A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! I know this chapter was a long time coming, but alas, college work takes a while to get through. However, another semester is over, which means more writing time for me. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the chapter that covers one of the more controversial moments of the 1,000 Year Blood War Arc.

Yes, I'm talking about that Byakuya moment. Enjoy!

Chapter 68: 1,000 Year Blood War Arc - The Tables are Turned

Minata's POV

A Fukudome's heightened sense for spiritual pressure has always been considered one of the clan's greatest blessings, one that allows us to perceive the presence of others better than most, always aware of them before they realize what's happening.

Today, for me, the family's blessing is more like a curse.

Instead of feeling the strength of thousands of shinigami united in the face of our enemy, all I can feel are hundreds of reiatsus being snuffed out, gone from existence in the blink of an eye. I knew we were dealing with a foe that had changed greatly since their last appearance, but I never imagined the carnage to be of this magnitude.

And granted, we dealt with Aizen and his cronies almost two years ago.

Seated and unseated officers alike were being eliminated like they were never a challenge to begin with. If things continue at this rate, there will be none of us left by nightfall.

So far, the barracks haven't been attacked in the raging onslaught, which already puts me on edge. If the Quincies are keeping track of the Captain Commander's movements - which they most likely are - then they know that the man is somewhere on the battlefield right now laying waste to their forces. Some may be quick to try to apprehend him in a vain attempt to be their side's champion, but others may use this as an opportunity to hit the old man where it hurts by attacking the place that he has made his own for a millennium.

It could go either way.

Aside from a couple of small groups of low-level Quincy coming near the barracks, the First hasn't felt that much pressure compared to what the rest of the Soul Society is dealing with. It was as if there was a conscious effort to avoid this area by the enemy, and if that was the case, then I didn't like it.

Something was going to happen, and it was going to affect the barracks one way or another.

"Master, there's a message here for you!"

Looking away from the window, where plumes of smoke can be seen as far as my eyes could see, I look up to see the Hell's Butterfly fluttering near my head, ready to deliver more news. Raising my hand, my eyes widened as the dreaded words reach my consciousness, my breath leaving me like a gut punch.

"Master? What is it?" Mizukiri asks as I feel her at my side. "What's wrong? What does the message say?!"

"The medallions that the Quincy have; the ones that are suspected of being capable to seal away bankais," I start as the butterfly flies off to who knows where. "Kiri, our assumptions were wrong. They don't seal them away like we originally thought . . . They steal them."

"Steal them?!" she says, a little shaken by my admission. "The Quincies can steal bankais now?! How the hell is that possible?! They've never shown this ability before!"

"Well, it looks like the Quincy learned a few new tricks while they've lived in hiding," I say as I make my way toward the front of the building to see if there was anything to report there. "Unfortunately, they've already stole some Kiri. As of now, four captains have lost their bankai."

"I can't believe this . . . To lose one's bankai? That's practically unheard of," she mumbles, quietly thinking it over. "I'm sure the Twelfth has been analyzing the situation. Didn't they wait for the complete analysis first?"

"Would you wait when hundreds of soldiers - some you are in charge of leading - are being wasted left and right in a matter of minutes?!" I bite right back, not liking my zanpakuto's question, even though she did ask a good one.

"Ok, fair enough . . . Still, the idea of one's bankai being stolen away is a terrifying thought, let alone four," she points out, probably trying not to imagine our own bankai meeting the same fate. "Do we know which ones were stolen?"

"Unfortunately, the captains of the 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 10th have all lost theirs, but they are still currently engaging the enemy."

It is a sour pill to swallow, and the words leave a bitter taste in my mouth as I say them. Losing such power to the other side is not something I want to imagine, but it is a reality that we are now facing. Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, Jakuhō Raikōben, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, and . . . and . . .

Senbonzakura Kageyoshi . . . All of them, now in the Quincies' hands.

I didn't have to glance at Mizukiri's despondent face to know that we were thinking along the same lines. Stretching out my senses as far as they could go, I manage to locate Byakuya somewhere west of us. He's just within my periphery, so I barely have a read on his reiatsu, but even with the large distance between us, I can still sense that Byakuya's reiatsu was . . . off.

