CHAPTER ELEVEN
ORIHIME
At the news that Tatsuki needed help, Orihime immediately ran toward her house. She was horrified by the condition she found her best friend in.

"Soten Kisshun, I Reject!" She shouted. To her relief, Tatsuki began to heal, although it took longer than it normally would have.

"Orihime..." Tatsuki groaned weakly.

"I'm here, Tatsuki!" Orihime replied. "You're okay now, I promise!"

"Can't focus... Head hurts..."

"Just rest, Tatsuki. You'll feel better soon."

Someone suddenly opened the door, causing Orihime to squeak in surprise. "Arato-San..." She said in confusion.

"Do not worry, Orihime," Arato said quickly. "I am here to help."

"Thanks, but... I don't understand."

"It seems the Nameless One tried to feed on someone very dear to you. I followed his energy here. Allow me to assist your young friend, and then I will modify her memory of these events."

She nodded. Arato began using some of the most powerful Kido Orihime had ever seen. As she continued rejecting Tatsuki's injuries, Arato healed her properly.

"Thank you, Arato-San," Orihime said humbly, bowing her head respectfully.

"This girl is lucky to be alive. No one has ever survived an attack from the Nameless One before."

"Tatsuki's strong."

"You care for her very much, correct?"

"I do."

"I will cloak her, but she is clearly no ordinary human. Chiyoko will want to study her. You must keep her identity a secret from the others, Orihime, or she will face even more danger. And, whatever you do, do not bring up what she survived tonight."

"I understand," Orihime said stoically.

He used some sort of powder, tossing it toward Tatsuki before looking into her eyes and saying, "You fell asleep early tonight because you were exhausted. You will dream only the most peaceful of dreams."

He carefully picked Tatsuki up and carried her to her bedroom. Orihime followed, unwilling to leave her side. She watched Arato tuck Tatsuki into bed before leaving the room.

"She will awaken well-rested and fully healed," Arato promised.

"Thank you, Arato-san," Orihime replied gratefully. She flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

He tensed for a moment before allowing the embrace. He hugged her back with one arm and gently stroked her hair with the other. "Be safe, Orihime Inoue," he said. "I will see you soon." He released her and left Tatsuki's house.

Orihime went back into Tatsuki's room. She crawled into her bed and wrapped herself up in her sleeping best friend's arms. Tatsuki wouldn't think too much of waking up to that. Orihime had snuck into her house at night before, when she was especially lonely or frightened.

As usual, Tatsuki shifted in her sleep to hold Orihime protectively. Orihime felt safe, but not fully comforted. Someone had nearly killed Tatsuki, and it connected to the mess Orihime had gotten herself into. She wouldn't find true comfort until she knew that her best friend was safe.

ARATO
He was taking a risk, but he didn't care. Arato snuck into the Soul Society. It wasn't hard for him, as he knew every inch of it better than anyone except his brother. He headed to the ruins of the home he'd once occupied. His brother had burned it down after Arato escaped, but no one had dared to build over the property.

He sank to his knees and touched the scorched ground. He closed his eyes and saw what it had looked like before. He remembered his wife's embrace, his daughter's smile... He felt tears in his eyes as he thought about how happy they'd all been.

"My family... I am sorry," he whispered. "I failed you, and in trying to avenge you, I lost my honor. I fear I can never get that back, but please, forgive me. Somehow, I will find a way to make you proud again."

Arato forced himself to stand back up. He walked toward the one place he knew he could rest without immediately being arrested. "Yamamoto-san..." A voice whispered in surprise.

"Hello, Ami-chan," he greeted her sadly.

Ami immediately ushered him into her home. He studied her for a moment. It had been centuries since he'd seen her. She'd grown up quite a lot in that time.

"Yamamoto-san, why have you returned?" Ami asked bravely.

"I needed to touch what was once our home," he replied softly. He paused before adding, "You may use my first name, Ami-chan. I have known you since the day you were born. The excessive formality is unnecessary."

She hesitated before nodding. "It is good to see you, Arato-san."

"It is good to see you as well, little sister," he replied affectionately. Ami had been his wife's younger sister. She was now the only surviving member of her bloodline. "I am sorry it has been so long."

"You know, your brother was removed from his position," Ami began. "Head Captain Ukitake might be more sympathetic to your plight. He might even pardon you."

"Had he taken over long ago, perhaps that would be true, but I have done a great many things he would not stand for, Ami-chan. Even Jushiro can only forgive so much."

