SO! Its Monday again people, and I'll say this. THANK YOU SO MUCH for making All In Shade a critical and commercial success. We have officially reached 3000 hits! (does happy dance)
Anyway, so I left you guys a bit of a cliffie last week. I hope you weren't pining away over Tatsuki's fate…she's really tough, remember guys. Okay, maybe not impaled, tough.
Well anyway, here we go.
Ch.11
The creature turned to Orihime, inspecting her more carefully now. "Do you care about your friend?"
As if to accent this point Tatsuki's hand twitched, sending a surge of relief through the orange haired girl.
She's still alive!
Orihime just paused as Tsubaki stood again in her cupped palm. A plan began forming in her mind, but she had no idea if it would work. She had to try though, for Tatsuki's sake. Determination flooded her. She realized that Ichigo was not coming. He wouldn't be here so it was up to her to protect someone for once.
"Tsubaki!" she cried again. The tiny man leapt up and attacked once more, heading straight for the creature's nose, and the remains of its hollow mask.
The Arrancar growled in annoyance and prepared another bala but Orihime was ready, and so was Tsubaki.
"NOW!" she yelled. The fairy adjusted his course just as the blast fired, ripping a hole in the ceiling that opened the room to the sunlight of the day.
The fairy, going far too fast in a space far too small for the hollow to fire a second shot, impacted the hilt of his zanpakutou, hesitating just a hint as he drilled through it, and the hand holding it. It fell from the hollow's grip, Tatsuki's weight too much to bear with a hole through its hand. As soon as the girl hit the ground, the impact driving the sword back up out of her body, Orihime shouted, "Soten Kisshun!" Ayame and Shun'o darted around the prostrate girl's figure, forming a healing barrier between her and the arrancar.
The creature grinned calmly. He began clapping though he hardly made a sound with his pitted hands. "Bravo! Quite impressive," he said. Acid dripped from every syllable and fear rose unchecked in Orihime's belly. Tatsuki was relatively safe now, but what about herself?
The Arrancar seemed to ask the same question with the sheer malevolence in his eyes. He took a single step towards Orihime, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her into the air as easily as he would a child.
"Little girl, you have no idea who you are dealing with, so let me inform you so you might remember me in Hueco Mundo. I am the lord of the underworld. And, you, human, are nothing. Take my name with you to your grave."
Orihime felt her flesh burning under his grip. She couldn't breathe and she kicked her legs uselessly at her assailant. As her last breath burned up in her lungs, surrendering the fire that had become her beating heart became the only option. Her fingers pried uselessly at the iron grip that seized her throat, crushing her windpipe through sheer force. One by one, her fingers lost their strength and fell still. As Orihime dipped into the well of darkness that rose to meet her, she spared one final glance at the Soten Kisshun that was sputtering out of existence over Tatsuki's limp from.
Her thoughts flew to her brother as she neared death. Was this what he experienced? This gradual fading from consciousness? Did he die quickly? Was he that lucky?
"My name is…Demuza."
I'm sorry Tatsuki. I'm sorry Ichigo. Sora…will I see you now?
Her only answer was darkness; the cold grip of her killer; the cold grip of Demuza.
And yet…
"Sing, Benihime."
Suddenly there was a sound like the air itself being rend apart and an explosion threw her limp body aside. Air flooded her lungs. Glorious air. She gasped in her invisible lifeblood and coughed, the unfamiliar taste of blood salting her tongue. Looking up, she saw her entire bedroom wall had been blown into a jagged, smoking gash. The smoke began to clear, but she couldn't even see her rescuer.
The Arrancar looked up, a look of utter bemusement on his face. A black scar had burned itself onto his back, mirroring the path the energy blast took into Orihime's apartment. The relieved girl watched as the Soten shield covering Tatsuki regained its strength.
Suddenly, the Arrancar blurred out of existence, reappearing outside. He faced Kisuke, clapping again. "Masterful performance, absolutely masterful. The brave knight comes to the rescue at the last possible second, rescuing the princess with an explosion of unforeseen power! Classic!"
The ex-Captain merely stared past his green striped hat. A drawn sword was all the talking he needed to hear.
