So, it looks like I'm actually trying to get a full multi-chapter fic up. I got the idea from the very high quality fanfic "Downfall" which I can not recommend enough, I hope to at least come close to it in terms of keeping to the actual characters and setting of Bleach.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Bleach.

Chapter I: Sparks to the Fire

Hinamori Momo was frightened, that much could be seen. She had been ordered to be imprisoned for attacking Captain Aizen's murderer, by Shiro-chan no less, and that was bad enough when Captain Soi Fon had intercepted her halfway and instead moved her to the Second Division headquarters but did not do the same for Izuru.

The Captain's quarters for the Second Division was much darker and dangerous than the more welcoming spirit of the Fifth Division might have been for her, though it was probably going to give a more mocking theme now that Hinamori had lost her light. Captain Soi Fon was trying to be as welcoming as she remembered Captain Aizen was towards his Vice-Captain, to little avail.

Perhaps if she tried serving some tea or smiling with a warmer express-

No. Such pretensions would only give the impression that she was mocking Hinamori for what had happened. Despite promises she had made, especially towards one who had trusted her this much, she was going to tell Hinamori. Soi Fon had recalled the pain of being abandoned by someone she admired heavily without even getting the chance to talk with them, she may have even begged to join said model.

Thankfully, she was older and wiser. She now realised what had happened to Yoruichi and would not stop until she had rescued her from the trap that she had been ensnared in for a hundred years, even if she had to beat the truth into her.

Now was not the time for that, however, as the Vice Captain of the Fifth Division was becoming more and more confused about why she had been brought here and Soi Fon needed to complete her part of the plan without fail. Otherwise, she may not be able to get away with her creative interpretation of said plan.

"Vice Captain Hinamori," She started with a stern tone, the best with Hinamori's type. "What had possessed you to attack a Captain of the Gotei 13 and accuse him of murdering another?"

The answer came in the form of a stutter. "I had thought-"

"That your own death would somehow make things better?" She was smart, she could see the hint but waited for more information.

"Captain Ichimaru is not the most reliable character in Seireitei, the murder of Captain Aizen matches his sadistic nature." Hinamori's attempt at offering evidence was somewhat undermined by her wavering tone between horror and anger, Gin's manner was not exactly one that screamed innocent in all of this.

"What proof do you have of this?" She needed something from her, anything that would allow her the chance to set things in motion. Hinamori seemed to remain silent, as if unsure, which would never do. "If there is nothing, then your attack was completely unwarranted and you will be sent to a holding cell while Captain Ichimaru is to be left alone."

The prospect of Aizen's murderer going free was the ultimate nightmare for Hinamori, she could imagine Gin having a fancy little party for himself at the Third Division to celebrate his perfect crime while Aizen was left to rot in the ground with his presence slowly being eliminated both physically and mentally.

"Shiro-ch-I mean Captain Hitsugaya had warned me that the Third Division was up to something." A smile had to be fought off her face. Yamamoto could just be told that she relayed the suspicion of two Captains to the Central 46 and that she was ordered to seize him, his lack of action towards the Ryoka (perhaos he sympathised with them?) would be further evidence.

"Was there any reason for this?"

Hinamori seemed to come to life, ecstatic at seeing that 'justice' may be served. "Captain Aizen told me that he suspected that Captain Ichimaru had ulterior motives when it came to the Ryoka. That he let them live for an unknown reason, I'm sure that he planned on confronting him about it when-"

"The case is stronger than I thought." It was all Soi Fon needed, or rather she gave that impression, trust needed to be built up more. "The Central 46 asked Captain-Commander Yamamoto and I to monitor Captain Ichimaru for suspicious motives and you have just provided us with the last piece of information required."

"I-I-"

"Omaeda, order #1421 has been activated. Send fifty of our best if Captain Ichimaru refuses to cooperate." She gave Hinamori a smile of victory, it was easier to give than she thought, and waited for the expected reaction. "Justice being served is a strong form of relief, Captain Sosuke Aizen will be avenged."

However, Hinamori only looked happy for a few seconds. Her head suddenly drooped once more and Soi Fon noted that the young Vice Captain's eyes were beginning to mist, it seemed that she was now having to accept the fact that Aizen had died and was never to return.

