End of Days
Disclaimer: Bleach and its characters belong to Kubo Tite. Any OCs belong to me.
Author's Note: Update day! This chapter introduces another OC to the fold. I hope you guys like him as much as I do! This is also my longest chapter to date, which makes me feel a bit proud of myself.
Japan 2008
"Hey Uryuu," do you think we should get married?" Yuzu asked as she laid next to Uryuu, his arms tightly around her.
"Is that what you want to do?" Uryuu asked her.
Yuzu nodded and felt Uryuu's arms tighten around her. "Do you want to?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. She was almost afraid to hear his answer in case he said "no".
"Of course I want to marry you. I was hoping to ask when you could have your family around. I knew you'd want to share the moment with them," Uryuu replied.
"I'm sorry I ruined your plans!" Yuzu exclaimed.
Uryuu chuckled and kissed the top of Yuzu's head. "What brought this on?"
"Everything is going to become more dangerous now that we're going back to Karakura. I just didn't want anything bad to happen to either of us without knowing we have no regrets," the young woman confessed.
Uryuu nodded. Yuzu's words were the truth. There was only one thing he would regret more than not marrying Yuzu – not being there to raise their child. "I understand completely."
Yuzu smiled. She was happy. Despite everything happening around them, she had found complete happiness. She had everything she needed – love, acceptance, good family, and good friends. Everything had fallen into place after she had joined the Ishida men on their search for more Quincy. Her crush on Uryuu had blossomed into something beautiful and pure.
A loud knock at their bedroom door killed the romantic mood completely. "Get up. We need to leave."
Uryuu cursed but he and Yuzu sat up. There was only one reason his father would interrupt them in the middle of the night. Aizen's own personal army of Quincies had to be near. The number of Sternritter that had joined Aizen dismayed Uryuu. He had hoped the Quincies would be smart enough to oppose Aizen, who would likely kill them when he had no more use for them.
"Ready to go?" Yuzu asked after she had finished throwing on real clothes.
Uryuu nodded. "Stay close," he said.
"Of course. I'll always have your back."
"Let's go then," Uryuu said as he ushered Yuzu out of the room. The young couple soon joined Ryuuken and the handful of Quincies they travelled with. Some were like Yuzu and Uryuu, children who had been spared when their mixed blood parents had lost their powers to Yhwach. Two of them were pure blood Quincy like Ryuuken. And one was the only Sternritter they had encountered that didn't want to side with Aizen and hadn't been killed by Aizen's Sternritter.
"Let's get this show on the road," Bazz-B said impatiently
"No one said you have to stick around," Uryuu muttered. He and Bazz-B disliked each other greatly. The fact that Bazz-B had stuck around genuinely confused and surprised Uryuu.
"You looking to start a fight?" Bazz-B demanded.
"Enough! We don't have time for this!" Yuzu told them.
"Yuzu is right. We need to get moving. We'll split up and head for Karakura," Ryuuken explained. "Take the cars as far as you can."
"Stay safe," Yuzu said to Ryuuken.
Ryuuken nodded. "Bazz-B will go with you, Uryuu, and Eberhard."
"What?!" Uryuu and Bazz-B exclaimed.
"He is strong. You need that extra strength to protect Yuzu," Ryuuken told his son.
"I'd rather travel with you then," Uryuu said.
"You sound like an insolent child," Ryuuken pointed out to his son.
Uryuu glowered at his father.
"Uryuu, it's fine," Yuzu said softly, taking hold of his hand. "We can't afford to argue right now."
Uryuu sighed in defeat. "Do the cars have full tanks?" Uryuu asked his father.
Ryuuken nodded and handed his son a set of keys. "Good luck," the older Ishida said. He looked at his son, almost as if he wanted to say more. And perhaps he did but Ishida Ryuuken had long since lost the ability to articulate his emotions properly.
Uryuu took the keys from his father, meeting his gaze. "You too," he said and gave a slight nod. Uryuu had become better at reading his father over the last few years. He had felt he understood his father better even if they weren't any closer than they had been before.
Yuzu gave Ryuuken a quick hug, surprising him, before leaving with Uryuu. Bazz-B and Eberhard followed behind the couple quietly.
2 weeks later
"If we keep travelling at this rate we'll be in Karakura in a few weeks," Uryuu said to Yuzu and their companions. It was early evening and they had stopped to eat and rest.
"Good. I'm tired of living like a fugitive," grumbled Bazz-B.
