This IS A SEQUEL! If you have not read the original story, please go and read A Time of Peace, Interrupted. I will be writing this as if the reader is fully aware of who my characters are and their motivations from the original story. This story is picking up two years after the previous one ended. As always enjoy and leave me some feedback!
"Straighten your legs! Don't be so stiff! Enunciate for crying out loud!"
A small boy fell to his knees, "Sensei! Can't we stop? We've been training for hours now!"
The teacher folded her arms and sighed, "You should all be able to use more difficult kidou by now. You've been practicing hard, but not nearly enough…"
A girl plopped on the ground, "Not all of us are kidou genius's sensei…"
The boy grinned, "Sensei, will you pleeeeeease tell us the rest of the story?!"
The teacher smiled, "You mean about Aizen Yuki?"
Several of the students nodded and mumbled in agreement, "Yea please, please sensei?"
The teacher sighed and sat down on the floor next to her fifteen young students, "Where did I leave off?"
One child raised her hand, "You had just entered Soul Society to find everything in ruin!"
"No she was past that already!" a boy whipped his head to the girl, "She stopped right when Aizen-sama was stabbed by Yammamoto!" Several kids mumbled in agreement.
The teacher nodded, "Well, Yuki couldn't fight at her full strength…" the teacher pulled the children along through the story that had come to be known as "The Collapse".
"I knew that I recognized that name! Shirou Enkimura has a kill-on-sight bounty on him!" the boy interjected, "I saw his picture in the faculty room one day!" some of the kids 'ooh'd' at the boys knowledge.
A small girl spoke up from the back of the group, "What happened after? If he's still alive, does that mean he got away?"
The teacher nodded, "He was able to escape to the human world by eating his vice-captain," she grabbed the student closest to her and playfully munched on his arm. The children giggled before she continued, "And two years later they are still looking for him,"
"You aren't anymore?" the students turned their heads questioningly.
The teacher turned her head to look out the window, "No, not anymore,"
There was a knock at the door of the gym, "Come in!" the students all called together.
The door slid open to reveal the King of Soul Society. Kyourane Chou had grown three centimeters over the two years (not that she bragged about it every chance she got), her bangs had grown out and the ribbon that once held the base of her hair had been replaced with a metal, wired, cylinder. Her zanpaktou was now hidden by her haori that read, "1".
The children rushed over to her and started all to talk and ask her questions. Chou smiled down at the children, "Do you kids know why I have come here?" they all shook their heads, "I'm here to test your kidou skills," their faces all fell, "You all have 10 minutes to go practice outside before I come evaluate," she smiled at the kids. They all scrambled over each other to get outside and practice. Closing the door behind the last of the kids, Chou turned to their teacher, "It's been a while, Shima Akuma,"
Akuma sighed and stood, "What brings you to the Shinigami Academy?"
Chou's face turned serious, "We've found him,"
One Week Earlier
Chou was doing paperwork. She hated paperwork and there was so much of it to be done. Chou let out a frustrated sigh and leaned back in her chair. Her mind was heavy with responsibility. Not only was she the King, but she was the Sou-taicho now too. Things sure have changed since then…How true a thought.
Soul Society had changed. There were only seven squads now. Four of those squads are spread all over the human world searching for any trace of Enkimura. How has he alluded us so flawlessly?
She glanced at a paper on her deck, "Permission to change shinigami squad in Karakura Town from 6th squad to 7th squad" Chou mumbled to herself. That will probably by good, Renji could use a break from the search…she stamped her approval on the document and let out another sigh before jumping up in her seat, "Come on Chou, only 400 more to go!"
7th Squad
Rangiku was running through the building with a paper in her hand, "Taicho!" she rammed through the door with a wide grin, "Taicho, the orders just came in. We got permission to relieve Abarai-taicho,"
Hitsugaya turned from the window to his vice-captain, "You stay here Masumoto, I'll lead a small group,"
Rangiku nodded before closing the door behind her.
