Chapter 20: Nothing but rain, pain, and treachery 1/3

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. I own nothing. Thanks again to Greatkingrat88.

Here we are folks, chapter 20! Easily our longest chapter to date! Thanks for sticking with us for so long! It means a lot! If you;ve have fun up until now, just wait till we get to cannon. Many surprises await once we get there. In the meantime, We've gotten over 200 reviews! Over 200! That's amazing. I want thank each and every single one of you that left a review.

Special thanks needs to go to AnkoHolic, Draconichero18, wolfdude16, sephiroth12285, and NoNameAvalibe Bis for being regular reviewer's. Its SUPER appreciated and I cant thank you enough.

With that all said and done, lets begin!

Thrust. Slash. Dodge. Counterattack. Jump, jump, jump. Dodge again. Strike. Her entire world was violence, her heart furiously pumping blood through her veins, pearls of sweat glistening in the moonlight of Hueco Mundo, dampening her shihakusho. Erza was experiencing a completely singular focus- nothing existed in the entire universe but her opponent and the weapon she swung. Halibel had pushed her hard these last five years; after three years' worth of training, she had finally needed to not hold herself back entirely, but no matter how far Erza came, the hollow's energy seemed inexhaustible, and her power indomitable.

Strangely, Erza rather liked it.

At this moment, she welcomed the focus for more than one reason. What she had seen in Aizen's office that night, more than a week ago, had worn on her every waking hour since. There was no conceivable reason for him to have those designs- he had told her they had been destroyed by the onmitsukidou, but she had found them there, in his possession. As much as she wanted it not to be, the vain notion that perhaps he hadn't known they were there would not root itself in her mind- Aizen was a man of deliberation, of perfect calculation and planning; if the designs were in his desk, then he most certainly intended for them to be there.

She had wanted to confront him at once, but had held herself back. He would have an excuse ready at the tip of his tongue, and she would believe it the instant he said it- she would want to, because he was a decent man serving a good cause, against tyranny and injustice. Everything she had seen had told her this.

Yet, she had not confronted him. He had kept it from her, and now she was keeping her knowledge of this from him in turn. It was like a boil had burst, a boil of uncertainty and doubt which had worn on her for years- knowing how far they would have to go in the name of justice, what dark places it might take her… she had had these doubts for a long time, she realized, without wanting to acknowledge them.

So it was that when she dodged under a broad swipe from Halibel's blade only to receive a hard backhand, hard enough that she could feel it resonate through the bone of her skull, she felt grateful for the pain and shock it brought. Fighting, she knew. She had lived and breathed fighting since she was a little girl; it had an almost poetic simplicity to it once you had it in your blood and bones. Fight, fight, fight, be hurt and hurt back- she understood it as intimately as a virtuoso understands his violin, as the scientist understands theory, as the artist understands his vision.

She was thrown across the floor by the blow, a spatter of blood flying from her mouth, but she turned the momentum to her advantage- a helpless tumble was quickly made into a roll, and within seconds, she was on her feet again, launching herself at Halibel, the greatsword Render in her hand. She clashed with her again, sword pushing against sword. Halibel's strength truly was indomitable, unconquerable by Erza's level of strength- but she had come a long way since five years before, when she had first asked Halibel's help. It was a unique opportunity, really- the Gotei had few sparring partners with such strength, and none of them would have the time to train Erza like this. Furious sparring, so vicious and real that the difference between a true fight and a spar was needle thin, five times each week, for five years… it had left her different.

She had not gained power. Raw power, reiatsu, was not something that you could just increase- you had what you got, and you made the most of what you had. No, what she had gained was… control. If she tried, she could feel the blood running through her veins, the beats of her heart, the acids in her stomach. She could feel the courses of reiatsu, flowing through her body, billions and billions of microscopic particles making up her body.

She had not gained an ounce of power. She had come to harness what she already had.

