Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated this one in such a long time! I let it slip my mind...oops. By the way, for those of you who've already seen the movie, I'm aware that my fic doesn't really go with the actual chain of events, though it sticks with it in close approximation. I don't want to toss out spoilers to the people who haven't seen the film yet, so, yeah. I repeat, the actual events in DiamondDust Rebellion are only a guidline.

Approximately Fifty Years Later.

"Kusaka," Hitsugaya spoke, facing a plain, unadorned grave stone located atop a grassy knoll somewhere in the Seireitei. "I've been assigned to guard the Ouin, the seal of the King. I know you always told me what an honor this duty was…So I'll do my best for you."

There was a silence other than a cold breeze ruffling his white tenth-division haori.

"I miss you, Kusaka," Hitsugaya murmured, kneeling down to run his fingers along the characters inscribed into the bleak stone that spelled out the name of a lover that had died many years ago. "I wish you could be here with me so we could share this duty…"

He paused again before standing up, adjusting the sash that held Hyorinmaru over his shoulder. "I'll come back later," he said, as if Kusaka was actually there to listen to him, "And I'll tell you all about the mission after I'm done."

And with that, he was off, using shunpo to get back to his office as quickly as possible to fetch Matsumoto and the rest of his subordinates that would be accompanying him on the transport of the Ouin.

"…This is absurd," Hitsugaya muttered, arms folded over his chest as he looked up at the irregularly shaped cloud that hosted a variety of priests conducting some sort of ceremony for the change of the Ouin's hold location. "I don't understand why they need such a showy and obnoxious ceremony just for transporting some artifact."

"Taichou!" Matsumoto giggled, "That was a little too bold of you to say! I don't think the King would be very happy if he heard that. You could be punished, you know!"

"Is that so?" Hitsugaya answered absently, still staring in an annoyed fashion at the activity taking place on that stupid sausage-shaped cloud. It stuck out like a sore thumb. The King was an idiot if he thought it was going to be inconspicuous to people aspiring to steal the Ouin, and besides, they were making a racket with all their dumb instruments, playing their silly ceremonial songs and chanting. "In that case, what about…"

The juuban tai taichou's words trailed off. He blinked, realizing that something wasn't right. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but something wasn't right – He could almost feel an ominous aura, hanging heavy in the air.

His intuition was right on target.

"What the…?"

Seconds after the thought had crossed his mind, there was a loud sound of splintering wood, a structure situated on the demented cloud almost instantly bursting into flames.

"Matsumoto!" The young captain's hand flew to the hilt of Hyorinmaru. "Let's go!"

Without waiting for his fukutaichou to respond, Hitsugaya already was on his way, moving as quickly as he could. If damage was to come to the Ouin, things would not be pretty…

Upon the cloud, everything was chaos.

A large orb of electric energy was darting amongst the crowd of fleeing people, turning all those who could not get away fast enough into ash. The sphere split into two, heading straight for a group of Hitsugaya's subordinates that were readying themselves to attempt a counter-attack.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened. Something here wasn't right.

"Wait!" he shouted, spinning around to face his subordinates. "Pull back for now-"

It was too late.

There was a burst of energy, a flash of light, and that group of subordinates was reduced to clouds of ashes before his very eyes.

"Shit…" He turned, frantically looking for Matsumoto. He spotted her in an instant. Thankfully, she was unhurt for the time being, but he could not worry about her for much longer.

Another sphere of energy was circling around, this time composed of fire, engulfing and incinerating everyone in its path, and it was heading straight for him. His hand jumped to Hyorinmaru, and he unsheathed the sword, bringing it forward and slamming it directly into the flaming orb.

He wasn't too surprised to find his katana meeting another, which was held by a red-haired girl who couldn't have been much older than himself.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

The girl did not reply, merely bounding away towards a fallen, burning building, shrieking in mocking laughter.

"Freeze!" Hitsugaya shouted. As he expected, she did not listen to him, and so he followed her, leaping onto the burning building and landing smartly on the creaking wood.

