Chapter 11
Gathered in a small room, the ryoka, as they were known, grabbed onto a glass orb. Nanashi missed most of the training they'd undertaken, mostly on account of his reiatsu making them uncomfortable. Yoruichi had expressed concern given the nature of the Void, and how it was toxic to living beings, as well as shinigami. Nanashi lamented, feeling helpless in this situation, but Orihime had made it a point to "try harder for the both of them" which oddly helped him feel better. Tatsuki and Ichigo had returned, and both seemed contented, or at the very least focussed, and brushed past Nanashi. He watched her walk past him, and noticed that her reiatsu was far more turbulent than she acted, and he knew that she'd need to deal with whatever was going on before she could properly focus.
"Alright." Kukaku announced. "Since everyone has completed the training for this, we can begin. Place your hand onto the Reishukaku."
Nanashi watched as they collectively held onto a transparent orb, and the small clyndircal room soon became engulfed in a calming light blue glow. The warm welcoming reiatsu coursed through Nanashi, and calmed his unknowingly tense muscles. Nanashi reveled in the feeling, relaxing as much as he did when he was with Rukia. He let the warmth flow through him, and his mind fogged over as he drifted. His normaly sharp view of the world dulled, and he allowed himself to fall into the feeling.
Suddenly, a rapidly expanding transparent orb surrounded them, and Nanashi focussed on that. He didn't want to lul into too deep if a trance, but the thought of blocking everything out was an intoxicating prospect. He sat for a few moments before realizing that he could barely hear anything. He saw Kukaku walk away, and felt an enormous amount of reiatsu building around them, his hearing completely blanked, and was replaced by a high pitched ringing.
Before long, Nanashi blacked out.
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Nanashi woke up to find himself quickly careening toward the ground. He shook himself into action, and flipped around making sure his feet were between him and the oncoming ground. He looked around, and found himself falling close to Senna, who was opening her mouth, but he couldn't hear her. What she said, fell onto litteral deaf ears. She gestured wildly, pointing everywhere erratically, but predominantly toward the rapidly approaching ground.
Nanashi angled toward Senna, and slowly he drifted closer to her. Quincy, while far stronger, and more gifted than a regular human, were still human. This fall would kill her, if not break a few of her bones. As he reached her and scooped her into his arms, he brought his feet down, and bent his knees slightly. He knew that this landing would be a little jarring, but ultimately survivable.
Nanashi landed onto the ground, and the shock of the landing made his ears pop, and the sound of rushing wind and a deep thunderous rumble permeated the air. He looked up, and saw three yellow streaks of what looked to be a falling star, and a swirling torrent of reiatsu. He recognized the delicate reiatsu of Orihime, along with the calm reiatsu of Uryuu going in one direction, and seemed to be landing closer. He made a note to try and regroup with them, but Rukia was his goal.
"Oh man, that was awesome!!" Senna exclaimed as she skipped out of Nanashi's arms. She pumped her hands into the air, and swung from side to side, in a childish dance that made Nanashi smile. Despite everything, she managed to retain her youthful innocence. Watching her display brought him back into the moment, and he silently thanked her for that. She always seemed to lighten his mood. "I'm happy you enjoyed it. It gets serious from here though."
"You say that like I'm not being serious about any if this..." Senna said, pouting.
"I'm just saying." Nanashi replied.
Senna began walking away down the only path set before the duo. She was just as concerned for Rukia as Nanashi was, and knowing what she knew now, Nanashi would go to any lengths to rescue her as soon as possible. She wanted to save her as well, the two had grown close with each other, as well as herself. She looked at them like family, even though she wouldn't say that to them. She doubted they looked at her the same way, and besides, she knew that eventually they'd try for their own kids, and she'd have to move on with her life. A distant memory of a time long past.
"Senna?" Nanashi called to her. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just eager to get moving. We weren't exactly subtle about breaking the barrier."
