And here it is, people... The last chapter. Read and Review.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Honestly, I don't. :(
"Maruyama-taicho! Maruyama-taicho!" The urgent voice of Miyuki's 5th seat, Hosaka Arisa, roused the tired captain from her sleep. "Maruyama-taicho!" Arisa repeated urgently, and Miyuki bolted upright in alarm, only to smack her head into the back of her bed post.
"Ow!" Miyuki shouted out her pain, causing her bluish purple haired 5th seat to jump back in alarm. "What's wrong?" Miyuki asked in a voice laced with pain as she tossed the sheets off her robed body, rubbing her injured head. Three months had passed since Miyuki became Captain, and she slept in the official Captain's quarters most of the time due to her position demanding it. Especially with the Daiki situation. All the Divisions were sending squads out regularly to help the 9th Division keep the area clear. Everyone was unnerved by the fact that Daiki was able to enter and leave Seireitei without a trace.
"The 6th Division's patrol was ambushed. They are fending off the attacks. I came here to get you immediatly for reinforcements." Arisa said quickly, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes dangerously. If they immediatly came to the Captain instead of the lieutenant...
"Kuchiki-taicho was part of the squad, wasn't he?" Miyuki asked as she grabbed her Zanpakuto, quickly rolling up the sleeve of her light blue sleeping kimono and strapping the sheath to her left forearm with her teeth and right hand.
"Yes, he was. Are you going to give reinforcements?" Arisa asked worriedly, and Miyuki nodded as she tied the last knot. Ever since she learned her Zanpakuto's name, she almost always kept it in a shikai. When she slept, she kept it out of sight so no one saw the real form. Once she woke, it automatically entered shikai without her needing to call it. The only reason she was able to do that is because of how unique her Zanpakuto was. She could keep it in constant shikai form without using too much energy, because she didn't keep it in a state that allowed her to access it's abilities. Basically, it was only in its shikai image, not in the full shikai state.
"Of course. Come on, you're joining me." Miyuki instructed, walking out of the room barefoot and in a light sleeping robe.
"You're going as you're dressed?" Arisa squeaked in dismay as she and Miyuki headed towards the building exit.
"Of course I am. It would be absurd to waste precious time making myself decent when one, my outfit will probably be ruined by battle anyways, and two, people need us now. Let's go." Miyuki said as they walked out of the building, immediatly rushing off using Shunpo. "What is their location?"
"South of Hokutan, the third district of West Rukongai. Just east of Mount Koifushi."
A woman with short, wild, dark green hair and amber eyes watched from afar as the Shinigami battled. The woman's eyes were sharp, the pupils slitted, and her nails were golden claws. Her breasts and privates were covered by armor made of dark green scales. Covering the tops of her forearms and her shins, from ankle to knee and from elbow to wrist, was also dark green scale armor. Small shoulder pads made of the same dark green scales sat on her shoulders, and a black band holding three golden claws hung from her neck. The most noticable thing, however... Was the large dark green scaled tail that she had, golden spikes running down the spine of it.
"Anba..." The woman said in a thoughtful tone, and the boy beside her sat up, alert. He had long amber hair, amber eyes, and wore a yellow chinese styled outfit that had gold colored lining. He had a beautiful tail that looked exactly like his hair, only more spread out. The tips of the hairs from his tail curled to reach the back of his feet, and he too had golden claws.
"Yeah, Tsume?" The young boy asked curiously.
"Observe." Tsume instructed, her draconic tail twitching lightly as two women suddenly entered the battle, one of them dressed in a light sleeping robe. The robe was light blue with pink cherryblossoms scattering the bottom right corner of it.
"She's barefoot, Tsume." Anba noted with a frown.
"I noticed." Tsume growled dryly, and Anba ducked his head sadly. "Her blade..."
"Eh?" Anba glanced up to see the woman held a short blade, and all the attackers had frozen and started screaming in agony though there was nothing there. The Captain they had been previously observing released his shikai once more, shreding the paralyzed screaming offenders easily. "Tsume!" Anba chirped excitedly, all past sadness forgotten.
