Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Prize of Victory	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 87205 -:- Recommendations : 8 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make profit from this snippet

Chapter List
- 103
- 104
- 105
Household Changes: Unohana and Gin
Sometimes, when he had time for a spare thought, Gin wondered where the water for the bathing pools came from. Did it come from some underground spring? Was the water pumped from somewhere else in the Seireitei? Was there some aqueduct that brought it here and heated it via technology, or perhaps Kido? Where did the water drain to? Did it flow away to the sewers that ran beneath the streets, or was there a set of pipes that redirected the gray water from the Palace to places like the public parks, where the greenery could be kept lush? Who tended to the plants and flowers in the baths? They were always in perfect order. Someone had to have the task of keeping them trimmed and deadheaded because he knew he didn�t do it. Was all of this just one of Aizen�s illusions? He didn�t think so. Otherwise there would be no reason to make sure all of the plants were constantly watered. Perhaps someone was using Kido to keep them healthy. Or maybe the décor of the entire damned bath was one big illusion and assigning Gin the task of watering nothing was just another way for Aizen to make him suffer.

Gin let out a sigh and turned his attention back to the watering can in his hand. He continued to water the numerous planters that lined the bathing chamber. He was almost done with a potted palm when he heard the warning system go off, indicating a battle with the Swarm was underway.

He let out another sigh and set the watering can down. All of the other Shinigami had their Zanpakuto returned, save him. Even Nnoitra let Rangiku fight and that Espada was perhaps the most possessive of them all. Gin was still a prisoner, confined to the Palace unless Aizen or Unohana had a reason to send him out on some errand. The only time he had been permitted to see Shinso since their defeat had been when Aizen had used Gin�s own Zanpakuto to shatter his wrist. The meeting had been agonizing for both himself and his blade, and not just from the physical pain of shattering bone.

With yet another sigh, he picked the can back up and climbed up a ladder so he could water the vines hanging from their baskets above the main pool. The last one was a short distance from the top rung and he had to stretch out to reach it. After all, it was faster than climbing down and moving the thing just to get the last few plants.

�Afternoon Gin-san,� Ajuga chirped happily as she popped out right in front of him, nestled comfortably in one of the hanging baskets.

Gin, unprepared to see the small, half-Arrancar child materialize inches away from his face, promptly lost his balance and his footing on the ladder as surprise overtook him. The glass watering can shattered when it hit the bricks below the ladder. Arms flailing, Gin followed it down. In his case, he completely missed the bricks and splashed spectacularly into the pool, sending a cascade of water to soak the surrounding bricks and expensive cloth drapes hanging artfully around the chamber.

Ajuga chuckled and easily climbed down to meet him at the edge of the pool as he crawled out, spitting up water and coughing. His hair was now plastered to his face and he was thoroughly soaked.

�Oops. I�m sorry Gin-san,� Ajuga sheepishly apologized, realizing the havoc she�d caused.

Gin spat out a little water and grimaced, and the child drew back. She may have been sorry, but she kept her distance from the sodden man. She still appeared to be leery of water. At the moment, Gin wasn�t too wild about the stuff either.

�Ajuga-chan, what are you doing here?� he sputtered, trying to wring out his dripping clothing.

�Visiting,� the little girl replied, as if he ought to know the reason for her visit by now. �I told you I would,� she reminded him. �And the others are busy, as usual.� She added this last bit sourly, crossing her arms and pouting.

�I think ya need to find a hobby,� he said, his tone being the only dry thing about him present.

�Why?�

Ajuga cocked her head to the side curiously as he gave up on trying to get the water out of his yukata and settled for wiping the water out of his eyes. He also gave his hair a shake. It didn�t help much other than to spray more water around.

He let out a groan of despair as he climbed to his feet and looked around the room in dismay. It was going to take forever to clean this mess up, and he didn�t have forever. Aizen would check up on him soon. Even if Ajuga helped him there was no way the silken sheets would be dried in time without the help of Kido, and he was forbidden from using it. If he even made an attempt, traces of his reiatsu would remain behind and give him away. He was not interested in trying to deceive Aizen over something so small after his last warning.

He knelt down and began to pick up the shards of the ruined watering can that littered the floor. After a moment Ajuga bent down to help.

�I am sorry Gin-san, I didn�t mean to startle you,� she apologized again, her ears and tail drooping as she did her best to look remorseful.

