Disclaimer insert here: I don't own or have ever owned Bleach or Wheel of Time.

Robert Jordan is one of my greatest inspirations when it comes to writing: a man gone too soon from this world.

All characters belong to their rightful owners, any OC I create are purely for entertainment use only. As usual an M rating is for future violence, dismemberments, gore, language, very foul language, and of course mature scenes will be in, but don't expect a ton of them. Again, enjoy your time here.

Secondary Disclaimer: If you are here to read a story based on or will adhere to Canon, then this story is NOT, REPEAT NOT for you.

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Response to Reviews Corner 8: Will now be located at the bottom as with all of my stories from now on.

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Beta & co-writing credit: regfurby

Edited by regfurby Nov 11, 2018

Also, always read AN for any important news or information, it does have thing not in the reviews corner.

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"Speech"

'Thoughts'

'Memories'

"Hollow Zangetsu"

"Quincy Zangetsu/Yhwach"

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'If that wasn't Saidin, then what or who was there to help me?'

Rand al'Thor

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Moiraine internally smiles when she hears the young Captain sighing irritably once more as Nynaeve continues to question Joiya Byir about her role in the Black Ajah. Her amusement is not directed towards Joiya's questioning: it still sends shivers up the Blue Ajah's spine to think any Sister would willingly bind themselves to the Dark One. Rather, her amusement is directed towards the young man standing next to her and showing open exasperation as he watches over the interrogation of the Black Ajah with several of the Far Dareis Mai who had accompanied him to Tear. Honestly, of the two groups, she is not sure which one intrigues her more: Ichigo Kurosaki Shiba, the mysterious Guard Captain of Tar Valon who apparently holds Siuan's trust and no small amount of skill; or the Aiel who followed him here, especially since the Aiel that conquered the Stone believe Rand to be their battle leader in the sacking of the great fortress, yet these Aiel show no signs of following Rand except to take their place as his guards when called upon.

Over the course of the month that they have held Stone, she had paid several servants to help her watch and observe various parties of interest, namely Rand al'Thor and Ichigo Kurosaki. None of them have reported nothing of any value, and she suspects that several of them have been dealt with rather harshly by the Aiel when her impromptu spies had begun to refuse her gold in exchange for their services, one young woman even bursting into tears and apologizing profusely for being unable to continue helping her. She had comforted the distraught maid as best she could, even giving her a small pouch of coin for her services, though she had been fairly annoyed at this development.

Ichigo Shiba, on the other hand, had been incredibly blunt in telling her to mind her own business, barging into her room the first week and throwing a beaten man at her feet.

'If you want to know who I am Moiraine Sedai, all you have to do is ask yourself.' He sneered at her.

Holding up a hand to stop Lan from reacting, she ignored the arrogant young man and went instead to check on the beaten servant. She recognized him: he was one of the servants who helped to clean the windows and chandeliers, and was used to climbing up dangerous surfaces to reach hard-to-clean places. She had paid him to keep her informed of anything interesting that he saw or overheard while performing his cleaning duties, but it seems he had fallen afoul of the orange-haired Guard Captain, who had taken so much offense to his presence that he had beaten him up.

'Guard Captain Ichigo Kurosaki Shiba, was it?' She idly remarked while sending a weave of Healing through the poor servant's body, mending his bruises as best she could. 'How mighty you must feel, beating up a helpless civilian who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. One who was merely doing his assigned task, no less. I wonder what the Amyrlin sees in you.'

The orange-headed young man had not reacted well to her provocation. 'Where I come from, spies are not dealt with kindly or well.' He countered in a flat voice.

She raised an eyebrow at him. 'But you are in Tear, not wherever you come from. All servants in Tear are expected to watch the comings and goings of the people they serve, whether it is to report their movements to others, or to help make their own jobs easier. Their silence and loyalty is earned, not bought or demanded through violence. Would you attack every servant who keeps an eye on your doings, just as you have done to this poor servant?'

She had seen his eyes flash a dark gold color for but a brief moment; she could not be certain of what she saw, but it was possibly a trick of the candlelight as he glared angrily at her. She had met his eyes coolly, knowing that she held the moral high ground and that was important to self-righteous individuals like him.

'... Tell your damn spies to leave me alone, and I'll leave them alone.' He finally gritted out, revealing that he did indeed possess some form of moral integrity. It was honestly a relief to her: knowing that he wasn't a person who held no regard for the lives of innocents meant that she wouldn't have to take extra steps to protect the servants from him. However, his words also told her that the Guard Captain had no idea of what he was truly requesting...

'Leave you alone? Very well, I can inform them to leave you alone. No servant will approach you or go within twenty feet of you. Any servant who crosses your path will leave through the nearest exit, and will not speak with you. No servant will answer your questions, clean your chambers, wash your clothes, prepare meals for you, or deliver your messages. I can even inform the Lords to spread the word to all their servants that they are to avoid performing any action that could be misconstrued as spying on you, on pain of being beaten up by you. Is that your wish?'

To his credit, the Guard Captain had only looked annoyed by her words, rather than worried. Any Lord or Lordling faced with such an ultimatum would be tripping over themselves to take back their words, none of them able to survive without the help of countless servants to take care of their everyday needs. It seemed that the young Guard Captain before her was well able to take care of his own needs.

'Look, I get what you're saying, and I'm pretty sure you're being ridiculous on purpose.' He pointed out bluntly, getting a glare and huff from Lan. Ignoring her Warder - and wasn't that interesting! - Ichigo Shiba had spared a glance for the servant he had beaten up, looking actually regretful for a moment. His eyes went back to hers however, and his gaze hardened once more.

'If they're just doing their jobs, I have no problems with them. If they're eavesdropping on me or spying... I don't like it, but if all the servants are doing it I'm not going to beat them all up. I draw the line at anyone attempting to dig through my belongings or stealing any of my things, however; if anyone tries that, I will kick their sorry asses, and if they all try that, I will make them regret their mother ever set eyes upon their father. If you want to find out about me, do it yourself, I have nothing to hide.' He declared before stalking out of her room without another word.

She had exchanged a look with Lan, her not-so-amused Warder finally heaving the poor servant onto his shoulder and leaving to deliver him to the servants' quarters, while she herself considered how to go about learning more about Ichigo Shiba given his poor reaction to being observed.

In the end, she chose to observe him openly herself, and true to his word he never attempted to avoid her or conceal his actions from her, unless he was in the room he had ironically confiscated for himself near the servants' quarters, which would have made things incredibly difficult for him indeed if she had carried out her threat. To her surprise, she learnt that Captain Shiba had actually apologized to the man he had assaulted, and the poor man had looked like he didn't know whether to run or to apologize as well. The servant ultimately chose to apologize, and it seems that he and the other servants are now getting along fairly well with the young Captain, just one of many interesting things that happen around Ichigo Shiba.

One other thing that she had learnt about the orange-haired young man, was that he was definitely a man of structure.

Thanks to Lan, she had chosen a set of rooms that overlooked the training yard that the Tairen soldiers used for their exercises before the Aiel occupation. She happened to look out one morning, before the sun rose in the Eastern sky, and saw Captain Shiba practicing sword forms in the training yard. Two things caught her eye then: first that he was using two swords simultaneously for practice; and the second, that Egwene al'Vere was watching him practice. Several days went by as she continued to observe discreetly, and Captain Shiba always showed up before sunrise, always accompanied by Egwene, and sometimes by various Aiel who would either lounge around or do their own training.

Lan joined her in watching the Captain train several times, and he informed her that Ichigo Shiba's sword forms were unlike any that he recognized, although he could see their usefulness in battle; unlike the standard sword forms used by Blademasters that were akin to a graceful dance, Ichigo Shiba's sword forms were brutal and efficient, a ruthless assault that relied on few feints and took every opportunity to punish an opponent's weaknesses while his dual blades served as both offense and defense against any would-be attackers. He also observed that footwork was a strong component of Captain Shiba's sword forms, his strong footing allowing him to deal powerful blows while moving swiftly to new positions, either to take advantage of an enemy's exposed weakness or to deal with new enemies while his previous ones were reeling from his attacks.

When she asked him to compare their sword forms, Lan had likened the standard sword forms to that of a hunting hawk: opportunistic, striking swiftly before swooping away, never exposing a true weakness to an enemy. He described Ichigo's sword forms as that of a blizzard: relentless, always advancing, always striking, deflecting and punishing any attacks that came its way. When she asked which was stronger, he merely gave her a deadpan look and did not answer.

Moiraine spent some time observing Egwene al'Vere as well, the young girl from the Two Rivers who had grown up together with Rand al'Thor and followed them to Tar Valon. The dark-haired young woman would attend Ichigo Shiba's morning training sessions without fail, and from what she could see, the Accepted had an unusually close relationship with the orange-haired Captain. Once Ichigo Shiba had finished his hour-long training, Egwene would always approach him and offer Healing, followed by a quiet conversation that she could not make out. Knowing Captain Shiba's dislike of being spied on, she had opted not to plant a Listening weave near them, and instead relied on what she could observe with her own two eyes. From this, she had also noticed that Egwene was in disagreement with Nynaeve al'Meara about Ichigo Shiba, and the stubborn young woman - Nynaeve, not Egwene - was driving a deep wedge between the two Accepted with her behavior.

Putting that aside for now - her mission was to guide the Dragon Reborn, not deal with a trio of Accepted who would be returning to Tar Valon soon - what surprised her the most about Captain Shiba's morning training sessions was the presence of one or more Maidens of the Spears, always from the same group of four who had accompanied him to Tear, who would often show up to watch his practice. The first time it happened, her eyes had widened in surprise when after he was done working with his sword forms, he handed his blades to Egwene and proceed to spar with the young Aiel maidens using only his hands and feet, first one-on-one, then all-on-one. She was doubly surprised when he not only held his own against them, he roundly defeated them unless there were at least three Spear Maidens fighting him at the same time, and even then only when all four fought him at the same time did she see him lose their spar.

Lan was suitably impressed by the young man's abilities in hand-to-hand fighting, to the point that he actually went down to the training courtyard the next morning and asked for permission to train alongside them. It was Captain Shiba's first conversation with her Warder after their initial confrontation in her room, and outside of some surprise, he had not objected to sharing space with Lan for training.

She was not too surprised to soon find Captain Shiba and Lan sparring against each other in the mornings with wooden swords, the Captain's two against Lan's one, neither of them gaining a victory over the other before time was called and they took a break, followed by Ichigo and Lan practicing hand-to-hand combat with the Aiel Spear Maidens. It seems that their willingness to spar with the Aiel in barehanded combat quickly caught the interest of the other Aiel, as more Aiel began to show up, both women and men, some of them teaching Ichigo and Lan their style of fighting, just as Ichigo in turn taught them the fighting styles of his lands, and Lan taught them his experience of fighting against the countless creatures of Shadow. From the vicious smiles that appeared on the faces of the Aiel, it seemed they greatly approved of Lan's experiences in killing their most hated foes.

It was during the second week that Ichigo began to extend his training by practicing with the spears, shields and bows that the Aiel used in battle, not showing the same skill in their use that he has with his blades, but he was a diligent learner and he quickly became competent in their use. Lan had declined the offer to learn those same weapons, but his counter-offer to spar against any of the Aiel who wished to test their skills against him, followed by the discovery that he was perfectly capable of learning and countering the skills of any Aielmen wielding spear, shield or bow against him quickly won back the respect he had lost by his initial refusal. Needless to say, the name of Aan'allein grew to even greater heights among the Aiel.

Out of curiosity, Moiraine had observed some of Rand al'Thor's training sessions from a distance as well. The Dragon Reborn practiced the Blademaster sword forms with Lan in the afternoons, then practiced some spear forms at the encouragement of his Aiel guards. After a few days of watching, she went back to observing Ichigo again.

The most intriguing thing she learned about Captain Shiba was the fact that he is highly literate. While she had read from Siuan's missive that he was in fact a noble, which suggested a certain degree of learning, she had observed him spending several hours a day in the Lords' Archives, mainly after dinner, reading a wide range of subjects. She had asked the Chief Archivist what books Ichigo would ask for, and her curiosity only grew as she learned of the many subjects Ichigo was reading about. One subject the Chief Archivist never mentioned, and caught her by surprise when she found Ichigo reading it, was the ledger detailing the Great Holding, a ledger she only recognized because she had seen the one for the city of Cairhien. Next to the ledger was a journal of sorts, and she spied Ichigo using an unfamiliar language to write down what she could only assume were notes on various entries in the ledger. Due to her suspicions that the ledger should have been in the personal library of the Tear Lords rather than the Lords' Archives, she had asked him upfront how he had obtained the ledger, only to receive a surprisingly cordial answer from him.

Closing both ledger and journal, Ichigo Shiba stood up and handed her the former while giving her a small grin. 'I have my ways, Moiraine Sedai. If you're interested, I think you might want to look it over yourself, there are some pretty interesting items listed in there. I've left some notes on what I know to be held by the Tairens, there a few things you might want to take for yourself. I'm thinking of grabbing one or two for Egwene and the others, they'll come in handy later on.'

Still surprised by the Captain's friendly demeanor, it had taken her a few moments before she realized what he meant by 'notes', and had to suppress a sigh from forming when she flipped open the ledger to see copious evidence of his note-taking in the margins. Vandalism of important documents aside, her inspection of the ledger finally gave her conclusive evidence of what the Mayeners had given up to Tear, a twisted red doorway ter'angreal that supposedly led to the realm of the Aelfinn, at least based on the notes in the margins that the Captain had written in the Old Tongue of all languages.

