"Ivy, your home a good deal more now."

She looked up from the scrap of paper she was colouring to the twenty seven year old sitting near the stove.

"I could say the same for you, sis." Ivy answered as she continued to colour.

Her sister sighed, throwing her short brown hair from her face to reveal her dark eyes surrounded by black circles.

"I'm just not getting as much work as I used to be getting." she admitted as she pinched at a tear in her jeans. "But I have a client a little later today so it's going to be alright."

"Kristin…" Ivy spoke up. She took a deep breath before continuing "I think you should stop."

Kristin's eyes widened before she smiled and pushed her bony figure off the floor.

"Sweetie, I want to. I seriously do! But if I don't how are we going to eat? We won't be able to if I do." she said gently.

Ivy looked at her sister's tired, stressed figure before speaking again.

"Maybe I could also-"

She didn't get to the end of that statement. A loud smacking sound was heard as Kristin's hand collided with Ivy's cheek.

"DON'T EVEN SAY IT!"

Ivy looked up at her sister with tears prickling at the bottom of her eyes.

"Kristin…"

She was already kneeling next to Ivy and trying to comfort the crying girl.

"I'm sorry Ivy. I shouldn't have hit you. I'm so sorry…"

Ivy hiccuped before opening her mouth again.

"Kristin, why can't I help?"

"Ivy…it's not as simple as that." Kristin admitted. "The world is a…an unfair place. Such a sweet person like you shouldn't have to be experiencing it from my angle. Not yet at least."

Ivy pulled away from her sister's embrace and dried her eyes.

"But sissy, I want to help."

Kristin smoothed down the younger girl's hair before smiling.

"Sweetie, but you already are. Just stay the same sweet person that you are and continue…" Kristine paused and looked at the half coloured drawing at her knees. "….colouring."

With that she kissed Ivy's forehead and stood.

"I'm sorry baby. I have to go to work now."

And with that, Kristine was out the rotting door again. Ivy stayed on the ground longer, taking in everything around her slowly in. Everything in this crumbling house was things the person she called her sister worked desperately for. The three pieces of crayons at her feet were the rewards of Kristine digging elbow deep in trash cans. The land they illegally legally owned was Kristine's reward from years of squatting. Everything in here was things Kristine worked for. Ivy herself did nothing and used everything in here. She felt so guilty and ashamed of herself.

Her eyes then made its way to the door, looking past the torn fence to the hill behind it. This was the fourth day she wasn't up there. Before, just remembering the Rojuro's cold gaze sent shivers down her spine but today she thought she should get up there. He hasn't eaten in days, right? She didn't have much but still enough to share.

She got to her feet. She was going to see him now.

-O-

Ivy dropped down on her usual spot in the grass in defeat. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes as she looked at the place the story teller usually sat. No matter how much she looked, she just couldn't find him. There wasn't even anything there to prove the he ever even existed. It was as if he just…vanished.

She violently shook her head. It wasn't possible that she had thought him up. The grass he usually sat on was pressed down as proof.

"Mister, where did you go?" she murmured as she crawled over to his sitting place.

Her eyes widened and she gasped at what she saw. Blood; lots and lots of it smeared all over the grass.

Was he bleeding?

Her eyes squeezed together and POOF! Like magic, the blood was gone. She blinked a few times and watched the area. Squeezing her eyes shut, she saw the dark red blood again. She blinked and it was gone.

She stared down at the area in disbelief before pressing her eyes together again. Not only was the blood present but millions of things flashed before her eyes. The air wasn't clear; it had this sort of dark-blue hue to it. Light shone from all directions and strange symbols lay suspended in the air. There were stars everywhere. The sun and moon were hung by threads.

Little winged creatures tittered as they flew playfully past her face. She looked back down at the blood to find it no more than a pool of water. Her forehead creased as she saw figures moving in the water- almost like a movie. She concentrated on the pool before she realised it was only reflections she saw. Of what though?

Looking up at the sky she saw the large, puffy, purple clouds part to reveal the story she was being told for the last few days.

-O-

"Dad, is something wrong?" Karin asked as her father led her into the house. Yuzu was wearing the same puzzled, concerned look at the foot of the stairs. As Karin didn't get any answer Yuzu spoke up.

"Daddy?"

He looked at her and smiled.

"Just go to your room, dear. Nothing is wrong." he answered softly.

