A/N: Fun fact, Jungetsu (spirit)'s theme song is Glitter by Another Infinity. In case, you know, you wanted to know that.

I'm doing some intense fieldwork right now (the opposite of happy lab work), so updates may be slower than usual, but I still intend on getting them done. I want Chasing the Moon finished by the end of the summer!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. At all.

Chapter 46: Broken worlds

The gate to the Shattered World was not so much a door as it was a place where Ongetsu's inner world simply ended, the blackness and shadow of the path they were walking on opening into a world of strange colors, of glassy, iridescent sands spread out beneath a shattered stained-glass sky. Karin stopped at the edge of the path, staring at the world in front of her. The path had opened up into a small oasis in the desert, the glass sands ringing an empty pool of water with a shattered surface. Trees ringed the pond, their trunks crystalline and translucent. The strange light filtered through them, breaking into a million colors as though each branch was a prism in and of itself.

She paused, her hand resting on Ongetsu's scythe. Nothing looked right. Everything was beautiful, in a surreal way, but nothing looked honest, real, alive.

If she was being honest with herself, this place gave her the creeps.

Beside her, Ongetsu came to a stop as well, his eyes fixed on the shattered pond, and at the pale purplish light that washed over everything, coming down from the broken sky. Karin glanced down at the child. His expression had changed from playful to pensive, almost sad. In that moment, he looked a million miles away.

"On?" she asked. "What is this place?"

Ongetsu was silent for long enough that Karin thought he wasn't going to answer, his grip tightening on the stuffed rabbit.

"The flower in the mirror, and the moon in the water…" he finally said, his gold eyes fixed on the scene. "The things that cannot be grasped, only seen, except with the mind and the heart…"

Karin frowned, staring at her zanpakuto spirit. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Nothing," said Ongetsu, looking away. "Never mind." He turned away from her, looking back at Ichigo, Toshiro, and Byakuya, who had come to a stop as well, their eyes fixed on the strange landscape. "This is as far as I'll take you," he said. "I'm not going to walk into the Shattered World like this." He looked back at her, smiling faintly. "Of course, Karin, I'll always be with you."

"Yeah," said Karin, her grip tightening on the scythe. She rested the shaft on her shoulder, the blade curving over her head. "Thanks…On."

"Anytime," said Ongetsu. He paused, his expression growing serious again as he looked out over that strange world. "Take care of yourselves," he said. "Nothing in this world is as it seems. Even for me."

"Don't worry," said Ichigo, turning to Ongetsu. "We'll definitely make it back alive."

"That's what I thought you'd say," said Ongetsu, giving Ichigo a grin. He took a step back, lowering his head slightly so that his hair hung over his face and resting his chin on top of the rabbit's head. "Karin-chan, after you?"

Karin nodded, taking a breath. Then, before she could get second thoughts, she stepped forward, crossing the threshold between her inner world and that unnaturally bright landscape. Sand shifted under her feet, rolling away from her as she stepped onto it. She looked down at it. Unlike regular sand, or even the white sands of Hueco Mundo, this sand seemed to be composed of individual beads of glass, each bead seeming to shimmer with an entire spectrum of color. She looked into the distance and saw nothing but more of the same sands past this oasis, glassy rocks dotting the landscape here and there.

Despite its beauty, and its scale, the land was empty. Nothing lived, nothing grew.

So this was Aizen's inner world.

She heard footsteps on the sand next to her, and turned to see that Ichigo and Byakuya had followed her out of the inner world, Ichigo coming to stand next to her. Byakuya swept past them, his eyes fixed on that point in the distance where Kyoka Suigetsu waited. His expression was unreadable, but Karin found herself watching him as he passed, a frown on her face.

It hadn't escaped her that he had come running as soon as he realized she was missing, nor had it escaped her that he'd run off in the middle of an alarm, without even stopping to consult the soutaicho.

Just like it hadn't escaped her that in the past few years, her twin sister had been unusually secretive, and unusually determined to stay by the stoic captain's side.

Byakuya…and Yuzu…

She couldn't have been the only one who wondered what was really going on there, if anything at all.

Toshiro left the inner world, coming to her side. He looked past her at the desert, and at their destination, far off in the distance. One of his hands had gone up, resting on Hyourinmaru's hilt. As soon as he was through, the path to her inner world began to recede, and she felt Ongetsu's scythe shift and shrink, changing back into its sealed form. She lifted the blade from her shoulder, sliding it back into its sheath and pressing her thumb over the guard to keep it there. Toshiro glanced at her, and she nodded back, her eyes meeting his.

As one, they started to walk, heading past the broken pond and towards that presence pulsing in the distance.

The Senkaimon opened up into the sky above Rukongai, sending them all tumbling through the air. Rukia, one of the last through, raised her hands as the others fell screaming towards the ground, pointing her palms at them.

