Evening readers, not much to say or put out this week. So I'll keep it short this week on the rambling. Only one 'review' this week, so I'll answer that right quick…
ZILLAFAN: Again, you're quite welcome and I'm still glad you're enjoying the story.
Sadly, there won't be a 'Spades's Banter' this week. I guess our resident question keeper got busy; but, things happen. So, feel free to go ahead and toss the revied Spades and I'll make it a double next week.
Like I said, keeping it short, so on to the chapter.
(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 26
(Gamuza's Wrath)
Underground Training Area, Present
Timothy landed on the ground with a loud crash, rolling and tumbling a few yards, until he finally came to a stop near a large boulder. He let out a few coughs to clear the dust from his lungs as he rolled to his side and began to push himself up.
"Tim…what are you going to do? There's no way you can fight her without also hurting Nel as well." Kitsune pointed out in a worried voice.
Using his zanpakutō as a prop, he pushed himself back up to his feet and coughed once more before looking back in the direction he flew from. He then coughed twice more and nodded.
"I know…I haven't got the slightest idea on how to fight her. We need to figure out a way to stop her without causing any actual harm to her body." He stated.
There was a dull buzzing sound as 'Gamuza' suddenly appeared right in front of him with her zanpakutō held to the side across her chest. He froze in a bit of panic as the woman swung out and across at him.
He quickly dropped back, the blade narrowly missing him as he fell onto his back, then kept moving in a backwards roll to returned to his feet a few feet away. Gamuza was quick to resume her assault as she darted towards him with her blade held out in a stabbing motion.
With a twist of his body, he allowed the blade, along with her, to pass by in front of him. But she swiftly stopped and twisted her own body as she swung up and across. Timothy managed to position his own blade in time to catch hers before it could make contact.
The two warriors were now face to face with each other; her with a killing intent etched into her eyes, and him with concern and fear. Concern because he was worried about what was happening to Nel during all this, and fear because he could actually see the upmost desire in her eyes to kill him.
"Gamuza, you need to stop this! Nel is a part of you, and you of her! And you know damn well she doesn't want this!" he pleaded.
She narrowed her eyes at him in fury. "I already told you, soul reaper…I don't care what that woman wants. I'm going to kill you, and nothing is going to stop me." She returned, then thrusted her offhand out in a tight fist to catch him in the jaw.
The force of the hit forced the two warriors away from each other, but only for a brief second as Gamuza was once again right on top of him with her sword ready to strike. He managed to block her again, and swiftly gave her a kick to her stomach, forcing the woman back as he used shunpo to relocate a few yards away.
"I don't want to do this Gamuza, but I can't just stand here and let you keep beating on me like this." He stated, then held his zanpakutō in front of him. "Tease, Moeru Kitsune." He called out.
Within seconds, the entire field around them was littered with small flames as his zanpakutō transformed into its straight, and shortened form. The woman looked around at a few of the flames, then back to him with a raised brow.
"So, you finally want to get serious? Fine by me. It's just going to make killing you a bit more difficult…and a whole lot more enjoyable." She hissed, then charged at him again.
A brief instant before she made it to him, Timothy used one of his flames to vanish from sight. Having seen the way he fights before, Gamuza knew exactly what he was going to do. She quickly turned mid-step and swung behind her.
This time, the blade struck true, catching Timothy in the arm before he could react to his failed surprise attack. She maneuvered the blade mid-swing to make another cut across his neck, but he swiftly vanished again, reappearing a few yards to her left.
Gamuza quickly recovered from the failed attack and turned to him with a displeased scowl. "You love to draw your opponent in, then disappear and show back up right behind him to attack. Nel has seen the way you fight many times during your training with that damn shop keeper. And everything she sees, 'I' see. So, I know exactly how you fight, brat. You can't fool me with your trickery, so don't bother." She stated with annoyance.
Timothy flinched a bit, then growled with similar annoyance. "Alright, how about this then?" he inquired.
A copy of him then appeared to her rear, and another one to her right. As she turned around to look at the clones, she saw that she was surrounded by at least eight of them from all sides. The spirit scoffed and glanced back at him with a displeased look.
"Really? I know for a fucking fact that I just said that I've seen all of your tricks, stupid soul reaper. You can't possibly think that this stupid trick of yours will work on me. I know full well that while you are using this tactic, you can't move from that spot. So that means…" she paused, then suddenly turned and swung behind her, catching him in the chest from his sternum to his left flank.
Luckily, he was still at a distance to where the attack couldn't reach far enough to cut him deeply. He backed up a few steps, then vanished again as she glanced around to see that all of the clones were holding their chests in the exact same spot where she had just cut him.
"…that you'll try to make me panic and worry about your clones, then attack me from behind again." She finished.
Timothy hissed in pain as he stared at her in shock. "How did you…"
Gamuza tilted her head with a raised brow. "What? Know exactly when you were going to attack? Hah! That's so simple, a damn baby could understand it. I may not be able to sense your spiritual pressure for that split second as you appear, but I don't need to. I can sense your fear, soul reaper. Not your fear for me, I can easily see that you don't fear me at all. No. I can sense your fear and hesitation of hurting me, and therefor hurting Nelliel. I can almost literally see it flowing from you like a fucking river. As long as you have that fear inside you, I will 'always' know exactly where you are." She affirmed.
His body twitched at her words as he gritted his teeth. "I won't let you hurt Nel, Gamuza. I 'will' find a way to force you back, and bring her back in control." He hissed at her.
The woman then started laugh menacingly, before tossing a thumb behind her with a wide, and evil grin.
"I seriously doubt that matters anymore, soul reaper. Haven't you noticed yet that we have company?" she inquired, causing Timothy to narrow his gaze in confusion; only for his eyes to widen a second later, making the spirit grin more. "I see you finally realized that your secret is out, stupid. That Captain and the other soul reapers have seen me, and are now fully aware of what Nelliel truly is." She pointed out, then dropped her hand to her hip. "Even if, by some random miracle, that you manage to defeat me, and force me back into the depths of that bitch's mind, how do you propose to fight off them as well?"
The woman chuckled darkly at him. "Face it, Timothy Durn, no matter what happens between us, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck will still die here today. Even if I can't kill you, you are now a traitor to them, and will be put to death, or imprisoned for the rest of your pathetic life." She then threw her hand up, palm open. "I'd rather kill you myself, but I guess I'd be happy with that result as well." She admitted, then dropped her hand to grab her zanpakutō. "The only choice you have left is to try and kill me. No matter what you do, I will never allow myself to be forced back to be that bitch's slave while she acts like a weakling. In fact…"
She paused and held her zanpakutō out in front of her, holding the blade at the halfway point with her offhand. "…I think it's about time I stop holding back, and give you the most painful experience you can imagine." She finished, then smiled menacingly. "Praise…Gamuza." She said in a low voice, causing Timothy's eyes to go wide.
Her body was immediately enveloped in a mass of pink spirit energy with enough force that it threatened to push Timothy off his feet. He held an arm up to shield his face from the small rocks and debris that the whirlpool of energy was throwing around.
Timothy looked into the vortex with narrowed eyes as he tried to catch a glimpse of what was going on inside. But the energy was so dense, not to mention the cloud of debris around it, that he was unable to see, or even sense anything inside it.
"Tim…this must be that Resurrección that Kisuke had told us about." Kitsune pointed out.
"That…it is…Prepare yourself…Timothy…For she…is now…more powerful…than you…can imagine." 'Johnny' affirmed.
The man scoffed at them both. "Just great…so how the fuck am I supposed to help Nel out now?" he asked in annoyance.
Before either of the spirits could reply, the mass of energy in front of him began to dissipate. As his vision of the area began to clear, he could barely make out the form of a rather large and tall being inside.
His eyes narrowed a bit in order to try and get a clearer picture of the being inside, but when the mass of energy suddenly vanished, his eyes immediately went wide as saucers as he gazed upon the transformed being in front of him.
Although her upper body looked unchanged, except for the bits of white, boney armor on her shoulders, elbows, and hands, her lower body now resembled something similar to a tan furred centaur.
Her mask had also changed a bit, the ram's horns on the top of her mask now elongated to about a foot long that curved around behind her head, with slim side pieces that ran down the sides of her face.
And in her hand, instead of a zanpakutō, was a long, five to six-foot-long, silver lance that she held at her side. With everything considered, she now looked very closely like a medieval knight. And although her new form instilled a bit of fear into him, he couldn't help but be amazed at the new form.
"That's…amazing!" Kitsune commented.
