Chapter 10: Ekaterina's Humanity

Jelena had tears flowing from her eyes, down her face, and they hit the ground with a splash. Shuhei noticed that everywhere a tear landed, a small patch of green appeared. He watched as the younger girl walked into the diminishing cloud. When the dust settled he saw Rina standing over the crumpled form of the older woman. He watched as Jelena made her way to her older sister. He could see the trail of tears she'd left, as there were little green patches in her wake.

He also saw Rina's tears, which made brown patches, like death. He then realized why Rina was so adamant that Jelena not witness what was happening. "They are opposite sides of the same coin. The younger, happiness, love and Life, while the elder is pain, despair and…Death." he murmured. He knew the feeling well…loosing something important, wanting to protect something. He stared at Rina and Jelena as they embraced.

He also saw a twitch in the woman on the ground. He gasped as he realized that while Jelena watched, even as angry as the woman made her, Rina would not, or could not, kill. He nudged Kira, who was gawking. Even Rangiku, Hitsugaya, Ichigo, Rukia and Renji were gawking.

Yuruichi was standing in the doorframe, her eyes narrowed on the two sisters. Urahara was close behind her. Shuhei heard their conversation. "You know that if Soul Society ever finds them, their whole family will be executed on the spot. I've seen that power before. It was in a family of mortals I was ordered to assassinate when I still lived in Soul Society." Yuruichi said quietly. Shuhei felt a pang in his heart. He didn't know why, but the thought of either of these women dying hurt him. He turned and walked by the two standing in his way.

Both tensed as he walked up to them and stopped. "What are you going to do? Will you turn them in or help them? It's obvious they don't mean us any harm. If anything, it seems they sought us out purposely." he said. He turned just as Rina started to fall. Before anyone could comprehend what was going on, Shuhei was clutching Rina, who had reverted back to her previous state of black leather and long black hair with highlights.

Even as weak as she was, he heard her growl at him. "I don't like to be touched." she said and she looked up at her amber eyed sister. Clear tears met Rina's eyes and she sighed, looking over at Morticia. Mustering the strength to stand, Rina shook off Shuhei's supporting arms and carefully walked over to her aunt. She stared at the black eyed woman with cold eyes.

"You can thank Jelena for your pathetic life, Morticia. I am sure Maksim will be delighted to hear that you killed off over half of his brood in your jealousy." she leaned down and whispered then. "Perhaps it will be you he puts the blood cuffs on. A little advice…don't struggle…it will leave scars." For the first time, Morticia saw the scars that covered Rina's arms. She felt a pang knowing that Rina had to have been very young when she was put into the horrible device.

Her compassion, however, was pushed aside by her anger. "I will kill you…and your damned siblings. I…will be…Heliosta…" As Morticia passed out, Rina just sighed and shook her head. She stood and murmured something. An eye appeared before her then. A voice came from the eye as it stared at her with obvious longing.

"I see you have finally come to your senses, Ekaterina. Will you be returning home as I requested?" a thin, reedy voice laced with smugness asked. Rina glared at the eye.

"Sending Morticia after me was a bad idea Maksim. Now I'm pissed. If it's war you want, then it's war you'll get. She hurt Jelena, and I hold you responsible for it. And don't think to send her again. She can no longer use magic…I ripped the lei lines from her when I fought her. You should have known better than to send a third rate magician after me." she hissed and grabbed Morticia. The eye looked coldly down at her.

"If she can not wield the magic, then she is useless to me. Why did you not kill her?" Rina clenched her jaw at the old man's disregard for his own offspring. She carefully put the woman down and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I was going to send her back as a warning, but you obviously only care about yourself and your quest for immortality. I will keep her." she smiled then, knowing this next part would piss him off for reasons only she knew. "By the way…having any luck with the immortality issue? I heard that you have no more grandchildren to lock in the blood cuffs." She watched the large purple eye narrow on her.

"You would resort to killing your own cousins?" he asked in a sharp tone. Rina laughed and looked down at her aunt.

"No…but your jealous daughter would. Seems the apple landed on the tree this time, grandfather." Rina spat the word and gave him an evil smirk. "I will hunt you down Maksim, make no mistake about that. I know you put mother's family in the blood cuffs to prolong your worthless life. I will end it. Be prepared to face the wrath of Fyrevein, for you and I will be meeting him in the Ninth Ring. For now, why don't you actually be a man and mourn the loss of your family. Oh, I forgot, that requires a heart. If I'm not mistaken, I ripped that from your chest when I was five, did I not?" She could hear the growl that was emanating from the eye and she let her eyes go crimson and the silver tribal art appear once more. The noise stopped and the eye widened.

"That's right Maksim…you are not dealing with a mere human. I am Fyrevein's Valkyrie…do not make the assumption the beasts of the Nine Rings will assist you in this. They fall under Fyrevein's rule…and mine." Rina shifted as she felt her sister come up behind her. A small hand was on her shoulder and the eye now had veins in it. Rina turned and looked at her sister with surprise. Jelena had crystal blue eyes and golden tribal art on her face.

"Yeva will not fight this battle alone, Kirill. She has Andromeda and myself behind her. While my sister followed most of your teachings, I followed our mother's. We will stand together…you will not harm this world. This world is for humans, not evil hearted creatures bent on world destruction." Rina stared at Jelena. Jelena had hidden this from her well. She had not known her sister was this powerful.

Rina smiled and then looked back up at the eye, a sadistic smirk on her face. "Prepare yourself Maksim…this is one war you will not win." She then slashed the eye in two and murmured once more so that the eye could not reform for several hours. Both sisters returned to their normal states and leaned against one another. The smiled and laughed lightly, until they saw the shinigami gawking at them.

Jelena became shy once more and Rina became defiant. She shook her sister off and stood straight. "Now that you know what we are…what will you do?" Jelena looked at Rina, fear evident on her face. Uryu instantly walked to Jelena and hugged her. Rina felt her tension leave and she looked past everyone to Urahara and Yuruichi. Both stiffened and looked at her warily.

Rina walked past everyone but stopped right beside Shuhei. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He could feel warmth spread into his face and he looked away from her. She smirked and kept walking until she was face to face with the two ex-shinigami. She saw them tense.

"Don't worry old man…I know she destroyed some of my kind, but they w

eren't of my family, so I don't really care. My only purpose in this life is to protect my family. I came here tonight to ask for your assistance. I would like for you to hear me out." She smiled when the two looked at one another, then at her and nodded.