Hi everybody! I'm back! Wow. So I just checked my e-mail and holy cow! I have a LOT of stories to review. And read. Like, wow. I bet you guys are like, 'It's about time!' Please don't hurt me! Oh, and my grandma is doing great now! She is responding well to the treatment and stuff.

On another happy note, I am starting anew story! Due to the poll results on my page, I will be posting up a new story. I will upload the prologue and first chapter. Now, on to the disclaimer!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Period.

"..." -Talk

'...' -Thoughts

'blah' -Hyorinmaru talking to Toshiro

'blah' -Toshiro talking to Hyorinmaru

Chapter 7

Pain

A small child was crying.

'It hurts…' he thought.

A shadow fell over his shivering frame.

The figure leaned down.

"Do you want to stop hurting?" the figure asked.

The child nodded, tears streaming.

Smiling, the figure said, "I can help you. There's this place called Hueco Mundo…"

xxx-IchiHitsu-xxx

Ichigo let out a pained scream. The pain he was feeling was enormous. He felt as if he was burning, as if his very blood was liquid fire. He just wanted to go somewhere, where there was no pain, no feeling, and no nothing. He couldn't take this pain anymore.

'I can't stand it…I want to die!' Ichigo thought as he was rushed to the emergency room of the fourth division.

Toshiro looked down at the pained looking substitute shinigami. His breath caught in his throat as he looked down at him. Ichigo's face was contorted in pain, his head thrashing every once in a while in pain. His whole body was twitching, shuddering, as if he were having a seizure. Toshiro walked away from the stretcher as they rushed into a room made for him.

Toshiro looked over as Rukia came into the room, breathless. He was about to ask her if she did what he asked when a hoarse cry cut through the air. Toshiro looked towards the room Ichigo disappeared in and he felt worry eat his insides. 'What's going on?' he thought.

'Toshiro.'

Toshiro was startled. 'Hyorinmaru?' he asked.

There was a small chuckle. 'Of course. Who else would be in your mind?' the mythical dragon said, amusement in his voice.

Toshiro scowled. 'This is no time to be sarcastic!' he snapped, distantly hearing everyone talking in the fourth division.

'Do not be upset, little master. I am trying to tell you something.' Hyorinmaru said, impatience staining his tone.

Toshiro let out a small sigh. 'I'm sorry. I'm concerned at the moment.'

'Don't you mean worried? It is quite all right to admit it.' Hyorinmaru said, trying to reign in the chuckles when he felt embarrassment flow through his young master's body.

'I don't know what you mean,' Toshiro said, trying to will away his embarrassment. 'I'm not worried. I'm…angry! Yeah, angry. I have no reason to be worried.'

Toshiro could imagine his zanpakuto rolling his eyes.

'You know you cannot lie to me Toshiro, seeing as I share your mind. Whether you want to admit it or not, you are concerned about that Kurosaki boy. And there is something that is concerns me, Toshiro.'

'What is it?'

'It's his reiatsu. Or lack of.'

At this, Toshiro raised a brow in confusion. 'What do you mean?'

'What I mean is that it seems his reiatsu is disappearing. Actually, a better way to describe it is that it seems as if his reiatsu is collapsing in on itself.'

'Collapsing on itself? Is that even possible?'

'It is. However, the way I describe it it does sound confusing. That healing taicho will know how to explain it better than I can.'

Toshiro blinked at this. 'What happens when it collapses?' he asked.

'You should know this one Toshiro. When one's reiatsu is collapsing on itself, the person's body will experience excruciating pain. They will feel as if their bones are being crushed into dust, and they will not be able to hold their zanpakuto spirit. In short, your body is collapsing and the final result is death.'

Toshiro gasped. 'Is there a way to save Kurosaki if this is happening to him?' he asked, worry seeping into his every cell.

'There is. Unfortunately it is a painful one.'

xxx-IchiHitsu-xxx

Ichigo let out another pained scream as the fourth squad medics tried to hold him down. His body was thrashing around wildly, making it difficult for any of them to do anything. Eyes wide open and blood streaming down from the corners of his eyes, Ichigo was staring at nothing. In his mind, all he could see was black.

Falling down on the bed he arched his neck. His mouth was wide open in a silent scream, but no sound was coming out. After a few more seconds, his tense body fell to the bed, his eyes closing and head lolling to the side.

