My fellow readers, we are here, we are FINALLY here! No more training, no more discussions of the past, no more build up. We are FINALLY at the "Saving Rukia" portion of the soul society arc, what many consider to be Bleach's peak. Its so hard for me to believe that we're actually here. When I put this story up two years ago, this seemed so far away. To ACTUALLY be here just makes me smile.
But the best part? We've managed to gain so much support, and so many readers before getting to this point! We didn't just get 600 reviews like I had hopped from the last chapter, no we SURPASSED that.
Each and every single one of you who has left a review, and has given us either praise, or criticism, we cant not begin to thank you enough. Youve all been so important in helping push us and this story forward. Thank you, thank you so much. I cant wait to see what you guys, and others will have to say about what we have after this point. I do believe that you will all be quite satisfied. So please leave us a review.
But, your not here to hear my gratitude, no, your here for the story, so without further ado, lets begin!
Special thanks once again to GreatKingRat88
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.
The day had come. Three weeks had passed much too quickly- or not quickly enough, to some- and one morning, all eight of them stood gathered in front of Kisuke and Tessai, down in the basement, where a gate had been prepared. They had expended quite some energy in doing so, enough that the keener reiatsu readers of the group had felt it as it were done. It didn't look much at the moment, a simple rectangular stone archway with a few steps leading up to it, seemingly see-through and unremarkable, but at this point they had all learned to take nothing for granted.
They stood gathered, anticipation hanging thick in the air, and Erza stepped up, facing them. She stood clad in her new armour, something which had drawn more than a few surprised looks when she had first walked in. It looked a little odd on top of her shihakusho, but she wore it confidently, like a second skin.
"This is it," she said bluntly. "In a few minutes, we'll be on our way to the soul society. From then on we're on a life-and-death mission, and I expect everyone to do what I say, when I say it, without arguing. Your life may depend on it."
There were no objections, mostly because all of them knew better. Except Yoruichi, of course, the only member present with more experience on the subject matter.
"But before we go," she said, as Urahara started muttering an incantation, preparing the gate, "there is one thing I would ask of you.
"I mentioned when I was alive, that I lived in a guild. A guild of mages. I do not remember my mother or father, but they, the guild of Fairy Tail, was all the family I could ask for. We didn't always get along, but we were there for each other. We believed in a creed of our own- to trust in one another to be strong, to always help each other when needed, to support each other through thick and thin. To do what's right no matter what, even if it meant breaking the rules. To always do your best and never give up, even if the odds are impossible. That... was what Fairy Tail taught me. That's what this mark," she said, and slid up her right sleeve, revealing the emblem tattooed on her arm, "means to me."
"Standing here today, jumping into this insane mission, surrounded by brave young people like you, I feel like I have rediscovered the roots of my self. So I am asking you, will you take the same mark as me and come on this mission as Fairy Tail reformed?"
There was a pause of sorts, the people before her seeming unsure what to make of it. It was Tatsuki who at last broke the silence, raising her hand.
"Um. Question?"
"Yes?" Said Erza.
"Are these like... permanent? 'Cause I'm not sure about getting a tattoo. Good speech, though, really inspiring." Tatsuki said.
"Also, is this a thing we can opt out of, or is it a 'choice' again?" Said Ichigo.
"Oh no, no," Erza hastily reassured him, "this is really optional. I just um, thought it might be nice..." she trailed off awkwardly.
"I'll do it." Orihime said cheerily. "Do you have a needle machine with ink and all? Are you secretly like, a tattoo artist as well?" She said the words, sounding as if she'd believe it if Erza had said yes.
"It's just a simple kido." Erza said. "Leaves a mark on the skin, wears off after a few weeks. Nobody has to take it if they don't want to."
"Neat," Orihime said cheerily. "Can I get it anywhere? Like at the end of my back or on my butt?"
"No." Erza said, quite firmly. "More like... try the upper body. Torso. Er, arms are good. Somewhere where it can be seen."
"O-kay!" Orihime said, and extended a hand. "Go ahead then."
Erza put her hand on Orihime's left forearm, muttered some sort of incantation none of them could make out, and soon a red mark had formed on her arm, quite identical to the one on Erza's arm and armour.
"That tickles!" Orihime giggled. "Ooooh, cool..."
"Yeah, what the hell..." Ichigo murmured, and stepped up next. Before too long, another mark had been placed, on his shoulder. Wordlessly, Chad stepped up next, unbuttoning his shirt a little and pointing to a spot up on his chest.
"Well, I guess I'm giving in to peer pressure," Tatsuki said, and shrugged. Before long, all of them, even Yoruichi, had accepted the brand.
"Fairy Tail Reformed." Erza said and nodded approvingly. There was a tremble in her voice, like a joy surging through her very being making itself manifest. "One for all, and all for one."
"You're sorta ripping off Alexandre Dumas, but it works," Ichigo said with a grin.
"If you all are quite finished with your group hugs and little cult tattoos, the gate is finished," Urahara said, his voice cheery despite the jeers. "Express route: Soul society. All aboard."
The tunnel had been dark, and the appearance of some otherworldly, half-worm half-train sort of
creature had not helped any of them in the least, but with a bang, the entire group had finally landed in the soul society. Landed, in the literal sense, as they had exited whatever that tunnel was mid-air, and most of them had fallen haplessly to the ground. The quincies, Erza and Yoruichi landed gracefully, the rest less so, Orihime having been caught by her adoptive mother to spare her the indignity of face-planting into the afterlife dirt.
The youths of the group looked around, rather in awe. Coming here was something else for everyone involved, for different reasons. To Erza, it was anticipation made reality, her past coming back to face her at the speed of a locomotive. To Yoruichi it was something similar, albeit less dramatic. To Uryu, it was enemy territory- and a mad rush of power. To Chad, Ichigo, Tatsuki and Orihime, it was an experience ranging from wonder to surprise to stoic acceptance.
"So... this is it, huh?" Ichigo murmured, looking around. They had landed somewhere sunny, and at first glance, Erza's remarks about third-world countries seemed off. You didn't expect developing nations to have luscious, green grass and trees, a brightly shining sun, and a seemingly idyllic landscape. In the distance, there could be seen what looked like a city, but it was otherwise desolate.
"Yes." Erza said flatly.
"So this is 'heaven', eh?" Tatsuki murmured. "Doesn't seem so bad."
"That's because you've spent less than a minute here, and I spent over a century." Erza said, keeping her tone short. "Get yourselves together. We're moving out."
Mostly keeping quiet, the group followed Erza's lead. The afterlife seemed a vast place; the city in the distance, which Erza confirmed was the Gotei Thirteen, was miles away, and there was seemingly no end to the place, one horizon to the other. It was surprisingly solid for an afterlife. Erza had not been wrong about that- although made of spiritual particles, it looked and felt like the world at home.
