Bleach: Waves and Rapids

Part V: Misplaced Timeline Arc

Chapter 36: Living in the Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, except for the OC's being introduced into the story. These characters (and Zanpakutō, if applicable) belong to me, and me only.

I expected pain. I expected the metal of a sword to be run through my chest. A second had gone... but... what was this unfamiliar Reiatsu?

Instead, I was pushed back and I felt arms fling around my neck.

"This... isn't how I want to leave you..." My eyes opened and I saw the blue hair of Shionari's head. Her entire body was trembling, and I noticed my hands lightly resting on her back. She had dropped her own Zanpakutō as well. "Why can't I stay with you?"

I lowered my eyes and gave into the urge to press my face against her head. "Either way... we don't belong here. Being subject to this world... is not what I want for both of us. But... I can't continue without your help."

"So... you realized that you have to accept my blade in order to learn the Zettaikai..."

I nodded. If I continued speaking, I knew I would give into tears as well.

Shionari peeled herself away and called her Zanpakutō to her hand. "I... I never taught you anything," she started. "I have always given you knowledge in how to use your abilities. So... let me teach you how to do one thing... at least." She readied her blade and prepared for the thrust through my chest.

"I'm not in the least masochistic," I said jokingly. "I just wonder why such a technique must be handled so violently.

Shionari closed her eyes as she ran the sword through my body. It was a peculiar sensation; there was no pain, but I felt the metal slide between my flesh. "The sword won't hurt you... after all, it is an embodiment of yourself." She released the sword, and I felt an incredible surge of power. "That blade... carries the secret of the technique to use Zettaikai." The sword dissipated into Reikyū. "And with the conclusion to the Zettaikai... we shall be separated forever..." Her face was dominated by the sadness of the contingent parting.

The ice walls burst apart, and the water evaporated into lights; Reikyū.

"Shionari..." I said softly.

"I was selfish. I never thought about subjugation to another timeline. Even being reborn as the spirit bound to an Asauchi, I would be prejudiced by my status as a assimilated spirit. I only cared about being with you...

"But even if I was preserved, you would be lost forever."

I took her hand, claw, and pulled her close. I placed my other arm on the back of her head. "Meeting you, I would never desire a different Zanpakutō. Your all-presence in water kept me alive. If I had a Zanpakutō that didn't have influence in the world, I wouldn't be standing here. The only way to bring us back is to learn this final technique... but I don't want you to disappear."

"During the soul suicide... the assimilation of Zanpakutō and Shinigami Reiatsu... the assimilation is a seal to your spiritual powers. I still exist within you... but without Soul Infusion, there is no way I could resurface as your Zanpakutō. In addition, I don't have enough Reiatsu to materialize before you; all of that is kept to stabilize what Reiatsu you require to live." Shionari dug deeper within me. "After thinking more... I don't want to be subject to this timeline either."

The ground shook violently, and due to the time-distorting effect inside this secret training room, it felt as if Shionari and I were standing on a large platform on a spring. The shaking lasted for several seconds, as opposed to a brief explosion. The shaking stopped, and we were hit with an aftershock or more quakes.

"Kai! Shionari!"

I turned to see Anson standing in the doorway. "Anson! What the hell is going on?!"

"Bad news..." He braced himself against the corridor wall as another quake shook the world. "Sy... the Ruler of the Hollows... has invaded Soul Society with an army of Hollows! Soul Society is falling... ugh!" Another grand quake brought Anson to his knees, and dust piled over him. I pulled him in with Hadō Two, Hiku, to bring him away from the falling debris. Our exit was choked up.

"Take us out somehow," I said urgently.

Anson smiled as he reached into his pocket and revealed a vial. He dropped a red, viscous liquid onto his palm and raised it toward the ceiling. "I guess... I can do away with that plethora of barriers that took Urahara and I so long to create..." Anson took a breath as he started to chant.

"Thunderous army! Secretive insect! Carve a way through the impenetrable! Destroy all in the wake of your path, leave no survivors! Just angel, feared king, strict judge, culminate in the victory of those who follow you!"

