NaClO (By invitation, otherwise CLOSED)

[Armphid]

The ground rumbled under Isamu's feet and he looked up from the message he'd been sent. That wasn't just a reaction to the news, but an actual tremor! "What now?" He bolted from Amaya's office to see what was happening. His thoughts churned as he ran.

Things were getting worse and worse! Aizen was dead; murdered with his own sword. And now Momo and Kira were in lock up, along with Abarai! But losing Aizen was serious. He was an experienced captain; known to not only be powerful but skilled. From the brief report he'd read, there were no signs of struggle at the scene. Who could possibly kill someone so strong so easily that he didn't even have a chance to fight back?

He thought back to the last time he'd seen the man. When he'd appeared and offered to present their appeal and grievance to Central 46. He'd told them then that he suspected someone was manipulating events, pulling the strings for some unknown end. His eyes flashed as he recalled the gentle man's serious expression as he cautioned them to let him investigate as it would be too dangerous for them.

Turns out it was too dangerous even for a captain. Damn it, if that was the case what chance did they have?

He climbed up the steps to the wall surrounding the Squad 13 compound and turned to face inward towards the heart of the Seireitei. He blinked as he saw building sliding down and crashing near the Senzaikyou. That spiritual pressure! It was that kid and- "Kenpachi Zaraki. Fuck."

Damn it! The kid was dead. There was no way Isamu could get there in time to save him. Hell, even if he could get there, he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep either of them alive. That damn maniac! Like they needed his scarred, stupid ass involved on top of everything else!

Aizen dead. Abarai, Momo, Kira, all locked up. Ikkaku and Yumichika hospitalized. Captain Ukitake was closeted recovering and trying to unseal whatever that Shihoiin artifact was. Amaya was God knew where; she was supposed to be at the now cancelled lieutenant's meeting. And Rukia was still going to die in less than a month's time. The ryoka had come here to help her but the strongest of them was about to die.

And what could he do about it? All alone and not even knowing what to try.

His hands clenched into fists. "I'm so powerless. All my strength and what fucking good is it?"

More buildings fell as he watched and he felt the orange haired ryoka's spirit power suddenly vanish. "Gone. I didn't even learn his name." Isamu bowed his head, "You were brave, kid. God have mercy on you. I swear on my life, I'll do all I can to save Rukia in your stead."

Big words. What to do about them? Wasn't it Rukia herself who said he was all talk?

Then he inhaled sharply. The kid! His power was back! And not just back, but stronger than ever before! "What the hell just happened? And what's with this guy?" That happened when he was fighting Abarai too; he was down and almost out and then his power just exploded!

Zaraki's power surged as well and even from this distance he could see twin pillars of light miles and miles away in the core of the Seireitei; one a wild and almost sickly yellow, the other a searingly bright blue that was almost white. The lights moved towards one another and there was an explosion that he could hear from here, even if faintly. And both powers guttered and dimmed. "Holy shit, he...he beat him?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

"Gomen, Kuragari-fukutaichou," the 3rd Seat of Squad 5 bowed low to Amaya, who was looking hard at him with her hands on her hips, "but you do not have the authority to countermand Hitsugaya-taichou's orders. I cannot release Hinamori-fukutaichou to you."

"Hmp! Don't think you've heard the end of this, 3rd Seat!" She walked past the helpless looking man and strode into the Squad 5 stockade. The cells were neat, clean, and well appointed. Sitting in the largest cell, and the only occupied one, was petite Momo Hinamori. Her hands were in her lap and she was looking down at them. "Hinamori-chan! Are you okay?"

Momo shook her head, not even looking up. "Nothing's okay, Kuragari-chan. Not with...with," she sniffed, "A-Aizen-taichou being k-killed! Just hanging there! I can't stop thinking about how horrible it was, how it looked." She raised her head, fresh tears streaking down her cheeks. "You saw it, didn't you?"

Amaya hesitated. There was that tingling rush in her ears again and she shook her head. "It was...I can't believe what I saw." Which was true. And deeply troubling. Either she'd gone totally insane or everyone else had. They were all acting like there was a body there; Aizen's body but there was nothing. Just his sword. She'd watched them take it down and it was...it was horrifying but not in the way Momo thought. The men taking it down all acted like it was so much larger and shaped like a person. They held limbs that didn't exist as though there were fully solid.

And she was the only one who didn't see a body.

What if there was a body after all? What if the stress of everything had gotten to her? Was she mad? She felt like she was in an episode of that show she'd watched with Isamu in the Human World, that Twilight Zone.

"Me neither," Momo lowered her head, her shoulders shaking. Amaya put her own fears aside. Poor Momo! She'd built her whole life around serving Aizen. He was her idol, her reason for everything! Well, almost everything...she still hadn't drifted from her friends. Her relationship with Kira had helped that. But still...she was destroyed, it was obvious just looking at her.

"Don't worry, Hinamori-chan," Amaya stepped up to the bars and reached through, though Momo's chair was too far back for her to actually reach the smaller woman. "We'll find out what happened, I promise. And I will get you out of here! I won't let any more of my friends get thrown in jail!"

She turned and stormed out, ignoring the mumbled apology of the 3rd Seat. Ukitake-taichou had to hear about this, cloistered or not!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

The room was dark save for illumination that shafted in through boarded up windows. Ichigo Kurosaki lay unconscious on a futon with a wet cloth on his head, his injuries bandaged.

Yoruchi watched him with cat's eyes, the feline curled up on a cushion beside the youth. Defeating Abarai was one thing, but to beat Zaraki...he might be the key to all of this, after all. Just like Kisuke suggested.

The cat's tail twitched. There was a lot of ruckus out there. Slipping out to bring back the medical cache, the black furred infiltrator had heard people talking in panicked voices about a captain being murdered. It didn't sound like they meant Zaraki either. So who?

That man was stepping things up; putting even more chaos, more pressure into things. Which just made it all the more important that they succeeded.

Yoruichi looked over Ichigo. "Rest and heal," the deep voice said softly. "When you're done...we will train. We've got time, we'll use it, and then..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Isamu frowned as he walked down the halls of Squad 4's largest and most important Relief Station. He'd come to get Ukitake-taichou's medicine, and a few extra supplements to help stave off his attacks for when push came to shove, and had arrived as Squad 8 delivered one of the ryoka for treatment and imprisonment.

It wasn't the orange haired kid but another youth; a huge, dark skinned giant of a man who had been felled by a single slash. Kyouraku-taichou had captured him, the healers on duty had said.

They'd also said that he should have been allowed to die, since a ryoka had killed Aizen. The rumor had spread like wildfire. He had to get back and find Amaya and figure out how to get in front of this. Things were spiraling out of control and damn fast.

He passed a room and saw the back of a white haori with the character for "4" on the back of it out of his peripheral vision. Unable to stop himself, and knowing she surely didn't have time for him, Isamu stepped back and looked into the room. Hey, he could at least pay his respects, right?

Retsu Unohana's face was beautiful, all the more because of the sadness in her keep blue eyes. But there was something odd about the scene. She was looking at an examination table on which was...a zanpakuto? "Unohana-taichou, gomen nasai, but what are you doing?"

She sighed, "It's all right, Takeuchi-san. I'm sure word has spread everywhere now." The ageless beauty gestured to the table, "Aizen-taichou is dead. He was cut down with his own zanpakuto. I have informed the other captains and the captain commander, so I'm sure you'd have heard it soon enough."

"Damn. I'm sorry, Taichou." He didn't have any idea if she'd known the man well but he knew she hated for any shinigami to die; much less one so well known for his gentleness and helping others. Hell, he knew Aizen had personally helped him get into Squad 9. "I'll have to pay my respects when the time comes. But I guess that explains why you're examining his sword; looking for traces of who might have done it."

Unohana did not answer right away. "His sword, Takeuchi-san?" She turned her head to look at him, her eyes curious.

He gestured to the table in front of her. "Hai. I was confused at first, but that actually makes a lot of sense." Isamu paused; Amaya would be pissed if she said yes but he had to offer. "Unohana-taichou, I know you're short handed with all that's happened. Is there anything I can do?"

She didn't smile; it was too much. But he could see a glimmer of appreciation in her eyes along with something else...uncertainty? Curiosity? "Hai. Stay well and safe; take care of your captain and your Squad in all this madness."

Boy. She was going to be MAD when she found out what Ukitake-taichou and the rest of them were ready to do. "I'll do my best." He bowed to her, "Good luck, Unohana-taichou."

"To us all. I, too, will be heading to the field soon." She turned away and her eyes were keen as she looked back at the body she saw on the table. What he'd said...her instincts were nagging at her...

~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Rukia shivered, hugging herself, arms wrapped about her own thin frame. She had lost weight since entering the Senzaikyou, and not having much to begin with, she felt the cold more easily.

Especially without her zanpakuto. And knowing that Ichigo was out there, and who knew who had come with him. Why? That idiot!

There had been fighting. Even in here, she could feel the shaking of the ground, of the very tower, from some epic battle. But it had been over for some time now.

Who had won? Who had died?

And why, why, why did any blood have to be shed for her? She wasn't worth it, was she, Kaien-dono?

There was the sound of shifting stone from the doorway to her large, spacious, empty cell and she turned to face it. What was that? Food was slid into the cell and back out...but that was the stonework lock turning. But why?

She stood as the door began to open and she could hear voices. A rough, crass voice was talking as she started to see two figures there; one large and broad bodied wearing clothes of green and white, a slender figure in a shihakusho beside him. "So, this shinigami we're rescuing, she's got to be pretty cute to be worth all this fuss, right?"

"Uh, well, yes, Ganju-san but that's not why we're here," she blinked as she recognized the voice of Hanataro Yamada. What was he thinking? Was everyone stupid? She wasn't worth any of them risking themselves! The door slid up to be fully open and she could see him; his pale skin and droopy eyes, looking more fatigued and careworn than last she'd seen him. And beside him-

She stiffened and she felt as if she'd been dunked in ice water. She couldn't respond as Hanataro ran towards her, calling her name, telling her they had to go quickly. The man with him...that was..."Kaien-dono's brother..."

 

[HookerBoots]

Hanataro looked back and forth a few times. "Um . . . Ganju-san, do you know Kuchiki-san?"

"Yeah." The man in green looked more serious than the young man could ever remember seeing him look. "Yeah, I know her. She's the shinigami that killed my brother."

"W-what?" Hanataro took a step back, startled. "I-I'm sure it was some kind of misunderstanding, Kuchiki-san wouldn't . . . ."

The slender, pale woman stepped forward. "He's right, Yamada-san. I did kill his brother." Her eyes were large, but dry, as she looked at Ganju expressionlessly. "I killed Kaien Shiba." In a moment, the bulky man was standing, towering over Rukia, one hand knotted in the collar of her penitent's robe. His eyes blazed with anger and hatred. She looked back impassively. "If you want to kill me, go ahead. I deserve it."

Even though it didn't seem to do much good, Hanataro grabbed one of Ganju's arms, tugging on it. "Ganju-san, please! Don't do this, please!" He moved to get a look into the other man's eyes. "Kurosaki-san trusted us to save Kuchiki-san, you can't do this!"

Ganju's eyes finally moved from Rukia's face, his mouth opening to respond, when the air seemed to shake, even inside the insulated atmosphere of the tower. A crushing spiritual pressure was pressing down on them, even there. Ganju looked over his shoulder at the still figure on the bridge they'd crossed to get inside. "I don't suppose begging would get him to let us leave here alive."

"We can't leave without Kuchiki-san!" The slender healer's face was determined, and Ganju cursed the kid for growing a spine now, of all times.

The figure started to move, the flowing white coat over the uniform declaring that it was a captain; the sunlight glinting on the expensive hair ornaments and the pale blue-green of the trailing scarf declaring which captain it was. "You expect me to put my life on the line - for HER?" Ganju dropped Rukia's robe, her heels settling to the floor with a hard thump. "She killed my brother!"

Rukia looked down, her hands clasped in front of her, shame and guilt written in every line of her body. Hanataro looked at her a moment, then back at Ganju. His face and voice were calm, but his hands were shaking, and his eyes blazed. "It's true, you have no reason to want to rescue Kuchiki-san. And I can't ask you to risk your life for something you have no reason to do." He took a deep breath, hands clenching into fists as he turned toward the door. "I'll do fight him. But, Ganju-san, please," the slender healer looked back over his shoulder at Ganju. "Please, as a last favor to me, take her with you when you run away."

Rukia and Ganju stared at him as he walked toward the door, toward the bridge, where Byakuya Kuchiki was waiting. Then Rukia dashed forward, hands outstretched. "No! Yamada-san, don't!"

He ignored her, and walked out onto the bridge. She started forward again, but Ganju's thick arm blocked the way absently. "Baka! You don't even have a zanpakuto - what could you do? Don't try to act cool when you're weak, you're trembling." He looked out through the doorway and sigh. "Bah! That guy!"

As Rukia watched in amazement, he threw himself forward, yelling a battle cry that seemed to shake the tower. His hands grabbed Hanataro before the smaller man could take more than one step onto the bridge and threw him back into the doorway, leaping as he did so to land in a three-point stance in front of the imposing captain of Squad 6.

~ ~ ~ ~​

There was pain, and his body felt . . . tight, compressed. His eyes opened slowly, confused about the ceiling overhead. This didn't look like home, didn't feel like his bed. Ichigo looked around, seeing his sword on one side of him, and a sleek black cat on the other. Oh, right. The fight. "Ara, Yoruichi-san, you brought me here? I'm not dead?"

"No," said the cat, "not that you didn't do your best to get that way." One paw went to the mouth and was licked delicately.

"Oh. That's good." Ichigo looked up at the ceiling for a moment, then started and jerked upright. Immediately, he winced and the bandages wrapped over his abdomen reddened.

"Baka! Stay down, you're still healing!" The cat slowly nudged him back to a prone position. "Opened up that wound again, I bet. Fool."

"I can't just lay here! Chad and the others are in danger!" Ichigo looked pugnacious, but didn't struggle.

Yoruichi sighed and sat down on his chest, just above the bandages. "They're fine, Chad, Orihime, Ishida, they're all fine." One paw reached out to snag a white item and drop it into his hand. "You're the one that's lucky to be alive - this absorbed most of the blows you took. Without it, you'd be dead with or without me."

Ichigo lifted the mask, looking at it with surprise and distaste. "I thought Hanataro threw you into the sewer," he whispered, turning the white mask, with its red and black markings, over in his hands.

The cat batted at it, trying to knock it from his hands. "I'll hold onto it for a while, then."

"Can't I keep it? It's saved me twice now, it's like a good luck charm!" Yoruichi glared at him, the air around his form becoming blue with power. "Okay, okay! Geez, you don't have to be so rough about it!"

Yoruichi plucked the mask from his fingers and tossed it to one side, moving off of the young man's chest. "Anyway."

"Yeah, right. So, you're pretty amazing, Yoruichi-san! Carrying me all this way, you must be as strong as an ant or something - I'm like ten times your size!"

The cat preened slightly. "It's really nothing. It was very easy in my natural form."

Ichigo blinked and shifted to sit up slightly. "You mean you're not really a cat?"

"Huh." The cat took a few steps away from him. "I didn't realize I'd never showed you my true form, but . . . well, no time like the present." Mist started to swirl around the cat, columning up to a little taller than man-height. "I think you'll be impressed," the manly voice seemed to shift, moving upward both in height and pitch.

When the mist started to clear, the shape that was there wasn't feline at all - it was decidedly human, and feminine. Long, well-muscled legs and arms, dark purple hair hanging around a roguish face and down to well-rounded, full breasts. The steam seemed to hide parts of the form, just enough to entice. "What do you think?" she asked in a husky voice.

Ichigo stared, eyes wide. "Uh . . . uh . . . ." His nose started to bleed, and he blushed brightly, covering it with one hand. "Unexpected!"

"I know! But this is how I carried you here, it wasn't too hard, but we almost . . . you aren't even listening." The last of the mist had cleared, revealing her body in full. She sighed, then went to a corner and started tugging on some clothing. In a short moment, she was dressed, and pulling her hair up into a high tail.

As she turned to look at Ichigo, they both looked up. "Ahhhh, that's not good," she whispered. Then she glanced at Ichigo and swore. "Dammit, lay back down!" She moved toward him, but he shifted too quickly for her to grab. "You're not ready to fight yet, you're too weak!"

"Ganju and Hanataro are in danger, that's coming from the tower!" He managed to get to the door, covered in boards, and threw himself out of it, sword grasped at his side.

Yoruichi ran to the door. "Augh! That moron! Get back here!" She sighed and flashed after him, leaving the white mask lying on the floor and grinning a lop-sided grin at the ceiling.

 

[Armphid]

Isamu's eyes were on the reports on front of him but he didn't really see them. Damn it! His feet were nailed to the floor! Captain Ukitake wasn't in Ugendo and Amaya wasn't there or here at the barracks, which left him in charge. And as much as he wanted to, letting the normal work of the Squad slide would get noticed and right now, they had to look like everything was standard.

Damn it! But he hated being here and not knowing what was going on! Especially since he could feel a situation brewing; any shinigami with a Seat should be able to. Byakuya Kuchiki was at the Senzaikyu and there wasn't even a one in a million chance he was here to visit his sister.

Something was happening.

That kid...could he have made it there after fighting Zaraki? Not likely, given how his spiritual power had vanished at the fight's conclusion too. Other ryoka maybe?

And all the time, he was here doing paperwork. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Ganju Shiba fell with a heavy sound as befit a man with so strong and broad a body; blood streamed from dozens of wounds as he fell with a faint gasp to the planks of the bridge that connected the Shrine of Penitence to the outlying ring of buildings.

Byakuya Kuchiki regarded the still form impassively and then lifted his cold eyes. Hanataro Yamada was staring, mouth open, shaking visibly. His eyes narrowed a hair and he raised his seemingly bladeless sword as the pink "petals" that it had dissolved into danced up above him.

Rukia lurched forward, her eyes stinging with fearful tears, "Nii-sama, no! Spare Hanataro-san, I beg you!" The petite woman stepped fully in front of the terrified healer and threw her arms wide apart to make a human shield. "Don't, please!"

Byakuya swung the sword hilt back, preparing to guide his released sword in a blow that could carve them both to pieces. Rukia closed her eyes and braced herself.

There was a slap of flesh on flesh and Byakuya drew in a surprised hiss of breath. "That's enough, Byakuya-san," Ukitake said in a friendly but firm tone. "There's no need for this fight to continue." He held the other captain’s wrist in a hard grip, keeping the blow at bay with seemingly no strain at all. His hair and haori flapped in the wind as the other man looked at him with wide disbelieving eyes for a few seconds before composing himself.

Amaya Kuragari walked behind him, moving past the two men to stand beside Rukia and place a hand on her outreached forearm…and trying her hardest not to smirk at seeing her captain taking Byakuya Kuchiki down a peg. That man! He’d actually been about to use Senbonzakura on Rukia! To think she’d ever…or that part of her still wanted…gah! “Rukia-san, Yamada-san, it’s all right.”

Rukia opened her eyes and blinked in shock at the sight of her former commander, "U-Ukitake-taichou...Amaya-chan…what are you…why?"

"Ah, Kuchiki!” Ukitake’s voice was warm and casual, “It's good to see you! I'm glad you seem to be holding up well!" The white haired man smiled at her, seeming to be unperturbed by the scene before him save for the violence Byakuya had been offering.

The petals reformed into a sword blade as the 6th Squad captain yanked his hand out of his senior comrade’s grasp, “What do you think you are doing?”

“I should ask you that.” His tone changed only a hair but there was a flash in his dark eyes that hinted at a deeper anger than his mild but firm tone conveyed, “What are you thinking? Releasing your zanpakuto here is a Class 1 Forbidden Act.” His eyes spoke further; a silent reproach for the man raising his weapon against his kin.

The disdainful noble eyed him for a moment. “…A special wartime act has been proclaimed to allow all taichou and fukutaichou to release their zanpakuto as they see fit.”

“They think this ryoka incursion is that serious?” Ukitake blinked, “But does that mean that they think a ryoka killed Ai-“

All of them suddenly took in a breath, and every set of eyes on the bridge, save for the fallen Ganju’s turned to look to the east. A spiritual power had erupted from out of nowhere and was hurtling towards them. Ukitake frowned, “This power! Who is that? One of the ryoka?”

Rukia’s violet eyes went wide, “No, that fool!”

Amaya also recognized the incoming energy, “It’s that kid again!”

There was the sound of a large, leathery wing flapping and black garbed, orange haired Ichigo Kurosaki touched down on the bridge; a strange gauntlet from which extended a bat-like wing on one arm and his huge cleaver-like sword held loosely in the other. His kosode was open, no underrobe beneath, his midsection swathed in bandages that had faint red stains here and there. He straightened up and the wing folded up and into the gauntlet, the young intruder sticking it in the sash of his hakama.

All were staring at him; Ukitake in shock, looking as though he had seen a ghost, Byakuya in cool anger, Hanataro’s face was so relieved it was almost embarrassing, and Rukia looking as though a feather could knock her over.

Amaya just looked frustrated. That idiot! He barely survived Zaraki and here he was charging into a fight against not one, but possibly two captains! Though that open kosode look was good on him; he had a nice body under there. She should have Isamu start doing that…ahh, focus, Kuragari!

Ichigo walked past Rukia and Amaya, “Hey, Hanataro, you okay?”

“H-hai, Ichigo-san!” The frail looking boy nodded, “Ganju-san stood up to fight for me, so I wasn’t hurt, but…”

“I’m glad you’re all right.” The orange haired young man turned back to Rukia and Amaya, nodding to the pink haired lieutenant. “Rukia, I’m here to save you.”

“Not like this you’re not,” Amaya whispered fervently. “Get out of here! You can’t fight him in the shape you’re in,” she hissed.

“Byakuya-san…wh-who is that?” Ukitake’s voice was shaken and his face showed it as he looked at Ichigo with a look as though the sight of the young man struck at his heart.

The other man looked back at him for a moment. “Not who you think he is, though the resemblance is uncanny.”

She stared at him for a moment; her huge eyes full of fear and sorrow. Then she glared, “You-you foolishly foolish fool!” Her voice broke as she shouted, “You were supposed to stay in the Human World and survive!” Tears slid down her cheeks, “You were supposed to live and have a happy life again! Now you’re here, and you’re hurt, and I-I’ll have to see you die, have it be my fault, again!”

Ichigo had been pointedly ignoring her outburst, instead looking at the shredded form of Ganju. “Whatever. You can yell at me later, after I’ve beaten that jerk brother of yours.” Byakuya shifted his footing.

Rukia scoffed and turned her head. “You’re still the same! You won’t listen to anything I say, even when I know better than you.”

“Worry about yourself right now.” The young man stepped forward, “I’m not going to die here and neither are you. That’s all there is to it.”

“Because we get to choose when we die,” Amaya muttered. Her mind was racing; how could she save this gallant young dolt? “Taichou,” she called out to the two senior officers, “Please allow me to capture this intruder, it’s a duty below either of you.”

“That is ours to decide,” Byakuya responded coolly. Ichigo was looking back at her in surprise but then he blinked as Squad 6 captain spoke, seemed to realize what was happening or at least dismissed her, and turned his gaze back to the other man. “I don’t know how you survived, much less where you got these new powers, but I assure you…you will regret coming here. But only briefly.”

There was a flash of motion as he flash stepped away into his trademark opening move. Amaya’s eyes could see him and her blade flashed out of her sheath to try and catch the strike though it would expose her as a traitor and she was sure to die from Byakuya’s wrath; then she froze, blade halfway unsheathed. There was a ring of steel on steel and the tall, stony faced captain had a look of shock on his face as he faced Ichigo Kurosake; the youth having turned and swung his blade in to block. “That move won’t work. I can see you, Byakuya Kuchiki.”