Well... mostly. Ichigo, Tatsuki, even Orihime could feel it. Little tingles and twitches, power running through their bodies, resonating with their environment. If they tried, they could feel the world around them. It was like sensing a strong power source, except the power was everywhere, all the time, and it included you. It was disorienting.
The quincies felt it even more keenly, and Masaki and Uryu both felt the rush, like adrenaline mixed with alcohol, every time they tried drawing on their surroundings. It was like drawing on water from a dam, bursting with power and threatening to break loose at any time.
Erza and Yoruichi, for their part, moved with the ease of experienced veterans. It was an odd thing to do, after so much fateful training and such an action-packed run, but their first part of their journey into the afterlife was a long, arduous walk.
Eventually, though, it came to an end. The Gotei crept into view, ever closer under the steady lope they kept, until it was close enough that they could all see individual buildings. Finally they reached it, standing less than a hundred yards away from it. Erza halted, and the group with her.
"So er," Ichigo said, "do we just... knock on the front door, or what? I know the plan, but... won't they, you know, notice us?"
"That's exactly what we're going to do," Erza said, stepping forward more slowly.
"We're actually going in the front door?" Tatsuki said incredulously.
"I was only kidding!" Ichigo exclaimed.
"No point in hiding." Erza said neutrally. "They'd spot us immediately anyhow. We're not a stealthy bunch."
"We can do it!" Orihime said cheerily. "So we'll just walk up to the gate and-"
Suddenly, she and everyone else became aware of a large, large shadow looming over them, and she turned her head upward.
"...and say hi to mister giant." Orihime said, her mouth making a neat 'O'. "Holy cow!"
She sounded more impressed than frightened, which was surprising nobody at this point.
The giant in front of them, having come from who-knew-where, was at least twenty feet tall, and looked muscular even for his size. He wore a red hat and a shinigami's shihakusho, modified not only to his size, but to expose his left arm and part of his chest.
"Jidanbo." Erza said neutrally. "Let us pass."
"On my honour as guardian of the White Road Gate, I cannot," the giant rumbled. "Who are you to address me so casually? You wear the garb of a shinigami, but..."
"You remember me, Ikkanzaka Jidanbo," Erza said fiercely. "You opened the gates for me many times in my time here."
"Scarlet... Erza Scarlet?" The giant said, sounding quite shocked. "You were convicted of treason, blasphemy and conspiracy to murder and terror acts in your absence!"
"I suppose I was." Erza said, shifting uncomfortably. "You know, then, that you have no hope of defeating me."
"Nevertheless, I cannot let you pass," he rumbled stubbornly. "I would die of shame if I let a traitor past without even putting up a fight."
"Ichigo." Erza said, clenching her fist. "You're up. Defeat him."
"Me?" Ichigo said. "But-"
"Do it." Erza said, and it was clear she was not to be disagreed with.
Sighing, Ichigo stepped up, hoisting the sword from his back. It was in its sealed form, still quite large but noticeably more slender than before, a testament to his growing skill with reiatsu control.
"She sends you instead, boy?" Jidanbo rumbled- it was, in fact, impossible for anything he said not to be at least a little rumbly- with a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice.
"Probably trying not to hurt you, big guy," Ichigo said. "Erza, are you sure? He's like... huge."
"Size means nothing." Erza said. "Only energy. Beat him, do it quickly, and then we'll pass."
Ichigo grimaced, and held up his sword. "All right... Jidanbo, was it?"
"Indeed!" The giant said, and produced from his shihakusho a pair of axes, rather small compared to his size, but positively enormous compared to Ichigo. "In the name of the Gotei, I find myself with no choice but to destroy you."
He raised his axes, and with sudden ferocity rained down blow after blow, with a speed that seemed odd for a creature his size. It seemed clear he was a master with his weapons.
"Ichigo!" Orihime cried out, halfway taking a step forward, but Erza held out an arm.
"Quiet and watch." She said solemnly. "Watch how far he has come."
Eventually the giant stopped, breathing a little heavier.
"Such is the fate of the enemies of-" He said, and interrupted himself as he looked down. What he had clearly expected to see was a bloody pulp, but instead there was Ichigo, having parried each blow. It had been hard to see with the naked eye, but Erza had felt each movement- smooth, confident, well-practiced.
"Impossible!" Jidanbo cried.
"Don't look like it," Ichigo said. "I'll just finish this one quickly, if you don't mind." He held the sword out, and there was a gust of wind around him as his reiatsu spiked. "Cut the heavens, Zangetsu!"
His energy peaked, and his sword had now transformed. Looking rather like a black, oversized kitchen knife, it appeared mostly to have grown in size a little. Zanpakutou, however, were never to be judged on first glance.
Ichigo raised his blade, and energy gathered around its base, running up toward the tip rapidly as he brought the sword down.
"GETSUGA TENSHO!" He cried out, and from the blade, a crescent moon-shaped burst of white and blue energy surged, hitting the giant directly. Jidanbo held his axes up to defend, but as the smoke cleared, it seemed obvious it had been futile. The axes had broken, and the giant had suffered a nasty gash in his shoulder.
"Holy crap..." Tatsuki murmured.
"That was awesome!" Orihime cheered. "I mean, it's sad about mister Giant, but that was really awesome!"
"You know the rule, Jidanbo," Erza said quickly. "You must let us pass."
"'Tis but a flesh wound," The giant said stubbornly, managing to stand up, although swaying.
"I could give you another one, you know," Ichigo said. "I tried not to hit you too badly, but I can't guarantee the second one won't hurt you worse. I hope you have like, Nordic levels of health care here, or something."
Jidanbo gave him a look, and seemed to think better of it.
"As per the ancient laws of the Gotei, you may pass," he rumbled reluctantly. The gate itself opened, its doors swinging open.
"You know, what's the point of a gate if they don't have any walls to begin with?" Ichigo said, as the rest walked forward.
"They're not up at the moment." Erza explained. "Don't question it-"
Suddenly she shoved Ichigo aside, and there was a 'ting' sort of sound, like metal clashing with metal. Ichigo got to his feet, looking angry, but then he saw what the rest of them saw. Standing just behind the gate was a silver-haired man, eyes perpetually closed, smiling the creepiest grin ever seen outside a Batman comic.
"Oh, shit," He said. "That's um... Gin, isn't it?"
"You been sharin' information, haven't ya?" Gin said, his voice a lazy, amused drawl. "Naughty, naughty."
"Ichimaru Gin," Erza snarled, stepping in front of the others. There was a dent in her left pauldron, where the zanpakutou had hit her. "If you try anything, I will find a way to wipe that smirk off your face for good."
"Long time, no see," Gin said, as if greeting a friend he had not seen in ages. The cheer in his voice seemed just slightly off, and it made chills run down their spines. He gave the impression of a snake, just waiting to pounce. "The boss has missed ya. Finally seen reason? Come ta join back with the winnin' side?"
