Out From Under by RED is the theme song.
Karakura town. In the daytime, it's just a typical town, with your average human beings going about their business. At night, it's quiet and peaceful, with your average human beings either in bed or sitting in front of the TV, watching as it turns their brains to mush. Just a normal town.
Yeah, right.
Karakura's the hometown for all things abnormal, like Hollows; corrupt spirits with supernatural powers that devour the souls of both living and dead humans. The only ones who can stop them are the Shinigami; spirits that have gone to the Soul Society and studied at the academy, trained to cleanse these beasts and perform soul funerals so that dead can pass on. Each one wields a unique sword generated from their own souls. I'm one of those Shinigami, kind of.
I was told that my father belonged to one of the Soul Society's four noble houses, whereas my mother was an ordinary human. I'm still alive; I'm still human, but I've been trained at the academy and by Byakuya Kuchiki himself to become a Shinigami.
The Gotei 13 – the military organisation that most graduates go to after leaving the academy – is made up of thirteen divisions, each lead by a different captain and their sidekick, the lieutenant. The divisions also specialise in different things. For example, the Fourth Division is the medical squad, the Twelfth Division specialises in science and research and everyone in the Eleventh Division exist only for battles and fighting. My position is third seat in the Tenth Division, my Taicho being a grouchy, white-haired shorty named Toshiro Hitsugaya. I was going to go to the Eleventh Division, playing seventh seat, but once we discovered my Zanpakuto was a kido-type, that ideal kind of went down the toilet. But I'm happy where I am, and that's all that's important.
So, Karakura town is where I am positioned at this moment in time. Walking along the streets. For once, all is quiet, all is peaceful. That is, until I hear faint voices behind me.
"Rape!" I scream as my arms are thrust forcefully behind my back, effectively restricting my movements.
"What?" a blue-haired man says. "Who would want to rape you?"
"Honestly, I don't even know what the word means," I admit.
"Then why use it?" the voice from above me asks.
"Because Ran-chan said, 'if you're ever being restrained by men you don't know, scream 'rape' and somebody should come and help you.' Toshi-kun interrupted her before she could explain what it meant," I answer, gazing up into my captor's emerald green eyes. "By the way, you have pretty eyes."
"I can't believe she's the one he sent us to get," the blue-haired one mutters. "She's so damn weak."
"No I'm not!"
"And she's stupid, too."
"Take that back!"
"Make me." He closes in on me, our faces so close that our noses nearly touch.
"You have pretty eyes, too," I tell him. "But Captor-sama's are prettier."
"Stupid bitch," he utters and shoves his hand into my jacket's pocket, taking out my Chappy gikongan dispenser.
"Hey, give that back!"
"Hell no." He chucks it over his shoulder and where it lands I have no idea. He digs around in my pockets some more before retrieving my other gikongan and throwing them away. Earlier I'd been shopping at Urahara's, hence why I have all these goods on me. "What's this little ball do?" he asks, holding up a small, marble-shaped green ball and examining it closely.
"Ichi-chan! Wanna come with me to Urahara's? I need more Soul Candies and I was wondering if you wanted to come with," I chirped.
"I'm fine," Ichigo said, anger lacing his voice. His head was buried in a book for school. "Have fun."
"Oka-" I turned to leave but was interrupted mid-word by an overly happy cuddly toy.
"Chie-chan!" he sang, throwing himself at me. I caught and hugged him tightly, before he started mysteriously patting my chest. "My, my. You've gotten bigger, Chie-chan. It isn't much, but you're getting there."
"What do you-"
"Kon, leave her alone," Ichigo murmured, plucking him off my chest and crushing him under his foot. Kon turned limp and lifeless as Ichigo walked back to his desk to study. "Bye, Chie-chan."
"Bye, Ichi-chan," I said, slamming the door behind me.
The force from Ichigo stomping on him must've knocked the pill out of Kon and into my pocket!
"I-it's just a marble," I stutter. "It's worthless, but I like to carry it around with me, kind of like a lucky charm." I mentally wipe the imaginary sweat from my forehead. Hopefully he'll say something like, 'well, where we're taking you, you'll need all the luck you can get' and give it back.
"Too bad," he says, tossing it over his shoulder. Well, so much for that. Poor Kon.
"No! My lucky marble!" I cry.
"No! My time!" he mimics. "Your marble, my time. We've both lost shit today."
"But unlike your time, my marble is important," I object.
"Bullshit. My time is better than your crappy marble."
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Are you two done acting like children?" my captor asks
"Technically, I am still a child so I have every reason I need to act like one," I protest.
"Well, if Grimmjow is done acting like a child-"
"I'm not a child! Children are weak and pathetic!"
"Hey! Take that back, too!"
"Never!"
"Take it back!" I whine.
"What part of 'never' do you not understand?"
