That evening, the Vizoreds discussed their options. Aizen was coming and Misako was vulnerable. "I don't wanna hear it!", exclaimed Hiyori. "But, imoto-chan...", argued Misako. Hiyori glared at her sibling, annoyed. "I don't like it either", sighed Shinji. "That aside, we have to do something with it", said Kensei. Misako quietly fiddled with her fingernails. Things were not progressing. "Can we be sure that destroying one won't hurt the other?", asked Lisa. "When we last spoke to Urahara-san, he said this was the only way. I have to fight it...Just like all of you conquered your inner hollows...Mine's just...outside", explained Misako. She looked pleadingly toward her husband. He grit his teeth, knowing she was right. "I make the conditions", ceded Shinji. "Agreed", replied Misako with relief. "What?! You can't be serious!", vented Hiyori. "It's true. We all had a similar fight. Even Kurosaki-kun went through it", said Hachi.
Hiyori crossed her arms, but didn't argue the point further. "We'll move it here where all of us are available in case something gets out of hand. Just like when we started training Ichigo", said Shinji. Misako tried not to smile, but her eyes thanked him. It had to be done. "And you expect me to make the call, don't you?", asked Hiyori flatly. He grinned, knowing she hated it. She seethed momentarily before regaining control. "Fine. When?", she replied. All eyes were on Shinji. "Tomorrow", stated Shinji. The call was made and everything was arranged. Misako had to take down her own hollow. It was a right of passage here in the Vizored base.
The next day, the stage was set. Multiple barriers were placed and all stood ready if needed. The hollow had transformed once again the previous night. It was becoming a full-fledged arrancar. It stood on its regained legs with a smug look peering from beneath its mask, a sword gingerly spun in its hands. "This will be fun", taunted the hollow. Misako held its gaze without wavering. "Let's just get this over with", she said. Ichigo had joined them and stood along side his brethren. He knew what it was like to fight inside one's own soul, but this was different. If things didn't go well, Misako wouldn't just hollowfy...She'd die.
It didn't take long before Misako released her shikai. The hollow mirrored nearly her every move. The sound of clashing blades echoed as the dust settled. Ichigo struggled to hold Hiyori back as she kicked at him. Shinji slowly stepped forward as if in a stupor. The others kept their distance, simply watching. "Is it over?", inquired Mashiro. Kensei hushed her as the shadows before them took on a solid state. Misako and her arrancar double stood a pace apart, panting. "Not bad, Soul Reaper", said the hollow. "You're just not used to handling a zanpaktou yet or I'd be dead", smirked Misako. Circling her prey, the beast said, "How true."
Misako held up her hand, begging her husband to stay his distance. This was her fight. Across his shoulder, Shinji said, "Hiyori, quit squirming." "What'd you say?!", she retorted. With a brief glance, Ichigo let her loose. Surprisingly, she stayed where she stood. She glared at him momentarily before crossing her arms to watch the battle. "This has been fun, but it's high time we finished this", said the hollow. Taking a stance, Misako replied, "I agree. You can mirror my shikai, but there's one thing you could never do." The arrancar sneered in amusement. "Is that - ?!", gasped Hiyori. "Bankai", grinned Misako.
The Vizoreds shielded their vision. Everyone was awestruck except for one man with a wide grin. "You mean you've never seen it?!", asked Ichigo. "Of course not!", snapped Hiyori. Turning to his friend, Ichigo ventured, "Shinji?" He merely maintained his grin as he watched.
-
200 years ago...
Misako fell to her knees, exhausted. Shinji laid in the dirt before her. Dragging out her last remaining strength, she crawled toward him. Grasping his arm, Misako cried, "Shinji...Shinji! Are you all right?!" He groaned as he rolled to his side. His clothes were torn and his chest was bleeding. "I think you really did break my ass that time", he moaned. She laughed through her shaky breaths. She was in no better shape. Both were tattered, scuffed, and exhausted. Slowly sitting up, Shinji said, "I know you went easy on me just now." Rubbing his back, he added, "And I'm thankful for that." Misako held his hand. "I really did it...", she panted. Shinji wiped the blood from his jaw. "I'll say...You know, I never thought your bankai would be like that", he said. Noticing how badly she was shaking, Misako said, "Neither did I...Are you okay?" Cracking a rib back in place, he replied, "Nothing that won't heal."
