Sorry for the wait everyone, somethings kinda got crazy before we got upload it. But hey, at the very least, we finally have ou next chapter out. It may not be the most exciting of chapters, but it does cover necessary ground to move forward. Besides, its good to have a more down to earth chapter after the exciting battle with Erza and Kenpachi. However, I'm still expecting this to entertain you all. Please let us know what you think in your reviews.
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.
Groggy and tired, Isane stepped out of bed and headed for the kitchen. The shinigami were different from humans in many marked ways, but in others also very similar, and nowhere was this more apparent than in the absolute necessity for coffee to get your day started. With the accuracy of a near-zombified, mostly asleep addict who had done this a thousand times before- literally, and then some- she brewed a pot, her routine only interrupted by the odd yawn. The first mug took forever to cool, it seemed, and the scalding sensation as it went down her throat woke her up as much as the caffeine. More awake now, she yawned again, and sat down by her kitchen table for a bit.
A hell butterfly was waiting for her, and after receiving its message she was glad to be a bit dazed still- the emergency from yesterday had gone from bad to worse, and she was needed at the division post-haste. Normally, Isane would be there already, but her workload, which was intense as it was, had been more than doubled as wounded started to flood in from scraps with the ryoka. Remarkably, there had been no casualties as of yet, although more than a few broken bones, concussions and flesh wounds. Isane had seen to it with due speed, but she had already been doing a long enough shift as it was. Captain Unohana was very strict when it came to medical procedure, and one rule was that a poorly rested doctor was a bad doctor, and bad doctors got people killed. So she had been sent home to get a good night's sleep. She hadn't slept quite as well as her captain had hoped, although not out of concern or worries.
Now more awake, she headed back to the bedroom. It was about time she woke up-
As she passed through the hallway to her bedroom, she saw it on the floor. She had been too dazed to notice before, but she saw it. There was a small drip of... surely it couldn't be blood? Curiously, she headed toward her living room. There was indeed the slightest spattering of blood. Not far from it, another. There was... a trail, actually, from the door and inside, small but noticeable when you knew what to look for. Anxious, not thinking very clearly, she stepped inside the living room, still dark; the sun had not yet fully risen. Her mouth fell agape, and her coffee mug fell to the floor with a clatter, spilling its contents over a simple rug.
Erza was not really aware of how she had managed to get here. She had snuck off in the night, making her way through the ruins. Having hid behind some rubble, she had evaded the patrols, the reinforcements, all of them rushing toward the epicentre of her titanic clash with Kenpachi. Her reiatsu was weak now, so weak she didn't even bother to try and hide it. Through some miracle, she had not only stayed awake, not only managed to carry Ichigo, but actually made her way here undetected. She had hid Ichigo in an warehouse not far from here. She was vaguely aware that she was in Isane's apartment, and although she couldn't really remember walking in here, it made sense. Isane was an old friend and a skilled healer, and both of those were things she needed right now. When she heard the clatter, it took a few seconds for her to register it; she had been sitting down on a couch, her eyes closed, without much of a plan.
She opened her eyes, and looked at the image of Isane, gaping like a fish.
"Um," she said tiredly, "hi. Long time no see."
Isane gaped for some time more, before putting her hands to her mouth. It was Erza, that much was clear. But that registered second; what she saw first was somebody mangled, so beaten-up and injured that it was a wonder she could have slipped in here at all. Her shihakusho was torn and hung loose from her body, revealing deep cuts and stab injuries. Part of her face had welled up, a nasty bruise covering most of the left side, and her right arm hung limp by her side. With her left, she lamely waved at Isane.
"Um, hi. Long time no see."
It was such a bizarre thing to say, as if... as if there wasn't twenty years of time lost between them, as if there wasn't treason, as if Erza wasn't the leader of an insurrection against the Gotei, as if she wasn't sitting there looking half dead.
"What the hell..." Isane mumbled.
"I um," Erza started, "I know me asking this is gonna be difficult, but... there's a boy out there with terrible injuries who needs medical attention," She forced herself to stutter through the words, feeling dizzy from the fight still. She might have gotten a concussion; her head hurt something fierce, although it seemed light compared to everything else on her body.
"You... are you serious?" Isane hissed, her voice a noisy whisper, the sound of somebody who wanted to shout, but couldn't.
"I got nobody else to turn to-" Erza said, but she was cut off.
"You come to me looking like this, and you ask for help for somebody else?!" Isane snapped. "Goodness, you... you haven't changed a bit, have you?"
"This?" Erza said groggily, making the sort of poorly balanced, lazy gesture with her hand that only those drunk or delusional with pain would make. "'s nothing. I'll live. Be just fine when I got a rest."
"Don't joke around!" Isane snapped. "What the hell happened to you?"
Erza was about to answer, but a sleepy voice came from the doorway of the bedroom.
"Isane? You okay in there?"
"Y-yeah, it's fine!" Isane snapped, almost panicking. "There's uh, there's coffee in the kitchen."
"Good."
Erza caught a faint glimpse of Nemu, wearing nothing but a well-used night shirt, heading into the kitchen.
"You wait here!" Isane hissed at her. "I'll go get rid of her, and in the meantime, don't you make a peep!"
"N-no problem..." Erza muttered. She closed her eyes again, as Isane headed back out to the kitchen.
The first thing she noticed was that she felt no pain. For a moment she wondered if she'd died and gone to heaven, but her mind now clear, she realized the absurdity of that thought. She looked around, and saw the familiar sight of the marble palace. Tetsu no Tama, then. Climbing the stairs into his domain, she saw the damage, just like before- many of the pillars cut in half or overturned, much of the floor wrecked or cracked, statues and vases shattered...
But it didn't look nearly as bad as the last time. And, she noticed as she got closer, Tetsu no Tama had a triumphant smile on his face, even though his golden throne was damaged, cut and scratched. It was wide enough to almost be considered a grin.
"So..." she said uncertainly. She wondered what he'd think of her, having denied such an urgent request, to kill the demon of Zaraki. He seemed to be in a good mood, though...
"My master!" he said, standing up eagerly, rubbing his hands together. "Victory is ours."
He could have said more, but the cheery, triumphant tone was plenty. He was fulfilled, Erza could feel it, overjoyed elated and fulfilled, an old wrong now righted.
"At no small cost," Erza muttered. She looked at her body, which in this world was whole and unbloodied, and she did not look forward to having to go back.
"Pain is the price of power," Tetsu no Tama said dismissively. "I feel it the same as you, my master, but I revel in it. I savour it. It is the freshest and finest reminder of the reality of our triumph."
"It was foolish," Erza growled. "I came here on a mission-"
"Dare not diminish what we accomplished!" he sneered. "We defeated one of the greatest champions the afterlife has ever seen, a warrior of legend. A monster and a brute, whose raw power and malice is renowned and feared among the greatest. Such a deed will live in history, and we shall be told of as the victors. He, the greatest of the Gotei, came at us with all he could manage, and he lost. Our faith, our power and our perseverance has been rewarded. Our hard work justified. Do you deny these things, oh master?!"
"...I do not." Erza said quietly. "I... I enjoyed defeating him. He is a monster, and he deserved to be put in his place."
Tetsu no Tama's eyes glowed with satisfaction, and his smile widened. "So I know. So I feel inside you, master, as you sense my feelings."
"You wanted him dead." Erza said flatly, unwilling to let the matter lie for too long.
"So I did," Tetsu no Tama said. He sat back down on his throne, lazily resting one leg over his knee. "He is a mongrel, a rabid dog, pond scum that knows neither honour nor pride nor glory, a beast that lives only for self-indulgence, with no purpose other than feeding his pseudo-masturbatory obsession with violence. I despise him. His existence is not justified."
