Chapter 17

Sighing in contentment, Mara smiled up at Renji from where her head lay in his lap, the afternoon sun bathing them both in warmth. "I understand the appeal now," she said with a soft laugh as Renji's fingers skimmed the sides of her neck while he ran his fingers through her hair creating and undoing intricate, multicolored braids. "I could never lay on my back to have enjoyed this before. How'd you get so good at braiding anyways?"

In answer, Renji grabbed the end of his ponytail and tickled her face until she broke out in giggles and a smile cracked across his face. Renji smiled and went back to playing with Mara's hair.

"Will we still get to do this in Soul Society?" Mara asked, looking back at Renji again.

"Of course, Ippin," he replied, "Maybe not as much time to do what we want, but we will make it happen. I will still have a job."

"Am I going to have one?" she asked with curiosity.

Renji couldn't help the scowl that crossed his face, "Probably."

"Wait," she said with a slight edge to her voice, "You don't want me to have a job? I've never had a real one before except fast food as a student before I got sick, what if I want to work?"

Renji's hands didn't waver in their mesmerizing weaving, but his expression lightened slightly as he looked at her. "I will never keep you from doing what you want to," he said earnestly, "I just worry that you won't have a choice to. You are powerful, Love. I can feel your spiritual pressure now despite your suppression which is actually really good. I won't be the only one who can sense it. They will recruit you, maybe even try to force you into Seireitei. I want you to do what you want."

Mara smiled at him as she raised gentle fingers to trace his jaw and ease his worried expression. "Maybe, I'll be powerful enough that they can't!" she said with an exaggerated wink, finally bringing Renji's smile back."

"Maybe, Ippin, but don't let them hear you say that," he said chuckling.

"Oooh, treason?"

"No, Kenpachi Zaraki."

Mara's eyes widened as she remembered the many, many stories Renji had told her of his time in the 11th division. It was the beginning of how he became such a ruthless fighter, she knew. A whole squad of people like that had to be led by a crazy strong, or just crazy, leader… and they were. "Gotcha, lips zipped!"

"Mmm, hopefully not…" Renji drawled as he trailed a hand down the side of her face and ran a large thumb over her soft, pink lips. He had to take a calming breath as she bit the tip of it quickly before reverting to her impish smile.

Her eyes flicked to the bright sky, enjoying the feel of laying in the sun, but something seemed… off. It was a feeling in her veins, a tenseness that suddenly seemed to take hold. Mara tensed on Renji's lap as she studied the sky, but it seemed like the flash in her peripheral had been nothing because she couldn't see anything now. Still, something felt wrong in the pit of her stomach.

"What's wrong?" Renji asked at her as she grew tense against him.

"There's something… off with the sky, Ace," she said, squinting her eyes as she scrutinized the horizon.

Renji flicked his eyes up, seeing nothing. He looked back down at Mara, running a thumb over the small frown lines in her forehead. "Maybe you are noticing the protection barrier? It flickers sometimes if something is burned up trying to get in," he explained.

"Maybe," she said relaxing a bit, before tensing again. "No. That. It is a flicker I guess but… you don't feel that?"

"No… there's nothing there," he said, glancing again as Mara sat up from his lap.

She leaned forward as if to get a better view, but she closed her eyes. Watching her intense expression, Renji tried to sense anything around them but he only felt her. Finally, Mara moved, shooting upright and pointing to the right side of the sky.

"There."

Renji followed the line her arm made, eyes hitting the sky right as a giant crack appeared in the barrier and the earth around them began to shake. He immediately grabbed Mara's arm as he leapt up, pulling her to run with him to cover. From the trees, they looked back out to see the crack splintering farther.

"We have to get to Hat and Clogs. The barrier is anchored there, maybe we can strengthen it," he said, bowing his head towards hers.

Mara nodded as she took his hand and prepared to run. "What could do this?!" she asked in terror.

Renji grabbed Mara's arm instead and swung her up on his back. "It'll be faster if I flash step us there, hold on tight. As for what's causing this, the only Idea I have of what could be this powerful are arrancars. Lots of them."

