Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Prize of Victory 2
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
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Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story
Chapter List
- 106
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This chapter also brought to you by Black Fox. It�s also been reuploaded as I posted the wrong chapter�. Again. There is an additional scene just before Gin�s.

Revolution's Dregs

Unohana Retsu

She began to lose track of the passing of the hours the day after the coup. There were too many duties, too many wounded and too many problems on hand to think of anything else. Her position had long been her sole refuge for a very long time and it was easy to let it become so once more. She hid in the hallways, the rooms of various patients, the emergency and operating suites, keeping her hands busy in the midst of a growing numbness inside of her. She ate at her desk and slept on the sofa in her office. The first night was dreamless and short and she�d recovered enough energy after a few hours rest to make it through the next day, and then the next and the one after that.

No one at the meetings between the surviving, acting Taichou and the Espada conspirators commented on the fact that she seemed to be functioning on auto-pilot, though Ukitake Jushiro looked at her from time to time with an expression she interpreted as deep concern. She weighed in with her opinion when asked and if she felt she had something to add, she made her points as succinctly and as calmly as possible. If she tried hard enough, she could keep up the façade she�d created, because it was the only thing holding her up. It meant she could delay the inevitable and hold the fraying pieces of her increasingly tattered persona together.

It worked� for a little while.

By the fifth day, she found she�d run out of both excuses and clothing that did not stink of antiseptic and exhaustion. Her Division�s Taichou�s quarters were empty of anything but a dusty futon and storage boxes and she did not want to check with her quartermaster as the availability of a fresh shihakusho. There was no help for it; she�d have to make the trip. Even with Minazuki tucked into her obi, she found it hard to overcome her reluctance to return to a place she�d come to hate.

That night, she left her Division in Iemura�s hands, declining dinner. Her feet made no noise as she ghosted down street after street, propelling her towards her destination. The Palace�s main gate remained wide open, five days after the coup. The Arrancar guards were gone, either dead, exiled or in the lone exception to that statement, confined to his den with his pregnant mate. She walked, unimpeded, into the courtyard where her husband-in-name-only had met his end. The edifice above it cast the majority of the wreckage-strewn expanse into shadow as she approached the building. One of the great doors hung askew, kept up only by its bottom hinge. She easily sidestepped the obstacle and let the darkness inside swallow her whole.

There were no lights anywhere, no servants and several of the treasures and objects d�art that had served as decorations were gone. She�d have been surprised if there hadn�t been some looting by now. The most likely culprits were the staff and she couldn�t find it in her heart to blame any of them for helping themselves after what Aizen had done to most of the women on the payroll.

No, she thought as she briefly came to a stop in a small patch of moonlight. That wasn�t right and she knew it. She couldn�t blame them for their actions after what she had allowed Aizen to do to them in the name of preserving her subordinates� lives. Other than the rustle of an owl�s wings, heard just outside the open back doors of the kitchen, the Palace was deserted and eventually, her leaden feet took her on the familiar route to the Royal Suites.

Her hands shook as she opened the door to her room. Some small part of her expected Gin to be there, waiting like a faithful hound so that he could begin the ritual of preparing her for her husband�s nightly assault. Had he been there, she wouldn�t have been able to stop herself from shrugging out of her haori, so ingrained was the habit.

The room was empty, cold and dark.

Unless she placed a match in one of the lamps herself, her beautifully-appointed prison cell would remain in shadow until morning The only other person that would understand what she�d endured here, what they had endured here, was nowhere to be found. She hadn�t seen him and he hadn�t sought her out since she�d left on the morning of the invasion. Almost against her will, she drifted towards the locked doors that led to the garden and then crouched next to the cubby where Aizen had forced his slave to sleep. Shinso was gone, but Gin�s blanket and bowl were still there, neatly folded. Along with them sat a long mass of silvery-gray hair. A thin leather cord kept the strands together at one end.

The first two were no surprise but the third�

Hands shaking, she dragged the items into her lap. Minazuki tried to whisper comforting words, but her Zanpakuto�s voice was little more than static in her ears as she stared down at what Gin had left behind. The message behind his sheared locks was meant for her eyes alone, a veiled ‛goodbye� to one who would know its significance.

This abandonment was her undoing. The despair she�d had to keep tightly chained lest it escape and cause untold damage broke free at the moment. Still clutching the strands he�d chopped away, she clawed at her braid, until her long black hair swirled around her like an inky shroud. The curtains that covered the doors were thin enough to let moonlight into the room in which she, no, in which they had been repeatedly violated, where it fell upon the wide bed and its neatly-made cover.

The half-chanted, half-screamed verses that accompanied the Thirty-Third Hado left her mouth before she stood upright.

By the time her back straightened, the bed, the headboard and the long gray hank of hair were engulfed in flames. She let go of the restraints and the rest soon followed.

Zaraki Kenpachi

He stared up at the hole in the ceiling of what had once been his old office. The only reason he knew it was there was thanks to the scattering of stars he could see through it.

His desk was still intact and he lay on it, facing up, with his knees bent and his shins and feet dangling off of the left side. The chair that had been part of the set was gone, so this one remaining piece of battered, weather-stained furniture served as a bed. A few rooms over, Yachiru snoozed on a pile of burlap, too tuckered out from combing the ruins of the 11th Division for her old possessions to care where she slept. They took their meals at the 4th Division cafeteria, but they�d spent the last three nights here. This was once the home of ruthless thugs, a prize he�d commandeered by killing his overconfident predecessor. He�d won this place fair and square and all of the battle-happy bastards that came with it.

Now it was empty as fuck. He was the proud leader of a pile of rubble, with two warriors to his name. One was sleeping off a sugar crash caused by the raided contents of Ukitake Jushiro�s desk drawer and the other was still in a hospital bed while the 4th Division tried to save what was left of the pretty boy�s face and eye. Worse, he�d been cheated out of the opportunity to cleave the Fifth Espada�s head in two by a Beetle who had its signals crossed and to top off the crappy sundae with a cherry, he�d let one of those damned field medics put him down with a sedative he could still feel if he moved too fast.

It was, in his opinion, the shittiest homecoming ever, especially when he found out about Hiyori Sarugaki. That she�d died in battle didn�t bother him nearly as much as the idea that she hadn�t taken the Second Espada with her. That honour had gone to Soi Fon, the lucky bitch. He was going to miss the mouthy, snaggle-toothed runt. Aside from Yachiru, she�d been the only one who even remotely �got� him and the way his mind worked. None of the others, even that hothead Ichigo, had ever come close.

He still owed her one for that sandal she�d thrown at him during the wedding and now he�d never get the chance.

Fuck.

