Well folks...This is it. The end of the substitute soul reaper arc, and the beginning of the soul society arc. Ive been wanting to get to this point in the story for so long now...Its hard to believe that we're here. Im very happy in regards to that.
However, the truth of the matter is that its bitter sweet, that as of now, the canon of the original story has ended. The ending has left many people upset, and for very good reasons. There are unanswered questions, important ones at mythos of the soul king, Aizens motivations, the war that the soul reapers and quincys fought 1000 years ago. All of that is left unknown, and its a damn shame.
However,...Im not mad with this ending. Disappointed yes, but not mad. Fact is, for what it is, I actually like it. The problems with the ending of Bleach is with what we DIDN'T get, not what we did.
I for one was super happy that Rukia was promoted to Captain. She deserves it. Im just as equally happy to see all the characters I like happy, alive and well. Ichigo's all grown up now, and he's happily married with Orihime with a absolutely adorable son. The same can be said with Rukia and Renji. Uryu is the had doctor now, Chad a world famous boxer, and the other members of Ichigo's group seem quite happy.
It sucks that we didnt see Isshin, Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Grimjow one last time I admit, it sucks that the final battle only lasted two chapters. But Kubo did the best he could with 6 chapters. This was clearly a rushed ending and not how he intended to end the series. The guy has made many mistakes in writing Bleach, but i cant see him being happy with ending it this way.Its a rushed ending, and as far as rushed endings go, its not bad. I'm not saying that negates all the problems it has, I'm not saying you shouldn't be upset. By all means, I get it, because im upset too. I WANT all those answers and were not getting it because the ending was rushed. It SUCKS. It REALLY sucks.
All i'm saying, is that this was as good as it possibility could have been with just 6 chapters. No one could have written a satisfying conclusion with that amount of chapters. So, until the anime eventually returns, I'm personally willing to take it for what it is, and not for what it isnt. Bleach has been such an important part of my life for the last 8 years, given me so many characters that I love and enjoy...and I'm not going to stop loving it over this.
Thank you, Kubo. Thank you Bleach for 8 amazing years. Its been fun.
I do promise you though that we WILL give you answers, you WILL find out about the soul king, you WILL get all the bankais, and you will get a proper resolution.
However, I need to address something right here, right now. If your reading this story in hopes of seeing Ichiruki since you didn't get it in cannon...I'm sorry,, but your not going to get that here ether. I don't want to mislead you for 12 more chapters only for you to find out then. If your reading this with the hope of that ship happening, I want you to know right now, its not going to happen.
This isnt because I have anything against said paring. I think its fine, i really have no complaints...I just feel that Ichihime is something that makes more sense in context of this story in particular. This isnt JUST because they ended up in cannon. I had this planned from the very beginning. I just feel the two of them have a better connection and chemistry in regards to this story. I know we havent done any real development with it yet. Don't worry though, that's on purpose.
That's not to say that Ichigo and Rukia wont have a special bond in this story. Those two will always be close friends. The relationship between them is something i cherish as a fan of Bleach, and I promise you all, it wont be going anywhere. If anything, i feel their connection as friends works far better than as romance. If you like the pairing and want it to happen, more power to you, Its just not going to happen here.
So, with that all said...I give you, the end of the substitute arc, and the beginning of soul society. Please enjoy and leave yours thoughts in a review.
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.
"Are you sure it will be okay?" Rukia said, a hint of anxiety in her voice, as she and Ichigo made their way up to the front door of the Kurosaki residence.
"Oh, come on," Ichigo said reassuringly. "With how big of an impact you made on my life, you could at least meet my family. Mom and dad already know, so there's no need to put on a show."
He had managed to convince her, with some effort, to come in for dinner one afternoon. Ichigo himself wasn't a social animal, but he figured it was a good enough idea. For the time being, she was part of his life, and she might as well get to know his loved ones.
Ichigo went to open the door, but was showed up by his youngest sister Yuzu, who had no doubt watched them walking up the street. Cheerily she opened the door, ushering Rukia inside.
"Come in, come in!" She said excitably. "You're Kuchiki Rukia, yes? So nice to meet you!"
"Ah, yes, er, nice," Rukia said, feeling a little overwhelmed as Yuzu shook her hand energetically. "My, aren't you… lively."
"Come on, I'll introduce you to the others," Yuzu said, either ignoring or not hearing Rukia's comment. Tugging at Rukia's hand, she all but dragged her toward the living room.
"Is she always this…" Rukia whispered, making a gesture with her head.
"She's just excited because you're from the afterlife." Ichigo said, and shrugged. "She loves those things."
"You told her?" Rukia hissed.
"Mom did, actually," Ichigo said. "Figured after my whole transformation and that big fight she had with Erza, it would be hypocritical to let me know all this stuff but keep my sisters in the dark. Karin's still skeptical, but Yuzu was overjoyed."
"Guys, they're here!" Yuzu said happily, finally letting go of Rukia. They were in the living room, where Karin was sat on a couch, playing some sports game on her playstation, and Isshin was just relaxing in a comfortable chair. Masaki was nowhere to be seen, although she could be heard well enough, stirring in the kitchen.
