(A/N: So the Soul Society arc is widely drawing to a close. We are slowly getting closer to Luke's return to Auldrant. Fasten your seatbelts ladies and Gentleman it's going to be a wild ride)

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

4th Division Barracks

One week after Aizen's rebellion

Luke's pov

"Ow ow OWWWW!" I complained as his wounds were tended to, "Watch where your touching that hurts!"

"A little bit of pain is necessary when treating wounds Lieutenant Fon Fabre please don't struggle," the member of 4th division working on my wounds said.

"Yeah Dreck take it like a man," Asch said over from the corner of the room shirtless and bandaged up.

"Easy for you to say you didn't get any through and through wounds," I shot back. "Aiiiiyeeehhh," I cried out when I was sprayed with something cold.

"It's disinfectant to prevent the opening from getting infected or inflamed," the division member said, "Please don't squirm around you'll only make things harder for me."

I sighed, "So how'd your match with Aizen go, I know you lost considering he got away but…"

Asch smirked, "In retrospect I think he was pretty pissed off that I managed to wound him. Nebilim fought him after me and she didn't even put a scratch on him."

"Professor Nebilim fought him?" I asked.

"Yeah, she used her Bankai on him too," Asch told me, "Speaking of which, how come you didn't use yours?"

I looked down and away, "I was afraid…afraid that my reiatsu might hurt Momo," I said.

"Boy are you soft," Asch muttered.

"Hey what's so wrong about caring about the lives of your friends?" I asked.

"Lieutenant Fon Fabre."

"I didn't say anything was wrong with it, I just said that you should've gone all out, maybe I would've had an easier time with Aizen if you had," Asch said to me.

"Oh so it's my fault," I said getting riled up.

"Lieutenant Fon Fabre."

"If the 13th Division armband fits," Asch chuckled.

"You really piss me off sometimes you know that," I shouted.

"Lieutenant Fon Fabre."

"Oh I've known that for a while," Asch smirked. I growled and sat back down. We both laughed.

"Lieutenant Fon Fabre, I told you not to move around."

"Sorry," I said and sat motionlessly in place, "Where is Professor Nebilim anyway, I heard Aizen did a number on her."

"She's in a care ward down the hall. She'll probably be fine, but man did she get pounded," Asch answered.

Nebilim's pov

"This is going to sting a bit, so please hold still," my caretaker told me and sprayed my shoulder with disinfectant. I winced and gripped the table I was sitting on. I looked over to Largo who was in the same room. "How are you feeling?" I asked him.

"I've been through worse," he said.

"Of course because you went easy on me," Nebilim said. Largo seemed surprised that she knew. "That couldn't have been your best if you were fighting your hardest I should've taken at least some damage."

Largo grunted, "I see there's no fooling your sense. It's true I held back. It's because of what you said. You told me that 'even if I didn't defeat you I would understand why you were doing what you were doing soon enough'. To me that meant that you obviously had a deeper understanding of what was going on then most of everyone comprehended. However, I couldn't just abandon my captain's orders to fight you and if you needed to carry out your plan I couldn't rightfully injure you beyond quick recovering so I held back just enough to please my captain and fought enough to allow to beat me without getting yourself tired out."

"That was smart, unfortunately…"

"Yes I know, Captian Tosen was in on the whole thing," Largo bowed his head.

"You looked up to him didn't you?" Nebilim asked.

"Of course I did," Largo said, "he was a brilliant instructor he had an insightful view on battle and gave all of us the will to fight. 'When you fear battle you fight for those who also fear to fight' those were his exact words. They're my favorite teachings of his. I heard from Captain Komamura that he said that Captain Tosen is following the path with the least amount of blood because justice is always there. How could Aizen's path construct the least amount of blood?"

"Aizen pulled the wool over all our eyes. Even mine, I was so fixated on my own captain I missed an even bigger monster," Nebilim responded and then muttered to herself, "I won't make the same mistake again."

6th Division barracks

3rd Person pov

Renji sat on the side of the room carving wood. Byakuya sat in bed, recovering. "Renji, why are you here?" he asked him.

