This chapter dedicated to Shka

Shka shared the idea for a different POV to get a look at what was up back in Soul Society while the boys are freezing their balls off in the Rockies. I picked Rangiku. Not sure I do her justice. I show off her strength and smarts, but I have trouble catching her humor. So, sorry if it doesn't ring true.

Anyway, chapter should help explain some parts of the plot in plainer terms for anyone who's getting confused.

Thanks, also, to Beebo85 (again!) and karupin sama (again!) for supportive feedback!

"Rangiku? I received an order from Toshiro to come as soon as possible. An order. The nerve. And now I can't find him."

Operation distract and console. Hopefully that was all I would have to do.

"Oh, that was from me! People take it more seriously when it comes from a captain. Don't you do that?"

"Of course, I don't! That isn't allowed."

"Really? But it's so effective. You should really try it."

"What did you want?"

Little snot, rolling her eyes at me. Honestly, Momo was a good friend but sometimes she was so much like her brother that I wanted to strangle her. One arrogant pipsqueak was quite enough to deal with. Only my captain wasn't a pipsqueak anymore. No, he was tall, and handsome, and built. Too bad he was taken of the market before that happened. I was sure I could have won him. Ichigo didn't deserve him anyway.

"Rangiku!"

"Huh?"

"Was there a reason you sent an urgent summons? I have work to do, you know. I'm supposed to be checking patrols with Kurosaki-taicho."

"Oh, right. You're a lifesaver Momo. See, taicho gave me two months to bring the slacker squad up to par on cooperative kido. I just can't do it! And he's going to want to see results in two days. Please, Momo, I just need something flashy and easy for an idiot to learn in a day or two. You can help, right? I have them all at the training ground in 10 minutes."

"You called me off patrols to do your job that is probably not done because you've put it off to the last minute!"

Oooo, just knock her out!

"That's not fair. I've tried, but I have my duties and Bankai training which is hard and studying for the captain's exam which is harder and training my replacement who's a real stick in the mud and the third seat doesn't know what she's doing yet and . . ."

"Fine! Fine, I'll help."

"Great! You know where the training ground is, right?"

"Oh, no you don't. You're coming with me or I'm out."

First thing I'm going to do when I get my haori is make her polish every single shoe in my closet.

ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

Really, the biggest part of this job was just to keep Momo away from Ichigo for a couple of hours. Things would be out of my hands, most likely, once all hell broke loose. We were both lieutenants, she would have to go to the 5th unless they tried to keep everything quiet. And if nothing happened within the two hours, according to my captain, the grand plan would change and it wouldn't matter where Momo was.

I stood, bored to death, pretending to pay attention to the kido she was teaching. The squad was confused about being scheduled for training and instead being taught something rather useless by another division's lieutenant, which played off perfectly. There were no slackers in the 10th, and they picked it up a little too quickly. But I was saved from explaining to Momo why she was needed to teach good soldiers. Ashido appeared at the opposite side of the training grounds, nodded at me, and vanished.

It was really happening. They had arrested my captain. Despite being prepared, I had to stop myself from running to him, to guard his back like always.

She was just finishing talking to two of her students when the first alarms sounded. General quarters, all Shinigami to their divisions, prepare for combat, and await instructions. Fat chance. Momo rushed to me, eyes wide.

"Do you have any idea what is happening?"

"No," I lied unflinchingly, "I'll send word if I hear anything before orders come out."

"I will, too. Good luck."

"Momo." She paused mid-turn. "With Ichigo out in Rukongai, you call on me if you need anything, okay?"

Her eyes narrowed for a second, probably ready to snap something about how she was a lieutenant, too, and could take care of her division without my help, thank you very much. Maybe she heard the genuine concern in my voice.

"Okay, Rangiku. Thank you."

ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

My captain would kill me if he suspected I broke his rules on this. I even started to wonder what I was doing. I could sense him one second, gone the next, in more than one place, nowhere at all. Captain level reiatsu flared like novas in Division 1 and other places, two heading out into Rukongai, Kyoraku and Soi-fon. Three more coming closer from far out, too far to tell exactly who. Many showing up near Central 46. All of them at full strength, seething with intent to kill. It was terrifying, even if I was on the same level now.

