"There are wounds that never show on the body that are more deeper and hurtful than anything that bleeds."
~Laurell K. Hamilton
Chapter Two
Betrayal
Shunsui Kyoraku hummed a playful tune under his breath. It had come from the human world and was more than intriguing in his eyes, although he couldn't help but wonder why humans would create such a contrived song; it wasn't particularly intelligent, nor was it clever for that matter. Nanao would react to it in a way that would his make his cadence falter and he nearly laughed. He knew with certainty that her brow would furrow as if she were questioning more than the song slipping through his mouth and he loved that about her.
"Oh," Shunsui murmured quietly, "if you go out in the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise. If you go out in the woods today, you'd better wear a disguise!"
The words fell from his lips easily, almost like butter on a thin piece of bread. He savoured the flavour of each phrase and threw himself about the room in an uneasy sort of stupor, his feet lightly touching the floor. While twirling, he paused to glance outside, staring through the solitary window in his office. Thick beams of light were slipping through the large rectangular pane. Each vibrant ray casted a patch of light across the floor. The sight was distracting to say the least, hence the reason why he had stopped chanting the lyrics of the song.
A smile lingered across Shunsui's mouth as he continued to stare out the window. He felt oddly youthful despite his age. It was almost as if he had transformed into a young soul. It was an odd sensation, a feeling that lured the child's song back upon his lips.
"For every bear that ever there was, will gather there for certain because, today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic!" The rhyme concluded with a flourish of his hand and a stomp of his foot. The lyrics had lifted his soul and for a moment, he had become a changed man.
Almost.
In all honestly, he had been feeling odd lately. There was an unusual sensation in the pit of his stomach. It threatened to slide to past his guarded façade and burst unexpectedly. It wasn't a horrible feeling, but it had been haunting Shunsui for quite some time. It was difficult to decipher and caused his attention to wander.
In contemplation, he gripped the edge of his infamous haori. His fingertips brushed the fabric hesitantly, embracing the pattern upon its exterior. Nanao, his steadfast subordinate, harboured an intense distaste for it. On many occasions, she had attempted to destroy it. The year before, while resting in the shade of a large oak, she had told Shunsui that the haori was hideous. What followed was a small argument and a scorch mark, one that had been caused by an unnecessary bout of kido. Other than that, it had been stolen, hidden, and stained in the hopes that it would be disregarded. Of course, every attempt to soil the vibrant fabric had failed. Under his watchful gaze, nothing entirely destructive had occurred.
At the thought of his lieutenant, Shunsui grimaced. He had forced her to complete a rather gruelling task. Training new recruits was always unpleasant. They were inexperienced, foolish, and soft in a way that reflected innocence and stupidity. There was no doubt in his mind that Nanao would succeed, for she had dealt with affairs far more cumbersome than the company of a couple of fools. She would be angry of course, but that was only natural. It was every officer's nightmare, or in her case, a living daydream, one that refused to end.
Despite his feelings of confidence and faith towards Nanao's abilities, Shunsui continued to feel as if he could barely breathe. His stomach fluttered uncomfortably, churning with an undesirable wrath. He was convinced that his feelings of unease were nothing but the stirrings of a sickness waiting for a remedy, but deep within his soul however, he knew that his accusations were far from the truth.
A sigh slipped through his lips. "If you go out in the woods today… " his voice trailed off, as the words of the rhyme, once loud and clear within his mind, had vanished entirely.
The stagnant smell of dawn air undulated across the room. It was early and Shunsui was not a morning person. His schedule consisted of lounging atop of squad buildings for no particular reason, avidly avoiding Nanao as if the very notion of hiding was a game in itself. Squad Eight was a fruitful division; it did not require constant maintenance or regulation. In his opinion, laziness, the mere act of relaxing, was not a crime. His subordinates reflected that belief. Nanao was the only exception and Shunsui was certain she wouldn't change her practices any time soon.
He stumbled across the room, his toe colliding with a large book. Shifting his gaze from the window, he stared at the novel, a large, goofy grin dominating his features; Nanao had hurled it at his head after she had found a rather incriminating remark written within the margins of her paperwork the other day. It had been enlightening, the pain that had erupted from his skull. It had triggered the intense need to consume alcohol, one he certainly wasn't going to ignore now. With a newly forged desire, he shifted his sock-adorned feet along the floor in rapid concession. When his varnished wooden desk came into sight, he struggled to touch the liquor bottle that lay strewn across its surface.
"If you go out… you're sure for a big surprise. If you go out to the woods… you'd better go in disguise…" Shunsui mumbled again, slowly grasping the sake bottle firmly in his right hand. He lifted the brown flask to his lips and took a mouthful of sake. A triumphant smile darted across his face as he glanced toward the window, admiring the ascent of daybreak.
