Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. I think that when I do own it, the world would disappear from the Universe. Therefore, I want neither things at all.
The Bridge Of Silence
+---+
+Bloom and Mist+
'A drop that stains with red that pure white abyss,
Becoming ever so sinful and tainted in with darkness.'
-Y.I.
+---+
Karin stood still, holding onto her zanpaktou while still chanting her name inside of her head because she couldn't bring herself to reveal it just yet. For nearly a year and a half, she had spent most of the time studying and learning how to spar with someone else, but secretly practicing with the shinkai form for her zanpaktou. The difficulty that present itself with that alone was an arduous task to deal with, mainly when everyone only tried to pry into that privacy that which she wanted.
'My, aren't you a little secretive all the time.' Yozora no Kiri's tone was friendly, as always.
'I don't give a damn what the others will say, trust me.' She replied inside of her head, speaking to a zanpaktou brought closeness--at least that had been one fundamental that which she had learned in the academy.
'Really, do you think that will do any good during battles? Always pretending to act tough, fighting just because you feel like it.' Somehow, that hostility was always present and it never failed to show in the zanpaktou's tone. 'It doesn't do well for a heart to simply fight, a heart needs to have the need to fight for protect, not because its fun.'
The dark haired shinigami groaned loudly, knowing well that it was mainly true, but if the other shinigamis couldn't take her seriously; then what the hell was she supposed to do? Sit around like a five year old, being told what to do and such?
'Damn it, you're always stirring my thoughts.' She grumbled now, finding it impossible to deal with her at the moment.
'Really, that's why I exist. You know, these things exist to wear you down, to make you find a reasoning within yourself.' Yozora no Kiri expressed. 'Oh, I think its time to actually try out some of my specialties, don't you think?' Suddenly, Karin heard a noise coming from the forest, it was faint but she had managed to hear it.
The smell of Spring was stronger then usual, her hearing was sharper as she heard the small forest creatures lurking around, seeing the colours of the grass and feeling the wind so close. All of her surroundings became meaningful, clearer as the dark sky with the painted stars above--was that what Yozora no Kiri had meant? Out of nowhere, like a reflex, she brought her zanpaktou behind her to block the attack that was coming her way.
"What the…" The familiar voice came, so clear and innocent like.
"That was slow, far too slow for my own standards." Karin smirked proudly, knowing well that the long training sessions with her brother were paying off. "I could hear you a mile away, so simple."
Hinamori Momo pulled back, the shell shock expression on her face was classic, and Karin felt she had to give her points for wanting to actually fight her. Then again, perhaps the former 5th squad vice-captain had lost her touch, but Karin could deal with that at the moment.
"Snap, Tobiume!" Hinamori called out for her zanpaktou.
For over the past three years, she had learned about everyone's abilities and how all of them fought, yet she was the only who was the mysterious off them all. A Kido zanpaktou, she had to hand it to her for actually wanting to demonstrate how strong she was with kido, but Karin wasn't allowing her to completely show off just because she felt like it.
"What do you want?" Of course, there had to be a reason behind that attack.
"I just wanted to see, wanting to know how strong you really are." She answered stupidly, looking timidly as always, but a sinister side was showing thru.
"Oh…well." The dark haired shinigami shrugged, her eyes were still closed though. She lifted her zanpaktou up, holding it with only her thumb and pointer finger. "Fade…Yozora no Kiri."
The wind whipped fast around her, wrapping itself like a tornado, pulling all of those things that were near closer to each other. Hinamori's brown eyes widened, the sword on her hand had vanished in thin air along with the wielder. Mist began to appear suddenly, becoming a blanket against the greenery scene around them, and everything slowly turning black.
"You wanted to know, right?" She whispered near the other woman's ear, so soft it tickle, but it felt frightening. "Though, its far too early for you to know what I do."
Karin knocked her out, it would be a bad thing if people found out more regarding her zanpaktou's power, and she couldn't deal with her blabbering like an idiot to everyone. Truly, if anyone were to walk deeper into the forest they would see the tattered and broken dummies, all cut up and looking like a million knives had grazed the dummies thoroughly without any remorse.