It wasn't the serene intensity that I'm so used to feeling from him. In fact, it felt like something was missing, as if he was no longer whole, adding credence to the bad news we were just given. Byakuya hasn't felt like this since just before he finally achieved his bankai decades ago, and it is worrisome.

It was familiar, but yet so alien at the same time. I would be lying to myself if I said that he was going to get out of this okay, but it's not like I could just drop everything and go to him to see for myself. I still had a division to look after, and I wouldn't do the shinigami under my command any good by simply going AWOL on them.

I had to trust that he would be alright, and that I would see him again after this was all over. Byakuya always had a habit of pulling through when it counted, even when he was the least bit interested in something.

The man did have a habit of making his moments count.

"Renji's with him. His reiatsu seems normal, so it looks like Hihiō Zabimaru didn't meet the same fate Senbonzakura Kageyoshi did," I hear Mizukiri mumble, now finding her voice as a troop of shinigami moved past us. ". . . Looks like Captain Kuchiki is going to have to rely on his lieutenant a lot more in this battle."

"Yeah, I guess so. . ." I mumble, remembering the two's prior history.

Five years ago, Byakuya and Renji's relationship with each other was probably one of the frostiest among the captains and lieutenants. Byakuya recognized Abarai's skills - the fact that he appointed him his lieutenant is a testament to this - but that was as far as the respect seemed to go. Byakuya didn't outright hate the man. He simply kept an indifferent, almost hands-off approach to the redhead, which likely drove Renji crazy.

The fact that Abarai also had a prior history with Rukia - and was a former member of the 11th Division - likely added more complications to the whole issue.

In return, Abarai countered his captain with a not-so-hidden animosity that Byakuya - and anyone that was perceptive for that matter - was well aware of. He didn't hate him, but he wanted to beat him, to prove himself in the eyes of one of the strongest shinigami in the Gotei 13. Renji has worked hard, but even he will admit that he could do more if you asked him.

The relationship between them was much warmer than it was back then, less teeth-clenched teamwork and more of a partnership based on mutual respect. There's even a rumor going around that Byakuya has been offering Renji help in courting a noblewoman, though I'm not too sure myself about how truthful that rumor is.

Part of me is hoping that is true though.

Many suspect that the noblewoman Renji has been trying to court is Rukia, which does make a lot of sense considering their history. However, the two of them see each other as best friends and nothing else, their romantic feelings directed to other people.

For Rukia, it was a slow process, but she eventually realized her feelings toward a certain orange-haired hybrid were more than just friendship. It took me a while to ring it out of her over tea months ago, but she swore me to secrecy soon afterward. Apparently, the feeling is mutual, but the fact that he still lives in the Human World and she lives here in the Soul Society has indeed complicated matters.

Plus, Byakuya and Kurosaki still have their tense moments with each other. It'll be interesting to see how my noble beau will react when he finally finds out.

Something tells me Senbonzakura and Zangetsu will definitely be involved in the 'talk'.

As for Renji, it has become painfully apparent that he carries a torch for my cousin Akira, even if he tries to vehemently deny it to anyone that brings it up. Akira hides her feelings much better than he does, but the feelings are there. Neither has made a move to the other though, but I'm sure it'll happen soon. I'm very certain that all it takes is for one of them to take that fateful leap forward to get things moving. . .

. . . They would make a very cute - and very tall - couple once they finally get together, which I undoubtedly think they will.

There's already a betting pool focused on them going around, and though I'm not in it, I'm sure they'll get together before the month is up.

I just know it!

Beep-beep-beep

"Isn't that the alarm for the prison sector?"

"You would be correct Kiri" I mumble, hoping my earlier hunch about it wouldn't come true . . . Something tells me it will. Just our luck.

"LIEUTENANT FUKUDOME!"

"Yes Todoroki?!" I ask, turning my head to see the now 14th seat running up to us with a strained look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Intruders have been spotted entering the prison sector! They were last seen heading toward Muken!" she cries out, almost keeling over to catch her breath. "There's already been reports of casualties, but Okikiba has already sent another unit to apprehend them!"

"Damnit!" I grumble as I start moving toward said sector. "Do we know what this enemy looks like?"

"There were only three, but two of them look low level," she says, keeping pace with me. "It's the third person that we should be wary of."

