Chapter 10:
The fight was starting. Ichigo had to stop it. This was now a mission of peace. He wasn't looking for blood this time. Still in his human form, Ichigo climbed onto the windowsill and prepared to jump. "Rukia, I have to do this!"
Before she could argue with him or talk his ear off about how reckless he was being, he had jumped from the second floor.
It wasn't too much of a jump for him. Two stories his human body could handle. He landed on the hard white ground below and felt his feet collide against the unyielding ground. It hurt a little, but it was nothing to worry about. Ankles a bit sore from the landing, Ichigo pushed himself forward. He had to get to those girls before it was too late. As he ran, he looked up to the building where Hisagi was still waiting for him. The Soul Reaper was looking down at him, waiting for his next orders.
"Hisagi, let's go!" Ichigo flagged him down.
With incredible ease, Hisagi jumped down to Ichigo's side and took off in a dead run. Neck and neck, they ran down the street.
In truth, Ichigo had no idea where he was going. He had intended to follow Lavender's song, but it had long since melted into the wind. Without her song to guide him, Ichigo was hopelessly lost. If only he was talented when it came to detecting Spirit Pressure, something that he was teased about often. But these girls were spirits. Did they even have Spirit Pressure? If so then why didn't the other Soul Reapers detect them a long time ago?
This human body of his was slowing him down. If only he had left it behind. No, if he had done that then he would turn into a Soul Reaper. And if he did that, then there was no way the girls would let him pass. He had worked too hard to earn their trust to let it all go to waste now. At least in this form, they were more likely to hear him out. As a Soul Reaper, they would never let him get close enough to talk to them. It was best if he stayed a human. Too bad he was so slow and weak in this form.
Hisagi jogged along side him, not tired at all. "Master, are you alright?"
"I'm too slow like this," he panted. "We'll never make it in time at this rate!"
Hisagi moved closer to him and slowed his pace, offering Ichigo his back. "Get on. I'll carry you."
It was demeaning in his opinion, but he had no other choice. Ichigo jumped onto Hisagi's back and rode him like a horse. Once he was on, Hisagi took off at an amazing speed. Ichigo had almost forgotten just how fast Soul Reapers really were. With Hisagi carrying him, they just might make it.
The alarm began to sound and the Head Captain ordered all able bodied Soul Reapers to charge into battle. They knew they were here. It was only a matter of time now before the girls were discovered. Ichigo could only pray that he'd be the first. He could hear hundreds of Soul Reapers clamoring to their battle positions. He turned around and saw multiple Soul Reapers running down the street right behind them.
"Hisagi, we need to get in the air! Jump!"
He obeyed and leapt straight up. Ichigo tightened his hold on Hisagi's shoulders as they flew upward, wind whooshing past his ears, deafening him for a moment. Once they slowed at the top of the jump, Ichigo sat up and looked around. He had a good bird's-eye view of the Seireitei. He looked frantically around. He saw an army of Soul Reapers converging on one location. They were all going to Sokyoku Hill. Ichigo squinted and could see about six people standing on that hill. He knew who they were.
"There they are! Go, Hisagi! Hurry!"
They just might make it, yet.
False hope on his part. Hisagi wasn't the fastest Soul Reaper out there. There was someone faster than he was and she had already flashed past them on the wind.
"Soi Fon, no!"
She was already there. She flashed in front of the blue-haired girl and wiped out her weapon of choice. "Sting all Enemies to Death, Suzumebachi!"
Ichigo wasn't going to make it like he planned.
She choose her victim. "Nigeki Kessatsu!" She stabbed at Sapphire, but was blocked by Byakuya. The butterfly-shaped stamp appeared on his chest instead. Soi Fon pulled away. She had no idea she'd be fighting Byakuya, too. Her surprise quickly turned into rage as she snapped at him. "Why, Captain? Why are you aiding the enemy?"
"I'm not," he answered coolly.
"From where I stand, you are! Back down! Back down this second!" She moved her arm down in a cutting motion, proving that she was serious.
He stood firm. He could be just as stubborn as she was.
"Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of Squad 6, I, as captain of Squad 2, command you to stand down this instant!"
His eyes narrowed, full of hate and annoyance. "You are not my boss."
"I'm higher up than you! I have authority over you!"
"No, you do not." Byakuya pointed to the girl behind him. "She does."
Soi Fon turned her gaze slowly to the blue-haired girl she had just tried to attack. This girl… She couldn't have been any older than sixteen at best! In her eyes, this girl looked like a 14 year old. How did she have power over him, a captain of Squad 6?
Sapphire smirked. "You brought this on yourself, Soul Reaper."
Soi Fon didn't understand.
