People seem to have liked my filler, I'm glad! I'm also very glad most of you seem to like, or at the very least tolerate, my OCs. I've said it before, and I'll do so again, I had so many plans for some of them, especially when the Thousand Year War Arc began... As has been implied, at least to a point, the Réalta were going to be revealed as being the natural matches for the Quincy. The best option for them to marry, though no such matches had existed since the War, when most of both their races were presumed dead, but while the loss of most Quincies was due to the shinigami (except for those who went with Ywach), the loss of most Réalta was in fact because of Ywach. Because when they tried to not get involved in the war, he enslaved them. It was all going to be revealed with Keeva's story, as it's been implied, her real-name is Caoimhe (which, while written diferently, is pronounced much the same, from what I've learned). She's meant to be the daughter of one of the last pure lines (in comparison to Yailen and Seren, who are descended from impure lines, whose ancestors fled to America during the witch-hunts). It's why Keeva's hair is actually red, truly red, and she'd be hiding it to stay safe, and not just because of snide comments people said. That was where Uryuu's and Keeva's union was going to come in. Uryuu would have joined Ywach, not for any sense of loyalty (or desire for revenge), but because Ywach would find him, and he'd decide it was the best way to keep his nakama safe, to pretend to side with the enemy. Keeva would have been with him and she'd lie and say she was his betrothed (there would have been nothing serious between them yet). In between all the faking they'd have fallen truly in love, eventually facing Ywach with the help of the nakama.
All that was lost when I decided not to do that arc. Mostly because, and I'll be completely honest here, there's a lot about Ywach, the Quincies and the canon Spirit King that I just don't understand, so I cannot even begin to adapt it for this fic. In the end it was easier to just eliminate the whole thing. Which is, regretfully, why Uryuu's and Keeva's pairing seems less important, though it is still important to me. I hope you like them together anyway, I did what I could with what I had (hence the whole fight where they worked together, and when Kanae was revealed).
I did manage to reveal a big scene I'd planned for Seren, and it's right here in this chapter, hope you'll enjoy it.
Gast: You asked me something in your review, and I'd have liked to answer to you directly, except I had no way... truth is they're all dead: Harribel, Stark, and their fraccion. Well, actually I suppose on Harribel and her girls' front you could assume that when she realized they were going to lose, she fled, it's not impossible, Harribel's not stupid. Though she was fighting captains and lieutenants, so, in the end I didn't focus too much on that. Stark, Lilynette (and Aisleen, who was with them) are most definitely dead. It was stated in the fic directly, I believe the line said something about 'Kyouraku dealing the final blow' or something along those lines. I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted to read, but it's how the story went. Just know one thing: the fic isn't over yet.
Thus begins the final arc, and what a way to start!
Chapter 48. Declaration of War
The day Ichigo died began like any other day. He woke up in bed beside his wife, the two of them curled up together, her back to his chest as was usual. His hand began tracing circles on her stomach even before he was fully aware of it.
"Do you ever think about it?" She asked him quietly.
"About?" He asked, stopping his motions but not letting go of her.
"Having children." She clarified.
"Sometimes." Ichigo nodded, kissing the nape of her neck. "I'm in no hurry though, I'm happy with our lives the way they are. The two of us, Homura, Shizuku, even the twins, oyaji and kaa-san when we get the time to visit her."
"I just… seeing Keeva, and how happy she is…" Rukia wasn't actually sure if she wanted children herself, or if she thought that's what she should want…
"Yeah, she really does seem to illustrate the idea of motherhood making a woman glow, doesn't she?" Ichigo hid his smile in her hair. "And I don't think I've ever seen Uryuu smile so much… it's almost creepy."
"Shush you!" Rukia slapped him in the stomach with the back of her hand, her own chuckle taking any sting out of the words. "And you have no leg to stand on, considering how our nakama kept doing double-takes in the days following our wedding, with the way you wouldn't stop smiling yourself!"
"There it is." She heard Tatsuki say at one point.
"What is?" Rukia asked, all she could see was Ichigo, smiling.
"That smile." Tatsuki explained. "He hadn't smiled like that since his mom died… so I suppose it's only right, that her return would make him smile like that again."
Rukia hadn't realized it, because while Ichigo may have a scowl a lot of the time, he'd smiled like that before but, as she later understood, those smiles had always been brief, and all just for her. With the return of Masaki… it was as if the last burden had fallen off his shoulders finally, like he could smile and have the world see, he was at peace…
"You know, if you want to have children now, we can do that, if you want to wait a few years, or decades, or even until we move onto Soul Society permanently, we can do any of those too." Ichigo told her softly. "We're not limited by time the way humans might be. We have a long time ahead of us to have family, if that's what we want. You don't need to feel pressured Rukia."
"I know." She did relax though, the confirmation helping sooth her.
Ichigo's alarm rang eventually and he got up, he still had a job and needed to get to it. The two showered (separately, as they knew that shared showers had the potential of making them very late), before having breakfast. Only Karin accompanied them in that moment, as Yuzu was busy behind the counter of the bakery, and the kids (while Homura and Shizuku weren't exactly kids anymore, they were still the youngest, and being spirits, even if in gigas, meant they still looked pretty much like teenagers) were out doing some deliveries.