"Is it one of the high ranking Quincies?" I ask as we turn the corner.

"Worse," she tells me, her tone grim. "Okikiba believes that it's the Quincy leader."

"Because of course it is. . ." I hear Mizukiri grumble, neither of us liking how worse the situation was getting.

Maybe Byakuya and Renji are having better luck on their end.

I can only hope.

Byakuya's POV

"STOLEN?!" Abarai yells, not believing my admission as he twists his head around. "I thought they sealed bankais, not steal them!"

"We thought wrong," Is all I say, just as a new message reaches us through a Tenteikūra. It was Lieutenant Matsumoto, and her news wasn't good. ". . . So, Captain Hitsugaya lost his bankai as well."

"Crap! That means that along with yours, they now have the most powerful ice type bankai in their possession," Abarai grumbles, not bothering to hide his emotions at this point. ". . . Makes you wonder who else they stole from."

"The theft of one's bankai is bad regardless of who used to have it Renji." I was quick to point out, keeping my eyes on the man that took mine away from me.

"Ok, fair point, but still! How the hell can we beat these guys when our strongest weapon can be taken away by them in no time flat!?"

That was the million-yen question at this point. The Twelfth Division still hasn't contacted us with their analysis of the Quincies or their weapons, so we were still fighting in the dark until we received that information.

Unfortunately, we may be dead before anyone can truly use it.

"Attention! Attention! Ichigo Kurosaki is on his way to the Soul Society as I speak! His bankai cannot be stolen from the enemy! I repeat! His bankai cannot be stolen from the enemy!"

It was sudden, coming through one of the many Tsūdentō that the Onmitsukidō had planted throughout the terrain prior to the battle, but it did do its job.

Kurosaki is coming, and with the news that his bankai could not be stolen - likely the only one at this point - he was likely now one of our biggest trump cards.

Everything seems to fall back on him these days, doesn't it?

"Well that is unfortunate . . ."

"Unfortunate for you. Good for us!" Renji is quick to bite back at the retort from our ghoulish looking enemy. It was the first thing he said after a long pause of silence, but it was still disconcerting, nonetheless. "Still, it may take a while before Ichigo gets here!"

"I don't think Kurosaki was ever the punctual type to begin with." I mumble, readying my blade.

"Captain? Did you just crack a joke!?"

"Well, these are strange times," I say in my defense as I try to not let the Quincy's glare unnerve me. "Abarai, stay back and learn."

Abarai has no time to argue before I leap back into the fray, dodging the Quincy's incoming arrows before moving to strike him in his torso. He narrowly dodges, sending more arrows in retaliation. I manage to dodge most of them, with only one managing to scrape me along my left shoulder. It stung, but I could bear it.

"You can't be serious?!" I hear the redhead cry out. "He took your bankai for fuck's sake! What if he uses it against you!?"

"It would be foolish if the both of us tried to attack him at the same time," I say, narrowly dodging a few arrows that were aimed straight for my face. "Just stay back and watch the battle. The more information you can gather, the better our chances in figuring out what exactly this madman's arrows can do."

"Is that what you want?" the Quincy almost whispers, his voice hauntingly calm. "You want to know what my power can do? Poor shinigami captain, you're already feeling it."

"I'm already feeling it?" I ask, wiping away the sudden sweat that was appearing on my brow, ignoring the chill that was trying to creep up my spine. "What do you mean by that?"

"Hmm, you seem like the kind of man that has come a long way from experiencing it previously," he counters, continuing to be vague. "Having not felt it for so long, the feeling must feel foreign to you. . . The accumulating sweat in the midst of battle, your thundering heartbeat reaching your ears, the chill in your bones, the inability to come up with an effective counter to my attacks. . . Have you finally realized it? It's fear - pure, instinctive fear - that you are feeling, and it will be your downfall, Byakuya Kuchiki."

Fear? I haven't tasted the sensation of fear since I was the young, emotional time bomb I was in my youth. I couldn't afford to, not when I had members of my own family doubting my ability as the next heir due to how emotional I tended to be in the first place.

Eventually, I did learn to temper such feelings, realizing how detrimental they could be, especially in the midst of battle, where it could drive me to become unfocused and unnerved. For years, I approached my duties with the grace and stoic demeanor that one would expect from someone of my station, but even that couldn't last forever.

