Rukia was sat in her room, downhearted and upset by what had happened in the forest, when she smelt the smoke
Rukia was sat in her room, downhearted and upset by what had happened in the forest, when she smelt the smoke. At first she thought it may have been a fire inside, situated in the kitchen but the smell of wood also contained the scent of grass and plant life burning. Getting to her feet she crossed to the window and looked out; everything was as it should be. Leaving her bedroom, Rukia walked through the building; there was chaos, people were running right and centre. Rukia snagged a passing worker
"Where is the fire?" Rukia asked
"The forest! It's ablaze miss, you must get away" the worker said with a bow. Rukia let the worker go and ran, heading for the exit she had followed Byakuya through earlier. Rukia threw the door open and ran out into the smoke.
-Elsewhere-
Vincent Kuchiki was sat at his desk when Hisagi knocked on his door to enter.
"Come in Lieutenant" Vincent said, closing the book he had been writing in. Hisagi entered and bowed to his Captain.
"Sir, I've been told a great fire has broken out over at the Kuchiki residence and the Captain-Commander wants all Captains to help put it out before it spreads" Vincent looked at him, Hisagi felt as though Vincent was reading his every move; looking for a lie.
"How bad is it?" Vincent asked as he got to his feet and picked up his Zanpakuto.
"Nobody knows yet, the smoke has covered the residence itself, all we know is that the flames have not yet reached the buildings" Hisagi explained.
"Ok, when we get back we'll talk about you and Hitsugaya" Vincent informed him as he swept past his Lieutenant who had frozen on the spot.
-In the Forest-
Rukia felt as though she had just stepped through a gate into hell. Smoke blurred her vision and disorientated her, the heat of the flames felt as though she was surrounded but the thickness of the smoke made the flames impossible to see. Crackling filled her ears, the hot ash choked her every breath but Rukia was adamant she would find her brother. Stumbling through the smoke, blind and coughing, Rukia aimed for anywhere. Almost immediately after stepping into the smoke she had lost her bearings; the house had become impossible to find.
-Kuchiki Residence-
Hitsugaya tore through the house, searching for Rukia and Byakuya. Kenpachi had informed them that they had been in the forest earlier; Hitsugaya prayed they had left before the fire had started. He turned a corner to find himself face-to-face with a wall of fire; it had finally reached the building. He quickly took another path, emerging in one of the smaller gardens of the Kuchiki Residence. He turned to see a large section of the house was on fire.
Quickly drawing his Zanpakuto, Hitsugaya vaulted "Sit upon the Frozen heavens, Hyornimaru!"
-Outside Kuchiki Residence-
Vincent Kuchiki arrived with a selection of his soldiers. Above them Hyornimaru raced through the sky into the clouds of smoke that had now extended for miles, as the Zanpakuto dipped into the flames it screeched before exploding into a million shards.
"The fire is a magical one, as it continues to grow then so does it's strength" Vincent told his group.
"How do you know this? You sound like you have something to do with the fire" Kenpachi said conversationally.
"Of course not, can't you sense it's a magical fire?" Vincent asked "Magical fires are not created by people. They are caused by happenings, some Zanpakuto's attacks cause them and other such happenings"
Kenpachi ignored Vincent, now concentrating on sensing Byakuya and Rukia amongst the smoke. His senses reached out, searching for Rukia.
Chaos surrounded them; soldiers were running back and forth with buckets of water, trying desperately to extinguish the flames. It seemed that the only two that weren't doing anything was Captain Kenpachi and Captain Vincent Kuchiki. Suddenly, like a bell ringing out through the darkness, Kenpachi located Rukia.
"I need you to stay here" Kenpachi told his miniscule lieutenant as he lifted her off his shoulders and set her down politely. "You can stay here with Vincent" he added before shooting off into the smoke. Kenpachi began to hone in on her reiatsu, it felt muddled; like someone was trying to hide it unsuccessfully. As he bounced from rooftop to rooftop heading far away from the soldiers, deeper into the forest, Kenpachi himself could now feel the magical essence of the flames; to him it felt like intense reiatsu of a person, not of a natural occurrence.