"What do you want?" Erza snapped.
"Me?" Gin said innocently. "Just stoppin' a bunch of criminal ryoka. Doin' my job as a good, decent captain."
"The rest of you, go," Erza said shortly. "There will be troops crawling here within minutes. Go for the objective. I'll keep him here."
"No way!" Ichigo said. "We're not gonna let you-"
"Shut up, kid," Yoruichi said gently. "It's not some dumb sacrifice. We're following the plan. If anyone can take him on here, it's her."
"Yes, listen to the assassin," Gin said happily. "She should know enough about sacrificin' subordinates for the mission."
Yoruichi shot him a glare, but kept her cool, and said, "you heard her. Move!"
The rest of the group, hesitantly at first, moved to the side and forward, while Erza stood facing him down.
"Now, if y'all think I'm just gonna let-" Gin started, but was interrupted as Erza let out a cry, having drawn her sword in an instant, charging at him. He brought up his own short blade just in time to block, looking entirely unperturbed. The rest of the group was making their merry way, and it was him and Erza.
"Did I tell ya the boss has missed ya?" Gin said, sounding pleased with himself. "He act like everything's dandy, but it ain't. Ya made a real impression on him, ya did."
Erza did not reply, simply lashing out in a series of cuts, slashes and thrusts. Gin parried them, effortlessly slipping into combat mode. There were close calls, some less than a millimeter, but nothing seemed to phase him.
"Yanno, if ya care to listen," he said, nimbly dodging under a cut, "the boss had a message for ya."
Erza paused for just a second, and it was enough for his zanpakutou to extend forward at lightning speed, coming just short of hitting her jugular.
"Now, I warn't lyin'," he assured her, continuing to dodge her attacks, "but me, when I see an opportunity, I go fer it."
"What message?" Erza snarled, despite herself. Gin, she could handle, but Aizen... Aizen was still inside her head.
"Nuffin' complicated," Gin said. "Jus' that he know you're 'ere, he knows wot you're up to, an' it won't work." His sword surged out again, and he put her on the defensive with a set of fast-paced stabbing extensions.
"Won't stop me from trying!" Erza snarled stubbornly. The armour was doing well- it had saved her at least half a dozen minor cuts already.
"That's what makes it fun," Gin said, and the grin on his face seemed infuriating. "Well, for 'im, at least. Me, I'd like to run Shinso down your throat like you're a pig on a spitroast, but I can't. 'E wants to see ya, ya see."
"You could try." Erza said furiously, ignoring whatever he said about Aizen. He was good, just as lethal as she had imagined- but she had come a long way, and as a fighter, he was not somebody she was afraid to face. Fast and lethal, but too concerned with himself and his pleasures.
"I'd do better'n that-" Gin said, but in that moment, Erza grabbed him by the wrist, and slammed her head into his, sending him reeling. To his credit, Gin reacted quickly, twisting himself up into the air and putting both his feet into Erza's face, forcing her to let go. He landed nimbly on the ground as Erza recovered.
"I'll be seein' ya around, lil' Erza." He said. "Maybe I'll get t'skewer one of your friends like a pig instead. Maybe that redheaded lad. Maybe the redhead girl."
"You son of a-" Erza began to snarl, but Gin was stepping back.
"Careful now," he said mockingly. "The Gotei's finest are comin' your way. Ya made quite the commotion, ya see."
As he turned around and calmly walked away, she could see it was true. Shinigami were swarming the area around the gate, officers and unranked, and there was an alarm bell sounding. Well, they had made their entrance all right...
It had only taken a few minutes for everything to go entirely haywire. Ichigo could perhaps have passed for a shinigami; he had the robes although his appearance was pretty distinct. The rest of them could not. The fight with Jidanbo had attracted attention, and the appearance of a captain even more so. They had ran as a group for a while, before they had come across a large group of officers demanding they submit for arrest. That did not go over well for said officers, although in the ensuing chaos, they had somehow been split up. Ichigo hadn't even realized until minutes later that he was running alone, except for his mother who had stubbornly stuck to his side.
There had been a plan. Go through the gates, run in right quick, and grab Rukia before it was too late. Erza and Yoruichi knew the way.
But as a famed Prussian commander had once said, no battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy. Ichigo had become separated from the others, and on top of that, quite lost. The only upside so far was that they had managed to shake their pursuers. Their run stopping in a neatly cleaned alley, Ichigo huffed, and looked around him.
The Gotei seemed like a maze of streets, alleys and houses. There were little walls everywhere, white and neatly polished, and it was obvious this was a military complex. Gates, walls, barracks, neat and straight lines in the architecture... which was oddly reminiscent of medieval Japan.
"This is crazy, mom..." He murmured, leaning forward, supporting himself with his hands on his thighs.
"We know where we have to go," Masaki said firmly, and Ichigo noticed that much like his aunt, she seemed entirely different here in this hostile territory, calm and to-the-point. "They would move Rukia to that... prison-thing, in the heart of the Gotei."
"Well, where's that, then?" Ichigo murmured. "This place is massive, and we're lost."
"We could go over the roofs," his mother suggested.
"Not exactly low profile," Ichigo muttered. "We kicked the hornet's nest for sure."
It was as apt a metaphor as any. Alarms were going out, and soldiers had been stirring eveywhere. They had seemed pretty weak to Ichigo, despite their military discipline and training. In the proverbial flesh, the Gotei seemed much less mystical and impressive.
"Let's keep going," Masaki said. "We can't stop, anyhow."
"Fair enough," Ichigo said, and nodded. "Let's head inward, then-"
They were interrupted, as two shinigami leisurely strolled into their alley, lacking entirely the urgency that the other soldiers had shown. For a second, Ichigo hoped they would keep going, that they hadn't seen them... they were bantering between themselves, after all.
No such luck. The leading one, a hard-looking bald man with red markings by his eyes, stopped in his tracks, and pointed at them.
"Toldja, Yumichika!" He cheered, his voice a little shrill, but throaty and hoarse at the same time. "Toldja we're the lucky ones!"
The second one- Yumichika- was a very handsome man, with well-kept hair that spoke to a vain personality, emphasized by a couple of multicolored feathers kept by the brow of his right eye.
"Yes, yes, Ikkaku, we're lucky," he said in a laid-back tone, that implied he put up with these antics on a regular basis. "Two filthy little Ryoka for us to defeat. Glory will be ours, et cetera and so forth."
"Seein' how uninterested you are, I guess you don't mind if I have a go at the redhead, then?" Ikkaku said. The two of them were casually strolling closer, and Ichigo wasn't sure what exactly to do. He and his mother were both on guard, and he considered their options. Run? Maybe... but these two felt different. Their reiatsu was better controlled, and thrummed with well-kept power. They were likely high-ranking officers, and running away entirely might not be an option.
"You ready to do this?" He muttered to his mother.
"We take them out and move on," she said and nodded, confirming Ichigo's thoughts.
