I don't own Bleach.
PoV- Hanatarou
Hanatarou's steps were slow and methodical as he focused on moving each foot in front of the other. His gate barely making any sound against the wooden boards of the walkway.
Not that there weren't enough sounds to be heard as most divisions were still running around like headless chickens on acid.
Only two of the intruders along with Hanatarou had been caught so far and to everyone's surprise they hadn't been executed upon apprehension as most believed they were guilty of murdering Captain Aizen.
Hanatarou didn't want to think about that or anything that had happened for the past week.
His mind that was his usual refuge wasn't cooperating at the moment though and it only took one glimpse of that blasted tower to have it all tumbling out behind his pale blue eyes. Memories of the awful, horrid and bloody things he'd witnessed and been partially responsible for.
For Hanatarou this had all started two weeks ago when a jail cell in the 6th division popped up on his cleaning roster.
His thin frame had been trembling in nervousness and near fear when he got to the gates. The 6th division was known as the 'noble one' as it was always led by the head of the Kuchiki clan.
That title gave the division's members a bit of a snobbish attitude towards other divisions and seeing as Hanatarou was from the weakest one (the 4th) he was expecting the normal abuse.
He prayed it would only be verbal this time as oppose to being physically inhibitive as he had a full list of chores to finish today.
Keeping his gaze trained on the ground, Hanatarou tried his best to be invisible as h e crossed the central courtyard of the barracks on his way to the cells.
Noticing shinigami's huddled in groups around and hearing more in the training grounds, Hanatarou got increasingly agitated 'no one can see me' his brain thought at him. 'I am like a snowflake in the wind, I could jump on your head and you wouldn't notice. I could...I could stand beside you and blow your hair into your face over and over until you went mad and started jumping around like a maniac and you'd never know it was me'.
Hanatarou's brain was trained to think around fear but must have missed the class on self preservation as Hanatarou was giggling hysterically at images swirling around in his mind's eye of noble warriors jumping around in pink filly dresses.
A sure way to attract attention.
By the time he realized he was making sounds out loud, he was already at the jail's door and thoroughly confused as to why no one had yelled at him.
Deciding to chalk it up to luck, he went inside. Bowing at the waist to the guards, he stated his business.
They let him in with only minimal belittlement and one slap on his rear.
Bars lined the right hand wall as he walked along the corridor, separating the cells from the outside world and still give the guards a good view of the insides.
They stopped at the last one and when Hanatarou looked in, all he could do was stared open mouthed.
A person sat on a wooden chair in the middle of the room. The white kimono clashing starkly with shoulder length, raven black hair. Despite how small the person looked, there was a regal air around it. Posture straight and showed no hint of weakness as if being anything less than perfect wasn't even a possibility.
This person seemed unnaturally still and didn't move when the guard opened the door or when it was slammed shut again. The heavy footsteps of the guard leaving eliciting no flicker of life.
It wasn't until Hanatarou threw himself on his knees in the deepest bow he could muster, his forehead gracing the floorboards that she looked around.
He wasn't quite sure why he did this as he felt no apprehension or fear. There was just something emanating from her that demanded respect and his body had complied without asking him first.
He took a few breaths to steady himself so he could speak coherently "I'm Hanatarou Yamada 7th seat of the 4th division and I'm here to clean your...err room miss."
One corner of her mouth quirked up at that though it was quick to lower again.
With a calm and sedate voice she introduced herself as Rukia Kuchiki and would he please get up off the floor.
He would have loved to comply but his traitorous body refused to obey him. At least he now knew what had driven him down to the floor to begin with, she was practically royalty!
The Kuchiki clan was not only one of the 4 great ones in the soul society but held the title of being 'the true first' among them.
This fact didn't help Hanatarou calm down and he silently cursed his too independent limbs. He did manage to lift his gaze up to hers and his brain went mercifully blank.
She was beautiful. The black hair framing her elegant features, her eyes were so big and a deep violet colour, her mouth small and delicate.
