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Chapter 10 Aftershock
A mass of back clad bodies pressed in around them all pointing their katanas' at them.
Ichigo gulped, "I guess Soi-fon laid out the welcome mat," he muttered out the side of his mouth.
Rukia stifled a giggle but did not remover her had from her zanpakuto's hilt.
The small captain pushed her way threw the crowed and scowled at them, "You three are in a lot of trouble."
Renji gapped at her, "For what? Supposedly helping a intruder? Sorry was cleared."
Ichigo muffled a sniggered, "Can't be for saving the spirit king and his family, we were never told that it was a bad thing."
Soi-fon glowered at them, "You entered his realm with out permission. Nor even the captains are allowed to go there without an invite, which is rear or if they are accepted into the zero squad."
"Oooh that," Renji said with a grin, "Sorry didn't have time to wait for a permission slip."
"You are trying my patience, vice-captain Abari," Soi-fon hissed.
"Sorry," Renji told her, he didn't look apologetic though.
Soi-fon narrowed her eyes at him warningly, "You are treading on very thin ice vice-captain."
Renji grinned at her, "I'd better watch my step then Soi-fon taicho."
Rukia nudged Ichigo, "Look," she whispered.
Ichigo glanced up and started to smirk.
"Soi-fon taicho why are you harassing my lieutenant," a cool voice behind her asked?
Soi-fon stiffened and turned, "They were in the spirit king's realm, without permission."
Kuchiki Bayaku eyed her coldly, "And the King him self let them go again. Isn't that enough for you or do you want my lieutenant to be executed after all?"
Soi-fon's face flushed red, "That was not what I meant," she ground out.
Byakuya arched one elegant eyebrow.
Soi-fon spun around, "We are leaving," she announced to her men.
They vanished in a swirl of dust leaving the three returning shinigami to cough in their wake.
"Nii-sama," Rukia cried in delight!
Byakuya nodded to her, "Welcome back. I see you have managed to keep your self in one piece."
Rukia nodded still smiling.
The captain of sixth division turned to Renji, "And Abari I shall expect you at work tomorrow. There is a lot of work for you to catch up on."
The regal man spun on his heal and glided away
Renji gapped in shock, "Ru...Rukia," he nudged her, "Was that a smile? Did I actually see stoic grumpy no nonsense Byakuya smile?"
Rukia smiled softly, "I have no idea what you're talking about Renji."
Renji blinked at her opening and shutting his mouth in a lose of any thing to say.
Ichigo sniggered, "She has that effect doesn't she."
Renji mock scowled at him.
"Oh," Rukia suddenly said, "I just remembered. Madam Salamander said for you to drop by and cheer her girls up."
Renji chocked, "You went to see her," he spluttered?
Rukia shrugged as if it was nothing, "She had information. We needed it."
Renji looked at her as if she was mad.
Ichigo caught his expression and began to laugh. Renji mock punched him.
It's good to be back, Rukia thought.
Renji stretched, "Now your ever so kind brother has given me the rest of the day off, I want to find the others."
Ichigo arched an eyebrow, "And you think Rukia is crazy."
"Hey there not that bad," the red head protested.
The three of them set of threw the twisting maze of streets laughing at each others antics. Ichigo vaguely wandered who the spirit king's youngest son was. It was a captain, he knew that much. And that some body had been charged with the task of destroying the key.
Rukia pocked him in the ribs, "Hey pay attention you were about to walk into a wall."
"Which would have been pretty funny," Renji said.
Ichigo mock glowered at him, "Lets just find your crazy friends."
"I told you they aren't crazy!"
They found Ikkaku and Yumichika sparing in the eleventh squad training field. They were really going at it. Both had released their zanpakutos and were hacking lumps out of each other.
Hisagi, Rangiku, Momo and Izuru were sitting on the sidelines cheering them on.
Rangiku waved one of her empty sake bottles, "YEAH, GO FOR IT!"
Hisagi was pretending that he didn't know her and Izuru and Momo just looked uncomfortable.
Ikkaku swung his fist up and crunched his fist into Yumichika's face. The elegant shinigami staggered back clutching his nose. With a shriek of rage he hurled him self at his bald opponent.
Rangiku cheered and waved her sake bottle clonking it of Hisagi's head. The scared and tattooed captain took it off her and she pouted.
Ichigo arched an eyebrow at Renji, "You were saying?"
Renji looked embarrassed and said nothing.
"I rest my case," the orange head dead panned.
Rukia giggled and turned to the others, "Hey Matsumoto! Hinamori!"
"WHAT! NO DON'T ATTRACKED THERE ATTENTION," Renji squawked!
Momo glanced over, nudged Izuru and pointed. The new captain of third division glanced over and his face split into a smile.
