The Iced Moon Arc Bleach

by tending

Lieutenant Kuchiki has a secret. A variety of secrets that the Gotei 13 do not know until a figure of her past and present tips them off and then a story is told, a past. A past connected to the very creation of the Soul Society from the Soul King to zanpakutos. Soul reapers are not the utmost rulers after all.

25. Follow Me Out the White Haze

Pre-Note

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. This is for creative purposes. I do own this plot.

There are Images for this Chapter.

Reminder: Mature-rating. Mystery-themed. Light sexual content. Crucial to remain attentive to detail. This is for Rukia and her relationships.

This chapter is longer however, given its length, I had no choice but to separate it. The next half that I separated will be posted a week from now.

To answer the question from 'senbonzakura'

This is fortunately far from over yet so ending chapters are definitely not near. The Iced Moon is separated into 2 parts. One, The Interioreum World & two, The Iced Moon. We're still in the TIW stages, we're at the height of it now actually. Soon, we'll be in Part II!

---

Follow Me Out the White Haze

Rukia walked back and forth as coal was shoved in the oven Tessai brought out to bring heat.

The Interioreum World.

She knew a great deal about it. Or rather, she knew of whatever details had ever been found about the old spy tactic. She couldn't believe that was where they had been all along.

That meant they were more than okay—she felt the invisible weight lift off her shoulders the moment Jushirmai confirmed it and went on about the difference in the way their cells were moving.

The only issue was that he couldn't know where exactly they were as of now but that would all be resolved once they found the generator and reversed it. The most common place they would be in is the Seireitei.

She anxiously waited for Kisuke's arrival. He had gone with Yoruichi and Yūshirō to take a look at it since her brother refused to step anywhere near the Soul Society and report back.

Tessai, in attempts to celebrate the discovery, planned on making a feast with the Bount plushies working diligently. Lieutenant Ise had now seen her but ceased her questioning till later, choosing to hover over Captain Kyōraku's body instead.

Jushirmai, Kla, and Roger sat in front of her now. Once Kisuke came back, they would know for sure if the generator had been used.

The extra confirmation would allow relief to hit her and then she could fully say that out of all the days she spent down here, these past three days had been the best.

"I'm glad we can finally get rid of them!" Kla huffed. "Now we can go to the Capital."

Rukia ignored her.

"Kla." Jushirmai called, disapproving. "She still has to tell them the truth."

Her almond eyes popped wide. "Excuseee me? That's gonna take a whole fifty years!—Rukia!"

"Relax." Rukia attempted to calm her down. "I'll do it quickly."

"QUICKLY?!" She sparked wide. "You have to talk to that stupid brother-in-law of yours! That alone is gonna take—"

"Kla."

She leaned back. "Oh what now? I meant what I said! Can't you leave him for later? What's the point if he doesn't contribute anythin—"

"I want to get it done early. The sooner I get it off my mind, the better." Rukia said. "Besides, I'll be the one doing most of the talking so I'll keep it quick and short."

Kla scoffed. "Oh please. If he's anything like the younger him, it's gonna take forever to get through to him!"

"It won't." Rukia assured her. "This time, I'll say everything in one go. I'll clarify anything that needs to be clarified and we go from there."

"And the rest of them?!" Kla inquired passionately. "If they get involved, the assassins are gon—"

"Their involvement has nothing to do with me. That all has to do with the Head Captain. If he bars them from participating, that's between them. I'm not under soul reaper law."

"And the humans?!"

"I'll deal with Ichigo separately. As for Ishida, Inoue-san, and Sado, I'm sure they would love to help. There's no bad blood between them—they'll be accepted on the other side."

Kla stopped speaking. She leaned back into her chair with her legs and arms crossed. Rukia could tell this was going to be difficult for her but she was sure she'd fall in love with Orihime soon.

"All of this applies only if the generator is alright and we can reverse the effect." Jushirmai added to cool the heat. "If we encounter any difficulties, it could be delayed."

"Oh, that's just great!" She shouted miserably. "I swear, they're more trouble than they're worth!"

"Kla." Rukia called again. "Just let it go, alright? If you want to go to the Capital, you can go ahead without me."

"It's not that. It's just…" she closed her eyes. "They're gonna accuse you again, ya know. They're gonna think you're a spy or something—just like that dumb Kuchiki heir did. Why do you want to do that to yourself again? I wonder."

Rukia's expression softened. "Is that what you're worried about?"

"You know they're gonna do it." She kicked Jushirmai's thigh. "And you know it too."

Jushirmai looked at her. "They're wrong so who cares?"

"I'm just going to talk to Byakuya, alright? I can talk with Ichigo and the others in another setting, okay? It can even be at the Capital if you'd like." Rukia said in an attempt to convince her to settle down.

"I don't like when they call you bad things." Kla quietly admitted while clenching the ends of her dress. "You of all people don't deserve those things."

Rukia took her hands and held them tightly. "I know you're worried about me but I'll be fine."

"It'll be quick. And once I'm done, I'll be back with you in the Capital."

Her head rose and Rukia smiled.

"Do they know you're alive yet?" Roger asked on the chair Jushirmai was sitting on.

"No. I only went to Sensei but I'm sure they'll figure it out soon." Rukia said. "I should go before they find out I'm a soul reaper. If that slips out, it'll only be chaos."

"Wait until Urahara-san confirms it." Jushirmai recommended. "You just came back from Sensei Okasake and you're tired. Settle in a bit."

"That'll just delay it." Rukia said before a yawn busted her mouth wide.

"Have you figured out your story yet?"

No. On one hand, none of them had the legal authority to question her over there but there were still the Ministers and Senseis. Elders from noble clans would definitely press on her and ask.

She also still had—she gasped and closed her eyes.

"What?" Jushirmai asked her.

She had completely forgotten about Minister Asa, arguably the scariest elder of the bunch who was also Sensei Okasake's sister-in-law and Chancellor Fujii. The other Sensei Okasake's brother-in-law.

And both of them were anti-reaper extremists.

Minister Asa even had her own club.

"They can't find out I'm a soul reaper." Rukia muttered to herself. Jushirmai opened his mouth to question but her feet had already twirled around.

"Captain." She acknowledged who appeared behind her.

"What is the serial number you used to enter the academy?"

Rukia's eyes fluttered—she couldn't remember. It had only been temporary and barely lasted a year. She was adopted less than a year after and with that, the Rukongai serial number no longer applied on anywhere else but that adoption file.

"Uh…." she let her eyes wander a bit. "Uh...it was two-five-something."

"Don't you already know it?" Kla grumbled behind her—comment directed to the Captain.

"I know your older one." He addressed her though she already knew he did—the information was for Kla. "Whichever one you used for your adoption, I do not. The Elders had that number on file."

"I don't remember it." Rukia replied honestly. "It barely lasted a year. I made it up in a millisecond to enter the Shin'Ō Academy. Um…."

"Where's Byakuya?" She asked while twisting back and forth. "I might have it in my quotebook."

On cue, he appeared beside her with the book. She leafed through the pages quickly and landed on the section she sealed to avoid Byakuya reading. With a clip point knife, she sliced through the seal and opened the forbidden pages.

"Number, number, number…" she mumbled to herself as she went on. "Uh...it's—2512B81."

"I will remove your soul reaper profession from the database though it may already be too late. The only attachment to the ID will be your name and clan." Ginrei said.

Rukia nodded her head as she re-sealed the pages and handed the book back to Byakuya.

"Let's go." He said to Byakuya who silently followed behind him.

---

"The generator was broken. By the looks of it, it was intentional." Yoruichi informed them.

"I tried to get it started up again though there's a few cords that were taken out of the lower half and the top was cut from the inside. Everything else was smashed." Kisuke said. "I could go back and work on it though I was hoping there was a backup that Mayuri knew about."

"Did you find any paperwork?" Jushirmai inquired. "Any members of his division who would know?"

"No, it seems that Mayuri was the only one with access to it." Kisuke responded. "Though it makes sense."

Raiden threw his hands up. "Well that's just mcfucking great. More problems."

"Interioreum world…" Rukia reflected on her memories. She was sure that somewhere down the line she had heard of a second generator. One that they had access too. "I think,"

"We have a map for that. The map for the second generator. I'm sure it's been mentioned before." Rukia said to them. "I'm trying to remember where I was told it was."

"If Sensei has the map to the second generator, then all we'd need to do is get to it and release them." Kisuke waited for her to think.

"House of Emerald." The stone houses. "That's where it is."

"On the top floor's library, there's a key on the shelf nearest to the Cat Eye Lair. Remove it and you'll find a trap door near the end of the shelf. The key will open the lock. It's connected to the Cat Eye Lair so be mindful. At a high wall, there's a safe lodged into it. The code to open it is the number of wallflowers which died on the day each Li family Head died."

"Ah shit, the history crap." Raiden chugged a bottle of water. "Guess I'll get on it then."

"The map should be at the bottom." Rukia said. "If you don't find it, get out of there immediately. The walls neutralize tactics like flash-step or portal transportation."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." He sniffed before throwing the bottle on the bed. "Wait a minute—House of Emerald Shihōin-Kyōraku or House of Emerald Li?"

Rukia boiled down her annoyance. "Li."

"Phew, I got fucking shit-scared there." He held his heart.

"I'll be back." By then his mohawk had already sunk inside the circle.

"I can't believe we didn't notice it." Yoruichi muttered—almost as if she was disappointed in herself.

"Their reiatsu became neutral—there was no sense of association to their body or any rudimentary functions to it. That's why we were having a hard time. Though, the reiatsu of their soul never left them, that association just transferred beyond reach." Kisuke became blue, it was wasted time that could've been spent elsewhere.

"What matters is we found them so we can get rid of them." Kla said while crossing her legs.

"Though who would put them there?" Nanao's earnestness never faded.

"Afraid to say I don't know but it was intentional if only the Gotei 13 got stuck and no one else." Yoruichi said.

"There's a chance that's why the Head Captain is still missing." Jushirmai said.

"Sounds plausible. I just hope he gets it without being caught." Major Shira was yet to know of her and only Li family personnels and the Okasake clan were aware of the room.

Rukia hoped this didn't fail her. She wanted to set them free soon, the time for hiding had come to an end.

---

"It's a relief they found us." Captain Ukitake said, wiping his forehead as if sweat were on it.

"Once they reverse that generator, we'll be back into our own bodies, right?" Ichigo asked him for confirmation.

"We should be careful not to smother Kuchiki-san." Uryū said behind Ichigo—he turned to him. "She doesn't know that we know anything yet. She thinks she'll have to start from scratch."

"Trust me, I know that—I'll wait and have her tell me." Ichigo said. He was just glad to be out of here, it had been more emotionally exhausting than the year he had spent without powers.

"You mean…" Orihime stepped forward. "You're not going to tell her you know?"

Ichigo didn't get to answer.

"I agree that we shouldn't smother yet." Captain Ukitake said. "She's already going through enough stress however, it would be nice if she could get through some basics with her. You should all be mindful of that and approach her slowly."

"By the looks of it, we'll have to go to the Head Captain for answers. Kuchiki and Kurosaki can stay behind and listen to what she has to say." Tōshirō said—reminding himself that there was a family matter involved.

"That's if we can find him." Captain Kyōraku reminded them.

"To be honest, I had a bunch of questions but I can hardly remember them now that we're getting out of here." Lieutenant Kira said, prompting his Captain to turn to him.

"I wrote a list." Rose informed him. "So we could keep track."

"You wrote a list?" Shinji muttered to himself.

"If you have any questions or concerns let me know."

"It seems like you summoned your inner Nanao-chan." Captain Kyōraku complimented.

"Or Ishida." Ichigo mumbled.

"HEY!" Uryū shouted behind him.

"I'm sure you made one too." Ichigo sneered at him.

Silence—his glasses suddenly went opaque, the shade of grey pearl.

He cleared his throat. "W-Well I—"

"Here it is!" Orihime cheerfully said.

Uryū spun around fast. "Wait—"

"It's colour-coded too." Chad commented.

"I knew you did it." Ichigo said.

"I wrote one too!" Yachiru claimed with spirit atop Kenpachi's shoulders.

"Really? Where?" Rangiku asked her.

"On baldy's head!" She responded before they all looked to the shining head of the Lieutenant. A pile of illustrations were marked in black ink.

"So who's list are we using?" Kensei asked, irritated.

"If yours is colour-coded then perhaps your version is better." Rose said to Uryū who stayed quiet.

"C'mon Ishida, let's see the list." Ichigo asked while Chad and Orihime opened the folded paper which was actually very large in size.

The heading read: DISCOVERIES OF THE KUCHIKI-OKASAKE: QUESTIONS & CONCERNS

Reported by: Ishida Uryū

In this informal report, I will document the findings of Kuchiki Rukia—current Lieutenant of the 13th Division's past. Based on the information provided, at each time I will disclose the information provided followed by an assumption on what this could mean.

Okasake Name

With Lieutenant Ise of the 8th Division, I've now discovered that Okasake is a last name belonging to a noble family—the Okasake clan are one of the four great noble clans.

Okasake Hiroshima and Okasake Hirosuke are the Heads and also run a court of their own on the other end of the Soul Society.

They're very secretive. Kuchiki's brother has never seen them.

Okasake Hiroshima is deceased. Okasake Jushirmai is his adoptive son.

Kuchiki may have been in love with him (X)

Kuchiki may have been a candidate to be his wife. (✔️)

Kuchiki may have met them through Abarai (X)

Discoveries: Okasake Name

1. Okasake Hiroshima and Okasake Hirosuke are the Soul King. Their very life force gave birth to the Soul Society. They are the original Head Commanders.

2. Okasake Jushirmai is their heir to the Soul King.

3. Kuchiki protects his birthright which was sealed from him.

4. Kuchiki is an unofficial associate of the Okasake clan and is regarded as Okasake Hirosuke's granddaughter.

5. Was offered to be adopted—rejected it.

6. Didn't marry—rejected it. Okasake and Kuchiki looked around the same age.

7. Okasake Hiroshima wanted her to marry, Okasake Hirosuke did not.

8. How they met remains unknown.

9. How Jushirmai got adopted remains unknown.

10. Kuchiki was partly raised by Okasake Hirosuke.

11. Okasake heir was infatuated with her since he met her. After an incident, she frequently stayed in the Okasake manor before moving to the Capital.

12. Split personality—daylight and night version.

13. Okasake Jushirmai was given the Soul King Palace. The Soul King Palace resides on the dark side of the moon.

14. Okasake Hirosuke maintains the arms and legs of the spirit. Okasake Hiroshima maintained the heart and Soul King Palace.

15. The heart was already contaminated by Okasake Hiroshima prior to being sealed. Okasake Jushirmai plans on taking advantage of that, using soul emotions—reiatsu formed after negativity.

16. The Okasake twins had a sister—Sensei Okasake Gureta.

17. No luck with children. One pair didn't want to conceive. One child—died in infancy.

18. Kuchiki is present in the Okasake family database. Written as dead.

Kuchiki Name

Kuchiki's brother had an interaction with Mizuri Jushirmai as a teenager.

Unable to find any documents in relation to the Okasake clan—why? Their family's task is history. The Okasake clan remains unaffiliated with them.

Kuchiki's brother has never seen the Okasake clan before but has heard of them.

Kuchiki's brother's predecessor had relations with them. Remains unknown.

8th Division Captain disclosed that the former 6th Division Captain is the only person who knows of what occurred before the split. That Captain is deceased.

Discoveries: Kuchiki Name

1. Law—Common Kuchiki Law—created by Kuchiki Ginrei—prohibits any Okasake documents from being kept in the family's home.

2. Kuchiki Ginrei was revived through an experiment by 12th Division Captain, Kurotsuchi Mayuri.

3. Came back during Kuchiki's execution.

4. Close relationship with the Okasake clan.

5. Kuchiki clan potentially have an assassin past? (This is more definite than it is unlikely)

6. Knew Kuchiki prior (was adopted after his death)—also before the Okasake clan.

7. Raised her.

8. Knew the Kuchiki family prior to her adoption (brother excluded).

9. The Okasake heir's daytime entity (Kla) accuses the Kuchiki clan of being responsible for the Soul King heart's contamination.

10. Kuchiki Ginrei takes responsibility in relation to Okasake Hiroshima however, Kuchiki (Rukia) has denied those claims—claiming the responsibility is that of her along with Sensei Okasake (Hirosuke), former Lieutenant Kuchiki (Sojun), a Major from the assassin division (Shira), and others who tried to change his mind.

Discoveries: OVERALL - Kuchiki Rukia

1. Unofficial member of the Okasake clan.

2. Granddaughter (informal) of Okasake Hirosuke and (informal/now formal) of Kuchiki Ginrei.

3. Protector of Okasake Jushirmai's birthright.

4. Guardian of the moonstone (7th and final stone of the Seavens)—previous holder, Sensei Okasake Gureta.

5. Connected to the Soul King heart through Okasake Hiroshima.

6. Keeps a pure light existing within the heart.

7. Knows the pure light's source? May be the pure light?

8. Knows of a method to purify the Soul King heart but is avoiding it—why?

9. Grew up in the 78th District of the Rukongai/Okasake Manor—resided in Capital (later years).

10. Rare soul—can survive death, regenerate, exhibited unusual characteristics since childhood

11. No sheatsu? Uses the sheatsu of a snake named Roger.

12. Met Okasake Jūshirmai as a human. Took her (at the time) human brother's name. Stalked her from then.

13. Is number 254 of his obsessions.

14. Stalked by an unknown woman—the Okasake's heir accomplice—who had been watching her as well.

15. Mental aggression—sees grotesque visions, draws as a result to get rid of their memory.

Questions & Concerns

1. Who is the pure light?

2. What is the method to purify the Soul King heart that Kuchiki is trying to hide? Does it have to do with the sai blade she possesses?

3. Why wasn't he able to be sealed up? Why was he entrusted the heart when he exhibited these behaviours?

4. Why did he take interest in Kuchiki as a human? Is it just another obsession? Or is it more?

5. Who are the other victims?

6. What are the usual patterns of behavior?

7. Did the Head Captain know of Kuchiki? If so, why did he sentence her execution? If not, why wasn't he made aware of her role as the Okasake vessel and the Soul King heart protector?

8. How long has the chandelier been intact? Did Kuchiki prepare it with whomever the pure light is or was it her own invention?

9. Why did she come to the Seireitei?

10. Why did she fake her own death?

11. Why was she given the task to protect his birthright when she was an already known obsession?

12. How did she meet the Okasake clan?

13. How long has the soul collector been sucking out negative reiatsu? Why hasn't it been stopped?

14. How was the Okasake heir able to split himself from his daytime personality?

15. How is Kuchiki able to revive herself? What are her limitations? Are there any limitations?

16. Wouldn't she be able to revive herself from the execution then? Why wasn't it applicable in that case scenario then? Does it have something to do with the hōgyoku?

17. What events led up to the split which separated assassins from soul reapers?

18. Did Kuchiki Ginrei write it down? Does Kuchiki (Rukia) have those files?

19. What are the terms of the agreement? Was the Head Captain potentially forced to hide the assassin kind?

20. Does Kuchiki Ginrei have any involvement in the Soul King's heart contamination or is the younger Kuchiki correct in saying he has no involvement?

21. How was the Soul King heart sealed in Hell? Was it Okasake Hiroshima's own doing?

22. To what extent did Okasake Hiroshima truly contaminate the Soul King heart? How did he lose all his purity?

23. What is the meaning behind the sentence "before she takes over."? This was said by Kuchiki Ginrei to Kuchiki.

24. How were the Quincies saved by the assassins?

25. Which noble families have prominent presences over at the Capital?

26. How did zanpakutōs become popularized as a weapon that each officer could use?

27. How did the Head Captain become considered a Head Commander if the Okasake twins were what created the Soul Society and were assumed Head Commanders?

"I've excluded any questions in relation to family." Uryū mentioned. "Personal questions can be asked in private."

"Can you ask what conditioner she uses?" Rangiku asked.

"Matsumoto." Tōshirō scolded.

"Doesn't kill to ask does it?" Rangiku responded. "It's something we can all use."

"Except baldy!" Yachiru said in the background, causing Ikkaku to sneer.

"You can ask her about the heir's abilities. She knows a lot about that for sure. She's gone through them." Lieutenant Kira suggested.

"Ask her why she became a Lieutenant." Kensei said earnestly.

"That one's probably not her fault." Captain Ukitake said. "When she refused at first, I had done my best to convince her. After Byakuya-kun gave me permission, I got a bit excited."

"She still accepted it at the end of the day." Captain Kyōraku said behind him.

Ichigo reflected on his memories and what Rukia had told him before—"I'll probably ask her this myself but regardless, she mentioned to me that she used to babysit him or something?"

"Babysit?" Shinji grimaced.

"Yeah, I think that ties into the excerpt that Inoue read from her quotebook before about her meeting him in some chrysantellum lily field (AN: The First Interaction)." Ichigo answered.

"While we're at it, we should ask about Hell." Kensei said. "Why'd the heart have to be sealed up there? Why can't he reach it?"

"I'd like to know more about those assassin characters." Ikkaku said. "If they don't use zanpakutōs, then what is their normal style of fighting? Just Judan?"

Yumichika stepped forward. "I suppose we can ask why they think they're better than us just 'cause they were created first."

"That might start a flame." Captain Kyōraku warned sluggishly.

"Can I fight any of them?" Kenpachi asked—meant to be written as a question.

"Unfortunately, we still don't know much of Kuchiki's stance with them." Captain Ukitake lowered his eyes. "She's not an assassin—you have to have sheatsu to be one. Even though the younger her said she doesn't share those views like they do, I think it would bring great discomfort to her if you were all to insult them. She grew among them."