Rukia and Ichigo had some coffee and toast as they talked about the plans for the coming weekend (they'd be spending it in Soul Society), eventually getting distracted with each other.
"Ichi-nii you're gonna be late." Karin interrupted them.
She really couldn't understand it, nine years and those two acted like they were still in their freaking honeymoon!
Ichigo rushed to the kitchen to leave his empty plate and mug, grabbing his things, before deviating from his route to Rukia's side to kiss her, briefly but intensely, before finally leaving the house for his job.
"You guys got it bad…" Karin shook her head.
"And you haven't?" Rukia arched a brow. "I know you didn't sleep here last night. You hardly ever do, nowadays."
Karin huffed but didn't reply, she couldn't help the slight blush. Even if she knew she wasn't doing anything wrong. That she was a grown woman with a right to her own life, it still embarrassed her to talk about it sometimes.
"You know, Ichigo wouldn't mind if you decided to move to Soul Society permanently." Rukia said quietly. "Neither would Yuzu, or your dad."
"I know I just… I don't know if I'm ready yet." Karin admitted in a low tone, playing idly with her coffee mug.
"Ready for what?" Rukia asked, curious.
For all answer Karin pulled at the chain around her neck, revealing at the end of it, hidden inside her t-shirt, a ring… it was a simple ring, white gold with the design of a Chinese dragon and phoenix on the sides of the single heart-cut clear diamond. The whole design was inlaid, making the ring completely flat. Rukia was sure that was done on purpose, so the ring wouldn't get in the way… when Karin finally got around to wearing it…
"Are you unsure?" Rukia asked, confused, she'd never seen any doubt in those two.
"No, not of Toushirou at least." Karin clarified after a moment.
"Then what is it?"
"There have been talks… about Toushirou becoming a noble. With him being a New Soul, born in Soul Society and all that, and his dad being a captain… even if Rangiku-san isn't too strong, and cannot have any more children." She exhaled loudly. "I don't want to be a noble lady Rukia-nee! I never wanted that. From the very beginning. This was supposed to be Ichi-nii's problem, and yours, in this life, not mine."
"Tell me something Karin, in your last life, Isshin-tou-san was reported dead years before you died, wasn't he? You became the Clan Head."
Karin nodded silently, not understanding where her sister-in-law was going with all that, she knew that already.
"Did you do what they want? I'm not talking about becoming Clan Head, we already know you did do that. But did you do things how they wanted, or your own way?"
"My way of course!" Karin scoffed. "Stuffy bastards didn't want me to remain a shinigami, I told them where to stuff it and kept as I was."
"And what's stopping you from doing that again? What's more, if this is a new clan that you're founding, you won't even have Elders to contend with. Your clan, your rules. And I'm sure Toushirou will never force you to anything you don't want to, noble or not."
"No, he wouldn't do that."
Rukia said nothing else, but there was no need to, as slowly and silently Karin unclasped the necklace, slipped the ring off it and, after contemplating it for a few more seconds, slipped it onto the third finger of her left hand.
Rukia was just beginning to smile, opening her mouth to congratulate the younger woman, when suddenly pain hit her. Hard and sharp enough to leave her breathless for just a second and then:
"ICHIGO!"
xXx
Several miles away, Ichigo was walking at a fast pace, the last thing he needed was to be late to his class. They were just starting a new school year, and he had 1st year as his first class. With the way the current generations were, if he didn't make them respect him from the start, they would drive him nuts before the end of term. The first couple of years on the job he hadn't been given any classes, he only had to be counselor, but the previous year someone had gotten it into their head that, in order for him to better know when someone might need help he needed to actually get to know all his students, and not only the ones who went looking for him, or whom one of the other teachers might send his way. So he became homeroom teacher of the freshman class. It worked well (or so the others claimed), so they were doing it again. Ichigo knew it'd take a while to earn the respect and trust of his students, but he'd never been one to shy away from any sort of challenge that may be sent his way. He was ready.
In the end, he only thought he was ready for anything. When it happened… he didn't see it coming. The loud sound of the shot made him react instinctively: he let his things fall, dropping on one knee and pivoting on it to turn in the direction the shot had come from, one knee still on the ground and his other leg extended; his whole body tense like a coiled spring; his left hand poised defensively in front of him, his right one reaching for his sword. It was only after a couple of seconds that he realized how ridiculous that was, he didn't carry a sword in his human body, and his reishi sword he could conjure without needing to reach for anything… yet at the same time as that thought crossed his mind, his fingers closed around Zangetsu's hilt.
"Kuso…" He cursed under his breath.
He took a moment to let out the breath he'd been holding, and then sound began filtering in once again: there was screaming, a lot of screaming, some the indistinguishable panicked cries of teens, mostly girls, but some… he could hear his name being called.
*Aibou…* Shiro began in the back of his head.
"We're dead aren't we?" He asked, barely repressing the urge to press the palm of his hand against his face in annoyance.
