Dancing Flower
Bleach Fanfiction
Mayuri and Mai
Chapter 4
Numb

I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
I've become so tired, so much more aware
I'm becoming this, all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you

Numb- Linkin Park


The Menos pushed its way through the giant portal in the sky, landing on the ground below with a resounding boom. The surrounding spirit pressure reached its peak in the air catching the attention of everyone who could sense it. Mai flash stepped out of the giant Hollow's reach as all of the oxygen left her lungs. In an instant her hand went to the four silver bangles dangling from her wrist that sealed off her spirit pressure. She reached for the first one, the weakest band. Pulling it off would immediately double her spirit energy and her power, providing a quick burst of energy to swiftly and efficiently deal with tougher enemies, perfect for situations such as this.

Mai went to slip off the bangle when a familiar voice called out to her. She cocked her head to find Kisuke gazing over the battlefield from nearby. With a huff she appeared at his side in a blue blur.

"What?" she snapped as she came to a halt beside him. "Can't you see I'm a little busy?"

Kisuke smirked and ruffled her hair. "Unfortunately, it's not your battle to fight." He raised a hand and pointed off into the distance. Mai followed the direction he was indicating and noticed Ichigo and Uryuu trying to fight the Hollow. Instantly gold eyes flashed up to the shopkeeper in shock and fury.

"Are you trying to kill him?!"

As if to reiterate her question Rukia came running up behind them and glared accusingly at Kisuke. "There's no way Ichigo is strong enough to go up against Menos Grande." She stepped forward to prevent the fight only to be stopped by a flick of Kisuke's wrist. She dropped to her knees frozen in place. Mai scowled and re-sheathed Livewire even though her blood still rushed through her from anticipation for the fight. She was strong enough to defeat that Menos Grande. The feeling of betrayal coursed through her.

"Mai." The blue-haired teenager stubbornly turned away from Kisuke and crossed her arms. "Please listen to me." A comforting hand landed on her shoulder. She stilled but still refused to look at the shopkeeper. She heard him sigh through his nose. Whatever he was going to say he decided was best kept to himself because he withdrew his hand. "I want you to go to the bridge overlooking the park. Two of Ichigo's friends are watching the battle from there; make sure nothing happens to them."

Mai was gone within the next moment. The wind blew through her hair as she breezed past trees and buildings. She knew the bridge Kisuke was talking about and found it easily within minutes. Standing there, eyes wide with shock, were an orange-haired girl and a very tall, dark-skinned boy. Mai recognized them as students from her school, in the same grade as Ichigo. The orange-haired girl noticed Mai's entrance and turned her attention away from the battle below. She had a very pretty, child-like face and a sweet and kind aura about her. The most surprising feature about this innocent-looking teenager was her large breasts.

Gray eyes met Mai's gaze as the blue-haired girl came to stop. "Oh, who are you?" she asked cheerfully. The dark-skinned boy turned to see who his friend was talking to. He was the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome. And even though she couldn't see his eyes beneath his wavy hair, she knew he was staring at her intensely. She turned away before the blush reached her face.

"Mai Kurotsuchi," she muttered in reply to the orange-haired girl. "You're Ichigo's friends?"

"Yeah, I'm Orihime Inoue." Mai glanced at Orihime's friend.

"Yasutora Sado," he commented in a deep baritone voice. Short and to the point. Mai found that she liked that. Again she turned away so she could hide her blush. Orihime returned her attention to the battle between Ichigo and Uryuu and the Menos. Mai leaned against the railing with her arms crossed and head craned to watch the commotion out of the corner of her eye.

"Chad," Orihime's voice softly cut through the silence. Yasutora cocked his head slightly to her as she gazed down at their friend. "What are we supposed to do now?" The boy nicknamed Chad had no answer for her.

"You do what you want from now on," Mai replied softly as she looked up at the blue sky. "The veil has been lifted from your eyes, now it's up to you on whether or not you choose to fight or do nothing."

