Chapter Seven, "Burn the Witch"
Ichigo's teeth gritted, anger rising as he looked Sugihara straight in the eyes. "Where's Wakatsuki?"
"She's safely tucked away in a different room," she answered knowingly, grinning from ear to ear.
The orange haired teen huffed as he searched his surroundings for any signs of an exit or a door, but couldn't see beyond a stream of white mist filtering into the gargantuan room from the strip of air vents. It also smelled strongly of lavender. The atmosphere was oddly thick and heavy.
It was a familiar weight. He remembered feeling it earlier when he and Haruka were still in his house. It caused a strain in his body, something deep down inside ached. It felt like his insides were grabbed and twisted into knots.
He pressed his hand to his stomach, applying pressure to ease the slight waves of pain.
"Sorry 'bout the pressure," the pink-haired girl said understandingly. "It's a bit hard to control inside this dimension."
He blinked perplexed. Dimension? "What's going on?" he said, before repeating an earlier statement. "And where's Wakatsuki?"
Sugihara twisted her pink-tinted lips into a pout. "Come on! I just finished telling you she's in some other room!" she cried, irritated. "Stop worrying about her. You should be worrying 'bout yourself! Death already said to treat her like the Dalai Lama! I'm not stupid enough to go against him!"
Nagata's behind this, he thought as his eyes narrowed in displeasure, I should have known. It took little effort to figure out what was going to happen from then onward.
"What the hell does Nagata want with me?" he asked seriously.
"Well," trailed off the girl ominously, capturing his attention, eyes circling above her head as she placed her hands on her hips, "he didn't tell me."
Eh? His face twisted into one of disappointment. "What?"
Sugihara frowned deeply. "What do you expect? You know Death! He never lets anyone know what's he's doing! He just gives you vague, unorthodox orders and expects you to be smart enough to figure out the rest without providing sufficient clues. And you know what? He does this on purpose because it's his sole mission in life to watch everyone else fuck up!"
Memory served Kurosaki Ichigo correctly as he recalled the day he and Chad set foot into a teenage Nagata Taishi's territory where they experienced every word of which Sugihara spoke. Nagata never told them they were in his territory. None of his wannabe followers did either. Nobody was really aware where his territory started and where it ended. When the red haired tyrant took a step in front of them wagging around a metal bat with that horribly proud smirk on his face, he asked them how their day was going.
The ambience wasn't a friendly one, so neither he nor Chad answered, not that they would have the chance because within the next second one of his groupie's had snapped and told them to go away. Nagata Taishi then proceeded to swing his bat, nailing the guy straight in the nose, at a speed normal people wouldn't have believed he had been the one to swing it.
There was a brief, seemingly endless silence before Nagata straightened out, leaned the bloodied bat over his shoulder, and said, "Well, guys, it's been a pleasure, but I already have dinner plans with these guys."
It so happened that his so-called lackeys were actually members of a top-notch gang around South Karakura that had been itching to beat Nagata Taishi to a bloody pulp, but failed miserably. The next morning Ichigo heard all about the gang's demise through vivacious gossip and knew, even for him, Nagata wasn't one to mess with. It was probably instinct.
Ichigo watched as Sugihara Yurie huffed audibly, pacing in a full circle as a stretch of mist began to gather at their ankles.
"Okay," she said after a moment of terse silence. "I brought you into this dimension and am supposed to either watch/beat/kill you."
His eyebrows rose, no longer taking the situation as seriously as he should have. "In that order?"
"Perhaps."
This isn't getting anywhere.
"Hey, can I have Haruka back?" he asked tiredly, folding his arms over his chest. "She has a meeting with some gallery director or something and it's supposed to be really important. Ueda-san would kill me if she knew she missed it because of me."
Sugihara looked surprised. "Eh? Did she win a contest?"
"No."
"Isn't she like twelve, what does an art director want with her?"
"Gallery director," he corrected stoutly, frown deepening.
"Whatever!"
"She's not twelve either."
"Thirteen, fourteen—who cares!" she snapped. "Anyway, I need to figure out what to do with you."
Ichigo whirled around and started walking in the opposite direction without another word, with a disinterested shrug of his shoulders.
"Where do you think you're going?" cried Sugihara noisily, hands fisted at her sides.
The orange-haired teen disappeared in the mist without another word, further upsetting the short girl.
"Kurosaki!"
. . . .
"…So, I only need to stay here and talk to you?"
Haruka was sitting in a neatly set table within a gargantuan room with checkered marble floors and the wafting smells of different flavored teas. Across her was a bright, pink-haired girl wearing the Karakura High uniform with a few modifications (pink knee-high socks and a pink ribbon instead of red).
The unfamiliar girl, who presented herself as Sugihara Yurie, had finished explaining her actions without revealing much of anything, except the confirmation of her safety.
"Yep!"
Sugihara poured her red-colored tea and gracefully placed the teacup in front of her guest.
"What if I don't want to talk to you…?" Haruka asked carefully, eyeing the stranger suspiciously.
The cup nearly fell from Sugihara's hand as the words sunk in.
"W-well," she cleared her throat, "you really have no choice."