*Well, strictly speaking…* Shiro hedged, usually he wasn't the kind to be anything but dead honest with his 'brother', but he was actually worried of how Ichigo was gonna react…
*You're dead Ichigo.* Zangetsu didn't mince his words.
Ichigo actually chuckled at the odd personality-switch the two spirits inside him seemed to be having. It was hilarious for some reason…
*I think I might be going into shock.* He admitted inside his own head.
"Well, at least you're taking things with humor."
Ichigo raised his eyes to see Uryuu, and he had to do a double-take.
"Thought you and Keeva had an appointment today, the first ultrasound or something like that?" Ichigo asked, curious.
"You don't realize it, do you?" Uryuu asked, head tilted to a side in contemplation.
"Realize what?" Ichigo asked, really not understanding.
"We all felt you die Ichigo." Uryuu explained.
Ichigo froze, going over the implications of that, when suddenly both men felt it, several reiatsu spiking fast and then… the explosion was strong, loud, they could hear and see the windows of the high-school vibrate, two of them even cracked, and the very earth beneath their feet shook for a few moments.
"That was… one hell of an explosion." Uryuu muttered, still shocked by it all.
Ichigo for his part was more concerned about the reiatsu spikes. His mind was a bit sluggish (probably because he had, in fact, just died!), but he knew those reiatsu, and the direction the explosion had come from.
"Rukia! Karin! Yuzu!" He cried out, going into a mix of shunpo and sonido without a thought.
Uryuu blinked, only a moment later reaching the same conclusion as he. Knowing there was no way he'd ever be able to catch up with Ichigo, he decided to move at an easy pace (Ichigo was a spirit, and thus his running across the air would have been less noticeable than if Uryuu had tried the very same thing), his phone in hand as he called his wife to let her know the situation, or at least as much as he knew thus far: Ichigo was dead, a shot to the head (Uryuu was quite sure his nakama hadn't noticed that), and there had just been an awful explosion from the direction of the Kurosaki home… Uryuu was on his way, and perhaps the rest should do the same, or at least those that could get away from their jobs. The whole thing was nuts even for them, and the day was just starting!
xXx
A few hours later Ichigo felt like pulling at his own hair. They were all gathered together in the basement of the Ishida's building (while Uryuu and Keeva lived on the two-floor penthouse, they owned the whole building). He was in his shihakushou and haori, Zangetsu on a nearby table so he wouldn't have trouble sitting. Neither of the spirits inside him had said a word in several hours, not since he'd gotten home… or at least, to what once had been his home, the place looked as if it had been nuked (or alternatively, as if a gas tank had exploded, which was what actually happened), the explosion having taken the whole bakery and more than half the house, even the nearby houses had been damaged. He'd been so shocked by it all it took him several seconds to hear his children calling for him; and then Tatsuki was there.
"Ichigo…" When he refused to pay attention to her she eventually smacked him in the back of the head. "Ichigo! Damn it listen to me! You need to take the kids and head to Uryuu's. Keeva's got all the security measures activated…"
"Security measures…?" Ichigo blinked.
"Don't you get it?" Tatsuki snapped. "You get shot, and then the bakery's blown up, this wasn't an accident. Someone's out to get you."
"The others…" Ichigo began.
"No one else has been attacked." Tatsuki shook her head. "The first thing we all did was do a sweep of our homes, we're in the clear. It was just here, and with you. Like I said, someone's after you. And if that's true… if they're only human, they will consider their job done after that shot at the school but if they're not…"
If they weren't and they saw him on the street… it was risky to more than just him. If he took a moment to really think about it, with his luck being what it was, it probably wouldn't be just a human. He also had a feeling it wasn't just about him, if it had been there would have been no need to hit the bakery as well.
"The others are coming, we'll find Rukia and your sisters and send them to Uryuu's as well." Tatsuki went on. "But you really need to get out of the street now Ichigo. Before emergency services, and whoever else, gets here."
He knew she was right, which was why, as much as he hated it, he nodded and walked away. It was the hardest thing he'd ever done…
He hated it, having to stay behind the elaborate shields and kekkai built by generations of quincy while his nakama were still out there, but he did it, because it was what was necessary. He knew his wife was still alive (or as alive as any of them were), because he could still sense her through their bond, and he trusted his sisters were strong enough to survive a mere gas explosion.
"Kaa-chan!" Homura shrieked in delight.
Rukia had truly just entered the basement, followed by the rest of their nakama, or at least those currently in the human world (they still counted Orihime as Nakama, even if she was in Soul Society). Karin, Yuzu and Rukia were all in their shihakushou, though Yuzu looked the least singed out of all three of them.
"Congratulations, you're all dead." Keeva deadpanned.
"What?!" Several voices cried out at once.
Uryuu facepalmed. His wife was known for being forceful and honest to a fault, but did she needed to be so… blunt?
"According to the current news, you were shot by a hitman." Uryuu explained looking at Ichigo. "Current theory is that the Yakuza hired him but there was some sort of mistaken identity deal and you and your family ended being killed instead."
"The gas tank at the bakery was booby trapped, it blew." Yuzu explained with a sigh.
