Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN – Bleach, any movies/TV shows/books/songs etc used in this...

I DO OWN – My OC's and some of the plot of this story...I think...

Chapter Four - Captured!

'Damn.' thought Arianna, as she felt Suzumebachi slice across the back of her leg, almost making her miss the next branch and that attack left another butterfly mark. It joined the array of other marks on her body, including the one of her face, on the left side. She could hear Soi Fong coming up behind her and she spun around, grabbing the 2nd squad captain's wrist to intercept her next attack and then swung her foot around to have it connect with her side. Soi Fong's body recoiled from that attack and the two then dropped to the forest floor. Arianna stood opposite Soi Fong, her knees bent and her hands resting on them, keeping her up. Her breathing was heavy, as she tried to draw more air into her lungs. She then straightened, looking at Soi Fong, who was also looking at her.

The 2nd squad captain looked at the girl. So far, she'd managed to get a few hits in with Suzumebachi, that she could see from the marks it had made on the girl's body. There was one on the left side of her face at the top of her cheek, another on the back of her leg, two on her back (separate from each other) and one on her right shoulder blade at the front.

"I told you it was not wise to pick a fight with me 3rd seat Sarokai." she said to the girl, "You should have listened." The girl didn't reply, she just brought up her zanpakto, strands of her dark hair falling in front of her face. Soi Fong looked at her, standing opposite her panting, before she noticed the blood on the girl's hands.

'Seems she's finding it difficult to fight against me...well, I do hold the rank of captain...'

It was becoming harder to hold her zanpakto, what with the blood on her hands making her hands slide on the hilt. Her head rose, just in time to see Soi Fong's arm straighten out to the side, readying Suzumebachi for another attack.

'This is it...'

She brought up her zanpakto to block that attack, but felt the stinger like blade slide alongside hers, as her grip on her hilt slipped and she just managed to move aside so it sliced across her upper right arm, missing the butterfly mark on her shoulder blade. She managed to block two more, and back flipped to avoid a third. She swung her zanpakto towards the 2nd squad captain, in an attempt to strike her, but the shorter woman ducked below the swing and she moved quickly to dodge that stinger blade as it swung towards her. The two battled back and forth, with Soi Fong the main one on the offensive and was always quick to get out of defensive, no matter how hard Arianna tried to keep her there. So she kept jumping back, dodging attacks from Suzumebachi to the best of her ability and blocking attacks where necessary. However, then she slipped up. Her foot slid once again on the wet grass and she fell over onto the ground, luckily missing an attack in the process. But when she got up to her knees she felt the point of Suzumebachi pressing lightly against her right shoulder blade. At the butterfly mark. One hit more there and she was finished.

'Things just aren't working for me tonight.'

"Ya don't think?"

"This isn't the time for that...and time is something I don't have much left of..."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that...you have more time then you think..." Arianna was about to ask her Hollow why but hesitated when she felt a familiar approaching reitsu.

'Captain Yulrik...' She was nearby, but not near enough yet to have any part of this.

"It appears your time is at an end 3rd seat Sarokai. You're as good as dead. For good." Soi Fong said, to the apparently doomed girl.

"So what happens now? Do you kill me, or capture me? It doesn't matter to me, either choice is not in my best interests." Underneath the tough talk though, Arianna was scared. She could very well die here, something she'd prefer not to do. But then a hope appeared in the most unlikely of places.

"A choice that should not be in you place to decide upon, Captain Fong." The icy, stern voice of the new 5th squad captain. Soi Fong turned to see her standing behind her.

"I suppose you think as such because you're her captain." The 2nd squad captain replied, "I'm afraid you must be mistaken then. Yamamoto says that the one that finds the girl first must decide her fate."

"I see." Serephia paused, "So then that means Kenpachi decides what happens to her then? Hm?" Soi Fong scowled. This new 5th squad captain was just too...cocky sometimes. No, not cocky, but arrogant. Just too arrogant and smart alecy sometimes.

"Kenpachi isn't currently available."

"I suppose not. Lieutenant Kusajishi informed me he is fighting that Kurosaki boy." She paused, "And yet the objective he let almost escape only to be pursued and cornered by yourself."