If the wild wave of ferocious reiatsu had not hit him with the force of train, he might have stayed there, stuck in his own private pity party. It had him scrambling off the desk and out the door, searching for its origin. He�d only felt it once before, on the long-ago day he�d stolen his raggedy-edged blade from someone too slow to deserve such a weapon. It tasted positively murderous and he launched himself towards it, sword in hand, ready to answer its siren call.

The source wasn�t hard to find, since he could see the light from the fire long before he vaulted over the Palace walls, but pinpointing it was harder. Thick black smoke filled Kido-electrified air. It stung his eyes, but he eventually made out the hazy figure creating the disturbance, standing in the middle of what had once been part of the grand building. A squeak sounded from underfoot and he realized he�d stepped on something. Puzzled, he discovered it was a child�s plush toy, in the shape of a caterpillar. He had all of three seconds to kick it out of the way before a ball of red energy burned past his ear and exploded behind him. It blew up the remains of an opulent bathroom and sent bits of cast iron, ceramic, glass and enamel raining down on his head.

Maybe he was as insane as everyone said he was, but whatever was going on here wasn�t going to do the perpetrator any good. A few flash steps and he�d wrapped both arms around the short, one-woman-demolition team. He had to fight to pin her arms to her sides and almost lost one to the edge of her drawn Zanpakuto, but soon he was able to growl something into her ear, making himself heard over her laboured breathing.

�Not here. I know a better place fer this.�

If she kept it up, someone would come to investigate and spoil any potential fun. Glancing around, he observed that the walls, the furniture, fixtures� the whole fucking wing had been destroyed. Nothing had escaped her wrath. He might not be the brightest bulb on the string, as Kurosaki would have put it, but he had a good grasp of why someone might want to burn a bedroom to the ground, no matter how nice the furnishings. Her lungs heaved for a few minutes more, until she recognized exactly who had her pinned. A few shouts in the distance told him that they didn�t have much time to make themselves scarce before they had to answer some uncomfortable questions. When she nodded her head, granting consent, he picked her up and sped away.

Intimidating the Shinigami guarding the 1st Division�s gate was a piece of cake. Accessing the doorway leading to the underground prison was harder, but only because someone had bricked it over. That geezer, Yamamoto had shown it to him once, warning that he�d end up at its bottom if he ever stepped ‛out of line.� He found that ironic since it was the perfect place for someone like him to do just that. Aizen must not have had a use for such a place. Why bother locking people up, having them sit useless, when one could employ a Claim to jail them and keep them working or kill them outright?

He eventually kicked enough holes in enough walls to find the entrance and marched both of them into its evil-smelling depths. They descended the spiral staircase until they finally reached Muken, a pit deep enough to contain the answer to both of their problems.

She needed to tear something apart. He needed�no, wanted to give her that opportunity.

In the darkness, he unsheathed his nameless, voiceless blade and ripped away his eye patch. Her reaction teetered between incredulity and half-mad relief as he raised it in a salute to the scar he saw on her sternum, her undone braid revealing the reminder of the old wound he�d scored on her once. Her eyes did the same, following the long mark that ran from his hairline to the bottom of his right cheek.

Maybe today would be the day she�d get lucky and actually take his eye.

Or maybe not. He had no idea, but the anticipation at wanting to find out was killing him.

�We got unfinished business, you and me. Ya ain�t the kind ta cry, so we�re gonna fight, for however long it takes. If that means I gotta stick around the 1st Division and keep this space ready for ya when ya need it, Yachiru Unohana, then that�s just dandy. If it means I gotta bleed, great! Just don�t fuckin� hold back, got it? Now,� he rumbled, unleashing all of the reiatsu he could muster and throwing it straight at her, �come get me, you witch!�

He didn�t have to wait long for her response, uttering the name of her Bankai before she charged him. Their Zanpakuto clashed violently, sending up sparks that briefly illuminated the crazed smiles on their faces before fizzling to nothingness like dying stars.

Kenpachi decided then that he�d been wrong earlier.

This was the best goddamned homecoming ever.

Ushōda Hachigen

His student was nervous as well as tired and evidently starving. She sat next to him, wolfing down the contents of the paper bag he�d presented her with when she�d arrived at their meeting spot. Hachi wondered if this was the first time she�d eaten today and slowed his chewing. His decision to bring food to their evening training session, the first they�d been able to schedule since the coup, had been a good move, from the way she ate.

�I had no idea that accounting was so appetite-inducing.�

The Vizard said this casually as Hana finished her third pork bun and attacked the carton of udon accompanying it. She looked up at him with a mouthful of warm noodles and slurped the broth appreciatively. He�d expected dark circles under her eyes from overwork, not outsized hunger. Maybe he should have anticipated such though. She was still recovering from the ordeal of making the containment barrier and unlike him, did not have the vase reiryoku reserves built up, nor did she have several centuries of experience in pacing her energy expenditure.

�Had to leave without breakfast,� she explained. �I have three weeks of receipts to process and I�ve only had one dinner at home this week. Mistress Harribel and Hitsugaya-Taichou insisted that I spend time with their pack, such as it is. Their dining room seems a lot smaller than it used to be, with everyone crammed in around the table. She�s taken on a new fraccion too, so I can�t complain about the workload. Not while my Fukutaichou and Taichou are at the table.�

Hana drained the container of soup and leaned back with a satisfied sigh, patting her stomach.

�That hit the spot. Thanks so much, Sensei!�

�You�re quite welcome. A Kido practitioner must never allow themselves to become depleted of energy. I have to give Ishida Yuzu some of the credit for our barrier�s success. Ingesting her sublime cooking for several months prior to our mission allowed me to store up quite a supply of reiryoku.�

He patted his sizable midsection for emphasis. She appeared to ponder this and he took the opportunity to open his serving of udon and sample the hot liquid inside. The warm broth was just what he needed and Hachi sighed appreciatively after a few swallows.

�Sensei?�

�Yes, Hana-chan?�

The young woman had both hands wrapped around her soup container, her chopsticks wedged between her fingers to keep them from falling and her expression had become hesitant, as if she wasn�t certain if she should say what was on her mind. He�d given her permission to speak though, so she soldiered ahead.

�I�m sorry about Sarugaki-san. I know she was your friend, maybe even like family. I might not have liked her very much, but I know you did and for that....�

Hachi shifted his bulk on the fountain and put his empty hand on his pupil�s shoulder, to let her know he appreciated the gesture and her thoughtfulness. She was far too young to be this well-acquainted with death. Sometimes her abilities and her maturity made it hard to remember she was only fifteen.

