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Into The Woods
Chapter Five: The End
"Are you sure this plan is going to work?" The witch looked behind him at his wife and grinned, "Why Yoruichi, are you having doubts?" he teased, "No, I'm just curious, besides you no as well as anyone that sometimes the best intetions lead to the worst mistakes Kisuke," the woman warned, "That is true...." he mused thoughtfully, Yoruichi sighed and stretched out a bit behind him, "I suppose we should leave in the morning hm?" "Yes I suppose.... tell me though," he began, "Hm?" Yoruichi hummed back, "Do you think that our dearest Snow Queen knows her sister is alive?"

"You know I can't help wondering why you're here," Uryuu commented suddenly as he glanced out of the tent, Tatsuki cracked an eye open, being the only other one awake in the tent she assumed he was talking to her, "What do you mean?" "Well this isn't an army of any kind but you act like a knight- or a general- you seem so loyal to this woman but she seems harsher than I'd believe you would follow," he mused, "I ... enrolled in the army in place of my father a long time ago, but you know that part of the story I'm sure," Uryuu gave a small nod, glancing at her, "When they found out I was a woman they planned to execute me, my general, a man named Kenpachi Zaraki, refused to do so and instead sent me with his right-hand man Ikkaku to help me escape the night before my death was scheduled, we weren't sure were we were going, just that it was as far away as possible... until Ikkaku got detoured, he ended up kissing some frog but that's another story for another time... he started to become more hesitant about leaving with me for good so I offered to go alone, he wouldn't have it but just then.. Mistress Soi Fon found me, she didn't mind that I was a human, even though most faeries do, she said she wanted me to join her service, I've been in debt to her helping me ever since," "But what kind of service is this?" Uryuu asked in confusion, "Another army, of sorts, only instead of fighting against men with swords, we fight against curses and spells gone awry, it isn't easy for a human but I do most of the grunt work wile the faeries do the magic so it works out," there was a pregnant pause, "Are you happy here? Debt aside?" "...Not as I was before... but happier than I thought I'd be, and I get to see Orihime wenever I want, that in it's self is a privlege, but this ... is as good as it gets for me, I've dishonored my family and there are still people out to have my head, sometimes you can't outrun fate, and this is mine," Uryuu glanced down at the sack of gold coins that he had been carrying for most of the night, closing his eyes as he leaned back, "I know what you mean..."

"You know I was just teasing earlier when I said I was used to sleeping with pets right? You don't actually have to sleep on the floor, or in your wolf form, I mean my fox Homura sleeps on the foot of my bed quite often, but you don't have to do that.. we can share as people and not worry about anything strange happening I think," Rukia pointed out as she pulled the blankets tighter around her, the large black wolf just glanced up at her for a moment before slowly hopping onto the bed, "I see..." she sighed, perhaps he liked sleeping in his wolf form, for all she new.... "Why do you mask your scent?" she jerked her attention towards him, staring at him in surprise, "You ... can talk in your wolf form?" "It's more like telepathy and it's difficult to do," he explained back, she swallowed, nodding slowly, "I see..." "Scent?" he repeated, "Ah well... it's just a bit of personal protection, you never know when the queen may be sending werewolves or ... even just normal wolves out looking for me," she explained, "I see..." he grunted back, shifting his shoulders, "Why do you always snoop in people's baskets?" she asked, he didn't answer and she thought on that for a moment, "I'll tell you what, I'll reveal my scent to you after the wedding tommorrow, if we get through this, and in return you tell me why you keep snooping in baskets, deal?" there was a pause before he answered, "Deal..."

She could barely breathe, the dragon had left in her the feild, probbably with the intentions of coming back for her at some point, but unfourtinately she was still here, rapidly losing life the longer she laid there, she looked up with the last of her strength when the sun was suddenly blocked out and saw a man in front of her holding an umbrella over them both, "Poor thing," he said slowly, bending down and revealing himself to be quite handsome, with longish black hair and deep grey eyes, a stern but gentle face, he offered her his hand and she coughed slightly, "Would you like me to end the pain?" she let a tear roll down her cheek and gave a meek nod, "Who....?" she groaned, "My name is Byakuya... close your eyes," he ordered, she did as she was told, but gasped as they flew open moments later when she felt two sharp fangs penetrating her neck, and after that quite alot of it went completely black

