Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Prize of Victory 2
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
Views: 56251 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story
Chapter List
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The Ties That Bind

If she didn�t wear her long, dark hair in a braid, Unohana Retsu would have been tempted to tear it out by three-o-clock in the afternoon. Blood stained her fingers as she applied Kido to an unseated Shinigami from the 3rd Division, a man who had lost a large chunk of his side to a Locust�s mandibles when he�d darted to the left instead of right in an attempt to evade the attacking insect. She wasn�t certain how he�d managed to hang on long enough for his comrades to bring him here. Her Shikai�s weakness was that it required too much physical space to use and she didn�t dare move this patient.

In the meantime, more injured people arrived. There weren�t as many of them as in past battles with the Swarm, but that didn�t mean that things were running smoothly or that the resulting workload wasn�t taxing her people. The influx of injured souls was still substantial. What made it feel overwhelming were the numbers of civilians her healers had brought in for treatment. Unlike trained Shinigami, these Plusses weren�t likely to be able to dodge debris or get to safety quickly with Shunpo. They�d been unlucky enough to end up caught in the crossfire and therefore, she felt it was her duty, as one of the people who had helped create this particular conflict, to take care of them.

Some of them had been innocent bystanders when the fires broke out in the middle-numbered Districts at mid-morning. Most had suffered burns or had inhaled too much smoke. Looking over those injuries, she was just grateful that none of the Shiba-generated �diversions� had resulted in any actual deaths. The remnants of the Onmitsukidō chose to stash the incendiary devices in places they deemed abandoned or lightly populated, but they couldn�t keep everyone away and pull off the operation too.

What stood out this time was that she had more wounded Arrancar than wounded Shinigami on her hands. The Swarm had more or less ignored the civilians in the areas where the fight had spilled past the Seireitei�s gates. With a few exceptions, they�d also done their best to ignore the black-robed Shinigami in favor of attacking any Arrancar they could find with a fervour bordering on insanity. If Unohana were honest with herself, she�d have to say that the Swarm had taken the brunt of the violence. The insects had been acting as decoys after all, but the unknowing Shinigami and Arrancar were the ones who hadn�t held back. The Locust that had injured her current patient had probably died as a result of the encounter.

The pulse of the man beneath her fingers slowed and she tried again to infuse him with enough Kido to keep his heart beating. There had been plenty of death today, on all sides. The conspirators had expected and accepted that as an eventuality. No one had been foolish enough to think that assassinating Aizen would be a bloodless undertaking. That the list of casualties had fewer than fifty names on it was a minor miracle, in Unohana�s opinion.

She didn�t want to have to add another to the list, but it wasn�t looking good for the man currently in her care. The body under her palms chose that moment to go into cardiac arrest, despite everything she�d done to save him. He�d lost far too much blood on the way here and his wounds were too extensive. Lifting her head, she called out to the one person in the room who could do something about it.

�Orihime-san, please trade patients with me.�

The young woman in question paused in her work, and then looked at the dying Shinigami beneath Unohana�s hands. She paled, gave Renji an apologetic look and the golden shield around him flickered out. It reappeared over the dying Shinigami and Unohana stepped away, lest she end up beneath it as well. As exhausted as Orihime appeared, she also knew an order disguised as a request when she heard it.

While the human woman rejected the terrible damage the Taichou�s patient had sustained, Unohana dealt with Renji, flat on his back on a hospital gurney. The redhead had several fractured bones, including a few broken vertebrae. Luckily, he�d been able to feel his feet when they�d hauled him into the room, which meant he hadn�t severed his spine. While he�d also suffered internal bleeding, damaged ribs and would have a few bruises darker than the tattoos on his skin, he had all of his limbs. She considered that a stroke of luck and dosed him with as much healing Kido as she could summon.

Rukia lay beside him, but in her case, all the little Shinigami needed was rest and enough food to address the reiatsu depletion caused by the use of her Bankai. She would recover quickly enough on her own without any assistance. Unohana was familiar enough with the signs that an owner had overused a recently-acquired secondary release to chalk this up to Rukia�s inexperience with it. It was another bit of good luck that she could discharge the younger Kuchiki later in the day, or maybe tomorrow morning with a clear conscience.

That left her older brother sitting in a nearby corner, watching the trade-off as Renji sighed and shifted, Unohana�s Kido augmenting the healing Orihime had already done. Ironically, of the three, he was in the best shape, with nary a scratch on him. In addition, seeing his sister in good health and learning that Ajuga was safe had taken some of the ever-present strain away from his face. He�d already sloughed off Yammy�s hated yoke and that, in the healer�s opinion, was the true source of his faint smile. It was one she would share with him if she weren�t busy knitting Renji�s femur back together.

Then again, she had no illusions about the task that she and her Division had ahead of them. There were countless wounds, visible and otherwise, inflicted over the last fifteen years and there was no way they�d be able to fix things overnight. It might take years of counseling and healing to get the Divisions and their members back to their former strength.

�At least now we can do our jobs without interference,� she reflected with satisfaction. It was almost a pity Yammy was dead. Her late, hated husband had once kept her from giving the Tenth a badly-needed lecture, one she�d wanted to deliver using Minazuki�s Bankai.

