Pairings: This chapter contains Hisagi x Hinamori, Ichimaru x Matsumoto, Ichimaru x Matsumoto, Kira x Hinamori, and Renji x Rukia
Rating: M
Warnings: There is also slight OOC, language, slight sexual material, reference to rape, and blood
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach Tite Kubo does.
Damn it feels good to be back, Renji said to himself after walking out of the 4th Division. He had been recovering for two weeks and now it was time to get back into the saddle. He walked down the streets, taking in his surroundings as he took a deep breath. Everything was back to the way it was before all of this. He could feel the peace inside of his body as he breathed; he could sense the happiness as he kept walking forward. It was like Aizen had never come back. It was like it was all a nightmare.
As he walked through the halls of the 6th Division, he took a deep breath; the 6th Division had suffered more than they had bargained for. It seemed like everyday he heard of Ukitake coming to talk to his newly recovered captain. He knew what it was about; it was about the "incident" with Aizen. Everyone had their own questions as they remembered the marks that were on his body. Renji kept them to himself; he promised that even if he did see his captain, he wasn't going to say anything.
He walked through the door and saw his captain sitting at the desk, engrossed in work. His heart broke as he looked at Kuchiki Byakuya, every time that he moved, he seemed different. He didn't seem like the man that Renji had set himself to defeat; he seemed more fragile, more aware.
"I can help you with that," Renji breathed.
There was a strange feeling as he walked closer to his captain, he didn't seem himself. There was something going on between him and Ukitake. The conversations that they had changed the way he looked at Renji. Even when he came to check up on him at the hospital he seemed different.
"That's really generous of you," Kuchiki breathed. "But I'm afraid that there's nothing you can do here, Renji…"
"What's wrong?" Renji asked. "What are you talking about?"
"The Soul Society is going through some changes; you know that as well as I do. The first change that we are going through is some of the seated officers are being removed from their station," he looked toward the door as some members of the 6th Division entered. "Don't take it personally."
Renji watched as the men moved closer to him. "Don't take it personally?" he walked closer to Kuchiki. "You're firing me and you don't want it to be personal? Fuck you!"
"You should really think before you tell me to fuck myself…" Kuchiki responded, Renji shuddering as he heard his captain curse. "Take him out of here. Take him to Ukitake-soutaichou…"
"What?" Renji asked as they started to pull him away. "Kuchiki-taichou!"
"Relax Renji, it might not be as bad as you think," Kuchiki breathed as he went back to work. "Think of it as expanding your horizons."
He closed his eyes as he continued being pulled. Something wasn't right. The Soul Society was going through changes? They were firing officers? That didn't sound like something that Ukitake would do. He struggled in the grip wanting so desperately to walk back into the office and smack Kuchiki Byakuya across the face. He didn't know what was happening, but he wanted to go back and expand his horizons. This was an outrage.
They stopped walking as one of the men moved to untie the insignia from his arm. He watched as the marker from the 6th Division was detached from him. He was alone, fired, let go. There was no future for him. Kuchiki Byakuya had played God with him and taken everything from him. He had taken his job, his dignity, everything. He took a deep breath as he realized he was going to have to start over again.
"Renji!" he heard a voice call out, it was Rukia. "What's going on?"
Renji looked at her and scoffed. "Your brother has gone crazy! He's completely lost his mind! He's firing me because of some dumbass change that the Soul Society is going through…"
"Time to go Abarai-san," a man announced as he started pulling him in the direction of the 1st Division.
Rukia closed her eyes as she walked into the 6th Division. Something wasn't right; it wasn't like Ukitake to do such a thing. She watched as all of the members of the division bowed at the presence of a noble, knowing that she was on her way to see her brother. But as she opened the door, it was far from a heart-warming brother/sister reunion.
"What's going on, nii-sama?" she asked as she walked closer. "I saw some men carry Renji away…"
"There have been some changes. Renji is part of that change…" Kuchiki answered.
"What changes?" Rukia asked.
"If I told you, that would defeat the purpose of captain to captain confidentiality," Kuchiki continued to work on his work. "I doesn't concern you, Rukia…"
"Doesn't concern me? Have you lost your mind? You just fired your lieutenant!" she slammed her hands up against the desk, gaining her brother's attention. "Why? Is it because he proposed to me? Is it because your fucking clan doesn't want me to marry who I want?"