"This is a dream," How many times had Soi Fon told herself that when she used to imagine Yoruichi returning to her. "One that ended too bitter to be close to sweet. If Captain Aizen doesn't return then..."

"I know how you feel about him." A look of surprise from Hinamori came about. "No one really understands it. They just think of you as an overzealous Vice Captain or someone smitten by power, but never them. You don't know why but you feel safe around them, you can confide within them, speak to them plainly but you never try to because you just have too much respect for them and what they do for Seireitei. If they have a single flaw it is often that they are too trusting, willing to share themselves with a cruel world, and that they don't see just how wonderful they are and how bright they make your life."

"Every moment is like a dream coming true." She did know, it was almost a shame that this had to happen.

"Then it all collapses."Hinamori looked as crushed as she had been a hundred years ago. "I lost my Captain to someone as well. I last saw her when I went to sleep and I never even found out where she was gone. All I could hear was slander to her name, that she aided traitors willingly and that it was best to forget about her."

Once again, Hinamori's head dipped in sadness, looking at the floor designs of the office. "Why do the best never get what they deserve?"

"The system is built that way, to encourage blind loyalty and no speciality beyond what is approved." Soi Fon's mind was made up, she was telling Hinamori everything. "Vice Captain Hinamori, I can have you meet Aizen again in this life."

She looked too shocked to say anything. Her mind was trying to find out whether she really was in a dream or whether a cruel joke was being used, hopefully she would understand what Soi Fon would say to her and be cooperative.

If not, then what was one more body?

"Do not assume I am joking, what I am about to tell you is something I was asked not to. I am risking a large amount of trust by doing this and I need your word that you will not only tell no one about this but that you follow Captain Aizen to the end if need be." The stern tone used had not removed all of Hinamori's senses. "Can I trust you on this?"

For a few seconds, she looked almost conflicted before nodding, determination present in her eyes. "I only want to be with Captain Aizen again."

"Very well then," The die had been cast. "I am about to tell you something, once I have finished, you will no longer be innocent in all of this."

"So, looks like today's the day."

Kenpachi Zaraki was a simple man. Yes, he just lost to that Ryoka kid in what was a killer fight (even if the damn sword was refusing to talk to him still) but it was a good fight and that was almost all that really mattered in his life. He didn't need to be told that today was the day that shit would go down, he knew it when that Kuchiki kid got her execution date moved forward.

Aizen was an impatient guy, even if he was damn strong.

"Remember the day we met him?" Yachiru asked, being the other thing that mattered to Zaraki, with a pondering tone. She always liked going down memory lane when stuff was happening. "It was a few months after we met, Ken-chan."

Yachiru was still unable to care for herself and Zaraki had tried to find someone to house both of them in one of the more scummy Districts, some bandits didn't like it and were quickly cut down without much effort. It would have been a normal day in his life had it not been for the sound of clapping that came from the shadows.

Back then, Aizen was just a Vice Captain but had been a pretty tough opponent. He said some crap about testing Zaraki's mettle and the latter had been damn impressed by what he saw, at least until it turned out to be an illusion, it was still enough for Aizen to offer Zaraki a place by his side in exchange for the chance to beat a lot of tough opponents.

Needless to say, Zaraki decided to go with it. He didn't give a crap about Soul Kings and all that, he was in it for the fight and Yachiru seemed to like Aizen, meaning that he was with this guy now. All that he had to do was keep an eye on that Renji kid, take out some guys who Aizen didn't need much longer and keep that Gin guy off his back.

He didn't know why but Aizen eventually blabbed about his zanpakuto's weakness. He had that his sword liked him and wanted to help him, Kyoka Suigetsu had linked with his mind and managed to trick Instinct into playing along, it hurt like hell and Aizen seemed to think that some sacred bond was established. All you had to do was touch the damn sword and the illusions would vanish, although bankai wasn't mentioned at all.

Tousen had been a problem. The guy was the literal personifiwhatever of a stick in the mud and was always judging Zaraki during meetings, they had almost come to blows when Tousen argued that Yachiru was being corrupted, untrustworthy and should be 'dealt with'. Tousen almost didn't survive the night if it weren't for that damn illusion thing.

