The Fight Begins

"We think that forgiveness is weakness, but it's absolutely not; it takes a very strong person to forgive." - T. D. Jakes

Life is full of challenges and trials. It tests everything and does not discriminate. Even on friendships. While some friendships never see their bond truly tested, others are. It either ends the friendship right there... or makes it stronger. The outcome is always up to the people involved. Can you forgive a mistake? Can you admit if you were wrong? Can you even say the most simplest of words? Can you say: I'm sorry?...

It was a high level mission, one requiring four squads to severe as escort. A wealthy noble family was traveling from a far away location. The convey was large, very large with thousands of servants, dancers and more. It was an almost identical situation to the one involving Captain Toushiro Hitsugaya and the Oin. But unlike that time, Squad 10 had three other squads helping. The powerhouses of Squad 11, the protective Squad 9, and the quick responding Squad 6. After the Oin incident, Toushiro wasn't taking any chances. His squad was on extremely high alert. They were blessed that the convey was on the ground this time. As Vegeta was the most powerful of them all, he was ordered to stay near the noble family no matter what. The last line of defense. The noble family inside has just had a baby and it has yet learned how to control its high spiritual pressure. It was only a matter of time before it would draw in un-welcomed company. The baby's occasional loud crying didn't help either.

Zaraki: "Ah! The kid's screaming's getting on my nerves!"

Byakuya: "Funny how you can hear the child's crying from here but you can't hear the words 'no, I don't want to fight' when it's yelled right in your face."

Zaraki: "Excuse me?"

While Byakuya and Zaraki argued, Levi just looked on while walking next to Toushiro.

Byakuya: "Be quiet."

Zaraki: "What're you gonna do to make me?"

Levi: "... ... (Turns to Toushiro) I understand Byakuya being here; noble guarding a noble... But Kenpachi, really?"

Toushiro: "Makes about as much sense to me as it does you."

Levi: "Tch."

Toushiro: "So whadda think about your first high profile mission, Levi?"

Levi: "Honestly, compared to the other missions I've had, it's a little slow."

Toushiro: "Trust me, it'll speed up."

Rangiku: "Captain!"

Rangiku suddenly appeared before them.

Toushiro: "Anything yet?"

Rangiku: "No, not yet, sir. Everyone's staying vigilant though."

Toushiro: "Good. Keep it up."

Rangiku: "Yes sir."

The busty woman went back to continue surveillance.

Levi: "Something you're not telling me?"

Toushiro: "This is my third high profile mission. The first two went off exactly like this."

Levi: "Let me guess... It didn't stay that way, did it?"

Toushiro: "You'd be right."

Levi: "Explains why you have Vegeta playing personal bodyguard to the new family. Friggin' walking insurance policy."

Toushiro: "Again, right on the money."

Levi: "So how long until the shit hits the fan?"

Toushiro: "If history's anything to go by... won't be long."

All of a sudden, the baby inside the main carriage started crying again.

Toushiro: "Man those are a pair of lungs."

Levi: "I've heard you louder."

Toushiro: "Shut up!"

Suddenly Vegeta's distinct roar rang out! Not a second later and a massive wave of strong spiritual pressure was felt by all the Soul Reapers! The pressure was so immense that the weakest of them collapsed from the weight. Levi and Eren were the only ones not affected as they were only not Soul Reapers yet but they have yet to learn how to sense any kind of energy. But they did have a guess due to the reactions of the others.

Eren: "Captain! Are we about to be attacked?!"

Levi: "Yeah! Get ready!"

Toushiro: "NO! Stay back, both of you!"

Eren: "What?! Why?!"

Toushiro: "These aren't going to be just ordinary Hollows! The spiritual pressure indicates that there are some Adjuchas among them, maybe even a Vasto Lorde!"

Levi: "Adjuchas? Vasto Lorde?"

Eren: "What're those?"

Byakuya: "Adjuchas are the second class of Menos Hollows. They are stronger and smarter than Gillians. They control Gillians and other lower Hollows. Vasto Lorde are the third class and the highest evolution. They are the same size as people and are rare, but they are much stronger; above most captains."

Toushiro: "Grimmjow and Ulquiorra are among these classes, so don't engage them guys!"

Suddenly a huge fireball shot down from the sky and destroyed the first two carts in the front! Moments later and a Garganta opened, releasing hundreds of your average Hollows. Many started going for the weak and injured!