It was hard for anyone to stay angry at her given that pose. He honestly wasn�t so much angry at her as he was at himself for letting her sneak up on him in the first place. The man he used to be would have never let a child get past his defences. Of course, the man he used to be wasn�t terrified most of the time, Gin thought with some self-loathing.

� s�alright,� he tried to assure her with a half-smile, but it didn�t help her crestfallen look any. �Itai!� he hissed as he cut his hands on one of the shards he was picking up, having been looking at Ajuga instead of paying attention to what he was doing.

Blood dripped from the cut onto the floor and he held back a foul oath, mindful of young ears. Today was, apparently, not his day.

�I�ll go get a cloth,� Ajuga offered helpfully as she darted away.

�Don�t let anyone see you,� he quickly called after her. She nodded at his warning.

�I won�t,� she assured him as she disappeared into the smaller bathroom that held the rest of the toiletries.

He continued to pick up the watering can shards, gathering them up and currently thankful that the floor was soaked. The pool of water kept the dripping blood diluted and would be easy to clean up, providing Ajuga hurried up. What was taking the child so long? The bathroom was well organized and the gauzes should have been easy to find, even for a child.

�Would you care to explain why my bathroom is in such a state of disorder?�

Gin froze and slowly turned to face Aizen, his mind whirling as there was no exit from the room Ajuga had just entered save for the one she had just went through. While most of his concern was for the child (and he knew from personal history Aizen had no qualms about harming a youngster) the rest of his fear was for his own wellbeing.

Aizen had a frown on his face as he took in the soaked disorder of the main bathing chamber, as well as the dripping slave standing the middle of the mess. It was rare Aizen ever showed any form of displeasure unless he was truly, honestly displeased.

�I, uh, had an accident, Aizen-Kami,� he answered honestly.

�An accident?�

�Hai, I overreached while trying ta water the plants and fell from tha ladder,� he explained hesitantly.

Aizen�s frown deepened before the former Shinigami walked up to stand before him, not seeming to mind that he was getting his feet wet in the puddle of water. Gin felt his entire body shiver and he huddled in on himself, clenching the shards so hard that they cut into his fingers and dripped more blood onto the floor. Aizen looked down at the red drops falling from Gin�s hand onto the stone and then raised an eyebrow.

�You are bleeding on my floor Gin. Have I not made it clear to you how much the servants complain about the difficulty of getting blood cleaned up, not to mention the smell?�

�I�m sorry, Kami-sama, I�ll clean it aaAAAH!!� he cried out in pain as the Kido whip Aizen had summoned without a word tore into his back.

The sudden pain and resulting shock caused his hands to clench, the shards cutting deeper into his fingers, so deep that when the reiatsu-driven convulsion ended he dropped the now bloody shards from his pain-ridden hands. They made a �tinkling� sound as they hit the tile and the small odd drops of blood turned into a much more steady drip.

�You are making a very large mess of my floors, Gin.�

Gin bit back the sharp retort he wanted to make, that it was Aizen himself who was now responsible for making the mess worse. It would only make things more difficult. Instead he meekly nodded his head, all the while praying that Aizen would finish with him quickly, or at least continue this somewhere else so that Ajuga could both escape without notice and be spared witnessing the atrocities Aizen was capable of committing. Just because he�d had a violent upbringing didn�t mean that he wanted or desired others to have the same.

�It has been ten years and yet you still show these little acts of rebellion.�

�It was an accident,� Gin gasped, trying to defend himself.

Aizen had made it very clear that he was tired of rebellion and disorder. In fact, Aizen�s temperament had been on a very short fuse lately thanks to the continued interference from the Swarm and the never-ending delays in getting the Defence Net set up.

There was another crack and another cry of pain was torn from his lips as the whip slammed into his back, this time cutting through the flimsy material of his plain yukata and drawing a line of blood from his back. Aizen was definitely in the mood to hurt something, anything today. The proof of that was his willingness to go directly to torturing Gin without indulging in the usual mind games first. There was a short pause between each lash, just enough so that the stinging pain from the first lash would have a chance to settle before another lash would strike for the full affect. His back and clothing were quickly becoming a shredded mess and the blood was now turning the pool of water beneath him bright red.

�STOP!� Ajuga screamed as she darted towards them, just as Aizen�s whip descended.

Gin never felt the blow land. Aizen was so shocked by the child�s sudden appearance that surprise briefly showed on his face as the Kido lash landed, albeit with a lot less force than originally intended. The whip caught the child across the face and left a red line just under her left eye. It had to have hurt like hell, but Ajuga didn�t do anything more than flinch as she put herself between the two of them, completely ignoring the small beads of blood that began to run down her cheek. Adrenaline, Gin thought absently, was an interesting drug.

