A/N: There are some people to thank for their reviews: Laaaaaara, .havens, Assault Godzilla, KitElizaKing, anon, "Guest," and Dragon and Sword Master. And thank you to anyone who put this or its author on their lists. This is a surprise holiday present from me. From Dec. 25th to Jan 6th, you'll be enjoying new chapters of my stories each day. I don't know which story will be updated which day, but if my calculations are correct, each story should have two new chapters by the time I'm through. So saying: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza, Happy/Merry Pancha Ganapati and Happy Yule.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al.
Consequences of War
Acceptance is Key
Rukia led her little group to an open area within the Seireitei where several other Shinigami had gathered at the ready in case whatever came out of the portal hanging in midair was not friendly. A young woman appeared first, her clothing much like something the Royal Guard would have given someone. She stood on reishi hardened air and gazed back into the darkness at something or someone. The petite Kuchiki could feel Ichigo and Renji and figured that they must be who the stranger was looking at.
"Now watch your step, it's a long way down if you're not careful," the woman said.
"Yeah, yeah," Ichigo muttered as he came through. He blinked into the light, the darkness of the portal having made it difficult to be out in the sunlight. Renji followed, nodded his head respectfully at the stranger and then flash stepped away, leaving Ichigo to do all the explaining.
"Ichigo, who is this stranger you have brought to us?" Rukia demanded, gazing up at her friend.
"Hold onto your Chappy, midget, I'll get to that." He purposely took longer than necessary to get to the ground, knowing she'd want to hit him for his comment. Omi followed suit after sealing the portal and waited patiently for him to introduce her. Her blue eyes held mirth though as she studied the interaction between the noble and the warrior. "Now I know everyone's probably a little freaked out over her appearance and I can't really tell you not to worry, but this is Omi. Omi is our only chance at defeating Yhwach. She holds the power of the Omega which is the opposite of Yhwach's power. With her at our side, he won't be able to see our moves and she can neutralize his ability to manipulate the future."
"Ichigo-kun, you have made a decision that goes beyond your authority. Are you sure this woman can be trusted?" Kyoraku gazed at the daiko with his one good eye narrowed in censure. For all the kid wanted to do right, he had to learn to follow some kind of direction from his elders.
"Yes," Ichigo stated calmly. "I found Omi sealed away in the Royal Realm. The inscription on the coffin she was in stated something along the lines of 'To balance the Alpha, the Omega is needed.' Now, Yhwach calls his power the 'Almighty' not the 'Alpha' but if you think about it, he believes himself to be a god. If you put the two powers together, they would be all mighty. They both balance and negate each other."
"You wield a Zanpakutou," Nanao stated, giving a pointed look at the slim blade at Omi's waist.
"Like my brother is the progenitor of the Quincys, I am in essence the progenitor of the Shinigami. My father, the Soul King rules over both races because we are his children. Our powers are gifts from the gods that were granted at our father's request. The gods knew that if my brother ever became like he is, I would be the only one who could stop his rampage. His goal is to enter the Royal Realm and kill our father so that he can absorb his power. By doing so he can reshape the universe into his liking, whatever that may be. He is power hungry and mad. He must be stopped and I will help you do so. He will betray his Quincy followers by taking their powers so that he can attack our father."
"He's already done that once," Ishida said, staring at the young woman. She looked younger than a high school student.
"So I have seen, thanks to Ichigo-kun." Omi stepped forward and gazed into the young man's dark blue eyes. "You have changed the nature of your Quincy powers, haven't you? I can feel that your energy is more like the Shinigami now. You are what the Quincys are supposed to be. My brother never let the Quincy powers evolve so that they could save souls. How did you manage the transformation on your own?"
"It wasn't easy. I had to fight and face things that I did not want to face."
"Ah, yes, that would have been the way. No wonder my brother did not evolve the powers. He was incapable of doing so. You are the true leader of the Quincys. The one destined to be the frontline in the World of the Living."
"He did label Ishida his successor." Ichigo pondered the development.
"It seems that even he could not deny that fact. So, Quincy Prince, what is it that you want done to The Betrayer?" A new look entered Omi's eyes and she spooked Ichigio with the anger they held. She had been so calm and even a bit sad at the turn of events. Now she resembled a true queen. A queen, who was going to punish someone invading her kingdom. He guessed that's how Yhwach appeared now. He had betrayed his family and his little sister wasn't going to put up with it anymore.
"I want to prevent him from hurting any more people. He can't be allowed to destroy any dimension." Omi seemed to be in agreement because she nodded and turned to the assembled company. "Where is Soutaicho Yamamoto? I wish to confer with him."
