O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o Rain

"Ulquiorra Schiffer, former fourth Espada of the traitor Sosuke Aizen's army,"

"Is my brother."

It was deathly quiet. If crickets existed in Hueco Mundo Toshiro was sure that one would be chirping. Because not even Rangiku spoke. He looked at the Captains Head Captain had sent. He recognized Kuchiki, Kenpachi, and Soi Fon. He saw their Lieutenants and waited.

When no response came, he continued. "I was in a weakened state when an Adjucha attacked me. If not for my brother I would be dead. But, as a side-effect, I became an Arrancar."

Everything happened then. A flurry of commotion and questions and Ulquiorra glaring death daggers at everyone and some rambunctious newbie in the back released a bakudō and it hit Soi Fon.

In the end enough order was restored to speak. In the end Toshiro followed the makeshift squad through the desert to where the gate was waiting. Ulquiorra seemed as disgruntled as Byakuya and Soi Fon did, but Toshiro ignored it. Not too long ago they had been on opposite sides of a war, sworn to kill each other. When they finally reached the gate Ulquiorra commented tersely that he could have opened a Gargantua at Las Noches instead of trekking to the gate.

Toshiro resisted the urge to whack him; instead he consoled himself with that by not hitting his Onii-chan he would set a good example for the other captains. They passed through the gate, a clearly confused (and shady, in Toshiro's opinion) Kisuke Urahara. From there they passed into the Soul Society. From there, they went to the Head Captain. Toshiro braced himself for the coming rant that would likely wake everyone within twelve miles.

Come it did. Toshiro waited, waited for the Captains to vote on a decision, waited to know what his fate would be, stressed over every possible outcome and wondered if maybe he could send brainwaves to prevent Ulquiorra from doing something stupid or disrespectful out of simply not knowing about the Souls Society. They waited outside of the room, together. "Shiro, promise me that when we are separated we will both find each other again." Ulquiorra said.

Toshiro frowned at Ulquiorra. "You mean 'if'." He corrected. Ulquiorra blinked, once, and nodded. "I suppose. 'If' we are separated, promise me." Toshiro hesitated, listening to the various arguments presented by the different captains. "If we're separated, I promise we'll find each other." He said. The room behind them hushed, voices too soft to make out, and then the door slid open. "We have reached a decision." Head Captain said. "Toshiro Hitsugaya will return to his post as Captain of the Tenth Squad." A brief silence followed, glances cast around the room to see if any disagreed. "Ulquiorra Schiffer will be sentenced to life as a human for his crimes against the Soul Society, but not death because of his relationship to Captain Hitsugaya and in light of recent events. You are dismissed."

It felt like his other half was being ripped away. Ulquiorra gave him a very I-told-you-so look, before being escorted away.

When he got over the shock enough to speak or protest they were gone. It was already strange to be separated. Already strange not to have that presence by his side, and it had been mere seconds. Toshiro bowed. "Yes, sir." He said. His squad looked at him differently. Rangiku, in between spouts of airheaded talk, asked hesitantly if he was alright.

No, he wasn't alright. But it went deeper than that. It went through middle school and sleepovers at Grandma's house and defending his socially awkward brother from girls that hit on him. It went through a life, as short as it was, where their family of two was the most important thing.

But he couldn't tell that to anyone and expect them to understand. So he acted annoyed and waved her off and assured everyone who asked that he was fine. Three years passed. The pain numbed over time and Toshiro focused on other things in life: His surprising new growth spurt, exploring Arrancar abilities to the full, training and dispatching hollows and visiting Karin in the World of the Living.

He was on leave for a month, a surprising amount of time considering the jump in hollows. But he didn't question it, entering his gigai and going to the world of the living to the Kurosaki's. He stood on the porch, rang the doorbell, and waited. It was warm out, spring in full swing and all the trees in full bloom. The door swung open, an excited looking Yuzu on the other side. "Yay! Ichigo-san said you would come! This is going to be so fun!" Toshiro frowned. "Fun?" He asked.