"I agree. We should leave those questions for the Head Captain." Tōshirō said.

"Isn't there still a chance she is one though?" Lieutenant Hisagi asked.

Isane addressed him. "Why would you think that?"

"The first rule to being an assassin is to have natural born sheatsu. Even if sheatsu can be lent, you can't qualify for a position without it. It doesn't matter her family relation, Hiro-sensei wouldn't break that rule. It's tradition." Captain Ukitake explained to him.

"But doesn't Captain Sui-Feng have sheatsu from her grandfather?" Rangiku turned to Sui-Feng. "You said that you could claim your grandfather's sheatsu and it would be registered as yours in your body. Doesn't that count?"

"No, it does not. You may practice assassin techniques though at the end of the day, you can never be registered as one. The serpent is his own entity—just 'cause she uses it and knows it well, doesn't mean that rule would be broken for her." Sui-Feng said.

"Well if Captain Sui-Feng's saying it, I'll believe her. You've got no reason to lie now since we know you knew of her so she isn't one." Lieutenant Kira said.

"But what about those blades?" Kensei asked.

Uryū stepped forward. "We've seen them before."

Ichigo blinked in confusion. We have?

"On the night we came into the Seireitei, when we first met the Okasake heir. Before she said his name when he asked, he threw something at her—with a chain. I remember seeing it—it had to be that (AN: Say my Name). It's most likely her blade." Uryū explained.

"Well I'm guessing she trained to do something over there, right?" Lieutenant Kira said. "If she's the granddaughter of an assassin, then obviously she was taught some stuff. She even knew how to flash-step. We saw it earlier (AN: Sudden Confessions)."

"The sai blades make sense to me. They're part of the uniform, but she has her own blades too? And she clearly knows how to use them well." Lieutenant Hisagi said.

Ikkaku turned to him. "So what are you saying?"

Shuhei shrugged. "I dunno, it's just weird I mean, training her with sai blades 'cause of the clan's task makes sense but to equip her with all that? It makes me wonder what she did over there."

"It is most likely that she worked closely with Hiro-sensei." Captain Ukitake said. "If that's the case, then I can see why she may have trained with assassin blades and chose her own to match with the kinds there."

Kensei closed his eyes. "Yeah, but—"

---

"Rukia-san!" Hanatarō hollered, running to her near Ichigo's stretcher.

"Hanatarō!"

"I have a question." Hanatarō said. "I was wondering if you had a lighter fan-chained blade that I could try!"

Huh? Hanatarō and blades? The younger Rukia followed behind him with a giggle.

"I have a few…" she said while plunging her hand into the right pocket of her doctor's coat and pulling out three bracelets. "Wait. Lighter? Let me see that one."

Rukia tried it for herself—the one he had—and that was the lightest she owned.

"That is the lightest one. But I can give you—" she looked at the younger her, "—one of mine so Hanatarō can practice with that one."

"Sure!"

"I have three." She introduced. "They each have a different design."

Closing her fist and releasing, she brought out the main one she used. The leaves of the fan blade were a lustrous silver along with the rivet and ribs. Ornamental moonstones were placed apart—an inch and half away from each other over the blueberry purple arch with artwork of white flowers.

When the light hit, a special glimmer could be seen like fairy dust—a shimmery white.

"Wow! This one's so pretty!" She said in awe at the bigger sized blade.

"Then there's this one." She slung on the other bracelet and let it go. It was silver too though the kind of moonstone on it was different—it had a cornflower-green to it, known as a green moonstone. The artwork resembled the colour too.

The younger her's eyes sparkled with the same fascination.

"Wow...these are so nice. We must've gotten these ones after our promotion!"

"Promotion for what?" Hanatarō questioned beside her.

"Uh well…" The younger her contemplated on whether to mention it or not. "I'm the holder of the seventh stone—moonstone."

"O-Oh!" Hanatarō was stunned. "Wow, Rukia-san. That's such an i-incredible honor."

"I know!" She said before Rukia took out the last bracelet. "This one actually works with Sode No Shirayuki. She can be the blade or guide it."

It was no surprise to her younger self when the blade which came out was stark white akin to her zanpakutō in shikai form. The arch white and the flowers now silver.

"Oh…." for some reason she felt like she was less impressed. "Well, it's pretty too."

"So which one are you choosing?" Rukia asked though deep down she already knew the answer.

"First one—though...I'd like to try all." Rukia took all the bracelets out and handed them to her. "Take it. I don't use them anymore anyways."

She could sense the sour face the younger her wanted to make at that comment but it was true. She barely used them unless she needed to.

Knowing that made her uncomfortable.

She loved her blades more than anything. She still did because with them and Sode No Shirayuki, she had taken her first dance.

---

"How much are you gonna need?" Rukia asked Raiden who stood in front of her now after briefing her about the Capital again with the map curled into a cylinder in his hand.

"I don't know a million? We're gonna have to secure the Seireitei to get our guys outta there and cool that fucking ice. Our lab already tested it—it's the best way to have that place cooled in no time. We're already ready to set up the coolers, we just need the sheets to be activated and since you gotta meet Chancellor eventually, might as well send the fucking message."

"How long is it going to take to activate those sheets with the cooler and distribute it? Aren't you guys on a lockdown order?" Rukia asked while standing up.

"Yeah, yeah but 12th Division's got an exception. With our speed, it should be done in no time though, you're gonna have to find other men to set up sheets for the Seireitei. I know for a fact Chancellor ain't gonna fuck with that and we both know no assassin is lifting a fucking finger unless Wildfire and Major Haru wanna be dramatic and do it."

"We'll figure that out later. I'll go ask for the sheets, you guys discuss the map." Rukia said, about to turn. "Wait, is Renji alright?"

Raiden sighed. "He's doin' alright. I mean, they're still questionin' him but otherwise, he's doin' just fine."

"What was his story?"

"Inklin Mountains."

"Inklin Mountains?" Rukia repeated. "The corner snow mountains….I'm guessing they don't believe he's been there all this time and couldn't come back."

"Abarai created a whole injury story and what not. If you can get your ol'Oky on board, maybe we can pin it on him, who knows."

"You want me to ask him to take accountability?"

"Well you did ask him to help you leave." He reminded her.

She sneered at him.

"C'mon, you can do it. Your ol'Oky is weak for you, he'll listen." He spoke to groom her.

"Sounds to me like you feel sorry for him." Rukia said with a smirk.

"Cang Du and the whole fucking Capital are gonna tear both of your asses for becoming soul reapers. Unless you wanna answer to a whole group of people—"

"I get it, I get it. If I go back and they're still questioning, I'll ask—happy?"

---

"If Kuchiki's leaving again, we should try to stay close and follow her." Tōshirō said. "It's been awhile since we've been to the Soul Society. I'd like to see our current condition."

"Are you sure that isn't gonna be too tight, Tōshirō?" Ichigo asked him. "We all won't make it seeing how fast that thing closes."

"We'll just have to be fast." Tōshirō said. "Or some of you can stay behind."

The portal opened and the minute it did, they ran through to enter a new home.

The Okasake manor.

---

This time she opened the same shōji door and twisted left into a burnt orange door and entered a narrow corridor. Paper lanterns, the colour of scarlet lined above, brought a deep tint to the room already swallowed with gold.

Rukia walked until she saw the door to the left and stopped. Slowly, she twisted the door handle—allowing herself to be bathed in light near the doorway before looking to her right.

Chancellor sat in the middle, near the wall. Circle glasses sat near the bridge of his nose as he read into a book with his desk not too far from him. Despite the chaos outside, he looked comfortable in his night robes with a steaming cup to the right of him.

She assumed whatever he was reading was enticing, he was usually quick to notice. Rukia stepped forward and with that, his upturned eyes the colour of wisteria caught a glimpse and she settled in.

"Chancellor." She greeted him. Rukia assumed he already knew that she was alive.

The book was set down. He removed his glasses and somehow, Rukia could see him more clearly now. He looked the same. His face still reminded her of Lieutenant Chōjirō—the same freshly shaven face with a thin streak of silver hair on his philtrum.

"My word…" it seemed that she had rendered him speechless. Once she was closer, crinkles formed on his face and those upturned eyes turned into slits as he welcomed her with wide arms.

Rukia knelt in front of him and entered another elder's arms with warmth.

"Welcome home."

Subconsciously her arms held on tighter as she squeezed her eyes shut. "The trials have ended, my child. You have returned and for that, I'm grateful."

Rukia leisurely let go.

"Hirosuke tells me you've been with our neighbours to the south." The Kuchiki clan.

Rukia forced a smile at his enthusiasm. "Something like that."

He held onto her arms. "I'm quite glad you're back. If it weren't for our condition, I would have thrown you a welcome back party."

The real smile then came.

He left an invisible trail when he swayed the glasses in his hand to the right. "With all the dumplings, my child. And plums."

"That sounds nice." Rukia said. "How've you been?"

"Swell. I've spent my time lost in Hirosuke's grand library. And you?"

Her shoulders heaved. "Well…."

"Never mind." Chancellor rushed to say. "It's been awhile, I'm sure it was exhausting having to live amongst soul reaper enthusiasts."

Rukia bit her bottom lip, suddenly feeling like a thin piece of glass that he could easily see through.

"Tea?" He offered as she shifted backwards.

Unable to speak, she nodded her head.

###

She had no plans of telling him she was a soul reaper. However, she needed a route to ask him to supply the shield sheets for the Seireitei without appearing suspicious.

Rukia had never harbored any hatred towards soul reapers though she understood why that opinion existed. Some felt it stronger. There were elders which existed who seethed the moment any of them were mentioned, Chancellor was one of them.

He even despised assassin-soul reaper types. Although assassin blood was what coursed through their veins first and foremost, he thought the hybrid was dancing with the enemy and undermined the history between the two kinds.

She could never tell him.

Fortunately he spent his days locked in rooms to know much of the outside world without anyone telling him.

"You look worn." He observed through his thin round lenses. "Have they been feeding you?"

Rukia nodded her head. "It's just the stress. I haven't been able to sleep for awhile, that's all."

He muttered something under his breath. "You should stay here for awhile then. I would rather you here then elsewhere."

"I'd be taking a vacation then."

"Well, isn't it a much needed one?" He argued. "They've exhausted you, you look famished."

"They have not." She rested her right hand on his own. "Besides, in my position, there's no time for rest."

"But you just came back."

Rukia leaned back. "I'm surprised you haven't asked me yet of my reason."

He coughed. "It is quite obvious that was a mission. Why else would you have gone off to Ginrei-dono's clan when your home is right here?"

She mentally scolded herself for bringing up the subject.

"Right." Rukia mumbled before meeting the spine of his book. "I'm sorry I didn't visit you sooner."

"Nonsense, child. Take your time, I only get older." She drank her tea with a half-smile. "I'm just glad you're back home. This house has been rather dull without your presence, you can bring life to it again."

"It feels good to be back too."

"I would hope." He ate some pickled fruit. "If you encounter any difficulties, let me know. I'd happily abandon my book for you.".

"I'm glad you mentioned it. I do need a favor from the Fujii clan. I was hoping you could provide it to me with ease."

He clapped his hands and elegantly did a curtsy gesture with his hands. "Anything."

So much glee showered in those eyes, Rukia almost didn't want to ruin it by mentioning the kind he despised the most.

"I need some supplies. Shield sheets—the same ones we used to extinguish the wildfires near the Li's family House of Emerald. I would need a large supply, if you're willing."

"Of course. I would need a general estimate though."

Rukia tilted her head with an uneasy face. "The size of the human world, enough for a prediction?"

"My word," he cleaned his glasses, letting it digest. "What has occurred outside?"

"Chaos to say the least. I would really need a lot, that's why I would rather ask in person then send a request."

"I see. Though, what could have possibly occurred to need so many? I'll send the request in person." He opened his agenda and scribbled the words down.

Rukia's lips pressed into a straight line. "We need to cool the human world but we also need to keep the Seireitei from freezing."

She watched the friendliness drip from his eyes. His hands stopped moving to clean his glasses.

"What did you just say?" The friendliness left his voice too. Suddenly, the cup in her hands felt all too cold.

"I will not supply anything to those reapers." He slammed the book shut and hastily wiped his glasses, though he didn't wear them again. "You should know that better."

"I know." She released a breath. "But we're gonna need it."

"Sensei sent division members to the Seireitei once the Head Captain was reported missing." She explained. "It's been awhile so obviously we don't have a lot of people who are happy with it. They need to move out but Sensei still doesn't want to leave the place unguarded."

Her chest rose. "And I don't either."

The look he gave her reeked of betrayal.

"And what interest could you possibly have in those reapers' survival?" He questioned her.

"I understand your feelings with this however, we do have to honor our side of the agreement." Rukia pleaded.

He scoffed. "My child, do you think those fools would honor any part of that agreement if it were the other way around?"

"Probably not." She lied. "But we're not them, are we?"

He scowled. "There is a reason. That's why I'm asking for you and your clan's leniency towards their situation. I'm only asking you to supply the shields, I won't ask you to do anything further."

"Using our shields is the equivalent of extending a hand."

"It's not." Rukia argued. "You're giving the shield to us. What we do with it has no association with you."

"It is still bred from my clan. I will never," he pointed to her with his glasses, "supply anything for those reapers. You know I will not show them mercy. The fact that Hirosuke and you are both being lenient towards them—"

"We're simply honoring our agreement, written when the official alliance between us was formed. You've always valued relations like that, we're only doing our part. You should know by now that none of us expect the same."

"Of course we don't. They aren't at our level to be considerate."

"If you believe that, then what's the harm in supplying them?" Rukia tried to reason. "Like it or not, they're still souls that enter the Soul Society that we are responsible for."

She felt her core stiffen. He probably saw right through her now—somehow he would know.

"You are acting as if you are one of them." He muttered with disliking eyes.

She didn't say anything in response.

"You know very well our history, my child. Of course, you're not ignorant. You should know why asking something like this is—"

"Wrong and inappropriate, I know, however, I'm not asking you this as any regular person. We need those shields to get those assassins out and remove our involvement. The Seireitei can still be protected that way to honor our agreement and can put an end to all the opposition within the Capital as of now. Would you rather our forces remain there? Wouldn't that show a sign of further strengthening our alliance?"

"I would rather they leave. We should've never set foot in the Seireitei as allies."

"An agreement is an agreement. If it weren't for that agreement, we wouldn't have lived in peace." Rukia argued. "Having our forces here in the Seireitei on official business is what's bothering the court. We can't face opposition like this—not right now. I'm asking you to help supply these shields so that we can leave and remove ourselves from the situation."

"More importantly, I won't have any assassin seen doing anything in favor of those reapers. I'll find an alternate way to have them set up quickly."

He remained silent. Rukia hoped he was reviewing her words and reflecting on them—she couldn't tell.

What felt like hours was suddenly crushed by the final sentence before the verdict.

An irritated breath left his mouth. "Are you sure you want to do this, my child?"

Rukia nodded her head. "If it is necessary, I will do it."

Taking in a breath, he re-opened his book and scribbled something more. "You are walking on a slippery slope though I will support you this once in regards to those reapers. I can do anything for you but that."

She let the smile take her face. "Thank you."

"Don't get too excited. This will only happen once."

"I know." Rukia said. "I'll take this as my gift."

"Don't." He then put some pickled fruit in her hands. "Once you return officially, I will have something made for you."

"Don't." She warned before tapping his hand. "Seeing you is all I need."

"I would hope." He smirked and intertwined his fingers with her right hand. "Though, I will ask you one last time, are you sure—"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Those things are a group I would not like to see you associate with often." Chancellor warned. "I know you've probably had to chat with them given your mission however, that should long be left behind."

"It won't happen again." She lied, forcing the most surest smile she could.

It was at that moment, Lieutenant Kuchiki Rukia had to be dead. She couldn't show any signs of it—or else.

---

Nanao sat next to Captain Kyōraku, she hadn't moved from her position in awhile. She thought of a lot of things—mainly the Lieutenant of the 13th Division who seemed to be the biggest surprise of all.

While everyone was stuck on the fact that the Gotei 13 were safe and unharmed, Nanao who hadn't endured the two months of waiting merely thanked the stars and settled down to reflect on the character of Lieutenant Kuchiki.

Aizen's secrecy suddenly felt like a light tide in comparison to the height and enormity of this wave. She would've never expected that the Lieutenant of the 13th Division would be something like this nor did she expect the Soul Society to already be breaking.

She did feel sorry for her in some sense. If what the younger Kuchikis disclosed to her was true, then she had suffered greatly to maintain the heart. It became hard to overlook it —every time she managed to conceive even the tiniest of negativity in regards to her, she remembered and it all fell down.

She didn't know what to think now. There was still an anonymity that hung over the Lieutenant—though she had processed the information quickly and understood it, she couldn't make out what the Lieutenant's goal had been in the first place in coming to the Seireitei.

She was an unofficial member of the Okasake clan. She was tasked with the Soul King and acted like the Okasake vessel.

If this situation had nothing to do with soul reapers, Nanao didn't understand why she'd enter in the first place.

They're commonly the type of people who never get light shed on their faces. (AN: Not Just Yet)

Her Captain's voice echoed in her ears. Assassins were sent to be soul reapers to restore balance was what he had said and that they weren't spies.

Was she one of them then?

Nanao made a mental note to ask her upfront. She couldn't tell whether she was or wasn't.

"Lieutenant Ise!" A voice called—it belonged to her. She searched around her but the source of the voice couldn't be found.

She then caught a circle of white haze attached to the rock wall beside her.

"Lieutenant?" Nanao voiced. "What are you doing in there?"

"Walk into it, I want to show you something." Lieutenant Kuchiki said through the circle.

Nanao hesitated. The circle was wide enough for her to fit through and ready but she didn't want to leave without leaving a note somewhere.

She wanted someone to know just in case.

"Just a second." She said before ripping out a paper from the medical binder beside her and writing down the words rather quickly.

She tucked it behind his pillow before looking to the circle.

"So...do I just walk through?"

"Yes, don't worry. It's quick, you won't feel a thing." She heard her instruct from the other end.

Nanao, with caution, proceeded through the white circular haze—feeling nothing like the Lieutenant had assured.

The moment she entered, she was met with bright white—layers and layers of snow and the chilliest of airs brought goosebumps to her skin. Her teeth began to chatter shortly. They were in the Soul Society.

A large burgundy blanket hugged her in that instant. She looked to the Lieutenant who had given it to her.

They were near the spider lily field which led into the noble homes area. The night resembled the petals of cornflower, a deep azure shade taking the place of black.

Ice tinted like gas fire still hung everywhere. Nothing had changed. Nanao looked to the Lieutenant for an explanation.

"I brought you here because I thought you would want to see the chandelier." Lieutenant Kuchiki said to her.

Following her explanation, her neck craned to view the starless sky. "I don't see it."

"Wait." The Lieutenant responded with a hushed voice. Nanao followed her when she moved up a step, holding the blanket close.

Wind challenged her stance that instant. She almost toppled over and lost her balance as the mainly treeless field began to ruffle with rage. It was very strong—the wind, that is—she subconsciously shifted closer to the Lieutenant that instant when she heard branches crack.

Her bangs sprang loose once again as a glowing yellow, the kind found on orange sulphur butterflies reflected on her glass frames.

Somewhere in the sky, a zigzag line dropped from the center. A broad yellow ring circled around it along with a smaller one at the start of the line—forming a canopy. With that, chains illuminated with the same colour began to fly out in numerous directions.

As it did, the structure in the air developed. The arms of the chandelier branched out and formed deep curves before sprinting up. The drip pan had a sai blade inserted upwards, glowing like fireflies.

From every inch of the Soul Society, a chain was connected from that core created. By now, the thousandth chain was out—Nanao couldn't see the end of where the fan blade resided.

A second core was developed from the receiver bowl. Minuscule circles lit like the face of a flashlight before the short cylinder shape nearing the bottom began to spin like the tower wind-seeker rides she had heard existed in human world fairs.

It seemed to be never-ending.

More chains flew out of that core and passed. She watched some chains tighten on their own while others dripped down loosely and were fixed later.

From afar, the structure looked stunning—a colossal chandelier in the sky which served as the night sun, among the many others which hung, deeper in colour so it could be marveled at but Nanao couldn't drink in the grandeur.

For, the second half had begun.

She saw it now. A thick—even broader—black cloud hung above the chandeliers which stretched across the Soul Society. It couldn't pass it but it was there. Nanao was so far and she could hear the squeaks and snickers which came from it.

Hollows.

And perhaps those hollows born out of the darkness which she now knew was named soul shadows.

For the first time, she saw the Soul Society raw and for what it was now. The striking azure blue she had acknowledged before was now charred. A heavy murk—like a fragrance—spread quickly in the air, the shade of tin.

It felt like she had lost her attachment to home and before the war had even started, the place was already a wreck.

She saw the threat become the remaining life. That ice and white haze kept the brightness below alive. She no longer minded it if it kept the Soul Society looking normal.

The walls which had been freshly painted now looked as if they had been splashed with sea water day after day until they rusted. Stained glasses of black dust, duller shades replaced anything which used to luster with vibrancy.

She felt almost sick to her stomach as this murk took over and all life was lost from the trees afar. Stone floors were shattered, any life in its path was rendered into nothing but a dull shadow of what it used to be.

Moss poured down a section of the building that still had broken windows from before. The hundred vines for cracks seemed to have spread further. The division barracks had rust all over, windows so dark they looked painted on.

