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Prize of Victory 2
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
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Chapter List
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- 66
Dissatisfaction

Starrk lay under the branches of one of his trees, but for once he couldn�t sleep and found himself staring up at the new leaves rustling overhead instead. Lilinette sat still beside him, her arms wrapped around her knees. She wasn�t her usual, hyperactive and cajoling self, ready to kick him into wakefulness. If anything, he would call her �sombre� today. He sympathized with her pensive mood, as it mirrored his perfectly.

�Well�, he considered, �maybe not perfectly.�

For his part, he was sitting on a great deal of carefully banked anger and the embers showed no sign of flickering out. For once, it burned hotter than what he was certain crackled within Lilinette.

They�d had a family here, a life and a chance to interact with others who weren�t petrified of being around them. They�d managed to build something important, something they�d craved for a very long time. Now the only ones left were Jushiro, Nanao and Soi Fon, the last of whom would be moving over to Harribel�s place soon. In fact, the hour of her departure loomed and by sundown, she�d be gone. Nanao was helping her get the few possessions she had acquired in the last few weeks together. With Aizen�s direct order for the woman to be Claimed after giving birth, and considering that birth could happen at any minute, they all thought it would be safer to transfer Soi Fon to her new mistress sooner than later.

It didn�t help that depression and self-recrimination coloured the anger he felt towards the one who had gutted his extended pack.

�Sorry Shunsui. I said I�d keep your family safe, and here I�ve lost your daughter again,� he moped and berated himself, though the coyote figured he could take some solace in the fact that he wasn�t the only one who had grown disenchanted with their increasingly abusive ruler.

He had been surprised when Ulquiorra had approached him at the Victory banquet. He knew that Karin�s little coalition had considered talking to the Aspect of Death by Apathy, but he hadn�t realized that Grimmjow had managed to make such a convincing case to the other Espada prior to going on the lam. Even though Aizen hadn�t directly declared Diaemus a traitor, should the boy not return as he had the last time, their leader might choose to implicate the winged hybrid as well. Ulquiorra was not an idiot and the male half of the First thought that this incident might be the proverbial straw that broke the bat�s unwavering loyalty.

�Starrk?�

�Hmm?�

He turned his head to look at his gloomy partner.

�I hate this,� she pouted.

�Hmm,� he agreed, shifting his body in order to get more comfortable.

�What are we going to do about it?�

�I don�t know yet,� he confided.

A hopeful eye looked his way. He had said �yet,� implying he was thinking about doing something. He didn�t like the fact that one of the first things that Aizen had done upon their return was to take Abisara and Vindula from him. He�d arrived an unheard-of hour early for the �party� with his pack in tow to confront their leader about his high-handedness. Of course, Aizen had anticipated his reaction and had pointed out that the twins would be safer with him when he�d brought up the children�s whereabouts.

There was also a good chance the traitor would come for his children and when Aizen had out and out told him he intended to use the children as �bait� to lure Szayel back to the Soul Society, there was little he could say without revealing his own growing dislike of the current regime. Aizen�s reasons were all sound, logically presented and he couldn�t argue with them without a plan of his own in place. Aizen even said he might let him have the children back once he�d dealt with the traitors. He�d all but publicly promised as much in front of the other Arrancar, Espada and Numeros alike, later during the party, minus the twins since they hadn�t arrived at that point. Aizen had allowed him to have them for the evening, probably as a concession and a show of �good faith.�

A few years ago, he might have been content with that, but now he found himself distinctly unsatisfied. Aizen had overstepped far too many boundaries of late, from assaulting others� Claimed pets and breaking his own and their laws in the process, to threatening a child if what he�d seen of Abisara that evening was any indication of what the child thought of his change in caregivers. The cub had been too quiet, too subdued and stank of fear. He didn�t know if Ulquiorra knew about the last time Aizen had raped Szayel, but he wouldn�t put it past the Fourth not to have noticed something was up. From the brief, guarded conversation he�d had with the other Espada, someone or something had shifted Ulquiorra�s worldview as far as �Kami� went and not for the better.

If he hadn�t heard the faint footfalls on the grass, he would have felt the disquiet that was Ukitake Jushiro over the last few days approaching anyhow.

�Hiya �shiro-chan,� Lilinette morosely greeted Jushiro as the man joined them.

�Starrk, Lilinette,� the one-eyed Taichou replied, bowing.

�It�s Lilinette-sama to you, �shiro-chan,� the girl shot back, but her reminder lacked its normal snark.

�Of course, my apologies, Lilinette-sama,� Jushiro offered her a weak smile, but it died quickly.

Starrk hadn�t expected the atmosphere to get brighter, based on what he could feel of Jushiro�s emotions, but there was an edge of concern that he ought to address and now was a good time. Maybe it was because he�d had to return Vindula to Aizen this afternoon. He�d felt the hot knife that was Jushiro�s pain as he�d relinquished the little winged girl to Gin on the night of their return, though he suspected it was more than that.

�What brings you out here?� Starrk asked.

�I think Gin may have been trying to tell me something during the party,� Jushiro confessed. �It slipped my mind until I saw the Abisara-kun returning to the Palace with Unohana-san when I dropped Vindula-chan off and I wasn�t certain of what he meant at the time.�

Jushiro wasn�t the sort to make things up or indulge in wishful thinking. Starrk gave his friend his attention, motioning lazily for him to sit down beside himself and Lilinette on the lawn. He might dismiss it as such, if Jushiro hadn�t mentioned Gin. Coyote Starrk had spent a long time observing each of the traitorous Shinigami in the time they�d operated in Hueco Mundo. Gin was a crafty, clever man, and if Aizen�s slave thought it worth the risk to try to get them a message, then Starrk wanted to hear about it.

Vindula�s visit today had been a pleasant surprise, but Starrk recognized Aizen�s patronization and placation when it showed up on his doorstep. At least the little girl had been cheerful and happy, showing no signs of abuse at all. In fact, she was all too willing to let them know how awesome it was to stay at the Palace and how amazing the gardens were. As much as they wanted to question her about Karin, they also didn�t want to pressure her into saying anything that could get her into trouble. If Aizen wanted to hide Karin, he would have taken the precaution of making the children take a vow of silence about her. Vindula was also far too honest for her own good and they couldn�t risk having her reveal that Starrk�s pack had questioned her, particularly about Grimmjow�s mate.