Nanashi was confused by her statement, but decided that it was better left alone for now. There was too much to focus on at the moment, and they would quickly have shinigami coming to investigate if it was as noisy as she implied.
Blacking out surprised Nanashi. This seemed to come out of nowhere, and it was incredibly concerning to him. He tried to recount the past few minutes, but couldnt. He knew that the process of entering the seireitei was extravagant, and loud, Kukaku stressed that to them while they had dinner, but blacking out, he couldn't experience the event, he didn't know. The reiatsu shockwaves left behind by the explosion still rocked the air around them, and if he could sense it, then the entirety of the seireitei could too. Senna had the right idea, but something else was off. He put it to the back of his mind, and decided to quietly follow behind.
"Any idea where we need to go? You'd have more experience than I would." Senna asked.
Nanashi looked around, and locked onto a distant tower. The stark white, tower was isolated, and still prominently displayed. Nanashi figured that it was as good a place as any for a prison. He reached out, and couldn't find any trace if Rukia, or anything coming from the tower.
"My guess would be the tower. It's too out of place to be anything other than confinement oslf some sort. I can't feel anything coming from there either, so it's as good a place as any." Nanashi replied.
Senna rolled her eyes, knowing that Nanashi obviously didn't listen to both Kisuke, and Yoruichi.
"Well, duh." Senna sarcastically replied. "Didn't listen to Kisuke? Thats the Tower of Penance. Where shinigami go to reflectnon their lives before being executed by the 'Sokyoku'. I meant if there was any secret pathways there, or even a special one. Or are we just going to walk... Like animals."
Nanashi rubbed the back of his head, and found himself feeling oddly relieved. Like an early morning stretch after a long, deep slumber. He had a destination, a place where he knew where Rukia was now. Even though it was a prison, even though it was a place where she was supposed to repent, it was a beacon for Nanashi.
Nanashi smirked as he began walking in the direction of the tower. "Well, I guess you can act like a dog then, because animals it is."
"Please, I prefer lions."
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Night was fast approaching, and Nanashi was cautiously walking down another long white corridor. The seireitei was an unusual place, and he thought about how anyone would be lost if they didn't know any better. Senna walked with unbridled enthusiasm hiwever, each step a confident defiance of the laws the shinigami had, he found it oddly endearing. There was a temporary lull in the action, and he had time to reflect on the past 24 hours. He thought about Shin'en no Arashi, and his now completely unlocked zanpakuto, Senna's advances in her Quincy training, and now even the link that he and Rukia shared.
As he thought about Rukia more, he found himself thinking about Senna. She was drawn to both Rukia and himself, almost like she looked to them to fill the void left by her biological parents. Even knowing as little as he did about her, Nanashi was okay with that idea. She needed someone to look out for her, despite how she acted.
"Senna, lets stop." Nanashi said as he looked around. "The sun has set, and we need to rest. There's a little shack over there."
Before Senna could protest, Nanashi walked to the small hut, and disappeared inside. She followed him and stepped inside herself. Nanashi had found a small fire pit, and using kido, lit a small flame for warmth. She sat down beside him, and held her hands out, letting the warming touch if the flame radiate through her. She hadn't realized how cold she was and began shivering. Nanashi saw her, and took his brown haori off, and wrapped it around her.
Senna looked up, shocked at the sudden warmth surrounding her, and saw Nanashi smiling at her. "Don't you need this? I've already got all these layers, and you..."
Senna stop speaking whan Nanashi raised his hand. "It's okay. Honestly I was already too warm."
"Well... Thank you."
The two sat in silence for a few moments, both thinking about what they wanted to say. Nanashi wanted to ask her if she was okay and talk about her parents more, Senna wanted to vent about her own feelings on everything. They waited for the other to speak, and slowly the silence built until it was unbearable.
"Ahhh, I can't take it anymore!" Senna shouted. "Nanashi, can I talk to you?!"
