-49-
The Sleeping Beauty
Yoruichi Shihouin
22nd Heiress of the Shihouin clan
Shunpo Goddess.
Hakuda Expert
Former Captain of the Second division
Former Commander of the Onmitsukidō.
Former Corrections Corps Commander
Former Executive Militia Corps Commander
Great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Bibigosha Shihouin, the Keymaker
Daughter of Furuichi Shihouin, Seventh Member of Zero Division
Cousin of Keikosuki Ichinose, Captain of the fifth division
Shihouin women were exceptionally fierce women by definition. It makes everyone forget how exceptionally fragile they were at the same time.
This wasn't for the faint of heart. Her face was burning hot. She was sweating, trying to withstand the kind of spiritual pressure that are only listed in books. She was not exactly the hypersensitive type.
Let's face it, she was born a Shihouin. What did it mean? Well, if the Shihouins were whimsical bohemian people at heart, very cool people we might add, they were also Guardians of Magic, Users of Dark Crafts, Explorer of the Unknowns, Renowned Demonologist and Collector of artifacts. Whatever sensitivity you had growing up in that family, you tended to lose it young.
Epic Orchestral Music: "Lacrimosa" by Thomas-Adam Habuda
Yoruichi, being the noble lady, she was, was not exempt. She was born with a conflicted soul, a rebellious soul, always converging from one extreme to another. It didn't help that it was ingrained deep in her genetic material, the fact that her ancestor Bibigosha screwed a bunch of old men, became one of the hands of the king, faced an Evil God and lived to tell the tale. It didn't help that Bibi did all sorts of heroics before celebrating her diamond jubilee. She had 19 kids and 52 grandkids. She explored the world, searched for artifacts, created her own militia, the renowned Onmitsukidō corps, build her own jail, the Maggot's nest, went toe to toe on delicate subjects with none other than the big chief himself. Yup, Bibigosha was one awesome grandma who married eight times, buried all her husbands, finally disappeared one surprising day on the eve of her ninth wedding, and gave zero fucks in general. So it was only natural, Yoruichi tried to keep up somehow.
But we're digressing here. All to say that few things could unsettle Yoruichi Shihouin. Except, she was perched on the highest cannon of her friend Kukkaku Shiba where she had a relative view of the Seireitei and on its battlefields, and her stomach was all turned upside down.
What had he done?
A huge transparent dome covered the entire southwest area of Seireitei.
So, that was the old man's plan. He had outdone himself this time. Yamamoto-sensei had always been like this. He was a teacher at heart, and he had a definite fondness for role-playing as a means of learning. It was always painful to be his disciple. For having served all these years under his command, she knew. Being his disciple and follow in his footsteps could cost one's life.
But really, Suki-chan was just ... She was a child at heart, someone who loved chocolate more than she should. She wasn't finished growing up yet. No matter how full a bra got, the capricious kid was still there. In fact, at this very moment, we could say the capricious kid had survived in its purest, most violent, and uninhibited manifestation.
Persephone.
If a zanpakutō reflected the soul of its carrier, what was it supposed to mean? What was it supposed to say about Suki's soul?
Persephone.
"This is insane. That much spiritual pressure… She is even unconscious? What is that girl made of?! "
Kukakku suddenly shouted above the noise of destruction. Her hair was swept in the other direction by a tornado of spiritual pressure. She crawled next to Yoruichi.
"What's her story, Yoruichi?"
Yoruichi stared down at the feast of Persephone.
"I don't know… Something happened to her as a child… is all I heard."
"She fell into a magic bath where she got loaded full of powers."
Yoruichi snapped a tongue comically. She bit her lips. Maybe that wasn't too far off. Yet it didn't seem like her place to tell that story. What should she tell Kukakku? Remember when your older brother left with that girl and dishonored your whole family? Remember, they stripped your people of their titles, and your life went to hell after that? Well, someone wasn't happy about that and never got over it. He was not quite done yet. It didn't sound like something she could honestly say.
"Yoruichi…"
"She is just a kid. She doesn't mean harm."
"Well, I have trouble believing that. This doesn't look harmless. "
Yoruichi sighed deeply.
"Once upon a time there was a girl ... A little girl, born in a grand castle in a distant land. Her father worked for the king and had had an impressive descendant, with daughters all born under the same rising sun. As a result, growing up, our little girl did not think she was different from her sisters. She bore the same name and put on the Kimono of her elders. She played hide and seek. She was rather good at it. But one day, missing the call for supper, she disappeared. Her father searched for her everywhere. When he found her, she seemed unharmed and healthy? She was always the same playful child. She easily pranked her sisters. She laughed just as loud as she used to. Her father was glad. Yet, he knew this child wasn't like the child he lost, and he vowed to keep her safe.
A gift some may call it. A curse for others.
For his friend, the Captain Commander, it was naturally a gift. So, the fate of this little girl was sealed from the first time of her existence. It was decided. He would take her as an apprentice in his academy so that she could develop her gift there.
