Chapter 13 - Traps

Aira glared at Aizen, her eyes cold and her heart warm with her promise to Nova. She absolutely despised this man...with all her heart. She had no affection or empathy for him. He was just a cold-hearted killer who liked to play games with people, try to throw them into meaningless traps. Now, it was her turn to set the traps...

She would bury Aizen in pain. Make him suffer, the only way she knew how to touch this emotionless man. With her sword.

"What are you going to do now...Aizen-kun?" Aira tilted her head, her eyes still cold.

"I don't understand what you mean." Aizen said as he stood lazily.

"You've lost your partners in crime." She said. "Gin's...dead and Tosen is without his spiritual energy. You have to fight for yourself. What does it feel like not to have people manipulated into fighting for you, huh?"
"I still have one more. Person to manipulate, that is." He told her.

"Who?" She laughed dryly.

"You."

Aira released her spiritual energy completly, holding nothing back. "You...will never be able to manipulate me. I'm not one of your game peices. I'm a Shinigami Captain, a lot more than you could say. You were never a true Captain in the first place."

He smiled. "I never wanted to be. Though it was fun...It was so easy to get people to trust me. It was like...clockwork. I bet Hinamori still pines for me."

Aira hissed. "You're a disgrace, Aizen. I will kill you, and now you've given me an exellent reason, other than your betrayal and disloyalty to the Soul Society. Momo Hinamori is also a person, with feelings. She wouldn't want me to kill you, I know, but only because you've poisoned her mind. Because that's what you are...poison. And you know what they say about poison..."

Aira smiled as she felt the power of Denkihime flow through her veins. She could only use her inner spirit like this for a little while, but if she could pull out the full force of her power for only a second...

That's when it happened.

She felt her Denkihime explode inside her, iching for a way out. She released her, just as she asked.

Her eyes glowed purple, the whites of them black as purple electricity held her pupil and took over her usual eye color. Her black hair swirled around her head in a pool of darkness as her pale skin glowed with reiatsu. Her vision was different than usual. Everything held that purple tint and things seemed to go in slow motion.

Arigato, Denkihime...She thought.

I'm not done yet... Her inner spirit answered.

Aira screamed, the sound making Aizen flinch as her skin felt like fire.

Suddenly, her reiatsu was so bright it was blinding. Her purple eyes caught Aizen as he had to put his arms up to keep from getting pushed back.

She smiled, watching as Denkihime materialized beside her.

Her Zanpaktou was now in full form. She wore a long dress, dark purple and sparkling slightly. Her hair was long and white, waving down below her waist. In her hand was her very own Zanpaktou. Her black and white eyes turned to Aira and Aira felt the fire on her skin fade, her reiatsu still keeping it's brightness.

Denkihime smiled at her as Aira sighed in relief.

"Please help me..." Aira whispered.

"I'm always here." Denkihime nodded.

They both looked back at Aizen, who was staring at them with wide eyes. Aira had never seen Aizen shocked, even in his days in the Soul Society. She liked knowing that she herself was unpridictable.

"Aizen." Denkihime stated, her voice in double tones. "Do you still wish to use us as game peices, when you know very well that we could turn around and kill you whenever we wish?"

"You are Airashii's Zanpaktou..." Aizen nodded. "Denkihime."

"You do not bare the right to state my name." Denkihime spat. "Bite your tounge, mongrel."

"Interesting." Aizen nodded.

Without warning, in the blink of an eye, Aizen was kneeling on the ground, his eyes wide as a scream ripped from his throat. His whole body shook and his skin began to turn a light shade of purple.

Aira stared at him wide-eyed before looking at Denkihime, who only looked at her.

"Denkihime! Stop!" She demanded.

"As you wish." She muttered.

Aizen grasped his throat. "What-was-that?"

"May I tell him?" Denkihime asked Aira before Aira nodded.

"I have the ability to send electrical charges through the air. That air is unknowingly breathed into your lungs and enters your blood stream. Until I tell it to stop, you blood runs fresh electricity through your veins. Though I am impressed. That attack would usually kill a normal Captain."

Aizen glared at Denkihime before she looked at Aira. "Can we finish this?"

Aira nodded, knowing Denkihime meant they didn't have much time.

Denkihime lifted her hand to the clouds, watching them gather and whirl with purple tint above her hand.

"Burn and bleed like a sky of pure magma and lightning. Plead for the death no one shall give and rain down. Reign from above...Denki Ame."

As soon as Denkihime finished speaking, water fell from the sky. It looked like normal rain until it touched Aira's skin, only a little, and sent a shock through her whole body.

She watched as pelets rained down on Aizen, covering his entire body. He didn't move, didn't shake, didn't breathe. He just stared at the sky. After a minute or two, the rain stopped, and Aizen's skin was completely charred.

Aira gritted her teeth as he fell when the rain stopped hitting him. He fell, only a foot or two before she called reishi under him and held him there.

"Finish him, Airashii." Denkihime told her, holding out her hand.

Aira took her spirit's hand before Denkihime melted back into her body. She felt her power grow stronger, her eyes still holding thier purple haze.

She practically floated to Aizen's side.

Suddenly, all her moral went away. She didn't care how much she hurt this man, she just wanted him and his wickedness dead.

Without hesitation, she raised her Zanpaktou over her head, gathering reiatsu as well. She bright Denkihime down so many times she lost track. Even when Aizen was completely gone, his reiatsu disappearing before he floated into reishi, she kept stabbing. Her eyes were soaked as they gained thier original white-blue color, tears spilling over her cheeks.

Finally, she felt someone grab her shoulder. She turned to see Captain Ukitake looking at her with soft eyes. She sobbed as he wrapped his arms around her and let her cry.

