Hitsugaya was running now, wanting to encounter the last arrancar himself. He was sure this arrancar was Hinamori, he wanted to see her.

He had to see her.

The last report he had was one saying that "Squad 3 lieutenant, Kira Izuru, had encountered an arrancar going by the name Momo Hinamori". Because of that report and an incident near the squad 9 barracks, the word that "Momo Hinamori was alive" had spread through the seireitei, causing panic and chaos. Many soul reapers didn't even want to search for the last remaining arrancar, in fear of having to go against Hinamori. Some actually acted against their superiors, squad 5 in particular, deciding they were not going to follow any orders until it is confirmed that Hinamori was an enemy. Soi Fon wanted the head captain to give reports all over the seireitei saying that she was an 'enemy'. But of course, with what the head captain promised Hitsugaya, he wouldn't. Hinamori hasn't even killed anyone yet, this act giving many former underlings hope that she was still 'good' and that 'someone was forcing her to do this'.

Hitsugaya was finally starting to understand what Hinamori felt with Aizen; he too, wanted this whole thing being an act of some other mastermind, and that Hinamori was being forced to do this, that she actually wanted to…..to what? Come back?

Arrancars can never be fully accepted in soul society, let alone as a comrade…..but still…he wished that Hinamori….wasn't like this…that this could end out in some more fortunate way…

But…he knew from that night, many months ago….that she was indeed, not being forced to do anything. She wanted this. Those are what her yes said.

He's close, close to where Izuru Kira met Hinamori, if Hinamori wasn't here, then Kira should be, he hasn't come back to his squad yet.

Sure enough, he was right, only Kira was there. Kira was sprawled out on the ground, breathing shallowly. His zanpoktou unsheathed as it lay on the ground as a useless weapon. Once he noticed Captain Hitsugaya's spiritual pressure as he approached, he tried his best to get up. His breath becoming calmer now that a friend has arrived.

"Don't even try to get up." Hitsugaya's voice was stern, he wanted to ask Izuru questions about everything that had happened to him, but first; he had to make sure that the lieutenant was alright.

He turned the body so that he was lying on his back instead of his chest, checked his pulse, noticing he didn't have single cut on him….did he even fight her?

Hitsugaya was at a loss of what to do, the only "problem" the lieutenant had was breathing like a normal person, which he was quickly getting over. He decided to ask his questions right now, since he was stabilizing. "Kira…is it true what the reports said? That you encountered Hinamori?"

Kira was quick to answer "no."

That was impossible, many men saw her face and her spiritual pressure was thick on Izuru's entire being! How could he have not encountered her!

"That's impossible, you had too. Her spiritual pressure is still here." Hitsugaya was eyeing Izuru, he has heard of abilities to erase one's memories, or even control one's mind.

Izuru looked at him, making eye contact "I have encountered an arrancar with "Momo Hinamori's" face, but that wasn't "Momo Hinamori". Captain Hitsugaya, there's no way that could be Momo! There just can't be!"

He nodded his head "Hinamori felt the same way about Aizen…But despite the fact that he seemed like a totally different person, that was him. Hinamori seems like a different person completely, but that's her….no matter how much you, or anyone, denies it."

Kira looked at him in despair, realizing that was right. He diverted his eyes from his and he turned his head to look at the ground, he had never before felt this type of feeling of despair. Was this how Hinamori felt after Aizen's betrayal? No, Aizen was pulling his puppet strings for over a hundred years, he was always a lie. Hinamori just ended up that way through, what Izuru decided was, "cruel fate". What she was before was a not a lie.

Kira looked at the young captain again, who was remaining silent as he looked at him "She has grown stronger, that's what her spiritual pressure tells….her stare is enough to make you cower, or at least me, and her abilities….well, actually I haven't seen them, but since she can still hide her spiritual pressure like a professional kiddo master, I think we can assume she still knows some type of kiddo."

Hitsugaya listened silently, his mind only on what Kira was telling him.

"also…she wants to…how would I put it?...encounter you? See you?..." Kira was looking in his mind for the right phrase that would accurately describe her intentions. But such a phrase never came.

Hitsugaya then stood up "You can walk can't you?"

Kira then got up himself "Yeah…"

Hitsugaya blinked once "You seem fine…so I guess if you run into trouble you won't be completely at a disadvantage."

