TBTP: Redemption

''This story is the fourth and final chapter of a Turn Back the Pendulum arc consisting of the author's characters. Respect for the article is expected, but opinions of all spectrum are welcome and encouraged on this article's talk page. This chapter will be short, but it will wrap up everything at last! Thanks!'' Ten Tailed Fox   (Talk with me) 07:39, August 13, 2011 (UTC)

Turn Forward the Pendulum
A pendulum is ticking, swaying back and forth in the blackness of space-time. In the present, the man named Raian Getsueikirite is getting ready to war. The evil man is on the move, and Raian has his army assembled for battle. As he heads out, one final story unfolds in his mind. Back in space-time, the pendulum is now swinging in reverse, bringing us back in time many years to exactly seven years after the members of MisQ were sealed away, and Setsuna stripped of his powers, but exactly one week from the present time.

Raian arrived at the location of that fateful battle seven years ago; his Fullbring fully activated.

"I've come back. Just as I promised." he muttered to the seal.

With that, he jabbed his Fullbring, 'Cross, into the seal and began pouring his reiatsu into it. For minutes he stood there, but nothing happened. Frustrated, he slashed at the seal; but again, nothing happened. Again he slashed; nothing.

"Why won't this seal just break?!" he shouted in anger.

He punched the seal with his fist, resulting in him gasping in pain. He then fell to his knees, unable to help his friends, all he could do is sob.

"Stop your crying..." came a voice.

Raian snapped out of it, "I know that voice!" he muttered.

"Its time... Just as I promised you." the voice said again, and then, Raian was sucked into his inner world.

Jūjiraiku: The Man from the Past
For the first time in many years, Raian was back in his inner world. The man from seven years ago was waiting for him.

"Its you again..." Raian said, sadness filling his voice.

"Good. So you remember." the man replied.

"I couldn't do it. I couldn't save them." Raian sighed. "Yūbi... Yūga... I failed them all."

"Yes you did. Stop feeling so damn sorry for yourself! If you've made a mistake; fix it! If you've made a wrong turn, tear the ground to hell to make a new path! But do not give in to self-pity. Self-pity solves nothing. It gets nothing done. Got that?! Move or die! That's how we know the strong hearts from the weak ones!" the man shouted, causing Raian to throw his head back up in shock.

"You really are weak alone, Raian. But you were never meant to be alone. You were meant to have companions. I think you can hear it now. You're ready to hear it. This forest is beautiful to my eyes. I want to live in it forever. The pain in your heart, brought on by your lack of strength to protect your precious ones, brings a heat so intense that it causes these trees to wither and fade. If only to keep this forest alive and thriving, I will lend you my whole power. In return, I want you to protect what you want to protect. This is my contract with you... Do you understand?" the man asked.

Raian nodded, still confused as to what was going on.

The man smiled, "You've been powerless for years. No longer. I am Jūjiraiku and I am your true Zanpakutō!"

Unlocking the Seal!
In the real world, Raian's body began to light up with reiatsu. That reiatsu created a tornado around him, which then erupted into a massive explosion. When he emerged, he donned his Shinigami shihakushō, and was holding his Zanpakutō in it's Shikai form. Raian glanced himself over once.

"My Shinigami powers. They've finally returned...." he observed in almost a whisper.

With that in mind, Raian took his new Shikai and stabbed it into the seal; his new massive reiatsu causing cracks to appear in it. In another massive explosion, the seal was torn bit by bit to nothingness, and when the smoke cleared, five new individuals stood where none stood before.

"Yo..!" Raian said with a grin.

MisQ was back. The fight now begins...!

End

(Story continued in the Jinki Fragment arc)