(A/N: So yeah I decided to treat you all to another chapter. My reservoir of material from Xersonic has been completely used up so now I start from scratch again, but not without an outline of course. Please enjoy the fruits of my labor. Thank you)

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Tales of the Abyss

12th Division

23 hours before Rukia's execution

Nebilim's pov

Having finished patching up Nemu I let her rest and left a note by her bedside telling her where I was going. Despite being her creator the fact remained that she still out ranked me and I would treat her as such. If she needed me back at the department or cared to join me that was her business. I also left her some tea for when she woke up. Right now I still had a mission to carry out. Ichigo had asked me to check up on his friends and I would carry out that request. To do so I decided I'd go see if Ion was out and about or if he was still in recovery in 4th Division. He traveled with the Ryoka, he might know if I had any left unaccounted for. I took off across the rooftops of the Seireitai buildings only to notice a human's spirtual pressure within the 11th Division barracks. "Ryoka," I whispered to myself. I stopped on a dime. From the feel of it the human wasn't in any danger. I wondered if perhaps Zaraki and the others were being civil to the individual with them. I looked down and smiled, eyes closed, "Only one way to find out," I told myself. I shunpoed in front of the door and pushed it open. People looked at me as I walked down the hall like some sort of monster. I suppose it was natural given the thrashing I gave to them a couple of days ago. I called out to a random officer, "Hey, you there?"

He froze, "Y-yes?"

"Which way to your captain's room?" I asked.

"Down the hall make a left, it's the door on the right of that short hallway," he said with fear in his voice.

"Thanks," I said and headed in that direction. Upon my arrival I knocked on the door.

"I'll get it," I heard a voice say from inside. It was Ayasegawa Yumichika who opened the door, "Ah Head Researcher Assistant Nebilim how do you do?"

"Very well thank you, mind if I come in?" I asked.

"Captain," Yumichika turned towards Captain Zaraki who apparently was also in the room, which made sense since this was his room.

"Let her in no harm in doing so," I heard Zaraki's gruff voice from inside.

"You're entrance is permitted," Yumichika stepped aside to let me in. I looked around the room taking note of the individuals inside it. The spiritual pressure I felt earlier seemed to be coming from the orange haired girl in the room. I was about to inquire about her identity when Zaraki asked about my being here.

"So what's the 3rd seat of 12th Division doing in my territory, not that I don't respect you since you're plenty strong even without using Kido, heard you gave a section of my men quite a thrashing, what's that about?" he asked.

"You know me, when I want my conversations private, I want them private," I smirked deviously with a twitching eyebrow.

Zaraki laughed in the back of his throat, "You don't change at all do you? So what brings you here?"

"Before I answer that what happened to you, you're a mess!" I said trying not to laugh, "I don't think I've ever seen you this cut up."

"Kenny made a new friend," I heard a childish voice behind me. I turned to see Yachiru sitting on a tabletop and kicking her legs.

"In other words you got into a fight, who exactly got you that beaten up though?" I asked.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Zaraki answered.

I folded my arms, "Well well well, so that's what caused Ion and Ichigo to separate and how Ichigo got his hands on a flying device. I always wondered what was the cause."

"Is he alive?" Zaraki asked.

"Considering I saw him at the Shrine of Pentenence trying to break out Rukia I'd say so," I answered.

"Ah, excuse me," I heard a soft innocent voice. I turned around, it was the human girl, "Do you know Kurosaki-kun?"

"Yes," I nodded, "it's the reason I'm here," I said turning to face her, "Kurosaki Ichigo asked me, when I ran into him, to check up on his friends and here I find you."

"So do you know where Ichigo is?" Kenpachi asked.

"Couldn't tell you," I said turning around to face him as I threw my hands up in the air and let them drop down at my sides, "Last I saw him some dark skinned woman came and took him elsewhere. Ion was taken to his own division for healing to get patched up. Captain Kuchiki did some pretty serious damage to the poor boy."

"Ah is Hakutan-kun going to be okay?" the human girl asked me.

"Yes," I said turning sideways so I could commune with both her and Zaraki, "He'll live."

"Um Miss…" I could take it the girl wanted to learn my name.

"Oh my name?" I asked rhetorically, "I'm Gelda Nebilim, 3rd Seat of Squad 12."

"Squad 12?" the girl trembled a bit, "Is Ishida-kun ok, please tell me he's all right!" she shouted.