In any case, that brief exchange led to further cordial encounters with him, and she quickly deduced that Captain Ichigo Shiba was a blunt, outspoken, well-meaning and experienced individual; when he was riled up, he could also be as stubborn and mule-headed as any two oxen put together. While he did not insist on being given a position of leadership, neither did he show any fear of the Aes Sedai or their Warders, and he often showed up uninvited to watch them performing their duties...Case in point, the ongoing interrogation of the two captured Black Ajah.

Her thoughts are brought back to the present when she once again hears Ichigo swearing quietly under his breath, a quick glance at Joiya Byir telling her that Nynaeve still has not managed to get any useful information out of her. It seems however that this time the former Wisdom takes exception to his behavior.

"If you can do so much better Captain Shiba, then show us how it is done!" The older Accepted all but screams at him, tugging at her braid furiously.

Knowing his personality, Moiraine is unsurprised when the Guard Captain simply raises an eyebrow and counters her challenge bluntly. "If I were to question her, you would throw a bitch-fit about my tactics, Nynaeve al'Meara. Besides, she has lied so many times; I don't think she's capable of telling the truth even if she were willing to. The other one you were interrogating answered your questions truthfully most of time, so ask her if you want your answers; this one however is a lying sack of shit, just Sever her and ask Rand al'Thor to send them both to Tar Valon under a heavy guard once you're done."

Gasps from the younger women immediately fill the room, Elayne Trakand gripping her dress with white knuckles as she stutters out her objections. "W-we can't Still her! You have no idea what that means! We just need to keep Shielding her until she stands trial for her crimes and gets convicted by the White Tower…"

"…And who exactly is going to waste their time taking them back to the White Tower while keeping them Shielded, Elayne Trakand? Who among you are capable of keeping them Shielded all the way there? You and Nynaeve? I had assumed you would want to head towards Tanchico if you believed the words of this lying Darkfriend." He points out.

Moiraine cuts in at this point, having noted the Captain's omission of two names. "And what of yourself and Egwene, Captain Shiba? Do you not plan on following her as she continues the hunt for Liandrin and the others alongside Elayne and Nynaeve?"

The blue-shawled Aes Sedai watches as Ichigo Shiba exchanges a look with Egwene al'Vere, before he turns and speaks to the two Maidens in the room with them. "Bain, Jolien, please don't tell Aviendha what I am about to say to Moiraine Sedai."

"Of course, Ichigo." Bain replies without hesitation. Jolien frowns, but a quick set of finger-flicks from Bain has her nodding in agreement as well.

Smiling at them, he turns back to face her and delivers some unexpected news. "Egwene and I are going to the Aiel Wastes to meet an Aiel Wise One, Amys of the Taardad Aiel. I can't tell you why or what for; I am bound to keep her secrets, just as she is bound to keep mine. Elayne and Nynaeve may continue pursuing the Aes Sedai who fled the Stone on the day it fell, but Egwene and I will travel west into the Wastes once our preparations are complete. I still have to ask Rhuarc for a few guides, but I don't think it will be an issue since the Aiel will travel with us."

Moiraine sees both Elayne and Nynaeve gape in shock at the pair; Egwene merely looks determined, while Ichigo is looking at...Bain, was it? The Spear Maiden flickering her fingers rapidly at him, and he speaks up again after a slight pause. "Bain, I'm pretty sure you know what Amys is capable of, right?"

Seeing the Aiel Maiden frown and nod, Ichigo begins again. "Well, we talk almost every night…this is why I asked you not to say anything to Aviendha. I know, you don't need to remind me about what is gonna happen when she does find out. I'm pretty sure I have a good idea of what exactly will happen to me when that happens Bain. I really, really hope I get to leave the Three-fold Lands with my skin intact."

The two Far Dareis Mai begin laughing at that, only for Nynaeve to slam her hands down on the only table in the room with a resounding crash. "Enough! I don't know who you think you are, or what you are talking about Ichigo Shiba, neither do I care! You are not dragging Egwene with you and that…"

"…I am going with Ichigo, not with you Nynaeve." Egwene loudly interrupts the former Wisdom. "I can and will make my own decisions as an Accepted, same as you, and I believe this journey will help me track down the Black Ajah more easily. As I told Elayne during our journey here, I am no longer that simple girl who wanted to get married, have children and maybe sit one day on the Women's Council in Emond's Field, Nynaeve. What I want now is to be an Aes Sedai, a Sister of the Green Ajah, and fight in the Last Battle against the Enemy of All."

"Wh... But, you..!" Nynaeve splutters with wide eyes, caught off guard by Egwene's refusal to comply. Before she can react, Moiraine swiftly cuts in, her words measured and precise.

"Do you believe you will be capable of becoming an Aes Sedai Green Ajah if you travel to the Aiel Wastes with Captain Shiba instead of continuing with your mission for the White Tower, Egwene al'Vere? You do realize that the Amyrlin Seat takes a very dim view of those who run away from their studies, don't you?" The Blue Ajah asks sternly, wanting to know how the young woman will respond. They are all surprised when the Captain answers for Egwene instead.

"I already gained permission from the Amyrlin Seat last week, Moiraine Sedai. Mother told me how to send a message to her if I needed to, and I did so once I learnt of this trip. She is well aware of what Egwene and I are planning, and has given us permission to visit the Aiel."

Moiraine Damodred stares at him with a discerning eye, weighing the sincerity and truth of his words. While she has known the Guard Captain to misunderstand some situations, like the 'spying' of the servants, he has never once lied knowingly to her face. Misdirect, perhaps, but not outright lie. Besides, it is a simple task for her to verify his words with Siuan, and her own mission takes precedence over keeping an eye on the Accepted. So long as they are aware of the potential repercussions of their actions, she sees no reason to prevent them from leaving.

"Very well." She is pleased to see every head turn her way and give her their full attention; though in Nynaeve's case she is clearly shocked by her acceptance. "As the ranking Aes Sedai in Tear, I will allow both of you to head for the Aiel Wastes. I will verify your orders with the Amyrlin Seat, of course; if it turns out Mother had given you no such permissions, then you, Egwene, will be treated as a runaway, and you, Guard Captain Shiba, will be considered her accomplice."

Turning to Nynaeve, she addresses the now-speechless Accepted. "You have your answers now, Nynaeve; Captain Shiba and Egwene will be heading West with the Aiel, and the White Tower will follow up on their actions."

She pauses then. "There is no time to send word to the White Tower for an escort to bring Joiya Byir and Amico Nagoyin back to the Tower to stand trial for their crimes. You and Elayne will have to decide tonight whether you are going to follow the remaining fugitives to Tanchico, or return to the Tower with our two captives. While Captain Shiba is correct about the difficulty of keeping them Shielded all the way to Tar Valon, it is your mission and your decision to make. Know however that if you choose to pursue the fugitives, Joiya will need to be Stilled; we have no Sisters to spare for Shielding her."

She pauses again to gauge their reactions. Both Elayne Trakand and Nynaeve al'Meara are looking rather pale, while Joiya has a terrified expression on her face. Smiling faintly, she turns to the last Accepted of the trio. "As for you Egwene, I cannot say if your decision is the correct one, but if you intend to leave for the Wastes, I wish you well. I have heard that there are Wilders among the Aiel, though none have ever visited the White Tower for training. I would like you to keep an eye out for them, and see what methods the Aiel use to train their Wilders."

"Yes, Moiraine Sedai." The young Accepted replies immediately. The Blue Ajah then turns to the sole male in the room.

"Which leaves you, Captain Shiba. I've already said all that I need to, so instead I would like to see how you question our prisoners." She tells him with a thoughtful look towards Joiya.

"You…you can't allow him to question her! She's our prisoner!" Nynaeve finally regains her voice and yells out in anger, only to have her tirade cut off by Ichigo who takes a step forward and barks out a command.

"Enough Nynaeve! You are only an Accepted, and a full Sister has turned over the task of interrogating your prisoners to me! As a Guard Captain of Tar Valon, I am fully authorized to interrogate prisoners whether you like it or not, and if you still insist on questioning my authority, then I have here a letter handed to me by the Amyrlin Seat herself before I left Tar Valon; Moiraine Sedai, since I know you can recognize Sanche-san's handwriting on sight, please read the letter first and verify its authenticity for the rest of us."

Arching a curious eyebrow at the Captain's strange use of Siuan's family name, Moiraine takes the offered letter and checks that the wax seal is untouched, before she breaks it open and begins to read.

'To my Daughters,

The man who holds this letter speaks and acts on my behalf with my full authority. You are to obey any directions and orders he gives you so he may accomplish his mission without question. Any who disobey without just cause will be punished when they return to the White Tower.

Siuan Sanche, Watcher of the Seals. The Flame of Tar Valon. The Amyrlin Seat.'

Slowly lowering the letter to her side, the Cairhien noblewoman responds the only way she can. "Just who are you, Captain Shiba?"

"Just a man Moiraine Sedai, nothing more, nothing less." He answers, before extending his hand and accepting the letter back from the Blue Ajah Sister.

Shaking her head inwardly, Moiraine turns to the three Accepted. "It is as he says. Captain Shiba works with the full authority of the Amyrlin Seat."

Smirking at her declaration, Ichigo gives Nynaeve and Elayne a long look before speaking. "I'm going to be honest here; this is going to get ugly and brutal for the prisoners, depending on their cooperation at least. If you can't and won't stand aside while I'm questioning them, then it would be best if you leave this room right now. If you stay, I will not tolerate any interference with my questioning methods. So give me your answer, are you going to stay or leave?"

Nynaeve grips her braid so hard, Moiraine is surprised she doesn't pull it out of her head, although the former Wisdom finally answers the orange-haired Captain through gritted teeth. "I'll stay."

"As will I Captain Shiba. I promise not to intervene." Elayne says while giving Egwene and Nynaeve worried looks. Egwene takes the Daughter-Heir's hand and gives her a reassuring squeeze.

Giving both Accepted a nod, the White Tower Captain then turns to Egwene with an indecipherable look. "You don't have to watch Egwene, you know that right?"

The young woman only nods her head, saying that she too wishes to stay.

Nodding back in acceptance, Ichigo turns to the Aiel Maidens in the room and flicks his fingers at them. Compared to the Aiel Maidens, his finger movements are slower and more deliberate, but still faster than Moiraine can follow. Bain raises an eyebrow at him, then flickers something back. He nods, and she walks out of the door without saying a word. Shortly after she leaves, another Maiden enters the room and takes her place.

Moiraine watches as Ichigo turns to the renegade Aes Sedai who is still bound to the post. Joiya Byir's face is pale now, her body trembling visibly as she watches Ichigo Shiba approaching her like a mouse would watch an approaching cat. Moiraine notices a hard look forming in the Captain's eyes as he turns to face Elayne Trakand.

"Elayne, I need her to listen to what I have to say, I don't want her to talk yet."

The young Andoran Princess nearly jumps at being addressed all of a sudden, but she catches on to what he wants quickly enough and embraces Saidar, weaving Air around Joiya's mouth to silence her. Once she is done, she gives Ichigo a nod.

Grabbing a chair and settling himself into it, the Guard Captain simply stares at the prisoner for several long minutes without a word. Moiraine notices Nynaeve beginning to fidget, the hot-headed young woman clearly itching to speak, and the ever-increasing tugs on her braid speaks volumes as to her rapidly fraying temper. Just when it seems like Nynaeve is going to speak however, Ichigo suddenly speaks up, causing the three Accepted and the prisoner to flinch in surprise.

"I'm not going to lie to you Byir-san: I am going to hurt you, severely if I have to. If you want to know why, it's simple really. I'm betting you can't tell me the truth even if you wanted to, because you swore a different Oath to that asshole you serve, the Great Lord of the Dark or whatever bullshit you morons call him. So, when I question you, I won't ask you to tell me the truth, I just want you to tell me what you can. I already have a pretty good idea of what the truth is anyway, so we'll see if my hunches are correct."

Moiraine watches interestedly as Joiya's expression becomes a curious mixture of fear and anger, her mind inwardly pondering on a particular phrase that Ichigo Shiba had used. He said that Joiya swore a different Oath to the Dark One: she could even hear the emphasis on the word 'Oath'. Could he mean an actual Oath, like the ones all Aes Sedai are supposed to swear on the Oath Rod? Speaking of which, how did the Black Ajah get around the three Oaths sworn on the Oath Rod? If they truly swore an Oath to the Dark One, how did Amico break it?

Before she can continue ruminating, she hears Ichigo speaking again. "My people have studied the human body for centuries, unlocking the secrets of what we are, where we come from, what we can do with the right motivation to our body. From those studies we made great advancements in healing, yet during that time we also discovered how much suffering the human body can endure before it succumbs." He looks at the pale-faced Joiya, cold brown orbs meeting frightened grey. "I can see it your eyes, Byir-san. You are wondering what kind of suffering I speak of. Wondering how much I will hurt you to get the information I want. You will find out soon enough. Just think of what you wish to tell me."

The door opens then and two Aiel Maidens enter the room, one of them carrying a cloth covered tray while the other is carrying a large ceramic pot. Moiraine recognizes the first one as Bain, the Maiden who left the room earlier. The other she recognizes as yet another of the four Spear Maidens who frequently train with Ichigo in the mornings, though she does not know her name. The two Maidens pause to observe the room briefly, the newer Maiden raising a questioning eyebrow at Ichigo, before they both shrug and continue over to the table beside him. As they place the tray and pot on the table, Ichigo turns to face the three Accepted.

