Sweet and Sometimes Bitter
Battle scene might be short. I'm sorry, but I'm not very good at this. I hope it satisfies though. I promise there will be other times Rin will fight. Also, some events may be changed in the story.
"Talking to Zanpakuto"
Thoughts
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach
Chapter 11: Betrayal
Swords clashed. The sound of metal against metal rang out loud and clear. Each fighter pushed against the other. Their gazes heated with anger, sadness and unease. Kenta pushed harder; his strength was much more than Rin could handle.
She quickly jumped back and retreated a few feet away. She frowned as she surveyed her opponent. She and Kenta had never really fought seriously before. They did mock fights which consisted of them hitting each other with wooden sticks. In the end, Rin would always cheat and use a binding Kido.
Kenta charged forward and used shunpo to move faster than she could follow. Rin held her sword in a defence stance while trying to find him. Kenta appeared above her. A second before the blade came down on her head, she blocked it. The force of the impact made her knees bend as she tried to push him off. She managed to throw him up in the air.
"Bakudo 4: Hainawa!" A gold rope sprang from her hand and wrapped itself around Kenta's body. It restricted his movement. Rin flicked the rope to the side and sent him crashing to the ground. Using her strength, she pulled the rope toward her and Kenta went flying into her direction. Rin raised her sword with her other hand.
She meant to decapitate him when he came to her line of hit, but Kenta managed the dodge the attack by using his momentum and throwing his body to the side. Rin's hand jerked to the left and she stumbled to the ground. Her concentration broke and Kenta was freed from his binds.
"If you want to kill me, then you should've activated your shikai," Kenta taunted after brushing himself off. Rin grounded her teeth as she stood up.
"Shut up!" she hissed. Kenta smirked.
"Please, why not stop this fight, Rin. I know you don't have it in you to kill your best friend," he continued.
Rin glared at him. "I will do anything to save Soul Society even if it means killing you!" With one final heated look, she stepped back and held her zanpakuto out in front of her.
"Go wild, Kaji!" She tossed her zanpakuto in the air.
The sword was consumed in flames. Rin raised her hands into the air. The flames formed a snakelike trail and wrapped around the blond's arms. The flames dissipated and revealed gleaming black gloves. They were black and ended at her elbows. The tips of her fingers had deadly looking claws at the end and the two gold bells with the red string hung off her wrist like bracelets. Bringing her hands back down, she held them out to her sides with the palms facing up.
"Fire of the beasts come forth!" Two balls of fire appeared in the palms of her hand. The flames leapt out and started to take shape. A tiger and an ox stood in front of her. The tiger gave a growl while the ox pawed its hooves in the ground.
Rin pointed her left hand at Kenta. "Go," she commanded.
The tiger sprang from its crouch toward Kenta. He was knocked over onto his back. His blade was the only thing holding the wild cat from scratching his face off with its flamed claws. He managed to push it off and stood guarded. The bull charged forward and ran right through the tiger and into Kenta, to his surprise.
The tiger's form disappeared for a bit and then reformed. Kenta was sent flying into a building. He sat in the rubble and held his stomach. Blood was pouring out of it and the smell of burnt flesh filled his nose.
Rin just stood where she was. Arms hanging at her side as she watched the fight. Kenta knew why she wasn't fighting. Her zanpakuto's ability to create animal forms that became solid and could reform if destroyed was incredible, but it also came with a dangerous downside. She had to concentrate to keep the forms up and moving. This caused her unable to engage in battle let alone move her body. If one distraction caused her to move, the animal forms would disappear completely.
She was open to attack then. Serving in open battles would most likely get her killed. Her skill was great for one on one or maybe even two people battles, but large scale battles, like war, were dangerous. Anyone could attack her in her immobile state. It always took her a three seconds to regain control on her body. In those three seconds, she could be easily killed.
Kenta pulled himself up and gripped his sword tighter and started mumbling under his breath. He charged forward toward the flaming animals. When he was in close range to them, he thrust his left hand out. A red blast went through both animals causing dust to obscure the battle field.
