Now, I'm pretty sure you all are infuriated with the slow pace of the story and the time between my updates. Well, as of now, I can't fix the update speed, but I can sure as hell give the guys a kick in the right place to keep the story going. Hey, I wrote the story, not them. :Insert evil grin here: Anyways, it's the exam time as well, and I'm sacrificing precious time (willingly) to continue this story. :Yet more evil grins:
To my reviewers:
RockCityRoadStar: Hope this chapter will alleviate your boredom. xD For the moment, the month lapse will continue. Sorry! But hey, at least you won't get holdups.
Caged Bird in Demon Arms: Well, you'd better like it, 'cause I made it up all on the spot. xD I hate planning in advance, takes all the fun out of writing.
Pseudo-daemonum: Aww c'mon. I want more criticism! Actually, this chapter might give you plenty to whinge about. Go ahead, give me all you got. That's how one improves, no?
Scorch406: Don't we all? I can't even be bothered opening up my textbooks to study for the exams. Next time, instead of sleeping pills, we should all use school textbooks! Kurai is technically the strongest fighter in all of the worlds. The Right Hand of God mentioned is powerful, more powerful than Kurai, but Kurai has the blend of speed, skill, intelligence and power that makes him such a powerful fighter. That's why although he might not be the most powerful in terms of strength, he's easily the best all-rounder. And poor Sora. THat was one rude wakeup call. xD
Gamergirl4567: Sorry, but no. Not for a few chapters. I've got a few plans for it, but all in all, I'm going with the flow in my writing. It's more or less like the story's writing itself: There're things in it that I haven't even thought of before that fit so well I now can't imagine this story without them. That's me in a nutshell. xD
Well, now that that's over, let's get on with the fun part: Reading! Hope you guys enjoy the show!
Sora racked his mind as hard as he could. His gut instinct told him he had messed up, and badly, and that was confirmed by Riku, Roxas and Kurai. Even Kirin had come back from the dead to tell him that. Heck, he knew himself he was wrong, but was it that wrong? But now that he had been assured that yes, it was that wrong, it fell to him to fix things up. Which left him in a dilemma.
Roxas had said that he should just come straight forward and tell Kairi he loved her, then throw her against a wall and start kissing the crap out of her. He very nearly strangled his Nobody at that point. Riku had, after calming himself down, said that a good idea would be to just have a sit down talk. With him hidden out of sight, but watching the proceedings, just to make sure everything went on alright. That earned the silver-haired Wielder a slap on the head by Dawn, who said all he wanted to do was peek. Kurai had merely shrugged and smiled mysteriously. One thing they had all agreed on however, was that the two of them had to kiss.
"Dammit, what d'they want me to do?! It's not their problem, 'course they don't find it hard!" He kicked the sand, his foot making contact with a cunningly hidden stone and causing him to leap around in stubbed agony for a good ten seconds as he held his foot. Cursing a bit, he sat down on the sand, looking out onto the sea he had grown up next to, in which he felt at ease almost as much as on land.
He looked behind him, then to the sides, and seeing no-one, he shrugged and chucked his clothes off, leaving his boxers on, heading to the sea at a dead run and plunging into the freezing water. He looked up in the fading light at the dusk sky, and he wondered about the angels that Kurai had told him about, then around him again, wondering if right now there were a contingent of the winged warriors surrounding him, protecting him from harm. Well, physical pain was something he could live with; mental pain wasn't. He growled under his breath.
Then he suddenly felt his legs being pulled under by an unseen force. Sora panicked a little as he kicked out as hard as he could without success; his brain screaming that there had been no sharks off the coast of the Destiny Islands in the past thousand years, but his legs told him he'd better change that notion now. Suddenly, he felt himself being released, and he spun around, Oathkeeper appearing in a flash in his right hand as Oblivion morphed into his left. His eyes narrowed as he held his breath, he scanned the water, only for them to snap wide open as Kairi, dressed in a bikini and grinning, held Oathgiver at his throat.
Together, they swam back up to the surface, breaking into the air with a mighty combined gasp as they both strove to get air in their lungs while laughing at the same time. For some strange reason, Sora had lost the nervousness he had had when he had been around the Princess recently, and he looked at her without even knowing he was. The dying sun cast blood-red rays of light across the water, shining off the Wielder of Love's hair, deepening the natural ruby hue, while glazing her skin with a blushing radiance.
The colour deepened as Kairi noticed him looking. "Wh… What is it, Sora?" she asked shyly.
Sora started slightly, then shook his head. "Nothing, Kai. Nothing at all."
There was silence for a few seconds as the two Wielders swam back to shore, then stretched out on the sand next to each other, but not touching or making eye contact. All of a sudden, they turned to face each other and said at the same time, "Y'know…"
They blushed and looked away at the same time, then Kairi said, "You go first, Sora."
Sora shook his head. "No, you go first."
Riku, watching with a small grin on his face from nearby, thought, 'Say "I'll race you." Go on… Say it…' Dawn, taking a small peek inside his memories, retreated into her keyblade to laugh her guts out.
