Ten: Brief Encounter
"So that is Kira's spiritual pressure I felt just now. I assumed like everyone else it was just the arrival of the Bounto things into to Sereitei. I'm confused though, Kara, how did Kira get to the level of Bankai? How did she even know of it?" Ukitake questioned as he ducked under the desk in Kara's new home in eleventh squad. Even if there had not been an unexplained earthquake at that moment in Sereitei, he would probably have had to do it no matter what. Eleventh squad had a lot of members running around it and Kenpachi had been very wound up about some random Soul Reaper who'd left because he didn't like how Kenpachi had killed the last captain. Still, a million times over Kara knew she could trust Ukitake with Kira's safety, and she knew she'd have to explain the truth.
"I saw the beginnings of it before in training. Mayuri one day told us a weird technique we could use in battle to observe the enemy whilst fighting them, its sort of stepping out of your body. Unfortunately, both Kira and I found it was the key for our obtaining Bankai, even when we were rank amateurs. For Kira, she was able to change herself into an ethereal figure that stands like a shadow in this dimension, her mind is watching you from another, and through that she can attack you using earth, sky, and fire. She can replicate her form when she asks to Breathe Hard or Gasp, Aegu, and in this other word she stands like a master puppeteer unharmed in this unless her bankai is broken, and that takes a lot. But from what I've felt, she's finally controlled the wind power it summons at the start, we almost killed a couple of squad twelve when we were practicing this, but it's amazing to watch. Unfortunately it also means I can now track the random jitters of spiritual pressure caused by other dimensions. I've just got to ask one of my 'Spirit Guides' to give me a hand. There's no knowing how much more powerful Kira is." Kara snorted with a gently growl. She had her hand to her lip in thought though the other held a shaking cup of tea that was sloshing hot liquid about.
If Kira has reached her full potential, then I can no longer help her. I told her before she could never reach it without loosing something, and now I don't know what's happened. I fear that, for the first time in a long time, her mind has opened to its full extent and she knows everything at last. As they say, the student outdoes the teacher, this could be serious. I'm sure Yamamoto would have picked this pressure up and yet only I can track it. Now I'll have to awaken my own Bankai, but it is not the right time for it. Damn it, why didn't you wait Kira?
"Let me come with you, I will not hurt Kira and I know you do not want to hurt her yourself. If we can at least see what Aizen has done to her, then maybe we can find out how to save her!" Ukitake spoke nervously, his eyes intense as he grabbed Kara's leg and forced her to stare down at him. Though his voice at a tremor in unison with the rumbles of the earth, his eyes were stern and focused, he would not forget his love for Kira.
"Huh, I thought you'd say it but I must warn you I'm not as mild as everyone is under the delusion I am!" Kara snorted with annoyance; being brought out of her thought trail and forced to look at him. She knew he'd be a great ally, but if Kara ever got her way she'd take over this place and no one would ever question her again. "Right, I need you to follow the scent of the Dimension Anomalies, Hibiki Kakukuzu!"
Who is this Goddess I see before me? Surely it cannot be beautiful Kira? Only this being is more awesome then I am if I could even breathe I would bow before her. No spiritual pressure, not even Zaraki's, has ever held my breath from my body or done this much. She's raising the entire Sunken Castle to the surface of Heuco Mundo! Is this her Bankai?
"Don't get distracted, Aizen-creature! Keep a tight hold of Roger and try to keep as much air in your lungs as possible. The same to you Grand Duke of Emos, if you are not used to such a thing or protected she will suffocate you by stopping the movement of your lungs and rib cage, just like a constricting snake!" Jerff barked loudly at them, fighting to keep his claws embedded in the floor as even he was finding it hard to keep his tongue in his jaws. Beside him, Grimmjow and Rochi and ducked down to the ground to avoid the great sparks of spiritual pressure, unharmed by the sucking of the air, but more afraid of the way the ground burnt their skin to touch it.
"How much longer can she keep this pressure up? Last time it was gone after ten seconds and now it's been almost an hour. If she keeps releasing, she'll bring the roof down upon her! Can't anything make her stop?" Grimmjow snarled as he resorted to going into Release just to have stronger claws to grip the earth and not burn himself so much. Rochi made a hissing sound in response but was silenced with a gulp as one of his coils was pulled off the beam it had rested upon and smacked him in the face.
