Author's Notes: We are really, really, really sorry for this slow update! Thing is, Zack has found herself a job, Cloud has also been working so time has fallen short and this chapter didn't want to get written...

But this story is really getting somewhere now and we really hope you all will stick with it until the end and of course tell us what you think about it in the process! Hitsugaya is in a bit of trouble now as you can imagine and this chapter will provide you with some of the answers most of you been seeking for a few chapters now. This chapter gave Zack a bit, no, A LOT of trouble to get done as it was practically getting on her nerves. And yes, we're nagging but in the meantime, review please!

DISCLAIMER: We don't own Bleach, sometimes we really wish we did because then we'd stir things up!

Night 4

Something was pulling him under, strings as durable as ropes and as stretchable as rubber bands were tying him down, dragging him further into the depths that seemed to know no end. All of his limps felt numb, his mind unfocused. All felt futile, meaningless.

There was water all around, even breathing seemed like too much of a pain, just letting the current take him away, wherever it liked, felt so much better. Closing his eyes, the boy started to let his consciousness slip into the dark oblivion that beckoned it.

So tired...

"Shirou-chan!" The old nickname made Hitsugaya slowly open one eye and stare at the infinite amount of water that surrounded him. In the distance a shimmering light lingered, making the endless space seem a little brighter. It took a while but he slowly remembered the owner of the voice.

Hinamori...

The image of the smiling girl he met back in Rukongai appeared before his eyes, an old woman standing beside her who his sluggish mind recognized as his grandmother.

Oba-chan...

Thinking about the sweet bean cookies she sent him from time to time brought a faint smile to his face, they tasted the best.

"Sake in the middle of the day is the best!" The cheerful and lazy strawberry blonde woman appeared, cheeks blushed, looking absolutely drunk.

Matsumoto, skipping out on work again...

He sighed to himself, had he ever imagined she would do something else in his absence?

A thought struck him, why was he there, seeing this?

And where was this?

Looking around didn't exactly provide any clues as everything was black as the dark night, expect the light above him...

If he went there, perhaps he could find out where this was.

Slowly he tried to get closer to it but the white strings that were clinging to him prevented movement, despite his efforts, he didn't get an inch closer to the light. Any movement made his body tense from the pain shooting through his almost demolished left arm.

His strength was fading from fatigue and pain, he struggled to take a breath, to draw air into his lungs that started to ache but couldn't. He was almost giving in to the feeling of it being hopeless...

"Come on Toushirou!" The vision of the orange-haired man and his voice rang a new bell inside his chest just as the darkness seemed to close in on him.

"Toushirou... of course we will. I promise." A fuzzy image of a blond thin man with a warm voice and gentle touch gave his heart one more chance to rise.

I've still got things to do... don't I?

"Master!" The voice of his trusted Zanpakuto, the other part of his heart brought the last needed spark to his soul.

"Hyourinmaru!" With a commanding tone, Hitsugaya managed to stretch his arm out, grasping his Zanpakutou's hilt. Instant cold spread through his body and the nearby atmosphere, freezing the strings and his control over the chill left the water unfrozen. They quickly shattered, yet he couldn't breathe yet as he was under water. Without releasing his Bankai, wings of ice formed on his back, soon enabling him to reach to the light.

Hitsugaya tore through the darkness in the lake and landed on his knees on a small isle of ice in the middle of a dark, endless ocean, being able to breathe once more felt good even though he coughed as he tried to take the air in. But he was alive, that much was certain as his left arm almost made him cry from agony the very second he made an effort to move it even an inch.

"Master, are you alright?" The voice made him look up, finding the blue-haired, scarred and tall Zanpakutou in front of him, concern clearly visible in the features of his face. Hitsugaya slowly looked around, suddenly realizing where he was. All that existed there was an ocean of water with several icebergs in it, the sky above was dark, so what was the light he had seen?

"Master?" Hyourinmaru said again carefully.

"It's my inner world." Hitsugaya spoke to himself as much as to Hyourinmaru. "I'm in my inner world, how did I end up here?"

"I'm not sure master, but the last hours I've felt something strange with your reiastu. Even now, I can sense it." Hyourinmaru said.

Hitsugaya's mind immediately wandered to his inability to suppress his reiatsu, just a little while ago.

"This isn't making any sense, why did I end up here?" He asked and stood up beside his Zanpakutou, he hadn't really meant to end up there, last thing he knew he had seen that weird memory and...

