Fate and Destiny

by constantdaydreamergirl

Toshiro is sent to the World of the Living to investigate Hollow-like monsters, but he is stripped of his powers when he arrives. It is here he meets Ren, a human girl who is linked to the monsters. But, the longer Toshiro stays here, the more he suspects that there is more to Ren and the monsters than meets the eye...Full summary inside. Pairing Toshiro x OC

26. Shattered

Alright, so last time, Epona attacked Ren, and she didn't really do much fighting back until she got scratched. And now that Epona stabbed Toshiro, Ren is madder than ever, and is all too willing to burn somebody into cinders! But, what's happening to her Shackles? Why are they cracking? How will the battle between Ren and Epona end? We'll find out in three, two, one, now!

Chapter 24

Shattered

"AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGH!" Renji yelled in frustration. "I can't believe we ran! Why did we run?!"

"Because I told you to?" Steph quipped in nervously.

"Exactly!" Renji exclaimed. "And now we're who knows where while Ren takes on that girl!"

"We're actually in Cliff Street." Tom said.

"Not helping!" Renji snapped.

"Calm down, you fool!" Rukia gave Renji a swift knock on the head, shutting him up and leaving Renji to nurse the new bump on his head. Although, right now, she could understand why he was frustrated. She felt that way, too. But, without their captain, they probably wouldn't be able to fight that sad looking girl. It had been twenty minutes since Ren told them to escape, and everyone was on edge while hiding in this street. Ichigo was leaning on a wall, muttering and cursing under his breath as though he were having a mental argument with someone. Rangiku was refusing to leave Toshiro's side, and using whatever healing Kido she knew on him. And even Rukia was finding it hard to keep still. But, to Rukia's surprise, the only ones keeping their cool were Steph and Tom. They didn't look at all nervous, or even scared. Rukia smiled a little. It was funny how the Soul Reapers, who have been in this situation many times before, were nervous and frustrated, and yet two humans, who had never even fought in a battle until today, were perfectly calm. It must be because of their faith in Ren. Speaking of which…

"I must ask, though…" Rukia started, looking at the two humans. "Why did you tell us to leave?"

"Well, anyone who knows Ren a long time knows the golden rules about her. This is one of them." Steph said.

"And that rule is, if Ren is mad, there's a minimum safe distance." Tom said.

"How long is that?" Rukia asked.

"I'd say about five metres, seven tops. Or ten, if you're feeling cautious." Tom guessed.

"But we're way further than that." Ichigo pointed out.

"We figured that now that Ren has powers, the minimum safe distance would be a lot more. And believe me; Ren is not to be messed with when she's angry." Steph asserted, wagging her finger a little to emphasise her point.

"Why?" Renji asked. Almost as if on cue, there was a massive explosion in the distance, and dark smoke rose up from the buildings and into the sky. It was quite far away, but it was close enough for the group to faintly smell the smoke.

"Because that." Tom answered, pointing at the smoke.

"Good call." Ichigo said.

"Lieutenant Matsumoto, I'll take it from here." Rukia kneeled down beside Toshiro and started healing him.

"Thank you." Rangiku said quietly.

"It's alright. He'll live." Rukia reassured Rangiku.

"That's not why I'm worried. Well, it is, but…" Rangiku looked up at the smoke.

"Ren will be fine. Have faith in her. Just like her friends" Rukia looked at the sleeping face of Toshiro, which looked surprisingly peaceful, considering the fact that he had a hole in his stomach. "Just like Captain Hitsugaya." Rukia's hands glowed with the healing Kido and she carried on healing Toshiro's wound. The bleeding had almost stopped completely, and that just left the wound to close up. Rangiku was more skilled with healing Kido than she thought. This would take a few more minutes to heal, but since Ren was keeping Epona busy, Rukia felt she had no need to worry. But that thought went away when she saw Toshiro's face twitch as though he were in pain.

What? Rukia thought. The stab wound is almost completely healed. So why is he still in pain? Where is it coming from? Where? Using every ounce of knowledge she had of healing, Rukia used it to search Toshiro's body for any more injuries. Nothing. Although, she did sense a strange disturbance in his body. Especially on his back.

"Lieutenant Matsumoto, could you raise Captain Hitsugaya's body up? I need to check his back." Rukia asked.

"Okay." Rangiku didn't object, but she was confused about why she asked that. She was certain her captain had no injuries on his back. But, she raised Toshiro's upper body up as gently as she could. Rukia immediately went behind him. At first glance, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Just a couple of blood stains from his injuries. Rukia reached out and placed a hand on his back. Still nothing.

Maybe it's somewhere else… Rukia thought. She slid her hand to the left slowly until she reached his left shoulder blade. As soon as she did, Rukia's hand recoiled away on a reflex. It felt hot. It felt like her hand just got burned, but there were no burn marks on it. Hesitant, Rukia reached out towards the right shoulder blade. As soon as her fingertips touched it, she pulled away again. They were burning like she had just stuck her fingers inside an open fire, yet again, there were no signs of a burn, but there may as well be one with the intensity of the heat she felt. His back is burning. No wonder he's in pain! And it's no ordinary injury. I don't think I can heal it. But why is it happening?

"Rukia, what is it?" Rangiku asked, concerned not only for Toshiro, but the fact that Rukia was eerily quiet.

"Nothing." Rukia lied. "You can put him down now." Rangiku obeyed, and Toshiro winced in pain again.

At least he's conscious. Rukia thought, reassuring herself. At least he's still alive. And when Epona is defeated…When Captain Hitsugaya wakes up…I'll ask him myself. Rukia looked towards the huge cloud of smoke. For now, we must wait.

…

"Damn…" Epona cursed breathlessly. She staggered onto her feet, coughing from the smoke and fire surrounding her and her opponent. Epona's clothes were partially torn up and her pale skin was coloured with dirt and blood. Her blood. And right in front of Epona was the girl making her bleed. A human by the name of Ren Conner. Aside from slight blood stains from less than a few minutes ago, Ren didn't have a single mark on her body. Her Fire Shackles were glowing brighter than any flame Epona had ever seen, and there was a fire in Ren's eyes to match. Ren was right. Epona truly had made a mistake to provoke her. She had never seen a fury like this before. Her face was blank, if not expressionless, and Ren looked so calm, it was almost creepy. After she was exposed to the darkness, had her hometown threatened, her friends lives put at risk and her dearest friend near death, anyone would think she would be angrier at first glance. But no. She had a look of utmost serenity on her face. The only thing betraying her real emotions was the look in her eyes. Ren was staring at Epona as though she wanted to slice her up into a thousand pieces. Or, judging by the ferocity of the fire surrounding them, burn her into ashes. Right now, Ren was so angry, she had completely forgotten the fact that black cracks were appearing on her Shackles, and that they were gradually increasing in number and size the longer she remained angry.

"Are you going to kill me?" Epona asked, making it sound like a challenge. Ren said nothing. "Well? Are you?" Epona yelled. Again, Ren was silent. "I must admit, this is quite a confidence boost. You were running away before, but now, you're fighting me like a true warrior. Is it because I harmed your comrades?"

"…" Ren narrowed her eyes a little and her fist clenched, fire forming around her knuckles, and another thin crack appearing on her Shackles.

"I'll take that as a 'yes', shall I?" Epona said. "But, you know…anger can be a form of darkness, too, especially when it's on the behalf of others. Those who stay in it too long will inevitably fall into despair. And from despair comes the darkness. No matter how this fight ends, I will win."

"No." Ren said, speaking for the first time in minutes. "You're wrong about that."

"Hm?" Epona braced herself again, wondering what was coming up next. Ren was reckless when she fought before, but now, she was even more unpredictable than before.

"The only one who will fall into the black pits of despair…" Fireballs engulfed Ren's hands, and the fire surrounding the pair seemed to get taller all of a sudden. "Is you."

"…" Epona's expression slowly went from her trademark sad face to one of determination. "Very well." The dark clouds of Epona's Shadow Shackles became even thicker. "If you're going to fight seriously, then so will I." A cloud of black smoke formed from up the ground and behind Epona, and some more smoke spread around the pair. Ren looked around, watching the smoke spread.

The fire is changing… Ren noted mentally.

"During your time with me…" Epona started, bringing Ren's attention back to her. "You noticed how my powers revolve around the darkness, both of the world and of the soul. However, you seem to have forgotten the true name of my Shackles." The ground below the feet of the girls started to get darker, and the shadows emitted from the fire seemed to look more sinister, as well as the shadows of Epona and Ren. "They are not Darkness Shackles. They are…"

"!" Ren's eyes widened. Quickly, she jumped back from where she stood, just as Epona's own shadow stretched out towards her. As soon as Ren had jumped a few metres back, she quickly created a line of fire between her and the shadow with one swift movement of her arm.

"You actually have some intelligence behind your air-headed nature." Epona said. "You remembered, then. My Shackles are actually the Shadow Shackles."

"Of course I remember. You told Shiro about them when I was under your spell." Ren said bitterly, and without anyone noticing, a few more cracks appeared on her Shackles.

"And you have forgotten something else. Our shadows aren't the only ones here." With a wave of her hand, Epona made the shadows of the flames grow thicker and larger, and the tips were heading towards Ren. With another wave, the shadows suddenly burst out of the ground in spikes and fists, ready to strike.

"Damn." Ren cursed, creating fire around her hands. The shadowed weapons and fists dove down to attack her, and Ren managed to deflect most of the attacks with some well-placed fire punches, dispelling the shadows, but within seconds, they reformed again and kept attacking her. Ren was finding it even harder to keep up with the attacks, and resorted to using more than just her fists, and kept shooting streams of fire at the shadows, but no matter what she did, the shadows kept attacking here, and every so often, one such attack would graze her enough to draw blood.

"It's useless." Epona said, watching as Ren fought off the shadows as best she could. Some of Epona's shallower injuries had started to heal already, while Ren was getting even more than Epona previously had. "No matter where you go, no matter what you do, the shadows and the darkness will always follow you. This is a pointless fight. Submit to the darkness and I may show mercy."