The little girl had a rebellious streak, inherited from generations and generations of stubborn people. She did not miss an opportunity to escape the responsibilities the world wanted to impose on her. Her gift was growing despite herself. Adolescence being the age of rebellion, the teenager fell in love with the wrong type of bad boy, got in the wrong crowd, and decided to flee her golden cage.
During the civil war, she found it difficult to choose sides, and she was accidentally caught in the fire.
By the end of the war, the girl had returned to her father's castle. Steeped in sorrow and despair, she tried to end her life and escape this reality where nothing was ever the same. Perched on the edge of a cliff, she awakened the power of her zanpakutō in its last lethal form. She made a pact. She obtained Bankai… But the price to pay…"
Yoruichi was suddenly lost in thought. She could remember it like it was yesterday.
"Where are we going, Father? Kisuke is waiting for me."
"I am waiting right now, Yoruichi. I don't have time to argue with you."
Yoruichi shrugged. As usual, her father was dressed like the drama queen he was, bodysuit, black cape, flashy jewelry, and fuchsia turban included. Needless to say, he also acted like one.
"I don't want to argue. I just want to know where we are going. You suddenly appeared out of nowhere in my bedroom, knowing a girl's room is the most private thing and…"
"Not now, Yoruichi!"
"What's with you, old man? Barging in wasn't enough! You have to ruin everything!" She grumbled, annoyed.
"Something happened last night."
She rolled her eyes. What did she say about his drama queen's tendencies?
"I know we won the war, no thanks to you guys. You could congratulate me for once for not dying, for instance… or for keeping the fort while you are not there… Just a thought… You did your best, Yoruichi. Daddy is very proud, Yoruichi…"
He gave her a stern look, clearly aggravated by her sarcasm.
"It's about Keiko-chan."
Which one was it again? Oh, he was talking about this, Suki?!
"Is she okay? She left with her dad…"
He turned to her.
"Did you think that what you and your friends did back then would have no consequences whatsoever?"
She frowned.
"I don't understand."
"No, you don't. It's about being responsible for a bunch of people other than yourself, Yoruichi. That is the job."
"You're the one to talk. You left."
"I left to protect the clan. Bibigosha's legacy."
"No, you left because you always hated it just like me. Don't try to pretend this was about anyone else but you."
"Is that what you believe?"
"Yes."
"You think I abandoned you and your mother and your brother?"
She tasted the salt of her tears on her lips. Her voice was hoarse with fury. She had no hesitation when she answered bitterly.
"Yes."
Furuichi hesitated, furrowing his eyebrows heavily. Something he usually did when he was intensely conflicted. Gosh! She was such a mule! Where did she get that from? He could have said just that. That would have been the end of that conversation. But he was suddenly so outraged at what she suggested, he lashed out. Well, they did share the same blood. He could never take what he'd just said back.
"You silly, arrogant girl! What an incredible disappointment you are, Yoruichi !"
She faltered and took another sharp intake of breath. Even though she vowed none of what he ever said to her mattered, it hurt. In a matter of seconds, he knew he burnt a few bridges with her. Yet, he couldn't take it back! How dare she questioned him?! He was the freaking head of clan! He was her father! The one who encouraged her to be just as brash as she was! They glared at each other. He was the first to break eye contact and sighed. Fuck! He really could have said I love you and I miss you instead! True!
"I'm not here for this. You're the head of the clan now. I need you to grab something for me in the vault."
She heard it all before. He was always using her. So, she shook her head…
"I knew it. You always…"
"Yoruichi Bibigosha Rebin Shihouin. I need your help now, and I need you not to ask questions!"
Yoruichi swallowed hard. But he never used all the names he and her mother gave her when they were both high as a kite, waiting for her to make an apparition in this world. That made her realize how serious this situation may be.
"What is it?"
"This is a family matter. I need to know I can trust you."
She folded her arms on her chest. If he meant business, she was ready.
"I'm your designated heir… whatever you have to say…"
"That is not my question, young lady. For once in your life, can you take something seriously?"
Yoruichi swallowed whatever retort she already got ready for him and consider his tense expression for the first time. She sighed deeply.
"You can trust me, dad… to always do the right thing."
His eyes lingered on her curiously at the choice of her words.
"Well, that will do. Come then."
After a quick epic detour by the Shihouin's vault, a story in itself really, Yoruichi remembered standing with Furuichi in front of the partially destroyed Ichinose Estate, wondering how that could happen, how they could have let this happen and what they were supposed to do now. Persephone was unleashed. Persephone was wreaking havoc. Without its master. Keikosuki was nowhere in sight. She frowned.
"Dad… Dad…"
"Yes, Yoruichi."
"Where is Suki?"
Furuichi silently pointed at the creature again. She caught a glimpse of Keikosuki's hair before Persephone punched another hole in the castle's enclosure with a roar. Yoruichi stepped back. That thing was out of control, and Suki was unconscious. How was it possible?!
"That is… a bankai. That's a whole lot of bankai! That kid got a bankai the size of the Sokyouku hill, and nobody thought the Gotei 13 should know about it? I need to call the captain commander!"
"Don't!"
She turned to him with wide eyes. Furuichi faced, her incredulous.
