[Building From The Ashes] VII. Secession
Aug. 24th, 2009 05:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
marinliliz[Characters]: Kuchiki Rukia, Kyouraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jyuushiro, Stark, Urahara, Hiraku Shinji and Yamamoto. Mentions of several others.
[Pairing]: ShunUkiStark. Mentions of ByaRen.
[Summary]: Yamamoto-sotaichou's orders pertaining to the Hollows are not well received.
[Word Count]: ~1500
[Finished]: 07.August.2009
[Beta]: not beta-read
[Contents/Warnings]: AU/Character-Death
[Rating]: PG
[Notes]: It didn't go well and I wasn't able to get it completely finished before going on holiday. And I had so much to do/see/visit that I didn't really got much written while I was away. I did do a lot of plotting ahead, though. XD
I. Mind Sight Sound | II. Search Incessantly | III. Battleground | IV. To Get To Renji | V. Evil Plots | VI. Recount Regroup Retreat
Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach and will not make a profit out of this fic. All characters © Kubo Tite
It suddenly hit Rukia; the madness of it all. Or better yet, the acceptable strangeness of a battleground. Things that anywhere else would have been dubbed insanity or outright surreal – and therefore impossible of ever occurring – were vividly displayed before her eyes, leaving no doubt of their real manifestation.
Then again it could all just be a horrific nightmare. But no! The pain was too sharp and the desperation too dull.
Having stumbled, yet some more, about the blood red sand, Rukia had finally found her Taichou. It was the circumstances of his finding that had her musing on the oddness of life and death and love.
Relief hit her like a wave when she confirmed he was still alive and apparently well. Grief struck her like a bolt when she saw the bodies of Kiyone-san and Kotsubaki-san. Reassurance steadied her like a rock when she noticed Kyouraku Shunsui by her taichou’s side; their constancy, comforting. Uncertainty shook her ground like a quake when by Kyouraku-taichou she spotted the Primeira Espada – Stark, a protective arm about Ukitake’s-taichou shoulders, showing as much concern and care for him as Kyouraku.
And what was more unsettling, the Eighth Division Taichou, not only did allow it, he seemed to bestow upon the Arrancar some amount of care as well. His hand – the one not holding Ukitake – was soothingly stroking Stark’s wrist’s skin in small circles.
“Ukitake-taichou?” Rukia called, uncertainly. And not even her intruding presence seemed to break their spell.
Together the three of them gave the sense of a perfect triad; three equal parts of a whole. They stirred and turned to acknowledge her presence, but didn’t cease contact.
Rukia watched, mesmerized as Ukitake’s lingering tears were wiped from his cheek by the Arrancar and his hair straighten by Kyouraku-taichou; as Kyouraku dusted the sand off Stark’s clothes and as Stark put a crumpled straw hat on Kyouraku’s head.
“Rukia,” Ukitake-taichou addressed her. The other two stared at her, as if daring her to judge the situation.
Rukia nodded to them and reported all that she knew of the situation to her captain, the professional tone easing all the madness and awkwardness.
“Thank you, Kuchiki-san.” Ukitake understood her need for a semblance of normalcy. “We should take care of Kiyone-chan and Kotsubaki-kun,” he said, moving to them.
Together they readied their bodies and called the team for their removal and then moved towards the Garganta, for their own extraction from this world. Kyouraku-taichou and Stark never leaving Ukitake’s side, walking just a step behind him and Rukia, as a guard escort.
‘We have obtained the victory we sought. The army of Aizen has been destroyed, but for a few individuals. These will be taken into custody of the Shinigami and dealt with, accordingly.’
A blinding light of a Kidou spell enveloped the kneeling form of Aizen, before it faded into the eternal night, showing a bound Aizen. Red light tight around his neck and travelling down to his wrists – much like Rukia’s bindings when she had been arrested – only Aizen’s didn’t stop at the wrists, they continued down to his ankles. Another flash and a blue light wrapped around his torso, much like a bandage, tightly holding his power from Aizen’s reach; the former Taichou’s face never for once showed a single emotion.
A third flash and the red light bound the four remaining Arrancar: Stark, Halibel, Nelliel and Grimmjow.
Ukitake-taichou let out a pained cry and Kyouraku placed himself in front of Stark, protective but defying.
“Soutaichou, what do you mean ‘dealt with accordingly’?” Rukia’s taichou asked, standing by Kyouraku’s side, a protective hand on Stark’s shoulder.
Eyeing them quizzically, Yamamoto replied, “They will be stripped of their Shinigami powers. They will stand trial in Soul Society. Their sentences will be carried out in Seireitei or in Hueco Mundo.”
“Stripping them of their Shinigami powers will revert them back to common hollows, how can this be beneficial to Soul Society peace?” Kyouraku-taichou asked.
