Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

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
Chapter List
- 72
- 73
- 74
New Friends

�I�m off to work Soi Fon. Is there anything you would like me to bring back when I return?�

Toshiro poked his head into the kitchen, where she was busy making breakfast for the rest of the household while they frantically packed. She shook her head and gave him a weak smile as an answer. He shrugged, smiled back and then quickly escaped the madness that had engulfed Harribel�s den. She didn�t blame him and he did have a job to do. He would most likely grab something to eat on his way to work. He paused to kiss his mate at the door before ducking out completely. Soi Fon watched them, a bit wistfully, before making sure that nothing was burning while her attention was elsewhere. It was nice to see that some relationships were working out, even if hers had suffered terribly from outside interference.

It would seem that, as most of the other Arrancar had done, the girls had decided to move in with the people they Claimed. It surprised Soi Fon because she�d had the impression that Harribel and her fraccion were nigh inseparable. With Harribel pregnant, Soi Fon would have figured the girls would have brought those they�d chosen to live here, to protect their mistress. Such, oddly enough, did not turn out to be the case.

�Perhaps that�s for the best. The last thing we need is for others to learn of our plans and accidentally blab about them. It makes me uncomfortable that those three know anything about it at all. They aren�t the quietest people I have ever met,� she thought deprecatingly, �or the most discreet.�

It all started this morning with Sung Sun, who informed them that she would be moving in with her �Yaso-kun,� much to the man�s delight and embarrassment. That instigated an early morning competition between the fraccion. The three freshly Claimed Shinigami stood to the side in shock as the Arrancar verbally went at each other, alliances forming and breaking within seconds and insults flying back and forth.

The squabble reminded Soi Fon, who had wisely stayed in the kitchen, of the two obsequious 3^rd Seats that used to follow Ukitake Jushiro around. For all of their bluster, there was no real malice towards one another and they would meet any outside threats with a united front. That didn�t make them any less noisy. Whatever qualities had allowed the three to evolve into their present state in Hueco Mundo didn�t include stealth.

Any lingering doubts she had about working with Harribel died as she watched Harribel rope her girls in with a few well-placed words, declaring that she was proud to see them grow and become strong enough to operate independently. Truthfully, Soi Fon just thought the Third would be pleased to have the den and Toshiro to herself, with only Soi Fon staying on. It wasn�t that she didn�t think Harribel loved her girls, much like she and Yoruichi loved each other, but the blonde Espada was well on her way towards establishing a family of her own, and it looked like Sung Sun�s thoughts, based on her choice yesterday, ran in the same direction as her mistress. She was, by far, the calmest of Harribel�s followers so it was really no surprise she would fly from the nest first. Iemura had been an odd choice, but Soi Fon wasn�t going to judge� much. The former Taichou just hoped that Iemura had enough space for the two of them in the quarters that each Division allowed their Fukutaichou, and that he�d thought to pick up yesterday before going to work. From what she�d heard last night, before she�d had to use a pillow over her head to blot out the moans, those two would make use of every square inch and then some.

Something else that helped ease her apprehension were the newly Claimed Shinigami themselves. Both women, whose names she did not know, appeared slightly flushed and a bit embarrassed, but otherwise fine. It might have been different if a male Arrancar had Claimed them, but from what she understood, a female Arrancar who wanted to Claim another did so via a series of kisses, pouring their reiatsu into their partner�s body, and then stimulating them orally until they came. They then drank in the other female�s release and their joined reiatsus. If Soi Fon were to hazard a guess, based on the two women�s self-conscious postures, Mila Rose and Apachi had treated their chosen officers to the time of their lives. The two might still retain their virginities, if they hadn�t been sexually active before this.

Iemura, on the other hand was anything but mortified. He�d somehow caught Sung Sun�s eye in the course of the last few weeks. While she�d referred to it as �getting to know someone through his work,� Apachi had thrown cold water on Sung Sun�s explanation by calling it �making a nuisance of herself by hanging around the 4^th Division like an ugly set of drapes,� which started another round of bickering. Through it all, Iemura stood tall this morning, almost strutting like a rooster in a hen house, with his head full of sex-messed hair held high and acting very proud of himself.

�Someone finally made him a man. It�s amazing what getting laid does for the ego of someone with a �Y� chromosome,� Soi Fon couldn�t help thinking. She had seen it a thousand times with the men that had served both with her and eventually under her over the years. The 4^th Division�s Fukutaichou was just the latest in a long line of men given a confidence boost along with the shedding of their virginity and he certainly wouldn�t be the last. Maybe, she considered, it was a good thing Sung Sun wanted to move in with him. Iemura was the sort to pen bad love poems in his spare time and Soi Fon wasn�t exactly in the mood to listen to sappy sonnets.

