Hey all, Saturday again. Been an easy week, got a little writing done, but also been handling household chores and stuff. Other than that, not much else to put out there. Hope everyone liked last week's chapter, and I think you'll like what's in store for ya this week. To put it simple, a major plot development in this one.
And so, on to 'Spades's Corner'.
Glad you liked the 'romantic development'. I noticed in my TBA story that I kinda made the two OCs in the story move too quickly with their relationship, so I felt it really needed to be brought down a bit for this. Although, I will say it will still be a rather quick paced relationship in this one. Sorry if it feels like this may sound 'harem'ish to ya, but I can assure you that it's not gonna go that way. It'll straighten itself out in a later chapter as the character development continues. And now, on to the questions.
1: I'll leave that up for suspense; can't ruin the party before it even begins. Lol
2: They're both from Texas, so I think that should answer the question?
3: He may have been the average, stupid, teenage drunk in his younger years, but no, he hasn't.
4: I can't remember if I added any thoughts when he first tried on a shihakusho, but he really doesn't mind it. He prefers either.
5: Not exactly sure what you mean, but I'm sorry to say that it's unlikely we'll see Albert again; at least in 'this' story. I can promise that he will make an appearance in a future story though.
6: Again, sorry to displease, but not likely.
7: Lol, his name was Junya.
8: Honestly, I'm not really sure. I'll put some thought into it and we'll see if anything happens with that.
Well, with that done with, on to the show.
(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 20
(Powers Reacquired)
Underground Training Area, Present
Toshiro watched carefully as Rangiku, Yumichika, and Ikkaku faced off against Renji's Bankai. He wanted the three teammates to work on fighting against a Bankai, as well as their teamwork; while Renji worked on improving his handling of his Bankai and practiced against multiple opponents.
The battle had been going on for roughly ten minutes, and due to the nature of Renji's Bankai, the Captain needed to keep some distance from the fight and couldn't tell who had the upper hand at the moment.
The sound on footsteps drew his attention to behind him to see Timothy and Rukia walking up.
"Are you finished upstairs?" he inquired.
Rukia nodded while Timothy observed the fight. "Yes sir, sorry it took so long." She answered.
The Captain faced her fully. "It's fine. I decided to have everyone else conduct a three-on-one match."
"Who's the 'lucky' bastard?" Timothy inquired.
Toshiro smirked a little. "It's Renji in his Bankai."
Timothy glanced at the superior officer with surprise. "He has a Bankai? I'm impressed."
A large explosion drew their attention back to the fight in the distance. They looked to see Ikkaku get tossed into the air, and Rangiku rolling across the ground.
"He's 'really' going at it." Rukia stated calmly.
"I hope he doesn't cause 'too' much damage though." A voice said from behind. The three of them turned back around to see Kisuke walking up with his cane in hand. "It's actually not that easy to fix this place up after extensive damage has been done." He informed, then stopped a short distance from them…keeping a distance from Timothy.
The Lieutenant glared at him. "There you are, you coward! I've got a bone to pick with you!" he hissed.
Kisuke waved him off. "Now now Tim, I assure you that what happened was 'not' my intention." He defended.
Toshiro glanced at Timothy. "What is he talking about, Durn?" he inquired.
Timothy managed to stop himself from flinching, but he did freeze up. "…It's nothing sir. Just some trouble that he and Yoruichi started." He deflected.
The shop owned suddenly had his fan in his hand, blowing air at his face. "Now that's not very nice, Tim. You make it sound like it's all my fault." He moaned a bit.
The Lieutenant face palmed and growled. "What the hell you want, Kisuke?" he demanded.
"Actually…" Urahara began, then looked at Toshiro. "…if you don't mind Captain, I had some training planned for Tim here. I'm afraid the training will need to be done alone, so I'll have to request you take the rest of the day off." He said.
The three soul reapers rose their brows. "I see. Very well, we'll take our leave. Rukia, please go let Renji and the others know." Toshiro instructed. Rukia nodded, then flashed away.
"What kind of training you plan to use to kill me with now, Kisuke?" Timothy asked in a depressed tone.
"Do you really have so little faith in me, Tim?" Kisuke teased.
"I have faith in you, as long as you aren't trying to send me to my grave." The younger man clarified.
Kisuke sighed heavily. "And here I am, training to improve your skills, and you're worrying about something so trivial. And I even included a little surprise for you, too."
Timothy sweat dropped. "…Why does that somehow only make me feel worse?" he moaned.
Rukia and the others then came back where Toshiro turned to them. "We're done with training for today. Take the rest of the day off, but keep on your guard." He instructed.
They all nodded, but Rangiku smiled cheerfully. "Ooh, that means I can go shopping! Wanna come, Rukia?"
The shorter woman glanced at her with a deadpanned expression. "Not really." She replied in a low and monotone voice.
"Oh, cheer up, Rukia! It'll be fun!" the busty Lieutenant returned.
Rukia let out a defeated sigh. "Fine."
"Great! Let's go!" Rangiku finished, then the two women vanished.
Yumichika turned to his friend with a small smile. "Well, I don't know about you, Ikkaku, but I feel like exploring a bit."
Ikkaku shrugged his shoulders. "Sounds good to me." He answered, then they, too, vanished.
Toshiro looked at the shop owner. "I'll be nearby if you something happens." He informed, then left as well.
Now alone with the vexing man, Timothy turned to face Urahara fully. "Well, what's this training you wanted to do?" he inquired.
Kisuke glanced at Timothy's zanpakutō. "Care to join us, Kit?" he called to her.
The spirit materialized herself next to Timothy with a worried look on her face. "You're still sure about this, Kisuke?" she asked.
Seeing her worried now made Timothy worry more as well. "You 'are' going to kill me, aren't you?" he whined.
Kisuke then gave him a serious look. "I'm sure you recall what I said about how to increase your spiritual pressure, right?" he inquired.
Timothy nodded. "Yeah, you do so by putting stress on my soul, right?"
The man nodded. "Correct. As I've said before, you've basically already acquired your Bankai; however, because your spiritual pressure was too low, you couldn't access it. Today, we're going to work on getting that access back."
The Lieutenant widened his eyes a bit. "So…we're working on my Bankai?"
Kisuke grinned. "That's right. Kit here is going to help you release, and maintain your Bankai. She'll be the one training you, so I strongly recommend you listen to everything she says." He advised.
The younger man held up a hand. "Wait a minute, why do I sense a 'this is very dangerous' in there?" he fretted.
"Because it is, Tim." Kitsune answered. "Last time, you got lucky that I dropped the Bankai in time. Any longer, and it would've likely killed you. It's going to be a similar situation here. You pressure should be high enough to handle it now, but we won't really know until we try. That's why, while we are working on it, you can't interfere with me in any way. If I see that your body can't handle it, I'll have to forcibly drop it again." She warned.
Timothy looked at Kisuke in question. "So, wait, if Kit is the one who is going to be working with me, what are you going to do?" he inquired.
Kisuke smiled at him. "I have another project that I need to work on. But don't worry Tim, Kit won't be the only one here." He informed.
A hand then landed on Timothy's shoulder, and he growled. "Yoruichi!" he hissed, then turned to her. "I'm going to kill you for what you did!"
The woman rose a brow in confusion, wondering what he was talking about. She glanced over at Kitsune, who turned away with a sorrowful face.
"What happened?" she inquired.
Timothy quickly reached out and grabbed the woman by her shirt, pulling her to him. "We're going to have a little chat later, so you better not fucking take off; miss 'Let's pick on Nel'!"
Yoruichi's eyes widened, then she looked back at Kitsune. "What happened?!"
The man gripped her tighter. "You and Kit tortured the fuck out of Nel, and put her in the same damn mood you tried to kill me over!" he answered.
The golden-eyed woman closed her eyes with a sad sigh. "Alright, I'll admit I might have gone a little too…"
"A 'little'?! She obviously didn't like you pestering her like that, but no, you wanted to keep at it cause it amused you! If anything, I expect you to go apologize to her for your stupid games once we're done here!" he demanded.
She held up her hands in surrender. "Alright alright! It got outta hand, and I'll apologize to her., happy?" she asked in a calm tone.
He released her and crossed his arms. "You damn well better, Yoruichi. Now, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"While Kit will be helping you access your Bankai…" Kisuke started, causing Timothy to look back at him. "…Yoruichi will be here to make sure nothing happens. In the event that Kit thinks you can handle it, you'll be testing you Bankai against Yoruichi." The man informed.
Timothy glanced back at the woman. "For your sake, you better hope that doesn't happen." He warned.
He wasn't as mad as he was showing, knowing that neither she, nor Kitsune, knew about Nel's lack of certain emotions; but he also knew that there was no way he could pay here back the conventional way. This way, he could at least make the woman feel bad about what she did.
Kisuke then turned to Kitsune. "I'll leave it to you, Kit." He said, then started walking away.
Timothy sighed heavily, then looked at the spirit. "So, what do I need to do, Kit?"
She nodded. "Alright, first you need to get your stance. Every release, both Shikai and Bankai, have a specific stance the user enters; and each one is unique. Before we get into actually 'using' the Bankai, I want you to get the basic stuff done first. So, spread your feet out to where they're right under each shoulder." She instructed.