She nodded sadly. "You are still a good man, Arato-san. I believe that," she replied stoically.

He didn't know how to reply to that. After all, he didn't even believe he was a good man anymore. He simply patted her head affectionately.

"What can I do to help?" Ami asked.

"You are already doing it, Ami-chan. You allowed me to enter your home. I require only a little time to collect my thoughts, and then I shall be on my way. Forget I came here once I depart. I won't stand for you being charged with treason for providing me sanctuary."

"I'll make tea," she decided.

He smiled at her sadly. "Tea would be lovely, Ami-chan."

She hurried off to prepare the tea. Arato found himself staring at her memorial for his wife and daughter. He lit some incense before lighting a candle in remembrance of the family he'd lost. It seemed like a lifetime ago, yet his grief was as strong as ever. He suspected it would never fade.

THE NEXT DAY.

SAKURA
Pretending to be a brainwashed lackey had its advantages. Sakura was allowed to wander out of her room, although Byakuya had to be with her. She had access to most of the areas of the building. She was even able to see the terrifying room where they kept their experiments.

Chiyoko was probably even more disturbed than Mayuri, which was saying something. She had collected humans, Soul Reapers, hollows, and everything in-between. The torture she inflicted on her experiments infuriated Sakura. She wanted to free them all immediately, but she knew she couldn't do that. She had to be patient.

Byakuya slipped in and out of the New Power's control. Sometimes, it was hard to tell if he was just faking it or if he was truly compliant. When it was clear, however, Sakura always made sure to pull him back from the edge before things could go too far.

He hadn't hurt her... Yet. She knew Byakuya would never willingly attack her, but that didn't mean he could fight their commands forever if they tried to push the issue. Sakura needed to get them out of there as soon as possible, but first she needed to gather as much information about their plans as she could.

"Byakuya, I believe it is time to bring Sakura into the inner circle," Syouma said.

"Of course," Byakuya replied stoically. Sakura glanced at his eyes and knew his mind remained clear.

"Bring her to level E. I will meet you there."

Byakuya led Sakura to the stairwell. "What's level E?" She asked.

"A terrible place... Sakura, you should run."

"I'm not leaving you here."

"You don't understand. Level E is for Syouma's top recruits only. The things you will witness will scar your mind."

"I can handle it."

"Sakura... You do not know the horrors my uncle is capable of. He will torture you to make you stronger. I did not expect him to initiate you so soon. We cannot keep up this charade."

"We have to, Byakuya. It's too late now."

"He will find your weakness and manipulate it."

"I won't break just because he tortures me, Byakuya."

"And he will realize this and go with an alternate form of torture." He sighed. "He knows, Sakura."

"He knows what?"

"He knows about your past... Your friends... Your family. He knows everything."

"How could he possible know all of that?"

"Because I told him!" Byakuya looked ashamed by his own outburst. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I was under his control and he asked me questions..."

"When?" Sakura demanded, trying not to attack him.

"Before... When Aizen was still in my head."

She sighed. "It wasn't your fault, Byakuya... But I need to know exactly what you told him. If my loved ones are in danger, I have to warn them. He can't easily get to my siblings or my father. They're in a realm that's adjacent to ours, but he still shouldn't be able to access it directly... Not without help. Only authorized people can come and go freely between the realms. My friends, however, are sitting ducks."

"I told him the names of your friends, as well as where to find them. I told him who was the most connected to you, and I told him who to hurt if he wanted you to surrender to him." He hesitated. "I told him Kyoya was especially important to you."

She wanted to strangle him. It took everything she had to remain calm. "I'll find a way to warn them in their dreams," she said.

"You should go to them."

"That's a switch. You were usually the one telling me to stay away from them so they could move on and I could let go of my former life."

"This is an emergency."

"I can't leave you here. Syouma will kill you if he realizes you let me go."

"I know what they mean to you, Sakura. I cannot be the reason they get killed. Go to them."

"I won't leave you here with that maniac. I'll dream walk."

"Perhaps your brother could visit them in person and offer some protection."

She hesitated. Her sister, Sage, was not allowed near her friends. The two had made some progress on their relationship as siblings, but Sakura still stood firm on that rule. She didn't want Sage around her friends because the last time she'd been around them, Sakura's entire life had fallen apart. Her brother Thorn, however, was trustworthy. He was far newer to magic than Sage and even Sakura, but that didn't mean he couldn't help.

"I'll go to him. He can ask someone to open a portal so he can go see them," she decided. There were several people in the realm she'd been born in who could do that for him.

