The ringing in Toshiro's ears faded. His vision returned slowly and Toshiro was surprised to find himself standing on his own two feet, outside the Kurosaki Clinic. The whole assemblage of immortals were there, Hyorinmaru was back inside him but in the midst of everyone he saw the dark haired girl. She was standing over Grimmjow who still knelt with Rin. A simply touch from the girl and the blonde woke.

"Thank you." Rin whispered up at her friend. Zizmu bowed his head and put it against Karin's chest.

"And thank you, Karin and Koorizimu."

"Karin?" Toshiro said making his way through the group to them. "Zizimu, what happened? How did we get here?"

"Koorizimu and I created a bridge. I am afraid we needed some extra power. Thank you."

"Wait, you connected through dimensions?"

"You know the answer to the questions you ask. If there is a king, then there must be a queen."

"No...." Toshiro looked at Karin in shock, but he could not deny that it made sense.

"However," Zizimu continued, "It is not her time, nor is it mine. When Karin has moved on to the next life, then she and Kooriziumu will be queen. For now, remain a child." He said, his attention returning to the girl. She nodded. "And to all of you, remain human. I will not force you to give up your immortality, but you all know how to end it. It is not natural, and it is not how you should treat your zampakuto."

"Hyorinmaru, Toshiro Hitsugaya, I thank you for your help." Zizmu said with a note of finality. Toshiro understood, if he remained, the Soul Society could track them, but alone, they would have a better chance of concealing themselves.

"Some of these people were loyal to Hie. I cannot let them go."

"You will, but I will not. I am their master now." Zizimu growled.

"And the rest?"

"They will do as they please."

"And you?"

Toshiro looked from the cat to Grimmjow, now standing with Rin at his side.

"I can take care of myself. Now unless you're coming with, get out of here Kid."

Toshiro gave a slight bow to Zizimu and then turned to his old cell mate.

"If you plan on concealing yourself in this world, I suggest visiting a certain shop. I'm sure you can find it." He paused, but then turned to Rin. "Good luck." She nodded and the little captain walked away, taking Karin with him. He felt the group disappear behind him as they flash stepped away.

Ichigo stood at the door,waiting.

"Is it over?"

"As much as it ever will be. Did you know?"

"About Karin..." he patted his sister's head, it seemed he'd had a few days to come to terms with it. "As long as it doesn't give her a complex." he joked.

"I won't say anything. It is not something to be meddled with." The young captain assured him.

"Don't worry Toshiro. I understand what I must do." The girl had grown older very quickly in the last few months. She'd suffered and it saddened him to see that her life was changed so much by his world, despite his efforts.

"It might be some time, before we meet again, Karin. Be safe." She nodded, and went inside. Kurosaki remained.

"So Toshiro, the Soul Society isn't going to like this. What do you want to do?"

"I won't tell them about Karin."

"I know. But what will they do to you?"

"Like I said, it may be a while before I see you again." He said evasively.

"Can I help?"

"I don't think so."

"You could run."

"Ichigo..."

"Of course." They stood in silence for a moment.

"They should be arriving shortly. You should probably go inside and stay out of it."

"You know me, Toshiro, I'm not very good at staying out of situations like this."

"Thank you Ichigo, but really– " He had dropped his guard, the boy's fist slammed into his face. The world spun, his head hit the ground and there was darkness. Ichigo subbed his knuckles and stared down at him.

"You can thank me later."

"Captain Kyorioku, Captain Ukitake!" The two captains dashed to Ichigo's side where he knelt next to the unconscious form of Hitsugaya.

"What happened?"

"A whole bunch of them just appeared and then vanished, but not before Grimmjow knocked him out."

"Hmmm." Kyoriku said with a sly grin. "It seems he wasn't complicit in his escape from the Soul Society and that he was injured trying to fight off the enemy."

"Indeed, it would seem that way." Ukitake said leaning down and picking up the small captain. "Thank you, Ichigo Kurosaki." Then the three vanished and the boy was left alone in front of his home.

"Zangetsu...when did everything get so... complicated?"

Urahara was fanning himself from the unseasonable heat, sheltered from the sun under the porch roof. Benihime stirred in his mind.

"Hmm, what's this?" He lowered his fan and stared out into the yard where a massive white tiger, a gorgeous blond woman and shirtless, barefoot and somewhat bloody man approached.

"Well, what guests are these?" He exclaimed. They halted before him and he noticed the bone jaw for the first time.

"Toshiro said I might be able to get something to help me conceal myself from the Soul Society here."

"Oh, Toshiro sent you." he hopped to his feet and began inspecting the three. "Human." He said passing over Rin. Then he looked at Zizmu. "Oh my! I haven't heard of any King in centuries." Girmmjow was taken aback by his cavalier attitude but said nothing when the clog wearing man turned his attention on him.

