Chapter Twelve: Dark Horse, Renji
Orihime and I went to the Hidden Temple to prepare for what we hoped to be the final battle. I grabbed my yukata as I saw Orihime tying her the laces on her boots. The Hiryu family gave her a special outfit to withstand the Dark Matter that engulfed the world we're going to. The plan was to have the Gotei enter the fight against the Ghost King's primary line unit with the Captain-Commander leading the front with majority of his captains. Captain Hitsugaya's friend was to remain in Soul Society leading a defensive unit because he did that have a Bankai at the same strength as Hitsugaya did. A group of Shinigami was sent to defend Karakura because it is considered a haven for the humans. While they fought, our group was going to travel with Jinpachi who intends to fight the Ghost King head on with his forces while we continued to the heart of the Infernal Fortress within the Infernal Kingdom. Jinpachi predicted Izanami interferring so he had Aizen and his army accompany us to lead her astray while we pressed onward. During the middle of the fight, the Lost City's might will enter the battlefield to overwhelm the Infernal Army to throw them off balance, giving us time we needed to find the room containing the Heart of the Fallen where we will use to open Yomi with the Heartbeat of the Hummingbird with Aizen's Hougyoku; Jinpachi guessed Asuka will be the one to initiate the fist entry into the Void where we will follow her. The Espada were given the task to protect Orihime as we got closer to where the Ghost King truly lie in wait because Jinpachi was aware he fought an avatar when he was last there. He deduced Asuka might endanger the matters of the universe so he made sure that Aizen's forces kept her away from reaching the Ghost King. Hitsugaya Juushirou will eventually meet up with us and Jinpachi will use their weapons along with his and Izayoi's to create a new Heavenly Jeweled Spear to use against the Ghost King, and with the Heartbeat of the Hummingbird, he will create the Prima Materia to send him to his demise, and with Orihime, she will seal the evil energy within Yomi and eventually restore time with his power. This will result in taking us back to when I first met Ichigo. The rest of the battle plans were being discussed with the High Council so we decided to use this time to ourselves.
I looked at Orihime buttoning up her blouse and when she saw me, she smiled. I returned her smile with one of my own as I put on my uniform. I grabbed Zabimaru as we made our way outside, holding one another's hands in silence. When we found our group, I saw Grimmjow and Ichigo butting heads as Aizen discussed plans with Mekujin. Rukia, Nel, Ichimaru and Starrk where together in a conversation when Ichigo stormed off to sit next to Chad and Uryuu. We had to change tactics at the last minute by having our human friends accompany us. I walked over to Ichigo as Orihime went to our friends. As she spoke, she turned back to me, smiling weakly. This was it. The last crusade.
Flashback
"Asuka managed to enter the Infernal Kingdom ahead of schedule," Ganryuu informed.
"So we need to speed up our agenda, then!" Kirinji exclaimed.
"Not so fast, Kirinji. We cannot go unprepared," Captain Yamamoto told him.
"Last I checked, my leader was Commander Zarubari, not you," Kirinji said.
"Enough! Both of you!" Hiruyaga ordered, preventing them from fighting during the meeting.
"What do we do, Ken-chan?" Izayoi whispered to her lover.
"We get moving. Now. I sent our Hitsugaya to make sure Kazujin was aware of our actions in case we needed a fall back plan," Jinpachi said.
"So we have a change of plans," Aizen concluded.
"For now. We're going to launch the Gotei as the first wave, with the Lost City's warriors coming in as the tertiary forces. We'll be the second wave. My group will work with the Karakura Special Forces until we run into Izanami. We are bound to meet that hag. From there, the Espada will continue onward with the Karakura team and if necessary, I will need Captains Kenpachi, Kuchiki, Hitsugaya and Kurotsuchi make their way to the Karakura Special Forces. I'll make my way to them with another section consisting of myself, Izayoi, my son, Rokujin, Mekujin, Asuna, Setsuka and Captain-Commander Kyouraku. For now, let's use instinct," Jinpachi addressed.
"Now that's more like it!" Captain Unohana grinned.
"As long as the fights are good, we're in!" Captain Zaraki added.
"All right. Let's go," Jinpachi declared.
"Yes, sir!" the group responded.
Flashback ends
"Commander Jinpachi is summoning all of us," Senna informed.
"Ah, the battle has begun," Nnoitra says, smiling at the fact.
"Let's get moving, eh, Captain Aizen?" Gin smirked.
We met everyone outside of the Hidden Temple where Jinpachi and his army awaited us. We went to our respective groups as we began walking towards Ganryuu's group. There, they opened a portal and I heard a loud howling sound with endless screams from the vacuum of chaos. Jinpachi walked up to Ganryuu, shaking the man's hand while they engaged in small talk. Izayoi joined them, sharing a small laugh while the rest of the family followed suit. For a while, that's what they did before Jinpachi turned to us.
"Family, friends... enemies alike. I'm not famous for big speeches," Jinpachi started.
"We know!" Unohana interrupted.
"Shut the fuck up!" Jinpachi yelled back.