She finished scrambling the eggs and moved the pan from the heat before checking the rice. It had finished steaming and she�d seared the pork nicely. Soi Fon paused to congratulate herself on the fact that, after fifteen years, her cooking skills hadn�t atrophied. She set the large pot of rice and the platter of sliced pork on the table before scraping the fluffy eggs into a serving bowl. Taking a deep breath, she banged her spatula on the side of the pot and waited. The madness quickly stopped as she caught their attention, interrupting an argument between Mila Rose and Apachi over just who owned a particular towel.

�Breakfast appears to be ready,� Harribel announced and then added, �and the towel belongs to Sung Sun.�

Sung Sun absently brushed off the item and the discussion, disinterested in the conflict between her sisters-in-arms. She was too busy making googly eyes at her rooster.

�Hmm, oh Mila Rose can have it. I can use Yaso-kun to dry off.�

Soi Fon tried very, very hard to quell the sudden urge to roll her eyes and gag at the same time, which turned out to be a waste of effort, as Mila Rose did the former and Apache the latter in response to Sung Sun�s declaration.

�Will you join us for breakfast?� Harribel asked the two Shinigami, taking in the mayhem between their new Mistresses with wide eyes.

�Of course, Harribel-sama!� they bowed, and hesitantly took seats next to Mila Rose and Apachi. Soi Fon had to commend Toshiro regarding his recommendation of both women. He would probably talk to his 3^rd Seat later today and if Soi Fon knew Unohana-Taichou, she�d make certain to speak with the other.

�It shouldn�t have been necessary in the first place,� the former assassin thought bitterly.

Aizen�s decision to let his Arrancar Claim more of the population was a definite blow to the conquered people. Here they had fought long and hard to keep the Swarm back and try to keep up with konso duties, and Aizen repaid them with more enslavement, forcing them to spread their legs, or their asses, to the first Hollow that wanted them. Soi Fon grimly wondered what sort of �reward� included an inability to say �no�, to have every thought and emotion revealed to one�s �owner� and to be used and raped at an Arrancar�s leisure. The three at the table might very well be fine, but there was no guarantee that the other officers had fared as well.

�Technically, he didn�t have to put any restrictions in place. At least this time he imposed some rules to prevent what happened after his Victory,� Suzumebachi gently pointed out in an effort to soothe Soi Fon�s nerves and to try to find something positive about the situation.

Her pragmatic Zanpakuto was correct. Aizen had made sure those Arrancar who had good track records had first �dibs� on the officers, probably because he needed functional Shinigami to work on the badly-out-of-balance Realms and damaged troops performed their duties poorly. She doubted that he thought of them as anything more than a means to an end and wondered how many would have turned in their resignations if given the chance before Aizen handed them out like party favours. Then again, those with an attractive amount of reiatsu might well have resigned themselves to the likelihood of an eventual Claim, much as a member of one of the Noble Houses might expect to marry someone they barely knew in order to maintain alliances and provide needed heirs.

Soi Fon thrust such thoughts aside and finished delivering the platters of food to the table before taking Toshiro�s spot opposite Harribel. She didn�t blame him for running; she might have joined him earlier, when the quarrel broke out, but it was also nice to be included in a lively group with so much energy to spare. Starrk and Jushiro�s Estate was large and close to empty by the time she moved in and Barragan�s manor� well, the place reeked of the misery and fear he�d instilled in the servants and pets alike. To her it seemed as if a perpetual shroud hovered over the old Kyoraku manor, courtesy of its chief occupant.

Breakfast at the Third Espada�s table was just as chaotic as the rushed packing, but Harribel managed to keep a tighter lid on things, while also reminding her girls that the Shinigami had jobs to perform. The blonde suggested to her fraccion that they finish packing on their own after breakfast so that their pets wouldn�t be late. She even drew the three Shinigami into the conversation, inquiring about their jobs. Through it all, Soi Fon took the opportunity to eat two helpings of breakfast, easing the hunger that she never quite managed to kill off during meals. She remembered Yoruichi�s legendary appetite and pondered who might win in a contest between her former mentor and her pregnant self.

The pandemonium subsided once everyone had eaten their fill, and within half-an-hour, Harribel�s fraccion and their new partners left, loaded down with luggage. This left her alone with Harribel and the breakfast dishes. The Third had no duties to attend to today as far as Soi Fon knew. Once the others had departed and the front door closed behind them, the silence that descended on the place seemed both deep and soothing, though it was by no means as thick and oppressive as what she�d grown used to under Barragan�s thumb.

�Did you have anything you needed to do today Soi Fon?� Harribel asked, and began stacking dishes to take to the kitchen.