"I'm here to take revenge for my sisters' sake. We'll be rid of you vile Soul Reapers once and for all. You'll never hurt anyone ever again. Byakuya's going to see to that, aren't you?"
He grinned back at her in a twisted big brother kind of way. He intended to protect them and he would do just that.
Gritting her teeth, Soi Fon turned back to him. "Are you out of your mind? All that talk of honor and order… Where's that talk now? This goes against everything you stand for!"
He said nothing.
"He'll do whatever I say. He has no choice. I'm in charge now," Sapphire told her.
She still wouldn't listen.
"Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, what is the meaning of this?"
"I keep telling you…" Sapphire snapped her fingers and Byakuya's hand wiped out and grabbed Soi Fon's, twisting it back. "I'm in charge now. He only listens to me."
Soi Fon clawed at his hand and tried to twist out of his grip. "Let me go!"
A familiar face poked out from behind the blue-haired girl. Soi Fon recognized her from a few nights ago. It was Lavender. She still looked fearful and timid.
That was the same way she looked that night, though not nearly as dramatic. Soi Fon had never been this close to her before. From this new perspective, she could see just how scared she was. She didn't look like a treat at all. She was just a little girl. Not only that, but they had a toddler with them, too. They didn't look like enemies. They looked like children. Why hadn't she seen that before?
With fearful eyes, Lavender tugged on her sister's sleeve. "Big sister, please…"
"We haven't made our point yet. I want them to suffer like we did. I want them all to know that they can't get away with killing our people!"
"Yes, but…" Lavender shifted her eyes from side to side. "I just don't think… What if…"
Sapphire grabbed her head and pulled her in close to Soi Fon's face. "Look there! See it? Can you honestly tell me that you don't fear that face? Doesn't it scare you? Dose she look as helpless and weak as we are? Does she?"
Lavender quickly shut her eyes and pulled away. "No! No, it's not… They're not..! I know that!"
"Good!" Sapphire let her up. "Remember, I'm doing this for you."
Hitsugaya looked up at the sky. "More are coming!"
"Take care of them."
He nodded and pulled out his sword.
In the time it had taken Ichigo to blink, a giant ice dragon had appeared out of the hilt in Hitsugaya's hand. With an icy roar, the beast struck the Soul Reapers charging in from the bottom of the hill. They were frozen in seconds, but only from the neck down.
"But wait," Ichigo murmured to himself. "I thought that they had intended to kill all the Soul Reapers by the way she was talking. Is Sapphire planning on some grand execution for them or something? Or is she planning on taking control of the really powerful ones for their army?" There was no time to waste. "Let's move, Hisagi!"
"Got it!"
"Captain Hitsugaya, stand down!"
"We don't want to hurt you!"
"Why are you doing this?"
Ichigo could hear the desperate calls of his own squad charging up the hill towards him. They were getting closer. "Stop! Don't get near him! You don't understand!"
Too late. Hitsugaya directed Hyorinmaru towards them, showing no signs of remorse. He wanted them gone. They were frozen before they could take another step.
Hyorinmaru's tail wiped the air, catching Hisagi in the leg right in the middle of a jump. He yelped and came crashing down. Ichigo screamed for him to pull up, but it was too late. They fell out of the sky and into the ground. Hisagi landed face first on the battlefield while Ichigo took a tumble and rolled down the hill, stopping a few yards away from his slave.
He got up and went over to him. "Hisagi, are you alright?"
He struggled to his feet and gave him a wary smile. "Yeah… Just nicked me a little. See?" His legs had frost on them but they weren't frozen.
"Good. I'm glad you're ok." Ichigo must have taken the fall harder than he thought. He couldn't think clearly. He looked around trying to focus his mind. He could see everyone fighting each other. And at the top of the hill, he could see The Three Treasures standing with Hanataro and Byakuya. They were unhurt for now. Byakuya still had a hold on Soi Fon who was still struggling to free herself. She may have been fast, but she was lacking in defense. Ichigo looked past the ones who had gotten themselves frozen and saw more Soul Reapers charging up the hill. This fight was only just starting. "Hisagi, I need you to hold off as many Soul Reapers as you can who try to attack those three girls up there, ok? Do your best not to get yourself killed, too. Got it?"
He nodded. "I'll do my best!" He was off in a flash.
Ichigo was off, too. He had to find a way to talk them out of this before it was too late.
Among the cries and sounds of battle came Lavender's plaintive lilt. "Please… Can't we just go home? I don't want to do this. We're just as bad as they are now."
"Not even close," Sapphire told her. "It's about time they knew what it was like for us all those years."
Since Soi Fon wasn't going anywhere, she decided to speak to the ringleader. "What's all this about anyway? Why are you attacking us?"