"What are you getting at?"

"This whoever gets her cornered first thing doesn't work. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise it would actually have to be Kuchiki Rukia and that Kurosaki Ichigo that decide my fate." Both captains turned at the sound of Arianna's voice.

'Yet he defended me...until I ruined everything with my stupid actions...I feel like such a fool...can't even let myself get saved by someone else. I only think of myself these days...'

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With Zangetsu locked with Kenpachi's zanpakto, Ichigo then sensed the fight between Soi Fong and Arianna cease, and then the presence of that new 5th squad captain arrive.

'Shit...what has she gotten herself into now?'

Suddenly, he felt someone tugging on his robe, as did Kenpachi. Both looked down to see Yachiru below them, a concerned look on her face. They jumped back a step, withdrawing their zanpaktos and keeping them away from the small pink haired lieutenant.

"Yachiru you dumbass!" Kenpachi shouted at her, "You could've gotten hurt!"

"That's all very nice Ken-chan but Shiny Eyes is in trouble!" Yachiru cried, pointing in the direction Arianna had ran into the forest earlier. Both Ichigo and Kenpachi looked in that direction, with only Ichigo showing the most concern.

"She's supposed to be. Captain Fong's supposed to be capturing her while I was busy with Ichigo."

"But Sour Fong's tryin to kill her!!" At those words, Ichigo then ran off, ignoring Kenpachi's shouts of protest. Even with Yachiru's mispronunciation of the 2nd squad captain's name, he knew he had to get to Arianna...and fast.

"Damn. Look what you did Yachiru." He growled at his lieutenant.

"But Ken-chan, you can always fight Ichi another time, when things aren't so serious...and Sour Fong's not supposed to kill her!"

"You think we should go check it out?" Kenpachi let her climb up onto his shoulder.

"Spose we could. Just to stop Ichi from getting in too much trouble." Kenpachi grinned and the two then ran into the forest, following after Ichigo.

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'Is she going to kill me or what?' Arianna thought, looking at Soi Fong, who still had Suzuembachi's point perched at her right shoulder.

"In my opinion, Captain Yulrik, the best option would be to kill her and save us any trouble that could occur with having her in custody." Soi Fong said, keeping her back to Serephia. The 5th squad captain didn't reply.

"Suit yourself." After hearing those words, Arianna felt the stinger like blade stab into her right shoulder. In one quick move, her life was over. All air escaped her lungs in one breath, her eyes widened slightly, those silver orbs unfocused, and her heartbeat slowing. As her body fell forward, she could hear the sound of footsteps, then shouting...

'This is it...it's over...' Was her last conscious thought before her body connected with the ground, her eyes closed and everything went black.

"NO!" Ichigo shouted, seeing the body of the dark haired Hollow shinigami lying on the ground, blood pouring from the wound on her shoulder, her arms spread out in front of her head and her hair spread out on the ground, with her zanpakto lying beside her. The two captains present turned in his direction when they noticed him, standing opposite them with Zangetsu drawn.

'They killed her...after all that talk of capturing her...they killed her. Damn them all to Hell...' He growled in his head, eerie laughter also echoing in the back of his mind.

"Ichi was too late! Ichi couldn't save this one!!"

"Kurosaki." Soi Fong said, standing side on to the angered orange haired boy, "It was in the interests of..."

"Don't give me that fucking shit!" He snapped back, "She didn't deserve to die like this!"

"The safety of Soul Society and the living world was at risk by letting her live. I did what I thought best."

"What you thought best! She ran away to protect people! Not to have her life ended, for "the safety of Soul Society and the living world"! Risk or not, she was still a living being! Every living being has the right to live and die when they chose, not to have that chosen for them!"

Serephia watched the argument carefully, from her position away from both of them. That icy blue gaze drifted over to the body of her 3rd seat. A tragic loss, the girl had really been shaping up to challenge Hinamori for the position of lieutenant someday. But then she did a double take. The girl's chest, it shouldn't be moving. She shouldn't be breathing, she should be dead!

"It can't be." she said suddenly, but Ichigo and Soi Fong were too caught up in their argument to listen. Then the girl's eyes snapped open.