"Hi." Karin said unemphatically, not taking her eyes off the screen. Isshin, however, was every bit her opposite, standing up with a look of dorky cheer on his face.
"Ah, Rukia!" He said, putting his beer down and holding his arms out. "So here's the woman I can thank for making a man out of my boy, eh?"
Rukia hadn't met any of them before, not in person, but had gotten the impression that Isshin was a bit of a loudmouth. His reputation did not disappoint.
"Dad, shut up," Ichigo said bluntly.
"Aww, am I embarrassing you in front of your little friend?" Isshin said with a grin. "Come on in, I'll bust out the baby pictures!"
"Dad!" Ichigo snarled angrily, and Isshin burst into laughter.
"Just hassling you, son. So, you're Rukia, eh? We've heard great things about you."
"Er, yes," Rukia said, somewhat sheepishly. "That's me."
It was a little awkward, lame jokes aside, to come in here. No matter what Erza would say about how Ichigo was bound for this kind of fate anyhow, she couldn't help but feel she had brought him into this- into a world of danger. Facing his family… filled her with guilt. Irrational guilt, but emotion does not care about rationality.
But, something else in her mind noted, the more astute, soldierly part of her, haven't I seen that face before?
She took a closer look. Isshin. Isshin, that was the name of… that had been the name of Kaien's clan head. Kaien, who looked like he was Ichigo's twin brother. Shiba Isshin, she realized, that was a familiar name.
Perhaps noticing the look on her face, Isshin said,
"We're all very excited to have you here. Aside from Erza, we've never met a real shinigami before. We don't know anything about that at all, you see,"
Rukia could swear she saw him wink, and took a deep breath.
"Y-yes. Of course, yes."
"Well, feel free to make yourself at home," He said heartily. "Or perhaps Ichigo would like to give you a guided tour of his room? We'll give you some privacy if-"
"DAD!" Ichigo growled.
"For pete's sake, dad, leave it alone," Karin muttered. "Just because you have children, it doesn't mean you have to try to embarrass them."
"Betrayal!" Isshin jeered dramatically. "My own flesh and blood, turning against me!"
"We do it all the time, because you're being an idiot." Karin said coldly. She paused her game, and looked at Rukia. "Hi."
"Hi," Rukia said tamely, waving at her.
"So you're the alleged shinigami, then?"
"Usually, yes. At the moment, no. It's complicated."
Karin stood up, leaned her head to the side, and gave her a skeptical look.
"Can you prove it?"
"Pardon?" Rukia said.
"Proof. I mean, I'm suddenly being told to reject everything I know about science, reason and logic, and I'm not seeing much good evidence. Do you have any proof?"
"…no?" Rukia said lamely.
"Ignore her. Most girls her age find some dumb idol or put on black clothes and crap, but she's turned into a skeptic." Ichigo said, and rolled his eyes.
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." Karin proclaimed.
"Yeah, yeah, and-" Ichigo began. Their argument-to-be was cut short, however, by Masaki's voice calling to them from the kitchen.
"Dinner's ready, you guys. Come get it while it's hot!"
Almost immediately, Isshin and Yuzu got up, and Karin followed suit, although she gave Ichigo a glare.
"When she calls, you go," Ichigo said, and followed the others. "Sort of how it works around here."
"Right." Rukia said. The Kurosakis were a colourful bunch- it was funny to think that Ichigo seemed to be the most normal one.
"So, Rukia," Yuzu said excitably, as the six of them sat down around the table, Yuzu having put herself next to Rukia, "can you tell us about the afterlife?"
"Yuzu, take it easy," Masaki said, in a motherly tut-tut. "At least wait till the food is served before you start pestering our guest."
"All right…" She said, seeming a bit disappointed.
The food, it turned out, was a rich fish stew of some sort, served with sticky rice. Masaki was an excellent cook, Rukia had to admit as she took her first few bites. It was painfully obvious, though, that Yuzu was not going to let this go. She was staring at Rukia like a kid at Christmas.
"She's a soldier, Yuzu," Ichigo said. "They can't just go around telling people about how things work on the other side. It's uh, classified and stuff."
"Right," Rukia said, grateful for the assist. "Classified."
"Really?" Yuzu said, and the look of disappointment in her face was like a knife twisting in Rukia's chest.
"Of course, um, there are some things I could say…" Rukia relented.
She explained in brief about the soul society, about souls and hollows, avoiding any specific details- Gotei protocol forbade this sort of thing strictly, but she was already breaking more than a few rules as it was.
"…and that's why a plus soul has a chain," Rukia finished.
"Whoa…" Yuzu said, her mouth a neat O.
"I bet she can't present empirical evidence to back any of that up," Karin huffed.
"We have plenty of science, actually," Rukia said. "We're not really magic, if you think about it. Just… differently physical."
"Interesting." Karin said. Her eyes were skeptically narrowed still, and Rukia doubted she had convinced her.
"But, er, I actually wanted to ask," she said, turning to Masaki, quickly changing the topic, "I'm surprised I was actually invited."
"Why is that?" Masaki said innocently.