"Tell, me, are you Karakura Town's famous protector? The being of supreme power who even defeated the great Espada and Sosuke Aizen?"
The shopkeeper opted not to respond. Instead, he leapt forward, swinging Benihime in a tight arc. Brilliant sapphire energy lanced out, crossing the space between them almost instantly. Another blur of movement, though, and the creature avoided it. Orihime just watched from her room, in awe of the display of power. The creature's reiatsu was oppressive, its energy stifling her as opposed to just seconds ago when she couldn't even feel it.
She turned her attention away from the battle, focusing on healing Tatsuki as quickly as possible.
***
Kisuke hadn't felt a reiatsu this powerful in years. The sheer weight of it was nearly overwhelming, like Ichigo or Kenpachi's. Or Aizen's, he thought grimly. Shinji's old lieutenant had nearly everyone beat in terms of sheer power. But how did a single hollow get this powerful? He parried a strike from the extended nails of the creature and delivered a side kick to its gut that sent it flying.
Is it a Vasto Lorde? It has to be. But how is it an Arrancar if we have possession of the Hogyoku again? A bala nearly took his hat off and Kisuke flash stepped behind the creature, swinging Benihime at its exposed back. It dodged the strike with another burst of Sonido. Are there other ways to make Arrancar like there are Vizards? And its so fast.
The creature appeared in front of him and swung a kick that he blocked with his forearm. He realized a split second later that he was sailing towards the ground before….Oof! He landed in a cloud of splintered wood and dust next to Orihime. Leaping back to his feet and growling in annoyance, the shinigami dashed back into the sky to continue the fight. Benihime lanced red death at the creature, spraying a pattern through the air that Urahara knew was nearly impossible to avoid, but somehow, the creature sidestepped every single blast, unsheathing its zanpakutou as Kisuke reached him.
It blocked his first strike and his second, but his third swing connected with its left arm. Benihime scraped along its iron heirro and to Kisuke's surprise, not even leaving a scratch.
***
Down below Orihime looked up, seeing Urahara attack the creature, a grim set to his features she had never before seen. Their movements were so fast she could hardly keep up with them. She saw, however, when Urahara's sword slashed at the Arrancar's arm. Sparks sprang through the sky, and not a single scratch was left behind. Kisuke jumped back, landing on a platform of compressed energy in midair. How did I ever hurt that thing? Orihime wondered.
***
Grinning again, the creature placed its hands lazily on its hips. "You're supposed to be powerful, Karakura Town!" It yelled at no one in particular. For the first time, Orihime noted the creature had a definite lisp, as if its tongue was that of a snake.
"Where are the truly powerful beings? Hmm?" he asked. "Where are Karakura town's heroes?"
Urahara smirked. This guy doesn't know what's coming to him. "You want heroes?" Urahara asked, distracting the creature for a bare instant. "You're gonna like this."
A fist slammed into the creature's face. Hard. The bladed knuckle guard on the fist cut deeply, slashing the cheekbone nearly in two and trailing upward. The creature's hierro saved it from certain death, as the blade slashed towards its skull and scraped off. Its path left a deep scar, however, but no inhuman blood leaked from the gash in the hollow's face.
"Sorry we're late Kisuke. Just got your butterfly," Kensei Muguruma called out to his absolute favorite shop owner.
Urahara's confident smile returned. "Like what you see?" he asked the Arrancar.
***
The creature straightened its neck, looking around. Shinigami began flash stepping from every direction, the air suddenly an explosion of Reiatsu that made it nearly impossible for Orihime to breathe. The afternoon sky became tinted with a yellow glare, as if the sun was shining through a filter and Orihime stared in surprise and awe at the beings that had come to save her.
Seven Vizard surrounded the creature, zanpakutou drawn. The former captains and lieutenants looked ready for business.
Shinji Hirako stepped forward, buoyed by his own immense spiritual pressure. "Well, well, what have we here? A post Aizen Arrancar, huh? I didn't think that was possible." He shot a glance at Kisuke.
"I didn't think it was either," Urahara answered the unspoken question. "At least not so soon. And this one appears to be a Vasto Lorde."
