Hey again everyone, if only for a little bit.
As promised, here is your reward for the poll win, another chapter. As stated in the last one, I'll respond to any reviews from that one, and this one in next week's review responses. So, I'll end the chat here and let you all get to the story.
(I DO NOT OWN BLEACH; ITS CHARACTORS, NAMES, LOCATIONS, OR STORY! THAT HONOR BELONGS SOLELY TO TITE KUBO AND HIS TEAM! ONLY THE OC, AND RANDOM NAMES NOT MENTIONED IN THE BOOKS OR ANIME ARE MY OWN!)
Chapter 11
(Bad News All Around)
Milan: Italy, World of the Living, 2 Days Later
On the east side of the city, on a vacant side street that had a few residential buildings and shops, a lone soul was running for his life, wearing blue jeans and a red sports t-shirt. He was breathing heavily as he tried to run away from a hollow that was chasing him.
This hollow was a bit on the small side, possessed four arms, a grey body, and its mask resembling a rodent. The same one that had killed five soul reapers only days ago.
It had been over a week since it had a good meal, after killing all those annoying soul reapers, and it was time for its next one. The hollow had been walking by when it just happened to look over and notice the soul it was currently chasing standing near a shop.
Time was just about out for the unfortunate soul as the hollow was now only a few yards away. The soul glanced behind him as he ran, looking at the creature in fear as he saw that it was catching up to him.
The soul's foot suddenly caught on the pavement, causing him to fall forward onto the ground face down. He quickly turned around onto his back and held an arm up to his face, shivering, as the hollow walked up to him.
"No…don't!" he pleaded as the hollow raised one of its arms for a killing blow. The man froze as the hollow's arm swung down on him, then he closed his eyes, waiting for the strike.
But the attack never touched him as a loud metallic sound rang out into the air. The man opened one of his eyes, then opened the other in surprise to see a man standing in front of him, holding a sword that was blocking the hollow's attack.
The hollow stared at the man a moment, then pulled its arm back, returning it to its side, while the man returned his sword to his side. The soul looked at the man to see that he was fully clothed in loose, white robes and black shoes.
"T…thank you sir! That thing…it's trying to…"
The soul was interrupted by the man as he suddenly swung back behind him, his blade cutting across the soul's chest. The soul stared at the man wide eyed as he slowly faded into oblivion. The hollow watched as the soul disappeared, then returned to the man.
"That was my dinner, fool! I guess you'll have to take its place!" a deep, and scratchy feminine voice sounded.
The man smiled and closed his eyes as he sheathed his blade.
"Actually, I find that I just saved you from a pitiful snack, if anything." He responded in a calm voice.
The hollow tilted its head slightly. "Compared to your spiritual pressure, I would have to agree. You would make a much nicer meal for me. You must really favor it, if you are foolish enough to withdraw your blade in front of me. What are you? A soul reaper?" it asked.
The man gave off a slight grunt of amusement. "Indeed I am. I am Sōsuke Aizen. I have been keeping an eye on you for some time now." Aizen greeted calmly.
The hollow tilted its head again. "Why should I care? Regardless of who you are, you will die here just the same." The hollow threatened.
As it finished, something crashed into the ground behind Aizen, kicking up dust. Another hollow, a few inches taller than the other and very similar in appearance, except for the red body, raised its arms to attack Aizen from behind.
Aizen grinned. "Bakudō #8…Seki." He chants without moving a single muscle.
The red hollow's fist's collided with an invisible barrier just inches from Aizen's back. The red hollow recoiled and stared at him a second in surprise. This was the first time that anyone had managed to block his surprise attack like that.
"Before you proceed, I would like to offer you two a proposition." Aizen offered.
The grey hollow scoffed back at him. "A proposition? And why should we take the time to listen to anything that our dinner has to say?" she asked.
Aizen light chuckled. "Because the offer for you, benefits you greatly."
The grey hollow looked at its partner a moment, then looked back at Aizen with a narrowed gaze.
"I'm listening, soul reaper." She said with a scowl.
Aizen opened his eyes and side glanced the grey hollow. "You should know, that while I am indeed a soul reaper, I do not possess any ties to the soul society. I have business that must be taken care of, business that you could accomplish. There is a soul reaper that I would like you to take care of, one that could become a problem for my plans. My proposition is this; I would like you to leave here and go to another city that is in Japan…Karakura Town. All that is required of you is to do what you normally do, devour souls."
Aizen narrows his gaze. "This soul reaper is currently assigned as an emergency response team member. Before long, his team will be called in to respond to you. You are already on the soul society's watch list, so once they see that it is you causing problems, they will not hesitate to send the team. You will more than likely encounter a young, teenage soul reaper with orange hair before the team arrives. Simply keep him busy until the team does arrive and kill them all. There is nothing more to it than that." He finished.
The grey hollow stared at him as she thought the matter over until the red one spoke up.
"So…you just want us to go there and draw their team out, then kill this one soul reaper in particular?" the red one asked in a deep, masculine, and equally scratchy growl.
Aizen glanced over his shoulder to him. "Yes, that is all. You may do as you wish, as long as you eliminate him and his team." Aizen confirmed.
"And what does this soul reaper look like? How will we tell him from the others?" the female hollow asked.
Aizen closed his eyes and lowered his head a bit. "He will be the one that fights with floating flames. "
"And what about afterwards?" the male hollow asked.
"As I said, you will be free to do as you wish. Kill the man and his team, that is all. However, I must ask that you wait a few days before you begin. My plans require precise timing. So, when you arrive, only devour enough souls to survive. After a few days, you may begin."
Both hollows looked at each other and nodded before turning back to him.
"Why not handle him here? Why should we leave?" the male asked.
"My plans involve Karakura Town, so it would be far more efficient to deal with the soul reaper there." Aizen answers.
"We'll do it. But we are not familiar with this 'Karakura Town', so how do we get there?" the female asked.
Aizen raised his hand and flicked his wrist. There was a sudden ripping sound as the air next to him ripped open, revealing a black abyss.
"This garganta will take you there. But again, you must wait a few days before you begin." Aizen informed.
Both hollows nodded and walked into the garganta, the black portal closing behind them. Aizen lightly chuckled as he looked down the street, seeing a couple cars pass and a few people in the distance.
"And now, we see if this soul reaper is worthy enough to be included in my plans." He said.
He flicked his wrist again, opening another garganta, and steadily walked through it, closing it behind him.
Timothy's inner world, Present
Timothy slowly opened his eyes, but only a little bit, seeing a blurry, and fuzzy sky. He could tell that he was laying down on the ground somewhere but had no idea where.
He blinked a few times, each time he reopened his eyes his vision steadily clearing. As his vision finally started to clear, he could now see that he was looking at a cloudy sky, and that it was lightly raining.
As his senses started to come back to him, his head started to throb a little, so he lifted his hand to his head to try and sooth the ache.
After a few minutes of rubbing his head and letting his senses come back fully, he slowly rolled to his side and braced himself up with his other arm. He raised himself until he was in a sitting position and folded his legs under him before looking at the area around him.
He saw that he was sitting in a familiar field, slightly overgrown with weeds with patches of grass trying to grow. As he looked around further, he could see, yet again, familiar, ruined buildings around him.
He closed his eyes and lightly shook his head to try and clear the ache in his head. The pain dulled a bit, but some remained as he opened his eyes back up.
"What am I doing here?" he mumbled to himself, now realizing where he was.
Silence followed for a moment before he heard a familiar voice.
"You are…currently…unconscious." The voice replied.
Timothy turned forward to see the large cathedral, still in ruins, and the spirit of his zanpakutō sitting in front of him. Timothy shook his head again and lowered his comforting hand to his lap.
"What do you mean?" he asked, giving the spirit a worried look.
"You are…currently in…Squad 4's care…You have taken…quite a beating…from Captain Zaraki…You are…unconscious…in your…recovery bed…You have…been there…for two days."
Timothy sighed at the spirit's answer. "Ok, but 'why' am I here? Shouldn't I be like…asleep or something?" he asked in annoyance.
The spirit narrowed his gaze. "When a master…is rendered…unconscious…in their world…their consciousness…will go to…their inner world…You are not here…by my choice…This is simply…how it works…But fear not…for you shall…awaken soon…For now…enjoy your stay." He finished with a hint of mocking.
Timothy scoffed and sat up straight, looking at the sky. "Greeaaat." He moaned.
Silence fell upon the two beings while the rain continued to beat down on the both of them. Although he was unable to become wet from the rain, Timothy could still feel it hitting him nonstop, and it was starting to get on his nerves.
Normally, he didn't mind the rain, he actually liked it from time to time. But when left sitting there with nothing to do but wait, the constant patter of it was becoming annoying. He left out a slight growl as he turned back to the spirit.
"How in the hell can you stand this rain nonstop?" he asked lowly.
The spirit gave him an angry stare. "I can't…but I am forced…to live…with it…Tell me…how does…it feel…to be beat on…by the rain…of your own despair?...Do you…feel it?…The sorrow…you have kept…within yourself?...Breaking you down?…Tearing you apart?…This is what…I have been feeling…for a long time…This is…the pain…that you have…brought to me…This is…the pain…of your own heart."
