Author's Note: Whoo, the second-to-last chapter! This chapter will have a lot of action. The final chapter will be just a sweet, fluffy little conclusion, so all the major conflicts will be wrapped up in this chapter.

And, I'm terrible at writing fight scenes, so forgive me about the fact that this chapter is so damn retarded.

"Juuban tai is under attack. Repeat, juuban tai is under attack. Please send medical relief squads and reinforcements immediately. Intruders in the Seireitei, all centered in the juuban tai area. All seated officers in the real world are to return immediately and provide assistance."

Matsumoto's face paled as she stood up, snatching Haineko up from its position on the ground and fastening it on her waist.

"What's going on?" Renji demanded, hurrying into the room, spotting the hell butterfly hovering in front of Matsumoto, who looked as if she was in a rush to leave.

"The tenth division!" she spluttered. "They're being attacked! We've got to go back there, now!"

Renji blinked, before answering, "Got it. I'll ask Urahara-san to ready a transport for us…Hey, Ichigo, are you coming?"

Silence.

"Ichigo…?"

The strawberry didn't answer. He was already bolting out of the room, ready to leave right at that second for Soul Society. He hadn't been listening to the hell butterfly's notice at all. As soon as the first sentence had been relayed, "Juuban tai is under attack," he had already gotten up, wondering if Aizen was behind this. Why was this happening? What did Aizen want? Why was he so eager to have the juuban tai taichou back in his traitorous hands?

In any case, there was only one solitary thought that was running through his mind at the moment.

"Toshiro…"

Meanwhile, Hitsugaya wasn't exactly having the best of luck with his own fight.

From the very beginning, he had already known that it was hopeless, but he had still started a fight he knew he couldn't win anyway, recklessly attacking Aizen due to his pride that had been damaged substantially by his "Kusaka sucks" lecture.

Katana met katana.

Metal screeched, ice crystallized over the blades.

It was going nowhere.

He slammed his blade into Aizen's again, shoving forward, only to be pushed viciously back three seconds later. The impact was nearly enough to knock him off balance, but he stubbornly stood his ground, moving in for another strike. As expected, Aizen blocked the blow directed at his head.

The temperature in the room dropped further as Hitsugaya swung his blade back, readying himself to release his shikai with a hoarse cry of "Soten ni zase, Hyorinmaru!"

"Are you sure you want to do that, Hitsugaya-kun?"

The white-haired taichou blinked. His eyes widened. No sooner had Hyorinmaru formed from the ice swirling around its blade, the dragon shattered into thousands of pieces. A blinding flash of light, searing pain, and the next thing he knew, he was on the floor in a crumpled and undignified heap, coughing blood onto the ground, a sharp pain shooting through his lower body as his katana clattered uselessly to the floor.

"Really, Hitsugaya-taichou, I don't have much use for you other than your zanpaku-to, just like that fiancée of yours," Aizen began, stepping towards the boy's prone form. "Not to worry, I am a kind-hearted man…And I'm sure you're eager to share the same fate as your precious Kusaka and be reunited with him in the afterlife, correct?" He knelt down, snatching Hyorinmaru off the floor.

"G…Give it back…" Hitsugaya gasped out, one arm wrapped around his bleeding abdomen, trying feebly to use the other to push himself to his feet.

"Maybe you ought to consider growing a few inches taller, eh, Hitsugaya-kun?" Aizen chuckled, dangling the katana high above the wounded prodigy's head. "Too bad for you. You won't live long enough for that."

Hitsugaya tried pathetically to shoot back an insult, but found it hard to speak, the blood filling his lungs and mouth. He retched, expelling the scarlet liquid onto the ground, then choked again, struggling for breath.

Aizen reached downwards, seizing the helpless boy by his throat, lifting him into the air effortlessly, savoring the whimper he recieved. His breathing short, ragged, and labored, Hitsugaya feebly clutched at Aizen's hands, trying to pry them away from his throat. Dark spots were swimming in his vision, his head was feeling frighteningly light. Gasping for breath, only to choke again, he made another futile attempt to free himself.

"L...Let go of me..."