"Hmm..." he took more time on this inspection, making mental calculations. "Shouldn't be too hard to whip up a gigai for you. You want any changes?"

Grimmjow understood. So the kid wanted him to take on a mortal form.

"It would be wise, master." Zizmu said, knowing his thoughts. Grimmjow agreed. He faced the shop keeped.

"Jus this." he said, tracing the bone jaw with one finger.

"No problem. You may wish to visit my training grounds in the mean time– an excellent place to hide unwanted spiritual pressure."

"Thank you." Rin sighed and led Grimmjow inside. The Tiger dissipated and returned to its master.

Urahara checked to make sure no unwanted guests were following and then shut the doors to his shop.

"I have good news." Unohana said coming into Toshiro's room. It was a week after the Immortals escaped, they were in a special room in the healing house, well fortified but not with seki seki. Since he'd been back he'd felt his strength returning, he was almost completely back to normal. Almost.

The Captain of the fourth squad, reassigned to Toshiro's case, came to the desk where he sat writing. He looked up at her, waiting.

"The Head Captain has cleared you of all treason charges."

"I can go back to work?"

"The Head Captain has cleared you, but you still need my say so."

His smile faded. "Captain Unohana..."

"Captain Hitsugaya, you must not underestimate the damage that can be done by trauma, stress and the psychological games Hie played with you. Having said that, I think returning to normal will be the best thing for you. You are cleared for duty."

He smiled broadly. "Thank you."

It felt good to put his Captain's robes back on again. He felt the joy inside of Hyorinmaru as well.

"Its good to be back."

He left his apartment and made his way to the office. He didn't want to see how much paper work was be waiting for him. With a contented heart he opened to the door to the squad ten office.

"Surprise!" The collective voices cried when he got in. The office was littered with streamers, confetti, cakes and sake. Renji and Rukia were there along with several members of his squad and, to his surprise, the bobbing pink head of Yachiru, sitting very close to a tray of cookies.

"Matsumoto..." he began in frustration, but he looked at his squad, they'd been through a lot, having had to bear the extra load for him a lot over the last year. So he sighed and let a smile spread over his face. "Thank you."

"Haha!" She threw her arms around him and then started pouring sake for everyone. The squad members shook his hand and they exchanged a few words. One of his youngest members proudly told him he'd reached Shikai. He was very pleased and promised to see it later, but all he could think was he should have been there. There was a lot of things he had to make up for to his squad.

"You look funny." The small voice said at his side. Yachiru still had frosting all over her face. "It's a party, why aren't you smiling?"

"Leave him alone will you." Renji said plunking down on the couch with a glass of sake in his hand. Rukia sipped some tea at his side.

"Captain Ukitake wished he could be here but he had squad duties to attend to." She explained.

"Have some cake, Captain." Rangiku thrust a plate in his hands before he could respond and swirled away again, descending on some other members of the squad.

"I liked that kitty." Toshiro looked down again. "I wish he didn't have to leave, he was so cute, but Kenny didn't really like him."

"Yachiru, how did you know Zizmu wasn't bad? You weren't there when he said who he was, were you?"

"No, we were late again. But he was just so beautiful..." her voice trailed off and she gripped her miniature zampakuto. "But old Kenny can't seem to feel anything!" She snapped back to herself. "He really is dumb sometimes!" And she scooted away to get more cake. Renji met his gaze. Everyone had been shaken by the revelation that there was a zampakuto king, and that is was Grimmjow's zampakuto.

"Captain Hitsugaya, did you know?"

"No, I didn't. Its hard to believe, after all that time."

"What does it me?" Rukia asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. But he said it wasn't their time. We'll just have to wait."

"Man, for once I'd just like things to go back to normal." Renji sighed, sinking back into the couch.

"After everything that's happened, I don't know if I know what normal is." Toshiro responded. But inebriated cackling brought them out of their dark reverie and Rangiku came tumbling into their midst. She tripped but managed to land on an empty chair.

"You aren't smiling!" She teased Hitsugaya, her cheeks flushed.

"You are going to be hung over." he scolded.

"Doesn't matter, we're celebrating!!!"

"She's right." Rukia said standing. "It doesn't matter, because the enemy is dead and you're back and we all deserve a break."

Renji and Toshiro looked at the two women. The lieutenant shrugged.

"Can't argue with that."

Toshiro was at a loss, out numbered. He looked around at the room full of joyous people and suddenly saw the wisdom of Rukia's words. Today was a good day, there was no telling what tomorrow would bring– they had to celebrate when they could.

World of the Living: One year later

Master.