�Thank you. That�s nice to hear. Perhaps, if karma is kind, she and her old mentor, Hikifune Kirio of the Royal Guard, will meet again in the Living World, under better circumstances. I will miss her greatly, as I miss them all.�

�What will you do now, Sensei? Are you going to go back to the Kido Corps?�

It was a fair question. Unfortunately, it was one for which he didn�t have a definitive answer.

�Well, I don�t think the few who remember me from my time as the Fukutaichou of the Kido Corps will try to carry out the old order to execute me on sight, so that�s one possibility,� he replied, gratified that she immediately became outraged that such a decree had ever been issued in the first place. �The Living World won�t do either. The two gigai Urahara Kisuke gave Hiyori-chan and myself were well-built, but they required maintenance that we could not perform. If I were to go back to mine, I might have half a century before it finally gave out. The same holds true for Hiyori and Rukia�s false bodies. I suppose I could hand them over to Grantz-san and see if he could get a few more decades out of them, but they aren�t a long-term solution.�

He closed his eyes and the conversation took a brief break while he dove back into his noodles. A few hearty bites later, Hachi sighed and stifled a burp.

�I�m also certain that there is a limit to Ishida Ryuuken�s hospitality. I no longer have my old rank, or a place here. It�s a bit unnerving to find myself at loose ends like this. However, I�ll be knitting Grantz-san�s mask back together, and there are your continued studies to consider, so I suppose that will give me some time to come to a resolution.�

�Maybe they�ll carve out a spot at the local zoo for us, since we�re technically an endangered species. Last of the Vizard and all that� we can share a cage with Kurosaki,� his Hollow snidely suggested. Hachi, with the ease of long practice, ignored the jibe and concentrated on his pupil instead. Hana�s subdued mood spoke of unspoken concerns. A good instructor knew when to let things go and when to go snooping.

�What about you? I�d like to know what is truly bothering you before we proceed with today�s lesson,� he shamelessly pried. Hana quietly gathered up their trash, and consolidated it, letting Hachi finish his soup before replying.

�I wanted to run something by you, Sensei. Maybe nothing will come of it, but if I�m right, it might solve a lot of problems. It might even help you, if you haven�t already decided where you want to go, that is��

Hachi regarded her as she nervously twisted her fingers together before he clasped his hands over his belly. Perhaps missing one lesson wouldn�t hurt his favorite, and currently only, Kido student�s progress that badly. Therefore, he made himself comfortable on the too-narrow lip of the fountain and smiled encouragingly.

�It�s getting a bit late to learn my variation on Hado Forty-Six. Tell me this idea of yours and I�ll let you know if I think it will hold water.�

Francesca Mila Rose

Strong fingers dug into the knots in the middle of her back and her shoulders. She exhaled slowly, feeling a few tense coils of pain give way under pressure.

Tachibana Eri really was too good at this. Far too good. If Mila Rose�s former �pet� ever decided to retire from the Shinigami business, the woman would make an absolute killing as a masseuse.

�Rough day?� she heard someone say overhead and the brunette forgot that as the only other person in the room, Eri had probably directed the question at her. She might also expect a reply. Mila Rose did her best, though it might not have been as coherent as she would have liked.

�Mmm hmm,� she mumbled and tried not to drool as a pair of thumbs worked their way down either side of her spine, and then pushed into her lower back. �I�ve been out�n patrol�n th�markets, jus� ta keep th� breeders from doin� anything stupid.�

�I guess it�s inevitable. Things will get worse before they get better, honey. Just be careful out there.�

Eri�s right hand brushed her former mistress�s brown, curly mane out of the way and she began to work on the knot in Mila Rose�s right trapezius. She knew just where to apply the right amount of force and the Arrancar felt two vertebrae realign, to her great relief. The mask fragment around her neck often made doing such difficult.

�I�ll do m�best. Long as I get enough sleep. Can�t we muzzle�yr 4th Seat? Wi� his fundoshi?�

This time Eri laughed brazenly and ran her hands along Mila Rose�s side, her touch hard enough to keep from tickling the woman beneath her. The calluses on her fingers, the result of years of training with her Zanpakuto, helped as well.

�That�s funny. He stormed up to me today and told me we were keeping him awake.�

The Arrancar�s eyes flew open at that and she sat up abruptly, forcing her masseuse to draw back. Eri had been in the company of a lot of Shinigami today and Mila Rose doubted the other officer had waited until the two of them were alone to voice his complaints.

�He really said that? Out loud? In front of��

��one of the squads working on repairing the south wall. Yep.�

One of the blonde�s hands snuck around the taller woman�s waist and Mila Rose�s mortified blush deepened as she felt a pair of warm bare breasts press against recently-rubbed muscles. The urge to get up and pay a visit to the jerk down the hall lessened as Eri�s body heat soaked into her skin.

�Wanna know what I told him?�

After a couple of weeks of knowing how Eri�s mind worked and how much amusement the Shinigami took in bedevilling people she felt deserved it, the Arrancar could only guess at the kind of verbal barbs the other woman had thrown at the idiot. Eri tossed her head and a few of her long, thin braids fell over Mila Rose�s shoulder, her golden hair contrasting sharply with the Hollow�s dark skin. Twitching fingers trailed suggestively lower on her companion�s belly, doing her best to avoid touching the area around her Hollow hole.

�I said, and I quote, �Well, somebody has to give you lessons about how to satisfy a woman. Maybe if you listen hard enough, you�ll pick up a thing or two. Then you�d have someone instead of spending your nights sawing logs!�

It was hard to decide whether she should be horrified at Eri�s retort or if she should laugh at the image her brain conjured of how the Shinigami living two doors away must have looked when Eri said it. The other woman rested her freckled cheek against Mila Rose�s shoulder and she settled on sighing.

Sometimes she missed the bickering and the baiting and the more-than-occasional shouting that had gone on between Sung Sun, Apache and herself for untold years. She missed the long, drawn-out playtimes on that monstrous bed with her sisters and her leader too. Then there were other times, like tonight, when she was glad that she�d taken Toshiro-sama�s advice and Claimed someone, however briefly, who qualified as evil incarnate. �That�s terrible,� Mila Rose murmured, not quite meaning it. Eri�s candor was rarely misplaced.

�Terrible, but true. I�ll see about getting him some nasal strips from the Living World and wrap a bow around the box. Nothing says, �Hey, Happy Birthday Snore-Boy!� like the gift of open airways.�

The weight behind her shifted, which was all the warning Mila Rose got before finding herself flat on her back on the futon, her green eyes blinking up at the ceiling. Evidently, her girlfriend had decided to help her relax in a different manner. Confirmation came when those damnable braids spread out on either side of her hips and a wet tongue snaked from just below her Hollow hole in a casual, downward direction. Callused hands smoothed up the backs of her thighs, parting them to reveal her rapidly moistening sex.

