AN
Hello everyone! Welcome to the Sequel to Silent Force. If you haven't red Silent Force I suggest you go and do that. If you're glaring at the screen and thinking you can catch on then you can do that too. Okay so here's the first chapter.
VioTanequil is mind-blowingly awesome (yes! I have a thesaurus!! Compliments for everyone!)
AN
It had been many years since that fateful morning when Hinamori Momo had found what she thought to be her Captain pinned to the tower like a beacon, his body decomposing in the early morning sun, blood still dripping down the sides.
It had been just over fifty years to be precise.
The past five decades had continued in their usual fashion. The Winter War had been won, naturally and it had been her that had finally struck Aizen down. She still carried the scars on her hands from that choice, though the angry red had faded to a pale pink, barely visible at all. Guilt had driven Soul Society to try and cure the Vizards, to make amends for their mistakes. What no-one had expected was for only one Vizard to remain and the rest to go off, saying their bond to Soul Society had been broken long ago and they had no desire to repeat the mistake of placing their trust in people who had destroyed them so long ago.
In the search for the cure and the losing of the Vizards they had gained something no-one could have predicted, the four former Espada. They had been kept alive in the quest for the cure and because the Spiritual Balance was so precarious thanks to the war. Then the Balance had finally settled, but by that time, the former Espada had become full Shinigami and proven their friendship in all cases, and love in certain others. Now the four of them were very strong, very good Shinigami--well, she amended, good might be pushing it. No one would call Grimmjow 'good', at least, not to his face.
Hinamori liked to think the 5th Division had retained a bit of the two faced nature of its former Captain, just a bit. During the day and most of the night, it was a loud and crazy place, full of life and friendship and more than a little competition with the 11th Division. But for part of the night and the early morning, it was a place of peace. Those, like her, who were awake, all seemed to have the same silent agreement that there was no need to make noise, that the silence was wonderful in this short span of time. As she walked the confines of the Division, Hinamori kept her steps quiet. Even Tobiume held the silence.
So when she saw it, she didn't scream.
It wasn't to stop the silence; it was that she thought she was asleep. After all, the impossibility of the situation was so great and so obvious, that there was just no way it wasn't in her head. Then someone else saw it and their scream confirmed that she was not asleep.
The odd sense of calm didn't go away. She could feel everything with a sort of detachment. The young Shinigami was still screaming, but the sound came to her distant and foggy. She didn't even realize she was moving until her hand grasped the hilt of Tobiume.
"Snap, Tobiume," she whispered, the familiar power washing over her, "Bankai," she pushed into her next release state, "Shield it, Tobiume," she ordered, the violet shield locking up the tower and cutting the view off. Hinamori raised Tobiume high over her head and fired off a violet blast, the color lighting up the sky. She watched the sky over Soul Society turn a bright violet, bright enough to penetrate sleeping eyelids and summon help. Her eyes went back to the glowing tower, the outline of what was hidden underneath barely visible. She frowned; she should have made the blast bigger.
They were going to need a lot of help.
"Momo."
Hinamori smiled and ducked her head, knowing the deep voice that sent shivers racing up and down her spine. She turned around to face none other than Hitsugaya Toshiro. The Captain of the 10th Division was no longer the 'boy genius' except in nostalgic teasing. He was no longer a boy. He towered over her now; his white hair was longer than before though it still stood up in the same untamable style he had worn in his youth. His eyes were still cold to the untrained eye but she could see the warmth--and the worry--they currently held. Hyourinmaru was over his shoulder out of habit rather than necessity. Also because the one time Hitsugaya had worn him at his waist Hyourinmaru had yelled at him that he was an ancient, proud Zanpakuto and he was not going to be carried lower than Hitsugaya like some obedient fool.
It made sense that he would be the first one there. Hitsugaya had always been in tune with her Spiritual Power, he would be able to know that something was wrong. He must have known it was bad as well, except for the worry in his eyes he appeared to be completely calm. He spent enough time in her Division and she in his that the sight of them apart was odder than the sight of them together. He walked over to her, his steps smooth and precise, until they were standing side by side. His eyes took in the tower, the faint outline of what was hidden behind the shield.
"The others should be on their way," he said, his voice as calm as the rest of him.
"Yes," she replied, her voice surprisingly hoarse as if she had been the one screaming, "They should be."
He said nothing. Half hidden by the sleeve of his robe, his fingers found her own, interlacing their left hands together--the engagement ring he had given her the night before pressing deeply into the side of his finger.
Break
Kuchiki Byakuya may not have considered himself a hero but he did not think he was a coward either--most of the time. At the moment he was content to be one and leave the Kuchiki Mansion at the crack of dawn purely to avoid the mess his home had become. Not the Mansion, he amended, the people inside of it were his current problem.