"Hmm, what's got you up in a knot all of a sudden?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Well you see this Ishida person handed this lovely young lady to me and told me to get her out of where we were your captain blew up several of his own men in order to capture the two. I took the girl and ran and eventually met up with the lieutenant," Seat number 11 Makizo Aramaki explained, waving his arms frantically about.

I put a hand on the girl's shoulder, "Well don't you worry," I told her, "I was on the scene when he fought my captain. He made it out alive."

"That's good, do you know where he went?" she asked me.

"If he hasn't been captured yet, the possibility exists that he reached the Shrine of Pentenence himself," I said.

"Wait you let him go?" Ikkaku asked, "Aren't you going to get in trouble for letting a Ryoka slip by you like that?"

"I would be if I wasn't on my way to taking command of my division and Nemu's in no position to punish me considering her demeanor," I said.

"Whoa hoa Kurotsuchi kicked the bucket? Did the kid this girl was with do him in?" Zaraki asked.

I guess it wouldn't matter if I told these guys, they're a bunch of meat heads, they could care less about policy, "Actually, I'm the one who dealt the finishing blow," I sneered.

Zaraki laughed, "I always knew you had it in for Kurotsuchi, so you just couldn't stand him any longer could you?"

"I couldn't stand him after the first year I worked with him. I just found the perfect opportunity to do him in," I said.

"It's a shame you couldn't have gathered your squad members together you would've had official captaincy," Ikkaku commented.

"Hey yeah, how come you never tried doing that. I killed my opponent no one seemed to care much," Kenpachi snickered.

"Because up until recently I wouldn't have had the power to stand up to him. Not to mention Kurotsuchi has the power to liquefy himself with his Zanpakuto. If that Quincy kid, Uryu, hadn't already blown the bastard almost all the way to scrap I probably wouldn't have succeeded in actually killing the creep," I said rubbing my chin with the side of my hand.

"Well I guess it's like they say revenge is a dish best served cold," Yumichika said.

I laughed, "Ain't that the truth." I then realized I still didn't know the name of Ichigo's friend here, "Why I don't believe you've introduced yourself to me at all little lady. What's your name?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized, "I'm Orihime Inoue," she curtsied, "It's a pleasure to meet you Nebilim-san."

"Well you've met her, now what are you going to do?" Zaraki asked me.

"Don't know," I said and turned towards Orihime, "How many of you came to Soul Society?" I asked her.

"Um let's see," she said and counted on her fingers, "There was me, Kurosaki-kun, Sado-kun, Yoruichi-san, Ishida-kun and me," she held out her hand enthusiastically, "Just the five of us!"

"Good that that means I've spotted you all," I said. I could only assume that the dark-skinned woman who grabbed Ichigo was one of the Ryoka. No reason to track her down since she was with Ichigo though.

"Um Nebilim-san," Orihime said, her demeanor had changed to being really sappy, "Is Kurosaki-kun going to be all right?"

I was going to answer, but Zaraki did instead, "He'll be just fine, in fact I'm sure that wherever he is, he's getting stronger. Say Nebilim why don't you stick around for a while. I get the feeling that if you and the girl stick around together," the smiled with that devilish grin of his again, "Then I'll be certain to run into Ichigo again."

8 hours before Rukia's execution

4th Division prison

3rd Person pov

Uryu and Chad were sitting in their prison cells minding their own business when they heard familiar screaming headed their way as well as screams and shouts of people crying out in agony and despair. The screaming of panic got louder as Ion came running towards Chad and Uryu's cell door.

"Huh Ion, what are you doing here?" Uryu asked him.

"No time to explain," Ion answered, "I need to get this open before whaaa…" There was a blast of spiritual power that blasted open the door to Uryu and Chad's cell door. In stepped Kenpachi Zaraki, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa.

Ion had been flung onto the ground, on his back with swirling eyes, "Are you all right Ion?" Uryu asked helping the 4th seat to his feet. Ion just moaned from his dizziness.

"Someone ask for a way out?"

"I know that voice," Uryu said shocked to hear it, "Nebilim-san is that you?"

Nebilim walked out from behind Kenpachi and around Yumichika, "The one and only," she answered.

"Nice to see a friendly face," Uryu commented, "But what are you doing here?"

"Ishida-kun," Orihime said finding it hard to hang onto Kenpachi's shoulders, because Yachiru was hanging onto her waist.