When she finally gained her composture, she felt drained. She sheathed Denkihime and stood up as straight as she could.

Nova. She wanted to see Nova. She missed him more than anything. She wanted her Nova...

Shunsui and Nanao walked up to her before Nanao swung Aira's arm over her shoulder and practically carried her towards the ground.

Down in Fake Karakura Town, everything was calm. Destroyed and in ruin, but calm. The Captains were gathered there, and a couple Lieutenants as Byakuya and Ichigo and them slowly emerged from the gate from Hueco Mundo.

She smiled at them before falling to the ground.

"Captain!" Hisagi ran to her, but stopped once he saw she was already caught.

Nova's arms were around her, his eyes worried. She grinned up at him, her eyes weak. She touched his face, glad he wasn't wearing his mask.

"Nova..." She whispered. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He muttered.

"I'm tired...and weak..." She sighed, leaning her head back as her vision went kind of blurry.

"No, you're not weak." Nova shook his head.

Everyone's eyes were on them now, but he didn't care. Neither of them had enough time for him to blush.

"Aira, open your eyes." He demanded of her as they seemed to flutter closed.

Suddenly, Rukia and Byakuya were at her side. Rukia seemed sad, her eyes kind of wet. Byakuya looked like he normally did, with the slightest amount of pain in his eyes.

"Aira, we can get you healed." Rukia waved to Unohana.

"No...I'm tired, Rukia." She sighed. "I think I'm just gonna go to sleep."

"You can sleep and get healed." Rukia told her.

"Not that kind of sleep..." Aira half-grinned to her.

"No." Nova shook his head, his cheeks already wet. "You promised you'd live. You're going to live."

"Nova..." She wiped his cheeks. "I can't..."

"Airashii, if you die, I won't forgive you." He shook his head furiously. "I'm serious! You're going to stay alive! Captain Unohana's going to heal you! And you're going to live!"

"But...Nova..." Aira muttered, her eyes fluttering.

"No." He shook his head again. "I won't let you."

"Hmm..." She hummed. "Love you..."

And then her head fell to the side, her eyes closing and her breathing getting shallower...

Unohana rushed up, pushing Byakuya aside. She touched Aira's face as Nova looked at her with wide eyes.

"Is she alright?" He asked her.

"She's just sleeping." Unohana nodded. "We need to get her back to the Soul Society."

"I'm going with her." Nova told her.

"I don't think..." Unohana muttered.

"Captain." It was Yamamoto's ancient voice. "Aira has saved us all, and risked her own life for the safety of the Soul Society. Nova-san will stay with us, as a thank you to her bravery."

"Yes, Captain-Commander." Unohana nodded to him. "Let us go."

~^.^~

Aira yawned as she opened her eyes to Nova sleeping next to the wall. His head was in an awkward position and she wondered if he was okay. But his eyes fluttered open then, offering her peace of mind.

"Ai-Aira?..." Nova muttered.

"Nova." She smiled.

"You're awake!"

He practically jumped to her side, grabbing her and crushing her lips to his. She winced in pain as her sore muscles reacted, but she didn't let go. She pushed further, tangling her fingers in his hair and pulling him on top of her. He felt warm tears fall down her cheeks and she, too, felt so warm.

"Ummm....."

Neither of them had noticed the door opening.

They broke apart and looked at the door. Aira smiled at Captain Ukitake with her Lieutenant at his side.

"Airashii, nice of you to...wake up." Ukitake coughed lightly.

"Right..." Hisagi scratched the back of his head. "We just came to make sure you were okay. And...yeah...I've finished all your paperwork. So...yeah..."

"Hisagi, you look flustered." She said as she sat up, smiling at them.

"No...we're fine." Hisagi nodded.

"We're glad you're okay." Ukitake told her.

"Me, too." Aira sighed, stretching. "I feel so much better. But...is it really over? Is Aizen gone?"

"Yes." Ukitake nodded stiffly. "You were amazing. Not only did you take out two of the Commanders in thier army, but you defeated Aizen."

"Yeah, you were so scary, you sent the Espada running with thier tales between thier legs." Hisagi chuckled.

"Good." She smiled. "Now...it's over. We can all move on. How is everything here?"

"Chaoes has been avoided." Ukitake nodded. "We've gone back almost to how we were before Rukia slipped up and handed her powers over to Ichigo."

"Thank God!" Aira giggled. "We've come a long way..."

"Yeah..." Hisagi nodded.

"Well, we'll leave now." Ukitake said, pushing Hisagi back.

"See ya, Captain!" Hisagi called before Ukitake slammed the door in his face.

Aira laughed before turning back to Nova. She noticed his outfit.

"What's with that?" She asked, nodding towards his Shinigami uniform.

"Well...They said I couldn't just freeload off the Soul Society." He shrugged. "And I'm not an official Shinigami either. I'm a useful tool."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Freeload? Are you...staying here?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Are you in a Division?" She asked him.

"I don't think so." He shrugged. "I have no idea."

She beamed before lauching herself into his arms. "I am so happy! I get to keep you!"

"Of course you do." He said. "It was the least they could do after you saved the whole Soul Society by yourself."

"Yeah..." She looked up at him. "But you helped. I wouldn't of been able to do it without you."

"True." He shrugged.

She laughed and dropped her head to his shoulder. "I love you, Nova."

" 'Love you, too, Aira." He whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead.

And they lived...

-Dare I say it?????????-

Happily ever after.

Comments:

way sorry this took so long: I had a kind of writers block, if I say so myself. It took a while to get over, but it went away.

btw: Epilouge coming soon!!!