WHAT IF..? Snippet 10: At the final battle, anybody capable and willing to fight are there.
And the one taunt he should have *not* made, was the very thing that brought him down.
Drawn blades, fallen bodies.
That seemed to be the theme at the waging encounter.
But the will of each one was strong.
They would stand, stagger, charge - and continued to do so until they could.
The Quincy god found this sadistically entertaining as he easily took each one of his adversaries down.
Soon they would accept their fate.
Soon they would realize that their efforts and their sacrifices are in vain.
Soon they will all be gone.
Soon...
A split moment of distraction from his thoughts was not enough to catch him unaware as he grabbed one of his enemies by the neck.
Yhwach grinned as he held her struggling form higher from the ground for everyone to see.
"One by one, I shall end your miserable existence, starting with you, Rukia Kuchiki." His grip tightened and she gasped for air. "It is a shame, for there is a future, one that none of you will ever live to experience, where you are called a different name."
He turned his head, as he met each of the enraged glares of the four Shinigami that surrounded him.
"Rukia Kurosaki."
There was silence around them.
Every one of them, weary warriors and relieved survivors.
They will celebrate later, mourn sooner.
For now, they are content to be alive.
Proud to have been finally, truly victorious.
The remaining Squad Four members shuffled about, with limited resources and tended to their comrades.
Orihime had already activated Soten Kisshun around Uryu and Ryuuken - proud and stubborn as they were, they still needed to be healed. Chad and Ganju sat close by, waiting for their turn, since they fared much better than everyone else.
Hanataro Yamada actively offered whatever assistance he could. In the span of time that he had served under the Gotei Thirteen, he had never witnessed this much destruction... and carnage.
With a tired, sad sigh, he looked around to see if there was anybody else who needed him.
When his sights settled on two of his friends, he couldn't help but smile.
In one corner of the battlefield laid Ichigo Kurosaki: his head nestled comfortably on Rukia's lap while she healed him.
"Oi, don't bother them."
He stood straight as a rod, hearing the Sixth Division's Lieutenant.
"I wasn't going to, Abari-Fukutaicho." he turned around, expecting him to be alone.
"Ah, Kuchiki-Taicho! and..." he stared at the unfamiliar, yet, familiar face with them.
"This is Ichigo's dad." Renji said, putting the poor soul out of his confused state. "He's the former Captain of the Tenth..."
"Isshin Shiba. It's Kurosaki now. Long story."
The Leader of the Fourteenth Advance Relief Team nodded; there will be time to hear it someday. He eyed their bandaged bodies and held back the urge to scold them.
"YOU, YOU IDIOT!"
"GAH! MY HEAD!"
Hanataro spun around just in time to see the petite Kuchiki walk past them in a hurried, angry huff.
Byakuya saw his sister's flushed face and was ready to unleash Senbonzakura at the Daiko when he noticed the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. He re-sheathed his sword and settled for glaring at Ichigo who had rolled on to his stomach and stared at Rukia's retreating back with an amused look.
"See to his injuries." Isshin instructed. "But make sure you hurt him a little for whatever it was he said to Rukia."
The Shinigami healer nodded again then went to the hero's aid.
There will be time to tease him someday.
- END. -
Author's Note: Because this was rushed and I suck at writing fight scenes.
For those who don't get it (sorry I edited that part out in favor of dramatic flair), the furious four are: Isshin, Byakuya, Renji and Ichigo. Who else would be so livid about Yhwach hurting Rukia especially after finding out that she will be married (to Ichigo) someday?
Oh my, we're down to our final BLEACH manga chapter. *cries* It does feel very hurried and if rumors are to be believed, it is only because of some dispute with the publisher(?) that has caused Mr. Kubo to rush the ending (he really intended for BLEACH to end soon; just not 'this-coming-week' soon). *cries again*
I hope the series gets picked up as an anime and some sort of special (animation or manga) can be made to answer all the possible questions about the story and the characters that Mr. Kubo will be forced to leave hanging or open-ended because of the said rush. *still crying*
PS. BLEACH WIKI says Hanataro was promoted to "co-third seat of the fourth division" aside from being the "leader of the fourteenth advance relief team." Wow. I did not know that.