Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Soon it was Eri's turn to rest. She stepped back, sweating, limp and miserable. She wandered into the hallway where stunned and wounded Shinigami were lined up. She started to shuffle towards her quarters when she saw her Captain.

The Vice Captain was insisting she take a break.

Captain Unohana refused "No Isane, I am going outside."

"Captain! "

"Only Minaduki can help!"

"But if you go out there—"

"I know Isane, but those trapped outside need our help as well. We have special suits from the 12th squad. Those who escaped took some of them with them. We can use the suits to help protect us while we search in this chemical storm."

--

They ash began to burn at the Kuchiki estate and Byakuya and Tashi were quickly finding they had no where to run. They ran out into the open of the garden and saw the flames racing across the grass.

Kuchiki released his zanpaktuou and created a ditch around them. He shoved Tashi into the koi pond and created a wall around them with his Senbonzakura then joined her in the water. They could not retreat to the air because the poisonous smoke was building up in the air and they could not run because of the flames which surrounded them. Soon their oxygen would run out. They clung to each other, neither expecting their lives to end this way.

--

The Rukongai rebels began their cheering again and moved forward. Their General called out to them "We will camp closer and when the dust settles we will commence the final phase our plan!" commanded the General.

As his men began to mobilize and march something unexpected happened in the Seireitei. What appeared to be a dragon was flying around the atmosphere swallowing up the poisonous soot and smoke. It left enormous ice trails across the sky. The person controlling the dragon became visible as the smoke and ash cleared form the sky: a boy with silver hair and wings of crystal ice. The peasants were in awe and soon too afraid approach. The sight of young boy clearing the air of poison caused the Rukongai rebel's resolve to be shaken.

--
The roar of chemical fires outside the sakura cocoon seemed distant but the fear in both Tashi and Byakuya was very present. Tashi and the Captain kneeled in a shallow portion of the pond not talking, hoping to conserve some oxygen. Tashi looked down but grabbed for his hand. He squeezed hers to reassure her, but he was looking up.

The air was thinning and Byakuya was seeing spots '…no sparks…' He was having troubling breathing and Sebonzakura was failing. Some of the blades dropped and flitted through the water reflecting their brilliant light. Tashi saw the flashes in the water and knew what was happing but thought it was too beautiful a scene to be sad about. She told him so, her words spaced out, gasping for air. She tried to lend him what power she had left.

Then quite suddenly, a pure white wave blew away the captain's zanpaktuou and a rush of fresh air revived them. Tashi collapsed into the water as Byakuya stood. He picked her up out of the water and carried her out.

"Nii-sama!" It was Rukia's zanpaktuo which saved them.When Byakuya emerged he saw the sun still rising and the air was clearing. Rukia rushed forward and tailing after her was that orange haired Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki.

Tashi's lungs began to clear and the first thing she saw was Hyoinmaru engulfing the pollution in the air, then Byakuya's face with his kenseikan slightly crooked and a soot smudge on his right cheek. She could stand on her own once exposed to the air and looked around as Byakuya and his sister updated each other. Rukia had used her zanpaktuou to create sheets of ice putting out the fires and creating walls to block off other part of the house. She saved a lot of lives and much of the Kuchiki estate.

--
Again Eri had to return to work. Her shift began and she passed fatigued comrades as she entered triage. The worse of it was over, but a lot of what had happened lingered in other ways. The smell for one was that of burned flesh. When she walked into the main room she gagged on the smell and also on her surprise.

Sometime over the last few hours they had seen they were not making any progress with a majority of their patients and the main triage room became a morgue. Isane silently came up behind Eri and startled her with a hand on her shoulder. She updated her on the current situations: Unohana had collapsed form exhaustion and Isane was presently in charge. Those who had red blankets could be saved. Those with green and blue could not. "green and blue? I thought green was for low priority and blue was for those who we would…make comfortable for passage into the next life?"

"We started to run out of blue blankets. We've never used so many. Now that morning has come and Captain Hitsugaya has almost single handedly saved the Seiretei from an all consuming fire it is safe enough to go out and search for survivors."

