Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the show. Those belong to the animators.
AN: As usual there are a few words that you may not recognize and they will be listed and explained below. Any words that were used in English in previous chapters that are now used in a different language here are part of the plot development as the OC remembers more of her past. Try not to let it confuse you.
Also please review. I like knowing that people are actually reading this and am open to constructive criticism.
Ch 2.
Kestrel backed against the wall as tears rolled down her cheeks. She was trapped with no way out. Was this finally the end?
"Not so fast Mayuri. You're not doing a thing with her," a red haired man appeared behind Mayuri.
"Lieutenant Abarai, I don't believe you were invited to this little party," Mayuri replied seemingly unaffected by the interruption.
"The laws of the soul society forbid you from harming her," the Lieutenant stated keeping a hand on the hilt of his weapon.
"How is that Lieutenant," Mayuri asked still maintaining his calm tone of voice.
"As I recall you are no longer allowed to experiment on Quincy's," the Lieutenant responded.
"She's half Hollow. I doubt a Quincy would even call her kin," Mayuri pointed out.
"That's besides the point. She's still part Quincy," the Lieutenant brushed off the statement as irrelevant.
"Her Hollow half could still be dangerous Renji. We should at least dispose of her," Nemu reasoned.
"No. We have no proof of that. She has made no attempt at an attack. Only an escape," Renji put in.
"We can't just let her roam free. We have no proof that she's not dangerous," Nemu insisted.
"Then we should capture her and hand her over to the detention unit until the soul society leaders can decide what to do with her," Renji stated firmly.
"Fine," Mayuri agreed.
Kestrel saw no refuge in struggle. As long as she had a chance of survival she may as well take it.
-!-
Rose walked quietly ahead of her watching her footsteps carefully. Emileena stepped nimbly over the floorboard that she knew would squeak if stepped on. Finally they made it to the door. There would be no way to open that quietly. Papá would hear it and be alerted to the fact that they were not in bed.
Rose turned to look at her, "You ready to run," she whispered.
"Sí hermana," Emileena replied.
Rose pushed the door open. It creaked loudly and both girls ran. Before they even reached the woods they could hear the pounding footsteps of their Papá behind them.
"Run Rose. Go without me. I will lead him away," Emileena slowed pace and let her hermana disappear into the woods.
When she got to the trees she changed course and ran to the right. The ground was cold beneath her bare feet and twigs snapped under her weight as she ran. As she had hoped her Papá followed. He would soon catch up to her but at least Rose would escape. Finally there was nowhere to run when she reached the cliff. An adult could have survived the jump but she was only eleven.
"Emileena jump," she heard Running Deer call to her.
She looked in the direction of his voice and saw two horses galloping by the bottom of the cliff. Running Deer sat bareback on the front horse and Rose clung to the back of the other. As they were about to pass Emileena leaped. A moment later she landed on the horse behind Running Deer.
"You have the grace of a Kestrel," he said as her arms wrapped around his waist.
"Gracias amigo," she replied.
Suddenly there was another horse joining the first two. The woman on it called to Running Deer in his native tongue. Emileena could not understand what she said. Running Deer answered in the same strange language and gestured toward the horse Rose was holding onto.
"What's going on," Emileena asked.
"Red Fox says we have to hurry and catch up with the group. The sun will rise soon and our people leave at dawn. I told her to help your sister," he answered.
Emileena looked back in time to see Red Fox helping Rose onto her horse. When all the humans were situated the three horses broke into a dead run to carry the riders to the village.
-!-
Kestrel woke up gasping. More forgotten memories swam in her head. Why had she run away? None of this made sense. Her name was Kestrel. Why had her hermana called her Emileena? Even more confusing, why had she accepted the name without even the slightest doubt that it was hers?
"Good. You're awake," a female voice said.
Kestrel looked toward the voice. A stern but small woman with short black hair and two long braids held in white material stood on the other side of iron bars. Kestrel sat up and looked around, startled by the unfamiliar room she was in. Then she remembered. She had been captured by soul reapers. This was a detention cell.
"It's time for your trial. Will you come willingly," the woman asked.
Kestrel nodded. She looked down at herself and stood up when she was satisfied that no part of her was chained to the bed. As she walked to the bars she allowed her spiritual pressure to flex a bit then pulled it back to indicate that she was no threat. The woman's eyes narrowed in suspicion. She realized that she had made the mistake of assuming that soul reapers understood this signal as the arrancar did.
"Sorry. In Las Noches we used that technique as a signal of peace to show that we do not want to fight one another," her voice sounded the same as usual but it felt awkward in her throat.
Confused she rubbed her neck. Nothing seemed out of place. The usual flaming pain in her throat was just absent.
"I take it you're not used to the humidity in the air," the woman observed.
Kestrel stopped in front of the bars, "Hueco Mundo is a very dry place," she acknowledged.
The woman held up a set of shackles and Kestrel obediently put her arms through the bars. A tear slid down her cheek as the shackles clicked into place around her wrists.
"If you truly have no intention to fight back we might just let you live," the woman said opening the cell and taking hold of the shackles.
"I learned a long time ago that fighting is useless on my part. I'm just not strong enough and I don't have the will to become stronger," Kestrel said quietly.
"Your inner Hollow agrees with this," the woman sounded surprised.
"Emma only comes out for emergency defense. Other than that she's for the most part docile," suddenly something clicked.
Emma had to be short for Emileena. Of course. The Hollow was the part of her that resulted from whatever tragedy she had known when she still accepted Emileena as her name.
"That's right," Emma whispered in her head.
"Docile," the woman spoke as though the word was foreign.
"Ééhe, she talks to me but makes no move toward aggression," Kestrel hissed and closed her eyes against the harsh sunlight she was suddenly exposed to outside the cell unit.
-!-
It was quiet as she sat down in the chair placed in the center of the room. The spiritual pressure of those around her was suffocating.
"It doesn't have to be," an unfamiliar voice in her head spoke.
"Who are you," Kestrel though to the voice.
"I am a part of you that was hidden away. You are stronger than the Espada lead you to believe. The strength you have is hidden within me. Set me free and awaken it," the voice said to her.
"I don't think now is the best time to suddenly be strong," Kestrel replied.
"Have it your way. I will seek you out in your dreams then Kestrel," the voice said fading out.
"Shall we begin the trial," the old man directly in front of her said.
TBC…
Words you may not know:
Papá: Spanish: Father: pa-pAH
Sí: Spanish: yes: sEE
Hermana: Spanish: Sister: air-mah-nah
Gracias: Spanish: Thank you: grah-see-ahs
Amigo: Spanish: Friend: ah-mee-goh