Disclaimer- I don't own Bleach

Chapter 11

Threats and Regrets

"What happened?" Kensei demanded when Sayomi walked back in to the warehouse.

She had reverted back to human form and her head was lowered as she walked. "They're fully developed," she answered soberly.

There were several surprised gasps and a few curses in response, but no one seemed to be able say anything that could be considered a full sentence.

"I didn't watch the whole fight, but I know that Ichigo lost control after calling out his bankai. His time is approaching quickly. Shinji," she said as her eyes cornered over to the blond, they were cold, and distant as she spoke. "Stay away from the school. He knows what you are and what you can do for him, but he's stubborn. He'll try to handle this on his own. I'll keep an eye on him, but you need to stay away from him, let him think you've backed off."

Shinji nodded in reply, his face blank as he watched Sayomi.

"Another thing," she said as she began to walk away. "They're after Ichigo. Are you sure you still want to recruit him?"

He frowned, but nodded."Yeah."

Sayomi stayed motionless for a moment before nodding stiffly and walking passed everyone and through the hall that led to her room.

"She's actin' like a captain again," Shinji said after several minutes of silence.

"Is that a good thing?" Lisa asked, glancing up from her magazine.

Shinji frowned again. "I'm not sure."

"She's planning something," Kensei spoke up.

"Any idea what?" Shinji asked.

"No," Kensei answered as he folded his arms over his chest and frowned in the direction Sayomi had gone.

"What do you have to show your brothers, Ulquiorra?" A brown haired man asked as he sat in a white throne of the smoothest stone. There were two other men, one on either side of him as he gazed down at two of his subordinates. Ulquiorra and Yammy, who was now missing an arm, stood below the raised throne.

Ulquiorra reached up with one of his pale hands and proceeded to carefully remove his left eye from its socket before holding it out before him and crushing it in his fist. A strange mist seemed to creep from his hand and flow around the room to the other occupants who were watching with interest.

"It is ready, please watch," Ulquiorra said politely.

There were several minutes of silence as the events that passed in the day were replayed for everyone in the chamber.

"I see," the brown haired man said with a chuckle as he glanced to the man to his right. "So she did survive all these years."

"The woman asked me to relay a message. She said to tell Aizen-sama that she said hello," Ulquiorra stated.

"Did she now?" Aizen mused with a smile as he glanced to the grinning man to his right.

Sayomi attended school each day that followed and sat quietly in her seat. She hardly spoke to anyone and she spent most of her time watching as the days wore more and more on Ichigo. He was tired, his eyes were worried, and he was less put together than usual. He wasn't even bothering to put on a facade that everything was fine, he withdrew from everyone and became just another face in the crowd.

"Ichigo?" She said as she approached him after four days of classes.

He turned to her without seeming to really see her, but he didn't say anything.

"It's not your fault, you know that, right?" She asked.

His brow furrowed and a frown pulled down his lips. "They got hurt because I couldn't get there fast enough. I let them down."

"Then is it my fault too?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, surprised.

"I couldn't get there at all," she lied sadly.

"That's different. I know you have to be careful to avoid being detected."

"I do."

"I gotta get going, I'll see you later, Sayomi," Ichigo said as he prepared to walk off.

Sayomi nodded and smiled softly as she waved at him.

"I don't think you should go."

"I'll be fine, Kensei. Now please put me down," Sayomi sighed monotonously.

Kensei had tossed Sayomi over his shoulder as she had prepared to leave for school, she looked rather bored with the situation as she hung limply in his grasp.

"No, you shouldn't go out. Not with so many Soul Reapers so close," he said.

"Kensei, I'm not in the mood for this nonsense. Now put me down," Sayomi replied blandly.

"I don't like this, Sayomi. There's too many."

"They're here because of the Arrancar invasion, not to get me, or us. Now let me go, I'm going to be late," she said evenly.

Kensei set her down roughly with a huff. "Don't do anything stupid."

She scoffed at his response before grabbing her bag and leaving.

"Hey, Orihime. You look..."

"Oh, I'm fine," Orihime said quickly smiling widely. "I just fell down some stairs."

Sayomi walked into the classroom to see Chizuru staring at Orihime, who was giggling and scratching at the back of her head with her arm that wasn't in a cast.

"Hey, Orihime," Sayomi greeted with a smile.

"Oh, hey, Sayomi. So did hear about the...the strange people who fell from the sky?"

Sayomi blinked at Orihime in disbelief and opened her mouth to respond, only she didn't know what to say.

"More of your stories, Orihime? Doesn't your imagination ever stop?" Tatsuki teased as she walked up to the two girls and patted Orihime on the head.