"I hope this isn't going to ruin the mood but… I was told of how you felt about Ichigo being part of this." Rukia said. Ichigo gave her an unmistakable look, one that clearly said shut up, but Rukia continued. "It was an accident, you see. Er…"
Masaki sighed. "Yes, I had quite an outburst back then…"
"That's putting it mildly." Isshin said bluntly. He received a glare for his troubles, and promptly shut his mouth.
"I was… doing something foolish." Masaki said. The words sounded a little forced, as if she was loath to admit it- but admit it, she did. "I've had time to adjust now. It's for the best, even if I don't like that he has to do it. At any rate… if you hadn't been there, it would have been a lot worse."
He would have been dead, Rukia thought, remembering Ichigo's words.That counts for something.
"I'm glad, then," Rukia said, awkwardly taking another bite from her plate.
"It runs in the blood. No helping it. My past with the spiritual was not… very pleasant. At any rate, Ichigo has two good tutors now- he'll be fine."
Ichigo looked a bit awkward, seeming embarrassed at the notion of being praised by his mother in front of somebody else.
"He's really quite good," Rukia assured her.
"That's my boy, kicking ass and taking names!" Isshin said.
It made sense, when you thought about it. With a quincy for a mother and a captain for a father… it really did run in the blood.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Ichigo grumbled.
"Don't be modest, boy!" Isshin cheered. "You've a gift, and if you keep working hard, you could get any girl you want!"
"He's still getting an education and a job," Masaki said firmly. "The spiritual may be real, but so is everything else."
"Yeah, yeah…" Ichigo muttered. His mother was a very determined woman, it seemed. Rukia couldn't blame her. With a goofball father like that, and the weight of his new power weighing down on him, it might be what he needed. She smiled, as she watched them talk, bicker and converse while eating. This was family, of an entirely different kind from what she was used to. She found she did not mind it.
The ground shook, with Chad's ferocious punch slamming into the ground of the vast basement. Ichigo nimbly took one, two, three skips backward, his sword held at the ready. As the giant charged in, passionately roaring out, Ichigo dashed to the side, catching him in the side with a fist. Chad staggered back, and Ichigo took the opportunity to put him on defense, lashing out with a series of wild, fast cuts.
Not far from there, Orihime flung one blast after another at Uryu, who was dodging each shot easily. The young quincy had softened a bit as of late, in no small part thanks to his patient, loving aunt, and had volunteered to help. As a result, Orihime was getting a stronger and stronger grasp of her powers, a deeper understanding of it, while Uryu was learning to deal with a different kind of style.
Just in sight, past a large boulder, Tatsuki was running series after series of quick hits and strikes against her not-sensei, who patiently stopped every now and then to give her student feedback. The staff had initially been difficult, but once she had picked up the basics, she had turned out a natural, mixing her already significant martial arts skills with her new weapon.
Rukia watched all of it with interest, alongside Erza. It was not just Ichigo who had come a long way in a short time, but his friends too, now that they were all part of this as more than just bystanders. It was fascinating to watch, and she began to understand the appeal of mentorship- to impact somebody else, to make them something better, to build a lot from a little. To plant a seed, and watch it grow…
Erza, who occasionally would bark out an order or a comment, probably wouldn't put it quite so poetically, but there was no mistaking her dedication.
Life was funny. One day, you're out on your first ever living-world on the assignment. The next thing you know, you're powerless and watching a bunch of teenagers do things it took officers decades to learn. What was worse, Rukia realized, was that she had started thinking of them as friends. She had gotten to know most of them fairly well- Ichigo and his gruff demeanour and begrudging decency, Orihime and her bizarre combination of intelligence, compassion and lack of a grasp on reality, Tatsuki and her dogged, stubborn dedication to becoming something better… even Chad and Uryu, neither of whom were very approachable, had somehow ingratiated themselves to her. They were a group of friends. Not always merry, not always getting along, but always there for each other.
Life was funny, and deeply unfair. Because she knew it couldn't last. At most, it would take another month before her lack of reports would become pressing enough to investigate, if they hadn't already. She would be taken back, her powers retrieved, and that would be that. If they were lucky, the Gotei would just take his powers and not investigate the matter further. If not… she didn't want to think about it.
And even if she could ever come back to see them, she was shinigami and they were human, and from that perspective humans were as mayflies. Without even factoring in unnatural causes, diseases, childhood deaths, humans lived on average seventy-and-some years. A shinigami could live, in theory, forever. They aged, albeit so slowly that not one of them had ever died of natural causes. Rukia herself was over a hundred and fifty. In a decade, all of them would have graduated, gotten jobs, families… and a few more decades, they'd be raising a new generation. Another decade or two, and they would be dead. And it would seem like the blink of an eye. There was an afterlife, sure, but it was vast and often impossible to navigate. Before too long, she would have gone away from them, and she might never see them again.
Rukia snapped herself out of her melancholy. This was no time for ennui. When you had eternity- or rather, serving until you were violently killed- ahead of you, the best you could do was enjoy the moment. She smiled again, and watched Ichigo and Chad fight, both of them seeming tireless.
