Title: Strength

Rating: M (For Later Chapters)

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Ownership belongs to Tite Kubo. I'm just borrowing.

Author's Note: This is the very mult-chapter fic I'm ever writing under Bleach. Hopefully I don't do too bad of a job, but this was just something I wanted to explore. In either case, I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter One

In the wake of the night, Momo Hinamori found herself in a cold sweat. Her breathing was labored, as she let the remnants of her nightmare to wash away from her. It had been years. It was years since the man she admired and loved plunged his zanpakuto into her chest. It was years since she found herself, her mind and her heart trying to pick up pieces of a glass vase that had fallen and broken. It was years since she came to the realization that she was trying to fix a broken vase that never was. The broken vase that was Aizen Sosuke and the evil that died with him.

Momo thought back, as she often did, of the first time she saw him. It was almost as if cupid had pierced her heart when she laid eyes on him, with his boyish good looks, and unmistakable charm. It was those qualities to her that were the bait, but his generosity and kind hearted ways was the hook that reeled her in, and promised to hold her captive. Her heart ached all the time in embarrassment and in shame of the things she'd done for the man. She'd had yet to sit down and speak to her childhood friend about the matter. She knew that she hurt him more than words could say, and it was all she could do not to throw herself at his feet and beg his forgiveness. She could all but feel the ice encase itself around her heart whenever they crossed paths. The prodigy himself looked wouldn't even spare her a glance, so much was his anger towards her.

Hitsugaya was the only one who actively displayed his anger towards the older woman. While everybody had their opinions on how she felt about the traitor of a man, Toshiro was hurt the most.

"Oh, how I wish you'd forgive me Shiro-chan."

Momo listened to her whispers die in the dark, much like how she knew they would fall on deaf ears if she'd said the same thing out loud to the man himself. More than anything, she wanted their friendship to be what it once was. He was her protector for as long as she could remember, back to their days in Rukongai. When there were boys who wanted to make her life miserable, Toshiro was the one to defend her. And the last time he defended her honor, he almost lost his life. She was sick to hear that while her sanity was in question, she begged him to save Aizen from Ichimaru. How could she?

Sighing at the thought, she slipped out of her bed and walked to the small window in her room that allowed a little bit of moonlight to seep through, and stared out into the night. She thought of the sessions she had three times a week with Unohana, her mind running through one conversation they had, weeks ago.

"How are you feeling today, Lieutenant?"

"I'm feeling fine, I guess. I mean, I can't say I'll ever get over this, but I've come to fully accept what has happened. I've come to accept that Aizen is a traitor of Soul Society."

There was silence for a moment. Hinamori wondered if that meant she should continue on. She was the kind of individual that felt she should fill in awkward silences.

"I see." Unohana said, her tone soft and serene as was her face, "I believe that you are medically sane for awhile now. I also believe that you've accepted everything that has happened as of late. But I do not believe that you are completely healed emotionally from the pain that Aizen has caused you. Were you romantically involved with him in any way?"

Hinamori found that she couldn't speak. Not that she was romantically involved with him, but they'd been intimate. Intimate in the way that she was able to visit him whenever she chose if she needed to. Intimate as far as her heart was concerned. As far as what the Captain of the Fourth squad was suggesting, there'd been no sexual relations between the two.

"No. There was no romance. I just loved him that's all. I loved him too much. I was willing to kill my very best friend over him. I…lost my mind, and he might never forgive me."

"Forgiveness comes in time." Unohana said, "You can't beat yourself up over everything that has happened. You weren't the only one hurt by Aizen's actions. There are others who are confused and hurt all the same. It's that you reacted to it differently than other people had, considering what happened to you. You have to forgive yourself first before you can seek forgiveness from others."

A tear trailed out of her eye as she thought of that very concept and wondered how could she begin to forgive herself for mistakes that she'd made? She wasn't by far the worst human being alive, but she indeed felt like it.

Sighing, she retreated back to her bed, retreated back to the loneliness. The tears streaked down her face as she again slipped into emotional withdrawal. Unohana had told her during that same meeting that every scar took would heal on it's on time. Some would heal in not time. Some would take much longer to pass on. Momo was fine with that. Besides, she was only human. However, the crying at night only made her so weak. The emotions swirling inside of her made her feel weak. It was all she could not to break down and sob. Silent tears made it's path downwards her face until she slipped again into a dark abyss.