"Why do you think I came to you?"
"You honestly think I would lie to my boss for you?"
"You do it for other people all the time, Yoyo!"
"Don't you dare call me Yoyo like you didn't plan all of this, you crazy lunatic old man!"
She opened her satchel and rummaged quickly. There must be something she could use to stop this craziness. She showed him the big cube he went to fetch in Bibigosha's vault. He tilted his head and gave her a look. Not yet, this was to be last resort. This was the contingency plan. She turned again toward the chaos. Keikosuki Ichinose, what have you done again, Cousin?
"All the captains need to be made aware. They need to be here. Anyway, I need to call for backup I'm sorry!"
But he was way quicker than her. In one leap, he held the brown satchel she was holding on and her zanpakutō. She felt practically naked. How dare he used that technique on her?
"No, we need to wake that kid up right now! You and me! That's the plan! " He said, grabbing a huge horn in the bag.
Yoruichi groaned.
"When did you grab that one?"
"When you weren't looking obviously."
She sneered. This man was insane.
"That is Mammongi's Horn. That is… literally, the worse idea you ever had. You know the minute you're going to use that. Every Freaking hollow and Menos Grande are going to rip Soul Society's sky open and come showing fangs."
"It's also the worst instrument on earth. It can wake the king of hell. I say we give it a try and wake this kid. Although, if they make for good appetizers for that greedy monster, I'm good with that!"
"You are insane! What is Mother ever find in you?!"
"Money, glory… and a sense of adventure! She is a thrill seeker that one! "
"I'm calling for backup! I need Kisuke right now!"
She said before she noticed Yamamoto was slowly approaching them, leaning on his cane to walk.
"Sotaicho…"
"Shihouin-taicho…"
"You've heard…You're here… I was just about to call for…"
"I know. I thought to myself, Yoruichi Shihouin, she learned her lessons. She wouldn't attempt to conceal something so huge as that kid unleashing bankai on all of us."
"I wouldn't."
"Her idea all along, Eijisai." Her dad countered.
"Dad!"
Yamamoto simply smiled. Yoruichi realized they were both pulling her legs. Who was not taking this very serious situation seriously now?
"Furuichi…"
"Eijisai…"
"I sensed something like that may happen." Yamamoto casually said.
She finally noticed something was amiss with him too. He was without Sasakibe, without any other captains for that matter, and he was not wearing his haori.
"She is asleep, and it's unlikely she is going to wake up without help this time! It's been seven hours since it's started. The sun is almost up. We tried everything. Her father. Her mothers… Her sisters… Even her favorite sister… Natsuki."
She heard a father yell above the noise.
"Where is Natsuki-chan?" Yamamoto asked.
Furuichi lowered his head and shook his head.
"Like I said, it didn't work."
Yamamoto swallowed hard at the ramifications, staring at the carnage.
"It lashed out at anything even that which is dear to her. Interesting."
"Not interesting, this is a disaster. Tadashi almost lost it earlier."
"Where is he?"
Furuichi pointed at a tent erected behind them, on the top of the hill, and led the way. Surrounded by his four spouses who sat in a circle while he was meditating inside a pentagon of lit candles.
"Tadashi has been trying for hours to connect with her using Enkeikuroryū! I don't see it working. We need to find another way."
"I'm sorry, but Yoruichi is right. Using Mammongi's horn is…"
"Risky."
"It's a death wish."
"Do you have a better idea?"
There was another explosion in the background, as Persephone charged against the fortifications. He was about to come out of the castle enclosure.
"Fascinating. Soul cannibalism. It's been unheard of."
"Well, it's her zanpakutō… It's an anomaly. It completely took over... like it has its own will." Yoruichi said.
Standing on one hand, Tadashi was in a deep meditation state. Nor he, nor his wives had a reaction to their discussion.
"There is no way to peacefully contain that beast. We have to weigh all our options."
Yamamoto got out of the tent again.
"Yes, while we do that… banshō issai kaijin to nase, Ryūjin Jakka. "
He said as he unleashed his shikai. Yoruichi was too surprised to move, pinned to the ground by the rise in Spiritual pressure. Held at bay by the flame of Ryujin Jakka, which circled the estate, Persephone was suddenly trapped and even more furious. Still, the Ichinose estate continued to collapse under the assault of the Beast, and everyone inside was trapped with it.
"It's good for now. But we may have to cut it out completely." Furuichi said.
And before he finished his sentence, Tadashi was holding his butcher knife against his throat, angrily.
"I know why you're here, Furuichi."
"Come on, old friend. It's me."
"I know you got a royal warrant."
What now? What were they talking about? This was madness!
"Come on. I will make sure she is well taken care of. I wouldn't let anything happen to her."
Tadashi didn't waver. Yamamoto was controlling the devastation caused by his own Shikai with one hand. He didn't even flinch.
"That is my daughter, Furuichi. I will protect my daughter."
"I know… but she is gone. Too far gone. The more that creature is out, the more unlikely she will wake up. Her pressure is out of control. She is out of control."
"I will do anything for my daughter."
"I know."
"If it was Yoruichi… You'd do anything, yes or no?"