"Just like how we remember him," Shutara said, sighing.
"Anyway! Like I was saying, I'm not good with big speeches. A lot of you will die. I cannot ask more from you other than your bravery so if you choose to leave, do so now!" Jinpachi ordered. Nobody moved but Kusaka stepped up.
"I don't feel right staying here," Kusaka stated.
"We need you to protect Soul Society with your group, Soujirou. Please, let us place our faith in you," Izayoi assured, silencing him as Captain Hitsugaya placed a hand on his shoulder.
"So no one left..." Jinpachi whispered. He lowered his head but brought it back up, revealing a smile similar to Unohana and Zaraki when they were about to go for the killing move. "The last time we had a united force this big was when the Orochi first appeared. I couldn't ask for anything else from all of you. This fight will not be down in history but we don't need it! All you have is your skin and your hopes but God damn it, that's all you need! What are you fighting for, troops? Who do you fight for? Today will define your character and if this be the day you die, then die for something worth fighting for! I cannot carry your legacy but we will carry the legacy left to us by our predecessors! Don't bring shame to their integrity but fight true! Fly true! Give those bastards a taste of hell and show no mercy for you shall receive none! I choose to fight for my family! I choose to die today! I choose to die for you! I ask you... look past your differences! Let us join together for one common foe and let him experience true fear! Let our enemies know that we will not yield to them! Don't go down a coward but go down a warrior! That is the example we will set for the generations ahead of us! We fight for them! I will fight for you, my brothers and sisters! This is your virtue! This is your honor! If this be our fate, so be it! Let destiny ride within our hearts! Let them taste our vigor!"
A thunderous roar was heard in our crowd that I couldn't hear anything else, applause filling Soul Society as Ganryuu confirmed the portal was ready. The portal showed an image of a fiery palace with many monstrous demons soaring through the skies. Jinpachi raised his sword as he pointed it at the Infernal Fortress within the Infernal Kingdom. And there we saw the Infernal Army led by the Orochi. Jinpachi turned to face us once more, raising his Zenumuron with anger on his face. Inside, I saw Asuka already disrupting the Infernal Army and realized now what we had to do. We needed to innovate.
"Fight for honor! Fight for glory! To death! To war!" Jinpachi screamed.
"Fuck yeah!" Ichigo voiced out but it was drowned by the praising of our commander. Several members went in front of us holding banners that contained a symbol: it was the Hiryu crest inside the Gotei's symbol. Outside were several designs representing each of our forces, including the Quincy Cross and a Hollow mask to represent Aizen's command.
The Order of the Star King.
A task force. An official army. And Jinpachi was our commanding officer leading the battle front.
"FORTH, STAR GLADIATORS!" Jinpachi shouted with vigor as we ran towards the portal.
We all jumped into the portal, entering the realm as the Gotei began rushing towards the incoming Infernal Army. Ahead of us, I saw Captain Kyouraku and Ukitake going toe to toe with the Orochi while several clashes met with the the monstrous demons. I saw Hiruyaga take flight, freezing a good chunk of their army while the Gotei began smashing them to bits. I landed on the domain of the Infernal Kingdom, looking back and saw that Jinpachi's army had not yet taken the battlefield. I began running with our group towards the Infernal Fortress when I heard Izanami's wicked laugh. I looked up and saw her making her way from the skies towards us. Before she got any closer, Captain Kenpachi met with her, sending his fist to her solar plexus, thereby causing her to land a considerable distance from us before he chased after her, followed by the Zaraki Squad and Captain Muguruma and the Visored. Ishida momentarily led the group, firing a volley of arrows at the enemies before he stayed back for a brief second to let the sky rain with an arrow shower. Grimmjow and Nnoitra were already in the Resurreccion when they took point, hacking and slashing away until I saw Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshou pave a bigger path for us. I stuck by Orihime and let everyone take care of the incoming assaults. I heard Keigo going down as we ran, several demons preparing to maul him to death when Chad saved him with Tatsuki. Chizuru was armed with a naginata, swiping everyone coming near us. The vast majority of the Espada surrounded us and I realized our plans were already going awry when I saw Setsuka colliding with the pavement near us. Tousen Kaname came to her aid before gargoyles picked on her flesh.
"Renji!" Ichigo called out to me.
"On it! Zaga Teppou!" I jumped up, taking down a giant with my abilities in a matter of seconds.
"Getsuga Tenshou!" he shouted, obliterating a wave of demons running at us.
We took a really long flight of staircases leading to the Infernal Fortress, and when I looked at the fight, Jinpachi's army entered the battlefield with Rokujin and Mekujin leading the force with their O-Bankai. I saw Jinpachi luring a vast majority of them away before encasing them in a dome, and I recognized the attack: it was similar to Captain Kuchik's Senkei but unlike the Senkei, Jinpachi's technique brought them to another world where sight, smell and hearing was nullified though touch and taste were still there, almost identical to Tousen Kaname's Bankai but with fiercer results within the hellish dome. Within seconds, the dome disappeared and Jinpachi rejoined the fight. Asuna jumped up in front of Neliel, using her hands and feet to take care of the enemies trying to overwhelm her. We got to one of the levels of the fortress and I heard Orihime trip. I carried her on my back as we ran, trusting Ichigo to lead the group while the Espada continued acting as bodyguards, with Aizen and his lieutenants intervening once in a while. When we made it to the top, Izanami was already there with a badly injured Asuka. She tossed her aside and Hitsugaya Juushirou attempted to fight her, but she had no trouble swatting him away.