‘They will be taken prisoners and stand trial. THIS IS NOT up for this discussion! NOT HERE! NOT NOW! Shunsui. Jyuushirou.’
To Rukia, the use of the given names seemed to instil an even greater command than if the Soutaichou had simply called them by their titles. It was the weight of proximity, of years of acquaintance and authority. And even so they weren’t convinced and seemed intended to pursue the defence of their newfound... ally... third of the triad...
Stark stopped them. Holding Kyouraku and Ukitake by their necks and joining their heads together, the Arrancar whispered something that sounded to Rukia like: ‘don’t bother with it. It will work out one way or the other’.
Reluctantly, Ukitake and Kyouraku let him join the other imprisoned Arrancar.
Yamamoto continued, ‘The Vizard proved to be no threat to the Shinigami but even and true allies and are thus allowed to do as they please, including return to Soul Society if it’s their wish.’
Hiraku Shinji made a small bow to Yamamoto-soutaichou.
‘The exiles Urahara Kisuke and Shouhein Yoruichi are hereby pardoned and reinstated as full citizens of Soul Society.’
Urahara-dono looked startled and Yoruichi just nodded and placed a hand on Urahara’s shoulder.
‘All other matters are to be solved once we’ve moved the injured and wounded to Fourth Division Headquarters and the bodies of our dead to their final resting place. Let us move out of this place.’
An excitement wave flowed through the assembled Shinigami, a sense ofcalm that had not been felt in a very long time settled over Rukia.
Now! Now she could breathe a sigh of relieve, now it was finally over, now she could dare look at him, think of him. Hope it all would turn out fine.
Him.
ICHIGO.
She looked at the still Hollowfied form seeing the white mask starting to lightly flake and crumble. Trying to sense the familiar reiatsu returning; there was something there, very faint but definitely there.
Unohana-taichou, that’s who she needed to give a professional assessment of Ichigo’s condition but the pained look she received from the kind Taichou froze Rukia’s heart.
“Unohana-taichou?” Rukia didn’t understand, she could see and sense Ichigo’s recovery why wasn’t Unohana-taichou helping speed his recovery? “Unohana-taichou!?”she asked again.
“I’m sorry, Kuchiki Rukia. There’s nothing I can do!”
“No! No, no, no, no. .. Ichigo’s recovering! I can feel it!”
Unohana-taichou bowed her head and said, “I have orders not to treat Kurosaki-kun!”
“Orders?!!!” Rukia didn’t understand. “Orders from whom?”
“Yamamoto-soutaichou.”
“What?! Why?! After all Ichigo’s done! We owe it to him this victory. This...”
“It isn’t in my hands.”
Rukia’s blood ran cold and she screamed, “NOOO!!!”
Her brother, standing by Renji’s unconscious body, turned to her. “Rukia?”
“They are going to leave Ichigo here. To die,” she whispered. Her whisper was carried in the dead air, heard by all. A commotion rose.
Hiraku Shinji drew closer to Ichigo and addressed Yamamoto, “IS THIS HOW SOUL SOCIETY REPAYS THEIR HEROES? LEAVE THEM TO DIE IN HELL?”
‘The ryoka[1] can take him back to earth. Treat him with their medicine’, was Yamamoto-soutaichou’s only reply.
They were still calling them ryoka[1], even after all this time. Rukia made her decision in that instant; knelling by Ichigo’s body and grasping his cold hand. She was not letting go, wherever he was going, so was she. She looked at her brother, expecting disapproval but found an understanding look. Had this war and the nearly loss of Renji made Byakuya realise that the rules were just a pre-set for life and not life itself? His nod of assurance gave her the answer.
By the Garganta, they were now discussing the faith of Ichigo. Urahara-dono tried to argument that he was quite harmless and that the mask should fall anytime soon. And even if he presented any danger, being in Soul Society was much safer, all round, than being left on the Human World with billions of souls to feed on.
The Vizard added arguments. Yoruichi, Kurosaki Isshin, even Ishida Ryuuken.
The soutaichou did not give in! Ichigo’s time as a Substitute Shinigami was over. He was to return to his world and live his life.
“I forfeit my pardon!” Urahara declared and joined Rukia and Kurosaki Isshin by Ichigo still unconscious body.
The Vizard opened a new passage to the Human World and stepped through it. Chad, holding Orihime’s sleeping body was followed by the Ishida, Ryuuken supporting his son unsteady steps and then by Yoruichi and
Urahara and finally by Isshin carrying Ichigo.
In the end they took him back to the Human World. To Urahara Shouten.
Rukia looked back at the last moment, before the passage closed, to see the Shinigami leaving Hueco Mundo and a wicked smile in Aizen’s face.
[1] A Ryoka is a term given by Soul Society to invaders.