"Ain't you getting ahead of yourselves?" Ikkaku said, and stopped. "Now, redhead-"
"I never said you got to fight him, you greedy bastard," Yumichika cut in. "Why do you get the first pick?"
"Oh, for cryin' out loud..." Ikkaku grunted. "Rock-paper-scissors, best of three?"
"Fair." Yumichika said. Ichigo and Masaki watched, a little baffled, as the two officers engaged in their childish game, managing to draw even three times in a row. The upper crust of the Gotei seemed to have a penchant for the eccentric, judging by what Erza had told him, and these two seemed no exception. Finally, Ikkaku won, and stepped forward with a triumphant grin.
"You. Redhead." He said, pointing at Ichigo. "I'm Madarame Ikkaku, third seat of eleventh division. I'll be the one kicking the shit out of you today."
"That leaves you and I, dear," said Yumichika to Masaki, a few steps to the side. "Let's settle this beautifully, shall we?"
Part of Ichigo wanted to come to his mother's aid no matter what, and he suspected she felt similarly, but this was combat. He had to trust her to handle herself. Confidently he stepped forward, unslinging Zangetsu from his back.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, filthy ryoka," he said firmly. "Here to tell you not to count your chickens before they hatch."
"I like yer attitude, kid," Ikkaku said, pulling his sword out.
He was furious on the charge, using a style as unexpected and original as himself. Spinning around quickly in fast, wide slashes, interspersed with fast cuts here and there, he complemented it with fast, hard strikes from the sheath of his sword. One or two times it hit Ichigo across the head, sending him back.
But once Ichigo had adjusted, he was more than capable of keeping up. He was fast, strong and furious, and moved with the same kind of experienced ease as Erza... but he was not quite as deadly.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Ikkaku cried out, loudly and cheerily, "That's the way, that's the way! Give it all ya got, kid!"
Eleventh division, Ichigo recalled, was filled with bloodthirsty maniacs who loved fighting more than anything else. The third seat lived up to expectation and then some.
Ichigo, forced back step by step, just barely kept up. On the defence as he was, he made himself think, forced himself to analyse the situation. Ikkaku's style was quick, fluid, and far less formal than Erza's, and thus less predictable by far. It was centered around speed, and so far had successfully stopped Ichigo from using his own advantages, reach and power. Informal it was, but very, very experienced.
A sharp pain took Ichigo across the face, and he propelled himself back with a quick jump. Warm blood ran down his face, and he realised he had been cut just over his eyebrow. He blinked, the blood running into his eye.
"That's the thing about your face, see," Ikkaku said with a grin, clearly enjoying himself. "Lotsa shallow blood vessels, and it always looks a right mess even if it's a small cut."
It had been intentional, then. A cut to disadvantage him, not end him.
"Less yammering, more fighting," Ichigo said stubbornly, quickly wiping the blood from his face. More soon came, but there was no time.
Ikkaku came at him again, but this time, Ichigo anticipated his move set. He went for a wide, hard swing, which Ikkaku easily side-stepped. The following counter-attack was meant to catch Ichigo in the neck, but Ichigo had taken a step back, and bringing his sword up for a block. Batting aside Ikkaku's sword, he caught the man in the chest with a kick, sending him skidding back. Pressing his advantage, Ichigo shot forward, swinging his Zangetsu is a set of quick, hard cuts, forcing Ikkaku to dodge and parry. His flow broken, Ichigo found himself now being the one controlling the pace of the battle.
Control the pace, and you win, the words of his aunt came to him through memory.
Ikkaku was not a veteran for nothing, though. Dodging under a wide, sweeping cut, he went for one of Ichigo's legs. Ichigo jumped over the cut, but it gave Ikkaku time to slam his sheath upward. There was a ringing in Ichigo's ears as it connected with his jaw, and made him stagger back. He quickly readied his blade to parry, and only just in time. Ikkaku was fiercely cutting at him now, and Ichigo only barely managed to stop him from putting him entirely on the defensive again. The fighting was getting intense, and despite himself, Ichigo found himself enjoying it. A grin crept onto his face, as he did his worst, matching Ikkaku's speed. It took all he had, forced him to give his all, and the adrenaline pumping through his veins made it... indescribable.
Finally, however, Ikkaku's veteran skills served him better. Catching Ichigo's blade and forcing it down, he slammed his head into Ichigo's. The headbutt made him stagger back, and it was rapidly followed by a hard whack from the sheath, again to the head, and then there was the burning sensation of having been cut. Blood poured from a horizontal flesh wound to the chest, and Ichigo forced himself to not lose balance, to stand upright with his guard intact.
"Son of a bitch..." Ikkaku murmured, sounding surprised, even impressed. "Damned if I don't know that style of fighting..."
He had paused, and looked almost puzzled for a second. Then, a triumphant grin ran across his face.
"Yer with Erza Scarlet, aint'cha?"
"What's it to ya?" Ichigo said defiantly.
"Fecking knew it!" Ikkaku exclaimed, almost excitedly. "She taught you all you know, didn't she?"
"How... would you know?"
Ikkaku threw his head back, and laughed. "I was the first one what showed her the ropes after she was outta the academy, boy!" There was a wistful look on his face, as if reminiscing about better times. "She was a fury back then. Real good with a blade, but not really used to bein' a shinigami... took her ages to learn how to beat me, but she did it. Those were the days!"
"Uh... huh." Ichigo said, a bit surprised.
"So she's back, huh?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Word of advice, kid," Ikkaku said, letting out a chuckle, "never play poker. Yer shit at lyin'. Oh man, the captain's gonna have a field day with that..."
"She'll kick his ass." Ichigo shot back.
"He'd still have a good time." Ikkaku said dismissively. His eyes narrowed, and the cheer dropped from his face. "But now that I know you is one of hers... I gotta take ya seriously."
He put the hilt of his sword and the sheath together, and cried, "Grow, Hozukimaru!"
There was a surge of power, and the weapon changed, growing into a slender spear with a long, simple blade.
"Fair enough," said Ichigo, and held his sword out. "Cut the heavens, Zangetsu!" He felt the rush as his weapon changed and grew, changing into its larger, knife-like form.
"Good." Ikkaku said. Immediately he charged forward, rapidly stabbing with his spear. Ichigo knew he would try to get up close, to negate the reach of his greatsword, and skipped back a couple of steps in anticipation, swinging as the third seat came at him. The thrusting motions were fast, faster than before, but Ichigo managed to keep up. Not to have gone all out for nothing, Ikkaku still scored several hits, mostly glancing off the sides, but one or two stabbing into Ichigo's chest.
Winning isn't about the will to win, his sensei's voice came to him. You have to have will, but at the end of the day, it comes down to whether you can hit faster or harder than your opponent. If you can read his strategy or not. If you can best him or not. Never fight mindlessly
Ikkaku's fighting style was like himself- fast, lean, wild and vicious. So how would he beat him? He was clearly experienced fighting against a two-handed sword, constantly keeping up close, refusing to let him get in the powerful strikes that would turn the tides in Ichigo's favour.