"!" Ren growled a little after this. "NEVER!" She yelled. Ignoring how her Shackles cracked a little more, Ren raised her fists above her head and a fireball formed around them, and the shadows were drawn away from the bright light she was creating. The ring of fire flickered towards the fireball, and it eventually grew towards the fireball as though it were being sucked in. Soon, all of the fire surrounding the two girls was inside this fireball, making it from the same size as a human head to the size of a car. "BURN!" Ren threw the fireball towards Epona, and there was a massive explosion from the impact of the fireball on the building behind Epona. The fire quickly spread to most of the floors of the building, filling the already dark sky with ashen, foul-smelling smoke. Panting, Ren watched the fire for any signs of Epona. Concerned with the silence, Ren parted the fires, and Epona was right in the middle of it, her skin partially burned from the flames. The force of the blast had made her crash into the building behind her, and she was slammed into it at such force, she was almost part of the building itself.

That was close. Epona thought. If I hadn't countered that blast with my Shadow Wall, I would probably have died. Epona glared at Ren, who was still getting her breath back. This girl really intends to kill me. Epona narrowed her eyes a little. Wait…What's that? Epona squinted at Ren's Fire Shackles. They had black cracks on them. Some were thick, and some were thin, but almost the entirety of the Shackles were covered with them. What are those cracks for? Are her Shackles reaching their limit? Epona looked at the Shackles around her right hand. I've never seen that happen to mine. What could this mean?

"…" Without a word, Ren raised a hand towards Epona, and the fires around her travelled across the ground away from Epona and towards Ren, where they formed a fireball in Ren's palm. Ren placed her hand on top of the fireball, and it shrunk to the size of a tennis ball with a few hand motions, until she clasped her hands together.

"You have also forgotten one thing." Ren said. "You may have power over darkness…" Ren unclasped her hands, and the fireball was gone. "But even shadows need the light. You can preach all you want about the world being made of darkness or whatever it is you believe. I'm here to tell you that your shadows are useless without my light."

"I see…" Epona said slowly, finally managing to pull herself free of the building, albeit with a slight wobble. "It seems we have both reached an impasse once again. And if this keeps up, we'll reach our limits."

"Hm." Ren said in mutual agreement.

"However, I have a solution that could end our conflict." The shadows under Epona's feet rippled. "I shall make you fall into the black pits of despair. Forever…" With that ominous statement, the shadows underneath Epona covered her completely, shrunk into the shadow and disappeared.

"What? Where is she?" Ren looked all around her. Nothing. "Show yourself!" Ren yelled.

Damn it. Where is she? Ren thought. And what did that 'pits of despair' part mean, anyway?

"Hold on…"

"But, you know…anger can be a form of darkness, too, especially when it's on the behalf of others. Those who stay in it too long will inevitably fall into despair. And from despair comes the darkness. No matter how this fight ends, I will win."

She said something about anger being darkness. And on the behalf of others. What does that have to do with…? Ren didn't let herself finish that thought. She figured out what Epona meant. And she knew exactly where Epona was going!

…

"This way." Steph pointed around the corner. "If we follow this street, it will lead us to the bus station."

"But with this city being deserted, there's no way they're running now." Renji pointed out. "And even if they were, I doubt they'd let us on. Especially since they can't see us and, well…" Renji indicated the sleeping Toshiro on his back. Rukia, Rangiku and Ichigo were right behind Renji, keeping their eyes open for any surprise attacks.

"We know." Steph said.

"But Ren told us to get as far away from the fight as possible. And we're simply not safe in the street like that. And Toshiro's life isn't in any danger anymore, so it's best if we keep moving." Tom said.

"I still can't believe we're following orders from a human and her friends." Renji grumbled.

"Keep quiet." Rukia almost hissed. "You can tell Ren what you think when this is over. In case you haven't forgotten, there's a member of White Raven here, and she wants Captain Hitsugaya dead. It's best we do what those two say. They know Ren better than any of us, after all."

"Urgh…fine!" Renji said with reluctance and frustration.

"…" Rangiku and Ichigo said nothing throughout, keeping their eyes and ears peeled for any strange sights and sounds.

"You see anything?" Rukia asked Ichigo.

"Nothing yet." Ichigo answered. "All I've heard since splitting up from Ren are a few explosions. Now, I don't hear anything."

"It's too quiet." Rangiku agreed. "I think we might be in a fight soon."

"Hey, do you know anywhere open nearby?" Ichigo asked the two humans. "Epona might be heading this way."

"Well, uh…there's a town square this way, past the bus station." Steph pointed straight ahead towards an alleyway and past some parked buses. "It's not as big as King's Square, but it's still spacious."

"Hey, what's that?" Rangiku asked, pointing up at the sky. Everyone stopped walking and looked in the direction Rangiku was pointing. In the distance, there was a figure flying through the sky with black, feathered wings and a dark cloud of smoke following them, and it was getting closer with each second.

"It's Epona!" Ichigo immediately recognised her.

"Town square, let's go! Run!" Tom said briskly, breaking off into a run.

"This way!" Steph followed after him, and the other Soul Reapers let them lead the way. Epona spotted the group running in the distance.

"No matter what…" Epona sped up and whooshed through the sky towards them. "Ren will fall into the darkness. Just like I did. Just like anybody does. You cannot avoid the darkness." Etheline, meanwhile, had already arrived at the town square the others were heading towards. She sat down on the edge of a building again.

"What is that girl thinking?" Etheline said, agitated. "If this keeps up, Epona is going to absolutely lose it. That is, unless that woman does first. The way she's been fuming recently, I wouldn't be surprised if she exploded." Etheline giggled at the image. "Well, if she loses, the girl is mine."

"Alright, we're here!" Steph went into the centre of the square. As she said, it was significantly smaller than King's Square, but it was still quite big; about the size of four tennis courts.

"Perfect timing. Epona's getting closer." Ichigo held Zangetsu out in front of him, ready to fight.

"Protect Captain Hitsugaya at all costs." Rukia drew her zanpakuto and prepared herself.

"You don't have to tell me." Rangiku also drew her sword. "Renji, stay back."

"Right." Renji nodded.

"This way." Tom beckoned Renji towards an alleyway. "We can hide Toshiro here." Renji quickly ducked inside the alleyway, just as he heard an explosion that rocked the ground a little. Steph let out a yell of surprise and regained her balance by grabbing onto a nearby dumpster.

"That must be Epona." Tom said, helping Renji get Toshiro off his back and leaning him against the wall. "Renji, we'll keep Toshiro safe here. Go help the others."

"You still got her guns?" Renji asked.

"…" Tom and Steph answered by holding them up.

"Alright, but I'm sticking close." Renji side stepped out of the alleyway, and came face to face with Epona standing in front of the group, her wings flexing and fluttering a little after her landing had dented the ground.

She didn't notice me. Renji thought. He shrank back into the shadows, remaining as invisible as possible. I can sneak an attack if I time it right. Renji's hand went to the hilt of Zabimaru, ready to make a move.

"Where's Ren?" Ichigo demanded. Epona said nothing, narrowing her eyes. "Answer me, damn it!"

"Why should I answer to weaklings?" Epona asked. After that comment, something seemed to snap.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

"Growl, Haineko!"

With those commands, Rukia's sword turned a brilliant white, and the ground underneath her feet seemed to turn white with it. Rangiku's sword turned to ashes and floated in a cloud around her hilt. Ichigo gripped his Zangetsu, ready to attack her full on.

"They think they can take her on?" Etheline placed her head in her hand, leaning on her knee. She gave a sly smile. "That's just adorable."

"I'll ask you one more time; where is she?"

"She's back where I left her." Epona answered. Her wings glowed and shot into her back, vanishing. "By the time she gets here, if she does, the reincarnation will be dead, and she will fall into the blackest pits of darkness, as will you. Now, get out of my way."

"Not a chance!" Ichigo raised his sword up. "Getsuga Tensho!" With one slash, a blue wave of spiritual energy sped towards Epona, uprooting the ground as it went. There was an explosion of dust when it reached the target. But, the smoke quickly cleared away to reveal a shadow wall in front of Epona, glowing blue from the attack, and the blue glow vanished quickly. Epona stepped around the wall, unharmed, and looked at Ichigo, who was in shock over the fact that Epona blocked his attack.

"You seem to be the strongest of the three." Epona said. "Here." Epona waved her hand, and the wall divided into three balls of black smoke. Without warning, the three balls of smoke charged towards the Soul Reapers, and they began to change shape from round to tall, and seem to gain four new limbs. They were turning into people!

"Whoa!" Ichigo managed to block an attack from a shadow that reached him, and the girls also managed to block their shadows somehow. The shadows were more human like as each one pressed against the swords, gaining eyes, mouth and short, spiky hair.

"Wait. That's…" Ichigo's eyes widened when the face of his shadowed opponent became more pronounced. "That's me!" Sure enough, each ball of shadow had evolved into an exact replica of Ichigo. The only way to tell them apart was that these clones were made solely of shadows, and everything on their person, besides their eyes and mouth, was coloured black. The clones cackled and continued to attack the Soul Reapers.

"But like I said, I don't deal with weaklings." Epona said. She walked through the square, not even flinching when Rukia jumped in her path and leapt up into the air again to avoid an attack from her Ichigo Shadow. "Fight those until you feel calmer. By the time you're done, that boy will be dead." Epona stopped in the centre of the square, looking left and right. Renji shrank back further, still remaining unseen.

She still hasn't spotted me. Good. Renji began to unsheathe his sword quietly. Suddenly, Epona threw a dagger at Renji without looking. Renji's eyes widened. Quickly, he drew Zabimaru all the way and knocked the dagger off course, sending it clattering to the ground. Epona looked in the direction she threw the dagger.