�I could kill and heal that monster a thousand times, flaying the flesh from his bones over and over, and the lesson still wouldn�t permeate his impenetrable skull.�

�Taichou!�

An agitated Iemura ran up to her, pausing to bow midway in a concession to protocol. �The Arrancar are getting restless. Some are beginning to question Harribel-sama�s decision to have them remain here now that the battle is obviously over. Most of them want to return to their homes. A few have even summoned their secondary Claims from the battlefield if they weren�t hurt,� he cautioned. �If something isn�t done soon��

What her second-in-command hadn�t said, but which she�d discerned by reading between the lines, was that Harribel had likely sent him to fetch her as a precaution. That meant the Third felt her control of the situation was less than absolute.

�I see.�

Unohana sighed as she surveyed what passed for a makeshift emergency room. With the invasion over, the wounded would eventually stop showing up. Beneath Orihime�s shield, an arm, with five fingers and all of the proper musculature, came back together as if from nothing. He�d been the worst of the bunch, and her Fukutaichou was more than competent enough to direct the rest of her Division�s resources while he finished the job of mending the redhead. Unohana motioned with one finger and just like that, the bespectacled blond straightened his spine, waiting to receive his orders.

�See to things here, Iemura-san and take over the rest of this patient�s healing in my stead. When you�ve completed his ribs, have Abarai-san and Kuchiki-sama placed in a recovery room. Orihime-san, when you�ve finished, please go to the main emergency ward. There may be more cases like this one and I�m urgently needed elsewhere.�

The two separate affirmative responses mingled together as she patted Renji�s shoulder and stepped aside. Iemura slid right into the spot where she�d stood, his hands glowing green. He bent over Renji�s suddenly tense shoulders and Unohana heard Iemura ask if the tattooed Shinigami were interested in �getting a jump-start on reviving the Men�s Shinigami Association?�

The trapped red-haired rebel shrank into the thin layer of padding on the gurney, while Rukia snickered. Unohana felt somewhat bad about leaving Renji in such a predicament, but priorities were priorities. Perhaps he�d forgive her in time. Orihime brushed a lock of hair out of her tired eyes, but nodded to let the older woman know she understood.

Satisfied, Unohana made her way out of the ICU and towards the Division wing where she�d quarantined the Arrancar and their pregnant mates earlier in the day, pausing only when a dozen medics thundered past her with Kenpachi Zaraki sprawled on a wheeled gurney in the middle of their little herd. He was battered and a thin trail of drool trickled from the side of his open mouth.

�What in the�� she started only to have a medic call over her shoulder:

�Had to trank him to the gills, Taichou. Too dangerous to do this without a Level 5 sedative and if we need it, a rock to put him down again. Sorry Taichou, we�ll handle him��

Then they were gone, disappearing around a corner. Nor was that the end of the unexpected reunions. Two corridors and courtyard later, she ran into Shihoin Yoruichi. The noblewoman was in her human form, was thankfully fully-clothed and accompanied by someone Unohana had not seen in a very long time.

�Yo! Unohana-Taichou! Congratulations on your recent widowing!�

Yoruichi�s smirk was wide, but strained. If the Escapee was here, she was probably searching for someone and hadn�t found him or her yet.

�Thank you.� Unohana returned the smile and then asked, �Are you here to see to Kuchiki-san?�

�Yeah. I heard he was in ICU with Renji and Rukia. Are they all right? Nel-chan will have my head if Renji�s injuries are too severe.�

She had no idea who Nel-chan was or what constituted her interest in the redhead, but she could lay Yoruichi�s fears to rest as far as the first two individuals. Briefly, Unohana filled the noblewoman in on their respective conditions as well as that of the mostly physically unscathed Kuchiki Byakuya.

�It�s not the bodily injuries I am worried about,� the were-creature murmured, �but thanks. I�ll pay them a visit.�

Yoruichi bowed, and then hesitated, before she gave Unohana a hopeful look. �Has there been any word about Soi Fon yet? I haven�t been able to sense her in a while and the battle with Barragan was over long before I could get there. I decided to come here. She was supposed to wait for backup, but the Swarm�s Generals said he was dead.�

�I have not heard any report of her coming in for treatment, but I�ve been busy with the wounded. Ayasegawa-san and Ggio Vega are both here. Unfortunately, Yumichika accidentally ran afoul of Beetle acid in a separate incident. I had him placed in a medically induced coma while his body has time to adjust. Ggio is conscious and standing vigil. He might know something.�

Unohana had been neck-deep in the task of triage, not in puzzling out what had happened on the battlefield. She expected a full debriefing sometime tomorrow, after her people tallied the wounded and the dead. Until then, she assumed that the rebels would touch base with one another as needed, and with the former slaves once they found them.

�At least Rangiku and Tatsuki made it here in the end,� she told herself, �even if we had to use three shelves� worth of towels to dry them.�

Rangiku, unfortunately, had badly twisted her ankle in a fall, according to Tatsuki. Her other ankle and the instep of the attached foot had been crushed. Thankfully, her companion had arrived, uninjured in body if not in spirit and had filled Unohana in on the events in the plaza. Tatsuki and Tesra were, at present, watching over a heavily sedated Rangiku. The sandy-haired Arrancar had made a quick trip back to their still-standing den for clean, dry clothes. He�d also retrieved the battered diaper bag from where Tatsuki had dropped it when the Swarm attacked them.

Unohana had made the decision to put Rangiku and Yumichika in the same room, so that Tesra could be with his mate and his adopted daughter, for Unohana didn�t think anything in the universe could pull Avispona from Ggio�s arms. He also showed no inclination to stray from Yumichika�s bedside. The last time she�d checked on them, she�d seen him wearing one of Tesra�s spare uniforms. The garment hung off of the shorter Arrancar�s malnourished body in a way that accentuated the extent of the abuse he�d suffered at Barragan�s hands.