Haruka blinked. "Are you like Nagata Taishi?"
"I'm not an asshole like him, if that's what you mean," stated Sugihara defensively.
"It's not," replied Haruka slightly, taking the teacup in both hands. "Are you a part of the Arcana, too?"
Sugihara perked up. "Yup, that's right. I'm surprised you know about the Arcana at all."
Haruka returned the cup back to its place and stood abruptly, turning away from the pink-haired girl. "Ah, okay."
"Hey!" cried Sugihara, bolting out of her seat. "Where do you think you're going?"
Watching the back of Wakatsuki Haruka's retreating form, she realized the girl had no intention of answering.
"You can't get out unless Kurosaki does, you know?"
Haruka slipped into the darkening mist of the never-ending room. She figured if she walked long and far enough, there would eventually be a way out. So, she needed to be incredibly patient.
Inhale—one…two…three—and exhale.
Her retreating footsteps echoed noisily overhead as her body disappeared within the graying miasma. She took in her surroundings, vast and empty. Shadows formed beyond the mist, creating varying shapes in a curtain of gray. Large, looming figures towered over her as she passed and she followed them with curious eyes. Long limbs waved as she smiled graciously.
Familiarity struck.
Haruka heard the sound of heals clicking ahead of her, drawing her attention away from the flimsy shadows. A zephyr swirled the mist to clear and a flash of color flooded her eyes like vibrant neon lights.
A slender figure appeared with a curtain of bone-white hair fluttering behind her back, but disappeared as Haruka struggled to make out any more of the person in a wisp of dark smoke.
Sugihara flickered into sight, eyes narrowed in concentration, and she stood in place, witnessing something incredible.
Ashen mist tumbled from the high ceilings like raging waves, taking with them the shadows and all trace of color before, all together, they smashed straight into the checkered floors, consuming the wandering girl.
Chocolate colored eyes widened, concentration broken. "T-this can't be!"
"Sugihara is failing miserably, as expected."
Nagata held a hand over his eyes to shade them from the heavy sunlight. He stood on the rooftop of Karakura High once the campus was scarce save the few students finishing up with their extracurricular activities and sports (that counted as the former, though not in his book). The sky had already turned a musky orange and the clouds were multicolored and fluffy. The temperature out increased enough to cause some discomfort, but not enough to faze him.
Watanabe Kouyou emerged from a strip of shade behind him, hands clasped behind his back. "The others have already made their move."
Death smirked wickedly. "Yes, but I can count on you being one step ahead after having stolen the Hermit's ability."
"Our Hermit does not need his abilities when trapped in a dimension of his making."
"O'course." Nagata peered over the ledge as four senior students emerged from the main building. They were two girls and two boys, all four close acquaintances of Kurosaki Ichigo, carriers of extraordinary talent. If harvested, great things could be expected, even though one of the females was a hidden soul, but he wasn't looking at her. His attention was drawn by a particular male student. "That's him."
Kouyou spared the young boy a meager glance. "Are you certain?"
"He's got about a week left of life in him," remarked Death easily. "Same as Haruka. The testy little bastard is planning a diversion."
"Yes, but our concern is Kurosaki Ichigo."
"He really doesn't know what he's getting himself into. Hiko should've hired someone better than an ex-shinigami loser without any powers."
"He's got spark," Kouyou defended with a rueful smile.
Nagata snorted. "He certainly has the right receptors, but it won't get him very far…well, not until I get through with him."
The wise grin did not vanish from the Hierophant's face. "I do find your ploys a tad unconventional, but they are wonderfully strategized. I am eager to hear the results of your current game."
"Ah-ha, an' here I thought I'd never get your approval."
"You seem to have grown on me."
Nagata leaned forward as he watched the four students separate at the school gates, all venturing down the direction of their respective homes. His eyes followed the brunette with the messy hair and the idiotic personality, Asano Keigo. He was a difficult decision to stomach and he almost couldn't believe the things he had planned in the near future, but he had one cardinal rule: Death takes no orders, especially from lesser beings. That kid was going to be a problem.
The Arcana's wannabe leader was in no position to tell him what to do, though he had and that itself came with consequences. Death's revolt should have been expected. He was prepared to give him fireworks.
"Are you truly willing to sacrifice our Magician?"
"Oh yes," he said confidently. "He'll serve a better purpose dead."
"You do understand this will weaken us."
Nagata shot Kouyou a sharp glance. "Do you every stop being so pessimistic? Stop questioning me."
"Then you have figured out a way to preserve the Magician's ability?"
The surprise was evident in the Hierophant's expression to some lesser degree as Nagata smirked proudly affirming the older man's darkest thoughts, though the mere mention was impossible.
The Magician represented the power of the Arcana. With Sugihara Yō's awakening, everyone's dormant power reawakened like the violent stirrings of a volcano in the midst of eruption. It represented the moment in which plans were set in motion and sides were taken. The shinigami had been alerted by the surge of energy filling the world around them as the sky began to turn a darker shade. In fact, anyone with even a sliver of spiritual inclination felt the flood of energy shake and fill them with newfound dread.