"I do so hope Byakuya is doing alright," Yoruichi mused suddenly as she tied up the last of food in the pack she was gathering, "He's happy, he has a bride now and they're ruling the kingdom, I think you held up on that bargain you made with him when he was a teenager," she chuckled lowly, "AH yes I remember it well... if he kept the people of his house from kicking me out wile I was hiding there in cat form I would one day find him his true love, I don't really think Byakuya believed in true love back then but he took my word for it none the less, I think it was mostly so he could try to best me in a race now that I think of it, he never did ofcourse," "Thankfully," Kisuke chartled, "And years later I lead him to Hisanna, poor dying thing, but he gave her the bite of eternal life and now just look at them," "Yes, quite an interesting way to find your true love," he mused, setting the bags inside the carriage, "You say that as if our's were average...."

"Potions!! Selling potions!!" Kisuke shouted as he swung around the edge of the marketplace holding out a bottle of strange looking blue liquid, "Anyone, a potion!" he shouted again, Yoruichi smiled slightly beneath the scarf around her mouth, trying to hide her identity as a Faery Queen, she wanted to see how humans lived, and this ... marketplace.... was certainly one way to look at it... "What about you my beautifull lady? Surely someone so fine may want to have a little luck in the romantic department? Do you have anyone in mind who you wish to wed? Perhaps a prince?" he suggested with a wide girn, the woman chuckled and shook her head, "No I have no one of the sort," she replied, "Theeeeen perhaps something else? Some ... magic in a bottle?" he grinned, "I have plenty of magic," she corrected, "Surely there's something I can do for you," he pressed further, she stood for a moment, taking a step closer and getting a rather wicked idea in her mind, "What if I could turn you into a prince for a day?" "... I thought I was selling magic here," he laughed, "Looks like we both are, so what do you say?"

"I can't believe you did that just to prove a point to your parents," Kisuke chuckled as he continued to load the carriage, "I can't believe you played the part of a prince so poorly," she replied with a snicker, "You think?" he pouted, "I know so," she taunted, he thought for a moment, humming and rocking on his feet, "You know, I DO still have that magic carpet.... why not take that instead of the carriage?" he suggested, she grinned, nodding once, "I rather like your thinking Kisuke," "Is there ever a time when you don't?" she opened her mouth to speak but he shook his head quickly, "Waaaaaiiiiit, don't ... answer that...."

The morning came and with it everyone began to set off on their journeys, the Snow Queen and the Big Bad Wolf to crash a wedding, Sleeping Beauty and her dragon to return Maleficent's wings with the help of Captain Hook, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Robin Hood, Mulan, and The Bowstress taking off to crash the wedding as well as The Witch and The Faery Godmother, even The Good King was setting out on his own journey with the help of two hungry travelers, it would be a short journey, because it would not take long for things to start to unfold....

"So all you want in repayment really is for me to beat up some guards?" The white-haired man blinked up at him, shaking his head quickly, "No no, that isn't it at all, I don't want to harm anyone... but we need to get into the wedding and someone with your... strength, could be very usefull," he explained, "....Uh-huh," he grunted back, clearly unimpressed, "I'm guessin' you know where we're goin'?" "Yes it's right up here that we turn," he replied, taking a few more steps and blinking when the larger man burst past him, "Ikkaku? Yumichika?" he called out, the two turned around, "Captain!" Yumichika called with a smile, "What're you doing here?" he grunted as he walked closer, "We're getting some... help, with our immortality problem, we're delivering some ingredients to a witch," he replied, staring up at the large man, "Captain Zaraki, good to see you," the captain looked down, grinning at the bald man, "Yeah I can't wait to fight ya' again Ikkaku!" he chartled, "Wait a minute... you all know eachother?" the witch asked in surprise, "We were in the army together for a wile, but then that stupid rule got put in about not allowing immortals into the army because it'd be somehow "unfair" or something to the other humans and we all got canned," Kenpachi huffed in anger, "I see... why don't you two travel with us for a time? It appears that we're going in the same direction,"

"Do you still have that potion on you?" Tatsuki asked as they walked, "No, one of the guards took it and drank it, it turned him into a bear," the group paused for a moment, staring back at the sisters quizzically, "A bear..?" Uryuu muttered, "We heard that there would be many faeries at the wedding though, we're hoping one of them can help us undo all of this and get away before it's too late," Isane said quietly, "Then there's no time to waste, let's go!" Orihime smiled brightly, running ahead of everyone else and humming obliviously as she did so

