Chapter 1
They were beaten. All the captains had been in the 4th division for the past week under Unohana's intense healing retsu, and they still haven't figured out how to get the missing Banka's of some of the captains back. Not to mention that Shunshi's eye was long gone and he was now blind in that eye. And then their was the others.
Byakuya had been a millimeter from dying and still had a tough time standing for any lengths of time and Kenpachi still couldn't fight under Unohana's strict orders from him almost dying as well. All the lieutenants were also injured in some way and Mayuri was still spitting mad over various things but mostly the fact that the Quincy's had managed to delete any information regarding them in his data base.
And as soon as they had recovered enough, they had to hold a pyre for their dead comrades and subordinates. And adding in a surprise captain and lieutenant meeting wasn't helping anyone's frazzled nerves and emotionally wound, aching bodies.
Plus their severely damaged pride. They were the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13 and they had been beaten with out the Quincy's breaking a sweat it seemed! Only Kenpachi had been successful in killing off a few before also being beaten down. And it sucked. Absolutely sucked.
Even when they had fought Aizen it had seemed like there wasn't this many injuries or casualties. So everyone was in a very 'irritable' mood as they filed into their respected spots, Byakuya and Kenpachi being forced to sit in some chairs brought in by Unohana.
The captains waited calmly for the head captain to arrive, while the lieutenants whispered to each other quietly and trying to disguise their anger. Rukia, Renji and Rangiku were currently talking to Ichigo who had also got called in and were currently asking him if he remembered anything.
During his battle with Bach; the man had gotten a hard hit on Ichigo's head, right were the memory part of your brain functioned. So as a consequence he couldn't remember crap from after the time he left Hueco Mundo to come help out. Least to say he'd woken up in the 4th division rather shocked.
The sound of the twin doors behind them opening drew everyone's attention and they watched as Urahara, Orihime, Chad, and Uryuu entered the room. They flocked to Ichigo, ignoring the small glares they were getting from some of the captains. (Cough*Byakuya*cough). Toshiro joined them a moment later.
"Hello." He greeted and Orihime beamed at him.
"Hey Toshiro! How have you been?" The girl asked innocently and he cocked one icy eyebrow.
"Other than a bit beat up and losing my Banka, good I would say. And it's Captain Hitsugaya!" He growled and Orihime blushed slightly and looked away. Rangiku giggled.
Toshiro's beautiful aqua eyes snapped over to glare at her and he instantly she was slightly drunk. Not too horribly, but still tipsy at least. He growled, "Rangiku… is that sake I smell?" She paled slightly.
"Captain…" She rolled her eyes and chewed her lip as she quickly came up with an excuse so her captain didn't go on a rampage in front of everyone. "Um… It helps take away the pain?" She almost asked and his eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to retort, and most likely yell and scream at her, when a door opened.
The captains and lieutenants instantly got into there spots while the humans and Urahara stood off to the side by Toshiro.
Head Captain Yamamoto crawled into the room, moving slower than normal and leaning heavily on his cane that was his concealed zanpaktou as he made his way to his chair. He sank into the seat slowly, carefully, and with a grimace. He had also gotten his butt whipped.
Toshiro waited, hiding his impatience even though he knew Rangiku was shifting from foot to foot and growling quietly under her breath. Normal she would have been utterly silent but she was tipsy and she felt a little bold. Or at least enough to curse under her breath to wear only her captain could hear her.
Toshiro resisted the urge to wince when he saw Yamamoto's heavily bandaged body, almost making him look mummy-like. He signed and pulled something out of his haori.
"I called you here to discuss a very serious matter." He told them a he showed them the object.
It was a small book. About the size of a journal, with its smooth looking leather cover slightly warped and ancient looking. The pages inside were a rotten yellow, and when Yamamoto gently pried open the book creaked like door hinges in a need of wax.
Any one could tell the book was thousands of years old. And by the gentle way Yamamoto held and cared for it, it was obvious it was insanely important to him and most likely the whole Soul Society. But nobody recognized it in the slightest. Well actually on person did, and his eyes went wide under his hat and behind his open fan.
"Is that…the Guardian's Summon?" Urahara breathed in a completely shocked and awed voice…and maybe just a hint of fear as well. Everyone looked slightly confused, even Byakuya the stoic man, and glanced between the two.
"Yes, the only one in both the Living World and the Soul Society." Yamamoto answered quietly as he stroked the pages with a withered hand, an almost grieving look in his open brow eyes. Urahara gapped, and they stared. It wasn't often (like never) that Urahara looked like that.
"What is this Guardian's Summon?" Byakuya demanded and Yamamoto looked up to fix them all with his intense stare.