There was silence on the beach for a little while longer, then Sora steeled himself. "Alright then, I'll go first." He reached inside the pocket of his pants, which lay near him, taking hold of the good luck charm Kairi had given him and gripping it firmly, out of sight of the Radiant Princess, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Kairi, I'm sorry. I… I know I haven't been really fair. I… I love you too, Kairi, but… I don't want you to get hurt. If you did, I don't think I could've taken it, and the dragon could get loose. Worse, if the dragon did get loose and I… killed you, I would've asked Riku or Kurai to kill me too, since I couldn't bear it."
Throughout the whole speech, he had kept his eyes tightly shut, and he couldn't see the emotions playing on Kairi's face. Riku had gone from his vantage point, standing on top of the papou tree's branches and looking carefully at the sizes of the fruits it bore, selecting the biggest one and sticking it in his pocket.
"I don't want anything to hurt you, Kairi. My life is less important than yours, my keyblades stay with me to fight for you. If you are a Princess, then I'm your knight. If you're a Queen, then I'm your King. Please, Kairi. I never wanted to hurt you, for you to get hurt. If it did…" He clenched the charm tightly, but delicately at the same time, dispersing most of the force on his own fingers. "I won't rest until I hunt down whoever did it to you."
Kurai, lying on his back on a stretch of cloud just above the Wielders, smiled sadly. He felt something trickle down the side of his face, and surprised, lifted a finger to it, then brought it to his lips. "Salty… Tears…? I didn't think I had any left… Interesting…" he murmured.
Finished, Sora turned slightly away from Kairi, his eyes still closed. 'There, that wasn't so hard, was it?' Roxas' voice came in his mind. 'Although I must admit, that was corny. 'If you're a Princess I'm your knight'? C'mon, couldn't you come up with something a bit more romantic?'
'Shut up, Roxas! I'm dying here, y'know?!' Sora shouted at his Nobody, who sniggered, but nevertheless clammed up.
Then he heard a sob, and whipped around to face the Princess, his eyes wide. Kairi's face was positively glowing, tears streaming down her face as she smiled, a happy smile that lit up her face even further. She lunged forward, faster than even Ichigo could shunpo in Bankai, grabbing Sora tightly around the waist as she started to sob into his shoulder. "Sora!" was the only word she could get out.
Sora awkwardly placed his hands around her. Suddenly, she seemed so fragile, so thin and delicate that he was afraid of touching her, in case he shattered that beauty by the roughness of his hands. "Shh… Don't cry, Kai… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
At that, Kairi pulled back slightly and made a face, then cocked him gently on the head. "Dummy."
The Wielder of Light rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I guess I am, right?" he muttered sheepishly.
Kairi grinned again, nodding, then snuggled up to Sora, whose whole body tensed, then relaxed. She giggled. "You're gonna have to take some time to get used to this."
Sora nodded, then cleared his throat. "So… I uh… guess we're… you know… right?"
Kairi giggled again. "For someone so brave when standing up to Xemnas and Maleficent, you're getting a little unconfident."
The Chosen of the keyblade raised one eyebrow. "And you're not?"
The redhead blushed. "A bit…" she admitted. "But I'm also happy, very much so. I mean, all these years…" She shook her head, sending water flying everywhere as Sora laughed and held up an arm to ward off the water.
Kairi seized his arm in slight wonder, tracing her fingers over the muscles that played under the skin as Sora shivered from her touch. "You've gotten a lot stronger, Sora…" she murmured, blushing again.
An object came plummeting out of the sky, smacking Sora smack dab on his forehead and bouncing off into his lap. "What the…?" he muttered, picking it up, then he heard Kairi's gasp on wonder and actually focused on the object. As the blurred vision from the impact slowly cleared, he saw clearly the yellow star-shaped fruit in his hand, and whipping around, he saw a hint of silver among the trees near the beach, and a hand raised in acknowledgement as he nodded thanks. 'Riku…' he thought.
'You're gonna have to repay the favour y'know.' Roxas' voice grinned. 'Soon as you can, we're gonna be rounding up the chicks for Riku.'
Sora laughed at his Nobody's words, then overcome with a sense of exhilaration, he hugged Kairi, whose blush deepened until it looked like her face was on fire. Realizing what he had done, he loosened his hold on her until he only had a single arm trailed across her shoulders. He looked at the papou fruit again, then at Kairi, whose eyes were gazing at the sea, but glazed over, showing that she wasn't looking at the sea, but something beyond that. In that instant, he felt happy, like the happiest man in the world as he gazed at the red-haired angel sitting next to him with her head on his shoulder, lost in a world of her own.
"Kai…" he murmured. "Kai…"
She stirred, then looked up at him, her aqua eyes flaring to a heavenly violet as the sun sent a final ray of farewell across the sea before night came. Sora's heart caught in his throat, not knowing that the same had happened to him and that they were both caught up in the swirling liquid of each other's eyes, then with an immense force of will, he managed to wrench his eyes away from hers, only for it to fall onto her lips. They looked so luscious, so rich and full, slightly parted as though in wonder, and he had to force himself to stop before he started leaning in.