"But why Dad?" Karin asked as she put her foot on the first stair.

He didn't answer.

"Daddy, aren't you going to answer?" Yuzu queried. Before they both knew what was happening, a colourful powder blew past their faces. Without another word, the twins turned and headed up the stairs. As soon as they were out of sight, Isshin sighed as passed a hand through his hair.

He took four small, metallic balls out of his pocket. He placed two of them on the tiles of the first stair. The tiles seemed to ripple before the balls sank into them. A flash of blue was seen before a barrier formed in front of the staircase. He turned and placed the next metallic balls in the wood of the door. Same thing happened as with the first two.

Isshin sighed and placed his hands in his pockets.

"It's starting."

-O-

"Soi Fong."

The short woman turned slightly to see who called her.

"Is there something I could do for you, Hitsugaya?" she asked as she turned to face the shorter male with white hair.

His sharp teal eyes darted cautiously before snapping back to her.

"Don't you find anything around being a little…strange?" he asked carefully.

"I see very strange things all the time Hitsugaya." she answered almost impatiently. "What do you mean exactly by 'strange'?"

His eyes cautiously followed a servant girl as she walked past.

"There was a strange presence here for a long time. Somewhere in this country is as far as I could point it out. It cloaked itself expertly for a long time but now it seems more…active." He looked Soi Fong directly in her eyes as before he finished. "It's in Shanati."

As soon as he finished a deafening scream echoed throughout the palace.

"What-" Soi Fong started but Hitsugaya was already running towards the sound.

"What's the problem?" he snapped. A small woman wearing a servant's kimono sat in the ground wide-eyed, pale and sweating. She was pointing to the open door in front of her while rambling incoherently.

He looked at her questioningly before looking into the room. By that time Soi Fong had arrived and was too looking into the room.

"Oh my-" she gasped.

The four walls of the room were nearly covered in black from a fire. Chains were strewn across the room while some were pulled tight to suspend a body in the centre of the room.

"It's Hisagi." Hitsugaya murmured.

Although he was bloody and burned, he was still recognizable. His right hand was shredded and bloody while his right eye lay on the ground underneath him. The skin where his tattoo had been dug out and his clothes torn to reveal his burned up torso.

"What the hell happened here?" Soi Fong said.

Hitsugaya took a deep breath before saying, "I don't know but I'm going to send out an alert to the rest of the Council." He turned to Soi Fong. "Gather the Royal Army."

-O-

Ichigo pulled his shirt over his head and sighed. Although Rukia told him not to follow her, he had an urge to do so anyway. Suddenly, he stumbled and groaned. He held his head in pain as his eyes shone a bright blue light and words flashed before his sight.

"Shit." he cursed. "What the hell are they gathering the soldiers for?"

-O-

"She was alive? Where?" Rukia asked breathlessly.

"Here, for two months." Byakuya answered with a hint of tenderness in his voice. "I was in love with her."

She stared at him in disbelief.

"If I am correct, your sister was able to see into the future."

"Yes, you are correct." she admitted with wide eyes.

He spun his chair around and sighed.

"The creatures of Inastinamia are the dominant species of your world, right? And they would not hesitate to kill any species that threaten their rule, am I correct?"

He glanced up at her surprised face before continuing.

"They cursed your people and killed many of them. You were often protected by Tazen who in a final attempt to protect you all became part of your beings. Figuring this out, they tried to kill Tazen and all other beings with similar abilities such as Tobiume, Kazeshini, Zabimaru et cetera.

"Hisana, being able to see into the future, looked for the destruction of the Inastinaminans. She found it; you. You found that out later and that is the reason you are in this world. Hisana came here in order to prepare things and inform a chosen few about you but she found out the startling truth.

"Yes, you shall destroy your destroyers and also protect this kingdom from a great danger but with a heavy cost."

"And that is?" Rukia asked.

"Your existence would merge with the one of here."

She raised a brow.

"You'd die." he clarified.

Rukia's world stopped spinning. A year ago, if she was given these options she would have gladly fulfilled them and save her people but now, it was different. For some very selfish reason she just didn't want to die. Her life no seemed to have so much more to it than fighting and watching her comrades die. She wanted something other than saving millions of people. She wanted Ichigo. He was her world and she would rather slaughter a whole country than leave him.

That was very selfish of her, wasn't it?