Eri joined up with a team and headed out with a heavy heart.

Unohana soon recovered and joined them. Those who were left from squad 12 built a make shift pump to funnel the pollution to an underground facility where there they would later purify it. Rukia, Ichigo, Tashi and Byakuya debated whether or not they should return to central Seireitei. Tashi said "They probably need volunteers and it loose safer. It looks like they're cleaning it up pretty quickly."

Ichigo agreed and Byakuya said "Tashi-san, do what you think best, but please regard your safety. You should probably return to your Captain."

"Yes sir" said Tashi.

Byakuya said "Ryoka should return and stay in their own world. Again this does not concern them."

Tashi sensed Ichigo's power and found it surprising that a mere human would have so much. She also sensed he didn't have s secure hold on that power as it flew recklessly around him. Tashi, Rukia, and Ichigo reported into Captain Ukitake and joined up with a team to search for survivors in the ruins of the Seireitei. Tashi was walking with the group surveying the damage and giving orders to help the wounded to the Seireitei and to report to squad 12 any hazardous areas.

--
The Rukongai rebel General found his ranks were thinning out the closer they got to the walls of the Seireitei. He tried to encourage them periodically, but when he would turn to speak his words of vengeance and hate he found fewer and fewer following him. The Shinigami were hurting and he didn't understand why they wouldn't dive in for the kill. "What is going on?" he asked one of his top advisors.

"Sir, they're afraid. Shinigami are tremendously powerful. That ice dragon was wielded by a child, sir! What if a full grown man, with not just that type of power, but years of experience and specialties came against us! We are frustrated sir, but we are only peasants not warriors!"

"That's ridiculous! Any man can be a warrior! You, me, anyone!"

"Sir, Shinigami are not warriors."

"What are you talking about?"

"They're gods, sir."

"That is nonsense!"

"They balance the flow of souls from this world to the next and the powers they use for that are—"

"SILENCE!" General snapped. He didn't want to hear anymore.
--

Atsumi lay under stones and wood with an immobile Renji pressed up against her. He was unconscious. She could sense others walking around outside and started to scream for them to hear her. "FUCKERS ! I'm RIGHT HERE YOU STUPID FUCKS WE'RE RIIIIIGHT HEEEERE!" One of Atsumi's arms was broken, but she ignored the pain and pounded on the wooden plank that had fallen over them and luckily shielded them from the worst of the debris. "HERE!"

Some light began to creep in and Atsumi could smell the air. Though it was not terribly fresh it was better than the stuffiness under the rubble. "HERE!" The first face she saw was Eri. "ERI!" she screamed almost hysterically.

"WE SEE YOU!! STOP SWEARING ATSUMI!" came another recognizable voice.

Atsumi relaxed after hearing that voice and the little chastisement she got for swearing. "Tashi…"

"We'll get you out of there!" said Tashi over Eri's shoulder.

Eri pulled out Atsumi and Renji from the rubble. Atsumi looked up and saw Tashi and some of the 13th squad members helped dig her out. There was also the ryoka her captain liked to fight, Ichigo Kurosaki. Atsumi, ignoring her broken arm then tried to help dig out Renji. "RENJI!" she yelled "IT'S …IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY!" She was holding back tears and not terribly sure if she believed her own words. "Renji! RENJIIIII!" screamed Atsumi.

Rukia and Ichigo, not knowing Renji was the other Shinigami trapped in there, began to dig even faster. A few fourth squad members pulled Atsumi away to treat her arm and a few little burns she had.

They were all stunned when they found his body, badly burned and broken under the rubble. Atsumi dove down to him teary eyed and panicked. To other survivors were found down the road and half the group left to help them. Those fourth squaders that remained pulled out their gloves on, opened their equipments, raised their reiatsu's then began to work on Vice Captain Abarai.

A recovered Captain Unohana was soon on the scene. The officers were first priority. Tashi gave some encouraging words to Eri and Atsumi that Abarai was a Vice Captain after all, and a good one at that. They had to save him.