"Last chance to leave. Once I start, no one gets out, no one comes in. Do you understand?"

Moiraine sees each of the younger women nodding their heads one by one, faces paling as their nervousness begins to get to them. Ichigo gives Egwene a longer look, but a firm look from the younger Accepted has him return her with a smile before he turns back to the still-silenced prisoner. Moving over to the table, the Captain lifts the cloth covering the tray that the Aiel Maidens brought in, his eyes skimming over its contents quickly before replacing the cloth and dipping his fingers into the jar briefly, rubbing them together after he pulls them out. Seemingly satisfied by his findings, he turns to address Moiraine directly.

"Moiraine Sedai, I could use some assistance if you don't mind lending me a hand. I would rather that the Accepted not take part in what I am planning to do." Moiraine nods her acceptance and steps forward, watching as he turns to address the Aiel Maidens in the room with them. "Bain, Aviendha, cut the prisoner's dress so that everything below her knees are exposed, then cut off her sleeves below her elbows. When you are done, untie the prisoner and bring her over to the table; Moiraine Sedai, I'll need you to bind her wrists flat on the table so she cannot pull them away."

"Of course, Captain." Moiraine watches Bain and the newly-entered Maiden - Aviendha - quickly cut off Joiya's sleeves as well as the lower material of her dress and shift, leaving her legs bare to just above her knees. They then untie the ropes binding Joiya to the post and drag her over to the table, where they place both her hands on the table, and Moiraine weaves Air to bind her wrists to the wooden surface. When they are done, Ichigo asks Elayne to release her weave of silence on Joiya.

"W-What are you doing to me!?" Unsurprisingly, the first words out of the Black Ajah's mouth is a terrified demand to know what the Captain is doing. Just as unsurprisingly, the Captain doesn't answer her, picking up the discarded scraps of cloth from the floor and moving over to the ceramic pot on the table instead.

Surprising all of them, Ichigo wraps his hand with the cloth before plunging his hand into the jar, stirring its contents about before pulling his hand it back out. She quickly recognizes the substance coating his hand as coagulated cooking lard, which explains his need to wrap his hand with cloth first. The Captain then swiftly applies the congealed fat to the Black Sister's feet, ignoring her cries of disgust as he smears the oily substance over her exposed skin before swabbing a liberal amount on the floor beneath her feet as well. Once he is done, he carefully unwraps the filthy cloth from his hand and throws it aside, wiping his hand with another scrap of cloth cut from Joiya's dress. At this point, due to her hands being bound to the table, Joiya is forced to bend over in an awkward stance, her legs quivering as her slippery feet and the equally slippery floor threaten to make her lose balance with every shiver and twitch of her body.

"Aviendha, can you help me by bringing me the other one? I want Amico to witness what I'm going to do, this way she is less inclined to hide the truth when it's her turn." The younger Spear Maiden shoots him a look, but trots off to collect the prisoner anyway. Ichigo then turns to look at Moiraine. "Moiraine Sedai, once I'm done explaining what I intend to do to both prisoners, could you block Amico's hearing so she can't hear what I'm asking Joiya? I don't want her to give me answers based on what Joiya tells me during her interrogation."

Nodding once again to his request, Moiraine returns to her chair and takes a seat; she isn't surprised when Egwene sits next to her, and Nynaeve and Elayne take seats on the bench beside herself and Egwene. In no time at all, Aviendha returns with Amico led in behind her, the Stilled Black Ajah's meek and docile appearance causing each of the women who can still Channel to shiver at the knowledge that she is cut off from the Source permanently. Amico is then made to stand against the same post that Joiya was previously bound to, the Aiel Maidens quickly securing her to the post with rope before turning to the Guard Captain expectantly.

"Are you ready to begin, Captain Shiba?" Moiraine asks of the young man, who only nods his head once before speaking to the two captive Black Ajah.

"Amico, this is more for your benefit than for Joiya's. I am going to hurt each of you to get my answers; how much pain you suffer will depend on how quickly you tell me the truth. I take no joy or pleasure in what I'm about to do, but it is necessary to get the answers that I seek. If you refuse to tell me the truth, or refuse to answer me at all, your pain will only increase. Moiraine Sedai, I'm ready to start with Joiya."

Moiraine pulls on Saidar, weaving Air around Amico's head to block out all sounds before giving the Captain a nod. Effortlessly maintaining the weaves she has on Joiya and Amico, she watches as Ichigo removes the cloth covering the tray that Bain had brought in, revealing what appears to be a collection of sewing and knitting needles of various sizes. Wondering what the Captain is planning to do with them, she hears Ichigo speaking to Joiya once again.

"Remember when I told you that my people spent centuries learning how to heal the human body and discovering how to inflict pain as a by-product of those studies? Let me show you an example." Ichigo picks up a long sewing needle and without any hesitation drives it through the Black Sister's hand, his speed such that none of them manage to react before it is done.

The room is completely silent, all of them bar Ichigo staring at the needle embedded in Joiya's hand. The Black Sister herself looks pasty pale, her eyes wide and disbelieving as she stares at the piece of metal stuck in her flesh, while Amico's equally bloodless face stares at the fate that awaits her. Nynaeve, Elayne and Egwene look frozen, unconsciously holding their breaths as they wait for something, anything to happen. The Aiel Maidens watching the scene do not react at all, their eyes only holding idle curiosity. Finally, Moiraine deliberately keeps her body relaxed; she knows that whatever torture the Guard Captain has planned, simply stabbing a needle into Joiya's hand is NOT all there is to it.

In the dead silence, Ichigo reaches over to the needle and gives it a tiny flick, prompting Joiya to give a deafening scream as her entire body immediately jerks back in pain. The use of cooking lard becomes clearer when Joiya's feet immediately begins to slip and slide on the greasy floor beneath her, her frantic movements jolting the needle in her hand further and causing her body to thrash about in increasing agony as she keeps screaming in pain.

"Nynaeve, stop!" The sudden yell from Egwene draws Moiraine's attention away from the blood-curdling screams, forcefully tearing her eyes away from the shockingly horrific scene to witness another less horrific, but equally shocking scene.

Nynaeve is on her feet, glowing with Saidar and hands outstretched, but the former Wisdom is frozen and staring pale-faced at the naked blade being held under her throat, its sharp point nearly caressing her skin. The heron-mark on the blade gleams in the candlelight, reflecting the cold look on Captain Shiba's face as he wields it in his unyielding hand. Egwene is on her feet beside Nynaeve, her body also glowing with Saidar, but her eyes are directed solely towards Nynaeve and her expression is more frantic than horrified. Elayne on the other hand remains seated on the bench, her wide eyes darting between the frozen trio and Joiya Byir, whose legs have given out beneath her and dropped her spasming body to the cold stone floor. The Black Ajah's arms are still pinned to the wooden table however, and she is left hanging from the table in a semi-upright position. Seeing the tears and snot leaking down Joiya's face as she continues to scream hoarsely, as well as the puddle of stinking fluid that is seeping from the ruins of her dress, the Crown Princess of Andor turns to one side and vomits noisily onto the floor.

Judging that neither Nynaeve nor Ichigo are going to do anything drastic at the moment, Moiraine glances towards the other occupants of the room. Amico is hanging limply from her bindings, tears and muffled sobs escaping from her as she sees her fellow Black Ajah reduced to a broken wreck, Elayne's weave of Air still blocking out the horrific screams but not the visual nightmare. The Aiel Maidens are watching Nynaeve with faces that could have been carved from marble, their hands resting lightly on their spears, though their eyes occasionally dart towards the still-spasming Joiya and the needles on the tray, giving both wary looks. Moiraine's attention is drawn back towards Ichigo when the Guard Captain begins to speak in a low voice.

"Nynaeve al'Meara. I warned you earlier that if you stayed, I would not tolerate any interference from you with regards to my questioning methods. Yet you have not only drawn Saidar in an attempt to interfere, you still refuse to relinquish your hold of it even now. What exactly are you trying to achieve?"

Despite the sword being held at her throat, the pale-faced former Wisdom speaks to him with defiance in her voice. "As a Wisdom and Healer, I cannot stand by and watch you torture another person before my eyes in such a manner! I know not what vile trickery you performed on those needles to make them hurt another being in such a manner, but Blight take me before I let you get away with it!"

The orange-haired Captain gives her a scornful look. "Vile trickery? For your information, these are ordinary needles, nothing more. You are welcome to examine them yourself later, if I don't kick you out of the room first; I have no intention of keeping a troublemaker like you in the room when you have proven incapable of controlling yourself or keeping to your promises."

"W-What!?" Nynaeve's eyes dart around the room, taking in the unfriendly looks from Ichigo and the Aiel, the determined look on Egwene's face, Elayne looking like she wants no part of the conversation, and her eyes finally latch onto Moiraine. "Moiraine Sedai! You must put an end to this! This…this is wrong! This is evil!"

"Be silent, child." The Blue Ajah finally speaks up, ignoring Nynaeve's outraged gasp and the shocked looks coming from Egwene and Elayne. Moiraine glances at the needles again, considering whether or not to examine them for herself, but decides there is time for that later. Her eyes then glance to Captain Shiba, who had inadvertently revealed something that is of great interest to her: his apparent ability to discern that Nynaeve has embraced and is still embracing Saidar. Despite that, he did not mention Egwene doing the same, and both she herself and Elayne are still holding Saidar to maintain the weaves, so... perhaps a test?

Moiraine begins to pull in more of the One Power, just a steady trickle, and she sees Captain Shiba's eyes dart towards her immediately, his body noticeably tensing. A sense of satisfaction fills her as she smiles and releases the excess Saidar, having confirmed that the Guard Captain can indeed sense Saidar being drawn, though she has no idea how it is possible. Before she can say anything however, Ichigo's eyes widen as he whips his head back to Nynaeve, just as she feels the swell of Saidar coming from the older Accepted and a desperate shout coming from Egwene.

"NYNAEVE, NO!"

The next sequence of events happen faster than she can blink: Captain Shiba darts forward and strikes Nynaeve on the forehead with the knuckles of his free hand as Egwene slams a Shield down between Nynaeve and the Source at the same time. The light of Saidar winks out around Nynaeve immediately, the former Wisdom staggering back and collapsing bonelessly onto the bench. The Aiel Maidens take a step forward, their weapons already half-drawn, but they step back again when it seems nothing more is about to happen. Finally, Moiraine binds Nynaeve's arms and legs with weaves of Air before dropping her own Shield between the Accepted and the Source; she deliberately does not look in Ichigo's direction, though she can see Egwene whispering to him out of the corner of her eyes.

"Thank you for the assistance, Moiraine Sedai." Ichigo tells her once she is done binding Nynaeve, before turning an irate look towards the unconscious Healer. "I should have guessed she would do something incredibly foolish, even if I was distracted."

By you, he does not say, and Moiraine accepts the chastisement for what it is. "My apologies to you as well, Captain Shiba. It was not my intention to distract you or allow Nynaeve a chance to attack you." She says apologetically. "I have placed bindings and a Shield on the Accepted, so she will not be able to interfere with your interrogation any longer. Will you permit me to wake her with Healing?"

The Guard Captain considers her words for a moment, before reluctantly nodding his agreement. Moiraine moves over to Nynaeve's side, watching Ichigo sheath his sword, before pressing a hand against the Accepted's forehead and examining her body for injuries. Surprisingly enough, there is none worth speaking of; only a mild bruise and what appears to be a slight concussion from the sudden impact to her head. It speaks volumes as to the skill and control of Ichigo Shiba that he can go from pointing a sword at Nynaeve's throat to knocking her out instantly with his other fist, all before the Accepted can channel a single weave of Saidar.

One brief Healing later, Nynaeve stirs and begins to moan. Her eyes blink open confusedly, then they focus on her surroundings and widen in anger. Before she can even open her mouth to yell, however, Moiraine weaves a gag of Air and slaps it in her face.

"That is enough, Accepted." She says sternly. "You were told not to interfere, and reminded of your promise, yet you knowingly and deliberately attempted to interfere twice in a row. There will be no third time, lest I have to inform Mother of your outright disobedience towards her authority." Nynaeve's face pales, letting her know that the stubborn Accepted has finally recalled the letter granting Captain Shiba the Amyrlin's authority.

"Umm... Moiraine Sedai? Weren't we given the authority to hunt down the Black Ajah as well? Wouldn't that make our authority have precedence over Captain Shiba's in this interrogation instead?" Elayne's voice speaks up meekly, the Andoran Princess looking rather overwhelmed by all these events happening in rapid succession.

Moiraine smiles, before elaborating for all of them. "That is true, but your authority is strictly towards pursuing and capturing the remaining Black Ajah, not interrogating those you have already captured. Captain Shiba therefore holds higher authority in this interrogation than the three of you." Her eyes then glance towards the obviously furious Nynaeve, noting once again the sheer stubbornness of the woman. "For your information, Nynaeve al'Meara, I have heard before of such methods of interrogation that Captain Shiba is using. They do not require any...'vile trickery', as you put it, to be effective. I may not have witnessed it being used before, but I have heard that it only requires very good knowledge of the human body to be effective. Is that what you are using, Captain?"

Hearing her address him, Ichigo Shiba nods in agreement. "That is correct, Moiraine Sedai. Before we begin again however, please release Amico's bindings so she can throw up properly, preferably in a bucket. No need to make her soil herself any further than she already has." All eyes immediately dart towards the other prisoner, who has voided her stomach down the front of her dress after witnessing her fellow Black Ajah being tortured. As the Aiel Maidens move to carry out his request, Ichigo moves towards Joiya, who is now slumped unconscious against the table, carefully lifting her off the floor that is now covered with vomit, bodily fluids and lard, then kicking the chair beneath her and placing her carefully in it. Moiraine notes that he has left the needle in Joiya's hand, although he has also taken great care not to further aggravate it while moving her to the chair.

