Chapter Seventeen: "The Ordeals" By: Midorigrove
Midori woke the next morning later than she wanted to. She stumbled out of bed and walked through the living room to get a drink of water. Danr watched as Midori clamored from her bedroom with her hair and her uniform whites all a mess. She grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the sink, rubbing her head and making her hair stick out even more. Danr tried all he could to stop from laughing at her state. He did not know whether she was not aware he was sitting there, or she didn't care.
He cleared his throat and it caught her attention. She turned slowly with her cup up to her lips. She stared at him from the corner of her eye in shock. She gulped her water down and turned completely to face him. She bowed to him, "I am sorry. I did not realize what I was doing." Her uniform whites started to open a little as she was bowing, which she immediately realized and straightened herself. She placed a hand on the back of her head and laughed. Danr nodded his head and looked away from her. Midori took that as her chance to hide herself back in her room until she was ready again.
She closed the door to her room and began to get ready for the day. She could hear through the door that Danr was chuckling. She could only think that it was about her. 'I cannot believe that I did that. I hope he doesn't think that I am that kind of girl.' Her face was red as she pulled her long wavy hair in a hair band and put her stealth uniform on. She walked out to the kitchen and Danr was still sitting at the table. He looked at her from around his paper and coffee as she sat down in front of him. She grabbed a piece of toast and began to eat it. "That was definitely something I never expected to see within the first week of you being here, Midori. It seems you already feel at home." He put his paper down and handed her the plate with bacon on it. She grabbed it and smiled at him, "I guess that must be the case." He smiled back at her and went back to his paper. Midori ate her breakfast in deep thought. She did still have some pauses about what happened last night in her dream. She felt that it was so real, but maybe what Seigi told her was right and it was just a dream.
After Midori finished her breakfast, Danr rose from his seat and folded his paper, placing it on the table. He took another drink from his cup and left it on the table as well. "Midori, if you are ready, I believe that I have a course of action that would be best for your training. If you would follow me." Midori took a drink from her cup and then proceeded to follow Danr out the back door.
He took her to a field that was surrounded by trees. The grass was finely cut as if someone had just cut it. There were flowers that were along the back side of the field. Midori stood with Danr in the middle of the field. He faced her, "I want you to show me the capabilities of your Zanpakuto. How far has your Zanpakuto gone while in your care?" Midori pulled her Zanpakuto from its sheath and placed it in front of her. Danr noticed the symbol of the Allfather shine in the sun as she placed it in front of her, "I can transform Seigi into two different forms, a pair of war axes and a singular battle ax." Danr was curious that Midori had not told him about her shikai's powers or that she had already learnt how to create a bankai. "So, your shikai has no powers, and you have not reached the level of bankai?" Midori had not reached bankai yet, and she never knew that her Zanpakuto had any powers other than bankai and transforming. Since her time as a 3rd seat did not put her in battle, she never had the intention of learning bankai.
She shook her head in disagreement of what Danr had said. He took a deep breath and tried to explain it to her, "A shikai possesses powers that will allow the user to increase their power and defense in battle. Sometimes, shikai will not have but one power and that would be one or the other. There are many different methods that would help you learn your shikai's powers, but all would take you over ten years to master and as we have a time limit on how long I have to teach you and help you with your Hollow issue, this will not do." She looked at him as if she had already failed to begin with, "Well, what do you suggest? Is there a faster way to learn those powers?"
He studied Midori for a while. He knew how to help her, but if her mental state was not willing or weak, it could cause her pain and could affect her mental state more. He looked away at the woods. He knew that this would be the only way and if Midori agreed he would help her, but if she was afraid of it, he would not push the issue and just work with what they had. "There is one technique that I have used on countless people over the years. It requires for you to dig deep into your mind and your heart to hear the words of your Zanpakuto. If your mental state is not in tip top shape, it could cause you excruciating pain, or it could warp your mind. Would this be something that you think you can do? You would have to do it alone, your Zanpakuto spirit would not be allowed to help you on this journey." Midori knew that she had to. She needed to get stronger to keep the Hollow within her at bay, and if this helped her, she would do anything for it even if her mental condition was not in perfect health. "I will go through with it. What do I need to do?"
He was surprised by her acceptance of this task but went right to using Bakudo spells to create a base barrier, "The heavens open, the way of protection, those long-forgotten pass forward and encircle, Bakudo 95, Sutonhenji!" A large group of a hundred pillars began to fall from the sky. They fell into three circles that got smaller as they got closer to the center. Midori had never heard this Bakudo spell before.
It was known that many of the higher level Bakudo were not taught to students in the Shinigami Academy. She watched Danr as he walked to the center of the stone circle. He placed his hands together and his hands began to glow gold, "Deep depths where the heart and soul align, dark or light, vast or shallow, create thou guide and appear, Bakudo 93, Supirittoririsu!" The glow from his hands widen in the space above him and then attached itself onto the ground. It created a circle of gold on the ground and four lines drew from the outer circle to the smaller center circle. The words forgotten, loss, fear, anxiety, devotion, hope, desire, and guidance were written in kanji on each section of the circle. Those areas on the circle were not glowing, they were a dull gray color.