�It was my fault, I didn�t mean for it to happen, please stop,� she pleaded. �Please!� she cried again with tears gathering at the corner of her eyes, but not yet falling.

�What are you doing here?� Aizen asked her coldly, though the stunned look on the man�s face told Gin that his �Master� still couldn�t believe that the child was actually here.

�I was bored and was hoping to play in the gardens. They are really pretty,� she answered honestly, looking up at Aizen hopefully.

Gin could tell that Ajuga�s answer wasn�t the one he expected.

�The gardens?�

�Uh huh. They are better than all the other gardens,� she praised. �Even better than Bya-san�s gardens,� she elaborated. �I don�t get to play in them very often and I know every petal and leaf in �taki-ji�s gardens�..� she trailed off nervously.

Aizen�s eyes shifted from her to the bleeding form of his former subordinate.

�How many times has this child been here without my knowing?� Aizen demanded. While he didn�t raise his voice, Gin could hear the anger summering beneath the words.

Oh how Gin wanted to lie, but he didn�t dare take the chance that Ajuga wouldn�t contradict him, nor that Aizen wouldn�t discover he was lying. He quickly tallied up her visits in his mind before answering with a pain-filled whisper.

�About twenty or so, Kami-sama.�

�Twenty four,� Ajuga corrected Gin. �I help too, honest!� she added, clearly trying to make herself look good.

Gin could have groaned. Now he was really going to get it if the look Aizen tossed his way was any indication. No one was supposed to help him, and he knew it. He prayed feverously that Ajuga would not suffer the same fate as those few who had once tried a decade ago. Surely Aizen wouldn�t go that far with a child, especially one who was the offspring of one of his own warriors.

�Really?� Aizen asked, his voice dripping with what Gin thought was a little too much interest. �Exactly how do you �help� Gin when you�re here?�

�I hunt any mice and other pests,� she assured him quickly. �Although, I don�t usually find many,� she admitted. �Mostly just insects.�

If Aizen seemed disappointed that Ajuga wasn�t helping with the watering, he made no sign.

�I see. Who sent you here?�

�Huh?�

Ajuga seemed truly confused by Aizen�s demand.

�Who told you to come here?� Aizen clarified, a little more curtly.

�No one. The gardens were just so pretty the first time Gin-san showed them to me that I just wanted to see them again. No one said I couldn�t,� she pointed out defensively.

Aizen chuckled, amusement lacing his voice and the whip in his hand finally disappeared.

�No, I suppose no one did. Tell me child, how did you manage to penetrate my Palace without the guards noticing you?�

�No one can find me when I am hunting, not even Papa,� she answered, and puffed up with pride. �Well, almost no one,� she amended bashfully. �Mama can always find me, but that�s because she is Mama,� Ajuga admitted.

�Yes, I suppose Karin�s ability to physically see reiatsu would make it difficult to hide from her,� Aizen noted as he studied the child before him. �Why don�t you go hide in the garden, and I will be out in a moment to see how well you were able to conceal yourself. Think of it like a game.�

�Okay,� Ajuga easily agreed, but she still hesitated before leaving. �Um� is Gin-san still in trouble?� she asked hesitantly.

�Go hide Ajuga,� Aizen ordered her again, this time with no humour at all.

Ajuga sent Gin an apologetic look before complying with Aizen�s order to go hide in the garden. Apparently she did have a sense of self -preservation after all. She must have gotten it from her mother because it sure as hell didn�t come from her father.

�An accident, Gin?�

He whimpered and didn�t dare speak.

�That is the third time you have lied to me, though it would seem to be a little white lie bordering strongly on the truth.�

He felt his entire body start to shake and tried to get it under control. Aizen had made it quite clear that he would unlikely survive lying to his Master a third time, and that his death would not come quickly and definitely not painlessly.

�Any words to say in your defence?�

He gave his head a little shake in the negative. There was nothing he could say that would make any difference now. Aizen had already made up his mind and anything he might try to say would just dig him a deeper hole.

�Very well. See to it this place is cleaned up. I�ll have someone sent up to deal with the fabrics. And clean yourself up as well. I detest blood in my private quarters. My wife should be back in a few hours, despite the battle. Make sure you attend to her properly.� Aizen ordered before leaving the bathroom, following Ajuga�s trail to the garden.