"She can hold it as long as her own body can take it now. Don't you see she's awakened? We'll be lucky if she stops when the castle is fully restored. Just try and make sure Rochi doesn't get sucked into that vortex, it leads into the dimension where the Reapers commune with their swords and where Kira will kill any that invade and the rest of us. We've got to keep as close to the ground or roof as we can." Jerff roared as a piece of palm broke off and narrowly missed crashing into his back, spiralling down the cyclone of swirling black and burning crimson spiritual pressure that spiralled into a grey loop in the air, forming a vortex like the hot and cold fronts of wind meeting over the ocean that causes hurricanes. Jerff hoped it would stop soon, he was amazed to see his mistress so powerful, but he was very afraid she might even kill herself with this pressure.
Already they could see her form upon the top of the vortex, standing with arms pulled in to hold a ball of magenta spiritual pressure that whipped out green lights toward anything that was fired out of the twister and flung to close to her. Kira was an angel above them with her brilliant light from her spiritual pressure and she was standing upon the three blades of her sword, one blade with her feet neatly balancing and two forming a stand that stretched underneath it with their curved tips pointing up toward her as if she balanced on an upside down set of scales. Her clothes had changed. Kira was wearing a great white dress like the jackets of the Espada with the dark lining, but this hung loosely over her, sliding down to unveil when breast, which was thankfully covered by what appeared to be an aqua blue, tight, dress that bound to her body and stretched down to her knees. The rest of the white coat-dress was slashed to show off her long legs and a pair of great heeled white boots that could have been made of the bones the Arrancar had upon themselves, and her hair of blonde and pink streaks fluttered in the whirlpool of air as if leaves in a gentle breeze.
She was beautiful.
"Hold on for goodness' sake Jushiro! If you fall out here the cleaner will kill you and I didn't bring a hell butterfly because otherwise Old Man Genocide might have followed us!" Kara grumbled as she grabbed hold of Ukitake's captain cloak to jerk him back to her side. She could not understand polite men in survival situations, it was so annoying! Their life depended on just sitting behind her and holding onto her so they would not get thrown off or killed by the poisons their ride omitted, but Ukitake was barely able to breathe because of his refusal. Obediently he leant to Kara and grabbed on of her loose folds of clothing near her back, that would be more polite then grabbing one of her hips! If Zaraki had any idea of this he'd probably kill Ukitake! But now Ukitake was concerned with their mount, rather then the great train that rushed through the Divide between the worlds of the Sereitei after them.
Kara had explained of course that Necrophagus was not the only part of her Zanpaktou, and this had confused Ukitake. The sword was now a whip-like instrument with a great knot of chain at the end that would exude some kind of spiritual based blade that turned the ground to larva if it touched blood and she said the right combination, a bit like one of the commands you could use in link with the Bankai to create a devastating attack, something like one of the codes they had been taught in the academy but mixed in with Kara's own powers. But Ukitake had not known that the basic of her Bankai was to allow the body of the giant hell-hound to form, but, depending on the command given depended on what head emerged to control the body and what part of the Bankai worked. It was almost as if she had three swords in one, and Kakakuzu was a strange one indeed.
Kakakuzu, "to lack waste", was the right head of the three and formed the great loops of black metal within the whip whilst another head formed the bladed edges that caused the cuts and the main damage, and the third that controlled it all under Kara's instruction. But to be honest, Kakakuzu looked like a monstrous Hollow rather then a soul reaper's weapon. The dog was black with had that was a skull with great beaming green eyes and when he spoke it was without moving his mouth and it was deep and guttural. It sounded like he covered his mouth with a mask, but either way, the beast had a tail of bony spikes that looked like the joints of the whip and worked to cut their way into other dimensions if they needed to escape or needed more strength to heal. Plus, Kakakuzu was gluttonous and greedy, feeding off spiritual particles given off by enemies when dying and like a Hollow eating the soul of the enemies; and this, "Echo" technique as Kara called it, was used to track down Kira, but Ukitake had not imagined this.
"Why are we running through the Divide anyway?" He barked as he was jolted against Kara's shoulder with a thud. Kakakuzu was running like a greyhound and Ukitake was feeling sick. He had not mentioned the fact that seeing Kara with a red wolf's head as a helmet and a pair of reins made of snakes, not to mention a saddle made of one of the other heads' body, made him very nervous indeed. He wasn't sure if Kara was even a Soul Reaper with this kind of twisted ability, but he would not say anything.
