Just like a certain song a few chapters ago, I show just how affected I was by my family binging on GoT at the time I was writing this... But I just couldn't get that phrase out of my head "Not Today"... I had so much trouble finding a title for this one and then... it hit.

I'm sorry for the heartache the last chapter, and what might yet come. Jut know that this fic isn't over just yet, It'll be fifty chapters, and not a single one less, and I promise you, hard at it might seem at times, there will be a Happy Ending!

People seemed to like Rukia going bankai, I'm glad. Also, the imagery of her and Ichigo's fight against Tousen. I was inspired with that one.

Finally, the amazing Photosynthetic Flower aka HibiscusNoir did a fanart for Nagaken Karin. You can find it in deviantart .com (/) hibiscusnoir (/) art (/) Karin-Nagaken-854277206 (just fix the url as necessary) Go give her all the love please! And thank you again dear for your contribution to this 'verse!

Now, on with the chapter!


Chapter 43. Not Today

"GIN!" Rangiku shrieked in a mix of horror and shock.

"Gin…"Aizen blinked, not quite understanding why he'd just done that. "You'd betray me?"

"Not at all Aizan-taichou…" Gin stated, voice perfectly even. "Tis is who ah am, who 've always been…" Gin opened both eyes, staring straight at Aizen. "Ah never fell for ya tricks, taichou… Ah've always known who ya are: a monster. One dat needed ta be slayed, an' if da only way ta do so was from up close… Shoot to kill, Shinsou!"

Aizen shunpoed backwards as fast as he could, though even then he didn't manage to fully evade Gin's zanpakutou, which injured his left flank.

"I can't believe this…" Aizen muttered, pressing a hand to his bleeding side.

"Didn't Ah tell ya, back when we first met? Ah'm a snake." Gin reminded him. "Cold of flesh an' devoid of heart. Ma tongue flicks back and forth, eve' in search of new prey, and if ah like what ah find, I swallow 'em whole."

"You're not… a snake…" Karin whispered, sitting up with some effort, a wide smile on her face as she turned to her old friend. "You're a fox… Kitsune…"

As if in confirmation, Gin grinned, it really did make him look like a fox.

Aizen turned to look at one, then at the other, as if slowly putting the pieces together.

"All this time…" He muttered.

"From the very beginnin'." Gin nodded with satisfaction.

He could hold himself up no more, but before he could fall on his face or something, Toushirou was there, guiding him down slowly, and then using his own haori to put pressure on the wound. The young white-haired shinigami looked like he'd no idea what to say to him, but Gin didn't mind that, just seeing Toushirou up close, having his son help him after everything… it was enough, more than enough even. Gin had been so sure his self-imposed mission was going to get him killed before he ever had a chance to see him, or Rangiku, again… and she was there as well, looking at him through tear filled eyes and there was so much love in her expression when she looked at him… yes, it was definitely more than Gin ever imagined, even in his wildest dreams.

"I'll kill you!" Aizen screamed, losing composure entirely. "I'll destroy you all!"

"Not today."

Aizen gave a step, and then suddenly he could move no further. He blinked, and it looked like he might open his mouth to demand an explanation, but even that was beyond his ability to do in that very moment. No one understood what was going on exactly until…

"Serenity you need to stop!" It was Byakuya who spoke.

All eyes turned, and they saw them then. Byakuya was there, standing in front of Serenity, pleading with her, but she didn't so much as looked at him, her silver eyes instead fixed straight on Aizen, hands extended. She was the reason why Aizen couldn't move. Though what everyone noticed most was the fact that she wasn't wearing her veil. For the first time they could see the woman's upper half and it was, in many ways, horrifying: her skin was pale white, so much it was almost translucent, her veins clearly visible under her thin skin; her hair was a bit wavy and very long (all the way to the small of her back), an ashen-gray, like someone who'd gone gray prematurely. And her skin was tight, so very little fat on her. It made her look more than just sick, she looked almost as if she were already dead.

"I… I have to do this." She murmured, her hands were shaking, and as she stood there, blood began dripping first from one nostril, then the other.

"You're going to die!" Byakuya snapped, and there was so much feeling in his voice, no one had ever heard him like that.

"Nee-san!" Keeva could be heard screaming in the distance.

Uryuu was the one holding her in place, and those that turned to look at her had the mystery of the missing veil solved, as it had apparently been used as a makeshift compression bandage around Keeva's chest, to hold her ribs (which might or might not be broken) in place. She and Uryuu had defeated their enemy, but just before dying the Septima had managed to deal a hard blow to her; Keeva hadn't moved, because moving would have meant leaving Uryuu exposed, and she refused to do that when he'd put so much trust in her. In any case, it was a temporary measure until Yuzu recovered enough reiatsu to heal her.

"I was always going to die." Serenity retorted, her voice shaking just the slightest bit. "Might as well go doing something worthwhile."

"You cannot destroy Aizen." Byakuya knew that much.

"No, I cannot." Serenity closed her eyes briefly. "Even a Síoraí cannot have that much power. We may be able to change and seemingly destroy material things, but a spirit… a soul? That's another matter entirely." She shook her head. "But I can ensure that he won't be a threat to you, not today, and not for some time to come."

"How?" Ichigo asked, hesitant.

He hated what has happening. Hated that someone had to save them, that she was doing so at the cost of her life… but he knew they just weren't in any state to keep fighting, none of them. And Aizen was so powerful… Ichigo could hardly imagine defeating Ulquiorra, the way the Espada kept pouring out reiatsu and pulling techniques out of nowhere… Ichigo couldn't imagine how he might have done against him, and Aizen had killed him. Granted, he'd fought dirty, but still. And after the battle they'd already fought, they weren't ready to go against Aizen…

"I'm going to send him back into the garganta, and them I'm going to seal it." Serenity answered.

"Can you do that?" Rukia was shocked by that.

"I can." Serenity nodded, she was flagging but wouldn't give up. "It's not… it's not perfect and it's not permanent. What I'm going to do is use that garganta to disrupt the way the reishi takes shape to form it. It will not do anything for the accidental gargantas, the ones that some hollows might create while hunting, but since he's not a hollow, he cannot create gargantas himself, and whatever he might have done to create that one… he won't be able to do it again. Nothing he does will work for a while, I hope."

