Anya pulled out a large blanket and tossed one end to Neko who helped her flatten it on the ground. Yuki pulled out the picnic basket and set out some snacks and plates and a freshly sliced watermelon.
"The boys will be here any minute" said Anya with a smile. "I still can't believe that they're actually coming."
"Juushiro would have come mo matter who else was here" stated Yuki.
"Byakuya likes being quiet and alone so he wouldn't come if I wasn't here" said Neko.
"Toshiro is slightly annoyed by Ukitake-Taichou and he never talks to Kuchiki-Taichou so I don't think he would come either" said Anya. They all breathed a sigh at once and then went back to their duties. About five minutes passed and they were done. They sat down together on the blanket and began talking about the usual problems of the soul society and some about Anya's wedding before Neko suddenly broke out into a huge smile.
"They're here" she said. The other two girls turned around to see all three of their lovers walking together towards the spot.
"No way" said Anya. "They're getting along."
"Awesome" said Neko as she scooted over a little to make more room.
The men sat down, greeting their women with a kiss. Yuki immediately cuddled up to Juushiro and Anya to Toshiro.
"Wow. It's odd for the whole group to be together. I don't even know what to say" said Yuki.
"Well, it's always either you or us who can't attend" said Neko to Yuki. Seconds later she was struck in the side of the head by a small black seed. "Hey!" she shouted as she snapped her gaze to Anya who was trying to look innocent while holding a slice of watermelon.
"It was him" she said as she pointed to Toshiro.
"You are such a little kid" he said as he forced her arm back down. Yuki laughed.
"What's so funny?" asked Anya.
"You two are the youngest couple here and yet you're the ones getting married. Juushiro and I have been together the shortest and we're the oldest and even though they're in the middle, Neko and Kuchiki-Taichou are probably the most mature."
"I never looked at it that way" said Neko. "But we really never have been together to compare before."
"We're always too busy to get together" pointed out Yuki. "Juushiro and I can rarely be gone at the same time because of our duties and illness."
"That's right. Yuki has more duties than us because she's a lieutenant" said Anya.
"It's so unfair" pouted Neko "I want to be a lieutenant too."
Anya shrugged "I never wanted to be a lieutenant."
"I bet I'm even stronger than you" Neko said to Yuki.
"If you were, you'd be a lieutenant too" said Yuki with a smile.
"Bring it on!" said Neko. "I'll beat you."
" Calm down, girls. We don't have our zanpaku-to anyway" said Toshiro.
"No" Anya interrupted. "We all know who the strongest of us is because we've already been down that road but I was to see who second strongest is."
"That's true" said Yuki, calmer now. "We both know we would lose to Anya but which of us is better?"
"And if either of us is any good we should be able to win without zanpaku-to anyway" agreed Neko.
"Then go" said Anya. "I've got to see this." The two girls stood and walked out into the clearing that their picnic was taking place on.
"Why would you have them fight?" asked Ukitake.
Anya looked at them with admiration. "They are both so beautiful and stong and tension builds between girls like that." She paused and turned her eyes to him. "There was always a secret war occurring between them. It was never something spoken or written but it was there. Each of them has a silent desire to know who is better and here, in a controlled environment with three captains an no zanpaku-to, they will be safest solving this problem."
Toshiro nodded and put his arm around Anya. "We'll stop them if it goes too far, but I don't think it will. Anya always knows what she is doing."
They turned their attention to the girls, who had gotten far enough away to safely use kido without hurting someone and they both took fighting stances.
No one could hear what was said between them but they all saw them leap into action. Neko fired a kido spell and Yuki flipped out of the way. She charged back around and ran towards Neko while dodging more shots of kido. Without getting hit, she go to Neko and grabbed her outstretched arm, redirecting another shot and then quickly spinning and striking at her stomach. Neko tried to dodge but couldn't move fast enough and was struck roughly in the stomach.
"Whoo! Yeah!" cheered Anya from the viewing spot. The men shook their heads.
Neko stumbled back a little and then caught her footing and regained her stance. Yuki's face was a triumphant smile. They stood to study each other for a moment and then Neko made her move. She struck out with her fists, aiming for Yuki's head but missing. They soon became entangled in an elaborate dance of kicks and punches. Every now and then Neko would throw in some kido but Yuki was always too quick to be struck by it. Yuki landed two more hits on Neko before being struck hard in the shoulder and thrown backwards. She hit the ground several feet away from Neko and then stood again defiantly.
"I see Yuki can hold her own against an opponent like Neko. She's either physically strong or strong willed" commented Toshiro.
"I knew she was strong enough to be a lieutenant a long time ago" said Anya. "My worry is that she may even rival me."
Toshiro smiled. "Almost no one can rival you so don't worry about it."
They all turned back to the fight, which seemed to have taken a turn in Neko's favor. She had a kido rod and she was twirling it expertly and swinging it at Yuki. Yuki was now held at a distance and she seemed at a loss but as she suddenly put her hand behind her back and it began to glow. A few moves later she grabbed the rod with her glowing hand and it shattered. She took advantage of the surprise to leap at Neko and grab her, spinning her around and pinning her to the ground with a knee in her back.
Anya suddenly stood and used shunpo to get over to the girls and separate them. They both looked amazed at her speed and strength. "I think Yuki wins" she said.
"Yeah, she beat me fair and square" said Neko. "I guess she's the real second strongest, but I don't like fighting too much so that makes sense."
Yuki smiled "It was a good fight."
"Okay, it was" said Anya. "Now let's go actually eat."
The girls were towed behind Anya closely. She nearly threw them at their boyfriends and then plopped down into Toshiro's lap. "That was impressive" said Juushiro. "You won with hardly any kido."
Yuki smiled "The training really paid off."
"Maybe we should have just stuck to the order in which we became friends" said Anya.
"I don't think it matters now" said Neko. She seemed to accept her defeat. "It's probably hard to be a lieutenant, but we all have our own burdens. Anya bears the weight of a past that none of us could handle in the way she has. We're all strong in our own way."
"That's right" agreed Yuki.
"We all have our own burdens to bear and the kindest of men to help us bear them" smiled Anya.
Neko nodded "We may all be different in strength but we have equal burdens to bear."
Anya smiled and leaned on Toshiro, watching the sunset as it began. 'Equal burdens to bear' she thought. 'That is was first brought us together and together we'll get through.'
The sun set and the starlight shined down on the trio of couples. Brought together by hardship, they would be together for a long time.