Bleach © Kubo Tite. Bleach: Cross original characters and elements, including the "past life backstory" © Eugena.

When the Soul Reapers of Cross face Aizen for the final time, will they be prepared to lose the ones they love?

Pairings: Kail/Shirahime, Toshiro/Shirahime, Crown Prince Ichigo/Shirayukihime, Ichigo/Rukia, Toshiro x Rangiku friendship, Toshiro x Momo friendship

Opening Theme: Heartful by AAA

Ending Theme: Believe Own Way by AAA

Bleach: Cross

Desolate

By Eugena

Rated: T

Chapter One: Prelude of a Past Released

SOUL SOCIETY – SQUAD FIVE BARRACKS - THORNE TAICHO'S QUARTERS

Thorne Taicho sat in silence, drinking the tea that Hinamori had prepared for her. She had asked her fukutaicho to come back in shortly to check on her. Her human body had been wearing down as of late, and any minute, she expected to be knocked out asleep on the floor, just like times long ago when she had first joined squad ten. Today she had wanted time to gather her thoughts, for many worries lately haunted her.

As of late, she had turned her attention to Rangiku Matsumoto and Gin Ichimaru. Surely, either Aizen, Ichimaru, or Tosen could be defeated in their next battle, but how would the outcome affect those who remained? With Tosen defeated, Thorne Taicho could predict little difference. With Ichimaru defeated, Matsumoto would be safe from his now obsessive advances. Yes, if Thorne could afford to be selfish, that was the path she would choose. Although she was human, she was also the fifth division taicho—meaning that a greater responsibility was upon her shoulders. No, if only one could be defeated in their next battle, it had to be Aizen—no choice or hesitation between the others.

How could she defeat Aizen? Even with all the other soul reapers working together, he had increasingly gained power. She died once long ago to slow down his attainment of godhood, an act that won her the posthumous award of captain of the same squad he had once led. Still, Hinamori harbored hurt feelings over him. Guilt that she loved him, but love in some form nonetheless. Thorne had to keep Hinamori from becoming involved. There would be no time for hesitation—something she knew would come from her. She would not mean it, but Hinamori might kill them all.

Thorne Taicho was running out of time for herself. She trained with both her squad and many other captains with both of her zanpaku-tos – Shinnou, a copy of the White Kail Zangetsu and Yukihime no Tenjou. Shinnou was the more normal of the two, closer to having its own zanpaku-to spirit. On the surface it appeared just like Kail's—Hollow Ichigo's—zanpaku-to. Yet its spirit was that of a white dragon with blue eyes the color of Shirahime's. Thorne had some while ago abandoned her human name, Sam Hawthorne, kept part of her last name as her new last name and took the familiar form of her past life's name as her own. Her name of royal title still remained to this day as Shirayukihime no Tenjou. To separate room for herself from among her past life, she called the spirit of her past life by the royal title and referred to the zanpaku-to only as Yukihime or Yukihime no Tenjou. She only called it by royal title in bankai form, where she could use the command Kouten. But that command drained much from her, especially when she used it with Shinnou—Kouten no Shinnou ("Prince of Royal Blood's Revolution of the Heavens"). Usually, she preferred shikai commands. Yukihime, like Sode no Shiroyuki, had more than one shikai form and command. The release command for Yukihime was "revive," fitting as she was always getting the power from the spirit of her past life. As for Shinnou, he, too, had more than one shikai form and command. She released him with "prepare," short for "prepare for battle." Although generally, Shinnou's shikai form did not change much and looked the same as its sealed form, she usually called on the shikai which allowed the zanpaku-to's spirit to appear. A dragon for a protector was very useful and Shinnou allowed her to attack others during training without tiring her human body.

Of all of Thorne's squad members, Hinamori seemed not to improve. Granted, she had gained consciousness on her own, finally without using Thorne or Shirahime's power. Still, it was her forbidden love for Aizen which crippled her.

Like Thorne could complain. She wasn't exactly and expert in the love department. Long ago, as Shirahime, she had been forcibly engaged to the Crown Prince of Heaven, Ichigo. An act alone which gave her the title as Princess of the Heavens. Though now she still drew on her power as Shirahime, she was more than willing to trade it in for freedom from her cycle of suffering.

Even now she remembered playing with Benehime, her younger sister who had been originally pledged to marry the Crown Prince. Her father, Kisuke, had been a childhood fighting companion of the Emperor of Heaven. The Emperor promised that his heir would marry one of Kisuke and Yoruichi's daughters. Tragedy took the life of Benehime, leaving more tragedy to follow. Even though the crown prince had become fond of Shirahime, he gave his heart to Rukia, the captain of the guards in charge of Shirahime's safety. Thorne remembered overhearing the Crown Prince arguing with his twin brother. Yet the Emperor had sworn an oath: the heir would be her husband. She had been so surprised then that Prince Kail did not try to kill Crown Prince Ichigo. All the while, they did not see her growing love for their sword master Zangetsu.

"Zangetsu," she murmured, her heart still entranced by him. Yet she was Shirahime no longer, even though she now used the same name. She could not love the men she had loved in the past. She had even grown distant to Kenny Zaraki, who had once been her fiancé in the living world. Strangely enough, that left only Shiro, the incarnation of the element god she had sworn herself to. Shiro, who had been Hinamori's childhood friend. Thorne had tried to force on him love for Hinamori, just to selfishly get him to let her go. Her plan failed. He continued to love her. He loved her more than Hinamori and more than Matsumoto, no matter how hard she tried to deny it.

She looked up to the heavens and laughed. She stretched out her hand on the floor and formed Shinnou. "Kail," she asked, "will you let me go now?"

She closed her eyes and remembered the many times she had danced with him. Finally in this life, she had learned to love the younger prince. "Kail, I think I can finally move on. Even if it is the last thing I do, and I don't have much time. If for one moment I can still be happy, will you still love me?" She looked up again into the heavens. "Maybe Shirayukihime can remain with you and," she said, thinking of her estranged human name, "Sam with Shiro."

It was enough, and she found the closure she needed. For a final time, she would dance with Ichigo and ask him as the Crown Prince to let her go.

As she began to envision her freedom and the chains of the past life breaking before her, she felt a sting at her neck. She felt her blood began to burn. A poison arrow had struck her without warning. She felt her life begin to leave her and her chain of fate beginning to dissolve.

oOo

A/N: I have a lot of the Cross series planned out. Near the end of Sam's time as squad ten third seat, she discovers her name in the past life, Shirahime, and that she was the daughter of Kisuke and Yoruichi in the past life. This of course brings her close to Soi Fon, who is dedicated to Yoruichi. Soi Fon is one of the few in Soul Society who refers to Sam as Thorne-Shihoin Taicho.

The King of Soul Society was called the Emperor of Heaven in the past life.