Oh wow...I...I don't even have words for how long it's been my friends! Life, I'm afraid, got in the way (or mostly University haha) but some personal issues that had me away from writing for a long time, other than that I was waiting for inspiration that has suddenly struck me again! I apologise profusely for such a long awaited update (honestly surprised I have not been hunted down for my terrible habit of never uploading!)
In any case! I hope you enjoy this longer than usual chapter and as a means of apology I shall upload another chapter tomorrow! Although I cannot promise regular updates since I am still attending University and then shall be on the search for a job! Aaah real life, why must you be such a pain?!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC.
Kyouka Suigetsu – A Silver Lining
Chapter Fourteen
"Intruders! Intruders! Alert, Intruders have broken through the barrier into Seireitei. I repeat, intruders have broken through the barrier into Seireitei!"
This alert shocked many of the shinigami inhabitants, most stopping to look in awe and confusion at the visible appearance of the intruders in the sky, a spherical ball connecting with the barrier and exploding as it broke through. Those who were more competent with sensing reiatsu narrowed their eyes at a particular source from the infiltrating group, in particular Byakuya Kuchiki narrowed his eyes. He recognised the reiatsu as the boy he had left mortally injured in the rain, but he had grown if the change in reiatsu was anything to go by. But he paid no further heed, the dark haired noble not even interested as his fukutaichou ordered around the squad to prepare for a fight. The Ryoka boy would fall to his blade once again if he tried to intervene in Soul Society's affairs.
Ichigo had barely landed on the ground when shinigami had leapt upon him. With Ganju at his side, the brother of that scary woman they had just left behind they began running; he supposed he should have thanked the explosive-crazy man for helping him with the fall. Forced to draw his zanpaktou with the numbers that had sprouted around them, his hazel eyes narrowed.
"Tch, didn't think they'd be this quick."
"Well we did just burst through their barrier pretty flashily!" Ganju remarked loudly, looking at him as if he was stupid.
Ignoring him, Ichigo's huge zanpaktou swept into several shinigami, sending them flying back in surprise at his strength. They were pretty weak in his eyes, nothing compared to the two shinigami who had taken Rukia back.
They didn't stop, taking down the shinigami as they came. Not only did they have to find Rukia and Amaya but they had to meet up with the others, being split up was an unfortunate setback. Still, Ichigo remembered the black cat's words before they had prepared to breach Seireitei's barrier. Yoruichi had strangely told him to not actively search out Amaya to his confusion. When he had asked why the cat had chuckled, golden eyes gleaming as she explained that she doubted Amaya would wait around. The exact words had been; "she won't still long, she never has."
He supposed he could understand that, after all even he knew that she disliked being rescued all the time, Ichigo only wondered how Yoruichi seemed to believe she could escape herself. True she had begun learning Kido from the cat however from what he had heard her lessons had been cut short. But at least the cat had notified him that she would search for the woman instead.
"Oi, get your head out of the clouds," Ganju suddenly spoke up, his eyes narrowed at the appearance of two shinigami.
Ichigo shouldered his zanpaktou, looking over to the new appearances with a smirk, "why, are you worried Ganju?"
"Don't be stupid, I couldn't care less what happens to you!"
Shifting in her cell, Amaya sighed wearily. All this thinking was starting to give her a headache and although sleep had helped somewhat, she would have preferred her comfy bed back home. She could still sense Ichigo, on the inside of the barrier now but nowhere near her. Funnily enough she was beginning to feel bored considering that most of her time so far had been spent in conversation with someone or unconscious. Amaya was going stir-crazy in that cell. Before she could do something drastic the sound of the footsteps began to draw nearer. Curiously, she stared at the cell entrance only to be rewarded by the door opening. Although she should not have been happy considering what it could mean. Had they decided what they were going to do with her?
"Amaya Aizen," one of the guards addressed her monotonously, "you have been summoned to the first division on orders from Central 46 for judgement for suspected treachery."
"You can't punish me for something I haven't done!" Amaya almost ground out between her teeth, shocked at their sudden and unabashed sentencing.
However there seemed to be no arguing with them as they circled her, clapping cold iron chains to her wrists once again before leading her down now familiar hallways.
Amaya's mind was a whir of activity again, panic causing her to suddenly loose her calm. They were going to kill her. But why? What had she supposedly done? In fact how could she have done anything?! As far as she could tell she had been a kid at the time of whatever had happened. And yet here they were ready to sentence her to death or imprisonment for supposed treason, both options just as bad as the other. At this rate she'd never return home, she'd never find the truth about what had happened. She'd never fulfil her promise. Her emerald eyes widened. A promise?
She was smiling up at him, the brunette shinigami with two faces, one which was currently blank as he knelt in front of her almost at eye level. His arms limp at his side, the little girl's arms wrapped tightly around her father as if to comfort him. A promise falling from her lips, an empty smile on his face.
"Have I not told you before, Amaya? Do not make promises that you do not intend to follow through."
Snapping back from her memories, she almost stumbled, holding her head in pain. A promise that she had made to Aizen? A hand pushed her firmly forwards.