"See? This is why we need to observe. We could have easily missed that important bit of detail if we hadn't been, understood?" Tsume questioned sternly, never once taking her amber eyes off the scene.
"Hai, Tsume. Sorry..." Anba bowed his head in sadness as he watched the shinigami.
"This is wonderful. Now we know who we're to 'kill'." Tsume said with a pleased smile.
"Why do we even obey him? I, a child, could take him out..." Anba asked nervously, and Tsume scowled slightly.
"Because it needs to be done if we are to achieve our own goals. Besides, we're going to kill him before he can get what he wants, and then we'll take it all for ourselves." Tsume explained with a light growl before she calmed down.
"Who's gonna get the sword?" Anba asked innocently.
"We are... If we can get to it before anyone else does." Tsume said with a thoughtful expression. "The sword will choose who ever touches it first to be it's master. All we have to do is touch it first, and we will be able to harness its power. We will end the war going on in our home, and we'll seize control. It's a good thing I'm here. I'm probably the only one who's immune to her blade..."
"Are you going to wield it?" Anba asked, tilting his head to the side.
"Yes. Most likely... Come, Anba." Tsume stood up as the shinigami left, and Anba popped upright beside her.
"Where are we going, Tsume?" Anba asked curiously.
"To kill a group from the 9th Division." Tsume said with a sinister smile, short fangs showing as she did.
"Okay, Tsume." Anba chirped cheerfully, following after the woman as she began to leave.
"Thank you for your assistance." Byakuya said stoicly as he walked beside the barefoot Miyuki. He observed her carefully, somewhat unnerved by her behavior previously. She had entered the battle and immediatly the enemies began screaming in agony at whatever illusion she had made them see, especially the ones that had been attacking him specifically. She hadn't stopped until Byakuya used his own attacks to kill them.
"You're welcome." Miyuki said before yawning widely. "My 5th Seat woke me up. Like I haven't lost enough sleep due to this Daiki situation... Speaking of strange anomolies, what were those creatures that attacked you?" MIyuki asked all of a sudden, looking at Byakuya curiously. Her long dark purple hair was braided over her shoulder, as it got too tangled when she slept with it unbraided.
"I am uncertain. They seemed neither hollow nor citizen of Rukongai, however they weren't humans."
"...Strange..." Miyuki mused with a frown.
"Indeed. The Soutaicho will certainly have Kurotsuchi looking into it." Byakuya said, ignoring the look of disgust that formed on Miyuki's face at his name.
"Well, whatever they are, they're dangerous... I worry for my Division." Miyuki said, suddenly looking anxious.
"Don't. They are skilled in the investigation department." Byakuya said before narrowing his eyes. "You've been shaking for many months, Miyuki."
"Tch... Figures you'd notice it." Miyuki grumbled under her breath.
"You've been doing so since you were brought back to Soul Society... How many?" Byakuya asked, his voice blank as they entered her office, which was empty due to the time of night. Miyuki sighed, walking over to her desk and sitting on top of it.
"Only one more." Miyuki said calmly as she pulled her sheathed sword from her forearm, looking at it with a frown.
"I see... You ought to switch back to your true Zanpakuto." Byakuya warned, narrowing his eyes further.
"I won't abandon Mirarame, Byakuya." Miyuki growled, and Byakuya glared at her.
"Then carry them both." He growled back.
"Oh yeah, because that won't be hard to explain at all." She snapped sarcastically.
"So you're rather die then carry two swords?" Byakuya countered, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes.
"Of course not." Miyuki sighed, forcing herself to relax. "Almost no one has ever seen the hilt of Mirarame... I suppose I could keep Mirarame in her usual place, out of sight, and pretend that Tsuki Mizuumi is Mirarame..." Miyuki let out another heavy sigh. "Tsuki Mizuumi won't be happy about that part, but it will be thrilled to no longer be held secret. I suppose it's a good thing that those who achieved Bankai do not have to call out their shikai's, hm? Otherwise I'd have to call Tsuki Mizuumi by it's name. I suppose I can just convince everyone that Tsuki Mizuumi's shikai is just an illusion or something... I'll invent some story to explain it." Miyuki shrugged nonchalantly.