He was a veteran. Ichigo was not. On the other hand, he was not fierce the way Erza was. He lacked the hard discipline and genial intuition. He could do this.
Taking a few hops back, Ichigo recovered, and charged energy into the length of his blade. Swinging it sideways, he cried,
"GETSUGA TENSHO!"
The moon-shaped blast was not powerful, but it didn't need to be. As Ikkaku launched himself into the air, Ichigo was there, cutting hard and fast as Ikkaku came down. Not taken by surprise, Ikkaku lashed out with his spear, catching Zangetsu by the blade, and twisted himself in the air, landing by Ichigo's side. A millisecond later, there was a potentially fatal thrust aimed for Ichigo's head, but Ichigo side-stepped, and kicked Ikkaku in the midsection. For just a second, the veteran grunted and staggered back, and Ichigo saw his opportunity, and cut downwards, hard.
Even taken aback, Ikkaku was fast enough to try and deflect. Although awkwardly, Ichigo's blade glanced off to the side, raking Ikkaku across the shoulder as it did.
Pushing his advantage, Ichigo lashed out with one heavy blow after another, nimbly stepping out of the way of a low-thrusting counter-attack. Ikkaku was on the defensive now, dodging and parrying expertly, but finding no openings to attack himself. Finally he locked his spear with Ichigo's blade, the two men pushing against each other, muscles bulging.
"Yer... pretty good... kid..." Ikkaku said, grinning even now.
"You ain't seen nothing yet." Ichigo grunted back, just as stubbornly.
"Ya think?" Ikkaku said. Suddenly he twisted his spear, and there was a hot flash of pain. Something had cut Ichigo across the cheek, and he staggered back.
"Ya see," Ikkaku said, and Ichigo could make out his figure, confidently standing with his spear split in three pieces, held together with chain, "my Hozukimaru ain't really a spear."
Ichigo put a hand to his face. There was a nasty cut to his cheek, which had raked across bone and flesh alike, and he felt a ringing in his skull for what felt like the umpteenth time today.
"Don't you go and disappoint me now, boy," Ikkaku said, circling around him, clearly looking for an opportunity to pounce. "Don't you go and get my blood boiling without giving me a good fight. Yer Erza Scarlet's student. Do 'er proud."
Ichigo had stood on the edge of having his fighting spirit waver, the blow to his head making him stagger, but now something in him burst. A jolt of anger, passion, a desire to defeat the man in front of him and show him just what happened when you fucked with Erza's students...
"I told ya... you ain't seen nothing yet!" Ichigo snarled. Power surged through his body, and the pain felt odd, distant.
"GETSUGA TENSHO!"
Roaring out his defiance, Ichigo sent out one, two of the moon-shaped projectiles, and charged. Ikkaku smoothly dodged out of the way of both, but was taken by surprise by the sheer ferocity of the young man's attack. Cutting hard, almost losing himself with the furor of combat, he drove Ikkaku back. With the reflexes and strength of a senior fighter, Ikkaku did his best to counter, but Ichigo dodged them with relative ease. He was overpowering him, he realized, the odd physics of the afterlife working in his favour. As the seconds went on, Ichigo realized this surge of power would not last- he needed to do some damage before it burned out. Ikkaku, despite his surprise, had held up well, and aside from a few minor cuts was still at full fighting power.
Quickly Ichigo lashed out with a wide blow, only for it to turn into a stab at the last second. Ikkaku had hopped back to dodge, but was not prepared for the thrusting attack. Ichigo could feel Zangetsu taste blood, and quickly brought his sword back and up. Ikkaku was reeling, trying to bring his spear about, but it was too late. With a vicious cut, Ichigo's sword came down, ripping into Ikkaku's body from shoulder to hip.
Ikkaku still held on to his weapon, despite sinking to one knee, seeming unwilling to give up even after a grievous wound like that. For good measure, Ichigo slammed the pommel into his head, and Ikkaku slumped over, lying defeated in the ground.
Ichigo took a few seconds to breath, and the surge of power began to wear off, leaving with it a weariness- and acute awareness that he was bleeding in multiple places. Shinigami could take a lot, he knew, and as far as he knew they weren't in danger of infections, but being cut still hurt- quite a bit, actually.
"That..." Ikkaku said, his voice raspy and weakened, "was somethin' else. Fuck me, kid, you done good."
Ichigo almost felt incredulous. It was one thing to enjoy battle, but to... compliment your opponent, even after taking that kind of damage?
"The hell are you smiling about?" Ichigo muttered. "I just cut you down." He swatted the blood off Zangetsu, and let the blade shrink back to its sealed form.
"Me, I'm just thinkin' of all the fun our captain will have," Ikkaku said. "Fffffuck, that stings..."
"...you're crazy." Ichigo muttered. "Whatever. Uhm. Seeya around, I guess." Hurrying as best he could, he headed for his mother, to see if she needed any help.
Masaki forced herself to remain calm. It came easier to her than perhaps it should, the effect of her training kicking in. This had been one thing she had always hated- what the mentality of a soldier did to people.
The first thing she had done was to put some distance between herself, Ichigo, and his opponent, not just to give him elbow space but because as a quincy, her ranged fighting style demanded space to move in. Her opponent had kept up quite well, her hirenkyaku matched by his shunpo. He stood a few yards away, hand on his sword, staring her down. He was handsome, all right, but Masaki could read his signature clear as day, and it was plain to see that he was powerful and deadly in his own right.
"You're beautiful." He said. The compliment came out of nowhere, sounding oddly neutral. "Do not mistake that for some crude advance or flirtation. Beauty in any form is a worthwhile thing, whether I see it in a vase, a painting, or the face of an enemy." He shrugged, and sighed. "It really is a shame, having to fight you."
"That... is an odd approach," Masaki said, not feeling especially eager to begin. "Is it my curves, or.."
"I told you, it's not crude," the man- Yumichika, Masaki remembered- said, his tone a little effeminate. "It's the symmetry. Your face could be on a statue."
"...thanks." Masaki said. "You know, your hair is very nice. Do you use some particular conditioner?"
It was a long shot, but it hit home.
"Oh, this old thing?" Yumichika said, twirling his hair with one hand. "Nothing special. Just a little bit of Alvglade shampoo, followed by Papaver conditioner, which is allowed to soak for exactly two minutes."
"Oh, that does explain it," Masaki said cheerily. "Do you use a hair dryer? Because personally, I feel that overusing them can produce decent results early on, but wear out your hair in the long term. Those split ends..."
Yumichika practically gasped. "I know, right? I keep telling the beauty salons, but do they listen? Stubborn as a mule, each one of them!"
