Beautiful Blind Eyes
Chapter 2: Blindsided
Rose was locked in her small spartan room. Her bed, only slightly larger than a cot, was untouched although it was midnight. She sat by her small window, her unseeing eyes staring out into the blackness. The cool night breeze kissed her skin and she inhaled the sweet smell of the night. How she wished she could see the stars again. But no, she had been given this curse. She had told Ikkaku it was a gift, and in some ways it was. She was not totally blind, and yet this gift had also given her the bruises on her shoulders and back. The Society had needed her again that night, and of course when she had not been able to do what was needed of her, they had beaten her. She didn't know what they wanted. It had something to do with the auras, of that she was sure. But as to what they truly desired she didn't know. Slowly she moved to her bed and lay down, wincing at the pain. By morning her injuries were sure to be black and blue.
Ikkaku sat thinking at Keigo's house. That girl could be useful to them. If she could detect the Espada before the Department of Research and Development could, they could be that much more ready, and get to the fighting that much more quickly. Ikkaku smiled at that thought.
"Ikkaku what are you thinking about?" Yumichika's voice pierced his thoughts,
"Honestly I haven't seen you sit so still in I don't know how long."
"I met someone today..." Ikkaku said in a quiet voice.
"Oh really? So who was it?" Yumichika leaned over him curiously.
"I should really talk to Captain Toshiro. But I have to find out if she's worth it first..." he muttered more to himself than Yumichika.
"Ooh! So this person you met is a girl. Was she beautiful? If she's beautiful then I want to meet her." Yumichika pranced around a bit, "Oh this is so interesting, you've never been interested in girls before!"
"What! I never said I was interested in her!" Ikkaku snapped out of his deep thought to yell at Yumichika.
"Fine then," he complained, "spoil my fun. But I will find out about this girl."
Yumichika went into another room and pulled out his phone. He quickly dialed Rangiku's number, she picked up on the first ring.
"Yumichika, is there trouble?"
"No. But Rangiku, you will never believe it... Ikkaku met a girl today!"
"You don't mean... he's interested, do you?"
"Well he says he's not but I don't believe it."
"Well, what does she look like? What's her name? When is he next going to see her? How old is she? Is she a soul reaper? Is she human? Is she pretty? Common Yumichika, tell me!"
"Well... I don't actually know. Ikkaku was pretty secretive about her."
The disappointment was thick in Rangiku's voice, "Well do you at least know her name?"
"No. But Ikkaku was going to tell Captain Hitsugaya about her, and, this I quote
'I have to find out if she's worth it first'. He sounds pretty serious."
"Yea he does. Call me if you get any more information out of him. We have just got to meet this girl!"
"I will Rangiku." He snapped the phone shut.
Rangiku gave a little squeal.
"Oh I never though I'd live to see the day."
"Whats going on Rangiku?" Captain Hitsugaya asked warily.
"Oh Captain! You'll never believe it! Ikkaku is interested in a girl!" Rangiku's voice rang out with glee. Toshiro's eyes bulged for a moment.
"No... Ikkaku! Impossible."
"No! It's true! I just heard from Yumichika."
"Who'd have thought it could happen... I want to meet this girl."
"Don't we all! But Ikkaku's being secretive about her, Yumichika doesn't even know her name. It's really not fair. Well, anyway I'm going to go tell Renji! He's going to flip when he hears about this!" Rangiku giggled as she dialed Renji's number.
"What's up?" Renji sounded like his mouth was full and Rangiku could hear the crinkle of a potato chip bag in the background.
"Renji you will never believe it. I'm still getting over it myself..."
"What is it Rangiku?"
"Ikkaku met a girl today."
"So... I met the girl who works at the convenience store today getting some chips."
"No you idiot, he met a girl today."
"I don't see what you're getting at..."
"You are SO dense! He's interested in a girl you baka!"
"Hey I am NOT dense! Wait... WHAT! Ikkaku? No way. Who'd want him?"
"That's the thing, we don't know. Ikkaku wouldn't tell us."
"Who's we?"
"Well, I heard from Yumichika, then I told Captain Hitsugaya and you."
"So this is third hand knowledge."
"Kind of, yes. But still!"
"Do you have any proof?"
"Not exactly, but I plan on following Ikkaku tomorrow to see if he meets this mystery girl. You want to come?"
"..."
"I take that as a yes. I'll call when Ikkaku leaves for his patrol. I'm guessing that's when he'll meet her. See you tomorrow!" Rangiku snapped the phone shut.