Even then, Zaraki didn't have a problem with Aizen. From what he heard, those Espada guys were as strong as the Captains were and nearly everyone in Seireitei had become boring. Ikaku and Yumichika were good enough bouts but you couldn't fight the same opponent every time, there was now an emerging problem.

"Yeah, you think the opponents I was promised will be like that Ichigo kid?" That guy was tough, not as tough as Zaraki could have been if Instinct worked with him, but the potential for development meant a hell of a lot to him and he wouldn't mind clashing with him again. Knowing Aizen, that opportunity may be taken from him.

"Even tougher!" Yachiru happily declared, she had her own links with the other defector and had gained information about the Espada. "Baldy and Yumi will be happy too!"

"Who woulda thought those two would be with us to the end?" The two of them had been told about it when they showed potential as comrades. Aizen had been pissed, or as much as he could show, but Zaraki vouched for them and the two of them had pointed out that they were loyal to him to the end, plus they assumed that it would be a quick war.

That was reminded him of something.

"The fight's going to get violent from here. I shouldn't have brought you into all of this, don't you have that group to run?" For all that Zaraki enjoyed the fight, this was going to be serious. Yachiru was tough, real damn tough, but what if she ended up facing a Captain or that one of the Vice Captains were tougher? Zaraki wasn't sure if he could forgive himself if he just let her get run down like a dog, her memory being spat upon by everyone if they lost.

"If Ken-chan is going, then I'm going. Nana can take over the SWA while we're saving all the worlds and then I can take the position back when we win." Yachiru was not one to be deterred, though her group's membership might be reduced by one or two. The two of them could handle it, their line of work wasn't exactly the most peaceful, even when compared to the journey here.

"Fifty-three clouds." Zaraki noted, the clouds that were in the sky when he met Yachiru.

She seemed to smile when she heard that. "Let's make our first day a good one, Ken-chan."

"Well, this is something new."

Ichimaru Gin was just your average Captain of the Gotei 13 when he found himself arrested by the goons of the Second Division, by order of the Central 46, for the murder of Captain Aizen. He had been talking to little Hitsu about his suspicions on Aizen when this happened, he almost got some help from the kid when Aizen's pet showed up and told him 'everything'.

Toshiro really could be a kid sometimes. He just ate up everything that Momo fed him and, by the end of that little speech, looked at Gin as if he was a piece of crap. Weeks of trying to convince the kid that he could be trusted were destroyed in five minutes, and Rangiku was probably going to her that shit as well, he could only hope that she realised that he was getting screwed over.

Especially the part where he was supposed to have had copied Aizen's handwriting perfectly to frame Histugaya or when he had wiped out the Central 46. The two of them had been friends for years, nearly their entire lives, and it seemed that whoever had set him up was also now attempting to place all the blame on him.

Now they were making Seireitei their bitch while he was in a dark and damp cell with some interrogation specialist was acting like Gin was some treacherous grunt. Either Soi Fon wanted him to be out of the way via death or wanted him to play the part of a broken traitor who repeats his accusations.

"The number is five." One way of doing this was to make him see what he was supposed to see, not what he truly saw.

That grin of his had not moved one single bit when the question was said the first time and it wasn't moving the fifteenth. "I'm pretty sure it says three."

A violent shock entered his system once more. They had been growing in power each time and had taken longer to end, he was going to need to think of some good lines to combat this, he couldn't let the Third Division down by allowing Soi Fon the final word.

"Gin, why do you persist?" A tired tone was used, as if Gin was a child and not a Captain of the Gotei 13. "You have been found guilty for the murder of Captain Sosuke Aizen, massacre of the Central 46 and aiding the Ryoka in preventing the execution of Rukia Kuchiki, accept your fate."

"Is that what Soi-Sauce told you?" Years of careful information-gathering were not going to be wasted, he was going to make sure that people knew what was up, if they told someone, even in jest, he might reach someone. "You don't find it weird that she's hanging out with fucking Yachiru all of a sudden or that I somehow found the time to kill both the Central 46 and Aizen in one night, without any witnesses?"