"In the end you're better off doing it yourself, right?" Masaki said. "Anyone can do it if they just make an effort to learn. And who knows your hair better? You, or some hopped-up hair stylist?"
"Totally!" Yumichika said excitably. "Oh crap. Erm. I'm supposed to be fighting you." He said the words as if it had just occurred to him.
"Don't worry, I won't tell," Masaki said charitably. "It'll be a secret just between us girls."
"This isn't some clever trick, is it?" Yumichika said suspiciously.
"I haven't got a deceptive bone in my body," Masaki said, and it was mostly true. She hadn't tried to stall out for this long, but it had allowed her to get a pretty good read of her opponent. Strong enough to be a real danger. Not so strong she couldn't end it quickly if she got lucky.
Yumichika sighed, and pulled out his sword.
"For the record," he said, "this is officially a shame. Bloom, Fuji Kujaku!"
The blade split into four sickle-shaped blades, looking like a vicious clawed hand. It didn't look especially practical, but Masaki knew better than to underestimate him. In one furious shunpo step, he surged forward, aiming for her midsection-
-then suddenly he staggered forward, blood seeping from his waistline.
"What... the hell...?" He muttered.
Masaki stood behind him, her bow dissolving.
"A precision shot," she said. "Think of it like deflating a balloon."
"I won't be..." Yumichika said, attempting to turn around and raise his sword, but fell flat on his face in the process.
"What the hell..." he murmured, seeming puzzled more than anything.
"I shot you at a very specific point in your reiatsu network," Masaki explained, and kneeled by his side. "It won't kill you, but you won't be able to really do anything more than life-sustaining functions for the next day or so. Sorry."
"Sonofabitch..." Yumichika muttered, and closed his eyes.
Well. That had been easier than she had expected. But then again, the hard part was still ahead.
Quickly, she raced to find Ichigo. He would only be a couple of blocks away; she could still sense him quite clearly.
Running had gotten old after a while. Tatsuki and Orihime had become separated from the others somewhere down the line, and what had started as fleeing in terror- that captain had seemed pretty fearsome- had eventually turned into fleeing in annoyance. It wasn't that they couldn't outrun most of their pursuers, although the two of them being human and as such having no access to high-speed travel didn't help, but it seemed that the moment they made progress, they ran into another nest of shinigami, swarming like big, black angry wasps. Wasps with swords, and military training. And magic. Tatsuki had lost track of the number of times they had dodged a brightly colored bolt of energy soaring past them, often too close for comfort.
In the end, they had both of them decided to stand and fight, making their stand in a narrow alley, negating the overwhelming numbers of their pursuers. The results had been gratifying. Tatsuki had unleashed every ounce of frustration in a furious flurry of kicks, punches and stave whacks, while Orihime had used her own magics to repel and knock over attacker after attacker, expertly dealing them just as much damage as she needed to. Now they stood over dozens of shinigami, passed out on the ground or groaning in pain.
It was tactically sound to force them to engage in a choke point, but Tatsuki found herself wondering if it had been necessary in the end. She was... strong. So was Orihime. So far her only two frames of reference had been Yoruichi and Erza (and, she suspected, Urahara Kisuke), but next to them, these rank-and-file troopers were... nothing. They fought with a basic level of competence, and their strength was in itself not even a tenth of her own. They had both found themselves doing incredible, unbelievable things, like sending people flying through the air, or into the side of a building so hard that there were cracks in the wall...
"Well... hot damn," Tatsuki said, breathing heavily. She had expended a lot of energy, and felt a little weak now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off. They had not been quiet, but hopefully the attention they had attracted would have taken a load off the others. They hoped so at least; otherwise they'd have fought very hard only to accomplish nothing more than getting lost.
"It's nice, isn't it?" Orihime said, considerably less worn down. Her style of fighting had been much more energy efficient- and, Tatsuki noted with a sting of jealousy, much more effective overall. "They were like, 'you're under arrest', and we were like, 'come and get it', and them wham! Pow! Boff!" Emphatically, she made gestures with her arms, her ethereal staff gleaming with power.
The actual deal had been nothing like that, of course, but Tatsuki was not about to correct her. They had both enjoyed flexing their muscles a bit, although in different ways, it seemed.
"So where next?" Tatsuki muttered, and realized that if anyone was going to come up with a plan, it would likely have to be herself. "To that prison thingy?"
"Oh yes!" Orihime chirped. "Which is in the middle, I think. Which direction is the middle?"
As expected.
"We should get up roofside-" Tatsuki started, but then they both felt it, and dashed away, out of the alleyway. Behind them, there was a metallic whir, and Tatsuki felt a couple of nasty stings in her back. The two of them spun around, ready to face whatever it was. They stood out in the street now, surrounded by what looked like walled-in barracks, and they saw it clearly now: a series of long, metallic projectiles hurtling through the air.
"That was not very nice," Orihime said firmly, and held up her staff. "Santen Kesshun!"
The triangular shield formed in front of them, holding firm against the projectiles, which bounced off and returned from whence they had came. They were little blades, they could see, spinning rapidly through the air. Tatsuki looked up. At the top of a roof stood an imposing figure, tall and burly. The spinning blades returned to him, forming a zanpakutou. Jumping down, landing heavily, he stood in front of them, a cock-sure expression on his face. He was heavy-set, almost chubby, and they could both sense power radiating from him.
"Congratulations," he said calmly, his voice deep. "You survived my first attack."
"Stabbing us in the back after we knocked over your pals, coward!" Tatsuki sneered.
"You invade our home, and expect to be treated with courtesy?" The man said, sounding almost amused. "You are ryoka. To be captured would be merciful. You will die here. So say I, Ikkanzaka Jirobo, fourth seat of division seven."
Tatsuki grit her teeth, and took a stance. "Let's-"
"Take it easy, Tatsuki," Orihime said calmly. "I'll deal with him."
"Bullshit!" Tatsuki snapped. "I'm not gonna let you-"
"You're tired." Orihime said flatly. "I'm not. Don't start a fight you're not fit to win."
The sheer bluntness of Orihime's voice was shocking. "But-" Tatsuki started.
"Tatsuki," Orihime said kindly, "I can handle it. If I need help, I'll call you. For now, just keep an eye out."
Tatsuki grit her teeth, then relented. If it had been Ichigo, she wasn't so sure she wouldn't have insisted, but for Orihime...
Well, she could do it. She was different now. Strong.
"I am Inoue Orihime," Orihime said, and stepped forward. "I don't have a seat, but it'll have to work anyway."
Jirobo grinned, and held up his sword. "You'll regret taking me on by your lonesome. Flap away, Tsunzakigarasu!"
At once the blade of his sword disappeared, replaced by a seemingly limitless amount of spinning blades, each one no longer than two knives put together. They surged away, going at Orihime with speed. She was already moving, running at the tall man. It looked like madness, a small girl like her attacking a giant like him, but the afterlife made all normal notions of size a deception.
