The night had fallen into its usual, sleepy silence by the time Sakura left the Urahara Shop. The citizens of Karakura Town slept peacefully in their beds and the street was filled only with the quiet hum of insects and the soft footfalls of Sakura's low-heeled boots as she walked along. She looked up into the star speckled sky and felt peaceful, noticing how her body felt loose and light. She hadn't fully appreciated how tense she had grown back at Sereitei, waiting everyday to hear of her friends and what was happening out in the human world. She knew that she had only been allowed back here because the Arrancar had disappeared as silently as they'd first arrived. Of course, they all knew they would return but the lull had been long enough that those in power had felt safe in sending an unreliable rebel like Sakura to the world.
Shaking her head, thinking about those back at the Soul Society who still glanced at her with distrust, she was totally unprepared for the blast of spiritual pressure that assaulted her. Her head snapped up, eyes looking out towards the horizon. Hitsugaya's group were under attack. She could feel it. Without thinking, she took off towards the familiar sensation of another Shinigami's spiritual pressure.
Her feet pounded against the pavement, braided white hair flying out behind her in a long line as she rushed onwards, thinking of her friends. As she ran, she held her hands by her hips and concentrated her own spirit energy. The air beneath her palms seemed to shimmer and hum, and then two long swords hung from her hips; her trusty duel Zanpakuto. She sent a small mental thank you to those at Sereitei who had left her enough energy to call her weapons to her.
Skidding around a corner, into a nearby alley, Sakura was closing in on her destination when a tremendous spiritual pressure, greater than the one before, blasted into her. It was like nothing she had felt before; stealing the breath from her lungs and making her stumble. For a moment that lasted far too long, she felt as if her life-force and energy had been totally sucked from her. Sagging to her knees, she gasped for breath, black spots dancing before her eyes and then, as soon as it had arrived, the pressure lifted, and she fell forward, hands on the cool ground, coughing the oxygen back into her lungs.
Her eyes flashed as a familiar sensation shivered down her spine. She knew with total certainty that the energy she had just felt came from Yumichika. Stumbling in her haste, her limbs still weak, she propelled herself forwards, heart pounding as icy fear embraced her heart.
As she darted out into a small, dark street surrounded by run-down buildings, her eyes scanned the road desperately, falling upon a still figure sprawled in the flicking light of a nearby streetlamp. Her heart seemed to stop for a moment, breath catching in her throat, and then she was on her knees, pale hands reaching for Yumichika. His eyes were closed, lashes dark and sooty against his unnaturally pale skin. There was a deep, livid wound that crossed from his right eye, across his nose, and onto his left cheek. Blood seeped from it, sliding down his prominent cheekbones in long, thick lines. Hands shaking, Sakura explored the rest of his body, wincing as she discovered a large wound on his right side.
Yanking off her jacket, Sakura turned it inside out and pressed it against the gaping wound, trying to stem the blood flow. Yumichika stirred, moaning softly, one hand fumbling against the road as if searching for something. Sakura looked in the direction of his movement and noticed something that made her blood run cold. Lying in pieces against the dark road was Yumichika's shattered Zanpakuto, Fuji Kujaku. Her eyes lifted, searching the darkness desperately, fear and anger raging inside of her. Yumichika was strong, so much stronger than her. Secretly, she'd always suspected that he could attain Captain rank if he so desired, and the thought of what could have destroyed his Zanpakuto so completely made her afraid.
She shook herself, one hand still pressing her jacket to Yumichika's wounded side. She had to focus on getting them out of here alive. She could be afraid later; now she had to act. Carefully, trying not to disturb her wounded friend, she slipped his ear-piece communicator from off his head and slid it onto her own. Tapping a few buttons on its side, she cleared her throat.
"This is Sakura Takahashi. I am west of the Urahara Shop, on 5th street. Yumichika Ayasegawa is badly wounded. I need urgent assistance."
The device crackled, and then the cool voice of Captain Hitsugaya, slightly out of breath as if he'd been fighting, filled her head.
"Understood. I am sending Madarame to your position."
Sakura's eyes closed in relief, though tension still thrummed through her body.
"Tell him to be quick, captain. The situation is not looking good. I cannot stop the bleeding."
"Hold on, Sakura." Hitsugaya's voice was firm and Sakura latched onto that, allowing the voice of command to comfort her. "He'll be there."
"Thank you, sir." Sakura ended the call, lowering her hand back to Yumichika's wound.
He stirred once more, his good eye fluttering open and fixing on her face.
"Sakura?" His voice was barely a whisper and sounded painfully hoarse.
"Hey, Yumi." Sakura somehow kept her voice light and even. "Don't you worry about a thing. I'm going to get you all patched up. We wouldn't want anything to ruin that famous beauty of yours, right?"
He gazed at her but his eye was glassy and he looked dazed. Sakura didn't think he understood a word she was saying, and worried that he was suffering from a concussion as well as the blood loss. His lips moved, and she realised that he was still speaking, though the sound barely registered. She leant over him, hands still pressing tight against him as she worked to slow his bleeding.
"It didn't work. I couldn't. . . had no effect. Never happened before. . ." He trailed off, eye closing once more, and Sakura stared down at him, her face pale and drawn.
Even though she knew he couldn't hear her, she shook her head and whispered, "Yumi, I don't understand."
Her head snapped up suddenly as a strange sensation rushed up her spine, making the hair on the back of neck stand to attention. Quickly, she bound her wadded jacket to Yumichika with a strip of his own robe and then stood, eyes scanning the darkness. The silence was filled with the silken sound of metal against metal as she drew her swords. The air to her right blurred, and she moved her swords just in time. They clashed against her opponent, whose face was suddenly inches from her own.
