Disclaimer – I do not own Bleach, Wheel of Time, or any of the creations from the great minds of Tite Kubo and Robert Jordan. I am merely a humble fan, molding their ideas into creations of my own in hopes of entertaining others. While I do own my OC's and ideas, I'm not making any money off em. So please, enjoy the story, but don't sue me. XD
As promised, here is your second posting of the night!
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Chapter 10 – A Show of Force
Though she had travelled with Byakuya before while he was using shunpo, it still unsettled her greatly. She could not stop herself from clinging tightly to him, despite her previous irritation.
"Are you certain we could not have walked there?" She asked him, the wind whipping her hair violently.
"We would have been late had we done so. I assure you this method is the most efficient."
Her eyes squinted from the wind, wishing she could create a shield to block it. "Perhaps you just enjoy holding me in your arms" she teased.
His expression did not waver, his eyes kept their focus on the path ahead. "Hardly."
Suiren sighed and kept silent for the remainder of the journey. Clearly this man had no sense of humor.
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They did indeed arrive in the training arena on time, perhaps even a bit early. They came to a halt directly before Commander-General Yamamoto. Byakuya placed her back on her feet, holding her elbows lightly until she was steady. No matter how she tried to hide it, he could plainly see shunpo frightened her. A blank mask may have hidden expression, but the slight tremble that shook her body combined with the panic felt through the a'dam gave her away to him.
"Good afternoon Suiren Sedai, Captain Kuchiki. Have you recovered enough to provide us with a demonstration of your skill today?"
She nodded, standing up straight and looking him firmly in the eyes. "I have, your Captain has taken excellent care of me and I thank you for entrusting my safety with him."
The old man nodded with a tiny smile on his wrinkled face. "As to be expected of a Kuchiki. I see the leash has vanished, yet the collar and bracelet remain. How is that?"
Byakuya spoke up from behind her "Sir. It apparently can be dispatched by will alone. Unfortunately, it does not work that way with removal of the collar."
Yamamoto bobbed his head slowly, his hand rising to stroke his beard. "That is most unfortunate."
Suiren looked around while the two men talked, scanning the crowd of people that had come. She counted a total of six men and women that wore the same white coat Byakuya and Yamamoto had. 'They must all be Captains as well. Women Captains eh? That is an interesting sight to see.' There were several other men and women there, most standing next to one of the Captains. They wore the simple black shihakusho she had first seen Byakuya in. 'Must be lower ranking officers…'
"It looks as though everyone who was planning on attending has arrived. Shall we get started then?"
Yamamoto broke her from her reverie. She turned back to him and gave him a small bow. Byakuya moved from behind her and took his seat beside his Commanding officer. Impatiently, Suiren plucked at her hakama, removing invisible wrinkles. She had never been required to 'show off' her skill in the One Power, but she would as soon have it over and done with.
"What would you have me do, Commander?"
The old man smiled at her, slapping his hand on his knee. "That is sweet of you to refer to me with such respect, but you call me Yama-ji, child."
Suiren smiled broadly at him, her confidence growing as she relaxed. "I have many abilities, some simple, some grand. It all depends upon the situation."
"What of your skills in battle young lady? If I provide you with a sparring partner, would you be willing to show us that?"
Suiren's eyes widened slightly "My power is nothing to toy with! I have no wish to hurt anyone. I am also not allowed to use them against another person unless I am doing so to preserve life."
A gruff voice called loudly from her right "I'll fight ya! You can't kill me and I'll make sure you're fighting to save your own life" a large man said, cackling madly as though he had made a joke.
"Yeah! Kenny is the best, don't worry pretty lady, you can't kill him!" a tiny voice called.
Suiren looked around, quite baffled. She heard a child speak but could not see one anywhere. Suddenly, a bright pink blur popped up on the big man's shoulder with a giggle.
"Here I am!" the little girl announced cheerfully, waving one hand in greeting.
Yamamoto rapped his cane on the ground to draw everyone's attention back to him. "Captain Kenpachi Zaraki would be an excellent sparring partner for you, Suiren Sedai. You will find it most difficult to injure him, and even if you did you would see it slows him down little. What say you?"
Suiren looked at the big man now towering over her with a maniacal grin, then to Byakuya who nodded slightly to her. She turned back to the elder
"I accept, Yama-ji."
"Great! Let's have some fun!" Kenpachi crowed, wasting no time in walking out to the center of the arena. The little girl leapt off his back and ran to sit next to Byakuya.
