Half a day just half a day - if they could survive it. He would have to strive very hard to make them survive somehow… His mind turned to cool gray eyes and he promised he would get home…
He felt a shiver go along the zanpakuto mark upon his back. When he inquired as to what happened, the spirit of his blade was not entirely certain himself. "For a moment it was as if that baboon and snake were here… but it was gone so fleetingly…" Senbonzakura explained.
Dare he hope that Renji was alive? Or was the connection now so deep that his own longing was being transferred to his zanpakuto? While he knew that he and Renji could hear each other's sword spirits and while it had had some interesting results, no one could tell them how strong that connection was or really anything of use about it. It seemed to be a very odd occurrence indeed.
"I worry for our companion as well. But for some reason I do not believe that he is dead…" Senbonzakura offers.
"I hope your instinct is correct."
"As do I." The spirit said with a soft sigh before returning back into the silence of Byakuya's inner world… The Captain returned to his work… One thought lingering in his mind… ~Return to me Renji.~
Renji felt his markings pulse for a moment with a faint but intimately familiar energy… and it bolstered his flagging spirit… He had to keep his spirits high for the sake of the squad he'd been leading through this madness… He wasn't sure why, but he felt for a moment that he could almost sense his husband's energy. That cool, cherry blossom scented ripple of power and precision… it had flickered through his zanpakuto markings for only a heartbeat but he had felt it.
He was brought out of his mental revelry by a now all too familiar sound - the roar of Hollow. "Positions people… we've got trouble coming." He called out. The rag tag and weary group put their backs together and formed a circle so they could best protect themselves from any direction. Once they knew from whence the attack was coming they would shift accordingly. They could probably do this part in their sleep now they'd been forced to repeat it so many times since coming to Hueco Mundo.
The battle raged. He didn't know what class these things were anymore. They were so tired, their strength taxed so deeply that these could be the most basic Hollow and they'd probably be having just as much trouble. Two more fell a young man named Sanosuke Keishi and a woman named Hana Aikio. Rikichi was wounded again and the last of their healing supplies were now gone. Even Renji had a few cuts and scrapes but his seemed minor compared to those his squad bore...
He ripped pieces off of his kosode and turned it into makeshift bandages... His cloak was still fairly well in tact so that would have to suffice for now. Rikichi protested. "Don't start. We need bandages and my cloak is still mostly in tact s' don't argue." Came his gruff retort. By the time he was finished, he no longer had a kosode, but all the wounds that needed it had been bandaged and the even had some left over.
"Everyone squared away?" Renji asked, looking over his squad. They looked a lot worse for wear. He could already feel the exhaustion creeping in, pushing the adrenaline out of the way. He looked at the map, the screen was cracked but thankfully it was still working. "Lets move. I don't know about you but the sooner we get back to Seiretei the better." He says in a tone that's just starting to belie his true state of exhaustion.
The group hobbled along. Huddled together as much for the support of the injured as for protection. Renji led them, just a little ahead of the pack, his own gait hampered by the pain of his injuries and deep seated fatigue. ~ You need to rest, all of you do or you are not going to make the garganta.~ A familiar, sibilant hiss echoed..
"Can't stop, if we stop now, we'll never get moving again..." Renji answered his spirit's nudging.
~Your squad is about to collapse... and so are you. Now is not the time to be stubborn.~ The nue protested.
"Now is exactly the time to be stubborn... got to get them to the garganta Uruhara has set up. Can't stop till we reach it. Have to reach it Zabimaru... we're stretched too thin as it is... if we stop now, every last one of us is gonna snap and ain't a one of us gonna make it. Do what you can Zabimaru, talk to their zanpakuto... we need you with us to make this last leg of the journey. Lost too much already... not gonna lose anymore." Renji's mental voice was tired... But both the baboon and snake nodded and moved off.
He hoped that it would help. He didn't know what they would be able to accomplish but if the spirits could some how bolster the flagging reserves anything might help. Since Zabimaru was already acquainted with speaking with Senbonzakura and all of the zanpakuto spirits seemed to be able to communicate with each other... they may not like to, but they were at least capable. He just hoped it would do something. Personally, he felt ready to drop already.