Title: My salvation

Summary: Her village was destroyed leaving her alone and scared. Who knew this man would be her salvation?

Pairing: Aizen and Yoruichi

I ran… I ran far away from that awful place. I ran away from the death of the villagers, the fire, the screaming, and the murderers. I don't know how long I've been running. All I knew was that the sky began to merge into pink, purples, and oranges; which meant the sun was setting. I looked back once while I was running. All I saw was fire and black smokes were a village should've been. Tears began to form in my eyes. There was nothing left for me at my village. Those whom I call my family died and my friends were taken. The only reason I was able to get away was because of their sacrifice. The memory would forever haunt my nightmares.

Flashback

The sound of laughter filled my ears. My mother's was light and airy; it contrasted greatly to my father's deep one. My father had just made a joke, an un-funny one at that. He could never tell a good joke; but no matter how un-funny they may be my mother always laughed. It was time for lunch so I and my father began to set the table. By time I finished lighting the candles for dinner Mother was already bringing out the food, balancing the food on various upper parts of her body. My mother was skilled at many things. Her skills ranged from sewing to hunting. It was actually on a hunting trip that my mother and father met. MY father was leader for the village's army, and was searching for wild boar for a poor family who couldn't afford to buy food. My mother nor father ever told me exactly how they met on the hunting trip, so it always remained a mystery to me.

Once my mother was finally done setting the food down on the table we all took our respective seats. My father sat at the head of the table, my mother sat opposite of him, and I was in between. There was a banging at the door before we could even start eating. My mother had gotten up to answer it before my father stopped her with a gesture of his hand. As my father rose from his chair the banging only became louder. I could hear the sound of the locks being un-done and the hushed voices of my father and some other person. I could only make out a few words of their conversation.

"Village… danger…guards." The unknown person was saying.

"Understood… panic… immediate… safety." My father's voice was calm and collected. His voice was the complete opposite of how I felt. I felt scared and anxious. My father walking in dining room and whispering in my mother's ear only heightens my feelings. I watched them from my seat anxious to know what was going on. My mother nodded at my father's words and gestured for me to follow her. I quickly got up not wanting to waste any more time. My mother looked on edge and seemed as if she would jump at the slightest disturbance.

What could have my mother all scared? From her stories she told me of her past adventures I had come to the conclusion my mother was fearless. If she could brave a dive off a mountain into a choppy river what would my mother possibly have to fear? My mother travelled quick to her room dragging me in with her. She took two travelling bags from the closet and threw them on the bed. Hurriedly she threw clothes and money into one bag. I noticed all the clothes she threw into the bag belonged to me. I stared confused. Why would she only pack clothes for me and not also herself and dad?

My mother then pulled up a few floorboards. I gasped not expecting to see the arsenal of different weapons that lay beneath them. Various kitanas lay under the floor boards along with different sized bows and arrows. Knuckle knives and daggers lay there also. My mother looked to me with a sad smile.

"I was hoping we would never have to show you this." Her voice cracked slightly.

"Wh- why?" I stuttered. I looked at my mother once again waiting for her to explain herself and explain what was going on.

"Yoruichi my dear sweet daughter." She looked at me with tears in her eyes. "This is one invasion Talia cannot win. We the parents have seen this day coming for some time since our military has weakened. Our enemies are unlike any other Talia has ever faced. They are crafty and tactical, appearing to be one step ahead, but we have managed a way to get you children out of the village safely. I'll explain more after you choose what weapon to arm yourself with." My mother wiped the tears that were threatening to fall.

I looked at all the weapons below deciding which would best suit me. My first choice was the bow and arrows, but I had quickly thought against it because I wasn't a good enough shot; so I didn't want to be at risk once I missed with all my arrows. I looked to the kitanas and remembered my training sessions with dad and how I would always land flat on my butt. I looked to the daggers and various flash backs of me dual-wielding daggers and slicing and cutting the fruits mother threw at me. The daggers were a tempting choice but I knew I would be better with the knuckle-knives.

I was what the stuck up village ladies called a tom boy. I never did like playing with dolls, or acting like my only care in the world was looking cute. I would constantly play in the dirt and mud with my friend Kisuke not really caring how dirty I got. Often times we would get wrestle and I always would come out on top despite Kisuke advantage in strength and height. Despite that I was faster, which meant I could deal more blows then he could deal one strong hit.

I reached for one set of Knuckle-knives, which seemed to be calling me. The set was made of titanium, and had a swirling design made of silver embedded in the blade. The edge of the blade curved inward slightly. I put that set on and let loose a few practice swings so that I could get use to them. My mother took a kitana, two bows, one set wooden arrows, and one set metal arrows and put them into the second bag.

She put the floor boards back in place, and pointed to the dresser near the wall.

