbed at her opponent. Hitsugaya deflected each swipe, but he knew he was falling behind; he had never faced such a bizarre fighting style. Furthermore there was not a single opening for attack.

Just as she was about to slyly though a stiletto into each of his legs, a loud roar filled the courtyard and a blast of wind struck the two fighters. Saha tumbled head over heels as Tobiume's twelve pieces were scattered in all directions.

Toshiro, after regaining his traction looked up to see Komamura, hand outstretched.

"I have come to assist you, Hitsugaya." the wolf-man barked.

"Thanks!" he replied quickly.

They watched as Hinamori rose up, her face hidden by her long, raven black hair. They saw pieces of the weeping mask crumble to the ground. When she looked up her face was half uncovered, but they didn't see the same little Momo they knew; instead before them stood a woman of exceeding graceful and terrible beauty.

"Please leave." she pleaded, a tear falling from her eye. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Momo!" Komamura shouted. "You are outnumbered; just give up, your just going to hurt yourself!"

As if to prove their point she covered her mouth as she coughed, when she stopped, her hand was coated in blood, but also in a white substance that felt like her mask. I'm even hollowfying on the inside!

"Yes, Hinamori, Aizen is sealed; you don't have to do anything for him. Just stop, there's no reason to fight." Toshiro reasoned.

"That is where you are mistaken," Hinamori replied, as she raised her hand to her face, "I fight because you have gotten in my way. Leave and this will be over."

"You know we can't do that." Sajin sternly replied.

Saha, I don't know what to do, we are both on our last leg, and now we are against two captains. Hinamori pleaded.

I gave you the answer when I introduced myself.

Introduced? You mean your…

An intense reiatsu flooded the court and clouds swirled around the third seat, hiding her from view.

"What is this?" Toshiro shouted.

"It feels like…" Komamura began.

The swirling clouds swirled away, revealing what they feared.

"Bankai…" Hinamori announced. A harness had appeared around her torso, and from her back extended a single rod towards the sky. "Sahaume!"

Before the captain's eyes, the rod snapped and bent in three places, extended making an arch, and then smaller prongs sprouted and grew downward, dangling like a hundred wind chimes.

"Now, leave." Momo commanded. "I'm running out of time." Her breathing became nothing more than sobs; she couldn't hold back the pain anymore, both the physical and spiritual.

"What do you mean?" Toshiro asked, looking at his friend's tear stained face. How did she attain bankai? And she's hollowfied too, and somehow Aizen is involved. What is going on? Is Aizen really sealed? Furthermore, why have no other shinigami come to investigate the commotion

Sahaume's wing pulled back then flapped, sending ignited metal rods at the captains. They dodged and Momo dashed for the exit.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyorinmaru!" Toshiro sent an ice dragon after her, snatching her foot. She spun her wing which ignited and enveloping her in a fireball. The dragon vanished in a rush of steam.

From the midst of the flames, red hot rods shot out in all directions, smashing through and destroying anything they struck.

Despite their fastest movement, both of the captains were sideswiped by several of the projectiles, injuring and leaving cauterised burns. The top of Sajin's hakama fully ignited so he discarded of it quickly lest his fur catch fire as well. The entire plaza was filled with the oppressive heat, as if they were encompassed in an oven.

"Still think you can stop me?" she asked through her sobs.

"This is hurting you." Sajin said calmly.

Momo's "wing" curved and she hurled forward, her mask gradually reforming over her face. She launched herself forward then spun around, preparing to send off a volley of the red hot rods at close range.

Sajin quickly moved forward and grabbed the wing, stopping her. He grit his teeth as his gloved hands hissed and sizzled on the hot metal.

Momo was dangling in the air by her wing, she twisted and was going to flip over and strike Sajin with her foot when she felt a chill and realised her feet were both anchored to the ground with a tower of ice.

"Hinamori!" Toshiro yelled, his zanpakuto pointed directly at her neck. "You have to stop now!"