"Revenge." Sapphire's voice was cold but fiery.
"Revenge for what?"
Her eyes darted to Soi Fon's, flickering like azure flame. "You know damn well what you did. Maybe not you personally, but your people did it. You all must be punished."
Angry more than confused, Soi Fon lunged her body at the girl but was held back by Byakuya twisting her arm and forcing her down onto her knees. "You're not making any sense! What did we ever do to you?"
Sapphire's eyes had changed once again. They now looked like a wolf's when ready to go in for the kill. Sapphire's answer was firm and full of venom. "You murdered our people! Again and again and again, you killed everyone we ever cared about! When we ask for your aid, you ignore us then come to finish us off like cockroaches. What could my sisters have done to deserve such a fate? A timid girl who wouldn't hurt a fly and a baby?"
Some of the hate melted from Soi Fon's eyes. "You were targeted by Soul Reapers? What's your proof?"
"The black kimonos that showed up at every attack."
"That doesn't mean that-"
"And when our baby sister was lost in your town, you tried to attack us! My sister was only looking for a baby and you attacked her! As if she isn't scared enough as it is, you frighten her to death and come after her with swords! If Hitsugaya wasn't there, you would have killed her, wouldn't you?"
She remembered that night. She had attacked her, hadn't she? All she was doing was looking for her baby sister? "But we were on high alert. She should have listened to us and done as she were told. We wouldn't have had to use force if she-"
"Why? So you could kill her like you killed everything else? Forget it! I'm not going to let you Soul Reapers take anymore lives! My two little sisters are all that I have. They look up to me, relay on me for protection. If I can't give them that, then what good am I?" Sapphire looked down at her palm as if reading her own fortune. This palm that could take control of anyone it touched. This hand of power couldn't even save them all those nights. It couldn't get them a safe home without having to flee this world all together. She closed it tight, making a fist. "What good am I as a big sister?"
Those words came more as a lament than anything that could be put into words.
Lavender pointed up above Sapphire's head. "Up there!"
They looked up. A Soul Reaper had made it this far. Lavender ducked in cover, but Sapphire stood her ground. Byakuya raised his free hand to protect her, but she told him not to bother. This one she could handle.
"Bloom, Rur- Gah!" Yumichika's attack was cut short when something sharp impaled him. He looked down and saw blood staining the front of his clean kimono. There was a hand stuck in his solar plexus. It belonged to the girl he was confronting. Sapphire had driven her arm into his body like a spear.
Soi Fon's jaw dropped. "You… fool…"
Sapphire pulled her arm back out, drenched in his blood. Her beautifully sculpted hand had been transformed into a dagger. Her fingernails had become like claws, all coming together to form a single blade. She wasn't completely defenseless after all.
She had no weapon. She was a weapon.
Soi Fon couldn't take her eyes off that blade for an instant. "I didn't know she could do that," she whispered in awe.
"Only Sapphire can do it," Lavender answered, still taking cover behind her sister and Byakuya. "We can't. At least not yet. She's the only one who has mastered her powers."
Soi Fon looked back and watched as the Soul Reaper caught off guard struggled to remain standing. Ruri'iro Kujaku slipped from his hands and fell uselessly to the ground. Yumichika fell to his knees, gasping for air like a fish out of water. Without mercy, Sapphire let him drop to the ground by her feet. She heartlessly wiped his blood off on his black kimono and looked past his crumpled body.
More were coming.
Sapphire, without turning, said quietly, "I'm getting a piece of action. Stay here, Lavender, Ruby."
Lavender's lower lip trembled but not from crying. Her eyes were dry. Her lips were merely at a loss for words. She wanted to speak but couldn't.
Taking up her bladed arm, Sapphire followed in after Hitsugaya.
Lavender looked down at the Soul Reaper on the ground. His wound wasn't fatal, but it was very painful. Not only that, but Sapphire had hit him in just the right spot, knocking the wind out of him. He was still trying to breathe and close the wound with his hand. Taking in a breath, Lavender turned around.
Believing her to be getting ready to finish the job or leave him there to suffer, Soi Fon tried once again to free herself from Byakuya's grip. She struggled and thrashed about, seething with rage. But to her surprise, Lavender did something else. She stopped struggling when she saw Lavender drag Hanataro over to Yumichika's body. She pointed to Yumichika's wound.
"Please, heal."
Hanataro pressed his hands over the fallen Soul Reaper's abdomen and started to heal him.
As he healed the Soul Reaper, Lavender sat quietly next to him, hands folded in her lap. She seemed so… caring. But wait. Didn't she hate Soul Reapers? Wasn't she afraid of them?
Keeping her voice gentle, Soi Fon asked, "Hey, girl. Aren't you afraid of us?"
