Chapter 10
A deep black enveloped his senses, blocking out the sunlight, and blurring his vision. Nanashi breathed, and stepped forward, staring directly at his opponent. He couldn't make out the features, other than the purple glowing eyes. His senses were blurred by the black surrounding them. He tried to see his enemy, to make out any features, but it was all in vain.
The being roared, extending a hand toward him. He braced for an attack, yet noting came. The form was small, yet powerful. He gradually got closer, raising his Zanpakuto, and struck the being down. The blade sunk deeply into it, stopping around the middle. Blood oozed from the wound, splattering onto the black abyss, giving it a contrastimg colour.
The being slumped, and slowly the blanket of black began to wain. Fading fully, Nanashi was able to see the being. He reeled back, upon seeing its face, dropping his Zanpakuto, and putting his hands on his head. He dropped to his knees, and tried to fix what he'd done. Laying in his arms, covered in blood, with a permanent look of shock, and fear, was Rukia. Her eyes remained open, yet they lacked the usual brilliant shine. There she lay, Nanashi's life, and soul, dead in his arms.
He shook her, trying desperately to wake her, yet her lifeless corpse refused to move.
"WHAT HAVE I DONE!!" Nanashi shouted, as he began sobbing.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Nanashi shot up, eyes open wide. His breathing was fast, and a layer of cold sweat adorned him. He looked around, confused as to where he was, and what had happened. He glanced down at his shaking hands, searching for any sign of blood, and relieved to find none. He looked over to the sleeping woman beside him, and his breathing slowed.
She was alive, safe, and sound.
"Damn..." Nanashi whispered to himself, turning away from Rukia.
He stood, grabbed his Zanpakuto, and stepped out into the night air. The cool breeze tickled his face as he breathed deeply. He sat where Kaien had, upon a small rock around an even smaller fire that he started last night, and closed his eyes.
He concentrated, focusing on connecting with his inner world, looking for Kauso no Kage. He had some questions, and grievances to air out. As he sunk deeper into himself and his thoughts, he felt a familliar tug of the void. He focussed on that, and eventually Kauso no Kage's revealing form materialized.
"Well, well. The boss man wants to talk does he?" Kauso no Kage said.
"I've been bothered by your silence lately." Nanashi sternly stated.
"Uh oh. Is little Nanashi angry?" Kauso no Kage chided.
"You're damn right I'm angry. Where the fuck was your help?!" Nanashi snapped. "I know that you want me to 'lose' my being to the void, or whatever, but I'm still your master. Not the other fucking way around!"
"You're the master of nothing, you idiot!" Kauso no Kage snapped. "Last time I gave you power, you went into a coma like a damned child!"
"What about the ability you gave me?! Sora no Hoshi?" Nanashi countered.
"I gave that to you a while ago. Remember, your coma? How you 'left' your inner world?" Kauso no Kage replied.
"What?" Nanashi asked.
"Yeah, but you didn't even know, or thank me. So now, we gotta do this the hard way. You prove to me that you're capable, and we'll go from there. Now, if you don't mind, your darling pumpkin wants to talk.
With that, he disappeared from Nanashi's view, and back into his mind. Nanashi opened his eyes, and saw that the sun was rising, and Rukia was sitting in front of him, staring intently at him.
"Ahh! Holy shit!" Nanashi exclaimed, jumping back.
"Ahh!!"
Rukia didnt realize it, but she'd just punched him right in the jaw, knocking him down. He hit the ground with a heavy thud. Wheezimg as his dazed expressiom took hold of him.
Rukia's eyes stayed closed, as she came to grips with what she'd done. Upon opening one of her eyes and seeing Nanashi, drooling on the ground, she immediately jumped to his side. She slapped his face, frantically trying ro wake him up, only for him to grumble, and moan in pain.
"Ah! Nanashi! Sorry! Wake up! Please?!" Rukia panicked.
Holding his jaw, Namashi sat up, the pain blunt, and throbbing as he opened his mouth, streching it. Damn, that hurt. Rukia had a nasty habit of lashing out when she was startled. Nanashi was a normally quiet person, his footsteps lights, and his voice soft-spoken, so he feared that he may scare her almost daily.
"Damn woman..." Nanashi groaned.
"Sorry... You shouldn't scare me like that. You'd think you'd learn." Rukia scolded.