Hiyori and Kensei came running over the hill. "What happened?!", asked Hiyori. Kensei helped Shinji up. "You look like you got your ass handed to you", he stated. Shinji grinned wanly. "I did", he ceded. "And I missed it?! No fair!", exclaimed Hiyori. "Hiyori-chan, I - ", chuckled Misako. "You finally kick his ass and I missed it!", fumed her sister. "That was some spike in spirit pressure. What happened?", inquired Kensei. Misako slowly got up. "We were training and - ", began Misako. "And she tried to summon her bankai, but it backfired. Isn't that right?", he said with a nuanced grin. She leaned upon her sister for support. Her legs shook beneath her own weight. Reading the situation, Misako replied, "Yes...Maybe in a few more years..." "Be more careful. Another one of those and half of the squads will be out here investigating", chided Kensei. Misako bowed apologetically. "I'm so sorry. It won't happen again", she said.
The whole ordeal was generally laughed off. Once home, Misako sat dressing the wounds she had caused her husband. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do all of this", she said. "Don't worry about it. I've given you plenty of bruises in training. If you're not leaving marks, you aren't trying hard enough", grinned Shinji. She chuckled as she rinsed out the rag. Wiping the dried blood from his face, she softened her eyes. "Why did you lie?", she asked. "I had a good reason...Don't ever show anyone else your bankai, all right?", he sighed. Thinking it over, she replied, "I think I understand." Taking her hands, he turned to face her. "Trust me on this", said Shinji. Smiling warmly, Misako said, "All right."
"Only use it if you absolutely have to, okay?", he said. She nodded as he gently kissed her fingers. She had practiced it a few more times over the years when she knew she was alone, and sometimes with Shinji. No one else ever saw it.
-
Back at the present...
Misako smiled almost maliciously at the arrancar. It was a look even Hiyori had never seen. "What the - ?", said Hiyori. "It's been a long time since I've seen that look...We might want to step back a bit", said Shinji. Ichigo and the others watched in fascination. Misako made her move and seemed to disappear in a glow of kido. The arrancar tried to track her, but was beginning to get annoyed. "Shunpo? Is that all you've got?!", derided the arrancar. It froze in shock as Misako reappeared before it calmly. Lines seemed to come from nowhere across the arrancar's flesh as blood came seeping out. "What have you done?!", hissed the beast. "You can access my shikai, so you know my blade is a kido type. My bankai takes it even further", explained Misako.
On the sidelines, the Vizoreds watched. "I see", said Lisa. "See what?", asked Ichigo. "Yeah, I couldn't see anything", said Mashiro. "So, that's you lied back then", observed Kensei. "Guilty", smirked Shinji. Hiyori watched in fascination. "It's no wonder it came across as one big blast...", she said. Just as she finished her last word, an immense wave of spirit pressure washed over them. The arrancar shrieked. "That's right. She actually controls time...to an extent", explained Shinji. "That's impossible! You're merely moving faster than I can see!", exclaimed the arrancar. "True. My bankai uses kido to compress my movements into milliseconds, unleashing any damage done before you even know you've been hit", said Misako. "Then I'll just have to copy that technique from you as well", sneered the hollow. "Don't...It takes a long time to learn how to control it. Your bones and skin might move at two different speeds", said Misako. "I'll take that risk", it said defiantly.
It turned in fury at the sound of laughter. "It's true. She almost killed us both the first time she tried it", shouted Shinji. "And I missed it...", grumbled Hiyori. Shinji glanced over. "Get over it, geez", he replied. The arrancar took the stance it had seen, mimicking every detail. Misako's eyes grew wide as started to appear ethereal. Before anyone could even blink, she stood in front her friends, blocking her twin's blade. "You guys need to get out of here", said Misako. "Not a chance!", replied Hiyori.
Clashes were heard all over the training area, but no one saw anything. Misako came into sight a few feet ahead of the group. She stood, waiting for any sign of movement as the pressure caught up and exploded in small spaces around the area. Her eyes moistened as the blood trickled from her lips. Misako grinned to herself. "Damn." Her friends moved in as soon as they realized what had happened. The hollow had its blade through Misako's body. It held her close, rending tissue with a sinister smile. Shinji screamed her name as they lunged inward. The pair was surrounded instantly. All swords pointed to the beast's neck. It wobbled, trying to regain control of itself.
