Snowing Blood

Gin was unusually quiet when Rangiku was around. Ayame told her that he spoke quite a bit when she wasn’t in the same room. He had told Ayame he felt guilty keeping her here, and now Rangiku as well. He regretted a lot of his past, wishing that somehow he could atone for his sins and perhaps return to Soul Society and be with Rangiku again.

Rangiku looked at him darkly as she remembered this, watching as he took Ayame’s measurements to have some new clothes prepared for her.

He had been acting rather protective of Ayame since Rangiku’s arrival; he seemed to be trying to make a good impression so that perhaps his relationship with Rangiku could be revived.

He left with his notes, and Rangiku moved back to her usual place at Ayame’s side. She knew she had to stay by Ayame at all times, knowing if she left her Gin was bound to do something perverted or horrible to her. She was blind after all.



Another month passed, and Rangiku had yet to hear or see the signal in the sky she had told Mayuri to send through if he got a stable gate working. She sighed, and turned back to watch as Ayame was playing chess with Ulquiorra. Even though she was blind, she was winning by a long shot. Ulquiorra looked downright depressed. More than usual anyways.

Rangiku went and poured herself some tea, watching Gin as he slithered into the room with more new clothes for Ayame. At the rate she was expanding, she needed a new dress every couple of weeks.

She heard him enter, quickly called a checkmate, then stood to inspect the new garment brought for her.

It was simple and white, with a black ribbon that tied up at the back of her neck to hold the dress in place. Satisfied, she let a growling Rangiku chase the males from the room so that she could change.

“Rangiku…” Ayame whispered, once the dress was on. Rangiku paused, and looked carefully at Ayame. She was very still, her hands pressed to the growing mound that was her belly. Rangiku put her hand next to it, and felt a strange coolness under the fabric of the dress. Ayame looked confused, and if she didn’t know what it was, Rangiku sure as hell didn’t.

Gin returned after several minutes, and found Rangiku scribbling out a list of possible reasons for Ayame’s… condition.

Gin was silent as he scanned the list; he then immediately moved to examine Ayame himself. She knew it was him, but said nothing as his spider-like hands touched her bump. Rangiku was too busy to notice, and chase him away.



“If I may say so, Rangiku…” Gin said softly, catching Rangiku eye as she turned around and glared at the hand he had pressed to Ayame’s belly. She scowled, but raised her eyebrows to show she was listening. Gin swallowed, then continued.

“Perhaps the genetic… material given to the child by the… father is what is causing this… condition.” He said in a low voice. Rangiku thought about the possibility. Perhaps it was something Toushiro had done to protect them, but then again, Toushiro didn’t know that Ayame was pregnant.

He hadn’t been paying attention to her weight gain very much. He just thought that because she was blind and hadn’t been on active soul reaper duty, she had been gaining a bit of weight due to lack of physical activity.

Obviously, this was not the case.

Rangiku moved closer to Gin and Ayame, and for once, Gin didn’t move away when she elbowed past him. She grumbled under her breath as she helped Ayame stand again, feeling Gin’s body pressed lightly against her own. The brief touch brought back memories of the way things used to be, before Aizen… before everything was ruined by that man.

Gin whispered something, it sounded like an apology, but when Rangiku turned around, he was gone.



***



Toushiro had threatened to bring an icy hell over Mayuri’s division so many times over the next two months, he was actually surprised when Mayuri went straight back to working on the gate.

It was in its final stages, and Toushiro already had a full team ready to storm Hueco Mundo. He was surprised that Genryusai had allowed a rescue to be launched; he supposed Byakuya and Rukia had something to do with it.

They were going to be on the front line, along with Kenpachi, Yachiru, Izuru, Komomura, Renji, Shuuhei, Ikkaku, Yumichika and a large number of fourth-division members, Hanataro included.

With a great amount of energy, much light and deafening noise, the gate illuminated. Toushiro held his breath as electric currents coursed through the archway, making the room flicker between light and darkness.

