Summary: Sequel to "Quincy Work Diary" Investigating new and previously unknown dimensions is the work of the twelfth division. It can be dangerous. Especially if it turns out the dimension is inhabited.
Note: The new story is (sigh) a rescue story. I know, a rescue story in Bleach, how original. While reading an article about Robert E. Howard, creator of "Conan the Barbarian", the author noted how Howard created the Hyborian Age as a setting for his stories because he couldn't find enough research materials in his small Texan town for stories. So instead of writing a story in Egypt, someplace he couldn't research, he'd write a story set in the mythical country of Stygia, a place LIKE Egypt. If there were any discrepancies, well, it's not really Egypt is it? So while my setting may bear resemblance to a certain country and its mythology, it's not meant to be a 100% accurate description of any particular time or place. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of the great Kubo Tite. I do not claim ownership over any of the characters or ideas.
Two weeks ago.
His heralds arrived before him and announced him as he came in, shouting out his many titles and great deeds. All bowed low as the emperor swept into the room flanked by his retinue of nobles and bodyguards. None dare to raise their heads until he gave permission. To do so was death. With great strides he crossed the room, looking neither left nor right. He stopped before the high priest who knelt in front of his people.
"You may rise" the emperor said.
Tezcatlipoca lifted his head to look up at his ruler. His eyes stood out in sharp contrast from his black and yellow striped face paint.
"Greetings great emperor Mictlantecuhtl. I am grateful you could take the time to respond to our humble request."
"You are my most trusted adviser Tezcatlipoca." He replied "I would have come in any case. If what you message says is true, I am anxious to satisfy my curiosity."
Tezcatlipoca widened his eyes in mock hurt. "You doubt my word Emperor?"
Mictlantecuhtl headdress shook as he gently laughed. He and the high priest had been friends since they were small. They had many adventures together before settling down. He was the only real friend he had.
"I can remember times when I should have. No, I believe it is as you say. It's not every day a war party encounters a new tribe. I'm anxious to see what you found."
"Please follow me my lord."
The emperor gestured for his entourage to stay put.
With only a hint of a smile on his painted face the high priest led the way though the excavated system of caves that served the priesthood as quarters and store rooms. And prisons. Tezcatlipoca leaned heavily on his staff as he walked, his wooden prosthetic foot, carved to resemble a jaguar, making a solid thump with every step on the stone floor. The jaguar was his totem and in his youth, he had often lived up to its example in strength and speed. He never regretted losing his foot to a crocodile. To save he who was then his prince he would have gladly given his life. His wounds led him to the priesthood. He wielded an entirely different kind of power now. There was nothing to regret. Light pooled on the floor from the many shafts carved in the ceiling to provide air and light to the underground warren. He moved from one patch of sunlight to the next as he led his old friend down the corridor to a large room.
"Here are the artifacts they had my lord" A variety of object were displayed on a reed mat on the floor. "They were armed with these."
An acolyte picked up a katana from the mat and handed it to the emperor with both hands, his eyes down so as not to contaminate the great lord with his unworthy gaze.
Mictlantecuhtl instinctively grasped what the object was and pulled the sword from its sheath. He stared at the unusual weapon. It was metal. All metal. While his people did fantastically detailed jewelry in gold and silver, other metals were rare and not used for the most part. This metal was like nothing he'd ever seen. Striking the blade with the sheath, he listed to the ringing sound it made as it vibrated. Putting the sheath down, he carefully ran his thumb along the edge. He was suitably impressed.
"It's very sharp." He said.
"No sharper than our obsidian blades my lord." Tezcatlipoca said. "I will admit it has its advantages. The edge is continuous along the entire length of the weapon and it doesn't shatter." Their soldiers used macuahuitl, obsidian blades embedded in a club, for close quarters edged weapons.
"What is that?" Mictlantecuhtl asked as he pointed to a small rectangular object. Another acolyte quickly brought it to his hand. He turned it over and over. It was smooth, like glass or pottery but felt like neither.
"We don't know my lord. You open it like this." Tezcatlipoca showed his sovereign how to unlatch and unfold the device. It lit up and made a strange sound.
Mictlantecuhtl started and would have dropped the thing if it weren't for the fact it would not do to have his people see him afraid. The rows of buttons inside had symbols that were meaningless to him. He pushed one, and the device made that sound again. A matching symbol appeared on the part that lit up. Pushing another button made another symbol appear.
"So it is a tool of some kind. A writing device?" He asked.
"We can't say my lord. They all had one and they can't all be scribes. We will find out through questioning." Tezcatlipoca replied. "The war party reported many people wearing white robes gathering things. They left some of their equipment behind"
He pointed to another mat piled with strange objects that were not immediately recognizable.
When he realized what he was looking at, the emperor still didn't believe it. There were cages holding birds and small animals as well as jars holding dirt and plants. Curious in itself why they would be gathering such things, he couldn't get over what the cages and jars were made of. More metal. Making weapons of metal had clear and obvious advantages, but why would you make a cage out of it? Were they that wealthy that metal could be used for such a lowly purpose? And the jars! He motioned for one to be brought to him. He turned it around in his hands. It was clear. Perfectly clear, perfectly smooth glass fitted with some kind of lid made of still more metal.
