"Toshirou! Toshirou!" you scream, but there was no response. You were back in Seireitei, and as you feared, the Espada were slaughtering everyone. You wanted to move, but your legs wouldn't budge. You wanted to fight, but your arms wouldn't rise. You stood there, helpless, watching your own brother die a merciless death in front of your eyes. The Espada, kicked the boy's bloody body over. "Is this all the power a captain in Soul Society has, I was hoping for a much stronger opponent," the Espada hisses. "Well, it was fun while it lasted." The Espada made one more cut to the chest, before plunging his sword deep into-


You wake with a start with cold sweat dripping down your forehead. "It was just a dream, just a dream," you tell yourself, trying to calm down. Slowly, you make your way out of the bedroom, and into the hall. You recognize the place to be the house the guy with the striped hat owns.

You hear an argument going on downstairs.

"Kuchiki-taichou, you and Hitsugaya-taichou are needed back in Soul Society. Four Espada have been spotted at the gates entering Seireitei."

You recognize the voice to be Hisagi's.

"Hitsugaya is not able to return at the moment," the captain replies.

"What do you mean 'not able to return?' Is she ill? Is she hurt?"

"She's fine, there are just...complications."

"What do you mean complications?"

"I believe that is none of your business, lieutenant."

"I think it is, because she's my captain-"

You decide to calm down Hisagi before he got himself into trouble. "Is there a problem?" you ask, emerging beside Byakuya.

"None, at all," Byakuya states calmly "your lieutenant and I were just returning to Soul Society, there seems to be a problem."

"I think, I should come," you reply, images from your nightmare flashing in your head.

Byakuya gave you a stern look. "I think you should stay here, incase more arrancar return."

You were about to reply, but Byakuya adds, "Hitsugaya, can I speak to you privately?" Before you can say anything, he grabs you by the wrists, and pulls you away to the room with the communication monitor.

"What are you doing!" Byakuya snaps "You know that you can't go back to Soul Society with that thing on!" He points at the necklace. "And don't even think about taking it off, you would risk the lives of others and yourself."

"I'm not going to sit here, while everyone dies in Seireitei."

There was a moment of silence. However, the monitor begins to flicker and buzz.

"Sosuke!" you gasp, as his head begins to form on the screen.

"Yuki, how nice to see you again, and you too Kuchiki-san. You tried my patience yesterday Yuki, and now you've paid the price." The screen shows Toshirou tied up with multiple cuts, along his body.

"No," you breathe.

"What do you want," you say in agony seeping through the words. "I'll do whatever you want, just please, don't hurt him."

"I will allow you to go to Soul Society, but in 1 week if you do not come to Hueco Muendo, he will die." The screen turns black immediately after.

You collapse to your knees, burying your face in your hands. "What am I going to do?"


Byakuya P.O.V.

You watch Yuki sink to the ground. "What am I going to do?" she says. Hesitantly, you kneel down next to her and place a hand on her shoulder. "You'll have to ask Yamamoto-sotaichou for permission to go to Hueco Muendo." you tell her.

"And if he says no! I'm not going to watch my brother be murdered in front of my eyes, I'll die to protect him." she exclaims, staring you in the eyes. You see the same pain in her eyes as you saw in Hisana when she couldn't find Rukia. "You'll save him," you say, trying to comfort her. An impulse suddenly comes over your body. "We'll save him," you say again, but this time bring Yuki close to your chest. You wonder why you felt the need to embrace Yuki. Maybe it was because the usual cheerful aura she had was gone, or maybe it was something bigger. You didn't know, but when she raises her arms to return the hug, your skin begins to tingle.


Hisagi P.O.V.

Curious, to see what was taking the two captains so long you peek into the room they had disappeared to. A wave of sadness passes through you. Yuki, your Yuki, is being embraced by Kuchiki-taichou. Sadness and jealousy envelope your soul. Silently, you shut the door, and walk back to the living room where Ichigo and Urahara are. "Hey, what's the deal between Hitsugaya-taichou and Kuchiki-taichou? Are they like together?" you ask.

Ichigo starts laughing, "Are you kidding! Yukiko almost killed Byakuya." And from that point Ichigo tells you all about earlier events, the encounter with Sosuke, and especially how Yukiko almost kills Byakuya.

Once you have all the information you need, you leave through the Senkai Gate. "Tell the others, that I've gone ahead," you call back to Ichigo. You watch the gate begin sliding shut.

"You know it's really not nice leaving without us," Yuki jokingly whines, suddenly behind you.


You're P.O.V.

"When did you-" Hisagi begins, but you soon interrupt him by declaring a challenge. "I'll forgive you if you can beat me back to Soul Society. I'll even give you a 1 second head start."

"Fine, you're on." Hisagi replies.

"You want to join too?" you ask Byakuya. He gives a small grunt in reply, but you knew that was a yes.

"On your mark....get set....GO!" you shout. Hisagi took off, and a second later, you and Byakuya were right behind him.