"You don't understand," Hinamori cried. "I have to leave! Look at me, I'm turning into a hollow, I have no place here!"

Komamura placed his non-burned hand on her shoulder soothingly, "Ichigo was in your same predicament, and he has been accepted, so will you." Still, he thought to himself, how did she start hollowfying in the first place? Did Aizen alter her back when he was captain? But wouldn't somebody have noticed?

"No, it's something worse!" Hinamori insisted. "I can't tell you what, but because of me, all of Soul Society is in danger. You have to let me go!"

"Just tell us what is wrong!" Toshiro insisted.

"Rest Momo," Saha commanded. "I'll take over from here." Momo's face vanished behind the hollow mask.

"Kuikiho!" she yelled. Toshiro and Komamura felt the build up of reiatsu and flash stepped away. Saha vanished in a swirling ball of fire. Moments later she emerged from the top of the fireball and up into the sky. She flapped her wing sending the metal rods down towards her friends. Then she dashed towards the Senkaimon. However, one of Toshiro's ice dragons hurled itself into her way. She raised her blade and sliced it in half, but its force against her knocked her from the air and down onto a roof, smashing the tiles beneath her.

Saha laughed, "You two must really care for her. Even in this state, you hold back so much lest you harm even a hair on her head. Well, I'm not Hinamori, and if you hold back, you're going to get killed!"

The sharp sound of a Sonido filled the air. Komamura was thrown back by the invisible assailant, smashing into a wall and Saha appeared in the air behind Toshiro and launched her rods.

Toshiro did not have time to dodge the missiles so he produced an instant mirror of ice and deflected them. However he looked in horror when he realised that their new course was directly at the currently immobile Sajin.

The wolf-man saw the weapons approaching from where he was lying in the rubble. He braced himself for the pain of impact, hardening his muscles to protect his vitals.

Another Sonido sounded and Saha now stood before him, four metal rods protruding from her chest and abdomen. Hot blood splattered on Komamura's face and bare chest, but he did not even blink. His face was trapped in a look of remorseful horror.

"Momo…" he gasped, tears welling in his eyes. "You didn't,"

Toshiro's mouth opened but no sound escaped. He had killed her, by his own hand. This was the third time he had been at fault, and it was the last. He would have wailed, but his lungs were empty.

Saha coughed, and the weeping half of the mask shattered to reveal Momo's crying face. "I couldn't," Saha said, "let you be hurt… Sajin."

The mask crumbled and Saha's voice faded away, leaving only Momo's as she said, "I'm sorry, I couldn't save you." A blinding light filled the area followed by silence.

Toshiro blinked, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. He stood and looked around. He was surprised to see everything just as it had last been, signs of combat aside, the plaza looked like it always did. He heard some rough guttural sounds, like a vocal coughing somewhere to his left. He squinted, and as his eyes adjusted, his heart fell.

Komamura was weeping; heavy rumbling noises from deep within his chest escaped from his mouth in grief-stricken barks and whines. He was rocking back and forth, pressing Hinamori's stiff, lifeless form against his warm body.

"Don't worry," Sajin spoke to her, "I remembered to plant that plum sapling you started," he coughed repeatedly then continued, "Remember, it was from the headpiece I gave you, the first time we went to the captain's meeting together." he sniffed, tears streaming from his red eyes. "I loved that smile you made then, so it's now by your window."

Toshiro looked away, shaking, tears rolling from his own eyes.

"In a few years, I want you to be surprised one day when you see plum blossoms adorning your view." Sajin continued his throat raw. "We still have a mountain of paperwork to do; it's amazing how just a couple days make it build up. I'm going to need your help, Iba is completely incompetent now since he's out of practice."

The younger captain couldn't stand it anymore. Komamura was not accepting reality, and it hurt him to see him like this, the once proud captain, brought so low. He laid a hand on the wolf-man's bare shoulder. "She's gone, Komamura."

Sajin ignored the statement, continuing to hug her close.

