Note: Reviews are much appreciated. If you'd like to see some pairs here, yaoi or het, I'd be happy to do it for you. Suggest and give out ideas. :)

Heaven's Deadly Sin

Chapter 1: Old Life

There was the sight of blood, the stench of rust and the smell of fermented alcohol. Bodies, dead ones, were at her feet, reaching out so she'd see how they craved for mercy—how they wanted her to save them. She couldn't breathe. The voices dancing in empty space haunted her, she heard songs that only she could hear. Tears escaped when she realized she couldn't scream, couldn't ask for anything to make the hurt stop. They were deaf; the walls were already oblivious to the horror, maybe even uninterested that she was dying.

"Someone—save me."

The black earth underneath her feet slowly pulled her down, ate her alive, like inescapable quicksand in the desert. Kiba tried to struggle, tried to run away from what seemed like inevitable. And she couldn't.

"I'm dying—"

The last breath she took felt real. When everything stopped, when she felt that she had died, that, felt real.

"Captain Kazumi!"

She opened her eyes. Everything that had pained her to stay in that nightly place was gone. Her eyes felt heavy; she could tell they were glazed with fresh tears. Kiba looked up, wanting to thank who had rescued her from demise.

"Captain Kazumi. You shouldn't be sleeping right now."

Shuuei Hisagi.

He wouldn't know what she had been through, what soil she had stepped on in that frigid dream. The white ceramic mask would hide what she felt. It always did. It was as faceless as her emotions even when she was breathing.

"I'm sorry. I must have dozed off." Her voice sounded stern, it didn't let out a hint that her chest still throbbed because of that excruciating nightmare. She swallowed, pulled herself up and resumed work like nothing had happened.

"I'm making you some tea, Captain. It's just to keep you up."

"Thank you." Her voice trembled then but it was brief. Kiba shook her head while Hisagi headed for the other end to make tea. She watched him, a flushed feature behind that mouthless wall she had on her face. "Make something relaxing. I need that more than something to shake me up."

Hisagi turned around, her favorite cup in his hand. "Are you alright?"

Kiba smiled, but he wouldn't know that. "Yes. Just tired."

He shook his head, not out of disbelief—he just knew she was lying.

"I'm making this extra strong, Captain. It works both ways."

All it took was a month to understand the face underneath the mask. It didn't take him too long to trust what was behind that protection, either. A deadly blow on his chest during training was reason enough to tell him that she was strong enough to handle the men in the 9th Division, capable despite being the slender woman. He wouldn't mind lending his hand, giving his loyalty to someone who could actually lead them through.

"Right, Hisagi. Could you take over training today?" Kiba slid another paper where the other done deals were placed. She took a moment to look up, a pen was in her hand when she said, "I need to go to the 6th Division's barracks today. Captain Kuchiki needs to talk to me."

He poured the tea, the smell of chamomile and earl grey and steam filled the room. "Anything wrong?"

"No." She paused, she sounded better then. "Well, I don't know, actually. I'll find out later."

Hisagi sighed. He held the obviously hot cup in his hand and carefully walked toward her table. Delicately, as if what he held was too fragile, he placed it on the mahogany surface.

"Did you do something to give him reason to call for you?"

Kiba shook her head.

"Well, then you're okay. Maybe it concerns a mission."

She could always tell that he worries for her. Hisagi was kind and she was well aware that she was too fortunate as a Captain. "Thanks." She paused. "So, can you? I mean, take over for the meantime?"

He smiled. Hisagi pulled himself away from the table and headed to the door. "Yes, Captain. I'll cover for you."

She held the cup with both her hands. The warmth took over and relaxed what's left to comfort. Behind the white mask was her soft smile and that soft smile was for him. Without him, she wouldn't really know what to do—death gods weren't her forte to handle.

"Alright. I'll see you tonight."

"Yes."

Being someone who's not naturally from Soul Society, someone who had died as a common mortal, someone who had been marked as a death prodigy and someone who had been picked up from the grave to be chosen as captain for the 9th Division, made most of the death gods treat her too differently. Kiba had tried to make sense of their reasons and they had the right to doubt—everything was valid. But she had to ask herself: Was it worth the empty smiles, the cautious greetings, the protective stature and the faint doubt she had received from them?

She didn't know what to answer. If Genryuusai Yamamoto had told her before that rebirth was worth it, he could have gotten it wrong.

"Captain Kazumi?" Renji approached her side. "What are you doing here?"

