Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo does. Any other references made in this story belong to their respective owners. I only own the OC characters.

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The next day, everyone was on high alert. Toshiro ordered every Soul Reaper to keep watch, always keeping an eye on the pulsating rift out over the bay. Maddie was able to find Rukia on the beach, having nothing else to do than join the rest of them.

Rukia didn't say a word when Maddie seated herself next to her on the shore. They glanced at each other, acknowledging. Once the young pseudo-human settled herself, Rukia asked, "Why does he think that your soul is the key to his victory?" The question came out before she could stop it. There were so many mysteries surrounding the young woman sitting next to her, she couldn't help but be curious, trying to understand. She hoped Maddie wouldn't be offended by it.

Maddie was caught off-guard by the question. "Woah, getting right down to business, eh? And here I was, hoping to have a pleasant chat."

"I'm sorry," Rukia said. "You don't have to answer that."

They sat in silence for a long time, staring at the fluctuating gate to hell. "He thought he could control me," Maddie suddenly spoke.

Rukia didn't expected Maddie to answer, but she did. She stayed silent to let her continue.

"He believed that he could command me once I turned, since he literally has all of the armies of hell at his beck and call. If he could control me, it would be easier for him to get my soul. He needs it if he has any chance of usurping heaven."

The enormity of what Maddie was saying confused Rukia. "You mean heaven exists?"

"Well, it depends on what you define as heaven. Yes, there is a place called the High Heavens, where the archangels reside, but it's not the heaven that people describe. I don't think we'll ever be able to truly understand what kind of a place heaven is."

Rukia fell silent for a moment, digesting this information. "What would happen if he succeeded?" she asked.

Maddie crossed her legs, resting her elbows on her knees. "Not sure what'll happen exactly, but if I had to guess, nothing good. Any shift of power will cause chaos, and it always has severe consequences."

Rukia shivered. "It's not looking too good for us, then," she said.

Maddie smiled warmly at Rukia. "It's okay if all of this doesn't make sense. Hell, even I still have a hard time wrapping my brain around it. But despite all of that, what matters now is that we fight to protect what we love."

Rukia couldn't help but agree with her words. With a nod, Rukia directed her gaze back towards the rift in the sky, her heart filled with newfound determination. Whatever threat the enemy decided to throw at them, she would rise to meet it. She wouldn't let them take her down, not without a fight. Her back straightened, the perfect picture of strength.

The moment of serenity was dashed away as a mass of demonic-like reiatsu burst forth like a tidal wave. Rukia stood up quickly, Maddie doing the same. "Is that...?" Rukia began.

Maddie's face confirmed it, deadening into a mask of stone. "They're here," she said bitterly. She clenched her fists, mentally preparing herself for what was to come.

The Soul Reapers' sudden appearance made Maddie's head spin. "Wow, you guys are fast," she said breathlessly.

Toshiro ignored her awestruck response. "What is this?" he asked, perturbed. "It feels like they're coming from all sides."

"That's because they are," Maddie responded. "We all need to split up, defend our positions."

"And what are you going to do?" Toshiro inquired.

Maddie glanced at Carter. "We're going to stay here," she replied gravely. "She'll be here soon, and I'll be the one to meet her when she shows up."

Kenpachi let out a 'humph'. "So, you're just going to leave the weaklings to us? That's no fun. I was hoping I could get a real challenge."

"I'm the only one who has a chance against her, Kenpachi," Maddie said, exasperated.

"It doesn't matter if they are easy opponents or not. They are infiltrating the sanctity of the Spirit World. That should be reason enough to perform your duties, Captain Zaraki," Byakuya said.

"Don't you start," Kenpachi scoffed. Without another word, the Soul Reapers, except for Ichigo and Rukia, vanished to go protect the perimeter. Maddie continued to stare at the pulsating rift.

"I hope you don't plan on facing her all by yourself," Ichigo said.

