A/N: I forgot about this for a while… I can't believe I forgot. Lol I want to have drama happening in all four worlds here. Here's a Soul Society chapter. More glorious insight to the back-story of the Shimizu family. A lot of fifth Senka War stuff. (Lord of deer I love the fifth Senka War… this is going to be so fun to write!) Um… and please, forgive the small amount of retroactive continuity (retcon)… I didn't think I'd ever go into this much detail.

When Chihana Kei mentions her sister's Vassals, she is referring to a group of six highly trained warriors that served her. Most clan leaders have Vassals, and you did see a few of Hakyu's back in the first book when he went to visit Hitsugaya but instead ended up getting smashed with Rangiku.

Hitotsume-kozo (lit. one-eyed child): Child-like Youkai with only one eye, like a Cyclops. They don't like noise.

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Creatures of Myth: Sunlit Summons

Chapter Six: Incrimination

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"Interchanging mind control,
come let the revolution take its toll,
if you could flick a switch and open your third eye,
you'd see that
we should never be afraid to die"

"Uprising" by Muse

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Many years had passed since Chihana Chiume had last sat within the walls of a main house, let alone dine with the inhabitants. She'd never once regretted the events that led to her self-imposed exile, but occasionally she'd remember something she missed, and she did indeed miss many things she had when she still lived at the Chihana house. Memories of Chihana Shigeko's smiling face haunted her dreams as much Kei's scowling visage did. She missed both of them so much.

She sipped her tea. The Soma Kitsune welcomed her with surprising amounts of kindness, despite her status as an outlaw. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that she had caution when letting her name drop. Not many members of the Soma family knew that she had once belonged to the Chihana clan; most only knew her given name. Hopefully, it would stay that way.

"Chiume-san?" a voice asked from the doorway.

The Shirohebi turned, seeing one of the Kitsune's Hitotsume-Kozo servants peeking from behind the door. "Hello," Chiume said, "What is it?"

"Hikaru-sama has demanded your presence."

Demanded. What a specific word. Chiume sighed and stood, abandoning her tea. "Of course," she said, adjusting her top at the waist. "I'll head over to the elders' meeting room-"

The boy said something in a whispery voice. "Pardon?" Chiume prompted.

"You are wanted in the visiting hall. There is a visitor."

She blinked, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "For me?"

He nodded.

Chiume's face twisted downward into a snarl. "Who?"

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"Presenting the rightful and just leader of the Shirohebi, Chihana Kei!" Announced one of the small, snake-like servants that the Shirohebi had brought with her.

A tall, stately woman entered the room, her snake-like eyes glaring down at the Chiume in contempt. Her movements were slithering and appropriately snake-like. Her pulled-back dark hair did not help her reptilian appearance. Her mouth was downturned into a seemingly permanent frown.

Chiume hissed and glared at the two Kitsune guards that were holding her arms on either side, and then looked to Rentaro, who was seated across the way along with a somewhat distressed Soma Orihime. "Liar," she spat, "You gave your word that you wouldn't reveal my location."

Rentaro raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh? I'm sorry, but I had a talk with Shimizu Hakyu," he scowled, shuddering in his rising anger. The accompanying power permeated the room, a pressure of such intensity that Chiume began to find it hard to breath. Such power was a sure testament to his status as the one who claimed the Senka Maiden. "… and the Soma clan does not harbor murderers," he finished, his voice flat with cold fury.

She growled. "You got your justice, Soma. Nazo Sakane is dead, and yet you wish to exact your vengeance on me as well?" she accused, her voice rising in force.

"Enough, Chiume," Kei interrupted. "You will answer for your crimes, both against the Soma family and mine," she said, her voice carrying a noticeable hiss-like quality that, while most Shirohebi faked it for shits and giggles, was a natural and true part of her voice.

"The Soma family will conduct the trial," Rentaro announced. "Her crimes against our family could not be any worse that the ones she committed against the Chihana family."

Kei hissed, her eyes narrowing. "I'd think before you ssspeak, child," she shot, "This criminal murdered my sister."

"She killed my father," Rentaro shot back at her, his expression stony.

The Shirohebi's eyes widened and she backed down. "It seems that I am the one that should think prior to speaking. My apologies and condolences." Her eyes narrowed and she turned back to Chiume. "Just one thing has had me curious, though," her face twisted in an emotion that Chiume couldn't decipher. "How could you kill her, Chiume? She trusted you with her life, and you just…" her glare hardened. "You were her most trusted Vassal, and you betrayed her. Why would you do such a thing?" she demanded, her voice as hard as her glare.

Chiume clenched her teeth and looked down at her feet. "Chihana Shigeko wanted to claim the Senka Maiden," she murmured.

"Excuse me?" Kei said, not quite hearing what the rogue Shirohebi had said.

"Chihana Shigeko was going to fucking eat Shimizu Hotaru!" Chiume shouted, plunging the entire room into stunned silence.

After a few moments, the one to break the silence was Orihime, who was excusably confused. "I'm sorry, but who is Hotaru? I know Hakyu-san, but not Hotaru."

Rentaro was staring at Chiume in shock along with the rest of the room. "She was the Senka Maiden before you, as well as Shimizu Hakyu's wife," he managed.

Orihime nodded before something else occurred to her. "What happened to her?"

"Seven years after the Fifth Senka War, she died in childbirth," he explained.

