Another updaaaate! xD Thanks for all the wonderful reviews as usual and to those who have faved or put on alert! :D Ooooh we're getting close to the end, only a few more chapters! I can't believe it! *cries* But on with the story! WARNING CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR LATEST MANGA CHAPTERS!

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo, I demand you give me the rights to Bleach...or else!

To Love a Fox

Chapter Twenty Nine

Emerald eyes slowly opened, taking a moment to focus only to snap open at her sudden whereabouts. She recognised the long passage with its high, white walls and for a brief moment wondered why she was on the way towards Soul Society. Until she noticed the silver fur brushing against her face.

"What the?"

Falling to the ground, a snickering drew her attention, her eyes widening at the huge silver fox grinning down at her.

"About time you woke up," it snorted in her face.

"Good to see you looking better, Amaya."

Snapping towards the new voice, her still wide eyes fell on Isshin who looked rather beaten, kneeling on the ground while his reiryoku seemed to be sent along wires from either hand, holding the stream around them at bay.

"I-Isshin-san?"

He grinned slightly at her, "you've got your mother's eyes...you know," he commented to her surprise, "I still remember you from when you were a baby."

Amaya couldn't even think of anything to say to his comment, her mind spinning as he chuckled, snapping her from her thoughts.

"Ichigo is training," he motioned with his head to the motionless Ichigo behind her, blood trickling from his lips and yet he was completely in his inner world, "are you going after Aizen?"

Amaya looked back at him before at the silver fox thoughtfully, meeting crimson eyes and falling silent until she closed her eyes. It was at that moment Isshin noticed there was something different about her. As if something had happened to her in the period between her death and reawakening. Was it his imagination or did she look older? He also noted he could feel only a small amount of reiatsu coming from her, almost the same amount as a normal soul. Had she reverted back to normal? And if so why was her zanpaktou able to hold a physical form?


Amaya had slipped back into her inner world just as the fox bowed its head against her forehead. Her inner world was still dark however she was alone again. The Hollow too seemed to have vanished but this time she could feel someone else. Looking around with a frown, Amaya wondered just what she was doing back there.

"You look so beautiful."

Her eyes fell on a woman she had never seen before, stood amongst the darkness however looking separate to it, as if she didn't belong there. The woman had long blonde hair that fell down her back without restraint, locks brushing into her eyes much like Amaya's did, emerald eyes staring at her warmly as she clasped her hands behind her back with a smile.

"My little Amaya."

It became so clear who she was at that moment. A tear slipped down Amaya's cheek.

"M...Mum?"

The woman cocked her head to the side with a smile, "got it in one, sweetheart. You definitely got your father's brains."

Her shock and excitement dwelled at that point, instead she clasped her hands together at her sides, "Aizen is not my father!"

Her mother blinked in surprise before softening, "I'm sorry, sweetheart. He is your father. I know he's done some terribly stupid things but you are his daughter."

"He killed me! He gave the order to have my injured!" Amaya yelled angrily, "he doesn't care about me!"

The woman looked at her sadly, slowly walking towards her as her hands instead came forwards before her arms wrapped around Amaya, her shoulder's shaking as she held back her tears and anger.

"I know, darling," her mother tried to calm her daughter, "and I wish I could give him a royal smack but deep down, he does care about you. He's made mistakes like most of us - albeit far worse than most - so show him. I took you away from him when you were young and maybe it's the reason why he is like this. I knew what he was planning and I didn't want you to be part of it but I may have made things worse by separating you. But I am glad you ended up as you have," she looked down at her daughter's face warmly, "you grew up beautiful and strong, you have friends who you care about and people who worry and love you."

Wiping her eyes, Amaya watched her mother take a step back, knowing somehow that their time was short. Her mother's eyes were roaming the ruined city curiously.

"I guess you came across Akumu Kitsune judging by this."

Her eyes widened, "wait, you had Akumu Kitsune before me?"

Her mother chuckled mischievously, "yes I was a Shinigami once upon a time, and I did wield Akumu Kitsune but I never managed to get the level you achieved," she took another step back, her hands once again clasped behind her back.

"Before you go," Amaya took a silent, deep breath, "how did you meet Aizen?"