�Eri-chan�� was all she had time to gasp before the most talented mouth in any of the Realms descended upon her. On reflex, Mila Rose bit the back of her hand, trying to stifle a wail as Eri�s tongue delved deeply inside of her. Several long minutes passed and when she remained silent, her teeth sunk into her knuckle, the pleasure temporarily stopped. Grabbing her wrist, Eri wrenched the Arrancar�s hand away from her face. Her girlfriend�s experienced, sword-roughened fingers took her mouth�s place, which did little to help Mila Rose retain her wits, though it did provide an incentive for her open her legs as wide as she could spread them.

�Quit that. I was serious about having our 4th Seat learn a thing or two,� Mila Rose heard the blonde growl. The lioness mewled in reply as Eri licked her lips and grinned, eyes hooded. �He won�t be able to do that unless you�re vocal about every little thing I do to you. Go on, Francesca� tell me how much you love this!�

After Claiming Eri, Mila Rose had agreed to move in with her new acquisition while her brain was sex-fogged and her legs still felt like jelly. She didn�t regret it, but it occurred to her, as the fingers moved faster and deeper and her moans grew louder, that she might have taken on more than she bargained for in Toshiro�s 3rd Seat.

Then it no longer mattered. Eri�s tongue was back between her legs and praise for its thorough work spilled from the fraccion�s lips like water from a jar.

Tesra Lindocruz

The heart that every Shinigami textbook said he shouldn�t possess felt as heavy as lead.

The 4th Division�s healers were going to discharge Rangiku today. She was still in a cast, since no one wanted to take the risk that Orihime�s healing shield would affect her pregnancy. Unohana Taichou told him that she would have one of her officers arrange for palanquin transport. Tesra hoped that she�d picked her most sure-footed underlings for the job. He certainly didn�t trust in his ability to protect anyone any longer. Tatsuki was at home, moving the last few light things that their housemate would need from the master suite to the living room, where he�d set up a bedroom for his late Master�s pet. Stairs were out of the question now and they still weren�t certain how to handle baths.

Tatsuki had told him not to fret about it. They�d figure things out as they went.

He wished he had a fraction of her confidence.

Walking down the hallway that led to Rangiku and Ayasegawa Yumichika�s shared hospital room, Tesra overheard snippets of conversation as he passed the various staff members, all of them sounding conspiratorial.

�I swear I�ve never seen her before! I�d remember that mask fragment, believe me.�

�Do you think she�s really Abarai-san�s wife?�

�Sounds like you�ve got a girl-crush� ow!�

Another two �smacks�, probably from a hand applied to the side of someone�s head, made it to Tesra�s ears.

�Then stop being stupid! I just like her hair colour! That shade of turquoise is unbelievably pretty!�

It was the last sentence, spoken by a young woman whose glare could peel the paint off of the wall behind her chastened companion, which stopped him in his tracks. He�d only ever known one female Arrancar with such hair and Nnoitra had insisted he�d finished off Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck for good. That didn�t stop Tesra from turning the corner and confronting the two 4th Division healers. It also didn�t stop all the blood draining from his face when he asked them where the subject of their conversation was at the moment. When he found out, he pivoted on one heel and ran as fast as he dared, hoping he wasn�t too late. Verruga was halfway out of its scabbard as he neared the room he wanted.

�If she�s so much as harmed a hair on Rangiku�s head, I will skin her alive!� he silently seethed as he flung open the door and stepped inside, ready to fend off anything from a sword strike to a Bala. Unohana-Taichou might very well skin him for setting off Cero Córnea in the middle of her Division, but he couldn�t allow anything more happen to the mother of his late Espada�s cubs.

�Tesra-kun?�

Someone had propped up the back of Rangiku�s bed, so that she could sit and talk comfortably with a visitor. Yumichika was in the same position and Ggio held a nearly-empty bowl of rice gruel and a spoon, almost finished feeding his friend. As for Avispona, he heard the infant gurgle a little, her small head resting on a cloth draped over the shoulder of an Arrancar he hadn�t seen in a long time. Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck�s hand gently tapped the sleepy little girl between her shoulder blades, trying to get her to burp.

The enemy had one of his pack�s cubs. That was unacceptable.

Simply unacceptable.

�Tesra-kun? What�s wrong?�

Rangiku�s stunned, one-word question brought Tesra up short, though his master�s old nemesis paused long enough to give him a good once-over with her platinum-coloured eyes. Avispona chose that moment to release some of the gas she�d taken into her stomach along with a bit of her breakfast. Nel used the edge of the cloth and dabbed some of the spit-up from the corner of the baby�s mouth.

�Renji-kun�s much better at this than I am, but I guess it�s never too early to learn. Thank you, Vega-san, for allowing me to hold her. She�s lovely!�

�What the hell�s the matter with you?�

The question Ggio directed at him also stayed his hand. He eyed Tesra�s grip on Verruga�s hilt, put down the bowl and spoon and quickly rose to retrieve his child. The expression on his face told Tesra that the other Arrancar thought he�d lost his mind. Nel folded the cloth and handed it to the shorter Arrancar, seemingly unconcerned with the threat at her back. She had to turn around to return Avispona to her father, which was when Tesra noticed that her shape had changed considerably.

�She�s almost as big as Rangiku,� he thought, taking in the size of her belly, nearly missing what the former Espada said to him.

�Tesra Lindocruz. Renji-kun informed me that you would probably be here eventually.�

�Yes� I� Why are you here? Did you come to hurt�?�

�I wanted to speak with Matsumoto-san. We have a few unfortunate things in common.�

Rangiku�s hand moved and Tesra finally noticed that she held a fistful of tissues, taken from the box on the table next to the bed. More tissues littered the covers of the bed and when he looked carefully at his master�s former pet, he noticed her eyes and nose were red from crying. Now that her hands were free, Nel scooted her chair closer and reached for Rangiku�s fingers, holding them tightly.

�I�m sorry, Matsumoto-san. I wish my mask had been intact when I last fought him. You might have been spared,� the Arrancar woman said sadly. The apology brought fresh tears to the injured woman�s eyes. Rangiku scrubbed at them in vain with her soggy tissues before she gave into the urge to sob uncontrollably. Before Tesra could do anything about it, Nel put her arms around Rangiku and let her weep into the front of her yukata, in as much as both of their bellies allowed. When nothing more happened and Rangiku�s bout of crying turned into hiccup-laden sniffles, Tesra closed the door.

�You don�t want revenge?� he asked, bewildered, and let Verruga slide back into its sheath. Nel�s lips pressed together, but she shook her head.

