Chapter 8 - Long Lost and the Return

Kiptcha sat inside her cell, and she didn’t notice Isredel’s arrival. Silent tears of rage and sadness slipped down her cheeks.

She had also snatched her zampaku-to up as she had left, and it lay beside her. Its long blade was firmly in its sheath, but because of the long blade, it was never unsheathed by pulling the entire blade up and out. Instead it was pulled to the side; where there was a thin line that showed that there was a break in the fabric. With the blade as thin as it was, it could easily be pulled out from this direction.

Isredel looked at the weeping girl, and he walked over to her, putting a foot on her zampaku-to to prevent her from using it. This didn’t work, however, since the way it was unsheathed was quite different.

Kiptcha twirled the thin katana against her hand and charged Isredel, aiming for a lethal strike. He had no sword to defend himself with at all. She stopped, the point of her blade just barely drawing blood from Isredel’s chest. She seemed surprised, and she dropped her sword and backed away.

“Kiptcha—?” Isredel asked softly, walking towards the girl.

Kiptcha looked at him, her eyes accusing. “What? What do you want?!”

Isredel made no reply, instead he walked closer and embraced her, even as Kiptcha fought and shook with confusion. “Come back, won’t you? We can have a match. Just like you wanted.”

Kiptcha stopped and she pushed away, with no affect. She stayed in the same position, as did Isredel. “Fine. You’re on.”



Both Isredel and Kiptcha had wooden swords, and they weren’t sharp at all. All of the shinigami hadn’t moved from earlier, and now they sat attentive, watching the match between their captain and the arrancar girl.

Kiptcha bowed, and she gestured to Isredel. “Go ahead and make the first move, Res.”

Isredel shook his head. “No, you’re out guest.”

“If you don’t at least do something, I’m going to beat you in the first strike.”

Isredel lunged, and he made contact, but he realized too late that Kiptcha had blocked it. Her hand caught him square in the chest, making Isredel stumble back. It had been a dry hit, without any reiatsu.

Kiptcha went this time, using Sonido. Her movements were almost too fast for Isredel, but he managed. The rest of the shinigami were left in awe with the speed. Kiptcha’s attacks rained down on Isredel, each stronger than the last.

Isredel saw an opening, and he caught Kiptcha in the abdomen, stopping her for a split second. She seemed shocked, and she found herself powerless to stop herself from going anywhere. She flew backwards through the air, landing on the mat hard. Before she could move, Isredel activated one of the pressure points on the side of her neck, immobilizing her for seconds. Pain blossomed from the activated nerve, and Kiptcha struggled to get up.

Isredel stood above Kiptcha, relaxed now that she was disoriented and partially paralyzed. She struggled and made it to her feet. Holding the side of her neck that Isredel had pained, she clenched the wooden sword in her right hand. It had splintered from her last attack, but she didn’t notice.

Kiptcha jumped, twirling in the air. Se freed her paralyzed limbs and swung at Isredel. It struck him across his cheekbone up to his forehead. Blood started to seep from the wound, the splinters slicing the skin. Isredel was surprised. He stumbled and his world started to go black.

Kiptcha caught Isredel before he hit the ground, panic spreading through her body. “No! Isredel! Re-chan, please!” she yelled. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she looked at the wound. “What have I done to you, Re-chan? What have I done?”

Kiptcha wiped away her tears and she took a deep breath. “I must not fear. Fear is the Mind-killer. I will face my fear. I will let it pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

Her hand split open and blood dripped from it. A bruise blossomed on her forehead, followed by blood. Isredel’s was gone, and Kiptcha smiled, she had done it. Then she slumped down next to him, blood running onto her mask stark against the pure white bone.



Kiptcha awoke in her cell, not to her surprise. Her head was bandaged tightly and her hand was as well. She sat up, aware that she was utterly alone, not even guards stood there, watching her.

She thought about what had last happened and she stood up, taking off the bandages. Her head was healed, but her hand still oozed blood, so she decided to leave the bandage. Her zampaku-to sat right outside her cell, and Kiptcha laughed at their impertinence. A cero formed at her fingertip, blasting away the bars of her cell. With a flashy exit, she also blasted a hole in the outer wall and surged up into the sky of Seiretei.

She danced toward the opening garganta, completely ignoring the shinigami who surged up to intercept her. She reached Sokuyaku hill, where the giant zampaku-to used to stand.

“Ulquiorra-san!” Kiptcha laughed, smiling at him. She felt somehow energetic, after her nap. She looked closer at Ulquiorra as she drew closer. “A-ah!” Kiptcha’s tone became more serious almost instantly. “G-grimmjow!” she stuttered. “Yammy!”

Two more arrancar stepped forward, and the garganta closed behind them. “Kiptcha-sama!” they said in unison, bowing.

Kiptcha looked at them, and her expression softened. “Hello Nastassiya, Aleksei. Why are you two here?”

A sword point disturbed Kiptcha’s thoughts, and she whirled, facing Isredel. “Kiptcha, I’m warning you. Don’t even think about attacking Seiretei.”

Kiptcha laughed, brushing away his sword. “Give me a break! I’ not going to attack this miserable place. It wouldn’t even be a fight! It would be SLAUGHTER!”

Grimmjow stepped forward. “If you don’t mind, I have a score to settle with him.”

Kiptcha nodded, turning away. “I won’t mess with your prey, Grimmjow.”

