Chapter 14: Moonlight and Sunlight
*Please review. Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, just the OCs. *
"We could've had them," Hughes snarled, slamming his fist in the wall. "Who cares that a captain and lieutenant showed up? And that prick James… if I get my hands on him…"
"You'll what?" Seydel mocked. "Kiss or strangle him? I'm thinking the former. What do you think, love?"
Vergunov gently touched the shallow cut on her cheek with a healing kidō, effectively erasing the wound. His fingers lingered on her face, and she set her hand upon his. A tender moment between lovers, though their relationship was well known to everyone else.
It sickened Hughes and violently snapped, "Shut up, hag!"
"Both of you shut it," Haugen growled. He turned back to their leader, who seemed unperturbed by his underlings infighting. "They were of considerable strength, and that boy captain was… interesting. He is a Soul Reaper with Hollow mixed in."
"Aizen had told me how he Hollwfied a group of Soul Reapers; however, he did not tell me of this one. Would you say he is stronger than the others?"
"Much stronger, though whether that is because he has Hollow in him or his strength is inborn, I cannot say."
Wilter gazed thoughtfully at the small orb held lightly in his fingers. "An interesting lad, pity he has to die." But such is the price those who get in my way must pay. "Despite the intelligence you gathered from this confrontation, I am still sorely disappointed you failed to retrieve the Quincies. They are literally children both by human standards and ours. Now your failure will make them even warier and difficult to capture."
A few of them exchanged glances, and Rosati spoke, "We deeply apologize for our failures, sir, but to be fair, they were not alone."
"No, they weren't, and they certainly won't be now. We just have to bide our time a little more."
Hughes tuned out the rest of what their captain said, his mind too busy being twisted up by anger, resentment, and bitterness. James… that prissy, perfect, wannabe saint, though under that polished veneer was a traitor. A vile betrayer that Hughes would be glad to see burn. He threw them (him) aside to save those worthless Quincies—pathetic, up-start humans who thought themselves on the same caliber as them, gods of death.
James threw his lot in with the humans, and he clearly had done it again. Trying to make up for your past failures, Jim? Hughes clenched his fists. I'm going to make sure you fail and that those Quincy whelps go down with you.
Naoko stared up at the ceiling of her bedroom. Her hands slowly and rhythmically clenched and released the sheets she lay in. Images from earlier replayed in an endless loop in her head as if someone were hitting pause, rewind, and play over and over. It wasn't even the entire fight, just the part…
The mace coming in swinging, her brother flying, and landing in a lifeless, bloody heap.
She closed her eyes with a ragged sigh and tried to move her thoughts to something happy or less gruesome. By that, her mind decided to replay other memories of her brother and friends getting hurt. Weak. Pathetic. Look at all the times they got hurt because of you. Look at all the times you failed. Her inner critic hissed. You can't fight. You're a child pretending to be strong.
With a snarl, Naoko ripped off the blankets and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Padding quietly across the room, she grabbed a sweater robe off the back of a chair. She opened the door and spying no one in the dark hall, walked out. Ambling, she absentmindedly stretched out her senses and felt the reiatsu of each person. Each signature was calm and steady, a sign that everyone was asleep.
Except me.
To her right, the wall was lined with evenly spaced portraits and paintings, illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the windows. Naoko paused to study one painting. A young woman with a stoic and severe expression posed in a formal gown of white and blue. Her hand loosely grasped a bow, and the other hovered over a sword on the table beside her.
"Princess?"
"Ah!" Naoko whirled around with a startled yelp. Out of habit, her hands flew up as if to summon her bow, though nothing appeared, leaving her in an awkward position.
James Thorne blinked at her empty hands. He then chuckled sheepishly, "My apologies, I didn't mean to frighten you like that."
Naoko shoved her hands in her sweater pockets, blushing. "It's fine. What are you doing up?"
"I could ask you the same. I agreed to the night watch in case the Royal Knights decided to strike again. So, what are you doing up? I thought you'd be asleep after everything."
It's because of everything that I can't sleep. She shrugged, "Not really, I always feel active at night. I'll let you get back to patrolling the halls."
Naoko walked a few steps past him when he said, "Wait, Princess."
She turned and gave him a questioning look.
"Forgive me if I'm overstepping my bounds here, but you appear troubled."