She could still remember that terrifying moment when she just knew that something awful was about to happen. Her reiatsu acted instinctively as the fire-alarm got pulled. Her customers reacted automatically, leaving the building. She'd just turned to look for what may be giving her that feeling when she heard Muramasa scream inside her head and then… then everything blew.
"There's a reason we're all in shihakushou Ichi-nii." Karin pointed out. "Our spirits made it out of there, our bodies didn't."
All three of them were dead, and Rukia as well. The media would be going nuts over it, the whole family killed by a hitman in a single day…
"What are the media saying about the rest of the family?" Ichigo asked.
"Homura and Shizuku are considered as missing." Uryuu answered. "It's been reported that they had been making deliveries, and were on their way back to the bakery, but no one knows for sure if they were there at the time of the explosion."
"As for Isshin-san, I suppose he's still in Soul Society." Keeva added. "The authorities are looking for him, but as he's known to leave every other weekend, no one's particularly worried about him just yet."
"What about the hitman?" Rukia wanted to know. "Has he said anything?"
"It would be hard for him to say anything, since he's dead." Uryuu answered solemnly. "That's why all they have are theories as to why your family was targeted."
"Do you really think it's all just a matter of mistaken identity?" Karin didn't believe that for a minute; though that didn't explain what was going on either.
"I think there's something going on, something bigger, we just don't know what yet." Uryuu said in a low, dead-serious tone.
"Remember that storm we said was coming?" Ichigo asked, almost conversationally. "I think this is just the start of it…"
He couldn't have known just how right he was.
xXx
The alarm bells began ringing as they were finishing with their breakfast. Seren tilted her head to one side, searching for where the sound was coming from, exactly. While her husband was in his shihakushou already, captain haori hanging from a hook at the entrance, she was wearing a plain pale-lavender yukata, feet bare. The two of them had risen with the sun, as was usual, doing some tai-chi together (that had been her own routine, which he'd adopted easily enough, in place of his old morning training); that was followed by a quick bath for him, while she oversaw breakfast preparations. After he'd left for the office she would bathe and dress herself for the day. As the wife of the Kuchiki Clan Head there were some duties she had, like overseeing matters of the Household, and receiving petitions from the lower members of the House, and the Minor Noble Houses that owed them allegiance. The former was something the housekeeper had handled in the past, though she was an old woman and happy enough to leave the task to Seren; while the latter had been handled by either the Elders or Ginrei in the past, and while the Elders still dealt with the initial petitions, Seren had made sure to learn all she needed to help, both to relieve Ginrei of some of the duty, and to ensure that the Elders wouldn't try and abuse the power they were given (after learning what they'd tried to do in the past she didn't trust them much).
In times past she knew that Byakuya would have been at the Division since dawn, at times even before then, but back then her husband had been all about duty, believing he'd nothing else to live for. Even with Rukia in his life and the two of them truly embracing their connection as siblings, she'd had her own duties, and later on with her move to Karakura and her marriage to Ichigo, there had been little reason for Byakuya to spend much time at the manor. Seren's arrival had changed all that. Even before they were married, he'd always made a point to have at least one meal a day with her, and to spend some time just chatting, getting to know each other. Reinforcing the friendship that had formed while she was still alive.
"Those bells aren't coming from just one place." She determined after a few moments.
"No, they're not." Byakuya agreed, wiping his mouth with a napkin before standing. "I must head to the Division. Will give the guards the order to lock up the manor. You stay safe."
"I will." She assured him, raising her head as he bent to give her a kiss. "You take care."
"I will." He nodded in agreement.
It was more or less their ritual when he left every morning. A short kiss followed by their request that the other take care.
The servant only approached once Byakuya had left, and after giving her customary thanks for the breakfast Seren left at a bit of a quicker pace than usual for her room. She could hear the whispers in the back of her head, her power warning her that the danger was closer than most would be expecting.
She met with Takahashi, Byakuya's steward, as soon as she was dressed.
"My lady?" He bowed his head at her.
"What would you say is the most protected part of the Estate?" She asked him, already making plans in the back of her head.
"That would be the Main House, my lady." The man informed her calmly.
"Very well." Seren had made up her mind. "See to it that all members of the Clan are brought into the Main House, and have the guards form a perimeter around it."
"My lady?" Takahashi didn't understand, even if the alarms were ringing in Seireitei, it had nothing to do with them, right?
"There's a storm coming, and we must be ready, if we're to survive it." She said solemnly.
Takahashi still didn't understand. Even if there was some kind of problem, the Gotei would deal with it, wouldn't they? Ryoka had invaded in the past, but the Nobles had never gotten involved. That was the shinigami's business, not theirs… Still, his Lady had given him an order, and he'd see to it that they were carried out promptly.
It took almost an hour to get everyone into the Main House. The Kuchiki Clan was considerably more numerous than most would expect, and there was also the fact that many didn't like being interrupted from whatever they might do normally.
"Why have you ordered this Serenity-dono?" One of the Elders half-asked, half-demanded.