"You fool." She said. "If you think you can hide from me, you are mistaken. Have you forgotten what my domain is?" She noticed the alleyway behind Renji. "And I'm guessing the reincarnation is in there."

"Heh. So much for a sneak attack." Renji said with a smirk. With a flick of his sword, his sword transformed into its Shikai form, and Renji pointed it at Epona. "Name's Renji. Renji Abarai."

"Renji?" Epona repeated. "So you're that 'Red Pineapple' Ren talked about."

She even knows about that?! Renji thought, sweat dropping.

"That's me." Renji said, a little disheartened.

"I understand the nickname now. You do resemble a pineapple significantly." Epona created another dagger in her hand, holding it up to her face. "Now stand aside."

"Sorry, but I'm not gonna let you through without a fight."

"Please, you couldn't even scratch me before." Epona said calmly. "Why do you think you can harm me now?"

"Because the lives of my friends are in danger, that's why!" Renji then slashed Zabimaru towards Epona, and she jumped up in the air to avoid it, letting the tip crash into the ground. She threw several daggers towards Renji, who simply ducked his head left and right to avoid them. "You missed." Renji said as Epona landed.

"I never miss." Epona retorted as Zabimaru reformed itself.

"Well, you did. Now, you-" Renji cut himself off before he could attack. Or rather, he would attack, but for some reason, his arm wasn't moving. Neither were his legs. "What the…I can't move."

"As I said, I never miss. Go ahead and look behind you."

"…" Renji did as he was asked, thinking that his head wouldn't move, but surprisingly, it did. He looked over his right shoulder, and he saw the dagger had stabbed the ground behind him.

"Look where my daggers are. Notice anything?" Epona asked.

"!" Renji's eyes widened. "You." Renji turned his head towards Epona, glaring at her. "You pinned my shadow."

"So, you realise my power. I don't recall telling you what my power was."

"Oh, then I suppose those things are just smoke, are they?" Renji retorted, tilting his head in the direction of the Ichigo Shadows.

"Smarter than you look. Ren warned me about that."

"She did?" Renji said, surprised. Epona nodded.

"Whenever she spoke of you during the times I led her into darkness, it would be with some form of annoyance. Yet, there was also a great deal of respect."

"…" Despite the situation, Renji found himself feeling pretty happy about what Epona said. Ren respected him, even if she did annoy him and vice versa.

"You deserve to know that much." Epona continued. She started to walk towards Renji. "After all, I will kill you after the reincarnation."

"…" Renji tried to move his body, or even form a fist, his body shaking from the effort, but nothing. He was completely paralysed except for his head and neck, and it wasn't anywhere near enough to give Epona a head-butt. So, when Epona started to walk past him, all Renji could do was glare at her with clenched teeth and fury in his eyes. Steph and Tom saw Epona approaching, and while they were fearful, they pointed their guns at Epona. But, Epona was unperturbed, and stopped at the entrance to the alleyway.

"Aren't you going to shoot?" Epona asked. Tom and Steph hesitated, finding themselves unwilling to pull their triggers at her. After the way she dealt with the others, they knew full well they were no match for her.

"Heh." Etheline smirked. "I knew this wouldn't last long. And that woman is nowhere to be seen. Oh, this is going to be beautiful." Etheline licked her lips and smiled.

"Back away from the reincarnation." Epona calmly ordered, still not losing her sad expression. She created a dagger in her right hand. "Or else your blood will spill with his."

"Leave them out of this!" Renji yelled, looking over his shoulder at Epona. "They have nothing to do with you!"

"But they do. They are Ren's best friends. Therefore, they should be among the first to die."

This is it. Tom thought, wide eyed with fear.

We're going to die. Steph thought, hearing her gun rattle as she shook.

"Your blood shall pave a new way to the darkness." Epona raised her dagger up, ready to throw it between one of their eyes. But, a whoosh of fire whisked her off her feet, and before she could wonder what was happening, Epona found her head meeting the pavement with such force, she could feel soil underneath her skin.

"Huh?" Tom and Steph peered around the corner to see what had happened. It was a person, and she was on top of Epona, holding her head down with her hand. Steph and Tom immediately recognised her.

"Ren!" Steph beamed.

"You." Epona muttered, turning her head as best she could to look up at Ren. Ren was glaring down at her, her face full of anger and her Shackles with more cracks than before. Ren was so angry right now, some fire occasionally flickered out of her Shackles and fell to the ground harmlessly.

"You will not harm my friends." Ren said with clenched teeth.

"Very well, I shall spare them." Epona agreed. "However, you will be the one to kill them."

"What?" Ren said, taken aback.

"For very soon, you shall fall into darkness again. Only this time…" Epona created a dagger in her hand without Ren noticing. "It will be permanent." Epona thrust her dagger deep into Ren's belly.

"Gack!" Ren let go of Epona and staggered back, clutching her wound.

"Ren!" Steph cried, seeing the blood dripping off Ren's hands. With that, the fear Steph and Tom previously had vanished, and without hesitating, they drew their guns and fired several fireballs at Epona. But, with another shadow wall, Epona blocked the attacks, and the shadow sped towards the humans and knocked them off their feet.

"I am not here for you." Epona pointed her palm at the alleyway they had emerged out of. "I'm here for him." After saying this, Toshiro's body floated out the alleyway, surrounded in a spiral of black smoke. Epona held him up in the air directly in front of her. She noticed how Toshiro occasionally flinched.

"So he is alive." Epona said. "This human is tougher than I thought. No matter. I have snuffed out lights before. This shouldn't be any different."

"Don't you dare hurt Shiro!" Ren yelled, creating a fireball in each hand. Epona glanced her way. Epona created some daggers out of nowhere, and they sped towards Ren. "Ah!" Ren ducked out of the way of the daggers, and she was about to throw her fireballs, but found that she could not. "Eh? What's going on?" Ren looked behind her, and saw that three daggers had pierced the ground behind her. Two more daggers fell from the sky and pierced the ground with the others. Ren noticed how the daggers briefly shone with small stars.

Telekinesis? Ren thought.

"You are not to act, only to observe." Epona said firmly as though she were disciplining a child.

"Epona, stop this!" Ren yelled, some of the anger vanishing from her voice. It now sounded quite desperate.

"Captain!"

"Captain Hitsugaya!"

"Toshiro!"

"You are not going to interfere, either." Epona said without turning to look at the three Soul Reapers. With another cackle, the three Ichigo Shadows split, and they jumped into the path of the Soul Reapers, leaving them with two clones to fight each, and they were getting a little worse for wear after fighting one.

"Stop it, Epona! Just stop it!" In desperation, Ren tried to use her telekinesis on the daggers, but all they did was wriggle a bit. They were there to stay.

"Fool. Only I can use the daggers to their full potential."

"Damn it, fight fair, you coward!" Renji yelled, getting frustrated at his helplessness and annoyed at being ignored.

"Forgive me, I forgot you were there." Epona said with no shred in sincerity. Epona made the daggers pinning Renji down vanish.

I can move again. Renji thought, flexing his arm a little. But, as soon as he had started moving, Renji was ambushed by about five shadowed figures.

"You guys again?! Get out of my way!" Renji slashed at them with his zanpakuto, but the shadows just reformed themselves almost instantly. "I don't have time for this!"

"Don't hurt my friends! I'm the one you want!"

"Silence." Epona said forcefully. "You are here to learn a lesson." Epona stared up at Toshiro's face. Slowly, the shadows around him crept up to Toshiro's neck, and he let out a strangled gasp, but that wasn't enough to bring him out of unconsciousness.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Ren almost begged, shaking her head. But, Epona ignored her.

"Stay there, helpless and useless, knowing that their fates came because of you. Watch, as I bestow upon your friend the ultimate darkness."

"STOP IIIIIIIIIT!" Ren screamed, her eyes squeezed shut and on the verge of tears. Epona ignored her again as she materialised a dagger in her right hand. She narrowed her eyes.

"Death." After Epona said that word, everything seemed to go quiet for Ren

Ba-bump

Death? Ren thought, opening her eyes wide. All of a sudden, images and a voice she didn't recognise flashed through her mind, only occasionally being interrupted by the fights her friends were in. And yet, all Ren did was stare at the ground in shock, her eyes almost blank.

"Seriously, why are you even still alive?

"Steph, watch out!" Tom yelled, pushing Steph out of the way of an attack from shadowed figure, which he shot through the head, making it disappear. But, another one rose out of the ground to take its place.

"There's too many of them!" Steph tried to fight some off with her own gun, and was successful, but like before, another one rose in its place.

"Hold on, I'm coming!" Renji tried to go over and help, but more shadowed figures blocked his way. "I said move it!" Renji kept slashing at them with his whip-like sword, but no matter what he did, he just couldn't get to the humans.

Ba-bump

"Is there a point in you being here?"

"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo managed to finally destroy one of the clones with a well-placed attack, and it vanished with a shriek. "One down." He said breathlessly, but didn't have enough time to get his breath back, because the second clone attacked him, forcing him to block.

Ba-bump

"Is it worth staying alive when you're just a useless burden?"

Ren's Fire Shackles started to burn even brighter, and a few more cracks appeared on them. And, nobody seemed to notice yet, but the daggers holding her shadow down were slowly starting to melt.

Ba-bump

"There's no point if you're existence is lower than the dirt."

In invisible breeze blew around Ren, with flits of fire occasionally dancing around her.

"Hm?" Etheline turned her attention to Ren. "What going on here, then?"

Ba-bump

"You are a worthless being whose disappearance wouldn't even appear as a blip on the world's radar."

"Captain!" Rangiku yelled, seeing how Toshiro was floating in front of Epona. Quickly, she attacked her Ichigo Shadow with her ashes, and it vanished with a screech, but like Ichigo earlier, the other clone held her back with a cackle, and it was the same for Rukia.

"We have to save the Captain." Rukia pushed her clone off her blade. "But these things aren't letting us pass."

Ba-bump

"I couldn't stand it if I had such a pointless existence."