Hitsugaya turned back to the window, he had been given the burden of the squad that had once belonged to the enemy. Their morale had been low at the loss of so many of their comrades. Soul Society had lost half of their shinigami during the Collapse. But things were turning around. Things were getting better. The academy was filled with hopeful students, there was peace between Hueco Mundo and Soul Society. At the mere thought of her home, Hitsugaya brought his hand to the piece of cloth he had wrapped around his head, Yuki. His mind flashed back to just after the Collapse. Yuki had left for Hueco Mundo, Grimmjow had taken her. He felt defeated, his home in ruins. Searching through the rubble of the 10th squad building he found Yuki's 5th squad haori. It was burnt and ripped around the edges, but it was still intact. He felt his anger swell in a feeble attempt to mask his sadness. He had lost her, there was no getting her back. Hitsugaya ripped apart the haori letting the shreds fall to the ground. He took a step forward and saw that a piece of the haori against his ankle. He reached down to grab it and realized that even if Yuki was gone, the memory of her was still there. He didn't think he could forget about her so easily. He held the scrap tightly in his hand.
It was a memory that he thought of daily. He wore the scrap on his head, but why? Out of respect? Out of a need to hold on to something? He didn't know. He felt pathetic for holding on to it, but he couldn't bring himself to part with it either. He shook his head of the heavy thoughts of Yuki, he was going to bring Enkimura to her. And when he stood before her victorious, he would beg for forgiveness. He didn't deserve her forgiveness, but he needed to show that he did regret. He regretted a lot of things lately.
Two Days Later: Karakura Town
Hitsugaya had been searching non-stop for Enkimura. He separated from his small squad almost immediately to coming to the human world. He had given them their orders and made sure to keep part of his mind focused on their reiatsu. Hitsugaya didn't understand why he was drawn here. For the past few weeks he had been having uneasy feelings about Karakura Town. He knew that Enkimura was here somewhere hiding. Hitsugaya made his way to the Vizard's. He didn't want to find help with them, but ever since Yuki became something like an Empress, the Vizards were recruited into the effort. Perhaps they found something out…
Something was wrong.
Hitsugaya stood in front of the warehouse that the vizards had turned into a base. Usually there was a barrier up, but it was gone. Feeling uneasy, Hitsugaya drew his sword as he walked into the warehouse, "Hirak-" Hitsugaya dropped to his knees at the sight before him. All of the vizards with Hirako Shinji laid dead, their souls had been eaten. He covered his mouth with his hand as his body threatened to throw up the contents of his stomach.
After a few moments to regain his composure he called his squad and told them to come to the Vizard warehouse. He would need their help. He stood outside the door awaiting their arrival.
"How disappointing," Hitsugaya drew his sword at the sound of Enkimura's voice, "and here I hoped my present would be found by more worthy eyes,"
Hitsugaya took a step back at the sight. What a monst- Hitsugaya's world went black. It was all so fast that he didn't even see Enkimura punch his face into the ground.
Soul Society: The Next Day
Chou was taking a nap in her desk; the paperwork had become too much for her to do alone. She was suddenly jolted awake by the phone, "Hello?" she rubbed her eyes, "Slow down Rangiku-san.." she jumped up from her seat, "WHAT?!"
5th Squad: The New Technology and Research
"Explain it again!" Renji, the new captain of the 6th squad, slammed his hand into the wall.
The shinigami cringed at the noise, "Hitsugaya-taicho's squad just reported in saying that he was missing. We analyzed the reiatsu pattern and it looks like he was kidnapped by someone unknown,"
"Enkimura," Chou growled under her breath.
"But we have Enkimura's reiatsu in the system! It wasn't hi-"
"He's been eating souls," Chou turned to walk away, "Ready a garrganta, I need to see Yuki,"
Las Noches
Yuki had her own hands full in Las Noches. After two years of work Las Noches had finally been restored to its former glory. The dome roof that projected sun light was now more advanced. The fake sun would set to show the natural sky of Hueco Mundo every 24 hours. Through his research, Szayel Apporo discovered that Hueco Mundo moved at half the speed of the other worlds. In order for the internal clock of all of the inhabitants of Las Noches to set, the day cycles were set to match Soul Society and the Human World.
"Sensei?" Raiden walked into her office. He now had a dark green line over his left eye brow, his hair still tied in a low pony tail but his bangs were now full. He had trained with Yuki and Grimmjow during this time to get stronger. He never forgave himself for staying in Las Noches during the Collapse, if he would have shown up then, maybe…just maybe.