Furuichi glanced in her direction, then glance away, his face grim.
"Yes…"
"Even accepting a position in the zero division… which you hate…"
"Yes…"
"Even free, her best friend…"
"Yes…"
"When she helped that Shiba boy, you made sure she got out of it intact."
"Yes…"
"Even if it meant you had to disobey him… right?"
"Yes..."
"She is a good kid, Furuichi. She doesn't mean any harm. Suki doesn't know what she is doing. He made her that way. You know why he did that?"
Furuichi said nothing.
"He wanted to get back at us for losing his golden child. He wanted to get back at me because I let them go. So now what, you want me to give up my child."
Yamamoto cleared his throat, sheathing his zanpakutō. He locked gaze with the two men.
"Don't tell me, you cannot consider it at least. You have many. She is just one child." He said pragmatically.
Tadashi turned toward him as if he'd grown a second head. He was feeling betrayed suddenly. Yamamoto simply shrugged.
"We all like this Suki. But you knew she was different…"
"She is the most important because she is different. She needs me the most." Tadashi said.
"Yes, there's a warrant on your daughter's head. But I came on my own free will because this is a family matter. It could have been Yoruichi. I know that. Say we let her sleep it off? What can we do to ensure she is not gonna harm anyone? Because I won't let anything happened to the world my child lives in. A bankai is a defensive mechanism for our kind. It means its purpose is to make sure his master is safe. It's not going to stop. It's not going to go away unless[MR1] ...we neutralized her."
Tadashi lowered his guard, freeing Furuichi. They stared at each other. He was right.
"Neutralize…"
"Temporarily…"
Furuichi grabbed the satchel and showed them the cube.
"I thought if the Mammongi thingie doesn't work, well, we need to have a plan B."
"Caja ascensión… That's another Vasto Lorde relic." Yamamoto said, intrigued.
"Very similar in aspect as Caja Negación. This is a special cube-shaped device that is intended to simulate the effects of Negación fields on the target. When used, the cube isolates and traps the subject in a separate, alternate dimension. This bad boy is way stronger. This is the mother of hollows of all Time boxes."
"A Time box."
"Well, those guys were hunters. They hunted big games. They were most famous for their Time vaults ( negation boxes), where they trapped their victims waiting for their souls to be ripe for a later feast. They could trap thousands of souls, a whole universe inside just one box. This was like having a whole kingdom in one pocket. Just one of those boxes held Jigokucho at one point."
"You mean hell?" Yoruichi frowned.
"Yes. They were sophisticated monsters."
"Assholes, you mean." Yoruichi coughed.
"Your ancestor really like their vaults, Yoruichi. She liked to steal everything inside of them. I see that trait hasn't been lost in the family." Yamamoto nodded whimsically. Good time indeed!
"Yes, she did. Anyone got another idea?"
"So what? You're gonna pull that kid and her bankai in another dimension, Dad! That's your plan! You're gonna trap her in these." Yoruichi said, outraged.
"Well, excuse me, Yoyo, I have not put on the right criminal mastermind cape. I lack imagination."
"You should have let me call, Kisuke."
"Indeed, he does have experience in the subject matter."
She was surprised to hear the Captain commander intervene.
"Well, the fewer people know about this, the better, Shihouin-taicho. Your father may be on to something. So, we let her sleep it off… How to ensure she really goes to sleep, though? All of her! Why wouldn't you cook something for her, Tadashi?"
Tadashi was staring at his castle, remote from their discussions.
"Tadashi?"
"Did you know it killed Natsuki-chan? It swallowed her whole. It's like she is not even here… Keikosuki… She will never forgive herself."
"Tadashi focus... We let her sleep. To really do that. We need to put asleep the beast. Feed him something to appease him."
"You want me to cook for her…"
"I want you to imagine a unique recipe for a good night's sleep that will last a couple of centuries but will feel like 25 years to her. After that, as time heals all wound, the child would be ripe to get enrolled in the Gotei 13."
Furuichi shook his head in disbelief.
"I should have known… you anticipated this, Eijisan. You never waste any resources, do you?" He sneered.
Tadashi paced quickly.
"That is a difficult recipe. She is in Bankai. Theoretically, she will be in bankai until she used up all her energy. That will virtually never happen. Because as strange as it is, since that day, she is one of them…at least in the strength department."
"Yes, and that doesn't make her invincible in our book, right, just difficult to defeat?!" Yamamoto reminded him, stroking his beard.
"I can't believe you'd want her in the Gotei." Yoruichi snapped.
For once, she agreed with her dad.
"Well, I think she'd make a mighty fine captain for when you will defect our rank a second time, Shihouin-Taicho."
For when she will defect again? What a joke? What was wrong with these people? Yoruichi glared at the vicious old man. He just smirked. Youngsters.
Furuichi turned to Yamamoto. Even he found that was oddly specific. It seems Genryūsai had a contingency plan in his head all along. Tadashi seemed at first too lost in thought to notice the odd timing. But then he nodded.