Finally, the time had come; he was finally going to get Ayame…



***



Rangiku sat looking out of the window, listening to Ayame’s breathing. She had fallen asleep not long ago, after spending most of the morning beating Ulquiorra at chess and eating vast amounts of food brought to her by Gin. The latter was currently seated in a chair by Ayame’s side, eyes closed (properly) and breathing deeply. He had also fallen asleep.

Rangiku sighed as she looked at him; he was different to the man who had been here when she arrived two months ago. Now that she had spent so much time around him again, she could see that he didn’t really want to be here. But she knew he was afraid to return to Soul Society a third time, afraid they might kill him. Then his dreams would never come true.

Rangiku looked away, and out to the sky. There she saw a crackle of blue light, like a lightning bolt. She held very still, barely breathing.

It happened again, and a crack appeared in the sky. It widened, Rangiku could feel the raw power in the atmosphere. Whoever was on the other side of that opening was thirsty for blood.

There was a great flash of light, and more than twenty soul reapers burst from the rip in the sky, wielding their zanpakuto and invocating skikai. In the lead, Rangiku spotted Toushiro. Or more like, she saw an enormous ice dragon erupt from the end of his sword, and lay siege to Aizen’s fortress.

The battle had begun.



***



Toushiro tried not to let his anger and thirst for Gin’s blood blind him, as he summoned Hyorinmaru and crushed a large section of the outer walls. His fellow soul reapers fanned out, Byakuya taking Rukia and Renji with him to search the western area, whilst Kenpachi and his fellows from squad eleven took the east. Komomura took Shuuhei and Izuru to the southern areas, leaving Toushiro and the several members of squad four to assault the north. Without wasting any more time, Toushiro surged forward, trying to locate the familiar reiatsu of Ayame and Rangiku.

He felt a familiar flicker north-west, and rapidly changed course. The soul reapers following him didn’t protest, they knew better than to enrage Toushiro at this point. He had already iced over fourth division twice after someone said something about his snap-decisions.

Aiming Hyorinmaru, Toushiro blasted an opening in the wall, and skidded to a halt once inside the blinding white corridor. Hanataro stepped up beside him, looked wary.

To their left, the group felt a sudden surge of spiritual power, then another rising against it in defense. Then all around them they felt multiple clashes of intense power, Toushiro recognized that of Komomura and Tousen, fighting somewhere to the south. Byakuya and his group seemed to have engaged some Arrancars, as had Kenpachi’s team.

Toushiro gripped Hyorinmaru tighter, and moved down the left side off the corridor, to what he was sure was Rangiku’s reiatsu. He was unsure, it felt like her, but she had never given off such a strong feeling of anger, hurt, and bloodlust before. Not to mention the feeling that she was protecting something very dear to her. Toushiro’s hopes rose, as he spun round the corner and caught a brief glimpse of three people in a white room – Gin, Rangiku, and Ayame. Gin’s attention shifted to Toushiro for a split second, before a blinding explosion blinded Toushiro.

He felt the floor crumbling beneath his feet, his fellow soul reapers yelling in alarm as the backed away from the destruction. Invoking Bankai, Toushiro formed a protective shield around himself as the dust cleared and the rubble grew still. Floating above the ruined floor, Toushiro rubbed his eyes and scanned the area in a panic. He couldn’t sense Ayame, but Rangiku and Gin were still there. Gin’s reiatsu was weak and flickering, Rangiku’s was stable, yet felt strange.

Eventually the dust cleared, and Toushiro felt a sudden sense of dread. Rangiku was pinned beneath Gin’s body, which was half crushed by fallen rubble. There was a large wound in his side, blood pooling over the rubble. Rangiku had a few spots of blood on her face, which was frozen in an expression of shock; Gin had thrown himself over Rangiku to protect her.



And he could very well die because of that.