Silence followed afterwards as the pair seemed to soak in her words whilst Mai observed Ichigo's battle. Suddenly, from the Hollow's mouth, a red glowing orb started to grow. Mai's breath caught in her chest. She spun on her heel and slammed her hands down on the railing. Her lungs failed as she recognized what the Menos was up to.

"That's a Cero." Her horrified whisper was not lost on Orihime, who turned to her, concerned.

"What's a cero?"

"Hollows like Menos are able to concentrate their spirit energy and fire it at an enemy. It's a devastating attack that wipes out everything in its path." Mai then noticed a tiny black dot with orange hair running toward it with sword raised. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she realized that Ichigo meant to deflect the attack.

"That moron!" she snapped loudly as the Menos finally fired its cero, only to be stopped by an extreme amount of spirit pressure. Mai gritted her teeth. Is it possible that he's more powerful than I am? Is that why Kisuke is so interested in him? Mai closed her eyes to stop her tears from spilling over. She couldn't understand why the man who had given her a home and shown her love suddenly shifted his favor over to Ichigo. Everything that had defined Mai had been taken from her by that damn ginger! She slammed her fist against the railing and opened her eyes to watch Ichigo destroy the Menos with its own attack. As the smoke died away she let her anger ebb and flow until finally she managed to lock it away.

"You should go home," Mai advised softly. "I'm sure today has given you a lot to think about." She pushed herself off the railing and glanced at Orihime and Chad. The young girl nodded seriously and took one last look over the bridge before turning and thoughtfully walked away. Mai was sure she needed time to process all the information she had been fed. This was an entirely new world for her, and it certainly wasn't for the weak or faint of heart.

Chad, however, remained still for a moment before heading his own way. Before he left however he cast a quick look at Mai. Seconds slowed as she caught his deep brown eyes under his hair. Her breath caught in her chest and she felt the red start to creep up onto her cheeks. Embarrassed that she was feeling like this over some boy she scoffed, turned on her heel, and started for home. Even as she walked further away she could still feel his gaze on the back of her neck.


"Mai." The teenager felt her shoulders tense as Kisuke's voice floated through the door. She'd been avoiding the man like the plague after she got home. Mai didn't want to hear anything he had to say. She still couldn't rid herself of the deep sense of betrayal she felt inside her heart. She was so angry with him she didn't even come out of her room for dinner. Night had fallen over the Urahara household and the tension could be felt everywhere. Mai rolled over onto her side with her back facing the door and pulled the covers around her shoulders. She relaxed, closed her eyes, and evened her breathing as Kisuke slowly slid back her door.

She heard him stop just as he entered her room. His intense gaze settled onto the back of her head, like he was trying to get her to turn around on will alone. Then, slowly, he walked over and crouched down by her side. She felt familiar warm fingers slide through her hair and heard him sigh.

"I'm sorry, Mai. I know you could have fought the Menos on your own. It just wasn't your fight. Please try to understand that," he whispered as his touch retreated. He stood and exited her room. As her door slid shut Mai let go the strangled sob she had been holding back.


Early the Next Morning

Mai yawned loudly and turned over onto her back. She felt the sunlight filtering through her window onto her face. Its warmth felt comforting as the sound of songbirds filled the morning air. Slowly she opened her eyes and stared sullenly up at her ceiling. Summer vacation was just around the corner. In the past she was free to do what she wanted with her time. Kisuke would let her stay up as long as she wanted, as an award for her hard work during the school year. If she was lucky her family would take a vacation to the beach. The teen had a distinct feeling that wouldn't happen this year.

With a heavy sigh she sat up and stretched, then got ready for school. Within the hour she had taken her shower, fixed her hair, applied cover up to her birthmark. Finally, she grabbed her bag by her door and headed out into the hallway. The tension from yesterday was still hanging around. As Mai walked up to the doors that lead to their makeshift dining room she could hear the distinct voices of Kisuke and Tessai.

"Mai seems quite unhappy with you, Kisuke."

"I expected it, to be honest. Just not this badly."

