A/N: Thank you all for reading this! Review Reponses:
Black Cat Angel: Thank you very much!
azure blue espeon: Trust me. You will see way more of Toushirou, especially in this chapter.
Syl The tWins: I know what you mean, but I wanted to get those two Chapters over with. Here's one, long chapter for you.
Espadakatsukreuz XIII: Thank you very, very much.
Dragon Silhouette: Sorry. I'll try to update faster. I know where I'm going with this story, I just lack motivation. (I'm going through my Power Rangers phase right now as you can tell if you go on my profile.)
jkjhkj: Thank you! ^^
toshirolovehim: Will they finally save Toushirou in this chapter? Read to find out!
Shiro Neko: Thank you. And I know it is. In fact, here's one, long chapter for you!
AMMO121: It's fine, really. Just glad you're enjoying the story! ^^
skylark dragonstar: Trust me, Rukia and Momo will have a bigger part later on. Right now, it's about Toushirou. But don't worry! They'll have more parts!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!
Thank you for the reviews! I've officially reached 100! Awesome! And all thanks to you, my readers!
Long chapter! Just what y'all want!
~19~19~19~19~
Chapter 19: The Fateful Morning
It was morning...the very next morning. Everyone in the Soul Society knew what day it was.
In a dark room, three figures stood.
"It is time," the first said.
"Oh, today is the day, huh?" the second figure said. "I had completely forgotten."
"Yes, it is," said the third. "And we'll finally get what we are looking for."
The first figure smiled, and said, "Yes...the boy will die today..."
Renji raced to Sogyouku Hill. Today was the day Toushirou would die and Renji promises Ichigo that he would do all he could to stop the execution until Ichigo arrives.
It was time for the opening act. But Renji stopped. He was in his way.
"Kuchiki-taichou...!" Renji gasped angrily. "Get out my way!"
Byakuya turned to see his Lietenant and calmly said, "Oh? Should I get out of your way? But don't you wish to fight your way through?"
What...?!
Kuchiki Byakuya wanted Renji to fight him if he was so keen on getting there before Toushirou was executed?
Renji's hand resting on his sword hilt shook slightly.
The pineapple hesitated...
Would he really fight his Captain?
Kurosaki Ichigo finished his breakfast in a hertbeat.
"Done already?" Yoruichi asked.
"Yep! Today is the day, isn't it? I gotta perfect this technique before Toushirou dies!"
Zangetsu noted his master's determination to save his adopted brother. The two must be really close.
It was funny how many people were so awed at the close bond between Ichigo and Toushirou, even though the two weren't even related.
"You can do it, Ichigo," Zangetsu whispered. "After all, you did succeed in giving Toushirou your father's bracelet..."
"Oh, no! This is dreadfully terrible! What am I gonna do?!" Iba Tetsuzaemon ran down the Seventh Division barracks as fast as he could. He was late and he knew it. He finally stopped in front of his Captain's ready room. "I'm know I'm late, Sir! Somehow, I fell asleep sitting on the toilet and now I'm late arriving to assist you! Please allow me to kill myself as punishment!"
"Never mind that," Komamura Sajin said calmly. "Calm yourself, Tetsuzaemon. You are forgiven. Besides, I believe that you are late because you wanted to give me time to think."
"Huh?"
"I have indeed been thinking, Tetsuzaemon. Thank you for giving me that extra time."
"You're very welcome, Sir. So, Sir, what are you're thoughts on the kid's execution."
"Personally or professionally?"
"Both, Sir..."
Komamura calmly sighed. "Personally, I would not have allowed it. Professionally, though, I will not question Central 46's decision. Orders are orders."
Tetsuzaemon mentally sighed. His Captain was not going to stop the kid's execution after all. Never in his entire life would his Captain let his emotions get in the way of his orders.
Matsumoto Rangiku knocked on her Captain's door.
"Kusaka-taichou! It's time to go, Sir."
Kusaka was not coming out, though. No matter what she tried, Rangiku could not get him to come out ever since the day the prisoner was relocated to a secret facility.
This time, though, she got an answer. "Sorry, Matsumoto. Just go on without me. I'll catch up later."
Rangiku nodded before shunpo'ing off, wondering what her Captain was up to in there.
Renji hesitated...he had been waiting for a chance to fight his Captain, but would he? At a time like this?
Renji took a deep breath and let it out. "Yes, I will! I won't loose to the likes of you!"
Byakuya said nothing, but he unsheathed his zanpaktou, as did Renji.
And so the battle began...
No one else could really catch up with Momo. Orihime called out to her.
"Momo-chan!" Said Shinigami turned around. "Please, slow down! We can barely catch up!"
"Sorry!" Momo said, slowing down a bit, but spoke to them no more.
What if Toushirou was already gone? Momo's brown eyes narrowed in anger.
