Today is a VERY special day my dear readers, for two reasons. The first and fore most, this is the 50th chapter of our story. I can hardly believe we've been able to write this story for so long, and to think, its not even close to being done yet. This alone is a huge occasion, but there is one other reason. As of today, I'm 25 years old. Man, time sure does fly doesn't it? I'm actually going to be seeing guardians of the galaxy 2 later today with some good friends of mine. (Far as I'm concerned, the first movie is one of the best movies I've seen.)
I'm sure I'm going to have a blast, but if you all want to give me a birthday present of some kind, all you really need to do is leave this chapter a review. It's as simple as that. We're only 5 away from reaching 900, and id like to see if its possible to reach 1000 before this arc is over. In fact, id like to consider that a goal id love to reach. So I really do mean it when I say any and all kinds of reviews are appreciated. I firmly believe this story can reach 1000 reviews before this arc ends, so lets see if this story can do it!
Speaking of which, id like to thank all of you who have left a review once again. Their our biggest motivation to keep writing, so you really all do deserve a thanks.
Regardless, this chapter has quite a bit going on in it. I hope you all enjoy.
Thanks once again to Greatkingrat88 (for writing) and jcampbellohten (for being our Beta)
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.
Kyouraku Shunsui took off his hat and theatrically fanned himself with it, audibly exhaling. It wasn't particularly warm, but for the pressure hanging over Ukitake Juushiro and himself, it might as well have been the heat of a dry midsummer.
In a minute or two, the executioner's halberd would rise to vanquish Kuchiki Rukia, and the two of them were tense with anticipation.
"You know," Shunsui said, keeping a flippant, relaxed tone despite the anticipation, "this is probably the worst attendance I've ever seen at an execution. It's not a surprise that the likes of Kenpachi or Mayuri would disregard the rules, and Aizen is excused on account of being dead, but the likes of Soifon? Or Toushirou?"
In fact, aside from the few captains present, only a few vice-captains were there, too: Abarai Renji, Rod Sentry, Sasakibe Choujirou, and Ise Nanao.
"I can't see our senpai anywhere close, either," Jushiro replied, and frowned. "Of course... there's the business further down the hill."
Shunsui nodded. Whereas usually it took some effort to sense reiatsu accurately over a longer distance, one would have to have been blind and deaf not to notice the calamity. Tousen, Komamura, Zaraki, and two very strong ryoka, and even Ichimaru Gin... all entangled in battle.
The old man was bound to have noticed it, as well, but had given no orders. Kyouraku supposed he expected his captains to handle it by themselves. With all that had been going on, it was no surprise he would insist on this execution going forward according to plan. Terrible as it was, it was also a symbol of Gotei authority, something old Yama was bound to want to reaffirm.
"All the better," Shunsui said quietly, dropping his lackadaisical tone as he sensed the halberd awakening. "With only Byakuya and the old man here, it's that much easier."
"Fighting our sensei is nothing I'd call 'easy', Shunsui."
Shunsui shook his head, and grunted. "You're right. Still..."
"Kuchiki Byakuya is no slouch either."
"Oh, I don't think we need to worry about him," Shunsui said, and smiled.
"What do you mean?"
"Can't you sense it?" Shunsui said, and nodded toward the path leading up to the hill. "Knight in shining armour, at our nine o'clock. A strong one, at that."
Jushiro furrowed his eyebrows, and sensed. There was indeed an energy coming their way, wild and untamed, but strong nonetheless.
"The halberd..." he warned.
"He'll make it," Shunsui assured him, "besides, who doesn't like a dynamic entry? Can we really rob a young man of a chance at impressing his lady?"
"Of all times to joke around..." Jushiro muttered.
Rukia was breathing frantically, her chest heaving as she saw the halberd approach. It was coming closer, and it seemed so cruelly slow- why make the convicted watch their death come closer at such a pace? Why not just get it over with?
But she didn't want it over with! She wanted to live, to let it all continue, to maintain her existence until it wasn't possible anymore. Even though she knew it was futile, she struggled against her restraints. She might as well have tried to drain an ocean with a bucket, or lift a mountain, but she tried nonetheless. Not yet! Not yet!
The blade came closer, aflame and ready to burn her away, and Rukia closed her eyes, struggling to the last. She could feel its heat, warm and terrifying.
But then, after a while, she realized it wasn't getting warmer, and that she wasn't dead. Surprised, she opened her eyes.
Shunsui resisted the urge to clap as the red-haired ryoka ran past the vice-captains at tremendous speed, appearing to surprise even Byakuya. Surging into the air, his sword connected with the executioner's blade, and to everyone's surprise, the weapon was sent reeling back. Shunsui whistled; that was a qualitative dramatic entry if he had ever seen one.
"Can you at least try to not look like you're enjoying this?" Jushiro hissed.
"I will make no such promises," Shunsui said with a grin.
Ichigo was perched on the stand that held up Rukia, sword slung over his shoulder, stubbornly staring down the weapon.
"I guess it doesn't break that easy, huh?" he said.
"Ichigo?" Rukia burst out. He was one of the most likely to come for her, sure, but the idea that he'd actually survived this long was ludicrous.
"I'm actually Santa Claus. These black clothes... well, what can I say? It's laundry day," he said with a cocky smile.
"You idiot!" Rukia snapped. Her terror and fear of death had been replaced, quite suddenly, with anger. "You're throwing your life away!"
"So? It's my life. If I want, I can throw it anywhere I want."
"I'm not asking to be rescued, you idiot!" Rukia sneered, but deep inside, she knew she wanted him to take her down, take her away from here. Please...
"Didn't I tell you already?" Ichigo shot back. "You don't get a say."
"You're the worst rescuer in the history of mankind!" Rukia burst out. "What kind of saviour says that, 'you don't get a say'? What if I'm perfectly at peace with this?"
"Then you're the idiot!" Ichigo shot back, "You listen here-"
"It's coming back!" Rukia shouted, her eyes having turned toward the executioner's blade again. It had reeled back, but slowly, it had realigned itself, and was making its way toward Rukia again. Ichigo let out an irritated snarl, and readied his sword.
