He stood there in perfect silence, motionless except for the rising and the falling of his chest.
Inhale...exhale...there was nothing more he could do except wait.
Wait.
He had perfected the grace in patience, holding his muscles back, not even flinching, defying normal human reflexes.
Human? He wasn't human, never born to be one, he transcended the being.
Yes, he resembled them and he had sworn to protect them but he was spiritual, ordained to protect life and maintain the balance between his world and theirs.
And there he stood doing his duty, his arms on his side, watching, waiting for a sign...a simple tell to show him where the enemy had attacked.
The enemy had grown a little bit more sophisticated than mindless soul eating demons since the traitor. They appeared somewhat human except for the holes on different parts of their bodies which could be easily masked and now they could hide their presence too by masking their reiatsu.
Just like he had.
There was no moon out, so he was barely visible and neither was the enemy.
A slight breeze blew the tips of his hair from his face, and with it came a stench...a faint foul stench of the predator but enough to give him a location.
Like a flash of lightning he was gone, speeding, heading towards the direction from which it came. His katana not yet drawn, he was indeed a patient man and he knew it was best to strike when you were certain nothing would go against you. Simple calculations and holding your temperament back, his grandfather had taught him. A valuable lesson it was.
From far he could see her.
Her long, silky, dark mane wafting in the wind after her, she fell like a snow crystal from the sky as she groped in the air for anything she could hold on to.
Desperately clutching for the clouds that seemed out of reach, her screams piercing the night sky as she cried for help. For anyone who could hear her plea to catch her but the people beneath seemed deaf.
It was bizarre to him, humans were curious in nature and they definitely would have gathered by now to watch the spectacle, not caring for their own lives, they would have given anything to satisfy their curiosity. He felt pitiful for them but was glad that no one else would be dragged in to danger, they seemed to be in another dimension. Though he could see everyone else, they were invisible and more so the attacker himself was nowhere in sight.
He rushed beneath her and grabbed her by her waist just as she was about to hit the roof of a tall building and he set her down; glad he was there on time. The smell that had led him to the place had grown stronger; it reeked of death and destruction. He looked around searching for the attacker but nothing, he seemed to have fled or worse yet he was hiding somewhere. His stench still lingering in the air, he was somewhere close by he noted.
He placed his hand over the purple hilt of his sword, frustrated that a shinigami of captain rank couldn't locate a mere hollow. He was tempted to go around calling him out but someone of his status was always to portray grace in his actions, you never know who might be watching besides that was something only an idiot like Kurosaki would do.
Then he heard it, he had almost missed it while lost in his own thoughts but it was something he couldn't ignore the sound of a katana unsheathed. He moved fast out of its way before the sharp blade could reach his haori.
There it was, standing right behind him...grinning, thinking it had the upper hand. How cocky, like he would fall for such stupidity.
"You move first shinigami..." the hollow took a step towards him, he didn't flinch...again patience.
"To think I had to throw her down from a great height to get your attention...hahahaha...pathetic, is speed all you have?"
Pitiful, Byakuya thought. His grey eyes showing no remorse, one swift step was all it took. The hollow hadn't seen him coming, arrancar or not his arm went flying in the air with blood drops accompanying it. He screamed rushing towards the girl who was now unconscious right where Byakuya left her.
The hollow kicked her awake, "damn you shinigami! Now you will have to hear her scream as I cut open her throat!" he hissed blood still oozing from his open wound, right next to where his hole was.
Byakuya's eyes narrowed as he searched for an opening to give another blow,
"I am not afraid..." a small voice whispered in to the night, making both shinigami and hollow stare at the girl.
"You may cut me, kill me or even eat my body and soul but I will not give you the satisfaction of being afraid."
Byakuya stared at the girl, she was in the jaws of death about to have her life taken but she was bold and determined to die with pride. How admirable...but he had sworn an oath to protect and he would be damned if she died as he watched. He moved, this time faster than lightning he was sure, for when lightning strikes you are able to see the blinding light. No one had seen the motion not even his opponent and if he had been on the sideline watching someone else, he was sure he wouldn't be able to see it himself.
The arrancar's head rolled in mid air at the same time he was sheathing his katana on his side.
"It is over..." he spoke, his back was turned to her, the elegant tassels on his new haori dancing in the wind. He no longer had to wear the scarf, he was glad he could feel nature licking his throat. "...go home now."
He could sense she was trembling but he couldn't linger to comfort her. One would mistake him for being affectionate and it would taint his image.
"Thank you." she whispered,
"you made my night bright...like...like those arctic nights that never go dark" she lifted her head to catch his face, perhaps ask his name but he was gone.
"Thank you." She whispered and the words would fall on his ears wherever he was.
AND SO IT BEGINS, WHEN A FALLING STAR CLASHES WITH LIGHTNING. WILL THE EFFECT BE THUNDER OR THEIR MINGLING PASS OVERLOOKED BY FATE?
REVIEWS WELCOMED.
LOVE MADIGAN.