"You remind me of a swan," I teased gently, sweat gathering at my hairline. Lying together in his bed with the sheets on always made me too hot, but I sacrificed my comfort for him. He always felt so cold during these attacks.
"Oh? How so?" JuushiroJushiro asked, forehead perspiring. Maybe he was too hot too. He cracked an eye open to look at me but didn't move from lying on his back.
"Your hair." I was on my stomach, propped up on my elbows as I braided a small part of it.
"Maybe we should fly away together," he said wistfully.
Swan feathers shifted in the breeze of his silent flash step before me. "Now, now. There's no need for fighting."
My mouth moved, trying to form words as I processed what was happening. "Oh…" was all I could say, lamely.
His brown eyes took me in, and the comforting pillow that was his power pressed against my openly darker reiatsu curiously as if to say, Her? Are you her? Do I know you? He looked quietly surprised before his expression became somewhat shuttered.
"JuushiroJushiro," Shunsui's voice made me look over at him, remembering myself. "Is everything okay over here?" Walking over, he put his hand on his lover.
JuushiroJushiro seemed to give the smallest shake of his head, signaling something to Shunsui, before speaking. "We're fine. Are you okay?" he asked me, surprising me. "You have a little blood on your head."
Embarrassed, my hand shot up to swipe at my forehead. "I'm fine." Chrysanthemum bloomed on my cheeks as I made a fool of myself. "Just…just a squabble." I tried to explain it off as the two men looked at me expectantly.
Shunsui smiled at this before tipping his hat and obscuring his eyes. "That's good. We wouldn't want our new friend to get hurt," he told me, putting a hand on my shoulder. Unlike JuushiroJushiro's warm and comforting presence, Shunsui's was more playful. I felt it lapping at the edge of my senses, eager to persuade me to allow it in so that it could observe me with a keen eye.
"New friend?" I asked, forcing my feet to stay still and not take a step back. Don't ever take a step back out of fear, I solemnly reminded myself.
"Why don't you come with us?" JuushiroJushiro asked gently, gesturing for me to follow them into the hub of the Eighth Division.
"Okay…" I found myself all but dragged along, his reiatsu pressing at my feet so that he could feel that I was following along behind him.
I glanced back at Shunsui talking with Nanao before following JuushiroJushiro into the building. The hub was just as complex as I remembered it. It was one of the oldest in the Seireitei, and thus instead of being torn down and rebuilt with modern specifications, it had been given addition after addition until the entire building seemed like Frankenstein's birthday wish.
W e entered in one of the older parts. The doors were firm, genuine oak, and the ancient floorboards creaked loud despite our light feet. The faded walls had hand marks all over them, likely a buildup over the past century or more when Shunsui took over.
I was guided to one of the newest additions that I recalled being built during my courtesan days. The floorboards weren't as squeaky here, and the angled designs made it much easier to move about inside the rooms themselves.
When JuushiroJushiro sat me at a table, I had a feeling that I was really in for it. But instead he called for tea, and Shunsui joined us after a moment.
"Sugar?" he asked me, indicating to the hot cup that I had been served.
"No, thank you." I took a sip. "I'm surprised you're letting a ryoka this far into your squad, Captain." I pointedly looked at Shunsui.
He chuckled. "Well," they exchanged a look. Their code had been something I'd never been able to crack. "I guess we found the right ryoka," he assured me.
I made a surprised face. "Now I'm curious," I teased, putting my tea down. I'd been impatient and accidentally burned myself a bit.
JuushiroJushiro, not wanting to play like Shunsui and me, interrupted with a slight tenor of upsetness. This made my ears perk up. "We need to talk about Rukia Kuchiki," he stressed.
I dipped my head. "Right," I responded to his firm look. "We're here to save her," I answered after a beat.
"And?" Shunsui asked. My song sparrow eyes flicked up to him. Don't underestimate his perception, Shiro warned.
"I need a favor." I decided to start small.
"A favor?" JuushiroJushiro asked, eyebrows furrowing.