Toushiro was at their side in an instant. He used Hyorinmaru’s power to throw the rubble away from Gin. Immediately Rangiku moved to lay Gin on his back. A line of blood ran down his chin from his mouth – indicating internal bleeding. Toushiro scanned the area; he couldn’t see Ayame – or any evidence of her – anywhere. Even if she had perished, he still would have sensed her. It was almost like she had vanished completely.

“Hitsugaya… Taichou?” Rangiku’s soft voice brought Toushiro back to the present here and now. She was looking at him anxiously, Gin’s hand grasping both of her own tightly. He was coughing up copious amounts of blood – he wouldn’t live long if they didn’t do something.

The fourth division soul reapers re-emerged, and with a nod from Toushiro, immediately set to getting Gin into a stable enough condition for transport back to the Seireitei. Toushiro let his senses wander throughout Hueco Mundo. Many of the fights were now dissolving. Toushiro could sense that all of his comrades had survived, Komomura’s reiatsu felt weak, but it was still there. Tousen’s was gone.

Toushiro knelt next to Rangiku as she watched the healers working on Gin, and put an arm around her shoulders. She looked up at him with tearful eyes. He tried to smile, but his face seemed to have forgotten how to work the muscles into one. Rangiku’s bottom lip trembled.

“Ayame’s gone… I think she used her power to escape. She’s been storing energy over the past three months; my only guess is she used it to open a gate to the human world…”

All in a few seconds, Byakuya and Kenpachi’s team arrived at their location. Toushiro was gone in an instant.

Rangiku sighed and got to her feet, grimacing as Izuru and Shuuhei fussed over the blood on her clothes. She assured them it wasn’t hers.



***



Ayame sensed Toushiro round the corner, but by then it was too late. She unleashed all of her stored energy, and in a whirl of emotions, she blacked out. Now she was awake, sore all over and feeling slightly sick.

Yet, she was lying on a soft mattress of some sort, and covered in a warm blanket. There was a flowery smell in the air, very familiar to Ayame.

She slowly sat up, running a hand through her overlong hair. Her hands next went to her belly. She felt her child move slightly, and she smiled. Hearing a door open, and then close, Ayame grew anxious; she had no energy left to defend herself. She heard light footsteps followed by heavier ones; it seemed to be a female followed by a male. They were whispering to each other. And both of them had powerful spiritual pressures. The male was leaking so much energy; Ayame knew who it was immediately.

“Ichigo?” she whispered, hearing shocked gasps, and hurried footsteps. She felt the people kneel on either side of her, the girl touching her gently.

“Ayame? Is it really you?” came the unmistakable voice of Orihime. Ayame felt her eyes fill with tears as she was hugged by Orihime. Ichigo touched Ayame’s belly, rounded with six months of pregnancy, with curiosity.

“Don’t tell me that Toushiro got you knocked up, Ayame.” He said, his tone hard to decipher. Ayame scowled in his general direction. Orihime paused, her hands holding onto Ayame’s gripped tighter.

“Ayame, look at me.” She whispered. Ayame’s breath caught in her throat. Tears spilled down her cheeks.

“I can’t.” She said, pulling a pillow into her arms and hugging it tightly. Orihime shifted slightly, Ayame got the feeling that she was looking at her eyes.

“You’re blind?” Orihime asked, her voice barely even audible.

“Yes…”

“How come?” Ichigo asked, in his usual tone.

“I…” Ayame’s voice cracked, the memories from that night coming back in vivid color. After she had settled, she explained everything that had happened since she left eight years ago, or eight days ago it seemed, in their time.



***



Toushiro wasted no time in seeing Genryuusai about going to find Ayame in the Human World. He was granted permission swiftly, and was gone again just as Rangiku returned with the others from Hueco Mundo.

They had several Arrancars in custody, Gin and Komomura had been transferred to Fourth division’s surgical ward immediately. Rangiku breathlessly begged Toushiro to wait a moment so she could tell him something, but he lashed out saying Ayame had been waiting three months for him, he was not going to make her wait any longer.

