So... much... coursework...

Gah, sorry again for the wait, but I've got major long coursework assignments due in for Maths, Astronomy and Art this week, so please bare with me.

Chapter 6: Family values

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Amaya's nose twitched.

There was some strange smell in the air around her.

She couldn't place it exactly.

It was salty, but on some levels refreshing. She was certain that she had smelt something similar before, but for the life of her couldn't remember where. She finally gave in and admitted defeat on this.

She didn't know.

The second thing that came to mind about this place, after the smell, was that it was dark. Or maybe dark wasn't correct. It was more plain blackness. Even in the darkest of places there is always some glimmer of light, some faint shadow of a colour. The only way this could be avoided is if there were no objects or forms. However, darkness can only exist if there is something to compare it to, something creating the dark, separating it from the light.

True darkness just doesn't exist. It isn't possible.

And yet now Amaya saw no colour, no highlights, no shadows.

Just black.

Where was she? Was this indeed real? Maybe it was all just a dream? That had to be it. This blackness couldn't be genuine.

God her head felt weird. It was as if she was trudging through a thick layer of butter icing in her mind. She felt dizzy, as if the black world was swirling around her. She felt as if she was falling backwards blindly and yet her feet were firmly plastered on the ground. The bizarre sensation was confusing and terrifying to hold. If this was indeed a dream, Amaya sincerely wished to awake as soon as possible.

A sudden flash of light brought Amaya back from her thoughts. The pain it brought her eyes immediately diminished the falling feeling, but it still was not welcomed.

"I have told you before that I am not a medic"

The voice was vaguely familiar to Amaya and she searched for the speaker, but in the blinding light could not see anything.

"Aww, but the medical ward is all full up of Noi-kun's latest play toys"

Now that voice was definitely known to Amaya.

Then something struck Amaya's thoughts like a two tonne sledge hammer.

The source of the blackness, followed by the startling white light, all became clear as could be.

Her eyes shot wide open. She instantly wished they hadn't.

The close up shot of the amber eyes staring down at her, the strands of pink in the corner of her vision, the strange look those eyes were giving her.

Amaya screamed.

Loudly.

Szayel screamed back in her face.

Just as loudly.

He jumped backwards in surprise, still screaming, and the small medical flashlight soared randomly through the air until it landed with a clatter on the floor. Amaya stopped screaming after finally running out of breath. Szayel quickly did the same.

"Now I can understand why someone would yell when waking up ta yar nerdy face, Szayel, but why were ya yelling too?"

Amaya sat upright on the cold stone slab that she had been lying on. Her head whirled but she ignored it in order to see the other person standing in the shadows of the dark room.

Gin was grinning at the pair of them. Amaya shuddered involuntarily when she caught a glimpse of what he was standing in front of. Amongst the shelves upon shelves of glass jars along the wall, she could have sworn she saw one containing purplish goop, and suspended in the middle of that goop was what looked like a human face. She quickly looked away and focused her attention on something else. Her fingernails suddenly became very interesting.

"I... um..." Szayel started pacing around the edge of the room, trying to act as dignified as he could, "... it was a test"

Amaya looked up at him curiously.

"Really? For what?" she asked

"I'm afraid that information is classified" he babbled while tapping on another of the jars. The white orb inside it spun around and the eyeball stared at him. Even for an eyeball, it looked rather pissed. Whether this was because it had been napping or was simply angry that it no longer had a body Amaya couldn't discern.

"Ya alright, Maya-kun?" Amaya's attention was drawn back to the figure standing in the shadows. This time she fixed her attention on his face and tried not to look at the weird jars behind him.

"Err, yeah I guess" she told Gin semi-honestly. She was alright, apart from the splitting headache and faint dizziness. But that was swiftly departing anyway. Besides, she didn't really want to seem like a weakling in front of Aizen's second-in-command, did she? Aizen didn't have any room for weakness in the army he was assembling.