However, they were both surprised when suddenly the weapon was stopped dead in its tracks. Out of nowhere, what looked like a paper scroll wrapped around the length of the weapon's hilt, and slowly it began to be pulled toward the ground. Shocked, they both looked to the ground. Together, the captains Ukitake and Kyoraku were holding onto a couple of large, rolled up scrolls, which Rukia recognized as stored kido energy of the highest order.
"Hey, worst saviour!" Kyoraku shouted merrily at Ichigo, "I'd get her down from there if I were you!"
"Uh. Oh, right," Ichigo mumbled. With haste, he broke her restraints, and heedless of her protests, he grabbed her by her belt, lifting her up.
"Ichigo, you stupid-" Rukia began.
"Renji, catch!" he shouted, and simply tossed her. With tremendous force, Rukia went flying toward the ground, screaming her lungs out as she went. Renji, surprised by his sudden action, raced to catch her, the two of them collapsing in an undignified pile on the ground together.
"Ichigo, what the hell?" Renji barked.
"You are the worst, you moron!" Rukia shouted.
"The plan, guys!" Ichigo shouted. "Renji, you know what to do!"
"You idiot- oh right," Renji said, his shout turning into a mutter.
"With me, Abarai," Rod said, having appeared behind Renji's back.
"Jeez, you scared me there!" Renji snapped. "First that idiot Ichigo, now you?"
"I said with me, Abarai," Rod said as he lifted Rukia, slinging her over his shoulder.
"Right," Renji said and nodded, "lead the way."
"You are going nowhere."
There was no mistaking that cold, controlled voice. Kuchiki Byakuya was barring their way, hand on his sword. However, not a second later, Ichigo landed behind him.
"I'm not done with you, Kuchiki Byakuya," he said firmly. "You two go on. Him and I, we got unfinished business."
"You think yourself my equal?" Byakuya sneered. "I'll not let a single one of you-"
A couple of smoke bombs exploded right at his feet, Rod having reached for his pocket. As the smoke cleared, Rod and Renji were already running away. Byakuya took a step to follow, but before he had broken into a run, Ichigo had moved in front of him, using a single shunpo.
"Like I said," Ichigo said angrily, "we got unfinished business."
"My lord?" Sasakibe Choujirou said, giving Yamamoto a glance. The venerable commander nodded, and immediately, Choujirou broke into a run. The criminal would not escape. Order would be maintained, even in the face of treason on a scale such as this.
Captain-General Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai was a man of firmly disciplined self-control, but Shunsui and Jushiro had learned long ago how to read their master's moods. As the venerable giant approached them, there was no doubt about it: he was furious. The slight tremble in his reiatsu, the way he grasped his cane a little more tightly, the way his steps had sped up just slightly...
The both of them swallowed, knowing what was to come could very well kill them.
"Treachery on all sides. My own captains turning against me. But out of all people to throw in with the traitors, I had expected you least of all," he said slowly, and they could hear it in his voice. As controlled as it was, he sounded angry- angry, and hurt. "What madness compelled you, Shunsui, Jushiro? Since when are you in league with the enemy?"
"No, sensei," Jushiro said firmly, shaking his head. "No, we're not with them. It's a coincidence in our favour to be sure, but we're acting on our own accord. We have no part in any conspiracy."
"Except our own," Shunsui cut in. Sounding serious, he continued, "We can't let it go, old man. It's not right."
"Right!" Yamamoto snarled, his temper beginning to show properly. "Ignorant children like yourself dare to think yourself wiser than our betters? It is not our place to decide on right or wrong, only to obey! That you are foolish, I can understand, but throwing it all away in the name of 'right'? For the likes of Kuchiki Rukia?"
"Not her, no," Shunsui said calmly, shaking his head. "For you, sensei."
"They're making a murderer out of you, sensei," Jushiro said, raising his voice a little, "a great injustice is being carried out, plain to see for everyone, and those apathetic old men and women are making you hold the murder weapon."
Yamamoto gave them a long look.
"Treason will never be tolerable, no matter how noble and justified you think your motives to be. Come. We shall take this elsewhere."
Shunsui and Jushiro simply nodded. So far, everything was going as expected. As one, the three took off with haste, toward some place desolate enough that their battle would not claim any lives except their own.
The execution wouldn't be long away now, Soifon knew, but with her skill at shunpo, arriving on time wouldn't be a problem. She had taken to patrolling the hillsides rather than arrive early at the soukyoku and wait. Officially, if she was asked, she would say that she was performing some last-minute security checks, and it was as good an excuse as any, particularly in times as troubled as these.
But in the end, it was an excuse. Ever since her last encounter with Lady Yoruichi- and how bizarre was it that that was how she thought of her again: Lady Yoruichi, as if there weren't a lifetime of pain attached to that name- her mind had been... occupied. Distracted. She had been doing a poor job the last few days. She would catch herself staring out into thin air, lost in thought, with a stack of paperwork that wasn't getting slimmer. It shamed her to think about it, but her vice-captain had carried a lot of her duties, as if he knew how difficult a time she was going through.
It was treason, she knew. Not reporting the location of the ryoka who had been causing them all this trouble was treason in itself, and if she had caught any of her subordinates doing it, she would have executed them herself. It was treason, and no matter the excuse, that was how the commander would look at it, how the Central Forty-Six would look at it. And for what? The promise that Lady Yoruichi would turn herself in? The word of a liar?
It was absurd. It was beyond nonsense. But for all this, for all she knew after all her years as Stealth Force commander and captain of the second division, she hadn't reported the truth.
It was pathetic. Over a century of hatred, of vicious training to avenge herself on the traitor, of determination of a kind she had never known before... all of that, blown away by a few kind words and an assurance that was worth nothing? She wasn't worthy of her position. She was acting like a child, not the commander of the feared Stealth Force.
Such thoughts clouded her mind as she made her way around the hill, checking for treasonous activities. What she would do if she found the ryoka, she didn't even know, but she had to justify her actions somehow.
