Hi there! *dodges frying pans and other cooking ware*. I'm so sorry it's been so long since my last update. I've been busy with school and dealing with outbursts of writer's block. But I've finally finished this chapter. Also, for those of you who guessed that the beginning of the next chapter will be in Byakuya's POV cookie for you (but not really...for I have no cookies...)

Byakuya's POV

I let out a soft sigh and regarded the clock on the wall of my office. I have been doing this often as of late. When I am working, when I go out walking, and even in my home I find myself deeply unsettled. I have been specifically requested to keep a significant distant between myself and Kitsune.

I was reluctant to push her away after we formed our...well I suppose 'relationship' would suffice but we have yet to engage in activities that would clearly follow the creation of a relationship. These activities would include holding hands, taking each other out for evenings, holding each other, kissing, etc. I have done one of these things on one occasion, and even then it wasn't quite what one would expect. Kissing. I am talking about kissing. I have kissed her once. On the forehead.

Also I fear she is beginning to resent me for the space that I have suddenly been putting between us. I see her constantly trying to find me, to speak to me, but I am forced to keep my mask of cold indifference on as best I can. Soon, however, it will begin to slip, as I find it does in her presence.

I sighed once again and rubbed my temple. My tactics for avoiding her thus far have been fairly successful, but she is no fool, she shall realize my intent soon enough if she already hasn't. After a few more painfully long hours of paper work I set out in search of her.

I have made a decision. I shall speak to her, briefly mind you. I find myself feeling oddly...alone. Not in the literal sense but I feel...lone-. No, I shall not admit to that. I am not missing her company. No, I am perfectly fine. Perfectly fine...

I wandered about, searching for her in places she often was, and when that failed I searched places she rarely was, and when that too failed I searched places I doubt she'd ever been. The unsettling feeling in my gut had now grown. It was then that I remembered something. The place where I was first aware of my...attraction to her. That hill, could she be there?

I turned around and headed for the hill. I arrived in record time and spotted her instantly. She was sitting facing the sun, her back to me. Even from this distance I could tell she was tired; I did not need to examine her reiatsu to know this.

I walked towards her and said, "So here you are."

She paused for a brief moment before replying, "Yup, here on Issho."

I had reached her and decided to risk sitting down next to her, "Issho you say?"

She nodded, "Yes. I named this hill Issho, it means together, meeting, company. It also means the same place, one place. I named it in honour of the day we sat here, together."

I was stunned. She remembered that day, and it seemed she too thought of it as a special place. But I had to make sure she truly did, and I wondered what her reason was for keeping it fondly in her memory, "You hold this place in so tenderly in your heart, why?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment. Finally she spoke, "It does mean a lot to me, and perhaps our meeting may not have been so dramatic or even lengthy, but to me it holds a deep significance. Of us, of us together; watching the sunset. I don't want to lose that, not to the weight of my past nor the uncertainty of my future. I want this to be eternal, I want this to be the place we have together, our same place...our one place."

If I was stunned before I was stupefied now. She too thought of this place as significant? She too held that memory dearly and wanted to keep it for us. Just us. Just as I did. I was too numb from my epiphany to say anything.

I nearly panicked when she stood up, "Where are you going?" I could feel my muscles tighten. The urge to take her in my arms was so compelling it took an enormous amount of my years of self-discipline and restraint not to do so.

She looked surprised, "I have something I need to take care of."

Something? That was very vague. I disliked her obvious evasion, but my desire for her not to leave over powered my urge to question her further. The question I did ask, in a very quiet voice, was "...Must you?"

She answered almost as quietly, "Yes...I have to."

I let out a soft sigh. Just when I believed we had grown closer something drove us farther away. I made up my mind, when she returned I would speak to her frankly and perhaps even kiss her properly.

But for now I believe I should say something, "Very well. Be careful."

She smiled, "Aren't I always?"

I had to smile at this, and I let a chuckle slip out. I was not sure if she heard however. As she walked away I felt a new feeling in my gut. I couldn't tell you why I felt it so suddenly, but I am able to identify what it was. Foreboding. I frowned. This would not be the last time I looked upon her face. I would make sure of that.

Kitsune's POV

I was better prepared this time for what I would encounter in the World of the Living. So when I stepped out of the portal I was not surprised to see deep grey, stormy skies and have icy winds tear at my uniform. The wind sounded like hundreds of whispers, all familiar and yet foreign.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. My footsteps crunched in the frost-covered grass. There were people everywhere, but whenever I focused on one it seemed to disappear and the others were shrouded in shadows.