"Santen Kesshun!" Orihime cried, raising her staff. The shield erected itself to her left, warding off three hits, before manifesting to her right a second later. She dodged under yet another one coming in from behind, casually performing a forward flip, her stride unbroken.
Although like Tatsuki she was not capable of rapid movement techniques like shunpo, the nature of the soul society benefited her, too, and she moved with an instinctive understanding of the world, quickly closing ranks. Jirobo muttered a curse, and quickly hopped back.
"You stupid little girl!" He snarled, sending the knife-blades back Orihime's way, but her shield manifested at her back, and the rest missed, going wide.
"Koten Zanshun!" Orihime cried, bringing the tip of her staff down. It gleamed read, and impacted squarely with Jirobo's chest, sending the man reeling. He grunted with pain, and put space between himself and Orihime, the blades whirring around him.
"You're human?" He said incredulously.
"Yes." Orihime said firmly. "You shouldn't have underestimated me. It's pretty simple, actually. Whenever I see Ishida or Masaki fire their bows, they always try and put space between themselves and their target if there isn't any already. Since you attack from afar, I figured getting up close and personal was best."
Tatsuki blinked. It was easy to forget, even for her, that beneath that bubbly surface, Orihime had a functioning brain, which could be sharp as a razor if it had to. The idea itself was hardly revolutionary, but to have kept her cool in the middle of a surprise attack and think of that... she had come a long way.
"You have some nerve, speaking as if it was already over," Jirobo sneered. "Forward!" He moved his hand, pointing at Orihime, and the blades surged. Her shield caught the first few easily, the metal bounding off with slight clangs, but then they came in from all directions, bounding out in wide arcs. It had to be a dozen, each one coming at her from every which angle...
"Now who's underestimating who, huh?" The giant cried, with gleeful cheer.
"Orihime!" Tatsuki cried, going into a run, knowing she would be too late. Her heart skipped a beat-
-and then the blades all impacted at once, and there was a set of clang-clang-clangs as they all reflected away, the sheer force burying them into the stone walls. A round shield had erected around Orihime, dissipating seconds later. Confidently, she took a step forward, and held the staff under his chin.
"I'm still not very good at doing that," she said, "but I'm not defenceless. Please surrender. I don't want to hurt you."
"I-I-I-I," the giant said, holding his hands up, "o-of course! I surrender!"
Orihime gave him a knowing look, narrowed her eyes, and took a step back. "All right then."
She took another step back, still keeping an eye on her foe. "Tatsuki, let's-"
"You little idiot!" Jirobo sneered, raising the hilt of his sword again. "I'll kill you for that, but you get to see your friend die first!" The blades whirred out with speed, surging toward Tatsuki. Grunting with surprise, she readied her guard, and...
"Koten Zanshun, I reject!" Tatsuki couldn't remember ever hearing Orihime's voice that fierce, and there was a surge of energy as a red projectile flew from her staff, instantaneously slamming into the shinigami. The blades dropped to the ground, and Jirobo staggered back and hit a wall, hard, sinking down into a sitting position. Blood had sprayed across the wall behind him, and there was a hole in his shoulder, large enough that Tatsuki was sure she could see the wall behind him through it. His zanpakutou had sealed, and he looked at the two of them with dull, shocked eyes.
Tatsuki hurried to Orihime's side.
"I told you I didn't want to hurt you!" She said, her voice in between furious and plain upset. There were tears at the edge of her eyes. "Why did you go ahead and make it so I didn't have a choice?!"
"Orihime, it's fine," Tatsuki said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. I'm fine. I'm okay."
Orihime sniffed, and took a deep breath. The bulky shinigami was unresponsive, still alive, although there was no telling if that would last.
"I didn't want to," Orihime said. "I didn't want to do it."
"You had to!" Tatsuki said. "It's not your fault, it's his fault, and..." There were familiar noises in the distance now, soldiers running and shouting.
"Oh crap," Tatsuki muttered. "Come on, let's move!"
Orihime nodded, keeping herself from crying. This was fighting. Hard, heart-rending and necessary. Together, the two of them ran again, deeper into the Gotei Thirteen.
In his office, Aizen smiled. He had sat still all morning, drinking in the sensations of the chaos at the gates. Nine signatures, most of them weak and unfamiliar, but three of them familiar and strong. Kurosaki Ichigo, his little pet project. Shihoin Yoruichi, the former stealth corps commander, spymaster and head assassin, easily the deadliest of the group. Although few of them, if any, likely realized it. Erza Scarlet, her reiatsu rich, thick, stronger and better controlled than every before.
It had been quite the effort at this range, even for a savant like himself, to read it accurately, but he had done it still.
It was a sensation quite indescribable to feel everything move in the palm of his hand, exactly the way he had wanted it to. He had kept an eye on Karakura, naturally, and had at least cursory knowledge of Erza's group and her allies. It was such a desperate, foolish attempt, charging right into the hornet's nest- all to save one person, quite logically beyond saving. This was Urahara Kisuke's gambit, and no mistake, but it was also exactly the sort of thing she would do.
He had missed her. It was an odd, but undeniable realization, having come to him the moment he could feel her reiatsu again, grown yet familiar. In all his time, she was the only one who, like him, had seen through that accursed Veil, and wanted to act on it. He had plenty of allies, of course, but... his hollows, prospective arrancar, were little more than animals. Tools, a means to an end, entirely disposable. Ichimaru was a psychopathic sadist, in his own way little different from a hollow himself. Kaname made claims to be different, but Aizen knew he was blinded by ideology, and a hypocrite to boot. Out of all the allies he had ever had... she had stood out.
There was a thoughtful expression on his face as his eyebrows narrowed a little. Perhaps he could bring her back into the fold? She would likely never side with the likes of Ichimaru... but then again, he was starting to lose his appeal. Maybe...
They wanted the same thing, after all. A just, orderly and peaceful world, where equality, mercy and intelligence was valued higher than unthinking adherence to tradition, authority. A world where there would be... a heaven. An afterlife worth living in. Where the common soul would not live in fear of warlords or hollows.
They both wanted that. Surely she could be made to see reason? He hadcast her out, but it had been over twenty years, and she had prospered. She even had a bankai by now.
Aizen was not prone to dalliances, romantic or more physical. The interest had never been there, and the fixation on it by his lessers had always seemed absurd, like yet another shackle that tied them to the Veil. But if he had been that sort of man... if he had been the kind of king who would take a queen, she would have been a neat fit.
He would speak with her. Watch her progress, see how much she had grown. Confront her. He would make her see the light again. His light. The only path the Soul Society would have in the future.
And if she still refused him... it would be her loss. Perhaps he'd kill her. Perhaps he'd let her watch his world grow. Yes... she would be allowed to see his world as it grew, as he accomplished all the things she could not.