�My father once said that the best way to get even with an enemy was to live long and well. Renji-kun and I plan on doing just that. I think,� and here she tipped Rangiku�s chin up, and used a fresh tissue to wipe away the wetness from the blonde�s face, �maybe the best �vengeance� would be if our children became friends, ne, Matsumoto-san?�

�Wait, your father?�

The exclamation came from across the room, loud enough to bounce off of the walls. For the first time in days, Ggio�s eyes were alert and fixed on something other than his daughter or Yumichika. He also transferred Avispona to his other shoulder. It took a second for what Nel had said to sink in, but when it did, Tesra goggled at the woman in the chair, as if he�d never seen her before.

It wasn�t that he was slow, but at that moment, everything he thought he�d known about his Master�s most hated adversary was turned on its side. The loathing Nnoitra Gilga had for this woman, his rage at being unable to best her� she might have been cold and condescending to Nnoitra on their shared missions, but in light of this new knowledge, Tesra now had a better understanding of the Fifth�s obsession with her and his hatred of her strength. Ggio had come to the same conclusion and when Nel paled, Tesra could see that she regretted her slip-up. A female like herself, with such power at her disposal, had to be careful in Hueco Mundo. It explained so much� no, it explained too much.

All three of the Arrancar in the room might have kept staring at one another in stunned silence, if not for Yumichika, whose purple eye rolled in annoyance.

�Fantastic. As the one with the most bandages, I hereby call the first meeting of the naturally-born Arrancar support group to order. Will this be a monthly thing or are you going to try for bi-weekly get-togethers, because if so, I�d suggest a better venue.�

Rangiku spoke up next, her voice watery but her words clear. They were also directed at Nel, because Tesra lacked answers for all of the questions with which she peppered the Arrancar sitting next to her.

�I second that, as the only person with a cast on her leg. You�re right, Abarai-san. We have a lot to talk about� starting with how on earth you ended up with Renji-kun! First order of business, tell me all about the wedding! No, wait, Tatsuki-chan will want to hear this too! You�ll have to come by the house, Nel-chan! I insist on it and bring your husband too if the Taichou aren�t keeping him busy! For now, just tell me how you met!�

Meanwhile, Ggio had rounded on Yumichika, angry at his friend for blurting out what was supposed to be a closely-guarded secret. The bandaged Shinigami remained unrepentant. When Tesra heard what he had to say, he couldn�t exactly disagree with his reasoning.

�The Seireitei will be full of Shinigami-Arrancar hybrids soon. If they�re going to become successful adults, they�ll need help from other, naturally-born Arrancar who survived the process. Laws or not, they�ll also need Arrancar like you three watching out for them,� the Shinigami snapped. �Best if the three of you are on the same page, ne?�

�Then it�s settled!� Rangiku said, sounding better than she had a minute ago. She clapped her hands together and Tesra felt a surge of dread hit his gut. He�d seen this before and there was usually a shopping trip and heavy bags involved. �We�ll have the second meeting at our place and I can guarantee better food!�

Yumichika�s nose wrinkled in the direction of the bowl of rice gruel.

�I hope so.�

Tesra numbly chose to lean against the wall, while he waited for Unohana-Taichou or Iemura-Fukutaichou to drop by with the discharge paperwork. Nel, for once, looked as if she was at a loss for anything to say and Ggio was doing his best how to figure out how to strangle Yumichika while still holding on to his daughter.

Maybe, he considered, the first thing that his fellow, naturally-born Arrancar could agree on was the unpredictable and occasionally insane mindset of the average Shinigami.

Ryuuken Ishida

He wished the visit could have been longer.

Hachi had arrived via Senkaimon, an hour ahead of Kurosaki Ichigo, his younger sisters and the Espada he�d sewn back together, which gave his staff just enough time to prepare a meal for his guests and for Ryuuken to smoke two cigarettes in anticipation of what would undoubtedly be an interesting meeting.

The long nightmare, one that had begun more than thirty years prior for the Quincy and had gone on much longer for others, was finally over. He�d ordered the staff to gather the personal belongings of each of the Escapees that had taken refuge with him last autumn and pack them neatly in a few boxes. Tsukishima Riruka had done so, but Ryuuken could see the strain in her eyes as she�d folded clothing and shoved a plethora of manga with questionable content into neat piles.

His home would soon be back to the quiet sanctuary it had once been, interrupted only by the occasional outbursts on the part of the Tsukishima children and the barking of dogs, a haven from the stresses of running a hospital and keeping the predators that frequented the Japanese upper classes at bay. All he had left was to see to one more necessary task.

Karin had certainly changed from the child he remembered, and yet, the defiant look in her eyes when they settled on him was quite familiar. Ryuuken assumed she�d picked that up from her rapscallion of a father. It suited her, just as her older brother�s scowl suited him, provided that he directed it at the correct target.

He had bowed to his visitors and then carefully inspected his wife as she fell in step next to him. He�d been tempted to go after Aizen himself, but doing so would require that Yuzu maintain the shadowy bridge between the Soul Society and the Living World, something she�d confessed she wasn�t experienced or strong enough to do yet. Ryuuken had then given her a choice: maintain the gateway, or take on Aizen.

Masaki�s daughter had done exactly what he�d feared she would. Neither of them had wanted to leave things to chance or let Aizen slip through their fingers. A sickening sense of déjà vu had descended on him watching his wife resolutely walk away from him though the portal he�d created in the basement, clad in white and bearing his son�s silver cross on her wrist. As the hours ticked by and no word had come as to whether the coup had been successful, he�d smoked a full pack of menthols and had gone over his plans for defending the Estate three times. The tip of the final cigarette was between his lips when another Senkaimon opened in the orchard that evening, disgorging an immense Vizard bearing good news.

A week had passed since then and now his heart lurched as he beheld all three of the Kurosaki siblings. It was the miracle he�d asked for and to find it granted seemed strange. Perhaps the gods had finally decided to have mercy on an old man.

Yuzu quietly told him she�d been well-received and had stayed with the noble Kuchiki Clan while in the Soul Society at Rukia�s insistence. Thankfully, no one had attempted to kill her. He hadn�t been entirely certain whether or not the notoriously single-minded and rules-loving Shinigami would try to finish off the last of their kind. Evidently, no one remembered or the Shinigami had conveniently forgotten the order to wipe out the Quincy, which was just as well.

She also appeared much happier and her eyes were brighter. That stirred the regret that was never all that far away when he looked at her. He�d married her to change her name, her status and to secure her safety behind well-defended walls. Aizen would not have hesitated to do to her what he�d done to her sister and unlike Karin, who had happened on her heritage�s gifts by accident, Yuzu had needed training to harness her mother�s legacy. The regret was not for what he�d done but for what he hadn�t done and could not bring himself to do.