Nanashi simply glared at her, jaw red from where she'd struck him. She looked away, hiding her smirk, and he noticed her shoulders shaking, as if she were crying. He immediately grew more concerned, and jumped up to go and see if she was okay.
"Ru, what's wrong?!" Nanashi concernedly asked.
She burst out laughing, unable to contain herself anymore. She turned, tears in her eyes, as she pointed at Nanashi, slapping her leg as she did.
"You looked rediculous!" Rukia said, laughing the whole time.
"I'm happy you find my pain so funny. Maybe its time I got you back!" Nanashi said, tackling her to the ground.
She pushed him off, and as she did, she jumped up, and began running. Sliding down the nearby hill, and falling onto her back when she reached the bottom. She laughed the whole way, and as Nanashi began chasing her, not realizing the hill was there, fell flat onto his face, and rolled down beside her. The tumbled down into the valley, laughing as they rolled, enjoying the time they had together.
As fate would have it, their down time would be few and far between.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
A lone woman wandered around, feet crunching against the snow, in front of a temple. He long, lavender hair, and matching kimono denoted a grace, and elegance as she looked at her surroundings. She was content, having a visitor was a unique and rare occourance, yet she welcomed him. She found that time spent in the company of another was time well spent, and even though this man was much more mischievous, she throughly enjoyed his company.
"You know, I've never really been one for snow. Lots of bad memories there, but I gotta say, this is beautiful." The cloaked man stated.
"Yes. The snow adds a certian elegance to this place, doesn't it." She replied.
"Think they know about us?" The man asked.
"I'd find it hard to believe that she couldn't. As for him, I doubt he fully understands." The woman replied.
"He can be dense, but he's not dumb. Besides, he's definitely proving himself worthy." The cloaked man replied.
"Master Nanashi has grown quite a bit. He is grasping the basics of your power quickly. Do you think you'll grant him more power?" The woman asked. "Kauso no Kage?"
"Only when he needs it. Not any sooner. He could end up dying if he aquires too much, too quickly." Kauso no Kage replied. "What about you? Think Rukia will earn more power?"
"She's quickly learning, but I fear that she may just be too inexperienced. Time will tell I suppose." Sode no Shirayuki replied.
The two spirits sat, looking up at the gently falling snow. They too realized that this time would be rare, and that the need to cherish these moments, would be essential for the trials to come.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"Now that you two lovebirds are done horsing around, lets set off. Okay?" Kaien asked.
"Yes sir." They replied in unison.
The tents were packed into travel packs, designed to be easily carried by traveling Shinigami. They were packed into a small enough bag, that it didnt interfere with movement. Food and other essentials were placed in pouches worn around the obi, and they set off alone the winding dirt path into the mountians.
Nanashi recalled walking along this path as a child, his sense of wonder engulfing him as he did. The path itself wasn't anything special, a worn down dirt trail that was made by people simply walking through. As time passed,the grass flattened, slowly dying, becoming dirt, and a guide to wayward travellers.
The air grew colder, more crisp as the dirt path became a snow covered one, and remembering that they'd packed haori's, they donned them. The wind was calm now, but Nanashi knew that they would soon be faced with a howling torrent of bitter cold wind. Frost-bite was a big concern for anyone venturing up here, yet being Shinigami, they fared far better. Nanashi figured that Rukia would fare the best, given the nature of her Zanpakuto.
"Damn. Its getting chilly." Kaien observed.
"Yeah, just be thankful it's still early in the year. Storms up here in the dead of winter are particularly bad. No telling how we'd fare then, yet I have an idea." Nanashi replied.
"Nanashi, you grew up here. Right?" Rukia asked.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Is there anything you want to tell us? Anything about the mountiam, or this manor we're going to?" Rukia asked.
Pondering, Nanashi realized that up until yesterday, he didn't even know about the manor, beyond rumors. The mountian was always a place of punishment, and justice. He never imagined coming up here willingly, with the intent of leaving afterward.
"Honestly, no. The storms are bad, but that isn't exactly news." Nanashi replied
"Well then, new and exciting experiences all 'round" Kaien exasperated.
Continuing on, the path disappeared, too far into the mountians to feasibly maintain. It was instead, replaced by deep snow, sharp jagged rocks, and a howling wind. They truged through the snow, moving slowly and carefully, so as not to slip and fall.
