They were everywhere, those damned arrancar. This was an outright war. Losses had been great the first day and today it seemed to be critical. The 11th squad was, at the moment, divided into 2 parts. Each of the parts defending a gate. Rai was commanding the east gate together with Yumichika and Kenpachi and Ikkaku held the north gate. It was at the endgame of this battle and both shinigami and arrancar was at their limits. The members of the 4th squad swished in and out of the battlefield collecting the injured. The arrancar was getting desperate and was going for every easy target. Rai just barely managed to get between the swiping claws of a Vasto Lorde and Hanatarous neck. Rai stod swaying for half a second. The beating sounds of her released swords disappeared.
- My face, she whispered.
- My face, she yelled, you cut my face you fucking bastard!
Her reiatsu flared up, forcing all with smaller reiatsu to the ground which pretty much left her and the Vasto Lorde standing. Even Yumichika, who was used to the reiatsu of Kenpachi, was forced to his knees.
- I'll tear you into pieces, she continued yelling, blood running down her face from 4 deep gashes. I'll make sure that you'll wish that you were never born!
She charged at him, bawling curses as she went, blades sheathed. She lashed out at the hollow and landed a punch in it's face, momentarily confusing it. That was all she needed. She jumped up on the Vasto Lorde's shoulders and suddenly the arrancar found it's head being ripped off by Rai's bare hands. Yumichika then watched in horror as a slaughter like no other began. Rai was only using her hands and enemy limbs, entrails and whole hollows was thrown around making the few remaining ones turn tail and escape back into Hueco Mundo. It was the signal for the arrancar to withdraw and the battle was won, atleast for today. As the rest of the 11th squad arrived Rai was still raving, tearing limbs from the dying hollows. One of the wounds the Vasto Lorde had given her had split her cheek, making all her teeth show, givng her a demonish grin.
- Yumichika, Kenpachi called out, what the hell happened here?
- An arrancar sliced up Rai's face pretty bad when she tried to protect Hanatarou.
- How bad?
- For what I could see it was 4 wounds across her face going nose to scalp. One split her cheek, on went over her ear, one over her eye and one across her forehead.
Kenpachi cursed. He knew how precious Rai's face was to her. It would be devastating for her to have scars there.
- Rai, he called out to her, let me take a look at you.
As he got closer she stopped her rampage and looked up at him, eyes shining with madness.
- Don't look at me, don't come any closer.
And when he did she simply landed a kick in his gut, sending him flying over the battlefield and then she vanished.
- Zaraki-taichou, Ikkaku yelled out. How did that happen?
- Her reiatsu is simply bigger than mine and even I can't stand against her if she goes all out. Let's go back.
The taichous had been called to an emergency meeting. The battle reports was saddening. Half of the 11th squad lay slain on the battlefield and all the other squads had suffered casualties although not as severe. It was also reported that Chojiro-fukutaichou of the 1st squad and Marechiyo-fukutaichou of the 2nd squad had fallen.
- And, Yamamoto-sotaichou said, according to you, Zaraki, Rai is also missing?
- That's right, but if she can tear the head of a Vasto Lorde with her bare hand, I'm sure she can handle whatever might attack her. She'll be back when she's settled down.
- She did what, Ukitake-taichou asked.
- Tore a head off of a Vasto Lorde, Kenpachi answered coldly.
- I think I'm going to be sick.
- You always are, so what's the news?
In an adjoining room all the fukutaichous was gathered. Nanao had a go at Yachiru for being so calm when half of her squad had been erased.
- I cannot understand how you can be so indifferent about this, Nanao yelled.
- I'm not, Yachiru replied. I knew and loved everyone of them, but this is the way things are. They are dead and we do not brood over it.
- It's the fault of you and your taichou, forcing them to fight to death. Inprinting the dishonor of comming back alive after being defeated.
That was too much for Yachiru and Nanao suddenly found the tip of Yachiru's zanpaktou against her troath. At that moment Rai entered the room. She was washed in blood and 4 deep wounds gaped in her face.
- Yachiru-chan, she said quietly, don't.
- Rai-chan, Yachiru sniveled and soon Rai sat on the floor with a hysterically crying fukutaichou in her arms.
- You sure have some nerve, Nanao-fukutaichou. Blaming the deaths of her friends on a child, Rai said and glared across the room.
- Zaraki-san, it was Isane-fukutaichou, let me tend your injuries.