"Bakudo # 37: Tsuriboshi!"

Blue light erupted from her fingertips, latching onto the rooftops of the buildings below them. A kido net appeared below them, suspended in the air between the rooftops. Yasui and Mari hit it first, screaming. The net bounced as they struck it, catching them before they could hit the ground and catapulting them back into the air. They passed Ishida and Orihime as they fell again, dazed this time, and the net shuddered as the other two landed on top of it, more stable this time. Rukia was the last to land, and the net rippled slightly with the movement, shuddering beneath her as she rolled to a stop towards the center.

"Kuchiki-san!" said Yasui as she pushed herself up, already helping Mari up to her feet.

"It's alright," said Rukia, exhaling. "I knew that would happen."

The kido net began to fade, lowering them gently to the ground before disappearing completely. Rukia got to her feet, resting one hand on Sode no Shirayuki as she looked around at the others. The four humans with her examined the area around them with interest. It reminded Rukia that it had been a while since Ishida and Orihime's last real visit to Soul Society. While both of them had been present at her wedding, they had only been there for that night, and hadn't had a chance to see much more than the Kuchiki Manor.

She took that moment to study the area around her. It was already dark, the moon shining down on the empty streets. From the looks of things, they were in one of the First Districts of Rukongai. Seireitei loomed in the distance, a silent shadow. Rukia glanced at it, but whatever alarm had been in place earlier that day seemed to have calmed, and everything seemed still.

Mari walked up next to her, looking out over the streets. The young woman folded her arms, saying nothing for a few long moments. Rukia watched her, remembering how adamant she had been about coming with them. She seemed thoughtful now, her eyes on Seireitei in the distance. At length, she looked back at Rukia.

"Kuchiki-san," she said, "Where are we?"

"We're in the Rukongai," said Rukia, "The place where most of the souls in Soul Society live." She took a deep breath, then turned away from Seireitei, looking back at the others. "Our best bet of finding Yasui Hisoka is in Seireitei, where Masaryu and Iwase have already gone. Unfortunately, with the current state of alert, the gates to Seireitei will have already been closed for the night. We'll have to go in the morning."

Yasui frowned, looking away from her and saying nothing. Rukia could tell from his posture and expression that he was impatient to be on his way, but he didn't argue. She looked back at Orihime and Ishida, both of whom were watching her expectantly.

"Luckily," she said, "There is a place we can stay. Follow me."

Isshin's clinic stood practically against the walls of Seireitei, the towering structure of Sekkiseki acting as a backdrop to the large building. Orihime paused at the door as Rukia approached it, her eyes falling on the sign by the gate. They widened slightly in recognition, and she looked back at the shinigami.

"This is…" she began.

Rukia nodded, pushing the gate open. It swung open easily, revealing a stone path that led up to the clinic's main doors. She frowned, thinking back to Ankoujin Ryushin's funeral, and the way that Isshin had simply disappeared after the event. Ichigo had said that he suspected Isshin might be in Karakura Town, and neither of them had seen any sign of him since.

"Let's just hope he's home," she said, as she took her first step onto the path.

"RUKIA-CHAAAAANNNN!"

Rukia's eyes widened as Isshin barreled up the path towards her, wrapping his arms around her neck and pulling her into a crushing bear hug.

"Is it true?" he asked, as he hugged her, tears streaming down his face. "Is it true? Am I going to be a grandfather? Rukia-chan—!"

"Yes—," she squeaked, the breath momentarily driven out of her from the force behind Isshin's hug. She cleared her throat, gulping down a breath of air and putting her hands on Isshin's shoulders as she pushed him gently but firmly away from her. "Yes," she said, her voice less strained. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, and did her best not to flush from the sudden attention. "It's true. But we have a situation right now, Isshin-san."

Isshin blinked, his eyes moving past Rukia to the four people standing in his doorway. His expression shifted from ecstatic to serious as his eyes fell on them, and he gave Rukia's shoulders a quick squeeze before releasing her, letting his hands fall back to his side. "I heard about Yuzu," he said, looking back at Rukia. "What else is going on?"

"It's a long story," said Rukia, giving a meaningful glance at the streets around them. "Could we speak inside?"

Isshin nodded, pulling away from Rukia and gesturing at the clinic. He gave Ishida and Orihime a smile, extending it to Yasui and Mari as well. "Make yourselves at home," he said, leading them in.

"Thank you," said Rukia, giving Isshin a tired smile back. She started up the path, the other four following her. They stepped in through the front doors, entering a wide entry hall. Rukia turned, about to ask Isshin where to go, when one of the sliding doors opened, a brown-haired man peeking out.

"Isshin-san," said Asakawa Kaito, stepping out from behind the door and entering the hall. "I heard voices. Is everything alright?"

Kaito froze, his eyes landing on Yasui.