Without looking at him, Maddie nodded. "I do," she said. "She'll be coming for me, so I have to be ready." She pointed her thumb at Carter standing beside her. "He won't be going anywhere. He won't leave no matter how hard I try to convince him," she said with a teasing smirk.

"You know it," Carter answered, ruffling her hair. He flashed her a wide grin. Ichigo and Rukia were baffled that these two would act so nonchalant and upbeat right before an important battle.

Maddie finally turned to the two Soul Reapers standing behind them. "I suggest you go help your friends. Trust me when I say that this isn't like anything you've faced before. This is gonna be tough, and you guys have no experience in fighting demons."

"And how would you know that?" Rukia inquired.

Maddie smiled at her. "I can just tell," she replied.

"Look, Maddie," Ichigo began, "we appreciate your concern, but this isn't just your fight. I'm sure you're used to doing this kind of thing on your own, but after hearing what you said yesterday, there's no way you're capable of taking on a whole army. Just trust us. We can help."

They held each other's gaze for several seconds until Maddie chuckled. "I had a feeling you'd say something like that." She stretched. "Alright, fine. You can tag along. Just make sure you keep up."

"What's that supposed to mean?" But Maddie had already spread her wings and taken to the sky. Carter followed suit in falcon form. As soon as they left the ground, the first wave of demons poured from either end of the beach. They appeared to be wolves, but they had the physical structure of humans. From either side, they converged towards the middle like two black tidal waves, their purple eyes glowing menacingly. They growled and snarled as they ran, some climbing over each other in their mad frenzy. Rukia and Ichigo vanished and reappeared in the sky next to Maddie and Carter, just before the sea of black fur reached them. They collided, churning and seething, howling at their quarry now out of reach.

"What the hell? Are those werewolves or something?" Ichigo asked, perplexed. From where he was, he could see their dog-like heads, sharp teeth snapping at them.

"Nah, not really," Maddie said, crossing her arms. "They're the lowest in the demon hierarchy in terms of power. They're not that tough, if there aren't a lot of them."

"Are you saying that that's not a lot?" Ichigo asked, dumbfounded.

"No, they're merely the cavalry. She'll make up the rest." Maddie glanced at Ichigo. "And don't worry about your friends. I'm sure they'll be fine." As she said that, Byakuya's Senbonsakura raged across the masses on the east side of the complex. It was followed by Kenpachi's yellow burst of spiritual energy, wiping out another part of the horde. Toshiro's Hyourinmaru destroyed large portions of it by encasing them in impenetrable ice. The three captains appeared to be more than capable to hold back an army of hell.

"Well, Kenpachi is certainly having a blast," Ichigo remarked.

"Or he could just be incredibly bored," Rukia replied. "He's plowing through them as if they're made of straw."

Ichigo smiled at that, but it quickly vanished when he felt the familiar, repulsing spiritual pressure. He turned to see the piercing glare of Maddie's twin. Maddie was already facing her, the two young women staring each other down.

She was hovering a few feet away, her black scythe in hand. Maddie summoned her own, squaring off with her doppelganger. Rukia gripped the hilt of her zanpakuto, ready to draw it. Ichigo unsheathed Zangetsu, preparing himself for a hard fight ahead. Carter just screeched, maintaining his bird form.

The demon before them looked at each person in turn, then smiled, her grin maniacal. "Now that we're all here," she said, her scythe gleaming, "let's end this, shall we?"

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Author's Note: Another chapter for you guys. Sorry that it's so short again. This was the best place to end it. Ugh, this is so bad. I revised this, so it's decent at least, but it still sounds terrible to me. Whatever, just let me know what you think of it.

I'm planning on finishing publishing this first arc, and then going back and revising the first six chapters. Once that's done, I'll start the second arc. I haven't gone back to write more of it in awhile. Hopefully I'll still remember how I want it to play out.

By the way, I have a new story published. It's a spooky scary story.

Praise is appreciated and constructive criticism is encouraged.

See you next time!

-The_Mayflower