+---+
Hitsugaya landed on the empty street, all of his strength draining out of him with each hit he was taking from Makoto. He coughed blood, the deep gash on his shoulder becoming agonizingly painful, and somehow it seemed that there weren't ideas as to how to end all of it. Everyone's moves were being read so simply, their enemies dodging their attacks like they were nothing--and Hitsugaya wasn't liking that at all.
Makoto was laughing at him now, that confidence made the white haired captain become sick to his stomach, that memory of the man that betrayed all of them. His brow was furrowed, sinking deeper and deeper as the pain was slowly coming to him; as the adrenaline was slowly wearing out. How could that boy be so strong?
That sword, that sword had cut into his former friend, his brother-in-law, Kuchiki-taichou, and Abarai-fukutaichou from what he could remember at the moment. The treacherous sword, so tainted with malice and loathing from its previous owner, holding a power that could put anyone into an illusion--it was a malignant object in the hands of an evil person as well.
"Ha, giving up yet?" The boy chuckled, he too was cut up, but only very little. "I thought you were supposed to be the great Hitsugaya-taichou? Or, were all of your stories lies just like everything else. A weak shinigami like you does not deserve to hold a life, a punishment is needed for someone like you."
"Shut up, what the hell do you know about what others deserve?" He spat back, coughing up again some more blood. "You're just the same, weakness blinding your power over truth. And, greatness is not always meant to be what everyone else makes it to be, and it can easily be the demise of others."
The boy stopped laughing, his brown eyes turning darker and colder at those words; somehow he still could not believe such a shinigami had actually destroy his father. His father had been more powerful, more able to create a common sense amongst creatures that lived freely, but that man before him. What had he known about loneliness, heartache--or any emotion whatsoever.
Makoto desired nothing more but to destroy him, to see him breath the last breath and to finally triumph over all of them. End the unnecessary beings that existed, those who held absolutely no morality over the utopia he wanted to create--but more importantly, he had to hold up his father's dream still.
"Kyoka Suigetsu." He whispered softly, watching the shinigami in front of him get a look of horror. Of course, he knew well that at some point his father had become frightening, his illusions creating confusion amongst Soul Society. "You will see, that I, Aizen Makoto will become ruler of Soul Society at whatever cost, and destroy the lot of you who killed my father."
Hitsugaya couldn't think, that weakness was far too dark to pull away from, to forget easily now that there was nothing to do now. Falling under that hypnotic state of Aizen's zanpaktou, all of those flashbacks were very much present at the moment…though why? That was enough though, seeing the same trick twice wouldn't work against the mind anymore--simply because only the same person could create the same effect.
There couldn't be an end though, Karin would kill him for sure if he dared to show such pathetic weakness against an enemy like that.
"Bankai." He shouted loudly, standing up abruptly as his reiatsu formed an energy field around him. "Daiguren Hyorinmaru."
The ice from the dragon wrapped itself around him, two large wings appeared behind him along with a tail, which both were made out of ice. Oddly enough, rain began to pour from the dark sky, forming a curtain around the sky and their battle field. The dragon head formed on his sword hand, it looked chilling and powerful from a distance.
"Ne, is that what your bankai is supposed to look like?" Makoto laughed, pointing at him like a stupid child as he was. "Its no big deal, nothing like mine."
Hitsugaya said nothing at all, his face remained stoically for the time being, it was hard to concentrate when there were wounds all over his body. Except, thinking about the pain so much would only become a burden for a win.
"Ryusenka!" He charged after him, still unable to think at all.
+---+
"Tensa Zangetsu." Ichigo released his attack, the Espada was cut in half, but that was simply the basis of his body component; since he was like a germ itself.
Ichigo's arms continue to burn immensely, but the rain seem to be helping with the matter at the moment. He refused to let himself think about the fact that this was becoming far too troublesome, all of his moves were being read by the enemy, and he was sick of it. The orange haired captain couldn't give up easily though, seeing his brother-in-law go bankai already against Aizen's son wasn't shocking, but at the moment he needed to worry about going home.
The gash on his back was becoming more painfully resistant, slowly making his body shut down as the parasite was eating his insides completely, even as he paid no mind to it. Ishida and Urahara had made their way to them, all that was left were the Espadas, Aizen's son, and Inoue. His amber gaze quickly turned to the woman, the former friend that which he had lost trust to; and the one that nearly cost him his life.