They reached level E and Sakura braced herself for whatever horror might be waiting for her. She did not expect to find someone strapped to a chair, especially not someone she knew.

"Captain! You came to save me!" Isamu declared. He was one of the newer members of her Squad. He'd graduated from the Academy a couple of months ago. He was eager to please and to prove himself. The sad reality was that he was still just a kid.

Shit, she thought. She kept her facial expression unreadable. Syouma entered the room.

"Captain, look out!" Isamu cried.

"I thought you might enjoy a reunion with your loyal Squad member," Syouma said to Sakura. He slashed Isamu's chest open with a dagger. "Your turn," he said as Isamu cried out in pain. He was losing too much blood.

The young Soul Reaper looked at Sakura with desperation in his eyes. He trusted her. She couldn't betray him, but what other choice did she have?

She took the dagger. Silently, she cast a spell to make it painless. The moment the blade touched Isamu's flesh, he'd fall into a trance, his mind going somewhere safe.

"Captain?" Isamu asked nervously. His blind faith in her was still clear, but he wasn't sure of her plan now that she held the weapon.

I'll resurrect you as soon as it's safe, Sakura thought. Please forgive me.

She cut him deep so he'd die quickly and his lack of response would not be suspicious. He felt nothing, but it still broke Sakura's heart to do it.

"That was efficient," Syouma said, "but next time, make your victim suffer."

"He was barely out of the Academy," Sakura replied coldly. "He wasn't worth the time or effort."

Syouma smiled at her dismissive tone. "I can make you stronger, Sakura," he said, "but first, you must suffer greatly."

"She is already strong. You do not need to torture her," Byakuya said.

"This is not your concern, Byakuya. I am in charge here."

"My apologies. I simply thought it pointless to waste your energy on torturing our new ally."

"I appreciate you looking out for me." He laughed. "Are you prepared to do what you must, Sakura?"

"I am," Sakura replied firmly. Physical torture didn't scare her. She could survive that. What terrified her was what Syouma would do to the people she loved if he realized he couldn't control her.

Byakuya was radiating with fear for her safety, but he kept his facial expression neutral. Syouma drew his Zanpakuto, so Sakura drew hers as well. A sparring session wasn't what she'd expected, but she could certainly handle that much.

"Actually, you first, Byakuya," Syouma said. "I wish to watch you two spar."

Sakura smirked. "Do you think you can keep up with me?" She taunted Byakuya as relief flowed through her. She'd been sparring with Byakuya since she was still in the Academy. They knew each other well. They could put on one hell of a show if that's what Syouma wanted.

"Your arrogance will be your downfall," Byakuya replied as he drew his weapon.

"That's kind of the pot calling the kettle black, Byakuya," she replied with a laugh.

They began to spar. It was like an old, familiar dance. Sakura realized she'd missed it. Byakuya might have been a terrible boyfriend, but he'd been an incredible mentor. As she fell into the routine, Sakura almost forgot where they were and that Syouma was watching them.

"You two work incredibly well together," Syouma said after nearly an hour. "I am deeply impressed. Recruiting you was the right call, Sakura. Welcome to the inner circle."

"Is it your turn?" Sakura asked.

"I have business to attend to. Tomorrow, we will see how well you hold up against me." He left the room.

Sakura's eyes fell on Isamu's lifeless body. "He didn't feel it," she said softly.

"Are you alright?" Byakuya asked gently.

She sighed. "I hated having to hurt him, but I'll resurrect him as soon as I can."

"It's not the same as resurrecting the living, Sakura. It may not work."

"I know it's different. For a Soul Reaper, the soul is the body... But I'm a Shaman. Souls are what I do. I can fix him."

"They'll most likely burn his remains."

"I'll do it myself. That will make it easier for me to fix him later."

"Go on. I will tell my uncle you wanted to prove your loyalty."

Sakura nodded. She used her Zanpakuto to set Isamu on fire. She forced herself to watch him burn. She owed him that much. Even as her heart ached with grief and horror, Sakura refused to cry.

SEINA
She'd emerged from her labyrinth after a full day of training with Laby to find that the Stranger still wasn't home. Seina was perfectly okay with that. She didn't want to have to explain where she'd been. She knew she was going to be in serious trouble for disappearing overnight.

"Are you sure I can't convince you to come with me, Seina?" Laby asked, lingering even after Chad left. "I don't really feel comfortable leaving you here with someone whose name you don't even know."