�It isn�t flattering, but it�s much better than what he was wearing when he arrived.�

Her staff had stripped Yumichika to check the extent of his injuries and to see to the ribs he�d broken when he�d smashed into the ground. His case made Unohana shake her head and sigh sadly. In a matter of seconds, the acid had badly burned the left side of the Fukutaichou�s face. If she looked closely, she could see exactly how the stuff had moved in rivulets across and into the skin of his neck, his left shoulder and arm. While his nose was still intact, Yumichika�s left eye was a total loss. He would live, but his recovery would be slow. Once she had a suitable amount of time, Orihime could reject his injuries, but scar tissue wasn�t high on anyone�s priority list at the moment. Things like broken bones, ruptured organs, blood loss and missing limbs took precedence.

�Thank you, Taichou.�

A frowning Yoruichi bowed a second time before moving on, leaving Unohana alone in the hall with the man she�d been escorting. Said man had lost a shocking amount of weight and was almost unrecognizable, save for the fact that Unohana never forgot the reiatsu signature of anyone she�d ever met. In addition, he�d finally succumbed to the receding hairline present in the majority of his family�s menfolk.

�Omaeda Marenoshin, you are looking well for a man everyone presumed dead.�

Unohana greeted the former Fukutaichou of the 2nd Division with real pleasure. Now that Aizen was no more, she expected others, like explosives experts Shiba Kukaku and Shiba Ganju, to come crawling out of the woodwork. His already-wide grin expanded as he bowed at the waist he�d regained while living in less-than-luxurious conditions.

�Unohana-Taichou! I am delighted to hear about your loss! You have my deepest condolences that it didn�t come sooner. More to the point, I have it on good authority you know where I might find my daughter. For old time�s sake, can you take me to her?�

Despite his plaintive tone, the former Shinigami cracked his knuckles in a very menacing manner. Unohana doubted he intended the gesture for his child or for herself, but rather for the Arrancar who had Claimed Mareyo.

�I do,� she confirmed. �I would not deny a father the right to see his daughter, especially after a fifteen-year estrangement. However, Mareyo-san is my patient for the duration of her pregnancy, I feel obligated to tell you that her health trumps your paternal concerns. I will remove you if she experiences any sort of negative stress in your presence.�

Marenoshin lost a bit of colour when she placed her hand on Minazuki�s hilt. He�d been on active duty when Yamamoto had promoted her all those years ago and had a healthy fear of her skills with a blade. Unlike his son, he also knew when to take a step back and rein in his temper, or at least, temporarily kick it into a corner and try a different approach.

�How is my darling Mareyo? Has she been treated well?�

He fell into step beside her as she resumed her march towards the hall. Unohana hadn�t invited him along, but she saw no way of politely dissuading him. Perhaps, she thought, persistence was a trait for all of the Onmitsukidō.

�I won�t lie to you, Marenoshin. He was rough with her at the beginning, though not to the point of overt brutality. Time, the lifestyle the Soul Society affords and maybe, your daughter�s influence slowly wrought changes in him. I have the documentation of such, from her periodic checkups with me over the years. I don�t believe that he�s cruel or currently poses a threat to her safety, if that is what you want to know.�

�Unohana-Taichou, that�s not��

The healer stopped, turned to the large man and took in the desperate expression on his face.

�She is both smitten with this Arrancar and looking forward to this pregnancy.�

�Stockholm syndrome?� Marenoshin demanded with perhaps a little too much hope in his voice. �She can�t really be in love with such a� a� Kami, how can she overlook what he�s done or what he is?�

�To answer your first question, I wouldn�t rule it out. Second, I think you�ll have to speak with your daughter yourself as to her feelings. However, I can say that Sementall-san cares for your daughter. When the alarms went off today, his first inclination was to get Mareyo and your future grandchild to safety, rather than join the fight. You�ll have to form your own impression of him.�

Taking a deep breath, she regarded him sternly, the way one might look at a potential obstacle.

�I will give you one warning, Omaeda-san. You will refrain from killing him. I might have a pressing use for his powers soon, perhaps within the next half an hour, so I insist that he remain alive until I�ve had a chance to see if his abilities are worth my time.�

The healer had a short list of the Hollows she deemed worthy of execution or at the very least, exile. Yammy and Barragan had been at the top of that list, not Sementall.

She made it to the hall where a recently-returned Harribel and her fraccion were doing their best to keep the lid on a pot of trouble that threatened to boil over at any minute. Sure enough, Unohana walked in on several of the more vocal Arrancar expressing their desire to get their mates back to their dens. That they still attached the honorifics to the Third Espada�s name showed they were trying to be polite, but the healer didn�t expect that to last. The tension permeating the large room thickened, and if Unohana didn�t step in now, they might forget they were dealing with Harribel. Her Division did not need to see to any more injuries today if she could help it.

Announcing her presence right away would have been counterproductive. Instead, she discreetly scanned the crowded hall for the particular Arrancar she wanted. Once she spotted him, she wove a crooked path through the assembly towards Sementall. Marenoshin followed in her wake.

Fifteen years and three hundred pounds gone didn�t stop Mareyo from recognizing her father as they closed in on the civilian and her Arrancar partner. The young woman went still as her eyes raked over the man behind Unohana and she brought one of her hands to her mouth in astonishment.

