I own none of the content of bleach, that goes to Tite Kubo.

This chapter and a few more to come are all about the others, so no Ichigo for a while although he may appear in some. But you'll have to wait and see what Shiro has in store for him XD

Now shall commence: Their Last Moments

Akira and Kasumi, Flashback, before arriving at the cave

"We're lost aren't we Akira?" Kasumi asked annoyed. It was raining, they'd lost that captains and had also managed to lose themselves. Some help they were supposed to be, the man in the green cloak had barely given them directions before disappearing into the forest. He was strange though, his reiatsu was strange compared to other shinigami but Akira and Kasumi had both shrugged it off, too focused on helping Ichigo in any way they could.

"No we're not lost. We're just taking a detour." Akira joked but unfortunately Kasumi was in no mood for joking. But that was what you got when you'd been standing out in the pouring rain for god knows how long trying to follow soul reaper captains to a secret base.

"Taking a detour? You know we don't have time for that! Didn't you see Ichigo when we last saw him! He was practically a hollow!" Kasumi screamed at him as she began to chase him through the forest, her zanpakuto raised threateningly in the air.

"Okay, okay I admit it, hey watch it," Akira called as he ducked just in time to avoid her swing, "we're lost. But we'll find them don't worry, I still don't see how we can help him. You sure you want to go?"

"Yes." Kasumi nodded, "we have to help him. If we don't he'll turn into a mindless hollow and well Ichigo just can't turn into a hollow. I know we haven't spent much time with him but I know he'd do the same for us."

"I'm just worried about-" Akira was cut off as Kasumi punched him in the face, "What was that for?"

"For doubting him, it doesn't matter what but we have to go. And right now would be a good start!" Kasumis determination reflected in her eyes and Akira knew there would be no deterring her now.

"Well I'm glad to hear that," a familiar sing-song voice called through the trees to the pair, "you know your almost there just ten more minutes in that direction."

The man in the green coat appeared in front of them, his face covered by his forward tilting hat as he used his fan to point out the direction right behind them. They sighed as they realised that the spiritual pressure was so strong in that direction, they felt stupid for not realising it before.

"Thank you uhh," Kasumi tried to think of a name for him, "fan-sama. We'll be going now."

Akira sweat dropped while muttering, "Seriously that's all you could come up with Kasumi-chan?"

"Well sorry it's not up to your standards!" she pouted, "I'll prepare names in advance next time."

"Good luck you two," the fan appeared over his face as he turned to shunpo away. Akira thought he caught the stranger muttering, "You're going to die anyway." But he must have been mistaken and turned to shunpo in the direction he indicated. Then realised something else had caught his attention when the man had turned around. It had been black hair, just like the hair the other Oni had but his was shorter. Something wasn't adding up and Akira quickly shoved the suspicions to the back of his mind unable to hear the calls of his zanpakuto trying to tell him that he was right to be suspicious.

Akira and Kasumi, a short distance from Toshiros battle

It had taken more than 10 minutes for them to get there thanks to Kasumi wanting to stop and admire some rare flowers that sent shivers down Akira's spine. A Deadly Nightshade, the plant that hinted at the death and deception that were soon to unfold but the pieces were to connect to slowly in Akiras mind. He was too concerned about Kasumi and her well-being as the continued this apparently suicide mission. Akira knew better than to attempt to argue with her, his suspicions had no reasoning behind them due to them being just suspicions. Nether the less he could have a last try at deterring her from this foolish mission.

"You sure you want to do this?" Akira whispered to her as they debated how to sneak around the currently fighting Captain Histugaya.

She sighed, bored of the question he had been repeating to her since fan-sama had appeared again. "Yes I'm sure, we must be able to do something for Ichigo anyway it's too late to turn back now."

His silence was his agreement but was Ichigo really worth their deaths. He liked Ichigo even though they'd only meet him for a while but the guy seemed to have an air to him. One that caused people to gather around him. Because he had such pure intentions towards them, no matter whom they were or what their past was. But would Ichigo want them to put themselves in danger for his sake? The stories that he'd heard about Ichigo always contained parts where he refused to let people put their lives on the line.

It was too late now. They'd stepped into the lions den and could do nothing but spring whatever trap had been put in place. The caves darkness sealed their fate as it smothered Akira and Kasumi with the killer intent that bleached the air.

Akira and Kasumi, inside the cave, you can guess where

They were hiding behind the door. Ichigo was on the other side as was another captain but their spiritual pressure was barely detectable. Looking Kasumi in the eyes he realised something that he hadn't notice before; her eyes has a glaze over them, one that gave her the look of confidence but looking deeper he realised that she was crying out to him, she knew that this was wrong but he had failed to hear her cries and it was now too late. They both sucked in a gasp as something grabbed them.

They knew they had failed to help save Ichigo the moment they saw him. His pure white face was contorted with rage as his humanity slipped away, his eye turning to the same gold on black colour as the other.

Kasumi used her last dregs of life to try choke out a final plea, "Don't….angry…no…..hollow.."

She didn't want him to turn into a hollow even though it was already too late. All that was left in Ichigo now was a mindless creature intent on consuming souls.

Kasumi could feel her life fading away as could Akira. They both looked into each other's eyes for the final time as they relived the first time they had meet each other.

Kasumi had been alone. Always alone, for some unknown reason people avoided her and when she went up to others they would ignore her or kick her away. Back then she'd had a pitiful existence, but that was before Akira had discovered her. He despite others warnings had befriended Kasumi, he had become her first friend. Her only friend. That was probably why she wanted to protect Ichigo so much, she didn't want to lose one of the few friends she had. They'd first met by a riverbank, Kasumi had been attempting to catch fish all day. Akira had known, he'd visited the river in the morning and had returned the in the evening to catch some more food. She had been struggling and hadn't managed to catch a single one all day. Taking pity on the girl everyone avoided Akira had given her some of his cooked fish. They'd talked only briefly as she'd run off after quickly consuming her food, scrambling away like he was going to pelt her with rocks like all the others in the Rukongai. He watched her carefully that week and had seen how she acted, she lived up to the name of the Rukongai. She was a wondering soul. She had no purpose but in the end he'd given her one. After numerous attempts he'd persuaded her to join the Academy and they'd been friends since. He'd been in the year above her but it didn't seem to bother her, they had meet up whenever they could.

To this day Akira had never understood the fear others held for Kasumi, she was a loving person with hair that was a black as the night and eyes that sparkled and glowed as bright as the bluest sun (YEAH! there are blue suns :L didn't really believe it myself). The life in those eyes had no gone as had his, he was only sad that she'd never had a happier life but what was the point in dwelling on it now, they were both dead and gone. The screams and howls of Ichigo as a hollow would haunt them into their next life. The guilt that they had done this would forever be imprinted on their souls.

They'd had their last moments and now their time was up.

Next time it'll be Toshiro and the rock dude! Hope you liked this :)

Thanks for reading

Maybe to clear things up:

The guy they meet was never Urahara, even though Urahara isn't in the world of the living he is elsewhere, probably doing weird experiments. The guy they ran into was obviously a Oni, his ability was a physic one hence why Kasumis eyes were 'glazed over'. I know they're not really important main chars but I felt like creating a chapter that would end their story. As for the random Nightshade, omens help to make things flow along :L plus Kasumi loved flowers, had I not killed them off her zanpakuto would have had something to do with flowers.