"?" Tom noticed how there was sweat dripping from his forehead. He wiped it off before it could get in his eyes. "Hey, is it getting hot here or is it just me?"

"No I…I feel it too." After Steph said this, the shadowed figures attacking them suddenly stopped moving, and the shadowed smoke holding them together rippled. The same thing happened to Renji's.

"What the…What's going on?"

"…" Rukia, Ichigo and Rangiku stood on the spot, noticing how their opponents had also stopped moving. And since these ones had faces, they could tell that these shadows were in pain.

"…" Epona also noticed how the temperature seemed to rise, but she paid it no mind. The smoke around Toshiro's neck crept higher up until he let out a strangled choke. "So, you're still not waking up after all this. Oh, well." Epona raised her dagger hand up. "As long as you die, it's fine."

Ba-bump

"If I were you, I would have ended it long ago."

"Ah…"

"?" Epona turned to look at Ren. She was staring down at the ground, the invisible wind still blowing around her. Only this time, there was a circle of fire surrounding her no higher than her ankles. And she wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not, bur Ren's hair seemed to gradually go from dark blonde to red and orange. "What's this?" Epona wondered out loud. That's when she noticed a silver puddle behind Ren. Her eyes widened. "My daggers…She melted them. But it's impossible." The smoke around Toshiro's neck receded in her distraction. "Just what is happening?"

"Ah…A…Aaah…" The voice and the images kept flashing through Ren's mind. It gave her a headache. And, for some reason, it made her mad. Incredibly mad. And the fact that Epona was harming her friends only made it grow. More cracks appeared on Ren's Shackles, and her eyes seemed to shrink a little, while the colour of her irises flashed between blue and an orange-red colour. Then, she heard a voice. Her voice. And something made of glass shattering.

Ba-bump

"SO DIE ALREADY!"

Crash

Silence.

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Without any warning, Ren threw back her head and screamed. It was a scream that was made of pure, primal rage. With the scream came an explosion of fire surrounding her. The ground cracked beneath her feet. The circle of fire became a pillar of fire so fierce, it reached the sky and parted the dark clouds to reveal some sunlight. Fireballs shot out of the explosion, quickly destroying the remaining shadows, which vanished with shrieks and puffs of smoke. More cracks appeared on Ren's Shackles, but at a much more rapid pace. And through all this, Ren never stopped screaming.

"Wh-What's happening?!" Ichigo yelled over the roaring of the flames. Even though the flames were so hot, and so thick, everyone could still see Ren as plain as day. Steph and Tom, meanwhile, decided to brave the flames and made their way to Renji.

"Renji, what's going on?" Tom asked.

"I don't know." Renji answered, shielding his eyes.

"Look!" Steph pointed at Ren. "Her Shackles! They seem different!"

"What?" Rukia overheard Steph and took a look. "She's right! They're cracked!"

"What is going on?" Epona said, shocked at this development. The Fire Shackles had finally been completely overcome by the cracks, and with a loud smashing sound, the Shackle on Ren's right wrist broke. Then her left wrist. And finally her left and right ankles. No sooner had this happened, the fire pillar shrank, and the inferno span around Ren, completely obscuring her from view.

"Ren's Fire Shackles…"

"They broke?" Rukia finished for Rangiku in disbelief.

"What the hell is this woman?" Etheline said out loud, leaning forward to get a better look. In all her years of being a member of White Raven, she had never seen Shackles break before. Just what did this mean?

"Stay behind me." Renji moved Steph and Tom behind him, keeping Zabimaru raised and never taking his eyes away from the dome of fire surrounding Ren. Something burst out of the dome at an alarmingly fast speed. It was so fast, that Epona didn't even notice until it was up close. It was Ren. And she looked madder than ever. With one square punch, Epona was sent flying and crashed into a building with such force, it split in half and collapsed. The smoke around Toshiro vanished, but Ichigo skidded on the pavement and caught Toshiro before he could hit the ground. Ichigo looked at Toshiro. He had some red marks on his neck, but otherwise, he was fine. How Toshiro managed to sleep through all of this was beyond him.

"What…was that?" Epona climbed out of the rubble and glared at Ren. Or, at least, she thought it was Ren. All that was there was a figure covered in fire from head to toe. The only evidence that showed this was remotely human was the hair and the face, and even they were different. The hair was coloured red with orange highlights, and the eyes had turned orange-red. Without a word, Ren charged straight at Epona again, leaving a trail of rubble and fire behind her.

"Damn." Epona created a shadow wall, but Ren effortlessly crashed through it, sending them both flying through several more buildings, leaving the others behind and very confused.

"What just happened?" Tom asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Renji answered.

"I saw it earlier. Ren's Shackles had these black cracks on them." Rukia pointed at her wrist as she explained.

"And I heard this smashing sound, and then, Ren was covered in fire." Rangiku finished.

"So…Ren's Shackles broke?" Ichigo said. "Is that bad?"

"Whatever it means, she's fighting with Epona and it looks like she might win." Renji said. "The only question left is why it's happening."

"?" Rangiku spotted something from out the corner of her eye. Or rather, someone. Just barely visible was a ghostly girl. She wore the same clothes as Ren, and aside from the hair being longer, she looked like Ren, too. And she was looking towards the hole in the wall Ren and Epona crashed through. "Hey…" Rangiku pointed at the girl. Everyone looked. They saw her, too. But, she didn't seem to notice them. The girl narrowed her eyes a little.

"Just what is happening?" She said in a quiet voice. Even her voice sounded like Ren! Who, or what, is she? The girl looked towards Ichigo, who stepped back while still holding Toshiro, which alarmed her. "Why did he back away?" The girl wondered out loud.

"'Cos you came out of nowhere! It's called a reflex!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Wait…" The girl pointed at Zena. "You can see me?"

It's Rukia all over again… Ichigo thought, exasperated.

"Eep!" The girl squeaked when Renji pointed his Shikai at her.

"Who are you and why do you look like Ren?"

"Wow, Toshiro had the same reaction." The girl said with a smile, completely unintimidated by the threat.

"Answer the question!" Renji demanded. "And you can explain why you know Captain Hitsugaya, too."

"Alright, alright." The girl said calmly. "My name is Zena. And I believe that Ren is my descendant."

"Like Toshiro and Ryuki?" Steph asked.

"Sort of. I'm not sure about the connection myself, but she looks like me, and that's that."

"And you know Captain Hitsugaya why?" Renji pressed Zena for an answer.

"Who's Captain Hitsugaya?" Zena asked with a blank expression that everyone there recognised all too well. Renji pointed at Ichigo with his sword. Zena looked, and she gasped at the sight of Toshiro. "What happened?" She immediately rushed to his side.

"You still haven't answered the question." Renji said, lowering his sword after realising that any attacks he makes would be useless.

"I've…been speaking with him for a few days now. I didn't want to show myself to Ren just yet. She seemed like the type of person who freaks out at things like that."

"That's true." Tom agreed while Steph nodded her head.

"Now, about Toshiro…"

"He's been stabbed by Epona. I've managed to heal it so that it's not too serious. But, for some reason, he's still unconscious. Not even Epona strangling him woke him up." Rukia explained.

"Excuse me, um…" Zena scratched her face. "Ichigo…right?" Ichigo nodded. "Could you put him down, please?" Ichigo obeyed, gently laying Toshiro back on the ground. Zena placed her ghostly hand on the blood stain over his stomach. "This is some good healing. You certainly have a talent."

"Um…thanks." Rukia said with a small blush, strangely flattered by the compliment.

"Fortunately, this wound will heal by itself in a few more minutes. Toshiro's Cielvian regeneration has already been put into effect since a few days ago. And the strain on his neck isn't too serious, either. Also, I detect some kind of Cielvian spell…A sleep spell. Whoever cast it didn't want him to wake up for um…" Zena squinted a little as she thought. "One hour."

"That's what that yellow dust from earlier was." Rangiku realised, tapping a fist on her palm.

"So far, about a half hour has gone by. He'll wake up by himself after the other half goes by."

"Zena…I'm sorry to ask you this, but could you undo that spell now?" Ichigo asked. "We need to ask you something else, and I want him to be awake when you tell us."

"Very well." Zena said. Zena moved her hand from Toshiro's stomach to his face. A few seconds went by, and the yellow dust from before appeared around his head, and it floated up into Zena's palm until there wasn't a speck to be found. Immediately, Toshiro groaned and his eyes twitched right before they opened. Toshiro coughed a little and propped his upper body up with his elbow.

"Hey… What's going on?" Toshiro asked in a groggy voice, rubbing some sleep out of his eyes.

"Thank goodness." Rangiku sighed, relieved that her captain was okay, as were everybody else surrounding him. Toshiro blinked a couple times, gradually becoming fully awake. When he had full awareness, he suddenly remembered what was happening.

"Epona attacked…and…" Toshiro's eyes widened. "Ren!" Toshiro sat up a little too quickly, as he immediately winced in pain and clutched his stomach.

"Toshiro! You shouldn't move around too much!" Steph placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're still injured."

That's right… Toshiro thought, looking at his wound. He remembered when Epona attacked him. She stabbed me. And then…I don't know what happened afterwards. But, at least the bleeding has stopped. Even so…why did she put me to sleep?

"What's happening?" Toshiro asked. He looked around him, noticing how one was missing. "And where's Ren?"

"Um…Not sure…Probably…" Tom said slowly pointing at the wrecked building and the explosions of fire and shadows. "Over there."

"That doesn't explain a lot." Toshiro said bluntly.

"We're just as confused as you are, Toshiro. That's why we're asking Zena." Ichigo indicated Zena, who gave a shy wave with a matching shy smile.

"It's Captain Hitsugaya. And you." Toshiro turned to Zena. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I became concerned when Ren's power kept spiking, so I came out to see what was going on."

"And?" Toshiro asked.

"I have no idea!" Zena said brightly.

"YOU'RE USELESS!" Everybody exclaimed angrily.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Zena raised her hands up in defence. "What I meant to say is that I need more details." Zena's face became much more focused. "Now, was there anything strange about Ren?"