Timothy swallowed the lump in his throat, then nodded. "Yeah…I agree."
He then took a step back as Gamuza brought her lance up to her shoulder, giving him the notion that she was about to throw it at him. The woman then narrowed her gaze at him dangerously.
"I was hoping to make you suffer a painful death while making her watch. But the longer I'm in this form, the quicker she dies." She informed, causing Timothy to widen his eyes.
"Gamuza! Please! I'm begging you to stop this crap! Why can't you see that I'm really not your enemy?!" he yelled at her.
She rose a brow at him. "You think I'm going through all this 'just' because you're my enemy? How stupid can a soul reaper possibly be? I'm not doing this only because you're my enemy, I'm doing this because you took her away from me!" she yelled, then charged forward at an unimaginable speed.
Timothy gasped as she covered nearly fifty feet of distance in an instant, now right in front of him and thrusting her lance forward at him with hateful eyes. Him already being in a ready stance when she attacked was the only thing that had saved him.
All he needed to do was twist his hand a bit and his blade was in front of the attack. But he clearly had not expected the monstrous amount of force behind the attack as he was instantly lifted off his feet and sent flying backwards.
He gave out a loud grunt as his body collided with the large boulder near twenty yards from where he was before; creating a small crater in the shape of his body. He grunted again as he slowly pulled himself out of the hole and looked back at the half woman with a closed eye; a small trickle of blood running down his face.
Gamuza simply stood there watching him while holding her lance out to her side. But his other eye widened when she brought the lance back up to her shoulder, ready to throw. He stood on the sloped edge of the boulder and got ready to defend himself.
The woman narrowed her gaze again. "Lanzador Verde." She said, then threw the lance with massive force.
"Move!" 'Johnny' yelled in his mind.
The sudden, and very unexpected tone from the normally quiet and calm spirit shocked Timothy enough to bring him back to his senses; just quick enough for him to lean forward and leap from the boulder towards the ground.
The lance passed by him only inches from his body as it sailed right into the spot where he was just a split second ago. The boulder exploded from the force of the impact, the shockwave from the explosion propelling Timothy mid-jump into the ground with a crash.
Timothy coughed a few times as the lance pulled itself from the ground where it had finally come to a stop, and flew straight back from it came from; right back into Gamuza's hand to be held at her shoulder again.
She then charged forward towards the spot where Timothy had landed while holding her lance in a position to jab at him again. But just as she was about to commence the strike, a rope of yellow energy shot out from the small dust cloud that Timothy's collision with the ground caused.
Before she could react, the energy rope wrapped around her front legs, binding them tightly, and causing her to trip forward. The high speed at which she was traveling gave her body enough momentum that when her upper body planted onto the ground, her lower body vaulting over her upper portion and into the air.
Gamuza flew through the air a few yards before coming back down to the ground and rolling along her sides; her lance now lying on the ground several feet away where she had originally fell face first.
Timothy was there in an instant, flashing into place right next to it and planting his foot on top to prevent her from reacquiring it. He turned to where she had finally stopped rolling to see her getting back up to her feet, breaking the kidō as she did.
The spirit glared at him with fury. "Damn you, soul reaper! That was a dirty trick!" she accused.
He rose a brow at her in disbelief. "You're literally holding Nel's body hostage and using it to fight me, knowing I can't really fight back, and you call 'my' attack dirty? Talk about double standards. So how do you plan to fight me now, Gamuza? You ain't got your lance, or whatever anymore." He pointed out.
Gamuza tilted her head. "You honestly think that because you have your foot on my lance that I can't get it back?" she inquired, then raised her hand next to her head; her palm open in a gesture to grab something. "You are gravely mistaken, stupid soul reaper." She stated.
His eyes widened before looking down to see the lance glow pink, then shatter into billions of particles of energy. The particles then shot back towards Gamuza's open hand to gather and reform back into the lance from before; now being held firmly in her hand.
Timothy looked back at the spirit with a deadpanned expression. "…Cheater." he moaned.
Gamuza shifted her hold on the lance to hold it at her side and back a bit, ready to jab at him. She then raised her body up to where she was now standing on her hind legs and narrowed her gaze at him dangerously.
"Justa Subsónica." She said in a low voice.
Timothy gasped as her body dropped back down and leaped forward at an unimaginable speed. As she did, the air where she had stood exploded in a large shockwave as the air around them shook with the loud sound of an explosion.
He had no time to even consider moving out of the way as the tip of her lance, now surrounded by a mass of spirit energy, that formed a very thick and pointed wall in front of her, collided with his unguarded chest.
The unhalted lunge actually picked him up off his feet and carried him along with her as she pushed him across the field at her subsonic speed. But when she suddenly came to an instant, and on point stop, his body kept going and flew through the air.
His body impacted, and sailed right through not one, or two, but four consecutive boulders, turning them into shrapnel as it did, until he finally came to a stop when his body crashed into the side wall of the edge of the training area.
While his body was still stuck inside the body-sized crater it had created on the wall, Gamuza raised her offhand up and pointed her palm towards him. A mass of energy gathered in the palm of her hand as she bared her teeth.
"Cero." She whispered.
The mass of energy then shot forth from her hand in a large beam that sailed straight towards Timothy.
Timothy painfully raised his own hand up with his palm toward the incoming attack. "Hadō #63, Raikōhō!" he chanted.
A large bolt of lightning-like energy shot out from his hand and collided with the oncoming Cero, causing both attacks to explode in midair. A buzzing sound filled the air as Gamuza used sonído to reappear right in front of Timothy; her lance held back to stab him.
She yelled out as she thrusted forward, but the lance only struck earth as Timothy flashed away at the last second; now standing on top of a boulder with the two fingers of his sword arm pointed right at her.
"Bakudō #63, Sajō Sabaku!" he yelled.
Gamuza turned towards him just as a yellow, chain-like energy flew towards her and began wrapping itself around her body. It pulled taut, restricting her movements, and preventing her from continuing to stand in the air.
Her body fell from the sky and she grunted in pain as her body landed on the ground hard. Timothy then flashed down to her a few yards away as she began to fight against the kidō; yelling and growling in anger as she did.
He watched with a saddened look as she struggled violently against her bonds, a lone tear running down his cheek. He knew what he had to do now, and he was reluctant to do it; but he now realized that he simply had no choice.
In just ten minutes of fighting, his body was already completely battered and bruised. That last attack had left him with two large gashes on his legs, along with a gash on the back of his head that was bleeding steadily, a chunk of skin was missing from his left forearm, and he could guess that at least half of his ribs were broken from where the lance had hit him.
"Tim…she's going to kill you if you hold back any longer…" Kitsune stated in a broken voice. "I hate this just as much as you do…but you need to stop her." She instructed.
"Yes…We cannot…be sure…that defeating her…will kill…Nelliel…You must…stop her." 'Johnny' affirmed.
Timothy closed his eyes in sorrow as Gamuza began to break the kidō binding her apart. "I don't know what to do…I can't fight her like this. I'm…I'm afraid…I'll kill Nel. I can't do it." He admitted in a whisper.
"If what Gamuza said is true, and Nel can see everything that's going on, do you honestly believe she would want to see you die, Tim? Do you really think that alone wouldn't kill her? It's simple Tim…if you hold out on Gamuza any longer, you 'will' die. And if you die, we essentially 'all' die, and Gamuza will win. Do not let that demon win, Tim. You know full well that Nel would rather have you kill her unintentionally, than to see Gamuza kill you." She firmly stated.
He opened his eyes back to see Gamuza nearly loose as she yelled in anger. "But how can I fight her? She knows my tactics, how I fight. And she's just too fast." He pointed out.
"Use…Bankai." 'Johnny' answered, causing Timothy to widen his eyes.
"Yes Tim, use my Bankai on her. You still have a lot of training you need for to master it, but you should be strong enough to at least stop Gamuza. Nel has never seen you training with your Bankai before, so that means that Gamuza hasn't either. But if you do, you 'need' to move quickly. Your body is already badly damaged, so you won't be able to keep the Bankai up for long." She advised.
Timothy gripped his sword tighter as he clenched his teeth. "Is there nothing else I can do?" he pleaded.
"As it stands…there is…nothing…you can do…Use…your Bankai…and defeat…Gamuza…There is…a chance…that you…may force her…to submit…and return…her body…to Nelliel." 'Johnny' offered.
He watched as Gamuza broke through the last of her bonds, grabbing her lance before standing back up to glare at him with upmost hatred. She then gripped her lance so tightly in rage that her shoulders began shaking.
