Disclaimers, etc.: see chapter one
Opening Theme: Jue Ai by Faye
Ending Theme: TBA

Author's Note: This chapter refers to some watered-down M rated versions of events from Immortal Princess [MA Only]. This involved particular kinds of violence, including certain violence against children. Read with caution.

Chapter 07 written 11/09/2022

Bleach: Cross
Red Gemini
by Eugena

Rated M

Chapter Seven: A World Where the Unlikely is True

天国的白雪公主

SOUL SOCIETY - FIFTH DIVISION

Back with Yukihime, Mayuri fitted the last puzzle piece in his mind. So, there it was, the explanation why the three of them acted so different around her, the reason why Shunsui Kyoraku was so terrified of her, and the reason why she resented Yamamoto most of all.

"What do I have to do to help Seigen's daughter?" Yukihime asked him.

"I need to put you back in these spirit bindings," he explained.

"Okay."

He began to tie her to Raiko again.

"Yukihime, do you know who we are?" Yoruichi asked.

"Of course, I do, Shihoin Taicho," she said. "You are Yoruichi Shihoin, taicho of the second division and head of the punishment force." Then she looked to Soi Fon. "And you are Soi Fon. You were her fukutaicho, but it looks like you got promoted. Congratulations!" Then she looked at Kisuke. "And you are Kisuke Urahara, taicho of the twelfth division. You do a lot of research for all of us. And you like pretty women. I'm sure you've visited the -. Never mind."

"Do you know who you are to us?" Yoruichi asked.

"I'm nothing to you. I'm a nobody. Especially now that I'm no longer married to Seigen. Please, anything I may do for any of you to repay my gratitude for saving Seigen's children, just name it. Nothing would be too much to ask. I know I'm not pretty or anything, but you can ask for that, too, if you want."

Mayuri gripped her arm.

"You, too, taicho," she said to him. "If that's what you'd like."

He couldn't look at her. He didn't want to begin to imagine why she thought that was okay.

"Seigen wouldn't approve," he said. "Not going that far. You would bring him shame to keep offering that."

Kisuke had to admit Mayuri was smart.

"Then I'll be your servant," she amended. "I must not tarnish Seigen's good name."

Mayuri and the others wanted to do a lot more than tarnish his name.

天国的白雪公主

While Toshiro Hitsugaya tried uselessly to break the barrier, Sajin, Shunsui, and Ikkaku caught the look on the fifth division member's face.

"What did they say?" Shunsui asked her.

"Abe Vice Alpha - Vice Alpha says they feel the bindings breaking," Chie said.

"What bindings?" Ikakku asked.

"I'm just in beta," she explained, "so I'm not the best expert, but that has something to do with the barrier. If she said bindings, it meant Shinnouhi reinforced them.

"Vice Alpha says if the bindings only break above them, we are to use all our energy and talent to keep the barrier around the fifth division up. We must let alpha division kill the intruders and keep them out of everywhere else."

"But what's happened?" Shunsui asked.

The woman cast a side glance at Toshiro and said nothing.

Shunsui nodded slightly as he looked at Ikkaku. "You'd better keep an eye on him," he gestured at Toshiro. "No matter what you have to do. I'll spread the word to get everyone ready."

Sajin nodded slightly to indicate he would help as well.

The woman clutched Shunsui's arm. "You'd best be fast."

天国的白雪公主

It wasn't quite accurate that Kenpachi Zaraki never saw Shirahime kneel.

She knelt before. Zero division publicly whipped her in front of them all. She knelt there and said nothing. She had no tears. Only the sound of her blood dropping on the ground broke the silence she held.

This other self, this Yukihime, lived a life of humiliation. She belonged to this Seigen, begged him to take a "worthy" wife and said that he - not with her - had two children. She begged for them. She offered herself - in every way - as a means of gratitude.

It was sick to see her do it to Urahara. Apparently, she didn't know. Just as Shirahime didn't know that one time after she had been resurrected. She did it to save Ichigo. She thought Kisuke was like that man who liked to do those things with children. Better to offer herself than allow him to use a child.

Not that he did.

She had been tortured and no longer knew any of them. Tabula Rasa.

Then and now were but a few times he felt sorry for Urahara. The man hated Shirahime long ago. Now he begged for recognition. Both times, both no doubt a result of torture, she offered it. And both times, she did not know of their relation.

The real Shirahime would have killed herself one hundred times over.

They agreed not to speak of it. In case she did not recall that detail, they needed not to remind her. She had confused him for someone working with that man.