"Yes," I answered, eyes falling to the table. I held my hands up, trying to illustrate. "I can block the first blow of the Sokyoku." I watched their eyes widen at this. "But it needs to be destroyed." Otherwise, it's perfect for unlocking the Hogyoku…
Shunsui tipped his hat again, looking at the table while he thought. "Well, you certainly don't start easy." He smiled slightly, letting my words hang in the air. "How do we know we can trust you?" he asked finally.
"I'm here, aren't I?" I asked softly, leaning forward with my chin in my hands. Levying my bets, I reached across the table in front of me and tapped it three times. "I'll give you a hint," I spoke slowly.
"A hint?" JuushiroJushiro asked, frowning.
" Yes." I looked him in the eye, swallowing my feelings. "Tomorrow…a captain is going to be found dead." Instantly, both their powers flared in alarm at the perceived threat. "He's not dead," I enunciated each word with a tap.
"What do you mean…?" JuushiroJushiro asked, confounded.
I leaned back. "I can't say any more. Ask Unohana," I directed him. Looking out the window, I was alarmed to see that the sun was already setting. It felt like time was slipping away from my fingers faster than water.
"Rukia…how long have you known her?" Shunsui wondered aloud, drawing my attention back.
"Oh…since she came to the World of the Living," I automatically answered. It was true, in a way.
"You're doing all this for someone you've only known for two months?" JuushiroJushiro asked quietly, looking at me in surprise.
I nodded. "She's…really helped my family," I confessed. Especially Ichigo. He used to be sad…
What was that? Shiro questioned the erroneous thought as a spark of surprise went through me.
"I see." JuushiroJushiro nodded, looking down at his now cold tea. "Can I ask you something else?" He surprised me. Seeing my nod, he continued. "How old are you?"
This made me blink. "I'm 22," I answered automatically. I think it was about right since the diary said I left when I turned 18.
He pursed his lips but didn't say anything for a moment. "I see. Well, it's nice to meet you, Miss…?"
"Koi"—I answered—"is my nickname." Feeling the need to break the intense eye contact, I stood and mock stretched. "I should be going now." I was trying to avoid their heavy feelings that I was responsible for. I couldn't bear being in their dual presences again. The push and pull of their powers, how I could feel them intimately comforting each other from the disturbing news of the soon-to-be-deceased captain…I couldn't take it any longer. Turning to leave, I was stopped by Shunsui's voice.
"Any suggestions on how to destroy the Sokyoku?" His question made me pause.
Shifting foot to foot, I tried to jog my memory. "Try the Shihoin family," I shot back after a bit of thought before giving a half wave and leaving.
X
Hiding behind a small building on the outskirts of the Fourth Division, I sniffled. My powers were locked deep inside of me, and I felt faint from the internal pressure. Slowly sliding down the wall, I hid my head in between my legs.
"What the hell…!"
Seeing them again wasn't supposed to have this effect on me.
X
What was that? Shiro questioned the sudden jump in reiatsu from the Twelfth Division, a scant jump from where we were.
That was close…Releasing my powers somewhat, I felt around on the air. I think this is…Mayuri? I couldn't be sure after so long. We had almost avoided each other with how little we interacted in the past.
His purple reiatsu could be seen gathering in agitation over the roofs as I jumped up to get a better view. If he's not in his lab…An idea struck me.
Free pickings. Shiro licked her lips greedily.
The setting sun caught my eyes painfully as I made to hurry over the roofs. My shikai was activated once more, instead covering my whole body this time. I looked like a shadow as I ran, feet picking out the sturdier tiles from looks alone.
Taking advantage of the faltering light, I bounded over the main road I had crossed earlier to get into the Eighth and slid to a stop on the roof of the smaller outlying building next to the Twelfth's main building. There was a large, empty space between me and the obvious front door of the building, and I had the strong inclination to believe that it was booby trapped.
Jumping up, I focused my reiatsu into hard disks beneath my feet in the air. I used those to jump onto the roof of the hub, twilight slipping down as it descended in the Soul Society.