"I warned you...", panted Misako. She smiled wanly toward her lover as she grasped the twin's blade with both hands. Her zanpaktou evaporated before it hit the ground. "If the reverberations are the same...This should work...", she gasped. The blade began to hum as it shook faster than could be seen. The arrancar's mask began to dissolve, but it was still reeling from the effects and too weak to move away. "How fitting...", laughed the hollow coarsely. Shinji tried to reach out for his wife, but Rose grasped his wrist tight. "If you touch her now, you'll die", stated Rose. Shinji glanced back, seeing his friend was right. The hollow was breaking down. Light outlined the pair as the image began to blur. It was the same light they had seen at shikai, yet it was somehow different. When they could once more open their eyes, only Misako stood before them. The light was seeping into her scars and the wound over her belly. When the last ray had dissipated, Shinji dove in to catch her as she fell.
Hiyori quickly ran toward her sister, kneeling close by. "Is she - ?...", she ventured. Shinji gently shook her. "Misako...Wake up", he pleaded. Misako smiled serenely as her eyes barely cracked open. She fingered her stomach carefully. Forcing a grin, Shinji said, "It's gone...You won." "Is it really gone?", she asked weakly. Hiyori nodded "Yeah. You're back to your old self again", she assured.
Ichigo stood surveying the scene. The Vizoreds looked on solemnly as if fate had already been written. "She's gonna be okay, right?", he asked. "We can hope", replied Hachi. Shinji propped Misako to a near sitting position so she could see all the concerned faces around her. "I guess I went back on my word...Look at all of the people who saw it", said Misako. Shinji shook his head. "It's all right", he said softly. "How do you feel?", inquired Hiyori. Misako carefully turned her head and took her sister's hand. It was obvious she was in immense pain. "Hiyori...You've looked after Shinji all these years for me...Thank you", she panted. "What are you saying? Someone had to keep the idiot in line. Now you can take over again", replied Hiyori. Misako forced a wan smile as her eyes pled her argument. Shying her gaze, Hiyori said, "Damnit! It's your turn now! Don't ask me to - " "I'm sorry...I guess I was never much a big sister. Look how much I make you do for me", uttered Misako.
Shinji held Misako's hand tight, afraid to say anything. She turned her gaze over to the small crowd around her. "Kensei...I'm counting on you to keep these two from killing each other, all right?", she said. Grimly nodding, he replied, "Yeah." "Mashiro...I know Kensei pretty well. Don't let him tell you he can take care of everything himself. He won't admit it, but he needs you...Even I can see that", she continued. She nodded in acknowledgment as Kensei turned his face away. He couldn't take hearing those words, no matter how true they were. "Lisa, thank you for all that you've done for me... For us", said Misako, squeezing her husband's hand. Lisa smiled faintly. "You make it sound like this is 'goodbye' ", she said meekly.
Taking a deep breath, Misako struggled to stay conscious. Her wound was bleeding badly, despite the pressure Hiyori applied. "Hachi, Rose, Love... You've all done well to keep this group together for so long. Don't let it fall apart now", she gasped. They nodded in complete silence. "Ichigo...Thank you for bringing me home...and thank Orihime for me, too...", she continued. "Yeah, you're home. You'll be here a while, though. So, you can tell her yourself next time, okay?", he replied softly. She grinned at his words as she turned her eyes to meet Shinji's. He leaned in close as she whispered something so softly, even Hiyori beside her could not hear it. He forced a smile as his eyes filled with tears. Looking into her face, everything went through his mind. At least this time, he could say 'goodbye'... Squeezing his hand once more, the blood flow from her abdomen thickened. She fell limp into her husband's arms. Laying her down gently, he pressed his hands over Hiyori's, adding to the pressure. "We can still save her this time", said Shinji with determination. Hiyori nodded as their eyes met. Neither was ready to give up yet. Hachi did what he could using his kido to stabilize her. After the bleeding had stemmed, she was moved upstairs.
Hours later, the only sound in the room was the collective anticipated gasp as Hiyori came down the steps. Her jacket was tied around her waist and her white shirt had turned red. On the last step, she fell forward, spent. Love caught her and took her to a seat, knowing just how exhausted she was. "How is she?", asked Love. "The bleeding's stopped", she replied. A sigh of relief passed through the ranks. "Is Orihime making any progress?", inquired Lisa. Coming down stairs, Ichigo said, "She's doing everything she can." "I'm sure she is. Why don't two get some rest?", said Rose. Ichigo flopped onto the sofa. "I'm all right", he said. He looked beside him where Kensei had sat in absolute silence the entire evening. "Hey. Don't sweat what was said", he assured. "I'm not", replied Kensei. "At least we know your brain's still alive", teased Ichigo. Kensei shot a mild glare over, but let it drop. It was bad enough to hear those words, but now he couldn't even look at Mashiro without getting flustered. To ease the tension, she had been sent upstairs to help Hachi.