I moved to follow Kyoraku and Soi-fon at a distance, figuring those two were most likely to be in pursuit of my captain, keeping my own reiatsu low, but high enough to keep a mental map of where the power players were. Only on the outskirts of the District 2, I had no choice but to stop, raising my reiatsu in reaction to a burst of power that nearly drove me to my knees from a huge distance. Ichigo. By the time I steadied myself, it was gone and I took just a moment too long to recover.

"Matsumoto."

Carefully, I took my hand from my hilt, resisting the urge to back away from the cold steel resting on my shoulder, not quite touching my neck. Then Soi-fon appeared to my right and I wished I had not let go of Heineko.

"You should be with your division. What brings you this way, Rangiku?"

No point in trying to play the fool, not with him.

"Fortunately, we have two lieutenants, and Ashido is with the division. I'm looking for my captain. You haven't seen him, by any chance?"

"Your former captain is a wanted traitor, lieutenant. And you will come with me for questioning."

And so it begins.

"That will not be necessary. I will escort Matsumoto-fukutaicho to her division, where she will remain and await orders."

"She showed no surprise at all. Obviously, she's a party to treason and therefore a prisoner in my custody."

Kyoraku's eyes did not leave me, but a subtle shift in his weight, a twist of the wrist that would guide his sword in a different direction, and we were both on guard.

"Be on your way, Soi-fon-taicho."

"You do not have the authority to make this decision, Kyoraku-taicho."

His eyes left mine, a sideways glare.

"Indeed. Care to test that assumption?"

Good God, what was going on? Was it an all-out war between captains, now? What had my captain and that stupid, arrogant, asshole ryoka done? Whatever, it was worth it to see a red faced Soi-fon grit her teeth and run off with her tail between her legs, no doubt to go report Kyoraku was a traitor, too.

Daddy, daddy! Shunsui was mean to me! I stuck my tongue out at where she wasn't.

"Alone at last." I sighed as the sword moved away, though it was obvious he was ready to put it right back at, or through, my neck in an instant. "What are you doing out here, Rangiku?"

"My job."

"I don't think it's your job anymore, my dear."

That hurt, even if he was right.

Every alarm in Seireitei tore apart the air. We both looked toward the walls, then back at each other. I jumped into shunpo a step behind him, and minutes later slid to a stop beside him on a high roof with a gasp. In the distance, huge knives of ice exploding from the ground, high as any tower in Seireitei, multiplying, tearing the sky in all directions. The central point, frozen chunks of rubble in a lake of ice where the Central 46 Compound once stood. My jaw was hanging open. I knew Toshiro was strong, but this?

"Back to the 10th, Ran-chan, and stay there if you value your life and freedom."

"Shunsui, Toshiro is no traitor, not to the Gotei."

That actually made him stop and look back.

"He isn't accused of treason against the Gotei. Steer clear of this; I may not be able to protect you twice."

ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

It was not a surprise that the division was confined to barracks within an hour of my return. I was rather shocked when that did not turn into true arrest. No one came for me, no one came for our zanpakuto, and no news. Questions and rumors, those did arrive on schedule. Few in the 10th would even entertain the thought of the captain being a traitor, at least at first. Time would wear many of them down, I knew, no matter how strongly Ashido and I stood.

Day two, after forcing myself to sleep, it was Komamura who came to escort us both to Division 1, unarmed but unrestrained. Ashido was left standing, while I was taken into an office. Passing the sotaicho's office, I could see the damage through the massive hole where the door used to be. One end of the office was burnt black, broken furniture in chunks, pieces of floor, walls, ceiling hanging in splinters. I could feel the barrier preserving the space as it was, a crime scene. The office I was taken to was smaller. Surprised again, and starting to feel foolish, I stared at the two captains.

"Have a seat, Matsumoto-fukutaicho. Care for some tea?"

"Um, sure. Thank you, Ukitake-taicho."

"Rangiku, this won't take too long if you can be honest with us. We need to know exactly what you know."

"I hate to be difficult, but that would take a long while, Kyoraku-taicho."

