Chapter 35
The Miracle Workers
"You're the one Higuchi came here to rescue, right?"
Kana gave Ichigo Kurosaki—she knew who the orange-haired Shinigami was at once due to all the stories Rukia had told about him in the past—a feeble nod. She was positive him being there and holding the Soukyoku off with a lone Zanpakutou was nothing more than a figment of her imagination, brought on by her burning desire for someone to come and save her. Her hallucination beamed at her before getting a good look around as if he had not noticed the many stunned faces staring at him from below until now. He promptly ignored them for the time being.
"Or maybe I have the wrong person?" he said in response to Kana's silence.
"N-No!" she quickly answered. "I'm Kana, Kana Mitarashi! W-Where the heck did you even come from?! And how the hell are you even doing that?!"
She gestured her head at the flaming phoenix that was the Soukyoku, which amazingly seemed powerless against Ichigo's Zanpakutou. Ichigo merely shrugged.
"Where's Rukia?" he asked a bit apprehensively, not seeing her around.
Kana gulped. She had a feeling that very question would come up sooner than later. She laughed weakly and tried her best not to look guilty, though judging from the way Ichigo was leering at her, she guessed it wasn't working.
"I-I…don't know," she said quite honestly. "Uh…we kinda got separated a while back. B-But don't worry!" she said on the double after Ichigo's face filled with alarm. "I'm sure she's alright! Er…p-probably! You've got to have faith, man, faith!"
She had no idea what she was rambling on about, but it appeared to calm Ichigo down since he went back to smiling.
"She loves making me work, doesn't she?" he remarked.
"Y-Yeah."
Now that the shock of him showing up had worn off some, Kana got a good look at Ichigo. Covering everything that wasn't his face basically were white bandages, leading her to believe he had already been in a fight before arriving. Normals teenagers couldn't fly—unless that was a class she missed at the Shinigami Academy—so she surmised Ichigo doing so was on account of the brown mantle he wore. Then again, maybe she really was hallucinating.
"Hey," said Ichigo, garnering her attention again. "I'm going to get you down from here now, alright?"
"Uh…y-you think that's alright?" she asked meekly.
"Yeah, why not? That was the plan."
His casualness in breaking Soul Society law was rather astounding to Kana. She blinked and then moved her head back down to all the Captains and Vice-Captains peering up them. None of them had moved yet, perhaps still not believing their eyes. That worked for Kana.
"They might have something to say about it," she stated.
"It doesn't matter," Ichigo said. There wasn't even a shred of apprehension in his statement. "I promised Higuchi that if I got here first, I'd save you, so that's what I'm gonna do."
"CT…seriously made you promise that?"
Kana smiled thinly and suddenly felt Aaron Higuchi was rather gallant. Of course, that would be taking away from Ichigo's efforts. He didn't even know her and yet here he was willing to assault a place teeming with powerful Shinigami to rescue her. His courage—or maybe it was better to call him suicidal?—frightened her as much as it reassured her that she might be able to escape the day with her life after all.
"Okay! Let's do this!" she exclaimed. "I really don't know where Rukia is, but if you get me out of here, I promise I'll do everything in my power to help you find her! She's my homie too!"
Ichigo nodded. "Sounds good to me!"
"Impossible!" said Captain Suì-Fēng declared back on the ground. "H-How could he keep the destructive power of one million Zanpakutou at bay using a single one?! Who is he?!"
"Nanao," said Captain Shunsui Kyouraku, turning to his Vice-Captain. "Is that one of the Ryoka everyone's been abuzz about?"
"Y-Yes," replied Nanao shakily. "He matches the description in the reports."
Kyouraku paused and hid a smile from her under his straw hat, simply saying, "I see. So, the Ryoka boy is going to save the day in the end, eh?"
Byakuya Kuchiki wordlessly glared at Ichigo, finding it utterly incomprehensible how the boy could be there in defiance of everything Soul Society stood for.
"So, uh…could you get me down from here now?" Kana asked Ichigo. "My arms are seriously falling asleep over here."
"Yeah. Just give me a…"
Suddenly, the Soukyoku cawed in anger, pushing against Ichigo's blade and knocking him off balance.
"Whoa!" he voiced.
"Giant, angry, mutant fire chicken!" shrieked Kana. "Watch it!"
The Soukyoku strangely distanced itself from them, though Kana gulped again and was sure it was anything but a good sign.
"Making some space for your next attack, eh?" said Ichigo, placing a hand on the handle of his Zanpakutou. "Bring it on then!"
Kana thought him brave at first for coming to her aid in the nick of time, but the way he was grinning like a kid in a candy store at the prospect of taking on the huge flaming phoenix again made her shift gears.
"He's a fucking lunatic!" she said in no uncertain terms. "Hey, at least cut me down from here first before you…!"
Ichigo moved first, with the Soukyoku following his lead. Before they could clash, however, Kana gasped at spotting something that was all too familiar. The shadow of a giant wave of water darkened Soukyoku Hill before sweeping over the Soukyoku itself. The phoenix hollered in anguish and was then extinguished, leaving only its sealed form. The smoldering halberd came crashing down with a resounding thud, and those on the ground had to move out of its path lest they be flattened.
"W-What the hell is going on now?!" cried Marechiyo Ohmaeda, Vice-Captain of the Second Division, who busied cowering behind a boulder.
"H-How could the flames of the Soukyoku be put out so easily?!" gasped Suì-Fēng. She scanned the area for who or what could have done such a thing to no avail.
"This wasn't a part of the plan," remarked Kyouraku, just as stunned. He turned his head just in time to see Juushirou Ukitake panting his way toward him—he had his two Third Seats, Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarou Kotsubaki in tow. "That wasn't your doing, was it?"
"N-No!" said Ukitake, still out breath. He held a brown shield with an intricate crest etched into it.
"The Shihouin Family Crest?" said Suì-Fēng out of earshot.