Mara tightened her arms and legs around Renji as he leapt up to the tree branches, knowing he could move faster above the streets. He leapt from branch to branch so quickly that the park was just a blur of green around them, but the crack only seemed to grow in the sky. As Renji jumped from the next tree to the first building in Kisuke Urahara's area, the sky was filled with a noise like shattering glass as the barrier seemed to implode on itself.

Renji and Mara paused to look up at the sky, expecting mayhem as Renji drew his sword to face the opening. "But… I thought…" Mara trailed off, whispering next to his ear.

"Fuck."

"Ace, what's going on?" Mara asked quiety as Renji jumped down from the rooftop with the grace of a cat. "Why are there only 3 people up there?"

Without turning to look at her, Renji pushed Mara behind his back as he replied, "Not people. Arrancar. And for only 3 to get through, at least one of those is an espada. But I thought-" Renji cut himself off as he narrowed his eyes, looking at the distant figures closely, "I thought he was dead. Shit."

"He was dead. I'm sure of it," a deep voice rang out to Renji's right.

Rukia.

Still not averting his gaze from the dangerous trio surveying the town, Renji growled over his shoulder at her, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"That's your focus? What the fuck are those three doing here? I thought you were supposed to be watching out for this town, but you are clearly pathetic at that as well. And what is your pet doing here, too?"

"Tch," Renji uttered, scoffing at her lack of answer.

"Like a dog afraid to let go of his prize bone. Fine," Rukia ground out between clenched teeth, "I am here because I have something that's actually important to protect." She shot a glare at the wide-eyed figure, hiding behind Renji's guarding frame. "At least they can't find Ichigo with that one emitting rietsu at the level she is. I could feel her from halfway across the park."

Mara looked hard at the small Shinigami. "I suppressed it, though."

"Not well enough," Rukia replied tonelessly, "You're a spirit now, human ways only hold so much. But you had this useless waste of space to teach you so I wouldn't expect you would know any better."

Mara could see Renji's shoulders drop the barest fraction, pressed to his back as she was, and could feel rage boiling in her. "Well, with a dead sister and a brother-in-law that valued your life less than his morals, I imagine you weren't taught how to control that cesspit of a mouth you have any better, either," she said sweetly.

Rukia's face went red, but Mara continued, "Then again… knowing you are protecting a man who, not only can't see you, but has found it unimportant enough to keep trying could put you in a sour mood, I guess."

Rukia tuned to point her blade at Mara, abject hatred painted on her features. Before Renji could move to shield Mara from the other woman, the figures in the sky began moving towards them drawing their eyes and blades to the sky. Renji didn't dare blink as they approached fast, one at an especially alarming rate, before they came to a stop too near for mistaken identity.

"Ulquiorra," Renji said lowly, hardening his stance at the approach of the pale man with green eyes.

Mara didn't dare look out from the protective shelter of Renji's body as she heard a monotone voice speaking to close for comfort. "I see the same trash still rolls around in this terrible little town. Interesting that it seems to produce such power from such… fools. Do not be stupid, you both know that you are doomed if you attempt to fight us now. I sensed an immense power building here and thought perhaps Kurosaki Ichigo was back, but I see that is not the case now that your barrier doesn't dull my senses. Give me the girl."

"Hoero Zabimaru," Rengi growled out softly running his hand down the blade. Mara was again fascinated to see the blade transform to the toothed monstrosity with a wisp or red. Still, she didn't risk moving even as Renji's stance hardened into an attacking crouch.

Her eyes were drawn to Rukia next who twirled her blade in a beautiful arc of white rietsu. "Mae, Sode no Shirayuki." Mara wanted to gawk at the blade and woman before her. Pure white and emanating cold power- this wasn't what she had expecting. Rukia was so… cruel. Renji had told her a zanpakuto was a reflection of its carrier's soul. Rukia must have been wonderful.

Before Mara could think about it further, however, the monotone voice rang out again. "Woman," Ulquiorra said tonelessly, "Are you as big a fool as they? Come with me. Do not ask questions. Come and leave with us and they will be spared. I have learned something of humans and their 'hearts'. If they are willing to throw down their lives for yours then you must want to spare theirs."