So far, she thought, They've come so far. I hope it will be enough.
The message came that very same night. She lay restless in her bed, Orihime having fallen asleep at least an hour ago. Erza was still in the basement, doing some late night training, and wouldn't be back till late. It was then when the hell butterfly flapped in, passing through the glass of the window as if it were nothing. For but a second, she thought it was a stray moth. Almost immediately, though, she recognized it, the unmistakable shape of the all-black little entity. The messenger of shinigami, and the most foreboding way possible to pass a simple message along. Trembling a little inside, she sat up in her bed, and extended her hand so that it could land on her finger. With its light touch, the words flowed into her mind.
Kuchiki Rukia, thirteenth division, unseated. Reported for multiple infractions, including failure to report, absence, meddling with mortals. You will be found and brought in for questioning. You will rendezvous with Gotei officers at your nearest rally point. Failure to comply will be added to the list of charges.
Rukia was wide awake now, totally alert. Rendezvous. There were several places designated, one not far from here. No matter what, she realized, she could not let herself be found here, or anywhere near hew new friends. No time for goodbyes, no time for anything- hastily, she discarded her pajamas, put her clothes on, and rushed downstairs. After clumsily putting her shoes on, she quickly headed outside, hoping Orihime hadn't heard anything. She did not have time to explain, no time for goodbyes- she just had to get away.
Part of her knew they would still have to find Ichigo, to sever the spiritual links that held her power in his body. She cursed inwardly, hoping he wouldn't do anything stupid- but no matter the case, it was out of her hands now. Jogging at the slow, weak pace of a human, she headed out into the night.
Kuchiki Byakuya stepped out of the senkaimon, Renji following closely behind him. The gateway closed, and gracefully, the two of them descended the twenty or so yards down to ground level.
"Do you sense her?" Byakuya asked. He was more than capable of finding her himself, he knew, but he preferred to let his junior officer do the work- the more experience he could garner, the better.
"Not yet, no," Renji mumbled, looking around. "Checking the rally points- wait, there!"
Rukia saw them from afar. At first she didn't believe her eyes- but the reiatsu signature was unmistakable. Her own noble brother, having come for her personally? Along with… Renji? Her jog slowed to a walk as she got closer.
"Well, look at that," Renji said neutrally. "So you came willingly after all?"
"Of course I did," Rukia said. "I'm not some rogue."
"Sure hope so," Renji said. His voice was gruff, and he seemed a little angry. Roughly, he grabbed her by the arm.
But then there was an arrow, a projectile of light, swirling past them. It nearly hit Renji in the head, missing it only by a millimeter.
"The things you see late at night," Uryu said, standing further down the street. He wasn't wearing his quincy uniform, likely having come here in a rush, despite how cool he tried to seem. "I just so happen to run an errand for sewing equipment, and two shinigami brigands assault a defenseless girl. What new lows won't you stoop to?"
"Butt out before I cave your face in, shithead," Renji snarled. "This don't concern you."
"On the contrary," Uryu said, stringing his bow with another arrow, "I think it does."
"You fool!" Rukia cried out. "Leave it alone! You'll get yourself killed!"
"On my honour as a gentleman, on my honour as a quincy, I cannot," Uryu said stubbornly.
"Deal with it." Byakuya said, his voice quiet and firm.
"You got it," Renji said, letting go of Rukia. "Buddy, you asked for it." Slowly he pulled out his zanpakutou, and took a step forward.
Erza felt it almost the instant it happened. The gateway opening, and two sources of immense reiatsu, not even bothering to mask themselves. She knew both signatures well- captain Kuchiki Byakuya and her old student, Abarai Renji. Elsewhere, and closing, the signature of Uryu Ishida. And not far away, Ichigo's signature, leaving his house and heading out, no doubt toward the new arrivals. Immediately, she sheathed her zanpakutou, and made her way toward the ladder up.
"Where are you going?"
It was the voice of Urahara Kisuke, blocking her way.
"They're coming. You felt it too." Erza said bluntly. "She might need help. Uryu's on the way, and he might do something stupid. Ichigo's on the way, too, and he will definitely do something stupid."
"They're going to retrieve Rukia's power." Urahara said. "Hopefully, it will go smoothly. It's not worth revealing your presence for."
"Don't care." Erza said stubbornly. "That's a captain out there, and a cold bastard at that. I can't risk it."
"I have a plan," Urahara reassured her. "Just trust me-"
"Screw your plan." Erza said flatly. "I don't trust you. Not now, not with this. I'm going." She brushed past him, and started walking, quickly.
Urahara sighed. "I thought you would say that. Tessai?"
From where the muscular, bespectacled man had come, she had no idea. But he was here, walking toward her, slamming his hands together to form a seal. She knew what it was, and quickly leaped forward, toward the ladder…
"Binding art sixty-three: Sajou Sabaku!" Tessai burst out, and all around her, the golden chains manifested, wrapping neatly around her. Erza swore, and collapsed to the ground before she had come close to the ladder. She struggled against the bindings, with all her might, but they had wrapped around her tightly.
"Please, do not resist." Tessai said, ever polite. "These chains are far too effective to break at the moment."
