A/N: I'm writing to you now from my new home, Thailand! Where everything is cheap, even for a South African like me. Everyone is relaxed and friendly. The woman are beautiful (literally one in two is a stunner), and love a white face. Seriously, speaking from a guy's perspective, looking for a girl is like hunting; you're never entirely sure if you'll end up with a fox or a walrus. Here is simply shopping, and I'm not talking about the sex tourism. Been here a week and I think I need to invest in a large cane, just to beat the multitudes off. It's fantastic, though sometimes a bit scary...

However, one of the negatives of moving is that I no longer have access to my Beta, who would only consent to help me on a one-on-one basis; which is obviously now impossible. So, would anybody be prepared to take on the role of Beta for this story?

Right, now that I've said my piece, onto the main meal. Remember that in Bleach it is impossible to walk on air in Seireitei due to the denser nature of the spirit particles there. The only ones who can fly there are those with Yoruichi's relics, and possibly Hitsugaya with his Bankai.

x

The Heir Apparent
Chapter 37: Cause for Alarm

The tale finally over, Rukia and Ichigo were walking out of the medical division; back to the thirteenth and some much needed rest. Despite Rukia's promotion to interim captain of the tenth it hardly made sense for her to lodge there, the officers of that division would know where to find her anyway. She'd have to get them organised first thing tomorrow, it was far too late to attempt anything now.

'So,' said Ichigo.

'So,' Rukia repeated. They hadn't said anything to each other since the telling, and now neither knew how best to break the silence. She adjusted her sheathed sword, it had been hitting her leg, and said, 'Funny to think of Renji as a bad guy.'

'Hardly,' said Ichigo darkly, 'He nearly killed me when he was supporting your execution, remember? Funnier to think of Toshiro as an evil mastermind. Doesn't seem like the type.'

'He's had different experiences in this life to his previous, and made different decisions. He's not the same person. Neither of them are.'

'Good thing too. Hey, who do you think was right in that whole thing? I mean, as much as I want to support Shunsui, Daiken seemed to have had a good point.'

'It doesn't matter who was more right,' said Rukia sadly, 'All that matters is that many people died. It was a tragedy that might have been avoided, but wasn't. And now, because a significant portion of Quincys escaped, we have to fight them again. And this time we're also facing annihilation.'

'Yeah,' said Ichigo, lapsing into silence.

Baaa-dooom, an explosion sounded in the distance just as the floor started to vibrate. It was over in seconds.

'That came from within the walls,' said Rukia, glancing around in surprise.

The next second it was pandemonium. Officers and Shinigami filled the corridors, running, shouting, screaming and bumping them. They looked on in confusion.

'What do we…' said Ichigo.

'Ichigo-kun, Rukia-chan,' Kyoraku called, pushing his way through a nearby doorway

'What has happened, Kyoraku-taicho,' Rukia shouted, then remember that he was now the captain-commander.

Nanao was following in his wake as he pushed through the crowd, using his height and rank to his advantage. 'The Rache are inside the walls, somehow,' she explained, 'There's no telling how many they are, or how powerful. We need to get out there and start taking them down immediately, or they could cause serious damage.'

'We'll work in teams,' said Kyoraku, 'Go to wherever the fighting is hottest. Nanao-chan, you're with me. Rukia-chan, you're with Ichigo. If either captain finds himself in a situation he can't deal with, we send our lieutenant to find the other. Got it?'

He seemed to have forgotten in the heat of the moment about her temporary promotion, but it wasn't worth pointing out now, especially in light of her earlier mistake. Shockingly to realise, the four of them represented most of Gotei thirteen's current fighting strength.

'Yeah, what about my dad?' said Ichigo.

'I hope he stays out of this, but we don't have time to worry about him,' said Kyoraku grimly.

He glanced around at the thick crowds pushed up against them, gritted his teeth and pointed his hand up in the air. A blast of fire shot from it through the several layers of ceiling, dropping bits of charred debris onto everybody's heads. A woman nearby cried out as a tile struck her, someone else screamed that the Rache were already here, most though had stopped to stare at Kyoraku. Rukia was too, that was Hado no. 31; shot of red flare. He had performed it without incantation or even naming, something she'd never seen for a level thirty spell. Few enough captains could do it properly with a single digit Kido.