Tessai chuckled. "Perhaps you should look at the situation for Mai's point of view, hmm? You have been favoring the Kurosaki boy of the late. Problems that Mai could have easily handled you've been giving to him to solve. She must feel hurt that you don't trust her."

"But those are not her battles, she must understand that? Her struggles are coming, faster than I would like them too. I can't help worrying if she's ready."

"You've done the best you could for her, Kisuke. You've taught her all she needs to know, and no one ever said it was easy to be a father."

"I know, I know." There was a long silence. It took a moment for Mai to realize she had been holding her breath. Slowly and quietly she let it go. "Maybe you're right, I just-,"

Before he could continue Mai opened the door and walked through. Conversation ceased instantly. She was well aware that all eyes were on her. As she passed by the table she swiped up a dumpling and proceeded to the front of the shop. She sat down with a hard thump and slipped on her shoes.

"Mai." Everything was deathly still. Then, from around her shoulders she felt Kisuke's strong arms grab her, haul her to her feet, and pull her into the most heartfelt hug she had ever gotten from him. "I'm sorry."

The blue-haired teenager didn't know what to do with her hands for a moment. She clenched them tightly before wrapping her arms around Kisuke and returned the gesture. He had only been looking out for her, as annoying as it was. He was acting like a father should be. She found that she couldn't blame him for that.

"I'm sorry too," she muttered as she pulled away. "I've been acting like a brat." Urahara smiled at her and ruffled her hair.

"You're still just a kid, Mai. I don't expect you to act like anything more or less." Mai chuckled and stooped down to pick up her school bag. With a wave of her hand she bid Kisuke farewell and started out the door. There was a sweet breeze as song birds flew across the sky. Mai ate her dumpling on the way to school, not at all looking forward to another boring day.


Later that day

"When you're done with the required work you may leave for lunch," Mai's teacher instructed in his monotone. Like clockwork the teen was up and out of her chair with her Math homework in hand. She slid it onto the desk and strode out of class while her peers glared at her. She ignored them and went to go buy her lunch.

It was a little early for the junior class's lunch, so she wasn't surprised to see Ichigo and his friends eating on the roof. She liked it up there where it was quiet and no one bothered her. She spent the time thinking and looking up at the sky. Mai sighed as the door slammed to a shut behind her, catching the attention of the freshmen sitting together in tense silence.

"Oh." Ichigo looked up at her. "Hey, Mai."

"Ichigo," she greeted simply as she walked past him to sit by herself.

"Do you want to sit with us?"

She stopped and turned to glance back at him. He was sitting with his usual group of friends, which included a kid who was staring at Ichigo in full shock, with the addition of Uryuu. Mai knew what Kisuke would say in this situation. He would have said she needed to build a bond with Ichigo. That he was important to her training and such things. He'd also scold her for not taking advantage of this opportunity. And Ichigo did ask first. With a sigh she conceded.

"I don't see why not." She was not doing this because she was starting to find him a little less annoying. He was still a ginger, and a stupid one at that. As she sat down next to him and pulled out her lunch, Ichigo's idiot friend seemed to be going into cardiac arrest.

"Aww, come on Ichigo, why'd you invite her?"

"If you've got a problem with who I invite to sit with us then you can go eat by yourself, Keigo," Ichigo threatened calmly. Obviously not wanting to be by his lonesome, Keigo simpered in silence. All went well until Mai felt someone walk up behind her. She cocked her head and followed the tall figure up until she met the intense eyes of Yasutora Sado. Keigo jumped back as he too noticed Chad's sudden appearance. Mai snorted and returned to her lunch.

Chad sat down next to her with his food in hand. As the awkward moment became too much for everyone to handle Mai dug into her bag and pulled out a few papers of sheet music. She found her pencil and began making adjustments to the notes. Yasutora took notice.

"You like music?"

"Yes." Mai replied without taking her eyes off her work. A moment of silence. Then -,

"I knew I recognized you," he muttered. "Your band beat mine in the Music Contest last summer."