"Ya fainted pretty swiftly there" he stated. Amaya had no idea why he looked so pleased with himself. Surely she hadn't embarrassed herself that much? Or had she?

"Umm..." any words that may have been formed were stopped. Her eyes widened. A large yellow warning sign had flipped up inside her mind and was now displaying full details of what had happened earlier, or more importantly, what had happened just before she had fainted. She quickly turned her head downwards and started inspecting her fingernails again. She didn't want anyone to see the faint hints of pink that were brushing her cheeks at that time.

So that was why he was acting so smug.

Fortunately, she was spared any further embarrassment by a rather sudden interruption.

"Oh, brother deaaarest!" the door slammed open and something very odd twirled into the room. On second thought, Amaya realised just how elegantly that thing had been when twirling.

"What is it, Yylfordt? I've got some very important data to analyse" Szayel murmured having now sat himself at a desk in the corner and started to jot down things on a clipboard.

"Well..." the Espada's older and more flamboyant brother started dramatically, "it was a fine night here in Hueco Mundo. The air was still, the sand was white, the moon was high and I decided to take a little walk out along one of the lesser used parts of this magnificent building known as Las Noches. As soon as I had set off I noticed that I had accidentally forgotten one of my most crucial belongings. Thus was the reason for me to return to my chambers! There I searched. I searched high and low! Left and right! There and back! It was little after I had been consumed by-"

"Get to the point"

"Ooo! Someone's pissy today aren't they? Tell me brother, is it that time of the month already?" At Yylfordt's comment Szayel just looked up briefly from his notes and glared. He then returned his attention to whatever was on the clipboard. Amaya herself had to stop the little snigger that was threatening to escape her mouth. Apparently, this didn't go unnoticed.

"And what do we have here?" Yylfordt said in a flowing voice as he twirled over to her. Amaya stiffened when he leant down and put a finger to her chin. "What on earth is such a pretty little thing like yourself doing in my disgrace of a brother's laboratory? Szayel, you haven't been dosing out that stuff again, have you? If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times; date rape is wrong"

"Err..." Amaya faltered at the closeness of her face to the other Numeros' own. She felt one of those long blonde strands brush briefly against her shoulder and noticed the iciness of those blue eyes. She suddenly felt dizzy again.

"What do you want?" Szayel repeated, sounding more than a little frustrated at his supposedly older and more mature brother. As quickly as his finger had rested on her chin it left. He spun around gracefully and clapped his hands together. Amaya's thoughts continued to whirl and she sat confused.

"I've lost it" he said as if it explained everything. Apparently, to Szayel, it did.

"Too bad"

Yylfordt gasped.

"But brother! How could you say that? To your own flesh and blood! It's shocking!" he exclaimed

"What 'ave ya lost?" Yylfordt's head snapped round at the voice. Until that moment, he hadn't noticed Gin's presence at all.

"My hairclip!" he cried even more dramatically than he had been doing so previously. Amaya blinked. Did he just say... hair... clip?

"Hairclip?" Gin voiced her question for her.

"Yes! My special pink sparkly one that brings out my gorgeous blue eyes!"

Again, Amaya blinked.

Were all arrancar crazy or something?

Maybe the shinigamification process removed half their brains?

Maybe that was why she was so clumsy?

"Well, you'll just have to make do without it, won't you?" Szayel told a now distressed Yylfordt who had tears literally spewing from his eyes. He very quickly ran up to the Espada and clutched at his jacket desperately.

"But I can't!" he whispered frenziedly.

"You'll just have to" this set Yylfordt off on another crying spree. Amaya was pretty sure if this didn't stop soon then she'd drown in a sea of salty tears.

She thought fast.

"I like your hair as it is"

The tears stopped.

So did the wailing.

Yylfordt let go of Szayel and spun around. Amaya almost fell off of the stone bench at the sight of his wide eyes sparkling happily. He sniffed.

"Really?"

Amaya nodded.

"Yep"

This appeared to have the desired effect as soon Yylfordt was standing fully upright, one hand on his chest, and looking off determinedly into the distance.