"Do you really think that we'll find Rukia here?" Hisanna asked quietly as she looked through the crowd, hoping past hope that they would find her lost sister, "If she were ever anywhere, it would be here, I assure you of that my dear," Byakuya said as he took her hand and gave it a squeeze, she swallowed, nodding as the proceedings began and she looked up, the announcer spoke muffled words that no one was really listening to until the bride began to walk down the aisle, towards the awaiting prince, Hisanna squeezed tightly and Byakuya squeezed back, they were not here for revenge... they were here on a search instead.... the bride arrived and she took a breath as the prince lifted her veil, "STOP!!" a voice rang out all throughout the castle walls, everyone, including Byakuya and his bride, turned to the door were the voice had come from, "RUKIA!" Hisanna breathed in amazement as the woman strode through the castle, "This man is not who you think he is! He's in cahoots with the Evil Queen to take over every peice of land available! He's a liar, a cheat, and a murderer," she challenged with a hiss, Ichigo circled behind her, already having his fangs and claws beared in attack mode, "I know that," the bride said slowly, Rukia faltered, staring at her in shock, "Wat?" "That's why I was going to marry him, so that I could get on the inside," she paused, pulling a dagger from her sleeve suddenly and pressing it against his throat, "I guess I have to make this quick now though," "I believe the honor should be mine," Rukia insisted, taking a step forward, "No, he took my wings! He's MINE to slay!" "Or, how about neither?" they all turned again, staring at the doors where the evil queen stood with a smug smirk, "Ah yes, a little lesson I learned over the years, never go anywhere unprepared," he hummed, turning and nocking the dagger from Rangiku's hand as he began to shift into a fox, "You're a kitsune...." she breathed, "Correct, I am very sorry darling," he purred, "Then it's a good thing that I brought a kitsune of my own!" shouted someone in the crowd as an arctic fox jumped out from the crowd and tackled him to the ground, teeth around the other fox's neck, "What is going on here!?" Renji shouted with a groan, "Delighted you asked! I should have a peice of missing information that will tie things up quite nicely," Kisuke hummed, taking a step forward, "You see it all started long ago, with a king so kind and pure that he could not condone violence..."

The king was a lucky man, if not a bit sickly, he had a wife who he loved and a beautifull daughter as well as an equally beautifull step-daughter, but that luck would only last for a time, before long the rumors spread of the king not allowing violence in his kingdom and once that happened all came to take the throne from him, but no more so than an evil queen, she dethroned him and took his wife and daughters prisoner, leaving the king in a perpetual state of illness in the interum, but before she took his wife and children the king sent two shapeshifting guardians after his young daughter, a Kitsune, and a Tengu, who disguised themselves as an Arctic Fox and a raven, the girl never truly noticed them.. but that isn't relevant right now, the wife- the ex-queen- died not long after being away from her husband and the evil queen treated the princesses like servants, a nobleman decided to adopt them officially but could only spare them so much pain, he died shortly before the day that things changed.... when the oldest daughter became old enough to take the throne herself, the queen couldn't have that and chased the girls into the woods, hunting them, intending to kill them, and being utterly unaware that the youngest girl's father had gifted her with magic, when the queen came to kill the girls she got quite the surrpise and was, instead, given an icey surprise, but in the fray it appeared that she had killed the older sister, this, however, was not true, the older girl was merely in a near-death state, destrot and unable to control her powers the younger sister ran away, leaving her older sister to be found by Lord Byakuya Kuchiki, known in some parts of the world as Lord Dracula for the brutality in wich he slayed his enemies- and ofcourse the vampirism probbably helped that name along too, he revived her and made her his queen, in the mean time the younger sister was in solitude in her own castle of ice with her shapeshifter freinds disguising themselves among her other faithfull animal freinds, this is not the only offense the queen has made though, she takes dozens of girls and makes servants of them, weather to marry and bestow more power onto her or to scrub the floors and sweep the chimneys, including Cinderella and Rapunzel there, they are servants all the time, and as for the kitsune prince? He stole Maleficent's wings many years ago after manipulating her, he also manipulated and attempted to kill Lady Hisanna, he even helped to trick Maleficent's god daughter into believing that his false king leader was her father, it's a very large web of deceit and crime if you ask me

