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A New Window	By : Platinumsabr Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 13905 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. Any Original Characters are mine however, as is the story itself, and if you see it or any part of it posted elsewhere please report it

Chapter List
- 21
- 22
- 23
Runaways,
Relationships, and Reunions

He smiled through the tears
and clutched his chest. �You had no regrets, just like you said. Thank
you�thank you�and goodbye.�

He stood shakily. It was his
life now, and he could live it fully.

~~~~~~~~~

How simple it would be if that
was merely the case.

For the first thirteen years of
his life he had thought he was normal, that he was just like everyone else. He
had been; there hadn�t been any voices in his head other than his own, there
hadn�t been anyone, lest anything other than himself inside his body.
Within the span of a few short hours everything he had ever known was thrown
upside-down, and the hardest revelation of them all was that most people like
him had swords that granted power, guidance, that granted another entity
altogether into their psyche.

But for him it was different.

He didn�t have that one sword,
the guiding spirit to help his wayward soul. He had all of them. He
could talk to them all, hear their stories, their cries, the loneliness that
most felt. They were tools after all. Shinigami were taught that they were
tools, and only some truly tried to grasp their worth as something else. It was
those that always attainted Bankai.

They were restricted to one
world, one solitary world where emotions dictated weather, where the only thing
they could do was hope and pray that they were trusted, that they could lend
their power to the one who held them justly. Even as he stood in the crater of
his own making, Nejibana�s words kept stabbing him again and again. She had
been so envious of him, she and every other zanpakutou
that came into contact with him. He had the one ability none of them could ever
have.

He had the ability to form
relationships with more than one person. He could interact with the world
around him, and wasn�t constrained to the lonely existence inside the inner
world of the Soul Reaper wielding their sword form.

But that hadn�t been her problem.
The only thing she had wished for�was a second chance. She had wanted to be
with him again, to have the opportunity to show that she wasn�t about to fail
him again. She would be stronger for him, she had
willingly handed over Bankai for that reason. She hadn�t wanted to lose him, she had wanted to spend more time with him. The only
thing she wanted, the only thing that occupied her mind�was him. Her chance at redemption.

Now her wish had finally been
granted, in the most unlikely form.

He could practically feel the
happy waves within him, the surges of liquid power that coursed through his
body as a result of her sacrifice. She was gone, but somehow, someway, in some
impossible, indescribable, unknowable circumstance�she had willingly surrendered
her life�with a smile on her face.

He couldn�t understand it. He
couldn�t�he just couldn�t!!

He still had his control, his
newfound power hadn�t taken that away, and so within the span of a second he
had squelched everything back into himself, locked up that power back into his
body so he didn�t have to feel the remnants of her in his reiatsu. Even then it
offered no relief, he felt it still. It was his, there was no escaping it. His
hands were trembling, his knees were shaking, he felt
so�angry.

The others could feel it too. It
wasn�t that they felt the air vibrate because of intense spiritual pressure,
the remaining pieces of which still hung in the air; no, they merely felt the
intense cold that the anger put in the air, the blurring hate
that made the reiatsu seem mild in comparison.

Kin knew it just as well as the
others, and as she watched she saw him raise his foot and stomp it onto the
ground, kicking up a giant flare of dust in its impact. He had hidden his
presence again, and one by one they came to see that nothing was there when the
smoke cleared.

Kin�s heart clenched as she saw
the empty space where her fianc� had once stood.

She knew. To him, this was
exactly like what happened five years ago. Another failure.

The only thing she could offer
was her tears.

~~~~~~~~~

He ran.

He didn�t know how far he ran, he
just couldn�t stop running. Seireitei passed him by in a blink, and the endless
landscape of Rukongai spread before him, only to be passed just the same. From
well-built houses to shacks and boxes, right down until puddles of blood were a
common sight, he kept running. The mountains of the Eightieth district loomed,
but still he ran.

The shrieks caught his attention
first. Then the woman running with a child on her arm�a miracle for this district, that the child would even be cared for in the first
place�being chased by a Hollow. Soul Society wasn�t exempt from
Hollows, in fact the Eleventh Division was well known for their Hollow hunting
parties that went out to train in the high number districts. He stopped, for a
second like his brain couldn�t process what was happening in front of him, then another frightened cry snapped him to awareness.