"Let me make it a little easier. Are you aware of the reason, the very, very old reason, for the conflict between Hitsugaya and the sotaicho?"

"I'm not sure what you mean."

He gave a deep sigh, and Ukitake spoke up.

"Let me put it a different way. We believe Hitsugaya shared certain confidences with you, and possibly with Ashido and Hinamori. We're trying to understand what motivated your captain and Kurosaki, but history, as they say, is written by the victors. It is our hope that you can confirm or deny some of the things we have uncovered."

My mind raced. Toshiro and I had discussed many outcomes, many possible reactions and what I should or should not admit to. He had given me permission to completely spill my guts if I thought it would spare me or the division, because he planned on sharing every bit of his story with Ukitake, and leaving it in the public records. But, was this the time to for a full confession?

"Where is the sotaicho?"

"Injured, but expected to make a full recovery in the hands of Unohana-taicho."

"Hinamori knows nothing, not any of it. Will you give me your word to leave her out of this?"

Ukitake looked at Kyoraku. Just how much authority did Shunsui have now?

"As much as possible. You understand she will be suspected of collusion, no other conclusion is possible given her relationship to both Hitsugaya and Kurosaki. But, I will do all I can to shield her."

"My captain would not betray the Gotei 13."

"So you have said. Make us believe you."

I sighed. One way or the other, this was what Toshiro wanted, any chance to spread the truth.

"Have you read the records my captain left in the Central Library?"

A quick exchange of surprised glances. Ukitake was the one who answered.

"All official buildings have been locked down. What should we be looking for?"

"I'm not certain, only that he said anyone could find it, especially if they looked for his reiatsu."

Shunsui placed a large marble on the desk, and I could feel Toshiro's reiatsu strongly emanating from the pretty thing. The swirling, bright blue mist inside reminded me of his eyes, and I wondered if I would ever see him again.

"He gave me this. I have been able to access maybe five percent of the contents so far, more data than I could read in weeks. But it has already told me enough to doubt the official version of events, Rangiku. Take a look if you like. Then I need honesty from you."

"And you will use what I tell you to bring him down."

"I do not know that yet. But without more information, I do not have a choice. Like I said, make us believe you."

ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

Two more days before restrictions were lifted, no explanation given. I had told them everything relevant. They did not need the personal details. Ashido knew less than I did, not being around to witness the suffering Toshiro had gone through. He had been instructed to talk to any captain who asked, to hold back nothing Toshiro had told him. That had provided some amusement. They could have saved themselves some time by starting with Ashido.

Also amusing was the look on Gin's face. He had arrived minutes after the news that the division was no longer confined, and I had immediately told him to cool his heels, I had more important things to do. Arriving at the 5th, I expected to find Hinamori seeking reassurance. Instead I found a woman I had met only briefly, and heard of many times.

"Matsumoto-fukutaicho, isn't it? What can I do for you?"

"Ah, Hayashi . . . taicho." For there, draped over her shihakusho, the haori of the 5th. "I came to see Hinamori-fukutaicho."

"Official business?"

"No, taicho. We are close friends."

"Then I'll ask you to return after, let's see, 6:30 this evening. Her schedule is rather full today."

Bitch! Of all the . . .

Stories about this woman came to mind and I bit my tongue. Even Gin had a healthy respect for her, and went to some lengths to avoid her.

"Very well, taicho. Sorry to have been a bother."

"Not at all. Good day."

Nothing to be done, I started back to the 10th. Passing the training grounds, I spotted Hamada Yuji, Ichigo's fourth seat and friend. He saw me stop at the edge of the arena and made his way over after a few words with the soldiers he was with. I tried to gauge his position, still loyal? God knows that idiot didn't deserve loyalty. Except that he had Toshiro's unconditional loyalty, and how could I argue with that?

"Matsumoto-fukutaicho?"

"No time for games, and if you aren't on my side then I don't really care about you. So just tell me, which side are you on?"

He snorted. No smile, barely any expression at all. What an oddball. Not bad looking, though. The scars over his eye were a nice touch, exotic.

"Kurosaki-taicho is a good man. What do you want?"

"Hinamori-fukutaicho, I came to check on her and your new captain chased me off with a stick."

