Chapter 4


"He must have meant an awful lot to you."

Since the outburst the previous day, Hitsugaya had completely closed off. His face had lost all emotion except the stern businesslike mask he usually wore. No sign of grief or anything else but perhaps a mild annoyance crossed his face as he handed Sharon a bowl of rice.

"Breakfast. Thanks."

Good. Maybe she won't press the issue.

"So what was his name?"

Shit. So much for not pressing the issue.

"I promise, no flood of questions or anything. It's just that if he were really that important to you, I would like to know his name. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

Not that Hyourinmaru left much out, after all. Damn that dragon.

"I really don't want to talk about this."

Sharon tilted her head to one side. "Does it hurt that much just to speak his name aloud?"

Hitsugaya's eyes were closed, teeth clenching, fists clenched while resting on the table, before he relaxed a bit and spoke. "He died a long time ago. It is no concern of yours."

A long moment of silence passed before Sharon said quietly, "If he was that precious to you, he is important to me too. I want to honor his memory."

Hitsugaya looked away and let another, longer moment of silence go by.

Sharon finished her rice and put the bowl in the sink. She stood there, looking down at her hands.

"You don't have to carry this burden all alone, you know."

More silence.

"If you don't want to talk to me about it, find somebody you can talk to, that's all. I hate seeing you hurting like this."

Even more silence.

Sharon didn't even try to hide the concerned and hurt look on her face. She dressed in a pretty robe – Rangiku-san had called it a sora furosode, and it did look like fluffy clouds scuffling across a blue sky – and came to look at Hitsugaya for a long moment.

"I'm going for a walk. Come get me when you're ready to try again. For Oshidamaru, I mean."

She walked out the door. A short moment later, Hitsugaya heard scuffling and Sharon yelling "Hands off, bastard!" He raced out in time to see one of those ominous horizontal cracks closing. But behind it, with Sharon in his arms – a figure that looked hauntingly familiar. A man who should have been, no, was dead. Only he wore a mask, and Hitsugaya couldn't be certain of anything.

Damn damn damn. Damn bastards. Damn Hueco Mundo bastards after her again.

There was no time. He dressed rapidly and disappeared in pursuit.


Matsumoto looked up. Hitsugaya's reiatsu was gone. Taichou? she thought. Oh no. Sharon's gone too. Not long after, a Hell Butterfly appeared with the summons. Sou-Taichou.

She found herself in an emergency meeting.

Soi Fon was concluding. "Our investigation of the circumstances surrounding Sharon's entry to Soul Society indicates that she may have been permitted to escape Hueco Mundo for the purpose of infiltration. She has now disappeared, and every indication is that she has returned. Until proven otherwise, we have to assume that she returned of her own volition and took Tenth Division Hitsugaya-taichou with her."

Matsumoto was shocked. "What evidence do you have? How could you come to that conclusion?"

"We have this." Soi Fon held up a white haori with the insignia of the Tenth on it. "This was found in Hitsugaya Toshiro's quarters this morning. After being given strict orders to subdue the dragon zanpakutou Oshidamaru and being confined to quarters, they have both disappeared from Soul Society without a trace. There is evidence that Hitsugaya deliberately removed his reiatsu from the scene to prevent tracking."

Matsumoto replied indignantly, "Are you implying that Hitsugaya-taichou abandoned his duty?"

"What other explanation is there?" Soi Fon shot back. "We have search teams out in Soul Society and the living world, and there is no sign of either of them. Hitsugaya has left behind his haori, which clearly states his intention to leave behind his position as taichou."

"Aren't we being a bit hasty here?" Unohana said mildly. "I have been working with Sharon since her arrival and have seen no evidence of this."

"And neither have I. She works hard. Hell, they both work hard. I can't guess why he left the haori behind, but I do know he must have had reason, and a damn good one." Matsumoto flashed a grateful glance at Unohana.

"Enough discussion." Yamamoto growled. "What is clear is that they are both gone, whether voluntarily or not, and their return is of the utmost priority. The search teams are to be issued new orders. When, not if, Hitsugaya Toshiro and his consort are found, they are to be returned to Soul Society immediately. If they resist, they are to be executed. Matsumoto Rangiku-fukutaichou is to assume command of the Tenth Division. This meeting is dismissed."

Matsumoto was still in shock when she returned to the Tenth's headquarters.


When Abarai Renji and Kuchiki Rukia came to find out what was going on, they got an abbreviated explanation of the situation from Matsumoto. "That's all they know," she sighed. "I can't understand why he left, but I know he would never abandon his duty. Something happened, something must have happened to Sharon, or he would have never left. But leaving his haori like that – I don't know what to think."

"What if he really did go to Hueco Mundo? How do they plan on looking for him?" Renji frowned. "The last time we went through this, they forbade us to go and we went anyway. Inoue Orihime had an ability Aizen wanted. Could there be something in Sharon he wants as well?"

"Who knows," Matsumoto sighed again. "Why does everybody have to leave me?"

"Hitsugaya-taichou isn't like Ichimaru!" Renji protested loudly.

"Renji!" Rukia admonished softly.

"It doesn't matter. He's gone. And we have no way of getting to him if he doesn't want to be found."

"There is one way," Rukia said thoughtfully. "But we may need a little help."

With raised eyebrow, Matsumoto looked questioningly at her. "Please do what you can." There was concern in Matsumoto's eyes.

Rukia nodded briefly and flashed her a small smile before she and Renji left.


A cloaked figure stood outside the Urahara Shop, as if he were wondering whether to go in.

Urahara Kisuke gazed out from under the brim of his floppy hat. "You might as well come in. I can guess why you are here, Hitsugaya-taichou."

"Just Hitsugaya," was all he said as he followed Urahara into the shop.


Hitsugaya: *eye twitching*

Satscout: What?

Hitsugaya: You're stealing too much.

Satscout: What? *looks innocent*

Hitsugaya: From The DiamondDust Rebellion.

Satscout: Inspired by, not stolen from, dear one. Besides, he didn't stab you with Hyourinmaru, unless you count stabbing your heart...

Hitsugaya: In other words, I really won't like what happens in the upcoming chapters.

Satscout: "The darkest hour is just before the dawn." Haven't you heard that?

Hitsugaya: *eye twitching faster*