Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo. I own a little Ulquiorra figurine, complete with fluttering coattails. But there's a crack in the coattail, and I'm so worried it's going to fall off!!! DX
Chapter Four:
It had been over two weeks since Nel appeared. By now, Ginjo was beginning to grow accustomed to the extra attachment. Going to bed alone and waking up with a kid stuck to his back and two gallons' worth of drool in the bed. Devoting half of his sweets and food supplies in general to the efforts of stopping the Chihuahua style yelping and crying whenever necessary. Having an invisible pet clinging to and bugging him in class, though she had calmed down and become much more tolerable over time. And, of course, there was the random name calling with interesting use of vocabulary sprinkled in between. The only good thing about this situation was that Nel was like a hollow magnet. Hollow attacks were nearly a daily event…the one thing Ginjo actually looked forward to.
Yes, Ginjo was getting used to it. He wasn't constantly high strung and agitated anymore. That, however, didn't mean he was any happier about it all. He had, after all, for god-knows-what reason been singled out by this kid to be her security blanket. How much more uncool could it be? No longer Grimmjow the sexta Espada, not Ginjo the vizard, not even Ginjo the shinigami, he was Ginjo the security frickin' blanket…just what he had always wanted in life. The only thing saving him from being the laughing stock of the living world was her invisibility.
He had noticed pretty early on that Nel had nightmares in her sleep, because she would whimper and toss every now and then. However, they were never bothersome enough to wake him up fully…until now. As usual, the girl had found her way into his bed sometime during the night and was currently thrashing.
Definition of thrashing: kicking the tar out of his backbone.
Fed up, he turned around grumpily and tried to restrain her flailing limbs. The girl was actually in tears as she kept whispering something repeatedly. It didn't take long for him to realize that the restraining method wasn't working at all. Not sure how else to make her stop, Ginjo raked a hand through his hair as he reminded himself that killing her was not an option, no matter how tempting the idea may seem at the moment.
If he tried to put a piece of chocolate into her mouth now, she'd probably choke to death, so that was a no go. And unfortunately for him, that was the only trick he knew. He wasn't really built to handle children. Tired and frustrated, he put an arm around her and pulled her closer to himself. "Shut up so I can sleep, damn it." Though his words were harsh, his tone didn't carry quite the same harshness.
Eventually, Nel calmed down, falling back into deep sleep as she curled up with a fistful of his shirt in each of her hands.
"If you drool on my chest, I swear I'll skin you alive in the morning," he mumbled, about to drift back into sleep himself. "…or get you neutered…"
The next morning, Himeko sat on the kitchen counter and watched as her brother stood in front of the fridge with noticeable bags under his eyes, downing three times the usual amount of his soda intake. It was probably a good thing that it was Sunday, because he would most likely sleep through all of his classes if they had to go to school today. "Gin-chan, drinking that much will give you a stomachache," she admonished with a small pout. "Especially this early in the morning. You should eat healthier."
Ginjo just gave her a dull look. "You, princess, are definitely not the authority on healthy eating."
In the meantime, Uriya, who was in silent agreement with Ginjo, was sitting at the table trying to devise a method to make the very unique breakfast that Himeko had prepared for him disappear to somewhere other than his stomach.
"The squirt was keeping me up with her sleep talking," Ginjo explained, still feeling irritable as he grabbed another soda from the fridge.
"Awww…" Himeko said as she went into fantasy mode, imagining baby babbles.
"She was having nightmares," he clarified flatly.
She blinked, her fantasies cut short. "Oh."
"Kept calling out some names," he continued, taking a swig from his drink. "Pesche…and Do-Do-something or other."
Uriya's eyes widened fractionally in recognition as he stood up, internally grateful for the distraction from the food. "Pesche Guatiche and Dondochakka Bilstin." That was why Nel seemed familiar to him somehow.
The raven-haired youth turned his piercing green eyes to Nel who was on the floor practicing how to draw Chappy the Rabbit the way Rukia had taught her. Was it possible? It seemed ludicrous, but at the same time…with the physical resemblance…he was surprised he didn't make the connection sooner.
The Kurosaki siblings exchanged a glance.
"You know who they are?" Ginjo asked.
