Marrying Death

Note: Thank you to Lanier for the kind reviews. Hehe, who wouldn't be scared to be inside a big tin can with wings a million miles above the ground? And also thank you to anyone else who's reading this. Ok. The other pair is revealed! Who is it? Read and find out!

~*~

Last time:

The rest of the flight had been uneventful and the trio soon found themselves outside of the Tokyo airport, hailing a cab. The two girls slid into the back seat and Renji took the front.

"The Urahara Shoten in Karakura Town."

~*~

"WHAT THE HELL DID YA HIT HER FOR YA LITTLE PUNK?!"

Urahara found himself drawn out of his shop by the yelling. Though the voice was female, it reminded him of Renji, in a way. The scene that greeted him was quite amusing, actually. Ururu stood near Renji and a tall, blonde girl while a small, wild haired girl stood over Jinta holding a broom. A murderous gleam shone in her eyes. The fact that they could all understand her meant that her clinched fist held either the spell he had given Renji, or a copy of it. Oh well, better say something before the girl killed Jinta.

"Oh, my, my! If you kill him then I'll have to find someone to replace him! Jinta, I told you not to beat up Ururu."

Jinta leapt to his feet.

"The hell?! She wasn't doin' it right!"

He grinned and snapped open his fan when the girl turned her glare on him. Widening his eyes, he feigned alarm.

"Waah!! So scary! Renji, who is this scary girl?"

He fluttered his fan wildly, all the while keeping his gaze on the girl. Her eyes narrowed, then flicked back and forth between him and Renji.

"I'm Reilly-Jade Connors. But everyone calls me Jade. And you are?"

Urahara swallowed at chuckle at her icy tone.

"Urahara Kisuke. So, Renji-kun, is she the one you're going to marry?"

His fan shut with a loud SNAP! and he slid sly eyes towards Renji, who visibly bristled. What was really amusing was how much Jade's reaction mirrored his.

"Che! As if I could marry her!"

"Like I'd marry him!"

"Hmmmph!"

They both turned their backs on each other. The blonde girl with them hid her grin behind her hand. Renji and Jade whirled to glare at each other for a minute before bursting out into gut-wrenching peals of laughter. Renji doubled over and Jade wiped away a tear with a grin.

"Hah...that was fucking hilarious. Me, marry Renji. Ha."

The blonde girl smiled. So, they must have copied the spell twice. Good.

"They're too much alike to be anything but friends. I'm Danica, Dani, Sloan. I'm the one who agreed to marry Renji. Jade's just here to support me."

Urahara glanced over to where Ururu was explaining that Jinta hadn't really hurt her to Jade. Renji was laughing at something Jade had muttered before walking over, shaking her head with a smile.

"So, you're the one who came up with this?"

She held open her hand to reveal the crumpled copy of the spell.

"Ah, yes. The translator spell. One of my more ingenious ideas! Quite brilliant, actually! Don't you agree, Yoruichi?"

He addressed the lithe figure leaning in the doorway. She turned her head with an annoyed 'tch!' before walking inside. Urahara pocketed his fan and laughed softly.

"My wife, Yoruichi. Let's all go inside. We can talk while we eat."

~*~

Jade ate in uncharacteristic silence and Dani kept throwing worried glances at her. Urahara swallowed his mouthful and sighed.

"Sooo, Jade-san, do you have a place to stay here in Karakura Town?"

Jade, Dani and Renji all blinked in unison. Jade swallowed her food quickly.

"Why would I need a place to stay here? I'm goin' with them!"

Urahara, Yoruichi, Tessai, Ururu and Jinta all turned to stare at her. She blushed madly under their collective gazes.

"What?! Who'd let their best friend get married, an' go live someplace where she doesn't know anybody, by herself? A bride's gotta have a bride's maid, right?"

The group exchanged confused glances. Urahara cleared his throat at the pointed look directed at him by his wife.