Why though? The reasons were still unclear, sure he wanted to kill all of those that stood on his way, but why had she defended that 4th Espada ten years ago? That was still confusing to him, but at the current moment, there was someone else that needed him to stay alive.
"Rukia." He whispered her name, the rain continuing to fall around him while drenching him entirely.
"You're far stronger then I thought." Croix smiled wickedly, licking his lips as the rain kept on falling against him too. "Such soft, pure taste the rain is."
"What the hell are you talking about now? Stupid parasite…" Ichigo coughed roughly, the air was becoming thinner for him because it seemed that the parasite was now attacking his lungs. The burning inside of him was becoming more intense.
"Ah, they are eating away your lungs now." The Espada chuckled.
"Bastard…" The orange haired shinigami voiced out, slowly though it was becoming harder to handle this fight. He closed his eyes, slowly his body was failing him as his sword slipped from his finger tips, and he was falling towards the ground.
"Kurosaki-taichou!" Hisagi yelled, quickly turning his zanpaktou around to knock the Espada out of the way. He was cut in half, an attack from Urahara managed to keep the germ-like Espada from joining together again.
Ichigo felt that anytime soon he would hit the ground, how stupid he felt for acting so weak like that. That feeling was supposed to have been surpassed long ago, training endlessly to become a captain made him stronger, but where in the hell were the results. Ending it like this would only show how pathetic he could be, how blinded he had become over the years, and he was sure that Byakuya wouldn't forgive him for acting so lowly like that.
"Kurosaki-taichou?" Hisagi had stopped him with kido in midair. "Are you alright?"
Was he? "I can fight…its only a flesh wound." He smirked at his lieutenant, glancing around for his zanpaktou. "Where's Zangetsu?"
Hisagi was still astounded at the fact that his captain hadn't died yet, but he was always honoured knowing that he was that strong. He handed him the black blade, carefully the other man grasped it tightly on his hand.
"Kurosaki-taichou, we need to finish this soon." He said,, holding out his hand for the captain to take.
"Thanks, Hisagi." Ichigo stood, staggering backwards for a bit. Slowly, the parasite inside of his body was eating him away and he needed to get rid of the Espada soon.
+---+
Hinamori stared at the woman she couldn't stand, that stance she had seen before in the past--the red form of reiatsu flowing around her was remarkably strong. Her gaze turned towards the small child, he seemed to be rather unaffected by it and it showed that his strength would be great in the future.
"Yuzu, take Tatsuya and stand back." Karin shouted, holding her sword up still at Hinamori while glaring at her still.
Yuzu nodded simply, shocked to know that her sister actually had to use her shinkai form to battle against Hinamori, but she could understand. She walked timidly, the after effects of the barrier still shocked her, but it had disappeared long before with the help of Karin. Reluctantly, she gazed at the killing stare upon her twin sister, her dark eyes glazing with hate and discomfort, worry and pain behind them.
"Karin-chan." Yuzu whispered, taking Tatsuya on her arms.
"Take him, now." Her voice was hard, restrained as it seemed she was having a hard time controlling her zanpaktou at the moment. "And cover his eyes, even if this is not Bankai, I'm afraid that he cannot see what is going to happen." The honey coloured haired shinigami said nothing, vanishing from sight and returning to the same spot.
Now that her son was out of the way, Karin allowed her reiatsu to increase more and more--it had seemed that the Kurosaki genes ran deep within her as well. This was no longer practice, the target wasn't a dummy made out of bamboo at all, and the target would attack back. Somehow, the nerves that were running around her made her scared, fearful that by using her shinkai form something would go wrong.
"We return again, right?" The brown headed shinigami stated firmly, holding her blade out for the approaching attack.
"It is not something to be questioned, at all." She stated, slowly the wind current was turning far more stronger against the normal wind. Its bitterness sweeping around, obviously it seemed that she could easily control the wind as well.
Only three years ago, those long weeks that which she spent trying to forget that had been hard, but now it had come to this. As much as hate and jealousy ran deep inside of Karin, she was the only person that she had refused to fight with because there would be some serious consequences. Despite the fact that her husband had obviously cut the friendship ties with the woman in front of her, it wouldn't be easily dealt with.