"LET ME GO!" Erza snarled. "You son of a bitch, let go! They're in danger out there!"
"I'm sorry, miss Scarlet," Urahara said, walking up to her and crouching down in front of her, looking down on her. "You leave me no choice. There is a plan, and you revealing yourself would throw a wrench in it. You will have to sit this one out."
"LET GO! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!" Erza snarled, continuously struggling. The chains would not budge, and she flapped around helplessly, like a fish on dry land. "I SWEAR TO EVERYTHING I HOLD DEAR, I'LL GET YOU! DAMN IT, LET GO!"
"My apologies, and I mean that sincerely," Urahara said and stood up. "But I have no choice in this."
He was so damn fast. Uryu was used to being the fastest thing around, and it had come as quite a shock to see this shinigami not only match his speed, but exceed it. Uryu had dashed around, firing wildly, and one or two of his arrows had hit- but they seemed to have no effect, other than causing a flesh wound or two, which the man had promptly ignored. Then the shinigami had caught up, cut him from shoulder to hip, and Uryu had known true pain for the first time in his life.
Currently, Uryu was just barely standing up, somehow managing to keep going despite his injury. He suspected the shinigami was barely even trying, because in this state, Uryu was easy prey.
The shinigami flicked his sword to the side, ridding his sword of blood.
"You never been cut before, boy, have ya?" He said.
"I'm not done yet," Uryu said stubbornly, although he knew that was mostly a lie. The shinigami was like a locomotive- fast, powerful, nearly unstoppable. So this was the power of an elite officer? It was so, so different from Ichigo. Smooth and well trained, not a movement wasted, and powerful to boot.
"Good on ya," the shinigami said. He stood just a couple of yards away. Uryu had no time to react when he surged forward, slamming his head into Uryu's. Uryu fell over, seeing stars.
"Well, that does it for him," Renji said, and shrugged. "Now we just need to find where her powers went."
"We will not have to wait." Byakuya said.
"Huh. Yeah, I guess you're right. Sir." Renji said. He could feel it now, a huge, raging power source heading their way- pretty fast for an amateur. It was bright, bold and strong- too bright, in fact, blazing away its energy without restraint. Bloody amateurs…
Ichigo slid to a halt in front of the red-headed thug in front of him, having dashed across the rooftops and telephone poles of the town, landing with comparative grace. He wasn't sure what was going on- except Rukia looked scared, Uryu was down on the ground bleeding, and there stood the guy who did it, blood still on his sword. Quickly, Ichigo sensed for Uryu's vital signs. His reiatsu was stable, and although he was bleeding, he didn't seem to be near death. Good enough.
"I don't know who the hell you are," he said, his voice "but you better step away from Rukia now."
He was all talk, and he knew it. The man in front of him, the tattooed thug with a cocky grin on his face, felt strong- dangerous. The man behind him seemed even worse, his energy quiet, restrained, and very, very large. These were elite shinigami, he realized, most likely beyond him.
Not that it made him think of backing down.
"You." The thug said. "You're the one that stole her power, ain't you?"
"What's it to you?" Ichigo said, pulling his sword out. He knew where this was headed, and wouldn't let himself be caught off guard.
"Nothin'," said the thug, "except I'm probably going to kill ya."
"Ichigo, you fool!" Rukia cried, something desperate in her voice. "Run! You can't beat him! Go get E- go get help!"
Ichigo considered it for a second. Erza was definitely better equipped to handle it- but she was probably also on her way already. If the shinigami in front of him was that much stronger, he was probably also faster. Running away wouldn't do him any good.
"Try it." He said, mustering what courage he could.
"Attaboy," the shinigami said. He raised his sword, and took a stance. "As a courtesy, even for scum like you: my name is Abarai Renji, sixth division, vice-captain."
Vice-captain. That sounded like a high rank. No wonder…
In an instant, Renji came at him, fast and furious. Ichigo was shocked that he even reacted in time, but somehow, his sword came up just in time to block the sideways slash. Months upon months of training kicked in, and he anticipated the next strike, and batted it aside, immediately stabbing forward with a counterattack. Nimbly, Renji dodged it, and took a step back, a curious expression on his face.
"Now that's something. Counterattacking? Might have worked if that oversized thing wasn't so slow." He had a grin on his face, and Ichigo realized he was enjoying himself.
Again, he lunged forward, a series of fast cuts and thrusts raining down on Ichigo. He parried and dodged, just barely avoiding any real damage, although he felt at least three little stings as a glancing blow here and there cut at his arms and torso. The reality of it registered somewhere in Ichigo's mind. His opponent was fast, strong, better trained- and unlike his aunt, he was trying to hurt him for real. Kill him.
But his aunt's lessons stayed with him. He could practically hear her voice in his head.
He's controlling the pace of the battle. Break the cycle, or be broken.
Forcefully, Ichigo swung out in a wide arc, simultaneously hopping back. He felt the hot sting of a sword's edge rake across his face, and warm blood streaming down his cheek. He was prepared this time, though- and for some reason, he found he wasn't that difficult to follow. Frightening and strong, but not overwhelming. Not nearly as bad as his aunt. Just like that, those months of grueling training made him feel deeply grateful.