"She's a wreck. Can't say whether she'll pull through or not this time. Taicho keeps her busy. Doesn't tolerate a word about shit like treason, not from anyone. Doesn't tolerate visitors from other divisions, either, for obvious reasons."

Smart, too, and sassy. Maybe I should add him to my collection. Could I keep hanging out with my cute lieutenants once I was a captain? What about Renji? Maybe I should make it a cute captain's club, instead. Mmm, Renji, Toshiro, Kyoraku, Byakuya, oh yes, I could wear down that noble exterior. And okay, Ichigo. He was a bastard, but a good-looking one. Ukitake was cute, too, but too big-brother for me.

"Matsumoto-fukutaicho? You probably should leave."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, thanks for the info."

ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

Day eight and the 10th was back to full speed. I still had not seen Hinamori. Every attempt, no matter what hour of the day or night, I was intercepted and met with some excuse, some request to come back another time. But I had bigger problems. Well, maybe not bigger, Hinamori had to be suffering, but certainly more immediate problems. When Shiba-taicho went missing, he was presumed dead. There was some suspicion from the higher ups, but more sympathy and respect from the general ranks. Toshiro's captaincy brought cruel taunts, derision, and it was years of hard work before the loyal soldiers stopped getting in duels and bar-fights to protect the honor of the kid captain. But all that was nothing compared to this.

There was always rivalry between divisions, but this was the first time the 10th had faced outright hostility. Every time I turned around, there was another squad about to get into a brawl, another officer ready to murder a subordinate, another captain to calm down after inter-division fights in the streets. Now I knew what the three divisions went through after Aizen, Tosen, and Gin . . . oh, Gin. He never looked back, never went to apologize to Izuru, never even spoke of the 3rd. His only advice was to ignore everyone, they didn't matter anyway. He never really said 'I'm sorry' to me, either. Guess I didn't matter, too.

I wondered what he thought of my avoiding him, using many of the same excuses Hayashi-taicho handed me. It wasn't fair. I wanted to see him, wanted him to hold me and tell me everything would be fine. He was such a good liar. But he was too smart, and too ready to jump into any plot and take it over. If I spent a single night with him, I would say far too much, and he would figure out the rest without my help. I couldn't risk it. Not with Toshiro's life and future on the line.

What did it say about me that I still loved him, knowing I could not trust him, believe him, rely on him? I had gotten sick of asking that question. And then, the torture Ichigo had put me through . . . finding out that it all began and ended with Gin. That night, after a long talk with Toshiro, I had looked into the darkness and wished that Gin had died when Ichigo fought him in Hueco Mundo. Maybe I hated Ichigo even more because of that moment.

The first summons to an official meeting was almost a welcome distraction. Toshiro had made Ashido an official lieutenant, so we would both attend with all the captains and seconds. I wasn't sure what to expect. Arrest, probably. I hadn't been questioned by the sotaicho or the 2nd, which seemed beyond odd. When I saw the sotaicho enter, very much alive and as angry looking as ever, I braced for the worst.

Nothing could have prepared me for the shock of that meeting. Not one word about Toshiro, not one about Ichigo, as if they never existed. I watched and waited, incredulous, keeping my mouth shut thanks to the whispered warning to do just that. Shunsui stood close, right in my line of sight as I stared at the old man in disbelief, his warning glances keeping me in place.

Then the last bit of sense to it all was thrown out the window, along with protocol. Hayashi was confirmed officially, no vote, no test, just an acknowledgment and silence all around from the captains. Then a confused Renji was called forward and made captain of the 3rd, just like that, and his was the only grin in the room. Iba was next, and as long as I was down the rabbit hole I stopped to think just how odd that pair would be, Iba and Shuuhei.

When I heard the gruff voice call my name, I was so numbed by all that had gone before that I simply shrugged and stepped forward. But I couldn't help but wonder as I took the haori and ran my hand slowly over the emblem, once this insanity ended, would I still be a captain? My sense returned a little as I headed back to my place in line. The glare I aimed at Shunsui was met with a raised brow. He had some serious explaining to do.

ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

"What the hell is going on!"

