Ok, I tried to get this chappie up a little bit faster, but did not prevail…


Realization

By: BlackWidow01

Chapter 7: Victims

Izuru hopped from roof to roof, Renji and Matsumoto at his side. "Where do you think he might have gone?" Renji asked.

Izuru looked at his cell phone, searching for some sign of spiritual activity. None yet.

Renji sighed. "Why are we doin' this if we don't even know if he's that restless?"

Matsumoto glared at the red head. "Because, Renji, we're nice people!" she said, almost definitely referring to herself and Izuru.

Izuru gave out a sigh as his cell phone began beeping.


fHe awoke in his bed. It was dark, but he could tell the sun was showing behind his navy blue curtains. He sat up. "But…" He looked around. His bed was completely stripped, and there were red stains in random blotches on the matress. He immediately hopped out of his bed, stumbling to the ground.

Yellow tape was pinned around his bed. "C-crime scene?!"

Tears began to well up in the boy's eyes, his memories of that night snaking their way into the front of his mind.

Am I dead?!

He heard voice from the other room; his parents, surely. He peeked his head into the hallway and into the living room.

His mother was leaning against his father, sobbing. He was gently patting her on the back, trying his hardest to consol her with gentle words. "He's in a better place now…" and other things along those lines.

The crying continued without stop. The boy walked over to them, not thinking about what had happened. "Mother, Father, I'm right here…" he said, reaching his hand out to tap his father on the shoulder.

Neither of them looked up. "I'm right here! In front of you!" he exclaimed. He reached out to touch his father's shoulder. To his surprise, his hand never made contact; instead, it fazed through.

The boy jumped back, his eyes wide. "I'm really dead… Aren't I?"

More tears began to flow, staining his cheeks.


Izuru had spent most of his summer lingering around his apartment. It felt good to go out for once, even considering the situation in which they had to leave.

Hopping among the rooftops, Izuru realized just how nice the city looked at noon. The people happily bustling around, birds chirping, and the gently breezes. Not to mention the wonderful view of the city and scenery behind it.

Izuru smiled.

"And what is so amusing, Izuru?" Renji prodded.

The blonde shook his head, "Nothing, Renji… it's just a nice day, that's all."

Renji Sighed, "We're goin' to see if a little boy's spirit came back after his horrible death… and you're thinking about how nice a day it is. Figures."


It took a while for it to soak in, and even longer for him to calm down. He tried to figure out what to do. He was dead, yet he was still on earth. This makes no sense!

He spaced up and down the sidewalk of the empty park. It was such a nice day, a shame that no one was out.

It was quiet. Eerily quiet. The boy gave an exasperated sigh, and plopped down on the ground. He laid there for what seemed like hours.

He thought he heard a rustle in the leaves and looked up. "Is anyone there?" not that they'd hear me.

No one. He sighed, lifting himself to his feet. He started to walk, and think about what to do. A harsh breeze flew past him.

A puzzled look played the boys face as he looked around. In front of him stood a large, pitch black figure. The only thing visible on it's body was a mask. A red stripe ran right down the center of it, between the eyes.

He stumbled back, his eyes widening at the site. Black tendrils emerged from the creature and shot towards the boy.


She brushed some of her jet-black hair out of her eyes as she walked down the sidewalk. The park was so peaceful today. No loud children running about, no boisterous sounds of the traffic. She was content with just walking along the sidewalk for hours on end.

There was a bench under a tree (Cliché, but also comforting). She sat down, pulling out her book. Ophelia.

This place is boring. The spirit whined, floating in circles around Sarah.

She sighed, "Bite me."

You're making yourself sound crazy again… it mused.

She ignored it for a few moments, "You know… I never really figured out your name. 10 years of being stuck with you and I don't even know your name."

You never thought to ask. Trust me, I know.

She rolled her eyes, "Ok then. What's your name?"

My name can be whatever I want it to be.

"Then what do you want me to call you?"

Hmmm… Master? Mistress? Goddess? Your Highness?

Sarah gave a frustrated groan. "Ok, how about a name that I'd be willing to call you."

I'll go with…Elnora.

"Elnora is Ophelia's mentor…" Sarah fidgeted with the end of her bookmark.

Exactly.

Silence.

Aww, did I make her mad again?

Don't act like you don't sense that… Sarah countered.

Screaming.

Sarah stood, looking around for the source of the noise.

Ignore it…


Screaming.

Izuru perked his head up, speeding up his pace. Matsumoto and Renji were close behind. The rushed over the roof tops, in the direction of the screaming.

"Think it's the kid?" Renji Asked.

A beeping noise came from their pockets. "I don't know if it's that boy, but there is a hollow…" Izuru narrowed his blue eyes in the direction of the park.


He tried to get away, stumbling back, the black tendrils closing in around him. He turned to run, but was stopped when one of the tendrils wrapped itself around his ankle. It lifted him, leaving him dangling upside down. He struggled, but to no avail.

"Poor little boy…" the creature was talking to him! "I'll put you out of your misery…"

His eyes got wider, the tears that were welling up now beginning to fall freely.