�Papa?�

Her breathless question, barely audible over the grumbling on the other side of the hall, reached Marenoshin�s ears and without looking, Unohana knew he�d clenched his fists. A second later and he�d blown past the much-shorter Taichou, ruffling the fabric of her shihakusho. He moved fast for such a large man, arms outstretched and she could see how he would have made a fine assassin back in the day. Unfortunately, he ruined the effect by blubbering shamelessly.

�Oh, my sweet little Mareyo!�

Marenoshin pulled his daughter into a bear hug and squeezed her tightly enough to elicit a squeak. Sementall shifted slightly, but paused when it became clear that this stranger was family. Unohana guessed that Mareyo was in the process of sending him wave after wave of positivity and decided that she�d best get the Arrancar to work with her now, before the weepy former Fukutaichou decided to turn his attention to his �son-in-law� and she lost control of things completely.

�Sementall-san.�

Unohana�s use of his name helped distract the stallion from the attempted smothering going on nearby.

�Unohana-sama� how may I help you?�

He added a respectful bow, and she inclined her head in turn. Then she indicated the gathering at large with one gesture of her hand and let her concern regarding the situation show on her face, a rare occurrence.

�I am afraid we can�t allow anyone to leave yet, as I have orders from higher up. However, the mood in this room is deteriorating dangerously. May I ask how wide a range your Resurrección�s effects have?�

Sementall frowned at first, as if the question puzzled him. With her status as �Kami�s wife,� Unohana had the right to demand anything of the Arrancar, as long as her requests didn�t break any law or supersede Aizen�s orders. She decided to clarify things for him.

�I�d like to know if you can �take the edge off� of the high emotions exhibited by your fellows. I need to keep them from giving into their instincts and leaving. Can you accomplish such a task?�

Understanding dawned and he shifted from foot to foot as he assessed the possibility for trouble from a different angle.

�Hmm� tough to say. On a crowd this size,� he finally admitted, making a face, �I won�t be able to �lull� them as I demonstrated with Mareyo earlier. They might even take what I was doing as a threat if the smarter ones figured out what was going on. However,� he went on, taking a turn for the thoughtful, �if I limited it to a �calming wave,� most would brush it off as me attempting to soothe my woman. They probably wouldn�t mind it if it helped them in that way too.�

�So this is him?�

Marenoshin broke into their conversation before she could reply. Coming up behind the Arrancar, he put his paw of a hand on Sementall�s shoulder. Unohana saw him lean forward, until his mouth was level with the Hollow�s ear.

�I�m not going to do this here, so I suggest that you come with me and keep your trap shut, understand?�

Unohana sighed at his menacing attitude, knowing there was no way she would be able to dissuade Marenoshin now without tipping her hand. The best she could do would be to bring Mareyo along and remain close, to keep the Omaeda patriarch from breaking his promise.

Taking the girl�s elbow, she discreetly pointed towards a sliding door to the rear of the hall. Once in the hallway, Marenoshin steered the Arrancar towards the room next door, which led to a narrow space lined with long, empty shelves. In less busy times, the 4th Division stored stretchers and other emergency equipment here. Sementall might have had an idea as to what was about to happen to him from the low, ominous growl his woman�s father uttered, though Mareyo seemed oblivious to the threat.

The moment the door closed behind Unohana and her patient, Marenoshin dropped all semblance of restraint. The hand that had been on Sementall�s shoulder neatly wrapped around the Arrancar�s trachea and in a matter of seconds, the stallion found himself dangling in the ex-Shinigami�s grip, eyeball-to-eyeball with him.

�Hello there. I�ve been waiting for this moment for a very long time.�

Marenoshin didn�t give his prisoner a chance to respond before one meaty fist connected with Sementall�s jaw. The blow snapped the Arrancar�s head back and might have been fatal if the Numeros hadn�t possessed a Hierro.

�Omaeda-san,� Unohana interjected, �I believe I told you that I wanted him alive.�

�Oh, not to worry Taichou. I won�t kill him��

The big man dropped his fist and instead, used the hand gripping Sementall�s throat to agitate the Arrancar, in the same way a dog would shake a rag. Unohana fancied that she heard the Hollow�s teeth rattle, to her dismay.

�All I�m going to do is express how angry I am that he slaughtered my son Marejirōsaburō��

Marenoshin brought his other fist back into play with a hard slug to Sementall�s gut that sent all of the air out of the other�s lungs and left him wheezing.

��my lovely daughter Maremi��

His fist then connected with the side of Sementall�s head. The momentum transferred to the Arrancar�s topknot and sent it swaying back and forth, until it became a blur due to the continued shaking.

��and my beloved, irreplaceable wife, Mareka!�

He emphasized the last, not with his knuckles, but with his knee, brought into sharp contact with a portion of Sementall�s anatomy that made even Unohana wince in sympathy and Mareyo finally cry out in protest.

�Papa! Stop this now!�

�Mareyo-chan, I haven�t even started with regard to what he�s done to you!� her father snarled. His knuckles lost their colour as his digits sank deeper into the flesh beneath them. Marenoshin�s fingernails might not be able to pierce the Hollow�s skin, but they were perfectly capable of pinching off a carotid artery. Mareyo moved away from Unohana and grabbed the black fabric of Marenoshin�s sleeve, pulling at it for all she was worth.