It was Watanabe, the leader of the faction who was against her marrying Byakuya from the start. While they could all feel her reiatsu and knew that meant there were considerable chances she'd be able to give Byakuya children, and ones with a decent level of power, they didn't like that she had no Clan to her name, that she essentially brought nothing to them other than herself. She knew that, had she only asked, the Nagaken Clan would have taken her in, making things easier for her and Byakuya; but she hadn't wanted that, she wanted to be herself. And Byakuya didn't care for such things either. He trusted that the day would come when his whole clan will see her value. She wanted to believe that as well.
"Do you not hear it Watanabe-san?" She asked softly.
"The bells in Seireitei?" He questioned. "We all hear them. It has nothing to do with us."
"It's an invasion on the place we live, so of course it has to do with us." She replied, her serene mask in place (as it always was when she had to deal with most of the Elders). "But I'm not taking about the bells. I'm talking about the hollows that have breached our walls…"
As if on cue, the cry of a hollow echoed across the estate, making those lingering outside the Main House rush inside in a hurry.
"My lady?" Her attendant: Izumi, murmured, tense. "We should head inside as well."
She nodded silently, following her into the house, promptly, the doors being closed behind them as the guards took their positions.
She knew they weren't the only ones being attacked, knew it with the same certainty she'd known the hollows would breach their walls, a whole hour before they actually did. While she might not be an Oracle, she did have some precognition, she didn't get premonitory dreams of far off in the future, but she did know things sometimes, or got instincts that were much more on point than most people's. And, if she so wished, she could see what was happening in other places (remote viewing, she knew that particular form of vision was called).
She knew that it had all begun with a bunch of traitors, old subordinates of Aizen, laying in wait for so long, to act when they were given the signal. What that signal had been exactly, she'd no idea, but since the end of the Winter War (as many had taken to calling it), there had been a lot of shuffling among the divisions, so it was perhaps no surprise that some of Aizen's subordinates found their way to other Divisions. They'd chosen that very morning to attack their colleagues, causing chaos in Seireitei. That had been the first wave.
The second was when one of them managed to bring down the barrier supposed to protect the Seireitei, allowing the hollows in. A huge garganta opened high in the sky. She knew shinigami had already been dispatched to handle it, but it wasn't surprising that some of them might slip by and get into Seireitei which, already a mess due to all the traitors, there just hadn't been enough shinigami on hand to stop them from making it all the way to the Noble Estates… that was the second wave.
Why they were attacking the nobles, Seren had no idea, though she knew it wasn't an accident. The hollows weren't just going around destroying, they'd formed groups, each of them heading in a specific direction. That was no coincidence, but careful planning… it meant that Aizen had to be involved.
It made the woman curse under her breath in Gaelic. She always knew what she'd done wouldn't keep Aizen away forever, and nine years was a long time, but still. She wished they could have seen it coming, that she could have seen it coming in time to do more. They weren't defenseless, not at all. She could see Orihime, in what the Nakama called her fae form, stand guard before the Nagaken Estate while Ulquiorra went Resurreccion on the foolish hollows that thought they stood a chance against him. She saw Yoruichi and Kisuke, fighting side by side, slaying hollows like it was nothing at all for them, their young son watching from behind a shield. She searched, but couldn't see any hollows going after any of the Lower Nobles, or even after the Himura Clan (the fourth of the Great Noble Clans). What was so different about them?
It hit her just a moment later. The only thing that was different between the Himura and the other Great Noble Clans, was that the Himura had no children, no new soul had been born to that Clan in a century at least. In the Nagakens, there was Amaya, in the Shihouins there was Yuushirou, as well as the children of the branch families; and with them… while she might not have borne any children yet, several of the branch families had either kids or teenagers (in spirit terms at least) among their numbers.
"They're after the young ones…" Seren breathed out in understanding.
She still had no idea as to the 'why', but knowing the 'what' at least helped.
"My lady?" Izumi questioned, worriedly.
She also knew that the guards alone wouldn't be able to handle things for long, and with the chaos being caused by the traitors, and the other attacks happening at the same time, it was unlikely any shinigami would be sent their way in time. Byakuya would have of course, if he'd believed it necessary… but he knew her, better than anyone else did.
"Stay here Izumi please." Seren requested as she turned around and began walking.
"Where are you going, my lady?" Izumi questioned, wincing a bit at her own daring, she knew that were her lady anyone else she'd have been harshly reprimanded for that; but it was precisely because of who her lady was, that she dared speak up.
Izumi knew she wasn't the only one happy that their Lord married a woman like Serenity. While there was no doubt that he'd loved his first wife, and the Lady Hisana had been a good, kind lady, she hadn't fit with their lord the way Serenity did. The Lady Hisana had been beautiful, and gentle, and able to present the image of the perfect lady after some tutoring; but Serenity had all the poise, and gentleness, while at the same time having a core of steel that the previous lady had lacked. She was willing to go toe to toe with any and all Elders, and even nobles from other Houses when she believed it necessary; wouldn't let anyone look down on her, no matter the name, and while she was capable of following all the noble protocols, she also insisted on her personal servants not being so formal to her, and speaking their minds… which was precisely why Izumi spoke up:
"I'm going to do what I must." Seren answered simply. "Protect our own."