Am I that obvious? "It's nothing for you to worry about. Another thing, you don't have to call me princess, Naoko is fine."
Now it was Thorne's turn to blush, "Very well, though I suppose it's fair to have you call me James."
"James," Naoko slowly rolled his name off her tongue, testing its foreign feel. "Can I ask you something? That woman called you a turncoat, a term used to describe traitors. Were you a Royal Knight?"
His shoulders slumped slightly, and he looked out the window to avoid her gaze. "I was… until I discovered their plot to kill King Adal and Queen Marcella. I was too late to save them, but…"
Now he looked over at the painting of the woman holding the bow and sword. Beside that picture was another, showing a brunette woman in a beautiful dress sitting daintily in a chair like a proper lady. On the other side was a young man standing stiffly in a military-like uniform of white and blue. His blond hair was the same shade as the woman from the first portrait. Naoko could see some resemblance between them and wondered if they were siblings.
"But at least we saved their children," James said softly. "Until they and their families were killed too, by the same people I once called my friends."
"I'm sorry."
He shook his head, "I should be the one apologizing to you. I failed to save your family."
"Did you guys ever interact with my family?" It felt odd to call people she only recently learned about family. Naoko knew though she had an opportunity in James to learn more about them.
"It varied between us, though I suppose you could say I spent more time interacting with the royal family than anyone else. I found them… fascinating and enjoyable to be around." He chuckled softly at the portrait of the blond woman, "Especially Princess Eleonora here. She would press me relentlessly about learning the art of sword fighting and the life of a Soul Reaper."
Doesn't that sound familiar? Naoko smiled faintly to herself at the shared similarity. Growing up around Soul Reapers, albeit exiled ones, she had learned more about their customs than any normal Quincy would. It helped that she was a curious child who was never taught that Soul Reapers were inherently evil. And that part about sword fighting… Huh, maybe I'm not so much an odd one for that.
Naoko smiled and lightly joked, "I bet she wanted to learn sword fighting because her Quincy powers weren't that great, right?"
James chuckled again, "Oh no, she was an exceptionally skilled Quincy and superb archer. I think it was more because she had a genuine interest and wanted another thing to one-up her brother."
Well, so much for that, she thought glumly.
"And there's that troubled look again."
Naoko blinked and saw James looking at her with a soft, almost sympathetic gaze. Talking to him, telling him what she felt was tempting. It was almost like that rough night when Yumichika offered his ear to her problems. James held that same gentle, quietly imploring look for her to let him help.
"It's just… I'm not a strong Quincy. I couldn't use any of my powers tonight, and my brother got hurt because of that. I could use them before, but now," she shrugged tiredly. "I don't know what's wrong with me."
The inability to access her powers went from mildly worrying to terrifying for Naoko. What if I've lost the ability to use them? And just when I was starting to get a grip on my powers and enjoy using them too… What if separating mine and Naomi's souls did damage my Quincy powers?
"You know, I learned something that Quincies and Soul Reapers have in common; our powers come from within." Naoko raised a curious brow at what sounded like a non-sequitur. James smiled gently and continued, "Soul Reapers draw their power from within themselves, and while Quincies do so from without, they still have that bit of power that allows them to do so. Maybe you need to look within yourself, and you might find the problem."
"I don't think you've processed her death at all yet, and it's affecting your powers."
Naoko grimaced at remembering her brother's words. Was the universe conspiring to tell her something? Maybe so, but for now, she was too tired to listen.
"I'll think about that, thank you. I'm actually feeling tired, so I'm heading back to bed."
If James was disappointed by the abrupt end to their conversation, he didn't show it. "Very well, good night, Naoko."
Soft sunlight hitting his eyes drew Uryu to wakefulness. First glance told him he was back in his room and laying in his bed, slightly propped up. He experimentally moved his limbs and found only faint hints of pain. Relaxing against the plush pillows, Uryu let his mind mull over last night.
Those were the royal knights. My opponent felt like captain level, is that true for all of them? It would make sense, Uryu supposed. Head Captain Glyndower would only give the best to protect an eminent family and their alliance. Five captain-class fighters they were now facing, six counting whoever was leading them.
But what do they want? They wanted Naoko and I alive, but why? Uryu had asked as much of his foe but received only stony silence. If they have something against our family, why not kill us? They need us for something.