"Kuchiki-san, Kurosaki-san, Renji," he called waving over!
Matsumoto looked over at his shout and gasped. She leaped up from her perch and stormed across the training field towards them.
Renji gulped and tried to sidestep behind Ichigo. Ichigo grinned evilly and stepped away, "Your on your own I'm afraid."
Renji gapped, "Hey! Hey, that's not fair give a guy a hand will ya!"
Rangiku arrived a smacked him hard across the face.
Renji stumbled back and raised a tentative hand to his reddening cheek, "What was that for," he complained?
Rangiku tossed her strawberry blond hair, "That was for worrying me you bastard!"
Renji had the decency to look slightly a shamed, "It was hardly my fault," he grumbled.
Ichigo sniggered and Renji glowered at him.
The others had noticed now and were hurrying over. Momo flung her arms around the startled red head and Izuru clapped him on the back. Ikkaku flung an arm over his shoulder and Yumichika babbled about beautiful things.
Hisagi smiled at Ichigo and Rukia, "Thank you for helping out."
Ichigo shrugged, "Don't sweat it man. Just means you guys own me, again."
Hisagi chuckled, "Yes we do seem to owe you a lot."
"Put it on tab or some thing," Ichigo said with a grin.
"I here you met the zero squad. What are they like?"
Rukia giggled, "There vice-captain's a goof and they have a lady with this neat healing ability like Unohanna taicho."
Hisagi nodded, "I would have loved to have been there."
"It was amazing," Rukia agreed, "The spirit king gave us a gift for helping him but I haven't figured it out yet."
"Why not," Hisagi asked?
"He said that he'd give us the gift of live," Rukia replied, "But I don't know what that means."
the captain of ninth division nodded, "Difficult."
Rukia nodded and turned to Ichigo, "Do you have any ideas?"
Ichigo shrugged, "Nope."
Rukia sighed, "Oh well, I guess I'll figure it out eventually."
Ichigo put an arm around her, "You will, you're good at that sort of thing."
Rukia blushed and ducked her head.
Renji untangled him self from Momo.
"You ass, you had us worried," Ikkaku grumbled.
Renji shrugged apologetically, "Wasn't my faulty. The damn woman messed with my head."
"That's your story an' your sticken' to it," the bald shinigami teased.
"what happened when they took you away," Momo asked?
Renji thought about the cell in second division, the pain, the confusion Hikari and Kagetora had made him feel and shuddered.
Izuru smiled sympathetically, "Don't pester him Momo."
The shy girl nodded meekly.
"What do you think will happen t' the losers they caught," Ikkaku asked stretching.
Renji glanced at Ichigo and Rukia.
"They've been locked up in the maggots nest," Rukia told them quietly.
Momo gulped and Izuru looked green.
Rangiku dropped her sake bottle and looked shocked.
"It's the best there going to get pulling a stunt like that," Hisagi explained grimly.
Fourth division was quiet. Only a few nurses scurried around the empty corridors like mice. Kyoraku Shunsui wandered along the deserted hall way and silently slid the door to his best friend's room open.
Jushiro looked small and pale in the neat bed. The crisp white sheets only added to his sickly pallor. Some body had brushed his white hair out and removed the dead flowers from the plain vase.
Shunsui dropped into the empty chair and removed his hat with his free hand. He carefully arranged the sweet briar that he had brought with him in the vase. At least they brightened the room up a bit.
"I bet my entire sake horde that if you were awake right now you'd be saying I told you so," Shunsui said with a crooked grin.
"They managed to straiten out the whole mess we started. Guess we should be grateful for that, huh. Abari's cleared of all charges and Kagetora's been taken care of."
He took his friend's limp hand in his and sighed heavily, "Even though its all over I can't help thinking that it's only the beginning. Sure Kagetora's gone and Hikari and Saru are locked away in the maggots nest but there were others in their group that could still be around."
Glancing down he swore that Jushiro's eyelids flickered but he must have just imagined it because when he looked back the white haired captain was still lost in his coma.
"I heard that the spirit king gave kuchiki and Kurosaki a gift. I'll bet it'll be some thing that their not expecting, that would appeal to his sense of humour." he sighed heavily, "At least Ayako might forgive me now for helping save her son. I think I can live with that."
Outside the small window the sky was darkening and tiny stars sparkled in its inky depths. Shunsui frowned, Jushiro's hand was cold. He removed his pink coat and draped it over his friend's body in an attempt to keep him warmer.
He crossed to the window and gazed out. The air was cool but not too cold, autumn was on the way. He shook his head and turned away.
"I can't keep doing this Ju," he whispered brokenly, "You have to give me some thing, any thing to let me know that you're still in there."
Cold silence answered him and Shunsui turned to leave, "I have to go now. I just wanted to fill you in on what was happening in the outside world."
