Yeah... I'm super super guilty.. I didn't update when I said I would. I'm very very guilty. I hope Shiro-chan will forgive me...

I'm even more guilty actually.... You see, I drew a pic of our little shiro-chan completely out of character grinning ear to ear as he stared at a watermelon. IT'S ADORABLE!!! But... I kinda drew a another pic on the page before that, and the marker I used for the background leaked.... I GOT BLUE ALL OVER HIS FACE!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I had no choice but to redraw the picture, though it;s not as good as the first try.

Twin I didn't tell u cuz I knew u wud laugh ur head off at me.

I've been in California over Christmas break and that's my excuse for not updating. My cousin's house doesn't have a cable to connect to the internet, only wireless and my dad doesn't let me use wireless. I'm sorry.

I hope everyone had some very happy holidays!

And I hope Toshiro and Hyourinmaru won't hesitate in letting it snow.

Ichigo Kurosaki sighed heavily, leaning against the wall behind him. Both Rukia and Renji were with him, giving him the news from the Head Captain.

"At least they're not ordering immediate excecution." Rukia muttered, her raven hair falling into her face.

Ichigo looked around at the other two. "The Head Captain asked Soifon, Byakuya, and Komamura to the mission. I would be surprised if Toshiro didn't end up dead anyways."

"I think we can have at least a little faith that they'll respect the order not to kill him." This time it was Renji who spoke, his small brown eyes glancing away.

"Yeah, but just barely." Was the only thing Ichigo could say in response.

When the other two saw the forlorn expression on their friend's face, they quietly gave their goodbyes and walked away, exchanging worried looks.

Frustrated, Ichigo sank to the floor and put his head in his hands. He stared aimlessly at his palms, anger and sadness mixing inside him. The image of Toshiro, being pulled away unwillingly by Grimmjow, his eyes wide and pained, and the story Ukitake had told him of what happened between them flashed through the teenage shinigami's head.

He hated seeing his friends hurt. No matter how much he tried to expell that feeling, the slightest bit of pain in the eyes of the people he considered close brought him to pain too.

Ichigo knew how much Toshiro had already been through. He was left to deal with confliction after Hinamori left to become a Soul Reaper, torn between following his heart or taking care of his Grandmother. He suffered the cruelty of people's prejudice, his silver hair and teal eyes bringing him strange looks and fear from others. His unbelievable talent as a Soul Reaper only made that worse. Then he eventually found one friend, another boy named Kusaka. That also ended badly. The strict laws of the Soul Society forced him to kill that boy, his one and only friend in the Academy.

Then, there was Aizen. Aizen. The traitor who hurt Toshiro and the person he cared for more than anything else in the world. As if that wasn't enough, now it was Aizen who was taking all of his suffering, everything he had been through, and multiplying it several times, only to throw it back in the boy's face.

There was only so much one person could take, and Toshiro had taken more than anyone should have to.

Ichigo sighed. The light that he had seen in the boy's eyes, though it was mixed with fear, hatred, and pain, was enough to make him resist Aizen strongly. That would only make the Arrancar's leader strike Toshiro harder and harder. And... without a doubt...

...very soon the boy would break.


Gin stepped into the throne room, taking a good look at his surroundings. Aizen sat, same as ever, upon his white throne, gazing down upon the Soul Reaper below him. Toshiro Hitsugaya glared at him, standing in the middle of the room.

"Hitsugaya-kun, now that you are finished with your... other occupation... I have another mission for you to do."

Gin Ichimaru slid forward walking past the young shinigami and to the steps of the throne.

"Aizen-sama, you wished something of me?"

The man nodded, a sly smile unconcealed across his face. "Yes, Gin. In order for Hitsugaya-kun to carry out his mission, I'll need you to bring the prisoner who has been staying in your quarters out here."

Before Gin could stop himself, he felt a small shudder of surprise course through him. Aizen had warned him of this, but for him to carry it out so soon...

After a moment of silence, Gin forced the smile onto his face once more, as he consented to his leader's will.

Toshiro watched the shinigami leave the room, then turned back to his enemy.

"What are you up to?" He asked lowly.

Aizen smirked even more. Raising his voice, he called out to Ulquiorra. "Could you please bring Momo out here? I believe we will need her present for this."

The Espada who had been silently standing in the corner of the room nodded and left the same way as Ichimaru.

Minutes passed in tense quiet. Toshiro stood alone with his worst enemy, the man he hated more than anything, and resisting the urge to rush to him and strangle him was more than enough to make the time seem to pass by quickly.

When Gin entered the room once more, the shinigami was met with another surprise.

Trailing behind the high ranking lord of Hueco Mundo, Rangiku Matsumoto came into view. She was bound, her hands behind her back, and a tight, thick cloth ran across her mouth.

Light blue eyes stared wide into surprised teal ones,and Aizen's voice rang out to the room.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, your mission...

...is to kill this Soul Reaper"

I am soo mean... Toshiro doesn't deserve this... I shouldn't torture him... oh but it's so much FUN! I know, I'm evil... actually right now I'm at the airport waiting to board my plane, so maybe I should stop soon...

Okay well, Happy Late Holidays Everyone! And make them even happier by reviewing me! PLEASE!!