I had a sudden whim to write something for Bleach. Actually, for Nemu. Here is a story that explores a possible past of Mayuri. I repeat, a possible past. As you know, I have no connections with Tite Kubo, or anyone in Bleach.
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Those memories again. No matter what he does, Mayuri could never make his brains forget them. They would always surface on this day of the year, brutally demanding to be reminisced.
Nemu kept her head down as Mayuri pulling the towel over his body. Dropping the towel on the ground, Mayuri pulled on his jinbei. Without his makeup, Mayuri looked almost reticent, a guilty look constantly on his face.
Nemu hurriedly squat down, picking up the towel and Mayuri's clothes.
Mayuri stood behind Nemu watching silently. Suddenly, he squat down, helping Nemu. Handing Nemu the clothes he picked up, Mayuri moved quietly out of the bathroom, crossing his legs under the kotatsu as he began to pick the food on the table.
Today is his favourite, pike fish. Yet, Mayuri could not find the appetite to put any food into his mouth. Quietly, Mayuri watched as Nemu walked out of the bathroom, sitting in a formal Seiza style in front of Mayuri. For almost a minute, a strange silence stood between then, occasionally punctuated by Mayuri's spoon hitting the plate as he moved the spoon mindlessly about.
"The meal... Is it bad?" Nemu asked softly.
"No." Mayuri replied simply, finally pushing a crumb into his mouth. In a surprising anti-climax, Mayuri began to choke on the crumb, coughing wildly.
"Mayuri!" Nemu suddenly exclaimed, standing up suddenly, almost knocking over her cup of tea as she moved next to the captain of the 12th division. Kneeling again, Nemu pushed Mayuri over her lap. Placing her hand over her father's back, Nemu tapped once, sending her reiatsu within to push what was chocking Mayuri out. Mayuri coughed once more, pushing the crumb out, which Nemu's right hand caught deftly, throwing it on the table.
Mayuri turned slowly, lying on Nemu's lap as he stared upwards, into Nemu's dark green eyes. Gradually, her face faded from utter worry back to her usual melancholic look.
"I' m sorry, Mayuri-sama. I apologize for not referring to you with honorific earlier." Nemu whispered.
"Doesn't matter. I was thinking of something else while eating. I even forgot I could push out the food with my reiatsu." Mayuri said, smiling softly. Nemu's face reminds him too much of her. Then again, Nemu was modelled after her, so it was no surprise. As the memories came flooding back, Mayuri sighed.
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"Leave me. It doesn't matter." Nemu Ikuta whispered, using her hand to tuck her legs in a more comfortable position.
"No. I won't leave you in the middle of the battlefield like this." Mayuri said, squatting to prepare to lift Nemu up.
"Go. Leave me alone." Nemu said, her tone holding mock anger. Mayuri stared at his sword, Ashisogi Jizo, in disgust. By some freak accident, Mayuri had cut Nemu's legs with the poisonous point of his sword. The drip of poison was able to create partial paralysis to Nemu's legs, rendering her unable to move.
A flash of blue made Mayuri turn. A Quincy smirked, pulling his bow back. A single blue arrow flashed forward, towards Nemu's heart.
"No." Mayuri whispered, reaching out suddenly. The arrow penetrated straight through his right hand, but the obstruction was enough to change the arrow's direction, forcing it to pierce into Nemu's stomach instead.
Mayuri gave a feral howl, not from the pain of his penetrated hand, but from the red blood flowing out of Nemu's stomach. Reaching down, Mayuri grabbed his sword with his left hand, then shunpo from his sitting position, slicing the Quincy's cheek. The poison had an immediate effect, forcing the Quincy to fall to his feet, total paralysis spreading through his body.
"Nemu, I will bring you back. The 4th squad will patch you up." Mayuri said, reaching down to carry Nemu.
"Mayuri, run. I sense their reiatsu. Too many are coming." Nemu said. Coughing suddenly, Nemu sent blood droplets onto Mayuri's face.
"They will kill you!" Mayuri said, his eyes wide with borderline madness.
"A single life lost is better than two." Nemu whispered, too weak to even speak audibly.
A suddenly rustle among the trees made Mayuri looked up. Over a dozen Quincy were perched on the tree branches, pulling their bows back. Almost half of them had their bows poised at Nemu.
Mayuri began to shake as he grabbed his sword, holding it up. The sword began to glow a purple colour.
"Ashisogi Jizo! Kill them all!" Mayuri growled. The blade of his sword suddenly explode, sending out solid clouds of purple smog, which began to take the incorporeal form of a baby's head, which began to spray corrosive purple smoke. Each arrow moving through the smoke immediately dissipated. The baby's head began to move forward, choking every Quincy with the poison. Each Quincy fell off their perch, taking an immediately lethal dose of the smoke.
"Kill, kill, kill!" Mayuri growled. The baby's head began to move toward Mayuri, opening what seems to be its mouth as it prepares to consume its master.
"Stop." Nemu shouted, though her voice was so soft it sounded like a whisper. At the same moment, Mayuri's power ran out, causing the baby's head to fall apart, returning back into his sword. Mayuri fell to his knees, dropping his sealed Zanpakuto. Summoning his remaining strength, Mayuri moved towards Nemu.
"Nemu, Nemu, Nemu." Mayuri whispered, seeming possessed by an inner demon as he muttered the name repeatedly. Moving his hand onto Nemu's wrist, Mayuri realized what had happened. His poison had entered Nemu's body, wrecking her organs.
"Mayuri." Nemu said softly, reaching out to touch Mayuri. The touch seemed to immediately calm Mayuri down. Mayuri watched a Nemu sucked a breathe desperately. She already knew what was happening. Her lungs were lost. This breathe, her final breathe, was meant for a final word.
"I love you." Nemu whispered. She never took another breathe. Her green eyes began to lost focus as they stared into the sky, her face taking a melancholic expression.
Mayuri stared at Nemu, then caught her hand as it fell from his face. Holding it against his face, Mayuri felt tears sting his eyes.
"Nemu..." Mayuri whispered, reaching out to close her eyes, stroking her face gently.
"Shinigami. With your Zanpakuto, you are a lonely man." An old Quincy said, before the poison finally end his live.
Mayuri lie next to Nemu, lifting her Zanpakuto up. Thrusting down, Mayuri smiled as a sharp pain flashed from his stomach. Pulling the sword out again, Mayuri place it next to his, between then. Quietly, Mayuri waited for his consciousness to fade.
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"Mayuri-sama. Are you alright?" Nemu asked, noticing a bead of tear rolling from his creator's eyes.
"Nemu. Can we stay like this tonight?" Mayuri asked, reaching up to touch his vice-captain's face.
Nemu nodded quietly. Throughout the years, she had realized the true reason why she was created. A confidante for a man who could trust no one, a doll of someone from his past. Every year on this day, Mayuri would see her differently, reminded of that someone in the past.
No matter how hard she tries, Nemu would only be a shadow of that someone, nothing more.
Still, it doesn't matter. If being the shadow of that someone mean Mayuri would let her love him, then she don't mind staying in this eternal dream.
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Hmm, I wonder if this is angsty. It felt so. It felt like a one-shot too. But I can see possibility of a second chapter. Don't really like leaving things hanging like those guys in Code Geass. Do review, readers. and leave a PS or something to tell me if I should leave this story as it is.