As she spoke, Serenity essentially picked Aizen up, almost as if he were a life-sized doll, and levitated him back to the garganta and through it. The moment Aizen was through Serenity turned her attention away from the shinigami traitor and focused instead on closing the garganta, and not just that, but on sealing it.

Wind seemed to be picking up around her, her long hair flying every which way. Until Byakuya unexpectedly approached her. He unwind his scarf from around his neck and then placed it on her hair, carefully twisting it around her long tresses to help keep them in place. He didn't bother covering her face or body, just her hair.

Serenity blushed, she couldn't help it, but said nothing as she kept her focus on her task. The garganta was almost fully closed when she swayed, her hands beginning to fall down. And suddenly Byakuya was there, holding her from behind, keeping her arms up.

"I… I don't know if I'm strong enough." She admitted, so very quietly Byakuya was probably the only one who really heard her.

"You are, I know you are." He reassured her.

"What makes you so sure?" She couldn't help but ask him, wondering about his confidence in her, he hardly even knew her!

"Because you're Síoraí Serenity." Byakuya stated, as if that alone were enough of a reason.

"Castelo-Faye Seren." She murmured unexpectedly, and at Byakuya's intrigued look, she clarified. "That's my name, Castelo-Faye Seren."

The garganta closed then, but right as Seren began relaxing, her whole body seemed to seize. And then some strange wind began picking up, as the ground beneath their feet rumbled.

All around her the Nakama began calling out, wanting to know what's going on.

"She's lost control!" Keeva yelled, desperate. "Sister!"

Tears began falling slowly down Seren's cheeks as she kept fighting for control, but she knew it was pointless, she was too far gone already. She was going to die… she'd always known it was coming, and as much as the unknown might frighten her, what truly terrified her was the possibility of hurting someone as her powers got away from her, of hurting them: Keeva, the Nakama, Byakuya… she couldn't take that. She just couldn't…

"Let go…"

It surprised her to realize Byakuya was still there, right with her, his arms around her. And what he'd just said, it made no sense… Not to her, but to him… Byakuya remembered the strange message given by a maidservant who seemed to know much seemingly without a reason:

"You will know the who, and the when, when the time comes."

That was what she'd said, and it had made no sense, until that very moment…

"Trust me…" Byakuya murmured in his most beseeching tone.

"I trust you." Seren didn't even have to think about it, her response was automatic.

"Let Go." Byakuya repeated.

Seren took one more deep breath… and did exactly that, her whole body went lax in Byakuya's arms, though it was just for a moment, a fraction of a second and then… for just an instant, the space of a single heartbeat, there was nothing but silence, a strange, heavy, unnatural silence… in the next moment there was an odd sound, like the breaking of glass, and it was all gone: the wind whipping around them, the trembling of the earth beneath their feet and Seren… she was gone too, not a trace of her left at all…

They were all still breathless, trying to understand what had just happened exactly. The fact that Serenity had just saved them from Aizen, at least for the time being, and had paid for it with her life… or no, perhaps not just that, because she was gone, utterly and completely. Nothing was left of her, body… or soul.

And then the last thing any of them could have ever expected, happened, as with an almighty bang the Gates of Hell appeared.

"Wha…?"

No one understood what was going on, from all of them, only Ichigo and Uryuu had ever seen the Gates of Hell, after defeating a hollow who'd been a serial killer in life. Chad had been there too, but he hadn't been able to truly see spirits just yet at the time. He'd only gotten involved because the parakeet he was looking after turned out to have the soul of a kid the hollow was using as bait to kill more and more. An innocent kid who did what the hollow wanted, hoping that it would eventually lead him to seeing his mom again… It was the same event which had 'woken' Karin's empathic abilities fully.

Chains shot out of the gates, grabbing none other than Ulquiorra…

"No…" Orihime gasped, horrified. "Nonononononononono…. This is a mistake! No! Ulquiorra! No! Let him go! He doesn't deserve this!"

She kept calling her kotodama, pleading with her Rikka, but it was for nothing, Orihime hadn't a drop of power left in her, and even if she had… what could she do against hell's will?

"Ulquiorra!" When the Gates closed and then vanished the once princess was left being able to do nothing other than shriek his name to the skies.

Everyone was left in a trance, as if trying and failing to comprehend everything that had just happened. Though there were still a few who turned their attention to the sky when a Senkaimon began taking shape up high.

"Hitsugaya-taichou…" Gin began, voice quiet, pained.

"Don't say anything…" Toushirou cut him off, he was barely even aware of what he was feeling, and the last thing he wanted was to confront the man who was his father, much less his feelings regarding the shinigami traitor.

"Ah know Ah don' deserve much." Gin said, with so much self-awareness, and an underlining self-loathing that it surprised Toushirou. "But Ah still request tis one, small, mercy."

"What…?" Toushirou wasn't sure he actually wanted an answer, but he still asked the question.

"Stop what yer doin'." Gin answered simply.

"What?!" Toushirou could barely keep from truly shouting. "Are you nuts?! If I let go you would probably bleed out."

"That's kinda da point."

"Are you suicidal?"

"Not at all! Ta be honest… An' ah know that afta all the things I've done, all da lies I've told, it may be difficult ta believe me, but ah promised maself that if I survived this mess, I'd neve' lie ta ye or yer mother eve' again."

"What do you want Ichimaru?"

"That's jus' it Hitsugaya-taichou… it don't matter what ah want, it never did. I've known da consequences for ma actions from the start."

The more he spoke, his accent got a little spotchy, like it wasn't always there, or always quite as thick. A part of Toushirou wondered if it was the exhaustion, the blood-loss, or if the accent was just one more part of the lies that made Ichimaru Gin. Was there any part of the man he'd known that was real? Perhaps? The man that had gotten in the way of what would have been a very lethal attack, had it touched Toushirou, was certainly real enough. And what he'd just said… it made it clear that he never expected to live to see the end of it all…

"That Senkaimon, we both know who's comin'. I don wanna end up in a little hole, Hitsugaya-taichou, don like dat. Make me crazy. So just… stop… le' me die."

"I'm not… I cannot do that! How can you…? You're supposed to be my father, how can you ask me to just let you die?!"