Rin's eyes widened as she felt him getting closer. Her fingers twitched. Then her wrist and finally her arms were able to move. She thrust her clawed hands out to protect herself. Metal meeting cloth. The sound of flesh being sliced through filled the air.
The smoke cleared. Rin had both clawed hands half way in Kenta's chest. Kenta grunted in pain, but kept his grip on the sword. His sword protruded from her back. He had managed to slice his zanpakuto through the space above her heart.
A trickle of blood slowly made its way down her mouth. Rin stared at the metal so close to her heart. He had really tried to kill her. She had only managed to stray the course of the sword by mere inches.
"Heh, n-nice job, K-Kenta," she rasped. Rin dug her clawed hands deeper in his chest. Kenta gave the sword a twist. Rin gurgled in pain.
He grunted, "I. Win."
Rin started to laugh, but choked on the blood that came up her throat. He gritted his teeth as her laughter became maniacal in a way. Her eyes gleamed with mirth as if she had heard the funniest joke.
"You didn't win. I did," she whispered and smiled revealing blood stained teeth. Kenta furrowed his brows in confusion. Rin just kept smiling.
"Fire of the beasts come forth!" she spat. Kenta's eyes widened in the split second it took him to realize what was happening. The flames burst from the palms of her hands. Kenta's body was consumed in fire from the inside out. His grip on the sword loosened enough for Rin to pull away. Her clawed hands made a squelching sound as they came out of his chest.
Kenta's body burned. The skin started to melt in places. Blood flowed freely from his mouth. Rin wrinkled her nose at the smell. His eyes were closed as an unearthly scream left his mouth. Rin pulled his sword out of her body and tossed it aside. Her zanpakuto shattered into tiny ashes and started to reform into its sealed state. Her sword fell to the ground at her feet.
Rin, ignoring the smell and sounds, started to heal her wound. It took a bit of effort, but the wound closed enough that it stopped bleeding internally. Picking up her zanpakuto, she sheathed it and stood over the now silently burning body. She stared at it blankly.
The body moaned. "I told you I would kill you, idiot. Now you'll just have to die slowly and painfully." She turned her attention away from it. She needed to get to the Central 46 to meet Aizen. She quickly left the area.
-:-
Rin stared at the bodies and the black blood. They were all sprawled everywhere. Some were laying in a pool of blood at their seats. Others were half laying on the stairs. All 46 members had been killed. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of rotting flesh.
Really, how many times would she have to smell dead or dying bodies?
"Rin, I'm glad you could come," Aizen said as he appeared at one of the doorways of the building. She turned around and smiled up at him.
"Aizen-sama," she greeted with a bow. The man smiled as he surveyed her. A dark splotch stained her left side near her heart. A battle wound most likely.
"Come, we will wait for the other guests to arrive," he commanded and gestured her to follow him. Rin walked up the steps but paused when she saw a familiar face.
The dark hair in a ponytail and expensive robes with the orange flower crest on the back of the robe caught her eye. Stooping down, she carefully turned the body over so it lay face up. Unseeing green and yellow eyes stared back at her. A diagonal line was slashed across his throat.
"Hello, Tachibana-sama. Are you disappointed that I didn't accept the position as head of the Tachibana clan, now? If I had you wouldn't be here dead, but you wanted the position for yourself. Not that I would've wanted it," Rin said coldly to the corpse.
Kazuo Tachibana had told her that her Granny had stated in her will that Rin would be the next head of the clan. The man had come up with an excuse as to why she shouldn't take the position. She was too inexperienced and the job would most likely conflict with her duties as a shinigami; Captain Kuchiki seemed to be doing fine though. Instead he offered her payment if she didn't take the position. The clan would pay her a large sum every year for as long as she lived.
Rin didn't want the position in the first place. She would've given it to him without any compensation, but he insisted. She found the clan members to be rude and cold. They didn't seem to want her there in the first place. She wouldn't want to live with them anyways.
