Disclaimer:

I don't own Bleach or any ideas/characters. I only own references and images for my OC.

Chapter 26

Third Person POV

Kimura groaned and stirred. Her whole body was sore, and her head was throbbing.

"Don't try to move. You're still healing." She heard a voice say in the distance, before everything went black again.

Inner World

Kimura opened her eyes looking around to see the trees and sun. She pushed herself up onto her hands looking around.

"Ah, milady, you're away." Kimura looked to her left and saw Tianma walking towards her in her animal form.

"Tianma…" she whispered.

"You took quite a beating there mistress. I was not a fan of Plan C." Shenron said from her right, letting a puff of smoke out of his dragon muzzle.

"Shenron." She smiled as she sat up more onto her knees. She looked around, searching. Suddenly she heard rustling through the trees and saw Okami leap from the darkness to land on the boulder in front of her.

"Okami!" Kimura exclaimed, continuing to her feet, before stumbling.

Tianma extended her wing to catch her and keep her from falling over. Kimura smiled gratefully to her as she stabilized herself. Once she could stand, she made her way to Okami who had jumped from the boulder. Kimura threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly, letting her tears fall freely down her face.

"Calm yourself Steward." Okami said softly.

"How… I thought we…." She couldn't finish her sentence, remembering the feeling of Grimmjow's blade entering and exiting her body.

"Yes, we did." Okami said flatly.

Kimura looked around at the three of them, not understanding.

"Apparently the soul king didn't want to let you die. He sent Tenjirō Kirinji, to revive you." Okami explained as Kimura gasped.

She was in shock that Tenjirō was sent to revive her, they never interfered with the outside world, that was a law. The fact that the soul king approved it was a momentous event. Kimura smiled in gratitude.

"Why are we in our inner world?" Kimura asked after a few moments.

"We are healing, its not easy coming back from the dead." Shenron said, blowing smoke at Kimura teasingly.

"Really Shenron…" Tianma chastised.

Kimura let her head drop to her chest, falling to her knees, her hands gripped the ground as she sobbed.

"Mistress…" Shenron said softly, getting up to walk towards her, rubbing his head against her body as she sobbed harder.

Shenron laid to her right as Tianma came to lay on her left. Kimura didn't bother holding in her pain and emotions, there was just too much flowing through her.

Okami watched the tree before laying down in front of them, letting her paw slide under Kimuras head for her to clench and cry into.

"Weep Steward, you fought valiantly, and gave the ultimate price." Okami whispered to her.

"When will she wake up? It's been two weeks." Shunsui asked Kotetsu.

"There is no way to know, everyone is different." Kotetsu sighed rubbing her temples. "Remember Head Captain, she died, her body is repairing itself." she said quietly.

Shunsui looked back at his daughter, sitting on the edge of the bed, grabbing her hand.

"Come on Kimura, wake up. Fight." he said softly, running his hand on her head. He turned his head to the right, looking at Toshiro, who was laying in the bed on the other side of the room. "And Captain Hitsugaya?" he asked.

Isane sighed again looking at Toshiro sadly. "Like the royal guard said, he is not dead. His soul has been pulled into his zanpakuto. That is not something I can change. He is essentially in a coma." She explained, checking his vitals one more time.

Shunsui nodded, looking back to Kimura, squeezing her hand before leaning down next to her ear, "You need to come back daughter, you need to rescue your captain." He whispered to her.

"You need to come back daughter, you need to rescue your captain."

Kimura heard the words surrounding her, she lifted her head opening her eyes, she must have fallen asleep while she cried.

"What?" she said. "Did that voice say rescue your captain?" She lifted herself to her knees. "Toshiro…" she whispered, looking up to the sky.

Kimura turned and looked at Tianma, Shenron, and Okami. "Enough healing, something is wrong. Hyorinmaru would have been there. Toshiro is in trouble." She told them. Shenron opening his claw for her to climb into.

"Hold on mistress." Sheron told her as he launched into the air, as he reached the barrier, he turned his body, so he was falling backwards, throwing Kimura through the barrier. Everything went black as Kimura crossed the barrier.

Kimura felt her consciousness re-enter her body, as every ache and pain hit her at once. She groaned, squeezing her eyes tightly.

"It's okay, take deep breathes." Someone told her, she tried to take deep breaths through the pain as she regained consciousness, her eyes opened slowly, but the light made her shut them again and groan.

"Take it slow." A female voice said this time.