"I've just happy for the chance to sleep in a real bed," Yuzu said happily.
"Thank you for opening up your family's home to us," Uryuu said to Eberhard.
"It's nice to come back here. I just wish it was under better circumstances," Eberhard, an older man with greying blonde hair and kind blue eyes.
Uryuu nodded. They had been lucky since they had split up from his father and the others. Aizen's Quincies hadn't found them again. He hoped his father had been just as lucky.
"How about we have some dinner now?" Yuzu suggested, hoping to distract everyone. They had stopped to add to their food supply the day before and Yuzu was confident she could cook something decent for them with what she had to work with.
"You're my guest, Yuzu-san. You don't have to cook for everyone!" protested Eberhard.
"It's fine. I've been in charge of cooking and cleaning since my mom died," Yuzu told Eberhard before she slipped into the kitchen with their food. She didn't leave the kitchen again until their dinner was finished cooking.
"It smells really good," Eberhard said as Yuzu ushered the three men into the dining room.
"Good," Yuzu said before she slipped back into the kitchen to get their dinner.
Bazz-B looked at Uryuu. "How'd someone like you get such an awesome woman?" he asked as Yuzu returned with their dinner.
"He's supported me and my decisions unconditionally for the last five years," Yuzu replied for her boyfriend.
"You could do better," Bazz-B told her.
Yuzu just smiled. "The heart wants what the heart wants, Bazz-B-san," she said as she set the food down on the table.
"You said your mother died. Was it a Shinigami?" Eberhard asked. He was still too new to the group to know Yuzu's history.
"Eberhard!" Uryuu hissed.
"It's okay. He doesn't know," Yuzu reassured Uryuu.
"Know what?" Eberhard asked, confused.
"Her father's a Shinigami, stupid," Bazz-B informed Eberhard, a fact Bazz-B only knew from his time as a Sternritter.
"I'm so sorry Yuzu-san! That was careless of me!" Eberhard apologized, looking ashamed of his tactless comment.
"You didn't know! It's fine, really. Even I didn't know the truth prior to this war," Yuzu reassured the older Quincy. "A Hollow killed my mother. She died saving my brother's life."
"Her brother is the Shinigami we're heading to Karakura for," Uryuu added as he helped himself to some food.
"And his allies," Yuzu said. Eberhard nodded a bit.
"That'll be a fun fight. I hope I take at last one out with me," Bazz-B said.
Yuzu frowned at him. "They're our allies in this fight," she reminded him.
"Do you really think they'll see I that way? Not fucking likely," Bazz-B replied.
"They forgave Uryuu!"
"Only because your father stepped in…" Uryuu mumbled.
"Then I'll step in! Bazz-B-san won't be harmed," Yuzu said determinedly. She levelled a fierce look at Bazz-B that would make her siblings proud. "I'll put in a good word for you. In return you won't pick any fights with them.
All three of the men stared at Yuzu. It was rare to see her act so stern with anyone. "Whatever you say kid," Bazz-B replied.
"I'm not a kid!" Yuzu stated, felling annoyed.
"You really should be more gracious to Yuzu-san," Eberhard told Bazz-B
"Don't chastise me, old man," Bazz-B retorted.
"I'm not chastising, little boy. I just believe it's inappropriate to treat a lady the way you do," Eberhard countered.
"Do you know who you're talking to?! I'm one of the Sternritter!" Bazz-B shouted, slamming his fists down on the table. He glared daggers at the older man.
Eberhard didn't even flinch at the outburst. The half-German Quincy had been around long enough to know how to handle people like Bazz-B. "You are a Quincy on the run. The day your king died is the day you stopped being a Sternritter."
Bazz-B narrowed his eyes at Eberhard. "You don't know anything!"
"I know I lost my child when the Gemischt Quincy lost their powers," Eberhard said. "So tell me, should I be grateful? Should I thank you, Sternritter, for serving the man who caused the deaths of so many? Yhwach was not better than the Shinigami."
Bazz-B just continued to glare at Eberhard but said nothing else. Instead, the red haired Quincy did nothing but eat.
"Your child wasn't a full blooded Quincy?" Uryuu asked. Before that moment, Eberhard had never revealed much about himself aside from the fact that he was half-German and half-Japanese. He was several years older than Ryuuken and he had mentioned once in passing that he had known Ishida Souken, Uryuu's grandfather.
Eberhard nodded, looking much older in that moment than he actually was. "I met a woman in Munich and fell in love. She wasn't a Quincy, but we were happy. My parents approved as well," Eberhard told the young Quincies at the table.