Mara stiffened against Renji's back. Would he do it? Would he actually leave? She could feel Rukia's eyes on her, assessing her mental battle with a curious look on her face. Mara stood stock still before poking her head out slowly from behind Renji, finally catching a glimpse at the speaker and his companions. Dressed in all white and pale as the moon, these new hollows seemed polar opposite the shinigami protecting her. Her eyebrows rose as she saw the lead hollow was a small man, thin and shorter than Renji by nearly a head, but his face and eyes spoke of desolation. She felt small and isolated with just their eyes locking. He stood still as she assessed him silently, glancing at the two Arrancar behind him briefly but dismissing them quickly as the lesser threat. Her eyes locked on his face again, but she was careful to maintain her neutral expression as she ran through what he had said in her head.

Ulquiorra could feel the woman's scrutiny trying to take him apart and put him together again. She wanted to know if he would honor what he said, he could tell. She wanted to know why his presence made her feel nothing but loneliness and despair, even if she didn't realize that was coming from him. As surely as she seemed to be memorizing his face however, he was memorizing hers. She was different from most of the humans he had met, he realized, as she stayed oddly silent while she observed him for any flicker of emotion to reveal the thoughts in his head. Clearly, she was not inhuman however as his trap playing on her heart seemed to be working. She kept inching more into view around her protector with each second.

Still, Ulquiorra felt a strange wariness as she looked out with black eyes from the shadow of the veritable wild man guarding her. Maybe it was her crazy blue hair that made him find her irredeemably impetuous, never a good trait for a powerful captive. Maybe it was that her dark eyes seemed calculating and intelligent. Or maybe it was that she seemed to give away almost no more feeling than him in her delicate face; her mask hid all the fear he knew she must be feeling and all the worry that would let him know he was winning.

"You will not harm him- them," she finally answered.

"I said no questions," he responded dryly, "I abhor repeating myself almost as much I abhor rushed conversations."

Mara's face finally moved as she raised her eyebrow, eyes hardening. "It wasn't a question."

"Pity, you are as much a fool as they," Ulquiorra stated, not showing the slight shock he felt at her gumption, "This is not a discussion of if you are coming with me in which you can negotiate terms. You will be coming. I am giving you a chance to do so without sacrificing other lives. Make no mistake, you are already a prisoner, you just don't know it yet. I can feel you, woman, I know you now and I will track you to the ends of the earth if there was ever a chance you could get away to begin with."

Mara took a deep breath and stepped out from behind Renji only for his strong arm to immediately reach out and yank her back behind him. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?" he demanded roughly.

"Saving you," Mara grumbled as she tried unsuccessfully to wriggle from his grasp, shaking the chain on her chest in her attempts, but she stilled at a small gasp.

Ulquirro couldn't catch his shock quickly enough, but he quickly schooled his face. However, Rukia had been watching him closely and picked up on the momentary lapse and it's cause. "You didn't know she was a soul. So much for your all-seeing eye, Ulquiorra Cifer. What does that matter?"

"Nothing to you." Ulqiourra watched as Mara struggled against Renji before she looked at him with pleading eyes. The red-head did not relent, maintaining hold of her. "I have seen enough here," he muttered, casting his dark gaze to one of the arrancar beside him, "Take her."

Mara screamed as the monstrous man shot forward too fast for her eyes to track, but metal met the sharp bone protrusions above her head. Renji swung Zabimaru up in a block shoving the arrancar back. He swung the blade in wide arc, unleashing some of Zabimaru's length toward the hollow who easily parried it charging back in. Renji shifted his grip on Mara as he spun quickly to the side, landing a glancing blow on the creatures back that did very little damage, and Mara realized how she was slowing him down.

"Let me down! Let me go to him and stop this!" she cried at Renji.