He couldn�t help it. He raced into Unohana�s bedroom and peeked out the balcony doors, completely forgetting he was leaving a trail of blood. True to her word, Ajuga was completely undetectable. In fact, he almost suspected she had left the Palace completely, save that after five minutes, Aizen finally called for her to come out and she did so hesitantly from under a rose bush.

The child kept her distance and Gin was too far away to catch the conversation the two shared, but Aizen dismissed the child with a wave and she bolted away. Somehow, Gin suspected he wouldn�t see her again, at least not without being summoned. A large part of him felt saddened at the thought. Her company was always enjoyable and he would have sooner put up with the whipping than to have given up the surprise visits.

He turned from the doorway and cringed horribly when he spotted the trail of blood he had left. His back was smarting and his yukata was shredded. He took the bloodstained fabric off and started to mop up the trail he had left. The yukata was ruined anyway. It wasn�t as if the only two people who ever entered these chambers hadn�t seen him naked on many occasions anyway.

He started where he had been standing, doing his best to ignore the pain from his shredded hands and back, but it was difficult. He was bleeding steadily and it seemed like all he was doing was smearing the blood around. He heard main door open and bowed his head in defeat. It was far too early for Unohana to be back, which meant that Aizen had come back up after dismissing Ajuga.

�Lying was not enough for you today, you decided to add spying as well Gin?�

�I was just worried �bout her,� he murmured brokenly.

�Worried? I would be more worried about yourself if I were you Gin.� Aizen drew his Zanpakuto and walked towards him. �Kneel, cross your hands and lay them flat on the floor,� he ordered.

Gin did as ordered and braced himself for the pain he knew was coming. Even mentally prepared a cry of pain still erupted from him as Aizen impaled his hands with Kyoka Suigetsu, pinning him to the floor.

�If you move from that position I will not forgive you.� With that warning Aizen left the room. Shortly after Aizen�s departure the �All Clear� bell tolled, indicating that the battle was over.

It didn�t take long for the position to get very uncomfortable and every fidget caused the Zanpakuto�s blade imbedded in his hands to grate against bone and sinew, sending shocks of pain right up his arms. Four hours later, Unohana returned home to find him still fastened to the floor in her receiving room.

�Gin, what happened?� she whispered in horror as she approached him, but did not dare touch him or the blade that held him in place.

�I made a bit o� a mess and Aizen-kami came by when Ajuga-chan thought it would be an interesting idea to visit,� he answered weakly. �I may �ave failed ta mention she was here until she showed herself,� he added.

�Have you bathed yet my dear?� Aizen questioned as he strode into the room behind her, another blade at his belt and a charming smile on his face. The smile warned them both that he was in a playful mood and they were the toys.

�Not yet,� Unohana answered as she straightened to face her husband.

�Good, I would hate for you to get dirty after cleaning up. Your pet has been misbehaving and since punishments from me have failed to teach him a lesson, I was hoping one from you would correct his errant behaviour.�

�I will see to him..� she began, but was cut off by Aizen.

�His punishment has already been decided.� Aizen drew the blade at his hip and handed it over to his wife.

Gin felt his heart stop as Unohana reluctantly accepted Shinso from Aizen. His mouth went dry and his head spun.

�I was thinking of handing the blade over to Szayel for destruction��

Gin�s heart nearly stopped at the sentence and he almost missed the rest of Aizen�s statement,

��but he is tedious enough as is without being as useless as Szayel�s pet became after his experiment.�

His blood started flowing again, but only sluggishly. With Shinso so near, even though it had been ten years since he had been permitted to wield his blade, he could faintly hear his Zanpakuto�s voice screaming, as if far off in the distance. Pain bloomed in his hands as Aizen removed his Zanpakuto and another gush of blood decorated the floor. It was so tempting to curl up in agony, but he forced his body to remain in the painful position. Aizen had not given him permission to move yet.

�You are truly making a mess of these chambers today Gin,� Aizen �tsked.

�Most o� it�s your fault,� he thought sourly, but didn�t dare voice it.

�On second thought, perhaps we should do this outside. I think you have contaminated these rooms enough. Follow, Gin. Come along my dear wife,� Aizen gave his wife a peck on the cheek as he walked passed her towards the stairs that led down to the private garden.

Gin struggled to his feet, wincing at the pain in his back as the moving muscles pulled at the gashes Aizen�s whip had left on his back earlier. He forced himself to look at his bleeding hands and the piercing going through them. Blood ran down his arms and between his fingers.

�Gin�� Unohana said softly.