She nodded. She did have things to do today, important things and not enough time to do them. The big thing, of course, was to inform Omaeda Marenoshin what had happened yesterday, to get a warning to him about keeping his people and their reiatsu hidden for the next several weeks, as well as give him a report of a more personal nature. She had been utterly stunned and shockingly pleased to discover the Omaeda family patriarch was still alive. Taking some of the serving dishes in hand, she followed the Espada and began the task of clearing the table.

�Work related?�

When the blonde placed the dishes in the sink and turned around to look at her, Soi Fon nodded again. Harribel�s participation in the planned rebellion allowed her to move much more freely. After seeing Ggio�s wretched state last night, she really wanted to ramp things up so she could see the bastard who held his Claim buried, the ground salted and the earth cursed behind him. If she were lucky, she might even run into Yumichika today, which would allow her to give him a message to give to Ggio. Soi Fon had to let the man know she and their cub were in good health, and that their daughter would be born soon.

Speaking of her child� she smiled as she felt a kick and placed her hand on a spot just to the left of her ribcage. Then her child repeated the move and her smile widened. Harribel watched her carefully and somewhat wistfully, uncertain if she would even get to feel her cub, given her unique pregnancy. Seeing the Espada�s expression, Soi Fon walked over to her and took her hand, resolutely positioning it on her distended belly. It didn�t take long for her daughter to kick again, this time in three quick strikes. A look of wonder crossed Harribel�s face and her free hand went to her own, still flat midsection. She still had a long way to go, but her sea-glass eyes held more hope than they had a minute ago.

�Do you still plan on giving the child to Tesra and Tatsuki? Because you know she will be welcome here.�

Soi Fon hesitated. She�d spent more time thinking about that as the date got closer, weighing her options. Dropping Harribel�s hand, she retrieved her chalkboard so that she could give the woman a better reply than a mere �yes or no� answer.

�With everything we have planned, I think it would be for the best to have her out of the way. If things do go wrong and we fail, at least she will be safe, since Tatsuki and Tesra know nothing about the conspiracy between ourselves and the Escapees,� she wrote.

�That is true,� Harribel agreed reluctantly, once she�d read the message.

Soi Fon disliked contemplating defeat on principle. Yoruichi had always told her that she should only picture succeeding, that allowing for failure was as good as charting a path to it. However, from a practical standpoint, she had no way of knowing how the rebellion would turn out at this juncture. There were too many loose ends and every move Aizen made required a change in tactics. Unfortunately, that probably meant that she would have to give up her child to the care of another. If they succeeded, Soi Fon would gladly take her daughter home and introduce her to her father and surrogate uncle, but until then it was safer to get the baby out of a potential danger zone.

Her pensiveness about the issue didn�t go unnoticed. The Espada placed a hand on her shoulder and her eyes flickered towards the door.

�Your �work� is more important than mine today. I will clean this up if you would like to go, but please refrain from doing anything too strenuous.�

�I will,� she paused in her writing for a moment and took in the silent house before jotting down the rest. �I have some friends I would like to visit, and it will probably be late before I get back.�

Harribel read her message before turning appreciative green eyes her way. The den would be empty, providing Toshiro and Harribel with some �alone time,� now that her fraccion had abruptly moved out. Something told her that the two needed it.

�Do not stay out too late on our account Soi Fon,� Harribel warned. �We are accustomed to the presence of others and it would not do for you to go into labour unaided on the street in the middle of the night. If anything, Unohana-sama would not be pleased and neither would I for that matter.�

Soi Fon smiled at that, acknowledging the Espada�s concern for her well-being, before gathering the few things she required on her way out the door. The late morning sun warmed her face as she walked through the gate. She had rebels to meet, plots to hatch and maybe she would stop by that food stand she and Yoruichi used to frequent. It had been eighteen years since the last time she ate there. The fact she could once again do anything she wanted lifted her spirits and put a spring in her step. Despite having just eaten breakfast, the thought of a few skewers of grilled eel was enough to make her salivate.

The sun warmed her body as she walked slowly down the street. Speed was a thing of the past, at least for now. She passed a few other of the newly Claimed, seated Shinigami as they reported in for work, with their new Masters and fellow Claim victims at their sides. That included the shy little healer from the 4^th, escorted by Tatsuki, Rangiku and Nanao of all people.

Evidently, Nanao had survived her evening with Starrk, for which Soi Fon was grateful. She had grown fond of that household, not just because of the rebellion, but because they�d helped her after Barragan had cast her out, asking little in return. She owed them a great deal, if Harribel�s story of the bargain Starrk had made with her regarding her and Toshiro�s cub was true.

Tatsuki waved her down as their little group approached.

�Soi Fon, you are looking radiant this morning!�

She gave the woman who would raise her daughter a smile and a nod, accepting the compliment. Her eyes roved over the quiet Shinigami from the 4^th Division, before she pulled out her chalkboard.

�As are both of you,� she wrote out.