-------------------
Next: Return Home - The Shinigami return to Soul Society to heal their wounded and buried the dead.
[Pairing]: ShunUkiStark. Mentions of ByaRen.
[Summary]: Yamamoto-sotaichou's orders pertaining to the Hollows are not well received.
[Word Count]: ~1500
[Finished]: 07.August.2009
[Beta]: not beta-read
[Contents/Warnings]: AU/Character-Death
[Rating]: PG
[Notes]: It didn't go well and I wasn't able to get it completely finished before going on holiday. And I had so much to do/see/visit that I didn't really got much written while I was away. I did do a lot of plotting ahead, though. XD
I. Mind Sight Sound | II. Search Incessantly | III. Battleground | IV. To Get To Renji | V. Evil Plots | VI. Recount Regroup Retreat
Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach and will not make a profit out of this fic. All characters © Kubo Tite
It suddenly hit Rukia; the madness of it all. Or better yet, the acceptable strangeness of a battleground. Things that anywhere else would have been dubbed insanity or outright surreal – and therefore impossible of ever occurring – were vividly displayed before her eyes, leaving no doubt of their real manifestation.
Then again it could all just be a horrific nightmare. But no! The pain was too sharp and the desperation too dull.
Having stumbled, yet some more, about the blood red sand, Rukia had finally found her Taichou. It was the circumstances of his finding that had her musing on the oddness of life and death and love.
Relief hit her like a wave when she confirmed he was still alive and apparently well. Grief struck her like a bolt when she saw the bodies of Kiyone-san and Kotsubaki-san. Reassurance steadied her like a rock when she noticed Kyouraku Shunsui by her taichou’s side; their constancy, comforting. Uncertainty shook her ground like a quake when by Kyouraku-taichou she spotted the Primeira Espada – Stark, a protective arm about Ukitake’s-taichou shoulders, showing as much concern and care for him as Kyouraku.
And what was more unsettling, the Eighth Division Taichou, not only did allow it, he seemed to bestow upon the Arrancar some amount of care as well. His hand – the one not holding Ukitake – was soothingly stroking Stark’s wrist’s skin in small circles.
“Ukitake-taichou?” Rukia called, uncertainly. And not even her intruding presence seemed to break their spell.
Together the three of them gave the sense of a perfect triad; three equal parts of a whole. They stirred and turned to acknowledge her presence, but didn’t cease contact.
Rukia watched, mesmerized as Ukitake’s lingering tears were wiped from his cheek by the Arrancar and his hair straighten by Kyouraku-taichou; as Kyouraku dusted the sand off Stark’s clothes and as Stark put a crumpled straw hat on Kyouraku’s head.
“Rukia,” Ukitake-taichou addressed her. The other two stared at her, as if daring her to judge the situation.
Rukia nodded to them and reported all that she knew of the situation to her captain, the professional tone easing all the madness and awkwardness.
“Thank you, Kuchiki-san.” Ukitake understood her need for a semblance of normalcy. “We should take care of Kiyone-chan and Kotsubaki-kun,” he said, moving to them.
Together they readied their bodies and called the team for their removal and then moved towards the Garganta, for their own extraction from this world. Kyouraku-taichou and Stark never leaving Ukitake’s side, walking just a step behind him and Rukia, as a guard escort.
***
As they neared the Garganta, Yamamoto-soutaichou’s voice rang clear in the air:‘We have obtained the victory we sought. The army of Aizen has been destroyed, but for a few individuals. These will be taken into custody of the Shinigami and dealt with, accordingly.’
A blinding light of a Kidou spell enveloped the kneeling form of Aizen, before it faded into the eternal night, showing a bound Aizen. Red light tight around his neck and travelling down to his wrists – much like Rukia’s bindings when she had been arrested – only Aizen’s didn’t stop at the wrists, they continued down to his ankles. Another flash and a blue light wrapped around his torso, much like a bandage, tightly holding his power from Aizen’s reach; the former Taichou’s face never for once showed a single emotion.
A third flash and the red light bound the four remaining Arrancar: Stark, Halibel, Nelliel and Grimmjow.
Ukitake-taichou let out a pained cry and Kyouraku placed himself in front of Stark, protective but defying.
“Soutaichou, what do you mean ‘dealt with accordingly’?” Rukia’s taichou asked, standing by Kyouraku’s side, a protective hand on Stark’s shoulder.
Eyeing them quizzically, Yamamoto replied, “They will be stripped of their Shinigami powers. They will stand trial in Soul Society. Their sentences will be carried out in Seireitei or in Hueco Mundo.”
“Stripping them of their Shinigami powers will revert them back to common hollows, how can this be beneficial to Soul Society peace?” Kyouraku-taichou asked.
‘They will be taken prisoners and stand trial. THIS IS NOT up for this discussion! NOT HERE! NOT NOW! Shunsui. Jyuushirou.’