Smiling to himself, Aizen stood up. There would be summons coming any moment now; he could sense Hinamori just around the corner. Old Yamamoto would respond to the invasion, naturally, by calling a meeting. It wasn't just comical, it was outright laughable.
Part of him couldn't wait to get this over with, to step out into the light and let everyone see him for who he was. Part of him, a surprisingly large one at that, was actually enjoying this.
The meeting hall loomed over the captains, oppressively grand and ancient, designed specifically to remind everyone just how incredibly important it was, how grandiose and magnificent whatever came to pass inside it should be.
As per usual, despite the summons having been sent across all the Gotei, a number of captains were absent. Kurotsuchi Mayuri had flat out ignored it, while Ukitake Jushiro was, once more, in bed with tuberculosis. Unohana Retsu had excused herself, citing an influx of injured soldiers, which was certainly not untrue. The remaining captains were present, though, waiting for the Captain-Commander to speak. Not a single one of them were ignorant of why the meeting had been called, because word traveled fast in the Gotei, and the commotion had been felt by all even from afar, but protocol demanded a meeting be held by the senior officers.
"Approximately two hours ago," Yamamoto said, finally speaking up, his ancient voice rumbling across the hall, "our gates were breached by a group of ryoka. They are still at large, heading inward. Their objectives are as of yet unknown. However, their identities are not unknown- or not all of them. Third captain, you were present, were you not?"
"Oh, lil' ol' me?" Ichimaru said, as if surprised. "Sure I was, sir. Jus' happened t' be passing by the gates, and what do I see if not-"
"Report the facts." Yamamoto said. His voice was calm, but there was no mistaking his intention- he had no interest in listening to Ichimaru's antics.
Ichimaru shrugged. "Nine of 'em, I reckon. Yeah, nine. Pretty strong, too. But that one's obvious, ain't it? They been pummelin' our top officers like it's nothin', haven't they?" He grinned, and looked at his fellow captains, the jeer unmistakable.
"The facts." Yamamoto said. "Confirm, in person, what you claimed earlier."
Ichimaru sighed, and shrugged. "Well, there I was, takin' on the ryoka, and who's leadin' them, if not Erza Scarlet? She got real strong, too- managed to fight me t' a draw, she did."
The captains kept stoic, for the most part, but there were reactions- winces, a narrowing of the brows, a sharp breath in.
"The traitor returns!" Komamura snarled, his voice deep. The man was deeply loyal to the Gotei, and took renegades quite seriously, none less than her. She had been at the heart of a massive conspiracy, evidence had shown, planning to spread ruin and terror all across the Gotei. Her escape had been the biggest ruckus there had been for decades, second squad having spearheaded investigation after investigation to find possible collaborators.
"Am I correct in assuming that among the ryoka are a red-headed, impetuous young man and a bespectacled, black-haired quincy?" Kuchiki Byakuya said, his voice level. "I would find it almost unbelievable, but..."
"Naw, how'd ya guess all that?" Ichimaru said. "See, that was them, all right."
A look of contempt passed the Kuchiki's face. "It matches the description of an abnormally strong substitute shinigami and a quincy we found in the living world when we retrieved... a criminal recently. If they had been trained by a dangerous and powerful traitor, it would explain it."
"My operatives confirm this much," Soifon said, raising her voice. She had informants planted across the Gotei, and today, her seemingly paranoid plans had paid off. "Our information network puts them at nine, at least two of which are quincy, along with several other empowered humans. It would seem the traitor left only to recruit new soldiers for her cause. Whatever her plan is, it seems she intends ruin for us all."
"Our worst fears may be realized," Yamamoto said gravely. "The moment this meeting concludes, I expect you to personally hunt her and her compatriots down. Spare no resources. So I order."
"Heh, I call dibs," said Kenpachi, who had looked bored for the most part up till now. "Not like the lot of you could expect to take her down easily."
"We will not give special privileges to another division if we should find her first," Byakuya said stiffly. "This is law and order, not your personal playground."
"Ya wanna tell that to my face outside here, punk?" Kenpachi said lazily, eyeing Byakuya with a grin on his face.
"Kids, kids, don't fight now," came the cheery voice of the affable Kyoraku Shunsui. "There will be plenty of criminals for everyone, I'm sure."
"Silence." Yamamoto said, and his voice carried enough weight to quiet the quarrelling captains. "Ichimaru."
"Sir?" The third captain said.
"You fought her. Yet here you stand, unbloodied, and she is still at large. Explain yourself."
"Oh, ya see," Ichimaru said, and shrugged, "I ain't good at holdin' back. If it was me, she'd end up dead, or me dead tryin', and all them poor soldiers mighta got caught up in it. That just wouldn't be fair, would it?"
The logic was sound enough, although none quite believed him, but Yamamoto seemed placated, nodding.
"I expect them all captured come the morning," he said firmly. "Spare no resources. I want everyone involved. If you need to kill them, then so be it, but I want the arch-traitor taken alive."
"On my soul, it will be done, captain-commander!" Komamura said emphatically, and Byakuya nodded his approval. Shunsui sighed. This was going to be a bother and a half...
Its only the first chapter of the arc, but as you can see, we've already made quite a few changes. Id like to go over them with you if you don't mind.
First off, Erza recreating Fairy Tail. This is something I've always wanted. Erza always has and always will consider the guild her family. Orihime is her adopted daughter, and Ichigo is more or less a son to her. The others may not mean as much to her, but she's come to care for her much the same way Makarov would for his own guild. Family/Guild is a HUGE part of what makes fairy tail the series it is. I wouldn't dream of leaving it out. More or less, think of Erza using this as a way of her saying "I fully acknowledge you as warriors"
2nd off, The Getsuga Tensho. To keep things from being the exact same, i figured i would spice things up by giving him this early on. With Erza's help, this progression feels right to me. Also, for those of you wondering, Ichigo's sealed sword is more or less how it was in chapter one...not the oversize flat blade it turned into by the end of the substitute arc. It just felt wrong to give him a regular katana. The larger size works, far as I'm concerned. Not to mention we've seen soul reapers that have sealed swords that are different than the norm, and Ichigo is NOT normal.
3rd, Orihime's new strength. As you can see, Orihime is now more than capable than handling herself now. The character that almost killed her in cannon and required Uryu to save her is now not much of a challenge for her. She's not reaching captian level anytime soon mind you (if ever) but I'm very happy i gave her this much.
Also, don't worry, Erza will be having her own fair share of battles, dont any of you worry. We just felt the chapter was long enough as it is, and really didn't need an extra fight scene in it. She'll have MORE than enough time to shine. Same goes for Uryu, Masaki, and even Chad to an extent.
With that all done, please do tell us what you think of the arc thus far. Do you like the changes we've done? Any fights in particular you want to see (we already have them planed, but we DO want to know what you guys would like as well.) any concerns for the arc? Please, let us know in your reviews.
I seriously cant thank all of you enough for the support. You all ROCK!