As she spoke, the ashen-haired woman slipped her hands inside the sleeves of her kimono. The one she was wearing right then was of a purple so dark it was almost black, with big white roses decorating the lower half of it and an obi of a violet so light it was almost white around her waist. Her sandaled feet made no sound as she walked, and her hair was pulled back in her customary loose ponytail, Byakuya's old scarf wound around it, over the top of her head and then falling down her back with her long hair elegantly, as usual. From hidden scabbards sewn into the inside of her silvery-white tekkou she pulled out a pair small, beautiful daggers, each no bigger than a hand-span, blades made of the same material asauchis were made of, guards of polished white-ash wood, with a Celtic five-pointed star inlaid in silver. They were custom-made weapons, designed, ordered and gifted to her by Byakuya on the day of their wedding.
"You're a warrior." He explained when giving her the daggers. "Much as I might dislike it sometimes. Much as I may want to protect you always… I know a day may come when I won't be there, and I want to know you'll have the best weapons at your disposal. That you'll be ready to fight, and win, and come back to me."
"Always…" She assured him with a loving kiss.
"Sere… Lady Serenity!" Several servants cried out in shock.
All eyes turned in her direction, but it was too late already, as she chose that exact moment to open the main door of the house and step out. Outside, the battle was raging on. There were more than half a dozen hollows, and while the guards were doing their best, they weren't shinigami…
Seren took a deep breath as she raised her arms at her sides, a dagger on each hand, pointing down, then as she exhaled, she opened her hands… except the daggers did not fall, they remained floating in the air, just beyond her fingertips. She waited a heartbeat, two, for what she knew was coming, then, as a hollow rose from behind some trees, bearing on an injured guard, her left hand shot forward, as if she'd just thrown something, the dagger following the movement of the hand, and beyond, burying itself into the hollow's mask, then through it and the hollow itself. By the time anyone could fully comprehend what had just happened she was already guiding her second dagger in the direction of another hollow.
The Kuchikis could only watch in a mix of shock and wonder as their Lady (the very lady at least half of them had looked down on more than once, whom many of them long believed unsuitable to marry their Clan Head) moved her arms this way and that, movements both graceful and lethal, as hollows fell, one by one.
The guards, seemingly bolstered by the sight of their Clan Head's Wife joining them in battle made short work of the remaining hollows. It looked like it would be over soon… until the dark, oppressive reiatsu made its appearance.
"That's… what's that?!" Several asked behind her, terrified.
"That's an Arrancar." Seren answered evenly, before turning her attention to the head of the guards. "Ishikawa-san, you might want to tell your men to pull back, there's no way they can deal with an Arrancar."
"Such as it may be, it would be dishonorable to leave our Clan defenseless." Ishikawa stated. "And, if Serenity-sama doesn't mind me saying it, I doubt daggers will be enough either."
"No, they won't." Seren agreed, calling the daggers to her and sheathing them. "But these daggers are far from the only weapon in my arsenal, just the easiest one to use."
Ishikawa blinked, was she saying… what was she saying?!
"Tell me, Ishikawa-san, do you know who I am, what I am?" She asked almost conversationally as she crossed the porch to stand at the very top of the stairs leading to the courtyard.
"You're my Lady, the wife of Lord Kuchiki Byakuya-sama, the Head of our Clan." Ishikawa enlisted seriously. "You're Lady Kuchiki Síoraí Serenity."
"Correct, that's the name Byakuya used when he introduced me to our Honorable Clan." Seren nodded her head. "It's not the name I was given upon my birth, but the one that was granted to me when I reached the zenith of my powers. He wanted me to use it, and to keep it even after our marriage so there would never be any doubt of my power. Except, no one here knows the kind of power I possess." She sighed. "Everyone knows I was human until shortly before I came here. That I am no born noble, that is true enough. But I'm not powerless." She could see his worry from the corner of his eye and couldn't help but want to put him at ease. "It'll be alright Ishikawa-san, this isn't the first Arrancar I fight."
"Oh… is the little lady going to fight me?" The Arrancar mocked her in a dark tone.
"You will not hurt my people, I will not allow it." Seren told him, voice harder and stronger than any Kuchiki had ever heard it.
In the years since she'd been in Seireitei, and especially since becoming a Kuchiki, they'd gotten used to her gentle, polite, soft ways. She was kind to everyone, even when disagreeing with one or more of them, she was never anything but polite, never raised her voice, never used crass language (of course, they never understood her when she cursed in Gaelic). For long they'd thought her to be little more than a pretty girl who managed to somehow 'bewitch' their Clan Head. Since, until her he'd refused to so much as contemplate marriage, and what little reiatsu some could feel from her gave them the hope that she might one day bear the next generation of Kuchikis, in the end the Elders didn't do much to try and stop the marriage (not that they would have managed much had they tried, but still). They'd never seen her like she was in that moment. Strong, imposing, to some of the younger generations (especially the women), she looked like the warrior princess from a story, to the older ones… she looked like Byakuya.