Now…where could it possibly be? I paused, making sure my powers were once again withdrawn, and wracked my brain.
I couldn't recall ever going inside the modern Squad 12.
We'll have to do this the old-fashioned way, I warned.
I'll keep an eye out, she agreed.
Approaching some larger air ducts, I made quick work of their outer coverings before slipping myself inside awkwardly. I held my asauchi still as I scrambled in, trying to minimize its bumping.
Stifling a sneeze, I used my shadows to pull the duct cover back on before I made my way down and around.
X
I'm never doing this again, I decided for the both of us resolutely. My clothes were absolutely soiled, dust and other mysterious stains setting their feet into the fabric. My eyes burned, my throat itched, and my stomach was all but eating itself after going so long without food.
Bathroom too. Shiro hooped the mental basketball she'd been playing with for the past few hours.
Thanks, I responded dryly.
T he inside of Squad 12 was neatly organized alphabetically. We were currently in the ceiling of the "Kelvin Room" and trying to inch along as fast as we could. There was no one in the room, but there was an experiment humming in some kind of reactor below, and I doubted it would be left alone for long.
Finally making it out of that room and through the noticeably thick adjoining wall, we slipped into the Ls.
When I hit a noticeable paper library, I felt like a jackpot winner. Awkwardly shoving my face into the vent for a better angle, I pleaded with Shiro to help even though I had banished the basketball some time earlier.
Sighing, she gave in.
M, N, O, P…Q! I covered my mouth from the excitement. Ever so slightly, I let a single cobweb drip from the vent as I tested the air. No one's here.
Sliding out of a vent and replacing the vent cover should not be this thrilling. Turning to flash step away from the normal person door, my head twisted as I searched in the back of Q.
Quincy! I pulled out the book with a fervor, tucking it into my shihakusho. Is that it? I realized, dismayed, as I stepped back.
That power from earlier is growing, Shiro noted, startling me. Reaching out, I confirmed it.
Who is that? I questioned the much smaller blue fog opposing Mayuri.
I think that's Ichigo's friend Uryu, she gandered.
My eyes narrowed as I felt the blue light fade somewhat as the venom grew palpable in the air even at this distance. These damn kids. They're too young!
Feeling spurred into action, I double-checked the book was secure before looking up. Seki! The reddish curved shield appeared above my head as I pushed off from the ground.
Flash stepping upward, I used my kido as protection as I flew through three floors, screams cutting off quickly from around me as I shot well into the night sky.
Losing momentum, I caught myself with my reiatsu step blocks and pushed off to flash step toward the fight. I hope I can make it…!
Shiro slithered deeper into my consciousness when the duo—no, trio—came into view. He's too smart. He'll see me, she explained.
Acknowledging this, I watched as Uryu's body suddenly rose from the ground, reiryoku holding it up like a puppet at slightly awkward angles. What…is this!?
The reiatsu flowing into him was immense. Stopping on the nearest roof, I saw him glance at me as we exchanged a look. I only had eyes for the massive bow in his hands.
" You're…a Quincy?" I whispered, not expecting to be heard over the oceanic roar of his supernatural abilities.
"The last," he answered, his voice carrying and interweaving in the air around me.
"Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo!" Mayuri's voice rang out, and my head whipped around in shock at the explosion. The dust rose up from the crushed buildings, and a ghastly purple haze was thrown up. A large, dark, shadowy being was formed.
Poison! Shiro realized quicker than me, using her strength to force one of my hands to cover my mouth and nose. I watched as Mayuri's nauseating bankai formed completed, the bulbous, jaundiced, malnourished baby head blinking its reddening eyes at us. Behind it, farther enough into the shadows of the night that I couldn't quite see it, I could hear its centipede body popping, squirming, and shifting.
Drawing my short sword rather than the asauchi I had planned to use, Uryu's voice stopped me.
"No! This is my fight!"
I looked at him incredulously. Opening my mouth to tell him how stupid I thought he was, I was interrupted by Mayuri.