"You should as well," Uriya replied, though he supposed Grimmjow Jeagerjaques probably never paid much attention to the fraccions that walked the halls of Las Noches. He went over to Nel, getting down on one knee behind her as the other two teens gathered around. When he tried to pull up the back of the child's shirt, however, she scrambled out of his reach at top speed.
"What're you doing?" Nel asked with a frown, hugging herself.
"Nel. Show me your back," Uriya said, composed and undeterred.
"No!"
"I won't touch you. Just show me your back."
"I can't!" She fidgeted with uncertainty. "I'm not…supposed to…"
Uriya narrowed his eyes. Now he was certain that he was right. He reached out and caught her upper arm before she could make another escape and pulled her in as she desperately tried to run in the other direction. Trying to ignore her struggles and ongoing screams of 'Uriya's a pervert!', he lifted up the back of her shirt, revealing the number three tattooed on her back.
Ginjo gawked in disbelief. "This can't…how…?...she's…?!!"
Himeko gasped. An arrancar with a number tattooed on her body… "Is she…an Espada?!"
Nel looked over her shoulder worriedly at the commotion going on behind her. "Hey, what's going on?"
"The former tercera Espada was Neliel Tu Oderschvank," Uriya explained. "One day she simply vanished. No one knew what happened to her. Pesche and Dondochakka are the names of her fraccions. I believe Nel is in fact the missing Neliel."
Himeko, understandably, was confused. "You mean…Aizen made a toddler his third most powerful warrior?" Her mind immediately dove into Himesville, conjuring up images of the fearless Aizen ordering little Nel to do battle with the promise of candy as a reward…followed by images of Nel on the battlefield, her release form granting her the ability to throw pacifiers at her opponents, putting them to sleep as she charged through enemy lines. Himeko shook her head to wake herself up before her mind could have a field day with that one.
"No," Uriya replied. "I don't know how she reverted to the form of a child, but Neliel is a full grown woman."
"That's insane!" Ginjo said, obviously still in denial. "It can't be her!"
Uriya considered their situation for a moment. "Hime. Are you able to return Neliel to her true form? Then we would know for sure, and perhaps we would be able to find some answers."
The orange-haired girl felt somewhat hesitant. "I…I don't know. I can try, but…if she's an Espada, then…will she…?"
"Neliel is a pacifist by nature," Uriya said. "It is unlikely that she will do anything rash. If she does…there are three of us here."
"I still think you're crazy," Ginjo reiterated. "She just…can't be!"
Just as Himeko was about to call on her powers, Uriya reached out and took hold of her hand, halting her. "I imagine this rejection could take a fair amount of spiritual energy. If you can't, then…"
She gave him a warm smile as a twinge of age-old guilt came back to the surface, knowing exactly what was going through his mind. "I won't overdo it."
Ginjo looked from one to the other, their eye-locking moment dragging on just a bit too long for his tastes. "Think you can snap out of it before this lovey-dovey crap I'm seeing gets burned into my retina?" he requested dryly, causing his sister to pout with a light blush.
"I'm surprised you know what a retina is," Uriya returned, unperturbed.
"My old man and his old man are both docs," Ginjo deadpanned, feeling just a bit indignant. Weird medical terminology often got thrown around in the Kurosaki household, and Ginjo knew more about body parts than he really cared to. This particular term he actually learned from his grandfather's "Kurosaki Retina Jab" maneuver, a move Isshin often liked to use to try to jab Ichigo's eyes with his toes while performing a flying kick.
When Himeko's Rikka came to life and circled around Nel, the child scrambled onto Ginjo's lap, not sure what to expect. Even though she'd seen them before, this was the first time they were trying to trap her entire body within their shield. And to add to the confusion, she wasn't even hurt.
"It's all right, Nel-chan," Himeko assured as her shield came down over the arrancar girl as well as her brother. "Ayame and Shunou won't hurt you."
"Hey, don't reject me by accident!" Ginjo hollered.
It didn't take long before Nel's form began to change. Her body grew. Her hair lengthened. Even the scar that ran from her forehead down the bridge of her nose eventually faded to nothingness as her zanpakutou materialized beside her.
Before he knew it, Ginjo found himself with a scantily clothed full grown woman sitting on his lap. His eyes went wide as his mouth gaped like a fish out of water.