"What's wrong Raiden?" Yuki could see the serious tone of his face.
"Dad is feeling nostalgic..."
"What do you-"
"Minji!" Grimmjow was leaning in the doorway with a mischievous grin on his face. His uniform had changed slightly, he now wore a jacket that ended at his hips with a loose tank top underneath, "Come on,"
Yuki grinned at her old name and put Gilgamesh on her back before following quietly behind Grimmjow. She knew what he wanted. He wanted a fight just like how they used to.
He led her into one of the new arenas. The two stood across from each other; Raiden was watching from the side lines. Things got pretty tense around Las Noches and watching these matches always made things a little less stressful. Maybe because it was his parents…but maybe it was the inner hollow nature he had.
The two lunged toward each other but neither landed an attack as Szayel Apporo caught their attention, "Sorry to interrupt," he grinned slightly, "But Kyourane Chou is here for you Aizen-sama,"
Yuki grinned widely, she wasn't expecting to see her and hoped it would be good news. She knew better than to hope for such things.
The Entry Room
Chou was waiting patiently in the Entry Room. All Garrgantas that come from Soul Society open in this room. Chou had to admit that Szayel Apporo was a clever man.
"Chou!" Yuki walked in and Chou had to smile at her once enemy. She still wore her hair in a messy fashion, merely tied behind her head. But on the right side of her head there were now two braids against her head that tied into her pony tail. When she was in the comfort of her home, and not expecting visitors, Yuki wore a loose, white tank top that covered the gold Hagyoku and veins on her stomach and white shorts with a long coat draped over shoulders, "What do I owe the surprise?" Raiden, Grimmjow, and Szayel Apporo were now leaning against the wall of the Entry Room.
Chou smiled weakly, "There is good news and bad news," she crossed her arms, "the good news is that we found Enkimura,"
Yuki's face lit up with a fiery excitement, "That's wonderful!" the other espada grinned at the idea of victory being in reach.
"Well…you see. Enkimura has kidnapped Hitsugaya-taicho after eating the souls of the seven vizards in Karakura Town,"
Yuki's face fell still, "Kidnapped?"
Chou nodded, "His squad is saying that his reiatsu disappeared too suddenly for him to have died. They think Enkimura is trying to lure you out,"
Yuki clapped a hand around her fist, "Ohhh that man, I would have come for merely the killing. I didn't need an invitation to finally get rid of that man! I'll leave immediately, ready the-"
Szayel Apporo coughed, "Excuse me Aizen-sama but you can't leave,"
Yuki was about to open her mouth to yell out but let it close in defeat, "He's right…"
Chou widened her eyes in confusion, "Why not? I know that Hueco Mundo is tied to the Hagyoku, but you can leave for a little while before it becomes unstable right?"
Yuki sighed, "Things have gotten a little worse…" she looked to Szayel Apporo to explain.
"You see," he stepped forward, "Hueco Mundo is trying to expand with excess power being put off by Aizen-sama. That doesn't sound so bad, but I did the calculations and Hueco Mundo would actually expand so large as to engulf Soul Society over the next 200 hundred years,"
Chou's jaw dropped, "That fast?!" when you live almost eternally, 200 years doesn't seem like that long.
"In order to prevent this from happening, or to slow it down at the very least, I need to find out the optimal range of reiatsu for Hueco Mundo to stabilize. So Aizen-sama has to stay here and gauge her reiatsu daily for experiments,"
Yuki sighed, "It's for the best I suppose…"
Chou nodded, "For now we still need to find his exact location. He is in Karakura Town and he won't be leaving. I've set up a perimeter of guards that have been warned not to come home if they let him escape without following him,"
Yuki nodded, "In that case you'll need a tracker," Chou nodded, "someone who would be able to fight with him if necessary, you said he ate the Vizards? That means you'll need someone as strong as all of them at least," Chou nodded again narrowing down the list in her head, "someone that can be stealthy enough to hide their own reiatsu and tracks while tracking him…"
Chou bit on her tongue, "That only leaves one person,"
Yuki grinned, "Shima Akuma!"