�Have you seen how much weight I have gained?� Rangiku lamented, patting her stomach and pouting. �I�m going to be as big as a house!�

Tatsuki rolled her eyes at her companion. Evidently, she�d heard this many times before, while the healer tried to hide behind the human woman.

�Oh, save it! I�m sure you�ll fit through the double doors of the 4^th Division just fine!�

�That�s easy for you to say! You are only having one! I am having TWINS! I am going to be twice the size of Soi Fon!�

Nanao, thankfully, gave Rangiku an offended look on the shorter Shinigami�s behalf. Soi Fon thought it was a sweet gesture, but the blonde did have a point about her girth.

�It�s just the hormones. You�ll get your old figure back in no time, especially if you breastfeed,� Tatsuki informed her friend before she politely went back to talking to Soi Fon. �So, I was thinking that we pregnant women could get together later this evening, if I can get this one to stop obsessing about the size of her bottom. Are you in?�

The hopeful way that Tatsuki looked at Soi Fon told her she was interested in more than oohing and aahing over baby clothes and speculating about what names their infants might have. From her time at Starrk and Jushiro�s Estate, she knew that Tatsuki was close to Karin and that Rangiku was a friend as well. Perhaps both women wanted an answer about what had happened up North. She hadn�t been there, but Toshiro and Harribel had and if she�d been in their shoes, she might have hoped that either the Third or her mate had any crumbs of information about Karin. No one outside of those in contact with Yoruichi knew where the �traitors� had hidden themselves, thankfully, and she couldn�t reveal anything about the plan to overthrow Aizen to either woman. That would be a mistake, no matter how much Soi Fon wanted to ease their fears. It wasn�t as if she couldn�t sympathize; Karin had done her best to help her and knowing where the woman was while being unable to help made her want to grind her teeth together in frustration.

Therefore, she put a smile on her face and wrote out her affirmation, holding up the chalkboard so that all four could see it. Tatsuki�s grin grew wider

�Awesome! My place, later tonight!�

The stick of chalk clattered across the slate.

�I�ll be there.�

They exchanged quick goodbyes and went their separate ways. Tatsuki and Rangiku had a checkup to go to today and Nanao had a Division to manage. Unohana had scheduled Soi Fon�s exam two days from now� assuming she didn�t go into labour first. Contemplating her questionable due date, Soi Fon prayed that the Escapees picked a day for the rebellion after she�d given birth. If they rushed into things and the revolution happened before then there would be no way she could beat Barragan while still pregnant. Vendetta or not, doing so would be much too risky, as well as foolhardy.

Eventually, she left the residential avenues of the First District and made her way into one of the Fifth District�s marketplaces. The food vendors were busy gearing up for the lunch rush and heavenly smells lingered in the air. Her stomach had the nerve to growl at her, of all things. Narrowing her eyes, she glared at her midsection, ready to blame her hunger on the babe within her and its voracious need for sustenance. Then she looked up and tried to remember if the particular food stall she wanted was on this street, or the next one over. So much could have changed in the last few years and for some reason, the idea that it might not be there any longer filled her with dread. She was engrossed in reading the names of each merchant, stenciled or painted on the establishments, when a smooth, cultured voice spoke up behind her.

�You seem to be doing much better, Soi Fon, which is good to see. Why, I would say you are almost radiant, although I don�t care much for your taste in kimonos. That pattern is far too drab for someone with your skin tone. Have I taught you nothing about fashion, after all these years?�

She whirled around about halfway through the combination of a greeting and clothing critique to see Yumichika smiling at her. Her response involved rushing to his side to pull him into a fierce embrace before grasping his hand and pressing it against her belly, where her daughter was kicking up a fuss thanks to her quick movements. Yumichika gave her a quick wink before he bent slightly and addressed her belly directly.

�Why hello to you too, little princess! Do you miss me? I bet you do, don�t you? Come on, give your Yumi-otooji a good kick,� he cooed. Her daughter obliged and Yumichika�s smile widened before it faded again and he straightened up to look at her.

�He should be here. I wish I could have brought him. He�d be thrilled at this.�

Soi Fon felt her good mood evaporate, for she completely agreed with him. Her eyes pleaded with him silently and he sighed deeply when she didn�t bother with the chalkboard, though she supposed he could read what she wanted from him from her body language.

�He�s hanging in there. The Second has let up on him a little bit, enough that Ggio is at least getting two meals a day again instead scraps from the kitchen. I�ve managed to keep the majority of His Majesty�s attention on me, to help give my fellow inmate time to heal, especially after that awful slog to the North.�

She wasn�t certain which sounded worse: the fact that Ggio wasn�t particularly well or that Yumichika had to endure successive evenings with Barragan. The peacock must have seen some hint of her unhappiness, because he put both hands up in a gesture meant to placate.