It was doomsday. They only had no awareness.
That was the Arcana's strongest point.
Death straightened out with a crude smile and looked over his shoulder. "Let's go."
The Hierophant inclined his head and in a wisp of dark smoke, they disappeared.
Beyond this floor lies a door.
Haruka's gaze wandered, taking in the colorful setting. Vibrantly painted walls of flourishing grass and yellow buds paved the single road beyond the large hall. As she came to a halt before gargantuan twin doors, the words above in gold cursive tugged at an unknown emotion at the pit of her stomach.
She twisted her body slightly, looking into the vast darkness she left behind, and then turned back to the large door. She took the silver handle and turned, simultaneously pushing open the heavy door with every ounce of strength in her body. She stumbled in as the force keeping the entrance tightly sealed lessened and a brush of cold air fluttered her hair all about her face.
Hopping to keep her balance while flailing her arms, Haruka let out a yelp when she crashed into the cold, white marble floor. Her mobile phone flew out of her sweater's pocket and landed with a nosy clatter, skiing across the glossed over ground until it disappeared underneath a gargantuan canopy situated in the center of the room.
Haruka scrambled onto her knees, rushing forward in search of her phone. Her emotions were threading toward anxious as she hurriedly poked her head under the bed to see a number of boxes and stacks of art journals messily discarded.
She had been walking for what felt like hours before she came across the first room in the entire building. She had walked up stairways and zigzagging hallways with wall sconces and candles lighting the area. It was an endless labyrinth that brought along with it an ominous familiarity.
The glint of her phone reflecting off the gargantuan windows decorating the exterior wall caught her eye. She slipped further inside, arm out stretched when her lower backside hit the metal frame of the canopy, forcing her to a halt.
She growled in frustration as she strained to reach her phone, it sitting by the tips of her fingers and only managed to push it back bit by bit until she couldn't even touch it.
Stupid mistake.
The mobile phone started buzzing and moved further away until it hit one of the large boxes and lodged itself there, but it was already out of reach.
Haruka crawled backward out from underneath the bed and searched her surroundings for something handy to pull her phone from under it. A broom would have come in handy.
Kurosaki should have a broom…
Haruka stood in the middle of the room staring at the wall absently as a thought slowly formed in her mind.
"Sugihara," she grumbled in displeasure, folding her arms over her chest. "How do I find Sugihara? She could probably make one appear…"
She had given the room a fleeting look upon entering, but now, she looked at it straightly. Blinking, she took in the sight of skies that expanded up to the high ceilings where clouds formed around a circumference of violet markings resembling intricate runes.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
The door suddenly slammed into the wall and a voice came booming from the entrance. "I finally found you!"
Haruka turned to face Ichigo, slightly disheveled and cover in sweat, struggling for breath.
There was an air of indifference about her that pissed Ichigo off. She was almost looking at him like he did something stupid by catching up with her, which obviously meant this was the real Haruka and not Sugihara playing tricks on him.
"You forgot the broom," she said, irritated.
"What broom?" he cried, exasperated. "Ugh, forget it, let's get out of here."
Haruka turned to face him fully, eyes narrowing in scrutiny, and with an easiness of tone said, "I dropped my phone."
"Forget about it!" he stated. "We need to leave before that creep Sugihara shows up."
"But I dropped my phone," she said firmly. "Get it for me."
Ichigo realized quickly that getting the girl to budge would be a losing battle and with a roll of the eyes and an audible huff, he stepped forward. "Where'd you drop it?"
"…Under the bed."
"Then why can't you get it!" he shouted, peeved.
Haruka turned away with a haughty air. "I'm not telling you."
"Whatever," he said, silently fuming as he made his way toward the large canopy.
Between the two of them, Haruka was definitely smaller, petite, though she wasn't that much shorter than he was. So, he couldn't really see what the real problem was between her getting her phone back from underneath the bed, she could have definitely slipped inside without a problem, considering she was so slim.
She's probably just being lazy. Figures.
Ichigo got down to his knees and peered under the bed to see that it was indeed Haruka's mobile underneath it. He shot a glance back to her as she was staring him down and then slipped inside, stretching out his arm to grab hold of the slim device.
He returned the phone to Haruka, who quickly opened it to check the new messages flooding for inbox.
One after another, she read Arashi's name over and over. The messages written were nothing but nonsense, things that weren't necessarily interesting to her. She usually ignored her twin's text because he never had anything good to say to her. It helped her figure out her flaws and aim to fix them, but sometimes, she preferred not to make an argument. She knew Arashi had her best interests in mind, but that didn't mean she didn't find him annoying from time to time.
"Hey," started Ichigo, staring at her suspiciously, grabbing her attention, "when did you get a new phone?"
"Oh." She blinked. "Dad bought it for me temporarily the other day. I already have you on speed dial, so it's okay."
"How do you even have my number?"
"Ueda-san."
Ichigo confusion multiplied with each crisp response.
"Ueda-san?"
"Ueda-san knows everything," she said with an affirming nod.
His eyebrows rose skeptically. "Everything?"
"Even one's most intimate measurements."