He stepped forward, stopping abruptly. He could feel a strong reiatsu, crushing him in such a way that it was difficult to breathe. This reiatsu, however, was strangely familiar…

The wood underneath his feet lurched dangerously, and he was about to jump away, but something stopped him.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened, a small gasp escaping his lips as a sudden, sharp pain shot through his lower body. Slowly, his eyes traveled downwards, dreading what he was about to see.

A katana blade was lodged in his stomach.

He jumped away, wincing in pain as the blade slid out of his midsection. From the flames, he could make out the silhouette of a rising figure, and although this figure appeared to be a young man wearing a mask, he knew that he was staring directly at him.

"What is…he?"

Before he could even think, with alarming speed, the man unsheathed his katana, lunging at him. Hitsugaya reacted just in time, blocking the blow with his own katana, only to find himself being forced to parry a series of equally vicious attacks.

The man slammed his blade into his again, pushing hard. Hitsugaya was struggling to keep his balance; his knees were threatening to buckle and give way.

And suddenly, the man spoke.

"Brings back the memories…doesn't it, Toshiro?"

Hitsugaya's eyes widened, his knees getting weaker by the second as he continued to struggle for breath despite the crushing reiatsu.

With a cold, scornful laugh, the man suddenly stepped back before disappearing.

"Wait…!"

But he was already gone.

This left Hitsugaya staring into the empty space where his attacker had been only moments before. He didn't even bother thinking about the wound he had just received. The only pain he could feel was deep inside his chest. Some terrible sort of heartache, but he wasn't sure why he felt like that.

Whatever the case was, he had made up his mind. He was leaving.

"Taichou!"

Looking down from the building he was still perched precariously on, Hitsugaya noticed Matsumoto standing below, looking expectantly up at him.

He knew what he was about to do would hurt not only her, but the rest of the tenth division. It would mean letting down his subordinates, leaving Matsumoto, and if you were to really analyze it…It meant betraying Soul Society as a whole. But he knew what he had to do. He was going to get to the bottom of this, and he didn't care what happened to himself, and anyone in his way would be his enemy.

He gave a final glance towards his fukutaichou before turning away and disappearing, having no solution and no plans. But he knew he had to find his masked attacker, even if it cost himself his life.

"Don't worry, Toshiro. Everything will be alright. Just close your eyes and pretend it's a bad dream. When you wake up, I'll be gone, and you'll be okay."

"Kusaka, no! You can't do this! You promised me you'd protect me…"

"I know I did. And this is why I'm willing to die for you, right here and right now."

"But…"

"I love you, Toshiro. I always have. You know I'd do anything for you."

"If you would 'do anything' for me, then you would stop this nonsense!"

"It's the only way. Please don't make me suffer knowing that everything is my fault."

"It's not your fault! There has to be something we can do…"

"I'm afraid not, Toshiro. This is the last thing I can do for you to show my thanks to you for all these years. Really, I…I wish it wouldn't end like this. I want to be with you, always. But I'd rather be dead than see you hurt."

"Kusaka…"

You lied to me.

You said we'd always be together. You made me promise to work hard so I could become a taichou, and you'd be my fukutaichou. Then we would never be separated.

Why is this happening?

I don't want to say goodbye. Not now, and not ever.

Please don't leave me, Kusaka. Please. You have no idea how much this hurts…

I'm begging you. Don't make me do this.

I can't. I just can't. Stop looking at me like that. I can't bear to lift my katana; it weighs a million pounds as I point its blade towards your heart.

Why? Why am I so selfish? Why are you doing this to me? I don't want to. I really don't. Is this just so I can save myself?

Please.

Please, stop asking me to kill you.

When Hitsugaya opened his eyes, he found himself being wrenched back into the present, the pain in his stomach registering itself again. He hissed in pain, blinking groggily. Naturally, he was actually quite surprised to find that he was lying in a bed of sorts. This was most definitely not his bed. In fact, he could feel a very distinct reiatsu on it; the reiatsu of none other than Kurosaki Ichigo.

And sure enough, the strawberry himself was sitting by the bedside, peering anxiously at the young prodigy.

"Kurosaki…?"

"Are you alright, Toshiro? You started screaming in your sleep, so I tried to wake you up 'cause I thought maybe something was wrong…"

"N-No…It's nothing…And it's Hitsugaya-taichou!"