He kicked his right leg out as he leaned over to where his feet stood shoulder width apart.
"Alright, now, hold the blade out in front of you with both hands; point up, and arms fully extended." She added, then watched as he did so.
"This feels a little…awkward." He stated in confusion.
"Only because it's not a natural stance. They always feel odd at first, but you should get used to it." She assured.
He thought about it, but simply shrugged a shoulder. "If you say so." He said in acceptance.
She nodded, then continued. "Ok, now bend at the knees and lower yourself in to a squat." She said, and he did as such. "Lower, your legs should be level with the ground." She clarified, then walked over and pushed down on his shoulder; forcing him lower.
"Ok, now this is uncomfortable." He stated in stress.
"Well, that's the form. Now, you need to say the name. So now, I want you to say…cheese."
He looked at her in confusion. "Huh?!"
He suddenly saw a very brief, and bright flash of light, and turned back forward to see Kisuke with a camera. Yoruichi and Kit were now rolling on the ground laughing their asses off.
Timothy blinked once…then twice…trice…"Y…You were fucking with me?!" he yelled out as he got out of his 'stance'.
"Y…You…You get it?" Kitsune asked between laughs.
Kisuke grinned and nodded. "It was perfect! Nice acting, Kit. And 'veeerrry' interesting pose, Tim. You looked really powerful standing like that." He teased.
Yoruichi, who was clutching her sides, weakly gave the spirit a thumbs up. "Yeah…nice one, Kit; you too, Tim." She furthered.
Yesterday, after showing Kitsune the video of Yoruichi and Nel's struggle, and once the spirit calmed down from excessive laughing, an evil idea had come to her mind; and Kisuke, being the man that he was, was all too eager to help with it.
Timothy quickly turned to her, his face as red as a tomato. "You're fucking dead!" he yelled.
Kitsune gasped, and quickly ran off, followed closely by a raging Lieutenant. "What the hell?! It was a joke! Calm the hell down, Tim!" she yelled in panic as the man slowly began catching up with her.
"Stop fucking running, and I'll calm down by ripping those ears off of you! You god damned vixen! Get back here!" he returned.
Kisuke and Yoruichi both watched in full amusement as Timothy steadily gained ground on the spirit. "Thousand yen says she lasts two minutes." Kisuke offered with a side glance, fanning himself again.
Yoruichi scratched her cheek with a wide grin. "I think you're giving her too much credit; minute and a half at best." She counter offered.
"Deal." He said, then returned to watching chase.
"Get back here, you fucking fox!
"Noooo! Mercy!"
5 Minutes Later
Unfortunately for Kisuke and Yoruichi, Kitsune had a little more energy than they thought; having managed to keep out of Timothy's grasp for almost four minutes. Meaning…they both lost the bet.
The spirit was sitting down on the ground next to Yoruichi with a large lump on her head and giving her partner an evil glare, while the other woman rubbed her back. Timothy was sitting several feet away in front of her; arms crossed, and an equally evil glare of his own stabbing the spirit's eyes.
"It was only a joke." She mumbled.
"Shut. Up!" he hissed back, then glared at Kisuke, who was looking at the photo he took. "And you'll get yours, Kisuke. I don't know how, I don't know when, but I 'will' get you for this. The same goes for you, you damn demon!" he finished while looking at Yoruichi.
She held her hands up in surrender. "Woah, hold on there, Tim! I had 'nothing' to do with this!" she defended.
His glare tightened around her neck. "Ever heard the term 'guilty by association'? You may not have been part of the planning, but you 'know' how Kisuke is, and should have known that he was up to something. You chose not to warn me and let them play their stupid prank, so that makes you 'just as guilty'!" he pointed out.
Kisuke side glanced his long-time friend. "He does have a point." He stated.
She turned, and karate chopped him on the head. He cowered in pain as she death glared him.
"Shut up, Kisuke!" she demanded.
Timothy then stood up and planted his hands on his hips. "Was there 'really' any training…or did you just want to fuck with me?" he inquired seriously.
Kitsune stood up as well and rubbed her head. "No, we really do have training to do. We just wanted to mess with you is all. But, now that that's out of the way, we can get started." She informed.
He then pointed at her. "You better not be screwing with me again, or I'll give your tail a nice haircut!" he threatened.
The spirit's eyes widened and she quickly held her hands behind her to protect her 'precious' tail. "You wouldn't dare!" she said, calling him out.
Timothy swiftly drew his zanpakutō and started walking towards her. "Wanna bet?" he called back.
She quickly shook her head violently. "No! I'm good! No more pranks, I swear!" she said as she stepped back.
He stopped, stared at her intently for a moment, then returned his sword to its sheath. "You better!" He replied.
Kisuke then stood up. "Well, I guess I should get started with my own project." He said, then looked at Timothy sternly. "Good luck, Tim." he offered, then walked away.
Yoruichi stood up as well and gestured to a boulder behind her with her thumb. "I'll be over there if you need me, Kit." She informed.
Kitsune looked at her and nodded. "Just keep a close eye on him, Yoruichi. If something does happen, you need to be quick." She warned.
The woman nodded, then flashed over to sit down on top of the said boulder. Kitsune and Timothy looked at each other.
"Tim…I'm not gonna lie…this is 'very' risky, but Kisuke insisted that we do this. I wasn't kidding about what I said, Tim; you need to listen to everything I say. If your body can't handle it yet, and I don't drop the Bankai in time, it will most likely kill you. Kisuke may want me to do this, but this is 'your' Bankai, and 'your' life on the line; are you sure you're up for this?" she asked in hesitance.
Timothy gave her a heavy sigh, but nodded. "As much as I hate his pranks and shit, I trust his judgement. If he says I'm ready, then I'll accept it. So, let's get started." He confirmed.
Kitsune lowered her head for a moment, then nodded. "Alright." She said, then looked back at him. "Good luck, Tim." she concluded, then returned to his inner world.
He drew his zanpakutō and held it to his side. "And what about you, 'Johnny'? You're a part of this too. If I die, you die."
"I too…trust Urahara's…judgement…And I believe…you are ready." The male spirit stated.
Taking a deep breath, Timothy nodded firmly. "Ready to go." he said in a whisper.
"Alright…hold the zanpakutō in front of you, near your chest, and pointing to you left. Then grab the blade next to the guard, with the blade running along your arm." She instructed.
Hesitating a moment, he did as she said and held the blade across his chest; grabbing the blade with his off hand at the guard with the blade running underneath his forearm.
"Are you ready?" she asked a final time.
He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Ready." He confirmed.
"Alright…Now state 'Bankai', then call out my Bankai name. Immediately afterwards, snap the blade off at the guard. My released name…is 'Furasshu hi Kitsune Hime'." She said in reluctance.
He opened his eyes and looked at the blade with resolve. "Bankai…Furasshu hi…Kitsune Hime." He called out, the twisted his hands apart; snapping the blade off at the guard.
With Kisuke, 5 Minutes Earlier
Kisuke came around a large boulder, and lifted his head to see Nel sitting on a large rock in her Arrancar form; her hands in her lap and eyes closed. He stopped and observed her for a moment, thinking hard on if he should go on with what he had planned for her.
Taking a mild breath, he continued walking towards her. Hearing the man's footsteps, Nel opened her eyes and looked at him and tilted her head a bit. Once the shop owner was a few yards away, Nel stood up and gave him a questioning look.
"Why did you have me come down here, Kisuke? And why is there a barrier around me?" she inquired.
The man stopped a few feet in front of her. "My apologies Nel, but the barrier is necessary for what we're about to do. As I'm sure you know, Tim is currently down here with us, but he's working on his own special training as we speak. I want him to fully concentrate on that training, and not what 'we' are going to be working on." He informed.
Nel crossed her arms loosely. "Ok, but this is a pretty strong barrier for just hiding what we're going to be doing…whatever that is." She observed.
Kisuke pulled out his fan and blew air at himself. "Very astute, miss Nel. As you are aware, there is currently a barrier surrounding the shop. From the outside, it's actually pretty weak; but from the inside, it's very strong. Regretfully, the purpose of that barrier is to prevent you from leaving. Now, I'm sure you've noticed there's a similar, yet far more powerful barrier surrounding this underground facility, right?" he inquired, earning a nod from the woman.
"That barrier allows people to come and go as they please, but prevents spiritual pressure and all form of attacks past it. This is to prevent any damage that those attacks would cause to the surface, and prevent anyone from detecting the people inside. That way, anyone inside the training area can use any and all forms of attacks that they wish to use. The barrier we currently have around us, is the exact same thing; but only covering the area we'll be working with."
Nel tilted her head again. "But what is it that we'll be doing that requires the extra barrier, Kisuke?"
Kisuke snapped his fan shut. "Simple…" he said, then reached behind the boulder next to him, and pulled out a green-hilted zanpakutō in a green scabbard.
The Arrancar woman's eyes widened. "Gamuza?!" she gasped.
The man held it out to her, and she took it; running her hand over the hilt with care. "Go ahead…draw her." He instructed.
She looked at him with shock, then back at the weapon in her hand. Hesitantly, she grabbed the zanpakutō by the hilt, pausing for a moment, then quickly drew the blade. Her eyes became saucers as she gasped when she saw, not a broken blade, but a fully restored one.