"What? How can—?"
The thought of it seemed to have upset Ichigo. Haruka couldn't really see why.
She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm speed-dialing my dad."
She had just pressed the phone to her ear when the mobile was swiped out of her hand and thrown across the room. It hit the wall hard, smashing into pieces. Standing a few feet from the two teenagers was none other than her newly appointed homeroom teacher, still dressed in his flashy excuse of a suit and fake glasses.
"Nagata!" growled Ichigo defensively.
Nagata whirled around to face Haruka. "What the hell's your problem?" he berated. "Don't just run to your daddy when you can't get out of a problem!"
Haruka frowned childishly. "I can do whatever I want."
"Shut up! And Kurosaki, look somewhere else before I decide to punch you." Nagata huffed. "Seriously, I went through all the trouble of setting up a Wonderland for you to enjoy and you both are standing in a room doing nothing."
"What the hell do you want?"
Nagata rolled his eyes in frustration. "Honestly, teenagers, you're all lazy," he grumbled beneath his breath. He shook his head in disappointment and paced around the room once before taking a seat at the foot of the canopy. He stared straight at Ichigo, almost ignoring Haruka's presence completely. "Sugihara is an illusionist. She created a dimension inside a house that's full of traps and monsters and abnormal games."
"…I don't like any of those things," Haruka deadpanned.
Annoyance flashed in his eyes. "I'm making eye contact with Carrot Top here," he said, gesticulating, "you, stay out of it."
"…I don't really like you either."
"Shut up or I'll kill you," he threatened, serious.
"Do it."
Her face hardened as she challenged the ominous man.
Ichigo stepped in between the two before a childish challenge turned into a blood bath and brought the conversation back to where it started. "What are you trying to do?"
"I said it before, didn't I? You treat that little treasure behind you like the Dalai Lama."
Haruka took a deep breath, trying hard to concentrate as the tightening in her stomach continued. It was almost turning into pain.
"Yeah, so?"
"You think a loser like you can handle the responsibility without powers?"
Ichigo's expression grew serious.
Nagata smirked proudly. "Hits a nerve, don't it?"
"Get on with it," snapped Ichigo, hands balling into fists.
The blond leaned backward into the bed as he slowly elaborated. "I can grant you a death in which you will have the opportunity to reclaim your lost shinigami powers, though I can't guarantee your survival or the passing of any trials." He waved an indifferent hand before reaching into his pocket for a silver cigarette case. "Of course, you have some special circumstances, and I am willing to offer you secondary options."
"What's the second option?"
"You become one of us."
"One of you?" Ichigo said skeptically.
"A member of the Arcana," confirmed Nagata, and then proceeded to wave off the idea. "Then again, it's not certain. You don't meet the criteria, you weren't chosen for the job, as you aren't displaying symptoms prior to awakening. There really is no guarantee you'll survive this either, actually. Nobody has."
Haruka realized, with every passing minute, that Nagata looked almost too relaxed. She had a chilling feeling trailing up her spine as she watched the two men stare each other down.
Ichigo was definitely torn between the idea of receiving his powers back. He wanted to ask the different between the two options, but figured it might be some sort of elaborate ploy Nagata had.
"Both are pretty promising routes. I would recommend the Arcana, but I wouldn't want to sway your judgment. You might need all the shinigami power you can get if you hope to get rid of us eventually." There was more, Nagata smiled sinisterly as he proceeded, "If bad comes to worse, you might have to become much stronger than you did when you fought four-eyes. That in itself seems like an impossible feat, probably is, beats me."
The thought upset him. He couldn't be sure whether Nagata was lying or not and it was slowly wearing at his nerves. He didn't know whether to choose or not, but just as the thought flitted across his mind, Nagata raised his finger.
"There is always option three."
"What is it?"
Nagata extended his arm so he pointed directly at Haruka. "You turn her into Soul Society. Tell Yamamoto Genryūsai that she is the one they want. Watch her get executed publically by all your friends and comrades," he said easily, as though he were telling a fairytale, and clapped his hands together after setting his cigarette case on his lap, "and then everyone lives happily ever after. No problems until the next two-to-five hundred years when we decided to come again. 'Course, you'll be dead by then and it'll be someone else's problem. But wouldn't it be wonderful to live in peace? No Hollow, no supernatural mumbo-jumbo, no enemies, no nothing—tranquility, world peace—you create Heaven on Earth."
The knots in Haruka's stomach tightened until it started to hurt. If it meant that much to die, wouldn't option three be the best option? She would be the harbinger of peace. She would be doing something good for the world even if it meant facing a world beyond her acceptance.
Is that why Arashi attempted against my life?
Ichigo glanced over his shoulder, taking in the emotion registered on Haruka's face, and batted away the questions swarming his mind. He wasn't sure what to think. Haruka, if sacrificed, became the personification of peace as far as Nagata described, but what exactly did it all mean.
"What is she…?" asked Ichigo cautiously.
