Chapter 14

"EVERYONE, DON'T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN!!" A red head shouted at the top of his lungs over the howling winds of Hueco Mundo. "Just because we have been on relative good relations with those higher up, does not mean the lower Gillians will not attack us unprovoked."

"UNDERSTOOD!!" The search squad saluted and split up to search the surrounding radius of where Yumichika had been rescued for the other mentioned prison. Renji went north with a small group of fourth division members, shunpoing like a mad man through the never changing landscapes.

"OI RENJI!!!" a shout pierced the surrounding silence as a black blur intercepted the new captain along with face full of bright orange hair and a devil may care grin.

"Long time no see," Ichigo smirked.

"Kurosaki…" Renji sweat dropped before tackling the orange strawberry. "YOU NEVER CHANGE DO YOU?!"

"HEY!! RUKIA NEEDS THAT HEAD ATTACHED WHEN I GET BACK!!" Ichigo shouted, earning him a kick from Renji as Ichigo flaunted his love life once more.

"I don't need to know that." Renji smirked, giving the man an extra kick to the back, sending the substitute shinigami now official shinigami crashing into the sands. "But what I do need to know is what you are going here."

Ichigo spat out the grains before answering with a durh, you're an idiot face, "to help you look for him."

Renji choked.

"We're not looking for him, we're looking for another prison that may or may not be within the radius that Yumichika…," the red head trailed off at the name of the former 5th seat of the 11th division, eyes cast downwards, looking at him shadow as his hands clenched tighter against the hilt of Zambimaru.

"Yeah, I know." Ichigo stood, but not before tripping the now 6th division captain and having the sputtering red head land ungracefully on his rear. An argument ensued that ended in blows, but neither side meant anything serious. Ichigo was throw a few feet back and tied with a Kidou rope before a retaliatory blow could be landed.

"WTF!!" Ichigo struggled but could not break free. "You cheated."

"Captain's class makes you learn things you don't really care about in the first place. However, on the other hand, it can come in handy when there are idiots like you running around slinging you're reiatsu around like newly born soul."

"Actually," Ichigo shot the wave of reiatsu to break the bind letting a little more of it neck at the haori before laughing when Renji rolled his eyes. "I was wondering when you became as stuck up as…" The orange head trailed off as he watched the other's shoulder's tense visibly and a back with the six character faced him.

"Let's go and see if this thing is really out there."

"Ah." The two shinigami shunpoed off in silence.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Rukia." A soft chirpy voice with a hint of fatigue broke through the thoughts of a collapsed 13th division captain at her desk. A dark head shot up from a giant pile of paper, scattering them everywhere as a white face stained with bits of ink turn to look at the new visitor.

"Hinamori," Rukia smiled, blue eyes softening as she looked at her fellow in arms during the time they had been fighting to take over the captain positions. "What are you doing at the 12th division barracks?"

"Do I need a reason to visit a fellow captain, and let's not forget friend?" Hinamori smiled back, grabbing a seat and sitting herself across from the 12th division captain.

"No, I guess you don't." The girls giggled for a bit before resuming the easy conversation.

"How have you been doing?" Rukia asked, shoving the papers aside with a huff of annoyance, earning another giggle from the girl across the table.

"I've been well. The same as you when it comes to the paperwork going in and out but otherwise nothing much. Toshiro has been to visit me quite often. I've caught him randomly walking by to peak in only to stammer that he was looking for a document that was to be delivered and decided to take a detour."

"That's so sweet of him." Rukia laughed, picturing the 10th division captain's flustered and blushing face.

"It is isn't it." Hinamori sighed. "The worst excuse that he has ever come up with that he's dropped the chain to Hyourinmaru's hilt and was searching the bushes because he had fallen out of a tree. The one problem was, was that there were no trees near the bushes he was searching for."

The girls broken into peals of laughter while in the 10th division, Histugaya Toshiro sneezed over his tea. The laughter died as the two captains caught their breath and Hinamori looked out the window with a small smile.

"I'm glad that Ikkaku is back to his old self. The quiet nature of his being was getting eerie that I even heard Zaraki saying he'd hesitate to pound the crap out of the guy because he's leave him even more brain damaged."

"Things are back to normal from all the reports I'm getting about the 11th division members landing themselves in the 4th division from the new brutal training sessions."

"I'm glad Ayasegawa-san came back alright."

Rukia flinched slightly before looking down and replying, "Yeah."

"Rukia-san?" Hinamori looked over to see the glooming captain, fists clenching underneath the table.

"He's not alright though. But he still came back."

"Rukia-san." Hinamori reached out and clenched the small girl's shoulders, seeing them visibly tense.

"Ayasegawa-san is not alright. But he still came back." Rukia's breath was hitching.

"He'll come back."

"I don't care." Rukia whispered. "I don't care anymore."

"He'll come back. He always does."

"I don't care." Rukia collapsed sobbing. "I TOLD YOU THAT I DON'T CARE ANYMORE!!"

Hinamori wrapped herself around the sobbing girl, whispering into her ears with a small, sad smile on her face. "If Renji finds him, he'll come back."

"You're Nii-sama will come back."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

They were gone. They were finally gone. He was free. He was finally free. There was no more rattling. Finally, there was no more rattling. He could curl up now. Just curl up in his little dark corner, in a flimsy robe that burned all the wounded areas of his skin and smelled like eggs and mold. But he didn't care. They were gone. They were finally gone. He let his head fall onto his knees, balling himself up even tighter. It was quiet. It was dark. It was safe. He could let himself sink into oblivion. A peaceful oblivion where no one would be able to bother him. Forever, Forever, forever, just his little corner, his little peaceful corner.