�I�m not suited for all of this cloak and dagger nonsense,� Starrk inwardly groused. �It�s exhausting.�

�What kind of clue?� Lilinette inquired and Jushiro put his hands in his lap, lacing his fingers together.

�Well, when Gin came to gather Vindula-chan during the party, I asked him if she was going to be safe. He said, and I quote, �her yes, others not so much.� He made sure to stress the word �others.��

Starrk decided that remaining horizontal was a waste of time and sat up to mull over Jushiro�s revelation and what Gin might have meant by it. His pack already knew that Aizen had confiscated Abisara and Vindula. If they had been the only two captives, Gin would have used the boy�s name in the sentence and dispensed with being vague.

�He also had a full plate of food. We all know Aizen starves him, and we made certain both of the twins ate that night. I saw him serve Unohana earlier and she�s not the sort of woman that puts away more food than necessary. The plate had to be for someone else.�

�Well, damn. Seems Gin�s not even trying for subtle. He used to dance rings around the rest of us with his words. For him, that�s the equivalent of waving a burning torch and blowing a horn.�

�It had to be someone not at the party, but important enough for Aizen to get his pet to personally serve,� Starrk agreed, finishing Jushiro�s thought aloud. �If we needed any further proof that he�s holding someone at the Palace, we have it now.�

�Who do you think it is?� Lilinette asked anxiously.

�Karin,� Starrk and Jushiro answered in unison.

�Why her?� Lilinette looked back and forth between the two men. Starrk went from rubbing his forehead to rubbing his eyes, wondering how much he ought to tell her. As much as he cared for the other part of himself, she had the unfortunate habit of speaking without thinking and that trait could get the entire household killed, or worse.

�He declared the others traitors and said that Diaemus had followed them through the portal, Lilinette. He would have no reason or interest in holding Hana, as she has no value to him. So that leaves only one person and Karin��

Jushiro trailed off and Starrk picked up the slack, the grudging acknowledgement that their fears had been correct apparent in his tone.

�Is Grimmjow�s mate and Szayel�s mistress. Hurting her would hurt Grimmjow thanks to the Claim.�

�You think he is torturing her?� his smaller half gasped, her pink eye getting bigger and her fists clenching. He turned his head and wished he had something better to tell her, something that wouldn�t result in another round of profanity.

�It�s a possibility,� Starrk reluctantly confessed. �There�d be no reason to keep anyone else hidden.�

Lilinette scrambled to her feet, teeth bared. She looked how he felt right now and the alarm on Jushiro�s face as she did so served as enough of a warning.

�We have to do something,� she proclaimed, before Starrk�s hand reached out and grabbed her by her forearm, to forestall the girl from throwing herself into a fight she couldn�t possibly win.

�We will,� he told her, before his eyes narrowed. �But not this minute. We�re in the same boat as two days ago. We�ve got no proof and we can�t sense her, which tells me Aizen is cloaking her presence with his Zanpakuto. We can�t rescue what we can�t see.�

Lilinette fell back to the ground, as frustrated as he was with the problem, before she blinked and looked harder at him.

�You just said �we will� Starrk. Does that mean you�re ready to do something now?�

Starrk wanted to lie back down and groan. Aizen was a tricky bastard and overthrowing him would be very difficult. In effect, he was in the midst of a card game that included their leader, as well as players both friend and foe. Each of the players held different cards. He knew what he could do with his current hand, but as always, the issue wasn�t in the cards he held, but in the ones that he didn�t hold. The odds that the cards would fall just right, that they�d have enough players on their side to remove Aizen from power weren�t good. There were too many unknowns and all the while, their overlord played his hand as he pleased.

�Then again,� he thought unhappily, �if I don�t play anything at all, we lose everything anyway.�

�Humph. I see the lot of you have put things together for yourself. That will make this meeting easier than I expected.�

A new voice chose that moment to join in the conversation and three pairs of surprised eyes darted over to see a slim, black feline sitting innocently amid the yellow daffodils in Jushiro�s recently weeded garden. For all intents and purposes, the cat wasn�t �there� and it barely had any reiatsu, but that didn�t stop the shock that slammed into him through Jushiro�s Claim, nor the sense of recognition that followed it.

�Shihoin Yoruichi!� Jushiro gasped.

The cat cocked its head to the side.

�The same. So Aizen is holding Karin at the Palace, eh? We figured as much, although hiding her presence with his Zanpakuto may make things a bit more difficult as far as getting her out of there,� she commented, trotting up to join them and making herself comfortable next to Jushiro, as if she was entitled to that patch of grass. Lilinette gaped as much at the animal�s audacity as its ability to talk, while Starrk regarded her in the same manner an old dog would regard a target he knew was too fast to catch, and so discarded the idea entirely.

There was also no need to catch her, if what she went on to say had any merit.

�Grimmjow was pretty pissed Karin made Szayel drug him and drag him through the gate,� Yoruichi informed them, and chuckled. �And here I thought Ichigo had a temper. You should have seen them! I nearly had to beat the two of them senseless to get them to calm down long enough to listen to reason and not run off to do something stupid.�

�That does sound like something the Sixth would do,� Starrk admitted and from there on out, he decided that he could trust the woman-in-cat�s-clothing to tell him the truth as far as she knew it. Listening wouldn�t hurt, though he had to put a hand on Lilinette�s shoulder to keep her seated and a stern look to keep her quiet long enough to gather the information he needed.

�I presume this isn�t a social call,� Starrk drawled, slouching forward with his legs crossed and his elbows resting on his knees, the picture of indolence on a warm day. His eyes however held the cat�s without wavering.

�No, it isn�t. I come bearing a proposal, if you�ll hear it out, Primera.�

�I�ve no cause to stop you. Let�s hear it.�

He considered it fortuitous that the �traitors� were with the Escapees� mostly. The outcome for the merger between them would hinge on Kurosaki Ichigo and Grimmjow forgoing killing one another for Karin�s sake. Both men were pigheaded and temperamental, prone to acting without thinking in much the same way as Lilinette. While the panther had calmed down over the years, Starrk hoped the same was true of the brat he�d once seen, the one who had rampaged into Las Noches with the barest of plans to rescue a friend. He would consider the last fifteen years as time well spent if the boy, now a man in his early thirties if he reckoned correctly, had done some maturing of his own.