It was almost funny, yet at the same time not at all, because until he said it, Toushirou had been fighting against so much as thinking about what the man was to him. As if by not thinking it, that would keep it from being real. He didn't want to say it, because saying it meant he accepted it, and he wasn't ready for that… until the possibility of Gin not being there suddenly became all too real. What would the point be then? For Toushirou to learn he'd a father, actual parents, to find them… and then never get the chance to know them? That wasn't fair!

"Let me go… Toushirou-kun…" Gin murmured.

"Not today." The 10th Division captain stated.

xXx

The Senkaimon opened then, allowing not just Yamamoto, but most of the remaining captains and lieutenants, as well as the Visored, out and into the skies of Karakura (which remained shielded for the time being). Unsurprisingly, the moment Sui-Feng-taichou noticed Ichimaru Gin, she went straight for him.

"Ichimaru Gin, you're under arrest!" She announced.

However, before she could go into a long speech, Toushirou interrupted her.

"I'm afraid that's not going to be possible Sui-Feng-taichou." The white haired shinigami stated.

"Hitsugaya-taichou…" Sui-Feng began.

"I am Hitsugaya Toushirou, Taichou of the 10th Division and Royal Guardian." For the first time, the young prodigy was acknowledging all he was. "Ichimaru Gin is under my protection."

"That's ridiculous!" Sui-Feng snapped. "He's a traitor."

"Things are more complicated than you know Sui-Feng-taichou." Toushirou told her quietly.

"Are you aware Hitsugaya of what you risk by throwing your lot with this man?" Sui-Feng demanded. "Why would you do that?"

"I am aware." Toushirou hesitated just for a fraction of a second before answering the second question. "It's only right for me to do this… seeing as this man's my father."

That threw more than just Sui-Feng for a loop.

Yamamoto opened both eyes as he stared at them. He'd known of course, of the very few people who'd known about Rangiku's child, he was probably the only one who knew who the father was. There was little that got past him, even being as old as he was… though if the young prodigy whom everyone had known hated Ichimaru Gin with a passion was suddenly willing to take the man under his wing… something must have changed indeed, something Yamamoto did not see coming. Then again, it would seem that since the Nakama's first arrival to Seireitei, there was a lot that he didn't see… and he couldn't even blame the humans, not completely, because most of those things had been there longer than most of them had even been alive! It was just that they were the ones to bring the things to his attention… And a prime example of that was the small group standing to one side, even if the old shinigami recognize none of them bar one… that one he most definitely remembered: Ginjo Kuugo, the first ever Shinigami Daiko…

"I, Kurosaki-Nagaken Karin, as both retainer of the Nagaken Clan and Royal Guardian, too place Ichimaru Gin under my protection." Karin spoke up before Sui-Feng could say anything else.

"And we, the Nakama, will back that up." Ichigo added for good measure.

"Why are you even doing that?!" Hisagi Shuuhei demanded, a hand on his sealed zanpakutou. "Shouldn't you hate Ichimaru for what he's done?"

"Karin trusts him and wants to protect him, I trust her." Ichigo shrugged.

Hisagi opened his mouth to say something about how illogical that was, but then Kira stepped closer to him, quietly reminding him of the mess with the King's Key. That was a prime example of the Nakama backing up one of their own, even when having no idea whatsoever what was going on. That situation had also been the reason Karakura was officially declared Nakama territory. Hisagi just didn't know what to even think about that, when something Kira said derailed his line of thought entirely.

"Hey, where's Hinamori-kun?" The blonde lieutenant inquired.

"Dead." Karin answered stoically. "By my hand, when she chose to side with Aizen."

"She what?!" Kira and Hisagi were beyond shocked.

"That's not…" Kira babbled. "Hinamori-kun wouldn't…"

But the way Toushirou turned away, dark shadows in his eyes, gave him his answer. Hinamori most definitely had done that…

"Why?!" Kira shouted, despaired.

Through it all, through all the mess and the despair he, all three of them really, had gone through since the betrayal of the three former captains, their friendship had been what helped them hold on, keep going, keep fighting. Or at least, that was what Kira and Hisagi felt, they'd thought it was the same with Hinamori. Even though she still seemed to care greatly for Aizen, never in a thousand years would they have expected to turn traitor on them!

"'Cause as much of a monster as Aizen ma' be, he also knows how ta play people." Gin offered quietly. "Play 'em like a master musician plays his favorite instruments 'e does, and they like it. He played Hinamori-kun… she never stood a chance. Aizen knew that, tis why he tried ta kill her back before we left Soul Society. He knew she'd never function right without him. But you saved her. And 'e eventually found a use for 'er. Got 'er to spy on ya all for him. Then this morning, she was ta kill 'er poor new captain. She thought it was because Aizen was coming back! Foolish little girl, she was nothing to him…"

"But we're not like that!" Hisagi snapped.

"No, yer not." Gin agreed.

He offered nothing further, choosing instead to relax. Yuzu was the one to approach in the end, after Unohana topped her reserves, and was treating his wound. Toushirou understood what he wasn't saying though: Tousen wasn't the kind to play mind-games, which had kept Hisagi safe enough, and Kira… Gin had probably protected the blonde in his own way. It sounded odd, just the day before Toushirou would have thought it impossible and yet… he knew instinctively that it was the truth.

"What have you done, young one?" Yamamoto asked, low and solemn.

"Wha' needed ta be done, Soutaichou." Gin answered without hesitation. "Aizen needed ta be stopped, and no one other than Karasu seemed ta even be able to see da monster hidden behind da facade of the affable captain."

"Wait a second, Karasu?" Renji asked, confused.

"He means me." Karin clarified. "That was his nickname for me, a lifetime ago. Just like I call him Kitsune."

"A trial will take place, and the judgment passed will be respected by all." Yamamoto declared.

"As long as it is a real trial, where the truth is told, all of it and not just the parts that might be convenient." Karin interjected. "I'm all for justice, but we won't allow for a repeat of the last three times Central 46 passed the wrong kind of judgment."

"Three?" Kira wasn't sure.

"The Visored, Ginjo-san and the demotion of the Shiba as a Noble Clan." Karin enlisted.

"Not the execution order for Kuchiki Rukia?" Hisagi asked, curious.

"I think we all know that wasn't the Central, but Aizen's doing." Toushirou stated.