Ichigo grunted as Byakuya pressed forward and then released his push to strike again and again the orange haired outsider batted the blow away. Rukia was shaking, her eyes so wide they seemed about to pop from her skull. Amaya was astounded as well; this boy! When had he gotten this strong? His form was terrible, but even still, he was keeping the captain’s attacks from landing!

Unfortunately, she also knew that Byakuya wasn’t really fighting him yet; he was testing and probing, learning what he could. The two combatants parted. Ichigo was still on the side of the bridge nearest the Senzaikyu and Rukia, Amaya, Hanataro, and Ganju’s unconscious body were behind him. Byakuya landed in front of speculative-eyed Ukitake. “You’ve improved some, but it’s no matter. This will still all be decided with one blow. I will show you how full of yourself you are, the true distance between us.” He raised his sword straight up in front of him, turning so he was looking past the flat of the blade at his enemy.

Rukia gasped, “No, Ichigo, run, NOW!”

He just raised an eyebrow, “Huh?”

Amaya swore, grabbing the slender girl and tackling her to the floor, covering her friend with her own body.

“Observe now a power you could never match; not with a thousand years of training. Scatter,” the blade began to glow pink, “Senbo-“ there was a flash of white and a cloth bursting with spirit power lashed from out of nowhere and wrapped about the glowing length of one of the most famous and powerful swords in all of Soul Society. It wound from the tip down to just above the hilt and then was taut, the other end held in a dexterous, dark skinned fist.

A woman crouched on the bridge in front of Byakuya. She was lithe and slender, yet her body was lusciously curved in a way that would drive men wild. Tight black trousers hugged her supple and shapely legs, wrap style boots on her feet, and she had an orange jacket closely fitted with the sleeves of a black shirt and its high collar sticking out where it ended. Her hair was an outrageous royal purple and it streamed in the wind, pulled into a long ponytail that probably fell almost to her ass. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” She stood up; her features were gorgeous and noble but with a decidedly roguish cast to them and her eyes were like burnished gold. “You’ve grown, Byakuya-chan.”

Hanataro was staring in awe. “Rukia-san, Kuragari-fukutaichou, who is that? Do you know her?”

Rukia was watching from under Amaya; her friend’s bounteous bosom pressing against the back of her head, “No, I’ve never seen her before.”

To most eyes he would appear unmoved, but to Amaya, who had seen him in intimate and close moments, Byakuya Kuchiki was clearly shaken. “The former head of the Corrections Corps, the Executive Militia, commander of the Onmitsukidou, and captain of Squad 2, Yoruichi Shihoiin.”

Amaya gasped, “Y-Yoruichi? Did he just say-“

The prideful noble swung his sword, ripping the cloth that she held taut though it still hung around his blade. “I haven’t seen your face in a long time; you’ve been hiding out for over a hundred years.” He was talking to regain his composure, Amaya knew, and because it was just his style. “I thought you were dead.”

“Yoruichi-san.” The woman glanced back at Ichigo and Amaya let out a quiet yelp. THAT was Yoruichi-san? Was it a naming coincidence or…what was going on here? The young man inclined his head slightly, “You came to rescue me, and I appreciate that. But right now, I need you to step aside so I can beat this guy.”

“Beat him?” The woman’s voice was nothing like the Yoruichi-san that Amaya knew; a smoldering, warm feminine alto that was sensual even in a tone of annoyed disbelief. “You think you can. You are a fool.” She pivoted on her heel and lunged forward so fast that Amaya could barely see it and plunged a hand into the boy’s injured midsection. The move took everyone by surprise; even Byakuya’s cool eyes widened in shock.

Blood flew as she pulled her hand free of his wound. He wobbled on his feet, “What are you…doing, Yoru..ichi-san…” He began to collapse but she stepped up and caught him, holding the now unconscious youth to her.

“That was medicine,” Ukitake spoke up for the first time, now standing in front of the fallen Ganju, “An anticoagulant and a powerful sedative to keep him from fighting and make sure his wound didn’t continue to bleed after he reopened it. You’re saving his life.” His eyes met the mysterious woman’s and a thought hit Amaya like a bullet; Shihoiin. The name of the friend who had entrusted all those artifacts to Ukitake-taichou. They were friends, at least once. “Yoruchi, what are you intending to do?”

“Ukitake, I-“

“Don’t waste your breath or your effort, Yoruichi Shihoiin,” Byakuya cut her off, “neither of you will escape here.”

“My.” A sassy grin split her face, white teeth bright in contrast to her chocolate skin. “Listen to you talking like such a big shot, Byakuya-chan. And yet, you never beat me, even once, in a single game of tag.”

His eyes narrowed. “Shall we give it another try?” He blurred and flashed forward to her position, only for her to reappear behind him, Ichigo slung over one shoulder. His spiritual power surged up his blade and the cloth burst apart as he turned and swung, Yoruichi and her charge vanishing to appear behind him. They blurred and swapped places again, then stormed towards each other, only to blur and vanish once more. Amaya could follow it, mostly, but it was astonishing! She’d never seen two people use flash-step at this level against one another before!

Yoruichi broke away and dashed for the end of the bridge, smirking, looking behind her. Then the white-clad frame of Byakuya appeared in front of her, his sword already moving, “Did you really think you could escape with a flash-step that slow?” The shining arc of the blade sliced her from belly to shoulder and she reeled back and then was gone, a few scarps of orange cloth falling away.

Amaya blinked, “An after image?”

Yoruichi was perched on the flat of Byakuya’s sword, now extended behind him due to his follow through. She scoffed, “Did you really think you could catch me with a flash-step that predictable?” She flashed away again before he could turn, only to reappear on the roof peak of the outbuilding the bridge connected to the Senzaikyu. “Three days!” Her golden eyes were only on the seemingly collected noble. “In three days, I will make this boy stronger than you. Until then, consider your fight postponed.” She smirked again and tilted her head to look down at him, “You can try to follow if you wish, but the Flash Goddess Yoruichi Shihoiin can’t be caught by the likes of you.” She blurred away and was miles distant before anyone present could even draw a breath.

Amaya let out an explosive breath she wasn’t aware she was holding. Then she looked down, “Ah, gomen, Rukia-chan! Though most people would feel lucky.” She rose up, helping the slender shinigami to her feet.

Ukitake was looking the way Yoruichi had gone, his dark eyes thoughtful. Then he blinked and looked over as Byakuya Kuchiki walked past him, his blade sheathed. “Ara, Byakuya-san, where are you going? Didn’t you want to arrest them?”

“It holds no more interest for me,” the other man replied diffidently. “Do as you will.” He walked around the corner of the outbuilding and was out of sight; a flash step carrying him far away.

The white haired captain sighed, “He’s so spoiled sometimes.” Then he turned back to the others. “Well, that turned out as best as it could. Young man from Squad 4.” Hanataro started to tremble. “Start working on your friend there; Amaya-san, please go bring a healer immediately. I’ll watch them and escort Kuchiki back inside.”

Hanataro was stunned. “You…you’re not going to…”

“Of course not!” Ukitake shook his head, “If nothing else, he may have information about Aizen-san’s death. And more importantly, he was injured trying to rescue my subordinate. That is a debt I would never repay so badly.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Renji lay in the darkness of the Squad 6 stockade; even though the daylight still streamed in through the slats in the room's single high, small window, it was still dim. He had felt the near clash of spirit power near the Senzaikyu but it was over now.

And that man had been there...

He felt a familiar presence and a shadow fell over him. The red haired warrior glanced up to see his zanpakuto spirit at the side of his futon, looking down at him. "You're nearly healed, right? Hurry and finish up! I want to get back out there. I want to fight Zangetsu again."

"Forget it," he answered, shaking his head. "That guy isn't our enemy anymore."

"Is that so? Then...who will we fight?"

 

[HookerBoots]

Amaya settled in at the desk in her office, sighing heavily. "Gomen, Isamu-kun. I'll try and tell it in order, but . . . it's a mess." She rubbed a hand over her forehead, but gave him a small smile. "Make me some tea, love?"

"If you talk while I brew it," he said, already moving to get out the kettle. It had been a long time since he had seen her look so haggard, if he ever had. His lovely, busty beauty was working herself very hard over this, maybe too hard.

She recounted the tale of what had happened at the Senzaikyu, ignoring his snarl at the way Byakuya Kuchiki had been acting, as well as his surprise at the appearance of Yoruichi. He wondered the same thing she did - was it the same person, or just a coincidence?

When her story finished, she sighed again, her hands encircling but not touching her teacup. "I don't know what to say. Everything is such a mess - people are acting like animals, there's order, but it's not the kind that we've been fighting to preserve." She looked into the depths of the hot brew. "But . . . I won't do less than what that boy was willing to do. If he can find the strength to get up and make a stand with a wound like that, the least I can do is patrol and try to find his friends."

"If they're still alive," he added, looking at the window. "One of them is already in the infirmary - he had a run-in with Kyouraku."

"And he's still alive? Amazing, just . . . wow. These kids are strong."

Isamu nodded. They were quiet for a moment, then he said, "She really said three days to be stronger than Kuchiki?"

~ ~ ~ ~​

"All right, great job, everyone!" The older man rumbled over the group of shinigami. "You did a good job, we'll find those ryoka soon!" His mustache and thick eyebrows made him look older than he was, but the topknot on his head was still deep black. The group in general murmured encouragement to each other, except for two in the back who looked at each other, then back at their leader.

"Everyone, go ahead and take a break!" He pointed to the two that hadn't agreed with him. "Stay here for a minute."

They came forward reluctantly, a tall, slender young man with dark hair and rimless glasses, and a petite, almost absurdly busty redhead with grey eyes. "Yes, sir?" the boy said, his tone just the right side of respectful.

"Are you new? I haven't seen you before." He folded his arms, taking them in. Well, her. Those tits . . . the girl wasn't on a level with Matsumoto or Kuragari, but she was a great specimen of womanhood.

"Yes, sir. I'm Uryuu Ishida." The boy bowed slightly, never taking his eyes off the older man.

"And I'm Orihime Inoue," the girl chirped, bowing as well. "It's an honor to be part of Squad 9."

He wasn't subtle about leering down her top, and murmured in a way that indicated he thought they couldn't hear him, "Not bad, not bad." Louder, he added, "You probably already know me, I'm Umesada Toshimori, 20th seat of Squad 9." He puffed out his chest, ignoring the way the boy seemed to bristle at his attention to the girl. "That's right, I'm one of the 15 picked for the 20th seat. And, not to brag, I'm the strongest of them."

"Oh. That's . . . great!" she said. "You must be very strong and brave."

"That's right," he said, leaning over her, one hand resting on a nearby building. "So, you should come by my room tonight, I'll . . . tell you about it." He smiled, a lecherous expression. "I'll treat you real nice."

Almost before Orihime could react, the young man was between the two of them, his eyes hard.

"What your problem, kid?"

Uryuu stared at the beefier man. "The ryoka situation is so great that they've issued wartime exemptions. I'm sure that a seated officer doesn't have time to make passes at their subordinates, given the circumstances."

Umesada's face turned beet red. "You little punk! How dare you speak to a seated officer like that!" The hand that had been on the wall went to his sword hilt, but before he could do anything with it, one of the other shinigami dashed up.

"Sir! We didn't find anyone suspicious around here! What should we do now?"

Glowering, he turned to look at the speaker. "Fine. I'll be right there." As the young shinigami loped off, Umesada looked at Uryuu again. "Don't you worry, boy. When this is all over, you'll learn how to talk to your betters."

As he stalked off, Orihime let out a nervous breath. "Ishida-kun, thank you for that!"

He pushed his glasses up his nose and blushed slightly. "It was nothing."

She beamed. "It was great, though! And despite that, my idea's working great! Stealing these uniforms is making it super-easy to move around without attracting notice."

Uryuu nodded, looking around. "Yes, it really is. Come on, we need to get going. If we don't catch up with him soon, who knows what trouble Kurosaki will get into."

"Right!" she nodded, and they headed off at a jog down the street.

Behind them, two golden eyes opened up in a section of the wall she'd been standing next to. They followed the movement of the two, and slowly, that portion of the wall separated from the rest of it, in the stone-textured shape of Mayuri Kurotsuchi. "Well, that's interesting."

 

[Armphid]

Night lay on the Seireitei after a day of conflict and bloodshed. A terrible day in the history of the Gotei 13; throughout the area those shinigami not on duty fretted and felt despair in their hearts. One Squad was all but destroyed and it was the one with the physically strongest regular squad members. One captain was dead, another injured almost to death and rumed to be incapacitated. Three lieutenants were in prison. The battles that had taken place had destroyed buildings, furnishings, records, artifacts, and relics that had been in place for hundreds of years; the cost of repair would be in the millions of ryo and years of labor.

And the ryoka, those behind it all, were still on the loose. Two were captured but those two were not the ones who had caused this devastation. That one was still out there. Even worse, there were at least two unaccounted for. Who knew what devilry they were subtly creating while their shinigami-like comrade cut down captains and lieutenants alike?

And in the minds of many, the execution loomed. A week away now.

The night was deceptively peaceful. The air was still and cool and the full moon was high in the sky and bathed all of Soul Society, Seireitei and Rukongai, with silver light. Yet there were clouds; dark, heavy, and ominous that rolled in place and blotted out the light here and there with bleak shadows.

The tension and stress was telling on the Gotei 13. Seated officers barked orders a little too harshly and with strain in their voices, the remaining captains and lieutenants were mellow and quiet. Many shinigami gathered quietly together to whisper over rumors and wonder what would happen next. Many drank to escape the terrible tension, seeking release in intoxication and delirium.

Others found unconsciousness thrust upon them.

In the Squad 5 stockade, Momo Hinamori folded up her captain's last letter, a private missive for her to finish his work, and slid it into her kosode. Her cute face was stern and set; the expression resolute but also making her look even more beautiful. She stood up, her tabi clad feet making a soft sound on the floor.

The guard on duty turned to look at her, "Ah, Hinamori-fukutaichou, is-" A wave of power rolled out from the petite woman and his eyes rolled back in his head. He fell heavily to the ground as she raised a hand to the bars of the cell.

The guards in Squad 6's cells lay unconscious, abrasions on their faces and lumps swelling on their heads. The bars of the cell looked as though they had been snapped off and there was a ragged hole in the wall; Renji Abarai and his sword were gone.

Izuru Kira sat in darkness, his arms bound by a straight jacket. The walls of his cell were scratched and the chair in it toppled over and battered. His eyes were staring unseeing at the floor. He had raised his sword against Momo. Even to defend his captain, that was...that was monstrous. How could he have done it? What was wrong with him? What was he? He loved her, and he had almost fought her, would have fought her! Just like when he turned against Takeuchi-kun. He had no loyalty, no friendship, no love in his heart. He was a monster. A beast.

There was a sound and he jerked his head up, "Go away! No more!"

"Yare, yare." Gin Ichimaru was smiling as always as he stepped up to the bars of the cell. "Looks like you're having a tough time, Izuru. Poor thing. So...how'd you like it...if I got you out of there?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

"Oy! OY! You two!" A young man and woman clad in shihakusho turned as a man lurched towards them from out of the doorway of a bar, a ceramic jug in one hand. He was of average height but strongly built, with dark hair slicked back into a short fall to the back of his neck and a thin, pencil mustache. His face was rough and plain. "What th' hell are you doing out without your zanpakuto? What squad are you with?"

The two looked at one another. The young man was a little taller than average and very slender; delicate and graceful looking with sharp, pretty boy features. His skin was pale and his eyes were a cold blue behind his square glasses, his blue hair parted in the middle with long bangs and shorter in the back. The girl was average height and slender but with an outrageous set of curves; particularly the generous swell of her breasts, the cloth of her shihakusho was stretched taunt over them and threatened to part as it did for the legendary Matsumoto and Kuragari. Her hair was a light orange ginger color, long and clean and held back by a pair of six petaled flower-like hairpins. Her eyes were the gray of steel but were warm and open.

The girl shrugged and laughed, "Oh, well, we must have forgotten in all the excitement! We're with Squad 11."

"Uh, yes," the boy nodded, "that's right."

"Izzat so?" The drunk man reached out and grabbed the front of the boy's kosode. "That's weird...'cause I'M in Squad 11 and I ain't never seen either of you!" The youth's eyes became harder and one had that was clad in a strange white gauntlet with blue lines clenched into a fist. "Not to mention we're the best fighters in all the Gotei 13, we'd never forget our swords!" The girl's eyes were huge and panic was rising in them. "And this badge here, that's a Squad 12 insignia! So why don't you-"

"That's enough, Aramaki." A hand snapped onto his wrist and jerked his grip free of Uryuu Ishida's stolen uniform. Isamu Takeuchi gave the Squad 11 man a hard look. "Your whole squad is in the infirmary other than you, and this is how you act?"

Uryuu drew in a sharp breath. Who was he? He was far more powerful than the drunken lout. His features were unusual; a Eurasian half breed, if he wasn't wrong. Like Sado but with European ancestry. And there was another power too, just as strong, maybe even a little stronger.

"Stand down," Amaya Kuragari was behind them. She shook her head at Aramaki, "We'll talk to these two about this matter, Aramaki-san. You were to suspect them but you're not in any shape to deal with this. You should go back and see how your friends are doing." Uryuu's eyes fell on the badge tied to her left arm; 13. His eyes also flickered over her magnificent figure; lingering on her absolutely incredible breasts...but he tore them away with a faint flush. She was...yes, but she was no Orihime, whose beauty was far more than physical. "As for you two, don't be afraid, we're not here to harm you. We're friends of Ruk-"

"Ahh, there you two are!" The whole group blinked then and turned to look as a group of men in the shinigami uniform rushed up to them. They were smiling as they walked briskly up and pushed as close as they could to Aramaki, Isamu, and Uryuu. The man who'd spoke up laughed, "Thanks for finding them Kurigari-fukutaichou, but we'll take them back to the barracks. They are in Squad 12, after all!"

Another nodded, "Yeah, probably getting tipsy off duty to destress and looking for a romantic interlude!" Both of the young suspects flushed and the girl looked at her comrade and then away. The boy's eyes narrowed. "Don't worry, we'll make sure they remember their swords in the future."

Isamu's had as well and Amaya had one hand on her zanpakuto's hilt. "That's not true. What are you playing a-"

"Inoue-san, your shield, NOW," the boy barked.

The men around them suddenly cried out in pain and their bodies distorted. Strange swellings rose up suddenly on their arms and legs, breaking bones and deforming limbs before bursting into explosions of heat and flame. The walls cracked and the nearby bar had it's awning and porch blown away, the roof igniting as a gout of flame hit it.

The light faded and revealed a triangle shaped barrier of energy hanging in front of the group; the ginger haired girl holding her hands out as if supporting it, her back to the shield. Tears streamed down her face and her legs trembled.

Isamu stared. Those men had exploded and the force...but that shield had saved them from certain severe injury. All of them. The girl had moved, in the instant of her friend's warning, to make sure her protection would cover not only them but everyone that she could. "You saved us."

"Why?" Aramaki was on his knees on the ground, head held in his hands as he looked up at Orihime. "Why would you do that? You're ryoka...we're your enemies, and why...why are you crying?"

"CAPTAIN!" Of the group that had approached them, only one had survived. He was staring at what happened and turned away, running towards a pair of figures at the end of the street. "This wasn't supposed to happen! What did you do? Why? We served loyally! Faithfully!"

"Tch," the garishly painted face of Mayuri Kurotsuchi looked annoyed. "No, no. Once the bombs are released," he raised one hand in which he held a detonator, "they are never supposed to come back."

"No, don't!" Isamu's cry was lost as the man's shape twisted and then he too exploded into fire. The American stared in shock for a moment as the amoral scientist and his quiet, doll-like lieutenant stepped over the blackened mark on the street where a person had once been. His face contorted into a snarl, "You bastard! How dare you?"

"Despicable!" The haired youth was incensed; his voice sharp. "Using your own men as suicide bombs, and without them even knowing! It's unforgivable!"

Behind them, Amaya stood still as if struck by lightning. That was...she knew the man was dangerous and wicked but...to do that! He'd killed his own men! Her comrades! She felt her eyes sting with tears but they were not fully of sorrow; they were tears of rage. No more. No more of this madness! No more of her own suffering, dying, in all of this chaos and confusion! And no more of this monster!

Mayuri shrugged, "They were just trash members, useless. They couldn't even explode properly, so good riddance. Besides, there's always more; I get fresh ones from the Academy every year." Beside him, Nemu's eyes avoided the blast mark that had been a man and flinched slightly, her eyes bleak and hopeless in the face of her father's hateful disregard for others. "Never mind them. But you, girl. That's an interesting power. I've never seen anything like it before."

He spread his hands, one adorned with a ridiculously long fingernail on the ring finger, "Why don't you become one of my test subjects? I'll give you the best conditions possible; food, a comfortable cage, no more than two surgeries a day, and I won't remove any necessary organs and only one limb. What do you say?"

There was a ring of steel as Isamu and Amaya's blades leaped from their scabbards but in the same time, the slender boy vanished and then blurred to appear above and to the right of the scientist. A bow burst into life from his glove and he fired an arrow of pure spirit particles at him. The shot missed a fraction of an inch; a warning and the boy again blurred and was back in front of the glowing shield in the blink of an eye.

"What was that?" Isamu blinked, "A flash step?" There were more humans with shinigami powers? Though he'd never seen anyone other than Amaya with a zanpakuto that was a bow.

"Hirenkyaku," Mayuri noted. His syrupy voice was vaguely interested. "A technique where spirit particles are gathered under the feet and moved at high speed to effect quick and nimble movement, like a flash step." He tilted his head to one side, "You are a Quincy."

The boy took a sharp breath, as if surprised at that word. Amaya and Isamu exchanged a look out of the corner of their eyes as they warily advanced to stand on either side of the terrified looking girl, not to attack but in guarding positions.

"My research on the Quincy is complete. You have no interest for me, boy, you may go. But I must have the girl. What do you say, child? I'll add a promise not to remove both of your eyes, how does that strike you?"

"You fucking lunatic!" Isamu's voice seemed to bite the words out of the air, "Is that what you've been doing all this time?"

The young man did not look back at them. They were almost as furious as he was...and they did not seem to be inclined to fight him or Orihime. "What research do you mean, shinigami?"

"Shinigami? Hmph! Impudent boy, stop taking up my time! I told you I have no interest in you!" He shook his head, "But I will answer, so you know that I will have what I want, no matter your opinion. I am Mayuri Kurotsuchi." A wave of released spiritual pressure rolled off of him and down the street, ruffling hair and sending clothes whipping about. "Captain of Squad 12 and second Chairman of the Research and Development Department!"

 

[HookerBoots]

Amaya took a deep breath. This was bad, bad, bad. The odds of them fighting a captain, even if they worked together and the kid helped, and surviving were low. Very low. Not to mention the moral issues of killing a captain in what was a wartime situation - even if she could live with it, they'd still be on the hook to the Captain-Commander and Central 46 about drawing their swords against a higher-ranked officer.

On the good news side, he didn't feel as strong as she'd expected a captain to feel - maybe she was stronger than she thought? Or maybe Kurotsuchi-taicho was just one of the weaker captains. It didn't matter; right now, if she could, she needed to end this without fighting.

The silence in the street was broken by the sound of her sheathing her sword. "Kurotsuchi-taicho, this isn't right. Our orders weren't to experiment on the ryoka." Her eyes flickered back to the slender woman who was standing silently behind the man. "Nemu-san, please help me."