"You deluded cretins! You cannot comprehend my power here in my world!" Izanami declared. A giant skull appeared behind her, laughing wickedly as blades formed behind it. A dark cloud began to form, lightning bolts striking the ground.
"Eat this!" Yoruichi suddenly appeared, sending a heel to her cranium which stunned Izanami for a second. Kuukaku joined the fight, sweeping Izanami off her feet with a crescent kick before Isshin grabbed the sorceress, throwing her aside.
"Go! Now!" Isshin ordered.
We nodded as Urahara suddenly joined the battle, Tessai Tsukabishi and Ashido grabbing the wounded siblings to Hachigen Ushouda before the Zero Division joined the battle against Izanami. We entered the Infernal Fortress, running up a swirling staircase as loud explosions filled the region. By the time we got to the top, I saw the Orochi being brought down by the might of Shunsui and Ukitake. Jinpachi was nowhere to be seen when a bright ray of red light appeared behind us. We turned, and we saw a giant skull opening its mouth and inside the mouth were two giant doors as large as the Gates of Hell. When it opened, a tall shadow stepped out, a red mist leaving from the depths of the Infernal Fortress. Three dark red orbs formed on the shadow's face before showing itself visible. It was a humanoid; I described it as having a pale face, two large horns pointing outwards as six black wings began to unfold. He was muscular and had several tattoos similar to Jinpachi's on its body. It had talons on its feet and was slightly armored, a tail dragging on the ground that had several rows of spikes from the spine to the tip of the tail. It smiled wickedly at us, revealing fangs as it pointed a scepter at Orihime.
The Ghost King's avatar.
"Foolish mortals! You think can escape me?" the Ghost King asked, laughter filling the radius. Before we could speak, I saw the group that challenged Izanami get thrown in front of us. We turned, seeing Izanami dragging Isshin with her.
"Pathetic!" Izanami laughed, tossing Isshin at Ichigo's feet. The Espada surrounded us as I noticed Aizen and his subordinates walking up to the Ghost King.
"Dark Horse! Come forth! You dare challenge me and think you can live to tell the tale?" the Ghost King inquired Aizen.
A carriage appeared from the door he stepped out from, four malicious looking horses dragging the vessel. On each horse sat a rider; the white horse had a ghostly warrior with a jeweled staff in his hand, a crown on his head; the red horse had a barbaric demon as fire came out from the horse's nostrils; the black horse had a rider with its flesh molting, maggots and various insects crawling up its skin as flies consumed the horse's decaying flesh in swarms; then the last horse was sickly, pale in comparison and I saw a skeleton shrouded in black riding it. It held a scythe and its eyes glowed purple. The Ghost King floated to let the Dark Horse exit the gates, and this horse was a gargantuan compared to the Four Horsemen. It burned with a blue flame as the Ghost King pointed at us. Aizen smirked, charging at the Four Horsemen while I looked back at Izanami. When I turned to the Ghost King, he stood there on his Dark Horse as Orihime got off, entering a battle stance while the Espada closed the gap in an attempt to protect Orihime efficiently. I heard Izanami cry out in pain and when I looked, she lay on the floor, slowly getting up with smoke rising from her body. I looked up and I felt a smile forming on my face. A familiar group of heroes entered the fight, a bright light shining down at us. And leading that group was Kazujin Hiryu.
"TAKE THEM DOWN!" Kazujin shouted his war cry, charging towards the Ghost King's fortress in fury with the bulk of his forces which included Sakura and a pantheon of archaic gods and goddesses.
"SHIVA!" Renji shouted, watching the Destroyer wreck the building with her might.
Izanami glared as a warrior dressed in royal robes and a naginata descended, swinging his weapon at her but missing completely. Izanami dodged but growled at the sight of his face.
"Izanagi..." she spat. Izanagi grinned as Jinpachi crashed next to him, withdrawing his Death Force as he glared at the Emperor of the Infernal Kingdom.
"Jinpachi!" the Ghost King shouted, his voice echoing in the Void.
"Been a hot minute, you old fart! Let's send you to where you belong! O-Bankai!"
Jinpachi took flight, soaring above the Ghost King a thousand feet up as he spread his arms and legs before positioning himself to where he aimed his Death Force at the Ghost King. The skies were engulfed with his flames as a massive dragon emerged from his form, roaring as it flew towards the Ghost King. Sparks of electricity surged from its wings whereupon missiles made of heavenly fire shot out from its body towards the enemy. And then explosions were made, the objects bright in various colors that I couldn't help but stare in awe. I recognized the attack.