"Captains of the Gotei 13 are immune from arbitrary probing and warrants. They are under Central 46 and your jurisdiction. It will buy her time. They cannot be summoned by the King or the Zero division for as long as they wear that haori without your express consent." Tadashi said. "You will protect her."
"Well, Sasakibe is very fond of her. As for me, I got used to her uselessness. She is also a part of Bibigosha and a part of you. I think that helps." Genryūsai said, bowing, as Tadashi's four wives approached them.
"You will cook for her, husband." They all said in unison.
Tadashi nodded.
"Listen, Tadashi, if anyone can make it, so Keiko-chan wakes up from it one day, it's you." Yume Shihouin said.
"The feel of 25 years is nothing for a young person. Centuries even… She won't miss those years when she will be in that box. You will make it so. It's just enough for her to mature… to grow into her powers…to learn to control them better… She will be more reasonable. It's a simple modification of a recipe you did a long time ago when you slaughtered a god…" Yamamoto continued.
"I was young then," Tadashi whispered.
"Yes, you were my friend."
"We were all young." Both men faced the beast.
Tadashi played with his gleaming butcher knife. Eleanor smiled reassuringly when she dropped a basket in front of him.
"A rose… Three liquid drops of reiasekki dust… Two meteorites… a bowl of Strawberries… a couple of slices of meat… some Belladonna… some cress…. Some chocolate… She always did like chocolate too much. You may also find a bottle of nightshade…Milk… One drop of Mercury… Some slices of Hubris... Some liquid gold… Is that it?"
He nodded. Yume bowed in front of him.
" One more thing, dear. Take my soul."
Tadashi grabbed his hair.
"I cannot do that."
"I lived a good life. My mother, Bibigosha, taught me to love and find love. I did."
Without a word, Tadashi fell into an offensive stance, his hands directed toward her chest. Yoruichi looked at the shaky ground. He was getting ready to strike, closing his fist. Closing his eyes, tilting his head, he concentrated on finding her ki, the blood circulating in her veins was all shiny and translucent. Yume was suddenly nailed to the ground by a tornado of spiritual pressure. Gritting her teeth, she was trying to contain the pain. There was a soft way to do this. A painless to do this. Yet, it required time they didn't have. Her chest collapsed internally until the beginning of her hole could be seen. Tadashi lowered his hand immediately, releasing the pressure. She took the deepest breath and fell to her knees.
"Why did you stop?! Please!"
"I cannot hurt my daughter and kill her mother all at the same time! I can't do that! I love all of you! We used to think we were different from them… The hollows. We're not. We just hide our ugliness better." Tadashi said, turning to Genryusai.
"Tadashi…"
"Don't patronize me, Genryūsai! We were wrong!"
Yume slapped him before he could finish.
"Don't get soft on me now. You already made that recipe, Dashi. Except she will wake up one day. Our daughter, who is very much still alive, who is very much still fighting, will wake up again one day. You will make sure my baby wakes up from this. Maybe she will graduate like Ryu said, maybe she will marry, in a proper family, someone handsome, someone good to her, someone that really loves her as much as we do, someone strong enough to protect her… They could have children… Live a full life. Be happy! Can you imagine it? Our Suki… It'd be nice, right? It'd be worth all the pain. It'd be worth it, Tadashi. Through all this loss, we will get something… If you need my soul to make it happen. I said. Take it. I don't need it. Don't let that thing possess my baby…" Yume shouted.
His eyes filled with unshed tears. It's like he could see it too. Keikosuki being happy. Keikosuki having a future. He turned to Yamamoto like it was agony. Then he stabbed himself again and again in the heart. Genryusai grabbed him before he collapsed.
"What in the hell…"
"It's my fault… I lost her. She was my sweet girl. She was so innocent."
"Tadashi…Don't do that to yourself. You don't have to do that." Furuichi said. "We will find another way, my friend. Together."
He reached his own bloody chest, blood seeping through his lips. Furuichi was behind him. Yamamoto and him feeding him their reiatsus.
"I'm gonna…use my own… soul to bind hers… I will melt my soul to feed her."
"That will kill you…"
"Just enough…to feed her… I did it once like Eijisai said."
"Yeah, but…last time, you almost lost your sanity…your memory… You were delirious for decades. The pain you felt then…"Eleonor cried with tears in her eyes. " Tell him, Eijisai. Tell him, Yume. Girls tell him. Don't do this…"
Yamamoto only frowned. Yume nodded. They all understood that Tadashi wouldn't change his mind.
"When you will be finished putting her to sleep. We're gonna trap the Ichinose Estate in Caja Ascensión. What we do with the boss?"Furuichi asked.
"Tell him she is dead. Tell him I need time to bury my daughter. If he wants to cook again… He will give me that time to mourn."
"Well, strangely, that may work… Nothing buys peace like "necessity." It seems we are all bound by it now." Yamamoto said wisely, pacing.
Furuichi turned to his daughter. Yoruichi immediately understood what he wanted from her.