Ichigo's head poked around the corner. "You're coming with us to America on vacation. Yuzu is just excited because she'll finally get to use the English she learned in school." He said. Toshiro scowled. "So that's why I suddenly was dismissed." He grumbled. He walked in, Yuzu spinning through the kitchen in front of him. "Don't be grumpy! You'll get to hang out with Karin the whole time." Ichigo called from the other room. "I heard that!" Toshiro heard Karin call from somewhere upstairs.

They got on the plane later that day. Toshiro wondered if there were Soul Reapers in this 'America' and tried his best to block out Yuzu and Isshin's incessant and overly joyful chatter. It was dark when a strange green statue came into view, tall buildings crowding the skyline.

Getting off the plane was even more interesting. Curious things were all around, and they bustled to the 'hotel'.

In the morning Toshiro braced himself for whatever the Kurosaki family would throw at him today. Twenty-nine days left until he needed to go home. They walked down the street, both Isshin and Yuzu squealing and rushing at everything. It made it hard to keep track of where they were going, Toshiro noted. Yuzu suddenly squealed particularly loudly, hopping in place. He winced. "Let's go in and get something! It's a café! They sell coffee and weird food and stuff!" The blonde girl exclaimed.

Inside was a barrage of smells. Toshiro sighed, following the noisy pair to a table. He raised an eyebrow at the paper cup offered to him, taking an experimental sip. As he was sitting down he saw it. Or rather, he saw him. The slender man was sitting across the café, dressed in a business suit and sipping some steaming drink, eyes unfocused despite the other man gesturing wildly in front of him. Toshiro stared, cup halfway to his mouth, because there was Ulquiorra Schiffer.

A poke in his arm dragged him back to earth. "What are you looking at?" Yuzu asked. Toshiro shrugged. "Nothing." He said, standing from the table. "Toshiro, don't interfere." Ichigo said. Toshiro scowled. "I'm not interfering." He said. "Toshiro, he doesn't remember you. As far as he knows he has foster parents who send him to work and study abroad. He doesn't remember you and you shouldn't interfere." Toshiro glared at the orange haired teenager. "I have not received orders to stay away; I'm not going to." He snapped.

With that he slid through the tables full of English-speaking people to where the babbling American and his brother sat. "Excuse me; you're Ulquiorra Schiffer, right?" Toshiro asked. Green eyes met turquoise. "Yes. May I ask why you know my name?" Ulquiorra asked. Toshiro felt the tension in his shoulders dissipate. Even without any recognition in his Onii-chan's eyes it was start. A new start, without the responsibilities of a war being waged. "My name is Toshiro Hitsugaya."

It was the longest moment Toshiro had ever lived through. He had been in moments on the battlefield where times slowed down and he had a moment that felt like forever to make a choice, to choose his plan of attack. He had moments where he could have or should have done something and didn't. "Ulquiorra Schiffer." Ulquiorra said after what felt like a lifetime. Toshiro felt the breath he didn't know he was holding escape. "It's really good to meet you." Toshiro said.

Reality crashed too soon. With no war to keep them together there was no reason for Ulquiorra to remember him, no reason for the black haired former Espada to try. Toshiro's smile faltered as Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow, turning back to the animated man across from him who was daring daggers through Toshiro. "You made me promise." He said. Ulquiorra turned back, a frown settling on his face. Toshiro cleared his throat, prayed to whatever deity favored him that this would work and that not too much time had passed. "You made me promise that when we were separated we would find each other again. Well, I found you."

Silence filled the air. Ulquiorra's frown faded into nothing, and then a surprising amount of emotion flitted over his face, a lifetime coming back in seconds. "So you did." Ulquiorra said, more tonelessly than before. And Toshiro grinned wider, more reminiscent of his younger human self than who he was now. Because he doubted lifetimes could separate them. They would find each other, every time. Maybe as different people and different ages and different positions, but they would be reunited again. Always.

A/U: This was evil. I will post a sequel/second/companion piece as I get inspired. Thanks!