Danr walked back out to Midori and looked at her, "Are you sure? Once it begins, you cannot leave it until it is over." Midori walked toward him, "Yes. I have the resolve to do it." He grabbed her hand and led her to the golden circle. "You will need to sit here. When it begins, you may feel some discomfort, but it is only activating you in the spiritual world of your mind and heart. They will be linked, and you will endure trials until you hear the voice of the powers of your Zanpakuto's shikai. I will say that it may not be your current Zanpakuto spirit that you hear. Each power that a Zanpakuto has may be in ordinance by another spirit that lies within your Zanpakuto. Do not be surprised by this or the spirit may flee from you."
Midori took all of his words to heart. She wanted this to succeed so that her time here was not a waste. She had to find a way to keep the Hollow at bay and to guard herself from anymore of Aizen's attacks on her. She handed him her Zanpakuto, let go of his hand, and entered the golden circle. She sat down and a large light came from the circle and encased her in a cone of protection. Midori could feel it pour over her and closed her eyes. She felt the stinging on her skin as the light began to enter her body. She felt like she was miles away from her body as she moved from the current plane of existence to the spiritual world between her heart and her mind. She was now inside of her mind. She opened her eyes and saw a long hallway aligned with only two doors on each side.
The ground was layered with black velvet and at the end of the hall was a golden door with eight large locks on it. Each one signified an ordeal that she would have to encounter and deal with. She breathed in heavily. She did not know what she was going to see behind these doors, but she needed to complete this and begin her training. A voice called out to her, it was that of a woman, "In order to gain that powers you seek, you must unlock the pain of your past. You must face the feelings of four different moments in your life that you have held onto and will not let go. In these four doors, you will find the ordeal dealing with that memory. You must resolve this memory before you can move on to the next. Each solution will remove two locks from the door, but only if you can find the resolve in yourself to let it go. If you fail, you will not gain our powers." "Who are you?" There was no reply, the voice had disappeared as it had appeared. Midori turned to the first door on her right. She hesitated to open it. She did not know what was behind it, but she knew that this was the only way. She grabbed the handle firmly and opened it.
Midori was surprised when the world before her changed to her home from when her parents were still alive. The small house that her family lived in was situated in the East Rukon District. Her family was not a wealthy family, but there were close enough to the gates of the Seireitei to get aid when they needed it.
She did not realize it, but she felt smaller. She looked at her arms and noticed they were small and pudgy. She looked at her legs, and they too were small. She was back in her five-year-old body. She looked around where she was standing and then two manly hands grabbed her and lifted her into the air, "How is my little girl, today?" He rubbed his cheek on hers. She pulled back and noticed the person who had her was her father. He was a younger version of Shunsui. His brown eyes caught her attention first. He had a small patch of hair on his chin, and he smiled from ear to ear at Midori. "Sweetheart, I have everything ready for the picnic today!" Midori turned her head swiftly to see her violet eyed mother bouncing up to them with a picnic basket. Her hair was like Midori's wavy, frizzy, and auburn. She reached for her mother, and she took her. Shosuke hugged both of them and kissed Midori's mother, Ayame, on the head while grabbing Midori's chubby cheek.
Shosuke grabbed two blankets and a cooler of drinks as they all began on their journey to their destination. The closer they got; the sooner Midori realized what was going on. Her eyes widened as she tried to warn them, but she couldn't. It was as if this world would not allow her to talk, but to only view the event personally within the body of her five-year-old self. It was like in order to gain power that it was like the voice had told her, she would need to let it go.
Shosuke lifted one of the blankets and began to spread it out on the ground under a large oak tree. Ayame had placed the picnic basket on the ground and was unloading it. Little Midori began to wander farther into the field. She turned back to look at her parents who would from time to time look in her direction to check on her. She got to the edge of the forest and she heard it, "Such power! I must have it for my own!" She felt the huge stomping of whatever was coming toward her. In her mind, Midori screamed, 'It's here! Run!' With her little legs, Midori ran off toward her parents. She was crying because what followed her was an Adjuchas Hollow. It had somehow been attracted to the area.
Little Midori screamed out to her parent, and her father pulled his Zanpakuto from his side. It transformed into a large halberd. He placed his arm out to protect Ayame and Midori, "Hide yourselves, I will take care of it." Shosuke lunged at the Hollow striking it with his halberd. He caused damage to the Hollow, but he could not stop it ripping apart his body and getting past him. It reached out and ripped Ayame from Midori's side, throwing her across the meadow. Her body was ripped down her right arm. Midori heard her mother scream as her five-year-old self stood in front of it crying. She laid beside of Shosuke. Her eyes and body were motionless.
Midori then noticed through her eyes that her body was glowing orange. She had never remembered this part of that horrific event. She watched as her five-year-old self fainted, and a figure in an orange glow appeared in front of her. There was no way that Midori could see who the figure was, but the Hollow disappeared soon after the figure had appeared. It's body becoming nothing but the wind. She watched the orange glow as it entered back into her smaller self. She was confused, mesmerized, and concerned about why it had protected her. 'Why did the Hollow appear so suddenly? Was it because of me or that mysterious figure?' Midori was now outside of her smaller self. She had found consciousness after the orange glow had entered back into her body. She walked over to her parents' bodies. She had a lake of emotions that filled her. She fell to the ground and hugged herself. Her parents had been dead for all these years and it still bothered her as to why she could not let it go.