The dark-haired woman looked at her with solemn eyes, then tilted her head to one side. Amaya thought she nodded, but wasn't sure.

He put on hand to his cheek. "Well, you're right. We're supposed to capture them. Which is what I'll do - I said I wouldn't kill them, that's a promise I don't make to many of my subjects." His eyes weren't on her, they were watching the girl with clinical interest and curiosity. "What do you say, girl? I never make offers like this twice."

The young man moved a little further, to slide further around the yellow-eyed man for a better angle. "You monster! You'll never lay a hand on her!" Isamu was also moving, trying to get a better angle himself, knowing that no matter how good his love talked, she wouldn't be able to get around the madman.

Amaya held one hand up. "Onegai shimasu, Kurotsuchi-taicho, but this is indefensible. These people were in my custody first, and as you know, given my captain's indisposition, I speak for him. As he is your senior, my claim precedes yours. I'll take them into custody, and if you wish to see them, you can petition my squad for it." Not that we would ever let you, she added silently.

Mayuri looked at her for a moment, tilting his head to one side as though she were a fascinating new formula. "Did you really think that would work on me, lieutenant? I'm the greatest intellect the Gotei 13 has ever seen!" His eyes narrowed. "Now move, unless you want me to bring in more of my . . . dynamic underlings to deal with you while I start my research."

Her face darkened. "That is another thing, sir. In a time of war, it is incredibly wasteful and pointless to kill your own subordinates. I will be reporting that to the Captain-Commander, as well as calling for disciplinary action against you for it."

"They were garbage - they send me new ones from the academy every year." He waved his hand. "Now, girl, get out of my way."

Without looking back, Amaya said clearly and loudly, "Aramaki, take the girl to safety."

The mustached man, who had been cowering behind a barrel, started. "What? I mean, uh, yes, lieutenant." His eyes darted back and forth between the pink-haired juggernaut and the trembling ginger-haired girl before dashing forward and grabbing the busty teenager around the waist.

"Hey! Put me down, I can help fight!" The girl was yelling and flailing at him with her fists. "Leave me alone, I want to help Ishida-kun!"

Aramaki sighed as they turned a corner. "You have to hold still and be quiet, otherwise, someone will find us!"

"I don't care, let me goooo!" She turned her head and tried to bite his arm.

"Ouch! Dang it, all right, that's it!" His free hand pinched a nerve in her neck, and she went limp. "Geez, I didn't want to do that." He shifted his grip and tucked her under his arm, running through the streets as quickly and quietly as he could.

As they turned the corner, one of Mayuri's arms reached out. "Oh, no you don't!" he yelled, and to everyone's surprise, the arm kept going, stretching out impossibly long to grab at the young woman's flailing form.

It was also a surprise to everyone when a glowing blue arrow shot through the limb, shattering it and showering metal and wiring all over the street, as well as hitting the building on the other side and blasting a hole through it.

"Tsk!" Mayuri shook his head and pulled out his sword. "That tickled." He raised the blade, and even as Amaya's hand flew to her own sword, he cut off the remainder of the useless limb almost as his shoulder. "Now I'll have to make a new one." He pulled out a syringe from one of his pockets and jabbed it into his side. As the rest of the group watched, horrified and fascinated, the dripping stump started to writhe and bulge. Within a few moments, there was a new, paper-white arm hanging there.

Amaya stared. "Why . . . why isn't that drug given to Squad 4? What is it?"

He pitched the used needle behind him, and Nemu dodged it effortlessly. "It wouldn't work for them, I've designed it to be poison to anyone but me." His eyes slanted to look at the Quincy. "I told you my research was done, boy, and it's now clear I'll have to take care of you before I get to inspect the girl. So, consider yourself lucky - I don't use this for just anyone." He unsheathed his sword. "Rip, Ashisogi Jizo!"

 

[Armphid]

The clouds were thin in this part of the Seireitei as a pair of figures walked under the night sky along a long wooden deck between low buildings. The one in front was taller than the other behind and a white haori with the character for "3" was emblazoned in a sideways diamond on the back of it; his silvery hair bright in the moonlight. His subordinate's blond locks were paler than usual in it, looking washed out and faded, as did his face, set in an expression of melancholy and uncertainty.

"I knew I'd find you two together." The voice was young but confident and cool, with a ringing of authority in it. Both men turned to see the form Toshiro Hitsugaya on a peaked rooftop behind them, looking down. His white hair was spiked as usual and the night breeze stirred it and his own large, almost billowing captain's haori. His sword was belted over his shoulder and one of his hands was on the hilt. "Kira's cell was the only one opened from the outside. What are you doing, Ichimaru?"

"Just a little stroll with my subordinate, 10th Squad Taichou-san. I should have known you'd have tracked us down." Ichimaru's fox face turned harder, ever so slightly, his narrow eyes cracking just a hint open, "After all, you're a genius who graduated from the Academy in less than one year."

"That has nothing to do with this." He leaped down from the roof onto the planking; Ichimaru took a step toward him, Kira's eyes shifting between them. "You were careless, even for you, leaving that way. It made sure I'd know it was you. Or maybe that was your intent, but it doesn't matter. I'm just glad I got to you first, before Hinamori." The wind picked up and blew noticeably colder than before as his hand tightened on his sword hilt, "I'll deal with you before she gets here and that will be that."

There was a blur and both the white haired captain and the blond lieutenant gasped softly as a petite, slender figure appeared on the deck between Hitsugaya and the others. "I've found you, just in time" Her voice was thick with emotion but it lacked the iron ring of conviction. "The one who killed Aizen-taichou." Ichimaru's smile grew wider.

"No! Hinamori, you're no match for him!" His green eyes full of concern, so different that the cold disregard normally in them, the boyish captain rushed towards his childhood friend. "Stand back and let me handle this, you'll just get killed!"

"No," she spoke low, barely a whisper, yet all could hear her clearly, "I'm here to get revenge for Aizen-taichou." Her blade swept from her sheath and the boy she'd known for his whole life came to halt as she turned to point it at him; the tip just an inch from his breast. Her normally vibrant eyes were torn and hurt; tears unshed in them. "Why? Why did you kill Aizen-taichou?"

Hitsugaya and Kira spoke at once, "What?"

"I didn't want to believe it. I still don't, but it's all here, Aizen-taichou left it for me in this letter," one hand moved to her chest and the edges of a folded piece of paper could be seen sticking out from the crossed sides of the kosode. "His last letter; it says he became aware of a plot to raze the entire Seireitei by using the Soukyouku's power, seizing it when it is released to execute Rukia Kuchiki." She went on speaking, her voice stabilizing as she recited what she had read and committed to her heart, "Further, I discovered that all of the Kuchiki woman's assignment, the ryoka invasion, all were orchestrated for the purpose of accomplishing and concealing this black deed until it is too late. The name if the despicable person behind all of this...is Toshiro Hitsugaya."

The named man and Kira just stared in shock; Ichimaru was leaning back a bit, relaxed, his smiling face unfazed.

"The letter goes on to say "I've no choice but to confront him about his intentions, so I have called him out to the Eastern Sacred Wall of the Senzaikyou tonight. I must do whatever it takes to stop him. If I cannot persuade him to abandon this evil plan, then I am resolved to fight him. If I should die...then it is up to you, Hinamori-kun." Her eyes were more stricken than before and the tears beading in them threatened to streak down her cheeks any moment. "You must accomplish what I could not; kill him and save the Seireitei, please. This is my last request. I ask this not as a taichou of the Gotei 13 but as a humble man, I beg you, and thank you." The tears escaped now and twin channels of wetness streamed down her usually cheery cheeks.

Hitsugaya shook his head, "Hinamori, that...that's insane, I-"

"RYAAA!" Her war cry contained anger and grief but also a heartfelt pain of betrayal and confusion. Momo leaped up and brought her sword down, her reiatsu surging. He threw himself backwards as planks shattered and wood shards flew as the force of her strike broke the decking apart.

Hitsugaya growled, "Don't be a fool! Think about what you're saying; if he dies, you should try to do something he couldn't? Do you think Aizen was the sort who'd blindly walk into a fight he thought he couldn't win? Or that he'd be so much of a coward as to ask his men to bail him out of trouble and throw their lives away? That's not the man I knew!"

"I know!" She shook her head, more and more tears coming down her face in rivers of sorrow. "I know! I hate it, I can't believe it, but it's in his letter! He wrote it down just for me and I know it's his own hand, I'd recognize it anywhere! So it has to be true!" She lunged forward and took a few more swings but they were wild and haphazard, hysterical swipes that were easy to avoid. "I...I'm so confused." Her sword shook, her limbs trembling, "Shiro-kun, I don't know what to do."

"Hinamori, Momo, just take a breath and thi-"

"YAAH!" She swung again, a burst of kidou with it and he leaped straight up to avoid a tremendous explosion.

"I know you're upset but think! Aizen would never write a letter like that; it's a forgery, someone trying to get you and I to kill each other!" She wasn't listening, he was sure, but he had to say it. He'd been teaching Kuragari but she'd taught him a few things too; that even if someone seemed to be set on their course, they could only understand your point if you actually put it to them. His eyes fell on Ichimaru and time seemed to slow as he noticed the man's smile growing larger, his teeth gleaming. "Ichimaru! He's behind it all! He's the only one who would want you to throw your life away, Aizen wouldn't!"

A quick twist of shun-po had him changing directions in mid-air and hurtling towards the fox-faced captain. "And now he'll pay for it!"

Below them, Momo slumped to the ground, shaking like a leaf. "Aizen-taichou, gomen, I'm sorry, Shiro-kun, I'm sorry, I don't know what to do, I can't, I just can't," she sobbed. Her zanpakuto tumbled from her hands to the decking, the hilt marred with blood; her own from squeezing it so hard the cords on it had cut into her flesh.

Ichimaru tsked as Hitsugaya landed in front of him, "Yare, yare, 10th Squad Taichou-san, better watch out for crazy lil' Hinamori-chan. I wouldn't turn my back on her; you take care of her like a childhood friend should, okay?"

"Her hands," the much smaller captain answered firmly. Ichimaru's smile was smaller and his expression showed bafflement. "She's so distraught, so overwhelmed and mixed-up that she gripped her sword so tightly she bled."

He glared up at Ichimaru and there was not one iota of fear or hesitation in the coldly furious gaze. "I told you." He began to glow and the temperature plummeted, the ears of those assembled starting to pound and ring as the pressure above them changed. "If you make Hinamori shed one drop of blood," he pulled his sword free with one powerful motion and an arctic wind blasted outward, "I'll kill you!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

"Tut!" Mayuri Kurotsuchi barely avoided a singing arrow of scintillating blue reishi, "Hirenkyaku again; an advanced technique for fast movement. Impressive for your age, boy, but still nothing new. I can counter with shun-po, as they're similar, but that's dull. I think I'll just kill you, then deal with these two traitors, and then get the girl from the Squad 11 peon." His sword had changed dramatically; the blade had split into three with the two outside blades curved and serpentine, the middle longer and straight. The blades erupted from the head of an infant with closed eyes, hands pressed together as if in prayer, all of it golden and resting atop the normal-looking hilt of the mad captain's zanpakuto.

"Like hell!" Isamu came in from the opposite side as the glasses-wearing ryoka, and his hammer swung down to clash against Ashisogi Jizou and send the garishly made up captain sliding back from the force of the blow, despite it being parried. "You sick freak! I never knew it was this bad or I'd have killed you years ago!"

"No, you'd have died then." Mayuri looked over at him. "Now though, hmm. You're stronger than your rank...much more, her too. How exciting! I've taken apart thousands of shinigami but never any so powerful, aside from myself and my cow of a daughter, so close to achieving that level." He jerked on the gold cone on the left side of his head and it pulled out, becoming a hand sickle attached to a long, fleshy cord, "Don't die here, just be caught! It's so much more fun if you're alive when I start on you!"

Amaya goggled. Thousands? THOUSANDS of shinigami had been experimented on and no one knew it? Or did they know and they just hadn't cared? "No one's dying but you, you monster! You're not fit to be a captain, to even be a shinigami at all!" Soru Konton Tsuki had assumed the form of a crossbow with a built in lever system that reloaded it; she lifted it and fired as he swung his sickle at Isamu and cut the cord to send it skittering across the cobblestones instead.

"Not fit! I took the test and everything! I passed with 100%, you insolent sow! I'll make you regret saying that!" Before he could act on it, the Quincy was above him and fired a trio of arrows down at the same moment that Isamu rushed in with a wicked upward swing. The amoral scientist ducked out of the arrows only to catch the hammer in the stomach.

He bent over, vomiting up a stinging cloud of gas that engulfed the American and made him cry out, one hand over his eyes. He'd vomited up pepper spray or something! His eyes burned and his nose felt like it was stuffed with fire, but he still pivoted and swung again, the heavy hit barely parried by the sadist

Kurotsuchi staggered back from the blow, clutching his gut and snarling, "Too many of you vermin at once. And that dratted Quincy moving all over the place, I can't have that. Nemu!"

The doll-like woman appeared in front of Uryuu Ishida and grabbed his right arm, silent and sad-eyed. The youth tried to pull free, "What are you-" Then Mayuri was on him and slashed his sword across not only the ryoka, but his own lieutenant as well. Their blood flew in bright red arcs from the cut to their left side. Nemu fell like a rag doll; the slice in her deeper than in the young man. Uryuu stumbled back, his limbs feeling heavy all of a sudden.

"Nemu-san," Amaya was aghast. His own daughter!

"You stupid COW!" Mayuri kicked the fallen girl in the wound and sent her rolling a few feet. "You let him go after I cut you, you worthless bitch! Now I have to walk all the way over there to kill him!"

"Please, forgive me, Mayuri-sama," she whimpered.

"Hmp!" He stomped on her back and she cried out, "We'll see!"

"Damn it, Kurotsuchi," Isamu bellowed, turning in the direction of Nemu's cries, his eyes closed and tears leaking from them as they tried to dilute the substance stinging them so unmercifully. "How dare you?"

"She's your own subordinate," the boy took up, his tone just as outraged as the half-breed's, "Don't harm her like that or else!" He tried to leap to the attack but he just kind of lurched forward and then toppled back to smack into the north wall of the street.

"She's mine to do with whatever I want, boy. I made her; starting from bits of my own flesh and my own soul, mixed with Gigai and Gikon technology. My "Daughter" so don't you tell me what I can or can't do to her!" He sneered, "Nor you two wailing babes! She's mine, MINE, and I'll cut her, smash her, burn her, let animals ravage her, do any thing I want...not like I haven't already."

"Fucking bastard!" Isamu launched himself at where Mayuri was; reaching out with his sense of reiatsu and brought his hammer down in a vicious blow. But without seeing, the madman easily sidestepped and raked the blade across the ferocious fighter's back. "Gah! I've taken worse than that! You're weak for...for, wait, what's-"

He fell and Mayuri laughed, "Dolt. You should do your homework before you pick a fight, I always do. This is the power of my Ashisogi Jisou; it's like a spider's bite. Every cut is envenomed with a paralytic agent that interferes with the signals the brain sends to your limbs. One cut and you're helpless. Luckily, however, it doesn't interfere with pain." He was bleeding profusely from the stump of the sickle cord on the side of his head, making him look even more insane as he put his heel in the wound on Isamu's back and twisted it back and forth, "See?"

Amaya sighted as Isamu cried out and there was a sharp whistling as her bolt flew and slammed hard into the cackling scientist's shoulder. He shreiked and whirled to face her, his voice indignant, "Stupid sow of a woman, enough! You've lost, just wait for me to kill you already, unless you want me to carve up that pretty face first! Or maybe rip those jugs off and give them to your boytoy, eh?"

"You won't-won't hurt her," Isamu growled. He was moving, slowly but he was moving, getting to all fours through sheer will...and using his own reiatsu to battle the poison in his body.

"Either of them," Ishida snapped. "I won't let you harm her or your daughter, on the-"

"Oh, is this where you say "by the pride of the Quincy," boy?" Mayuri rolled his eyes as he pulled the bolt Amaya had shot into him from his shoulder with a grunt of effort but apparent disinterest for the blood that darkened his haori. "How tired I got of hearing that. I studied 2, 661 Quincies; some I opened up while they still lived and watched their organs fail, others I cut into component parts and spliced together with others to see what would happen, a few acid baths for others, the best getting slowly disassembled while they still lived so they could watch on the monitors, and ever one...well, every one that was still able to speak at that point, before they died made some silly promise about something or other on "The pride of the Quincy," usually to kill me or protect someone close to them."

He turned to face the young man, "I remember the last one especially. An old man who'd been living in a city called Karakura in the Human World. I arranged for the shinigami who were sent out to fight a Hollow chasing him to be delayed so it would kill him, then I gathered up his soul and, oh! The times I had! I spend months tearing him apart! And all the time he kept calling out for a student of his, begging their forgiveness, saying he'd protect them, all for that stupid, useless "pride of the Quincy." He reached into his haori, "I actually carry a picture of the day of his final operation; it was so elegant and so little was left. Even with my prowess, it was amazing he was still alive up until then, there wasn't much left. See?" He flicked the picture at the young man. "I can't remember that student's name though. Funny, since I heard it so much."

The picture landed near the young man and Amaya could see his face. She felt a pang of sympathy and horror as she saw recognition in his eyes and his face went pale. "Whatever you've done doesn't matter," she said, raising the reloaded crossbow, "because we're killing you right here and now! And your sword won't help you against me. You're too slow to catch me with a ranged weapon, Kurotsuchi-taichou." Focus on me, you lunatic. Don't notice Isamu getting up.

"We'll see, cow. Nemu, kill the Quincy while I- Oh, right, you're paralyzed too." He turned to kick her again, "Useless cunt!"

There was an explosion of reiatsu and white light flared behind them. All eyes turned to the Quincy as he stood, his movements only a little stiff, to his feet with righteous fury blazing in his eyes.

Mayuri tilted his head. "How are you moving, boy? That should be impossible. Ahh, wait. Raisoutengai...a Quincy technique for using strips of reishi to wrap your body and move them with will alone; developed so even elderly Quincy could fight. Making you able to move even in your bones are turned to powder. Remarkable! Out of all my subjects, none of them could use it! And you're so young...I wonder, are you what they call a genius? Who are you, boy?"

Reishi poured into and around him, blazing white. "The student of the man in this picture, Souken Ishida. My grandfather. The name he was crying out, all that time you tortured him, was mine. I am Uryuu Ishida! And by the pride of the Quincy, I will make you pay!"

 

[HookerBoots]

"Well, if that's the way it's going to be," Ichimaru said, pulling his sword from its sheath. "Kira-kun, get back while taicho-san here and I fight."

Hitsugaya never took his cold eyes off his opponent. "Don't just get back, Izuru. Run, and don't stop, even after you can't see us." He took a few steps to one side, trying to get a good angle on Ichimaru. "I can't guarantee you won't get pulled into the fight, if you're still within seven square miles of it."

Without waiting for a response, or even to see if the other man moved at all, he lept into the air, swinging his sword around and releasing its power. "Reign upon the frozen heavens! Hyorinmaru!" The air around him dropped in temperature so quickly that some of the paving stones frosted over, and everyone there could feel their ears pop.

As the sky above them clouded over, the first snowflakes drifting down onto the rooftops, a large Chinese-style dragon flew out from the tip of Hitsugaya's blade. Made of snow, ice, and water, with glowing red eyes, it sailed through the air with speed that was at odds with its size. Its jaws snapped at Ichimaru, and bit down on the empty air where he had been.

Hitsugaya landed on a rooftop, his sword now changed - the blade slightly longer, and a long metal chain emerging from the hilt, a crescent-shaped blade dangling from it. Ichimaru landed on the roof across the small street, his face almost entirely serious for the first time that Hitsugaya had ever seen it.

"Don't think you can run from me!" Hitsugaya bellowed, swinging his sword in a deadly arc, jumping toward the other man. Ichimaru dodged backward, his body bending and twisting to the side. With a quick flick of his wrist, Hitsugaya flipped the chain on the end of his sword forward, the crescent-blade flashing in the growing dimness to contact Ichimaru's outstretched arm.

In an instant, the arm was encased in ice, stuck out and extended. The fox-faced man blinked, his eyes mostly open as he peered at his frozen arm. "Huh. Unexpected."

A small, fierce smile crossed Hitsugaya's face. "You're finished, you smiling bastard." He raised his sword again, ready to swing. "I hope you've made your pea-!"

Ichimaru had placed the hilt of his sword on his frozen arm, bracing it on the solidly frozen flesh. "Shoot to kill, Shinso!" The blade shot out faster than the blink of an eye, the razor tip flying straight for Hitsugaya's eye.

The young captain dodged, almost falling backward in surprise, his blade going up reflexively to deflect the sword from his face. "Wagh!"

"I wouldn't do that, taicho-san," Ichimaru taunted, the sword still extending almost beyond belief, and bending off from where it hit the other captain's sword. "If you dodge it, Hinamori-chan might get hurt." The blade arced through the growing snow, heading toward the prone, owl-eyed woman. "You wouldn't want ta be the reason she got killed, would you?"

The air seemed thick, like syrup. Hitsugaya couldn't move fast enough, couldn't bring his sword up or cast any kido that would get there in time. Even his shout seemed slow, as he tumbled through space. "Momo! No!"

In the second before the blade would have hit, piercing Momo's still form, a body blurred in, and there was the flash and clang of steel-on-steel. When time seemed to resume its normal speed, Rangiku Matsumoto was standing there, her blade out and pressing against the force of Ichimaru's.

"Matsumoto?!" Hitsugaya landed on his feet, looking stunned, with dawning relief.

The strawberry blonde gave her captain a strained smile. "Sorry I'm late, taicho! Hinamori-san's all right, I've got her." She turned her face to Ichimaru, her normally pleasant expression gone. "Gin, put your sword away. Now, or you'll have me as your opponent as well." Her muscles were showing the strain of resisting the pressure of his strike, and sweat was beading on her forehead despite the chill in the air.

There was a moment of tense silence, broken only by the soft hiss of the falling snow. Then, as if it never had been there, the pressure of Ichimaru's blade, as well as the blade itself, was gone. Ichimaru looked down at the three of them, sheathed his sword, and turned away, using shunpo to vanish from sight without a word.

The silence went on for another moment, and then Rangiku stood up, her breathing heavy. "Ara! Taicho, what happened? Are you all right?"

He was still staring at where the silver-haired man had been, his eyes hard in the falling snow. "I'm fine. Help her up, we need to get in out of this weather."

~ ~ ~ ~​

Shit. Shit, shit shit shit. Amaya dodged again, her lush curves barely avoiding a paralyzing swing from Mayuri's blade. It was bad enough when the kid had known the butcher's victim. But his sensei, who was also his grandfather? There was no way they were going to quit until someone was dead. Shit.

But with Mayuri focused on the boy, Ishida, she had an easy shot at his back. If she only know whether or not that would kill him! She sidled over to where Nemu was, and whispered loudly, "Nemu-san, are you okay?"

There was a weak cough from her feet as the dark-haired woman shifted. "The . . . head," she managed, her eyes traveling toward the bloodied shape of her captain and father. He glanced over, and then leaped toward the two of them. Amaya skipped back with shunpo, avoiding his sword by the width of her uniform.

"Aren't you dead yet, you useless piece of shit?" he demanded, stomping again on her stomach, grinding his foot in the wound. Even as he did so, her mouth opened, almost as though she were going to be sick. But instead of vomit, a thick, pale blue smoke came from her mouth. "Faugh! What the hell is this, an anti-cogaulant?" he yelled as the smoke enveloped Nemu, Mayuri, and Amaya. "You've only made sure you'll die faster, you fool!"