It didn't catch on and his interrogator simply continued to ask the same question.

"What is the number?"

"Of your mother? I'm afraid I rejected her advances, Rangiku's the girl for me." Gin had the feeling that Lima Syndrome was not going to be kicking in at any time soon. The shocks were becoming very painful, even for him, and he was starting to think about lying. He was always good at that.

"Wrong. The number is-"

The man was interrupted by Vice Captain Omaeda crashing through the floor, taking out a good portion of the room's roof, while the interrogator quickly turned to find a fist in his face. Courtesy of Rangiku Matsumoto, of course, while Izuru Kira, Gin's loyal Vice Captain who he saved from Aizen's corruption, simply looked apologetic for being late.

"Captain!" He must have noticed that Gin was not exactly in tip-top shape today, quickly getting the restraints undone and allowing Gin to stand up and explain everything to the two of them.

Or rather he would, if the experience of standing up was not incredibly painful for him to actually participate in, Gin decided that a nice stumble towards the ground would be the best course of action. Thankfully, he had just noticed the presence of Vice Captain Kotetsu who Rangiku motioned over so that Gin could explain how much he was not a traitor.

"Gin, are you alright?" Despite the early efforts of the 50 Foot Medic, Gin couldn't exactly go beyond a happy nod. "What's going on? Everyone is saying that you've apparently gone rogue Captain Tousen was killed by Captain Zaraki, the man's somehow got his sword working, Captain Konamura is near-death himself and all of Seireitei is entering a state of chaos."

"Damn," He was too late, Tousen could be dealt with but Zaraki was a monster. He would need to meet with Hitsugaya again, establish that Aizen planned all of this and his true shikai, Rangiku could help with that. "Where's the little Captain?"

Rangiku looked conflicted before telling, as if knowing that he wouldn't like the news. "He's by the execution platform with Momo."

Damn. More time had passed than he thought, if he didn't get to the platform on time, Rukia would be dead and Aizen's plan would move one step forward. Gin didn't know what it was but once he heard that the Central 46 were behind it, he quickly acted to find out more, the Captain of the Fifth Division always giving off a weird vibe.

"Gin, what's wrong?" Rangiku asked as Gin was forcing himself up, to the protests of Kotetsu, and motioned for Izuru to carry him towards where the execution platform was located. Rangiku also helped out in carrying Gin, despite her confusion.

"We need to head for the platform." He instructed them, not knowing how much time they had left until Rukia found herself getting incinerated. "Things are about to get complicated."

Toshiro Hitsugaya kept his eyes on Aizen, making sure that the traitor didn't make a single move. Momo seemed to be fine, only a small wound by her left side but the physical damage was probably dwarfed by the emotional horror of observing the man she looked up to slaughter three different people.

One of whom had been her dear friend.

His hopes had been raised when Captain Zaraki and most of the seated Eleventh Division officers had arrived on the scene, despite his apparent brutal attack on Captain Konamura, he had assumed that Zaraki's disappointment at the orange-haired Ryoka's fate had been mental preparation. He planned on backing up all of these men in fighting Aizen and taking down the traitor.

That was when Zaraki rushed towards Captain Kuchiki and gutted him like a fish. The noble had tried to save his sister from Aizen but had not expected the attack from Zaraki, his wound did not look life-threatening but it managed to keep him down for the count.

Hitsugaya's list of allies available had plummeted heavily, at that point, while Aizen simply rambled on about his plan.

"...Gin was a good piece, almost as good as Tousen. All I needed were a few certain words and suggestions to have him play his part perfectly after he became suspicious." Hitsugaya mentally cursed to himself. He should have listened to Matsumoto and aided her in rescuing Gin, Aizen had used the Central 46 and mutual suspicion against everyone.

"What the hell is going on?" The ryoka looked up and tried to glare at the Eleventh seated officers as much as he could, especially towards Zaraki. "You guys are a part of this?"

"We go back a long way." How long had Zaraki been working with Aizen, subverting Seireitei itself? Was he the man who killed the Central 46 for Aizen? More people would have allowed the illusion of debate to continue during Captain's meetings, Yumichika and Ikaku must have had fun while mocking those who they had fooled.