The creature froze, still having the boy suspended in the air. "Looks like today is my lucky day… two spirits… no, three spirits in the same area." He made a sound that resembled a chuckle, "I'll just have to make quick work of you…"

The tendrils lifted him further off the ground as a void-type-thing opened in the center of the creature.

The boy cried out, struggling more franticly.

"Zabimaru!"

The creature howled in pain, releasing the boy, as a glint of steal wrapped itself around the boy's captor. He hit the ground with an audible thud, his eyes darting around.

Before him stood three people, one's hair looked almost like the top of a pineapple. The woman had strawberry blond hair and certain features that stuck out. The last one was blonde, and looked rather melancholy.

All three held swords, the girl's being the only one that looked remotely normal. The blonde's sword was bent twice. And the red head tightly grasped something resembled a sword that was stretched out by chains and wrapped around the creature.


Renji dived into battle, binding the hollow with Zabimaru. "Rangiku-san, get the boy!" Izuru yelled, fighting off some of the tendrils from Renji and himself.

She nodded, rushing over to the boy. "Growl, Haineko!" Her sword dissolved into ash, fighting back the tendrils that were trying to get at the boy.

The black tendrils began to feel heavy under their own weight as Izuru made cut after cut against them.

The creature roared, flexing it's muscles (or at least they thought it was), causing Zabimaru to recoil because of tension and fly back towards Izuru.

Instinctively, the blonde jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the blade.

"Shut up!" Izuru perked his head up. It' wasn't Renji, or Rangiku. He looked in the direction of the noise. A girl, with long, jet-black hair, ducked behind a tree.

"Izuru, look out!" Matsumoto exclaimed, bringing Izuru back into the fight just in time to receive a harsh blow to the side, which sent him flying a tree. He hisses in pain, clutching his side.


Sarah spied on the fight from behind a tree a few hundred meters away. A worried look played her face as she watched Izuru and his friends battle against the creature.

Can't even handle a mediocre hollow like that? Pft, weaklings.

"Shut up!" Sarah snapped back in a defensive tone.

"Izuru! Look out!"

Sarah looked up just in time to make eye contact with Izuru before seeing him get hit in the side by the creature. She made a 'meeping' sound and ducted back behind the tree.

Elnora chuckled, materializing in front of her "Might as well help them… that thing's only gonna' come after us next." She said in monotone.

She stepped a few feet away from the tree, closing her deep red eyes. The next thing Sarah knew, the blade had emerged from under the creature and began to pierce it's black skin. She heard the monster let out one last screech before one of the blades pierced the white and red mask. It fell to the ground before dissolving completely.

She peeked out further from behind the tree, trying to convince herself to run and see if Izuru was ok. She was about the take another step when something else caught her eye.

That boy…

Elnora laughed. Let me guess, you're shocked to the core that you can still see him? "But he's dead! I killed him!"… That is, unless you've forgotten that. You DID kill him, Sarah…

Her eyes stung with tears as she stared in disbelief before turning in the other direction and running.


When all was said and done, and the boy was safely shipped off to the Seireitei, Matsumoto had convinced her two companions into walking home.

"See, isn't it a beautiful day?" She sang, twirling herself along the sidewalk.

Renji smile, then promptly snorted in apathy after seeing the side-glance he got from Izuru.

The three walked casually down the sidewalk, making idle chit chat before reaching Matsumoto's stop. "I'll be going, I guess… poor Taichou is going to be worried that I disappeared like that…"

Renji and the blonde nodded their goodbyes before heading in the direction of Urahara's shop.

As they walked, the same head of black hair that Izuru had seen before caught his eye again. He turned to see Sarah running down the sidewalk, more than likely in the direction of her own apartment.

"Somethin' the matter, Izuru?" Renji asked, seeing that his buddy had began to lag behind.

Izuru nodded a bit. "It's Sarah… I thought I saw her at the park… and I think that's her now." He said, looking in her general direction.

Renji furrowed his brow, "You mean that weird, Romanian chick?"

The blonde nodded again, and started to follow her. "Izuru? What're you doin'?" Renji said, hesitant to follow him. "I don't want to look like a stalker or somethin'."

Izuru rolled his blue eyes, "Then don't follow me."

Renji looked from side to side, and decided that he'd have his buddies back.


The only thing on her mind, besides Elnora, was getting home. She slowed her pace down a bit when she was getting close. She panted, out of breath, and leaned against the wall of a building.

Elnora floated around her, humming to herself. "Someone was following you…" she chided a bit.

"Yes, that's something to joke about…" she muttered back.

"Sarah?" She jumped, her gaze falling on a particular blonde and his big-mouthed friend.

She sighed in relief, seeing it was only Izuru. "O-oh… Izuru… h-how are you tonight?"

Renji mouth was agape, and Izuru looked rather surprised as well. She narrowed her eyes, "What?"

"Who's that?" the blonde asked, motioning towards Elnora.

The two girls gasped.


I figured that since it's been so long since I've updated, I would treat you to a bit of a twist. Hoped you liked it…

By the way… there will be further delays in updating. I'm sick again, and I'm trying to keep up with school and such. But I'll try my hardest to keep the chappies coming!