"Keep moving, prisoner."
Glaring backwards at the guard, she continued forwards a little shakily from the sudden memory. If only she could remember what that promise had been. Oddly enough it had calmed her panic, reinstating her ability to think straight. Pushing aside the promise she had made for now, Amaya set her mind on the problem at hand. She couldn't walk through those doors to the first division again. It was somewhat reassuring to feel only one presence inside the division, no doubt the soutaichou, it would make things easier. Not that she had any chance against that monstrous reiatsu she had barely felt from him, Amaya would have to make her move before they entered the building but what could she do with the chains on her wrists?
There were four guards; could she do it? Before she could even blink something had caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. A flash of light blue energy shot out and struck the chains around her wrists. Amaya stared in shock as they crumbled to the ground like ash, the guards noticing a moment too late. Reacting on instinct she thrust her hands out around her, muttering a quick incantation.
"Bakudo #9, Horin!"
Orange hued tendrils of energy snapped from her hands, flying towards the guards before they even realised what had happened. As one tendril wrapped around a guard, completely paralyzing him, it branched off and attached to the others who were quickly bound also. The four fell to the ground in a clump but Amaya didn't hang around, taking off running in the opposite direction. She didn't trust her luck twice although she wondered who had shot the Kido. Searching the nearby rooftops she could see no one nearby nor even feel their presence. Strange.
She didn't stop running, her sandaled feet thudding across the hard stone streets, until she was far enough away from the first division. Pausing to catch her breath, leaning against a wall, Amaya took a deep breath before sighing heavily. Now what was she to do? She had her Kido, her past knowledge increasing what she knew or had yet to touch upon. Aizen had taught her a lot as a child to ready her for the academy. In fact she could vaguely recall lessons with Gin and a sword. For a fleeting moment she considered trying to find one before almost smacking herself. As if a sword would do her any good considering how terrible she had been with one before. Maybe even Urahara had known this as he had never offered to teach her swordsmanship, but she did at least have some hand-to-hand under her belt thanks to trying out the different clubs at high school.
Closing her eyes for a minute, she tried to sense where Ichigo was, perhaps she should head towards him after all it wasn't like she could miss his reiatsu. As she searched for his reiatsu amongst the torrent of others, Amaya became quickly aware of someone alarmingly close-by, their presence almost smacking her in the face. With wide eyes she dove sideways as a blade narrowly missed her head. Spinning around, Amaya recognised the blonde shinigami that had found her, a single visible dark blue eye staring down at her calmly.
"So you have escaped again, prisoner."
"I don't want to fight you," she silently hoped this would dissuade him no matter how naïve her hope had been.
Kira didn't even dignify her with a response, tilting his zanpaktou towards her before leaping at her with another attack. This guy sure was adamant! Leaping aside once again she took off running, she couldn't use Kido when she had no way of incapacitating him. Without surprise on her side to allow her use of Kido she was useless once again. Of course he gave chase, the shinigami narrowing his eye.
"You can't run. I'm sorry but I will be taking you back."
"Can't you just pretend you didn't see me?" Amaya yelled, sliding around a wall as a shot of Kido flew past her, "what did I ever do to you?!"
"I am merely following orders."
Her eyes widened as he appeared suddenly in front of her with shunpo, blade glinting in the light.
A burst in reiatsu to their left halted Kira, both of them staring off towards where it had come from. Amaya recognised it as Ichigo's reiatsu but there was another, the blast huge and shaking even her for a moment despite the distance.
"What was that…" Kira muttered before turning to glance at Amaya whose attention was still where she had sensed Ichigo.
His reiatsu had suddenly dimmed, he must have been severely injured along with whoever he had been fighting before Ichigo seemed to be moved by two other people. At least he had help. Realising what Kira had said, she looked back at him, holding her hands up.
"You can take me back if you want but whoever was fighting over there is pretty badly injured, they might not make it if they don't get help soon."
He looked surprised, obviously wondering how she knew but even he could tell that her words were true, able to vaguely sense Renji Abarai's reiatsu. The two stood frozen for a moment wondering what the other would do before Kira sighed heavily, sheathing his zanpaktou.
"I will find you later."
Despite herself she couldn't help but grin lightly, "I look forward to it."
As they parted, Amaya couldn't find it in herself to dislike the man after all he was only following orders. Blinking in surprise as she suddenly sensed a familiar reiatsu nearby before a smirk fell onto her face.
"That idiot, wait until I get a hold of you, Gin-baka."
Almost smacking herself for her own worlds, Amaya sighed, it really was confusing having two different versions of the people in her head thanks to her old memories. It would probably take a while before she would feel normal again. But nonetheless she wanted a word with Gin Ichimaru. That man knew something about her past and what had happened that day, she was sure of it.
Making her way carefully around the streets, Amaya almost laughed when she realised that most people saw her as another shinigami in her black garb, only the taichous and people she had spoken to knew who she was. It seemed her friends had caused quite a stir as shinigami ran here and there, some shouting orders and others yelling out casualties. No deaths on either side, at least she could relax a little. Amaya's head must have been in the clouds because the next thing she knew a shinigami was in her way, a scowl on his face as he barked something at her.
