Chapter 11: Who You Must Fight

*ScatterBRAIN-95, I hope you're doing okay now and, as impossible as it may seem, things will get better with time, effort, and kindness.

Please review. Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, just the OCs.*


"So wait a minute, these people killed our family members before?!" Naoko hissed.

It wasn't until after they regrouped and returned to the Living World did each group share what they learned. Twitterson and Rosenberg bid them goodbye and what sounded like a promise that they'd meet again. That didn't surprise them, seeing as how the pair was their unofficial tour guides. Night had already settled over the town as they made their way back to their temporary abode.

Uryu sighed, "Yes, they did, our great-great-grandparents."

"And no one knew because of Glyndower's damn pride? She kept it secret just to up Yamamoto?"

"Again, yes."

Nemu tilted her head, "I wonder if this incited your great-grandmother to move from her home country to Japan."

When the others looked at her, she elaborated, "People can migrate great distances for a variety of reasons, one of which being for safety."

"I suppose moving to the other side of the world would make them safe," Rukia agreed. "Especially since they would be in the land controlled by a different Gotei."

"And no one would really question it, because like Nemu said, people migrate to different places all the time for different reasons." Uryu crossed his arms and sighed through his nose. "Captain Sante said everyone was told the king and queen died of natural causes, and since humans can die from more things than Soul Reapers, who would question it?"

"This is getting more complicated the deeper you guys go," Renji complained.

"We've got people who killed our ancestors now out for us, you thought this was going to be simple?" Naoko whirled on him, anger flashing in her eyes. "We've got years, decades, worth of shit to uncover, and that's if we find anything at all."

"Easy Naoko, I didn't mean anything by it."

"We should focus on what we can find out instead of what we can't or won't," Uryu advised. He knew very well how despairing it was to dwell on what could never be achieved.

"That's strangely optimistic coming from you," Ichigo said.

Uryu adjusted his glasses, "It's more practical than optimistic."

As they approached the manor, Naoko noticed some of the lower level windows were lit. "Did we leave the lights on?"

"Perhaps Mr. Matsuro is still here?" Nemu suggested.

"Or someone else," Renji added.

"Either way," Ichigo grabbed the gikon in preparation to leap into spiritual action. "Let's be careful."

Uryu gripped the door handle with one hand and his Quincy cross with the other. He nudged Naoko to stand behind him as he turned the knob, and the door swung open. The entry hall was fully lit, but empty and no reiatsu or scent to mark a nearby hidden presence. A door off to the side opened, and only Matsuro strode through it, looking relieved at seeing them. Following him was an elderly looking woman with chin-length silver hair and pale blue eyes.

"I'm glad to see you all made it back in one piece. Did you enjoy your excursion?"

Uryu nodded, "It was… informative."

"Good to hear," Matsuro gestured to the woman. "May I introduce my wife Fiona, she's also a member of the royal council alongside me."

"It is nice to finally meet you," she said in, what sounded to Naoko and Uryu, passable Japanese. They greeted her and introduced themselves in turn.

"How many council members are there?" Naoko asked.

"Just five of us, in fact, the other three showed up here earlier today, hoping to meet with you." The older man leveled a look at the Quincies as though they were children caught playing hooky. "I must admit they were less than pleased when I told them where you were."

"Why did they want to meet us?" Uryu asked.

"To assess for themselves how suitable you are for the throne, should you choose to take it," Matsuro answered. "And not just the throne, but as Quincies in general."

"What?" Naoko said flatly.

"Excuse me?" Uryu's jaw tightened.

"You must understand the rest of the council is… traditional," Fiona explained. "They are uncomfortable with the idea of you having relationships with Soul Reapers." She apologetically looked at said Soul Reapers in the room, "No offense meant."

Ichigo shrugged, "None taken. Do they hate Soul Reapers because of what happened two hundred years ago?"

"That's part of it," Matsuro said. "The other part is that they are exceedingly prideful and view Quincies as the be-all-end-all. If they find you unworthy well… your trip here may end up being shorter than you expect."

"They sound charming," Naoko snarked. And I bet they'd love to meet my friends from Hueco Mundo or learn about our mother.

Uryu fought to not roll his eyes at his sibling's unhelpful comment. "When do they want to meet us?"

"In a few days. For now, I suggest you rest and perhaps plan on what to do next."