"You know, I could just shunpo us up there. It'd be a hell of a lot faster." Kaien sughested.
"Yeah, but you'd give us away in an instant. We don't want to spook anyone, or reveal ourselves to any hollows." Rukia countered.
Grumblimg, Kaien pulled his deep blue haori over his nose, shielding him from the wind.
The wind picked up considerably, and the snow began furiously blowing, blinding them. Nanashi looked up, and saw the deep grey clouds approaching. The first official storm of the seasom was here, and approaching fast. He scanned the environment for any shelter he could find, and found a small cave close to them.
"We need to get into cover!" Nanashi shouted over the wind.
He pointed to the cave, and they set off up the mountain to take shelter from the storm.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
The crackle of fire warmed the trio as the storm had hit with an intensity Nanashi never thought possible. Kaien was sitting almost too close to the fire, shaking like a leaf on the wind. Rukia was hanging the haori's, brushing snow and ice from them as she did. Finally, Nanashi was unpacking food for them.
"You're really that cold?" Nanashi asked Kaien.
"Sh-sh-sh-shut up!" Kaien replied.
Nanashi grabbed a small pouch he had packed away. Within it, a black powdered substance sat. It was a mix for a drink he'd heard about, and bought in the 25th when they'd first arrived. He pulled a cup out, and gathered some clean snow from the outside, and began heating it over the fire.
"What's that you've got?" Rukia asked, sitting beside him.
"I dunno, a drink apparently. I bought it in the 25th while you got that... bunny thing." Nanashi replied.
"Its not a bunny 'thing' its a bunny plushie." Rukia corrected.
"Whatever. Point is, I did some shopping myself." Nanashi replied.
He poured the contents of the bag into a white cloth, tying it up, and dipping it into the water. He then placed the mug close to the fire, heating, and eventually boiling the water. He watched as the water changed into an inky black, brown brew, and removed the bag. The earthy smell, mixed with a roasted aroma, tingled his senses, amd warmed him.
He drank from his mug slowly, savouring the flavour, and feeling the bitterness of if as he drank.
"Damn... could use something..." Nanashi quietly pondered.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Rukia paced, trying to keep herself busy as the storm raged. She felt herself becomimg antsy, the cave feeling smaller and smaller as time went on. She had finished taking stock of her things, making sure she'd packed enough to last the trip. The mentally smacked herself for not buying more provisions at the 25th's market.
"Damn storm... just won't let up will you." Kaien said out loud.
"They're like this. Chances are we'll be here for a while yet. Best to try and rest, conserve your strength." Nanashi replied.
"I hope this let's up soon." Kaien said quietly. "Hey, Nanashi! How long do these last? A while?"
"Or you know, ignore me too..." Nanashi quietly scoffed.
Rukia looked as the two men she admired bickered. One was her mentor, the first friendly face she saw as she joined the 13th.
The other, was her... What was he to her? She cared, deeply for him, wanting nothing but to be close with him, yet they hadn't had time to talk. Were Kaien not here, this would be an ample opportunity. As things stood right now though, they hadn't officially labelled anything. She would have to talk when they got the chance. The first opportunity.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
A few hours had passed in what felt like an eternity, and Kaien drifted off to sleep, decidng to take the time to catch up of some. Nanashi suggested that Rukia follow, but she decided to stay up, and be with Nanashi. This would be the first opportunity at down time that they would have, and things needed to be handled.
"Nanashi. I think this is as good a time as any. Wouldnt you agree?" Rukia asked.
"Time for what?" Nanashi asked, confused by her.
Rukia sat down beside the fire where Nanashi was. She watched as he tried to communicate with his Zanpakuto, and saw his frustration. He had sheathed the sword, and huffed, which informed her that he'd given up for now.
"We can talk. About us." Rukia stated.
Nanashi had given her his full attention now, deciding that this was a better use of their time. With Kaien loudly snoring, there was no chance of him hearing any of this. Not that it was much of a secret to him now anyway.
"So. Lets talk." Nanashi replied.
"What are we? What is this?" Rukia asked. "I know what I want, what I need."
"And what do you want?" Nanashi asked.
"I want something serious. I want something that will last. I'm not talking about marriage, or kids, yet. I just want something that is going somewhere, I want a future." Rukia answered.