And it spread. Her head leisurely twisted as the miasma swallowed everything and left it shriveled as it passed.

"L-Lieutenant?" She called—eyes glazed with fear. She could only see the left side of her face, mostly obscured by her hair.

She finally met her eyes. "Welcome to Hell."

###

They remained silent behind the two Lieutenants. The sight had stolen all the commentary from them.

Wide eyes craned their necks—drinking it all in with difficulty. This was kept from them, it kindled rage.

It looked post-apocalyptic to Ichigo. The shattered windows, the rusting buildings, anything which burned an essence of light had been squashed beneath this thick haze.

His mouth was dry. This was not the world he had entered two years ago. It made garbage dumpsters in the human world look like luxury. He was staring at the ruins of a place that looked like a forgotten city.

All the infrastructure was poor. His mind ran to the Rukongai. If that place was supposed to be the scrums, he didn't want to imagine it now. It hit a lot when he thought of it, suddenly he wished the snow and ice was all they had.

"I can't believe this." Tōshirō managed to squeeze out. No matter how many times that marigold light flashed in his eyes, he couldn't fathom it. "All along, we've been like this."

"It…" Rangiku was at a loss of words. A feeling of grief struck her—it was like she was watching Gin die again.

"He must've had his reason." Captain Komamura finally spoke. "He wouldn't hide this."

"Lieutenant Kuchiki mentioned something about the assassins and soul reapers having an agreement which probably talks about the rules of their alliance and stuff, right?" Lieutenant Hisagi said. "What if—"

Ichigo cut him off. "Rukia already said that the Head Captain agreed to keep it hidden. They have a good relationship—I doubt any pressure like that was involved."

"The place is ruined." Uryū commented. "I wonder if the Capital looks like this too."

"It probably does but remains hidden as it did to us." Captain Ukitake said, still struck by the gravity of their situation.

"Unless they gave us all the bad crap and protected their own." Kensei said.

"What do you make of all of this?" Ichigo asked Jūshiro.

He stared at him solemnly in return. "I'm disappointed that we weren't told though I understand why that would be difficult to express."

"Yama-jii owes us an explanation, alright though as Ukitake said before, this issue regards them."

"Kyōraku, this is our land too." Tōshirō said. "We're breaking down like this and no one bothered to tell us."

"Lieutenant Kuchiki must be the pure light." Momo said to herself, stepping out—still entranced by the chandelier's light.

"You're really stuck on that, aren't you?" Captain Hirako asked her.

She didn't answer. Shinji's eyes caught the field beside him with spider lilies and took note of something as the lot beside him quarrelled and pitched in their reactions.

They were still red.

And alive.

The frost on their petals did no damage.

And the tree, not too far away from him, bent a bit was still alright too.

Despite everything in the murk's wake, shriveling and dying, this field was still alive. The spider lilies were still lush and swayed with the wind.

Almost as if this ground was sacred—almost as if it was protected.

He would've mentioned it sooner if it weren't for the continuous quarrelling beside him. At least to Ichigo but he was too distracted by it all for him to call him aside.

Spider lilies or chrysantellum lilies. Whatever they were, they were special. And something told him that Ichigo would soon know that truth in entirety.

###

"I…" Nanao stopped to convey something proper. "How could the Head Captain keep something like this?"

She watched the Lieutenant she had known to be shorter in size and hair sigh. "It was an agreement. Soul reapers were not supposed to be involved."

"But is that fair?" Nanao questioned immediately. "If our world's like this, why can't we be involved?"

"That's something you have to ask the Head Captain, not me. I just wanted you to see what the younger me told you about."

"We're falling apart." She muttered to herself while observing again. The image was painting away in her brain until it became permanent.

"But it can be fixed." Lieutenant Kuchiki said to her, which pulled her away from the scene.

Before she could open her mouth, the Lieutenant faced her fully before raising her left hand to the side. Nanao followed the direction of her hand and saw a circle forming at the height of the tree.

It was almost as if she was calling something out of it without speaking. Her assumption was proven correct as a sai blade, illuminated in yellow sheatsu, came busting out in speed—dipping low before coming close to her hand.

The Lieutenant then grabbed it and turned back to the scene they had watched diagonally to the left in the clouds.

She flipped in the sai blade in the air and then kicked it—aiming it perfectly into the core of the chandelier. Moments later, an enormous ball of light shot out of the same spot and then dispersed in a perfect circle—touching everything in its path and restoring it.

The pure light.

"The pure light?" Nanao asked out loud. From the corner of her eye, she saw the Lieutenant nod her head.

"Unfortunately it's only temporary though. That sai blade only has a fraction." Lieutenant Kuchiki explained. "Every once in a while, I have to do this to rid the Soul Society of this image. It purifies it and restores life."

"Then...we must find more." She replied. "If we can find a good amount, can't we protect it for good?"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. The person of the pure light couldn't foster enough even when they were alive. Even though their sheatsu was special, it still wasn't enough to counter all the demonic presences which existed here—it was a Major rank. Even with a large amount like that, we were severely challenged. Fortunately, we have this bit left to protect us." And the rest hidden.

"I see. That means we need to find another method of purification as Urahara-san mentioned." Nanao said while staring at the chains. "Are those yours?"

It seemed like she hesitated for a moment but nonetheless, she told the truth.

"They were used at the early stages to hold us up. I'd merge the sai blade with my fan blade twirling and send it up there. Automatically, it'd find the ends of where it wanted to protect and hang like the arm of a chandelier."

Nanao couldn't stop staring at her. And neither could Ichigo.

No one knew what to feel anymore. Some were still stuck on the fact that she had associations with assassins while others were staring at her as their hero in disguise.

If only they knew, where her true intention lied.

---

Rukia stepped out of the portal with Lieutenant Ise behind her. Like a trap, her feet stood in place as if she had been caught—she was here. Again.

The widest grin on her face with more rings around her fingers. A cane rested between her feet as the slick back haired elder welcomed them.

"Sensei Kyōraku." Rukia greeted awkwardly. She tried her best to hide it but as long as the assassin side didn't know of her return, she'd be squirmy around this particular elder.

"K-KYŌRAKU?!" Nanao yelled behind her. Rukia was convinced her eyes almost fell out of their sockets.

Sensei Kyōraku clapped before squealing. "Lieutenant Ise! What a pleasure to see you here!"

Nanao's gaze shot to her Captain before looking to her for answers. "The...Kyōraku family...have a position there?"

Rukia could tell she was two steps away from falling over.

"Uh, well you see…" Yes, they own the 8th Division.

"Why of course we do!" Fortunately that woman was faster. "Come—" she pulled Lieutenant Ise away from her, "—let me tell you everything myself."

Rukia watched as the woman carried Nanao away to Captain Kyōraku's stretcher. In her heart, she prayed for her soul.

---

"Ask her about those spider lilies—think they've got something to do with the pure light." Shinji said, moments after they came out of the portal.

"Why do you think that?" Ichigo asked him, the others wondered too.

"I didn't get to mention it when we were there but you know how that dark aura made everything look rusty, dead, or shriveled up when it got touched?" He waited for everyone to nod their heads. "Well that chrysantellum lily field or whatever you wanna call it, didn't. I saw it—it was like the ground was sacred or something. The thing couldn't touch it."

Suddenly Ichigo was reminded of that clip that looked like a spider lily. Before, when it showed up in one of Rukia's drawings, Byakuya had said 'but she didn't wear it' or something like that and gave no explanation afterwards.

He turned to him. His eyes were closed—Ichigo reminded himself to ask about it later. He needed to know what he meant by that.

###

"Byakuya."

Ichigo sat down on the free chair on the left side of Byakuya's stretcher. It didn't feel like he was sitting on anything but air nonetheless, it held him up.

Byakuya was like a lamp post the whole time. He only stood straight next to his stretcher and hardly said a word. If he moved in the slightest, he was still the same.

He wanted to ask about that clip and what he meant about her not wearing it. If what Shinji said was accurate, he was right about his thought earlier—chrysantellum lilies might really be the key.

"That clip you mentioned, the day Rukia woke up—you said that she 'didn't wear it' but she has it. What were you talking about that day?"

He didn't open his eyes at first. It was almost as if he was never there though Ichigo understood.

They were getting out of here soon. There were a lot of questions he probably had for both Rukia and his grandfather. Telling a story may not be in his best interest right now, but Ichigo would wait regardless.

Once he saw them, the story began.

"It was on the night of Captain Ukitake's birthday…."

###

"Where is Rukia?" Byakuya asked her maid, Chiyo who happened to be in the room.

"Kuchiki-sama!" She bowed. "Rukia-sama went off already. She asked me to inform you of her leaving."

He prepared to leave.

"U-Uh, Kuchiki-sama." He stopped. "I think Rukia-sama left this clip by accident."

Chiyo opened her hand with a hairpin—a silver spider lily sat on the head of it. "I think she planned on wearing it for Captain Ukitake's birthday party."

He eyed the clip in the maid's hand.

"She left not too long ago. I was hoping...you could give it to her. It'd go nice with what she was wearing."

When he didn't answer, the maid scolded herself for being too rash with her words. Perhaps she should've left it alone or gave it to Rukia herself however, given that they were going the same way...Chiyo mentally sighed.

She had found the clip left on the chair next to her futon. She thought she had planned on wearing it since she chose to wear one of those human sundresses instead of her kimono which had also been laid out on the chair.

She closed her right hand and pulled it down, "Forgive me—"

Byakuya opened his right hand. When he did, the maid rushed to give him the clip and he turned away.

Soon he was out of the area and was onto the path that led him into the buildings of the Gotei 13. The field beside him was made out of grass with frost barely on it.

It was December 21st. Winter had just begun though snow was yet to fall. The most that had changed was the temperature.

He walked past the slightly bended tree which served as a marker for the field and a relatively interesting mark for him. The same flower which made up the clip he held was what grew after that marker.

The field was lush with red.

The first thing he spotted ahead of him on the mustard yellow path was Rukia. The maid had been correct—she hadn't left not too long ago if she was only this far.

She was near the part of the field which abruptly turned into feather reed grass when he approached her.

"Rukia."

She stood still and turned.

The moon hung high and a chill remained crisp in the air. And yet, given her ice zanpakutō, she wore a white summer dress randomly dotted with aster flowers and wheat-coloured leaves.

"Oh...Nii-sama!" She greeted. "I didn't think you'd leave so soon."

"You went ahead."

"Sorry, Nii-sama." She bowed with her hands near her lap. The wind teased some movement with the tip of her now very short hair—dangling over the nape of her neck. "But we can go together now that you're here."

She turned with her heel to move though Byakuya stopped her. "There is a clip."

The sand grinded beneath the flats she wore when she stopped abruptly. "Huh?"

Byakuya brought out the clip—it rested in the middle of his palm. Her eyes shot to the clip he was holding out and he observed something peculiar.

"Your maid said you left it behind and that you had planned on wearing it." He spoke even when he sensed the change within her upon seeing it.

She became like a statue—her eyes bore into that one place as her eyebrows lowered. He watched the colour of her eyes become the darkest shade it could be as violet before it hit black. They hardened at the sight, she lost all the radiance she had carried up until here.

"I don't like that clip." Her voice was stern and heavy.

He waited for her to continue.

"I...had no plans of wearing it." Something changed. All the politeness had left while her stare remained at the head of the pin.

He glanced at the hairpin and back. "Is it due to the spider lily?"

She shook her head very slowly.

"I wouldn't wear it either way." She whispered.

It seemed that she caught herself when she cleared her throat and looked up to him.

"Sorry, Nii-sama." She apologized and finally looked up at him. "I just...don't like that clip very much."

She smiled.

Close-lipped.

It was fake.

She was doing it to disperse the uneasiness within her and around.

"It seems that the maid was incorrect." He closed his fingers over the clip to put it back into his pocket.

Rukia suddenly leaned forward—a gasp leaving her mouth and hands out to touch it as if something had jolted through her.

"I'll take it!" He didn't answer—only paused.

Calming herself down, she repeated it. "I'll take it, Nii-sama. Don't worry."

He did not understand what was wrong with her.

Moonlight glimmered past Byakuya's eyes as he looked down at her. "I thought you did not like it."

Her stare went cold, voice hostile. "I don't."

It was as if he was speaking to two different people.

"You do not have a pocket to keep it in."

He thought she would try to think of a response to retaliate however, instead, she closed her eyes and released a breath of exhaustion. She would never do that in front of him.

"I can keep it." She was forcing herself to input a polite tone. "Don't worry."

He didn't move. She paid him a glance before reaching out to grab it though he slightly sent his fingers a bit more over it.

"Nii-sama…" her shoulders rose, impatience was clearly stirring inside of her. "I apologize, please give me the clip. It is mine! I just…"

Her face finally gave off some authenticity. "You're right, I just really hate those flowers."

He didn't believe her however, her aura was real.

When he didn't say anything, she reached out and took it. She clenched the clip in a fist and smiled.

"Shall we go, Nii-sama? We're already kinda late." She was back to normal now.

Though Byakuya studied her for a few extra seconds which felt like an eternity to Rukia, he walked past her to lead the way.

"We are fashionably late."

###

"Kuchiki!" Captain Ukitake greeted the pair with confetti sprinkled in parts of his silver hair and two plastic necklaces around his neck.

"Captain Ukitake." Rukia greeted him. "Here."

The straps of the gift bag, initially held near her lap, were brought forward to him.

"Ah, Kuchiki you shouldn't have gone through all that trouble." Captain Ukitake said courteously though he accepted it. "I already have so many."

He alluded to the table which was stacked with all kinds of patterned wrapping paper or gift bags. "I only get older. It's nothing new."

"Ridiculous." Rukia said. "You should celebrate every year, it's a good thing."

"I suppose."

"Hey, Captain Ukitake!" Rangiku came and walked past them with Shuhei following her. They put an arm over Captain Ukitake's neck and moved off with him. Rukia smiled.

In a room filled with people, she didn't know where to go. She couldn't find Renji amongst the crowd here either. Rukia suddenly felt a light tug on her right.

"I did not know we were required to bring gifts." That sentence came from Byakuya—Rukia looked up before leaning a bit to his side.

"Does it help if I told you that I wrote both of our names on it?" Rukia asked.

Silence and then, "yes."

Another grin came, she looked happy though there was still that clip she was clutching onto so tightly. Her palms were probably sweating even with the cold.

"Well…" she stepped back.

"I will hold your clip." He said, extending his hand. "And return it to you later."

Her expression alone told him she wasn't going to do it. "It's okay, I can carry it around."

"You will lose it."

"—I won't." She assured him with another uneasy beam. It seemed that every time he mentioned the clip, she would be this way with an uncomfortable aura.

That same behaviour would continue when he would later test the waters later again that night.

###

Hours later and the cluster at Ukitake's birthday celebration began to retire with a few staying behind to clean up. Deep into the night, Rukia followed Byakuya as he led them back to the manor.

She hadn't thought about the clip as much. In fact, it stayed there in her hand the whole time unless she needed to use both of their hands. In that scenario, the hair pin was a two-in-one and could be switched into a brooch that she wore on her left side.

It was only when the open spider lily field began to show and they were near the bush which served as a marker, the other way around, to begin the field and served as a memory of something (AN: Fruits are the Evil Eye), did she find herself thinking about it again and stopped.

The large moon was so vivid in the sky above the open field. She couldn't go through it.

"Byakuya." She rarely used his name.

His feet halted.

"Can we...take the long way back?" It was a request that could go both ways. Either fulfilled or rejected. Rukia didn't know which path was more likely.

Since he was still, she assumed he was considering it but then, he continued to walk forward and she knew the answer.

He was testing her. If it made her that uncomfortable, they would go the long way however, he wondered if her aura would transition again. Moving forward was a way of jabbing at it a bit.

Once he passed the bush and was next to the field, he could already tell that she hadn't moved an inch. The spider lilies swayed a bit in the wind—the field was only two metres to the side. His feet halted once again and turned.

She stood straight, contemplating what to say though her eyes did it for her. "Nii-sama, you can go that way. I'll take this way."

Rukia curved left to go past the spaces between the two buildings that were far from her now but he stopped her.

"Rukia."

And obediently her feet paused even though her mind was defiant. "I would much rather go this way. Please, go ahead without me."

There it was again. The strained politeness. Realistically, she wanted to be upset however, she was holding it in. A single hairpin could incite so much within her.

"It is the clip." He declared—he finally caught the darkness in her eyes yet again.

"I just don't want to go through there." She was avoiding it.

"You have done so before."

Again, the kindness was slipping out of her each time he defied her wishes. She looked suffocated. With each sentence, he was building walls around her.

"I know but I just can't do it now. Please understand."

She attempted to step forward. "Rukia."

There it was. The facade was failing her, she was upset.

"Byakuya—" and she used his name, "—you can go ahead, I think I forgot the clip back at the party."

A lie. "It is in your hand."

She was caught red-handed, it was right there—he could see the glint. "It's not."

It was too apparent that this subject made her uncomfortable. He did not know if it was intentional but she turned her heel to head back.

And he let her go.

###

That had been their first fight.

He remembered it vividly given the changes in her behaviour all due to a single clip. She had slept in the 13th Division barracks that night and had not come in for breakfast. Eventually, she had come to apologize and he did not speak of the clip again. He did not see it either though he was sure, she had not gotten rid of it.

One of his elder clerks had associated the strangeness with her menstruation cycle however, the matter was far from it. She only became different when she saw that clip. Otherwise, she was fine.

He had never forgotten that day. Though he did not mention the clip after that, it still came to his mind whenever they crossed that field that she eventually began to walk past again.

###

Ichigo took a sliver of time to reflect on the memory he had been told. That field and that flower was really something to her. It was obvious that it played a big part in this story.

But what?

"It's the same thing with the flowers." Ichigo said. "She says she hates them but then, she likes them. She behaves one way with them and then acts in love with them. She switches easily too. It's on and off. Almost like she has—" a split personality.

Ichigo stilled. Byakuya stared at him vehemently.

"No," he immediately downed and shook his head. "No, not Rukia. Not her. Look," he raised his head up again. "Is there anything else you can tell me about her and that field? There's no way that the spider lily on that clip was enough to make her act like that—there was something else to it but there's definitely a connection to it."

"He was correct." Ichigo's eyes fluttered in curiosity. "The field is sacred. There is something unusual about its grounds."

Shinji.

Ichigo slid in his seat with his arms over the top rail, waiting for an explanation.

"Rukia brought me to it. She asked me to go inside, beneath the largest branch of the tree which hung inwards. In that space, the lilies do not grow, it is just a patch of dust."

"Why'd she bring you there?"

"When I stood there," he didn't answer his question. "She had asked me to open my arms and lay it upward."

"...And?"

"There is a sensation that you will feel when you go there. It will feel like there is a border between two worlds where communication can be felt in that spot."

Ichigo knotted his brows. "A sensation? Between two worlds?"

He took a minute to reflect on it. "In the human world, the only two worlds I can think of are those who are living and those who are dead. Everyone who dies comes here, right? So, what other world could there be beyond the Soul Society that you could feel unless—"

Ichigo stopped and gulped. Their eyes held a stare that gave him the answer.

"Don't tell me...you think you felt something with...another world of the dead, right?" His silence only kindled a hyper curiosity within him. "Did you speak to someone? Did you feel someone? Who did you speak to?"

"That matters not."

"It matters a whole lot, Byakuya." He frantically looked at various spots on the ground. "Rukia's the guardian of the moonstone, right? She knows a lot about souls—the moonstone's task is ice and souls. That's how she was able to create that place from the moonstone. She's an expert on that type of stuff so, what if she led you there purposely? There's gotta be a reason why she chose you. When did she tell you about this?"

"A little after her execution."

"That means she was dying to tell you from then. I figure she's known this from time." Ichigo said. "Damn, I wish we knew what it meant. Spider lilies...they keep showing up everywhere but no one has a fucking clue as to what's so special. There's something about that land and there's something about those flowers...chrysantellum."

He really wasn't cut out for this whole thinking thing. He wished Byakuya had mentioned it from before so maybe Uryū or Tōshirō could find a conclusion from it 'cause he couldn't.

It made him wonder, why? "Why'd you tell me this now? Why didn't you say anything when Shinji mentioned it was sacred?"

"There are matters that are personal."

Ichigo relaxed his shoulders. "Look, I get that but we can't figure this out on our own. They already know everything, why don't we j—"

"They will only accuse her more." The response stunned Ichigo. "It is best that matters such as these remain private."

He was protecting her. The thought made Ichigo's insides soften.

He was almost speechless. "I know….I don't like it anymore than you do, believe me. It feels wrong that they know this much, especially about you and...your wife though can't you erase their memories later?"

"By then, there will be no purpose." He was talking about the spider lily field. "She will already be accused."

"Yeah, but we can't just keep this from them if we're tryna figure things out. No one's gonna give us the answers but us. I just wanna know what more she's hiding from us." Ichigo explained. "Besides, even if no one believes her, we believe her and I'm sure that's all that really matters to her in the end. We're getting out of here soon. The moment we do, we can go to her and ask her anything we want. But until then, we're sorta stuck with what we've got."

Byakuya didn't say anything in response so Ichigo just sat there. It seemed that the conversation was over though out of nowhere, Ichigo resumed speaking again about another topic, a sensitive one.

"You're really lucky you know."

The sentence summoned the grey eyes again.

"I'd do anything to see my mom again...the fact that your grandfather came back must feel like a miracle. It's insane...but a good kind I guess. I can't imagine how you must've felt seeing him, especially since he was mentioned so many times before and now here he is."