"I can't believe we're going to be judged by a bunch of old geezers," Naoko groused. "Who are they to judge if we are Quincies or not?"

She grabbed another book off the dusty shelf and added it to the growing tower in her arms. Uryu and Nemu sat at the table with their noses buried in the old books they had already collected. The library was a generously sized room with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that were neatly stocked with books and interspersed with small statues or trinkets. An unlit fireplace overtook one wall along with a few paintings, upholstered chairs and armchairs scattered around a few tables.

The books found so far were written in German though some were in English, French, and even Latin. Fortunately for them, Nemu could read all those languages. Whereas Naoko and Uryu could struggle through the German and English variety. Ichigo, Renji, and Rukia opted out of their little research project and decided to explore the town instead. Naoko dumped the hefty tower or reading on the table, small plumes of dust rising from the impact.

Uryu leaned back in his chair and sighed, "I know Naoko, and I don't like it either. We should just try and find out more about us and the Soul Reapers who attacked us. We have nothing to prove to anyone, and we don't have to take the throne if we don't want to."

"Yeah, I suppose," Naoko said while rubbing the back of her neck. They had come here seeking information, not get entangled in court politics. "Find anything interesting?"

"I have found the instruction on a technique that allows a Quincy to strengthen their bodies by infusing reishi into the skin, blood vessels, and bone." Nemu summarized, "Reishi can also be infused to musculature to enhance strength and speed."

"Really?" Naoko excitedly looked over while Uryu leaned in for a closer look.

The page displayed anatomical pictures showing the skeleton, the muscles, and the network of blue veins and red arteries. Naoko couldn't understand the German writing, but the other images showed a figure absorbing reishi and then next stopping a sword with their bare hand.

"It says this enhancement can make a person's body nearly impenetrable. However, too much reishi infusion can cause bones to break, and internal structures tear and bleed internally."

"It kind of reminds me of an Arrancar's skin, their hierro." Naoko then grinned, "That would be so cool if we could learn to do that. What else is there?"

"I did find this," Uryu turned over the book he was reading. "I think it shows how to make smaller arrows or throwing daggers, maybe?"

Nemu scanned the text and nodded, "You are correct that these are throwing knives made of reishi. They are formed the same as your bow and arrow merely without the bow and a smaller arrow."

Naoko looked over the picture and shrugged, "Seems easy enough."

She held out her hand, bracelet dangling from her wrist. Evening her breathing and centering her mind, Naoko focused on the reishi particles in the air. Not as ambient as Hueco Mundo or Soul Society, but still more than in Karakura. She willed the particles to her fingers, envisioning a small knife materializing in the space between her digits.

Nothing happened.

Cracking an eye open, disappointment pricked her heart when she saw nothing there. The reishi was close to forming; she could feel it, so why wasn't working? She focused again and strengthened her will for the particles to bend, but still nothing. Maybe it was actually harder than it looked?

She looked at Nemu and Uryu, the latter seemed to be studying her, searching for something. Naoko shrugged, "I can't do it, you try."

Uryu nodded, and with a few tries, three finger-length glowing blue daggers appeared between his fingers. He sharply flicked his wrist, and the daggers flew, embedding themselves in the wooden wall and then disbanding. Irritation joined her disappointment, figures the family genius would get it.

"Naoko," his voice interrupted her wallowing. "Can you form your bow?"

She blinked. What kind of request was that? "Sure?"

Holding out her hand, she called forth reishi to form her weapon. Seconds passed, and nothing happened. She tried again, nothing. Come on, focus! You can do this; you've done it before. The more seconds that tick by, the higher her panic climbs. Her powers are there, she can feel them nestled deep in her heart. But something was keeping her from touching them.

Uryu studied her with chin in his hand. That observing look on his face sparked irritation in her, "What?"

"I once read in one of Grandmother's books that Quincies can lose access to their powers due to physical, emotional, or mental trauma or a combination of those." His eyes stayed steady on hers, and she fought not to look away. "I don't think you've processed her death at all yet, and it's affecting your powers."

Naoko scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Oh come on, I'm just a little tired. We did fight in a war not too long ago, maybe it took more out of me than we thought. I can't do a few techniques right now, so what?"

