It wasn't very often that Kana was nervous, but she sure as fuck was now. She didn't even need to reach her reiatsu out to find where she was supposed to go. There was a heavy reiatsu pressing down on her as she crawled out the window of the Urahara Shoten, leaving her body behind. She scowled at her fingers as they trembled slightly, gripping her hands into fists in an attempt to calm herself down. The longer she took the heavier the reiatsu pressed on her, soon enough she found herself leaning into a flash step to get there faster. Her first sight of the Arrancar Aizen sent came as she stopped around 20 feet in front of him in the park. He was a couple inches shorter than she was, though the white horn on half helmet made up for it. Skin pale, stance lean and bored with his hands in his pockets, a deadpan expression and piercing green eyes with two matching tear streaks down his face and a black upper lip. Kana could barely take in his appearance before a small figure behind him and to his left caught her attention. Orihime's face had the most melancholy look she had ever seen, with soft but sad understanding eyes. The two girls held eye contact for a moment before Kana's gut churned with guilt and she looked away.
"Stay nearby at all times." The Arrancar's voice washed over her ears and both girls jumped. He turned to face the night as Kana moved to stand behind him by Orihime. His hand slid from his pocket and with a swipe of his hand a black voice opened in front of them.
"I will know if you don't follow." He didn't bother turning back to face them and Kana tried to get her legs to move but they refused. Apparently Orihime had the same issue. Kana's hand twitched to reach for her hand but stopped. Orihime knew she was leaving. Orihime knew she was betraying everyone. Orihime knew she knew she was going to do this willingly, and-her building panic of thoughts were caught off by a slim palm sliding against her own and entwining their fingers.
"Hime?" Her gaze was still sad, but warmer than before and there was a soft understanding smile on her face.
"I'm glad...we don't have to say goodbye." Kana ignored the tears welling in her eyes as she tightened her grip on Orihime's hand and nodded with a smile.
"Yeah. I'm sorry you're being forced to this but...I'm glad I'm not alone." Orihime's smile widened and together they followed behind the pale figure in the void.
Both girls kept their palms pressed together and their feet on the Arrancar's heels as they walked, through the static type void, then across white flooring then finally to black tiles. The more they walked the more Kana could feel a heavy reiatsu that made her heart beat loudly in her chest. Eventually they stopped, and Orihime was the first one brave enough to look up. Kana was too distracted by the vast presence she could feel above them. Her head snapped up at the echoing of a smooth baritone. The words flowed over her like oil over water, but the voice seemed to sink right in and settle into her chest.
"Welcome to our castle, Las Noches." Kana could feel eyes on her head as she kept her gaze on her feet, sighing in relief from the pressure when Aizen's gaze slid to the faintly trembling girl next to her.
"Orihime Inoue...was it?"
"...Yes." Orihime's voice was barely above a whisper, but it echoed nonetheless in the vast hall.
"Sorry this is so sudden, but Orihime, could you show me your power?" Orihime's hand went slack in her grip and Kana scoffed and ran her reiatsu over Orihime like a safety blanket as she finally looked up and smirked confidently at the teen. She could feel heavy eyes on her from almost all sides but the heaviest gaze most definitely belonged to the chocolate brown eyes she found herself locked into a staring contest with. It was the first time she felt like she had done something to change something. Aizen seemed as though he wanted to say something, but changed his mind. Instead his lips curled from their polite smile to a smirk that had a light blush lighting Kana's face. His smirk widened before he spoke again.
"You're fond of your friend, Kana Takahashi."
"I am." The words came out more like a bark than anything, but at least she got them out.
"You came to me of your own will. Your friend did not. Will you fight against me to protect her?" Kana didn't even need to think of an answer before she was cackling slightly. She almost didn't notice Orihime's slight wince next to her.
"Of course I will! I know as I am right now I don't have a chance, Aizen. But I will work to get what I want."
"And what you want is?" Ah fuck he was going to make her come right out and say it? Well. He probably knew the fucking answer anyway. He didn't know who he was putting on this show for, but it wouldn't do any harm to play marionette right now.
"What I want is to make you kneel. I want to see you at the feet of someone more powerful than you could ever achieve, and I want to protect my friends in the process."
There were hushed whispers from around, a few people calling her stupid or suicidal, one guy behind them laughing, another guy ahead of Orihime scowling fiercely. The Arrancar that had led them there seemed about ready to behead her at Aizen's command, but she kept both her cocky gaze and fanged grin aimed at Aizen. She could feel her pulse quicken. Had she gone too far already? Was she going to fail before she even started? Relief coursed through her as Aizen's laugh echoed, whispers falling silent around her.
"I am excited to see how far you can go." His words were so similar to Arashi's that Kana felt a strange urge to hug him, instead gripping Orihime's hand tighter and cackling again.
"Fuckin' same, Aizen."
Her laugh was cut off by a gentle breeze and his next words said less than a foot from her face as she found herself staring wide eyed into eyes that sparked with amusement. Aizen's reiatsu brushed against hers and it took all of Kana's strength to keep her legs from buckling.
"You may have the privilege of calling me Sosuke."