Suiren turned back to face Captain Kuchiki. "Ayende no, dai shan Kuchiki."
He nodded again and the barrier came down. A self-assured aura enveloped her as she walked out onto the field and stood before her massive opponent. Her arms outstretched now, she let Saidar sweep over her, drawing in as much as she felt she could safely hold. In the stands, Byakuya squinted slightly. The glow surrounding her body was almost blinding now, far brighter than he had seen before. Renji walked over and plopped down next to his Captain.
"Kuchiki-taichou, whatcha squinting at? The sun is to our back."
Byakuya looked at him, perplexed.
"You cannot see the glow around her?"
Renji looked back out to the woman in the field then back at his Captain.
"She's not glowing."
Byakuya shook his head. He couldn't understand why Renji could not see it.
"She is, her entire body shines, brighter than the sun."
Beside them, Yamamoto hummed into his beard thoughtfully.
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"You ready?" Kenpachi called out to her, resting his jagged sword over one shoulder.
"I am prepared dai shan."
"Don't hold back!" he screamed, already charging her.
"Carai an Aes Sedai! Tai'shar Saldaea! Tai'shar Saldaea!" Suiren cried as she cast her arm in front of her, sending out a rolling wave of fire.
He was surprised, but dodged easily by leaping over both the fire and her, landing at her back. Not bothering to turn around, she flicked her hand out to the right and another wave of fire formed behind her. Laughing, he sidestepped and moved in to her left.
"Don't you need a sword little girl?"
Suiren smirked at him, letting him come closer. When he swung his sword down at her, he met with a solid wall of air.
"A'manshima?" She said mockingly, twirling threads of air in her other hand to form a sword similar to his own. "Like this one?" She sent it forward with a flick of her wrist, slipping it through her shield and slamming into his chest with a sickening thunk.
The big man laughed again and jumped backwards, ripping his body free of the blade.
"You actually cut me! Oh, this is going to be so much fun! Come at me again!"
'This man is mad!' She thought to herself as she prepared the next weave. Holding her hands in front of her, she rolled her wrists slightly in a repetitive fashion.
"What are you waiting for?!" He jeered at her.
Above his head a dark cloud began to form rapidly in the afternoon sky. Seeing a shadow darken around him, Kenpachi looked up in time to see a bolt of lightening shoot downward towards him. The ground exploded where he had been standing, debris flying. He managed to leap out of the way in the last moment. That did not spare him from the barrage of lightening that now struck at him wherever he stood. She had him vaulting from place to place across the field to avoid the constant attacks.
Annoyed, he decided to rush straight at her. He never was one to use indirect methods. Suiren's hands dropped to her sides and suddenly rose back up over her head. With that movement, the land turned to solid ice around her in all directions. In the crowd, Captain Hitsugaya's pale white brows shot up in surprise. 'She can control ice?'
Kenpachi grunted as ice caught his feet, grinding him to a halt. "What the hell?"
She gave him no time to react, a large ball of fire formed in both of her hands. She flung them at him with all her might. The ice was still creeping up his legs as the first bolt hit him in the stomach, then the second in his shoulder. He grunted again and quickly flung his haori aside. Hastily he batted out the remaining flames, ignoring the searing pain across his battered chest.
While she prepared her next weave, he began hacking away at the ice that had come all the way up to his waist now. This time she combined her lightening attack with a rolling wave of earth, though it exhausted her greatly. Forward it went, breaking apart the ground and crackling with electricity as it made its way towards him.
Finally breaking free of the ice, Kenpachi used shunpo to quickly move out of the way. Another weave was sent towards him in haste, surrounding him in a globe of water. She just needed to buy herself a little time. Unfortunately, the watery prison was no match for Captain Zaraki. He managed to break free less than a minute after being entrapped by it. Suiren was taken aback by the ferocity of the man. Nothing seemed to stop him, or even slow him down.
Seeing him still coming for her, she slammed her palm into the ground, a weave of earth and water shooting in. The result of her actions was a large pillar that rose straight from the ground with her high atop it.
He skid to a halt below her, looking up in surprise. Quickly she sent fists of air into him, attacking him from all sides with invisible blows. They knocked the wind out of him, striking him everywhere at once, focusing on his kidneys and stomach more than he would have liked. He swung out wildly, trying to defend himself from an enemy he could not see.