�However, I�ve used what little influence I do have to keep him under me, as opposed to, well, taking the full brunt of Barragan�s displeasure. While I do prefer a woman�s soft curves and find bedding men distasteful, doing so in this case serves a purpose. He�s making a recovery, at least as far as his body is concerned, but his heart�s another matter.�

Soi Fon bit her lip, working it back and forth between two teeth and clutched the basket with white knuckled hands. This wasn�t what she wanted to hear and it just served to motivate her as far as the contacts she�d see later today. Yumichika took a deep breath and smiled at her again.

�I do have some good news for you though. Aizen dropped by yesterday morning to �have a talk� with His Majesty over the treatment of his pets.�

Her eyes grew rounder and she quickly indicated she wanted to hear the whole story. He obliged her, though he put one hand under her elbow and steered her back into the flow of pedestrian traffic, at a sedate pace and in her original direction. It wouldn�t do to appear agitated in public and draw unwanted attention.

�Aizen informed His Majesty that he would not be allowed to choose another �pet� to Claim until the last round, based on what he�d observed of his treatment of you, and then only on the condition that he treated his new toy well. Barragan was very upset that Kami-sama dared to tell him how to treat his own property, and even more displeased when Aizen ordered him to allow me to return to active duty.�

Soi Fon blinked in surprise, stunned that Aizen had finally decided to intervene on their behalf. She�d heard nothing about this. Yumichika gave an airy little wave of his fingers and she could hear an undercurrent of excitement in his next words.

�I think he figured out that there are some of us who still have free time on our hands and he�s putting us back to work, whether our �Masters� like it or not. Part of it involves filling in for all of those pesky pregnant Shinigami,� and here he paused and gave her a wink to let her know he was kidding �and I believe the rest is because he�s not happy with how long it�s taking to rebuild his forces. Now that the Swarm is no longer an issue, it will be purification-as-usual, until things stabilize.�

Soi Fon was puzzled as to how he would know this. Yumichika�s expression veered into �smug� territory as he provided his source.

�I just happened to listen in on a conversation between a few of the 2^nd Division�s lower ranked Shinigami this morning, while looking for a new kimono.�

She drew the hiragana for �clotheshorse� and �eavesdropper,� and then presented it to him. The pretty man snorted. Laying one finger to his cheek, while propping his elbow on his forearm, Yumichika pretended that her observations had insulted him.

�You should be glad I�ve mastered the art of blending all of �this,�� he said as he swept his hand downward to indicate his elegant ensemble, �into the woodwork.�

Soi Fon pinched the bridge of her nose, hoping he would get to the point quickly before the temptation to throw her basket at him grew too great. He must have known when to stop teasing because he sobered and said, �According to those in the 2^nd Division, the five Divisions are bursting at the seams, with all of the new Academy graduates filling the empty spots of those who died during the Swarm invasions and then some. Two of the Shinigami mentioned a rumour circulating about Aizen�s resurrecting the old 6^th Division, which would ease the congestion. Maybe he will force that shambling mound of �ugly� called Yammy to let Byakuya lead it again. Aizen did mention to Barragan yesterday that there would be a meeting today involving those former officers who are no longer active Shinigami, so perhaps the two are related.�

The 3^rd Division�s Taichou hadn�t said anything to her about such a meeting, but yesterday had been� eventful and Toshiro might not have received such a message until he made it to his office. It was yet another factor she�d have to consider and of which she would need to inform Yoruichi, preferably as soon as possible. Adding another Division would have a number of repercussions for the conspirators.

On the positive side, it meant that the 2^nd, 3^rd and 5^th Divisions could send a number of the Claimed Shinigami whose Masters were not part of the planned coup, out into the higher numbered Districts, using training exercises or some other trumped up issue, to get them out of the way. Doing so would put them in a perfect position to investigate the diversions her people and Yoruichi�s other contacts had planned, keeping them out of the fray until they and the Escapees could neutralize Aizen.

Unfortunately, she had no idea how they would deal with the 4^th Division, the leaderless scientists at the Science and Research Division or Aizen�s 1^st Division, other than Starrk making covert overtures to the nerds controlling all of the Senkaimon and Harribel�s fraccion conveniently Claiming two of the 4^th Division�s top officers. She would have liked to believe that the 6^th Division, the former refuge for those who had turned the concept of adherence to the rules into an art form, would lack the cohesiveness necessary to take on a rebellion, but with someone like Kuchiki Byakuya in charge...

