Note: Though I am up to date with the latest Bleach chapters, I wrote this story before ch. 360. I will try and incorporate new things in, but it will be hard, since I already wrote it and it's hard to change things. So please bear with me.
Also, the reason I take so long to put up new chapters is that I wrote the original by hand, and I'm too lazy to type it.
Chapter 2-The Arrival of Help
"Hmm, another challenger," the espada said thoughtfully. "You don't have a haori, but I sense the power of a captain. I am Coyote Stark. To whom do I owe the pleasure?"
The man's expression did not change, and he replied in a voice devoid of emotion "Sixth division captain…Kuchiki Byakuya."
The two pushed hard against each other's blades for a moment and leapt away from the force of the push, glaring at each other.
"Were you the one to do this to the boy?" Byakuya demanded, inclining his head ever so slightly at Toushirou. Stark shook his head. "I only gave one blow, though it was probably the finishing one. Halibel and Aizen-sama dealt the rest to him. Of-course, if you want to avenge him, then you're out of luck. Halibel's dead and you can't defeat me, or Aizen-sama, but you're welcome to try." Byakuya narrowed his eyes at Stark.
Momo stared at Byakuya in disbelief. She found her voice at last. "Kuchiki-taichou! How did you…why…what?" she trailed off, unsure of how to confront the captain.
"Hinamori-fukutaichou, get him away from here immediately," Byakuya said in a cool, but commanding voice.
"Ah…yes sir!" she said, hurrying to pick up Toushirou and his zanpakutou, which she slid into her obi. Is it just me, she thought, or was Kuchiki-taichou worried about Hitsugaya-kun. He seemed angry that he was hurt, but it's always so hard to tell with him. Still, I wasn't aware that he and Hitsugaya-kun even had any contact.
She was about to move forward when suddenly, an orange haired Shinigami fell clumsily out of the senkaimon. The shock cause her to fall over, and Toushirou's body to fall on her heavily.
"Oi! Why did you push me, Rukia? I can walk perfectly fine on my own!" he yelled behind him, a vein popping in his forehead.
"Shut up, you're too slow, strawberry." Rukia said as she stepped out, albeit with much more grace.
"What did you call me, midget?" the hotheaded shinigami yelled, while Renji, Unohana, Zaraki, Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Nemu, along with a glasses-wearing boy, an orange haired girl, and a huge, muscular boy stepped out of the senkaimon. They all followed in a much more dignified manner than Ichigo.
"Anyways, it's not my fault that Byakuya decided to suddenly open a senkaimon and make us all go through! How did he even manage it?" Ichigo continued his complaints, to which no one took any notice.
"Whatever," Zaraki said, grinning with satisfaction, "At least now we finally get to fight the real battle." His eyes suddenly fell upon Toushirou. "Hey, what happened to the midget?"
"Shirou-chan seems to be hurt badly, Ken-chan!" came a child-like female voice. Yachiru suddenly popped up from behind Zaraki, which explained why no one had seen her before this. "Peachy-chan, what happed?" she questioned Momo.
"Uh…well-" she was cut off as the orange-top suddenly stopped his complaints and yelled, "What the hell? What happened to him?"
"Hitsugaya-taichou!" Rukia said in shock, while Orihime gasped "Toushirou-kun!" The others merely widened their eyes in shock.
"He fought the 3rd espada, and then Aizen. Then he got hurt by the first espada protecting me," Momo said in a quiet voice. Ignoring the various expressions on everyone's faces, she said, "Excuse me, but Kuchiki-taichou told me to get him out of here."
Picking up the small captain again, she ran past them and toward the safety of the barrier she's left when Toushirou fell, and where the others were waiting, tension in the air.
Komamura let her back in. She gave the man a nod of gratitude as he took Toushirou's body and helped set him down. She was shocked when he returned the gesture, a look of grief crossing his face. Komamura hated to see his comrades fall.
"Taichou!" Matsumoto's distressed voice filled the air as soon as they entered the barrier. "TAICHOU!"
Momo knelt beside her childhood friend and placed Hyourinmaru down beside him. Izuru crawled over to them, murmuring in shock, "Hitsugaya-taichou…"
Toushirou's face was deathly pale and contorted in pain. He was gasping for breath, even though unconscious. His skin was ice-cold and clammy, and sweat rolled down his forehead. His wounds still bled heavily.
"Incredible," Izuru said, "His wounds are very serious. Any ordinary shinigami, even captain class ones, whom suffer wounds of this severity would be dead by now. And the fact that he's still not yet physically mature should add to the severity of the situation. It's a miracle that he's still breathing."