"Y…You fixed Gamuza?!" she asked in shock; closely observing the blade to see that it perfectly restored without so much as a scratch.
"Only the blade, miss Nel." He informed, causing her to look at him with worry. "I could only restore the blade, but 'not' your hollow powers. 'That'…is why we are here." He added.
She looked at the blade again, then back to him in sorrow. "So…Gamuza is still gone?" she asked with a sad voice.
Kisuke held up a finger. "I'd like you to try and release your Resurrección, miss Nel." He stated.
Nel widened her eyes back, but firmly nodded. She turned to face him fully, then spread her feet shoulder width apart. Slipping the scabbard into her sash, she then held the blade horizontally in front of her with the sharp edge pointing at him.
She held the palm of her offhand to the back of the blade, and took a deep breath. "Praise…Gamuza." She called out.
Both of them waited for a moment, but much to Nel's discouragement and sadness, nothing happened. She lowered her arms to her sides and dropped her head. Kisuke watched as her shoulder's began trembling.
"So…she really is gone." She said in a low voice.
Kisuke flipped his fan back open and slowly waved it at himself. "I'd like you to try again, miss Nel.' He suggested.
She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Gamuza is gone, Kisuke. She wouldn't respond to me, so she's gone." She stated in a sad voice.
The man stopped fanning himself and gave her a serious stare. "I'd like you to try again…miss Nel." He repeated.
She let out an annoyed and depressed sigh, but finally returned to her stance and prepared to call out the command again.
Kisuke then pointed his fan at her. "But this time, I'd like you to reach deep inside yourself. Try to picture Gamuza in your inner world, and reach out to her; try to pull her to you. As you do that, call upon her." He instructed.
She slowly nodded, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. She began reaching inside herself, into her inner world. As she did, Kisuke could feel her spiritual pressure begin to rise just a bit.
After a moment of reaching inside herself, Nel opened her eyes and tried again. "Praise…Gamuza." She called.
Kisuke felt her pressure flash for just an instant, then vanish again; back to her relaxed level as, again, nothing happened.
Nel dropped her arms to her sides again and sighed heavily. "It's pointless, Kisuke. Gamuza is gone, so why bother?" she asked.
"Did you feel it?" he asked in a calm and collected voice.
She rose a brow at him. "It?"
Kisuke kept his serious glare. "Your spiritual pressure…did you feel it?" he clarified.
Nel lifted her head and thought about the question, but looked back at him a moment later and nodded. "I did…I felt it rise for a moment when I tried to release Gamuza, but then it dropped again when she didn't answer." She confirmed.
The shop owner snapped his fan shut and pointed it at her. "That means your soul is actually trying to reach out to Gamuza. If Gamuza was truly no longer a part of your inner world, in effect no longer a part of you, then your soul wouldn't even bother trying to reach out. Your spiritual pressure wouldn't have spiked the way it did. That can only mean one thing." He paused, and her eyes widened.
"Gamuza is…still there?!" she asked in disbelief.
Kisuke nodded. "In a sense…" he said, then pointed at her zanpakutō with his fan. "Gamuza is still housed within your zanpakutō, along with your hollow powers. When Aizen somehow sealed your powers away and broke your zanpakutō, he effectively severed the connection between you and Gamuza, cutting you off from your stronger hollow powers. As it is at this moment, Gamuza is still a part of your soul, but the two of you have no direct connection to each other. Technically, you are in a similar situation that Tim was in with Kit before he infused her into his inner world. We need to reestablish that connection, just like with him." He stated, then began fanning himself again.
"Tell me Nel, do you know how a soul reaper acquires his or her Bankai?" he inquired.
She shook her head. "Besides training for it, no."
Kisuke nodded back. "Essentially, yes. Because Bankais are so powerful, a soul reaper's zanpakutō spirit will not teach the Bankai to its partner, unless that spirit deems that the partner is ready for it. Once the spirit decides that the soul reaper is ready, the spirit will challenge its partner in combat. In order for the soul reaper to learn the Bankai, he or she must force the spirit into submission. The methods that zanpakutō spirits use for this trail can vary between the individual spirits, but if the soul reaper fails to submit their zanpakutō spirit, they cannot learn Bankai." He educated.
"This is normally the only method that Bankai can be achieved, and can take decades of training after the soul reaper acquired his or her Shikai. However, there is another way that only a few know about." He said, then walked behind the boulder where Nel's zanpakutō was kept.
He came back out a few seconds later, carrying a human shaped, flat, white object. He stood the object next to him and pointed at it with his fan.
"This is an invention of mine, and the only other way that a soul reaper can acquire Bankai. I call it, Tenshintai. When a soul reaper combats their zanpakutō spirit, they do so here in the real world. It takes years of training and trust for a soul reaper to materialize their zanpakutō spirit; which is required for the spirit to challenge it's partner. This device allows a soul reaper to 'force' the zanpakutō spirit into the real world, and then battle with it to force it into submission. This is the technique Ichigo used to acquire his Bankai." He said.
Nel looked at the figure, then at Kisuke. "I'll admit, it is impressive…but what does it have to do with me and Gamuza?" she inquired.
Kisuke 'fan pointed' at her. "As I said, Gamuza is still contained within your zanpakutō, Nel. We need to force her out in order to reestablish the connection between you two." He said, then pointed back at the figure. "We will use the Tenshintai to help us with that. You will stab your zanpakutō into the device; and if my theory is correct, the device with force Gamuza out of the blade and into the real world." He instructed, then held his fan up next to his face.
"However, I cannot say what will happen exactly. This could have the same effect as it did with Ichigo; the zanpakutō spirit appearing in the real world. But then, it could force Gamuza out in your hollow form as well. As to 'how' to reestablish the connection between you two, that is something we will both have to figure out along the way. I am not even sure how Gamuza will respond to this. She could be in a right state of mind, or she could be a mindless hollow. But, these are 'your' hollow powers we're working with, Nel. So, I leave the decision up to you on whether you proceed or not. Afterall…"
He paused and resumed fanning himself. "…I cannot guarantee that this will work at all. Think hard on this, Nel. Nothing like this has ever happened before; nor has this device ever been used in this manner. So I honestly cannot tell you 'what' will happen." He advised.
Nel raised her zanpakutō a bit and stared hard at it. She was relieved that Gamuza was still there inside her zanpakutō, but also worried about everything Kisuke said about the situation. She wanted Gamuza back, but she unsure if she was willing to take the risk.
"Tell me Kisuke…" she started, then looked at the man. "…what exactly is Tim training for?" she asked seriously.
Kisuke's face didn't change as he continued fanning himself. "He's training to reacquire his Bankai. And to be honest…he's taking a great risk at doing so with his current power."
Nel tilted her head as her glare tightened. "What do you mean 'great risk'? What happens if he fails?" she asked firmly.
The shop owner stopped his fan and gave her a very firm stare. "He could die."
Her eyes widened, and she snapped her head over to where she had felt Timothy earlier. He was taking a life-threatening risk in order for him to become strong. And she knew that, without a doubt, he was doing it so he could protect her and the rest of his friends.
She lowered her head, then looked back at her zanpakutō. It then became clear to her that, if Timothy was willing to take such a great risk with his own life, then she needed to follow his example if she was going to be able to help him.
"I'll do it." She answered finally, then looked at Kisuke in determination. "I'll use your device, and see if I can reconnect with Gamuza. If Tim is willing to risk his life to help others, then I should too." She stated with confidence.
Kisuke snapped his fan shut and nodded. "Then run your blade through the device…and we'll see what happens." He said.
Nel walked forward towards the object, holding her zanpakutō tightly. She stopped a few feet from the device, sparing a last glance at her zanpakutō, then looking at Kisuke to see him nod firmly.
Raising, and holding the tip of the blade to the device, Nel took a last, deep breath to push the slowly rising second thoughts back. Letting the air out of her lungs slowly, she hardened herself, and thrusted the blade into the device.
With Timothy, Present
His entire body was immediately pummeled with an intense amount of power. So much power, that he felt like his entire body was being crushed by extremely heavy weights all over; on every inch of skin, from every angle.
The power steadily increased, and he was starting to find it difficult to remain standing. The feeling he was experiencing now, was just like after Zaraki's fight when the Head Captain had forced him down to the ground, just from the man's spiritual pressure alone.
This rising power was threatening to do the same thing to him here. Flames suddenly spread out from the two halves of his zanpakutō, and began covering his entire body; the same flames that usually covered Kitsune.
He watched through half closed eyes as the blade in his left hand, and the hilt in his right, began to glow orange as steam rose from them.
Although they appeared to be very hot, close to the melting point, they didn't burn him; nor did he even feel any heat from them. They grew hotter and hotter very rapidly, until they turned to a bright cherry-red.
The two halves then melted, and began spreading around his hands, wrists, and halfway up his forearm; before forming into gauntlets. On the top of each gauntlet, some of the material formed to extend over the top of the hand fixture's knuckles, and out past them by six inches.
Once the reforming had stopped, the 'weapons' began cooling down until they were now a solid, steel color; while the blades that extended out remained a very hot, bright orange color. On the top of each bracer, between the edge and the wrist, was an etching of a pouncing fox heading towards the blade on the respective arm.
