A/N: Sorry guys. XD I'm in China right now.... so updating is KINDA hard. But anyways, longer explaination at the bottom. For now, ENJOY!

Figure Four:

Wind up

//Know when to tune out, if you listen to too much advice, you may wind up making other people's mistakes –Ann Landers\\

I frowned, mind working furiously to think up some plan on aiding the Shinigami. My powers come to me in times of need... so I just have to need it!

But the sound of a body hitting the ground mere feet away broke my train of thoughts. I looked up and, with a gasp of shock, realized who it was. Rukia. Even though we've only exchanged a few words and greetings at dinner and in the hallways near the 13th Division, I had a certain fondness of the girl. Seeing her mangled and torn almost brought tears to my eyes. Her breathing was shallow and blood was trickling from a large cut on her forehead. The Hollow, obviously thinking she was dead, moved onto another target.

I dashed out from my hiding place and rushed over to her. She didn't seem to notice me, what with the amount of pain she must be going through. Kneeling down beside her, I shook her gently. She forced open one eye to see who it was. I don't know if she recognized me or not, but I think that she registered the fact that I was not an enemy.

"Ukitake-taichou... aid... him..." she breathed, lifting a hand and pointing to a spot behind me. I followed the direction in which her finger was pointed and found Ukitake-taichou battling a very large, old man with a beard. He wasn't doing so well either. Blood was gushing from several sever looking wounds on his face and limbs. His clothes were torn, revealing more cuts and abrasions. He was panting, and there was blood trickling from his mouth. With a jolt, I remembered that he once mentioned to me that he had Tuberculosis.

"Help... him..." Rukia's consciousness was waning. I could see it in her eyes. I looked back at Ukitake-taichou.

'Do something. Do something!' I thought desperately, squeezing my eyes shut. All the images of my closest friends being beaten up began to flash behind my eyes. I began to feel dizzy and my head was starting to pound. The noises, smells, and sights of battle were all mixing together and becoming one big montage inside my head. It was so overwhelming, I felt like I was going to puke.

"STOP IT!" I screamed, letting go of Rukia and clutching at my own head. And at that moment, something bright erupted from what seemed like the center of my 'being' and flew towards the old man attacking Ukitake-taichou. He froze, staring at whatever the thing is in horror, only to be engulfed in the light. Everyone just seemed to pause and look over at this blinding light. When it finally faded, the old Arrancar was nowhere to be found. Ukitake-taichou was left standing there, breathing heavily. No one moved for at least three seconds before the Arrancar all swarmed together and through a dimensional barrier.

All the Shinigami seemed too stunned to speak. I suddenly felt an incredible tiredness wash over me, and the last thing I remembered was a flash of white and a flutter of green before everything went pitch black.

When I awoke, it was to the now familiar 4th Division ceiling. Everything was quiet. I looked around. There was no one else in the room. I tried to sit up, but found that there was something heavy resting on one of my legs, looking down, I found myself staring at the sleeping form of none other than Hitsugaya Toushirou. A small, gentle smile graced my face as I looked at him. He must have been here for ages, waiting for me to wake up. But my sudden movement seems to have woken him. Cracking open an eye, he looked up at me for a moment before he realized what was going on. Faster than lightening, I found myself once more pressed against his chest, his familiar scent filling me up like drink.

"You're awake..."

"Yeah... I guess so."

"Thank god."

"Hm." I nodded, closing my eyes again, and burying my face in his haori. He let go of me after a short while, holding me at arm's length and inspecting me closely. His eyes flickered over each aspect of my face, and then down the rest of my upper body. It was as if he was trying to find something wrong. I suddenly felt hot under this intense inspection.

"What?" I asked, feeling uncomfortable under his piercing gaze.

"Hn." I narrowed my eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"No seriously, what is it?"

"It's nothing, stop asking." A quiet knock on the door made us both look up. I hesitated for a moment before saying 'come in'.

It was a member of the 4th Division, with a cup of some smoking liquid that didn't look too appetizing. The color was that of polluted ocean water, though the substance was definitely thicker and more goo-like. There was a light layer of white-ish, gray-ish film above the liquid that gave me the sense of old age and decay.