This wasn't right. She wasn't supposed to be able to open her eyes, she shouldn't even be able to be now attempting to move. She was supposed to be dead. Two hits from Suzumebachi and the victim was dead. That was how it was supposed to be. So how was she still alive?

Her body felt stiff and it was an effort to move, but she did, slowly getting to her feet behind Ichigo, not listening to a word of the argument.

"I've said this already and I'll say it again Kurosaki." Soi Fong snapped, pointing her finger angrily at Ichigo, "It was the best thing to..." Ichigo was puzzled when the 2nd squad captain suddenly stopped, her eyes going wide as she looked at something behind him.

"It's the best thing to what?" he replied, feeling puzzled.

"To kill me. But obviously, that didn't work." a familiar voice said and Ichigo could see now why both captains stood stunned. That voice...belonged to Arianna. He whirled around, to see her on her feet, leaning on her zanpakto, stabbed in the ground beside her, for support. The wound in her shoulder was still bleeding, staining her black robes and yet...she was alive.

"It's not possible!" Soi Fong shouted, "You should be dead!"
"I was thinking the same thing." The girl's hand then reached into her robes, and eyes widened at what she pulled out. A slightly cracked white bone mask, with a gash through the right cheek and an indentation in the forehead area, which she guessed had been from her supposed deathblow.

Ichigo looked at the mask, which he'd seen quite a few times now. He couldn't help but think of a similar occurrence a long time ago, when he went to save Rukia and Hanataro had pulled out a Hollow mask from underneath his robes that supposedly had protected him from a fatal blow from Renji. The same thing had appeared after his fight with Kenpachi.

'I guess Hollow's look after their hosts then...guess we're no good if we're dead. But she's damn lucky...'

He still held his ground in front of the injured Arianna, knowing full well that the girl was still weak and her mask could only protect her like that once, now that it was no longer hidden in her robes.

Finding her footing, she then straightened, but one hand held the hilt of her ground driven zanpakto, should she need it for balance.

"Maybe I'll have to try again." Soi Fong said, readying Suzumebachi, "I won't fail this time." Ichigo raised Zangetsu.

"Not if I have anything to say about it." he replied.

"Step aside Kurosaki." Serephia said but Ichigo didn't move.

'Is he always this stubborn? They're so like each other...except different at the same time...'

Ichigo stood his ground, watching both captains closely, should they try to attack. But then he felt a soft weight on his shoulder.

"I value your courage and thankyou for coming to help me." Arianna said, her hand on his shoulder, "But this I must do alone."

"But..." 'I can't let you die again...she doesn't have the right to kill you...' Ichigo looked at her, amber eyes to silver. He could see the grim determination in those silver eyes and stepped away. This was her battle not his. He hated to have to step back, but he grudgingly understood and stepped away. He watched her draw her zanpakto out of the ground, holding it in front of her, in a defensive stance. Defensive was all she could muster the strength for at the moment.

"And now, " Soi Fong said, one foot sliding back as she prepared to attack, "it's time to finish this."

"STOP!!" A voice cried out, just as Soi Fong went to lunge Suzumebachi at Arianna. All heads turned to see Kenpachi standing in the clearing behind them, a distressed looking Yachiru on his shoulder. That cry of stop had obviously come from her.

"You can't kill her!" she shouted at Soi Fong, "Old Yama said not to kill her!" All eyes then appeared to be on Soi Fong.

"I was taking matters into my own hands! I don't see why I need to defend myself. I was attacked. She tried to kill me!" Ichigo looked at Arianna, who seemed unmoved, her face expressionless.

"Self-defence." she replied," Someone tries to kill you, you retaliate. I didn't ask for any of this to happen."

'This has all gotten too confusing...' Ichigo thought, watching her closely.

"Then it's best if you just come with us." Serephia said, her tone still level and calm.

"No."

"You leave us no choice then." The 5th squad captain's hand hovered near the zanpakto at her hip, "You refuse to cooperate, so we're left with forceful and..." she glanced at Kenpachi and Soi Fong, "aggressive methods to carry out orders." Arianna's temper flared at the comment.