"Speaking of taking things back, we need to take you back to Aizen-sama." Captor-sama releases me and points at the air. A moment later, a black portal appears. He puts his hands in his pockets and walks toward the portal, expecting me to follow.
"Wait!" I yell, forcing them to stop in their tracks. "You have to tell me your names."
"I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez," the taller of the two announces. He stands at roughly six feet tall with spiky blue hair, light-tan skin and piercing blue eyes. His outfit consists of an open jacket and white hakama and a broken mask part that I know isn't glued on; it is teeth. Not human teeth, though, so much more animalistic. The hole through his stomach confirms my suspicions; he is an Arrancar.
"I am Ulquiorra Cifer," Captor-sama answers. He stands at about five and a half feet tall with paper-white skin and raven-black hair that just brushes his shoulders. His emerald green eyes are captivating, as are his partner's. He dons a normal jacket with a high collar and coattails that touch the floor, paired with white hakama. Just like his partner, he has a mask, too. Half of a helmet-shaped mask is stuck on the left side of his head.
Trying to escape from these two would be like telling them to kill me. Mentally, I sigh. I guess I have to go along with them.
"Chikara Konoe," I say, jabbing my thumb towards myself.
"We know who you are," Captor-sama says nonchalantly. "If we didn't know anything about you, do you honestly think we'd waste our time trying to find such trash?"
"Well, no."
"Exactly."
"Now get in the Garganta," Grimmjow commands.
"Help, I'm being kidnapped!" I yell in the hope that I'd attract a random passer-by that'd be willing to help. All I got is a mum not-so-subtly whispering to her child about staying away from strangers. Or strange people. Or both. "Well? Aren't you going to help me? I'm being kidnapped!"
"You know that they can't see us, right genius?"
"Of course I do," I snap. "But it was worth a shot."
The woman hurries away with her child by her side. I shrug and enter the portal. I wish I could've seen her glance back just once before I disappeared; her reaction would be priceless!
The path that lies ahead of me is a gorgeous one, perfect in every way. An Arrancar's reiatsu, so steady and perfect. Curious, I run ahead of Captor-sama to see what mine's like. Strange, misshapen and broken. I frown. I thought it'd be fabulous! I suddenly feel a freezing cold hand place itself on my shoulder. Turning around I can see the owner of said hand is Captor-sama.
"Don't be so stupid," he says. "Let me take the lead."
His hand slips back into his pocket and he continues on his way, leaving me frozen.
"Well, that's rude," I huff.
"Get used to it," Grimmjow says.
We venture through the darkness for what feels like forever. When we reach the end, a pink-haired man is waiting for us.
"Good day, Konoe-san," he smiles kindly.
"Oh, hello-wait, how do you know my name?!"
"I am the one who's been gathering all of the data on you. Not for stalker-ish purposes, but for Aizen-sama," he explains. "And my name is Szayel Aporro Granz, though after today you probably won't remember that."
"Why n-ah!" I scream as I feel myself being dragged along by my jacket's hood. "Stop it! Let me go!"
"Then walk, bitch!" Grimmjow commands.
"Hey, don't you call me a bitch, bitch!" I retaliate.
"That's it!" He charges towards me and I sprint for Captor-sama.
"Captor-sama, save me!" I cling onto his leg with all my might. He just tries to shake me off like dog turd on his shoe. Well, fuck you too.
"Grimmjow, if she is damaged before we get to Aizen-sama you will be held responsible and I will do everything within my power to make sure that she's put under your guidance when the time comes," Captor-sama says.
"But that's punishing me, too!"
"You were the one who began the dispute."
"Yeah, but-"
"No buts. We're almost there," he pauses. "And get off of my leg, it's disturbing me."
"Fine," I utter, folding my arms in a childish manner. Throughout the rest of the journey I stick with him. Although he's planning to put me 'under Grimmjow's guidance', he's still the lesser of two evils.
He pushes the large white door open with little effort, revealing a blank white room - not that the hallways were any more colourful - with a long table and several chairs placed around it. Two of the seats are empty.
"Ah, Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, you have returned." The man sat at the head of the table examines me closely. For that moment, I feel his eyes pierce through my soul. "And I see you've done what I asked for once."
"Of course, Aizen-sama. I would never fail you," Captor-sama says. Grimmjow paces to a seat by the table, whereas Captor-sama stands still.
"Ulquiorra, it is time."
"Yes, Aizen-sama," he says, marching across the marble floor until standing directly in front of me. The prominent man's sight remains fixed on me and me alone. He raises an alabaster hand to me and the last thing I hear comes from Aizen.
"Chikara Konoe," Aizen begins. "Welcome to Las Noches."
"She's back? She's actually bothering to write again?" YES MY LOYAL AND NOT SO LOYAL READERS! I HAVE RETURNED! I was planning to rewrite UA for ages and I'm so glad I did.
On another note, it's Chie's birthday today. I've had her for roughly a year now :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHIE!
Review or I'll kill you. ("Well, that escalated quickly!")