"Well, she did get really angry after Epona stabbed Toshiro." Tom said thoughtfully.

"And there were cracks on her Fire Shackles." Rukia said.

"Cracks?" Zena gasped, wide eyed. "But…that's impossible…" Zena turned her back to the group, deep in thought.

"?" Toshiro noticed that on Zena's back, although very faint due to the hoodie she wore, there was a faint glowing from her shoulder blades. "Zena, you're back's glowing."

"What?" Zena looked over her shoulder as best she could. Faintly, she could just about make out the glowing. "I see…" Zena looked back at the explosions. "So that's how it is."

"What is it? What's going on?" Ichigo asked, getting impatient. "Why is your back glowing?"

"Because Ren has accomplished something that I have not."

"!" The group exchanged a few glances at one another, not sure what to make of this. They turned back to Zena, pressing her silently to explain.

"…" Zena closed her eyes for a moment, scarcely able to believe what was happening. It was something that even she, the princess of Cielvia, was unable to do, and yet a human has done it is a span of a few weeks. Zena opened her eyes and turned back to the group. "As you know, Ren has control over three Shackles. These are an extremely powerful ability that only forty per cent of Cielvians possess, and that's just a rough estimate. Just possessing one Shackle is enough to make you a formidable opponent. I, and Ren, possess almost all of the Shackles. But, they don't just come through training and focused study. They are activated using something called a Trigger. It can range from a state of mind to an emotion. When that state of mind or that emotion is at its strongest, the Shackle associated with it comes through. It's different with each Cielvian, however. For example, let's say somebody had the Water Shackles. Their Trigger was despair. However, for another Cielvian with the same Shackles, their Trigger was the desire for happiness. Each Trigger for each Shackle is very different for each individual."

"So, what was the Trigger for the Fire Shackles?" Toshiro asked. Zena hesitated before answering. It brought some unpleasant memories for her when she first activated her Fire Shackles.

"Rage." Zena answered.

"!" Everyone looked alarmed after hearing that. Steph and Tom especially understood how that could be a reason why Ren was scary when she was angry, and it gave them an even bigger reason to not provoke her than before. But, none of them said anything, waiting for Zena to continue.

"Once the Trigger has been activated, the user can bring out the Shackles at will. Again, it differs for each Shackle and each individual. It can be something emotional or mental, like the desire to protect someone. Or, it could be something physical, like clapping your hands or snapping your fingers."

"!" Toshiro's eyes widened a little at this. Ren did physical actions to activate her Shackles, too! Clicking her heels for Fire, crossing her arms for Wind and clapping her hands for Lightning.

"In time, the individual will become more and more proficient in using their Shackles, until they have reached their strongest point. You see, the Shackles actually hold back the person's potential until they are properly trained to use the full potential, hence the name Shackles. It could be weeks or even years until the Shackles are ready, and the individual has no idea when that time is."

"What happens when the time does come?" Rukia asked.

"Well, certain conditions have to be met. The individual has to go back to the beginning when they want to reach their potential. In other words, they have to pull the Trigger again. Then, and only then, can their Shackles reach their full strength."

"So, what you're saying is that Ren's Fire Shackles had rage as their Trigger." Renji said, summarising what Zena said. "And now that they're at their strongest and she's angry, they're…"

"They're about to break." Zena finished. "If the Trigger is an emotion, then it takes time. They have to be in that emotion for a long time, and the cracks will appear on the Shackles gradually. The stronger the emotion, the faster and numerous the cracks are. And from what I've seen right now, I'd say Ren's rage has hit its peak."

"So what does that mean?" Tom asked.

"It means that Ren's Fire Shackles have finally broken. Now, she can use that element with no restraints and no need for a Trigger. We call these states of elemental mastery as Shattered. It is an extremely difficult state to reach. I'd say it would be the equivalent of your Bankai."

How much has he told this girl? Ichigo thought, sweat dropping.

"So Ren will be even stronger? Wow." Rangiku said, amazed.

"However, there is a downside to this."

"What do you mean?" Rangiku asked.

"Sometimes, emotions can be very unpredictable. And coupling that with the Shackles becoming Shattered can be disastrous. If the emotion is strong enough, then they may stay in that state of Shattered Shackles until their body essentially breaks down."

"What? Is Ren in danger?" Toshiro asked almost frantically.

"Well, it's less about Ren being in danger and more about the city and her opponent. Rage is a very difficult emotion. Right now, after seeing her friends get hurt, her rage is at its highest. It is so strong, I'm sure her blood would be boiling right now. Ren is thinking of nothing but to annihilate the one who is causing these emotions. And even if she does accomplish this, her rage would not subside, and she could very well end up destroying the city. I've seen it happen before when Cielvians let their emotions get the better of them. When it's against an opponent who incurred their wrath…When it's in an urban area like this…" Zena closed her eyes for a few seconds, before opening them and turning to the group, a grave look in her eyes and face. "There will be nothing left."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Toshiro staggered onto his feet, keeping one hand on his stomach.

"Toshiro, don't!" Steph protested.

"I don't have time to worry about myself. Ren is fighting for our sake! For my sake! I'm not going to stand here and let her anger take over!"

"Captain…" Rangiku said quietly.

"Ren got angry because of me! I have to show her that I'm okay! I'm going over there right now to try and bring her out of it! And you are not going to stop me! That's an order!" Toshiro ran off in the direction of the explosions, and he was so caught up in his own goals, he didn't even notice how nobody was trying to stop him. Rangiku was especially quiet. She had never heard her captain speak with that much conviction before. In fact, she had never known her captain to be that close to anyone except Hinamori.

Captain… Rangiku thought.

"That can't be her! Ren would never do that!"

Just how close are you to Ren? You've never been this close to anyone. You always shielded your heart with a wall of ice. But now…that ice is melting. Rangiku smiled. It's because of her, isn't it? She's making you warm up. You're right. I won't let her be overcome. She's too much of a good friend for that.

"Wait, Captain! I'm coming with you!" Rangiku Flash Stepped out of the town square.

"Rangiku, wait! Damn, she beat me to the punch!" Renji also Flash Stepped after Toshiro.

"Renji, you're not going anywhere without me." Rukia Flash Stepped away from the remaining group, ignoring how puzzled Steph and Tom looked.

"Hey, wait for me!" Ichigo was the last one to Flash Step away from the square, and Steph and Tom were left alone with Zena.

"Well, guess we'll have to go on foot."

"Yup, seems like it." Tom agreed.

"Wait, you're following them?" Zena said, confused. "Aren't you afraid of getting caught in the crossfire?"

"Yeah, but we have to go." Steph said.

"But…why?"

"Because she's our friend." Tom said simply. "Isn't that reason enough?"

"Alright. I won't stop you. But be careful. We still don't know just how dangerous this can be." Tom and Steph then ran off through the hole in the buildings, Zena vanishing from the spot. Everyone was heading towards the explosions. Towards their friend.

…

"Stay back!" Epona threw some daggers in Ren's direction, but as soon as they even got close to her, they melted and vanished into nothing. It had been like this for a while. Epona tried to attack her, but Ren would just shrug them off as if they were nothing. Now, all she could do was run and try to block her attacks, but that wasn't having much luck either. Plus, there was the fact that almost every time Ren attacked there was a destroyed building, so she had the rubble to worry about, too.

"What the hell is going on?" Epona skidded to a stop and glared up at Ren, who was flying through the sky and throwing fireball after fireball in her direction. Epona brought out her black wings and flew up into the air, just avoiding the explosion of fire. "Alright, fine!" Epona yelled at Ren, losing her temper. "You want to play with fire?! Have it your way!" Epona's black smoke turned into black fire surrounding her right hand. Ren did the same only with her bright flames. With yells of determination and rage, the girls charged towards each other, ready to strike a blow on their opponent.

"Ren is…" Toshiro stopped running and looked left and right down different streets. He felt his back get warm when he looked down the left, and the smoke rising up into the already dark sky confirmed it. "This way!" Toshiro ran down the street. His stomach was starting to heal by itself, and it was more of an ache than a stab wound, so that made things a little easier. He stopped when he saw two figures charging towards each other in the sky. "There!" In that instant, the firsts of fire met in a solid blow, sending out a powerful shockwave through the area, crumbling a few buildings along the way. Toshiro clung onto a nearby lamppost, and as soon as the other Soul Reapers arrived, they also had to find something to hang onto for fear of getting blown away. The force of the shockwave was so powerful, it felt as though their insides were being shifted around.

"Captain, there you are!" Rangiku called out as soon as the shockwave subsided.

"Rangiku?" Toshiro looked over his shoulder. "I told you not to stop me!"

"We're not here to stop you! We're here to help you in any way we can!"

"So, what do we do?" Ichigo asked. Toshiro looked back up at the fight, watching as Epona and Ren traded blow after blow with such strength and force, another shockwave would ring through every now and again, so the group were forced to keep clinging to lampposts or buildings or whatever else they could hold onto that wouldn't whisk them off their feet. It was as Zena said. Ren was angry. Very angry. In fact, Toshiro had never seen Ren this angry before. It reminded him of that conversation he had with Steph all those weeks ago. Ren really was scary when she was angry.

Eh? Toshiro noticed how his hand, while clinging to the lamppost, was shaking. Was he afraid of Ren? Toshiro clenched it into a fist to hide the shaking and carried on staring up at the fight.

"Toshiro?" Ichigo said, noticing how he wasn't saying anything.

"Stay here and observe the situation." Toshiro eventually said. "And it's Captain Hitsugaya." He added as an afterthought.

That girl… Toshiro thought, focusing on the flaming girl flying through the sky, her face full of rage. I can't believe that's Ren. She's never been this…violent. Toshiro remembered all the times he saw Ren, whether she was grinning, pulling a funny face, doing a victory dance from winning another video game or just being her usual weird self. Is this really Ren?

