Familiar Faces on the Battlefield
Nanao rushed worried about the bloody ruins that made up the Fake Karakura town where most of the war had taken place; the young lieutenant was devastated to see so many familiar faces laying beaten and bruised upon the ground. As she began to get anxious, she found who she was looking for: her captain.
Shunsui lay sprawled across the ground, slashes and blood scattered all over his body; his straw hat, captain's haiori, and even his beloved flamboyant pink haiori, where nowhere in sight.
"Shunsui!" Nanao gasped, flash-stepping to his side and falling to her knees beside him. Using all the strength she could muster, she rolled him onto his back and pulled him close enough so that his head lay in her lap; tears swelled in her eyes as she saw how pale and lifeless he looked.
"Oh, Shunsui, why did you have to leave me behind? I could have helped you!" and silent tears feels unnoticed down her cheeks. In fact, she didn't even notice when an all too familiar woman came up to stand behind her.
"I wouldn't worry so much if I were you, Ise-chan. He's a lot stronger than he acts and has survived much worse than this." Nanao gave a start and turned her head, she recognized this young woman's voice.
As Nanao's eyes came across her old mentor and predecessor stood in front of her. The whole world seamed to stop and Nanao had no idea what to think, much less what she should you. All the yound black haired woman could do was utter a single name:
"Yadomaru-fukutaicho!" she breathed, softer than a whisper, but lauder than a thought. "But…how? I thought….they said…that can't be." And if Shunsui's unconscious head hadn't been in her lap, Nanao was sure she would have leapt up and hugged Lisa like a lost child clings to the their mother upon being found again, pride and self-respect be damned.
"Long time no see, Nanao-san." Lisa replied, crouching down beside her, wincing as some of her wounds flexed from the movement; the young vizard had really taken a good beating during this huge war, but they had won and that was all that mattered. "So, when were you named lieutenant?" Lisa asked amusedly, nodding to the shinning wooden badge hanging proudly from her arm.
"Awhile ago, it doesn't really matter right now, not with all this pain and despair everywhere." And she nodded to the broken buildings and streets where dead and injured bodies lay scattered about, shinigami, vizards, and arrancar alike.
"You have a point there, Nanao. You really were always one of the brightest members on the team; a nice difference compared to all the other drunken perverts and morons I usually had to deal with in the eighth. I will say that I always enjoyed our reading sessions everyone month and I hope your skills and knowledge benefitted from my lectures."
"I would have never been able to become a lieutenant if you hadn't done that. In fact, I and honored I have been given the chance to that you, Yadomaru-sama, for not only being my mentor, but for being my friend and a reliable guardian I could seek responsible advice from when I needed it. You helped me more than you will ever believe." And for once in the entire time Nanao had ever known her, Lisa was rendered speechless.
After awhile she finally spoke, but it was after Shinji signaled it was time for the vizards to head back home.
"It looks like the time has come, once again, for me to leave you Ise-san." Lisa began, and Nanao was sure she heard regret in her former-mentor's tone. "Thank you, for being a good protégé to me and for showing me that I needed to learn more responsibility. I am honored that I could help you and it gives me pride to know that my old position went to someone who truly earned it. Prove to everyone what it takes to be the lieutenant for squad, not just for me, but for us both; make me and even Shunsui proud of you!" and then she left, leaving Nanao with a little more closure. The relieved shinigami had finally been able to show her gratitude to her old friend, and that brought an irreplaceable peace into her life.