- They're fine, thank you.
- But..
- Listen. If you come any closer I'll kill you, Rai growled and then turned to Yachiru.
- Yachiru-chan. Go find Ken-chan and it'll feel better.
- But Rai-chan, what you gonna do?
- I'll go wash up. I'll be right back. OK?
- Kay, she agreed and scuffled off.
Rai threw a last glance at Nanao and spat.
- Disgrace, she muttered as she left.
Rai entered the public bathhouse where every taichou had a private room. She entered Kenpachi's room and sat down infront of the mirror wondering where to start. Her clothes was more or less colored with blood, her face was washed in crimson and her hair was caked with gore. She decided to wash up first. It took 5 buckets of water and a whole bottle of soap. She couldn't get a good look at the wounds burying themselves in her hair so she shaved all of the hair off on her left side. The cuts were deep, bone deep on some places and would deffinately leave scars. She had stopped the bleeding, but not completely healed them and she had left the on on her cheek open so when she opened her mouth all of her molars became visible. She bandaged as much of her face as she could. Being a co-taichou she had a spare uniform here and haori which she switched into. She left and headed to the bureau of technologies. As she arrived Mayuri-sama hadn't come back yet and she turned to Akon with her question.
- What may I help you with, Rai-san?
- Well, I need something to keep my hair from growing back while these wounds heal.
- Let me go look, please wait a while.
Rai waited for 10 minutes and then Akon came back and handed her a jar.
- If you apply this once a day the hair wont grow back on that area.
- Why do you even have such a thing like this?
- I don't know, I just work here.
She smiled, thanked and left. She didn't want to go home, she felt hopelessly lost and had no idea what to do. She didn't feel like herself and she hadn't recognized herself in the mirror. Who was she? She planlessly wandered the empty rainwashed streets of Seireitei for an hour or so, but then decided to go home after all. It was quiet and still in the house she shared with Kenpachi and she snuck into the adjoining house, the one belonging to Yachiru and found Kenpachi sitting by the bed watching the little fukutaichou sleep. Rai slowly backed away, suddenly feeling like an intruder and was about to run away, but froze as she heard him move.
- Rai-chan, he whispered as he exited the room and found her hiding in the shadows.
- Ken-chan, she lost her voice and could not find it again.
- Sssh, he hushed, it's OK.
He walked up to her and took her in his arms.
- Let me take a look at you.
- Don't, I'm ugly. She looked down into the floor.
- You can't be ugly, I can't believe that, he raised her face and took of the bandages.
- That's quiet some wounds, he sounded concerned, and they are going to leave scars.
She broke free from him.
- I look horrific, I'm not me anymore!
- Silly, he took her in his arms again, you will always be you. Those scars are just battletokens and don't change who you are.
He sat down on the couch, Rai in his lap and shortly after a newly awakened Yachiru came wobbling in her pajamas, dragging a teddybear after her. She crept up and snuggled into Rai's embrace.
- Daddy, mommy, don't ever leave me, she said sleepily.
Soon after both Rai and Yachiru were asleep. Kenpachi was awake a while longer marveling over his small, but oh-so real family.
The next day was calm and it seemed that the arrancar assault was over, atleast for this time. Rai was moody, she was in pain and so was Yachiru. Poor Kenpachi fled to Ikkaku and Yumichika and they indulged in some heavy duty drinking. After a few hours Rai came with Yachiru clinging to her back.
- Ken-chan, Yachiru's highpitched voice cut trough the crowd, we're all better now!
They sat down by the same table as Kenpachi, Ikkaku and Yumichika and Rai ordered saké and cake.
- Ooh, is the cake for me, Rai-chan?
- Ofcourse Yachiru, but you can have some of my drink too if you want.
- Ken-chan, can I have some of what Rai-chan is drinking?
- If Rai think it's ok.
Yachiru took a small sip from Rai's cup and then spluttered and made a sour face.
- That tasted icky, I rather eat cake, she said and gestured for Rai to feed her cake.
It was strawberrycake with lemonfrosting and it disappeared quickly. Rai sat quiet and listened to the others talk. When Yachiru found it boring she left and it was just the 4 of them. They sat reviewing the last 2 days battles, honoring those who died defending Seireitei and their dreams, by living and keep on fighting. That was the philosophy of the 11th squad. Live to fight, enjoy the fighting and celebrate your own life when someone died.