"Hadō Ninety-Eight, Sōbano Eien Nagare!"

The blood on Anson's palm glowed blue and turned into a pale orb. Water was pulled from the healing spring and the orb glowed briefly before firing a grand stream of colors. The blast was blue in color, while streaks of red, yellow, green, and purple energy twisted around the mass. It then tore through the ceiling, rocks turning into dust to the Kidō. There were the sounds of electric shocks as the barriers crumbled under the intense energy. Dust fell again, but I could see a hole of light at its top.

"That hole... I think it's the Central Forty-Six courtyard. Let's go."

"With Shunpo?" I asked. "It seems a far ways up..." I turned to Shionari beside me, and she nodded her head. I raised my Zanpakutō. "Bankai! Shionari no Mugen Nagare!" Shionari's spirit glowed beside me as she reverted into her true form. Her aqueous body exploded in size as rain into the chamber from outside the hole. Anson and I leapt onto her back. My feet slightly sunk into the body, securing them in place. I grasped Anson's wrist and shouted, "Let's go!"

Mugen Shionari roared as she soared into the air and into the hole. Rain veered to the side of us, parting so that it did not pelt our faces. We burst from the hole.

"Head Captain is back!"

"I told you he'd come! He was bringing help!"

Numerous Shinigami briefly greeted Anson to the battlefield before concentrating on the battle. I looked around the raining landscape; Hollows had dominated the area, though a great number; all except for the Menos; were dissipating to the rain caused by Mugen Shionari's release. The sight shocked me; most of the buildings of Seireitei had already fallen.

"This..." I said softly.

I wanted to spend more time with you... Shionari told me. However... I shall set that time aside after this battle.

"Sorry, but I doubt that will happen," Anson apologized. "This is the doing of Hollow Ichigo. I'm guessing he managed to somehow convince the King of Hollows to take back the Visored..." Anson stood straight and unsheathed Jikan no Uranaishi. "Time to enter the fray. Let's head for Sy!" He pointed at a figure standing in the sky, whom stood beside another figure, though the latter was covered by a cloak. "Never thought Hollow Ichigo would come here himself!"

Mugen Shionari roared again. The Gillian Menos suddenly turned and charged their Cero on us. I sent out lesser vessels of Mugen Shionari to gather Hollow Reiatsu and form entrench barriers around us. The catalyst Hollow...my-timeline-Sy intended the truth! And for some reason... I can cast Enkōsen with the use of water?

I have allowed more versatility with my ability, Shionari said. Water is now under your direct control... and shall manipulate itself to be your sword and shield... Perhaps I carelessly released my true Bankai to free myself, and you, during the trial at the Firmament...

"For that... I thank you." I chuckled kindheartedly. Knowing this, I send tendrils of water toward the cloaked figure, but Sy batted the liquid aside with a dark Reiatsu. Anson had already leapt off and tried to attack the cloaked figure, though Sy now intercepted him.

"I did tell you of the new Shinigami-Hollow..." Hollow Ichigo said. "Now do you believe me?"

"What you said was true," Sy replied, pushing Anson back. "Even so, you shall not have my full cooperation..."

"Whatever... I'll give you that Hollow inside the boy, and what shall you do with it? Recreate Metastacia? Make a hybrid of your own?"

"Silence! A lowly Adjuchas such as you should know his place."

"Even a Vasto Lorde should fear one that is weaker than himself..." Hollow Ichigo's voice dissipated away into the wind, leaving the cloak to flap away.

"Where has he gone?!" Anson demanded. "That Hollow himself is a timejumper... same as the Shinigami whom bears a Hollow inside him!" Anson jabbed a finger toward me. "However, this Shinigami wishes to return to his timeline, while the Hollow wishes to create a utopia with him as its ruler. Your existence, from this Shinigami's timeline, gave him that Hollow to improve his Zanpakutō's power in absorbing Reiatsu!"