Ichigo slightly grinned. "You got a sister who can't die and a grandfather that defied logic to come back to you, I think that's pretty amazing if you ask me. I find that lucky, you don't know what I'd give to see my mom again. It hits differently when it's someone who took care of you."

"It's just…" he pushed his body off of the rails of the chair, "a thought that came through, that's all. We're gettin' out of here soon and you're going to finally meet him in person after so long. I know you got a lot of things you want to ask but when you see him, I don't think any of those questions will matter. With Rukia it'll probably be different but with him, I don't think you'll be able too. Death isn't something anyone can come back from and yet somehow, you got lucky enough to have not one but two family members who aren't going nowhere. Despite it all, I just wanted to remind you...you're lucky."

He stood up. "I know nobody but you deserves it."

---

"Based on this, there's a silver line which runs through one of these tunnels here." Kisuke explained with the large map held up to his face.

"How are we gonna find it?" Raiden asked. "This fucking place has thousands of passage ways."

"It could take another month if we have to search for a silver line. It's like a maze in here—there's too many interconnected passageways to check even with speed." Jushirmai explained beside Kisuke.

Yoruichi agreed. "You're right. Even if we all separate to find the line, it's not a single passageway, we'll still have to face interconnected caves and choose between them. This map only shows the line tracing to the other generator."

"The line is hidden too." Kisuke informed them. "It seems that it's under the dust on the rocks. In that case, we'll have to check beneath every wall in here."

"We should start from now then." Ginrei said.

"Yeah, I wanna get this shit fucking over with and get back to old Abarai over there." Raiden said.

"Where is L-Lieutenant Abarai?" Hanatarō asked Raiden.

"He's back in the Capital. Cang Du and Ingrim don't believe him. They're hammering him over there."

Even though Hanatarō didn't wholly understand, he responded, "o-oh!"

"We can do it quickly if we can find a method to easily detect the silver line." The younger Rukia commented, sitting in the air. "That way, all we need to do is apply it to each passageway quickly."

"Is there anything special written about this line which prevents us from seeing it or is it just red sand stuck to it?" Roger asked. "If it's just sand, all we need is water."

Monkey gestured to Senbonzakura, Sode No Shirayuki, and Ginrei. "Hey, then won't you three work?"

An ice-type, a joint-ice type, and water-type.

"I guess that would make sense." The younger Rukia said in the air.

Senbonzakura cleared his throat, avoiding the gaze of his young master who was thinking it didn't make sense.

"That would be sufficient." Senbonzakura responded. "It'll take a day or two for us to go through these channels."

"Captain," The younger Rukia called. "Maybe you could do what you did during #232–E. It would wash this place up pretty quickly."

The younger Byakuya looked up at her. "#232–E? What is that?"

"It's an earthquake." Yoruichi answered, prompting him to close his eyes in irritation. "The number is just to count. That one was our biggest one and Ginrei-dono helped us erase everyone's memories with his zanpakutō."

"I am not sure it will work to that extent. I am dead." Ginrei explained to her. "If it is possible, it will require more energy from my part than what I am capable of releasing in this state."

"In that case, we will have to use our zanpakutōs to wash the area." Byakuya said in front of him.

"Raiden-san!" Kla called. "Can't you help?"

"I can make storms. But that'll take too long to hit the walls if there's no wind. Don't suppose any of you are wind-types." He lied.

Ginrei addressed Rukia and Byakuya. "I will leave you both my zanpakutō."

"But how would that work?" Byakuya asked him. "We won't be able to summon it."

"That won't be an issue. Trust me." Yoruichi smirked.

"If that's all settled, that means Kuchiki-san, Rukia-san, younger Captain Kuchiki, and our zanpakutō trio are going together then." Kisuke said.

"How about that Lieutenant?" Raiden asked. "The uptight one, doesn't she have somethin'?"

"Lieutenant Ise usually uses k-kido, sir! She's not really a zanpakutō-user." Hanatarō told him.

"Oh, she's a bright one." Raiden complimented.

"I think it's best if Nee-san stays here instead of going." Jushirmai said. "She hasn't slept for days."

"I won't be able to help you guys either." Raiden said. "I gotta get back to Abarai who's havin' some trouble. Hey, kid—" he looked to Hanatarō, "can't you do anything?"

"U-Uh well, actually—n-no—well yes!—you see, sir—"

"Arigawa." Raiden interrupted.

"A-Arigawa." Hanatarō corrected. "I'm a-actually the c-co third seat of the 4th Division—which people tend to forget since I was p-promoted recently—and leader of the 14th Advanced R-Relief Team! We're the medical unit so we don't—"

"Do much." Raiden finished for him.

"W-Well, I wouldn't s-say we don't do much, I'd say that we're aren't t-typically busy unless—"

"Shit goes down."

"I-I guess—"

"Ya know that's weird." Raiden put his index finger to his chin and looked up to the stalactites in the high ceiling. "Secretary Yuming is the leader of our whole medical unit but she can still do lots of combat shit—"

"W-We still have z-zanpakutōs—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he put his hand up and down repeatedly to brush it off. "But how many of you know how to use it?"

"I—"

"Holy fucking shit!" Raiden's eyes bulged wide. "What is that evil witch doing here?!"

They all looked to the stretchers. From their distance, the three figures looked a bit small.

Sensei Kyōraku sat in front of Lieutenant Ise next to Captain Kyōraku's body while Rukia sat next to Ichigo's stretcher, reading.

"Let me see, Monkey! Let me see!" Snake said while jumping up and down.

"W-Who's that?" Hanatarō asked.

Raiden kept his eyes locked with the back of her. "My worst fucking nightmare. I'm gone."

Before anyone could say a word—he was out.

"What's he all worked up about?" Monkey grumbled.

"You'll see." They said in unison.

---

"If Kuchiki and Kuchiki are going to explore, we should too." Tōshirō said.

"Are you sure? Aren't we better off staying beside Lieutenant Kuchiki?" Rangiku asked him.

"Yeah, Tōshirō, why the sudden change?" Ichigo asked him.

"Kuchiki and Kuchiki are from the past. They are likely to talk about things from the past. If they're to explore together with their zanpakutōs, I'm sure we'll learn something." Tōshirō said.

"I agree with Shiro-chan." Momo said. "Besides," her eyes fell on the Lieutenant from afar. "Lieutenant Kuchiki looks really tired. I don't think we'll learn anything here either."

"There's still a chance with Sensei crazy over there with Lieutenant Ise." Lieutenant Hisagi said.

"I beg to differ, Lieutenant Hisagi." Captain Kyōraku brought his hat down. "Aunt Eshima's far from crazy"

"I don't think leaving without any of us here is a good thing either but I do think the younger Kuchikis should be followed." Lieutenant Kira said.

"Then we'll split up then." Uryū said. "Some can stay here to watch over Kuchiki-san and the others and some can go with the younger Kuchiki-san and Captain Kuchiki."

"That makes sense." Ichigo said. "Then we can re-group later and tell each other everything we discover, right?"

"That's fine with me." Shinji said.

"So who's going then?" Kensei asked.

"I'll go." Ichigo said.

"Me too!" Orihime said right after.

"I could use a walk." Uryū said.

"Too much exercise." Ōmaeda said. "We just did walk."

"I'll go. You comin' Momo?"

"Yeah, I'm right behind you, Captain."

"Well I'll stay here. I need to think—after looking at the Soul Society…" Isane looked down.

"I'll stay with Isane."

Isane watched her with perked eyes. "C-Captain, are you sure?"

"Of course, Isane."

"Shuhei and I'll stay." Lieutenant Kira said.

"Did you forget me, Izuru?" Rose asked him.

"O-Of course not, Captain Ōtoribashi, Shuhei, and I will stay."

"Ken-chan and I are going!" Yachiru cocked her head out to Ikkaku. "You comin' pinball head?"

"Do I have a choice?" Ikkaku grumbled under his breath.

She brought her two hands out in a cheer. "Of course not!"

"Then I guess I'm going." He muttered before turning to Yumichika.

"Shunsui and I will stay here too." Captain Ukitake informed them. "I need some time to make sense of things."

Captain Komamura turned to his Lieutenant. "We'll stay here."

"Of course, Captain."

"Kuchiki, Matsumoto, Kurotsuchi, and I are coming too." Tōshirō announced.

"Great, then we'll split up when they leave and regroup later, I guess." Ichigo said before turning to the younger Kuchikis who were talking with the zanpakutō spirits and their grandfather.

---

6th Division

House of Quincy (Haruyoshi) & House of History (Kuchiki)

Diamond / Bow and Arrow

Wildfire sat herself down in the antique library located on the top floor of the House of History. It hadn't been her intention to end up here however, Haru gave her the keys to access the libraries which had been closed due to the lockdown order.

The keys tinkled in her hands as she set them aside. Crouched down, she braced against the floral wallpaper pressed onto the walls, the colour of grapes. She observed the layout of the corner room on the top floor—forbidden but Haru had given her access to it.

A part of her had been reluctant. Sure, he was the Major of this division and his father, Sensei Haruyoshi took the reins of the division following the Kuchiki family's departure but there was also him to think about.

Haruyoshi Sojuro was only half-noble blood.

He was born out of a short affair and after his mother died, his father claimed him and he was thrusted into a world above his level. His two sisters barely looked at him or acknowledged him. He lived under the Haruyoshi clan however, it had been clear from the start that his life belonged to the common lands like his mother.

For that reason, Wildfire wondered if giving her this key would be the final straw. Till this day, the relationship Haru shared with his father was unknown to her. When they were in a room together, it was business—Haru never spoke of him unless it regarded official matters but he also never said anything malicious if he was asked directly.

Haru also lived somewhere unknown.

She learned recently that he had left the Haruyoshi manor a long time ago and only returned occasionally for family affairs. It made her wonder if they weren't on good terms. If that was the case, then this key in her hands…

Wildfire closed her eyes and thought of now.

Sensei Haruyoshi had retired to the Haruyoshi manor. Every member of the division was at the Seireitei. Every other person had been ordered to their barracks—she was alone. Whatever she did in this corner room, at the top floor of the colossal Kuchiki library would remain unknown.

Her attention shifted to the room. She could barely stand it—the taper candles illuminated everything in honey colour. From there, she could see the two bookshelves made out of walnut wood. This small room held classified books and documents. Documents only the Kuchiki family had access to and stored. These were forbidden to everyone, even Haru, though he kept the key.

Her intention had been to read though she found herself sitting on the ground, knees to her chest.

On the wall, diagonally to her right, an oil painting hung of a photo belonging to history. These people made up the members of the division before the split happened. There was an actual photo that existed of that day located in the outdoor Jade Hall below.

She couldn't stand to look at it now.

Not when her betrayal was still fresh in her mind. Her gaze fell to Sensei Okasake Gureta with her distinct bright turquoise eyes and then it shifted a bit upwards and illustrated another face, hair styled similarly to that of Okasake Gureta.

But with purple eyes—the kind found on violets.

No matter how much she tried to make sense of it, it would never make sense and she couldn't be upfront with her frustrations because everyone here was now convinced she'd return to save them.

The arrival of Renji and Captain Kuchiki had kindled the fire. It restored hope and soon, the court was filled with whispers of her revival. Overnight, they had all turned into superstitious fools—preaching miracles and prophecies as if she had ever truly disappeared to begin with.

She felt sick. A few blinded fools had even broken the lockdown order and gone to the 78th District of Rukongai, lighting incenses, leaving flowers—spider lilies specifically—along with sweets as an act to lure her home.

They now resided in the House of Confinement's junior prison.

They fell for the story that had been written for her. The day her name became banned in this court and even in the Rukongai district, the legend of The Woman in the White Haze had been born. People believed that telling this tale would keep her story alive—they had been fooled, just like her, into thinking that her life had ended.

The Woman in the White Haze...Wildfire almost snorted out loud in disgust.

The Woman in the White Haze told a story of a woman described as her who had disappeared on a rainy day, the last sighting of her being near the Seireitei where she had walked into a fog and never came out of it again. It was meant to be a story of sorrow as the woman was described to be full of promise and life, having carried those traits from childhood to adulthood and yet she had met such a terrible fate.

She wondered what their reactions would be if they found out she was alive and had fled to the copycats. Wildfire chided herself immediately, she couldn't let herself insult soul reapers when she didn't mind them at all. It was her she should direct all the insults too.

The protagonist of The Woman in the White Haze.

Clutching the keys in her right hand, for the first time, the question of whether to expose her or not came to mind. At first it had been easy, no one would even dare conjure up a thought like that. But now, with Renji and Captain Kuchiki back, madness had become a disease.

Suddenly, both Renji and the Captain had become messengers from the skies that she was to return. Incenses were being lit and clueless citizens talked of her as if she was a saint. Rukongai scholars urged people to light lanterns to lead the way, in belief that she would return from that white haze.

They were still fixated on the open-ending of their story—that she had disappeared that day into the mist, later being ruled dead. No part of the story ever included the part that an assassin on-duty that day had to say which automatically led to the conclusion being death.

His claims were widely dismissed as falsehood.

Nobody had believed him then—even her. But now, knowing the truth, Wildfire regretted not listening to him sooner. He had been the last person to see her before she 'disappeared' or rather, 'died'. The cause of death hadn't been determined in official records though the assassin, who's name she couldn't remember, claimed she fell off or may have purposely fell off the cliff of Velmar.

The location of that assassin was one she did not know either. He wasn't a ranked officer and once people casted him aside for his 'lies' and the ban on her name was made, Wildfire had forgotten about him like the rest of the court who refused to believe his story.

It had been so long, Wildfire barely remembered his claims. She hadn't even wanted to hear it then.

And though his claims had been documented for the sake of following the procedure, they were sealed right after and resided here—in the Kuchiki library—the forbidden top floor in the corner room where the most classified Kuchiki documents resided.

Her heart trembled at the thought of it. She couldn't get caught—Haru had put his position on the line for this. Sitting here and seething wasn't being precautious either.

Sitting up, she observed her surroundings—wondering where, in the tiny room, could she find the sealed document which told the true ending to The Woman of the White Haze's story.

###

11th Division

House of Confinement

Citrine / Axe & Hammer

"Cemster c'mon…."

The Secretary of State merely granted the inmate a glance as he stood behind bars with two hands dripping out from the space between the batons.

"It's not like we did anything bad." He tried to reason though Cem 'Cemster' wasn't one for reason if logic didn't follow.

The lockdown order had been clear—no one out their barracks without a permit. High-ranking officers who fell in the line of 3rd Seat, Secretary of State, Major, Sensei, and Minister had exceptions but the latter who had been found leaving incense and flowers up in the 78th District of the Rukongai did not.

Only punks belonging to the 2nd Division. Now they wanted to make their case.

The one speaking now was clearly the most talkative of the crew. He couldn't sit still and was still trying to convince him to set them free.

He returned to the chair near his desk and graciously put his feet up before resuming his magazine reading. He was very into cars found in the human world—he wished to bring the invention here.

Unfortunately, the prisoner was set on interrupting him and the glossy pages of the magazine would have to wait. He had difficulty reading while others were talking.

"Shit," the prisoner cursed under his breath. "We didn't even do anything."

Cem pretended to read.

"Look, Minister Kuchiki came back from the dead right after Secretary of State Abarai came back from the Inklin Mountains, right? She's next—she's coming back, Cem. All we wanted to do was light the way."

He wanted to scoff. They still believed in that myth story—The Woman of the White Haze.

"I'm telling you. You don't believe us but I know she'll be back. If Minister Kuchiki can come back and Secretary of State Abarai can come back at the same time, she's bound to come back to us."

Kids. They were too young.

"Maybe the weather isn't right for her." He heard the voice of the other inmate who had taken a seat at the far corner of the cell.

"You mean, it's too clear for her?" Inmate number four questioned him. By now he had given them numbers to associate as he didn't care to learn their names.

"Saga, that's it!" The talkative one cheered. "We need to create a white haze to bring her back!"

Clearly, they still had a few more years to go before they could shed themselves of their boyhood traits.

"Secretary Cem!" He pleaded from the bars. "If we create a white haze, she can come back. And our candles will light the way for her to return."

"It should be easy." Inmate number three said—his voice had matured the most out of the seven. "There's already snow outside. All we need is a storm to come again, anything to have it misty outside."

"But will our candles last that long?" Inmate number six questioned.

"'Course you idiot, we used soy wax." Adachi wax. They were pricey candles made by the Adachi clan who specialized in numerous spiritual garments and objects, their honorary House was nicknamed House of Stuff. It was a funhouse at that manor, Cem knew it all too well.

Finding out they used Adachi wax for their candles only meant they had spent their earnings. They weren't coy with their prices and did no bargaining.

"I hope she finds them." Inmate number two muttered. "If she came back with our candles, they would love us!"

Cem couldn't listen to this any longer. They were holding onto a story born out of a desperate need for hope and a twisted idea of conclusion. The fear of the unknown seemed to be the Capital's greatest enemy if there were people like this scurrying around.

"Or they wouldn't give us any credit." The talkative one grumbled. "Like Lord Cem over here."

"Secretary of State Cem." Inmate four called. He didn't answer him. "Would you apologize if she returned? Would you set us free?"

"She's bound to come back if her friends are back." Inmate six concluded. "She'll follow the light and she'll return!"

They were starting to become real noisy with their folly.

"Secretary of State Cem!" Inmate four hollered again.

"Leave him." The talkative one ordered like a leader. "Nobody believes us. But when she returns, we'll be set free and our candles will be the token of glory."

Anyone who believed that a woman who was long confirmed dead could return due to a childish myth about a white haze and following the light was bound to be disappointed and would soon understand what it meant to be logical and what it meant to be stupid.

"Sensei Shihōin!" The talkative one suddenly shouted, for that, he looked to his left where the elder's presence could be spotted.

---

The Gotei 13 — Group 1

5th Division, 6th Captain, 9th Captain, 10th Division, 11th Division, 12th Captain, Kurosaki Ichigo, Kon, Ishida Uryū, Inoue Orihime, and Yasutora Sado.

Passageways ran long with temperamental lighting. There were times when the walls resembled the insides of a blood orange or a lusterless version of the orange on koi. Lighting changed with the colours and left them in brightness, darkness, or in between.

Ice from Sode No Shirayuki left the walls wet and dripping though no silver line revealed itself beneath the sticky reddish sand to the walls. For most of the narrow passages, Sode No Shirayuki did all the work until they found broader areas like the ones they left behind.

Once they stepped foot into the first broad passageway, the Gotei 13—Group 1 would get their first taste of knowledge from the younger Kuchikis.

###

"Do you think grandfather will be alright?"

Narrow passageways were quick to find and entangled with one another. Sode No Shirayuki's ice ran through the walls in an instant and they moved on once no silver line was found. Talking occurred though Rukia hadn't taken the initiative to speak up about anything nor did the Kuchiki heir.

Until now.

Rukia was startled at first, though her mundane expression never showed it. Plunged in silence, when he stood next to her to speak with a low tone, she considered the subject and decided not to quarrel with him for speaking to her.

"Yeah, sure." Rukia swayed her arms back and forth like it was nothing. "It's the Captain. The fact that he even came back from the dead makes me think he's just as invincible as me."

"I suppose. However, it is clear that he has some limitations—a lot if he's supposed to participate in this battle."

"I don't think he has any intention of doing that though."

"Really?" His eyes told her that he genuinely believed that he would.

"Older me said that he left something behind. I doubt it has to do with the Okasake heir and has more to do with you." An honest observation paired with her soft tone. She hoped it didn't mislead him.

"Me? What would this matter have to do with me? If not for the older you, he would not have considered even speaking to me. It is quite clear he bears some burden having to do with the Soul King heart."

"Oh please, you think whatever responsibility he had with the Soul King heart was enough to bring his soul back to life?" Rukia asked. "Captain being an ordinary person at the end of the day, couldn't have had just a simple wish to return 'cause of the Soul King heart. There's no way that the Soul King heart could incite that much in him. He's always had one thing or rather person he treasures more than anything and that's you. If anything, it's you he came back for."

The words settled in the air before he voiced a response. "So what do you make of yourself?"

"Well," she kicked a pebble in her way, "I'm different. I'm cursed so I really think nothing of my survival. I know I'm rare and I have a responsibility so naturally, I have to stay living."

"Does it bother you?"

"Sometimes." She admitted. "Not because I don't think it's a little cool that I can live for so long but...if I can live for so long and my chances of dying are slim, what of those I really care for like Sensei Okasake? Even if I can't die, everyone around me can."

He was silent for a moment. "When grandfather died it must've been hard for you."

Rukia bit her lip. "It probably hurt the older me a lot. I can't imagine what I went through when that happened and the timing was so terrible too. Out of all people in this world, even Sensei Okasake, I never expected him to die. To think that he has and has been dead for over fifty years now, bothers me."

When Byakuya didn't respond instantly, she took the time to ask a question.

"What about you? It must've been hard—really hard actually. Everyone knows the Captain raised you."

"I did not think he would ever die either. Father always used to joke that he would live forever and that I had no reason to worry. Even though the older me is an adult now, I still find it hard to believe. As unrealistic as it sounds, I held onto that." Byakuya explained with his gaze to the ground. "I do not believe in chance, I do not believe in miracles, or anything that is superstitious and yet I held onto those words close to immortality."

"I understand. In a way, I held onto that too. I've always believed he'd live forever—as silly as it sounded in my head and even when I reminded myself that he was normal and I was not, I believed he would live for a really long time. Now that I know that he's died, it makes me feel sad 'cause he won't be here forever like I had planned."

"That plan really backfired on the both of us." He quietly said.

"Yeah," she said, "a lot."

