They found Aizen easily. For a moment they stood in shock, watching soul reapers hack at one another– master against student, captain against captain, friend against friend. And at the heart of it, unseen by them all, was Aizen.
"How does he do it?"
"His zampakuto. Something Captain Ukitake called shikai....as long as we don't see his shikai, it won't effect us."
"Then let's not give him the chance." They made their move. Kenpachi ran as fast as he could and Toshiro timed his flash step to arrive in the same instant. Aizen may not have had his power over them, but he was still a skilled warrior. He shot some sort of Hado at Kenpachi and engaged Toshiro with his sword. His strength reverberated through Haineko.
Toshiro saw Kenpachi fall back but he could not spare his attention.
"This is not your blade, Toshiro. I see your lieutenant is as loyal as ever." Aizen pushed him back and they traded blow for blow. "You haven't been idle in the past ten years I see." Toshiro maintained his silence. He hated those eyes, that smile– even if he didn't remember him. There was a grunt behind them and Kenpachi was back in the fight. His sword swung a little too close to Aizen and the traitor leapt free from the two.
"You are a dangerous pair. But you forget, I have the whole Soul Society at my command. You are out numbered."
He shot in to the air. Seconds later the ground trembled and a massive form loomed above them. Beneath it was a soul reaper captain, his face that of a fox.
"He's mine!" Kenpachi roared without questioning what he saw. Tosrhio let him go, another enemy was approaching. It was the dark haired man from earlier with the thousands of rose coloured blades. His scarf and Hiori were gone, is arms covered in black butterflies. Toshiro didn't understand but there was no time to question.
"You will die here and now, Gin Ichimaru." Toshiro didn't even bother trying to reason with him. He knew it was impossible. The shards hailed down on Toshiro. He tried to out run them but their master was better at flashstep than he. Byakuya intercepted him and slammed him to the ground while the fragments reformed into his blade.
"Goodbye, Gin."
"Wait," the boy gasped. He thought it was over then the earth trembled and he his attacker fell back. The massive shape Kenpachi had been fighting fell to earth and disappeared, the fox-faced captain falling to his knees. When the dust settled, Kenpachi was standing above Toshiro and his attacker.
"Need a hand?" He engaged Byakuya. Again the pink shards burst forth. Zaraki held his ground, Toshiro leapt to his shoulder. "What now?"
"Keep his attention, when he throws the blades your way, I'll strike."
"Okay."
They came like a tidal wave, Kenpachi stood his ground and Toshiro dove through their midst. Even with flash step the shards were fast. The path he raced through narrowed and he felt them tearing at his skin, a thousand invisible edges trying to tear him apart. He felt Kenpachi increase his spiritual pressure and then he was through. Byakuya had been blinded by his own power, his eyes widened at the last second but there was no time to recall his weapon. Toshiro stabbed him through the shoulder with Haineko. It was enough. He withdrew the blade and the man fell unconscious.
"Byakuya!" A girl with dark hair came running at Toshiro. "Ichimaru!" She screamed. But she did not charge him right away. She fell at the man's side, whom she called brother, applying pressure to his wound.
Toshrio turned away. Kepachi had sustained some injuries from the fight as well. Both felt hot blood tracing down their arms.
"Damn. He was a dangerous one." Kenpachi said when he reached his friend.
"No kidding."
"And her?"
"Hopefully, she won't attack."
"Rukia!" It was Renji, followed by Rangiku. Toshiro felt Hyroinmaru's presence at once.
"Rangiku, no, you have to stay away!"
"Gin!" She cried seeing him, but did not attack. It seemed she was afraid after what happened before. Rukia stood. Renji looked at her.
"Is he..."
"No, brother is still alive but he needs help."
"Take care of him, we'll handle this one."
"Kenpachi," Toshiro leapt back to his companion's shoulder. "That's Hyorinmaru. I'm going to try to freeze her with a kido but I can't let that sword touch me."
"Got it."
Toshiro stood straight, his balance perfected from much practice on the hulking shoulders. From here he had a perfect shot. He began the incantation for the binding spell. Renji dove forward but Zaraki countered. Toshiro finished, Rangiku was waiting for an opening, she didn't even seem to see him. He got off the shot and she fell with gold chains wrapped around her. Rukia jumped to her side.