"I'm here…because you're my captain," Renji answered.

"You probably wish I were dead," Byakuya stated, "I imagined that's what you're thinking now."

"No! You're wrong! If you were to die…then what reason would I have to get stronger," Renji said getting riled up. "And in fact…captain…"

Before Renji could say anything Ichigo came running up the side of the building, "RENJI!" he shouted. The noise completely shocked Byakuya…and possibly damaged his hearing since Ichigo was only a few feet from the man's ears.

Renji got right in Ichigo's face, "Hey! What the hell? How dare you charge in here like that? I was about to say something cool and you totally ruined the moment!"

"Sorry," Ichigo apologized, "How was I supposed to know? Hey have you seen Rukia around anywhere lately?"

"What? You better not have lost Rukia again," Renji snapped.

"No, no, I just thought you might know where she might be,"

"What's going on Kurosaki-kun did you find out where Rukia is?" Orihime asked climbing up onto the window ledge next to him.

"How did you get all the way up here?" Ichigo asked and then quickly added, "Forget it, I don't want to know." He turned his attention to the 6th Division leaders, "Sorry to barge in on you like that Byakuya. Later Renji."

"We'll be going now," Orihime said and the two dropped down from the windowsill and ran off together.

"I wonder what the hell those two are up to," Renji said glancing down at the ground. He looked at Byakuya who seemed puzzled, "Something wrong sir?"

"It's just that…I certainly hope this Ichigo doesn't intend to keep calling me by my first name. I find his lack of respect disturbing."

Ichigo's pov

"Where are we going Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue panted as she ran behind me, "Did Abarai-san give an idea as to where Kuchiki-san is?"

"Well sort of," I said, "If she wasn't with Renji there are only two other places she could possibly be. Just follow me," I told her.

"Ok," she answered. I ran all the way to 4th Division, since the person I was looking for was still in recovery. I walked into the room where he was staying.

"Hey Luke," I said standing in the doorway.

"Oh Ichigo," he smiled as Inoue and entered the room, "How are you? What's up?"

"Have you seen Rukia at all lately?" I asked.

"Not recently, why?" he asked.

"Agh damn it," I said running off.

"Hey wait for me!" he shouted catching up with Inoue and me.

"Ah Lieutenant Fon Fabre you're not fully recovered yet you shouldn't be running like that!" someone called out. Luke ignored whoever it was.

"What's going on?" Luke asked.

"Well I can't find Rukia. If she's not with Renji and she's not with you there's only one other place she could be. Come on!"

3rd Person pov

Shiba clan grounds

Ganju was dancing and dodging bullets as a woman with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, the sides of it coming down to her shoulders with an ample chest and a slim frame shot at him with two guns, one in each hand, aiming for his feet. The woman wore a black reverse V cut vest, the opening being down by her legs. She had a white battle kimono on underneath and a ribbon tied to her back the loops of which her arms stuck through and the strands went down by her ankles She wore long black flat top boots and fingerless gloves. Kukaku stood next to her.

"Sis come on," Ganju complained, "I've been at this for hours now can't we stop?"

"Of course not! This is your punishment for being so useless as to get flung back into Rukongai from the flower crane cannon!" Kukaku shouted. "Besides Oslo-san here is in need of some target practice right?" she asked the blonde.

"Yes," the blonde woman responded.

This went on for a few more minutes until Kukaku put a hand on the woman's shoulder, "Oslo-san stop for a minute," she told her. The blonde did as she was told turning one gun into a wakizashi and the other into a scabbard. She hooked it into a strap on the left side of her vest. Kukaku turned to look at Rukia who had come onto the grounds. Ganju dropped to his feet. "That's…that's the girl who killed Kaien Nii-san!" he shouted.

"What do you want?" Kukaku snapped.

"How dare you come here and violate the Shiba clan grounds with your presence," Ganju grumbled.

The woman, Oslo-san, put a hand on her Wakizashi, "That won't be necessary Oslo-san I can handle this." She looked at Rukia with daggers in her eyes, "What did you come here for?"