Lavender bit her lip. "Yes."
"Then why are you helping him?"
It wasn't an easy thing to answer. "I don't know." She watched the greenish light glow over Yumichika's wound, slowly closing it up. "I just… I don't know. My sister thinks that you should all die but…" She trailed off.
"So…" Soi Fon wanted to understand. "Soul Reapers killed your people?"
Another quiet answer. "Yes."
"You're certain?"
"Yes."
Soi Fon wanted to be sure. "What did they look like?"
"I only managed to see one. His face…" Her eyes reflected the flame from that night in her memory. "He looked like a snake."
"What else?"
"He had white hair and a black kimono. And a long sword."
"Did he say anything to you?"
She thought back. "Not to me, no. But…" She remembered. "I did hear him say… 'Shoot to kill' and then I heard their screams." Her hands balled into fists.
Soi Fon was sure she knew who that was.
This hill was longer than he had originally thought. It was taking Ichigo forever to get up to the top. If only he had used his bankai, he could have increased his speed and been there by now. But in order to do that, he had to be in Soul Reaper form. That wasn't an option. If he changed, the girls would never hear him out and he would be attacked himself. No matter what, he had to stay as he was.
Soul Reapers were being thrown aside by some powerful force, but all Ichigo could see were smoke clouds and falling bodies. When she dust cleared, he could see a blade rising up, catching the light. It was attached to a long slender arm.
"Sapphire?"
He had no idea she could do that. When had she been able to?
"I don't know the extent of their powers, but I do know that they can control people and manipulate them. Other than that, I couldn't say. Only Sapphire has mastered hers the last time I checked. The other two are still maturing."
Leave it to Kisuke to only tell him half the story. It would have been so nice if he had told him that Sapphire could turn her hand into a blade. Or maybe he didn't know that she could do that. Either way, now she had a weapon to wield.
"Move it!"
Ichigo was pushed aside by a Soul Reaper charging in at Sapphire's back. His sword was outstretched before him.
"No, wait, stop!" Ichigo couldn't grab him in time. So he called out to the girl. "Sapphire, look out!"
She turned and managed to step clear of his attack in time. She leapt into the air out of range.
The Soul Reaper shot him a look. "What the hell's your problem? I totally had her!"
Ichigo ignored him and tried to chase after her.
No one was giving him the chance. Yet another Soul Reaper showed up and tried to attack her. The man with red hair wiped out his sword. "Roar, Zabimaru!" The long snake-like body of his transformed sword wiped the ground at her feet, sending her retreating to the air again. Believeing to have the advantage in midair combat, Renji struck. Sapphire spun around like a tornado, missing the attack by an inch. Renji's flexible blade came coiling back and struck from behind. She turned in midair and held up her bladed arm like a shield. She deflected his attack, but Zabimaru wasn't finished attacking yet. It pressed in on her like a charging bull. She forced it back, sending sparks flying in all directions as Zabimaru did the same, trying to slice off her hand.
"Renji, stop!" Ichigo tried to get his attention, but it was no use.
He forced her down to the ground, her heels digging into the dirt as she tried to slow herself while remaining upright. Renji pulled Zabimaru back but only to increase its attack. He wiped it around and Zabimaru came for her neck. With such speed and force behind the attack, there was no way she could stop it in time.
"Are you deaf or just stupid? I said STOP!" Ichigo threw himself forward and grabbed Renji's legs. Knocked off balance, Renji was sent down to the ground and his attack flew past Sapphire's head, missing her by only six inches, blowing her hair off her face and shoulders.
She looked at Ichigo. He looked back. She gave him a nod of thanks and looked back at the battlefield. More were coming. Gratitude given, Sapphire took up her arm and darted in.
"Hey, wait!" Finally close enough, it was the prefect chance to try to reason with her. He couldn't let her go now.
Renji grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him back down. "What the hell is your problem? Why'd you do that?"
"Renji, you don't understand! She's not the enemy!"
"From where I stand, she is! Did you see her attack me like that?"
"You attacked her first!" Ichigo tried to explain as quickly as possible. "Don't you get it? She thinks you're the enemy because of their past. We have to reason with them. They shouldn't be killed. They shouldn't die believing that Soul Reapers are evil. It's not right to die without ever knowing the reason why. They don't even know why they were attacked in the first place!"
"So suddenly, you're the peacemaker, huh? That's a stretch."
"Very funny. Would you help me?"
Renji groaned and looked around at the attacking Soul Reapers around them. "You know it's not going to be easy, right? This is war now, I hope you know."
"I know. That's why I'm trying to stop it."
He rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll do my best to talk people down, but I can't promise you anything."