"Lay her down; it's not right to hold onto a body." Toshiro said firmly.

Komamura growled angrily back at him, shoving him away with his free arm, "What right do you have to speak?" he roared, tears streaming from his yellow eyes. "Did you once heed her? She cared for you, but you couldn't even say anything to her. All you did was keep your distance, maintain your pride. Because of you it's too late for her to have what she longed for!"

Toshiro didn't reply. He just gritted his teeth.

"She's dead…" Komamura whispered, realising he had referred to her in the past tense. He knew she was dead, she was not going to smile at him again, that friendly smile. And he would never smile back, with his restrained smile, the one telling her that she was a true friend, but hiding anything deeper that whispered in the back of his mind.

I loved her, he realised. With a chaste, distant love, knowing she belonged to someone else, a content love, happy that I could have her be part of my life. But at the same time, another love that knew it should not exist.

He looked at the white haired young man, a feeling of rage built up in his chest. But he stopped himself. All he had done was defending himself; he had never meant to harm her neither of them had. Besides, how can I despise someone Momo felt so deeply for?

Toshiro likewise reflected on the situation, Komamura was right; all I did was push her away. I was too scared. Here I am, a fully grown man, and I was too afraid to let her in. I kept telling myself that she just saw me as a little brother, but I was ignoring the look of deep love that hid itself in her eyes. I could have made her so happy…

He felt himself tumble to the ground as a suppressive reiatsu rested heavily atop him. Sajin likewise fell on his side, unable to move.

"Ah, quite a commotion took place here." smooth voice said lazily as its owner glanced at the incapacitated Mayuri, damaged buildings, and the two captains' wounds. "I had expected more of a stand off situation, who knew that it would turn so violent."

Aizen! Was the captains' unified thought.

There the traitor stood, the immortal Third Squad Captain, Sousuke Aizen. He was still wrapped in the black substance placed on him by Urahara. He smiled down at them almost benevolently.

"I must thank you." he said. "Had Hinamori succeeded in her escape, I would still be sealed."

The two captains glared at him, which was all they could do under his immense pressure.

Aizen stepped by the lifeless body of his former subordinate. "Useful to the very end I see." He cocked an eyebrow. "It seems that her residual hollow powers are reacting to my presence."

Her four wounds began to fill in with a thick white substance and harden. She took in a single, light breath.

Both Komamura and Hitsugaya stared in shock, not knowing whether to feel relief, joy, anger, hatred, fear, or sorrow at the bizarre situation.

"I could destroy all of Soul Society now if I wanted." Aizen calmly ruminated, ignoring the two captains, "But it would likely drain my life away since I'm still recovering from the seal. There is no reason for me to hurry. I am a god now, I have no limited life span, I could return in an age where I am forgotten, and make the five realms my plaything." He bent down, looking at Momo's pained face. "So, Hinamori, live out your days peacefully, knowing that the future beyond you is bound to Armageddon."

Now, wordlessly, he passed through the gate, his presence vanished, and the illusion around them faded. The plaza was now filled with daylight, and members of Twelfth Squad stared in shock as the damages and the injured appeared around them.

"Well," said the Twelfth Squad's vice-captain, "I suppose we all know now why we were receiving strange readings." He maintained his bored face, in stark contrast with the other squad members. "Call for the Fourth Squad! Kyoya, Sasagawa, you two scoop up Captain Kurotsuchi into that barrel so we can take him back to be reconstituted."

Hitsugaya and Komamura sat up and looked around. They both jumped when they heard Momo gasp for breath. The holes in her robes revealed flawless skin and her chest was now rising and falling evenly with every breath.

Komamura reached to pick her up but his back made a cracking noise and he roared in pain.

Toshiro pushed him back down, "Just stay down, I'll carry her." He lifted up Momo's small form and stood tall, then flash stepped her away to the fourth squad.

A few moments later, Soi Fon appeared and recited, "Captain of the Seventh Squad, Sajin Komamura, you are summoned to the Central Forty Four to discuss your involvement in Aizen's escape."