"Ah, congratulations, Matsumoto-taicho. Drinks are on me, tonight, though a proper captaincy celebration is in order. Your place or mine?"

"Cut the shit and . . .."

"Save it for the afterparty."

The sudden warning in his voice calmed me down. Of course, he wouldn't talk here, a public bar. I calmed my temper and threw myself into the booth across from him. Well, as long as I was stuck waiting on the evil bastard, might as well take him up on those free drinks.

ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

The captain's quarters of the 8th were not as grand as the 10th, only Kuchiki had a better set-up than Toshiro, uh . . . me, that is. It was a very large apartment, over the offices. Since the offices were set apart from the barracks, it gave the quarters a private penthouse feel. No less than 30 Shinigami had seen us depart the bar, leaning on each other, giggling, flirting, a bit of groping. No less than 10 more saw us stumble through his front door in an embrace. One of those, I knew, watched the apartment for hours. Jealousy was not in Gin's vocabulary. Possession was.

Assumptions would be made, not for the first time about me and Shunsui. The strong barriers he raised around his bedroom would reinforce the rumors. And I can't say I wasn't tempted to make the act reality. Shunsui was an attractive man, on many levels. But contrary to popular belief, I did not sleep around. It was nobodies business that I had only one sexual partner, ever. His expression sobered as he settled cross-legged on the bed so that I could have the chair, and I eyed the expanse of broad chest exposed by his disheveled robes, thinking what a contrast it would be to run my hands through the black hairs. He looked warm. Gin was strong but lithe, smooth and oddly cool to the touch, at least at first.

Hey, a girl can dream. Guys were always checking me out, trying their luck and getting a fist to the face for their efforts. I considered it my duty as a proud member of the SWA to return the favor, and fantasize when and about whom I pleased.

I stared. He stared. I sighed.

"What, is this some pissing contest, first one to talk loses?"

"You lose. You know, Hitsugaya has rubbed off on you."

"Thanks."

"I suppose it is a compliment. I've always had a high opinion of that boy's brain, but no one realized just how clever he really is, or how powerful he could become."

"No one? I could have told you; in fact, I think I did more than once. Stop stalling and explain why I'm wearing this, for starters. What is going on with the old man? How could anyone just be appointed like that? Why didn't he say anything about Toshiro? Why haven't I been questioned?"

"Calm down. I didn't bring you here to refuse to tell you what I can. But first, have you heard from either of them?"

"No. Toshiro said I wouldn't hear from him at all, ever, unless somehow this all ended. And he ordered me not to try to find him or even send him news."

"Well, I will be sending them news soon, so think about it if there is anything you would like to say. Now, where to start. You already know the history, at least, that saves time. Before they left, Hitsugaya managed to raid the Great Spirit Library, stealing a lot of information about his own history along with other things."

"Don't be vague. What other things?"

"The history of the Soul King, though much of that is unverifiable legend. The founding of the Gotei and of Central 46. Information on certain types of kido used to steal and store power, kido to enslave, kido to create a network, a system of roots if you will, that could feed energy to one point on a massive scale. All of that and more to point toward the conclusion he has reached."

He paused, and I almost snapped at him. But the moment seemed to deserve some gravity, and I could see the struggle he faced just to continue. I waited, trying not to let my anxiety get the better of me. Toshiro had started something even bigger than expected. I had thought he would face and win against unfair laws, or go into relatively peaceful exile like others had, or, at worst, end up fighting the sotaicho or Central 46.

"We are still verifying a lot of this, Ukitake and I. There is room for doubt, that Hitsugaya's own prejudices have led him to false deductions."

"Stop it, Shunsui."

"If he is right, if he even believes he is right, then we can only expect that he will attack and try to kill the Soul King himself. With his power, and Ichigo's, he could succeed."

I could feel the blood drain from my face. The concept was too big, too immense to even contemplate. Myths and the things Shinigami are taught flitted through my mind. The Soul King, Reio, the only thing known that could be described as God, the founder of the universe as we know it, and the only thing that held reality together. These were fundamental truths. Toshiro's story should have prepared me. The Soul King, destroyer and creator of worlds, cruel depot who murdered his son and destroyed a dragon. But it had been too big for it to be real to me.