Sword pushed against sword, in a furious reverse tug-of-war Erza could not possibly win. Looking unimpressed, Halibel head-butted Erza, sending her staggering back. A hard, massive swing followed immediately, and Erza just barely brought her blade up in time. She knew this move, had suffered it a hundred times and a hundred more- she knew its momentum, read it like a book, and with a simple twist she caught the blow at just the right angle. Vicious, powerful, it nearly knocked her off her feet- but it went wide, most of the force behind the blow averted, swinging away from her. The opening was small, no bigger than the quarter of a second, but Erza needed no more. Quickly, she lashed out with a foot, kicking Halibel square in the chest. The hollow was sent reeling back, although with both her feet still firmly planted in the floor. Halibel was a stoic to the core, almost impossible to read- but Erza could see it in her eyes, the lust for battle, the killer instinct. She was excited. And, Erza guessed, quite possibly pleased as well. 'Happy' might have been an overstatement; she wasn't sure she knew how to.

It would take at least two seconds for Halibel to close distance again. It would be enough. Erza held the great, black blade up, feeling a billion billion particles run through her body, up the sword and back again in lightning fast current, as the spiritual charge began to climb, awaiting her command.

"Dragon strike!" She roared, swinging the sword down. An arc of blue lightning shot out, crashing into Halibel with furious power. Every ounce of power she could use at once had been put into that strike, something she knew would likely kill almost any of her friends if it hit. But Halibel was not somebody she needed to hold back against.

The arc hit, sending Halibel flying this time, right into the wall, and Erza sped forward, holding her sword out for a stab. She closed the distance in a second, her legs burning with the pain of muscles used to their limit as she ran, and there she was, ready to hit-

But of course, Halibel stood up in time, redirecting the force of Erza's blow right into the wall. Her sword buried itself there almost to the hilt, and Halibel put her bony, white hand on Erza's face, holding it firmly.

"This, I believe, is where I crack your skull like an egg." She said, sounding almost triumphant- in her own subtle, subdued way.

"Dammit," Erza grunted, letting her blade slide back into its shikai form, pulling the sword out of the wall. "I got overeager. Overextended, I guess."

"Should we have done battle in real life, you would surely have died." Halibel said, gently letting go of Erza's head. Her voice, almost completely devoid of emotion, made Erza think of concern.

"Yes, well, that makes it no different than any match before this," Erza said with a smile. "I had a good run, I think."

"Battle cares not about 'good runs', Scarlet," Halibel said firmly. "All that matters is survival- who lives and who dies."

Erza gave her a look, and Halibel gave the slightest of shrugs.

"Yes, you did do better. An estimate of forty-two minutes of high-intensive, demanding combat, wherein you mostly kept your guard up and even anticipated some of my moves. Your improvement is noted, shinigami."

"I'd say it was at least… oh, twelve times I saw your moves coming." Erza said cheekily. "You're not as impossible to fight as you think, you know."

Halibel scoffed, a slight frown at her face. "You have grown bold, Scarlet. Arrogant, even."

"Or maybe I am just getting inside your head, so you'll underestimate me next time." Erza said, smiling at her friend.

Halibel shook her head, and Erza half expected her to grunt disapprovingly, or some other extreme form of emotional expression.

"Humans, shinigami… that we are distant relatives would be beyond belief, did I not know it to be true. I shall never understand you if I live to be ten thousand."

"That's how I felt when I first started speaking to my sword, and now look where I am." Erza said, her tone disarming.

"…again?" Halibel said, almost hesitantly. She was a powerhouse indeed, but she seemed a little lost in exchanges like these- it was strange to not be the awkward one for once, Erza thought.

"…no, I think this will be enough for today." Erza mumbled. "Thanks, but uh, I got some… stuff. To do. At home. Thanks, though!"

Well, the awkward part still needed work.

"…as you wish." Halibel said, nodding. "You will find me where I always am, then."

"Sure," Erza said, nodding. "Um… bye, then." She waved awkwardly, and walked out. On her way to the portal, she fought the unease running through her- it almost made her nauseous. Truth be told, the 'stuff' she had to do was a total lie, and had Halibel been any better versed in social interaction, she would have seen right through it. Perhaps even she had seen it. It was a lie- even the singular focus of hard training couldn't make it go away entirely.

She had been forced to join the Gotei, many years ago, under none too subtle threat. She had learned that they had intended to kill her if she said no, just recently. But even under threat, she had told herself it was the right thing to do, the right place to be. She had gained power, skill expertise… and most importantly of all, friends. All this, while doing service to humanity as a slayer of monsters and a guide of lost souls. She had been able to tell herself, for some time, that they were in the right- that she was in the right. That sure, they used rough methods and had strict laws, and some of their soldiers weren't what you'd call good people, but at the end of the day they all did good work for the betterment of the world, all of them. That maybe, if she rose high enough, she could change this place for the better.