The medics that were assigned to help waited a beat, then stepped forward slowly. When they were only a few feet away, Ichigo's body started twitching. Stopping, they turned uncertain eyes at each other, not sure what to do. Just at that moment the door opened and in stepped the fourth division taicho, Unohana Retsu.

Standing at about 5'3", she had a long, black braid in the front of her shihakusho, bright blue eyes, and a calming reiatsu. Looking down at him, she studied him for a few seconds before she frowned.

"Isane, I want you to set up a barrier around this room. Make sure no foreign reiatsu enters beside our own." Watching her fukutaicho leave the room, Unohana turned towards her squad. "We need to get him stabled."

xxx-IchiHitsu-xxx

Hitsugaya was pacing the small waiting room in the fourth division, wondering what was happening. He could feel Kurosaki's reiatsu spike up, then calm down to where he could barely sense it. Worry was gnawing at his every nerve, making him almost frantic. He could feel Matsumoto's worried filled gaze on his back.

When the door opened, Hitsugaya turned towards it, then started walking forward when he saw who walked out.

"Kotetsu-fukutaicho!" he called towards the silver haired woman as he walked over to her.

"Hitsugaya-taicho!" she said in surprise. "What is it?"

"What's going on? How's Kurosaki?" he asked, stopping in front of her.

At that her expression turned apologetic and sad. "I'm sorry Hitsugaya-taicho, but I don't know anything. I was asked to put up a reiatsu-deflecting barrier. That's all I can tell you right now. I'm sorry."

Hitsugaya just watched her as she started to put up the barrier. Turning around he walked to where Matsumoto and Rukia were sitting. Letting out a sigh he sat down. No sooner than that a hell butterfly came in. Looking at it with curiosity and concern, since they only get them for captain meetings or such, Hitsugaya was wary.

Watching as the black insect landed on Matsumoto's finger, Hitsugaya felt his wariness increase to another level when he saw her face change. Looking up Matsumoto met her captain's gaze and stood up.

"The sotaicho is calling for an emergency meeting. He wants all taichos at the first division immediately." She said.

Hitsugaya let out a silent curse as nodded. "Alright. Matsumoto, I want you to stay here, and if they ask you any questions, answer them as best as you can." He said, walking towards the door.

"Hai." She said, watching her taicho leave. Turning around to look at the closed window of Ichigo's room, she let out a small sigh. 'Please be all right Ichigo,' she thought, then winced when she heard a pained fill scream.

xxx-IchiHitsu-xxx

Hitsugaya was, in a way, furious. He needed to be in the fourth division, not in a stupid captains meeting! Letting out a frustrated sigh, he quickly walked to the first division barracks. Seeing the door he quickened his pace and saw the other captains go in as well.

Entering the room he went to go take his place by Kurostuchi and Kyoraku. Standing between them, he ignored their chatter and wished that the meeting would hurry up and start. Once all the captains were there, besides Unohana, the sotaicho entered. At once all speaking stopped and everyone turned towards the sotaicho.

"Now that you are all here, we shall start the meeting. Hitsugaya-taicho, tell us what happened." Yamamoto said, eyes on Hitsugaya.

Hitsugaya wanted to scowl, as everyone turned towards him. Stepping forward, he was about to speak when the door opened. Everyone turned towards it, wondering who was entering. Unohana stepped forward and briskly walked to her spot.

"Unohana-taicho, what is the meaning of this? Why are you late?" Yamamoto demanded.

"Gomen. I had to make sure Kurosaki-san was stabilized before I came here." She explained. "However, I will no doubt have to go back in a few minutes."

"Very well. We were just about to listen to Hitsugaya-taicho's report."

Everyone looked to Hitsugaya, waiting for him to explain. "We received a notice that you wanted to speak with us, sotaicho," Hitsugaya began, "I was going to have Matsumoto go and fill me in, but Kurosaki insisted that I go, in case it was only for captain's ears only."

"Wait one moment Hitsugaya-taicho," Yamamoto interrupted. "I never contacted Urahara that I had to speak with you."

"We figured that out the moment we arrived. We were wondering who sent the message when we suddenly felt a spike in Kurosaki's reiatsu. We tried to get to where he was when we were suddenly ambushed by hollows. And –"

"Hollows? So you are telling me that a Gotei captain couldn't even handle measly hollows?" Yamamoto interrupted.