Or rather, the lack of a person inside it was his problem.
Yoruichi Shihouin had finally done what everyone had expected her to years ago and married Kisuke Urahara. Though the Shihouin house was not as glorified as it had been when she abandoned it, the Elders could still appreciate an epic love story like hers. Especially when it resulted in the thing they had feared the most they would not have.
An heir.
Kohaku Urahara was the spitting image of both his parents with his mother's vibrant eyes and his father's blond hair, his skin tone somewhere between the two of them. He had already shown promise, even before entering the Shinigami Academy, mastering rudimentary Kido, Shunpo and even a bit of shape-shifting, much to the delight of his mother. He was smart as well, much to the delight of his father with a penchant for troublemaking that made Soul Society very worried and his parents very, very proud. It also made the elders very happy, now there was someone to redeem all the mistakes Yoruichi had made. There was hope for the bloodline once more.
Unfortunately for Byakuya that apparently trumped everything he had done in his stint as the Head of the Kuchiki family. Like most of the Heads before him he had inherited the title from his grandfather. Normally it took a generation or so for the kind of power that was required both to be Head of the family and the Captain of the Sixth Division to be seen again. It had been the same with Yoruichi, she had taken the position from her grandfather. But if Kohaku continued to show so much promise, then it was nearly guaranteed that the usual generational skip would not happen in the Shihouin house and if there was one thin to be said about the Kuchiki's it was that they did not lose.
He had tried to stress to the Elders that his intentions were that when Ichigo and Rukia had children and then grandchildren, one of them would take the position from him, whichever was powerful enough to be both the Head of the family and the Captain of the Sixth Division. Unfortunately, despite everything that they had been though, Rukia was technically his adopted sister, his sister-in-law, and the blood that flowed through her veins was not that of the ancient Kuchiki line. That was something the Elders could not accept. The idea of his bloodline ending made them sick. If there was one thing they loved, it was tradition and tradition stated that he had to find someone and produce an heir with them.
The only problem with that was there was no-one in Soul Society he particularly cared to marry or have a child with. The Elders seemed to realize that the probability of him finding love was rather slim and decided to settle for an arranged marriage with someone who felt that marrying into the Kuchiki family was better than marrying for love. Byakuya had scoffed at the idea, he couldn't think of anyone who would want to marry him.
He had been very, very wrong.
Apparently, there were scores of women who would like to marry him and produce a child. Enough so that the Elders were actually smiling. At all hours of the day (he had quickly put a curfew on the time women were allowed to be shown in) women were coming in to talk to the Elders. The problem was when the Elders approved, and the women were shown to him.
Renji had caught him the last time he had slept in the office while Rukia had half of Soul Society trying to find him when he didn't come home. He knew she wanted to see him happy, much like he wanted Renji to be happy as well, but sometimes he wished that she would go back to being the meek, quiet girl with the sad violet eyes who he had adopted because of a promise so long ago. Unfortunately, he didn't think that was a feasible option anymore considering she had him, her husband, his entire household, the entire Thirteenth Division and half of Soul Society wrapped around her little finger.
Hence him sneaking out at the crack of dawn to avoid the matchmaking elders and his well meaning sister.
"Hiding?"
Byakuya froze and turned to see Renji walking over to the Division, his hands shoved into his pockets. His hair was down around his shoulders and not in its usual ponytail. The inky lines that decorated his frame had only increased as time had gone on. At the moment, Byakuya was wondering what the hell he was doing sneaking around the Division so early in the morning. Rukia had been asleep when he snuck out and it wasn't like she could have Shunpoed her way over to convince Renji to wait for him and then drag him back to the manor. Even if Renji could hold his own against Byakuya's bankai, he doubted the Vice Captain would want to kill him at the moment.
"What are you doing here, Renji?" he asked with a frown of puzzlement.
"Same thing you are," he said.
Byakuya opened his mouth to ask what he was hiding from when the sky turned a shocking shade of violet. The two of them froze and turned towards the 5th Division to see the tower glowing in the light.
"Well that's not good."
"Hn."
Break
Ulquiorra was already awake when the sky turned violet. He had been awake for an hour or so, before the sun even peaked over the horizon. Sitting hunched over the low table, he was almost unrecognizable as the pale, heartless Fourth Espada. He still had his emerald eyes and his inky black hair but his skin was a warm tan, the 4 tattoo nothing more than a faint outline on his chest. The nightmare had driven him from his bed once again, though he was still unable to remember the dream that had thrown him back into the waking world in such terror. Unable to deal with the mere idea of going back to sleep again, he had left the bedroom and gone to another room of his living quarters in the 2nd Division to try and figure out what he was supposed to do.