"There!" Anba chirped excitedly as he pointed at two Shinigami.
"They both have sleeveless uniforms... They are the 9th Division for sure." Tsume noted, giving Anba an approving nod.
"Yay! Are we going to kill them?" Anba asked curiously, and Tsume shook her head.
"No... We're only going to knock them out. We just won't be very gentle about it." Tsume said, and Anba nodded in understanding.
"Gotcha!" He chirped before they both jumped in front of the Shinigami, Tsume's long draconic tail sweeping at them.
"What did you use your Bankai for the last time?" Byakuya asked icily, and Miyuki rubbed her shoulder.
"Well, I used my Bankai right before I was captured. I used it so that when I die, Daiki will be exposed. But then he went and exposed himself right before I died, ruining it." Miyuki huffed.
"Why didn't you use it to expose him before your death?"
"Because, smart one." Miyuki began irritably. "If I did that, no one would believe the evidence and would think it was faked by my Bankai. If I was dead, they'd have no reason to doubt it, cause if it was false I'd have tried to use it to get out of trouble before my death." Miyuki explained in a tone that was slightly mocking at him for not realizing it in the first place.
"Maruyama-taicho!" A voice called. "Third Seat Narita Haruki requesting audience!" The voice called from just outside the door. Miyuki let out a groan of irritation.
"Enter!" She barked the order, and the man walked into the room. "Go ahead and get some sleep, Byakuya. I need to tend to my division, it seems." She said with a sigh, and Byakuya gave her a curt nod goodnight before shunpoing off. "What is it, Narita?" Miyuki questioned, calling the man by his last name.
"Suzuki Isamu, Sixth Seat, and Watanabe Hiroshi, Fourth Seat, were attacked on patrol. We lost contact a few minutes ago." Haruki said worriedly, and Miyuki immediatly jumped off her desk and to her feet.
"What!" She exclaimed, and Haruki bowed his head. "Get Shuuhei and Hosaka and meet me in my quarters. Tell them to be prepared for battle, we're going after them." Miyuki ordered, and Haruki nodded, immediatly running to retrieve the Fifth Seat and Lieutenant. Miyuki ran quickly to her quarters, immediatly grabbing a sword with a dark blue sheathe and a light blue handle. She slid the katana-length Zanpakuto into place at her hip, using her sash to hold it there. She was still wearing the light blue sleeping robe that had pink cherry blossoms on the bottom right side of it. She took out a small peice of paper and a quill, quickly scribbling onto the paper as she knew she didn't have much time until her lieutenant, Fifth Seat, and Third Seat arrived.
A few minutes later, she had finished writing, and reached behind her neck. She hesitated for several seconds before she undid the clip holding the amethyst butterfly choker around her neck. Pulling it away, she set it on top of the now folded peice of paper. "Maruyama-taicho." Hisagi announced his arrival, and Miyuki walked out of the room to greet him and her Fifth and Third seat.
"Just recently we lost contact with Suzuki Isamu and Watanabe Hiroshi. They were patrolling the area east of the sixth district of North Rukongai. We're going to them immediatly. I hope everyone came here prepared, because there's no time to waste." Miyuki said as she walked past the three people of her division, still wearing a sleeping robe and barefoot.
They arrived swiftly. With equal swiftness, Hosaka Arisa and Narita Haruki were defeated, leaving a battered Hisagi and Miyuki to fight the offenders. "Damn it!" Miyuki snarled as she jumped away from the draconic tail that was swung at her. "Hisagi-fukutaicho!" Miyuki shouted to her lieutenant, who immediatly knew what she was silently asking.
"I'm mostly uninjured, Taicho." He reported as he jumped away from the golden boy he was fighting.
"What the hell are you people?" Miyuki demanded as she crouched down, bleeding from a three holes in her gut. The tail had hit her in the abdomen, and three of the gold spikes on it had impaled her before she escaped.