"You dumb bitch," Came Rukia's voice as she braced for an attack from the other arrancar. Ulquiorra looked his way to send him off. "He's not going to let you do that. He is fighting for you, don't bring dishonor by being weak. Run away and seal you rietsu-"

Rukia's words were cut of as she dodged a blow from her opponent. Turning quickly, she spun to land a solid blow on the creature sending it staggering. Meanwhile, Renji was futilely swiping at his attacker, blocking and hitting in kind but making no real damage without being able to put his body behind his hits.

"I won't let them take you, Ippin," he said lowly, a desperate edge to his voice.

"Okay," Mara relented, "If you set me down I won't go to him." Faster than sound, Renji had moved against a wall, freeing his arms as he blocked her body with his against the wall.

Renji sent the arrancar flying as he unleashed a huge blow head on, gripping his sword with two hands. His rietsu rolling off him waves. Mara looked out at a small ringing and Rukia's loud voice shouting out, "Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" Mara watched in awe as an avalanche of ice taller than the building she stood against rose from the tip of Rukia's sword. The small shinigami climbed her self-made mountain as she called to Renji, "You have to konso her! They are after her alone!"

"You remember what he did to Orihime! She can't go in the dangai!" he yelled after her.

Rukia glared down at the pair. "Figure it out, Abarai!" she yelled as she dove from the highest point with a yell, sword flashing.

Renji cast worried eyes at Mara but was drawn back to the battle as the ice sheet shielding them cracked and fell. The arrancar from before leapt over the rubble but was met by Renji's sword again. This time, Renji swung upward, catching him under the arm before digging the teeth of Zabimaru's blade into the unguarded flesh. With a roar, Renji surrounded his blade in rietsu and yanked upward, effectively sawing off the arrancar's arm. The arrancar was sent back reeling, and Renji looked at Mara again.

With a hard nod, he instructed her, "Rietsu for us is fluid, not a set amount. Get rid of your box and think of a gate or a dam. You hold it back inside yourself, releasing as much or a little as you want,"

"What?' Mara said shocked. He wanted to teach her now?!

"Thant's how shinigami suppress or release rietsu. We don't box it, that's too definite for the deep well of power you have. You need to try to suppress it more effectively so I can get to soul society," he explained, "I have to send you! Try!"

Mara scrunched her eyes, trying to block out the sounds of battle and picture a well to dump her overflowing box into. The moment she tried though, she couldn't concentrate enough to do it and she flared with power. Trying to gather her scattering thoughts, Mara didn't notice the battle stop around her as all eyes were drawn to the towering column of rietsu surrounding her. Both arrancar, mouths watering with a hope of a taste bounded forward, Ulquiorra also finally turning and approaching slowly. Rukia leapt next to Renji as they both stood to fend them off.

"Don't try to move your power," Rukia elaborated between grunts as she blocked swings, "It's a part of you now so it wont move. Build around it. something strong, something deep to wall it from everyone else."

Mara's surprised eyes shot to Rukia, "Why are you-"

"You were going to give yourself up for us. Me. too. That buys you today."

"What is the strongest thing you can think of, Ippin? The safest?" Renji coached, parrying another blow, from one of the arrancar.

"Umm… a vault. A bank vault," she answered quickly.

Renji turned to give her a comforting look. "Then build that in your mind, around your power. Not ideal but we will deal with that later- Fuck!" Renji cut off as he dove to cover Mara from a blast above them."

"What the hell was that!" she screamed, taking in the slow drip of blood working its way down Renji's forehead, his hair hanging loose now, blown from its ponytail.

"Cero... bala… doesn't matter. Vault, Mara! Make your vault!" he yelled over the din of falling concrete, Renji rose, whipping Zabimaru around again at the approaching figure who's own arrancar were killed by the blast. His sword was batted away like a fly.

"She has to go, Renji!" Rukia shouted as she scrambled up, preparing for her next attack.

"I- Fuck!- I know!" he yelled back. He turned slightly to see Mara crouched on the ground, eyes closed and hands over her ears as she tried to wrap her head around the suppression of her power. It was working though, dimming slightly. "Mara! Do it! Lock it away and don't let any out. Lock the door!"