Sy said nothing. "What of the Visored? This Hollow told me of your research in extracting their Hollow forms... and the possibility that instead of reverting them, you will create more Shinigami-Hollow hybrids... such as this 'Shinigami timejumper'." Sy raised his scythe. "Prove that this Hollow is of my own. Then I shall withdraw and allow you to continue your research until our time is called. If not, I shall raze Soul Society."

I saw Anson's fist tense. He quickly glanced at me as I walked toward Sy. This time, I couldn't trust Sy's actions... he is no longer friendly. If anything were to happen, could I trust Shionari...?

I shall stop any form of hostility he will happen to show, Shionari assured me. I gave her a silent thanks as I faced the Hollow. Sy stepped on his thin panel of Reishi using his Sonído technique. I raised my hand and outstretched it at him, and he lowered the tip of his scythe into my arm, on a blood vessel. I felt the waters under me cringe, but the scythe was removed within the next second.

"I can confirm... that this Hollow was not generated by me, nor was created without my knowing. But this is indeed my Reiatsu..." He sighed. "I know not how this phenomenon was done." He turned to Anson. "Raynes-sotaichō, I apologize for my sudden appearance and hostility. I will trust your research in the extraction of Aizen's Hōgyoku... and aid you in the reconstruction of Seireitei. And, if you wish, I shall aid you in destroying this renegade 'timejumper' Hollow."

Anson smiled as he walked up to his once-upon-a-time comrade. "I appreciate your consideration. It's going to be like his timeline before I had returned... being able to trust you as we fight side by side."

"This shall never happen again," Sy replied. "Shinigami and Hollow are not intended to be allies. But I shall say that none may undermine the Ruler Over All Hollows and think they may be pardoned." He and Anson raised their arms in a handshake. I then opened my mouth to call a warning...

Sy was then suddenly drenched in blood.

"Kuh..." Sy muttered as he fell to the ground, his head nearly severed from his torso.

"Sy!" Anson yelled, his hand futilely lunging at the dead Hollow's arm. Sy immediately burst into black Reikyū, the lights moving to where he was last standing...

"Hollow Ichigo...!" Anson yelled. Sy's scythe had fallen into Hollow Ichigo's hand. The Hollow wiped his mouth with his arm, smearing Sy's blood off his face.

"Greetings Head Captain," he cackled. "All this untapped power... I'm recovered! And you know what that means, hmm?

"I have been able to wipe out all of my enemies with a single strike!" He raised his hand and immediately charged a red energy and fired at Anson. Anson reacted quickly enough to bat the Bala aside and send it sailing into the horizon.

All of the Captains and Lieutenants appeared around Hollow Ichigo at that moment. Fifteen Shinigami, including me and Anson, had him surrounded in a ring formation. The Hollow didn't look quite surprised. "If it isn't my King...!" he gasped sarcastically, pointing at Ichigo Kurosaki. "And he's wearing the Captain's coat? And is still a strapping young twenty-year-old?"

"I thought I was done with the annoying you a hundred years ago!" Ichigo yelled, drawing his Zanpakutō. "You're actually my Asauchi... wanting to take over my body and become a Shinigami of sorts!"

"Half was correct..." Hollow Ichigo laughed. "It was all a gimmick I couldn't take. It wasn't worth it... rather I just keep surviving to topple the Hollow King myself!" Hollow Ichigo raised his scythe and a great mass of multi-colored energy emanated from it. The energy gathered in the air, coalescing into one single mass.. "All of this Reiatsu... to destroy Seireitei... destroy the Gotei... destroy Soul Society...

"DESTROY EVERYTHING! AND CREATE ALL OVER AGAIN!"

I was greatly alarmed at the vast amount of Reiatsu in the Cero. "A Gran Rey...?" I heard Anson say. "No... All Captains, fall back! Any Shinigami capable of Dankū, defensive formation X, protect Seireitei!"

"No use, Raynes!" Hollow Ichigo exclaimed, throwing the mass at the retreating Captains; toward the Senzaikyū and Sōkyoku Hill. Anson saw the mass explode in size, becoming as large as a meteor several tens of meters in radius.

