NO. I don't own Bleach. But oh, if I did…

NOTES: 'reiatsu' means spiritual power

Hehe. Don't hate me for this chapter please! Let me know what you think.

Demons Within

Unohana gave into his gaze but never looked away. She stared gently at him for a moment, then closed her eyes and nodded.
As Hitsugaya turned to leave the Fourth Division office, it happened again. The initial sound was quiet and distant. He paused, trying to identify it against the noticeable silence of the office.
There it is again. It was a gravelly rasp of a sound.
What was that? Again. It was that voice again. It couldn't possibly be coming from… He could discern words. A low moaning that quickly escalated into-
Someone was screaming.

"….nnnuhh…no…don't, please…iya…aaa…aaaAAAAAAAAAAAAIZEN TAICHOU!"

A wave of panic rushed through him. That voice again. It just can't be…it…It's not human.
Something splintered inside him. Through gritted teeth, seething in rage, he lost control. Wrenching the door open, he tore down the hallway to Hinamori's room. The attendants present merely glanced at him as they desperately tried to calm her, giving one injection after another. Hitsugaya gaped in horror at what he saw. Hinamori was there…sure it was her…but it wasn't. He couldn't watch, but he couldn't look away. The poor vice-captain lay screaming in terror and agony, thrashing violently on the bed, caught up in a never-ending nightmare…only it wasn't a nightmare. To her, it was reality…a horrible repeating reality. Wasn't that what Unohana had said? Whether or not that was the case, it was all because of that man.

The anger cleared his head. He found himself again as her screams died down to moans. A sweat had broken out on her twisted face. Though her eyes were closed, he could feel her pain, but he could not take it away. He staggered slowly into the room. The flustered fourth division aides finished what more they could do for her and scurried out the door.

"Nooo…stop…nnnuhhh….Hitsugaya-kun……rr…RUN!…please…no…noooooo…"
Still moaning, the poor girl cried.
"I'm sorry! Come back...I'm sorry….I'm sorr..y….I..m….sor….ry…."
Her voice trailed away with a whimper.

Hitsugaya almost tripped over himself as he rushed to her side and took her hand.
"I'm here…shhh…I'm here. It's ok, Hinamori. None of that is real. Open your eyes. I'm right here!"

A dull ache began in his chest, and with every whimper that escaped her lips the pain intensified. He laid a gentle hand on her tear-stained cheek, looking for some sign that she could feel him there.
"…Hinamori...?"
Finding none, he looked desperately at Unohana who had followed him down the hall and was standing in the doorway. "Unohana-taichou, what can I do for her? How can I make this stop?"

"Right now, she is lost inside an illusion…suffering, reliving his horrors. If she gives into that despair, I'm afraid there will be no hope for her."

This was madness. No hope? Isn't there anything we can do! His incredulous expression transformed into one of reckless despair.
"But there has to be something you can do!" He squeezed the poor girl's hand.

"Well…there isn't much more I can do for her…but you, Hitsugaya-taichou. I asked you here because you might…"

He jumped at this. Something I can do? Please…let it be enough.
"What? What can I do…please."

The Fourth Division captain wasted no time, "There exists a technique called 'soul binding' and it is used in situations like this where a mind is irretrievable or unable to awaken itself. 'Soul binding' is when two souls are joined as one for a brief period of time. However, this can only be accomplished between souls with a very strong emotional bond, which is why I don't think there is anyone but you who will be able to help her."

The small captain's face hardened in determination.
"What do I have to do?"

"The success of this technique first depends on whether or not we can establish a connection between you. It is a difficult process, one which requires precision and skill in controlling reiatsu from both sides; I will have to work for Hinamori, and you will have to do your part.

"Once you are joined, the rest will depend on you. Her mind is imprisoned. It is up to you to find and free her. If you can do that before I must separate you again, she will have a chance. If not, and despair overwhelms her, she may be lost to us forever."

No reaction crossed his stony expression. There was no hint of apprehension or doubt.
"I understand."