The power was at full force now, and it was taking every bit of energy and strength Timothy had to remain on his feet.
"Hold firm, Tim. Take the pressure, and push against it. Don't give in to it." Kitsune coached.
Timothy clenched his teeth as he tried to speak. "I'm…trying…It hurts…It feels…like I'm being…crushed." He choked through his tightly ground teeth.
"It's going to…your spiritual pressure is too low, Tim. Your pressure is right at the tipping point between holding the Bankai state, and the Bankai crushing you to death! Whatever you do, do 'not' give in. Feel the pressure, and hold it at bay."
Holding his 'protected' hands to his sides with clenched fists, Timothy dropped to a knee as the pressure began forcing him to the ground. At this, Yoruichi stood up from her sitting position on her boulder, but remained in place as she watched him with concern.
"Get up, Tim! Now! You're letting the power of the Bankai force 'you' down! You need to force 'it' down! Get your ass back up, and push back!" she demanded.
"Harden…yourself Tim…Do not…succumb…to weakness…'Prove'…you have…what it takes…'Prove'…you are worthy…of being…Kitsune's partner." 'Johnny' added.
Timothy flinched at his words. "I…will not…drop…I will always…be her partner." He hissed.
"Then 'prove' it! Get your ass up, and show me, Tim!" she yelled.
Gritting his teeth tighter, Timothy threw a leg out in front of him, then leaned forward and pushed himself with everything he could bring to bear. Fighting against the breathtaking force, he slowly got his other foot under him, and struggled to stand back up straight.
"Fight, Tim!" she encouraged.
He finally managed to make it back to a straightened position, then slowly, and painfully, placed one foot in front of the other. His face turned stern as he pushed with his leg to try and move forward on his shaky legs.
"I…will not…" he started, then when he was forward enough, moved the other foot forward for another step. "…give up…" he furthered, and pushed himself forward again.
With each step, every movement, the pressure forced itself down on him more. Yoruichi watched in shock and amazement as the young Lieutenant fought against his own power with everything he had, and yet still had the strength to walk; even at a slow rate.
Even from so far away, she could feel the immense spiritual pressure that was forced on the man. Now she could see firsthand that Kisuke was not exaggerating when he told her that the spiritual pressure the man's Bankai emitted was impressive.
Now she knew what Kisuke said about his Bankai almost killing him before was true. At the level he was the first time, his Bankai would definitely have killed him if Kitsune hadn't forcibly dropped it when she did.
Timothy then stumbled and fell to his hands and knees, and Yoruichi got ready to flash over to help him; but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned her head to see Kisuke holding her back.
"Leave him, Yoruichi. He needs to do this on his own." He said firmly.
Yoruichi relaxed a bit, but turned her head back to the downed man. "Are you sure about this, Kisuke?" she asked.
The man firmly nodded. "I am. This is something for him alone, and we cannot interfere." He answered.
The woman nodded and crossed her arms. "I hope you're right, Kisuke." She said, and they both continued to watch the man fight against his own Bankai.
With Nelliel, 3 Minutes Earlier
Nel watched as her blade began to glow pink, then flinched and took an involuntary step backwards as the device and her blade both erupted in a large burst of pinkish energy. But just as quickly the burst of energy appeared, it just as quickly vanished.
She looked to see that the device, along with her zanpakutō, were now gone; nothing but air remained. She took a single step forward, but froze when an all too familiar voice spoke out from behind her.
"You've forgotten me." An echoing, feminine voice said.
The woman quickly turned around, and her eyes widened when she saw a figure standing behind her. "G…Gamuza?!" she choked out.
The figure before her stood on four, equine styled legs with an upper body similar to a human's. The lower half, the equine part, of the figure was covered in thick, tannish fur, and bore a long, thick, black tail trailing behind.
Its upper body was completely covered in a thick white skin. It's chest, starting at its medium sized breasts, shoulders, elbows, and hands were covered in thick, bone-like armor. The same bone armor completely covered its entire head, with its ram-skull-like mask covering its face with piercing, yellowish eyes gazing at her through the eye holes.
It looked almost exactly like her Resurrección form, and stood there with hateful eyes that pierced her very soul.
"W…What?" Nel replied in shock.
The being's yellow orbs narrowed their gaze at her through the mask on its face. "You abandoned me." Gamuza stated in a hiss.
Nel's eyes widened even further. "W…what are you talking about, Gamuza?! I would 'never' abandon you!" she said in a hurt tone.
Gamuza swung her arm through the air, cutting Nel off. "Don't lie to 'me', Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck! I called out to you for days! Not 'once' did you ever respond to me! Over…and 'over'…I cried out to you!"
The Arrancar clenched her fists at her side and glared back. "That was Aizen's fault, Gamuza! I tried to reach out to you as well, but you weren't there! It wasn't my fault!" she defended.
The spirit suddenly charged forward, and with a backhanded fist to her cheek, threw Nel into the boulder next to them. "You abandoned me! You may have tried at first to reach me, but you quickly gave up!" she yelled, then picked the woman up by her shirt and threw her into another large boulder.
Nel landed with a crash and fell down onto the ground with a grunt of pain. "For over ten days, you never 'once' tried to reach me! You never even thought about me! I may not have been able to talk to you, but I could still hear your thoughts! You gave me up for dead!" she furthered, then used sonído to appear next to Nel as she got back up to her feet.
Gamuza used her hind legs to deliver a powerful kick to the woman's side, sending her right back at the previous boulder. "You gave up on me! Your own power! Your own being! Your own 'soul'!" she said, and again buzzed to Nel to punch her back into the boulder.
"I was alone!" she said, and punched her again. "You left me!" She delivered another punch. "Abandoned me!" She punched again, then grabbed her by the shirt again to see her, now bloody, face. "Forsaken me!" she hissed as she threw Nel out to the side and on the ground.
"You are the aspect of Loyalty! The very being of the word! You and I were supposed to be the epitome of Loyalty! But like Aizen, you tossed that 'loyalty' between us aside!" she mocked harshly.
Nel hissed in pain and clutched her side as she slowly came back to her knees. "Aizen…'betrayed' us. I…I refuse…to serve someone…like him." Nel hissed back.
Gamuza buzzed in front of her and used her front legs to stomp the Arrancar back onto the ground. "You questioned your loyalty to him, because of that pitiful soul reaper! You cared about 'him' more than 'us'!" She swiftly turned around and rear kicked Nel's body to roll across the ground before turning back. "What is 'he' to you?! What could you 'possibly' see in that 'thing' to make you ignore your instincts?! You are a hollow! You kill beings like him! Yet, you go, and risk 'your life' to save 'his'!"
She buzzed back in front of where Nel landed and held her hands out wide. "You threw your loyalty aside to save a soul reaper! You threw 'us' away for a damn soul reaper! Was our loyalty to each other so meaningless to you?! Did you honestly care more about what happens to that pathetic brat than your loyalty to Aizen?! Aizen brought us together! 'He' gave 'you' your humanity back! He gave 'me' an existence! And you so willingly turned away from him! Abandoned him! Does loyalty really mean so little to you?! Answer me, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck! Does it?!" she demanded, then kicked the woman again; sending her back into another boulder.
Nel dropped to a sitting position, leaning back against the rockface with her head dropped. Gamuza turned to face her and shook her head.
"You're pathetic, Nel. It puzzles me how the hell you 'ever' made it to Vasto Lorde with how weak and broken your resolve is. If I had known that you were this weak, I would have killed you when Aizen turned you into an Arrancar. I should go kill that stupid soul reaper that you seem to have grown so attached to. Maybe then you'll come back to your senses." She stated.
"Leave…him…alone." Nel hissed in a whisper.
Gamuza rose a hidden brow at her. "Excuse me?! I seriously doubt that I just heard you right! Are you defending that weak thing?!" the spirit demanded.
Nel pushed herself up from the boulder painfully to a standing position. Her entire body was bruised, and blood ran down her face. She clenched her fists tightly, cutting into her palm and drawing blood as she glared at her spirit.
"He is 'not' a 'thing'! He is my 'friend', and you will leave 'Tim' alone! I will 'never' let you touch him! Aizen is pure evil! But Tim…" she paused and turned to look in his direction. "…Tim is honest…caring…" She then turned to the spirit with a hateful stare. "…and loyal! More loyal than you, and I, combined! If I have to fight you, and kill you to protect him, I will!" Nel firmly yelled.
Gamuza narrowed her gaze at the woman. "So be it. If you are so adamant to stay with that 'thing'…" she said, then held up her hand next to her face. A pinkish mass of energy collected in the palm of her hand, and solidified into a long, silver, metal lance; ready to be thrown over the spirit's shoulder. "…then I will kill you, then him, before my own demise. You two can join each other in nothingness."
Nel got into an unarmed combat stance as Gamuza prepared to throw the lance in her hand; both warriors staring into each other's eyes as they stood ready for the fight that neither wanted to happen.
With Timothy, Present
Timothy fought on his hands and knees as his body began to fail and succumb to the constant pressure of his Bankai. He was beginning to feel the high heat of the flames surrounding his body; threatening to sear his skin.