Toushiro: "Shit! Rangiku! Get those people to safety!"

Rangiku: "On it, sir!"

Levi: "Shuhei, help her!"

Shuhei: "Yes, Captain!"

Byakuya: "Renji, provide backup for them."

Renji: "On it!"

The members of Squad 10 and Squad 6 began fighting back the lesser Hollows while securing the injured and moving them to a safer location. No sooner had most of the smaller Hollows been dealt with, larger and stronger ones appeared... followed by five Adjuchas!

Toushiro: "Damn... I knew it!"

Zaraki: "HA! This just got exciting!"

Zaraki didn't waste any time in jumping into battle!

Levi: "Zaraki!"

Suddenly, Ikkaku and Yumichika joined in!

Levi: "What do you think you're doing?! Get back here!"

Ikkaku: "And miss all the fun?!"

Yumichika: "Sorry, but we don't work like that."

All of Squad 11 headed into the fight, hollering and cheering with excitement.

Levi: "They're nuts!"

Toushiro: "They've always been like that! Levi, you and your squad defend the injured!"

Levi: "Got it!"

Levi and Eren left to gather up their men and form a human barrier around the injured. Toushiro meanwhile jumped in as well, but before passing by Vegeta.

Toushiro: "Stay there, Vegeta! Guard the Noble Family!"

The young captain leaped into the fight while the saiyan prince stood his ground by the Noble's carriage. But the prince had an uneasy feeling. He was sensing one more power level, and it was far beyond any of the captains that were here. Meanwhile Squad 9 was trying to defend the injured as they continued to come in droves. The healers were working overtime and too many Hollows were still coming! But a helping hand arrived!

Byakuya: "Scatter, Senbonzakura."

Byakuya released his Shikai and thousands of cherry blossom looking blades surrounded the injured group in one big swirling wall. Any Hollow that touched it was sliced up in seconds.

Eren: "Cool! Thanks, Captain Kuchiki!"

Squad 9 and Byakuya guarded the injured who were being treated on the scene. While the remainder of Squad 6 handled the minor Hollows, Squad 11 and Squad 10 handled the Adjuchas and the larger Hollows. One of the larger Hollows appeared to be some kind squid like creature. As the Soul Reapers attacked it, it fought back with its tentacles.

Toushiro: "Cut off the tentacles!"

As the tentacles flailed about, one of them smashed the ground and sent a Soul Reaper of Squad 10 into the air! Moments later, he was swallowed whole by the Hollow!

Toushiro: "Dammit!"

Rangiku: "He was eaten!?"

Vegeta: "Not while I'm around!"

Vegeta, still standing guard over the Noble Family, powered up to Super Saiyan and threw a small energy blast at the Hollow. But the creature ate it! However that's what Vegeta wanted. The attack wasn't meant to kill the Hollow, it was meant to do something else. The prince clenched his hand into a fist and there was an explosion inside the Hollow. The squid like Hollow suddenly looked like it was sick. Moments later and it suddenly barfed up everything it ate! The solider was barfed up and landed in a mess of slime in front of his captain. The Soul Reaper looked at the slime he was covered in and then picked up his sword and charged back into the battle with a yell, still covered in the slime! Toushiro and Rangiku just looked at their solider in surprise. Even after getting eaten and then barfed up, he was still incline to fight?

Toushiro: "Remind me to give that guy a raise, Rangiku."

Rangiku: "He's definitely earned it."

Suddenly, the Garganta opened again and this time only one more enemy came out. But it was the big one the saiyan had been sensing. A Vasto Lorde.

Toushiro: "Shit! The last thing we need!"

Zaraki: "A Vasto Lorde is said to be stronger then a Squad Captain, right? Let's find out!"

Toushiro: "Kenpachi, wait!"

But Zaraki was already too focused on the Vasto Lorde to hear the young captain! The Hollow and Zaraki clashed several times for a good few minutes. But then the Vasto Lorde prepared its most dangerous attack! A cero!

Ikkaku: "Captain!"

Renji: "Get outta there!"

The cero was fired and Zaraki, using his own immense spirit energy as a shield, took a direct hit! The Squad 11 captain flew across the ground as many looked on, only just conveniently stopping in front of the medical party!

Toushiro: "Kenpachi!"