Once he is done, the Guard Captain glances back towards her with a sigh. "Moiraine Sedai, could I trouble you to Heal this woman so that she can undergo further questioning? I would have stopped her torture earlier, had certain events not prevented me from doing so..." Here he gives Nynaeve a hard look. "... and now she has undoubtedly damaged her throat from all that screaming, not to mention any additional bruises she has incurred from thrashing against the table and the floor while struggling. Her wrists may be bruised as well, though her hand should be relatively uninjured compared to the rest of her body."

From the incredulous look being sent his way by Nynaeve, Moiraine has no doubt that the former Wisdom would be ranting at the Captain if she could speak. She herself has difficulty believing that Joiya's injuries would be less serious on her hand than on the rest of her body, especially since the needle is still piercing her hand; in the end however, there is a very simple way to find out. Ignoring the sounds of Amico retching miserably into her bucket, Moiraine walks over to the unconscious Black Ajah, placing her hands on her shoulders and weaving Spirit around her body to inspect Joiya's injuries for herself.

To her surprise, Captain Shiba's analysis is correct. The most severe of Joiya's injuries is the damage to her throat, which is raw and bloody from the screaming she had done earlier. Quickly Healing the damage as best as she can, she moves on to the next most damaged parts of Joiya's body: her wrists, which look to be nearly pulled from their sockets, and her knees, which are severely bruised from being thrashed against the table and the floor while she was struggling. After Healing those as well, she moves on to the least damaged part of Joiya's body: the needle piercing her hand. From her examination earlier, Joiya's wrists had taken most of the damage from her struggling, the only damage done to her hand by the needle - aside from the initial piercing - was caused by her muscles tensing and contracting around the metal. Further inspection reveals that the needle is currently pressing against a set of nerves that are lined along a bone in Joiya's hand, and any movement from her hand muscles would crush all three together, resulting in a huge amount of pain for the Black Ajah.

"Very interesting interrogation method, Captain Shiba." Moiraine can't help but comment out loud. She steps away from Joiya, glancing towards the needles on the tray and examining them with a weave of Spirit as well. "Just as you said, the needles are perfectly ordinary, it is your method of using them that allows you to create such pain in your targets. It makes me wonder: just what were your people studying when they came up with such an interesting discovery in the first place?"

"... Needles can actually promote healing and good health when stabbed into specific places." The Guard Captain comments offhandedly, ignoring the dumbfounded looks being sent his way. "Extra care has to be taken to prevent them from causing infections, however...such as having them boiled in water before they are used." He glances at Amico, who is still huddled on the floor and shivering, before looking back at Joiya. "Could you help me wake our unconscious prisoner, Moiraine Sedai? I would like to continue the interrogation, now that she knows what to expect if she is uncooperative."

With a brief nod, Moiraine places a hand on the unconscious woman's forehead and wakes her with a pulse of Spirit. Joiya begins to stir, her eyes fluttering weakly, before slamming open in sheer horror. Just before she begins screaming again, however, she is silenced by a hand being clamped over her mouth, along with a set of brown eyes that stare deep into her soul.

"Now, none of that, Joiya. You don't want to aggravate that needle any further, do you?" Her frightened grey eyes immediately dart down towards her hand, and her face rapidly pales on seeing the needle still piercing her flesh. "Good. Now, I'm going to ask you questions, and you are going to answer. Any attempt to waste time, any attempt to deflect the truth, and you know what to expect. All I need from you is to answer to your best ability, and to make it even easier for you, I'll only need you to say yes or no. Understood?"

Joiya nods her head so rapidly it is almost a blur. Giving her a cold smile, Ichigo releases her mouth, but in the same movement places a single fingertip on the head of the needle that is sticking out of Joiya's hand. Staring straight into her terrified grey orbs and holding his finger motionless over the needle, Ichigo speaks again. "First question, were you instructed to flee to Tanchico? Answer yes or no."

Everyone's eyes are now on the sobbing woman as she frantically tries to speak, her voice choking up in her throat several times until she forces the words through. "Y-Y-No."

The look of sheer horror on her face when she says that, followed by her increasingly louder wails of 'No' and the desperation in her voice tells them all they need to know: that she is unable to give them the answer that she wants to speak, and her words are thus most likely false. Ichigo glances at Moiraine, and she gives him a slight nod in return. From what she has observed, it seems that Joiya is indeed bound by an Oath like those sworn on the Oath Rod.

"Stop. Breathe deeply." The Guard Captain turns to Joiya and places both his hands on her shoulders, causing her body to tremble under his grip. Her breaths are still coming in shallow gasps, and she looks to be on the verge of a breakdown, though her eyes are unable to tear themselves from the needle in her hand. Ichigo waits until her body stops trembling before he speaks to her again.

"I'll know if you're telling the truth, Joiya, but all I ask is for you to tell me the truth as best as you can." He repeats those words with additional emphasis. "As best as you can, do you understand?"

Joiya slowly nods, her eyes still filled with terrified tears. The Guard Captain leans back against the table once more, but he doesn't place his finger on the needle this time.

"You were instructed to leave for Tanchico, correct?" He asks again.

Joiya's mouth opens, and she tries to get her answer out. "Y-Y-No."

Her eyes immediately fill with panic, but Ichigo does not move at all. "You are seeking something in Tanchico, correct?" He asks a different question this time.

"Y-Y-Y-No." The woman attempts to nod her head, but it turns into a shake halfway.

"Finally...you are seeking something that can bring harm to the Dragon Reborn, am I correct?"

This time, Joiya visibly struggles to answer, her head doing a mixture of nodding and shaking that answers nothing at all while her voice chokes in her throat. Ichigo slowly begins to lean forward, his hand reaching towards the needle in her hand, and Joiya's eyes bulge out in terror as he bends his finger to flick the needle. Her voice finally bursts out in a rush, accompanied by her frantic cries.

"Y-NO! NO! Oh Light, please no, no, I tried, I tried..." Her words break down into unintelligible sobs and begging as she seems to crumple in on herself, her body shivering in terror and anticipated pain. Moiraine notes that Joiya has defecated herself once again, the liquid waste dripping from around the edges of the chair, but her arms are absolutely stiff even though the rest of her body is shaking with undisguised terror.

Ichigo leans back against the table again, his eyes almost compassionate as he observes the broken woman. "I believe you, Joiya-san. I know how difficult this has been for you, and I hope you have redeemed yourself in the Light with the truth you tried so hard to tell. I have no more questions to ask, so before we finish this, is there anyone you wish to write a letter to? I only ask this because we both know what will likely happen to you when you are returned to the Tower."

Still weeping brokenly, Joiya Byir nods her head slowly, and Moiraine witnesses pain flashing across Ichigo's features. 'So, it seems the Captain truly does feel compassion and pity, despite his torture methods...' She watches as Ichigo removes the needle in Joiya's hand with a swift movement, one so subtle and precise that the distraught Black Ajah does not register the movement at all. Placing the needle on the tray beside him, he turns to face Moiraine.

"You can release her now, Moiraine Sedai. Just ensure that her Shield is still holding. I'll have some of the servants bring her and Amico tubs of hot water so they can clean themselves off before tonight. Fresh clothes too, if they can be found." He glances at Amico, who is huddled in one corner with her face buried in her knees. "After that, please remove the weaves preventing Amico from hearing us. No need to truss her up again, all I need is for her to answer one question."

Understanding his request, Moiraine places a new Shield on Joiya and ties it off before releasing the weave that bind Joiya's wrists to the table, as well as the weave that silences Amico's hearing. The sudden influx of hearing causes the other Black Ajah to look up, and her face drastically pales when she realizes everyone is looking at her now.

"I swear it to the Light that I repent!" Amico immediately screams as she struggles to back away from Ichigo. "I swear! I swear!"

The Guard Captain simply walks up to Amico, towering over her huddled form with his full height. Cold brown eyes stare impassively into terrified dark orbs, his eyes devoid of the compassion and pity Moiraine had previously seen in them. Slowly, Ichigo kneels down until his eyes are level with the trembling Black Ajah, and he asks a single question.

"What are the Black Ajah looking for in Tanchico to use against Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn?"

Unable to tear her terrified eyes away from Ichigo's gaze, Amico immediately blurts out the answer. "A…A set of bracelets and a collar! A device to control male Channelers!"

"W-what!?" Egwene screams as she nearly leaps to her feet. "There…there's an a'dam for men!?"

Amico rapidly nods her head as she answers, her head swiveling almost thankfully to look at Egwene instead of Ichigo. "Yes! Our Mistress told us it can be used against male Channelers! She doesn't know what it looks like, only that she knows it was made just before the Breaking or during the intervening years! All she told us was to go to Tanchico and find it so we can use it to control the Dragon! That's all I know! I swear on the Light! Please…please don't torture me…I don't know anything else…"

Ignoring the weeping woman, Moiraine glances at Ichigo to see how he will respond, only for her eyes to widen as she sees his eyes glazing over and his body staggering slightly.

Ichigo is forced to grit his teeth when the vision hits him like a sledge hammer. He can see it clearly, two bracelets and a collar linked by chains, black as night. The long-forgotten term invades his mind along with visions of why and how the device was created. Realizing that the long-term effects only spelled doom for the women trying to control any men suffering from the taint of madness.

'Domination Band.' He snarls inwardly, already hating the very concept of that item.

"Well, that's creepy as fuck. The vision is clear King; they tried to use it on the male Aes Sedai to stem their madness. Doesn't seem to have worked out the way they thought it would." Zangetsu mutters as both he and Yhwach grimace at the memory of those attempts.

'Its short-term usage could spell doom for whoever they direct the power of Saidin against, and if Rand al'Thor is really the Dragon Reborn, he's got serious power at his disposal. Enough to level a small size city if forced.' Ichigo replies tiredly.

Yhwach sums up the situation for them, before turning to address his wielder. "We now face a difficult choice ourselves, Ichigo. Do we follow Elayne and Nynaeve to ensure this does not happen, or do we go with the Aiel like we promised?"

Ichigo considers both options for a moment. '...We go to Amys. My gut's telling me we have to go.'

Any further conversation with his Zanpakutō spirits is cut off when he feels a hand rest on his shoulder. "Captain Shiba. Is there anything else you wish to question the prisoners about?"

Blinking away his daze and turning to look at the Blue Ajah, he sees a surprising look of concern in her eyes and realizes that Moiraine must have noticed him being hit by his vision. "I'm done Moiraine Sedai. Amico and Joiya can be returned to their cells... no, put them in a room with two cots at least. I'll instruct the servants to bring two tubs of hot water up for them, along with a clean change of clothes for each of them." He pauses as he glances over the room, grimacing at the mess left behind on the chair and floor. "I'll get the servants to clean up this room as well, so just leave everything where it is. Nynaeve, feel free to examine the needles if you want; good luck to finding any...'vile trickery' in them though."

He ignores the scowl being directed his way by the still bound and gagged former Wisdom, turning instead to Egwene. He sees the obvious concern in her eyes, and moves over to give her a brief hug.

"I'll see you later. I…I need some time to myself, okay?"

"Of course, Ichigo." He smiles despite the tightness he hears in Egwene's voice, knowing that she is worried because she recognizes that he must have had a vision.

The Guard Captain then turns to walk out of the room, but pauses as he looks down at the still shaking and soiled body of Joiya Byir who is lying on the floor. Amico Nagoyin huddles in her corner, looking shocked and almost delirious with relief that she has avoided his torture. He turns to look at Joiya again. "Thank you for your cooperation, Joiya, and I truly am sorry."

No one says a word as he walks out the room, the Aiel Maidens remaining behind as he begins to walk up the winding passageway towards the guard's room.

Egwene grips her fists tightly, wanting nothing more than to follow Ichigo, but knowing that he wants some time to himself. She feels so useless, knowing that the man she feels deeply for is hurting inside, but unable to do anything for him. Her temper finally erupts when she hears Nynaeve complaining again, Moiraine having released the former Wisdom from her bindings, although both Moiraine's and Egwene's Shields are still in place on her.

"Stubborn, arrogant, wool-headed lunkhead! What gives him the right to torture another being like that!? Mother must not have known what he is capable of, the Evil he is willing to go to-"

She is silenced by a resounding slap, Egwene glaring at the shocked older woman with her hand remaining outstretched and fury in her eyes. "Don't you dare ever say something like that to Ichigo again, Nynaeve! If you do…our friendship is at an end! Do you hear me!? You…you have no idea of who he is and what he has done for us, yet you constantly denigrate him like he is worthless in your eyes! He wasn't asked before he was dragged away from his lands, his people, his friends and most importantly his family, yet he still continues to fight for us against the Shadow in the only way he can! He has done all this without a single word of complaint, and I will not tolerate you insulting or belittling him any further! You will apologize to him in the coming days, or else! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?"

As her furious words echo faintly in the chamber, Egwene steadfastly refuses to look at Elayne or Moiraine, her eyes firmly fixed on the former Wisdom of Emond's Field whose face has turned completely pale save for the stinging red handprint on her cheek.

"W-what has he done to you?" Nynaeve finally whispers out, her expression filled with horror.