With that, he was gone. Rangiku yelled out after him, but he was too blinded by panic and fear to hear her. Rangiku gritted her teeth, and raced after him.



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Orihime and Ichigo had listened to Ayame’s story with shocked expressions on their faces, or so Ayame guessed. They hadn’t stopped her or interfered in any way, and she could hear Orihime crying near the end.

Ichigo told Ayame he had sent a message to Soul Society via Uruhara when they had found Ayame lying unconscious near the school. Lucky only they could see her, a heavily pregnant young lady lying in the middle of the street would surely raise eyebrows.



They had carried her to Orihime’s place, and taken care of her whilst wondering how on earth she could have gotten so pregnant in eight days. Now they knew it had been nearly eight years in Soul Society.

Ichigo had just rang his father to make a house call and check up on Ayame, he would be around as soon as he cleaned up at his place. Orihime was pouring more tea, when she suddenly had an idea.

“Hey Ayame, you said you went blind because the vessels in your eyes erupted when Gin… uh… yeah…”

Ayame nodded glumly, but then she realized what Orihime was hinting at. She could use her power to heal Ayame’s eyes!

“Would you? You would really do that for me?” Ayame stammered, eyes widening with hope. Orihime abandoned the tea, and knelt at Ayame’s side.

“Of course! You’re my friend Ayame, of course I’d do this for you!” she said, laughter in her voice. Ayame felt tears in her eyes again, yet she was smiling.

“I’ll be able to see my child, watch him grow into a man…”

Ichigo felt awkward, sitting on Orihime’s couch twiddling his thumbs and feeling utterly useless. He decided to take over the tea-making as Orihime had Ayame lie down so that she could begin the reversal.

“Soten Kishun! I reject!”



***



Toushiro entered the human world just outside Uruhara’s shop. He saw the latter sitting on his front porch drinking tea, and stormed over.

“Where is Ayame?” he said breathlessly. Uruhara looked him up and down with a smirk.

“I take it you left before the message arrived then?” he said coolly. Toushiro paused, message?

“Ah so I was right! I just had Yoruichi go back to soul society to fetch you. Miss Ayame is alive and well. And very safe.” Uruhara added, pouring Toushiro some tea. Toushiro nearly fainted with relief. He took the tea gratefully, and gulped it down. After a few soothing breathers, he looked back to Uruhara.

“Where is she?” he asked again, in a calm tone. Uruhara smiled; at least he wouldn’t break the door down now.



***



Orihime didn’t notice the immense spiritual pressure when it entered the human world as quickly as Ichigo did. She was too busy with Ayame. They had been there for hours. That kind of pressure… he recognized it, Toushiro had come for Ayame. Ichigo was tense as he kept a tab on Toushiro’s reiatsu, and relaxed as it softened, and calmed.

He stood by the window, waiting.



***



Toushiro followed the small black cat over the rooftops of the human world, Yoruichi had returned from Soul Society quickly, and was going with Toushiro to see Ayame. Toushiro was glad it was Orihime and Ichigo that had found her and not the Vizoreds… or any stray Arrancars. Aizen had escaped the battle, and was missing. At least he didn’t have to fight to get her back, he had used a lot of energy and hadn’t rested in many days.

Finally they arrived at Orihime’s door, and it was pulled open from the inside. Ichigo stood in the doorway, a knowing smile on his youthful face. He stepped out of the way. Toushiro stepped inside, and immediately saw Ayame. She was sitting up on the couch, a thick blanket wrapped around her. She looked up when Toushiro entered, and her eyes sparkled.

Toushiro looked from her to Orihime and back again. Her eyes… were just like he remembered when he and Ayame had first met. Bright, crystal purple. She smiled, and made to get up. Toushiro frowned slightly when Orihime had to help her, but his expression went completely blank when the blanket slipped off her and he saw what had become of her.