"That's so sweet," Yuzu said with a smile.
"Yes, she was a lovely woman. My Gitta was the sweetest, gentlest woman I have ever met. We married young, Gitta and I, and were expecting almost immediately. When the baby came along, I was excited to be able to pass on the Quincy legacy to her. Liselotte was of an age to begin training well before the Auswählen. And Lilo, she was excited to learn the way of her papa's ancestors. The training made Gitta nervous, but she allowed it.
"That awful day began as any other. Lilo did her studies before we trained together. We ate our meals with Gitta and Lilo helped her clean up afterward. That day, however, we decided to use some bait to draw out a few weak Hollow. It wasn't often Lilo got to apply her training on actual enemies. I watched from a distance, confident in my daughter's abilities. She had learned from me and I had learned from Quincies in Germany and Japan, including training with Souken Ishida.
"Lilo's fight went smoothly at the beginning. She did me and my mentors proud. It was my pride in my daughter that delayed my aid. By the time I realized something was wrong, it was too late to save Lilo. I managed to get her back to our home but she passed soon after with Gitta and I at her side," Eberhard told the others, wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Oh Eberhard-san! I am so, so sorry!" Yuzu sniffled sympathetically. She, too, had tears in her eyes.
"Thank you, Yuzu-san, for shedding tears for my beloved daughter," Eberhard said to her in reply.
"My mother died the same day," Yuzu said.
"My mother fell into a coma because of the Auswählen," Uryuu admitted.
"It was war and it was necessary! Everyone has to die sometime!" Bazz-B exclaimed quickly. "Everyone experiences loss!"
Eberhard nodded at Bazz-B. "Yes, everyone dies and everyone experiences loss. But causing death to increase one's own power is not just. A Quincy fights for justice. We do not slaughter our own for personal gain."
"It wasn't for personal gain! He gave us powers too!"
"You were cannon fodder. If you died, he gained back that power. He was good at manipulation," Uryuu spoke up.
Bazz-B just growled and stormed out of the dining room. Yuzu sighed and Uryuu muttered "good riddance" under his breath.
"I think his story is probably just as tragic as our own," Eberhard mused, mostly to himself.
"The world is full of sadness. I hate it," Yuzu said.
"The sadness allows you to enjoy the happiness that much more, Yuzu-san. Never forget that."
Canada 2008
Isane flopped down in the grass, breathing hard. She hadn't trained so hard in such a long time and she was exhausted.
"You're doing better," Yumichika told her as he sat down beside her.
"She still has a long way to go," Ikkaku told Yumichika and Isane. The hairless man didn't even look like he had broken a sweat compared to Isane.
"Be nice, Ikkaku. She's still adjusting to our style," Yumichika chided.
"He'll get his during kidou training," Isane replied.
"Whatever you say, Kotetsu," Ikkaku said with a shrug.
"How is that going?" Yumichika asked Isane, ignoring the glare it earned him from Ikkaku.
"He's making progress slowly," Isane answered.
"Has he blown himself up yet?"
Isane laughed but shook her head. "Not yet!"
"Shut up, both of you!" Ikkaku growled, his face turning red from anger and embarrassment.
"Ikkaku, the top of your head is turning red," Yumichika pointed out.
"SHUT UP!"
"All right, stop picking on Madarame! I really don't want to deal with a brawl tonight," came Nanao's voice from behind the trio.
"Welcome back Nanao, Hisagi-san," Isane greeted Nanao and Hisagi. The two of them had gone into town to get food and other supplies the Shinigami had run out of. The five of them had made a nice home in the secluded cottage they had found. Initially they had planned to stay as long as it took Yumichika and Hisagi to heal from their injuries but it soon became home.
"It looks like you three are having fun," Hisagi commented. He never imagined there would be a time when anyone from the 4th and 11th Divisions would have fun together.
"We're making bets on how soon Ikkaku will blow himself up in his kidou training," Yumichika replied casually.
"Damn it, shut up Yumichika!" Ikkaku snapped.
"I hope you're taking Isane's lessons seriously, Madarame," Nanao said, her glasses glinting dangerously.
Ikkaku shivered involuntarily at the look. "Of course I am! I'm a man of my word! And Kotetsu has been keeping hers," he grumbled, looking away from Nanao.
"Yes, things are fine Nanao, but thank you," Isane added, a little scared of Nanao as well.
"Let's just go get today's lesson over with Kotetsu," Ikkaku said quickly.