She was so preoccupied that she almost missed it, her eyes seeing the forest around her but hardly even registering it. If not for her mind telling her of a speck of orange several seconds after her eyes had swept across the forest for the thousandth time, she might have kept going.
Orange. Orange, that had no place in a forest. Focusing, she looked back, and stopped her walk. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw it. A hand, dark-skinned, and the sleeve of an orange shirt, lying behind a bush. Quickly, Soifon made her way toward it. Lady Yoruichi? But how-
Then she saw the blood. Pooling around the Lady's chest, in sickening quantities, dyeing most of her shirt a nauseating shade of red. Yoruichi lay there on the ground, her eyes wide open and blank. Soifon trembled, but decades of training kicked in, and quickly she rushed to Yoruichi's side, and kneeled. The legs on her pants became red with sticky, half congealed blood, but she didn't even notice it.
"Lady Yoruichi!" she burst out desperately, "Lady Yoruichi, can you hear me? Answer me!"
There was no reply. The Lady lay deathly still, and Soifon could feel her reiatsu fading.
"Answer, damn it!" Soifon shouted. A month ago, this might have been a dream come true, but here and now, she was overcome with fear. She couldn't die.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm. A basic reading of Lady Yoruichi's reiatsu told Soifon that she was, in fact, dying, but there was a difference between dying and dead. With some effort, she steadied her hand and put two fingers against the Lady's neck, hoping, praying that she would find what she was looking for.
Relief washed through her as she felt it, however faint. A pulse, weak but still there. Her heart was still beating. She wasn't dead yet.
Suddenly, Soifon's fear washed off her, turning within seconds to determination. There was a wound in the Lady's chest, deep and precise, but there appeared to be little other damage. She had lost a lot of blood, but she was not yet gone. Soifon had seen Fourth Division heal worse cases.
Carefully, she lifted Lady Yoruichi into a bridal carry, and was struck by how light she was, how little she weighed. Soifon looked back toward the centre of the Seireitei, all thoughts about the execution gone from her head. She could get back there in a matter of minutes, if that. Such speed could make things worse, maybe even kill her...
...But she was all but dead already. Soifon put one foot forward, and hoping, hoping with desperation, she broke into her fastest shunpo.
Not yet. You owe me more, you bitch. We're not finished with each other, so don't you dare die!
Led by Hinamori Momo, Orihime, Tatsuki, Chad, and Uryu were making their way toward the hill. The vice-captain's spell had teleported them close enough that hopefully they would be in time to help. Keeping a steady run- neither Orihime, nor Chad, nor Tatsuki were capable of shunpo- they kept a look out for enemy soldiers. So far, approaching the foot of the hill, none were seen. They had left the urban part of the Seireitei behind, and not far ahead was the forest of the hill. There was chaos ahead. Even Orihime, inexperienced though she was, could sense it. Violent bursts of reiatsu rumbled across the hill, and it was obvious that there was not just one, but several battles going on.
"Damn, we're walking into a war zone," Tatsuki huffed, "Ishida, can you make any sense of it?"
Uryuu narrowed his eyes and concentrated.
"I can sense at least six captain-level reiatsu signatures ahead. One of them is a quincy, so that would be Aunt Masaki. Nothing on the top of the hill just yet, though."
"Can you sense Erza?" Orihime asked.
Uryu was quiet for a second, as he focused further.
"No. I can trace her last reiatsu signature, but she isn't expending energy anymore. Either she has won her fight, or she is-"
"-looking for the rest of us, because of course she won her fight." Tatsuki cut him off before he could finish the sentence. "We just need to link up with her."
"...Right." Uryu said. He had nearly said it, something surely unthinkable to Orihime. What if she had died? This was a life-or-death kind of mission, after all.
Momo suddenly went into an abrupt halt, and the teenagers behind her nearly fell over out of surprise. Barring their way was a short, white-haired figure wearing the white captain's haori, a long sword strapped to his back. He was flanked by the buxom figure of Matsumoto Rangiku, who was keeping up her facade of loyalty for the time being.
"Hitsugaya Toushirou," Tatsuki breathed the words out, remembering the awesome power the little captain had displayed when she and Orihime had first met him. However, he seemed disinterested in the four of them, his eyes on Momo.
"Little Shirou," Momo said, and there was something odd in her voice; a mixture of joy, sadness, nostalgia, all wrapped up together into something heart-wrenching.
"I have been looking for you, Momo," he said, his voice as stern and icy cold as the powers he wielded. The air was cooling around him, and Tatsuki suddenly wished she had a jacket. "I wanted to find you, because I was afraid you would do something stupid. But by the looks of things, you already did."
"Shirou, you don't understand," Momo said, taking a step forward, "they are-"
"Ryoka terrorists and escaped criminals," Hitsugaya said coldly. "What got into you, Momo?"
"I can explain."
"Really?" Hitsugaya said, and his tone made it clear how likely he thought that was. "When Scarlet first left, and you refused to accept what was plain to see, I stood up for you. When you wouldn't let go, I told myself it was understandable. When she returned, I hoped you wouldn't be this foolish."
"She's innocent! There's a whole... a whole thing going on, and you're all being deceived! Listen Shirou, I can explain-"
"Silence!" Hitsugaya exclaimed, and Tatsuki fought the urge to groan. Skilled as Momo was, she was neither charismatic nor convincing.
"People are talking behind your back, Momo, like they have for near on twenty years! Some of them are laughing at you, and some of them plain think you are unfit for duty. I have never tolerated it, but here, now... it seems I was wrong after all.
"You're standing here with the ryoka, two of which I know were imprisoned, headed for the execution site. It doesn't take a genius to realize where that is going. This is treason, Momo."
"I..." Momo said, taking a deep breath. "She's up there, she needs my help. She's innocent, Shirou!"
Hitsugaya shook his head, and put one hand on his sword. "Unbelievable. I am giving you one chance: surrender, here and now. Comply with the law, work with us, and I'll plead for you to the captain-general. You'll get a couple of decades in prison at the least, but one day you'll be able to come back. That is the best I can offer, and even that is a stretch."