Rin stood up and shook her head. "It's a shame. Goodbye, Tachibana-sama." She swept past his body and met Aizen the rest of the way up. The brown haired man made no comment to her previous act. The two would have to wait until the other players got there.
Rin watched from her hiding place behind a wall as Hinamori embraced her Captain. She looked as if she had found something great and wonderful. Rin pitied the lieutenant for her naivety in all this. Then again, she had blindly followed a note and attacked her childhood friend. She hadn't been thinking rationally since Aizen's supposed death.
"I'm very proud to have you as my subordinate. Thank you, Hinamori. I really do thank you," Aizen whispered. He held her gently as Hinamori started to smile.
"Goodbye." Rin stared at the sword that was now protruding from her back. Hinamori's eyes widened in shock. She stared down at the sword and bloodied hand that held it. She slowly looked back at the man she had held to high regards.
"No…" she breathed. Her body fell to the floor with a thud. Aizen stared at her body impassively before turning to Gin.
"Let's go, Gin," he ordered. The other man followed without a word.
Rin followed behind Gin. Just as they made it to the stairs Hitsugaya came running in. He stared at the living man in disbelief. Rin watched as they conversed and wondered when he would ask for Hinamori. He didn't notice her behind the man as he rushed into the other room.
Rin quickly made her way down the stairs to stay out of any confrontation that may occur. She didn't know what was happening until ice broke through the building. Her eyes widened as she tried to dodge the blast. She was sent flying and fell to the ground. Rin groaned as she felt ice covering her hand.
"Damn that hurt," she mumbled. Peeking up from the layer of ice the obscured her body, she gasped at the sight of Hitsugaya's bankai. Wings made of ice covered his back and three four petaled flowers hovered behind him.
"Aizen, I will kill you," the short Captain warned. Aizen just smiled and looked at him with a smug gleam.
Aizen said, "Don't use such strong words. It makes you look weak." Hitsugaya glared and ice formed to attack. Suddenly he was slashed down the front; his ice shattering. Rin stood behind the white haired captain. Aizen smiled. Hitsugaya stared at the blond in shock from his side vision. Rin turned to face him and sheathed her sword.
"Please don't make unnecessary attacks unless you wish to die," she scolded monotonously.
"S-Sasaki..." he managed to say before collapsing. Rin walked passed him and stood beside the two men. Unohana with Isane stepped forward. Isane's eyes widened as she saw the blond. Unohana seemed surprised as well.
"Sasaki-san, why are you with him?" Isane asked. Rin stared at them and opened her mouth to speak, when a moan broke out. Everyone turned to face the entry way. They watched as a body dragged itself toward them. Isane gasped and covered her mouth.
Kenta dragged his body with one arm a few feet away from them. His zanpakuto dragged along in his other hand. His body was burnt beyond recognition for everyone except Rin. A trail of black blood and skin followed behind him. His eyes were welded shut and some fingers formed together. There was no part of his body that wasn't charred black. Yet, he was still somehow able to move.
"Rrrrrrgh...innrhee...nnidid," he moaned out of his half sealed mouth. Rin shook her head at the sight.
"W-what is that," Isane whispered. Unohana stared at the body with pity. He was already half dead and there would be no way to save him.
Rin narrowed her eyes before walking over to the body. "You're so persistent, Kenta. Why can't you just die and stay dead?"
She reached down and pulled his sword from his deformed hands. Without hesitation, she plunged the blade through his skull. Blood splattered on the ice covered ground. The body twitched once and then stayed motionless. Rin didn't bother to pull the blade out. She walked back to her place beside Aizen and Gin.
"Now that was cruel, Rin-chan. Didn't know ya had it in ya to kill yer best friend," Gin mused and gave her a large smile.
"He got in my way," was her simple reply. Unohana's eyes dimmed as she looked at the once promising reaper.
"I see. Aizen Sosuke, Gin Ichimaru and Rin Sasaki have betrayed Soul Society," she murmured.