"Is everyone caught up now?" Kisuke asked with a sly grin, "I believe so," Hisanna said suddenly as she appeared behind Gin, who had long since transformed into his only half-shifted state, she leaned down, plunging her teeth into his neck and tearing forth, ripping his throat as blood gushed from him, she stood, blood rolling down her lips as she stared across at her sister, smiling adoringly, "Rukia..." she breathed, taking a step closer, "Sorry to interrupt, but this I can't allow," the queen said, plunging her hand through Rukia's chest and grasping her heart, Rukia gasped loudly, crying out as her hands flew to her chest, trying rather desperately to make the bleeding stop as the queen ripped her heart out, "You see, as much as you'd like to protest otherwise, evil always wins," she grinned wickedly, "Not quite," Ichigo growled, gripping her neck in his hands, she turned to stare at him, "You left out one part of your story Urahara, you forgot my part," he snarled, he queen snarled, starting to fight back, but Ichigo's grip only got tighter, "Long long ago, I was cursed by this woman as well... cursed to be eternally unhappy, I don't know why she did it, she never gave me an answer but I suspect it was due to some prejudice against werewolves, but she cursed me, by day I was a werewolf as I was by birth, but by night no more than an ordinairy wolf, I would be this way until I broke the curse and if anyone found out about it before then the curse became perminant and I became a servant of her's, and what did I have to do to break the spell?" he squeezed more, "I still don't know, she claims that I would find the answer in someone's basket, the answer to eternal happiness, but so far I have yet to find anything of the sort," he squeezed more and the queen dropped Rukia's heart, trying to claw Ichigo's hands away from her throat, "I don't think I'll need to ask for anymore baskets," he hissed, crushing her neck and dropping her to the floor, "Rukia...." Hisanna wispered, rushing towards her and neeling closer, "I can't .... I can't revive her... if she has no heart, there's no way... and only pure faery magic can restore her heart the way it had been before," she breathed, "We have two faeries right here, can't one of them do something?" Rangiku hung her head, "I tried to kill, my faery magic is not pure any longer," he turned to Yoruichi, who also looked away, "I've used too much of it as of late and do not have enough to do something as massive as restore a heart," Ichigo swallowed, glancing over at the heart... and finding it laying in Rukia's basket, he swallowed, taking the heart slowly in his hand and staring at it, "Rukia..." he breathed, "I guess it's a good thing we decided to crash then!" they looked up, Renji grinned suddenly, "Tikerbell!!" he shouted, "I told you my name is Senna," she grumbled, grabbing the heart from Ichigo, "This shouldn't take long," she smiled, plunging the heart back into Rukia's chest, Ichigo cringed, about to look away before gasping suddenly as he inhaled, once the heart was back in all of Rukia's magic had been reset, including the spell that had been disguising her scent... his mate.... she was his mate... there was no doubt about it... he took a scattered breath, staring at the heart for another moment, a heart in the basket.... "True love's kiss...." he muttered, dropping slowly to his nees beside her body and leaning over and pressing the lightest, gentlest kiss to Rukia's lips as her eyes began to open, staring up at him wearily, "Hello Snow White," he smiled gently

~+~

"Do you think such an unnanounced visit will be alright?" Rukia asked worriedly as she glanced up at Ichigo, "Not at all, I'm sure they'll be glad for the company, since Rangiku returned to being a mermaid and took Renji with her it's rare they get human interaction... or... interaction with whatever we are," Ichigo teased, Rukia chuckled back, "I suppose that's true, Brother and Father are expecting us for dinner though so we should hurry, especially since they have news of Orihime's recent engagement to that theifly freind of your's," she teased, Ichigo cringed, wrinkling his nose, "I told my sisters and the old man we'd be there for dinner..." she sighed, rolling her eyes, "Then we'll all go to the palace to eat, it should be a decent compromise," "Yeah... speaking of compromise are you really sure you prefer living in my cottage and not the kingdom?" he asked in confusion, "Yes I'm sure, I never liked luxury very much, or the title of queen," she glanced down, gripping her necklace, "I'm learning to control my powers, finally, but it's still better not to be in a highly concentrated area," "Ohhh so if you go into hystarics it's better if I get blasted instead of the entire kingdom?" "Basically," she teased, nudging him gently and smiling at him, "And you're sure you want to get married there too instead of making it a grand affair?" "I'm sure I'm sure," she smiled, leaning into his embrace as they walked, "I'm positive, I want to live my life with you, and live it deep into the woods..."