"Ah...but Jade-san, you can't just go to Soul Society...the law says only someone marrying a Captain or Lieutenant can enter Soul Society..."

Jade waved her hand dismissively.

"Ya, ya, I know that bit. I'll marry someone when we get there."

Jaws dropped and eyes bulged.

"You mean, you're just gonna marry some random Captain or Lieutenant?"

Jade glared at Jinta.

"That's what I said, wasn't it?!"

"Just like that. Without even really knowing who they are?"

"Che! Ridiculous!"

Jade turned to the cat-eyed woman; a dancing gleam flickered in Yoruichi's eyes.

"Yeah, well..."

Yoruichi laughed.

"Oh, I like you! I'll give you some advice: Stay away from Division Twelve's Captain."

Renji bristled.

"Like I'd let that creep near either of them!"

Yoruichi roared with laughter and soon, everyone had joined in. The rest of the evening passed in a riot of laughter, questions, and bickering before everyone was settled in sleep. They would leave for Soul Society in the morning...

~*~

Kenpachi rolled his visible eye in mock annoyance at Yachiru's whining.

"Ken-chaaaan! I heard something over here! Ken-chaaaaan!"

With matching grins, Ikkaku and Yumichika followed their fearsome Captain, who was being dragged around the corner by their tiny Lieutenant. The sight that met their eyes was...surprising, to say the least. A small, dark-haired girl stood protectively in front of a taller, blonde girl. She was holding an oddly shaped weapon in front of her. Other than some wires, it seemed to be made entirely of wood, which made the girls' situation all the more precarious. The men closing in on them had real blades in their hands and dirty leers on their faces. Ikkaku opened his mouth to yell at them, when the smaller girl moved. With a snarl of outrage, she swung her weapon at their would-be attackers. With a loud CRACK!, it connected with the face of one man before sending another of the men staggering under her assault. Pushing the blonde away from her, she leapt, bringing her weapon crashing down on another man with enough force to splinter it. The remaining two men growled and took a step towards the girl, when a shadow fell across their path. Looking up, their eyes widened in fear before they all took off.

~*~

Dani rushed to Jade's side. She was breathing heavily and looked like she might be bleeding. She hadn't seen it, but maybe one of their attackers swiped her with his blade. Then again, it could be someone else's blood. Her arm hung at her side, her hand clutching the neck of her guitar. Her guitar...

"Jade! Are you okay?! Are you hurt? Oh, Jade...you broke your guitar..."

Jade looked down at the remains of her guitar dumbly, then up at the swiftly retreating backs of their attackers. It looked like someone was chasing them. Make that two someones...

"Yeah...but, why did they start running...?"

Both girls jumped when somebody behind answered.

"It's 'cause they're afraid of Ken-chan!"

Jade whirled, once more putting herself between Dani and the possible danger. She looked up...and up again until her pale green eyes met one dark eye. Forgetting about the speaker, she gripped the remains of her guitar, every tense muscle in her body screaming that this man was dangerous. Swallowing, she hardened her gaze and her resolve. She would protect Dani! Oh god, this man was huge! And where was Renji?

~*~

Kenpachi stared down at the diminuitive girl in front of him. He could swear the girl was building up the resolve to fight him. But why? He frowned at the girl. She had practically no spiritual pressure, but even so, she must be able to sense something of the roiling mass of energy surrounding him. Surely she knew she didn't stand a chance, so why? His gaze flicked to her companion and then back to her. Protecting her friend?

"You gonna fight me, girl?"

~*~

Renji came tearing around the corner only to see Jade staring, wide-eyed, up at his old Captain. Alarm coursed through his veins and he looked around for Dani. Finding her, some of the fear left him. At least they were safe. He hadn't expected to be separated from them, but somehow it had happened. His gaze slid once more to Jade, his eyes widening in surprise when she suddenly rounded on him. Stunned, he just stood there under the flurry of blows she rained down on him. He yelped when she kicked him hard in the shin.