Kimura took a few minutes to let her body settle, before trying to open her eyes again, this time easier. Her vision went into focus, she saw her father Shunsui, Rangiku, and Nanao gathered around her.

"Hi…" she whispered to them, trying to smile, but grimaced in pain instead.

Shunsui chuckled, unshed tears collecting in his eyes. "Hi… always have to make an entrance huh?" he joked, letting his tears fall.

Kimura tried to laugh but the pain was too much, so she groaned.

"Shhhh, stop making her laugh Shunsui!" Nanao said smacking him with her clipboard.

Kimura opened her eyes again, and looked at Rangiku who hadn't said anything yet. Her face was solemn, her eyes held such despair.

"Rangiku…." I whispered.

Rangiku sniffed lifting her eyes to her. "You died…." She closed her eyes, tears sliding down her face. "I can't loose anyone else… after Gin, then you, then Toshiro…... I can't go on." She whispered to her, wrapping her arms around her own waist.

"Toshiro…" Kimura said trying to lift her body but was pushed down gently by Shunsui.

"He's right there." Pointing to the right.

Kimura followed his hand and saw Toshiro laying in the bed unconscious. She gasped seeing him.

"Is he…" Kimura couldn't finish her sentence, feeling her breath hitch.

"He's alive, but he is a comatose state. Rangiku thinks that after you died, he had Hyorinmaru pull his soul into him." Shunsui explained to her. "We haven't been able to reach him."

Kimura clenched her hands, before sighing. "Take me over there." She told her father,

"I don't think you should move…." He was cut off by her glare.

"Your words reached me in my inner world father, 'rescue your captain', those words pulled me back to consciousness, let me do what you asked me to." She pleaded with him.

She watched as he sighed, before standing, pulling back the sheets covering her. He carried her to Toshiro's bed, laying her next to his body.

"Bring my Hyorinmaru, please." She requested.

Rangiku grabbed Hyorinmaru and laid him on Toshiro's chest. Kimura laid her hand on the blade, cuddling closer to his body, and Hyorinmaru.

INNER WORLD

Toshiro was floating in a cold blackness. His body was curled into a ball. He felt nothing, cared about nothing.

"Master…." Hyorinmaru said quietly to Toshiro.

"Let me be Hyorinmaru, please." Toshiro said quietly, not opening his eyes.

"I loved her too master."

Toshiro opened his eyes and saw Hyorinmaru floating next to him, as a dragon, watching him closely.

"I don't want to exist without her." The pain in his voice was heavy, his chest constricted and tightened painfully, causing him to groan.

Hyorinmaru sighed, guarding his master.

Suddenly a light grew above them, Hyorinmaru looked up, opening his wing to cover Toshiro. He watched intently as a ball floated down to them.

Toshiro heard Hyorinmaru gasp, but didn't bother lifting his head to look, he didn't care.

"It's really dark in here…... and cold…." A voice said.

Toshiro shook his head, unwilling to believe that he heard that voice. It was his mind playing a trick on him.

"How is he, Hyorinmaru?" the voice asked.

"Not well Mistress. He grieves, he doesn't want to go on." Hyorinmaru explained, pulling his wing back to his body, exposing Toshiro.

Kimura gasped, seeing Toshiro curled into a ball. He was only wearing his hakama pants, his upped body exposed. She felt the pain radiating from his soul. She slowly walked towards his form.

"Toshiro." She whispered, watching him shake his head, but not open his eyes. She moved closer and knelt next to his body. She looked up at Hyorinmaru, her face concerned.

"Has he been like this the whole time?" she felt her eyes fill with tears, watching him nod to her. Kimura turned her head back to Toshiro, lifting her hand to rest on his head, gasping as he flinched from her touch.

"You're not real." He whispered, trying to curl into himself more.

Kimura's chest tightened painfully, unable to keep the tears from falling, running her hand through his hair.

"Toshiro, I'm real. I'm here. Come back to me." She whispered, letting her fingers run down his face, inching closer to him, but he shook his head.

"No, you're an illusion, I won't fall for it again. You're gone, you left me." She heard him say softly.

"You're right, I did leave you." She told him, hearing his intake of breath. "I didn't want to, I had no choice, it was the only move left to make to protect everyone. I tried my hardest." She sobbed to him. "I really tried Toshiro; I wasn't strong enough." She sniffed watching him.

"I'm not strong enough, you broke my barriers, my heart cannot take anymore pain." He responded.

"I know, but Toshiro. I came back to you; I was given back to you. Open your eyes." She pleaded with him, but he refused. She was running out of ideas.