Again Ikkaku was walking on his normal patrol. But unbeknownst to him, he was being followed. Rangiku, Toshiro, Yumichika, and Renji were trailing him a bit behind. The sun was setting on another blistering day of summer heat. Ikkaku hadn't worn his gigai. He approached the same spot, it was on the edge of town, far from the hustle and bustle of town. It had a great view of the sunset. As Ikkaku came toward the very spot they had met, Rose appeared on the horizon sitting in the same place. She seemed dejected but as he got closer she straitened.
"Hey." Ikkaku said, sitting next to her.
"Hi." Rose said almost shyly.
"Is that her?"
"I'm really not sure. She looks nothing like what I imagined Ikkaku would go for. I mean I was thinking biker-chick or something." Rangiku answered Renji's question.
"Although it seems that is her. Ikkaku is just sitting and talking with her." Yumichika said, "I can't see her clearly Ikkaku is in the way. I can't tell if she's beautiful!"
"Honestly we're to far away to really see her anyway." Toshiro grumbled quietly. He didn't know how he had gotten dragged into this.
"Good idea Captain! Let's get closer." Rangiku flash stepped a few yards closer.
"So I didn't get to ask yesterday. What exactly are you? If you're not human." Rose said in a quiet voice.
"Oh right. We're called soul reapers." Ikkaku said, " We help the souls of the dead crossover into the Soul Society, the after life. We also fight monsters called Hollows. Hollows are souls that couldn't cross over because of some kind of attachment to this world, they pray on other souls both living and dead. We slice them with our swords called Zanpakutos to sort of purify them and they can go back to the Soul Society."
"That's what they were... I've sensed the, Hollows, before. The worst part about sensing them is the sound. They sound like human screams, I guess the screams of the humans they ate." Rose shuddered. Trying to get the conversation back on a safe topic, Ikkaku came up with a question,
"So what do I sound like? She perked up a bit.
"Hmm what do you sound like..." Rose stopped and listened, cocking her head toward Ikkaku.
"You sound like...hmm, like sand sifting over a desert... and in the distance... a double-piped flute and a tambourine play in harmony. But I can only just hear the instruments. The whispering of the sand, that's the enchanting part. It's haunting, like...like I don't know. I can't describe it. It's beautiful."
"Really..."
"You know, its strange, some people don't have sounds. I don't know why. It's odd." Ikkaku was about to say something to that when Rose stiffened.
"Ikkaku. There are four. Four big auras, and they're close. Maybe 40 or 50 feet away, I have no idea if their hostile or not."
Ikkaku did a quick scan of the surrounding area, suppressing his own spiritual pressure to look for other signatures. He got a faint trace of four different ones. Yumichika's, Rangiku's, Captain Hitsugaya's, and Renji's.
"Those asses." Ikkaku grumbled, "Come on out you guys!" He yelled. "Relax I know these people, sadly. I'll introduce you in a minute." Ikkaku pulled Rose to her feet.
Slowly the four soul-reapers came from their hiding place on the roof of a nearby building to stand in front of Ikkaku. Even so, they were all staring at Rose.
"What were you idiots doing spying on me! Well?" Ikkaku was thoroughly furious.
"We just wanted to meet your friend. It's really nothing to yell over." Rangiku pouted.
"She dragged me here." Renji pointed at Rangiku, "You know how she gets."
"I don't need to explain myself, I am a Captain after all. But if you need an explanation, I was making sure your relations with this girl wouldn't compromise the mission." Toshiro simply inspected the girl in front of him while he gave this little speech.
"And you Yumichika? What did you have to do with this?" Completely ignoring Ikkaku's question, Yumichika moved to the truly important question.
"Well Ikkaku are you going to introduce us?" He sent Yumichika a death glare, "Fine. Guys, this is Rose..."
"Rose Heki." She quickly filled in, realizing that she had never told Ikkaku her last name. Captain Hitsugaya came forward.
"I'm Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya of the Tenth Division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. "
"It's an honor to meet someone with such a title." Rose gave a small bow at the waist. Toshiro smiled a little and puffed up his chest, he was going to like this girl.
"I'm Rangiku Matsumoto. I'm the Lieutenant of Captain Hitsugaya in the Tenth Division. It's a pleasure to meet you!" Rangiku grabbed Rose's hand and squeezed it warmly. Rose returned the squeeze and smiled, "I'm very happy to meet you too." Rangiku backed up and Renji took her place.
"I'm Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Squad Six."
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
"That's an interesting name you have, Rose Heki."
"Oh yea, my mother was European, she always loved roses, and she chose that last name for us." she looked away. Renji backed up to let Yumichika inspect the girl. He walked around her inspecting her from every angle. He finally came back in front of her.