Chou furrowed her eyebrows, "She left the Gotei! She said she wanted to find a humble life and figure out what her will is! We can't ask that of her,"
Yuki stood and sighed, "We don't have a choice! You can't leave the command center because there is no one able to take your place and I can't leave here because of him," she pointed to the startled pink haired espada, "Besides," she grinned, "I have no intention to send her off alone,"
Present Time
Akuma sighed, "I told you, I don't have anything to do with that war anymore. I don't even know what I am doing here…"
Chou let her head hang, "I didn't want to have to do this but…" she took a deep breath. Yuki had told her how to persuade her but she didn't want to use such information against her, "I am prepared to bring Kyouraku into this. We need your help,"
Akuma's jaw dropped and her eyes narrowed, "You wouldn't dare!"
Chou scrunched up her lips not wanting to lose in a power of threats and will, "You think I can't?!"
Raiden stood outside the door to the gym. He could hear the two bickering. Raiden poked his head around the door to see inside. He felt his face get red as he looked at her, Shima Akuma. Even now she would still hold the title of most beautiful shinigami. Her once hard and threatening features had softened. Her long, black, hair was now pulled over her left shoulder into a lose braid. There was a green clip that help back the hair that would hide her face. She was lovely.
Raiden quickly pulled himself away from the door and began to take deep breaths. He hadn't seen Shima Akuma in two years and when they were in Las Noches she was considered his superior and almost an aunt to him. He was pacing letting his mind run around wildly, what do I say, long time no see? No that's so lame, 'Sup? That's too immature, what do I do what do I do?
He tried to calm his mind by replaying to events of the day. It had all started so normal, yet it was completely new. He had come back to his birth place, to his home and his prison.
Earlier that Day
Raiden stepped through the garrganta to see Kyourane Chou waiting for him in Soul Society. She smiled widely at him, "You haven't seen it since you left have you?"
Raiden nodded, "I saw the aftermath of the Collapse, but I haven't seen it put back together like this," he gazed in wonder at how well placed everything looked.
"I'll give you the tour,"
He followed Chou through the streets of the new Seretei. They came to what was now the center of seretei. The first squad building was just behind a green space. There was a large blooming sakura tree in the middle. Just behind it, there were workers building something.
"What are they doing?" he pointed to the workers.
Chou winced realizing she shouldn't have brought him here, "Don't tell your mom!" Raiden nodded to keep the secret, "They are building a statue of her. A lot of the people in rukongai love Yuki more than they ever would me. If it weren't for her, they all would I have died," she pointed to the sakura tree, "That's the same tree that was behind the 5th squad. I don't even know how many hours she spent up there meditating,"
Raiden couldn't believe it, "I saw that tree after the collapse, and it was burnt to a crisp!"
Chou nodded, "Unohana-taicho and several healers kept the tree alive and when it was healthy enough I had it moved here to the center,"
He had stared at the Sakura tree for a long time. He had big shoes to fill if he ever hoped to be the successor to the spirit line. Sensei had united the worlds that hated each other. Soul Society was even building her a statue in praise. How could he ever hope to fill the seat that she sat in? Could he do it? Would he even be the successor to the spirit line?
"Raiden?" Chou called him from inside the room.
He took one last breath and jumped on the balls of his feet a few times. He realized that he had picked something up from his father and couldn't help but smile before opening the door.
There was a small moment of eye contact between them before Raiden looked at Chou, please don't let my face be red, pleeease!
Akuma smiled, "Raiden! It's good to see you again, I take you haven't practiced kidou since you've left Seretei?"
Raiden smiled weakly, "I wish, Sensei makes me train at least every week with kidou,"
Bringing an end to the idle chat Chou glared at Akuma, "Raiden will be your partner on the mission,"
Akuma flashed a fake smile back at Chou, "If you say so boss"
A Few Hours Later: In Front of Senkaimon
Raiden was pacing nervously, "I don't think she is going to come like she said she would…"
Chou was sitting patiently, "Of course she will,"
Raiden wasn't as confident. He worried that she might not want to work with him, or worse, she would come but treat him like a child.
"Sorry I'm late, my students weren't very happy about me leaving…"
Raiden quickly turned, excited to see that Akuma had actually came but was surprised to see-
"You cut your hair?!" Chou jumped to her feet, her jaw hanging open. Chou couldn't understand why someone would want to cut their hair short, for her, short hair was always a bad omen.