"I'll be fine," Seina insisted. "He won't hurt me." I hope, she added silently. He seemed to be growing more unhinged by the day, so she wasn't entirely sure of that, but he had been furious someone tried to hurt her. The side of him that protected her was still there.

"Look... If you need me, use this." He handed her a strange black stone. "In an emergency, or even if you just want to talk, tap it twice and say my name. It will connect us." He pulled out a second stone, tapped it twice firmly with his index and middle fingers and said, "Seina!"

Her stone began vibrating. She saw Laby's face on the surface smiling at her. "To answer it, say bezi," he added.

Confused, Seina repeated the strange word. "Bezi!"

"Can you hear me now?" Laby asked. Seina heard it from both him and the stone.

"Loud and clear," she replied.

"Great! To end it, you just say fini."

The stone went dormant at the word. "That's so cool," Seina mumbled.

"I mean it, Kid. Call me anytime, okay? I'll come back to check on you soon."

She nodded. "Thanks, Laby."

"Would it be okay if I hugged you?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think that would be alright," she replied.

Laby wrapped his arms around her. It was incredibly soothing, and Seina relaxed in his embrace. My dad's not so bad, she decided. Maybe one day we can be together long-term. For now, I'm good with random visits.

"Take care of yourself, Kid," Laby said.

"Don't worry," she replied. "I'm good at that."

He smiled before leaving the house. Seina flung herself down on the couch and started watching television, trying to distract herself from the angry lecture that she would no doubt face when the Stranger returned home.

KYOYA
He was in his office as usual. He had several offices, including one in his house, but this one was in the corporate headquarters. Kyoya spent most of his time working. Focusing on running the family business was easier than thinking about anything else.

He didn't see his friends as often as he should. Everyone was in college now, except for the twins and Haruhi, and honestly, Kyoya didn't feel overly sociable. He really only saw everyone when Tamaki physically dragged him to social gatherings. He'd be there for them if they ever needed him, but hanging out didn't count as an emergency.

He just didn't have it in him anymore. He hadn't since he lost Sakura. They had barely started to realize they were falling in love when she was killed. To make matters worse, it had happened in his family's hospital. Kyoya had left her side to get some coffee, and when he returned, she was dead. An evil outside influence had led one of the doctors to go into a trance and murder her. Her death had been instant, but that didn't lessen Kyoya's grief or his guilt. He couldn't forgive himself.

Kyoya knew Sakura was a Soul Reaper. She'd broken the rules and gone back to see him and the others a few times after her death, but had stopped after realizing it was making it very hard for any of them to move on. How could they accept that she was dead when she could use a Gigai and hang out with them like nothing had changed?

She wanted him to move on, and he'd tried, but it seemed impossible. For that reason, he threw himself completely into work and tried not to focus on the past.

He snapped out of his thoughts as a man entered his office. He didn't recognize this man, but something told him not to trust him. Everyone else had gone home for the night. How had this man gotten past his elaborate security system?

"Kyoya Ootori," the man began.

"Have we met?" Kyoya replied.

"I come with a message from Sakura Ishida."

Kyoya tensed. "Who are you?" He demanded.

"That is not important." He carved a strange symbol into the door with a dagger.

"That door is made from the finest mahogany," Kyoya informed him sharply. His father had insisted no expense be spared to keep the offices looking perfect. Kyoya hadn't bothered to change anything after he took over.

"Yes, and I suspect it will remain relatively intact even after I'm finished here. Our mark shall still be visible. Hail the New Power!"

Without further warning, an explosion went off. This was immediately followed by three more in nearby offices. The building shook as it began to collapse.

The man vanished. Kyoya began trying to find a way through the chaos. If he did not escape soon, he'd be crushed by debris. That was assuming another explosion didn't go off and kill him instantly.

You're barely living anyway. Dying might not be so bad, he thought, but he shook his head. He might be depressed, but he wasn't about to let someone murder him... Especially not when that person had dropped Sakura's name. He had to know that she was safe.

He fought his way through the debris, crawling toward the door. As he passed it, another explosion went off. This one brought the ceiling down. Pieces of it landed on Kyoya, pinning him to the floor. He narrowly managed to avoid getting knocked unconscious. His glasses cracked as small pieces of debris hit them.

"Kyoya!" A voice called in horror. He was speaking English. "Kyoya, can you hear me?"

"I'm here!" Kyoya replied weakly. He was in a lot of pain.

"Just hold on! We're coming!"

Who is we? Kyoya wondered.

He got his answer as debris began to lift off of him. A beautiful dark-skinned woman with an afro and a boy he recognized stood in front of him. The woman was moving debris without touching it.

