Disclaimer - I do not own DGrayMan or Bleach

A/N - thanx to everyone who reviewed last chapter. This chapter is dedicated to Sazerac, who was the first one to review the last chapter and was kind enough to offer some advice. Hope you guys enjoy.

Chapter Three - New Fight, Old Fight

"Tell me more about these Akuma," Hitsugaya said as he and Allen made their way to the Squad Ten barracks. The two white haired youths were returning from Squad Twelve where they had been briefed on the situation by Urahara and Allen had been issued his gigai and now they were on their way to Hitsugaya's squad so that they could prepare for their mission.

"Well," Allen said, still attempting to come to grips with the fact that he was actually dead and still planning to continue the fight with the Millennium Earl and the Akuma. "When someone you love passes away the anguish in your heart attracts the Millennium Earl, who then offers to bring back the soul of your loved one. A black metal skeleton appears and when you call out the name of your loved one their soul is trapped within it. After that they are in the control of the Millennium Earl and have no free will. They turn into weapons for him to use in his battle against humanity."

Hitsugaya listened intently as Allen explained about the Akuma and as the taller youth spoke the young captain noticed that his fingers went absently to his left eye. The left side of his face bore a strange scar, which started with a pentacle above his eye and traced a line down to his cheek, going almost to his chin. It wasn't a straight line and it was intersected just below his eye by another slash going horizontally.

Allen noticed that the young Shinigami captain was eyeing his scar and he forced himself to smile. "I turned my foster father Mana into an Akuma when I was young which is how I got this scar. He also left me with a curse so that now I can see the souls that are trapped inside the Akuma."

Slightly embarrassed over the fact that he had called attention to something that was obviously a painful subject to the taller boy Hitsugaya shifted his gaze. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Allen said, offering his scowling young companion a smile. "So what are we going to do now?"

"We're going to stop by my office so that I can relinquish command of my squad to my second in command and then we're going back to the world of the living," Hitsugaya replied. While this youth had been speaking to Urahara about his gigai, Head Captain Ukitake had came to Squad Twelve and had explained a few more things about the mission.

Hitsugaya wasn't overly thrilled about being saddled with this strange youth from the world of the living however in order to maintain the balance in the world of the living he was going to have to push aside those feelings and work together with Allen. Not that he thought there was really much he could do. According to both Allen and Captain Urahara you had to have an anti-Akuma weapon that possessed a material called Innocence in order to battle the Akuma effectively which pretty much put him out of the running.

He had his zanpaktou Hyourinmaru of course, which was excellent for battling against the Hollow that he, like all Shinigami, fought however he didn't know how useful it would be against these Akuma. He had expressed these concerns to Ukitake however the Head Captain had merely shrugged off his words and told him that his job would be to protect Allen while he fought against the Akuma.

That is if his new gigai allowed him to control the Innocence and use his anti-Akuma weapon.

Everyone was concerned about this however they were proceeding ahead with the mission. There was really only one way to test it and that involved Allen and Hitsugaya going up against a real Akuma. Hopefully Urahara's design would work and if not. . .

Well there was always reincarnation.

When the two white haired youths arrived at the Squad Ten office Hitsugaya slid the door open, hoping as he did so that his vice-captain was actually in the office for once. And on this particular day luck was on his side. The voluptuous blond woman was seated on the sofa, idly flipping through a magazine. This sight annoyed Hitsugaya somewhat however in retrospect he figured that he should be grateful that she was even in the office at all. After all it would have been much more difficult to track her down had she been off somewhere else.

"Captain."

Matsumoto's gaze shifted toward the door as she heard her superior officer enter and her eyes lit up as she noticed that Hitsugaya wasn't alone. "So who's your friend Captain?" As she asked this question Matsumoto got to her feet and walked over to the spot where Allen was standing, eyeing him up and down with an appraising sort of gaze. "So cute!" she exclaimed, grabbing Allen and pulling him toward her. "You have to tell me who this adorable young man is Captain? I'm so happy that you made a friend!"

"He's not my friend," Hitsugaya snapped, glaring at his second in command through narrowed eyes. There were mumbled complaints as Allen fought to extricate himself from Matsumoto's 'assets' however the young captain completely ignored his companion's situation. He knew that he was supposed to guard Allen but it wasn't as though his life was in danger or anything. Okay so there was the possibility of suffocation however Matsumoto normally relinquished her hold before her victim succumbed to lack of oxygen. Hitsugaya knew this from first hand experience and he actually cringed as unwanted memories assaulted him. "Matsumoto I've been assigned a mission in the world of the living and I need for you to take care of things here."

"NO!" Matsumoto exclaimed, sounding as though her heart were breaking. She released her grip on the young Exorcist and Allen quickly distanced himself from the woman, a crimson blush coloring his face. The blush disappeared, replaced by a look of concern, as he listened to her howls of protest. She actually sounded as though the words of Hitsugaya caused her physical pain.

"Deal with it Matsumoto," Hitsugaya snapped, not even a trace of sympathy in his voice. And with these words the young prodigy turned and began walking away. A few seconds passed before Allen realized that he should probably be following the strange youth and he ran to catch up.

"W. . . wait for me!" he called out.

Hitsugaya wanted to say keep up or get left behind however this guy was important to the battle that Soul Society had undertaken and the young captain knew that, like it or not, they needed his help if they were going to protect the living from the Millennium Earl and his Akuma.