Nanashi was always envious of her ability to lay things out. How she could just say 'I want this'. She never minced words, she always got straight to the point.
"I want this." Nanashi replied. "I want you, I want 'us' to continue. I never want to be without you again."
Rukia had released a breath she didn't realize she had held, and felt warmth growing in her. Her relief at Nanashi feeling more or less the same, made her slightly blush, and smile. She could feel the sincerity coming from him, and knew then and there, that they were officially a serious couple. She was his, and he was hers, and nothing, would stand in their way.
"I love you." Nanashi stated.
Rukia, rose from her spot, walked over to Nanashi, and kissed him. It was a gentle, tender kiss, like one at a wedding. She was happy, so happy, that no matter what, she would have someome to call hers. She would never be alone again. She knew that Nanashi would never abandon her, and he would stand by her, regardless of the consequences.
As they kissed, she grew more aware of herself. The feeling in the pit of her stomach began fluttering, and a heat began rising. She shifted, pulling back from Nanashi, and staring into his yellow eyes. As she moved, she felt an electric tingle begin in her head, and move downward. She struggled to hold back, to contain her racing thoughts, as the sensation settled below.
Nanashi, looking into her deep violet eyes, begins imagining her laying down in front of him. They're connected in the most intimate way, and they become one. He feels the seat of his hakama begin tightening as the thoughts race. He then notices the position they're in, she straddled his hips. He pulls her into another kiss, using his body to express himself. A small moan escapes her throat as he pulls her closer, hand resting on her lower back. Using his other hand, he pulls at the rear of her obi, tugging gently in protest of it. The only thing seperating them, was their shihakusho, and he wanted to remove that barrier.
"Nanashi... While I want to, you seem to be forgetting our other guest." Rukia whispered.
"Oh, right. Our dear lieutenant." Nanashi sighed in defeat.
"There'll be time for us. When this is over." Rukia assured.
"He just needs to not be here..." Nanashi grumbled.
Rukia chuckled, kissing his neck, and getting off of his lap. While she was as disappointed with the outcome, she didn't regret stopping. Somehow, an icy cave in the side of a mountian lacked romance, and grace. She knew that it would eventually happen, but there was a time and place for these sorts of things.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
The storm had begun to let up, and visibility returned to as close to normal as Nanashi fugured it would. Hours had passed, and while a bit of down time was nice, he was eager to get back to it. He had packed his things, and was ready to continue the dangerous climb.
"You never really know how much you miss the sun, until its gone." Kaien stated drammatically.
"Night's must be interesting at your house then." Rukia quipped.
Nanashi felt a cold energy on his senses. He noted it's familiarity, and prepared himself for another fight. He finally spoke, voicing a concern, and suggestion to his partners.
"You know, now that I think about it, we should only bring the essentials. Food, water, and money. I think the rest should stay here." Nanashi stated.
The two looked at him, confused at his suggestion. Kaien looked more annoyed than Rukia, and spoke.
"What about if we need to stop? Settle down for a night." Kaien countered.
"Well, I can almost guarantee that we are close to the manor, and once we settle up here, you can shunpo us back." Nanashi replied.
"You think I'm just a taxi?" Kaien replied.
"You did offer." Rukia interjected.
Grumbling, Kaien set his travel pack down, and muttered something under his breath. Nanashi and Rukia followed suit, only taking their essentials, and haori's with them.
The set off again, Kaien taking the lead, and continued to climb. Nanashi felt another faint tug in his senses, and knew that whatever they were about to walk into, was going to be dangerous. The cold, bitter feeling of a hollow, was multiplied by a hundred.
"You feel that?" Nanashi asked.
"Yeah. We're getting close." Rukia affirmed.
The mood among the group grew darker, and more serious. The threat of hollow's was on the forefront of their minds, and they collectively rested their on hands on the hilts of their Zanpakuto.
As they crested a rather jagged, steep rock, and peered into the valley below, a large, castle like mansion sat. The run down appearance, broken walls, a large snow covered courtyard, the collapsed in roof, all pointed at either time taking its toll, or a catastrophic event. Regardless, the place was completely saturated with hollow energy. The sheer cold, and bitterness of the reishi, weighed down on the three shinigami, and it only got heavier as they walked closer.
"Hey, boss man. Me again." Kauso no Kage said.
