Chapter Fourteen: Where is Matsumoto?
Momo . . . why? Toushiro thought as he finally came to after her attack. "Is everyone alright?" he asked looking amongst the rumble.
"We're fine", Renji said standing from the debris, clenching a now awoke and pissed Tatsuki in his arms.
"Some of us are fine, but others of us have a sore headache", she snapped at him.
"Oh come now honey, you're alive and that's all that matters", he kissed her deeply on the lips.
"Idiot. Now is not the time", she hit him on the arm, blushing.
"Okay", he grinned, pressing his forehead to hers. "But we will continue this later", he smirked as his hand slipped to her lower back and squeezed her butt.
"Renji!" she slapped him in the face.
"Totally worth it", he grinned then turned to Toushiro. "Well, I'm gonna head off. I need to make sure Tatsuki is okay. Send a hell butterfly if you need me", he said then shunpo-ed off with a very angry yet blushing girlfriend in his arms.
Toushiro was glad to see that Renji was okay and well enough to kid around with his girlfriend. He was also glad to see Tatsuki was okay, considering she had enough strength to beat up Renji, he knew they would be just fine.
Now he had to look for Kenpachi, Retsu and Rangiku.
"Hey, Kenpachi, Retsu, Rangiku, can you hear me?" he shouted.
"Over here", a girl with pink hair waved at him.
"Yachiru?" he questioned running over to her.
"Help", she cried. "Ken-chan is trapped down there with Mama and Byakushi can't get them out", she said, tears streaming down her face.
"Okay, don't worry, we'll get them out", he said trying to reassure the crying fukutaicho.
"Hitsugaya-taicho?" Byakuya looked at him quizzically.
"How are they? Are they . . ." he trailed off.
"We ain't dead you morons", Kenpachi yelled from underneath the debris. "We just can't get out from here", he stated.
"How's Mama?" Yachiru asked coming up beside Toushiro and Byakuya.
"I'm fine", Retsu said.
"Che, where's the love for me?" Kenpachi said sarcastically.
"Oh Ken-chan is always alright. Ken-chan can never die!" she cheered trying to hold back another wave of tears.
"That's my girl", Kenpachi chuckled.
"Don't worry, we won't let them die down there", Byakuya pulled Yachiru in for a hug.
"Hey Rich Boy, that still doesn't mean I won't kick your ass when I get out of here", he shouted.
"Be nice Ken-chan", Yachiru shouted back.
"Really Kenpachi, leave them alone. Or else", she scolded him.
"Okay", Kenpachi grunted in defeat.
Toushiro couldn't help but laugh. Kenpachi was beaten, and not by a zanpakuto but by his girlfriend. And Byakuya, he actually showed some emotion, but then again, Yachiru really was the only one who could ever bring it out of him.
A few minutes later, Ichigo returned with Rukia to check up on the damage along with Yamamoto-soutaicho and the other squad taichos, fukutaichos and other seated officers.
"Taicho", Yumichika called to his captain from above the debris. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"I ain't dead Feather Brow, I'm just trapped under all this rubble. And where the hell is Ikkaku?!" he bellowed.
"He's around here somewhere", Yumi answered the spike haired man.
"Well find him", Kenpachi barked.
"Kenpachi please, settle down", Retsu said calmly.
"I am calm!" he shouted.
"What's wrong taicho?" Ikkaku finally appeared.
"Oh Ken-chan, hang on", Yachiru cried.
"It will be alight Kenpachi. Just try to calm down", Retsu said patting his arm and hugging him.
"I don't wanna die. Not like this", he stated.
"I know", she said. "But the good thing is, at least you won't be dying alone. We can die together", she smiled weakly at him and then kissed him full on the lips.
Ichigo, Sajin-taicho, Shuuhei-fukutaicho, and all of squad eleven tugged on the strings tied around the rocks on top of Kenpachi and Retsu and began to pull.
"Can you see them?" Yachiru asked as Byakuya unsheathed his zanpakuto and cut the rocks into thousands of little rocks.
"No, not yet", he answered her.
"Pull harder you pansies", Ikkaku shouted.
Kenpachi chuckled at his third seat and how much alike they sounded.
"Don't worry Ken-chan, they're almost through", Yachiru informed them.
"Great. Just hurry up and get us out of here", Kenpachi shouted, sweat dripping from his brow.
"Kenpachi, dear, are you alright?" Retsu asked him.
"No", he said shakingly. "I hate enclosed spaces and I feel like there is no air in here", he said.
"Oh, I see", she realized. "You have claustrophobia", she informed him.
"Claso what?" he looked at her like she had two heads.
"Claustrophobia", she repeated. "It's the fear of being trapped in enclosed spaces", she informed him.
"Then that's what I have", he stated.
"Don't worry Kenpachi. They'll get us out", she said to him.
"Okay", he nodded.
"Hey", she grabbed his face in her hands. "Everything is going to be alright", she kissed his nose. "I promise".
"Okay", he said then added a quick smile.
"We're almost done taicho, just hang on", Ikkaku informed them.
"Okay Madarame-san", Retsu responded. "See they're almost done", she chirped at Kenpachi. "Kenpachi?" she shook his arm.
