Yay, here's the last chapter~!
I had a ton of fun writing this fanfiction (I actually wrote it like a year ago. XD), so I really hope you all liked it!
(disclaimer goes here)
Captain Hitsugaya's brilliant eyes grew wide with disbelief as Rangiku explained.
"Head Captain Yamamoto felt her presence leaving, and he instantly realized that she planned to go to Hueco Mundo. He called us in and told us to keep you occupied until Hinamori was gone so you wouldn't try to go after- hey!" Rangiku broke off as Toshiro grabbed his zanpakuto and took off. "Where are you going!"
"What do you think? Am I supposed to sit around and do nothing while Aizen kidnaps Momo? Well I won't! I lo-" He too was cut off. A huge hollow reared up in front of him, the same menos from before. "Damn it! I don't have time for you right now!" he yelled. He cut its mask in half in one fell swoop in his fury. He then sprinted away.
"But, Captain!" shouted Rangiku. She started after him, but was stopped by Renji.
"I'll go after Captain Hitsugaya. I'm less likely to interfere in his fight than you. You go back to the Soul Society and tell Yamamoto what's happening," he ordered. "You might want to get Unohana too. I have the feeling she'll be needed..."
Rangiku's eyes narrowed, and she nodded. "You don't have to stop him from fighting, but please, don't let him get himself killed," she said.
"It's his fight. All the same, I'll at least hope he doesn't," Renji muttered as Rangiku raced away.
-X-
"It can't be too hard to her," Hitsugaya huffed. "I can still feel a slight presence of her spiritual energy, even though Rangiku and Renji couldn't." The energy grew stronger as he ran, using flash-step to go faster and faster until he burst into a clearing just as Aizen's presence flared in his mind.
"Hinamori!" he shouted as he saw her standing before him, bewildered.
"Toshiro!" she cried in shock. "How did you find me!"
Toshiro realized he might have done one flash-step too many as he accidentally tackled Momo. He landed on top of her and immediately jumped up to help her to her feet. He looked into her eyes, wary of another of Aizen's tricks, then sighed with relief. There was no way to fake the beautiful eyes shining back at him. "Hinamori...You're alive..." he breathed. "Thank God..."
Momo smiled. "Of course, Lil' Shiroh," she murmured. "I don't die that easily."
"Bravo, bravo..." Aizen congratulated. He walked toward them, clapping. "What a touching performance. One would almost think you were in love. Unfortunately, I'm Momo's father, and I forbid her to marry you," he teased gently.
Toshiro angrily pushed Momo behind him. "You can't control her. You're not her father, whatever you may say. Neither of us want you here. I'll kill you if you come any closer to Momo, so back the hell off," Toshiro threatened, glaring furiously at Aizen.
"Oh really? Why don't we let Hinamori answer for herself. After all, she was the one who agreed to meet me here in the first place," Aizen taunted, his voice somehow managing to sound warm and cold at the same time.
Momo backed away and looked from Toshiro to Aizen.
"What is it? If you're afraid of him, I'll just kill him, and then you can sleep soundly again," Toshiro offered, grasping the hilt of his sword even harder.
Momo shook her head and hesitantly walked over to Aizen. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, tears running down her face. "I'm going with Captain Aizen." She looked up for half a second, and then hurriedly glanced down to avoid the injured look in Toshiro's green eyes.
"What..." Hitsugaya trailed off. He shook his head rigorously. "It's a trick! It has to be! What have you done to her, Aizen!"
Aizen smiled warmly. "Sorry, Captain, but your little girlfriend is coming with me," he said.
"Get your filthy, traitorous hands off her! Bankai. Daiguren Hyourinmaru!" Toshiro yelled, charging at Aizen. The ex-captain dodged with ease and drew his own zanpakuto.
"Please," he said. "You couldn't defeat me back in the Soul Society, and you can't now. I don't wish to fight you, but you leave me no choice." He cut through Toshiro's body as though it was butter.
Hitsugaya fell to the ground, his body no longer able to support him. He forced himself to his knees but could go no further. "Do it," he said. "I'd rather die than live in a world without Momo anyway."
Momo's eyes widened. "He does care about me..." she whispered. "I made a mistake, and now Hitsugaya is paying for it..." She closed her eyes and made up her mind.
Aizen shrugged and lifted his zanpakuto above the captain's head. He let it fall. Eyes closed, Hitsugaya heard the sound of metal ripping through flesh. But he felt no pain, and the lifeblood that fell on his skin wasn't coming from him. Opening his eyes, he gasped. Momo had blocked Aizen's sword with her own body. A bubble of blood escaped through her open lips, and she crumpled to the ground.
"No...Hinamori..." Toshiro said, horrified. Aizen withdrew and sheathed his zanpakuto. He suddenly vanished as Soul Reapers filled the clearing. Toshiro was only half-aware of this. He only had eyes for the bleeding girl before him. He fell beside her, and his breath caught in his throat as he realized his dream had indeed come true. He looked into the blank, unseeing eyes of the one he loved, and tears trickled down his cheeks as he realized that if he hadn't gone after her, she would still be just fine. "You can't leave me..." he whispered. "I...I lo-...lo-..." His dazed mind couldn't form the words he needed, and he fell into darkness, tears still falling from his clouded eyes.
-X-
A week later...
Toshiro opened his eyes and blinked against the sunlight that was beginning to peek into his room. He sat up with a moan, his head swimming. He realized that his window was facing the west, meaning the sun was setting, not rising. "Ungh...how long was I out?" he groaned. Remembering the previous events, he got caught up in his sheets and fell onto the floor in his hurry. He ran down the corridor as fast as he could. Strange that I can run at all, he thought absentmindedly. He picked up traces of Orihime's spiritual pressure. They must have visited while I was asleep...er, unconscious...whatever... His brain was still somewhat fuzzy. He stopped before Momo's door, took a deep breath to prepare himself for whatever he might see, and walked in. Ichigo's crew around her. They turned to stare at him. Wordlessly, they parted so Toshiro could see Momo lying on the bed. Orihime smiled politely at him as he approached. "She's fine," the orange-haired girl assured him. "Once she gets some rest, she'll be better than ever." Orihime's words cleared the last bit of anxiety from his heart.
"Thank you," he murmured, looking up at her.
"You're just lucky we came in time, Toshiro," Ichigo said. "We wouldn't want your girlfriend to die, right, crybaby?" he teased.
"Hey!" retorted Toshiro. "If Orihime or Rukia died, you'd cry too!" he turned crimson as he realized he hadn't rebutted either of Ichigo's comments. "Just shut the fuck up and get the hell out!" he snapped. Ichigo obliged with a smug look on his face since he knew he'd won. The others followed him, Rukia and Orihime both with apologetic looks on their faces, though Rukia was giggling as well. Toshiro rolled his eyes, sighed, and gazed at Momo.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered, kissing her cheek gently. "I love you, and I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you."
"Don't be." Momo opened one eye and smiled at Toshiro, taking his hand in hers. "I love you too, Lil' Shiroh. No one can take that away, not even Aizen."
Toshiro smiled at her. "Oh, but you still have to call me Captain Hitsugaya."
"Hey!"
Yay for ooc Ichigo. XD
Oh, and just saying, I ship IchiRuki, but I don't typically work pairings that people go to war over into my stories that are just surrounding one pairing.
...Did that make any sense? O_o
Anyway, hope you liked it! Drop me a review if you have time; I'd love to here what you think.
Bye-bye~! 3