�How are the kids?� Jushiro asked worriedly and Yoruichi yawned, showing a hint of fang and pink tongue, before twitching her whiskers.

�Ajuga-chan is understandably upset and rather confused right now. No one told her of her family�s connection to the Spirit King, let alone what she could expect if or when she took the Throne. I swear Grimmjow nearly throttled Diaemus-kun when he found out Ajuga accidentally chose him to be her Consort.� Yoruichi laughed and her tail swished across the grass at the memory. �The boy does a beautiful imitation of a deer caught in a truck�s headlights.�

Lilinette almost choked to death when she heard that, and even he raised one dark eyebrow at the news, leaning forwards despite himself.

�Diaemus and Ajuga? Kami preserve us.�

�Spirit King? Are you kidding? Starrk! You didn�t say anything about that, you good-for-nothing��

Starrk pondered, while Lilinette hopped up and kicked him in the shins for withholding information from her and calling him all kinds of filthy names, if the universe could handle such an arrangement, or whether it would shiver itself to death on principle, if one considered how much damage the two had been responsible for when they were younger. When he decided he�d let Lilinette vent enough, The Espada caught her ankle and forced her to sit, sparing his shins.

�This is why I didn�t tell you. Keep your mouth shut about that, Lilinette, do you understand?�

She �hmmphed� and glowered at him, but nodded, letting him resume thinking in peace.

There was also the Fourth to consider. He didn�t think Ulquiorra would be too thrilled to find out about Ajuga and Diaemus� new relationship. True to her nature, Lilinette abandoned her sulking and sent him a scheming look, one that just begged him to let her be the one to tell the bat his son had mated with Grimmjow�s daughter. Moreover, it would seem Ajuga had been the one to �Claim� him. That would certainly sting a father�s pride.

As stunning as that was, he had yet to hear anything about his pack�s other cub. He ignored the Diaemus/Ajuga drama for the moment and asked, �What about Hana-chan?�

�Oh she�s fine. She regrets she had to leave without saying anything. She apparently knew about the Royal Lineage thing the whole time and was going insane trying to keep Ajuga out of the Swarm�s way.�

The cat licked her paw and cleaned one ear with it, before continuing.

�Personally, I think she finds much of what happened somewhat amusing, other than the fact that Aizen now has Karin in his grasp of course. You have no idea how long it took us to convince Ichigo and Grimmjow that what Karin had done, as painful as it was, was the right decision, even if it was the best of a number of bad options. With her as bait, Aizen won�t be so intent on taking the Throne back from Ajuga and Diaemus until after he has an Heir. I must say, Hana inherited Shunsui�s somewhat twisted sense of humour as well as his pragmatic outlook.�

Yoruichi chuckled before turning serious once more.

�Right now Hachi and I are trying to help them figure out their abilities as the new Royal pair and to get the Realms rebalanced, or nothing we do will mean anything. I showed Szayel, once everyone stopped making death threats against him, to one of Kisuke�s old labs and gave him all the notes my friend had on that stupid jewel living in Aizen�s chest. I have been assured he is trustworthy for as long as Karin�s Claim holds on him.�

The cat looked at them for confirmation, and those yellow orbs constricted slightly. While in Hueco Mundo, Starrk wouldn�t have spared the energy to laugh uproariously at the use of the words �trustworthy� and �Szayel� in the same sentence. The idea would have been absurd. That was long before he�d seen the abused and nearly broken creature he and Renji had hauled out of Aizen�s playroom that one morning. If one tossed the threat to his children on the tall heap of things Szayel had against their ruler, Starrk knew the Seventh would do anything to assist the rebellion. He and Lilinette told her as much, which made the cat happy from the way her whiskers moved. Starrk thought it strange that she hadn�t ascertained their willingness to help overthrow Aizen, but then, he had no idea how long she�d been listening in to them.

�Szayel is looking for a way around the immortality annoyance, since Ajuga was so kind as to deal with the problem of the Throne�s powers, which is one more item we can check off our list,� Yoruichi continued. �I am here to see what resources we have on this side of the Dangai. As you�ve probably suspected, I�ve been working with Karin for some time now, passing on reports to her regarding the sorry state of the Living Word, among other things, and she�s seen fit to supply me with necessary information, on occasion.�

�So she is technically a traitor,� Starrk sighed, looking right back at her, �though no one would blame her, considering the stakes.�

�That depends on one�s definition of �traitor.� I made contact with her in order to remind her that as a member of the late Spirit King�s family, she has obligations to something greater than her pack, her family or her friends. Is it �traitorous� to continue to turn a blind eye to the growing imbalance in the universe, when one can fix it, despite the dangers?�

This time the furry black rebel hunkered down and stared at him, as if to dare him to defend any of Aizen�s transgressions. When he said nothing, and when Lilinette hugged her knees a bit closer to her chest, the cat relaxed and regarded each half of the First in turn before speaking.

�So, am I to understand you grow weary of the bastard who calls himself a �god� and who acts like one of Hell�s own? Better yet,� she said, truly getting down to business, �which one of you wants to help with the planning?�

If it was one thing he hated, it was a rhetorical question. He ran his hand through his hair, removed a stray blade of grass and regarded it carefully, twirling it back and forth between his finger and thumb.

�Aizen needs to kill Diaemus to retake the Throne?� Starrk asked, hoping to get some clarification before he said �yea� or �nay.� �What�s that about?�

�Indeed,� Yoruichi she stated, sounding quite certain about her answer. �As Ajuga�s chosen Consort, he and his blood relations are now considered Royals as well.�

�Well, that�s an interesting development,� the rumpled Arrancar realized. He tossed the bit of green back down to the lawn and then inquired, �Does that include his parents?�

�I believe it does.�

�Then you will have Ulquiorra,� Starrk responded. �He will stop at nothing to prevent harm from coming to either his mate or his son. The threat of Aizen forcing himself on Orihime will bring him to your side, if nothing else. Harribel would also be amenable, if my conversations with her over the last two weeks are indicative of her concerns about �Kami,� which means you will have her mate and her fraccion as well. I believe you would also have her because you have Hana�s well-being in mind.�

If a cat could smirk, Starrk swore the animal before him would have an ear-to-ear grin.