Kira then pointed toward the green trees that were in the far, far distance, going ahead and answering his next probable question "She went that way, after she got what she wanted from me. I don't know if she's still there or not, but that's where you should start looking."

Kira wasn't able to make eye contact with him again until he realized he was already gone, using flash step to hasten toward the trees.

It didn't take him long at all to reach the trees, and not much longer after that to find where Momo lied down. All he knew was that she stayed in this specific spot for a while, resting probably…

He put his hand on the ground, feeling the lukewarm dirt, sensing the spiritual pressure that he has personally felt once before. Its unmistakable aura; confirming Hitsugaya of her presence that was once here. It was strange though, instinct was telling him that something else happened here, though there was nothing that even hinted at such a thing. There was only Momo's spiritual pressure here, no one and nothing else's.

He used flash step again, following the spiritual pressure like a bloodhound would a scent. The dirt was still warm, which meant that she didn't leave too long before, and the spiritual pressure was getting stronger, which meant that he was close. Very close…

He didn't have to travel for much longer before he actually saw her; her white skin and her long brown hair along with her unmistakable outfit. Her felt his heart skip a beat as he saw her for the first time in a long time. The two arrancar he had seen on the first invasion were with her, one with blood on her short dagger as she was panting and the other looked like he was complaining to Momo as he shook his hands from side to side. Momo had her back turned, with her stood a floating girl who had pale hair, red eyes and wearing a school like uniform, it seemed odd to him. He quickly appeared behind her, keeping a safe distance between them.

All of them turned to look at him, all except Momo who already knew where he was.

Luppi spoke first "You have a bad habit of sneaking up to people! " Hitsugaya didn't care what he said, he was only looking at Momo who hasn't even moved yet.

"Hey we're talking to you!" Loly and Luppi said this in unison.

The school girl is the one who spoke afterward, her voice sounded as if she was irritated "You! Stop acting rude! You at the very least owe us that!" her stance looked as if she was battle ready, Hitsugaya grabbed the hilt of his sword, he didn't want to deal with her or the other arrancar, just Hinamori.

"I actually thought I wouldn't get to see you, Captain Hitsugaya." Momo turned to reveal her brown eyes and her face with her stainless white jaw mask with its white collar. Her eyes looked at him hatefully, fire burning within both of them, her lips was turned in a deep frown, and her once shy posture was now standing up straight upholding authority. She really has changed. To call him by his title, she really has changed.

Before he even realized it she had already unsheathed her sword, the blade pointed toward him, her eyes lethal as they observed him, her muscles tense ready for any action. "What shall you do, Captain Hitsugaya?" her voice low and menacing, her mind eager for a response as she raised her spiritual pressure.

There was a slight variation in his breath; it truly was shocking to find how much she changed.

He let go of Hyourinmaru's hilt, then let his hand fall limply to his sides.

Momo's eyes widened in surprise, she didn't expect that reaction at all "What are you doing?" her voice stayed the same.

"I'm doing nothing." Hitsugaya raised his arms up, showing surrender.

Hinamori looked at him hard. Was he serious!

Luppi and Loly were looking at her, shocked that she was hesitating. Satan shocked she wasn't charging in at him.

She could feel it, their depletion of respect for her and her goal, their disappointment…Their pity…

She clenched the hilt of her zanpoktou tighter, before she put it back in its sheath, the blade hissing it's displeasure as she slid it back in. Before anyone could think another thought, she used sonido so she was right in front of him.

Right in front of Hitsugaya. Her spiritual pressure still rose, though not at such an extent.

Loly, Luppi and Satan just watched mesmerized, wondering what she was doing. Hitsugaya wide eyed as he looked at her eyes, those cruel, cold eyes.

Momo leaned downward as she put a hand his shoulder tightly, the force making him wince, soon she was close enough to where her mouth was close to his ear. She whispered "You…are a selfish person. So I won't do what you want."

Hitsugaya widened his eyes even more; Momo continued "That day…during the Aizen incident, when I confronted you, you knocked me out….But you weren't concerned for me much, you were just angry at Gin….When Aizen stabbed me….You wanted nothing more than to murder him even though I was bleeding at your feet….When Aizen tricked you into stabbing me….You were not sad that I was about to die, you were only angry that Aizen actually tricked you to do such a thing to your precious item of your childhood…." She paused in order to let her words sink in "It was all about you…and here we are again and you want me to kill you right here right now because that's what you want…." Momo said the last part with scorn in her voice. "I have no heart left to actually do what you want, or show you pity or mass amounts of mercy!"