Description
Into The Woods
Chapter Five: The End
"Are you sure this plan is going to work?" The witch looked behind him at his wife and grinned, "Why Yoruichi, are you having doubts?" he teased, "No, I'm just curious, besides you no as well as anyone that sometimes the best intetions lead to the worst mistakes Kisuke," the woman warned, "That is true...." he mused thoughtfully, Yoruichi sighed and stretched out a bit behind him, "I suppose we should leave in the morning hm?" "Yes I suppose.... tell me though," he began, "Hm?" Yoruichi hummed back, "Do you think that our dearest Snow Queen knows her sister is alive?"

"You know I can't help wondering why you're here," Uryuu commented suddenly as he glanced out of the tent, Tatsuki cracked an eye open, being the only other one awake in the tent she assumed he was talking to her, "What do you mean?" "Well this isn't an army of any kind but you act like a knight- or a general- you seem so loyal to this woman but she seems harsher than I'd believe you would follow," he mused, "I ... enrolled in the army in place of my father a long time ago, but you know that part of the story I'm sure," Uryuu gave a small nod, glancing at her, "When they found out I was a woman they planned to execute me, my general, a man named Kenpachi Zaraki, refused to do so and instead sent me with his right-hand man Ikkaku to help me escape the night before my death was scheduled, we weren't sure were we were going, just that it was as far away as possible... until Ikkaku got detoured, he ended up kissing some frog but that's another story for another time... he started to become more hesitant about leaving with me for good so I offered to go alone, he wouldn't have it but just then.. Mistress Soi Fon found me, she didn't mind that I was a human, even though most faeries do, she said she wanted me to join her service, I've been in debt to her helping me ever since," "But what kind of service is this?" Uryuu asked in confusion, "Another army, of sorts, only instead of fighting against men with swords, we fight against curses and spells gone awry, it isn't easy for a human but I do most of the grunt work wile the faeries do the magic so it works out," there was a pregnant pause, "Are you happy here? Debt aside?" "...Not as I was before... but happier than I thought I'd be, and I get to see Orihime wenever I want, that in it's self is a privlege, but this ... is as good as it gets for me, I've dishonored my family and there are still people out to have my head, sometimes you can't outrun fate, and this is mine," Uryuu glanced down at the sack of gold coins that he had been carrying for most of the night, closing his eyes as he leaned back, "I know what you mean..."

"You know I was just teasing earlier when I said I was used to sleeping with pets right? You don't actually have to sleep on the floor, or in your wolf form, I mean my fox Homura sleeps on the foot of my bed quite often, but you don't have to do that.. we can share as people and not worry about anything strange happening I think," Rukia pointed out as she pulled the blankets tighter around her, the large black wolf just glanced up at her for a moment before slowly hopping onto the bed, "I see..." she sighed, perhaps he liked sleeping in his wolf form, for all she new.... "Why do you mask your scent?" she jerked her attention towards him, staring at him in surprise, "You ... can talk in your wolf form?" "It's more like telepathy and it's difficult to do," he explained back, she swallowed, nodding slowly, "I see..." "Scent?" he repeated, "Ah well... it's just a bit of personal protection, you never know when the queen may be sending werewolves or ... even just normal wolves out looking for me," she explained, "I see..." he grunted back, shifting his shoulders, "Why do you always snoop in people's baskets?" she asked, he didn't answer and she thought on that for a moment, "I'll tell you what, I'll reveal my scent to you after the wedding tommorrow, if we get through this, and in return you tell me why you keep snooping in baskets, deal?" there was a pause before he answered, "Deal..."

She could barely breathe, the dragon had left in her the feild, probbably with the intentions of coming back for her at some point, but unfourtinately she was still here, rapidly losing life the longer she laid there, she looked up with the last of her strength when the sun was suddenly blocked out and saw a man in front of her holding an umbrella over them both, "Poor thing," he said slowly, bending down and revealing himself to be quite handsome, with longish black hair and deep grey eyes, a stern but gentle face, he offered her his hand and she coughed slightly, "Would you like me to end the pain?" she let a tear roll down her cheek and gave a meek nod, "Who....?" she groaned, "My name is Byakuya... close your eyes," he ordered, she did as she was told, but gasped as they flew open moments later when she felt two sharp fangs penetrating her neck, and after that quite alot of it went completely black