"You hate him?"
"He dared humiliate and defeat us," the zanpakutou spirit sneered. "Hatred is only appropriate for such an indignity. Yet, you let him live. Why, master?"
His tone was not harsh, but inquisitive. His good mood had not left, Erza knew. Just how she knew she wasn't sure, she just did. Perhaps that was the bond between zanpakutou and master.
"My mind was not clear at the time," she said evasively.
"Undoubtedly," he said, nodding in agreement, "but to say so is to suggest you might have taken his life if your mind was clear. Do not be dishonest with me, master."
"No, I did not kill him. I wanted to, at least in part. I wanted to shear his head from his shoulders for all the death and misery he has on his conscience."
"So why did you not?"
"I..." Erza said hesitantly, "I had a choice. In the heat of battle, I would perhaps feel some regret if I had killed him, although not much. But the moment he lay defeated before me, helpless to resist, it changed. To kill the defenceless is murder. It is dishonourable. It is cowardly."
"Even for a mongrel beast such as he?" Tetsu no Tama said scrutinizingly. He still smiled at her, and she felt this was another one of his tests.
"To be honest, it was not dishonour that held me back," Erza said. "It is not honourable, but honour is not what concerns me here."
"Oh?"
"There are some lines I never want to cross," Erza said firmly. "Mayhap I will one day be forced to take a defenceless life. I hope I never will. But to take a life, to commit murder, that makes you not a killer, but a murderer. I am not a murderer."
"Not even for somebody such as he? You spared him, but you may well find cause to regret it in the future. What if he were to slay somebody dear to you in retaliation?"
"If you're willing to become a murderer for a good reason, what's to stop you to become a murderer for a bad reason?" Erza said stubbornly.
Slowly, Tetsu no Tama chuckled, turning into full blown laughter. It was odd; she couldn't even sense an ounce of sarcasm or mockery. He just seemed... pleased. It was weird.
He had to have noticed the look on her face, because he quieted down, a wide smile still on her face.
"It is such a strange order of things, my master."
"What is?"
"You would think that blade and master would believe similarly. It is how we are constructed after all, to be like our masters. Yet I cannot find it in my heart to agree with you on this at all."
"You are a reflection of me," Erza said cautiously, "but you are also your own. Why this is so, I couldn't tell you."
"Indeed!" He shook his head. "I cannot agree. The mongrel's head should have been severed and put on a spike to warn all of our power. Yet at the same time, I understand you, my master. I understand why you believe as you do. It makes... sense, even if I believe you are wrong."
"So you won't take your powers away from me, then?" Erza said, daring to let a little sarcasm in.
"They are secure and solid as granite!" He said firmly. "You are once again honest with yourself, true to your beliefs... and our victory, of course, does not hurt."
Erza nodded. "I am glad."
Tetsu no Tama nodded back, regally and with dignity. "That is all, my master. See to repairing your body, and I shall repair my castle."
Quickly, the marble palace disappeared, and Erza, to her frustration, felt the aches and pains of her injuries. Groaning a little, she tried not to move- but just breathing was enough to remind her of what she had been through.
Luckily, though, it seemed like Isane was managing to get Nemu out of there... whatever she had been doing there. It was rude to listen in, she knew, but she couldn't not hear them.
"...I'm fine, really," she heard Nemu say.
"You're sure?" Isane said, genuine concern in her voice. "I'm sure I could talk to Captain Unohana-"
"I have to get back, and you know that."
Nemu sounded much warmer than Erza had ever remembered- in fact, she had never heard her speak in any tone except her quiet, dispassionate, almost robotic voice. Now, she sounded... affectionate.
"O-okay," Isane said. "Still... when will I see you again?"
"Soon enough, probably," Nemu said.
Erza heard the sound of what was unmistakably a kiss, and then the door opening and closing as Nemu left. Not long after, Isane hurried back in, not looking terribly happy.
"So," she said, her arms crossed, still wearing her night-shirt, "what in the world happened to you?"
Isane did not sound like she was in the mood for anything but a direct answer, and Erza wanted to keep her happy. Not much to hide, anyway- the news were bound to have spread by now.
"Ran into Kenpachi," Erza said, and groaned.
"Dear god..." Isane said, paling.
"I won," Erza added, not without pride.
"Are you serious?" Isane quipped, momentarily distracted from the absurdity of the situation.
"Never much for bragging, me," Erza muttered. "You know that."
"I-I do. I believe you. It's just... he's Kenpachi."
"I know," Erza said, not without satisfaction.
"Don't you sound so smug!" Isane sneered. "Here you are, bleeding all over my couch, coming in unannounced..."
"Sorry about that..." Erza muttered.
"Twenty years!" Isane exclaimed frustratedly. "Not a peep, not the smallest hint, not a word, and, and-"
She actually tore at her hair, looking more upset than Erza could ever remember seeing her.
"Isane," she said, forcing her voice to be firm and steady, "I'd love to talk to you, but right now, I need you to either turn me in or patch me up. I think I'll pass out soon if you don't."
Isane took a deep breath, looking at her with a mix of anger and concern, before finally her face softened. Drawing a very deep sigh, she said,
"Wait here. I'll be right back."
"Can do," Erza said weakly. If she had been a bit stronger, she would perhaps remarked that she wasn't exactly in any state to go anywhere to begin with.
Presently Isane returned, carrying an unwieldy black cloth bundle, which turned out to be a well-supplied medical kit. As Isane set it down on the table, opening it and grabbing a pair of sharp scissors, Erza could see medical alcohol, bandages, pre-prepared kido runes, a hundred and one small items, each one no doubt useful. That was Isane all right, proper and practical.
"What you gonna do with those?" Erza said groggily, as Isane came closer with the scissors.
"Shut up and let me work." Isane said, and with a safe and well-practiced hand, she started cutting up Erza's already torn shihakusho. In a matter of minutes, Erza had been stripped entirely, the bloodied, torn pieces of cloth discarded.
"You'd be surprised how often you need a good pair of scissors," Isane muttered. She took a closer look at Erza's injuries, plentiful and red, her entire body dyed red with cluttering, drying blood.
"Good lord... you look like..." Isane shook her head. "I'm trying to think of a metaphor, but I can't think of one that's exaggerated enough. You look like you were run over by Kenpachi."
"Pretty much," Erza said, nodding weakly.
"All right, lie down. Can you do that?" Isane said, and gently took Erza by the arm. With some effort, and more than a little groaning, Erza was stretched out on the couch.
"Damn..." Isane muttered, nervously running a hand through her own hair. "Normal medical kido won't cut it, not the field variety. I'll need to sanitize every major cut, stitch it up, and then apply specialized kido for each individual body part. It'll take hours."
"What about your job?" Erza said, staring up into the roof.
"I'll come up with something. The Captain's understanding," Isane said dismissively.
Erza grit her teeth as Isane started to clean out the first wound with an alcohol solution, and through the fresh pain she marvelled at her old friend's attitude. She had come in unannounced, a traitor still, and no doubt given Isane a shock. But still she had immediately started to treat her, an enemy, rather than call it in like most other officers would. She was a doctor through and through, and, Erza suspected, a friend even after all these years.
"So..." Erza said, keen to distract herself from the pains, "you and- ouch- you and Nemu, huh?"
"Y-yeah..." Isane mumbled, carefully dabbing a long laceration across Erza's chest.
"How'd that happen?"
"It's um, uh... it's messed up," Isane said, and there was something in her voice, something like despair- despair that had been around long enough to be an old friend. "You know how her father is."
"He is scum!" Erza said with gusto, moving her head up.