Orihime started laughing nervously again and Sayomi could only sigh, at least no one believed the things Orihime said or there would be a lot of explaining to do.

"Morning, Ichigo," Sayomi sang happily as Ichigo walked into the classroom.

"Hey," was her only response as he looked up at Orihime apologetically. "Hey, Orihime."

"Oh, hi, Ichigo," Orihime replied quickly as she started blushing.

"Look, I-I-"

Sayomi's head snapped towards the doorway and a small growl rumbled out of her throat. "Dammit," she cursed quietly.

"What's wrong?" Orihime asked as Sayomi stood quickly and grabbed her bag which she slung carelessly over her shoulder.

"Nothing, I just remembered I had a.. a doctor's appointment. I need to go," she answered as she made her way to the door and quickly left the room.

She could hear the approach of several people, their footsteps echoing in the mostly deserted halls.

"You know, Captain, you look cute in those clothes," she heard a distinctly feminine voice say.

"Shut up, Matsumoto," a gruff, almost childlike male voice answered in annoyance.

"What classroom was it again?" Another male voice asked.

"I don't know," the female replied cheerily.

"But I thought you had the paper?"

"I lost it," the female chirped.

"Hey, what's with that look, Matsumoto, you're not trying to think are you?" A harsh male voice asked.

Sayomi turned the corner at the end of the hall just as she heard the door to the classroom she had been in slide open, she cast a single quick glance over her shoulder and caught the eyes of a busty woman with reddish blond hair. The woman looked surprised and blinked at Sayomi like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. There was a white haired boy beside her who looked in her direction as if he sensed her, but she was gone before his eyes could find her.

"Snap out of it, Matsumoto," a rather cheery male voice snapped.

"Huh, buzz off, feathers," she replied as she followed the four men she was with into the classroom. They looked surprised by her outburst and a little worried over the thoughtful expression on her face, but that disappeared as soon as she saw Ichigo. "Hey, Ichigo!"

"Back so soon?" Kensei grunted when Sayomi walked into the warehouse.

Sayomi glanced at Kensei disinterestedly before huffing and walking passed the group that was huddled over the table eating lunch.

"Has she said anything to you, Kensei?" Shinji asked.

Kensei shook his head and scowled. "No. Things aren't what they used to be, Shinji."

Shinji sighed. "Just... Keep an eye on her," Shinji replied.

Kensei frowned, but nodded before going back to his lunch. He didn't see how he would be able to keep an eye on her when she was withdrawing from everyone. She hadn't spoken to anyone much since she had returned to the warehouse after Byakuya Kuchiki's reappearance into her life. She had been civil though, she had had no reason not to be. Friends were still friends regardless of whether or not Byakuya was alive and she knew that. However, the relationship between the two of them was still rather undefined, they were friends, they always had been and they always would be, but he couldn't forget that they had been something more too. He doubted she could either which was likely why she had a hard time looking at him without looking pained.

After tossing her bag on the floor near her door, Sayomi sat down on her bed. She crossed her legs and rested her hands in her lap as she shut her eyes and exhaled slowly.

Fuyukaze appeared before her, his white hair was pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck as he stood towards the mouth of the cave they were in. It was cool in the cave despite the fire that was crackling in the center of the earthen floor. Even as she leaned against the rock wall at the very back of the cave Sayomi could feel the wind that blew in icy gusts behind Fuyukaze. She could see the white of the snow and frost that was being pushed violently through the turbulent winds outside.

Pulling her hair back from her face in an attempt to keep it from blowing into her eyes, Sayomi scowled at Fuyukaze as he stared, emotionless, down at her, wisps of his hair dancing behind him in the breeze that whispered through the cave.

"Don't look at me like the wind is my fault, Sayomi-hime, you're the one struggling. I'm just the one stuck here while the wind rips apart the mountains," Fuyukaze said upon noticing her frown.

"I'm aware of that, Fuyukaze," Sayomi replied. "But you haven't been talking to me."

"Could you hear me through the howling of the gusts?" Fuyukaze retorted as he cast a glance behind him and out of the cave.

"You know full well that I could. You aren't happy with me," it wasn't a question it was a statement, she and Fuyukaze had been together a long time, they knew each other well.

"I'm often not, you can be quite difficult to get along with," he replied dryly.

"And you can be an arrogant ass," Sayomi snapped before sighing and hanging her head. "I'm sorry, Fuyu, but I made my decision a long time ago. I have to do this and I can't do it without you."

"Of course you can't," Fuyukaze snorted.