Ukitake took in the sight of the fallen Soukyoku and asked, "What happened here?! I was intending to destroy the Soukyoku before it could complete the execution, but…"
"Looks like someone beat us to it," said Kyouraku, lowering his straw hat over his glum expression. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
All the confusion left Ichigo the perfect chance to jump on top of the tall scaffold behind Kana.
"W-W-W-What do you think you're doing?!" shrieked Kana. Anyone twirling their sword around her would have made her nervous. Ichigo twirling his oversized blade nearly gave her a heart attack. "P-Put that thing down before you poke someone's eye out, buster!"
"I'm gonna cut you free like you asked," said Ichigo casually.
"I-I did say that, didn't I…" Kana would have slapped herself is she had the use of her arms. "Okay, just hold on a sec! Just maybe trashing this thing isn't such a good…!"
But Ichigo had already stabbed the platform. It grew brighter and brighter, just as Kana's screams grew louder and louder. She felt the cubes keeping her afloat shatter like glass. As much as she disliked them and was not too upset to see them go, they were the sole thing preventing her from going splat against the ground like a bug on a windshield. Gravity began pulling her down, but she did not get very far before someone wrapped their arms around her waist and hoisted her back to safety.
"You really are a lunatic!" she howled, thrashing her arms at who she assumed was Ichigo. "You know, I appreciate you coming to save me and all, but I'm seriously thinking about taking out a restraining on your ass!"
"How about I just drop you then? Problem solved."
The person that spoke was definitely not Ichigo. Kana's eyes widened. It couldn't have been, she thought. Just because she longed to hear his voice and see his kind face after what felt like an eternity didn't mean he was actually there. She dared herself to look, and much to her astonishment, it really was Aaron Higuchi peering back at her. He rubbed his nose, embarrassed the two of them had to reunited under such bizarre circumstances.
"Long time no see," he said. "How are you doi…"
"Mary Poppins!"
Aaron froze. He got that Kana was talking about the patchwork umbrella he was holding, the very same one that was allowing him stay hovering in midair. It was a far cry from the brown cloak Ichigo wore that served a similar purpose and no doubt made him look stupid.
"I-It was…Kagami," Aaron muttered, aware Kana would have no idea who that was. "Er…it was the only way I could get her fast enough to save you. Sorry for being late."
Kana thought it better perhaps for him to worry about himself. Like Ichigo, every part of Aaron's brown skin that was not his face was hidden behind thick, white bandages.
"Wait, why was that the first thing you had to say to me after all this time?!" he wondered.
"You…big dummy."
Kana laughed contently. This was Aaron alright. It was really him. No one else could overreact so much to one of her jokes. This was everything she could have ever dreamed of and more. She slapped him on the chest to make sure he would not disappear, hitting him again and again subconsciously.
"Kana?"
Aaron blinked. Kana busied bawling her red eyes out, striking him even harder. Her tiny arms, weakened by her time in the Repentance Tower, didn't hurt much, so he allowed her to continue despite his confusion.
"Did you think it was funny leaving me to suffer in that tower all alone and waiting to die?!" she abruptly proclaimed. Aaron blinked a few more times and turned to Ichigo for clarification. His contemporary was just as lost. "Do you think you're some big hero showing up at the last moment?!"
"N-No, of course not. I…"
"Why didn't you just come as soon as you got here?!" she sniffled. "Y-You big dummy! Y-You're nothing more than a…!"
She sunk her head into his chest, muffling her cries. Aaron frowned. As he stroked her brown hair gently, he could hardly blame her for being so upset. He couldn't even begin to imagine how difficult things had been for. Only a minute or two ago, she was convinced she was going to die.
"I'm here now," he said softly. "I'm not going to let anything else happen to you."
He meant to console her, but his words only served to make her cry even louder. She failed to realize how badly she needed to hear someone say that until now.
"Kuchiki isn't here," Aaron remarked as he took in his surroundings. There were a lot of people there, a lot of unfriendly faces in particular, but Rukia Kuchiki wasn't one of them. "Where did she get off to then?"
"Hey, what did you mean by that?" asked Ichigo at once, placing a firm hand on Aaron's shoulder.
Aaron faltered before explaining, "Kuchiki and I were together before…"
"Are you cheating on me?!" howled Kana out of nowhere. She went back to pounding on Aaron's chest like a drum, though it was out of fury this time. "How dare you! I was only gone for a little while! You could've at least tried controlling your hormones, you animal!"
"T-That's not what I meant!" blurted Aaron, feeling his face grow white hot. "And we're not even together, so just shut up for a minute! This is serious!"
Pouting, Kana crossed her arms and sniffled.
"About Kuchiki," continued Aaron to Ichigo. He kept a wary eye on Kana as he spoke, "we were together up until a little while ago, but she disappeared suddenly. I thought she might have come here trying to save Kana, but…"
"So she's alright then?" interjected Ichigo, showing more relief than he let on.
"Y-Yeah," said Aaron, smiling. "She should be alright. She's strong. You know, she might not have needed us coming here to save her in the first place."
Ichigo grinned as well. "She should've just been a good girl and waited for us."
Rubbing her puffy eyes, Kana said, "Now what?"
Her so-called saviors merely stared at her in confusion.
"Y-You can't be serious! How dense can you be!" she said, astounded. "What are you two going to do about them?"
Ichigo and Aaron looked down. The Shinigami below were naturally still observing them cautiously, but the one that stuck out the most was Byakuya Kuchiki. There was nothing but burning hatred in his eyes for the Ryoka that persisted on getting in Soul Society's way like a pair of overgrown cockroaches. He would crush them alright, crush them under his heel like the bugs they were.
"I don't want anything to do with that guy," said Aaron quickly. "Kurosaki…"
"He's mine," said Ichigo firmly, giving Byakuya a run for his own money with his own acute gaze. "This one's personal."