"We're reaching the end stage." A voice soft as silk but malicious as venom said, making both Hitsugaya and Hyourinmaru check their environment on high alert.

"Who's there?" The dragon roared, enraged from the intrusion into their inner world, the essence of his master's and his own existence. "Show yourself!"

"You mean to say that you can't see me? I'm right here." Came the reply and Hitsugaya was shocked to see the clear white strings that he thought had fallen off him in the water reappear over his skin. The strings were clinging to him like a strong spider's web, trying to infiltrate him and made him feel weak, like his strength was drained from him with a vacuum cleaner.

"Master!" Hyourinmaru transformed into his mighty dragon form and attempted to bite the strings off but instead the strings wired their way around the dragon, entrapping it and forcing it still against the ground. Despite the mightiest ice Zanpakutou's best efforts to break free the strings didn't snap.

Hitsugaya understood one thing, these strings were eating his reiatsu, the more he tried to release in order to set himself free, the weaker in his knees he started to feel. Dizziness came over him but he couldn't afford to give in to it.

If he did, he wasn't sure he would ever wake up but darkness was closing in on his mind, resisting was proving to be difficult.

"Come on Host, let's play a game." A slightly amused, mocking voice echoed through Hitsugaya's inner world.

"Toushirou! Come on Toushirou!" Ichigo yelled on top of his lungs and shook him but much to his despair and fear, the small Captain on the bed didn't even stir. His breathing was ragged and slow, sweat forming in floods on his forehead and chest.

What is going on here? Ichigo put his hand on the other's forehead, his eyes widened. If Hitsugaya had had a high fever before, it barely could compare to the one he had now!

"What the hell am I supposed to do? Toushirou!" Ichigo was practically begging the white-haired ice-wielder to just open his eyes and tell him to shut up or whatever! Seeing him that weak almost made Ichigo's heart stop.

Time was passing slowly, yet it passed and it didn't make Ichigo feel any better since Hitsugaya laid as still as ever.

One thing the orange-haired man came to realize after almost three hours of panicked worry and fruitless tries to contact his dad, Inoue or anyone was that Hitsugaya's reiatsu wasn't overflowing to the room anymore, the phone had thankfully worked despite the fact it had flown into the wall just the other night. The room was still a bit cold because of the chill that the ice-wielder had bestowed upon it earlier but not unbearable, Ichigo barely even acknowledged it in his confusion.

But something he suddenly noticed was that Hitsugaya's reiastu wasn't just not overflowing anymore, it was barely noticeable. Ichigo sat down on the edge of the couch beside the small child, nervousness hitting its peak inside him. If it hadn't been for the fact that Ichigo was sitting so close to Hitsugaya that he could feel him, he wouldn't have noticed him at all.

The wielder of the strongest ice Zanpakutou in all of Soul Society emitted so little reiatsu Ichigo almost thought Hitsugaya was sheltering it on purpose but it couldn't be like that, sheltering reiatsu took concentration and considering Hitsugaya's current condition, the chance of him having the strength to do that seemed impossible.

Hitsugaya's eyelids had started to twitch and his breathing was from time to time letting out small gasps, both from pain and surprise it seemed but he didn't open his eyes.

Ichigo tried once more to shake him awake, to no avail.

"Toushirou!" Hitsugaya was starting to thrash beside him, the pale face now clearly expressing pain and agony. Ichigo didn't know what to do, he couldn't believe he had ever felt this helpless before. "Dammit Toushirou, just wake up!" He begged, whatever kind of nightmare Hitsugaya was having, he wanted to wake him up, to protect him from it.

The boy's body stilled after a few long minutes and Ichigo almost forgot to breathe when the Captain slumped against the pillow again. Hitsugaya's face was almost as pale as his white hair, sweat soaking his garments, his breathing labored and his forehead scorching with heat.

"What am I supposed to do?" Ichigo said to himself, hopelessness creeping into his thoughts, at this rate Toushirou would die, he just knew it.

Worst of all, he didn't know a way to stop it.

The screeching sound of Hitsugaya's phone cut through the room like a knife, almost making Ichigo's heart stop in surprise. Two signals passed before Ichigo fumbled his way to the phone on top of the table, haste almost making him trip over his own two feet.

"Hello?" He practically shouted in the phone.