Sayomi smirked and raised her head to look him in the eyes. "You really are beautiful, you know that," she said wistfully.

Fuyukaze raised an eyebrow at her skeptically. "I'm aware, but where did that come from?"

"What? I can't admire your beauty? Sheesh," she replied as she rolled her eyes dramatically.

"I don't mind that at all, it's just not like you to be so forward."

Sayomi snorted. "You're full of yourself."

"So are you."

"Eh," she answered as she shrugged a shoulder.

"The wind has let up a little," Fuyukaze said as he turned his head to look out the mouth of the cave.

"Has it?" Sayomi asked quietly, her head was tilted back against the rock wall behind her and her eyes were closed.

"Yes," he answered as he walked forward and sat beside Sayomi.

Sayomi opened her eyes and tilted her head to smile at him. "Sorry I haven't visited much, I don't really know why that is."

"You've been distracted, I understand. I know what's going on in that thick skull of yours, and I may not like it, but I'm only worried about you," Fuyukaze said with a sigh.

"I know. You're always trying to protect me, Fuyu, thank you," she replied as she leaned against his shoulder.

"You're cold," he said, noticing the goosebumps on her arms.

"I'm sorry I've made it so unbearable here, I didn't realize how much I was worrying."

"Shh..."

Fuyukaze wrapped his arm around Sayomi and pulled her closer to him, she was small enough that she fit in the crook of his arm and she curled herself into him and let herself drift off to sleep.

Fuyukaze watched as the wind outside began to blow less harshly and the flurries of snow and ice all but disappeared. The world lightened just a little bit as the dark clouds retreated and the sky returned to a pale blue.

"Sayomi-sama...It's time for you to wake, little one."

"What's wrong, Fuyukaze?" She asked sleepily as she blinked her tired eyes open.

"You've been sleeping here for quite awhile, someone is waiting for you, and they're getting impatient."

"Kensei?"

Fuyukaze nodded and Sayomi sighed. "He knows, little hime, that you're up to something. They all do."

"I figured as much, I guess I should go then."

Sayomi opened her eyes and gave herself a moment to let them adjust to the darkness that had crept over her room. She could already see Kensei's muscled form outlined in the dark, leaning against the wall by her door. By his posture, Sayomi could tell a fight was inevitable. She waited to address him, letting her eyes fully adjust to the darkness and taking a few breaths to ready herself for the coming storm.

"Hello, Kensei, something on your mind?" Sayomi asked, her voice was quiet, bored.

"What are you planning, Sayomi? And don't say nothing. We all know you better than that, especially me."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she answered monotonously.

"Bullshit! You're distancing yourself from everyone and you're acting the way you would whenever you were on a mission as a captain. The only reason you would do that is to push everyone away and focus on something. Not something we would usually question, but it was too sudden this time. There's no reason for it, so what are you planning?" Kensei asked harshly.

"Not a thing," she replied, her tone was still blank and devoid of emotion as she spoke,

"Dammit, stop acting like such a pompous bitch, Sayomi! You're lying and I know it. Now tell me what the hell is going on before I beat it out of you," Kensei snapped.

Sayomi chuckled coldly as she stood from her bed and faced him, her eyes meeting his. "What I'm planning is none of your concern, Kensei."

Her eyes followed Kensei's every move as he darted from his spot against the wall to appear directly in front of her. She didn't make a sound or attempt to move as his strong hand wrapped around her neck and her body was forced against the wall behind her. She was now pinned in the small space between her bed and the small dresser of her room, but she paid that no mind. Her light blue eyes seemed like ice as she stared into Kensei's blazing golden eyes.

"It is my concern, Sayomi," he hissed quietly.

"I am not your subordinate any longer, you have no reason-"

"Shut the hell up!" he snapped angrily, his tone would normally have made Sayomi flinch, but she showed no sign of having even heard him. "You know what I meant."

"Did I?" She questioned blandly.

A growl rumbled from his chest and the hand not holding her flexed in an attempt to control the anger that was coursing through his body.

"Yes, you did," though he was still angry there was a softness to his tone and in his eyes as he said the words.

This time Sayomi did flinch as if the words had burned her. Her eyes finally left Kensei's and she stared at the wall above her bed.

"Please let me go," she murmured quietly.

"No."

Sayomi sighed and lowered her head. "I'm sorry for how I've been acting. I've had a lot on my mind, but please don't make this harder than it has to be."

"Don't make what harder, Sayomi?" He asked, the anger seeping back into his tone at her now withdrawn attitude.

"I made it pretty obvious when we first came to this world what I wanted to do. We all knew this war was coming, but it was never the war I cared about."