I soldiered on.

I didn't know where I was going and at the same time I knew exactly where I was going. My feet stumbled often but I never fell. There was no nostalgia however, and that surprised and worried me. Where haunting memories had assaulted me, there were now only the cries of the wind and dead silence. I shivered, but it had nothing to do with the cold.

I didn't know how long I'd been walking, as the sky never changed color remaining a constant grey, but eventually I felt a vibration. It was so soft I could almost dismiss it, but then I felt another. They continued to come every few seconds, urging me onwards.

I knew I was growing closer to where I had to be. A deep pit of emotions was swirling in my stomach, never resting on one emotion long enough for me to identify it. The sky had now chosen to turn from grey to black and thunder rumbled like a growling bear before it strikes.

My pace quickened. Close, I was so close. A bitter metallic taste filled my mouth and my ears were filled with a low hum. My vision would darken and then paint the world with painful brightness over and over, and my skin would be freezing in some places and burning in others.

I was so confused I couldn't pay any sort of attention to anything for very long. Then, abruptly, it stopped. I was in a deserted park, a place I didn't recognize. Somehow I knew I was very far from the city.

I felt a shadow pass over me. I looked up in time to see two large shapes hurtling towards me. I leapt to the side in time to see the lion and the tiger hit the ground with resounding force; they left deep craters where they stood.

They both turned to me, grinning through their animal mask, their grey tongues hanging out with drool pooling at their paws.

"BaCk YoU CoMe! ReTuRnEd To EmBrAcE YoUr DeAtH HaVe YoU?" cackled the lion.

I regarded them calmly and took my stance, Nekoakuma in hand, "I have returned, but it is you who shall die."

The tiger barred its teeth, "PrEtTy WoRdS ArE No DeFeNsE AgAiNsT ToOtH AnD cLAw!"

I wasn't fazed, but the wave of familiarity that had nothing to do with the fact we'd met a day ago bothered me, "I have more than words; I'm going to defeat you. Now who are you? Tell me your names."

The lion let out a bark of harsh laughter, "NaMeS? No PrOpEr NaMeS HaVe We. We HaVe 'TiTLe'."

I frowned in confusion, "Title? What title do you have?"

The tiger smiled fiendishly, "SuMiZoMe FuTaGo: DaRk TwInS. ThEy ALsO call Us SaTsUJiN AnD ZaNsAtSu."

"Very well. I am Kitsune Urabana, and proper names or not you will be erased tonight."

The lion, Zansatsu, pawed the ground, "StOp SpEaKiNg YoU ShALL! GoNe Is TiMe FoR TaLk!"

And with that the battle began.

They attacked me head on, jaws snapping. I dodged and struck. I left several wounds, but none of them deep. Their masks oozed black blood, but they didn't pause, not for a second. My blows seemed to have no effect; they didn't show pain or anger, just a sick gleeful expression like they were heartily enjoying themselves.

All the while I also had the feeling they were barely trying. Their attacks were sloppy; not many were connecting anymore and they left themselves wide open on all sides.

I began to notice something else. I was losing my grip on what was happening. My vision was slowly dimming. My ears were starting to ring. My palms were clammy and my breathing was turning shallow.

I could faintly hear Nekoakuma calling out to me, Kitsune! You're fading away, I can't...

Her voice became quieter and quieter. The world was shrinking. Everything went black.

I felt like I was floating, drifting downwards. There was...nothing. The complete nothingness surrounded me. I lost all sense of time. It felt like weeks and yet it could have been seconds passing by. I couldn't tell if my eyes were open or closed.

Eventually I felt myself stop. Sensation returned, first to my toes then it worked its way up until my entire body was tingling. I felt grass; cool under the touch of my fingertips. I heard wind and felt it whip through my hair. The sharp scent of an oncoming storm hit my nose.

Gradually my vision returned to me. The sky was a dark purple; the clouds shifting angrily as thunder roared and lightning bleached the sky. I sat up from lying down. I was in no place I'd ever been, that much I was certain. There was nothing remarkable about where I was save the fact that there were dozens of hills that stretched to the horizon, covered in deep emerald grass. There were no buildings or landmarks of any kind in any direction I looked.

Suddenly a blast of wind struck me with ferocity, tearing at my clothes. I was shocked to notice I was no longer wearing my shinigami uniform. Instead I wore a teal spring kimono with designs of silver foxes adorning it.