"Eh? Right now?" Isane asked, confused. She looked at Ikkaku for a moment before getting up off the ground. "o-okay, if you really want to," she said, sounding a bit unsure.
Ikkaku just stalked off without another word. He had been insistent that they work in private. It was embarrassing enough learning kidou; the last thing he wanted was an audience.
"We'll be back for dinner," Isane said to Nanao.
"Show him no mercy," Yumichika said from where he remained sitting. Isane smiled down at Yumichika before she followed after her angry pupil.
"She looked exhausted," Hisagi pointed out.
"Ikkaku has a soft spot for her it would seem," Yumichika told Hisagi and Nanao casually.
"How do you figure that?" Hisagi asked, confused.
"He's pushing her harder than anyone else. He wants her to be the absolute best she can be," answered Yumichika as he fiddled with his hair.
"I don't know if that equates to him having a soft spot for Isane," Nanao said, unconvinced by Yumichika's logic.
Yumichika just shrugged. "It's true whether you believe it or not. He respects her enough to treat her as an equal."
"Who knew he had a sensitive side?" Hisagi mused. Nanao snorted at the thought.
"Don't tell him that though. You'll end up with a matching set of scars on your face," Yumichika informed Hisagi.
"Oh trust me, I won't be pointing it out to him any time soon," Hisagi said. He wasn't about to provoke Ikkaku.
"Please remember that the next time the two of you get drunk. I don't want to play nurse to you again," Nanao instructed sternly before she turned to go into the cottage.
"But you make an excellent nurse!" Hisagi called to her retreating form.
"And you are an insufferable patient!" Nanao called back.
"I'm not that bad!" insisted Hisagi. With another incredulous snort, Nanao disappeared into the cottage. "Aw, c'mon Nanao!" Hisagi said with a laugh before following his girlfriend into the cottage.
Yumichika shook his head and chuckled as he was left alone. He was happy for his friends. And as much as he missed the action filled life of a Shinigami, he did hope they could enjoy the home they made together a little longer.
"Let's call it a night, Ikkaku-san," Isane called from where she was sitting and watching Ikkaku practice. She had given him some instruction initially but she knew he really needed to blow off steam.
"Fight me," Ikkaku said instead.
"Fight you? Why?" the silvery haired woman asked, confused.
Ikkaku flashed her am almost feral grin. "For the hell of it. Bet you could use the release."
Isane blushed, knowing there could be all kinds of double meaning behind Ikkaku's words.
"C'mon Kotetsu. Show me what you got," Ikkaku continued, trying to goad her into action.
Isane glared at Ikkaku but got to her feet anyway. "You're going to regret that," she warned, her hand going to Itegumo's hilt.
Ikkaku's grin widened and he reached for his Houzukimaru. All the training drills he had been doing had left him itching for a good fight. There hadn't been any real Hollow attacks lately and Ikkaku was growing restless. "Show me what the fourth division is made of!" he taunted.
Isane drew Itegumo and charged at Ikkaku. It had always bothered her that the 11th Division made it a point to harass and put down her division. She was a skilled enough fighter as it was but training with the others had definitely helped her improve. She would do Unohana-taichou proud and one up Ikkaku.
"Focus, Kotetsu!" Ikkaku ordered as he easily dodged and countered her attack. Isane countered his attack and glared at him. "Keep your focus and you might stand a chance," Ikkaku taunted with a grin.
The two Shinigami continued to fight, each of them attacking, countering, and defending. Their movements were fluid, their Zanpakutou extensions of their bodies. They moved as though they were performing a complicated dance. Their dance was brief, however. Mid-attack, Ikkaku stopped moving. "Something's coming," he said to Isane.
"Should we try to get back to the others?" Isane asked.
Before Ikkaku could answer, the enemy appeared from the trees. Dressed in white uniforms resembling those of the Wandenreich, a dozen figures appeared around Isane and Ikkaku. Each figure held a Zanpakutou.
"What the hell?! Are they Shinigami or Quincy?" Ikkaku asked, confused.
"Something's not right with them. Look at their skin, it's severely discoloured," Isane pointed out.
"What the fuck happened to them?" asked the baffled Ikkaku.
"I don't know. Aizen must have done something to them," replied the equally baffled Isane. The circle of enemies began to close in on the two Shinigami, forcing them to stand back to back. Suddenly, Isane's eyes widened. "Ogidou? Iemura?"
"Who?" asked Ikkaku without looking over his shoulder.