�Are you wasting my time?� Aizen�s voice filtered up from the bottom of the stairs and they looked at one another, knowing that the words were meant for both of them.

Gin shivered and they moved to catch up with their Master. He, in turn, led them to the private garden that had captivated Ajuga so much.

�Yes, here will do. Be a good boy and lay down on your back Gin, and cross your hands above your head, just like before.�

Gin couldn�t help but to notice he was being ordered to lay down in the exact spot Jushiro had been attacked. It was no coincidence. He sent a pleading look Aizen�s way, praying that the intent wasn�t going to involve Shinso gouging his own eyes out. The thought made him want to bolt away in terror.

�Now, Gin, before I lose my patience,� Aizen ordered sharply.

�Is this truly necessary?� Unohana asked.

Aizen turned his gaze towards his wife and offered her an unfriendly smile. �There is some time yet before I believe my powers will drain enough not to destroy any hope of an heir from you,� he commented offhandedly. �From what I can tell, you only need one eye and one hand to function at the 4th Division, and you certainly don�t need either of those things to perform your duty as far as providing me with a child.�

The threat was the first that Gin had ever heard Aizen direct towards Unohana.

Gin did not want to see any harm come to the only companion he had left, regardless of how much pain he was about to suffer. If he could not save Rangiku, he could at least try and save Unohana. She was one of the few who had always treated him kindly when they were still equals and still treated him kindly now.

He laid down as ordered and bit his lip as Aizen stabbed his hands together again, sinking the blade into the grass. At least the lawn was easier on his back than the hard floor would be and the bright, blue sky was nicer to look at than the ceiling. It was easier to stare at the sky, to lose himself in those blue depths than to contemplate what was going to happen to him shortly. He could hear Aizen giving Unohana instructions, but he wasn�t paying attention to the words. It was just a buzz in the background as he concentrated every ounce of his willpower on the azure expanse above him.

The sky was cut from view by Unohana standing over him, her eyes betraying her pain as she placed Shinso against his skin on his breast. Shinso cried in his mind and the sky was instantly forgotten as he was finally able to fully communicate with his Zanpakuto after so long.

He tried to retreat to his inner world, to be able to see Shinso after so long, but sharp pain erupted from his chest, interrupting and denying any form of meditation from taking place. He could hear Shinso roar in a mixture of grief and rage as he was, once again, forced to harm his master. Gin struggled, his hands becoming shredded messes as he tried to escape the blade cutting into his flesh, not because of the physical pan, but because of the spiritual anguish it caused his Zanpakuto. He sobbed brokenly as Shinso continued to suffer alongside him and the woman, a kind healer who did everything to end pain and avoid giving it, being forced to harm him.

He didn�t know how long it lasted. His ears, mind and soul reeled from their shared anguish. Eventually the torment ended and Shinso was removed from his flesh. He gasped raggedly, his eyes dry and puffy from the sheer number of tears that had escaped.

�That should do. Perhaps now you will have an easier time obeying.� Aizen�s voice sounded distant, but Gin could still understand the words. �Hmm, there is still some time before the meeting. Do go clean yourself up dear. Just because the chances are small to succeed in seeding my heir does not mean we should cease trying. Stranger things have occurred after all.�

�I would like to tend to his wounds first, Kami-sama. He has lost a lot of blood and his hands need treatment now if they are to ever be functional again,� she requested and even with his eyes closed, Gin could hear how close she was to crying.

�Go,� Aizen ordered sternly.

There was nothing that could be done and Unohana lowered her eyes and obeyed her husband, practically fleeing the garden before things could get any worse for either of them. Gin barely flinched as Aizen removed his own Zanpakuto from his hands.

�Be a good boy and clean my weapon for me, Gin.�

The metallic taste of his own blood flooded his mouth as he forced himself to lick the blade clean. Once Aizen was satisfied, he abandoned Gin to lay in a bloodied heap on the lawn. He couldn�t feel anything from his hands but a raging, throbbing hurt that ran right up his arms, up the back of his neck and settled behind his eyes. His chest stung badly, as if he�d been flayed, but the cuts were shallow and the bleeding from them not as significant as what dripped from his hands.

He rolled onto his side and slowly brought his hands towards his face. He would have sobbed some more had he any tears left in him, for his hands were a mangled disaster and he could see the chipped bones and sliced tendons. Aizen Zanpakuto had reduced them to useless meat during his impalement and struggles. Unohana was right. If he didn�t get treatment soon he might never be able to use them again. Of course, any injury inflicted by Aizen�s decree would receive no treatment unless Aizen decided to allow it. Somehow, Gin guessed that Aizen was not in a very forgiving mood right now.