�Please! Papa, don�t do this! Unohana-Taichou, for Kami�s sake, make him stop!�

Sementall probably would have pleaded for help as well, if he�d been able to breathe. The Arrancar�s face had taken on a grayish hue from a lack of oxygen and at that moment, Unohana decided it was time to break up the one-sided conflict. She wasn�t blind to the unexpected opportunity doing so presented either, especially when Sementall�s wide, panicked eyes met hers and she read in them a prayer for divine intervention.

�Omaeda-san. I understand your ire, but I cannot allow you to continue. Please put him down,� she bade him. Marenoshin shot her a look that implied he was far from ready to drop either his prey or his grudge, but when she once again put the palm of her hand on Minazuki�s hilt, he snorted and opened his fingers. Subject to the forces of gravity once more, Sementall fell and landed ingloriously at the ex-Shinigami�s feet, too woozy to do anything more than cough and stare at the big man who towered over him like a thundercloud.

Mareyo, on the other hand, knelt and inspected the Arrancar carefully, cupping his face in her hands while she made certain he hadn�t been too badly hurt. Then she did something that not even Unohana could have foreseen. The slender blond woman took a few steps towards her father and spread her arms out, as if to shield the Arrancar from further pummelling.

�Papa, if you keep hitting him, I�ll never speak to you again!�

That threat took the revenge-fuelled winds out of Marenoshin�s sails and the man immediately quailed under his daughter�s unhappy gaze. Unohana was impressed, but then, the way to an Omaeda�s heart usually involved another Omaeda. Sementall groaned as he got to his knees, trying not to disturb his recently-abused groin area and reached for the hem of Mareyo�s outer kimono.

�Mareyo-chan, I can fight my own��

She stomped her foot and he abruptly snatched his hand back as if she�d burned it.

��and you need to respect my Papa! He always respected and loved Mama, and I won�t settle for anything else!� she said archly as she quickly rounded on Sementall. The wide-eyed stallion snapped his mouth shut, especially when she added, �He�s my Papa and I will handle this!�

Folding her arms across her chest, Mareyo fixed her father with a look that would have been right at home on her late mother�s face. Unohana found it quite disturbing, as did Marenoshin, from the way his lower lip wobbled and from his wounded tone of voice.

�Daughter, how could you choose that monster over your own family?�

Maybe there was more of Mareka in Mareyo than anyone had guessed, including Unohana, because the young woman�s lips thinned unhappily.

�There are some things you should know, Papa. First, Sementall-sama didn�t kill Maremi-nee. That was� an accident,� she said, a bit more subdued this time. �The attack came at her usual afternoon snack time and when our Estate�s gate went down, the noise surprised her so much that she swallowed wrong and choked on the egg in her third bowl of ramen. The servants found her afterwards and covered it up by saying she�d died �of fright like a proper lad.��

��who the hell swallows hardboiled eggs whole anyway�?� Sementall grumbled weakly, as if trying to reconcile the Omaeda eating habits with that of other, sentient creatures and failing.

�Second, unlike Marechiyo-nii, Marejirōsaburō-kun was an awful big brother. He kept trying to lure me into his room to talk about his �literature. �I always told him �no� and I�m glad I did. Do you know what was in those books Papa? Do you?�

The accusation in her eyes took Marenoshin completely off guard, as did the question. If he�d been shocked at Mareyo�s revelation about his eldest daughter, his reaction to his second son�s less-than-savoury reading material left him almost speechless.

�Uh� no.�

Mareyo�s blatant disgust led Unohana to believe the contents went beyond the usual pornography young men regularly consumed. Confirmation, surprisingly, came in fits and starts from a raspy-voiced Sementall.

�I did you a favour, killing him! The stuff that sick bastard had involved cubs! There were pictures� Living World stuff� ugh� can�t believe you didn�t know he had that kind of shit� took it all out into the back courtyard and burned it� still turns my stomach��

The big man�s cheeks had taken on a pasty hue by that time and Mareyo chose that moment to deliver the final coup de grace.

�� Mama was the only one who was really able to put up a fight, since you and Marechiyo-nii weren�t there��

�� seriously, I had no idea I was dealing with a woman at the time��

Sementall�s not-quite-helpful observation broke the stunned silence that had descended on Mareyo�s father. The unintended dig at his late wife�s expense made Marenoshin�s hand curl into a fist. He subsequently shook it at the Arrancar and let a fraction of his carefully hidden power lick at the edges of Sementall�s person. Unohana took a step forward, to put a quick end to a resumption of the hostilities before they began.

�Sementall-san, it might behoove you to stop talking. Omaeda-san, I believe I was quite clear with my original instructions regarding both your daughter and her��

�Mate,� Mareyo said in a way that dared either of the two males in the room to tell her otherwise and put her hands on her hips. The healer sighed in response and nodded.

�Very well. Mate it is. I have a job for you, Sementall-san and I need it done quickly and efficiently. If you can perform it to my satisfaction, I will extend my personal protection to you, meaning that anyone wishing to use your skull as a candy dish will have to go through me first.�

Marenoshin bared his teeth, displeased with what she proposed. Sementall, never taking his eyes off the nearby Shinigami, sent an uncertain glance in Unohana�s direction.

�Is that like being a fraccion? What if I decline?�

�I would advise against it, for two reasons. The first stands before you and you will understand the second after I address the rest of the Numeros. Do we have an agreement?�

One of Sementall�s eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch, but he appeared to weigh his options and his response was proof he had a sense of self-preservation and a good grasp of what might happen to him if Marenoshin had his druthers.