"The Nagaken will house Ichimaru-san until the time of his trial, and afterwards if necessary." Ichigo stated authoritatively.

All eyes turned to Karin. Usually she'd be the one to speak for the Clan, being the retainer, she had the right to do that. Byakuya was the only one aside from the Nakama who understood the significance of Ichigo speaking up. The time was coming when he'd be revealed as the Nagaken heir, and he was beginning to accept that. However, that wasn't the day, so Karin was seen as the one to formally take Gin in.

"Why is there an Espada still alive?" Sasakibe asked, a hand on the hilt of his sword.

He knew better than to attack straight out, the Nakama never acted like was expected of them, and considering that the blue haired arrancar was the only one still alive, and standing so close to one of their own…

"He's with Orihime." Ichigo answered with a sigh. "I'm not quite clear on the why, exactly. But at least two Arrancars switched sides. Ulquiorra, the Cuarta Espada, died fighting Aizen."

He said it quietly, not wanting to hurt Orihime, even as he knew that it needed to be said. Though all the same it didn't seem like Orihime was aware of much of anything in that moment. After she'd finally stopped screaming Ulquiorra's name she'd gone completely quiet, almost catatonic. Grimmjow just continued to stand guard by her, seemingly at a loss regarding what else, if anything, he might be able to do.

"Report!" Yamamoto ordered, deciding that was the best way to go about things.

Ichigo exhaled, he was tired. Physically, mentally, but especially emotionally. He wanted to go home, wanted to see his children were alright and then fall into bed, with his wife in his arms and just… hold her. Nothing else, just be able to hold her in his arms and lose himself in the comfort of her presence. Of knowing they had survived. They'd deal with the consequences of anything that had gone down later. All the loses… he just wanted to forget for a moment how bad things were, and how much worse they could have gotten if some individuals, like Serenity, and even Ulquiorra (and Ichigo really had no idea how to even begin to deal with that, with the fact that the Espada who once did so much damage to him, who came dangerously close to killing him, for good, had given his life for one that was as good as Ichigo's sister…) hadn't been willing to lay down their lives as they did.

But he was the leader of the Nakama, he was responsible for his friends, his family; and in a way, for Karakura as a whole as well. So he stood straighter, and focused as best as he could. In a second Rukia and Uryuu were at his sides, each standing straight as well, as the leaders they were. With his wife's fingers brushing his, and his brother-in-all-but-name brushing shoulders with him, Ichigo was ready to give his full verbal report.

xXx

The trial of Ichimaru Gin was a circus the likes of which Soul Society had never seen before. It was mostly a military trial, as the Captain Commander had declared the Martial Law would continue in effect until Aizen was found and captured. No one tried to convince him otherwise. And really, the last time he'd loosened the restriction and allowed a new Chamber 46 to be formed in an 'on trial' basis, he'd ended with his youngest captain being slated for execution, before most of the Gotei even knew what was going on! There was a reason why he'd decided to grant Kurosaki-Nagaken Ichigo's demand and declared Karakura as Nakama territory.

Yamamoto knew that most people believed him to be prideful, authoritative, and lacking in basic sentiment and compassion, that wasn't actually true. He could be most of those things, yes, when the situation called for it. But truth was that Yamamoto had been young once. Young and impetuous. He'd lead the shinigami in the war against the Quincy and the results had been… terrible. In the end, the order to annihilate most of the Quincy race hadn't been born out of pride, or anger, but out of fear. Not fear for his own life, but fear that the Quincy King's quest for revenge might end up skewing the Eternal Balance irrevocably. If the Spirit King had been forced to intervene… No one knew it, then again, no one other than Yamamoto and Kuchiki Ginrei had been alive to remember the last time such a thing was necessary. There was a reason why the Shin'ou Academy and the Gotei 13 had only existed for a thousand years, before that… some things it was better not to even remember.

Then again, according to Kurosaki-Nagaken Karin, there would soon be a new Spirit King. The ancient shinigami wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad one.

In any case. The court-martial had begun a few days after the fight against the Arrancar. On a Friday, in deference to the Nakama, who still had lives to keep in the human world. Kisuke had been kind enough to use a memory-device on Sakurada-sensei and whoever else might have seen the humans act strangely that morning. The official version was a drug's bust gone wrong. Presumably the lab had blown up, and while no one other than the criminals themselves had been killed in the explosion, it had still caused nearby businesses, schools, etc., to evacuate. All that came of it in the long run were a bunch of teenagers telling all sorts of stories about the things they'd supposedly heard and seen (and most of them had nothing to do with the memory device, just human teens being human teens).

In the end though, the insane circus of the court-martial hadn't been because of Gin, or at least, not entirely, but everything else around him. It had started with the revelation that 10th Division Captain Hitsugaya Toushirou, who had openly acknowledged his status as the second Royal Guardian, and as such Kurosaki-Nagaken Karin's partner (whom the SWA were convinced had to be dating, they just had to find proof); was the son of Matsumoto Rangiku and Ichimaru Gin. While some were shocked merely at the fact that he was their son… some, particularly the nobles, were shocked at the fact that two 'commoners' had been able to have a child. And while Gin might be quite powerful, Rangiku was more of an average soul, a woman with her average reiatsu being able to have a child… it was unheard of!

And that was just the beginning. Then Gin had revealed the well of information he'd been hiding away throughout the years. Files on Aizen's experiments, all the way to before the creation of the Visored. That had begun a chain reaction. While until then the Visored had been considered as the Nakama's allies, and through them Seireitei's; the files brought to attention the fact that, in the end, the Visored were but victims of Aizen's schemes. It was something they'd all known already, yes, but there had been no proof. Especially since Kisuke had used his Hougyoku on them in an attempt to help. So no one had known for sure if it had been Aizen or Kisuke who turned the former captains and lieutenants into hollows in the first place.

The Visored had no intention of returning to Seireitei any time soon, but it was nice knowing they wouldn't get in trouble if they were to drop by for a visit, and that assassins wouldn't be sent after them anymore. That too brought up the fact that, since Kisuke hadn't created the Visored, he wasn't guilty of the crimes that had gotten him exiled (and almost executed himself) a century prior. And the same went for Yoruichi. While Tessai technically was guilty of the crimes he was charged with (the use of forbidden kidou), it was decided that it had been trying circumstances and his actions were justified; also, one hundred years in exile counted as sentence served.