This was what he needed. He
stretched out his hand and without any prompting, water starting gathering
without any of it around, until when it was done the crystalline trident fell
into his hand. He knew. He still had one zanpakutou that he could use without
repercussions: the power that had been granted to him. It was merely a shell in
his hands, he was its spirit. That didn�t stop him from tearing into the Hollow
like the Devil himself.

Body parts flew everywhere before
evaporating like the Hollow parts they were, until when it was done only a
small pond and Kaien were left. He was panting, not because of exertion, but
because of his anger. He had failed. Not her, never her, it had been
him.

He choked back his tears as he
turned to look at the bloodied body of the woman that had been running away,
still clutching the small bundle close to her chest as the crying continued. He
stepped towards her and saw her flinch away. His heart constricted painfully,
but he continued on. �It�s alright, you�re safe now.� They were the words he
had longed to tell Kin five years ago, the words he would give anything to say
to Nejibana, and yet they were the only thing he could offer to the woman in
front of him.

�A-Are you a Shinigami?� she
asked tearfully. �I�ve only heard stories�I hoped and prayed�I�I��

Kaien crouched down and put his
hands on her bare, bloody feet wordlessly. She could only gasp as she felt her
skin mesh back together seamlessly, until when he was done the only reason
there was blood on her was because her clothing had been stained in it. He knew
someone of her kindness and intelligence in the bestial Eightieth area meant
she was still either very new, or very adept at hiding. �May I?� he asked
softly, motioning to the child in her arms.

Her eyes widened in awe when she
heard his voice, and that was probably the only thing that allowed her arms to
hand the fragile existence over, even if it was with jerky, uneasy arms. Kaien
removed the tattered rags the baby was wrapped in before removing his newly
black jacket and wrapping it around the sniffling child. Unexpectedly, he
hadn�t made a peep since he had been put in his arms. Now in the snug wrapping
of his jacket, Kaien handed him back to what may or may not be his mother.
Whatever the situation, he could only be glad the child had someone willing to
take care of him.

Her eyes were drawn instantly to
the ashen skin of his bare chest, and he knew the flush on her cheeks wasn�t
because of a fever. It was his obligation to help her,
he couldn�t leave someone so wrongly placed in an area like this, not when she
wasn�t like her surroundings. Kaien Shiba�s memories told him that much. She
screamed when he picked her up without warning, cradling her against his chest
like she was her child, but he quickly calmed her down. �I�m getting you out of
this place.�

He almost fainted when her wide
eyes started watering with happy tears. He didn�t deserve them. He would spend
his entire life atoning if he had to. He had failed two of the most important
women in his life over and over again, he didn�t
deserve the praise of the few he was able to save.

The next thing the woman knew she
had looked up and before her were the limits of Seireitei. She was in the first
district of West Rukon. The man carrying her placed her down before a shop and
smiled at her sadly, his monochromatic eyes glistening with hurt. �There�s
someone here who will help you,� he said to her, before like a dream he had
vanished, the only proof she had of his existence the ground beneath her feet
and the black jacket wrapped around her child. She fell to the ground and wept
happily, and the door opened to reveal an aged man with kind eyes, the elder
who had helped Ichigo and the others at their arrival in Soul Society�and known
by the Shiba family.