"Kira-kun!" Momo exclaimed, shocked, while Matsumoto flashed him a pained look. "Are you sure?"
"Though my stay there was short, my time at fourth division has not lest me. Any fourth division member knows how to recognize these things." Izuru said solemnly, bowing his head.
"Can you heal him?" Momo asked desperately.
A pained look crossed Izuru's face. "Unfortunately, I have already spent all my energy healing Matsumoto-san and you."
Matsumoto closed her eyes painfully. Momo felt tears brim in her eyes. Once again, she thought, once again, I just create trouble for him. Once again, he's dying because of me.
Ichigo watched as the petite girl ran off. There was something about the way she clutched Toushirou so desperately that made him wonder.
He turned his attention back to Byakuya. He and the espada seemed to be evenly matched. Or almost. Though Byakuya had managed to avoid most of his attacks, he was unable to land any attacks of his own. But the captain was certainly not showing any signs of giving up.
"So, here are the rest of them," came an emotionless voice. Ichigo turned to see Ulquiorra and Nel step out of the senkaimon, with its doors closing after them. He still had trouble adjusting to the fact that Ulquiorra was now on their side.
He had thought Ulquiorra dead when he disintegrated, but the fourth espada had suddenly appeared along with Nel as they were in a critical moment in the fight with Yammy. With everyone's powers combined, they had defeated the zero espada. Ulquiorra had explained that he had suddenly awoken, in perfect health, at the base of Las Noches (something that no one had an answer for). He's found Nel beside him, asking him what he wanted to do. She had made it clear that if he were to attack Ichigo and his friends that she would kill him then and there. But Ulquiorra had wanted nothing more to do with Aizen. In fact he never did.
"Hey, Ulquiorra, are you really-" Ichigo began, but Ulquiorra interrupted.
"I do not wish to repeat myself. I no longer wish to follow Aizen. I finally understand what it means to have a heart." He looked toward the figure of Orihime, who had run off at the first chance to heal the wounded, with Uryu in tow. "She made me realize it. I know that this is a war that I cannot avoid if I want my freedom, so I will fight with you."
"Same here!" Nel chirped. Even as an adult, she sometimes acted much like a child.
The two former espada looked toward Aizen, Gin, and Tosen. Aizen's mouth turned up in a sneer.
"Ulquiorra, Neliel. I thought you were dead."
"I suppose you are not really observant then," Ulquiorra replied.
"So you've decided to betray your master?"
"I don't see it that way. I prefer to think of it as you unable to see my true nature. You understand that, don't you Aizen-sama."
"Oh yes, all to well. But unlike you, my revelation of my true colours to soul society benefits me, while you've just decreed you death sentence."
Ukitake looked up from where he was sitting beside Kyouraku. "Help has come, Shunsui," he said.
"Mmm," Kyouraku said, "Interesting situation, isn't it, to fight alongside our previous enemies."
Suddenly, he pushed himself to his feet. "Shunsui?" Ukitake asked.
"Mou, I've lazed around long enough. I can't let young Byakuya-kun fight for me anymore." He sad, stretching dramatically, wincing slightly.
Ukitake would have objected if he didn't know that it would be no use. But he knew Shunsui better than anyone, and he knew that there was no point in changing his mind. So instead, he only smiled and said, "be glad that he didn't hear you say that. He is rather like Hitsugaya-taichou when it comes to respect."
Kyouraku grinned.
Zaraki, meanwhile, was on a rampage, killing weak hollows and arrancars alike while Yachiru sheered from her position on his shoulder, saying happily, "Yay, yay! Go Ken-chan! Kill 'em all! Hee, hee, this is so funnn!"
"Yeah, but I wish that there would be one that would last more than a minute," Zaraki complained, a maniacal grin on his face.
Just as the words left his mouth, however, he found himself suddenly crossed swords with Tosen. The blind man's eyebrows were furrowed in anger.
"Zaraki. Even now, you kill without reason. This is murder."
Zaraki laughed one of his insane laughs that sent chills down you spine. "Tosen. Making no sense as usual. At least now we can actually fight and have some fun!"
"Yay! Ken-chan's gonna have fun!" Yachiru piped up, hopping off his shoulder. "I'm gonna go kill some hollows, 'kay, Ken-chan?"
"Whatever," Zaraki said, grinning at Tosen, waiting for the man to attack.
Byakuya narrowed his eyes at Stark, who looked back, laid-back and unconcerned.
"I told you that you wouldn't be able to kill me. Believe it now? It's hopeless."
"No," Byakuya replied. " I have not even released my zanpakutou yet. How can you decide that now?"
Stark considered him. "Hmm, you've got a point. All right, then, I humor you a little longer."
