It was a number of days before Ukitake could return. Toshiro felt better now that he understood. Renji stayed with him most the time, they still wanted to limit his exposure to captains and other soul reapers. He kept his promise not to leave but practised Kido in the courtyard. At times he was able to coax Renji into telling him some tricks but mostly he was shocked to find he could perform most spells flawlessly.
"Its muscle memory." Renji declared one day.
"What?"
"You don't rememeber but your body does."
"Is Hyorinmary muscle memory?"
"No. More like spiritual memory."
"Oh."
"You still dreaming about him?"
"Yeah."
The two had a standoffish relationship. Toshiro didn't dislike him perse but he was extremely competitive, constantly wanting to show him up in his knowledge of the Soul Society or in his skill at Kido.
It was a relief for the tattooed captain when Ukitake returned. Toshiro was very happy though he only showed a shadow of his true feelings.
For a day everything had returned to normal, but it was not to last.
It was early morning when Toshiro shot up in bed in a cold sweat. He was not the only one. Every Sou Reaper felt the dark presence.
"Toshiro!" Ukitake was screaming his name even before he reached his room. He leapt from his bed but Ukitake didn't stop running. He grabbed the boy's wrist and they were hurtling from the manor to the main hall.
"What is it?" Toshiro cried.
"Aizen is here!" Ukitake said, his voice strained. They were almost to the great hall when an orange light followed by a blast of heat erupted from the building. The two fell back hard onto stone steps.
"What happened?" Toshiro said helping his teacher to his feet.
"Toshiro, whatever you do, you must not look at Aizen's sword in shikai form. His power is illusion. We are all compromised. That explosino was the head captain, the enemy must have already gotten to him. You and Kenpachi are the only ones who have a chance of escaping."
"What do you mean?"
"Even I will fall prey to his illusions. I can't trust anything. You two lost your memory. Hopefully that means Aizen's power over you was also lost."
Another blast rocked them and the walls of the great hall crumbled. The head captain was standing at the middle of a blaze, lashing out at whatever soul reapers happened to be near. He called them arrancars.
"Head Captain no!' Ukitake cried desperately but no use. The Head Captain looked straight at him and still lashed out. They dodged just in time. They flash stepped a few hundred metres away and still the blaze was hot.
"Its been a while Ukitake, did you miss me?" the voice came from immediately behind them. Ukitake spun and engaged the enemy. Their blades clashed furiously.
"Captain Ukitake!" Toshiro's voice reached him, he broke from Aizen long enough to glance back at the boy. He was starring at him in horror.
"Toshiro, what is it?"
"What are you doing?"
"Its Aizen, I must fight him. Run!" He cried, trading a few more blows.
"No!"
"Run!"
"Its not Aizen!"
"Toshiro you don't remember him, just get out of here."
"No, its not Aizen! Its Captain Kyoriku!" Ukitake's blade paused and the enemy's did too.
"I thought your were going to kill me." Aizen said, but his voice sounded for all the world like Shunshui.
"No..."
"He's a dangerous bastard." Shunsui shifted into focus. Ukitake let his sword drop.
"I'm sorry."
"Never mind that, looks like you were right. They aren't affected." They turned back to Toshiro who still looked horrified.
"Toshiro, thank you."
"We can't fight this." Toshiro said, his voice full of fear. "How can we fight this? How can we know we aren't killing our friends?" Both captains felt a cold pit in their stomachs. Kyoriku had never been able to erase the image of the boy's face after he's stabbed Momo, nor that terrible scream.
"You can Toshiro. You will know." Ukitake said.
"But he could be me. He could turn into me and you wouldn't know."
"Then leave us. He could turn us against you too."
"What a good idea." A chill voice floated to them. Toshiro whipped around and saw a man in a long white robe with brown slicked back hair.
"Toshiro, do you see him?" Ukitake whispered.
"Yes, a man all in white."
"Run now."
"I can't."
"You can."
"Its not who I am."
"Do you miss Hyorinmaru?" The man said staring down at Toshiro. His stomach knotted hearing him speak the name.
"Where is he?"
"Oh, so you do remember him? But not me?" He twisted the blade in his hand and Ukitake and Kyoriku suddenly tensed behind him, bearing their weapons. They were yelling a name, Byakuya, and telling him to stop attacking. They told him to release the boy. Toshiro turned and looked at their faces. With a deep sadness, he knew they did not see him but this imagined attacker.
"Don't hurt Toshiro." Ukitkae said. "Its Aizen's trick!"
"No, this is his trick!" Toshiro said but they couldn't hear. Shunshui dove. Toshiro dodged but the blade split into two twin ones at the last second and he didn't have time to avoid this new attack. One blade sliced through his upper forearm. He grit his teeth and barely dodged the second.
"It doesn't matter, Histugaya. I don't need to trick you, with the whole Soul Society under my influence one of them will kill you sooner or later. Its just too bad that you don't remember what you did to her...oh well." Aizen disappeared. Toshiro looked after him but in his distraction felt another slice across one shoulder blade.
"Dammit."
Like Hell he was going to stay behind in a fight. Kenpachi stood in the squad four barracks, still staring after the spot where Kyoriku and Unohana had disappeared. A young soul reaper at his side tried to get him to move to another room, but he was already marching out the door. He marched his way across each barrack, not knowing where he was going but somehow sensing it was the right direction.
She was waiting for him.
"I know its not yours, but it will have to do." She said presenting him with a long, razor-sharp sword. Her own pink handles katana was strapped to her side.
"What's going on?"
"Aizen's here. He's using his powers on the soul reapers. Our squad is fighting but I waited for you."
"What is his power?'
"He tricks people using his sword. Don't look at it if you see him."
"I don't know how to find him, I'm not very good at all this spiritual stuff."
"I can!" She proclaimed as if she'd been waiting for him to say something to that effect.
"Alright." He looked down at her for a moment before offering his hand to her. "Here."
She looked at his hand but didn't need it. With practised skill she leapt onto his shoulder. He barely felt her weight.
"Okay, first thing, we find Toshiro."
"No problem!" The little lieutenant cried joyfully. "That way!" She said pointing straight ahead.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I am!"
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