"Something I wished never to have had to touch, much less look at for the rest of my life." He answered solemnly, before clearing his throat and began reading.
"This is the sole book of the Guardian's Summon. As you read this know that if harm comes to this book there shall never be another again-and no copying, you'll just waste you time for the words will disappear a moment you write them as of my wish." Toshiro raised a eyebrow slightly at the words but stayed quiet and listened.
"For the current Captain Commander or captain of the Gotei 13 that is reading this, know that once you continue on you can never go back and my rules will apply to you and that you can never ever share this knowledge to anyone else unless you are reading this exact book to them." Yamamoto stopped and fixed his eyes on all of them.
"Do you all wish for me to continue? What she says in this book is true and once you know you can never go back. All her rules that are listed and even the ones that aren't are and will forever be applied to you and if you break a rule the consequences will be great. Do you wish to continue?" He roared at them.
Every single one of them nodded, not a once of hesitation in the move. They knew deep down that this could be the only way to save the Soul Society and the other worlds from the Quincy's. Yamamoto looked pleased, a grin tugging at his lips. It was rather shocking but instead of acknowledging them and there questions he began reading once again.
"You have made your decision. Very well. To start I shall introduce myself, for this book is about me and you should know whose doing the talking." Toshiro stifled a small chuckle. Who ever wrote this was a cocky one.
"My name is Amaya, meaning mist or night rain, and I shall not go into detail as of why I am called that. The book, the Guardian's Summon, is all about me- while leaving out a few things. Or a lot. Even as I write this I only figure I will use about three pages maybe less or more for as I go on with my existence I plan to add to this book."
"Old Man Yama, when was this written?" Shunshi asked and Yamamoto paused and the shrugged slightly. "From the beginning of the Soul Society I would think." He told them and their eyes went as wide as saucers. "But, I am not quite sure, that was a question Amaya avoided rather well."
"You have used this before?" Ichigo asked and Yamamoto gave a firm nod. "Once, when I first became Head Captain. Since then I haven't even considered using it except once during the Winter War though I thought better of it." He answered before turning back to the book.
"My existence is simple. I am a Guardian. The Guardian to be exact- the Guardian of the Soul Society- along with a few other things that I don't plan to go into yet." Gasps filled the room, eyes going wide and Toshiro coughed quietly in surprise. This book was written by the Guardian of the Soul Society? He hadn't even heard of such a thing, and by judging the faces of the other captains they hadn't either.
"As time goes on I figure I will be forgotten by all but the Head Captain and the ones to come. This book is a way to preserve my self, but I can get more into that later in the years and if you should meet me in real life.
"There is one last, ok maybe a little more but anyway, I need to tell you before I sign out. My one absolute rule that I shall never break. There are more rules, but there is no need to mention them as of now, so I will only tell of this one for now."
Yamamoto stopped, took a deep breathe and stared at them. "I will inform you that this rule, it is as she says. She will never break it, even for friends. When I called upon her she judged me upon this rule and I am forever thankful to her for her decision. It is the only reason the Gotei 13 still exist today."
Toshiro could only stare in shock. This girl's, this Guardian's, decision is the only reason he was even a captain now? As well as the others? He was almost trembling even now as Yamamoto explained more.
"During her time, we became…friends and partners. But even before she left she warned me that if I did ever call on her again, that this rule would still apply." Yamamoto said before finishing reading.
"My decision is final. I chose whether or not the reason I am summoned is valid enough for my power. And I am not doing that in a cocky way, you suckers. My power is immense and is more dangerous than anything you probably ever seen and will crush you in a moment flat if that is my wish.
"As my role of Guardian I fully accept helping if it is necessary and will never back down from that. That I promise you and I never go back on my promises. But at the same time if it is not valid the reason you present me with or I witness myself, I will disappear once again. For that is what it is.
"If I choose not to help, whoever has called upon me before, or did call upon me now, I shall not so much as show myself to anyone till they are dead. Even if you pull through your current situation and are faced with a bigger worse one that originally I would have helped with. Know this and forever keep this in your minds.
"That is My Rule. Do not think you can escape it ever. Good bye for now and shall peace reign upon the Soul Society. –Amaya."
All they could do was stare. Holy Soul Society this was crazy, they knew that before Yamamoto even told them what he was going to do.
"I have deemed this situation with the Quincy's valid as of now. I request that all captains, lieutenants, and Ichigo Kurosaki's group accompany me to reawaken Amaya and plead our case to her a hope she judges of worthy."
And as much as they all wanted to shout 'NO!' for the risks were severe, they all knew that this could be the only way to win this new war. So they all bowed there heads and a quiet murmur answered Yamamoto.
"Yes."
They better hope like hell they suddenly gained superior persuasive powers.