"Thanks."
"Shut up."
"Why did you lure those kids away from their families?"
Lavender didn't look at her. "After being attacked for a long time and being chased away by others, we created a world of our own to live in. But Ruby's only a baby. She got restless and wanted to play with someone other that her sisters. She wanted a friend. So she opened the gate and left our world. We went after her, but we knew that we weren't welcome in villages anymore so I used my voice to lure the children out. I'm like the Pied Piper when I sing. We knew that she wanted to play with kids so we figured that we could ask the kids at the nearby villages. I lured them out and we asked them if they had seen her once we were safely away. None of them had seen her so we sent them back. Some took longer than others because we saw Soul Reapers hanging around the villages and wanted to stay away until it was safe. We never hurt any of them. We just wanted to find our sister."
Soi Fon looked over at Ruby. She was a sweet-looking girl. She was playing with a battered up-looking rag doll, apparently bored with the battle going on around them. So young, she probably didn't even realize that they were in any danger. She probably had no idea what was going on. She tossed it up and down, catching it and giggling when the soft floppy arms hit her in the nose. She looked harmless.
"What's her power?"
"She can control people with her cuteness."
Soi Fon watched her play. "I'm not sensing anything."
"She can't control her powers, yet. They're off now. I can't say when they'll come on again. It could be hours, days…"
"Where'd she get that doll?"
Lavender looked at the rag doll in her hands. "Sapphire made it for her. She said that that could be her friend. But Ruby said that she wanted something that could talk back. We can create worlds and houses, but not life. We can't make people for her. We can make flowers, but they're all fake. They'll always bloom. It's always spring where we are. Everything's always in full bloom."
An explosion sounded near them and Lavender flinched.
"You don't seem like the type to go into battle."
She agreed with Soi Fon. "I'm not. But Sapphire says that it's for the best. I believe her. She's only trying to protect us."
"By killing others?"
She shut her eyes tightly as if trying to squeeze a memory out of her mind. "You attacked us first again and again. We're afraid of you. My sister hates you. You're evil. That's why I trust my sister's judgment."
"Then why keep them around?" Soi Fon gestured with her head over to the Soul Reaper slaves.
"Because they're being controlled. That means that we can trust them. Byakuya knows that he's being controlled but doesn't care. Hanataro's just a mindless servant who will only do as he's told. Hitsugaya's had his memory rewritten so he thinks he's been on our side all this time. We need protection. We're not all powerful. And now Ruby has friends she can play with and never have to run off again."
"But they're being controlled."
Before Lavender could think of an answer, another explosion sounded followed by a battle cry. Lavender ducked and hid behind her hands. Byakuya pointed at the danger and declared loudly "Hado 4, Byakurai!" The blast hit the Soul Reapers and threw them back down the hill.
More were coming. Someone was charging up the hill at a breakneck speed. Sasakibe pushed his way past all the other Soul Reapers and got ready to attack. Lavender looked from the new threat to her protector still restraining Soi Fon. It was a split-second decision. She called for his help.
"Byakuya, help me!"
He was torn. How could he? He would have to let go of this one first.
"Let Soi Fon go and-"
Sasakibe was already upon her and brought his blade down. There was a clang as Byakuya wiped out his sword to defend his princess. Their weapons rattled as they both tried to force the other one back. Byakuya found the strength he needed and forced the lieutenant of Squad 1 back. Sasakibe struck again. Byakuya grabbed him by his collar and dragged him up into the air. The lieutenant punched Byakuya in the face to get him off but it didn't faze him. Byakuya dragged him through the air and took the battle away from the girls.
Lavender got to her feet and gasped. "I have to help!" She started to run down the hill, trying to follow the fight. "Ruby, stay here with Hanataro! Don't move!"
She just waved, still unaware of the danger and went back to playing with her doll.
Soi Fon struggled to her feet and inspected her arm. It was very sore, but luckily unbroken. She looked down the path Lavender had taken. Now what was she supposed to do?
Their fight took them down to the tall building a good distance away, but still close enough to the battle going on below. Byakuya threw Sasakibe down to the ground. Before he crashed, Sasakibe grabbed hold of Byakuya's scarf and dragged him down with him. After the crash, the two split apart. Sasakibe took out his blade and slashed at the captain. He dodged it easily.
This makes no sense, Sasakibe asked himself. Why is Byakuya doing this?
Byakuya closed in and punched Sasakibe in his solar plexus. Blood flew from his mouth as Byakuya bulldozed him spine first into the wall. A giant crater formed where they struck sending glass and rubble showering down upon them both. He wasn't going to let up for an instant. With his hand still stuck in his opponent, Byakuya pulled him upward and into the landing above. Wood splintered and broke around them as they traveled straight up into the next one. They continued up through each floor until they finally broke through the roof and into the sky. Both separated, skimming the air with their heels. There, Byakuya pulled out his blade and pointed it at Sasakibe.