"I do so hope Byakuya is doing alright," Yoruichi mused suddenly as she tied up the last of food in the pack she was gathering, "He's happy, he has a bride now and they're ruling the kingdom, I think you held up on that bargain you made with him when he was a teenager," she chuckled lowly, "AH yes I remember it well... if he kept the people of his house from kicking me out wile I was hiding there in cat form I would one day find him his true love, I don't really think Byakuya believed in true love back then but he took my word for it none the less, I think it was mostly so he could try to best me in a race now that I think of it, he never did ofcourse," "Thankfully," Kisuke chartled, "And years later I lead him to Hisanna, poor dying thing, but he gave her the bite of eternal life and now just look at them," "Yes, quite an interesting way to find your true love," he mused, setting the bags inside the carriage, "You say that as if our's were average...."

"Potions!! Selling potions!!" Kisuke shouted as he swung around the edge of the marketplace holding out a bottle of strange looking blue liquid, "Anyone, a potion!" he shouted again, Yoruichi smiled slightly beneath the scarf around her mouth, trying to hide her identity as a Faery Queen, she wanted to see how humans lived, and this ... marketplace.... was certainly one way to look at it... "What about you my beautifull lady? Surely someone so fine may want to have a little luck in the romantic department? Do you have anyone in mind who you wish to wed? Perhaps a prince?" he suggested with a wide girn, the woman chuckled and shook her head, "No I have no one of the sort," she replied, "Theeeeen perhaps something else? Some ... magic in a bottle?" he grinned, "I have plenty of magic," she corrected, "Surely there's something I can do for you," he pressed further, she stood for a moment, taking a step closer and getting a rather wicked idea in her mind, "What if I could turn you into a prince for a day?" "... I thought I was selling magic here," he laughed, "Looks like we both are, so what do you say?"

"I can't believe you did that just to prove a point to your parents," Kisuke chuckled as he continued to load the carriage, "I can't believe you played the part of a prince so poorly," she replied with a snicker, "You think?" he pouted, "I know so," she taunted, he thought for a moment, humming and rocking on his feet, "You know, I DO still have that magic carpet.... why not take that instead of the carriage?" he suggested, she grinned, nodding once, "I rather like your thinking Kisuke," "Is there ever a time when you don't?" she opened her mouth to speak but he shook his head quickly, "Waaaaaiiiiit, don't ... answer that...."

The morning came and with it everyone began to set off on their journeys, the Snow Queen and the Big Bad Wolf to crash a wedding, Sleeping Beauty and her dragon to return Maleficent's wings with the help of Captain Hook, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Robin Hood, Mulan, and The Bowstress taking off to crash the wedding as well as The Witch and The Faery Godmother, even The Good King was setting out on his own journey with the help of two hungry travelers, it would be a short journey, because it would not take long for things to start to unfold....

"So all you want in repayment really is for me to beat up some guards?" The white-haired man blinked up at him, shaking his head quickly, "No no, that isn't it at all, I don't want to harm anyone... but we need to get into the wedding and someone with your... strength, could be very usefull," he explained, "....Uh-huh," he grunted back, clearly unimpressed, "I'm guessin' you know where we're goin'?" "Yes it's right up here that we turn," he replied, taking a few more steps and blinking when the larger man burst past him, "Ikkaku? Yumichika?" he called out, the two turned around, "Captain!" Yumichika called with a smile, "What're you doing here?" he grunted as he walked closer, "We're getting some... help, with our immortality problem, we're delivering some ingredients to a witch," he replied, staring up at the large man, "Captain Zaraki, good to see you," the captain looked down, grinning at the bald man, "Yeah I can't wait to fight ya' again Ikkaku!" he chartled, "Wait a minute... you all know eachother?" the witch asked in surprise, "We were in the army together for a wile, but then that stupid rule got put in about not allowing immortals into the army because it'd be somehow "unfair" or something to the other humans and we all got canned," Kenpachi huffed in anger, "I see... why don't you two travel with us for a time? It appears that we're going in the same direction,"

"Do you still have that potion on you?" Tatsuki asked as they walked, "No, one of the guards took it and drank it, it turned him into a bear," the group paused for a moment, staring back at the sisters quizzically, "A bear..?" Uryuu muttered, "We heard that there would be many faeries at the wedding though, we're hoping one of them can help us undo all of this and get away before it's too late," Isane said quietly, "Then there's no time to waste, let's go!" Orihime smiled brightly, running ahead of everyone else and humming obliviously as she did so