"Drinking this early in the morning? I thought you had discarded that habit."
A pained grin stretched across his mouth and he lowered the bottle in his hand. It came to rest along his side, slowly gliding against the fabric of his pink haori. "I've got a liver of steel, Jushiro. It protects me from the wrath of sake."
"I see. Do you think your liver of steel could handle a cup of tea this morning?"
Shunsui took a deep breath and slowly turned towards his loyal comrade. Ukitake was standing calmly in the doorway of his office. His complexion was pale, but that was a normal sight. He had a strong heart but a weak pair of lungs. After years of living within Soul Society, he could never handle drinking one cup of alcohol, let alone two. He had an obscene passion with tea, one he always attempted to spread with glee. It was almost disturbing, but Shunsui had grown accustomed to his odd antics. After all, he had some weird traits of his own.
"Tea?" He asked innocently, "I thought that was what I was drinking?"
Another chuckle slipped through Jushiro's lips. His eyes lit up at the sudden change in conversation. He was, without a doubt, questioning the validity of Shunsui's statement. "Don't fool yourself, my friend. That's clearly a bottle of sake in your hand."
"Another version of tea!" Shunsui said playfully, while slowly twirling his bottle of alcohol throughout the air. "It's magical."
"Magic you say? That's an interesting theory."
A smile, devilish grin consumed Shunsui's features as he walked toward his friend. "It's no theory," He said lightly, the smile continuing to stretch across his mouth, "it's fact."
"Enlighten me." Jushiro said in an amused tone. Despite popular belief, he enjoyed playing along with Shunsui's mind games. It provided thought and consideration for the mind, which was increasingly more valuable than paperwork and the bustle of the Thirteenth Division.
Shunsui's arm wrapped quickly around Jushiro's shoulders, steering him in the direction of a nearby sofa. The couch was submerged in a patch of sunlight that had been stuck in the same spot for over an hour. It seemed impossible, but was most certainly not due to the quirky angle of the window. The sofa, a bunch of cushions riddled with patches and holes, had passed the test of time. It had been placed strategically within the room, as Shunsui often acted like a cat. He lounged around randomly without an objective for hours at a time. Nanao despised his actions, but did nothing to stop them, except throw the odd fit, which often included a heavy book.
"Certainly, my dear friend!" Shunsui declared, thrusting his drink into the air. "I shall inform you of the properties inside my magic tea!"
Before speaking, Shunsui's tossed his straw hat unceremoniously upon Jushiro's head. The smooth fibres displaced the man's hair with ease, creating a sight that was more than amusing. A manly chuckle threatened to burst through his lips, but he managed to suppress the sound. "My magic brew gifts me with visions of my lovely Nanao-chan!"
A smile cracked across Ukitake's face like the bud of a freshly emerged flower. He shook his head slowly, several strands of his long, frail white hair swaying back and forth. With steady hands, the Captain of the Thirteenth Division carefully withdrew Shunsui's traditional hat from his head. "You certainly seem to have developed a strong liking for Ise-fukutaichou."
"Of course! She dazzles me with her superior book-wielding abilities and intelligence! My Nanao-chan is a very talented woman. Her aim is impeccable!" Shunsui announced loudly, thrusting the bottle of sake between his fingers higher into the air.
"Have you announced these proclamations to Ise-san?" Jushiro asked politely.
"All the time." he retorted quietly, fidgeting with the flask.
Ukitake gently ran his nimble fingers along Shunsui's straw hat. He stared at the sun-bleached fibers in a daze, attempting to devise a clever retort. He knew that Shunsui's feelings for Nanao ran as deep as his devotion for sake; a large portion of his heart had been dedicated to her happiness. Sadly, he had never considered telling her about his emotions. Ukitake didn't know if Nanao would ever allow herself to succumb to Shunsui's flirtatiousness and he knew that his friend, in his own strange and impractical way, would forever play the part of a fool.
"Nanao-san has been gone for quite some time now. I'm sure she'll be glad to return to Squad Eight." Jushiro stated optimistically, gingerly placing the hat on an abandoned cushion.
"Of course!" Shunsui cried happily, the bottle of alcohol swaying slowly in the air, "a difficult mission is sure to wear her down! She will seek comfort, and I will be prepared to—"
"As I recall," Jushiro interrupted softly, "you were the one who sent her on that mission. I don't believe she will be forgiving."
Shunsui snorted and gently lowered the bottle in his right hand. The amber liquid sloshed against the glass before it stilled against his side, "Don't be so unenthusiastic! My Nanao-chan is unpredictable. Her actions are a mystery to me."
"Ah, you have always enjoyed a good mystery."
The smile on Shunsui's face grew dramatically. "You know me all too well."
"When did you say she was returning?" Jushiro asked calmly, a thoughtful expression consumed his features.