"Where did that come from?" She cried.
"What did you do?" Renji demanded of Kenpachi. It took the two a moment to realize what happened.
"They can't see me." Toshiro said crouching back down to Zaraki's ear.
"How?'
"Think about it. Everyone so far has called me Gin–"
"And that fox guy calle me Aizen."
"Right! Aizen must have made a sort of generic illusion, it's the only way he could be controlling this many people."
"So what? That doesn't explain why they can't see you."
"Think about where I am. Now picture Gin and Aizen. He couldn't stand on his shoulder, it wouldn't make sense, so their brains have sort of defaulted. Now they just see one person, Aizen."
"Then you better hit them with that kido while you can."
"Right." Rukia had almost undone Rangiku's ties. Toshiro shot her first, then Renji. The moment of success did not last long.
"You ruined the fun." Aizen floated back to earth. "But oh wait, someone is coming. A very special guest."
A young girl with black hair wrapped under a white bonnet approached the scene. She first looked to the soul reapers bound on the ground, then to Aizen, her eyes never falling on Toshiro or Kenpachi.
"She can't see you." Aizen hissed to answer their question.
"Who is she?" Toshiro asked feeling his heart quicken.
"H-head Captain?" the girl murmured. He sword was still sheathed, her body untouched by the battle. "Is that really you?"
"Yes Momo." Aizen said, smiling.
"No!" Toshiro screamed but he was rooted by his emotions, he didn't know why he felt so strongly about this girl.
"What happened?"
"They were attacking each other, I had to restrain them."
"Captain Kutchki is badly wounded."
"Yes, but he will be okay." She hovered between him and the bodies, not knowing whom she should approach.
"Are you alright? You seem to have escaped harm."
"I'm sorry sir, but I can't fight. Its not that I believe in Aizen any more, its just, well, its like everyone has forgotten what happened." her hands clasped over her stomach as if some ancient pain affected her. "How can I fight anyone, even if they look exactly like him, knowing it could all be an illusion? But everyone has sort of..."
"Forgotten about that?"
"Yes..."
"Everyone except you?"
Her hands clenched even tighter over the spot.
"Yes."
"Because of what happened. Because of what Toshiro did?"
Her face darkened. "Yes." she choked. Toshiro's stomach knotted, he leapt from Kenpachi's shoulder.
"What are you doing kid?"
He knew what Aizen was doing but he couldn't help fall prey. He took a few paces closer and listened with bated breath.
"He hurt you so badly, you, his oldest friend. He did to you exactly what Aizen did barely a year earlier. He betrayed you and he nearly killed you."
The cold feeling in Toshiro's stomach was spreading. He stared at the girl, his heart racing. But the girl's face was changing.
"No. No Toshrio didn't mean it."
"You thought that about Aizen too, remember?"
"Sir, why would you want me to think that?"
"You have to face the truth, if you'd done that all along maybe you could have stopped all of this! If you'd known the men you loved were traitors how many lives could have been spared?"
"No! Shiro didn't mean it! He didn't mean it!" She cried hysterically. Toshiro was shaking with anger, and panic. Something was welling up inside him, ready to burst.
"Yes he did! He knew Aizen's power and still he swung that blade!"
"No!!!" she looked up and this time there was fire in her eyes, no tears. She reached for her sword hilt. Aizen already had his, she couldn't see, but she knew.
"You are not the Head Captain!"
"No, Momo, I'm not."
"Die Aizen!" The small girl charged. She would never win. Toshiro leapt forward swinging Haineko. Aizen knocked him aside first, then the girl, then met the force of Kenpachi's blade. He was fast– faster than Toshiro ever imagined he could be. He landed with a thud, inches from the girl. She didn't look at him but saw Kenpachi.
"Captain Zaraki?" Her voice was quiet but then her eyes lit up. "Then that must mean..." she scanned the area but did not see who she was looking for. For a moment, her eyes landed on him, he wanted her to see, but then they kept moving. "Toshiro...where are you?"
"I'm here."
But she never heard. Suddenly enraged, Toshiro jumped into the fight again. He and Kenpachi took their old tag team positions, back to back, though never in their lives had they had to use this technique against a single foe. Now it was the only way to fight that speed.