"Because Kira enters a different Dimension to control her Bankai and we're going to have to enter it. From there I can raid her mind for the location of a gateway into Heuco Mundo and we can escape quickly. With you here I have a distraction for her and Kakakuzu will deal with Sanbaikemono. But you see we're going to enter a world where we'll be attacked straight away, so just be ready. The Divide opens up into all sorts of Dimensions, it's like the overall binding that connects the universe, like hat gives the Strings their shape in String Theory, you know?" Kara called back as Kakakuzu's tongue slid out and he gave a howling sound of excitement. They were about to break in!
"Kira? Is that really you?"
"Ukitake? How did you get here? This is a place only I'm supposed to be?" Kira's eyes were watering and she felt nothing but joy as she stood upon the white clouds of her world and looked at the great figure that was Captain Jushiro Ukitake. How had he got there? Was this just a trick of her mind? Who knew, but she was so happy to see him.
Jushiro looked a little confused, how had he suddenly plummeted onto a cloud on his own? All he could remember was Kara jumping off as the doorway had opened and leaping into some weird great tree, and then Kakakuzu grabbing him and throwing him onto the cloud for safety as a great winged wolf had appeared to attack them. How had he landed beside Kira?
"I'm so happy!" Kira ran to him, grabbing him in her arms and feeling that it was all real, as did Ukitake as he held her in return and let out a gentle sigh. Had this been what Kara meant by distracting her? He did not know, but for a moment he was holding Kira in his arms and he was happy and she was happy!
"Out of the way San! I'll rip that bird out of your shoulder blades if you go near the tree!" Kakakuzu growled threateningly at the great silver-grey wolf as Kara hang from the tree with a great crystal in her hands, wrestling with a great snake that was trying to strangle her. This was not going well.
"Give it up Kakakuzu! You're not getting out of here alive!" San growled angrily as she grabbed at the skull of Kakakuzu's face. The bone tail swung around at her and flicked her wings, hard. San crashed to the ground, she got up and yet was suddenly pinned down as Kakakuzu crashed onto her. He pulled himself with a wobble and then turned to San. The grey she-wolf growled with annoyance as she turned to see him not bleeding or missing his skull, her own shoulder was torn from his initial defence at her lunge, but it was not going to stay that way. Kakakuzu grinned his skull-grin and a tongue emerged from his mouth to lap at his maw, but suddenly the tongue was a snake and shot out at the ground. Three snakes lunged out at San and she was forced to back up toward the cliff edge because they spat and hissed at her; spitting cobras only they spat some kind of fiery acid instead of normal venom!
"I bet, don't keep counting your chickens before they've hatched, Venom-Brain!" The bird called from San's back and he launched into the air, San loosing her wings. The peregrine circled above, and Kakakuzu turned toward him, awaiting an attack from above but when the bird dived, it dived onto one of the snakes and San was upon Kakakuzu. She had pinned him down and was biting at his black fur, ripping great chunks off as he did the same to the white fur on her chest.
"Get off me, you great Puff Adder!" Kara growled as she pulled at the snake coils around her neck, she'd dropped the crystal back into the hollow crook of the tree and what had once been a python-cobra thing had returned to its very true form of a great big Eyelash Pit Viper. Mono was lucky, he was so adept at camouflage that he could change his whole body from the shadow elements he controlled and in his true form he was much more dangerous, with rough scales that cut at Kara's flesh where a constrictor's muscles would have had to do the hard work. Kara was having a good deal of trouble.
"I'll have you know I'm a Pit Viper, I'm not blind or fat in case you hadn't noticed!" Mono hissed as he wrapped around her whole body and let his scales rip at her like sandpaper as she winced, her hands covering her neck just enough to stop him cutting into her jugular or windpipe. This annoyed Mono and he loosened a coil slightly to see if she would make a mistake and move her hands to swipe at him, but perhaps Kara was too smart for this as she just spat at him.
"Just get off of me! I mean it!" She growled, and released one hand slightly. Mono had been waiting for this moment and quickly threw his coil around her, ready to take full control and squeeze the rest of her breathe out and slash her neck. He could not care for the freedom this loose hand had, he was eager to get the job done and let Kira release one hundred percent!