Yuzu deserved far more than he could give her. As she took her twin by the hand to show off the gardens she spent so much time cultivating and gave Karin a tour of the stronghold, he vowed to give her the same choice he would give to her brother.

Later, in the library, Ryuuken told the children that might have been his had things been different, about their options. He had no intention of intervening further in the Seireitei�s affairs, as long as the Seireitei left him alone in kind. When a worried and suspicious Ichigo asked what he meant by that, Ryuuken made it plain that they needed to decide where they wished to reside. Karin didn�t understand at first, so the Quincy did his best to explain: her human body had adapted to life in the Seireitei as a Plus and coming back wasn�t really an option for her. The same was probably true for her friend Tatsuki. Inoue Orihime, or Cifer as she now called herself, had likely started the transformation upon her kidnapping to Hueco Mundo. Since none of them had been back to the Living World in such a long time, Ryuuken told them that she was probably as good as a Plus at this point. If any of them wanted to return to the Living World, they would probably require a gigai to interact with the spiritually unaware in the same way that a Shinigami would need a false body.

He said that as Karin had run her fingertips over the sofa�s cushions, as if to test that theory, but she didn�t question his truthfulness.

Ichigo and Yuzu, however, were a different story. Without skipping a beat, Ryuuken steepled his fingers and asked both of them what they wanted. They could choose a life on the other side of the Dangai, or a life in the Living World. As the last pure-blooded Quincy, he could complete the transition for Ichigo if he wanted to take up residence in the Seireitei. Doing so would be much easier here, within the boundaries of the Estate, than elsewhere.

�Energy is matter and matter is energy,� he said with some finality as he turned to his wife. �Now that there is no danger to you, you may choose as well, Yuzu-chan.�

His unexpected offer startled Yuzu. She�d stared at him for a full minute before lowering her eyes and nodding. Her dismay was evident. The three siblings withdrew to talk the issue out, while he and Grimmjow eyed one another across the library coffee table. Twenty minutes later, all three returned and Ichigo folded his arms across his chest.

�Rukia�s in the Seireitei and that�s where I�m going. I�ll be taking her old gigai with me. Maybe Szayel can learn something from its construction.�

Karin�s answer was even shorter. It consisted of taking Grimmjow�s hand and bowing respectfully to her brother-in-law, thanking him profusely for taking care of her family.

�Yuzu��

�I�m staying.�

The blonde had changed out of her uniform, back into civilian clothing and lifted her chin. There was more than enough resolve in her brown eyes for the both of them, which took him aback. For a moment, he fancied Masaki stood there, glaring at him with an expression that said he was a complete idiot, before he shook his head to dispel her spectre.

�Are you certain�� he began and she scowled at him fiercely, cutting him off before he could question her decision further.

�Yes. You always say that it�s a matter of pride for a Quincy to see things through, to the end if necessary. I still have a great deal to learn, husband and I won�t leave until everything�s settled.�

She took his hand in hers, holding it tightly. She was far too perceptive, just like her mother. Yet she had decided to remain here, foregoing precious time with her family, and friends, in favor of taking care of an old, tired man possessing the most obsolete of skill sets. He closed his eyes, knowing Yuzu had done it out of a sense of obligation, but not finding it within himself to force her to go with her siblings. It would have been the right thing to do� the best thing for her.

However, that hadn�t been her choice and as he�d done so long ago with his son, he allowed her to make it for herself. Ichigo seemed resigned, while Karin still appeared confused. Ryuuken imagined that the eldest Kurosaki suspected something too, but the young man kept his mouth shut about it and didn�t ask him for details.

He was, on the other hand, quite insistent about a few other things.

�The other gigais in the basement� I don�t think Hachi wants his back and it might not be a good idea to bring back Hiyori-chan�s, not for a while anyway, not until people have had time to mourn. We can�t carry all of the stuff and bring the gigais too. Could you use another gardener? There�s a little green pill in a bag upstairs that I think will come in handy around here and he deserves a shot at a real life.�

Franque Lloydght

�I didn�t realize that Iemura-Fukutaichou was such a good cook!�

The black-haired beauty walking three or four paces ahead of him sighed contentedly, while the more reserved young man keeping pace with her nodded.

�Well, chefs have to be organized and of all of us Fukutaichou, he�s the best at keeping things from getting chaotic. I wouldn�t expect any less from someone who managed to keep his seat since before Aizen took over.�

�The simmered hijiki was just scrumptious, and the rice was perfectly steamed! Souta-kun, do you think he�d say yes if I asked him to teach me his secrets?�

�Well, it isn�t as if we aren�t part of the Third�s extended household now. If he gives you some pointers, you�ll burn fewer pots��

Franque winced on Souta�s behalf as Michiko reached over and slapped her friend�s bicep with the back of her hand.

�That was mean, Souta!�

�It�s the truth and you know it. Do you remember that lean-to in the Fiftieth District, the one near the pond? Remember how the roof caught fire when you��

The two Shinigami�s former Master trailed silently after them, watching with growing amusement when Michiko pouted prettily at Souta�s recounting of her frequent cooking failures. A strong gust of air caught the bulk of his hair and blew the bright strands over the eyeholes of his colombina-shaped bone mask, temporarily blocking his view of his lovers and sending the many soft ermine tails decorating his mantle fluttering. This close to the Seireitei�s great white walls, the First District�s avenues sometimes acted like wind tunnels. By the time he�d secured the unruly mess and tucked it beneath his cape, they were well ahead of him, still dickering.

The walk home from supper at Harribel�s den gave him a moment to contemplate the edifice to his right and compare it to another city, also grand in design and lofty in its ideals. The two looked nothing alike; the Seireitei�s founders hadn�t built it in the middle of a deep-green tidal lagoon and its fortified walls betrayed its purely military purpose. He also hadn�t worked his way through the bedchambers of the wives, mistresses and daughters of the Seireitei�s elites, as he had with the ladies who graced his old haunts.

One did not poach in the Seireitei if one valued one�s hide. Aizen had struck him as a man with a sense of humour akin to a thin film of gold covering a heavy lead weight and the new Council seemed no more lenient than its predecessor did when it came to bending the rules. Fortunately, his talents fell under Venus�s jurisdiction, rather than Mars. He was a lover, not a fighter. The memories he�d regained when Aizen had forcibly conscripted him as an Adjuchas and tore his mask away also reminded him he detested brutality, even as he�d had to resort to such during the Swarm�s relentless invasion.