Garbed in one of Ichigo’s old, and rather large shirts, Toushiro could clearly see that her belly had swollen with what was obviously pregnancy. He did the mental math, comparing the time she had been gone to the approximate size of her. Six months… the child had to be his…

“Toushiro?”

Ayame’s voice, full of anxiety and worry, brought Toushiro to his senses. He crossed the room in three strides, and gently pulled Ayame into his arms. He felt her bump press into him, and felt a slight nudge from within.

“Thank god you’re alright.” He whispered, pulling back to look into Ayame’s eyes. She smiled through her tears. She took his hands in hers, and pressed them to her belly. He could feel the presence of his child, its reiatsu a smooth blend of his ice and Ayame’s snow.

The door opened again, and a breathless Rangiku all but collapsed on the doormat. Ichigo helped her up, and over to the couch. After gulping down several cups of water, she looked accusingly at Toushiro.

“I tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen.” She said, flopping sideways on the couch and moaning as the immense weight of her chest was relieved. Toushiro was confused for a moment, before realization dawned.

He knelt beside Rangiku, she cast him a suspicious side glance. He smiled genuinely. She looked at him more innocently, then smiled and ruffled his hair.

“Should have known you wouldn’t listen, silly me for thinking otherwise.” She said, laughing. Ayame felt tears in her eyes again, she was so happy she was able to see again. She looked over to where Orihime and Ichigo stood watching with smiles. Ichigo blushed and looked away, Orihime giggled. There was a knock at the door, and Isshin Kurosaki let himself in, closely followed by Uryu Ishida. Uryu didn’t look too pleased at Ichigo’s presence, yet he moved past him to stand beside Orihime. Ayame could see it now, they were a couple! She gave Orihime the thumbs up, Uryu looking between the girls with confusion. Orihime blushed, and buried her face in his shoulder. Uryu sighed and shook his head in defeat. Isshin congratulated the couple on the conception of a child, then all but pushed Toushiro out of the way so he could get a proper look at Ayame.



***



Since Orihime didn’t have much room at her place to accommodate three soul reapers, Ichigo and Uryu, they rang Uruhara to request a place to stay until Ayame’s test results returned from Isshin. From what Ichigo told them, Uruhara didn’t know Ayame was pregnant yet.

They carefully made their way over to Uruhara Shoten, Toushiro fussing over Ayame so much to the point she threatened to tape him to a pole for te last three months of her pregnancy so he would leave her alone. He was rather shocked at her outburst, but after a moment’s thinking, smiled. He understood what she meant, she’d been through enough without having him being all stressed over her.



They arrived to find Uruhara outside waiting for them, sipping his tea like before. He waved, but almost literally froze solid upon seeing Ayame’s new… curves…

The group approached him with smirks, and strode past him into the store. Yoruichi dropped down from the roof, still in cat form.

“You shouldn’t be so surprised. After all that’s happened, there had to be something good in her future.” She said. Uruhara seemed to get a hold of himself.

“Heh, you’re right. She deserves this. Although I worry about what the hundreds of other female soul reapers will think of this? I can’t recall a child been born to a female soul reaper in centuries…”

Yoruichi nodded in agreement.



***



Ayame was cleared to return to the Seireitei in just under a week. Isshin seemed concerned that something had happened to the child in Hueco Mundo, and wanted to observe Ayame for a few days to make sure she was okay. Uruhara gave her a specially made kimono to wear back to Soul Society, cut just right to fit her body, now she was so rounded at the middle.

The group prepared to leave, Toushiro beginning to get anxious again. He wanted very badly to return home so that Ayame could rest properly, and they could bond together again now that she was safe.

He was also dreading the reactions of various members of the thirteen court guard… Byakuya in particular. He had become very protective of Rukia since all these things kept happening to Ayame, even Renji was seeing less of her.

Catching his eyes, Ayame smiled and hugged Toushiro. Her pink kimono made her eyes stand out even more than usual, he smiled and held her hand as Rangiku opened the gateway back to the Soul Society.



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