Though Minata has been with me the longest, slowly but surely chipping away at my unemotional exterior to this day, it was Hisana that provided the first large dent to it. She may have come from the slums of Rukongai, but she was someone I wanted to fight for since the first day I met her, and I did, council elders be damned.

Those five years we spent together in marriage were some of the best of my life, only for it all to end suddenly once she succumbed to her long-term illness.

Minata was the one that helped me pick up the pieces afterward, though looking back, I failed to realize it in the moment, being too focused on my grief to notice. Once Rukia was found, and I finally allowed myself to treat her like an actual brother should, I soon found myself realizing that I couldn't picture my life without either of them. . .

. . . And I never want to.

"Hmm, what are you thinking about Captain Kuchiki?" the Quincy asks, sounding almost like he was trying to tease me. "Are you thinking about the ones you love? The ones you care about?"

"Are you thinking about losing them?"

As if on command, all I can think about is Minata and Rukia, but not them being alive and healthy. Not their happy smiles, or their fierce glares when they're in the midst of fighting.

I only see them dead.

Their bodies in the midst of decaying, almost unrecognizable . . . Their lively eyes completely blank, unmoving, never to live again.

The one thing I never wanted to imagine. . . Now an inescapable thought.

"We all feel fear, but I must admit, you've held out better than most Byakuya Kuchiki . . . However, we all must succumb to what we fear most. No one can escape it, not even you."

I couldn't help myself.

I lash out, moving to strike him in a blatant attack to his chest, but he dodges, reappearing on my other side, his eyes staring into mine like I was nothing.

I didn't register his hand in my chest until I felt the blood pooling in my mouth, the pain radiating throughout my torso.

"I'm sure you have done well in fighting back against the fear that has always tried to seize your soul every time you engaged in battle, but this is one kind of fear that you cannot escape from," the Quincy argues, pulling his hand out of my chest, blood splattering on the pavement. "You cannot fight this fear through reasoning. This fear is real, instinctive, one that you cannot overcome, and one you never will."

"We'll just see about that!"

It was still disconcerting to not hear Senbonzakura answer back to what I've said, but I push that aside to launch another attack. Knowing I now only had my shikai to rely on, I swing my sword, the blade dissipating into its many pieces as it traveled forward, but the Quincy moves before the blades can reach him.

Turning my head, I see him standing off to the side, raising the medallion in his hands. . .

"You're too slow."

. . . And I feel it before I see it.

My own bankai . . . My own power . . . Used against me, shredding through my clothes, attacking my body like it was nothing. The pain is immense as I find myself flat on the ground, my hearing and vision going in and out as I try to get back on my feet. Looking up, I barely see Abarai as he tries to cut into the enemy with his shikai, only to be rebuffed by the man's hardened skin.

With the distraction, I take this as my chance to strike again, but as soon as I see the Quincy's eyes lock with mine, I knew it was futile.

"Forgive me . . . Rukia . . . Renji . . . Minata . . ."

My eyes are flooded by the sight of thousands upon thousands of pink, petal-like blades, and the pain I feel is blinding as the onslaught overwhelms my entire being.

A/N: Please review! Spoiler alert in the note below, so if you don't want what the next few chapters will entail being spoiled for you, don't read any further!

Anyway, a couple of things, remember when I mentioned before this arc began that there would be some changes to how this arc will go. Well, just like in canon, Byakuya will survive, but his journey is going to take a route that I haven't ventured into before yet in this story, and I can't wait to get to it.

Also, if you haven't guessed yet, I'm an Ichiruki stan. I just like that pairing, and it made the most sense to me as I read the official manga . . . . I just haven't focused on that dynamic since this is a ByakuyaxOC story after all, and though Ichihime and Renruki are Kubo's official canon, that's not the case here in mine! Sorry to those that stan those pairings, but this is what I've decided to go with for my fanfiction, and I'm not getting off this beaten path.

As for Renji, I have been leaving hints that he had a crush on Akira since the Ryoka arc, so yes, that will eventually come to fruition as well.

Again, Merry Christmas and have a wonderful New Year!

SandsnakeQueen, signing out!