"So…that's Ren?" Renji pointed up at Ren.

"Looks like it." Rukia nodded, swallowing nervously. She was also finding herself intimidated by this Ren. And with justified reasons. If the damage Epona had taken was anything to go by, then Rukia wanted to stay on the side lines of this fight.

"Whoa! Is that Ren?!"

"Huh?" Everyone turned around to look. The two humans were staring up at the fight, looking more amazed than scared, like they were watching a concert or a fireworks show rather than a fight to the death.

"Yeah, it is! Wow, look at them go!" Steph exclaimed, shielding her eyes to get a better look at the fight. "Dragon Ball Z be damned!"

"Grab onto something!" Renji yelled, shoving the two of them against a wall with one arm. Steph and Tom quickly clung onto two nearby parking poles, just as another shockwave rang through the city.

"Wow, that was strong." Steph said, brushing her now untamed hair with her fingers. Seeing this, Rangiku also tried to salvage her hair, muttering about split ends.

"We can't get too close; we'll be blown away!" Ichigo yelled over another shockwave.

"And if we do nothing, this city will be destroyed!" Renji looked at Toshiro. "Captain Hitsugaya, what's your plan?"

"…" Toshiro couldn't take his eyes off of Ren, who was gradually gaining the upper hand over Epona, despite her many shadow and dark fire attacks. "I don't know." He said helplessly.

With another shockwave, a body started to fall to the ground, and it skidded through the pavement and crashed into a building, leaving a path of debris in their wake. Toshiro cautiously let go of his streetlamp and walked a few steps forward, trying to determine who it was in that smoke. It cleared away enough to show Epona, who had slammed into the building with such force, she couldn't even move. Toshiro sighed, relieved that it wasn't Ren.

I lost? Epona thought, shocked. She looked at her right wrist, and saw that her Shackles had vanished. She had reached her limit. But…that can't be… Epona heard another crash sound, and everyone in that area turned to look at the source. Ren had landed on the ground with one hand to support herself, and she was still looking as angry as ever.

No…Is she seriously going to attack again? When I'm like this? Epona felt her teeth start to chatter. With a yell of rage, Ren pushed off the ground and charged towards Epona, ready to strike the killing blow.

I'm going to die! Epona closed her eyes, preparing herself for the worst.

"Ren!"

"!" Ren looked in the direction of the voice. It was Toshiro. He was okay. He still had some blood on him, but he was okay. But, he looked strange. Worried? No. He seemed to be…scared. When Ren went past Toshiro, he could have sworn he saw her angry face soften upon seeing him. For a moment, he didn't think that calling out to her out of instinct worked. When Ren got to Epona, the sounds of roaring flames suddenly stopped. Everything had gone quiet. There was no explosion. No inferno. Nothing. Ren had just stopped in front of Epona, her fist stopping short of her face.

"She…She stopped." Tom and Steph had joined Toshiro by his side, watching the events taking place.

"…" Epona stared at the fiery fist, fear in her face. Ren didn't look angry anymore, and the fire on her body seemed to have calmed down. It was less ferocious than before. Had she calmed down? If so, then why? Ren grabbed Epona by the collar around her neck, pulled her out of the person-shaped crater in the wall and placed her back on her feet. Epona staggered a little before regaining her bearings, and stared at Ren, confused. Ren jumped back and walked backwards a few more steps, her fists unclenching. Then the fire started to peel away from her body, drifting off into the wind. Eventually, all signs of fire were gone from Ren's body. All that was left over was a human girl with a few grazes and cuts here and there, although her eyes were still orange, but with a blink, they too were back to normal, and Ren was left standing there, a sad expression on her face.

"Is it over?" Rukia asked, noticing how everything had gone calm. Nobody said anything in response, waiting to see who would say or do something first.

"This is pointless." Ren said quietly. "Beating you to a pulp won't solve anything. It won't change the fact that you've hurt me and you've hurt people I care about." Ren's hands clenched up again, but not out of anger. "I never should have let my emotions get the better of me." Ren turned to face her friends. "And, guys. You shouldn't have seen me like that. Nobody should." Ren bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Ren. It's normal to get angry when your friends are threatened." Steph said, trying to make her feel better, but judging by the look on Ren's face, Steph knew it wasn't working.

"Wait…Ren…Is that why you cast that sleep spell on me?" Toshiro asked. "You didn't want me to see you angry…is that it?" Ren didn't say anything. She just nodded sadly, turning away and holding her arms afterwards. Now, that apology before casting the spell made sense to Toshiro. "That's ridiculous!"

"Eh?" Ren looked up again, alarmed.

"How can you apologise for defending your friends? Isn't that what you're supposed to do? If I was in your shoes, I would have frozen Epona ten times over! There's nothing wrong with getting angry for your friends! You don't have anything to be sorry for!"

"Shiro…"

"Didn't you get a word of what I said to you back in the park?! I've seen your bad traits! And I don't care! I've never cared about that!" Toshiro quietened down a little. "Like I said before, friends are meant to look past each other's bad qualities. You could turn a person black and blue in the face and it still wouldn't change the way I feel about you." Toshiro started to walk towards Ren. "You're random and eccentric. I'm stubborn and can't put a lid on my own temper. And it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's what makes us who we are."

"But…just now, you looked so scared. You were scared of me." Toshiro was now in front of Ren.

"Not scared. Surprised. In fact, I'm genuinely touched that you would go that far. You held nothing back in that fight. You weren't fighting for yourself; you were fighting for your friends. For me. And I couldn't be happier to have you as a partner in this fight against White Raven. No…" Toshiro shook his head. "I'm wrong there. You're more than my partner. You're my friend. Maybe even…my best friend."

"…" Ren's eyes widened a little at that statement. Nobody had ever directly told her that before. And hearing it from Toshiro, of all people, really meant a lot to her. Ren felt her mouth curve up into a small smile.

"Now, let's not hear any more of this 'woe is me' nonsense about anger." Toshiro said firmly but playfully. "Alright?"

"Nn." Ren said, smiling her usual smile, which made Toshiro smile in return. "But, are you really alright? I mean, you were stabbed."

"This is nothing. It's almost healed anyway, thanks to Kuchiki and my Cielvian abilities."

"Oh, yeah. I was worried about that injury, 'cos that can kill a normal human."

"But I'm not a normal human, you know that."

"I know, but while you're in that body, you are exactly that. It's a handicap when it comes to battles. And that's reason number two for using that spell on you."

"Eh?"

"I know you, Shiro. I knew that you would refuse to sit on the side lines, stab wound or not. So to save your injury getting worse, I used that spell."

"That's why?" Toshiro said, astonished.

"Well, it's not the main reason, but it was more a benefit than a reason."

"…" Toshiro just stared at Ren, an utterly confused look on his face. It seemed that no matter how long he stays with Ren, he will never really understand her, especially when it came to her train of thought.

"If I may interrupt…"

"?" Toshiro turned to Epona, who they had admittedly briefly forgotten about in that moment.

"I believe we were in the middle of something." Epona made her Shackles appear again, although this time, it took some effort, and just doing so made her want to vomit. She had to make it quick.

"No, we're not." Ren said simply.

"What?"

"No, we're not." Ren said again. "I'm not fighting you. I just want us to talk about this. Besides, the way you are now, you won't be able to do any lethal damage to me anyway."

"Don't you dare speak to me like that!" Epona charged towards Ren, her dagger raised. There was a splatter of blood when Epona reached Ren, and she gave a triumphant smile when she was certain that her blade had met flesh. But, that smile soon faded. She hadn't hit anything vital. The dagger had gone straight through Ren's right palm, and Ren was clenching her teeth to prevent herself from crying out.

"Now…" Ren said, her voice strained from the pain. She raised her head and looked at Epona, a confident smile on her face. "Let's have a nice, civilised conversation, shall we?"

"…" Stunned, Epona slowly let go of her dagger and stepped back away from Ren. Toshiro was just as surprised at Ren's actions. He had never seen anyone do anything that reckless before. Well, Ren always had a reckless streak, but this was on a whole new level.

"Ren, doesn't that hurt?" Toshiro asked, noticing how Ren hadn't even pulled the dagger out yet.

"Nah, I don't feel a thing!" Ren said brightly yet with a hint of sarcasm. "Of course it freakin' hurts! You've been stabbed, too, so you tell me if it's painful!" Ren grasped the hilt of the dagger, and pulled it out of her hand, dropping it with a clatter. "Oh, god, it hurts even more pulling it out!" Ren exclaimed, clutching her hand.

"Don't push yourself." Toshiro had a hand on her shoulder, concerned. "Do you need help?"

"Nah, nah." Ren waved her other hand airily. Ren straightened up with a small groan. "Not one of my smartest ideas." Toshiro noticed how the wound was already showing signs of healing, which could only mean her regeneration was kicking in. It was a lot slower, but as long as it did its job, Toshiro didn't mind.

"You're a fool." Epona said bluntly.

"Yeah. I didn't exactly think that through." Ren agreed. She clenched her injured hand, trying to prevent too much blood from dripping to the ground. Etheline, who had been watching the whole time, made her smile even wider.

"That girl certainly is interesting. Not exactly smart, but she has guts." Epona glanced up at Etheline who waved in a flirting manner.

So she's here, too. Epona thought.

"Epona…" Ren started, bringing Epona's attention back to her and not noticing what she was looking at. "I want to know. Why are you spreading darkness over the world?"

"I think you know why." Epona answered, her face becoming calm and reverting to its natural sad expression.

"Yeah. I do. And I don't think it's the real reason."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it's a stupid reason." Ren said without hesitation. "You're doing it because your life was hard? So what about it? Life is always hard. If it wasn't then it would be boring."

"That's what you think. You see everything through rose coloured glasses. I see everything for what it really is. You are so optimistic, it's beyond naivety. And it is that naivety that I snuff out. You should be thanking me for helping the world see things for what they truly are."

"Oh, my god, you are so cynical!" Ren exclaimed loudly. "It's totally pissing me off!"