She had been saved by a guardian
angel disguised in Shinigami apparel, that was the
only thing she could think of. For once, she dared to dream that her life was
turning for the better. Death wasn�t so bad after all.

~~~~~~~~

Kaien didn�t know why he hurt so
much.

Fate was a strange thing. If his
life had gone any differently at any point in time none of this would have
happened, and yet that also meant he wouldn�t have run away, and he wouldn�t
have met that woman, and wouldn�t have saved her and her child from that
Hollow. In the future, who knew what those two might do, and it was all because
he had run away that he had saved them. Would he rather spare his life some
misery, or would he allow it to run its course should he ever be given the
choice to go back? He had just saved lives, lives that wouldn�t have been saved
otherwise.

Sometimes, God could be so cruel.

He ran back to those mountains,
the ones where the traces of Hollow were as real as the angry killers that
resided there. He needed to train, he needed to fight. One by one, hour after
hour he fought, using his newly acquired white tendrils to the best of his
ability. It was hard, it was like he had grown a million extra limbs and he
needed to know how to control each one without complication. He had to. This
was the power Nejibana had given her life for him to attain,
this was the form that physically represented her life.

Finally, after days of doing
nothing but fighting, he fell to his knees.

He had wanted to deplete his
energy, to fight until he couldn�t stand. Yet even after all of it, his skin
remained the same. He had thought after the initial influx of energy he would
return to normal, but his skin was still as white as it had been days ago. That
had been a secondary reason however, and the primary reason couldn�t let itself
go unheard anymore.

�WHY!??!?!!?� he screamed at the
top of his lungs, frightening any creature that may have been around the
landscape. He wasn�t even asking anyone in particular; like every person has
ever done sometime in their lives, he was simply screaming out his troubles to
the air, hoping, praying, that someone heard him. �Why did
you have to do it!? I didn�t deserve it! I�ve never deserved it!!! I
didn�t deserve to get Kin back! I didn�t deserve to see you again! I didn�t
deserve any of it!!� He punched the ground as his angry tears fell without end.
�Dammit, tell me why!!!!! I�ve failed everyone close to me!! I couldn�t protect
Kin when we met that Hollow, I couldn�t protect you when you needed me most!! I
couldn�t avenge Miyako and I couldn�t even die properly!! I had to let Rukia
live with the regret of killing me for years!! So then
WHY!? Why does everyone keep sacrificing themselves for me!!?!?!?

�Mom and Dad sacrificed their
tine, Asuka sacrificed her feelings, Kin�s saved me more times than I�ve ever
saved her and you gave up your life!!! Why do people
keep doing this when I�m the last person that deserves it!!?!?!?�

He had failed so many times, more
than Nejibana had ever believed. Why did she think herself a failure when it
had been his fault all along?? He could�ve been a better partner, a better son,
a better husband, a better friend, but he had failed more times than he had
succeeded! Why was everyone always helping him!?

The answer came to him unexpectedly;
in fact he couldn�t even hear it. It was the water within him, the intense
power that had been bestowed upon him that answered without even being audible.
It could be felt.

�Because�we
love you.�

It was the shortest answer to so
many questions at the same time. It was the perfect answer, the one that didn�t
need reasons or anything else to explain it. It was the thing that he hadn�t
been willing to accept when he realized that once again he was like everyone
blissfully living in ignorance in the Living World. He was by himself in his
body, when for those few short days she had been back with him he had
felt�whole. He remembered everything from his past life, and losing her in this
one was like both lifetimes of experience together shattered in an instant,
even though she was still with him, just like she had said.

He laughed bitterly as he fell to
his hands and knees. Such a simple answer, one time and again he had been
reminded of. Kin had always known, he knew that. He
had run away on a pity-party of anger and betrayal, and at the end of it all he
had come to the answer she had known all along. He stood shakily and started
walking back, fighting off his exhaustion.

He had been an idiot, but�an
idiot that had finally come to the answer that he had been so desperately
looking for. The irony was it had been in front of him all along. He was so
tired, and hungry, now that he thought about it. It didn�t matter,
he needed to get out of this district. Nothing good would come of falling
unconscious in these parts.

Regardless, he limped forward
steadily, meeting no interruptions along the way. If there were people there,
they knew enough just from his appearance to stay away if they wanted to live.