Timothy flinched and lowered his head. The rain kept beating on him endlessly, and he could actually feel it tearing at him. He could actually feel it starting to break him down.
Before, he had thought nothing of it, his spirit sitting in the rain while it never stopped. Sure, he knew that it was a bad thing and that it would feel bad. But now that he was forced to actually sit in it, nothing to do, nothing to shield him, he now felt absolutely horrible for the spirit for what he had put him through.
"I'm…I'm sorry." He admitted in a low voice.
The spirit lowered his head with closed eyes. "I have no need…for your pity…No need…for your apologies…They are useless…unless you fix…the problem…The rain…is not as bad…as it once was…but it is…still heavy…with sorrow…But…because you…have shown…humility to me…I shall…tell you something…in return."
Timothy raised his head to him as he paused. The spirit raised his head in return.
"This concerns…your wife…Susan."
Timothy slightly widened his eyes and leaned forward a bit to listen intently.
"Your wife's soul…is no longer…a soul…It has not been…since that night…She…is a spirit." He clarified.
Timothy tilted his head. "What's the difference? Isn't a soul and a spirit the same, just different terms?" he asked.
The spirit gave him an emotionless stare. "She is…a zanpakutō spirit."
This worried Timothy, but also left him a bit confused. "What do you mean? She's a zanpakutō?"
The spirit nodded once. "Yes…She is…now the spirit…of a zanpakutō…One that has…no bond…no inner world…yet bound…to you."
Timothy became afraid for his wife, wondering what the spirit's words meant for her. He knew that there was something different, but he never guessed that this was the case.
"I'm…still not following you." He pressed, afraid of the answer.
The spirit held a hand to his chest. "I am the spirit…of your zanpakutō." He held both of his arms out wide. "This…is 'our'…inner world." He then dropped his hands back to his lap. "We are bound…to each other…My soul…resides in yours…We are one…This world…is part of…your soul…and I live here…within it…Nothing…can separate us…You are me…and I you…Do you…understand?"
Timothy thought it over a minute, then nodded.
"Susan is…a zanpakutō spirit…with no bond…No link…No world…It is…for this reason…that she is capable…of having…a form…in your world…But…as you are aware…she cannot…maintain…that form…The seal…that you use…to keep her…within that sword…is similar…to a zanpakutō's…sealed state…When you…release her…her soul…is materializing…in the only…world it knows…One that…'cannot'…sustain her."
Timothy held a hand out. "Why can't it sustain her?"
"That world…is no longer…her own…She does not…belong there…anymore…She requires…her own…inner world…to survive…To be bound…to a soul…By sealing her…within that sword…you are…only delaying…the inevitable…Have you…not noticed?…Every time…you release her…her strength…grows weaker…and weaker…You cannot stop it…Even drawing…on her powers…while sealed…pulls on…her soul…Eventually…she will…fade away."
Timothy lowered his head and tears began to form in his eyes. He actually hadn't noticed her strength failing before, but now that the spirit mentioned it, he could see it now.
When she had fought against Sajin, she held her form and fought for almost half an hour. But when she had fought against Zaraki, she was tired after only ten minutes. And she hadn't even fought as hard as she did then as she did before.
Tears began running down his cheek as he raised his arm to wipe them away. He took a deep breath as he lowered his hands back to his lap.
"What can I do?" he asked in a mumble.
"You must…accept her fate." He answered, causing Timothy to quickly look at him in shock.
"What?!" he asked.
"Accept…her fate…She can…never be…human again…This is her fate…her new life…Nothing…can change it…She may be…the same soul…that was your wife…but not…the same being…Did you think…that the name…'Moeru Kitsune'…was something… 'you'…came up with?…No…that 'is'…her true name…that you…subconsciously knew…Who she…has become…Who she 'is'…I am sorry…Timothy…but the spirit…that you have been…fighting with…is 'not' Susan…That is…Moeru Kitsune…And she…will die…unless…you help her."
The spirit's last few sentences had taken the last of Timothy's nerves. Tears were now freely flowing from his eyes as he looked up to the sky, seeing the rain starting to pick up.
"I am…amazed…that she didn't…tell you." The spirit added.
Timothy quickly turned back to him in shock. "She…she knew?!" he choked, getting a slight nod back. "And she…didn't tell me?! Why?!" he yelled as he balled his fists.
"She knew…there was nothing…that could be done…Neither of you…had expected…the turn of events…She had accepted…her own fate…She wanted…to spend…the last years…with you…with no worries…No pain…No regret…She knew…once you found out…that you…would tear…yourself apart…trying to find…a way…to save her…But…the truth is…there is no way…She knew this…But she also knew…that you would…never accept it…She was content…to fade away…and give you…her last moments…in happiness." He gave a brief pause.
"You should…not hate her…for her choice…For I agreed…with her choice…You had…not known me…at the time…but I…would not have…told you either…because…again…there was…nothing…you could do."
Silence fell upon them for what seemed like eternity, before the spirit continued.
"But now…you have…a way…to save…her."
Timothy turned back to him with wide eyes. "How?! Tell me!" he pleaded.
The spirit narrowed his gaze. "She does not…possess… an inner world…Nor…will she ever…possess her own…It is something…that we are…born with…That you…are born with…When a…potential master…is born…an inner world…is born with them…along with…the spirit…of their zanpakutō…But she…Moeru Kitsune…was born…without one…Without…an inner world…or a master…You are able…to use…her powers…because she…allows you to…through the bond…that you share…The only way…that you…can save her…is to make her…a part of…'this' inner world…Although it is…exceedingly rare…it is possible…for two spirits…to inhabit…the same world…Captains…Shunsui Kyōraku…and Jūshirō Ukitake…possess…such an example…Two swords…two spirits…one world…The only difference…is we…would have two…different abilities…two different releases."
Timothy sets his head in his hand. "Why…why tell me now? If she wanted, so badly, to die away, why tell me now? What brought this on?" he asks lowly.
"Because…she is…out of time."
Timothy looks back at him. "What?"
The spirit nods once. "She can…no longer…hold her form…If you…release her…once more…she will fade away…She will die…She did not…tell you…because she simply…did not know. She is…very fortunate…that she…did not…fade away…when Captain Kurotsuchi…released her…for the…Head Captain."
Timothy quickly stands up, arms to his sides and fists balled. "What?! What the fuck are you talking about?! Who the hell is Captain Kurotsuchi, and why the hell is he releasing her for the Head Captain?!" he yelled, his face turning red in fury.
"The Head Captain…figured out…that she…was a fake. That she…was not…a real zanpakutō…Those two…along with…Kyōraku…Ukitake…and Unohana…are all aware…of her existence…But fear not…for the…Head Captain…had decided…to keep her…a secret…and told…the others…to do…the same. For now…she is safe.
Timothy dropped his head, his knuckles turning white from clenching his fists tightly, and nodded.
"Fine…just tell me…how to save her." He said in a low voice.
The spirit stands up as well, keeping his emotionless stare.
"I cannot…tell you…at this time…You are…too weak…to survive it…When…the time comes…I shall tell you…For now…you must not…release her…no matter what…You may still call…upon her powers…but you must not…release her…But know this…Timothy Durn…and do not forget…she is not…your wife anymore…she is a spirit…nothing more…When…the time comes…she will become…your partner…the same as I…Now…your time is up…You must return…to your world…Continue on…as you have…Become stronger…Steel yourself…and do not faulter."
As the spirit finished, Timothy's inner world began fading away, until he finally became enveloped in darkness.
Squad 4 Medical Department, Seireitei
Timothy slowly awoke to the muffled sounds of people talking and walking by in the hallway. He slowly opened his eyes, allowing for them to adjust to the light. He took a moment to let his senses come back, then turned his head towards the noises.
He saw a sliding door, open just enough to where he could occasionally see someone walk by the room. He turned his head back the other way and saw a small bedside table with a small pitcher and a glass. He also could see both of his swords leaning against the wall next to his bed, causing him to breath a sigh of relief.
When he did, his throat felt scratchy and dry, along with his lips. He pulled back his arms beside him and tried to sit himself up but stopped when he felt a sharp pain on his stomach and flank.
He placed one of his hands on the wound and could feel bandages over top of it. It felt a little damp, so he figured that he must have bled through it. He let out a pained sigh and tried to swallow but was unsuccessful.
"Nur…" he tried to call, but his throat caught from its dryness.
He tried again to swallow, but again had no luck. He looked over to the pitcher and tried to reach for it, but with his position on the bed, he was unable to reach back far enough to grab it. He gave up the idea and returned his hand to his side.
He continued to lay there as he waited for one of the nurses, or anyone, to come check on him. Luckily, he didn't have to wait but for a few minutes. He turned to the side when he heard his door open to reveal a slightly tallish woman with short, spiky, silver hair with a braid on the right side of her face.
"Oh, good morning, 5th seat. I didn't know you were awake. How are you feeling?" she asked in a calm, yet slightly worried voice.
Timothy was unable to answer her and ask for something to drink, so he settled with touching his throat with his fingers to try and signal that he was thirsty. She nodded and swiftly walked over to his bedside table, pouring a glass of water. She turned back to him and gently raised his back up enough for him to drink without choking.
"Please drink it slowly." She asked.