Then he saw the collar. An angry red, leather collar around her neck. There was only one thing it could be: a power suppression device.
This doe eyed royal really was a condemned criminal, jailed here to await her sentence. The sight made him shiver and he quickly shifted his gaze to the floor.
There weren't many words between them that first day but over the next two weeks he learnt to relax around her and she opened up to him.
She told him of her mission in the living world, where she was stationed and of the people she met there.
There were so many odd and strange things in this other universe Hanatarou had never seen and couldn't dream of.
She also told him of the circumstances that forced her to give a portion of her powers to a human named Ichigo Kurosaki. She had no idea how this Kurosaki could see her to begin with and even less of one how he managed to take nearly all of her spiritual power in the transfer.
It didn't matter if she knew what had happened or not, it was still a crime in the eyes of the Central 46. The Central 46 was a council made up of influential nobles that acted as both parliament and a judicial system.
Never a good combination.
Hanatarou was absolutely fascinated and listened wide eyed as he swept and cleaned around her. This part of his duties quickly became the highlight of his day and he never failed to feel excitement at the prospect of hearing her gentle voice speaking of an alien world.
When the day came when her cell was empty when he arrived and he got the news that she had been moved to the tower of penitence, he was absolutely devastated.
This tower was placed in a castle like structure on a platform close to the execution site and was made from Sekkisekki stone. This stone absorbed any spiritual power that came within reach, effectively shutting down any shinigami's abilities and spiritual senses.
It was made to seclude criminals who were sentenced to death so that, in theory, they could reflect on their crimes.
Hanatarou had to admit that he didn't see the point, why waste your last moments on regret? He did however recognize this as a scare tactic bordering on torture.
Rukia wouldn't be able to feel anyone's pressure within those walls, she would feel totally alone in the world.
All shinigami's could feel spiritual pressures from others, it was a part of them like air or the sky. To rip it away at such a time was abhorrent and atrocious.
It's hard to scare and break a battle hardened soldier. Leaving them completely alone for the first time with their scarred minds was supposed to do the trick.
Feeling gloomy about the whole situation, Hanatarou made his way across the Seritei and up to the first platform that led to the tower. It was like a mini city around the tall structure and he had to go through winding path ways to get to the hanging bridge that was the only way in or out of it.
The guards wouldn't let him in and got angry when he said he was going to clean.
Even more dejected he turned and headed back trying to find a good excuse as to why he was so far behind on his schedule.
Half way back to the 4th he stumbled upon a crowd of shinigami's and curious as to why they had gathered in the middle of the street he went to check.
Before he could get to them though, he tripped over his own feet. He actually managed to trip through the whole crowd only to end up flat on his face before two very odd looking men.
One wore baggy black pants with a red sash holding them up and a headscarf to match.
The other wore traditional shinigami uniform, black skirtpants, white undershirt and a black overshirt. Hanatarou could even see the white toe socks and straw sandals.
That was the last of what Hanatarou could make out before Mr. Pirate grabbed the back of his uniform and yanked him up and started yelling at the 11th division monsters that if they weren't let through he'd hurt Hanatarou.
That made the little medic a bit uneasy as he was sure the 11th division shinigami's would offer to help with the beating.
Instead to everyone's surprise the rough warriors patiently explained to the new comers that the mongrel they were holding was from another division, a weak one in fact.
They however were from the legendary 11th division who was famous for its strength and viciousness in battle.
Beating someone from the 4th was a leisure activity not a goal as they didn't fight. They healed, cleaned and brought provisions out to the field.
Mr. Pirate and the strange shinigami ran. It just so happened that Mr. Pirate was still holding Hanatarou when they legged it.
After running around for a bit they found shelter in a storage shed and there Hanatarou found out that Mr. Pirate's name was actually Ganju and the other was Ichigo Kurosaki, the one Rukia had told him about.
He also found out that these two along with 4 others were here to save Rukia.