Kensei started slightly and his hand loosened around her throat, he blinked in confusion before seeming to understand her words. His fingers released her throat and he slammed his hand into the wall behind her head, leaving a dent in the concrete wall. He left his hand in the wall as he leaned forward, his face inches from Sayomi's as she raised her eyes to meet his defiantly.

"Him," he snarled. "You plan on trying to get to him on your own?"

She said nothing as she continued to stare into his eyes.

"Answer me!"

"Yes."

Kensei removed his fist from the wall, pieces of concrete falling to the floor. Both hands fisted at his sides and his body shook as he stared at Sayomi's impassive face. He could tell she was preparing herself for his reaction, she knew his temper and she expected him to react predictably. Something told him she wanted him to react violently, that somehow that would help her in whatever she was planning.

"How, Sayomi? You can't get near him, none of us can."

Sayomi said nothing as she kept their eyes locked.

"That's it, isn't it, Sayomi?" Kensei asked. "It's how you plan on getting to him."

Still she said nothing, only stood before him, face blank.

"What are you planning to do?" After several seconds of prolonged silence Kensei had enough, he pushed himself away from Sayomi with a growl. "Whatever it is... I hope it's worth it, Sayomi."

When he knew he wouldn't be getting an answer he turned away from her and headed for the door.

Sayomi closed her eyes and tilted her head back until it touched the cool concrete wall behind her. As she took in a deep breath she let her knees buckle under her and she slid slowly down to the floor.

'You're really going to go through with it?' Fuyukaze asked.

Sayomi took a deep breath and swallowed. "I am."

'I thought so. Are you sure this is the best approach? You know the likely outcome of what you are doing, do you really want to go into this friendless and alone?'

"I'll be friendless and alone whether I push them away now or not and you know that," she answered.

'You have chosen your own path, little hime, but you can change it. Take comfort in your friends while you can.'

"Wouldn't that be a bit selfish though? Using them for my own well being?"

'You're a fairly selfish person, hime.'

"Shut up, Fuyu, I'm not in the mood for your teasing. You know that after what I plan on doing, no one will trust me. No one. So what difference does it make whether we're friends now or not?"

'Will you regret your actions?'

"What do you mean?"

'Will you regret the things you are doing now? Pushing away people who care about you and who would help you if-'

"I'm not telling them."

'You don't have to. They know you well enough, they'll likely figure it out on their own eventually.'

Sayomi sighed. "You're probably right, but what is your point?"

'Do you really want to die with regrets, hime?'

She sighed again and closed her eyes. "I'll die with regrets one way or another, Fuyu."

'Maybe so, little hime, but wouldn't it be better to die with a few less if you can?'

Her eyes closed at his words and she could feel the sting of tears in her eyes. She swallowed and stood slowly from the floor. Her hands flexed by her sides and she took a breath before walking out of her room and following the dark hallway to the door that led to the main room of the warehouse.

Rose, Love and Kensei sat at the table to the right. Shinji was sprawled out on the sofa in the center of the room as usual, Hiyori sat in a chair beside the couch watching television. Hachi was against a wall to her left, he looked to be either asleep or meditating. Lisa was perched on the second floor, one leg dangling over the edge as she leaned against a pillar and read one of her many perverted magazines. Mashiro was on her stomach on the floor directly in front of the old television, her eyes wide as saucers as she watched a cat bounce around the screen in a commercial for cat food.

As she stepped from the darkness of the hall all eyes focused on her. She wasn't surprised by the suspicion and uncertainty in them, the anger was obvious in Kensei's eyes as he watched her move from the doorway towards him. He tensed as she neared him, his eyes narrowing at her. Before she could take a seat next to him she sucked in a deep breath as the air was knocked from her lungs, her head swung towards the door and her eyes widened.

"Sayomi," Kensei asked, his narrowed eyes growing concerned by her sudden reaction. She was the most sensitive of the group, she always had been. She was always able to sense things before the rest of them usually did.

There was a flash of light and Sayomi's small form seemed to fold in on itself as she ran towards the door. Her clothes piled on the floor and she slipped her head into her bracelet so quickly the movement was nothing more than a blur as she transformed into a cat and bolted from the warehouse before anyone was even able to move to stop her.

It wasn't until several minutes later that they finally felt what had caused Sayomi to run so swiftly. There were several powerful Arrancar in the city and they were spreading out.

~A/N~

Sorry for the delay in posting, I thought I had already posted this chapter...

Thank you for all of the reviews everyone!

Review monster needs feeding again.. I swear he's never full... :) Review please!