His sudden involuntary movement broke her out of her own trance, and they both blushed, looking away. "Y- You called me, Sora?" she asked shyly.
'Get on with it already, Sora!' Roxas yelled at him.
He held up the papou fruit, smiling a little sheepishly. "Kairi, would you uh… like to… sharethiswithme?" In his nervousness, he ran that last four words together, but Kairi got the gist of it, and there was a slight silence as the implications of his words hit them.
Kairi looked down, not trusting herself to speak as she tried to gather her wits up. As her bangs slid forward to hide her eyes, she looked up through them at the face of the boy she loved, and she knew that if she could only speak, she would accept. She swallowed once, twice, then whispered, "…Yes."
There was another slight silence, and Kairi steeled herself once more, lifting her head to look into Sora's eyes. "Yes." This time, it was firmer, with more conviction.
Sora's face melted with relief, and his eyes flared with a sudden indescribable emotion that overwhelmed Kairi and took her breath away. Dimly, she remembered that one thing she had always loved about Sora was his honesty, how he rarely held things back, letting his heart hang on his sleeve for all to see.
'Go ahead, Kairi. Hold it between the two of you, and let the two of you take a bite at the same time.' Namine's normally quiet and shy voice was vibrantly happy, and behind it, Kairi could feel the joy of her keyblades, pouring out through her Nobody to her.
Taking hold of Sora's hands, which were holding the papou fruit, she lifted it into the air between them. "C'mon then, Sora." She leant forward slightly, her eyes on his as she waited.
'You heard the girl. Go for the kill. Kill the fruit, not the girl. Yet.' Roxas' voice laughed lightly inside Sora's head.
Gulping, Sora took a deep breath and leant in as well, the Princess' eyes holding his captive, so he couldn't close them like he so desperately wanted to. What if he messed up? What if he did something wrong (Which was the same as messing up anyways)? What if he drove her away, unknowingly? His heart skipped a beat as he remembered that he had done so, once, but had been totally aware of it, and she had returned.
'Oi Romeo, c'mon. Do or die, sink or swim. Bite that star like you just don't care, lover boy.' Sora was now consciously trying not to force his Nobody out and put his hands to his throat. 'Roxas, if I ever get out of this alive, remind me to kill you.'
As their teeth sank into the juicy flesh of the star-shaped fruit, Sora felt a thrill run through him, from where his lips were scant inches from Kairi's face, through his mouth up to his brain, then rushing down to his heart and spinning once, twice, three times, before speeding to the centre of his chest, whizzing around a bit, then finally exploding, sending that tingly feeling through his entire body, down through his very fingers.
For her part, Kairi had a devilish grin on her face. With a sudden pull, she dragged the papou fruit downwards, ripping it into three: One part in her hand and a part each in their mouths. Sora, who had still been leaning in, was sent forward, and their lips sped on a collision course. As they made contact, they both felt a warm rush spread through them, a slow heat that spread like wildfire through their bodies. Impulsively, Kairi threw her hands around the Wielder of Light, and deepened the kiss, and Sora nearly fainted dead away at the exquisite taste of her mouth.
Suddenly, they felt something land on their hands, soft and brushing, a caress of a touch, a gentle breath of air. Separating and panting slightly for breath, they looked up, and saw a sky of feathers, gently dropping down around and on them. The feathers were of every hue imaginable: Black, white, green, brown, black with a silver edge, gold, even an illusionary feather that looked like it was just a fragment of a dream, vanishing away before their eyes as they looked. But of all the feathers, the most numerous of them was the white, and as the two Wielders looked higher, they saw Kurai, standing tall and proud on a cloud above them, a smile of pride and happiness, and a little sorrow on his face. Seven pairs of wings blossomed from his back, as the Fallen Angel blessed them.
Next to him was a person they couldn't identify, but they felt a surge of recognition as the Lost Seraph nodded once, his spear Valesti at his side, six white wings on his back. The Seraph raised his spear, and a green pulse of light flashed outwards once. As it faded, he was gone. In his place were two figures, one that Kairi immediately knew, and the other that Sora raised his hand in acknowledgment to. Ruin and Kirin nodded, and Kirin raised his own hand, then the two of them were gone.
"Well, looks like you two finally got it out, eh?" Kurai floated slowly down, then as his feet touched the ground, a bright flash lit up the area too bright to see, before fading and taking with it the wings on the angel's back and the feathers gracing the beach. His face was worn, more tired than they had ever seen him, but he was still smiling gently.
"Kurai! You look exhausted! What happened?!" Sora leapt to his feet, followed by Kairi, whose hand he was still holding on to, and which he didn't plan on letting go anytime soon.
