as I promised, think of this as part 2 of the awesome battle with water! enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own bleach or any of its characters or locations mentioned in the manga or anime. I just own this story line and the OCs

Chapter 18

A wave of pressure and light erupted from my body and flowed outward. My arms suddenly felt bare, a breeze whipping past them, and the damp skirt that had been blowing around my knees suddenly changed to tight white pants that disappeared into knee high black boots. My hair ceased billowing around my face as my hood come to rest over my head, and fabric covered my mouth and nose.

I opened my eyes and saw that my body was levitating as it transformed, and when the light finally subsided I slowly floated down and felt my feet touch the ground. Reaching to the sheath hanging at my waist, I felt Raiu's hilt and gripped it tightly.

"Alright, Renji," I said, pulling my zanpakutō from my side and pointing it towards the column of water. "We'll try it your way. I'll give you an opening, so make sure you get there."

"Where'd your friend go, girl? You'll need as much help as you can get if you're going to fight me," the woman drawled. Man she was annoying.

I crouched low, digging my feet into the ground. Surging forward, I gripped Raiu with both hands, knowing I'd land a more solid hit that way. But before I could even make it halfway across the river, a thin stream of water sprouted from the surface below and rocketed towards me. I rolled over, midair, losing my balance and causing myself to swerve in another direction. A laugh sounded in the air all around me. Clenching my jaw, I threw myself towards the enemy yet again. This time, three streams came at me, like liquid snakes tearing through the air. I swung my zanpakutō and cut through one of them.

"Yes!" I cheered as it broke apart and fell back to earth in huge droplets.

"Counting your eggs a bit too early, dear," the voice drawled, and something collided with my shoulder painfully. I fell backwards and began to tumble over and over, until something grabbed my ankle. It whipped me back and forth to the point where I thought my neck would snap. Then, suddenly, it let go and I was launched toward the ground. Unable to slow myself down, I knew I was going to crash, and prepared myself.

When the impact came it wasn't as painful as I thought, but still hurt. My elbows began to burn as I skidded several feet and finally came to a stop. Dust flew into the air and I squinted, trying to see through it.

"Hey!" Renji shouted from somewhere. "You're supposed to be a distraction! Not getting your ass kicked!"

"Oh shut up," I mumbled, getting to my feet. I had to get to that main water column but how could I do that with this lady's stupid water stream things trying to attack me? How was I going to get Renji his opening? As if she could hear my frustration, her laugh sounded again. As the dust settled, I saw our attacker

"You two are just utterly pathetic, yet so entertaining to watch." She reached one hand up over her mouth and chuckled some more. It was covered by sleeves that fell well past her fingertips. The fabric flowed in the wind just as the water did beneath her. I had an idea. She seems vain enough, maybe if I could just keep her talking….

"Who are you?" I asked. Might as well start somewhere. She scoffed at me.

"Not very smart are you? Pity…you don't even have beauty to make up for it." Rolling my eyes I figured I'd play to her ego.

"Easy there, prom queen," I said, crossing my arms, "It was just a question."

"Well, lucky for you I'm feeling quite forgiving today. So, I can overlook stupidity I suppose. My name is Ren, Maiden of the Deep." A part of me could feel movement nearby. At least Renji got the idea. If I could keep this she-idiot focused on me, maybe he could come at her from behind and take her down.

"Okay, 'Maiden of the Deep', why have you been following me? Mikio too. What do you want from me?"

"Naturally, we are just acting on the orders of our king," she said, grinning.

"Your king?"

"Yes, you poor dumb girl. The King of Shadows, Lord Katsu himself has decided that you are to be his new conquest." I should have known. Of course he'd make himself a king, his arrogance wouldn't allow for anything lower. "And we, as his loyal servants, have been carrying out his orders to learn about you, as boring and dull as it has been."

"What does he want to know about me?" He had certainly missed the whole father daughter bonding chance, so what could he possibly want?

"Do you think I care?" Ren crossed her arms and scowled at me. "When my King grants me a task, I carry it out. I don't waste time asking for his reasoning."

"If you're only supposed to be watching me, why did you attack me?" I asked, honestly curious now. "Wouldn't he be angry that you disobeyed him?" Maybe she was stupid and hadn't realized that could be the result of her actions, I thought hopefully.