With her free had she grabbed the end of a zipper that was around the right corner of her shirt, the zipper went downward at a diagonal angle to where it only revealed a part of her shoulder and more skin as it made its way down to a spot that was directly in the center of her chest, just in between her breast but showed only small amounts of skin.

Hitsugaya was still looking behind her as he heard the zipper, they were so close, their necks were practically touching, then he felt his hand being grabbed by surprisingly gentle hand.

It was brought up to that point; where the zipper ended. He felt nothing.

Nothing.

That was because nothing was there…

There was only emptiness…

"You should recognize this as the spot where Aizen stabbed me….Where you stabbed me." Her whisper was lower now "Hollows have hole located somewhere on their body symbolizing where the heart once was…."

Hitsugaya was now staring in utter horror.

"You destroyed the heart I once had Hitsugaya…what little bits of it were left, you utterly destroyed."

I have no heart…

Pain was the next thing he felt, he mistook it as pain from his own aching heart.

But Hinamori stabbed him in the same spot she was stabbed, where the heart was. Although, she didn't do it to such an extent that it went through him, it merely pierced him by only a couple of inches; centimeters away from his still beating heart.

That pain was intense, waves of it spreading throughout his body, his chest feeling like it was being wrenched from side to side. His heart…felt like it was being torn apart.

Silent….

Awful…

Painful….

Unbearable….

The next thing he knew was the blackness as he fell to the ground as blood continued to seep from his body.

Momo calmly walked away, as she looked discontent at the blood at the tip of her unsheathed sword. She swung it sharply to her right as a way to get the blood of as she sheathed it.

"Not enough…."

Loly was looking at the fallen captain with a grin on her face, Luppi just looking at him as if he were trash and Satan with a blank face.

"Hinamori! What are you doing?"

Momo did a slight gasp as everyone turned their face to see Grimmjow and Rudobon standing on one of the roofs, Grimmjow's eyes staring intently, sternly at Momo. "I told you to avoid any kind of conflict!" His voice was surprisingly angry toward Momo. He didn't even take notice of Satan.

Loly and Luppi thought of it as bizarre that he would even yell at her.

Momo regained her composure as she responded "It can't be called conflict if he was willingly taking his wounds…" her voice faltered, but only for a split second. In that time of faltering she seemed soft-spoken, something Grimmjow normally had a distaste for. His eyes started blazing more.

Just like she had done to Hitsugaya, Grimmjow used sonido to appear right in front of her before another thought ran through anyone's mind "So you technically followed my orders, huh? Well then, explain to me why the blond haired lieutenant filed a report saying that he fought you? Why is it that he was last seen with his zanpoktou unsheathed!"

Momo's eyes widened as she looked behind Grimmjow to see Satan with a guilty expression.

"So it's true….Satan met Grimmjow before she met me…" it all made sense to her now.

"Well?" Grimmjow was raising his spiritual pressure.

Momo closed her eyes and bowed her head "It is as you have heard…." She closed her eyes even tighter, expecting some injury to be placed on her.

A kick

A punch

A slap

But nothing came, she opened her eyes and looked up to see Grimmjow just standing there, not doing anything, his eyes cold and stern, still with a small flame within them behind the icy facade. The fire that was once apparent; gone from clear view, but still there.

His voice seemed more calm "This invasion is over. Let's go back to Hueco mundo." Was all he said as he opened a large garganta, all of the arrancar started filing inside silently.

Satan came along with them "Bernkastel-sama is going to meet you guys in your palace later on. So make sure you prepare some acceptable tea and snacks! I will not tolerate it if Bernkastel-sama is treated rudely!"

Grimmjow shot her a look as he walked "Is that you're superior?"

Momo realized that he only knew Satan existed, nothing else.

They continued walking for what felt like an hour in uncomfortable silence until the garganta opened, revealing the white inner structure of Las noches.

Apparently Rudobon along with Loly and Luppi, decided to head to their rooms as soon as possible, not wanting to be around Grimmjow who seemed likely to start rampaging to them.