Without questioning either men about plans, tactics or other minor details like that, Hanatarou decided to help. So he led them to the sewer system.
He knew these systems better than the back of his hands and no wonder as he'd been cleaning them for over half a century.
By using these tunnels they managed to get unseen to a square close to the steps that led to the platform where the tower was located.
It should have been easy, Ganju reflected as they hauled an unconscious Ichigo back to the tunnels. The plan had been simple enough, hop out of the sewer, run over the square and up the steps, easy as breathing.
But no, a flaming red haired lunatic had to be waiting for them and proceeded to pound Ichigo into a bubbling pile of bloody flesh.
During the fight Hanatarou had gone weak in the knees from the sheer pressure of the combine agitated power rolling of the combatants. As the fight progressed and Ichigo's pressure got heavier and stronger Hanatarou realized that Ichigo was Rukia's best chance to escape.
Because of that epiphany Hanatarou worked through the whole night healing and patching up what remained of the insanely powerful child.
It was exhausting work as the injuries were extensive and the idiot had tried to leave in the middle of it!
Ichigo had regained semi consciousness after the painkillers kicked in, stood up, ripped open his wounds and staggered over to his overcompensatingly large Zanpaktou.
To top Ichigo's idiocy (as that was Hanatarou's only guess) Ganju thwacked Ichigo on the head rendering him unconscious again.
It was a definitive show of trust really that Hanatarou lost his temper and actually yelled at the brute. Granted he'd been dragging Ichigo's body at the time and was therefore partially shielded but it counted.
Ganju hadn't made any attempt to punish Hanatarou for his outburst but rather tried (and failed) to rationalize his actions like Hanatarou's opinion mattered.
This warmed the medic's heart to no end. These intruders were rather endearing once you got over the screaming and casually dealt out violence.
Finally after hours of gruelling work, Ichigo was more or less in one piece again, held together by stitches, bandages and kidoh.
Hanatarou crawled over to Ganju and used the last scrap of energy to heal him too until he passed out, muttering about noble guards running around in the yard wearing tiaras.
The next day was mostly a blur of sheer terror for Hanatarou.
Making it up the stairs was not the satisfying experience he thought it would be.
Captain Zaraki Kenpachi of the 11th division was waiting for them a little further in on the platform. Standing within that mans spiritual pressure when he's all geared up for a fight is the epitome of desperation. Desperation to get far, far away very, very quickly.
Hanatarou went completely rigid when the insane mans bloodthirsty killing intent rolled off the captain. He couldn't move when Ichigo told them to continue onwards and Ganju had to pick his frozen in fear body up and carry him out of there. Again.
It was the point when Ganju tied his hands to a grappling hook, spun him around and threw him at a building that Hanatarou lost all faith in reality.
The fact that Ganju's face showed genuine fear when Hanatarou rendered one of the guards unconscious with a single drop of a sedative he carried in his medic kit did nothing to help the healers faith levels.
No one was afraid of Hanatarou, even if he walked towards you with a bone saw and a smile.
His moment of pride came when they were finally at the tower door and Hanatarou produced a key to it and the ever peculiar Ganju had declared him useful.
Which may have been just as well for as soon as the door opened Ganju lost what little was left of his mind.
Apparently lady Rukia had killed Ganju's older brother some time ago and was the reason Ganju swore death and hate on all shinigami's.
To infiltrate and cause disturbances in the Seritei was the reason he'd agreed to help the intruders in the first place.
This small detail left them in quite the quandary when Captain Kuchiki showed up.
Ganju absolutely refused to move and Rukia, bless her heart, told them to flee.
Flee over the bridge that was the only way in or out. The bridge that Captain Kuchiki was standing on.
Hanatarou felt he there really was no choice as he was fully committed to helping the nice if slightly loopy noble lady.
He stepped out on the bridge fully expecting to die only to be thrown back by an angry Ganju who seemed to have found within himself a deep wealth of a hero complex.
