Chapter 49: Mission Failure

Horror descended on the group who had set out to rescue Rukia. Aizen held her aloft only by the hand that had impaled her through her chest, leaving her to dangle there as energy gathered above the six spiked pillars around him like red lightning.

There was silence as Aizen simply smiled, and drew his hand free. As he did, Rukia collapsed to her knees, her head bowed, but he didn't so much as spare her a glance. Instead, his dark eyes were focused entirely on the tiny sphere held between his fingers, locked inside a cube shield.

"I'm surprised…it's so small," Aizen admitted as his hand returned to normal. "This is the Hoguoku," he smiled, victory assured. "Oh, Kirara. You are far too late," he spoke when she appeared beside him, coated in Haruki's blood as she grabbed for the Hogyoku in one final, desperate move.

Pain exploded in Kirara's shoulder, and she knew she'd been stabbed before it fully processed for her. Her back crashed against the ground next to Rukia, and Aizen stood over her. "As I told you, I won't kill you. Not yet," Aizen said softly as he tucked the Hogyoku into his shihakusho.

Kirara tried to move, and bit back a cry at the pain. Her own Zanpakuto was impaled through her left shoulder, pinning her to the ground. "No. You may simply watch as I take what you so desperately sought to hide from me," he smiled. Kirara inhaled sharply, tears stinging at her eyes as she tried to pull her Zanpakuto free, but it was buried too deep into the ground under her.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit," Kirara cursed repeatedly, refusing to give up even as the pain burned through her shoulder as she only succeeded in doing more damage to herself.

"Oh?" Aizen's attention then moved to Rukia as the hole in her chest sealed over, like nothing had happened. "The soul is unharmed. Amazing technology," he commented, impressed by just how thorough Kisuke had been. "Unfortunately, you are no longer needed," he lifted her up by the throat so she was at eye-level with him.

"Damn you Aizen, you got what you wanted!" Kirara shouted up at him, yanking at her Zanpakuto. It sliced her hand, and her own blood mixed with Haruki and Satoru's blood already staining it. "Let her go!" she pleaded as Rukia could only stare.

"How sweet," Aizen said softly, turning and holding Rukia at arm's length. "Kill her, Gin," he ordered.

"Oh well," Ichimaru looked away from the group he had been suppressing with his Reiatsu alone. He drew his Zanpakuto with a weary sigh, and turned it as he aimed it straight at Rukia. "Shoot to kill, Shinso!" he chanted, and the blade extended at a rapid rate straight towards Rukia. The others could only watch as blood was once again spilled, spraying through the air and adding to the sickly metallic scent that lingered.

But it wasn't Rukia's.

Aizen's smile had faded in surprise, his arm still extended, and he looked in the direction that Ichimaru's blade had shot out to. Standing a few feet away with Rukia tucked safely under his arm, Byakuya stood with Shinso pierced through his chest.

"Brother…" Rukia managed to speak at last, staring up at the man who had saved her life. Ichimaru retracted his blade, and more blood splattered against the ground as Byakuya grunted. "Brother!" she cried out when he fell to his knees, and she tried to support him as he sank down. "Why…? Why did you save me?" Rukia cried, stunned as the brother who had so coldly left her to her execution slumped against her.

"Watch out!" Kirara shouted, and Rukia looked up to see Aizen approaching her. He reached for his own Zanpakuto as she looked up, but before he reached her, he was forced to leap back when someone else appeared in the way and swung their Zanpakuto at him.

"Oh?" Aizen tilted his head as he studied the man in front of him. Despite wielding a Zanpakuto, the man wore a simple outfit from the Rukon, and his usual disgruntled look was replaced by a cold look.

"Kuroro?" Kirara breathed, staring up at the man. "What…" she trailed off as she felt the approach at the same time as Aizen. He looked up as what initially had been a spec grew larger as it grew closer.