"Hey, calm down. It ain't no mean feat to summon two undead from Kingdom Hearts at once y'know. Did you see him? The Lost Seraph? He had to lend me some power to be able to pull it off." Then his face sobered. "But he also had some news to give me, none of it good." He pointed at the grove of trees. "Riku, come out here. I need to call Leo too." He pointed again, this time at the sky, and a ray of pure darkness shot out of his finger, vanishing into the heavens as black clouds whirled around where it had touched the sky.
As the Wielder of Dawn left the trees, a meteor streaked down from the sky, crashing into the sea, before Leo, in Bladed Form, emerged, dripping wet and steaming, his armour red hot in places. "Oi Kurai! Danger! Soul Society is under attack!"
Kurai's eyes narrowed. Clicking his fingers, a swirling dark portal appeared before them, and he gestured towards it. "So even Leo knows now. That's exactly the news the Lost Seraph brought me. Let's go. Sorry Sora, Kairi. The honeymoon'll have to wait." A grin flitted across his face, and he stepped into the whirling portal, followed by the others, Sora and Kairi blushing bright red.
Ichigo grunted, swinging Zangetsu at another weak Hollow and butchering it instantly. Wiping his brow, he looked around, sharp hazel eyes piercing the dust and cries to take in the situation. No Hollow above Menos level had come, but there had been so many of the weaker Hollows that they were being pushed back by sheer force of numbers. He and the other Captains were reluctant to go into their more powerful states, since they didn't want to waste precious energy should a sudden powerful assaulting charge come pouring through.
Taking advantage of the situation, Yamamoto had sent for the Shinigami Academy, and overseen by the instructors and the Gotei 13, the students were methodically learning the finer details of the shinigami sport known as Hollow Hunting. The Kidou Corps were taking charge over the Kidou (A/N: As you guys already know, Magic.) classes, while the Secret Mobile Corps were taking the Hohou (A/N: Footwork.) classes. Watching the Eleventh Division go to work was the 'class' of the Zanjutsu (A/N: Pretty much swordwork.). Finally, in the middle of all the seeming chaos, Soifon, the lithe Captain of the Second Division was giving Hakuda (A/N: Hand to hand combat.) tips. And as always, the Fourth Division was on standby, watching with eyes and reiatsu to determine who needed to be pulled out.
And still the Hollows came.
"So, Sora, Kairi. You two know what to do?" Riku asked casually as they surveyed the battleground.
The two Wielders looked at him, still holding hands. "Uh… are we supposed to know something?" Sora asked, a puzzled frown on his face.
Riku punched his shoulder lightly, grinning evilly. "Bet I can get more than you." A flash of black later, he had shunpo-ed away, and shearing arcs of darkness deep in the Hollow ranks told the fighters that reinforcements had come.
Sora looked wistfully at where Riku was destroying Hollows by the dozen, then at where his and Kairi's hands were joined.
Kairi ruffled his hair affectionately. "Go ahead then, Sora. Kick their ass!" She untangled her fingers from him, suddenly feeling that there was a void in her hand. "Don't go getting too beat up now."
Sora's eyes scanned the battlefield, and then slitted into their yellow draconic form. This time, he felt the change, and he spun around in horror, throwing a quick glance at Kurai. The angel's own silver eyes opened wide, then narrowed. He hissed something under his breath, then fell into deep contemplation.
"Sora, go ahead. Show 'em a bit of pain. I'll be visiting a few friends of mine. I need to sort a few things out." His eyes flashed.
Sora nodded, then turned back to the battlefield. His eyes scanned the field, then turned back to Kurai. "Why aren't there any Menos Grande or Vasto Lorde?"
"What, you actually want to fight one of those bastards again? Anyways, there aren't a lot of Vasto around, thankfully. Most of those left have apparently been turned into Arrancar, further lessening their numbers. But you're right, it's weird. I think Aizen's going for a storming tactic. But why now, after we've just decided to start? I think he's just trying to delay us while…" Kurai's eyes snapped wide. "Damn! He's probably got the Vasto ready for a sneak attack!" He flung his arm out to one side, and his wings appeared in a pillar of black light, announcing to all Soul Society that the Fallen Angel was here. "I need to use my angelic authority here. Sora, since there aren't any really powerful Hollows out there now, this might be a good time to train Kairi."
Instead of vanishing into thin air like he usually did, Kurai spread his wings and took too the sky, his black wings stark against the harsh noon sun. Betrayal roared out a ringing challenge as he soared towards Seireitei, and a few unlucky Hollows were reduced to spirit particles in a flurry of slashes that tore them apart.
Sora grinned. "Always has to go with a bit of a boom." His eyes narrowed in concern. "I wonder what's wrong with me…" He glanced down at himself. "Who am I?" He suddenly felt a pair of soft hands wind themselves around his waist.
"You're Sora, the Wielder of Light, and the one I love…" Kairi murmured into his ear. The touch of her warm breath on his skin sent shivers through him, and he tried to take his mind off it by summoning Oathkeeper and Oblivion, pointing them at the milling horde below. "Shall we?" he asked.