Rukia came out to watch the one sided carnage with Hanatarou and they just about managed to ooh and ahh at the right moments.
Once the idiot was down the next one showed up.
Ichigo actually came flying through the air like he hadn't just been ripped to tiny shreds earlier courtesy of Captain Zaraki.
For the second time that day, Hanatarou felt his grip on reality slip away.
Reality however had other plans and was quick to restore itself in the form of Captain Ukitake of the 13th division.
The kind hearted captain stayed Captain Kuchiki's hand as he was about to rip Ichigo into tiny bloody ribbons.
Another body came hurtling down, jabbed Ichigo with a sedative, flung him over her shoulder and promptly challenged 'Bya-bo' (Captain Byakuya Kuchiki) to a race.
Rukia fainted immediately after the storming pressures had left after having held herself up through the exploding encounter and was carried back into the tower by Captain Ukitake's 3rd seat.
Ganju was healed and put in a holding cell where another of the intruders had been brought.
Hanatarou was led before his own captain being charged with treason and aid to the intruders. Healing Ichigo had caused, if indirectly, harm to Captain Zaraki Kenpachi.
That last bit was dubious at best as half dead Captain Zaraki had to be shackled to floor so he wouldn't go looking for Ichigo for some more 'fun'.
As bad as Hanatarou felt about disappointing his captain he couldn't regret his choices, he'd do it all again.
He did feel grateful that Captain Ukitake sent his 3rd seats with a message asking for leniency for Hanatarou as he had been trying to help a member of the 13th division.
A nice attempt but a void one as his captain was not in a forgiving mood with her barracks full of to the brim with injured shinigami's.
And that led Hanatarou walking slowly as he was led by his lieutenant to the 4th division's jail cells.
He had halted while the memories assaulted his brain making him shiver at the sheer force of them.
"Lieutenant, did I do the right thing?" He asked in a small voice.
She studied him for a long moment, pondering his question. After a while she shifted her gaze to the tower and answered, "I wish I had the freedom to act on my personal feelings. In that regard I envy you."
He understood, these were horrible circumstances and everyone had to choose for themselves whether to fallow their own sense of justice or adhere to duty.
The rest of the walk went without words between them, both lost to their own thoughts.
At least the cell block was lively.
The guards were chatting up a storm and Hanatarou learnt that 3 lieutenants had been jailed and all of them had broken out, two of them twice.
Captain Toushiro Hitsugaya of the 10th had attacked Captain Gin Ichimaru of the 3rd but no one was sure as to why.
Captain creepfest Mayyuri Kurotsuchi of the 12th had been liquefied by one of the intruders and no one really cared. It was just a shame that the moral deficient, demented freak of nature had lived.
Rukia's execution was set for the fallowing morning with no appeals and no reversals.
When Hanatarou heard that piece of news he wasn't sure what to feel and after a while going through a jumble of emotions, exhaustion won out.
The straw mat in his cell didn't offer much in a way of comfort but it was enough for him to drift into sleep.
The morning after a very harrowed looking Rikichi appeared, banging on the bars and yelling "Hanatarou! Wake up!"
The young shinigami shifter from foot to foot in his agitation, his whole frame quivering with pent up emotion. His black shortish hair stuck up every which way and his sky blue eyes were wide.
"Come on Hanatarou, wake up before the guards come back" the boy practically begged while slamming his fists on the bars again.
"Grhng" Hanatarou replied logically as he rolled sluggishly off the mat. The cold of the floor greeting his half asleep face was enough to wake him up completely.
Yelping he shot up and looked around groggily, remembering where he was and why.
"Finally! Hanatarou I need your help, will you come with me?" Rikichi asked, big eyes fixed on the healer.
Said healer looked dumbly back, focusing on the walls and the bars "err Rikichi, I don't mean to sound uncooperative but...err...there are things keeping me in here." Hanatarou pointed out helpfully.