Then she had slowly seen the truth, seen the Gotei Juusantai for what it was- a cruel, uncaring tyranny whose only merit was slaying hollows. Slaying them, not because it was the right thing to do, not because they had any desire for justice, kindness or a better tomorrow, but because they wanted balance between the worlds. A status quo to keep, to make the worlds keep going, without a single care in the world for the suffering of the people in the soul society, without any concern for what means they used- if it meant hiring psychopathic monsters, then so be it. If it meant suppressing any freedom to dissent, so be it. What she had come to realize was that the Gotei was the largest dark guild she had ever seen- wretched, indifferent and evil. If Natsu had seen her serve that kind of power, he would have punched her in the face. Repeatedly. And she would have deserved it.

Then had entered Aizen. It had been everything she should ever have wanted- to struggle against tyranny, not bowing to it like a coward because she was too weak to fight it head on. To create a new world order.

But that in itself had taken her to places that were, in their own way, darker than any she had been. She had realized that while the Gotei was corrupt, ruled by callous and uncaring people who hired monsters to do their bidding, it was also full of good, earnest people who wanted nothing more than to do right, people who were dead sure that what they did was justice.

It was painfully obvious, from her perspective, that change was needed. No, not just needed- it was absolutely vital. But at the same time, she could not achieve it without hurting people. That had been the worst revelation of all- ever since she was a little girl in Fairy Tail, she had been raised to have a firm moral core. Right was right, and wrong was wrong, and you always did the right thing even if it meant breaking the rules.

It had always worked out for them.

Now, she was in a place where she couldn't do the right thing without hurting a lot of people, where she would have to make herself a traitor to all her friends. For the greater good. And the problem was, when you started thinking the ends justified the means, where did you stop? It's not like they had had much respect for any greater sense of right, like the law, back in Fairy Tail- but here she was alone; there was no wise guild master to rely on, no friends raised next to her to be just as firm and reliable, who would stop her if she went wrong…

What if she one day decided that killing people, even innocent ones, was all right so long as it was for the greater good?

And now, on top of all of these doubts, were Aizen himself. A liar. The one she had trusted more than anything, let herself talk into treason in the name of a better tomorrow, to fix the gaping wound that was the Gotei and the entire soul society, had lied to her all this time. She wished she could call this an eye opening moment, that this was it and from now on she'd make a new path- but it wasn't. Even if Aizen were the worst scum in the world- and she certainly did not know enough to make that kind of judgment- he wasn't wrong. The Gotei was all wrong, all power and no passion, a cold an un-emphatic entity, carrying all the love and care of a dead fish.

That was what made her so uneasy, what killed her sleep at night. That, no matter how she looked at it, she could find no right or wrong. She knew right from wrong, yet she could seem to find neither in the path she had taken. Was it always like that? Was she always just lucky enough, back in Fairy Tail, to maintain a grand delusion about morality?

What on all the earths were she to do?

"Erza! I'm so glad you could make it!"

The voice was Momo's, as strangely soothing as always. She had risen fast these last few years- she was a natural talent, better at soldiery than Erza herself in many ways. Just last week, Aizen had promoted her to third seat. She was smiling brightly, as she should- this was her party. Rangiku had been the one to insist, naturally, but it didn't seem anybody minded. It was a small gathering anyhow.. comparatively speaking. There was herself and Momo, naturally; there was Rangiku, of course, busy pouring drinks. It was some strangely coloured liqueur from the world of the living, one that she'd undoubtedly feel the sting of in the morning if Rangiku had her way. There was Isane, sitting in the couch, looking a bit uncomfortable as usual. Next to her, Nemu, resting her head against Isane's shoulder, looking oddly at peace. Good; if anybody could use a good friend, it was her. There was Nozomi, wearing her brand new shinigami's uniform even to this informal occasion, looking constantly a little amazed, and there was Rukia- not looking quite so much in the spirit of partying, but present nonetheless.