"Ah…" Ichigo started, at a loss as to how to explain what had happened to the old man.
"I am afraid Yama-jii is no longer among us, Omi-himesama." Kyoraku bowed his head sadly, unable to keep the regret out of his voice. "I am his successor, Soutaicho Shunsui Kyoraku."
"How did this come to pass?" Omi demanded.
"The Sternritter have a device that can absorb a Shinigami's bankai. They stole many of them, including Gramps'. Unfortunately, Gramps becomes the fire of his bankai so it looks like he was killed when Yhwach sealed his away. I don't know if getting his bankai back would save him or not." Ichigo rubbed the back of his head, ignoring Rukia's glare at calling the old captain so casually.
"Was it a black disk-like object?" Omi asked.
"Yes," Toushiro answered, speaking for the first time. He'd come silently and was waiting to see what the stranger did before deciding whether she could be trusted or not.
"Then there is an easy way to reverse it. However, I do not think Yamamoto-san can be saved. Kyoraku, you will assemble all of your captain class Shinigami immediately. Bring them here so that I may go over what needs to be done. In the mean time, please gather as much Hollow blood as you can."
"Already done, Hime-sama!" Urahara smiled jovially, coming forward carrying a vat of dark red blood. Several people from the Twelfth followed him with similar containers. "The data Ishida-kun collected was quite helpful. What would you have us do with it?"
"Pour it on the disk. It will unseal the bankai it contains and return it to the Shinigami it belongs to. I'm sure you've figured that out already." Omi studied the crowd that was gathering, the Shinigami coming without needing to be summoned. Each watched her with wary eyes, not yet able to trust that she was there to help them.
"Doesn't that mean we have to wait until they come back?" Orihime asked, fear in her voice.
"Unfortunately, that's exactly what it means. My brother should have realized by now that I am here. He will send everything he has left and come himself. He will take the powers of his people once he realizes that he's at a disadvantage. How are your stealth forces?"
"Our numbers are depleted but we will do what we need to," Soi Fon announced.
"Good. Kisuke Urahara, you and that clown dispense the Hollow blood into vials that the Stealth Force can carry. The foot soldiers will pair up with the captain class Shinigami. They will use the blood to counteract the devices when the Quincy who has it is busy fighting. Once the bankais have been returned, you'll go all out on my brother's forces. Show them no mercy. They attacked everyone, without regard to who they are. I will center my position so that Yhwach will not be able to gain the upper hand. Ichigo-kun and his friends will do what they can with their powers. If you find yourself losing against one opponent, do not hesitate to switch with someone else. There is no dishonor in admitting to being at a disadvantage. We will win this war with our minds as well as our powers. Do not believe that nothing can beat you. That is one of my brother's problems. He believes himself to be infallible. Do not make the same mistake."
Kyoraku looked around at his men and women and burst out laughing. "What she said," he cackled. For the first time in a while, he truly believed that they would win.
Omi smiled softly, her eyes clearing briefly before glancing toward the sky. "He will come soon. I wish you well, Shinigami."
A roar went up and one by one the captains turned to their subordinates and began spreading them around the Seireitei. Morale was climbing and now that they had direction and a light, they were going to do everything in their power to see that the rest of the Quincy army fell to their secret weapon. Once the squads had dispersed, the captains gave the daiko a collective nod before taking up their own positions.
Rukia stayed behind, pondering what she should tell Ichigo about what had happened during his time in the Royal Realm. Their friends stayed with her, knowing that Ichigo probably had some plan up his sleeve. "Where's Renji?" the ice wielder asked, remembering that he'd taken off upon returning.
"Bathroom. Idiot drank what amounted to a couple of liters of water and couldn't hold it anymore. He knows what to do. How did things go here?" Ichigo grinned slightly at Rukia's look of shocked disgust before facing the others with a stern expression.
"We have strengthened our powers the best we can with the time we were given. Inoue-san has another shield, Ishida has transformed his powers and Kuchiki-san has attained bankai. I do not know whether I have become strong enough to stand beside you as an equal, Ichigo, but I will try." Chad placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed gently.
"Maybe your power isn't equal to mine, maybe it is. That's not important. That you're willing to stand beside me is the only thing that matters. You don't have any personal stake in this other than the need to do what is right. That makes you my equal." Ichigo gazed around the small circle that his friends had made and smiled. "The same goes for you guys."
"Kurosaki-kun…" Tears studded Orihime's eyes and she smiled hesitantly.