Amaya glanced up at the other two, nodding. Even though it might mean trouble for herself and Nemu, the drug that was bathing them now would mean trouble for the madman in front of her. A shining blue arrow flew towards them, and as it arced through the air, Amaya fired her own quarrel.

The two projectiles passed less than six inches apart, not giving Mayuri a good place to dodge to. Instead, he dropped down and back, falling into Isamu's swinging hammer, which pounded him into the ground with a bone-breaking thud.

Skipping into the air, Amaya trained the crossbow on Mayuri, then froze at the sudden explosion of power to one side. Ishida had pulled off the glove he was wearing, and it was as though the thin scrap of fabric had been holding him back. His spiritual pressure had more than doubled, and even his clothing seemed to have changed. He was now wearing an abbreviated breastplate with a five-pointed star on the front and back, and one brilliantly glowing wing coming form his right shoulder.

"You . . . you're absorbing the buildings?" Amaya gasped, watching as the shingles on a nearby roof dissolved and spun towards him like water down a drain.

"Fascinating," Mayuri rasped as he pushed himself to his feet. "Everything here is made of spirit particles, and you're taking them all and turning them into strength. I have to study you now, alive or dead!" His sword swung out to the side, deflecting Amaya's next bolt with a clang. He moved quickly again, as the boy shot at him with a bolt that blew apart a huge portion of the street. "Powerful or not, you missed!"

"No, I just put you in the right position!" Amaya and Ishida shot at the same time, three of his glowing arrows and one of her barb-tipped bolts meeting in the middle of his Mayuri's torso, exploding outward. They both skipped back, Isamu moving to a rooftop still shaking his head to clear his eyes of the chemical the mad inventor had used on him.

Amaya snarled. "Give up, you sick, twisted bastard! We'll take you to jail, and that will be the end of it!"

The bleeding man laughed so hard his blood sprayed out even harder, thinned by the drug Nemu had used. "You think I'd do that? You have no idea what you're doing, who you're dealing with!" His eyes were wild, and he yelled, as the power swelled around him. "BANKAI! Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo!"

Reflexively, Amaya leaped up and over, grabbing the boy by the collar and dragging him to one side. "Move! Move move move!"

"Wha? Whoa!" He flailed a bit, but regained his balance easily. And then stopped as the three fighters watched their opponent's ultimate attack in all its gruesome horror. The baby's mouth on his sword opened, gaping obscenely as something red and gold and corpse-grey pushed out of it. In a moment, there was a huge, horrible caterpillar on the street, filling it almost completely. Its head was like that of a baby, and it had two small, infantile arms on either side, as well as a halo over its head and a red cape tied over its shoulders.

Isamu stared at the sight before him. "God, that's terrible! That's . . . god, that's part of your soul." He wiped the last of the tears from his face, trying not to look directly at the mammoth creature in the middle of the street.

"That's right!" The sword in Mayuri's hand was normal again, a regular katana. "And it's even better than it looks!" He held out one hand in a commanding gesture. "Breath your poison! Kill them with it!"

The baby's mouth opened, and a green vapor rolled forth, flooding the area with stench and poison. Amaya jumped down into it, taking a deep breath before she dropped into the miasma, firing at Mayuri as she went. The bolt buried itself in his right leg, blood oozing forth.

"Holding your breath won't save you, slut," he laughed. "This poison can enter through the skin, if need be!" Mayuri grinned and thrust his hand out. "Not that that matters! Swords, now!"

The monstrous being nodded mutely, and even as Amaya landed, its chest burst forth in a forest of sword blades of all shapes and sizes. She tried to get around them, but her foot slipped on one of the shattered paving stones, and one of the blades sank deeply into her left shoulder. Unintentionally, she opened her mouth in a cry of pain, and began coughing as her mouth filled with the poison gas.

Isamu bellowed, diving down into the gas, hammer swinging wildly as he fell. The head of it crashed into Mayuri's stomach and the sword he put there to block it, bending the blade with the force of the blow.

Through her coughing, Amaya managed to yell, "Head! Shoot it!" Her next bolt flew wild as her vision blurred, trying to push back the poison with her reiatsu. She thought she might be able to do it, with time, but . . . she wasn't sure she had it. Blood loss and poison, all because of her bad luck! What a time for it!

As Ishida's arrow flew forward, Amaya and Isamu ducked the giant projectile. It blasted into the man, tearing his flesh apart as it sank into his upper torso and neck. The monstrosity vanished in a thrashing, bellowing flash, though the poison it had breathed out remained. "That . . . urgh, that hurt," Mayuri moaned.

Amaya just shivered. It hadn't killed him. They were going to lose, they'd fought so hard, so long, and they were going to lose. She didn't have long until she gave out, no matter how hard she was pushing against the tide of the poison, and the wound was bad enough that the idea of rearming her crossbow was too much to bear. Isamu was poison, twice over, and even though Ishida didn't seem to be suffering too much from it, he was too - she could hear him coughing.

This wasn't how she'd wanted to die.

"Time for one more trick!" Mayuri gloated, his voice oddly distorted by the loss of part of the tendons that worked his lower jaw. "Not that it matters, but . . . ngh, I'd be down for a while with blood loss anyway." He reversed the blade of the sword and stabbed it into his undamaged chest.

The trio of fighters stared, stunned at this apparent suicide from the evident victor. Then, in weary horror, they watched as his body dissolved into a thin green goo. ". . . the . . . hell . . . ?" Isamu managed.

"I'm going to head to my lab," Mayuri's voice spoke from the puddle. Thunder rumbled overhead, and the clouds seemed to gather thickly above them. "In a week, maybe two because of this anti-coagulant, I'll be good as new. Though I'll have to rebuild my special . . . extras, since you traitors ruined them."

Ishida dropped from the sky, a controlled fall more than a landing, as two thick raindrops fell to the shattered pavement. "You are . . . horrible, disgusting."

"Yes, but I'm alive! Hahaha!" The goo almost shaped into a head, but couldn't seem to get cohesion. "You three won't be, in a few more moments!" It started to rain in earnest now. "The agony should be . . . exquisite, I'm sorry I won't get to see what this version does!"

As the water fell from the sky, the puddle seemed to get thinner and thinner. Even as he spoke, his voice seemed to get fainter. "Wait . . . what's . . . rain?" There was panic in his voice now. "Nemu, you cow, get up! Cover me with your body until I can . . . ."

Amaya pushed herself to move forward, sealing her sword and using the blade to direct the rain onto the rapidly growing puddle of water and former captain. "She can't help you, Kurotsuchi. Remember, you paralyzed her. I don't think we'll be seeing you in a week or two." Ishida and Isamu stepped up on either side of her as she sheathed her blade with effort. "Or ever again."

They watched with casual interest as the water was swept down one of the Seireitei's many drains, listening as Mayuri's voice and shouts for help grew fainter and fainter. When they could no longer hear them, Amaya looked up at the rain. "This is, by far, the least likely thing that has ever happened."

"Agreed," Isamu said, leaning against the building. "I'm sorry, Amaya-chan. I didn't want us to go out like this, but at least we're going together."

She smiled at him, pushing herself to the ground next to him. "It's all right, Isamu-kun. I only ever wanted to die if I could die with you."

Nemu's body shifted and groaned, and the others all blinked at her. "Nemu-san?"

Ishida went over to kneel by her, his movements weak but his eyes intent. "Lieutenant, are you . . . what's happening?" She whispered a few things and tugged something from her sash to hand to him. "It . . . what? Really?"

Her head nodded, and he popped open the top of what looked now like a vial of some green liquid. He drank half of it, and then poured the remainder down her throat. She tried weakly to resist, but he managed to get her to swallow it. As he came over to the two shinigami leaning against the building, he looked nervous, as though they might bite him.

"You look . . . better," Amaya said with a small, weak smile. "You must be a lot . . . stronger than I . . . thought. Than I . . . am."

"No, not really," he said, taking the top off of another vial. "Here, drink it. It's an antidote to the poison." She lifted one arm - or tried to. It sort of flopped, and she sighed. ". . . Right, okay." He gripped her chin tightly and pushed the vial to her lips, draining it into her mouth slowly. After the first few swallows, Amaya was able to take more at once, and in a moment, the vial was drained and he was doing the same thing to Isamu.

As they all regained use of their limbs, Amaya became aware of two things. The first was that Ishida wasn't recovering as fast as the other two were. She assumed that was because of his sharing his antidote with Nemu. The other was that she was bleeding a great deal. Pushing herself upright, she grinned a little drunkenly. "Uryuu Ishida, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am going to ask you to come with us. We're Rukias with friend."

Isamu looked at her, and the blood dripping from her arm, and grabbed her to support her. "That's not what she meant. I'll get you both back to the Squad and get healers for you both. And one for . . . Nemu . . . san . . . ." They looked at where her body had been, and blinked. Whenever she'd left, they hadn't even seen it. "Anyway." He hefted Amaya onto his left shoulder, and the boy onto his right. "Here we go, kids!"

 

[Armphid]

"For those reasons, I ask that you consider leniency in dealing with the case of this young man who has acted with the highest moral character," Sentaro Kotsubaki read aloud from a letter; belting out the words with percussive force. Next to him, Kiyone Koutetsu had her hands over her ears. "He has sought to address a great injustice and deliver mercy and relief to the beleaguered in what I see as the utmost expression of the values of Squad 4. Signed, Jushiro Ukitake, Captain, Squad 13, Gotei 13."

"Thank you for delivering my comrade's request." Retsu Unohana was seated on a slightly raised dais looking down into the rest of the room. Kiyone and Sentaro stood at the back by the doors; between them and the gentle-eyed captain knelt a slender form who was flanked by two larger male members of Squad 4, the 3rd and 8th Seats. "I am sure the accused is honored by it." She seemed worn to those who knew her well; and likely was given that her Squad were all working hard to heal the many injured from the chaos engulfing the Seireitei. "However, as you have aided and abetted invaders who are at war with Soul Society, who are complicit in the serious injury of dozens of shinigami, and may be connected to the deaths of two captains...leniency is not an option."

She looked down at the form of the young man. He did not look away but met her gaze steadily with his sad, tired eyes. When had he gained such confidence? It wasn't much but far more than he had just a few days ago. It made her heart ache. "Do you understand this, 7th Seat of Squad 4 and leader of Remote Medical Team 14, Hanataro Yamada?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Amaya felt herself drifting towards sleep but not yet there. She lay on her futon, naked save fore the bandages wrapped about her injuries that had some of the most potent healing unguents, coagulants, and antibiotics that were at the Gotei 13's disposal applied to them. She could still sense the presence of towering, sensitive Isane Koutetsu just beyond her door; the lieutenant had been one of those who responded to their request for healing and had stayed after the other healers departed to observe Amaya through the night. She was concerned about the chemical that was keeping her from clotting, though it appeared to have run its course or been overcome by either the medicine or healing kidou.

That had gone...badly, hadn't it? And all because of her stupid luck. She felt a surge of fury and frustration; she needed her strength to help save Rukia! Why had her luck made her get so torn up?

She then felt another presence. Real and tangible and she felt a shiver of both dread and excitement. Amaya stirred on her futon and reached out and felt cool, smooth scales. She wriggled and arched her back in silent invitation and then let out a gasp that surprised even herself with the joy in it as she felt the coils of the strange serpent that was her zanpakuto's spirit slide over and around her. "Not the welcome I anticipated, princesss."

"Mm, but the one I gave," she breathed. Part of the serpent's body slid slowly between her breasts, "accidentally" rubbing and massaging them. Another pressed against her sex as the spirit languidly twisted about her in an increasingly sensual embrace. "Oh, I've never seen, hhn, this side of you before."

There was a raspy chuckle then she sensed the mood of the serpent change. "There's ssomething you need to hear, princesss. Your luck issn't always what you expect it, because ssometimess that iss what it needss to be. Some thingss must happen a certain way, do you undersstand?" There was a pause and the dry voice spoke again, "It wassn't the most unlikely thing, you know, the rain. That over exuberant ice spirit was effecting the weather again."

In that moment, she did understand. She didn't necessarily like it, but she did. "You're so close to me now," she murmured, her hands caressing the spirit's coils. "And he said that I'm close to that level..." She licked her lips and bit back a moan as she felt the...was it the tip of its' tail? Something warm yet cool and living was sliding past the coil rubbing her cunt and teasing at her entrance. "I need you, us, to be more powerful than ever before. Will you submit to me? Please, I beg you."

"Oh, princesss...never thought I'd ssee the day." The flicking tongue was at her left ear and she could feel an amused desire from this strange, mercurial part of her soul. "Not yet. Ssoon maybe, but it'll take more than assking so pretty for me to ssubmit. Ssleep and heal, you'll need it."

Isane slid the door to Amaya's room open and blinked. The incredibly buxom young woman was writhing on her futon and there was a smell of...oh, my. She knelt beside the pink haired beauty and placed a hand on her head; she was certainly warm. The healer wetted a cloth in a bowl of water and placed it on her friend and sometimes lover's forehead. "Shh, rest, Amaya-san, it's all right. Everyone's okay." Her movement slowed and stilled, her breathing evening out. Isane eyed her critically for a moment and then spread her hands over the now sleeping form; another session of healing wouldn't hurt, after all, and would make sure she was on her feet and able again as early as tomorrow.

For some reason, she felt like that was important.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Isamu sat at his desk, finishing up a report of the night's events. It looked pretty good and he felt confident that they'd actually get away with it. He set the pen down and leaned back in his chair.

Shit. It was really sinking in. Mayuri Kurotsuchi, a captain of the Gotei 13, was dead. And he had a hand in it. He didn't feel bad about it, really. The man was a monster, far more than he'd even known about, and he needed to be put down. But it was a significant act. He had talked and even written about the need to take up arms against Soul Society if need be, but to do it was...a profound change. And it was likely he'd be doing it again in five days at the execution.

He wanted to go see Amaya and see how she felt; this would hit her a lot harder than him, being Japanese and all. But Isane had forbidden it; they needed to rest alone tonight so that there would be no accidental or incidental contact with healing wounds. Besides, with the meds they'd given her, she was probably already asleep.

Isamu needed to head that way himself. Isane had really pulled out all the stops on them; using treatments and medicines that were normally reserved for captains. Maybe it was because of their friendship with her or maybe she was just tired or seeing people injured or recovering. Either way, one good night of sleep and he'd be almost as good as new in the morning.

As he stood up, he heard a faint chime and looked up at the open window. A black winged Hell Butterfly flitted over to him. "A priority message at this time of night? What the hell's happened now?" He lifted his hand to allow it to alight and impart it's message.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Rukia's skin seemed even paler than ever against the snow white fabric of her robe; the red collar around her neck seeming brilliantly bright against it. Her eyes were surprised but then accepting. She'd not been sleeping, just staring out her narrow window and thoughtlessly brooding; there was more fighting out there, she could tell. And all for her. It was so...pointless, so unnecessary. She hated it.

Even if part of her was a little flattered and pleased. That just made her feel guiltier.

She bowed to the guards who had entered, "Arigatou gozaimasu." The men turned and left; the thick stone slab falling down into place behind them. The tiny shinigami turned and walked back to the window, leaning against the frame and looking out at her small view of the world. "Tomorrow...all this violence will end. I'm glad." She closed her eyes; her last request would be to have Ichigo and his friends sent back to the Human World. As a noble of the Kuchiki Clan, it would surely be honored. Then all of her debts would be repaid and justice done upon her. "Won't it, Kaien-dono?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Yoruichi crouched atop a rock spire, the cords wrapped around her hand that channeled her spirit power into the doll manifesting Zangetsu. Below her, the tall, dark cloaked older man swung a powerful blow and the serrated blade Ichigo raised to defend shattered into pieces. "That's 57 so far."

He was progressing at a rapid pace, way above normal. But even so, she wasn't sure they'd reach Bankai in three days if he kept going like this. "Good thing we've got a little extra time then," she murmured to herself. A bad habit she indulged in at times. Despite being a stealth operative, she liked talking and being with others, so when there wasn't anyone to talk to and she knew she was safe, she spoke to herself. "I may even relax the training a little then, since we've got two extra days and he's sure to make it by then."

Ichigo called out and swung yet another sword; the blade clashing with Zangetsu's. This sword had help up for fifteen seconds; one of the best so far. Then she blinked. That presence, how had she missed it? "Ichigo, Zangetsu, stop, it's-"

There was an explosion of rock on one side of the huge cavern; dust rolled out and swept past them all. "So," said a strong, rough voice, "this is where you snuck off to for training." The figure of Renji Abarai, his released sword held in one hand, the back resting on his right shoulder, came into view as he strode out of the rubble; a hole in the wall behind him. "I had no idea such a place was ever here. Pretty impressive."

Ichigo was staring in shock. "Renji, you-"

"Don't worry, I'm not here to fight you." He looked around at the landscape dotted with different swords and then at the silent figure of Zangetsu. "So that's it, huh? You hid so you could try for Bankai. Well, I was looking for a private place to polish off my own." Behind him a shape resolved into existence; a huge and powerfully built ape-like money with white fur, black markings, and a long, coiling serpent for a tail. "Go ahead and keep going," he pointed in one direction, "I'll just train over there."

Neither of the others spoke as he walked past them all, his zanpakuto spirit following obediently. He stopped about thirty feet beyond Ichigo. "I've overheard a lot of news; most of it won't mean anything to you, Ichigo, but I bet it would to your sensei. She can talk to me later if she wants to hear it. But there's one thing both of you need to know." He looked back at them and his face was deadly serious. "Central 46 has changed the date of the execution again. It's tomorrow."

Yoruichi gasped; her eyes wide. "Tomorrow?" Her eyes were aghast, mouth fallen open. "Just tonight and the day tomorrow, figuring in rest and healing, there's...there's no way he can-"

"Shut up!" There was a cracking sound as the orange haired youth punched the flat of the sword he held and it broke into crumbling shards. He threw the hilt aside and withdrew another from a nearby rock. "If it's tomorrow, that's fine. I will definitely achieve Bankai and save Rukia!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Jushiro Ukitake's normally pleasant face was stormy and his eyes worried as he strode forward resolutely. This was completely uncalled for! A decision hadn't even been given regarding their appeal! The others had to see that something was wrong now.

Especially him. And there he was.

Byakuya Kuchiki was as immaculately dressed and adorned as always as he walked out of his office. His features were composed and almost bored looking, as though this were any other day. "Byakuya-san!" He took another step and then stopped, looking back without speaking. "Have you heard the news? The execution has been moved up again, to tomorrow! Surely this is too far. We must see this matter investigated. We are both not only captains but also nobles, and you the head of the Kuchiki Clan, if we were to-"

"It doesn't matter," Byakuya cut him and his voice was as indifferent as if he were discussing the weather. "If she dies then, it just means it will spare you further worry." He turned away and began to walk again, "This is the way of the things, my senior. Having already lost so many subordinates, you should not fret so over one more. It's not good for your health."

Ukitake stared at the retreating captain in astonishment. Had he really just said that? He felt sick, then furious. If he hadn't been undergoing treatment, the stress and rage he felt might have set off another fit. He expected to double over hacking and moment...but it didn't come. It didn't come. He clenched one hand into a fist and his dark eyes were dangerously resolved. "So be it then, Byakuya-san." He looked back, "Kiyone, Sentaro."

The two were suddenly there, kneeling behind him. "Isamu-san has already gone off on a task for me. Here are yours; Kiyone, attend on Amaya-san and Isamu-san once he is back and see that they are not woken until noon, then bring them up to speed."

"Hai!" The petite blond blurred away and was gone.

"Sentaro," he bearded man nodded, "there are a number of letters on my desk already sealed. Go and deliver them; the one for Kyouraku-taichou must be put in his hands directly, he will know what that means despite the late hour. The rest should be put in the normal places."

"Hai," and he too was gone.

Ukitake took a deep breath and looked towards Soukyoku Hill to where the massive blade was just a shadow in the dark sky. "Genryusai-sensei...what will you think of what I am about to do?"

~~~~~~~~~​

Hell, he felt tired. But this was important. "So, what do you think?"

Isamu was leaning against a wall, arms crossed over his chest. Next to him, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa were seated on a low bench. The bishonen fashionist fighter was biting the nail of his thumb, his eyes narrowed, "She's so beautiful," he murmured. Ikkaku was simply watching intently.

"Ara, so that's what you were talking about," little Yachiru looked up at the mustachioed man who'd taken Orihime from the fight with Kurotsuchi. He'd taken her to Squad 13 and then had run into his tiny senior officer on the way back and told her his wild tale. "Right, uh...I can't remember your name!"

"Ah, well," he laughed, rubbing his neck, "It's Aramaki Makiso. Maki-Make, remember?"

"...That's a funny name!"

He blinked and gave her a hard look, "But fukutaichou, you gave me that name yourself when you took me under your wing all those years ago!"

"Enough already," came the ragged, tearing deep voice of Kenpachi Zaraki. The huge man was seated in a chair, his robe open to show his torso swathed in layer upon layer of bandages. Orihime, still wearing her stolen shihakusho, was perched on a stool in front of him; her eyes wide and a little afraid. "So, girl, Takeuchi, what you're saying is that if I help you...I'll meet that Ichigo again."

Orihime swallowed and nodded, "H-hai, onegai shimasu!"

"That's right," Isamu added. "He'll be there for sure."

"Heh." A wild grin split the man's scarred face. "That's all I need to know. You've got our help."

Orihime breathed a sigh of relief and nearly swooned. She looked back at Isamu and beamed at him. The half-breed felt his blood stirring at the sight; God damn, she was something else. No wonder the Quincy kid was into her. "All right, Zaraki-taichou. I'll take Inoue-san here back to our barracks and lay low; all of you should rest up for the remainder of the night and heal as best you can. Then tomorrow..."

Zaraki laughed, "Listen to you giving orders! You're right, though. Don't worry, we'll be nice and ready. And tomorrow morning, we'll move out."

~~~~~​

The pale light of the very earliest dawn was slanting through the windows of a small room. Momo Hinamori lay asleep on a futon; at the door Toshiro Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumomo watched. Then the young man sighed and put his hand foward, "Kyuumon." A barrier of pure kidou energy flared into being and then faded into invisibility. "Matsumoto, let's go."

She blinked and then turned to follow her diminutive captain. "Where, taichou?"

"All of this is happening too fast. It's clearly all tied together and unless we get some time, there's no telling what will happen. We're going to Central 46 and make them halt the execution until we can figure out what they're really after." It was a dangerous thing. No one, not even a captain of the Gotei 13, was supposed to go to the Soul Society's leading body once they were sequestered in wartime.

"...I understand." She looked down and then up again, her light blue eyes troubled and without a hint of the usual foolish merriment that shone in them. Gin...what was he doing? Where had he gone this time, leaving her alone yet again?

 

[HookerBoots]

Amaya woke in the darkness, her eyes open wide as she tried to figure out what had brought her out of her uneasy sleep. Finally, she pinpointed it: She didn't hurt. This was the first time since the fight that she wasn't in some kind of pain; even when she was asleep, there had been a baseline of discomfort. But she was warm, and comfortable, and . . . she sat up slowly, looking around. Dozing nearby was Isamu, his eyes closed as he sat at the desk in her office/lodgings.

"Isamu-kun," she said softly, smiling at him. Staying with her while she was healing, he was so sweet!

"Hai, Amaya-chan," he murmured, still half-asleep, before jolting awake. "Amaya! You're awake!" He moved quickly to her side, wrapping his arms gently around her. "How do you feel, are you in any pain?"

"No, no, I'm fine. I feel . . . good as new," she said, hugging him tightly. "Whatever happened in the meantime, it worked." Amaya rested her head against his shoulder. "How long was I asleep."