His feet touched grassy forest floor but he couldn't see in any direction for more than a few meters but his senses told him that Rukia was somewhere close. As for Byakuya, Kenpachi couldn't sense him anywhere. Walking through the smoke, Kenpachi continued to hone in on her reiatsu. Tens of meters passed; his senses had never been this far off a person before. Suddenly, he found Rukia slumped by a tree, her arms covered by scratches from the branches; it seemed that she was unconscious.
"There you are Kuchiki, come on" Kenpachi said, throwing her over his shoulder. He heard crashing from behind him; something was moving through the trees towards them. His senses said Byakuya but his sword hand said otherwise; it felt and seemed like Byakuya but something inside was telling him there was something else coming.
Whoever was there was shooting closer, it still sensed like Byakuya but Kenpachi could not see through the smoke
"Kuchiki, is that you?" Kenpachi called, his hand straying for his sword. The crashing stopped but Kenpachi could still sense that something was coming, something was sailing towards him through the air. In the final second Kenpachi decided to raise his sword; it was a good idea.
Blades crashed, the incredible energy dissipated blew the smoke away in a thirty meter radius, and it was not Byakuya. Kenpachi stepped back raising his sword as the unknown man attacked again and again; swords clashing and continuing to fan the smoke away.
"Who are you?" Kenpachi asked as he dodged another sword strike by waving his sword half-heartedly. The man dressed like a ninja and moved like a ninja but his reiatsu was definitely that of Byakuya Kuchiki. As Kenpachi began to concentrate of fighting back the ninja stumbled away, his sword damaged and splintering. The ninja twirled his sword; his reiatsu changed to that of Vincent Kuchiki, his sword suddenly gleaming in the darkness again. The ninja shot forward, his eyes locked on Kenpachi's single eye. This time when the swords clashed it was Kenpachi that stepped backwards. The ninja's reiatsu morphed again, this time taking on the form of Captain Hitsugaya, with a wave of his blade a miniature version of Hyornimaru exploded into life. Kenpachi smashed it aside as he vaulted into the air, keeping an eye on the ninja. The reiatsu changed again, back into Byakuya. Before Kenpachi could keep track the ninja had vanished and appeared in the trees only feet from Kenpachi.
"Irritating" Kenpachi said as he swung for the ninja; the energy destroying entire trees but the ninja was gone again; shooting off through the smoke.
-Outside the Kuchiki House-
Vincent Kuchiki sat on the steps, watching the other Captains discuss what was happening; it seemed that the smoke created by the fire was masking the spikes in reiatsu quite well; well enough for the Captains not to figure out what was happening. Vincent on the other hand could sense it all; the changes in Reiatsu and the battle between Kenpachi and another. This interested Vincent because the fire was not his; neither was the mystery attacker but they were doing the job for Vincent anyway so he would not interfere.
Hitsugaya, while talking to the other Captains, shot a look over his shoulder at Captain Kuchiki who was sat on the steps as though nothing was happening. "I can't believe him just sitting there" Hitsugaya said to the other Captain's present.
"I will go speak to him" Captain Ukitake said, leaving the group to approach Captain Kuchiki.
Vincent was in a world of his own when he noticed Ukitake walking over to him. Getting to his feet respectfully, Vincent bowed to the Captain of the 13th Squadron.
"Captain Ukitake, what brings you over to me, the other Captains seem to shun me" Vincent said.
"They were just wondering why you were sitting here doing nothing and I decided to come over and speak to you" Ukitake told him "You seem to be taking a laid back view on this fire" Vincent nodded
"I agree with you, I am taking this fire in my stride because I've seen what magical fire does to a world. The flames are so hot that they purge everything, I know there is nothing I can personally do to stop the fire and so it is easier if I do nothing; not get in the way" Ukitake thought through what Vincent had said.
"I understand where you are coming from with this but taking such an approach makes the others unsure of you and your motives" Ukitake explained to him.