That one man was stopping her from achieving the goal her people screamed for. That one measly man was causing her to have more people back at home murdered with every passing second. That one man made her want to abandon her homeland and make a new life with a whole species as the sacrifice.

She hung her head in guilt and shame.

"Byakuya, I don't want to die."

"Then what do you want to do, lil' miss?" came a foreign voice. Rukia looked up to see a man clad in an expensive suit and a hat that was shading his eyes. He looked like the most suspicious person out there and that didn't lighten with the fact that he was leaning on a cane.

"This is none of your concern, Urahara." Byakuya spat.

"Oh, yes it is." the stranger said tipping his hat to reveal his young face and grey eyes. "My life depends on her decision."

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

He turned to Rukia, taking off his hat and bowing. His pale blond hair fell in front off his face.

"Sorry, sorry. Where are my manners?" he scolded himself as he stood straight. "Urahara Kisuke is the name and I am the common link between your world and this one. By my earlier words I do hope you realize that I love my life."

"You love your life and yet you deserve to die." Byakuya growled.

"Shush kid!" Urahara put his finger to his lips. "This is not the time to criticize my life but rather see what the lil' miss chooses to do with hers."

"Excuse me," Rukia spoke up. "What do you mean by 'common link'?"

"As I said, about your life and not mine." he said mysteriously. Byakuya rolled his eyes.

"And so miss, what are you going to choose?" Urahara said in his naturally polite voice. "My opinion is that you die and save us all."

"Shut up!" Byakuya hissed. "She has time! Don't press her!"

"I would tell you to have patience but apparently we don't have any time!" Urahara said playfully.

"What are you talking ab-" Byakuya stopped as a loud, crunching sound was heard and the building wobbled.

"That is exactly what I mean by not having much time!" Urahara exclaimed. "For clarification please look out of the window on my right."

Byakuya gave the mad man a confused look before rushing to the window. A loud crackling sound was heard as he stared at the scene with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"The…the city…" he murmured. Rukia rushed up behind him to see what could possibly make him have this reaction.

"No…" she gasped as a red glow fell over her face. The city was mostly in ruins; flaming ruins. Lava poured from buildings into roads causing instant fatality to everything it touched. Trees that once happily danced in the wind seemed to now be trying to extinguish their flaming tops.

"My God…." Urahara whispered close to her ear. "This is terrible." He spun and tapped his cane on the floor. "We must leave here immediately!"

"And how do you propose we do that?" Byakuya queried as he examined his flaming gardens.

"Why," the blond exclaimed. "By the use her of course!"

Rukia stared dumbly at the finger being pointed at her.

"Me?"

"Yes, of course you! Who else?"

She was at a loss for words.

"But…how?" she asked.

"With your ice! I know you're a mage of that element." he huffed.

"But my powers are almost impossible to control in this world!" she exclaimed.

He sighed. "I wish it didn't have to come to this."

The non-blood siblings blinked in unison. The man took off his hat and pulled out a WHOLE FUCKING SWORD from it.

"What the hell did he just do?" Rukia asked Byakuya, her voice shaky from shock.

He could only shrug with the same shocked look on his face.

"Now, now shush! No time to get all worked up!" Urahara scolded. "You, lil' miss, when you came to this world the spirit in your body made herself dormant in order to accommodate the switch and keep you alive. This dormancy took away most of your power. By stabbing yourself in the heart with this blade, you'd be able to call forth your power and the spirit through the blade."

Rukia grabbed for the blade but the man stopped her.

"It is only fair to warn you that the moment this goes through your chest, your existence will start depleting."

She stopped reaching for the weapon and her hands dropped limply to her sides.

"Think about this carefully." he warned. "Take your chances with the rising flow of lava or would you prefer definitely dying later? Would you take this power or let him die?"

She looked up at him in shock.

"I'm the link between our worlds." he stated simply. "I know everything."

Without another word or hesitance in her actions, she grabbed the blade and plunged it into her heart. Byakuya looked on in horror as blood rose up her throat and ran down her lips.

"Your decision has been respected." Urahara said.

At that precise moment, the scorching temperatures of the room dropped drastically and a thick layer of white ice covered the floor.

"What choice did I have?" Rukia's voice pierced through the fog rising in the room. "Die now or die later. I chose the obvious."

"Ha ha. You go ahead and pretend that is the only reason." he laughed dryly as the fog cleared.