"Well, shit," Renji said, not sounding displeased, "you're not really that much of an amateur, are ya?"
"Sure I am," Ichigo said defiantly, "I just had a good teacher."
"Teacher, huh?" Renji said, cocking his head. "I wonder…"
Whatever he wondered, Ichigo didn't find out, as the vice-captain immediately lashed out into a quick series of careful stabbing thrusts, rapid and carefully controlled. Ichigo kept up, though.
Your sword is large, heavy, and unsubtle, his aunt's voice echoed in his mind, but it has reach and power over the typical zanpakutou. It has weaknesses, but it has strengths too. Use them.
Carefully, Ichigo parried the first few strikes, then hopped back twice, out of range for Renji's next strike, and struck back with a hard overhead blow. It missed, Renji batting it away easily, but Ichigo was setting the tempo now. With slow, methodic, powerful swings, he hit back, keeping out of the vice-captain's counterattacks.
He was doing it. He wasn't overextending. He wasn't making those mistakes. He was holding his own. Ichigo's heart soared, as he saw Renji take his first step back. Reinvigorated, Ichigo redoubled his efforts. It became a slow, vicious grind, both of them moving their blades at a speed greater than any human could, neither managing to injure the other.
Finally, Renji caught Ichigo's blade, and as it thrust forward, he planted his foot in the younger shinigami's chest, firmly kicking him backward. Ichigo lost his balance, but quickly went into a roll, letting the momentum propel him back onto his feet.
Renji had paused, and looked at him curiously.
"What are you, kid?"
"Enough. Finish it, Renji." The voice, quiet and restrained, made it all clear- there was to be no further delays.
"Yes, sir!" Renji said firmly. He held down his sword low, horizontally in front of him. "I'm about to show ya something special, kid."
"You about to bust out your shikai?" Ichigo said defiantly.
"You know your shit, don't you?" Renji said. There was a faint glow to the sword, as he ran his hand over the blade.
"Howl, Zabimaru!"
The sword expanded, growing in length. It broadened, too, and Ichigo could see a number of spikes having formed along the length of the blade, ending in nasty-looking double-headed spike at the tip of the sword. It looked less like a blade, and more like some vicious weapon of war. Whatever length or weight advantage he'd had was now gone. Renji felt different now too, his reiatsu seeming to have grown somewhat.
Ichigo barely had time to react as the man surged forward. He managed to block the first strike- nobody had any business moving a blade that large that fast, Ichigo thought- but he was pushed back, and one of the spikes bit into his shoulder. Blood spurted out, and Ichigo cried out with pain. A sizeable flesh wound had been ripped open, and Renji was giving him no time to rest. Once, twice, thrice, four times he struck, Ichigo being pushed back full stop. Catching a hard swing from above, Ichigo pushed back, his muscles screaming in protest.
"Gotta give it to ya, punk," Renji said, a fierce grin on his face, "ya made a good run of it."
"I'm… not… done!" Ichigo grunted, barely having the concentration to speak.
Renji kicked him again, and Ichigo barely had the time to bring up his sword. As Zabimaru came down, though, Ichigo suddenly felt a rush of pain, as he was stabbed- in the shoulder, in the back three times. Not even realizing what had happened, he looked at his enemy's zanpakutou, interlocked with his own. Its segments had split, held together with some sort of wiry string, and four of them had simply wrapped around Ichigo's frame, cutting deep into his body.
"That's Zabimaru," Renji said pridefully. He took a step back, and in one ruthless motion, he yanked the sword toward him. The pain quadrupled as the spikes, embedded in his flesh, ripped free. His mind was free of thought, entirely occupied with the pain, and he staggered back, somehow managing to still hold his sword up. Renji hopped back a few steps, and began to swing his sword around. It swirled and coiled like a whip, lashing out at Ichigo, each strike filled with toothy, ruthless promises of pain and death. Ichigo wasn't sure how he was even conscious, let alone managing to dodge or parry- but something was for sure, he wasn't winning. Where the hell was Erza?
Nobody will come to save you. In some distant corner of his mind, the advice of his mentor echoed again. Sometimes, you will have nobody to rely on but yourself. These moments make you who you are. You overcome, or you will die.
The realization sunk in. He was going to die. He was going to die, fighting, against an enemy he was badly outmatched against, no matter how hard he tried. He could feel despair at the edge of his mind. Dying. The end of all he was. To leave behind a grieving family. To fall short of all he could accomplish. Death.
Hell no.
Somewhere in him, something rose, a reserve of power brought out from desperation, anger, and pure stubbornness. If he was going to die, he was going to do his damnedest not to. He was going to do his worst. He could die when he had no strength left to fight with. Roaring out, he collected himself, ignored the pain, and pushed back.
Renji hesitated. The kid had been all but done, just a strike or two away from getting his head cut off- but suddenly, it was all different. His reiatsu- it had not only grown, madly so, but… changed. It felt different.