"Renji..." Orihime said to me, holding my hand.
"We should get moving!" Grimmjow said to Ichigo.
"Right! Renji!" Ichigo called to us.
"Hell's Retribution, Excel With My Wrath! The Final Scene of the Armageddon... FIREWORKS!" Jinpachi shouted.
And there I saw the most beautiful display of fireworks ever bestowed upon me in my life...
"You pretentious buffoon!" the Ghost King snarled, flying away from the Dark Horse as Jinpachi's flamedragon destroyed it and most of the giant building the Ghost King came from, leaving the door still standing.
"You're one to talk, child!" one of the gods, declared, hurling a hammer at the Ghost King which sent it flying.
"Looks like he's still a hot-head. Anyone feel like letting Thor take the credit?" Shiva asked her fellow gods and goddesses.
"Every god has their wrath," a Greek god who I assumed to be Zeus informed. A thunder cloud began to form, his fists surging with electricity as the Ghost King and Thor squared off before Thor was sent plummeting to the ground.
"Jinpachi, I'll handle my wife! You go take care of the Ghost King's avatar!" Izanagi ordered.
"No," Jinpachi glared at Izanagi. "I'm getting my children out of here."
"You are indeed a fool, Jinpachi Hiryu!" Izanami laughed, pointing at Hachi. Hitsugaya was slowly recovering but Asuka was long gone.
"Where's Asuka? Where's my child?" Izayoi demanded softly before her anger erupted. "WHERE'S MY DAUGHTER?!"
"Asuka!" Hitsugaya shouted, and when we turned to the doorway, Asuka was already running inside it, disappearing inside the red mist.
"Jinpachi!" Izayoi yelled.
"Asuka!" Jinpachi began to yell and give chase when Asuna and Setsuka stopped him.
"We'll get her!" Setsuka stated, running after her cousin with Asuna closely behind.
"NO!" Hiruyaga shouted. "GET BACK HERE!"
"I'm getting my mommy! She's all I have left!" Asuna replied before disappearing into the mist.
"No!" Jinpachi ran but the doors closed shut, leaving him powerless so he began pounding at it. Hiruyaga ran to the door as Jinpachi walked away, giving it a hard kick but it didn't budge, though the fortress did shake. Izayoi walked to Jinpachi but when she turned to Izanami, she was visibly pissed.
"You poor souls! You know not of the powers in this realm!" Izanami laughed but Izanagi forced her to face him. She tried struggling but she, too, was powerless in his grasp. "Let me go!"
"Why are you doing this, Izanami?" Izanagi asked softly.
"Because you are all weak! You're all pathetic! You deserve to die!" Izanami shouted at her husband.
"Why can't you see this won't resolve anything? You serve him of all people! Snap out of it, my darling!" Izanagi said.
"Snap out of it? You left me in Yomi! Why are you surprised? Did you think I would fawn over you coming back to see me? The Ghost King was there! He saved me! Not you!" Izanami spat, pushing her lover away as she fell to the ground.
"White people problems," Odin says, shaking his head.
"Asian people problems," Shiva corrected.
"Couple's problems," Kazujin corrected them both, causing them to glare at Shiva's herald. "What?"
"You expect me to just fall in love with you again after you deserted me? You think I still love you?" Izanami yelled, but I could hear she was having a hard time from crying. "How could you leave me..."
"Because I was vain," Izanagi replied. He knelt down to her level, removing her mask. And when we saw it, I heard Orihime gasping; her flesh was rotting but I could tell Izanami wept, no longer caring. Izanagi placed a comb on her hair, brushing the strands aside as several Shinto deities got closer to them.
"You pompous windbag!" Odin yelled. I turned to see the pantheons fighting the Ghost King's avatar who held them in a hold with a tornado.
"Just go away, you bastard!" Izanami slapped Izanagi multiple times until he held her in an embrace. "Leave me be... just like you did eons ago..."
"Not this time..." Izanagi whispered, caressing her hair.
"Well, isn't this mushy..." Grimmjow whined.
"Izanami..." Orihime said, kneeling next to the couple. "Please help us..."
"Help me get my daughter. Stop being selfish, you stupid bitch!" Jinpachi demanded. Izanagi glared but it didn't frighten the commander.
"I can't! Inside of the Void is the Ghost King's true form. The only way you can do that is with one of them!" Izanami pointed at the pantheon but realized she mad an error. "Wait, no. None of them have the power to enter that realm."
"What are you saying?" Izayoi asked.
"We're a different hierarchy of deities. Which means we're a lower class of gods. We may be part of our own original pantheon but each pantheon had what is called a Creator God. Last time I was here, I was with Shiva and her masters," Izanagi answered.
"What the fuck are you babbling about? Tell us how to get there!" Jinpachi demanded.
Izanagi stood up, helping his wife up. We all approached Izanagi while everyone else continued to battle. I looked on as more demons were produced, and when I looked over to the Ghost King, he was moving his arms in fluid motions, glowing with a dark red as he summoned more of his Infernal Army.