It was one advantage of looking like he did he supposed.

Finally, the ground became soiled
with blood less and less and it was like the atmosphere itself was friendlier.
He was sure he was still in a higher number district, but he couldn�t remember
how long he had walked anymore and he had absolutely no energy reserves left to
call on.

His blurring vision saw a group
of punks walking towards him, and though their appearance was odd, their
gestures towards him told him they didn�t mean any harm. He couldn�t hear what
they were saying, but from the concern on their faces it seemed like they were
aware of his state. It didn�t take a rocket scientist to figure out he was
messed up right then.

After too long, he fell down face
first, unconscious.

The group of four looked down on
the unconscious man in total panic.

�What�re we gonna do!?� A weird
one with sunglasses wailed. �He just fell over right in front of us!?�

One of the smarter ones, who wore
a clock on his back, wasn�t so quick to follow his friend�s stupidity. �Get a
grip! Can�t you see he just fainted!? The way the boss� been since dandelion
head showed up he�d kill us if we left a Shinigami to die! Let�s hurry up and
get him to the house!�

Another, this one with a giant
afro and an almost perpetual look of confusion on his face, let in his two
cents. �But he doesn�t have a zanpakutou or anything�look
at him, his hair�s all shiny even��

The kindest of them all, and
ironically also the one who looked the fiercest, crouched down and picked up
the limp body, grunting at the unexpected weight. �It doesn�t matter if he�s a
Shinigami or not. Boss took care of us, so we should take care of anyone else
who needs it.� With that, he slung the body over the back of his boar.

Sanji, Taichi, and Nehero all
sighed at Adatomo�s very realistic explanation.

�Fine fine, let�s just get him
there already. He doesn�t look too good.�

Then they too mounted their boars
and took off.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Three days earlier�

It wasn�t utter madness, but it
was something close.

The amount of blood, bodies, and
damage to the landscape had clean-up crews in a frenzy.
Not only that, but the death of a captain was now well known, and spreading
like wildfire through the ranks even as those involved stood in the aftermath.
It was close to chaos, so naturally, they had quickly vacated the scene, though
they knew it was probably common knowledge by now. The fact that two captains
had been dispatched already said of how much the rest of the Society knew, and
that Renji happened to bring Hanatarou along only drove that home further. Had
it been anyone else, there would have been one other fatality too, not to
mention Nemu�s fragile state.

Now they all sat in one of the
conference rooms of the Thirteenth Division clad in fresh uniforms, and
bandages, to those that that applied to. Tatsuki was sitting on Ichigo�s lap
with his arms wrapped possessively around her, and the worry was clear on the
two parents� faces. Kaien had simply disappeared, and he was out of Tatsuki�s
range to detect. Oddly, Tsuki was sitting rather close to Sora, and Ikki had
since retreated back to her sister�s body, who now sat beside Kin on the
opposite side of the table between them. Hanatarou and Nemu were there too,
Nemu for obvious reasons, and Hanatarou for moral support.

�That was�interesting,� Sora said
at last, and to everyone�s surprise the first and only one to chuckle was Tsukiyomi.

�What?� she asked
curiously, her usually hard face for once soft and gentle.
She really did look the part of the royal she was, even with her soft
expression.

�Nothing,� Ichigo said
whimsically. �I just haven�t heard you laugh like that since you were a baby.�
Tsukiyomi turned a dark shade of indignant red as she sputtered for a quick
comeback.

�Not gonna happen Tsuki, this
time you�ve been busted,� her sister pointed out with a grin. Finally,
Tsukiyomi merely turned up her nose snottily and readjusted her seating with a humph.

Even though the door was opened
softly, the sound still rang out like a judge�s gavel in the minds of those
present. Genryuusai Yamamoto stepped in first, and after him Soi-Fong, Jyushiro
Ukitake, Renji Abarai, and likely for an unbiased point-of-view, Byakuya
Kuchiki. Masaki had gone a wonderful shade of red upon witnessing the last of
the arrivals, but that was dulled greatly by the reason all these captains had
come before them.

�Captain Ichigo Kurosaki!� the
old man boomed, and shook everyone at the table except for the person it was
directed to. He cleared his throat and opened an eye to see more clearly as his
demeanor noticeably changed. �Center Forty-Six is livid right now,� he
explained calmly, a complete one-eighty from his initial greeting. It was more
like he was a frustrated mentor than an angry commanding officer.

�Hey, I told ya I was gonna beat
some sense into him! He was the one that made it into a small war!� Ichigo
retorted instantly.

The aged commander sighed. �I am