Somebody so beat up should not be able to charge forward that fast. Yet there he was, madly slashing and hacking, seemingly having forgotten his discipline- and it was somehow pushing him back. Him. Renji, the vice-captain of sixth. A mere mortal with borrowed powers. This was madness.
Hardly even thinking, Ichigo pushed the vice-captain back, his sword working with a furious speed. His muscles screamed with pain from the strain, but it barely even registered. He was doing it. He was pushing him back. He was winni-
Then suddenly, Ichigo collapsed. Not even knowing what had happened, or how his face had come in contact with the asphalt under his feet, or where all his power had gone, he glanced up. Above him, with a cold, indifferent expression, stood the other shinigami, looking down on him. Ichigo wanted to cry out, curse him, try and get back up, but he couldn't even move his lips. He was barely even breathing.
"You took too long." He said indifferently.
"S-sorry, sir," Renji mumbled. "He was…"
"Unexpectedly able." Byakuya said dismissively. "No matter. I severed the link that bound Rukia's powers to his frame. He is a human soul again. His power is dissipating."
"Do I kill him, sir?" Renji said. "We should-"
Suddenly, three bright yellow shining arrows had struck him in the chest, and he staggered back. Not a millisecond later, another dozen had followed it, firing in a relentless stream. Byakuya reacted quickly, nimbly moving out of the way. Renji moved, too, although hurt- stunned and surprised, more than injured.
Appearing over her son, in a flash, was Kurosaki Masaki. She looked like nothing special, in a simple housewife's clothes, but there was no mistaking her reiatsu. Powerful, well controlled and well-managed, even after years of inactivity.
"I don't know what you're here for," she said, her tone icily furious, like only a mother who has seen her children hurt can sound, "but you hurt my boys."
Byakuya wasted no time, immediately speeding forward. She was a quincy, undoubtedly, and unlike the first one she was strong enough to be a threat. Drawing his sword in one swift motion, he surged toward her in a smooth, well-practiced shunpo, aiming to take her head off. To his frustration, though, she not only matched his pace but outmatched it, speedily dashing back and around, letting loose a furious hail of arrows as she did. Try as he might, Byakuya could not dodge them all, and three arrows found their mark within a second, even if twenty shots had been missed for each hit.
Focusing, he dashed toward her, reading her signature as he went. Angry, very angry, yet not lacking the legendary quincy control. Powerful. Dangerous. It was no wonder the false shinigami had been so powerful- apparently these were her sons, and it seemed their progenitor was stronger by far.
But the fundamental truth of shinigami and quincy did not change. He was shinigami, a spirit elevated to the highest form, possessed of power and skill matched by only a handful of people. The three wounds from the arrows that had hit his chest barely even slowed him down. Yet, one mistake from the quincy, and she would be over, because quincies were human and humans were full of weak, vital spots. A cut across the neck, or through the torso, either would be enough.
It was frustrating, then, that she would not relent. Byakuya was not used to being outpaced- but placed under the limit release as he was, at a mere twenty percent of his total power, he was unable to close the distance. In the meantime, she would continue to rain down arrows on him.
Still maintaining his speed, dodging the scores of arrows coming his way, Byakuya held his zanpakutou out.
"Scatter, Senbonzakura."
Ichigo had somehow managed to prop himself up on his elbows. He felt weak, powerless, and very much in pain in way too many places- but it was all forgotten the moment he realized what was going on. It was faint, and his ability to sense was fading, but he could feel it. His mom was out there, moving around the area in a total blur, arrows loosing from her bow like brightly coloured machine gun rounds, targeting another blur- the other shinigami, he guessed.
Then suddenly, the two of them stopped their mad dashes, landing a bit further down the street. The cold shinigami did not appear to have a sword anymore, holding on to what looked like a plain hilt, but there was something in the air, like a glitter of red…
His mother was bleeding. There was a series of thin cuts on her chest, her face, and Ichigo wanted to stand up, to scream, to rush at the bastard shinigami who had done this to her, but his strength failed him totally.
"I commend you, woman," said the shinigami. "You evaded most of my Senbonzakura, even when I guided it. Lay down your arms here and now, and I will let you and your kin live."
"You have seen nothing yet," Masaki snarled, and once again strung her bow.
"As you please." He said neutrally, and made a gesture with his hand. The red things once again ran through the air, but Masaki was faster. A second later, she stood behind the shinigami, and let loose a fully charged bolt into his back. He let out a gasp, and staggered. Ichigo was filled with a rush of emotions- he wanted to cheer, to tell her to show him what for, to beat him down, kill him…
But he could manage nothing, and a second later, it was back on. Masaki had fired her second shot almost immediately after, but remarkably, the shinigami was already gone, and the red things were chasing her through the air. Again they dashed back and forth around the street, faster than the human eye could follow. It was clear, though- his mother's bow was the superior weapon. The things chasing her were not fast enough to catch her, and no matter how lethal, they did not stop her from firing her weapon nonstop. Deep in the pit of his stomach, Ichigo felt some kind of hope.