"Let's go, Jidanbo!" the familiar voice of Kukaku Shiba cheered as she and the massive Shinigami gatekeeper hurtled towards them. "Bones of beasts scattered far and wide! Steeple crimson crystal, steel wheels! Wind in action and the sky at rest!" Kido began to charge in Kukaku's outstretched, gloved hand. "The sound of flying arrows fill the hollow castle! Hado #63: Raikoho!" Kukaku yelled. There was an explosion as her kido hit the ground right before she and Jidanbo did.

"Sis!"

"Mr. Jidanbo!" Ganju and Orihime shouted, recovering now that Ichimaru wasn't squashing them with his pressure. Aizen moved away as he dodged it, only for two more figures to appear around him. Before he could reach his Zanpakuto, his hand was wrapped in ribbons, and another blade was pressed to his throat.

"This is another face I haven't seen for quite some time," Aizen smiled as if Soi Fon's blade wasn't against his throat.

"Don't move," Yoruichi warned, stopping him from reaching for his weapon. "If you move a muscle…"

"We'll cut off your head!" Soi Fon vowed. Aizen simply surveyed them.

"I see," he hummed.

"Kukaku!" Yoruichi grinned as Jidanbo approached with slow, heavy footsteps.

"Hey, Yoruichi!" Kukaku waved from where she stood on the giant's shoulder. She wore a long white cape that blew behind her in the winds that had kicked up in the chaos. "I had too much free time, and since I was out on a walk, I thought I'd check in!" she exclaimed with a smirk. "And the old fart also had some time to kill, so I dragged him along," Kukaku gestured to Kuroro, who was walking over.

"The former Third Seat of Squad 1. Impressive," Aizen said as he met the man's gaze.

"Retired. I'm just a humble elder now," he said flatly, resting his Zanpakuto over his shoulder.

"Well, that sure was flashy," Ichimaru laughed lightly, standing a small distance away by himself. "What should I do?" he wondered, only for a hand to catch his wrist.

"Don't move," the beautiful Lieutenant of Squad 10 warned as she held her Zanpakuto to his throat. For a moment, something flashed across Ichimaru's face, before his cheerful smile returned.

"Sorry, Captain Aizen. I got caught," he called over an apology to the man. Aizen hadn't moved from where he stood either.

"It's over," Yoruichi warned, and Aizen looked down at her with an unreadable expression on his face.

"What did you say?" he asked softly. She glared up at him.

"Don't you understand, Aizen? There's no place left for you to run," Yoruichi said as more Shinigami arrived, finally reaching their location.

"Aizen…" Ukitake breathed. He stood with Kyoraku, both of them looking battered after their scuffle with the Captain Commander.

"Captain Aizen…" Lieutenant Iba hissed, ready to assist where needed. Behind him stood Captain Yamamoto and Lieutenant Sasakibe, while Lieutenant Hisagi had his blade to Tosen's throat.

"It's over, Aizen!" Yoruichi declared again. However, Aizen gave a quiet laugh, and a small smile crossed his face. "What's so funny?!" she demanded.

"Ah, I'm sorry," Aizen apologised with humour in his voice. "It's time," his simple words made Yoruichi's eyes widen in understanding.

"Get away from him, Soi Fon!" she ordered the Captain, who moved instinctively at the shout. Both of them leapt away from Aizen just in time, as a pillar of light slammed down on him. It came down from high up in the sky, carrying a huge amount of power behind it.

"No…" Kirara could barely believe what she was seeing. She'd only seen it once before, but she recognised the light, and it crushed her.

"Impossible!" Ukitake exclaimed as where the light came from in the sky, a tear materialised and a Gillian-level Menos pulled it open to peer out. The tear opened further, and more Hollows peered down at them.

"Menos Grande!" Soi Fon hissed when dozens of long spindly white arms reached out, and the Gillians shrieked.

"Gillians?! How many of them are there?!" Lieutenant Omaeda gasped.

"No, wait, there's something else in there!" Hisagi warned as he saw the glowing purple light behind the Menos. Two more pillars of light shot down, hitting Ichimaru and Tosen while forcing Matsumoto and Hisagi away.

The ground under the three broke away, lifting them up on platforms as they began to rise up towards the tear in the sky. Kirara yanked again, but still couldn't free herself.