"Keep calm, or it will be harder for me," Isane said calmly. "Yes, well um... as it is, she needs a doctor every now and then. She's his punching bag. She heals fast, but Captain Unohana wouldn't let it stand that he just... does that to her without treatment. I've been looking out for her since... I mean, well back in the day when you were still, um,"
"Loyal," Erza said bluntly.
"Th-that. So um... I mean, she leaned on me. A lot. She's... people think she's like a robot or something, just because she's an artificially created soul, but it's not true. I found that out myself."
She was getting a bit flustered, Erza could tell.
"I um, well, somewhere along the line we ah, became more than doctor and patient..." she trailed off.
"I understand," Erza said, nodding. She wasn't so clueless that she didn't know there were women who preferred women, or men who preferred men, but she hadn't really met anyone like that until now. She had no particular opinion on it, but she knew that Isane was the one fixing her up right now, and more importantly, a friend.
"I get to see her when he's hit her badly, and that's about it," Isane said, sounding tired. "It's been that way all the time. "We've kept it to ourselves."
"Because you're both..."
"Because of what he might do," Isane said firmly. "I think my captain knows, though..."
Erza nodded, still digesting this knowledge. Two women. She wasn't sure how that worked. Then again, she wasn't all too sure how it worked between a man and a woman either. It occurred to her that, in fact, she had never been in a romantic relationship at all, so she was not one to judge anything.
"But don't you try and distract me!" Isane said firmly, a bit of anger returning to her voice as she continued her work, cleaning Erza's wounds one by one. "You have some explaining to do, Erza Scarlet!"
"Twenty years..." Erza mumbled.
"Yes, twenty years! Twenty years, after them showing all this evidence you were a traitor, after hours of being interrogated by the stealth force... what happened, Erza?"
"You don't think I did it," Erza said with a smile.
Briefly, Isane paused. "You stupid idiot," she said, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I told you, there was evidence."
"You don't believe it, or you wouldn't have asked," Erza said, almost cheerily.
Isane shook her head, and resumed her work. "I... don't think you pretended or put on a fake persona. I've worked as a therapist, if you recall, and I can read people well enough that I can usually tell when they're lying. Only psychopaths can lie that convincingly, and you're not a psychopath. You had a lot of friends who knew you... but did you tell even one of them of your past?"
"Y-you mean..." Erza muttered. "I don't think anyone missed the news of... that."
Isane shook her head. "It's one thing to hear about a massacre, and to hear what its survivors thought. You seemed normal, but I always wondered... was it that? Was that what made you change? It's not unusual for that sort of trauma to drastically alter a personality-"
"No, no," Erza muttered, both glad to have her friend give her the benefit of the doubt, and uneasy to be reminded of that incident. "It wasn't that. Maybe... maybe it made me more vulnerable, but that wasn't it."
"Well, what happened?" Isane insisted, and took out needle and thread. Erza drew in a sharp breath as Isane started making the first stitch.
"I..." Erza said. She was getting tired of telling the same story, but Isane deserved something, at least.
"The, ow ow ow, the short of it... I can't tell you the whole of it, but in a nutshell: I'm guilty but not as guilty as they say I am, the evidence against me is most likely tampered with, and there's also an unseen force acting in the Gotei intent on its destruction." She said the words quickly, hoping they would seem believable enough.
"That's it?" Isane said skeptically.
"As much as I can give you," Erza said. "Believe it or don't believe it. What do you say, therapist?"
"...you don't seem to lie," Isane muttered, making another stitch, "but then again, you could also be delusional."
"But still you're not calling for my arrest."
"Who's to say I won't?" Isane said sharply.
Despite the pains, Erza's face split into a stupid-looking grin. "You won't."
"I could!" Isane insisted, with the tone of a person trying to sound stern, angry and authoritative, and failing on all three counts. "I could have officers here within five minutes, I'll have you know!"
"Yes, you could," Erza said cheerily. "You won't, though."
"You're impossible", Isane said frustratedly.
"Pretty much."
Isane muttered something inaudible, and gave Erza a sullen look. "Erza Scarlet, you're either the most genuine, most-difficult-to-disbelieve person I ever met, or the most cunning, conniving psychopath known to history."
"You do believe me," Erza said, her grin going wider. "I didn't even have to get stabbed this time."
"Shut up and let me work," Isane said irritably, but there was no mistaking it- although upset, although shaken and a little irritable, Isane believed in Erza.
She hadn't been kidding about the kido, though- it was well over four hours later when the two of them stumbled out into the Gotei, against Isane's protests, Erza in a borrowed set of shinigami robes, to find Ichigo.
The sun had just risen, and from a rooftop, well hidden from view through the power of his sword, Aizen Sousuke sat. Lazily, he was letting his legs hang free. It was unlike him to relax, to sit almost lackadaisical, but with what he had accomplished, with what was to come, he felt entitled to laze around for a few minutes. It wasn't as if anyone would see, anyway.
He had come to admire his handiwork, to personally see how it would come across to whoever found it first. The corpse doll, aided as it was by his illusions, looked perfect. Blood smeared across the wall, pinned and stuck up like an insect, it was a sight sure to make an impact. Never do anything halfway unless there was a good reason to, such was his line of thinking. The body of Aizen Sousuke would not be found curled up in an alleyway with a small trail of blood, it was crucified and held aloft for all to see. The image was sure to get a rise out of old Yama- oh, how he'd have loved to see the old bastard's reaction, as things started to spiral out of control...
But he stopped himself. Gloat after victory was complete, not before. Not that everything wasn't going just as he had planned, but still...
He intentionally let his thoughts drift elsewhere. He had already thoroughly admired his own craftsmanship, as near perfection as it could be given the time he spent on it, so what else was there?
Well, yesterday had been more amusing than he would ever have expected his last days in this miserable waste of potential called the Gotei. Anticipation for his coming victory had filled him with zest, not frustration- not as much as he had thought. Having met her again had even put him in a good mood.
She had become quite interesting. Striking out on her own had only emphasized her character; he hoped she had gained as much in terms of vision. Inferior, of course, but admirable nonetheless. He had sensed her bout with Zaraki Kenpachi, observing it keenly without his eyes. That she had beaten the mad dog would surprise all of the Gotei, he was sure, but he himself viewed it as no less than what she should be capable of. If she hadn't, she would be unworthy of the respect he had shown her. Insofar as Aizen had an opinion on Zaraki, aside from viewing him with the same quiet contempt he regarded all captains with, it was that he was a shameful waste of talent. He had the capacity to be the greatest swordsman in the universe- aside from Aizen himself, of course- but not only did he waste that, but intentionally suppressed it. It was disgraceful. That Erza- a fighter valuing technique over power- should defeat him, that was only right.
Then, he sensed a reiatsu signature approaching in the distance, and his lips curled up into a small smile. What delightful a turn of fate, that the first to come past his art would be Hinamori Momo.
Little Hinamori. He remembered with clarity how they had parted ways last night, him having said his goodbyes without her having been any wiser.
"Hinamori." The words were warm, inspiring calm and confidence, and his little lapdog immediately lit up. The division was a mess; Aizen had felt with perfect clarity how one of the ryoka had given her a run for her money, destroying much of it in the process. She was stressed, he could tell, despite the brave mask of confidence that she so tenaciously kept up. Seeing him, however, had lifted her spirits greatly, and together they had co-ordinated recovery efforts, military reports, the thousand and one things that were necessary for a division in these chaotic times. Aizen had not even resented the work, fulfilling his duty with the relief of a worker knowing he had five minutes left of his shift before he could finally go home.