He raised his gun-like weapons and fired a few shots at Byakuya, who managed to dodge. "Just hurry up and release it so I don't have to wait around to kill you."
Byakuya narrowed his eyes at the espada. He knew that he would not wait that long. He lifted his zanpakutou.
"Chire, Sendonzakura."
The tiny, sakura petal blades rose up in a pale pink storm. They swirled around Stark, surrounding him completely, about to finish him.
Yet suddenly, a smirk crossed Stark's face. Before one could blink, he vanished from within the blades. A sharp pain exploded in Byakuya's side. He stared, an expression of surprise almost on his face, and the hand half submerged in his side. The hand withdrew, causing blood to burst from the wound.
"What an interesting zanpakutou," Stark said, shaking his hand to rid the blood on it. "Too bad it leaves you defenseless though. You lose your sword, so you are unable to defend yourself."
Byakuya said nothing. His face was a solemn mask, showing no sign of pain or distress.
Stark got ready to attack again when a voice suddenly called out, "Hey, hey now, we weren't finished yet. Don't go getting distracted on me. It's not polite!"
Stark turned to see Kyouraku standing, if somewhat awkwardly, in the air behind him, lifting his battered straw hat to look him in the eye, a cheerful smile on his face.
"Hey, I though you were dead," Stark said, a little surprised.
"Nope, just taking a nap. I'm a procrastinator. But I must have overslept. Yo, Little Byakuya, thanks for taking over for me, but you can go take a nap now."
Byakuya felt a vein pop slightly in his forehead, and he closed his eyes in annoyance. The last person to have called him "Little Byakuya", and lived to tell the tale, was Shihōin Yoruichi.
"I would appreciate it, Kyouraku, if you would refrain from addressing me as such. And also I you didn't interfere in my fight."
"Aww, c'mon!" Kyouraku whined, "You've already probably taken down at least one espada. Let me have him, little Byakuya. Go help Soi Fon with that arrancar that attacked her after Yama-jii wannabe died if you must fight. And I like the name. It's cute, won't you agree, little Byakkun?"
Byakuya gave Kyouraku a cold, deadly glare, then vanished in a quick shunpo.
From his position a few meters away, Ukitake felt smile come upon his lips. He had a strange feeling that even if Kyouraku were to survive the war, he would not live very long after it. It will be rather hard to survive with an angry Byakuya on you tail.
The sudden sound of a swishing blade brought Ukitake out of his trance. He leapt to the side, just in time to avoid being sliced through with a blade. An arrancar grinned at him. "Wow, good reflexes. Still, you're no match for me."
"Arrogance is the often leads to ignorance," Ukitake replied, drawing his zanpakutou.
Ichigo dashed up to Aizen after Ulquiorra and Nel.
"Aizen!" he snarled, glaring at the evil traitor.
"Aah, the young Ryoka. I hear you've been named a substitute shinigami. You've certainly come a long way, seeing as you were able to beat Ulquiorra. Did you like you visit to Las Noches? I hope my men welcomed you well. And I'm sure Orihime-chan loved it there. Oh, and did you miss your chance to say hi to Hitsugaya-kun? I'm terribly sorry." Aizen's voice was dripping with pure sarcasm and his smile one of malice.
"You're going to pay for everything you did to me and my friends!" Ichigo spat venomously. His eye's flickered to Orihime and Toushirou. Uryu was protecting Orihime while she healed others, and Toushirou was still unconscious, surrounded by his fellow shinigami.
Aizen's eyes flickered to the protective barrier in which the wounded were resting. A smile of dark amusement lit his features, and before anyone could stop him, he shunpoed to the barrier and shattered it with a swipe of his zanpakutou.
Momo screamed and Rangiku and Izuru looked up in fear. Komamura stepped in front of them. "You shall not touch them, Aizen!" he growled.
Aizen's smile widened, a chilling dark smile. The next moment, Komamura found himself with a deep gash in his chest. He stumbled in shock and gasped.
"Hmm, how pitiful. So this is the skills of a captain, even after I gave you so much time to improve. Has the Gotei 13 really weakened this much?" Aizen's voice was mocking as he cocked his head at the shinigami. Komamura steadied himself and stood to face Aizen. Izuru and Matsumoto put their hands to their zanpakutous and struggled to their feet, standing behind Komamura, while Momo clutched Toushirou's battered body close to her own tightly, as if getting ready to shield it with herself.
Aizen smirked. "So, you wish to fight? Brave of you. Unfortunately, I have no time to bother with ants such as yourselves."
His smirk widened as his eyes flicked behind him.
"Gin, kill them."