"Attack!" he hollered, foregoing any niceties and waving his three-pronged blade about. Shrieking shrilly, the creature charged over him, easily maneuvering around him despite its enormity. Using its hands, it easily crushed the buildings on either side as it charged us.
"This is for…my grandpa!" Uryu's whisper pierced through the growing roar of his bow as he focused all his power into it. It responded, beginning to sing.
Just as the eldritch creature was upon us, he released the bow string. I shielded my eyes as the blinding light went forth, easily spearing through the bankai. With a choked bawl, the bankai wetly fell apart and slid naught but a few meters from the young man.
Hearing another, smaller, pained gasp, I turned to see Mayuri's form start to bubble. Flash stepping down next to Uryu as his power rescinded, we stared as the scientist all but liquified.
"Next time, Quincy…next time…" he murmured, voice echoing out of the goo that was sinking and sneaking in between the stones on the ground and the walls around us.
Staring, I didn't notice Uryu's condition until he had dropped to one knee. I went to put my hands on him, green healing energy already growing, before a voice stopped me.
"He needs the antidote," the young woman on the wall spoke, her lieutenant badge on her arm falling off. Her angle looked painful. "The poison…it's affecting me. The antidote…is behind my badge…" she coughed out.
Uryu coughed as well, watching us. It's in their lungs, Shiro reckoned.
Slowly, cautiously, I approached the young woman. "Your captain was going to sacrifice you," I observed.
"Yes," she agreed before coughing. Frowning, I pulled the small vial out of her hidden pouch.
"How many doses?" I asked, looking in between them. She's worse, but I don't know if I can heal this…
"Half," she assured me. "Unless you can't carry him. Then all of it," she elaborated.
I looked at Uryu, contemplative. "Doesn't matter," he spoke gruffly, and I could hear the strain as he tried to breathe deep. "Give it all to her."
Stupid kids. Shouldn't have brought them.
X
Uryu's limp, unconscious form didn't weigh me down too much. His breathing had cleared up, and despite the continual disbursement of his powers, he was fine. I had been able to attend to his major injuries on the scene.
Stepping into the underground training area, I was surprised to see Yoruichi standing before me and the sounds of Ichigo fighting, steel on steel, well behind her in the background.
"What happened?" she asked, no nonsense, helping him off my back. She laid him onto the ground and took his pulse before she started looking him over for injuries.
"Captain of Squad 12," I answered gruffly, seeing her wince at the title.
"I see," she said thoughtfully, laying his arm down when she saw nothing major. "Did you heal him?" she asked, not looking up.
"No. The Squad 12 lieutenant did," I lied.
She nodded before standing and pointing toward where I sensed Ichigo fighting. "Ichigo is fighting to gain his bankai right now. I suggest you do the same. I'll watch Ishida," she told me. I eyed the glowing golden rope looped around her other arm, unfamiliar with what kido she was using.
"I don't have shikai," I corrected her, touching the asauchi at my waist.
She turned back to me, eyes wide. "You don't have shikai?" she asked, shocked. I nodded and her face went dark. "I see." She bit her thumb, turning around. She muttered to herself. "We're running out of time…"
I looked at Ishida Uryu, thinking.
X
"Hey." Yoruichi approached Ishida and me. We had claimed a small base far away from Ichigo's training in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid his grating reiatsu.
"Hello," he returned smartly before I could respond.
S he smirked back at this. "I'm going out to get supplies. Ichigo will be fine for a little while." She noticed my worried glance toward the yelling. "By the way, how did you manage to find this place? I need to cover up any holes," she explained.
She's suspicious of us, Shiro fretted.
I could only agree with her.
"I sensed Ichigo," I falsified. "So intuition, I guess." I tried to avoid her.
She gave me a short look that almost made me sweat before turning around. "All right. See you later!" She flash stepped away.
She's onto us completely.
Ishida simply adjusted his glasses before redirecting me with a surprisingly soft touch. His powers felt like a soft ocean waft as they diluted away.
"And why the interest?" he asked again from where we had been interrupted.