Except, Hinamori had dared attack her sister and her child, threatening the lives that were precious in her world was too much. All there was left to do was to fight her, to protect what was important in that world.
"Lets go, Hinamori!" Karin called out, the wind becoming far more stronger to create the same effect as three years ago.
The mist began to appear out of no where, wrapping itself thickly around to create that same dark sky with the stars, while the ground stood firmly still and becoming grassy. Even if that was the apparent illusion, Hinamori could not help but be impressed, impressed at the fact that this would be regard as the end of her. Karin stood there, her sword in her hands still--how come she hadn't disappeared yet?
Invisibility, wind, mist--it seemed that they were the components of that zanpaktou's powers. The dark haired girl stood there, breathing evenly as she was still not used to using her shinkai form at all. That feeling of something going wrong was still very much present, everything was crashing down upon her suddenly.
'You'll be fine, don't worry.' Yozora spoke to her, a smiling undertone very much present. 'Tobiume isn't that strong, years of lost practice makes a zanpaktou weak.'
"Why are you not disappearing?" The brown headed shinigami asked, keeping her guard.
Karin smirked, the mist was becoming more thicker with seconds. "It's the mist, there's no invisibility there at all. I disappear because the mist becomes dense around you. Only, it takes a while for those trapped in it to fully see it."
Without much more to say, Karin charged after her and swung her blade. Metal clashed against each other, sparks flying around the misty field, while the wind continue to blow around them. Clash. Clash. The resounding sound travelling for what seemed miles, its crashing sound becoming thunderous in volume, but neither were giving up easily.
Hinamori blocked, blocked the powerful hits from the other shinigami finding it that her hands were now shaking. Had it been that long since she had a fight? Obviously, it seemed that Karin spent most of her time sparring with strong opponents because her hits were easily dodged. One hit, it grazed Hinamori's thigh making her wince in pain.
With the help of the wind, the smell of blood surfaced making Karin gag at the sickly smell of rusted metal. She moved her free hand around, the movements caused the wind to increase in speed making the smell disappear. Slowly, the mist became thicker that the effects were starting to be seen as the brown haired woman could no longer see.
"Swinging your blade around isn't going to help, trust me." She smiled, congratulating herself. "Except, that I am far from done at the moment."
"Disintegrate, black dog of Rondaniini. Look upon your burning soul and sever your throat. Bakudo number 9." Hinamori called out, as the kick from the other shinigami was about to hit her.
Karin only had seconds to dodge that by waving her hand again, creating a gusty wind in order to block her from doing anything else. She stumbled back, her sword still in her hands as the small rosary chain dangled freely in her hand--the colour black still glowing in the mist.
"Bone of a straggling beast, spire, crimson crystal, disc of steel, when the wind shifts, and the emptiness ceases, let the clash of lances resonate through the relinquished castle! Hadou number 63, Raikouho." The yellow thunder followed Karin, even if the mist was thick that attack alone would find her easily, but she dodged it by blocking it with the mist.
"You're good, I have to hand it to you." Karin smiled contently, a cut was already on her face and she was growing tired. "Except, I have yet to show my full potential with my zanpaktou. Yozora no Kiri."
The mist thinned out, Hinamori was panting for air as she held her hands in front of her getting ready to use another spell. The sight in front of her shocked her, the blade that Karin had been holding earlier had shattered into a million pieces and were dancing around her like tiny diamonds.
"W-what is that?" She pointed, shocked to know what she would do next since nothing seemed to be working at all.
"Mist and wind, they are easily dealt with." The dark haired shinigami explained, making the flowing pieces of metal stop. "My blade shatters into tiny pieces, it is the same as Matsumoto's zanpaktou, but far more different. Fade…" She vanished from sight, running around the girl while throwing pieces of the metal at her with only a wave of her hand.
Hinamori felt the shreds of metal hit her body, cutting her flesh and leaving a burning sensation behind it. Slowly, blood was falling onto the grass staining it red, each droplet falling little by little around her.
"I call forth, from the depths of the sea and the heights of the sky, the element in between, Bakudo number 69. Genwaku Kiri." There had been no irony to it, simply the need to be protected from those tiny metal pieces that were turning deadly.
The brown headed shinigami swung her blade, hitting the other woman on the shoulder causing the wind to stop suddenly and the mist to momentarily vanished again. Only the pitch black sky with the tiny stars on it was very present, looking solemn inside this little world.