The battle in Soul Society had ended with the loss of Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Omaeda Marechiyo. Yamamoto had decided to offer Kisuke back his position, which he eventually agreed to, while Sui-Feng insisted on Yoruichi accepting her own captaincy back, the current taichou being willing to serve as her fukutaichou once more. Yoruichi agreed. Kisuke's first task would be to go through all of Kurotsuchi's experiments and get rid of anything that might be dangerous. The last thing they needed was a repeat of that white sludge-thing back in January.

Gin's hidden files had also included information about Ginjo Kuugo. Everything was there, from a copy of the report the 10th Squad shinigami that had made him into a Shinigami Daiko, and then later on been the one to train Kuugo, the training for bankai, all the way to the experiments that turned him into a bastardized form of a Visored. Apparently that had been when Aizen realized that his Hougyoku alone wasn't enough, he needed Kisuke's, as that was the only difference between the Visored and what had happened to Kuugo. It was also Aizen who killed several shinigami either during his experiments, or when they got too close to discovering him, pining their deaths on Kuugo. His hope had been to get rid of the Daiko, after all, who'd have believed the human boy over a respectable shinigami captain? Gin had intervened though, giving Kuugo the opening to escape.

Following that revelation the Fullbringers, with Kuugo as their leader were considered as human allies of the Soul Society, the same status the Nakama had. Naruki City was officially theirs. Also, since Kisuke, Yoruichi and Tessai would be returning to the Soul Society for good, the Visored had decided to take over the Shouten, something that made everyone happy. As the Visored really weren't interested on returning to Soul Society just yet, but they saw the Nakama as friends and wanted to stay close. Also, most of them grew tired of being on the move all the time. They'd long since wanted a place to call home.

Shiba Kaien and Miyako were revealed to have been victims of yet another of Aizen's insane experiments, which surprised no one at all, especially since the report on Rukia's fight against the Novena Espada. The shit really hit the fan though, when files came up concerning the fight during which none other than Nagaken Isshin went missing…

"You cannot charge Aizen with Isshin's death." Karin stated when Yamamoto wanted to do exactly that.

"Why not?" Sasakibe, who was the one taking notes, asked.

Yamamoto just took a deep breath. Truth was, he'd long suspected it, he just hadn't been sure.

"Because the fool isn't dead!" Ichigo snapped, testily.

They very carefully said nothing more than that. Things were messy enough already and the last thing they needed was to add noble duties to their already rather long list of things they had to do; especially when they were but a month away from graduating high-school. Yamamoto said nothing about it either, telling himself it was because the Gotei weren't supposed to get involved with noble matters; and not that he felt it wouldn't be fair to put yet another burden on the young man's shoulders, he was so young still… the Nagaken Clan had been without a head for more than 25 years, they'd endure for a little longer.

Orihime didn't make an appearance until the last day of the trial. Grimmjow was with her, as he'd been since Ulquiorra's death. Kisuke had, at Ichigo's request, made him a special gigai that allowed him to look human and kept his hollow reiatsu concealed, so as to prevent any possible side-effects for his prolonged presence in the Human World. Even though most of the Nakama still didn't understand what was going on between those two, except that apparently past lives were involved (and when weren't they? They should have known better than to be surprised by such developments, after Karin and Tatsuki); they did trust Orihime. Also, it seemed that Grimmjow might be the only thing keeping Orihime off the deep end. Even Tatsuki and the other Nakama couldn't reach her, regardless of how hard they might try.

The revelation that Orihime had erased the Hougyoku from existence caused several seconds of silence… then absolute pandemonium. It wasn't a secret how much Kisuke had regretted ever creating that jewel, the lengths he'd gone in his attempts to destroy it, ending with the situation that had brought about Rukia's near-execution and the Nakama breaking into the Soul Society to save her (and from there, everything else). And to think that a slip of a girl, a mortal, had the power to not just destroy, but completely erase the cursed jewel from existence! Those who might have thought that Orihime's earlier exploits, at Soukyoku Hill (the day of the would-be execution), the 12th Division (with the reishi-eating sludge) might have been flukes… there was suddenly no doubt of why Aizen had sought to not just take her, but make her into one of his own. And she'd been clever enough to pretend to give in, all while waiting, preparing…

Of course the people judging couldn't have known that, while Orihime always intended to help, that hadn't been the main motivation behind her choice to stay in Hueco Mundo that day. No, that day the choice had been made with her heart, rather than her head…

In the end Gin was placed under probation. His zanpakutou sealed and not to be released unless in an emergency, but he'd remain a shinigami, and not just that, after much consideration it was decided that he'd even retain his rank. For a decade any decision he made had to be backed-up by his lieutenant, and they'd be revised by other captains every year; but it was still more than he could have ever hoped for. And everyone could tell, by the way he stared with both eyes open at Yamamoto and the panel of judges once their decision had been announced.

"Not expecting this, did you, young one?" Yamamoto commented, an expression on his face that was the closest many had ever seen to a smile.

"Not at all Yamamoto-soutaichou." He admitted.

"What did you expect?" Ginrei, one of the members of the panel, asked, curious.

"Death." Gin didn't mince his words. "Either at your hands, or most likely Aizen's."

"We're not in such a position that we can give up on one of our best officers just because he chose to do things the hard way…" Ginrei said solemnly. "Or rather, was pushed into believing there was no other choice he could make." He shook his head. "You did the right thing, Ichimaru-taichou, even if you went about it the wrong way."

"I ain't do it for ye." Gin couldn't help but admit, he wouldn't allow them to make him into a hero, because he wasn't one. "Ma decision was never about the Gotei or Soul Society."

"We know." Yamamoto nodded. "The decision stands."