"Ichigo? Jeez, you scared me! Why are you answering the phone? Where is Captain Hitsugaya?" Matsumoto's voice greeted him on the other end, concern audible in her usually cheery voice.

"Rangiku-san, Toushirou is unconscious, his breathing is labored, he's got the worst fever I've ever seen and I don't know what to do!" Ichigo completely ignored the fact that he whined like a scared little kid because the truth was, he was terrified.

"Whoa, Ichigo hold on!" Matsumoto said, distressed by the Shinigami Substitute's terrified voice.

"Just calm yourself down, take a deep breath!" She commanded and Ichigo hesitantly did as he was told, he had to admit he felt better for a couple of seconds.

"Now, tell me what's going on. In detail and take it slow." She asked him.

"Rangiku-san, I think Toushirou is gonna-" He couldn't say it, afraid that if he not only had the thought in mind but voiced it, it would become a reality.

"How is his reiatsu level?" The almost sickly curious voice of Kurotsuchi Mayuri said, almost making Ichigo jump from surprise since he had been so inside his own thoughts.

"...Really low, almost unnoticeable." Ichigo had to struggle in order not to stutter.

"Ichigo-kun, this is Ukitake. Is there no way we can talk to Captain Hitsugaya?" A third voice asked worriedly.

"That's impossible, I've tried to wake him up countless times the last few hours!" It sure felt like that much time had passed. "His forehead is scorching hot Ukitake-san and his breathing is strained!" Ichigo could feel panic rising in him again, god did he wish Inoue was there!

"Ichigo-kun, please calm down!" Ukitake begged him while Ichigo could hear Kurotsuchi utter a sound of delightful interest and the sound made Ichigo's skin crawl.

"Ukitake-san, what the hell is happening to Toushirou? It's rare for Shingamis to be sick right? So why the hell is Toushirou dying?" Hitsugaya had never been sick so none of this made any sense.

"Ichigo-kun I'll tell you all we know if you just calm down a little." Ukitake tried to sound calm but the 13th Squad Captain's voice was almost shaking, the sound of it slowly made Ichigo stop his shouting.

"What's going on here?" He begged to know and the scientist answered, voice low and dripping with interest.

"The Senkai Gate is most likely the cause of Captain Hitsugaya's current condition, or more accurately, the Cleaner inside the Severing World is the cause."

"The Cleaner?" Ichigo slowly recalled what Hitsugaya had said just the other day, that the Senkai Gate was closed for some reason and that the prodigy Captain didn't remember what happened inside. "How the hell is it the cause?"

"A week ago a crack appeared in the Severing World that connects the living world to Soul Society. My subordinates told me about it but before my scientists managed to get there, the rift had already closed. Thus, we didn't really see a reason to investigate it further." Kurotsuchi answered.

"But four days ago, when we were supposed to enter the Severing World for our mission only Captain Hitsugaya managed to step inside it before the gate shut itself." Matsumoto filled in, voice stern of both seriousness and concern, she took a deep breath before she continued. "The gate wouldn't open and we could hear the Cleaner being operational. Renji, Rukia and I waited by the gate while Hisagi contacted the 12th Squad."

"As we arrived, we used that bulkhead Zaraki to force the gate open." Kurotsuchi said, sounding kind of amused and irritated at the same time. "The moment we stepped inside, the Cleaner charged at us."

"How's that possible? With your Hell Butterflies the Cleaner recognizes you right? So why did it attack you?" Ichigo couldn't suppress the memory of the big machinelike device created from the otherworldly current that would have squashed him, Inoue, Chad, Ishida and Yoruichi to death if they hadn't run fast enough inside the Severing World both on their way to and from Soul Society. It felt like a claw took a tight icy grip round his gut.

"Someone meddled with it." Kurotsuchi answered simply, as if Ichigo's slow comprehension ability was getting on his nerves. "And that someone was most certainly not from Soul Society."

"Then who the hell would? And what do you mean meddled with it?" Ichigo demanded to know, he wasn't sure if he liked the direction this was going.

"We haven't found the one responsible yet." Ukitake said with a heavy heart. "But the perpetrator got caught on the Cleaner's internal camera and..."

"And what?" Ichigo shouted, Ukitake's hesitation made his stomach clench, the claw of worry taking a tighter grip than ever.

"We believe the one that reprogrammed the Cleaner was an..." Ukitake hesitated again and Kurotsuchi finally added.