How he hated the royal family, besides her children and her would-be husband. Shiroyuki was not a bad man - god. He would have been instrumental to getting rid of the king.

But now he was gone.

Now Shirahime was gone.

This Yukihime was in her place.

Her only friend was Sosuke Aizen.

Now, at last, he truly understood.

Aizen must have seen Shirahime the same as Yukihime. Then again, hadn't he seen Shirahime the same as Sam Hawthorne, her human self?

Was there a Shirahime, or was there just a long line of tortured souls?

Perhaps Unohana had a point.

Maybe they should go see the bad man.

With Shirahime, he believed he could see her again even after such a visit.

But if they brought Yukihime, would she ever return?

"Aizen should have married her," Zaraki said. "I can't believe there's ever a world where that is true."

"You've got to be kidding!" Rangiku said. "Have you lost your mind?"

"No, mine works just fine. Unlike yours. Yachiru," he turned to her, "do you understand now what's going on?"

"Traitor confused mom with this one. She's mom and not mom."

"Something like that," he said. "I bet this Seigen killed her, too."

"Unsurprising," Chad observed.

"You think out of jealousy?" Uryu asked.

"Jealous about what?" Rangiku asked.

"Matsumoto, just don't ask," Hanataro said.

"At last, it all makes sense," Jushiro said.

"If we have no other choice," Kenpachi said, "we might have to bring her to him. But this time, Unohana's not going. As long as she's got that sphere, she can't go anywhere near him."

"Aizen wouldn't hurt her. Not as long as she had it," Jushiro reasoned.

"But Aizen's not a proper god," Kenpachi reminded them. "He can't use it. He might destroy it and not mean to."

"Then Kurotsuchi and I will go," Jushiro said.

"You'll have to bring one of us along if that happens," Uryu said. "We're immune to his zanpakuto."

"Only for now," Kenpachi reminded him. "Only Shirahime - well, Yukihime right now - Daichi and Raiko would be."

"But, Kenny," Yachiru objected, "sister can't go there. She keeps whispering about Weasel Face."

"Weasel Face?" Uryu asked.

"Gin Ichimaru," Chad said.

"Kenpachi, I don't think either Shirahime or this Yukihime would be safe," Uryu said. "She obviously shouldn't be around Ichimaru and Aizen either doesn't care or doesn't notice."

"Doesn't notice," Yachiru said. "Weasel Face looks when he's not looking. What does sister mean, Kenny? What does she mean he's looking? Looking how?"

"In a very bad way," Kenpachi said. "Very bad."

"Fine," Jushiro said, "if we must, we'll have to bring along someone to distract him. Matsumoto," he turned to her, "perhaps you should just strip for him."

"What?" she objected.

"Come now," Jushiro said, "with everything you do on a daily - or at least weekly - basis, this should be nothing. Surely you could offer yourself in place of someone way too young for that. Our princess has done that before. She has saved children who aren't her own. Can't you?"

"Gin wouldn't -."

"He's been looking at our princess' daughter. Even though she doesn't understand, she still sees him do it."

"And how would he know about her? We just met her now. Not even Aizen probably knows. Or that bad man, whoever he -. Oh, my gods, are you trying to tell me Aizen is Daichi's father?"

"Of course, he's not his father," Yachiru said. "Yumi is his father. Shinjiro is Raiko's father."

"Rangiku, just shut up," Uryu said. "And don't repeat that."

"You heard him," Kenpachi said. "Don't repeat it."

"But -," she objected, "in order to be their father, he and Shirahime would have had to - would have had to -. When did that happen?"

Uryu placed his hands over Yachiru's ears. "He was her only friend," Uryu said. "She had no one but him. Seigen took away her children. Seigen no doubt killed her out of jealousy. Seigen forced her to be last. She was humiliated. She had only one friend. This friend loved no one but her - and his child whom he might not have known about before. He thinks he has a child, one child. He does not know he has two.

"All of this happened because Shirahime wanted to hide Raiko from him. Now, Rangiku, do even you get it?"

Rangiku's mouth hung open. Yachiru swatted Uryu's hands away. "Are you having more adult conversations, Kenny? Can we get mom back now? She'll punish Rangi here for saying traitor is brother's and sister's father.

"You're jealous of mom, Rangi. But leave my brother and sister alone! They've been by themselves and without mom for a long time. So many of my brothers and sisters have gone away. I'm not going to let anything happen to Daichi and Raiko!"

谢谢你们的阅读。