A small trail of blood ran down his chin from his mouth as his throat became scratched from the inside. He clenched his fists and slowly pulled a knee up to his chest to plant a foot underneath him to stand back up.
"Don't give up, Tim…please fight it!" Kitsune begged.
"Stand tall…Tim." 'Johnny' followed.
With a hiss of pain, Timothy managed to get a foot under him, and began pushing with his hands so he could get the other under him as well. Removing a hand from the ground, he planted it on his knee, and pushed down on it to slowly pick himself back up.
"That's it! Push harder, Tim! Don't give in! You can do this…I believe in you!" she encouraged.
"We both do." 'Johnny' furthered.
Getting his other foot planted, he placed his other hand on the other knee, and now used both hands to push himself back to a slouched, but still standing position. He then removed his hands and returned them to his sides.
"Good…now step forward!" she demanded.
Growling, Timothy raised a foot and moved it forward, planting it a foot ahead of him.
"Another!" she pressed.
Propelling himself slowly, he lifted the other foot and landed it a few feet in front of the other.
"Another…step." 'Johnny' instructed.
He painfully moved forward and took another step; again, with the pressure increasing with each one.
"Again!/Again." Both spirit's commanded in unison.
Timothy took another step, but it didn't go as far as he wanted, so he slid it across the ground to the distance he wanted to move. His leg that was supporting his weight threatened to give out, but he pressed as hard as he could to not fall.
Moving forward again with a deep, throaty growl, he took another, and slightly faster step as he began to feel his body fighting the pressure on its own.
"Move it, Tim! Walk faster!" she hissed dangerously.
He took another step, again, slightly faster than the last. Then another; the pressure suddenly becoming more bearable each time as his own body and soul fought harder and harder against the pressure subconsciously.
"I will…not give up." He said through his teeth as he took another step. "I…will not…fall." He added with another step. "I will…succeed!" he said with a loud growl; taking a very firm step as the pressure on him dropped even more.
"You can do this, Tim! Keep moving forward, and don't stop!" she encouraged firmly.
"This…is 'your' power…'your' will…'your' soul…Stand proud…Show…your resolve…Prove to us…that you…are strong." 'Johnny' furthered.
He took a step and stumbled, but remained standing. He raised his head back up and growled before taking another large step. His feet thumped on the ground with each step as he slowly moved faster and faster; now at a 'leisurely' walking pace.
Although the pressure was still causing him pain, it no longer threatened to crush him into the ground. He found that he could now stand up straighter, and firmer as his walking speed now evolved to that of a standard paced walk.
"Now…spawn…your flames." 'Johnny' instructed.
Keeping his pace, Timothy did as he was told and began creating several flames around him; each flame steadily putting more and more pressure on him that forced him back down to a slouched position.
"More, Tim!" she demanded.
He filched and growled in more pain while his walking speed dropped as he spawned even more flames; now almost twenty flames in total. The pressure quickly returned and again threatened to force him onto the ground even harder.
"More." He ordered.
Timothy's walk turned into a crawl as his flame total crept into the thirties. He fought to keep his eyes open as he slowly became light headed and began to feel his spirit energy plummeting. His mind was now threatening to shut down from the pressure on his weakened body.
"I…can't…" he began, but then lost his voice.
"Stay strong, Tim! Fight the tiredness! I can sense it inside you, Tim…the energy you need to keep moving forward! Find it, and use it!"
He took as deep a breath that his body would allow, and pushed against his tiring body. His head began to clear a little, so he continued to slowly move forward.
"Now…create more flames, Tim! Feel the pressure, and tell yourself that you will 'not' let it put you down!" she pressed.
He again did as asked, spawning more flames and feeling the pressure beat down on him harder.
But he had finally reached his limit. His mind finally shut down and his, now limp body, fell to the ground.
He fell face first, and laid there unconscious as Kitsune withdrew her Bankai and resealed herself. The gauntlets on his hands started to emit steam, then slowly faded away and reform into Kitsune's sealed blade in his right hand.
She materialized herself to stand next to him, panting hard with a hand to her chest, as Yoruichi and Kisuke flashed into place across from her. The woman looked at Timothy's body, then at the spirit with concern.
"Is he alright?" she asked.
Kitsune, still trying to recover her breath, simply nodded. After a few more breaths, she finally found her voice.
"He's…gonna be…fine…He…He went…farther than…I e…expected." She panted, then dropped to her knees.
Yoruichi grinned at her. "You seem a little tired." She teased.
The spirit glared at her. "His…spirit energy…is so weak…I'm surprised…I can…even…materialize…right now." She informed.
The woman glanced at the Lieutenant. "So, he went out because he used all his spirit energy?" she inquired.
Kitsune nodded. "He was…using it…to fight the…the pressure…He pushed…as hard as…he could…but could only…do so…so much…He'll be…be out for…a while." She informed, then dropped to her hands and knees; steadily getting weaker.
"Go ahead and rest up, Kit. Thank you for your help." Kisuke said with a smile.
The spirit simply nodded, then collapsed on the ground next to Timothy. She twisted her head around to face him with a small smile.
"Good job…Tim." she said, then faded back into his inner world.
Yoruichi stepped up and kneeled next to Timothy's body; rolling him over onto his back. Grabbing his zanpakutō from his tight grip, she returned it to its sheath and slowly picked him up bridal style; standing straight and readjusting her grip on him.
She then turned to Kisuke. "I'll take him up and to his room, Kisuke. You should go keep an eye on your other 'project'." She informed.
The man nodded and spared a last glance at the unconscious Lieutenant. "He'll likely be out for the rest of the day, likely until tomorrow with how strained his body is. I'm a little impressed with how much he was able to handle. Not only was he able to maintain his Bankai, but he was also able to create, and maintain some of his flames as well." He observed.
Yoruichi grinned and nodded. "He's a tough one, almost as tough as Ichigo." She commented.
"Almost, but definitely as determined." Kisuke remarked.
"I agree. Anyway, I'll keep an eye on him while you're down here." She said, then flashed away.
Kisuke fanned himself as he stared at the spot where the woman was just at. He honestly expected Timothy to only manage being in his Bankai, not use its abilities; even though it was only creating flames.
He then turned his head in the direction that Nel was currently at. He had watched the first couple of minutes of her zanpakutō spirit beating her around, then left when he sensed Timothy's spiritual pressure falling.
The man was a bit shocked to see that his device had actually worked in drawing out her hollow powers. And not only that, but also the spirit of her powers that seemed to have the same sense of humanity that she did.
Kisuke closed his fan and tapped it on his chin with a thoughtful face. "Now that Tim has done what he needs to, can you do the same, miss Nel?" he mumbled to himself, then started walking in her direction.
With Nelliel, Present
Nel's body collided harshly into one of the few remaining boulders in the general vicinity with a low grunt. It then fell down the side of it until she landed, face first, onto the ground. Gamuza was not holding back in the slightest as the spirit released her fury on her 'former' partner.
The Arrancar got back up to a kneeling position, then held out her hand to the spirit and quickly charged a cero.
"Cero!" she yelled.
The mass of energy shot out from the woman's hand and sailed straight towards the aggressive spirit. But Gamuza simply held out her own hand and caught the cero in her palm. The mouth of the mask the opened and began to absorb the cero into her mouth.
Nel watched with wide eyes as the spirit used her own technique, then gasped as Gamuza sent the cero, along with her own, right back at Nel. But because it was far too powerful, and in her current state, she couldn't use the same technique back.
She dove out of the way just as the cero flew past her, crashing into the boulder behind her and exploding. The force of the explosion threw Nel several yards away and onto the ground hard; her body rolling along the surface until it finally came to a stop…right at Gamuza's hooves.
The spirit delivered a hefty kick to Nel's exposed chest, sending the woman flying back the way she came and into the boulder the spirit's cero had just struck only seconds ago. The boulder exploded from the force of her body impacting it and sending her straight through.
"Are you surprised, Nelliel, that I can use your own abilities?" Gamuza inquired, then buzzed away to end up next to Nel's body.
She dropped the front of her lower body as she leaned her upper body forward to pick the woman up off the ground by her hair. The Arrancar whined in pain as the large clumps of hair threatened to pull from her scalp.
Gamuza held her up to where they were face-to-face. "I 'am' your powers, miss Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. You get 'your' powers from 'me'. Any abilities 'you' possess, 'I' possess. Right now, you are nothing more than a stripped-down version of 'me'." She informed, then flung the woman around and over her shoulder onto the ground a dozen yards away.
Nel grunted loudly when her body landed and rolled on the ground. Her body didn't have a chance to stop as Gamuza was already there waiting for her with her back leg poised for a kick. The spirit thrusted it's leg out, catching her in the head, and sending her body rolling back to the opposite way.
The spirit set her leg back down and turned to face the woman. "Look what following that stupid brat has gotten you, Nelliel. Bruised. Battered. Broken. You would stay by something like that? You would go through all this because of these pathetic feelings of 'false' loyalty?" she asked, then sonídoed in front of the downed woman.
Raising her front right leg, she then stomped down on the woman's side. "You think he will stay by you?" she questioned and stomped again. "Protect you?" she furthered with another stomp, then kicked her away. "You think that 'thing' is your 'friend'?" she finished as she crossed her arms.
