Note: There is a small bit of citrus at the beginning, but not for long. For any that wish to skip by! Also, I accidentally called Byakuya Kagome's husband. Tis not true, I fail, they're just engaged again atm.

Chapter Ten: Passion and Precipice

"They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel."

-Carl W. Buechner

She'd curled her fingers into his hair, having a idle jealous thought of how soft it was for as much as he forced it into the strange style he wore. It was sort of fun to let her left hand play with the strands hanging from the kensaiken on the right side of his head. Though those thoughts were hardly the ones at the surface.

She was more taken aback at how demanding the kiss had become so quickly. It wasn't harsh, but his lips were echoing the hunger of wandering hands. He deepened the kiss at the same time his arms tickled along hers moving into her sleeves to tease the naked flesh of her arms while tugging her tighter to his chest.

It was all so intoxicating.

The way he touched her, kissed her, the very way he tasted on her lips. A vague apple sweetness mixed with the edge of spices. How the hell does someone taste kind of like apple cinnamon!

Though normally she might consider the fact that she must seem so plain in comparison to the noble lord of soul society she was much too busy enjoying the fact that he was still entertaining her so completely anyway.

It was subconscious when she started to grind against him, able to feel his arousal despite the layers of clothing between them. Dizzy with the taste and feel of her future husband bashfulness never reared it's timid head. Particularrly not when after she started he'd paused in the embrace just long enough to gasp, the intake of air tickling her lips and only helping to further drop her off the edge of desire.

It was hard for her to say how much time had passed but she was still disoriented and confused when he stood up with her and paused the kissing. She'd kissed his neck but he set her back on the couch by herself, holding her hands in her lap when she started to reach back up for him. "Kagome, don't misunderstand. The prince is almost here..."

The words got her to blink and realize that her kimono and hair were very dishelved, and that Byakuya was fixing his own with his business expression already back on his face. They'd been pulling at each others clothes just a minute ago...though without him against her personally with his siren's taste and feel she remembered immediately to blush as she'd only fixed her kimono and not her hair when there was a knock at the door.

Byakuya looked rather fine but she ducked away embarrassed to find a powder room in hopes of fixing her hair. Though she was fairly certain the stormy gaze had caught her expression and state of affairs.

"Is she all right?" Sestran asked, glancing after the vanishing Kagome and looking back at Byakuya curiously. "I felt the release of your blade."

"There was a second assassin." Byakuya commented in his usual tone. "She is dealt with, at least temporarily. There was much she said that you may be able to shed some light on."

Sestran raised a silver brow lightly. "Report what occurred in the exchange Captain Kuchiki."

ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo

The energy was thick in the air, it was somewhat similar to a day that was extremely humid, where everything felt exceptionally heavy and with a complete lack of anything redeeming to offer comfort. Though that was a mild explanation, it was exponentially worse than anything Ishida could think to describe. Though the creatures had run off, he could feel the spiritual pressure eating at his bones and sapping his stamina. It was creepier that some of it seemed to be eating into the real world.

There were winds that were too heavy to be normal weather in this area for the time of year, if that wasn't bad enough, a few branches had fallen from trees here and there and all of the wildlife seemed to have run into whatever hole it had to hide in.

Ishida was vaguely wondering if staying to watch the events after leaving a message on the phone number Rukia had given him. He couldn't know if she'd even get it or knew how to check her voice mail but doing what he could to make certain this battle didn't reach into the mortal city was the best thing he could do.

Sparks were flying around and a small fires were starting and then quickly being extinguished around the two opponents. Following the fight at all was extremely difficult, the soul reaper captain had flash step and the other thing, Ishida had only felt it's energy before in regards to the Kagome girl in his class that soul society had replaced with one of it's fake souls months before. Though it seemed neither of them were really moving out of the clearing they had expanded slightly with their presence, not toward the city at any rate.

It was a good half minute before they appeared in a single spot long enough to be facing off, both catching breath after all the quick movement. Each spotted a couple cuts, though Kenpachi's body counted at a half dozen and there were only a few on the silver haired creature.

Kenpachi was laughing like mad. "Great great. You started out able to cut me. Guess I should get serious early on. Though I'd be easy cause of that wimp clown, better not keep thinking that."

Ishida put a hand on the nearest tree to help balance himself the the extra explosion of spiritual pressure that cut visibly out from Kenpachi when he removed the eyepatch. Lines curling through the ground outward from the tiny crater that appeared beneath him. A small blur of pink fell to the ground near him as even the Lt was forced down from the pure pressure of both of the warriors together. Though her happy squeal as she bounced back up to watch next to Ishida let him know she was fine regardless.