"You're going to run away? You-"

"Stop," Yamamoto ordered as Iba drew his Zanpakuto. "That light is called 'Negacion'. The Menos use it to help save their fellow Hollows. Once enveloped by that light, it is impossible for those within and without to interact. It's an isolated world. All who have fought Menos know, the moment that light fell on Sosuke Aizen, he was beyond our reach," he explained grimly. Kirara stared at Aizen as he continued to ascend.

"You bastard…you even have the Menos on your side?" she whispered. There was a loud crash as Komamura punched the ground hard enough to create a small crater, and he looked up.

"Tosen!" he yelled at the 9th Division Captain, all while blood streaked his body. "Come down here, Tosen! I don't understand, why did you become a Shinigami? Wasn't it for your friend who passed away? Wasn't it to carry out your justice? Where has your sense of justice gone?!" Komamura roared at the man who had been his dearest friend.

"I told you, Komamura. I follow the path least soaked in blood," Tosen finally answered him. "Justice is always there. The path I walk is justice!" he exclaimed.

"You've joined with the Menos, why?" Ukitake demanded as he glared up at Aizen. The man looked down, losing his pleasant, gentle smile at last.

"To seek greater heights," Aizen answered simply, his expression cold.

"Have you fallen so far, Aizen?" Ukitake demanded.

"You're too arrogant, Ukitake. No-one stood at the top from the beginning. Neither you, nor me, nor the gods," Aizen removed his glasses as he spoke, and shattered them. He then raised a hand, pushing back his messy brown hair so it was out of his face. "But that unbearable vacancy of heaven's throne ends now. From now on, I will stand atop the heavens. Goodbye, Shinigami, and goodbye, Ryoka boy. For a human, you were quite amusing," with Aizen's parting words, the crack in the sky closed as if it had never been there to begin with.

"Just let me up already!" Kirara shouted, fighting the hands that struggled to keep her down.

"Please, stop resisting! We're trying to remove the blade without doing any more damage!" one man pleaded with her. All around them was chaos as the entirety of Squad 4 rushed around tending to the injured.

"Kirara, please!" she stopped fighting at Hanataro's protest, and saw him kneeling beside her. She slowed, finally stopping fighting the Shinigami who surrounded her. It rebelled against everything in her to let them tend to her, but seeing the pleading look on Hanataro's face made her stop.

No longer fighting them, Kirara slumped and her tears started to run down her face. Hanataro gave a startled cry at the sight, and Kirara put her free hand to her face.

"I'm sorry," she said, repeating it as Hanataro stared at her, before reaching out and taking her hand, pulling it away from her face. He didn't speak, but he smiled softly at her, and Kirara continued to cry.

"I can't get the blade loose," one of the healers groaned, struggling to pull it free without doing more damage.

"Here, let me," he jumped at the gruff voice of Kuroro, who had appeared beside him. "This is going to hurt, kid," he warned.

"I know, just get it over with," Kirara sniffed, and he gave a faint smile before yanking it free. Hanataro cried out when Kirara accidentally squeezed his hand too hard as the constant pain in her shoulder grew worse. "Th-thanks," she managed to grunt out as the Squad 4 members started to heal her quickly. "How's Haruki?" Kirara turned to Hanataro, who was still holding her hand. His small smile faded, and he looked over to where Haruki was lying, tended to by other members of his Squad.

"Better than he would have been if you hadn't helped," he answered, and Kirara sighed.

"What about Natsuki?" she asked, aware that her friend was also being tended to a short distance away.

"She'll be okay," Hanataro said, having checked on her as well. "She's already trying to get up, but it'll take a few days before she'll be back to normal," he said. Kirara's eyebrows furrowed, and the tears welled up again.

"It was my fault they were hurt in the first place," she muttered.