He nodded and took the glass, taking small sips at a time. It was difficult to take the first couple of swallows, but the water quickly relieved the dryness in his throat. He about finished the glass before handing it back to her.
"Thanks." He said in a raspy voice.
She nodded and set the glass down before walking back towards the door.
"I'll go fetch Captain Unohana. I'll be right back." She said, then left the room, leaving the door slightly open.
Timothy relaxed a moment and took a deep breath. After another minute, he heard his door open again. The silver haired woman returned with a much shorter, and kinder looking woman with long, thick, black hair in a thick braid running down the front of her body.
"Good morning, 5th seat Durn. How are you feeling today?" she asked in a pleasant voice.
Timothy raised his hand a bit and tilted it side to side, a non-vocal gesture that he was alright. The taller woman remained at the door while the shorter walked up to his side and held his wrist to check his pulse.
"I must say, you came away with minor wounds considering the opponent you were fighting, 5th seat Durn. Besides a deep cut to your abdomen, a few bruises, and using all of your spirit energy, you are otherwise quite fine." She assured.
He then noticed that she was wearing a white haori, where he then pointed at her.
"Cap…" He paused for a quick cough. "Captain?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Yes. I am Captain Unohana, and this is Squad 4's medical department. I brought you here two days ago after your fight with Captain Zaraki." She then gestured to the woman behind her. "This is my Lieutenant, Isane." She dropped her hand and folded them in front of her. "As long as you do as she, or any of my medical personnel tell you, you should be able to leave by tomorrow morning. Is that understood, 5th seat Durn?" she finished.
Timothy nodded. "Thanks Captain. If I may ask, what about Captain Zaraki?"
She gave a stronger smile back. "Captain Zaraki has already been treated and discharged. Although he had numerous cuts and severe burns, his abundance of spirit energy allowed him to be healed quite quickly, and had returned to his squad this morning."
Timothy closed his eyes and growled. "After all I did to him, he's already been released?" he mumbled.
Unohana slightly chuckled and turned to Isane. "Isane, please continue to keep an eye on 5th seat Durn and alert me of any changes." She instructs.
"Yes ma'am." She answers.
Unohana left the room while Isane walked over to write on his patient record.
"If you don't mind…" he started, getting her attention. "Could you help me sit up, or am I not allowed yet?" he asked.
She nodded and set his chart down before walking over to his side. She undid a latch and slowly raised the back to where he was sitting up a bit. He winced once, but otherwise transitioned to a leaned back sitting position.
"Thanks." He said, and she nodded back.
"I'll be back to check on you in a while, 5th seat." She said.
He nodded, then they heard a knock on the wall by the door. Both of them turned to see Hinata, Issei and Kenta standing there.
"Uh, is it okay if we visit?" she asked, then noticed Timothy awake. "Oh, Tim! You're awake! How you feeling?!" she quickly asked.
He shrugged his shoulders and Isane turned to him. "They can visit if you want, but only for a little bit. You still need to rest. I'll return in a little while." She said, and he nodded.
"Thanks again, Lieutenant." He returned.
She nodded back and left the room while the three friends walked in. Hinata sat down in the chair next to Timothy, while Kenta and Issei stood in front.
"So, how ya doing Tim?" Kenta asked.
"Meh, so so I guess." He said with a shrug. "Definitely felt better, but after fighting with a six-and-a-half-foot demon, what do you expect?" he retorted.
Hinata giggled while Kenta shook his head.
"You're lucky to be alive, idiot." Issei insulted.
"Hey, I almost had him!" Timothy returned.
"Uh, no…you didn't. You're lucky the Captain, and the Head Captain showed up to stop you, or Captain Zaraki would've killed you." Hinata stated.
"No, he wouldn't. He may be a cruel bastard, but he's not heartless. I will give the guy that much." Kenta returned with a raised hand.
Hinata turned to him with an angry glare. "Either way…" She paused and turned back to Timothy. "That was stupid to fight him. What were you thinking?" she asked.
"The idiot called our Captain a 'wolf-faced bastard'! After everything he's done for me, you really think I'm gonna let that go?! Come on, you know me better than that!" Timothy blurted.
Hinata smacked her hand on the top of his head. "Yes, I 'do' know you're better than that! I'm sure the Captain appreciates his defense, but that's too far, Tim! Are you really that stupid?!" she asked, giving him an evil stare.
"Hey, you're talking to your 5th seat here." He joked.
She smacked him again. "A 'stupid' 5th seat!"
He quickly put his hand on his head. "Hey! You could still kill me like that! I'm a hurt man here!" he teased.
She then poked his wound, causing him to flinch in pain. "As long as you learn your lesson, I don't mind killing you, moron." She threatened.
He quickly held his hand up in defense. "Alright! I got it! Stop poking and hitting me! Damn woman!"
She smacked him on the head twice more. "This woman has you at her mercy at the moment, so don't forget that!"
Kenta and Issei start laughing at the pair, but a quick death glare from Timothy and Hinata quickly shut them up.
"Anyways…" she started as she turned back. "We're glad you're doing alright."
He turns back to her as well. "Yeah, thanks Hinata. So, any news lately?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "Not really. The Lieutenant has taken over the emergency team until you return. Other than that, not much. Oh, Minato did get promoted to 6th seat. I guess after showing him some tricks with your training, he picked up the squad training quite a bit. He got promoted this morning."
"That's good! So, what time is it by the way?" Timothy asked.
"Still morning, close to noon though." Kenta answered.
"I see. Well, I guess I've got nothing to do for the rest of the day, except sit around and do nothing." Timothy stated in a nonchalant tone.
"Tim." Issei started, getting his attention. "Was that 'really' Bankai you used?" he asked.
The other two quickly turned to him, wondering the same thing.
"Uh…yeah, it was." Timothy quietly answered.
"When the hell did you acquire it?" Kenta asked further.
"Uh, not too long ago. Before I came to the Seireitei. I mean, I know it's a big deal and all, but it's not really not 'that' big a deal." He offered.
Hinata smacked him yet again. "Dummy! Of course it's a big deal! You're a 5th seat, and you have Bankai! That's no laughing matter!" she said as he rubbed his head.
"Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if they made you Captain." Kenta added in a joking tone with a smirk.
Timothy turned to him with a frown. "Oh ha ha ha. If only my stomach wasn't cut up I would be laughing so hard. Very funny…dork." He retorted.
Hinata scoffed and shook her head. "You're the dork, idiot." She returned.
Timothy in turn smacked the back of her head, causing her to quickly turn to him in shock.
"Did you…" she started as she pointed to the spot where he hit her.
Timothy gave her a grin. "How does it feel? Not too good I suppose." He taunted.
Kenta and Issei's jaws dropped. "Uh…Tim…you shouldn't have done that." Issei warned.
Before he could ask why, Hinata grabs his ear and twists it.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Stop, you evil witch!" he yells.
She then growls. "I. Am. Not. A. Witch!" she says, twisting different ways with each word.
"Ahhhh! Stop! You're going to tear it off!" he pleads.
Kenta and Issei start laughing again, until the door opens with the Lieutenant standing in the doorway.
"Alright, visiting is over you three. Please return to your Squad." She instructs.
They all nod, then Hinata glares back at Timothy. "This is not over, Tim!" she whispers in a growl.
She lets go of his ear, letting him rub it while they all walk out of the room with Kenta stopping and looking back at him.
"See ya tomorrow, Tim. Get better, but also be sure to think of a good hiding spot so she don't find you." He said with a grin, then disappears.
Isane turns back to Timothy, who was shaking his head. "Alright, time to lay you back down, 5th seat. You need to get some rest."
He nods and grabs the water, finishing the glass before returning it. She unlatches the back and gently lays him back down.
"Alright. Now get some rest, 5th seat. Someone will be back later to check on you." She states and leaves the room.
Timothy takes a deep breath and stares at the ceiling. He was about to close his eyes before Susan speaks up in his mind.
"Tim? You feeling alright?"
He nods slightly. "Yeah, I'm ok I guess."
"I hope so. You had me worried when you passed out." She states.
"Don't worry, I'm fine." He confirms.
Then he suddenly remembered his conversation with his zanpakutō spirit, and turned his head to Susan's sword. "That reminds me…you got something you want to tell me?"
"Uh…no? Not that I'm aware of." She answers in confusion.
He gives the sword a glare. "Really? You sure you don't know anything about…I don't know…about dying?" he asks with a hint of anger.
He heard a slight gasp. "I uh…I don't know what you're talking about. What do you mean 'dying'?" she tried to avoid.
"Don't fucking lie to me! I know what you're hiding!" he yelled inwardly.
For a moment, she didn't reply, giving him nothing but silence. Finally, she decides to come clean.
"I…I didn't want to tell you Tim…I couldn't. Wait, how the hell did you know?!" she yells back.
"My zanpakutō told me. He said that you've been slowly dying every time I release you. That you wanted to fade away without me knowing. Why? Why would you lie to me like that?"
"I didn't want to hurt you Tim. I was too afraid to hurt you. I knew our time together was limited, and I didn't want you to spend our last bit of time together worrying about me. I wanted to tell you…I really did…I even tried to, but I just couldn't do it." She said in a teary voice.
"So, you thought it better to just disappear on me and leave me to my sorrows? Really? How could you 'possibly' think that that wouldn't hurt me even more? Tell me that?!"