Aizen went on to explain how his zanpakuto actually worked. Rin listened intently for she didn't know this. Absolute hypnosis worked whenever he released his zanpakuto. The observer would have to be able to see it for it to work. Rin had never seen him release his zanpakuto since she wasn't in his division. Even when she visited him, he never once offered to show her his shikai form.
"Tousen Kaname has been my subordinate," he explained. Suddenly, they were surrounded by a swirling of cloth. Rin stuck close to Aizen as Gin performed the task of transporting them. Aizen smiled at the surprised women.
"Goodbye. I doubt we'll ever meet again," he said. They disappeared in a blinding flash before Isane could move. Rin opened her eyes to find that they were on Sōkyoku Hill. Renji, holding Rukia, and Tousen stood in front of them.
Aizen stepped forward and addressed the redhead. "Welcome, Abarai-kun. Leave Rukia Kuchiki here and back away," he commanded politely.
Renji's eyes darted around and landed on Rin. She met his gaze without any emotion. She could tell that he wanted her step forward and say that everything would be okay. That she was on his side. Rin shook her head slightly before turning her gaze to the brown haired man.
She watched as Renji stubbornly refused to back down. He refused to leave Rukia to Aizen. Rin blinked as she heard the message Isane was supplying to everyone. Having contact with the fourth division made her able to hear the message.
"Everyone knows that I betrayed Soul Society now," she thought to Kaji.
Her zanpakuto was silent for a long moment. "They would all find out sooner or later, Rin. What else did you expect? Renji, Ikkaku, Rangiku, Kira and Hisagi all know what you've done. There is no going back even if you regret your actions.
"I do not regret anything," she said sternly. The rest of the events went by in a haze. She watched as the Ryoka, Ichigo, fought Aizen. He was strong, very strong. Yet, not strong enough to defeat Aizen. She watched as the bodies of Renji and Ichigo fell to the ground.
Aizen picked Rukia up by her collar. Then, Komamura attacked him from behind. The blow sent debris all over. Rin had to back up and dodge to avoid being hit. He used Hado 90 on the large dog like captain. A technique Rin had just mastered with incantation and he was able to use none and still perform it.
"So powerful," she whispered to herself. He extracted the Hogyoku from Rukia's body. Aizen held her up.
"But it's too bad. You are useless now." He stared at her with mock pity.
Not bothering to look at anyone, he said, "Kill her, Gin."
Gin unleashed his zanpakuto. Rin blinked and stared as Captain Kuchiki blocked the blade with Rukia safely in his arms. Rukia cried out for him as he slumped down. Aizen went to reach for his sword just as Captain Soifon and another woman held their blades against him.
The gate guardians came barreling through. She watched as they blankly attacked like puppets on strings. Strange how everything was escalating. Rin reached for the hilt of her zanpakuto when a hand grabbed her wrist. A sword was pressed to her throat.
"Don't ya move, Rin," Ikkaku growled in her ear. Rin glanced at the man. He looked angry and disappointed. Suddenly four beams of light hit the ground. Ikkaku released her and jumped back in surprise as she was surrounded. The menos grande had ripped through the sky.
The ground around her feet broke away. She was floating slowly toward the menos. She stared down at the people. Hisagi stared at her. Betrayal was evident in his eyes. She met Aizen at the top and turned her back to the people below.
Aizen looked back over his shoulder. "For a human, you entertained me very much," he commented to Ichigo.
Rin looked at the man next to her. He looked different now that he showed his true face. His gaze met hers for a brief second. Rin gave a smile that was both sincere and triumphant.
Together the four made their way into the darkness. There would be no turning back once she stepped foot into the abyss. Rin didn't look back; there was no use in looking back at this point. She was ready to face a new world. She was ready for the war that would soon come.
She was ready to save Soul Society.
Bam, the end of the chapter. Whoa so lots of stuff happened. I basically cut most of the dialogue off because it would've been too much to write. So, we shall be seeing Rin in Las Noches and see what happens while the shinigami prepare for war. See everyone next chapter.
Kitkat d(^.^)b