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Prize of Victory	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 87207 -:- Recommendations : 8 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make profit from this snippet

Chapter List
- 28
- 29
- 30
I have redone these two chapters a million times, hopefully they turned out as emotionally heart wrenching as I was going for. It's kind of one of those scenes that I think would be better animated with music, but let's hope my painting with words paid off. Please, for all that is holy, leave a review at the end of the two chapters to let me know how they turned out. You do not need an account to review.
Warnings: Extreme sadness
The sky was painted a bright blue and the birds chirped happily as they went about their business. This entire trip had actually been Starrk’s idea, and Karin had a strong feeling it was more because he wanted the Estate he technically owned to himself for a long, peaceful, quiet nap rather than because he was trying to be nice.
Somehow Starrk had even managed to get Ulquiorra to let Orihime and Tatsuki come along, and so the party of girls, hauling a large picnic lunch prepared by Yuzu, headed out through the first district to one of its more predominant parks.
Lilinette was the one leading the way with Hana cheering happily by her side. The party definitely drew the attention of the inhabitants and several of the Arrancar living in the area, but with two of the women clearly Claimed and a third being the fraccion of the 1st, none of them bothered them.
The fact that a rather bored looking Grimmjow was brining up the rear with Karin was probably the biggest deterrent of all though. He’d had no interest in going, but seeing as how there was nothing to do elsewhere anyway and how he didn’t want Karin outside of his sight, or the sight of someone who was both powerful and trustworthy, he ended up coming along, even though it was clear he wasn’t happy about it.
He had thought about refusing to let her go, but that would have been unfair and would have no doubt brought about stress. Stress was not something he wanted her to be under right now. The fact she would have ripped his head off had he told her no was definitely not the reason he had agreed.
They reached the mostly abandoned park and Lilinette dragged them somewhere deep into the forested area until they came to a rather secluded glade.
Yuzu quickly set up the blankets with some help from Orihime while Tatsuki broke out the bug nets and kept an eye on Hana while the little girl started chasing bugs. Karin settled down against one of the trees and watched with a smile, her hand unconsciously going to her stomach while Grimmjow disappeared up one of the trees.
Orihime glanced at her with a frown, but said nothing and Karin felt a sudden bolt go through her. Did Orihime know? Had she figured out what Aizen had been talking about during the Claim Meeting or had Ulquiorra told her?
“Well, I guess today is as good as any day to tell them.” She thought.
She felt her hands go sweaty with nervousness.
“After lunch. Yeah, that sounds like a good time.”
Okay so she was a coward, but at least she could admit it.
“You coming over Karin?” Yuzu asked once everything was set up.
“Yeah yeah.” She smiled and made her way over.
She paused as she felt a fluttering in her stomach and her hand went to it quickly in surprise. The only one who noticed her reaction was Orihime, who looked at her pointedly.
“So she does know.” Karin realized.
She finished the trek and sat down beside her sister, instantly going for a pork rib.
“Are you feeling alright Karin?” Orihime asked.
“Fine fine.” Karin waved the question away. “Still a bit drained from that Kido lesson yesterday.”
“Kido lesson?” Tatsuki prompted the conversation, although one eye was still on Hana and Lilinette as the two chased insects all over the place.
“Ukitake-san’s division was doing Kido practice and I got to participate. It was interesting, but man do his men have a lot of work to do. Their patterns were a right royal mess. Picked up a few new tricks though.”
“That’s good. And the glasses?” Tatsuki asked, pointing to the shades she was wearing on her forehead.
Her hand shot up to her head in surprise. She had completely forgotten she was wearing them. It had become a quick habit to put them on in the morning.
“Oh, Szayel gave me these to filter out higher levels of reiatsu so I don’t get blinded by people like Starrk-san or Aizen.” She answered.
“That was nice of him.” Orihime chirped.
Karin just shrugged.

Grimmjow scowled as he tried to tune out the girl talk below and finally giving up, prowled off to a further distance from the group. Seriously, what was it with girls and their need to talk? He was damn happy Karin was the more silent type and not the chatter your ear off type like her sister.
He kept one ‘eye’ on Karin’s reiatsu and the other he used for scanning the area for threats, not that he was expecting any. The other Espada were the only real threat to him. Other then Szayel, none of the others had any interest in her. Well, Nnoitra would probably be happy to pop her head off of her shoulders, but Aizen had already made it quite clear the 5th had better not be spotted anywhere near her without one hell of a good reason.