Nel slowly rolled onto her side, bracing herself up with her left arm. Pulling her legs in, she pushed herself up and into a sitting position. She flinched with the movement and quickly held her right arm, only to discover that the arm was broken about three quarters of a foot above her elbow.
Her teal colored hair now had numerous splotches of red from her blood staining it. Her, once white, uniform also had many red stains of blood saturating it. Blood dripped out of her mouth and the large cut on her left cheek bone.
"He…is my friend. And he 'would' protect me…just like I would him." She informed, causing the spirit to raise her concealed brow.
"Would he? I doubt that, Nel. He's a soul reaper. Those things kill hollows like us, just 'because' we're hollows. That brat's only using you, Nelliel, just so he, and the rest of his comrades can get to Aizen. Once they're done…once they have killed Aizen, they'll do the same thing to you. And the sad thing, is that you 'know' this." Gamuza stated, then buzzed over to her.
The spirit grabbed her by the wrist of her broken arm and raised her up to her face again as Nel yelled in pain. "All that bullshit the brat told you, about 'hiding you', and 'protecting you', it's nothing but a bold-faced lie. He only told you that 'to' get to Aizen. How in the hell could you possibly think you could be loyal to someone who would just turn on you?"
Nel gripped her arm to try and reduce the pain, to no avail, as she glared at the spirit. "You think…Aizen was any different?! He 'did' turn on us! He was the one who separated us! How could 'you' follow such evil so blindly?! You call 'that' loyalty?! It's not…it's stupidity!" Nel yelled at the spirit.
Gamuza scoffed, then swung Nel's body around and back down onto the ground in front of her. "You have some nerve to try and judge 'me', Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck! 'Me'! Loyalty; rolled into a single being!" she yelled, then kicked Nel away again and held a hand to her chest. "It doesn't matter what the person is, or what that person's goals are! Loyalty means you follow that person you swore yourself to! No matter how good, or how bad that person is, you 'always' follow those who you have sworn loyalty to!"
The spirit pointed at Nel's body with a deathly glare. "You broke your word, Nelliel! You swore to be loyal to Aizen, and you, on your 'own free will', turned against him! If 'anyone' is a traitor, it's 'you', Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck!" she declared, then crossed her arms tightly.
Nel laid there, weak and beaten, as she tried to find the strength to move. The only thing she could manage, was to tilt her head up high enough to look the spirit in the eyes. She could feel her world closing in as her mind began to drift out of consciousness.
"I…don't…care." She retorted in a weak, and low voice; barely even considered a whisper.
Gamuza dropped and shook her head. "What happened to you, Nel?" she asked, then looked back at her. "You and I…we were so close…closer than Pesche and Dondochakka. We 'never' fought…'never' argued. We always saw things in the same light. And now?" She scoffed at the woman and threw a hand in her direction. "Look at you. Humiliated…broken…can't even lift your head up to me. What has helping your 'friend' done for you? Huh? I'll tell you…it's brought you nothing but pain and misery. So why follow him, knowing that's all you're going to get in return? Answer me that, Nel."
Nel let out a small whine of pain as she brought her left arm around in front of her and began to push herself up. Her chest barely made a few inches off the ground before the strength gave out and she plopped back down.
"Tsk…pitiful. Can't believe I had 'you' as a master. I'm done playing games with you. Stay there while I go deal with that pathetic excuse of an existence you call a friend. Once I'm done with him, I'll come back for you." Gamuza stated, then began walking towards the ladder to the shop.
The Arrancar closed her eyes tightly as tears began to form.
'No…I can't…lose him…I won't…let her take him.'
She clenched her left fist and pushed herself up slowly, using her arm as a support.
"I will not…let her kill him.'
Embracing the pain the best she could, she pulled her broken arm around and used it to help support her as she pulled her legs to her chest and pushed down with her left arm to slowly enter a sitting position.
"Stop…" she weakly called out.
Gamuza stopped her walk, then sighed. "You just won't quit…will you?" she asked in a saddened voice.
Nel pulled a leg under her and planted a foot on the ground. Leaning back, then forward, she used momentum to push herself high enough to get her other foot under her; now in a kneeling position.
"S…Stay…away…from him." She hissed.
The spirit glanced over her shoulder at her with sorrowful eyes. "Don't do this, Nel." She half pleaded.
Using a burst of energy, Nel shakily shot herself up, stumbling and nearly falling over, until she was in a widened standing position. Taking a couple shallow breaths, she gently thrusted her body to the side and dragged her right foot over so that she was now standing straighter, but still a bit slouched.
"You will not…touch him!" she growled as she held her right arm tight to her side.
Gamuza turned her body around to face her fully. "I will 'not' warn you again, Nel. Stay down, and let me end this…foolishness. Go back to the Espada. Fulfill the promise that 'you' made."
Nel released her arm and brought her hand up to her mouth. The spirit narrowed its gaze in wonder as Nel placed her finger in her mouth and bit down hard, breaking the skin and causing it to bleed.
"What are you doing?" Gamuza asked cautiously.
Pulling her now bleeding hand away from her mouth, she held it, palm out, towards the spirit.
Gamuza's eyes slightly widened. "You wouldn't dare…" she paused.
A dark, pinkish mass of energy, surrounded by a solid black hue, grew in the palm of her hand; steadily getting larger and more powerful with each passing second. Before either of them knew it, the mass of energy was easily three times the size of a normal cero.
"I would…" Nel confirmed.
The spirit didn't seem fazed. "Nice try at a bluff, Nel…but you and I both know, that if you use a Gran Rey Cero in your current condition, you will definitely die." She pointed out.
Nel scoffed weakly at her. "For Tim…I'd rather die…than see you harm him."
Gamuza started walking slowly towards her. "Tell me…Nel…what has that 'thing' done for you? What could have it possibly done for you, that would make you turn your back on a promise, and side with him? Tell me…what is that soul reaper to you?" she demanded.
Tears began rolling down Nel's cheeks, taking blood away with them. "Tim' is my friend…just like you. He has done more for me than Aizen 'ever' has. He 'protected' me, while Aizen turned his back on me. And 'he' has done more for me than 'you' ever have!" she hissed at last.
The spirit stopped in her tracks at her claim. "What?!" she hissed back.
Nel clenched her teeth tighter. "You heard me…Tim has done more for me than you. You are a part of me, Gamuza…a part of my soul…my friend. I never want to lose you. But the truth is…I'd rather lose you…than lose Tim." she declared.
Gamuza's eyes widened. "You're lying…You would abandon 'me'…to save 'him'?!" she asked in shock.
The former Quinto Espada dropped her head, then several moments later, picked it back up to the spirit with a fierce glare. "I would. If I must choose between you…or Tim…I choose Tim!" she confirmed with deathly seriousness.
The spirit watched Nel closely, looking for any possible sign that the woman was lying, or bluffing. After what seemed like eternity of observation, Gamuza could finally see that the woman had firmly meant every word she said.
"Why Nel…After all the years that we have known each other…the bonds that we share…why…why would you choose him…over me? What could he possibly offer…that 'I' couldn't? What is so 'special' about him, that you would abandon me?" the spirit asked in a low, but calm voice.
Nel lowered her head a little and smiled. "Because…unlike Aizen…or anyone else we have ever met…I know that Tim…would never abandon me…Even if it would kill him…he would still fight for me." She said, then looked at Gamuza. "I don't want to abandon you, Gamuza…I really don't…It would tear me apart to do so…But it's like you said…I am the epitome of 'Loyalty'…and my loyalty…is with Tim…not you."
She then narrowed her eyes at the spirit. "Gran Rey…"
"Stop." Gamuza interjected.
The Arrancar paused her attack, and the two warriors stared each other off for nearly a minute, before Gamuza sighed and crossed her arms. "Drop your cero, Nel…I will not fight you any longer." She stated.
The woman thought the request over for a second, but finally let the cero dissipate and dropped her hand to her broken arm again.
"I cannot see why you hold so much faith in that brat…this 'Tim'…but I 'can' see the vast amount of loyalty you have toward him. You broke your promise to Aizen…but as much as I don't want to admit it, 'he' broke your trust. I also don't want to admit it…but this 'Tim' has yet to do anything to break your trust. I will trust you for now, Nel…but make no mistake…the one time that the brat 'does' break that trust you have for him…I will kill him." Gamuza warned.
Nel firmly nodded. "He won't, Gamuza. He is not perfect…no one is…but he is honest, and loyal. He won't let you down." She assured.
Gamuza slowly walked up and stopped in front of Nel. She held her hand out to her side a bit, and Nel's zanpakutō appeared in her hand. With the flick of her wrist, the spirit flung the sword around to catch it by the blade facing down.
"I will allow our connection to be reestablished Nel, but on one condition." The spirit said sternly, getting a nod from Nel. "Until you can 'prove' to me that this 'Tim' can be trusted, I will not allow you to release your Resurrección. If he does prove to me that I can trust him, I will grant you access to your hollow powers again. But…if he proves that I 'can't' trust him, I will take over your mind, release myself, and kill him with 'your' hands. That is the deal. Do you agree?" the spirit offered, then held the hilt out to Nel.