"Oi," Kirara looked up when Kuroro spoke gruffly, sitting down beside Hanataro. "It ain't your fault, so shut it," he told her. She frowned at him, opening her mouth to argue, but the man glared at her. "I said shut it," Kuroro repeated, and Kirara reluctantly fell silent. "What you did was stupid and dangerous. All of this was. Breaking into the Seireitei, sneaking around trying to rescue a criminal, and taking on that man," he told her. Kirara glared, and Kuroro sighed. "But you're reckless by nature, and just too damn stubborn to die," he added, and Kirara's glare faded.

"Kuroro, I…" she trailed off, not knowing what to say. Then her gaze wavered, and she looked away. "It wasn't your fault. Back then," Kuroro's brow creased in confusion. "It was one of my own guys. He tampered with the information. It wasn't you," a rare surprised look crossed the man's face at Kirara's soft words.

"I see…" Kuroro's shoulders sagged as he took in what she was saying. "I'm sorry, kid," he said softly. Kirara didn't reply.

When the healers finally stopped what they were doing, satisfied with their work, they rushed off to help tend to Captain Byakuya and Renji, who were both in much worse condition. Kirara sat up, looking at the bandages that now wrapped around most of her upper body, and grimaced.

"I'm going to check on Haruki," she said, slowly getting to her feet. Hanataro nodded, and Kirara smiled, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "Thanks, Hana. I'm sorry for everything," she apologised, and he shook his head.

"You already apologised," he pointed out, almost making her laugh. "You're my sister, no matter what," Hanataro said, and Kirara could only stare as he ran off to help assist the others.

"I meant it when I said he got all the personality in the family," Kirara muttered, walking over to where Haruki lay.

"Kirara…hey," a dazed smile crossed his face as he saw her approach. "You're okay," Haruki said with relief as the Shinigami kneeling around him didn't look up from their work, even as a Ryoka approached.

"I hear you will be too. Don't scare me like that again, asshole," Kirara scolded, struggling to keep it together as she looked at him lying there. His smile widened.

"I knew you cared," he chuckled. "And how could I die after you called me Haru? Music to my ears," Haruki told her, and Kirara felt her face burn at his teasing.

"Maybe I should have let you die," she grumbled, which only made him laugh more.

"You'd never do that," he said confidently, and Kirara sighed.

"I'm so sorry, Haru. For everything," she apologised, needing to get the words out.

"Forget about it," Haruki's eyes were starting to close as the heavy darkness grew too much for him. "You saved my life. I owe you," with that, he drifted off to sleep, and Kirara sighed.

"No, you really don't," she said quietly.

"Um, Miss?" as Kirara started to get up, one of the Shinigami spoke up. "You did save the Fourth Seat's life. Without you tending to him, he would have bled out," she told her honestly. "So, thank you. Maeda is…" she trailed off, going red as Kirara just stared at her.

"Haruki is one of the good ones," the other spoke up. "We appreciate what you did," he said. Kirara squirmed, uncomfortable with their gratitude.

"Forget about it," she grumbled, getting to her feet and dusting herself off.

"Yo, kid," before Kirara could approach Yoruichi, needing to talk with her, Kuroro called out. Kirara turned, and her heart sank as she saw him standing with Captains Ukitake and Kyoraku, along with the Captain-Commander.

"Here we go," she muttered, slowly walking over to them. Kirara stood tall as she did, refusing to let her fear get in the way. Kyoraku and Ukitake smiled at her as she approached, and Kyoraku tipped his straw hat, which miraculously was undamaged.

"It's good to see you again, Kirara," he told her. Despite everything, Kirara managed a faint smile in return.

"You too," she said honestly.

"Kirara Yamada. I suspected you and the others were hiding in the World of the Living all this time," Yamamoto addressed her, and Kirara turned to him. Despite her thudding heart, she met his gaze.

"I can't speak for the others, but that's where I've been, yeah," she said, mixing the truth and lie together. "Haven't seen them in a long time," Kirara shrugged, plastering an indifferent look on her face. To her surprise, Ukitake gave a quiet laugh.

"You'll have to forgive me for laughing, but it's rather obvious to tell when you're lying," he admitted. Kirara coloured red at his words. Kyoraku was grinning as well, but wisely kept quiet. Kuroro just smirked.