Seren said nothing as the Arrancar roared, charging a huge Cero before shooting it straight at them. She just raised both hands, palms pointing forward, before abruptly closing them into fists. It was as if the Cero had just blinked out of existence.
"What…?" Even the Arrancar was at a loss about what had just happened; but a beat later, he was furious. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"
"No, you won't." Seren said calmly, as she opened her hands again, slowly, purposefully, eyes never straying from him. "It's over."
The Arrancar never got the chance to attack again, to so much as move. By the time he realized what was going on it was too late already. The Kuchikis and their staff for their part could only bear silent (shocked) witness as the humanoid-looking hollow seemed to break apart into reishi particles that the wind dispersed.
xXx
When Byakuya arrived it was to find his wife sitting on the veranda leading to the biggest garden, surrounded by most of the Kuchiki Elders, as well as the patriarchs of the minor branches of the Clan; the truly surprising part was how deferential they were all being, and that his wife wasn't using her 'peacekeeper mask' in that moment.
"Seren?" He asked, brow arched, intrigued.
"Byakuya!" She smiled brightly at him as she rose to her feet and approached him.
They didn't kiss, they never did when the Elders and other disapproving members of the Clan were around, but there was no need. A touch had always been more than enough for them to communicate what they felt.
"The 12th Division reported a horde of hollows and at least one Arrancar had come to the Estate." Byakuya stated seriously.
"Yes, they came, the threat has been dealt with." She said calmly. "The Clan is safe. There's no need to worry anymore."
Byakuya heard clearly all his wife wasn't saying. A proud man he was and had always been, but he knew quite well that while the Kuchiki guards might have been able to deal with hollows with some trouble, there was no way they could have dealt with an Arrancar. Also, her using her powers in such a way explained perfectly why the Clan Elders were suddenly acting like she was a born noble… It almost made him chuckle. He always knew one day his wife would earn the respect of all his Clan, didn't expect it to happen in such a way, but still, he knew. It was just the kind of person she was.
"Anything to report Byakuya-sama?" The Elder of Elders: Kuchiki Katsuo, questioned.
Byakuya explained about the fights that had taken place across Seireitei, mostly things Seren knew already thanks to her gifts. All hollows and arrancars had been defeated. A squad of Onmitsukidou, lead personally by Sui-Feng-fukutaichou, accompanied by Grimmjow, was checking the gates to ensure there would be no further attacks. Most of the traitors were dead, though a few had survived the fights and were being escorted to the 1st Division to be interrogated by Sasakibe-fukutaichou personally…
Seren cocked her head to a side, she had a feeling that there was something… off, with that last statement, but she couldn't put her finger on what, or why, exactly. She opened her mouth to say something to that effect when suddenly her vision went blue for a moment and when her brain processed what her power was showing her all she could do was open her mouth in a scream that couldn't be heard through one's ears, but rang inside the minds of everyone present.
Byakuya's eyes went wide instantly and she extended a hand to his wife, opening his mouth to ask her what was wrong (and he knew, without a doubt, something had to be very, very wrong) when he felt it, a reiatsu spiking, high, higher than Byakuya had ever felt it before, only to vanish abruptly a couple of seconds later. His head snapped in the direction of it automatically, and he knew without need for a map exactly what was in that direction: the 1st Squad…
xXx
Sui-Feng and Grimmjow were walking by the Gate leading to West Rukongai, the Onmitsukidou searching nearby alleys as they went, when they heard voices coming from outside:
"I told you I need to get inside! They need to be warned!"
Grimmjow ignored whatever response the Giant must have given him as he sonidoed to the top of the gate and then onto the other side, Sui-Feng joining him a fraction of a second later.
"What's going on here?" Sui-Feng demanded authoritatively.
Grimmjow took a half-step back, letting her take the lead and watching her back as he'd grown used to doing when she was in her official capacity. It was almost funny because in life he always sought to protect her, even after he taught her everything he knew about fighting (both the formal stances and katas Utokui and his father taught him, and the dirty fighting he learned on his own), he always did his best to look after her; and it wasn't that he didn't do the same here, but in Soul Society she was the one in a position of authority, and he'd grown to respect that. And the fact that she could only really be 'Shaolin' in private; for most of the Soul Society she was Sui-Feng-fukutaichou, nothing more.
"Shinigami-san!" The man, with chin-length straight brown hair and gray eyes was wearing a simple white yukata, signaling him as a newcomer. "You need to know, you need to warn everyone, there's an attack coming!"
"The attack already happened." Sui-Feng said dismissively.
"Already… no, that's not possible." The man shook his head.
"Hey!" Grimmjow called suddenly. "I know you!"
All eyes turned to him instantly.
"You know him?" Sui-Feng really wasn't expecting that.
"I do, from Hueco Mundo." Grimmjow's eyes narrowed as he focused on the man. "Though the last time I saw you, you were a hollow, Acidwire…"
"I was." The man ignored the way most of those around stepped back in fright. "I asked Nel-chan to purify me, hoping it'd allow me to get here in time to warn you."
