A/N: Helloz!

That was all it took to make Zangetsu jump down from his perch in the trees and land directly behind Hyorinmaru.

"I would strongly suggest you unhand my best friend right now, Icehead." He sneered at the most powerful ice zanpakuto, knowing he could easily beat him in a fight.

Hyorinmaru scoffed at the considerably younger than him, cocky zanpakuto, "Do you honestly think I feel like doing that? I'm enjoying myself right now, go play with Senbonzakura or something."

Zangetsu drew his sword.

"Do not make me attack you, Icehead, I'd prefer not to get blood on my jacket, but I will if I have to." He hissed at Hyorinmaru, waiting for him to turn around.

Hyorinmaru turned his head to make eye contact through dark brown sunglasses and wisps of pale green hair.

"Like you could attack me, dumbass, I belong to a captain, the child genius captain! I know my way around the battlefield, and you don't. I wouldn't want that fragile little substitute to cry because I killed his zanpakuto." He scoffed at the middle-aged-looking man, hoping to be able to just return to his business of assaulting Sode no Shirayuki.

Zangetsu scowled.

"You asshole... GET OFF OF HER!" He bellowed at the samurai look-alike zanpakuto before him, who only ignored him and went back to making out with his best friend against her will.

"I don't think you understood me, Hyorinmaru..." He hissed as he brought his sword up and slashed Hyorinmaru's left arm, the one that held Shirayuki to the tree by her throat.

Hyorinmaru growled beneath his breath as thick red blood ran down his arm.

"Alright, dumbass, I'll fight you now," he sneered at Zangetsu. He turned around, his own sword materializing in his right hand. "Well, you took the first hit, so I guess it's my turn!" he launched himself forward at dizzying speed, aiming to cut across Zangetsu's broad chest.

Shing.

The body-length shikai sword of Zangetsu clashed with the four-foot long katana of Hyorinmaru in a quick tempo-ed dance of strength and wit.

Somewhere in his dance against Hyorinmaru, Zangetsu found the time to speak to a shock-riddled Sode no Shirayuki, "Shira, you might want to leave. Right now."

His voice was caring and commanding at the same time, looking out for her safety... as always.

She heeded the order and ran from the scene, missing Hyorinmaru's angered reaction by a nanosecond.

The angry icehead jumped towards the older man, trying to cut his hand that held his sword in precise defensive stances.

"GODDAMNIT ZANGETSU! YOU REALLY NEED TO LEARN TO KEEP TO YOURSELF AT TIMES LIKE THIS!" the zanpakuto of Hitsugaya Toshiro screeched at the only other zanpakuto in the clearing, forcing Zanetsu to chuckle at just how childish the great ice dragon could be.

"Says you, Hyorinmaru. I need to keep an eye out for Shira, she tends to get herself into situations she can't climb out of on her own." he chortled out at the ice-type zanpakuto in front of him, bringing his blade down on the man from right shoulder to left hip.

In Hyorinmaru's world, time stopped short when the dark man had slashed his torso open. Pain racked through him as blood fell from the wound, drenching his shirt. He fell to his knees, trying to keep himself from loosing more blood.

"Y-you... You asshole..." he managed as he coughed and internally screamed as the wound moved with his violent coughing.

"You won't die, if that's what you're worried about. It's gonna hurt, I won't lie, but you'll only pass out for a little while. The wound isn't deep enough to kill you. I don't like you, as a matter of fact, I hate you, with a burning passion. But I don't have anything against your wielder, so I won't leave him with no zanpakuto. I hope I won't see you as often as I do, goodbye, Icehead." Zangetsu rambled as he strode out of the clearing, his sword having already disappeared and awaiting further use.

He breached the last line of tall pine's enclosing the clearing, looking around leisurely for Sode no Shirayuki.

"Zan-kun! I'm up here!" She giggled loudly from one of the trees that didn't serve as a fence for the clearing in which he had left the wounded Icehead.

He looked up and smiled, "You're funny, you know that, Shira?" He jumped from his standpoint and materialized next to her, leaning against the trunk and standing on the same branch she was sitting on.

She looked up at him with shining eyes and muttered, "Thank you, for saving me... It seems you always have to come and save me, why do you bother with me, Zangetsu?"

The question caught him off guard.

"What do you mean, 'why do I bother with you?'? You're my best friend, I'm here for you, and I always will be." he inquired and stated proudly.

I wish you thought of me as more than a friend, Shira, but if you need a friend, I'll always be here. He thought to himself, hearing Tensa Zangetsu scoffing at his sappy thoughts all the way from the zanpakuto realm, and Shirosaki cackling, wishing he could come to the realm and see Shirayuki.

"I mean, every time I find something or somebody interesting I end up getting stuck and you have to come and put yourself in danger to help me out... why do you waste your time with me?"

"I don't waste time with you, I save you because you are my best friend. The only people who know me better than you do are Tensa Zangetsu and Ichigo."

She didn't know Tensa Zangetsu, she had only met Zangetsu. She knew that Tensa Zangetsu was Ichigo's bankai, but aren't zanpakuto spirits.. um... dual functioning? One zanpakuto spirit to each soul reaper, not two... one, for both shikai and bankai.

"It's nice to have somebody as caring as you for my best friend, Zan. You're always around whenever I need you, you're the best friend I've ever had." she spoke as she stood, walking to him so she could hug him.

"It's also nice to know that you think of me that way, Shira..." he muttered just loud enough for her to hear.

"I have to go finish my talk with Rukia, since there seems to be no reason to stay here or for being called here." she whispered. She pulled away from their embrace and tried to go to the human world, only to be callously thrown back into the zanpakuto realm by some unknown force.

"Zan, can you try to get through to the human world?" She requested. She watched as he nodded his head before effortlessly going to the world of the living and returning with no hassle. Her face fell.

"I could get through with no trouble, Shira, what's wrong?" he inquired.

A/N:um... I think this is a cliffhanger, but I don't know if it's good enough to be called a cliffie... whaaaatever, little longer than usual, yes? Review pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!