"The End," replied Nagata, taking a handmade cigarette from his case before shutting it and stuffing it back into his jacket pocket. "She represents the end of everything and the beginning of something new. If you want the real truth, she represents everything that binds the Arcana together. Us, Arcana don't have the best intentions in mind, of course. That's why people are wary. Everyone's going to come after us. Enemies will be willing to join forces to take us down, but once the Cycle is complete, it means the end of everything they knew. We are beings that aren't supposed to exist. Get it?"
Truthfully, Ichigo didn't truly understand, but it was an incredible burden that Nagata was offering him and he was certain he knew what he wanted.
Haruka unconsciously grabbed onto Ichigo's arm, moving forward, but keeping herself out of Nagata's view. She felt something threatening to split her apart and a well of emotion burning underneath all her senses. She was reacting to everything the man was saying, though it sounded like nonsense and she refused to believe the words of a dead man. She simply knew better than to acknowledge a zombie (unless it was hungry for brains, then she'd have to shoot it).
For the first time, she was listening and processing the ideas properly. Nagata once insulted the people protecting her, but had he been right about them trying for her life considering its value? And if it really could grant peace, why didn't she know about it?
There was a long, unnecessary silence between the trio.
Haruka felt her eyes water. She let that idiot Nagata make her think enough to cry.
"None."
Nagata looked pleasantly surprised as he lit the cigarette sitting between his lips with a light he conjured with a snap of his finger. He leaned into the tiny red flame flickering over the tip of his index finger, letting the tip burn before extinguishing it.
"Ah?"
"I don't need any powers to protect Wakatsuki," continued Ichigo assuredly, trusting there would always be a way to accomplish it without having to resort to relying on Nagata. "And I don't care how valuable her death is, I'm not going to put her life at risk."
Nagata took a drag of his cigarette and let out plumes of white smoke that slithered through the air, filling the room with a strange musky smell. It was only a matter of seconds before either teenager realized that whatever Nagata was smoking was no ordinary cigarette.
"Good answer," said Nagata, pinching the end of the cigarette and drawing it from his lips. "Great answer."
Haruka dropped her arms back to her sides and took a step forward to stand besides Ichigo, a new thought forming in her mind. She thought it best to leave certain ideals and details out of her head while they were still in the middle of unknown territory.
"What does Sugihara-san want with us then?" she asked quietly.
"Sugihara is working for Nagata," replied Ichigo.
"I didn't know you had lackeys, Nagata-sensei."
Death grinned arrogantly. "Kissing ass?"
She frowned disapprovingly.
"Leave her out of it," defended her self-appointed guard. "Why don't you spare us the guessing game and tell us what this is really about?"
Nagata pinched the bridge of his nose, frustrated, as he left his seat on the bed. "This is why I hate teenagers. You little bastards never listen to a word I say."
"…Not our fault you're so boring," grumbled Haruka, averting her eyes when a tyrannical glare blazed in her direction.
Nagata gathered his explosive anger and within seconds composed himself, continuing to smoke his questionable cigarette. "I said everything that needed to be said. It isn't my problem your ears are full of wax. Stupid brats."
After grumbling his final response, he vanished in a cloud of black smoke, taking with him the residue of his cigarette.
Ichigo growled impatiently, folding his arms over his chest. "Asshole."
Haruka stalked toward the windows and propped open a couple to have to rest of the awful smell out of the room. She would surely suffocate if she hadn't done anything about it. She took a deep breath of fresh air and looked beyond to the high walls that surrounded the home and tall grass flourishing with yellow wildflowers.
There were vibrant yellow flowers in her vision, swaying with every pass of cold wind, and within them sat a hidden path leading…
"Kurosaki," she called urgently, whirling around to face him. "We have to take the hidden path outside to get out of here."
Ichigo crossed the distance between them and listened to Haruka's curt explanation as she pointed out the pathway leading towards a tiny wooden door. He looked down, trying to measure how high up they were—five floors up, or more, he couldn't tell.
"Let's go."
She nodded firmly.
. . . .
It resembled an ancient castle built to imprison, decorated with vibrantly painted walls that struck various emotional attachments deep in a pool of feelings inside Haruka's heart. The wildflowers that surrounded the compound were currently stems in the cleared out room of the Wakatsuki manor, the shade of yellow was under serious debate, and she felt they had almost been perfect. Something was always missing from her paintings, something she found right in this unknown house.
Haruka took in the sights. In every change of scenery, she recognized art decorating the walls and matched it to one of the many of the portraits stowed away in the attic. There was something terrifyingly ominous of that day's transgression and it was only when it seemed that escape was possible, that she started to feel a sudden dread twist along her insides. She heard enough, seen something beyond her understanding, and was wondering whether it was really worth living.
Kurosaki Ichigo had been given the right opportunity to rid the world of her life, which meant the practical end of all evil. If she died, then and there, peace for the world was ensured for hundreds of years to come. If there truly was reason for Nagata to offer her life as the third option, a dark cloud must have been cast above their heads. Something told her there would be more in store than losing a single life.
The hallways were incredibly long, and as they ventured downward, the staircases grew larger until they reached a hollow room with a descending spiral staircase leading to a place shrouded in complete darkness.