He walked around the bed and headed for the door when he noticed that his sleeve was caught on some thing. Glancing around a he saw a pale shaking hand clutching at his haori. He gasped and hurried back to the bed.
"JU! Jushiro are you awake?
The white haired man opened bleary hazel eyes and gave him a small smirk, "I told you so," he croaked out.
Shunsui laughed, he couldn't help it the situation was just to hilarious. The door slid back with a bang revealing a concerned Unohana.
"Shunsui, what on earth is the matter?"
Shunsui wiped tears from his eyes but couldn't stop laughing.
Unohana hurried over to him, "Are you all right?"
Shunsui merely continued to laugh hysterically but managed to point at the bed.
Unohana rushed over and gasped as sleep hazel eyes blinked up at her. "Jushiro," she breathed.
"More or less," the sick man wheezed.
Outside on one of the many golden coloured roves of the seireitei Rangiku was gazing up at the stars. She had a sake bottle next to her and was munching on dango. She glanced up as Renji landed softly on the roof.
"You came after all," She stated looking mildly surprised.
Renji nodded sitting down next to her, "You said you wanted to talk to me and I decided that I needed to speak to you too."
Rangiku nodded, "Some thing like that."
Renji grinned leaning back, "So, did ya miss me?"
Rangiku swatted him, "You're kidding?" she giggled at the crestfallen look that appeared on his face, "Of course I did silly."
Renji pouted at her, "That was mean."
Rangiku giggled again and took a swig of sake and offered him the bottle.
Renji shook his head, "Can't do this if I'm not sober."
Rangiku laughed, "If you say so."
Renji sat up and looked her in the eye, "What was it you wanted to say?"
Rangiku shrugged, "I don't really know."
Renji lent back again, "Take ya time I've got all night."
Rangiku nodded and took another gulp of sake, "I don't really know how to say it."
Renji grinned, "And the sake helps?"
Rangiku looked at him as if he was crazy, "Hell yeah."
Renji snorted and turned his attention to the stars. "Ya know I did a lot of thinking while I was gone. About how I felt alone, misunderstood like nobody cared. I was an idiot. You all were always there I just wasn't looking while feeling so damn sorry for myself."
Rangiku grinned, "Glad you decided to see reason."
Renji mock glowered at her.
The tenth division vice-captain just laughed again and finished the bottle in one last gulp.
"What I'm trying to say is that I missed you too," Renji told her.
Rangiku smiled softly, "That's sweet."
They sat in silence watching that star speckled heavens enjoying each others company.
Renji sat up and glanced over at her, "There's some thing I need to tell you but I don't know how to put it into words."
"You were never good with words," Rangiku agreed.
Renji lent over the small space between them an pressed his mouth to hers. Rangiku had kissed before but it had never felt so raw, so wild and untamed and it swept her away.
Later in a large dark cluttered office with only a single candle to illuminate the silhouettes that were standing by the window.
"I'm entrusting its destruction to you," a calm weathered voice spoke.
"I understand father," a younger voice responded.
"I hope you will not fail me," the other figure replied.
"Not on my honer," the smaller replied.
The older man chuckled, "You are so much like me when I was younger I forget some times that I am not talking to my self."
"I suppose I shall take that as a compliment," the younger said coolly moving away from the window and into further into the office.
"Things are not over yet," the older figure warned, "The attempt on our families lives is merely the beginning. The first wave is over but the second is to be bigger yet.
The younger figure shrugged, "Then we will weather it as we have always done."
"Ah yes you place a lot of faith in Kurosaki Ichigo, are you sure he can weather this storm?"
"Kurosaki is like a brick wall, things have a habit of crashing into him and not coming back."
"He is quiet impressive," the older figure admitted.
"That is an understatement," the younger responded , "he has a knack for do the impossible."
The older figure chuckled again, it sounded more like a bark, "You youngsters you really are going to upset the stasis quo."
The younger shrugged again, "If we do we do," he said coolly.
The older figure put a knurled hand on the younger ones shoulder, "Stay safe. We all worry about you back home."
The younger smiled slightly, "You only worry when I'm not there to annoy you all."
"Despite that we all care about your well being and Amya fusses daily."
"I'll try to keep that in mind, father."
Then office was empty and only a few abandoned pages fluttered in the wind and a blood red moon hung low in the sky giving off an ominous feel.
Author's Note
Ha anti-climax! Thought I was going to drop them head first into trouble didn't ya. ;)
So this is the last chapter. I debated with my self whether to continue this story or create a sequel. I decided that a sequel would be better. Don't worry I'm not finished with the story yet, there are still a lot of things I want to do with it. :)
Thanks to every one who read this story your all brilliant! :)
silvermonkey