Yachiru was happy to answer. It was so close to how she normally acted that it disturbed him. "King Glasses managed to help Ken-chan master his zanpakuto. He can kick major butt." She changed his nickname, the king part seemed to appeal to Aizen, Yachiru then turned her attention to him and Momo. "Tell Nana she's in charge while I'm away!"

"Where the Captain goes, I go."

"The new world is going to be quite beautiful."

Both Ikaku and Yumichika didn't seem any different from how they normally acted. Ikaku being blindly loyal towards Zaraki while Yumichika was focused on making things look 'beautiful'. If their intention was to ease in the betrayal, it wasn't working, it only made things worse that people who Hitsugaya had worked with were carrying such secrets and didn't even blink.

Hinamori quickly brought him back to the real world, she seemed barely able to register how he had betrayed them. "C-Captain Aizen." She was clinging onto the hope that this was all a trick, or maybe she wanted to know how much of their time together was a lie. "How could you?"

"I'm sorry, Hinamori, but things went a bit astray," If Aizen was truly sorry, he didn't show it, he simply drew his zanpakuto and prepared to strike. "You won't remember much once we are finished."

Thankfully, before he could even try to get closer to them, Aizen found himself with two blades focused on his neck. One that was directed at the back was held by Captain Soi Fon, Hinamori's kido signal was able to work after all, and the other by the front was held by an unknown figure.

"Looks like you won't be so lucky." The mysterious woman told him, keeping a firm grip and looking at Aizen dangerously. It seemed that she had experience with Seireitei, Aizen in particular, and might have been a rogue Soul Reaper, one of Aizen's games that finally caught up with him.

The active Captain's and Vice Captain's now arrived to back up the early reinforcements. Soon Aizen was surrounded with little chance of escape, while Zaraki found himself flanked by just as much as Aizen was, with Captain Ichimaru being the leader of that group.

He directed his zanpakuto towards Zaraki's neck, Matsumoto had placed Haineko at Yumichika's throat while Ikaku got the honour of both Vice Captain Ise and Kira preparing to take him down. He would need to support Gin against Zaraki, Captain-Commander Yamamoto could easily destroy Aizen while Zaraki could be a heavy foe for the others.

Aizen remained undeterred by the threat that he now faced. "Ah, I was wondering when you and Captain Soi Fon would show up."

"Make a single move and your neck gets cut to bits." Captain Soi Fon was unconcerned with whether Aizen felt worried or not, it seemed. The crisis seemed to have been ended before it begun, if at a heavy cost, Yachiru looked like she had been denied candy for the first time in her life as the situation for the traitors became doomed.

"Meanie!"

"But what if my neck feels a bit stiff?" Aizen pretended to worry, turning his glance towards Seireitei, causing Hitsugaya's stomach to drop. "Or maybe you should deal with that."

As he said those words, three gigantic figures appeared and began to wreak havoc upon the fortress of order. He could recognise the three, they had been assigned to protect Seireitei from intruders who tried to break into the city and were now destroying the very place they were once loyal members of.

Was this the power of Aizen's zanpakuto, to turn such loyal Soul Reapers into mere tools?

"Three of the Gate Guardians?" The partner to Soi Fon looked shocked, not letting go of the blade she had, but also gazing upon the new attackers. "But-"

Captain Soi Fon then proceeded to, with a speed that Hitsugaya had never seen from her before, pierce the women right in the chest. Before any of them could react, Zaraki took the chance he was given and moved from Gin's path, Yumichika smashed the back of his head onto Matsumoto and both of them leapt towards Vice Captains Ise and Kira, forcing them down from the sheer weight of their spiritual power.

"Yoruichi," Said person looked as shocked as everyone else was with the betrayal of the Special Forces Head. "Captain Unohana should be able to heal your wound in time for us to make our escape."

She didn't seem happy about wounding this Yoruichi person but the latter looked even more heartbroken than Soi Fon was about the whole thing. "Soi..."