�Oh, we�re not worried about the Third, and from what you�ve said, the recent wrinkle in Karin�s plans hasn�t affected her willingness to help us, even if it�s by doing nothing.�

�Typical cat. She�s just full of surprises.�

That explained some of the more veiled comments Harribel had made when he�d strolled over to her and her women at the celebration, under the guise of speaking to her about Hana. If he could get Ulquiorra to see the danger to his family, and if Harribel was willing to come down from her fence, the conspirators� chances just got better.

�And what of you, Primera, and those whose Claims you hold?�

He could feel Jushiro�s brown eyes on him, as well as Lilinette�s cross glare and considered himself out of time to find a way out of this mess that wouldn�t involve some honest exertion.

�You have us,� he announced and had to throw up some mental walls, lest the relief and eagerness from his two companions overwhelm him. �Barragan certainly won�t intervene on Aizen�s behalf. He wants to see Aizen dead. If we�re lucky, the skeleton will choose to run back to his former kingdom, in Hueco Mundo, but if not, he may try to take over the Seireitei itself.�

�That would just be replacing one tyrant with another,� Lilinette snorted, closing her eye and shuddering. �It would be like it was on the sands, before Aizen took our power and let us walk among others, only� only this time he�d use Respira on Starrk and I, to clear a path.�

His other half made a good point, one he felt that Yoruichi should take into account. The Second wasn�t one to take the front lines. Instead, he�d let the rebels take care of Aizen for him before he swooped in to snatch the spoils.

�Indeed, Barragan will make us his first target, should he decide he likes it better here.� Starrk made a face before continuing. �Nnoitra will fight for the sake of fighting and could care less who sits on the Throne. However, your real problem lies with the loyal Numeros, with their pets and with Yammy. If Aizen promises them a promotion to the rank of Espada, they will gladly obey him, especially if it means they�ll replace us.�

�A large-scale battle with Aizen will also create a massive number of casualties,� Jushiro pointed out softly. �The entire city will likely be destroyed during such a conflict. That is far too many souls to risk.�

Yoruichi hunkered down and tucked her front paws beneath her, before she addressed Jushiro�s consideration, trying to lay one fear to rest.

�Ushōda Hachigen is working on that. He is developing a barrier that will serve to hold back Aizen�s power. He�s been working on this project for a very long time now, and as he�s the only true Kido grand master we have, it�s the reason this has taken so long. We�ve also been trying to interpret what�s left of Kisuke�s notes to try and find a way to deal with the Hogyoku, but I�m afraid that he took much of what he knew to the grave. We hope that Szayel will have more luck. His brain and Kisuke�s seem to run along similar lines.�

The cat�s voice became pained when she mentioned her late compatriot, before she shook herself and tried to remain in the present. �However, we are lucky in that Hana-chan seems to be as good of a Kido expert as her mother. In the last two days, she�s helped him make some serious headway. The young lady is quite the mathematician. I�ve never met someone who can rattle off complex equations in their head with such accuracy. Hachi�s beside himself and I haven�t seen him this happy in such a long time. He�s treating her as he would a star pupil and with her help, we should have a way to protect the Seireitei from Aizen�s powers very soon.

�There�s also a problem with logistics, or rather, transportation. I�m adept at getting back and forth between this Realm and the Living World, and I can take someone else with me with some effort, but we�ve no way of slipping everyone back into the city unnoticed. What is the status of the old 12^th Division? How loyal are those data jockeys to Szayel?�

Starrk hadn�t any idea how to answer this, and Lilinette�s shrug was answer enough for her. Jushiro, however, coughed discreetly into his fist and gave the Shihoin heir what sounded to Starrk like a reasonable reply.

�He�s treated them better than Kurotsuchi ever did, if the stories Karin brought home over the years are true. In addition, Karin made Szayel obey Unohana�s rules regarding patient and staff safety, as well as the ethics outline on allowable experimentation, which means far fewer casualties than the old days. There�s still a great deal of regard for Nemu-chan and most of them adore the twins. I would feel confident in saying that the majority of them would agree to help.�

The feline�s eyes lit up at that.

�So we�ll have free access to a Senkaimon again?�

�Yes, provided Aizen hasn�t taken over that Division yet,� Starrk answered, adding the warning before she could get her hopes up. �If I paid them a visit and asked one of the underlings to open several gates and erase the records, they would do so without question. They might even do it with pleasure. You�d be able to come and go, but I can�t guarantee that Aizen won�t give the Division to another Espada.�

Yoruichi sighed in pleasure, even with the unknowns attached to his offer.

�See if you can do that, Starrk-san. Aizen can�t watch Szayel�s pack of geeks all of the time.�

�We will still need a way to distract the rest, to keep them from realizing Aizen is under assault and coming to his aid. It�s a pity the Swarm was defeated. A battle would be the best time to launch an attack against Aizen,� Jushiro lamented. Yoruichi yawned again, and looked at her former fellow Taichou knowingly, as if she�d already spent copious amounts of time on that problem.

�I have been in contact with several of my old allies here. With a little wrangling, I�m certain we can get them to create any number of flashy diversions. Some of them are former Shinigami and a few of them are strong enough to take on an Arrancar, but not for long. We could try to get the Rukongai folk to revolt, but it seems as if the Arrancar and Aizen have left the majority of them alone, so they have no real reason to rock the boat. With so many Arrancar here, Hollow attacks on the outer Districts are almost non-existent now. The Rukongai has never been so quiet, other than the Swarm attacks of course, but the bugs don�t make it past the lines into the city.�

Yoruichi shook her head at the irony of the situation.

�How many Shinigami survived the fall and are hiding out there?�

Jushiro�s question brought a frown to the cat�s face, despite the lack of eyebrows.

�Truthfully, I don�t have an exact number. I have some names, provided by a very helpful observer over the last five years, but I haven�t tried to find those with whom I�m not familiar, or for which I couldn�t get a decent description. I could find out using a few of my better-connected contacts and they�ve had some luck gathering the survivors who managed to stay beneath the Arrancar�s notice, but I do not have time to hunt them all down. Nor will I introduce you to all of them in the hopes that you�ll pick up the task. Coordinating them would take a great deal of time,� she hissed in annoyance, �and it�s time I�m afraid we just don�t have.�

Starrk understood the dilemma. Most would be scattered, more concerned with hiding and avoiding being Claimed than forming a resistance movement and after fifteen years, shaping them into anything resembling a real army would be nearly impossible. Still, if the goal was to create disturbances, rather than act as cohesive units, getting the ones she could find to help would be a good thing. He opened his mouth to tell her to give it a try anyway when a well-aimed rock interrupted their conversation.