"I'm…I'm sorry Tim…Really I am. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please forgive me." She pleads.
Timothy turns back to the ceiling and sighs. "I can't stay angry with you, Susan. And I will forgive you…but you've hurt me, and that will take a while to heal. Now leave me be for a while." He finished and closed his eyes, not hearing a response from her.
He continued to stare at the ceiling, but blinked his eyes and felt a warm tear run down his face. He quickly brushed it away and sighed deeply before closing his eyes and tried to let sleep take him over.
Squad 7 Head Quarters, Present
Sajin sat at his desk looking over completed paperwork before having it turned in while Tetsuzaemon stood in the small kitchen making the two of them tea. The Lieutenant walked back into the room with a tray to see a hell butterfly fly in through the window.
The Captain turned and held up his hand to allow the creature to land upon it and deliver its message. After a moment, Sajin grunted in acknowledgment and let the black insect take off, leaving the way it came in.
"What's the word, Captain?" Tetsuzaemon asks as he set the man's cup down in front of him.
"It seems Timothy has woken up a while ago. He seems to be doing fine and should be released tomorrow." Sajin answers as the Lieutenant sits down with his cup.
"Good. That means I can knock some sense into that fool. I had thought that our little talk last week would have been enough." He states, then blows on his drink.
"No need to be hostile about it, Tetsuzaemon. I'm sure he learned his lesson after getting put in the hospital by Captain Zaraki. Right now, I'm more worried about what his reaction will be once we tell him about his promotion." Sajin returns and cools his tea as well.
"I'm still not happy with it, Captain. Like I said, he may have the skills to take on a Captain, but there is no way that he's ready for Lieutenant. I don't mind going to Squad 5 to give em a hand, but Durn shouldn't be promoted. He has way too much to learn." Tetsuzaemon states and takes a sip.
"That may be, Tetsuzaemon. But Timothy's a fast learner, and I'm sure he'll have the job down before you return. All we can do is give him the benefit of the doubt." Sajin returns.
They were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"You may enter." Sajin answers.
The door opens and Captain Hitsugaya walks in. "Captain Hitsugaya. How can we help you today?" Sajin asks.
Toshiro sits down in front of Sajin's desk and sighs. "Captain Komamura, it's been a few days now, and we have heard nothing about this 'absorbing' hollow. I intend to have my men return from the world of the living tomorrow morning. I just thought I should let you know." He said with a depressed voice.
"I see. My men have not reported any sightings either. I'm starting to wonder if the hollow is even still there." Sajin adds.
Hitsugaya nods back. "I would have to agree that it's possible. If you would like, I could have the team on standby, just in case." He offered.
"That won't be necessary Captain. I already have a team on standby as it is. If we do not hear anything further on the matter a week from now, I will most likely disband the team. With training, and having to correct Squad 11's mistakes in Rukongai, I cannot afford to have my members tied up doing nothing."
Hitsugaya sighs. "I see. Well, again, I'm sorry for the loss of your men. Do you intend to pull back some of the men from the team currently there?"
"Not for a while. I believe it would be best to leave them there for a while longer." Sajin answers, then takes a sip.
"How is your other officer doing? The fool who took on Zaraki?" Hitsugaya asked, causing Tetsuzaemon to grunt.
"He is recovering. In fact, he regained consciousness just a little while ago. He should return tomorrow." Sajin answers.
"That's good. I'm still having a hard time believing it though."
Sajin chuckles. "So is the rest of the Seireitei by now I'm sure."
Hitsugaya sighs and stands back up. "Well then, I must be going. Have a good day, Captain Komamura." He said.
Sajin and Tetsuzaemon nod back. "And to you, Captain Hitsugaya." Sajin returns.
The white-haired Captain bows briefly, then leaves the office as Sajin finishes his tea.
As he sets his cup down, Tetsuzaemon stands up, then retrieving the cup and taking them both back to the kitchen.
"I'll be sending you to Squad 5 the day after tomorrow, Tetsuzaemon." Sajin notifies.
The Lieutenant walks back into the office and sits back down behind his desk with a grunt.
"Hopefully Durn won't tear the squad apart before I come back." He mocks.
Sajin gives him a low chuckle and sets a form aside. "Yes, well I'll be sure to keep him from doing so, Tetsuzaemon. Though I will say, you shouldn't look down so much on Timothy." He states as he grabs a new form.
The man grunts back. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Captain. He just has a bad habit of getting on my nerves is all."
Sajin nods in understanding as he signs the form in front of him.
"Yes, he does have that effect on others. But that is just his…"
Sajin was interrupted by another hell butterfly flying in through the window and hovering next to him. He allowed it to land on his finger to deliver its message. A moment later, the insect takes off and leaves while Sajin sighs in despair.
"Bad news Captain?" Tetsuzaemon asked.
Sajin nods back once. "The message was from Captain Unohana. It seems that Lieutenant Hinamori's condition has taken a turn for the worst. Her spirit energy is still recovering, but she has gone into a coma. It seems that you may be with Squad 5 a little longer than expected."
Tetsuzaemon lowers his head and nods. "Damn. She had better live through this." He growls.
"We must have faith that she will stay with us, Tetsuzaemon. We cannot give in to fear, and must hope that everything will turn out alright." Sajin reassures.
The shaded man sighs and nods. "Yes sir."
Sajin watches the man for a moment, seeing that his thoughts were keeping him from his work. He lets out a sigh and stands up, getting the Lieutenant's attention.
"Let us go walk for a bit, Tetsuzaemon. Perhaps a little bit of fresh air will help you with your thoughts. Perhaps a visit with Timothy will help get your mind of it." He offers.
Tetsuzaemon nods and stands up as well. "Yes sir." he replies as they both leave the office.
Squad 4 Medical Department, Seireitei, 10 Minutes Later
Sajin and Tetsuzaemon walk through the east side of the medical department towards Timothy's room, every now and then stepping to the side to allow medical personnel to pass by unhindered. As they turn a corner, they run into Lieutenant Kotetsu holding a few forms.
"Afternoon, Lieutenant." Sajin greets.
Isane turns towards him and slightly bows. "Good afternoon, Captain." She returns and rises. "What can I help you with?" she adds.
"I thought I would check in on my 5th seat and see how he is doing personally." He answers.
"He is resting at the moment, but I will take you to check on him, sir." she offers.
Sajin nods in acceptance, and allows her to lead the two men to Timothy's room. After passing a dozen or so rooms, they come to a stop outside his room where Isane peeks through the gap in the doorway.
Both men are a little surprised when she breathes out a sigh of annoyance. She opens the door and swiftly walks in.
"5th seat, I told you that you need to rest." She states.
Sajin and Tetsuzaemon look inside to see Timothy sitting up to the edge of the bed with his legs hanging over the side.
"Sorry Lieutenant, but my back was starting to ache. These beds aren't exactly comfortable." Timothy defends.
"If the bed is bothering you, then let someone know." She instructs as she helps him lay back down straight. "You need to stay in your bed, unless you are given permission otherwise." She followed.
"Sorry, I've been here for two days and I'm a little restless. Can't I at least stretch my legs off the side?" he pleads.
Sajin chuckles at his remark, getting his attention. "Oh, I didn't see you there, Captain, Lieutenant. Morning…or afternoon…whatever it is." Timothy greets.
Sajin nods back with Tetsuzaemon. "It's afternoon, Timothy. How are you feeling?"
Timothy gives the man a sigh. "Besides being tied down to a bed, almost literally, I guess ok. Side still hurts a bit, but not bad. Just wish I could get out of this stupid bed is all." He half pleads to Isane.
"The Captain said you need to rest, so please do so." She insists.
"Actually, Lieutenant Kotetsu…" Sajin starts.
She turns to him. "Yes, Captain?"
"If Captain Unohana is alright with it, I can escort 5th seat Durn to your recreation yard for a little bit. I have some matters that I wish to discuss with him privately." Sajin interjects.
Isane nods back. "Very well, Captain. I will ask Captain Unohana if it will be alright. Please excuse me." She offers, then leaves then room.
Sajin turns back to Timothy who has a raised brow. "Let's hope she lets me." Timothy remarks.
Isane returns to the room only a minute later and nods to Sajin. "Captain Unohana says that it is alright if you are escorting him, Captain. But she insists that you do not have him out of bed for too long." She answers with a bow.
"Very well, thank you Lieutenant." Sajin returns.
She rises and nods. "Yes sir. One moment and I will be right back with a wheelchair."
She leaves again while Tetsuzaemon sits in the chair next to Timothy with crossed arms.
"So, tell me Durn…" he begins.
The man turns to him. "Tell you what?" he returns.
Tetsuzaemon stares at him. "Did you learn your lesson, fighting Captain Zaraki?"
Timothy scoffs as he rolls his eyes and turns away. "Don't start that shit, Lieutenant. Can't you see I'm not exactly in the mood?" he retorts.
Tetsuzaemon grunts at him and turns away as well.
"But…to answer your question…" Timothy pauses, getting the Lieutenant to turn back. "I guess I kinda did learn 'one' thing when I was fighting him."
Tetsuzaemon and Sajin both raise a brow. Timothy turns back to the Lieutenant. "That man 'is' a demon."
