Great news everyone! I just had a great brainstorming session with my dear friend and now thanks to her I have the next 10 chapters all figured out so expect plenty of updates in the near future and as always Enjoy~
Chou had been caught. The guards showed up while she played with Michi in the forest. Rather than spill blood, she accepted her defeat and follow the guards into the main house. Michi tried to stop the guards but Chou knew it wouldn't work. She was an outcast. To be found back in the land from which she was exiled was severe.
The men brought her into a room, it was the main conference room that Chou was never allowed to enter when she was a child. She expected to be reprimanded by the head of security, but how she longed to see her mother. Even though she had been exiled by her, Chou couldn't stop herself from missing the warmth she had remembered from when she was a child.
"It's been quite a long time hasn't it, Michiko?" Chou looked to see her mother walk through the door. She was older than Chou remembered. Her once lavish lavender hair had faded over the years and was fashioned into a modest bun at the base of her neck. She was still as elegant as Chou remembered. "I'm impressed you were able to live so well all of this time," her words felt sharp at first but Chou could see the sincerity and the warmth that she had intended.
I need to remain distant, I can't be hurt by this household again, "I am Kyourane Chou, 9th squad Captain,"
Her mother nodded as she poured them both some tea, "So tell me child, how are you?"
Does she care? Is she trying to act like a mother? Is this...compassion?
Chou spoke freely about her life and her travels. The words flowed naturally out of her as if she were a young child again. She wanted to believe that her mother loved her, that she regretted throwing Chou away as a child.
"Michiko my dear," he mother smiled and reached tenderly for Chou's hand, "How would you feel about coming back into the family?"
She couldn't believe her ears. She was going to be allowed back into the family?! Her mother wanted her back? She regrets it? She wants me? If nothing else she wants me to help raise Michi...but she wants me here? In this household again?! She didn't want to admit her excitement. She was overjoyed at the idea of her mother loving her; telling her that she could live here again. She wanted it to work. She wanted to forget about Minji Yuki and the development taking place. She wanted to live a relaxing life with her parents and her sister.
But she feared home. This place was filled with such hardship for her. She was hurt by this house and family. She knew she could never forgive them for everything they did to her...but she wanted to.
Before she opened her mouth the Shihoin elder stormed in, "I refuse to allow her entry," he was a very old man. His lavender beard barely kept from touching the ground as it swayed softly from side to side. He was leaning on his cane as he calmed down and walked slowly to his seat at the head of the table, "We exiled her from the family with reasons that time cannot heal! She is a wolf in sheep's clothing! I will not allow such a beast to soil the Shihoin family name!"
His words were absolute. Nothing trumped the words of the elder. Chou looked to her mother, she wanted to believe that she would fight for her. She won't abandon me again.
"Well I suppose it was a lost cause," she stood up. Her warmth had been shed to reveal what she was. She was an ice queen. Perhaps Chou's entry into the family would benefit her in some way; why else would she allow a beast to re-enter a family that had already dismissed her, "I'm sure you remember your way out," she turned to help the elder back to his room but turned her head back to Chou to strike the final blow, "since you've walked it before it should come naturally."
With that Chou was left alone. Abandoned for a second time by her family.
You shouldn't have thought of accepting, it was weak of you.
She knew. Chou knew that she should have declined the offer saying her life was much better than her ex-family could ever provide. But deep down she had always longed for her family. She wanted them more than anything in the world. Sometimes she thought that she had only become a captain to attract their attention, Maybe they'll see me and call for my return. Maybe they'll see how well off I am and tell me they're proud of me...maybe they haven't forgotten about me.
It was clear to Chou now that this house was not a house filled with the warmth she had once remembered. It was a cold, lifeless house. As Chou stood to leave she felt the house had actually become cold. The plants were all leafless, the soil had dried to sand. She exited the house and looked over to the garden, it was sand even there. Who would want to live in such a cold home?
She left as fast as she could. It was raining but she didn't care. The rain soaked her quickly. She wanted to get back to her office, to the lecture that Shuuhei had no doubt prepared for her. She wanted to completely drown the humiliation she felt.
She wanted to save Michi from that life. She didn't want to see her sister grow up in that house any longer. She needed to get her out of that house. The sooner the better.
The Outskirts of Seretei
How did I get here? I was just in my soul room with Gilgamesh...
There were only two arrancar that came through the rip. Yuki shunpo'd right in front of them.
...how did I end up here? There was a sharp pain that jolted through her head. What's happening?
"Aizen-sama!" the two raised their hands above their heads in excitement, "Aizen-sama we're here to return you to Las Noches!" Yuki's hand dropped from her zanpaktou.
"I- I'm not Aizen!" She couldn't believe they would mistake her for their leader. Has it been that long that they forgot the face of their master?
The two arrancar looked at each other puzzled, "Of course you are! Everyone knows Aizen-sama's reiatsu,"
Yuki's heart dropped. Aizen's Reiatsu...they think I am him? Is my reiatsu that monstrous that they would mistake me for him.
You are his child after all...
It wasn't Gilgamesh that spoke to her. It was her hollow. She was getting bold to speak to Yuki like this.
Even so, there's no way that I could feel like him...it's impossible.