"You bastard! Where. Were. You?! I thought. Urahara said. You're supposed. To. Protect. Her!"

Her breath was coming in silent gasps, but the rage in her eyes was unwavering. What was going on here?

"Jade! What-- Ouch! The hell?! What is wrong with you?!"

Dani reached out to grab Jade's arm, but she was already stepping forward, her body shaking with barely suppressed fury. All three of them forgot anyone else. So of course, the Eleventh Captain's dark voice caused all of them to jump.

"It's probably got somethin' to do with those guys who were probably gonna rape them."

~*~

"WHAT?!"

Kenpachi shrugged, but kept his eye trained on 'Jade'. Hmm, pretty name...

"You held up pretty good, for a such a small girl. But they would have killed you. It's a good thing Yachiru heard somethin'."

At the mention of her name, Yachiru clambered into sight and grinned brightly.

"Hi! Your hair is weird. Are you gonna fight Ken-chan? What's your name? Is that your fri--"

"My hair's weird? Your hair's PINK! And no! I'm not gonna fight him! It's Jade, by the way. Are you seriously a Lieutenant? Just like Renji?"

All Jade's rage had drained out of her when he'd said she would have been killed. And though he didn't know her, he got the vague impression that her calm was not real.
His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Ikkaku and Yumichika.

"Oi! Renji! How'd ya manage to get two girls?"

Renji, who had been talking to the blonde, looked confused for a moment before blushing.

"It's not like that!!"

The blonde stifled a giggle behind her hand.

"I'm Danica, Dani, Sloan. I'm...well, I guess--"

Yachiru tilted her head and looked up at 'Dani' curiously.

"Do ya have any candy?"

Dani blinked and looked down at the little pink-haired girl.

"Um..."

She felt around in her pockets for a moment, before pulling something out of one of them. She gave a piece to Yachiru, who unwrapped it and popped it in her mouth.

"It's bubble gum. You chew it...er..."

Jade sighed, and held out her hand.

"Here, give me a piece. I'll show you..."

She chewed for a few moments, then seemed to be arranging the candy in her mouth. The others watched as she blew and the stretchy candy formed a bubble that burst with a loud POP! Yachiru squealed with delight and clapped her hands, begging Jade to show her how to do it. The older girl laughed and crouched down to Yachiru's level and showed her again. Yumichika exclaimed over the 'beautiful' colour of the candy, while Renji and Ikkaku both grabbed a piece and tried to out-do each other. Dani just laughed at the two of them. Kenpachi just rolled his eye.

"So, Renji, you're marrying the blonde, Dani, was it?"

Renji and Dani both looked up and nodded.

"Er...hai, yes."

Kenpachi grinned.

"So, what's she doin' here? The law says only someone marrying a Captain or Lieutenant is allowed into Soul Society, doesn't it?"

Jade stilled when he pointed at her. Renji fidgeted.

"Uh...well...ya see..."

"I am marrying someone."

Kenpachi arched a brow.

"Oh?"

He grinned when Jade shivered at his tone. Ikkaku and Yumichika both turned to look at her.

"Yeah. I just don't know who, yet. But I'll figure it out before they kick me out!"

"You came here to be with your friend, and you're gonna marry a complete stranger just to stay with her?"

Jade nodded slowly.

"That's the gist of it, yeah. There a problem with that?"

Kenpachi gave her a shark's grin, revealing sharp canines.

"Not at all. In fact, I think I'll help ya out."

Renji paled. Ikkaku and Yumichika both grinned from ear-to-ear. Yachiru leapt onto Kenpachi's shoulder and bounced.

"How? How are you gonna help, Ken-chan?"

His grin widened impossibly and Jade shivered when he looked down at her again, but his answer was spoken to Yachiru.

"I'm gonna marry her."

~*~

Note: Dun Dun Dun!! Again! *wiggles eyebrows* Second pairing revealed! Kenpachi and Jade! What will happen next? Who knows!