On one hand, it would be nice to see Byakuya once more at the head of a Division. Yammy would have to relent on his captive�s wardrobe too, as there was no negotiating when it came to wearing a proper shihakusho and haori for a Taichou. It would give the poor noble a break from the degrading and horrible bondage gear the bastard forced on him now. On the other, he was in much the same boat as she was, regarding her lack of a voice. Furthermore, unlike her, he didn�t have access to the Onmitsukidō�s sign language as a backup to the spoken word. However, he did have the beautiful flash cards Ajuga-chan had made for him. Jushiro had revealed that he was quite efficient at using them to communicate. It was his version of her chalkboard, she supposed.

Like Tatsuki and Rangiku, she couldn�t risk roping Byakuya into their planned rebellion, not with a monster like Yammy on the other end of his invisible leash. They�d have to figure out something else. She noticed Yumichika giving her a fretful look now and then and hoped her irritation at Aizen�s latest action wasn�t too apparent.

�He�s moving fast� almost too fast. It�s as if he�s busy plugging any leaks he can find before his rule capsizes. Regrettably,� she grimaced inwardly, thinking of Karin and Ajuga, �I can guess why he�s trying to snuff out any potential threats on this side of the Dangai before he tries for the one in the Living World.�

The unagi stand, thankfully, was just as she�d left it and in the same spot. Soi Fon presented the chip Starrk had first given her when she had moved in with them. The woman running it remembered her, visibly brightening as she took in Soi Fon and her changed physique, and chatted on about how wonderful it was to see her pregnant while she prepared the requested meals. Yumichika quickly fielded most of the questions the proprietor asked and nearly charmed the kimono off of the young woman. The only dicey part of the exchange occurred after she�d paid for the food, when the vendor congratulated �her and her handsome husband on their imminent heir.�

Soi Fon was grateful that Yumichika had the presence of mind to keep his jaw from dropping until after they�d turned away for find a proper place to sit and eat their lunch and she simply couldn�t keep from tittering at the erroneous, though understandable assumption. If anything, she�d badly needed the laugh, given her and Ggio�s situation and treating Yumichika to lunch seemed a small price to pay for it.

They ate, savouring the sticks of grilled eel and the dishes of takoyaki, and Yumichika remarked that her dish seemed to have a few extra octopus dumplings, courtesy of the kind proprietor. Then he sighed and regrettably informed her that he had to attend to �His Majesty� to prepare him for the meeting later on that afternoon. There was no mistaking the optimistic tone in his voice as he speculated about which Division he�d end up serving. She prayed it was Toshiro, Jushiro or Nanao�s troops, as any one of those three would assign him to be elsewhere during the uprising. Soi Fon had no desire to fight a former member of the old 11^th Division when she went after Barragan. It would be bad enough that she would likely have to go up against the father of her child.

�I shall tell Ggio you love him and miss him, or something just as cloyingly sweet, yes?� Yumichika asked as she threw away the empty sticks, the grilled eel on them long gone. She nodded in response, though she privately thought he could have left off the �cloyingly� part. The former 5^th Seat would find better words to lift her Mate�s spirits than she could. She pulled Yumichika in for another embrace, one he returned, mindful of her belly, before heading out to grab whatever it was he had come to market for and return home. Knowing that Barragan could have assigned spies to follow his favorite concubine, she took a roundabout path to the meeting place, stopping occasionally to throw off anyone that might choose to shadow her instead of Yumichika. She even bought a few things on the way, mostly additional food. Omaeda Marechiyo had had an appetite the size of the Palace, a trait his father and the rest of his husky relatives shared, save for one.

Then again, considering the young woman�s current state, she might have plumped up a bit too, since a hybrid pregnancy compelled the mother to eat like a horse. Soi Fon made a face as she contemplated that particular turn of phrase, as it was particularly appropriate in this case.

Arriving at her destination, she walked into the shop just the way she had all the others. After about five minutes of browsing the wares, one of the attendants brought her into the back, on the pretext of looking for something specific.

�It�s safe. You were not followed,� Omaeda declared, not looking at her as he arranged a few ceramic pots on the row of shelves on the back wall. When he turned around and lit another lamp, she set her basket down and put her hands to good use.

:I thought not, but one can never be too careful: she signed back, then reached into the basket and offered him a large paper bag filled with tempura-fried shrimp and the extra order of takoyaki she�d hidden underneath it. His eyes widened gleefully at the sight and the bag�s contents, as well as the takoyaki, disappeared in seconds. Inhaling food was also an Omaeda birthright, evidently one he hadn�t had the opportunity to practice much in the last fifteen years. Aside from his receding hairline and the furrows that time and recent stress had carved into his face, he looked much as he had when he�d served under Yoruichi-sama over one hundred years ago and probably, more than two-hundred pounds ago. While he still had some firm padding here and there, he reminded her more of Kenpachi than a typical Omaeda these days. Weight and hair loss were two of the best disguises.