Shunsui sighed and began walking towards a cabinet in the far corner of his office. The cupboard contained a packet of loose, green tea, the kind that would stick to the back of his throat in an unpleasant sort of way. There was also an unconditioned teapot that looked questionably out of use. It was never used, unless of course, Jushiro chose to visit, for he claimed that a cup of green tea soothed the dry heave within his lungs. Like usual, he believed otherwise. It was a perverse joke they both shared; he hated green tea and Jushiro had known it for ages. Drinking the tea created a form of unwarranted amusement, as both the taste and smell sent pained shivers up Shunsui's spine.
"My beautiful Nanao-chan should return later this week."
"That is fortunate. I was meaning to ask her a favour."
As Shunsui reached china cup, he paused, taking a moment to discard his liquor. It was almost as painful as dealing with green tea, but he was obligated to, as guests meant more than his bad habits or dislikes. While snatching the pot and retrieving water, he starred at the golden fluid with the bottle, savouring the memory of tasting the liquid along his tongue. Sake was a a gift, one that was rarely ignored.
"A favour? Don't tell me you need her to preform kido again?"
Jushiro chuckled and sighed deeply. He appeared to have found a place amongst the many cushions on the sofa. "Yes. I don't mean to interrupt your division's duties, but Nanao-san is quite talented. She is certainly a wonder when it comes to demon magic. I was wondering if she could help train my men again."
A satisfied smirk slowly snaked across Shunsui's mouth. Nanao was an exceptionally brilliant woman. She wore the weight of the world as if it were a gift rather than a burden. She took her responsibilities seriously, never deterring from the stern set of rules she had devised for herself. Shunsui reached deep into the depths of his cabinet, the smile on his mouth never fading, as he attempted to locate the handle of the calcified teapot.
"Kyoraku-taichou!" A foreign voice suddenly yelled, disturbing Shunsui from his goal.
The sound was slightly annoying, but not completely unmanageable. Only new recruits, in their youthful and innocent demeanour, chose to scream or yell randomly. For weeks he had dealt with the change, but it appeared as though he had not adapted to it. With amusement, he glanced at Jushiro from across the room, sending his friend a silent message. It was an apology of sorts. He did not deserve to deal with the issues contained within the Eighth Division, even if they were of a trivial nature.
A young recruit, barely old enough to handle a zanpakuto, flew through the sliding doors in a stream of fear. "Kyoraku-taichou! Ise-fukutaichou is in trouble! An alert was sent to Squad Twelve several minutes ago!"
The words that slipped through the recruit's lips were unexpected. Shunsui's heart froze in dread and began to stutter like a recording on re-play. He inhaled a sharp breath of oxygen, holding the morning air deep within his lungs. After several moments of bewilderment, he dispelled the air instinctually. He carefully walked over to Jushiro and placed the aged teapot within his nimble hands.
"How long?" Shunsui asked, rapidly moving across his office in search of his traditional hat.
"I beg your pardon, sir?" The young recruit asked nervously, fiddling with the hilt of his zanpakuto.
Shunsui looked around frantically, gazing around his office in a blind stupor. He wanted to believe that Nanao was safe somewhere. He wanted to believe that she was breathing; bleeding strength instead of blood. He could visualize her broken body within his mind, shattered like a pane of glass, scattered across a nameless battlefield that he had conjured within his head. He clenched his fists in anger. In any normal situation, he would have never chosen to leave the interior of his office blindly, but today he was dealing with Nanao, a member of his Division and a friend. If her life was in danger, he would be a fool not to save it.
"How long until reinforcements arrive?"
"Twenty minutes? I don't think—"
Shunsui grabbed his war-worn hat and placed it carefully atop his dark brown curls. He stared at the boy sternly, his heart hammering in time with the chaos flowing throughout his sunlit office. "I'm leaving now. Please inform the Old Man for me. You are dismissed."
"Y-yes, sir!" The recruit chanted loudly. The boy tripped over his feet before he ran from the office, retreating from the room as if it contained the beginnings of some foreign disease.
With worry, Shunsui closed his eyes and placed a hand along the hilt of his zanpakuto. The sensation in his stomach had become increasingly worse. It had intensified, causing ripples of uncertainty to travel through his body. It was disturbing and made him want to scream like an innocent child. It wasn't some trivial feeling; it was a warning, one he should of acknowledged weeks before.
"Where are you planning to go?" Jushiro asked, his voice pulling the Eighth Division Captain from his thoughts.
A loud sigh slipped through Shunsui's lips. It would be too difficult to describe his thoughts to his closest friend. His brain was a maze of jumbled ideas and beliefs; if he attempted to bering each thought to life, time, a valuable essence, would be wasted. While frowning, his hands trailed along the length of his straw hat slowly, a movement full of contemplation. "I'm not going to lose another Lieutenant, Jushiro."
