This is my first Bleach fanfic. I wanted to explore Soul Society more, and especially the history behind it. Most of my research is direct from the manga (with a few nicknames from the Japanese audio anime). Some other details I found on the Bleach Wiki. If there is a mistake, chances are it was intentional. After this bit, I tried to stick as close to the original story line as possible, to make the addition of my OC more plausible, and the characters more realistic. Of course, because my OC is a main character, I will likely be guilty of some OOCness as far as everybody else is concerned because, frankly, I am not Tite Kubo and only know the characters as they show in the manga.

And, as I just said: I am not Tite Kubo and do not own Bleach (if I did it would have ended after Aizen was defeated). This was made purely for my own entertainment, although I hope anyone reading it enjoys it too.

"Kamiya Kaoru, you have been charged with both abandoning your duties as a Captain of the Gotei 13 and attempting to incite rebellion. Do you have anything to say in your defense?" The echoing voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. Kaoru squinted up, trying to make out the faces of her accusers, but the lights shining down on her were too bright.

"I deny those charges."

"Then you deny that you created that…that monstrosity?" Kaoru turned her gaze to the elegantly curved spear head surrounded by seals, saddened to see her reduced to little more than a decoration.

"I crafted Kikouou. However, she is incomplete of yet. My intention was to create something that would protect Soul Society. I do not see how that constitutes an attempted rebellion."

"You also admit that your creation was instrumental in the destruction of a portion of rukongai?"

"That was because someone broke into my workshop and released the seals I had placed on her."

"A likely story. And it implies that you cannot control your own creation. Something so dangerous cannot be left unchecked!"

"I can, to an extent. I however cannot stop Kikouou from doing what it was created to do. Before the incident, there had been a hollow sighting in the area. It is more than likely that Kikouou simply did her duty. The level of destruction was because, as I said, she is still incomplete." Kaoru waited, trying not to move too much in case they turned that on her as well and said she was trying to escape. She couldn't hear or see any of what was going on in the rows of seats above her even though she knew there were forty-six people up there, discussing her fate.

She would have been angry, this whole thing was a complete farce as far as she was concerned. She did nothing wrong. None of this would have happened if she hadn't been a Kamiya, or if she hadn't spoken against Yamamoto becoming the new Soutaicho. This sort of thing was why she hated politics.

"We have come to a decision. In honor of your past service to the Soul Society, we sentence you, Kamiya Kaoru, to exile in the world of the living. After this day if you return here for any reason, you will be killed on sight." Kaoru swayed slightly, the proclamation hitting her like a physical blow. She was banned from Soul Society. From her home. For no reason other than doing what she believed was right. The unfairness of it was sickening.

"May I at least say goodbye to my subordinates?" She asked, clinging to the hope that maybe she could at least tell them she wasn't going to die, that if they ever came to the world of the living they should keep their senses open.

"No. Open the gate!" The voice commanded. With a creaking sound, a senkaimon opened between Kaoru and Kikouou. A masked shinigami appeared and cut Kaoru free of her bonds before shoving her into the senkaimon. Kaoru realized what had happened and spun around, but her last sight of Seireitei was obscured by light as the senkaimon closed, leaving her in the gloomy, dark dangai. Her hell butterfly had been taken when she was arrested, leaving her to find her own way through the void between worlds. She hoped the gate at the other end was still open, who knew what would happen to her if she was trapped here.

Thankfully, the door remained open long enough for Kaoru to reach it. The light from the gate was too bright for her to see what was on the other side, but she hoped it wasn't too different of a world from the one she had patrolled not so long ago. Unfortunately she had no way of knowing, because she didn't have a hell butterfly to guide her through the shifting currents of time inside the dangai. She could be anywhere.

Kaoru glanced back at the cleaner. It was getting closer now, in a few more seconds she would be swallowed up and most likely die. The thought was tempting, life as an exile would not be pleasant, no matter where she ended up. But no, she wasn't ready to give up yet. Soul Society might have rejected her, but they were still too few to protect everyone in the world of the living. One more might just make the difference.

And so Kaoru stepped through the senkaimon.