"Takamori-san, please drink this. It'll make you feel better." He said, handing me the smoking drink. I looked down at it. The blue-purple content had an exotic, but somewhat pleasant smell to it. Still, I regarded it cautiously.

"Drink it." I looked up to meet Hitsugaya's gaze. There was something there. Something swirling within the depth of those eyes. I let my gaze flicker down to the drink again before bringing the cup up to my lips and taking a sip. It wasn't as bad as I thought, but it was bitter. I crinkled my nose, and forced the rest of the liquid down my throat. I resisted an urge to comment on how disgusting that was and silently handed the cup back to the Shinigami. He bowed slightly, took my cup, and backed out of the room. There was a small silence.

"That was terrible." I said, grabbing the jug of water next to my bed and helping myself to some of it. Hitsugaya didn't say anything, only watched me. I paused in pouring myself some water.

"What? You're looking at me like I have something written across my forehead or something, it's uncomfortable." I squirmed a bit, making myself comfortable against the propped up pillows.

"Gomen..."

"Daijoubu... want some?" I asked, holding the jug out to him while downing my cup in one. He shook his head, but took the jug and placed it back onto my bedside table. I looked around the hospital room. It was small, and nearly empty except for the bed and two chairs that stood next to my bed.

"How long was I out for?" I grabbed the jug and poured myself another glass. My mouth was unbelievably dry and my tongue felt numb, as if I hadn't used it in a long time.

"A week." I almost spat out the water in my mouth. Managing to gulp it down, I stared at him incredulously.

"A week?! What?!" I sputtered frantically. I was unconscious for that long? Goddamn it. He just nodded. Suddenly, I realized what this must mean. The battle was over. It must have been for quite a while now.

"Then... who won?" I asked cautiously. Hitsugaya sighed, as if he knew I would ask this question sooner or later, and by his response, I gather he hoped for the latter.

"No one," he answered. I cocked an eyebrow. Was he doing this on purpose just to confuse me? Or did he really not want to talk about it?

"What do you mean, 'no one'?"

"Exactly what it sounds like: No one." He repeated. I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

"You're a royal pain, you know that? Would it take that much to just explain rather than having me bug you until you give me an answer I can understand?" He frowned at me, but stayed silent.

I felt anger, hurt, and jealousy flood my body. I slammed the cup on the bedside table and glared at him, adrenaline pumping through my system. Maybe it's just all the emotions from witnessing a battle so close, and then passing out for a week. Maybe it's because I was confused and just wanted an explanation. But I was pissed, and I didn't know why. Goddamn him, acting all cool all the time, thinking he's so much better than everyone else. He seemed startled at my sudden action.

"You never tell me anything! Nothing! And you expect me to just be quiet, and not ask about. Well, news flash, Hitsugaya Toushirou: I'm not like that. I'm sorry. I'm just not. I'm nosy, and I like to know what's going on, especially when it concerns me. It was because my brother acted exactly the way you're acting right now that I died in the first place. What happened to me deserving to know things I'm involved in? Isn't that why you got angry at my brother in the first place? What happened to all of that? What happened to all the trusting shit? Were those all lies too? You know what? I'm through with this. I'm done. I'm leaving." And with that, I threw the covers back and jumped out of bed. The moment my feet touched the ground however, my head started spinning and the world went completely out of control. Colors were swirling everywhere and my eyes close on instinct. I swayed on the spot, and threatened to tip right over.

An arm shot out and caught me before I hit the ground. I kept my eyes shut till I was sure I wasn't going to fall, but when I opened them again, it was to see Hitsugaya staring down at me with a pained expression. He didn't look angry that I'd just screamed at him, nor did he look like he caught any part of what I said. Gently, he placed me back on my feet and took a few steps back. Although subtlety, I noticed that he'd grown taller that I remembered him to be. His silence irritated me more than I could imagine. I felt my anger flare once more. Hormones must be on a rampage today... making me so emotionally unstable, not that I usually wasn't like this anyways. Today was just... a bad start.