"All in good time." The woman said with a fanged smile, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes. With near invisible speed, she sheathed Mirarame, who's illusions were having no effect on the offender, and drew Tsuki Mizuumi. She silently called out her Shikai, and the blade was covered by a dark blue glow.
"Hisagi! Get out of here!" Miyuki shouted, dropping the honorifics as she raised her sword. "Kuraito Shuraudo!" She growled, and suddenly the entire forest was shrouded by a dark mist. Miyuki easily navigated through the blinding mist, as it was her own creation, and jumped behind the woman, striking at her back. The woman leaped away, but not before the blade sliced through her shoulder.
"Tsume!" Hisagi's attacker called worriedly as he heard the womans pained snarl.
"Dekishi daatsu!" Miyuki called as she swung her blade, hundreds of small water needles flying from it. The woman, Tsume, jumped into the air, dark green draconic wings springing from her back. Shit. Miyuki thought as the woman avoided the attack and beat her wings, the mist clearing slightly. Miyuki was somewhat happy to see Hisagi had indeed fled the area at Miyuki's command, but the strange boy had gone as well.
"Simple tricks like that won't work on me." Tsume said as she looked down at Miyuki, barely seeing her through the dark mist that covered the area.
"Silence yourself before I do it for you." Miyuki growled. "Daakusutorimu!" She snarled, pointing her blade at the dragon-like woman. A massive stream of black water shot from the blade, flying at the woman at magnificent speed. It hit the startled woman directly in the chest, sending her flying upwards. Miyuki leapt into the air after her, the black mist below them dissapearing as Miyuki left it. "Dekishi Daatsu!" Miyuki spat, hundreds of small water needles shooting through the air at the falling Tsume. They struck her head on as well, sending her tumbling to the ground.
Miyuki dove after her, her sword poised to impale Tsume. The woman slammed into the ground, laying on her back, and Miyuki was a few feet above her, her blade pointed at Tsume's chest. Just before it hit, Tsume raised the draconic tail... and instead, Miyuki was the one impaled. The tail had gone straight through her abdomen, and Miyuki hung there with her eyes wide. "You lose." Tsume hissed before she flicked her tail, tossing Miyuki from it. Miyuki slammed into a tree before she tumbled to the ground, laying unmoving on her chest as she was in shock from the large gaping hole in her body.
Tsume slowly stood, walking calmly to the woman, who's body was trembling terribly from the fatal wound. "Tell me, little Shinigami... How does it feel to be mere seconds from death...?" Tsume inquired as she crouched beside Miyuki, who was hardly breathing. "I can't imagine it feels good. I'm curious, though, because soon I'll be using your lovely Zanpakuto to make all my enemies experience what you are now..." Tsume purred, her words echoing through Miyuki's mind. Use my Zanpakuto..? They... Her eyes widened slightly as realization hit her. They are after Mirarame. They know... Damn... What do I do? If I die, they'll have Mirarame... If I use Bankai to save myself, they'll still have her... Shit... Shit... Shit! Miyuki thought in a panic, the rush of pain as shock left her causing her mind to fuzz.
What do I do? I don't know what to do! She thought in anguish. Either she subjected Mirarame to obeying their wishes, or she herself would be. Either way, they would win. Oh god... I'll never see anyone again... I'm really going to die, aren't I? It's really over, isn't it? Miyuki thought, her mind clouded by pain. Why... Why does this hurt so much? Why can't I see him again...? Someone... help me... She pleaded desperately in her mind. I don't want to die. Why do I have to die? Please... Help! She wailed in her mind.
Calm down, Miyuki. Think. Think, Miyuki! Mirarame commanded in her mind, and Miyuki tensed. She felt her life slipping at a terrifying rate. Calm the hell down, Miyuki. Think... You're going to die. If you use Bankai, you'll be sealed and I'll be free. They'll have my power either way, Miyuki... So how can we use Bankai to prevent that?
We can't... We can't, Mirarame. You know that! Miyuki cried in her mind.
Yes, we can. Think! How can we? Mirarame demanded.
I don't know! Please, help me, Kagayaki-sensei! Miyuki wailed desperately.