"Huh Orihime?" Uryu was surprised to see her.

"We came to get you guys out of here, you coming?" Nebilim-san offered.

"You bet," Uryu said.

"Good then hold still," Nebilim said and with only the side of her hand hacked apart the chains that bound Chad and Uryu's hands together.

"Ah wait a minute Nebilim-san should we really be doing this?" Ion asked.

"What's the matter Ion you gonna chicken out having come this far. You're part of this too aren't you?" she asked.

"Ah c'mon we gotta bring this gimp with us are you kidding me?" Ikkaku complained.

"Pardon me, but this little gimp not only kicked my ass, but he had the guts to stand up to Captain Kuchiki we respect guts here in 11th Division don't we, besides he's Lieutenant Fon Fabre's friend," Yumichikia made the situation less awkward for Ikkaku.

"Enough bickering, let's get going!" Kenpachi said and brought up his foot and kicked open the wall behind Uryu and Chad's cell, "Come on!"

5 hours before Rukia's execution

8th Division grounds

Nanao approached her captain, "There you are Captain. I've been looking for you. We have to go Rukia's execution is soon."

"I would, but you see I'm having a slight problem at the moment," he said.

Nanao tensed wondering exactly what sort of problem her captain had only to ask, "What sort of problem?"

"Well you see I put this blade of grass in my mouth hoping it would relax me, but now I think it's toxic because the more I chew it the more I can feel it burning my throat," he said.

"Try spitting it out!" Nanao scolded grabbing the grass out of her captain's teeth.

"So what do you think I should do?" Shunsui asked her.

"It doesn't matter what I think and we both know that, you're just going to do what you were going to do anyway," she told him.

"I can't sense Fon Fabre Asch's spiritual pressure anywhere, he's not in your company?" Shunsui inquired.

"The last I saw of Asch he was doing some important research in his office, he said he didn't want to be interrupted. I went to get him this morning to take him to the execution sight, but when I went to his office he was apparently elsewhere, none of his lower ranked officers knew where he was, his captain didn't either," Nanao said.

"How peculiar," Shunsui said, "It's not like him to just disappear like that."

"You're telling me," Nanao said, "I wonder where he is."

3 hours and 22 minutes before Rukia's execution

Kenpachi and the entire group traveling him stood in front of a large open dead end area of the Seireitai. While the peanut gallery, everyone besides Yumichika, Kenpachi and Nebilim, argued and made comments about the group being lost, the aforementioned three notice the change in the balance of the air.

"Captain Zaraki," Nebilim took a step next to him.

"I know," he responded, "You should be ashamed of yourselves boys sneaking around like that. Show yourselves. Hiding your spiritual pressure in order to stalk others is no way for a Captain to act!"

"Your arrogance knows no bounds Kenpachi given what you appear to be involved in," Captain Komamura's voice could be heard. In an instant Captains Komamura and Tosen and Lieutenants Hisagi and Iba arrived along with Tosen's 3rd Seat Badaq Largo.

"What are you doing with these Ryoka? Did you lose your self respect when you were defeated?" Tosen asked Kenpachi.

"Well well, what do we have here, Captain Komamura, Captain Tosen, Lieutenant Iba, Lieutenant Hisagi and 3rd seat Badaq? Quite the bunch," Nebilim commented, "This is going to be one heck of a brawl," Nebilim said cracking her knuckles.

"Heh, who said any of you are going to fight?" Captain Zaraki asked, shocking the 5 men standing above his large group. "After all, taking these guys on 5 on 1 won't give my blade much more than a little practice."

The group moved in unison off the roof and onto level ground, "5 to 1 you say," Captain Komamura said, "So you think you're good enough to fight all of us by yourself Kenpachi? Although your strength is well known Captain it is no match for your excessive self-confidence as you will soon learn."

"You talk too much Sajin," Kenpachi said reaching for his blade, "Just hurry up and fight already," he drew it out and pointed it at everyone. "And the five of you better attack me at the same time. If you all attack me from different angles, then maybe one of you might actually be able to wound me."

"Are you sure?" Nebilim asked him, "At the very least allow me to spectate in case you get in a bind."

"Thanks, but no thanks, go with the others you'll only get in the way," Kenpachi told her.

"Well fine, don't blame me if you get cut to pieces," Nebilim said walking towards the rest of the group.