"And once again, you blame Ichigo." Egwene grits out angrily. "He has done nothing, Nynaeve. I simply grew up and made my own decisions. Either you accept it, or we are through." Her voice is as cold as her heart feels towards her friend at that moment.

Seeing Nynaeve gape wordlessly at her, Egwene then turns towards the Aiel Maidens, zeroing in on the one that she knows will also command Ichigo's heart one day, if Min's vision proves true at least. "Aviendha, please make sure no one disturbs Ichigo. He trusts you, Bain, Chiad and Dailin the most right now, and I need Bain to help me with the prisoners."

Aviendha had looked like she was going to retort, but her mouth slammed shut before Egwene had finished speaking. Bain nudges Aviendha none-too-subtly, her fingers flickering in that sign language Ichigo had told her the Maidens use. Whatever was said causes Aviendha to flush slightly, and she gives Egwene a curt nod before moving towards the door, only to stiffen when one of the other Spear Maidens - Jolien? - suddenly speaks up.

"Perhaps it would serve Ichigo Shiba well to know the custom of wreathes, don't you think Aviendha? I get the feeling he will need to know what they mean so he doesn't act the fool when they are placed at his feet."

If looks could kill, Egwene has no doubt that Jolien would be dead with the furious and embarrassed glare that Aviendha shoots the other Maiden before stalking out of the room. Feeling somewhat comforted that Ichigo will have someone trustworthy looking out for him, she turns back to look at Nynaeve for a few moments before finally releasing her Shield on the other woman. The former Wisdom glares at her for a few moments before looking at the other occupants of the room; when she finds no looks of support for herself, Nynaeve stalks over to the door as well, leaving behind a few cutting words in parting.

"Mark my words, Egwene al'Vere; he will be the cause of your death, just you wait."

"And you, Nynaeve, should look at his arms and torso if you ever get the chance to." She retorts coldly. "You asked what gives him the right to torture another being in such a manner? He had every single torture method that he knows performed on him first, so that he knows exactly how much pain their victims would suffer, before he was willing to learn such methods for his own use. It was the only way he could reconcile learning to cause pain on others through the use of torture. That is why he, of all people, has the right to perform such torture on others."

Nynaeve freezes at her words, her jaw working silently as she pauses in the doorway and tries to process that image. Unfortunately, their tempers had run too high, and the former Wisdom simply throws Egwene one last glare before storming out of the room.

As her temper finally turns to exhaustion, Egwene feels her legs weaken beneath her, and she would have collapsed to the floor if Moiraine hadn't grabbed her arm just in time and guided her to the bench to sit down. Bain hands her a cup of water, her other hand flicking a message to the remaining Aiel Maidens and sending one of them running out of the room. Egwene is too tired to wonder where the Maiden is going, and after thanking Bain and Moiraine for their assistance, she greedily drinks down the cool liquid before lowering the cup from her lips with a sigh. She notices that Moiraine is no longer embracing Saidar, meaning she has either tied off Nynaeve's Shield or released it - despite Nynaeve's behavior, Egwene hopes it is the latter - and the Blue Ajah is now watching her contemplatively. Not wanting to interact with her former role model right now, Egwene glances to her side, where she sees her other friend, the flame-haired Andoran princess studying her quietly with a face that is still pale. After several long moments, Elayne Trakand smooths her dress before addressing Egwene with a sigh.

"She's going to go to Rand, Egwene. It is the only choice she has now."

Egwene gives her a tired smile. "I know, but it doesn't matter, Ichigo and I will leave as soon as he can make arrangements with Rhuarc." She glances at the watching Aes Sedai. "Moiraine Sedai, is there anything you can do to help?"

The Blue Ajah tilts her head down towards her. "I'll do what I can Egwene. Rand and Ichigo share a common trait if you haven't learnt by now: it's called stubbornness, something I think they both possess just to make any woman's life as miserable and difficult around them as possible. Don't worry about them; after you see to the prisoners, I want you both to eat and get some rest."

With a sigh of her own then, Moiraine's eyes gain a faraway look. "The night is coming upon us quicker than I thought, and it bodes us ill to stand divided. I shall speak to you both at a later time."

With those cryptic words, the Cairhienin noblewoman glides out of the dungeon, the approaching Guardsmen and servants bowing in deference to the Aes Sedai known to be travelling with the Dragon Reborn.

"Is it true, Egwene?" Elayne suddenly asks her. "About Captain Ichigo's... umm, training, that is."

Egwene nods tiredly. "Every word of it. He's too stubbornly noble to use such terrible methods without first having it done to himself, just to ease his conscience."

"I see..." The two friends then lapse into silence, watching as Guardsmen and Servants enter the room to lead the two prisoners away, the Aiel Maidens leaving with the prisoners while several servants stay behind to start cleaning up the mess. Egwene is startled when Elayne suddenly speaks up once again.

"Why do I get the feeling that the night Moiraine Sedai speaks of refers not to the end of day, but something far worse?" The Andoran Princess wonders quietly.

Egwene reaches over and takes Elayne's hand, gripping it comfortingly with hers. "Because I think you are right, she is referring to something else. There is growing Darkness that will engulf us all, and if we don't stand united, we will soon see nothing but Darkness forever."

XXXX

After leaving to follow Ichigo, Aviendha hurriedly trots down the hallway that is the only direct route that leads away from the dungeon. She soon catches up to him but follows him at a discrete distance, her worry only growing as she sees his shoulders slumping and his hand occasionally snapping out and hitting the stone wall as he speaks angrily in the language of his people. He pauses only once as he stops before the final door that opens up to the upper floors of the fortress. Hearing him barking at the fearful guards to hurry up and open the door, she frowns as she wonders if what happened between him and Nynaeve is truly what is bothering him.

She quickly passes through the door before the Defenders have a chance to close it, though it is almost laughable to imagine them actually shutting the door in the face of an Aiel, and as she looks to see where he is, she notices several of her Spear Sisters giving her looks of concern. Passing by several Far Dareis Mai, she sees one of them looking in the direction Ichigo had taken.

'What happened?' The young Maiden signs when she sees Aviendha.

Aviendha answers with a quick flicker. 'He interrogated the Black Aes Sedai and the rude Accepted tried to stop him. She is likely on her way to see the Dragon now to have him removed. Let me know if anyone asks to bring him to the Dragon.'

The Spear Maiden nods. 'I will.'

Giving the woman a grateful look, Aviendha hurries on again and sees that Ichigo is indeed going straight to his room, one situated right beside the stairwell leading down to the servants' quarters, which those foolish Wetlanders fail to guard. Normally Ichigo would have bypassed the Defenders entirely and entered through the servants' quarters, but in his current state she can only imagine that he is in a hurry. However, he still stops when a familiar young girl calls out him in the hallway leading to his room. Aviendha feels the knot in her stomach grow as she observes the forced smile that forms on his lips as he stoops down and talks to the young child, the daughter of a minor Tairen Lord of the Land who he had performed his tricks for after the battle. Giving the young child an affectionate ruffle to her hair, he stands up and watches as she runs off with a wave goodbye, then he finishes his journey as quickly as he can. Aviendha waits around the corner until he makes his way inside his room, then she slowly approaches it and stands outside trying to decide if she should enter. As she stands there however, she hears a sound coming from inside the room, one that causes her to rush in quickly. What she finds inside is not what she had expected to see.

Ichigo is bent over his chamber pot, the porcelain container shaking in his death grip as he violently throws up over and over again. Freezing with indecision, she finally bolts out of his room and spots one of the Tairen servants coming down the hallway.

"I need water and linen! Where are they!?" She shouts as she suddenly corners the woman.

"T-There!" The woman squeaks as she points to a small alcove with a door. "There are water and towels there!"

Moving quickly and not seeing the woman collapse in relief, Aviendha pulls open the door, finding several pitchers of water sitting in the alcove along with several plates, bowls and towels stacked neatly to the sides. She grabs a pitcher of water, a bowl and numerous towels before dashing back into Ichigo's room, closing the door behind her. When he looks up at the sound and she sees his eyes filled with pain, she nearly balks at having to approach him, but reminded that Egwene had asked her to look after him, she begins to move determinedly towards him.

"Egwene al'Vere asked me to look after you, Ichigo Shiba." She offers as she kneels next to him and places the bowl on the floor before pouring water into it. Taking one of the towels, she places it gently in the water and after wringing it out, she hands it to him to clean himself up.

Ichigo stares at it for a long moment, his face still pale as he finally pushes the chamber pot away and leans backwards onto his heels. Taking the offered towel with a nod of thanks, he scrubs his face and mouth vigorously before dropping it next to the chamber pot with a sigh.

"C-can I have another one Aviendha?" He asks her with a hoarse whisper.

Not saying a word, she dips another towel into the water and wrings it out before handing it to him as well.

Watching him scrub the back of his neck and wipe off his hands, Ichigo finally drops his head as his fingers grip the towel he is still holding onto tightly. "I dislike having to torture people. Suì-Fēng and Yoruichi always sat in on my questioning of criminals, and after I was done, one or both would always take me back to their room to help me recover. Yoruichi more so as she knew I hated what I did. Part of you dies when you torture someone, even if they deserve it; it still tears at your soul to know what you are willingly doing to another living person. In my case, it is worse, I always feel like I am failing to honor my Kaa-chan's sacrifice. Even Rukia knew I had a problem with even handing down physical punishment, which is why she would normally see to it that it was dealt with by someone else if any member of our Squad warranted such a punishment, unless in the most extreme of cases, I had to deal out the punishment myself."

Pausing, he tosses the second towel next to the first one. "If…if what I did down there bothers you Aviendha, I will understand if you don't want to associate yourself with me…"

He doesn't even manage to finish speaking before she punches him in the face, a snarl forming on her lips as she jumps onto top of his startled body and grabs him by his jacket, jerking his face towards hers. "I. Am. Far Dareis Mai. I am not like those weak Wetlander women who faint at the sight of blood and vomit. I once said your honor is mine, and unless you think me a fool, you WILL continue to uphold it."

Looking into his brown orbs, her eyes soften slightly as she speaks. "I do not pretend to know all of you Ichigo, but I would think after the time we have spent together, I would understand who you are, just like you understand who we are. I did not see evil in what you did to that Shadowrunner, only a warrior who did what he must. I did not see weakness, only a warrior who understood the cost of his actions." She places a hand over his heart. "I saw the man who danced beside me against Shadow-twisted and Wetlanders alike, the man who teaches my people his people's way of fighting. The man I trust with my life and my dance. You, Ichigo Shiba, are someone I want to know forever inside this dream."

Ichigo looks at her with wide eyes. "Aviendha, I'm…" His head and hers jerk towards the door that opens with a creak, revealing the Spear Maiden that Aviendha had spoken with earlier.

'Wetlander woman comes for Blademaster, bringing him to see the Dragon.' She signs quickly, before stepping aside as an extremely beautiful and richly-dressed woman glides into the room, elegant eyebrows arching at seeing Ichigo and Aviendha sitting before a bunch of soiled towels and a chamber pot.

"Captain Shiba, I presume?" The long-black-haired ruler of Mayene speaks with a lilting voice that is tinged with no small amount of curiosity. "Am I interrupting?"

A small frown forms on Aviendha's lips as she sees Berelain's eyes lingering on Ichigo a bit too long for her tastes. "Yes." She answers brusquely. "Go away."

Folding her hands in front of her, the First of Mayene smirks as she replies. "I cannot do that unfortunately, as I have been commanded to bring Captain Shiba to see the Dragon…"

Ichigo's voice interrupts her words before she can complete the sentence. "I am no damn dog who obediently jumps to answer his master's call, and the Dragon is no master of mine. Tell al'Thor that if he wants to speak to me, he can find me on the parapet near the dock gate. Come on Aviendha, I need some fresh air."

Getting to her feet with Ichigo, Aviendha grins at the look of shock on the noblewoman's face, and she can't help but feel a surge of pride for Ichigo at putting the Wetlander in her place. She knows all too well that this man beside her is a warrior, and unlike the weak Wetlanders who try so hard to curry favor with Rand al'Thor, Ichigo is content with staying out of his way or meeting him on equal terms. She also knows the only reason he is still in Tear is because Egwene is here, and they are both waiting for Rhuarc to finish his preparations for the return to the Three-fold Land. Which does cause her some discomfort, knowing that there is a very strong bond between Ichigo and Egwene, one which seems to be forming between herself and the Wetlander girl as well, and their return to the Three-fold Land will see her having to face the Wise Ones.

Lost in her thoughts, she barely hears the Wetlander woman speaking to Ichigo again in disbelief. "You would disobey the summons of the Dragon?"

Ichigo rolls his eyes as he replies to the Mayener. "He's your damn Lord Dragon, not mine. I didn't vote for him."

"Vote? What?" Berelain asks him confusedly as they walk past her.

Ichigo pauses and addresses the startled woman. "Berelain-san, I swore my oaths to the ruler of my lands, and they are nowhere near this place. I will not swear my oaths to the Dragon, since I don't even know him well enough to call him an acquaintance yet, and he certainly has no ownership or rule over me. If he wants to, he can earn my friendship and loyalty, just as the Aiel have, and just like I know I have in the eyes of many of them in return. If he wants to prove to me he's worth following, he can come to me and speak to me himself. Not send a lackey to do his bidding. You can tell him exactly what I said and where he can find me if he's got any issues with me."

As Ichigo continues walking, Aviendha stops and turns to the woman. "Do not enter his room without hearing him give you permission again, Wetlander."

Berelain frowns at her, a challenge in her eyes. "Why, do you have a claim on him?" The Mayener asks her with an added sultry emphasis in her words.