Suddenly, as she stood behind her five-year-old self, she heard two voices she recognized, "My little girl has grown up." "How beautiful you have become, Midori." She turned around and saw the blue glowing bodies of her parents. They had such sweet smiles on their faces. She walked to them. Shosuke pulled her into his arms and hugged her and so did Ayame. Midori felt comfort and relief all at once. "Midori do not blame yourself for our deaths. We both were willing to do anything to protect you." Her father said as he kissed her forehead. "I am just so happy that you were spared that day, so long ago. I don't know who that was that helped you, but I believe that it was fate."
Midori did not know either, but her parents words caused her to realize that she could let go because her parents even though they were not with her were still happy to see her grow. "I am sure there has been someone who has created something new for you since then, Midori," Her mother's words caused her mind to race with people in her life. She had felt so alone even in the care of her uncle at times. The loss of her parents and her friends that were close to her caused her to fear, but recently she had not had a reason to fear being alone and that was because someone had given her something she needed.
A flash of Jushiro popped in her head and his words caught in her mind, 'Your smile gives us hope.' "I have hope in my friends, family, and the one I love. Jushiro has given me a reason to move on with my life and not worry about loss anymore. He has given me hope to move forward." Shosuke smiled at Midori and shook his head, "And that hope will guide you in your decisions that follows this day, my little girl. We love you so very much. Go now and be happy and hopeful." A door appeared near them signaling Midori to leave. She hugged both her parents, "I love you, mom and dad. I will never forget you." They waved to her as she reached for the door handle. She opened it and exited back into the hall.
Outside of Midori's mind, Danr was now being accompanied by Seigi. They were watching Midori as she underwent the ordeals of the mind and heart. They noticed tears fall down Midori's face as parts of the circle for loss and across it hope began to glow. "She has completed her first ordeal. I am glad it was a success." Seigi was curious. He had heard everything about this trial that Midori was put under by Danr. He was worried about how far the ordeals would go and what toll it would take on Midori. "Danr? What will Midori have to endure during these ordeals?" He looked over at Seigi from the corner of his eye, "She will have to endure all that she cannot let go of. No matter what the circumstance or the price is that she has to pay."
Seigi was surprised. There were some things that he knew that Midori held on to that he did not know if she could endure going through again. Danr noticed the anxiety in Seigi, "You have to believe in her. As her Zanpakuto spirit, you alone will be able to guide her in her heart and mind. If you falter, she will falter, and the pain of these ordeals will cause her more damage than they are supposed to." Danr looked back at Midori and began to notice that he could see an orange glow within her. He did not know what it was but waited patiently for it to manifest further.
Inside of the hall where Midori now stood, she went for the next door beside the one she just went inside. Before opening the door, she head a clang and a thud from the door at the end of the hall. She looked over at it and noticed that two of the locks had fallen off and hit the floor. 'Six more to go. Midori, you've got this.' She grabbed the handle to the next door and walked inside.
The world around her changed. She was now in her eight-year-old body. She had her eyes squinted and could feel a group of people around her, "Must be nice to have special treatment. Living in the Seireitei, you are a big joke, stupid!" She could hear a boy's voice hollering at her. She felt something wet and opened her eyes to see that the boy had spat on her. Another boy grabbed her auburn hair and jerked her down to the ground on her back. She looked up at them with tears in her eyes. Midori wanted to pound these brats into the ground, but she felt it just like her eight-year-old self, she was starting to have an anxiety attack.
The boy that got on top of Midori, jerked her hair some more causing small bundles of it to come out in the boys hand. "The next time you want to act all smart and high and mighty, remember this moment." He pulled from his pocket a knife and placed it against her neck. Suddenly, Midori saw an orange glow envelop her eight-year-old self and it pushed the boy off of her younger self. She got up and began to run toward the 8th division. The boys hot on her trail. When she got to the gate, the guards let her pass, but held the boys back, "You'll get it tomorrow, STUPID!" The guards gave the little boys irritated looks. One of the guards kicked at them, "Get out of here, you ungrateful brats!"
Midori ran as fast as she could, not stopping at anyone yelling to her. She could feel the pressure on her chest. She could feel the tears on her face as if they were hers at this moment. She wanted to grab her younger self and hug her, but in her state she could not. She felt the push of wind hit her face as her younger self opened the door to her uncle's office. She ran to him and placed herself against his back. It was comfortable there. "Hey kiddo? What is wrong?" He turned to look at her, "Don't look at me!" He stopped but looked at her from the corner of his eye. He saw the dirt on her face mixed with blood. He saw the lines of tears as she hugged herself. He could feel her trembling through his haori. Everything in Shunsui wanted to turn around and hug her, but this was her way. It was her way to soothe herself. He took a deep breath in.