Nel looked down at herself, stunned. "Wh…what happened?" Her hands reached up to touch her strangely long hair. Then she held her arms out in front of her, studying her hands as she turned them over, amazed.
At this point, Ginjo finally found his voice. "N…Ne…Neliel?!!"
She turned and looked at him. Leaning slightly away from him, her eyes took in his form for a thoughtful moment as she realized that their size difference had all but disappeared. Then flashing a bright innocent smile, she threw her arms around his neck. "Ginjo! You're so much easier to hug now!" she exclaimed with joyous laughter.
Her momentum nearly knocked them both over, and Ginjo had to place both hands on the floor behind him to brace from falling. "Hey! Let go, damn it!"
Himeko blinked as she watched Nel. The arrancar girl definitely wasn't what she had expected an Espada to be like, and she had met more than her fair share. "So…this is the former third?" she asked as she turned to Uriya.
The young Quincy nodded as he heaved an inward sigh. He had been right about her but, from the looks of it, her memory still hadn't returned. Not to mention, her reiatsu just did a major jump. This could mean trouble.
Nel sat on the roof and stared out into the night as she contemplated on her situation. It was strange to say the least. Just this morning, she was no more than a toddler. Now she was a woman, and her knowledge and understanding had expanded, changing from that of a child's to that of an adult's. Yet, everything about herself was still a complete blank.
After Uriya showed her how to rein in her reiatsu and insisted that she did so, she had spent a good part of the day listening to him and Ginjo tell her about what was supposedly her past. However, nothing really rang a bell.
Then when Ichigo came home, they briefed him on what happened. When the initial shock finally wore off, the man became concerned:
"Nel…don't go anywhere on your own if you can avoid it. Soul Society will most likely come to investigate the reiatsu fluctuation that happened when you transformed. And no matter what, make sure nobody sees the tattoo on your back. It'll be trouble if anyone finds out you were an Espada. Be careful."
Nel sighed. …they're really nice people… To not let anyone see her back…someone used to tell her that all the time. She just couldn't remember who.
It seemed unbelievable that she had been a member of the Espada. Then again, there was the rather large number three on her back, which she didn't know how to otherwise explain. If she had been third, then she must have been a formidable warrior at one time.
Her eyes traveled to the zanpakutou sitting beside her. She couldn't remember how to use that power.
Her senses, however, did seem to be more alert, and she was more aware of her surroundings and the spiritual energy around her. Even when she was still in child form, she would get the feeling from time to time that she was being watched. But now…she was almost certain of it. Out there somewhere, someone was watching her from the shadows.
It was all very unnerving, and she didn't understand why any of this was happening to her. She felt lost, unsure as to how she should proceed.
Approaching Nel from behind, Ginjo stood and watched her for a moment, his expression unreadable. At least she was more covered now. Once her reiatsu stabilized after the initial jump, the material hugging her body mended itself, adapting to her change in size even though it was still extremely short. At the time of her transformation, she still had the mentality of a child. However, throughout the course of the day, her mind slowly caught up and acclimated to being an adult, changing her into the contemplative woman sitting before him now.
Ginjo found it hard to compare her with the noisy brat that had pretty much fastened herself to him the past couple of weeks. It was a bit awkward, especially since she turned out to be someone he used to know, even if not very well. "Remember anything, yet?"
Nel turned at the sound of his voice then shook her head slowly with downcast eyes and a frown on her lips. "I'm not really sure what to do, but…I think I should leave."
Ginjo snorted as he sat beside her. "And go where? Hueco Mundo? How are you gonna get there?"
Those words made her deflate even more. She had forgotten how to summon Garganta. Even if she hadn't, she wouldn't know where to go once she returned to her world. "But…I don't belong here."
He scowled, somewhat agitated at her dark mood. "Damn it, what's with the lost pup look? Nobody's saying you gotta leave."
"I've imposed upon your family enough as it is," she explained. "Last thing I want is for you to get into any sort of trouble with Soul Society because of me."
He couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Didn't I already say I don't like playing by the rules? I think we should piss Soul Society off more often, just for kicks."
Not really convinced by that statement of pure irresponsibility, Nel continued to brood.
Seeing that expression on her face only served to irritate Ginjo even more. He cupped a hand roughly around her chin, catching her by surprise, and pinched until her mouth opened. Then with his other hand, he shoved a piece of chocolate into her mouth.