well aware of this, Captain. Until the revelation of Lieutenant Kurotsuchi�s
pregnancy we had not seen her captain for quite some time and his documents and
lab are being seized as we speak.� He sat down in the chair at the head of the
table heavily, and for once it looked like the Captain Commander was showing
his age. He seemed visibly weary. �Honestly, you youngsters.� He sighed again.
�Center Forty-Six hasn�t given a definitive response when I inquired about a
revival of Operation Spearhead, but one can only assume they had a hand in the
creation of those Hollowized Mod-Souls, if not only the authorization. Captain
Kurotsuchi was a good deal of things, I will admit that, but a traitor was not
one of them.�

Soi-Fong stepped forward at that,
rather angrily even. �Traitor!? If I hadn�t been there
Ich�� she caught herself, �Captain Kurosaki would have been dead, as well as
three of his seated officers and need I remind you, the Shihouin heir to the
Second Division!!� Color flooded Kin�s cheeks. Being called a princess took
some getting used to, even if Soi-Fong refused to address her as anything else.
The commander�s open eye turned to regard her and she swallowed nervously.
�Forgive my outburst!�

Renji stepped forward
respectfully, and wordlessly the elder had nodded his approval. �Listen, I was
right there too, and believe me those things weren�t tryin� to do anything but
kill! The little missy over there can testify to that!� Soi-Fong gave him a
glare for talking about Kin like that, but he shrugged it off.

Yamamoto shut his eye and yet
again, sighed. �Duly noted, Captain. And Soi-Fong, however
unauthorized, your words do have a great deal of evidence against the late
Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Yet the fact remains that none of those that fall under the
blanket of justifiable self-defense were in fact, the one to end his life.
Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, you are immune to the effects of the Bankai in question,
how do you explain your actions?�

Nemu�s normally calm and slim
eyes were openly frightened, and though she tried, no words were coming from
her mouth.

�As of eleven fifty-three this
morning Nemu was a fully-fledged member of my division,� Ichigo broke in
calmly, but with a smug tinge to his voice that couldn�t go unnoticed. �As her
captain, the responsibility of what she does falls on me, ain�t that right?�

A rackety chuckle escaped the old
man. �Impressive deduction, though the death of a captain is no small matter.
Under normal circumstances, banishment or even execution would be within
reasonable consequence.�

Ichigo�s eyes narrowed fiercely.
�Just try to seal me up, I dare you! Byakuya already tried to cut my power
outta me and I came back stronger than before! Try to kill me and I swear�� Not
only was he a father, with a family he wouldn�t leave for anything, but he was
also one of the few threads keeping the many�many�Vastro-Lorde peaceful
in Heuco Mundo. Most of the captains present knew this.

�As I said,
under normal circumstances. Center Forty-Six is overstepping
their bounds in this case. Acting under the pretense that her captain was in
peril, Nemu Kurotsuchi acted swiftly to protect the life of her commanding
officer, and I see no reason to punish anyone involved. Since even I was kept
in the dark about the possibility of Operation Spearhead being reopened, the
disposal of the Hollow Mod-Souls is well within your bounds. Such a thing
should have never been created, and since at the time I had not been informed
of any such thing being authorized, the late Mayuri Kurotsuchi is the one who
would be in any danger of punishment. Omission of truth or not, that truth does
not apply when under any other circumstance things like those would have been
destroyed immediately.�

Ichigo sighed in relief. �So
basically we�re off the hook, right?�

The Captain Commander gave a
slight nod. �In layman�s terms, that�s correct. You are free to go.�

Tatsuki laughed happily. �You know
you really had us worried there for a sec! You coming in with all these
captains was really unsettling!�

�As it should,� Byakuya spoke up
pointedly. �Under normal circumstances harsher punishment would have
been dealt. You have an amazing propensity for luck, Ichigo Kurosaki.�

Aforementioned man smiled widely.
�Nah, I�ve just got a pro�prop�I�ve got a knack for being in the right!!� The
small traces of a grin were seen on the other captain�s face.

�That may be so.�

The others had already heard
enough, and Renji had to get back to Rukia before she killed him for taking off
without her. He knew he was bound to get hit, but if he stayed any longer she
may impose far more threatening consequences on him and he didn�t want to get
that any time soon. Even the Captain Commander himself had walked to the door
after saying his goodbyes, but Byakuya had lingered behind.

Even the noble had to go however,
but as he turned to leave, he looked down at Masaki, who had been sitting right
in front of him the entire time, practically shaking. �Are you unhurt?� He was