Lavender sprinted down the hill towards the fight. She dodged several Soul Reapers and avoided attacks by inches. This fear was very familiar to her. Years ago, this sort of fear would be enough to bring her to her knees and cry. But this time, it forced her to keep going. All the noise around her was strangely empowering. Maybe she could do this after all.
Hitsugaya deftly did a full spin in midair, creating a whirlwind of ice and snow. The cyclone plummeted straight down, freezing anything in its path. He was doing this to protect them. It was all for them. He kept telling himself that with every strike he delivered. It was all for them. Another enemy on his left. "Hado 4, Byakurai!" He pointed straight at the large group while directing Hyorinmaru to the others on his right. There was no end to them.
Back and forth, back and forth. The battle wasn't going to end and so far, there was no winning side. It was amazing. Ichigo didn't think that the match would be this close. Ichigo weaved and dodged so many attacks and falling Soul Reapers, he had lost count. Those girls had to be somewhere in this crowd of chaos. He looked up and saw Sapphire standing just a few yards away surrounded by Soul Reapers. Ichigo jogged up the hill, human body wearing out. It was all her could do not to change into a Soul Reaper.
Sapphire slashed at one Soul Reaper with her bladed arm while clamping her open palm on another's forehead. One moment he was attacking her, the next he was swinging wildly at his teammates.
Was that her plan? Was that why she hadn't killed anyone yet? Was she planning on turning the strong ones into her slaves to fight back against their own squads? Ichigo had to admit that she had thought this out a lot better than he had figured.
"Stop, Captain! It's me! I don't want to fight you!"
Ichigo turned, hearing Rangiku's voice behind him. She was pleading with Hitsugaya not to attack her, but he wasn't going to listen. He tried to cut her head off, but she ducked.
"Captain, please stop it!"
"Stop calling me captain! I'm not one of you nor will I ever be!"
"Please, try to remember! You have to!"
Hitsugaya swung his sword at her again. "Shut up and die!"
She moved out of the way but wouldn't give up. She tried to get the sword away from him, but ended up getting hit instead. No, she wasn't cut. Something had shielded her from the attack. Hitsugaya stepped back and looked down at the thing soaking the ground at her feet. Tiny shards of glass rained down from the inside of her kimono.
Hitsugaya's eye twitched. "You even hide sake in your clothes..? What, hiding them in the office isn't enough for you? You have to be the most desperate alcoholic I have ever met, not to mention lazy, Matsumoto!" He stopped after having said her name. "How did I know that?"
Wow, Ichigo thought. Subconsciously, I guess he still can't stand how much she drinks and just has to yell at her for it.
"Toshiro!"
All three turned and saw Lavender running down the hill towards them. Behind her was a Soul Reaper, sneaking up to attacker her. She didn't even know he was there. Her tunnel vision was pointed at Hitsugaya alone.
Abandoning his fight with Rangiku, Hitsugaya jumped up and threw himself into her slender body. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled out of danger with her pressed tightly to his chest. Ichigo chased after them along with Rangiku. When they finally rolled to a stop, Hitsugaya wasn't moving, blood staining his kimono. Lavender opened her eyes and looked at the one laying on top of her. With a gasp, she pushed Hitsugaya off her body and rolled him onto his back.
"Toshiro! Toshiro, are you ok?"
His eyes opened and he gave her a weak smile. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine, but what about you?"
He smiled a little wider. "I'm fine. It was just a little scratch." As he moved to sit up, more blood was pressed out of his wound and he clasped a hand over it in a vain attempt to close it. Ichigo knelt down at his side and looked at were the wound was located. It was just under his left rib. Five inches higher was his heart. It was a little too close for comfort. When Rangiku approached to try to help him, Hitsugaya grabbed his sword and tried to stand.
"Die, Soul Reaper!" Blood soaked his hand and flowed down between his fingers. He shut his eyes from the pain of it all, but knowing that a Soul Reaper was near forced him to his feet. As he tried to raise his sword, more blood spilled out and he dropped to his knees. He started coughing and panting.
"Toshiro, stay down!" Lavender told him.
"But I have to protect you! I have to keep fighting!"
She forced him to sit on the ground. "Please don't!" She looked like she was about to cry. "I don't want you to!"
He looked into her eyes with a bewildered look. "But…"
"I don't want you to! Please just stop! As long as you're hurt, just stay down! Please!"
Footsteps approached the group and they looked up, fearing it would be reinforcements. It turned out to be Unohana and a handful of other Squad 4 members. "He's injured! Start treating his wounds!"