Ichigo Kurosaki stood before the soutaicho of the thirteen court guard squads as they performed his initiation as the newest Captain of the Fifth Squad. Outward, his stoic appearance led everyone to believe that he was only withstanding the ceremony for form. Anyone who would've guessed that the youth was irritated and impatient with the entire process would be correct. He felt that he should've been readily accepted since he killed Aizen and the law does state that he can become a Captain by killing the former candidate. He tried to get that across to Yamamoto on more than one occasion, but the older man also enforced the other part of the law by stating that he hadn't killed Aizen in a setting with two hundred witnesses. Yamamoto also stressed that Aizen was no longer a captain of Soul Society. Ichigo killed a traitor, and not a seated officer of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. The fact that the old man had pretty much exhausted every argument he had left pretty much winded the young man.

So, going the other route, Ichigo had garnered the six recommendations, and the three approvals from his fellow captains. It seemed to be a waste of time, but an even bigger waste of time would've been fighting with Yamamoto to just give him the damn white haori. Besides, if he figured out how much of his days would be consumed with paperwork, he was pretty sure he would've turned down the position.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, Captain of Squad Five. You are expected to withhold Soul Society's laws and enforce them each to its fullest extent. Do you accept this responsibility and promise to uphold it so as long as you hold office?"

Ichigo nodded solemnly, and answered, "I do."

"Then I hereby in state you from this moment forward."

Yamamoto presented him with his own haori, sleeveless as was the protocol for a younger captain. Turning forward towards the company of his fellow captains, he bowed as they bowed in return, showing respect. Moments later, they all dispatched, signifying the end of Ichigo's initiation.

"About damn time." He muttered, walking amongst his peers.

It was weird to say that some of these people were considered his own peers. He was but sixteen years of age, and he was apart of an army that basically saved souls. He smirked as he thought of the one person responsible for it all, and wondered how she was doing under the pressures of planning out a wedding. Especially when her chosen partner was causing all sorts of trouble for simple fact that he wasn't a noble. Ichigo almost snorted at the thought. Renji and noble was an oxymoron to say the least. Hell, the man himself was a moron. He found it funny that it took him so much time to admit that he loved the raven haired beauty. Ichigo could understand why. Holding feelings for Rukia himself at one point, he could understand.

Rukia was many things, and one of them was that she could be very abrasive. Although Renji himself was no poet, even he could buckle. It was hard not to fall in love however. She was an individual to be admired. But, the fact of the matter was that she wasn't for him. Even if it'd taken him years to admit his own feelings, he still beat Ichigo to the chase. That was what mattered.

"Brother Captain!"

Ichigo turned around to see none other than the colorful Captain of the Squad Eight almost gliding over towards him. Ichigo smirked as she seized the guy up, wondering what he had in mind.

"Yeah?" he questioned,

"I just wanted to extend my congratulations. We are having a party in my division tonight, in your honor. Will you not grace us with an appearance?"

Ichigo normally wasn't a party goer, but he couldn't see himself turning down the older man. He didn't know what the reason was, but he felt it would be terribly impolite to do so.

"Sure."

"You won't be disappointed, I promise." Shunsui continued, "Why don't you try it on for size?"

He pointed at the jacket, and Ichigo looked down, still somewhat unsure of whether he was ready to try it on yet. It was attractive, the prospect of being a Captain. But when the reality weighed him, he suddenly felt heavy. What if he couldn't hack it? What if he failed?

Why are you afraid?

It was Zangetsu piercing his thoughts, with a question that held plenty of conviction. The question did hold so much meaning. It was normal for him though, to always go through a period of fear when it came to a new threshold of his life. You would think he'd be over it as much as he'd gone through, but there were moments every now and then that grabbed him by the neck, leaving him gasping for air.

Ichigo slid on the Captain's coat, watching as it fit him as if it'd been missing from his shinigami uniform. He looked up to see both Kyoraku and Ukitake grinning with pride.

"Kurosaki Taicho. How does that sound?"

"A little weird. I may or may not get used to it honestly."

"You will. I was a little nervous myself." Ukitake said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "All you can do is be yourself and lead your company the best you can. You'll do fine."

Ichigo nodded, "It's all I can do. Now, where can I get something to eat? I'm starvin'."

The three men walked off companionably, speaking of nothing of any importance. Ichigo sighed, feeling the weight of his responsibility roll off of his shoulders. He had led a war that had taken out the world's worst enemy by far. He could definitely run Squad Five with no problems. Matter of fact, it was no sweat.

A little short perhaps? I'm just getting my feet wet with this, so I hope I didn't suck too badly. Any thoughts? Ideas? Let me know. Until later.