"I am done fucking around with you, damn soul reaper! I had hoped that my Justa Subsónica would have killed you, but I hate to admit that you're more sturdy than I thought. Nelliel's time is almost up, so if I want her to see your demise, I need to end this now! So just stand right there and let me finish this as quickly as possible!" she hissed, then rose her lance to her face; ready to throw.
Timothy lowered his head as he closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry Nel." He whispered.
Gamuza rose a brow at him. "Sorry? For what? That you failed her? That you led her to the situation she's in now? That 'you' caused her death? Ha! You should be sorry, you fucking soul reaper! I gave that damn bitch so many chances to come to her senses, but no! She just 'had' to choose you! You! Over 'me'! Your damned, foolish promise of 'protection', and your stupid feelings towards her has led her to her death! Made her weak enough that I had to take over! So yes, you 'should' be sorry for what you've done to her! I have no doubt with how weak and pathetic she's become that 'she'll' forgive you, but I won't! I will kill you for what you've done to us! For what you are 'doing' to us!" she proclaimed.
"That's not what I'm sorry for, Gamuza." He stated.
She tilted her head at him in a bit of confusion. "Oh really…then please, kindly tell me just what else you could possibly be sorry to her for!" she growled.
Timothy looked back at her as he raised his zanpakutō sideways in front of him; grabbing the blade at the hilt with his offhand. The spirit's eyes widened a bit as she realized what he was about to do.
"I'm sorry…for being the one to have to kill her." he corrected. "Bankai." He commanded, then twisted his hands apart and snapped the blade off at the hilt. "Furasshu hi Kitsune Hime." He finished.
Gamuza watched as the two halves of his zanpakutō began to glow red, then orange as they melted in his hands. With seconds, the halves then reformed around his hands and forearms and slowly solidified into a pair a gauntlets that covered them.
Once they had finished their transformation, the armored gloves slowly cooled down until they gave off a silvery sheen. The blades however, the six-inch-long, single blades on each hand, glowed a dull orange color as they remained red-hot; emitting steam as the moisture in the air near them was vaporized.
A flame then erupted from the gauntlets and began encasing his body in a roaring inferno as the field was once again covered with numerous small flames; at least three times more than he had produced before.
As Gamuza turned to one of the flames, she noticed that they were now moving around at a fairly decent pace. Timothy turned the same flame she was observing and scoffed lightly.
"I guess all that stupid training with Kisuke paid off. It seems that I can move them around much faster now. Good for me…" He paused and glanced back at the spirit. "…but terrible for you, Gamuza." He warned.
Gamuza looked back at him unamused. "You think I'm worried about your stupid flames now that you've released your Bankai? I am well aware of what would happen if I was to touch one of those flames. I suddenly catch fire, right?" she mocked.
Timothy scoffed again as he lowered his head. "That's right…I forgot that Nel told me Aizen had showed the Espada footage of me using my abilities. I guess you're right…" he started, then looked back at her. "But you shouldn't be worried about what my flames can do, Gamuza." He stated.
She narrowed her gaze at him cautiously. "What are you getting at, brat?" she questioned firmly.
He then held out a hand towards a small group of flames to his right with an open palm. Her eyes widened as the flames suddenly shrank, then flew at a high speed towards his open hand; vanishing mere inches from it as the small fox emblem on his wrist began to glow a very dull red.
Closing his fist, he then got into a boxer's ready stance with the hand he used to capture the flames held back a bit and ready for a punch. Gamuza got into a stance of her own as she got ready for him to charge at her.
"You should be worried about what I can do 'with' these flames." He finished, then thrusted his right fist forward.
Gamuza moved her lance to block his charge, but it never came. The man never moved from that spot. Instead, what 'actually' happened shocked her, enough that she couldn't react in time.
As his fist shot forward, a large flame shot out from the blade and sailed right at her. The flame hit her lance, but the fireball exploded when it did and showered her with a myriad of tiny embers; each one instantly burning her skin and fur where they had contacted. Fortunately, the tiny flames didn't stay lit and quickly went out right after the initial burn.
She sonídoed back several yards and glared at him evilly as she growled. "What the hell was that?!" she demanded.
Timothy recovered from his thrust and got back into a ready position. "Hinotama Surasuto. My gauntlets allow me to, for lack of a more appropriate term, 'collect' any flames I currently have on the field into them. Then, by encasing those flames with some of my spirit energy, I can turn them into projectiles that explode upon impact. As you've just seen yourself, those explosions create dozens upon dozens of tiny embers that instantly burn whatever they touch. They don't burn you constantly like the other flames do, but the sheer number of them is way more than enough to cause some significant damage…especially if you were to take one head-on!" he yelled as he thrusted his fist again, sending another flame in her direction.
Gamuza scoffed at the attack, then simply used sonído to transition several feet to the right of the attack's trajectory. But her eyes went wide with a slight gasp before she turned around to see Timothy standing behind her and already sending a fireball towards her.
She used sonído again a split second before the flaming missile hit her, and instead allowing it to hit the ground just past where she was. She reappeared a short distance away, only to gasp again as she realized that three of his flames were there waiting for her.
One of them made contact with her hind quarters on the left side, setting the fur ablaze, before she leaped forward and away from the offensive objects. She turned her upper body around and used her free hand to pat the flames out on her rear.
Once the fire was out, she turned back around to see Timothy standing on the sloped side of a large boulder and staring at her with a solemn face. She growled loudly as she clenched her fists tightly in fury.
"Damn you! Quit your damn playing around, soul reaper! You do realize that any damage you cause me, you cause to Nelliel, right?!" she yelled.
He closed his eyes and allowed a stray tear to run down his cheek again. "I'm aware…and I pray to God that Nel will forgive me for causing her so much pain. But…" He opened his eyes again, then reached out and began collecting more flames into his gauntlet. "…as much as it pains the fuck out of me, I would much rather see her in pain, and be the cause of that pain, than let you kill her all because of how blind and selfish you are, Gamuza." He stated as he closed his fist after collecting close to a half dozen flames.
"I don't want to do this…but it's very obvious that I really don't have a choice otherwise. I told Nel that I would protect her, and if what you said was true, that Nel is essentially already dead, then I have failed her. I failed both of you. You hurt something that I cared very deeply for, and because of that, I am going to kill you, Gamuza." He then got into his ready stance and glared at her. "Nel…if you can hear me…I am so sorry that I failed you, and I hope you can forgive me for this." He said in a saddened voice.
He then vanished using a flame to reappear to the spirit's left side, thrusting his fist out, then the other, and then the first one again in rapid succession; sending three fireballs hurling towards the angered spirit.
Gamuza danced from one side to the other as the projectiles sailed past her, before darting forward with her lance held out to stab Timothy through. But he didn't even bother to move, instead choosing to hold his hands up.
He somehow managed to catch the lance near the tip in his closed grips, his body being pushed back with his feet being dragged against the ground as he pushed back against the attack. In all, her attack had managed to push him back nearly fifty feet before the two of them came to a stop.
The spirit looked at him with wide eyes, shocked beyond belief that he had managed to 'catch' her lance in his hands and stop her charge. Her eyes then turned to where he had a hold of her lance to see his gauntlet starting to glow red as it heated up, causing the end of her lance to do the same.
She scowled at him as she quickly yanked her weapon from his grip, managing to successfully do so, then used sonído to get some distance. When she reappeared, she took another look at her lance to see that the end where he was previously holding it was slightly deformed and bent.
Gamuza gritted her teeth harder, then death glared him. "You fucking fool! How dare you do that to my lance! I will make sure you pay for this!" she yelled, then leaped into the air at him.
Holding her lance back, she dove right at him and thrusted her lance forward. Timothy flashed away the second before the attack hit, the lance impacting the ground and causing a small explosion where it hit from the force.
He was behind her yet again with his left hand pushing forward to punch her exposed flank. But she simply turned her body a bit and gave him a swift double kick with her hind legs, her hooves hitting the fist.
The force from the two opposing forces created a small explosion in the air between them, throwing him back a few yards and pushing her forward the same distance; her nearly tripping over her own feet as she came to a stop.
She then reared up, twisting her body at full height, then dropped back down. "Lanzador Verde!" she yelled, then threw her lance as her front feet came back down to the ground.
The extra momentum from her upper body's forward movement projected the long weapon at an even faster, and more deadly speed than the first time. Using the last bit of flames he had stored up to surround his fist, he forced his fist forward at the lance, catching it on the side of the tip and deflecting it to the left.
