Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews! I'll try to keep updating quickly, so hopefully this story will be complete in a time frame of around...let's say two weeks. Maybe even less. In any case, it'll definetely be done by the end of the month - I think. Afterwards, I plan on releasing some more one-shots, and maybe start on another multi-chapter if I feel the motivation.


Ichigo hadn't felt so useless in a long time.

He wasn't sure what exactly it was, but since having seen Hitsugaya during the video conference, he had instantly found himself in an uneasy state of - dare he say it - depression. Maybe it was seeing Hitsugaya in that state. He looked to be in even worse shape than when he had last seen him in person back in Hueco Mundo. Undoubtedly, Aizen hadn't been bothering to be very gentle with him. Was the man torturing him for information? Or just for the fun of it? Or was he doing something...much worse?

Maybe it was seeing Aizen's smug, triumphant, godly smile. Maybe it was seeing the way the bastard treated his precious ice prince with no mercy, no regard, and no dignity. Or maybe it was the look on Hitsugaya's face that clearly read that he was in trouble - and that he neede help, badly.

One thing was for sure - Ichigo had failed.

And that was a fact that he was painfully aware of at the moment.

He had gone to Hueco Mundo, fully confident that he would save Hitsugaya, sweep him off his feet, and bring him to safety. He would get in there, get the boy, and get out. It would have been simple, fast, and efficient.

Coming back to Soul Society empty-handed had never been part of the plan.

The strawberry stared at the ceiling. He wasn't moving. In fact, for the last day, he had barely moved at all.

The sotaichou had been patient - and perhaps even sympathetic - enough to let him stay in the first division office for a while. And he had spent most of this time sulking, mentally scolding himself for his own weakness, and sometimes these verbal assaults upon himself would even be spoken aloud with much conviction until someone would tell him to shut up and keep his voice down.

He turned back around and stared back towards the room's front.

The screen they had been using for the video conference was painfully black and blank.

Ichigo let out an audible sigh, earning a reproachful glare from the first division fukutaichou. Ichigo looked back at him, but didn't appear the least bit sorry for his noisiness. He knew he was probably acting like a spoiled little kid right now, but for good reason.

For god's sake, he had left the one boy he was completely in love with to die in Hueco Mundo. He had been forced to abandon him and surrender him to Aizen's filthy clutches.

And there was another thing to consider.

He remembered Hitsugaya's last words from the video conference before he had been taken away.

"Kurosaki, I'm so sorry...I love-..."

What had he meant to say? I love...? Love what? Love who? If only Aizen had let him finish the sentence.

If only he had been strong enough to save him. If only he hadn't let Aizen get away with him. If only he had stopped Aizen from taking him to the palace of Las Noches during that fateful suicide mission in the first place. If only this could have never happened.

Ichigo's mind was full of "if only" scenarios now, and he couldn't help but wonder if what Urahara had told him in his shop prior to his departure to Hueco Mundo was true. Had Hitsugaya's emotions really been a state of disarray when the strawberry had confessed his feelings to him? So if he had not have had the mission to worry about, what would he have really said to him that day? What exactly were the tenth division captain's feelings in regards to him?

There were so many unanswered questions, and it only frustrated Ichigo more and more.

Yamamoto had promised that they would try to save Hitsugaya again when "the time was right," or something to that effect.

Ichigo didn't know when that time would be.

But he knew that when it finally came, he would do everything in his power to kill Aizen and bring Hitsugaya back to his side.


Since it was always night in Las Noches, Hitsugaya had a hard time keeping track of the time - or what little of it was left.

It was maddening, the way Aizen left him locked in the throne room which would be eerily deserted when the three traitors and the Arrancar retired to bed. He spent these nights alone, cold, and longing for some kind of warmth.

During these times, he would often think of Kurosaki Ichigo.

The child prodigy let out a soft sigh, that, despite its low volume, seemed to echo all throughout the empty room. He remembered Ichigo telling him that he had feelings for him. Hitsugaya had to admit, that he, too, felt something a little beyond a plain friendly relationship when he was with the strawberry. And there was the fact that he had come to Hueco Mundo to save him. He hadn't been successful, but the point was that he had tried, even after Hitsugaya had been sure to turn him down in the coldest way he could bring himself to.

When they had been at the video conference, Hitsugaya had suddenly been overcome with the urge to be honest with Ichigo and tell him about the feelings he had been unable to return that day he had recieved his orders to go to Hueco Mundo. He wanted to tell him that he was sorry for causing him so much trouble, and that he - despite everything - really did love him back.

Aizen hadn't let him say what he had wanted to, and that was the frustrating part.

He the feeling that it would be the last time he'd see him outside the battlefield. He had to let him know. But he had been unable to, and he had failed in this aspect. Hitsugaya hated himself for being so dishonest with Ichigo. He should have just told him how he felt before he had gone to Hueco Mundo. Now, it might be too late, and he might never be able to tell the strawberry he had been lying when he had told him he didn't feel anything for him.

Soul Society was to be attacked the next morning, and Ichigo would die.

Aizen was man of no sympathy. The man knew that Hitsugaya was well aware of the fact that he would be sure to make the subsitute shinigami suffer, and then cruelly take his life for the fun of it.

There was absolutely nothing Hitsugaya could do about it. Here, chained up in this throne room, he was completely powerless to stop it from happening.

Or maybe he wasn't.

Hitsugaya wasn't sure why he suddenly felt this way. He had given up trying to change his fate in Hueco Mundo. But now, things were different. If only he could somehow get himself out of this room, and if only he could somehow communicate...

Then, it hit him.

Video conference.

He had to let Soul Society know. He had to let Ichigo know.

If he could do it, then Aizen would no longer have the element of surprise on his side, and the Gotei 13 would have ample time to mobilize and ready themselves to meet Aizen in battle. And it would also be plenty of time for Ichigo to get to safety.

Determined, the young captain looked at the chains that held him by the wrists to the wall. There was nothing special about them; no reaitsu sealing was in use. They were just normal - although heavy - pieces of metal. Aizen probably knew there was no need to bother because the prodigy had seemingly given up and wouldn't try to escape. Fortunately he hadn't been planning on a change in attitude.

Under his breath, he quietly muttered the incantation to a kido spell. A bright light glimmered against the metal of the chains, and then there was the grating sound of metal being cut - but it wasn't enough.

His heart was pounding. He knew Aizen wasn't stupid. He would be able to figure out that he had escaped in no time. He had to hurry.

He had to try it again.

Hitsugaya sucked in his breath and whispered the words to the same kido spell again. Another flash of light, and chains clattered noisily to the floor.

His left hand was free. As quickly as he could, he performed the same procedure to the chains holding his right hand, which also fell quite loudly to the ground, the sound echoing at a greater volume than he had anticipated.

If the energy of the kido didn't alert someone to his actions, then all the noise he was making would.

Hitsugaya knew he had to hurry.

Time was already running out. Not only for him to complete this task, but also, for Soul Society.