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"This conversation stays between us," Ayame explained coldly to James, "I'll go west...you continue east ok?" With that she hurried off.

(Why?)

Ayame stopped once she was a ways away and sat against a crumbling wall, "Dammit...why the hell do these memories keep haunting ,e?"

Tokemaru walked slowly away from the area, leaving the others, as well as the Haori behind. He knew hid father would live, so there was no reason for Tokemaru to take the Haori. Tokemaru had no real destination as he walked, he just walked in whatever direction he happened to be facing. At lastm he came to a large pile of rubble close to where the civilians were. Tokemaru jumped on top of the pile and sat down facing the crowd of people. Some people noticed his presence and tried to ignore him, or scowled at him and turned away, or made an obseane hand gesture at him. He didn't care though, it was as though nothing mattered to him anymore. He looked down at the hand that was still holding on to Kilala's ribbon and realized that he had been clutching it so tightly that his knuckles were bone white. He gazed at the ribbon, all he could think abut was Kilala. Tears began to build up in his eyes, Kilala was probably dead and it was all his fault. It was because Tokemaru wasn't able to fight back against Kuchinawa's invation of his body fast enough that Kilala was injured. If Tokemaru had been faster, Kilala wouldn't have gotten hurt and she'd still be here. Tears flowed down Tokemaru's eyes in spite of his efforts not to cry.

"I'm sorry Kilala...I'm so sorry..." Tokemaru held the ribbon close to him as his body shook.

Tokemaru walked slowly through crowds of faceless people his eyes were blank and only half ope. They looked at him and muttered in hushed tones but he payed them no mind, let them whisper about him, he didn't care. He knew he had to pick himself back up from this some how and continue onward. But this was all weighing on the young captain almost too heavily for him to handle, the pain of his wounds was nothing in comparison to ache in his chest. Suddenly he felt something that made him stop...this spiritual pressure he was feeling....no, it was impossible...right? Tokemaru turned toward the direction he had felt it and dashed off in that direction. Tokemaru shot past the ruins of his home, past the bodies of people he knew, people he didn't know, countless mangled formed of creatures slain by himself and the others. Tokemaru ignored them and continued on, though it did bring him pain to see so much death. Finally he saw someone in the distance and dashed even faster. He stopped when he was close enough to see the person clearly. He walked toward her slowly, as though he didn't believe that she was actually there.

"....Kilala?...Is that you?"

Tokemaru slowly reached out and and touched her cheek as if to make absolutely sure that she was really there. Then he pulled her into a hug, if he wasn't crying before, he as sobbing now, this time in happiness.

"I thought you were dead. I'm so sorry Kilala, I'm sorry he hurt you, I should have been able to stop him in time, I should have protected you from him," Of course, Tokemaru was referring to Kuchinawa, "I'll protect you from now on, I promise, I won't let anyone hurt you, ever." Tokemaru pulled away from the hug and looked into Kilala's eyes.

"I love you Kilala, I love you so much."

Dakota stood up, sorry for pitying himself. Yes, it hurt like hell every step he took, but he didn't let a single ounce of pain shine through. He carried his Zanpakuto on his shoulder, it was slowly but surely fading away with glimpses of the metal just falling apart and turning to a steam like substance that wasn't hot to the touch. He just stared at it until it was gone, nothing but a hilt that he handed to someone that looked like a surviving shinigami. "Do me a favor kid, mount that and put it in my house." Dakota said smirking at the kid.
After that was done and said, he aproached Tokemaru and Kilala in their hug. There was something ominous, he had virtually no spirtual powers left. The Hollow could barely be felt power wise, yet a man hungering for war and decay could still be felt. "So..." Dakota started to say always knowing how to ruin a moment, "are you guys gonna f*ck? Because I'm thinkin' I need me some grand kids to tell amazing stories that I mostly didn't do." he finished laughing.

Kilala blushed when Tokemaru kissed her on her forehead. Kilala smiled but said in a soft tone "that was mean, Toke....but this time ill allow it." She said smiling. She entwined her hand with his "Why shall we move, i don't care anymore im just glad im back here with you Toke, i could care less..."