"The Ghost King is an evolution of evil and he was created by many of the fallen gods of the primordial era in the Shadowy Land of the Dead where all evil deities merged into one, including our fallen god, thereby creating what is known as the Ghost King but the main source of his power lay within the original fallen angel from an ancient rebellion during Adonia's time; her most beautiful as well as her first creation was jealous of those that came after it. Adonai had fallen asleep before she could act and so her once proud angel mustered all of the fallen deities to his persuasion, becoming the Deceiver in the end. Aside from Adonai, only one deity had something in common with all of the pantheons," Izanami said, putting her mask on.
"What deity?" Ichigo asked.
"Chaos."
Stairway to Heaven
Izanami lectured us about the creation of the world. Before the Big Bang, Adonai lay dormant in the Void. When she awoke, she uttered a painful cry with an explosion that was the Big Bang ensued, therefore creating the universe. From the depths of the Dark World, which was the primordial form of the universe, Chaos erupted and she began to shape it in her visage. On the seventh day, Chaos mated with her when she gave birth to the Prima Materia in a cosmic egg. Through her will, the pantheons of all various deities were born from the Prima Materia, each of them forged with their own unique aether. As Adonai succumbed to her slumber, Chaos finished the rest of the creation but it was incomplete. Because of this, Adonai let her love flow, the Heartbeat of the Hummingbird creating the Secret Garden where she lay hidden, known to everyone as the Garden of Eden. To get there, Izanami told us, we needed to unlock the Heartbeat of the Hummingbird that lay dormant within Kazujin, Jinpachi, Hitsugaya Juushirou, Ichigo and myself. It was granted to five men in case Chaos went rampant and it did. The Heartbeat of the Hummingbird made the Hougyoku look like a piece of shit and the Prima Materia made every pantheon seem powerless.
We burst through the door where Asuka fled to but found it empty. It was the Ghost King's chambers and we saw a giant pool filled with cosmic ooze. Izanami and Izanagi left us to this task to occupy the Ghost King's avatar as he entered the pool. I felt the thick liquid crawling up to us and before we submerged, I saw a giant skull in front of us and a throne. On that throne was a skeleton, which I figured to be where the Ghost King's original remains were kept. When I went under the surface, I noticed that I didn't need to hold my breath. Jinpachi led the group as we swam through an underwater cave, numerous bright lights guiding us. A current forced us to go through a stream and next thing I knew, we were floating carefully through the current. We entered a giant area and looking up, we saw a night sky with bright stars filling up the atmosphere. When we emerged, we were in safari-esque realm. We got out, walking on the sand. I shook off the cosmic liquid, watching it dissolve immediately, my clothing drying up right away. We saw a small shack and a shaman came out from it. I couldn't distinguish its gender but I assumed it to be male. It had an elongated mask on with tribal designs, bringing us inside the shack, introducing himself just as Voodoo. He sat us on the floor. Our group consisted of the Karakura Special Forces, Aizen's Espada army, the remaining Visoreds who didn't reinstate themselves into the Gotei, Urahara's group, the Fullbringers, Ganju, Isshin, Senna, Ashido, Jinpachi, Izayoi, Hitsugaya Juushirou, Hiruyaga, Kazujin, Sakura and Kirio Hikifune who managed to catch up to us. Voodoo started chanting, pouring a purple neon liquid into a giant bowl as evaporating smoke rose from the device. He stirred the contents before filling up champagne flutes, handing them out to us.
"Okay, Raffiki, what's in this?" Tatsuki glared at the object.
"Ah, better yet! What do you want to be in it should be your question!" Voodoo remarked cryptically.
"Inoue's titties!" Chizuru said gleefully before Yumichika smacked her. He and Ikkaku were assigned to us to avoid getting demolished by Zaraki.
"Shut up!" Ikkaku barked.
"What kind of shit is this?" Grimmjow whined, tasting the contents of the drink.
"It's so bitter..." Orihime said, making a face. I found her cute so I smiled.
"It is what it is! Hoo-hoo!" Voodoo said.
"Yeah, because that explains a lot," Hitsugaya chimed in, taking a sip.
"It tastes like shit!" Barragan complained.
"How do you know what shit tastes like?" Ishida inquired slyly.
"What did you say to me?!" Barragan barked.
"This tastes like rotten tomatoes..." Chad decided.
"Really? I like it," Kirio commented. "Honey!"
"Same," Keigo responded.
"Cereal..." Rukia started dabbing her lips together.
"It tastes like shit!" Ishida cried out.
"HAH!" Barragan began laughing.
"Seems that we're all experiencing different things," Aizen guessed.
"What?" I took a sip and it tasted like... Orihime's vagina.
What the fuck?
"... I taste my wife's vagina..." Kazujin said suddenly, causing Sakura to spit out her drink.
"What the fuck, old man!" Hiruyaga shot her father a drink as Kazujin inspected the contents.
"... I'm keeping this to myself," Izayoi stated, making a face that spoke of embarrassment.