Another friend of Momo's was here as well, Hitsugaya Toushiro. Erza had never really had the chance to speak with him properly before- he was but a child, in body if not in spirit, and worked himself hard, and rarely had leisure time to spend- Erza doubted he even wanted it. Still, she was impressed by his growth rate. Becoming a third seat in only eight years was unheard of, especially for someone so young. They had only spoken briefly, but he seemed nice enough, if not especially friendly. Though, being a childhood friend of Momo, she supposed he would have to be.

Of course, there was at last Momo, beaming brightly like a child on its birthday. She had worked hard, and she had been rewarded far beyond her expectation- just the look on her face was enough that Erza could, for the moment, forget the cloud of anxiety hanging over her head like a thundercloud readying to burst with lightning.

"Of course I came." Erza said, smiling back solemnly. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. You're my precious little student, and you've come so far."

"I'm not little!" Momo exclaimed, sounding almost indignant- but there was not much that could take away her joy at this moment.

"Is that so?" Erza teased, walking in close and towering over her. She stood well over a head taller.

"I'm not that little…" Momo grumbled.

"Of course you're not." Erza said, ruffling Momo's hair. "You're like a tiger in spirit. A small, adorable tiger. That's nevertheless very fearsome. And cute."

"Geez, Erza!" Momo huffed, blushing a little.

"Congratulations, Momo," Erza said, smiling a genuine smile for what felt like the first time in ages. "You earned it." She pulled Momo into a quick hug. Friends… gods, how good it felt to have friends.

"I'm- I'm not sure I did," Momo said, a little flustered as she broke the hug, "but… thank you, Erza."

"Aizen is a fair man," Erza said, not quite sure if it was a lie, "and he would never have promoted you if he hadn't believed you deserved it. He's not like some captains who will go on looks alone, you know."

"I know… it's just, making third seats in five years? That's incredible, isn't it? It's faster than you, isn't it? I mean, not that I meant I'm better-"

"It's all right, Momo," Erza said reassuringly. "You probably are better, anyhow. Just wait till you start filling out the paperwork, and delegating work, and taking complaints from a million and one people who don't have the guts to go to the captain but sure don't mind going just below that- you'll be sorry then." She smiled again.

"Thanks." Momo said, giving her a quick hug again. "Well come on, it's a party- let's go have something to drink." She gave Rangiku's table of drinks- now quite full of glasses with liquids of varying, bright colours- a suspicious look, and said, "well… not too many."

"Maybe just the one?" Erza suggested, as they walked over there.

"Just the one." Momo agreed, looking excited. "Or two. But definitely not more than that."

"Good choice."

The two walked over, and Erza settled for a yellow, not-quite-as-garish-as-the-others drink. Colour, it turned out, was no indicator for taste; it burned like fire with every sip.

"Congratulations, Momo!" Nozomi cheered, walking over to the two of them. "I hope I'll do as well as you will one day!"

"Thanks- thanks!" Momo stuttered, looking a bit flustered at all the praise.

"Would you look at that, Momo- you're a role model now," Erza said, only half teasing.

"Me?" Momo said, almost shrieking- the alcohol seemed to get to her head fast. "Don't be silly- I'm just… well… me. Nothing special. I just uh, worked hard?"

"Admirable in itself." Erza said. "Like it or not, lots of people will look up to you now. It's a high position."

"Oh… oh my goodness." Momo said. "I hadn't thought of that…"

"You'll do great." Nozomi said firmly.

"Let me tell you something," Erza said. "Remember the first time I walked into your classroom, Momo? All those years back?"

"Of course," Momo said, nodding. "You looked so tough and strong…"

"I did, yes," Erza said, nodding, "but the truth is, I was completely terrified. Shaking in my boots- not literally, but I was."

"No way!" Momo said. "But you took charge of everything like it was nothing."

"Here's what I told myself," Erza said. "Act like you know what you're doing, and people will believe it. And it turned out to be true, didn't it? If ever you feel unsure about something like that, just pretend you know what you're doing. When you're in charge of people, they need to believe they're being led by somebody who knows where to go and what to do. Manage that, and you've got half of leadership done already."

"Huh…" Momo said bemusedly.

"That's a great story." Nozomi said. "But… I can't imagine you being afraid of anything." She giggled.

