Chapter 26: Endless Tears

Someone was crying. The soft sounds reaching through the darkness and meeting Toshiro's unconscious thoughts. Something was stopping him from opening his eyes. What was it? Fighting against the blackness that bound him, the young captain pulled himself out of the depths of his own mind.

Eyes opening slowly, the first thing Toshiro noticed was the roof of his own room in the Tenth Division barracks. The next was that his Lieutenant was sitting beside his bed and weeping quietly.

'M-matsumoto?' his voice was hoarse and his throat burned.

The woman looked up, lowering her hands to reveal swollen red eyes. Brushing back her strawberry blonde hair, Rangiku blinked a few times, as if trying to work out who'd spoken.

'Matsumoto?' now Toshiro was quite concerned. He wasn't sure why she should be in such a state.

'C-captain?' her tone was disbelieving, hopeful, but disbelieving, 'Is that you?'

Toshiro twitched, 'Of course, what's you problem?'

'Thank goodness,' she sighed deeply and then burst into fresh tears, rubbing her face with a cloth, 'Thank goodness,' she repeated it like a prayer.

'Would you tell me what's going on?' he was annoyed, anxious, and confused now.

'Captain,' drying her eyes once more, Rangiku met his gaze, suddenly completely serious, 'It's been four days since the Lieutenants Proficiency Test was completed,'

'What?' Toshiro couldn't believe it, 'Wasn't it Saturday yesterday?'

'No Captain,' he could see the tears brimming in her eyes again, and he could tell how hard she was trying to keep them back, 'Saturday was six days ago. Today's Friday,'

'That's not possible,' shaking his head and suddenly realising how weak he felt, the white haired captain denied what Matsumoto was saying.

'It is,' blue eyes filled with pain, 'It is possible Captain,'

Trying to remember what had happened for the Lieutenant to be acting like this and for so much time to pass, the memory of Kanashimi and what she'd shown him slowly began to filter into his confused mind.

Toshiro suddenly froze, 'Where's Kanashimi?'

Rangiku felt her heart beating frantically. She didn't know how, but the two captains seemed to have become friends, though how good, she didn't know either.

'Captain Kanashimi,' her voice broke and she coughed, 'Is in the General Emergency Relief Station,'

'Why?' Toshiro felt his blood go cold.

'I'm so sorry Captain!' Matsumoto didn't notice the new tears streaming down her cheeks, 'You were friends, right? And I didn't even know,'

The white haired shinigami cut her off, 'What happened?' his tone was urgent.

Blue eyes were so lost and pitiful when Rangiku met her Captain's gaze, 'Captain Unohana says,' she choked back harsh sobs, 'Says that,' she didn't want to say it, but she knew she was going to have to, 'Says that she might never wake up,'

'What?' Toshiro's mind couldn't comprehend what his Lieutenant was saying.

'I'm so sorry,' Matsumoto turned away, hiding her face again.

Captain, you made a friend, and I didn't even know, Rangiku's thoughts were full of sadness and pity, I think that Captain Kanashimi was someone you could talk to. I'm so sorry.

'Captain Hitsugaya,' a new voice spoke, and Toshiro turned with an effort to watch the Head Captain walk into the room.

Yamamoto turned to Matsumoto, 'Please leave for a moment,'

'Yes sir,' the woman rose and walked out, still fighting back her tears.

'What is it?' Toshiro was only just starting to process what his Lieutenant had been saying, and his whole body was cold.

'Since you're awake now,' Unohana suddenly appeared beside him, 'The Head Captain has some questions,'

As the Fourth Division captain knelt beside Toshiro and began to use her healing kido on him, Yamamoto walked over as well, 'Captain Hitsugaya, you understand how much time has passed?'

'Yes,' Toshiro's voice was quiet but his mind was racing.

'You and Captain Kanashimi disappeared on the second last day of the Lieutenants Proficiency Test. On the evening of the last day, your reiatsu flared and we were consequently able to locate you. Both of you were unconscious at the top of a cliff in Junrinan,' the captain paused, 'What were you doing?'