"You tasted semen?" Orihime inquired without any tact. Izayoi slowly nodded, causing all of us to stare at them. Jinpachi began wiggling his eyebrows at his beloved, causing Hitsugaya to grimace.
"Hoohoo! It is what it is!" Voodoo repeated.
"This tastes like pumpkin..." Senna whispered.
"This is pretty sweet," Jinpachi said.
"You're right!" I announced. I felt an after taste and it was like honey.
"What is this?" Ashido asked.
"Simple!" Voodoo pointed a finger in the air before removing his mask to reveal Kaien.
"Kaien-dono!" Rukia gasped.
"Oh, shit..." Aaroniero began.
"Wait! I just saw you back at Soul Society!" Isshin pointed at Voodoo-Kaien accusingly.
"We can be anywhere in the world, Isshin!" Voodoo-Kain responded.
"Isshin!" a voice interrupted.
"M-m-mom?!" Ichigo stammered while Isshin's face exaggeratedly created blissful tears.
"MASAKI!" Isshin began kissing her feet.
"Wait a minute..." Ishida began to ponder.
"Uryuu," a voice said softly. We turned and there we saw her, Uryuu's mother.
"Mother..." Ishida stood up.
"It's so good to see you again. And you have become so handsome!" Kanae Katagiri said, smiling with her eyes closed at her son.
"What's going on?" I asked no one in particular.
"It is what it is," Voodoo replied.
"So you say what we want it to be..." Chad said before his grandfather, Oscar, sat next to him.
"Exactly!" Voodoo said.
"But why do you have Kaien's face?" Rukia demanded.
"Because that is Kaien, Rukia," another voice answered. We turned and I recognized her as Hisana.
"Orihime!" another voice called to her.
"Huh? Sora!" Orihime got up, hugging her brother.
I got up and realized everyone beginning to reunite with everyone. I looked at my champagne flute and it was empty. Laughter filled the room that I couldn't help but smile. Some of the Espada were given true human forms while others got different things. I realized then that no one appeared before me. I smiled sadly but I didn't get disheartened. Voodoo told us that we drank what we wanted to fill ourselves with. I looked at Orihime and I already knew my answer.
Her happiness.
"Your glass is half full," Voodoo-Kaien whispered to me. I looked at him smiling at the others, his hands behind the small of his back as he rocked back and forth.
"Huh?"
"Your glass is half full. You have dreams. Goals. Ambition. You saw no one came for you. Not even your childhood friends. Maybe you want them to stay in peace. Maybe you are the selfless one here."
"I don't know about that..." I said, chuckling as I rubbed the back of my neck.
"Renji, I am Kaien but I am also not Kaien. Shiba Kaien is back where he belongs. The world isn't so perfect but you don't stop from trying to make it better. You have small whims. You seek pride in yourself because of those you hold dear. You want happiness but even that averts you. It is an elusive beast."
"Yeah..."
"Yet you don't care. You truly are the poor monkey staring at the moon. And despite its consequences, you jumped for its reflection because even then, death is beautiful knowing you did not give up on your goal. But now you are the Baboon Snake King."
"What?"
"You found it. The truest form of the Heartbeat of the Hummingbird."
Voodoo slammed his staff down, causing a shockwave to emit as the world began to change. A bright light ensnared us before we took to the cosmos. When it stopped, we were in a dark place. A silver mist surrounded the ground and before us was a giant object that towered us where Jinpachi's dragon could not even challenge its height. We approached with Voodoo-Kaien leading our pack. When we stopped, I noticed it was a giant eye with its eyelids closed. On the very top was a statue fixated as if it were sleeping.
"What is that thing?" Ichigo asked.
"This is where you need to be," Masaki answered. The rest of the visitors joined Voodoo-Kaien before being absorbed into his staff.
"Allow me to introduce you to Chaos. The God of Discord!" Voodoo-Kaien declared, slamming his staff into the lower eyelid but it didn't budge.
"What..." Tatsuki slumped.
"That's weird. He usually gets up. Maybe I should poke him some more..." Voodoo-Kaien began harassing its eyelids while several of us felt alarmed.
"Stop that! I don't wanna' die!" Ganju whined but Voodoo-Kaien kept smacking Chaos' eyelid.
"Wake up! Hoi! Come on! You have guests, you grouchy schmuck!" Voodoo-Kaien hollered.
"Please, Voodoo-sama! I don't want to disturb him!" Orihime pleaded.
"We're wasting time!" Kazujin said. He rushed up to Chaos, jumping to meet the statue as he punched its jaw, causing the statue to move and stare at him.
"It's waking up!" Hiruyaga noticed.
"I like this plan!" Izayoi withdraw her weapon, a sky blue aura forming around her. Jinpachi ascended, unleashing his flames.
"Hell's Retribution, Excel With My Wrath! Seven Sin Serenade!" Jinpachi yelled, firing a torrential blast of energy at Chaos, causing it to grumble slowly.
"Go forth, Zodiac Braves!" Sakura issued the order to her summons.