Kairi grinned. Oathgiver and Eternity materialized behind her, hovering in mid-air as she released Sora, conjuring balls of flame in her hands. "Why don't we?" she returned. "Bankai."
Vines wrapped around her slim body, petals dancing through the air, seeking but not finding their companion, the thousand petals of Senbonzakura. A nimbus of crimson light enveloped her, and for a second, Sora, trying to avert his eyes but failing to, caught a glimpse of her naked body. Blushing, he finally managed to rip his eyes away from the red light, and forced himself to calm down. "Bankai."
Liquid metal flowed around his arms and chest, forming sweeping wings of white and black on his back. Oathkeeper and Oblivion remained cemented to his hands, but now a white aura surrounded the Keyblade of Promise, while a black cloud hovered around the Keyblade of Nothingness, increasing their length to nearly twice their normal range.
As he turned to face the Hollow mass, he heard a low whistle behind him. Turning back to look behind him, he saw Kairi looking at him with a kind of hunger in her eyes. Seeing him turn back, her face took on an innocent look, smiling as she looked him in the eyes. "Yes?"
Sora shook his head. "Uh… Kai? When did you learn how to whistle?"
Kairi smiled again, this time with a gentleness that he had only seen once before; back on the beach when they had kissed for the first time. "It was something a friend of mine told me. She said her boyfriend told her that if she ever needed him, she only needed to whistle. He'd come running."
Sora's eyes widened, then softened. "Well Kai, I'll do the same for you. Whenever you need me, just whistle. I'll come running." He held out one armoured hand, and to his surprise, the armour melted away, taking a firm hold of Oblivion and shifting it until the hilt rested under his wrist, leaving his hand free to grasp Kairi's. "Let's go."
Kairi nodded. "Okay."
Together, the Wielder of Love and the Wielder of Light leapt off the cliff they had landed on, blades of energy ripping from Sora's arms surrounded by razor-sharp winds and petals lacerating gaping holes in the Hollow force.
Behind them, Leo, who had been overlooked by everyone else, grinned. "Now that was entertaining." He morphed into Loaded Form, then leapt off into the sky, propelled by his thrusters, unloading lead onto the ground, still grinning all the while.
Kurai flew straight to the Headquarters of the First Division, ignoring the startled cries of the sentries posted to guard the area. Not like any of them didn't know he was coming; Kurai had taken the liberty of loosening a little control over the massive power he held, and being in his mere presence was enough to choke some of the lower ranked shinigami.
"Tenshi! What is the meaning of this, Fallen Angel?!" The Vice-Captain of the 1st Division, Sasakibe Choujirou, a middle-aged man who nevertheless had a shock of gray hair and with his hand on his zanpakutou hilt, stood in front of Kurai.
"Tell the old man I need to speak with him. Now." Kurai's voice was low, growling, and his eyes flashed again. Choujirou gulped once, but was about to deny him access when he heard his Captain. "Let him in, Choujirou."
The Vice-Captain turned to the closed door and bowed. "Hai. (A/N: Yes.)"
Kurai didn't wait for him to open the door, but cut it down in one stroke, ignoring the wide eyes of the Lieutenant. "Genryuusai!" he called as he strode in. "Call a meeting of the Captains, give it the highest priority you can, now!"
The old shinigami stared at him in surprise. "Tenshi, what do you mean? There's no danger, even shinigami trainees can destroy these Hollows. This is even better than having to organize trips to the Human Realm!"
Kurai glared at the old shinigami and suddenly wished he had the authority to mess with the shinigami's head. He certainly had the power to, but the authority wasn't with him. Yamamoto was notorious for being inflexible and strict. "Look, Genryuu. I have it on the highest authority that Aizen is massing up for an all out attack with his new Espada, all of Vasto Lorde. If you don't pull out your new recruits, they'll be the first to die, y'hear me?!"
"All the better for the recruits. They have to learn to fight, and this is the best way to do it."
Kurai grated his teeth. "Look, call a meeting of the Captains and put it to vote, alright?"
Yamamoto shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Tenshi. Captain meetings aren't trivial matters; you can't just call them as you please."
Kurai sighed; he'd guessed all along that it would come to this. Snapping his fingers, two pairs of wings appeared on his back: The white of Umou and the black of Betrayal. "I order you, in the name of the Right Hand of God."
Yamamoto's eyes widened. "You can't be serious. Joking has limits, Tenshi."
"Do I look like I'm joking, Yamamoto-dono?" A gold hue was starting to creep into the angel's silver irises.
Yamamoto hesitated for a brief moment, then stood up and strode to the middle of the room, Kurai watching with some satisfaction. 'I thought he'd never do it.'
"Banshou issai kaijin to nase, Ryuujin Jakka." (A/N: From Chapter 16: It means "Turn all of creation to smouldering ashes. Ryuujin Jakka means Flowing Flame Blade, or something similar.)