He had just found another comfortable branch and was settling down for a quick cat nap, no pun intended, when he felt it.
He bolted upright, rolled off of the branch to land crouching on the ground and pressed his palm to it, searching. A grin stretched across his face as he felt it and he couldn’t help the laughter that erupted as he raced towards the familiar feeling of power.
The Shingami trash had their sets of patrols, just as the Arrancar had theirs. Espada or not they were expected to do their own patrols to make sure the Shingami trash were doing their jobs right and that there was no foolishly planned rebellions.
He doubted any such thoughts would be entering their pathetic minds anytime soon. They were still a very broken people, at least the ones who had been Shinigami before the end of the war. The new graduates were somewhat normal, having experienced none of the loss, beatings, or rapes that had occurred at the conclusion of the war.
Ulquiorra paused in his circuit of the massive stone walls, frowning as he looked out where he knew Orihime and the others were. There was something in the air, something different.
“Ulquiorra-sama?” The Arrancar accompanying him asked nervously.
“Continue on the route.” He ordered as he jumped down from the wall and launched into a Sonido as soon as his feet hit the ground, taking to the roof tops for faster travel.
There was definitely something wrong with the air. He couldn’t detect anything distinctive, but he was not going to chance that it might be something harmful to his property.
The air pressure slowly started to return to normal but he was close enough now to whatever had caused it that he could feel the barely contained reiatsu of the intruder. As faint and hidden as it was, it wasn’t hidden enough from his sharp senses.
He stopped as he found the source and blinked. It was a cute little girl with pink hair standing on a rock and watching butterflies flutter about. She was wearing strange clothing like the humans had. Surly this child had not been the source of disturbance. One of Szayel’s experiments maybe? It would explain the pink hair and odd feeling.
“Oh, one came.” She exclaimed happily as she spotted him. “Are you an Espada?” She asked innocently.
“I am the fourth Espada, Ulquiorra. Who are you?” He demanded.
“Yay, 4. That means you are stronger than Nnoitra was right?” She asked, clapping her hands together excitedly.
“I am far superior to that trash.” He agreed coldly.
“Good, this should be fun then.” A much deeper, masculine voice smirked as Ulquiorra’s gaze shot to the behemoth walking confidently towards him with a long, severely chipped sword causally slung over one shoulder.
A moment later he felt the rush of Grimmjow’s reiatsu clash against theirs, followed quickly by another frightfully familiar reiatsu.
Kurosaki Ichigo was here, and not too far from where Orihime and the others were.
“I have no time for you.” Ulquiorra snapped as he made to make his way to his property, but found his way blocked by the man.
“Oh no. You are strong and I haven’t gotten to play in a very long time. Zaraki Kenpachi.” The man introduced himself.
“I have no time for you.” Ulquiorra repeated, but once more found his path blocked by the man and his now drawn blade.
“Fight me.” He growled.
Another attempt to get around the man proved that despite the mans’ size, his speed was phenomenal. Cursing inward, Ulquiorra drew his own Zanpakuto and smashed the offending blade aside as he once more tried to get pass, only to be blocked once more.
He really had no time for this trash. This was the man who had beaten Nnoitra’s release though and was to be taken seriously. Every attempt to get by the man failed. If he could not go around the obstacle, he would just have to go through it, and he didn’t have time to play.
“Tozase, Murcielago.” He declared.

It had taken a lot of work to find a way to, not only break into Soul Society, but to do it without being detected without Kisuke’s assistance. Yoruichi had chosen the park to come out in because it was secluded and yet still close enough that any reiatsu leakage would hopefully be attributed to the Arrancar and Shinigami living in the first district.
It was pure blind luck that there happened to be people here. Weather it was good fortune or not was debatable, for the people they were here to rescue were not very far, but so to were there some guards.
Yoruichi hadn’t counted on them being caught twenty minutes after they arrived, but at least the one to have done the catching was someone they all knew wouldn’t go running amok setting off alarms.
She felt another high power heading their way and was pleased to notice it was on a collision course with Kenpachi. Yoruichi had quickly asked Kenpachi and Hiyori to watch the perimeter while Rukia, herself and Nel hunted down the people they were here to rescue.