He held her close and tight for a long moment, relishing the feeling of her body against his. "A day, more or less." He stroked her back. "My beauty, I don't want to worry you, but . . . there's been a development."

She pulled back slightly to look at him. "Well, I have to assume that since you didn't tell me not to jump for joy, they haven't reversed Kuchiki-san's conviction."

"No." His face was so serious that she braced herself for the worst news, and that was more or less what she got. "They've moved the execution up. It's after midnight, so it will be today."

The only thing worse would have been if they'd executed her while Amaya had been asleep. "Today." Her eyes closed as she ran over the ramifications in her head. "They're doing it today. What time is it? We've got a lot to do." She stood up, pulling him with her. "Unless it's just midnight, we're done sleeping, love." Amaya grinned at him, an almost perfect echo of his own mad grin. "It's time to shake things up here."

~ ~ ~ ~​

After dawn, there was a hush over Soul Society - at least the Seireitei. There was tension almost palpable in the air, and everyone seemed on edge. Except one man, who was stretched out on his roof, plucking idly at a shamisen.

"Captain?" Nanao's head poked up over the edge of the stairway up to the roof. "Captain, we need to get ready. We all have to be in attendance at the," she swallowed hard, "the execution."

He sighed and set the instrument to one side, tipping his hat back to look up at the thin, high clouds overheard. "Ara, you're right. The time's come." He pushed himself upright. "Yama-jii is going to scold me before the day is out."

Her eyes opened wide behind her glasses. "What? You're not seriously considering . . . I mean, what do you mean, taicho?"

~ ~ ~ ~​

The slender figure of Soi Fon stalked through the streets of the Seireitei, her face a thundercloud. Behind her trailed her lieutenant, crunching away at his favorite brand of rice crackers. "Are you worried, taicho? I mean, a lot of people think the execution is unjust."

"I don't care about that, fool," she said, her fingers thrumming against her belt in irritation. "I don't care about the execution one way or another, it doesn't matter. It doesn't change my duties at all."

Omaeda blinked. "But . . . what's . . . you seem thoughtful."

She glared at him from the corner of her eye. "There is something else that worries me, but I'll find it, and kill her, and that will solve it."

The venom and vehemence in her words made him want to ask, but also know better than to bother. "All right, taicho. I'll stay out of your way when the time comes."

~ ~ ~ ~​

"Make sure you keep her safe," Isamu said again, looking more at Ikkaku than Kenpachi. "There are a lot of people who'll be upset if she gets hurt."

"Yeah, yeah, she'll be fine." Kenpachi stood up and stretched, looking out at the sunlight-drenched courtyard. "We're going now, kid. We'll see you there." Isamu glowered at him for a moment, then turned and left, giving Orihime's shoulder a brief squeeze.

"Come on, then," the spiky-haired man said. "Yachiru, let's go!" The pink-haired girl bounded up, hopping onto one shoulder.

She waved at Orihime. "C'mon, Boobs! This is my side, but you can ride Kenny's other shoulder and we'll go!"

The red-haired girl blinked. "Boo- o-okay." She hesitantly climbed up onto Kenpachi's right shoulder. "I'm all set."

Ikkaku and Yumichika and Aramaki all fell into place behind their captain, and they went on the move, heading out like a fast-moving procession, following the shouted directions of the petite pink-haired lieutentant.

 

[Armphid]

Several sets of feet thumped over and over again on the tiled streets of the Seireitei. The recovered officers of Squad 11 thundered along without pause or answering any hails of other shinigami they passed.

A pair looked after the group once they had gone onward. There was a high pitched shout and the whole crowd turned and disappeared around a corner. Slender and petite Michiru pursed her lips, "I thought Squad 11 had been wiped out."

The far taller and curvier Hotaru shook her head, "Those brutes recovered fast, at least the officers." Her voice lacked the usually confident and brusque edge it had. The news about her older brothers had broken her heart but even in the midst of that, she had her duty. "With everything that's happened, they may be pushing people out of the infirmary early too; a lot of those guys has bandages on, did you see?"

Michiru nodded. "Yes. And not all of them had their zanpakuto either. The Emergency Orders require it. I wonder..."

The taller girl shrugged, "If Zaraki-taichou hasn't chopped them in half for it, he must not care." She turned. "Come on, we should get back to work. With Ichimaru-taichou and Kira-fukutaichou both out for the execution, there's more than ever."

The smaller female shinigami nibbled her lower lip. The Squad 11 members she'd seen who didn't have swords looked like, well, they matched the descriptions of the ryoka that were going around. Especially the dark skinned giant. She sighed, "It's for officers to figure out, I suppose..." Then she turned to follow her friend and former classmate, "I wish I knew what was going on anymore. I wonder if Kuragari-chan could get me into her Squad. Their captain keeps them informed, everyone says."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

"I really wish Ukitake-taichou was keeping us informed about this "secret weapon" of his," Isamu grumbled. The American had gotten a few hours of sleep but one of the fatigue easing pills issued to Squad 4 were keeping him at top capacity. He had taken time this morning to fully bathe and cleanse himself, dressing in his normal style but taking care to clean his boots and put on his freshest, best uniform.

It felt right somehow. He was, after all, about to go to his own funeral, so he should be in his best clothes.

Amaya sighed, "I know." His busty, curvaceous, clever love had done much the same as him. Her hair and skin gleamed and her uniform was immaculate. Her hand ran up and down the hilt of her sword with nervous energy.

They were outside Ugendo, the waterside estate where their captain rested and recovered from his sick spells. Sentaro and Kiyone were at the end of the ramp, their faces set but anxious and their eyes trained towards the far off but clear sight of Soukyouku Hill.

The auburn haired young man looked over at his superior officer and friend. God, she was so stunning. On a spiritual level as well as physical. Inspiring as well and that was all to the good. He'd need her inspiration today. "Amaya." She looked over at him; those emerald eyes curious at his use of her name undecorated by an honorific and in public. "However this goes down today...I'm glad for all that we've had, you know? I want to make sure you know that. And that if I don't make it today-"

"Don't say that," she interrupted, her adorable face fierce.

"It could happen," he went on. "If I don't, I'll still be glad. Just remember that, okay? No blaming yourself or anything."

She frowned and lunged, striking out with a fast rabbit punch that struck his shoulder, "Baka! Of course not! Because we're both going to come out alive, and Kuchiki-san too." She glared at him, putting her hands on her hips as he rubbed his shoulder. "That's how it's going to be, no matter who gets in our way."

If only it were that simple.

Isamu smiled. Yeah, it wasn't going to work out that way. But he'd make sure Amaya and Rukia survived, no matter the cost to him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Renji Abarai grunted as he slammed his shoulder into the chest of the last man blocking his path; sending him flying to crash hard against a wall and slide down in an unconscious heap. "Damn. Time's wasting."

And it was all up to him. Despite what Yoruichi-san said.

"I'm going." Renji finished tying the white cloth about his head, securing his wild red hair. Yoruchi said nothing, her gold eyes fixed on the dueling figures below. "...You really think he'll make it? He doesn't have any time left."

On the sandy, dirty floor of the desertscape below, Ichigo slid back, a shattered black blade and hilt in his hands. He was breathing heavily and grimaced as he tossed the ruined weapon aside and plucked up another version of Zangetsu.

The materialized spirit discarded his own broken weapon and another flew to his hand. "You're getting weaker, Ichigo. But even with that, the training won't get easier."

The young man shook his head, "I'd be pissed if you did! Don't you dare hold out on me."

Yoruichi's eyes slid over to Renji for a moment. "He's so close. He just needs to realize that he's capable of that great power, deep within his heart, and then, I know he will."

"Hn." Renji broke into a run out of Squad 6's direct area of control and out towards the a wide passage beyond that was bordered by many towers. It wouldn't matter if Ichigo got there; he'd save Rukia himself.

As his foot hit the wide open courtyard, he froze as a massive and hatefully familiar reiatsu swept over him. He turned and looked up with his eyes wide and felt a shock of fear, even though he knew this would come. "Kuchiki-taichou..."

Perched atop the large gate, his face placid and his eyes coolly disdainful, Byakuya Kuchiki looked at his subordinate as one might regard a vaguely interesting bug. "And where are you going, Renji?"

The younger man's hand clutched the hilt of his sword. To use his name that way! With no rank, not even a generally polite honorific! His fear vanished like it was a mist struck by the sun. He was no longer afraid. He was set and sure. He would save Rukia even if he had to fight every member of the Gotei 13 to do it.

This would be the first one. And the one that had been the longest coming.

"I won't ask again." Byakuya's eyes were as cold as the moon in the sky. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to save Rukia." His voice sounded strange in his own ears but also brassy and proud.

The nobleman's eyes narrowed. "You will not."

Renji's eyes didn't move from the other man as he shook his head ever so slightly. "I'm going. Will you let me pass?"

"I won't say it twice." The arrogant captain's form blurred and was gone.

Renji's eyes widened and he moved with lightning speed, his sword pulling free of its sheath and there was a a ringing clash of steel on steel as he effortlessly parried Byakuya's opening strike. He pushed and threw the other man back. "Senka. A specialized technique using shun-po to strike at the opponent's back, difficult to defend. I've seen you do it countless times. In my head, I long ago worked out the movements. But now my body is powerful enough to keep up with you." Byakuya's eyes narrowed further. "Kuchiki-taichou, you can no longer kill me with that sword!"

"You're rather talkative." Byakuya's voice was utterly controlled and as calm as always. His eyes remained dismissive. "What makes you so confident? You think you can surpass my sword with that level of skill?" He raised his blade in front of him, pointing straight up, the hilt at his stomach, the point just between his eyes. "Scatter" the blade began to glow pink, "S-"

Renji lashed out and his sword blurred and changed into it's released form to slam into Byakuya's blade and knock it askew. For the first time the nobleman's eyes widened and shock was apparent on his face. "I told you. That sword can no longer kill me!" Renji drew his arm back and Zabimaru retracted, the segments clacking into place. "This isn't new, since I became your fukutaichou, before I'd even joined the Gotei 13, I had one goal; to surpass you, Byakuya Kuchiki-taichou."

Byakuya's calm had returned but his eyes were still shaken and his manner was more intent. "You released your sword without calling its' name. How could you do such a thing?"

"Want me to call out to it?" Renji raised his right hand, pivoting the wide blade of his strangely shaped sword diagonally downward in front of him. There was an explosion of reiatsu and a whirlwind burst up around the lieutenant, hiding him from view. There was a faint rumble in the ground and the nearby towers trembled visibly. The wind burst out, whipping at Byakuya's hair and clothes. The twisting cyclone rose high, dwarfing the towering structures that ringed the courtyard, visibly from all over the Seireitei.

The wind then exploded outward and the buildings shook anew. There was a strange clack of bone on bone as thick segments of brown shifted and rubbed together, dozens, maybe hundreds of them, all featuring spines similar to the picks of Zabimaru. A mantle was draped over Renji's shoulders of greyish fur with a large ape's skull serving as a pauldron on his left shoulder, the fur forming an arm length glove down his right arm. He grasped the end of the last segment which was long and conical, thick as a normal sword hilt at the very end. The coils of bone ran around and around him, moving and slithering through the air. Behind him arose a massive skeletal head, like a snake's but on an immense scale and with many fangs in it's jaws, two sets of yellow eyes glaring balefully out of the sockets in the skull; it sat atop a huge mane of red fur that gave it an almost flower-like appearance. The jaws gaped wide as it stared with hate at Byakuta Kuchiki. "Bankai," Renji's voice bit the words into being. "Hihiou Zabimaru!"

"You bastard." Byakuya's eyes were narrowed and his voice was no longer sedate and serene. "When did you learn Bankai? How?"

Renji scoffed, "A person like you, who never notices his subordinates, could never understand. Now I'll say it again; I'm going to save Rukia."

"And I said I won't repeat it," the captain answered.

Renji glared and the bone segments that up the titanic serpent split apart and a wild pink energy flared between them. "If you won't let me pass no matter what, then I'll cut through you!"

"Impossible." Byakuya closed his eyes and when he opened them, they were once again cool and dismissive. "You could not even force me to my knees."

Renji lashed out and the huge creature shot forward with horrible speed, "Let's see about that!"

 

[HookerBoots]

The chiming faded to silence, and the other three running alongside the huge man stopped as well. "What is it, taicho?" Ikkaku asked, his eyes looking around the little courtyard they'd paused in. This would be a good place for a fight - what place wasn't, really? - but he didn't see anyone ahead of them.

Kenpachi's visible eye narrowed. "We're being followed." His mouth curled into a sneer, and he raised his voice. "You can stop sneaking around, idiots! Just come out so I can kick your asses and get to the real fight!"

On his shoulder, Orihime's eyes were wide, looking at the captain of Squad 11. He had to be joking, he was going to stop and fight someone while Rukia and Ichigo were in danger? What was wrong with him? She opened her mouth to say something - she wasn't sure what - but four men stepped out of the shadows of the alley they'd just come out of.

One of the men was taller even than Sado-kun, almost a literal mountain of a man, in a captain's haori and a featureless helm that covered his entire head. The other captain was a dark-skinned man with a bright orange scarf and dark glasses. The two men behind them weren't captains - thank goodness, her mind breathed - but she was pretty sure one was Yakuza, if they even had that here, and other looked wild and rough, with tattoos all over.

"Kenpachi," the dark-skinned man said mildly, his tone vaguely curious, "why are you aiding one of the ryoka? Have you not heard the Captain-Commander's orders?"

"I heard." Kenpachi snorted, his eyes traveling over the four men facing him. "I'm going to fight that kid again. And she can get me there, so I'm helping. What's it to you two, anyway?"

The basso rumble of Komamura answered, "We are at war, Kenpachi. This is no time to be playing 'best fighter'. You are aiding the enemy, and must be stopped."

Yumichika studied his nails and said casually, "You're rather outnumbered for a fight, you know. If that's what you're going for."

The mad grin on Zaraki's face made the group as a whole - except Yachiru - lean back a bit. "Nah, I'll take 'em all at once." He stretched a bit, and his tiny vice-captain hopped off his shoulder, tugging Orihime down as well. "Four on one should be fine, and it'll get it over faster than having to wait for you guys to take care of any of 'em."

"Such great pride comes only before a fall." Tousen's hand was already on his sword, loosening it in the sheath.

"Hai, there is no hope for you against all of us, Kenpachi." Komamura's helmet shook back and forth slowly. "You would do better to let your subordinates help."

Kenpachi stepped forward, rolling his head from side to side to limber up. "I said no. All of you come at me at once, it'll be easy." He shrugged off his haori, dropping the tattered piece of cloth to the ground. "Let's go, I don't have all day," he growled, pulling his sword out.

Ikkaku and Yumichika took a half-step forward, mouths open to protest, but Yachiru spoke up first. "Ara! Okay, Ken-chan! Have fun, we'll meet you on the hill, okay?" She grabbed Orhime's hand and turned on one toe, then paused, "Don't take too long, or I'll get worried." She flashed ahead over the buildings in the way, dragging the busty red head with her. Only one of the men followed her, Ikkaku and Yumichika staying behind.

Growling, their captain turned to face them. "I told you to get gone!"

"We're going to fight too, taicho." Ikkaku already had Hozoukimaru out, studying the other group. "We'll take the lieutenants, if that's all right."

The one dangerous eye glared for a minute, then he shrugged. "Whatever. Stay out of my way, or I'll run you through myself."

The two vice-captains looked at their superiors, then nodded. In a matter of seconds, the square was empty of all but captains. Tousen and Komamura regarded the grinning Kenpachi with mild disbelief. "I cannot believe this," the blind man said, his head tipped to one side. "Surely you must have lost your sanity as well as your pride as a shinigami."

A deep laugh, tinged with madness filled the space. "I never had any sanity to begin with! Now let's see if you can cut me!"

~ ~ ~ ~​

The procession from the Senzaikyu was silent, the only sound that of soft footfalls. Rukia Kuchiki was surrounded by guards, her hands bound behind her back as she marched forward to her death. Her head was held level, her eyes focused ahead at nothing.

A surge of reiatsu from not too far away made the group pause, and she took in a sharp breath. That fool! That madman, utterly . . . her cheeks colored and she looked down. It was stupid to worry about him, they hadn't even spoken in what seemed like eternity. What did it matter, except as a waste of another life, another debt added to her ledger? Soon it would be wiped clean, and no one else would have to die for her sake.

~ ~ ~ ~​

Soi Fon waited with ill patience at the foot of the Soukyoku, her slender arms folded over her chest. Half of her squad was concealed in the nearby forest, while the rest waited behind her. She had no proof - none! - that her target was here. But decades of experience told her that her instincts were right.

The ryoka could not have come this far without help, that was a fact. None of them had the knowledge or skill to have gotten even into the seireitei on their own. Her fingers clenched on her biceps fiercely for a moment. Yoruichi was here, somewhere, and when the ryoka showed up to try to stop this righteous punishment, she would appear.

And then . . . Soi Fon's delicate mouth quirked into a small, vicious smile. She had learned a few things since the last time they'd met. It would be quite a pleasure to show off a little before she -

Amaya Kuragari flashed into sight not ten feet away, breathless, her eyes darting here and there. "Ah, Soi Fon-taicho!" The busty girl bowed quickly. "I'm sorry, I expected to be the first one here." She chose not to mention the small smile that had flickered off the petite woman's face - she wasn't sure what would make the serious captain smile, but she was pretty sure she didn't need to know either.

"We were commanded to be here first, Kuragari-san, to make sure that no one tampered with the site." Soi Fon nodded to the younger woman. "Why are you here so early?"

Tucking her hands behind her back, Amaya gave her a serious look. "The same reason you are, taicho. To make sure that things go as planned."

 

[Armphid]

There was a faint tremor underfoot; not of the ground here moving or surging at the passage of some subterranean beast but from tremendous impacts far away. "God damn it," Isamu Takeuchi shook his head and his russet locks waved as he dropped an unconscious black clad form of one of the stockade guards to the floor. "They're really going all out. Whoever's behind all this, this has got to be playing into their hands."

The hallway behind him was littered with unconscious forms clad in shihakusho; all contused into dreamless slumber by the wild half breed. He'd thought of trying to bluff through it; may be something about prisoner transfers but upon deciding he didn't have the time, he'd just attacked.

He could almost hear Amaya sighing and see the tolerant smile on her lips. Assuming any of them lived long enough to tell her what happened. "...I shouldn't talk, I guess. I'm causing some chaos of my own."

"I found it!" The voice was excited yet trying to remain cool. Isamu walked around the corner to see one of his Squad's highly illegal guests at the door to one of the cells. "Sado-kun," Uryuu Ishida called, "can you hear me?"

There was the sound of motion from inside and then a rough, boisterous voice that Isamu had heard before answered, "Uryuu, huh? They catch you too?"

"Ganju-san? No, I'm here to rescue Sado-kun...and yourself, apparently." The lean youth then blinked and grimaced, "And since when do you call me by my name? We're not that close!"

"Oi." Uryuu turned and caught the keys Isamu tossed him from the fallen guard he'd just searched. "Argue later, open the door and get them out. We've got to move if we're going to be there on time." There was another tremor and he grimaced; feeling an oddly hungry feeling. He'd love to see those fights; even jump in on them...but he'd get his chance. If the ryoka here got the lead out, anyway...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Dust swirled about and blew in the winds caused by the furious spiritual powers doing battle in the great plaza. Over half of the towers that had ringed it were broken off and great piles of rubble were strewn here and there.

The massive bony serpent lay in pieces on the ground; the huge segments cut apart from one another by the perfect attack of the serene looking Byakuya Kuchiki's shikai. In reality, he was less than settled. Renji Abarai...his own lieutenant and a dog of a commoner had this level of power. How had he done so? And without Byakuya even noticing? But the fight was over now.

His back was to Renji now and once his blades re-gathered, it would be finished. But then he drew in a quick breath though his nose and half turned as he heard a series of stacatto clacking sounds. The segments lifted off from the ground and slammed back together. "Senbonzakura. The Senbon blade becomes thousands of impreceptibly small blades that catch the light as they dance and give the impression of countless falling petals. I know it." Renji stood defiant still; the coils of his bankai sliding over one another around him and the fanged skull rising slowly above the warrior. "Gomen. His joints are held together with my reiatsu. They can't be cut! In fact, I separated them on purpose just to dodge your attack! And to scatter your senbon blades."

Byakuya's eyes widened and his shock was evident. How could this rough commoner do such a thing? "Why so surprised?" Renji's toothy grin was fierce. "I told you; that sword can no longer kill me!"

The ground under his feet exploded as a few buried segments burst from under him and went flying back to rejoin the rest of Hihiou Zabimaru. Byakuya leaped back, barely throwing himself out of the way of the attack, and landed hard enough to fall to one knee.

Renji's voice cut through the sound of still falling masonry and crumbling structures around them; hitting his ears and his pride. "You're down on one knee, aren't you?" The tattooed fighter strode forward, his gargantuan bankai slithering about him almost endlessly. "Let's close the curtain on this battle, Byakuya Kuchiki."

Byakuya stayed still for a few heartbeats. That mongrel had thrown his own words back at him...and had put him on his knee in the first place. It was past time to show him his place and the difference between them. "Very well." He rose and turned to face Renji with cold eyes. "I will close that curtain with my sword."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Wounds gaped on him from spars of steel that had bee made of pure spirit energy and pierced his body, yet the scarred face of Kenpachi Zaraki showed nothing more than annoyance. "I guess this fight won't keep me awake after all." Casually, he reached out and took hold of one of the man-long blades that had impaled him and drew it out with a grunt, tossing it aside to clang on the ground. "Oi! At least show me your bankai before you die!"

The giant form of Komamura shifted, his voice a growl from beneath his helm. "Bankai is not needed to deal with a traitor such as you, Zaraki."

"Wait, Komamura." The gigantic captain paused as his far smaller companion strode towards Zaraki's bloody form. "I will take care of him." Spirit energy flared around the sword of dark skinned Kaname Tousen's sword and body as he reversed his grip and then swung his sword to catch hold of the ring on the guard and beginning to spin it around. "Ever since you became captain of Squad 11, I have felt an unease bordering on certitude. You are a demon that drinks violence and slurps blood. I knew you would destroy the order and peace we had created."

"You sure beat around the bush, don't you?" Zaraki shouldered his jagged edged blade. "If you don't like me so much, then attack me!"

"It is more than that," Tousen answered. "Your words and actions are all chaos; I bear no grudge but for the sake of peace, I must eliminate you!"

~~~~~~~~~​

The vivid scars down his face did nothing to hinder the surprise in his eyes as Shuuhei Hisagi saw the great black dome in the near distance; towering over all and seeming to drink in the light. "Tousen-taichou's bankai...but why? I guess I'll have to get back to help him sooner than I thought."

"Wait!" Yumichika Ayesagawa rose to his feet from a kneeling position, panting, his face streaked with red and his clothes disheveled. His shitagi was torn open and his orange collar was twisted and askew, "I haven't lost yet."

"Looks like it to me," Hisagi answered. The man was skilled but he hadn't laid a finger on the punk styled assistant captain who had smacked the crap out of him with his bare hands; no need for his sword. Thankfully.

"That's not how it is in Squad 11," the vain fighter answered. "The fight only ends and you only lose when you die!"

"Huh, how different our squads are." Hisagi shook his head and shrugged, "Look, no matter what your nihilistic philosophy the fact remains that I'm a lieutenant and you're 5th Seat. There was never a chance you could beat me, and you shouldn't take on fights you can't win!" He turned a glare at the peacock, "Why would you want to die in such a boring fight?"

"It seems I need to explain a few things. What it means to be part of Squad 11, why I'm only 5th Seat...and true nature of my zanpakuto's power."