A warm hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned his head slightly to see Orihime sitting down, nothing but concern in her slate grey eyes. He looked back at the table, only to see that she had brought out two cups of tea without him even realizing it. Not her, exactly, but rather Shun'o and Ayame. The two fairies looked up at him with concern in their eyes. Yes, Ulquiorra Schiffer, the former 4th Espada and current Vice Captain of the 2nd Division, was living with Inoue Orihime and her six fairies. Initially she had just spent so much time over at his apartment that he had suggested she leave things there so she wasn't running back and forth. Then more stuff kept coming and before he knew it, the woman herself just never really left. Now he found the place strangely empty if she stayed late at the Fourth Division or the rare nights when she stayed at her old quarters there. So did she because she would stay long enough for him to appear silently at her door before walking her back to the apartment they now really shared.
Grimmjow liked to joke they were 'living in sin' but Ulquiorra didn't care. Grimmjow Jeagerjaques was the last person in the world who should lecture anyone on 'sin'. What mattered was that she was there, that she wanted to be there, sitting next to him, dressed in a simple pair of suspiciously large pajama's that he was pretty sure were once his with her sunset colored hair spilling over her shoulders, she was looking at him with concern in her slate grey eyes.
"Do you remember anything?" she asked, her voice soft with sleep. He shook his head, "do you want me too--"
"No," he cut her off, his voice colder than he meant it to be. The dream had sent him back to the world in such terror, he didn't want to expose her to that. He saw her face fall and looked over at her, "I'm alright."
"I know," she said looking down at her hands, "I just--I don't want you to keep having it," his lips quirked up in agreement, "I don't think you should drink the tea," she added glancing at the kitchen, "Ayame might have tried to, uh, 'help' you sleep."
They both looked at the tea. Ayame was rather notorious for doping them if one of them had a nightmare. A side effect of Orihime's physical body dying and the six months she had spent in a coma after saving them was that the Shun Shun Rikka were unable to stay in her hairclips for extended periods of time. Much like Zangetsu, they were in a constantly released state. They had also gained the ability to talk and to act freely when they were not in use. Orihime's powers had increased as well, though she had not used the defensive shield that had saved them all since. Ulquiorra had no problem with that, seeing her lying in the hospital bed once was more than enough for this lifetime in his opinion.
He felt her lay her head against his shoulder, one of his arms coming around her. He remembered when she had slapped him and wondered if that had been a sign that he was not dealing with someone who could be controlled easily. Or maybe it had been when she had sought him out while he was being turned into a full Shinigami, seeking comfort her friends no longer gave her. Of course he doubted even if there was a sign it wouldn't tell him he would wind up living in an apartment with her and the six fairies that made it a home. That made it, not his home but their home. He knew that he had a heart, and now he knew that his heart belonged to her.
The sky turning a dazzling violet color drew gasps and applause from the Shun Shun Rikka and a familiar, unpleasant knot settling in Ulquiorra's stomach. Hinamori may have been known for her violet colored attacks but it had been a while since he had seen one of that magnitude within Soul Society. Orihime sat up, her eyes widening at the sight of the flash, her mind going along the same lines.
It took less than a minute for them to get up and dressed. As they hurried to the door, it was opened unceremoniously by none other than Grimmjow Jeagerjaques.
It made sense, he was, after all, living with Soifon.
At the moment he was dressed in his usual cloths, his shirt was short sleeved though, the armband riding on his left shoulder. His hair was as untamed as always. At the moment the skin where his Hollow Mask had been was decorated with three small butterfly crests. Orihime had taken away the scars from the skin but even years later Grimmjow always felt rather odd if it was unblemished. Fortunately, Soifon shared the sentiment and was more than happy to help.
"Emergency meeting," he said jerking his thumb over his shoulder, "Soifon went ahead, I'm supposed to go with you two."
"Do we know what's going on?" Orihime asked as the three of them made their way down the corridor.
"No," he said, "Unohana called it after she saw Hinamori's signal. Soifon's gone to get the--"
"You three," Soifon said, not even slowing to land on the ground, "come with me, now."
They didn't need to be told twice. In a burst of Shunpo they appeared at the 5th Division. A wide radius around the tower was currently encased in ice. Soifon landed in front of them and turned around, blocking their path.
"That bad?" Orihime asked, her voice soft.
"I wouldn't let the Fairies out," Soifon said. Orihime nodded, the Fairies going obediently into her hairclips, "try not to scream," she added as the ice opened enough to let them inside. Soifon looked upwards and they followed her eyes.
"Oh my God," Orihime sucked in her breath, turning around and burying her face in Ulquiorra's chest. His arms locked around her but his eyes stayed focused on the tower.