"Prevail With My Cataclysm, My Virtuous Fang! Holy Lance!" Izayoi drew forth a stampede of icy chariots that charged at Chaos before turning into a giant lance wielded by an enormous frost giant of intimidating height. It was as large as Jinpachi's dragon!
"Wake up! Wake! Up!" Voodoo-Kaien smacked a small slit of the barely awake Chaos, causing it to shriek in pain. "Ah! You're awake!"
Chaos' eyes fully opened, witnessing an incoming blast of fiery energy before it got smashed by it, wincing from the assault as the lance pierced Chaos' statue. When we ceased all attacks, majority of us inched back but Voodoo-Kaien stood, smiling at the giant God of Discord as Jinpachi joined him.
"Who dares awaken my slumber!" Chaos demanded. "Answer me or I will feast on your..."
"Feast on your souls, blah, blah, blah! Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all. It was me," Jinpachi answered.
"How dare you, Shinigami!" Chaos roared angrily.
"Morning, Chaos!" Voodoo-Kaien tapped the lower eyelid of the god. "Had a nice nap?"
"Voodoo! You should know better than that, shaman!" Chaos' eye focused on him.
"I know! But Adonai told me to tell you that she told me to tell them to meet you so you can tell them where they should be going to tell the ones you told what you told so they can tell them what they shouldn't be doing!" Voodoo-Kaien placed his fists on his hips.
"Eh?" Ichigo and I slumped, our eyes twitching.
"Adonai? Hah!" Chaos laughed.
"Okay, I'm getting annoyed. Where's my daughter?" Izayoi demanded.
"Ah, Izayoi Juushirou. I have expected you." Chaos chuckled.
"Cut the shit! Where is my child?" Jinpachi demanded.
"There were three girls who ran into Yomi. Do you know how we can get there?" Ishida asked.
"The Shadowy Land of the Dead? I pity you fools for attempting to enter there!" Chaos grumbled.
"Why? What is in there?" Grimmjow asked.
"That is where Adonai was born from where she wandered aimlessly. Where the Ghost King was once trapped before being released by that pathetic Izanami!" Chaos shouted.
"We need to get there!" Sakura cried out, earning some positive responses from our group.
"You need to enter the Void where the Ghost King currently lay. To get to Yomi, you must use the Heartbeat of the Hummingbird which I can grant to all of you if you answer one simple question." Chaos snickered.
"What is it?" Aizen asked.
"What is chaos?" the God of Discord asked us, giving us a pretty plain riddle.
"A bag of shit," came the reply from Zaraki Kenpachi. I turned around and saw that our group had suddenly joined us out of nowhere.
This is so not the original plan.
"Kenpachi!" Ikkaku bowed immediately to his commanding officer.
"You dare mock me?!" Chaos shouted.
"Yeah. What're you going to do about it, limp dick?" Unohana retorted.
"I will see that you meet your end!" Chaos' eye began to glow as the fog grew thicker.
"Wait! Let's solve this riddle, please!" Orihime begged. She inhaled, closing her eyes.
"I see she is the wise one!" Chaos roared as Orihime opened her eyes.
"Can you please finish the riddle?" Orihime asked sweetly, mustering the sweetest smile I have ever seen.
"Very well. What is chaos born from chaos? What is a circle with an end? What is a god that bleeds? What is relativity? A man once stood as the savior of the mortal realm to save it from their burdens. What is purpose? And lastly... what is CHAOS?!" Chaos finished. Several of us stared because these riddles weren't making any sense.
"What the fuck kind of questions are these?!" Uryuu asked, surprising some of us.
"Yeah! Holy dog shit! And I thought I was bad at parties!" Captain Hitsugaya stated.
Wait.
Chaos.
Chaos began to laugh as most of us began arguing over the matter. Voodoo-Kaien watched with a smile on his face and I realized something. That big ass eye isn't Chaos. I walked up to him, grabbing Voodoo-Kaien by his shirt as I began to shake him about as he yelled. The eyeball stared at us, snarling but I kept shaking him furiously.
"Renji! What are you doing!" Rokujin asked.
"You asshole! You tricked us!" I growled at Voodoo-Kaien.
"I'm getting dizzy! Stop before I shit and puke on you!" Voodoo-Kaien urged so I dropped him. He looked up as he grabbed his hair.
"You're pretty sneaky, Chaos," Jinpachi said as he approached us. I smacked him with a paper fan that Kazujin conveniently handed to me.
"What!" Captain Muguruma exclaimed.
"Chaos' purpose as the God of Discord is doing exactly this. Pull us into a chaotic squabble," Sakura concluded.
"Clever!" Chaos who posed as Voodoo-Kaien chuckled while Mekujin got him up. He and Rokujin restrained Chaos as Jinpachi held the sharp end of Zenumuron a few centimeters at his throat, breathing heavily as he narrowed his eyes at Chaos.
"Life. One of the answers is life," Izayoi said.
"Ah! Brilliant!" Chaos commended.