"Don't tell Ichigo?" I looked at his surprised face imploringly. "He's…got enough on his mind." I glanced back as if to make sure he wasn't anywhere near despite not feeling him.
Ishida took a moment to decide. "Sure." He gave in.
"Our mom was a Quincy," I told him slowly, recalling his statement from just a few hours ago.
His eyes widened. "What?" he asked, almost dumbly.
"I don't know what her maiden name was, or if she was part of any of the great families, but I do know that she was a Quincy," I elaborated. "My—our dad spilled the beans, and that's why I left," I explained, opening up to him to try and gain his trust.
His youth, the way he stared at me like a child would stare at a scary adult, made it easy to open up. I miss being young and innocent, I realized with a pang.
He adjusted his expression, and I watched him flatten out his face again. "I…see," he forced out. "Then let's at least try," he said as if to convince himself. "My powers will be gone soon, but maybe I can help you." His face became resolute as he thought out loud.
Shiro felt pity at the idea of him becoming defenseless, especially so deep in enemy territory.
We'll protect him, I soothed her. We'll protect all these kids.
"When I summon my bow, this is what I feel…" he started, hands up. I copied his pose, distantly remembering a time when a blond-haired man had instructed me on kido not 50 steps from here.
I felt a pang as my heart reached toward him.
X
" Hey, guys! I'm going to—whoa!" Diving out of the way, Ichigo almost dived into the arrow I was aiming to skim by his head. "Watch what you're doing!" he gritted out, spitting out dust, before it registered what I was doing. "What?! A bow?!" he yelled from the ground, dumbstruck.
"No, it's a zanpakutou," I said, feeling smarmy. Immediately, Ichigo's grating reiatsu turned more to agitation.
Frowning again, he stood up and dramatically brushed himself off. "That's new," he started, surprisingly calm as he managed to get a handle on his feelings. I was interested when his powers relaxed with him, the constant grating becoming quieter. "Did you just learn that?" he asked, looking at me with what I could only place as pride.
"Yes. Thanks to Uryu." I looked up to see him somewhat embarrassed from my words.
"You just needed a push in the right direction." He downplayed his part, hand going up to wave us away. "You're a natural." He gestured to my bow.
Unlike his bow of brilliant blue light, my bow was solid. It was black like my zanpakutou, blue bezels winding up the sides to loop together at the top. It was also more compact than his, but I had a feeling that that was from my height.
But what really mattered was the fact that I fell into it like a well-loved glove. The pull of the string, the silent bend of the bow limbs, how the sight window seemed cued just for my eyes…
This bow is us, Shiro recognized.
Us. I agreed.
X
"Different types of arrows?" I asked curiously, watching as Ishida tried to summon his bow. His spiritual energy was almost gone now. I didn't have the heart to say it out loud, to tell him what we both knew.
"Yes. If I could just…" he dropped off, visibly tensing as he tried to draw on the last dredges of his reserves. A small beam of light erupted from his hand, a small shock wave that quickly dissipated.
My mouth fell open in horror as he brought his hand up to stare at it. "My powers…" The sorrow in his voice was tangible. I forced my eyes to the ground to give him privacy.
Hearing a shaky breath, I dipped my head down and debated whether I should release my own now for the time being. These new powers were hard to pull up and materialize, and I felt as though they were wrapped up tightly around something inside of me. It would be a welcome break.
"No matter." He startled me. "Put your bow up, Kurosaki. We need to save Rukia," he demanded.
I complied. "It's Koi, actually," I corrected him.
X
"Yoruichi says that we have to go now for the execution." Ichigo's serious voice broke my thoughts, making me look up with wide eyes.
"It's already time?!" I asked, shocked. I almost looked around for a clock.
"Yeah," he agreed before making to jump away. "Let's go!" He flash stepped away, surprising me.
"Wait!" I called after him, immediately following after. I caught up easily as we flew out of the training arena at the base of Sokyoku Hill. "Together!" I yelled over the wind between us as we made to jump upward.
He smiled at me, Zangetsu latched to his back. "Together," he agreed, holding out his fist.