"You left me with nothing and you did not think that I wouldn't learn of Urahara's control over you?" Soi Fon bitterly declared, standing to the left side of Aizen while the Eleventh Division officers stood around him, forming a circular formation against the Gotei 13. "Lord Aizen had opened my eyes to what happened, I don't blame you for leaving, I will help you be free of him. The new world will be a great paradise."

She was clearly mad.

"Hinamori, stay close to me." Hitsugaya was not going to allow Momo to get dragged into this again, used as a pawn to remove those who may have ruined Aizen's plans. The fight was going to be a lot more difficult if the traitors were fighting together, he would need to make sure that she was close by so that none of the traitors got a lucky shot at her.

"Don't worry, Shiro-chan, Lord Aizen won't be getting the better of us." Momo felt just as determined as he did.

"Good, we'll need to work together on this if we expect to-" He paused, the mere second or two that he did allowed for a lot of thought. The registering of shocked looks from other Gotei 13 Captains and Vice Captains, and his own realisation, of what Momo had just called Aizen. "What do you mean Lord Aiz-"

A sharp pain came from his back, and quickly his chest felt horrific as well, as he saw a blade quickly be removed from his chest and the sounds of quiet sobbing be heard from behind him. Blood quickly gushed down his Captain's haori, the one he took pride in wearing, from both ends of the pain and his legs felt far too weak to carry his own body.

"Goodbye, Shiro-chan." Was all he heard, spoken in a broken tone of voice, before he saw Momo rush towards Aizen and the other traitors, a ray of light seemed to cover all of them before a single attack could be used. It was a nice contrast to the growing darkness that covered the area, had Captain Tousen not died after all and was using his Bankai?

It would be his luck that another Captain would be betraying them.

"CAPTAIN HISTUGAYA!" Matsumoto was always a bit too loud for his tastes, Toshiro Hitsugaya decided that it would be better to sleep and exit the nightmare at this point.

"I must say, Soi Fon, you and Zaraki have shown great initiative. Especially with your initiations."

Aizen wouldn't say he wasn't somewhat upset. He had placed a good deal of trust with Soi Fon and had been rewarded by her altering his plans immensely, perhaps it came with her motive for joining him but Hinamori had represented the past. He was more interested in the future.

Then again, Hinamori was much more trustworthy than Zaraki's pet seated officers. He suspected that both of them were hiding their true potential which was the only reason for him allowing them to join him, Zaraki being a loyal subordinate also played a strong party. The chains of the past could be changed into weapons for the future though, if you allowed for the right pressures.

"Hairbun-chan, is something the matter?" Ah Yachiru. Her manner allowed for Aizen to have others ask the questions that he found more bothersome than the results. Hinamori had been quiet ever since they arrived in Hueco Mundo and had not been that happy about having to deal with Captain Hitsugaya.

These signs of independence would not do.

"Will he understand?" She muttered to herself, trying to get over the fact that her dear old friend may be dead or in a coma for a period of time. "When we meet again, it will be as enemies."

"Only if he forgets the good times," Aizen had experience with picking up the pieces of those who were near to breaking. He quickly held Hinamori's face with one hand and made a caring gesture to her, she may still be suspicious about him faking his own death without telling her. "Momo, do you think you could work with me, even if I was planning on leaving you?"

For a matter of seconds, she looked conflicted, wondering whether it was all worth it. One look at his smiling face was all it took. "I will follow wherever you lead." She then wrapped her arms around him tightly, refusing to let go. "Because I love you."

"Blegh."

"There is a beauty to it."

If Ikaku and Yumichika were not idiots, they were hiding it very well. He was tempted to have Nnoitra end them once he had the free time, but Zaraki seemed to be attached to them, they may get along better with the rejected Espada, idiots working with failures to serve God. It had a poetic feel to it.

"Look! It's our super-awesome castle of fun!" Yachiru, while matching Zaraki's officers in terms of intellect, was much more powerful than she let on. She was not wrong though, Aizen did rather design the fortress to be a monument to the new era that he would bring in. Soi Fon looked to be as annoyed as he was with some of their partners but remained resolute that she was doing the right thing.

"Las Noches," He explained to a confused Hinamori, with a somewhat elaborate gesture, he motioned towards the castle. "The base where the new world will be made."

The game had now begun.