The lance sailed past him and crashed into a small, nearby mountain, creating yet another large crater where it landed. But the object swiftly pulled itself free and flew right back into Gamuza's hand as she charged at him again.
He quickly rolled out of the way as she darted right past him, running on for several feet and colliding with the mountain from before. Timothy expertly swung around and back to his feet as he held a hand out with his fingers open and pointed at her.
"A king that reigns upon a shattered throne, the queen who sheds a shower of tears!" he began.
Gamuza pulled her lance from the rocky surface and jerked her head to him. "I don't fucking think so!" she yelled, then reared her body back and twisted around. "Justa Subsónica!" she yelled further, dropping her body and darting forward; creating a sonic boom behind her as she was instantly traveling faster than sound.
Timothy's eyes shot wide open, and moved his hand to the side just enough to allow the tip of her lance to impact his open palm. Clearly not expecting the attack, he was once again launched from his feet and sent flying back.
His body flew several yards away, but was luckily unobstructed as he came crashing back down to the ground; rolling head over heel a few yards more to stop in a kneeling position. He quickly spawned a few flames near him, then held out his gauntlet to collect them inside.
But Gamuza was on him again in an instant and already reared up with her lance ready to jab down at him, not giving him enough time to complete the collection before she dropped back down and shot her lance forward.
He managed to hold his other arm up and block the attack, but he was forced right back down into the ground as the force threatened to crush him right there. She then pulled her lance back and began stomping him further into the ground, one foot after the other.
Timothy grunted in pain each time that her hooves made contact with his unprotected chest, being stomped nearly a dozen times before he gathered the strength to thrust his fist out at her exposed underbelly.
The fireball shot out and struck her in the lower body's stomach, exploding near her hind legs, and throwing her to the side and off of him. He coughed a few times, wincing in pain each time as his chest throbbed from the constant beating he just received.
He growled in further pain as he rolled over and began pushing himself out of the hole that his body dug out. He very nearly fell back into the hole as he stumbled back up to his feet and turned his body to where Gamuza was doing the same.
Timothy flinched in sadness when he saw the damage that he had just caused to Nel's body. Her lower body's entire underbelly was completely bare of any fur, and he could clearly see the charred skin. The inner thighs of her hind legs in a similar situation, and were actually bleeding at a steady rate as the skin had burned and cracked open.
Gamuza hissed in pain as she stumbled when she took a few steps forward. "Damn you…fucking soul reaper! You're dead!" she hissed.
The spirit then held the lance in front of her, bringing her offhand towards the tip and running her palm against the sharp end to cut a shallow gash in her hand. Timothy's eyes widened with shock as she held out her, now bleeding, hand out with her palm facing him.
A large, and monstrously powerful mass of energy began gathering in her hand; growing larger and larger with each passing second. In only a few seconds, the mass of energy was now roughly the size of a soccer ball.
"Even with how open this little training place of yours is, it's still quite confining for something like this. I honestly didn't plan to use this, as the blast could very well kill me as well, especially with the condition you put me in. But as long as you die, I honestly don't care." She informed.
Timothy lowered his gaze and sighed. "I just don't understand, Gamuza." He stated.
The woman growled a bit. "Understand what?" she questioned.
He kept his sorrowful stare at her as he answered. "Why you're doing this." He said, then held his hand out towards her. "You say that I'm the cause of her 'weakness', but I honestly can't see how that is. Ever since Nel came here, she's done nothing but try to better herself. Maybe not in the way of combat, granted; but she has fought endlessly to better herself as a person." He then dropped his hand to his side.
"I just can't understand why you find that so offensive, Gamuza. I mean…I understand that you view me as an enemy simply because of what you and I are, I really do. But you said that's not the only reason for all of this bullshit, and I can clearly see that it's not. You keep claiming that I am nothing but a hindrance to Nel, that 'I' am the one who caused her to be turned against by Aizen."
Gamuza growled. "That's because it 'is' you who caused it! If it wasn't for that bitch feeling so pathetically sorry for your stupid ass after what Aizen did to you and that thing you once called a 'wife', then she would still be there at his side! Serving him loyally! You turned her against him! I'll grant you that you didn't purposely do it, but you kept her from realizing the error of her ways and returning to him to apologize for her actions! It was all because of you that her loyalty was questioned! That 'I' was questioned! Whatever happens to her, happens to 'me'! So, when Aizen turned on her because she felt sorry for you, he also turned on 'me'! Me! Who did nothing! This is all your fault! What Aizen did to me was 'your' fault!" she accused.
Timothy sighed and shook his head. "No Gamuza, Aizen turned on you because you simply didn't fit in his disgusting plans. He simply wanted nothing more from you, and chose to discard you. Nel saw that what he was doing was evil, and she finally realized that she was fighting for the wrong side. 'She' was the one with the courage and the heart to see that. 'She' is the strong one here. So, if anyone in regards to this matter is weak Gamuza, it's you." He returned.
The spirit's eyes shot wide open. "What the fuck did you just say to me?!" she yelled.
He crossed his arms tightly. "You heard me, Gamuza. Nel is obviously the strong one here, but 'you' are the one holding her back." He accused, causing her to clench her teeth tightly and growl in fury. "Like I said, over the past three weeks, Nel has done nothing but better herself. And just what, exactly, have 'you' done, besides bring her down, insult her, and threaten her? Absolutely nothing. You've done nothing but prove that 'you're' the weak link in her life, Gamuza. And here I thought that you two were supposed to be a team. So, let me ask you Gamuza, was there 'ever' a time in your existence where you and Nel got along?" he inquired.
Gamuza's fist shook in anger as she glared at him dangerously. "What the fuck does it matter to you, damn soul reaper? What? You wanna hear that me and Nelliel were 'best buddies'? You wanna hear that I had actually cared for her? Well I 'did'! I cared for her greatly!" she yelled aloud.
She then dissipated the mass of energy and dropped her hand to her side, along with her head. "Her and I used to have talks nearly every day, discussing simple things, even stupid things that made no damn sense. Nel and I were inseparable. Whenever she had a bad day, I was there to help her through it." She said in a low, and strangely calm voice, before looking back at him and shocking him with tears in her eyes.
"Nel and I were like sisters, soul reaper. We depended on each other. But you just 'had' to come along, and ruin everything. Because of you, Aizen separated us. See basically abandoned me and left me for dead when she stopped thinking about me. And when we finally got back together, all she could possibly think about was you. It was as if she had no need for me anymore." She said as the tears began running down her face. "And then she did the worst thing imaginable…she literally told me she wanted nothing to do with me, as long as I had my hatred for you. You. The one who caused all this. The one who ruined our lives."
Gamuza raised her lance and got ready to throw it again. "I can never have Nel back while you're alive, soul reaper. It's quite evident that she will always choose you over me. So, killing you is the only way. But I know that by doing so, Nelliel will 'always' hate me. So, it's very simple; if I can't have her, then I'll kill both of you and no one can have her." She finished.
Timothy stared at her with pity as he sighed. "I see. I guess I misjudged you, Gamuza. Here I thought that you were nothing more than her hollow powers and instincts. Yet, the only thing I'm actually seeing right now, is another being who has had her life mercilessly taken away from her. I pity you, Gamuza." He stated, causing her to raise a brow in surprise. "But not only because of that, but also because of how blind you really are." He admitted.
She dropped her brow and narrowed her glare. "Again, you state that 'I'm' the blind one here. Yet, you still fail to tell me how that's the case. So tell me, soul reaper, how am 'I' the blind one?" she demanded in a low voice.
He sighed and shook his head. "I honestly can't believe you still don't see it, Gamuza. You were so blinded by your misplaced hatred towards me that you never realized that Nel has always, even after she realized she had feelings for me, valued you more than anything."
"What are you talking about?" she asked in confusion.
He shook his head again. "I'm talking about how she never gave up on you, even after she, so called, 'abandoned' you for me. You can literally see and hear everything she does, yet you were so blind that you never truly saw just how badly it hurt her to have chosen to reject you. She is the former Quinto Espada, the fifth strongest hollow in Hueco Mundo, and you brought her to tears because 'you' are the one who's changed, Gamuza. 'You' have changed, not her. You should have realized this since 'you're' the one in her head. If you want to kill me Gamuza…"
Timothy held his arms out wide with a challenging glare. "…then go right ahead. Prove to everyone here that you are truly nothing more than a pathetic monster. But before you do, answer me this, Gamuza. In all the time that you have known me, have you ever, even just 'once', seen me hurt her, or belittle her? Have you 'ever' seen me do her wrong? And just what have 'you' done to help her? As I said, the only thing I've seen you do so far is try to tear her apart. How can you possibly stand there, and have the audacity to say that 'I' am the pathetic one, when you have yet to so much as say a single kind word to her?!" he yelled, then took a single step forward.