If Byakuya hadn't had such well-practiced self-restraint, he would have growled with anger. To be thus tied up, with a quincy stronger and faster than anything he had expected to face, was an indignity in itself. Restrained as he was, there seemed to be little he could do. As he dashed and dodged, he weighed his options. Bankai was not an option. No mere quincy was worth it, nor was this simple excursion something that should merit something so drastic. Lifting his limit release would solve the problem, but it required getting in contact with the Gotei and gaining authorization. As it stood, the most breathing room he had was the tenth of a second.
Never make it more complicated than it had to be. That was a lesson he didn't remember nearly as well as he should, but one that he needed to consider. Simple shunpo had not worked. Shikai had not had the desired effect. But his arsenal was far from exhausted…
An idea formed in his mind. Simple, but efficient. All he needed was an opening…
Masaki was barely thinking. For nearly twenty years, she had had little to no practice with the arts, and she was out of shape. Yet it all remained, the knowledge and power of the quincy arts. It was like riding a bike. She could feel herself tiring; there was no telling for how long she could keep this up. She had hit the bastard several times, but he seemed unaffected. He bled, all right, but he didn't even seem to acknowledge it.
A red-hot filter of rage kept her going. She was filled with it, no, consumedby it, in a manner only a mother fighting for her children could be. She had to have fired thousands of arrows by now. Most of the shots went wide, from lack of practice and from overexcitement, and she knew her skill was not what it used to be. But still, she kept going.
Then suddenly, the shinigami dashed the other way, onto a rooftop and down to the street again, some twenty yards away from her. Stopping there, she saw his sword reshape. Not hesitating, Masaki walked forward, her bow strung, waiting for him to make his move. He stood still. Masaki dashed forward, aiming again for a close-up hit, with a fully charged arrow. Her bow arm was fully drawn as she charged forward, every meter seeming to pass by in slow motion. Suddenly she stood there, just behind him, and…
Ichigo felt something was wrong in his gut the moment the shinigami bastard stopped. Too confident, too assured, too at ease…
He wanted to cry out, but couldn't. His mother dashed forward, in the blink of an eye, appearing right behind him…
…and then the shot went wide, as the shinigami twisted to the side, suddenly facing her, pointing two fingers at her.
"Bakudo sixty-one: Rikujo-koro." He said dispassionately, not an ounce of emotion in his voice. Immediately, six pillars of light slammed into Masaki's midsection. Realizing too late what had happened, she tried to move, twist away, but she was firmly stuck. The bow in her hand dissipated, as she used both hands, in vain, to try and break herself free.
The shinigami grasped his sword in both hands, and raised it high.
Inside Ichigo, a last, untouched source of energy broke loose, and he managed to cry out.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
He cut her. Cleanly, from shoulder to hip. Blood splattered, staining his white haori, looking almost black in the moonlight. The yellow rods disappeared, and Masaki collapsed to the ground as if all her bones had suddenly disappeared, quite lifeless. Desperately, Ichigo forced his hands and arms to move, pathetically crawling toward her.
"Tough one, wasn't it, boss?" Renji said, having watched the whole thing in awe.
"I will require some medical attention." Byakuya said, raising his sword for a final blow. She was likely dead already, he reasoned, but Byakuya was nothing if not thorough.
"Brother, I beg you!" Rukia cried out desperately, standing herself over Masaki. "Your enemies are defeated, and I have come willingly. My great and powerful elder brother, your mission was to bring me back, was it not? Are your mission objectives not fulfilled? There is no need for more bloodshed!"
Byakuya gave her a discerning look. "You argue for the life of this mortal? She would have taken my life if she could. My blood was shed. Her life is rightfully mine to take, as an enemy of the Gotei."
His voice was calm and controlled, but Rukia knew how to read him at least to a degree, and she heard no anger in his words.
"So it is, elder brother," she said desperately, breathing raggedly, "but there is no need for it. In life, duty. In struggle, perseverance. In victory, mercy."
"In triumph, glory." The captain said. It was a common Gotei proverb, outlining the view of life shinigami ought to have.
"We are shinigami. We exist to protect humanity. We are the bulwark, not the executioners," Rukia said frantically, hoping her words could sway him. The thought of Ichigo seeing his mother killed in front of him… it was too much to bear.
For a few agonizing moments, Byakuya simply looked at her. Then, he pulled out a handkerchief, wiped the blood from his blade, and gracefully sheathed it.
"Abarai, restrain the prisoner." He said neutrally.
"Yes, sir," Renji said, walking toward Rukia.
"Thank you so much, elder brother," Rukia said, from the bottom of her heart. He did not reply, only giving her an icy glare.
"Open the senkaimon." He said. "We leave."
The last thing Ichigo saw before it all went black was the gate closing, the two shinigami leaving him, Uryu and Masaki behind, bleeding on the ground.
Well, I sure hope you all enjoyed our interpretations of the finale of this arc. It was quite different from its original version...But if you thought that was good...You haven't seen anything yet. I promise you all, the soul society arc will be just as good, if not GREATER, than its original counterpart. I hope each and every one of you will enjoy it, just as I hopped you all enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to leave a review to tell us what you thought, we really want to know.
Thanks for reading.
Oh, and if you can guess why the chapter is named what it is, your a huge Bleach fan. :)