"Damn it." Karin hissed in pain, she felt her robes becoming soaked with her blood. That smell was becoming disgusting, but she couldn't continue controlling the wind anymore.
For a moment, it felt like this would be in Momo's favour as she walked towards the girl she couldn't stand to see at all. She had stolen a lot of things from her world, the man that was supposed to belong with her, and that perfect life instead of Kurosaki Karin being allowed to have it.
She gazed down at her dark eyes, filled with so much emotions it was impossible to tell what she was thinking to be more precise. Karin was strong, willing to do anything to stop the enemy--surely a great asset to Soul Society because she came from the Kurosaki family. A noblewoman she was, living the life of princess while Momo spent her time cleaning out places around the 4th squad, and healing weakly injuries.
"Hadou 90--"
"Don't. Dare. Finish. It." The voice of the other Kurosaki girl came. "Stifle, Yoru no Hana."
Hinamori gasped for air as the pollen from the flowers that had suddenly appeared from the ground, the spores glowed purple around her as they were impairing her from breathing at all. Had Kurosaki Yuzu gained shinkai form as well?
"W-what a-re y-you?" She managed to gasp out as she fell onto the floor, Yuzu simply looking down at her.
Chapter 13...I'm on crunch time seeing that I just found out that once I move to my other house, there won't be no internet. Sighs, so I'm going to try to update as fast as I can for everyone. I'll like to thank my reviewers, you know who you are, 'cos you guys are bloody awesome for sticking with my story so far. The lot of you wait patiently for me to update, so that helps me while I write knowing that there's someone waiting to read the next chapter. Wow, okay--so I only have 2 days off school left, but I'm getting tired of having to work with Excel for so long now. Anyways, totally besides the point. Next chapter will be the end of the fighting scenes, I seriously am horrid with that, so I don't fancy this chapter much at all. So, my scenes aren't meant to be epic or good, so don't expect much. Sorry. Quick explanation, Karin's zanpaktou is like that of Matsumoto, but instead of ash is the bits of metal of her sword--kind of confusing in a sense, but hopefully you get the idea from it. She can also control the wind, though not as a big power or anything, just for her advantage to take along with the mist too. As for Yuzu's, I found that 'stifle' would be a good one for that one 'cos I was going with that idea of making hers be slightly off from her usual sweet character [another reason why I didn't made her weak]. Well...that's all I can say about that 'cos its hard to explain--that is why I loath writing fighting scenes.
+happygirl24- 'Sorry, I had to develop that scene in my head more thoroughly. Hopefully it isn't bad 'cos I can't get too creative on the zanpaktou stuff. Hope that you enjoyed the chapter, thanks again.'
+Tsukihime nee- 'Same here, I know what you mean. Thanks again though, hope that you enjoyed this chapter 'cos I had a difficulty writing this.'
+WatermelonPrincess- 'You're welcome, I wouldn't want you to have a mental breakdown from a lot of things happening. Then again, I have a lot of those issues in life as well, too stressful and not enough time to relax 'cos of all of those things. I have no idea how in the world I handle the adult life, not easy I tell you that much. Talk to someone though when you feel stressed out, try not to think too much over the little things at all--makes it worse. And, thank you for understanding too :D. I try my best not make them so short, but can't be helped I guess. Hope you liked this chapter.'
Alright, hope that this chapter isn't so bad--I really don't like it much due to the fighting. Sighs, okay I promise that next chapter I will try my best to bring back Hitsu/Karin 'cos I'm sick of separating them. And, I'll probably move time in the next few chapters fast seeing that I don't want to be stuck on a certain month or anything like that for too long--makes it weird. I'll have to think of a name for Rukia's child that's on its way lol. Um, still have to decide the bloody gender! Oh, and Yuzu/Hisagi wedding--don't know how in the hell that would work out. And, Tatsuya needs a sibling sometime in the future too--ah damn that was a small spoiler--damn! Okay...what will happen to my other fave Ichigo? What about our other fave Toushiro? What about that awful Hinamori? Inoue? Makoto? Wow, too many things that need to be bloody cleared out! I think I have repeated myself many times, but you know what to do by now. Review please!