Disclaimer ::

I do not own any of the Bleach characters within this story and do not presume to make any form of money off of this.

…..

"You shouldn't be out here! What about the poison!" Kanashii says in a worried voice.

"I'm...fine." Sasori says with a smile. Kanashii gets off Soi Fon, and runs over to Sasori.

"I need to heal you." Kanashii says, sounding sad.

"So, I take it you won the battle within yourself?" Sasori asks, looking at Kanashii.

"Not completely, but I've started." Kanashii says, smiling up at him. He smiles back.

"I'm glad. I was worried that you wouldn't make it in time before the battle." Sasori says, sighing.

"What battle are they talking about?" Unohana whisper asks to Byakuya.

"Not sure, but the two of them seem to know what they're talking about." Byakuya whispers back.

"I didn't think I would be there for a while." Kanashii says, shaking her head. She grabs his arm when he almost falls over. "We should take care of you. You're getting worse." She says with worry in her eyes. She helps him sit down, and he closes his eyes.

"Not with everyone watching." Sasori says in a pain filled voice. Kanashii turns to Byakuya. When he nods, she helps Sasori stand up, and walk to an empty room. He sits on the bed, and pulls her to sit between his legs. He kisses a line up her neck, and she looks back at him with worry. "Don't worry. I'll take it eventually." Sasori says, smiling. She smiles back, and nods.

Two hours pass, and Kanashii's sleeping up against Sasori's chest with him looking down at her.

"I think that as long as we have you on our side, we will be just fine in the battle to come." Sasori whispers.

"I sure hope so." Kanashii mutters as she cuddles closer to him.

Meanwhile, Rukia, Renji and Kayame are standing outside, looking up at the setting sun.

"Wow! No wonder she was acting that way last time we saw her!" Renji says, eyes wide.

"Yeah..." Rukia says in a tired voice.

"Poor Kanashii!" Kayame says in a sad voice.

"It might not be wise to pity her." Byakuya says as he walks up. They all jump, and spin to see his standing right behind them.

"Captain?" Both Renji and Kayame ask.

"Brother?" Rukia asks, confused.

"Yes, Kanashii has been through a lot, but I don't think she would take well to being pitied." Byakuya says, shaking his head.

"You damn right I won't!" They hear someone shout. The three of them jump again, and when they look, they see a very pissed off Kanashii.

"Hello...baby sis." Renji says in a nervous voice. She sighs, and shakes her head.

"Don't pity someone who doesn't want it." Kanashii says. She turns narrowed eyes on Rukia. "I can't believe you told them about what happened without asking me if I wanted it told." Kanashii says, sounding even madder.

"Sorry, Kanashii. It's just that they really wanted to know, and I felt like they deserved to know." Rukia says, scratching the back of her head. Kanashii stalks off in a random direction, and leaves the building while Rukia, Kayame, Renji and Byakuya watch her. "Where is she going?" Rukia asks.

"To battle her inner demons somewhere she can't hurt anyone." A voice says from behind them. They watch as Sasori walks forward to stand in toe with them.

"When will she be back?" Kayame asks, looking at Sasori.

"Who knows." Byakuya says as he and Toshiro walk away. Rukia looks at Renji.

"Did you know anything about this?" Rukia asks.

"I had a feeling, but no, I didn't get told anything about it." Renji says in a sad voice.

"I wonder wh-" Rukia begins, but is cut off by Sasori.

"It was to make her leaving easier." Sasori says, watching the sunset.

"Easier! On who? Her?" Rukia shouts, turning to look at Sasori.

"No...on the three of you. You weren't even supposed to have found out." Sasori says in a completely emotionless voice. The four of them leave the 4th division's barracks, and go to the hill hear the Goten 13's main building. Where they watch the rest of the sunset in silence.

"Hey, Sasori?" Rukia asks after a while of silence.

"What is it?" He asks.

"Do you think Aizen's dead?" Rukia asks, looking at him from the side. She watches as he shakes his head.

"No. Critically wounded, yes. Dead, no. It takes more than that to defeat a former Captain of the Goten 13." Sasori says in a slightly angry voice.

"I suppose." Rukia says with a sigh.

Meanwhile, Kanashii's walking towards the forest within the Soul Society.

"So, do you think a year will do?" Kanashii asks, glancing over her shoulder.

"Probably." Her sword spirit, Darigan says as he appears behind her. She smiles, and pulls her sword out when she stops walking.

"All right. I'm ready!" She says as a grin plasters itself on her face as she flies off toward who knows where.

….
Here is the 18th and final chapter of my Shines White, Scatters Red story! Hope you enjoy reading it, and I would love to hear what you think of it via review and/or comment! I would love to find out if you guys would like me to make a sequel or not for this one. I'm kind of up in the air about it.

-Amelia Wingheart