Chapter 5

"What!" Tsukune and the others screamed in unison.

"That is correct." Said Byakuya.

"But why?" Toshiro asked Izuru.

"Because," Izuru stated, "This is a school for monsters. And as everyone in the Soul Society knows, 95% of all monsters become hollows once they die due to their demonic powers. And we're not talkin' small fries either; I'm talking Menos, possibly even Arrancar if their powers are great enough. Which is why the Soul Society has decided it's better to kill them while they're…" Izuru looked over at Tsukune and the others then looked back at Byakuya, "while they're just kids."

"Shi-Shiro…" Momo started to speak.

"Momo…"

"We had…we had some pretty good times together, huh Shiro?"

Toshiro smiled at her, "You idiot, I told you never to call me that. Now save your energy you're gonna be fine."

"No, I'm," she stopped mid-sentence to take a breath and cough up blood, "I'm not. I have one request for you."

"Anything." Toshiro said in the softest and most comforting voice he could manage.

"Take care of Mizore. She's more important than you know. Now, let me speak with her." Mizore leaned down beside Momo. "Mizore." Said Momo as she was running out of air.

"No. No, no, no. Why did you do it? Why did you jump in front of me?"

"Because," Momo said, "I could tell that you were important to Toshiro. And like I said before, you can tell the difference between right and wrong. Not many people can do that. I have…one…final request for you as well."

"What is it?" She asked.

"Make…Toshiro…Happy." Then, starting from her feet up, Momo started disappearing into reishi.

"What's happening?" Mizore asked frantically.

"When soul reaper's die, their body disappears into particles of reishi, which then form a new being in this world."

"Toshiro, will we meet again after I get re-born."

"Of course we will. I'll be your first friend. I promise."

"Toshiro… I love you." And with that her body completely evaporated into reishi. Then everyone, including Ichigo and Byakuya, noticed an intense energy emit.

"It's my fault." Mizore said. "She died trying to protect me. IT'S MY FAULT!" Mizore screamed as a purple aura surrounded her. Then suddenly, her hair turned to ice, and her purple eyes turned almost white with a hint of light blue in them. Her clothes had then been torn off and replaced by ice armor. Next, both her hands had turned into ice scythes. She started walking towards Byakuya now. "I was wondering why my village picked me as a hostage and called me the strongest one there. But now I know," she then moved faster than flash step and was in front of Byakuya, "they were right."

She took a swing at Byakuya with one of her scythe hands and he blocked it with his sword. She did this a few more times until he blocked her attack and they stopped with him holding up his sword against the back of the scythe. She then said, "Ice Guillotine," and the blade of a guillotine stretched out and slammed Byakuya into the tunnel that goes to the human world. She then heard Byakuya say, "Scatter, Senbonzakura." Then Byakuya's sword turned into hundreds of pink pedals and hit Mizore all at once. But when the pedals cleared, there wasn't a scratch on her. Byakuya's eyes widened, "How is that possible?"

"Because," Mizore explained, "as soon as your attack hit me and my armor shattered, new armor automatically formed in its place. After all, we ARE surrounded by snow; and snow is just soft ice, and I can manipulate ice whenever and however I want. Now it's my turn to attack." She instantly went from in front of him to back beside Toshiro who was still kneeling there in the same position, but oddly enough, he hasn't cried yet. Then, before Byakuya knew it, the snow that was falling around him had stopped. Then Mizore called in her attack, "Now, skewer him, Icicle Acupuncture." Then, all in one motion, thousands of snowflakes around Byakuya had turned to small, yet still very deadly, needles and closed in on him. It's finally over. At least that's what she thought until she saw him standing in the air to the left clutching his left shoulder which was now covered in blood.

Byakuya was now gripping his sword and was about to use his bankai when someone came and gripped his shoulder to stop him. It was Sajin Komamora! "That is enough Captain Kuchiki. Save your strength to fight another day." Then, reluctantly, Byakuya put his sword away. He then took one final look at Mizore and stepped through the Senkaimon back to the Soul Society. Mizore's ice scythes and armor then shattered leaving her completely exposed until Kurumu quickly took her sweater and skirt off and covered her up.

"I'm gonna fly Mizore back to the dorm everybody." But nobody spoke. They were all busy mourning the loss of a friend that some of them had just met, and some of them knew her better than anyone. Kurumu took off and the rest left soon after. Ichigo and Izuru go Toshiro to his feet and walked him to his dorm where he spent the rest of his day laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

Then, at 11:45pm, Mizore went to the cliff where the battle had taken place and saw Toshiro there. He was sitting where had had last held Momo, and he was holding something in his hand.