"Don't make it all about you, Rukia, this isn't about you. I requested that Renji propose to you ages ago. So before you talk about my fucking clan like that, think about what your about to say," his voice was filled with the slightest bit of annoyance as he looked at her.
"Then why? Renji was loyal. He was devoted. He did everything you asked him to and more," she breathed. "What possessed you to want to let him go? What possessed you to want to let all of that go?"
"There's a reason to this madness," Kuchiki answered. "And you'll see the reasoning sooner than you think. Now get back to work, Rukia. Your new division captain will be arriving any moment now…"
She walked toward the door thinking about what her brother had said. They were going through changes. There were several positions that needed to be filled. The 1st Division needed a lieutenant, the 5th Division needed a captain, the 9th Division needed a captain, the 13th Division needed a captain and a lieutenant, and now the 6th Division needed a lieutenant as well. She took a deep breath as she walked out of the office thinking about who her new captain might be. She knew that Hisagi was a shoe-in for 9th Division captain, but all of the other positions baffled her. But what baffled her the most was why they kicked Renji out of his seat. Did he do something wrong?
She kept walking as she thought to the new face the Soul Society was going to have. Everything was changing.
0o0o0o0o0o0
He held Kyouka Suigetsu in his hand tightly as he walked toward Hisagi Shuuhei's hospital room. The sword needed an owner. The power of Kyouka Suigetsu was one that could not be left alone. He continued to walk into the room as he thought about the only one who could use it to its full potential: Aizen Sousuke. Aizen Sousuke was now dead; the only piece of him left alive was within another, the one who would guard the sword.
Hisagi opened his eyes as he felt the man walk closer. "Tousen-taichou?" he watched as his former captain sat at the end of his bed looking straight at him. "What's going on? What are you doing here?"
Tousen held on tighter to Kyouka Suigetsu. Part of him wanted to destroy the sword, it was the weapon made for a devil, its abilities way too strong for anyone to feel comfortable around. Total hypnosis, it was a power that was not to be played with. But as Tousen looked at Hisagi, he knew that he wouldn't play with it. He knew that he would control it with perfection. No one else would have to die.
He moved to hand Kyouka Suigetsu to Hisagi watching the lieutenant's eyes light up. "Here, take it," Hisagi complied. "You now have the heart of Aizen; you're the only one who can wield Kyouka Suigetsu, the only one who can control its power."
Hisagi looked at Kyouka Suigetsu and then at Tousen. "You want me to have it?"
"I wanted to destroy it, but I thought that it might help you," Tousen breathed, looking away from his lieutenant. "I also hoped that you would forgive me if I gave it to you… I did some horrible things to you. I played with you, I almost killed you, I abandoned you, I lied to you, I don't deserve any sort of forgiveness, but I want it anyway. I know that I'm selfish, but I truly am sorry…"
"And I forgive you…" Hisagi breathed. "Because you came back to me… after all that we've been through, you came back to me. That's all I ever wanted…"
Tousen took a deep inhalation of air as he heard those words. "I had to; I had to let you open my eyes, because when I was with Aizen, it was the only time where I truly felt blind. You saved me…"
The two of them moved to embrace each other as Hisagi had a hand on Kyouka Suigetsu. Tousen could breathe easy as Hisagi had that sword in his possession. Kyouka Suigetsu's reign of terror was over. It was no longer going to have any effect on the ones around them. For once in the zanpakutou's life, it was going to do some good.
"Take good care of it," Tousen whispered. "It's all yours now…"
He stood up and started to walk away. As he felt Hisagi touch the sword, he felt the stream of power be complete, the reiatsu making him sick to his stomach. All of Aizen's power, all of Aizen's skills were channeled into him that day. He had the abilities of one of the strongest captains that the Soul Society had ever seen.
He walked out the door thinking about what had occurred since he came here. He had lost the man that he took orders from. He was alone; he was a man without a purpose. Still he moved onward, not knowing where he was going to go, and for once he was content with that fact.
"Will you return here?" a voice asked from the corner, it was Komamura.