They were definitely on the defence. If one fell, the other would be exposed and go down too. It was the ultimate trust and their greatest strength. Kenpachi eventually got a bone shattering blow to Aizen's shoulder and soon after Toshiro got one to his leg.
For a split second Toshiro looked at the blood on Heineko's blade then Rangiku's bound form. He'd kept his promise.
"Time to end this game." Aizen said, panting. He held out his sword and Toshiro realized what he was about to do.
"Kenpachi don't look!" They turned away. Toshiro would have flash stepped but he would have left Kenpachi exposed and alone. A second later, he felt the blade rake across his back, tearing away Rangiku's bandgae and he fell to this hands and knees. Zaraki grunted beside him but did not fall. He heard the clashing of blades and knew Kenpachi had succeeded in engaging him again. Momo was hovering, unsure of herself.
Toshiro began to feel a heat. He saw the orange haze on the horizon and knew the real Head Captain was getting closer. Soon he saw black soot where everything in his path turned to ash. If he got much closed, Renji, Rangiku and the others would be burned up, and mabe he and Kenpachi too. It might be worth it if Aizen died, but then, he technically wouldn't win the fight, and that was just unacceptable.
Toshiro grit his teeth and pushed himself back up. This had to end now. Kenpachi now had several deep wounds, unable to counter the speed. Toshiro flash stepped in time to counter another blow at his friend's back and Kenpachi swung at just the right moment to get a good cut across Aizen's chest. He stumbled and Kenpachi struck with the other hand, smashing his calloused knuckles into that flawless face. Aizen sputtered blood. They heard a faint cry from behind them.
Toshiro turned, the girl was fine, but she was staring straight at him. Aizen's concentration had failed, she could now see him.
"T-Toshiro."
"I was trying to save him as a surprise." Aizen said, wiping the blood from his mouth. "I thought maybe I could give you a little revenge, make him look like me, have you stab him for a change, but when you said you wouldn't fight anyone, you ruined my plans." she couldn't respond, her eyes where fixed intently on Toshiro.
He felt that sensation in his gut again, he lost his focus.
"Kid!" Aizen's blade drove into his shoulder, he dropped Haineko and fell to his knees. Kenpachi kicked the enemy back, the sword jerking free of the boy's shoulder and spilling blood. There was no time for him to be concerned for his comrade, he kept hammering down on Aizen.
"Toshiro!" Momo cried, running to his side. The heat at their back was intensifying. The girl put pressure on his wound and he cried out.
"We have to stop him now!" he said through his grimace, feeling the sweat on the back of his neck.
"Captain Zaraki can do it."
"Not alone." He stood, supported by her. He clenched Haineko in his other hand and flash stepped forward. The battle would be determined in the next few seconds. All three were badly wounded now, Aizen was getting desperate. His illusion may have failed on Momo but clearly the Head Captain was still under his influence. Toshiro glanced back and saw Momo above the others, perhaps freeing them or attempting to protect them from the flames.
He couldn't spare the attention, Aizen's attacks were fierce. He blocked a hard blow and staggered. Aizen took the moment of weakness and struck him with the but of his sword. His jaw cracked, a tooth came lose and black spots danced before his eyes. He heard Aizen muffle a cry and knew Kenpachi got in a good strike but a second later he felt the ground shake and Kenpachi was beside him.
Toshiro rolled and countered Aizen's descending sword just in time. Aizen pressed down hard and Haineko sank lower and lower. Kenpachi swung forward. Aizen didn't counter, he smoothly disengaged from Toshiro and stabbed out. Kenpachi absorbed the blow as if he'd intended it. Aizen's zampakuto was deep inside his torso and he held it there, his own blade still pushing its way deeper into Aizen's stomach. Aizen gaped.
"Bastard..." he choked, blood trickling out his mouth. He raised his other hand and pointed it straight at Kenpachi's face.
"Hado Thirty–" Haineko sliced across his palm. The spell rebounded, sending both him and Toshiro flying.
Aizen slid free of Kenpachi's blade and his own ripped out the giant's side, sending him to earth. Toshiro felt out but had dropped Haineko next to Kenpachi. Aizen smiled at him, crazed. The flames were now visible and they didn't just come from one direction, they were everywhere, surrounding them and slowly closing in on them. But Now Aizen staggered up and hovered over Toshiro.