"Well, here, I know someone who can mess with the Central 46 central database and basically every database in the universe. We can erase all traces of this incident. Kisuke will help if I ask him. He can be trusted, I can make sure no one is left to tell this tale among your servants and the neighbors using Onmitsukidō techniques. As crazy as it sounds, we may pull this off…"
Yoruichi turned to Yamamoto anxiously. She was surprised when he approved the plan.
"See, it may help I'm not sure it will stick though. He will find her no matter what… She is like the most delicate dish ever… Tempting him… You think he will give up. Think again. " Furuichi added.
"I will be here then," Yamamoto said.
His wives stood before them.
"We will weave a reality curtain for you while we are there. It will rebuild the castle to its former glory. So that what we see is not what is real. Bibigosha's Genjitsu kāten will also anchor you…so that you, my dear, remember the essential… just enough to be a father and a cook. Just enough to be you. It will be just like it was before tonight. It won't be easy, and there will be days where you will not remember what it is that you were supposed to do on this plane of existence. You won't even remember the love you have for her… for us… But she will wake up again… She will have a chance."
He finally nodded as he picked up his butcher knife.
"I love all our children. All of my girls."
"We know."
"Will you tell them for me when I don't remember?"
. "We will."
"She needs me the most."
"She does." Yume Shihouin said as she leaned toward him, their forehead touching. She kissed his forehead softly. He whispered again how sorry he was that he lost their Suki that one time. He said he should have watched her better. He said he will make it up to her. Yoruichi couldn't hear it all from where she stood.
She was mesmerized by the seeping hole in his chest and the fact it was shining like a star in the sky. It was the first time she caught a glimpse of the soul of another spirit, and it was so beautiful.
"You brought her back, and you will bring her back again."
Her memory of that night stopped there. She didn't remember getting overwhelmed with nausea. It was all cloudy and murky from there. She collapsed. How uncool! She couldn't even remember watching the Great Tadashi Ichinose at work.
When she opened her eyes, she was back in her bedroom. She told Kisuke the whole story, and he thought she was messing with him at first. But then, she never gave him a challenge; he wasn't ready to pick up. So, he did erase the girl's name from the database of the central 46. The Estate was back to its former glory, with no traces of what happened. Yet, each time she wanted to go, she couldn't. She could stand in front of it and never pass the reality curtains. The castle was waiting for Keikosuki to wake up. She remained asleep for two hundred and twenty-five long years, and it got to the point when caught up in her own drama, Yoruichi thought she died. Well, Yamamoto was right. She did defect again. Was he medium? They never talked about what happened that night. She never saw her father again.
When Suki finally woke up, she was still a daddy's girl, childish, innocent, and playful. Only there were a couple shifting details in the story. Her relationship with her father was strained. The father no longer remembered the child named Keikosuki, the one who caused him so much grief. He was obsessed most days with cooking, retrieving all the recipes he forgot, displaying at all times distressing signs of paranoia and psychosis. Keikosuki will probably never know how her mothers and father sacrificed themselves for her that night.
Kukkaku clicked her tongue in the air wistfully.
"Damn, that's the new Aizen."
With a grimace, Yoruichi nodded.
The new Aizen. Yes.
Who was she to lecture? She had tried to take advantage of Ichigo's powers to reestablish her name and fight Aizen. So, who was she to lecture others? Who was she to condemn the Sotaicho decision? In front of power, the temptation to use it for one's benefit or the benefit of the greater good was too big.
"Yoruichi, I can smell her reiatsu from here. I have never felt anything like it. It's so raw. It doesn't really give the impression that the wearer is in control."
Yoruichi frowned. Well, she wasn't.
"Can this Ichinose really control such a bankai?"
Yoruichi's response was quick. The young woman shook her head slowly. Not a chance in hell. Tadashi was apparently dead. Yamamoto was tripping. Furuichi was probably scratching his balls somewhere. She gulped. They were fucked. Truly fucked. She opened the satchel in front of her and picked up the Caja ascension box. Well, Great Auntie Yume gave her this when she told her of Yamamoto's crazy plan. That was better than nothing.
Shane Terashima
Vice-captain of the sixth division under the orders of Kuchiki Byakuya.
Member of the Kuchiki clan
He had only one eye left. Despite that, the sun was not at its zenith that he realized had already seen too much.
It had only taken a moment of inattention for him to lose sight of his captain. He resisted the urge to take directions from the ghost of his missing young sister. It was an illusion, a simple illusion, he owed to the bankai of Ichinose-Taicho. This odd feeling ... Like a vague memory ... A sense of déjà vu. If he ignored her, she would disappear. He had this conviction. Yet, he was surrounded by soldiers fighting invisible enemies, their arms flaying in disarray.
The lifeless body of a soldier of the ninth division fell before him and faded before he could do something about it. Fuck! That guy had been unlucky enough fighting a hollow and a ghost from his past at the same time. He wondered which one got the last word… or the last bite of the poor fellow.
The ghost tried to catch his attention again, so he turned his back on her. Seira was dead. He knew it. He had always known it. Even before he launched the rescue operation, which cost the lives of ten soldiers. Even before he knew he had to disobey Kuchiki-sama's direct orders, a part of him knew she was no longer of this world. He knew there was no one to blame. He had known the second she lost her life. He had sown bits of himself on the road since that day. Losing his eye had been a lesser evil. The first moments of his life, he knew without a shred of doubt that he was not alone. It was with this same certainty that he recognized the loss of Seira years later.