"Though, grandfather is strong—even if this form of his is only temporary, I'm quite sure he will be able to push through for a long while, even if his task is completed. He has your reishi and mine."

"So?"

"Surely his body can stay intact for as long as we let it, which we will."

"You believe that?" Rukia asked while holding her fingers near her below her chest. It sounded so legitimate, the need for it to be real must've really swallowed her eyes because he looked to her with the surest expression.

"Of course."

"But…" she sighed. "Even if that is the case, we can't hold back the logic of this world when it applies to an ordinary person. Besides, I thought you didn't believe in chance or miracles, defying logic like that and having him stay would be unlikely in your mind, no? What changed your mind?"

"You."

She raised her brows. "Me? Why?"

"I watched the older you die and get up over five times and decompose for twenty days and rose up like it was nothing. You regenerated your cut arm and used reishi to fix the parts of your face that had decomposed." Byakuya said calmly. "After witnessing that and grandfather, I might have some faith in chance after all."

"You are truly something else. Your stubbornness was enough to convince grandfather and Sensei Okasake to let you stay in the Rukongai and work. Grandfather is not an easy person to convince."

"Either that or you never tried."

"What do you mean?"

"Captain will say things like Sensei is soft but he can be no different either. Sometimes, you just have to work your charms and like magic it works."

"You're implying that it was not difficult."

"To each, their own. It's all based on the scenario but even then, he crumbles faster than you think." Byakuya took time to reflect on this information before she asked something. "Shall I tell you a secret?"

His expression told her 'yes' though she had a condition. "You can't tell the Captain though that I told you."

"By now, I am immune to your surprises and grandfather's secrecy. Go on."

"It's nothing dramatic like that, don't worry." She put her hands behind her back. "I only asked the Captain once to stay in the Rukongai sincerely and he agreed."

The confession was straight forward though it took time for it to sink in—enough for him to muster a reaction.

"What?" His neck bent forward, the confession caught him off guard.

Rukia giggled. "I didn't even tell him my reason then. I just said that I want to continue staying in the Rukongai sincerely with my blabbering and after a few reprimanding looks, he sighed and agreed. He even argued or rather 'discussed' the matter with Sensei and a few others to have me stay according to my wishes."

"You are...telling me the truth?" Somehow, such a response from their grandfather didn't sound real.

She nodded her head.

"And work?"

"That one took a tad bit longer and by 'longer', I mean it took three times to ask. You'd think those things would cause such a huge fuss but it didn't with him. The only reason the Captain makes it seem like I fought so hard for those things is 'cause he doesn't want to admit it. It was part of our agreement that I made it seem that way too."

"So what about the older you and the Common Kuchiki Law?"

"That?" Rukia smiled. "That was real, don't worry. I thought she'd have to argue much longer—ten years maybe? He was so protective of that thing. I'm talking about the little things."

"I see." He followed her and lightly kicked a stone too. "I've never meddled in grandfather's affairs. I'd always believed that it was inappropriate to meddle like that as an elder of the house and the head however, knowing that this was all going on makes me regret that I did not at least try."

"You could've followed him." Rukia suggested. "He always visits the Okasake manor. Something like that would've been easy to spot if you tried."

"I am aware of that now. I did not think he was involved in anything else but soul reaper matters but now I know that he was an assassin at the time of the split and somehow our family became one of the noble clans who decided to maintain dual relationships and have assassin-soul reaper types in the family." Byakuya said. "I also know that grandmother was an assassin too and an esteemed one too."

"Sensei Kuchiki is still very heavily respected in the Capital. The academy branch she taught in was renamed in her honor when she passed and only special students can be taught there, she was known for having high standards for her students. She and Sensei Okasake Gureta were the most skilled female assassins of their time. They're still taught in the curriculum over there and are honored with the lot that switched over as the first Senseis of the Capital and arguably the most accomplished."

"Grandfather tells me that after our family made a decision by his orders to move out, there were issues dealing with the ownership of the division amongst the elders and that he wrote in his will for you to become the legal owner so that the Kuchiki family wouldn't lose our connection to the division's history."

"I didn't want to do it ya know. I told you, I didn't want any type of connection like that to a family but with Captain's situation, it was different. He didn't want to give the ownership to any other noble clan or they would lose their legal rights to it. The elders were apparently conflicted by whose name it should be put in because they couldn't put it in yours nor could they agree amongst each other of who should take the rights. Eventually, Captain asked me several times if he could put my name as the owner since I didn't belong to any clan or any last name. Since my association with the Okasake clan wasn't legal, I'd be able to own the division and still have it connected to the Kuchiki clan. After several times, I agreed."

"You have my gratitude for that decision."

"You're welcome." Rukia said. "The Kuchiki clan, just like any of the five-four, whatever number you wanna use, great noble clans have had a huge influence in the Capital. It would be a shame for a division that holds so much history to be given to another clan legally and erase that legacy."

"I heard there's another clan which took control of its activities."

"Ah, yes. The Haruyoshi clan. Sensei Haruyoshi took the empty slot for Sensei and his son, Haru Sojuro took the Major post. They don't have a Secretary of State in our time but maybe now they do."

"What about our clan's possessions?"

"Everything's still the way it was, there were only some parts of the division's barracks extended to assist the other House responsibility of the division."

"Other House responsibility?" He was aware that each division had a responsibility or rather 'House' as they chose to call it which served as their main task or duty. "Isn't there only one each? Ours is the House of History."

"Nope. 4th Division has two 'cause it's split between the medical unit and Major Shira's family responsibility. Once the Haruyoshi clan took control, a new House, sprung from the Quincy Recruit for Specialized Quincies, was added to cater to their task. The 6th Division is now the House of History in your name and House of Quincy in their name. Sensei Haruyoshi is an assassin-quincy hybrid just like his son but Major Haru barely acknowledges his quincy side."

"I cannot believe our clan operates with quincies."

"Why? They're not bad people. And to be fair, soul reapers did a lot of wrong things to them too."

"I was taught not to like them. I'm afraid there is not much you can do to change my mind. Your friend, Arigawa Raiden does not make it any better."

"Don't worry, I got it. Shinigami and assassins operate in different ways, it's hard to agree or see things the way they do and you do."

"What do you think of soul reapers? Or rather, what is the perception of them over there?" Byakuya asked curiously.

"Nothing." Rukia answered. "Life over at the Capital is different. There's no soul reaper hate clubs and what not, unless you count Minister Asa's religious keep, everyone just lives life the way it is. We don't talk about them, we don't even mention them. Assassin hybrids of all sorts live within there in peace and handle the matters that need to be handled, even if it's within the Seireitei quietly. Now of course, if you speak of them highly over there you're bound to get into an argument but there's no law or anything that prohibits you from speaking of them. Assassin-soul reaper hybrids exist and zanpakutōs, though are rare as weapons, are still available for assassins to obtain. It was an assassin-made thing at the end of the day. People just stay away 'cause of the association it has now with soul reapers."

"You did not answer the first question."

"There's nothing to say. I think nothing of them—they exist, they have their own life, and that's that. I can't really ponder over hatred 'cause no one talks about the split either. There's so many inconsistencies with the stories that we sort of just learn of the split once and it's over with. It feels like assassins have lived there their whole life, no one clings to the Seireitei's land."

"If it's that simple then why does the older you and you fear them knowing that you're a soul reaper now?"

"Just 'cause we don't talk about the split, doesn't mean it isn't a big deal, Byakuya. Especially in the way I did it, it'll be like committing treason. Soul reapers don't talk about quincies every day but that doesn't mean you guys don't like them, right? To the quincies especially, it would be a huge betrayal for them. In most of the assassin's eyes, soul reaper will always be copies of what they are because they were created after. It doesn't help that the Gotei 13 are sort of divided the way assassins are divided with divisions n'stuff. And given that the zanpakutō was initially a creation for Senseis only with a stone, they think you all are pretty much their juniors. To run away and become a soul reaper is treason. Assassin-soul reaper hybrids are accepted because they still bore assassin blood first."

"There's a difference?"

"If you recognize sheatsu in your body first, your blood becomes slightly different to indicate that. Assassin-soul reaper types will always be loyal and fall under assassin law. More importantly, since zanpakutōs are still available in the Capital, it isn't a big deal if they have to become hybrids 'cause even if their blood changes a bit to identify as a soul reaper, assassin blood will always be the first. The only reason that assassin-soul reaper types exist is to restore balance. We have all kinds as assassins over there from quincies to shapeshift breeds and that's a lot so, there comes a time where the balance needs to be restored and that's why those hybrids exist."

"That means if grandfather's blood, for instance, was tested now, he'd be identified as an assassin first turned soul reaper."

"Correct."

"I see." Byakuya said. "Err...what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Your blood. Have you ever tested it?"

---

"It's so wonderful over there." Sensei Kyōraku almost squealed to her. Nanao didn't know what to say as she went on about the Capital and the luxury over there. The image of the decomposing Seireitei was still fresh.

That was her home. And despite how fabulous her Captain's great aunt made it seem, she couldn't imagine herself amongst assassins—the very thought made her skin crawl and yet her Captain had lied to her or rather, had not mentioned the fact that his entire clan had swore allegiance to the assassin side.

She felt almost betrayed. The wounds seemed to sink deeper when she thought of it. Somewhere in her heart, it bothered her when she reflected upon Lieutenant Kuchiki who she had come to know a great deal in the past year through Lieutenant meetings and the Shinigami Women Association.

All along, she had kept these secrets of hers buried—an entirely different person with very little left of her initial face. Every time she stared at her, she only saw the Okasake name slammed onto her, a name she associated with treason.

And then there was the Head Captain who kept an entire kind, who they were apparently copies of, away from them in hiding. He refused to speak or acknowledge them, kept them in a little box with so little of the outside world to know of. Lieutenant Kuchiki had been a blessing in disguise. Without her, would she have known?

Not to mention, the Soul Society's dire condition—he kept that too and agreed to keep it. He also didn't want the shinigami to be involved with this matter even when it was their land being affected too. Now she had to stomach the fact that her own Captain's clan was famous there and perhaps, the entire slot of noble clans did—maybe even her own.

Nanao was too afraid to ask but she told her anyway.

"It goes like this. Eight Senseis are officially recognized as holders of a stone, originally seven. Now yes, there can be others though only a special line is recognized for their possession of a stone. As of now, there's only five active if you include Hirosuke-dono. Senseis who hold a stone include myself, Yori-chan from the Shihōin family, Seo Yosuke—a commoner, Gintae-dono from the Haruyoshi family—gateway to the Kuchiki family, Major Shira—acting Sensei, and of course, are honorable Sensei, Hirosuke-dono. Unfortunately the stone aquamarine doesn't have a Sensei. Neither does the seventh."

"I see." Nanao quietly responded. "It is noble run."

"Quite the contrary." The woman continued to smile though Nanao could sense some uneasiness coming from her. "We have an equal balance of noble and commoner influences over there. I'm not sure what you read in those Seireitei books of yours however, we have two styles of leadership when it comes to our divisions. A Sensei can either take the role of what Captains do for your kind or that responsibility can be passed off to their Major. We give everyone equality over there—it only seems noble because the great four, once five, noble clans have such a prominence over there."

"Oh….but it is a dictatorship." Nanao didn't know why she was mentioning it. It was almost as if subconsciously she wanted to poke holes in everything the woman said. She had to remind herself this was her Captain's great aunt.

A high-pitched chuckle she could identify was purely sugary on the outside sang in her ears.

"Hirosuke-dono isn't a narcissistic scum. He listens to his people well. Our ministers offer their advice and guidance and he considers them his administration. I should remind you, he is one of the two who gave birth to this world with his presence, the foundation of the Soul Society is purity because of him and the late Hiroshima-dono."

Ministers? She had never heard of them.

"I still don't believe that one person making all the decisions in the end is wholly perfect." She needed Rangiku to slap tape onto her mouth.

"Well it isn't, unless you're a god-like being which he is. For his very life force with Hiroshima-dono, created a land as pure as this—your home."

"Okasake Jushirmai is proof of what I'm saying." Nanao argued politely. She was too far in to pull back now—she assumed by the end of this, her Captain's flamboyant aunt would take no interest in her.

She sensed the change in her aura—the grin was still there, the sweetness in her tone was still there, but the woman's emerald eyes no longer bore friendliness. She was terrible at acting but for that, Nanao was glad for.

"You seem to be misguided. He's proof of nothing—they are the reason you even have a land to breathe on. They are the reason why your Head Commander even had the opportunity to create you. We live a life over there of peace and equality."

"I'm just saying that they're not wholly perfect. Okasake Jūshirmai was quite obviously a mistake. They gave him the reins."

"They didn't." Sensei Kyōraku countered. "You know too little to be making such claims."

"So I've heard." She muttered. "But no one chooses to tell me anything. My kind has been forced in the dark, you can understand my frustration."

"Truthfully, I cannot." Nanao was stunned by her comment. "I'm not known for that. I don't allow myself to be foolish. If I seek truth, I find it but what I don't do is sit and create baseless assumptions."

"This assumption isn't baseless though. His last name being 'Okasake' is evident proof that a mistake was made. They gave him access to the heart of their very own creation—if he exhibited traits like this from the start, he should've never been entrusted as heir."

"There you go again, silly girl. Shunsui always talked about your smarts though you're failing me now. I'm thoroughly disappointed."

"I apologize but I don't regret what I said." Nanao would soon pay for the next sentence which came out without warning. "The Okasake clan are clearly not the ideal rulers you say they are if they let someone like that trick them the way he did."

"I can see you're no different than the other soul reapers." Sensei Kyōraku's shoulders lowered. "It's a shame to see family fall off the edge like this though I can see you have been greatly conditioned by your Head Commander. For that, I will praise him—he's gotten you all ready to lick the spit near his feet. My apologies, the way Shunsui spoke of you made it seem like you were one of the intellectual ones. I now know you're not."

Family?

Nanao would've inquired her immediately though the sentences which came after distracted her from questioning.

"Long live your kind." She backed away slowly. "Fools only live for so long."

---

The Gotei 13 — Group 2

2nd Division, 4th Division, 7th Division, 8th Captain, 9th Lieutenant, 13th Captain

"Don't think she's gonna like Lieutenant Ise anymore." Lieutenant Hisagi said.

Isane agreed. "It's like her aura completely changed or something when Lieutenant Ise started going against him."

"I can see why." Captain Unohana said, 'huh?' was what Isane voiced in response to that. "Lieutenant Ise insulted their way of running things. If they did the same, I'm sure you all would've done your best to correct them."

"The assassin kind have lived on their own terms for so long it feels like that's how they lived all along. They're happy with their lifestyle there and Hiro-sensei so Eshima-san's reaction is expected." Captain Ukitake said. "Are you alright, Shunsui?"

"She'll come around." Captain Kyōraku lazily said.

Isane raised a brow. "Lieutenant Ise or Sensei Kyōraku?"

"If I answered that question, then I guess I would be picking sides." Captain Kyōraku said.

"So what do they make of their assassin-soul reaper types then? If we have em', that means they're under both rules, no?" Iba said. "What if one decided they'd prefer to live in the Seireitei or something?"

"Assassin-soul reaper hybrids are a complex matter. There are exceptions—the idea is that you're still loyal and under assassin law, even if you spend part time as a shinigami on our side." Sui-Feng explained. "There are also noble exceptions like Yoruichi-sama or the former Captain Kuchiki Ginrei who maintain high-ranking positions on both ends and can choose which law they fall under. They aren't criticized for their dual positions. Part of the reason is due to the fact they were assassins first before they were anything else."

She opened her eyes to explain the rest.

"If you are trained as an assassin first—which implies you recognize the sheatsu in your system, your blood changes to indicate that. Despite their soul reaper positions, their blood will tell you they're a hybrid, with assassin blood ranking first. That is the general idea for assassin-soul reaper types in the Capital and for exceptions like Yoruichi-sama."

---

"Lieutenant." The calling was from none other than Sensei Kyōraku.

She appeared in front of her with a cheery grin though while she sat down in front of her and pressed her cane into the ground, Rukia sensed something different.

"Now that we're alone, I would like to talk." Her emeralds for eyes twinkled like stars as she tilted her head. She rushed to grab her hands—excitement seemed to tingle from every one of her fingers all stacked with gold rings.

Rukia let her speak. "Now that you're aware of the Gotei 13's condition, I would like to ask you to return to court."

Mentally, her mouth was agape. She didn't expect this from Sensei Kyōraku. It wasn't like she was buying her time over there, she was merely keeping her knowledge a secret.

"Huh?"

"I feel like your appearance is long overdue, don't you think?"

Her brows would dance in various ways before she formed a response. "I want to see them awake first before I leave. I made a promise that I would stay and I would like to honor that."

Crinkles appeared next to her eyes as she clapped her hand once. "Ah! Of course. I'm quite glad that you've carried the traits you learned at our court over to that….chicken fest over there. It makes you all the more honorable."

Something was off.

"You're too kind."

Suddenly, she felt like she was relieving the conversation she had with Chancellor a few hours ago. Tension.

"However, there is a lot which waits for you. Your name is no longer a secret over there." Sensei Kyōraku informed her.

She grew curious. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't want to tell you this but it seems that there are already members of our division who know and anticipate your arrival."

Rukia almost bolted off her seat. "What?"

Just like that, her heart quickened. "W-What do you mean?"

"Wildfire and her companion, Major Haru already know you are the Lieutenant." Her heart dropped. "Major Li is aware too—through Wildfire, of course—and it seems that Major Imamura has her suspicions and has been sending 3rd Seat Housely to investigate your whereabouts."

She couldn't formulate words. Paired with the lack of sleep and shock, she went mute. Sensei Kyōraku continued regardless.

"As for the rest of the court, Secretary of State Abarai and Ginrei-dono have now become their beckon of hope. They believe that with their return, you're bound to come too—ah."

Sensei Kyōraku shook her head. "Perhaps you do not know the story yet. Let me hold you again."

Frozen in her place, she just let the elder take her hand softly.

"There is a story," she started slowly. "Which developed and became popular—almost like folklore—within the Capital after you went away. It's called The Woman of the White Haze. Let me tell you it. Don't worry, it's short as a needle, it'll barely take your time."

Rukia didn't answer, she just let her continue so she could process everything.

"The Woman of the White Haze follows a girl who was said to be full of promise and light—she glistened so bright that not even a speck of dirt could dull her path. She became a symbol of hope, she brought freshness to the land. She stood out so naturally, she became a rarity."

That word struck Rukia deeper than Sensei would ever know.

"From childhood to adulthood that spark was so bright, no one ever thought rain could smother such a fire but then came a rainy day. The woman, now an adult, suddenly walked away into a thick fog of white and grey—her last sighting, never to be seen again. The story was called The Woman of the White Haze to pay tribute to a certain someone who's name was banned after her disappearance."

Everything in Rukia's chest hurt. They had made a story out of her. Suddenly the emotions from that day were starting to assemble again and her eyes once again scorched.

"They now light candles," Sensei Kyōraku began and her eyes trembled. "And leave flowers and sweets in hopes of her returning again—to follow the light out of the white haze she left them to."

Her stomach churned—how horrible she felt at that moment. Rukia had to break free of Sensei Kyōraku's grasp to touch her heart. They were there waiting for her and here she was…

The day she had woken up from her morbid memory episodes began to start all over again. The faces she saw, the memories, the laughter, the joy...it was all gone now.

She felt disgraceful.

"Seven kids from Yori's division were imprisoned for breaking the lockdown order." She informed her more seriously. The change in tone shook her. Her voice was always high-pitched and sweet. "They went to the 78th District to light candles for you to follow them. Apparently, some were left near the hills of Velmar Cliff."

Her last sighting.

"They await you. They believe Secretary of State Abarai and Ginrei-dono are positive signs of your return. I'm sure they won't question you since they're too stuck on their divine agenda. They haven't even questioned Ginrei-dono yet though at the same time, I can see why."

Her voice was much deeper now—a reflection of her age. She had never, not once, ever heard Sensei Kyōraku speak like this. If it had truly come to her breaking her character, Rukia knew that something had to be done.

They even lit candles for her.

"Ginrei-dono has removed your profile. As suspicious as it may be, you need to say goodbye to Lieutenant Kuchiki to avoid giving it away." Sensei Kyōraku advised. "I will keep your shinigami identity a secret. I advise you to do it too."

Sensei Kyōraku was right. She had too—she had to let her go but selfishly, she didn't want to. Somehow that shinigami identity had become woven into her and joined with her original form. To let her go, was to let go of a lot of things.

For now.

But then she thought of them and realized that being a shinigami would cause the chaos they didn't need now. She had to push her away.

It was time to go back in time and be the reason she was then—the person she was raised to be then as told in the story she now knew was called The Woman of the White Haze.

Goodbye, Kuchiki Rukia. You've done well.

---

"I've never tested my blood." Rukia replied honestly. "There's no need too. I know what I am."

"Are you not curious of whether there are others like you?" Byakuya inquired. "What if it could identify something else? Like a kind."

She shook her head. "Not really. I'm just a rare soul that's all. Yeah, the whole immortality thing sorta reminds me of Bounts but I don't have any of those doll things and what not. Also, at the same time—I rather not know, I'm fine."

"I did not mention this earlier however, it seems that your bloodline is stricken with rarities."

The statement caught Rukia's interest as he continued. "The doctor. He has his own share of abnormal qualities. According to grandfather, he came into the Rukongai and still remembered his human life. That is why he joined Urahara Kisuke to return to the living world."

"So I've heard…" she let the thought sink in. "Jushirmai's also really good at science. The older me told me that when they were humans, even as young as he was he was always innovative and knowledgeable."