"So, go ahead and kill me! Prove to Nel that you are truly not worth being called her friend, her partner!" he finished.
Gamuza clutched her lance tighter as her arm muscles urged her, begged her to throw it. But as the seconds ticked by, the more her resolve began to break down. She honestly couldn't believe that the man had the nerve to talk to her in that manner. She wanted so badly to throw that lance and finally end all the pain and suffering that he had supposedly caused her.
After what seemed to be an eternity of two warriors staring each other down passed, her grip on the lance finally loosened a bit as the last bit of resolve that she possessed began to crumble away. Her cheeks were now soaked as she closed her eyes and clenched her teeth even tighter.
Timothy glared at her firmly. "What's wrong, Gamuza?! I'm right fucking here! If you think that I'm really nothing more than a hindrance to you, then throw the fucking lance and be done with it! Go ahead and end it!" he yelled.
Her eyes shot open, where she yelled back and threw the lance at him. The lance crashed into the ground and dug in deep, only a foot away in front of him, before she dropped her hands to her sides.
He dropped his arms as well as she began to openly sob in front of him. His attention was drawn down to the lance at his feet when it began to glow pink, and slowly disappear. When he looked back at the spirit, her entire lower body was glowing as well.
He watched as her equine lower body began to transform back into her normal, human-like, lower body; the woman dropping to her knees once finished. When he looked back down to where the lance was, he instead saw her sealed zanpakutō dug into the ground in the exact same spot the lance did.
The man let out a sigh before walking forward and kneeling down to pull the blade from the ground with his offhand. He then stood back up and continued walking towards the sobbing woman, who now had her head tilted back towards the ceiling.
His Bankai went back to its sealed state in his sword hand as he walked, returning the blade to its sheath a second later. He then came to a stop and kneeled down next to the woman before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Gamuza turned her head to him with eyes that tried to project anger and fury, but failed to do so.
"What do you want…soul reaper?" she hissed through sobs.
He sighed and held up her blade to her. "I think you dropped this, Gamuza." He stated in a half joking tone.
She looked at the blade for a second before snatching it from him. "Whatever…damn fool." She mocked as she tried to shrug his hand off her.
"Gamuza…" he started, managing to get her attention. "…I may not have known Nel for that long…but I can easily tell that she will never, 'never' outright abandon you. You and her are two halves to a whole. You need her, and she needs you. Not only to survive, but also to live. I am definitely not happy with what you've done here Gamuza, but I don't hate you. If I were to hate you, then I would also be hating Nel. And that is something I could never do."
He dropped his head a bit and swallowed. "How can I…when I love her?" he admitted.
Gamuza's eyes widened. "You what?" she asked in shock.
The man nodded firmly. "It's hard to admit…but I do love her." He said again.
"It's true, Gamuza." Kitsune affirmed as she materialized next to them. "Like you with Nel, I can see and hear everything he does. And, just like you and Nel, I can hear every thought that goes through his head. Tim is in love with Nel, and judging from the way she acts around him, it's a safe bet that she loves him back; even though she may not clearly understand what it means yet." She then crossed her arms. "And Tim's definitely not lying when says that he doesn't hate you, Gamuza. And to be honest, neither do I. Tim and I have both accepted that it's unlikely that you'll ever accept us as friends, but we still consider you a friend 'because' you're a part of Nel."
She then dropped her hands as she knelt down next to the woman and rested a hand on her other shoulder. "So, I'm begging you Gamuza, please don't do this to Nel. If you truly care for her like you say you do, please let her come back." She pleaded with tears in her own eyes.
Timothy looked back at the teal-haired woman and smiled a bit. "Yes…please let her back out, Gamuza. I am more than willing to find some way that we can at least come to an understanding between each other. But you have to be willing as well."
Gamuza scoffed at him. "Why should I? What makes you think I want to come to a 'compromise' with you? I want nothing to do with you." She informed.
He nodded gently. "I can understand why, but can you possibly look past the fact that I'm a soul reaper for five minutes and see that I'm actually trying to help? You want Nel to be happy, well so do I. So why can't we at least try to work together to make her happy?" he questioned.
"Hah!" she bellowed as she tossed her head. "You, make her happy? By what? Making her believe that she can have a 'happy life' here? Don't make me laugh, soul reaper." She then glared at him again. "Your secret is out. That Captain knows about us now. Do you honestly think that he'll let her live? And even if he did, what then? You and her live a dream life together? You plan to stay by her side for the rest of her long life?" she mocked.
"Yes." Kitsune answered firmly and quickly, causing both of them to look at her as she gave the woman a firm, but calm stare. "Tim has already stated that he will stand by her, and I know that he fully intends to do so. Don't play stupid, Gamuza; I know you heard every word he said to her regarding that. If you think he'll go back on his promise because of the soul society, think again. I have put him through absolute hell in the many years we have known each other, and never, not even once, has he ever gone back on his promise. He promised to stay with me forever when he married me, and look where he is now. I was turned into a damn zanpakutō spirit by Aizen, and yet he's still here, isn't he?" she questioned.
"Because he has no choice." The woman returned.
Kitsune rose a brow. "Really? I tried to disappear and leave him, to save him from the pain of what happened. But even after he found out, he still wanted me around. He even went through unimaginable pain when he put me in his inner world to stay with me. Because he promised to stay with me. He made that promise to Nel, and I can assure you Gamuza, that nothing will make him break that promise. So why don't you at least give him the chance to prove it? Considering everything he's risked so far, you owe him at least that much." She pointed out.
Gamuza swiftly turned to the spirit. "I owe that brat nothing!" she assured with a glare. She held the glare for a moment, then dropped it and turned back to him. "But I will admit that you have gone through 'some' risk for her safety. So, I'll at least give you the benefit of the doubt. I'll release her soul reaper, but I promise you this." She then held up a finger. "One fuck up, one little mistake, you so much as even 'breath' in a way that I think is risky to her life, and it's over. And understand this…" She paused to drop her finger and narrow her firm gaze. "…I am not happy about these 'feelings' she has for you, so you do anything to hurt her emotionally, and it's also over. Am I clear on that?" she hissed.
Timothy sighed, but nodded slightly. "So…there's no way that you can accept me?" he pressed.
She scoffed at him and turned away. "Prove to me that you can guarantee her safety, and 'then' I might possibly trust you. But until that day, don't fucking count on it." She stated firmly.
He dropped his hand and held it out to her, getting her attention back. "I already promised Nel, but now I'm promising you; I'll do whatever it takes to protect her, 'and' you." He affirmed.
The woman looked at his hand, then back to him and nodded before accepting the hand. "I 'will' hold you to that promise, soul reaper." She attested.
The moment she finished, her eyes rolled back into her head and her body began to fall back as she suddenly lost consciousness. Timothy and Kitsune quickly moved to catch her before she hit the ground, her head falling back.
"Gamuza? Nel?" he called out, not sure what just happened, or who was in control.
"It's fine, Tim." a voice stated behind him.
He and Kitsune turned to see Kisuke standing there, holding his fan to his face with calm eyes. "What do you mean it's fine? Is she…"
The shop owner nodded gently. "I'm sure if you focus hard enough, you can sense miss Nel's spiritual pressure in control, and not Gamuza's. Miss Nel's own mind is back in control, and Gamuza has returned to her inner world. I'm sure miss Nel's mind was heavily strained from being pushed back like that while trying to survive. So, when Gamuza surrendered control back to miss Nel, her weakened state left her unconscious. She should be fine, Tim. She will just need a lot of rest. I'll have Tessai take her up to her room, but I'm afraid you have a few people who would very much like your explanation about her." He informed as he waved his fan slowly.
Timothy's face dropped as he closed his eyes with a sigh. "Yeah…I bet." He returned, then opened his eyes back to the man. "Please ask them to wait in the dining room, and 'I'll' take Nel back up to her room. If the Captain doesn't like it, then he can shove it." He stated.
He then turned around, and with Kitsune's help, picked Nel's body up into his arms bridal style and stood up. The shop owner chuckled at the sight and lowered his fan a bit.
"Are you sure you want me to tell him that? I'm pretty sure Captain Hitsugaya wouldn't like that too much." He teased with a smile.