Mara looked up at Renji, eyes wide and nodded in understanding. Suddenly her spiritual pressure completely disappeared.

"It's no matter," Ulquiorra's voice called out through the dust swirling in the air. There is nowhere safe from me. Here, in the passage, I will get her. It was too little, to late. I told you this was a hopeless fight."

Renji seemed to see in slow motion as Mara pressed herself back into the wall so hard he thought she was trying to go through it. Rukia released another avalanche of ice, charging forward to attack from above but Ulquiorra was too fast. He broke the ice and slashed Rukia across the chest with his bare hand, sending her crashing back to the wall and splattering both he and Mara with blood. Rukia climbed back up to face him again.

"Now, Renji!"

Then it finally hit him, he knew one way to ensure Mara got back safe if she kept her rietsu in check. Ulquiorra didn't know this way, but… Looking down at Mara's terrified and blood covered face, Renji made up his mind.

I'll find a way.

"Dammit!" Renji yelled as he turned his back on Ulquiorra and plunged his sword into the thin air in front of the wall.

Mara watched with shocked eyes as a gate appeared, 2 doors opening and emitted… butterflies? Before she could think Renji had picked her up off the ground and she caught a split second of Ulquiorra's widened eyes.

"Where does- NO!" the espada uttered, quickly sliding his blade out and slicing Renji shallowly along his back. Renji released a bone shattering blow with a yell, eyes glowing with his own willpower to keep Mara safe. He caught Ulquiorra across the chest, drawing a thin line of blood and sending the espada back for a moment.

That was all Renji needed; one precious moment. He put a bloody hand against Mara's cheek, cupping her face as he raised the handle of his sword. "This is the best I can do Ippin. He can't find this way unless he feels you. Lock your vault and don't let anything in. Forget the combination. Promise me!"

Mara could only nod as she took in the sight in front of her eyes. A green blur of power approached filled with doom, blocked only by the man in front of her. Renji's hair fell in straight strands across his face, blending in with the streaks of blood. He breathed hard, tensed for a blow but his piercing eyes never left hers as he dragged a bloody thumb across her lips.

"If you remember nothing else, remember that you are loved," he said thickly, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"Ace-" Mara gasped as he quickly pressed the emblem on the butt of the handle of his sword to her forehead and shoved her through the open gate.

All Mara could hear as she was enveloped in white light were earths-shattering crashes and a loud, deep voice yelling, "BANKAI!"

.

.

.

It was all white. Where had he put her? Mara wondered as she seemed to fly down a hall made of light. Maybe he- wait, he who? How had she gotten here?

The white had widened, and she didn't know where she was, or why she was there. Mara looked at her blood-spattered clothes, letting out a scream.

Why am I covered in blood? What happened? Get it together, M-mar- mar?

The girl screwed up her face tightly. Remember. You have to remember… something. But what? Who from, who for? For me? She looked at her arms, covered in scars and tattoos she couldn't understand. Holy shit, what happened to me? What do these even say?

Suddenly she could feel a rush of air and could picture a set of dark piercing eyes surrounded by red. Remember…

As she tumbled on the ground, ejected from the gate, she could only picture those eyes and red. Was that blood or hair? And she could hear something, something being yelled…

"Bankai!" she yelled as she tumbled into a luscious garden. She looked around the foliage and spotted a man with silver combs on his hair like a crown. A gauzy blue scarf hung over a white jacket with a strange character on the back. His half-gloved hands had already travelled to a katana on his belt as he stared at her in shock.

The unfamiliar girl rose unsteadily to her feet, reaching out to the unfamiliar man, noting rapidly approaching black figures in her fading vision.

Remember. Piercing eyes. Red like blood.

"Bankai?" she asked pitifully as she fell back to her knees, trying desperately to stay conscious.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up blearily into dark blue eyes, clouded with wariness and confusion. "Who are you?" the deep voice demanded.

"i-" the girl racked her brain for a name, who was she? "I don't know," she answered haltingly.

"What? Why are you here?" blue eyes asked more forcefully.

The girl's eyes welled with tears. Remember. Eyes. Blood. "Bankai?"