The waters of Mugen Shionari collapsed on top of me; the Entrench stance without giving my command. Anson seemingly disappeared, but I heard a defiant scream as he vanished. Claire's Zanpakutō immediately reacted on its own and shielded his, or her, master in its dome of diamonds. All Zanpakutō seemed to take on a defensive form on their masters. From all around Seireitei, I heard deathlike screams.

The landscape grew pitch dark as the energy seemed to sap light itself. I noticed Hollows around us dissipate away, their Reikyū floating toward the meteor Cero. I heard one last laugh from Hollow Ichigo as the Cero came down upon Seireitei.

"Cero... Réquiem!"

A loud roaring flooded my ears and I blacked out to the outburst of sound.

I found myself shuddering as I awoke. The place was pitch black... save for specks of light that streamed through small cracks. I still found the water shell over me as I pushed the slab of floor off of my body. I was about to dust myself off until I scanned my surroundings.

The sky was gray and gloomy. There was no color except for the browns, blacks and whites of the land, and the blue tint of Mugen Shionari's waters. I sealed Bankai, but Shionari's waters still encased me.

"What's..."

Evil. All around. Shionari sounded quite alarmed. I heard a distant yell, and I looked around and called back out to the ruins of Seireitei.

"ANYBODY HERE?!"

I continued the call as I strolled up and down the dark "streets". Buildings had been toppled over, some were cut in size. I lifted myself over a fallen building. "Do you sense anybody?"

No.

"This... might be how Anson felt before knowing Claire was dying," I presumed. "But how am I able to take this so easily?"

Chances are this place isn't of your timeline. And so, you are able to get by with a place you have never grown up in, never grown accustomed to.

"I've been in Seireitei for a while though. In my old timeline... does changing timelines influence things like this?"

Ask Anson. But I really believe that guess is true.

I ducked under a wooden beam and over a pile of gravel. I was near the base of Sōkyoku Hill, or what was left of it... it was just a small plateau that was about three stories high, rather than the original fifteen. It was rather depressing, rather than unbearable to see. I finally located the stairs that lead up to the top of Sōkyoku Hill and started to climb.

Kai... two signatures. Both are very faint... but one is fainter than the other. His, or her, life energy seems to be sapping away.

Anson woke up with a jolt, breathing heavily. He gripped his throbbing forehead as he looked about.

What the hell... happened...?

Light streamed around Anson through cracks in the ceiling. Rocks were strewn around the room he lay in. Wait... that's right...

"Cero Réquiem!"

"NO!"

Anson quickly rose to his feet, dashing up the nearby stairs toward his office. He wedged himself through two boulders that barred his path, and finally reached his office doors. The doors were bolted shut. Anson raised his two palms. "Hadō Thirty-Four, Sōkatsui!" The doors burst open at the energy blast. Don't let this be... Anson dashed to the banister and caught himself from falling. His mouth hung open, and his eyes widened as he feasted his eyes upon the landscape.

There were the multitudes of Shinigami and Zanpakutō, enjoying the festivities of the Zanpakutō Appreciation. Cheers of joy and enthusiasm rocked the atmosphere...

Gone.

Anson fell to his knees, trying to deny the image of this aftermath of cataclysm. The gray sky, the ruined buildings, the sekkiseki wall that had deserted the Gotei... this image was not what he wished to see...

The complete picture before him was the same picture that beheld him before he started his timejump adventure. Tears crept into his eyes, falling freely onto his dusty hakama. Unable to keep the emotion in, Anson finally gave a loud cry.

...

Anson finally got up as he set out the technique to locate Reiatsu. He was about to stop the technique, knowing how futile it was the first experience, but he stopped as he felt one signature... though it was close to fading. "Claire..." he said. "Claire...!"

Sōkyoku Hill!

Anson shunpo'ed out of the building and skidded to a halt before changing trajectory toward the large mesa. As expected, the flowers were gone, all ripped away due to the immense power of the Cero Réquiem.At the edge of the Hill, there stood a dome of diamond. "Claire!" Anson sprinted to the dome and bashed on the material with his fist. "Claire! Waishou Sanwaon... open up! She's dying in there! Open up!"

