A/N: Oh yeah, that's right. Another one. Anyhow, I would just like to take this moment to say two things of importance. First, this fic has pairings that will include THREE people: ICHIGO. RUKIA. TOUSHIRO. The whole thing will be from Toushiro's POV, but if anyone has a problem with him being with Ichigo or Rukia (or both), you probably shouldn't keep reading. ALSO! There's another A/N at the end of the chapter, cus there's a few things that I may need to explain myself for, but I don't want to give the story away at the beginning.

Ok. Now you may read.

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Shadows fill an empty heart

As love is fading

From all the things we are, but are not saying

Can we see beyond the stars

And make it to the dawn?

What about now?

What about today?

What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?

~'What About Now' by Daughtry

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"Then I'll abandon Hyorinmaru!" Even Toushiro was a bit surprised at how his voice cut through the others in the room, as well as the dark silence that followed it.

"Toushiro Hitsugaya," a low tone finally spoke. "Do you know what you are saying?"

The young prodigy was still learning about the shinigami world, but if this Central 46 was willing to go so far earlier...

"Exile." He'd tried to keep his voice strong, but it seemed minuscule to his outburst.

"And without the zanpakuto."

"...I had assumed so."

"And you are willing to accept this?"

Touching the teal fabric that held Hyorinmaru to him, he looked at Kusaka. The other male was looking down, away from him. He'd never see the other, Granny or Hinamori ever again.

Unfair? Yes. But less unfair, in his mind, than one of them having to die over something so unbelievably stupid as having the same zanpakuto.

He took Hyorinmaru from his back, laying it down in front of him, eyes hard as he surveyed the room.

"Very well. You have until morning to vacate Soul Society. It would be wise of you to be certain you are never seen here again."

"I understand."

"Toushiro-" his friend began.

"Ja ne," was all the shorter replied, and flash-stepped from the room.

His first step would be his dorm room. It was late, his roommates were asleep. They knew better than to screw with him a bad mood, even if they had been awake.

He wouldn't miss them much.

Toushiro changed from his school uniform to the clothes he'd arrived in: a faded, dark green kimono with a coal obi. 'My hair's gonna stick out like a sore thumb in the dark,' he thought, watching the last rays of the sun disappear over the horizon. 'That's nothing new,' he realized with a small laugh, despite himself.

He turned to face the room again, wondering if there was anything he should bring with him. All he had here were books, uniforms, a couple snacks, and... crap. There was also the picture of himself, Granny, and Hinamori the girl had insisted on taking after he'd been accepted to the Academy.

With a roll of his eyes at his sentimentality, he stuffed the picture with the snacks into a small shoulder bag and left.

Hinamori was visiting Granny for the weekend. He wondered, albeit briefly, if he should keep walking past the small house, but figured the girl would hunt him down if he did that. 'I have the time to say good-bye,' he reasoned. 'I shouldn't aviod it simply because I don't want to.'

Both females were surprised to see him.

"Hitsugaya-kun! I thought your class was getting your zanpakuto this weekend!" the girl said upon seeing him.

He bit his lip. "We did..."

"Well, where is it then?"

"He."

"Toushiro," the older woman said kindly. "Come inside. Tell us what happened."

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Granny looked sad.

Hinamori fumed as she paced.

"How can they do that? You just got your zanpakuto, and they just confiscate it?"

"We will miss you, Toushiro."

"Granny! How can you say that?"

"That was a very brave thing your brother did. I'll not berate him for it."

"I'm not berating him, I'm berating them!"

"Don't make this more difficult for him, Momo."

The girl looked down from her grandmother to the male. His face was downcast, fists clenched- to the point they were beginning to shake. This was far harder on him than it would ever be on her, and he'd chosen it.

"Well, you might be able to write or something, right, Shiro-chan?"

His helplessness became a glare. "You said you'd stop calling me that."

"But now you're not in the academy anymore," she reasoned.

"That promise didn't come with a disclaimer!" he informed her, standing.

She pulled him into a hug. "Just promise you'll be careful, ok?"

"Y-Yeah," he replied, tentatively returning the gesture. "Ah... I have to be gone by morning..."

"Of course." Granny stood to embrace him as well.