"Help me push it dear." She began pushing it only for it to move slightly. I went over and we gave one big push and succeeded in moving it halfway. We tried again and gave one last push. The dresser moved to reveal a passage way only big enough for me to fit through. I looked at my mother once again confused. She shoved both bags through the hole and handed me a candle.

"Now Yoruichi you have to listen carefully for I can only say this once. We do not have much time left, your father can only hold off the enemy for so long. I need you to follow that passage way until the end. No matter what I don't want you to come back. Kukaku and Kisuke should be meeting you at the exit, so make sure to look for them. Everything else will be explained in the letters me and your father wrote you. Do not read them until you get to safety. Now go." Her voice was commanding, and held little room for argument.

"You won't be coming with me?" I just had to ask. She smiled a sad smile.

"No my dear it's up to you to stay safe and fend for yourself."

"But I don't want to leave without you."

"You must dear you don't really have a choice in the matter."

"Yes I do. I am going to help you and daddy fight."

"Of all the times you had to develop a rebellious streak it had to be now." She said sarcastically.

"Yoruichi if you don't get in that hole right now I will push you through there myself."

"But"

"No buts get through the hole now!" I jumped almost dropping the lit candle I held. As I crawled through until I was all the way in, the door burst open revealing two men dressed in grey and blue armor. They were covered in blood. Hopefully it wasn't fathers. My hope quickly died down when the taller soldier spoke.

"We have already cut down your husband Ms. Shihoin, what hope do you a woman have of defeating us?" He wore a shit eating grin, I wanted so bad to go and slice his throat, but mother had told me to start moving with a gesture of her foot. As I moved forward I heard the man scream. He had a gurgling sound to his scream. I heard a shuffling sound in the room, and then a thump as if something large fell. Next I heard my mother's scream it sent a chill through my body and back again.

'No matter what I don't want you to come back.' My mother's voice repeated in my mind.

My eyes began to sting and my vision began to blur. I ignored it though choosing to continue on, it was what my mother would have wanted. My candle was about half way melted through when I finally began to see a light. I crawled faster towards the exit, dragging the bags with me. When I made it to the light the first thing I did was push the bags through and then I went through only to fall in a thorn bush. I jumped up and off the bush as quickly as I landed, trying to get away from the painful object.

I looked myself over in the pond that was nearby and saw that my dress was dirty and ragged, torn in various places. My hair was frizzy and dirt was everywhere in it. I had a small cut on my arm from the rose bush. I cleaned it with a piece of my torn dress that wasn't dirty. I was too busy cleaning myself that I didn't notice the two figures behind me. I gasped as my mouth was covered by a hand and a armed snaked itself around my waist. I began to squirm and struggle trying desperately to hit my captor. I managed to cause a cut on my attackers face for them to let me go.

"Aw shit Yoruichi." The person yelled while holding his face. The voice sounded familiar, I turned around only to be met face to face with…Kisuke.

"Shut up ya big baby it's only a small cut." I looked over to the owner of the voice and saw my other best friend Kukaku.

"A small cut doesn't drip blood. Damn it Yoruichi, I know never to sneak up on you again." Kisuke said while holding his bleeding cheek. I noticed I cut him a little deep, but not deep enough that he'll need stitches. Just deep enough that he'll need to apply pressure to stop the bleeding.

"Here ya big baby." Kukaku said while handing kisuke a bandage from her hair.

"Thanks." He said while wrapping it around his cheek.

"What the hell Kisuke why did you sneak up on me like that." I yelled at him clearly angry.

"I thought it would be funny. You know because of the war and all." He said with a goofy smile. Kukaku had hit him on the back of his head.

"Idiot who in their right mind would find that funny?" She said while hitting him again.

"Alright Yoruichi I'm sorry. Now Kukaku stop hitting me." Kisuke raised his hands over his head in defense.

"Hiya princess." Kukaku said while giving me a hug. I returned the hug happy to see my friend.

"So did you bring the weapons?" Kisuke asked with curiosity. Weapons? The extra weapons my mom packed could've been for them. Mom I could feel the tears form again but I quickly wiped them so Kisuke and Kukaku wouldn't see. I went over to the bag and brung it to Kisuke. He opened it and took out the kitana, handing the bows and arrows to Kukaku. Next, Kukaku took out a handful of white cloth balls with string attached and place them on the tips of the wooden arrows. She put the now modified arrows back in her holster.1 Kisuke tested his skill with the kitana and it seemed he was very skilled with the weapon.

"So where do we go now?" I asked, my mother didn't give me directions for where to go only to find Kukaku and Kisuke.

"My father told me to the neighboring village east of here." In his grey eyes you could see the sadness. I looked down at the ground, wondering has all our parents met the same fate?