Tousen closed his eyes feeling Hisagi's reiatsu roll through his body and took a deep breath. "Without a doubt…"
0o0o0o0o0o0
"I guess this is where I make my exit," Ichimaru announced as he walked out of the 4th Division, the 10th Division lieutenant and captain following him closely.
Ichimaru was different than he was when he first came back here. He no longer had his trademark smile across his face; he had finally allowed himself to feel other emotions since that night when he killed Aizen. It also opened his eyes, literally. He no longer wanted to be the man that Aizen had known him as, he wanted to be better. Ichimaru Gin the former 5th Division lieutenant and 3rd Division captain was dead. The man that he was today was Ichimaru Gin, no title.
"I'm going to miss you," she breathed.
"I'm going to miss the both of you," he said to the two officers as he kept walking forward. "Especially you, Rangiku… not that I won't miss you Hitsugaya Toushirou, because you know I will…"
"Just keep walking," Hitsugaya breathed as he looked forward.
"When can we expect you back?" Matsumoto asked.
He stopped walking as he turned to her. "I have to take care of a few things in Hueco Mundo, set some facts straight, but right after that I'll be back for you, Rangiku," Hitsugaya cleared his throat. "And I'll keep my promise in blood to Ukitake-dono that I will not harm any of you physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, sexually, socially, yadda, yadda, yadda… and I'll keep my word."
He moved to kiss her on the lips, placing a hand on her stomach. "What?"
"I think it's twins," he moved away from her, walking toward the gate. "That might explain why you're humongous. I'd rest up twice as much if I were you…"
As he walked away a smile rolled across Matsumoto's face. "You heard him, taichou. I have to rest up twice as much…"
"And you're going to listen to him?" Hitsugaya asked.
"Of course, the man knows what he's talking about…" Mastumoto breathed.
"You're going to do work," the captain roared.
"No, I'm going to rest…" she smiled.
"You always rest!" Hitsugaya yelled.
"Well this time I have a reason to," she breathed.
Hitsugaya shook his head. "Why was I cursed with you for a lieutenant?"
0o0o0o0o0o0
Renji yelped as he thrown into the 1st Division. He looked up to see Ukitake standing before him. The former 13th Division captain looked so right where he was standing, he looked so right in the 1st Division captain robe. Renij wanted to yell, he wanted to complain, but he felt powerless as he was at Ukitake Juushirou's feet. Even seeing a smile on his face, he still knew it was bad news. Why else would they throw him in?
He looked up and saw Hinamori as well. Was she being punished? He then remembered what happened. They had both ran after Aizen without any orders. That could be taken as treason. Sweat formed on his body as he thought of what was going to happen. Ukitake was too kind for an execution when Kira was right next to him, but nobody was too kind for a prison sentence. He found his voice as he spoke to the captain commander.
"I have done nothing worthy of this punishment!" Renji argued watching as Ukitake stared confusedly at him. "You can't take a man from his division, drag him here, and then arrest him in front of his peers. Ukitake, you bastard!"
Ukitake laughed at Renji's words, watching the lieutenant get annoyed at his laughter. "Punished? Did Byakuya say you were being punished? He took it a little too far. There's no arrestment that's going to occur. It's all about rank," he walked forward. "You and Hinamori Momo have come here for the same reason."
"You're taking our ranks?" Renji asked as he curled his hand into a fist.
Ukitake shook our head. "No, I'm going to…"
"Fire us?" Renji asked. "Transfer divisions?"
Ukitake shook his head again. "No, I'm…"
"Why are you doing this?" Renji asked. "Is it because Byakuya told you to?" Ukitake looked at him questionably. "What? Now that I'm not working for him I can call him whatever I want to…"
"Can I finish?" Ukitake asked, Renji nodded. "I saw what you did that night when Aizen returned. You pursued him and tried to take for responsibility for his capture, bringing yourselves into the danger zone. The scars that you bear show me that you were giving it your all," he walked toward Kira. "The two of you risked your lives for the Soul Society, I'm impressed…" he smiled as he looked at the two lieutenants. "So I've been empowered to do this. Hinamori Momo, Abarai Renji…"
The two lieutenants looked up at the commander and then at Kira. All they could hear was the beating of their hearts as sweat rolled on their bodies. What was Ukitake going to do? Why was he smiling that way? They felt their bodies start to give out as they heard Ukitake start to speak.