"You don't care! I refuse because I don't want to go back. I don't want to endanger anyone, that's why I left. Nobody really seemed to have taken notice when a lowly 3rd seat disappears, but when she turns up as a Hollow shinigami it's suddenly a big deal!"

"I'm sick of fighting, but it seems like my only way out..."

"So you're sending me in?"

"I thought you'd be pleased..." There was no reply.

Her head bowed and her right arm, holding her zanpakto, straightened out to the right.

"Strike Moeagatteimasu Hebi." Her zanpakto then took on its shikai release form after a burst of flame down it. The bloodstained Hollow mask brushed against her robes as she cleaned the inside of it.

'So she's using it now to help her fight her way out of this…' Ichigo thought.

Kenpachi moved his zanpakto in front of him and Soi Fong readied herself for an attack. In its current state, her zanpakto wouldn't block an attack from Moeagatteimasu Hebi very well. Serephia remained unmoved, her hand still hovering over her zanpakto hilt.

"Let's see if you still think I'm so weak and cowardly now." Arianna said, before sliding the mask in place on her face. Yellow eyes then flashed in the eyeholes.

"But I assure you, you will think differently." Her Hollow side hissed, the grin of the mask a rather disturbing sight. The zanpakto in her hand then extended, before it was snapping back like a whip.

"And I know exactly who's first…" she said, before her arm swung forward, shooting her zanpakto towards the captains. Soi Fong jumped out of the way, feeling the air rush past her as it missed her. Kenpachi didn't even have to move, it wasn't anywhere near him. That left one person. Serephia.

Her own zanpakto was drawn out from its sheath quickly and held horizontally in front of her to block the attack from Hollow Arianna. Air rushed past her, rustling her robes as she slid back from the force of the blow, as Arianna's zanpakto impacted with hers. As the other zanpakto withdrew and the dust cleared, it revealed Serephia standing a few feet back, her zanpakto horizontal to her body, the metal of the blade scratched where Arianna's zanpakto had impacted with hers. Those few strands of hair that hung free from her fringe, were askew and her braid hung over one shoulder. But she appeared just as unmoved as before.

"Then, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get, you monstrosity."

"Monstrosity? That's a new one." The Hollow side's yellow eyes flashed in the light that filtered through the trees into the clearing.

"This should be interesting." It said, "But we're not here to chat are we?" The arm swung back, shooting the zanpakto at Serephia again. The 5th squad captain knocked it aside with her zanpakto, but it curved back around. However, that too was unsuccessful as Serephia moved her zanpakto behind her, vertical to her body, blocking that attack as well. She jumped up, back flipping over the shikai released zanpakto as the middle snapped in towards her and knocked it aside again as she came down. She slid slightly as she landed, but was ready again in seconds, zanpakto held in front of her body, angled across it in a defensive stance.

"We don't have to be doing this Arianna." Serephia said, her tone level, "This problem can be fixed."

"I'm sorry..." the Hollow said, grinning sadistically, "Arianna isn't available right now. Maybe you can try again later...unless I kill you." Its grin grew.

"I'm appealing to the girl I know, the one who's body you possess demon. The innocent soul that has been forced to this life because of you." All eyes turned to look at her.

"I saw what happened because of you, I saw her fear at what she was becoming, at what you were making her do." She paused, blue eyes full of anger at what stood before her, "You changed her. You played on her anger, on her fear and used it to your advantage. Enough that she relies on you to save her." The new 5th squad captain locked eyes with the Hollow, "What do you have to say to that?"

It laughed, it's eerie, inhuman laughter echoing in the clearing.

"What do I have to say?" it replied, "What do you have to say on that yourself? About how you were responsible?" Surprise flickered on Serephia's face. But then the mood turned serious again.

"But that can wait. Maybe you can tell her that yourself." It drew Arianna's zanpakto back, "If you survive." It shot it towards her again, but she was ready.