"What?" Nanashi repled.
"There is some bad Juju here. Something is way off with this reishi. I'm sure you can figure it out. You're a smarty smart." Kauso no Kage warned, "Let me know if you start to feel more powerful, and I'll tell you why!"
Confused, Nanashi out the ramblings of his Zanpakuto into the back of his mind. He was in a very damgerous place, and needed to be completely focussed. He focussed inward, at his power, when he noticed something strange. He felt way more alert, and things moved slower. He felt like he could take on a menos by himself, and win.
"Ahh... there it is." Kauso no Kage said.
"There what is?" Nanashi asked.
"I have a sort of latent ability, in that I, your most powerful and awesome instrument of death and destruction, absorb ambient void energy." Kauso no Kage stated.
"And you waited until now to tell me." Nanashi chided.
"Hey, its not like you asked. Power has to come from somewhere." Kauso no Kage defended.
Nanashi pushed him to the back of his mind, trying instead on focus on the task here. They had a mansion, possibly full of hollow's and who knows what else that could attack them at any moment. He tried to focus on controlling his reishi, but found that he couldn't.
"Ah, Nanashi. Do you not know how to control your reishi?" Rukia joked. "You're just pouring it out!"
"I can't control it." Nanashi replied.
"Well, figure it out, kid! You're giving us away!" Kaien replied.
Just as Nanashi was going to reply, the mansion began eminating a deep black, and violet energy. The ground shook, and walls began to crumble. Nanashi saw Rukia and Kaien kneel down as the pressure from the energy pressed down on them. Nanashi however, stood tall, feeling revitalized, and ready for more. His vision became vibrant, his movements seemed to slow down, and he immediately sensed the hollow.
It's reishi was, for all intents, normal for a lesser hollow, yet there was another aspect to it, something familliar, something dangerous. As if the hollow was a mashing of other hollow's, and not just ordinary ones.
As quickly as it had began, the energy ceased to be. The remaining reishi, of the hollow had disappeared as well, as did the latent void energy. Rukia and Kaien stood, brushing the snow from their shihakuso, and scanned the enviroment.
The desolation of this place was amplified the closer they got. The destroyed walls, ruined paths, and symmetrical markings in the snow, told the manor's vibrant history. Now it was a shadow of its former self, lost to time like everything eventually is.
Setting aside his pessimistic views, Nanashi began walking cautiously towards the manor. His hands rested on his Zanpakuto, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. The soft crunching of the snow, made it impossible to move silently, so Nanashi decided to forgo walking silently.
"Remember, there is a good chance that we're not alone here." Kaien stastated. "So aggressive, not reckless. Got it?"
"Yes, sir" Rukia whispered.
The trio continued walking toward the manor, looking at any place where hollow's could jump out from. The wind and crunching snow were the only sounds Nanashi could hear, and the silence was ominous.
"There, front door." Kaien said, pointing.
Nanashi took the first few steps toward the door, cautiously approaching it. Rukia stood close to his side, ready and able to help him should the need arise. He lifted his hand, gently pushing the wooden door open, and peered inside. He was met with a surprising amount of normalcy. Chairs and tables were set, candles were lit, and there were even a few books out. It was almost as if somebody lived here.
"What the hell..." Nanashi quietly said.
The two other shinigami entered the room, and stopped. They examined everything, looking for any signs of life. While Kaien remained stoic, Rukia openly showed signs of surprise at the interior.
"I thought you'd never make it here." A voice suddenly said.
The shinigami twirled their heads around, looking at the origin of the voice. The saw a man, concealed by shadows, slowly appraching the room.
"It truly has been a while. I must say, I never thought I'd see you like this." The man stated, as he drew closer.
His slow steps, eventually revealed himself. He was adorned in red armour, and an equally red, oni mask. He looked like an ancient samurai warrior from the human world, and exuded a menacing aura.
"Who are you?" Nanashi asked.
"You don't know? That hurts." The man stated.
Slowly, his hands raised up to the mask, unclipping it, and pulling it off of his face.The movements were slow, yet deliberate, giving off a sophisticated vibe of nobility. He lowered the mask, and showed his face to Nanashi.
"Remember now?" The man asked.
"N-no way..." Nanashi stuttered.
"Nanashi? Who is this?" Rukia asked.
"It's Yukimura."