Tetsuzaemon snorts while Sajin chuckles and shakes his head. "About time you learned that one." Tetsuzaemon remarks.
After a brief moment, Isane returns to the room, pushing a wheelchair in front of her and stops next to Timothy's bed.
"Alright 5th seat, take it slow. You can still reopen that would if you push too hard." She advises.
Timothy nods and slowly sits up with her help. She maneuvers him to where he was now sitting on the edge on the bed and lets him rest for a second.
"Alright, let's get you on your feet, then into the chair." She instructs.
Slowly, Timothy scoots off the bed and stands on his feet. He stumbles for a second due to his legs being a little cramped up, but maintains his balance. She slowly escorts him to the chair and he takes his time sitting down in it, relaxing against the back.
Once he was settled, Isane turns to Sajin. "Please try to have him back in an hour, Captain." She asks.
Sajin nods and turns to his Lieutenant. "Tetsuzaemon, if you don't mind, would you please stay here with Timothy's belongings?"
The man nods and leans back in his chair. Sajin grabs the handles of Timothy's wheelchair and pushes him out of the room with Isane proceeding about her tasks. After walking through the hallway and going around a corner, they came to the door that led out to the Squad's recreation yard.
The yard was not much, just a simple grassy area in the center opening of the large square building. On the edges and in the center on the yard, were numerous benches where patients could sit and relax, enjoying the air.
Thankfully for them, the yard was currently empty, so the two men could discuss their business in peace without worrying about anyone hearing them. Sajin pushes Timothy to one of the benches in the center on the yard, then takes a seat next to him.
Sajin sighs as he relaxes while Timothy closes his eyes and briefly enjoys the cool wind pressing against his face.
After spending the past couple of days stuck inside the medical area surrounded with noise and the smell of antiseptics, the quietness and clean air of the recreation yard were a blessing for Timothy.
"So, Captain, what did you want to talk about?" Timothy asks, keeping his eyes closed and his head tilted back.
Sajin takes a deep breath and plans his words carefully. He needed to be careful how he broke the news to Timothy, as him getting too worked up could cause him further damage.
"Well Timothy, there are a few matters we need to discuss. Most of them you won't be too happy with." He begins.
"I kinda figured it would be something along those lines, Captain. So, I guess start with the first one." Timothy returns.
Sajin takes another breath before he begins. "Well, the Head Captain spoke with me after you were admitted here." He pauses.
Timothy opened his eyes and turns his head to him. "Ok…About?" he asked.
Sajin scratches his chin and sighs. "About Susan."
Timothy raised his head with a moan. "So, he does know then?" he asks, causing Sajin to raise a brow.
"You already thought he knew?" he inquired.
The younger man nodded. "My zanpakutō spirit told me. He said that the Head Captain had another Captain, Kurotsuchi I think it was, release her to show him. He also said that Captains Kyōraku, Ukitake, and Unohana know as well."
Sajin sighed, then nodded. "Captain Ukitake and Kyōraku came to me not long after your fight and asked me about it. I assume that the Head Captain told them, or they found out another way…as they normally do. They have both assured me that they will not say anything, and I strongly trust them that they won't. They are both very honorable men, and very trustworthy."
Timothy nodded gently. "That's good. So, who exactly is Captain Kurotsuchi?" Timothy inquired.
"He's the Captain of Squad 12, and the head of the Department of Research and Development." Sajin answered in a low voice.
Timothy breathes a sigh of worry. "Why do I have the feeling that it's a really bad thing for him to know?" he moans.
"Captain Kurotsuchi is…not a friendly person. I guess you could use the term 'mad scientist' to describe him best." Sajin answered.
"Oh lovely. So, I guess that now that he knows about Susan, he gonna want to take a look at her, right?" Timothy wonders.
"You don't have to worry about that. The Head Captain has instructed him, sternly I might add, not to say anything, or to even look into the matter. To be frank, Captain Kurotsuchi is the only one you would have to worry about, but I highly doubt that he would go against the orders of the Head Captain." Sajin reassured.
Timothy sighs and nods. "So, what did the Head Captain have to say about her? If he's ordered everyone to be quiet about it, I'm guessing he don't plan to punish me about it?"
Sajin nods. "Correct. His reasoning is that, because she is 'technically' a zanpakutō spirit with unusual circumstances, which was determined by Captain Kurotsuchi, no punitive actions will be taken against you."
Timothy scoffs at his answer. "Funny how he figures that out before I did." He stated.
Sajin rose a brow. "You mean you didn't know yourself?" he asked in surprise.
Timothy shook his head a little. "No, I only just found out a little bit ago. My zanpakutō's spirit told me. I guess I ended up in my inner world while I was out of it."
Sajin nods in agreeance. "Yes, that normally happens when a soul reaper is rendered unconscious. Did he say anything further regarding her? Perhaps a clearer answer as to her situation?" the Captain asked.
Timothy nodded once. "He did, and I'll tell you because I trust you, Captain." He assured.
Sajin leans forward towards him, so he could speak quietly.
"It's a long story, but short version is that…she's no longer human. At least…not since that night after what Aizen did." Sajin nodded for him to continue, then he turned his head to the sky. "Basically, he somehow turned her from a human soul, into a zanpakutō spirit. My zanpakutō explained to me, that she does not possess an inner world like he does. This world is the only one her 'spirit' knows."
Another nod from Sajin tells him to go on. "When I release her, she materializes in 'this' world. When she is sealed, he said it's similar to a zanpakutō's 'sealed state', like yours. But…" he chokes and a tear forms in his eye.
Sajin narrowed his gaze. "But?" he presses.
Timothy takes a deep breath before continuing. "She's dying."
Sajin's eyes widen a bit at his answer. "What do you mean?" he asked in seriousness.
Timothy turned back to him. "Susan's dying. Without an inner world for her spirit to reside, she is slowly becoming weaker. Eventually, and soon, she will fade away." He finished, then turned back upwards.
Sajin takes a deep breath and rubs his chin. "So…what do you plan to do about it?" he asked.
"Not sure yet. My zanpakutō's spirit said that, when I'm ready, I need to somehow place her into 'my' inner world, with him."
Sajin quickly looks back at him. "Can that be done?! Having two zanpakutō spirits in one inner world?!" he asked in surprise.
Timothy shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. My zanpakutō's spirit says it can. He said Captain Kyōraku has a similar situation, two spirits in one world."
"Yes, but those two spirits are of two zanpakutōs with 'one' release. You are talking of having two zanpakutō spirits of two 'different' releases in one world. It is not quite the same." Sajin objects.
"I have no idea myself, Captain. I just know what he told me. The simple answer is that I have to somehow introduce her in my inner world before she dies." Timothy concluded.
Sajin leaned back with crossed arms and sighs. "We can look into this matter later. For now, there is another matter we must discuss, one that you will almost certainly not be happy with."
Timothy turns back to him. "What now?" he moaned.
Sajin takes a breath before answering. "By order of the Head Captain, he has promoted you to the Lieutenant of Squad 7." He announced.
Silence followed while the two men stared at each other. After a moment, Timothy chuckled.
"Very funny, Captain. Really, what is the terrible news?" he asked.
Sajin kept his stare, now serious. Timothy started to sweat. "You're not joking…are you?" he asked in worry.
Sajin slowly shook his head. "No, I am not." He confirmed.
Timothy was now wide eyed. "What?! Why?!" he demanded.
Sajin took another breath. "The Head Captain views you as an asset for our upcoming fight with Aizen. He thinks it prudent that you be trained up as a senior officer. Even I must admit that you possess the skills of a senior officer."
"Ok, put me as a 3rd seat, or something! Not a damn Lieutenant! Last I heard, there weren't any open Lieutenant spots anyway! Are they really going to put 'two' Lieutenants in one squad?!" he asked in panic.
Sajin sighed and rubbed his temples. He really hoped that Timothy wouldn't take the news that hard, but he was not so lucky this time.
"Tetsuzaemon with be temporarily transferred to Squad 5, seeing as their current Lieutenant is here in Squad 4's care. With Aizen turning against us, and Lieutenant Hinamori in a coma, the squad does not have any senior officers to lead them. Once Lieutenant Hinamori recovers, Tetsuzaemon will return to Squad 7. After that, I suppose you two will work together as the squad's Lieutenants." Sajin clarifies.
"Ok, so what if I refuse?" Timothy ties.
"I am afraid that will be out of the question. This is an order from the Head Captain, and not one that he normally has the authority to do."
Timothy rose a brow. "What do you mean?"
Sajin lowered his hand to his knee. "Assignment, and promotions of personnel within a squad resides within the authority of its Captain; and, under extreme circumstances, Central 46. The Head Captain does not have the authority to make such changes. He may plead to Central 46 for a change, but cannot directly affect the positions within a squad. However, with the Central 46 members murdered by Aizen, and with the wartime protocols, the Head Captain now has the authority of Central 46 until it has been reinstated with new members. To put it simple, the Head Captain 'is' Central 46. He used this authority to assign your promotion to Lieutenant." Sajin answers.
Timothy slaps his hand to his face. "Just great. I didn't even want 5th seat, and now I'm being forced to be a Lieutenant? Just perfect." He complained.