"Come on no time to lose." Kisuke said trying to put on a brave face. It worked because in only a few seconds Kisuke wore a mask of indifference. Kisuke and Kukaku had picked up the bags they had been carrying and began to move east.'

It wasn't long before they found the trail to get to the next village. They had only been walking a few minutes before they were near the exit gate from Talia. Kisuke had stopped walking and because I wasn't paying attention I bumped into him.

"Hey Kisuke what's-"Kisuke raised a hand to silent Kukaku. He put a finger on his mouth to quiet us. He began to move forward silently until he was just past the bushes and we couldn't see him anymore.

I counted the seconds that he was away. After about ten minutes I was about to go look for him when he came back through the bushes. He looked worried and slightly terrified.

"There are enemy troops a little distance away. I spent time watching them; they don't seem to be moving any time soon. I also over heard them say they were sending reinforcements by sunset. There are fourteen of them, and there blocking our only chance of escape." He said in a hushed tone.

"What should we do?" Kukaku asked.

"I'm going to create a distraction; you girls are going to run past them while they're distracted." Kisuke said while drawing out the plans in the dirt. After Kisuke explained the plan to us I looked at him like he grew a second head. His plan was crazy almost suicidal.

"Kisuke w-"He quickly cut me off.

"No! Our parents did not sacrifice their lives for all of us to get caught and killed. If only one of us made it their death would not have been in vain. If that means I have to sacrifice myself so that you two can make it then so be it. For the fifteen years I have been alive, I have wanted my life to have purpose. Well I think this moment right now adds much purposefulness to my life, so I'm going with it! Besides this could be your only chance to escape." He gripped my shoulders and stared into my eyes. I could see determination in his. I wonder what he saw in mine.

Could he see the sadness I felt of my parent's death? Could he see the anger I felt at his plan? I hope so. Kisuke loosened his grip on my shoulders and walked towards Kukaku. She handed him an arrow with a white cloth on the end.

"When you see the explosion I want you two to run." He said while lighting the fuse. Kukaku and I hugged him. I could feel the tears rolling down my face. I looked up at Kisuke and he wiped my tears away.

"Hey there's no need to cry I promise I'll see you two in the future." He smiled.

"The fuse is almost gone. Run through the forest straight ahead." Kisuke threw the arrow in the direction of the soldiers. After three seconds a small explosion occurred. I and Kukaku took off running through the forest while Kisuke ran straight to the soldiers. I looked one last time at Kisuke and saw that they had him captured. He was smiling though. I smile that showed he had won. Three of the soldiers looked in the direction he was smiling and must of saw us, because they quickly gave chase. I looked to my left and saw Kukaku stringing a metal arrow and letting it loose. It missed its target by a inch.

"Darn it! Yoruichi you'll have to go on ahead. Don't worry about me, I can easily handle them. Like Kisuke said if only one of us gets away. Their deaths would not have been in vain. Besides you're the fastest, I know you were slowing down to stay close to me. So now I want you to run as fast as you can away from this place. Like Kisuke I promise we'll meet again, and you know me to have never been one to break a promise." She said while letting loose another arrow hitting her target in the arm.

Flashback over

And that's how I got to where I am now running for my life. I'd be damned if I let their sacrifice go to waste. By time my legs finally gave out the sun had completely set. The adrenaline that kicked in a while ago had finally drained from my body. I tried getting up to move but my body screamed in protest. All I could do was lie there on the side of the road and wait. Hopefully help would come soon because I could that I was going to drift off into sleep soon. As I closed my eyes I could feel the ground move and hear the trotting of a horse or was horses. Horses by the sound of it and they weren't too far off.

I was elated hopefully they would notice me and help me. The trotting was becoming closer, and I heard the neigh of the horse rather closely. It was as if the animals were standing right over me.

"Look Master it's a girl." A voice said.

"Your eyes are most likely playing a trick on you. Why would a girl be out here at this late hour in the middle of the road?" The second voice said.

"No come see for yourself." The first voice said.

"Gin this better not be another excuse for you to take a break." The second voice said.

"I assure you sir. This girl needs our help." The know known voice of gin said.

I saw a figure looming over me. The figure was tall and wore a long over coat with leather boots.

"Yes it appears she does." The second voice said. I saw the figure bend down so that it was at my height on the ground. I could feel its arms sliding under my exhausted legs my neck. It picked me up bridal style and carried me to a wagon I think. It laid me down on something soft and comfy. As soon as I was fully sat down I couldn't help the feeling of drowsiness that watched over me. It wasn't long before I drifted off to sleep.

Yes, I'm finally done. Please review so I know what you think about the story. Also don't worry a lot of things will be clarified, but if you have questions feel free to ask them please.

Are there any arrow holsters? Or are there only gun holsters?