Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Redemption ❯ The Choice ( Chapter 7 )

"Aizen." The orange-haired boy growled out and summoned his bankai.

"My-my, what a greeting." He chuckled evilly and she felt her skin crawl.

"Byakuya," she whispered to him, "I'll make a run for it with Rukia the first chance I get, Kisuke and Yoruichi should be on route by now." The detached man didn't react at first, she could almost feel the gears turning in his head reverberate throughout his entire body.

"Only if you're told to," he whispered back. She looked up at and he pushed her away. The fell to the ground hard as a very long katana blade sliced through the air overhead.

"Oh, I missed." The creepy man said with an amused under tone.

"Scatter." Before she knew it, he had moved the fight away from her and onto the top of a nearby multi-floor building. She quickly looked back at the two remaining nemesis'' and watched Ichigo launch an attack.

"Direct, isn't he?" The noblewoman's eyes grew big as her ears registered the sound coming from just behind her head. Frozen in fear, only her eyes moved to look at the former fifth captain. As quickly as he appeared, he disappeared as a blue arrow zipped past her head. "Hm, you have a little more kick then I remember." He tilted his head slightly as he admired the fancy bow, "well that's new." The Quincy loaded another, "oh, so you're serious now." She looked over at the young man.

"Roar, Zabimaru!"

"Hm, seems the lieutenant is as impatient as ever." However, Renji was stopped in his tracks by the third renegade captain. Despite being blind, she could clearly see after only a few moves why he had indeed been a captain.

"Ishida!" Both boys disappeared and she was scooped up as Aizen defended himself with his blade.

"Hmph, you two make quite the team despite being what you are," he glanced over at the Quincy as he placed the noblewoman on her feet.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki." Kikyo's eyes widened as she watched her sister's zanpakuto turn white.

"No." She said lightly, stunned and horrified that her baby sister was about to join a very dangerous fight. "Do something," she pleaded, turning to the man in white next to her.

He was at a loss for a moment, before responding, "but they want me to protect you."

"I'd rather die watch her do so, please." He didn't say anything further, turned blankly and disappeared. For a while she just watched them, forgetting she was supposed to flee when given the chance.

She sucked in a breath as Ichigo was slammed into the ground, he didn't move and began to drown in his own blood. Rukia shouted his name and suddenly everything slowed down. She watched the last of her family break free of an old enemy to run to the aid of the powerful boy, not caring about the new enemy. Uryu screamed her name, Byakuya looked but was attacked by Gin, he managed to block but was now unable to help and never mind Renji. He was caught up in Tosen's odd bankai. She had no choice left, as Aizen prepared to attack and kill the three children, she placed her hand over her heart and the royal seal began to glow beneath the fine silk of her kimono. Finally her spirit pressure rang out into the world of the living once more.

Everyone froze, Tosen's bizarre bankai bubble was shattered by it, and everyone stared at her. "So she's not just a spirit, she's a soul reaper." Aizen almost seemed amused by his own words. A young man appeared by the young trio, looked at Rukia and then at her sister.

"No general, you mustn't!" He looked horrified but she only smiled at him before she became engulfed in white-reddish light. Rukia squinted like everyone else and stared in disbelief as her sister reappeared in black leather. "General." He said in a sad tone as her spirit pressure died off.

"Impressive." Aizen smirked and Rukia recognized that evil glint in his eyes. The new reaper disappeared and he barely had time to raise his sword to meet her steel. Everybody turned to see her mid-air, blue katana in hand. Rukia gasped as her eyes followed down her sister's left arm, "a second zanpakuto, more impressive." They exchanged several blows before disappearing; the sounds of sword fighting still being heard.

Gin suddenly attacked Byakuya, hoping to catch him off guard but still the captain's defenses were flawless. Blue flames erupted from below and Aizen let out a growl. When the smoke cleared, the former captain could be seen nursing a nasty burn on his left hand.

"Aizen-sama!" Tosen appeared in front of him.

"You're in the way." He gasped as a pink blade pierced his chest. Gin cursed and left the sixth captain to attack her, she sidestepped him, running him through with the blue sword. Byakuya flashed stepped near Rukia but still left space between him and the growing group. Renji joined them as well and helped Rukia lift Ichigo to his feet.

"She just took out two captains without breaking a sweat." Renji blurted out while Ichigo just blinked as he watched them fall to the ground.

"More importantly, what are those markings on her arms?" Rukia asked rather concerned given their dark and demonic appearance. They studied her bare arms and then the rest of her. Kikyo wore fine leather pants, armored side buckled boots, and string laced across her back kept a tight piece of leather in place across her front. She was a vision in black, her slender, toned body was now quite exposed and down her arms were black tattoos, "Why are they there? They weren't there a minute ago."

"They're a clock," the stranger answered, "when they cover all of her, she dies. It's the trade for her relinquishing the seal."