"...Arrancar." He chuckled. "And a clever one at that, the rift cannot have been open in more than half an hour and in that short time he didn't just get in and out but also installed a quite intriguing device inside the Cleaner, programmed to activate as soon as a Shinigami of Vice Captain class or higher stepped inside."

Ichigo's stomach clenched and he felt ice cold, despite the sweat that started to form on his forehead.

"What kind of device..?" His voice was barely higher than a whisper and thick with worry, if an Arrancar had done something to the Cleaner which in turn had done something to Hitsugaya, it couldn't be good. Nothing the Arrancar did ever brought good news.

"A device that apparently was meant to release some kind of smoke when its victim came into range. I would say Captain Hitsugaya fulfilled the criteria for the Cleaner's new setup as his reiatsu is exceptional, even for a Captain." Ukitake said worriedly.

"That's what made him this sick?" Ichigo couldn't stop himself from shouting. "But there's some kind of cure right? There has to be!"

"We haven't been able to analyze the smoke, because there's none of it left." Kurotsuchi answered, sounding annoyed at the thought of a scientific sample being outside his reach. "Or at least that's what we thought until that bulkhead Zaraki, that has no control over his reiatsu whatsoever, suddenly was sparking reiatsu like a madman all over Seireitei and in an unusual way to say the least!"

"What the hell has that to do with Toushirou's condition?"

Why can't the stupid scientist ever get to the point? Ichigo thought.

"Thus, we made a full examination of the bulkhead and what we found inside Zaraki was... intriguing to say the least." Kurotsuchi said, voice once more dripping with scientific interest, without minding Ichigo's retort.

Finally Ukitake who was just as worried as Ichigo thought this conversation had gone on long enough without really provide the reason for everything.

"It was a virus Ichigo-kun. Captain Zaraki stepped into the Severing World first when the gate was down and yesterday his reiatsu was obviously peaking and unbalanced."

"Which means the virus takes some time to start its effects." Kurotsuchi added and sighed in his annoyance since he had been interrupted in his explanation. "We did manage to get it out of him before it caused any real damage." Ichigo ignored the fact that Kurotsuchi seemed to dislike that.

"Since the Cleaner hasn't been restored to its former state yet, we thought keeping the Senkai Gate closed for the moment would be for the best, so that no one else falls to its rampage." Ukitake said slowly, worry straining his voice.

"But considering what you're telling us now, it seems Captain Hitsugaya's condition most likely is because of this very virus." The scientist concluded.

"Then what have you found out about it? How can I help him?" Ichigo cried, losing the last of his patience when Hitsugaya let out a sharp, pained gasp before once more falling completely still on the couch, the sound carried over to Soul Society through the line.

The 10th Squad Vice Captain bit her lip, never had she heard her Captain sound that weak in any situation, he was the type that endured whatever pain was thrown at him and almost never complained! The fact that he now emitted gasps of agony made her realize how bad it must be. Not being able to be by his side just made her heart beat faster from worry.

"Toushirou, do you hear me?" Ichigo tried once more but the small prodigy didn't stir.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, please! What can he do to help?" Matsumoto said, desperate for some kind of solution.

"From the little information we got regarding the virus, it devours reiatsu. And not just a little amount, it tries to suck the victim completely dry. Think of it as not an ordinary virus, more like a parasite, an organism designed to take whatever reiatsu it comes in contact with and weaken the host it comes in contact with. Most likely, the host's reiatsu gets unstable as a result."

Ichigo's breath caught in his throat at the 12th Squad's explanation, his brown eyes was wide, focusing on Hitsugaya's small frame and sweat was dripping down the Substitute's face.

The 10th Squad's Captain's reiatsu had been low, almost unnoticeable for quite a while but now it wasn't just weak.

It had disappeared, along with the ice-wielding prodigy's strained breathing and scarlet blood from his left arm was now staining the couch.

Ichigo dropped the phone in panic.

To be continued

A/N: And just when you probably hoped we wouldn't have another cliffhanger in this story, you were wrong!

This chapter is kind of slow and doesn't really have that much of Hitsugaya in it but is building up for the climax at hand! With work coming up for Zack and school for Cloud, the update rate of this adventure will probably, unfortunately, drop but we swear we will deliver all of the story! So in the mean time, hit the review button please! Reviews make writers happy!

And toshirokun13, if we did make you cry, we hope it's from joy from this update.