"Because your father has grown tired of waiting, as I'm sure he has told you. He's asked us to procure you for him and to persuade you to come join the Legion of Shadows," she said, a pale hand emerging from her sleeve to run its fingers through her hair proudly.

"Why couldn't he come and get me himself?" I thought back to the night he cornered me on my way home. He had me pinned to a wall, easily holding the power to crush me or take me prisoner if he wanted, so why didn't he? Did he really think I'd come to him on my own? Have I not been making my extreme hatred for him clear enough? I mean, I didn't want him to try and get me himself but it didn't make any sense.

"Because, he's resting," she snapped at me. "This town is filled with spiritual pressure but it's tainted with the taste of Soul Reapers. Lord Katsu has not yet gained the ability to devour the souls of those awful creatures. But once he's taken what he needs from you, he will gain limitless strength and no one will be able to deny him!"

"So I didn't dream it," I whispered to myself, feeling a cold horror in the pit of my stomach. "He really did suck that guy's soul out…."

"Just as when shadows touch they combine to create an even larger mass of darkness, so too does our King thrive on absorbing the spiritual energy from other beings. That is how he feeds. And you, you disrespectful, ungrateful urchin, are depriving him of his sustenance. So I've come to drag you back by your hair if I must. It pains me to see him so hungry." As Ren pouted, I noticed a black shape approaching the back of her column. Here we go.

"Well, you'll just have to tell him how sorry I am that I couldn't make it to the feast." I pushed off the ground, using flash step as I ran across the water. Instantly, those pesky spouts of water flew towards me, but this time I was ready. I jumped and landed on the head of one just as it would have hit me. Swinging my zanpakutō, I sliced it in half then jumped into the air as it shattered. As I was flying upward, I could see two coming at me from opposite directions.

Holding onto Raiu tightly, I stopped in midair and began to spin my body faster and faster. The two streams reached me and were cut to shreds. Droplets hit my face and I grinned. I could keep up with her and her stupid pets.

"Getting a little slow there, are we?" I asked, turning to face Ren. She was scowling at me, but as I watched her eyes, they suddenly widened. She whipped around and threw her hand out to the side. Five streams suddenly erupted from the surface of the water and swirled around each other until they formed one large stream of water.

"Renji!" I screamed, throwing myself forward, but I wasn't fast enough. The water beam hit Renji from behind and sent him reeling through the air. I pushed myself as hard as I could to get to him before he hit the ground. It was close, but I wrapped my arms around his head, holding him close to me and turning us so that I hit the ground first. Even though I slowed the impact down, when we landed Renji was ripped from me and we both went crashing and skidding along the grass.

Winded and in pain, I tried to push myself off the ground. My arms were rubbed raw, and speckled with small rocks that were stuck in my skin. Brushing them off carefully, I winced. Renji shifted a bit nearby and I suddenly forgot my pain. Dragging myself over to him a second time, I was afraid of what condition I would find him in.

His face was in pain, that was clear enough, and there was a small trickle of blood coming out of his mouth. His leg was bent at an odd angle and one of his arms clutched at his stomach.

"Damnit Renji, look at you," I whispered. My stomach twisted up painfully, and I froze. Seeing him like this, so vulnerable and broken, frightened me. I was afraid he'd shatter at my touch and that was so unlike Renji. He was strong and dependable and in charge, as much as I hated to admit it. But there was no way he'd be able to even move let alone fight again like this. Looks like I'll have to be in charge for now, then.

"Oh, did I break your boyfriend? Terribly sorry," Ren sneered from her perch over the river. "He didn't seem to be very smart anyway. You're better off."

"Shut up!" I screamed, feeling the blush cover my entire face at the fact that she called Renji my boyfriend. Something grabbed my wrist and I looked down. Renji had one eye open, squinting at me, and the other was squeezed shut in pain.

"Sayuri," he whispered hoarsely. "Just go get the others. I'll be fine." He grunted in pain. Part of me was moved that he would sacrifice himself for my sake, but another part wished he were more intact so I could hit him for being so stupid.

"You think I'm just going to leave you here? You're an idiot," I snapped at him. Even through the pain that was evident in the shaking of his body, Renji grinned at me. Despite myself, I smiled back. Reaching out, I brushed a long loose strand of red hair back off his face.

"So touching," Ren's voice called out. "It's disgusting, really." Turning around, I saw her jerk her hand forward and another stream of water appeared from the column. It headed straight for Renji and I, but as it got closer, I noticed that it got slower; my senses were speeding up as a result of my training. What should I do? If I used my zanpakutō, I wouldn't even put a dent in Ren's attack. Renji and I both would get washed away.