Midori was outside of her younger self. She looked at Shunsui and saw that his eyes were watered. She knew that her younger self had hurt him as well, but she had never realized it. She reached out to her uncle, but her vision changed, and she was standing in front of Nanao. Her fists were balled. She had felt so much disappointment in herself. She had failed in becoming a part of her uncle's division. She turned fast and walked back to the 8th division barracks, "He will be better off without you, Midori. I mean you have been a burden on him. You cannot do anything right. All those kids from before were right. You are stupid and a loser." She walked farther to the 8th division barracks, "Mom and dad would be upset at you. Stupid, Midori!" She hit her head as she entered the unguarded gate to the 8th division. She got to her room not long after and grabbed her silver locket from her neck. "I don't deserve this!" She threw it down on the ground and stomped her foot on it. It bent under her spiritual pressure. She kicked her mother's locket against the wall next to her bookcase.
Present Midori could feel a rush of anxiety flood over her body. She had no one who could soothe her this time. She grabbed her letter opener from her desk and placed it against her arm. As she went to cut her arm, Seigi appeared and grabbed the letter opener, chunking it out the window down into the pond below. He grabbed Midori and pulled her into him. He took her anxiety and the memory of her wanting to harm herself from her mind then disappeared as he had not been there, 'I never knew he did that. I don't remember him ever being there.' Suddenly, the door opened and there Shunsui stood. She was happy he had come to her.
Midori was now standing in front of them. The whole scene froze, and she looked at Shunsui's face again as she packed. He was happy for her. He was always happy for her when she took a new step on her path to become what she wanted to be. "You were always my guiding stone, weren't you Shunsui? Just like Dad would have been if he had been here." She hugged his frozen body, "Thank you for being my guidance through all the hard times in my life, Uncle Shunsui. I love you." Her bedroom door began to glow. Midori walked to it, taking a last look at a scene that happened so long ago, but was so familiar, and exiting the memory.
Seigi saw a smile appear on Midori's face. He was curious. The parts under her for anxiety and across from it guidance lit up. "Two more down. She is moving through this a little bit faster than I was expecting. It makes me wonder if her mind is just leading her easily down a path to face the worse at the end of her journey to test her heart, mind, and soul." Just as Danr said this, the orange glow within her began to become clearer. He saw how it swirled with a purple glow that was much smaller. 'Is that her soul? If the purple is her soul, it is a weak one, but where did the orange one come from?' "Seigi?" Seigi turned from Midori to look at Danr, "What?" "Have you ever noticed anything different about Midori's soul when you are within her Soul World?" "Different how? Midori has always been how she is since I have known her, except for the Hollow." "So, you haven't noticed the purple and orange souls inside of her?" "Yes, but that is just Midori," he lied to Danr.
He could not tell him about the other soul inside of her. It was not that he did not trust Danr, but it was the fact that if he mentioned it to Midori, it could hurt her, and he had to protect her. "Your devotion to Midori is unprecedented. I guess it is just not for me to know, yet." His words caused Seigi to blush, but at the same time wonder what he meant by yet, 'Is he going to do something to her to find out the answer?' They continued to watch Midori.
Midori heard the clang and thud of two more locks fall to the ground in the hall way. She turned around to the last two remaining doors, "Those were easy, sad, but easy. I bet these are just the same." A voice appeared. It was different from before. It was soft and calm, "Do not fool yourself or hype yourself up over what has occurred behind the past two doors. These remaining doors will test your mind, heart, and soul. If you cannot endure and let go, you will fail." The voice echoed through the hall. Midori hesitated, but grabbed the door on her right. She was ready for whatever was behind it. She had to be, or all of this would be for nothing. She pulled the door open and stepped inside.
Her world changed and so did she. She closed her eyes as her vision blurred and saw in front of her a pair of glasses, "AIZEN!" He had Midori pinned down on his futon in his room. She dug her fingernails into his arms, trying to get away from him. He ripped opened her uniform to reveal her breasts to him. She took her loose hand and punched him in the face causing him to lift up from her, giving her enough room to get away. She jumped up from the futon when she felt two arms around her waist. He grabbed her, pulling her to him, "LET GO!" She tried to pry his arms off of her, but she found he had pulled one arm off of her and grabbed a handful of her hair. He pulled it hard, causing her face to come against his cheek. He licked her face, "You are mine now, Midori. There is no place in the Seireitei that will hide you from me, so just be my sweet little girl and let me take what is mine." She rocked the side of her temple and crashed it into his jaw. He felt the stinging pain on his face but took Midori's head and hit it hard on his desk. Her forehead was split open and blood ran down her face.
Outside of Midori's memory, Seigi saw Midori's disposition change, and Danr saw how her soul was swirling in pain inside of her. They could hear words coming from Midori, "AIZEN!" Seigi looked at Danr who was confused about who Aizen was. He looked at Seigi, "Who is Aizen?" "He's a stupid bastard, who…" His words were cut off by Midori's words, "GET OFF OF ME!" Seigi saw blood coming from her head and it worried him. He could only remember one time when those words were used when it came to Aizen. It was when he was not there to stop Aizen from trying to rape her. "We have to get her out of there! That memory, she cannot deal with!"