'Let's go,' he cried, and gave a great leap to fly through the hole and land on the ceiling. Nanao tsked, and followed behind.

Rukia and Ichigo looked at each other, the crowds around them, then back at the hole. 'I guess it is a lot faster than pushing our way through,' said Rukia.

'Unohana-san is not going to be happy,' said Ichigo.

x

At that moment Unohana Retsu was ordering her divisional members. She sneezed, 'Tshew, whew, alright get them down below, quickly now!'

With the enemy inside the walls they were moving their many patients to the lower levels, where they would be safe from all but the most determined attacks. Medics rushed past her, pushing beds with wounded Shinigami, while she noted the names on her clipboard.

Then she realised as she looked through them that there was a very prominent one missing, and had a sudden sense of foreboding. She handed the clipboard to her blond third seat, now acting lieutenant Iemura, and rushed through the corridors; while the others tried as best they could to make way for her.

Sure enough, when she reached the room, Shiba Kukaku was gone.

x

Baaa-dooom. Serena gave a start, some idiot had started the attack early. Judging by the position of the blast they hadn't even damaged Seireitei's important infrastructure. The Shinigami would know that they were here, they had to abort the mission immediately.

Then there was a loud progressive thumping, she turned to see the walls of Seireitei reactivate. Her eyes widened, far from their attack being a raid they'd now trapped themselves in the Shinigami's nest, to be killed at leisure.

'Shit,' she said under her breath, trying not to let the tremors running up her body show. 'We're all in deep bloody shit.'

The men with her had reached a similar conclusion, and were looking to her for leadership. They knew that as things stood they were dead meat. Her first impulse was to go and find the fool that had given them away, but that wouldn't help anything. No, the raid be damned, if they were to get out of here alive they had to drop the walls again. To do that they had to get to the twelth division and contact their traitors, and get them to do it again. It was their only hope.

But to contact them without interference, they had to create a large diversion.

x

Byakuya knew that in his condition, he shouldn't be out and about. But while the poison in his system had damaged his body, and his spiritual energy hadn't recovered in any case, his mind was untouched. And he had noticed something he doubted anyone else had yet.

There was only one way to enter Seireitei, through the walls. They had been dropped to defend the city, meaning that they shouldn't have possibly been able to get in. The only way to do so was to have them deactivated at the twelth division, and then have hell butterflies to lead them across the barrier. They must have access to them, considering their earlier attack on his sister and the Kurosaki boy.

All of that added up to one conclusion, the Rache had agents in the Shinigami ranks.

It also explained why their attack had been so well coordinated, and how they'd managed to poison so many captains prior to the engagement. Byakuya had little idea where to find the majority of the spies, each divisions twentieth seat officer; the one who was in charge of the hell butterflies; was a prime suspect. But there were certainly traitors at the twelth division control room at this very moment.

He was not well enough to use flash steps, so he ran through the streets.

x

Ikkaku grinned widely, 'Lucky,' he cried as he jumped to the summit of a flat-topped tower, 'So lucky, we don't have to wait for tomorrow, they're coming to us!'

Yumichika landed on another just behind. 'Careful, Ikkaku,' he warned, 'Some of these guys are even more dangerous than the Arrancar, and if they kill you it's worse than just dying.'

'I'll be careful,' said Ikkaku, grinning widely, 'I'll carefully extract as much fun as I can before I kill them.' He flash-stepped away.

Yumichika shook his head, but was smiling as he straightened his feathers. 'Really, that Ikkaku,' he said, and flash-stepped after him.

x

Flashes of blue lit up the night sky, the distant rumble shaking the earth. What silence there was in between was menacing, the holding of breath before more death and destruction was unleashed. Kyoraku closed his eyes, sensing where the attacks were coming from.

After a few minutes he had them pinpointed. They seemed to be coming in from all directions, except the south. Why that should be, he didn't know, but Ichigo and Rukia were going to the north-east, which meant he'd best go with Nanao to the North-west. Despite the power of the attacks there didn't seem to be too many culprits, perhaps a score, and none captain or lieutenant level. If that was the case they shouldn't have too much of a problem dealing with them.