She's telekinetic, Kyoya realized. He was usually very scientific and logical, but there was no denying what he was witnessing.

The boy was moving debris with his hands. He soon reached for Kyoya. "Can you move?" He asked.

"Not very well," Kyoya admitted. "Thorn, what are you doing here?"

"My sister asked me to come check on you guys again. Apparently, she was right to be worried."

"I'll do my best to stabilize and heal you, Luv, but you'll need  more tending later, after we escape," the woman said in a British accent.

"This is Kizzie," Thorn explained. "She opened the portal that brought me here, but before we could even step inside the building, the explosions started."

"He said it was a message from your sister," Kyoya said as Kizzie worked her magic to heal him.

"Sakura would never hurt you, Kyoya," Thorn said firmly.

"I know that. Is she in some sort of trouble, Thorn? Can I help her?"

"She didn't tell me much. There's this group of bad guys messing with the Soul Reapers. She's sort of undercover, but she found out someone told their leader about you guys. That's all I know."

"Is there someplace safe we can go where I can finish healing you?" Kizzie asked.

"I don't know," Kyoya admitted. "I can't risk endangering the others, so their homes are out of the question."

"Right. I'll take you to a friend of mine. He'll let us stay at his home until I can finish healing you and make you a proper protection talisman."

"I take it you know Sakura, too?"

"Our paths have crossed several times now. She's rather lovely, actually, and quite fierce."

He smiled sadly as Thorn helped him to his feet. Kizzie opened a portal inside the ruins of the Corporate Headquarters. Kyoya decided not to question that. Wherever she was taking him had to be safer than where he currently was. He followed Thorn into the portal. Kizzie jumped in after them and led them straight to a house.

"Where are we?" Kyoya asked.

"Just another part of Tokyo, Luv," Kizzie replied. "A few towns over from your neck of the woods."

He nodded and braced himself for whatever was coming next.

SHUNSUI
He had checked on everyone from the previous night's battle. Renji and Yumichika were fully healed. Nanao was conscious and mostly functional. Kenpachi was still in bad shape, but he was starting to slowly recover.

Ikkaku remained unconscious and critically wounded, but he had survived so far, and they were fairly certain he'd make it.

With that information, Shunsui had gone back to Squad Twelve to see if Mayuri had finished analyzing the blood sample from Ichigo's Zanpakuto.

"Ah! Captain Kyoraku! I assume you are here for the results?" Mayuri asked.

"Yes," Shunsui confirmed. "You kept this between us, right?"

"Of course! Here you go!" Mayuri handed him an envelope.

Shunsui pulled out the contents. He stared at the test results and nodded. "Thanks, Captain Kurotsuchi," he said. He hurried away, not really wanting to prolong his visit.

He found Jushiro pacing in his office. "You're working late," Shunsui said.

"Sakura is missing, Shunsui, and Byakuya has also been abducted. Most of our prison guards were slaughtered. Some of our best people were critically wounded last night by a horrifically powerful serial killing mad man who is involved with the New Power. I need to work late," Jushiro replied.

"You're going to make yourself sick, my friend. You need to take a break and rest. Or come have a drink with me."

"You know I can't. I have too much to do."

"I can help," Shunsui said. "Although what I'm about to tell you is honestly just going to add more stress to the situation... I know who the killer from last night is, Jushiro. Unfortunately, you're not going to like the answer."

"Who is he?" Jushiro asked, his attention fully on his best friend now.

"According to Mayuri's analysis of his blood..." Shunsui sighed. "It's a match for the Reio, Jushiro. The maniac who nearly killed us all last night is part of the Soul King."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sakura started out as an OC created by Aura MacKenzie who was connected to the world of Ouran High School Host Club before finding her way to Bleach after her untimely death. The characters of Kyoya Ootori, Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka, Mitsukuni "Honi" Honinozuka, Tamaki Suoh, Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin (the twins), and Haruhi Fujioka come from that anime/manga. You do not need to have any knowledge of that world to follow their part in this fic, as this is a darker portrayal of the characters than what is canon, and anything you need to know will be explained in this fic.

Trerry, Laby, Thorn, Sage, and Kizzie are all original characters from my Chosen Universe fics, which Sakura also appears in.

Thanks for all the support you've given so far! I appreciate every single comments, review, vote, favorite, and kudos I receive. Special thanks to Mr. Marston. Your reviews always put a big smile on my face. Thank you so much!

There's plenty more to the story! I hope you're all enjoying it so far.