"Captain Aizen!" Hinamori replied, looking up from the site she had been overlooking, a barracks still undergoing emergency repair from cursing, grunting shinigami.
"Would you speak with me in my office?"
She looked surprised. "Uhm, yes sir. But..."
"The efforts can wait," he said dismissively, and smiled. "You have done an excellent job in my absence. I am sure it won't collapse without you."
Her cheeks flushed with the praise, and Aizen felt a little sorry for her. She was a servant who craved approval from a superior to feel validated, so talented yet so ignorant.
"Of course, sir," she said, nodding cheerily, and, Aizen noted, with some relief. This had been one of the toughest tests the division had faced for years, decades even, and she had held up well. Then again, the stress was probably just as much related to her fixation on Erza. Part of him was surprised she hadn't dropped everything and chased after her like a schoolgirl fawning after her crush.
The two of them walked into his office, luckily still intact, and he motioned for her to sit down.
"I am terribly sorry I was so late," he said faux apologetically, now relishing his deception. "The captain-commander's call is absolute, as you well know."
"Oh, do not worry, sir!" Momo said spiritedly. "I just followed your example, and kept calm and carried on. The others just sort of followed my lead."
Modest too, although she was certainly not so self-deprecating as to not know the extent of her skill as a leader.
"You did well nonetheless. You were, in fact, the only vice-captain to win a battle today."
Momo's jaw fell open for just a second. "No!"
Aizen nodded. "Vice-captains Kira and Hisagi were defeated by ruthless and powerful ryoka. They survived and are recovering with minor injuries, I am told. So not only did you hold this division together, a feat in and of itself, but your combat skills seem to reign superior as well.
He could see her beam with pride, mixed with genuine concern for her friends, and deeply wished he could laugh.
"I..." she said, blinking, "I am so grateful for your commendation, captain. You said... the others would be all right?"
"Fully recovered, so Captain Unohana tells me," he said reassuringly. "Second divisions send their thanks as well."
They had not, but why not embellish?
"You have indeed done well. The division is in good hands."
"Under your leadership!" Momo cut in quickly. "I only thought to myself of what you would do, sir, and I tried to do that."
Oh, if only she knew...
"I am glad," he said. Putting on his kindest, most reassuring smile, he looked her in the eye. Time to make what would come sweeter still. "Should anything happen to me, I will know my vice-captain can hold this division up."
"Don't say that, captain," Momo said fiercely.
"Our time comes to us all, Hinamori," he said melodramatically, and he felt like anyone else would have recognized it as deliberate. Momo, swept up by emotion, did not. "In troubled times such as these, we have plenty to be wary of. After all... if they can defeat our elites, then captains may not walk safely either."
"She wouldn't do that!" Momo blurted out, and Aizen could tell by her face she had not meant to. Quickly she added, "I mean um, that's uh, that's not her style..."
"Your faith in friendship is truly heartwarming, Hinamori. I only hope life will not give you cause to doubt them."
"I-it won't," Momo said, seeming relieved she hadn't been reprimanded.
"Enough so," Aizen said dismissively. "We have both worked hard, and so have all our members as well. I shall go wrap things up outside, and then go sleep. I suggest you do the same."
"Yes, sir," Momo said obediently.
Momo ran, a sense of excitement coursing through her. Her captain had been gone by the time she had woken up, no doubt out on some important errand. She herself had barely stopped to wolf down a rice ball for breakfast before rushing out herself, leaving the third seat in charge. It'd be a hefty burden for the man, but Momo could wait no longer. Officially, she was on a quick run to the other divisions to share and update intelligence regarding the Ryoka situation. To herself, in her heart, she was taking her first step to finding Erza. Word had reached them of her having clashed with Zaraki Kenpachi, although she knew of no information that confirmed anything with any certainty. They were loose rumours, and Momo insistently pushed away the thoughts of what might have happened. The demon of Zaraki was a truly terrifying enemy to face.
She dashed around a corner, and elatedly skipped forward. She would first head to sixth, then-
It took a few seconds to register, and when it did, Momo slid to an abrupt halt before her mind could even catch up. The first thing she realized was the blood, dry, sticky, almost brown, having run down the wall copiously. She raised her head, and looked up. She opened her mouth and screamed.
The shriek could be heard for well over a block down, ear-piercing and heart-rending. If the noise wasn't enough to make it known something was wrong, then the abrupt pulse of Momo's reiatsu reacting to her emotions was. Feeling her pain, broadcasted like the beam from a lighthouse, Lisanna Strauss and Shuhei Hisagi were the first to drop whatever they were doing and run toward her.
Momo had sunk to her knees, eyes wide and mouth gaping. Her hands had found their way to her face, pressing into her cheeks hard enough to leave a mark. She felt as if she had run into a wall, as if the air had been knocked out of her lungs.
"Captain... Aizen..." She said, barely managing to speak, her words barely even a whisper. "CAPTAIN AIZEN!"
Now the words came, loud and strong, and Momo once again cried out like a wounded animal.
Blood sprayed all across the far end of a division barracks wall, the body of her captain hung suspended, some ten feet up in the air. His face, normally so noble and kind, embodying everything a captain should be, hung limp and lame. A trail of blood ran down to his chin. It looked morbidly like he had spilled sauce while eating, the blood having turned more brown than red by now. The horrifying image before her robbed him of his dignity as well as his life.
To Momo, though, this was not the first, second or third thought on her mind. She was trying to process it, to understand the unfathomable: that her beloved captain, kind and understanding, was no longer alive; that he had been foully murdered in the night.
Feverishly, the thought entered her mind that it couldn't be real, that it couldn't be true. With the desperate concentration of a manic, she reached out, sensing for his energy, hoping desperately that it would not be there. To her horror, though, it read exactly as you would expect of a dead shinigami- his presence there, his energy fading, decomposing, as it evaporated and became one with the Soul Society. Momo cried out again, blind to anything but the pain.
Lisanna was the first to arrive, and the first she saw- naturally- was Momo, down on her knees and crying out, sounding like something inhuman, like something Lisanna had only ever seen in soldiers too traumatized by military action to act or even think like normal people. The second thing she saw, naturally, was Aizen Sousuke. For a second, she felt that sinking feeling, like a punch to the gut, but she composed herself. She had seen enough death in her time to not let it phase her- not outwardly, at least. Captains died, too.
But... what could have done this?
It was beside the point. Quickly she ran up to Momo, grabbed the smaller woman by the shoulders, and forcefully twisted her around, forcing her eyes away from the morbid spectacle before them. Sinking down to her knees, she pulled Momo into a hard, firm hug, mostly to keep her still; she was shaking almost uncontrollably.
"Don't look!" She said harshly, her arms wrapped around Momo, one hand pushing the fifth's vice-captain's head into her own shoulder. "Don't look at him, Momo!"
Momo let out something unintelligible, and her shoulders shook, her arms almost instinctively returning the hug. She was letting out sobbing sounds, and Lisanna felt some relief- crying was a good way of processing grief; holding it in could mean it festered and did more damage over time.
With Momo in her arms, Lisanna now faced the spectacle herself. What on earth was this? Aizen was dead, that was clear. He had to have been slain recently, within the last six or so hours, judging by the coagulation of the blood. Erza? Out of all the Ryoka, she was the only one she could conceivably see being capable of this. Had they run into each other, fought...?