�Have you learned anything about my darling daughter?�

He made his desperate-sounding request while crumpling the empty bag into a very small ball. Soi Fon ran a hand through her hair, ready to make good on the personal favour he�d wanted from her after their last meeting. The old man was just like his late son; trust him to ask her about his family first and business second. She let her hands tell her former associate what she�d learned.

:I have. She is well cared for by her Master: she paused, and then added, :and pregnant. You are going to be a grandfather, O M A E D A-san:

�Grandfather?�

It was hard to read his face in the shadowy interior of the shop�s back room, but she thought she detected an overwhelming amount of conflict in his eyes at the news. Marenoshin took a seat on a barrel marked �Salt Pork� and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and letting his calloused hands dangle from his wrists. His fingers twitched, as if he was trying not to twist and wring them in agitation.

�After I lost Marechiyo, Maremi and Marejirōsaburō� well, I considered such a thing impossible. I thought Mareyo was dead along with her siblings until you told me otherwise, as my spies never found her body and couldn�t find a trace of her. She was always so delicate and she didn�t inherit the rest of the family�s looks or strength. She barely had any reiatsu to her name too, which is why I don�t understand why someone would Claim her.�

Her former subordinate heaved a sigh, sat back and ran the thick fingers of his right hand through what remained of his hair, a gesture to cover up the tears that welled up at the corners of his eyes. �The Arrancar who enslaved her� who is he? Is he treating her decently? He isn�t hurting her, because if he is��

He growled this out as any angry father might and Soi Fon was quick to answer his question.

:She�s fine, from what I have been able to learn. He even lets her run the family businesses. Those are in the black, though I�m sure you know that the Omaeda holdings aren�t what they used to be. He�s ordered the manor staff to see to her every need. I find it odd that you, of all people, weren�t able to track your own daughter down. She�s been at the Omaeda manor for all this time:

She frowned at him, expecting something in the way of an explanation.

�Yes, well, ahem,� he coughed nervously, �I couldn�t go anywhere near the Estate, especially during the �roundup� of Shinigami after the Winter War. I had no choice but to go to ground, since the family manor would have been the first place they�d have looked for me. Same thing with the businesses. I had to wait until it was safe to try to find other members of the Onmitsukidō, as well as try to get in touch with my network of civilian informants. The men I sent in my stead found Marejirōsaburō�s body and reported that some Arrancar, his killer, had taken over the house and grounds and that there was no sign of my daughter anywhere. They told me that most of the staff had survived, minus the security detail, but when they brought me proof of my wife�s death and the deaths of my children, they also reported that the monster had put some shrimp of�of a� girl��

He trailed off, and then made two meaty fists while his brain worked at fitting Soi Fon�s newer information into the account of his family�s demise.

Listening patiently and already having pieced together what might have happened with regard to Mareyo, Soi Fon waited for him to put two and two together. In the meantime, she massaged her temples and shook out her fingers, giving them a break. No one would ever believe the slender girl shared DNA with the rest of her thickset kin, unless they�d met Mareyo personally. Marechiyo had lamented over his �ugly� little sister many times, concerned that she didn�t share his constitution and the family�s �good looks�. It had taken Soi Fon almost an hour to get over her own shock when she had first met Mareyo, enough that she�d considered asking her Fukutaichou if his parents had adopted his youngest sibling.

�I am going to skin them alive!� he groaned and buried his face in his hands. �Those imbeciles!�

Soi Fon wanted to remind him that he ought to have supplied a detailed description of Mareyo to his spies before he�d set them to watching the Omaeda manor, rather than assuming that they�d know his youngest daughter when they saw her, but at that moment, the observation seemed less than sporting. Then again, Mareyo was young, pretty, sheltered and hadn�t had much cause to stray from the family manor, unless it was a shopping trip to one of the higher-end garment or jewellery markets in the lower numbered Districts. Only a truly close associate or family member would have known who she was on sight and most of those were dead.

�Tell me more about this bastard,� he ordered grimly, the words forced from between his teeth.

Soi Fon duly relayed what she knew about the Hollow, confident that what she could tell him was current. She�d gathered the facts from an unwitting servant she�d followed from the manor, extracting what she wanted to know from the runt of a scullion by pretending dizziness and lurching across his path, conveniently falling straight into the boy�s arms. He�d been very happy to blather on about his position to her, once he�d helped her to a shady spot and fetched the supposedly �ailing� mother-to-be a cup of water from a nearby well. There was nothing like making someone feel like a hero to loosen their tongues about their circumstances, especially when she�d pulled out her slate and he�d realized she couldn�t speak. According to the kitchen servant, the entire estate was bustling to get ready for the arrival of their mistress�s child. Hired workmen were already converting part of the west wing of the manor into a childproof nursery, sparing no expense. The remaining servants from the old days were pleased, knowing the Omaeda line would continue, even though the child would be an Arrancar hybrid. Her source had only worked at the manor for two years, which explained his lack of discretion; a long time servant would not have shared gossip about their employers so readily.