"Congratulations, I'm promoting the two of you to captains of the 5th and 13th Divisions," Ukitake smiled.
Renji started wide-eyed at Ukitake. "Have you lost your mind too?"
"No," Ukitake answered. "I'm in the right state of mind. You earned it…"
"Thank you," Renji smiled.
"Don't thank me. Byakuya was the one who requested it. He put in a few good words and I couldn't refuse…" Ukitake continued, he then turned his attention to Hinamori. "Hinamori-taichou, you will still have to work with Tobiume and learn your bankai, but I want you to know that I'm here if you need my help."
"Thank you, soutaichou," she beamed.
Kira them moved to her and wrapped his arms around her body, a smile on his face. "I'm so proud of you, Hinamori-kun… you've gotten out of Aizen's grasp."
"I had some great help," she smiled, her mind wandering to Hisagi again.
"Aizen's dead and no one's going to harm you. I won't let them," he promised.
Renji smiled as he stood in the doorway. "Pretty big words, hope you can live up to them…" Renji then walked back up to Ukitake. "Ukitake-sama, I have a request to make…"
"What is it?" Ukitake asked.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Rukia sat at the desk wondering who her new captain was going to be. She had heard from all of the members that Ukitake had sent him over. She wasn't sure if she was in the mood for greetings. How could she be happy when her brother had just fired the man that she loved more than anything? How could she be happy if she didn't even know what it happened? After she met her captain, she was going to see her brother again. She had to know why.
"Renji has suffered enough, why couldn't it have been someone else?" she asked as the door opened.
"Hey," a voice called out. "What are you doing at my desk, Kuchiki Rukia?"
Her attention turned to the door and she almost fainted as she saw who it was. There in the doorway stood Abarai Renji wearing the 13th Division captain's haori. She then thought of everything that had happened. He wasn't being fired there, he was being promoted. Her brother had put in some good words for a promotion.
"Renji?" she walked to be in front of him. "You're the new captain?"
"Yep," he answered as he looked at her, a smile upon his face. "Apparently your brother and Ukitake-sama agreed to promote me. Clearly I think that your brother has lost his mind and the poison caused some brain damage to Ukitake-sama. I seriously don't think he's in the right state of mind…"
Rukia shook her head as she looked at him. "So you're really the new captain, eh?"
"Well that all depends," Renji walked toward the desk, Rukia's eyes following him. "You see, I always imagined that if I were to become a captain, I would have an amazing lieutenant. Driven, committed, someone that I could trust my life with. The 13th Division doesn't have one of those," he started searching through the drawers. "So I talked to Ukitake-sama, and in his severely brain damaged stupor he granted one of my half baked requests."
"And what was that?" Rukia asked as she watched him pull something out of the drawer, her eyes lighting up as she saw the insignia for the 13th Division lieutenant.
She remembered the day when Ukitake had tucked that away, the look in his eyes still haunting her. That was the day when Shiba Kaien died, the day when he swore that he didn't need another lieutenant, knowing that no one else would be able to do it better than he could. Now that Ukitake had left the command of the 13th Division, Renji could do whatever he wanted. He could name a new lieutenant. But knowing that Ukitake let him do it, to know that he let a position that could never be filled as well as Kaien did was madness. She started to think of what the poison did do to him. They save his heart from any severe damage, but that said nothing for his brain. He had lost his mind.
"The division must have a lieutenant," he then looked at Rukia. "And I want that to be you?"
"What?" she asked.
"I want you to be there, to have my back throughout all of this. You know that I can't do this on my own. And both you and I know that you are at the level to be a lieutenant," he took a deep breath. "I have Ukitake-sama's blessing. I want yours too…"
She moved to touch the armband, a tear rolling down her cheek. There was nothing that ran through her mind at that moment. She thought to everything that had happened. It had been years since Kaien died, years of her watching her captain leaning on incompetent 3rd Seats for support as his sickness progressed. She looked at Renji and knew that she wanted to be the one who he could lean on, the one who would support him when he needed it. She knew that there was no way that she could turn him down.
"Of course I'll be your lieutenant. When you die, who would be a better leader than me?" she asked as she took the insignia from him.