"We're gonna go now!" Yachiru said, "We're gonna go find Ichi and you can catch up later ok Kenny?"

"I'll be right there," Kenpachi told her.

Yachiru turned her attention to Ion, Nebilim and Ichigo's nakama, "Cabbage, Jiggles, Muscles, Pencil, Okaasan. Let's get going!"

"What?" Orihime was confused.

Huh, did I just get nicknamed pencil? Uryu asked himself.

Why am I a cabbage? Ion asked himself feeling rather uncomfortable.

Oh she called me okaasan, how sweet, Nebilim chuckled to herself.

"Come on, let's go, let's go!" she said leading everyone away.

"I'll be right there huh? It seems you're deliberately trying to provoke us now," Tosen simmered, "Do you really think you can defeat all 5 of us that easily? Either way it seems you've lost your grasp on sanity Kenpachi."

"Hah, sanity," he scoffed, "Why would I need something as useless as that? Lucky for me I never had any such thing."

"Captain please allow me," Iba said stepping forward.

"And us," Largo said stepping forward together with his lieutenant.

"You idiots," Kenpachi sighed, "I said 5 on 1!"

"You shouldn't take the Captain of Squad 11 so lightly," Nebilim's voice suddenly returned to the area as she Yumichika and Ikkaku returned to the area, "or else you'll wind up dead. If you're going to mock such a powerful and respectable captain the three of us are good enough for you."

"What the…why didn't you three clear out with the others like I told you!" Kenpachi shouted.

"That may hold true for these two to follow your orders, but I'm not obligated to listen to you," Nebilim chuckled. "Now that Captain Kurotsuchi's out of my hair the only people I have to listen to are Nemu and the Head Captain."

"Captain Kurotsuchi is dead?" Sajin asked.

"Just the other day in fact," Nebilim said. "Can't say I'm too banged up about it though, the man was a creep."

Tosen scowled at this hearing Nebilim talk so disrespectfully, "Do not speak ill of the dead!" he told her.

"Why should I have to, we're all dead to begin with anyway. In any case if you think 2 lieutenants and a 3rd seat are good enough to contend with Zaraki Kenpachi you're sadly mistaken. In fact the three of you couldn't even take me on," Nebilim taunted.

"I've never known you to be so arrogant and self-confident Nebilim Gelda," Tosen said.

"Enough blather!" Kenpachi shouted, "All of you take your fight and leave. My blade's itching to get some action so get the hell out of here or I'll kill you if you get in my way."

"Fine by me," Nebilim said and with that, each combatant Shunpoed away in order to fight the combatant in front of them. In Nebilim's case that meant fighting Largo, "So how will you entertain me?" she asked.

"Gelda Nebilim, you have quite a reputation. Amongst third seats you're not only the most well known, but also the strongest and most intelligent," he said.

"That title may soon change when I become a captain," she said, hands in her pockets.

"I see, that would explain the spiritual power emanating from you, you've been prepared to take your captain's place for a long time haven't you?" he asked.

"Yes, I have," she answered.

"Tell me one thing, why are you working with the Ryoka? A woman of your caliber and one on her way to captaincy shouldn't be so flamboyantly breaking the law," Largo inquired.

"I have my reasons," she responded.

"If I defeat you will you explain to me those very reasons?" he asked.

"If you can defeat me," she chuckled, "But rest assured, even if you don't defeat me, you'll understand soon enough. You'd best be careful though, if you know about my reputation you should know about my fighting habits as well."

"I know, you rarely fight but when you do your opponents are hardly ever left standing. That doesn't matter to me, lawbreakers must be condemned for their due punishment," Largo said whipping out his Claymore.

Nebilim huffed, "Really, now you sound like Captain Kuchiki," she grabbed her Nodaichi and unsheathed it. "Prepare yourself Largo, because I don't hold back when I fight…ever." She held her hands out at her sides and levitated off the ground by a few inches; her eyes closed and her sword levitating length wise in front of her. Her hands outstretched as though holding it together by invisible strings, "Repent, Ochitamegami!" The blade gave off a bright light and when it dimmed Nebilim was clad in an orange Shihakusho and a white lab coat draped over it. "Let's go!" she smirked.

To be continued…

(A/N: The showdown begins. Next time Nebilim Vs Largo. But in other news where is Asch, what's he up to? And what of Luke, Hitsugaya and Rangiku, how are they doing. It all happens next time on Noble Flames! Review plz)