She would not let that happen.
She wanted to go to Toushirou, but according to Orihime, Uryuu, Chad, and Ganju, Ichigo came first.
Once they found Ichigo, it was sure that Ichigo would solve the rest.
All he needed was a boost of confidence from his friends.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri had visited the Soutaichou before heading off to Sogyouku Hill.
"Soutaichou, it is time to go."
"I have a strong feeling, deep down, that this execution will not go smoothly," Yamamoto confessed. "We have many traitors in our midst, Kurotsuchi."
Said Captain nodded. "And we may have more..."
He chose to fight his Captain, despite what he promises Ichigo to do for him. For his brother...
That was the biggest mistake he ever made.
Renji fell to the ground, blood pouring freely from nearly everywhere on his body. But he felt nothing. He was numb both inside and out.
But he knew that he was hurt because he could not move.
"It seems as thought you lost anyways, Abarai," Byakuya said, before calmly walking away, just leaving Renji lying there, injured.
Kusaka knocked on Ukitake's door.
"You have it?"
Ukitake nodded, carrying the cannon on his shoulder.
"Ready to go?"
Ukitake nodded again.
The two, plus Kiyone, Rukia, and Sentarou, all went out to stop the Sogyouku from being fired.
Renji slowly opened his eyes. He didn't feel any more pain. He looked to the side and saw a kid he had never seen, and this kid was healing.
"W-Who are you?"
The kid meeped in surprise and quietly said, "Oh, you're awake, Fukutaichou. How do you feel?"
Renji spoke the truth. "Like crap..."
"Sorry about that," the kid said. "I'm doing the best I can. But there was someone else who came before me who had healed all of you major wounds. There's only person who could have done that by themselves."
Renji's mind flashed to Unohana-taichou.
"Who are you?" Renji asked again.
"Hmm? Oh, Yamada Hanatarou, why?"
"I thought you were in jail or something."
"Oh, yeah, that's right," Hanatarou said. "I was..."
"Who let you out?"
"I did," Renji turned his head to one of his subordinates.
"Rikichi? What are you doing here?"
"Like I said, I let him out of prison," Rikichi said.
"But why?"
"Because I admire you, Abarai-san," Rikichi said, lifting up his bangs, revealing a small tattoo similar to Renji's. "You're my hero. I saw you fight against the carrot top the other day and I saw you fighting Kuchiki-taichou just now. The way you sacrificed yourself to save the prisoner...that's why you're my hero, Abarai-san. You just give it everything you've got and never give up!"
Renji smiled.
Once Renji was all healed, he stood up straight and tall, wrapping his hair in in a ponytail, shaped like a pineapple wrapped his bandana around his head.
"Both of you, thank you very much," Renji told the two young Shinigami with him.
As Renji ran off, he heard both Shinigami call after him, "Good luck, Abarai-san!"
It was time, and he knew it.
Toushirou's heart was jumpy. He felt kinda sick to his stomach. He was nervous. But most of all, he was heartbroken.
Ichigo hadn't come after all.
He was led to the Sogyouku, which after a few seconds, Toushirou remembered all about.
He remembered that this thing was very powerful and was not an ordinary kidou cannon. He knew that once this thing was fired, there was no stopping.
He stood still in the spot where the men from Omnitsukidou left him. He was really staring at anything. He was staring into nothing and pondering. That's all he really had time for, but not now. Not today. This would be the last time he would ponder about something at all.
"Any last words, Hitsugaya, before we get on with this?"
He wanted to say "It's Kurosaki", but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to say it. Ichigo didn't come and every time Toushirou pondered on it, the more tears it brought to his turquoise eyes.
He took a deep breath.
"Yeah, just one..." He looked up at the clear, blue sky, with just a couple of small clouds in the distance. "Ichigo...thank you." With that, the white-haired former Shinigami close his eyes, fully accepting his fate.
It didn't matter what the reason was.
If he had to die, so be it.
He vaguely felt the bonds tying his wrist together behind his back come undone but he felt himself being lifted in the air.
When he was at a certain height, he stopped. He didn't bother to look down. He knew that if he did, he would probably faint of vertigo. Instead, he kept his eyes closed.
He heard the word from below on the ground, "Fire", and the far away sound was another reminder of how high up he was.
"Goodbye, Ichigo..." He whispered as he felt the heat of the Sogyouku against his usually cold (and comfortable) body. 'This is going to hurt,' he thought as he waited for it to strike him.
But it never did. Toushirou opened his eyes, which was courageous, considering his secret fear of heights. Instead of looking down and he looked up at the Sogyouku.
It wasn't moving. There was something blocking its path.
"Yo, Toushirou!"
Or rather someone...
It was a couple seconds, which felt like forever, before Toushirou finally found his voice.
"I-Ichigo...!"