~~~~~~~​

Soi Fon regarded Amaya for a few moments. "I'm surprised anyone from your Squad would be here; given all the fuss you've made. At least you've got more honor and sense of order than your captain."

The pixieish assassin turned away. She wasn't sure she believed the girl; she was a bimbo, perhaps she thought she could save the criminal with some idiotic last minute heroics. Best to keep an eye on her. "Everything seems in order. It won't be long now."

 

[HookerBoots]

The darkness that enveloped the two men completely was gone, popped like a soap bubble. Tousen stood, panting and bent, bleeding onto the ground. Kenpachi stood facing him, one hand still clasped around the hilt of the other man's sword, his own blade held to one side, still dripping Squad 9's captain's blood. There was a moment of shocked silence in the courtyard, and then Kenpachi laughed without humor. "That's it, then." His hand let go of Tousen's sword hilt and shook his sword out, spattering the ground with fine droplets of blood. "There's no fun fighting someone who's half-dead." He turned away, facing the much taller man who had waited for them.

". . . no." Tousen's voice was weak, but determined. "I will not let you live!" he managed to yell, raising his sword over his head and lunging forward.

With lightening speed, Kenpachi spun to dodge, his blade swinging forward to end the other man's life. His blade was stopped by a massive arm and helmet as Komamura threw himself between the two.

The force of the blow jarred even the mountainous figure, and the helmet cracked, shattering the screen that hid Komamura's face. As the shards fell away, the sound of them hitting the ground seemed very loud.

The face behind that helmet had been the topic of much conversation among the members of the Gotei 13. Some theorized that he was scarred or maimed in some way, others that he was simply ugly and ashamed of it; the more romantic put forth the idea that perhaps he was hiding his identity to preserve his privacy and was surely a member of the nobility.

The face that was revealed by the break was nothing like what any of them had suspected. Noble, certainly, and with a certain fierce wisdom. But the face was just as certainly not human - the gold eyes, the high-set ears, the long muzzle, and tawny fur all spoke to one sure ancestry. The only question was, of course, how a wolf had managed to grow to that size, let alone develop the skills he had.

He regarded the spiky-haired captain of Squad 11 with mild surprise. "You don't look startled, Zaraki," he rumbled.

A smirk played over Kenpachi's face. "How you look has nothin' to do with how you fight." He tilted his head to one side. "Won't say I was never curious, but it doesn't really matter. Now," he snarled, "show me your power!"

One of Komamura's lips turned up, showing an impressive set of teeth. "Very well. You wanted to see my bankai, you madman. Here!" He lifted the sword into a traditional guard stance and bellowed"Bankai! Kokujou Tengen Myou'ou!"

~ ~ ~ ~​

A sudden, dramatic increase in spiritual pressure bowed the men escorting Rukia across the long bridge from the tower to their knees, and even she staggered under the force of it. When she looked up, her face became confused.

"Ah, konnichiwa, Rukia-chan!" Gin Ichimaru gave her his customary smile, and a slight wave as he strode toward where she and her escort had stalled. "Thought I'd come by and see how you were holdin' up, what with Abarai-san there getting killed by your brother."

Her face paled, almost pure white now. "What? That . . . that can't be true. Nii-sama would never . . . kill his own . . . ." She couldn't even finish it, because she knew it was a lie. He would, if he thought it was the right thing, the proper thing. "He might not be dead," she finished lamely.

He shrugged. "You'd know, of course. I'm sure he'd be able to survive Byakuya-san's bankai, if anyone could." Ichimaru peered at her for a moment through his squinted eyes. "So you're heading off to the hill, I guess. All this fuss, and you're heading out quietly, like a good little girl."

Rukia's jaw firmed as she looked at him, refusing to answer his taunts. There was a bit of color on her face, two bright spots of red high on her cheeks.

"Ara! It's great to see. Too bad those ryoka'll be killed as soon as you're dead, though." His smile faded, and he almost looked serious for a moment. "You know, Rukia-chan, if you wanted, I'd save them for you." He tilted his head and studied her again, watching her reaction.

There was a surge inside of her, something she thought she had put away, lost in the memories of the crimes she had committed - not the ones she was being executed for but the ones she felt she deserved it for. Hope welled up in her chest, made her eyes luminous with the spark that had been relit inside.

And then he laughed. "Ah, I'm just kidding. But at least you won't be around to see them die, right?" One hand reached out and ruffled her hair, and Rukia could feel her skin shrinking from his touch even as she felt the guilt and fear, the want to live, swamp her again. He moved away and waved again. "See you on the hill, Rukia-chan!"

~ ~ ~ ~​

Amaya's hands clenched into tight fists, and she restrained what would probably be a suicidal urge to rabbit punch Squad 2's captain right in her petite little kidneys. She had expected to be the first one here, and to have some time to inspect the Soukyoku, but this wasn't too bad. If the other woman expected her to be trouble, she might react wrongly when the real trouble came.

She wasn't at all sure of how things were going to play out - Ukitake-taicho seemed pretty sure that she could buy some time with kido, but her level of certainty was not high. Maybe a second or two, not much more. Especially with the crowd that would gather here. Hell, she wasn't even sure she could delay Soi Fon for more than a minute, let alone the rest of her squad.

Her eyes traveled to the large blade looming over the hilltop, and an involuntary shudder went through her. There was so much latent power in the thing that she couldn't imagine . . . they wanted her to try and stop that, but it would be like putting a piece of rice paper across a street to stop an elephant charging - it might pause it for a moment, on a level that the eye might or might not register, but it surely wouldn't stop it.

She had to wait, bide her time - maybe she wouldn't need to try to bind the others.

And pigs would fly. Amaya started to stretch her fingers and wrists, loosening the muscles for the elaborate gestures she would have to make.

Soi Fon turned back to face her, and her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?"

"Stretches, Soi Fon-taicho," came the guileless reply. "Since there is nothing to do but wait, I thought I would attempt to ease some of the strain from all the paperwork I've been doing lately." She gave the black-haired woman a small, charmingly vapid smile. "I could show you some of the exercises - I'm sure you must have some small aches that could be eased by a pair of knowledgeable hands."

 

[Armphid]

Soi Fon's eyebrows rose slightly at that comment. Was she coming on to her? Possible. As a close associate, she had Kuragari investigated during the Takeuchi assignment and knew that the girl was...promiscuous in an oddly selective way. An honest offer or a distraction?

She'd had nothing of that sort since she had taken the half breed. Perhaps she would take the bimbo as well. A way to celebrate after her defeat of that person. And if it was after the pink haired orphan tried something dumb, so much the better. That would add some spice it it!

"I may," she answered after a few moments of just watching the top heavy young woman. "After this is over."

She could sense the others approaching. With them here, there was no need to watch Kuragari. Bimbo or not, she wouldn't do anything with that many captains and lieutenants present. She could focus on waiting for that person. Just thinking about her made Soi Fon's heart and stomach clench and a familiar rage that had been cast over deeper anguish and hurt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

"Mutt, hiii!" Isamu couldn't help but grin as he saw tiny Yachiru waving at him, buxom Orihime and skeevy Aramaki running in her wake.

"Mutt?" Ganju Shiba, clad in a stolen shihakusho and still bandaged all over blinked. "Why'd she call you that?"

"She gives everyone nicknames," he answered, "the rest should be obvious." The towering dark-skinned youth, Sado, nodded. The two groups swung together and merged, all the ryoka save Ichigo Kurasaki present. Before anyone else could speak, the American continued, "we can't stop to talk, they're gathering at the Sokyouku Hill. Now, here's the plan."

The crazy, wild plan that would probably get him killed. But if they were lucky, the ryoka could get away with Rukia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

"Hnn." Shit, he hurt all over. Wait...it hurt? He shouldn't feel anything; the dead couldn't.

Renji Abarai opened his eyes. He was lying down, not far from where he'd fallen after shattering his sword against Byakuya Kuchiki in what he thought was his final act. What he could see of his body was swathed in bandages, not even a sliver of skin exposed save for his head. A shadow was over him and he could feel healing power being pumped into his wounds; braced and reinforced by the medicines on the bandages.

Still alive. Which meant still a chance to save her.

He turned his head, "You?"

"Ah, welcome back!" Hanataro Yamada gave him a brief smile. "Lie still. I know you want to save Rukia-san but you must let me finish this or you'll die before you make it a hundred yards." The sad looking healer shook his head, "I don't have time to get you back into fighting shape but you can still do something."

He wanted to argue but he didn't. Renji laid his head back. "I...can't believe I'm even alive for you to treat."

Hanataro grimaced, "Someone had healed you from critical status before I got here, otherwise..."

Renji said nothing. There was a familiar lingering trace of reiatsu. An image flashed in his mind's eye of white over black and a long braid. Had it been her? And if it was, what would that mean? "...Hurry if you can. They're gathering, there's not much time left."

"Don't worry. Ichigo-san will save her." There was no doubt in the normally tremulous voice. "He'll be there and then you can help."

"He'd better." It was all up to him now.

 

[HookerBoots]

"Shameful," Soi Fon sniffed. "No excuse for their absences, at all. Five, Eleven, and Twelve have excuses, but . . . ." Her voice trailed off as Byakuya Kuchiki swept onto the hill, his face impassive and cold.

Amaya had kept her face smooth and emotionless, eyes pointing towards the Soukyoku, thought she had seen him - and felt him - coming this way. Maybe she hadn't been wrong, maybe he would do something to stop this. One quick glance told her that she was wrong, assuming she was reading him correctly - she flattered herself that she had a fairly good read on Squad 6's captain.

But he was the last arrival before it was time to begin the process, and she started silently going over the wording in her head of the spell, ensuring the timing would be what she thought.

Every word flew out of her head when they lead Rukia to the platform, her eyes glued to the slender form of her friend. Her face looked so sad, even though she didn't have an expression - it was like looking at a Noh mask, or . . . her eyes slid briefly to Byakuya's face. As Captain Commander Yamamoto started reading the charges, she let her mind wander a bit, hearing the words but not listening to them.

She could feel Isamu out there, with several of the ryoka with him, waiting. But he didn't have the orange-haired kid with him, and she couldn't even sense that reiatsui in the Seireitei. He would show up or not, she supposed. Their plan would work with or without him, but it would be a hell of a lot easier with the kid wrecking up the place.

". . . and for those reasons you have been sentenced to death by the Soukyoku. Have you any last words, Rukia Kuchiki?"

The petite woman looked up, her eyes luminously violet. "Hai, Sou-taicho. I have but one thing to say. I request only that my frien - the ryoka be allowed to leave and return to their homes without being harmed."

The silence on the hill was almost deafening for a long moment. Then the Captain-Commander nodded once, sharply. "It will be done, by morning tomorrow."

A brief murmur spread over the crowd, and Amaya could hear Isane breathe, "Why would he lie like that? They'll be killed, the orders are already in place from Central 46."

Unohana murmured back, "He told her to ease her sorrow. Now she can die without regret." Her face was pinched in disapproval despite her serene words.

Isane gave a snort. "Make himself feel better about this, more like." And then she flushed, eyes going wide, one hand over her mouth. But Unohana didn't correct her, or even chide her for speaking that way about Yamamoto.

"Now, release the seal!" The old man, his hands braced on his cane, looked steadily at the girl on the gallows, even as the members of the punishmen squad started the work of activating the sleeping giant zanpakuto.

There was silence again on the hill as three blocks emerged from the platform and open, three cubes of stone floating up to meet the level of Rukai's heels and shoulders. Her arms were forced out straight, and there was a soft intake of breath from Nanao, standing near her Captain, as she looked away. As the motion of the blocks slowly lifted Rukia into the air, the silence was broken.

Almost imperceptible at first, a soft voice chanting just muttering the words while the gathering storm of spiritual pressure in the blade covered the relatively small swell of Amaya's drawing all the power she could in to back her spell.

The sound of her chanting was covered by the collective gasp of the crowd when the shaft of the massive spear-sword burst into flames. "The true form of the Soukyoku! Behold!" The halberd shifted from a spear into a bird made of flame, and everyone took an involuntary step back - everyone except Amaya. "Behold, Kikouou!" Yamamoto's voice was strong, carrying over the crowd's awe and the crackle of flame.

Rukia reached the top of the gallows, her eyes squinting against the bright flame facing her. The bird drew back to strike, wings curving as it moved. In the instant it moved forward, Amaya's voice rang out clear and strong, "Bakudo 89! Tansoukou Kakuheki!" A shining metallic wall appeared between Rukia and the bird as it drove forward, the brilliant light and reflected head confusing the creature for a moment and stopping its forward motion.

In that moment of hesitation, Isamu and the others appeared on the hill, surrounding Amaya with a human wall against the other shinigami, many of whom were starting to turn to face the person who had cast that spell. Her face showed strain, but the wall remained in place, strong and as yet untouched by the fiery bird. "Excellent timing, Isamu-kun."

He grinned over his shoulder at her. "I couldn't let you have all the fun."

The bird cried out in anger, and Amaya braced herself as it dove forward at the wall, the barrier she had placed between it and its prey. She knew her own strength, and the strength of the Soukyoku was in another world altogether. As the bird's beak hit the shining wall, it held for a moment, stopping the attack for the space of a heartbeat. Then she spell started to crack, fractures spreading out from the point of impact.

It shattered, Amaya flying a bit backward from the force of the spell being broken while she was holding it. She stumbled backward into one of the ryoka, catching herself on one of his shoulders. She looked up, meeting the eyes of the Quicy they'd fought with against Mayuri. "Ah, gomen, Ishida-san," she said straightening up as she pulled her sword. His face flushed briefly, but then all of their attention was pulled by the angry cry of Kikouou.

The fire bird was angry again, stopped in its progress again. The beak of pressed firmly against the broad blade of a giant, cleaver-like sword, held in midair by Ichigo Kurosaki.

 

[Armphid]

"Impossible." Nanao Ise openly stared; her elegant features washed with the brilliant orange light that came off of the revealed Kikouou. She knew the captain was up to something but it didn't seem like it would be in time. She had felt sorrow at being unable to halt the execution herself and resigned herself to it but now all of that was washed away with astonishment.

"Huh. How about that?" Kyouraku shook his head and pulled his hat down to shade his eyes. "In the end, I guess it's Kuragari and the ryoka who saved the day."

For the moment, Amaya's treason was forgotten in the light of what was happening above. The massive firebird was motionless, despite the huge wings beating, held in place by a lone blade held negligently across the back of the orange haired substitute shinigami.

Soi Fon, normally lighting fast in her response to everything, stood rooted to the spot as though nails were through her feet. "How is he stopping it with his sword? The firebird has the power of a million zanpaukuto!" She'd read all the reports, knew he'd beaten Madarame, Abarai, and even Zaraki but this was beyond all that!

Isamu stared a moment but then looked around at the ryoka, "All right, guys, time for your part."

"But Kurosaki-kun," Orihime began.

"Will cover your getaway, as will we," the half breed interrupted. "You guys'll just get in the way here and Kuchiki's going to need you to protect her and drive through anyone who gets between you and the hideout. Now get going!"

Orihime blinked and nodded, "But-!" Towering Chad was already moving, running towards the shocked members of the punishment squad who had released the blade. Ganju was a step behind him, the two brawlers clearly seeing that as the easiest and swiftest way out.

"Inoue-san," the slender Quincy jerked his head, "let's go. This way, Kurosaki can pay attention to the fighting. You know he doesn't have much focus."

"You're right, Ishida-kun!" The two remaining youths ran off after their companions. Isamu breathed a sigh of relief. That got them out of the way; safely, he hoped.

Rukia and the boy had exchanged words but they couldn't be heard over the roaring of Kikouou's flames. The immense beast of raging flame drew back and shrieked indignation and the force of it tangibly rippled the air. It was flying forward again; not a casual poke now but a focused attack. "Damn it," Amaya swore, "Even he won't be able to stop that. Isamu-kun!"

"Yeah, let's-"

It was a testament to the chaos of the scene and the senses smothering power of the both Kikouou and Kurosaki that the two of the, who knew it was coming, were surprised with a thick cord seemed to fly out of nowhere and wrap around the flaming raptor's head, an end affixed to an intricately worked rod that swung around and drove into the bare dirt of the hill with a plume of dust. The firebird tried to cry again but it's beak was bound and it's forward progress halted.

All eyes turned to the ends of the cord; one of which was affixed to a large and heavy pentagonal object that was slung forward and jammed into the ground by the pale and white haired Ukitake. There was a blur and Kyouraku was by the rod, placing a hand on it, "Hey, handsome. I thought for a second there you might not make it."

"U-ukitake-taichou?" Isane was aghast. Disagreement was one thing but this was treason! Open rebellion! "And Kiyone!" Her sister and the near omni-present Sentaro where in their captain's wake. "Kuragari-san and Takeuchi-kun too...all of you..."

There was a rumble of a grunt from Yamamoto, the old man turning to have the pair of captains; showing any emotion for the first time since the unsealing of the execution weapon. His gnarled hands tightened on his walking stick.

"Sorry, it took a little longer to unseal that I thought. But with this, it's done!" Ukitake and Kyouraku each drew a sword and stepped to the strange object; a pair of slits running part of it's length vertically on either side.

"The Shihouiin shield," Soi Fon breathed. Then she gasped and turned to her bulky lieutenant, "Stop them! Now! They're going to destroy the Soukyoku!"

"What? What am I gonna do against them?"

The blades flashed and slid into the slots in the shield; power surged through the two men and into the shield before singing through the cables, magnified easily a hundred times over. It struck Kikouou and the most powerful weapon in all of Soul Society didn't even have time to let out a shriek. It simply burst; exploding into flaming pieces that started to rain down over the Soukyouku Hill, peppering and pounding the Senzaikyuou and the surrounding buildings. Many of those on the hill cried, ducking their heads or hopping to one side to avoid flaming debris.

Above it all, Ichigo Kurosaki shook his head, "I don't know what's going on, but I don't mind the distraction." The others were there, and those two lieutenants who'd helped him get away after the fight with Renji. What were their names? Kabuto...and...Takoyaki? Eh, it didn't matter. He threw himself backward to land atop the broad spar of the Soukyouku stand.

"Ichigo," Rukia was looking up at him, her violet eyes wide, her serene acceptance of her fate shattered again, "What are you doing now? Get out of here!"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm getting out off this thing. This stand's about to tumble down."

"Don't!" She struggled futilely trying to free herself and interfere in some way. "It's too strong, it'll just pull all your strength out of you! Don't try it! You'll kill us both!" That idiot! She just wanted him to live, was that so much to ask?

"Shut up and watch." He was swinging his zanpakuto, so different and so much stronger than when she'd last seen it, around by the white wrapping twined about the hilt. Then he reversed it and cried out with effort, cropping into a half crouch as he thrust it down into the supposedly impenetrable surface.

Light suffused the stand and then burst outward; sweeping over all those on the hill in a blinding wave followed by an explosion of power and dust. When all faded, The tall youth was standing atop one side of the spar, the middle of it gone, leaving onto two shattered ends from the two poles. There was stunned silence then; the sheer magnitude of what had happened in the last minute leaving all assembled incapable of doing anything but watching.

Ichigo Kurosaki stood upbowed, holding Rukia in one hand at his waist, his aim having been for hers but ending up just a little too high...but in the moment of his triumph, not even having a hand on her sweet little tits was enough to distract him. "I don't want you to rescue me, you said. Just go home, you said. You talk too much; good thing I don't listen to you. And I"m not the only one, it looks like."

She looked up at him; too stunned herself to really register his groping either. "Ichigo..."

"This is the second time I've had to say this, so pay attention. I'm going to save you and that's that."

She gaped at him; too many emotions warring in her for anything to break through into words for a few moments. Then she looked away and her voice was thick with the turbulence within her. "...I'm not going to thank you for it. I won't!"

There was a sudden clash of noise to the side of the execution site; of steel clashing and men crying out. Again, all heads turned that way. Only Isane seemed to be able to speak. "Oh, what now?"

Chad and Ganju drew up short as the last of the Punishment Corps toppled to the ground. Bandage swathed Renji Abarai was breathing heavily and took a moment to lean on his sword. Man, that kid wasn't lying! He should have been able to take those lightweights with one hand behind his back!

"Hey, Renji!" Ichigo's voice called out, "About time!"

"R-Renji too? All of you," Rukia murmured. The stupidity, the unwanted heroics, they just kept coming! Ichigo, Renji, Amaya-chan, Orihime-chan, Ishida, Sado, Takeuchi, even her own captain! How did they all now know better? But wait! She'd felt him die! "Renji! You're alive! I-I'm so glad!"

The wild looking redhead just looked up at her with a toothy grin, "Yeah, well. I couldn't leave it up to him to save you, after all."

"Hey! What the hell are we, chopped liver?"

"Shh! Don't draw attention when the captains are ignoring us, Isamu-kun!"

"All right." Rukia blinked as she was suddenly hefted up into the air by the belt of her penitence robe. "Here you go!"

"Wait, you're not going to-"

"LOOK OUT BELOW!" Ichigo's arm swung down and sent Rukia hurtling through the air towards Renji; the petite missile shrieking as she hurtled to either safety or to spatter on the hard ground.

 

[HookerBoots]

Leaping into the air, with Amaya and Isamu right behind him, Renji managed to wrap his arms around Rukia, sailing back and down, skidding on air and the ground. All of them glared up at the orange-haired youth, Renji almost sputtering with indignation. "You fucking idiot! What if you'd missed!?"

Ichigo gave him a grin. "I knew you wouldn't let her fall! Now get out of here!" He looked out at the seething mass of shinigami who were gathering themselves, organizing into squads for a fight. "Don't let go of her, Renji, even if you die."

With Rukia still shouting indignantly, Renji nodded and took off running away from the hill. The rest of the ryoka started after them, Orihime looking over her shoulder at the ensuing chaos as she went. The other vice-captains just stood there, watching in shock as Amaya and Isamu moved to stand between them and the retreating pair. "You morons!" Soi Fon yelled, her eye blazing, "GO AFTER THEM!"

Omaeda moved forward, his sword coming free from its sheath. Sasakibe looked at his captain, who gave him a firm nod. Isane looked at Unohana, whose lips were pressed in a tight line. Without a sound or a word, the quiet woman reached out and put a hand on Isane's arm, stopping her from heading into the fray.

~ ~ ~ ~​

The halls of the largest building in Soul Society were silent, only the occasional soft sound of a footfall from the two people moving slowly breaking the quiet. There was also no light, no air moving. The torches and lamps that were normally lit had guttered out days ago, the doors mostly shut or at least partly pulled-to.

"Taicho, what happened here?" Rangiku's normally brassy voice whispered into the gloom. This place was seriously creepy, and it smelled . . . bad. Really bad. Normally, she'd feel a little silly sticking close to her young captain for safety, even if she wouldn't admit it, but this place felt like a horror movie or something.

Hitsugaya's eyes were hard and serious, and he moved quickly, only rarely peering into one room or another. "I have a suspicion, Matsumoto, and I'm pretty sure . . ." he trailed off as they passed through the large door at the end of the hallway. The smell was almost palpable here, a wave of stench that rolled over them both and made them gag. One torch still flickered by the door and he grabbed it, moving forward with his other hand covering his nose and mouth.

As he lit the lamps on the ends of what had been rows of seating, Rangiku gasped, then gagged again, covering her mouth. In every seat, draped over the long desks, were dead bodies. Men and women in uniform, all of them wearing the armbands and insignia of Central 46. They had been run through the stomach, slashed across the throat, stabbed from behind through the heart. The blood had dried into black splotches and sprays on the desks, the floors, even some of the walls.