Momo was not to leave his side until she was dismissed, which wasn't likely to happen any time soon. She continued following him through the silent, empty halls without a single word coming out of her mouth.

It was only Satan who was keeping her company, and even she wasn't sure if she wanted to be around Grimmjow "Ummm….Since I'm staying here…is it possible for me to get my own room?"

Grimmjow didn't respond.

Momo gestured to a room with a white doorknob and a teal number 3 symbol on the single door that was just ahead of them, it once belonged to Gin, who apparently liked squad 3's symbol "That room is 3 doors down from Loly's, ask her for anything you may need, and if she has a problem with it then I'll deal with her."

Once she said that, Satan bolted straight for the door, slamming the door shut before she locked it.

Yes, the aura Grimmjow was giving off was that terrifying.

Grimmjow continued walking silently, his footsteps loudly scraping on the tiles. It wasn't long before Momo noticed that they were heading in a certain part of Las noches that Momo has yet to see. Sure she is now very familiar with most of the palace, but a few sections of Las noches were completely off-limits to her, or were just simply not a place of interest.

The area they were heading toward looked very similar to the rest of the palace, but there a lot more decorations; such as paintings of former espada members, a variety of beautifully decorated tea sets, flowers that were made out of the same bleak colored material as the trees in the desert and a lot of teal drapes from windows and doorways.

He stopped in front of a pair of doors that had silver western-style hinges and dark teal panels. He opened them only to peek inside, seeing the purple sheets that were neatly laid on the bed, the lavish couch and the jade tea set that was on the light teal coffee table. Momo was sure he was thinking about making that the room Bernkastel was to visit in, or even stay in if she wanted to spend the night. The room actually used to belong to the very 1st espada that ever became a part of Aizen's army, and he was said to be very "creative" with where he stayed. This area of Las noches was probably one his barracks.

Momo noticed that Grimmjow was looking at the room with disgust, murmuring his discontent before he closed the door again. He then started to walk away from the room, faster this time as he made his way aimlessly amongst the halls. They were going in many, unpredicted directions to an unknown destination. Momo at first thought that he had a very specific destination in mind, but that idea seemed distant now. They were going through straight hallways, twisted stairways, through small alleyways and making short cuts through rooms that looked the same. Momo had completely forgotten the way they just came, the section of Las noches she was in was an unfamiliar one and she was completely lost in it. She was wondering if Grimmjow was the same, but she was more concerned with his demeanor. They were now in a hall of light teal doors, each one similar to the other with their white door knobs and plain colored door panels. They continued to walk at a fast pace until they reached the end of that elongated hallway, with there only being another room at the end. The door a black color and the western-style hinge a dull silver color.

It was not even a moment later that Grimmjow seemed to snap, his spiritual pressure sparked instantly into a dangerous amount before it settled again in the next second. He grabbed Momo by her wrist as he pulled the door open, with enough force to remove it from its hinges. He then proceeded to throw Momo on the inside, she would have caught herself of course, but it had her completely off guard as she hit the wall. By the time she even started to get up he slammed the black door shut and was already walking dangerously and angrily toward her.

He was standing in front of her now, his eyes lethal with a blazing out-of-control fire "Your promise that you made to me seems to hold little meaning to you! I will undeniably keep my end of the bargain! But you don't seem to be keeping yours! Tell me why!" he grabbed Momo by her wrist again, making Momo wince as he squeezed it hard. "Tell me!" he was demanding a response. Though it is true he admired Momo's way of doing anything in order to complete that goal, but he didn't like the way she was avoiding orders recently.

Momo wasn't showing her face at all, her head was bowed low "Because you seem to be delaying me from completing my goal." He voice was calm, emotionless even. It took courage to give that response, especially to him.

Grimmjow squeezed her wrist harder and Momo had to bit her toung in order to stop her from whimpering, he was still yelling, but Grimmjow didn't notice "You were rushing into things Momo! You're bound to end up dead if you don't think things through! I gave you that order specifically in order to prevent you from doing just that! I have no intention to have my only subordinate killed!"

"Why…" her voice to a whisper.