Momo, whose face had been uncertain, hesitant, suddenly looked calm and determined. "I can't do that, Shirou."
"I am warning you," Hitsugaya said, anger seeping through his voice.
"A captain, eh?" Ishida whispered. "Damn it..."
"He uses ice," Tatsuki whispered back, "he summons some kind of ice dragon, summons a winter storm. Don't let him catch you, because if he does, it's over."
She shivered, and it was only in part because of the dropping temperature. A captain was a fearsome thing to fight, and it was sheer luck that had saved them last time.
Chad made a fist, summoning the armoured arm, Brazo Derecha de Gigante.
"I'll go in first. Tatsuki, with me. The rest, support me."
"Who put you in charge?" Tatsuki muttered.
"There is no time to argue," the giant said. That was true enough, "when he attacks, we go. Make sure to spread out."
It was a little impressive, actually, how ready he was to face an enemy that much stronger. Chad didn't speak much, but his actions were loud enough sometimes.
Hitsugaya sprung into motion, leaping into his cleanest, quickest shunpo. He had not yet drawn his sword, and he hoped very much he wouldn't have to. Hakuda was not his speciality, but if he was fast enough, if he could hit the back of her neck just hard and quickly enough, he might be able to knock her out. The very idea of attacking Momo, his oldest friend of all... it made him feel ill, but there was no choice. He hadn't become a captain by choosing which duties he would and wouldn't perform. Just one quick hit, and she'd be out-
He was surprised, almost shocked, when Momo twisted around just in time, blocking his arm as it came in with both of her arms put into a cross. She staggered back a step, but remained standing.
"I'm sorry, Shirou," she said, shaking her head. "It won't be easy. I wish it could be, but it won't."
Frowning angrily, Hitsugaya glanced over his shoulder, keeping an eye on the ryoka. The four of them appeared battle ready, but had made no move yet. In a quick step of shunpo, he put some distance between himself and the five of his enemies.
"Matsumoto, stand back," he said firmly, and put a hand on his sword. The sheath dissolved, as it always did, and he held Hyourinmaru in both hands. "Be ready to support me if necessary. I'll subdue them."
"Growl, Haineko," Rangiku said.
"Matsumoto, I told you-" Hitsugaya began, but then he felt the ashen, nigh-microscopic blades of her zanpakutou wrapping around his head. They were not yet attacking him, but he knew she could turn them on him at any moment if she so chose.
"Matsumoto, have you lost your mind?" he snapped.
"I'm sorry, captain," Rangiku said quietly, "but it's like Momo says. It won't be easy."
"You, too, then?" Hitsugaya said, his tone ice cold. "Is there anyone around me who isn't betraying all we stand for?"
"I don't like it any more than you do, captain," Rangiku said reassuringly, "but they're not wrong. I don't buy all of it, but... there's more to it than meets the eye."
"Enough!" Hitsugaya said, raising his voice for a second. Ignoring the threat of Rangiku's shikai, banking on the hope that she wouldn't actually go that far, he let his reiatsu rise, blazing brightly. "Sit upon the frozen skies, Hyourinmaru!"
As he cried the words, there was the chilling sensation of a winter gale, extending out around him, and from his sword burst the ice dragon, soaring up into the sky. Guided by Hitsugaya's will, the ice beast crashed down on the ryoka.
He'd freeze them all if he had to.
"Incoming!" Tatsuki shouted, but she didn't even have to shout. She and Chad were already on the move, and Uryu had grabbed Orihime, moving the both of them some distance away with his hirenkyaku. The four of them split just in time, the dragon bathing their immediate vicinity with an icy cold. Having missed its target, it reared its head and surged forward, targeting Chad.
"Look out!" Tatsuki shouted, and burst into a sprint, holding her staff tightly. Chad was not lost, however. He leaped forward and to the side, and went into a roll. He got up to his feet, let out a loud cry, and slammed his fist into the chest of the dragon. It roared and reeled, only to find Tatsuki slamming her staff into its neck.
"Incoming fire!" Uryu cried, and unleashed a hail of arrows into the beast. It roared again, and for a second they thought maybe they had done some damage. But then, the dragon simply dissolved into mist, returning to its master.
"Captains..." Tatsuki muttered.
"Well, we're screwed," Rangiku said cheerily, a glassy look in her eyes. "Fighting the captain: that will never end well. I've seen him fight, Momo..."
"What happened to your shikai?" Momo asked.
"Blown away the moment he released his own," Rangiku admitted. She sighed. "I just didn't have the heart to try and hurt him for real... even if I probably should have."
Momo shook her head. "No, I understand. It's... not easy"
Once again the dragon was unleashed, seeming to focus on the ryoka. He seemed no more willing to fight them than they were willing to fight him, but even so the humans could only last so long.
"So, plan?" Rangiku said. "I'll take anything, including running away."
Through Momo's uniform, she could see the golden glow of her kido glyphs, and with a mournful look on her face, the short vice-captain took a step forward.
"Support me however you can," she said, and pulled her zanpakutou out, "or run away, if it suits you better. I won't blame you."
"Hey, I'm not a coward," Rangiku objected. As she saw Hitsugaya's ice dragon nearly decapitate the tall, muscular ryoka with its jaws, she continued, "I kind of wish I was, though."
"Snap, Tobiume," Momo said, and called forth her prong-formed shikai. With a surprisingly loud battle cry, she charged forward, charging a ball of fire in her blade. Muttering a curse under her breath, Rangiku followed behind her.
He had nearly found his mark with Hyourinmaru. The ryoka were skilled and powerful, but not nearly strong enough to challenge a captain. The four of them occupied just fending off his dragon when suddenly he sensed her coming. Spinning around just in time, he prepared to parry. However, Momo wasn't trying to stab him. Just two yards away, she launched a fireball from her sword, the glowing red orb impacting almost immediately. It exploded, and it was all Hitsugaya could do to brace himself. The explosion burned, and he was grateful for the aura of cold his zanpakutou generated. He was thrown back, off his feet, and as he tumbled across the ground, he cursed inwardly. What had gotten into her?