"What? Is that even possible?"

"He told you his history. You know he nearly succeeded once."

"But he didn't. The Soul King could not be allowed to die or all worlds would fall apart. Isn't that right? Doesn't that mean that the King cannot be killed? That fate would intervene? Shunsui?"

I was panicking, I knew that, my hands wringing the fabric of my new haori, cursing the position it might put me in. Gin had turned traitor, made me face my lack of faith in him and breaking my heart. Ichigo had played the part of traitor, forced me to face him and the fear of failing my captain. Now Toshiro. What would I do? What could I do if it came to a choice between him and the safety of worlds, billions of souls?

No. He can't. He wouldn't do this to me.

"Nothing is ever that certain, Rangiku. If he's right, the Soul King is no more a god than I am, no more essential to the universe than any one of us."

"So . . . so, what then? Are you going to let him do it?"

He was silent for a minute, eyes downcast. Then he stood and got two cups and a bottle from a cabinet. Sake even in the bedroom, I knew there was a reason I liked him. I was proud that my hands didn't shake when I took the cup. He couldn't answer, no more than I could.

"Why? He wouldn't do something like this just for revenge."

"There are many reasons I suspect, and more are uncovered every day. I wouldn't have believed any of it, if it hadn't been for Unohana. Hitsugaya told you about his memories from his past life, how that soul was forced to obey the Soul King?"

I shuddered.

"He claimed the same is true of Yama-jii. Not to the same extent, but that the old man is at least partly not in control of his own actions."

"But how . . .?"

"Hear me out first. Part of the information Hitsugaya left behind was of the founding of the Gotei. Even earlier, Yama-jii was given authority over all of Seireitei. There are many hints in the history and the laws, hints that the Soul King's power was absolute, that the Shinigami would obey completely. Predictable enough. Then came Central 46, created to limit the authority of the Gotei, they say. Yet in the first documents, the first directives, Central is given control of the sotaicho. Not authority over, control of. It's all there, in black and white, what they are allowed to tell the leader of the Shinigami to do, what he can and cannot refuse to do. Not as laws, Ran, as commands.

"Even then, I would not believe it. I have known Yama-jii for nearly a thousand years. I have known Unohana as long, and she has been with him from the start of the the Gotei, from the start of the Shinigami. Where else would I go, who else would I ask? It was a risk, that she would defend him and his secrets. But I asked myself why she had not been part of the effort to subdue Hitsugaya and Kurosaki."

He paused to refill our cups. Maybe I was drunk. This was all a hallucination and I'd wake up with a hangover and a sense of horror.

"Unohana had been willing to hunt down incarnations of the Heavenly Guardian before. I know, I was there hunting right beside her. But she always knew. She was there when the Soul King was nothing more than the strongest of human souls, not yet declared a god by all. She was there when Reio gave 13 powerful warriors the task of securing the source of his power. And she saw Yama-jii gain the power to stand second only to the Soul King, power that came at a great cost."

"What do you mean, the source of his power?"

"If Hitsugaya is right, and increasingly I find more reasons to believe that he is, then Reio was nothing more than a human soul that found a way to increase his power enough to break free form the cycle of rebirth. And he did it by stealing the power of others, by draining reiryoku from his fellows. One by one at first, then creating a world designed to do nothing more than increase his power, which is used to expand and strengthen the system, an eternal loop.

"And Shinigami exist to ensure that souls can make it into the machine that will take their strength, ensure that they stay within reach of the Soul King long enough to increase his power."

"I think I'm going to be sick."

Bad enough to think of a man you respect having his will subjugated. What do you think when you find that the man you feel sympathy for walked into that subjugation willingly, to serve a twisted tyrant for nothing more than the right to be a tyrant himself? That meant nothing compared to the rest of it. Everyone she knew believed to some degree that the Gotei was a force for good. Right and wrong were more than just philosophical abstracts, and we were in the right.

"Hitsugaya left everything out in the open. The data he gathered and gave to me is very in depth, an abbreviated version copied directly into the Central Library. I'm certain he has more. He isn't willing to let the secrets be buried again."

"Of course, he isn't! You say that like you wish you could put your head back in the sand."