She then felt as he lifted her from the ground, her lips touching his as they met each other in a passionate kiss. He hand tightened in his red hair as she let out a muffled moan, feeling his tongue slide past her lips. She then knew that this was going to be alright. They were going to make it through this, together.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Hinamori moved through the doors of Hisagi's room quickly a smile on her face. As she walked through the door, her eyes fell to him on the hospital bed. He was looking well. Color had returned to his face as he finally looked like he could stand on two legs and not collapse. As she looked at him, she forgot everything about Kira, all of the moments that the two shared, all of the kisses, all of the embraces; they didn't mean anything as she walked toward Hisagi. She loved him. She always would.
"I'm a captain now," she announced as he looked up at her. "What do you think of that?"
A smile rolled across his face as she walked closer to him. "I'm impressed. I guess this means that you aren't living in a nightmare anymore…"
As she sat on the bed, she moved to gently kiss him on the lips, feeling his breathing speed up as they separated. She placed a hand on his chest as she felt his heart beating, the pulsations running through her body. She closed her eyes tightly as she rested her head up against his shoulder, feeling his heart race as she touched the bandages, feeling the scars that were underneath. It was all too perfect, the way that he reacted to her touch, the look in his eyes after she kissed him. She knew that he loved her, but he would never tell her. He was too proud.
"We're all captains, Abarai-kun, Kira-kun, me, you. We've all reached a level of excellence," she continued, changing the subject from their sexual tension, trying to relieve them from the pressure.
"I knew it would happen one day. The Soul Society is changing…" he breathed.
She looked into his eyes as he said that. Something was different about him. He no longer had that distant look in his eyes. There was a will to live. He no longer felt as though he wanted to end his life. He had found some hope in a world which he watched crumble. He saw that as he heard that Ukitake took the position as Commander of the Gotei 13. A dawn of a new day was upon them. The world that he had once known was changing,
He wrapped his arms around her as a tear rolled down her cheek, the joy of knowing that he was alive. But his eyes stayed on Kyouka Suigetsu in the corner. The power that was coming off of that sword was enough to make his heart melt. That was power was now his to control. He had the world in his hands.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Ichimaru sat looking back at the Soul Society taking a deep breath as he thought about what had occurred. In the amount of time that he had been back, he felt something change within him. Aizen was the man who was controlling him, like he was his sick puppet in a twisted show. He had destroyed the lives of so many and got nothing in return. But he learned that he was more than that, and he was never going to walk down that road again.
"Aizen is still alive," Tousen breathed, catching Ichimaru's attention. "I can feel him… and he'll be back. This is where his power lies, this is where his heart lies, and this was the area of his defeat."
"Will they be alright?" Ichimaru asked.
Tousen nodded. "He lost sixty percent of his power on that day. That power is now within Hisagi Shuuhei…"
"And Kyouka Suigetsu?" Ichimaru asked.
"Belongs to Hisagi as well…" Tousen answered. "Aizen will never be able to wield it again…"
Ichimaru looked at the Sereitei again, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. They were going to be alirght. Ukirake wasn't going to lead them to ruin. They were going to be alright, they no longer needed them. They would have to move out, to find places that did need their assistance, to places where Aizen's spirit may lie. They would destroy it once and for all.
Ichimaru looked down at Tousen. "One day we will come back, but not yet… not just yet," he reached his hand out to Tousen, hearing the blind man gasp. "Come with me. We're two of a kind, and two of a kind should stick together…"
Tousen looked up at him and nodded. "Alright, I'm with you…"
They grasped hands as they moved to walk off together. Neither of them looked back, they knew they wouldn't have to. They knew that even if trouble did come, the Soul Society was going to be alright. They were going to persevere. They had a great leader. So Ichimaru Gin and Tousen Kaname walked off hand in hand awaiting the day when Aizen would come back. Waiting for the day when the last petal was going to fall off of the tree.
This was the final chapter, it's all done. I hope that you all really enjoyed this story, it was a pleasure to write and hopefully a pleasure to read. I know that there are a lot of loose ends, but there is going to be a sequel that will be released shortly and will be enititled Kaleidoscope. Hope to hear from you all soon!
sonicarutha