Chapter 2: Explanations and preparations
*Hey guys it's me again! Please review the chaps I post it will help me improve and they make me feel warm and fuzzy. :D Anyway I hope your all liking the story, please read review and enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach just the OCS Naoko and Anya
Urahara's shop was quite and tense. Nemu and Uryu had finished explaining what happened last night to the others. The other's being Ichigo, Chad, Orihime, Urahara, a particular black cat laying on Urahara's lap and Naoko. Each was taking in the new information at their own pace and trying to remain calm and think.
Even though Ichigo had only met this Captain once in Hueco Mundo, he felt an incredible anger at the sick man. How anyone could bring themselves to pit their own daughters against each other was beyond him. He so badly wanted to march into the Soul Society and kick his ass. It was people like him that gave Soul Reapers bad names in the first place.
For once and probably last time Naoko actually agreed with Ichigo on something. She hated Kurotsuchi for killing and experimenting on their grandfather anyway but now she was at a whole new level of hatred and anger. She also felt bad for Nemu, she gets a little sister and now she may have to kill her or be killed herself.
Naoko sighed, "Kisuke are you positive there isn't any loophole or way Nemu could get out of this?"
The stoic shopkeeper shook his head. "I'm positive, the rules are set in stone and there's no way to get around it. Nemu either has to kill Anya or die."
Ichigo scowled and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "So the only way she can live is if she kills this Anya girl, but then she'll be forced to go back to the Soul Society. But if she doesn't kill her then she dies? That's so screwed up! There has to be something we can do."
Urahara tapped his fan thoughtfully on his chin. Then he paused and perked up as if struck with a sudden realization.
"Ah ha! I have an idea."
"Knowing you it's probably a bad idea." Naoko interjected.
"You have no faith in me do you Naoko?" He whined playfully.
"No I've just grown wise to your unusual schemes and tactics. But since we don't have many options what's the plan?" She answered lazily.
"As I was saying, I have an idea. Nemu dear how would you like to learn Bankai in three days?"
The small group traversed down into the immense desert terrain training room underneath the shop. The grinning shopkeeper stood in front of the confused teens holding up a white cut out of some weird shape. The only one who wasn't confused was Ichigo only because he knew exactly what Urahara was holding.
"Now what a minute Hat-n-Clogs why are you having Nemu waste her time trying to learn Bankai? Shouldn't she be running for the hills now or trying to work out this situation without her having to die?" Asked Ichigo.
"Well there are a few things I gotta point out here Ichigo my boy. See if Nemu tried to run that would be seen as a crime of sorts and she'd be hunted down and brought back to the Soul Society. There she'd face a trial with Central 46 and I can guarantee you they won't be kind. Plus this is a 'choose a lesser of two evils' sort of situation we're in. If Nemu can achieve Bankai then she has a greater chance of beating Anya and living. Now that sounds a whole lot better than her showing up and being killed on the spot right?"
Ichigo didn't respond but scowled. Urahara had a point; Nemu living but going back to the Soul Society is a lot better than her dying and being gone for good.
This time Naoko spoke up, "But doesn't it take a person about ten years to learn Bankai?"
"Correct you are little Naoko. But that's under normal circumstances when someone actually has ten years but we don't. But with tenshintai right here I can guarantee you Nemu-chan can and will be able to learn Bankai. Ichigo can tell you from personal experience how effective it is, right Ichigo?" Urahara said cheerily.
"Don't make me hurt you." He hissed.
"Well if carrot-top can do it, then Nemu can for sure." Naoko said with a smirk.
"What did you just say you Quincy brat?!" The orange haired Soul Reaper hollered.
For a few moments everyone's attention was drawn to the quarrelling pair.
"Nemu are you sure you want to do this? I promised you we would find a way out of this, you don't have to do this." Uryu said evenly though you could still hear the bit of worry in his voice.
Nemu looked down at her long thin black katana at her hip. She only knew its name and had almost never used it before, now she is going to attempt to achieve the powerful second stage of this sword.
"I'm sure about this. I refuse to be killed by Anya and I don't want to have someone protect me all the time. If I have the means to fight shouldn't I fight for myself?" She said plainly as if this was part of a normal conversation.
Suddenly Urahara snapped his fan shut rather loudly to get everyone's attention. Naoko and Ichigo were both on the ground with large bumps on their heads and Urahara happily twirling his cane in hand.
"Alrighty then as I was saying. This here will help Nemu achieve Bankai in three days, no strings attached...well none we need to worry about for now. All you have to do is stab your sword into and it'll do the rest. So are you ready? Because when you begin you cannot stop until the end of day one." Said Kisuke, the last part he said in a serious tone.
Nemu gripped her swords hilt tightly. Everyone remained silent, waiting for her reply. In a split second Nemu stabbed her sword through the deformed doll. After the sword pierced the doll its shape and appearance began to change.
In its place was a tall light lavender skinned woman. She had long wavy silver hair with a light shade of purple to it. On her head were dark violet feather antennas like those on a moth. She had soft delicate features, when her eyes opened they were a sharp cool grey. From her back were large purple and black butterfly wings. The edges of the wings looked like black lace, and the inside of the wing were almost transparent. She wore a matching top with long sleeves that almost hid her hands and had lilac purple lace on edges. Her skirt was short and black but the overskirt were deep violet layers of lace, on the hem of each layer was a small silver diamond pattern. A simple pair of black boots covered her feet. Her beauty could possibly rival that of Sode no Shirayuki.
In her hand she held a black sword but held in the light at an angle it looked like a deeper shade of purple. The guard was shaped like a butterfly, with wings that were shaped like the woman's. The hilt though was black and white.
"K-kirahime?" Nemu whispered in disbelief. She had seen her swords spirit when she had learned her name. But Nemu had never thought she would see Kirahime in real life in front of her.
The spirit bowed, "It is nice to see you again mistress Nemu."
"Excellent!" Kisuke cried in comical joy. "So how soon can you start training her?"
"I would like to begin as soon as possible." Kirahime said in light smooth voice. "Are you ready mistress?"
*So how was chapter two? I've always been very curious about Nemu's zanpaktuo. I wanted it to be something dark yet beautiful, that's why Kirahime is a black and purple butterfly woman. Anyway I've had the image of her swords spirit in my head for a while and I really wanted to write about it. You'll find out more about what Nemu's sword can do later on... Please review and comment.
Kirahime-Dark lady princess (kira means dark lady in Celtic)