"Though he is nowhere near the abnormality you carry," Byakuya looked to her. "He still has his own share. For one, no one is supposed to remember their human life. No one. It is not a possibility and yet he was brought to the Rukongai and remembered every detail. And the older you, remembered her own human life after several tries and pieced it all together herself. That is something you both share."

"So what are you saying? It's something genetic?" Rukia asked before averting her gaze to the tunnel ahead of her. "I don't think it is. I feel like it's just something randomly allocated."

"Have you met someone else who exhibits traits like you?" The darkness swallowed them in the next opening.

"Well, isn't the Captain one of them? He came back from the dead too. Sure, he might not have all my traits, he's just special in his own way. There's another person too who shares a trait that no one related to them has."

Once the black light dispersed, they were met with a grey passage. Sode No Shirayuki raised her hand and lit a light as cyan as the skin on a moor frog. It reflected on the rocks as they moved through and ice mounted on the walls.

The process was quick as Zabimaru ran a shot of fire with their elemental ability from the assassin realm which sent parallel lines of heat to run past the ice and melt it.

Still no silver line.

Taking a moment to ponder on this, Byakuya remembered the pure light.

"Perchance are you referring to the person who was the pure light?"

"Uh-huh. Having a pure reiatsu and sheatsu is really, really rare. The Okasake twins are the only ones who've ever had a light that's wholly pure. That person has no blood relation to them or anyone close to some spiritual saint. They just were the light—you can't tell me that's something genetic." Rukia explained.

The cyan light reflected in her eyes, "with that in mind, I just think that there's people who are born rare. There's nothing to explain why they are the way they are, they're just meant to stand out—there's nothing to group them into."

Before Byakuya could respond, his zanpakutō spirit stopped and caught their attention.

"There's a passageway up in the ceiling. There could be more moving forward." Senbonzakura said.

They all looked ahead of them to see a hole in the ceiling that was most likely longer than it looked. Their suspicions were confirmed when they stood beneath it—the blue flare only showed so much.

Eventually it faded into another pool of black and the length of the column remained unknown.

"You're right." Monkey kept her hands to her hips as she looked straight ahead. "Seems like there's a multitude of them. What are we gonna do?"

"We'll have to move one by one ahead and check on them." Senbonzakura said.

Snake jumped in the air and back. "But we don't have ice powers like Sode No Shirayuki, Monkey! How are we gonna make it wet?"

Senbonzakura put his hand beneath his chin. "Hmmm, the younger Rukia-sama and Sode No Shirayuki can work separately. My master and I can work together as a pair. I suggest you both find a bucket."

"Are you crazy?" Snake clenched his fist and jumped in front of him. "That's gonna take all day! We don't have the time!"

"I can work with them." Rukia said. "Just wait at a spot ahead, I'll be quick."

"Rukia-sama is right, it'll be quick." Sode No Shirayuki said. "Zabimaru can go to the furthest end."

Snake looked up at her, surprised. "Are you sure about that, Sode No Shirayuki?"

"Yeah, sounds like you're tryna get rid of us." Monkey muttered.

"You can stay close to Senbonzakura if you guys want. Up to you." Rukia said to them.

"If you're incapable of doing it on your own, just follow us. Master, shall we go?"

Byakuya nodded his head and followed his zanpakutō spirit to the next one that was a few metres away.

Monkey sighed and turned to Rukia. "Hey uh—"

"W-Woah-uh! Monkey! MONKEY!" Snake shouted before climbing on top of the woman—"chain! Chain!"

A chain coming from one of Rukia's black bands—this time wrapped around her ankle like an anklet—suddenly rushed into a circle around her in the air. A neon white light formed on the ground beneath the chain which twirled once to make a perfect circle.

A ting was heard before a brilliant white rushed up like mist as the younger Rukia elevated upwards in the speed—disappearing into the column above in an instant with the pressure beneath her lifting her up.

It was so quick, it had caught the pair off guard to the side.

It formed a column like the first dance of Sode No Shirayuki.

---

Tōshirō swallowed. "Did she just...summon her zanpakutō's shikai ability without a calling?"

"She did…" Rangiku confirmed—shock in her eyes.

"I thought zanpakutōs needed to be summoned to unlock their powers." Ichigo said, turning to anyone for an explanation.

"A shame Captain Ukitake isn't here to explain anything." Shinji said.

"This may not be an abnormal thing. What if assassins' abilities are similar to that of what their zanpakutō's abilities would be like if they used them? Arigawa didn't use any quincy technique when he was controlling the Okasake heir's lines (AN: Birthright). That was his own ability related to his element." Uryū said.

"He still did some sort of calling." Kensei argued. "She didn't."

"Is it possible that she doesn't need to? That...we don't need to always do that?" Rangiku asked.

Momo looked up at her. "I feel like that's more of an assassin thing than our thing."

"Whatever she did was exactly like Sode No Shirayuki's first dance." Ichigo said. "And those chains...they did it for her. It came out of that band on her foot and spun once and then it just did it."

The younger Rukia appeared floating down from the column.

"No silver line here." Rukia reported to Zabimaru before hopping to the ground. "Let's go."

The group watched the younger girl do the exact same thing multiple times, it became more evident each time that she could already do her zanpakutō's abilities with her blades. Many questions followed that the group wished some of the older Captains had been here for or Captain Sui-Feng.

Another soon would come when blades seen as cherry blossoms would start to dance.

---

"No silver line here!" Snake reported after coming down from the column.

"This is like our fortieth one. Can't we just leave it?" Monkey asked everyone.

"We were tasked with checking each passageway to find a silver line. It is vital we check everything in our wake." Senbonzakura said to her, prompting a groan.

"There's only four more, Monkey!" Snake said.

They turned. "I checked! We only got four more and then it's a dead end. There's another opening on the left."

"Rukia-sama, would you be able to do all four?" Senbonzakura asked her.

Rukia nodded her head and did the same thing all over again. Though this time, she flash-stepped as soon as she finished one and had Sode No Shirayuki, Snake, or the Monkey go up after she came down.

When she flash-stepped back to her initial, Byakuya finally took notice and questioned it.

"How did you do that?" He asked her while she levitated in the air. "Isn't that a technique your zanpakutō has? How did you do it with your chain blades?"

"U-Uh forget about that." Monkey said.

"Was there any silver line?" Senbonzakura asked her.

"Nope. None." Rukia said before hopping down.

"You did not answer my question." He crossed his arms. "Do not avoid it."

"Uh…." The Captain told her not to say specific things and this was one of them. She chided herself for being so foolish.

"If you do not answer, I will not speak to you."

"That's a lie." Rukia said. "You have no choice but to speak to me. Captain isn't going to tell you a thing."

"That may be true however—" the ground started to rattle.

Dust began to drizzle on them like rain as their feet shook unwillingly to the ground's movement. The sound of crumbling rock came from all corners—soon large pieces began to descend from the ceiling columns.

A clutter of curved and squiggly lines rippled through the walls made out of rock as a deep grumble, almost like thunder, raged above.

"Monkey! Monkey! I think we have a problem!" Snake yelled before leaping onto her shoulders.

"W-Woah—" Monkey leaned back and lost her footing as the ground began to crack like ice.

They watched the sandy ground fall into a pool. Dry dirt flooded into the hole and down.

"WHAT DO WE DO?" Snake shouted in horror. The sounds of the rock shattering along with the dirt pouring drowned out his voice.

"Go to the opening!" Rukia shouted in the air. But no one could hear, it was almost as if she was mute as the worst possible sound entered the already catastrophic scene.

The cleaner.

No one could hear each other now. The screeching sounds swarmed them faster than the debris falling. The last thing Rukia remembered seeing from her spot was the familiar wings of the bats coming from that same opening to the left.

She closed her eyes tightly. She could feel them against her skin, the screech bolting straight down her eardrum. Rukia held onto her ears to block it out, she had a method to avoid the shrieks but she had promised to restrain herself.

The top of her hair had a pile of red sand on it which blew to the nape of her neck and tickled her. With the chaos around her, she did her best to be attentive to the rocks falling which soon began to fall harder.

Though it was barely audible, she was sure she heard a strangled voice. Carelessly, her eyes rushed to open and a bat from the cleaner darted straight into her eye.

"Ow!" She shrieked to herself and held her eye. She couldn't continue to stand here helplessly and restrain herself but that promise.

Another distorted call entered her ears. "Rukia!"

That voice felt miles and miles away—so hushed, she thought it was just a figment of her mind.

A medium-sized rock fell onto her left shoulder though crashed instantly upon contact of the harder surface. She couldn't take this much longer.

It was a ridiculous remembrance but somehow, Kla's words came to mind.

RUKIA! Stop defending that family, what's wrong with you? Ah geez, are you still so brainwashed into thinking that— (AN: Sudden Confessions)

Rukia hadn't let her finish her sentence then. She didn't believe that the Captain would have anything to do with the Soul King heart's corruption and she still didn't believe it now.

However, he was holding her back to hide stuff from his grandson but that in itself didn't make any sense. They were past his random outbursts, he could process this information maturely now, so that promise didn't apply now—right?

Then another recollection came pouring in. The chandelier.

Even then, he had eyed her to be careful of her words in front of the Lieutenant. He still...probably deep down in his heart, didn't want Byakuya to know.

But they had come too far.

The sizes of plunging rocks were starting to get bigger. Rukia could imagine the size of them each time the rocks shattered against her bones.

When her eye healed, she cautiously opened them a bit to see ahead of her. There was a glint of mint green light she could identify.

Senbonzakura, Sode No Shirayuki, and Byakuya to her left.

And then a red to the far right. Zabimaru.

They were probably waiting for an indication from her though she had no way of telling them unless….

She remembered the pure light.

Instantaneously, her right hand dug into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out the sai blade. Recognizing her contact, it lit its infamous yellow and with that, the bats avoided the space around it and she walked forward.

Hindrances seemed to be on sale today for one customer who couldn't stop buying them. Her.

An orb of a chiffon light blinded her vision. It grew in size and soon with the inhibiting light, she looked away—prepared to deal with the crumbling ceiling which would soon crush itself on top of her.

The last wail she remembered hearing before the largest piece of the ceiling could be heard rumbling above her, was the zanpakutō pair, Zabimaru hollering of some sort as she stepped backwards to avoid the shower of red dust.

---

A loud rumble rippled through the walls of where Rukia and the stretchers were placed. Her neck snapped to her left to look at the others who returned her stare, the same dread within them.

A colour. One which struck familiarity from an encounter from before. It came and began to cover the walls, rushing hastily until the tall red walls and even the ceiling so far away from the ground were painted a midnight blue.

"Get them on the scooter." Yoruichi ordered as Jinta and Ururu came speeding with it. Bodies flash-stepped and had the stretchers in the same line that they were on the ground to the scooter.

"N-Nee-san!" Yūshirō called after her before reaching to the leg of Jushirmai.

Bust sounds were heard along with a waterfall. Holes broke into each wall and out came seawater—some jade green and some the most coldest hue of a deep cyan.

"W-W-What are we gonna do?!" Hanatarō shrieked, scrambling to hold the other leg of Jushirmai.

"The walls are crumbling." Nanao identified as the first stalactite to crush against the wet floor, fell right in front of her. "I don't suppose the pure light can fix this."

"I should've visited him sooner." Rukia mumbled out loud to herself, Nanao glanced at her though Rukia was in no mind to notice it as she brought boxes of books to the cart.

"C-Can't we put a b-barrier?" Hanatarō asked but that question was never heard as the squealing sounds came in.

The cleaner caught all of their attention as they all came bolting in.

"—Roger!" Rukia ordered in a hast as she put books quickly onto the cart. "Stay close to Lieutenant Ise and Hanatarō. They're going to need your sheatsu."

Rukia swiftly turned to the standing Lieutenant who was observing the water falling as if it was an artifact at a museum.

"Lieutenant Ise!" She called over the flooding water. She didn't pay any attention to her.

In a hustle to get the books, when she didn't respond once, Rukia hoped she broke out of her trance when Roger would touch her.

The tail of the cobra curled around the neck of Hanatarō who jolted at the cool contact.

"H-Hey, w-what are you doing, S-Snake-san?"

Roger slithered forward in the air to loop around the neck of the Lieutenant who was frozen. She remained fixated on the steep rush of jade water which was starting to rise as openings got boarded up by debris.

By now, they all stood on the cart as the water continued to rise except Nanao.

"Lieutenant Ise!" Kisuke shouted to her though she didn't move.

Red sand continued to sprinkle in her hair as the water rose to her knees. Her back remained faced to them. Bats were starting to swarm around her, so much that she was disappearing from their gaze.

Kisuke created a rectangular barrier around them that they stayed in before the scooter began to float. Hanatarō called out to her numerous times though she was silent.

The light coming from Roger's body was still visible as he was wrapped around the Lieutenant from far. The flare began to rise as the cart began too.

Fortunately the ceiling was very high above, it gave them time to ponder.

"W-What's wrong with Lieutenant Ise?" Hanatarō asked Rukia who gave him a reassuring look though she didn't know herself.

"It's Jushirmai. He's probably entrancing her like his other victims." Jushirmai presumed.

"Can Lieutenant Ise become a victim like that though?! I thought he had one at a time!" Yūshirō asked over the running water.

"No." Rukia answered. "He can entrance whomever he wants at any time! There's no limit!"

Hanatarō sprung loose from Jushirmai's leg and ran to her near the end of the barrier. "Rukia-san! Will she be alright?"

"Roger will take care of her, don't worry." Rukia assured him though she didn't know if he'd be able too if Jushirmai appeared in front of her.

Rukia waited for a signal to move.

"We won't be able to flash-step until this thing is over." Yoruichi said as she watched the bats fly.

"What's all this stupid water for anyways?!" Kla carped.

"I was hoping you could tell us that, Kla-san!" Kisuke said.

"I don't have a connection like that anymore!" She shouted. "I'm my own person!"

Jushirmai's eyes caught a hold of the frothing jade water straight ahead that he was starting to see more vividly as the creatures became less and less inhibiting.

A dark shadow was casting.

"Something tells me Kla isn't going to be able to explain any of that." Jushirmai said with Yūshirō still tightly secured around his waist.

Kla jumped up and down trying to see until it became clear. The bats were starting to scatter rather quickly as a behemoth of jade water—up to the ceiling that they were still very far from—rose up like a snake, ready to curl and crash over them.

Shivers slithered down their spines, throats became dry as bones as the large body of water caught their eyes that were sagged, uncertainty fumbling in the middle of their chests as the question came.

Would the barrier survive this?

"MOVE!" Yoruichi shouted to them, feet scurried to the head of the stretchers.

Hanataro snatched onto Rukia's waist, squeezing her so tight, she could swear the juice was starting to plummet out of her organs. "W-What about Lieutenant I-Ise?!"

Rukia shot to the right, the white sheatsu was still there but would they make it after the impact? A shudder fluttered through her heart and it stayed there.

"The impact's too huge!" Jushirmai shouted hurriedly as he grabbed onto the rope that Kisuke brought out for everyone to hold.

"Roger!" Kla yelled, running to the rail of the cart where the tail of the cobra curled to hold himself to the cart.

"Roger!" She screamed. "Come back here!"

"Roger!" She screamed so hard her voice cracked. The collapsing walls left a 'boom' to vibrate through the walls and barred him from hearing her. "Roger!"

She tore her mouth wide to scream over it though nothing could challenge the violent waves of water. Still, she clasped onto the steel railing and balled his name before attempting to yank his tail and bring him back to the barrier.

"No, Kla!" Rukia yelled. "He's all she has left out there!"

"So I'm supposed to make him die for her?! RUKIA, GET A GRIP! They're soul reapers! Nothing is worth, Roger! I'm bringing him back!" She screamed at her before attempting to grip his tail—Rukia intervened.

"—No, Kla!" She held onto the two arms of Kla and pulled her back as she weeped. "He'll be fine! He can grow in size!"

Eventually, she grew frail against her touch and obeyed.

"I shouldn't have made the barrier." Kisuke muttered to himself. A sentence, Ururu and Jinta next to him, and Yoruichi who was tucked right beside them heard.

"I know." Yoruichi responded solemnly. I should've.

The rippling vibration of the wave, the crest which foamed at the top, it all added to the empty feeling in each of their chests as the spume, white and fresh charged down.

The cart snapped in two.

---

The younger Rukia recalled the events as they occurred. An enormous ball of rock hit her head but crushed against it. A load of sand and dirt rested on her shoulders slid down to itch her delicate skin.

Nothing was sharp enough to injure her to the extent of blood gushing out though her face most definitely had a bruise on the left—she felt the graze of her flesh when it happened.

That piercing white glow had become stronger, she refused to open her eyes at how daring it was. Once it bloated to its limit, she felt a gush of wind flush against her neck—pulling her hair forward at the pressure.

By then, her eyes were firmly shut and she felt the sand on her shoulders and every type of rock beside her blow off as the cool wind rushed through her and the screeching was over.

A tinkling noise was heard and on cue, curiosity grew and she opened to see something beautiful.

Ice.

Cyan blue mounted on the walls and ground where the fissures had been. Areas with holes were glossed over with a thin piece which glistened. Everything that had shifted was stuck in its place.

Though the most striking part of the scene was the white cherry blossoms which twirled above the floor and even around her. She felt one touch the bruise on her left cheek lightly before soaring.

Her fingers pressed onto the spot which previously stung, recognizing from the texture that the bruise was gone.

She searched for the source and found two zanpakutō spirits she recognized fairly well. Senbonzakura and Sode No Shirayuki stood beside each other, she had the white kitana out where the frosted tip fizzled while the blossoms gently circled around the tip of the katana Senbonzakura had out.

Rukia's feet met the slippery ground.

Byakuya appeared in front of her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah."

As he took a stand next to her, Rukia hoped she could get some explanation because she most definitely didn't know about this.

"Well that's something you can explain." Rukia said. "I didn't know that zanpakutōs could combine their abilities."

He leaned close to her. "I did not know that either."

"Huh?!"

Regaining her composure, they both instinctively turned to their zanpakutō spirits.

"Explain." They ordered in unison.

The two spirits glanced at each other once and then back.

"Your observation is correct, Rukia-sama and," she raised her brows a bit higher when she addressed, "Byakuya-sama. We're what you would call 'joint zanpakutōs'. It means that we can join abilities to a certain extent."

"That cannot be a thing." Byakuya responded. "Each zanpakutō has one wielder to one soul."

"That is true, master. I am very much your zanpakutō to wield however, we can join our abilities with Sode No Shirayuki."

"Likewise, Rukia-sama, we can join with Senbonzakura when necessary." Sode No Shirayuki explained with a soft smile.

"But...how did this happen? There's no way this is possible, we were never taught any of this." Rukia argued.

"It is not something many wielders become aware of. Not all zanpakutōs are capable of forming a joint union. If two wielders do not recognize it themselves, they most likely never come to know it." Senbonzakura answered.

They were adamant to believe it. The look of skepticism was clear on their younger faces though the proof was around them. Sode No Shirayuki's ice was effective in many forms however, the type of grandeur which involved an ice land as this was not a task completed on its own.

The bats had been chopped to shreds with Senbonzakura's blades. A shrill of ice ran through the grounds and walls to stop them from falling, an act Sode No Shirayuki paid close attention to, bringing her body to an absolute zero. Senbonzakura's blades countered the debris which fell into ice dust and then coloured its petals with white, an inverse of its usual task—this version was to protect and heal.

The act of blades to white was called White Dance of the Healing Blossoms.

The act of blades to white and ice mist was called the Imperial Guard of Ice.

The closer the spirits came, the more they grew to understand the purpose of this union. It was to fill whatever each other lacked.

Senbonzakura's safe zone was dwelled on during the fight with Tsukishima. With inverse petals, ones which protected and healed instead of cut, his wielder would not have to worry about being cut by his own blades or others he wished to be left unharmed.

Sode No Shirayuki was limited in smaller spaces due to the cylindrical form her ice took unless she was using another dance known as Hakuren. However, the coverage was still limiting when it came to tackling opponents of larger sizes. Senbonzakura's petals allowed the coverage of ice to spread rather quickly and efficiently enough without having to repeat the calling.

"So you are saying that a zanpakutō can join with another zanpakutō without both wielders knowing?" Byakuya asked the spirits.

"Isn't that kinda weird though?" Rukia stepped forward. "Wouldn't you have given us a hint or something?"

"It is not a necessity, therefore most zanpakutōs might not feel the need." Sode No Shirayuki answered.

"Yes, it is much like a feature since it is not something every zanpakutō has access too." Senbonzakura added.

"Does that not mean there are spirits who have kept secrets from their wielders? I do not understand why neither of you would provide a hint."

Rukia crossed her arms. "Yeah, isn't a zanpakutō supposed to be the closest thing to your heart? Not telling your wielder about your connection with another zanpakutō is wrong, isn't it?"

"They may attempt several times to come in contact with their wielder about this however, given that it is not a necessity to recognize, they might refrain from doing it."

"The most common way is temporarily breaking the connection." Sode No Shirayuki said to her. "Once it breaks, our wielders will attempt to reconnect again and hopefully find the connection between the other zanpakutō through the other wielder when it is needed."

"I still don't understand why this is a thing. Especially between us. How does it happen?" Rukia was really starting to reflect on Kla's words now. Why did she have this connection with this clan?

"Usually in adolescence although, it can develop later on—it's just more common then." Senbonzakura gestured to Sode No Shirayuki. "Our worlds opened up when you both were around this age, we saw each other somehow. It happened the day you both met in each other's spaces and strengthened each time you were in close contact and first spoke."