"So what if those Soul Reapers attack us again. You didn't fair too well against them last time," Uryu's voice was tightening with annoyance at her denials. He forced his tone to soften; getting angry would help nothing. "I don't want you to get hurt. You're right; we did fight in a war and, by some miracle, survived. I don't want that to be in vain."

She sighed, "Okay, I get it, but I'm fine. I just need practice, and you remember how hard it was for me to summon my bow." He gave her a flat, unbelieving look causing her to sigh again, "I know she's gone, okay? I've accepted that."

Uryu crossed his arms over his chest. "Alright, then say it."

"What?"

"If you've accepted that Grandmother is dead, then I want to hear you say that she's dead."

Naoko gaped at him. What the hell? ! "Excuse me? I don't have to say or prove anything to you!"

"Naoko—"

"No." She stalked out of the library with that firm answer, leaving her brother behind and the prickly, choking feeling in her throat.


"Are we going to attack them or what?" Hughes growled.

"Must you be so impatient?" Rosati said sharply. "They are not alone. There are a captain and three lieutenants with them. We have to do this carefully and not waste the opportunity."

"Yeah, unlike a certain pair," Hughes grinned viciously at Seydel and Vergunov. He had crowed loudly with satisfaction at their failure to capture the two Quincies.

"Watch it," Seydel sneered. "We're still more useful than you."

"Enough," Haugen said with a voice low and rumbling like distant thunder. He always took command whenever the captain was not around, an unspoken agreement that just came to be.

He rose from his seat at the base of a thick pine, one of many in the forest that surrounded the property of the mansion. Said building could be seen from their hideaway, its lights illuminating the dark like a beacon.

"We draw the Soul Reapers out, and while they're distracted, grab the Quincies. They must remain alive at all costs."

Seydel stroked the hilt of her sword, "But if they happen to get roughed up a little…?"

"So long as they remain alive," Haugen repeated as if he hadn't caught what she was implying. "Let's go."


OMAKE: (AU) Role Reversal


Honestly, he hadn't been looking for the Hollow on purpose. Instead, it found him, and he was not about to become its next meal. With that resolve firmly in mind, he summoned his weapon, a curved bow of silver with peacocks engraved along the body. Turning quickly on his heel, he pulled back the string to materialize a blue-green arrow.

Only for a black-clad figure to jump in between him and the beast.

The monster lifted its clawed hand with the intent to rend her in half. She blocked the attack with her sword using strength belayed by her lithe form.

"Hurry up and shoot the damn thing!" She barked at him over her shoulder.

Ignoring, for now, the irritation that a Soul Reaper had stepped into his fight and was now giving him orders, he fired the arrow. It struck the Hollow's shoulder, causing it to roar in pain and stumble back. She vaulted into the air, bring her sword down through the beast's head, cleaving it nearly in half. As she did, its tail lashed out, striking him square in the chest. He tumbled and slammed into the ground.

The Hollow faded away, and the Soul Reaper sheathed her sword with a tired sigh. She walked over to where he was slowly sitting himself up and trying to breathe through stunned lungs. He looked up, and the biting reproach he had ready died in his mouth once he got a look at her.

She looked not much older than himself. Unconsciously, she tucked a strand of navy hair behind her ear that had come free from her hairclip. Vivid blue eyes studied him, assessing him not as a threat, but if he was alright. Her uniform differed from other Soul Reapers he had seen, still black, but the top was cut to be more formfitting with wrist length bell sleeves. The white hilt of her zanpakutuo poked out at her hip.

"Never had to have a Quincy help me fight a Hollow I was chasing," she said wryly as she offered him her hand.

"To be fair," he coughed. "I think it was chasing me first, and I had no desire to be eaten, at least not tonight, Soul Reaper."

His sarcasm made a laugh burst from her lips, and that, oddly, made him smile.

"It's not Soul Reaper, Quincy," she said once her laughter died down. "It's Naoko Ishida."

He huffed a laugh and took her hand, "And it's not Quincy to you, Ishida, it's Yumichika Ayasegawa."


*I'm sorry for the short chapter, but it felt right to cut it off here and I hope the omake made up for it. I had this scene in my head all day and felt compelled to write it. I had fun coming up with Quincy techniques, so many possibilities… I'm not going to use much of canon, but if I do I'll mention it.

Please review and I'll post again July 3rd.*