�Fine. I�ll do my best.�

�Thank you.�

Meanwhile, Mareyo�s expression had softened slightly, as her shell-shocked father digested the previously undisclosed information about his family. She tentatively reached out and touched him on the forearm, a conciliatory gesture.

�Papa, I�d like it if you came home, at least for one night. The older servants will be glad to see you again, and I�d love to show you the nursery��

At first, the only sound Marenoshin made was a small sniffle, followed by a larger one. Then the bear hug was back, as was the weeping and the tears weren�t limited to the elder of the pair this time. Sementall, perhaps wisely, edged away from the two emotional Omaedas, until he was behind Unohana. The stallion got to his feet, one hand still rubbing the red spots on either side of his neck.

�We�ll see. I managed to secure some nice digs out in the 26th District,� Marenoshin finally answered. At the same time, his eyes shifted to Sementall�s not-quite-cowering stance. Unohana could almost see the wheels turning in the man�s head as he gathered and interpreted whatever scraps of information he�d gleaned from the Arrancar to use to his advantage.

�Remember this and remember it well. If my darling Mareyo cries for any reason and I find out that you�re responsible, I will personally use my Zanpakuto to render you down into a pot of glue. I will then use what�s left of you to repair my sandals. Do you understand, you miserable nag?�

Sementall bowed, a look of profound relief swept across his features. The possibility of Marenoshin reclaiming his family estate had clearly upset the Arrancar. Unohana wagered that in a fight between the two, Marenoshin would win, mostly because age and carefully-nurtured treachery usually had an edge on youth and enthusiasm. The Arrancar had evidently come to the same conclusion as she.

�Now that the traditional paternal death threats have been delivered,� the healer said dryly, �I must insist that you do as I ask, Sementall. We�ve no more time to waste.�

�Of course, but� I think it would be best if I transformed in a slightly larger space. This closet�s way too cramped and I don�t want to knock down a wall when I change. The other Numeros might get jumpy if they see something like that.�

Unohana smiled, brushed past him and opened the door, indicating they should leave.

�Fortunately, we have another, larger storeroom across the hall. It isn�t that much bigger but if we leave Mareyo-san and her father here to get reacquainted, you should have enough space to shift comfortably.�

Sementall, constrained by his agreement, followed her, while Mareyo caught her father up on the family estate and the Omaeda holdings. Before Unohana closed the door after them, she overheard Marenoshin praising his youngest, and now only, child on her business acumen. It helped that the Arrancar that had Claimed her hadn�t helped himself to anything more than the material goods at the main house, unlike Barragan, who had pillaged the Kyoraku family fortune for his own benefit. That Noble Clan might never recover from the financial gutting and their bloodline had favored sons rather than daughters. There were only a few older Kyoraku men left and none of those was from the main branch, which had died out with Kyoraku Shunsui.

�Thank you,� Unohana heard Sementall say as she put her hand on the storeroom�s wooden doorframe.

�Do not thank me yet, Sementall-san. If I find you�ve mistreated Mareyo in any way, from this day forward, I will let your father-in-law dispose of you. The Omaeda Clan were friends and fellow officers. Consider this a personal warning.�

She heard him come to a stop behind her, his boots clacking on the wooden floor.

�Unohana-sama, may I ask, what�s going on? That man is Fukutaichou-class, at least, and un-Claimed. Why is he here?�

It figured that Sementall would start making the right connections, thanks to the delays. Irritated and losing patience by the second, Unohana looked at him over her shoulder and let the dispassionate mask she kept firmly in place slip by a hair, giving the Hollow a brief glimpse of what lay beneath it. More formidable men than this Arrancar had wet themselves when they�d seen it.

�Is our bargain not to your liking? I can retract it��

Sementall went from �skeptical� to �terrified� in a heartbeat and held up both hands, waving them in a placating gesture.

�No, no, we�re good, no problems here, not at all�� he stammered. Her normal composure reasserted itself and she turned around, her Taichou�s haori and her smile falling into place as she pushed the door to the second storeroom open and stepped inside.

�Fine then. Let us procee��

�Eeek!!!�

A shrill, feminine gasp stopped Unohana in her tracks and cut off the remainder of what she was going to say.

�Kami, it�s just one thing after another today, isn�t it?� she thought, fed up with yet another hindrance, this one in the form of three, mostly-naked individuals, caught in the middle of an explicit act she�d once seen illustrated in a pillow book meant for the instruction of courtesans. Her brain took note of the placement of limbs, mouths and other body parts and marvelled at the flexibility of at least two of the participants.

�If memory serves, I�d say that was Position Number Thirty-Four, the Knotted Vipers.�

Under the circumstances, she supposed she should have expected something like this to happen. Aside from the room attached to the hall, the larger storeroom afforded the only real privacy in the containment area and sex was one of the major ways Arrancar relieved stress. That there were three people involved shouldn�t have surprised her either, given the Arrancar in question.

�The hell�?� she heard a shocked voice say behind her and realized too late that Sementall had seen the whole thing too. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Unohana retreated and closed the door without a word. The stallion stared, red-faced at his footwear as the two of them listened to the muffled sounds behind the door, which she imagined involved clothing being hurriedly donned. The moment the noise stopped was the moment that she retreated another foot or two to let the trio pass once they�d vacated their trysting place.

Both of the blushing Shinigami bowed courteously to Unohana and rushed back to the hall where Harribel and her girls presided. Their Master, on the other hand, strutted out with an unrepentant smirk and a shameless stretch.