It was some time before he finally gathered enough strength to get off of the blood-stained grass. He chose to focus his limited energy on getting to the first aid supplies. Unohana, bless her, made sure they were kept stocked in the bathroom so that he could at least attempt to deal with his wounds.

The doors from the sitting room to the bedroom were wide open and Gin deliberately looked away from the scene of Aizen partaking of his wife before he did something foolish. For ten years she would lay on her back while Aizen used her, forced to look her �husband� in the eyes while the tyrant did what he wanted to her. This time Aizen had decided to take her from behind like an animal, with her head buried in her arms as she lay face-down with her ass in the air. The sound of skin on skin followed him to the bathroom.

He was shocked to discover the bathroom was once more pristine. In fact, now that he thought about it, the sitting room had also been thoroughly cleaned. Not even the hole in the floor from where he had first been impaled remained. He did his best not to think about it. Kido could easily fix things. Or maybe, he�d lost more blood than he thought and he was seeing things.

He avoided looking at the mirrors as he made for the smaller room attached to the bathing chamber, but froze when he passed the large mirror in the adjoining room. Aizen had forced Unohana to carve kanji into his chest, just as Aizen had done to Szayel. In this case, however, he was clearly able to see them. If he�d had anything in his stomach he would have thrown it up.

Obedience, honesty, truth, slave, loyalty, submission, respect, sincerity, subservience, punctual and devotion were carved into his chest, in reverse, so he would be forced to see the words every time he passed a reflective surface, at least until Aizen deigned to give him new clothing.

He turned from the mirror and stared at the medical cabinet in dismay. He had no way to open it with his butchered hands. Even if he could manage to get his fingers to work enough to grasp the handles he would only smear blood all over the cabinet. That thought caused a tremor of terror to race through him as he turned about and noted the trail of blood he had left on his way here.

There was simply no way he could hope to win or outlast this, or come out alive at all. Everything he touched simply gave Aizen another excuse to take out all of his frustrations on his helpless former subordinate.

He collapsed onto his rear, cradling his hands to his chest. What little that remained unbroken inside of him finally shattering into as many pieces as the glass watering can. His shoulders shook in silent sobs, and he would have retreated into his misery had his eyes not fallen upon a pair of scissors sitting on the vanity. They were small, meant to cut strips of bandages, and Gin realized that Ajuga might have taken them out of the cabinet before Aizen walked into the bathing chamber. She�d probably forgotten to put them away before she�d tried to save Gin from his beating.

In the bright light of the bath, their shiny surface gleamed and despite his abused body, he lunged for them.

He could end it, all the pain and suffering. He could escape this nightmare he called existence. Would anyone even miss him? The pain wouldn�t last for long. He had already lost a good amount of blood so it shouldn�t take long to bleed out if he did it properly. Look, the metal was so shiny that it almost seemed to be calling to him. Oblivion was only a single, plunged stroke away. It would be his answer to this never-ending torment�

A soft hand gently covered his mangled ones, breaking him out of the trance he had lulled himself into and he turned wild, blue eyes up towards whoever had stopped him. He hadn�t even realized he�d grabbed the scissors, pinning the instrument between his wrists so that the blades pointed towards his throat, until they were gently taken away.

�Gin� stop�� Unohana said, her voice calm, even if the salt-water falling from her eyes onto his wounds stung.

�Sorry,� he muttered and then bowed his head, falling forward as all of the strength left him. He couldn�t tell if he was apologising for thinking of killing himself or for the blood he had left. Maybe both, maybe neither.

�It�s alright,� she shushed him, pulling him against her bare chest and holding him there until he calmed down.

It wasn�t until after she finally let him go and stood up to get the medical supplies from the cabinet that he realized she was as naked as he was and that her back and rear were covered in painful-looking red welts.

As far as he knew, this was the first time Aizen had ever raised a hand to his wife.

First, a threat to maim her and then taking her without the customary ministrations Aizen expected her to perform before he used her. Gin was suddenly grateful that Ajuga hadn�t been punished as well. If it had come to Aizen hurting Unohana, no one could consider themselves safe.

�Sorry,� he murmured again, casting his eyes aside as guilt replaced a little of the hopelessness in his heart. She never would have been hurt if not for him.