Blinking, Sakura stared into the man's face. One half was covered in a Hollow's mask, and the part that was visible was handsome in a thin, aristocratic way, with a shock of rich blue hair slicked back, and a fastidious little mustache. He wore a sleek white kimono with a black obi, and a high-cut matching white jacket that showed off the gaping round hole in his stomach. He was clearly an Arrancar.
"Back to finish the job?" Sakura hissed, trying to tame the rush of fear that raced through her as two things rose to the front of her mind: one being that her powers were sealed, and the second being that this man had stopped her razor-sharp swords with his bare hands.
The Arrancar raised one pitch black eyebrow.
"My dear," his voice was rich and polite, "we have not encountered each other before, and I do not know this wounded creature lying on the ground." He stepped back suddenly, though Sakura kept her swords up in readiness.
The tall Arrancar swept an arm across his body and inclined his head and shoulders in a neat bow. "I am Patros, one of the strongest Arrancar." He looked up into her face, his sunken, dark eyes fixed on her own. "And you shall bow to me, mortal."
Sakura threw back her head and laughed as much with bravado as genuine amused shock at this strange, fastidious, arrogant creature. Arrancar or not, she had the distinct impression that his arrogance far succeeded his power. Though, she realised with sudden sobriety, with her own powers sealed there was little chance she could defeat him before Ikkaku arrived. Not wishing to let her guard down, she smirked at Patros with an arrogant shake of her head.
"You assume I am human. That would be your first mistake."
He rose, eyebrows high, his expression sceptical. "You are trying to convince me that you are a Shinigami?"
Sakura realised he had a point. Her spirit energy was almost entirely sealed away and, apart from her Zanpakuto, she certainly didn't look the part, unless the standard Shinigami uniform had been changed to tight black jeans and clingy white t-shirts stained with blood. She rallied, however, hoping to distract him long enough for Ikkaku to reach them.
"Surely you know we are patrolling the area."
He shrugged at this, looking unimpressed.
"You are of little concern to me. I have no interest in Shinigami or their petty rules. I have my own plans."
"Ahh," Sakura flashed a feral smile, "so you're a deserter, huh? Unhappy with Aizen's rule?"
Patros' eyes narrowed.
"The Arrancar will not be ruled by a lowly Shinigami."
"It seems to me that they already are. Bit of a blow to the ego, huh?"
He lashed out then but Sakura was ready for it, leaping out of the way and far from the prone form of Yumichika, hoping to make Patros forget about him entirely.
"You are quick, I will give you that, woman. But you are no match for me, and you know it."
Sakura shrugged before easing into a fighting stance.
"I guess we'll find out."
The air blurred once more and this time Sakura had no time to move out of the way. At some point Patros must have drawn his sword because she felt the blade cut into her left arm, and staggered back from the blow and resulting pain. Blood dripped down her bare arm and onto the dark road. When she looked at Patros, his sword was sheathed once more and there was an expression of smug satisfaction on his aristocratic face.
"My, my, they simply don't make Shinigami like they used to."
"Fuck you," Sakura hissed. Not the most eloquent response but the pain and fear had turned to anger, and the fierce pounding of her heart made her stand tall. She could feel her power struggling against its seal, and wondered if what she had left would be enough.
Readying herself, she lunged at the blue-haired Arrancar in a flurry of sword thrusts. She might not have her full powers but she was still an expert swordswoman and faster than any human. As he parried her every blow, she knew in her heart that he was merely toying with her, but their fight took them further and further from the wounded Yumichika, who she hoped could hold on long enough.
Patros lashed at her once more with that unbelievably fast sword strike, and blood sprayed out into the cool night air. This time he'd caught her along her right side and she knew instantly that it was bad. Her left arm, weakened by its wound, was going numb and it was taking all her concentration to grip onto her sword. Blood made her palm slick and her breathing came in heavy pants.
The next time Patros moved, she had no chance, and was unsurprised to feel his blade at her throat. He forced her to her knees, gazing down at her with an expression of total disgust.
"You should thank me for ending your misery, and giving you a recourse for your shame."
Sakura stared up at him, unusual violet eyes alive with hate and rage. She remained silent in her defiance, and he laughed arrogantly, mocking her. The blade was just beginning to draw blood when a blur knocked Patros aside. Sakura sagged forward with relief at the sight of Renji Abarai fending the arrogant Arrancar off. As they fought, Sakura noticed a small black symbol on Renji's chest and knew that his full powers had been released. They were saved.
Pulling herself up with great effort, one hand on her wounded side, she staggered over to Yumichika as the fight raged behind her. Just as she was trying to work out how she could lift Yumi without hurting him, the air blurred and then Ikkaku was by her side. He reached out an arm to steady her, dark eyes on her face.
"Are you okay?"
She shook her head. "I'll be fine. Yumichika is in really bad shape. We need to get him out of here. Now."
Ikkaku looked down at his friend with an expression that Sakura could not read. She shivered. The tall, bald man turned to look at the fight, his eyes following the movements of the fighters intently. Sakura knew he longed to join in and expected him to leap in instantly. She was sure he would have if Renji hadn't unleashed his bankai. In seconds, the fight was over, and all that remained of Patros was an echoing cry that died out into silence.
Sakura fell to her knees, dizzy with blood loss. Sweat dripped into her eyes, blurring her vision. She turned her head towards the two men she trusted with her life.
"Get Yumi out of here." She fell forwards into nothingness.