Nanashi, still wide eyed about her sudden explosive outburst, sat still and stared at her. She wasn't mad, more frustrated. Nanashi put his own thoughts on hold while she spoke.
"Look, I know that we're going to get Rukia back, I know that. But what happens after? If the qppeal goes the way you want it, and assuming you aren't immediately put on trial, you guys will stay here. But what about the others? What about me?"
Nanashi paused when she said that last part. There was pain behind it, there was concern, but the idea of him staying seemed to hit close to home.
Nanashi tried as much as he could, but the words failed to come. He was caught in the middle of a tense situation. He knew that he wanted to be with Rukia, but he didnt think about what he might have to give up.Thoughts plagued his mind as he weighed the options presented to him, swirling and twisting like an unchained tornado, both chaotic and precise. Senna had picked up on his elevated emotions, and sat down again, slumping in defeat. Nanashi, it seemed, was going to leave her as well. She dropped it for now, deciding that it was better left unsaid, but in her heart a small light of hope remained.
Senna closed her eyes, sighing deeply while she tried to deal with her own fears, when she was wrapped in a tight, yet gentle embrace. Eyes shot open as she looked at Nanashi. She could barely see his expression, but she felt safe, secure. She hugged him back, and felt her barriers begining to falter, cracking under the intense emotional pressure.
"I'm going to save her, and then I'm coming back with her." Nanashi smoothly spoke. "I'm not going to abandon you."
Senna pulled Nanashi tighter, burying her face into his chest, and soon the tears began to flow. Relief washed over her, hitting her again and again as he spoke.
"Don't think for a second that I'm going to leave."
The two were closer then they had been, and a newfound understanding of each others needs were discovered. An unspoken familial bond bloomed, shedding light on the two souls. Nanashi opened his hands, letting the young girl into his immortal life for the rest of her natural one.
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Some time had past, and the day light soon shone brightly on the Seireitei. Nanashi watched as Senna stirred and quickly awoke.They had spent most of the night talking about her, and he discovered that she was a first generation Quincy. Her parents were regular, non spiritually aware humans. They had dabbled in the spirit world, and in the process, succumbed to the will of a hollow, but beyond that, she was the first. Nanashi thought on the rarity of her being a first generation, having heard from Rukia about the extermination of the Quincy in eons past.
Senna slowly rose, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Nanashi... Still up? You haven't moved from there since I passed out."
"Benefit of being a Shinigami I guess. Haven't truly slept for pleasure in years." Nanashi replied.
Senna walked over, rubbing one of her eyes. "I guess so. You ready to head out?"
Nanashi rose to his feet, streching his legs. Both knees let out a satisfying pop, as he streched them and his back. "As long as you are."
Senna brushed past Nanashi, and poked out onto the sunny streets of the Seireitei. "Beautiful day out. Now or never I suppose."
"Hey," Nanashi said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay? I know you were worried about things last night."
Senna smiled. "I'm good."
Nanashi watched her slowly turn her head to face him, smiling from ear to ear. She was mischievous, but this smile was different. She was genuine, and the subtle, yet significant differences were apparent when he saw them. She stepped closer to him, and without warning hugged him. Nanashi knew that the girl was scared, but hopeful regardless. They would need that in the days to come.
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Darkness surrounded Rukia. The cold floor of her cell was especially piercing as she pushed herself up. Her prison garments barely held onto her petite frame, and she found her shoulders exposed to the cold air. A chill ran down her spine as she quickly pulled the garment back onto her body. She looked around the small room, and noted the severe lack of sensory preception. She became acutely aware of how alone she was here completely cut off from the world. She thought back on the friends she'd made in the living world when she heard footsteps echoing in the tower.
"My my, you sure know how to pick'em." Came a sultry voice. "The man is... vigorous."
"Who are you?! And what are you talking about?!" Rukia demanded.
The woman stepped closer, walking slowly forward, seemingly taunting Rukia. "Now now... thats no way to greet your betters, is it? After all..."
