Welcome to Gaia! ::

The man watches as the gate slowly comes up..inch by inch. It's still going to take a bit, so he's waiting, patiently. He can't just leap over the gate; it's a bother. The objects they're using to open the gate are essentially wooden siege engines made to open castle portcullises. It's taking time. He stands, and he waits, watching as the pawns work. His face is impassive, holding a flat expression. He listens to his surroundings..the yells of his 'soldiers', the sounds of people running..the sound of buildings burning that his men have set fire to; yes, it's a glorious day. He can't help but smile. No matter what they send it won't be enough, and besides, his unit was meant to keep them busy..

Kaosu huffed, dragging behind his captain as they raced towards the gate. He looked up, noticing that the gate was being raised. Since when were we raising gates? It took a moment for him to get it.

They're forcing the gates open? He thought to himself, noticing a small scraggle of people in front of the gate. He smiled, noticing a familiar, short statured man.

"Nagi-san! Good to see you!" He yelled, slowing down as they approached the gigantic defense measure. He wanted to make pleasant talk, but it didn't seem the time. No, it was too tense. Let's get this started, huh?

Kaosu's grin faded, as he looked at their adversaries. They weren't bloodthirsty fools who wore a uniform. They weren't battle-hardened warriors in rebellion of the Soul Society.

They were...the Rukongai. All of them. He could even see his family there, angered faces everywhere. "N...no." Kaosu stuttered, looking at Nagi. "We can't fight them!" He stood next to his teacher and looked down, a fierce look glowing behind his eyes.

"We're supposed to protect them! Not slaughter them!" But, Kaosu knew the answer before anyone gave it. It was all their choice to fight. It was their choice to rebel. But...he wanted to protect them. All of them. His Rukongai family most of all.

"We...we don't have a choice, do we?"

((XD))

Kaosu sighed. "You're right." He unsheathed his scimitar blade, letting it fall to his side. "For meeting you for the first time, Shunketsu-kun, you sure put an impression on people."

Kaosu turn ninety degrees, his head turned to face the shinigami student he was talking to. "Let's just hope this isn't the last time we get to talk to each other, neh?"

He turned again, facing the gate, and frowned. He could tell his adoptive family had noticed him, and they didn't seem a bit worried. "Whenever you're ready, Aichou-taichou." He growled, gripping his zanpakutou with both hands.

He was right...but were they wrong? It didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. They were going against everything that the Soul Society was, everything that Kaosu had grown to be fond of. That meant that something had to be done...whether or not Kaosu liked the outcome.

Hikari looks at Aichou as she mentions who that man outside is. "Did she say...twin brother?" "Heh. It looks that way, Little Princess. That demon sure has an interesting history." "Shut Up! Ai-chan is..." She becomes speechless, even in her mind, before she realizes something. She has to fall back. Aichou wants to battle her brother, and she wants...needs to do it alone. With a quick push, she jumps back to fall beside Shunketsu and Kaosu, not to mention Nagi. "You hear that? Luna-chan. Artemis-chan. I think it's time we prepare." She smirks as she draws...separates her zanpakutou, katana and sheath. "Hentai-san... Ninniku-san... We have to fight."

With those words, Hikari looks at her zanpakutou waiting for their words. She waits as the gates continue to rise and the approaching battle draws ever nearer. "Child..." "We are..." She hears the ryuunin then the nekonin, but they both proclaim the last part. "...Munashi!" A wide grin spreads across her face. "Well then. Let's follow Ai-chan's advice and introduce you..." She pauses, waiting for the right opportunity to call out her zanpakutou.

It would seem that Raven had fallen a little further behind then he had thought, he had watched Aichu moving a little deeper into the distance until finally she stopped and he was able to catch up and stand beside Kaosu and Hikari and Shunketsu. He took a deep breath as he looked at them all individually and he smiled brightly. "Well guys....your families may be out there...all of our families might, just like Kaosu's." He said with a nod, trying to motivate them. "But from now on...those are not our familes, but our enemies. Our families are right here, right beside us. Together...we will be family to each other." He growled out as he took the edge of one of his scythe blades and cut his palm so only a little blood trickled out. "Will you accept that offer Kaosu? Fight side by side with me...as my brother and my friend. That family will dissolve to make way for this one." He said with a smile as he held the slightly bloodied hand out towards Kaosu. He was trying to bring the spirits up, hopefully there would be a few of them together, a new family born to triumph over the old families. He continued to hold out the hand, lookign from Kaosu to Shunketsu, and then to Hikari.

Masaru jogged to the gathering of shinigami before bending over at his waist, placing his hands on his thighs to keep himself up. He breathed heavily, trying to regain his normal breathing pattern. He'd been running as fast as he could to just keep up with the others, but he just couldn't keep up. As he straightened up, he observed as the gate was slowly being pried open, and all of the shinigami watching. At first, he wondered to himself why no one was trying to keep the gate closed, but then thought that it would only be a matter of time before the siege engines pushed the gates open anyway. He continued to watch with his arms crossed, still breathing from his mouth, but less erratically than before. He wondered just how long they had before the army outside stormed Seireitei. He wondered if anyone he knew was out there, thirsty for his blood after he left to become a shinigami, who most of them hated. He also wondered how fighting them would be.

When he sparred with the student Ethan in his zanjutsu class, he was very fearful, and imagined that it affected his fighting skills as well as his opponent's confidence. Even though this fight was to the death, he had to gather up enough courage and confidence to not appear afraid of any fight, enev if he had to fake it. Hopefully, some people might even be scared of his over-confidence and abandon their fight with him. He drew his sword from his scabbard with his right hand. He held it out in front of him, now recalling his zanpakuto soul, and it saying that he was weak. This was the only way for him to become stronger, and with that mentality, Masaru was ready to fight whatever came through that gate.