"How did they do this?"He asked. "Who are these people?"
"We believe the ones in white were priests my lord." Tezcatlipoca said. "The report says they escaped by summoning a gate of light. The ones in black guarded their retreat. Many of them escaped as well. We only captured a dozen or so."
He turned to face his liege and used his privilege of years of friendship to do what few others were allowed. He looked the emperor directly in the eye. In a low voice so no one else could hear, he spoke to him in the familiar manner they used when they were just two friends together.
"Mictlantecuhtl, we know each other very well. I trust you as well as you trust me. Please forgive me for not telling you about what I am about to show you. I did not want you to think your old friend had gone crazy."
Was Tezcatlipoca setting him up for a joke? The emperor smiled
"What do you mean my friend? I already think you're crazy."
His smile faded as he saw the priest was indeed very serious.
"Alright, so this is not a joke. What's this about then?"
Tezcatlipoca gestured for them to leave the room. "I will explain on the way."
Entering the hall, he again took the lead to guide the emperor. "When the war party attacked, these foreigners were taken completely by surprise. Our warriors looked forward to many slaves and honors. Their war chief rallied quickly, setting up a defensive line and giving the priests time to set up their spell to escape. Under their leader's commands, their warriors fought a brilliant retreat, maintaining defense while escaping through the portal. Several of our warriors were slain by their leader's bare hands. It was only when a sling stone brought that chief down that our warriors had any success. The portal closed before we could reach it."
"This war chief you speak of must be formidable indeed. I can't wait to see him." The emperor said.
Tezcatlipoca stopped walking and half turned back. "That is why I didn't tell you everything. Even when you see, you may not believe."
He turned back and continued to lead the way. They soon arrived at a door. "In here." He said as he opened the door.
Mictlantecuhtl entered the room and again, it took him a moment to realize what he was looking at. He turned to stare hard at his old friend.
"Are you sure you led me to the right room?" he asked.
"I told you so." Tezcatlipoca said. "I didn't believe it myself. Like it or not, that is the war chief of the foreigners."
He gestured with his walking stick to the still unconscious form of a young woman in black robes.
Two Days Ago.
Uryuu concentrated on keeping the stitches small and even. It was tight work putting lace trim on a blouse and required a great deal of concentration both to make the seam strong and unnoticeable. It served as a form of meditation. It helped him keep his mind away from what happened at dinner. The shouting. The anger. He knew he deliberately provoked his father. He wasn't sure why. It started the same old arguments they always had. How he shouldn't be a Quincy. How he was wasting his time. How he was being defiant. He didn't want to fight with his father. He was sorry when it happened. They just couldn't seem to get along. His sewing took over his mind, drowning out the loud angry voice that insisted he was right and his father should respect his choices. It also drowned out the small quiet voice that said, right or wrong, he should apologize and seek his father's forgiveness. He put down his sewing with a sigh.
"Forget how to use a door Kurosaki?"
"How did you know it was me?" Ichigo said.
Uryuu didn't even need to turn around to know the carrot topped Soul Reaper was sitting in his window.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe it was this giant red spirit ribbon waving in my face."
He caused the ribbon to materialize and seized it. He turned around in his chair to face him.
"It showed up three minutes before you got here."
He waved it at an unrepentant Ichigo. "Haven't you learned to hide your reiatsu yet? Every spiritually aware person and thing in Karakura must be tracking you. Probably the whole province as well."
Ichigo ignored his words as well as the acid tone used. "Look, I'm meeting up with Chad at Urahara's. We have to get to Soul society. Something big is going down. How soon can you get ready?"
Uryuu looked at him with a sour, pitying look.
"I'm sorry Kurosaki, am I wearing a collar? Cause I don't recall being your personal lapdog! Who do you think you are coming to my house and barking orders?"
That actually took Ichigo by surprise. "Huh? You don't want to come? It's a big mission! I mean we don't really need you, we're getting Soul Society support this time. I kinda thought you wouldn't want to feel left out."
Kurosaki was really hitting all his buttons. Didn't need him? Wouldn't want to feel left out? What kind of crap was that?
"Don't waste your pity on me Kurosaki. I'm sorry you dragged Chad into this, but I'm not interested."
Ichigo wasn't sure why, but it seemed he'd offended the Quincy.
"Look, I'd view it as a personal favor if you came along."
"Is the fate of the world at stake?" Uryuu asked.
"No" Ichigo admitted
"How about some kind of super powerful foe preparing to destroy Karakura? Uryuu asked.
Ichigo scratched his head. "No, nothing like that."
Uryuu's irritation was written all over his face.
"Well then dammit Kurosaki, what is it?"
Ichigo sighed. "A research group from the 12th division was investigating a newly discovered alternate dimension. They were ambushed and some were captured. We're going to try and rescue them. They could be killed at any time."
Uryuu sniffed. "Twelfth division, eh? Could be killed at any time?" His voiced dripped with disgust. "You don't know how bad that makes me feel."