"Captain Unohana felt it was best if you all saw this," Hitsugaya said, his voice echoing around the ice, "I do not need to stress to you all that secrecy is our priority now," they all nodded in agreement, "Vice Captains you are to return to your Divisions and keep them calm. They must not know anything of this--any rumors must be dispelled immediately. Captains we are to convene in the Central 46."
Quickly they all nodded and dispersed to follow orders.
Break
Oscar Yasutora sat hunched over his desk, his pen dwarfed by his massive hands. He glanced up at the teacher every so often from underneath his messy bangs before he would focus on his notes once again.
"Oscar."
Oscar continued to look at the paper, steadfastly ignoring the tapping of his ex girlfriend.
"Oscar."
He clenched his free hand into a fist. Usually that was enough to get whoever was bothering him to leave him the hell alone. Not this time.
"Oscar, I got stabbed by a Shinigami last night and I need your help."
He snapped the pen.
"Suki, what the hell?" he hissed twisting in his seat, "Talk to me after class."
"After class?" she bit back, "I'm telling you I got stabbed last night and you're just ignoring me!"
"I'm trying too," he said looking back at the teacher, "I miss class enough for legitimate reasons, I don't need to miss more class because of you," he shook his head, "Especially not when you pull crap like this."
"Crap? I'm telling you I got stabbed last night and now I've got one of those--those things you told me about and I don't know who the hell else to go too--"
"Find someone else," he gritted out.
"There is no-one else!" she practically wailed.
"Yeah? How about the Shinigami who stabbed you?" he demanded shoving his bangs back angrily, "try talking to him."
"I can't find him!" she wailed.
"Then, Ms. Suwatari, I suggest you look outside," the teacher said coldly, "Mr. Yasutora, why don't you help her?"
Oscar glared furiously at Mitsuki as he gathered up his things and stormed out of the classroom into the hallway. The girl was nothing but trouble. Alcoholic, nightmare fueled, paper-work skimping trouble. So what if she had the hottest body in school and he hadn't had as much fun as he had with her in years? She was nothing but trouble and the fact that he was standing outside the class instead of sitting inside of it was proof enough of that. As for her part, Mitsuki clearly didn't think she'd done anything wrong. She was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed under her considerable chest with her dark sunset colored hair cascading down her shoulder and her grey eyes focused on the floor, her face uncharacteristically serious.
"This is great!" he threw up his hands, "we broke up already! I'm supposed to be in there and instead I'm out here with you of all people! I miss class enough for things that are important, I don't need to miss them for you too!"
"Oh please, we were hooking up, friend with benefits at best, we weren't fucking Soul Mates Oscar," she glared up at him angrily, "besides I'm trying to tell you a Shinigami came and stabbed me last night so I could kill a Hollow! You're the only person I know who has any idea about this kind of thing! It's like your family business or something."
"That's supposed to be a secret! But, yes it is! But what you're talking about is a serious offense! My Aunt almost got executed for doing that with my Uncle."
"For doing what?"
"For giving him part of her Shinigami Power, there was no way--"
"The Hollow attacked my family," she said, "this guy, he looked at me like he knew me, like he had to help me--"
"Did you hook up with him too?" he snapped.
"Oh my God, are you kidding me? This guy stabbed me, gave me part of his--whatever you call it--and then I had this sword, but it wasn't really a sword, it was kind of weird and there was this orange eyed woman telling me I had to remember, but she didn't tell me what I had to remember, and then I passed out and when I woke up he was gone."
"How was your sword weird?" he asked, his voice strained.
"It had a name," she said, "and now it won't shut up!"
"Fuck," he swore, running a hand through his hair, "come on."
"Come on where?" she demanded.
"You wanted my help? Come on," he led her down the hallway, "my grandmother's going to kill me anyway," he muttered as they walked out of the building, "okay so this Shinigami was injured and, to protect you, he gave you part of his Spiritual Power. If you can hear your sword--which is called a Zanpakuto by the way--then we need help."
"Help from who? Oscar where are where are we going?" he continued to hurry down the street, "Osca--" she knocked into him as he stopped, "a shop? Are you crazy?!"
"No," he said, "not yet anyway," he sighed and shoved open the door, "Masaki!" he shouted.
"Finally!" the door slammed open, "you two, follow me. We've got a big problem."
"Welcome to being a Shinigami," he muttered walking into the shop.
"Being a what?! I was asking for information, I didn't say anything about being a Shinigami!" she cried, "I still have a pulse!"
"Will you just come on?" he demanded grabbing her and yanking her inside, slamming the door shut behind him, "this is my cousin, Masaki," he said motioning to the woman standing in the doorway. Mitsuki's eyes were on the man standing next to the woman though, "and that is--"
"Gin," he said with a casual smirk, "Ichimaru Gin."