"I'm sorry," Rukia apologized, "I know I should've come sooner. I wanted to but I was a coward. I should've apologized to you the first chance I got. The longer I waited the harder it seemed to become and I…"

"Stop that's enough," Kukaku said, "What is this, the world's longest apology?"

"But sis," Ganju protested.

"It's all right. Ganju you don't understand the circumstances under which Kaien was killed," Kukaku said, "There wasn't really any other way. He was taken over by a hollow and fused with it. By the time Rukia stabbed him the chances of Kaien getting back to normal were null. That's what Captain Ukitake told me anyways so I decided that if she said even one word of apology that I would forgive her.

"Ah ha. I knew I'd find you here." Ichigo said appearing on the grounds.

Rukia turned around, "Ichigo…Orihime…Fon Fabre-fukutaicho."

"You gave us quite a scare Rukia," Luke said.

"In the morning they're going to open up a gate for us and you're still not back to full health. So come on let's go get some rest," Ichigo urged.

"Um actually…Ichigo…I'm staying here in the Soul Society," Rukia said.

"Well that's fine…good for you," Ichigo said.

"You didn't want her to go back at all, you just wanted to be comfortable in your own home didn't you?" Luke asked stretching his hands behind his back, "That's why you came after her in the first place right?"

"That's right so if you want to say then that's what you should do," Ichigo said.

Everyone was all smiles when there was a loud shout, "Luke Fon Fabre!" Everyone's attention geared towards Oslo-san.

Luke gasped recognizing the woman. "I…you're…"

"Hmm, you know this guy Oslo-san?" Kukaku asked the blonde.

"Of course I do," the blonde said stepping forward. "I'm dead because of him and his friends."

"Ichigo who's the woman with black hair?" Luke asked.

"Kukaku Shiba she helped Ion and us get into the Soul Society," Ichigo said.

"Was this person with her?" Luke asked.

"I don't think so," Ichigo said.

Luke stepped forward, "It's been a long time Legretta the Quick," Luke said stepping forward.

"Who's this Legretta person?" Ganju asked his sister. Kukaku whacked him.

"Idiot," she said, "Legretta the Quick was Oslo-san's title when she was alive. I'm the only person she confided in about her past, but more importantly look at the armband on the red head's shoulder."

"He's a vice captain, and not just any vice-captain he's brother's replacement!" Ganju shouted.

"Yeah," Kukaku said wrapping her arm around her body, "Hey if you two are going to fight take it outside!"

"We are outside though," Legretta said turning towards Kukaku.

"Somewhere outside that isn't near my house!" Kukaku said anger rising.

"Luke we should probably do what she says," Legretta told him and the two moved to a location that was away from all civilization.

"It's been a long time Legretta," Luke said to her.

"Yes, so tell me Luke Fon Fabre what brings you to Soul Society and just what is with that armband?" she asked.

"I came here shortly after we all succeeded when my body broke down. Asch is with me. He's back in the Seireitai as part of the Gotei, but what about you? What are you doing here?"

"Heh," Legretta smirked folding her arms, "It's been 18 years since I first arrived in the Soul Society. Like you and Asch probably did I also joined the Gotei 13. My only two positions in the Gotei were 13th Seat of 6th Division and 7th seat of the 2nd. However, during one of my missions as a member of the second division all of my attendees were killed. We were ambushed by a large group of hollows. I was the only one to survive, but barely. The Gotei didn't send anyone out to come check up on me when I didn't come back to the Seireitai. Rather than wait I trudged through Rukongai, heavily injured and that's when Kukaku found me.

Flashback

Legretta's pov

I leaned up against the side of a tree, panted and collapsed. I was bleeding from several locations and my fatigue had finally caught up with me as did hunger. The Gotei had abandoned me completely. Is what it's like to suffer before dying? I wondered. I fell over and blacked out. When I opened my eyes my wounds were healed and there was a hot plate of food in front of me. There was also someone else in the room. She had black hair, one arm and was wearing a red battle kimono.