"Oh, I'll laugh in the face of danger. Except not really laugh, but sort of glare at it, really hard. You know what I mean. Anyhow," Erza said, trying to un-awkward the point she was trying to make, "hollows are easy. Sure, they can rip your guts out with their claws, and sure they represent the worst of humanity, and sure you could die on any mission where you hunt them-"

Seeing the faces of Momo and Nozomi, Erza realized that inspirational speeches were not really her thing.

"What I am trying to say is, fighting hollows is easy. They want to kill you, you want to kill them, and that's all there is to it. I've got my sword, the skills to use it and power to back it up, and I walk into a fight with them, and either I die or I live. Simple. People, though? People can be terrifying. You never know what they'll do next, and you can't whack them with a sword to make them go away."

"That… makes sense, I suppose." Nozomi said, nodding. "You're strange, Erza, did anybody ever tell you that?"

"They never really stop." Erza said soberly, ironically downing her drink.

"It's a good kind of strange." Momo insisted. "It'd be boring if you weren't the way you are, Erza."

"Thanks, Momo." Erza said affectionately. "But this night isn't about me, now is it? You've done great, and we're here to celebrate you."

"Well, I'm not that special-" Momo protested, almost as if by routine, blushing again.

"Yes, you are." Erza said firmly, in a tone that brooked no disagreement.

"You're special and that's it, no more arguments young lady!" Nozomi said firmly, taking on a deeper tone that, supposedly, was an imitation of Erza. It wasn't the best, but it made the three of them burst out in laughter.

"Say," Nozomi said, grabbing another drink, "that's Nemu over there, right? Vice-captain of twelfth division?"

"And Isane. And Rangiku's here, too. And me, of course. You're around a whole lot of vice captains." Erza said.

"Is it true… that her captain built her? From nothing?" Nozomi said curiously. Erza knew where this was going, of course- Nozomi herself was a mod soul.

"It's awful how he treats her." Momo said, shaking her head.

"It's true, yes," Erza said. "I think the legality is a bit shaky, but he can do about anything so long as he says it's for science."

"And she's a full shinigami." Nozomi said.

"Better, actually." Momo said, nodding cheerfully. "Since she was designed, her reiatsu flow is more efficient than a regular soul's. So I heard, at least."

"So it's… an advantage, then?" Nozomi said, smiling.

"There's advantages to everything if you just look." Erza said. "And the most important thing is, we care about her whether she was designed or not."

"Of course." Nozomi said, nodding and giving her a look. "Well… more drinks?"

"Just the one." Momo said, smiling.

The next day Erza woke up, and with a small note of pride noticed that she only had a slight headache. Rangiku was mightily persuasive, especially when it came to frivolous matters, but Erza has remained strong- anxiety was good for something, at least. After a quick breakfast, she made her way out into the Gotei, into the bright, shining, deeply corrupt Gotei, to go on about her duties in service of tyranny. Her thoughts might have continued as such till they spiraled out of control, had a familiar presence not distracted her.

"Erza!" The voice, jolly, firm, a bit childish, was unmistakable- her once captain, Shiba Isshin. "Erza, how ya doin'?"

"Captain!" She said, standing up straight. "I'm- I'm fine."

"Ya looked real lost in thought there. Aizen working ya hard?" He said, grinning the same dumb, disarming grin.

"…something like that." She mumbled.

"Well me, I'm headed out to the world of the living. Great big mission." He leaned in, and gave her a look. "Come to think of it, I could use backup. Mission intel didn't say it'd be too dangerous, but… you can never be too sure, right?"

"I see why you'd say that, yes." Erza said, nodding. Kaien, Isshin's cousin, had died fighting alone, she recalled. "How about your vice captain?"

"Rangiku?" Isshin said, scoffing. "She got drunk as a skunk last night, and I don't think she got outta bed yet. Probably won't till it's noon. Ha, she won't be so pleased when I land her with the paperwork from this mission… and maybe ten or twenty more."

"You are a cruel man, captain." Erza said, smiling.

"I am!" Isshin said, laughing heartily. "You know me, tough love leadership and all that to the bone. But say… you wanna come?"

"I don't know…" Erza said. There was protocol to observe, she'd have to file the request with her captain, and you couldn't just run off like this, so suddenly…

"Are you sure?"