Of course they did, Gin had been quiet explicit about it. About what Aizen had been doing the first time he saw him, about Rangiku, and the choices that lead him down such a serpentine, dangerous path. Ise Nanao, acting as secretary for the proceedings, couldn't help but think that the SWA just had to get the story out somehow, it was all so very romantic! The most romantic thing to have been seen in Seireitei since Kurosaki Ichigo lead his friends in the rescue of Kuchiki Rukia…

The whole trial had taken place behind closed doors and all kinds of privacy kidou. The whole thing meant to be kept in private until Yamamoto decided it could be released… but it was Seireitei they were talking about, worse gossipers wouldn't be found anywhere in any of the worlds. So it wasn't really that surprising when the doors into the 1st Division private meeting chambers opened and they found dozen of shinigami waiting in the wings. The moment Gin stepped out in his shihakusho, captain haori on his shoulders the cheers were deafening.

With everything solved, Orihime decided to take her leave, what she wasn't expecting was for Gin to approach her. Grimmjow was on his guard instantly but didn't even try to unsheathe his zanpakutou. He knew that while the shinigami believed him to have switched sides, he was still a hollow to them, and they wouldn't hesitate to strike him down if he so much as give them a reason. Things were already complicated enough since he'd first seen Sui-Feng…

"Shaolin!" He'd been so thrilled, there she was Shaolin, his lover, the woman he still found himself drawn to, even as a heartless hollow…

And she looked at him as if he weren't worth more than the mud under her sandals.

"I know you Shaolin, you have to know me." Grimmjow pressed.

"I have no idea who you are hollow." Shaolin retorted, voice colder than the arctic. "I have no reason to know a monster."

"Shaolin…" Grimmjow didn't understand, even if he was a hollow, that wasn't all he was; if the princess could see it, why not Shaolin?

"She doesn't remember Grimmjow-kun." Orihime finally spoke up, softly, gently, as she laid a hand on his arm. "Just like you and… just like you didn't remember."

"Well, you made us remember, can't you do the same with her?" Grimmjow asked.

"It's not that simple." Orihime shook her head. "She has to want to remember."

"I didn't want to remember… I didn't know there was anything I had to remember!"

"But you knew there was something missing, and you wanted it back, which in the end amounts to the same. You were looking for someone who might be worthy of your loyalty…" just like Ulquiorra was looking for his heart…

She didn't say that last part, she had avoided so much as thinking Ulquiorra's name as much as possible, as doing it only brought all her sadness and depression back.

"My name is Inoue Orihime, but lifetimes ago I was Amekimi, only daughter of Arashikensei." Orihime explained to the lieutenant of the 2nd Division. "By the time I turned six I was princess only in name, and my father sent me away to ensure my survival. He died and I grew up in hiding, with only three people for company: Two guards," she signaled vaguely at Grimmjow, "And a handmaiden."

She said nothing else, knowing there would be no point. Whatever might have happened to Shaolin to turn her into Sui-Feng… she wasn't yet ready to look back, there was no telling when she'd be, if ever. It pained Orihime, especially because she knew it hurt Grimmjow. Heart or no heart, a part of him still cared for Shaolin and wanted her back, and Orihime wished there was something, anything, that she could do… but there was nothing. She couldn't help herself, much less someone else. Why did people have to die for her?!

"Orihime-dono…" Gin greeted her with a bow. "Or da ye prefer Amekimi-sama?"

"I'm happy with the name I have in this life, and you need not stand on ceremony Ichimaru-san." Orihime told him politely. "Was there something you needed?"

"Just a word with ye." Gin assured her. "It won' take long." He looked her straight in the eye. "There's something I said to you, back in Hueco Mundo, that I'd like to clarify if I may…"

"You're a bright star Inoue-chan!"

The memory shot through Orihime's brain, but she did her best to push it aside.

"If this is about your threats and mind games, I know now that you had to say those things, so there's no need for any explanations…" Orihime began.

"None at all." Gin shook his head. "Ah know what I needed ta do or say, an' I ain't gonna feel bad for what ah had ta do. No, tis is about some words I said ta ye. Ah called ye a star…"

Orihime blinked, of all the things for Gin to bring up…

"Did ya know, there are no stars in Hueco Mundo?" Gin explained, a strange glint in his eyes. "Nothing in that sky 'cept a fake moon. No stars at all!" He made a pause, wanting to make sure that Orihime understood what he was saying. "An' then there was ye! Such a bright star… bright enough ta pull those worthy to yer side, those tha' deserved ta be saved…"

"But I didn't save Ulquiorra!" Orihime couldn't hold herself in check anymore. "I got him killed! Me! I'm the reason he's dead!"

"Nah… Aizen's da reason he's dead." Gin corrected. "An' ya saved him. Trust me Orihime-dono, getting outta that place is salvation enough!"

Orihime said nothing else, she knew they'd never agree. To her it'd never be enough, because it wasn't the first time that she lost him, the first time she failed him… as insane as it might be, she couldn't help but see it that way. Why did he have to die for her? Why couldn't she be the one to save him, just this once?

xXx

Byakuya was taken completely by surprise when his sister went looking for him after the end of Gin's trial.

"A will reading?" He blinked.

"Sort-of." Rukia shrugged. "From what I understand, it's not quite as formal as that. All Serenity-dono had was the apartment and that's in both their names. But apparently, since she expected to die relatively soon Serenity-dono left some letters to be opened after the fact, and some things are to go to specific people."

"And she left me something?" Byakuya still didn't understand.

"Just, will you come Nii-sama?" Rukia requested softly.

So Byakuya followed her. They crossed the Senkaimon and walked to the Castelo apartment. Where Keeva was waiting for them.

"Thank you for coming, Kuchiki-sama." Keeva bowed at him. "I understand this might seem unexpected, but Serenity left several requests and I'm doing my best to follow through on them." She signaled to two boxes beside the couch. "The bigger box holds copies of most of the diaries, translations to Japanese. She never got around to translating the last two, but as they're in English rather than in Irish, I'm working on it and will get the copies to you in a few weeks. The second box… it's her glass figurine collection, all but this one…" It was a beautiful piece of a cloaked woman with a lance/staff in one hand and a crow in the other. "The Morrígan, many consider her as the first Réalta Iarann… she said in her letter this was just for me. So I know a part of her will never leave me…" She swallowed past the knot in her throat. "The rest are yours."