Kiba bowed her head a bit in greetings. "Waiting for you. I'm scared to go in there alone."

He laughed at her. She would know that it didn't mean disrespect. Like her relationship with Hisagi, they were close.

"He still scares you?"

"Never did."

"What then?"

She stopped by the main entrance, a foot on the first step towards the barracks. "This place is big. I could get lost."

The words sounded believable. Renji was trying to stop himself from bursting into laughter, but like all inescapable traps, keeping it in was hard to do.

"Alright, alright." She scratched her temple. "Can you take me to your Captain now, Renji?"

"Sure. I'd be more than happy to. But I'm only doing this because you really do know how to make me laugh, Captain Kazumi." He still had leftovers to let go. He quietly laughed while he stayed beside her. "Just like before."

She raised a hand against her chest, slowly coming to a halt. We didn't meet in Soul Society. She suddenly remembered, they met where she belonged, where there were mortals like her. Just like before.

"Captain Kazumi, I'm sorry." He faced her, obviously sorry for what he did. "I didn't mean—"

"It's okay." She cut him off. She sounded okay, nothing too wounded in her voice. "It's fine, Renji. I know you didn't mean to."

Renji stood still while she lingered on the seemingly raw pain from her old life. Kiba walked ahead and thought about it—she didn't really, couldn't really let it go.

"What are you doing here?"

She turned around. Byakuya was standing behind them, still as emotionless as her when she wore that mask. She did the same thing when she greeted Renji at the front, bowing sincerely to show respect. "We were heading to your office. Am I late?"

"You are." He led the way. He didn't need to tell them that they should follow; he was that kind of man.

Renji opened the door for the both of them. Byakuya came in first while she followed. She looked around and saw the same clean she admired a month ago. The air inside the room was as heavy as she last left it, still having that same alluring scent. It smelled lavender, a bit of rose.

He took a seat. Byakuya started by saying, "A death god whose zanpakutou controls time has gone against Soul Society. He's headed to Karakura Town, having the intention to take in more spirit particles to make himself stronger."

"And? We're the ones assigned to run after him?"

"Most likely."

"We're leaving as soon as possible, I assume?" She was struggling with her words. It took her too long to get used to the life she was in now, too long to get her act together as Captain. The fact that she had to go back scared her.

"Tonight. They're repairing the gates this delinquent had destroyed." He stood up. The haori against his body had flown like it meant too much for it be stained. Unlike hers, it held more power, it embraced someone stronger.

"I'll get ready."

She headed to the door and tried her hardest not to drag her feet on the floor. Going back meant something else, something more than just capturing a criminal. It meant to her that she'd see what she was used to, what real security was like for her.

"Captain Kazumi." Byakuya he called out.

Kiba turned to face him, already expecting that the obvious would escape his lips.

"I hope your feelings are settled, leave that anxiety here. Don't take them with you. It'll cause problems."

He was right. She should know that coming back to Karakura Town was because of a job—nothing more, nothing less. She'd have to keep those feelings in check; they had no place in her mission, no place in her status as 9th Division's Captain.

"I know. Later."

Karakura hadn't changed too much—a year ago and now, it seemed like the same town she grew up in. The same lights were in place and lit, there were a few new ones but they blended in like they had been there longer. She could see familiar faces walk by, some who she was close to, those who had cried for her when she died. Everything felt nostalgic, even her leaving seemed so fresh that it felt like it happened not too long ago.

"We're patrolling east and west. Other death gods are taking their place in the north and south."

"I'll patrol the east." Kiba sounded confident, like she was ready to do battle against everything. "I'll contact you if anything comes up."

He didn't answer. Byakuya jumped off from where they were and she watched him do so. The cold feature and the pale skin, he always did remind her of someone she knew. The voice, even, it sounded like she heard of it before, like he used to sing to her when she was young. But that alone was impossible—it just was.

"I'm here to work."

She took off at the same speed he was trailing. She headed to the east and settled on top of the old church where she could see most places. The area was clear of any damages, free from suspicious noise. And the reports from the other scouts were the same. Something felt wrong. It was too quiet.

"My, aren't we the lady chevalier, now."

It came from behind. She turned around and tried to capture the face of their criminal. But before she could even draw her sword, summon her zanpakutou, blood was dripping from her chest.

"Too slow."

She caught her breath and remembered the same dream she had before: the corpses, the putrid smell and her death. It all came to her too clearly, like it was meant to happen to her.

"Hisagi—"