Nearly scoffing at the attempt to provoke her, Aviendha only smirks in response. "Perhaps, perhaps not, but I do know you are not the type of woman he seeks, nor are you worthy of his attention by the way you have been throwing yourself around. I have heard how you have sought both Rand al'Thor's and Perrin Aybara's affections, poorly I might add. I understand that the Wetlanders use a word to describe such women, a courtesan. Are you perhaps one in disguise?"

The dark-haired noblewoman's eyes glint dangerously at the reminder as she steps closer to Aviendha. "I will take what I want, whenever I want. If you and that other child are incapable of treating him the way a man like him needs to be, I shall show you both how it is done."

Aviendha's hand begins to drift to her dagger when she is stopped when a familiar man's voice calling out. "Aviendha, Berelain."

Glancing at the open doorway, she sees Rhuarc standing there with disappointment in his facial features, the Spear Maiden who had warned her of Berelain's approach waiting behind him.

"I see you Rhuarc." Aviendha replies as she drops her gaze politely.

Berelain turns and curtseys to the Aiel chieftain as well. "Greetings, Rhuarc."

"Berelain, you will come with me. Rand al'Thor sent me to look for you." Rhuarc informs the older woman, then he looks at Aviendha. "Weren't you going somewhere?"

Aviendha glares at the Mayener one last time before she walks away. "I'll be on the parapets with Ichigo if you need me Rhuarc."

XXXX

After reaching the parapets overlooking one of the smaller courtyards, this one being the one used to unload supplies that were barged to the Fortress docks, Ichigo gives the few Defenders of the Stone standing guard a brief nod of acknowledgement as he moves past them towards a group of Aiel sitting together as a group. As he approaches the group, he finds reason to smile when he notices the Stone Dog he has learned is named Gaul once again trading quips with Chiad and losing to the Maiden's wittier responses again. Waving to Bain as she notices him, he moves to stand next to the Maiden, leaning downwards to speak to her.

"Has he gotten any closer?"

Bain shakes her head with a wry grin. "No, this Stone Dog is much too stubborn to realize he has no chance to woo a Far Dareis Mai's heart properly."

The other Aiel begin laughing loudly and then louder still when Chiad adds her own comments. "I believe he would sing beautifully if he were made Gai'shain."

Ichigo shakes his head as he remembers Aviendha and Bain explaining to him what they did to men who allowed themselves to be made Gai'shain to the Maiden they are interested in, during one of the previous occasions when he had asked about Chiad and Gaul after witnessing a bout of them trading quips.

"What about you Ichigo, would you be willing to learn how to sing if you wanted to show your interest for a certain Spear Sister?" Gaul asks him with a grin.

"I wouldn't need to learn how to sing Gaul, I already know how to. When I was with my friends, we had what we called a Karaoke night; we would sing the verses of songs while a group of musicians would play the melody for us to sing to." Ichigo eyes glaze over in remembrance as he remembers the first night his sisters and his friends from the World of the Living had brought a portable karaoke machine to Squad Thirteen during their visit. Much to his amusement and later chagrin, the Squad had kept the machine and there were many weekends where the Squad would have team competitions amongst themselves. He also remembers his team that consisted of him, Rukia, Rangiku and Momo that won many of the Karaoke competitions.

"You can sing?" One of the Aiel Maidens asks in surprise. "Would you show us then?"

Startled at first and ready to refuse, he notices all the Aiel looking at him, not with mockery in their eyes, but with genuine interest. Hearing footsteps approaching them, he sees Aviendha trotting up to them as well, her eyes widening as Chiad flickers a message with her fingers. Seeing Aviendha's eager eyes turning towards him, Ichigo sighs before nodding his head agreeably.

"I'll sing a common lullaby of my people. It is called Chūgoku chihō no komoriuta, mothers would often sing this to their children." Sitting down beside the Aiel, he waits for Aviendha to sit with him before he begins to sing to their group softly.

"Nenneko shasshari mase,

Neta ko no kawaisa.

Okite naku ko no

Nenkororo, tsura nikusa.

Nenkororon, nenkororon.

Nenneko shasshari mase,

Kyō wa nijūgo-nichi sa.

Asu wa kono ko no,

Nenkororo, Miya-mairi.

Nenkororon, nenkororon.

Miya e maitta toki,

Nan to yūte ogamu sa.

Issho kono ko no,

Nenkororo, mame na yō ni.

Nenkororon, nenkororon."

As he finishes singing the words of the lullaby, he remembers the first time he had heard Yoruichi singing it as he washed her back after she had returned from a mission from the World of the Living.

'I haven't heard anyone singing that since Kaa-chan passed away. What made you decide to sing that tonight?' He had asked her.

Yoruichi's answer had made his heart swell as she had turned to look back at him. 'I wanted to be sure I could remember it for when I have our children, Ichigo.'

Focusing back on the present, he sees that the Aiel are all watching him with respectful silence, several of them staring at him in wonder. Seeing that Aviendha is one of those with wide eyes, he is about to speak to her when an alarm suddenly begins to sound out through the courtyard. Twisting as he hears guttural roars coming from below him, Ichigo leans over the parapet and sees the gates that line the docks exploding inwards as a mass of Trollocs storm the courtyard and begin to rush inside. His mind immediately jumps to full battle awareness as he begins yelling orders to the stunned Defenders who are simply staring down at beasts in horror and disbelief.

"Snap out of it you fools! Starting shooting them! We have to defend the Stone dammit!" He rushes past them and into the nearby guard house, grabbing several bows and arrow-filled quivers and shoving them into the arms of the Defenders before rushing back to the Aiel who are already raining death down on the invading Shadowspawn.

Slinging his borrowed quiver about him and pulling back with his first arrow, he sends the arrow directly into the face of the first eyeless Fade he spots leading the horde, and frowns when none of the Trollocs seem to fall with the Myrddraal, indicating that they aren't linked to it, just like the Trollocs that ambushed him outside Tear. Scowling at this added nuisance, Ichigo glances into the courtyard, he sees the Defenders of the Stone firing down into the invading army as well, with a handful of Defenders led by more competent officers forming ranks and pushing their way down into the courtyard to battle the twisted animal-human hybrids on foot, with many of the Aiel leaping down to join them.

Despite their best efforts however, the defenders are slowly being pushed back by the waves of inhuman beings, and Ichigo hears Zangetsu swearing when it begins to look like the Aiel and Defenders will be quickly overrun.

"King, we have to do something soon dammit! They can't hold out for much longer!"

'I know! I know!' He shouts back internally. 'We're being forced into revealing ourselves! I…I'm not sure I'm ready yet!'

"Decide soon Ichigo, or many lives will be lost among the Aiel and Tairens." Yhwach remarks as he too feels the world is conspiring to force his wielder into the spotlight.

As they shoot down another Myrddraal attempting to cut its way forward, two events suddenly stand out in Ichigo's mind. First, a sudden push from the Trolloc horde sends many of the Defenders sprawling, the guardsmen beginning to abandon their places among the lines as their morale quickly crumbles. Second, Ichigo sees the same young girl he had encountered on his way back to his room crying over a woman's body in the courtyard, the battle lines surging ever closer to her but her eyes are only on the body that has a Trolloc arrow embedded in it. Snarling as his mind is made up, Ichigo releases his power.

XXXX

Firing rapidly into the endless tide of Shadowwrought, Aviendha hears Bain cry out, and her eyes glance over to her Spear Sister's side only to see Ichigo toss away his bow and jump to the top of the parapet. Her hand instinctively reaches out to try and stop him from falling to his death as he begins to lean forward dangerously over the edge, a strange feeling of danger seeming to pulse in the air.

Blink.

Ichigo falls forward, his hands grabbing his swords from his back and waist and drawing them as he begins to run downwards as if descending a flight of stairs, the feeling of danger in the air intensifying.

Blink.

His clothes suddenly burst and change into loose black clothing, covered by a long white sleeveless jacket that forms over them, his swords changing into monstrous blades that seem almost impossible to wield, yet seeming almost natural in his hands as he suddenly disappears from her vision.

Blink.

A strange blue light suddenly crashes down upon the courtyard, dividing the main body of Shadow-twisted from the collapsing line of Defenders and Aiel. Aviendha grabs the sides of the opening of the parapet and sees Ichigo standing before the entire might of the Trolloc army by himself, the wall of light at his back and a strange dark glow beginning to engulf his body.

Blink.

The dark glow begins to flow along both of Ichigo blades as he crosses them in front of his body, the sense of danger overwhelming her senses and his voice clearly heard as he sweeps both blades forward.

"Getsuga Jūjishō!"

Blink.

There is a thundering boom as crossed waves of black light launch forward from Ichigo's strange blades and smash into the first lines of Trollocs and Fades, the shockwave blowing half their army off their feet and throwing up a massive cloud of dust.

Blink.

Aviendha watches as the bodies of the Shadowsouled disintegrate under the impact of Ichigo's power. Each following swing of his swords releases additional waves of black light that tear through the horde until there are only a few Trollocs left trying to crawl away. She is unable to take her eyes off of Ichigo as he raises one of his hands towards the shattered gateway leading towards the docks, and a strange orange barrier suddenly appears in the entryway, cutting off the rest of the invasion force that is trying to force its way inside.

"They're using barges to get inside!" Someone shouts from the parapet closest to the river and docks.

Blink.

Ichigo disappears, and she frantically looks around for him but cannot find him. She then hears his voice speaking, and it somehow echoes clearly throughout the courtyard.

"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hadō Sixty-Three: Raikōhō!"

A bright yellow flash lights up the courtyard from above, and she glances up to see Ichigo somehow standing in the air above them, lightning streaking from his hand and disappearing behind the thick outer walls of the Stone with a dull boom and thud. Ichigo repeats his words four more times before he stops and begins to drop down. As she feels herself screaming his name, his body suddenly slows down just above the courtyard filled with stunned spectators, both Wetlander and Aiel alike. She watches as he lightly drops the last few feet to the ground, sheathing his swords and quickly marching towards a crying young child who is shaking the body of a woman who has a Trolloc arrow sticking out of her shoulder, the Wetlanders and Aiel in his way hurriedly making a path for him.

She doesn't witness what happens next as she is already rushing down the stairs, hoping to get to Ichigo as fast as she can.

'Just what are you, Ichigo Shiba?'

XXXX

He pauses briefly when he feels a large amount of Saidin being wielded from somewhere inside the Stone, along with a strange lightning that strikes out and kills the few wounded Trollocs left in the courtyard and the surviving trapped Shadowspawn between his Dankū and the fires he had unintentionally set when he destroyed the barges carrying the Trollocs, Fades and their Darkfriend crewmen. Still in slight disbelief at the fact that the Shadowspawn had invaded by the water, he dashes towards the small girl who is still sobbing over the body of her mother, all too aware of the people who are making way before him. Stopping next to the child, he drops down to his knees and places a hand on her small shoulder.

"Shhh, she's gonna be okay. I'm here to help your mother." Ichigo says as he studies the arrow sticking through the woman's shoulder, noting that it was a clean wound and the woman was just unconscious from shock and blood loss. "I need you to be strong for your Kaa-chan, okay?"

The young girl looks confused by the unfamiliar word but she begins nodding her head as she grips her mother's hand, dutifully trying to wipe the tears still streaming down her face. Ichigo gives her a smile and he turns to look at the unconscious woman. "This is going to hurt at first but I'll need to remove it now or she'll get infected." Looking around, he spots the broken shaft of an Aiel arrow and quickly breaks it into a smaller piece, placing it between the noblewoman's teeth. "If you can hear me, bite down."

Waiting for a moment, Ichigo lifts her body and breaks off the back half of the thick-shafted arrow with a quick snap, then pulls the remaining half out through her shoulder. The noblewoman jerks awake and begins to scream, her mouth instinctively biting down on the arrow shaft between her teeth as the pain overwhelms her senses. As her daughter begins to panic and she begins to faint again, Ichigo quickly places his hand on her bleeding wound and applies Kaidō to stem the blood flow, before beginning to repair her wound.

The little girl gasps as she sees her mother's wound beginning to close. "Are... are you the Dragon Reborn, Mister Ichigo?" She stammers, trying to put together an explanation that her young mind can understand.

Hearing the gasps coming from the people around him, Ichigo turns to look at the young girl and shakes his head quietly. "I am not the Dragon Reborn, little one. My power is not based in Saidin nor is it based in Saidar ; it is called Reiryoku, and it is not tainted by the Shadow. What I am using to heal your mother is called Kaidō, the Healing Arts."

It is then that Ichigo realizes everyone is just staring at him, and his anger nearly boils over when he realizes that they are ignoring their own dead and wounded.

"Stop gawking you assholes and get the wounded inside to get help with their injuries! What the hell is wrong with you morons!?"

He continues glaring even as the Aiel and the Tairens come to their senses and begin to gather their wounded for healing, others among them beginning to gather their dead. Next to him, he is surprised when the little girl begins to giggle at him, and wondering why she was doing so, he asks her.

"Because Daddy yells at my older brothers the same you do Mister Ichigo." She tells him with a giggle.

Unable to help it, he begins to laugh himself as he finishes healing the noble woman whose sickly pale skin is now a healthier pink.

"Can you show me to your rooms? Your mother needs her bed so she can rest easier." He tells the little girl.

"Yes, Mister Ichigo!" The little girl quickly gets to her feet as Ichigo lifts her mother in a bridal carry. "Right this way!"

Following behind the little noble girl, he just misses the sight of Aviendha and her Spear Sisters hurrying into the courtyard, each of them looking for him.

