Title: High Windows
Summary: AU Twenty years after the death of his grandmother, Toushiro reemerges in the human world with no memories and a different name. But the Soul Society never forgets and now he is on trial for the murder of the century.
Rating: T
Notes: At this rate, it may take twenty years to finish this. So much to write, not enough time. Hope you guys enjoy!
"You're a spirit. An actual spirit, how on Earth did you..."
The spirit rumbled its threats in warning.
Kaien shut up. Honor demanded vengeance. He wasn't going to get that if a spirit ate him.
'You're dying.' The spirit observed flatly. 'How fragile your kind are.'
He didn't know how it knew or if it was true. Lore told him to be very careful with spirits. Spirits were like people, petty, greedy, kind and good. But they didn't under the limitations of a soul. Spirits had no mortal claim to the world. Souls did.
'You have a grievance.'
"Yes," Kaien answered, heart pounding in his ear. "It killed my men. It killed my wife. I won't—I can't let it get away."
'No, you will not.' The spirit reared up on its sinuous body, icy coils dropping in haphazard loops around them. Kaien felt as though he should have at least attempted to contact house solicitors when he saw himself reflected in giant, red eyes. 'I will assist you in your endeavor.'
"What's the catch?" He asked suspiciously.
The spirit opened its wings.
"Oh." Kaien couldn't speak.
.
Everyone watched in stunned silence.
"He." Kira choked. His hand dropped to his sword even though he knew he couldn't defend himself against, that thing. Even his captain had fled (and he would examine the betrayal later when his body wasn't screaming at him to run in the opposite direction). The spirit exuded a killing aura as it teased the flecks of blood from its nails with its teeth. It had killed Tsukabishi and that was wrong.
A sword spirit was invited. When the invitation was revoked, they returned to whence they came. They didn't become monsters; they didn't become a this thing that devoured the hearts of men and threatened to stick them with ice. For a brief moment, his eyes flickered to Captain Kurotsuchi who was watching in fascinated glee.
Captain Kenpachi lunged forward. Of course he did. Faced with a challenge, the man couldn't resist. Laughing, he swung his rusted sword. Lieutenant Kusajishi held onto the heft of his shoulders as she was spun. But the spirit was no longer there. It countered with its zampakuto—Tsukabishi's zampakuto.
A ribbon of blood flowed from the side of Captain Kenpachi's neck.
"Nice pigsticker." The man grunted. He leaned with his weight. The spirit narrowed its eyes.
It wasn't so cold anymore on the clifftop. The shadow of Sokyoku's broken blade shielded them from the worst of the winds. Between the gathered captains, they probably had enough reiatsu to bring Division Zero down on their heads.
Captain Ukitake sneezed.
"Enough."
The snow evaporated.
"You have what you came for." The Captain-Commander raised a bushy eyebrow. "Be gone."
Because not even the Captain-Commander wished to confront a spirit powerful enough to manifest in their world.
"No." It replied, wrapping the cold around itself like a cloak. Eyelashes darkened and wet with frost.
Rukia's hair rose on end.
The first of the explosions went off under them, below, where the lower rank officers had gathered to spectate. Their panicked shouts and cries rose above the wind, punched through the snow and settled around her neck like a choker. People simply went up in geysers of powder.
No, not people. The dead. The pale corpses which had invaded the Court of Pure Souls.
The worst hit was the Twelfth Division where the bodies had been held for examination. Mayuri spat in annoyance as the entire building solidified into ice.
"Choose." The spirit rumbled malevolently. It flashed its teeth. "You've defended this realm for over a thousand years. Eternity for some. A blink of an eye for others. What are you willing to sacrifice to protect your home?"
The Captain-Commander nodded.
"Reduce all creation to ashes."
The spirit of his sword appeared. A child. A lovely, golden child with an enormous pearl held in his hands. It sighed, amber eyes drooped from sleep.
"Not him." He said and his voice echoed like a thousand bells. It would not attack the rogue spirit. Hyourinmaru was old. It was ancient and it had been there since the beginning. It wanted revenge and Ryujin Jakka could not stand in its way. Not even for his Shinigami.
Seireitei would die for the death of a child that it hadn't even known. The gales screamed for recompense as the bodies went off in all quarters of the Court. All Shinigami knew the shape of the Butcher's reiatsu, its color and intensity. Now it was everywhere. They were being smothered in it.
The snow fell and they would all die.
They would all die for Toushiro who was dead at the spirit's feet.
"Oy." Kenpachi grunted in annoyance. "Forgetting something?"
"Aren't you?" Hyourinmaru asked. "Will you not save your men?"
"Che, ain't my fault if they're weak."
They clashed again.
The captains left to save what they could of the Court. Their lieutenants stood rooted to the spot, bearing witness to an impossibility. Captain Zaraki was losing. Every time their swords met, they saw glimpses. Echoes. Zaraki could see it clearly with his one eye. An impossibility.
Lieutenant Kusajishi's aura roared like a lion.
"Get 'im Kenny!"
"A promise was made." Hyourinmaru declared dispassionately. "Payment is due." He gestured to the city. "This is mine."
The high spires were glazed over.
"You ask for innocents to answer your slight."
"I ask all." The spirit rumbled.
Tired with the swordplay, it pushed Kenpachi away. The force was enough to knock the tall captain over in a sprawl next to his lieutenant. Shrieking, Yachiru swore foul threats. Hisagi winced, his ears burning.
"Everyone will answer. Everyone will pay. Mine is not the failings of a child at its father's feet. Blood has been spilled. You will deliver."
An idea flowered in her mind's eye. Her zampakuto chimed in, pleased with its new surroundings. She took a step towards Ichigo and Lieutenant Hisagi.
The metal coils were her only warning.
"Howl, Zabimaru!"
"Dance! Sode no Shirayuki!"
They were buried in snow.
.
Kaien sat waiting as Isshin made the arduous climb to the Shiba House.
The décor was awful as usual. Everyone else was inside; everyone save for Kaien whose hair had gone white beyond age and reason.
He greeted,
"Cousin. It's been a long time."