The mysterious woman stepped into the light, and Rukia reeled back in shock. Her eyes widened in horror at the woman before her. Violet eye met violet eye, and the realization of what she was looking at hit her. Like an invisible mirror, the woman looked exactly like her. The copy was so real, so life-like, that Rukia thought it may have been a vivid hallucination.
"Y... you." Rukia sputtered, struggling to form her words.
"Patting her self down, the woman smiled menacingly. "Yes, I'm you. And, I've successfully landed that white haired hunk of man meat in bed too."
Rukia's cheeks flushed when she pieced together that her copy meant. She used her image to lay with Nanashi, and no doubt used him for something. What, beyind the physical part, was still a mystery. But Rukia found it impossible to eject those thoughts from her mind, and try to figure out what it was.
"Why me? What sick perverted scheme are you plotting?!" Rukia asked, both violated and disgusted by the revelation.
The doppelganger smiled, and slowly her hair changed to a vibrant rusty orange. Her body grew, and became much more ample. She turned into the clear cut definition of sex appeal.
Smiling deeply, the woman faced Rukia. Her red eyes met Rukia's violet ones. "You have no idea what has been in the works for eons. I serve a higher purpose, a higher being. He will return everything to the zero world, and rebuild it in his image."
Throughly confused, Rukia remained silent. When she got out, she'd be able to let everyone know, but first, she needed to listen.
"But first, we need a special person. A person deeply connected with the Void, Kaveh." The woman explained.
Rukia had unknowingly pulled back, feeling naked without her Zanpakuto in hand.This woman was a threat, and she couldnt even fight back if she needed to. Her kido wasn't an option here either, given the special sekiseki stone that the tower was made from. She stood there, shocked, defensless, and scared for what had happened. She knew that this shapeshifter had used her image to get to Nanashi, and the image of her with him infuriated her.
"Why did you need me? What do I have to do with this?" Rukia asked. "I don't know a Kaveh, and even if I did, I'd never tell you."
The shapshifter vanished, and appeared behind Rukia. Before she could turn to face her, a tight arm wrapped itself around her throat. Rukia struggled to breath, and soon found herself lifting off the floor. Her vision started to darken, and tunnel until it focussed onto the light of the doorway.
"We know you've been near him, so why don't you make this easy on both of us. Where is Kaveh?" The woman snarled.
Choking, Rukia couldn't answer. The woman seemed to take a sick pleasure at her suffering, and Rukia started to worry that she'd soon be dead. Closing her eyes, the pressure grew to be too much. He hearing lost its edge, her head began to float, and soon, Rukia had passed out.
Dropping her onto the floor, the doppelganger sighed. "Too rough again."
"Easy now Aka Manah. We cannot risk the young girl dying yet."
"Aizen. You're no fun at all." Aka Manah replied. "I trust you know what you're doing?"
Stepping into the prison, Aizen stared at Rukia's unconscious body. She was serving her purpose, and she would allow the Hogyuku to mature. He chuckled at the shinigami's complete obliviousness to his intentions.
"She is pouring her desires into the hogyuku, twisting it to her own desires and wants. It's going to mature and with it I'll be able to destroy the veil." Aizen replied.
Taking a step toward Aizen, Aka Manah smiled. "And at last, Ahriman will be free."
"At last."
"And you will be at his side, and I yours, my love." Aka Manah added, leaning into Aizen's chest.
Aizen wrapped his hands around her, and together they vanished.
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Chapter 11
Little bit of everything here. Nanashi/Senna fluff, Rukia and the hogyoku, and some rifts with the group.
I'm looking to upload the new chapters every 2 - 3 weeks. It just allows me to really give the care and detail that I want for the story.
This is where I'm going to start really deviating from the run of the manga, intentions and straight up plot points. There will be similarities, but few and far between.
Anyway, let me know what you guys think of this.
Spooky
