Sorry for such a longggg hiatus, but I had such writers block, and then my laptop decided to crash once again. So I pumped this out as quickly as I could. Skipping all the unnecessary
Getting up, she didn't realize how quickly the night passed by. Belial stopped by once it had gotten dark out. She had been there for a little while, the japanese dialect she was used to using was so much quicker than her native tongue. Then the itchting kept her up all night, and now it was burning. The sun was just barely up, and the spotted clouds were scattered across the colored sky. Laying straight on her back, she lifted and arm onto her forehead. Resisting the urge to arch her back off of the unforgiving ground. The soft breeze was still there as the sun beat down on them. Looking West she could see the summit of the mountains that were so much closer than when she woke up yeserday, next to Isshin.
She lowered her eyes to the tree line. Isshin should be awake by now. When she had left him he was starting to stir because of his loud son. The child had been on the boarder line of screaming in the Squad Four corridor. Not that she could really blame it, but 4 captain ranked healers said that he needed to stay in bed. He certainly didn't need a loud mouth child coming, asking a number of questions and disruppting him so early into his recovery. Well what she hoped would be his recovery, all they could really do is hope for the best. Maybe Damon had been able to reverse some of the effects, not that she would know since she was on a goose chase. Sitting up she looked around the group.
Two lieutenants, two captains, and one hell of a strong third seat. Looking at the bald man made her question a couple of things. Kenpachi's lieutenant as a small pink haired girl, she didn't really ever have her zanpakuto on her. Why was she put in charge when she was so young? Then again Toshiro was probably only a hundred or so years older than her and he had his own division. Things now a days were deffenitly different from before. Not really noticing her eyes had been shifting around she noticed something past Torshiro. The grass behind him was patted down more...like someone had been standing behind him. Jumping up from her spot on the ground she made her way over there.
"Hitsugaya wake up." She barely noticed her own tone as it came out hoarse and she slightly winced from her sudden movements. The burn between her shoulder blades had yet to stop and it was now annoying her. The small boy woke with a jump as she brushed past him and stood right behind his head. She looked at the grass that was indented and thought it looked like feet.
"Are those footprints?" The worry in voice couldn't be covered as he stood next to her. Now that he confirmed it she looked closer at them. It seemed like it was only one pair, and they were fairly small. Maybe a child or a petiet girl...like Ayame. Looking in the direction they came from she tried to reach her senses out there. After a couple hundred feet they stopped though. She sighed, and groaned at the same time. She couldn't use her Divine skills anymore and it was practically killing her. Every so many decades she lost something else, and became more like a regular captain. Which ment Damon was too...like how their bond was deterioating. It was becoming harder and harder to be able to contact him through the bond, and now it was making sense.
"Skywalker?" Looking into his worried eyes she turned away and knelt down by the tracks trying to feel for some kind of lingering spiritual pressure. She barley felt any and it made her curious, just who had this much control over their spiritual pressure. Very few did now a days so maybe...
"Hey what's goin' on o'er there!" Ikkaku's voice came bellowing over her thoughts pulling her back to the present. Looking over her right shoulder she saw that the third seat and both lieutenants were up and making their way over. Making eye contact with the boy next to her he shook his head. Nodding back to her, she swept her hand over the marks. The wind that came with it moved the grass back into place, any signs of foot prints was gone. Correcting her stance and standing back up, she half heard what Hitsugaya said to them and looked back into the tree line. The ever present shadows were different to her in some way. Supressing the urge to sigh she turned back to the group and watched te scene unfold.
Hitsugaya looked on only mildly intrested by what they were doing. Rukia's face was red as both her and Renji yelled at Ikkaku. The bald man had Renji in a head lock, while stomping his foot at the younger woman. She had her arms thrown in the air while trying to scream her point across to him, her little arms waving in the air. Renji was hitting Ikakku in several different places trying to get him to release his hold on him. The other man how ever was to engrossed in his arguemnt with the younger woman and continued to ignore him. Both only acknowledging him once his face started to turn blue. Ikkaku patting him harshly on the back as the red head was coughing, and trying to swallow huge gulps of air at the same time. Glaring at both his friends he started to yell at them, and in turn Rukia kicked him in the shin.
"Shall we get moving?" The young captain gave her a knowing look. He had said something to get them to not really care about what she just did. Only one looking at her differently was Renji, but she shook that off and started walking in the western direction. After making a short trip through the woods, on a small worn path she stopped just outside of the brush. Looking around she didn't really like the feeling she was getting...like they were being watched.