"If I can find a way to contact you, I will," he told her.

"Hey! What about me?"

"Who'd wanna write you?"

"Shiro-chan!"

"Bedwetter Momo."

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It was another 10 minutes before Toushiro actually left, and only then because he had no idea how he was going to get out of Soul Society. All he could really do was keep walking.

Near the edge of the district, one person stood as if waiting for someone. An adult male with long white hair, and if his clothing was any indication, a captain of the 13 Squads. "Toushiro Hitsugaya?" the mystery male asked, seeing him.

His outward reply was as calm as he could conjure. "Yes?"

"Ah! Thank goodness! I thought I'd be out here all night! I'm Junshiro Ukitake."

"They decide to kill me anyway?"

The man began to laugh. "No, no, nothing like that. Actually, if you like, I can provide you entry to the human world."

"Why?"

"Such a suspicious face! I merely wanted to help you."

"For what purpose?"

"Do my motives matter so much?"

"Forgive me," he said with a glint of sarcasm. "My entire world was taken from me this afternoon over a purely trivial matter."

"Can you still hear his voice?"

"What?"

"Hyorinmaru is his name, correct? Can you still hear his voice?"

"I... don't know."

"I see." Ukitake drew his sword, then in midair, turned it, like a key. Two doors appeared and opened. A Hell Butterfly came through and flitted around for its passenger. "Go ahead," the man said. "If you'd like."

The shorter walked to the door. "Will they destroy him?"

"It... seems likely."

He sighed mentally. "Thank you for your help."

"You're most welcome."

Toushiro followed the butterfly into the dark tunnel.

It opened again in front of a medium-sized building. "Urahara Shoten," Toushiro read. 'Where the hell did that guy send me?' his brow furrowed. 'Did he even have any control over where he sent me?'

"Ah! Hitsugaya-san, yes?" A tall, blonde man in a wierd hat had greeted him.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Kisuke Urahara, store owner," the man replied, a black cat now at his heels.

"How do you know me?"

"Word travels fast."

"I travel fast," the feline said.

Toushiro made no inclination of a talking cat being out of the ordinary.

"Oh? Not surprised?" Kisuke asked.

"The day and night I've had, you'll have to do better than a talking cat."

"I see!" he laughed, and as he spoke, the cat disappeared into a rather large puff of smoke. A beautiful, dark-skinned woman emerged from the white-tinted air.

Completely naked.

The newcomer managed to get a hold on his nose before it got too embarrassing.

"Amazing!" the store owner said. "If the talking cat doesn't get a reaction, she certainly will in human form. Now, it's nearly sunrise, but I'm sure you'd like to get some sleep, yes?"

"It would be appreciated," the tensai admitted, though unsure if he would be able to.

"Then right this way, if you will."

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Toushiro stood in the bedroom, looking around, now alone. Chest, mirror, futon, bookcase... He sighed, kneeling, back straight on the futon, not really thinking about it. He knew he should get some sleep. He knew at the very least, he should put down the shoulder bag. He just couldn't bring himself to do it.

His hand went up to rub the back of his neck. Passing his cheek, he found it was wet. 'I'm... crying?"

That didn't make any sense. He didn't feel anything at all at the moment, not sad or angry; and yet his body was still responding to those emotions.

But there were no choked sobs.

No sniffling.

Just tears.

He knew someday this all wouldn't matter. Someday, he'd look back, and this wouldn't be a big deal at all.

But not now.

Now, everything was shit and he could see how it could possibly get any better.

But he could hope for somethign better.

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A/N: You like? I hope so. This only be chapter one. Anyway, a few things I wanted to mention:

1. 'Ja ne.' Those that have seen the movie know that's what Toushiro said to Kusaka in the movie as well, a 'good-bye.' I know I am in the habit of randomly stuffing Japanese into my stories, but I just wanted to make sure everyone knew this one had special meaning.

2. Yoruichi's boobs. The manga storyline that went into Toushiro's past made it pretty clear that his immunity to cleaveage was nonexsistant when he was younger, but I figure a lifetime around Yoruichi will have the same affect as Matsumoto in the long run.

3. Every chapter's gonna have lyrics at the beginning.

That's all, folks!