He turned his back to Ichigo. "This is a Soul Reaper problem. You Soul Reapers handle it. I see no reason I should be involved."
He picked up his needle and returned to his sewing.
"Ishida," Ichigo said, "they got Nemu."
Uryuu stopped sewing.
Ichigo stared at his unmoving back. The room grew very quiet with the silence stretching on for several seconds.
"Ishida? Ichigo asked.
Uryuu put his sewing down. "I'll meet you there."
Two weeks ago
It was a day full of surprises. Emperor Mictlantecuhtl gently traced the ugly wound on the side of the woman's head. She must be strong indeed. Most people hit by a sling stone usually didn't have a head afterward.
"I still can't believe this woman was leading warriors." He said. She looked rather small and delicate.
"I know what you mean." Tezcatlipoca said. "According to the report, besides her skill at hand to hand, she was casting powerful spells that called forth the lightning and blocked their arrows. Striking her down was a lucky shot"
Could this day hold any more surprises? This was unheard of.
"She is a priest as well as a warrior?" Mictlantecuhtl asked.
While their warriors could have great power, spells were left to priests and acolytes. Few women were priests and they did not learn war spells.
"I don't know if they make that distinction." Tezcatlipoca replied. "She is definitely very powerful. Amazingly so. Here, I will demonstrate."
Reaching into a pouch on his belt, the high priest brought out a clear, quartz-like stone. He placed it on the woman's forehead where it soon began to pulse with light. The pulses grew faster and faster until it became one continuous light that grew brighter and brighter until it was unbearable to look at. The stone vibrated, making a high pitched keening sound before exploding into a fine dust.
Mictlantecuhtl was amazed.
"How is this possible?" He asked.
"I have to admit, I had a hard time believing my own eyes." Tezcatlipoca said. "After I got over my surprise, I began to think. This woman may be a true gift. Emperor, she may be the one we've been looking for."
Understanding flashed in Mictlantecuhtl's eyes. The Imperial line was the most powerful. Selecting a queen was always a problem in every generation. His queen, Mictlancihuatl had been unable to bear him children. Several concubines had died trying to bear his heir. They had not found a woman capable of handling the strain of bearing an imperial child to term. Had they really found a solution? As a captive, the woman's status was automatically a slave. No doubt she would be pleased to find herself a concubine instead of a field hand or a sacrifice. On the other hand, he didn't want to get his hopes up too high.
"Do you really think so?" he asked. "She is badly injured. She may not make it."
Tezcatlipoca produced a round obsidian mirror from a pouch around his neck.
"It is not her injuries that worry me."
Holding the mirror over her head, its surface shifted and whirled with many colors until they could see though it. It showed, not the woman, but a red spiderweb superimposed over the woman's head. They were looking at the concussion inside her head.
"Her wounds are bad my lord, but treatable. She has a very good change of a full recovery. This is what I worry about."
As the high priest moved the mirror down her body, the emperor saw patches of green, blue and other colors all over.
"What am I seeing?" he asked.
"I don't know emperor." Tezcatlipoca replied. "Some are liquids. Some are solids. Some powders. She seems to be a walking store house. There's more. Look at this."
Moving the mirror much closer, they could see the pulse of her blood moving through her veins. Even there, strange colors swirled.
"There seem to be substances moving in her bloodstream. Not mixed with her blood. Moving with it, but apart."
Suddenly, Tezcatlipoca's suggestion didn't seem like such a good idea.
"Are you sure this is even a woman?" He asked. "She could be some kind of monster."
The priest shook his head. "She's normal enough in most respects. It seems that somehow her people altered her. Why I don't know. I couldn't do something like this. But I do think I can undo it."
"What do you mean?" his emperor asked.
"I think while we are healing her, I can purge these substances from her body." Tezcatlipoca replied. "It will be tricky, but I believe I can convert this woman into a suitable surrogate for your heir."
He hoped he was right. Not just for the good of the empire, but because he hated to see the pain a childless marriage caused his friend. He heard a moan come from the woman. She was waking up.
Her head felt like it would split open with every beat of her pulse. Trying to turn her head only made it feel like it would fall off. She had no choice. She rolled over as waves of nausea swept over her. Unable to control herself she vomited and shook. Someone was there with a wet cloth and gently rolled her back, cleaning her face and making soothing noises. It was hard to hear. There was a loud ringing in her ears. With her eyes open, the room seemed to whirl and spin. She fought hard to keep her nausea at bay. Two faces appeared above her. One was painted with broad black and yellow stripes across his face. His eyes were bright and curious. The other had his face painted like a skull. He seemed to tower over the other man. For some reason, their appearances seemed vaguely familiar.
"Hello." The striped face said. It seemed to come from far away. "Can you understand me?"
She tried to nod and instantly regretted it as the room swayed like a ship at sea.
"Easy." The man said. "You've been badly hurt. Can you speak?"
She tried. She heard a hoarse croaking. Was that her voice?
"Yes." She heard it say.
"What is your name?" The man asked.
Her name? Of course, her name. Basic information. People would need to know who she was. What was her name? Surely she could remember her name. Panic seized her as she came to a realization. She couldn't remember her name. She didn't know who she was!