"What about everyone else?" asked Kana. She still got the hunch they were missing something vitally important here.
"Kurosaki?" said Aaron, wanting the orange-haired Shinigami's opinion.
"We'll run," said Ichigo simply.
Kana, her mouth wide open, could not speak for a few moments. "Run? That's your master plan?!"
Aaron, knowing Kana like the back of his hand, preemptively plugged his ears with his fingers.
"Seriously?! Maybe you're forgetting that there are no less than five Captains down there ready to slit our throats and dine on our entrails!" she hollered, flailing her arms about to prove how serious her point was. "Goodness gracious, how in the world did you two manage to make it this far without cutting your own heads off on accident?!"
"Does she…uh…always do this?" wondered Ichigo.
"Unfortunately," said Aaron, feeling abashed. He was beginning to forget the reason he had been so willing to rush here to save her.
"And another thing…!" Kana continued, having been ranting to no one but herself.
"Okay already!" barked Ichigo. "Then we'll just beat everyone up and then run!"
Kana screamed in exasperation, forcing the two with her to groan.
"Knock it off already!" said Aaron in a commanding tone, making Kana whimper. "If you want us to save you, then you'll have to do what we say! We're running the show, alright?!"
"Um…b-but…"
"No buts!"
"O-Okay…" squeaked Kana, hiding her face behind her hands.
Aaron sighed. "Kurosaki's right; we trained in case something like this was going to happen. If we have to fight, then so be it. Like you said, these guys aren't going to let us leave here alive, so what other choice do we have?"
"We'll save everyone," said Ichigo. "We'll save all our friends who helped us get here and run away together."
For once, Kana said nothing. She could still hardly believe these two. She was all for running away, but what would happen once they did? Soul Society hunt them for the rest of their days. Did they even think that far? Were they seriously willing to throw their lives away over Rukia and her? They were barely even classified as adults in their world. They would have to suffer a life filled nothing more than fighting and running. Would they do it? Could they do it?
From the confidence they radiated, that seemed to be the case. It flowed into her, making her feel like they could actually get away with this. In fact, it was because it was the two of them that they could get away with this. They had already defied all logic by surviving this long, so why shouldn't she have seen how far they could take this crazy ride?
"You guys are cool!" she said, her eyes sparkling like red jewels as she admired them.
Baffled, Aaron simply replied, "Thanks…I guess."
"You've got a weird one on your hands, Higuchi," said Ichigo sympathetically.
"ICHIGO!"
Huffing and puffing his way onto Soukyoku Hill, Renji Abarai dropped the pair of knocked out guards in his grasp and peered up to where Ichigo and the others were. He didn't hide is dismay at not finding Rukia with him.
"Oh no! It's that jerk!" moaned Kana. "Go beat him up for me, CT!"
"Is he going to be a problem?" Aaron asked Ichigo, reaching for his Zanpakutou.
"No," replied Ichigo, still smirking. "He's on our side. Actually, he came at a perfect time!"
He snatched Kana away from Aaron and hoisted the brunette over his head.
"W-What do you think you're doing?!" she said, squirming around. "Only CT is allowed to manhandle me like this!"
Aaron coughed awkwardly and moved his head in a manner that hid how much he was blushing.
Renji's eyelid twitched. "W-Wait, Ichigo! Don't tell me you're going to…!"
Ichigo shouted, "CATCH!" and flung a shrieking Kana at Renji with everything he had.
"ARE YOU INSANE?!" bellowed Aaron, who seriously hadn't thought Ichigo would do it.
"YOU IDIOT!" howled Renji.
He feebly held his arms out, but he didn't really catch Kana as he did nearly have his teeth broken in by her head slamming into his jaw. The two rolled across the ground roughly, and for a number of moments, Aaron actually feared they might be dead.
"YOU FUCKING LUNATIC!" he heard Kana shout at the top of her lungs, which relieved him in spite of her potty mouth. "You need to be locked up in an insane asylum with no hope of being let out!"
"What were you gonna do if she broke her neck, you bastard! I barely got to her in time!" said Renji in the same, furious manner.
"Whose side are you on?!" hollered Aaron for good measure.
Ichigo took everyone hating his guts at the moment in stride.
"Do me a favor, Renji, and get her to safety," he said. "She's only going to be in the way."
"That I can at least agree with," said Aaron, easing back from Ichigo a little just in case his friend felt like chucking a few more people.
"I didn't come here for her! Where's Rukia?!" said Renji irritably.
"Hey!" said Kana. "I'm still here, you jerks! You could have a little consideration for my feelings!"
Evidently, no one did. They continued to ignore her, and she sniffled yet again.
"J-Jerks…"
"We'll find Rukia later. Just take her for now," insisted Ichigo. "Protect her with your life!"
Renji stared at Kana contemptuously, and she gazed back at him in turn, sticking out her tongue. Neither of them were all too pleased with the idea of being stuck with one another for the foreseeable future, but with a bunch of Captains and Vice-Captains lurking around, they both silently agreed this was no time for them to worry about personal differences.
"F-Fine!" said Renji grudgingly. "But you owe me one for this, Ichigo!"
"I promise I won't cheat on you, CT!" said a waving Kana cheerily as Renji began to sprint away.
"For the love of…"
Aaron felt himself growing dizzy on account of his blood having travel to his head so much today. Kana really hadn't changed one bit. As much as she tested his nerves, he was grateful for that.
"What are you fools waiting for, an invitation?!" said Suì-Fēng to all the Vice-Captains, who were merely standing slack-jawed at the proceedings. "Go after them!"
Marechiyo Ohmaeda nearly pissed himself but immediately sprang into action per his Captain's order. Choujirou Sasakibe silently got Captain-Commander Yamamoto's permission to do the same, whereas Captain Unohana thought long and hard before telling Isane Kotetsu, "…Go."