"It won't be that bad, Timothy. I'll be there to instruct you and help you out. You really shouldn't doubt yourself. I can see that you are a fast learner, and that you are always trying to help others. You were the one who stood up to Squad 11 in Rukongai. You knew what the consequences would be for attacking soul reapers while you were there, yet you still stood up to them and defended the residents. These are the kind of actions a leader takes. Whether or not you choose to see it, you do indeed have the makings of a good officer. You just need to get past your doubts and 'see' yourself as a good officer." Sajin encouraged.
Timothy gave a deep sigh. "That's not the point, Captain. I've already failed one person, and look where that got her." He turned back to him. "I don't think I could stand failing another person."
Sajin then gave him a serious glare. "If that is how you feel, then you shouldn't have become a soul reaper in the first place. You may not have noticed, but it is not 'only' the officers who run the risk of failing someone. Every soul reaper bears that risk. Every day, even if they are not on an assignment, soul reapers constantly live with the risk that they may fail someone."
Sajin pauses and takes a deep breath, lowering his gaze. "That fact is Timothy, you cannot save everyone. When you receive your first assignment to the world of the living, there 'will' be times where you cannot save a soul from a hollow. There will be a time where a comrade will fall in combat. Things like these are unavoidable and cannot be stopped."
He then looked back at him. "So instead of worrying about those you may fail, worry about becoming better so that you might 'not' fail them." He finished. Timothy turned back to the sky and sighed. "We should return." Sajin stated.
Timothy sighed again and nodded. "Yes sir." he answered in a low voice.
Sajin stood up and began wheeling Timothy back to the building. "And by the way." He started. Timothy glanced back at him as Sajin looked down to him. "You should be glad that the Head Captain didn't do what he, supposedly, considered doing."
Timothy rose a brow. "Why?"
Sajin looked back forward. "According to what Captain Kyōraku told me, the Head Captain would had considered making you a Captain, if not for the short amount of time you have been with us."
Timothy dropped his head and moaned. "I'm 'really' starting to hate that guy." He complained.
Sajin chuckled at his remark. "Congratulations, 'Lieutenant Durn.'" He teased.
Timothy glanced back at him. "Don't make me hate you too, Captain." He threatened.
Sajin lightly laughed as they came to the door. "I don't believe that I would enjoy that, Timothy." He returned as he slid the door open and pushed Timothy back inside.
Squad 11 Headquarters, Seireitei, Present
Captain Zaraki laid on his side behind his desk, head propped up with his arm and facing away from the door. He was currently catching a nap while Yachiru laid on the floor in front of the desk drawing.
Normally, the bloodthirsty Captain held an emotionless face while he rested. But today, his face had a slight grin to it. Ever since he had his fight with Timothy, he constantly found himself in a good mood.
Ichigo was strong, one of the few people who had ever defeated him in combat. But the problem he faced was that Ichigo lived in the living world, a place where Zaraki couldn't get to him when he wanted.
But now, enter Timothy Durn. Sure, he may have lost to Captain Zaraki, but boy did he give Zaraki one hell of a fight. One that the Captain really enjoyed. And what could make that even better? The fact that he was a soul reaper that lived 'here' in the soul society.
Sure, the man's fighting style and zanpakutō abilities were a hell of a nuisance, and in his opinion, a cowardly way to fight; but a fight was a fight, regardless of how it was fought. Even he had to admit that the main reason the kid lost was because he had fought too hard and tired himself out.
But nonetheless, Zaraki now had a sparing partner that he could easily access whenever he wanted. He would just need to rile the guy up a bit and get him to fight. Albeit that he's not as strong as Ichigo, but he's definitely more willing than Ichigo is.
His nap was interrupted by a solid knock on his office door before it was opened and two men walk in. Yachiru looks up at the men, then smiles at them.
"Hey! It's Baldy and Yun-Yun!" she yells, then turns back to Zaraki. "Hey Kenny! Baldy and Yun-Yun are here!" she then turns back to the visitors. "Did you bring me candy?!" she finishes.
"No, I didn't bring you any candy, runt." The bald man answered.
Ikkaku Madarame, the 3rd seat of Squad 11, was Captain Zaraki's right hand man. Although being a man of normal height, and over half a foot shorter than Zaraki, he shared a similar love for fighting that the Captain possessed.
While he was a 3rd seat, it was well known throughout the Seireitei that Ikkaku's skills and fighting abilities were easily at the level of a Lieutenant, if not a bit higher. And the man would love to be the squad's Lieutenant, if not for a particular pink haired 'menace' that always got on his nerves.
"Really, Lieutenant. Giving you anything that contains sugar is a bad idea in general. Seeing you while you're hyper is so unsightly." The second man replied with a slightly feminine-like voice.
The second man was Yumichika Ayasegawa, the squad's 5th seat and Zaraki's 'left' hand man. Yumichika was also Ikkaku's closest friend and was rarely seen without him. Almost a half foot shorter than Ikkaku, Yumichika's skills were nearly on par with his.
He could easily have taken the 4th seat right under Ikkaku, but due to his aesthetics, he viewed the written form of the number 'four' to be 'unsightly'. Instead, he chose 5th seat simply because the symbol for 'five' looked similar to the symbol for 'three'. His decision, however, has also given him an advantage in combat a few times, seeing as how most opponents would tend to misjudge his skills.
Zaraki slightly rolled back and turned his head to the pair, dropping his grin.
"What do you two want? Can't you see I'm resting?" he stated in annoyance.
Both men stop in front of his desk. "Sorry Captain, but we wanted to ask you about your fight." Ikkaku pressed.
"Yes, from what I heard, it was a beautiful encounter." Yumichika added.
Zaraki's grin returned, then he turned back to the wall. "Yeah, you could say that." He answered.
"Yeah! Kenny had lots of fun with Zippy!" Yachiru furthered in glee.
Ikkaku turned to her with a raised brow. "Zippy?"
Yumichika scoffs at hearing it a second time. "Such an ugly name. No beauty in it at all."
Ikkaku glances at his friend. "When you think about it, none of the Lieutenant's nicknames are good." He commented lowly.
A vein pulsed in the Lieutenant's head before she leaped off the floor and lands on Ikkaku's head, biting his bald surface.
"Hey! Get off me, you stupid runt! Quit biting me! Get off!" Ikkaku yelled as Yumichika gently shakes his head at the scene.
"Really, must you fight like this? This is so disgusting to watch." Yumichika stated.
Zaraki turned back to the trio. "Hey! Knock it off! I'm trying to rest here! If you two wanna argue, do it somewhere else!" he yelled.
Yachiru then let go of 'Baldy's' head and landed back on the floor, continuing her drawing session. Ikkaku growled at her and wiped his head off with his sleeve before returning to the Captain.
"Anyway Captain, so this guy is that good?" Ikkaku asked.
Zaraki didn't move when he answered, but he still had his grin. "Yeah, he was good enough for me. That guy's got balls, I'll definitely give him that."
The two friends glanced at each other a second, then turned back. "Did he really force you to remove your patch, Captain?" Ikkaku asked, a little skeptical.
His answer came in the form of Zaraki chuckling evilly. "Oh yeah. He may not look like much, but he's got it where it counts."
Ikkaku grinned at the man's reply. "Is that so, Captain? I guess I'll have to see for myself, huh."
Zaraki turned back to him. "You better not hold back on him, Ikkaku. He might put you on the ground if you do, and you better not come back here if he does." He threatened.
Ikkaku flinched at the man's tone. "Uh, yes Captain." He returned, his skepticism quickly dropping.
"Good. Now get outta here so I can rest a while." Zaraki demanded.
"Yes sir." the two friends replied, then turned and left the office.
Yachiru glanced back at Zaraki. "Do you think Baldy is gonna go look for Zippy, Kenny?" she asked.
Zaraki turned back to the wall and scoffed. "I wouldn't doubt it. If he does, he better win." He again threatened.
"Oooohhh. Sounds like Baldy's gonna have fun too!" she observed with glee before turning back to her drawings.
Conference Room, Las Noches, Hueco Mundo, Present
Three individuals, two women and one man, found themselves, yet again, having to attend one of Aizen's many meetings. It seemed to them that he tended to have one almost every single day lately.
The man was currently sitting in the chair closest to the doorway on the right side, his upper body sprawled out over the large, elongated table…snoring. The blonde woman was sitting in the chair next to him with her arms crossed under her, quite voluptuous chest, eyes closed in deep thought.
The last woman, one with long, teal hair, and also possessing a rather large chest herself, was sitting on the arm of the chair next to the blonde woman, supported with her arms. She had her head tilted back and seemed to be staring at an invisible spot on the ceiling.
All three remained silent for a while as they waited for their comrades to show up, until the teal haired woman sighed and spoke up.
"I am so tired of all these stupid meetings. Every day it's the same thing: who we are going to duel against, scouting reports out on the dunes, more blah blah blah about Aizen's plans…it just doesn't end." She complained.
The blonde opened her eyes a bit and glanced at her. "I would advise you tread carefully on what you say about Lord Aizen's matters, Nel. You should be aware that he does not think kindly on such disrespect."
Nel gruffly sighed and nodded with a dropped head. "Yeah, I know Tier. It's just…" she paused and sighed again before returning to her 'spot' on the ceiling.