their sensei after all, but surprisingly there was an almost noticeable amount
of concern in his voice.

Masaki�s mouth went dry. �Y-Yes
Sensei!� she sputtered out quickly. His eyes narrowed in on her heavily bandaged
arm and she quickly covered it from his sight. �I-I guess we still need more
training�� She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. She hadn�t noticed the
wound at the time, but she had been running off pure adrenaline for the
majority of the battle.

Byakuya didn�t seem to find her
assessment very amusing. �When you�ve healed, report to the
Sixth Division. Cleary I have not taught you well enough if you have to
lower yourself to one arm for the likes of mindless dolls.� Masaki�s skin
burned under his intense gaze and she nodded submissively like the student she
was. The Kuchiki head turned briskly and walked out the door.

Sora scoffed when the captain was
out of sight. �Sheesh, what crawled up his butt?�

While most of the people there
laughed, even if they didn�t mean to, Tsukiyomi eyed her sister with a devilish
smirk. �In other words: I can�t believe you got hurt! I�m going to make
sure that never happens again!�

Masaki went brighter than a
Christmas tree.

Ichigo laughed and turned to the
only two unrelated or not-yet-related yet to leave. �Well Hanatarou, Nemu,
you�re free to go. Go get some rest, I know what happened today wasn�t easy on
you. Take a few days off, it�s completely normal.� Nemu nodded wordlessly and
with her clasped to her lover�s arm, they walked out the door. �Well Tats,
should we head out too?� His wife seemed more subdued than normal, but she
strained a smile and nodded, likely thinking about the same thing Kin was, even
if she knew better.

�What about
Kaien!? We�ve got no idea where he is and he could be anywhere! We�ve
got no way to find him!!� Kin yelled frantically. She seemed to be the only one
here worried about their missing member!

Tatsuki grimaced as she stood,
and not because she was in any physical pain either. �He�ll come back on his
own. He�s done something like this before; he just needs a few days to vent. He
got more than just his looks from his father.�

Ichigo seemed offended. �Hey!�

�Oh you and I both know it, don�t
try acting hurt!� she jibed, and he harrumphed childishly.

�Alright, alright, let�s just go.
I�m wasted; right now all I want is a cold drink and a warm bed!�

It was only late afternoon, but
the battle had been enough to wear everyone out enough for the entire day.

Tatsuki smirked seductively up at
him as she wrapped her arms around his waist and meshed herself to his strong
frame. �The second part�s easy enough��

Both Masaki and Tsukiyomi
blanched in horror. �Geez people! We�re right here!�
Masaki cried out like any mortified child. Her mother merely turned to look at
her and her smile told all too well what she was thinking, and it involved a
certain scarf-wearing noble. The orange-haired teen promptly blushed and shut
her mouth.

The victorious Tatsuki smiled
widely before sticking out her tongue childishly. Certain things hadn�t changed
even after all this time, and one of those was Tatsuki�s inherent hatred of
losing, arguments or otherwise. There was only one person she allowed to have
the smallest amount of superiority over her, and even then she quickly took
back control whenever his guard was down. It simply made their relationship
what it was, even if her turns in control were getting fewer and farther
between. It was one of the few reasons she didn�t like being pregnant,
but the pros far outweighed the cons.

�Shall we get going then?� Ichigo
asked, with that devilish grin of his youth gracing his face. Suddenly Kin knew
where Tsukiyomi got it from.

The two simply left the rest of
the group there without any cares. As they were walking away from the door,
Ichigo turned his head to look over at his wife. �Tsuki seems to be adapting
really well. It�s great to hear her laugh again, but really it wasn�t that
funny��

Tatsuki smiled and shook her head
in disbelief. He may be adding more years to his life, but his past naivety did
show itself every now and then. �Who knows? Maybe she just wanted to make Sora
feel better,� she said lackadaisically, just waiting for the gears to start
turning behind Ichigo�s eyes.

�Yeah, she was sitting pretty
close to him wasn�t she?� he replied with his usual innocent grin. Tatsuki
couldn�t help but smile back. Even after all their time together, he was still
her Ichigo. Na�ve and dense, true, but also everything she could have ever
asked for.

She counted down the seconds in
her head. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six�. She felt his body stiffen
momentarily beside her, and fought off the overwhelming urge to laugh. The
gears had started moving alright. Five, four, three, two�

She couldn�t resist. �I wonder
what that�ll turn into in a few years?�

She had to give her daughter some
credit, she hadn�t seen her husband�s eyes that
wide in a long time.

One.

�WHAT!?!�

Back in the room, four people
could hear uncontrollable laughter.