...I can't, Miyuki. You have to find the answer yourself. You know that I can't give it to you. Mirarame said softly in a regret and sorrow filled tone. Do you want to see Byakuya again?
Of course I do. Miyuki instantly replied.
Even if you could only do it in spirit? Mirarame questioned, and Miyuki mentally nodded. Then you know what to do.
...Yes... Miyuki whispered in her mind. They'll get our power either way... I know what to do. Miyuki decided, drawing Mirarame from her forearm. Both arms were pinned under her dying body, so she managed to do it completely unnoticed. "Bankai... Kagayaki." Miyuki breathed out. The last breath she'd ever breath, and like hell was she going to let it go to waste. In a flash of light, Miyuki's body faded and light spirit particles floated into the sky. A soul to be reincarnated in many, many hundreds of years. Tsume grinned in success as she approached the two swords laying on the ground where Miyuki's body had been, nothing else but blood left behind.
"Too bad, little Shinigami. You lose." Tsume said with a smile as she grasped the Zanpakuto that had a crimson sheathe. She turned around, leaving the sword with a dark blue sheathe alone. "Did you kill him?" Tsume asked as Anba approached her.
"Nuh-uh." He said with a childish tone. "Right after you got her, he grabbed the two unconcious people and got away." He pouted sadly.
"Don't worry, Anba... We have what we wanted. Now we just need to kill that Daiki asshole who thought he could use us." Tsume said, baring her teeth at the thought of the man.
"We kind of owe him though, don't we? He let us enter this dimension..." Anba said hesitantly.
"That doesn't matter. Us not killing him earlier already makes us out of his debt. We will kill him, and then we will end the war. Come, Anba." Tsume growled as she opened a black swirling portal. She walked through it without blinking an eye. Anba looked at the large puddle of blood with the sword laying in it before sighing and following the woman.
Byakuya was calmly sitting in the Kuchiki gardens, watching the cherry blossom trees as they began preparing to bloom, the sun rising in the distance. "Kuchiki-taicho." A very tired, bloodied, and sorrowful Hisagi said as he walked towards Byakuya, bowing respectfully. Immediatly, he had Byakuya's full attention, and Byakuya was very alert.
"What happened to you?" He asked coldly, though he was actually very concerned as he knew Hisagi had gone with Miyuki on a patrol.
"The Soutaicho-dono asked me to tell you in person... and to tell you that you are excused from attending the captains meeting if you so choose while he informs them what happened..." Hisagi said hesitantly as he straightened up, wincing slightly at his wounds. "A patrol was attacked, and four of us, Maruyama-taicho, our third and fifth seat, and myself all went to assist them... When we arrived, the third and fifth seat were almost immediatly taken down. Maruyama-taicho and I held off the attackers for as long as we could, but she took severe damage."
"...Hisagi-fukutaicho, explain to me in detail what occured." Byakuya ordered after a tense moment, interrupted the lieutenant.
"Hai..." Hisagi tiredly agreed. "The enemy was a woman who had some kind of... well, skimpy armor made of green scales. She also had a large, dragon like, dark green tail that had yellow spikes down the spine of it... No matter how hard Maruyama-taicho fought her, she seemed uneffected by all attacks. She managed to hit her with the spikes on her tail, and impaled her in three places of her chest with them. Despite that, she continued to fight. She drew a second Zanpakuto," Hisagi said this with some confusion, as he had never know she had two of them. "and began fighting with it. She forced me to leave the area, but my own enemy pursued."
"I was far enough away that I couldn't see what was going on, and Taicho had covered the area in a black fog. She had used some attack to force the enemy into the air and it looked like she was winning. The fog dissapeared as she knocked the enemy into the ground, and she went in for the kill shot..." Hisagi paused, wincing at his wounds, or perhaps at his memories, while Byakuya remained utterly silent. "The enemy raised the strange tail at the last second and... impaled Maruyama-taicho with it. At that point I knew that I couldn't win, but I stayed for as long as I could."