She had one more thing to try. She lay down next to his body, her hand still on his face.

"I lost my light on my own, Tryna find my way out of the dark, Terrified all alone, but you saw the, smoke and you came, Pulled me through the flames, carried me away,"

Kimura sang softly to him, rubbing her thumb under his eye, trying to coax him to open his eyes. She felt him start to twitch at her voice, his body letting go of some of the tension, stirring.

"And when you hold me, You're the only place where I feel safe and sound, Picking up the pieces when I hit the ground, Carry all my weight when I'm walking through hell, But you're the only one who could finally help, Save me from myself"

She watched as his body started to uncurl, his hand reaching for her, so her hand left his face to grab his tightly.

"Home feels like home in your arms, Finally, found it, baby tell me, How did you know that you were what I needed most? 'Cause you saw the smoke and you came, Pulled me through the flames, carried me away"

Finally, she watched as his eyes slowly opened as she finished singing to him. His eyes started to adjust, then focused on her face.

Toshiro stared at the face smiling at him. His mind still didn't want to believe what his eyes were seeing. Everything was black, he still felt numb. Slowly the face leaned towards him, pressing her lips to his, while tightening her hold on his hand.

"Come back to me, please." She begged as she pulled her lips away.

"Kimura…." Toshiro whispered, sitting up.

She smiled brightly at him, tears falling down her face. "Yes, it's me. I don't have much more time, but I need you to wake up Toshiro. I'm waiting for you." She felt herself being pulled away from his inner world. She turned back to Hyorinmaru quickly.

"Please Hyorinmaru, bring him back to me." She begged before she fully disappeared.

Toshiro reached for her as she disappeared, letting his head fall against his chest.

"I knew it wasn't real." He groaned, going back to laying down.

Hyorinmaru growled at him, grabbing him with his claw. "It was real, master, and you need to go back!" he launched himself into the air as Toshiro struggled in his grasp.

As Hyorinmaru reached the top he threw Toshiro out of their inner world.

Kimura opened her eyes and tried to push herself up. She struggled but shook her head when Shunsui went to get up. She kept her eyes on Toshiro, waiting.

"Come on Toshiro." She whispered. Her hand that was on Hyorinmaru, moving to grab his, holding it tightly. She felt his hand clench hers, making her gasp.

Toshiro stirred, everyone else in the room turned to watch, holding their breath. His eyes clenched and unclenched as his head moved side to side. After a few minutes his eyes started to open slowly, letting his vision adjust. His eyes fell on Kimura's face, who was crying.

"There you are… took your time, you're late." She said, sobbing slightly.

"How…." He rasped.

"I got a gift from my old employer apparently." Kimura joked, while she sniffed.

Toshiro turned his head, seeing Shunsui, Nanao, and Rangiku smiling at him.

"Welcome back Captain." Rangiku said wiping her tears. "I promise I'll do all the paperwork,"

Shunsui smiled at herm before turning back to Toshiro. "You gave us quite the scare Toshiro though, Kimura learning that you needed her, is what woke her up. I'm glad you decided to join us, I wasn't sure who else would be able to deal with Rangiku as a lieutenant."

"HEY!" Rangiku exclaimed from behind him.

Toshiro just stared at them before looking back to Kimura, holding her gaze, he felt her lift Hyorinmaru and hand him to Shunsui, who leaned him against the wall.

"We'll give you too a minute." He whispered, ushering Nanao and a reluctant Rangiku out of the room.

Kimura ran her hand against his face, and into his hair, watching as he closed his eyes to the feeling, before opening them again.

"I lost you." He rasped out, his throat burning, but he didn't care.

Kimura sighed sadly at him, "I know, I will apologize for the rest of our lives, please forgive me."

Toshiro felt her tears fall on his face, he slowly lifted his hand to try and wipe them away, not releasing his gaze on her.

"Marry me." He said forcefully.

"What?" she gasped as his hand moved to hold the back of her head. His eyes were determined and held all the love he had for her.

"Marry me, Kimura Kyoraku. Be mine completely."

Kimura laughed, more tears falling from her eyes, as she smiled at him, leaning down to place her lips against his, softly.

"Silly Captain, I've been yours, but yes." She felt him pull her head against his forcefully, into a hungry kiss slipping his tongue into her mouth, both groaning, from pleasure and the pain from their body.

They both pulled away from the kiss resting their heads against each other, smiling, and breathing heavily, laughing.

A/N: That's all folks! Hope you enjoyed the journey! Please let me know what you think!