Timothy turned to him with a deadpanned stare. "It was rhetorical, you idiot. Just go tell them to wait upstairs and I'll be there in a few minutes. And while you're at it, and I really hate being such a bother to her, but do you think you could give Orihime a call? Tessai's good at healing and all, but even with his healing, it'll be at least a week before I can fight again." He shot back.
Kisuke nodded, then watched as Timothy and the spirit next to him turned and started walking towards the ladder to the shop; carrying Nel in his arms while Kitsune followed. When the pair was out of sight, the man lowered his head and chuckled again.
"Well, now that you've dealt with one problem, let's see how you handle the next one, Tim." he said in a low voice, then turned and began walking back towards Toshiro and his group.
A few minutes later, Kitsune slid the door to Nel's room open, allowing Timothy, with Nel in his arms, to walk in. With the spirit's help, because of his injuries, he gently laid the woman down on her mat as Tessai walked into behind them.
The large man knelt down next to Timothy, uttering a small chat under his breath, and began to heal the woman's badly burnt stomach. Timothy looked at the would solemnly, tears beginning to form in his eyes as he finally realized that 'he' was the cause of her serious wounds.
Kitsune turned to him and rest a hand on his shoulder. "You had no choice, Tim. If you let Gamuza keep going the way she was, she would've killed you." She reassured.
Timothy dropped his head. "I know…but I still caused her a lot of pain." He stated in a broken voice.
She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Tim, listen to me. There was nothing you could have done better, and you know it. At least we got her back, alive." She pointed out.
He scoffed at her. "Yeah, and burned to a fucking crisp." He hissed in anger.
"But 'alive'." She reaffirmed.
"Yeah, and now she's going to hate me for what I did to her." He growled.
The spirit removed her hand and slapped the back his head, causing the large man next to him to flinch in fear. Timothy turned to her after recovering to find her grabbing the front of his kosode and pulling his face to hers.
She glared at him with firm eyes. "Don't you dare start your damn sulking now, Tim!" she hissed, then pointed at Nel's unconscious form with her other hand. "You saved that woman's life! Gamuza was trying to kill her, and you! You did what you had to, to stop Gamuza, and save Nel! Don't you ever think that that woman would ever hate you for saving her life! Yeah, you ended up having to burn her badly, but you know damn well that's a pitiful price to pay to save her life!"
Kitsune released him and dropped her hands, along with her stare. "Nel could never hate you, Tim. It's just not in her to hate others. If you really knew her, then you would know this. Besides, hopefully Orihime should be on her way, and she can heal those burns right up. So yes, she might be in pain now, but that pain will go away. And do you really think Nel would want to see you like this?" she inquired.
Timothy turned to the woman and sighed. "No. I'm pretty sure she would feel just as guilty as I do."
The spirit nodded. "That's because she would feel guilty."
Tessai turned his head towards the man. "I agree with miss Kit, Tim. Miss Nel would very likely feel responsible for you feeling this way. Everyone agrees that what happened was the best way it could have ended. And you do not need to worry, my kidō is alleviating some of the pain to make her more comfortable. The boss has already informed miss Inoue, and she should be here soon. So please, calm yourself." He comforted.
The man sighed and nodded. "I still feel bad for doing it though." He said, then began to stand up.
He almost managed to make it to his feet, until he suddenly became dizzy and began to fall back down. Luckily, Kitsune was there to catch him around the waist.
"You're in bad shape too, Tim. You need to rest. The Captain can wait a while for his explanation." She assured.
Timothy groaned in pain as he pulled his feet back under him and slowly stood back up. "You really think he's going to patiently sit there and wait? We're stupidly lucky that he hasn't reported her yet. The quicker we tell him everything, the better our odds are that he doesn't report her." He pointed.
Tessai glance over his shoulder to them. "He is right, miss Kit. The boss is in there with them now, trying to keep the situation under control. I am aware that you are in a good deal of pain, and that you are both very tired, but I do not believe that this is something that can wait." He affirmed.
Kitsune looked at him, then back to Timothy in concern. "I guess you're right. At least let me help you." She pleaded as she pulled his arm over her shoulder and helped support him.
Timothy grunted in pain, then nodded. "I think that would be a good idea. I at least still had some adrenaline running through me while I carried Nel up here, but now that it's gone…" He chuckled lightly. "…I doubt I can stand for long." He finished with a grin.
The spirit rolled her eyes with a scoff before grinning herself. "Idiot." She said lowly.
He snorted back. "Vixen." He returned, then began walking out of the room with Kitsune helping him to maintain balance.
He stopped at the door and turned back to the form of Nel resting on her mat with a saddened face. He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, then turned and continued walking into the hallway.
As the pair came into the dining room, they looked to see Kisuke sitting down with his fan open and waving it at himself. When they turned, they also saw Toshiro glaring at them with his arms crossed and anger filled eyes.
Renji and Rukia were sitting against the wall next to the hallway with looks of concern on their faces. Rangiku was sitting next to her Captain, also with a look of concern; and Ikkaku and Yumichika sat between her and Rukia with curious stares.
"Well, now that you've taken care of the Arrancar, I think it's time you start explaining everything, Lieutenant." Toshiro growled impatiently.
Renji looked up at Timothy, then swiftly scooted over a bit so that the man could have the seat with the wall behind him to lean against for comfort. The younger man hissed in pain as Kitsune eased him down to sit where Renji was and leaned back against the wall with a relieved breath.
"Give me just a second, Captain. I'm not exactly in the best shape at the moment." He pointed out, causing the short man's temper to rise a bit.
"Normally, I would honor that request. But considering the circumstances, I don't exactly have the time or patience to wait for you. I'm sure you can understand that your actions thus far are highly treasonous, and that you had better have a very good explanation as to why you are protecting that Arrancar." The Captain warned.
Renji turned to the injured man. "Kisuke, Rukia, and I have already given the Captain the basic information, but we all thought it best if you do the full explanation." He informed with crossed arms.
Timothy rolled his eyes to him and nodded. "Thanks." He said, getting a nod back before turning to the Captain. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he began.
"It basically started when my team and I were sent here to deal with those hollows. The ones that killed Hetoku and the others." He started.
Toshiro nodded firmly. "Yes, I am already aware of that. Urahara has also informed me that the Arrancar supposedly saved your life against the Adjuchas."
Timothy nodded back. "Yes, 'she' did, Captain. Before I go any further, her name is Nel, not 'Arrancar'. And before you decide to ask, yes, I consider her a friend. And yes, I trust her greatly." He assured.
The Captain rose a brow at him. "A friend? You consider that…woman…a friend? Have you gone mad?" he inquired.
The Lieutenant's gaze didn't change. "Yes, I do. And no, I'm not 'mad'. I will say that I am very clearly not in the mood to deal with any bullshit, Captain. So, if you want an explanation, I strongly advise we both keep calm and keep our insults to ourselves." He warned back.
Everyone's eyes went wide at the man's tone with the Captain. "Tim!" Rukia yelled.
He turned his gaze to her. "You and Renji should both be aware that I don't take to others berating me very kindly, Rukia." He stated, then looked back at Toshiro. "I'd be more than happy to explain everything Captain, provided that you agree to keep calm and 'allow' me to explain 'everything', and not be quick to jump to conclusions." He proposed sternly.
The Captain's brows dropped as he narrowed his gaze. "I guess Captain Komamura's statement about your temper was highly underrated, Lieutenant." He commented.
Timothy scoffed lightly. "I guess I'll take that as a complement. Either way, are you willing to be patient and let me explain the whole thing to you, 'before' you decide to jump up and deliver judgement?" he asked.
Toshiro glared at him observingly for a moment, but finally sighed in defeat and nodded. "Very well. Please continue, Lieutenant."
The man nodded back and took another long and deep breath before slowly retelling the whole story in deep detail.
It was only ten minutes later, and he was nearly finished when the front door slid open. The group all turned to see Orihime closing the door behind her before swiftly walking up to the table.
She stopped and briefly looked at every gathered there, instantly becoming worried. She finally glanced over to Timothy with concern in her eyes, who then sighed and nodded.
"Yeah, they know, Orihime. Nel's in her room, and badly hurt. Please…take care of her." He pleaded.
She smiled sweetly and nodded. "Of course. I'll get right to it, Tim. When I'm done with Nel, I'll come back heal you up as well." She assured.
Timothy smiled back and nodded. "Thanks, Orihime. But only after you've fixed her up." He stated firmly.
Orihime nodded, then left for Nel's room. Timothy then turned back to the Captain, who was watching him closely.