"Eat," she told me, "You need to regain your strength."

"Ah thank you," I told her and ate what was on my plate.

"So you were abandoned by the Gotei 13 huh, they sure do that a lot these days," the woman said, "I'm Kukaku, Shiba Kukaku, what's your name?"

I swallowed the food that was in my mouth. "Giselle, Oslo Giselle," I answered.

"Nice to meet you Oslo-san," Kukaku-sama gave me her hand. I smiled reached my own hand out and shook it

End Flashback.

3rd Person pov

"Ever since that day I've been in debt to the Shiba clan for taking me in," Legretta said. "I can never forgive the Gotei for abandoning me. I will never go back there, but I am also a Shinigami and therefore I will still carry out my duty to protect the innocent just as I had done when I was in the God Generals."

"I see," Luke said, "is that why you didn't go with Kukaku to the Seireitai when she came to help out?"

"Of course," Legretta responded, "The Gotei 13 is a finished chapter of my afterlife. I will never return to it. Just as Yulia's score forsake my brother's life and controlled the lives of the people the Gotei 13 was the same way. I tried to do the same as when I was with the Oracle Knights and tried to change it from the inside out, but now that they've abandoned me I will never return there again."

"Why? Surely you must realize they may want you to come back," Luke tried to persuade Legretta.

"Are you going to try to force me…lieutenant?" Legretta asked.

"Maybe I am," Luke said.

"Very well then," Legretta drew out her swords, "Then I will fight you!" Legreta drew her sword and held her scabbard with the other hand, "Shoot all enemies down! Tsuin Dangan!" (Twin Bullet) Legretta's pistols she had been using on Ganju earlier appeared in her hands. They resembled her guns from back when she was a God General in Auldrant.

"Burn. Nenshou Shikon!" Luke rushed at Legretta who started off the battle by firing bullets made of her reiatsu at Luke. Luke dodged each shot that came at him. Eventually he got up close enough to strike Legretta with an extended shot from Nenshou Shikon's flames. He burned the bullets coming at him. Legretta used Shunpo to dodge and got behind him. She stuck her gun in Luke's back and fired. Luke just barely missed getting shot in the shoulder. Legretta followed Luke with her other gun as he ran around her in a circle.

"I know what you're thinking," she said, "If she fires long enough she'll have to reload. That's the best part of having a weapon that uses your own spirit energy for ammunition," she charged a powerful blast of energy in one of her gun's barrels and aimed at Luke, "I don't have to reload!" Luke just barely dodged the incoming strike as he slid underneath the incoming blast. Legretta used Shunpo to get close to him and opened fire from the front.

Luke began spinning in a circle rapidly, "Hoonami Daikonran!" Several arcs of flame came scorching towards Legretta burning her bullets. She jumped and ducked over each wave that came her way as she made progress towards Luke.

"It's over!" she shouted as she charged an even bigger energy blast from her gun then before and fired it at Luke.

"Bakudo 81 Danku!" Luke shouted and immediately got out of the way. He wasn't very proficient at Kido. He could cast them no problem, but he knew very few of the spells and his proficiency was below average with the ones he did know, except for his absolute favorite attack. Luke put away his sword and created a yellow ball of energy with one hand and a blue disc of energy in another. He combined them together to make a bright blue one. So glad I don't need the incantation for this anymore. He said in his head, "Here goes! Secret Hado number 7 Raitensorataiho!" He threw the blast up at an angle where Legretta was holding her position. She shunpoed out of the way and Luke followed her position and sent Nenshou Shikon blazing towards her in a spiral like fashion. Legretta sent another round of energy bullets at him, but when the flames got too close she ran again.

She got behind Luke and charged a red ball of flame in her gun, "Hado 31 Shakkaho!" Luke dodged.

"So you can fire Kido from your guns too," Luke said as he and Legretta stood apart from each other, "That's quite impressive."