"Say something, damnit!" I said, feeling the tears well up again. "Say something! Don't give me the silent treatment! TALK!"

"I'm sorry." I froze, turned, and looked at him.

"I'm sorry," he said again, sighing and shaking his head. I frowned, confused. Why's he acting so weird? What exactly had happened in these few days that I've been unconscious? Something drastic? Certainly, it wasn't something very small, considering Hitsugaya's sudden change in attitude.

"About what?"

"Everything... dragging you into this mess." He sat down in one of the chairs and buried his face in his hands.

"...Toushirou...?" He lifted his gaze to match mine. I sat down on the side of the bed, all former anger and emotion gone, replaced by confusion and, was it possible, earning?

"What are you saying?" I raised my hand and touched his face uncertainly. He put his hand over mine, and I realized with a shock that they were shaking. It was the first time I've seen him like this. He looked so lost and desperate. I knew it wasn't the first time that he's been stripped of his usual mask, but never, ever had I ever seen him so... dare I say it... delicate before.

"Toushirou?" I asked again. He looked like he was slipping away, right before my eyes. I watched him as he took my hand in his and ran his fingers over mine. His eyes were glazed, and his breathing irregular.

"Toushirou... you're scaring me." He paused.

"Sorry."

"Stop saying that! Stop it! What's going on?! Just tell me. I can take it, I promise I won't get angry or anything." I pleaded. He was really starting to scare me now. This wasn't the Hitsugaya Toushirou I knew. This was an empty shell of a Hitsugaya Toushirou that I knew, and I wanted the old one back. The one question as to 'What exactly happened to make him like this?' still ringing in my head.

"C'mon. I'll show you." His voice was flat and empty, like he really wasn't talking at all, just making sounds. By my hand, he led me out of my ward and down the halls. They were bustling with people, as to be expected, even a week after the battle was over. I shivered. The ground was cold against my feet and I wasn't wearing anything other than my hospital gown.

"Show me what?" I asked, hurrying to stay in step with him. Worried doesn't even describe how I feel anymore. I've never seen him act like this before. It was frightening to say the least. And not to mention very worrisome. My feet were beginning to feel numb from the icy cold tiles along the floor but I made no noise of discomfort. I held it in. Whatever it was, I was sure, would be nothing compared to what Hitsugaya was feeling at the moment.

"Sh..." he said gently, tugging me along. We soon came to another door, outside which he turned to face me, a glum expression on his face. He took a deep breath before beginning to speak, more to calm himself than anyone else.

"Minako, what you're about to see might... no, is... going to be painful. Try to keep calm, alright? I'll be right here with you." Then, he pushed open the door to the room. Heart pounding in my chest, I followed him through, into the room.

It was the casualties.

Time seems to have frozen as I looked upon the hundreds that have died. Familiar faces popped out at me as my eyes automatically scanned the room. With a jolt, I realized that most of the Taichou and Fukutaichou had survived, but only most. On an altar, at the far end of the room, in between a crowd of mourning people, I could faintly make out Soi Fon-taichou and Ise Nanao-fukutaichou. Kyouraku-taichou was standing there with his face buried in his hands. I couldn't tell if he was crying or not, but my vision quickly blurred with the flood of tears spilling over onto my cheek.

Instinctively, I reached for Hitsugaya. He put an arm around my waist and together, we walked to the altar. There were many 2nd Division members there. I'd noticed that Oumaeda-fukutaichou wasn't there among the mourners. Maybe he's being treated, I thought, hoping. Shifting my gaze to Soi Fon-taichou, I couldn't help but let out a small sob. We were never really close, but we both had one thing in common: a fondness of Yoruichi-san. Although her fondness seemed to be more of an obsession than anything else, it was still something we shared. Just as I began to wonder why Yoruichi wasn't here, the door of the ward burst open, and standing there was none other than the Queen of Flash Step herself. She seemed quite out of breath for someone who holds such a title, but nothing else seemed to matter to her right now other than one of her most beloved and trusted subordinates.