Singed but not hurt, he jumped to his feet. The ryoka were advancing on him, Momo hovering through the air at the centre of their makeshift formation.
The first to act was the quincy, unleashing a hail of arrows, quick and deadly. Hitsugaya leaped to the side, then charged to meet them. Momo had stopped mid-air, charging a fiery blast, while the giant and the staff-wielder charged forward, Tatsuki being enveloped in a faintly orange glow. Rangiku stood to the side, waiting to unleash her shikai.
The giant let out a cry and slammed his fist down furiously, but Hitsugaya easily dodged under it. He would have counter-attacked, but the same instance, the girl's staff lashed out in a quick thrust. He bent backward, the staff missing its mark, and took a step back. The two pushed him back in a flurry of blows, the girl quickened by her friend's support, and the giant going off raw power. To the captain, their assault was nothing, but even so he was tied up having to dodge their attacks, as well as the odd shot from Uryu. The mere fact that these ryoka could push him this far was as surprising as it was irritating.
"Get clear!" Momo shouted. She held her Tobiume high, and at its tip a massive orb of fire was rotating, humming with barely contained power. She brought the sword down, sending the supercharged ball of flame toward Hitsugaya, just as the two teenagers jumped out of the way.
"Bakudo thirty-nine: Enkousen!" Hitsugaya shouted, holding his hand out. A spinning, yellow shield manifested in front of him, covering his small frame. The kido was strong, formed as it was by a prodigy like himself, but to Hitsugaya's surprise, the impact was massive- strong enough to knock him off his feet. He was sent back through the air, and already, Uryu was firing at him again, Chad and Tatsuki closing the distance. Nimbly he spun around in the air to try and land on his feet, only to suddenly slam into a triangular, orange wall. Gracelessly, Hitsugaya fell into a heap on the ground. Even so, he got up to one knee before Chad reached him, being the first in the charge. His sword arm twisted awkwardly at the moment, Hitsugaya held his palm up and caught the giant's punch. It was strong and solid, but not strong enough. Hitsugaya felt a sting of pain as it impacted, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.
However, before he could rise, the staff-user dashed in from the side, her staff slamming into his midsection. The air was knocked out of the captain's lungs, and he gasped for air. Before he had a chance to recover, her staff hit again, slamming twice into his face. The giant raised his fist, and finally he hit home, slamming into Hitsugaya's chest. Once more knocked down, the captain was struggling.
"Bakudo sixty-one: Rikujokoro!" Momo cried. Powered through the inscribed seals in her body, the six rods locked around Hitsugaya's prone form. He still held onto his blade, just barely, and a look of fury was on his face.
"Is-is that it?" Tatsuki asked, hesitating to strike an enemy bound and beaten to the ground. Chad stood beside her, his fist ready to come down at any time. "Did we...?"
"No!" Momo cried urgently, and began to mutter the incantation to another, more powerful spell. She had grown strong, but a battle between spiritual entities was, at the end of the day, a numbers game, and Hitsugaya's numbers were bigger than hers by several orders of magnitude.
"Hit him again!" Uryu urged, placing a shot on his bow, "He's a captain, and he won't go down that easily!"
One of his arrows found its mark, cutting a line of red as it impacted with the captain's chest, but Hitsugaya's reiatsu was already rising, a cold gale extending from around him.
"Unbelievable..." he hissed. "Bankai!"
The binding spell shattered under the surge of raw power, and Hitsugaya was lifted to his feet.
"Daiguren Hyourinmaru," he said, holding his sword in both hands. His right arm was covered in ice, deep blue, which extended up his shoulder and to his back, where a massive expanse of frozen water formed a pair of wings, majestic and wide. Three sets of four-pronged petals hung in the air above him, and from his lower back, an icy tail had formed. Even his feet had changed, covered in ice shaping dragon's feet, three-clawed and deadly. The area around him was deathly cold now.
"Shit, shit, shit..." Tatsuki murmured. This was bankai, and its awesome power was utterly terrifying to behold. Losing her composure, Tatsuki let out a cry, half terrified and half furious, and charged the captain. It was futile, part of her knew that, but she would be damned if she ran away again.
"Arisawa, wait!" Uryu cried out, but it was too late. With one dismissive hand gesture, Hitsugaya encased Tatsuki in a pillar of ice, literally freezing her in place.
"Tatsuki..." Orihime whimpered, putting her hands over her mouth.
"It won't kill her," Hitsugaya said, "but I can't guarantee the same for the rest of you. For the last time: surrender!"
"It-it's no use..." Momo said, awestruck by the power her old friend radiated. It wasn't the first time she'd seen his bankai, but now, with it turned against her, it was plain to see what kind of a gap there was between herself and little Shirou.
"So, this is why they told us to run from any captain we found," Chad said, and although he looked and sounded as indifferent as before, a skilled reiatsu sensor would have felt a sense of awe and fear beneath that stoic exterior.
"They were wise," Hitsugaya commented, pointing his sword at them.
"It-it's too much," Momo said, her hands trembling. It was hard enough to fight the one captain who was like a little brother too her, but to face his wrath full and unrestrained had all but broken her resolve.
"Then what do we do?" Orihime said firmly, balling her fists, "Lie down? Give up? Surrender and let ourselves be taken to their prisons?"
"We can't exactly win..." Uryuu opined.
"Yes, we can!" Orihime said defiantly. "Erza wouldn't give up, and I won't, either. Together, we can beat him. Uryuu, if you and Miss Vice-Captain over there keep distracting him with arrows," she pointed at Rangiku, "I'll boost Chad and protect him. Momo, you work your magic. If we all do our part, we can at least give him a run for his money. Together, we can if we try!"
"...Are you serious?" Uryuu said, a little surprised.
"We already came this far," Rangiku said despondently.
"Orihime..." Momo said, giving the girl an awed look.
"Believe in me who believes in you, okay?" Orihime said with a smile.
Momo nodded. "Together."
"So be it, then," Hitsugaya said, and there was remorse in his voice.