"That's so kind of you to compliment me," Legretta said with a smile. Her and Luke's expressions quickly changed to expressions of seriousness and they reengaged each other once again. Luke sent a wave of flame out at Legretta which she dodged and fired a volley of shots. Luke dodged or parried each one.

This isn't getting me anywhere, Luke thought, I can't catch her, she really does deserve the title Legretta the Quick. I need to use an attack that will get her no matter where she is. And I have just the thing.

I'm running low on fuel, that's one disadvantage about using my own spirit energy to create bullets, after a while I'll get tired, Legretta told herself, I need to finish this off and I know just how to do that.

Luke raised his sword up in the air and with a loud battle cry thrust it into the ground, "Fuera Bureka!" (Flare Breaker) Pillars of flame erupted and progressed in a square formation in all directions outward.

Shit I need to do this fast. Legretta took both her guns and used spirit energy to transfigure them into one really big gun…or rather a rocket launcher. Say hello to my little friend, Tsuin Dangan's ultimate attack, "Seshin Roketto Boko!" (Spirit Rocket Assault) From the mouth of the launcher four rockets composed of spirit energy were fired from Legretta's weapon. She returned her launcher back to her two pistols and then made to get out of the way of Luke's attack, but she was too late. I couldn't dodge it. Damn it.

Fortunately for her, her rockets pierced through Luke's flame and now were on a set course straight for it. Luke, having no where to run got slammed in the chest by Legretta's attack. Both combatants were flung back and were knocked to the ground. They were both brutally beat up by each other's attacks.

Legretta's pov

I lost…damn it…I lost, I cursed as I lay motionless on the ground as I regained consciousness. When I opened my eyes Luke was standing over me. He was extending his hand down to me.

"Need a hand?" he asked.

I frowned, but took it, "Yeah thanks," I said. "So I suppose you're going to make me go back to the Seireitai with you," I said as I wiped my outfit of dust.

"I can't do that. I didn't win," Luke said.

"Huh?" I looked and saw how badly he was injured.

"We'll call that one a draw," he said, "not that I feel like trying again though. If you don't want to go back to the Gotei 13 then that's your business." He looked away scratching the back of his neck, "I can't force you to go to someplace you don't like. It wouldn't be just of me. After all that's happened recently…"

"You don't have to talk I get it," I said holding up a hand, "Sheesh you're the complete opposite of him."

"You mean Asch?" he asked.

I nodded and put a hand on my hip, "Yeah you two are as different as night and day when it comes to how you act." I picked up my Zanpakuto, it having gone back to sealed form when I lost consciousness, and put it back at my hip side. I walked past Luke, "Come on," I said. "We should head back to Kukaku-sama's. If I know here she's probably gonna make those friends of yours and you as well stay for dinner."

"Hey Legretta," Luke called out.

"What?" I asked turning to face him.

"Can we be friends?" he asked.

"What?" I asked weirded out by the question.

"Well it's just that I know you're not part of the Gotei and I know that you and I were enemies back in Auldrant, but Largo's in the Gotei and he's not holding a grudge. And also I made a promise to Tear that I would go back and…"

Tear…I looked at Luke and smiled with kind eyes, yeah I got the feeling those two had a strong bond. So he's doing all this so he can go back to Auldrant and see her again. "All right," I said.

"Huh?" Luke picked up his head.

"Friends it is," I gave him my hand, "Just don't come running to me with an issue if the Gotei 13 is in some kind of peril. It's not my concern."

"I understand," he said, "Umm…"

"What, what is it?" I asked.

"I'm left handed so…" I noticed that my right hand was outstretched.

"Oh my apologies," I said and gave him my left. He shook my hand. "Right then," I said turning away, "Let's head back to Kukaku-sama's place."

"I'm right behind you," Luke said and the two of us headed off.

(A/N: Yes Legretta makes a debut into the Noble Flames saga. Special thanks to Xerosonic for helping me devise her origin story. I worked the scene myself. Defeat means friendship is one of the biggest played tropes out there so that's basically what happened. Anyway next chapter will have some interesting developments to be sure. I'll see you all then. Review plz).