But why had they come in the first place? What had they hoped to achieve?

'No point in over thinking it, we just have to take it as it comes,' said Nanao.

Kyoraku gave a start, he hadn't said anything, had he? 'Did you read my mind, Nanao-chan?'

'Of course not, you're stalling. You always do that when you're unsure of what to do.'

He blinked, 'Do I really?'

'Yes, you do. Now lets get going before any more of our people are killed.'

'What would I do without you, lovely lovely Nanao-chan.'

'Not much. Now MOVE!'

x

Serena sprinted through the narrow corridors with two of her men close behind, avoiding the many Shinigami patrols. It would be quicker, and more direct, to go from rooftop to rooftop, but then she risked being spotted. As it was, as long as they didn't use their power, the Shinigami wouldn't be able to differentiate them from their own troops. Not without close inspection.

South she aimed, south for the research and technological development centre. A wing of the twelfth division. With the rest of her men causing damage elsewhere, the Shinigami's eyes would be blinded to what was happening there.

Or so she thought.

She stopped suddenly just short of the doorway, a lone Shinigami with dark hair blocked their entry. He held a naked blade in one hand, a laden bag in the other. 'You came the wrong way, Ryoka,' he said.

'Out of the way,' she hissed, 'and I'll let you live.' She didn't want to, killing him though would reveal her presence. 'Do you know who I am?'

'Serena Rommel of the Prime Circle,' he said coldly. 'I presume these are who you were looking for.'

He threw the back to her feet, it opened as it hit the ground, a few heads rolling out; grotesque slack expressions on their faces. One touched her foot, she kicked it away angrily. He must have done something to ensure they hadn't faded away immediately, normally souls slain by a zanpakutou did that. Then again, they were at the research centre.

'You bastard,' said one of her men, drawing his blade. 'Defend yourself,' he cried, rushing forward. The other followed behind, roaring his anger.

'Very well,' said the man.

Wait, she recognised that voice. And his face, though it looked different with his black hair tied back and no white kenseikan in it. He wasn't wearing his haori. 'STOP, IT'S-' Slash, slick. '-Kuchiki Byakuya.'

The two men dropped to their knees, and fell facedown on the ground.

'You overestimated me earlier, and underestimated me now,' he said. 'Now you are trapped.'

'Damn you,' she said, her voice shaking with fury. He was right. Even if she beat him, and she would, how could she get out of this place with her insurgents; the only ones who knew how to handle the delicate controls; dead?

x

Ichigo used the flat of Zangetsu to block blue energy-bolts, as well as the throwing knives his Rache opponent was sending at him; simultaneously. It wasn't too difficult to block, but it made manoeuvring tricky.

'Hurry up, Ichigo,' Rukia called, 'I'm nearly done.'

Wait, there had been four of them in total, and he was still on his first one. Since when had Rukia been so strong that she could outpace him? 'Getsuga Tenshou,' he cried, sending a black moon fang at his luckless opponent. The Rache tried to evade, not quickly enough. His body was ripped open and he was flung to the ground, where he lay screaming.

Ichigo ran up to him, gore rising in his throat. Pieces of the man's lower body were strewn around, with bits of the churned up pavement. One look at him and Ichigo knew that he didn't have long to live.

He'd never killed someone before. Not in a conscious and sane state of mind.

But what could he do? This man was an enemy, letting him live would be a mistake. Perhaps they needed a hostage for information, yes, they could patch him up and send him to the interrogators. But it would have to be done quickly, he was bleeding a lot.

Rukia flash-stepped to his side. 'Finish it, Ichigo,' she said.

'We could use him,' he said.

She shook her head, 'I've already got one, undamaged,' she said, pointing to the only Rache she'd been fighting who was still alive. The young woman was bound and gagged with Kido. 'We don't need him, and we don't have the resources to heal him now. Do the merciful thing,' she said.

Ichigo blinked, 'I…I can't.'

She placed her hands over his, and stared into his eyes. 'You can, Ichigo, you can. You already have. Even if I finished him now, it was you who killed him. You know it too.'

From the dark recesses of his memory, he heard Zangetsu say, '…to be able to able to kill without regrets.'

'I have killed,' he had argued back.

'More me than you,' said his hollow.