Rukia released a breath. "Did it happen on the annual noble heir gathering photo? The first one?"

"Yes." Sode No Shirayuki confirmed while Rukia shut her eyes. "That was the first time you were both in each other's spaces."

"What are the conditions?" Byakuya inquired.

"There are none. It just happens." Senbonzakura replied. "The older versions of you are yet to know of this."

Rukia began to feel suffocated. "Can't we just keep it that way?"

"It seems like we'll have too." Sode No Shirayuki said. "We've tried and they haven't taken the hint."

Byakuya, on the other hand, refused to have yet another secret kept from him. "It is careless not to say anything. That will benefit us even more."

"We will continue to try." Senbonzakura assured him. "Given the current predicament, we have one last chance to reach out with that connection."

Rukia wished that 'last chance' would fall through.

###

The Gotei 13 — Group 1

5th Division, 6th Captain, 9th Captain, 10th Division, 11th Division, 12th Captain, Kurosaki Ichigo, Kon, Ishida Uryū, Inoue Orihime, and Yasutora Sado

"So our zanpakutōs can merge with others?" Mayuri asked. "Fascinating."

"If we can merge abilities with other zanpakutōs then—" Tōshirō's eyes fell on the hilt of his zanpakutō that he had difficulty coming in contact with from the start. Was that it, Hyōrinmaru?

"It's gotta be based on a bond or something, right?" Ichigo asked to particularly nobody. "Our zanpakutōs are us, they're the closest thing to us. They wouldn't merge with just anybody."

"Precisely. Perhaps the union forms when two souls are meant to have strong ties with each other and thus their inner worlds open up even before they meet." Mayuri answered.

Ichigo turned to him. "Byakuya and Rukia have been next to each other since they were kids, is it possible that it was some sort of I don't know, psychic telling?"

"You mean to tell me, our zanpakutō can see the future now?" Kensei didn't sound too convinced.

"Maybe not the future, but there's definitely an odd connection between zanpakutōs that end up being able to join abilities. In this case, Kuchiki-san's zanpakutō met Captain Kuchiki's zanpakutō when they both met in each other's spaces. Among all those people there, it opened up to the person beside her—why?" Uryū asked.

"Byakuya's grandfather?" Ichigo suggested.

"By the looks of it, she knew the whole Kuchiki clan active at that time too so maybe there is something to it." Shinji said.

"Yeah but somethin' like knowing a few people close to a person shouldn't be enough to make their whole world open up to someone else." Ikkaku said, not entirely comfortable with the idea that someone else could insert themselves into his inner world.

"I agree." Yumichika stepped beside him. "That shouldn't be an legitimate reason for it."

"So what do you suggest?" Ichigo asked the pair while Tōshirō and Byakuya dug deep into their thoughts.

###

It made sense now.

Byakuya now understood why he had been told to use Rukia's zanpakutō during the hindrance at the wall and had been able to successfully use it. They were somehow connected.

The woman falling to him had been an illusion Senbonzakura deliberately set up to have him recognize this connection. Once he held onto the hand and identified it was Rukia's, he was able to attain access to the abilities sealed within his own power.

Sode No Shirayuki was like a second zanpakutō feature available to him and to her. The reason for the connection was the least of his concerns now, though it did have its own share of curiosity in his mind, it meant that Senbonzakura still had abilities he was yet to unlock in relation to this union and could benefit him later.

Tōshirō felt a surge of relief within him. Hyōrinmaru had been difficult for this reason—he was sure of it. Even when he had put his mind at ease to speak with him, the connection seemed lost.

With Tōshirō's knowledge and skill, immersing in his inner world had never been a difficult task. However, with the word of a stronger ice-type zanpakutō that had swept the Seireitei, it had been.

Now he understood why. It had to be this. There was no other reason why Hyōrinmaru would shut him out. Perhaps it was to prepare him for battle by having him recognize this feature.

"I think that's what my zanpakutō has been trying to tell me all along." Tōshirō said to Rangiku beside him.

"Awhhhhh, Captain!" She bent down. "You think your zanpakutō is connected to me?"

"Matsumoto!" He yelled before composing himself. "It could very well be possible."

"But how?" She fluttered her eyes with a dumbfounded look.

"We met before, remember?" Rangiku let the thought run through her mind. "We met in the Rukongai first and then through the 10th Division. I think that's how we formed a connection."

"So you think people who met before and came to know each other better in the future on a separate occasion are the ones connected?" Rangiku repeated for clarification.

Her question caught all of their interest.

"I believe that is the way it works. Kuchiki and Kuchiki were in each other's inner circles for years though they never knew each other from then. They met on a separate occasion unrelated to any of Kuchiki's prior relation to the clan and maintained a relationship." Tōshirō explained. "It's the same with us. We met in the Rukongai and years later, I ended up in the 10th Division with you."

"If that's the case, it's more about what was meant to happen so that time worked to make it happen twice in two different time slots." Ichigo said.

Mayuri tried to hide his irritation. It's like they weren't listening to him.

"As I said, two people who are meant to have strong ties with each other are most likely the type of people who join." Each word left bitterly.

"Hey, maybe we can do something, Momo."

"Captain, we didn't meet before." Lieutenant Hinamori responded.

"We don't know that, maybe we can change the set up a 'lil."

Before Momo's jaws could open, something happened—Orihime rushed forward.

"K-Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime shouted as Ichigo coughed up water and bent to the ground.

Water plunged out like vomit.

Shinji bent down to ask. "Ichigo, you alright?"

No answer could come out, only water. It started to happen to Shinji too. Something grumbled within his belly before he felt something pushing itself up and out of him. Water gushed out and he found himself bending too.

Kensei grimaced. "What the—"

It hurled out of him too.

Yachiru held her tummy. "Ken-chan...I don't feel so good."

"I-I can't do anything." Orihime announced sorrowfully before the ends of her hair got caught into her own vomit.

One by one, seawater hurled out of each one of them. No one could speak or holler as the only thing their mouth could do was stay wide for the flood to come out. It was like a faucet left on, there were no breaks in between—no air to hold onto.

The floor beneath them didn't feel wet but the seawater was real. It forced their mouths to open as wide as a python and let it all out.

The pools mixed with each other as it became hard to breathe but no one could mind the spread as they couldn't feel it nor could they keep their head anywhere but down and watch the jade tinted water charge out of them.

The vomit retched up a nasty spill that was bubbly, rushing incessantly past each of their throats—so much that they began to feel sore and had heavy coughs struggle to make a sound while simultaneously biting at their chests.

Without much of a solution, helplessly Ichigo raised his left hand and touched the brooch on his left side that Rukia had moved—citing it was better closer to his heart.

And waited for the healing powers to begin.

---

The barrier shattered like a mirror would when hit with a machete. The heavy impending seawater plunged into the bodies, shoving itself all the way down their throats and had their mouths strained open to let it all in.

Bodies slid off in bunches—hitting each other on the way—curving into the middle where the cart had severed and the water aggressively shoved them down into the dangerously deep pool.

The splashes were brash, hard enough to make their cheeks and heads sore upon contact. It was the equivalent of knocking your head onto metal.

Water violently crashed against the walls as everyone fell into the pale green water and dropped deeper—struggling to paddle their arms and swim to the surface where a glittering light bathing the surface remained.

When the first few got there, the surface proved to be more unfriendly than underwater. The height of the turbulent waves lodged more thick streams of salt water down their throats.

It stung like a slap when it hit. The waves were formidable opponents on their own and forced more of them down.

Hanatarō was the first to be spotted on the surface. Water wings packed in his sack came out without warning and had him floating in no time however, the waves still cut against his skin. Ririn and Kurōdo floated behind him.

Yoruichi came after and then Kisuke.

Jushirmai rose up with the weight of Kla and Yūshirō still clutched around his waist.

"We need to get the Gotei 13!" Yoruichi hollered over the hissing.

"We can put them up on the cart!" Kisuke informed them before allowing himself to stand in the air.

One by one they stood up though the action around them was quick and with a new height, another rough wave crashed against Kisuke's body.

It was clear that whomever was manipulating the water wouldn't allow them to stay standing. They had to stay in the pool.

Yoruichi prepared to dip back in to bring them up though the shift in pressure against her chest and the loud splash of Kisuke with a strangled 'Ah!' kept her still.

There was something thrashing beneath her—underwater. She envisioned the impact based on the feeling of whatever was violently paddling underneath. As the sound grew louder, she carefully scanned the surface around her.

Something, almost like scales glided past her ankle.

Yoruichi didn't move.

("Jushirmai! Where's Sister Rukia?! I can't see her!" Kla frantically yelled in the background.)

("She must be going after Lieutenant Ise!" Jushirmai explained to her.)

She drowned out their voices to listen and let the familiar feeling she was getting from that contact settle. A shadow, from a droplet to a log, swelled to the left of her.

When the unknown creature came shooting out, she saw a tail elevating high before slapping down. The body of the creature was black, skin glossy with salt water. It was huge. It became more apparent when the rest of its body unraveled until it curved upwards and she awaited the head.

Almost like the back of a broad spoon, its head was shaped broader than any part of its figure. The skin sticking out like ears was visibly thinner too.

Roger.

He had transformed into his behemoth form. She reached out her hand and touched the lower half of his body.

"Find the Gotei 13, I can hold us up." Roger assured her before she dived backwards into the sea.

"ROGYYYYY!" Kla shrieked in excitement, leaping out of the water in an instant—only to be slapped away by a wave. "Argarfffff!"

Jushirmai helped Hanatarō and Yūshirō onto Roger while the serpent extended his tail to curl around Kla's waist and bring her forward.

When her feet landed on his skin, she ran up him like a slide and clung onto his skin—sliding her cheeks against it.

"I'm glad you're alright." Kla said to him. "It would be terrible if something happened to you because of that stupid woman!"

"Ah," she lifted her head. "Where is that stupid woman? She couldn't even move! Talk about a grandma! No wonder she's so uptight!"

"I don't know. When the wave hit, I had to let loose of her—she was pulling me to the stream that broke out ahead of us."

Kla nodded her head idly before looking down into the water where Yoruichi pulled up the Captains and Lieutenants.

"Kla! Come help!" Jushirmai yelled while bringing up the body of the 9th Division Lieutenant.

She scowled at him. "Help?! Jushirmai, I'm not touching another soul reaper even if my life depends on it!"

Seawater rose again and splashed onto the back of Roger's head to match her height.

She spat it all out before glaring at the now lost wave. "Hey! I'm part of Jushirmai too! Be nice!"

Kisuke popped out of the water, lugging Lieutenant Matsumoto behind him. "I couldn't find Captain Hitsugaya!"

"He could be anywhere, he's too small." Yoruichi replied before diving down.

"Did Kuchiki-san come up yet?!" Kisuke asked Jushirmai before a tumble of rocks rained into the water. Sizes varying from pebbles to fishbowls to asteroids.

The bang between Jushirmai's eyes shaped like a shriveled flower became a bit too broad when pasted on his wet forehead—thwarting his already fuzzy vision. When Kisuke asked him something, a snapping sound had already forced its way into his ears as a large rock descended above him and pushed him down.

"Jushirmai!" Kla screamed as both Hanatarō and Yūshirō, laying on their belly, peered down the edge of Roger's body into the space the doctor plunged down in.

"Dr. Oswald!" They both shouted in unison.

Kisuke went after him.

Yoruichi brought up Byakuya and Jūshiro though she was having trouble finding Ichigo, oddly enough, and Tōshirō.

"Is Kuchiki-san not up yet?!" Yoruichi shouted with her two hands curling near her mouth to Kla situated metres above her.

She never got a response as the hazel eyes of the teenage girl were stuck to a spot in the water where the two youngest besides her here were staring into.

"What happened?!" She questioned curiously.

"D-Dr. Oswald, Nee-san!" Yūshirō informed, trembling against Hanatarō.

"A-A big rock came i-in," Hanatarō tried to explain though he was frightened too. "And well…"

"Urahara-san went after him, we should find the rest of the Gotei 13 quickly." Roger's voice—deeper than usual rippled past the hissing water. "They don't have much time."

Yoruichi exited without a word.

---

A sound akin to car wheels on a wet pavement caught their ears as the explanation of joint zanpakutōs types halted to figure out what was coming.

Liquid came leaking in over the frozen ground before the gush of a stream came jetting in.

"Do something!" Monkey yelled to Sode No Shirayuki and Senbonzakura.

"We don't have time, let's go." Senbonzakura turned on his heel and they followed him ahead to the opening.

"Hey!" Snake called from the side opening. "This place is even bigger! It's more open than our camp area!"

They all curved left into the area that was perfectly round. Holes were stamped everywhere and with space, the same rush they were running from invaded through each one.

Suddenly their feet were dunked into a rising flood as feeders came in through all corners following a map as intricate as tree roots. A heap of basalts clogged the hole meant to be the next opening and allowed the frothy water to rise.

This had been intentional to keep them inside.

Senbonzakura positioned himself in front of it. "Scatter."

The pink blossoms charged against the area with the rise of his hand but became adrift the minute a colossal wave challenged it and came over it.

"Forget the opening!" Rukia yelled while her anklet chain spun around the round area. White mist within the area she had the chain ring around floated upwards once the circle was completed and tinged.

Glaring light beneath their feet surged upwards as an ice cylinder, perfectly cut into the shape she had done it in, lifted them up. Foamy waves violently crashed against the ice bark as they rose untouched.

A high wave threatened to wash them however, Sode No Shirayuki used her second dance to send a chilly haze to freeze it.

"This gotta be deliberate." Monkey said. "He's probably tryna stop us from finding that silver line."

"But Monkey! Won't this help us find the silver line quicker?" Snake asked him. "With this tide, it'll wash the whole place, no?"

They all looked to each other.

"That may be true but there's no guarantee that this is help. There has to be some catch if he's helping us like this. There always is." Rukia said.

"If we are enduring this, then what of the others?" Byakuya said to her. "It seems that the entirety of this dimension will be swarmed with rising water."

"Do you wanna go back?" Rukia asked him.

"It is just a concern."

"If we're this far, I don't think it's worth going back." Rukia glanced at the water fighting to remain on the same level of the elevating cylinder. "We have to find that silver line."

"Sode No Shirayuki." Senbonzakura called with his back to her.

Behind him, she answered. "I'm right behind you."

His katana came out and was tilted downwards. Sode No Shirayuki mirrored his actions from the opposite direction.

"Bankai." Senbonzakura said as the tip of the sword dropped into a pond while Sode No Shirayuki's sword dipped into one of her own.

The sharp ends came up in paralleled lines from each end. Ruffles were heard as the blossoms scattered—a stark white taking over and reaching every corner of the area to freeze the waves.

"If this isn't a sign to move forward, then what is it?" Snake asked.

"We should do our best to find the silver line." Senbonzakura said.

"If this is the opportunity, we should take it." Rukia agreed.

For the first time, Monkey and Byakuya were on the same end—thinking about the others and the stretchers. After a few glances, they came to the conclusion it was better to stay and find the silver line.

It was the only way they could find the backup generator.

---

Rukia popped up like a fish, spitting water out as she tried to focus her fuzzy vision. Desperately chasing after Lieutenant Ise had placed her in an area far from the group she had fallen with. She hoped they were all together by now.

Lieutenant Ise was still being entranced. She came to the surface before her and had her back to her—refusing to acknowledge her at all even when she swam after her.

"Lieutenant Ise." Rukia sniffed. "Come on, let's go to the others. Stop listening to his voice."

Her brain had already suspected she wouldn't respond.

"I know how it feels. You feel like something's pulling you, drawing you into an idea that's right but it's not. I need you to think clearly, whatever he's telling you to do right now, don't listen."

Water swished as she pushed herself a little closer.

"Lieutenant Ise! Can you hear me? Follow my voice. Whatever he's telling you to do, don't do it!"

Her silent reply included swimming forward.

Rukia observed their surroundings. She had trekked to the corners of the area, the others weren't far. The Lieutenant Ise now in front of her had been fixated on the stream of water which stood close to them now.

She wondered why Jushirmai was calling her there. Regardless, she still had to try to break through to her. He could toy with her mind, not theirs.

"Listen to me, I'm the right voice to follow." She leisurely moved this time. "I'm your colleague and...friend."

"Don't listen to him! Whatever you do, don't listen to him! Come back! Follow my voice and regain your consciousness! Whatever he's telling you isn't right!"

She kept pushing forward.

"Lieutenant." Rukia wiped her face before laying a hand on the Lieutenant's left shoulder. They were still in the water—it had become calm all of a sudden in this area.

She wanted to say something into her ears though she feared that the conscious her would misinterpret her intentions and her relationship with Jūshirmai.

Without that option, she would have to call for the Lieutenant until she freed herself from that trap in her mind.

"Lieutenant Ise, please you need to listen to me. Whatever he's—" she knocked off her hand.

Rukia forcefully turned her this time and she met a face that was displeased.

"Unhand me!"

Madly, she started splashing the water around her as Rukia tried to get a grip on her.

"Lieu—"

"Let go! You're a traitor!" She began to cup water from the water and splash it onto her face as if they were at the beach.

"That's not true!" Was it? She could only think of what the assassins would think of her. And yes, in that light, that was treason to them and yet nothing felt remotely close to it to her.

She slapped both hands on the surface. "You are!"

"Don't listen to him." She tried again but she only got a fistful of saltwater on her face and down her throat. "Lieu—"

"You're a liar! You lied! I've seen it all now!" Rukia didn't want to think of what she was shown. All she knew was that it wasn't real or it was being exaggerated.

"You're the devil's spawn! Just like him! You're the evil!"

Something like a lump sizzled in her chest, she reached out—quicker than Lieutenant Ise could imagine—and rested her hands on the sides of her face.

She waddled like a fish caught on a hook but Rukia refused to let her go.

"Take me as your host but not her."

No response came from that except sounds of struggle.

"Lieutenant Ise—you have to fight back. You have to know that whatever he's showing you isn't real." Frustration was starting to burn through her. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Please," Rukia pulled her face close to her, those eyes of hers were already a symbol of loss. "For Captain Kyōraku, for Lieutenant Matsumoto, for Lieutenant Hinamori, for Lieutenant Kusajishi, for Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, for Lieutenant Kotetsu, for Captain Sui-Feng, for Captain Unohana, and for me—please come to your senses!"

Her legs ceased its cycling while her body and hands ceased the twisting and splashing.

Rukia studied her eyes that were reciprocating her stare. Though nothing changed in them, her grappling movements ending was a sign, perhaps she got ahold of something?

"Lieutenant Ise, I need you to follow my voice. I need you to listen! None of that is real! Fight for your conscience! Fight for your thoughts!"

She tightened her grip, squishing the sides of her cheeks. "You can do it…"

Their breaths took the space where waves had swished. Rukia gently let her hands slide, anticipating anything.

Her glasses were gone. Rukia couldn't entirely remember whether she could see without them or not but she knew her voice.

"You want me to follow you?" She asked with a halfhearted laugh. "Why would I follow a murderer?!"

She leaned forward as if she was about to bite at her. "You murdered the pure light! You killed the pure light!"

"It's your fault we don't even have a light!"

"How dare you?! How dare you walk around here trying to appease yourself as the pure light?!"

Jushirmai would never revere the pure light or the person who bore it. He was influencing her to go against her and if that meant taking the side of the pure light, he would do it.

"You killed the light!" She screamed at her. "You careless bitch!"

Those were not her words. She was too trapped if her reaction wasn't a genuine response to what was being shown. He was speaking for her too.

"The pure light could've saved us! You had to be fucking stupid and ruin everything!"

And though she knew Nanao truly didn't mean that, the topic alone made her uneasy. Her chest was starting to quiver against her will.

"Lieutenant Ise, I need you to listen to me!" She turned around. "Where are you going?! Don't—"

"I don't need to hear you speak." Water swished again as she swam to the waterfall.

"For Captain Kyōraku! For Lieutenant Matsumoto! For Lieutenant Hinamori! For Lieutenant Kusajishi! For Lieutenant Kurotsuchi! For Lieutenant Kotetsu! For Captain Sui-Feng! For Captain Unohana!" Rukia screamed on the top of her lungs.

"They're still missing!" She lied. Well, at least she hoped she was lying. Their bodies would hopefully be up and away from the water by now. "Lieutenant Ise!"

"Lieutenant Ise!" She blared while slashing the water violently to catch up. "Lieutenant! Please get ahold of yourself! That's all fake!"

Her legs were too fast, she was already close to the waterfall that had started from that hole Nanao had been staring at earlier. Rukia was sure that he was dragging her there for something.

Slowing down, Rukia realized she could just walk on air and catch her. She attempted to flash-step but a wave beside her rose and curled onto her, she plunged deep into the sea of water.

Paddling her arms as she fell back, her hair halted her vision on both sides—forcing her head to twist and turn.

And she caught it—that glint from citrine carved into circles. Orange hair. Ichigo's body was still down here.

The realization shot through her instantly. She paddled close to him and put her arms around his waist—pulling him forward so his head rested on the left side of her shoulder.

She crawled to the surface, kicking her legs by full force until they saw the light again. Rukia coughs scorched from her belly to chest but fortunately ceased as she cupped Ichigo's left cheek to see his face better.

That same hand went down to his heart to check his breathing. Miraculously, he still was. Her mind ran to Lieutenant Ise who was about to reach the waterfall.

"Lieutenant Ise!" She shrieked.

Instinctively, she was about to release her fan-chain blades to circle around her but she realized then. She didn't have any on her wrist. Shuffling in the water, she pulled the band off her right foot and scurried to put it on.