A set of keys met his gaze in a way of answer "the guards were called out to defend the hospital as there are massive spiritual pressures exploding all over the Seritei. Now will you come with me?"
Hanatarou gaped, looking between his friend and the keys "what exactly is it you want me to do?" he asked feeling good that at least this time he asked first.
Rikichi's face went utterly serious "lieutenant Abarai is hurt bad, he fought Captain Kuchiki to get Rukia and lost very, very much. I need you to heal him." The pleading was obvious, he was desperate.
Another easy choice Hanatarou thought as he was sworn to preserve life, any life and he took that oath very seriously. He was also already condemned so another criminal act wouldn't hurt too much.
"Fine, yes of course I'll go" he said as he walked towards the door.
Rikichi was already turning the key in the lock and as soon as they were outside, they started running.
There was pure chaos in the streets as random squads were running all over the place with no clear directive. A steady thrumming of monstrous spiritual pressures bore down on the city in constant waves from several directions.
They ran past ruined buildings and broken walls, it felt like a warzone. Hell, it was a warzone Hanatarou thought but at the same time couldn't help but wonder how 13 army divisions with near unlimited power could be at war with 4 kids and a cat.
Oh and Ganju.
It took a bit of weaving around agitated and over excited groups of bloodthirsty, glory hungry shinigami's but hardly an hour after they set out did they arrive at lieutenant Renji Abarai's body.
Rikichi ran to his lieutenant's side "Renji! Tell me you are still alive!" he begged until Hanatarou nudged him away.
The medic set to work noticing that the lieutenant's body was already bandaged up. He let his power gather in his palms as he prepared for the healing spell but was unsettled by tendrils of someone else's spiritual power lingering on the injured body.
His face slid into a frown as he concentrated the green glow gathering around his hands on the worst cuts. They were very nearly healed already, feeling more like they happened weeks ago rather than hours.
He did recognize the power's signature, it was his captain's.
'Cunning old bat' he thought with utmost respect.
He had just told the two what he'd found when they felt it.
The Sokyoku was being released and Rukia was about to die.
There wasn't a lot Hanatarou could do for the frantic lieutenant but pump him full of painkillers and have him pop an energy pill.
The lieutenant swallowed and vanished in a flash step.
Hanatarou got up and watched as Rikichi's features melted into worry and fear. There was nothing Hanatarou could say to make this situation look better than it was; if Renji lived through this he was bound for the Maggot's nest.
He walked up to his worried friend and slid his arms around the faintly trembling body. For a precious few moments they held onto each other, hiding from the horrible possibilities.
It was Rikichi who stepped back first with a ghost of his old grin touching his face "go on Hanatarou, show that captain of yours just cause you broke out of jail you're still able to work."
Hanatarou grinned back if a little weakly "yeah, you're welcome, brat. I'll send you a copy of my criminal records for Christmas," he then turned and trotted off to the sound of his friend's chuckle.
The 4th was in perfect pandemonium when Hanatarou arrived. There were injured bodies on every available surface it seemed and nurses and healers running around like they'd been set on fire.
It was time he thought to work on some of the damage he was supposedly, if partially, accountable for. He walked over to a relief station and got ready, cleaned up, changed uniforms and pulled on a pair of shoulder length rubber gloves.
He walked out into more of a commotion than he left as a captain and a lieutenant were being brought in by Captain Unohana herself.
Stern orders were being issued by both Captain Unohana and lieutenant Isane as the stretchers were carried in.
The new patients must have been badly wounded if the urgency in the air was anything to go by.
Hanatarou felt compelled to help and moved to the first available emergency room. There he got out and ready what would most likely be needed as the wounds were tended to.
A group of medics came in carrying what appeared to be a dead Captain Hitsugaya. The captain was covered in blood and half encased in ice, his big blue-green eyes open and vacant.
Hanatarou's heart wrenched at the sight and he lurched forward to assist the others to lift the captain from the stretcher to the table.