A massive explosion erupted from the muscular old man as the flames shot straight upwards, a rising pillar of fire that reached the very sky. Then the flames disappeared as Yamamoto resealed the mighty zanpakutou, morphing the sword back into an ordinary seeming cane that he rested his hands on as he awaited the arrival of the Captains.
It didn't take long. Within moments, the huge inhuman Komamura Saijin, Captain of the Seventh Division, had arrived, the helmet that hid his wolf-like head long since destroyed. He bowed deferentially to Yamamoto, then moved to his spot, where he stood tall and proud. But Kurai knew better. The Captain's heart was in turmoil: One of the three traitors of Soul Society, Tousen Kaname, had been a very close friend of his; they shared ideals and dreams, fighting for justice. Tousen's defection had shaken him to the core, and the angel could tell that even now, the anthropomorphic canine was feeling great confusion and anger.
Second to arrive was one of the fastest people in Soul Society, Soifon, Captain of the Second Division. Dressed in her usual Captain's robes with two strands of braided hair on her head that reached below her waist, she bowed to Yamamoto before taking her place at his right hand. Her face was stern, composed, but Kurai had had occasion to throw himself into fits of laughter due to her obsessive, almost infatuation with Yoruichi.
Hot on her heels was another incredibly fast warrior: Kuchicki Byakuya, Captain of the Sixth Division. The head of the Kuchiki house had no emotion at all on his face, although Kurai knew that buried somewhere beneath that diamond exterior, a lot deeper than anyone'd expect, lay a compassion and kindness. Of course, he rarely showed it, and even in the process of being 'kind', he would appear to be aloof and cold. He too bowed to Yamamoto, before walking to stand opposite Komamura.
Right behind him was Ichigo, who still held Zangetsu in his hand from where he had been out on the front lines. In the presence of the Captain-Commander though, the orange-haired shinigami slung the massive blade back over his shoulder, and the bandage strap that extended from the pommel lengthened, wrapping around the blade and holding it securely in place. The Captain of the Fifth Division nodded at Yamamoto, then strode to stand next to Komamura, looking completely bored.
The Fourth Division Captain, Unohana Retsu, walked sedately into the room, bowing gravely to Yamamoto, before seeming to float to her spot opposite Ichigo, standing Byakuya and Soifon. Kurai knew that although the woman was Captain of a healing division and she appeared calm and gentle, her skill in battle was matched only by Yamamoto himself, as was evident by the looks of fear on the faces of the Eleventh Division members she usually caught in the act of bullying her helpless Fourth Division members.
With a mighty yawn, Kyouraku Shunsui appeared out of nowhere in a swirl of reiatsu in his spot next to Byakuya, nodding to Yamamoto like Ichigo. Still dressed in his flamboyant pink haori, the Captain of the Eighth Division looked half asleep, but Kurai could see the glint of intelligent eyes surveying the room calmly under half-lidded lashes.
Next to arrive was Hitsugaya Toushiro, the boy wonder of Soul Society, the youngest Captain, wielder of the most powerful ice elemental zanpakutou in Soul Society. The Captain of the Tenth Division stood a full head shorter than Soifon, but they were evenly matched in battle, she with her speed and he with his frosty skill. Hyourinmaru was slung over his shoulder by a green strap as he bowed to Yamamoto, before walking to his spot next to Kyouraku.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri was the eighth to arrive, and the Captain of the Twelfth Division made no hint to conceal the fact that the summons had come right in the middle of an experiment that he considered to be of vital importance. His face held a small frown, with slightly gritted teeth as he bowed to Yamamoto, before striding next to Hitsugaya. Kurai's eyes narrowed at the sight of him: He'd never liked the guy much.
Ukitake Juushiro, the ailing Captain of the Thirteenth Division was after Mayuri, and he inclined his head at Kyouraku, who returned the gesture; smiled at Ichigo, who grinned back, and bowed at Yamamoto. Kurai looked at the man with genuine affection: He had liked the man ever since he first came to Soul Society a few thousand years back, and that affection hadn't diminished. He took special pains to make sure that he troubled the ill Captain as little as possible, and frequently asked Kyouraku to take care of matters instead. Ukitake walked over to stand opposite Mayuri, leaving a large gap between him and Komamura.
Finally, with a loud clatter, the last Captain arrived. Zaraki Kenpachi, the Captain of the Eleventh Division, strode up to his place without glancing at anyone else, standing between Ukitake and Komamura, leaving a gap between him and Komamura. The large man was the third tallest person in the room, just shy of Kurai and a few inches shorter than Komamura. For once, his lieutenant, the pink-haired child-like Kusajishi Yachiru wasn't on his shoulder, due to the nature of the meeting.
Yamamoto thudded the butt of his cane on the ground once, coughing sharply as he did so. "We are gathered now. Two are absent from our number, but we will soon remedy that, one at least, if the other should refuse the promotion as he has before." He turned to Kurai. "This is the one who has summoned this meeting with such urgency that I could not use a hell butterfly. Step forward, Tenshi Kurai."