Unohana came to Renji's side. He was laid out on his belly as his injuries were primarily on his back. She had her hands on him and got to work. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She worked, but finally, leaned back and said "I cannot find him. He keeps slipping away and I can not bring him back. I am not even sure he hears me calling."

Atsumi screamed "NOooo! RENJI!" Rukia and Ichigo were shaken up by the news and weren't sure why this girl was so up set . They had not heard about Atsumi and Renji's new relationship. "You can't just give up, Captain! Please! We need him! Please!" begged Atsumi. She was well past hysterical at this point.

Tashi stepped forward to have a word with the Captain "Are you serious? Are you just going to walk away?" The captain said "There others I can actually save who need my help. I am sorry but there is nothing more I can do. The loss of Abarai-san is hard for us all, but we all have a duty to attend to now. I am truly very sorry."

Eri grabbed her captain's sleeve. "Please Captain! Try again! You can't leave him here, like this!" she gestured with her free arm.

The captain turned to her subordinate and sternly said "It is not about what I want to do, but what I have to do. You are not the only friend of the Vice Captain and not the only one who admired him. It is never an easy decision and do not make this harder than it already is."

Eri let go of her captain's cloak and said "I'm staying. I'm going to keep trying."

The captain sighed. "Eri—"

"I know, captain, I just haven't improved a lick at all these past months. I worked and I tried but I just couldn't do it. But I can't just walk away, my conscious would eat me up if I didn't at least try . Please Captain. I will do what you order, but please let me try!"

The captain thought about all the effort Eri had been putting in during this attack and granted Eri's request. The wind blew kicking up the burned chemical smell in the air. Unohana signed again and said "Permission granted, as long as you are completed within the hour."

Eri thanked her Captain and turned to her patient. Ichigo was quickly at her side and said "He has been a good friend to me and my friends, always sacrificing himself for others. Please let me know if I can help."

Eri was impressed by his earnestness and thanked him. She looked once more at Tashi who was giving more orders, then got to work.

Atsumi said "Thank you Eri. Thank you! And me too. I know I'm beaten up, but…I 'll do anything I can." Atsumi was so glad her friends were still with her.

Thoughts of Abarai kept flying through Atsumi's mind. When his hair had been messed up by the governess at Tashi's house, when she got food poisoning and he helped get her out of the party house and safely home, and how he was always there watching out for the three girls. She knew he was primarily looking after Tashi, but he soon understood that Eri and Atsumi were a large part of Tashi.

Atsumi couldn't bare the thought of losing him. The way he nervously looked before he kissed her the first time. How peaceful he looked under the tree he liked to nap under. She had known him for years now but just only now gotten to see a more personal side of him. "Renji….Please…Renji…"

Eri became silent as the captain had previously and Atsumi watched intensely as Eri's hands glowed. Her eyes were closed and her head was bowed. 'I wonder what its' like to heal. Prolly feels a lot better than killin' a peasant.' She watched Eri's brow twitch and a frown come across her face. Quite suddenly Eri's reiatsu seemed to get lost somewhere.

"Eri!" said Atsumi and stepped forward worried for her friend, but the pain in her arm stopped her from moving anymore.

Tashi shook Eri's shoulder "Eri! Eri!"

Eri jerked back to her senses and said "I saw him!" she said "But I just…" she looked at Atsumi who was suffering more than anyone else. "I couldn't…I couldn't reach him."

Tashi said "That's okay Eri. Try again. If we can help at all, please let us know."

They all felt helpless. Atsumi stepped forward. "What can we do? There's got to be a way! He goes way out of his way ta help us all. We can't let him go when we're just so close!"

Rukia and Ichigo had little hope and too felt helpless. Eri's healing methods were already far more advanced than Rukia's and Ichigo knew nothing of that type of power. Tashi rested her hand on the hilt of her zanpaktuou and bit her bottom lip. She suddenly looked up and said "I have an idea."

Atsumi felt relieved. "You always do, don't you."