"We've got trouble," said Aaron as the Vice-Captains moved out. "I'll…"
"I'll get them," said Ichigo, who didn't give Aaron a chance to protest, flying down into the heat of battle.
"…Alright then." Aaron shrugged, not really interested in fighting unless he absolutely had to. "Then I guess I'd better go see if I can find Kuchiki before…"
He only glimpsed it for a second, but he could have sworn he spotted a head full of pink hair darting after Renji and Kana.
"That's…!"
He beseeched the patchwork umbrella in his grasp to speed him toward his friends as fast as it could carry him. He had to go before it was too late. It looked ready to break, but it did as asked. He soared over Ichigo easily dispatching the three Vice-Captains from before, past a bewildered Juushirou Ukitake and Shunsui Kyouraku, and over the head of Yamamoto, who eyed him without making any attempt to stop him.
"And just where do you think you're going, Ryoka?!"
Whether it was a flash of lighting or a kick aimed at his head, Aaron only saw it coming right before it was about to connect. He held up his arms to block successfully. Still, the force of the blow sent him flying back uncontrollably. He cursed as he lost his grip on Kagami's umbrella, and it fluttered away in the wind. It was the least of his worries, however.
"Oh, great," he groaned at finding Suì-Fēng hot on his tail. The white robe she wore told him she was a Captain, the very last thing he yearned to fight right off the bat.
"You're going to pay for your interference!" said Suì-Fēng, drawing her Zanpakutou.
"Sorry lady, but my business isn't with you."
"Be quiet, Ryoka! It is my job to punish those foolish enough to threaten Soul Society, so I'm afraid I have business with you!"
Aaron got that reasoning with someone like this was out of the question, so he resigned himself to having to battle after all.
However, no sooner did he think this did a black streak suddenly crash into Suì-Fēng, sending them both over Soukyoku Hill. Aaron hastily Flash Stepped over to the edge of the cliff see what had happened to them. There was no one there.
"Wasn't that…Yoruichi?"
As much as he yearned to confirm his theory, he reminded himself of the surrounding enemies. None of them were paying him much mind though. Captains Ukitake and Kyouraku, with Nanao Ise in tow, were fleeing from Yamamoto for some reason, who was in hot pursuit. Unohana busied tending to the fallen, Kiyone Kotetsu was busy weeping over her sister, with Sentarou Kotsubaki doing his best to console her, while Ichigo was engaged in heated battle with Byakuya Kuchiki.
"Kurosaki!"
Ichigo only glanced at him, but it was enough for Aaron to realize the orange-haired Shinigami wanted no aid. He remembered Ichigo saying defeating Byakuya was a personal matter. He knew better than to get in the way. He nodded at Ichigo, thanking him for giving him an opening to go after who he was sure was Akira Akiyama.
That's right. Kurosaki can handle himself. He's not the one I need to worry about right now…
#
"This is a nice bed," said Kana contently, resting her weary head. "You know, they don't have beds back in that stinky tower. You just have to sit on the hard floor! That's such a killer for a girl's back, you know? This one is nice and soft though. It's perfect."
"My back is not a damn bed!" shouted Renji in exasperation. "You could've just walked yourself, you lazy…!"
The only reason he was carrying Kana as he made his way through the Seireitei was because she wouldn't stop complaining about her feet hurting. When he asked how her feet could possibly hurt when she wasn't permitted to go anywhere while locked in the Repentance Tower, she simply began to cry. That being too much for Renji to bear, he relented and agreed to carry her if it meant her shutting up. She stopped crying at least, but she had forgotten all about the not talking part.
"Hey, is this real?" she asked, picking at his red hair and humming a pleasant tune. "It's pretty, but no way it's real."
"Stop that!" Renji swatted her curious hand away. "Just…be quiet for ten seconds!"
"Touchy, touchy! It's okay if you dye your hair. I do too. It's nothing to be ashamed of."
"I do not dye my hair!"
"…Liar."
Renji couldn't take much more. Stopping himself from impaling his Zanpakutou through his ears to make all the insufferable chattering go away, he didn't see how anyone could stand being alone with Kana for even five seconds, let alone come all the way to Soul Society to rescue her from certain death.
"Don't make me drop you from the tallest building I can find!" he warned.
Kana gasped. "Y-You wouldn't do that! A real man wouldn't even joke about such a thing! Hey, everyone! Renji Abarai is nothing more than a BIG FAT COWARD!"
Now Renji was the one that craved to weep. "JUST SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I will pay you to be quiet! Your mouth is moving faster than me for crying out loud!"
"…I get the feeling you think I'm talking too much."
Even those in Rukongai could hear it when Renji loosed a bloodcurdling scream.
"Jeez. You really are touchy, aren't you?" said Kana.
He didn't know why, and he didn't care, but Kana finally fell silent. In fact, she failed to say something smart or annoying for the longest of time, making Renji suspicious.
"You better be alive back there," he warned. "You've put me through too much crap not to be."
When Kana still didn't say anything, Renji checked over his shoulder to find her somber expression.
"What's the matter now? What, am I not moving fast enough for you?"
"You were in a fight recently, weren't you?" she asked out of the blue.
"…Yeah," replied Renji dryly. His fight with Byakuya Kuchiki was fresh in his mind. It hadn't gone at all how he imagined. He felt himself fortunate to still be alive. "How did you know?"
"…You smell like blood."
Kana buried her head in Renji's back. Blood. It was such a nostalgic smell. She was covered in it back when she was holding Heishiro's corpse on that rainy day in Rukongai. His blood had been spilled because of her. It was all her fault.
Her thoughts steered to Aaron, who she thought was no doubt fighting to ensure she and Renji got away safely.
"Is he going to die because of me too?"
She hadn't meant to talk out loud, nor did she mean for Renji to overhear her.
"…You better not get my uniform dirty with your tears," he said gruffly.
"S-Shut up!" she snapped. "You and your fake hair!"