XXXX

Nynaeve tugs her braid as she, Egwene, and Elayne leave the room of recovering soldiers, each of them newly Healed from the wounds they had taken in the recent invasion on the Stone. The former Wisdom is feeling rather irate, though her foul mood has nothing to do with the wounded soldiers. No, those men were properly grateful for the Healing they were offered, and some of them recognized and thanked her for the Healing she had given them after the initial Aiel invasion. No, what has her hackles rising is the fact that according to the wounded soldiers, they were placed in this room specifically to promote Healing. Whoever had organized the wounded had confiscated several of the larger, open rooms of the nobles and had them converted into sickrooms to house those who had suffered while defending the Stone from the Trollocs, rather than returning them to the cramped soldiers' barracks where healing would have been made more difficult, and she has a very good idea of who was in charge. The fact that Captain Ichigo Shiba had once again stepped on her toes by organizing the healing efforts without so much as speaking to her really has her itching to chew him out.

Before the unexpected attack on the Stone, she had been on her way to find Rand al'Thor to have a word with him about the disruptive Captain, but somehow, she had managed to keep missing wherever Rand was. She knew her anger was growing more rapidly the longer she was kept from speaking to Rand to have Captain Shiba removed from the Stone and hopefully cut off from contact with Egwene, but she didn't have any better solution in mind. She had finally come across Lan while searching, and as she was asking him if he knew where Rand was, the attack suddenly began and she was being dragged along by hand to where Moiraine was overseeing part of the battle.

It felt like days as the Trollocs fought against the Defenders and Aiel, it was fortunate that her anger was still ablaze as it allowed her to embrace Saidar immediately and join with Moiraine in a circle, allowing the more experienced Aes Sedai to wield the One Power more effectively against the Trollocs and Fades that had somehow managed to get inside the Stone of Tear. After an eternity of fighting and once the battle was deemed finished, Moiraine had left to find Rand with Lan at her side, while Nynaeve was found by one of the few brave servants still traversing the hallways and asked if she could help with Healing the wounded. Despite wanting to go find Rand with Moiraine, her duty to the injured came first, and she reluctantly followed the servant to where the wounded were being housed. When she entered the first room however, she was surprised to find Egwene and Elayne already in there. Pushing aside the recent issues that had cropped up between them, Nynaeve choose to focus on Healing those in need, the two younger Accepted helpfully forming a circle with her so she could better apply her Healing.

Rather worn out from the constant Healing, as the trio approach the last door, they pause when they hear laughter and soft voices emanating from within the room instead of the expected moans and perhaps a few screams of pain that they had experienced from the previous rooms. Exchanging quizzical looks with her companions, Nynaeve pushes open the door warily and finds the room filled with only Aiel.

"Who is in need of Healing?" Elayne calls out softly into the room, directing her question towards the Aiel standing closest to the door they were at.

The young Aielman shakes his head as he answers. "None. Captain Shiba has already healed everyone. He is back there with Gaul and Rhuarc if you wish to speak to him."

Nynaeve and Elayne both gain shocked looks, the former Wisdom whipping around to stare at Egwene, but the younger woman is already pushing past them and heading towards the back of the room where a small crowd of Aiel seem to be surrounding a bed or something. Mouth twisting into a frown, Nynaeve follows her, with Elayne following both of them. As they approach the gathered Aiel, one of the Aielmen spot their approach and motion for several of the other warriors to step aside, giving the three Accepted a clear path to approach the bed. Rhuarc and Bael turn out to be sitting across the bed from the man who is the current center of attention; what Nynaeve sees him doing causes her blood to run cold.

Sitting in on a chair opposite of the two Aiel Chiefs, Ichigo Shiba is running his hands over several black blades that are laid out on the bed, his hands covered in a soft glowing green light.

Her worst fears realized, Nynaeve angrily embraces Saidar and slams a Shield down on the deceptive Captain, already preparing to bind him with Air should he attempt to attack them. "Elayne, Egwene! Shield him! He's a male…"

"Are you quite done with this nonsense yet, Nynaeve al'Meara?" Ichigo interrupts her shouts, his voice bearing a faint trace of scorn. To her horror, the green glow around his hands still persists, and he continues to run them along the length of the ebony blades without any care of the Shield that was placed on him.

"He is not a Channeler Nynaeve al'Meara." Rhuarc's strong voice speaks up calmly. "If he was a male Channeler then you would not be able to see his power, correct? I have been told that Saidin is invisible to female Channelers, such as yourself, Elayne and Egwene. Ichigo has already explained what his power is to us, and we are satisfied that he is no danger to us after he healed the Aiel without making any requests of us."

Nynaeve just stares at them in disbelief. "But, he..!"

"Ichigo is Shielded, and he is still using his power." Egwene interrupts her, turning to look at her straight in the eyes. "What does that tell you Nynaeve?"

"That his power..." Is not affected by being cut off from the Source, or has ways to bypass such a barrier. Nynaeve isn't sure which one shocks her more. "But, how?"

"And why?" Elayne suddenly speaks up, the Andoran princess also holding Saidar as she stares at both Ichigo and Egwene with suspicion. "Why show us now? Captain Shiba has hidden his power from us all this time, so why let us find out?"

With two sets of eyes staring at her in question, the dark-haired young woman asks them suddenly. "Do you remember what the wounded soldiers were saying two rooms back?"

"You mean how the Dragon Reborn came down and swept the docks clean of Trollocs and Myrddraal with a sword of darkness and spells of light?" Elayne repeats, before her eyes widen suddenly in realization. "Do... do you mean!?"

Egwene nods, seeing Nynaeve's eyes widen as well. "Yes, that was Ichigo using his powers; he used them to protect the Defenders and Aiel from being overrun at the docks during the invasion." She informs them proudly.

"... And since I had already revealed my powers, I figured it would be easier on Egwene if I let both of you see them in person." Ichigo finishes for her. "So here we are now."

Both Elayne and Nynaeve stare at them again, the Daughter-Heir looking serious while the former Wisdom still looks shocked. Elayne finally breaks the silence, addressing her words to Egwene. "Is this the secret you were hiding from us all this time, Egwene?"

The dark-haired young woman nods solemnly at her best friend. "Yes, Elayne. I also know the truth of Ichigo's background and the source of his powers, but once again those are his secrets to tell, not mine. I can assure you that they aren't related to the One Power however, and Ichigo has battled the Dark One's forces before me several times, even one of his Champions once: knowing what I know, there is simply no way that I would believe Ichigo serves the Dark One in any way, shape or form."

The reddish-gold haired Princess frowns at them. "Without seeing any of that proof, I find it hard to believe as you do. Egwene, you know this is simply far too incredible to be believed... is this why you've refused to even try and explain to either of us?"

Egwene sighs. "If it was just you, Elayne, I would have tried... but Nynaeve would not have believed a word of it no matter what I said, that I do not doubt."

With attention drawn back to Nynaeve once more, the former Wisdom finds herself under scrutiny by not just both Accepted, but also by the Captain in question and a room full of Aiel - whose hands, she realizes belatedly, are all resting casually on their weapons. Her eyes drift back to the Captain once more, seeing his brown orbs piercing hers as he waits for her next move, seemingly unaffected by the tense air in the room and the Shield still cutting him from the Source.

"... Just who are you, Ichigo Shiba?" She finally demands through gritted teeth. "What are your intentions towards Egwene?"

Perhaps sensing the desperate sincerity of her words, the orange-haired man matches her gaze fully, his brown eyes never wavering from hers. "My origins before becoming a Captain of the White Tower Guard are something I will keep secret for a while more, at least until we meet with Moiraine and Rand to explain my actions. My secrets are known to the Amyrlin however, and that is why she has entrusted me with her authority to fight against the Shadow. As for Egwene..." He shoots a brief glance towards the dark-haired young woman before returning his gaze to Nynaeve. "We share a bond that may one day become something more, and I will guard her life and safety to the very best of my ability. That is all I will tell you."

Nynaeve takes a step forward, heedless of the sudden bristling coming from the Aiel surrounding them. "Swear it!" She all but demands of him. "Swear that you have no intention to hurt Egwene, that you have no intention to betray her and side with the Dark One!"

With her gaze focused on him, she easily notices the brief glazing over of his eyes as he seems to lose focus for but a moment, but then they are focused back on hers almost immediately afterwards with a new and terrible intensity to them. She feels her heart beating almost fearfully as his eyes seem to flash gold and his mouth opens.

"By the Light and our hope of salvation and rebirth, by the Creator and the grave of our mother, I, Kurosaki Shiba Ichigo, have never and will never do any ill towards Egwene al'Vere, and by our very existence we will serve as shield and sword against the Dark One and all who take his side."

Nynaeve blinks, feeling like something has just happened, but not quite sure what it is. Dismissing that feeling, she stares instead at the Captain, willing herself to see any lies, any deceit at all in his gaze and his body... but she finds absolutely nothing, not even with all her training as a Wisdom and the enhanced perception granted to her by Saidar. Feeling her shoulders sag in defeat, she finally releases Saidar, allowing the Shield on him to dissipate.

"Then... it seems I have no choice but to accept your words, Captain Shiba." She tells him quietly, feeling the anger and distrust she has towards him simply evaporate in the wake of her words. Feeling tired and drained of emotion, she glances towards Egwene, the girl she has taken care of for so long... then Elayne, who is standing beside her. Wanting to say something, but not having any words to say, Nynaeve finally turns wordlessly, intending to return to her room alone.

She is stopped by a hand that catches her by the wrist; glancing back, she sees Egwene looking faintly determined, before pulling her to the bed and making her take a seat beside Ichigo Shiba, who looks faintly bewildered by her actions as well.

"Egwene doesn't want to drive you away, Nynaeve... she just wants you to get along with Captain Shiba." Elayne explains on the other young woman's behalf, the Andoran Princess also releasing Saidar as she steps up to join them with a smile for her best friend. Egwene just looks faintly embarrassed, Ichigo looks somewhat amused, and there is a collective feeling of tension being released as the Aiel all relax into more natural positions. None of them notice Rhuarc and Bael exchanging a look that to the Aiel are equivalent to rolled eyes at all this drama.

"... I see." Nynaeve can't find it in herself to argue or disagree as she usually would, her eyes drifting towards the Guard Captain who hasn't said a word after his oath. "Then…then what is he doing now?" She asks as she watches Ichigo still running his glowing hand over the swords.

Ichigo hesitates, then he moves aside somewhat. "Sit next to me Nynaeve, and I'll explain to you what I am looking for. Right now, my hands are glowing because I'm using an ability to discern the makeup of these swords; I felt something the first time I crossed blades with the Myrddraal during my journey to Tear, and now I'm trying to verify it from the weapons we salvaged after the battle. If you help me with your skills, I believe I'll be able to come to a more accurate conclusion. And so help me if I am right about what I think this is, I am going to kill that fucker in the North when I get to him."

"That what?" Nynaeve just gives him a deadpan look, torn between wanting to smack the infuriating man for his language or helping him find out what is wrong with the twisted black swords. Looking to her right, she sees Elayne's eyes pleading with her to help, and when she turns to her left, Egwene gives her the same look. Sighing inwardly, she reluctantly nods.

"What is that you need me to do, Captain Shiba?"

He beckons her to pull her chair closer. "Sit here, and when I ask you to Delve the swords, please do so from a distance. Don't touch the swords directly if you can, I'm suppressing their innate corruption, but I don't think I can filter out the interference if you touch them directly."

Thus forewarned, Nynaeve moves her chair closer to the Captain, narrowing her eyes when she sees him grimace slightly. Absently opening herself to Saidar, she is relieved to feel the One Power flow through her body, though she doesn't miss the gasps coming from Egwene and Elayne as she does. Frowning at them in slight irritation, she turns back to look at the orange-haired Captain, who gives her a nod and asks her to Delve the swords when she is ready. Remembering his cautions, she does so without touching them, then she fervently wishes that she hadn't as she feels nausea building rapidly in her stomach, her eyes unable to tear themselves away from the twisted atrocities lying on the bed before her.

"W-what is going on?" She hoarsely whispers as her Weave continues to feed unwanted information directly to her mind. "Just... what is this?"

Seeing the strain on her expression, Ichigo hurriedly grabs her shoulder. "You can stop now Nynaeve, you've helped me get the confirmation I needed." He pauses before adding. "Thank you."

Nynaeve forces herself to release Saidar, then she turns to one side and helplessly vomits onto the floor, unable to help herself after the horrors she had felt from those cursed weapons. She vomits several times before a damp towel is handed to her and she feels someone rubbing her back comfortingly, a cup filled with water being handed to her after she has wiped her mouth.

"Swish the water and spit it out before you drink, Nynaeve." Egwene gently tells her as she rubs the back of the former Wisdom.

Nynaeve does so, before hurriedly drinking the rest of the cup and handing it back to Egwene. "Thank you."

"You're welcome Nynaeve." The Wisdom sees a genuine smile on the younger woman's face as she takes back the cup.

It finally occurs to Nynaeve that she has just thrown up in a room full of Aiel, and her face immediately colors in embarrassment and anger, half wondering if Captain Shiba had asked her to Delve those cursed weapons on purpose to humiliate her. As she turns her angered gaze on him however, she sees a serious expression on his face as his hand flickers towards the two Aiel Chiefs, both of them also wearing serious expressions as they nod before they get up and motion for their Aiel to join them.

Seeing that none of the Aiel seem to be mocking her, Nynaeve straightens out her dress before turning to Ichigo and demanding to know just what that was about. She regrets finding out when he motions towards the cursed weapons lying on the bed and tells them.