"Then use something else," a voice echoed in my head. "You have more than one ability at your disposal after all."

Raiu. She was right. I had my lightning. But could it be that simple? I was staring down at my hands when Renji shifted anxiously. Looking up, I noticed the water stream had come much closer and I had only seconds to make a decision. Although I had sworn I wouldn't call upon my Shadow powers again, I had no other choice.

Flinging myself on top of Renji's limp body, I raised my left hand, palm forward. As soon as the stream of water was about to hit us, I shot a bolt of lightning straight at the center of it. I watched as the stream split in half, fizzling out on either side of where Renji and I lay on the ground. The sound of an electric surge filled the air and Ren shouted out in anger or pain, or perhaps both.

"That's it," I whispered, my hand still raised before me. "Water conducts electricity."

"So?" Renji grunted from underneath me. I sat back on my heels and grinned at him.

"So, all we need to do is throw a toaster in the river and she'll fry up."

"Let me guess, you're the toaster," Renji grinned back. I picked up my zanpakutō from the ground and put it back in the sheath at my waist. Standing up, I faced the river realizing it was time to end this and get Renji to Orihime before he punctured something trying to sit up. My hands balled into fists and I waded out into the water. It was freezing, but I had more important things to focus on.

Ren had retreated into her water column after I had evaporated her water stream, so perhaps she was too distracted to realize I was coming. Once I walked far enough that the water reached my waist, I took one look back and Renji and then dove under. At first I couldn't see much, but after my eyes got used to the water, things cleared up a bit. I could make out weeds along the floor of the river, and schools of fish farther off, keeping their distance from the commotion. Oddly enough, with the setting sunlight streaming down, it was a very peaceful place. It was quiet and calm, unlike the storm raging above the surface.

Remembering what was happening up there snapped me out of my reverie. I spun around a bit until I noticed movement farther off. Swimming towards it, I was beginning to make out what looked like a cyclone under water. That's got to be Ren's water column, I thought. I swam back up to the surface to take a fresh gulp of air and make sure I was definitely going in the right direction.

"Ok, Sayuri," I said aloud to myself as I steadied my breathing. "What's the plan?"

"Fry the bitch," Raiu hissed from somewhere inside me. I grinned.

"Works for me." Taking a deep breath, I dove back down into the depths of the river. I tried to get as close to the floor as possible, thinking maybe Ren wouldn't be able to detect me all the way down there. Wrong.

As soon as I started heading for the column, several water streams snaked their way silently towards me under the water. Closing my eyes, I felt that familiar heat form in the core of my being and allowed it to spread through my body all the way to my fingertips. With both hands, I shot thin bolts of lightning that sliced every stream into pieces, just as I had done before.

"Time for the finale," Raiu said. I stopped swimming and just floated. Turning my hands so that my palms faced each other, I gathered a great deal of energy between them. It felt so warm in the freezing water I was almost tempted to stay there.

"Now!" With as much force as I could muster, on Raiu's signal I turned both hands to face the column and released the energy I was holding. I watched as the glowing white hot ball shot through the water and hit the base of the column. I swam back to the surface in time to watch as streaks of lightning climbed all the way to the top, high above the water.

Suddenly, there was a great hissing sound, and before my eyes the water began to evaporate into mist. I watched as Ren's body fell and was swallowed by the now raging waters of the river. Waves were beginning to crash into me, and it was all I could do to stay afloat and not get dragged under. I tried to swim my way back to the shore but with every stroke, it seemed like I was drawn farther away. As one particularly large wave crashed down, I rolled over and over and over, until I hit something solid and was dragged along for a ways. Finally I stopped and the water receded. I was back on the grass along the riverbanks.

Spitting out some water and coughing a bit, I pushed myself off my stomach and looked around. Everything nearby was completely soaked. I searched frantically for Renji until I noticed him much further back from where I left him. He must have dragged himself there. At least he's safe, I thought, which was more than I could say for myself. As soon as I stood up I felt something wrap itself around my ankle.

"Not so fast, darling." I looked behind me to see Ren dragging herself out of the shallows of the water. Her outfit was in pristine condition, as if the water had no effect on it, but her face was murderous.

"I guess she doesn't like getting knocked down," Raiu said, her voice like acid. I could almost hear the grin in her tone.