I bumped him back.
Flying upward, I focused my energy to speed up a tiny bit as I felt the heat of the Sokyoku fall onto us. The air became harsher, and my skin started to redden from the steaming air.
"Damn, that's hot," Ichigo remarked next to me.
"We're in the kitchen now," I agreed as we shot over the ridge of the plateau. My eyes widened when I realized the Sokyoku had not only been released to its true phoenix form, but that it was racing toward Rukia.
"Rukia!" our twin voices screamed as we drew our blades to block the Sokyoku.
Bang!
The beak of the phoenix bashed on Ichigo's shikai and my unreleased zanpakutou. We each took our free hand and pressed against the blunt sides of our blades, reiatsu burning up visibly around us into steam as we were slowly pressed back. I could feel the slow flambeau of my face as I stared into one of its large black eyes. My poor asauchi started to glow red as the heat leaked through and pinched at my fingertips.
Flapping loudly, the Sokyoku backed up to give a low bellow before it shifted into a better attack stance to eviscerate us. I won't…be able to do that again!
A godsend. A silver blade on a length of purple rope flew up and looped several times around the neck of the executioner before flying back down. Looking down, I relaxed slightly when I saw Shunsui give me a wave.
"Barely made it!" he seemed to mouth to me over the deafening, crackling flames. Shiro laughed at how impractically happy we felt, given the screaming kids behind us and the destructive beast glaring into our eyes.
"Koi, move!" Ichigo yelled, surprising me. Not taking my eyes off of the Sokyoku as it slowly grew whiter, its powers dissipating as it was destroyed, I flash stepped out of the way while Ichigo made quick, efficient work of the execution stand.
The captains below clamored on the Sokyoku Hill, and I found myself going eye-to-eye with the Head Captain himself. Do you think he recognizes us? Shiro shivered.
I don't know. We never met him.
A sudden gruff yell from below, and one barreling Soul Reaper-sized football later, and Rukia was off, using Renji as an escape vehicle.
Now things are going to get wild. I watched as Ichigo took the initiative, defeating all the present lieutenants with hand-to-hand combat before meeting his blade to Captain Kuchiki's. The elegant, black-haired nobleman's flower petal-like spiritual pressure twirled around the hill as they began to fight.
Shifting my eyes as I deemed Ichigo really was following the exact path I had, I contemplated what to do. We should wait for Aizen, Shiro decided for us.
Agreeing, I glanced at the staredown happening between my previous lovers and the Head Captain. One of JuushiroJushiro's squad members rushed forward to help one of the lieutenants, and the small short-haired Captain Soifon was quick to knock her down and stomp on her chest.
JuushiroJushiro, naturally, went to help his subordinate but was blocked by the Head Captain. Let's…stay put for now. I tried to discreetly hide my powers in me as I felt the Head Captain's inferno of spiritual pressure raise its head with aggression.
Their voices didn't quite rise to the level that I could hear as I stood in the sky, but the burgeoning waves within JuushiroJushiro and the snapping of Shunsui's powers told me all I needed to know.
They're making a run of it! I realized, watching JuushiroJushiro and Shunsui disappear.
They won't make it, Shiro doubted. I shrugged her negativity off as the Head Captain disappeared to give chase.
"Yoruichi?" I asked out loud, looking to the left as I felt a feline energy growing bigger as it came toward us. With a snap of my neck, I still couldn't see her as she struck Captain Soifon and abducted her to somewhere far away.
Cautiously looking around, I spotted the final captain that had joined the execution. Captain Unohana. She was checking on the unconscious Soul Reapers and gathering them into one pile. I watched with a disgusted fascination as she released her shikai, an unusual hybrid of a whale and a manta ray forming, and put the wounded inside its oversized mouth.
She didn't glance at me as she then jumped on top of the creature, floating away toward the Fourth.
We missed a lot of stuff in our go-around, Shiro observed.
"Yeah, we did…" I answered.
There being no more captains, I slowly let myself float to the ground and observe Ichigo's fight. I slowly, experimentally, began to pull reiryoku into me as I had observed Uryu doing.