"They're part of my division," Isane replied, her voice trembling just a little.
Without a word, Iemura lunged at Isane, his sword poised for the kill.
"Iemura, stop!" Isane exclaimed, bringing her own sword up to block the attack. The blond member of the 4th Division just continued to attack Isane, his movements a little slow and stiff. He moved almost as though he were being controlled by strings. Isane had the advantage over Iemura, though she only attacked if necessary and never tried to seriously injure the man.
"Fight seriously Kotetsu! They're our enemies!" Ikkaku called out as he showed the Wandenreich-Shinigami no mercy. He had released Houzukimaru at some point while Isane was distracted.
The tall woman faltered. "They're fourth division! I can't hurt them!" She blocked Iemura again. At the same moment Ogidou decided to attack Isane as well, catching her off guard. Isane cried out as Ogidou's blade sliced her arm.
"Kotetsu!" Ikkaku tried to get over to her as Iemura and Ogidou moved to attack at the same time.
"Kare, Kazeshini!" One of Hisagi's double bladed scythes flew at Ogidou while the other Targeted Iemura. Isane stumbled back, surprised by Hisagi's arrival.
"Isane! Are you okay?"
Isane blinked as Nanao appeared next to her. "Nanao! Something's wrong with them!" Isane told her friend.
"I know. We were ambushed at home," Nanao informed Isane. "They're puppets of a Quincy serving Aizen."
"What?!"
Nanao nodded. "Ayasegawa is fighting her. He volunteered so Shuuhei and I could sneak off to find you two."
At the mention of his name, Yumichika appeared, bloody from his own battle. At the same moment, the Wandenreich-Shinigami began to retreat.
"What's going on?" demanded Ikkaku, who looked just as bad as Yumichika.
"It looks like Aizen recruited the Quincy," Nanao replied.
"Did you learn anything from the Quincy girl?" Hisagi asked Yumichika.
Yumichika grimaced. "'She' is a 'he' and his blood turns Shinigami into zombies."
"Did you kill her?" Nanao asked.
"'Him' and no," replied Yumichika.
"Then why did she… he… it retreat?
"I don't know!" exclaimed Yumichika, frustrated and annoyed. "I almost killed him before he got away."
"You'll get your chance. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of our zombie friends," Nanao reassured him.
"Those fucking things are a pain in the ass, that's for sure," Ikkaku said, referring to the zombie Shinigami he and Isane just thought.
"Those 'things' are fourth division Shinigami, my friends!" Isane snapped, suddenly filled with rage.
"Fourth division?" echoed Nanao.
Isane nodded. "If we go back, we could save them. I'm sure Urahara-san can fix this," the tall woman continued on.
"The only way to help them is to kill them," Ikkaku said harshly.
Isane turned to face him, glaring hard at him. "You don't know that they can't be cured!"
"And you don't know that they can! Wake up, Kotetsu! This is war! People are going to die!" Ikkaku told Isane calmly.
"You're okay with murdering our friends?!" Isane exclaimed, on the verge of hysterics by that point.
"To you it's murder. I see it as compassion. I'd rather die than be controlled by Aizen and his followers," Ikkaku said, still calm. It wouldn't help anyone if he lost his temper. "Ise, she's injured. Why don't you take her inside?"
Isane looked down and noticed her arm was covered in blood. She remembered Ogidou landing a hit on her but she hadn't realized had bad it had been. "Oh," she breathed, suddenly pale now that her adrenaline rush was coming to an end.
"Come on, Isane. Let's go get you cleaned up," Nanao said gently. She began leading Isane back to their home.
When Ikkaku was certain the two women were far enough away, he turned to look at Yumichika and Hisagi. "Those zombies were ruthless. All they do is fight unless you kill them," he informed the two of them. He led them over to where he had last been fighting. "It was he or me," Ikkaku said. He stopped walking when he reached a headless corpse. Yumichika's eyes widened and Hisagi gasped in surprise.
"Do you know who it was?" Hisagi asked.
Ikkaku shook his head. "No one I knew," he said.
"Such an ugly thing to do to a Shinigami," Yumichika commented.
"Decapitation?" inquired Hisagi.
"Dressing them in that uniform," replied Yumichika, wrinkling his nose at the body.
"That's what you're upset about?!" Hisagi demanded. "That's a dead Shinigami! One of us!"
"No, that is an enemy. One of them," Yumichika replied. "Ikkaku is right, this is war. If we falter in the face of any enemy, we will be the ones to die."