But here they are...calling you Aizen-sama. Asking for you to return. Don't you want to rule over Las Noches? Don't you want to be that Queen? Don't you want to save Aizen from his fate here?
Yuki thought her brain was going to split in two. The pain in her head grew. How did I even get here? Is this just a dream...?
That's right dear, it's just a dream...why don't you go to sleep? I'll take care of everything for you...
Yuki lost control and her hollow took over again.
Raiden showed up to the scene just in time to see her transform. He had never seen her take on a hollow form, but he always knew somehow that she was able to. Raiden was in awe at what he saw.
She was fully covered in the hollow skin with her hair flowing wildly behind her. There were no eyes, only rows and rows of teeth biting into each other. There was a long tail that had more of these sharp teeth attached to them. Along her back there were golden stripes that pointed upward. The skin on her leg was scarred, or branded maybe, a large zero was burned into her leg. She was terrifying, but Raiden felt like she was on his side. He wanted to help her. He wanted to be able to fight alongside her.
You wish to use your power to help others? You are finally ready.
Without hesitating Raiden drew his zanpaktou, "Protect," he slashed the sword downward to reveal a large earthy axe, "Enkidu!" The axe was tall with a thick staff that was woven with roots. The roots lead up to the head of the axe that was engraved with leaves. He felt the power flow through him and knew he could protect his sensei.
She had already taken care of the arrancar. There was blood dripping from her hands. She turned to Raiden and let out of a howled scream; she was going to attack.
Before she could Raiden slashed the ground with his axe sending waves of rock toward Yuki. Instead of attacking, the rock waves formed together to trap Yuki in a rock prison. He knew this wouldn't hold her and quickly attacked from above breaking the rock enclosing and successfully landing the blow to her mask; shattering it. The fight was over.
Raiden sheathed his new power. He didn't have time to awe over his success; however, as Hitsugaya showed up to see Yuki's crumbling hollow form.
"Raiden! Oh my god...good job Raiden," he was wide eyed at Yuki, she must have advanced further in her transformation for Hitsugaya to be shocked, "Here, I need to take her to Kurostuchi-taicho, will you pick up the hollow pieces and come with me?"
Several Hour Later in the 12th Squad Lab
Raiden was worried. He had never waited outside the lab for someone...he thought something might be wrong. Hitsugaya looked nervous as well. He han't spoken a word since they arrived but Raiden figured that something was troubling him.
Hitsugaya was panicked. It was the wrong time for this to happen. She went to see Aizen, she transformed into something much more advanced than the last one. This is all my fault. I should have made her feel safe not vulnerable...what have I done?
Kurostuchi-taicho walked out from his lab with his eyes wide with fascination and excitement that made both Raiden and Hitsugaya uneasy.
"It's remarkable in there!" Kurostuchi Mayuri spoke trying to keep his excitement from showing.
"Well? What's happening?!" Raiden, on the other hand, was trying to keep his temper down.
He spoke to Hitsugaya, "After doing a full scan we found that her reiatsu has changed from the original sample we had taken. Now we don't usually test for reiatsu, but because she had advanced so far we tested it and sure enough; it's changed!" He said the last part with the giddiness one might expect of a school girl.
"Changed?! Changed how?!" This time it was Hitsugaya that was trying to keep his composure.
"It's Aizen's!" he broke out into a hefty laugh.
Hitsugaya was paralyzed, Aizen's reiatsu...in Yuki?!
"What do you mean? I don't understand!" It was clear that Raiden was panicking, What's going to happen to sensei?
Kurostuchi sighed, "Of course not! It's something I've never seen! Inside of Yuki, somewhere near her hip bone, there is an organ, " he spoke softly, as if he feared something, "This organ receives reiatsu from Aizen and stores it in Yuki! But it happens in such small doses that it's almost impossible for a person to notice the change! It's been happening for thousands of years! Since Aizen's imprisonment I think,"
"How did it get there?" Hitsugaya's mind was flying, "Did Aizen put it there? He planned all of this out?!"
Kurostuchi shrugged, "How should I know, it's just fascinating and if she weren't a captain I would have harvested it already," with that he walked back into his lab to leave the two in the hallway to process everything.
Hitsugaya was still in shock. He was angry at Aizen for plotting to use Yuki in such a long term plan. He was angry at himself for missing the fact that Yuki's reiatsu was changing over time. He had no idea that this was happening to her. I should have noticed. He was scared. Something bad was going to happen. This information would reach Yammamoto-soutaicho and he would act quickly and rashly. He wouldn't let someone that posed such a huge threat remain the way she was. Hitsugaya had to be quick. He needed to fix this situation and save Yuki. He didn't want to fail her a second time.
Raiden was only angry. Kurostuchi... that bastard. He is just playing with sensei! He doesn't care about her, he didn't care about me! He just pokes and prods and tries to discover information about you like you are a mutated rat. He looks from a far, he throws diseases at you to see how you react, and when he gets his data, he opens you up and looks around, changes things, replaces things, and maybe he'll put you back together...it's just a matter of time before he turns us into his wall ornaments.
His rage was growing and he felt like he was running out of time. He needed to save her. He wouldn't let her feel the same pain he had felt in that cell. He was finally free and he felt like he was about to see his sensei take his cell. I won't let that happen.
There you go!