Toushiro whirled around back to the Vasto Lorde just as it was preparing another cero to blast at him! Just as the cero was fired, the young captain was yanked back with incredible force! Everything seemed to slow down as he watched Vegeta yank the prodigy back and raise his hand up towards the blast! A split second later and the cero made contact with the saiyan's palm! A sharp twinge of pain shot up from his hand as the saiyan prince deflected the blast with nothing BUT his hand! As the cero flew off towards the sky, Vegeta's right arm fell limp at his side- the palm of his hand smoking from residue. Then in a flash, the prince aimed his left hand and-

Vegeta: "Final Flash!"

A powerful beam of energy exploded in front of the Vasto Lorde! The Vasto Lorde was blown to bits in an instant. Seeing their leader destroyed, the remaining Hollows all retreated as quickly as they could. But they had done a fair bit of damage. Much of the front of the convey lay in pieces, ending just short of the Noble Family. Many servants and Soul Reapers were injured. The injuries ranged from mild scratches to broken bones and serious gashes. The worst one of them all was Kenpachi Zaraki. He was still alive, but he needed to be seen by Unohana quickly. Fortunately, they weren't far from their destination. Unfortunately, another fight began from within.

Toushiro: "You idiot!"

Vegeta: "Me?! What about you?!"

Toushiro: "What about me?!"

Vegeta: "Why didn't you move out of the way?!"

Toushiro: "Because I had it under control, Vegeta!"

Vegeta: "As if!"

Toushiro: "I gave you an order! You were suppose to guard the Noble Family!"

Vegeta: "It's also my job to keep you from becoming a pile of dust!"

Both Vegeta and Toushiro continued fighting while their friends looked on worryingly. Their anger was serious.

Levi: "Shuhei... Rangiku... Renji... Have you ever seen them fight like this?"

Shuhei: "... No..."

Renji: "This is definitely a first."

Rangiku just watched with worry and both Eren and Levi could see it too. This wasn't going to end well. The four squads returned, but the fighting still continued. Zaraki was taken to Squad 4 right away along with those that couldn't get proper treatment on-scene. Byakuya and Levi reported to Yamamoto about the mission. But even while standing in front of the Head-Captain, Levi still worried about Vegeta and Toushiro in the back of his mind. The same pair of close friends that had saved him some time ago were now no longer speaking to each other. It continued on throughout the day. Rangiku was growing increasingly worried. Sure Vegeta and Toushiro have had their little spats and other moments, but it always ended with laughter and after just a few seconds. This was now going on for hours. Even while standing in the Assembly Hall with the Head-Captain and the rest of the 13 Court Guard Squad captains for a status report on the wounded and the mission itself, the fighting between the two did not subside. In fact, the exact opposite happened. It escalated.

Vegeta: "You think you can do some things that you actually can't! That kind of arrogance will get you killed one day!"

Toushiro: "And how do you know that, huh!? What are you psychic or something!?"

Vegeta: "I know because it's happened to me before! Back when I was fighting Frieza! I thought I could take him, I thought I was a super saiyan at the time, but I wasn't and I paid the ultimate price! Same thing a few years later with the androids and Cell! I let my newly gained super saiyan powers make me believe that they weren't a match for me, but I was sorely proven wrong! And the last time I let my own arrogance and pride control me, Majin Buu was freed and eventually his evil side destroyed the planet! You don't know your own limitations yet, Toushiro, and that WILL get you into a whole world of trouble one day!"

Toushiro: "Stop treating me like I'm a child because I'm NOT!"

Vegeta: "YES, you ARE! You may be a captain and a prodigy, but you are also a kid! A kid who's just asking for trouble all because he doesn't understand his own limits!"

Toushiro: "You wanna talk about who's being a child, then take a look at yourself! At least I'm not like a certain someone I know who just rushes into battle without thinking, can't even fly, and doesn't follow orders from his captain! So WHO'S the REAL child around here?!"

Vegeta: "This is what I mean! You're treading on VERY thin ice right now and you still go on! I refuse to follow someone who doesn't know their limitations like a cocky brat I know!"

Toushiro: "If that's how you feel, THEN GO! I'm DONE with you, Vegeta!"

Vegeta: "Fine by me, boy! My debt to you was paid a long time ago anyway!"

And Vegeta stormed out in a rage. It appeared that he really was leaving for good.