"Soi Fon!" Yoruichi was by her stand in less than the blink of an eye. Her eyes were wide, and there was nothing less than desperation on her face as she looked down at Soi Fon's body. Her pain was so apparent it seemed to be contagious. I felt the familiar constricting feeling in my heart and clutched at my chest, as if wishing I could rip the organ from my body to avoid feeling such pain and suffering. I bit my lip to hold back a sob. Tears were already trickling down my face and dripping down my chin. Hitsugaya raised a hand to wipe a few of them away. I noticed that his own eyes were hard set and empty. He was holding it in. I could tell.

"Yoruichi-sama, we know you're upset, but please, restrain yourself," one of the 4th Division members said, as politely as he could manage.

Falling to her knees, Yoruichi reached out and touched Soi Fon-taichou's face. She seemed to be unwilling to believe what was plain before her eyes. I couldn't stand to watch anymore. Burying my face in Hitsugaya's shoulder, I let the tears flow free. He stroked my hair and patted my back, doing anything possible to make me feel better.

Why? Why did it have to end up like this? I wondered, clutching at Hitsugaya's haori. As he murmured soft words of comfort into my ear, I began to realize something. This was war. And as much as I hated it, there was close to nothing I could do about it. People die in wars, no matter what the fables and fairytales say. There was no glory, no triumph, just hatred and bloodshed and pain. Thinking that all the 'good guys' would survive would the tantamount to saying that no one good ever dies. And that's just a childhood fantasy that parents feed to their children to protect them from the sorrows of the world. But I'm not a child anymore. There was no one here to tell me that 'everything will be alright' anymore. Although Hitsugaya was trying his best to fill that position, he's not my mother, or my father. True, I loved him, but he couldn't protect me from everything, however much he tries. I had to learn to accept these things. It's hard, yes, and I realize that, but I have to. There was no other choice.

I can't keep continue to believe that the comfort of someone's arms means that everything's ok, and that nothing can touch me. I can't, because that's not true. This was the truth of the world, and as harsh as it is, as much as I'd rather not believe it, I'd have to accept it. Simply and plainly, without any complaints. This was the truth.

"Toushirou..."

"Hai?"

"Can... I go and visit Ukitake-taichou and Rangiku-chan?" I asked, my face still in his shoulder, voice muffled by his clothes. He nodded and led me away from the altar and the room back out of the room full of the dead and their mourners. I lifted my head and wiped away the tears still clinging to my eyes and cheeks. How were they? Remembering the image of Ukitake-taichou as I last saw him wasn't entirely comforting. He'd been covered in blood then, and he didn't seem to be doing too well. I hope he's alright. Please don't let anything to have happened to him.

"How is Rangiku-chan?" I asked, as we approached her door. Hitsugaya was silent for a moment before he replied.

"Better."

And that was the last thing he said before he pushed open the door to her ward and led me inside. Matsumoto Rangiku was indeed doing better than I expected. She was sitting up in bed, a little bruised and bandaged of course, but she was smiling. It widened even more as she looked up to see me and Hitsugaya enter the room.

"Taichou! Mina-chan! You're awake!" she said. I let out a small laugh and hurried to her side, giving her a hug. She was so warm.

"Oh I was so worried! You were out for a whole week, you know?" she asked, letting go of me and inspecting me at arm's length. I nodded, smiling widely down at her.

"Yeah... how are you?" I asked, scanning over the numerous bandages along her face and neck. With a familiar surge of energy, my chest constricted, cutting off my breathing for a moment as I looked at one of my best friends in all of Seireitei, sitting here, hurt.

"Oh I'm perfectly fine!" she said, with an unconvincing smile. I lowered my eyes to my hands and shook my head.

"No, of course you're not. Look at you. I've never seen you in a worse state. Everyone... is so... hurt and there are so many that... died..." At this, the tears started again.

"Soi Fon-taichou and Nanao-fukutaichou. Kyouraku-taichou was so upset, and Yoruichi-san's... devastated. And...I have a feeling that this all has something to do with me. Even though I don't remember doing anything, I feel guilty when I look at the injured and the dead." I paused, sniffling. "Please... tell me what happened. I want to know. I can handle it... please..."

Hitsugaya put a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up at him. He had a morose expression on his face.