"Inoue! You know the other answer!" Jinpachi barked.
I looked at Orihime. She had a sad expression so I went over to her, rubbing her back as I looked at an expectant Chaos.
"And death..." Orihime finished.
"Good," Chaos said darkly, his eyes glowing a light blue.
The world erupted, causing all of us to shriek in pain as the stinging sensation traveled through our bodies. I heard Chaos laughing as he changed the world, bring us back to the Void. A red mist came forth and when we arrived, I saw a pyramid. On the top was Asuka challenging the real Ghost King, a skeletal figure armed with a scythe. Hiruyaga rushed over to Setsuka who was at the bottom of the pyramid with Asuna. The world was still dark with the only light illuminating the surroundings being the top of the pyramid. Chaos still had Kaien's appearance but his eyes were now as black as night. He pointed at the top.
"The Pyramid of Harmony and Discord. I cannot follow from here for this is a task only your warriors must accomplish," Chaos said. "Adonai and I agreed to never intervene in your affairs directly ever again and that is why we sent our one and only son to save the mortal realm the first time. Now it's your turn!"
"Understood," Jinpachi said.
"Thank you for taking us here," Izayoi added, bowing to Chaos.
"Foolish girl!" the Ghost King shrieked, his blade colliding with Asuka's. I saw that she was about to be on the losing end. I heard Hiruyaga weeping as she held her daughter, Sakura cradling Asuna before both ran directly to where the fight was taking place.
"Sakura! No!" Kazujin ran after her.
Chaos was engulfed with a purple flame; Jinpachi summoned his own fires as we heard him growl. Chaos slammed his palm on the ground, creating a pathway for Jinpachi that led to the skies, creating large ethereal clouds; and a stairway. I saw at the top where Adonai observed the battle. The stairway descended to the opposite end of where we where, and an intersecting path made its way to the pyramid
"Kill him! Kill the Betrayer! Kill the Devil! Do so and you will open the Shadowy Land of the Dead!" Chaos declared, turning to us as demonic entities began to charge at us. "Jinpachi! Use the Heartbeat of the Hummingbird! Create the new Heavenly Jeweled Spear!"
"We're on it!" I said, withdrawing my zanpakutou.
"Go forth, my children. Save this planet. Save it," I heard Adonai call out to us. I looked up but I didn't see her mouth moving. She leaned forward on one of her clouds, her beautiful locks of hair flowing with the wind as the cosmic clouds began to appear beyond her. A neon green stream of light began descending down to us, touching our skin as we felt our body restored and new power flowing through our veins.
"What are we waiting for?!" Ichigo smirked, his body engulfed with black flame as he enters his new Bankai-Star Gladiator form.
"Everyone back to your battle stations! Protect the girl! Defend Orihime!" Kazujin ordered.
"Save my planet," Adonai repeated.
"KILL LUCIFER!" Chaos commanded.
"TO WAR!" Kazujin shouted, causing our massive army to respond with vigor renewed.
"BANKAI! SOUOU ZABIMARU!" I cried.
"TENSA ZANGETSU!" Ichigo's response came along with mine.
We achieved the Satsui no Meido Zangetsuha. And we will employ our new skills. We are Star Gladiators.
"For honor. And for glory!" Jinpachi declared. Jinpachi flew towards the battle, fiery wings forming on his back as a giant dragon accompanied him. The skies turned into a cosmic blanket as a giant egg appeared from the heavens, cracking with the phoenix bursting, its shrieking cry ringing in our ears before it made its way towards the Pyramid of Harmony and Discord. Beautiful fireworks exploded and it captivated our hearts. When we snapped back to reality, we charged to the pyramid.
The Prima Materia...
"FIREWORKS!"
To be continued
Next Chapter: Fireworks, Orihime.
SNEAK PEAK!
"Is this is really... the end?" I asked Renji, feeling my voice trembling as an uncontrollable stream of tears fell from my face.
"I guess so... funny, isn't it? When something good happens, it ends in tragedy, eh?" Renji joked lightly.
"Renji..." I held out my hand towards him, trying to hold on as time began to distort, tearing us apart. I can feel a pull taking me away from him as I fought to hold on.
"Goodbye... Orihime..." he whispered.
"RENJI! RENJI! I WON'T FORGET YOU! FIND ME! RENJI!" I cried. He began to get sucked up into a bright light along with the rest of the Gotei. "I LOVE YOU! RENJI, I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!"
Our love is like fireworks.
And all I can see are fireworks...
"RENJI!"
All I see are fireworks...
"RENJI! I'LL FIND YOU!"
Fireworks...
"RENJI! DON'T FORGET ME! I LOVE YOU!"
Even brighter than the moon...
"I love you... Orihime..."
Baby, you're a firework...
AN: Last chapter is ahead. For those who truly enjoyed this, thank you for taking the time to read the saga and looking past my grammatical errors, and the rest of my mistakes and inconsistencies. I'm keeping it thirteen chapters short because I decided to keep it within a homage to Bleach and I didn't want to focus on my personal characters too much.