"What you going to do?" The snake hissed at Kara's weak, half-hearted response, but he should have been careful. Kara had known she was probably going to be jumped by something and she had snuck something into her trouser pocket for such a moment. It was a very convenient tazer!
"THIS!" She growled and jabbed the two metal prongs under the scales of the snake. This spooked him into releasing his coils to check he had not been greatly hurt and Kara fell onto her back. She dropped the tazer but that didn't matter, she took a folded metal object from her pocket and flicked it so a metal blade popped out, Mono was a little nervous of this. Then Kara licked the blade for a little blood and chuckled. "Tosatsu Makairyouken, Okoru Necrophagus!"
"YEOUCH!" Mono screeched in agony as the two other dogs emerged and the explosion from the sword set the branch on fire. Without hesitation the smooth-haired, Pit-bull built, Makairyouken lunged upward and caught Mono's tail, pulling at him as the snake tried hard to keep hold of a crumbling branch. Swiftly, Kara got up and paced over the snake's head, narrowly avoiding getting bitten on the ankle by the poisonous creature.
Kara gripped the orb and stared into it, rushing about in her mind and through Kira's for the answer. As she did so, Mono dropped himself upon the head of Makai and the dog gave a shriek of annoyance. Then from Makai's mouth another big cobra emerged. This one was bigger then Mono, it was Akumahebi, and she lunged out to bite in return. But Mono quickly shifted with his powers of shadow and became invisible. As Makai's teeth and Hebi's went toward the same point, they tried to swerve their attack but Hebi ended up biting Makai's nose so he threw her aside. Then he spotted Mono going back for the tree and he lunged after him with a large bark of annoyance.
"Hurry up KARA!" Hebi cried as she lunged back to Makai to sit as his tail. Meanwhile, Necrophagus was rushing to aid his younger brother and Baike tour down at him from the sky. Necrophagus paused, grinning with amusement, and Baike suddenly tried to pull up as a stream of smoke was spat at him and he could not see. The bird screeched in agony and irritation and the burning sensation around his eyes, trying hard to pull up and not crash. The great golden wolf beast then ran at where Kakakuzu was having his ear shredded with one of San's paws trying to force its way through the back of his mouth as Kakakuzu gagged. The red head of the great body of the sword lowered and he rammed San clean off his brother. He nearly ripped Kakakuzu's ears off, but instead he let his brother get up and go for the bird that had crashed. With his tongue lolling eagerly, Necrophagus turned on San, who was now getting back up and smirking at him.
"I've been looking forward to a fight with you. I wonder if they made a mistake when they made your name Death-eater." San teased amusedly as she growled and paced back and forth in front of the big male. To be truthful, she actually had a slight crush upon him and Kakakuzu as well, but she couldn't let Necrophagus know it. Instead she watched as he lipped at his great teeth as his curled his lips up, a threat he would bite her head off, and then with a snarl they lunged at each other.
"Got it! It's in… ELEVENTH SQUAD?" Kara snorted with confusion. Her mind had been filled with many images that made her want to vomit and ones that worried her too, and she could see exactly what was going on and where Ukitake and Kira were talking together, she would now have to rescue him.
"Good…" Kakakuzu had thrown Baike into a pool of water and Mono had rushed to go get him out and join with him. Makai had leapt onto his big brother and become part of him, Kakakuzu's black and skull head and chest sitting on a smooth-haired white rump. He nosed at Kara so that she would sit upon him and takes up the reins, then he turned toward where Necrophagus was still fighting, if not in a rather flirty and tormenting way as he grabbed at San's tail though she tore into his shoulder. "We'll get Ukitake and then Necrophagus will leap out of this world with us."
"Oh Ukitake!" Kira swooned as she was held tightly in his arms and he resisted the urge to cough up the blood that was pooling once more in his lungs. They were both very happy indeed.
"Oh Kira!" Ukitake smiled gently as he pressed her even closer to him and slower let his hands stroke her shoulders. He had never seen her look as quiet and nervous as she did so now, and he had distracted her too. Kira had been looking deeply into a pink orb that had been the outside world around her; he had and could even now see the devastation of her powers in that orb as he looked over her shoulders. There was so much destruction he was a little afraid of her; this was not the Kira Megami he had known before.