The unexpected missile bounced off of Yoruichi�s flank, causing the cat to jump and twist in the air with a yowl of pain and surprise. Lilinette scrambled into a crouch as the cat went airborne and Starrk�s head whipped around to look towards the assailant, who had a myriad of warring emotions flickering in her eyes.

�Yoruichi-san?�

This came from Nanao as she stood beside Soi Fon, the two women focused on their feline guest.

Yoruichi didn�t answer. Her yellow eyes had gone big as moons as she took in Soi Fon, or more accurately, her very large and obviously pregnant stomach. Starrk felt a moment of annoyance at having failed to notice his fraccion and his houseguest enter the garden. If the two had been anyone else, the four of them could have been in serious trouble.

�Damn. Getting a little too comfy around here for my own good.�

He blamed it on the fact the two Shinigami resided on the Estate with him. He perceived neither as a threat, so he had automatically �ignored� their presence. Judging by the sheepish cringe in both Jushiro�s feelings and Lilinette�s posture, his companions were just as embarrassed and disappointed in themselves as he was. Should Aizen learn of their planned mutiny, well, what he would do to them would probably make what he�d done to Szayel and Gin look like a game of hopscotch.

He did note that the cat was the one to break eye contact first and hang her head guiltily.

�She is safe,� Starrk said to her, trying to reassure their only link to the Escapees. �After the way Barragan has treated Ggio, you have no fear that the fraccion will order her to do anything unless Barragan forces him to do it. Even that�s iffy, since his Claim has nearly worn away to nothing. Harribel planned on taking her in and picking up her Claim, after she gives birth.�

Yoruichi�s ears perked right up, looking at her old student with fresh hope in her golden eyes. The cat�s expression seemed to soothe some of Soi Fon�s anger, because the woman was intelligent and understood that, even if it was painful, approaching Barragan�s den was a suicidal venture on the best of days. Starrk�s experience with Barragan as a ruler had thankfully been limited, but the Aspect of Death by Old Age had a tendency to force his followers to act out all sorts of unpleasant scenarios for his amusement. If Barragan had captured Yoruichi while lurking around his den, he might have used Ggio�s Claim to compel Soi Fon herself to kill her former superior, which would have served to break the woman utterly.

Yoruichi moved cautiously over towards the silent woman. At first, it seemed like Soi Fon was going to give her the cold shoulder, but in the next moment, the woman fell to her knees and pulled the cat tight against her, tears freely running down her face as she hugged her former teacher and friend to her chest. Yoruichi returned the affection by rubbing her cheek against Soi Fon�s face.

�I wish I could have come for you. I am so sorry,� Yoruichi whispered into Soi Fon�s ear. �It hurt so much to leave you behind, and even more to see the way that monster treated you. I am not even going to ask for your forgiveness. I do not deserve it.�

Soi Fon nodded her head in agreement at the first part of Yoruichi�s speech, and held the feline closer for the second. After a minute, she set the feline back down on the grass before her and wiped her face. If cats could cry, Yoruichi would probably be doing the same.

�Can you move freely?� Yoruichi asked intently.

Soi Fon did not reach for the chalkboard as he expected her to do, but rather did something with her hands, the gestures sure and sharp.

�I see. So it is still unsafe to take you with me and I missed that window by only a day!� Yoruichi hissed in annoyance. �Damn it all to Hell!�

The kneeling woman moved her hands, twitching her fingers in careful sequence. Starrk realized the gestures were some sort of sign language, or a code once used by the disbanded Onmitsukido perhaps. Yoruichi clearly understood it, so Starrk surmised that it was probably the latter.

�Perfect,� the cat exclaimed, reacting to whatever Soi Fon had �told� her with the kitty equivalent of a devious smile. �Soi Fon will know the majority of my remaining contacts. In fact, many were once her subordinates. She can communicate and co-ordinate with them on this side while I get back to Earth and assist Ajuga and Diaemus on stabilizing the Realms. This isn�t something I can delay either. You have no idea how close to disaster we really are. I will tell Soi Fon what she needs to know, who to look for, and then return in three days. By then, I hope Szayel�s research and the work on Hachi�s shield will have borne fruit,� Yoruichi promised. �Are there any messages you wish for me to take back?� she asked.

�Just let Szayel and Nemu-chan know their children are safe, that we saw both of them today and they are completely fine for now,� Jushiro replied. �Do you have any messages for us, or maybe, just some news?�

�Well, the only tidbit I can think of, other than letting you know that Grimmjow and Ichigo haven�t killed one another yet, is that Renji and Nel are expecting a child.�

For one solitary instant, no one moved or spoke. Yoruichi�s statement was so utterly out of place and strange that Starrk actually reached up to clear out an ear with his pinkie. Lilinette�s jaw dropped into her lap and Soi Fon and Nanao looked at one another as if to ask �did you hear what I just heard?�

�Nel? Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck? Pregnant? By Renji?�

Yoruichi seemed to consider whether she ought to elaborate and then shrugged.

�Oh, I guess it�s safe to tell you lot. Szayel wasn�t holding Renji�s Claim after Orihime restored Zabimaru. Nel holds it. She has for the last five years. They�ve been meeting in secret and he�s been funnelling us information.�

When wide-eyed stares greeted the cat in response to the revelation, Yoruichi�s golden eyes rolled and she proceeded to give what Starrk figured was a heavily edited and condensed rendition of the half-decade of deception. When that failed to mitigate the shock on the faces of each of the listeners, the cat yawned and fixed them with a �geez, get over it already� expression.