She blinked. Then she started to laugh lightly at his bizarre attempt to cheer her up. It was obvious that this guy didn't know the first thing about women, or children. Most would probably not appreciate it, but…she was beginning to understand how he operated. Whether he knew and acknowledged it or not, in his unpolished way, he was trying.
Then, realizing how quickly and easily he was able to change her mood, she changed her expression back into a frown, pouting slightly. "I'm not a child anymore."
Ginjo shrugged as a smug grin spread across his features. "It still seems to do the trick," he said, eliciting another chuckle from her. Then he steered the conversation back to more important things. "You should stay put at least until you remember how you landed here in the first place. Shit like this doesn't just happen." It would be dangerous for her to wander on her own, defenseless, without knowing her own situation. "Besides," he continued, "I'm sure my old man would send out a search party…basically everyone in this house…as soon as you disappear. Then you'd really be giving me trouble."
Nel gave that some consideration. But there was something else she couldn't figure out. "How do you know so much about me?" Ginjo and Uriya weren't hollows. How did they know so much about Hueco Mundo and Las Noches?
He mulled over that for a moment as he leaned back on his hands and looked out to the sky. "…I was there." That was all he said.
She didn't really understand. "Were we well acquainted?"
"No. Not particularly." Back then, all he ever thought about was getting stronger and kicking Ulquiorra's ass. He barely even noticed her. And he was such a bloodthirsty bastard, she had probably kept her distance because of it. Simply put, they weren't of the same kind.
As he stared off in thought, she watched him while sorting through thoughts of her own. He had taken care of her and protected her, allowing such a young and dependant child to cling so close despite his rough personality. For him, it must have been difficult. She truly was grateful. "Thank you, Ginjo. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."
He spared her a sideward glance before turning his gaze back into the distance. "If you really wanna thank me," he drawled, "then do me a huge favor and don't jump into my bed tonight." He felt like he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in ages.
Nel blinked her sincere eyes. "Why? You won't do anything, will you?"
Ginjo faltered for a moment, blinking back at her. She said it so innocently, he couldn't tell if she was for real or trying to mess with him. He scowled. "Actually, I'm worried that you might do something."
She tilted her head questioningly. "Like what?"
"Like drool five times more than before," he deadpanned. "I don't wanna find myself swimming in your spit when I wake up."
She turned away with a slightly embarrassed frown. "I said I'm not a child anymore."
He grinned. "The way you're acting right now? Coulda fooled me."
Nel turned back to him, still frowning. Then she opened her mouth and pointed inside, silently demanding chocolate as an apology.
Ginjo snorted. "What was that just now about you not being a child anymore?" he asked as he tossed a piece into her mouth.
She ignored the comment, turning to face front again with her eyes closed and her nose in the air. But before long, a soft smile graced her lips.
Was it the effects of having been reverted to a toddler for what must have been over three decades by now, or had her personality always been somewhat childlike? Ginjo had no idea. However, he would be lying if he said he didn't find it just a bit amusing.
In the room below, lying in bed beside her opened window, Himeko heard Ginjo and Nel's conversation and tried to stifle her laughter. Her brother really wasn't someone with the right to say that someone else was behaving childish. After all, he was like a big kid himself in many ways.
Nevertheless, this was the first time Ginjo seemed to be taking an interest in the opposite sex…as unromantic as he was. Of course, it didn't help that he tended to scare most girls half out of their wits even without doing anything. His appearance coupled with his presence that screamed 'my hobby is to beat up unsuspecting bystanders' and 'I like the sound of bones crushing under my bare hands' was enough to intimidate anybody. It was surprising that Nel didn't seem to be affected by his gruff nature at all. And for that, Himeko was glad.
A/N: Finally got past the first stage. Heh…
Nel's clothes…I actually rather like the ripped up look myself, but I think the other characters…namely Ichigo…will probably have a cow if she always looked like that, so I had it fix itself. You know how Ichigo's shinigami robes will get all torn up after a fight, then he'd go back into his body and heal, and the next time he leaves his body his shinigami robes will be crisp as new again? It sort of follows that logic. Good health = nice clothes. LOL!
So, here's a random question. Does anyone else find adult Nel's voice awkward? It took me a good while to get used to it (and by then, her part in the anime had ended. LOL!).
Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!