He had been dreaming again. Dreaming the usual dream of the day he would never forget, the day that had been cruelly branded into his memory.

The day he had killed Kusaka Sojiro.

"Toshiro, don't try change the subject," Ichigo spoke, his voice edged with worry that sent a guilty pang through the white-haired boy's heart. "I know something's wrong. I mean, I found you in the middle of the woods, unconscious. I brought you to my place to treat that nasty wound of yours, but I don't think you were there on accident or something. I'm here for you, okay? Is there anything you want to talk about at all?"

"No."

"Toshiro…"

"I said, no."

Hitsugaya had to admit he was actually rather surprised with himself. He had spoken so coldly to Ichigo, and the hurt expression he received in return was enough to make him instantly regret it. But he had no intentions on telling the substitute shinigami about what he had been planning to do. He couldn't afford to get anyone involved. There was a chance that anyone who did would be injured, or even killed. This was a personal matter.

With that in mind, he abruptly stood, making his way off of Ichigo's bed and heading for the door.

"Toshiro, wait! Where do you think you're going!?"

"I have business to attend to."

"Not in this condition, you're not! You need to rest, and your wounds haven't healed yet…"

"I can't waste my time here. Thank you for your good intentions, but there is really something I have to do right now. It's extremely important."

Before the strawberry could utter another protest, Hitsugaya shoved his way past him, exiting the Kurosaki residence and setting off down the street at a brisk pace.

As he expected, Ichigo followed him.

"Toshiro, please. Why are you in such a hurry?"

"It's none of your business," he answered icily.

"Where are you trying to go!?"

"It's none of your business, Kurosaki."

Ichigo reached out and grabbed Hitsugaya's shoulder, trying to stop him. "Toshiro. Earlier, when you were screaming in your sleep, you kept saying someone's name…Tell me. Who is Kusaka Sojiro?"

Hitsugaya's eyes widened, startled that Ichigo had asked him such a question.

Being the stubborn boy he was, he instantly responded in the usual manner.

"Like I said," he growled, "It's none of your business!" With that, he unsheathed Hyorinmaru, swinging viciously at Ichigo, who leapt back just in the nick of time.

"What are you doing!?"

"Leave. Me. Alone."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong!"

"This is a personal matter. It does not concern you, Kurosaki…And if you continue to get in my way…I'll kill you."

"Toshiro, stop it!" Ichigo yelled. "Look, I know you're hurting inside. Is it because of this Kusaka person? You've got to talk to me! I can't let you run off alone, you're going to get hurt again, and I don't want that to happen to you!"

"I told you to get out of my way!"

Hitsugaya lunged at Ichigo, Hyorinmaru clasped in his hands. The substitute shinigami reacted quickly, grabbing Zangetsu and thrusting it forward to shield himself.

"You're crazy, Toshiro! Calm down!"

"I already warned you. If you got in my way, I'd kill you myself!"

The boy slammed Hyorinmaru hard into Zangetsu again, nearly knocking Ichigo off balance. The impact did send the strawberry skidding a good distance away, though.

"What's going on, Toshiro!? Why are you doing this!? What's happened to you!?"

Hitsugaya made no effort to reply, instead, attacking the strawberry again. Metal met metal with a loud clang, sparks, shooting from the blades as they scraped against each other.

"Answer me!"

"It's my fight and my fate, Kurosaki. Don't try to stop me."

"Why can't you trust your friends!?"

"Because none of you would ever understand!"

Ice began to crackle on Hyorinmaru's blade, encroaching onto Zangetsu. This was how Ichigo knew that Hitsugaya was most definitely not fooling around. He was serious.

But the strawberry couldn't help but notice the pain and guilt in Hitsugaya's eyes, even as he continued to viciously attack him.

The white-haired boy slammed his katana downwards, hard, and coughing, Ichigo stumbled backwards to steer clear of the explosion of reiatsu, dust, and ice.

When the debris had cleared from the air, the chill of Hyorinmaru was still painfully present in the night air, but by the time Ichigo could see properly again through the thick clouds of disrupted dust, Hitsugaya was long gone.