It was, therefore, only a pale copy of his twin created by Persephone. The real Seira, he could have recognized her blind, deaf, and disabled.
In the middle of the battlefield, Shane stopped. All around him were ruins and mass graves. Another copy of Barruk fell at his feet, unrecognizable, his limbs torn off. Persephone growled, and the ground vibrated under his weight. Ichinose-Taicho was gone, her body buried in the flesh of the three-tailed monster. This uncontrollable creature couldn't be the bankai of Captain Ichinose. This was defying any logic. It didn't make sense at all.
Bleach OST - What Can You See In Their Eyes
The hollows continued to flood the senkaimon. He turned to order the sixth division to regroup. Where was Captain Kuchiki?
He looked for him in the middle of the soul tide. A new crowd of Hollow crossed the portal. The sky split above him. A ball of fire then lit up the skies. Hinamori ... He turned again to look for the young woman.
When he finally spotted her in the middle of an ocean of clone bodies, she was fighting valiantly against four adjuchas and a clone. Three members of the fifth division lay on the ground a few meters from her, and she was trying to defend them all. And to top it all off, five large Menos were in approach. Momo, look up!
He was hesitant. His captain was still missing.
"Captain Kuchiki?! "
His call went unanswered. Ukitake-Taicho passed in front of him, pushing back the tentacles of a gigantic hollow.
The air sizzled around him. It was impossible to trust reiatsu. There was so much spiritual pressure in the air that he was having trouble breathing.
« Another Garganta? More Pri-me-ros? »
Shane spun around, recognizing the quavering voice of Rikichi, the eleventh seat of the sixth division. A Garganta had opened just behind Hinamori. His blood turned cold. He couldn't believe their bad luck.
"Momo?! Momo! "
His voice was covered by the sounds of the battle. She couldn't hear him.
Momo whirled virtuously between her targets, striking a giant Adjuchas with the handle of Tobiume. The monster knelt on one knee, and she took the opportunity to slash him in two. She served a powerful double kick to another who went crashing on a pillar. The two adjuchas behind her moved away and backed away slowly. Momo watched their retreat with some amusement. She was literally killing it. She was on fire. Right, they should run. If only Ichinose-Taicho could see ... that.
She widened her eyes in horror at that precise moment.
Jumping over the human fray, Shane rushed towards her. But the creature that emerged from the portal was faster, it only had to extend his giant hand to grab Momo's neck and lift her bluntly. Momo's face instantly crystallized. Rigor Mortis gave a low growl.
Persephone stopped, halting his feast. The Komodo Dragon leaned back, causing a new movement of panic. As soldiers ran away in the opposite directions, Shane struggled against the tide, unable to reach Momo.
"Momo? Captain Ichinose! Captain Ichinose! Help! Momo is- "
Momo was still out of reach. Deprived of oxygen, the girl continued to struggle as best she could. But it was a vain fight. She began to cyanose as the seconds passed. Rigor held her firmly in the air. The creature took a deep breath before blowing a cloud of ash over the square. The crowd ran frantically. Several fell there, caught in the cloud.
Shane drew his zanpakutō.
"Kageniyotte hikari-ro."
The reiatsu push allowed him to gain several meters in a few seconds. He pointed the incandescent blade in front of him. Of course, waking Seiryutō up like that was not a piece of cake, and Shane lost part of his shihakusho as the flames licked his neck and tried to wrap him up. Taking advantage of the momentum, he jumped forward, leaned on shoulders at random, and directed Seiryutō straight ahead. The concentrated force of the flames served as a shield in the middle of the ash. He cut through the air, ready to carve out the behemoth arm. Suddenly, a ball of fire lit up the dark sky like fireworks. Momo. He seized her mid-flight, crashing into her, snatching her with all the strength he had from the hands of the Primeros, and they went rolling together further away. He let Seiryutō ignite the ground all around them in order to be protected from the dust.
"Momo ... Are you okay?
Momo had passed out on impact, her breathing jerky. She was still alive. He felt her neck covered in blue with both hands. Luckily, it was not broken. They needed to move position he realized as he noticed Enzo coming out of the Garganta.
"Where's Barruk?"
Enzo shouted as he emerged from the open Garganta.
"Where's my brother?"
Shane didn't care to answer. He lit the ground with his zanpakuto, the flames licked the ground toward Enzo. While Shane lifted Momo on his shoulder and started to run to put as much distance between Rigor Mortis and them as he could.
Enzo backed away with indifference and protected himself from Seiryutō flames with a grimace. His eyes had left the ground where he was piecing together parts of Barruk. The soil was littered with bodies. He recognized a hand ... then another ear, a pair of torn legs, and a couple of torsos. Enzo turned on himself. There were only pieces left ... everywhere.
Pieces of Barruk.
"Barruk? "
As if to taunt him, Persephone threw some new rubbish in his direction. The remains of a new clone.