~~~~~~~~

As much as she hated to admit it,
Kaien had done the same thing she would have in that situation. She was right
there the entire time, and yet even then he had chosen to run away. She could
practically feel his pain, even now, and her intuition told her he wasn�t going
to be satisfied just running either.

What had happened was the
equivalent of watching a piece of yourself die.
Because of her sacrifice they now had a life to live out together, but hers was
compromised in the process. A zanpakutou was the spiritual representation of
the wielder�s resolve, their innermost feelings given form. Deep down, no
matter how much they may seem to be different from their partners outwardly,
they were exactly alike. That was why those with zanpakutous of opposite gender
were so rare, and so powerful. It took a certain degree of trust to gain
the power of the spirit as it was, but those of the opposite gender took more
in most cases, but as a result they usually brandished twice as much power.

Also, it simply wasn�t possible
for love not to develop between the two.

Naturally it couldn�t be
considered something akin to spousal love, but rather the deep-seated longing, the barest love that every
person desired to have: that of someone that completely and utterly understood
them. It was that love that bound their spirits together more fiercely than any
other partnership, and Kin knew this. Having someone like that die, give their
life up right in front of their partner�she couldn�t even fathom what it would
feel like. The closest thing she could guess would be if Kaien had died in
front of her.

He had gained his past memories
back, she knew that too, and if that was the case then every part of him would
feel not just what he himself felt of her dying, but also the experiences of a
life already passed along with them. It hurt her heart just to think about it.

Still, she couldn�t help but hope
he came back to her soon.

As much as her heart hurt for
him, it was also getting angry, furious that he hadn�t stayed and let them work
through it together. They were going to bind their lives together forever, why
hadn�t he found it fit to include her when he obviously needed it the most?

She fingered the scarf that she
hadn�t been able to remove from her neck, even knowing it had come to life once
already. It still smelt like him, and its presence was comforting when she had
no way of finding its original owner.

Now she sat, dejected and
depressed, looking over Seireitei from the top of one of the Soukyoku�s broken
sides. The evening was beautiful, even after all the
carnage that had happened below. It was as if nature itself was saying that
even though much had been gained and much had been lost, another day always
came. That day brought with it more choices, more chances, and even more time
to heal. Hopefully, time to heal together.

She sighed as she swept some of
her hair blowing in the breeze back behind her ear. �I�ll wait for you, Kaien.
I may just hit you when you get back, but I�ll always wait for you if that�s
the only thing I can do.�

For some reason, the words
granted her solace, even though no one was there to hear them.

~~~~~~~~~

Whatever it was he had done in a
past life that gave him the opportunity to do this he had no idea, whatever it
was he only hoped he did it again. Tsukiyomi had always been civil with him,
kind even, but she had never really caught on to any of his advances before,
even though he had fallen for her so long ago he couldn�t remember. Now she seemed
so much more�human, if that was the right word.

She was clearly worried about her
brother, he could tell that much just from her demeanor, but her face barely
betrayed any of what she was feeling, even though she could express herself
more emotionally now. It was only thanks to his extended time around her that
he was even able to know that much. She
really is beautiful� he thought offhandedly, and when her warm yellow eyes
turned to look at him he knew he had just been caught staring. Those eyes
should have unsettled him, should have imbued fear, but he knew them so
inherently after being around her so long that the only thing they did was send
his testosterone levels through the roof. He had never seen them as warm as
they were, and even the black sclera surrounding them only added to the
quality, instead of the opposite as should have been the case.

To his surprise, her eyes quickly
turned away almost guiltily. �I�m�sorry�I-I mean about before. I could
have killed you�� To his even greater surprise, it seemed like her eyes
were filling with tears just at the mention of it.

�Tsukiyomi�� He watched as a pale
shade of red appeared on her cheeks at her name, something he had never thought
looked more endearing on any other human being.

�T-Tsuki�s�fine. M-Most people
call me it anyways.�

He knew it was a lie, but he
still couldn�t help but feel privileged. �C-Can I hold your hand?� He knew from
experience what happened to anyone but her family that touched her without
permission, and had she not completed herself�from what he could gather from
her prior explanation�she probably would have snapped again had he done so. The
blush was more pronounced this time, and he found it incredibly cute on her
slim and finessed features. His heart soared when she nodded gently, and he
reached out to take one of her hands in his two, bringing the blush to an
entirely new level, both on her and
him.

�Tsukiyomi�Tsuki�the only thing
that mattered to me was that you were okay. Sure, I wasn�t expecting to be
punched into a wall, but worse things have happened to guys who touched you
before! I consider myself lucky!�

Even though her eyes were
brimming with unshed tears, they still looked stunned before she reluctantly
chuckled hoarsely. �You know�I actually thought you were going to say something serious
for once!� she said as she wiped her eyes and laughed again. Her breath
caught in her throat when she looked back at his face and saw that he had
removed his glasses, allowing her to look right into his midnight-blue eyes
without any barrier between them. He was so close, just inches away from her
face; so close she could feel his breath on her skin, and it sent tingles
through her.

�I�m very serious,� he whispered
gently as he moved closer. She could feel her heartbeat accelerate and against
her will her eyelids started fluttering like an enamored schoolgirl. �If I said
I liked you�would you let me kiss you?�

Her breathing turned ragged. God,
he was doing something to her insides that she wasn�t entirely sure she liked. What
on earth is happening to me!?

�If I said I wanted to be with
you�would you let me?�

This certainly wasn�t moving at
her pace, and that scared her. More than that though, she found she didn�t
really mind losing that control, abandoning herself to her emotions. She wanted to be with him, but right then
though, she wanted to kiss him. She
arched her head to the side as she moved to meet him. �If I asked you to be mine�would
you?� she whispered uncertainly.

A grin formed on his handsome
face as he reached up to touch her cheek. �How about we start here and take it
from there?�

Screw it,
she knew she was done for. Her eyes closed completely just as his did the same
and the motion was completed. �Sounds good��

She had never imagined a male�s
lips could be so soft. It was crude to be sure, and definitely lacking in
experience, but she took pride in the fact that that was only because it was
their first. Her first, his first. She had always
wondered why her parents enjoyed it so much, and then Masaki and Ikki and Kin
and Kaien, but now she knew. Her insides were reeling for reasons she could
never explain and her entire body felt flushed in a wonderful, pleasurable heat
that she had never experienced even after all her self-experimentation.

It was soft, unsure, full of trust and even more untold emotion. He was kissing
her like she was the only woman in existence and his heart could only belong to
her. It was too much for her, she was overwhelmed by the emotions he was
stirring inside of her and yet she wanted more.
She didn�t care if she was getting lightheaded, she increased her force and to
her absolute delight so did he. It was passionate, uninhibited, God it was
everything she had wanted it to be.

Finally the need for air overrode
her desire to continue, and they pulled away from each other with mutual gasps.
As they sat there panting, staring at each other with flushed faces, Tsukiyomi
had never believed what she was feeling could be anything other than love. She
didn�t like him, she was sure that she was growing to love him. She watched as he placed his glasses back on his face and
smiled warmly at her.

�D-Does this mean you�ll go out
with me?�

She smiled at his sudden shyness.
He and his brother were more alike than he would ever admit, but she knew it. �Yeah,
I think I�d like that.�

He smiled just as goofily as his
mother was famous for.

She couldn�t wait to see what the
future held.