"Well then, I'll be sure to make sure she's much closer to the ground the next time I cut her down," I hissed back, a bit surprised at the venom in my own voice as well. Before Ren could yank my feet from beneath me, I flipped over to my back and stretched my legs straight up towards the sky. I shot lightning at the wriggling stream of water, and it vaporized instantly, nothing but mist. Ren screamed in rage.

"That is enough!" I hopped onto my feet from my back and watched as she pulled two cylinders made of silver from the folds of her kimono. They were hollowed out inside. Ren's eyes suddenly began to glow and from inside the cylinders came streams of water. They formed two identical whips that she cracked against the ground.

"I agree," I said, allowing the power within myself to heat me up and spread to my hands. Bolts of lightning sprang up there as well, white hot and solid. They no longer flickered like they had when I had first gotten my abilities, wavering along with the confidence I had in myself. This time, they throbbed like little heartbeats, full of life and energy and ready to strike where I willed them. If I couldn't fight Ren with my zanpakutō, I would have to rely on my lightning, a thought that made me nervous since I hadn't done so since before I had hurt Ururu.

"You can do it," Raiu whispered in my ear, her voice fizzing like a power surge. "It's time to accept that you're cut out for this." I saw movement flash out of the corner of my eye. Stepping only a few inches to the side, Ren's water stream shot past me and sputtered out. I turned around and fixed my eyes on the woman standing in the river shallows. Behind me I could hear Renji's labored breathing and knew I needed to get him out of here. Feeling the heat growing on its own in my hand, I knew I could take Ren down I just needed to find an opening.

"It's time to teach you some respect. I'll drag you back to Lord Katsu by your hair if I have to," Ren spat at me from behind gritted teeth. I smiled at her.

"Good luck with that," I told her, and she screamed. More water streams than I could count suddenly erupted from the surface of the river and came hurtling toward me. Using flash step I managed to dodge the first couple before I felt something wrap around my ankle and then my wrist. I was lifted into the air and thrown several feet back from the edge of the water. Managing to get my feet underneath me, I grabbed Raiu from my waist and used her blade to deflect several streams. The force they used to hit me certainly pushed me back and I felt myself trip over something large and squishy.

"Ow!"

"Shit! Renji!" I sat up on my knees and bent over him. He looked even worse than before and his eyes were wide as they watched something behind me. Spinning around I saw three large water streams poised a few feet from us.

"Well, if you won't come with me, maybe hearing your boyfriend's bones break one by one will convince you." She grinned at me, a terrifying and lopsided grin that hinted at her loss of sanity. I was aggravating her and that was good. She would make a mistake soon. Before I could think of a smartassed response, one of the streams shot forward. In a panic, I reached out and felt my hand close over the water as if it were a solid thing. Ren gasped and her eyes widened.

"I don't think so," I growled, feeling the anger inside me boiling over. The lightning bolts on my hands shot down the stream of water all the way back to the river where they exploded in a series of large sparks and smoke. There was an unpleasant frying sound mixed with a high pitched screaming I realized was coming from Ren. I watched, feeling an increasing sense of power, as her body twisted and strained as the water around her acted as the perfect conductor for my electricity.

I could tell I was releasing an insane amount of spirit energy, but I didn't care. It felt incredible the way the bolts just slid from my fingers with the tiniest twitch…and I would have lost myself in that euphoria had a hand not grabbed my arm.

"Let it go, Sayuri," Renji gasped, barely audible over the cacophony on the river. With a struggle, I pulled myself back into my body, crushing my spirit energy back down into a concentrated ball and bringing back my lightning.

At the edge of the water, I watched as Ren's body collapsed in on itself and melted into a puddle. Her kimono lay damp and lifeless beside it, the only sign she had ever been there as the surface of the river smoothed itself out again and the clouds in the sky cleared.

It took me a moment to process the fact that she was dead. When I had grabbed onto her water stream, there had been an odd moment where I felt connected to her. It was as if I had reached inside her mind, and was actually there in her consciousness. I could have reached out and touched the part of her that held her powers and her long forgotten humanity. It had been so tempting just to stay there as I was deep frying her, feeling the rush of her spirit energy leaving her body. I had felt inclined to just reach out and take it, but then Renji had pulled me back to reality. Renji….

