Chapter 7

There were so many of them, swarming together like some sort of disgusting black mass. In the middle of it all, was the one person he had been looking for.

"KUCHIKI TAICHO!!" Renji shouted. Those grey eyes widened for a split second in surprise before disappearing in a blur as the next hollow was cut down.

"FINALLY!!" Ikkaku shouted as he hopped down, followed by Yumichika.

"Let's go," Rukia and Ichigo hopped down as well.

"ZAMBIMARU!!" The snake tail blasted through a wall of surrounding blackness, reaching for the white captain in the middle of it all.

Everything was chaos. Ichigo has released his own bankai and was slicing through a fair share. Yumichika and Ikkaku were fighting back to back for the moment though from the looks of things, it was more of Ikkaku hogging everything leaving Yumichika with a distasteful grimace on his face.

Another Hollow fell to his blade when he realized that they weren't even trying to fight him. Renji looked around and realized that he was being separated from the rest of the group. Looking behind him, he could see that his Taicho was still engaged in fierce fighting with the circle around him.

"KUCHIKI-TAICHO!!" Renji shouted. A large hollow appeared behind his captain and smashed his fist down on the unsuspecting captain.

Clawing with every last bit of energy left, the figure tried to rise but was forced into the dirt once more as a foot stamped down hard onto his back.

"Damn it," Renji gripped his head. "Not now. I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOU RIGHT NOW!!" Zambimaru ripped through the offended crowd, tearing the large one off as he launched himself into the center with his captain.

"Abarai," Byakuya struggled to his feet, back pressing against that of the younger man. "You're mission was not yet complete."

"SHUT UP!" Renji glowered at the man behind him. "What type of game are you playing at? Sending five of us there for NOTHING! There was nothing there TAICHO!!"

Another hollow fell as the cold words froze the subordinate over. "Remember your place."

Renji lowered his sword.

"My place," the red head whispered. Byakuya froze in place before being whirled around by the grip of two strong hands. He was face to face with a very anger vice captain.

"MY PLACE!! MY PLACE IS BY YOUR SIDE ALWAYS!!"

"Renji," grey eyes softened. A huge hollow appeared behind Renji, causing both parties eyes to widen. There was no time for them to dodge.

"I'm sorry." The blow landed.

"RENJI!!"

"NII-SAMA!!"

All the hollows froze as the dust began to settle. Four pairs of eyes stared in shock at the scene before them.

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It was wet, of course it was wet. Everything inside of him, no matter how he made it look on the outside, everything on the inside of him was still soft. There was a bitter taste in his mouth now, though that wasn't surprising. The thing that surprised him was why he was in this situation in the first place. All his pains, all of his past, all of his dignity, laid bare because of one person. At least he could say that he was the one on top, though at this moment, that the position that no one wanted to be in. His wide eyes of shock and horror made this situation even more peaceful. He wanted to kiss him, wanted to lean down and tell him that everything was going to be alright. But everything wasn't. It was never going to be. That was confirmed with a golden light shot down from the sky and consumed him, lifting him away from the one he had finally been able to trust.

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There was blood running down his face. Brown eyes blinked up, wide eyed in horror.

"Kuchiki-Taicho…" he stuttered. His captain was standing a top of him, hollow teeth sunk deep into his shoulder, blood dripping form the wound, staining his white haori red with its presence. This scene was so wrong, in every single aspect.

"You…shouldn't have…let your guard down…Renji," Byakuya choked out. Another stroke of the sword and the hollow was gone.

"NO!" Renji grabbed the captain as before he could hit the ground. Brown met grey and the communication was endless. So much was exchanged and yet so much was still there to be asked.

"I'm sorry." Byakuya whispered.

"I SHOULD BE SORRY TAICHO!! I'm your fukutaicho, I should be the one protecting you."

"Good bye Renji."

"What?" A pale hand shoved the vice captain away right when a golden light crashed down, consuming his captain and lifting his limp body into the air.

"It's finished." The finality of those words, sealed the fate of the sixth division captain.

"No." The Hollows were disappearing one by one, leaving the entire happening open to the group's eyes.

"Nii-sama," Renji heard Rukia squeak. "NII-SAMA!!" The girl ran for the light but was held back by Ichigo. Renji could only watch breathlessly. His heart was being torn into so many segments and pieces that there was nothing that he could say.

The only thing he finally managed was a whispered, "Why?"

Grey eyes looked back at the small force of five with a final cold stare before the Garganta opened, and Kuchiki Byakuya was lost to the sands of the Hueco Mundo.

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"Finally," the smooth voice chuckled.

"FINALLY, FINALLY!!" a chorus of giggles and laughter echoed from the shadows.

"Shall I go pick him up?" the snake hissed, chuckling in its cruel tone.

"Let him make his own way." A flurry of white robes indicated the exit of the main character. "After all, our greeter will never be too far away."

In the dunes of the Hueco Mundo, green eyes stared into the white swirling particles, watching unblinkingly, the new pale figure that had just collapsed within its midst.