Nel narrowed her gaze at the spirit. "Normally, I would turn you down and walk away from you…but I 'know' that Tim will prove you wrong, and I have faith in him that he will." She stated. With a hiss of pain, she slowly brought her right arm up and grabbed the offered hilt with her right hand. "I accept."
Gamuza grinned, then released her hold on the blade; crossing her arms again. "For your sake, I honestly hope you're right." She concluded, then slowly faded away into nothing.
Nel lowered her arm, zanpakutō in her hand, down to her side and stood there. After a few seconds, she closed her eyes and sighed.
"I know you're there…Kisuke." She stated. The man in question walked out from behind a boulder to her left, where she turned her head to look at him. "I know you want to say something Kisuke…" she said with annoyance.
The shop owner held his fan over his mouth. "Now, why would you think that, miss Nel? I simply wanted to offer my congratulations." He assured.
She slightly narrowed her gaze at him. "I do not regret the deal I made with Gamuza, Kisuke…and I expect you to remain silent, and not to tell Tim…or anyone else for that matter, about everything you saw." She demanded.
Kisuke snapped his fan shut and held his right hand up. "I assure you, I will not speak a word on this. You have my word." He stated in full seriousness. Nel nodded at him, then sheathed her zanpakutō. "Perhaps we should return upstairs and give a call to miss Inoue to ask her to come fix you up." He advised further.
She smiled, then nodded again. "That would be nice." She responded, then took a step forward. Her legs finally gave out and she dropped to her knees with a hiss of pain. "Maybe…I should wait here and rest for a moment." She observed.
The man chuckled lightly. "That would be a good idea. Once miss Inoue fixes you up, you should head to your room and rest up for a while. Tim is already finished with his training and is currently sleeping in his room." He informed.
Nel glanced at him. "Did he…"
Kisuke nodded. "He did. He managed to reacquire his Bankai, but he still needs a lot of training and practice to master it. He put himself through a lot of stress today, so it may be a while before he wakes up. I'll head upstairs to call miss Inoue."
She nodded gently. "I'm gonna wait here for a little bit, then I'll come up as well."
The man looked at the arm she was nursing. "Are you going to be able to manage with that arm?" he asked in concern.
"I'll manage, thank you." She answered.
He nodded and began walking away, but stopped after a few steps. "By the way…" he started, then glanced over his shoulder. "…not to make fun of you or anything…but I hope you've come to a decision about what you plan to do with your feelings towards him." he stated.
Nel turned pink and looked away. "What are talking about?" she asked.
Kisuke gave her a serious face. "As I said, I'm not asking to make fun of you, miss Nel. But the fact of the matter, is that if you decide to pursue those feelings you have, you had better be sure you're committed."
She looked back at him in confusion. "Why do you say that?"
He turned slightly to look at her better. "It's simple, Tim may not have outwardly shown that he has any feelings for you yet; but if he does, you can tell he's the kind of person who would fight heaven and hell for those feelings. If he fights as hard as he does for a friend, what do you think he'll do for a 'loved one'?"
Her eyes widened at the realization of the man's words. "You don't think…" she started, but froze from loss of words.
Kisuke nodded. "If the two of you hit it off, and the soul society found out, he would easily turn against them for you. Remember Nel, Tim is loyal to his friends, not an organization. If it came between you, or the soul society, he would easily choose you. So, it goes back to what I said; if you wish to show feelings for Tim, you had better be ready for what could, and would most likely come." He stated.
She gave a defeated sigh. "I guess I really can't hide it…can I?" she inquired, getting a grin and slight head shake from the man.
She sighed again and pulled her knees to her chest with her right arm cradled in her lap. "I do…feel something for Tim, and I'm still a little confused about these feelings. Orihime explained some things to me yesterday, but there are still some holes." She tightened her grip on her legs. "I've already made a decision…about what to do. I like Tim…He's shown me nothing but kindness…he didn't judge me by what I am, and accepted me for who I am. He fights…so hard, for those he cares about."
The woman rested her head on her knees. "I admire him so much…but I could never 'love' him." She stated, then glanced at the man. "Tim has already risked so much for me, and I couldn't possibly demand anymore from him by loving him. It would selfish of me to do so. Tim and I could never be together, simply because of what I am. That's why…" she paused and returned her head to her knees. "…I won't let these feelings go on. I've decided to just…let them go…let him go."
Kisuke started fanning himself again. "I'm afraid it's not that easy, miss Nel." He stated, getting her attention. "The thing is, is that Tim is sensitive. You've seen firsthand how he responds when something happens to his friends. He will likely never admit it, but as tough as he tries to appear on the outside, inside is nothing but a bleeding heart of kindness."
Nel chuckled lightly. "Yeah…he is." She confirmed.
"Whether you want to admit it or not, Yoruichi, Kit, and I have all seen the feelings you have towards Tim. He may be dense Nel, but that denseness will only last so long. I'm sure it won't be long that he sees how you feel towards him, and by that time, he may have feelings for you as well. Don't forget who his zanpakutō spirit is. In fact, it would genuinely surprise me if Kit hasn't already started trying to break Tim of that denseness." He pointed, then snapped his fan shut.
"Also, whether or not 'you' have feelings for him would be irrelevant. If Tim develops feelings for 'you'…" he said as he pointed his fan at her. "…then he would still fight anyone who tried to bring you harm. Even if you had 'no' feelings for him, he would still fight if he had some for you. So, my advice…" he paused and returned to fanning as Nel looked at him. "…don't take the soul society into account in your decision. Because the fact of the matter, is that it's already too late, miss Nel. Tim has already dug the hole by deciding to help you. Having a relationship with an Arrancar, is going to do no better or worse." He finished, then left her to her thoughts.
She tilted her head and rested her cheek on her knee as a tear left her eye. Timothy had essentially signed his death warrant the moment he decided to help her after she saved him from that Adjuchas.
The woman had made the decision, just the day before, that she wasn't going to pursue her feelings, so she could prevent Tim from getting in trouble with the soul society. But after hearing from Kisuke that it didn't matter anyway, that decision was already starting to come into question.
If it was really true, and Timothy had really sealed his fate by simply helping her, did that make it okay for her to look more into these feelings for the Lieutenant? Should she pursue the feelings she had for him, or should she stay with her decision to abandon them?
"Gamuza…are you there?" she called out.
"I'm here. Although, I'm not really in the mood to talk with you." The spirit answered.
She nodded slightly. "I understand…but, can I ask you something?"
"What's that?"
Her grip tightened more on her legs. "What do you…think I should do…about my feelings?"
"…Are you seriously asking me that? You can't possibly be serious about asking 'me', who still hates this 'Tim', what I think about your feelings towards him. I believe I made it abundantly clear just how much I despise the brat." Gamuza stated mockingly.
"I am, Gamuza. You're a part of me…so I'm asking you what I should do."
"You have got to be kidding me. You honestly want the opinion from someone, who hates the guy, on how they feel about your feelings towards him? For starters, how can you even 'have' feelings for him? You're a hollow, remember? How can you be sure that these 'feelings' aren't just part of your misguided sense of loyalty towards him?" she inquired.
Nel closed her eyes and sighed. "I…just know, Gamuza. I feel like…I don't want to be without him." She admitted.
"…You're an idiot, Nel. And personally, I could care less about these feelings of yours towards him. I don't like him. I only said I would give him the chance to prove himself, not that I would care for him. I am your instincts Nel, but I know nothing about these so-called feelings you have for the brat. If you feel that you should seek these feelings out, then do so; even though I still think you're a blind fool for doing so. But I am the last being you should be asking when it comes to questions on 'romantic feelings'." Gamuza stated, then went quiet.
The Arrancar woman lifted her head to the ceiling with open eyes and took a deep breath. "What do I do?" she whispered and continued to sit there in thought.
Timothy's Inner World, Present
His head was throbbing, his entire body ached, and he was feeling excessively weak. But these were only a few of the things Timothy was feeling as he opened his eyes with a low moan, the little bit of sunlight peeking through the clouds agitating his eyes.
He held a hand over his face to shield his eyes and noticed that he was once again in his inner world. The first thing that he noticed, was the clouds. The last time, they were a dull grey in color, and had only a couple small holes for sunlight to peek through.
Now, they were a bit lighter in color, and the patches of empty space between them were much larger. Where it had been a gentle rain the last time, now it was more of a drizzle with an occasional medium sized drop every now and then.
He tried to lift his head, so he could get into a sitting position, but he very quickly tossed that idea out the window when, what felt like a mental hammer, pounded his head like an anvil. He dropped his shielding hand down to clutch his head and try to sooth the ache away, but to no avail.
"I can see…you are…awake." A familiar voice stated.
Timothy sighed silently and gave a small smile. "Hey 'Johnny'." He replied without looking towards the spirit.
"I graciously…await the day…that you…learn my name…and stop…calling me…by that…accursed one." 'Johnny' stated in a depressed tone.
The Lieutenant snorted lightly. "Blame Kit, she's the one who started that." He stated, the rose a brow and rolled his head on the ground to face the spirit. "Where is she, by the way?" he inquired.
"She…is resting…It will…be a while…before she…awakens…For now…rest…You have…done well…and deserve it. Lie there…and we…shall talk...awhile." he informed.