Realizing that he was unable to block them, he tried a different method. Vanishing from below her, he quickly found the blows came to a halt once he was out of her line of sight. He laughed to himself, confident. It grew until he was roaring with laughter.
"You have to see me to hit me, don't you?!"
Her head flung back as she laughed along with him. "As do you, dai shan Zaraki!"
With that, she began to thread the same weave Moghedien had shown them the previous day. Folding the light around her, she vanished from atop the pillar. A hush came over the small crowd in the arena. All eyes scanned the grounds looking for some sign of her, any trace at all, but they could not locate her anywhere. The pillar of earth began to crumble and slowly fall apart.
Unseen, Suiren jumped down from it once it came closer to the ground. Using the same thread of spirit in the air as before she spoke softly but her words were heard by all.
"Daishar ti Saldaea. For the Broken Crown!"
Kenpachi looked around wildly for her, annoyed that he could not locate his prey. "Quit hiding and fight me!"
Using the wind, Suiren moved a small rock not far in front of her. "I've got you!" He cried, swinging his sword down.
Her weave of air took him before his sword struck the ground, freezing him in place. She dropped her threads of folded light and revealed herself to be standing directly behind him.
"I believe I have you, Captain."
The crowd murmured in approval and a smile formed on her face.
"I aint dead yet girl."
She was unprepared for the sudden increase in his strength, he must have been holding back on her. The bonds of air cracked and shattered as his reiatsu increased dramatically. Suiren gasped, trying to leap backwards, away from him, but was not fast enough. His hand shot out, catching her by her collar, lifting her into the air.
"Now who's got who?"
In the stands Byakuya rose immediately, moving to aid her but Yamamoto held out his arm to block his path. "Commander!" He hissed, angry that the man would stop him. That loathsome savage was going to hurt Suiren if he did not intervene!
"Take your seat Captain Kuchiki." The old man ordered, forcing Byakuya to sit back down with a tightly clenched jaw.
On the field he could see Suiren struggling to piece together another weave. Her breathing ragged, she entwined spirit, water and air into a delicate lace, expanding it rather than folding it as she did when she vanished. Everyone gasped as she grew in size dramatically, towering over the rooftops.
The collar Kenpachi was gripping tightly grew too large for him to hold, forcing him to release it and fall to the ground as she grew. When he landed, he immediately jumped back as her foot came down upon him, narrowly avoiding being crushed.
In the stands the little girl with the pink head of hair giggled happily "Ken-chan is having so much fun!" She crawled over to Byakuya, tugging on his sleeve and pointing to the two battling.
"Yachiru…" he sighed.
Reaching into his haori, he pulled out a small package and thrust it at the little girl.
"Oooh candy! Thanks Bya-kushi!"
Suiren waved her hand over the tiny field below her and massive chunks of ice began to rain down. Kenpachi laughed and dodged them easily. He leapt straight towards the giant woman and swung his sword at her waist. Much to his surprise, he passed right through to the other side. 'What the hell?!'
Reversing his course, he dove downward, aiming with his hilt instead of the blade. He guessed roughly about where her head should be and brought it down. His aim was true, striking the back of her head sharply. Her body jerked and the image of a giant vanished, revealing the illusion. Suiren's arms rose above her, as though she was grasping desperately for something no one else could see. Blackness surrounded her, and her body fell forward. She didn't even feel it when she landed in Byakuya's outstretched arms.
Old Tongue Definitions:
Ayende no, dai shan – Release me, battle lord
A'manshima - A sword
Carai an Aes Sedai – For the honor of the Aes Sedai
Tai'shar Saldaea - True blood of Saldaea
Daishar ti Saldaea – Glory (in battle) to Saldaea
A/N: Weeee! I love writing Ken-chan! He's so much fun! :D Plus, it always makes my Master squeal with delight when she reads about her favorite battle crazed shinigami. ;D Was this chapter action packed enough for everyone? How bout some reviews?! -looks around hopefully- Reviews ish nice...
For my wonderful WoT experts...I bet you are wondering why Byakuya can see the glow of Saidar, huh? Remember! The a'dam has been altered from the previous type you are familiar with! (had to make it so men could wear em) I figured since the Sul'dam in WoT could see the glow (yet did not know they could channel), then Bya should be able to as well.
Thx Master for assisting my when my brain flat lined. :) Sorry this was a little longer than an hour...it's anime night! I get distracted. :D