Pushing down the temptation to scowl, Hitsugaya said, "These were no ordinary hollows sotaicho. They were of Adjuchas level or Vasto Lorde." Hitsugaya paused when collective gasps and murmurs started.

"Silence! Let him finish." Yamamoto said, pounding his cane on the wooden floor to silence the other captains.

Giving him a slight nod, Hitsugaya continued. "As I said, we were ambushed. I have no idea how long they kept us distracted, but it was long enough. For when I went to where I last felt Kurosaki's reiatsu, he was in critical condition. The only thing I could get out of him was that he was attacked by the same person as before." Hitsugaya finished, looking around the room, then stepping back into his place.

When he finished talking, Unohana immediately stepped forward. "From what I could see, it seems Kurosaki-san was poisoned." Ignoring the murmurs, she continued. "I'm not sure with what or how it's affecting him, but from what I could see, it is damaging his body greatly." Looking at Hitsugaya, she asked, "Did Kurosaki-san say anything else? Anything at all?"

Hitsugaya looked down in thought. Did he say anything else? He didn't think so. "No. He didn't. I don't think he could even if he wanted too."

Brows drawing together in confusion, Unohana asked, "What do you mean by that Hitsugaya-taicho?"

"What I mean is, Kurosaki was coughing up blood. And a lot of it." Hitsugaya explained.

Eyes widening in surprise, and concern, Unohana said, "Blood? Are you sure?" Seeing Hitsugaya's nod of approval, Unohana muttered, "Then it is worse then I feared."

Seeing her comrades' looks of confusion, except for Soi Fon's and Hitsugaya's, she explained. "If Kurosaki is coughing up blood, it means that the poison is damaging his organs. Even though his external wounds were life threatening, they wouldn't have caused him to cough up so much blood. Not only that but the poison may cause him extreme pain. I will have to analyze the poison to be sure but –"

Her explanation was caught short when a messenger burst into the meeting room. Recognizing him as on her own, Unohana asked in her quiet voice, "What happened?"

"I'm sorry for interrupting but Unohana-taicho is needed in the fourth division. Kurosaki Ichigo's condition has worsen!" the messenger said in a rush.

Not waiting for permission to leave, Unohana followed the messenger out of the first division barracks. Hitsugaya watched her leave, and couldn't help a feeling of foreboding entering his veins.

xxx-IchiHitsu-xxx

Unohana burst through the fourth division doors like a storm. Everyone immediately moved out of her way, not doing what they were doing until she was out of sight. Opening Ichigo's door, she strode in. Looking at Ichigo, she couldn't help her intake of air.

"Do we know what is wrong with him?" she asked, her eyes never leaving Ichigo.

"Not yet. We just drew some blood to be analyzed to see if there are any poisons or –"

"He has been poisoned." Unohana said, ignoring their wide-eyed, opened mouth stares. "I want you to put him in a cold room, to slow his blood flow."

Walking forward more, she leaned in to look more closely at Ichigo. Reaching over so that she could open his eyelids, her eyes widened at what she saw. Moving her hands so that one rested on his forehead and one on his chest, her palms started glowing green, telling anybody who didn't know that she was examining the full extent of Ichigo's injuries.

When she stood up straight all of a sudden, everyone in the room jumped. Without turning around, she said, "I want him sedated, and tied to the bed. Don't ask questions. After that is done try to see what poison is in his system. If what I think is in his system, he will be in a lot of pain."

xxx-IchiHitsu-xxx

All the captains looked up at Unohana as she came in. She had been gone for about an hour. Yamamoto made the other captains stay while she was gone. Hitsugaya was extremely nervous. Seeing her face they all prepared themselves for the worst news.

"Unfortunately for Kurosaki-san, the poison I suspected to be in his system is." She said softly.

Looking at her in alarm, Ukitake said, "Are you saying what I think you're saying Unohana-taicho?"

Nodding solemnly, she said, "Yes. Kurosaki-san has been injected with an extreme form of a certain poison, no doubt made by someone who knows their plants. The poison will cause him to be in extreme pain and after a few days, his organs will shut down, his reiatsu will collapse on itself, and his heart will stop beating."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened. Was she serious? Then that means…. "Are you saying…that he'll…?" Hitsugaya asked, looking at her, denial shining unconsciously in his teal eyes.

"Yes. Kurosaki-san will die."

Yes the next chapter will explain stuff.