Mai paused and looked up at him. She calculated him and thought back to the summer before. Faces smeared together seamlessly until she finally settled on one that stuck out most.

"Oh, yeah, I remember. You were in the same group as that obnoxious guitarist."

He nodded and Mai smirked, remembering the town contest from last summer. Chad's band had come in second which had caused the guitarist to freak out. He had tried to jump them after the crowd had parted only to be stopped by Mai's foot firmly planting itself into his face.

"I hope you don't have any hard feelings about that."

Chad shook his head and returned to his lunch. Mai sighed and continued with her work as Ichigo and Uryuu continued to stare daggers at each other. Eventually Keigo was convinced to start telling jokes which Yasutora listened to. Eventually the blue-haired teen sighed, put away the sheet music, and stood to leave.

"Thanks for inviting me to lunch," she said with a flick of her hand. She nodded to Chad who returned the gesture. With that she disappeared inside the school.


That Night.

"You're not planning on running away are you?"

Rukia Kuchiki stopped midstride on the empty street. She looked up to find a familiar head of blue hair staring down at her from a telephone pole. The older woman exhaled breathlessly.

"You startled me, Mai." The girl jumped down from her perch and landed easily on the ground. She brushed off the dirt from her jeans and gave her a hard glare.

"Based on how you're acting, I think there's more to this then me popping out of nowhere." A breeze wafted past as silence stretched between the two. "Rukia, why are you running?"

"I'm not running" she replied, "I'm going to go and face the consequences of my actions."

"Without telling Ichigo?"

"It's better if he doesn't get involved. If I go quietly, perhaps the Soul Society will leave him alone."

Mai huffed. "You know as well as I do that's a tall order. You broke the rules, Rukia, and the Soul Society has to come and clean your mess up. That includes Ichigo."

"I have to try."

Rukia turned on her heel to leave. "Mai." The teen looked up to meet violet eyes with her own. "It was nice to meet you. If it means anything, I think your mom and dad would be very proud of you." With that she left. Mai looked down at the sidewalk and exhaled. This was going to be a very long night and Rukia just had to make it worse by mentioning the 'rents.

Everyone who knew Mai was aware of her deep-seated hatred for her biological father. Her mother, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. While she had grown up with Kisuke's stories and descriptions of Mayuri, her mother was a mysterious, distant figure that she wished she could have met. Even without ever meeting either, she doubted her parents would be proud of her.

Mai leaned up against the telephone pole. She had come out tonight without Kisuke knowing. Earlier she had overheard Yoruichi and Kisuke talking about two Shinigami high up on the food chain who had come to the living world to apprehend Rukia. Needless to say, she was interested in seeing what a real Shinigami looked like and their level of power. It was also why she had been tailing Rukia in the first place.

From the distance she felt an increase of spirit pressure. Mai looked up and concentrated on it. Four in total. Rukia's, two she didn't recognize, and then the Quincy, Uryuu. That was odd; what were they all doing? Mai tensed and jumped up on to a nearby roof, securing Livewire upon her back. As she got closer to the scene she reduced her spirit pressure down to an almost undetectable level.

She came upon a very strange gathering. Two certified Shinigami stood to one side with Uryuu and Rukia on the other. The black-haired woman seemed to be already injured while the Quincy looked calmly on. Mai found a comfortable seat on the pole above them and settled down to watch the show. There was a Shinigami with red hair that caught Mai's eye the most. He was cocky and sure of himself as he raised his sword to threaten Uryuu. Rukia jumped in front of her classmate to defend him but was blown off.

"You." Suddenly everyone's attention was torn away from the impending fight and directed at the other male Shinigami wearing a white coat. "Come down, I know you're there." He turned his head to look up at her. "Mai Kurotsuchi."

A/N: Wow, it's been a little bit. Ran into some writers block but managed to push through it with the help of my always lovely, extremely good looking(not that I'd know) Beta reader ThaBlueGrrrl. I'm amazed she puts up with me sometimes. Anywho,

please read and leave some CONSTRUCTIVE critisism. Reviews are extremely nice!

Pathless Spore