Byakuya thought about asking her if that was really what she wanted to be doing, if she wouldn't rather be grieving her sister… but if she'd asked for it, maybe doing it was helping the young human girl grieve. Byakuya knew that his own grieving for his late wife hadn't been exactly traditional, even when they might not have loved each other the way they should have, they'd still cared for one another, and it had pained Byakuya dearly to lose the best friend he'd ever had. The only person who truly knew him for so long… nowadays it was different, he had Rukia, they had truly become siblings since the mess of her near-execution, and much as he might give him a hard time, Renji had proven to be a worthy ally, always there when it truly mattered.

And then there were the things Serenity had chosen to leave to him. The diaries were one thing. Serenity had wanted someone to keep the histories of her people, and with her gone… while Keeva might keep the original diaries, she was no historian, and they weren't even sure if there would be any more réalta in the generations to come. But her collection of glass figurines? He'd first seen them during his second visit to the apartment, when she began reciting the old stories and poems of her people so he might record them (usually there would have been others, scribes, who'd do so, but Byakuya knew that Serenity was a very private person, and she was already being very accommodating, opening her home to him, so he decided to do things himself).

He'd noticed the figurines then, holding place of honor on a shelf in her living room. There were almost a full dozen: a mermaid, an elf, a fairy, a unicorn, a Pegasus and several other creatures he'd not the names for. She'd explained to him that she collected them, she'd always loved things like that, and the first two figurines: the fairy and the unicorn, had been gifts from her cousin and mother respectively.

And she'd left them all to Byakuya… granted, she was gone, and Serenity herself had said that Keeva didn't care for them. Except perhaps for the one that had been meant for her.

"There's something else…" Keeva seemed to be having a hard time with that part, but finally she pulled something out of the inside pocket of a jacket and offered it to Byakuya.

The noble had it in hand before he even stopped to realize what it was exactly… Serenity's glass pendant. It was beautiful, and absolutely unique: completely translucent glass almost two inches in diameter, and inside it a Celtic-knot five-pointed start made of the purest silver, a little over an inch wide. Serenity had explained to him that it was her talisman. All réalta had one. They all carried something on their person with the symbol of their people. Keeva's was a cuff-bracelet, Yailen's a brooch she usually pinned to her sash, and Serenity's had been that pendant…

A memory hit Byakuya then, of that day, in the outskirts of Karakura, Serenity standing tall, with no veil, using her powers to save them all, to give them more time before they had to confront Aizen once and for all… he hadn't realized it then, or he had, but not fully. He'd known that something was missing, but couldn't begin to fathom what, or why. He realized it then: Serenity hadn't been wearing her pendant. If she had, the talisman would have disappeared along with her. Instead she'd left it behind, and Keeva had just given it to him… it made no sense!

Byakuya raised her head from the jewelry to Keeva abruptly, trying and failing to understand what was going on exactly.

"She wanted you to have it." Keeva explained quietly. "This is why I asked Rukia-san to bring you here. Had it been just the diaries I could have send them to you with her, but this… I wanted to give it you in person, I wanted… needed to make sure you understand what it means, for her to leave it to you."

"She told me once it was her talisman." Byakuya explained. "That all réalta have one and always carry it on their person."

"That's correct." Keeva nodded. "But there's more to it than that. Every talisman is absolutely unique. They are created, or at the very least ordered, by an elder Réalta, to gift to a younger one. You could say it's something an older sister gives to a younger one. And there need not be family connection, it's about connecting us Réalta, trainers to trainees, sister to sister… They're custom made for each of us, and what they're made into says something about us, and about how much the one who gifted it to us knows us. Me? I wear a wrist-cuff because I mostly don't like jewelry, but this… whenever I look at it, it reminds me I belong. That I have a family. My talisman was given to me by Serenity, of course; hers was given to her by her own sister: Yailen-dono; who received her own from her mother."

Byakuya nodded to show he was keeping up, though he knew that wasn't everything.

"Traditionally a réalta will wear their talisman from the day it's gifted to them to the day they die. Where she will be buried with it." Keeva added.

Byakuya blinked, his hand tightening on the pendant.

"You see now." Keeva nodded. "There's only one recorded case where a Réalta took off her talisman and gave it to someone else. Lady Maitilde, one of the most famous Réalta, left her talisman, a handkerchief embroidered with silver thread to her lover when she went off to war in ancient times. It is said that doing so was akin to leaving her lover her own heart…"

Byakuya's hand tightened almost convulsively around the pendant. Serenity's voice rang in the back of his head, words said seemingly so long ago now…

"I don't think it's ever a mistake to love…no matter what comes out of it, no matter how it ends. Love is such a wonderful thing…it can never be wrong."

Had she loved? Had she ever had the chance to, having died so young? He'd only learnt that it was her birthday after the fact, when he dropped by for one of their sessions and he noticed a couple of new glass figurines on her shelf: a Chinese dragon and a Western phoenix.

"Keeva gave me the phoenix, the other one was a gift from the Nakama, they'd heard from Keeva that I collected them." At his questioning look, she explained. "It was my birthday, two days ago. I'm officially twenty years old."

Her last birthday… and her greatest possessions, both her collection of glass figurines, and her talisman, she'd chosen to leave to him… It made Byakuya feel both incredibly honored, and at the same time… almost unworthy. What had she been thinking, when she made such a choice? What could she have possibly seen in him that made her believe he was the right person to keep her heart? Why him and not someone else? He'd probably never know the answer, but that didn't mean he wouldn't endeavor to do right by her, by her memory.

"Then I shall guard it well, always." He declared solemnly as he carefully wound the platinum chain around his wrist and slipped the pendant inside his sleeve.

"Arigatou…" Keeva murmured with a bow.

xXx

When Yailen heard what had happened to Serenity, she cried. She cried a lot, for a very long time. Ichigo and the others didn't judge her, since learning that Serenity (or Seren, as the older girl said her real name was) was family, as good as her little sister. Ichigo was perhaps the closest to understanding what Yailen was going through. After all, he was in many ways the reason why his twin sisters had gotten involved with the spirits in the first place, nevermind Orihime, Chad, Tatsuki and his other friends. It was because he leaked so much reiatsu it awakened powers in them. And while most of them might have ended involved in things sooner or later (Orihime, Tatsuki and Karin due to their past lives, Yuzu because she was their sister, and Chad because, while Ichigo might have kick-started his powers, they'd been a part of him since he was born, being a fullbring and all), it was still Ichigo's fault they got involved when they did. And while no one would ever say it, it would have been Ichigo's fault if getting involved in things had gotten them killed… Orihime and Tatsuki had gotten dangerously close to that once or twice before their powers activated; and Chad when they had that mess with the parakeet.

