Poison and Ice *Bleach Love Stories*

Chapter 17 - Departure to Hueco Mundo

Miyuki

"Miyuki, wake up." I heard Toshiro say as he gently shook me awake. I slowly opened my eyes and saw him looking down at me.

"Good, you're awake," he said as he got up. I sat up and looked around the unfamiliar bedroom. Then I remembered where I was.

"What time is it?" I asked groggily.

"About 11 am."

"WHY DID YOU WAKE ME UP SO EARLY?!"

"We're leaving for Hueco Mundo in about an hour."

"Oh, right." I blushed and got out of Toshiro's bed.

---

Luka

Before the sun rose, Ry and I decided to get some last minute practice in.

 "Why would you need practice, Luka?" Ry asked me.

"Well, considering that I now only have one arm..." I began.

"Oh, yeah." And we began fighting.

---

A little before noon, Gin, Kisami, Maki, Byakuya, Soni, and Kole met me and Ry at the top of Sokyoku Hill.

"Where's Toshiro and Miyuki?" I asked Kisami.

"Still asleep."

"We need to leave soon, though!" I sighed, then flash-stepped to the Squad 10 barracks.

I found Toshiro's room after a little searching and slammed the door open.

"GET UP YOU LAZY PEOPLE!" I yelled. I found Toshiro standing in his room with his zanpakuto in his hands. There was an absence of Miyuki.

"Oh, um... heheheh... Sorry about that." I nervously laughed.

"We're leaving soon, so go to Sokyoku Hill ASAP." He nodded, putting his sash around his shoulders.

"I'll go get Miyuki." He said before flash-stepping away. I blinked, then went back to Sokyoku Hill.

---

Kisami

"Are you scared?" Gin asked quietly.

"No. I'm absolutely terrified! Any of my friends could die, and if anyone in this group other than Luka dies, I'll lose not only my captainship, but I'll also be kicked out of the Gotei 13! This time, there won't be any 'We were half wrong about you. Come back on probation' thing! I'll have to leave and go back to my run down exploded shack with nothing but a doll I haven't seen since I was twelve!" I burst out angrily. Everyone stared. I looked down.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Gin murmured.

"I don't know. I've been keeping a lot pent up for a while. Sorry."

"You could have told all of us anyways. Also, I love the part of your little rant where you told everyone that I'm completely expendable," Luka smiled.

"Well no one trusts you..." (UNTRUSTED STATUES!!!)

"Miyuki does. Anyways, those Squad 4 people are so funny! They kept looking all over for my Arrancar mask while I was changing into a shihakusho. I tried telling them that I'm not an arrancar, just a Soul Reaper, but they got scared and ran away like chickens. Literally. Except for that adorable boy. I think his name is Hanatarou," Luka laughed.

"Hanatarou's adorable huh? What's Kaine gonna say about that?" I smirked. She blushed.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she stammered. I decided to change the subject, but I focused my thoughts on matchmaking.

'They'd make a cute couple,' I thought.

"Why'd you rip your shihakusho sleeves?" I asked.

"I only have one arm, so a sleeve would be pointless. Why don't you wear a shihakusho? I hope it's not to show off nonexistent curves," she countered.

"If I didn't think you were important to this mission, I'd rip off your other arm," I snarled.

'Bitch you don't DESERVE Hanatarou yet,' I thought viciously.

"We're here!" I heard Miyuki call out. I turned around to see her and Toshiro nearing the top of the stairway carved into the hill.

"It's about time you got here. We were about to leave without you." Luka said harshly, probably just eager to slaughter Kaine.

"Now that everyone is here, let's go over the plan." Toshiro, Miyuki, Soni, Kole, Byakuya, Gin, Luka, Ry, and Maki gathered around me.

"Maki will open a garganta to Hueco Mundo, and we'll travel through the desert. Easy. Then we'll have to enter Las Noches, and who knows what the security will be like. Once we're in Las Noches, we find Kaine. Once we find Kaine, we kill him. Simple, but definitely not easy. Got it?" I received nods of understanding.

"Okay then. Let's get going!" Maki opened a garganta, and we all ran through.

---

Miyuki

We slowly walked through the deserts of Hueco Mundo, the only sounds being the occasional hollow howl. Kisami didn't so much as look at anyone, even Gin. She walked over to Maki, however, and began to whisper to her. They both laughed and continued. Luka walked over and joined in.

"Why doesn't Kisami talk to any of us?" I muttered to Toshiro.

"That's how I know that she's really scared. She always cuts herself off from anything that she cares about when there's danger," he replied.

"That's a bit overdramatic, right?"

"It's her way of dealing with everything."

"Then why is she talking to Luka and Maki?"

"I don't know."

I looked to Luka. I had no idea why she would go through all the pain she has just for me. I mean, she sacrificed her own left arm just so I could have mine! I guess it maybe had to do with the fact that she wasn't an arrancar... wait a minute. When we were in the World of the Living fighting Luka, she fired a cero at Kisami. How did she do that?

"Hey Luka," I called out.

"Yeah?"

"How were you able to fire a cero in the World of the Living if you're not an arrancar?"

"Oh yeah. That was an illusion Kaine casted." I nodded my head in understanding, but in reality I was just confused. 

----

Time Passes Slowly, full of awkward silences and short conversations...

----

Kisami froze. I looked over to her.

"There it is," She breathed.

"Home sweet home," Maki scowled. I squinted. Barely visible on the edge of the horizon was an unfortunately familiar palace.

"Las Noches," Luka spat.