"Don't you?"

I had nothing to say to that. It was going to take some time to process, and I already knew that when I had, I would regret it, as much or more than I regretted this conversation. Ignorance is bliss. Even now, I had to look away from the bigger picture. It was too much to handle.

"What then, is going on now? Wouldn't the sotaicho do anything to kill Toshiro?"

"I don't know the specifics. But Hitsugaya left part of that answer, too. Central 46 follows a set of laws created by the Soul King, and added to over time by it's own authority. There are also directives, a set of standard orders. One of them instructs Central on identifying, monitoring, and eliminating any Shinigami who has Hyorinmaru as their zanpakuto. That order is given to Yama-jii, but the final step, killing the wielder, has a small loophole in that it is left in the hands of the sotaicho to execute according to the laws of the Gotei. And the execution of a Shinigami by the Gotei is not required until and unless there is a crime or proof of intent to commit a crime great enough to warrant a death sentence.

"The laws of the Gotei also do not require the pursuit of a criminal outside of Soul Society."

"So the old man is only doing as much as he is required to do. He'll let Toshiro live?"

"It certainly seems that way. And it seems he'll do everything he can to keep the Gotei running as if none of this is coming to light, as if there is nothing at all wrong. Why, exactly, is a question we have not been able to answer. Sentiment? Rebellion? I want Hitsugaya's opinion on this, and many other things."

"What will you do?"

He snorted, a weary and bitter amusement in his eyes.

"About what?"

"Then, what do I do?"

"You trust me to answer that?"

"At the moment."

"Smart girl. Do nothing. Do not give away that you know any of this. Ukitake is working on a way to copy that little creation of Hitsugaya's. I'll share as much with you as I can. Will this all end in a coup without our help? Will I, at least, join one side or the other? It's too soon. There are too many unknowns. But there is one thing Hitsugaya and I agree upon completely, the truth must be known, by as many as possible."

"Including Gin?"

Did nothing surprise him? I suppose anyone would expect that from me eventually.

"If it was my choice, yes, but not yet. I do not trust him, as much as I would like to exploit his intellect. At this stage, with so much confusion, I fear that he would only muddy the waters at best, twist all of it in his favor at worst. But I will not stop you from doing what you think is right."

Oh, damn it all to hell!

"Why couldn't you just say no."

At that, he refilled my cup.

ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

It was nearly 4 AM when I left the 8th, head buzzing as if I were truly as drunk as I had pretended to be. I felt him following. The plan to stop short of the 10th and walk a bit in the dark to clear my head was discarded. I was freezing anyway, shunpo in the snow will do that. Confronting him on my home turf would make it easier. But not my quarters, not a place where we had spent any time wrapped in one another's arms.

"Ran-chan."

I ignored him as I unlocked the office and stepped inside, leaving the door open. Lighting a few kido lamps, I decided tea was in order. Sleep wasn't in the cards, so warm caffeine would need to make up for it. Gin's reiatsu was nearly impossible to read unless he was really emotional, which didn't happen often. But I could feel both anger and worry now. Maybe I was just better at sensing now.

He took a cue from my silence and waited, standing in front of my . . . in front of Ashido's desk. Out of his sight for a moment, I sagged against the counter. Only a moment. I straightened, running my hands over my haori. A captain. I did not owe it to him. Yes, his plot had pushed me the final step to Bankai, but it was my decades of work that earned this, and I did deserve it. And a captain can stand on her own, do what is right and necessary.

Cheap tea, quickly boiled water and those dry little tea bags. Toshiro would throw a fit. I took the two mugs into the office where he still waited and I chose the chair rather than chance him sitting with me on the couch. He came over quietly, settled on the couch, elbows on his knees as he leaned forward and looked at me.

"Congratulations, Matsumoto-taicho."

"Thank you, Gin."

Funny, that sounded calm and mature.

"Please, Ran-chan. You've been avoiding me for days. If you won't let me help when you are hurting, at least tell me why."

"I can't remember the last time you said please. Are you feeling alright?"