'Kanashimi was showing me her memories,' the white haired captain's voice was distant.

'The last thing you can remember,' Yamamoto left it as a question, his brow creasing.

'I woke up, and it was night time,' Toshiro blinked, 'Probably on the Sunday, and then I fell unconscious again as I was walking around,'

'Thank you. That is all,' the old man turned to leave, 'Rest well, Captain Hitsugaya,'

Once they'd gone, Unohana placed a hand on Toshiro's forehead, 'The Head Captain is not removing Captain Kanashimi from her position in the Gotei 13 until she stops showing any signs of life. Lieutenant Kira is leading the Third Division for a while,'

'Right,' now, as reality set in, Toshiro spoke in a hollow tone.

Unohana smiled sadly as she left, and the woman hoped that, for everyone's sake, Kanashimi Yuki would wake up.

Toshiro lay still, staring at the roof, and tried not to think about anything. If he did, he began blaming himself for Kanashimi's current condition.

If I hadn't touched that kido, his thoughts were so dark, Then maybe this wouldn't have happened.

'Captain,' Matsumoto walked in and knelt beside him again, 'I thought I'd tell you a bit more about Captain Kanashimi's condition,'

Toshiro didn't respond, he just silently noted that his Lieutenant seemed a bit calmer than before.

'Unohana says her body is emitting no reiatsu, and all healing kido is either rejected or negated. No one knows what to do,' Rangiku suddenly burst into tears again and she couldn't believe herself. How many tears could a person cry? After all, she'd practically been weeping constantly ever since they found her captain. He'd been lost to the world for days and she was just so glad he was awake now.

'Matsumoto,' the white haired shinigami spoke with surprising calm, 'Thank you,'

At her Captain's words, the Lieutenant lowered her hands and gazed at him in the most sorrowful, devastating way. How could he thank her? What had she done to deserve that? The way she always ignored his orders . . .

Looking up, she realised that he'd fallen asleep again and a small smile graced her drawn features. She wasn't going anywhere.

Izuru sat on a chair in the Relief Station, eyes wide with still remaining shock, and hands clutching his head. He'd really liked Captain Kanashimi, she was nice, but strict, and she could make him laugh.

'Lieutenant Kira,' Unohana appeared before him, a smile on her face, 'You can come with me now,'

The blonde shinigami just nodded and followed the captain towards the very edge of the Fourth Division. The area was surrounded by gardens and there were only a few small buildings around the place. He knew that this was where long term patients were kept as the environment was a lot calmer and quieter than in the main building.

'This is where Captain Kanashimi is,' the woman smiled again as she led Izuru inside the one room building, 'You can stay for a while,'

'Thank you,' walking past the captain, Izuru went over and knelt beside the bedding that was laid out on the ground. There were flowers by the window sill and a jug of fresh water on a nearby table. But the Lieutenant's attention was held by only one thing.

His captain.

Kanashimi's ink black hair was loose and splayed out from her head on the white pillow. Her lavender eyes were closed and her skin seemed even paler than usual. She was facing away from him, and her whole body seemed limp.

'C-captain,' Izuru felt like he was about to cry. When he'd heard the news that the Captains of the Tenth and Third Divisions had been found unconscious in Junrinan, the Rukongai's First District, he'd been terrified, but not sad.

He hadn't shed any tears yet, but, seeing his captain's body for the first time since she'd been found almost broke him.

Izuru didn't expect any response, and he didn't get one, but just sitting there slowly calmed him down. He noticed that his cheeks were wet and was silently embarrassed that he was crying. Wiping his face quickly, the Lieutenant bowed.

'I'll lead the Division until you get back,' he spoke firmly, filled with sudden resolve, 'I promise,'

Standing, Kira Izuru strode from the small building and vanished with shunpo.

Author's Note:

So everyone's been pretty anxious for a while, and perhaps they'll remain like that for a little longer . . .