"She used Bankai despite being so close to death, but it must have failed because she died less then a second later... The only thing that was left were her Zanpakuto's. I knew that I wouldn't survive if I kept fighting, so I grabbed my unconcious comrades and got them to safety. Once I was sure they were gone, I went back and retrieved this..." Hisagi said, pulling a long sword out from behind him. The sword had a dark blue sheathe with a light blue hilt. Tsuki Mizuumi... Byakuya thought as he took the sword from Hisagi, being quick with his actions so he wouldn't notice that despite his uncaring expression, his hand was shaking very slightly with emotion. Hisagi noticed despite this, but stayed silent.
"The other Zanpakuto was gone..." Hisagi said in a pained and regretful voice. "There's more... This was found in Maruyama-taicho's quarters. It was addressed to you, so no one touched it." He said, handing Byakuya a sheet of paper, the very familiar amethyst butterfly choker held inbetween the folds.
"...I see... Tell the Soutaicho I will not be attending the meeting, and that I will seek him out at a later date." Byakuya said as he stood up, walking away from Hisagi with a stoic expression. He entered his quarters, which were only about a minute away from the gardens, and sat on the white sofa, setting the spiritless Zanpakuto beside him as he opened the paper. He took the choker out of the folds and set it beside the sword, carefully reading the elegant script.
'Dear Byakuya,
If you're reading this, I assume I've died. I wrote this while I awaited for my comrades to arrive. As much as I want this letter to be about my feelings, there is something you must know, and I haven't much time to write this. Two and a half years ago when I was attacked in your gardens, I discovered something of great importance. Daiki is not working alone. During his time with the Royal Guard, he discovered the same thing I did two and a half years ago... There is a way for Shinigami to enter the realm of the damned, allowing them to enter ours as well so long as the way is open...
Tonight, when I went to assist you, my fear became true. The demons entered Soul Society from Hell... That is what you were fighting. I also know who they are after, which is why I wrote this letter to you... They are after me and Mirarame. For the last seven hundred years, Hell has been caught in a civil war. Daiki likely made a deal with the demon leaders of Hell to allow them to enter Soul Society, so long as he was able to have me. It's probable that the demons are using him instead now that they know my Zanpakuto's power, and will likely kill him after they get what they want.
Me. Once he's dead, the way to Soul Society will be lost, and Seireitei will be safe once more. Byakuya, I am almost certain that one of the demon lords is after me, and that they attacked a squad from my division to draw me out. They also probably only attacked your squad so that they could figure out my rank and division. Daiki must have informed them of my emotions towards you, Byakuya... I'm going to walk into the upcoming battle, and hopefully I'll walk out of it. However, if I don't... Either I'm dead, or I've been turned. I'm going to do everything I can to keep them away from my Zanpakuto, Byakuya.
But if I cannot, please... What ever you do, don't give chase. It would be futile and suicide. I give you the very thing you once gave me. Keep it safe, and don't ever forget me, because I will never forget you. You are everything to me, Byakuya, and no matter what has happened, that never has and never will change. I regret that I was the only one to feel this way for you, but I accept it. I hope you find the right person for you once more, Byakuya, and I wish you a happy life with them. I love you, Byakuya. Don't forget me.
- Maruyama Miyuki
P.S.- You should really smile sometime. You'll get all wrinkly, and then people won't want to sex you anymore."
Byakuya smiled slightly at that last comment, as it reminded him of exactly what type of person Miyuki truely was. He folded the peice of paper and lifted the amethyst butterfly, turning it so he looked at the back of it. Carved into the back of the stone was the kanji for 'Maruyama' and 'Kuchiki'.
There you have it. The ending. But don't worry, there's an Epilogue. Some of you might not agree with the 'shaky Byakuya' idea, but really, people. I think if I was just informed my friend since childhood died with an serving of giant-ass-hole-in-chest with a side of extra-excruciating-pain, I'd be pretty damn shaky. I'd probably cry my face off, pass out from shock, then wake up and cry my face off all over again! D:
Notes:
Tsuki Mizuumi: Moon Lake
Kuraito Shuraudo: Shroud with Dark
Dekishi Daatsu: Drowning Darts
Daakusutoriumi: Dark Stream