"Do you really think that we'll find Rukia here?" Hisanna asked quietly as she looked through the crowd, hoping past hope that they would find her lost sister, "If she were ever anywhere, it would be here, I assure you of that my dear," Byakuya said as he took her hand and gave it a squeeze, she swallowed, nodding as the proceedings began and she looked up, the announcer spoke muffled words that no one was really listening to until the bride began to walk down the aisle, towards the awaiting prince, Hisanna squeezed tightly and Byakuya squeezed back, they were not here for revenge... they were here on a search instead.... the bride arrived and she took a breath as the prince lifted her veil, "STOP!!" a voice rang out all throughout the castle walls, everyone, including Byakuya and his bride, turned to the door were the voice had come from, "RUKIA!" Hisanna breathed in amazement as the woman strode through the castle, "This man is not who you think he is! He's in cahoots with the Evil Queen to take over every peice of land available! He's a liar, a cheat, and a murderer," she challenged with a hiss, Ichigo circled behind her, already having his fangs and claws beared in attack mode, "I know that," the bride said slowly, Rukia faltered, staring at her in shock, "Wat?" "That's why I was going to marry him, so that I could get on the inside," she paused, pulling a dagger from her sleeve suddenly and pressing it against his throat, "I guess I have to make this quick now though," "I believe the honor should be mine," Rukia insisted, taking a step forward, "No, he took my wings! He's MINE to slay!" "Or, how about neither?" they all turned again, staring at the doors where the evil queen stood with a smug smirk, "Ah yes, a little lesson I learned over the years, never go anywhere unprepared," he hummed, turning and nocking the dagger from Rangiku's hand as he began to shift into a fox, "You're a kitsune...." she breathed, "Correct, I am very sorry darling," he purred, "Then it's a good thing that I brought a kitsune of my own!" shouted someone in the crowd as an arctic fox jumped out from the crowd and tackled him to the ground, teeth around the other fox's neck, "What is going on here!?" Renji shouted with a groan, "Delighted you asked! I should have a peice of missing information that will tie things up quite nicely," Kisuke hummed, taking a step forward, "You see it all started long ago, with a king so kind and pure that he could not condone violence..."

The king was a lucky man, if not a bit sickly, he had a wife who he loved and a beautifull daughter as well as an equally beautifull step-daughter, but that luck would only last for a time, before long the rumors spread of the king not allowing violence in his kingdom and once that happened all came to take the throne from him, but no more so than an evil queen, she dethroned him and took his wife and daughters prisoner, leaving the king in a perpetual state of illness in the interum, but before she took his wife and children the king sent two shapeshifting guardians after his young daughter, a Kitsune, and a Tengu, who disguised themselves as an Arctic Fox and a raven, the girl never truly noticed them.. but that isn't relevant right now, the wife- the ex-queen- died not long after being away from her husband and the evil queen treated the princesses like servants, a nobleman decided to adopt them officially but could only spare them so much pain, he died shortly before the day that things changed.... when the oldest daughter became old enough to take the throne herself, the queen couldn't have that and chased the girls into the woods, hunting them, intending to kill them, and being utterly unaware that the youngest girl's father had gifted her with magic, when the queen came to kill the girls she got quite the surrpise and was, instead, given an icey surprise, but in the fray it appeared that she had killed the older sister, this, however, was not true, the older girl was merely in a near-death state, destrot and unable to control her powers the younger sister ran away, leaving her older sister to be found by Lord Byakuya Kuchiki, known in some parts of the world as Lord Dracula for the brutality in wich he slayed his enemies- and ofcourse the vampirism probbably helped that name along too, he revived her and made her his queen, in the mean time the younger sister was in solitude in her own castle of ice with her shapeshifter freinds disguising themselves among her other faithfull animal freinds, this is not the only offense the queen has made though, she takes dozens of girls and makes servants of them, weather to marry and bestow more power onto her or to scrub the floors and sweep the chimneys, including Cinderella and Rapunzel there, they are servants all the time, and as for the kitsune prince? He stole Maleficent's wings many years ago after manipulating her, he also manipulated and attempted to kill Lady Hisanna, he even helped to trick Maleficent's god daughter into believing that his false king leader was her father, it's a very large web of deceit and crime if you ask me