He slid his left hand under a shoulder while the right one supported the neck. There wasn't a lot of Captain Hitsugaya as he was both short and thin so the move went wisely and without a hitch.
Hanatarou was retracting his hands when a tip of his finger grazed the skin on the captains' neck.
The air shivered and for a moment Hanatarou felt like the world had frozen before it exploded violently in a mass of glacial spiritual force.
It was surprising therefore when Hanatarou came to as he was certain his body had just been pancaked across a wall.
Groaning, he got himself into a sitting position and looked around.
'Fuck' was the total sum of his thoughts.
There was no more hospital room, no more Seritei it seemed. All he could see was a blue waste land and majestic looking mountain ranges in the far distance.
'Fuck fuck fuckiddy fuck' he was dead after all.
Who knew captains would burst like that? why wasn't he warned? And didn't the soul recycle bin look purplish pink?
He didn't think there was another destination to go to after your soul died.
Slowly he got up and turned to look around.
Behind him lay a colossal blue dragon, its red beady eyes focused on the healer who screamed and fell back on his butt.
The dragon laid his head on his folded front paws, evidently trying to look less imposing.
The effect was lost on Hanatarou's bladder who wanted to expel everything in preparation for the upcoming flight.
"Healer," the dragon rumbled in its deep, gravelly voice "I am Hyorinmaru, the Zanpaktou of Toushiro Hitsugaya, reawakened guardian of the heavens. State your name."
Hanatarou squeaked, then swallowed trying his hardest to mend the dryness in his throat. "I'm Hanatarou Yamada, 7th seat of the 4th division." He managed to croak.
Hyorinmaru rumbled, tilting his head a little "another Yamada? No matter, my wielder is at deaths door. You were the only one in the vicinity compatible and strong enough to help him." The dragon halted his speech as if not certain how to continue.
Hanatarou slid to the side while the beast was thinking, its breath nearly strong enough to knock his slender body over.
The dragon didn't seem to mind, just kept his eyes trained on him.
"Would you be obliged to assist in this matter?" Hyorinmaru asked finally, pinning the trembling shinigami down with his intense gaze.
Hanatarou gulped "I...I was he-helping him out th..." he looked around again, his eyes widening "oh kami, wh-where am I?" he asked breathlessly.
Hyorinmaru chortled making Hanatarou's bones rattle "you are in my world young one."
Hanatarou screamed again. He felt a bubble of hysteria working its way up his body sending cold tendrils of fear to his limbs.
'This is not real. No one can enter another's inner world, it exists within ones soul! I'm dead, that's why this is happening, must be dead.' His mind worked frantically trying to make sense of this.
"I DON'T WANT TO BE DEAD!" he screamed out loud, it felt like the sensible thing to do.
The dragons head rose up and cocked to the side "youngling, you are not deceased, it is my wielder who's life remains in peril."
Hanatarou thought about that for a while but couldn't quite convince himself that the giant, talking blue lizard was telling him the truth or was worth listening to.
'Maybe' he thought 'maybe it doesn't matter if I'm dead if I can help the captain.' That made sense, no matter what, he was sworn to preserve life.
He looked up "what do I need to do?" he asked with a surprisingly steady voice.
Hyorinmaru's head lowered again and there was an air of satisfaction around him. "Be my wielders life line until he is strong enough."
That didn't sound too hard, of course he hadn't gotten any details of what being a 'life line' entailed but he'd already made up his mind so he nodded.
The deep rumble rolled over Hanatarou again making his knees knock together.
"I'll do whatever I can for captain Hitsugaya." The last word barely made it out before the world exploded again.
He woke with a start, head butting lieutenant Isane as he shot up.
"Ow" he rasped out before going completely rigid.
He wasn't there! His own spiritual power was there but still not at the same time. There was another power mixed with his own distorting his spiritual perceptions.
Then it dawned on him and a wide grin spread over his face "I'm not dead! The lizard was telling the truth!"