To Rukia, the use of the given names seemed to instil an even greater command than if the Soutaichou had simply called them by their titles. It was the weight of proximity, of years of acquaintance and authority. And even so they weren’t convinced and seemed intended to pursue the defence of their newfound... ally... third of the triad...
Stark stopped them. Holding Kyouraku and Ukitake by their necks and joining their heads together, the Arrancar whispered something that sounded to Rukia like: ‘don’t bother with it. It will work out one way or the other’.
Reluctantly, Ukitake and Kyouraku let him join the other imprisoned Arrancar.
Yamamoto continued, ‘The Vizard proved to be no threat to the Shinigami but even and true allies and are thus allowed to do as they please, including return to Soul Society if it’s their wish.’
Hiraku Shinji made a small bow to Yamamoto-soutaichou.
‘The exiles Urahara Kisuke and Shouhein Yoruichi are hereby pardoned and reinstated as full citizens of Soul Society.’
Urahara-dono looked startled and Yoruichi just nodded and placed a hand on Urahara’s shoulder.
‘All other matters are to be solved once we’ve moved the injured and wounded to Fourth Division Headquarters and the bodies of our dead to their final resting place. Let us move out of this place.’
An excitement wave flowed through the assembled Shinigami, a sense ofcalm that had not been felt in a very long time settled over Rukia.
Now! Now she could breathe a sigh of relieve, now it was finally over, now she could dare look at him, think of him. Hope it all would turn out fine.
Him.
ICHIGO.
She looked at the still Hollowfied form seeing the white mask starting to lightly flake and crumble. Trying to sense the familiar reiatsu returning; there was something there, very faint but definitely there.
Unohana-taichou, that’s who she needed to give a professional assessment of Ichigo’s condition but the pained look she received from the kind Taichou froze Rukia’s heart.
“Unohana-taichou?” Rukia didn’t understand, she could see and sense Ichigo’s recovery why wasn’t Unohana-taichou helping speed his recovery? “Unohana-taichou!?”she asked again.
“I’m sorry, Kuchiki Rukia. There’s nothing I can do!”
“No! No, no, no, no. .. Ichigo’s recovering! I can feel it!”
Unohana-taichou bowed her head and said, “I have orders not to treat Kurosaki-kun!”
“Orders?!!!” Rukia didn’t understand. “Orders from whom?”
“Yamamoto-soutaichou.”
“What?! Why?! After all Ichigo’s done! We owe it to him this victory. This...”
“It isn’t in my hands.”
Rukia’s blood ran cold and she screamed, “NOOO!!!”
Her brother, standing by Renji’s unconscious body, turned to her. “Rukia?”
“They are going to leave Ichigo here. To die,” she whispered. Her whisper was carried in the dead air, heard by all. A commotion rose.
Hiraku Shinji drew closer to Ichigo and addressed Yamamoto, “IS THIS HOW SOUL SOCIETY REPAYS THEIR HEROES? LEAVE THEM TO DIE IN HELL?”
‘The ryoka[1] can take him back to earth. Treat him with their medicine’, was Yamamoto-soutaichou’s only reply.
They were still calling them ryoka[1], even after all this time. Rukia made her decision in that instant; knelling by Ichigo’s body and grasping his cold hand. She was not letting go, wherever he was going, so was she. She looked at her brother, expecting disapproval but found an understanding look. Had this war and the nearly loss of Renji made Byakuya realise that the rules were just a pre-set for life and not life itself? His nod of assurance gave her the answer.
By the Garganta, they were now discussing the faith of Ichigo. Urahara-dono tried to argument that he was quite harmless and that the mask should fall anytime soon. And even if he presented any danger, being in Soul Society was much safer, all round, than being left on the Human World with billions of souls to feed on.
The Vizard added arguments. Yoruichi, Kurosaki Isshin, even Ishida Ryuuken.
The soutaichou did not give in! Ichigo’s time as a Substitute Shinigami was over. He was to return to his world and live his life.
“I forfeit my pardon!” Urahara declared and joined Rukia and Kurosaki Isshin by Ichigo still unconscious body.
The Vizard opened a new passage to the Human World and stepped through it. Chad, holding Orihime’s sleeping body was followed by the Ishida, Ryuuken supporting his son unsteady steps and then by Yoruichi and
Urahara and finally by Isshin carrying Ichigo.
In the end they took him back to the Human World. To Urahara Shouten.
Rukia looked back at the last moment, before the passage closed, to see the Shinigami leaving Hueco Mundo and a wicked smile in Aizen’s face.
[1] A Ryoka is a term given by Soul Society to invaders.
August2009©MarinLiliz
-------------------
Next: Return Home - The Shinigami return to Soul Society to heal their wounded and buried the dead.