"Ren, you don't want to provoke her." Ichigo said rather nervously, not sure if Ren was doing it on purpose or not.

"I ain't." Ren briefly reassured Ichigo, never taking her eyes away from Epona. "I see bad sides of the world just as much as you do. Just because I don't think about them doesn't mean I don't acknowledge them as really happening."

"If you saw the world the way I do, then we wouldn't be having this conversation, which, I'll have you know, is ridiculous."

"No! What's ridiculous is you!" Ren pointed at Epona to emphasise her statement. "What's ridiculous is this thing you call 'help', 'cos it doesn't look like helping to me!" Ren lowered her arm, her eyes narrowing a little. "You treated those poor people like toys. You play with them for days and days on end, just like you did with me, until you get bored and forget about them. If not, then you break them beyond repair and toss them aside as if they were never there. I wouldn't be surprised if you had never seen your victims again. If you did, then you would see just how much damage you have done. You're not helping people. You're making things worse! You can't play with human beings like they're toys, Rosalie!"

"…" Everyone was speechless after what Ren just said, even Ren herself.

"?" Etheline raised a slim eyebrow. "I'm sensing something in her…"

"Where the hell did that come from?" Ren muttered. "And who's Rosalie? Uuuu…" Ren rubbed her head. "This is making my head hurt.

"…" Tom and Steph looked at each other sadly, recognising that name. Toshiro noticed this, and stared suspiciously at them without either of the humans noticing.

"Well, regardless of what you say, it will not change my mind." Epona said, deciding to ignore what Ren just said and dismissing it as a slip of the tongue. "It is for the good of the world that I am doing this. It is all to create a utopia."

"You say utopia, but I say dystopia. It means a crappy world, because I'm guessing that you don't know the meaning of that word!" Ren also decided to shrug off what she said. In fact, she couldn't even remember what she said anymore.

"What do you know? Once my mission is complete, I will have reached perfection. Everything started with darkness, so it should end with darkness. My whole life was dark, so I see no reason to believe why nobody else should see the darkness."

"I know your life was hard. I know you've lost a lot of things." Ren said calmly, trying to reason with her.

"And is that why you're judging me for my actions? If my parents could see how I have perfected this world…"

"They would be afraid and disgusted." Ren interrupted.

"They would be alive!" Epona yelled.

"Well I for one am glad they're dead! That way, they won't see how you have screwed up royally! Whatever happened to them doesn't justify what you're doing!"

"Don't you talk about my family like that!" Epona sent her shadow towards Ren, morphing into a spear like shape and stabbing Ren in her left shoulder, vanishing almost immediately afterwards. Ren cried out in pain and staggered back, clutching her shoulder.

"Ren!" Toshiro yelled.

"Yeah, I think I crossed a line there. Sorry." Ren said sheepishly while trying to look like she wasn't in any pain, which wasn't easy, since she immediately gave a flinch and stared down at the ground.

"You don't deserve to be defender of this world if you cannot see it in its true form!" Epona had lost her cool significantly. "I am its true protector!"

"That's what this is? Protection?! "Renji exclaimed angrily.

"SHUT UP!" Epona shouted, sending an arch of shadow fire in their direction. Everyone ducked just in time, and the fire hit the building almost directly behind them, showering them with small bits of debris and dust.

"Are you alright?" Toshiro asked. Ichigo looked up and gave Toshiro a small wave, letting him know that no-one was injured.

"I am protecting this world from itself! Ren is just keeping them in ignorant bliss! She doesn't even want to fight! She was running from me at the start! Running! Pure cowardice on her part! The Elemental Shackles are wasted on her!"

"You're wrong…"

"Eh?" Epona turned to look at Ren, who still had her head lowered and her hand on her injury.

"The Shackles aren't wasted on me." Ren looked up, anger evident on her face. It wasn't the same as before when Epona stabbed Toshiro, but it was anger nonetheless, and it was just as intimidating. "They're wasted on you." Ren took a step forward, wobbling a little and a few drops of blood dripping to the ground. "You had a hard life." Another step. "You were always miserable." Another step. "Not once did you have a chance to smile." Ren walked another step forward, and each step became much more stable and confident than the last as she carried on slowly walking towards Epona. "You think that's an excuse to bring out everybody's darker sides?!"

"You don't know anything about me. You have no right to talk down to me!"

"You're right!" Ren snapped, still walking towards Epona. "I don't know. I probably never will. But how many minds have you corrupted? Too many to count, I bet. And the world doesn't look any different."

"You don't understand! Using my Shackles like this is the only way I can be happy!"

"And are you?"

"…" Epona opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She thought about it. She had been bringing the darker sides of humans to the surface for as long as she can remember, thinking it would make her happy. But, as soon as Ren had said those three words, she wasn't so sure. For the first time, she doubted herself. She doubted her mission. Ren had got her.

"I thought so. You have wasted half your life on a dark, pointless pursuit. What good does bringing out the darkness in others do?! What does that accomplish?! I'll tell you; nothing. You just unleash more and more misery on your victims, on their friends, on their families, and on yourself. I'm telling you now, Epona. Your goal of happiness is pointless!" Now, Ren was inches away from Epona, and Epona stood back a step when Ren leaned forward and almost glared at her. "If you continue on this path, you'll only make yourself more miserable than you already are!"

"…" Epona's eyes widened. For once, she agreed with her enemy. She really wasn't making herself happy. But, there was some part of her that refused to accept that as reality.

"It's over, Epona." Ren said calmly, the anger vanishing from her face. "You'll never win. Not the way you are now." Ren stepped back a few paces, and Epona did nothing; all that happened was that her Shackles vanished, but Epona was so preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn't even notice. "If you have anything to say to me, then say it now. I know you're holding something back."

"Don't…" Epona muttered, clenching her fists. "Don't look down on me!" She yelled, pushing Ren away from her. Ren staggered back, a stunned expression on her face. "You think you get me?! You think you understand why I'm doing this?! WELL YOU DON'T!" The ground around Epona's feet suddenly cracked.

"Whoa!" Ren stepped away from the cracks, and Toshiro was immediately by her side, knowing that Epona' telekinesis was acting on its own like it did with him. And since this was a person who had more experience with telekinesis, he could only the end results wouldn't be pretty.

"You cannot possibly understand the suffering I have endured! The pain I have experienced! It cannot all be for nought! My life cannot have been for nothing! How could you say that I have wasted it?! Everything came perfectly for you! All the good things in life came to you! I was left with nothing! You cannot possibly understand that pain, when all you saw was the light, and all I have seen is the darkness! Nobody else has seen the darkness! If they saw how much darkness there truly is in the world, they would all be just like me! I would finally be able to live a happy life! If I cannot see the light, then no-one will!" Epona was out of breath after her sudden outburst of rage, leaving the others present speechless. Even Etheline was at a loss for words. Ren stared at Epona, surprised. But, with one blink, her expression became a little more serious. If not, it seemed to be more an expression of understanding.

"I get it now." Ren said quietly. All of a sudden, everything seemed to go quiet. No birds sang. No wind blew. No trees rustled. That's what made Ren's words ring out through the air even more.

"You're jealous…"

Right after Ren said this, Epona's eyes went wide, and they seemed to lose all life and light in them after those words. "Yeah…That has to be it…This whole thing started because you were miserable. Everywhere you went, people were happy. Everyone was happy. Everyone except you. So, you sought to erase that happiness by making them as cynical as you.

"…" The Soul Reapers and the humans looked at one another. They hadn't thought of it that way. Ren was a lot more perceptive than she let on.

"You saw people experiencing the happiness you were denied." Ren raised a hand up and pointed at Epona. "And you envied that…didn't you?"

"…" Epona said nothing, shocked. Again Ren has managed to understand her in a way she never thought possible. It was because of her that Epona had begun questioning her motives and actions. And this…This was the last straw. She had reached her limit. She threw back her head and screamed. She screamed from both rage and sadness. Toshiro moved Ren behind him, bracing himself for what might come when Epona materialised her wings, and with one strong flap, she took off into the sky.

"Epona!" Ren ran to the spot where Epona previously stood. "Wait! Come back!" No response. Ren looked around the skies, and saw no signs that she had been there. All that she saw were four black feathers falling from the sky and landed softly on the ground. Ren picked up each one, running her fingers up and down the soft fibres. Ren turned around to look at the group, who had already re-joined Toshiro by his side.

"Where did she go?" Ren said, even though she knew full well that nobody but Epona could possibly answer that.

"I think I saw her fly off in that direction." Rukia pointed to her left.

"…" Ren looked off in that direction. She knew that Epona was in the darkness, longer than anybody she had ever corrupted. And Ren was not going to let her fall even deeper in the darkness.

…

Epona stood on the edge of a tall building, staring down at the ground that was miles away. But, she did not feel dizzy. She had been flying for years. She saw no reason why she should feel dizzy. The wind blew through her hair and her torn clothes, calming her face that was still rather red from anger. Epona closed her eyes and leaned her back against the chain-link fence behind her, the cool wind calming her down.

It's over… Epona thought. After all my work…After all these years…It really was for nothing. I haven't achieved anything. Ren was right about me. About everything. Epona opened her eyes.

"I was jealous of the happiness around me." Epona said, a sad smile on her face. "I thought making people see the darkness I see would make me happy. But, it's like Ren said. It only made me even more miserable."

"There she is!"

"!" Epona recognised that voice and peered down the edge. Ren, Toshiro, the Soul Reapers and her human friends had arrived. But, they didn't look angry with her. They were concerned. Concerned for the likes of her. Why?

Why are you here? Epona thought. She looked away from the friends and resumed leaning on the fence. I'm not worth your worry. I'm your enemy. I have hurt you in so many ways. I don't deserve it. I have done so many despicable things. All for nothing. Epona looked down at her feet sadly. I give up. I am the worst kind of person. I will never be happy. I tried…And I tried…And I failed. There's nothing left for me. Epona turned around, her back to the edge of the building. There's nothing left for me to live for anymore. All that's left… Epona started to lean back. Is the ultimate darkness of death. Epona's feet left the edge of the building, and she started to fall. But, her face was calm. She didn't yell or scream. She wanted this. She just wanted to fall and end her miserable life once and for all.