The carrot top merely smiled wider. If the situation wasn't so serious, Toushirou would have poinyed out aloud the near tears in Ichigo's eyes.
"Glad I made it in time, Toushirou," he said. "Any second later and you would have been serious toast." He gave a short laugh, probably to hide his true feelings, but Toushirou could feel them anyway.
Ichigo was so happy that he could cry. Toushirou could tell that he was close to it.
Toushirou gently smiled back and said, "You're an idiot for coming after me, Ichigo," Ichigo's heart fell a little bit, "but I'm happy you did," and his smile returned and happiness multiplied.
With one stroke of his butcher knife-like zanpaktou, the Sogyouku seemed to screech in pain before it slowly disappeared by bursting into flames.
Toushirou could only watch his brother do that, and was still shock as Ichigo released his invisible bonds holding him up in mid air but catching him and resting on one of the beams of the stand.
Apparently, those back on solid ground felt the same as Toushirou.
"The Sogyouku has the power of over one hundred zanpaktous. It's impossible that it would be destroyed just like that!" Soifon pointed, in awe that the carrot top was just like Toushirou: not to be underestimated.
"All I want is to bring my brother back home," Ichigo muttering, snapping Toushirou back to reality. "Is it really that hard to understand for some people?" It seemed as though Ichigo was looking for an escape route.
A voice shouting to them from below caught the brothers' attention.
"Ichigo! Down here! Give him to me!" Renji shouted.
This was the first time Toushirou looked down, and, just as he thought, he got a little dizzy spell and was glad Ichigo was holding him steady.
"Great timing, Renji! Here! Catch!" Before Toushiru could comprehend what his brother meant by "Catch", Ichigo had pushed Toushirou off of the stand.
Luckily, he was caught, almost perfectly, by Renji, who proceeded to yell his head off at Ichigo.
"Are you crazy, carrot top?! You could've killed him!"
"Well, it's a good thing you were there!" Ichigo said, or something like that. He was too far up for Toushirou to hear him correctly. Ichigo also must've said something like "Take him and run," because that's exactly what Renji did.
Kuchiki Byakuya had proved to be a very tough opponent. That was one of the Shinigami that Ichigo had to fight off for Renji.
"You should not have interfered, Kurosaki."
"Oh, yeah? What kind of brother would I be if I didn't?!"
"A good one."
"A useless one. A bad one. I came after him because he's my brother, blood-related or not."
The swords clashed a few times once more, each gaining more wounds that bleed.
"Foolish boy. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
Ichigo dodged each and every sakura petal and cried out, "Bankai!" Ichigo, with more speed and agility, closed in on Byakuya. "Getsuga Tensho!"
The shock wave and the reiatsu it held shook the entire mountain.
The second figure remarked, "Damn! We were so close!"
"Truly a disappoint," commented the third figure.
The first figure thought and turned to the third, "Go after the prisoner. Don't let him escape." he turned to the second figure. "Go after Kusaka. He's been on our tail for far too long."
"Yes, Sir."
The two went on their way.
Momo led them through the trees on Sogyouku Hill and out onto the hill itself to where Ichigo lay.
"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime shouted and latched onto a severely hurt but still conscious Ichigo.
"Oww...Inoue...can't...breathe..." Ichigo croaked out. She immediately let go.
"You're okay, Kurosaki-kun! We were so worried!" Orihime cried out, happily.
"Good job, Ichigo!" Uryuu said.
"Where's Toushirou?!" Momo asked, pulling Ichigo to her by his collar.
"Don't worry, Hinamori-san. Renji's got him. He's headed to the place Yoruichi is at."
"Is he–?" She was frantic, worried. She wouldn't let go of ichigo's collar.
"He's still alive, Hinamori-san. Trust me. I checked." Ichigo was smiling. Soon Momo let go of his collar and smiled too.
"Thank you, Ichigo," she said. "Alrighty, let's go."
Ganju and Chad each took one of Ichigo's arms and heaved him up.
"Let's go."
Ichigo smiled as they made their way down the hill.
Renji kept running, carrying Toushirou piggy-back style.
"How much farther?" Toushirou asked.
"Not far, kid! Hang on!" Renji replied. Renji stopped suddenly. Toushirou looked up and understood why his ride had stopped. "Tousen-taichou?"
"Where are you going with that prisoner?" Tousen calmly asked.
Renji could not reply.
"Just let us go!" Toushirou replied for him. "Please!"
"I am afraid that I cannot do that. Justice has not been served yet."
Tousen left in a whirl of wind, taking Renji and Toushirou with him.
Toushirou closed his eyes, as to not get anything harmful in them. When he opened them, he was back where he should never be.
He was back on Sogyouku Hill.
~19~19~19~19~
A/N: Review, please! Tell me how I did! X( Motivation block is killing me! T^T