Seigi went to charge the glowing circle, but Danr grabbed his arm, "She has to endure to become stronger. She has to let it go because holding on to it will cloud her judgement. It will be best to believe in her ability to overcome even this memory. I would like for you to tell me about this memory, so I can better understand her." Seigi did not want to tell him, but he knew Midori would tell him if Danr had asked her. He explained what was happening to Danr but kept his eyes on Midori. "There was some trouble in the Soul Society dealing with a blueprint for the Hogyoku. I am sure you have heard about the Hollowfication Incident," he saw Danr shake his head and went back to look at Midori, "She wanted to make sure that she could not be traced to the creation of the Hogyoku because Kisuke made her fake a blueprint of one. Her mind was more on protecting Kisuke and his stupid dream than herself." "So, Kisuke is someone Midori cares for?" "Cared for, past tense. The bastard abandoned her."
Danr understood a little. He did hear about the Hogyoku. Anyone in Soul Society with connections heard about that incident. "Go on." Seigi took his cue, "She went with me to the 5th division where Aizen was. She gave me orders to find the blueprint and leave, but I couldn't find it, so I went back to her. She was not where she told me to meet her, but Kisuke was. He questioned me about where Midori was and then we saw her. She had a smile on her face, but her clothes were torn, and she had a horrible deep gash in her forehead. All she told us was she got it back."
Danr was surprised by Seigi's story. "So, she fought with him for the blueprint." "All we could think was that he had raped her, but her smile told me otherwise. I looked through her memories behind her back and saw that Aizen had indeed tried to rape her, but Shinji, his captain, had saved her. This was a memory that caused her to fear Aizen more than anyone and even more than the Hollow inside of her. It is a pain that I don't think she can let go of and I am afraid that it will damage her mind and soul if we don't get her out of there now."
Danr took in everything Seigi said, but he could not recover her from there yet. She had to let it go before it consumed her and even the spirits within her Zanpakuto thought it was an obstacle she must go through, "I am sorry, but she will have to endure and let it go. I will not pull her from this, and you will not either." Seigi was pissed off at Danr, but in a way he understood how this would benefit Midori. He got on his knees and closed his eyes, 'Midori, I am here if you need me.'
Midori's vision was blurry, but Aizen had made a mistake. She saw it from the corner of her eye, the blueprint. He picked her up and slung her back on the futon. He began to violate her body with his tongue and hands. She could feel them all over her. She then heard a voice come to her mind, 'I am here if you need me.' Her body was in so much disarray that she could not make out the voice, but the door to Aizen's room opened and the bright light blinded her. She closed her eyes and she felt what seemed like an ocean of water being poured on her. She gasped for air and opened her eyes to see Aizen again. She squirmed to move, but she saw that her arms were bound behind her. She looked up into the eyes of Aizen. She was back in the room under his office in the 5th division.
He was there alone which was unusual for this situation. He smiled at her and reached down to her placing his hand along her jawline. She moved her face, but he held it in place, "Alluring beauty in such a captivating woman. I am sure that Kisuke Urahara felt the same way. Won't you let me finish what I started all those years ago?" He rubbed his thumb across her lips and then kissed her. She bit down on his bottom lip. He pulled back and licked the blood that slid out of his mouth. He smiled and then his face changed to pure rage. He reared his hand back and slapped her across the face, causing the inside of her mouth to bleed. He rubbed her face where he had slapped it, "Hurts doesn't it. I think I can stand a woman with a bruise or two on her for insubordination." She jerked her head free, "You're sick." Her words hit his ears immediately and without thinking began lashing out at her, "Sick! I am only sick for you, my sweet little girl. I will make you mine, bitch! You will beg me every day to release you. I will at times make you think you have a chance to escape to only cause you more pain. I wanted you to stand by my side and help me realize my dreams, but you chose Kisuke Urahara. You really know how to play with the men around you to get what you want. I bet you did the same to Kensei Muguruma," he got close to her ear, "I bet you even opened your legs to him, such a whore." He rubbed his hand on the inside of her thigh. It made her cringe. His words caused Midori to turn her face to look at him. They met each other's eyes and then she spat in his face. He leaned back and rubbed it from his eyes. "Filthy! Disgusting!" She laughed at him, "It is a fickle thing to be consumed by jealousy." He reached for her neck, squeezing it. "I will never be jealous of them! I have you here now. If I wanted you, I would take you!" He reached down into her uniform and groped her. She turned her head away from him, making sure not to let him see how it bothered her.
Seigi watched her as her clothes became drenched and her jaw showed a distinguished bruise. Danr was confused. He had never seen something like this happen during a journey of the heart and mind. He placed his hand on Seigi's shoulder, "What is going on now?" Seigi could only think of one memory about Aizen that had to deal with water, "He is torturing her, now. It was his way to try to control her and make her side with him." "He? You mean Aizen?" Seigi shook his head, "I never knew this man impacted her life like this. If she is given two memories of the same person, it means that there is something more complex here. What place in her heart does he hold for her?" "Aizen is the bloke Midori wants dead. She hates him for everything that has happened to her. He took so much from her. I want him dead, too. He has tortured her too many times to forgive." Danr saw the hatred in Seigi's eyes. This Aizen seemed to be the hate that he had saw in Midori earlier. Seigi closed his eyes again and called to her through his mind, "Midori, I am here for you, always. Please, call me and I will appear."
