Settling the Score

*This was requested by SasuTenLuvr. She wanted both our OC's to do battle to determine who would make a better little sister to Uryu. I say bring it on. I am so sorry this is late, I started it but then my muse up and died on me and I haven't been able to get back to it. So now I'm forcing myself to finish it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Ayame, just Naoko.*

Kisuke looked to his right then his left. Both dark haired girls stood rigidly on either end of the canyon like desert.

To his left stood a young girl with navy hair pulled into a high pony tail. She wore a knee-length dress that ballooned slightly with blue lace trimming. It had short faintly puffy matching white and blue sleeves and a blue corset that wrapped snugly around her mid-section. She also wore a pair of white knee highs with blue trim and white boots.

To his right stood another girl slightly taller and older looking then the other. Her long navy colored hair billowed around her freely, but was adorned with a single blue and silver feather fascinator. The other girl wore black slacks with pleated hems, a white blouse and black blazer. A white and blue katana was strapped to her hip.

Kiskue snapped his fan shut, "Are you ladies ready?"

"Yes! I can't wait to mop the floor with you!" Ayame barked.

"Like hell you will," Naoko shot back as she rested her hand on her sword's hilt.

"Time to finally settle this," Kisuke muttered before lifting his arm up. Naoko drew out her sword and Ayame summoned her curvy short bow. As soon as the shop keeper's arm went down the two girls sprang at each other.

Ayame started first, shooting a barrage of arrows at Naoko and forcing her to dive for cover. The younger girl kept up the barrage for a few more seconds before stopping and letting the kicked up cloud of dust and dirt to settle. She lowered her bow and quirked an eyebrow. Did she kill Naoko already? She couldn't have... that would've made things too easy.

As if to answer her question Naoko suddenly burst through the thick dust cloud, sword drawn and about to come down on her.

"Whoa!" Ayame cried, startled. She jumped back before the sword could descend on her.

"Damn... I was too slow," Naoko muttered.

"You got that right," Ayame called from her high perch. You're having a hard time hiding your old age."

"Old? Who are you calling old you little twerp?" The katana wilding woman hissed.

"Hey, I'm not a twerp!"

"Come down here and prove it then!"

Ayame was about to do just that when she stopped. "Oh, no. You're not going to trick me that easily."

"Worth a shot," Naoko said softly. She rested her sword over her shoulder, "I'm giving you one last chance to back out now."

"Ha! Why? Are you scared I'll actually beat you?" The younger girl laughed.

"Very well then. You have only yourself to blame for not taking my offer," The other girl sighed.

Naoko crouched and sprung into the air. Ayame took aim and fired a few arrows but they all missed as Naoko twisted and turned her body to avoid them. Eight years of ballet was proving to be paying off. She landed on the rock and swung her leg. The lean limb made contact with Ayame and sent her crashing down to the ground.

Naoko smugly rested her arm over her knee and leaned forward, "Give up?"

Ayame pushed herself up from off the ground, "Never!"

The young girl summoned her bow again and fired a couple arrows. One of them grazed Naoko's shoulder causing her to drop to her knees and clutch the wound. Naoko jumped down and charged foreword in retaliation.

This pattern repeated for what felt like ages. Naoko would charge and swing her sword but Ayame would jump away and shoot at Naoko. The older girl would jump away and try again. As time wore on the two slowly accumulated shallow and deep wounds.

Naoko had bleeding burns and bruises and Ayame had cuts and lacerations. But the two refused to fall before the other, so they stubbornly remained standing and fighting.

In the spectators area Ichigo shook his head in wonder, "They just won't give up will they?"

"Not until the other is dead or too badly wounded to continue," Uryu sighed.

"This shouldn't take that much longer anyway. Ayame will hit a vital point on Naoko and finish her." Hitsugaya shrugged.

"I beg your pardon?" Yumichika scoffed. "What makes you so sure Ayame will win? Naoko has gone toe-to-toe with my captain and lived. It's Naoko will win this in the end."

"Yeah, sure." The short captain snorted in derision. "Ayame has a long range weapon which makes Naoko's short range weapon useless. Plus she's able to move faster than Naoko can strike."

"Have you seen the all the wounds she's gotten from Naoko's sword. Apparently your little girl isn't as fast as you think she is. And long range weapons are rendered useless when the enemy is up close and personal," The Fifth Seat argued back.

"We'll just have to wait and see who really will win," Kisuke said mildly as slowly waved his fan.

Naoko darted forward but instead of swinging her sword she lifted one leg and swung it hard against Ayame's side. The other girl bounced and skidded against the ground. When she finally stopped she hoisted herself up on shaky arms and then on her legs.

Despite her exhaustion and soreness Ayame, quick as a whip, formed her bow and launched an arrow at Naoko. The sword wielding Quincy didn't dodge in time and her leg earned a nice sized bloody wound. She quickly got back on her feet and carefully kept her weight off her injured leg.

Ichigo irritably ran his hand through his hair, "Are you two going to finish this or what? I mean are two really going to fight to the death just to be this guy's," he pointed to Uryu, "brother?"

Both girls stared at Ichigo and then exchanged looks.

"Ayame?"

"Yeah?"

"You uh, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If it's tearing Ichigo a new one then yes I am."

"How long do you think Ichigo will last?" Yumichika asked airily.

Hitsugaya crossed his arms over his chest, "Since he's got both of them fighting him I'd say somewhere between five to ten minutes."

A smirk played across Uryu's lips, "That sounds about right."

*SasuTenLuvr I hope you liked it and I hope you'll continue to review my work. This is my way of thanking you.

Hitsugaya reminds me so much of Ciel from Kuroshitsuji. Think about it, they're both short and young. They act like adults and absolutely hate it when people treat them like children. They both have cold personalities and are unusually intelligent for their ages.*