Grimmjow’s entire focus seemed to be on pounding into Ichigo as the two destroyed the landscape about them with no regard to any possible bystanders. One was shouting in glee, the other was demanding in fury to know what the hell the other had done to his sisters.
It was a rather immature fight when one was looking in from the outside. Yoruichi shook that thought off. They had to find the girls quickly for with the fighting the window of opportunity was now very, very small.

Orihime and Karin both bolted to their feet as they felt the wash of clashing reiatsu reach them. Yuzu gasped, Hana started wailing, and Lilinette looked at the direction it was coming from in shock.
“That’s….” Orihime couldn’t finish.
“Ichigo.” Tatsuki shouted in shock.
Sure enough, Karin barely had time to pull Yuzu aside as her brother flew past them, followed quickly by a smirking Grimmjow. Everyone’s eyes were on Ichigo but hers. She was staring at Grimmjow in pure shock.
“Well, now I know what he meant when he said he was a Panther.” She couldn’t help but to think.
Her eyes kept drifting back to his ears, staring at them in wonder and wondering if they were as soft as they looked before she snapped out of her daze and her gaze shot to her brother.
He was terrifying. In fact if it wasn’t for the fact she knew his reiatsu so well, even as corrupted as it had become over the years, she would not have been able to tell it was him due to the horned mask that covered his face. Yuzu’s and Hana’s screams broke her out of her trance.
Karin’s gaze darted to where her sister was laying on the ground under the crushing power of the clashing reiatsu. Tatsuki was kneeling in pain beside her and trying to support her while Lilinette was trying to calm a screaming Hana.
Orihime stood frozen as she stared at Ichigo in pure shock. Three more people came running into the clearing. Karin recognized Rukia and Yoruichi, but the third was unknown to her.
Acting quickly, Karin summoned up a kido barrier around them, lifting the crushing reiatsu from the shoulders of those unable to bear it. Her gaze never left the shocked looks of the others and after a moment Rukia and Yoruichi made their way around the two once more battling.
“Karin, Yuzu, Orihime, Tatsuki.” Rukia cried.
“Wait.” The green haired woman cried and Karin was surprised to notice it was an Arrancar. “Rukia-chan, stay back.”
“That is Karin and Yuzu, Ichigo’s sisters, the ones we are here to rescue.” Rukia argued.
“And two of them have been Claimed.” Nel argued back, grabbing a hold of Rukia to stop her a decent distance away.
Rukia’s horror filled eyes met hers and Karin forced herself to break the eye contact to focus on the bloody battle taking place. And it was bloody. In no time at all the area was covered in crimson splashes of it.
She couldn’t follow even half of the fight, the two men were moving at speeds her eyes could not follow. All she was capable of seeing was a streak of their reiatsu, like a person waving a burning stick around in the dark. Sprays of blood splashed the ground and stained their skin, hair and clothing.
Karin felt so many emotions running through her as she watched that she couldn’t focus on any of them. She went from terror to happiness to fear to regret to a million more she couldn’t even begin to name.
“Ichi-nii.” Yuzu suddenly screamed out.
Karin jolted and the two competitors suddenly froze. With them finally standing still Karin could only look on in horror at how injured they both already were; blood trailing down their bodies and both were panting with exhaustion.
Both sets of eyes snapped towards them and Karin realized the two of them had completely forgotten they were even there in their desire to fight each other. She found her brothers eyes first, and while they were black and frightening, there was a fresh look of determination.
Her brothers eyes rolled over her before quickly turning their concerned gaze to Yuzu. His eyes softened ever so slightly. With her brothers gaze diverted she shot hers to the other combatant.
Grimmjow’s eyes were on her alone, and she noticed there was a large amount of something there. She would have called it fear if she hadn’t known he was incapable of such a feeling.
With the pause in fighting they were able to feel another group of reiatsu heading slowly their way. Orihime’s eyes darted towards that fight, a look of concern and fear on her face.
“Ulquiorra is getting closer. And he is fighting someone pretty damn strong, but,” Karin frowned. “He’s not using his full strength? Why? It’s like he is only using half of his reiatsu?”
Karin was the first to break the suddenly tense silence.
“Ichigo.” Karin nodded her head at her brother, her voice surprisingly calm despite the fact her chest felt like it was being constricted in a vice.