"But, Captain," a man started to say. "He's a traitor. He's been attacking us all this time!"
"I don't care. Heal him." Unohana wasn't smiling this time. "Heal him or I will."
Hitsugaya didn't let go of his sword. He still felt threatened.
They moved in.
"No!" Lavender threw her arms around his body. "Please don't hurt him! He was only trying to protect me! Please!"
"We're not going to hurt him. We're trying to heal him," Unohana explained.
Lavender looked up cautiously. "Are you sure? He was saying that Toshiro was a traitor. Aren't you going to kill him because of that?"
"Not at all. He's still injured. It's our job to help him. Please trust us."
Reluctantly, Lavender moved away from Hitsugaya and let her come close. She put her hand over Hitsugaya's wound and started to heal him. Hitsugaya looked from Unohana's hand to Lavender. It was unclear what he was thinking. It seemed to Ichigo that he was looking for reassurance. Lavender was biting her lip and trying hard not to shake. It was very clear that she was still frightened. A Soul Reaper was so close to her, healing Hitsugaya who was only hurt because of her. Ichigo could only imagine what was going through her mind at that moment.
"Please…" she whispered. "Take care of him. Toshiro don't fight back… I'm sorry." Biting her lip again, Lavender got up and started to run.
A couple Squad 4 members moved to follow, but Ichigo beat them to it. He chase her down, calling her name. "Lavender, come back here! Stop!"
She wouldn't stop. Knowing that there was only one thing he could do to catch up to her, Ichigo jumped as far as he could and tackled her to the ground. They rolled over each other until they finally stopped in the middle of all the chaos, Ichigo on top. They both fought to catch their breath. Lavender looked up at Ichigo. He inhaled and finally said what he had wanted to say for some time now.
"You have to stop this!"
She tried hard not to cry. "I know! Don't you think I know that? I know it has to stop! But I never wanted this! I never wanted to fight! I just wanted to go home and be with my sisters again!"
"Then why don't you end this?" Ichigo was pinning her down by her shoulders, startling her body. He wasn't hurting her, but he wanted to makes sure that she wasn't going anywhere.
"I can't!" she cried. "It's what Sapphire wants!"
"Why don't you stop her?"
"I can't!"
"Why not?"
"Because she's my sister!" She was fighting so hard not to cry. "She's all I have left! She and Ruby are the only ones left I still care about. They're the only family I have. Sapphire said that this was to protect us and keep us safe from now on. She said it's for our own good!"
For a moment, Ichigo could have sworn that she looked like Yuzu for a second. This close, Lavender reminded him so much of his sister. She became very sensitive after their mom's death, not that she wasn't before. But now she had to worry about everyone's safety, fearing that someone else may not come home that night. Yuzu and Lavender were alike in that sense.
"Believe me," Lavender went on, voice somewhat softer than before. "She wasn't always like this. She used to be different. She used to smile more. All the attacks we went through just hardened her heart and filled her with hatred and rage. She only wants to protect us and keep us safe, but no matter what she did or where we went, the danger always followed us, so we had to make a world of our own to escape."
As she spoke, Ichigo got vivid image after image of the Sapphire before. She used to smile more than she did now. She used to trust more and laughed a lot. She was always so loving and protective of her sisters. She was a big sister. She was the oldest. Without parents to help them out, it was all up to Sapphire to take care of them all. She read them stories on those nights to entertain her two sisters. She offered them assurance and guidance when they needed it. She told them not to be afraid. She played with them. She chased them through the grass, playing tag or hide-and-seek. She comforted them through all the nightmares and times when they were hurt or scared. But as time went on, that Sapphire slowly started to lock herself away, favoring a different persona. She now had to become cold and hard. She had to be a strong leader and toughen herself up. The people she was once told to trust were now the ones she hated and held responsible for every bad thing that happened to them. She had changed, thinking that it would serve her sisters better.
That was how Ichigo became after his mom died. He was always so sensitive as a kid but after that, he had decided to toughen himself up and become a strong protector for his two sisters.
"I know you're hurt," Ichigo told her gently, like a father consoling a frustrated daughter. "I know how much pain you're in and I understand that she is suffering, too. But this can't go on. People are hurting. You have friends attacking friends. Hitsugaya's hurt and trying to attack his friends. I know you don't want this."
Lavender sniffled.
Reflected in her eyes was all the pain and suffering they had gone through. All the fire and bloodshed. But also in her eyes, he could see a bit of the person she once was. She was always timid, but not as much as she was now. In her eyes, Ichigo could see a bit of her past. He could see a running girl being chased by her many friends. He could see the wonder in her eyes when she discovered something new. He could swear he heard her laughter as well. It was unbridled joy, the kind you could only get through the meeting of new friends and the good times you spend together. He saw how happy she once was.
