Chapter 17 – The Trio Returns (continued from chapter15)

'Please, don't harm him,' begged Crystal. She shielded Shunsui with her arms and stopped Byakuya and the others from attacking.

'Hey lil' cous, nice to see you again,' Shunsui greeted her kindly but with a tiny tone of sarcasm.

'Get out of the way Crystal, it's nice to see that you're safe and sound, but that Shunsui there isn't the Shunsui you know. He's been turned evil by Hisaigo and is now under his control. So move out of the way if you know what's good for you,' shouted Renji, signalling her to move out the way.

'No please, I know that he's controlled, but maybe I can turn him back. I know he'll listen to me, give me a chance.'

'Do what you must, but when you fail you're going to clear off. Got it?' said Toshiro.

'Fine,' she turned around and faced Shunsui, who still had his sword unlowered. 'You don't want to do this Shunsui, you're under a spell, try to break out of it.'

Shunsui looked at her as if she didn't say a thing, 'Look Crystal, I don't want to hurt you as much as you don't want to hurt me, just step out the way and we won't have to hurt each other. But if you stand in the way, I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you.'

'I'm not going to move. You're not yourself Shunsui, break out of the spell, I know you can do it.'

'You assume too much,' said Shunsui and he immediately flash stepped past Crystal. A deep gash appeared on Crystal's shoulder as blood busrt out, she didn't utter a sound, she just closed her eyes and collapsed on the ground, her hair wavering helplessly as she fell. Blood poured from her shoulder like an endless river. 'Sorry cous, but I did what I must, what I was ordered.'

'There was no need for that Shunsui, cutting up your own cousin, unforgivable,' said Byakuya with disgust.

'She got in my way. What can I say, I did what I was ordered to do, kill the intruders and bring them to my master.'

Byakuya hissed in disagreement, 'You, following orders? It's been a very long time since that happened. You've changed, for the worse.' Shunsui didn't say anything, he stood there so still like he wasn't really there. 'Whatever, you're going to die anyway, ban-.' Shunsui's sword just suddenly appeared out of no where and pierced Byakuya from the back, who coughed out blood as Shunsui pulled the sword out.

'Captain,' shouted Renji rushing over to support him.

'What was that?' asked Byakuya barely able to make his words clear.

'That, my friend, is a skill called shado-sanpo (shadow - walk). It creates a shadow clone of me in one place to distract my opponents while I can sneak up behind them and surprise attack,' Shunsui explained with a glee in his voice.

'Sneaking up and attacking people from behind? That's low, even for you,' said Toshiro with a sign of disapproval. Shunsui shrugged and flash stepped back in his original position in front of them.

Renji supported Byakuya along with Rukia supporting Crystal. They went away from the battle as Toshiro and Rangiku readied to face Shunsui.

'Growl, Haineko,' said Rangiku releasing her zanpakuto first and charged the ash cloud at Shunsui. Surprisingly the cloud went straight through him and Shunsui didn't move an inch when the attack was coming, Rangiku immediately knew what happened and shouted a warning to her captain, 'Captain, behind you.'

Toshiro reacted with quick reflexes and blocked an attack from Shunsui, 'Not bad,' said Shunsui, 'Did you see it coming or did you hear your vice-captain's warning?'

'Both actually,' said Toshiro pushing Shunsui off him. Shunsui jumped back and flash stepped again to hit Toshiro who dodged.

'Reign over the frosted frozen sky,' shouted Toshiro, the ice dragon's head shot at Shunsui who disappeared just before he got hit and appeared behind Toshiro. The head followed Shunsui and just made it before Shunsui attacked. He flash stepped again to dodge, the head just followed wherever he flash stepped to. They were at it for a while as Shunsui kept dodging and Toshiro stood there directing the head and attacking.

'This little game is getting old,' shouted Shunsui and he stood still and allowed the ice dragon to hit. The head smashed into Shunsui's sword and split in two on the sword. 'Ha, if I knew you were this weak I would've taken you out straight away.

'What did you say,' shouted Toshiro annoyed.

'You heard me,' his sign glowed and he vanished instantly, a fraction of a second later a wide gash appeared on Toshiro's chest and he dropped out of mid-air and crashed into the ground.

