Here's my next chapter! Enjoy!

Teal eyes opened as the silver-haired soul reaper awoke. He was in a different cell, but the surroundings seemed not much unlike. There was very little light coming from the window, so in the back of his clouded mind, his subconscious understood that it must be nighttime.

Every muscle felt sore, aching everywhere from being worn to their limit. As Toshiro began to sit up, his stomach protested, bringing the taste of blood to his mouth.

The crimson liquid splattered on the hard wooden floor as the soul reaper ignored his body's warning. Leaning back, the child stared vacantly at the ceiling, his heart heavy but his mind resisting the emotions that tried to come.

After sealing away his heart, anything that happened to Toshiro seemed unreal, and the pain and sorrow that was forced into his life was pushed away along with everything else.

But not always. Every strike to him, whether emotional of physical, pushed him further and further into himself, into the hole of his inner world that had become so small it was his own person pit of hell. He knew there was no climbing out of it, no way to completely escape, but if shutting himself away helped lessen the feeling, he would do it. Even for Momo, even for all of his friends and close relationships, Aizen had pushed every limit, and Toshiro could no longer stand it.

Occasionally, sparks of sensitivity passed through that barrier, but Toshiro pushed them back down with all his might, his own fear of pain controlling him.

Shifting his position, Toshiro tried to avoid something that was poking into his back.

It was a moment before it occurred to him to look down to see what it was.

Toshiro froze as his hand found something long and hard, with a familiar chill to it. His head slowly turned to look over his shoulder, and he stopped short, seeing the weapon that had been hidden behind him.

It was Hyourinmaru. The purple sheath stood out against the bland area, and the star shaped hilt felt comforting in Toshiro's hand.

Speechless, the soul reaper pulled the zanpaktou out from behind him. Somebody had inconspicuously hidden it in a way that it was impossible to see from beyond the bars.

Running his hand across the smooth surface, Toshiro vaguely felt the remnants of spiritual pressure, no doubt belonging to the one who had left it there.

Something gave a small stir inside of him as he recognized the reiatsu, but he kicked it away swiftly.

Glancing at his wrists, Toshiro noticed the chains were bare. Just plain metal. The spell on them that had held his power back had been destroyed.

The boy stood after easily cutting off the metal binding him. Slowly, he stepped to the bars, and cautiously examined them.

It was the same. A familiar spiritual pressure still lingered around and the inscriptions were gone.

At the time, there was only one reality to Toshiro. He was freed. There was a chance he could escape. But whoever had helped him didn't leave long ago. Very soon, the guards would notice the leaking spiritual pressure, and that Hyourinmaru was gone from where it was held in the squad two barracks.

There was no time to waste.

Shreds of bars fell to the ground as the boy released his power upon them. Without hesitation, a blast of reiatsu broke through the ceiling, opening a hole into the night.

Already yells and shouts of alarm could be heard, Toshiro had known there would be no point in stealth. The spiritual pressure inside of him had been held back for too long, and he wouldn't be able to conceal his presence.

The boy rushed forward, determined to get as far as possible, though battle was inevitable.

There was a moment, as the cool air brushed against Toshiro's face, that his chest throbbed, and he found himself suddenly stop. Looking down, he saw what it was that made his subconscious stop him. Below him stood the squad ten barracks.

The cross that was their symbol stood out, and Toshiro took a step back. His hand clenched and his throat tightened. Memories of not too long ago, when had been comfortable rushed by him, flashing through months and months within a second.

It... it hurts... For the first time in a week, one complete thought formed inside the boy's head. It came again and again as he felt his heart beating faster and faster, while his stomach twisted in sadness.

Toshiro's pause was not a wise decision. As soon as the boy got a grip on himself, pulling away the feeling back into the darkness, he was staring at Soifon in the face.

Gray eyes glinted with hatred. Catching the boy off guard, the petite Captain planted a kick into the smaller soul reaper's chest, sending him into the side of a vacant building.

There were only a few moments before two other figures had shown up.

Soifon turned, her voice directed at the orange-haired soul reaper "The head captain ordered that if the prisoner is to escape, only a small group of captains are to bring him back, no unnecessary additions.