Tier rose a brow at her. "Just what?" she asked with a hint of concern.
Nel swiftly stood up and dropped back down in the same chair, tossing her legs onto the table and crossing them.
"I don't know…I'm just not…" she paused again and started running her fingers through her hair. "I'm loyal to Lord Aizen, make no mistake on that. But…I just don't really…agree with his…methods?" she stated, wondering if the word was the right one to choose.
Tier turned back front and closed her eyes with a sigh. Her and Nel were the only females in the group of espadas. Although they were not very close friends, and in fact had a few disagreements between them, they both knew that in the world of Hueco Mundo, they needed to look out for each other.
Living as a hollow was exceptionally difficult, most especially for females. The weak almost always became the next meal for the strong. And it was well known, yet also quite unfortunate, that females were normally weaker than males.
Female Adjuchas were not that common, and were usually picked off fairly quickly; but a female Vasto Lorde was rare. It became instinct, and a form of necessity for multiple female hollows to band up in order to survive. Even then, is was very challenging. Even as Arrancars, and as Aizen's Espada, the two of them needed to watch each other's backs.
"It shouldn't matter what Lord Aizen's 'methods' are, Nel. Whatever Lord Aizen requires of us, it is our duty to see it done. Regardless of how we feel about it." Tier cautioned.
Nel turned to her companion. "Yeah, but don't you feel…I don't know…just a little bad about what his plans are?"
She slightly jumped when the man next to Tier snorted loudly in his sleep, remained silent for a moment, then resumed his entourage of snores. Tier turned to him in annoyance.
"That man can be so annoying sometimes." She stated, then turned back to Nel. "And to answer your question, no. His plans do not phase me, because I simply do not care. I am thankful to Lord Aizen for what he has done for me, as should you be." She concluded.
Their conversation was interrupted by the rest of their companions walking into the room. Nel removed her feet from the table and sat up straight as the rest of the espada surrounded the table and took their seats.
Nel turned to the man with blue hair, who took the seat next to her. "Good afternoon, Grimmjow." She greeted with a small smile.
The man lightly scoffed and waved her off. "Yeah, whatever, Nelliel." He shot back.
The large group heard the doors close, getting their attention…and waking the sleeping man…to see Aizen walk down the steps with Gin and Kaname at his sides. The latter two broke off and stood back a bit while Aizen sat down in his chair, at the head of the table, with his head propped up with a gently closed fist.
"Good afternoon, my dear espada." He greeted in his 'kind' voice. The espada all nodded back to him, minus a couple 'temperamental' ones. "Today, we have something important to discuss. A slight change in my plans, if you will. Kaname?" he paused.
The former Captain nodded before reaching next to him and pulling down a small lever. A small section in the center of the table parted away, letting a small device rise up, and illuminate a holographic image.
The espadas looked at the image to see a playing video of sorts, featuring two men dueling each other like their lives depended on it. One man was clearly at least a foot taller than the other, but what really caught their attention was what the smaller man was doing.
The video kept replaying itself over and over, being only around fifteen to twenty seconds long, but the smaller man seemed to be…vanishing, then reappearing somewhere else, usually behind the taller man.
The actions seemed to confuse most of them, but what baffled them more were the numerous floating flames scattered around the field.
"What is this technique that the smaller man is using? It is clearly 'not' a flash step." A black man on the left side asked.
"Yeah, and what is up with those flames everywhere?" the former sleeping man followed.
Aizen grinned as he looked at the two speakers, then closed his eyes. "You are correct, Zommari. That is indeed 'not' flash step. To put it simple, he is teleporting." This gained everyone's attention. "And to answer your question Stark, those flames are how he does it. Those flames are similar to beacons; objects that he uses to teleport to. The teleportation is so fast, one is unable to sense his spiritual pressure while he is changing locations. In fact, he can make clones of himself by constantly shifting from one location, to another, and back in very quick succession. This technique is quite similar to your Gemelos Sonido, Zommari."
Tier narrowed her gaze a bit at the image. "Who is this man?"
Aizen opened his eyes to a slit at her. "His name is Timothy Durn, and as of two days ago, he is the new Lieutenant of Squad 7. The man you see him fighting is none other than Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad 11, the most powerful fighter in the soul society; for the exception of the Head Captain of course. What you see here is Timothy Durn fighting Captain Zaraki 'before' he has released."
Nel turned to him. "What do you mean 'before'? Isn't his zanpakutō released to allow him to use those abilities?" she asked in confusion.
Everyone else turned to Aizen for the answer as well, who simply smiled more. "If he were a normal case, that would be true. However, Timothy Durn is a special case. That zanpakutō that you see him using is actually not a zanpakutō, but a failed experiment. It is a simple sword that contains the soul of a pitiful human that has been converted into a zanpakutō spirit by the Hōgyoku. Timothy Durn is able to use that spirit's abilities at a reduced effectiveness without releasing it."
Nel's eyes slightly widened. "What do you mean converted? You mean you used the Hōgyoku to turn a human soul into a zanpakutō?" she asked in worry.
Aizen glanced at her and slightly narrowed his gaze before closing his eyes again. "Indeed. In fact, I believe that the soul in particular was once the man's wife, when they were alive."
Her eyes widened further, and Tier's did a little as well. "Forgive me Lord Aizen, isn't that a little…cruel?" Tier asked cautiously.
Aizen then glanced at Tier a moment before returning to Nel. "Not at all. That soul is nothing more than a failed experiment. Now, shall we move on?" he asked while giving a slight gesture to Kaname to continue.
Nel sat back and lowered her head in shame. Sure, she was a hollow, and hollows devoured human souls without any remorse or ever thinking back on it. But what Aizen did was just simple and needless cruelty.
She had little love for humans, and absolutely none for soul reapers, but one doesn't do something as heartless as that. Take someone's loved one, turn them into something else, then leave them with the pain? No one deserved that, not even an enemy.
The image vanished, then a new video appeared, this one a few seconds longer than the last. This time, everyone looked to see that now the short man, Timothy Durn, had someone fighting with him against the tall Captain.
Once again, the viewers were shocked. The person fighting next to Timothy looked to be an anthropomorphic animal, completely covered in flames.
"Who, or 'what' is that?" Grimmjow asked, pointing at the flaming being.
"That, is the spirit, now released." Aizen answered.
Nel's eyes bulged from their sockets as the words ran through her mind. The man's wife, was turned into that? Tier was wrong. This was 'not' cruel, this was absolute evil. She could feel tears starting to form on the sides of her eyes, so she quickly rubbed her face to hide them.
Tier glanced at her, and while she didn't have as strong of feelings regarding the matter, she still felt that Aizen's actions were uncalled for as well.
Nel could remember from her days as a Vasto Lorde the unmistakable feeling of emptiness that every hollow felt. The emptiness of not possessing a heart, a soul. After she had become an Arrancar, that feeling had gone away.
Now, after seeing what Aizen had done, she was feeling something she thought to be much worse. A deep, throbbing pain within her chest. The man may be a soul reaper, but she simply couldn't help but feel terrible for the man.
Unknowing to her, Aizen had caught her action of rubbing tears away, and narrowed his gaze before continuing.
"The man is able to release the spirit, then reseal it with a barrier-type kidō. When he releases the spirit, it takes on a physical form in the real world. Normally, a zanpakutō's spirit can materialize next to its master, if its master has gained dominance over it. However, the zanpakutō's spirit cannot participate in combat with its master, except for only a very few cases with particular spirits. An example of such a case would be Captain Sajin Komamura of Squad 7 with his Kokujō Tengen Myō." He paused to let the information soak in, maintaining his watch on Nel.
"When the spirit is released, the overall abilities are improved: he can create more flames, can now move them around, albeit slowly, and they will cause those who touch them to be set on fire and burned. The flames that surround the spirit's body also have this effect. Both the man and the spirit can fight side by side, and can both use the flames at will." He paused again and lowered his stare on Nel by closing his eyes.
"The man is also quite proficient with kidō, able to use 80's level hadō and bakudō. He has already defeated both the Captain and former Lieutenant of Squad 7 in combat; and while losing the battle with Captain Zaraki, he did put the man in a medical ward for two days. A task not easy to perform." Aizen finished.
He glanced back towards Nel to see her with her head held low, but still high enough to see the image.
"So, what do you want us to do about it? You want us to kill em?" the blue haired Espada asked.
"Ha, like you would be able to do that, Grimmjow." The very tall, and lanky Espada mocked.
Grimmjow looked across the table at the man. "What the hell did you say, Nnoitra?!" he hissed back.
The tall man gave him a wide, toothy smile. "You heard me. I doubt you'd be able to complete such an easy task." He taunted further.
Tier turned to Nnoitra. Are you really so foolish to start your bickering in front of Lord Aizen? Especially during a meeting?" she inquired.
Aizen turned to the blue-haired man. "No Grimmjow, that won't be necessary." He stated, causing the two men to stop their arguing and look at him. "Right now, I am in the process of introducing him into my plans. Ulquiorra…"
The pale Arrancar turned to him. "Yes, Lord Aizen?"
Aizen closed his eyes. "Your pre-assigned mission has already been placed on hold, and will remain so for now."