"Is she going to be okay?" Allen asked once he had caught up with the Shinigami Captain. It was obvious that he was concerned about the woman that they had just left behind.

"She'll be fine," Hitsugaya replied, not even slowing his stride. The sooner they got to the world of the living the sooner they could try out Allen's new gigai and find out if he could still use his anti-Akuma weapon. It was imperative that they find out one way or the other. If it worked then they could go on with the mission and if it didn't. . .

Well assuming they survived in that scenario they would have to get Urahara to fix it.

When the two youths arrived at the Senkaimon that would take them to the world of the living Hitsugaya stretched out a hand to activate the portal while Allen merely stared at it in awe. "So is this how we're going to return to my world?"

"It's not your world any longer," Hitsugaya told his companion as the Senkaimon opened. "You are no longer among the living and are only being sent back so that the Akuma won't destroy the humans. Apparently you're important to this war. However when this battle is over then you will return here to Soul Society."

Allen was silent as he thought about Hitsugaya's words. It wasn't his world any more. He was no longer among the living. That may be true however those were still his friends and he still had a vow to uphold so he would continue the fight the Akuma. The young man gazed down at his left hand, which looked the same as it always had. Hopefully this was a sign that he would still be able to use his Innocence.

"I hope it works," he thought to himself.

Together the two youths traveled through the Senkaimon, arriving in the world of the living near the location where Hitsugaya had first discovered Allen's soul. The taller of the two boys gazed around, searching for any sign of Akuma and secretly any signs of his friends. They must be aware of his death at this point and he didn't want to freak them out, or worse have them accuse him of being an Akuma, however he did want to make sure that they were okay.

"Someone's coming," Hitsugaya muttered.

All thoughts of his friends vanished as Allen's gaze focused on a young woman walking toward them and as she grew near Allen's left eye turned red, a sure sign that this woman was in fact an Akuma. So he still bore the curse, even in death.

"Toushirou," Allen said, his gaze never leaving the woman. "She isn't human. This woman is an Akuma. I can see the soul that's trapped within."

"So can I."

Hitsugaya could plainly see that the soul of another young woman was coming out of the host body, held in place by chains positioned around it's neck. The captive soul's mouth was open as though forming a silent scream and Hitsugaya found that he was appalled by the sight.

Sighing to himself Hitsugaya pulled a small, dragon headed device from the folds of his shihakusho and pressed down on it's head. The dragon opened it's mouth and a little green ball popped out into the young captain's hand. Wasting no time Hitsugaya popped it into his mouth and quickly emerged from his gigai, ready for battle. Pulling Hyourinmaru from the sheath that he always wore secured across his back he prepared to protect Allen should his attempts to destroy the Akuma fail. He didn't know if he could fight the thing however he knew that if the battle turned in the beast's favor he would have to try. It was his duty to protect Allen and he would do so.

Even at the cost of his own life.

Knowing that this was the moment of truth Allen held out his left arm and called out, "Innocence Activate!"

A few seconds passed, during which Allen found it difficult to breathe, and then he felt something. However, instead of the transformation that his arm usually underwent, something completely different happened. His arm was engulfed by a blinding light and a sword formed in his hand but it didn't feel like any ordinary sword. It actually felt as though it were an extension of his arm.

"Unreal," Hitsugaya muttered as he watched the scene that was unfolding before him. Was that a zanpaktou that had just appeared in Allen's hand or was it something completely different?

Hoping that this sword would serve the purpose that his left arm usually did Allen fearlessly leapt toward the Akuma. The blade was instantly engulfed in a glowing green light and it easily sliced through the Akuma's armor like skin. A small smile appeared on Allen's face as he watched the bound soul break free from the chains that had been holding it captive.

The soul was now free.

"It worked," Allen called out, quickly turning to Hitsugaya.

Allen gasped as he saw that he and his companion were now completely surrounded by a large group of Akuma. This wasn't good and it was eerily similar to the scene that had cost Allen his life earlier that day. Would it turn out any different this time?

Could he win a fight against so many when already he had failed once?

Victory was far from a certainty however Allen knew that he had to at least give it a try. There was no point in simply laying down his sword and dying by their hands. The young man was determined that if he was going to die again then it would be fighting.

Swinging his newly acquired sword with as much grace as he could since he had never handled a blade before in his life Allen slashed the Akuma nearest to him. It issued a blood curdling scream as it died and, howling in anger, the others attacked.

"Watch out Toushirou!" Allen screamed out as he watched one of the Akuma launch its self toward the young captain.

With reflexes honed from years of practice and battle experience Hitsugaya easily dodged the Akuma's clumsy attack and, once he had succeeded in getting behind the creature, he reflexively swung Hyourinmaru. As soon as it made contact with the Akuma the blade of the zanpaktou began to glow a bright blue and, in a flash of light, the Akuma exploded.

Hitsugaya gasped as he gazed down at his now glowing zanpaktou. "What the hell?" he muttered to himself. This had never happened before and he had no idea what had brought about this strange transformation in Hyourinmaru. Unfortunately his thoughts on the subject would have to wait because they were still surrounded by Akuma and, putting his confusion aside, Hitsugaya jumped forward and attacked.

Knowing that it would more than likely require both of them to defeat this large group of Akuma, Allen held his new sword aloft and jumped into the fray.

TBC. . .

A/N - and there's chapter three. It seems that Allen's anti-Akuma weapon still works and now something freaky is happening with Hyourinmaru. Stay tuned for more and please leave a review and tell me what you think. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.