"It isn't fake! I'm trying to cheer you up here!" he replied. After a long pause where he had to get his skyrocketing blood pressure to settle down, he added, "Look, I don't know much about that guy back there who's trying to save you, but I can relate to how he feels. I think I can relate to Ichigo too."
"That maniac?! Y-You're not gonna start throwing me around, are you?! I'll file a lawsuit on you! I'll really do it, you know! You're not the first guy I've had to…!"
"Would you just shut up long enough for me to get to the point?!"
Renji took a deep breath.
"Ichigo said that Rukia changed his whole world. That's why he was so desperate to get her back. He felt like he owed her for giving him the strength to protect his friends."
"He…was thankful? You mean, he wasn't mad at her?"
Kana always secretly wondered if Aaron resented her for invading his otherwise normal life with her presence. Akira certainly had. If she weren't around, Heishiro still would be, and Akira would have no reason for changing from the sweetest girl Kana had known into what she was today.
"No," answered Renji, turning a corner. He was glad to see they hadn't bumped into any trouble yet. Kana was a big enough handful. "Only Rukia has that sort of mindset. I always tell her that people don't think nearly as bad of her as she does herself. She tries to tackle everything on her own, blaming every problem on herself. People aren't made to withstand that kind of pressure. They need others to carry some of the burden. That's why I got stronger. That's why Ichigo got stronger. People like her have to learn to lean on others from time to time until they're strong enough to stand on their own.
"Like I said, I don't know much about the guy trying to save you, but maybe it's the same for him. Maybe he got stronger too so he could help share some of your pain. So, if you're worried about him, don't be. It ain't fair to him and all the sacrifices he's made getting this far. Believe in him. If he came all this way to save you, you must be special to him. That's more than enough to get guys like us moving."
Renji scratched at his chin and wasn't sure why he was talking so much. He figured Kana was likely bored to tears. He got one part of that correctly.
"That is so sweet!" said Kana, sobbing uncontrollably.
"W-Why the hell are you crying again?!"
"I misjudged you, Renji Abarai!" Kana sniffled and dabbed at her eyes with Renji's sleeve. "You're a nice guy, aren't you?"
Renji rolled his eyes as far as they would allow him. "W-Whatever! Let's just hurry up and find somewhere safe to hide you so I can look for Rukia."
"Yeah! Then you can confess your feelings to your one, true love at last!"
Gagging on his own spit and almost stumbling over his own foot, Renji began to match the shade of his hair since he was blushing so extravagantly.
"I really will toss you off a building if you don't shut up!" he declared.
"Hey, I hear voices coming from over there!"
"Is it the Ryoka?"
"Let's go check it out!"
Renji cursed under his breath at the voices of Shinigami in the distance, speeding up.
"You're not very stealthy, are you?" said Kana, picking at Renji's hair again. "Totally not real."
Oblivious to Renji's putting a hand on his Zanpakutou as he debated on slicing her lips off, Kana took to heart what he said about Rukia and depending on others. She had no clue what Rukia had been through, but it sounded eerily similar to her own situation in terms of Heishiro and Akira. Akira had never forgiven her for what happened, but she had never forgiven herself either.
Maybe it was time to change that.
"Wait a sec!" she shouted as Renji shot down another empty pathway. Everything in the Seireitei looked exactly the same to her, and it was hard for her to tell how far they had actually gone. There was a more pressing matter at the moment, however, one that made a bead of sweat roll down her head. "Don't move!"
"What is it now? If you've got something else stupid to say, just…!"
In spite of Kana's warning, Renji took another step forward. It was all that was needed for a red cage of energy to spawn around the two without warning. When Renji went to touch one of the bars, he got a wicked burn on his hand and hurriedly shot it back.
"What the hell?"
"A Kidou trap," said Kana grimly. "It'll activate once someone enters the area where it's set. Looks like we—DON'T!"
Renji was about to try to destroy the cage with his Zanpakutou.
"We can't break it from the inside!" Kana went on. "Have you ever put a toaster in the bath with you? Well, if you would've hit this thing with your sword, it would've been a lot like that!"
"So what the hell are we supposed to do then?"
"Uh…let me think. Kidou is my specialty!" said Kana with pride. Too bad she was bluffing. She didn't have the slightest idea on what to do. This particular cage was something she had never worked with before. "It's very hard to make one of these Kidou traps though, and I only know of one person that can." She held her breath. "She's here."
"Very good. Very good indeed. You're right on the money. I guess you aren't as dumb as you look, Kana."
Even without her making her presence known by stepping out of the shadows, Akira Akiyama hadn't fooled Kana for even an instant.
"But then again," Akira continued, "I guess that isn't too surprising considering you were the one that got top marks in our Kidou class back at the Academy. This is good. Now I don't have to hide like some sort of coward. That's more your specialty, right?"
The insult didn't wound Kana nearly as much as Akira's loathing stare. Maybe she should have been used to such a reaction, but it was hard being reviled by one of the few people in the world she considered family, even if she may very well have deserved it.
"Hello, Kana," said Akira disdainfully. Just saying that name made Akira feel like she was chewing on glass. "Fancy meeting you here. Is Abarai here your new boyfriend? You get bored with the other one or something? Well, he wasn't much anyway, so I don't blame you. You've got bad taste regardless."
"W-Why are you here, Akira?" Kana had to ask. Her bumping into her former friend nowadays was never a happy occasion. She had a sinking suspicion this time wouldn't be any different.
"Oh, you know. Just stopping a couple of rats from scurrying away."
"You're Akiyama, right? What does a Vice-Captain of the Third Division want with us?" wondered Renji. Being trapped while he watched Akira's fingers dancing on the handle of her Zanpakutou was not a situation he enjoyed.
"This has nothing to do with my squad," she answered. "And this has nothing to do with you. As a matter a fact, you can go ahead and disappear. It's Kana I want."