'Captain,' screamed Rangiku rushing over to help him when, out of nowhere Shunsui appeared in front of her.

'You're not going anywhere, pretty,' Shunsui attacked. A dust cloud appeared in front of him and blocked the attack. Matsumoto flash stepped above him and attacked down. He flash stepped forwards to dodge turned around and slashed blindly. Rangiku's ash cloud stopped the attack and she took the chance and sliced Shunsui arm. Blood splashed out of where he was cut. Shunsui smiled at her and didn't even look at his arm, but instead freed his sword and stabbed her in the stomach. Rangiku gave out a short cry and keeled over coughing out blood. Shunsui smiled to himself, 'Piece of cake.' He walked away from her and went to Toshiro and was about to deliver the final blow to him when, Renji came in and blocked the attack. 'Another one eh?'

'Can't you take a hint and leave?!' Renji shouted insultingly.

'I don't take kindly to insults,' he said shortly and pushed Renji off easily and sliced him in the arm. Renji screamed out in shock and backed off. 'Don't get in the way.' Shunsui went after Renji and stabbed him just missing the heart. Renji had a blank expression on his face and collapsed next to Toshiro, eyes still open with an expression of the utmost shock. Shunsui kept on walking, towards Rukia, who was carrying her brother.

She unsheathed her sword, 'Get back Shunsui, I will kill you otherwise.'

'Such bold words, but you have no power to back it up.' He kept on advancing towards her holding out his bloodied blade. 'Orders, are orders.' He vanished instantly and appeared behind Rukia, 'too slow.' He then attacked. Suddenly, a black sickle shaped kido attack came out of nowhere and knocked Shunsui into the sky.

'You've done enough,' said a familiar voice, (Raven) who came into view in the distance holding his scythe, down the path. 'You dared to hurt my Crystal, you will die.' He held out his hand and chanted quickly, 'Clinging to your every breath. Demons rise from below. Black smoke and toxic fumes. The sun is covered by a black cloud. Night falls, as will all who rest below the purity. Hado number 78, Creeping Plague.' A huge black cloud appeared all around Shunsui and started choking him.

'What kind of kido attack it this?' Shunsui shouted in astonishment. Raven didn't answer, he stood there with his hand outstretched watching emotionlessly as Shunsui choked and went unconscious. Naomi joined his side a second later and did nothing but watch. Shunsui fell to the ground and didn't move another muscle.

'Don't you ever dare come near Crystal again,' he whispered fiercely and turned to Rukia, 'I think you guys should back off, the people ahead will only be stronger and everyone is injured, you should take them to a safe place and heal up. Me and Nai will carry on,' he said with a small hint of compassion in his voice. He was about to walk on when, 'Oh, I'll be taking care of Crystal, so don't worry about her. And get away from Shunsui, I didn't kill him but I left enough poison in him so that he won't be waking up for at least another five days or so, so get away from here and find a place to hide. If you all feel better then catch up as soon as you can.' Rukia didn't make a sound, she just nodded in agreement. She didn't have a choice really, everyone was unconscious and she couldn't just leave them.

Raven walked up to Crystal knelt over to look at her, 'Sorry Crystal, I was too late. But I will make it up to you,' he grabbed her around the waist and carried her on his shoulders. He turned around to face Naomi 'Let's go Nae, there's a debt I need to repay, and you know how I hate having debts to people.'

Naomi smiled, 'Sure do bro, now let's not waste anymore time.'

'Agreed.' And they both flash stepped off into the distance.

Rukia stared in disbelief to see Raven, Crystal and Naomi back again, and in amazement to see Raven's kido attack so well perfected and mastered. She shook out of her shock and gathered up all the bodies She had already thought of a place they could all hide and was about to set off with them until she thought one last thing, 'That Raven, he didn't waste his time while he was away, two captains and vice captains couldn't even take out Shunsui, yet he did it with one move. How powerful has he become? I wonder what else he's learned. Guess I won't be here to see them but, I guess it's for the best.' And she was off.

how she's going to carry Rangiku, Renji, Toshiro and Byakuya is beyond me, but… well… who knows, she's going to manage somehow, but I'm not going to explain it, and where she's going is beyond me as well, anyway.

Anyway next chp should, I say 'should' again, be up next week same time.