�What do you think happens when two people have sex? According to Szayel, he seems to have noticed that the odds of impregnation between Shinigami and Arrancar are much higher than if both partners are Arrancar or are Shinigami. In addition, pregnancy is more likely if the partners� reiatsu levels are roughly equivalent or if one partner saturates the other with reiatsu for long enough. Doing so forces the other to become stronger, in the way that a callus will build up on skin exposed to constant friction. Szayel also mentioned some nonsense along the lines of positive and negative energy being more potent than just two positives or two negatives. Regardless, Renji went running off to find her when she wasn�t with the welcoming committee. Szayel had the balls to knock on their door and ask if he could examine the mother-to-be. I had to leave, so I hope to find him in one piece when I get back.�

Yoruichi leaped up onto Soi Fon�s shoulder. �Anything else?�

Starrk shook his head and lay back in the grass, his head heavy with information. He needed a comfortable place to rest it for a few minutes. Yoruichi had given him some things to consider and he needed to examine each of them. It would also be several hours before Yoruichi left. She and her subordinate clearly had fifteen years of catching up to do and Starrk knew better than to get in the way of two women who needed to talk to one another.

�We are really doing it, aren�t we Starrk?� Lilinette asked after Yoruichi and Soi Fon disappeared.

�Doing what?� he asked with a yawn.

�Planning to overthrow Aizen!� she whispered excitedly.

He looked over at Jushiro and the patch covering the man�s destroyed eye, compliments of Aizen. His friend was hopeful, though concern muted the exhilaration he could feel through their bond. He glanced over at Nanao. The woman met his gaze with determination in her dark blue eyes. If he had Nanao Claimed, he would probably receive the same emotions from her as from Jushiro. Both of them seemed more than ready to get rid of the tyrant.

�Yeah, we are,� he answered Lilinette�s question.

His smaller half smiled in satisfaction. For his part, Starrk couldn�t believe he was doing this. On the other hand, if he was honest with himself, he couldn�t believe it had taken him this long to get to this point.

The conversation stopped as a black butterfly fluttered into the clearing, making its way towards Jushiro. It landed on the Taichou�s finger and relayed its message before waiting for a reply. Jushiro stared at the little insect in apprehension. A jolt of worry nudged Starrk and prompted Lilinette to demand to know what the message contained.

�It would seem that all of the Arrancar, their Claimed pets and the top ten officers of each Division, are to meet with Aizen tomorrow evening after the end of the day shift,� he announced. �I am to make sure the officers of the 2^nd Division get the message and report in, as well as to inform the two of you.�

�Why?� Lilinette asked before he could.

Jushiro shook his head, causing his long white mane to swish back and forth slightly. �The message contained no other details and I only know that it�s mandatory.�

�There may be one on its way to me too,� Nanao said thoughtfully. �I should go back to my Division to check and warn those officers who are still on duty about the meeting. I�ll let you know if the message sent to me differs in any way.�

Starrk frowned as his fraccion bowed to them and disappeared, wondering why Aizen would need all of his Arrancar and why there was so little notice. Something didn�t feel right about the set-up and his nose and his gut told him that it might be wise to sniff out any potential traps before he bit down on the bait. Jushiro whispered something to the tiny, ink-dark creature before it took off, fluttering back the way it came.

The lanky Espada slowly rose to his feet and stretched, his muscles protesting the change in orientation from horizontal to vertical. �Come on,� he ordered his two companions and gestured towards the closest doorway. It would mean street food for dinner, but there were worse things than takoyaki and chicken yakitori and he wanted the evening meal out of the way before they made it to Ulquiorra�s place and have to endure his mate�s strange brand of cooking. While his base animal would eat anything, even a starving coyote had some standards when it came to edibles.

�Where are we going?�

�To have a pleasant and informative evening with Ulquiorra and Harribel�s packs,� he answered and then paused as Lilinette practically danced around him, her one pink eye sparkling with happiness.

�Sweet! I totally get to tell him Ajuga nailed Diaemus though, you got that Shiro-chan?�

�Of course, Lilinette-chan,� Jushiro smiled at her, reaching out to ruffle her pale green hair.

�That�s Lilinette-sama to you, Shiro-chan,� she quipped back, and this time it held all of her usual spunk.

Yoruichi and Soi Fon walked in silence for some time, heading towards one of the many hideouts that the old 2^nd Division used to use. Or rather, Soi Fon walked while she rode on the woman�s shoulders, much as she�d done with Abarai, the bulk of her body concealed by the folded hood of Soi Fon�s cloak. There were a thousand things that Yoruichi wanted to say, but she could not find the words. She had watched from a distance as her old pupil suffered, Barragan treating her little better than a dog and a sex toy for his unwilling pets. She had wanted to speak to her, to encourage her, to do anything to help her, but she couldn�t risk that Soi Fon had orders to attack and kill or subdue any of the Escapees. It had been hard enough to approach Byakuya. Initially, she�d only sent messages and support to him sparingly, through one of her disguised contacts� until Ajuga had accidentally flushed her out one day and she�d abruptly learned that Byakuya had no orders to apprehend her.

Now Soi Fon was free. True, Aizen still had a trace on her, but she knew the arrogant wannabe �god� wouldn�t waste his time watching the trace on a heavily pregnant woman as long as she remained visible. The bastard�s attention would be squarely on his captive, Karin. As much as she loathed admitting it, the distraction that having a Royal under his thumb provided worked in the Escapees� favour, and then some. She hated having to use the human woman in such a manner, but there was no help for it. Obsessed with one woman, he would most likely ignore the comings and goings of another.

Therefore, Soi Fon was free to go where she wanted. If anyone asked, she could claim that she was running errands for Harribel. Szayel and Starrk seemed confident that Harribel would support the planned coup, so Yoruichi could count on the Third backing up any story Soi Fon chose to spin.

As much as Yoruichi wanted to get to their destination and get down to brass tacks as far as coordinating things with this particular contact, there was one aspect of Soi Fon�s enslavement that, quite literally, stood between them, namely, her pregnancy. From the information Abarai Renji had supplied over the years, she knew it was unlikely that Barragan had sired the child. That left Ggio as the most-likely culprit. It also looked like Soi Fon was about to pop, and that could work against them.

�So, how far along are you?� she dared to ask.

:Five months: Soi Fon answered, her fingers moving deftly.

�You seem rather large for just five months.�

Her scepticism must have showed, because the shoulder she rode on stiffened.

:G G I O is a tiger. An Arrancar�s base creature affects the length of a hybrid pregnancy:

Her posture indicated her exasperation at the question. Since there was no hand sign for names, Soi Fon had to spell it out, ending that particular mystery.