They had been running around for what felt like hours. The trek took a heavy toll on Haruka's weak body. Her legs were shaking violently as she forced herself forward to follow Ichigo close behind. He had more stamina, the rush downstairs hadn't taken much of his strength, but she was breathing haggardly.
Ichigo turned around to face her. "You don't look okay."
Haruka took a step forward, ready to strike down his concern, when her leg numbed and she hit the ground hard. It was almost as if her legs had given up to her. They were starting a revolution against her. That was the second time she fell face first and she wasn't known to be clumsy, so it upset her.
"Ow."
Ichigo slipped both hands under her arms and managed to pick her up without much effort, but her feet were still incredibly weak.
"We'll stay here a bit so you can rest." He helped her to the nearest wall where she took a seat. "Sugihara is bound to show up since we stopped moving."
She wasn't sure what questions to ask as she carefully focused all her attention on deterring her mind from thinking her body was on the verge of malfunctioning. She never ran or walked for so long or felt such immense pressure encased in such a place. It weighed her down as if trying to break her apart, but there was something different about this room.
"The atmosphere is lighter here," she said quietly.
Ichigo nodded. "You noticed, too?"
"Yeah."
The orange-haired teen exhaled deeply and took a seat beside her, crossing his legs. He regarded her gently, taking in her blank expression and the slight heave of her chest. "Are you okay…?"
"You mean to ask if I'm not dying," she said straightly, unconcerned about the throbbing ache in her head. "I'll be fine. I just want to sleep and I think I missed my medicine."
"I thought you weren't taking it."
"Who said?"
"Ueda-san."
"I'm not."
"Why?"
"Why?" she repeated lightly, contrasting the stern sound of his tone. She lowered her head and for the first time chuckled deprecatingly. "You really are different. More than I expected."
Ichigo's frown deepened. "Are you going to give me an answer?"
"Haven't you figured it out?" She shook her head in disbelief, but continued speaking. "It would have been easier to take the easy way out in this situation. If you went through with Nagata's third option, you could have truly been heroic."
She did not value her life.
"I'm not trying to be a hero," he stated, annoyed.
Haruka cast a fleeting glance to him. "Then, what are you trying to accomplish by protecting me?"
He remained silent for a long time, unable to find a reason for his actions. He was almost certain he was acting on instinct. Wakatsuki Haruka became his responsibility when her father hired him to watch over her for an hour, but then Nagata and Watanabe appeared and now Sugihara, all potentially endangering the life of a girl that seemed so fragile. He thought his job was going to be simple until he realized everyone was secreting behind his back and that Urahara and Yoruichi were somehow involved, and there were many of shinigami tailing Haruka. Not to mention, Hiko was a shinigami himself, so did that mean…Haruka also had the potential, too?
"I'm not afraid of dying," continued Haruka assuredly, breaking the silence.
"Are you stupid?" he said, aggravated, hands fisting.
"Yes."
"Don't answer so simply!"
Just then, the sound of something splashed onto the floor to the left of them and the heaviness that did not exist within that room returned—Sugihara found them.
Ichigo bolted out of his seat alert, eyes squinting to see through the sudden veil of darkness. The sconces on the wall had dimmed as the splashing continued. There was a vibration underneath his feet and a crackling sound at his ears. For a moment, it sounded like bones cracking into place and forming as dark blobs emerged from the floor, towering over him with golden eyes.
"Damnit, you guys are crafty!"
The pink-haired girl emerged from the spiraling staircase, looking exhausted. She pranced forward, gesturing with both hands to the shadows forming behind her and in one swoop they rushed forward hitting the ground where they dissolved into murky dark liquid.
Haruka got to her feet with little struggle as she watched the black ink-like substance pool at everyone's feet. She didn't want it touching her directly, though it still bothered her that her new shoes would be ruined, but she could always ask her father for new ones. She raised her foot an inch, the substance was sticky and bubbly—it turned her stomach.
"Stay behind me, Wakatsuki," ordered Ichigo.
"You don't need to worry about Wakatsuki, sheesh," stated Sugihara, annoyed, "Nagata would kill me if I tried against her life and anyways, it's you I'm after."
"What for?"
"To test you, of course," continued the transfer student. "It makes sense. Nagata would never consent to bringing anyone to this particular dimension if he didn't want their worth tested."
"Worth?"
Sugihara smiled widely, wagging her index finger. "I'll give you a full Arcana education, then," she said sternly, "so listen close. There are two ways to become a member of the Arcana. The first is automatically being chosen by fate (though this doesn't include the Arcana that function outside the cycle) and the second is becoming worthy of the title. Of course, there is only one way of determining it. You have to survive the trials given to you by the Magician, that's me, then gain the approval of the Hierophant, the blessing of the Priestess, and face Death." Sugihara pushed out her hip and placed her hand over it. "There is an easier method, but it's mostly called the impossible method."
"Why?"
"The leader of the Arcana, our Queen, is the only entity able to choose the holder of every card's fate. She guides the Wheel of Fortune." Sugihara frowned childishly. "But unfortunately, Death never lets her retainer die in any reincarnation. So, it's impossible to use her ability, I'm sure she'd like you on the team, considering your potential. So, it'd be a real shame if you died during my trials."