"For you to return so suddenly, can I assume that it was in regards to what Sosuke Aizen took before departing?" Yamamoto disregarded their comments and focused on what was important. Kirara turned back to him.

"Yes. Kisuke asked me to help, and I owe him my life. Unfortunately I wasn't strong enough to do what he needed," she spoke honestly. The smiles on Ukitake and Kyoraku's faces fell, hearing the guilt in her words. Then something flickered in Kirara's eyes, and she steeled herself. "Aizen told me something. About my…nature. My soul," she put a hand to her chest and held Yamamoto's gaze. "He told me to ask you, about inheriting it. About my bloodline," Kuroro frowned, and both Kyoraku and Ukitake paled and exchanged looks.

"I see," Yamamoto said softly, not giving anything away. "Shunsui," he addressed Kyoraku, who tipped his hat again.

"Yes, yes," he said, and vanished.

"It is true that I know what Sosuke Aizen was talking about. From a very long time ago. I had believed it to be stamped out, but it appears not, if he would dredge up the past," Kirara frowned. "It is best that you learn it for yourself," Yamamoto decided. Instantly she protested, but he silenced her with a look. "You say that Kisuke Urahara saved your life. Please elaborate," he requested.

"Kirara?" Ukitake called gently when Kirara reacted visibly to the question. She took a step back, true fear in her expression as she went pale. For a moment, he thought she might flee. But then she glanced over to where Ichigo was lying, with Orihime working hard to heal him. Her fists clenched.

"I assume you know some of the details about that night, when Kensei and Mashiro vanished and you sent us out to investigate," she spoke, and recognition flickered in Ukitake's eyes. He remembered the night well, even if he never found out what happened. "Sosuke Aizen happened. He…experimented on us," there was a haunted look in Kirara's eyes, and even Kuroro lost his gruff air to stare at her.

"Kid…" he murmured. Kirara swallowed, and didn't look away from the Captain-Commander.

"Kisuke saved us. When our souls almost collapsed in on themselves, he saved us with the very thing that Aizen just stole. He saved us," Kirara repeated, fists clenched as she remembered waking up in a traceless Gigai, changed forever. Kisuke was to be exiled, and Tessai imprisoned for using forbidden Kido to transport them.

"Here you go," Kyoraku reappeared, holding an old book in his hand. It wasn't very big, but the cover was worn. "Be careful now, it's older than me," he winked at Kirara as he handed it over to her. Despite what she'd just explained, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't be ridiculous, Captain Kyoraku. You're as handsome as the day I left," she told him, and he put a hand to his chest.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, my dear," he said. Kuroro rolled his eyes and gave a tired sigh.

"I should have stayed in the Rukon," he muttered.

"Everything you need to know about what Sosuke Aizen told you is in that book. It contains the details of former Captain Furofushi Saito," Kirara frowned, not recognising the name.

"The original Captain of Squad 6," Ukitake elaborated quietly, and Kirara almost dropped the book in alarm. Instantly hundreds of questions began to flood her mind, but all she could do was stare.

"We should let you get some rest," Kyoraku said. He could see how worn out she was, even if she refused to acknowledge it herself.

"Yes. We shall continue this discussion in the morning," Yamamoto decided. "You are to remain with the rest of the Ryoka overnight, and we shall hear more of Sosuke Aizen tomorrow with the remaining Captains who are able," he declared.

"Fine," Kirara shrugged. The man vanished, and Kyoraku patted her head.

"Get some rest. Got to look your best," he winked at her, before disappearing too. Kirara snorted at his words.

"Look after yourself, Kirara," Ukitake smiled at her. "We'll see you in the morning," he said, following Kyoraku away. Kirara's shoulders slumped, and she winced as the movement sent pain shooting down from her injured shoulder. She glanced over at Ichigo once again, and a determined look crossed her face.

"What now, kid?" Kuroro asked, not missing her expression. Kirara closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She then looked up at him, her blue eyes scared and pleading.

"I need your help."

And that's the Soul Society more or less over! It really went on longer than I anticipated.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!

Please review!