Chad let out a loud cry, balled his fist, and ran at the captain. Hitsugaya brought his sword down, forming a cocoon of ice around the charging stoic, but Orihime let her powers extend, and Chad burst out of the ice, protected by a cone of orange light. He slammed into Hitsugaya, who parried with one of his icy wings. Nevertheless the impact made him reel back a step, and Chad continued his assault.
In the meantime, Momo had begun to rise, golden coils of elaborately written glyphs beginning to form in the air, each one bound by magic of her own making. Just as Chad was thrown back by a vicious swing of Hitsugaya's wings, she unleashed a ferocious barrage of fireballs, knowing each one, despite their immense power, would not come close to killing him. They couldn't back down, and though he was a captain, there was an upside- hardly anything they had could kill him.
The red orbs slammed into his small frame, and although he shielded himself with his wings, the explosions rocked him, forcing him on the defensive.
As he spread his wings again, making ready to charge, a barrage of arrows slammed into his chest, most having little effect, but some cutting into his abdomen. At the same time, the ashen dust of Rangiku's zanpakutou began to envelope him, cutting at his skin.
The combined assault might have made a lesser warrior loose his cool, but Hitsugaya Toushirou was a prodigy, a soldier to whom the shinigami arts had come naturally. His eyes narrowing, he held his sword firm and surged forward. Chad raced to meet him, but with a sweep of his wings, Hitsugaya flew over and past him, heading toward Uryuu and Rangiku.
Momo kept up her barrage but had a hard time keeping up with his speed, and although Uryuu was already on the move, Rangiku was not so lucky. She slipped into a shunpo, making it some twenty yards before Hitsugaya caught up, steel in his eyes.
"Shou!" she cried desperately, wildly firing off the basic kido spell. The captain batted it away like it was nothing, and twisted his body, the cold tail of his icy bankai slamming into her midsection. The air knocked out of her lungs, Rangiku fell over. Hitsugaya jumped forward, and put one clawed foot on her chest.
"We're going to have a discussion later, you and I," he said, and before Rangiku could reply, ice extended from his foot. Within seconds, she was fully encased in ice the same as Tatsuki. He turned to face the remaining fighters.
"I take no pleasure in this, ryoka. Believe me, I do not," he said, and looked at Momo.
"Battle plan, the same as before!" Orihime cried. "Momo, pin him down!"
"Y-yes!" Momo cried. She waved her arms about, and from the golden coils of wording, a dozen chains surged out, a larger and more powerful version of Sajou Sabaku, improved according to her own design. Hitsugaya batted the first two aside with contemptuous ease, cutting the magical chains asunder as he leaped forward, avoiding most of them, but a good few changed their trajectory, following the little captain. One wrapped around his chest, another around his sword arm, and two more still around his left leg and neck. Irritably, Hitsugaya struggled against them. They were cracking under the pressure, but Chad was already closing in, supported by Uryuu's arrows and Orihime's orange aura. Two chains breaking under his power, the captain was still not free, and he brought his wings up to protect against the assault. Chad was ready, furiously pounding the frozen armour, which trembled under the impact of his fist.
"I- I can't hold him much longer!" Momo said, sweating with concentration.
Orihime nodded. "I've got something." She held her hands up to her face to act like a megaphone, and shouted, "Keep going, Chad! I'm about to break his defences!"
Another chain shattered, and he was almost free. However, suddenly a glow of orange manifested around the halfway part of his wings. Extending to wrap around them, they suddenly cut right through them, big chunks of ice falling lifelessly to the ground. Hitsugaya, caught unawares, had a wide-eyed impression of shock on his face. Letting out a loud roar, Chad slammed his fist forward, impacting with the captain's chest. The air knocked out of his lungs, he gasped, and staggered back a few steps. Unrelentingly, Uryuu continued to fire arrow after arrow into him, and Momo joined in, raining down balls of fire at him.
Still gasping for breath, Hitsugaya jumped to the side, the ice of his wings already regrowing. He had underestimated them; that much was clear. It was time to start fighting seriously.
His eyes narrowing again, he decided to rid himself of the nuisances first. Flapping his wings, he flung a hail of ice shards toward the quincy. Reacting quickly, Uryuu moved to the side, but Hitsugaya had already prepared. Momo wasn't the only one who could use kido...
Barely getting the words out, still trying to breathe properly, he aimed his fingers not for the quincy but for where he would be in a second.
"Hado four: Byakurai!" He wheezed the words out, but it was enough. The lightning struck out, and Uryuu, who had moved in a simple step sideward, was hit in the shoulder by the spell. It wasn't enough to kill him, but the shock of the impact spun him around and knocked him over. It was Hitsugaya's good luck that it was Uryuu's firing arm that had been affected.
Chad was running after him, but his inexperience and human physique limited him, being far from as quick as the captain. Hitsugaya, however, elected to face him head-on this time, casually flicking a band of ice toward Momo, forcing her to veer out of the way. He charged Chad, bringing his sword down. The giant blocked it, his armoured arm withstanding the blow easily, but too late he saw the captain extend his off-hand, pointing it to Chad's chest.
"Bakudo sixty-one: Rikujokoro."
Hitsugaya spoke the words quickly and efficiently, and six rods of light locked around Chad's midsection, keeping him in place.
"I'll undo it!" cried Momo. "Orihime, keep him busy-"
But the ice was already forming around Chad, enveloping him as fully as it had Tatsuki and Rangiku. Momo let out a small gasp as Hitsugaya turned to face them. Uryuu was still standing, but he was injured, and that left only Orihime and Momo at full fighting strength.
"Momo," Hitsugaya said, his voice trembling, perhaps with anger, perhaps with something else, "don't make me do this. Stand down, now."
Momo began to sink down toward the ground level.
"No!" Orihime said firmly. "No, we won't give up! Do you hear me, Momo?"
"I... I'm not giving up," Momo said quietly, "but there's... there's only one thing I can think to do."
"Well, you'd better do it fast," Uryuu grunted, firing off a few shots with his bow alone, but with his dominant arm maimed, they lacked both power and accuracy.