She will die faster if I allow her to be exposed any longer.

"Shut up and open your goddamn cage!"

There was a hesitation as the diamond quickly dissipated away. Claire's feeble form lay on the ground. Her face was drenched in sweat, and her breathing was erratic, coming out in short rasps. Anson picked her up and shook her.

"No... stay... stay with me!"

I pushed myself into running up the winding staircase, skipping steps when necessary. After a few seconds, I finally stopped the familiar routine into shunpo'ing up the stairs. Why hadn't I thought of doing so earlier?

The white trees were toppled over, another aftermath of the Cero Réquiem. I raced over the trees and burst myself into the familiar barren Sōkyoku Hill that was just a flourishing garden a while ago.

"No... stay... stay with me!"

Anson! So what had happened...

I dashed to the figure carrying another figure, approaching them slowly to not startle them. Anson quickly noticed me and turned his eyes away from me. Claire's head was resting in the crook of Anson's elbow, breathing heavily. Sweat poured from her forehead as I felt her other Reiatsu try to stabilize her health.

Hollow Reiryoku and Shinigami Reiryoku mixing together... Shionari told me. The two are never supposed to come in contact with each other... as they are opposing sides of a Reiryoku and Reiatsu spectrum. This does not happen to you because of Sy's advanced technique with a spirit membrane that isolates the Hollow catalyst from your Shinigami Reiryoku. If the two Reiryoku are to mix... Soul Suicide happens...

I noticed Shionari's Shikai state still coursing around my body. "So what is the meaning of this 'body armor' of sorts?"

Cero Réquiem has the effects like an atomic bomb of the World of the Living. Hollow Reiatsu acts as fallout, infecting any Soul that does not have a protective membrane around them. Because of the density of water atoms and your Hollow catalyst, I shall be able to absorb the Hollow Reiryoku and be released for long periods of time. Anson... Jikan no Uranaishi, rather Jikan-Tekina Munashii, most likely has created a void around himself to bar passage of the Reiatsu to his system.

"And Claire? Shouldn't she have some sort of atomic barrier?"

Her defenses... may have been penetrated. Shionari's waters pulled off from the main mass and started toward Claire. Anson noticed the blob and pulled Claire closer to himself, and the water hung in the air. Anson, Shionari said, if that Hollow Reiatsu is not removed, Claire will die. I shall extract the Hollow Reiryoku in her own reserves. This should cancel the Soul Suicide... I hope.

"Why should I put her in your hands...?"

You have no timeline to jump back to. Either way, Hollow Ichigo will appear and use the Cero Réquiem. This predicament will only replay itself, with me as the one to heal Claire. I saw Anson cringe, but acquiesce by allowing Claire to lay on the ground. The blob of water entered through her chest and dissolved into her body.

Anson, I heard Shionari's voice say, extend your void barrier to shield Claire. If she is exposed to the atmosphere when I remove the Hollow Reiryoku, she will only become infected again. Anson looked up. I saw him gulp as his seemingly invisible barrier covered over Claire. He then watched as the water mass came back up, carrying a blackish liquid bulging within it. The liquid dissipated, and I felt slightly rejuvenated. It is finished. Give her a minute... Her Reiryoku only requires recovering now.

"How can I thank you?" Anson dipped his head toward me, which made me slightly uncomfortable. When I realized he was gesturing toward Shionari, I relaxed a bit.

Send Kai back to his timeline. Otherwise, if I am subject to this world, you will be succeeded by my new self's master.

Anson raised his head, bearing a thankful smile. His eyes returned to their heated glow. "Kai. I promise you... after we have dealt with Hollow Ichigo... you, and Shionari... the two of you are going home...! By my will, this will be finished!"

A/N: If anyone hasn't noticed yet (I post any updates to profile/stories on the Profile Page), I have changed the roster to fill the Eighth Position of the Gotei Thirteen.

-Rosche has been moved to the Eighth Division Captain position.
-Ichigo is the Sixth Division Captain.
-Tsubasa Daichi is the Eighth Division Lieutenant.