We should wait for Aizen.
I agreed with Shiro. We don't know what kido his lackey used to transport himself and Rukia here. So might as well wait. I huffed, sitting and making myself comfortable.
A re we going to use Kuroiha? Shiro asked. She had a good point. This was our main zanpakutou, the one that we were closest with.
No, I decided. It's too big of a risk it'll get recognized. I looked down at the black wrapping I had wrapped over the hilt of my asauchi. Our blades will give us away.
The Head Captain wouldn't take too kindly to time travel powers, Shiro sadly agreed.
Aizen either. I frowned at what a cow it would be if he found out.
Ichigo's fight was vicious. He fought at maximum strength, meeting the experienced captain at every slice of his blade. They almost seemed evenly matched, save for Byakuya Kuchiki's experience. Ichigo needs to be more careful. I resisted the urge to yell out support, knowing it would just distract him, and Byakuya released his shikai.
Byakuya's shikai reflected him well. His blade broke apart at the call, the power braiding up and disseminating thousands of tiny cherry blossoms from the blade. Directing them with his hand, they seemed to double in speed as they free-flowed and chased my brother.
I felt something hot gurgle pleasantly inside of me as I realized how long it'd been since I fought Byakuya myself here. I had been straining then, but now I found it easy to keep up. A mark of my progress.
The fight continued on until Ichigo's bankai made me sit up from where I had slouched over. His bankai is tiny! I mentally admonished. A bankai was meant to be a final attack, something huge and showy. But this…this was something new. This compact, black blade was similar to my own in its darkness but seemed to harness and boost his speed compared to my abilities.
But, alas, Byakuya's bankai was showy, and he felt the need to activate it after Ichigo did. He's so aggressive. I tsked the young man, leaning back down as the black walls of Byakuya's bankai rose around the heavily damaged pair, obscuring them from both sight and sensation.
Leaning to the side, I managed to spy the rest of the kids from where I had barely sensed them earlier. Happy that the sensation wasn't a random blip, I stood, wiped off my clothes, and slowly walked over.
"Hey," I greeted the group on the other side of the small barren forest on top of the plateau. "You okay?" I asked Orihime, seeing that she was crouching down.
She looked up at me and gave a pained smile. "I'm fine," she assured me. "I'm fine."
"Sado? Ganju? Uryu…?" The three boys okayed themselves to me.
"Good," I returned the motion. "Orihime," I spoke to her strongly, bending down to put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at me, her face red and her eyes slightly watery. "It's going to be okay. But we're going to need you for this next part, okay?" I directed her, not specifying.
"Uh-huh," she whimpered but seemed to take strength from the fact that she was needed.
"Stay back until I tell you otherwise," I directed them, going back to the other side of the forest for a better view. "Things are going to get pretty dangerous now."
Feeling the sudden presences of Ichigo and Byakuya, I flash stepped just a little out of range of any attacks as I saw them exchange their final blows.
Ichigo was impaled through the right shoulder, Byakuya on the left. I watched as they spoke, Ichigo starting to teeter. Seeing that he wasn't catching himself, I was quick to wrap my arms around him and gently guide him down.
"Thanks, Koi…" he murmured to me, eyes glazing over somewhat from the pain. I ignored Byakuya's shocked eyes from my impressive speed as I began to heal my little brother.
I was able to heal the worst of his injuries before I felt the sudden appearance of a captain a scant few meters from us. Dropping Ichigo and ignoring his indignant sound, I drew my asauchi and charged blindly into the white streamers that signaled the arrival of Rukia and Renji, stolen away from their path by Kaname Tosen.
There was a small intake of breath as he became aware of my presence, shifting to the side as I sliced his face deeply.
Dropping the transportation kido, he flash stepped farther away while I felt another two captains arrive in a similar fashion.
Him.
Author's Note:
We're halfway done with the story! 26 chapters total. I'm excited that you've enjoyed it so far, and I hope you'll enjoy the next half even more! :) :)