"I don't want to be one of you!" he said strongly.
Sugihara scoffed as the dark liquid shot up into the ceiling, forming several looming monsters. "As if you have a choice."
Ichigo's eyes widened as the monsters gathered and lurched forward, arms spiraling toward him with an edge sharp enough to pierce through skin. He moved swiftly, grabbing a hold of Haruka and rushed to the other end of the room as the blob of beasts crashed into the wall becoming dark liquid, shaking the foundation of the castle-like home.
"That's cheating!" cried Sugihara, waving her arms around in disagreement. With a frustrated huff, she straightened out, regaining a bit of her composure. "Well, whatever, I don't care, do what you want! I won't be responsible for the consequences."
"Shut up!" yelled Ichigo from across the room.
"You can't shut me up! Go! Go get him!"
The monsters reformed and rushed toward Ichigo.
"Tsk! Hold on, Wakatsuki!"
Haruka nodded wordlessly and secured her arms around his neck. She felt his quick movements and found them dizzying. As he skillfully avoided the dangerous blobs, charging into the maze-like hallways, she started seeing a variety of color before her eyes. Her mind started to fog.
She shut her eyes tightly, clinging to Ichigo, feeling undeniably restless. There was nothing she could do. She wasn't sure what was happening herself. All she knew was that they were running, and fast, as the corridors in their brightly painted colors blurred in her peripheral. Ghastly cries resonated behind them as the monsters kept up with Ichigo's pace.
She was feeling ill and considerably weaker than when she first arrived into this den of nightmares. Her weakness was slowing him down. He was forced to carry her around because he was concerned about her wellbeing when Sugihara made it clear she would not be harmed. Even so, he couldn't exactly trust anyone but himself at that moment.
Ichigo skidded to a sudden halt as he reached a dead end. He whirled around, eyes widening as the monsters came undone and rushed toward them as they backed into the wall in the form of a giant black wave. His back hit the wall hard. There wasn't any other way out of facing the darkness licking up the walls, threatening to engulf them.
As he watched the waves come closer, he saw shapes forming within the waves and just as his heart stilled and arms tightened around Haruka's frail body, they crashed straight into them. But as the waves pulsed through his body, overcoming them both, he felt his senses heighten and body shiver as the evil made its presence known. It turned his body cold; the temperatures inside him plummeted until he felt nothing but a numbness spreading.
The only tinge of warmth he felt was Haruka's frail body clinging to him tightly, but even it was fading quickly.
The splash of darkness clung to him until finally, the weight lifted and he knew he was able to breathe freely. He hadn't noticed he had been holding his breath until after the black waves were reduced to nothing but a shallow pool at his feet.
Footsteps approached the dead end as he opened his eyes and struggled to get back onto his feet.
"Wakatsuki," he strained, pushing himself off the wall. "Are you okay?"
Her grip loosened greatly and her body felt heavier. She did not say a word, staying perfectly still in his arms.
Ichigo dropped his gaze, footsteps drawing near. He carefully pulled back strands of her hair to see her eyes were closed serenely. There were traces of the dark liquid clotting in her hair.
His stomach twisted into knots of horror. With a slight shift of his body, Haruka fell limp.
"W-Wakatsuki…?"
There was a tremor in his voice. The fear of acknowledging what was so evident.
He took her face carefully, heart stilling, but her skin was as cold as ice. "Hey…W-Wakatsuki…?"
He couldn't stand. He felt his body sink back into a seat among a sea of darkness. He reached to her neck to check her pulse, but it was impossible to detect something that was no longer there.
The echoing steps came to a sudden halt and he raised his eyes to see Sugihara Yurie engulfed in a sphere giving off light. She frowned disappointedly at the sight before her.
"Sheesh," she complained noisily, rubbing the back of her head. "You're tougher than I thought. That should have put you out quickly."
"You," he started lowly, holding onto Haruka's body tightly, eyebrows furrowing.
Sugihara arched an eyebrow. "Why do you sound so mad?"
Ichigo opened his mouth to release his fury. His powerlessness fueled his anger. If he had powers, he could have easily protected Haruka, he could have prevented her from dying in the middle of nowhere—in some idiot's dimension. He felt useless, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try against Sugihara.
But, someone else spoke up before him.
"…You breached my contract," came the irritated voice of Nagata Taishi, who stood a few feet behind the Magician crushing his cigarette.
Sugihara whirled around, wide eyed. "W-what?" she stammered, taken aback. "How did you get in here? I-I—"
"You served your purpose, Sugihara Yurie, and as delightful as our alliance may have been, you have just breached my contract and admitted into my shitlist," he began slowly, voice dripping with venom.
"W-what?" she cried frantically. "I didn't do anything wrong!"
Nagata tugged his tie loose and started folding the sleeves of his shirt. "Wakatsuki Haruka is dead."
Ichigo wouldn't budge. There was a monstrous source of energy pining him to the ground. He couldn't even find his voice to speak.
