Disclaimer; I don't own Bleach. Nuff said.
Tobiume faltered. Her wings opened, closed, wrapped around her as a chill set in and she didn't try to avoid the blast of energy that bounced off them. The scent of burning feathers and flowers filled the air and she was greeted by the sight of a warm, fluffy red mane through her watery eyes.
He has made a move against her?
She whimpered, hands reaching out to clutch at the fur, burying her face in the warmth it offered against the onset of cold that was raging upon her. She can't fight back as she is.
Then we must send someone who can help.
A yawn, as if he was bored with the conversation, gaping maw as he shook his head, shook Tobiume's tears off.
Do not worry, little fire user. The cold is good for you. Perhaps you will open that part to her next?
She tried to laugh, a small choked thing, no longer wind chimes in a summer breeze but more, burning embers struggling to relight and flare into brilliance. Perhaps, if she can...
Trust in your wielder, Tobiume. You wanted to prove me wrong.
Fingers wound around the thick red tufts of fur, finding comfort in the softness she encountered. Will you send them to her?
Them? Yes... I suppose they should go. But you know they can't. Her heart and mind will not be able to take it.
She will. She is strong. Stronger, so much stronger, and yet still failing. The girl wiped away the last few tears she had left to shed, turning to face the lion that had once dwarfed her in size. We are strong together. A roar. Amused. She suppressed the small smile that threatened to grace her face and bring forth more tears.
Yes... Then there is nothing I can do otherwise, Tobiume. You will go back to her.
Four vice captains stared at the floor. Two captains stared at each other, the only ones able to keep an even gaze as the healer spoke. "Is that acceptable?"
Hyorinmaru was thrust into her hands almost instantly. She smiled patiently, catching something in his expression that most people would have missed, and her fingers tightened their grip on his zanpakuto as Kotetsu gathered the other four.
"I appreciate your willingness to do this."
Five heads nodded, and she continued to smile as the shorter one disappeared in a flash of white, grumbling something to Matsumoto as he did so. She chuckled and bowed her excuses. "Pardon me. I fear we've let a bit too much paperwork stack up in our division." Unohana nodded, allowing her to follow her captain. It was well known that the ninth and tenth divisions had taken on the brunt of the paperwork with the betrayers gone and Hinamori comatose, and she turned her gaze to Hisagai, almost expecting him to ask to be excused as well.
He simply shook his head. "I'm used to working quickly and by myself. It's all been taken care of."
She turned her attention to Kira and Abarai next, wondering if they would stay too, but she didn't have to worry as Abarai slung an arm around Kira's neck, grinning. "Kuchiki-taichou's taking care of things. He'd hate it if I came back now without knowing how she was." Unohana smiled in response, indicating that they should take a seat outside the room. She wasn't overly surprised by Abarai's words. News had spread quickly that Hinamori was fighting for her life, and nearly everyone was concerned. Although she hadn't really noticed herself, Hinamori was so much like a light to her division, and to lots of other unseated shinigami - proof that you could rise through the ranks, proof that not everyone was harsh and unyielding, proof that goodness and innocence still existed, even after death, even if it was too much like naiveté and had left her like this.
Hinamori was a testament to hard work and determination, a merry little thing for the lower ranked officers to look up too, a cheerful comrade to the other vice captains, and a willing and obedient subordinate to the captains. Although events had left her behind, a shadow of her former self, Unohana believed that Hinamori would make it through. The dark haired shinigami couldn't just be discarded like that.
Not if she had anything to do with it. She glanced at the three vice captains that remained before heading back into the room. Although they'd managed to get her breathing again, it was weak, so pitiful, and the wound continued to ooze blood relentlessly. There was only so much they could do. Unohanas gaze came to rest on the zanpakuto in her hand and she lay it down beside Tobiume and the others. "Please. Bring her back to us."
Tobiume shivered slightly as she glanced over at them, gathered before her in a place of nothingness. There was only so much she could do, and she refused to let Hinamori fail. Her gaze settled on Wabisuke, and his gentle eyes turned away.
I've betrayed her too.
She can forgive it.
I shouldn't go first. Choose someone else.
You won't?
I can't.
Tobiume shrugged, defeated. She would not force them to do something they did not want to. She had hoped that Wabisuke would understand the most, but the apologiser kept his eyes meekly trained on the ground beneath them. He wouldn't assist her like this.
Let us.
She turned to the chimera with a small smile, nodding in thanks. Then we will go.
Brown eyes locked on brown. Warm hands reached out to touch cold cheeks and the other shook at the contact, turned away, curled up tighter into herself. But Tobiume insisted, bringing the girl forward into her embrace and she soothed the dark hair beneath her hands as she whispered to her.
Zabimaru waited patiently, watching Hinamori gasp for air, struggling to hold herself and give into Tobiume all at once.
He has tried to take your life again?
She coughed, blood, voice thick with it. "Yes." He lowered his head as the snake turned to regard her with cold eyes.
Do you want it to end? This pain you feel?
Tobiume glanced at him as she wound the hair between her fingers, expression surprisingly blank. She wouldn't interfere although words were quick to her tongue, words in defense of the fragile creature resting in her arms and once again staining her with blood. Pink to red. Hinamori made no move to respond and continued to shake in her zanpakutos arms.
You are resisting Unohana's healing.
She shook her head, slowly, the smallest inclination of movement. "No."
Then why won't the wound close, Hinamori?
"Because." She raised a shaky finger, pointing out of the clearing. Both were quick to notice the flash of light hiding itself in the trees.
He is hiding because Tobiume is here?
A nod this time, and Tobiume instinctively tightened her protective grasp on the girl, wrapping her wings around the both of them to offer her some form of heat.
Would you have us kill him?
Another shake of her head, and Zabimaru realized that the noise he'd been hearing was her teeth chattering as she held back tears she surely wanted to cry. He looked at Tobiume, catching her gaze in both of his.
I'll send for the next.
Tobiume held tight to the whimpering shadow of her wielder, offering as much as she could in way of warmth and protection against the flash of light she saw taunting them both in the corner of her vision. Her wings wrapped around the shinigami protectively, shielding her from view as she watched the ash cat saunter over calmly.
You don't want our help?
She shook as if she was falling apart there and then, shaking away parts of her that no longer functioned and Tobiume caught the look in her eyes, glazed, far off. Hinamori was slowly fading.
Can't you do anything, Hinamori? Will you let him kill you... Will you leave us behind?
She shivered, sniffled, coughed. More blood, and Tobiume winced as she watched the puddle gain in size. "I can't." Hinamori managed to cough out the words at last, meekly glancing at Haineko. Tobiume didn't know which question the girl in her arms had answered with her small response, but she hoped dearly that it hadn't been the first one.
Very well.
A/N: Currently dead from projects and assignments, and trying to come up with a way to describe Kira's and Hisagi's zanpakutos. And yeah, I fail and Zabimaru. Hush. I write Hinamori, not that.