�Enough Gin, do not blame yourself for another�s actions,� she replied to him as she sat down in front of him again, this time with the materials needed to tend to his wounded hands. �I questioned his actions. He decided I�d earned these welts.�

Her hands glowed briefly with Kido as she used a simple spell to numb his injured hands. He hadn�t realized how much pain he was in until it started to ebb.

�Don�t ya got a meeting ta go to?� he asked weakly, concerned that she was going to get into more trouble.

�No,� she assured him. �Now hold still while I deal with these,� she ordered firmly, her voice a little steadier now.

�Yes, mistress,� he replied and gave her a weak, watery grin.

She smiled back, wiped at a tear that had escaped the corner of her left eye away with one hand and set to work doing what she could for his hands. It took just over an hour to see to all of the damage and get him settled into his cubby to rest. He was just about to drift off when a voice called to him urgently in the privacy of his mind. Shocked, his eyes snapped open to see the hilt of a blade being presented to him.

His eyes must have had time to rest, because he was weeping again as he clutched Shinso to his ruined chest, his Zanpakuto sobbing in his mind as well and offering a large string of apologies. This time there were no outside interruptions and he was able to retreat into his inner world.

Shinso was in his arms before he even finished fully materializing, the small, reddish fox-like creature burrowing into his chest and letting out loud noises of distress. Gin just held onto him for hours, until the tiny animal finally stopped shaking. No words were exchanged. None were really needed. Instead they simply basked in each other�s presence and Gin let himself finally commune with the part of himself that he had not felt in far, far too long.

�Ajuga, what happened to your face?� Karin asked as she settled her daughter into bed.

�Misjudged a jump,� the child answered as she curled up into bed. Her mother gave her a look and narrowed her eyes a little as she did so.

�A jump?� Karin pressed, rising an eyebrow. �That�s unlike you.�

�Uh huh. I let myself get distracted,� Ajuga admitted sheepishly. �It doesn�t hurt, see?�

She patted the small cut to prove it and after a few seconds, Karin relaxed. Her daughter wasn�t lying, according to her reiatsu signature. Perhaps she�d tried to take on a bigger obstacle than normal. It would be right in line with the overconfidence she�d apparently inherited from her father, her mother groused a little inwardly. Holding up one hand, she stopped whatever it was that Ajuga was going to say next.

�Alright, I believe you. Just be more careful next time, okay?�

�I will Mama. �Night.�

�Good night.�

Karin gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead and blew out the light before retreating to her own room, where she was instantly pounced upon by her mate and all thoughts of little cuts were evicted from her mind by his skillful manipulation of her body.

Had she been allowed a few moments to herself, Karin might have detected Ajuga as the child stealthily left her room, dragging one of her favourite blankets with her. The hallway was dark, but that didn�t stop her from navigating a well-memorized path to the room Hana had staked out as hers in Starrk�s section of the Estate. She carefully slid the door to the side and made her way to Hana�s futon.

�Hana-chan, you awake?� she whispered, crouching down next to the lump she assumed was Hana, wrapped up in blankets like a caterpillar in a cocoon.

Her tail swished back and forth, and her large blue eyes watched as her Shinigami-born playmate snorted indelicately, yawned hugely and then moved a bit to loosen the covers enough to peek out sleepily from underneath.

�t�s wrong Ajuga?� she mumbled, rubbing at her eye with the back of her hand.

�Can I sleep here tonight?�

Hana managed to sit up and, lacking the keen nocturnal vision of an Arrancar, had to fumble around for the lantern she usually kept nearby. Once she�d lit the wick and put the spent match into the little ceramic dish next to the light, the other girl threw back the covers and patted the spot next to her on the futon. Ajuga didn�t need a second invitation. She dove for the futon and pulled the covers over her head, with only a little opening so that both girls could breathe and see the light from the lantern.

�What�s wrong, �Juga-chan?�

Ajuga snuggled down and balled her blanket up to serve as a pillow, then turned her attention to the other girl. Hana�s dark eyes were even darker, her pupils huge in the dim light beneath the bedding.

�I� I think I messed up. Someone got hurt because I messed up today.�

Ever her mother�s daughter, Hana kept still until Ajuga finished with her story, sniffling a little when she got to the part about Gin getting into trouble with Aizen and the cut below her eye. When Ajuga stopped, Hana said nothing at first. Then, the little Shinigami girl bit her lip, reached over and gripped the hand that Ajuga didn�t have curled around her makeshift pillow. To Ajuga, Hana�s hand seemed to clench hers a little too hard and too tightly and when she spoke again, her voice was little more than a fear-filled whisper.