"Barruk?! "
Persephone showed his fangs playfully.
"That was delicious. More."
Enzo jumped away, tilting his head in disgust. It triggered another post-traumatic flashback from the time he was in the hands of Gin Ichimaru, and he groaned in pain. Rigor Mortis mirrored him.
"What did you do to Barruk, you bitch?"
He was almost there. A couple of more steps and they could find shelter behind a collapsed wall holding precarious with fallen pillars. Shane crawled as fast as he could out of their way, dragging Momo's inert body with him. Suddenly, Barruk's reiatsu disappeared, and the ocean of bodies did the same. Enzo's brother was no more. It was so sudden yet inevitable.
"I guess I found him, right?" Persephone taunted. "Who's next? I'm starving."
Shane didn't have time to react.
Chaos.
Chaos fell on the battlefield. People ran everywhere. Walls were coming down as the Komodo Dragon spun 180 degrees to face Enzo.
Enzo let out a howl of despair that soon covered all noises. Rigor Mortis once again mirrored him. Shane covered his ears in pain. Suddenly Enzo was alone and unprepared. He was back to be a victim. Alone on this earth ... Alone and ... He didn't want to be a victim.
Archer flinched behind the other two Primeros. The only thing to do was to retreat. Open a new Garganta ... and retreat.
Genryūsai Shikeguni Yamamoto advanced towards them, holding his cane with one hand, his haori floating on his shoulders. Ukitake and Komamura followed him closely. The Sotaicho's plan had been flawless so far. Persephone had fulfilled his contract. He dragged the vermin out.
Archer called for retreat. He tried to grab Enzo. But pushed back by five tornadoes of spiritual pressure, he did not even manage to approach Enzo. He turned back and tried to open a Garganta without success.
"We are trapped. They trapped us! Enzo! It's a fucking trap! Enzo? "
Archer backed away, not feeling like he could take on that army.
A Menos Grande fell from the sky. Its head was torn off by Katen Kyōkotsu's sabers. The ground vibrated under impact before the hollow disintegrated. Archer rushed towards the opening in the sky of the Seireitei, but Kyouraku quickly blocked his path.
Enzo let out a sneer, his voice hollow.
"I see ... a welcoming committee just for us. "
"Primeros ... Face the facts. You lost. You will not go further." Yamamoto said.
"Where is she?" Enzo started with a manic sneer. "She wants to play ... We're going to play ... Huh, Rigor? Find that bitch and put her down for me."
Rigor immediately charged Persephone. While Persephone looked for Enzo with his scorpion tail. Enzo easily avoided it by climbing in the air. Rigor, whose reflexes were as slow as his built was large, did not escape the bite of the monster.
Between the two titans, the shock was terrible, and part of the walls of the enclosure was blown away by the sudden turnaround. Parts of Rukongai west was suddenly visible behind the monsters. y Persephone roared as he crashed into pillars. The Dragon leaned up painfully, rushing straight into its new prey, all fangs out. Rigor Mortis blew a new cloud of ash into the air. The dragon spit a trail of poison on him. They knocked head again.
Yamamoto, Komamura, and Ukitake materialized at the same time above the clouds stopping Enzo's escape. Enzo swirled the time spear above his head.
"As for us, it's about time we play ... Our hours together are numbered."
Jikanakuma circled around him. With one hand, Yamamoto let his zanpakutō regain its original shape.
"Jikan kansho."
Suddenly Persephone Dome cracked over their heads. What reality would be the strongest in the end? Suki's half-imprisoned face in Persephone's flesh appeared troubled for a few seconds. She arched her head to catch her breath then sank even more into the flesh of Persephone.
Sudden silence.
Followed by a monstrous detonation as Ryūjin Jakka was unleashed. The sky was blazing with fire.
A new explosion of spiritual pressure blew the walls and the ramparts north of the Senkaimon. A cloud of dust rose to the sky masking the duel of the Captain-general and Enzo.
Shane clung as best he could to the ruins of a pillar, hugging Momo against him. They fell on a pile of rubble further. A trickle of warm blood doused his brow bone, threatening to make him blind for good. Momo groaned, coughed, and started to rouse under him. Shane tried to sit up in the rubble, every muscle protesting. Momo finally rolled next to him on her stomach. They both looked in the distance where Persephone and Rigor were still fighting a fierce battle for dominance.
Shane surveyed his surroundings. At the place where Persephone stood a few minutes earlier, there was only a mountain of debris. The vice-captain's throat was suddenly dry as he distinguished underneath a pile of rubble a piece of blue scarf, agitated by gusts of wind.
Captain Kuchiki?
Next chapter = Serenity Lake or Shijima Lake
A/N: Chapter edited from the french version in much more details. I hope it will be right. In the french version, I stayed pretty vague about the pact between Yamamoto and Ichinose at this point in the story. I decided it may be one of those things, one of those secrets, that I kept wrapped too long in that version. So, in order to get on with the plot. I gave Yoruichi more of a role. I'm a bit nervous. I'm not completely satisfied with the chapter, yet I need to publish it. You can ask questions if you're confused about something.
