Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

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14.

Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya, the "little ice prodigy" of Soul Society, ran through the halls of Soul Society, his heart hammering in his chest.

Why—why was all of this happening now?! He had thought Aizen dead with Ichigo, and the others as well; a burden he and Rangiku had both shared. But now it was clear that Aizen and his group were very much alive…while 12th Division Captain Mayuri and 7th Division Komamura had fallen to some invisible hand. There was no time for a burial—not that there was anything to bury.

Hitsugaya clutched at his Captain's haori, his hands becoming white. The world was going haywire, and he had no idea why.

Suddenly, a familiar Spiritual Pressure made its presence felt. It was in flux, almost teasing and playful in its pattern of up, down, up, down, reminding Hitsugaya sickeningly of a children's seesaw he had once seen in a Noble's garden.

Gritting his teeth, Hitsugaya turned around and flash-stepped back to his Division.

--

When he arrived, the first thing he sensed was that there was not just one intruder, but three.

Hitsugaya turned his head from side to side, feeling the wind caress his snow-white hair. They were in hiding, clearly—probably watching him, too—and so Hitsugaya decided to go hunt for them.

Footsteps barely making a sound, Hitsugaya padded into the shadows, aware of the moonlight striking the marble walkway that led to the center of his Division. A sense of déjà vu swept over him, and he continued to search out the Spiritual Pressures that were irking him so. The grass tickled his feet, but Hitsugaya didn't notice. He was focused on his task.

So focused, in fact, that when a familiar delicate, bony hand reached out and ruffled his hair from behind, Hitsugaya nearly jumped a foot in the air.

"My, my, Hitsugaya, I thought you were too dutiful for childish games!" Ichimaru chuckled and spun Hitsugaya around, staring down at him with a mocking sneer. "Clearly I was mistaken."

With a quick leap, Hitsugaya was out of the darkness and back onto the walkway, his eyes narrowed with hate.

"What're you doing here, Ichimaru?" Hitsugaya growled, preparing to draw his sword. "Clearly not for a nostalgic trip."

Ichimaru smiled and ambled toward him, humming a merry tune. "Oh, nothing much really. You see, I wanted to show my dear little 'niece and nephew' my little friend Toshiro Hitsugaya. They truly are excited to meet you."

Hitsugaya gazed up at Ichimaru cynically. "Oh? Well then, send them out so I can kill them too."

Ichimaru's smile widened. "Anything for a new member of the family." He snapped his fingers, the sound echoing into the night.

And Hitsugaya felt his heart tremor as his old nakama Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki walked out of the shadows, their expressions innocent and curious—fresh blood drying on their white robes. They looked a little thinner than Hitsugaya remembered, maybe even a little paler, too, but Ichigo's red hair and Rukia's large violet eyes were unmistakable.

Suddenly, the pair broke out into childish, gleeful smiles and ran toward him, looking for all the world like a pair of overgrown children.

"You're 'Shiro, right? Nice to meet you!" Ichigo said, holding out a hand. Hitsugaya started at the eerie, innocent tone he held, unfitting a near-adult. "I'm Ichigo Aizen, and this is my sister, Ru—" Ichigo glanced down and noticed Rukia was missing.

Hitsugaya stared in horror as Rukia—once one of the most beautiful and fiercest fighters in all of Soul Society, holding the most beautiful water-and-ice zanpakuto—hid behind Ichimaru's robes, peeping shyly from behind him.

Ichigo sighed. "Ru-ki-aaa, you're not being nice!" he chided, folding his arms. "C'mon, he won't hurt you! Uncle Gin won't like you hiding behind him forever."

Ichimaru smiled down at Rukia and gently nudged her toward Hitsugaya, who could only look on in numb horror. "That's right, Rukia dear. I'll protect you." The amused tone in his voice made Hitsugaya's pride flare even as Rukia stepped forward to greet him.

"My name is Rukia Aizen." Rukia said softly, bowing slightly and turning to retreat behind Ichimaru again.

At a nod from Ichimaru, Ichigo and Rukia dashed off to play in the grass, their childish shrieks of glee seeming to make even the moon shudder.

"'Aizen'? But that's—" Hitsugaya began, then felt his heart plummet again as he realized the truth.

"Yes, Toshiro. They are the loving children of Captain Aizen."

Hitsugaya stared blankly at him, his mind refusing to comprehend the situation.

"They're all absolute angels, you know. They truly adore their Papa and their Uncles, as well as their brothers, Uryuu and Renji."

Hitsugaya felt his hand twitch. "What about Chad?" he asked, fearing the worst.

Ichimaru smirked. "Oh, that tall one? You won't be seeing him any time soon. The poor thing was far too severely wounded, even by Orihime's standards."

Hitsugaya smirked. "You liar. You killed him didn't you."

Ichimaru sighed. "Oh dear, here we go again. Toshiro, you really must stop blaming deaths on me. After all, I'm not the one who has the darkness-creating zanpakuto. Blame Tousen, if anything."

"How did you gain control over those four, anyway?" Hitsugaya clenched the hilt of his zanpakuto tightly.

"You see, it's all very simple to control them, Toshiro. Look at Ichigo and Rukia, for example: both of them have had very incomplete upbringings, and have lost so much. Aizen knew how lonely they were, and so he decided to take them under his wing."

"Sounds too good to be true."

"He could do the same for you, you know." Ichimaru's words slid into Hitsugaya's mind like a honey-coated vise, tempting him. "You had a rather tragic upbringing too. Poor Toshiro, the young friendless prodigy with eyes like ice and a heart of gold! No true family; no father to look up to, no siblings to match wits with really—after all, Momo may be smart, but can she comprehend your thoughts?"

Hitsugaya glared at him, the honey still confusing his thoughts slightly. "As they say, 'I'll never join you'. You've hurt far too many people for that."

Ichimaru sighed. "I had hoped I wouldn't need to use this, but clearly I was mistaken." He snapped his fingers again.

Hitsugaya snarled as Aizen walked out of his Division as though he owned it, that deceptively-gentle smile still on his face. "Good evening, Toshiro." Aizen said as congenially as Ichimaru had. "There's someone I would like you to meet as well."

Hitsugaya couldn't repress a gasp of terror when Momo appeared at Aizen's side, clutching his sleeve in the manner of a little girl. Her hair was tied out of its usual bun and matted on some sides—clearly she had just awoken.

Ichimaru gestured toward Momo. "Now, how can you resist such an opportunity? Your closest friend is with Aizen—she's his newest daughter, now. Your nakama are also a part of our family, and most of your fellow Soul Reapers are either dead or have vanished."

Aizen smiled and drew Koukasuigetsu from its sheath.

"It's only a little flash of light, 'Shiro," Ichimaru whispered in a paternal tone, "a little flash and then you'll have a family. Or if the idea of having Momo as a sister and a love disturbs you, we can make it so that it's one or the other. What do you say?"

With a hiss Hitsugaya drew Hyourinmaru, his eyes wide with rage and confusion.

A flash of light enveloped him, and he felt no more.