Midori was not about to give into Aizen. Her mind filled with Seigi's voice, "I am here for you, always. Call me." She wanted to call him. She closed her eyes and her mind screamed, "SEIGI!" She stood in front of Aizen and her bound self who were frozen in time. She balled her fists up and punched at Aizen. It collided with his jaw. "You son of a bitch!" As she went to berate Aizen, she felt two masculine arms wrap themselves around her, pushing their head into her back. She turned fast thinking it was really Aizen, but she saw Seigi, "Seigi?" "You called me, my lady. I had no choice but to answer." She turned around and hugged him. "I am so glad that you are here." She clung to him, gripping his vest within her fingers. He rubbed her back. "Midori, you realize, I am not really here."
She did not care. She loved being wrapped in his embrace at this moment. It calmed her and caused her mind to clear. It was only Seigi who knew how much she truly hated Aizen. She could tell people, but Seigi shared that with her and it was because he had access to her memories. "Why do you need me, Midori?" She lifted her head to look at him. She thought about his question. He had never asked her about this before, and it shocked her.
She closed her eyes and stepped away from him. She took in the scene of Aizen, her bound self, and Seigi. She realized in an instant why, "You have always been there for me. No matter what I get myself in, you were always there beside of me. I need you because I need someone that is committed to me unconditionally." Seigi smiled at her. She was getting close to his reason for asking her, "Committed? Sounds like we are in a relationship, doesn't it," he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, "I am completely captivated by you, Midori." She blushed at him and placed her hand on his chest, "Not a relationship, but you are absolutely loyal to me."
He rolled his eyes. She was not hitting on the word he wanted to hear. He got down on one knee, grabbing her hand in his, "I will always be your loyal servant because I am completely faithful to you and only you." He kissed her hand. Midori placed her free hand over her face that was now red, "Your devotion for me is very flattering, Seigi." Her words caused Seigi to smile, "I will always be devoted to you, my lady." He got up and held his hand out in the direction of the door in the underground room Aizen had Midori in. It glowed gold, "My devotion for you is the only way you can let go of this memory, Midori. If you truly wish to forget what he has done to you, the door will lead you to the hallway, and you can continue, but if you hold it in your heart, you will be stuck here." "Stuck?" Midori was confused.
It was a twist on what had happened before. She looked back at herself sitting in that chair. She hated to let it go. It was the fuel for her hatred for Aizen, but Seigi was right. His devotion for her was the reason to let it go. He would always be by her side to protect her in the future, and these experiences made her cautious about how she acted in the Seireitei. She closed her eyes and grabbed Seigi's hand. He guided her to the door, "I have no reason to hold on to memories that are of no significance to me, anymore. Take care of them for me Seigi and thank you for being completely devoted to me." She grabbed the door as Seigi disappeared. She pulled it open and walked out into the hall way with one door left.
Danr saw how Seigi's body glowed green and then faded. Seigi opened his eyes to see Midori before him, "So, you found a way to help her after all, such devotion or should I say love for one's master." It was like Danr's word caused the word devotion to light up and so did the part of the circle with fear on it. He smiled, "Two left. She is on her way to the end now. I hope this is not worse than the last one." Seigi's face was still red from Danr saying that his devotion for Midori was more like love. It was true that deep down, he did love her, but a Zanpakuto spirit was a spirit, and he knew that he would never make her happy by telling her that. His only choice was to stay by her side and express his love to her through his devotion.
Midori stood in front of the last door. Two more locks had fallen to the ground as she closed her eyes. "One door left." She was apprehensive about grabbing the handle. She knew from elimination what was left. "Forgotten." She remembered reading it on the ground before stepping in the circle. She heard rustling around her, "Who is there?" No one answered, but she felt three presences around her, "I can feel you. Show yourself." A voice beside of her ear whispered, "We will once you finish this last ordeal. Show us your deepest desire and become our Mistress, but if you fail, we will partake in devouring your soul. It is quite appetizing to look at." The voice had a malicious undertone. Danr had not told her about losing her soul in this place, but he did say that it would take a toll on her mind and her heart. She breathed in hard and gulped down air before she grabbed the handle and opened the door. She walked into nothingness.
Midori opened her eyes and saw the moonlight pushing through metal bars onto her face. She could not move her arms. Inside of her mind, she knew where she was. She was imprisoned under the 1st division. She ran toward the bars and was jerked back by the chain on the wall that held her. 'How many days has it been?' She moved her arms, her shoulders ached, and she felt it, 'Not long. I haven't broken my arms, yet.' The anxiety that Midori's body was filled with took over her mind. She could not do anything but feel the pain that her past self was feeling, and she let it play out.