�Lecherous weasel�� she heard Sementall grouse. The other Numeros tossed his blonde head, sniffed and smiled languidly at his fellow Hollow. The cheeky devil also clicked his tongue in a dismissive manner while delivering a perfunctory salute and an unsolicited wink to Unohana.

�That�s ermine to you, you scabby pack mule. Unohana-Taichou, please excuse us.�

Rejoinder delivered, Franque Lloydght strolled jauntily after his pets. He seemed oddly fine with the fact they had interrupted his threesome, which made Unohana wonder if they hadn�t walked in on the second helping, rather than an already-finished main course.

Sementall mumbled something about �idiots who don�t know their limits� before he walked into the storeroom, nostrils flaring at the overwhelming scent of sex. Shaking himself, he slammed the door with a little more force than necessary. Unohana listened as he intoned the command to enter his Resurrección. When he emerged, Sementall was ready to dazzle anyone who saw his gorgeous released state. Unohana led him back into the crowded hall, where Mila Rose was in the middle of telling a pushy Numeros to sit down before the fraccion �punched him into next week.�

His presence did exactly what she hoped it would. Though she was too powerful for Sementall�s ability to affect her, she immediately saw a change in the Arrancar closest to them. The aggression she could taste in the air slowly dissipated as the stallion worked his magic. Unohana heard the door behind her open and when she turned her head, saw that Mareyo and Marenoshin had joined them. The girl rushed to her mate�s side and looked at the Arrancar with such adoration that her father could do nothing but sigh heavily. The resignation Unohana saw in the big Shinigami�s eyes told her that, while unhappy about the union, he was slowly coming to terms with defeat; there would be no prying the two apart for long. Whether he�d blame Mareyo�s infatuated behaviour on Sementall remained a possibility, but as long as the Arrancar did what she asked, Unohana would keep her old friend from murdering the Hollow outright.

Hearing a noise behind her, she quickly ushered her three companions to the side. A few seconds later, the large door at the back of the hall opened once more, admitting Starrk and Ulquiorra. The First was in his released state, pistols at the ready. The room quieted at their arrival, only to stir restlessly when Grimmjow, Ichigo and a haggard-looking Karin walked in after them, her bristling mate staying very close to her. Unohana was doubly grateful that she�d asked Sementall to pacify the room, especially when Starrk slouched his way over to Harribel. They had a brief exchange before the shark ceded the floor to the Primera. With his hands shoved in his pockets, the coyote addressed the gathering in his usual, too-blunt manner.

�Aizen�s dead,� he announced without preamble. His words killed any remaining conversation and a heavy, almost smothering silence descended on the room. Unohana, careful not to touch the silvery creature next to her, leaned in to whisper her next instructions as shock and disbelief blossomed on the faces of the Arrancar and the Shinigami present.

�Sementall-san� now would be an excellent time to extend your powers to their fullest.�

He was just as stunned at the news and his shining coat had briefly dulled to a dingy gray in response to Starrk�s revelation. Her prod warned Sementall of his status as her tool and that he had a job to complete. As the First continued speaking, the silvery Arrancar nickered apologetically and allowed his powers to flow surreptitiously through the room, eating away at the immediate sense of alarm that followed what had to be a catastrophic turn of events for the rest of the Numeros.

�Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Kurosaki Ichigo defeated him in combat,� Starrk went on, and hooked a thumb at the two men, one human and one Arrancar, who moved to flank him, �this afternoon during the Swarm�s invasion. I, my pet Ukitake Jushiro, Ulquiorra, Szayel Apporo Grantz and several of the Palace guards and servants, witnessed his defeat and his subsequent death. As is their right by might, they now rule this city, with the support of the remaining Espada and the six Shinigami Divisions.�

Starrk held up his hand and let his power flare briefly when it looked like the crowd was about to start demanding answers. The demonstration did the trick and quieted everyone.

�You heard me correctly. This city belongs to them now. However, neither of the victors have plans to immediately purge the Arrancar from it. I have their word that the Shinigami won�t seek to enslave us. Grimmjow-san�s not all that fond of collars and I don�t think there�s anyone crazy enough to try putting one on him either.�

His sardonic commentary shattered any remaining anxiety, especially when the First made it with a lazy half-smile on his face.

�Maybe if Karin-Fukutaichou did it,� someone called out from the crowd, and a small ripple of laughter made its way around the room. Grimmjow bristled at the comment and his eyes darted to and fro, trying to figure out who had made it. Karin raised one hand to cover her mouth in a vain attempt to disguise her mirth. She also moved closer to her mate to make it clear to the rest that she would back him fully. His arm immediately went around her waist in a possessive way.

�Instead, they wish to speak to each of us, one-on-one. You will have two options: to remain here and abide by the new laws or to return to our homeland, Hueco Mundo. Those allowed to reside here will submit to those laws in exchange for the right to live in a land of abundance. Make no mistake� the remaining Espada, who fully support the victors, will live under those rules as well. Personally, I�m more than happy to comply with the new policies if it means I get to stay.�

�Only because you find the First District�s beds soft, you loser! All you do is sleep Starrk, all day long. Hell, most of the time I think even Shiro-chan would forget you exist if you didn�t snore so loudly!�

Lilinette�s disgruntled, disembodied voice drifted up from Starrk�s hip and her put-down set off another round of laughter. By rights, the Arrancar ought to be panicking, tearing at one another and trying to claw their way through the walls to get back to their dens to defend their respective packs. Instead, they were standing at attention and enjoying the jokes one half of the Primera made at the expense of the other. Sementall�s efforts were paying off, though Unohana thought she saw a few drops of sweat roll down his coat. In keeping with the illusion, they looked like liquid diamonds. In the meantime, Starrk rubbed his only available eye in irritation, but he didn�t disagree with his other half.