She noticed that there was blood dripping from his mouth and his hands were cold.
"Kenpachi!" she screamed.
"Unohana-taicho, what's wrong?" Yumichika asked the healer.
"Ken-chan?" Yachiru started to cry again.
"I think he's dead", Restu shouted back up to the group.
"Stand back everyone", Toushiro said as he summoned up his reiatsu and froze the rest of the remaining rocks, shattering them.
"Ken-chan!" Yachiru exclaimed as she jumped down in the hole and lifted Kenpachi on her shoulders. "Mama, is he really dead?" she looked to the braided healer.
"I don't know yet Yachiru. We'll need to take him back to my division for tests", she tried to remain calm but the tears wouldn't stop flowing.
"It's okay Mama. I'm sure he's not dead. Ken-chan can never die", Yachiru smiled weakly at the woman she called mama. "Byakushi, please help", she called to her lover.
(yes, Byakuya Kuchiki is Yachiru Kushjishi's lover! Deal with it)
Byakuya swooped down and took Kenpachi away from Yachiru lifted him on his shoulders.
Man he is heavy. How much does he weigh . . . a thousand tons?! Byakuya thought.
"It's okay Byakushi, I can carry him", Yachiru said trying to relieve Byakuya of her adopted father.
"No, I've got it", he assured her then shunpo-ed off, but much more slowly than usual.
"Come on Yachiru, we should follow him", Retsu said to the pink haired girl, still crying her eyes out but at least wearing a smile.
"Hitsugaya-taicho", a bald shinigami tapped him on the shoulder. "Me and Yumichika are gonna go make sure taicho is alright, okay?" he asked.
"Alright", Toushiro nodded, understanding how bad they wanted to check on their taicho.
Soon, Ichigo and Rukia left, saying they wanted to check up on Ukitake-taicho but would be back later to help.
He and the other captains, lieutenants and seated officers searched for what seemed like hours and there was still no sign of Rangiku.
Toushiro decided he would go head on to fourth division to check and see if someone had found her and brought her in.
"We're sorry Hitsugaya-taicho", Shunsui told him. "But me and Nanao have been here the longest and have yet seen any sign of her", he informed the worried white haired captain. "You could try Kotetsu-fukutaicho. Maybe she might know", he shrugged.
"Okay. Thank you", Toushiro nodded solemnly and turned in search of the silver haired lieutenant.
Well, Isane had no idea where his beloved bride was and Unohana-taicho was in too much of a shamble to even form a sentence other than 'Kenpachi please don't die'.
Toushiro felt bad for her. Kenpachi might be already dead and all her prayers will have been for nothing. But knowing him, he wouldn't leave without at least saying goodbye to her and Yachiru. If even to wake up long enough for that.
Ichigo and Rukia had been with Ukitake-taicho all day and thus did not even know that Rangiku had been missing.
Renji was tending to Tatsuki, who had sprung her ankle from Aizen's attack, while Renji had just suffered a few bruises on his wrists.
"Come on Tatsuki, you promised", he heard Renji plead with her.
"Oh alright", she caved, then you could hear the two of them making out.
Byakuya was holding a crying Yachiru and trying to consol her.
"It's alright Yachiru. I'm sure Kenpachi will not die. Knowing him, he's probably just saving up his strength so he can be at full power when he kicks Aizen's ass", he smiled at the pink haired shinigami.
"Y'think so?" she looked up at him with watery eyes.
"I know so", he leaned down and kissed her passionately.
Toushiro felt that this was all his fault. If he hadn't have married Rangiku; Kenpachi wouldn't be dying, Yachiru wouldn't be crying, along with Retsu; Ukitake-taicho wouldn't be badly wounded and Ichigo and Rukia wouldn't be so worried about their captain. Renji wouldn't have had to protect his girlfriend from Aizen and Nanao wouldn't have gotten hurt as well but most importantly, Rangiku would be safe and sound and out of harms way.
Then all of a sudden it hit him. Rangiku and why he couldn't find her.
Flashback . . .
"Momo no!" he screamed as she lifted her zanpakuto, but it had been too late. She had blasted them all away, severely injuring all that hew cared about.
"Please . . . don't do this Momo", he cried as she came near him and stomped on his weak and fragile hand.
"I told you she would ruin you Shiro-chan", she glared at him. "You should have listened to me", she sneered at him then flashed stepped right beside Aizen.
Toushiro eyes went wide as he saw his beloved bride in the arms of the traitorous Aizen.
"Momo . . why?" he breathed one last time before his world went black.
Toushiro now knew where he needed to go and who he needed to go see.
He knew Momo was his childhood but what she did was unforgivable.
Momo had stolen the woman he loved and handed her over to the devil. Toushiro would not have that.
He was going to save his love even if it meant killing an old childhood friend. Just as Rangiku had done for him with Gin.
It was time to destroy Aizen and get back the woman he loved.
So, what did you think? This is kind of a transition chapter before the big showdown with Aizen and Momo. Who will prevail . . . true love or pure evil? You will have to read on to find out. I hope this update is fast enough for you nii-san. See, I can be nice and not keep you waiting. Although next time, you may not be so lucky. Please review and send comments.