Ulquiorra bowed his head. "As you wish, Lord Aizen." He raised his head as he finished.
"Nnoitra, Szayelaporro…" Aizen continued, getting their attention. "There is a task that I have for you that will allow my plans to proceed further. I will discuss this with you in private, after the meeting. I believe you will find the task to be rather…to your liking." Aizen stated with a grin, getting one from Nnoitra and Szayelaporro as well.
"Of course, Lord Aizen. I am at your service." The pink-haired scientist returned.
Aizen closed his eyes again with a smile. "This meeting was to allow you to see the man's abilities for yourself. As you can see, his fighting style, paired with these abilities, make him a formidable opponent. Rather than fighting the traditional way, by fighting with his physical abilities, he instead fights inside your mind. To be honest, I rather admire this method. If any of you should face him in the future, keep what you have seen today in mind. I have nothing further for you all today. You are all dismissed."
Everyone, minus Nnoitra and Szayelaporro, stood up from their seats and began filtering out of the room. Nel however, remained seated a moment with her head down before slowly standing up as well and joining her comrades in leaving the room. Aizen's gaze followed her movements as she slowly walked passed him.
Los Noches Palace, 10 Minutes Later
Nel continued walking through the halls of one of the many palaces with the confines of Los Noches. She walked slowly with her hands held behind her back, head low and deep in thought. She came around the last corner to the hallway where her room was located, but stopped when she noticed someone standing in front of her.
She looked at the person with surprise. "Oh, Tier…what are you doing over here?" she asked.
The blonde Arrancar was leaning against the wall and side glancing her with a serious, but concerned look.
"You should be careful with your feelings, Nel. I may not very much approve of Aizen's actions regarding a particular matter either; we are, however, still bound to serve Lord Aizen." Tier warned.
Nel dropped her head again and slowly shook her head. "I know that, but that was still wrong." She returned to look at her. "Tell me Tier, how would you feel if it was one of your fracción that it had happened to? Apacci? Mila Rose? Sung-Sun?"
Tier narrowed her gaze at the teal haired female. "I would consider your next set of words very carefully, Nel. Do not speak of my fracción in that manner."
Nel clenched her teeth and gave a light growl, pointing at her. "You would feel horrible, wouldn't you?! I don't want to kill humans needlessly, but that does not mean I won't do it. Like everyone else here, I hate the soul reapers and their soul society. But I would 'never' wish such a horrible thing on any of them."
Tier glared at the finger pointed at her, then back to Nel. "It is no different than what Lord Aizen had done with us. We were Vasto Lorde, and he used the Hōgyoku to turn us into something else. Stop being so naïve, Nel."
Nel's temper began to rise. She then pointed at herself forcefully. "We 'chose' to be changed! We were 'asked' to be changed!" She then pointed behind her. "She did 'not' want to be changed! It was forced on her! And her situation is very different than what happened to us, and you know it!"
Tier lifted herself from the wall and stood only a foot from Nel's face. "You are letting your emotions get the better of you, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, and that is a very dangerous thing to do here. Or have you forgotten who and what you are? You are the Quinto Espada; act like it. Now, I would strongly advise that you return to your room and calm yourself, before Lord Aizen decides to take notice to your behavior." She then walks around the teal haired woman, stopping right next to her and glancing at her with her eyes. "If he hasn't already." She finished and continued walking away.
Tier rounded the corner, leaving Nel alone in the empty hallway, her arms to her sides and fists clenched.
"This…is wrong." She whispered to herself, her fists clenching tighter.
"I thought Harribel warned you to be careful with your emotions." A low and strained voice said from behind her.
Nel quickly turned around to see another one of her comrades. "Stark? I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention and didn't notice you." She stated.
Stark leaned sideways against the wall, hands in his pockets, and looked at her with calm, and tired eyes. Nel always enjoyed Stark's company, especially his fracción, Lilynette. She would oftentimes lounge around in Stark's room playing games with Lilynette while Stark did what he did best…sleeping. During the odd times when he was awake, the two of them would often play chess, with Nel normally losing.
Tier and Nel were decent friends for the most part, but that was more along the lines of survival than companionship. But Stark had become an Arrancar before she did; and when Nel had come to live in Las Noches, they quickly became close friends. Nel even viewed Lilynette as a little sister at times.
Stark gently waved her off and lead his head against the wall as well. "Is what we saw in the meeting really bothering you that badly?" he asked lowly.
Nel sighed deeply and leaned back against the wall as well with a small thump. "Why did Aizen have to do something like that? It's not right, not fair. If he needed to experiment, or whatever, fine. But don't leave people to suffer." She complained.
Stark stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "Life is never supposed to be fair, Nel. You should know that, being a hollow."
Nel turned to him with a tear in her eye. "Don't you feel even the slightest bit of pity?" she asked.
"I'll admit that Lord Aizen's actions were not very honorable in that regard, and I may even feel a little sorry for the guy and his woman, but this is war, Nel. Sometimes, things happen, or we may have to do things that don't please us. That's just how it is." He paused and stood straight off of the wall, looking at her. "And I would have to agree with Harribel; you should probably head to your room to calm down a bit and sort these feelings out." He advised.
Nel dropped her head back against the wall with a thump. "Yeah…I guess. I'll drop by later, Stark. Perhaps we can have a game between us." She half offered in a depressed voice.
"Nah, not today, Nel. Lilynette found my best sleeping spot earlier, so now I gotta find a new one." He replied as he rubbed the back of his head.
Nel lightly smiled at the, most likely, chain of events after he was discovered. Definitely along the lines of him getting kicked over and over and pounced on by Lilynette until he finally woke up.
She glanced over at him. "You know you're more than welcome to stay in my room. You know I wouldn't tell." She offered.
"No…that's the first place she'd probably look. And besides, when it comes to either me or her, you would choose her. And let's face it Nel, you're not exactly resilient to her 'pleading eyes'. You'd sell me out in a heartbeat." He half joked.
Nel held a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh from being called out on.
It was true. While she would gladly try and help Stark out, more for the excitement than to help him get the sleep he really didn't need; once Lilynette started giving Nel her 'puppy dog eyes', she would end up giving in and giving away Stark's spot. It was her only weakness that the little Arrancar knew quite well, and usually exploited.
"Alright then. I'll see you later, Stark. Good luck on your…uh, spot hunt." She said with a wave.
Stark smirked back and turned to leave, giving her a wave over his shoulder before rounding the corner to find his new spot. Nel stood back straight and continued on to her room, only a dozen yards down the hallway.
As she walked into her room, she was greeted by her two fraccións, Pesche and Dondochakka.
"Good afternoon, Master Nel." They greeted in unison. "How did your meeting with Lord Aizen go?" Pesche added.
They both flinched when they saw the saddened expression on her face.
"Is everything alright, Master Nel?" Dondochakka asked in worry.
She gave them a sweet, but still saddened smile. "Yes, everything's fine, guys." She lied.
The two men glanced at each other a moment, then back to her. "Are you sure, Master Nel? You wouldn't be lying to us, would you?" Pesche asked accusingly.
Nel lightly scoffed. "Yes, Pesche. Everything is fine." She returned, trying to hint for them to drop the subject.
Luckily, it worked. "Very well, Master Nel." Pesche said.
"Yeah, we're just worried about you. Know what I'm talking about?" Dondochakka added.
Nel smiled again and sighed. "I know, thanks you two." She said, then turned and started walking towards her room. "I'll be resting a while. Please ensure I am not disturbed." She instructed.
"Of course, Master Nel." They replied together.
Nel walked into her room, closing the door behind her, and plopped on her bed, landing with her legs extended over the side and her face buried in her pillow.
She laid there for a moment before turning over to face the ceiling and threw an arm over her forehead. She closed her eyes and gave a deep sigh.
"I don't know if I can do this anymore." She lowly whispered before grabbing another pillow and placing it over her face.
She stayed in her position for a while before rolling onto her side, embracing the pillow from her face, and slowly letting sleep take her over.
Well, seems like Timothy is quite unhappy with all the news he got today. Go figure, lol. As you have seen, this chapter also introduced our second primary character, Nel. I'm sure some of you have been waiting, albeit patiently, for her reveal.
A little forewarning for everyone; I had mentioned in a previous chapter that some character's personalities in 'Bleach' are very difficult for me to replicate, one of them being Byakuya. Nel, unfortunately, is another person that fits in that list. Her serious, yet at the same time, childish personality is quite tricky for me. Plus, add the fact that she's 'supposedly' a bit of a masochist. I'm gonna try my hardest to replicate how Nel would act and respond to certain events, but I can tell you that it is not going to be perfect. So, I can tell you all right now that at times she will be a bit OOC. For all you 'Nel lovers' out there, I apologize.
One last side note, just in case you didn't catch it; Nel is the 'current' Quinto (5th) Espada, while Nnoitra is the Sexta. Basically, everyone ranked 5th and below are bumped back a rank for the time being. This means that, currently, Yammy is not an Espada because Aaroniero is the current Diez (10th) Espada.
So, with that done, I'm heading off for now. But I would like to give you all a little warning: because my finals are in a couple weeks, next week's chapter might be a little delayed, being posted on Sunday or Monday. But don't worry, couple more weeks and I'll be on summer leave. Finally!
Laters all.