Grimmjow hated having to tell her, he hated revealing this type of stuff to anyone. He just hated it "Because every other damn arrancar in this place wants to over throw me! They want the position of 'leader' to themselves! I may be at an espada level, but if they band up and actually use their minds I just might lose! And I hate it when I loose! And I hate to admit this! And I especially damn HATE it that I'm admitting this to YOU!" a moment passed and he then squinted his eyes and his voice got lower to a mere ordinary toned voice, though anger was still traceable "You still have feelings for him, don't you….!" He said it in loathing, like it was the most disgusting thing he ever said. "You could have killed him right then, but you didn't bother at all. At first I mistook it as a sign that you wanted him to suffer, but your voice still had hints of god damn compassion it when you spoke to him!"

Momo would have responded, but her mouth wouldn't open. Because no matter how hard, she herself tried to deny it, he was right. She didn't like the fact though. In fact she hated it. She hated that such things even still existed within her. At fist she denied herself that such feelings did not exist, but when she saw his face the last time she knew it was lie; what she felt could not be denied.

I have no heart, yet….

The silence was all Grimmjow needed to confirm his hypothesis; he raised his voice "Some damn resolve you have! What's the point of making a goal if you won't complete it!" his voice was getting progressively higher, intending to release all of his pent up anger and frustration "I swear! You're almost completely useless! I thought that you only belonged to me and that no one else even had a right to command you, that no one had a right to even control your actions! But now I see that my only competition for that is a kid! And to add to that insult-!" he grabbed a hand full of Momo's hair to drag her face upward so that he could make eye contact and yell it to her face. But the moment he saw it, he stopped. His grip on her wrist loosened and released her wrist, to reveal a black bruise, he released her soft hair, and his gaze seemed to soften at the sight of her face.

Her face slightly red from sobbing as hot tears streamed down her still pale white face and her brown eyes almost lifeless, with the only traceable feeling within them was sadness and despair. Her bangs messily in her face as they stuck to her wet cheeks. Her lips bruised from the constant biting in order to prevent herself from omitting any sound from the constant pain she was once receiving from him. She seemed close to toppling over as she stood there, swaying occasionally.

Grimmjow actually, for the first time in his life, felt awful and guilty for making such a creature cry and the look in her eyes was making him feel even worse. This has never happened to him before. Because of that he didn't know what to say her; "sorry" was not a familiar word to him. He just stood there, looking at that flawless white skin continually being tarnished by the rosy red that, if alone, wouldn't be so bad on her porcelain face if it weren't for the shameful tears.

She hated it; the fact that she couldn't hold back her tears, that her face ended up turning into the red color. She hated that Grimmjow was seeing her like this. She hated the look he had.

So far his face was blank, and that his eyes were now surprised, he looked like he was dumbfounded.

Grimmjow took a step back. He hated Hitsugaya even more now. "I have to admit Hitsugaya…you are a formidable opponent…." He thought these regrettable words as he looked at how upset Momo was. How much that man left a mark on her, one that he wanted to destroy.

He looked at Momo, who was now sitting on the ground, her head again, bowed low. He spoke to her with a slightly irritated voice "Do you know how much I hate the fact…that your moves can be controlled by someone else?"

Momo didn't respond, she was just listening as she silently sobbed.

"I wanted someone who knew little of being the betrayer, but knew a lot of being betrayed. I wanted someone who knew how it felt for their life to hold some meaning following another. I wanted someone who would not betray….but unlike Aizen; I wanted them to have feelings, to have actual thoughts, to have an actual soul. So far you haven't betrayed me, but you have gone against my orders. So tell me, Hinamori…why am I loosing that someone to the same person we both vowed to kill?" He still had irritation in his voice.

Momo thought of his words as sweet, or as a form of apology that he has trouble forming. She knew for certain however that; he only wanted, what he asked for in the first place "I require complete submission from you and that all of my orders are to be carried out without question." She remembered those words clearly.

He wanted some that only belonged to him. Something that didn't care whether he was the master of a castle or a criminal or even if he had immense amounts of power (even though that was what partially attracted Momo in the first place and he can't imagine life without it).

He started walking toward the door, since Momo still hasn't answered "I would allow you to take tomorrow off, but since we have a guest coming over you should report to 'that room' tomorrow instead." The room he was referring to was the one with all of the unneeded decorations.

I hate you Hitsugaya….