Disclaimers, Etc.: See Chapter One.
Opening Theme: Memory Loss by Esther Yu
Ending Theme: The Light by Roc Chen

Chapter Three Written 1/14/2024.

Bleach: Cross
The Fifth Division in the Red:
In These Red Times
By Eugena

Rated M

Chapter Three: The Knife of Truth

天国的白雪公主

SOUL SOCIETY - EIGHTH DIVISION - KYORAKU TAICHO'S ROOM

Shunsui Kyoraku checked behind him as he led Yumi, Shirahime, and her kids into his room.

"Are you sure you want us in here?" Yumi wriggled his eyebrows playfully. "Won't get jealous?"

Raiko pointed at Yumi. "You're Daichi's dad, not him." She looked at Shirahime. "I want my Jiro Papa."

Shirahime shook her head. "Shinjiro and the others are preparing to meet the evil priest and whomever else is coming from over there."

"But Jiro Papa needs to explain to him," she moved her finger to Hidetomo, "that he's my dad and not The Bad Man. He thinks The Bad Man is our dad."

"Just how powerful is my sister?" Hidetomo asked himself. "She knows what I'm thinking. Well, Daichi called her a god. Not a half-god. Is it possible?"

"Little daughter, I said you both pick your fathers. He wants that man as his father. Isn't it only fair that he chooses for himself?"

"But, mom, how can you let -?"

"I'm your aunt now. "Shirahime" is your mother."

"We will never agree. Even he agrees with us."

"She only cares for Matsuri Jiě and Fujimaru Gē," Daichi cut in.

"It's not her fault," Shirahime said, "She didn't have people like your fathers who cared about her around."

"My father cared about her!" Hidetomo exclaimed. "And he still does. Just bring him here, and he'll solve everything."

"Absolutely not," Shunsui objected. "I am not going to let you, or anyone bring him here."

"Why not?" Hidetomo asked. "The winner marries my mother, so why not allow the one person who always loved her to have her once and for all? Her husband abused her. Her husband r-." He paused. He looked at Raiko. He looked down to Yachiru who had been silent since they got here. "I mean that he did bad things to her," he finished. "He deserved to die."

"He did die," Shirahime said. "I assume Aizen killed him. But what do you think is going to happen if Aizen comes here and finds out about Raiko? Finds out about Yukihime? I guess, at least he'll let me go. Considering I was only a replacement."

"How can you say that?" Hidetomo asked.

"In your heart, Yukihime is your mother. And she is." Then she looked at Daichi and Raiko. Even though it felt like a knife gutting her, she said, "She is yours, too. I just came after."

Yachiru flung her arms around her. "Mǔqīn"

Daichi and Raiko echoed her.

"You know," Shirahime said, trying not to cry, "surely Nanao has picked up on some Mandarin, right? Who I am is supposed to be a secret. Yukihime is me now."

"And what of Setsu-onii-chan?" Yachiru asked. "Have you seen if he is happy about this?"

"Yukihime considers him to be a zanpakuto," Shirahime said.

"He is my eldest brother," Raiko said.

Daichi and Yachiru agreed.

"Well, yeah," Hidetomo said. "Mine, too."

"Maybe he's at least having fun kicking some fatuous ruler wannabe's ass."

Raiko held her hand over her mouth in shock. "Fatuous Ruler."

Daichi nearly echoed her. "Which Fatuous Ruler?" he asked delicately.

"Oh, we'll see," Shirahime said, "soon enough, I'm sure."

天国的白雪公主

SOUL SOCIETY - FIFTH DIVISION

Momo Hinamori ran up to The Fifth Division's Fifth Seat, Shinjiro Kita. "Kita! Kita!" she shouted.

Shinjiro did not turn to her as he kept his gaze on the horizon.

"Did you see, Kita? Did you see it?"

"Yes. We all saw it," Yukiko Abe, the Sixth Seat confirmed.

"Are you all really going to let Ichibe through?" Momo asked.

"We must," Yukiko answered. "Both to save and to punish Fake Princess."

"Death to Fake Princess!" one of the other Alpha Subdivision members shouted.

"Death is too kind," Momo said. "She'd find a way to bring Kurosaki back and guilt him into somehow saving her.

"You're right," Shinjiro agreed. "How is taich - how is Tàizǐfēi?"

Momo looked down.

"I think she's in pain," Momo finally said. "In order to save her children, they can't be her children anymore. It hurts. I think it hurts more than when Aizen stabbed me. I don't think I'll ever know such a pain."

"I hope not," Shinjiro said, patting her on the shoulder. "We have to help taicho now. We must make everyone believe she is taicho."

"But how, Kita? If that priest is coming, surely, he'll find out. She doesn't know any Mandarin. We've been pretending to go along with that racist Byakuya Kuchiki. That she would turn her back on all she is to become "more civilized," to become "more Japanese." And do you think this doesn't hurt Tàizǐfēi or the children? To be told they are less because of what they are! Who they are! It's just like how taicho - Tàizǐfēi - told me that only in America does a person need to hyphenate who they are, that they are never free in their own country to just be American. Why does Tàizǐfēi need another label? Why must -."

"Hinamori," Shinjiro interrupted, "she's doing all this for Daichi, for Raiko, even for Hidetomo. If not for them, she'd rather rip out her own heart than to have to go along with racist Kuchiki. Because that's what she feels she's doing anyway. And, by the way, I'm sorry about Hidetomo. Matsumoto has been spreading the rumor he is your kid with Aizen."

"What a stupid dumbass," Momo hissed. "It's been pretty damn clear he's only loved taicho - both of them. He just used me. But never, never in that way."

"You suppose Fake Princess is interested in Aizen, too?" Shinjiro asked. "I mean, she already won't leave alone one person who is in love with Tàizǐfēi."

"You know, Kita, I really hope so. Because if this evil priest doesn't put Fake Princess where she belongs, I know without one doubt that Aizen will. In fact, I'm going to tell Aizen all about Fake Princess. She's been screaming and carrying on how happy she is that Tàizǐfēi is dead. We have that on tape? We should show that to him."

"Yeah," Yukiko confirmed, "Kurotsuchi Taicho would have just the thing to show him. Perhaps we should prepare a welcome for our former taicho. Let him deal with Fake Princess and Yamamoto once and for all."

"They both deserve to die," Shinjiro said.

The others agreed.

"They both deserve to die." Momo could hear Tobiume agreeing.

Momo nodded, finally at peace with a game plan to get vengeance against both Fake Princess and against the man who showed no remorse over murdering her beloved's children.

She turned her thoughts to her current taicho. "But as for pulling this off, for taicho - well, if the priest dares to speak to taicho -."

"We've got to trust Lín and Jiāng. Surely, they'll think of something."

谢谢你们的阅读。