Her large eyes began to swim as tears welled up, threatening to spill over. She looked away from him, gazing at something at the bottom left corner of her eye. "But… won't she be mad at me?"
Ichigo new that look of guilt and sorrow. It was Sapphire who had brought them here. Sapphire who had protected them all these years. Most importantly, Sapphire was the big sister. She was dominate. She was the boss, the one in charge. How could she stand up to the person she looked up to and believed in?
"Sapphire said that it's all for our own good. I can't go against her."
Ichigo gestured to the battle with his eyes. "Is this for the better? Is this for your own good? Hurting others the way you were hurt? Killing as your people were killed? These Soul Reapers weren't the ones who attacked you so why should they suffer?"
Her tears finally spilled over. Like tiny rivers, they ran down her cheeks and onto the soil. She was crying. "Sapphire told me to be strong and not to cry! She said that… She said that it was a sign of weakness! I feel so stupid crying now when she told me not to! She never cries ever! She said that it never does any good!"
Ichigo tried to comfort her like an older brother. At that very moment, Ichigo couldn't see Lavender as she was, but as his sister instead. She looked like Yuzu in his eyes. He couldn't see her as anything else.
"Not crying is what's stupid. Holding it in never does any good for anyone. You have to let it out and share your feelings with those around you. They'll comfort you and you can share the same pain. You're all going through the same thing. How is your pain any different from theirs? You all lost the same thing." Ichigo lowered his eyes and his head, remembering the same pain he went through. "When my mother died, I thought I was being strong by holding it all in and not sharing with anyone else. I distanced myself from my family and the ones I cared about. I thought it was the right thing to do, but I was wrong. I was just causing them even more pain. I had to let people in so they'd know what was going on. We all lost a mother. My father lost his wife. How could I think that I was the only one suffering? I was wrong to keep it in and not talk about it."
Lavender whimpered. Tears still rolling down her face.
"I think your sister Sapphire is doing the same thing. She thinks that she's being strong for the rest of you by keeping her true feelings bottled up. That's what turned it into hate. She's doing this for your sake."
Lavender cried harder. This was all because of her? Sapphire was doing this for her? She was killing all these people for her sake? This wasn't what she wanted. Not at all.
"But you're letting her," Ichigo went on, his voice getting firmer but still sounding like a protective older sibling. "You've got to tell her to stop. You have to tell her that this is wrong. This isn't the right thing to do. You have to get through to her. Explain that all this fighting isn't going to solve anything. You know what you want, don't you? Stop letting her tell you how you're feeling and what's right for you. Only you can make that decision."
Lavender choked back a sob. "But… I don't know how… She's stronger than I am."
"Don't you remember what I told you? Didn't Byakuya deliver my message?"
Her eyes lit up like a dazzling gemstone. She remembered his words.
"You're a smart girl and you're a lot stronger than you think. I know you know what's right. You'll make the right choice in the end. I know you will."
"Make your wants known, Lavender."
Sapphire twisted and turned in the fray, rage and hate motivating her, willing her to keep fighting. She had to defeat them all to see that her sisters would be safe once again. A blow landed on her shoulder, knocking her attack off course. She turned and planted her palm on his head and forced him to attack his allies. She turned and charged in on the ones waiting for her down below. She grabbed one Soul Reaper from behind and started to strangle him with her arms. His friend, not wanting to risk using his blade so close to his buddy's head, chose to punch her instead. She took the hit and another one after that but wouldn't let go. When he tried to hit her again, she turned around and bit him. Blow after blow landed her in the face and head, but she wouldn't stop. She wasn't going to let him win.
This is for them! She told herself. This is for my sisters!
She kicked him below the belt and palmed another in the forehead.
I will avenge you all! I will avenge all those who died because of these damn Soul Reapers! I won't let them kill again!
Byakuya was forced out of the sky by the lieutenant and crashed a small distance from where she fought. He got up and looked straight at her. He charged in and forced the other Soul Reapers off of her. He ripped them off, one by one until he was slammed by another from the side. Kenpachi drove him into the ground and tried to bash his head in.
"Byakuya!" Sapphire called to him. "Hold him down!"
He did as he was told and put Kenpachi in a headlock. Sapphire raised her bladed arm, ready to cut off his head.
"This will finish it!"
8O What will be the outcome of this battle?
Please review and I'll post the ending up soon! The next chapter will be the last! ^-^
And in case you didn't already know, I've posted a picture of the Three Treasures on deviantart! My account is under the same name: swirlheart. So go check it out! XD