"You!" Yasui snarled, moving forward before anyone could react.

"Yasui—!" Rukia said, reaching a hand out to stop him. She was too late, and he grabbed Kaito by two fistfuls of his gi, slamming him hard against the wall. Orihime and Mari both gasped, and Kaito struck the wall so hard that his head jerked back, his glasses nearly flying off his face.

"Where is she?" Yasui asked, his grip white-knuckled with rage. Kaito grit his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut as Yasui shook him, slamming him against the wall again with each word. "Where is my sister?!"

"I—I don't know!" said Kaito, through clenched teeth. "I don't know!"

"Liar!" said Yasui. "You're with the New Dawn. I know you are! Where is she?"

Kaito leaned back as far as he could, trying to get away from Yasui, but the other man's hands were firmly on his gi. Yasui's eyes were narrowed, his lips pulled back in a snarl. Kaito opened his mouth to answer, but as Yasui shook him again, it came out as a whimper. Rukia and Mari sprang into action, moving to either side of him. Rukia grabbed hold of his arm.

"Yasui!" she shouted as she moved.

"Tetsuya!" said Mari, grabbing onto his other arm.

Between the two of them, they managed to pull Yasui off of Kaito. The Kusanagi member struggled only briefly before falling still, staring at the young man in front of him. Kaito had slumped down after Yasui released him, and was leaning pressed against the wall as if he was still trying to get away from the other man, his eyes wide and his glasses askew. Isshin moved to Kaito's side, placing a steadying hand on the young man's arm.

"Kaito-kun," he said.

Kaito shook his head, his face pale as he let Isshin draw him back to his feet. Yasui stared at him for a long moment, taking in the sight in front of him, before he suddenly moved, pulling his arms out of their grip and storming off down a side corridor. Rukia stared after him, her eyes wide.

"Yasui—," she began.

"Let him go," said Mari from beside her, folding her arms. Rukia's eyes widened, and she looked back at Mari. The young woman's expression was serious, her eyes narrowed as she watched Yasui walk away. "When Tetsuya is like this, it's best to just leave him alone."

She watched Yasui for a moment more before turning away.

Rukia opened her mouth, about to ask a question, when she caught sight of Orihime and Ishida approaching Kaito. The sight of them reminded her of what had just happened, and she turned towards former New Dawn member as he shakily pulled his glasses off his face, wiping them with his sleeve.

"Are you alright, Asakawa-san?" Rukia asked.

"Yes…" said Kaito, taking a deep breath. He looked up at the corridor Yasui had just vanished down, his face pale. "I don't…I don't blame him at all. If it were my sister…I would have done the same."

"That's still no excuse for that sort of behavior," said Ishida, frowning.

Kaito shook his head, slipping his glasses back onto his face. "No," he said. "I don't mind. If there's something I can do to help you find the girl, please let me know."

Something in his words jogged her memory. "Asakawa-san," said Rukia, turning towards Kaito. "Hitsugaya-taicho mentioned that you had the ability to read auras. Is there any way you can use those powers to help us find Yasui Hisoka?"

Kaito shook his head, lowering his gaze to the floor. "My powers don't work the way they used to anymore," he said. "Since my…death, they've become really unreliable. I can't find Hisoka-san for you. All I can tell you is that that man has…a complicated past. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," said Rukia, giving Kaito a reassuring smile. "We'll find a way. As far as your powers go, it could be that they've simply changed with your death. They could return, if you decide to become a shinigami."

"Yes…" said Kaito, a touch of melancholy in his voice. He didn't raise his head. "Thank you, Rukia-san…"

"At any rate," said Ishida, "We won't be finding Hisoka tonight."

Rukia nodded, Ishida's words bringing her attention back to the subject at hand. She looked around at the others. "Masaryu and Iwase should already be doing what they can to search for Hisoka within Seireitei," she said. "For now, we should leave it to them. We'll begin again in the morning."

The hill upon which Kyoka Suigetsu waited was bathed in moonlight, purplish light shining down from a round disk set in the center of a broken sky. Yuzu made her way slowly up to the crest of that hill, one hand on the sword at her side. She could feel Jungetsu's presence at her fingertips, feel her zanpakuto's spirit standing behind her as she climbed the last few steps, still feeling something drawing her forward, a nagging sense of familiarity tugging at her soul.

She'd meant to come here to shoulder the burden of facing Kyoka Suigetsu in the inner world, to pay that price so none of the people she loved would have to. Those had been her only intentions. And yet, the longer she stayed in this world, the more she began to wonder if that was really all that was in play here.

There were certain things that didn't add up, like how Jungetsu had managed to open a door into this world in the first place.

Those thoughts came to her, but they changed nothing. She still intended to see this battle through, still intended to see Kyoka Suigetsu defeated. She couldn't allow anything to affect her resolve, not at this crucial step.