The person being spoken of yelped and darted behind Renji for safety.
"You're going to have to get through my lover if you want me, Akira!" proclaimed Kana, laughing haughtily despite her being terrified beyond belief. "Too bad for you he's already sworn to throw down his very life for me if need be!"
"The hell I did!" shouted Renji, and he eagerly pushed her front and center. "She's all yours! Just let me the hell out of here!"
"Y-You coward! Thousands would be honored to perish in my name!" Kana flipped her curly hair and held her nose high. "You hear me? Thousands!"
"Then go find one of them! I'm about to kill you myself in a minute!"
Gasping sharply, Kana held her hand over her chest. "Well, excuse you, Mister Grumpy! You almost sound like you're regretting catching me after that maniac from before threw me!"
She fully expected Renji to reply, "Of course not!", so it made sense when she gasped again at Renji being suspiciously quiet, no longer having the nerve to meet her eyeline.
"Maybe he really is your boyfriend. You idiots sure argue like you're together," said Akira.
"You aren't helping!" said Renji seethingly.
"Oh, right. My mistake. Let me help you out with that whole living problem you have."
She rose her index finger and pointed in a less than comforting manner at Renji, who got on guard. He needn't worry; it would only hurt an instant, and then he would be free from Kana and anyone else for all eternity.
Akira's Byakurai spell went off course through no fault of her own. She gathered most people would be hard pressed to focus properly when people slammed into them out of nowhere like Aaron Higuchi had.
"Y-You!"
She hadn't planned on him being there, at least not with him having all his limbs intact. How he managed to escape Soukyoku Hill without one of the Captains there taking him out, she didn't know. All she understood was that it had been a mistake relying on someone else to finish the job.
"I didn't realize you were some kind of bug," she said. "How many times do you want me to squash you?"
"The first time would be a start," Aaron said with a self-assured smile.
Akira's face became the ripe shade of tomato. "W-Why you…!"
"Aaron!" said Kana, hopping all around in excitement. "Finally, a real man is here!"
"That's it!" voiced Renji through clenched teeth. "Hey, you, whatever your name is! Come and claim your property already before I chop its head off!"
"CT, he's bullying me! Kick his butt for me!"
"I'm the one being abused here!"
"You are not! Who was the one about to be killed by the mutant fire chicken again?"
"If anything, the Soukyoku was about to do us all a favor!"
Kana gasped for a third time, this one being the loudest and most dramatic of all. "H-How dare you! CT, do something already! He's being really mean!"
Without facing them, Aaron held out his hand near the Kidou trapping the two, causing it to shatter. At once, Kana and Renji distanced themselves from one another like the other was infected with some highly contagious disease.
"That's a new trick," said Akira. She gave Aaron a feeble clap in celebration. "Looks like you were learning all sorts of neat stuff while you were hiding underground like a coward." Her eyelids constricted. "…It's too bad you haven't learned how to pick fights you can't win, kid."
"That's funny. You keep talking like you've actually beaten me before. I don't know about you, but I clearly remember which one of us had to be carried away on a stretcher."
Akira froze. Kidou disrupting techniques apparently weren't the only thing Aaron had learned during their time apart. His comment, and the fact he had not stopped grinning since he got there like a man who had already won, was more than good enough to arouse her ire.
"Don't let that head of yours swell just because you've gotten a little stronger!" she bellowed. "Speaking of the last time we went at it, I recall your sorry ass needing a bit of extra help!"
Aaron's Inner Hollow, an entity that caused him much grief in the past, came to mind. His smile didn't falter. He made the first move by drawing his wakizashi from its sheath. Akira followed suit.
"I've taken care of that little issue, but you can keep making excuses if you want," he stated. "Help or not, I still beat you. You sound rather bitter. You'd think Soul Society would've trained their Vice-Captains not be such sore losers, but then again, maybe they should have trained them not to lose in the first place."
No longer merely roused, Akira's anger skyrocketed. "Is that so?! Oh, I promise you that no matter who jumps in to help you this time, I'm killing your scrawny ass!"
Good, Aaron thought. Getting her worked up like this would make this fight that much easier.
"Don't do this, Akira!" begged Kana. Having one person near and dear to her trying to kill her was one thing. Having another try to harm that person was too much for her poor heart to handle.
"Shut up!" snapped Akira. "Your little boyfriend is as good as dead! Don't worry though! You'll be right behind him!"
To that, Kana had nothing more to say, thinking it would be pointless. There was only one language Akira understood, and she was in no condition to speak it. Aaron, on the other hand, was.
"You're all alone today. Where's your boss?" he inquired.
"I don't know where Gin Ichimaru is, and I really don't care," replied Akira simply. "If you're trying to stall for time, kid, you can…"
"No, that's not who I meant. The person I'm talking about is a lot…closer to you. He's the one you're following around like a loyal mutt, right?"
Immediately, Akira's hostile expression warped into one of terror. The color drained from her skin.
"I-I don't know where Arashi is," she said in a much more restrained tone. "I…haven't seen him since the day before."
Seeing Akira so meek was a shock for Kana, though not as much as the mere mention of her brother's name being the reason why.
"But maybe you shouldn't be worrying about other people," added Akira, perking back up. "It's not like you're even going to get past me! You're just some punk from the Human World, a fake Shinigami butting into decades old business! All this is between me and her!"
Her icy gaze zeroed in on Kana, who recoiled. Aaron stepped in between it.
"No," he said firmly, no longer smiling but returning her vehement stare.
"…You want to repeat that?" snarled Akira.
"The moment I met Kana and got to know her," he started, glancing back at the woman who had become so frail in his absence, the joy extinguished from those beautiful, scarlet eyes of hers, "was when all this became my issue too. I don't care who it is or what she's done; I won't allow anyone else to harm Kana. If you want her so badly, you'll have to go through me."