Sesshomaru was staring with only a vaguely more narrowed set of golden eyes than usual, his expression still exceptionally neutral despite the strength (and insanity) of the bell wearing Kenpachi. "That tiny change and you consider yourself stronger than I? You are just a slightly larger pest than the fool you reference."

"Why do most of the strong ones never have any fun with it!" Kenpachi was more stating than asking a question, leaping back into things and grinning more when his strikes were not only deflected in quick succession but the small hit he got in was returned by several gashes appearing along his chest arms and legs in return. "Guess two hands it is."

"Wow, such a great friend for Kenny!" Yachiru exclaimed happily when she saw Kenpachi able to act on more of his power. Ishida didn't have the heart to point out that he was losing the battle, he wasn't sure it was easy to take in himself. He supposed Ichigo had defeated him, but somehow this seemed different...that this strange creature seemed different.

More blows were also hitting Sesshomaru now that Kenpachi had gotten more serious, though the demon seemed to be hesitating somewhat.

"Hold back and I'll kill ya." Kenpachi pointed out before digging his blade into the demons shoulder-blade and pulling it out by cutting a small line to his armpit. "This is the best time I've had in ages! Don't let politics get in the way."

Sesshomaru indeed had only hesitated in hopes of not starting any further issue with the spiritual people that still held Rin's descendant. His eyes however filled from the edges with red as the gold darkened to a black, his claws grasping the Tensaiga more tightly before he leapt back and turned the blade horizontal to the ground in front of him. "Such a lucky strike will not be repeated. Dragon strike!"

Kenpachi raised an eyebrow but was still too close, he managed to raise his sword in a slight parry of the energy that raced toward him, drawn it seemed from the sky, earth, existence itself. Spritual pressure curling into blue lightning that sent him flying across the field. A few trees taken out by the captain's slow coming to a halt. There was blood in his mouth now, he could feel it all over him, but he smiled and pushed himself to a knee, wanting to continue the battle for sure after something like that!

Ishida was trying to see it all but the illumination from the attack was so brilliant it was impossible to have seen exactly how it worked. He could tell that it was a spiritual attack of great magnitude. The fact that Kenpachi still held a normal form despite all the blood and cuts, and that he was getting ready to keep going was almost unbelievable even for him. He was so beaten he never saw the soul reaper in the pink kimono coming.

Then a few drops of a liquid Kenpachi was accustomed with fell on him. He picked up the scent of the green liquid the 4th Squad used to knock out people and looked down at it with a frown. "Well shi..."

He didn't even finish the statement before he fell to the ground asleep. Yachiru seemed to consider a bit before grabbing Ishida - who yelled a protest - and jumping over toward her Captain and frowning a little with a pout at the more flamboyant captain.

"Yachiru. Kenpachi's had his fun, take him back to 4th Squadron eh?" Shunsei Kyoraku ordered her, ignoring the frown for now. He was laid back, but he knew the old man was gonna be hard on him and the Prince was livid. Turning to speak to Sesshomaru, though him having put that dangerous sword away was a good sign. "Hey, gotta apologize for him. We didn't notice what he was doing until now."

"You will not be blamed this time. I'll allow him to live but keep your pests away from my doorstep in the future." Sesshomaru stated cooly, heading back toward his estate to check for any damages without saying anything else. He wouldn't admit that he'd taken a fair amount of damage from the creature, but he was perfectly confident he could have crushed him.

"Kinda scary guy." Shunsei thought aloud, turning to blink at the new hogtie that had been put on Ishida in the short moment he'd been pondering the demon. Yachiru was almost as scary as her captain too...

End Chapter

It's sorta short. I apologize. I wanted to write for a while but didn't have a lot of time and not sure if I'll have some for a while so wanted to post something. Hope the fight was cool enough.

-Aura

To my reviewers:

Tsukiei - To survive he'd have to tolerate a lot he wouldn't want to as far as pride was concerned. So I imagine he's got a quicker kill switch...which is still hard to imagine.

Sugar0o - Your reviews always make me feel warm and fuzzy! I cannot tell you my plans. You read it pretty much the way it was suppose to be. Though it's hard for me to do a lot of side stories, I'm already having mental issues keeping up with what I have going on. I never muched liked Ichigo's dad either which makes him harder to write. I hope no one kills me over the fight.

Neo-Crystal - I am with you, he's just making something up to turn on the bad guys later. Or try to show his sword what an idiot it's being. Silly Senbonzakura should stay flower petals. Though it is amusing to me he is so narcissistic his sword looks like him in armor with blue eyes.