I looked down and saw that he was watching me carefully. The corner of his mouth twitched and I thought he was about to smile at me, when his face scrunched up in pain and he began coughing up blood.

"Hmm, looks to me like you should get him to a doctor pronto, sweet cheeks," a voice drawled from nearby. Renji groaned, and I felt my stomach clench tightly, a sudden chill running down my spine that had nothing to do with the fact that I had been swimming in the river in February just a short while ago.

The air in front of me wavered, and Mikio stepped out of thin air. Literally.

"Stay back," I warned, crouching over Renji and pointing my zanpakutō straight at Mikio's chest. He held up his hands in surrender and laughed. I felt a thrill of rage at the sound, and something poked at my mind. I had heard him laugh like that before, like a child laughing at a fly just before he pulls of its wings.

"Easy there, princess. I'm not here to tangle with you. Although I'd love to have a go at that sometime," he winked at me and I felt my skin crawl.

"Then get lost," Renji snarled. I could see the strain on his face as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He used his good arm to grab me and pull me back behind him. I was about to protest but then I saw the look on his face. There was an anger there that kept me from saying anything.

"Down boy," Mikio stretched and crossed his arms behind his head. "It was just a suggestion. She doesn't have to answer now."

"What do you want," I said, rolling my eyes and feeling the need to gag at his vulgarity.

"Nothing at all really," he sighed as if he were bored. "I just came to watch the show. And I have to say," he fixed his eyes on Renji, his eyebrows furrowing in mock anger, "I was very disappointed with your performance today. I mean, if you can't even keep yourself from getting torn apart, what makes you think you can protect the little princess here?" Renji clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. He kept one hand firmly wrapped around my arm, holding me back. "I would have done a far better job, if it had been me," suddenly Mikio was gone. I felt the air shift behind me and turned, feeling long, cool fingers catch my chin.

Mikio tilted my head back so that I was looking into his dark brown eyes.

"I wouldn't have let a single scratch defile this innocent face." I felt my throat constrict at the heaviness his eyes took on. His face was so close to mine, I could feel the heat of his breath. I froze, suddenly incapable of moving. Mikio's eyes held mine in a steady gaze until they flicked beyond me for the slightest moment and then vanished. Steel flashed before me and I jerked back as Zabimaru pierced the ground where the tree man had just been crouching.

I looked at Renji and blanched under his glare. It was as if his eyes held fire in them. His grip on my arm tightened painfully.

"This is boring," Mikio spoke from nearby, "It's not fun taunting you when you can't really fight back. I guess I should go, seeing as there's nothing else of use here." He looked disgustedly toward Ren's remains. "There's not even anything to bring back to Lord Katsu."

"What would he do with a dead body?" I asked, realizing how stupid a question it was immediately after it left my lips.

"He would feed from it of course," Mikio answered, a dark shadow suddenly crossing his face. "Lord Katsu has the ability to absorb the energy from other weaker souls, as I am sure you know by now. If he had absorbed Ren's soul, he could have taken on her power over the element of water. But alas, all is lost." My heart constricted at the thought of my father becoming even more powerful, or gaining abilities that would allow him to wreak more havoc than he already had. "Well, love birds, until next time," Mikio blew me a kiss and then vanished completely, his spiritual pressure diminishing until I couldn't sense it at all.

"Next time?" I said aloud. Renji's hand started shaking where it gripped my arm and I looked at him. "You look horrible," I said and he made a noise that was probably supposed to be a laugh.

"Shut up," was all he managed. I looked around and noticed a tuft of bright red hair in the distance.

"Hey! You! Get over here and help!" I shouted, and Renji's gigai, still inhabited by the mod soul stood up from behind a small grouping of rocks. He sprinted over to us and together we lifted Renji off the ground, his arms draped over us. As we started moving, I noticed him wincing and suddenly feared he wouldn't make it all the way back to Urahara's. It must have been clearly written on my face because he looked down and me and smiled.

"Don't worry. Soul Reapers are tough. My body's already started healing a bit. Walking will be a bitch but I'll suck it up." For a moment I was in awe of Renji. His strength and determination were certainly commendable, but they were so often laced with arrogance and stupidity it made them harder to recognize sometimes. I nodded in understanding and focused on getting my footing right so that we could make it up the hill and back to the street.

"By the way," Renji said, looking straight ahead, "Your dress looked nice." I blushed and kept my head down, not sure why those words sent a thrill down my spine. Despite myself, I smiled.