Yailen… she was the one to introduce her little sister into their world, to guide her… it had been Serenity's choice to become a Síoraí, to walk down the path that she knew, from the start, would eventually mean her death… but Yailen would never stop feeling guilty. Even if no one would ever blame her, even if they all knew that Serenity herself would refuse to blame her in any way (she would probably hate knowing Yailen felt like that). Yes, that feeling of guilt was something Ichigo understood well.

So when Yailen asked for license to go into the world of the living, Ichigo did his best to help her get it. It was something extraordinary, and not the kind of thing that would usually be allowed, but in the end Yamamoto acquiesced, on the condition that there would be no gigai, Yailen would be escorted by a shinigami and she'd only get in touch with, at most, one living person, someone who knew already about their world. Yailen agreed to everything.

And that was how she found herself standing there, by the back entrance of a small, modern, two floor home. There was a rose garden, beautifully cared for… Yailen remembered so clearly learning how to care for the roses when she'd lived there. Byakuya, who'd volunteered to be her escort, followed her without saying a word, just taking in the place. The two spirits went through the almost floor-to-ceiling windows that lead into the sitting room. Though Yailen didn't stop there, and Byakuya just followed her, to a small table underneath the staircase leading to the upper floor, where in between a small vase with a single white rose and a candle, there was a photograph. Byakuya actually blinked as he saw it, saw the girl in the picture, it was Seren, a younger her, with bright eyes and raven-black hair. Her skin was lightly tanned and without blemish. She had been a very pretty child, so full of life and dreams…

"I was wondering when you'd drop by…" A voice called unexpectedly.

Byakuya was startled. He hadn't sensed the woman approaching. It was probably to be expected, as he could sense no reiatsu coming from her and yet… and yet she could see them. Both of them, as he realized when she acknowledged his presence with a brief glance before focusing on Yailen completely. The woman looked like she might be in her fifties, and didn't seem like anything special to look at; short hair in light waves that had more white than auburn, healthy tanned skin, wearing black jeans and a simple red blouse. But her eyes, those Byakuya couldn't stop looking at, because they were small but strong and bright, the exact same shade of light-gray her daughter's had been. Those eyes held strength, the kind Byakuya had rarely seen in anyone in either world, and they also held the knowledge that seemed to belie the woman's years and status as merely human.

Yailen said nothing, just watched as her aunt placed a small crystal sculpture on the table, just behind Seren's picture. It was a woman in detailed robes with hints of green and brown. Yailen recognized her as a representation of the mother goddess.

"Keeva sent it through express delivery." Marie answered the unasked question. "One last gift from my daughter…"

"I'm so sorry Aunt Marie!" Yailen could hold herself back no more, she broke into tears and continuous apologies.

"Oh my dear… you have nothing to be sorry for." Marie did her best to assure her.

"But Aunt Marie, it's all my fault." Yailen insisted. "I'm the one… I'm the one who made her into a Réalta. Who pushed her…"

"Seriously?" Marie shook her head, a hand tenderly on Yailen's cheek. "Do you honestly think my daughter needed anyone's help to get into trouble?" She scoffed lightly, then turned serious once again. "Seren was born to be a Réalta, we both know that, darling. And more than that, she chose it." She took a deep breath. "I raised my daughters, both of them, the best way I knew how. What they've done with their lives has been the result of that. Seren… she always wanted to do so much, she wanted to save the world… I always knew it might end up costing her her life, and as much as it might pain me, I respect her choice, because it was hers to make. You should do the same. Blaming yourself all it manages to do is hurt you, and detract from the choice she herself made. Remember her, but don't torture yourself over this."

"How can you do it?" Yailen couldn't help but ask.

"I always knew I wouldn't have her for very long." Marie admitted. "The hardest job a parent has, is to let their child go. Even if I didn't know how it'd happen, I knew I had to let her go, so that's what I did… The day she told me she and Keeva were leaving for Japan… that was when I knew, that I'd never see my daughter again in this life."

"I'm sorry Aunt Marie…" The two women embraced tightly.

Byakuya said nothing, just stood back, watching, he couldn't help but admire the woman, her strength. She'd lost her eldest child, yet she didn't seek someone to blame, she wasn't angry at the world. Rather she accepted that her daughter's own choices had lead her down that path, and there was nothing that could have been done. Byakuya himself still had trouble with that part, he'd known Seren for such a short time, and most of that had been with her facade, with the Lady Serenity… he wished he could have known the young smiling girl in the picture. The one who'd had so many dreams her eyes couldn't hide them…

"Thank you for bringing my niece to visit, Mr. Shinigami."

Byakuya was surprised when the woman actually addressed him.

"It's my honor to be of service." Byakuya bowed his head respectfully, thinking things over a bit before adding. "Your daughter did a great service to us all Castelo-san, and it was decided at least someone in her family deserved to know it."

"Keeva told me." Marie nodded with a sad smile. "The poor child. She was never as comfortable with the rest of us as she was with Seren." She shook her head. "I've always believed that if Seren had just been a little older when the two first met that girl would have arrived to my house as my granddaughter instead of my daughter. She's a good person, but I know she too feels guilty for not saving her sister. As if there's anything she could have done!" She exhaled. "I've done my best to reassure her that I'm still here, still her family, whenever she needs us. She's not alone, is she? That would be terrible after the loss of Seren."

"No, she's not alone Aunt Marie." Yailen assured her. "She has a group of friends who've all promised to look after her."

Marie nodded, satisfied, right as a hell butterfly appeared, flying directly to Byakuya.

"It's time to leave." He said quietly.

"Of course, of course you must leave." Marie nodded, not surprised at all. "Thank you again for your visit, and my best wishes go with you, always."

"Goodbye, Aunt Marie…" Yailen murmured as she turned to leave.

"Not goodbye, with family there can never be anything so final." Marie contradicted. "We'll meet again some day darling. Have faith, I certainly do…"

Yailen nodded absently as she walked out of the house, unable to help the feeling that there was something about those words, but she just had no idea what… perhaps one day… perhaps…