"Are you sure... you want to know?"

I nodded. I was positive. He heaved a sigh, sat down beside me and began to tell me everything that happened after I was kidnapped by the Espada. I sat there, in stunned silence as I found out how I'd been controlled and how I'd fought Hitsugaya when he finally found me. It seemed like what happened after the fight was too painful for him to say because he promptly stopped talking and didn't start again until Matsumoto nudged him with her foot. I looked at her confusedly, but she shook her head, signaling for me to be quiet for now.

"And that's it..." he finally finished. I frowned. Somehow, it didn't seem to connect. The Espada wanted my powers, I already knew that, but why would they want to destroy Soul Society? When I asked, Hitsugaya and Matsumoto exchanged knowing looks before Matsumoto nodded, egging him on.

"We think, actually, we know, that Aizen is after the King's Key. The key that unlocks the gate to where the King of Soul Society lives. Yes, there is a king," he answered before I could even ask. "Although the King doesn't seem to exist, he has sole power over all of Soul Society. We, as the Gotei 13, protect Soul Society under his orders. The location of this key is passed down verbally from one Soutaichou to another, and there is no written record of it anywhere in all of Soul Society. However, there are written records on how to create another key. Aizen is looking to create another key, so he can get into the King's realm, and possibly..."

"Murder the King," Matsumoto finished for him. She sounded more serious than I've ever heard her sound in all the time I've known her, and she looked no less serious than she sounded. The effect was quite frightening.

"And keep in mind. Mina-chan, that this is top secret information. The only other beings that know of it other than the Gotei 13 are Kurosaki-kun and his friends. So please... keep this to yourself. We're telling you because we think that you have something to do with it, and... because we trust you, and don't want you to get hurt," Matsumoto said. I nodded fervently.

"Not a word to anyone," I promised. Hitsugaya nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"So," I said, trying to get everything straightened out in my head "Aizen wanted me, so that he could use my powers to destroy Soul Society and get to the King?"

"No. We think, that Aizen was planning to use your powers to destroy Karakura Town. Because in the instructions on how to create a new key, it requires a place with a plentiful amount of souls with high spirit energy, but is small and compact. There seems to be no other place in the world, as of right now, that fit the description better than Karakura Town," Hitsugaya said. My breath hitched in my throat. Karakura town. The place where my friends and family still lived. Although I haven't seen them in a couple of years, they still meant more to me than I could ever say.

"No... no... I don't want them to die..." I said.

"Yes, we know, and neither do we. That's why all of were preparing for this war..." Hitsugaya said.

"... and I think... it's safe to say that... we've won... at least for now..." Matsumoto said. Hitsugaya nodded.

"Aizen isn't dead though, and neither is most of the Espada. Knowing them, they'll be planning their next move, even as we speak. That's why we have no time to waste. We've got to train harder than before, and make sure that next time... we take them all out..." there was such hatred and suffering in Hitsugaya's voice, and the look in his eyes... They were colder than ice.

Colder than I've ever seen them to be.

A/N: Yeah, sorry about that. I'm on vacay right now... in China, with a friend called Carmelle. XD Yeah. So if you want to find out about the updating, email ME, not KungFuNinja-Miko. XD Kay? She has other stuff to worry about.

OMG... 23 reviews? I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH. OH MY FREAKIN LORD... YOU PEOPLE ROCK MY WORLD. Here are the ones that made it happen:

KungFu Ninja-Miko , WinterVines , erina destiny, Naishou, I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010, Mai-x, Hikari6007, -Mistress Muguruma Miku-, HeadstrongNozomi, icedragon205, Aqua4, IkuXYori, CRdragonPyro, Sweet Nightmare's Good Byes, rikoxriko, Shina no Miko, Leopardstar, KurokamiHaruhi, Nameless Memory, MegNCastEo, Sexy-Midnight-Fox, NinjaLadyHinata, toughgal4u

There you are! I will LOVE you guys more if you review! Now GOOO NOWWW! And thanks to everyone who put me on Story Alert/Author Alert/Fav Story/Fav Author. XD Still, love you more if you review! GOOOO!