"I am not here to please anyone Captain Ukitake, I am here as a Captain, I only came to see what was happening; the fire will burn itself out once it meets the stone of Seireitei, until then we can do nothing but watch" Vincent explained. Ukitake considered explaining to Vincent Kuchiki again how he looked to the other Captains but he knew, deep down, that Vincent Kuchiki knew already what he was trying to say.
"You say you've seen these fires before?" Ukitake asked, taking a different approach.
"I've travelled worlds you couldn't imagine Captain Ukitake, I remember a world that burnt by one of these magical fires. It had been a farming world made up of nothing but fields and grass, once one of these caught then there was nothing they could do to stop it; the flames are unstoppable, except by stone" Vincent explained. Captain Ukitake looked back on the rising flames with new eyes; if it really was unstoppable then what were they going to do? They couldn't just leave the great Kuchiki residence to burn; it was far too old and renowned.
"Can't you think of anything? I have heard you are a genius" Ukitake asked him. Vincent smiled respectfully
"I am sorry, there really isn't anything I can do to stop the fire" Vincent apologised.
"What about Rukia and Byakuya Kuchiki? You could help find them" Hitsugaya stated as he walked over to them.
"I could do, but why should I if you aren't?" Vincent Kuchiki asked.
"I have tried, you are more advanced than any of us here, we are in a desperate time of need Captain Kuchiki" Hitsugaya said, almost pleading with the Captain. The other Captains seemed to be giving off the same vibes as Hitsugaya. Vincent looked around at them all in turn; they seemed desperate to him. With a sigh Captain Vincent Kuchiki got to his feet, removing his Captain's coat and folding it neatly before handing it to Captain Ukitake.
"Don't put this down, getting dirt out is a menace" Vincent informed him before drawing his Zanpakuto. The soldiers smiled in admiration as the Captain of 9th Squadron exploded off the ground; it was an impressive sight, they gained new respect for the man; even if he had blackmailed his way into the squadrons.
Captain Vincent Kuchiki, head of the 9th Squadron vaulted, soaring into the sky trailed by visible reiatsu which swarmed around him. He tore through the air, his reiatsu blowing the smoke aside as he sensed out Rukia Kuchiki and her brother; immediately he found both life signs, both were weak. Kenpachi was still fighting his adversary but Vincent vowed to end it; they had officers to rescue.
Zaraki Kenpachi was still fighting furiously with the ninja when, from the corner of his eye, he spotted something cutting through the sky. The Ninja spotted Vincent Kuchiki too but did not have time to move. Vincent swooped down and cut through the Ninja's throat before landing and turning to Kenpachi.
"Get Rukia out of here, I'll grab Byakuya" Vincent ordered. Behind him the ninja keeled over, blood oozing from the neck wound.
"How do I know to trust you, I was attacked in this 'magical fire' by a ninja using Rukia as bait; that seems like something you would do" Kenpachi growled.
"You don't know if you can trust me or not, I'm just saying to get Rukia out of here is your first priority Captain, do it" Vincent snapped, rushing past Kenpachi and vaulting through the trees towards Byakuya's essence.
Zaraki watched him go and snorted "Captain Kuchiki, if you do anything of good it's for something else I bet" he muttered as he began to make his way back towards the outer wall.
The Captains and soldiers met him with cheers as Kenpachi sailed over the wall, carrying Rukia Kuchiki in his arms. Immediately the medial officers of 4th squadron began their work on the officer. "She's inhaled a lot of smoke" one said to another who nodded and began to make the preparations. Kenpachi sat down on the steps and Yachiru walked over to him.
"You saved Rukia Kuchiki, Ken-chan" she beamed, climbing onto his shoulder. Kenpachi nodded and grunted; in reality Rukia would have died from smoke inhalation if Vincent Kuchiki hadn't broken up the fight between him and the Ninja. "I won't forget this" Kenpachi thought, looking up at the grey and black cloud which was now covering most of the sky over Seireitei. As he looked back he wondered what Vincent Kuchiki was going to do with Byakuya, again his life lay in the hands of Vincent Kuchiki; it was happening much too often.
READ AND REVIEW :) THANK YOU!