"Time for me to make my exit, but before I go, I must make sure you can never bother me again."
Toshiro had nothing. His head was still spinning, he had no sword and he no time for Kido. Aizen lifted his sword.
"You're wide open, Soske Aizen." Toshiro could only see Aizen's stricken face and arm frozen upward, the rest of him was blocked by the black robes and white bonnet of Momo Hinamori.
The girl withdrew her sword from Aizen's heart with a cruel twist that did not suit her gentle nature. He dropped, gasping. His eyes met Toshiro's and he laughed.
"Can you believe it was her? After everything it was her? Oh well, you'll both be going with me..."
It was too late. The all-consuming flames were upon them.
"Toshiro." Momo said and for the first time he noticed the second blade in her arms. Hyorinmaru.
"You are the only one who has the power to stop the Head Captian."
"I don't understand."
"You will as soon as you take up this sword." he felt his hair begin to singe.
"Okay." he reached for it but she withdrew for a second.
"Remember, I forgive you."
And she thrust it into his hand at the same moment pulling him into her arms.
Aizen's blood soaked body hung on his sword, but the image was shifting, fading into something else. Momo stared at him from the end of his blade. A wrenching pain tore through his heart. He slid the blade free and cradled her in his arms.
"Toshiro...why?" His face creased with agony, an uncontrollable rage and suffering built up inside his soul.
"NOOOOOOO!!!"
Blinded by hate he set her down and dove. They were screaming his name but he didn't care. Hot pain flooded him, he felt an ice wing shatter. The others were falling around him. Another strike, his right arm hung useless and he and Hyorinmaryu were crashing to earth.
There was a long battle in the sky. Toshiro had lost consciousness for a while but when he came to he saw the boy Ichigo on the ground. He looked around in confusion, and he knew Aizen had revealed his shikai to him. Their only hope was lost. The ex-soul reaper, Urahara, appeared. He came just in time to rescue the boy but vanished just as quickly. Then Aizen was overtop of Toshiro, had his hand on his collar, then he could see nothing. The illusion was pure darkness, Aizen could collect them one by one and take them back....
He saw her face again and again, blood trickling down her chin, tears in her eyes, her weight on the end of his sword, then that question. Why?
Over and over and over. She died.
Days he'd watched it. The illusion shattered. Aizen hauled him to his feet and shoved Hyorinmaru into his hand.
"Kill me."
His hands trembled. Momo's blood still stained the blade.
"Kill me!"
His knees threatened to give out. The other captains were here, it could be them, it could be Rangiku, it could be anyone. How could he ever know?
"You can't know, Toshiro. You can never know, ever again, as long as I'm alive, and how can you ever kill me unless you're willing to kill one of them. But then, you were willing to kill her."
"No..."
"Yes. Now kill me!"
"No..." he dropped his zampakuto. Aizen smiled and it began again.
"Toshiro why?"
"Momo forgive me..."
Over and over and over. She died.
An unearthly scream ripped its way out of his soul but she was there, her arms around
him, alive. He was sobbing into her, the air thin, mostly smoke now, the heat unbearable.
Master.
"Bankai!" The ice formed around him but Momo didn't let him go. He couldn't have moved if he wanted to. The ice dragons shot forth, one after another, building a wall against the flames. The heat receded but he had to maintain a steady stream to ward of the flames.
"Momo..." he sobbed. "I'm sorry,"
"I've already forgiven you."
He sank into her.
"Hold on just a little longer Toshiro." He felt his energy draining, his entire being pouring into the ice wall that protected them, Kenpachi and the others. Aizen wheezed beside them, determined to maintain his hold over the Head Captain. They were stuck. Toshiro was immobilized by the power drain and if Momo let go of him he would surely give in to exhaustion. It was a battle of wills: who could hold on the longest.
Water began to pour down on them, the ice was melting. He tried to give more power to the shield but it was fading fast. Every second he didn't know if he could make it to the next but then he heard it: the final gasp, the final exhalation of Aizen's poison breath, and the flames disappeared. The ice turned to water, Toshiro's Bankai faded. The only thing keeping him up was Momo. He dropped Hyorinmaru and used the last of his strength to wrap his arms around Momo. He sunk his face into her shoulder and wept. Then, he was still.