Erza would never commit cold-blooded murder, that much she was sure of. But even if it had been Erza... then the whole of the Gotei would have known of it. Come to think of it, hadn't she been fighting Kenpachi? There was no way she could have beaten him- if that was what had happened- and then had enough energy to fight and kill another captain so smoothly. She narrowed her eyes, taking a closer look, as she gently rubbed Momo's back. There was a lot of blood, and he seemed quite dead, but each captain was a juggernaut in their own right. For him to have died like this meant either a surprise attack of such immense force that it killed him almost outright, or that whoever- or whatever- had killed him was so much stronger than him that the fight had been over before it had gone on long enough to wake anyone. Neither option seemed to fit any of the Ryoka, judging by what she knew, and the sheer thought of an enemy so cunning or so strong... she wasn't sure which one was more terrifying.
"Vice-captain Strauss!" She recognized Hisagi's voice, coming from behind, from where Lisanna herself had ran. "What the hell is going on- oh my god!"
"Keep sharp and alert the divisions, right now!" Lisanna snapped. "Get Fourth here- Captain Unohana is going to need to look at this herself. Get the stealth corps while you're at it, too!"
"Right-right," Hisagi muttered, sounding a bit shaken. "The hell... first the invasion, and now this? Is the world coming to an end, or what?"
He was distressed, and Lisanna couldn't blame him. Although nobody lived forever, not even a shinigami such as Aizen, the death of a captain was always a major blow to morale. It was no wonder that Momo, whose tears were soaking Lisanna's shihakusho this very moment, was beside herself. She and her captain had always had good rapport, as far as Lisanna could tell, and they had been fairly close- the man was a father to all his men, to all the soldiers of Fifth, and that Momo had seen him like this...
Lisanna felt ill at ease. Something was very wrong here.
Kyoraku Shunsui had, in his long time with the Gotei, learned to read his mentor and leader, Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai, quite well. The old man was the living embodiment of the Gotei itself, figuratively speaking, and carried himself with a dignity, aloofness and staunchness that stood for the very ideal of a shinigami- or what old man Yama believed it should be, at least.
He was a hard man to read, though. Staunch and stoic as he was, he kept his emotions well hidden. Shunsui was sure the old man loved him and Ukitake the way a father loved his sons, but he would never say the words openly. Instead it manifested in other, smaller ways. The way he allowed them both to get away with little insubordinations, the way he allowed them to object or even protest, to challenge his decisions... to a certain extent.
When his vice-captain had harshly woken Shunsui at half past five in the morning, informing him there was to be an urgent meeting with the captain-commander, he had seriously considered just going back to sleep. However, she had been insistent, and when he saw the messenger, his natural urge to lie back disappeared. He had looked terrified, and if Yamamoto had let himself lose his temper even in a small way, it had to be serious.
Now he stood in the captain's meeting hall, along with the captains who had answered the call, and he could tell his sensei was as angry as Shunsui had seen him in at least four centuries.
Attendance was sub-par. Ukitake was out sick, again, and Kenpachi was absent as well, and Kurotsuchi likewise. These three absentees were nothing unexpected, but to Shunsui's surprise, Aizen was absent as well, and that boy-scout of a man missing an official meeting was quite strange. The ones present still were himself, Soifon, Ichimaru Gin, Unohana Retsu, Kuchiki Byakuya, Komamura Sajin, Tosen Kaname and Hitsugaya Toshiro. Almost to a man, they looked displeased. Shunsui considered himself a fairly good judge of character, and what he saw was Soifon and Byakuya both looking haunted, yet making a comparatively decent effort to hide it. More subtle was the displeasure in Unohana Retsu's posture, although her kindly face revealed none of it, and Shunsui doubted anybody but old Yama could have dragged her from the medical unit in such trying times. Komamura and Hitsugaya both looked uneasy, although hiding it well, no doubt eager to be back at their divisions to lead the efforts- they were both professional to a point Shunsui considered unhealthy. Tosen seemed as stoic as ever, though, and Ichimaru... as usual, he carried that smile most people found unnerving. If Shunsui had found him at all threatening, he supposed he would have been unsettled too.
"A full day ago," rumbled Yamamoto, and to Shunsui, the anger in his voice was as clear as a shout, "we were invaded by Ryoka. Since then, barring the actions of the vice-captain of Fifth Division, not a single one of them has been apprehended. Dozens of officers have been injured, and multiple vice-captains have been defeated and seriously injured. Some are still in the medical unit."
Shunsui could see Unohana giving her captain-commander a look, one that spoke perfectly well to her feelings of the matter, but she kept quiet.
"A full day," he rumbled, "and you have all failed. This culminated in Zaraki Kenpachi facing the Ryoka known as Erza Scarlet. Much of the Gotei itself was destroyed, and he was ultimately defeated- and the Ryoka escaped, no less."
There were a couple of sharp intakes of breath, and Shunsui gave a whistle. Damn- she really had to have grown strong. He repressed the urge to make a smart comment; his sensei was not in the mood, that much was clear.
"Kenpachi?" Komamura said, his deep voice almost as impressive a rumble as old Yama's. "How can that be? The man is an animal."
"That is precisely why," Byakuya commented. "He knows no discipline, no restraint, no technique. He-"
"Bite your tongue, Kuchiki!" Yamamoto snarled. "A fellow captain has fallen, and your first instinct is to condescend him? In my eyes, you are no less of a failure- where were you when that happened? Why did nobody else intervene? Was that not close to your own division?"
Chastised and humiliated, Byakuya looked down to the floor, and mumbled, "My deepest apologies, captain-commander."
"And you!" The captain said, turning his gaze on Soifon. "Your unit specializes in tracking and intelligence. How can you have failed to apprehend more than just the one suspect?"
Soifon fell to one knee, her head deeply bowed.
"I have failed you, captain-commander. There is no excuse for such disgraceful behaviour."
Shunsui felt a little sorry for her, berating herself like that- they all had a hard time right now. Then again, that was probably the best way to handle it, with the old man this angry.
"I would know what you accomplished yesterday," he demanded mercilessly of the small captain. "What took up your time?"
"I..." Soifon said, gritting her teeth. "I was engaged by the traitor Shihoin Yoruichi. She seems to be in league with the Ryoka. I was defeated. The shame and embarrassment... was quite a blow, commander. I have shown myself unworthy."
"Is that so..." Yamamoto said, suddenly seeming distracted. "Two captain-class Ryoka at the very least. Clearly, this has been carefully planned. That explains how they made it so far..."
His eyes narrowed, and sternly, he continued, "but by no means does this excuse any of you! Had I the option, I would demote all of you to be replaced by more competent leaders!"
Deciding to risk it, Shunsui took a step up.
"That's real harsh, old man," he said mildly. "You said it yourself- this had to have been well planned, and if I'm not misremembering, Shihoin was the head of the Stealth Corps. Nobody would know the ins and outs of the Gotei better than her, no?"
"You will hold your tongue," Yamamoto rumbled angrily. "A handful of invaders defeating your best and evading capture for a full day is unacceptable, and you are not excused for this incompetence any more than the rest, Kyoraku!"
"We underestimated them," Kyoraku said with a shrug. "Let's just admit it. We all got complacent. The idea that anyone would dare invade the Gotei is so implausible, so audacious, that we never expected it to happen."
"It is no excuse for our failure," Byakuya said slowly, gritting his teeth as badly as Soifon. "The captain-commander is correct. This is inexcusable."
"Look to the future instead," Shunsui said, with a little cheer. "We can't undo yesterday. What we can do is do better today. So the rascals got away? Big deal. They can't hide forever. Their leader- because that's what I presume Scarlet is- just got out of a scrap with Kenpachi, and she can't have gone far, because few are the people who could beat him and walk afterwards."