Up ahead, he heard Souta�s voice take a turn for the exasperated.

�Look, if you�re serious about it, we�ll need better kitchen utensils. Do we even have a decent set of knives?�

Michiko�s retort was just as sharp.

�Why in the world would anyone need knives to steam rice? We have pots!�

�Pots without scorch marks on the bottom? Michiko, admit it, I�ve seen you burn water!�

It was a point of pride with Franque that he�d never stooped to using force to obtain a bedmate, either as a man or as a Hollow. To him, a Claim was little more than cheating. There was no thrill of the chase, no exquisite build-up to an operatic climax. In short, it ruined the bloody script he�d spent his mortal life perfecting when it came to wooing women and he�d have none of it� except that doing so had spared his lovers from exploitation by other, more ill-mannered Numeros. The irony did not escape him.

�Well what about you, Souta-kun? You can make tea, but not much else!�

In Michiko�s case, he�d run across her while on an errand to the Shinōreijutsuin. Franque was immediately smitten with the pretty student, so much so that he�d collided with a door he�d intended to open for her. That might have been the end of it, had she not stopped to hand him a handkerchief to stem the blood flowing from his lower lip. Her kindness had proved to be the fatal arrow piercing the heel of his overly-protracted bachelorhood.

It also left him with a quandary of principles. At that time, there were still plenty of Arrancar who had yet to Claim a pet. With her sweet face, slender figure and ample reiatsu, he knew Michiko would be a prime target once she graduated. He�d tried to talk himself out of it, tried to bring up every argument he�d ever used as a mortal against succumbing to the tangled chains of respectable and responsible domesticity.

�Fat lot of good that did,� he recalled and stretched his arms overhead.

Franque had quietly gone back to the school�s grounds that evening to see if he could use his rakish good looks and wit to convince her to accept his suit. She�d promptly tied him to a tree with a rope of bright yellow Kido when he made his offer, but she hadn�t killed him outright. Having dealt with plenty of female Hollows in the past, he�d interpreted that as a good sign. Eventually, his persistence paid off. A year�s worth of wooing would have deterred a less stalwart swain, but when Michiko finally traded her Academy uniform for the shihakusho of the 3rd Division, she�d also coyly given him permission to Claim her.

He�d subsequently discovered her outwardly demure veneer hid a seriously� adventurous streak. Maybe there was something to the rumors regarding the goings-on behind the doors of the women�s dormitory at the Shinōreijutsuin. Franque thought comparing notes with Mila Rose on the subject might not be a bad idea.

�Hitsugaya-Taichou likes my tea,� he heard Souta say with just a hint of sullenness.

He hadn�t exactly planned on Claiming Michiko�s childhood chum as a �pet�, but his mate�s overwhelming terror when Aizen had gathered his Arrancar army on Sōkyoku Hill two weeks ago had forced his hand. That brought to mind another difference between this city and the one he fondly remembered: its courtesans and pleasure quarters catered to a much wider array of tastes and orientations than his old port of call would have dared. He ought to know; he�d spent plenty of time and money marinating in the seamier brothels and gambling dens of the Rukongai�s inner Districts, expanding his sexual horizons and repertoire. Those escapades turned out to be very helpful. The last thing he�d wanted to do once he�d agreed to Claim the earnest youth was hurt him out of ignorance or a dearth of lube.

While Watanabe Souta wasn�t the most experienced fellow between the sheets, he was very enthusiastic, especially when it came to Franque himself. The �crush� Michiko had described was, in fact, a bonfire the Shinigami had nurtured silently over the years, watching as the object of his affection and his best friend pushed the boundaries of office propriety. Once Franque had access to the young man�s innermost emotions, the Numeros had been stunned and humbled by their depth.

He had become the linchpin in a delightfully decadent ménage-a-trois with two souls he wasn�t entirely certain he deserved. Three days into it, he�d blearily purchased a larger futon and a few new sets of sheets, to replace the ones they�d collectively destroyed on the first two nights together. It also resulted in a sex-fogged stupor the likes of which he hadn�t felt since the loss of his mortal virginity at the hands of a pair of creative, wicked sisters with a too-negligent chaperone.

In this, and in the fact that Michiko-chan would soon bear what he hoped would be the first of many cubs, Franque knew he was unusually lucky. Souta�s rank at the 3rd Division and his initiative in asking his irritable Taichou for help when he had confessed his concerns about the former King of Hueco Mundo, resulted in an unexpected opportunity. His new patroness and her mate sat on the interim Council. His cub would have the opportunity to grow up with the child Harribel carried. Best of all, one of his fellow fraccion was the daughter of Ise-Taichou, step-daughter of the Primera Espada and bosom buddies with the Spirit Queen and her Consort. The possibilities for advancement were positively swoon-worthy. Franque had rubbed elbows with the wealthy and the influential while alive, but his current connections were the equivalent of dredging up a bag of gold coins from the bottom of a pot of found honey.

�Franque-kun?�

His name, spoken aloud, dragged him reluctantly away from the contemplation of Harribel-sama�s considerable-but-untouchable charms. Souta and Michiko had come to a stop in the middle of the street and both stared at him as he caught up to them.

�What is it, my darlings?�

He promptly slid a proprietary arm around each of his lovers� waists. Souta mumbled a mile protest about being in public and Michiko giggled when he patted her midsection, not wanting to leave out their cub.

�Do you think I can convince Iemura-Fukutaichou to teach me how to cook?�

Before Franque could answer his mate, Souta sighed and brought up something he�d suspected while watching the pack leaders toy with their food for the last few nights.

�I think Iemura-Fukutaichou was trying to make Harribel-san feel better. She and Hitsugaya-Taichou have been really down since the coup. Tachibana-san confided in me that Mila Rose thinks they�re still upset about what happened to Soi Fon-Fukutaichou.�

The mood around the table this evening had been on the dour side, which simply told him that he and his pack had their work cut out for them. Franque hesitated to use the word �exploit� in these situations, but it would be foolish for an up-and-coming Numeros not to take advantage of the vacancy and fill it to the best of his ability.

�If that�s the case, we must be ready to assist, even if it is only to lift their spirits. The mantle of power is heavy. Who better to help ease the burden than us, my lovelies?�

He kissed Michiko soundly first, and then did the same with Souta, tugging on the boy�s ponytail. Both were panting by the time he�d finished. Lifting one foot, he hurried his lovers along the windy avenue in a bid to get back to that nice, warm, extra-large futon he hadn�t paid off yet. He had plans that involved it, his lovers and that interesting and informative pillow book Michiko had given to him as a New Year�s gift.

No, the Seireitei was certainly no Venice, but with a good polishing, Franque thought he might just get it to gleam for him like a prized pearl.