His eyes now alert for trouble and tinged with sadness, Hitsugaya shook his head. "What did happen here?"

~ ~ ~ ~​

Amaya eyed the two vice-captains coming toward them and tilted her head. "Right! Fatso's mine!"

Grinning his wolf's grin, Isamu nodded. "Fine by me." They said that Sasakibe had the strength of a captain, that his loyalty to the old man was what kept him in his current position. What a test this would be!

They both lunged to intercept their respective opponents, Amays's sword flickering out warningly at Omaeda. "Gomen, Omaeda-fukutaicho, but I can't let you pass."

He sneered, drawing his blade as well. "Kuragari, you're a commoner, so you won't understand this, but I have a duty to stop those two." He put the blade into a guard stance. "You're already a traitor, but maybe we'll take it easy on you if you stop now and surrender."

She laughed, her eyes following the moves of his blade, the way he moved, trying to get a feel for what kind of fight this would be. "I would rather die than surrender to you, you pompous, over-stuffed windbag!" She darted in, swinging the blade low - Ikkaku always said you didn't win fights by being defensive - and was met with a counter that sent her skidding back, sparks flying from where their blades had met.

He swung back, following his counter with a riposte that was much faster than she'd have expected, if she hadn't been training with Isamu and Rukia for so long. When his blade went through, she was already gone, using shunpo to get to one side of the blade, her fist flashing out to strike at the side of his head with a fast blow. She managed to connect, barely, and his head rocked to the side. Amaya also felt pretty sure she'd broken her hand - his head was hard!

While she was shaking her wrist, trying to get the feeling back into her fingers, she almost missed dodging the next swing he took at her, feeling a sting on her side as the blade sliced through her uniform before she flipped ungracefully away.

~ ~ ~ ~​

Ukitake and Kyouraku landed gently on the grass-covered ground that had been a stone floor some time in the distant past. "It'll be fine, handsome," the garishly-dressed man was saying. "Your lieutenant is still there, and they'd be in more danger if we stayed."

A shape blurred into clarity next to them, and Kyouraku grinned. "Ah, Nanao-chan! It's not like you to be late!" He glanced over at his lieutenant, giving her a wink. "Last one buys the drinks!"

She clutched her papers to her chest, breathing a bit hard. "What do you mean, last one, I . . . ." Looking around the ruins, her face paled. "Ara! Captain-commander got here before all of us."

"Yamamoto-sensei was always quick," Ukitake commented, his eyes locked onto the stooped form of the old man.

"Pretty impressive, Yama-jii," Kyouraku added, "I'm amazed you managed it, with the head start we had."

Glowering at the three of them, Yamamoto shook his head. "My targets never escape me." He started toward them. "You won't get out of trouble this time without a thrashing."

 

[Armphid]

"Let's go, Kiyone," gruff Sentaro bellowed. It was a testament to the seriousness of the situation that she didn't argue or even glare at him with frustration and longing. The two 4th Seats rushed forward to follow after Renji and the ryoka to support them, their lieutenant and 3rd Seat having cleared a path for them to help that would not stay open long.

They had even less time than they thought.

There was a blur of white and the tiny form of Soi Fon was suspended in the air between the two, her long braids flying loose. Kiyone's eyes widened and she began to speak but it was if she was moving is slow motion. Sentaro never saw the blow that felled him like cut timber; a quick and savage kick that drove the vicious captain of the Punishment Squad forward towards Kiyone. Her training had increased her skill and power; a few days ago she wouldn't have been able to even see Soi Fon's moves but she could now. It wasn't enough to avoid them though.

Her eyes widened further as the captain's knee struck her chest and she felt something inside crack and give. She fell onto her back, feebly stirring and desperately trying to breathe.

Soi Fon put a foot on the girl's chest, preparing for the finishing stomp that would jelly her innards. Then she'd be sure the other scum was dead before going after the Kuchiki girl and Abarai. "None of you traitors get away," she stated coldly. "First you while your captain burns, then Kuragari, and then I'll end Abarai and Kuchiki myself."

Another rush of motion seemed to come out of nowhere and a shapely missile clad in orange rocketed across the promontory towards Soi Fon. Fast, too fast for even her to react, it hit her and took hold to send them both flying off the other side of the hill to plummet towards the Seireitei streets far below.

Soi Fon snarled grabbing the arm that held onto her shoulder, "Let me go! It's you, isn't it?"

"Such a fuss." Yoruichi's voice was teasing. "You haven't changed at all."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

"The blood's dried to black." Hitsugaya ran a hand over what had once been a pool of blood probably almost an inch deep. "They've been dead for days."

Rangiku had come further into the chamber and was slowly looking around with her arms folded under her most famous assets and her lovely face worried. She'd been trying to feel out if there were any traces of reiatsu but it was so faint, she couldn't get anything meaningful. Still...there was something familiar. But...he couldn't be a part of this..."I wonder when they were killed."

Hitsugaya tipped his head back, the young captain not bothered by the charnal carnage around them. "I'd guess...even before the ryoka broke in."

The busty shinigami blinked. "That long?"

"Think about it. All those unusual orders, from lessening the standard execution time to the war order, all break from precedent and tradition." He lowered his head and shook it, "Not one of them came from the actual Central 46."

"Then who issued them?"

Before the white haired boy could answer, there was a faint sound from the door leading edge into the deliberative chamber. The two monster hunters looked up to see pale Izuru Kira staring down at them.

Matsumoto drew in a breath if surprise. Toshiro's eyes narrowed, "Kira! Did you do this?"

"I? No. I came here just before you arrived." His voice was cooler than normal with a somewhat uncharacteristic tone of confrontation.

The buxom lieutenant frowned. ""But the door was sealed before Hitsugaya-taichou cut it open."

Kira nodded. "They let me in." He started to walk away.

"What? Who let you in?"

He glanced back. "The Central 46." Then he leaped into a flash step and was gone.

"Matsumoto! After him!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Ichigo's feet hit the ground; firmly blocking the path the others had taken. He'd moved in case he had to intercept that skinny captain chick but Yoruichi-san had taken her out of the picture.

He wished Hanataro was here to help out those two she'd taken down but he couldn't think about that now. He was coming.

The youth stood stock still, listening as the rush of feet swung wide around him and then approached with speed that would have shocked almost anyone else. He swung Zangetsu down from his shoulder almost lazily and then pivoted with lightning quickness to catch the blade that had been thrust at his back. The ring of metal clashing sounded over the peak of the hill; now deserted but for the two of them, the other fights all having moved off to varying degrees.

Ichigo gave a thin lipped smile over his weapon at the coolly furious face of the man he had to humble. Saying those things in front of his own sister, he had to pay! "I told you. I can see your moves, Byakuya Kuchiki."

~~~~~~~~~​

"It's regrettable but I'm not surprised. Ukitake and Kyouraku-taichou, their assistant captains, that was...unexpected. But not this." Dapper looking Sasakibe held his unreleased sword in one hand but he hadn't yet attacked since Isamu had leaped in front of him and their bladed clashed. The two men had flash stepped to the base of Soukyoku Hill as if by mutual agreement to get out of the way of their fellow combatants.

"You have been paying attention at the Western Enthusiasts' Club," Isamu answered. He hadn't released yet either. "There was never a chance I wasn't going to do something. This execution isn't just."

The uplifted ends of the lieutenant's tightly combed, middle parted hair trembled as he shook his head just a hair; his amber eyes never leaving the younger man. "Society's justice takes precedence over our personal views and feelings. This is the way of Soul Society."

"Even if society's justice us wrong?" The American practically bit the words out of the air. All the frustration and outrage he'd felt since this started was surging in him. As well as an acute disappointment that stung. He'd expected better from Sasakibe. They would have fought even if he agreed and he got that but this stubborn...Japanese-ness was infuriating. "I never thought I'd hear you parroting something said by that old foo-"

The lunge came suddenly and explosively. Sasakibe's eyes narrowed a fraction and then he was right in front of Isamu with his blade thrusting at his neck. The warning was just enough for the 3rd Seat to twist out of way of the deadly strike and swing his own weapon up to counter. Sasakibe brought his own weapon back and the blades rang as they struck one another.

"Your ideals and your dedication to them, I respect," the lieutenant's voice was grim. "But your slander of the greatest man to have ever lived turns my stomach. You will not speak ill of the sou-taichou in my presence. Or ever again, most likely. 3rd Seat of Squad 13, Isamu Takeuchi, The Mad Wolf, you are no match for any lieutenant. I regret it but it's time you were put down."

Isamu snarled; a wild sound that ripped out of him as if he were a beast. "You won't be the first lieutenant I've beaten up." He rushed forward and his sword blurred and changed, releasing as charged, his teeth in a feral grin, "Bring him to his knees, Hitoshirezu Daimyo!"

 

[HookerBoots]

Holding the other woman with almost no effort, Yoruichi used one hand to tug the cloth mask off of her face. "It's been a long time, Soi Fon," she said almost conversationally as they plunged to the ground. They struck the hard earth together, a cloud of dust thrown up in the impact as they crashed into it.

When the two women stood again, Yoruichi had a hand curved around a glowing yellow nimbus of light. There was a moment of stillness, broken when the globe of light shot forward at incredible speed towards the slight Captain. She dodged with effortless ease, and a building behind her had one of its walls vaporized.

Before the globe even hit its new destination, Soi Fon was there, hands and feet flashing out in strikes so fast that the eye could not follow them. And Yoruichi dodged them all, throwing out a few hits of her own in the brief moments when Soi Fon regained her balance for another set of attacks.

"You know, it's such an ugly thing, the fall of a Noble house," the smaller woman taunted, falling back with her hands held in a ready stance. "Helping trash like that, the Shihouin name will be struck from the books." She lashed another quick set of flat-handed strikes at Yoruichi, then backed away again. "Even though it's been so long, you haven't improved at all."

The two of them launched themselves towards the nearby forest, landing lightly on branches of separate trees. Yoruichi laughed, her golden eyes flashing in the dim light here. "Actually, I was just thinking it seemed like you'd gotten weaker."

~ ~ ~ ~​

If Byakuya was surprised by the orange-haired youth's block, his face didn't betray it. Instead, he raised his blade and struck again, his face cool and unreadable. "Why," he said, his voice soft, barely audible over the sound of the ring of steel-on-steel as Ichigo blocked it again, "do you keep trying to save Rukia?"

There was a moment where Ichigo stared at him. "Why are you not?" he countered. "She's your sister, why aren't you trying to save her?" He swung the massive blade at the dark-haired man, who slipped out of the way easily.

"Even if I were inclined to answer," the two of them were moving now, flashing over the hilltop, "you wouldn't understand my reasons." Their swords met once, twice, and then both of them were pushed back by the force of the meeting. As he skidded to a stop, the Captain of Squad 6 declared, "Once I kill you, boy, I will find her and carry out her execution myself."

A mirthless smile spread over Ichigo's face. "That's not gonna happen." He hefted Zangetsu up, almost in the same stance he would have held a baseball bat. "I will save her!"

~ ~ ~ ~​

Amaya was bruised, both on her hand and along one side of her face, and there was blood seeping from a cut the ran the length of her left calf. Omaeda, however, was oozing blood from half a dozen places, and at least one finger on his left hand was broken. They had paused momentarily, both catching their breath for a mere second. He grimaced as another drop of blood hit the ground. "All right, this isn't funny anymore. I've had enough playing around." His grip on the hilt of his sword shifted. "Crush, Gegetsburi!" The blade of the sword changed into a long, heavy chain with a spiked ball on the end the size of a beach ball.

Amaya gave him a wicked grin. "I hadn't wanted to be the first, but since you've opened the door . . . ." She held her sword out in front of her. "Spin the wheel, Soru-Konton Tsuki!" Her own blade blurred, turning into a bow as tall as she was, in wood lacquered a brilliant jade green. She moved just in time to avoid being crushed under the weight of that spiked ball, bouncing up to land on the roof of a nearby building.

As she landed, she loosed an arrow, ripping a piece of the purple collar he wore off and pinning it to the ground behind him. "Dammit, Kuragari, this cost more than you make in a year!" he bellowed, starting to twirl the chain for momentum.

"You should have saved your money," she jeered, her eyes never leaving his arm as it moved steadily. "Purple isn't your color at all, makes you look jaundiced." Spin, spin, spin, and . . . she leaped again, missing the spiked ball's strike by the width of a hair. Amaya released another arrow as she was in the air, this one tearing into the fabric of his uniform, opening another slash down the big man's left arm.

~ ~ ~ ~​

As Hitsugaya and Rangiku dashed out the door and into the sunlight again, they skidded to a halt, blinking. "What are you up to, Kira?" Rangiku asked, her lovely face confused.

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter, really. And should you really be following me?" He glanced back at the blackness inside the half-open door. "You should have used a different barrier spell to hold Hinamori-chan - that one was too easy to break from inside." He pointed with one hand at Central 46's building. "Didn't you feel her following you the whole time?"

Hitsugaya and Rangiku looked at each other, and the ginger-haired woman nodded. "Go ahead, taicho." She turned to face the blond man. "Kira-kun and I will have a little talk about what's been going on."

The white-haired captain nodded and headed back inside, worry in every motion. Rangiku looked steadily at Kira, her face very serious. "Kira-kun, what does Gin have you wrapped up in?"

He shrugged again. "I just follow orders." His sad eyes looked at the building again. "And he promised she wouldn't get hurt, so it's fine," he whispered.

 

[Armphid]

Momo's feed padded so softly down the polished corridor that a mouse would have made more noise. Shiro-kun had come this way and Ran-san with him. Why here? And what was that smell? It was like...like out back of the butcher's...

She didn't know what she'd do when she saw Shiro-kun again. Her heart was still ripping in two. He couldn't have done that to Aizen-taichou! Never! Her logical mind, when it was able to get through her emotions, also noted that when he fought, the weather went crazy! And there was nothing like that. And no ice of frost damage to Aizen-taichou's body. So...but the letter...could her beloved captain have been wrong?

She stepped into the doorway leading to Central 46 and gasped. "Oh! Oh, no! What could have happened?" They were dead; all of them. It had clearly been sudden and violent. But her eyes again noted there was no sign of water damage anywhere. Maybe...Ran-san had done it? But no, she wasn't strong enough. "Who...and why?"

"Ara, there you are, Momo-chan!" She went stock still and her eyes were wide at that voice. That sneering, smiling, mocking voice. Her head slowly turned and her hand fumbled for the hilt of her sword. "I've been waiting for you." Gin Ichimaru smiled as always as he approached her.

"What-" Momo hated how much fear she heard in her own voice, "What are you doing here? What do you want with me?"

"Well, this time, I was sent to wait for ya," he shrugged. Her eyes narrowed. This time? She didn't look back at the chamber of slaughter behind her but it flashed through her mind's eye. He would be capable of that. "See, there's something Aizen-taichou wanted you to see."

"Is that so?" Both the captain and lieutenant froze at the sound of that soft, gentle voice. Ichimaru turned, his right hand going into his sleeve as a delicate looking hand seemed to appear from nowhere and grab hold of an edge in the air. Then a swath of reality was pulled away to reveal a troubled looking Isane Koutesu having broken the spell and standing beside her shorter captain. Unohana's eyes were on Ichimaru and for once his smile slipped just a bit. "Why don't we go together then? I want to know what Aizen-taichou had planned as well."

Ichimaru didn't speak for several seconds, just watching the two women from behind his lowered eyelids. Unohana took a few steps forward to place herself between Isane and the fox-faced man. "Well, Ichimaru-taichou? I feel your sword pointed at my heart." Her smile was sweet as she stared at the much taller man. "Shall I draw my own?"

Momo blinked in surprise as he withdrew his hand from his sleeve, "That'd be a shame! Now why do ya have to give me such a scary look?"

Unohana nodded, "Lead the way, Ichimaru-taichou." After a few moments, the lean man shrugged and walked away. The captain and lieutenant of Squad 4 let him get a few feet ahead and then started after him, "Hinamori-fukutaichou, walk with Isane, won't you?"

"Ah, hai!" Momo scampered forward to catch up to and then hold pace with the taller women. She blinked and licked her lips, "Unohana-taichou, do...are you here because you think he killed Aizen-taichou? And Central 46?"

Unohana did not answer immediately, "I think the truth about Aizen is about to come out," she said softly after a few moments. "But I pray I am wrong."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

The wind whipped up by the battle was intense and it ripped and whipped over the two figures as they hid at the edges of the forest of bare trees on Soukyokou Hill. Cool blue eyes narrowed as the slender young man looked ahead; he could almost see them. Almost.

Uryuu Ishida felt a surge of shame and chagrin; if he still had his powers, he'd be able to follow the battle Kurosaki was having with ease. He was only able to see so much now because of how well he'd trained his perceptions. He looked down at the girl who was crouched in front of him, the reason he'd come back at all. "Inoue-san, we shouldn't get closer. We probably shouldn't be here at all."

"I know, Ishida-kun," Orihime answered. She shook her head, her eyes never leaving the fight. "But I couldn't just go! So much has happened to him since I saw him last and now...I just can't go. When he wins, he'll need healing."

"...I suppose he will." Ishida felt a strange ache in his heart but pushed it away. He did not have time for that now. Kurosaki...he'd better win. He'd never forgive him if he broke Inoue's heart by dying now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Isamu's fierce snarl of a smile looked even more wild with the blood running down the left side of his face and the faint singe marks on what was visible of his chest in the gap of his kosode. His blood was singing in his veins and he felt a savage joy in his heart as he spun away from a stinging thrust of Sasakibe's rapier and brought his hammer around in a wicked counter held in one hand. The mustachioed man leaped back, "Can't get away like that!" Isamu whipped up his left hand; held with the wrist straight and the fingers together and held up as well. "Hadou no 31! Shakkahou!"

"Too close!" Sasakibe cried out as the red ball shot towards him and then burst into an explosion of fire. He threw himself back away from the blast, smoke trailing from him. He'd managed to get out of all but the edges of it. But that the spell had that much power! And Takeuchi was just 3rd Seat?

Sasakibe was bleeding from wounds of his own; a stab wound on his sword arm from the spike on the head of the hammer and a deep gouge in his left thigh from where the wild youth had hooked him with the pick end before sending him flying with a brutal knee strike to the chin. He hadn't expected the boy to use kidou as well as his zanpakuto, nor for him to have such proficiency at both. Isamu came flying out of the smoke from the explosion and swung his weapon in an upward blow; the lieutenant flicked his weapon in the way but in the instant it met the hammer, it's weight and force increased dramatically, his blade bowing with the impact of the blow.

Isamu laughed, "Good parry! But that's not always enough!" The American flicked his wrist as though the warhammer weighed nothing but it hit Sasakibe's sword like a runaway truck and knocked his defensive blade wide. He snapped back and drove the hammer square into the center of the senior officer's chest.

Sasakibe bent over and his lips parted as his breath and a gush of blood were blasted out of him by the impact. He felt and heard cracking inside and went flying back to slam against the cliff face in a burst of dust and small chucks of rock smashed away by his body hitting. The older man's vision was blurred as he reached out and grabbed the rock wall and pulled himself out of the crater he'd made. "In..credible. Power and versatility and as such a young age! Yet you completed the Academy like anyone."

"That's right." Isamu was standing where he'd landed the blow but turned to face the battered shinigami. He had a few more injuries himself. Sasakibe's sword had spat lightning that had burned his left arm and much of his chest; it hurt to breathe. But he had the better of the older man. "I'm no Hitsugaya or Ichimaru, no genius."

"Not like them, no. But you and Kuragari, Abarai, even, may be geniuses...if hard work." Sasakibe managed to stand and face his opponent. He could fell that his internal injuries were serious. "The loss of all of you will be one that the Gotei 13 will regret in years to come."

"That's big talk." He shook his head, auburn locks tossing in the wind. "This fight is all but over, Sasakiba-fukutaichou. You can barely stand. One last attack will end this." He could feel the other fights all around him. Kuchiki and that Ichigo kid...they were something else. He'd never felt anything like it; it was similar to when the Squad 6 captain had fought Renji but with more power on both sides. Soi Fon was tied up with whoever that was...scary fast the both of them. Far away, Captain Ukitate and Captain Kyouraku were fighting the old man. The amount of power pouring from that direction made his teeth hurt if he focused on it too much. Amaya had Omaeda in hand; he was surprised it was taking her this long, actually. Once he finished, he'd go to her and when she was done, they'd light after Rukia to cover the rear. "You've lost. Admit it and let me pass. I don't want to kill you; it'd be a waste."

The older man spat out another mouthful of blood and smiled, "Didn't you train under Ikkaku Madarame?"

"Yeah, but I don't go in for that "disciple" shit. Just 'cause he taught me doesn't mean I do things his way. If you do want to think of me as his student...then count yourself lucky, that's all." Isamu's feel slid a bit wider apart. "You and Yamamoto-soutaichou are the same, right? You trained under him but you do things your way."

"Though we are in accord on most matters, yes." The oldre man stood up straight and squared his shoulders. "But I cannot let you go by his order. It is you who should surrender!"

"So you can execute me later? Fat chance. Besides," the half-breed shook his head again, "you've reached your limit and I'm better than you, fukutaichou. It might hurt your pride but it's true."

"Yes, it shames me, but you are right." He closed his eyes and then opened them again and there was a calm certainty in them that shocked Isamu. "At this level, I cannot defeat you."

The younger man blinked. "...At this...you don't mean?"

"Forgive me, Eijisai-dono," Sasakibe said. "I swore never to use this power again in battle before you granted me full mastery of it but I will not fail in my charge." His amber eyes fell on the stunned Isamu and his spiritual pressure began to spike and roar. "Isamu Takeuchi, I honor and salute you! You are only the second person alive who has ever seen this and will be the first it kills!"

Isamu took a half step back, "Damn it! I can't believe this, but it's...he really could be a captain." The wild fighter grimaced and glanced away to where his love fought. "...Gomen, Amaya-chan. You're going to have to do this without me, after all. But maybe...I can take him with me!"

He lunged forward with all his strength, pouring all of his power into his weapon for a single blow of epic might. Even as he did so, Sasakibe raised his sword straight up to the heavens, "BANKAI!"

~~~~~~~~~~~​

"Where are we?" Isane flinched at how loud her own voice sounded. They had done on and down from the Assembly Hall of the Central 46 and come out in a huge underground space. There was a set of buildings there; tall and narrow, raised off the ground and accessible by a set of staircases. There was a wide open area where they all came out that was raised from the approach the four shinigami were taking.

"The Seijoutoukyorin," Mono said in a hushed whisper. "The residence of the Central 46. No one besides them is ever allowed here, no matter what their business or cause."

"Correct, Hinamori-fukutaichou," Unohana said. "It is also one of the most heavily shielded place in all of Soul Society. No one could detect the power of anyone inside it; no matter how strong they were."

Ichimaru suddenly flash stepped ahead of them to the raised section. Momo gathered herself to follow but Unohana held out an arm to block her. Both lieutenants looked at the female captain and then at Ichimaru as he entered one of the buildings. There was nothing further for perhaps a minute and then the sound of two sets of footsteps came to their ears. "

"Isane," Unohana murmured, "be ready to grab her."

"Konban wa, Hinamori-kun." The warm, kind voice froze all three women as if it was a wave of ice. Smiling gently, Sousuka Aizen emerged from the shadows with Ichimaru walking obediently behind him. "I'm sorry to have worried you so much. I wanted this reunion to be private, to make it easier on you."

"Gomen," Ichimaru shook his head, "I don't know why they were there, Aizen-taichou."

"It's all right, Gin. I always wondered if she might not notice something was wrong, with her deep knowledge, training, and power."