Kiptcha reported to Ulquiorra while Grimmjow fought with Isredel. She talked with Nastassiya and Aleksei as well, smiling at their relieved faces. She nodded and turned to tell Grimmjow they were leaving, now. She was stunned by what she saw, and she was unable to move.

“The Ultimate cero!” Grimmjow laughed. “Royal Hollow Flash!” Light engulfed Isredel.

Kiptcha turned away. Hatred for Grimmjow’s act burned inside her, and her loss of Isredel was a fresh wound. Grimmjow came up behind her, clearly finished with his battle. Kiptcha realized hat the cut on her hand was sealing itself. She swallowed and put on a smile. She didn’t look back as she passed through the garganta, and it closed after her.



Kiptcha lay in her personal quarters, on a futon. It had been laid on the ground for her, with a small pillow. She hadn’t been eating or sleeping since se got back from Seiretei, and she felt as if part of her was missing. She couldn’t describe it at all.

She sat up, slowly standing. All of her Fraccion were worried about her, she knew. She walked the corridors silently, contemplating what she was going to do. He made an instant decision. She was going to go back. She could at least offer condolences, right?

With ease she rounded up four of her subordinates, Nastassiya, Aleksei, Reima, and Seija. They were the strongest in her Fraccion, and she knew she’d need them if she was going to do what she planned. Aizen would punish her, for sure, but that didn’t matter right now, not at all.

Since it had been deprived of her to commit seppku, she would do the next best thing. She would go down fighting her battles, or by Aizen’s hand. She didn’t mind if Aizen cut her down. Aizen was fearless. Kiptcha would always serve Aizen without hesitation.

The four arrancar Numero stood unquestioningly behind her, loyal. None of them spoke as she led them back to her quarters. Each understood that if this worked, their mistress would return to normal.

Yuliya burst into Kiptcha’s room, out of breath. “Grimmjow. Grimmjow’s here. He demands to —!”

Grimmjow cut the girl off, by placing a hand on her shoulder. She sweated, dropping to her knees at the amount of spiritual pressure. Kiptcha got to her feet, upset at being disturbed so unceremoniously. While she had been bright and carefree for a while, she easily went back to the clod unapproachable nature that she had always held so close.

“What do you think you’re doing, Grimmjow?”

He laughed and looked at the assembled arrancar. “I would ask you the same thing.”

Kiptcha’s frown turned into a snarl, and she lashed out at Grimmjow, pinning him against him against the wall. She held him by the collar of his arrancar uniform. “Damn you, Grimmjow! Damn you! You killed him! You didn’t need to do that, you bastard, but you and your fracking logic made you do it. Don’t you get it? He needed to live, so I could complete the binding release!”

Grimmjow laughed. “I like that expression of yours, Kiptcha.”

Kiptcha punched him in the cheek, and she dropped his shirt collar, and turned away from him. She pulled up her collar and zipped it up. It covered her mouth and nose, just like it always did. Hair fell in front of her face to hide her tears. “Get out Grimmjow. Just leave.”

Grimmjow massaged his jaw, and a sadistic smile formed on his face. He laughed, as if t ridicule Kiptcha’s order. “Or what?”

Kiptcha was taken aback that he had refused. She nodded to her Fraccion and she walked out the door, the others in close pursuit.



Seiretei was in an uproar with the arrival of arrancar, and a few captains surged towards the problem. Kiptcha did not see Isredel among them, and she sighed.

Kailea ran towards where they were reported, and put on a grim face. She was the replacement for Gin. Now the 3rd squad captain, she knew that she had fulfill her duty and exterminate these things that the deserter captains had created.

She reached Sokuyaku hill, and she flew up the steps that led up its side. Emerging from the stairs and small forest, she saw five figures. They weren’t putting out much reiatsu, but it didn’t matter. She charged with her zampaku-to drawn at them.

Kiptcha turned seeing the shinigami charging her. She blocked the sword with her bare hand, her reiatsu escalating. Kiptcha didn’t make a counter-attack, even though she could have. Reima jumped up and came to her side, but Kiptcha waved him down. “We’re not going to seriously fight anyone, you hear?!”

“Yes mistress!” they answered in unison.

“Don’t let them hurt you, but be considerate. We don’t want to be like our friend Grimmjow. I’m just looking for one of these damned shinigami!” Kiptcha finished, grabbing the sword and twisting it. The shinigami easily flipped over, helping the motion.

“You’re not going to take us seriously, huh?” Kailea asked mockingly. She drew back and she laughed, clenching her sword. She swung it around for another attack, which Reima deflected. His sword had been used.

Reima understood that he had just showed the shinigami in front of him how much weaker he was though. He gritted his teeth and prepared for the next attack. “Mistress, permission to defeat? We can’t just come in here and try to pretend hat we can convince everyone that you don’t want to fight.”

Kiptcha nodded and she turned reluctantly. “Give her your name, Reima. Out of respect.”

“Wait right there, girl!” Kailea yelled at Kiptcha. “You’re my opponent!”

“My name isn’t ‘girl’, nor am I your opponent,” Kiptcha replied, turning slightly.

“I am the 3rd squad captain, Kailea Munæ. And you?”

“I am Kiptcha Munæ, Espada 4.”

The shinigami stared at Kiptcha. “You- you’ve got to be — I was always told at least — you’re my sister.”

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