The angel obliged, and the eyes of the assembled Captains grew wary as they saw the two pairs of wings on his back, signifying that he spoke with an angel's authority, and not with the counsel of a friend. Essentially, it meant that it'd be a very good thing for them to obey him.
Kurai didn't waste any time beating around the bush. "Right, I'm sure you guys've noticed that huge concentration of Hollows out there now. However, they're all weak, making for perfect bait to train your younger shinigami. However, I've received some intel from my dragons that this is just the calm before the storm. I've managed to sniff out that Aizen has managed to get a few more Privarion Espada. For an Arrancar to be a Privarion, they must be demoted from Espada. In other words, ex-Espada. Now, why would he need demote an Espada? Because he has new ones. Now, the dragons I sent to watch over old four eyes told me about three days or so ago that his new team of Privarion Espada are made pretty much exclusively of Vasto Lorde."
At those words, there was a collective gasp around the room. Yamamoto was gazing at Kurai with narrowed eyes, while Soifon's face was openly shocked, and Byakuya's face, although still unreadable, had traces of fear, rage, worry and a rueful expression that he hadn't been able to dispose of the traitorous Captain before he left. Kyouraku and Ukitake exchanged worried glances, and Komamura's hand curled into a fist. Zaraki alone seemed unperturbed, but there was a look in his eyes as he recounted his battle with the 5th Espada, Nnoitra Jiruga, that Kurai had killed the last time Soul Society had been attacked: He had come close to death then, and Nnoitra wasn't even in the top four.
"Vasto… Lorde…?" Hitsugaya murmured. "And at least ten of them… All heightened by the strength of the Arrancar… Is this it then…? Is this the end of Soul Society as we know it…?"
Kurai raised a hand, and the discipline of the Captains reasserted themselves. "Now, I know this is worrying… Alright, that's an understatement. But I never said you'll be fighting alone. Yesterday's enemies are today's allies. You have welcomed the Vizard back, not with open arms maybe, but welcomed them back nevertheless, and for that, they will fight for you. Vizard are stronger than anything else in Soul Society, including Vasto Lorde, and these new Espada will only be able to match the Vizard for strength and not surpass them. However, they have a numerical advantage, and to be completely honest with you, only Genryuu here can take on a Vasto Espada on a one on one basis. I can take another, but that leaves more than five for you guys to take, since even Vizard have things they're good at. For example, former Kidou Corps Lieutenant Ushouda Hachigen cannot hold his own in a melee battle, so former Ninth Division Captain Muguruma Kensei will have to help him. Former Twelfth Division Lieutenant Sarugaki Hiyori cannot hold her own against one either, so Former Eighth Division Lieutenant Yadoumaru Lisa and Former Ninth Division Lieutenant Kuna Mashiro will have to help her. Former Captains of the Seventh and Third Divisions Aikawa Love and Outoribashi Roujuurou, also known as Rose, can take another together."
Kurai paused to think through the battle preparations he had put together in his mind. "I also request pardons for Former Captains of the Second and Twelfth Divisions and the former Captain of the Kidou Corps, Shihouin Yoruichi, Urahara Kisuke and Tsukabishi Tessai. Between them and former Captain of the Fifth Division Hirako Shinji, they can take at least two, maybe three. Of course, we still have to account for fatalities and Ressurecion."
As he spoke, Kurai had been drawing something with his finger in mid-air, and a thin trail of black flame followed the path of his finger, effectively showing a map of Soul Society, encompassing Rukongai and Seireitei, as well as a good portion of the wild countryside beyond. Ichigo's eyes were bulging as he heard the true strength and former occupations of the ones he had once regarded as mere tools to a power that he needed.
"Hold it, Kurai!" the orange-haired Captain shouted. "You mean Shinji was the Captain of the Fifth?!"
Kurai looked up absently. "You weren't paying attention, Ichigo? Yeah, they are. All of the Vizards were either Captains or Vice-Captains once."
Ichigo was starting to swear profusely, forgetting that he was in a room of Captains until Byakuya, unable to take it anymore, pointed discreetly at him and mouthed, "Bakudou no Kyuu, Geki."
Red light engulfed the swearing Captain, completely paralysing him. However, Ichigo's massive reiatsu soon overpowered the spell and broke free, but the sudden stop had made him cool down. He turned to Yamamoto. "Ah… Gomen, Yamamoto-taichou. I got a bit carried away there."
Yamamoto's eyes were on him. "Yes… I see. So they were the ones who trained you in that forbidden power."
Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck uncertainly. "Well… Yeah. When I became a shinigami for the first time, Byakuya there took the power away, since it belonged to Rukia, not me. Urahara-san took me in, and forced me to either become a shinigami or a hollow. I managed to become a shinigami, then learned Shikai. However, during the transformation into a shinigami, I was hovering between shinigami and hollow the whole time. I guess that awoken the hollow in me."
Byakuya's eyes opened wide. "So… That creature I fought…?"
Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. When I busted into Soul Society and fought my way to the Soukyouku, where I fought Byakuya, it got loose. Ever since then, it's been getting harder and harder to control, and my reiatsu attracted the Vizard's attentions. Shinij came to me, and after the Hollow got loose too many times, I decided to train under them. I fought my Hollow, and managed to beat him, which effectively made me a Vizard."
"…Fascinating." Yamamoto's eyes were still trained on Ichigo. "Can you summon your mask here, Kurosaki-taichou?"
Ichigo looked around at the faces that were both wary and expectant. He rubbed the back of his neck again. "Uh… I guess I could…" He raised his left hand above his head, formed into something akin to a claw, palm facing inwards and finger curled. He focused his reiatsu, and black energy started to whirl around him, focusing in the palm of his hand. The energy started to morph, becoming white streaks of material, and with a pull, he dragged his mask over his face. His reiatsu exploded out, and Soifon and Komamura actually flinched as the incredible force smashed into them before Ichigo forced it back under control. The now white reiatsu cleared, and Ichigo stood in the centre of the room, his white mask with red streaks on his face, golden eyes gazing at Yamamoto.
Yamamoto's face showed no expression at all. "I saw you fire a Cero in the defence the last time Aizen sent his cohorts against us. Would you care to demonstrate?"
The mask hid Ichigo's expression, but he shrugged. "It took me a helluva long time to get it right, but I can do it now, I think." He stuck his right hand out and a ball of purple energy appeared, hovering above his palm, humming ominously. He pointed his palm at the wall, the ball hovering in mid-air just before his palm, then it distended into the familiar beam of energy that ripped into the wall before fading.
By now, the curiosity of the other Captains had won over. "Bala?" asked Kyouraku. "Sonido?" Hitsugaya shot at him. "Hierro?" Zaraki, of all people, asked.
Ichigo shrugged. "No idea. I've only ever tried Cero. It's not very practical to use: I prefer using Zangetsu here. Shinji though, I've seen him fight. He makes Arrancar Cero look like a wuss."
Kurai grinned and nodded. "Yeah, he thought that he might as well make the best of a bad situation, and trained extensively, out of sight and reiatsu detection though. He can probably take on a Vasto Espada alone, but it'd be dangerous." He gestured at the map. "Now, I know Shinji's told Ichigo that we're planning to start the Winter War soon, and that we were taking the fight to Hueco Mundo. But plans have changed. Right now, we have homeground and numerical advantage, unless Aizen decides to throw the rest of Hueco Mundo at us. I have dragons to take out the weaker Hollows, and if worst comes to worst, I can request backup from the angels. However, that's only in a worst case scenario. Sora, Kairi and Riku still aren't completely at ease in Bankai, but they're getting there. Leo, a… protégé of mine, if you want to put it that way, is here too, and he'll help out. We also have the aid of the Quincy, who will be here in a week's time."
At the mention of the word 'Quincy', Mayuri snorted. "Quincy? There're only two left alive: An obsessive moneymaker in the Human Realm who's well over seventy, and that Quincy boy who died and is in Rukongai right now. I'm sure they'll be plenty of help." His voice dripped heavy sarcasm.
"You forget one thing, Kurotsuchi." Kurai's usage of Mayuri's last name instead of his first name was significant: He even used Yamamoto's first name, and it spoke volumes of how he viewed the Head of the Shinigami Research Institute. "It's true that the Quincy originated in Japan, but didn't you know that a strain of them moved to Germany? You could call it fate if you wish, but I guess scientists don't care for such trivial matters. Anyway, Uryuu's gone to Germany in a gigai (A/N: A faux body: A physical body that can be seen by humans. It normally has no soul at all, being of flesh and blood but no spirit, but a shinigami or soul in general can enter these bodies, which they can then manipulate as their own.), and he's gonna bring some backup here. How exactly he's going to persuade them I have no idea, but he's a resourceful one, Uryuu, as he proved when he beat you." His eyes bore into Mayuri's, who quailed before the Fallen Angel, although not gracefully.
Kurai nodded, satisfied, and clapped his hands. "So, let's see what we've got. I'd say Uryuu's gonna be able to get us at least twenty Quincy, and we have eight Vizard, not counting Ichigo. Eleven Captains, plus me and Leo. And we can't forget Sora, Kairi, or Riku. Not to mention Kisuke, Tessai and Yoruichi. You will pardon them, won't you?" he asked Yamamoto, who nodded, a shrugging helplessly. "Good. Well, I'd say we stand a good fighting chance. Of course, there're still the Privarion Espada to look forward to, plus the three traitors. I think I can call in a few tens of angels though. I'd say we balance out. It'll all be on a hairstring."
He nodded at Yamamoto, who thudded his cane on the floor once. "Dismissed."
Let's get this party started biot-... Nah, I won't use that word. xD Tension's rising, it's time to have a bit of fun on the battlefield! Draw your swords, Captains of the White Tower, and stand on the fields of the Wandering Souls, to face the Hollows of the Hollow Realm! Read and review!