"Kyoraku's talkin' smart," Ichimaru said, lazily pointing at him with a thumb. "Let's see if we can't be rid of 'em now instead. Jus' a matter of time-"
"Silence!" Yamamoto erupted. "It is high time we-"
There was a loud thumping at the massive chamber doors, and all heads turned toward it. It would take either extreme audacity or extreme urgency to interrupt an emergency meeting, and nobody wanted to be the one to face the wrath of old man genocide.
The doors opened, and a pale-faced messenger, most of his head obscured by the hat the men of his profession wore, stumbled in.
"Who dares?" Yamamoto snarled.
The messenger let out a small squeal, and sunk to his knees, abasing himself before the row of captains.
"Get up now, kid," Shunsui said warmly, figuring that a bit of friendliness couldn't hurt- if he was scared out of his wits, his message, whatever it was, would be that much harder to get out of him.
"Rise!" Yamamoto commanded. "Rise, and pray that whatever you have come to deliver is news worth our time!"
Trembling, the messenger stood up on one knee, head bowed deeply. With a voice straining to stay steady, almost shouting, he declared,
"Venerable Captain-commander! I bring urgent tidings! The captain..." He hesitated, taking a few deep breaths, as if overwhelmed.
"Take it easy, now," Shunsui said. "Take a deep breath, and get it out."
The messenger nodded, and took his breath.
"The captain Aizen Sousuke has been slain! His death has been confirmed by vice-captains Hinamori Momo, Hisagi Shuhei and Lisanna Strauss!"
For a moment Yamamoto remained silent. Shunsui wanted to whistle, but stopped himself; that was a bit too mirthful. A captain, beaten, and now a captain... killed? What on earth?
"Whoo-eee," Ichimaru said, giving a merry nod, "industrious, ain't our Ryoka? Offin' ol' Sousuke, takin' down officers left an' right-"
"Mobilize all forces immediately!" Yamamoto rumbled, in as close to a roar as he would come without fully losing his temper. "I want every shinigami fit for duty combing through every possible hiding spot in all the Gotei for those Ryoka! Soifon, put your best investigators in the stealth force on this! You will co-operate with Fourth- this needs the examination of our foremost scientists and health specialists as well. Leave no stone unturned!"
Shunsui took a deep breath. There was no arguing or contradicting or even commenting when the old man got like this, only obedience. Really, he wouldn't have cut in even if he had wanted to. A fellow captain was dead, and as laid-back as he could be about things, that was one line too many crossed. He sighed. Time to get everyone out of bed, break the news and organize as massive of a search as they could muster.
As far as Tatsuki and Orihime had come the previous day, their progress had been halted, much to their frustration. They hadn't gotten long before they had been hit by a team of officers, and they had barely finished them off before the next had come their way. They had both gotten plenty of opportunities to test their newfound powers, but it came at the cost of failing to reach their objective. By the time night had fallen, they had been through four hard fights, and with some effort they had found a little nook to hide in, where they had both slept uneasily. They had woken with stiff joints, aches from yesterday's fights, and without breakfast to boot. Hungry and tired, the two nevertheless continued on.
They made an effort to move quietly this time, to keep low and stealthy. It had seemed to work at first, but before an hour had passed, a group of six eager shinigami had cornered them. Tatsuki and Orihime managed just fine, but it become more and more apparent as they went on that in their team, they were the greenest members. The hell they had gone through training for this... only now did it dawn on them how inadequate it really was.
Their day was about to get worse, though. As Tatsuki irritably put the end of her staff into the forehead of an officer, finishing off the last fighter standing, she took a few breaths, letting herself calm a little. For a few seconds she looked down into the ground, her shoulders heaving as she breathed. She was not exhausted, not nearly, but if it kept going like this, they would both be worn down-
Oh no.
"Tatsuki, look!" Orihime cried; she had noticed it was well.
Tatsuki looked up, and further down the street where they stood, some six yards from where the beaten officers lay, stood a figure wearing the unmistakable captain's haori.
He had the stature and build of a child, although his face made him look old. His hair was white, of a colour you'd expect to find on somebody who was a hundred, not with the body of a ten-year-old.
Appearances were one thing. The power radiating off him, though, made it clear as day, if the white jacked hadn't already. This was a captain.
"Hitsugaya Toshiro, tenth division," Tatsuki muttered, paling as she dug into her memorized little data-bank that Erza had beaten into them all.
"Oh shoot, that's a 'do not engage', isn't it?" Orihime said, naturally looking less terrified than Tatsuki. In that moment, she envied the redhead.
"They all are!" Tatsuki snapped.
"You seem well informed," the young captain- or well, he could be many decades old, as far as they knew- said, his voice surprisingly deep and mature. He had the look of a child, but he carried himself like an adult.
"You should know then that resistance is futile. Surrender."
"Like hell," Tatsuki muttered, but she couldn't help but wince when she remembered yesterday's beating from Captain Soifon. She hadn't even been trying, and Tatsuki had been as helpless as a newborn kitten.
"I'll make myself clear," Hitsugaya said, his tone firm, almost harsh, "you and all other Ryoka are currently wanted for questioning regarding the murder of one of our own. You cannot possibly hope to win. What I am getting at is: the more you resist, the worse it will be for you in the end. Come quietly, and I will see to it that you are treated humanely. That is as good an offer as you will get. Are we clear?"
Tatsuki glanced at Orihime, besieged by doubt. She didn't for a second disbelieve the little captain's statement, that resistance was pointless. She still wanted to defiantly stand her ground, to proudly wail against the oncoming storm- but after what had happened the day before, she knew all too well that whether you protested or not, a storm would wreck you entirely.
"What do you say, Orihime?" Tatsuki said, putting on as confident an air of defiance as she could, "do we give in or do we fight back?"
She tried to sound cocky, but part of her wished very much to come quietly.
"Erza wouldn't just give in," Orihime said stubbornly, with more spirit than Tatsuki. Damn it all...
"No, she wouldn't," Tatsuki said firmly. "No matter what, you try. That's the way of Fairy Tail. Isn't that right?"
"Sure is!" Orihime said with heart, and Tatsuki assumed a stance. Pain was a lesson in itself, that was the thought Tatsuki comforted herself. If nothing else, she would learn how to lose.
"Don't be foolish," Hitsugaya said, and reached for his sword. It was strapped to his back, its sheath dissolving as he grabbed it and pulled it free. It was long, almost too long for his size, but with shinigami, nothing ever seemed to fully make sense.
"I will end this quickly. I cannot guarantee you will come out unharmed."
"Bring it, pintsize," Tatsuki said defiantly. She held her staff out, making ready. Stepping forward past the beaten officers, there was a slight glow about the little captain, and his eyes seemed impossibly blue. His power was beginning to rise and surge.
"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!" He cried out, and brought his sword down. Immediately, a monstrous, pale blue shape surged forward, and Tatsuki shivered; the temperature had suddenly dropped to sub-zero in a matter of seconds. Quickly, she and Orihime both jumped to the side, the creature surging past them, leaving the streets covered in ice. Not yet done, it reared its head in the air, and roared. It was a dragon, Tatsuki could see, like a dragon sculpted in clear blue ice, but alive. Its tail was attached to the blade of the captain's sword, which seemed to have grown a little, a chain hanging from its hilt. The dragon roared, and Tatsuki felt a chill run down her spine in the most literal sense, as its breath was like a winter gale. It reared its head, looking at her, and she knew it would come at her next. Deciding that perhaps being within striking distance of the captain was safest after all, she hopped forward, staff raised. Crying out, she came at him. Her staff struck hard and quick, and of course, it was not nearly enough. He blocked her strike effortlessly, staring at her, his gaze as cold as his sword.
"Unwise," he said, as Tatsuki pushed against him.
"You always try!" Tatsuki snarled, somewhere in between terrified and caught up in the heat of battle.