Surprise, anger, or cold calculation were the usual reasons for the blue of his eyes to show so clearly. And when we made love, of course. At those times he looked at me, and sometimes seemed to really see me. I did my best to stop these thoughts, or at least keep them hidden. He probably saw right through me, but the fact that I was trying to hide my feelings from him at all would tell him volumes.

"We need to talk about all of this, about Toshiro and what is happening, what is coming. There is . . ."

"No. We do not need to talk about that. Or anything."

"Why are you pushing me away, Ran?"

"Pushing you away? That's rich. My moment of weakness is over, Gin. You know, I used to think you hung the moon in the sky just for me. I bought it all. But even if it was all true, I've paid dearly for it and I'm finished."

His eyes were wide now, and I had a rush of guilt and a rush of satisfaction at the pain he showed. I didn't believe it for a second, and at the same time I knew in my heart that it was honest. That's how fucked up he had made me.

"Ran . . . Rangiku, you don't mean it."

Not I'm sorry. Not please tell me how to fix it. Not, god forbid, I love you.

"I mean, get out of my office. I mean, stay out of my division and stay out of my sight. I mean, I am finished."

I was amazed again at how calm my voice was. I was not, however, surprised at his cold reaction. He stood, eyes back to unreadable slits, at least not grinning. His hand twitched, a few inches toward me, then froze, then dropped. And he walked out.

My plan had been to drive him away. My plan had been to keep him at a distance until the time was right, so that I would not be a liability to Toshiro, to Shunsui, by giving away all I knew to a man they did not trust. Gin would forgive such a deception because it was what he would do. But now, as the tears started, I could not say that I ever wanted to see him walk back in through that door.

ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

My first day as captain could have been a day of joy and accomplishment. There were some good things, the sense of relief throughout the division certainly made me feel better. There were congratulations, there was laughter in the mess hall, there was a renewed energy on the training grounds and in the officers' meeting. And I got to confirm Ashido as my second. I hadn't been sure how I felt about him at first, despite Toshiro's enthusiasm. But working with him, trusting him through the crisis, I wouldn't have picked anyone else.

I stood on the porch of 'my' quarters, wondering how long it would take for me not to feel like an interloper, a thief. Cleaning out your predecessor's quarters is often a bittersweet task in Soul Society, since death is often the reason for the sudden opening in the ranks. I had given his housekeeper a generous severance. I didn't want her to see what I planned to do, carve out a small space for myself on the bottom floor and leave as much untouched as possible. He would come back, and this was his home.

Drawing in my courage, I stepped inside and looked around in amazement. Then I rushed room to room, upstairs, back down.

That sneaky little bastard.

Empty. Not a stick of furniture, not a spoon, not a stray piece of paper. Empty and spotless.

He must have known I would have trouble with this. I wouldn't have been able to throw out his things, and I wouldn't have wanted to be surrounded by reminders. So, he got rid of it all, taking away the option of wallowing in grief over something like his stuff.

Wait a second. He didn't even leave me the plates, the pots and pans? What about . . . nope, the spices, oils, all the harmless essentials gone. My little apartment barely had a kitchenette, I could have used that stuff! Now my first five paychecks would go to simple home goods. Not to mention, new place, new bed. Okay, some of my things could come over, my antique vanity, the rugs would look great in the living room.

Oh my god! I ran back up the stairs. Not one, but two, count them, two walk in closets! Squealing in delight, I planned out how best to arrange things. Work clothes in one, casual in the other? There was not enough display room for shoes, not to mention jewelry and handbags. Maybe one of the little bedrooms could be converted. Hang on, one bedroom was right behind the back wall of one of the closets, simply knock down a little wall – score!

Later, back in the my old quarters, I dug through piles of old notes until I found what I needed. It was a code Toshiro and I had used when he was 3rd seat, like children in school, to leave notes about Shiba's follies to one another. It was a way to vent frustration, turning it into a game. Getting him to smile, and even, once or twice, to laugh was the highlight of my days back then. Between this shared secret and the extra work we did to keep our captain on task, we had developed a rapport that grew stronger and stronger. I knew he would remember it, not needing a key like I did.

It must be very brief. The more words, the easier to break a code. No room for sentiment or idle chatter, only what he needed to know.

Taicho, The 10th is strong. The old ones are nearly yours.