"I called Urahara", stated Ichigo. "What'd he say?", inquired Love. "He said we'll just have to wait and see what happens...That it sounded like Misako absorbed the hollow", replied Ichigo. "What you mean is, he has no idea what will happen either", said Lisa. Slightly grinning, he replied, "Yeah." "I'm not worried", stated Kensei. Everyone looked over to him, questioningly. "She beat this thing before, she'll beat it again...There's no way it'll take her over", he explained. "Even if it doesn't alter her personality, it may alter her power", said Rose. "You mean become a Vizored?", asked Ichigo. "Who knows? We'll find out when she wakes up", replied Love. Glancing over, he noted Hiyori had already passed out where she sat. "I'm going to suggest we all try to get some rest", said Love.
Upstairs, Shinji stayed as close as he could. Misako's breathing was shallow, but regular. "Do you think she's okay?", asked Mashiro. "It's up to her now", replied Hachi. He glanced at his friend. "Are you sure you want to contact Unohana?", he asked. "...What else can we do?", ventured Shinji. "She should come here when Aizen shows up, right? Can Misako hold on that long?", asked Mashiro. Shinji sat studying his wife's face. "She'll pull through...She has to", he said.
Days passed and the world kept turning. Orihime was taken to Hueco Mundo and the battle continued. Still, Shinji and Hiyori took turns sitting with Misako and attempting to rest. They had taught Ichigo all they could. His fate was up to him now. Thus they focused on the one person they could still reach. Hiyori entered the room. "Hey, you should go eat", she chided. "I'm fine", replied Shinji. Carefully looking over his wife's sleeping form, he added, "Just look at her. She looks so...-" "Peaceful? I don't think so", she interjected. "She looks lost", he stated. Hiyori watched the mild tics of expression that washed over her sisters face. What was going on in there?
"The sereitei may be her best chance", said Shinji. "We can't send her there alone. You remember what they did to us when we changed", replied Hiyori. "Things are different now", he said reticently. They both glanced hurriedly at a murmur. Softly, Misako muttered, "Imoto...don't kick him there..." They blinked at each other and couldn't help but snicker. Shinji shifted the loose strands from her face. "This one dreams close to reality", he stated flatly. "No kidding", agreed Hiyori. Silence filled the room for a minutes until Hiyori sat beside her sister and sighed. "Hey...Ane-san...Would it help if I apologized?", she ventured. Shinji glanced up. "For what?", he inquired. "...Everything", she replied. "I already tried that...", he said solemnly.
Several more days passed as Ichigo and the other battled in Hueco Mundo. Until one day... Shinji jumped at the sound of Hiyori shouting for him. He ran as fast as he could to the room. Slamming the door open, he cried, "What happened?!" Misako smiled wanly toward him. "You're late", she said. Relief filled his eyes as he strode forward. Taking her hand, her kissed it lovingly. "Welcome back", he said. Hachi and Kensei tumbled in. Surveying the scene, they calmed. "How do you feel?", asked Hachi. "Dizzy", she replied. Kensei grinned. "Just like too much sake again, huh?", he teased. She blushed politely. Her reputation was still following her.
Over the next few hours, everyone checked in. Late that night, Shinji sat silently beside her alone. "What troubles you, lover?", asked Misako. He grinned slyly. She seldom called him that. "Tomorrow's the day", he stated. "The day for what?", she inquired. "Aizen", he replied grimly. She quietly contemplated what was to come. "Don't worry about me. You all need to be there to assist Yamamoto-sama", said Misako. He grasped her hand tighter, knowing she was right, but not wanting to leave her side. "He needs to be stopped...And who knows him better than you? I'll be fine. Just promise me you'll be careful out there", she said. Shinji smiled reassuringly. "Of course I will." He spent the rest of that night, sleeping in his beloved's arms. She made sure he would be rested for the battle ahead.
And so the war continued. Battles were won and lost, and slowly fate transpired. When all was said and done, Aizen fell. Shinji, Kensei, and Rose returned to the Gotei 13 under the strict condition that Misako could come with them and receive treatment. The others opted to stay behind. Thus closing the book for now as Ichigo struggles with his new life. When he returns to the sereitei, friendly faces will open the next chapter for him.
The End