I do not own Bleach.
Chaos reigned over Seireitei. Shinigamis ran around in a flurry, putting out fires with buckets of water or, those lucky enough to wield ice and water type zanpakutos, with their blades. Hitsugaya Toshiro was marching among them, shouting out orders. Rukia could see the frustration in his eyes. She stood beside him, watching as the fires began to grow, reaching higher and higher into the sky. She could feel the heat burning her skin when she felt him shift next to her.
"All right, that's it," she heard him mutter. He pulled his zanpakuto from its sheath on his back and swung it in an arc. "Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!"
A line of ice slithered through the fires, freezing everything in its way. Hitsugaya was breathing heavily and he stumbled a little. Hyourinmaru winked in and out of focus before disintegrating. Hitsugaya dropped down heavily onto one knee, anchoring his zanpakuto into the ground to keep himself upright.
It was then Rukia noticed the blood seeping into the ground from his wound. She crouched down beside him, anxiety in her gaze and movements but unable to do anything beside watch. It infuriated her not being able to change what she was seeing. She clenched her fists on her knees.
"Taicho!" she heard Matsumoto shout. The female Shinigami dropped down on Hitsugaya's other side and reached out a hand to rest on his shoulder. "What are you doing out here? You need your rest," she added softly.
Hitsugaya brushed off her hand and got onto shaky feet. His body swung precariously, his zanpakuto trailing the ground at his feet. Perspiration beaded his forehead and he gritted his teeth as he surveyed the destruction. Thick acrid smoke rose to the skies amidst a background of golden flames.
"Matsumoto, look at what's happening around us," he started in a low voice. "Half of the captains are missing and half of the remaining ones are injured to the point of unconsciousness. Even Unohana is out for the count. The bodies are piling up in Seireitei and if we're not careful we won't have a home to go back to. The last thing I need to do is rest."
"But, taicho – "
"No, Matsumoto. The Captain-Commander's capture must not reach their ears or they will panic. These people need orders now or all they'll do is cower behind decrepit buildings. No one else seems to be doing it. Chaos is what causes destruction, not the objective of a single banished Shinigami."
Rukia was aptly listening to the conversation between the tenth squad captain and his vice. This was the future she had seen. Or what it would eventually build up to. She glanced up at the shadow of Sokyoku Hill, shimmering in the distance between billowing smoke and the licking tongues of fire.
Why was Hagiwara doing this to her? Why was he making her watch things happen in succession when she didn't even have a chance of changing it? What good would knowing about this dreaded future do except to perhaps slow down its progression? She herself didn't really believe in the concept of changing the way the world would be. Yes, they may be able to change the course of how it happens but wouldn't the destination still be the same?
Hitsugaya dropping to his knee again brought her back to her current reality. His face looked paler than usual. He was losing too much blood. Matsumoto was clenching her teeth together but didn't question the motives of her captain again. Instead she gripped his arm and hauled him to his feet, the sturdy rock a vice captain should be. She was looking out at the sea of agony, the fire reflecting in her blue depths.
"I don't understand why anyone would want to open the Damarian Portal."
"Whatever the motive that madman was after was achieved, wasn't it?" Hitsugaya coughed. "He wanted Seireitei to burn."
The Damarian Portal? Rukia wracked her brain for information about this latest piece of knowledge. Despite how many years she had spent in Seireitei she didn't recall ever hearing about this phenomenon. She frowned. If what Hitsugaya said was true, and it had to be seeing as it was in the future, then Hagiwara was looking for this portal. To open. And cause this destruction.
Seeing as he needed her he probably didn't know where it was or how to open it. Maybe she should lead him on a wild goose chase and try to buy some time until Ichigo found her, because she had no doubt that he would. The idea was quickly put to death at the thought of the casualties it could render. Namely three of them. Hagiwara wouldn't even think of hesitating in hurting her friends. She couldn't let them down. This wasn't leaving her with very many choices. She pondered over her thoughts.
Amidst all the chaos, a new sound rent the air, a hauntingly beautiful melody. Rukia took a step forward, face turned towards the sky, straining to hear the ballad being sung. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto did the same. It floated through the air, as soft as candlelight, twisting through buildings, seeping into the ground. The tension even eased from Hitsugaya's shoulders at the tune.
"What is that?" Matsumoto asked.
"It's a song of the ancients. I haven't heard it in a very long time," Hitsugaya said, a hint of a smile on his face. He coughed again, the action causing his entire body to shudder violently.
"A song of the ancients. I've never heard of that before." Matsumoto didn't say anything but her grip on her captain tightened.
"I was fortunate enough to hear it once as a kid. But once is enough."
The voice got louder until words were heard clearly. Rukia stiffened, recognising the voice at once. It was a voice she couldn't dispute even if she wanted to, a voice so familiar to her she would never forget. It was her own voice. She was singing this song of the ancients that she herself had never even heard of. How was that possible?
"And when the Angels' cry, the wicked will fall…"
The voice trailed off into stillness, the last vestige of the words echoing into nothing.
"And when the Angels' cry, the wicked will fall," Hitsugaya repeated softly. And then he collapsed in Matsumoto's arms.
At once Rukia's world began spinning, catapulting her through space and time. She heard the haunting cry of Matsumoto, screaming out her captain's name. She tried to speak but the words were stuck in her throat. In all the times she had been having these visions this had never happened before. And when her voice did function again she wasn't really surprised at the name that escaped her.
"ICHIGO!"
Karakura Town
Ichigo paused, looking up at the sky with a frown slashing his eyebrows down. He thought he felt Rukia's presence. Her scent was bombarding him, a scent he had thought not possible to be able to grasp. Right now it was just beyond his grasp and no matter how much he mentally reached out he couldn't get a grip on it. He cursed softly. The pang in his heart told him it wasn't a lie, that maybe she really was reaching out to him. But his surroundings told a different story.
"Ichigo," Renji snarled, waving a fist at him in annoyance. "Move it! We're running on precious time here."
"Sorry, I'm coming," Ichigo said, following Renji down to Urahara's underground basement/training ground.
Hitsugaya had broken them up into teams. Renji and Ichigo were going to survey Hueco Mundo, just in case Rukia might be there. Yumichika, Ikkaku, Matsumoto, and Hitsugaya were going to investigate any traces of reiatsu they could pick up around the town. Hanataro was to be left behind with Urahara and help him with whatever he needed. Apparently Hitsugaya hadn't felt that they would find anything in Hueco Mundo but he still wanted to send a team there to look around. Ichigo suspected it was just to get him out of Karakura Town, although he didn't know why.
"Are you boys ready for this?" Urahara asked, standing on one side of the towers needed to open a garganta. Tessai stood on the other side.
"Of course," Ichigo said, arms at his side, fists clenched tightly. "I'm going to get her back."
"Yes, yes," Renji said. "Open it already."
"Remember, we're giving you both two hours to search the place. The garganta will open in the same place it drops you off at. Don't be late," Urahara said with a mild smile.
Once the portal was open Ichigo and Renji bounded in, running through the portal as fast as they could. Each was worried about Rukia in their own way and lost in their thoughts. So it was no surprise that when they emerged on the other side they narrowly avoided being the victims of a group of hollow, who had obviously been waiting for them, their roars reaching the skies.
Hope you guys are enjoying this. Thanks for reading! :)