Mareyo�s Master, Sementall, had ordered everyone to see to Mareyo�s needs, regardless of time of day or the manner of the request. In that, Soi Fon knew, the Arrancar was acting like any paranoid, first-time father. Mareyo had suffered nothing more than a bit of morning sickness and with the staff and her Master doting on her, she appeared perfectly fine, with no sign of abuse.

Sementall�s base animal was a horse. Like most stallions, he was quite territorial when it came to his females and wary, if not hostile, to any non-submissive males. As a result, most of the staff now consisted of women, and the occasional meek and mild manservant, such as the one she�d questioned. That also meant that Mareyo not only had a host of female companions, but that Unohana Taichou expected her to have a lengthy pregnancy, one that could last ten or even eleven months. She wasn�t due until early spring or very late winter of next year.

All in all, it seemed as if the two had come to some kind of mutual understanding. One could even say the two were happy, though she would by lying to Marenoshin if she told him that his daughter loved the Arrancar that had murdered her siblings and her mother. While Soi Fon knew from personal experience that it was possible to both come to terms with one�s Claimer and develop feelings for them, she wouldn�t presume such on Mareyo�s part and she hadn�t wanted to press the servant for too much information, lest her mark wonder about her interest in the young woman.

�At least she finally found her appetite,� he chuckled at the end, sounding a bit teary. �Still, I will need to speak to my son-in-law.� He said this in the threatening manner that all fathers used when talking about their daughter�s suitors. Soi Fon decided that mentally substituting the word �speak� with �pulverize� and �son-in-law� with �worthless cur that isn�t good enough to lick the dirt my child walks on� made his declaration make sense.

With the personal business out of the way, Soi Fon prepared to let him in on what had happened on Sōkyoku Hill yesterday afternoon, and gave him a warning that a second round of Claiming was imminent. The last thing they needed was for someone involved with Marenoshin�s shadowy network to end up tied and controlled by one of the Numeros. If there was ever a time the reiatsu hiding skills that all members of the Onmitsukidō possessed would come in handy, this was it.

The rebels still needed to find a way to spread the explosives all over the city and coordinate the detonations without either giving themselves away or harming the civilian population, or at least keeping the damage to uninvolved Plusses to a minimum. They�d have to spread the decoys out much farther than they�d originally assumed, which would take time, considering they had at least forty of the outermost Districts to cover. Marenoshin�s hidden observers were also in the process of finding and cataloging down every Claimed individual, a much more difficult task made harder by yesterday�s events. With Aizen�s new edict, it would substantially increase the risk to those whose job involved setting up the bait that would keep the Arrancar and their �pets� busy and away from the Seireitei proper. They�d have to hide from a much larger pool of people, which only made pulling this off more of a challenge.

The scowl on her face must have betrayed her frustration to her companion, because one of his large, roughened hands reached out and clamped down on the top of her head. It was an old gesture, one he�d done a time or two when he was still her Fukutaichou and she was still a 3^rd Seat. She�d hated it then, but after a century and dealing with his son, she understood the concern that motivated it.

�Your thoughts?� he rumbled and her fingers made a series of angry signs in reply.

:I have it on good authority that Aizen�s called another meeting today. It might involve the 6^th Division, so I�ll keep you informed about what goes on:

�More eyes on the Districts, is what you mean. Humph. I will say this for the Swarm attacks� they kept Aizen�s attention away from us. This time, unfortunately, there�s no help for it. We�ll just have to wait and see what he pulls out of his ass and cope.�

It was just the sort of attitude she�d expected from him and she had to admit that he was right in that they�d have little choice but to amend things once they set their plans into motion. No battle plan ever really lasted longer than the first ten minutes of implementation; there were far too many random factors for complete certainty. His hand left her head and to her surprise, he chucked her under her chin.

There was a time when she would have bitten such a hand off at the wrist, even if it did belong to an ally. Maybe it was the fact she was pregnant; there were far too many people who thought that being very heavy with child meant her reflexes had gone to pot with her belly. When all of this was over, she�d make certain he answered for such a condescending gesture, even if she suspected that he�d only done so because he couldn�t reach out to his real daughter.

�Why don�t you help me choose some targets in the 35^th through the 50^th Districts while you�re here? Let�s figure out which ones will make the biggest, most enticing mess and�� he paused dramatically as he shuffled over to a box on the shelf, pulling several rolled maps from its wooden interior, ��let the experts deal with the pyrotechnics.�

Just got back from camping for a week, and got to work first thing in the morning, so just an update and run. Huge hugs for those that took the time to review though.

Next Chapter: Aizen reinstated the 6^th Division to prune down the current overflowing divisions.
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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