I ran into Toshiro's arms, tears streaming down my face.

"Toshiro! I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry!" he stroked my hair comfortingly, but his tone was stern when he spoke.

"Damn it Mamoko, why must you be so reckless?"

"Toshiro...they took Momo...they took her!" he pushed me away gently, making me look him in the face. Worry was written in his features.

"Who? Who took her?" I sobbed harder.

"I don't know!" Rangiku sighed heavily.

"It isn't your fault, Mamoko, we'll find her." Toshiro nodded.

"And I think I know where."

Momo's POV

I'm so close. His spiritual pressure lingered in the air. It was utterly intoxicating. But being here, held hostage by this young woman...I feel so hopeless...so close...yet so so far. Izuru...

"Back away." the girl growled. I took a few steps backwards making the distance between me and Izuru seem so much larger, and making my chances of escaping with him so much smaller. "You'll never be with Izuru ever again. In fact, you're the one who took him away from me! I bet, if you didn't even exist, we could've had a future!"

"I...I don't think-"

"I DON'T CARE!" she roared, slicing my cheek open with her sword. "I don't give a damn what you think!" Izuru cautiously walked towards us, strange, I didn't notice him breaking free from his bakudo binds...she must be inexperienced with kido. She noticed him behind her. "Ah, ah, ah, don't come any closer Izuru, or the next thing that gets cut is her throat." she grinned devilishly and looked back at me. "Actually...that's not a bad idea."

"Mina-Rei." Izuru said, taking a deep breath. "Just put the sword down." suddenly, a confused look appeared on his face. "Where'd you get it anyway? You didn't have it a few seconds ago." he was stalling...keeping me alive...Mina-Rei giggled.

"Not only are these clouds good for getting things, I found they were a good way to store things as well. But never mind that." I took another step back as she re-focused a her attention on me. "We have a little rat that needs exterminating."

"M-Mina-Rei!" Izuru shouted suddenly.

"Yes, Sweetie?" my blood boiled. How dare she? How dare she? ! ? !

"W-what happened to you? I've never seen you so...violent." so...he knows her?

Mamoko's POV

I struggled to keep up Rangiku and Toshiro's flash-step through dimensions.

"Captain, where are we going?" Rangiku asked.

"I figured that dimensia is the safest place we've been so far. Am I correct?" we nod. "Kisuke said there were 10. We've been in one. Momo and Izuru must be in another dimensia, seeing that the clouds can give them whatever they need to survive."

"You mean those grey floating things?" I asked. He nodded.

"Precisely."

"I don't...I don't understand."

"Don't worry, we'll show you when we find them." Rangiku reassured. I sighed heavily. If we find them...please...please be safe you guys.

Izuru's POV

I tried hard to stall Mina-Rei, and it worked. She kept her sword up and at the ready, but made no threatening movements.'

"They thought it was obsession." she said with a frown. "The members of your fanclub. They called me an obsessive freak. But it's not! It's not obsession! It's desire..." she looked up at me, hope in her eyes. "You understand, don't you Izuru?" I slowly nodded.

"Y-yea...of course." she smiled.

"I'm glad to hear that. I know everything about you Izuru. Your birthday, all your favorite things. I wanted to be with you. It was destiny, Izuru." she glared at Momo. "But you...you got in the way! You made Izuru feel things he wasn't supposed to feel! I left on that mission to make him proud! But while I was gone, you saw it as a chance to move in on my sweet Izuru!" Momo looked uncomfortable.

"I...I'm not sure what you're talking about. Please...can't we just talk?" Mina-Rei snorted.

"I don't want to hear you talk. Never again will you come between me and my beloved Izuru Kira. NEVER!" she raised her sword. "Die, Momo Hinamori!" suddenly, I lunged forward.

"STOP!"