"Before you continue, allow me to see if I have this correctly." He started, then crossed his arms firmly. "The Arrancar came here after being turned on by Aizen, saved you from the Adjuchas, saved you from the Espada, one of her former comrades, and was also the one who told you about this strange, zanpakutō sealing device that Aizen has?" he inquired.
Timothy sighed and nodded. "I apologize for not telling you Captain, but I had promised her that as long as she can get us to Aizen, I would do whatever it took to protect her. As time went on, I saw her for 'who' she truly was, and we became friends. It may not sound that simple to you Captain, but it 'is' just that simple."
Toshiro narrowed his gaze. "I see. And perhaps you would be so kind as to explain exactly what happened downstairs when she, or her 'hollow spirit' attacked you?" he pressed.
The Lieutenant rose a brow. "Hasn't Kisuke already told you the story on that?" he returned.
The shorter man side glanced the shop owner. "He did…" he affirmed, then looked back at him. "But I want your story."
Timothy moaned lowly. "I don't know how else to tell it to you other than what Kisuke said, Captain. Gamuza took over her mind and was trying to kill me. I had to fight back, and was, thankfully, lucky enough to talk her into giving control back to Nel. There's nothing more to it than that, Captain. What else do you want me to say?"
Toshiro growled quietly. "I want you to give me the truth, Lieutenant."
He growled back. "I 'am' telling the truth, Captain. Everything I just old you is exactly what happened. Seriously, what is it that is so hard to understand?" he asked in annoyance.
The shorter man glared at him. "Perhaps it's the fact that you've been safeguarding an 'Arrancar'! Are you so blind that you can't see what you are doing?!" he shot back.
Timothy pulled out his hand and slammed a fist on the table, rattling the tea cups on top. "I'm' Blind?! You're the one who is so damn blinded by the stupid laws that you can't see that Nel's 'not' a bad person!" he yelled, startling everyone and surprising the white-haired Captain. Timothy then clenched his teeth tightly as he glared at the shorter man. "You should know Captain, you've been here for three damn weeks and seen her every freaking day. Rangiku and Orihime have both spent time with her, and both seemed to enjoy her company."
The Captain side glanced the said Lieutenant, who turned away sheepishly. "And if you want to get technical, Captain…" he started, regaining the man's attention. "…I studied that damn book up and down, and I don't recall not one single law that stated 'anything' regarding 'Arrancars'. So, that means that, if you are so keen to stick to the rules, you can't touch her unless she does something wrong." He stated with a sly grin.
Renji rose a brow at him, then turned to the Captain. "With all due respect Captain, he does have a point. There really aren't any laws concerning Arrancars." He affirmed.
Toshiro looked at him. "That is a technicality, and you know it, Lieutenant Abarai." He growled.
Timothy slammed the table again, causing the Captain to glare at him as the man pointed at him. "That' is bullshit! And 'you' know it!" he seethed.
The man glared dangerously at the Lieutenant. "I would choose your next words very carefully, 'Lieutenant'. Not only are you under suspicion for treason at the moment, but you are also disrespecting a superior officer." He warned in a firm tone.
The Lieutenant, grunting in pain as he did, then stood up using the wall for support. Everyone watched as he stood up to his full height and glared down at the Captain with dangerous eyes.
"I'm warning you Captain, I am the last person on this planet you want to threaten." He stated, causing the entire table to stare at him in shock, with Renji and Rukia's jaws down on the floor. "I stood up to Lieutenant Iba, Captain Komamura, and of all people, Captain Zaraki. Two of them I defeated, the last one I almost succeeded. If you think, for even a second, that I am intimidated by 'you', Captain Hitsugaya, think again."
His glare narrowed into a deathly stare as he began to emanate his spiritual pressure into the room. It was still nowhere near a Captain's level, but it was still potent enough. "And this is the only warning you will ever get; if you even consider trying to attack Nel…" He then rested a hand on the hilt of his sword. "…I'll bury your ass in the fucking ground…or die trying." He hissed.
Kitsune quickly stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't…touch me." He stated in a dangerous tone, causing her to shirk her hand away.
Kisuke lowered his fan and looked at him with cautious eyes. "Tim, I believe Captain Hitsugaya has gotten your message, so if you don't mind, would you please calm down?" he asked calmly.
Timothy turned his eyes to him. "Oh, I mad for sure, but I am calm. There's only one person besides Kit who's ever seen me when I wasn't calm, and we both ended up in Squad 4 afterwards." He remarked, then returned to Toshiro. "So, what's it going to be, Captain? You plan on reporting Nel? Because I can tell you right now, that I'm siding with her. If the soul society wants to be heartless enough to punish someone who has done nothing wrong but suffer an unfortunate life, then I want no part of it."
The two officers continued to stare each other down, neither of them letting up, until Rangiku turned to Toshiro.
"Captain, from the time that I've personally spent with her, I agree with Tim that she's not a bad person. Can't you at least give her a chance, and see it for yourself?" she pleaded.
Renji and Rukia both nodded. "Yes Captain, don't judge her simply because of what she is. Look at Ichigo, he caused a lot of chaos when he went to the soul society to save me. And yet, now he's viewed as a hero. Haven't we learned not to be too quick to judge?" Rukia questioned.
Toshiro didn't look away from the challenging stare of the man in front of him. "That was different." He stated simply.
Renji rose a brow. "Different how, Captain? Because Ichigo's a human and she's an Arrancar? Sure, she may be different, but the situation really ain't. Besides, she said she would help Tim get to Aizen, and as it stands, we could use all the help we can get." He pointed out.
Kitsune was beginning to worry, knowing that, although he strongly preferred not fighting, that surely didn't mean he wouldn't if something he cared about was threatened. He had been that way ever since that one night, when Aizen had turned her into a spirit.
She quickly turned to the Captain with worried eyes. "Captain Hitsugaya, please think about this. There are 'no' laws that state you 'have' to report her. There are no laws that label her as an enemy."
The man's eyes turned to the spirit. "She is an Arrancar, a class of Menos. And a Menos 'is' an enemy."
Kitsune swiftly shook her head. "No Captain. According to the laws, there are only 'three' classes of Menos: Gillian, Adjuchas, and Vasto Lorde. Arrancar does 'not' legally fall into that category. She may be of hollow 'descent', but as it is right this moment, she is 'not' an enemy of the soul society; 'unless' she has done something against the soul society. So, let me ask you this, have you personally ever seen Nel do anything against the soul society?"
The Captain narrowed his stare. "That is beside the point, she was with Aizen." He stated firmly.
She rose a finger up. "Was'…'was' with Aizen. Aizen turned on her, and she defected from him. And even when she was with Aizen, do you know of any instances where she had done something against us? You don't, because she hasn't done anything. So please, I'm asking you that you give her a chance to prove herself." She begged further.
Toshiro stared at her for a second longer, then returned to his contest with Timothy. The two men continued looking at each other endlessly, Timothy's grip on his zanpakutō getting tighter with each passing second.
Finally, the Captain dropped his stare and sighed heavily. "Fine." He said in a low voice, then looked back at Timothy. "For right now, I will not report her." He stated, causing Timothy to drop his glare as well and loosen his grip on his sword. "But keep this in mind, Lieutenant…" he started, then narrowed his gaze again. "The moment that she does anything against my team, or the soul society, she will be disposed of as a hollow, and you will be arrested for treason. Is that clear, Lieutenant Durn?" he inquired firmly.
The man dropped his hand to his side and nodded. "Very clear, Captain." He affirmed.
"Also, I 'will' be having a discussion with Captain Komamura regarding your disrespect towards a superior officer." Toshiro added.
Timothy scoffed. "Good luck with that, Captain. He's very well aware of my 'unique' personality. It's probably going to do nothing more than give him a headache."
Toshiro growled at him. "I'm sure you have been the sole cause of all of his headaches recently." He mocked.
The Lieutenant tilted his head with a deadpanned expression. "I don't think I can really deny that one." He moaned.
Kitsune then bowed lowly at Toshiro. "Thank you so much, Captain." She said in a relieved voice.
The man looked at her. "Don't thank me. It doesn't mean I won't report the whole thing if the soul society finds out about her. I am only postponing my report on her. Nothing more."
Timothy nodded in understanding as the spirit rose. "And it still doesn't mean I wont side with Nel if the soul society does try to do something against her. I stand firm on what I said, Captain. I'll fight anyone who comes after her, or anyone I consider a friend." He restated.
The Captain glared back at him and was about to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of Kisuke snapping his fan shut.
"Well, now that that's taken care of, why don't you go check on miss Nel, Tim? And while you're at it, you can have miss Inoue fix you up as well." he said in a cheery voice, causing a vein on the Captain's head to start pulsing.