Not for what she intended.

Yuzu crested the top of the hill, coming face to face with the spirit that waited for her.

Bathed in moonlight and standing proud in her own inner world, Kyoka Suigetsu was unquestionably beautiful. It was a harsh beauty, though, not a gentle one, an intimidating, commanding presence. It was the sort of feeling she had once felt from Nishimori Azami, but not anymore. She was done letting others intimidate her, done being afraid.

She drew herself up to her fullest height, looking straight into those cool blue eyes.

Kyoka Suigetsu looked back at her, her lips pulling back into a smile.

"Kurosaki Yuzu," she said, turning to face Yuzu fully. The layers of her blue kimono spread out around her, like ripples on the surface of a pond. "I was wondering when you would finally reach me. It's rude to keep people waiting, you know."

Yuzu ignored the obvious taunt, looking straight into the other woman's eyes. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, in a final attempt to stop the inevitable. "You don't have to fight. You aren't bound to Aizen anymore, Kyoka Suigetsu. You're free."

"Free?" Kyoka Suigetsu repeated, amusement in her expression. She let out a soft laugh, her smile becoming a smirk. "You betray your ignorance, Kurosaki Yuzu. I am never free. Not for every day that my Sosuke is no longer by my side. And nothing will keep me from him. Not you, not Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, not the Soul King himself. We will remake this world, and our world has no place for people like you."

"I see…" Yuzu exhaled slowly, her left hand shifting and lowering her sword's hilt to her center. She placed one hand on Jungetsu's hilt. "There's just no avoiding this, is there?"

"No." Kyoka Suigetsu held out her hand. Light gathered in her palm, forming the shape of a sword. She closed her hand around the hilt, holding the blade out horizontally in front of her. "There isn't."

"Then, I suppose I have no choice."

She slid her sword out of its sheath, her eyes still fixed on Kyoka Suigetsu as a white glow filled the air, her reiatsu pulsing outwards from her in waves.

"Bankai," she said, a note of sadness in her voice. "Hakkyokan Jungetsu."

The light surrounded both of them, the area around them shifting and changing as white walls and pillars rose up from the sands, the castle forming around them.

Ongetsu watched from the small window left between the inner world and the Shattered World as the four shinigami walked away, standing in the shadows. If he concentrated, he could still feel them, connected as he was to the sword that hung at Karin's hip. He placed his hand on the rock next to him, his other hand holding onto his rabbit by the arm. A small smile tugged at his mouth as he felt another's presence in his inner world, and he looked over his shoulder in time to see a flash of white.

"How long are you going to keep standing there?" he asked.

There was a pause, and then a figure in white leaned out from behind one of the rocks, grinning at him. In appearance, the man looked almost exactly like Ichigo, except dressed in white instead of black, with white hair and eyes that were completely black, except for gold irises.

"Why didn't you tell them the truth?" the Hollow asked, his eyes fixed on Ongetsu

Ongetsu smirked, looking away. "I conceal things," he said. "I don't tell the truth. Weren't you paying attention?"

"Heh." The Hollow leaned back against the rock casually, staring up at the sky. "You really are a brat, On."

"I learned from the best," said Ongetsu, still smiling. "Zan-nii."

A soft breeze blew, pushing against Ongetsu's face and pulling back his hair slightly to reveal both his eyes. Gold eyes, the light shining against them. As Ongetsu stared off into the distance, shadows started creeping across one of his eyes, the sclera shifting from white to black.

TO BE CONTINUED

Omake

"Kuchiki-san, so it's true?" asked Orihime, sitting down with Rukia in the courtyard of Isshin's clinic. "You and Kurosaki-kun are having a baby?"

"Erm, yes," said Rukia, looking up at Orihime from over her meal. "The thought still takes some getting used to, though."

"That's so exciting!" said Orihime, smiling broadly and clapping her hands together. "Have you started craving anything yet? I know with Ushu, I started wanting all sorts of strange foods, like peanut butter and jelly, or salsa without red bean paste!"

"Uh—well," Rukia decided to ignore the fact that those combinations sounded fairly normal. "No, not yet. I suppose it's too early for things like that."

"Let us know if we can do anything to help," said Orihime. "I have a recipe for baby food that Ushu really loved."

"And I can sew baby clothes," said Ishida, already sketching something down. "I have a pattern I used for Ushu that is easily adaptable."

"Ah, that's alright," said Rukia, smiling uneasily and waving her hands at the two of them. "I'm sure we'll manage somehow."

"I was thinking a design like this," said Ishida, holding up what he was drawing. It was a sketch of a small onesie, with a hood that had a pair of Chappy-like rabbit ears attached. Rukia froze, her eyes wide. She turned towards Ishida suddenly, clasping her hands in front of her, her eyes glittering with stars.

"—Ishida, please!"