"Those were weapons wielded by the Myrddraal, and after your reaction, I am now certain that there are human souls trapped inside those blades. I don't know how they are doing it, but they are sacrificing humans in the forging of those blades. Their cursed wounds are literally being powered by the trapped souls; as the souls die, the blade gets weaker, but their victims have their souls stolen to power it further. That is why Trollocs and Myrddraal raid across the border as frequently as they do; to them, humans are not only food, they are also raw materials for their weapons." Ichigo's barely contained rage is palpable even through the sick feeling they are getting from the image he paints. "That is why I said I'd kill that bastard in the North the first chance I get. If I was sure I could get to him without too much trouble, I'd have left already for the Blight to attack him, but after my run-in with Lanfear a few weeks back I'm not sure what defenses will be in place."

"When did you fight Lanfear!?" Egwene shouts in horror, while Elayne looks pale and ready to throw up as well. Nynaeve is the only one who manages to retain her composure, having thrown up earlier, and she is the one who figures out who Ichigo is talking about.

"You... you plan to attack Shayol Ghul and the Dark One in person!? That is madness!"

Ichigo simply gives Nynaeve a wry look. "He is also the Father of Lies, Sightblinder, and the false Lord of the Grave...until he is truly defeated, his power and armies will only continue to grow as he continues biding his time in wait for the day when he is able to escape his prison."

"Wait...Captain." Elayne stops him from speaking further, her face still pale but her brow furrowed in thought. "You said the 'false Lord of the Grave'... does that mean there is a 'true Lord of the Grave'?"

The room grows silent after her statement, and neither Elayne nor Nynaeve miss the look being exchanged between Ichigo and Egwene. "Ichigo...who is the true Lord of the Grave?" Elayne carefully asks him, feeling her sense of unease grow.

Ichigo sighs as he leans back, running a hand through his orange locks. He glances at the cursed weapons still lying on the bed, before pulling the bedsheets over them. "I'll explain everything to you and a few others, I think, no, each of you need to understand just what I am, where I came from, and what I can do. Rhuarc, could you find Moiraine, Lan and Rand and inform them that I need to speak with them in Rand's room in half an hour?"

The Clan Chief quirks an eyebrow, having silently made his way back to stand behind Ichigo, but he doesn't say a word about being impressed. Instead, the Aiel Chieftain simply begins issuing orders to the various Aiel still in the room, asking them to track down the locations of those Ichigo had requested for. Once the Aiel have left the room, Rhuarc and Bael leave the room as well, and Nynaeve finds herself alone with Ichigo, Egwene, Elayne, the four Aiel Maidens that she has heard follow Ichigo around, and several bandaged Aiel who are sitting on blankets in the corners of the room, eschewing the use of the beds. Seeing those Aiel giving their small group curious glances and looking at the Guard Captain with respect, it finally hits the former Wisdom that these are the Aiel that Ichigo had allegedly Healed before they entered the room.

"So, your power allows you to heal?" She asks him curiously.

Ichigo lifts his hand and the same green light from earlier forms around his hand. "When we first met, I told you I had knowledge in healing others Nynaeve. That is true, I wasn't lying about anything I told you, but I didn't tell you the full extent of my knowledge either. My people call the power we use Kidō, the Spiritual Arts, and the healing aspect of that power is called Kaidō, the Healing Arts. There are several other branches in the use of Kidō, but healing is one of the branches I have always focused on."

Nynaeve slowly shakes her head. "I just... I don't understand how you are not drawing your power from the Source though?" She says in confusion. "I have never even heard of such a thing... could you be from the other side of the world, across the great ocean?"

Ichigo grimaces slightly. "The simplest answers are sometimes the best ones to give, Nynaeve al'Meara. So, I will tell all of you once we have gathered in Rand's room, the truth about my origins. All I ask is that you hold on for a little longer Nynaeve, and I promise to explain everything to you. My promise has always been my word." Standing up, he waves a glowing hand over the bed then looks over the seven women still with him. "Come on, I've made sure no one can accidentally touch those weapons, and I'd really hate to make a bad impression by being late for my first meeting with the Dragon Reborn."

XXXX

"He did what?" Rand asks incredulously of Rhuarc. "What do you mean, he healed all of them?"

"I meant exactly that, Rand al'Thor." The Taardad Clan Chief tells him firmly. "Ichigo Shiba used a power he called Reiryoku to heal the Aiel who were wounded in the earlier battle. He claims it is neither Saidin nor Saidar, drawing not from the One Power but from another source entirely. He also gave me permission to speak of what I had seen, saying that he plans to explain it to you in person. In any case, it is a strange name, one that took me fifteen tries to learn how to pronounce, and it is just one of several words he uses that I have not heard of before."

"Ray-ree-oh-coo?" Rand repeats the unfamiliar word, glancing at Moiraine, who shakes her head to indicate that she hasn't heard of it before either. When Rand questions Rhuarc more about it, he only gets more baffled as the Aiel Clan Chief insists on seeing a green-colored glow covering Ichigo Shiba's hands when he was healing the Aiel, and neither he, Moiraine nor the voice in his head know of any way to replicate such an effect using the One Power.

"If you have questions, you should ask Ichigo Shiba directly. As it is, he will be here shortly to explain everything to those of us gathered here now, at least those of us he had requested to be here." Rhuarc turns to look at the current First of Mayene who has been listening with great interest. "I am sorry Berelain, but I must ask that you leave."

"As you wish Rhuarc." The voluptuous woman pouts faintly, but curtseys to them in submission. As she turns to leave the room however, she stops when the door opens and reveals two Aiel Maidens she recognizes by name: Aviendha and Dailin.

Starting to walk forward again, Berelain's eyes narrow as she passes the entering Aiel Maidens and sees Aviendha's eyes flashing triumphantly as she passes the Mayener. She quickly figures out why, when the very man she wishes to know better steps in right after them, in front of her in the open doorway. A sultry smile forms on her face as she lifts her hand to intercept the orange-haired Guard Captain.

"Captain Shiba, I wish to apologize about earlier today. Perhaps if we dine together tonight I can…"

"Sorry Berelain, but I will be leaving the city soon and I'll need to spend the next few days gathering the supplies I and Egwene need for our journey. So, if you'll excuse us now?"

Knowing a dismissal when she hears one, Berelain gives a deep curtsy while stepping aside for him, incidentally giving the Captain a good view of her cleavage. As she rises however, she sees that Ichigo has already walked several steps into the room, thus her enticement has gone unnoticed and unheeded by the young Captain, but not by the young Accepted named Egwene who follows behind him and glares at her as she enters the room.

Just as Berelain is about to smile mockingly at the younger woman, she jumps when her rear is suddenly struck by something thin and hard like a switch. Twisting around in anger to admonish whoever had dared touch her in such a manner, she finds there is no one behind her who is close enough to have delivered such a blow without being seen. Immediately swallowing hard as she recalls tales of spooks and other such invisible creatures, she forcefully pushes aside her apprehension and casts a wary glance towards those in the room, seeing them look towards her in curiosity at her actions. Unable to determine who had hit her and uncomfortable with staying any further, she decides to take the wisest course of action by leaving the room as quickly as she can.

Once the door closes behind Berelain, Ichigo sends a subtle glance at Moiraine and inwardly smirks at the gleam of mischief in the Aes Sedai's eyes, even though her expression betrays nothing and truly lives up to her reputation of icy coolness. Entering the room further, he stops several feet from the man who had taken the first tangible step in becoming the Dragon Reborn, a man he has helped both directly and indirectly since coming to this world, but never had any direct contact with until now. Observing the young man seated before him, Ichigo can clearly see the features of the Aiel in Rand's face, and that one line from the Prophesies of the Dragon becomes glaring clear: that 'He will be of the ancient blood, and raised by the old blood.' From his visions, Ichigo knows that the Aiel bloodline predates the Breaking of the World, making them the 'ancient blood', and Rand al'Thor was raised on a farm in Emond's Field, where the blood of ancient Manetheren was said to run the strongest.

In any case, one vision he still wonders about is the golden-haired woman he had seen leaving the White Tower and traveling west until his vision faded with her entering the Three-Fold Land. Despite having no name to associate with the woman in his vision, Ichigo knows she is somehow responsible for the young man sitting several feet away from him. He has his suspicions as to who she really is, but since he and Egwene are heading to the Three-Fold Land anyway, he figures he can get his answers directly from the Aiel Wise Ones once they are there.

To his surprise, Rand is the first to move, getting up to greet him and extending his hand in peace. "I hear I have you to thank for saving the docks during the invasion, as well as healing the Aiel who were injured during the battle and escorting Mat to the Tower." The young man says wryly. "Though this seems to be the first time we have ever met face to face."

Nodding, Ichigo takes Rand's hand and gives it a firm handshake. "Ichigo Kurosaki Shiba, Guard Captain of the White Tower. I had the ability to save those people, so I did."

"Rand al'Thor of Emond's Field, and apparently the Dragon Reborn." Rand answers his greetings with the last part said somewhat bitterly. "You said you were willing to explain your powers to us, Captain Shiba? I must admit, I'm not quite sure what to expect after hearing the stories told about you..."

Rand then motions for Ichigo to take a seat in one of the many available chairs, but the Guard Captain declines in favor of standing like Rhuarc and Lan are doing. The Aiel Maidens also choose to stand behind him, but Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve quickly find seats of their own.

Once everyone has settled in and Rand has returned to his seat, Ichigo begins his briefing. "What I am about to say to all of you will be hard to understand and perhaps even impossible for some of you to believe, all except Egwene, who has seen much of what I am about to tell you." Ichigo pauses as he gives a quick smile to Egwene, who looks both confident and embarrassed in equal measure.

Looking at each person in the room, Ichigo sees that most of them are now studying him intently, even Nynaeve who isn't looking at him with a glare or scowl for once.

"First of all, I am not from any of your lands, and as far as I know the people from my lands and yours have never met." He quickly raises his hand to stop anyone from asking any questions. "The Amyrlin Seat can verify my words, she was present for my discovery when the Tower Guards found me floating into the Northarbor from the Erinin River, and she was also there when I was interrogated about my origins. To keep a long story short, no one has any idea how I was transported here, the best guess I have is that I was summoned through the use of an unknown ter'angreal, but without truly knowing I have no way to return to my land."

Aviendha leans forward and speaks up with interest. "So that is what you meant when you said you were fished out of the Northarbor. What else have you have hidden from us Ichigo? Does this have anything to do with why you would not tell us of your past until we swore Water Oaths to you?"

Ichigo nods his head in answer. "Mostly Aviendha, but the simple truth is that my origins and powers are just too fantastical for most people to believe, which is why I sought and gained employment as a Guard Captain of the White Tower to serve as my normal cover. Before any of you suggest otherwise, the Amyrlin Seat, Leane Sharif Sedai, Alanna Mosvani Sedai and Jesse Bilal Sedai are fully aware of my powers and where they draw from, since that is one of the first few secrets I entrusted to them. Moiraine Sedai, I believe you can verify this yourself if you need to."

"I can send a message to her if I need confirmation, but I will decide after I have heard your explanation first Captain Shiba." The Blue Ajah remarks. "I am curious however: what is your power, and how does it work? If you aren't a male Channeler, then what are you?"

Ichigo looks at all of them, making sure they are paying attention to him before he speaks. "My power is called Reiryoku, the basic translation I can give you from my native language is 'Power of Soul', and unlike Channelers of your land who must draw Saidin or Saidar from the One Power, my power is drawn directly from my soul." Ichigo pauses to take in their shocked looks before continuing. "The warriors among my people are called 'Soul Reapers', and we are trained, both male and female, to develop this power to battle our most frequent enemies, the creatures known as Hollows who invade us from a neighboring land called Hueco Mundo…"

He spends almost an hour giving them the same story he had given the Amyrlin during his first meeting, a story that parallels his reality by referring to Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and the Living Realm as individual lands rather than worlds of their own. Ichigo finally ends his story by asking if any of them has any questions, and the first to ask is Aviendha.

"So, how did you gain your power Ichigo?" The Spear Maiden asks him curiously. "Is there any way for us to learn this power as well?"

Ichigo sees everyone staring his way, looking interested in his answer. As he wonders what to tell Aviendha, Zangetsu suddenly speaks up from his inner world.

"I think it would be best if you tell her a version of the truth King. Not the whole truth yet, but something for her to relate to when you finally are able to share your inner-world with her." The Hollow spirit informs him.

"Zangetsu is correct Ichigo, some version of the truth would be ideal at this juncture." His Quincy Zanpakutō says in agreement.

Looking at Aviendha, Ichigo gives her a sad smile. His hand reaches up to touch his chest, instinctively feeling the place where Rukia had pierced his chest to transfer her Shinigami powers to him, the place where his Hollow hole had formed after his Chain of Fate had been cut... the place where Ulquiorra Cifer had blown a hole straight through his chest, killing him. "It's really simple, Aviendha..."

"I had to die."

XXXX

AN: I was going to make this a three chapter release but decided against it as I want to move on to my other stories. After regfurby and I are done with the edits for Naberius Heir, I plan on editing Destiny's Path to relive you of reading the horrible grammar I have in that story and to bring it to the standards I have with regfurby. So, we'll see you soon with new chapters for my other stories and when Destiny's Path is finally done, I'll let you know either with an announcement chapter or a new chapter. So, I hope you enjoyed the new chapters and we'll see you again soon, hopefully.

Liam_G & regfurby.