~~~~~~~~~

Kaien�s eyes opened groggily to
see an unfamiliar ceiling of an unfamiliar setting. His vision was still unfocused,
and when he looked over he saw a woman with a white cloth wrapped around her
hair wringing a rag out with her one hand before turning back to him and
stopping short upon seeing his eyes open.

�So you�re finally awake eh? Took you long enough.� She said as she dabbed the cold cloth
on his forehead to wipe away the sweat. It was the sight of one very blurry�to him
that is�very pregnant, Kuukaku Shiba.

His throat was parched, but the
words escaped him before he knew what he was saying. �Kuu�chan�?�

Her hand froze in place and her
skin lost all of its color as her now wide eyes stared at him in confusion. There
had only been one person in her entire life that had ever called her that, correction: one person in her entire life that had ever DARED call her that...but he had left the world of the living a long time ago.

Darkness consumed Kaien�s world
again and his head lulled to the side, once more unconscious.

Kuukaku slumped into a cushion
heavily as she continued to stare at the now unconscious man.

�What the hell�?�

She was going to have to give
Seireitei a call. Why hadn�t she noticed the resemblance sooner?

This�was going to be interesting.

~~~~~~~~

Author�s Notes: Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed the latest
installment! I know I didn�t get a lot covered in it, but I didn�t want it to
be as long as the last chapter and it fit well by itself. I like that I got a
good amount of reviews again, and once more I thank all of you that took the
time to give me your honest opinions! Hopefully the story will be wrapping up
soon, but it�ll still be a little while yet so bear with me, I hope I haven�t
lost your interest yet!

As long as I have your approval,
writing will never be a chore to me, so once again I hope I�ll get reviews for
this chapter. Rates, reviews, it doesn�t matter, as long as you somehow voice
your approval. It helps me keep going!

Vizards on the warpath!! Here�s
to hoping next manga of Bleach has some much needed Vizard action!!
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