"Ooh!" Mashiro Kuna teased. "Vasto lorde! I'm scared!" the green haired girl stuck out her tongue at the creature.
Kensei buried his face in his left hand, a vein slowly emerging on his temple. "Mashiro will you stop it? I had to rescue you from the last damn arrancar you teased like that."
Mashiro ignored him completely, turning around and slapping her rear, as if inviting a bull to charge.
"So obnoxious…" Kensei grumbled. The hollow's tongue slid out of its mouth, giving the assembled Shinigami hybrids an eerie image of a human face flicking a snake tongue. Then its features became a smirk once again. It moved.
Kensei barely had time to let his face become a mask of surprise before he had to shunpo to Mashiro's side, his fist seemingly swinging at empty air. Tekken Tachikaze was a bare inch from connecting with nothing at all before the Arrancar appeared in its path. But as quick as he was, Kensei was too late. A sword, already in motion, slashed across Mashiro's stomach, spilling her blood into the empty sky.
The creature took the punch from Kensei in stride, tumbling sideways a few yards before flipping onto all fours and skidding to a halt on nothing but air. It opened its mouth in a wide smile, as if it were laughing. Right before its tongue shot out to cross the half dozen yards between itself and the startled vizard.
The slimy appendage wrapped itself around Kensei's arm before he could react, yanking him towards the hollow. He prepared himself for the obvious strike, using his free hand to prevent himself from being impaled on the creature's sword. The end result, however was that a powerful kick to the ribs sent him flying.
Shinji passed by him headed the opposite direction. "Get your lieutenant!" he snarled at the stubborn, silver haired man. Kensei looked back at the creature for a brief second, revenge clouding his thoughts before he found his way to Mashiro's side. She lay in the ruins of a garage, having plummeted through the roof and slamming to a halt atop some unfortunate resident's car.
Kensei grimaced at the collateral damage as he hopped through the Mashiro-sized hole. His lieutenant was in worse shape than the objects that broke her fall. Her stomach was slashed wide open, her guts nearly spilling out. Kensei fought down his lunch and began to rip his shirt to make a bandage. Mashiro's fingers lifted slightly and her neck turned a fraction of an inch toward him.
"Ke…ken….Kensei," she managed. That word cost her dearly and with an enormous heave, she coughed, blood gurgling in her mouth and running down her cheek.
"Don't talk," Kensei said as reassuringly as he could, working quickly. He couldn't help but notice how his voice cracked. He began to put pressure on the wound and use what little healing Kido he knew, but in this respect his talents were woefully inadequate.
"HACHI!" he hollered instead, looking up through the hole to the sky where his comrades were fighting.
As if to answer, the garage itself became illuminated in yellow light, wrapped in one of Hachi's protective barriers. The portly man, however, did not enter. The reason for the protection became clear when a large fireball crashed into the top of the shield. What the fuck…?
Kensei focused, trying his hardest, but Mashiro's already pale features were only graying as she lost more and more blood. Using one hand to rip his shirt to shreds, Kensei changed bandages but it had no effect. "Somebody help! She's dying here!"
***
Rukia Kuchiki sat in a place between heaven and hell. No, the sticky floor clinging to her shoes didn't bother her much. Her feet couldn't touch the floor while she sat anyway. The movie itself was a brilliant experience, and she loved every minute of it. Ichigo's warm presence at her side made her more comfortable than she ever had been at the Kuchiki Manor. His annoyance at watching the childish movie somehow made the situation even better. All of that, combined with the wonderful thing Ichigo had called 'popcorn' that she had in her hands, that part was the heaven.
No, her hell was the powerful reiatsu that had manifested itself so far away from them. They were not pursuing it. They were not engaging it, or protecting Karakura from it. Because Rukia was hiding. The reiatsu, feeling it, being around it, brought back fear. The dark forest, Captain Ukitake's labored breathing. Her own helplessness as the tongue flicked back and forth, drawing her captain towards it, as if he were hypnotized.
Her hell was reliving that horrible day.