The man gave him a thumbs up. "I approve of that idea." He joked, then let his hand drop to the ground.
'Johnny' nodded. "You have…done well…Tim…And now…you can maintain…your Bankai…But you…are not done." He informed.
Timothy rose a brow. "You mean I need more training with it? I'm already aware of that." He stated.
"You resolve…has greatly…improved…so far…It will not…be long…until you…are ready…to learn…my name."
The man's eyes widened a bit. "You mean…"
The spirit nodded again. "You are…nearly ready…to learn…my Shikai."
Timothy turned his head back to the sky with a sigh. "I'm curious." He said, then returned to the spirit. "You both reside in a single zanpakutō, so how will using your abilities work if I use the same zanpakutō for Kit's?" he inquired.
"You cannot…use both of…our abilities…at once…If you release…Moeru Kitsune…then you cannot…use me…The same…is so…if you…release me…You cannot…use hers…In order…to use…the other's…abilities…you must first…reseal one…to use…the other."
He turned back to the sky with a hum. "So, if I want to use one ability, I can't use the other. So, I'd have to switch between you two, right?"
'Johnny' nodded. "Correct…However…with practice…and skill…and trust…you will…one day…find yourself…able to call…upon us…without…calling our names."
"What do you mean?" Timothy asked without turning.
"You can…call upon…our abilities…without…calling our names…This…can only…be done once…deep trust…has been…established…You have…this trust…with…Moeru Kitsune…You can call…upon her…abilities…without calling…her name."
Timothy swung his head to the spirit. "I can?!" he asked in shock.
The spirit nodded firmly. "It is…something that…takes practice."
He rose a brow. "I'll definitely 'have' to look into that." He answered, then looked back up.
A long moment of silence fell upon the two of them as the light rain fell on them. "Hey…can I ask you something?" he inquired in a low tone.
"You may."
Another moment of silence passed before Timothy looked at the spirit. "You know how…hard headed I can be…right?" he asked and the spirit nodded. "Be honest with me 'Johnny'…from what you've seen…does it look to you like…Nel 'really' has feelings for me?" he asked. The spirit didn't answer, then he turned his head back to the sky. "I hate to admit it most of the time…but Kit 'is' right when she says that I can be…thick skulled on 'certain' matters. So…is it true…what she says, that…Nel has feelings for me?"
The spirit stared at him with narrowed eyes. "I told you…I will not…be involved…in these…games."
Timothy looked at him. "I'm not asking you to get involved…Actually…I hope you keep out of them, unless you side with me." He half joked, and returned to the sky. "No…I actually want to know…if Kit's telling the truth…that Nel 'does' have feelings for me. It has always been hard to tell whether that vixen is telling the truth, or if she was just screwing with me."
He returned to the spirit. "I'm concerned 'Johnny'…Nel's a good person. And to be honest, I actually do…" He began to turn a bit pink in the face. "…like her…a little. But…" He closed his eyes with a sigh. "The truth is, I seriously doubt it would ever work." He admitted.
'Johnny' narrowed his gaze. "And why…is that?" he asked.
Timothy opened his eyes and gave the spirit a serious stare. "She's a hollow, 'Johnny…and I'm a soul reaper. Aren't we supposed to be enemies? Nel's not a bad person. I've seen it. She's kind and caring, something no one would ever expect from the monsters that everyone say hollows are. She's…different. She seems to be more human than hollow if anything."
He turned back to the sky again with a heavy sigh. "Do you think…it's even possible…between Nel and I? I don't want to hurt her feelings by giving her something, then take it away cause it can't happen. I'm afraid I've already hurt her enough by giving her false hope of the soul society possibly giving her amnesty after helping us with Aizen."
"And what…would you do…if they don't?...If they…discover her…what will…you do?" the spirit asked.
"What I promised her." He quickly answered. "I told her I would protect her, and I will. If it means fighting the soul society, then so be it. Nel's my friend, and I refuse to abandon my friends." He firmly stated.
"If that…is the case…then you…have nothing…to worry about." 'Johnny' informed, getting Timothy's attention. "Regardless…of what…you say…you helped…an 'enemy'…of the…soul society…You are…in effect…already…a traitor…if they…discover her…So it should…not matter…if you…and Nelliel form…a relationship…If you…have feelings…for Nelliel…then follow…your heart…and do what…you think…to be best." He advised.
Timothy turned his head back. "So…I should look into these feelings?"
"That…is not…for me…to say…If you care…for her…and truly wish…to be…with her…then do…what your heart…tells you…Now…I will…speak of this…no longer." He stated.
The man looked at the spirit with a raised brow. "By the way…how 'is' life with Kit being in the same inner world with you?" he inquired.
'Johnny' gave him an evil glare. "I regret…allowing you…to bring…her here." He growled.
Timothy snickered at the spirit. "Now you feel the pain I had to live with for years, 'Johnny'." He teased.
The spirit dropped his head. "I…hate…you."
The young man started laughing, then clutched his side in pain from the sore muscles. "At least…at least she's…not se…seducing you." He said between laughs.
Silence followed, then he stopped and looked at the spirit to see his head turned away. "Wait…she didn't…" he started, but got no response from 'Johnny'. "She…she did?!" he asked with wide eyes.
'Johnny' glared at him. "You…will not…speak…of this…again!" he hissed in a demonic voice.
Timothy quickly shook his head. "Not a word! I swear!" he responded.
"Now…you know…why…she can…materialize…so easily…It is because…I 'allow'…her to…To give me…some reprieve…from her…antics." He informed.
The Lieutenant rolled to his side and propped himself up on an elbow. "Wait…so the reason she can come out whenever she wants…is because you 'let her'?! Just to give you time away from her?!" Timothy demanded.
'Johnny' growled at him in an echoing, hollow voice. "That…'woman'…is evil!" the spirit hissed in declaration.
Timothy gave him a remorseful look. "For once…'Johnny'…we have 'something' we agree on.
Las Noches Throne Room, Hueco Mundo, 4 Hours Later
The Sexta Espada, Grimmjow, entered the room through one of the side entrances; along with his five fracción: Shawlong Koufang, Yylfordt Granz, Nakeen Grindina, Di Roy Rinker, and Edrad Liones.
The six Arrancar walked around and up the stairs to the large chair where Aizen was relaxing contently. While the five fracción stopped their movement at the last step, Grimmjow walked further until he came to a stop only a few feet from Aizen.
"You wanted to see me and my fracción, Lord Aizen?" he inquired as his subordinates took a knee and bowed their heads.
Aizen half opened his eyes while keeps his content grin. "Yes, Grimmjow. I have…a unique mission for you and your subordinates in the world of the living. One that requires…extensive precision. You will be assigned with Ulquiorra for the task; however, how you complete the prerequisites for the mission, I leave to you."
Grimmjow raised his brow a bit. "I assume that orange-haired soul reaper kid is off limits?" he inquired.
Sōsuke smiled. "You have no need to worry about Ichigo Kurosaki at the moment. He is currently unavailable, so he should not pose a problem. However, if he 'does' appear, you are welcome to engage him; provided that you do not bring him to any permanent harm. Ulquiorra has all of the details for what is required of you, so go and speak with him. You are all to leave in five days to begin. I have nothing further for you, or your subordinates. You may all leave." He concluded.
Grimmjow bowed at the waist while the fracción dropped their heads lower before they all rose and began walking down the stairs.
"Oh yes, I almost forgot; I do have one more thing to discuss with you alone, Grimmjow." Aizen informed, causing the Espada to stop and turn around.
The two men waited until the five fracción left the room, then Aizen grinned. "I am sure you will come across the soul reaper, Timothy Durn, and the former Quinto Espada, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, while you are performing your task." The man held out his hand and presented the Sexta Espada with a small, cylindrical device. "If you do come across this soul reaper, you are required to use this against him. I would like to test its effectiveness against a soul reaper."
Grimmjow walked back up and took the device from the man, looking it over briefly before sticking it inside his pocket.
"Am I free to kill him?" he asked with a small, but toothy grin.
Aizen closed his eyes as he thought the question over. After a few moments, his eyes returned to the Espada.
"No…I believe that he may be useful to our cause. However, Nelliel is another matter. If she appears, and you are given the chance, kill her. If possible, capture her, but you are free to kill her as you please." He informed.
The Espada grinned widely. "Of course, Lord Aizen." He answered, then walked back down the stairs to look for Ulquiorra.
Aizen turned his head and rested it on his fist as he looked out the balcony, now repaired, and into the fake sky on the dome of Las Noches.
"Well, Nel had reacquired Gamuza, though with some 'restrictions'; and Timothy has managed to handle the power of his Bankai. I'm sure some of you are wondering what kind of abilities his second release will give him, but you'll see soon enough.
With that, we also see that Nel is starting to come to the realization that there may possibly be something between her and Timothy, and that there may be chance for them. Question is, is what she plans to do about it. But, again, we'll all see before too long.
Hope you all enjoyed this week's chapter, and looking forward to seeing you fellas again next week. Laters.
(A.N.: In case any of you may be wondering, Furasshu hi Kitsune Hime basically means 'Flash fire Fox Princess'. Judging by her name, I'm sure most of you can figure out what Kitsune's abilities could be.)