"You have the most inopportune timing, mister Urahara." He stated in annoyance.
Timothy's face dropped. "You have no flipping idea, Captain." He moaned, then turned and left the room, followed by Kitsune.
"Hold on a moment, Kitsune." Toshiro called, causing her and Timothy to both stop and look at him.
"Yes?" she returned.
"If you don't mind, I would like to have a private discussion with you." He informed.
Timothy looked at her with a bit of concern, but she simply held up a hand. "I'll be fine, Tim. Quit worrying about everything under the damn sun." she mocked with a grin.
He scoffed as he rolled his eyes at her. "Damn, stupid, annoying vixen." He grumbled as he left for Nel's room.
She turned back around to the shorter man as he stood up and crossed his arms. "Come with me." He instructed, then turned and began walking towards the hatch to the training ground.
The spirit glanced at Renji and Rukia, who simply shrugged their shoulders, then looked back to see the Captain flash away into the basement. She gave a brief sigh before walking forward to follow the white-haired Captain.
It was only a couple minutes later until she was at the bottom of the ladder and looking around to see the man standing a short distance away. He rose a brow at her, obviously waiting for her to join him.
"Well, are you coming?" he questioned.
The woman slowly shook her head. "I'm about as far from Tim as I can go, Captain. Even this far is pushing it." She informed.
He sighed with annoyance, but nodded. "Fine then." He said, then flashed back to her before giving her a serious look. "I'll get straight to the point, Kitsune."
She held up a hand. "I've told you before, just call me Kit, Captain."
Toshiro crossed his arms firmly. "Fine, 'Kit', I have something I want to ask you, and I hope for Lieutenant Durn's sake that you tell me the truth."
Kitsune sighed. "Go ahead."
He then narrowed his gaze at her. "What is Lieutenant Durn's relationship with…'Nel'?"
She rose a brow at him. "I'm sorry?" she said, beginning to fret.
"You heard me. Durn states that he is not a fool, well neither am I. I have seen the look he had in his eyes before. He is not only defending someone he deems as a friend, he is also protecting someone that he holds very dear to him. So, stop avoiding the question, and tell me the truth. Does Lieutenant Durn have a personal relationship with that woman?" he demanded.
Kitsune crossed her arms as she tilted her head, giving him a skeptical look. "Two questions, Captain. One, Tim gets that way with literally everyone he considers a friend, so what else do you have to go on to give you the notion that he cares that deeply for her? And two, even if he did, what concern is it of yours?" she inquired in a low tone.
Toshiro rose a brow back. "Excuse me?" he asked in surprise.
She moved her head back straight. "What does it matter to you whether he does or doesn't care deeply for her, Captain? Tim may not care what others think about him, but 'I' do. Let me make something clear to you Captain; I had no problem with the way Tim reacted upstairs. In fact, I approve of it. The only reason I was trying so hard to keep him from losing his temper with you, was because I was trying to help Nel. I like you Captain. You know what needs to be done, and you get it done, while taking others into consideration. But don't think that I won't just as gladly fight you as Tim would if you threaten him again."
He turned away from her with a huff. "I am beginning to wonder whose temper is worse; yours or his."
The spirit chuckled at him with a small smile. "Easily mine. But Tim keeps me calm, and I keep him calm. But seriously Captain, what does it really matter if Tim has feelings for her or not? Do you really hate her that much?" she pressed, now with a saddened face.
The Captain glanced back at her. "No, I don't hate her. I have no reason to hate her. But she is an Arrancar, and Durn would be foolish to consider having feelings for her." He stated.
She closed her eyes and shook her head with a sigh. "I never figured you to be so biased, Captain."
He rose a brow. "Biased? I'm stating things as they are, and you're calling me biased?"
Kitsune opened an eye to him. "Yes Captain, biased." She then opened her other eye to him. "You seem to think, just because she's an Arrancar, that she's the epitome of evil. Just how many times do Tim and I have to tell you that she has done nothing wrong? It is not her fault that she is what she is. You should know that, being a Captain. Hollows didn't choose to become hollows. That was just how life decided to treat them."
Toshiro growled lowly. "Yes, I am well aware of that."
She then dropped her hands to her sides. "Then 'why' are you so adamant that she's the bad guy here? She just wants to find happiness in her life again, Captain. She hates fighting, just like Tim does. She was tricked by Aizen to become an Arrancar, just as he tricked you and the other Captains and Lieutenants."
He scowled at the reminder. "I can see your point, but that doesn't change the fact that she is still an Arrancar."
"Not by God damned choice!" she yelled as she stomped her foot firmly. "Damn it, Hitsugaya! It was 'not' her fault what happened! What if it was you in her position? Wouldn't 'you' at least want a chance to change your life? I know for fact that you would. So why can't you be the better person here and 'give' her that damn chance? I can understand fully why you feel the way you do towards regular hollows and Menos, because they are normally cruel and heartless. That is not Nel." she asserted further with tears in her eyes.
She stared at him for a moment longer before taking a deep and calming breath, letting it out slowly. "Nel is a kind person, Captain. Ask your own Lieutenant, she can tell you that. What you, and the rest of the soul society fail to realize is that when she was turned into an Arrancar, she regained most of her human emotions. Kisuke explained this to you, didn't he?" she inquired, getting a nod. "Then what is so hard to understand that she is basically human now? She is no different than you or Tim. It's just that her powers are of a different origin."
He sighed heavily. "I already told you that I wouldn't report her for right now."
Kitsune shook her head. "But you still won't accept that she's not the person you seem to think she is. Damn it Captain, Tim is scared to death that you're going to turn around and say something; I can feel it all the way down here. He's so afraid that he's going to lose her, like he lost me."
The Captain quickly glared at her. "So, he 'does' have deep feelings for her?" he demanded.
She slapped a hand to her face growled loudly. "Damn it! Me and my fucking mouth! And just why the hell do you care so damn badly about that?!"
He growled back and began rubbing his temple furiously. "Why the hell is all this happening?" he moaned.
The spirit then threw her hand out at him. "You're the one who's making a big deal about it! Everybody else that knows about it has absolutely no problem with it! You're the 'only' one who's having an issue with it!"
"Because you know full well what would happen if it was discovered he had feelings for an Arrancar!" he yelled back.
"Because you guys can't seem to get it through your thick skulls that she is not like your typical hollows! She is a 'normal' person, with 'normal' feelings! Yes, Tim has feelings for her; and yes, he intends to follow those feelings, regardless of what others think about him! If you are so adamant that they shouldn't be together, then 'please', by all means 'try' to stop him! But I should warn you Captain, that what he said upstairs about putting you in the ground was 'not' an idle threat! If you try to get in between the two of them, he 'will' make you regret life!" she hissed, then turned around and began climbing the ladder.
Toshiro watched with cautious eyes as he started thinking about what the spirit said. Although he didn't really want to admit it, the spirit did have a point about how hollows didn't have much of a choice in becoming hollows. That was just how life turned out.
But even though she didn't choose to become a hollow, she was still just that, a hollow. It didn't matter what class, or type, or whatever, a hollow was a hollow. He may not have had any personal grudges with them, but it was still his primary job, his primary 'reason' as a soul reaper; to purify them.
But there was also another valid point that the spirit made, one that Kisuke had actually confirmed; that the woman was actually half human, in a sense. Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde both regain 'some' emotion and humanity when they evolve; but besides her mask and powers, she was basically a full human.
This was obviously not a simple matter, and was something that he would have to take a great deal of time to look into. But the problem was 'how' to do so. He obviously couldn't go to Captain Kurotsuchi, and for two reasons; one, it would basically give away Timothy's secret when the Captain stated he wouldn't say anything, and two…the man was mad.
Toshiro moaned loudly as he ran a hand down his face. "Why does everything have to be so damn complicated?" he inquired to himself, then flashed away.
Ok, now we know the main reason why Gamuza has it out for Timothy. Basically, she thinks he stole her partner from her, and his death was the only way to fix that. But, now that Timothy knows what her reason is, let's hope that he can somehow make it work between them.
But of course, where one problem goes away, another pops up; in this case, Toshiro and the others finding out about Nel. So now we have to wait and see where that one goes as well.
On a side note, I'm actually starting to get kinda nervous with next semester only a month away. I'm hoping and praying that it wont interfere with my writing, but I can assure you that I'll will be doing everything I can to ensure it doesn't. But, let's face it…chemistry is not an easy class.
Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see ya next week.