"KISUKE! You lied to me! You left me!" She fell to the ground on her knees. She raised her head to the ceiling, "KISUKE!" Several of the other prisoners on the 4th floor of the Central Great Underground Prison known as Wasureta were yelling at her, "SHUT UP!" Midori ignored them. She rose from her seated position and walked back and forth, "Kisuke, why is all this happening? Where are you?" Midori endured all five days in her mind again. The first day was her getting adjusted to the cold embraced of the loneliness she would become accustomed to now that he had left her.
Seigi heard Midori's screams for Kisuke. He could see how her face was miserable and how she was suffering. He sat down on the ground and watched her. "I am here for you, Midori. You can do this. A final memory that you have to let go." "Final memory? What is this memory?" Danr came to sit beside of Seigi. Seigi hated how he was volunteering this information to him, but he gave in to help Midori, "Midori's final memory is her imprisonment in the Seireitei. It is the part of her that has eaten at her for so long. She had been abandoned at that moment by Kisuke and the Soul Society. She was considered a threat and worthless by about ninety-five percent of the Seireitei. They called her a traitor, and her seated position in the 6th division was taken from her. She would have died in that prison if they made her stay down there longer than five days." Danr was interested in her memory. He wished he could see what had happened to her during this time because he could see it all over Seigi's face. He looked back at Midori, 'Two more. You can do this.'
Midori was blaming herself on the second day for trusting Kisuke, "Such a stupid girl, you are! How can you let him use you like a puppet! I was right about it. I was his puppet." She hated herself in that moment and she stretched the chain as far as she could and then ran fast toward the wall until her right shoulder collided with the pin that held the chain into the wall. She screamed in pain as she felt her shoulder bone crack. Tears ran down her face. She hunched over, letting the pain soak in. She panted hard before stretching out the chain again and running toward the pin again. She hit the same shoulder, causing it to crack again. She could feel her shoulder go limp, but she still felt the pain. She screamed as she moved. The other inmates screamed at her to shut up, but she ignored them. "I have to punish myself. I deserve this."
Midori could see how she was hurting herself again like back when she failed to get into the 8th division after graduation. She also knew that Seigi was not there this time to erase her own devastations to herself within the confines of this prison, but what was worse was the turmoil she was developing in her mind. She could feel the anxiety and fear she had of being forgotten. How she felt that no one was there for her. She knew she couldn't call out to anyone, and she knew no one would help her. She was utterly alone.
Seigi heard the initial crack and looked up to see Midori wince in pain as her right arm fell limp beside of her. He got up on his feet, "No! She cannot go through that again. I will not let this continue." He reached out and it was like the orange glow that was inside of Midori appeared, "She is almost done, Seigi. She has to endure in order to grow, and if you interfere, this will be for nothing. Those spirits inside of that Zanpakuto want to devour her soul because they can sense how weak she is. If you interfere, you will lose her."
Danr had gotten to his feet. He was hearing a man's voice from the orange glow that looked like Midori, "So, you are not Midori, correct?" Midori's twin looked at him and chuckled, "You know the answer to that one already, Danr." Seigi balled his fists up. "She shouldn't have to endure this at least not alone, this time!" Midori's twin looked at Seigi, "I know it is painful for you, but think how much more painful it is for her if you do not believe and trust in her ability to overcome it." Seigi understood what he needed to do, but it was not something he was proud of. Midori's twin disappeared back into her body as Seigi and Danr watched Midori continue her ordeals, 'He is helping her stay alive with his soul, but what does that do for him?' Danr was curious about this second soul that had appeared before them. He wanted to ask Seigi, but he saw that he was too worried about Midori to push for an answer. He watched on as the journey continued.
The third day inside of her mind was the day she broke her left arm in the same manner as her right. Midori screamed out in pain until the pain overcame her body. She was exhausted but had enough strength inside of her to berate herself, "Serves you right for betraying the Soul Society. What was your dream in the first place?" She looked up at the barred window. She could see the moonlight again as it filled her room. The darkness that filled her cell caused her body to cringe. Even during the day, the cells were dark. She hated the brightness of how the sun shone through her room. It blinded her on most days, and it wasn't until dark that she would regain her sight.
Inside her mind, Midori heard what she realized she forgot, a raspy, shrilling voice, "Do you want to die?" She heard the words come from her broken body, "Yes! Kill me!" Midori's imprisoned self's eyes changed to blacked out eyes with golden slits. The voice came back, "Let me take full control and I can grant your wish." Midori could feel herself slipping until she banged her head against the wall and began to cackle. She howled in laughter, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Midori's head began to bleed. She could not wipe the blood from her brow, so it ran down her forehead into her eyes and created two sharp bloody points on her cheeks. It was a reflection of the black on the Hollow's mask.
Midori's mind swam as she tried to break herself free from her imprisoned self. She closed her eyes, and there she was confronted by an uncaged Hollow, "You wish to rid yourself of me? You will die if you do, but isn't that your wish from the beginning? They all forgot you. Why do you think you were in the 4th level of their prison? To forget you. Wasureta means "FORGOTTEN," doesn't it?" Midori looked into those slit eyes that stared at her.