Leaping over it again, she deflected the attacks and once she landed on the ground she sprung into action, drawing her second zanpakto from her back and running towards the Hollow. Both swords blocked the attacks that came at her, gaining ground slowly. A growl came from the Hollow at the ineffectiveness of its attacks against the new 5th squad captain, but making it angry just made its attacks faster as it became desperate to hit her. And that's when it made its mistake. With a roar it sent Arianna's zanpakto flying right towards Serephia, it's blade gleaming in the half light. Leaping over it, Serephia dodged it easily, and once her feet hit the ground, she jumped up again and over the head of the Hollow.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, right before she struck, both her zanpaktos slicing diagonally across the Hollow's back, Arianna's back, making an X. All in the seconds that her enemy's zanpakto was withdrawing to be sent back at her. The Hollow stood still for a moment, disbelief in her yellow eyes, before they returned to silver and the mask dropped from its host's face. Her zanpakto clattered to the ground, seconds before she collapsed beside it, blood pouring from the wounds on her back. Fatigue and her latest injury had taken its toll on her and she was now out for the count. Serephia sheathed both her zanpaktos, her blue eyes looking down at Arianna.

"It is done." she said softly, before looking up at her fellow captains, present in the area.

"We need to summon the others, to tell them that its over. Then we'll bring her back to Soul Society and deal with her there. Once she's been healed. Captain Fong?"

"Of course." Soi Fong said, spite evident in her voice, "Captain Yulrik." She then disappeared to tell the other captains.

"Spoil sport." Kenpachi muttered to Yachiru, "She could have at least let me have a go..." The pink haired lieutenant looked at her captain.

"Don't worry Ken-chan, there'll be others." she said, "And she wouldn't have stood up to you long either..."

"I guess ya have a point Yachiru." He glanced over at Ichigo, who was standing still looking at Arianna.

'Unlike you Ichigo Kurosaki...'

She'd done it. Another thing to add to her guilty conscience. But the girl had to be stopped. She'd either had to disable her or be killed by that thing that resided within her. Simple enough. A plain black and white problem. Yet it didn't stop her feeling guilty. The Hollow had said that she too had been responsible for Arianna leaving Soul Society and yet she had no idea of what she could have done. Maybe if she'd acted when she saw the signs in her former 3rd seat that she was in trouble, she could have helped the girl. Maybe she could have stopped her from trusting that thing like she did now. But she had her own inaction to blame.

'And yet, now I act, when it's too late for her...' Sheathing both her zanpaktos, she sighed.

It was over. It was done. That's all she had to think about now. Mind on the present, not the past.

Ichigo knelt beside Arianna's prone form, knowing she was not dead, but unconscious. Fighting had taken a lot out of the girl, each fight having followed the previous one in succession. She'd been thoroughly worn out when her Hollow had faced Captain Yulrik (he wouldn't even think of saying her first name), which is how she managed to win so easily. He hated to think of what would happen now. There was little he could do anyway. It would just endanger himself, and her. He was always so protective of others, even those he shouldn't protect, like her. And yet, he felt obligated to, but had no idea why. Was it because she seemed so lost, so alone with only her Hollow for company? Or was it simply because of that fact, that they were the same. That they both had a little voice in the back of their minds, whispering to them, wanting to control them, although hers had more control over her then his did.

His mind drifted, thinking on this alone. Enough that he didn't notice the other captains arrive, until they were taking her away. And as he looked up, he caught the blue eyes of the new fifth squad captain and scowled, his amber eyes dark. Arianna's Hollow had said that she had had a part in Arianna fleeing from Soul Society. Something he'd never get to ask her about. His mouth moved, wanting to say something, but whatever it had been was lost and he watched the captain's leave. He heard Rukia, (who was now fully conscious) come to stand beside him.

"Alls well that ends well." She said, smugly. He ignored her, and started heading back home. The eerie laughter echoing inside his mind did nothing to ease his discomfort.

He had to help her. That much he knew. Because like it or not, they were the same. Sarokai Arianna and Kurosaki Ichigo were the same. Different people that shared the same problem. And he'd do what he could to help her with it. But he had to get her away from Soul Society first...

Some Random: Well, chappie four's done. The mystery deepens...what did Serephia have to do with anything? At the present, I'm not sure even she knows herself...(grins) but we will find out eventually! But if Ichi wants to help Arianna, he has to save her from Soul Society...aka another daring rescue...well, not quite. But that must wait till the next chapter. Thanks for the reviews from those that did and pretty please keep reviewing. To those that haven't, review! That's all from me. Some Random out. -