Grimmjow woke. He knew what the voice was telling him but it took a moment to wipe the sleep from his eyes. He rolled out the bed and sat on the edge for a moment, yawning.

"What is it?" Rin whispered beside him. She sat up and put her warm hand on his back.

"Duty calls." he sighed.

"Its not easy being King, is it?" She kissed his cheek.

"Well if those damn humans could stop getting into trouble it wouldn't be so bad."

Master, it is our responsibility. We let them go.

"You let them go. If you'd been inside of me when we split up I would have just killed Hie's followers."

You must learn compassion.

Grimmjow ignored this last statement and stood up, pulling on his jeans and throwing on a t-shirt.

"Who is it this time?"

"Haku."

"I never liked him." Rin said.

"Yeah, well, he's going to get it now."

"Do you want to me to come?"

"No, go back to bed, I'll be back as soon as I can. Come on, Zizimu."

The white cat materialized. Grimmjow put a hand atop the tiger's head.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes master, I've established the connection."

"Okay then, let's go."

The room filled with white light and in an instant the two were gone. When Grimmjow opened his eyes he was on the bank of a river, a man in dark clothing was bent coughing on the ground. The unexpected loss of energy caused by Zizimu's connection had stricken him. Grimmjow noticed a boy on the ground a few feet away.

"Haku, what are you up to?" His zampakuto took position by the Immortal while Grimmjow went to inspect the human. His breath caught."Kurosaki?" The boy stirred and sat up. He was not in his soul reaper form and blood stained his face. "You let yourself get beat up by this small fry? What's the matter with you?" Ichigo looked up at him stunned. Slowly the word formed on his lips.

"Grimmjow?"

The man didn't respond. He was still in his gigai, the bone jaw gone, leaving his face flawless, handsome. He looked for all the world like any other human and Ichigo could hardly sense his spiritual pressure, even at this range.

He stood but Grimmjow had already moved away, back to the man who'd attacked Ichigo. He pulled him to his feet and had a hand over the other's heart. It only took a minute, the man screamed and fell but he was still alive.

"There, you can't ever be immortal again. This is the one and only chance you get, hear me? If we have to come back I swear you're done."

"Y-Yes sir." The man stammered.

"Okay, Zizimu, are you connected to Rin?" The white tiger nodded. "Then lets go."

"Wait!" Ichigo staggered forward.

"What is it?"

Ichigo didn't really know what to say. He was still in shock.

"Go home kid."

Then Grimmjow gripped Zizmu's fur and disappeared. Ichigo blinked in the night. The man who's attacked him had staggered away in fear. Ichigo was left alone staring at the spot where the King and his master had disappeared.

"Rin, you alright?" Grimmjow sputtered as soon as he reappeared. But it was him who collapsed next to the white tiger.

"Grimmjow..." She said rushing to his side. "You should let me take more of the burden in the connection."

When connecting to a trouble maker, Grimmjow used the draw of energy against them. When he connected with Rin, he insisted on taking almost all the burden himself. Zizimu returned to his heart and he relaxed in Rin's arms.

"Grimmjow, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Hmmm?"

"I've given up my immortality."

"Wh-what?" He stammered and broke away from her.

"Zizimu knows its right. Its not the way a person should treat their soul. Its not natural. I want to be human again."

"But I...I'll never age."

"I know."

"You'll die."

"Someday, yes. You did, once."

"I don't want this."

"But I do."

His emotions raged inside him. He was too weak to storm out of the room which would be his normal reaction. She knew this, maybe that was why she'd chosen now. She also knew how hard it was for him to handle his emotions since the change– since he'd come to know Zizimu, and her.

So he sat gritting his teeth and gripping his knees. She waited.

"I– " But his words failed him so he just leaned back into her, putting his arms around her waist.

"Come here." She pulled him to his feet and helped him back into the bed. He felt the dragon inside her, and suddenly he had his arms around her as if she might slip away that very second. They lay side by side and he was giving way to exhaustion.

"It'll be okay." She whispered, stroking his hair.

"I...I love you." Her heart skipped. She pushed his head back so she could see his eyes. They were watery, torn between passion and pain.

"I love you too." She kissed him. His eyes closed and she hugged him tight. "We'll be okay. We'll just make the most of the time we have." She felt the weight of his head on her chest and knew he was asleep.

A few tears escaped her eyes, but she was happier than she'd been in centuries.

~End~

Wow, I never intended for this story to go so long, but I really enjoyed writing it so I hope you enjoyed reading it. I don't know what Tite Kubo has in store for Grimmjow and I know he's done a lot of bad, but I would love to see him stay in the story and hopefully turn around some day. Well, I'm done writing for a little while now, but I look forward to getting a chance to read some other stories on the site. Please leave comments and let me know what you thought. Peace.