Sajin looked up in surprise and replied ruefully as he slowly brought himself to his feet. "You people sure do work fast."

"Not really," Soi Fon admitted, "We have been detecting massive fluctuations of reiatsu, namely those of Kurotsuchi, Hinamori, a hollow, Hitsugaya and yours. But it perplexed us how when we went to investigate, no sign of conflict was evident, save for some muffled sounds. Then we detected that Aizen had escaped and passed through the barrier to the Precipice World. After that, the apparent illusion dropped."

"Not to deny the Central Forty Four their due respect," Sajin groaned, "would you be able to request for them a postponement, I am in no shape to attend a meeting."

Soi Fon nodded. "I'll attempt to reason with them." she began to walk away but turned and said, "And get yourself taken care of; even the Central Forty Four will not try to overstep Captain Unohana." She assured him, referring to the surprisingly intimidating captain of the medical squad.

"I will, and thank you." Komamura replied gratefully. Soi Fon vanished without a further word and five Fourth Squad members arrived around him and told him to stay still as they examined him.

Toshiro looked down at his sleeping friend. Captain Unohana had given her a clean bill of health, saying that her new hollow powers had somehow been stimulated to regenerate her injuries. Also another comforting fact was that she had stabilised and those same hollow powers had regressed, leaving her in a state similar to that of the Vaizards.

He was overjoyed, though of course his face wouldn't show it. When he saw her run through with the rods, the ones he deflected, he thought it would be the last time he would see her in this world.

He reached out to her hand, but hesitated, afraid to touch it. He was yet again a part of the cause for her injury. Would she fear him this time as well? He could not second guess himself any further when a small hand gripped his. He looked up to see Hinamori's brown eyes flicker open.

"Shiro-kun," she whispered.

A grin conquered his face, "Hinamori-chan!" he bent over and embraced her.

Her face looked in surprise. This was so uncharacteristic of him, but with what strength she had, she hugged back. "What happened?" she asked. "I remember fighting you two, but somewhere everything just disappeared."

Toshiro bit his lip, trying to think up something to say.

Momo continued blearily. "Saha refuses to tell me anything, she can be such a bother."

"Saha?" he asked then his eyes widened, "You mean the hollow!"

She jumped in surprise at his tone, but after he hurriedly apologised for the outburst she explained. "Saha devoured my zanpakuto, so in essence she is my katana now. She's resting right now, but we get along well enough."

"Oh," Toshiro muttered, "so is it like having a second person inside there?"

"Yes, it kind of is. Actually while I was unconscious we had much time to talk about things…" her eyes started to droop as he voice wavered.

"I should let you sleep." He said, suddenly putting on his gruff captain face.

Smiling at his antics, she drifted back to sleep, re-entering the world of the plain green stone and the black starry sky.

In the hall Toshiro met the tall wolf captain. "She's sleeping now, but she woke up for a while." he said.

Komamura nodded his muzzle, trying to contain a relieved smile. "That is reassuring. I'll just look in for a little while."

Toshiro grabbed his arm roughly. "Don't wake her up…" he ordered.

"Was never my intention."

The white haired captain nodded in approval.

Komamura slid the door open and leaned his head in. Momo was sleeping peacefully, a small smile on her face. He cautiously approached the bed. From his sleeve he retrieved a plum branch with small ripe plums covering it. He placed it carefully on the stand next to her table. Then he retrieved a pink lily also from somewhere deep in his sleeve. He placed the tender flowed in her hand, and then quietly left after telling her to sleep well.

The end… well no this isn't the end; one more chapter to go that will wrap everything up into a nice bow. Sorry for my procrastination, and leaving you at such terrible cliff hangers. At least now it feels like a partial closing. Please tell me what you thought of the action, not something I write much of, except in my own novel.

And, if any of the rest of y'all had problems with the infamous error type 2 which keeps one from updating stories, the solution is on my profile.