�Don�t go back to the Palace. He might hurt you next time. Promise me!�

�But��

�Promise me, Ajuga! Aizen does what Aizen wants! Remember what he did to �take-ji?�

Ajuga made a small sound and a look of misery briefly crossed her face.

�Yeah��

Hana worried her lip a little more, then scooted closer, pulling Ajuga into a hug. Despite having lived almost twice as long as Ajuga, Hana had noticed that lately, her playmate was getting nearly as tall as she was and looked almost as old. However, there were times that Ajuga acted like her real age in years and Hana decided that now was a good time to give her junior some much-needed advice.

��juga, listen. Gin-san would have gotten punished even if you hadn�t messed up. I think...� and here Hana tried to pick out the right words, ��I think that Aizen would have hurt him just because he can. Because he likes hurting Gin-san.�

Ajuga�s expression of misery shifted to a confused frown.

�But he didn�t do anything wrong. I did!� she protested and Hana shook her head sadly at her companion.

��take-ji didn�t do anything wrong either. If Aizen wants to hurt someone, he hurts them. Because no one is strong enough to stop him, not even Starrk-ji and Lily-chan.�

Then Hana hugged her friend again, more tightly this time.

�Don�t go back there alone. Please, Ajuga, � the little Shinigami girl pleaded, her voice cracking a little. �It isn�t safe.�

Ajuga nodded slowly, more to make Hana let go and let her breathe than anything else. The sharp, unexpected smell of fear on Hana receded a little as well, and Ajuga squirmed until she was curled up in her preferred sleeping position. Still, Hana didn�t seem like she was going to accept a mere nod as a real promise.

��k, Hana-chan. I won�t go there alone. I promise.�

Those words made all the difference. Hana seemed to relax and then a massive yawn overtook her. Squeezing Ajuga�s hand, Nanao�s daughter nodded and then drifted back to sleep, Ajuga following close behind her. She might get scolded a little by her mother in the morning for being here rather than in her own bed, but it was worth it to at least tell someone the truth about the cut. What she didn�t know was why Hana, of all people, seemed so scared of Aizen, or why the mere mention of the Palace made the other little girl tremble. Hana never got into trouble or truly misbehaved. She hadn�t seemed all that scared at the party and that was at the Palace. Maybe it was something about going to the Palace alone�

Something told Ajuga that asking just anyone about it might not be a good idea and that someone had already gotten hurt because she made a mistake. And as her Papa had told her once, while giving her a hunting lesson, a good hunter never made the same mistake twice.

�Maybe Gin-san�s right an� I need a hobby�� she thought sleepily, tracing the cut under her eye briefly before slumber claimed her.

Well, with the overwhelming response I got I guess I have no choice but to write up the second part. Thank you all so much for letting me know that there are actually people reading and enjoying this. Also, for those of you that prefer fanfictionDOTnet, POV is now all caught up there. I can�t vouch for the editing though as I usually do a once over in a separate document before posting here where as I simply copied and pasted from the main document over there.

Next chapter: Umm, I don�t know what�s going to be in it, Black Fox is writing it and should have it to me soon. After that chapter though *snivel* *chook* *sob* after that�.
THERE ARE ONLY TWO MORE CHAPTERS AFTER THAT.
*SOB*
That�s right folks, part one is almost done and will total a whole, whopping 107 chapters. Whoa, what a journey. I can say that, minus the incoming chapter from Black Fox, this story is sitting on exactly 1200 pages!!!!!!!!
I know lots of you have asked questions or requests and I haven�t answered them or made comments on them, but I assure you that all will be tied up nicely in a neat little bow� or at least a somewhat neat bow.. somehow, there will be tying! And all will be revealed in time.
Example: you were all begging for Renji to be fixed and I had to keep biting my fingers to stop myself from assuring you he would be fine when I had planned all along for him to regain his soul in the manner her did. So, even though it may seem like I am ignoring SOME of the request, in all honesty I get a laugh when I read them because some were already long planned, but I won�t say which ones. Nope, can�t pry it out of me. You will just have to impatiently wait to see which ones are already planned to happen.
So this weeks question: Hmmmm�. Which �crack� pairing that I created do you find yourself shockingly enjoying. And, if you can put it into words, why?

Tesra/Tatsuki

Karin/Grimmjow

Nnoitra/Rangiku

Renji/Nel: I didn�t make it but I suppose you could add them to the list, although I consider them less crack as they have actually met in cannon.
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Prize of Victory