Thinking of his sibling brought Uryu to remember the rest of the fight. He had no regrets in stepping in like he had, it is after all the older sibling's job to protect the younger ones. But again, Naoko's lack of access to her Quincy powers put her in danger. She had proven multiple times that she can fight well without them before. What if they get into another confrontation and she can't fight, and he can't help her and she…?
Uryu grimaced and fought not to let that train of thought continue. While grieving for their grandfather had never hindered Uryu's abilities. He had noticed an improvement after facing the worst of his grief thanks to his fight with Ichigo and the Menos. However, Naoko was stubborn, and the epitome of the adage "lead a horse to water but can't make it drink". If she were going to get over this block, it would be through her choice and her power alone.
A soft sigh drew Uryu's attention away from his thoughts. He looked to the side and saw Nemu sleeping peacefully, curled up in an armchair like a cat. A blanket had been tucked around her shoulders, wisps of hair from her loosened braid fell around her delicate face. Lips slightly parted and face devoid of its neutral stoicism, replaced with an innocent softness. She appeared more relaxed than Uryu had ever seen her and very…
An odd blush suddenly bloomed in his cheeks. He forced in a steadying breath, stop, and calm down. You have enough to focus on. You have people out to kill you, your sister needs help, family secrets to uncover… resolve those issues first, and then you can focus on whatever this is you're feeling.
Nemu's brow furrowed, and she yawned while stretching out her arms. Blinking open her green eyes, she slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. It was… adorable.
And his face began to heat up again.
"Uryu?" She blinked at him as if not believing what she was seeing. "You're awake. How are you feeling?"
"I'm," he cleared his throat. "I feel fine, a little sore, but nothing serious."
"Are you certain? You appear flushed."
Before he could protest, she sat on the edge of the bed and rested her hand against his forehead. Her touch felt pleasantly cool, and he found himself almost leaning into her touch.
"You don't feel particularly feverish; perhaps I wrapped you in too many blankets."
"Yes, perhaps so," he stuttered out.
"Do you feel well enough to take breakfast with the others, or shall I fetch you something?" She asked, removing her hand.
Uryu shook his head, "No, I think I can manage like I said I feel fine."
With her nearness, he noticed her own appearance. The gigai didn't hide the traces of exhaustion slipping through her placid façade. Had she alone healed all his wounds? How extensive were his injuries that they left her, a lieutenant, still looking tired? Had she kept vigil over him the entire night as well?
"What about yourself? You look tired."
She brushed off his concern with a light shake of her head and smile, "I appreciate your concern; however, I am functioning well enough." She rose from the bed, "Though perhaps freshening up and taking in sustenance will do us both good."
Nemu opened the door and paused, "Shall I meet you in the dining hall?"
Uryu blinked, and his mind caught up to her question, "Uh, yes, yes, I'll meet you there."
She gave a polite nod and departed the room; Uryu sighed and tried to regain his wits. He carefully peeled back the blankets and rose slowly from the bed. Feeling confident after managing to stay upright, he padded to the bathroom, grabbing a set of clean clothes. Uryu carefully removed his clothing and paused to assess last night's damage.
Aside from the faded pentacle scar in the center of his chest, three sizeable slightly round scars marred his skin. Blotches of yellow-green contusions surrounded the freshly healed wounds, and that was only the surface damage. Uryu was quite sure he heard bones crack on impact, so it was likely he broke a few bones, yet he could breathe and move with relative ease. He may not know much about the skill and mechanics of healing kidō, but he still felt impressed.
Once properly clean and dressed, he stepped out into the hall to see Nemu already there. She was dressed in a white sweater and knee-length violet pleated skirt with heeled knee-high coal black boots. The most surprising feature was how her hair had been loosened from its typical braid. Her ebony tresses fell with a soft wave down her shoulders and back. Nemu caught his eye, and Uryu looked away, suddenly realizing he'd been staring at her.
"Good morning."
The pair turned to see Naoko walking up to them dressed in a white turtleneck and dark jeans and looking more than half asleep. She rubbed at her eyes and yawned.
"Did you sleep poorly, Naoko?" Nemu inquired.
The teen shrugged, "I've slept better though I am starving. Let's get to the dining room before there's nothing left."
*Please review, I'll post again August 14th. *