All three shinigami came bursting through the Senkai Gate, Byakuya first, then you, then Shuhei (aka Hisagi, omg, i nvr new his name was Shuhei ^^').

"It was a tie!" you exclaim.

"Someone can't admit defeat I see," Byakuya calmly replies. His face appears calm, but you could see a smirk playing at the sides of his mouth.

"Defeat! I didn't lose, it was a t-i-e," you say again, as if Byakuya didn't understand the first time.

"Excuse me, Hitsugaya-taichou, but the rest of 9th squad is eager to meet you," Shuhei interrupts.

"That's right....I left so soon I didn't get a chance to introduce myself..." you say absent mindedly. "Well then, let's get going!"

You start walking in the direction of the 9th squad office. "Let's go Shuhei."

The lieutenant trots to your side.

"So anything new happen while I was gone?" you ask casually.

"Umm, not much. Some new recruits, but other than that ranks have pretty much stayed the same."

"I see."

By now you have made your way to 9th squad. As you slid the door open, many shinigami heads turn at your arrival.

"Everyone, this our new captain, Hitsugaya Yukiko," Shuhei tells the others. The other shinigami bow deeply before you.

"It's very nice to meet everyone," you say with a warm smile. "Since it's the first day we've all met, why don't we play a team game?"

"Game?" a young boy asks in the back.

"Yes, we'll be playing 'Shinigami and Hollow'." (cheesy I know) Shouts of approval greet your verdict. "What's 'Shinigami and Hollow'?" the same boy asks.

"There are two teams, one are Shinigami and the other are Hollow. At the beginning of the game, the Shinigami are trying to eliminate all the Hollow. However, the Hollow can free each other by having three other Hollow surround the 'captured' Hollow. For the Shinigami to capture a Hollow, there needs to be a team of three around the Hollow. When I yell switch, the teams switch roles," you explain. "The point of this game is to test your communication, speed and strategy. The first team to gather all of the Hollow doesn't have to run around Seireitei five times."

"Five!" someone cries out from the back. You chuckle softly, "I will lead one team, Shuhei the other." The teams were split pretty evenly.

"My team will be the Hollow." you declare, "The boundaries will be within one mile around my office, my team, head out." Everyone ran out the door, excitement shining from his or her faces.

As you tie up your white hair, you tell Shuhei "Once I leave, give me a minute to talk to my team."

"Sure thing. I haven't played this since I was a kid," he replies smiling.

"Have fun then!" you say as you race out the door.

Once outside, your team was buzzing with excitement. "I want everyone to move in teams of four, that way if one of you gets caught, the other three can help. Stay together, but far enough apart so that the other team can't catch all of you in one shot. Does anyone else have any suggestions?"

A girl responds, "We could have the groups work in separate areas, that way everyone won't be clumped."

You nod in approval. "You done yet!" you hear your lieutenant shout.

"Just 10 more seconds!" you reply. "Break off into teams, go, go!" you whisper. The teams of four split off in different directions. Thankfully, there are enough people so everyone was in a team, except for you, but that was okay.

You use shunpo to stay above everyone. For awhile you watch the shinigami chase after each other. Then you notice a young shinigami hiding by a tree on the very outskirts of the border. In one step you are next to the lone shinigami.

"So what's your name?" you ask, obviously startling the girl.

"Nakamura Kazuko..." she mutters.

"Well Nakamura, why are you over here? Shouldn't you be helping out your team?"

"Why should I? Nobody wants my help. I'm useless and weak," the girl replies. "I don't know why Hisagi-fukutaicho recruited me..."

"Shuhei would not have recruited you if he thought you lacked potential or will."

The girl just sulks some more. Right after, another shinigami comes from behind. "Nakamura-chan, where've you been? Mori-chan's been caught, and Minami-chan can only distract the other team for a little longer!" The other girl sounds frantic. "Hitsugaya-taichou! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation with Nakamura-chan, but we really need her right now..."

"It's fine, we're done," you reply sweetly. As Kazuko gets up to leave with her friend, you whisper to her "Those who believe in themselves become the strongest shinigami."

Kazuko gives you a curt nod and a thankful smile, "Thank you, Hitsugaya-taichou." You watch the two girls sprint back to the playing field.

"That was very kind of you Yuki," Shuhei says suddenly taking a seat next to you. You shrug, "She has a lot of potential, Nakamura-chan, I can sense it."

The sun was high in the sky, and it was a very peaceful afternoon.

"Ummm, Yuki..." Shuhei begins. "Matsumoto-san is hosting a Christmas Party..."

"Christmas Party?" you say.

The lieutenant becomes very nervous, "Yeah...and...um...you're supposed to go...with...a date....and...I...was...um...wondering..."

All of a sudden, Byakuya emerges before you and Shuhei. "Hitsugaya-taichou, Sotaichou has requested our presence." Interrupting the lieutenant's proposal.

"Hold that thought, I'll be right back. And tell the others to switch," you say hastily as you leave with Byakuya.