'It's only kindness,' said Rukia softly, 'Ease his passing.'

'You have to be prepared to kill,' said Zangetsu.

'You can do it,' she said.

'Your kindness holds you back,' said Zangetsu.

'Ichigo, you are a wuss,' said his hollow.

'I believe in you.'

'Extinguish it!'

'Finish it, NOW!'

Ichigo howled with fury and fear as he swung his executioner's blade down. Then there was silence. He fell to his knees, staring blankly into space. He had done it, he'd really done it. He was a killer. He should be feeling disgusted, or elated, or something. Instead there was just a gaping blankness.

Rukia stepped in front of him, and pulled his face into her chest. 'Ichigo, I'm proud of you,' she said, stroking his hair softly.

The numbness faded with the sensation of her close presence. He was a killer, yes, but the world hadn't come to an end. Should it have? Perhaps. Nothing had changed, except for him. And yet he was still the same person, if a little sadder.

'That is the path you have chosen,' said Zangetsu.

'Everyone suffers, though in different ways,' Rukia said as she continued to stroke his hair. 'Let it out.'

Then Kyoraku and Nanao flash stepped beside them. Ichigo quickly got up, wiping away tears that he didn't know had formed.

'Ah, I see you have a hostage. I took one too,' said Kyoraku happily. 'Ah well, two is better than one, neh?'

'Are you guys alright?' said Nanao, sensing their mood.

'Yeah,' said Ichigo, looking away.

Kyoraku glanced at the dead Rache, at Ichigo, then continued in a more sombre tone. 'We dealt with three ourselves, and Ikkaku and the eleventh are dealing with the rest. There seems to be a powerful force, probably one of the Prima Kreis, just outside the research institution attacking Bya-kun; but-'

'Byakuya,'; 'Nii-sama,' Ichigo and Rukia cried together, and flash-stepped away.

'-but he… couldn't they have waited for me to finish my sentence!' Kyoraku lamented.

'You'd better go after them,' said Nanao, 'I'll deal with things here.'

He cast her a grateful glance before disappearing.

x

Serena slammed the shinigami captain against the wall, knocking the sword out of his twisted back hand. 'That's the second time you've made a fool out of me,' she snarled, 'This time I'm going to kill you.'

Damn the man, he'd cut her, he'd actually cut her! Admittedly it was a thin slice on her cheek, but she was Serena Rommel; member of the Prima Kreis. He was a lowly shinigami, weakened by Quincy poison.

'Do your worst,' Byakuya said, as nonchalant as one can possibly be with one's mouth pressed against a wall.

'Oh, I will,' she promised, 'You'll be dead for eternity, Kuchiki Byakuya, and your powers used to feed a new generation of Rache.'

A bolt of lightning shot through the air, Serena jumped away just in time, and it passed between her and Byakuya.

'I'm your opponent,' said a new voice.

Serena turned. 'Shiba Kukaku,' she said.

Kukaku wasn't dressed in her normal shinigami robes, but rather in a white one given to medical patients. She must not be fully recovered from her injury, Serena realised.

'Byakuya, this is my fight, get out of here,' Kukaku said, ignoring her.

The noble captain nodded, and started sprinting away dangling a sprained arm. Serena quickly raised her bolt-shooting blowpipe, and fired at his back. He wasn't escaping, not this time.

Kukaku flash-stepped in the way, blocking it with her released zanpakutou. 'I thought I told you, I'm your opponent.'

Serena's aqua blue eyes flashed with annoyance. 'I'll get him later,' she promised, more to herself than Kukaku. 'Fine, shall we carry on where we left off.'

'Suits me,' said Kukaku.

'Drown them all, Durstiger.'

'Bankai, Kumohime Inazumaitokuri.'

x

A/N: Kukaku's Bankai means Spider Princess, Lightning Spinner. We'll get to it's abilities next time, it's one of three Bankai's I'll be revealing before the end. The other two you should be able to guess, since I've done a build-up for both.

Ichigo's memories of what Zangetsu and his inner hollow said come straight from 'The way of the warrior' chapter. This marks the first time, in my story, that he has truly killed anything but a masked hollow in a sane state of mind.

Well, that's all I got to say. Hope you enjoyed, and see you next time.