"Is everyone caught up now?" Kisuke asked with a sly grin, "I believe so," Hisanna said suddenly as she appeared behind Gin, who had long since transformed into his only half-shifted state, she leaned down, plunging her teeth into his neck and tearing forth, ripping his throat as blood gushed from him, she stood, blood rolling down her lips as she stared across at her sister, smiling adoringly, "Rukia..." she breathed, taking a step closer, "Sorry to interrupt, but this I can't allow," the queen said, plunging her hand through Rukia's chest and grasping her heart, Rukia gasped loudly, crying out as her hands flew to her chest, trying rather desperately to make the bleeding stop as the queen ripped her heart out, "You see, as much as you'd like to protest otherwise, evil always wins," she grinned wickedly, "Not quite," Ichigo growled, gripping her neck in his hands, she turned to stare at him, "You left out one part of your story Urahara, you forgot my part," he snarled, he queen snarled, starting to fight back, but Ichigo's grip only got tighter, "Long long ago, I was cursed by this woman as well... cursed to be eternally unhappy, I don't know why she did it, she never gave me an answer but I suspect it was due to some prejudice against werewolves, but she cursed me, by day I was a werewolf as I was by birth, but by night no more than an ordinairy wolf, I would be this way until I broke the curse and if anyone found out about it before then the curse became perminant and I became a servant of her's, and what did I have to do to break the spell?" he squeezed more, "I still don't know, she claims that I would find the answer in someone's basket, the answer to eternal happiness, but so far I have yet to find anything of the sort," he squeezed more and the queen dropped Rukia's heart, trying to claw Ichigo's hands away from her throat, "I don't think I'll need to ask for anymore baskets," he hissed, crushing her neck and dropping her to the floor, "Rukia...." Hisanna wispered, rushing towards her and neeling closer, "I can't .... I can't revive her... if she has no heart, there's no way... and only pure faery magic can restore her heart the way it had been before," she breathed, "We have two faeries right here, can't one of them do something?" Rangiku hung her head, "I tried to kill, my faery magic is not pure any longer," he turned to Yoruichi, who also looked away, "I've used too much of it as of late and do not have enough to do something as massive as restore a heart," Ichigo swallowed, glancing over at the heart... and finding it laying in Rukia's basket, he swallowed, taking the heart slowly in his hand and staring at it, "Rukia..." he breathed, "I guess it's a good thing we decided to crash then!" they looked up, Renji grinned suddenly, "Tikerbell!!" he shouted, "I told you my name is Senna," she grumbled, grabbing the heart from Ichigo, "This shouldn't take long," she smiled, plunging the heart back into Rukia's chest, Ichigo cringed, about to look away before gasping suddenly as he inhaled, once the heart was back in all of Rukia's magic had been reset, including the spell that had been disguising her scent... his mate.... she was his mate... there was no doubt about it... he took a scattered breath, staring at the heart for another moment, a heart in the basket.... "True love's kiss...." he muttered, dropping slowly to his nees beside her body and leaning over and pressing the lightest, gentlest kiss to Rukia's lips as her eyes began to open, staring up at him wearily, "Hello Snow White," he smiled gently

~+~

"Do you think such an unnanounced visit will be alright?" Rukia asked worriedly as she glanced up at Ichigo, "Not at all, I'm sure they'll be glad for the company, since Rangiku returned to being a mermaid and took Renji with her it's rare they get human interaction... or... interaction with whatever we are," Ichigo teased, Rukia chuckled back, "I suppose that's true, Brother and Father are expecting us for dinner though so we should hurry, especially since they have news of Orihime's recent engagement to that theifly freind of your's," she teased, Ichigo cringed, wrinkling his nose, "I told my sisters and the old man we'd be there for dinner..." she sighed, rolling her eyes, "Then we'll all go to the palace to eat, it should be a decent compromise," "Yeah... speaking of compromise are you really sure you prefer living in my cottage and not the kingdom?" he asked in confusion, "Yes I'm sure, I never liked luxury very much, or the title of queen," she glanced down, gripping her necklace, "I'm learning to control my powers, finally, but it's still better not to be in a highly concentrated area," "Ohhh so if you go into hystarics it's better if I get blasted instead of the entire kingdom?" "Basically," she teased, nudging him gently and smiling at him, "And you're sure you want to get married there too instead of making it a grand affair?" "I'm sure I'm sure," she smiled, leaning into his embrace as they walked, "I'm positive, I want to live my life with you, and live it deep into the woods..."