"Keep him busy just a little. I don't know how you do it, but keep him busy," Momo said, as the golden coils around her began to speed up, writhing and whirling like serpents.
Orihime nodded. "You got it!"
It was down to her now. She wasn't the most martially adept of the group, but maybe she could give Momo a few moments. Behind her, Momo began to rise again, her reiatsu increasing. In Orihime's hands, her staff appeared, covered in a slight orange glow. The sprites were with her, and with their help...
She swallowed, as she looked at the awe-inspiring power of the captain before her. With their help... she might do something. Or just fall flat. Well, no time to stop and think. Letting out what she hoped was an intimidating battle cry, she charged Hitsugaya. The captain ignored her, however, and surged over her, upward, aiming for Momo.
"Oh no, you don't!" Orihime shouted, and following her will, the sprites surged forward, "Shiten Koushun!"
A triangular shield formed right in Hitsugaya's flight path, and without any time to react, the captain slammed into it at full force. The triangle exploded for good measure, sending him crashing down to the ground. He recovered, landing on one knee, seemingly unharmed, but Orihime knew this was her opportunity. Wielding her staff, she ran forward, letting the orange glow cover her. It seemed she had the ability to manipulate matter to her will, and she fervently hoped her will would matter. Her staff slammed into one of Hitsugaya's wings, little more than an annoyance, but it got the captain's attention. He stabbed out with his sword, a little dizzy from the tumble he had taken. Orihime jumped to the side, and the blade went wide. Irritably, Hitsugaya lashed out with one of his wings, the mass of ice glancing Orihime despite her best efforts, knocking her over. Once again, he turned his eyes to Momo.
However, it was already too late. She was aglow with power, crying out the chant of some unknown spell he had never heard before.
"Oh, great phantasm of the skies!" Momo cried, and the air was a haze around her, warmth extending from around her, "Hear ye my cries. Thy faithful servant is in need. Descend from the star of Sol above, and unleash thy rage upon my enemy. I implore thee, grace the battlefield with thy presence, as I call thy name! Tentai Suzaku!"
Around Momo, the haze intensified, and a bright light began to shine, bathing the ground beneath them with the heat of a sun. There was a flash, and everything was too bright to look at for a moment. Hitsugaya, who had shielded himself with his wings, looked up. Droplets of water ran down his iced form.
In the air, above Momo, a magnificent, gigantic creature hovered. With a wing span of at least forty yards, it was a majestic, hawk-like creature, with a long, sharp beak, born entirely from flame. The heat it radiated was oppressive, making it difficult to even breathe, and Uryuu grabbed Orihime, moving the both of them out of the way. This was bound to make an impact.
The phoenix reared its head, fluttered its wings, and surged toward Hitsugaya with unnatural speed. Sensing its immense raw power, he flapped his own wings, taking flight and moving away. It was insane- such terrifying power, from Momo? This spell had strength well beyond what he would expect of a captain.
He cleared away from the blast with ease, his speed of flight taking him nearly a hundred yards away, only to find there had been no blast at all- the firebird was still hot on his tail, burning brightly and homing in like a seeker missile. Grunting, he upped his pace, zig-zagging through the air with all the haste he could muster. The phoenix was relentless, however, and guided by Momo's will, it closed the distance slowly. Looking back at the creature, Hitsugaya realized it wasn't going to be outrun, not by him, not now. Suddenly, he went into a nosedive, the surge in speed giving him a few precious seconds of a head start. Landing with quite a shock, some forty yards away from Momo, he wrapped his iced wings around him, and pointing to the sky, he cried, "Ryoujin Hyouheki!"
A defensive technique, it was designed to withstand tremendous damage, and Hitsugaya hoped it would be enough. In front of him, a wall of ice began to form, thick and powerful. But, he was out of time. The phoenix was upon him, slamming into the wall of ice like a battering ram. There was an explosion, bright enough to shine through the closed eyes of the spectators, and a massive wave of heat, even greater than before. An enormous cloud of steam formed as the fire clashed with the ice, bathing the entire surrounding landscape for well over a mile in radius with a thick, white mist.
Orihime was soaked, and Uryuu along with her. She couldn't see a foot in front of her, and if he hadn't been holding onto her, she was sure she would have lost him. The steam was bathing them all, and for a good few minutes, it was a hell of wet, warm, sticky fumes. It was like being stuck in a sauna, only somebody had locked the door and thrown away the key.
"Momo!" Orihime cried, coughing. The air was almost too hot to breathe. "Momo, are you okay?"
If there was an answer, she couldn't hear it. It took well over five minutes for the steam to begin to clear away, before the two of them could see anything again. Eventually, however, the mist began to disperse, and slowly the landscape came into view again. The pillars of ice holding their friends had melted, leaving them lying unconscious on the ground, Orihime noticed. Whether that was due to the oppressive heat of Momo's spell or because the captain had lost control of his powers she couldn't tell. Finally she spotted Momo, as thoroughly soaked as herself, wiping sweat from her brow.
"Are you okay?" Orihime repeated, and supported Uryuu as she walked toward the vice-captain.
"I'm- I'm fine," Momo mumbled, looking a little shell-shocked. The mist was still clearing up, and much of it still remained, "I've uh, I've never used that on a person before..."
"Well, it caused quite a reaction," Uryuu noted dryly, "Inoue, would you mind patching me up?"
"Oh!" Orihime said. "Of course-"
Then, they felt it: a surge of power, blowing the remaining steam clear, and a chill in the air. Momo put her hands over her mouth in shock, while Orihime and Uryuu stood dumbstruck. He was still standing?
Through the quickly disappearing steam walked Hitsugaya Toushirou. He was singed, and had blisters on his arms and face. Half of his coat had been burnt off, and he was an unpleasant shade of red. The wings, tail and feet of ice had dispersed, his bankai having been overloaded by the sheer amount of heat, but he was still standing... and he looked angry.
"Shirou-" Momo began, but Hitsugaya didn't listen. Enraged, he ran toward them without sparing a word, sword held low and at the ready.