"Aizen-taichou!" Momo tried to spring forward but the larger and more physically powerful Isane hooked her arms and lifted her bodily off the floor. "Let me go! Let me go to him!" Her eyes were streaming with tears. "Aizen-taichou, you're alive! You're alive, I'm so happy! But I'm so confused, taichou, please, what...what about Shiro-kun?"

"Yes, Aizen." Unohana's voice was flat and there was a hard edge to it none of the speakers there had ever heard before. Only two of them knew she could speak in that manner and what it could mean. "Tell us; why are you hiding here, having faked your own death? And why did you with your lieutenant alone to know "the truth" as your letter claimed it to be? The time has come for answers."

 

[HookerBoots]

Amaya stayed stationary for a moment longer than she might have wanted to, leaping up and to one side, landing on another roof as the spiked ball of Gegetsburi crashed into the ground, shattering paving stones. Her fingers flashed at the string on her bow, and the arrow that was released had a glowing, prismatic globe at the tip. "Go, Jikokou-yo!"

Trying to pull the heavy mace back before her arrow hit the chain, possibly shattering it, Omaeda dragged the spiked ball directly into its path. The two impacted, and instead of the explosion her expected, the heavy weight dissolved into a pile of rust that sifted to the ground. "What the hell?!" he managed as the chain, relieved of its weight, flew back and slapped into his chest with the sound of cracking bone.

Amaya flash-stepped down and to the side as the bulky man staggered back, the first two fingers of one hand flashing out. "Bakudo no Ichi! Sai!"

~ ~ ~ ~​

The genially smiling man inclined his head slightly. "It is time for answers, you are right." His hands were tucked into his sleeves, his whole attitude one of simple ease and comfort. "I had to fake my own death, to discover the truth of the events here in Soul Society." He gestured around him. "Central 46 has been killed, the whole lot of them. I needed to go undercover to find out who was pulling the strings."

Unohana stared at him serenely, her face as impassive as his. "I see. And when did you decide this, on your own?"

His smile was soft and disarming. "Some time ago, before the execution of Rukia Kuchiki was ordered." One hand reached out behind him, pulling out the corpse she had been studying for the past days. "Forgive me for deceiving you, but it was necessary." When her expression didn't change, he sighed, the smile turning a bit rueful, a bit harder. "Ah, Unohana-taicho, I should have known I wouldn't be able to fool you long." Hitsugaya dashed into the room, then, his hand already on his sword hilt as he skidded to a stop. "But long enough. Konbanwa, Hitsugaya-san."

The white-haired young man blinked at the tableau in front of him. "What's going on? Hinamori, are you okay?"

The girl nodded, her eyes still fixed on Aizen's face, a little less sure of what she was seeing now. "I'm fine, thank you."

Aizen shifted his hand slightly, and the corpse doll in his hand shattered, revealing his bared zanpakuto. "Do you know what the power of my sword really is?" he asked, holding it casually to one side.

Isane spoke up, her voice steady but confused. "It confuses the enemy, distorting their senses. Down becomes up, left becomes right."

"That's not all, is it?" Unohana asked, her posture changing slightly.

He grinned, the dim light glinting off the blade. "No, it isn't. The real power of Kyouka Suigetsu is that of Complete Hypnosis - anyone who sees it released is totally under my control. My will is what they sense, and all it takes is one time. It lasts as long as I wish it to, and does whatever I wish." His smile widened. "I knew you would figure it out, Unohana-taicho, you're too strong and skilled not to sense something wrong."

Her answering nod was short, never taking her eyes off of him.

From the hallway, there was the sound of running footsteps, and a voice shouting indistinctly. No one in the room moved, not even a twitch, save that Ichimaru's eyes narrowed slightly.

Aizen shifted slightly, and everyone there tensed. "My plans, however, are moving on regardless." He sheathed the sword and smiled beatifically at them all. "But I can't have you all following me, and I need to leave shortly - Tousen is bringing the keystone to the hill, and I need to be there to receive it."

And before they could react, Ichimaru was in the doorway behind Hitsugaya, his hands tucked into his own sleeves now. He didn't move, but suddenly a bright spray of red spread from the white-haired young captain, even as he was turning to react to Ichimaru's move. His hand reached out instinctively, and he gasped. Then the illusion shattered.

Sosuke Aizen held the bloody blade casually in one hand, his face hard and cruel. He watched Hitsugaya bleed for a heartbeat, then nodded. "That should delay you all long enough. It's too bad you were smart enough to stop that little idiot from running to me - I'd have preferred to have run her through." His eyes lit on Momo. "So dependent on me, so pathetically eager to please. It would have been a pleasure to kill you." He turned as the captain of Squad 10 fell to his knees. "Come on, Gin. We have somewhere to be."

Ichimaru reached into his haori and pulled out a length of ribbon, lashing the end out to wrap lightly around Aizen's wrist.

The two of them vanished moments before Rangiku skidded through the doorway, her eyes wide. "I just thought I saw Gin . . . ." She trailed off, her eyes flashing over the group. "T-taicho?" She stared down at the bleeding Hitsugaya disbelievingly. "Taicho!?"

Kira came after her, and stopped, looking into the room. His eyes widened, and he made an abortive motion towards the hallway to leave, then stopped, looking uncomfortable and confused.

Unohana moved then, her shoulders shrugging out of her captain's haori and dropping to her knees next to Hitsugaya. "Isane-san, please contact the other captains and seated officers and notify them of Sosuke Aizen's betrayal and actions." Her hands were pulling out from assorted pockets pieces of healing items that she would need for triage, and even as they moved, her eyes froze Isane cold. "And then follow them."

Isane nodded. "Hai, taicho." Her hands released Momo, who sagged to the ground, eyes wide and teary, trembling all over.

 

[Armphid]

"Maybe I should heal Kurosaki-kun more?" Orihime's large grey eyes were worried as she watched him walk beside and partly with the support of Uryuu Ishida. It had been so thrilling and so terrifying to watch that fight! He'd done so well but still been hurt so badly...and she hadn't been able to see what happened when he and that guy were in that big round room of pink swords. That would be such a great band name!

"When we get to a safer place, Inoue-san," Ishida said with a shake of the head. "Out there in the open is no place; most of the other fights are starting to wind down, right? We don't want to get caught if he's not ready to fight again."

"I could if I had to," the orange haired fighter interjected. "...But I guess it's better than I don't. I proved what I needed to anyway." Byakuya Kuchiki...he still didn't get the guy at all. But he'd broken his sword. Ichigo looked around, "So why aren't the others with you?"

"Oh I know, I know!" Orihime bounced up alongside the two boys; her chest continuing to bounce for a moment after to their shock and hidden delight. "They went with that guy who's now our friend? to help him take Kuchiki-san to our hideout so we can gather up for the getaway with the good shinigami."

Ichigo blinked, "We have a hideout?"

"Yes." Ishida shifted his grip on the arm that was draped over his shoulder. "You know it already, if my suspicions are correct. But it was that pink haired shinigami who decided to use it as our muster point. Yoruichi-san apparently told her about it before he vanished."

"Huh, okay." Ichigo was silent for a few more seconds. "Did we...we had an escape plan before, right?"

Orihime beamed, "Nope!"

Uryuu sighed, "I think we all trusted that Yoruichi-san had one and hadn't told us yet. I hope he doesn't get left behind but I'm sure he can take care of himself."

"Yeah, she's a tough lady."

..."What?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

"No...fair," porky Omaeda grunted as he strove in vain to move. His arms were trapped behind his back with Sai, the red glow that accompanied Geki burned around him, the bright yellow energy rope of Hainawa was wrapped about him from his knees to his elbows, and on top of all that the six glowing white spars that came together to form Rikujoukourou.

"That'll keep you busy a while." Amaya dusted off her hands. "It was a better fight than I thought, Omaeda-san."

"C-come on Kuragari," the big man groaned, still madly twitching as he attempted to overcome the enmeshed spells that held him in place. "Let me go so I can run or kill me straight out. When Soi Fon-taichou finds out I lost like this..."

"Guess a bad day's just getting worse, huh? I hate that! Bye bye!" Amaya did her best Ichimaru impression with a wave and then set off in a blur of motion. Where to go? Renji was...there, with Rukia and two of the ryoka. The other two were with Kurosaki who had done the unthinkable and apparently beaten Byakuya Kuchiki. The kid was scary! Byakuya was alive too; limping away torn and bloodied. She felt an impulse to go to him but stifled it; he hadn't gone to Rukia, had he? And Isamu was over there; with that incredible reiatsu that she had a hard time believing belonged to Sasakibe. He was in trouble; she could feel it.

But Rukia...ohhhh! "Isamu-kun, don't you dare die on me!" The buxom shinigami made her choice and blurred away with a masterful shun-po.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Thunder rolled and boomed as black clouds roiled over head. Isamu lay on the ground; smoke and steam rising from his body from burns and where the moisture in him and started to vaporize. He groaned and reached out to brace a hand on the hard packed earth as yellow light blazed down from overhead. "N...not done...yet..."

With a pained snarl, the American wrenched himself to his feet, though he wobbled badly. Much of his uniform was gone; burned away by the fury of near misses as much as by hits and great swathes of skin had the strange prickly look of electrical burns and almost glowed red. He raised his right hand, his hammer in it, in defiance.

Choujiro Sasakibe was as injured as before but it seemed to trouble him less. The power he felt was exhilirating; he'd felt it when using this power by himself to train but now, to use it in an actual battle, it was a wholly different sensation. Ever firing bolts of lightning shot upward from the ground around him and arced up to form a dome of crackling electrical power high over his head that sent a single bolt upward into the dark stormclouds that had gathered when the power was released. "You are done, if not dead. You dodged the first few attacks well and I grant you that. But you cannot dodge all of my bankai's pillars at once."

Isamu wavered on his feet but then shook his head, "Whether I can or can't, I won't meet my end on my belly but on my feet!" He seemed to gather strength from that and raised his eyed to look Sasakibe in the eye. He leaped to the right as one of the 'poles' of the dome ripped up and lashed out like a tendril made of lighting and blasted the spot he'd been standing. Another and another came at him and he wheeled and leaped to avoid them. As he moved, he could see how this would end as all of the other pillars came up at once, seeming to move in slow motion.

"I'm so sorry, Amaya. I wanted a life with you. But I had one too. I loved you, I was loved. I had friends and a home, things I thought I never had. I wish I could be with out longer, but there's no lucky escape for me. Not this time. Be happy and be loved, Amaya. That way, I'll die with no regrets."

Instead of dodging away, he charged forward, both hands on the grip of his warhammer, "No regrets and nothing held back!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Amaya blurred into step between Chad and Ganju, the two men running about twenty feet ahead of Renji. "Abarai-kun! Is she-?"

"I'm fine," Rukia snapped from her friend's arms. Her huge eyes took in the bouncy form of her superior officer and former roommate. "Kuragari-chan, you too...you shouldn't have done this, any of you."

"Well, too late. Nyah!"

Rukia blinked. "You're all such...gah! I don't even have words for how stupid you are!"

"I keep hearing that," Renji muttered. Then he suddenly skidded to a halt as there was a streak of motion that slammed down in front of him and between the other three. "What the hell?"

Kaname Tousen wore the undergarb of his captain's uniform as well as numerous bandages swathed over his chest. His reflective glasses gleamed and his face held no hint to his thoughts. He swung up a hand and a long white ribbon began to whip around and around, encircling him, Renji, and Rukia in its length.

Chad, Ganju, and Amaya all skidded to a halt. Ganju shook his head, "What the shit? Who the hell is this guy?"

Amaya and Renji spoke at once, "Tousen-taichou, what-" And then he and the other two where gone.

~~~~~~~~~​

"It works by sight," Unohana said, as if to herself, "that means he must have been involved since the beginning."

"Ara? Who What happened?" Rangiku was looking back and forth between Unohana and Isane; her eyes avoiding the bloody mess of her captain.

"Isane, inform those ryoka as well." Unohana ignored her, working on her patient. Such a devestating wound and on one so strong; she felt a flash of irritation at the boy for leaving himself open. But he would not die, she would not allow it. She unsheathed her sword and green light began to roil around her.

Isane ignored Rangiku as well, tracing designs on her arms with ink from her bag of medical supplies and throwing it aside, "snapping her arms up and together and pouring her reiatsu into them. A glowing rectangle appeared in front of her, "The Black and White Silk, Twenty Second Bridge, Sixty Sixth Crown," she chanted. The ash on her arms slid off and into the square and then outward in spiky, seeking patterns. Almost...almost...that was all of the captains...the lieutenants...the seated officers...and...the ryoka last of all!

Rangiku glanced back at the triage and shuddered. He was so small; she forgot sometimes, but seeing him like that...she just couldn't look anymore! "Who did this?"

"A-Aizen-taichou," Momo said stiffly. The petite brunette slowly sank to her knees. "He's alive. I was so happy but so confused and then he-he hurt Shiro-kun and left with Ichimaru-taichou."

Kira sank down next to her, "It's all right, Hinamori-chan, Momo-chan. I'm here." He bowed his head and murmured under his breath, "Taichou, you kept your promise...but did you mean to?"

Isane's voice rang out, "Bakudo no 77! Tenteikuura! All of you, captains, lieutenants, seated officers of the Gotei 13! And the ryoka! This is a message from Squad 4 Taichou Unohana and myself. Everything I am about to say is true."

 

[HookerBoots]

The Seireitei was silent, all sounds of battle stilling as every seated officer, every lieutenant, every captain, even the youngsters that had brought the chaos to a head, tilted their heads to the side, listening. Isane Kotetsu's voice rang in the vaults of every mind, explaining what they had discovered. ". . . are traitors. They have slaughtered Central 46, manipulated events leading to the execution, and attacked Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of Squad 10. Ichimaru and Aizen are headed for the Soukyoku, Tousen will be meeting them there. They are being tracked, if encountered attempt to delay at all costs."

The spell broke, and there was silence again, for a heartbeat, before the shocked chatter rose around the buildings. Amaya stared at the empty space where Rukia and Renji had vanished from, and blinked once, slowly. Then she looked at the other two, fiercely. "Where are the others? Can you tell where your friends are?"

Ganju and Chad looked back at her, confused. She reached out and grabbed Chad's arm. "Where are they? Are they near the hill?"

He looked into the distance for a moment, then nodded. "Inoue and Ichigo are four block that way," he said, gesturing with his strange arm.

Amaya nodded sharply. "I'm going to make sure they heard, and help if I can. Get to the hill." She looked at them both. "Be safe, I'll see you there." And she darted away, one hand on her sword.

When she landed on the ground next to the three ryoka, Ichigo was struggling to get loose from the other two. "Let me go, I've got to get there! They need help, and I . . . ."

"You do need to get there," she said, stepping in and putting a restraining hand on his chest. "And you also need to heal." Her eyes traveled over the other two - it was puzzling and troubling why neither she nor the other kid could sense the Quincy, even though he was there, but a mystery for later. "Which of you healed him this far?"

Orihime held up a shaking hand. "But, um, ma'am, I can't do it while we're moving."

There was a tense moment when Amaya studied all three of them. "Not a problem, as long as you don't mind being close." Her lips quirked. "Doesn't really matter if you mind, really, but I'll be able to get you there without having to worry about you all walking." Moving in a blur, she had her arms wrapped around Ichigo's waist and twisted, holding him in her arms bridal style.

He blinked up at her. "What . . . what are you doing?!" he stammered, then blushed as he realized he was looking straight at her cleavage.

"Shut it, kid, I'm doing what I can to make sure you're at your best for the fight coming up." She looked at Orihime and knelt down. "Stretch out on top, and heal while we go."

The three of them blushed bright red. She sighed agitatedly. "Stop it. It's necessary, and you can all apologize to each other later - right now, this is efficient."

The busty redhead paused for a moment, then slowly moved, sliding out on top of the ginger-haired boy. "Gomen, Kurosaki-kun." She held out her hands, and murmured, "Ayame! Shun-ou! Souten Kisshun, I reject!" A golden, glowing oval spread between her and Ichigo, two little fairies on either tip, and his wounds started to close perceptibly.

Amaya straightened up. "Ishida-san, if you would, behind me, arms around my waist." He hesitated, and she gave him the same look she'd gotten from Captain Unohana or Miyako-san when she was being foolishly stubborn. "Now, please, we don't have much time."

His arms slid stiffly around her waist, and Amaya waited for a moment to be sure his grip was firm. She also was assessing the amount of weight she was carrying. Thank god two of them weren't too heavy, because she had the feeling that a few pounds more and this wouldn't work. "All right," she said, snugging the two in her arms more tightly. "Hold on tight, we'll be there soon."

~ ~ ~ ~​

Sasakibe let his sword drop to his side, his eyes wide as he looked at the young man facing him. They both had lost their urge to fight, their eyes going to the tall peak nearby. The older man coughed again, blood spattering the ground in front of him. The scintillating dome of his bankai had vanished when Isane's voice started to ring in his mind, and he knew that without the support of his sword's power, he would soon collapse. But he sealed it, sheathing it as he sank to his knees. "Go, Takeuchi." He coughed again, pointing with his sword towards the hill. "Go, Mad Wolf, and punish the true culprits of this travesty."

Isamu looked at the vice-captain, his own breathing labored, feeling the pain and tingle of the burns over so much of his body. "I will, fukutaicho. But first," he said, kneeling down and spreading his hands over the other man's body, "I'll make sure you live to fight again. Keikatsu!"

A shudder spread through Sasakibe's body as the younger man's reiatsu filtered into him, working on repairing the damage. A little laugh came from him. "You are . . . full of surprises, youngster."

 

[Armphid]

"Ooof!" Amaya stumbled back, the slender young man holding onto her waist letting out a cry as he fell from the sudden force of Ichigo Kurosaki launching himself out of the top heavy lieutenant's arms as soon as one of her feet touched the edge if the dead forest on Soukyoku Hill. Orihime let out a squawk as her healing shield was blown apart by his forceful and sudden departure; the whole group ending up in a heap.

Amaya sat up forcefully, her normally sweet face furious, and sent the human girl who had been on top of her rolling away with a plaintive yelp. "That...gah! We needed a plan, that's three captains over there!"

"Planning isn't Kurosaki's strong suit," came Ishida's voice from behind and beneath her. Amaya looked down to see that, now that she was sitting up, she was straddling the boy's hips in a reverse cowgirl position.

She could almost feel the boy blushing and quickly stood. "I should have figured that out." His lack of forethought was a little staggering in retrospect but there wasn't time to think on that now. Fortunately, it looked Aizen was talking to Ichigo, Renji, and Rukia rather than attacking. She did spot the segments of Zabimaru scattered around the ground in front of the treacherous captain. To her surprise, Tousen and Ichimaru were just...standing there. Why weren't they going to fight?

As Ishida stood, she glanced at him. "All right, we'll plan then. I'll start a chant for the biggest binding spell I can manage, then you grab Rukia-san and Inoue-san and get out of here."

The youth looked like he could be sick. "I can't."

Amaya frowned, "Only one? Okay, grab Rukia then and Inoue-san can hide here."

"No, I can't...I can't be of any help to you." His words were heavy with shame.

She looked at him with incredulity in her green eyes, "What are you talking about? I saw you fight Kurotsuchi-taichou, that power-" It clicked. Amaya had a reputation for being a ditz but that was mostly because of her clumsiness, not her intellect. And she was best at this; leaps of intuition from fragments of information. "Oh. That's why no one can sense you. Your powers...you burned them out in that fight."

Orihime had been listening silently, "Ishida-kun, is it true?"

"Yes." He looked away from them. "The Sanrei Glove gives a tremendous boost in power but can never be taken off. If you do...then your Quincy powers explode to their ultimate expression and then fade away. I...I'm sorry. I'm no use to you."

This...this was something she just didn't have time for. "Okay then. Stay here and keep Inoue-san safe. Her healing is our ace. If it comes to it..."

"I understand chess," he answered.

She nodded. It might be cold but if it came to it, he'd sacrifice himself for Inoue. She was far more valuable a piece in this game now. It made her stomach turn to think that way but she had to for now.

Amaya looked up to see Aizen holding the front of Rukia's robe in one hand, talking about it to Ichigo and Renji...who both lay bloody on the ground. Shit! That had happened fast! What could she do now? Alone?

Then she felt an incoming spiritual pressure and though the traitors must have noticed it as well, not one of them moved as gigantic Komamura landed hard beside Aizen, dwarfing the other man. She started forward to assist his attack and missed a step when she got a good look at him. What the actual hell? He was a dog?

The missed step may have saved her life. Komamura swung his sword and a giant version of it appeared over his head and slammed down onto the leader of this insanity, "AIZEN!" The power of the blow rocked the promontory and sent a cloud of dust into the air.

Yet when it cleared, the gentle looking captain stood unharmed, holding the massive blade if Komamura's sword almost negligently. "It's been quite a while since I've seen your face. Why the change of heart, Komamura-kun?" The smile that had always been kind was more mocking than Ichimaru had ever been. "Did something happen?"

The giant growled, "How can you just stand there and smile! You betrayed us all! I can't forgive you." The yellow eyes swung to the dark skinned man standing passively in the background. "Or you, Tousen!"

He launched another attack; a huge fist appearing as he threw a strong left. Aizen flew backward in another cloud of dust. He set Rukia down and started to casually walk forward. Amaya blinked as Komamura...didn't notice. He was looking back by Tousen and speaking as though Aizen was there.

She started forward again, raising Soru Konton Tsuki which had become a guan dao and that she didn't remember releasing, when Gin Ichimaru tilted his head and looked over at her. "Ara, Amaya-Chan, I didn't see ya there. Why don't 'cha stay put? Aizen-taichou'll be done in a sec."

"Hai, Ichimaru-taichou, I'll stay right here." She whipped a hand forward, "Hadou no 31! Shakkahou!"

"That ain't really what I meant...oh, well!"

The ball of red energy flew towards Aizen who was just a few feet from the giant wolf-man who had noticed Amaya's spell with alarm but somehow not the traitor right in front of him. Aizen spun and swung out one hand and knocked the incoming spell away in a high arc to explode overhead.

"What?" Komamura's voice was stunned as he looked down at the man directly before him, "But he should be by Tousen-"

"Hadou no 90. Kurohitsugi." Aizen spoke the words softly, almost casually, but power rippled out from him. Lines of black spirit energy grew from nowhere to form an enormous box around Squad 7's captain and then filled in with jet black darkness. Lances of darkness thrust into the box and quivered for a few moments before the whole construct broke and burst away. Komamura stood a moment and then blood burst from him from several wounds. He groaned once and toppled over.

"Oh nice one, Aizen-taichou. No incantation." Ichimaru nodded approvingly.

"Yes but the power was barely a third of what it should have been." He strode back towards Rukia. "Kuragari-san, that power of yours. A lucky shot."

Amaya hefted her weapon, "Luck had nothing to do with it! But you'll be lucky to get out of this alive! Leave Rukia-san alone!"

He gave her an amused smirk, "Please, my sword's Perfect Hypnosis is flawless." Then he shrugged, "I'm sorry but I can't. I need what Kisuke Urahara hid in her soul. The Soukyouku would have perfectly evaporated her so I could have it but thanks to all of you, that option failed. Fortunately, I found Urahara's alternate method of removal."

Amaya shook her head, " I don't care why, you keep your filthy hands off her!"

"Such big talk! You are impressive and have come very far in a short time but don't get arrogant." Aizen's voice was gently chiding. "I just felled a captain without any effort, not to mention Abarai-kun and the ryoka boy. How could you hinder me in any way?"

There was a blur and Isamu, wounded and wild, hung in the air behind Aizen. "By hitting instead of talking, you shitstain." His hammer swung in hard, as much of the young man's power behind it as he could pour into one blow.