"Hey what's that?" Looking in the direction that Ikkaku pointed out she noticed a small black dot on the mountain side. How were they so close now? Turning around she looked back into the brush, moving past her subbordinants she found what she was looking for far in the distance. There was a marker so that way Akio could see how much the forest had grown in the following years from their piolt expedition. They had walked past it some time ago, she was relieved that her amazing vision hadn't started dissolving on her. Now it made sense that you could see stuff on the mountain.
"That's where we used to stay for some time to train." The wistfulness on her voice wasn't lost on any one. The large bare field in front of them was a site for sore eyes to her. She could remember crimson haori's and sparks meeting in the middle of the open space. In the corner would be a small pot that Ayame would use to collect bets, and Mitskani would be right next to her keeping track of who betted what. The rock in the middle was where she should sit and ref the matches, and make commentary as she laughed at the two fighting. Damon and Takashi wouldn't really participate so they would sit next to her, as it was the only truely safe spot. Once the sun started to se she'd call it all off, and collect her winings, then everyone would go back to the mountain and get drunk. "Come on I know a short cut."
Moving to the south slightly and walking with purpose now she cleared the bareland in record time. Moving back into the surrounding foliage she felt her feet become lighter and realized she was moving quite fast when she heard Hitsugaya on the background calling out to her. Slowing down she made her way to the borrom of the steps. Turning around she realized she lost the others probably back in the begining of the brush. Waiting several minuets she saw white, and soon red as they made their way through the brush to her. Turning back around to the forgotten steps, she carefully tested out the old pieces of wood, once deemed safe she turned her head sideways.
"These steps are older than you guys so be careful on them!" Slightly putting some of her reishi in the balls of her foot she took the steps two at a time. Taking the turns like the pro she was, hopping over debrey that laid in her wake. The railing next to her forgotten as she masterfully took the steps with an increasing pace. Gracefully bouncing her way to the top of the old mountain. Hope coursing through her veins as she got closer to the top. She knew it was dangerous to believe in something as simple as hope, but it was infectious from being with the others. It could very well make or break you, and she knew that when they reached the top, if she wasn't right it would break her. But she couldn't focus on that when there were people who needed her to be on her top game. She needed this as a push in the right direction, everyone did. This could be the make or break point of the impending war.
Reaching the last couple steps, she crossed the wooden step onto the smooth, weathered ground. Her heart pounding against her small rib cage, scanning the area arounf her. To her right sat an old house, but in a pagoda style. The roof was made of tile, a couple missing on one corner made her smile a bit. The open area in front of her brought back so many memeories that it almost hurt. Numerous people running around, some drunk, some training, others playing some kid of keep away. Stepping closer to the large building she carefully took the three steps to the porch. Crossing the now vacant place, where chairs were once seated, she made it over to the door. Slowly opening the old screen door, she was suprised it was in tact with the erratic weather they had over the years. Once the old wood gave way she crossed the threshold. Screen doors lead to other parts of the house, but all she needed was in this very room.
The fire pit in the center of the room had not one, but four mats surrounding it. Stepping closer to the black ash and wood she saw a slight bit of red poking out from it. If she were to touch it she knew that she would burn her alabaster hand. The warm breeze from the outside fanned the embers and they started to come to life again. The fire had been lit yesterday evening, most likely for heat as people slept near it. They had commonly shared a room to the right of her, the body heat coming from all of them crammed together was almost swealtering. Sure, there was enough room for all of them to be comfortable in seperat rooms, but they were used to being together it seemed unnatural. Coming closer to the mats she tried to define how thick the limbs were but couldn't really tell. She frown at that, they either switched the mats every so often to not cause imprints or they were just for show. If they were just for show, then where could they be? There weren't many places they could hide without her looking. The weapons shack outside would be the first place, the attic another, all the rooms obliviously. The only place she could really think of was...Making her way back outside she brushed her hair out of her face as she walked past her winded comrades.
"Uh, Skywalker..." Turning back to them she saw they were looking on the roof of the house. She turned her gaze to the spot they were looking at. Narrowing her eyes at it she balled her fist crouching slightly. It had crimson eyes like herself, long blond hair, and the equally blond tail swishing behind it. She raised an eye brow to that, not many demons had tails contary to popular belief. Damon used to have a tail but that was taken with her inocence just at the tender age of 18. It was something that wasn't going to be coming back. Shaking herself mentally she looked at the thing on front of her, as it reagrded her with curiosity. The ever present malice in a normal demons eyes wasn't present int his one. It lacked the predatory precense at that all had.