The echoes of distant roars filled the air. Satsujin and Zansatsu soared down from the clouds, straight towards me. I reached to pull Nekoakuma from her sheath, but there was no sheath. No sheath and no Nekoakuma.

I looked around wildly. There was nothing near me, no sign of her. I reached out for her and tried to summon her, but to no avail. I was alone.

Satsujin's tail shot forward and sliced a deep gash in my arm. I gasped in pain and stumbled back. The tiger creature reared up for another attack when I spotted something behind it. Atop a large hill there was a sword sticking out of the earth. Whether or not it was Nekoakuma, I needed a weapon or I wouldn't last long.

I ducked as Zansatsu spewed deep violet flames and darted forward. I narrowly avoided getting trampled under the masked beast's paws as I hid behind Satsujin's limb. Then, at the last possible moment I ran straight up the hill holding the sword.

The demonic twins were right on my tail, launching all types of projectiles from acid to ice. I was able to avoid most but I reached the top of the hill with several burns and cuts. My kimono had lost one sleeve and half of the other, the obi had been slashed off and a large chuck near the bottom had been burned black.

Now that I was close to it, I could see that the sword imbedded in the ground was clearly not Nekoakuma. The blade itself was purple, close to the color of my eyes and seemed to be made out of crystal. The hilt was silver, wrapped in white cloth were one's hand would grip it, and adorned with small scarlet stones the size of your fingernail. I would have examined it longer had my life not been in jeopardy.

I reached out and pulled the sword from the hill. The moment I did I felt energy fill my body and race through my veins. The blade glowed and pulsed. The ground shuddered and a sharp wind whipped around me.

Shinning black threads leaked out of the crystal and wrapped around my arms and the rest of my body. For a second I was blind, but just as suddenly as they had appeared the threads vanished without a trace.

I felt different now, changed. I felt connected now like when I'm speaking with Nekoakuma, but not entirely. I wasn't whole; in fact I was empty, lacking substance. Like having an unloaded gun or a puzzle that's missing a piece. Incomplete.

I observed the crystal carefully, and noticed it was hollowed out. I didn't have time to notice anything else however, as my foes were on the offensive again. As we exchanged blows I noticed something. They had become slower, or perhaps I'd just gotten faster. I was also able to complete more complex fight patterns and their openings became more obvious. I now had the upper hand, but still I was lacking something.

I was just considering what course of action I should take when Zansatsu ceased moving completely. Satsujin followed suit. For an agonizing sixty seconds, no one moved. Finally I snapped. I launched forward and plunged my newfound sword into Zansatsu's neck. Black blood spurted out, coating my fingers and covering my face. The pain must have been excruciating but it was smiling. Smiling like someone who has lost their sanity.

Suddenly, my sword was dragged deeper into its body, taking me with it. There was a layer of grey and black sinew, muscle, and blood before I hit white. Pure, blinding white.

I couldn't fathom what had happened. I had a pins and needles sensation hit my body. Not painful, but very unpleasant. It felt like I was flying and falling at the same time. Voices came from everywhere, memories trailing behind them.

I saw Kaigaishii-sensei, his blue eyes looking straight at me, "and had he not been a murderer then he would have been an asset to the Thirteen Court Guard Companies."

Then I saw my friends, my parents, my grandmother. People were shouting and whispering, laughing and crying.

Do you know what fine stands for?

Show me your arms.

But I'll see you again soon, you can be sure of that.

Isn't there anyone who cares about you?

Then I started to hear screaming. It took me a moment to realize the screaming was coming from me. Indescribable pain wracked my whole body in waves, each wave somehow worse than the previous. I felt like something was sucking up any joyful or comfortable feelings I'd even had. Even more disturbing, I felt like a hole had opened up in my throat and was stealing away my voice; anything I'd said or ever wanted to say was gone. My screams dimmed and then faded out all together. The silence that followed was insufferable. I felt like an enormous weight was crushing me. I could barely breathe, couldn't speak, couldn't blink. All I could do was wallow in my agony and helplessness.

Through my anguish I could feel a cold darkness creeping up on me. I felt claws of ice rake my arms, legs and torso. I couldn't turn my head due to the enormous pressure I felt to see if they were claws or talons or if they even existed at all.

The claws struck my throat, but the cold sensation remained and formed a lump. I tried to cry out but it turned to ash in my mouth and I remained mute.