"Behind me!" Uryuu snapped, pushing Orihime behind him, stepping forward and firing his bow one-handed, despite the futility of it. Several arrows still hit, but the captain ignored them. In a single cut, Uryuu was laid low, and it was all Orihime could do to form a shield to stop him from doing the same to her.
"My bankai, lost!" Hitsugaya all but snarled. "I never thought you had it in you, Momo, but it ends here!"
Momo stumbled back, her resolve broken. He truly was a captain, too strong and too terrifying to match. "Shun Shun Rikka-" Orihime started, but with a contemptuous swing of his hand, Hitsugaya knocked her over with an arctic gale. Holding his blade in both hands, he came at Momo, who only barely got her own blade up in time to parry.
"You need to stop, Momo!" he cried angrily. "Stop, before you get hurt! Damn it, what is wrong with you? I trusted you!"
"I'm so-sorry, I'm-" Momo mumbled, barely keeping up. Hitsugaya was hurt, his reiatsu level low, but she couldn't muster the energy to do more than parry.
"You swore an oath of loyalty, just like everyone else," Hitsugaya snarled, pushing her back step by step, "and now you turn your back on us all? You-"
Suddenly he was cut short. In a swift shunpo, a figure had appeared behind him, and stabbed him in the back. There was a jolt of electricity, visibly sparkling, and for a second the captain's hair stood on their ends. Then, he collapsed, quite unconscious. Behind him stood Lisanna, the clawed form of her shikai in hand.
"I-I, you-" Momo stuttered, too shaken to know what to say.
"Looks like I made it just in time," Lisanna said, letting out a relieved sigh. "Quick, bind him. I'm not sure he's down for the count yet."
"Er..."
"Now," Lisanna said, a little more sharply. "We don't have time for this. Erza's further up the path, and she's hurt."
At the mention of Erza's name, Momo pulled herself together and nodded. She muttered an incantation, and before long, Hitsugaya was thoroughly bound to the ground, wrapped in golden chains.
"Sorry, Shirou..." she mumbled, sounding guilty.
"Focus," Lisanna said. "Any casualties?"
"Um, some are out," Momo said, "but I think that redhead girl can fix it."
"Good," Lisanna said, nodding approvingly. "Get them all together. Every minute counts right now."
Momo nodded. They were really doing it. Somehow, they had survived going up against a captain, and now... now she'd actually be of help to Erza. She'd see her again.
Well, there we go everyone. Wasn't that awesome? Well, before I go into detail about somethings, I have a message from Greatkingrat88 for you all.
"Okay guys, been a while since you heard from me. Unfortunately, it's not great news I've got for you. Due to certain delays, and the fact that I've got a convention to go to next week, this is the only chapter I'll be able to finish this month. We return to our regular schedule of two a month in june."
Its a shame, but it cant be helped. Hope you all understand.
Now, onto the chapter itself. First and foremost, I'm sure a lot of you are wondering "What the hell kind of Kido did Momo just use!?" A good question if you are. Well...I cant say. Not yet anyways. All I CAN say is that it isn't your standard numbered Hado. Oh, and yes, if that incantation sounds familiar it should. It's based off the chant used to summon the Winged Dragon of Ra from Yugion.
Needless to say, Momo is not someone to be messed with. She may not be as powerful as the likes of Ichigo or Renji, but she can hold her own. For those wondering why I've given her this power boost, its rather simple. I've always found that out of all the vice captains, she was the one with the most unused potential. Not only with her skill in kido, but also with how she was betrayed by Aizen. The fact that she was the only vice captain of the traitors to NOT get a win in fake karakura town infuriates me to no end. She deserved far better than what she was given, so I decided this was a good way to show fans the potential the character has. Needless to say, she's going to continue to improve as the story goes on, though I promise you it will be done in a believable manner.
Also, some of you may also be wondering why the Sogyoku didn't turn into the giant flame bird. Well that's simple. We found it a bit absurd that Ichigo, with just his shikai could block a weapon as powerful as one million zanpaktou, its ridiculous, so we decided to have the weapon attack him not at full power...that and Greatkingrat88 forgot about that detail and we're too lazy to change it...Yeah. Sorry about that.
I'm also aware this chapter had no Erza in it. Well, sometimes its necessary. The last thing I want is have you all burned out on her character. If you see the main character too much, eventually they lose their likability, and you desire to see other characters. It's all about knowing how to split up the screen time in the right way. Its been hard trying to do that in this arc but I think I've pulled it off rather well. Don't you worry though dear readers, she still has more to do in this arc, Orihime will make sure of that.
At this point, id say we have only about 3 more chapters of this arc left. 4 at most. At least, if one considers the fight with Aizen to be the end of the arc. Its been a fun ride to say the least, but don't you worry, the arrancar arc should be just as fun. Do be aware though, we are going to change A LOT when it comes to that arc. What exactly I wont say, but I think most of those choices are for the better.
One last thing I want to talk about before I go. As of a few days ago, Hiro Mashima, the creator of fairy tail has announced that the series has about two volumes left to go. Needless to say the series is coming close to its end. It makes sense, only Zeref and Acnolgia are left to take care of. I couldn't imagine another arc after this one.
That all said...I am saddened by this news. Fairy tail has helped me out a lot over the years ive read it. It's not a perfect manga by any means, its very flawed, I'll admit it, but despite that, I still find it to be one of my favorites. Despite all the ups and downs the series has had, I've greatly enjoyed this experience. Regardless of how the ending is, how Acnologia goes down, I cant deny just how much fun I've had.
Don't let what others say about the series effect your enjoyment of it. I know, its a bit depressing at times to hear it over, and over and over again on the internet, but trust me, don't let all of that negativity get you down if you still like it. It's a lesson I've finally taken to heart after all these years, so just as the characters of the series are proud to be members of the guild, be proud to say that you love this series!
So Thank you Hiro Mashima, and you too Tite Kubo, for all the hard work you've done. You've given millions of manga fans a new world and set of characters for us to enjoy with your series.
Well, that's pretty much all I have to say. I'm going to go now to enjoy my birthday. Really looking forward to see all the reviews when I get back, im sure their going to be really fun for me to read.