“Yuzu, Karin.” Ichigo called out, his voice extremely gravely.
“Why are you here?” Karin asked.
Her brother’s head shot back as if slapped. Yuzu and Tatsuki looked at her in shock while Orihime’s eyes remained facing the direction Ulquiorra was fighting.
“What else? I am here to rescue you.” He answered.
“It’s been six years.” She snapped. “Why now? Why not back then, when everything was destroyed?”
“I thought you were dead?” He bowed his head.
“So what? You just discovered we were alive and only now decided to come get us?” She snapped, crossing her arms.
The anger in her voice was real and she felt her heart clench in pain that he had given up on them so easily. Did he think them so weak?
“Karin.” He started.
“Don’t Karin me.” She shouted angrily.
Yuzu’s eyes widen in shock as she starred at her sister.
“Why didn’t you tell us what was going on in the first place? Are we not your family? Do you have any idea how terrified we were when everyone started dying around us with no idea what the hell was going on? Why didn’t you come for us six years ago? Did you have so little faith in us?” She shouted in frustration.
“The town reappeared in the living world with no signs anyone was left alive.” Rukia quickly interjected.
“The house was completely destroyed.” Ichigo added.
“Did you even think to check? To look?” She asked, feeling tears threaten the corner of her eyes. “There would have been no bodies to find. Was that not clue enough?”
“There were no bodies left anywhere in the town.” He answered sadly.
There was definitely a hint of guilt in her brothers eyes now and slowly his mask cracked and broke apart, revealing a pain filled face. She felt her clenched heart twist, but managed to hold back her tears just barely.
“I am here now.” He offered weakly.
“And just what the hell do you think returning to the living world now would accomplish?” She shouted. “We are six years behind our schooling, do you honestly think there is any hope of a future for us?” She demanded. “Everyone we ever knew is dead.”
His head whipped back as if she had physically slapped him from the sudden venom in her voice.
“And what good would going home do? For what? Struggling through some un educated life for forty or sixty years just to eventually die and end up back here anyway. The only future we could hope for would be to find some man to marry us and be at home wives living off of his support. Not even a fast food joint would take us with our level of education.” She pointed out.
Yuzu would be perfectly suited to such a future, and with her exotic and beautiful features finding a husband would be easy enough. But her. Karin would not be able to live on the charity of another, even assuming she could find any man interested in spoiled goods with baggage.
Her hand went to her stomach. Her life was no longer her own and she would not deny her child its father the way she had been denied her mother if she had anyway to prevent it.
The kido shield shattered as her concentration broke. She could feel Ulquiorra getting closer, and in the distance more high powered reiatsu was quickly coming their way. While it looked like the fighting had stopped between Grimmjow and Ichigo for now, she didn’t think for a second the other Espada would be so lenient when they got here.
Grimmjow’s eyes were back on Ichigo and she could tell the fighting was about to commence once more. Ichigo was strong and he and Grimmjow were pretty damn close in power, but he was not as strong as the combined forces heading their way and likely to arrive soon. If they arrived her brother and friends would die.
Karin did the only thing she could think of to do, knowing it was going to shatter her brother. But at least he might be able to walk out of this alive and forestall any other fighting, for she knew Grimmjow would not risk harming his unborn child, and thus her.
She did the hardest thing she had ever had to do in her entire life. She turned her back on Ichigo and walked up to Grimmjow until she stood before her child’s father, directly blocking the path between them with her own body. She turned to face her brother once in position.
His eyes were wide with shock and pain as she stood before Grimmjow. She could almost see her brother’s soul and resolve crack, only to be shattered by her next words.
“Go home, and don’t bother ever coming back for me. My fate was sealed awhile ago.” She said sadly. “Take Yuzu and go. There is no longer any desirable future for me in the living world. I am dead to it, and you.”
Ichigo made to take a step forward, arm held out towards her. Grimmjow closed the small distance between them and pulled her into his grasp, glaring pointedly at the Vizard. Karin relaxed in his embrace and the last fragments of her brother’s will finished shattering.
Yuzu finally seemed to snap out of her own daze and ran to their brother. Ichigo caught her in a one armed embrace, holding her tightly to his side as she cried in happiness, as if afraid that if he let Yuzu go she would forsake him as well.