"So what's your plan, Kurosaki?" Ishida asked. He didn't mention that they had a whole lot at stake. The very fabric of the universe was in danger but to say so could put fear in their hearts and he wouldn't do that to Inoue.
"You and I are going to face Yhwach and his right hand man. We're the ones most suited for it. Rukia will take on whoever she comes across and use whatever amount of force is necessary. I believe her new bankai will be powerful enough to take on any member of the Sternritter that is stupid enough to fight her. Chad and Inoue too. We have to believe in each other or this will never work. We've been in situations that have seemed hopeless before and have made it through. I believe we can do it again."
"And what's the rest of it?" his cousin asked suspiciously. He was getting the feeling Ichigo was just going to go in head first and worry about the details later.
Rukia gave Ichigo a critical look and sighed. "Ishida, you should know by now that that's all his plans ever amount to. The rest he just makes up as he goes along."
"Hey!"
"I was afraid of that. Alright, with what little time we have left, I'll try to think of something concrete." Ishida adjusted his cape and equipment before staring into the distance. "Let's move."
"Wait," Omi commanded and the teens looked at her in surprise. They hadn't realized she was still there. "Let me leave you with one last piece of advice. Acceptance is the key. You must accept yourself and everything you are if you are to succeed. Do not try to hold back. My brother will use that hesitation against you. He's a master manipulator."
The cousins exchanged glances before looking her in the eye. "We already have," they answered together before taking off.
Ichigo paused and looked over his shoulder, pinning Rukia with his gaze. "Oi, midget, I don't know what weird thing Shirayuki-san does for bankai but be careful. It's probably dangerous and I don't want to come back to find you as a puddle of water."
Before Rukia could summon a kido worthy of frying his insolent hide, Ishida grabbed his relative and leapt into the air. "That brat. I'm going to make a popsicle out of him when this is all over." The two girls and Chad chuckled.
"Let's go, children. We have a universe to save." Omi didn't wait for their answer, she simply started using flash step.
"Hai!" they shouted in return and went to take up their own posts.
It was time to knock down a tyrant.
When Ichigo managed to get out of Ishida's grip, he straightened his shihakushou and turned to keep pace with the other teen. "So, did you come to terms with your demons?" the orange haired hero asked, keeping his voice void of curiosity.
"I did not realize I had any."
"Guilt is a demon all its own. You were like me, weren't you? You thought it was your fault that your grandfather died. You probably blamed yourself for your mother's death too. Something stupid along the lines of 'I should have been able to protect her,' right?"
"Takes one to know one," Ishida returned. "I worked through my issues if that's what you mean. It didn't go as expected but I managed."
"Yeah, my battle didn't go like I thought it would either."
"I almost lost," Ishida admitted.
"What turned the tide?"
"Oddly enough it was a memory. I once joined Inoue-san for dinner during those seventeen months you were without your powers. I let her make the meal without thinking about the consequences. She was trying out a new recipe for the bakery and wanted an unbiased opinion."
"Wow, man, you really took a risk."
"Yeah, but she was really pleased; and that's what I remembered. She was so happy to be sharing a meal with a friend of hers that she smiled the whole time I was with her. It was like a light at the end of a dark tunnel. I can't explain it any better than that."
"You don't have to," Ichigo said and grinned at his nakama. "It was like that for me too, back when I met Rukia. Hers was the hand that I couldn't ignore. That night when I accepted her powers, I accepted so much more. She changed my world. It was in a thousand different ways and it was so quietly that I didn't realize what it meant at first but little by little that cloud of guilt lifted. The depression I felt because of my mother's death lessened. I still felt it, probably will still feel it on occasion but it was less with her by my side.
"I guess sometimes all it takes is something we're least expecting to show us a way through the mass of depression that colors our lives."
"Hn. True, but we could have done without the PTSD inducing wars."
"Have to agree with you there. We could have gone to a psychologist."
"Yeah, but what would we have told the shrink?"
"You've got a point."
"I usually do."
"Smartass." Ichigo was waiting for Ishida to retort but a portal rent the sky, signaling that the Quincys had returned. "Well, enough introspection. Time to show this 'king' that you don't have to be a full blood to be worthy of the name."
"Agreed."
A/N: As engrossed as you were in the chapter, did you find something a little fishy about my first note? It means a total of ten new chapters for the "Twelve Days of Christmas." Well, actually, it's thirteen in my case since I don't consider Christmas over until Epiphany is. That means there are three days to do something special for you all. Unfortunately, you'll just have to wait and see what that is.