"It's a shame, really. I'm sure that later on, I will almost regret killing such a pretty little thing as you, but I can't have you getting in my way, can I?"

"Y-You bastard…"

"Goodbye, Hitsugaya-kun."

"Wh-What happened here!?"

Renji, Ichigo, and Matsumoto stood in front of the tenth division office. The bodies of slain shinigami were strewn sloppily across the floor, scarlet puddles of blood splashed on the cold stone like some twisted art project.

"This is terrible…" Matsumoto murmured, her voice unsteady. "Are any of them still alive, and…and what about taichou!?"

"Oi!" Renji shouted, running towards oneof the forms on the floor, nudging the fallen tenth-division subordinate. "Are you okay!?"

The man Renji had addressed moaned in pain. He had lost too much blood and was unable to move.

"What happened here?"

"I…I don't know," the shinigami rasped. "Aizen-taichou came…Said something about needing Hitsugaya-taichou's zanpaku-to…Intended on doing something to him…and…and then…"

"And then what!?" Ichigo demanded frantically. "Where's Toshiro!?"

"Office…I saw just saw taichou there…not too long ago…"

"What did Aizen say he was going to do to him!?"

The man did not reply. He was already dead.

"Shit," Ichigo murmured, standing up, his hand wrapped tightly around the handle of Zangetsu. He turned to Renji and Matsumoto before grimly announcing, "That's it. I'm going in."

"Don't be stupid!" Renji snapped. "You're just going to barge in there all by yourself and expect things to work out!? Don't be in such a hurry, just wait until reinforcements arrive…"

"You want me to wait!?" Ichigo nearly screamed. "By the time they actually get here, Toshiro could be…" There was no need to finish the sentence. Hurrying past Renji without so much as a second thought, he ran to the doors of the tenth division office.

"Be careful, Ichigo-kun," Matsumoto warned as he moved towards the building.

"Yeah."

And with that, he forcefully threw the doors open, praying in his mind that the worst had not happened.

"Goodbye, Hitsugaya-kun."

Still suspended helplessly in the air thanks to Aizen's iron grip, the young prodigy couldn't breathe, couldn't speak. His arms felt numb and rigid, and they refused to obey his commands as they dropped limply to his sides. The room was spinning in circles around him, his vision failing him. He could barely make out the form of Aizen unsheathing his zanpaku-to with his free hand, pointing it at his heart, ready to deal the final killing blow.

Hitsugaya squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself. It would just be a brief moment of pain, he told himself, and then it would be over, and everything would be just fine.

At the moment, there were only two things on his mind.

I suppose this is the end, then. Wait for me, Kusaka...We'll be together again soon, I hope...

Not only that, but there was another name that came to mind, another face that he wanted dearly to see just for one last time until it all ended.

I'm so sorry. Please forgive me...

...Ichigo.

"Let go of him, you bastard!"

This, along with the sound of the office doors being slammed open was enough to startle Aizen into loosening his grip on Hitsugaya's throat as the former fifth-division captain glanced towards the door. Gasping for breath, his lungs once again able to fill themselves with sweet oxygen, Hitsugaya was also startled by the person's sudden entrance. Straining, he tried to move his head so that he would be able to see who had come in.

"Well, well, what a surprise," Aizen scoffed, "Who would have expected our hero, the noble and brave Ichigo-kun, to come barging in to save his precious little ice prince from certain death?"

"Are you hard on hearing?" Ichigo snarled, pulling Zangetsu from his back in a single movement. "I believe I've already asked you to release him." He lifted the heavy zanpaku-to, pointing it Aizen's head.

"And what if I refuse?"

"Then I'll kill you."

At these words, Aizen laughed. "What do you think you can do, Ichigo-kun? You're an intelligent young man, and I doubt that you haven't realized by now that you are going to meet the same fate as Sojiro-kun did."

"I don't care what you think. I told you to let Toshiro go. Now."

"I see no reason to."

"Don't make me repeat myself, Aizen."