The woman blinked before tapping her chin as she paused, "thanks to our taichou we got paired up often for missions. During one of them he saved my life but I was a bit annoyed by it, but he took up teaching me kido and things went from there," she smiled warmly, "don't give up just yet, Amaya."


Rangiku had appeared but had vanished just as quickly, the woman laying on a rooftop with blood marring her chest, her death explained to Aizen and yet...she was merely unconscious, her reiatsu masked. In the streets below, Ichigo's friends fled from Aizen's destructive reiatsu that continued to weigh down on them heavily, Gin at his side silently observing. The teenagers had done all they could but nothing so much as scratched Aizen, even as the Shinigami with a strange afro appeared, rocks burying Aizen and yet being lifted into the air revealing the man without so much as a scrape.

"I've grown tired of playing cat and mouse," Aizen almost sighed his lack of amusement evident, "I'll hang their bodies outside of the town and then I will create the royal key."

Gin's hand fell on Aizen's blade, "alright, then I'll kill them."

"Gin..."

Not a second later, Gin's zanpaktou shot out from under his arm, sliding into Aizen's chest and surprising the man as his eyes widened, blood staining his white clothing.

"The only way to escape Kyoka Suigetsu's power is to touch the blade before ya release it. How many years did it take for ya to tell me that? I am the only one who can kill ya," he smirked.

"I knew that you would betray me," Aizen held a hand over his wound as he doubled over, blood pouring to the ground, "unfortunately you cannot kill me so easily."

"I didn't think so," Gin was still smiling, taking solace in the idea of finally being able to kill Aizen after all he had done, holding up his zanpaktou, explaining to Aizen about the shard he had embedded in Aizen's heart, "it has been my long held wish to see ya die with a hole in your chest."

As a huge hole seemed to explode in his chest, Gin snatched out the Hogyoku, flying away as Aizen's hand made to grasp his wrist. As Aizen's reiatsu exploded behind him, Gin hid behind a building, blood dripping from his injured wrist but his eyes were on the Hogyoku in his hand. He had done it. It was over. He had avenged Amaya and Rangiku.

Feeling the explosive power behind him, Gin looked back in shock to see Aizen alive and once again he had changed, strange wings at his back and a cross shape in his chest. The Hogyoku glowed in his hand. What was happening? And then Aizen was there, his blade slicing across Gin's chest. His crimson eyes narrowed angrily at Aizen, why couldn't he just die? The Hogyoku had reformed in Aizen's chest as a cross shape that he reached for again however Aizen's hand grasped his wrist. With a swift jerk he had ripped the offending arm from Gin, blood splattering across the ground before his zanpaktou shot towards Gin's chest for the final killing blow. This was the end. Gin had failed and all he could see in his mind was Amaya.

'I'm sorry I failed ya...'

"GIN!" Rangiku yelled from the rooftop above, stumbling to her feet with wide, horrified eyes.

A silver blur tore through the scene, teeth fastening onto Aizen's blade and surprisingly halting its progress as Gin fell back, arms catching him before he could hit the ground. His dim crimson eyes fell on the worried face above him, not really understanding who it was at first, thinking it impossible to see those emerald eyes again.

"Amaya..." he breathed quietly.

She smiled down at him slightly but the worry was still evident in her eyes, "sorry I was a bit slow. I'm sorry I left without saying anything."

With his remaining hand he cut her off, his thumb resting against her lips to silence her so that he could speak.

"I'm sorry...for...everything..."

She shook her head, "we need to stop your bleeding," she looked up at Rangiku just as the woman leapt down, confusion and a hint of anger in her eyes but she was far too worried about Gin's health than to ask questions. Behind them, the huge silver fox still had its teeth fastened around Aizen's blade and surprisingly he could not draw it back, its crimson eyes narrowed on him much like Gin's had been.

"So you're alive," Aizen commented, turning his eyes on Amaya who was still helping Rangiku stop Gin's bleeding, "and it seems you've lost most of your Shinigami powers. Interesting."

As Amaya stood, Gin's hand grasped her wrist, his eyes on her.

"Don't...ya can't...fight him again Amaya..."

Now she was weaker, her life was at even more of a risk. And yet she merely smiled at him.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'm his daughter after all, it's got to count for something."


OH MY GOSH! Extreme spoilers there but I feel soooo happy with saving Gin! I couldn't let the man die! I cried so much in the manga *cries again* please review!