Szayel had mentioned that when he had begged a stony-faced Ishida Ryuuken for the chance to examine Nel and regaled them with his knowledge over hybrid pregnancies. She just hoped that someone thought to take a picture when Abarai finally saw the ultrasound images of his impending son. The first few had been real doozies. She�d wanted to be there, but duty had called.

�Has he treated you well?� Yoruichi asked with a threatening growl. Barragan may have been too dangerous to take out quickly, but the fraccion would be a quick and easy kill to one of her calibre.

Soi Fon paused briefly, before she bowed her head, which wasn�t really a �yes or a no� in Yoruichi�s book. Reluctantly at first, but with growing enthusiasm, Soi Fon ran her through how things had started with Ggio, from his abrasive behaviour in the beginning to Yumichika helping to transform the Arrancar into a respectable, loving man. Perhaps Barragan�s abuse had hastened that journey but there was little denying that he�d fallen hard for her former student. Yoruichi felt any remaining tension between them evaporate as she watched the story unfold before her, Soi Fon�s hands flying through the hand signs with an excitement and intensity she hadn�t seen in some time, right up to her pregnancy and other current events.

It left Yoruichi with a bittersweet taste in her mouth. She�d been the focus of Soi Fon�s hero worship for so long. It was strange to discover a still-captive Arrancar and his unborn cub had dethroned her, but in many ways, it was for the best.

�So my little bee finally fell in love. Who knew it would be under such terrible circumstances.�

�So, are you having a boy or girl?� she asked, genuinely curious at the end of the nearly forty-five minute narration. They were almost at their destination and the basket she carried on her arm had a few bundles of fish and salt in it, to give the illusion that she was truly shopping.

:Girl:

That tickled Yoruichi�s fancy. She had seen Ggio around of course, and wanted to see what kind of offspring her former subordinate and the Arrancar would have. Ajuga and Diaemus were truly something to behold. From the glowing way that their father and their guardian spoke of them, she guessed that the twins were quite fetching, though more human-looking than the older two. Nel and Renji�s son would look like something that had stepped from the pages of a storybook, if the sonograms weren�t lying, so it stood to reason that this child would be extraordinary too.

Yoruichi�s good mood dwindled. Kisuke would have loved studying the hybrid children, but he was long gone. Aizen had made certain of that. She shuddered, recalling the sight of the genius�s blood flowing down his back and chest from the white sheathed hand that had impaled Kisuke�s chest and withdrew the ex-Shinigami�s heart. His body had hit the rubble while Aizen had crushed the beating organ with one hand, tossing the dark remnants away before he�d dispatched an equally unconscious �Isshin.�

Surrounded by enemies and with their failure all but writ in the debris stretching for miles in all directions, Yoruichi chose to flee before the thing that Aizen had become could kill her too.

The memories served as fuel for her nightmares, enough that she was glad that Ichigo hadn�t seen what had become of Urahara Kisuke and his father. She�d had enough strength left to change her form, leaving her clothing and her scruples behind in a bid to save her life. Knowing when to abandon a fight that one simply could not win in favour of regrouping and trying to salvage what one could of a bad situation was how the 2^nd Division operated. She�d taken a grievously injured Hiyori and Hachi with her and while Aizen had created the Ouken in the Soul Society, she�d scavenged Kisuke�s main lab for anything and everything she could carry with her. In the very first instance of many that she thanked the universe that Hachi had the ability to think calmly under pressure, the fat Vizard had used a forbidden Kido to transport the majority of her dead friend�s notes, his completed devices and projects and the three of them as far away as possible from Karakura. He�d promptly passed out from exhaustion in the middle of one of the Vizards� many hiding spots, leaving Yoruichi to do her best to heal Hiyori before she too collapsed.

A few rough days later, they�d used Kisuke�s iffy Garganta creator to try to retrieve anyone they could find in Hueco Mundo, including Nel, as Ichigo and Rukia wouldn�t leave the Arrancar child behind and Kenpachi figured she could serve as Yachiru�s playmate. There was no one else to retrieve and Yoruichi had been particularly embittered to find the body of Yamada Hanataro, his Zanpakuto drawn, having healed Kuchiki Rukia at the cost of his own life. Rukia had been crying, trying in vain to wake up the healer when Yoruichi had found her. The only thing that had saved Ichigo had been Ulquiorra�s single-mindedness once he�d won the fight with the boy. Claiming Orihime had been more important to the Fourth Espada than finishing Ichigo off, giving Yoruichi a chance to haul the brat out of Hueco Mundo alive. Zaraki Kenpachi, on the other hand, would have cheerfully spent the next century strolling around Hueco Mundo picking fights with the locals, and only the promise of getting to battle Ichigo once more, as well as a bag of candy dangled in front of Yachiru, convinced the two to leave with her.

She whispered an abbreviated version of this into Soi Fon�s ear, to give her former student and supporter the bare bones of what had happened to her, and to the Escapees in the few days following the Gotei 13�s defeat.

�We failed. We failed badly and I wish I could have come for you. I truly wanted to, but Nel explained to us that with such a victory, Claims were sure to have been cast, and when I learned of Aizen�s law...� Yoruichi trailed off unhappily. �It took me almost a year to find where you had been taken, and by whom. With Aizen in control of every gateway, all we have are Kisuke�s devices to get us here and back again undetected. They are on timers and we only have so many of them. I can occasionally slip through by following others through a Senkaimon, but you know how subtle Ichigo, Kenpachi, Yachiru and Hiyori are.�

Soi Fon rolled her eyes, indicating that she knew exactly what her former teacher meant. Those four were anything but inconspicuous.

�Thus, I have been the one spying and learning what I can on my trips here. That includes the location of each Arrancar �den� and notes on which Arrancar holds which Claim. We have made and scrapped a million plans over the years, once we had a better picture of what was going on in the Seireitei.

�The biggest hurdle is Aizen�s immortality, thanks to that blasted gem in his chest. Without Kisuke��

She choked, falling silent for a moment and Soi Fon rested a hand on her furry head in an effort to comfort her before she found her voice again. �We�ve made and abandoned a million different plans. Without Kisuke, we have no way to counteract Aizen�s wrongfully acquired powers. Szayel is going over his notes now, but until we can neutralize Aizen, his regenerative abilities and that blasted Zanpakuto of his, nothing we do will make any difference in the long run. If we kill off his Espada, he will simple execute all Taichou-class Shinigami, exactly as his law states.�

Soi Fon sighed at the cat�s admission, understanding her mentor�s frustration. Her fingers formed a different question, one mostly unrelated to the bastard who had nearly managed to destroy all of creation.