"Well my hair is something I'm very proud of. It was centuries ago when I first realised the full potential of these powerful blonde locks! I woke up one morning and looked at the dazzling image that was my own reflection! And it was if an angel came down from heaven and spoke to m-"

"Szayel-kun's hair is pretty as well" Gin interrupted another of Yylfordt's rants.

"Yes, people say it must run in the family" Yylfordt informed them all. "Although, I'm not so sure that that colour does, brother. Tell me, at what point precisely did it spontaneously change overnight?"

Szayel huffed and looked back down at the clipboard.

"Aww! I didn't know Szayel-kun dyed his hair!" Gin cooed.

"Yylfordt" Szayel spoke up sternly.

"Yes, brother dearest?"

"Get out"

---

"I don't exactly understand how arrancar can even have siblings" Amaya muttered to herself thoughtfully while walking down the corridor.

"It's complica'ed" Gin replied.

"Oh"

They continued to walk in silence for a few minutes before Gin finally decided to speak again.

"Ya ever been ta the ocean, Maya-kun?"

Amaya stopped at the odd question, causing Gin to follow suit. She peered at him questioningly.

"I don't think so, at least not recently" She answered, "Why?"

"Just wondering, ya seemed ta recognise the smell in Szayel's lab, that's all" this only got Amaya more confused.

"Smell?"

"Yep, the smell of sea water. I think he's doing some experiment on it or somin"

Amaya stared at Gin, not understanding what she was thinking fully. He had an odd expression on his face, besides the obvious grin. It was something Amaya had seen before. It was something that worried her.

"What are you planning?" she asked nervously, not sure if she wanted to know the answer anymore. Whatever it was, she was certain it would not be appreciated by many arrancar.

Gin looked away and continued walking, his smile now slightly wider.

"I'm not sure if I can tell ya tha'" he spoke happily. Ok, now Amaya definitely wanted to know.

"Why not?" she asked, scurrying after him. She bumped into his back as he suddenly ground to a halt and turned to face her. That smirk only caused Amaya to have a brain overload. She found she no longer could move as he reached up and brushed the hair away from her ear, leaning forward so that he only had to whisper to be heard.

"Coz ya may just faint again"

A shiver ran down Amaya's back.

"What if I promise I won't?" the whisper had left her lips before she even thought of it. She tingled as Gin's lips brushed her ear briefly before he replied.

"Then I may just tell ya"

Amaya's eyes fluttered shut as she felt the touch against her lips. She shouldn't be doing this. If anything else, Gin frightened her. He was just so... sly.

But then again, did that really matter?

It appeared that it didn't as all thoughts simultaneously left her mind and she was left standing there, her body taking control as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt his slither around her waist and settle there. She moaned slightly through the kiss. Gin only smiled.

And throughout it all, Amaya kept her promise.

This time, she didn't faint.

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Bit of Gin Goodness for ya all at the end there... soz that was short, but homework, homework, homework.

I'm sorry to anyone who was insulted or damaged by my portrayal of Yylfordt. I know, OOC meltdown, but it's just so much fun!

Also, when I started this I thought his name was spelt Il Forte, and have seen it so in many a place, but wikipedia says its Yylfordt, and wikipedia knows all. I've also seen it spelt Il Fort, Ilfort, Ilford and Ilforte, just in case ya got confused.

This week I got my RS mock results back. I got 62/63! Whoopeee! Guess what, though? The ONE mark I lost was because I didn't use enough paragraphs! PARAGRAPHS!!! FOR GODS SAKE!!!! Mind you, I only got as high a mark as I did coz I made loads of crap up. Some ppl got Ds, I really don't see how that's possible in RS seeing as its basically philosophy. The only thing you need to actually know for the entire thing is Exodus 20:13... THOU SHALT NOT KILL!! It works for everything

RHEA IS MY SPECIAL!!
... there I mentioned you, ya happy now?

Why some people don't review,
I haven't got a clue