"That was a long time ago. Nanao is different. She is a strong and capable woman; have some faith."
Shunsui shook his head, his brown curls bouncing lightly. "Not today, old friend. Something is wrong. Messages such as these don't come often, especially ones involving Nanao."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes."
Jushiro wasn't one to question his friend's feelings, but this was a different situation. It was both linked to the past and present. It was important, but muddled and mixed into issues that had stood the test of time. It was worrisome; dealing with Shunsui's antics although they seemed meaningful and true. If his behaviour backfired, he would not only face judgement within the Eighth Division, but the entirety of Soul Society as well.
Another loud sigh slipped through Shunsui's lips. "I'm going to find her."
A worried expression was plastered across Jushiro's pale face. His mouth was pressed into an unhealthy frown. "You don't even know where she is located. She could be anywhere in the human world."
"That doesn't matter. My Nanao-chan can't hide from me. I'm a master at hide and seek."
It was painful to accept, but Jushiro had no choice. It would be impossible to stop his friend. Nanao was more than important, although Shunsui would never admit it. She was his sun, and a man who loved the summer couldn't very well leave the object of his affections behind. "Keep me posted. I will alert the Eighth Division of your absence."
With a wave of his hand and a flash of shunpo, Shunsui suddenly disappeared. As he left his office and his friend behind, one dark thought consumed his mind. The odd feeling in the pit of his stomach was not a sickness. It was a warning, a haunting alert that had first began when Nanao had left his sight.
Nanao whimpered as another ripple of pain traveled throughout her body. The agony was reminiscent of a bomb. Fire flowed throughout her veins, trigging a response from every nerve. It weakened her limbs and dulled her senses, creating visions that wavered in front of her eyes. She could accept the pain, but not the circumstances from which it was created. It was simply impossible to understand why. She had done nothing—the recruits had done nothing to deserve such a pitiful and deceitful death. It was cruel, and the memory of every moment burned against her eyelids.
A moan slipped through Nanao's lips as the twisted her head toward the ground. The stagnant smell of copper flowed up her nostrils. It's source was obvious, as the colour red seemed to dominate the ground. It decorated the forest in a spectacular array of lines and blobs that shone within the early morning light. Every blade of grass, rock, and branch within the bracken was splattered with blood. It was sickening, and in disgust she suppressed a mouthful of bile, pressing her face deep within the damp grass. She inhaled the hidden scent of wildlife; desperately attempting to clear her lungs.
Closing her eyes, Nanao attempted to collapse into unconsciousness. The comforting oblivion deep within her mind was far more inviting than the world she was forced to experience. All she could see was red. All she could smell was blood. Sleep would create a safe haven, one which she envisioned with her mind. She did so for one simple reason; she was going to die. Her body was broken and her comrades were dead. She felt as if her life had shattered. She had been betrayed in the most brutal way. Her heart was broken; completely strewn around the forest clearing in thousands of pieces.
It had all occurred because she had seen something. She had witnessed an event that was none of her concern. As her thoughts spun, Nanao's vision faltered and slowly disappeared. She gasped for another breath, having difficulty succeeding in her task. The world was dissolving piece-by-piece. The smell of blood, the sensation of grass—everything within her world was disappearing within a vast kaleidoscope of red.
She attempted to breathe again. Air whispered through her lips, brushing against torn skin. It wasn't enough. Her lungs burned with need, a feeling that was completely unbearable. Over time, black spots slowly dominated her vision. She gasped, trying to force oxygen into her lungs. Her body refused to cooperate. She was a brick wall; an absolute failure.
Nanao moaned again as her body began to slowly shut down. Her heart pounded in her ears, beating a rhythm much similar to a song. It was loud and brash; a sound the Second Division would be ashamed of. The beat suddenly faltered, skipping and stuttering randomly. The only question she could ask was why. The whole situation made no sense, which only enforced his betrayal. She wanted to understand, but no longer had the time. Death would arrive and leave her with nothing, not even an answer.
"Why, Kyoraku-taichou? Why?"
A/N: Hello, readers! My sister and I apologize for taking to long to update! Our family just experienced a five hour move, so things have been extremely busy. We both have had little time to splurge creatively. Anyways, welcome to the second chapter! We are both sorry if it was at all boring. We like to build things up slowly. So...everyone like the little plot twist? Anyone confused? Ah, Nanao is going to have some difficulty in the future. Well, if she survives.
We would like to thank everyone who responded to the first chapter! You guys are amazing! Please tell us what you thing of the story so far! Is it too slow? Boring? Interesting? Please give us some feedback!
*Edited: 22/06/2015
~IronEclipse
-CrystalShardsOfRain