The chain flew out and circled six times around the Lieutenant's waist with the fan-shaped blades closed.

"Listen to my voice! You have to break free! He's playing things in your mind but they're not real! They're not true! Please come to your senses!"

She was fighting hard to break free though Rukia was rest assured. Her chains wouldn't betray her.

"What you see isn't real! I didn't kill the pure light! You know better than that! You know I wouldn't do that!" Rukia's desperate pleas were turning out rather bland.

"You killed the pure light!" She screamed while frantically wiggling and kicking. "You killed the pure light! You murdered it! You...You killed it! You killed it!"

Rukia clenched her fist, "I didn't kill the pure light! It isn't my fault!"

"You killed it! Just like you killed Shiba Kaien!"

Fury ran up her veins. "Watch your mouth, Jūshirmai."

She chortled. "Why? I'm telling the truth. You killed Shiba Kaien, you killed the pure light, you even killed your—"

"Let Lieutenant Ise go! Let her go! Lieutenant Ise, please listen to me! It's fake!"

"It's not!" She yelled. "I've seen it with my own eyes! You are a traitor to the Gotei 13, you're the murderer of two souls, you shoved darkness into that heart and now you have everyone tailing after you! You can't even die, you stupid bitch! So I should make it a living Hell! You should rot in prison!"

"I didn't kil—" Rukia stopped herself. It was useless. She needed a method to get to Lieutenant Ise's heart, she was arguing with nobody.

She shoved her hand into her pocket and pulled out her photographs that were all soaked up and stuck to each other. She tried her best to gingerly set them apart from one another until she found the Soul Reaper Women Association photo.

"Lieutenant Ise! Please look!" And when she didn't, Rukia turned her forcefully with her chains. She was without her glasses, it made her wonder if this would work.

There was a known tale in the Seireitei that whenever Nanao took off her glasses, she was on the same level of intimidating as Captain Unohana. It was a rare spectrum—Rukia had never seen it until now. With her mind trapped in Jushirmai's influence, it only amplified it.

"I need you to listen to me! It's Rukia! Lieutenant Matsumoto, Kotetsu, Kurotsuchi, Kusajishi, Hinamori, Captain Unohana, Captain Sui-Feng, Captain Kyōraku, and Yoruichi-san. We're all waiting for you! Please come to!"

"Lieutenant Ise! Please! Lieutenant Matsumoto is here! She wants to speak with you! Please listen and fight back! You have to be stronger than that! I know you're stronger than that! It's just mind games—it has nothing on you!"

"Lieutenant Ise! Look!" Rukia slowly came to her. "Look, here. Do you see this? These are the people who are waiting for you. These are the right voices to follow."

Nothing. She was mute. He was probably showing her something again.

"Let her go!" Rukia screamed. "Let her…"

She panting heavily, searching for some answer in the walls around her. She thought of all the things Jushirmai often showed her—the accounts from other victims about what they dreamt about. She needed to use that insight to get her back.

Rukia spoke as if she was delivering the news of someone's death.

"He won't kill them." Rukia said. "If you let go, if you fight back, he won't kill them. Captain Kyōraku and Lieutenant Matsumoto are safe and out the water. As for the rest of the Gotei 13, nothing will happen to them, you have my word."

"I swear to you, Lieutenant Ise." Delicately, she took her hand. "He won't do anything to them. It's just a trick to make you enslaved in your own mind. You can break free—it's okay. He won't do anything."

"He won't do anything." She whispered again.

"You're a joke." Nanao jeered. "You can't stop him. Only the pure light you kil—"

"He won't kill them. I'm telling you he won't kill them I've been through this a million times before. He's only threatening you with others because he has no other way to get a hold of your mind."

The hole to the wall was ripped apart. The water's width extended and volume increased. Rukia took it as a good sign.

It meant something shifted inside Nanao's mind. White mist began to rise and soon became thick enough to swallow them.

"He's done it to me before. It happens all the time, it's normal. I need you to fight back—reject what you're told, doubt what you're seeing. He won't hurt them yet, for soul reapers to die peacefully will never be his goal. He wants them to suffer. You can break free."

"Follow me out. We can do this, together." Rukia extended her hand. "He won't kill anyone. He would make you kill anyone. You're not what he wants."

Cracking sounds behind Nanao told Rukia that she was getting closer to her senses. If what she was thinking was true, the moment that wall behind them broke with that waterfall turning into a flood, she'd have control of herself again.

"It doesn't matter how vivid it seems to you. It might feel real, it might seem logical but you have to reject it, it's the only way you can free yourself from that grasp. Believing that makes him win. I'm telling you there's nothing there."

Splashes of heavy objects that she couldn't see but knew were falling told her the wall was crumbling. Nanao was on her way back, Rukia knew the impact would probably hit as hard as the previous wave had but they would be fine and hopefully reunite with the others.

At the end of the day, it was only water. They weren't humans.

"It isn't real. There's nothing there." Rukia said tenderly. "You have to believe me. It's all fake, whatever he's making you see or feel isn't real."

More water was purging out the cut.

"It isn't real, it's isn't real," she whispered like a mantra. "Those sensations in your arms or fingers or legs are illusions. He's playing with your mind and body."

Nanao's body jolted. "I—You killed it! Neearg—You did it! Helarck—I watched y—helarchh—you murderer I saw you—heahhhh—you're a disgrace to our name!"

Nanao was trying to tell her something but she was being clobbered by his leverage.

"Wonabat—you're a traitor! Letark—damn you! Gotaba—to Hell!" This was progress, she was almost there.

While she mumbled out words—even if they were gibberish—she tried to make them out as she continued. Some time later, her two hands held onto the sides of her face. She was trying—really hard to get him out.

From the words Nanao had attempted to spit out before, Rukia tried to piece them together. From the first line, she assumed the sentence was 'I need help' though the other one was a bit more complex.

"You can do it! Tell him you won't take it. Tell him you don't believe him and that he's a liar and scum. Scold him like you do with Sensei Kyōraku! Fight him off like you do with the Shinigami Male Association! Do what you do best! Tell him he's worthless, belittle him and tell him that he'll never get ahold of the Soul King heart."

"Die, you witch!" Nanao screamed at her though she quickly covered her mouth. "Letarrrme—You're a car—gohee—you—wonargh—killed—learrteletgo—your—gettterout—bloodline—offfarghmy—is—mindyee—is cursed!"

Her actual message was becoming clearer. She was getting more words in than before. Rukia pieced them together as: let me go. He won't let me go.

"One of your greatest gifts is your mind, Lieutenant Ise. You're smart, you're calculated, fight him off with what you know. No one will control your mind for you, no one will tell you what to see, you and only you should have access to your mind for that is where you keep your deepest secrets."

"Youarghh—won't—letarghhck—me! You're—arckha—uselessark—unhand me!" Nanao twisted her head violently, it shook off some of her bangs that had been tucked behind her right ear.

The cleaner words were her. She was doing it.

"Let—areeeck—me go!"

Another calm tide hit them. Nanao panted heavily before witlessly looking left and right.

"Lieutenant Ise." Rukia called for, in concern. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just…"

"Take a moment." Rukia advised. "I'm sure you went through a lot."

And she did. "Do you…" she spoke only when she gathered herself. "...experience this too?"

She rather not answer.

"I see." Nanao secured her bangs behind her ear. "I felt like he was inside me. I felt like him and me at the same time."

"Did he show you things?" Rukia already knew but asked anyway.

"I presume he's shown you things like that too. You were right, I saw myself doing something that I would never do from my perspective. It all felt so real." She rubbed her forehead before searching for her glasses. "I have a spare."

"We should find the others. They're near."

Once she could see, her eyes fell on Ichigo. "Is Kurosaki Ichigo alright?"

"Hm. Surprisingly he's still breathing. I didn't need to do CPR."

"That was mortifying." Nanao commented, Rukia pulled her lips to grin. She moved closer to her, "do you suppose—"

The wall broke. The mist gave light to very few of the basalts but the noise was enough. It jolted through their bodies like an explosion. The water charged at them with pressure which sent them flying.

The last touch Rukia remembered was Nanao attempting to clasp her hand and the head on her left shoulder.

---

"Did you find him?!" Kla's eyes were hot with worry.

Kisuke cleared his nose. "No, he's not down there!"

Kla's chest heaved. "What do you mean he's not down there?! That's where he fell! That's where he should be! Try again!"

This would be Kisuke's seventh time.

Yūshirō looked down into the spot he got pushed down. His eyes wailing for him to come back.

"O-Oh no! I hope nothing's happened to him!" Kurōdo said.

"We have to find him!" Ririn said before changing out of her plushie. "C'mon Kurōdo!"

"Good, hurry up! Find him, please!" Kla begged. "Sister Rukia would go mad if he dies! And I'll make sure Jushirmai kills every single one of you! Now hurry up!"

"I can't find Ichigo." Yoruichi disclosed beside him. "Or Lieutenant Ise."

"WHO CARES ABOUT THOSE TWO?!" Kla snapped. "I'm talking about Jushirmai here. Ya know, Dr. Oswald?! If he dies—"

Yoruichi raised her index finger. "Hush. Wait."

She was trying to hear something. Another body of water was coming at them and this time, it was coming from a cliff above them.

"The wall's breaking!" Roger announced before the impact came.

The rocks got chopped into chunks and pieces before darting in the air to various different directions. In between the spaces of the cuts was a behemoth of water that crashed onto them. Roger swerved immediately though he had a disadvantage with his larger form to move. Everyone held onto him as he completed a one-eighty and slithered forward.

"Jushirmai! We can't leave Jushirmai!" Kla screamed on the top of her lungs. "Roger, what are you doing?!"

"L-Look!" Hanatarō shouted. "There's Ichigo-san and Rukia-san! And Lieutenant Ise!"

They all followed his finger except Roger who was moving them away. The three of them splashed into the water.

"I got them!" Yoruichi assured before diving in. The force of the water on the surface affected her underwater due to significant pressure. She held onto Lieutenant Ise first and brought her to the surface where Hanatarō, Ururu, Jinta and Yūshirō pulled her up near the end of Roger's tail.

She now searched for Ichigo and Rukia.

Big chunks of rock came underwater in speeds which hindered her vision. There were too many—turning the sea green into a room lined with beaded curtains of navy blue.

She swam further, dodging all of them as she searched for the two who had fallen. There was no sign of them. The chaos above the water wasn't helping either, she could feel the pressure as the water shifted viciously and prevented her from paddling in the directions she planned too.

Though one had been a lucky push. She saw Ichigo bending forward and came to him. Yoruichi pulled him to her before searching though Rukia wasn't here. With no time to waste, she swam underwater until she was a reasonable distance away from the chaos and came up to where Roger was.

They pulled Ichigo's body up while Nanao peered at the water and picked up a familiar black band who's chains were no longer coiled around her.

"Is Lieutenant Kuchiki not there?"

"She couldn't have fallen too far. They were together when they hit the surface." Yoruichi turned to Yūshirō who looked at her with sadness.

"Nee-san, please try to find Dr. Oswald too!"

"I'll go look again though the pressure is dangerous down there. Keep going." Yoruichi advised before going back in.

"What about Jushirmai?!" Kla screamed.

"She's going back for him too." Kisuke told her but she wouldn't back down.

"You all are so stupid for letting him bring bodies up on his own!" She accused them furiously.

"He asked you to do it, idiot!" Jinta yelled back with crimped brows.

"Yeah, but you all were down there!"

"That's the shittest excuse I've ever heard!" He retorted.

Yoruichi suddenly popped out of the water, face soaked with bad news. "I can't get back there, he's doing it intentionally. The pressure is too strong, I can't even make it to the spot where Roger was."

The walls amongst them were starting to collapse too.

"Hold on!" Roger advised as the waves grew more violent. Kisuke and Yoruichi jumped up onto Roger's body.

"But Jushirmai and Sister Rukia are still out there!" Kla yelled. "ARE YOU PEOPLE INSANE?! We can't leave them!"

"O-Oh no!" Hanatarō turned to Lieutenant Ise's who's eyes were fixated on the black band.

"Lieutenant Kuchiki will be fine! She can't die!" Yūshirō said to him. "But Dr. Oswald can!"

"They're from the same bloodline…." Lieutenant Ise said. "Isn't there a chance he's like that too?"

Yoruichi shook her head. "No, that's Kuchiki-san's exclusive feature. It doesn't apply to the rest."

Kla cried and yelled to the ceiling. "JUSHIRMAI! PLEASE SPARE HIM! HE'S RUKIA'S BROTHER AND MY FRIEND! PLEASE DON'T KILL HIM! SAVE HIM!"

"You can relax. Dr. Oswald's blood is what keeps him alive (AN: Strangers: Are We?). He'll protect him." Yoruichi assured her as crashing waves, large bodies of water, and plunging rocks left the place they had been camping in for over a month in ruins.

---

"In here!" Snake led them into an upper cave which oddly was a majestic purple unlike the walls of red, orange, and yellow they had come to be familiar with here.

"This is even tighter than the last one." Monkey commented as she went through.

"It'll have to do for now. Besides, given its abnormality, it could lead to the silver line." Senbonzakura said as Sode No Shirayuki, Rukia, and Byakuya followed.

Snake's teeth chattered. "It's really cold out here."

Monkey aimed her thumb backwards. "Blame those two and their ice blossoms."

"We did it to control those waves." Senbonzakura argued.

The younger Rukia rubbed her fingers against the walls that were already moist. Once they made marks up and down, she stopped.

"Still nothing."

"So what? Are we gonna keep moving forward then?" Monkey asked. "Doesn't look like there's an intersection any time soon."

"Let's keep going." Sode No Shirayuki said. "I have a good feeling about this. As Senbonzakura-dono said, given the abnormality, I'm sure we're bound to find something. What do you think, Rukia-sama?"

"I agree." Her gaze left the purple sand stuck to her fingers. "We must find something."

Byakuya agreed. "I believe it is wise too."

They began to walk, leaving the opening far behind.

"You are yet to explain to me how those blades work." Byakuya said beside Rukia.

"It's pretty simple, you just open your hand and it shoots out. If you want multiple at a time, you just have to think of it." Rukia explained.

"That is not what I mean." Byakuya responded. "You were somehow able to do your own zanpakutō's abilities with them. I don't understand the connection."

Rukia gave in. The Captain could scold her later. "Well—"

Her foot tripped over something and she released a short scream as Byakuya held onto her. He looked for the source immediately. It was a bone with ants on it.

"It is just a bone." He informed them.

"A bone belonging to who?" Snake asked.

"Uh-oh." Monkey said with her eyes to the ground. There were more—lots more, the cave had just been too dark to notice.

"What's wrong, Monkey?"

"Either these are the remains of some beast or these belong to—"

"Soul shadows." Rukia gravely finished for her.

Monkey felt uneasy. "We should get outta here."

"We have no reason to retreat. We should move forward." Senbonzakura said to her.

"These are the hollows that were born from that darkness, correct?" Byakuya asked Rukia who nodded her head almost immediately.

"They're known for projecting whatever pain they were born from onto others. They have animal heads for faces and a soul-like form where they appear just like me and you. Remains like these are ones they like to preserve or use."

"Which is exactly why I don't want us in here, let's go." Monkey walked past them.

"These are just remains. None of them are here." Senbonzakura said.

"Do whatever you want, c'mon Snake. We'll find another place to look." Monkey stretched her arms and went to the opening.

Snake was surprised she moved. "Wait, Monkey! How—"

"The caves are all probably wet by now. All we gotta do is rub the walls and see. Let's go."

Senbonzakura turned to Snake. "It would not be wise to split up."

"It would benefit us more if you were here with us." Sode No Shirayuki added.

"It'll be quicker if Snake and I go to other ones. We can regroup here." Monkey said while Snake joined her. "The point's to find the silver line, not stick together. We'll see you soon."

With that, they hopped off.

---

When he woke up, black sand was stuck to his sodden feet while the entirety of his clothes were crumpled and smelt.

His back was braced to a wooden wall and the air was uncomfortably sultry. He was in a cabin of some sort, he identified it the moment he observed the room he was in.

Spidersilk ran like drapes around the single room. Books all with dust were stacked onto desks that were at knee level.

Candles of all kinds from taper to pillar to votive rested on the only table besides the kitchen counter that was accessible without having to bend. The colours of the wax were cranberry to cream to a very burnt orange. It added to the eeriness the room radiated.

It felt all too familiar.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the strength to move. His arms felt sore from having to paddle against the pressure underwater. He had slipped through a crack and entered a deeper body of water and crawled to the surface. By then, his arms and legs had been so worn out, he gladly accepted the help which came from the white portal with hands which pulled him in.

He knocked out after that. He didn't even get to see the face of his saviour. Though, after observing the room for as long as he had been conscious, he had an idea.

A pot rack hung over a dirty silver sink. The only source of actual lightning besides the hundreds of candles was a cracked bulb which hung over the ash wood table in the kitchen. It bled a dijon mustard colour and hardly gave brightness to the room.

There was a smaller, perfectly round table in front of him with a rug underneath and two cushions for sitting. A grand piano was further to his right with more books and broken keys. Everything was rusty or shredded. The human world would call this a Halloween setting.

The large cauldron diagonal to it only added to this label.

"You're up." She came through the other entrance, a door on the far right corner.

Jushirmai stretched his legs in front of him. All his joints were tight.

"Don't get comfortable." She warned. "We've got work to do."

She threw him some clothes, he caught her scarlet eyes then. "Change and get ready."

He idly picked them up, his back cracked the moment he did. "For what?"

"War."

---

"Damn, we lost them." Ichigo muttered. It was the first set of words he said besides 'I'm alright' after all that vomiting. His throat was inflamed and for that, he avoided speaking when necessary.

Just like the others. There was a lot of salt water which had come out. His jaws hurt from the stretching. There was no reasonable explanation for it but given all the water they were seeing paired with the collapse noises, Uryū figured it out.

Their bodies had been thrown inside the water. The breaking sounds only confirmed the bad news but whatever it was, they were safe now. At least, he hoped they were.

Now they had lost their guides. The evidence of their presence included a large ice trunk like a tree and frozen waves, some which had crumbled into hills of ice dust.

But they were long gone by now. They hurled up seawater for minutes—some longer than others. He and Tōshirō definitely didn't stop until the very last minute.

"Wait, isn't that Zabimaru?" Lieutenant Hinamori pointed at the two zanpakutō spirits who were walking out of a cave to their left.

"Yeah, let's join them." Ichigo said ready to leap.

"Though," Tōshirō's voice stopped him. "Kuchiki and Kuchiki along with their zanpakutō spirits aren't with them."

"They must've separated to cover more ground." Uryū said. "They're all we got for now."

"Then let's not lose them." Ichigo leaped.

---

Her cheek was pressed onto something that was smooth. She was slowly coming to and recognized several things as drowsiness took its time to leave. She had slept really well. Her muscles relaxed and a dreamless sleep made it seem all too wondrous.

She was curled to her right. Everything about this weariness made her want to dive into another dreamless sleep again. She felt relaxed and lazy—savouring this comfortableness until it grew uncomfortable as she noted a few things.

For one, her neck was wet along with her hair—it wasn't sweat. The taste on her lips was salty. She bent her toes and found that her shoes were soaked and dripping as well as her clothes.

She was also sleeping on the ground. Her right arm was pressing onto wood. Wood...if anything she should've awakened on rock.

The dreamless sleep had been accompanied by another one as a nightmare had materialized into reality. She remembered the height and violence of the waves, the foamy white on the edges of them as they tossed her left and right.

The sting of the water on her back and face were coming too. She remembered how hard it had hit when she fell—twice. Up until her last moments of consciousness, she remembered Nanao who Jushirmai had taken ahold of and Ichigo who she had rescued on her shoulders until that wall broke.

Jushirmai...she hoped her brother was alright. He could swim, she knew that for sure but that didn't lessen her worries.

There was also Ichigo and the Gotei 13 who had fallen unconscious—she sat up.

Her eyes shot open and searched the area madly to see where she was. She needed to get back and find them.

She soon learned five dreadful facts.

1. There was a roof above her head.

2. It, the floor, and walls were made out of walnut wood.

3. Purple and blue glass lanterns glowed with one lavender and cyan flare. The only source of light.

4. She was no longer in the red rock dimension but in a room, one she had visited before on a stool with a certain face in front of her.

5. Jushirmai.

He sat across from her on a cushion with an hourglass shaped lantern.

"You've come to."

---

End Note

Reminder: The 2nd half of this chapter will be posted a week from now, titled Blood Bath.

I want to cover all the divisions before I upload the page of each division's members & stones. Though for now, here's the list of houses.

1st Division: House of Judan

2nd Division: House of Assassins

3rd Division: House of Knowledge

4th Division: House of Healing & House of Weaponry (Li family)

5th Division: House of Management

6th Division: House of Quincy (Haruyoshi) & House of History (Kuchiki)

7th Division: House of Medicine

8th Division: House of Peace

9th Division: House of Pleasure

10th Division: House of Discovery

11th Division: House of Confinement

12th Division: House of Souls

13th Division: House of Honor

Images for this Chapter (byaruki.(tumblr.)com/theicedmoonimages)

Rukia's fan blade. This is quite literally the best depiction of it.

Moodboard of the woman's cabin (2)

Hairpin (3). It resembles the silver one but the clip is longer and the lily is tiny. Also, the spider lily sits on the head of the clip as opposed to the side.

Wolves with glowing eyes. (This is actually an image which I forgot to post for Fruits are the Evil Eye—it can be found under that chapter title.)

byaruki / tumblr