Sugihara jerked around to face both teenagers sitting pushed against the wall, but there was scarcely enough time for the moments that followed. The pink haired girl had time to react when Nagata shot forward and waved her hands towards her, creating a defensive wall that stretched to the high ceiling with the liquid lingering on the floor.
"Nagata!"
Ichigo saw the glint of silver as it materialized in Death's hands and watched as the weapon took the shape of a large scythe. Death swung vertically, slashing straight through the barrier and right across Sugihara's thin neck.
It was over in the blink of an eye.
Sugihara Yurie's head hit the floor with a light thud and the body followed shortly as blood splattered all across the carefully painted walls, forever staining them.
Nagata straightened out, casting a bothered glance at the scythe in his left hand. He tightened his grip and the weapon vanished in a wave of violent smoke. "So she believed in clichés to the bitter end. Fool."
Cold eyes met with Ichigo's astonished gaze.
"Get up."
It was another order.
Ichigo struggled onto his feet with the slight weight of Haruka's body as Nagata crossed the distance between them.
"Look at me," said Death, gesticulating with his fingers. "Straight on. With that exact face."
Ichigo's eyebrows were still knitted and his expression was molded into one of pure fury.
He did not expect to be punched as hard as he was, but that was Death's gift to him before he wordlessly grabbed a hold of Haruka and hoisted her over his shoulder. The teen hit the wall hard and slid down into a seat as something clattered onto the floor with him. He tasted the blood building up in his mouth and he turned his head to spit it out.
"Take Wakatsuki here," said Nagata monotonously, handing him a slip of paper. "I'll burn the witch."
Ichigo got back onto his feet and took Haruka from his arms, looking at the older man cautiously.
"The exit is down the staircase. Follow the dirt path in the flowers; you should be outside Karakura Town."
The teenager nodded and rushed, unable to calm his accelerating heart. His mind drew blanks. He could think of nothing more than listening to Nagata Taishi's exact words and taking Wakatsuki's dead body to the location on that paper. He didn't think about possibilities or the fact that he saw Death decapitate a girl without a cinch of hesitation. He could not consider his actions justified because Sugihara had been thrown into Death's game probably without her knowing the outcome.
As he descended the spiral staircase in the center, he realized that whatever troubles came his way were too much for him to handle. If Nagata planned to get rid of anyone that wronged him dead center, it was best for someone to know about his current location.
Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed.
He needed to tell Wakatsuki Hiko.
Thanks to: Shadow of a Broken Angel, Juliedoo, kiss2lips, and ruler of dragons for reviewing the previous chapter.
Arcana 01: Le Bateleur (Magnus of Power)
- Personification of power and masculinity.
- Great omen.
- Represents action and initiative, but immaturity as well.
- It's appearance in a spread can point to talents, capabilities and resourses at the Querent's disposal. It means tapping into one's full potential rather than holding back.
- Could signify the appearance of a manipulator, though reversed, he may be a beneficient guide (without one's best interests in mind).
- Can represent the Querent's ego or self-awareness and sometimes the intoxication of power.
- Negatively represents trickery or deception.
- The Magician creates his desired reality.
These will be added at a precise moment. They're meant to be educational in terms of what aspects inspired the characters based on tarot card in question and at the same time signify certain aspects that need to be taken into account.
x L i l i m:
Upped the rating to "M" to let Nagata's creativity flourish. I face palm knowing that poor Ichigo will be so traumatized by the end of this by Nagata, I literally wonder how much his character will develop. (I hope to make him cooler...yeah.)
Also, in the entire story, I have to say Nagata's style of fighting is going to be my favorite because it's so terrifying. Somewhere in the later chapters it'll be explained why there was a scythe, though it's quite appropriate for him considering he is death. (Of course, the basic meaning of Death in the Arcana is vastly different to his actions, but that will eventually be explained. I am not deviating from the actual significance of the Major Arcana, no, I'm merely using details in which to enhance them).
I am quite saddened that Sugihara Yurie died in one chapter. Originally, I planed a mini-arc in which she would befriend Haruka, instill some courage in her, and explain the Arcana's deepest darkest secrets (at least more basic knowledge) before Nagata killed her/him for saying too much. In the end, I had to scratch the idea and rushed through her death, but she did say a few spoilerish things-mostly on becoming a member of the Arcana, but then again, so did Nagata. Well, I did say there would be revelations and there were.
I feel I might have said too much about Haruka, but in the end, I still have the element of surprise. Nagata could be lying. You never really know about that one. but then again, Haruka is technically dead...so...it doesn't matter?
Anyhoot. I'm planning to write one-shot extras on Arcana members to share their backgrounds. Sugihara Yurie, as the Magician, will be featured in the first Extra (which will be released whenever I finish organizing the outline). I'll probably hold onto it a while considering the amount of spoils it'll contain.
So, thank you for reading! :)
There's a preview for Ch. 8 up in my lj. You can find a link somewhere in my profile. There's a "masterlist" link near the top of the page that would probably help more.
In the next chapter, look forward to meeting the Lovers, have an indepth explanation of Haruka's SLE, Nagata being an asshole, a look into the secret base, and Ichigo probably getting traumatized.