"!" Everyone gasped in shock and horror when they saw Epona's body start to fall.

"Somebody do something!" Steph shouted, desperate to not see somebody die, even if it was an enemy. The Soul Reapers started to make a move, but Ren was already one step ahead of them. Ren ran straight for the building Epona was falling off. She crossed her arms in front of her, and after a few seconds of hesitation, Ren's Wind Shackles appeared.

I can't keep them out for long. Please, please, please work. Ren thought, jumping up into the air.

I wonder…Epona thought as she fell. She reached a hand up to the sky. Is there really…no darkness…up there? Well, it doesn't matter. I know I am too wicked to end up there. But… Epona closed her eyes, ready to accept death, and not noticing the beads of tears falling from her eyes.

It sounds nice…

"Epona!"

"Huh?" Epona's eyes opened wide at the sound of her name. She recognised that voice. It was Ren. Epona felt arms grab her around her waist and back. It was indeed Ren. She saw silver smoke sparkling around her wrists. Wind Shackles.

What? Epona thought, shocked. What's she doing? Releasing one arm, Ren used it to create a small vortex of air around them that slowed their fall considerably, and eventually, they were simply floating towards the ground. But, the Shackles quickly disappeared.

"Uh oh." Ren said, and the girls started to fall again, but thanks to the wind Ren created, they didn't fall for long, and Ren landed on the ground with a thud. She let go of Epona and the two girls were both lying on the ground. It seemed that, against all odds, the two of them will live.

I'm…I'm alive? Epona looked at her hand, sitting up. She looked over to Ren, who was right next to her and rubbing her left shoulder, having already sat up.

"Uuuu, that smarts." Ren groaned. "It's still not healed. And I think my nose might be red…Nah, it's good."

"Why?" Epona asked, clenching her teeth. "Why did you save me? I have nothing left to live for! Why won't you let me die?!" Epona demanded angrily. Ren looked at her, a grave expression on her face. Without a word, Ren slapped Epona across her face with the back of her hand, much to the surprise of everyone present, including Etheline, whose eyes widened a little. She was just as surprised as everyone else when Ren saved Epona. Etheline herself was perfectly willing to let her fall to her death. It was Epona's will, after all. But, this human girl was getting more and more puzzling.

"Just because life gave you a tough deal doesn't mean you can bail out like that!" Ren yelled. Epona stared up at Ren, her hand on the red mark on her face. "You're young! You still have a future! You can turn things around if you make an effort! But then you go and willingly throw all that away?! That's bullcrap! To end it all by offing yourself is something that I cannot forgive! Life is meant to be hard! Deal with it! If somebody would rather kill themselves than face their problems…" Ren looked away bitterly. "Then they're nothing more than a coward."

"But…how?"

"Hm?" Ren turned back to Epona, who had already lowered her hand.

"How can you say that? How can you stay alive when the world is full of darkness?" Epona dared to ask, feeling afraid of getting another slap for some reason. But, Ren smiled a gentle smile at her.

"Epona…have you heard the story of Pandora's Box? It's an ancient Greek myth about a woman named Pandora, the first woman created by order of Zeus. One day, Zeus gave her a box, and was told to never open it. But curiosity got the better of her, and when she opened it, all of the darkness and evil inside was released into the world. Pandora shut the box, trying to stop it but the damage had been done. Terrified, she told Zeus what she had done, but he wasn't angry, since he knew this would happen. That was when Pandora realised there was one more thing in that box. Hope. You see? Even in the darkest of days, there will always be a tiny sliver of light that will help and guide us. I can see that light, but you spent your days focusing on the darkness released from that box. Maybe it's about time you stopped looking at the bad and focused on the good."

"I still don't understand." Epona shook her head in confusion. "Your life has been just as hard as mine. What do you do in a world that constantly tries to break you?" Ren placed a hand on Epona's shoulder.

"You live." She said firmly. "You live on, and you struggle. The world is cruel, merciless, and black and there are lots of things better off gone. But, it is also beautiful, it can show kindness, and it inspires everyone to live on. And that alone makes it worth fighting for, even if it is full of evil." Ren chuckled a little. "It's like yin and yang, I guess. You can't have one without the other. Sure, your body may be battered, your mind may be punished, and maybe your heart will be broken. But that sliver of hope is still alive in that box. It's what helps us live through it all. Just by living, you are able to stand up, brush off your wounds, hold you head up high and say to the world 'Is that the best you've got?' Now that's really living."

"…" Epona said nothing, gradually starting to understand where Ren was coming from.

"And, if you ask me, I think the light of hope is inside you, too."

"What?" Epona gasped, surprised. Hope? Inside her?

"Yup." Ren nodded. "Both then and now. You saw nothing but darkness, and tried to extinguish the light. I may have seen it as evil before, but you did it for your own reasons. You tried to change the world, because you still held onto the hope that you could live in this world. And you know what? You still can. Use those Shackles not to extinguish the light of hope, but to protect it. You may think your power is evil, but I don't. Your darkness can protect the light. But only if you let it. So…what do you say?" Ren reached a hand out to Epona, who merely stared at it. "Do you want to live in this world? Do you want to protect the light?"

"…" Epona stared down at the ground, feeling moved by Ren's words. "Yes…" She said quietly. Ren leaned forward a little, not quite hearing what she just said. "Yes." Epona said again, her body starting to shake. "Yes!" Epona clasped Ren's outstretched, bloody hand. "I want to live!" Epona cried, looking up to show the streams of tears falling from her eyes. "Let me protect the light!"

"You're already on your way." Ren said, smiling her smile at Epona. Seeing that smile, all the despair in Epona seemed to wash away. Even her tears suddenly dried. Before, she despised that smile. But now, it was the most wonderful thing she had ever seen. Seeing, it, she automatically smiled back. But it wasn't a sad smile. Or even a sarcastic smile. It was a real one. She was…happy. She was happy. What a strange word. But, she liked it.

"Ren Conner…thank you." Epona said. She felt her back grow warm, and her black wings burst out behind her.

"Whoa, what gives?!" Ren exclaimed, crawling back from Epona. Epona looked behind her, confused as to why her wings were out. And that confusion grew when she saw that the feathers were starting to change. Feather by feather, they were changing from black to pure white.

"What's going on?" Toshiro asked.

Her wings are changing. Toshiro heard a voice in his head. Zena

Zena? Toshiro thought. Are you in my head?

Yes. I'm talking to you mentally. Anyway, I noticed how Epona's wings were black instead of white, like all Cielvian wings are. When a Cielvian falls into despair and sadness, their wings turn black. When they are cured of that despair, then and only then do their wings return to normal. Normally, when a Cielvians wings turn black, they're beyond help. But, Ren's surprised me again.

Yeah. Toshiro thought, giving a small smile. She really is an enigma.

"Huh." Ren said. "That happened." Ren pulled out of her pocket the four feathers she picked up earlier, looking as pristine as ever. And yet, they were still black. Ren concluded that they weren't part of Epona's body when the wings changed, so that's why the feathers didn't.

"My wings…" Epona said quietly. She had heard of the black Cielvian wings before, but she never thought she would be cured of the darkness. Even then, she didn't seem to mind them being black, anyway. But now that she was free from the darkness, and she was how beautiful her wings were now that they were white, she felt even happier than before. Epona saw Ren holding some black feathers in her hand as she looked back and forth between Epona and the Feathers. "Those are…"

"Yeah. They fell off when you flew away." Without saying anything, Epona took one feather out of Ren's hand. "Epona?"

"To remind me. No matter how much darkness there is…there will always be light." Epona placed the Feather in her skirt pocket.

"Well, I'm glad things worked out in the end." Ren picked herself up, brushing off some dust. "Oh, goodie! My shoulder's healed. Well…a little."

"Wait, didn't you get stabbed, too?" Steph asked.

"?" Ren looked down at her side, noticing the blood stain. "Oh, yeah." Ren poked it. Nothing. "Hm. I'm faster at healing than I thought. Guess it wasn't that deep."

"It won't be long before White Raven hears about this." Toshiro said as Ren helped Epona to her feet. "I say we pick up the purified Feather cores and get out of here before we face any more trouble."

"You heard the Cap'n, let's go." Ren said cheerfully.

"Aye, aye!" Tom and Steph saluted, making Ren giggle a little.

"They already know."

"!" Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. They finally saw Etheline standing on top of a building, finally having enough of watching. She jumped down from the edge, and her feet levitated off the ground before landing, making her heels give a small click sound when she finally touched down. Etheline tossed her black hair over her shoulder and looked at the group with a smirk.

"Etheline?" Ren said. "When did she get here?"

"She's been here all along." Epona said, speaking up. "She's my partner."

"Roar…" Renji started, drawing Zabimaru from his hilt.

"Relax, buddy boy." Etheline said dismissively. "I'm not here for you. I'm here for her." Etheline pointed at Ren, who didn't really react.

"Ren…" Tom whispered, discreetly, handing Ren his gun.

"Thanks." Ren whispered back. She walked forward a few paces, and didn't stop until she was a safe distance away from her friends. She pointed her newly acquired gun at Etheline. "What do you want with me?" Ren asked calmly.

"Nothing much." Etheline said with a shrug. "I made a promise to myself that if Epona screwed up, you were mine. And after seeing what you've done today…" Etheline's smile widened, her eyes full of lust. "I want you even more."

TA DA! The fight between Epona and Ren has concluded! And, BOY, what a fight! I have been totally psyched to write it since forever! I think I got a tad carried away, though. Whoops! So, review, deviantART, Twitter, yada yada. Come back next time, where we see what exactly Etheline has in mind for our heroine. See you then!