"S-Sorry?" she stammered, not having heard what he said.
"I said what division are you from?"
Remembering her past cover story, it almost stumbled from her lips, "t-tenth division! Fifth seat, transferred from the eighth division!"
His eyes narrowed and she knew she was rumbled, "really…"
Before she could run an arm wrapped around her shoulders surprising her, a joker's voice floating past her ears.
"Don't ya worry about this one, come along now Amaya-chan. Ya taichou will be wanting hid report, ne?"
She stared up into his squinted eyes shocked by his intervention before slowly nodded, going along with it.
"Y-Yeah, thank you…Ichimaru-taichou."
Gin patted her head lightly with a wide grin, "that's a good girl!"
Amaya twitched; that bastard.
However luckily it persuaded the shinigami who bowed to the silver haired taichou before running off leaving them alone. As soon as the shinigami had gone she shrugged off his arm and turned to his with narrowed eyes.
"What was that for?" she asked suspiciously, wondering just why he had lied to the man instead of having her thrown back in her cell or sent off to her death.
The grinning fox tilted his head slightly with a pout, "What? Can I not do a good deed every now and then?"
Surprisingly she scoffed, "as if! There's always a reason behind it. Like the time you hid the fact that I was the one to steal Shinji's dinner from him, only afterwards you used it against me to get free meals!"
Now it was his turn to look remotely surprised, eyebrows raised before he made an 'O' shape with his mouth.
"Ah! So ya have got ya memories back Amaya-chan," his voice was guarded.
"What? Is it a bad thing that I'm alive?" she couldn't help but bite with narrowed eyes, so far she had only been made to feel like it was wrong for her to be alive.
"Don't say that Amaya-chan," he commented quietly, his face shadowed for a moment as he turned away as if looking at something.
Frowning she followed his gaze but could see no one there, only the beginnings of the fifth division she had once called home. Then suddenly his grin returned full force, a long fingered hand landing on top of her head.
"Ya got taller Amaya-chan, I thought ya were gonna be a shorty all ya life!"
"Shut up," she grumbled as she once again brushed off his hand with a sigh, "so what now? You going to hand me in so I can get sentenced to death for something I don't remember?"
"Them's the rules," he chimed pleasantly, "unless ya think ya can take me on, Amaya-chan."
That was laughable; his reiatsu was enough of a dissuader for her, even with it mostly concealed and held back, he was a taichou after all. Still, Amaya wanted to know the truth. Looking up at him defiantly, emerald eyes narrowed.
"Will you tell me what happened that day then?"
He seemed to be thinking, his taller stature almost shadowing her but his thin body was hardly as intimidating as the eleventh division taichou. She knew Gin, or at least she thought she had, and although she believed he probably would incapacitate her he wouldn't kill her…at least she hoped.
"I don't know what happened that day, Amaya-chan," he finally answered, "the last I saw of ya, ya were running off into the forest after binding me up, which I still owe ya for."
Amaya stared long and hard at him, the man she had once called friend. Even now she could see the grinning boy in his place, holding out a hand to her as he proclaimed her would be her friend. But he was gone, in his place was this man who looked just like him but there was something different, something distant. His reiatsu spoke to her more than his words. To his surprise she let out a small laugh, taking a step back from him.
"I see…" she knew he was lying, felt it punching her in the gut, she couldn't trust him, "then I better get going."
"Can't let ya go that easy, Amaya-chan-"
"Bakudo # 4, Hainawa!" she yelled, an energy rope of bright yellow flew at him aiming to bind his arms much like they had once years ago.
Gin easily cut through the energy rope with his zanpaktou, the short blade cutting through the Bakudo and sending it sizzling to the ground around his feet.
"That won't work twice," he chuckled only to halt as he realised she had been muttering an incantation under her breath, the Bakudo rope still in her hand.
"Hado # 11, Tsuzuri Raiden."
Electricity raced through the energy rope, crackling to life around his feet before hitting him. Gin staggered back with a wince, shaking off the static electricity, his sandals somewhat burnt from the electricity however when he next looked up it was to see Amaya gone already. The silver haired taichou couldn't help but eye up the remnants of her attack as it faded away with a small grin. She'd managed to get the drop on him with only low level Kido when he had heard she was capable of higher levels.
"Ya scary, Amaya-chan," he muttered before cocking his head towards the fifth division once again, the grin plastered across his face, "she's definitely ya daughter, Aizen-taichou."
Said man appeared from thin air, his Bakudo disappearing after successfully hiding his reiatsu and appearance completely. He had been there the entire time. Adjusting his glasses on his face, Aizen eyed him up with dark eyes that his glasses barely contained nowadays.
"You expected any less? You let your guard down, Gin. Try not to let things distract you," he slowly walked past him, the sky beginning to darken with the oncoming night, "my plan does not change no matter who appears."
"Of course, Aizen-taichou."
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