Kaien stepped toward her, arms outstretched, "Rukia…"
Jushiro fell forward onto Sode no Shirayuki, his eyes glazed and lifeless already. "Rukia…"
The creature was so powerful. She couldn't move…she was surely to be killed any second now. The creature walked forth, its breath hot on her face as it leaned over her. The slimy tongue slid out, its hollow mask pushing against her nose. Paralyzed.
A tongue ran across her lips, caressing them softly and leaving a slight sting, the hollow acid burning her soul just a little. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think…
"Rukia!"
The reiatsu was gone. The sensation, the memories. She looked up confused at the rabbit dancing across the giant screen, seeming to match beats with the pounding of her own heart.
She looked up at Ichigo, who had a concerned expression on his face. "You alright Shorty?
Instead of answering, Rukia took a bite of popcorn. She searched out the source of the Reiatsu, but found nothing. As if it had never existed.
Rukia grabbed Ichigo's arm, draped across the back of her seat, and pulled it over her shoulder. She didn't understand the comfort that washed over her at that simple gesture but she wanted it, worse than she had ever wanted anything before.
As if it never existed… She wished.
***
Orihime watched from the new window of her apartment. It wasn't really a window. It used to be a wall, but that mattered little at the moment. She watched the Vizard and Kisuke Urahara fight for their lives against one opponent. The one Tsubaki had seemingly injured so easily. Within seconds, one of them had been brutally slashed and another kicked to kingdom come.
Urahara and Shinji attacked it simultaneously, but the creature was everywhere at once. It was faster than all of them, and every one of its strikes seemed to find blood. Hachi worked overtime trying from afar to both keep the collateral damage to a minimum and box the creature in with his nearly impenetrable barriers. The other three vizard were alternating in their attacks, darting in for a strike that was inevitably blocked and retreating before a counterattack could cut off a hand or foot.
It was like a dance in the sky between the most agile of contestants, each new step holding life or death. Orihime wondered briefly how they managed to move that quickly, maintain their presence in the battle while not losing track of their allies or enemies. She gulped, realizing that this was what Ichigo's entire life had become. One misstep from certain death.
One of the Vizards drew their hand across their face, Shinji, and Orihime braced herself just in time to prevent the wave of Hollow reiatsu from chilling her to the bone. He fired a Kido spell at the creature, which merely sidestepped, its blade blocking a back attack from Urahara simultaneously. The fireball continued, directly toward the spot that Kensei and Mashiro had fallen to. Hachi realized Shinji's mistake before the former Captain did himself and a barrier erected itself around the house just before the spell hit.
Orihime breathed a sigh of relief that she took back almost instantly. "Somebody help! She's dying here!" Instantly, her attention jumped to the ensconced garage. She looked down at Tatsuki beside her, covered by the Soten Kisshun. Her wound was healed, Orihime knew, although she wasn't conscious yet. She recalled Ayame and Shun'o, instead calling out her Santen Kesshun. When the three fairies darted out, covering Tatsuki, Orihime felt confident enough to dash down the stairs and outside.
As soon as she stepped from the door, a wave of heat from the battle above hit her. Her skin prickled as if it were freezing and boiling at the same time. Flinching from the sudden exposure, she realized suddenly that the energy wasn't physical. Holding up her arms in fright would do nothing to protect her from the malevolent reiatsu manifesting itself. She dashed across the street, wondering how the Vizards were faring, but not daring to look. Suddenly, Lisa Yadomaru landed in a heap on the concrete just in front of her. She twitched once, then lay still.
The Arrancar slammed into the pavement feet first next to her. Orihime gulped. "Koten Zanshun!" she cried. With a rebel yell, Tsubaki charged the creature. Instead of his usual tiny streak of light, a blast of white energy soared over Orihime's outstretched hands, blowing the Arrancar off of his feet.
Was that… Tsubaki? Orihime stared in disbelief.
Her question was answered by a minute squeak from the sidewalk, followed by Love Aikawa wielding an enormous spiked club, the Vizard yelled one word to her as he pounded the weapon into the creature's defense. "GO!"