"I've waited so long to kiss you, but you must hate me for what I've done! I'm so sorry! I was tricked into going, they were so much nicer to me then anyone in Sereitei was and they weren't listening to Kara all the time. They were very kind and did not hurt me or anything, but they could never be as important to me as you are!" Kira smiled happily as she pressed into his chest, so he could deftly cough over her shoulder. Ukitake watched with surprise as the small splotch of blood he had spat onto the cloud sank straight through. It was probably the first note he'd ever made of the battle below as he heard what sounded like Kara yelling at him. But now he concentrated on Kira, pleased her eyes were so dewy and damp from being around him alone.
"Never! Anyone to think they could hate you for being kidnapped are fools. Kara explained it all! She's such a good friend to you!" Ukitake's words seemed slightly harsh but he held Kira tightly at the shoulders, jerking her to look him in the eyes as he spoke. Kira smiled sweetly, sweeter then was possible without Jushiro feeling slightly dazed by it. They were happy, there was only happiness between them, but at the mention of Kara, Kira snorted.
"Enough about Kara… Tell me what you think of my world…" She batted at the air near Ukitake's head to try and discourage his speak of her friend. This was her world after-all, a land where she was in charge and anything she wanted would and could happen! Right now, all she wanted was praise and comfort from Jushiro Ukitake, a man that somehow always made her feel so happy and calm. After-all, he'd dared such terrible odds to come and visit her today, and he believed her innocence!
"It's… It's a little weird… But then again so are we both!" Ukitake looked around, it really was an odd place, but he did not want to upset her. Indeed he could not upset her, those eyes were just so pretty, and she felt so warm and comfortable in his arms, soft and tender. She was perfect, and he would do anything to help her and make her feel better. "Did you know, I think you're Perfect no matter what?"
"You'd do anything for me, wouldn't you Jushiro, I can see it in your face…" Kira's eyes softened, almost to a point of tears, and Ukitake felt to only a tightening in his chest, but also a tightening elsewhere that would be too inappropriate to mention. He was unsure why, but he almost thought that Kira did not believe him. So, the only way to prove she was perfect was to answer her truthfully.
"I'd do anything for you, yes. For no one could ever love you as much as I…" He spoke softly, gently, as they leaned toward each other with their lips moistening for the kiss they had been waiting for. They were only an inch for each other; one more reach would let their pouting pinkies touch one another for the ultimate bliss of their perfect world. But….
"No time for that Uki! We've got to go!" Kara Thalion was suddenly on the cloud beside them, sitting on the great big monstrous form of Kakakuzu, who was panting heavily and bleeding from the shoulder. Down below was the scrabbling sounds of claws on tree as Necrophagus lunged up the bark to jump up and join them before they left. Kara leaned in and grabbed Ukitake's shoulder. Kira screeched in surprise.
"KARA!" She screamed again as Ukitake was lifted bodily onto the back of the seat despite his writhing. Kira looked at the beast of burden with outrage and then she heard the sounds below. What had just been going on? Was… Was Ukitake there because Kara has told him so?
"NO! Wait! Wait Kara I haven't finished!" Ukitake tried to wriggle off of the dog but somehow the reins were tangled around him. Kara growled at him with outrage as he tried but was suddenly pleased to see Necrophagus joining them. But then she turned back to look at Kira before checking Ukitake again.
"We'll visit her before Hell breaks Loose don't worry! Just get here!" She growled with outrage as he managed to slip out of one of the loops. As she physically tied him up, Kira suddenly snapped back into reality and grabbed Kara's wrist. Her hands were harsh and she dug her nails in to get attention. At this, Kara turned to her, eyes sharp and intense as both almost snarled at each other. To Kira, Kara was just ruining something perfect, to Kara; it was something she had to do.
"Kara, what are you doing here? How'd you get here?"
"By remembering what and who you are! Something you've started to forget with your Bankai! Now stop this before Yamamoto sends me here again and this time to kill you!" With that said, Kara swung her arm, Kira instinctively leapt back in preparation to have a brief scuffle, but upon her release, Kakakuzu was in the air jumping for the gap. Kira's fists tightened till they turned white and her teeth began to grind against each other, suddenly her own sword's form was in the air after them… Too late… They'd made it through.
"KARA! KARA! KARA YOU BITCH!" Kira screeched as her world closed up and both Kara and Ukitake were free to roam the Between. In the meantime, Kira awoke from her stupor and once more screamed out her rage, even though she'd managed to raise the sunken castle onto new foundations and given Aizen a new hair cut.