Her brow furrowed. "Then…" Chiume could see the gears turning in the Lady's head. When it clicked, she jumped, looking reasonably distressed. "This is a misunderstanding," she exclaimed, "Chiume-san saved my life, and also Hotaru-sama! She's a hero, not a criminal!"

Many of the Kitsune in the room didn't like their Lady's conclusion, including Rentaro. "'Hime, she killed my father and kidnapped Shimizu-sama. Chihana Chiume is a criminal. It doesn't matter how many people she has saved. She must pay for her crimes," he said, a little confused that her opinion didn't match his.

Orihime's eyes widened and her eyebrows turned upwards as she pursed her lips. "But she saved me and stopped… that woman from fighting! You pardoned Ichimaru-san, so why not her?"

Rentaro crossed his arms. "Ichimaru Gin is a Shinigami. If he faces any punishments, it will be from their hands," his eyes narrowed. "I don't see any real reason to grant my father's murderer pardon."

"She's a hero, Rentaro!"

Thus began Rentaro and Orihime's first major argument.

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Flashback: One Hundred year before Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai

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The world turn, and with each turn, we are born anew. She breathed, the sweet spring air filling her lungs with the pungent scent of cherry blossoms. Her brush dipped into the ink stone, and she swirled it around rhythmically. The young woman straightened her back, pushing a single strand of sand-colored hair from her face. Brush met parchment, the bamboo shaft perpendicular to the table, and gracefully, she wrote.

Today she was born anew once more. Today, her life would begin. Today was her sixteenth birthday, and she had finally reached the age her father deemed fit for her to marry. She stood, carefully straightening her obi and smoothing her Yukata. She took a step back and admired her work. Painstakingly drawn in sumi-e style were a dozen little fireflies amongst the reeds surrounding a koi pond. In the center was one simple Kanji: Hotaru, the symbol for firefly.

Her name, it was the single thing that kept constant as her world turned.

Hotaru took another step back, preparing to return to the house interior when her geta caught on a loose garden stone. She fell, holding her hands out in front of her in an attempt to cushion her fall. Hands scraped and bloody, she lay there, momentarily prone on the ground. She looked to the offending stone, only to see a little winged pixie-like spirit sitting there, giggling.

"Why you…!" she growled and lunged at it. It panicked and tried to flee, "Come here you little…!" she captured it in her hands. She was so not going to put up with these idiots' crap today. "Bad Youkai! Bad!" she scolded. It hissed at her and sunk its tiny teeth into her wounded hand.

She cried out and released the creature out of reflex. "It bit me!" she exclaimed, "The damned thing-" she looked up at the fleeing yosei. "… bit… me…" Above her was a cloud of swarming Youkai. A few flew towards her and began clawing greedily at her bloodied hand.

Hotaru screamed and began to flee towards the house, but she didn't make it. Hands grasped at her ankles and she fell once more. They dragged her back, claws and teeth biting and scraping. She gripped the garden stones in an attempt to pull herself away. It didn't help. She was going to die here. It had never been this bad before, but she was going to die here.

Help. She thought the word but couldn't get the sound to form in her throat.

Help.

"HELP ME!" She shrieked, throwing her arms over her face.

Out of nowhere, the clamor of demons heightened, the excited chatter turning to frightened cries. The pulled ceased. "Be gone," a deep male voice commanded. "This Senka is mine."

Hotaru shivered. A hand was placed on her shoulder. She slowly moved her arms out of her face.

"Hotaru-san," the man said, "I am not here to hurt you."

Finally looking him, she was met with glowing blue eyes, the rest of his face covered by a tight scarf. On his back were a pair of pitch black wings. "K-Karasu Tengu…!" she gasped.

He sighed. "Kaneko Hotaru, you must come with me," he said, extending a hand.

She trembled. "You… you're here to spirit me away," she stated shakily.

He nodded. "If you do not come with me, you will die."

"Is that a threat?"

"If I leave you here, those creatures will return," he said solemnly, pulling the scarf from his face, "They will consume you."

"Why me?" she demanded.

"You are the Senka Maiden," he said, as if he were surprised she didn't know. After a second, he grinned, kneeling down and taking her hand. "Your blood grants us good health and long life," he licked her bloodied hand for emphasis, a shot of pain making her flinch. Hotaru tried to pull away, but he pulled her back, bringing her into an embrace. "Your flesh gives us great powers," he brushed a hand through a loose strand of her hair, the gentle gesture making her freeze. "And should a clan leader make you his bride," he began, "His clan will prosper and he will become virtually invincible."

Hotaru shook. She had so many questions, so many things she was confused about, but in the end, she decided that the most important question was a simple one. "Who are you?"

He released her from his arms and helped her to her feet, taking a step away and bending into a deep bow. "Shimizu Hakyu, at your service, my lady."

"I am assuming that you are a clan leader?"

He straightened. "Oh~? And what would make you think that?"

"So you are," she stated plainly.

Hakyu shrugged. "You are correct."

She crossed her arms. "Talk to my father first."

Hakyu's face fell as he concealed his wings. Kaneko Hotaru's father was a Samurai.

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A/N: This story won't be nearly as linear as Hidden Enemies was. The main plot is the crap happening in Takamagahara. Sub-plots include Fujiwa figuring out what the heck to do with the divine sword, Ichimaru helping Sakane with her memories (as well as their relationship drama. Ichimaru did notice that green choker around Sakane's neck. A consort's choker.), and Chiume's trial and nice pre-Senka War and Senka War flashbacks that occur during it.

Now the question is… can I keep up all these plots without screwing up or retconning any more than I already have?