Ichimaru Gin

He panted as walked under the too-warm sun. If it were this hot this early in the spring, the coming summer would be a scorcher. His fatigue told him that he was also miserably out of shape, though that was probably due to his previously half-starved state, rather than a lack of exercise. He strained his ears to hear more than the rustle of leaves in the breeze and the occasional twittering of birds. There was water in the gourd he carried, but he�d need to replenish what was in it by tomorrow. Maybe, he considered, he�d be wise to try to find a creek, rather than the springs he�d relied on in the closer Districts.

It had taken him a long time to work his way to the outer Rukongai, but he�d been prudent about the things he�d packed for what he anticipated would be a very long journey. In the hours after Aizen�s fall, he�d done his fair share of looting, starting with the Palace kitchens, where he�d eaten until he was nearly sick. He counted among his possessions one thick blanket that could double as an extra cloak if necessary, as much dried food as he could carry, a few decently-made knives, a pair of sandals and tabi and of course, Shinso.

So far, he�d encountered few people and none of them posed any danger to someone armed with a Zanpakuto. Gin expected that to change once he crossed a few more borders. It wasn�t as if he was trying to entice the locals to rob him and he�d done his best to alter his appearance. He�d needed to make himself scarce and he hadn�t been lying to Rangiku when he�d given her his reasons for leaving her behind.

He�d cut away his long hair at the first opportunity, starting at the nape of his neck and shearing it off as fast as he could. The bottom edge probably wasn�t even, but it was amazing how light his shoulders felt now that they�d been relieved of the extra weight. The warm wind tousled what was left of it, carrying away a few silvery strands. A dark gray yukata, stolen from the closet where the kitchen staff kept their supplies, completed the look. He was used to running around in much thinner clothing and his thicker garb, coupled with the day�s heat, was an unexpected problem.

By the position of the sun, he still had half a day to travel. With luck, he�d be in the Northern 64th District by nightfall. As rough as his old stomping grounds could be, he fancied that he might actually get a full night�s sleep tonight. It had only been a hundred years or so and he�d bet that many of the hiding spots he�d used as a boy remained, though they might be a bit cramped. He�d been much smaller then after all.

Any one of them would make a better bed than what he�d had at the Palace.

From a practical standpoint, he was too thin for this trip and his bones ached, especially those in the most recently-healed of his limbs. Food was scarcer the farther out one went and eventually, he�d need to hunt, steal or forage. That was not an insurmountable challenge in spring. His chances of obtaining meals were much better than they�d been when he was a child. There was also the uncertainty of his original sentence to consider. He had no idea if the remains of the Gotei 13 would decide to enact the punishment usually imposed on those they deemed traitors. To the best of his knowledge, he still had a price on his head, courtesy of the late Yamamoto Genryūsai. Unohana and Karin might speak up for him if they weren�t too angry with him for bugging out, but he had little faith in obtaining a pardon for what he�d done to Szayel and to others, on Aizen�s orders.

The terrain rose the farther he went and he had to follow barely discernable game trails or be hopelessly lost. His feet got him to the top of the next ridge around midafternoon and he stopped to drink from a flask of water as well as tear into three of the dried persimmons off the string he�d filched from a neglectful merchant several Districts back. They melted on his tongue and Gin took real pleasure in the taste, after so many years of plain white rice and the occasional smuggled bit of fish.

Temporarily sated, he sat down on the largest and most stable-looking of the nearby rocks and surveyed the area. The deciduous forest, thick and green fell away on either side of the rocky escarpment. With some effort, he turned around to look back the way he�d come. At first, all he could see was a brilliant light that sparkled when he moved his head. The sun�s glaring reflection off of the great, pale walls of the Seireitei, and the crystalline dome inside made his eyes water. He had to shield them with one hand to make out the details of the rest of the city, radiating outward in all directions.

�Get a good look. Ya won�t be back fer a while,� he told himself. He�d said his goodbyes, after a fashion, to those who would understand, though the last had been the hardest.

Maybe in time she�d forgive him, but he couldn�t risk staying and forcing her to deal with his problems too, no matter what she�d said to him. He�d made so many bad decisions, even if they�d been for the right reasons and she�d suffered in ways he couldn�t have imagined as a result. Worse, now she had the burden of two permanent reminders of her ordeal and he didn�t think she needed a third hanging around underfoot. He could do nothing about it except hope that Tesra turned out to be a decent father figure and that the human girl he�d Claimed kept the brats in line.

�Please, if there�s any justice, let �em take after their mother.�

The silent prayer went out to whatever deity might be listening. Then he remembered that this time, there might actually be someone willing to hear it. Gin put his hands on either side of his seated body and peered up into the bright blue sky. Not many people could say that they�d had the privilege of having the Spirit Queen bring them forbidden snacks. Ajuga-chan�s kindness was something he�d never taken for granted, and he wished he�d had a chance to say goodbye to her too, but perhaps, if she were listening now, he could ask his little sometimes-visitor for one more indulgence.

�Look out fer all �o �em from now on, ne? Look out fer �em �til I got my head put ta rights again, �til I�m fit ta be �round respectable folks, �til I ain�t gonna be a danger to �em. Please do that fer me, �juga-chan, an� I won� ask fer anythin� else.�

Gin took two more swigs of the lukewarm liquid in his water gourd. It tasted flat, but it was wet and that�s what counted. When he lowered it, something off in the distance caught his eye. Squinting, he detected the tell-tale sparkle of sunlight reflecting off of something in motion.

It could have been a river� or a metal weapon. There was only one way to know for certain. Tucking the gourd back into his pack, he turned his back on the city and let his skinny hand brush Shinso�s sheath. The Zanpakuto was willing, eager even, to see if they�d be lucky enough to find water sufficient to replace their stocks, as well as a fresh fish or two for dinner.

For some reason, he thought it hilarious that his blade wanted to help him spear fish out of a brook. It wasn�t exactly the noblest use for a Zanpakuto, but it certainly beat the other, horrendous things Aizen had made him do with the weapon, so he couldn�t complain. Whether fish or fight, anything was better than staying where he was. The former slave stood and then launched his hungry, thirsty body forward, down into the next valley and towards what lay ahead.

Well, there is only one chapter left. I hope everyone had a good New Years. My resolution this year is to try and keep my sanity after the second munchkin arrives in March. I make no promises. I also want to write something original outside of fan fiction. I do got some original works that are much older, but after how far my writing has evolved in the last ten years, they are just too painful to read. Most of them have their origins from my elementary school days, so I will leave it to your imagination on how bad they are, lol. They have cycled through maybe six computers by this point.
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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