�So who is going to rule the city now?� someone dared to call out. Unohana recognized Watanabe-Fukutaichou�s voice. Maybe it was a good thing Toshiro wasn�t here now. The young man looked decidedly rumpled, his hair loose and his uniform askew as he stood next to his frowning master.

�There will be a council,� Ulquiorra answered dispassionately, sounding almost as if he�d memorized his response in anticipation of someone bringing up the lack of a central governing figure. �It will consist of the remaining Taichou and Espada. They will elect a chairman from among them.�

When an uneasy murmur arose among the Shinigami about the viability of such a thing, the pale Espada added, �we will make adjustments as time and circumstances allow, though the majority of the Rukongai Districts will likely continue as they did before. The Shinigami are not a police force. They exist to keep the Realms in balance by purifying souls. However, their duties may shift as the situation dictates. For the Shinigami, your Taichou will give you further instructions as they become available. The Arrancar will retain their current ranks until further notice. There will be no jostling to attain a higher rank. The Numeros will report to either me or to Tia Harribel with any issues, beginning tomorrow morning.�

�You can ask anything else during your interview,� Starrk interjected before a long, drawn-out question-and-answer session could start. �Unohana-san?�

�Hai, Starrk-san?� she responded politely, stepping forward and out of Sementall�s shadow. The healer was counting on the serenity she displayed to back up Starrk�s claim that no one in this room would come to immediate harm.

�I know you have been busy, but is there a room nearby where we can get the interviews over and done with so everyone can go home?�

�Of course. I will let you use my office,� she replied. �This will take some time, so I�ll arrange to have the Palace servants bring those in this room a meal. Thank you very much for your continued patience.�

That seemed to reassure the assembled Arrancar, especially when Harribel informed them they could use the courtyard outside to get some fresh air and stretch their legs. She took Sementall aside and quietly insisted that he keep his Resurrección going. He quickly agreed and Unohana suspected that the stallion wanted to keep Mareyo-chan safe, lest tempers flare and a confrontation start. She also presumed that he wanted to ingratiate himself with not only the Shinigami as a whole, but also the Taichou who stood between him and an irate father-in-law.

She didn�t mind the Machiavellian move; it was understandable, considering his personality and preferred hunting methods. Politely excusing herself, Unohana approached Karin and Grimmjow and frowned when she got closer. The human woman looked dreadful. Purple smudges under her eyes spoke of sleep deprivation brought about by Aizen�s sordid attentions and if the healer wasn�t mistaken, she also detected a pain-blocking Kido spell in use.

Aizen must have done something to her in the time between breakfast and the battle and although she was on her feet and moving effortlessly, Karin wouldn�t be able to keep up the pretence much longer.

�Oh dear... it looks as if I�m going to have to insist on a few things before we can start.�

With nothing further to say, Starrk left his makeshift podium and strode through the assembly, which parted like water before him. Ichigo, Grimmjow and Karin followed. Ulquiorra paused and handed a few sheets of paper to Harribel. She overheard the Fourth ask the Third to summon her mate to help as the evening progressed.

Her worry for Karin only increased when she got closer and spied the bandaging. She�d been shocked to find out, from Byakuya of all people, that Karin could break Claims using reiatsu manipulation. The novelty of such an ability aside, it would make the job of ridding the Seireitei of troublemakers faster and easier, a task that should already be underway. The only problem Unohana could see was the toll doing so would take on Karin. Grimmjow would have to make certain his mate got plenty of rest afterwards.

Regrettably, Unohana would have to give him the information she had regarding post-traumatic stress disorder too. She would leave it to Karin to tell Grimmjow the ugly details and told herself that she would only intervene if necessary. Aizen had imprisoned the human woman in the Royal Suite for only two weeks, but the tyrant had broken people in far less time than that. Thankfully, Karin had a support network of friends and family to help her through the inevitable mental turmoil.

Byakuya, Szayel and Gin, on the other hand, would need longer to heal, in both head and heart. Szayel had his mate and children. Byakuya had Rukia and his surviving colleagues, but Gin was another story. He had betrayed the Seireitei after all, even if his reasons for doing so were sound. He�d never been particularly popular with the leaders of the other Divisions and he would never be able to return to his old position as an acting Taichou. No one, outside of herself and Matsumoto Rangiku, would care what happened to him now that his �master� was dead.

Unohana put tracking down her fellow prisoner at the Palace as another in a long list of things to accomplish, but the goings-on under her Division roof were more important at present. She�d start with Karin. Unohana would need to see to her before the interviews got underway. If the woman didn�t get a break, she�d collapse and that would complicate the next stage of the Seireitei�s liberation.

Fortunately, there were more than a few supply closets on the way back to her office. She�d duck into one to see if they still had what she needed. Today�s battle might mean that her staff would have dipped into the Division�s stock, but she wouldn�t need much to help Grimmjow and Karin. The Arrancar in the hall could afford to wait for a few extra minutes while she put Karin�s reiatsu to rights before she fell on her face.

The rest she would have to leave to Grimmjow.
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Prize of Victory 2	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > General Views: 56251 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story

Prize of Victory 2