“Karin?” Yuzu called worriedly.
It was Yuzu’s pain filled face and voice that nearly broke her resolve, but she forced herself to stiffen her back. Just as there was no life for her in the living world, there was no life for Yuzu here.
“Go, before your chance at escape is gone.” Karin snapped.
Grimmjow made to move, but she caught the arm that was around her before he could move it, holding him to her body. Her brothers eyes fell in defeat, with a hint of confusion as he watched her hold onto his long time enemy, and what more watched his opponent still all motion and accept her calming touch.
“Ichigo, we need to go. Time is almost up.” Yoruichi called.
Rukia ran to the couple and slapped a bracelet on Yuzu’s wrist.
“Tatsuki, Orihime?” Rukia called to them.
“I can not go.” Orihime smiled sadly at them. “Even if I wanted to Ulquiorra-san would be able to find me no matter where we went. I would only put you all in danger.”
“She is right.” Nel confirmed sadly.
“I am not leaving Orihime.” Tatsuki crossed her arms firmly when they looked at her.
Rukia nodded sadly to them both.
“Times up.” Yoruichi declared.
There was a blinding flash of light, and then they were gone. A few seconds later Ulquiorra arrived in the clearing. Karin didn’t even notice his released form. Her eyes were too blurry from held back tears to see straight.
In the background Hana was still sobbing and demanding to know where Yuzu had gone. Lilinette was still trying to calm the young girl down without much success. Ulquiorra and Orihime disappeared a second later while Tatsuki let out a sigh and assisted Lilinette with the sobbing Hana.
“Karin.” Grimmjow started.
She slapped his hands away from her body and bolted while he was still stunned with surprise, running on pure instinct.
“Karin!” He shouted after her.
She ignored him. She needed to be alone right now.
“Karin.” He shouted again, a hint of desperation in his voice.
She ran as hard as she could, trying to outrun the pain that constricted her chest and the tears threatening her eyes.

Grimmjow stared after Karin in surprise before preparing to go after her when she ignored his third call.
“Wait!” Tatsuki called, running up to him to block his path before he could launch into a Sonido to chase after her.
“What?” He snapped at her in frustration.
“Karin just gave up her entire family, and what few friends we just discovered were still alive, to be with you.” Tatsuki said firmly while pointing a finger at him. “So please just give her a moment to sort it all out in her head.” She begged sadly, her own eyes looking off to where Karin had disappeared. “It is not an easy decision to turn ones back on their own family, no matter the reasons behind it.”
“We should get Hana-chan to her mother.” Lilinette spoke up.
Hana had ceased wailing and was now whimpering to see her mom or ‘take-ji, tear stains covering her cheeks.
Grimmjow looked off to where Karin had disappeared before giving a simple nod of his head. He sheathed his Zanpakuto as he returned to normal. Tatsuki let out a soft sigh of relief.
He was soaked in blood and covered in wounds that were starting to sting now that the battle was over and his adrenaline ran out.
“Che.” He spat and headed back to the estate so he could take a shower and cleaned up before the blood dried.
All this emotional crap was pissing him off. Next time he saw Kurosaki he was going to rip the bastard to shreds for making Karin upset. How dare the bastard give her stress when it was bad for a pregnant woman. Like hell he would let anything threaten his child.
He paused on the march home.
“Shit, I forgot to let the fucker know his little sister was knocked up. Damn it. And Yuzu doesn’t even know to tell him. Fuck.”
He kicked a tree, walking away from it as it collapsed behind him in a pile of splinters.
Tatsuki watched Grimmjow stalk off and sighed as she turned her attention back to Hana and Lilinette. What was suppose to have been a relaxing day had turned out to be quite a stressful one instead. What’s more, there was no telling what sort of shape Orihime was going to be in when Ulquiorra was finished with her.
The reiatsu of the one Ulquiorra had been fighting had been frightfully powerful and such fights always left his blood boiling. All Tatsuki could do for now was offer a quick prayer that both women would come out of this event all right.
“C’mon, Lilinette, Hana-chan. Let’s go find your mother.”
“Hai.” Hana sniffed.
Tatsuki picked the little girl up and nodded to Lilinette to lead the way. The sooner they got Hana to her mother, the sooner at least one problem would be dealt with.
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Prize of Victory