"And what if I…"

Aizen didn't have the chance to finish his sentence. There was a flash of movement, and realizing that Ichigo was using shunpo, readying to strike at him with his sword, Aizen quickly moved to safety, but in the process was forced to release Hitsugaya.

Ichigo wasted no time in scooping the bleeding prodigy up into his arms, holding him protectively against his chest. Using shunpo again, he then moved back in order to put a good distance between himself and Aizen, before gently depositing Hitsugaya on the floor.

"I'm sorry I came so late, Toshiro," Ichigo murmured. "If I had been faster you wouldn't have such bad injuries…"

"Ichigo, I…"

"It's alright. Just stay back for now. Rangiku-san said she was going to call for a medical relief squad. They'll be here soon, so just hang in there, okay?"

"You want me to just sit here and watch!? You…You can't make me. Please, Ichigo, let me fight with you. I can't bear to simply sit back and watch again. I just watched when Kusaka was killed, and if…If you…"

"I told you not to worry," Ichigo insisted. "Relax. I won't lose to Aizen, no matter what, especially after all he's done to all of us. Trust me on this, alright?"

"…Fine."

"Alright, then. Wish me luck."

Hitsugaya stared blankly at Ichigo's back as the strawberry slowly turned away to face Aizen.

Why is he doing this? Why is he trying to protect me, even after I said so many cruel things to him? After I let him down?

He's going to be killed because of me. Just like Kusaka. Why does this always have to happen?

No.

I can't think like this. Ichigo's not weak. All I can do now is hope…

…And give him strength.

"Ichigo, wait."

"Toshiro, seriously, just…"

"I…I love you."

There was a brief silence.

Aizen looked slightly surprised.

And Ichigo simply gave Hitsugaya a small smile in return.

"Thanks, Toshiro."

"How touching," Aizen interrupted, his voice amused. "However, I'm afraid I'll have to finish things up here. Go ahead and watch, Hitsugaya-kun. Watch him die, if that's what you want."

Taking advantage of the moment where Aizen was temporarily distracted, Ichigo lunged forward with a swing of Zangetsu. Aizen reacted only quick enough to bring his own blade up to block the vicious attacks that Ichigo dealt towards him.

"Bankai!"

There was an explosion of spiritual energy, and as the debris cleared from the air, Hitsugaya managed to catch sight of Zangetsu's new form, sleeker and easier to wield. Not only that, but Ichigo's garments had changed their form as well. The differences seemed to be slight, but just one glance was all the juuban tai taichou needed to be able to tell that his spiritual pressure had increased enormously in only a matter of seconds.

Ichigo moved forward again, parrying each strike that Aizen sent towards him, his attacks being blocked in return. Every now and then, he'd let his concentration slip, and every time this happened, he'd feel pain somewhere in his body and wet blood seeping through his kimono. Aizen was slyly resourceful, striking at the openings that Ichigo left in these brief moments of distraction.

And every time it happened, Hitsugaya would suck in his breath and knit his fingers tightly together in torturous anxiety.

Ichigo had managed to land a few blows on Aizen, though. By now, both opponents were exhausted and bleeding, still circling each other like ravenous animals waiting for the right time to strike.

"Ichigo…You promised me you'd win, you idiot, so you'd better," Hitsugaya demanded in the usual haughty voice, but it was wavering unsteadily.

That was good, Ichigo thought. He's back to normal. But he's already lost a lot of blood, and at this rate, if the fourth-division medical relief squad doesn't come soon, then…

"Got it!" he answered back over his shoulder, shaking the thoughts out of his head. Toshiro will be fine. For now, all I have to do is win this fight for him.

"Good…" Hitsugaya murmured. "Thank you, Ichigo."

As he said these words, the orange-haired shinigami threw himself forward, using the last of his energy, concentrating all his reiatsu into one final blow.

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

Hitsugaya never got to see the end results of the battle. Dizzy and faint from blood loss, the boy slumped motionlessly to the floor, unconscious.

Ichigo wasn't quite sure if he had won, either. He, too, blacked out as he thrust his sword through his enemy's skull.

And blood, along with thousands of fragmented memories, rained down to earth, ready to accumulate into puddles of remembrance.