The Queen of Diamonds [ Ichigo Kurosaki ]

Chapter 14 - The Strawberry Search

Chapter 14 - The Strawberry Search

It had been a few days since Ione arrived in Soul Society. It took her some time to get used to the amount of spiritual pressure Soul Society held but it wasn't too much to handle at all.

The reason she took quite long was because she was held up by a few captains and brave lieutenants, so far Tōsen, Komamura and Little Toshiro had attempted to arrest her, it took her a few hours to escape from each one of them and she absolutely loathed every single second of running away like a coward but she knew she wouldn't be able to fight 3 captains without her Zanpakuto. The other reason was because Ichigo's spiritual pressure kept moving so it was hard for her to focus and follow his trail.

Sure she trained a little with Shinji and the gang but it only helped her speed and stamina which she had to give it to them, were very important for running away like a little wimp.

An oddly familiar spiritual pressure appeared near her so she let out a chuckle, "Oops," she started sarcastically, shrugging her shoulders along the way, "I guess this is it huh Ol' man?"

She faced him completely, her hand now gripping tightly her beloved zanpakuto she had stolen [well more like gotten back] just a second ago.

They were standing in front of Squad One's entrance, somehow Ione managed to get in and out easily with luck but it seemed to have had run out.

Ione deeply stared into her sensei's eyes that were fueled with angry fire.

"Are you here to help the ryokas?"

Ione was confused for a minute, she didn't understand why he hadn't just attack her and instead asked her if she sided with Ichigo when in fact she was still on the run from Soul Society but it didn't matter anymore...she had to fight.

"Daiyamondo no Joou!" She yelled out, her right foot setting itself behind her left, her arms holding onto her zanpakuto aiming at the old man and her face hidden from all emotions.

The Ol' man too had released his shikai creating a definite hotter atmosphere.

They both made their way to each other, crossing their swords violently, neither holding themselves back.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you release your shikai." he commented while observing Ione's Zanpakuto as they both stood away from each other.

Her queen shined proudly in it's released form, black diamond to its' hilt to its' point [ like Ichigo's Getsuga Bankai form ].

"I could say the same for you Ol' man Yama." she nodded at his zanpukuto raging with fire.

"Kyougou, Watashi no Joou." She collided her queen with his Zanpakuto and pushed it forward strongly, he mimicked her actions and did the same creating a loud clanking sound from each one's zanpakuto.

Ione turned her body and kicked the Ol' man's chest firmly causing him to skid back a few steps and during that action he managed to slash his old student's lower rib.

Ione coughed and flash stepped to his behind and got a good hit on his back.

"Stop messing around, you pathetic little fool!" He shouted at her and it made her stop, suddenly feeling Ichigo's spiritual pressure increasing a whole lot.

"Hey, Ol' man... I'm sorry, but I have to go see Ichigo." She disappeared into thin air heading to wherever it was. Flash stepping through the air she realized that her arm was also bleeding so she took it upon her to use the bandages she stole from Kensei a week back and wrapped it around her lower arm.

She scowled as she jumped from one roof to the next hearing the official statement about her heading to the what now became clear to her, the Senzaikyū; the place she was held in before her own execution.

She arrived at the bridge a few seconds later than Yoruichi who was standing in front of Ichigo, Ione jumped onto Byakuya's shoulder and wrapped his Senbonzakura with the bloody bandages she had on her arm. "Captain Ione... How lovely of you to join us." Byakuya commented, his sentence dripping with rich sarcasm.

"I-Ione!" Ichigo yelled out in surprise as she turned around to face him.

Yoruichi nodded at Ione who understood right away and knocked Ichigo unconscious, putting him on her shoulders and immediately disappeared as Yoruichi distracted Byakuya.

*

Setting a now conscious Ichigo onto the ground, Ione huffed loudly trying to catch her breath.

It had been years since she had use that much flash stepping.

She slid down the rocky wall and sat herself down after she found her hidden cigarettes between the rocks. It was strange how no one removed it during all those years.

Ichigo stared not believing his eyes, "Y-you're a captain!?" He shouted.

Ione sighed grabbing a cigarette and lighting it, she took a drag and sighed, the smoke coming out of her mouth looked extremely natural, Ichigo thought. "Used to. I used to be a captain."

"What happened?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Someone framed me, they tried to execute me but I managed to get out."

Ichigo asked her then about Urahara and Yoruichi so she told him, not everything but just enough for him to not be left out. She also told him about how they killed her whole squad the night she escaped nearing losing a tear over that but she was able to stop herself.

"Hey... Ione, I'm sorry 'bout the other day." Ichigo muttered making it hard for her to hear but thankfully she understood and waved him off as Yoruichi came in.

And now.. it's Bankai time.

*