In my delirium due to the pain I thought to myself, So they really have dragged me down to Hell.

Just when I couldn't possibly take any more, everything stopped. It was like time itself had come to a standstill. The only thing I could distinguish above me was a ladder. A bright, glowing ladder. I reached up to touch it but before I could grab it doubt and misery descended on my like a fog.

A voice filled my head, No one's going to be there if you get out anyway. Your immediate family is practically all dead and you have next to no friends. Who would care if you went missing? No one.

That...that isn't true! Renji would care! Izuru would care! Rairakku-sensei and Kaigaishii-sensei would care!

Really? Would they?

Yes!

Have they said they care about you?

They don't have to! Because I know that deep down they love me! Maybe not as much as I love them, but I know they still do!

And you're sure of this?

To tell the truth I wasn't. But I had to believe, and there was one thing I was certain of, which was that if I didn't get out of here now I never would.

I reached for the ladder again.

He wouldn't care.

I stopped short.

You know he wouldn't. And he never will.

That...that isn't...

Oh but it is, and you know it. Your precious Byakuya doesn't waste a single solitary worry on you.

Worry? No, I know for certain that is a lie. He's worried about me before, he's gone out of his way several times to make sure I was okay. I remembered the questions, the salve that smelt of apples.

The Captain has been worried about you, don't ask me why cause I don't know.

Yes, that's right he was. The feeling of lying of grass, of sunlight hitting my face, and the scent of cherry blossoms invaded my mind.

Issho.

Even if we never had another memory together, nothing could erase the fact that we'd been there. Together.

I summoned the last of my strength and reached for the ladder. My fingers grasped the bottom rung, and all at once I felt weightless. The dark and sombre clouds that had invaded my mind evaporated.

It took no energy at all to scale the ladder. My legs themselves didn't even touch the rungs at all; it was like pulling yourself up when you're underwater, they just floated.

Bit by bit, my world was lightening. With a sudden flash I was once again in the large field.

I landed gracefully on my feet. Zansatsu snarled, but I could see now it was weakening. Satsujin looked startled, and I took advantage of the lack of action from them to attack. I plunged my sword into Zansatsu's skull. The scream it emitted was shrill and blood-curdling. It thrashed about but I could tell that now, finally, it was in its death throes.

Its large body began to dissolve. A black pool formed around a lump, the remains of the creature. It was roughly twice the size of an adult human. I felt the odd desire to examine the remnants of the lion-like beast.

Satsujin didn't make any move to stop me as I approached the lump. I bend down and touched the surface. It was syrupy, thick, and slate grey in color. I picked up a large chuck and threw it aside. I felt the compulsion to dig, and so I did. I used both hands to scoop out the muddy goo, throwing it carelessly in all directions.

Finally, I got to its core. It was now akin to an adult. An extremely dirty adult, but an adult nonetheless. I continued to clean it. I could now distinguish eyes, nose, a mouth, and hair. I was shocked to discover that underneath everything it had flaming red hair. After a while I could distinguish it was male. I cleaned more and was disturbed to realize how familiar this person looked. In fact...there was only one person it could be, and yet I desperately wish it weren't so. I eased open their eyelids, my way of obtaining irrefutable proof. To my complete and utter dismay, they were violet. The man I held was my father.

I felt myself go numb. This wasn't possible. My father was dead. He died long ago. This wasn't possible. This couldn't be true. But deep down, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was. Oh how it was.

The voice of Satsujin sounded far away, "SpItEfUl ChIlD! HaTeFuL ChIlD! YoU MuRdErEd YoUr OwN FaThEr!"

I was unable to form any sort of response. I couldn't ponder how they had no rightful names and yet one could know of the other's identity. I couldn't do anything. I just sat, immobile.

I was vaguely aware of Satsujin moving away, but I did not act. I could not act. I just stroked my dead father's head absently, absorbing nothing save two things.

One, that I had murdered my own father. My father, who was claimed dead years prior.

And two, of a horrible feeling in my throat and an emptiness in my abdomen. No, not emptiness, it more like...

Hollowness.

BAM. Chapter 9. In the bag, done, finito, complete, fin. Go home. Naw I'm just kidding. I would like to once more apologize for this taking so long. I would also like to ask you to continue to read the rest of the story chapters and review. There's a very good chance I will finish this story next chapter. BUT for those of you that enjoyed this tale I will be writting a sequel. Have a good November! ^_^