Orihime obeyed him, bending at the waist and running flat out toward the downed Tsubaki while red, blue and white ripples of power incinerated the air above her. Pausing long enough to discover that Love's directive hadn't been aimed at her at all, but the assembled fighters, Orihime saw them form an offensive phalanx between the Arrancar and Lisa while Hachi recovered her with Shunpo as quickly as possible. The Arrancar took a severe swing to the back from Love while Shinji impaled it simultaneously and Orihime dashed effortlessly through Hachi's barrier. Inside, Kensei looked up at her.
"Hey, its you! Can you…"
She cut him off in mid-sentence, calling her healing barrier into existence over the grievously wounded combatant.
Kensei put his blood soaked hand on her shoulder, his face ashen and serious. "Thank you," he managed past a lump in his throat. "I thought we were going to lose her."
Orihime just gave a slight smile.
"It is the least I could do," she said, truly meaning it. She hated how useless she felt whenever a battle like this erupted. "You all came to save me, remember?"
Kensei nodded once again, drawing his hollow mask out as he stepped outside. Orihime shuddered visibly. The hatred she felt pouring from his reiatsu was almost palpable. As soon as he was beyond the barrier, however, his reiatsu disappeared. Within seconds, Hachi stepped through in his stead, just long enough to deposit the unconscious form of Lisa Yadomaru. Orihime had her work cut out for her.
***
Kensei stepped to the edge of the barrier, letting his hollow powers flow through his body, augmenting his Bankai's strength. The speed, the precision, the familiar power all came flooding back to him with just one swipe of his palm. And the hatred. Oh, this was new. He felt it deep down, true loathing like he'd never felt. Not toward Aizen, or that backstabber Tousen. No, this was something else entirely. He shunpoed out of the barrier, already at full speed.
Kensei appeared behind the hollow in the yellow framed sky. "Hey snakey, remember me?"
Demuza turned into his fist, Tekken Tachikaze's power surging through it until…
"White…WIND!"
An expanding ball of energy engulfed the Hollow, its intensity forcing all of those involved to avert their eyes. When the smoke cleared, the scorched hollow surprisingly looked little worse for the wear. That wasn't saying much as its clothes were tattered enough as it stood, but it hardly looked like the barbecued pile of flesh that Kensei was expecting.
"You're a tough little bastard," he said, squaring up again.
The creature again smiled wide, but Kensei was ready. He reverted Tekken Tachikaze to its shikai and slashed out, letting its Air Blades slice at its extending tongue before it ever reached him. The end of it fell off and the hollow recoiled.
Within a second of its tongue reentering its mouth, it came back out, looking unscathed, but Kensei had sent his message. He wouldn't get caught by surprise twice. At least he thought he wouldn't. The creature then did the last thing any of them could have predicted. The tongue extended, out again, but then looped back and ducked down the creature's throat.
What the…It swallowed its own tongue? Kensei wondered. But the tongue re emerged from its neck, wrapped around something made of bright metal.
Like a circus performer, the creature extracted a sword from down its own throat, its tongue wrapped solidly around the hilt.
It attacked Kensei, forcing him to block with Tachikaze in its shikai state. The power behind each blow drove him back father and farther until a shrill whistle told him to get away, fast. A burst of shunpo carried him to a nearby building's roof while red arcs of energy burned into the creature once again.
The creature looked around the battlefield, surrounded as it was by combatants with very few weaknesses individually. While they fought together, they wouldn't lose, no matter how long it took. Instead, its eyes alighted on the once place there was a weakness. Kisuke noticed it as well, flash stepping away, even as the creature fired a bala ahead of itself.
The blast struck the shield covering Tatsuki and broke it easily. It impaled her through the same spot in her gut, opening the wound once again, reaching her just before Kisuke. The shinigami swung his sword for a killing blow, but suddenly the creature was not there. No burst of sonido, no flash step. It simply disappeared. Outside of the barrier Hachi had erected, suspending the dome they were fighting under in time, a garganta opened, the creature standing right next to it.
"Dammit!" Kensei cursed, charging upward. "No you don't!"
But he was too late. As he reached it, the creature stepped through and the garganta disappeared just as quickly as it had come.