"Look down," he said simply.
Quickly, Tatsuki stole a glance downwards. Around her feet, ice was forming, climbing up her legs. She hadn't noticed it in the chill, the air already being cold enough to bite into the parts of her skin not covered by clothing.
"Damn it!" She cried out, desperately trying to move away. She managed to halfway wrench her left foot free, but it stuck, ice growing up to cover her legs, threatening to encase her entirely.
"Tsubaki!" Orihime cried, the little sprite flying out, slamming into the growing block of ice, shattering it. Tatsuki hopped back, her legs quite numb from the cold.
There was a storm brewing, although it seemed to be local, limited to an area around the little captain. A cold breeze was blowing, and she could see raw, blue reiatsu pulsing through the air, the dragon circling around them.
"For the last time, stop," Hitsugaya said firmly.
"I'll support you, Tatsuki," Orihime said firmly, ignoring him. "I'll do my best to shroud you. Go in hard and quick- maybe we'll surprise him. If we work together..."
"Sure," Tatsuki said, and swallowed, nodding to her friend.
If they worked together... they'd still lose.
But you always tried. That was the crux of it. Letting her own reiatsu surge, she held her staff out, and charged forward...
...and her movements slowed, everything feeling impossible, like wading through tar.
"Reiatsu moves slower at an appropriately cold temperature," Hitsugaya said. "A simple enough trick for subduing weaker opponents. Ryoka, I am hereby placing you under arrest-
There was a bright flash of light. Tatsuki had been lucky enough to be looking down at the time, but the light flooded everywhere. Even as she closed her eyes it went on for a couple seconds, glowing bright enough even through her eyelids. The cold seemed to relent a little, and she could move easier. Hitsugaya, she saw as she blinked, had not fared as well, clutching at his eyes and staggering back.
"Quick, you two!"
The words were whispered and quick, and Tatsuki was surprised to see a shinigami stand by her side, having dragged Orihime with her. The shinigami was short, undoubtedly female, with long green hair.
"What the hell-" Tatsuki started.
"No time!" She said, as harshly as she could without raising her voice. "Only seconds now!"
"Who...?" Orihime said.
"Friend of Erza's!" Said the shinigami, and sunk to one knee, quickly muttering a chant, drawing a circle in the ground with her fingers. To Tatsuki's surprise, the ground glowed golden where she moved her fingers, as if they were some fantastical pencil. Was this what they called kido?
Tatsuki looked back at the little captain. His sword had sealed itself, and although he remained standing, he seemed to see nothing, his blinded eyes wildly moving about the place, seeing nothing.
"Come here, and take my hands right now!" Said the shinigami, still whispering her words feverishly. "No arguments, no nothing- take my hands, or you stay here and get captured. My shikai ability will only work for so long on a captain-class shinigami!"
Out of options, Tatsuki and Orihime took one hand each, and the green-haired woman muttered a few words, apparently completing the spell. All three of them went aglow, and then suddenly the world shifted...
...and then Tatsuki looked up at the sunny morning sky, the air feeling overwhelmingly warm compared to the sub-zero chill they had just come from.
"Whoaaaa," Orihime said, sounding awed. "That was like, magic? Wasn't it?"
"Yes," The shinigami said, nodding and standing up. "Once I sensed the captain coming, I set up half of a teleportation spell here. I wish I could have set it up further away, somewhere safer, but... well, at least it worked."
"Well um, slow down," Tatsuki said, standing tall and revelling in the heat, her body slowly warming up again, "first off... who are you?"
"You can call me Nozomi." She said.
"Are you a friend of Erza's?" Orihime piped up cheerily.
"I am, yes," she said, with a smile.
"She was buds with a lot of people, huh..." Tatsuki said. "Still, how'd you find us?"
"I was out looking for you, actually. I was sent by... a friend."
"You mean Rod," Orihime said.
"The less I know, the better," Nozomi said quickly.
"Well... thanks," Tatsuki said. "Real timely save, actually. How'd you find us?"
"No offence, but you two make a mess," Nozomi said. "That and... well, the captain doesn't usually let loose unless he has to."
"Makes sense," Tatsuki said, nodding. "So um..." She looked around her; they were in a seemingly quiet place, quite a distance back. "What now?"
Nozomi sighed. "A captain was killed yesterday. The Gotei is on full military alert. For now, I'll take your somewhere safe."
"Oh no..." Orihime said. "But Rukia..."
"Is not going to be more or less rescued because you get yourselves caught." Nozomi said sharply. "Come with me. I only have so much time on my hands, you know."
Uneasily, the two followed her lead.
It was high noon, and Yamamoto stood on a balcony overlooking the Gotei itself, a natural extension of his primary office. The entirety of the first division, so rarely seeing action of this scale, was mobilized. So was every other division by now, all of them combing through the Gotei as per his orders.
An event comparable to this had not happened for centuries. The sheer fact of a successful invasion followed by the death of a captain was... unprecedented. It was his task to rise to the challenge and lead them through this.
Shunsui, that disrespectful young rascal, had proven himself as sharp as usual. They had to look forward, find a solution now and worry about the implications later. He had been right in another thing, too. The threat had been underestimated. As hard as he had been on the captains for this, he was harder still on himself. They had grown complacent. They had grown comfortable, secure, too confident. That was his failure- this, this entire mess, was his own failure, ultimately his responsibility. Who else was accountable but the head of the Gotei's military arm?
Now a traitor, having achieved power equal to a captain of Kenpachi's calibre had led an invasion, along with one of the deadliest defectors in the Gotei's history, Shihoin Yoruichi. Reports suggested their objective was Kuchiki Rukia, but this was nothing he could take for granted. The heretic was nothing if not devious and deceptive, and he had learned well to mistrust those who would forsake their loyalty.
And in all this, Aizen Sousuke, dead. In the thousand years he had led the Gotei, Yamamoto had seen many a captain come and go; eventually they all turned into ink in a history book, their bodies cold and expired, turned to dust by the merciless grinding stone that was time. Aside from his two pupils and Unohana Retsu, they all seemed to die...
But for them to be murdered was rare. Death in the field was nothing unusual; that was how most went. From illness or accident was less common, but it had been known to happen. Murder... was rare, very rare, because very few had motive to murder a captain, and fewer still were capable. The only thing comparable to this had been the debacle that had gotten Urahara Kisuke exiled, where in one fell swoop, four captains and four vice-captains had been lost to them. Their ultimate fate was unknown, but presumably, they had died. Now like then, it had struck like lightning from a clear sky. Clutching his cane quite firmly, as if he wanted to crush it with his bare fist, Yamamoto stared out inscrutably. For a millennium, he had carried this burden, and this was yet another one of his failures. For a thousand years... for perhaps too long.
No. He could not doubt. Doubt was weakness.
But then again, only fools never felt doubt. To doubt was natural. So long as you were not ruled by doubt, but faced it head on with a firm hand, all would be as well as could be.
Who could be behind this? Suspicion naturally fell on Shihoin Yoruichi. She had been exceedingly powerful, the single most skilled speed specialist and assassin he could remember. Who but her would have the skills to murder a captain so easily, without it causing a disturbance?
But why? Presumably, she was in league with Erza Scarlet. But neither she, nor Shihoin, had any perceivable grudge with Aizen Sousuke. The man was mild-mannered, kind; he had been experienced, skilled and had an exemplary record. Every subordinate of his seemed to report nothing but positive sentiment toward his leadership, and Scarlet had been no exception. Morale was high, so was efficiency, coherency and discipline. He had been nearly ideal, like a kinder version of Kuchiki Byakuya's stern leadership. That he of all people had been targeted seemed downright strange.