She felt that way. Herself in that cell felt that she was forgotten by everyone in those five days. She had no one but herself and the Hollow. "I will rid myself of you one day, but not before I control you. You will do my bidding because I decided to let you stay for a while inside my Soul World," Midori realized how wrong she was, "As for forgotten, I have never been forgotten. I have people around me who love me and care for me." A vision of the four who stood before Commander Yamamoto showed up. They all begged him to protect Midori. She smiled at the vision which caused the Hollow to charge her.
It clasped its claws around her throat, but did not squeeze, "What is your deepest wish? What do you yearn for now, that you have lost everything? Now, that everyone has abandoned you." Midori looked away from the Hollow and thought about it, 'What do I want? What do I desire, right now, in this moment? I want to go home. I want to see Shiro, Shunsui, and my friends. I want to protect myself and to be happy.' She looked back at the Hollow with determination in her eyes, "I desire to be happy, to protect myself, and to have no resentments or regrets." The Hollow dropped Midori. Midori fell to her feet and looked back up at the Hollow to see its face deteriorated away to reveal her reflection. It smiled at her, "Those desires are what will fill you with the most joy. Open your eyes and proceed, but most of all remember to let go."
The parts of the circle that had forgotten and desire on them glowed. It caused another pillar of light to come around Midori. Danr and Seigi watched on, "She has completed her ordeals, but what will await her when she calls upon her shikai?" It had been many years since Seigi had saw them. The other three spirits that resided in Midori's Soul World. His memory of them were blurry, but soon his memory cleared, and he saw three distinct women who called him master. He closed his eyes letting his memories return to him as Midori had succeeded in her journey.
Midori walked through the cell door, leaving her imprisoned self behind it. She laid her back against the door in the hallways, breathing in deeply as the last two locks fell to the ground. She turned her head to the door at the end of the hallway. She pushed forward from the last door and walked to it. She placed her hand on the handle and jerked it open without hesitation. She walked in to a place that looked just like Vuaruhara, but it was not like Danr's. She saw two large lakes beside of a huge building that looked like a temple. A larger than life tree was hanging above the temple as its roots circled the columns that were around the outside of the door. She walked up the stairs and entered. She walked down a long hall that had a golden rug that led into a large throne room. Midori entered a throne room that held three large floating thrones. In front of her were three beautiful women. In the center was a tall beauty with golden blonde hair and blue eyes, one her right was a short brown-haired woman with green eyes, and the one on the left had long black wavy hair with red eyes. They all looked over to Midori, who stood there with determination in her eyes, "Mistress," they all three called to her?
Midori watched as all three descended their thrones and came to her, bending a knee to her. Midori grabbed the one in the center by the arm, "You do not have to bow or bend a knee to me. I am just glad to meet you." Midori's smile confused the one she had grabbed, but it caused all three of them to rise from their position. "I am Urd, Mistress," the one Midori had grabbed said, "These are my sisters Verdandi and Skuld. We all will lend you our abilities, skills, and life from this time forward." Midori held her hand out, "I am Midori Kyoraku. It is nice to meet all three of you." Urd took her hand and so did Skuld and Verdandi. Each handshake glowed as if Midori was making a pact with them.
She was happy that she had finally let go of so much, but mainly because she had succeeded. "I am sorry to leave so quickly, but how do I..." She was interrupted by the green eyed Skuld, "Mistress, we will see each other again. The way out is behind you." She bowed to all three of them and started walking away, "I will see you three on the flip side." They did not know what she meant, but they were happy to have met the Mistress that their Master loved so much. "I can see why Master Seigi is so enamored by her." "Urd? Are you jealous?" Urd turned to walk back to her throne answering Verdandi's question, "No, just envious is all." The three beauties went back to their thrones to await Midori's command.
Midori's body enveloped in a green light that pushed away the golden light. Her body was completely healed from all the scraps, bruises, and broken bones. She opened her eyes and there Seigi was in front of her. She reached out to him and hugged him, "Thank you for believing in me." He embraced her gently. Danr was happy that she had succeeded but was still concerned about the orange soul inside of her. He wanted to ask but couldn't interrupt her moment with Seigi. 'If more Zanpakuto were as devoted to their masters as Seigi is to Midori, this world would be different indeed.' Midori leaned back to look at Seigi in the face, "I saw them. The three spirits who have ordinance over my shikai powers. They are so gorgeous. I cannot believe that you never told me." "Urd, Skuld, and Verdandi. I had forgotten about them until you found them, Midori. Thank you so much for reuniting us." Midori smiled at him as he helped her up. Seigi was grateful for Midori passing this journey, but more importantly, he was just happy having her by his side again without the worries of losing her. He placed his hand on her head and pulled her head into his shoulder, "I am glad you are safe, Midori. I was worried sick about you." "I'm sorry for worrying you, Seigi. I will try not to do that again." Danr walked up to them, "Now that you have met your shikai spirits, it is time to learn how to call upon them and use them. Shall we?" Midori nodded her head and walked happily after Danr. Seigi grabbed her Zanpakuto and followed closely behind them.