"I must warn you, Hitsugaya-taichou. This procedure has risks. It is dangerous to join souls for more than a certain amount of time. If you fail to awaken her mind and release it from its prison, and you are not separated in time, you could be trapped along with her, and there will be no hope for either of you. Because your souls will be as one, you will feel everything she feels, see everything she sees. You will be inside her world. That means there is also the possibility that you could become imprisoned in the illusion as she is."

He thought on this for a moment. It didn't matter what the risk was. He had to do something. Anything is better than watching this…the risk is sitting here and doing nothing! At least, if I have a chance to bring her back…that's…better than this.
"I have to try. There's no other way."

"There is…but I feel I should tell you, it may be the most dangerous of all. If you defeat Aizen Sousuke and destroy his zanpakutou, the illusion will be broken. However, the time needed to locate his whereabouts and form a strategy to defeat him may be too great. Hinamori fuku-taichou may not have that time. I propose you consider the procedure I have suggested. I am certain that your relationship with her is strong enough to give you an advantage."

…No sooner had she finished speaking than the girl's eyes flashed open. Unohana started. Hitsugaya immediately noticed the distress on the usually calm face and followed her gaze to see for himself. It was indescribable, the fear that struck him, for at that moment he was seized by the eyes of a creature he could not recognize. He sat gaping, dumb, and unmoving…unable to move.

The eyes which stared back at him never moved…never blinked. They were dead, but at the same time so terror- and grief-stricken one could hardly believe they once belonged to a shy yet bubbly and innocent girl.

Her eyes… They were auburn, the same charming golden brown of chestnuts in autumn. They used to sparkle when she smiled, giving everything away… This isn't her. It can't be her.

The breathing began. It came in short gasps from a tiny whisper, gradually getting sharper. The eyes rolled slowly up, up…until there was only white, the bloodshot more pronounced. They finally fluttered closed as her expression constricted and her mouth opened in a silent cry. The poor girl's head jerked once as she uttered something unintelligible.
Then…she started screaming.

Her chest heaved as words flew from her mouth. Her breath came in deep gulps. If there was ever any question as to what sort of scenes played in her mind, she now made the entire division headquarters aware of it. She pulled her hair and curled into a ball on the bed, weeping. After a moment of silence, Hitsugaya risked a hand on her forehead. He brushed away the matted hair, hoping to calm her down. She recoiled and screamed in protest. Her hands clawed at her temples in what appeared to be an attempt to extract the haunting images from her head.

My god…What the HELL is going ON! Hitsugaya hesitated only a second before interfering.
"She's really going to hurt herself!"
He pried her claws away. She didn't thrash about, but resisted as best she could against his strong grip. He couldn't look at her face. It wasn't her, and he knew she couldn't have known what she was doing. Her eyes were closed – well…almost. Flashes of white could still be seen underneath the flutter of her lashes.

Such screaming…garbled words and that name over and over again in such an unnatural voice, pushed Hitsugaya to the edge of sanity. He forced himself to look at her face, to try to remind himself that it really was her. It wasn't easy. How can this be happening…
The aides rushed into the room at the sound of all the commotion and on Unohana's orders, the girl was strapped into restraints.

"I am sorry, Hitsugaya-taichou. She has never done anything like this before now." This was the first time he had ever seen the Fourth Division captain so disturbed by anything.

He looked once more into the face of the unknown creature. She was still crying, moaning nonsense now.
This has to stop. Now.
There's no time to track down that bastard who did this to you. But I swear someday I'll make him pay for this…
The pain of regret and frustration mixed with his anger and stung his weary eyes.
I swore to keep you safe. If there's a chance I could possibly take away your pain, or even absorb some of it myself…
No matter the risk…
I have to try. It's the only way.

So be it. "Unohana-taichou…please make whatever preparations you need at once. I will bring her back tonight…at any cost."
His eyes still surveyed the anguished face. Her features gradually relaxed, and she was at peace once again. Hitsugaya's resolve had never burned as brightly as it did at that moment. He softly brushed the hair out of her face and the Hinamori he used to know emerged once again.

Hinamori…I'm coming…