"Well, as you've heard, you're late." Grimmjow scoffed. "We got attacks in half the divisions, and even several Noble homes were hit. Many of the attackers are dead but we got a few, they'll be interrogated soon. So unless you know anything they don't…"
"Wait a second, you didn't kill them all?" Sora cut him off.
"No." Sui-Feng's eyes narrowed.
"He said he had a plan." Sora's tone turned urgent again. "You need to warn them! He knows where it is! He'll get it!"
"Where what is? Who is he anyway?" Sui-Feng demanded, a foreboding feeling hitting her.
"Aizen!" Sora snapped. "He knows where your Commander keeps the Key and he's going after it! He said he'd a plan to infiltrate the 1st Division and…"
Sui-Feng didn't want anymore, in an instant she was back on top of the gate and then shunpoing at top speed across rooftops, Grimmjow at her heels. They were halfway there when they both felt it, a reiatsu signature spiking sharply, before vanishing entirely a moment later.
"Grimm, get Hime-san!" Sui-Feng ordered before pushing herself to go even faster.
Grimmjow didn't question her, just changed direction abruptly, heading for the Nagaken Estate. He wasn't quite expecting to be received with a Cero Oscuras and barely managed to dodge it in time; the speed he was moving at making him skid down the courtyard.
"Goddammit Emobastard, it's me!" He snarled.
"Grimmjow-kun!" Orihime cried out, lowering her hands from the sides of her head, where she'd raised them upon seeing her husband fire a cero. "We're sorry. We were just attacked, they were trying to kill Amaya-chan!"
Grimmjow seriously doubted that Ulquiorra was sorry for attacking him, but didn't comment on it. Instead focusing on his task.
"There have been a lot of attacks Hime." Grimmjow told her. "Shaolin asked me to bring you with me, quickly."
"There's someone really bad off, isn't there?" She'd felt as much.
"You should both go with him." Yailen said as she approached, Amaya's hand in hers.
"Nee-san…" Orihime watched her little girl with doubt.
Amaya was still so young… she and Ulquiorra had been warned, that after her tenth birthday the girl's aging would slow drastically. It was the reason why Rukia had looked about the same age as them upon their first meeting, despite being almost ten times that; why Toushirou-kun still looked to be in his teens himself, or why most of the shinigami just didn't seem to age. For people with a lot of reiatsu, like them, aging happened very, very slowly. But Amaya wasn't ten yet, in fact, she was about to turn seven, little more than an infant, where Soul Society was concerned, and Orihime hated the idea of leaving her behind… but if her powers were really needed… and there was no way Ulquiorra would ever let her go alone. It was a lesson they learned well, after their shared human life. They were better off staying together.
"She will be safe, there'll be no more attacks here." Yailen reassured them.
Orihime nodded, placing a kiss on her daughter's brow before heading for her husband, who scooped her up in his arms before using sonido to take off, along with Grimmjow.
By the time they arrived Sasakibe was dead, and Yamamoto was very badly wounded. Also, what had once been the 1st Division was no more, the place on fire, though that part at least was already under control with help of several shinigami. It took a while but eventually Yamamoto was willing to allow Orihime to treat him. There was nothing she could do for Sasakibe, nothing remained of him at all, and while her powers were incredible and almost god-like, she couldn't make something out of nothing. The shinigami actually seemed to like that (the realization that even with powers as odd as hers, there still were limits, balance was maintained).
"Oh!" Orihime eeped halfway through healing Yamamoto.
"What is it?" All eyes turned to her, narrowing as her own brow furrowed and sweat appeared on her brow, it was so rare to see her actually have to make an effort.
"The… the foreign reiatsu it's… it's hard to fight against it…" She let out a shriek as her shield shattered abruptly, the Rikka returning to her pins.
"What was that?!" Grimmjow growled, not liking the situation.
"I… I… I cannot…" Orihime babbled.
"Take it easy child," Yamamoto said kindly. "I understand."
"What's going on Yama-jii?" Shunsui asked, unusually solemn.
"I'm powerless." Of all the things the old shinigami could have said, that was one thing they weren't expecting.
"You cannot undo it?" Juushirou sought to confirm.
"I…" Orihime took a deep breath, centering herself and doing her best to find the right words. "I can undo what's been done, in terms of damage; I can even go as far as restoring what's been destroyed, as long as there's something, anything left of it." She closed her eyes briefly. "But I cannot replace what isn't there. Soutaichou-san's powers weren't damaged, or destroyed, they were taken, I can do nothing about that."
"Contact the Nakama, we need them here." Yamamoto ordered as Unohana and Shunsui helped him onto his feet.
"How bad is it Yama?" Shunsui asked him, already fearing the worst.
"The attacker, it was Aizen and he has the Ouken."
So, am I insane or what?
Years ago (when I first became a Bleach fan), a friend and I first began saying something that has stayed with me for all these years: "In Bleach, in order to have a happy ending, you have to be dead." That's proven to be very, very real, as you must have realized already. Keep that in mind for the upcoming chapters too, I have one or two surprises left under my sleeves.
Quite a few people have made their guesses for what's coming next, I promise I'll make special mention of you all at the beginning of it. Till then... see ya next week! The Final Battle is coming!