He was joking. Akira was assured of it. Why else would someone have the audacity to say such a thing? Kana Mitarashi was not a person worth sacrificing one's self for. She wasn't even someone worth looking at, like an ant crawling on the sidewalk. Why wasn't Aaron laughing then? Why did he look as firm and rigid as brick wall, ready to fight her to the death if need be?
Why did he insist on getting in her way?
"…Why?"
Akira didn't understand. She refused to understand.
"Why?!" she yelled. Her voice echoed throughout the area, yet still, Aaron refused to remove himself from Kana's side. "You, that Hitsugaya punk, his sorry excuse for a Vice-Captain, Abarai here, Arashi…and even Heishiro! Why do all you risk so much to protect this miserable sack of flesh known as Kana Mitarashi?! Tell me why, dammit!"
No one offered her any sort of answer. So, Aaron and even Renji were going to deny her the revenge she felt she rightly deserved? That was fine. They could stand there if they so desired.
She was simply going to have to plow her way through them.
"I guess you really don't get it," said Aaron, piercing the deafening silence. "I can tell she was to you at one time, and I don't know what happened between you two, but to me and my friends, Kana is someone special. If you were hoping for some sort of lengthy explanation, then I'm sorry to disappoint you."
'Disappointment' wasn't the term Akira would have used. No, perhaps unbridled, bubbling rage fit better. It took hold of her, and before she knew what she was doing, she was charging at Kana with every intent on doing what the Soukyoku had failed to. Ever the thorn in her side, Aaron blocked her path.
"Fine!" she hollered. "If you wanna die so badly, I'm more than happy to oblige!"
She brought her Zanpakutou down, intending to slice open his skull. Aaron made no obvious move to defend himself.
"W-What the heck are you doing, CT?! I know you're good at it, but stop standing around and looking stupid for once!" warned Kana. Renji stared at her blankly, finding it unbelievable she could chastise the guy that came to rescue her.
But Aaron was in no danger at all. He never was. By the time everyone else noticed him standing opposite of Akira, he had already crushed a fraction of her sword into fine powder between his hand.
"Sorry, Akira, but I don't have time to waste on you," he relayed, letting the silver dust spill between his finger cracks and blow away in the wind. "I still need to get Kana out of here."
Akira gave his comment next to no heed; what little remained of her Zanpakutou and how it got that way was of far more importance. No one could even pretend they had seen Aaron move.
"Stand aside," he ordered.
"What did I say about that overinflated head of yours?" replied Akira. Though it had taken much effort, she was able to regain her composure. She blamed being unable to see Aaron's Flash Step on the sun getting in her eyes momentarily. He couldn't be faster than her senses. He just couldn't be. "You act like I can't beat your ass with my bare hands."
She cracked her knuckles, and Aaron shook his head.
"She's stubborn," said Renji.
"Always has been," chimed Kana. "She's such a headache."
Renji felt Kana Mitarashi was the absolute last person who had the right to say such a thing but kept his opinion to himself.
"I'm going to give you one more chance," Aaron told Akira firmly but without a hint of anger. "Considering you are a friend of Kana's, I don't want to hurt you if I don't have to."
Maybe he was being sincere. Maybe he really had no desire to start a meaningless fight. He gave her a pleading look, suggesting she just go somewhere else for the time being and come back once he cleaned things up. It was a tempting offer; as much as she craved to cave in Kana's skull, things in Soul Society were becoming far too hairy for her liking. She would end up being killed in the crossfire at this rate. If she just made herself scarce, she could wait things out, wait for another opportunity at settling things with Kana. It made a scary amount of sense.
Akira considered all this for approximately two seconds before deciding that even if Aaron was being serious, he had signed his death sentence the exact moment he had suggested her of having any sort of positive relationship with Kana Mitarashi.
"You're dead," she said as she Flash Stepped right in front of him, balled her fist and readied to break his jaw. This was a kill she was going to savor for a long time, perhaps even as long as she would Kana's. She felt a bit sorry for Aaron.
He was just some stupid kid in way over his head. Playing the hero was nice and all until you were dead.
Then you merely came off as an idiot according to history.
Her trembling fist stopped mere inches away from Aaron's chin. She beckoned it to keep going, yet there was no strength left in any part of her body. Aaron driving his knuckles into her stomach had literally taken the wind right out of her. The world around swirled into a black haze. She gripped onto Aaron's shoulder tightly, but it was no use. Her fading eyes gave him one last, piercing glance. How could some human have come this far? How could someone fighting to protect Kana be so strong?
It wasn't fair. A guy like Aaron, someone who valued others over his own life, someone who had risked everything to come here, should have been fighting to protect someone like her. Maybe if someone like him had come around a long time ago, things would have been different. Perhaps she would have gone down a different path.
"Holy…!"
Witnessing a Ryoka take down a Vice-Captain with one blow made Renji rub his eyes feverishly. Surely, he must have been seeing things. Akira lying unmoving at Aaron's feet refused to sink in.
"That was pretty good, Aaron. You've gotten a lot stronger since we've last met."
The chess master revealed himself at last. Arashi Mitarashi jumped down from his perch atop a building and landed dangerously close to Aaron and the others. Though Renji and Kana were more than certain the two were about to slaughter one another due to the tension in the air buzzing like locust, neither Arashi nor Aaron made a move on the other.
"Let me thank you for saving my sister," said Arashi. Aaron could read nothing from his countenance, making him about a hundred times as cautious. "You beat me to it, but it doesn't matter. The result is the same. Still, I can't completely let you off the hook." He took stock of Akira, and his lips curled. "You really shouldn't have done that to poor, old Akira."
"She gave me little choice."
"And you've given me little choice but you punish you."
"Oh?" Aaron's eyebrow heightened. "That almost sounds like a threat. You really have changed, haven't you, Arashi? Or maybe we just never got the chance to know the real you."