Kensei slowed to a halt and turned around, looking down at his comrades. Someone had a lot of explaining to do.
***
Genryuusai Yamamoto Sotaicho sat cross legged on the floor of the Captain's meeting chamber. Ryujin Jakka lay across his lap, the scorched ash staff an innocuous container for the power within. Byakuya Kuchiki stood in the room, the air of regality tangible in his presence. Both of them waited patiently for just a few minutes before the door opened and an enormous brute of a man stepped through, jostling his division members as he did so. As usual a pink tuft of hair bobbed over the man's shoulder. As he walked the decorative bells he wore in his hair clanged noisily.
Kenpachi Zaraki looked at Yamamoto with his one uncovered eye. Seeing the stern expression on his face his grin widened. "Whassamatter Gramps?" Kenpachi asked without a trace of respect in his baritone.
"Silence, Zaraki Taicho," Yamamoto answered. And he sat, quiet himself, waiting.
Within minutes, a very excited looking Mayuri Kurotsuchi appeared, closing the chamber door behind him. The quirky scientist adjusted his headdress, the golden conical ears appearing to have reached their limit of comfort for the day. His normally odd face paint was in full effect today. Kenpachi looked at him in disgust, wondering if his fellow captain could get any weirder.
"Good," Yamamoto rumbled as Kurotsuchi stood at attention. "Zaraki Taicho and Kuchiki Taicho, we have received reports that Soifon Taicho was within Soul Society last night. She did not address any of her unit, nor did she update her mission, so we must assume she is a traitor to Soul Society. She will be captured and executed for her treason. Hitsugaya Taicho is also to be recovered for dereliction of duty. Both the Second and Tenth Divisions are to stand down until the successful capture of their respective leaders. This task I set to you two."
Byakuya's eyes narrowed. "Hai."
Kenpachi flexed the shoulder Yachiru sat perched on sending his lieutenant scrambling to his other. "I don't get it. Why am I going? If we're not going after Ichigo, and I assume that we can't destroy large portions of the town, what's my involvement?"
Yachiru clearly understood however and she smiled broadly as she explained, calmly tugging on one of Kenpachi's hair bells. "Ken-chan, you're there for backup! In case they try to escape once Byakkun catches em!"
"Not to say that's the only use for a brute like you," Kurotsuchi spoke up with a smirk, his slight clearly directed at the 11th division captain.
Kenpachi grunted. "At least I'm some use, freak. Sheesh. One division after us and none of the ability."
"Silence!" Yamamoto bellowed. "Enough bickering. Kurotsuchi Taicho. It is your task to provide support for this mission. You will use your abilities to locate Soifon and Hitsugaya. You will work as a team, because we cannot afford to fail. Soul Society is in a fragile state as it is, with only five active Captains until Sajin recovers. This means it is absolutely imperative that the others be recovered alive Zaraki."
Kenpachi just smirked. "That's up to them, ain't it?"
Byakuya merely coked his head slighty, speaking for the first time I the meeting. "I was not aware Komamura Taicho was incapacitated."
Yamamoto gave no comment. So Kurotsuchi spoke up, "Yes, he is quite ill. Retsu is caring for him personally. As unfortunate as that is, I would have loved the opportunity to examine his unique body composition."
All three of the other captains ignored him. "Very well," Yamamoto said, concluding the meeting. "You have your task."
The three captains grunted, "Hai," in unison, turning to leave the chamber.
Kenpachi had been relegated to backup. He was not in a good mood.
"Maybe I can finally use my-"
"Shutup."
Author's note:
Hey, guys I have a question for you. One person will be added to the team General Yamamoto is preparing. Who will it be? So here goes the kicker. I'm going to let YOU CHOOSE who it will be!
The Rules:
1. it cannot be a captain (or Karai for plot reasons)
2. it cannot be someone that is too weak to be considered for such a task.
(everyone else is fair game)
3. Pick carefully because this will have SERIOUS plot ramifications.
4. Leave your answer by way of…hehehe…review! Please explain why you would like to see that character, even if its only because he/she is your fav.
A few of my faves…
Hisagi
Ikkaku
Kira
Yumichika
Nanao
See you next week!