:How have things been in the Living World?:

The cat made a face in response.

�The weather has been horrible for the last year, the natural disasters were getting worse as the Realms slipped farther out of balance, at least up until Ajuga sat on the Throne. Oh, there was almost a world war among the humans. A number of nations fought about some secret weapon that could destroy one hundred-thousand souls in the space of a day and leave most of the city�s building�s standing, but in the last round of negotiations, cooler heads prevailed.�

The mute woman stared down at the cat in horror, perhaps more so because of the tired, almost flippant way Yoruichi had said it. Then the Shihoin Heir realized that she hadn�t been talking about the Living World in general, but rather about those who had eluded Aizen�s control.

�How does one describe the daily lives of such a motley, difficult-to-handle bunch of misfits?� Yoruichi wondered with no small amount of irritation. �Kisuke would have had them sorted out in no time. All I can do is ride herd on them and keep them from killing one another.�

Rather than voice her real thoughts, she chose to polish up the truth a bit for Soi Fon�s benefit. She spent the last ten minutes of the walk telling Soi Fon what she felt was safe to pass on, making certain that no one overhead her.

�Oh, where to start? Ichigo and Rukia have long since hooked up, just as you and I thought they would, but they are forestalling any children in hopes of having them here after Aizen�s death. It wouldn�t be right to haul youngsters around in the cloak and dagger lifestyle we�ve had to live, not to mention any children might have drawn the Swarm�s attention thanks to Ichigo�s bloodlines. Sarugaki Hiyori is still the most spiteful little bitch I�ve ever run across, Kenpachi is still a menace to polite society and I think I would have lost my mind half-a-decade ago if Ushōda Hachigen and Nel weren�t there to help smooth things over on a daily basis. Nel�s such a sweetheart that I keep forgetting she�s an Arrancar. She has reunited with Renji, so I personally hope that she�ll stop mooning about, worrying over him. I�m sure they�ll be absolutely sickening to watch once they crawl out from Nel�s room.�

Soi Fon made a sympathetic sound after Yoruichi finished with the litany of her companions� shortcomings. In truth, it was a miracle that they�d remained at large as long as they had. The noble suspected that if Aizen really wanted them caught, he would have pulled out all of the stops to do so. It wasn�t particularly comforting to think he�d considered them nuisances at best and problems to round up at his leisure at worst.

Taking in her surroundings, her ears perked up and she rubbed her whiskers against Soi Fon�s cheek to get her attention.

�We are almost there. I should take the lead,� Yoruichi declared, bringing an end to the catching up and storytelling.

:Who is your main contact?: Soi Fon asked, looking at the storefronts and stalls of the 51^st District. The place was close to the great winding river, though on the better side of it and the tang of fish hung in the air. Every other stall hawked some kind of river-dweller and a sniff told her that one or two streets down, she�d find the eel merchants, and maybe roasted eel on a stick. The cat salivated a bit before she turned aside.

Food could wait. Their contact could not.

�Someone I think you will be very pleased to see. You might not recognize him though. He�s roughly half the man he used to be, thanks to hard living.�

Yoruichi jumping from her shoulder to lead the way for the last block, sticking to the shadows as only a cat could. Soi Fon followed her, slowed down by the large bulge in her front, but otherwise able to keep up. Suzumebachi was in her usual place across her back, and probably helped her keep her balance. It didn�t take long to reach the safe house, as they had to duck down an alley to reach the doorway and the slovenly-looking man guarding it. At first glance, an uninitiated observer might take his slouching stance and his rheumy eyes as those of an inebriated layabout. However, someone trained to know what to look for would have noticed the fact that he had one hand on a blade hidden in his clothing and eyed them sharply as the cat and the woman approached. A real Rukongai thug, even drunk, would have been on Soi Fon in a heartbeat with the intent to rob her.

The lookout let them pass without stirring and Soi Fon lowered her eyes in appreciation for his display of skills, including keeping his face in the same sullen expression and not showing any sign of recognition. Yoruichi scratched at the doorjamb in the appropriate code, before waiting a moment. An echoing set of scratches sounded from within, like the scratch of a writing implement across a sheet of rough paper. The cat duly entered, pushing her way past the mat that separated the inside of the lair from the alley outside and after another second, Soi Fon eased her way through as well, peering into the gloom with some difficulty while her eyes adjusted.

�So, the rumours are true.�

A deeply familiar, very male voice rumbled somewhere to her right. Yoruichi, perched on the table where her contact sat, had to suppress a chuckle as her former protégé took in the man on the other side of the rough wooden table. His Zanpakuto rested on the splintery surface, half-in and half-out of the wrappings that would have disguised it as a fishmonger�s wares. The get-up came complete with a false fish tail, its carefully painted scales glittering in the dim light coming from under the hanging mat over the doorway. The thing was big enough to slip over the hilt and tsuba of a sheathed blade.

�Pregnancy looks good on you, Soi Fon-chan. You are almost as wide as you are tall,� he laughed, though the humour in that cackle was scarce. The scratch of a match drawn across the table and the �fzz� as the tip flared to life mingled with the smaller woman�s gasp. The face of someone Soi Fon had thought as good as dead materialized from the darkness. A smug Yoruichi watched as her subordinate�s face contorted in shock at the sight of the man she had once answered to as a 3^rd Seat, though the years of eking out an existence in secret had shaved at least one hundred pounds off of his once husky frame. Her fingers trembled slightly as she spelled out his name. If the language had an exclamation point, she would have tacked that on too.

:O M A E D A:

Thank you Darkstar84 for, literally across all sites, being the only person to review the last Chapter. It has been a busy last three days. My son turned 2, we replaced all the carpets in the house (which resulted in a lot of furniture moving, the worst being the 70gallon fish tank and the DVD case with it�s 500 DVD/BR�s), and I just finished putting up the Greenhouse my father built me for my birthday present after getting home from work. Time to go die in a corner.
Next Chapter: Grimmjow and Ichigo go for a midnight stroll.
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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