Of course, it was possible he had not been a target at all. Perhaps he had been unfortunate enough to accidentally locate the Shihoin assassin, who had then been forced to act immediately to keep herself hidden. Thoughtfully, he pondered at their motive. If it had been to cause havoc, to destabilize the Gotei, then they had certainly succeeded. But to what gain? No power existed that could challenge their might. Was it simply mad revenge? Were they causing chaos to repay some imagined slight, looking simply to kill until their urges were satisfied, or until they died trying?
Suddenly, Yamamoto felt very old and very tired. He carried an immense burden on his shoulders, a responsibility nobody else could handle, and he had done so long enough to sometimes wish somebody else could one day take it off him. Aizen Sousuke. Traitors invading. He wished, for just a moment, that he could just throw all of those worries away and go sleep, and wake up when he pleased, do nothing but what he wanted...
But those were childish fantasies. He had accepted this charge, given to him by the King of Souls himself, and he had not done so lightly. Command of the Gotei was his, till the day he died. Responsibility was his, till the day he died.
Feeling the weight of his years, he retreated back into his office. He would get back in the field, perhaps direct some of the efforts personally. To get lost in your own mind, plagued by doubt, was sure to do him no good. He suppressed a shiver. Aizen's death felt like a bad omen. This debacle, he suspected, would get worse before it got better.
The warehouse was poorly lit, dank and dreary aside from a few rays of sunlight finding their way through a few cracks in the wall. Typical of the second division's vice-captain to pick a meeting place such as this, Lisanna thought- skilled agents as the Stealth Corps were, they seemed to have a flair for the dramatic. She had received a small note, somehow appearing in her pocket without her knowing how it had got there- and she had made a mental note to figure out how they actually did that- which had self-immolated after she had read it. It had been nothing but a time and a location; eleven thirty, this warehouse near thirteenth.
"You're late."
Lisanna stopped herself from jumping, but she must have flinched, because Rod had the slightest hint of a smirk as she quickly turned around to face him.
"How do you do that?" She snapped.
"Practice," he said, and shrugged.
"Anyway, I'm here on time. It's what, two minutes after your stupid deadline?"
"Every second counts. They teach you that in Stealth Force basic."
"How about you stop lording your assassin skills over me and tell me what I'm here for?" Lisanna said firmly, a little irritated. She had been on edge ever since this started, worried for Erza, worried for her fellow shinigami, and now worried for the Gotei itself.
"Aizen's death," Rod said flatly.
"What, you got a lead?"
He shook his head.
"No such thing. But it's... fishy, don't you think?"
"No shit, Sherlock," Lisanna snapped. "It obviously wasn't any of the Ryoka, so..."
"So our mystery player has made another move."
"This is awfully vague. Why him?"
"Don't know," he shrugged. "Things are coming together, though. I'm not sure if our mysterious schemer got Rukia to the world of the living, but it seems she's key in this. She's arrested and the charges are ludicrous, and the punishment even more so. So Erza comes charging in, knight in shining armour, causing all kinds of havoc. Then Aizen dies, and now... well, anyone wanting to move without being seen could do so with ridiculous ease."
"You think... this whole thing was planned?" Lisanna said, her irritation washing off her. The thought was staggering. "Do you have any idea what kind of planning it would take? What resources? And... why?"
"Can't be sure," he said, infuriatingly indifferent. "Can't be sure of anything. Here's what I'm reasonably sure of: Erza was framed. Whoever did that is pulling her strings again. Aizen's death is on this person's conscience as well- maybe he was just a convenient target, maybe there was some particular motive to it, I can't be sure. Some scheme is being played, for some greater purpose, and it's not likely going to be good for the Gotei."
"So in short, we know almost nothing," Lisanna said harshly.
"True. Almost," said Rod.
"So why are we talking about this? You're usually really annoying with all this cloak-and-dagger stuff," Lisanna said curiously.
He made a face. "Normally I wouldn't even think of doing this, but... the chaos is playing in our favour as well. I'm putting together a group of people we can rely on. To help Erza. To be ready to fight when the time comes."
"Makes sense, I suppose. I'm recruit number one, then?"
"You, yes," Rod said, with a cautious nod. "I'll be having a chat with Abarai Renji and Matsumoto Rangiku- they're conveniently in the hospital right now, away from all the hustle and bustle. We've already got Nozomi of division twelve- I sent her to bail out some of the Ryoka just earlier."
"You realize it's treason and we could all burn for this," Lisanna said flatly.
"This is news?" Rod said sardonically. "Somebody taught me to do the right thing, and that goes even if it's really hard to do. I'd like to live up to that. So, I think, would you."
It was Lisanna's turn to shrug. "Just checking that we're on the same page. How many do we get? I'm hoping more than just a handful."
"I'm hopeful about Matsumoto and Abarai," Rod said matter-of-factly. "Perhaps Kotetsu Isane, although she's likely to be very busy these days."
"What about Momo?"
Rod made a face. "She's toxic to the notion of stealth. Telling her this secret would be the same as jeopardizing it needlessly. We'll let her know at the last moment, and no sooner."
Lisanna nodded. It made some sense; Momo's loyalties were well known.
"I am less sure about Izuru and Hisagi," he continued, "although there ought to be a try, at least. I also suspect the captains Ukitake and Kyoraku disapprove of the state of affairs with Rukia- we could maybe use that to our advantage."
"Let me handle Renji and Rangiku. You handle Izuru and Hisagi," Lisanna said quickly.
Rod gave her a questioning look. He didn't trust her fully, she realized, or was at least hesitant to let her handle something so delicate.
"I know them better than you," Lisanna said in her most convincing voice, "and you only have so much time in your hands. I've been at this longer than you... kid."
Rod snorted, only briefly letting a smile cross his face. "All right. Don't fuck up."
"I won't." Lisanna said firmly.
"Because one fuck-up..."
"And we burn. I know." Lisanna said grimly.
"Well, that settled, this meeting's done," Rod said with a nod. "See you around."
In a single hop, he disappeared into the dark. She couldn't see him, but sensed him move out and away with the habitual speed of somebody too damaged by a covert line of work to do anything normally. Treason, huh? Well... if that was what it took. Quietly and quickly, she made her way out. She had duties of her own, after all, and it wouldn't do to seem lax at a time like this.
Well, while the chapter may have lacked in the action department, i think we more than made up for it with the "death" of Aizen souke, the captians meeting, Isane and Erza, and everything in general.
Rod and Lisanna helping out Erza shouldnt come to any surprise, given how their the reason she's free in the first place. Nozomi shouldnt be either, given ho Erza is why she is even alive right now. I plan on doing much more with all three characters.
I know some of you may be disapointed that Momo isnt being included in their effort to help out erza right now...but lets remember what JUST happened. Her captain is "dead". Right now she is an emotional wreck. Having someone like that on their side could lead to disaster. Right now, its best for them to just leave her out.
Dont worry though, if you think im JUST going to have her repeating her actions from cannon from here on out, your wrong. I still have PLENTY for my favorite bleach character to do.
As for Isane, well, she knows erza better than most. (She WAS her Therapist for a while) and quite frankly, if Unohanna is willing to save an arrancar...I see no reason why isane wouldnt do the same.
I also really hope you all enjoyed the captains meeting and seeing things from Yamamotos perspective. I feel that having us focus on BOTH sides really adds a new layer to the story. Its part of what made the original soul society arc so great.
Regardless, I cant wait to see what you all have to say about this chapter. We're getting closer and closer to having 800 reviews. Id like to see if by the end of the arc, we can reach 1000. I know that with your help we can make this goal a reality.
Thank you every much for reading.