Ukitake came to Ichigo's defense in an instant. "We both know that he is no unnecessary addition by now, Captain Soifon."

There was no time to answer as a sheet of ice found its way up from the ground where Toshiro had landed. As the three opponents dodged, Toshiro used the mountain of frozen water that had formed to propel himself into the air. At this point, the prodigy knew that wasting any time at all would only mean more trouble. Speed was vital if he was to escape.

Toshiro tried to break away, to flee from the battle and into the rukongai where he could hopefully find a way back into Hueco Mundo, but Ukitake appeared in front of him. No word could be exchanged as zanpaktou met zanpaktou. The boy backed off as soon as possible, not wanting to meet Ukitake's eyes, and found himself surrounded on three sides by the attacking soul reapers.

"Give up, Hitsugaya, or else we'll have to go through the same thing as the other day. You have no chance of leaving here alive." Soifon's harsh voice cam with no sympathy, no chance of understanding.

Toshiro stared, for one hopeless moment at the group surrounding him. Even if he somehow managed to defeat them, there would be reinforcements coming before he could get very far. If the impossible possibility that he could fight off them as well came to pass, there was still one thing that would get in the way: Toshiro had no means of getting back to Hueco Mundo. He was at the mercy of Aizen, if the arrogant traitor was even spending his time on Toshiro anymore. The man had probably already killed Momo and been done with it. Why should he keep Toshiro around anymore?

"No chance at all? Are yer sure about that?"

All the soul reapers present stopped in surprise as a well-known voice came into the scene. Toshiro turned as he felt the cold hand of another press onto the back of his neck. A creepy smile. Two slanted eyes, glistening as though humored.

"Gin... Ichimaru...?" Toshiro found himself pulled upwards as the lesser lord of Hueco Mundo jumped up, out of the range of the other three.

Ignoring the boy in his hands, Ichimaru spoke down to the three soul reapers below him. "I'm afraid I have to be taking him with me, though it seems awfully sad to leave such a good fight."

Ichigo stood in shock, staring at the traitor standing above him. He didn't know what to do. Was this a good thing.. or a bad thing? Did Aizen even need Toshiro anymore? Had he done the right thing for him?

Soifon spent no time being shocked. She leapt into the air, Shunko flying from her shoulders. Though the attack was easy to dodge for Ichimaru, Ichigo released his own Getsuga Tenshou, sending a stream of pure power their way.

Ichimaru's hand on Toshiro was nearly tight enough to cause him pain. It was so loose, that Toshiro found himself falling through the air in the opposite direction that Ichimaru he dodged.

Turning mid-air, he found himself facing Ichigo, who had jumped up to meet him, his zangetsu raised.

Time slowed down. Toshiro saw for that instant an opening in Ichigo approach that could not have been an accident. Without needing to draw Hyourinmaru, Toshiro placed his feet on the substitute's shoulder. There was one moment, when Toshiro leaned forward before he jumped away that his head was close to Ichigo's ear. Very softly, he whispered to the teenager.

"Thank you, Ichigo."

The small boy sprang away, pushing Kurosaki back to the roof of one of the buildings of Seireitei.

Back by Ichimaru's side, a giant hole opened in the air, darkness coming from within. The two entered, the teal eyes of Toshiro Hitsugaya once more empty, reflecting none of the fear he held of what would come next.

Ahhh.... are my cliffhangers torture? I'm sorry I know how frustrating they are... in another fanfiction I'm reading the author doesn't update for months... It's horrible waiting. But hey, I update regularly, don't I?

Well, I must say, writing this chapter involved a lot of stalling and headaches... I'm sorry I know I rushed it, and I'm sorry it's a bit short... but I think I'm making this story a little too long... I don't like writing long stories because then I lose interest in it too quickly... This story already has a long way to go and I think I might write a sequel to it.. actually I think you guys will murder me if I don't write a sequel, considering the ending...

Well I think this makes up for my pathetically short AN in the beginning... So PLEASE review me... I'M GONNA MAKE PIZZA!! This is exciting cuz I only get pizza like five times in an entire year... poor me... sob sob...

I should draw something... or watch anime... hmmmmm what to do what to do.... REVIEW ME!!