"Now let's see your face." He commented, putting two fingers under Rose's chin and lifting it so her face was bare toward him.
"Mmhmm. Open your eyes. I want to see them."
Slowly, Rose obeyed. She heard the intake of breath from the man in front of her. She wanted to hide her face. Here would come the sympathy and the whispered 'Oh the poor girl'.
"You have beautiful eyes."
There was silence for a moment. Perfect still and calm.
"What?" Rose whispered disbelieving. "But my eyes are..."
"Blind?"
Rose could hear the gasp from the others, they hadn't realized. "Yes, and they are beautiful blind eyes. Actually your whole facial structure is quite pretty, but those clothes are ghastly. Completely ugly, why do you wear them?"
"I have nothing else." Rose answered, still reeling from what Yumichika had said. No one had ever called her beautiful. Never any part of her, especially not her eyes.
"What! You have nothing else!" Yumichika gasped, horrified, "Rangiku, we need to get her into something more flattering, don't you agree?"
"Oh yes! I smell a shopping spree coming on!" Rangiku bounced a little as she thought of the possibilities.
"Oh um, I don't think I can. I don't have any money." Rose was blushing embarrassed by both the complement Yumichika had given her and having to admit her lack of funds.
"Oh don't worry about it, Hon. We'll take care of everything." Rangiku was already thinking of where they had to go, " The Soul Society gave us cash for our mission so we're loaded."
"Please don't worry about it. It's fine, really. I like these clothes."
"It doesn't matter if you like them or not, those clothes aren't suited for a rat, let alone a delicate flower such as yourself." Yumichika's no-nonsense voice made it very clear that he wasn't going to take no for an answer.
Ikkaku kept watching as the situation spiraled out of his control. He of all people knew that once Yumichika went on a 'mission of beauty' (as he called it) there was no stopping him. He sincerely felt bad for Rose, she had to deal with both Rangiku and Yumichika.
"Oh by the way," Yumichika interrupted himself, "I'm Yumichika Ayasegawa, Fifth seat of Squad Eleven."
"Um, yes, I see." Rose was clearly flustered.
"I am disappointed I you all." Captain Toshiro said in a bored voice, "You haven't even thought about how she's a human an yet she can see and hear us, even though we aren't wearing our gigai." all movement stopped as they all looked at Toshiro.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about Captain." Ikkaku finally got to say his piece, "She has a gift. Rose can see colored auras around certain people, and sometimes hear sounds. It's my suspicion that she can sense spiritual pressure. That's how I knew you guys were there, she sensed you."
"But we were almost 60 feet away!" Renji exclaimed, "And repressing our spiritual pressure."
"That's why she's so useful, she could track the Espada as soon as they appear. With a little training I bet she could sense much farther than 60 feet..."
"So that's all you wanted me for..." Rose's tone was dark and her voice trembled, "a...TOOL!" she spat that word at Ikkaku. Her hands were balled into fists her head down, "Just something to use and then to dispose of. Is that all I'm worth to anyone? You are just like the Society! I have had enough of being used and treated like a slave!" Rose turned and ran. She could sense the soul reapers running after her, they were fast! As fast as lightning. She only had a moment to dodge when they appeared in front of her. What was worse she could feel the hot tears in her sightless eyes. She had been a fool to trust anyone. She would always be an outcast, always have this curse. This damned curse.
Rose was breathing hard and her steps began to waver from moving muscles that previously had little or no exercise. She could sense Ikkaku reaching out to grab hold of her from behind. Just as his hand brushed her shoulder she put out a desperate burst of speed. Ikkaku's fingers caught hold of the neckline of her gray dress and the cheap fabric tore with a sharp ripping sound. Caught off balance by the moment of being held back and then quick release, Rose fell and tumbled to the ground. When she came to rest she was on her knees in the dust, hunched over them, holding the loose fabric over her chest. The left side of the back of her dress had been ripped off to her waist the right side still slightly intact. But the damage had been done, her black and blue bruised back was displayed for all to see. Rose could sense them around her in a circle. She sat huddled in a sort of fetal position, gasping in deep breaths. Tears still trickling down her face, but these were from the pain her back had endured, as well as the feeling of betrayal.
The stillness hung in the air as if time had stopped moving. Ikkaku still held the piece of torn fabric in his hand. They all stared at the horrifying picture before them. A young girl, long brown hair messily hanging about her face, shaking with haggard breaths, an ugly dress torn from a graceful figure to show the evidence of violence.
The scene fit her name perfectly. Heki Ro-zu.
The broken Rose.