"Something's not right with this one." She straightened herself out as she regarded it with the same curiosity as it did with her. Tiliting its head as it squinted its eyes to look at her closely. Perched on the very edge of the roof she had just come out from under, leaning forward as it locked eyes with her. She briefly wondered if it had gotten amnesia and didn't know that she was its sworn enemy. Taking a step back towards her previous destination it seemed to lean father to her. Proceeding with another three steps, it narrowed its eyes at her in warning. She smirked at it and realized it knew that she knew where the people who were possibly here would be. Taking two more steps and only a couple more from her destination it stood up. Erect and stock still as she made her way on top of the trap enterance she was looking for. Raising her spiritual pressure an unlocking sound resinated through out the open area. The ground right in front of her began to mold into what looked like stepps leading down into the ground, until a door appeared at the end. Taking the first step down, the demon disappeared.
Turning around she heard Hitsugaya yell to her in suprise as she gripped the fist aimed at her skull. Clenching her hand around it some more she could see it tremble as it tried not to cave in. The familiar sound and feel of fingers and carples breaking under her delicate hand rang out. After a few more moments in her grasp it reached out with its other hand and wraped its long fingers around her small wrist. Proceeding to yank and twist the apendage hoping that she would let go at her own pain, but she held on tighter. Falling to a knee she tilited her head in curiosity, she could see a raint red mark behind its left ear. Taking her left hand she moved the hair there and saw something that made it make sense. The Tewelth Division's thistle was stamped behind, making it one of its test subjects. Letting go of it's mutilated hand, the look it gave her made her question its intelligence. It seemed to regard her with a catious look, almost like it was capable of feelings, which would be a negative.
"Disengage." The tone she gave it made things come closer to the truth. It nodded to her and held its broken hand to its chest. Looking at its clothing, she realized it was dressed like a soul reaper. Black gi and hamaka, white sash, weaved sandals. It was oblivously a spare from someone as it was a little to small on it. "It shouldn't cause anymore problems now."
Turning to Hitsugaya, whom had it zanpakuto drawn in readiness to fight. Nodding to her in understanding he still kept the sword drawn as he looked at the creature with wary caution. Looking back at the closed door, she made her way down the step into the earth. Approching it with an uneasiness she noticed there was no knob or indent for her to open it. The door had to be opened from the inside or not at all. Well, for most people probably anyways, but not for herself. Feeling like someone was behind her, she looked over he shoulder to see the others right behind her. All had their zapakuto drawn and she just sighed at them as she turned back to the door. Holding out her hand, she willed the substance in front of it to mold into a knob. Once it did she turned it to the right and heard a satisfying click as the tumbls inside gave way. Opening the door she was greeted with a dim fire glow. A low hum of a tea kettle rang out in the silence as she opened the door more.
"About damn time Skywalker." A masculin voice spoke out to them.
Stepping into the room she couldn't help the smirk that seemed to slip onto her face. Making her way into the warmth of the under ground room the over whleming urge to laugh took over. Holding her waist with her arms she didn't care how much of a lunatic she looked like to the people behind her. Here in this room was a change in the tides of the war. This was her make or break moment and she was relived to find that she wasn't going to be breaking anytime soon. Subsiding her crazy laughter she took in the faces around her. The twelve people standing in this room made her crazy smile look some what sane.
"Well, lets get your lazy asses moving. We had shit to do, and non of it involves resting here tonight fuckers." A quite laugh went around the room, much like an inside joke only they knew. Shuffling could be heard as Angel turned around to look that current members of the Seretei. The smile turned into a sloppy grin as she reagarded them. Pure happiness radiated off of her as she gently shooed them out of the under ground room. Everyone made their way out to the bright real world. Most shielding their eyes from the blinding sun, while Angel took it in with vigor. She bounced on the balls of her feet. Turning around, she flicked her long mane over her shoulders and stood with her feet shoulder width apart. Hands on her slim waist, leaning forward as she gave them a million watt smile.
"Now then, let's get a move on, tomorrow isn't going to make itself hm?"
With that she vanished, and twelve other bodies did as well.
Hitsugaya looked around the area. The demon that Skywalker had dealt with was missing in action. The other thirteen beings were long gone, thier spiritual pressure was miles away and rapidly approaching the Seretei. Turning to the others in the group he saw their blown away looks and was slightly relieved to know he wasn't alone. The other Captain wasn't acting herself since they woke up this morning and it was now past high noon. They had gotten an early start on the day around 7 am, and now in the afternoon he didn't really know what to expect anymore. She normally had a level of control over herself and it was out the window today. Then again he hadn't really known her that well from the moment she stepped into his life.
"Let's head home." Al bodies vanished from the mountain top, heading to the home they knew. Or so they thought.
Ta-daaaaa! Here it is Chapter 20! I'll be getting Chapter 21 out later this month maybe mid way, with all the crazy BS life tends to throw everyone way. So I'll see you guys then!