Akuma reached for her hair, "One of my younger students got gum in it…"
Raiden couldn't believe that she could have gotten any more beautiful, yet here she was. Her hair was just past her ears in length, the hair that framed her face was longer and stopped near her chin. The green clip was now clipped on the green sash that held her zanpaktou around her waist.
"Well let's not waste any time. Let's go find that bastard Enkimura," Raiden grinned at his partner.
"There are few things I've been meaning to pay him back for," she grinned back and the two began to walk through the gate.
"Be careful! Akuma, make sure you stay in contact with me!"
Las Noches: Szayel Apporo's New Lab
Yuki was sitting on the table, there were wires attached to her temples and all of her joints. She was tapping her fingers impatiently, "Aren't we done yet?"
Szayel Apporo was typing into him computer, "This reiatsu is still too high, you need to go lower,"
Yuki sighed in frustration, "I keep lowering my reiatsu but the Hagyoku keeps trying to pull it out of me! I don't think it likes it when I try to lower its power…"
He turned in his chair and put his hand under his chin in thought, "That might be true. There must be a way to stabilize Hueco Mundo…don't you have control over the Hagyoku?"
She shook her head, "Not even Aizen had control. We just feed our reiatsu to it and as long as it is kept happy, it will do as we ask. I think after being in captivity for so long it is working extra hard to keep itself from going back to that. It's hungry for more,"
"You speak like it's an entity, like it has a soul,"
Yuki shrugged and pulled the wires off of her, ignoring Szayel Apporo's protests, "It was made from thousands of souls. Maybe it has become one. But it doesn't take shape really, it's more like a feeling. I don't know how to explain it,"
He nodded, "I think I understand. I'll keep analyzing what I have. In the meantime, try and keep your reiatsu as low as the Hagyoku will allow, perhaps if it is kept happy, it won't feed Hueco Mundo to expand,"
Yuki pushed her hands in her pockets and walked to the exit of the lab, "I'll try,"
She sighed as she walked through the halls of her palace. It was a shame that there were no trees here, she desperately wanted a perch to meditate in. So instead, she had a tall tower built. It was off to the side of Las Noches, no one was allowed in the tower, not even Raiden and Grimmjow. It was a place where only she went. She walked up the winding staircase of the tower.
The end of the stairs led to a door in ceiling that opened to a roofless platform. The dome of Las Noches didn't cover here, but she found the black of Hueco Mundo peaceful. This was her domain, this was her home.
She laid on the platform for hours it seemed, just staring up at the night sky. She let her mind wander through her thoughts. I wonder how Akuma is, how Raiden is. Enkimura…Chou. Renji is a captain now, I wonder if he is doing well. How is Soul Society now? Do they remember me as their leader? I am the Queen of all worlds…
She couldn't really relax, she didn't want her mind to wander to him, Hitsugaya. She didn't want to realize how much she worried about him. Part of her always missed him. She found herself remembering the times she lived in Soul Society, as a captain…with Hitsugaya by her side.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of banging. She stood and looked to see a Vaste Lorde at the front entrance to Las Noches. He was banging on the door. She could barely make out the sound of his voice, "Let me in, Aizen-sama!"
She ran down from her tower, "Open the main door! Send him to the throne room!" she yelled at some arrancar as she ran past them to the throne room. It was usual to see a Vaste Lorde come to Las Noches. In fact this was the first Vaste Lorde that she had found since she took power. It was almost as if they had gone extinct.
She sat in the throne room, tapping her fingers impatiently. She was about to open her mouth and yell when a knock came at the door.
"Enter," she called trying to hide her excitement.
The door opened and the new Vaste Lorde entered. Yuki looked over him carefully, he had sea green hair that had three large spikes that fell to his left. The remains of his hollow form was a mask that seemed to act as a headband that wrapped around his head from his forehead. There were spikes in the mask that matched his hair.
He bowed deeply before flashing a grin, "I'm Nao Shin, nice to finally meet the Queen of our worlds,"
There it is folks! I hope you enjoyed the update! I will be updating as regularly as I can, but be prepared for delays or things of that nature. As always my friend silver-wolfy12 over on DeviantART has generously uploaded some of my OCs. (She has already done the mysterious Nao Shin so go check that out)
Otherwise, thanks for reading and look forward to more! :D