"Well, here I am, in the flesh. Akira was right about one thing: You really are butting into business that has nothing to do with you, Aaron. I didn't bother saving your life all those times for you to stand in my way. I healed you more times than I can count when you insisted on diving head first into danger. I even stopped you from committing suicide against Byakuya Kuchiki back at the Repentance Tower. Is this the thanks you give me?"
"I don't owe you a damn thing," replied Aaron fiercely. "Call me selfish if you want, but I'm here to make sure Kana doesn't fall into the hands of creeps like you, even if you are her brother."
"Can I get a say in the matter?!"
All heads swung over to Kana, who truthfully had no clue what to say to defuse the situation.
"It's alright, Kana," said Arashi soothingly. Kana stared at him longingly, wanting the brother she knew and love back. "Everything has gone exactly how it should. Now then, we need to get out of here before it's too late. Come with me. I'll get you somewhere safe, somewhere no one will ever be able to bother you again."
He only held out his hand. It shouldn't have made Kana's blood run cold. It shouldn't have caused every one of her synapses to shriek for her to run as far as her legs would carry it. It was nonsense. No matter how robotic the smile Arashi was giving her was, he was still her brother, her flesh and blood. She knew him better than anyone and had always had an uncanny ability to tell when he was lying. He wasn't just telling her what she prayed to hear in terms of wanting to help her, even if he refused to speak the truth about his erratic behavior of the past few days. She stepped forward gingerly and lifted her hand close enough to…
"No. I don't think she's going to do that."
Aaron made her decision for her. At once, Kana shot her arm back and felt like she had been saved at the last moment from making a huge mistake.
"And I think you're going to tell us what's going on, Arashi," added Aaron. "What did you do with Rukia?"
"What?! Rukia?!"
The only reason Renji didn't charge Arashi and press his sword against the younger Mitarashi's throat was because Aaron held his arm out to stop him. A dead Arashi was one that could tell them nothing.
"Well, I guess there's no point trying to hide it if you figured out that much, Aaron," said Arashi. "You're sharper than I gave you credit for."
"No, I can't take any credit. Kagami is the reason I knew something was wrong. You see, before Rukia left and without her knowing, he put a tracker on her."
"A tracker?" repeated Arashi, admittedly miffed.
Aaron held up his left hand, displaying a golden ring on one of his fingers. A clear jewel was set in the center.
"This…"
"Oooooooh!" emitted Kana at the sight of it, and she nearly tore Aaron's arm off to get an up close and personal look. "Is this for me, CT? Did you bring me a present? Aw, you really shouldn't have!"
She was really glad he hadn't once horrible, earsplitting shrieking issued from the ring. Everyone covered their ears for dear life, but the sound seemed to penetrate their very flesh.
"This…" shouted Aaron, hurriedly covering the ring with his hand and somewhat muffling the screaming, "is an awful little thing."
"No kidding! You can keep it, CT. I don't want it anymore…" mumbled Kana.
"Whatever that thing is, throw it away!" voiced Renji, sure blood was oozing out of his ear holes.
"I would," Aaron went on, "but then I would never be able to Rukia. I don't know why Kagami made it make such a racket, but it will only do so once it picks up on the spiritual pressure of the person stuck with that tracker I mentioned before. Rukia's around here somewhere, and you're going to tell us exactly where, Arashi."
Being outed so effortlessly came as some aggravation for Arashi. "Kagami, you said? I take it that was the man from before, the one who lives underground. Yes, I thought there was something mysterious about him. He's also the reason why you've gotten so strong, isn't he? My mistake; I should've killed him the first chance I got."
He said it like he had just committed a simple error, like misplacing one's car keys. The jarring reactions from the others hardly even registered with him.
"Were you the one that destroyed the Soukyoku?" asked Aaron a bit shakily.
"Yes," replied Arashi, intent on speaking so nonchalantly about earth shattering matters. "Having Kana die in that way would have played into the hands of our enemies."
"…And what is that supposed to mean?"
Aaron didn't get it. It was almost like Arashi was more than okay with the idea of his only sister dying so long as it was on his terms.
"Aaron, perhaps I didn't make myself clear, but I do not have time to…"
Just as casually as he spoke, Arashi lazily blocked the whip-like attack of Renji's Zabimaru, which had been aimed at his head.
"You're going to hand over Rukia right now!" demanded Renji, drawing his extended Zanpakutou back. "I don't know what the hell you're planning, but it ends now!"
Arashi sighed. "Go away. You're just a stray dog that escaped from the kennel. I don't have the time or the patience to train you."
"Renji, don't!"
Aaron's warning came too late. No matter what it took, Renji was going to get Rukia back.
He was also going to wipe Arashi and all his unbearable confidence off the face of Soul Society.
"BANKAI!"
Everyone braced themselves as a vortex of air and spirit energy shrouded Renji. Speaking of energy, Renji's shooting right through the roof left Aaron lost for words. Whatever was coming was going to be big.
"What?!" said Kana in total disbelief. "You're telling me Renji of all people can do Bankai?! Come on! That's so not fair! …I'm still totally better than him!"
"Of course you are," said Aaron automatically, though he was giving her whining none of his concern. That was reserved for whatever was coiling around Renji. It looked like a snake, or maybe it was better to call it a giant, segmented skeleton of a serpent. The head was 'snaky'—Aaron was pretty sure that wasn't actually a word—as well, having yellow eyes, sharp fangs and red fur surroundings its neck. Said fur matched the cowl Renji was now wearing. Aaron guessed the ape skull on his left shoulder was a crude but creative touch.
"Hihiou Zabimaru!" cried Renji. He wasted no time in sicking his Bankai on Arashi, the huge snake hissing as it flew toward its prey. Arashi didn't want to talk? No problem. Once Hihiou Zabimaru sunk one of its fangs into his neck, Renji was certain he would be a bit more forthcoming about Rukia's location.
END