The raven haired woman stood there with ice crawling up her bare arms and up the left side of her face. The shoulders of her pale yellow shirt were torn and so were the legs of her black three-quarters. Ice had replaced the cloth. Her skin had turn an unhealthy colour of pale blue and in her hand was a sword of the purest white. A white ribbon flowed from its hilt.

"Well don't just stand there princess!" Urahara cried. "Do your thing!"

On cue, she lifted the blade and spun it above her head. Her eyes locked in concentration before she stabbed the floor with all her might.

There was a small still moment before power burst from the sword. A strong, icy wind dispersed from the blade, chilling everything it reached and mercilessly extinguished the flames.

Byakuya's face displayed awe.

"Very pretty, beautiful, powerful, amazing; I know! You'd probably want compliments lil' miss but we have no time. We are still very much in danger." Urahara said quickly.

"Wait!" Rukia snapped. "You know what's going on so tell us."

As if planned, the wall burst open throwing chunks of cement at the trio. Two large, scaly, red beasts with long jaws and sharp teeth stomped savagely in. Rukia recognized them immediately.

"Well, your lovely neighbours from back at home are what are going on. They decided to expand their rule starting from the nearest world." Urahara said rather calmly. One monster uncurled its large claws to reveal a bloody, burnt-orange haired head.

"Orihime…" Rukia gasped as she looked into the girl's lifeless grey eyes. She felt a burst of hatred filled anger in her chest. It slowly made its way to her hands and she curled her fingers so tightly around the hilt of her sword that blood found itself running down the pure white blade.

If she was ever asked to recall that moment, she wouldn't have been able to. She couldn't remember the exact moment her feet moved and she sent the blade through the monster's neck. Her foot lightly touched the ground before she sent her weapon through the other's stomach.

She didn't stop there. She continued to assault the creatures even as their bodies fell to the floor. Her feet stomped on their motionless bodies hoping that they felt pain. These demons deserved nothing better than death! Even death was too good for them! They should experience endless torture.

She felt several strong arms grab her and push her to a wall.

"Let me go!" she screamed.

"No, you can't be doing this now." Urahara's voice sounded through her ear, hot from rage. "My partner has gathered most people to a safe place. We need to go there."

She soon felt the blood pumping in her head slow down and next thing she knew, she was following them out of there.

-O-

A tall, dark skinned woman with long, purple hair sat on a floating platform while awaiting her comrade. Her ears perked up as she heard a crunch on the frozen streets.

"Kisuke, you're back!" she said in a relieved tone as she turned to face her friend. Her eyes quickly scanned the crowd behind him and she grinned. "I see you but Baby Byakuya, his whole household and our heroine.

"You have no right to be calling me a baby, bitch! Bow down and apologize this instant!"

She ignored the teenager's rant.

"Yoruichi-san, have you gotten everyone here?" Urahara asked loudly.

"Not everyone." she said with a sigh. "You were in charge of Byakuya's place and most of the soldiers have been called to the balance for defence. They should be safe until the next wave of attacks." All the while she was drawing a box in the air with her fingers.

Rukia looked up at Urahara.

"Is Ichigo as the palace?" she asked worriedly.

The woman called Yoruichi obviously heard her.

"Isshin's boy?" she asked. "Yeah, he's there. He's also gonna be in the first line of defence."

Rukia's head dropped in worry.

Yoruichi finished what she was doing and examined the thick lines of what was apparently a door. Her hand reached for the knob and opened the door to reveal a rocky terrain. She flicked a hand towards the group and platforms appeared like a staircase leading up to the door. Urahara motioned for the group to follow Yoruichi who was entering the door. One by one, the crowd of Wholes and Hollows disappeared through the door.

Rukia hesitantly put her foot on the first platform before looking back towards the city. She looked up at the place towering over all other buildings with her boyfriend playing on her mind.

"Ichigo…" she murmured. She felt Urahara's arm drape over her shoulder.

"He'd be fine." he assured her and for a second, she thought him a good person. That thought quickly disappeared as he looked at her with a serious gaze.

"As long as you do what you have to do."

With that, he led her up the platform and through the door.

_0_

Finally! I could put it out. Please don't curse me bout who i killed. I don't have grudges against those characters.

Well, this is basically all the characters. In all stories there is a big bad boss. Please leave a review telling me who you think it is. If you don't think it's anyone, please leave an epic name for a big bad boss.

Anyway, please leave a review. I should update on Thursday so look out for me please.