Hey readers, hope the past couple weeks went good for ya. They went…okay for me I guess you could say. Just got done with week three of school, and things have started to pick up to a normal schedule. I did manage to find a bit of time to write a little, but not that much. But hey, every little bit helps, right?
Got a single review from a previous chapter, so I guess I toss a quick response for ya.
Neroscurse: Hey, thanks for the review, and I'm glad you liked what you've read so far. Hope you like the rest of the story.
So, Spades has returned, meaning we've got another round of 'Spades's Banter'. First off, good to see ya again my friend, missed ya. I'll admit, the 6.8 rating drew a tear to my eyes, but only a single one though. As I've said in the past, I wanna hear both good and bad things in the reviews, that way I can improve. As far as the lack of action after a big fight, just putting it out there that this chapter was mainly focused on humor with a bit of plot development. Not really a spoiler, but this chapter will be along those lines as well, but with more development behind it. I'm glad the two week span didn't hurt you as bad as I was dreading. I was begining to think you would start plotting my demise in the near future, lmao. Questions...
1: Can't say, due to possible spoiler. Sorry bro.
2: Stripes, as long as they don't make him look like an escaped convict, lol.
3: Pants and shirts. Just looking at how she presents her personality in adult form, I just don't see her wearing dresses on a regular basis; though I'll hint in here and there that she's not against them.
4: He knows the basis stuff that they may teach in public school, but it was not something he studied in college.
5: No, he hasn't. Besides Ichigo and his friends, Nel is the only one that has.
6: Not as of yet. And frankly, that same question has been weighing me down a bit as to whether or not the two will meet before the Winter War.
7: I'm gonna have to take a shot in the dark here and assume this is a Naruto reference. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about that. If I saw this nine-tailed-fox causing havoc, I would probably be confused, and enamored a bit; but if 'I' was that nine-tailed-fox, I would be loving my life. Not because I am causing damage, just because I'm a fox 'period'. (In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm in love with foxes...and wolves)
Alright, so now that that is settled, lets head on to the reading.
(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 32
(New Problems)
Karasu River, Present
The Squad 8 Captain smiled warmly as he walked out from the shadows, his right arm tucked under his pink kimono that hung over his shoulders, and his left hand holding the brim of his large straw hat that he always wore.
"Come now, Captain Hitsugaya, you should take a moment to relax. After the Captains got word about what happened last night with the Arrancar, many of us were quite worried about you and your team; you in particular, seeing as how you rarely take any time for yourself." Shunsui stated warmly.
The shorter man sighed again and crossed his arms. "I don't mean to be rude, Captain Kyōraku, but I would strongly prefer that we conclude this conversation quickly. I'm sure it won't be long before the soul society finds out you came to the world of the living without authorization. And the last thing I need at the moment, is people getting suspicious." He informed as calmly as possible.
Toshiro really had no quarrels with the playful and lazy Captain of Squad 8, he actually liked the man, but it always irked him that the man had a bad habit of trying to make simple conversation when there were far more important matters at hand.
Shunsui chuckled lowly as he smiled more. "I guess you've got a point there. So, what is it you wanted to discuss, Captain? Considering that you asked me to come without anyone knowing, I assume it doesn't have anything to do with the Arrancar attack, am I right?" he inquired.
The short Captain nodded firmly. "You're correct. Although, before we begin, I need you to promise to keep everything we discuss between ourselves, Captain Kyōraku."
The kind man rose a brow, surprised at the very young Captain's secrecy. "Alright, I'm listening." He affirmed.
Toshiro sighed heavily before turning and walking up to the tall Captain. "It's regarding Lieutenant Durn." He started.
"The new kid?" Shunsui asked, getting a nod.
"Yes. It seems that, during his mission to deal with that energy absorbing hollow, he came across a strange woman." Toshiro continued.
Shunsui grinned a bit. "A woman you say? Is she a looker?" he teased.
Toshiro growled in annoyance. "Would you 'please' be serious about this, Captain? Because of…certain circumstances, I cannot discuss the full details regarding the woman; however, it can be said that this woman would very easily be viewed by the soul society as a threat."
The Squad 8 Captain rose his brow again. "A threat? As in she's currently dangerous to us, or that she is somebody that is a 'part' of something that is dangerous?" he questioned.
"The latter, at least in past tense. As I said, I cannot go into details about her. But the problem, is that Lieutenant Durn has promised to protect her, and is extremely adamant in doing so." The shorter man added.
"I see. And I'm sure that the kid is aware that if she is considered dangerous by the soul society, that he's putting himself at risk by protecting her, right?" Shunsui asked.
Toshiro nodded. "He's fully aware, but he has made it very clear that he is not concerned about it. He firmly believes that she is not who we think she is, that she is a kind person."
"Interesting. But what about you, Captain Hitsugaya? Seeing as how you and your team has been here for three weeks, I can assume that you have been around her at least a few times. So, what is your opinion of the woman? Do you think she is a threat to the soul society?" the taller man inquired calmly.
The shorter man turned to the river with a small exhale. "I can't say. I admit that she has yet to do anything that could be viewed as a threat, and the rest of the team seems to have accepted her. But considering her circumstances, I have no doubt that the soul society would likely try and have her executed if she were discovered, and Tim would be severely punished."
Shunsui rose both brows in surprise. "Executed? Why would the soul society want to execute the woman just by discovering her? Just who 'is' she, Captain Hitsugaya?" she asked quickly.
Toshiro looked back at his peer. "I told you, I cannot go into details regarding her. I am breaking my promise towards Tim by even having this discussion with you as it is."
Kyōraku pulled his right hand out from under his kimono and held it up. "Alright alright, I just find it difficult to believe that you would think that the soul society would just execute the woman like that." He placated, then returned his hand.
The short Captain turned back to the river. "That's not the only problem. It would also be safe to say that, if the woman 'is' discovered, Tim would side with her."
The Squad 8 Captain tilted his head a bit. "Are you saying that the kid would turn against us if we were to do something against her?"
Toshiro nodded. "That's why I asked you to come here. I could use some advice from someone of your stature. I know I need to report her, but as much as I hate to admit it, I'm starting to think that the Lieutenant may be right; that the woman is not who we think she is. I'm also starting to think that she could be valuable to us in the war against Aizen. So tell me Captain…" He paused to turn and face the taller man. "…what would you do in this situation?"
Shunsui lowered his left hand and placed it inside his kimono as well. "That's a tough one, Captain Hitsugaya. You do realize that if she's viewed as dangerous by the soul society, you could also get in serious trouble for not reporting her, right?"
The smaller Captain sighed and nodded. "I am. Tim stated that he would not openly fight against the soul society, but if I report her, we lose a powerful Lieutenant, one with a Bankai. Not only that, he is the only soul reaper in the soul society that has fought against an Espada, two of them, so his experience is greatly needed. We simply cannot afford to lose him as an asset."
Kyōraku nodded back just as firmly. "I would have to agree with you. Since you're asking for my advice, and that's if you are willing to take the risk, I suggest trusting the kid."
Toshiro rose a brow. "So, you're saying to 'not' report her?" he questioned.
The Squad 8 Captain smiled a bit. "I'm saying, you should hold off reporting on the woman until you can say with full certainty that she is either with us, or against us. Like you said, we can't afford to lose the kid as an asset. And if the kid is right about her, we'll have gained another asset for the war. So, are you sure you can't tell me more about who she is? I may even be able to give you a hand." He offered.
Hitsugaya shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry, but it would probably be better if you didn't know, Captain. Just promise me you won't say anything."
Shunsui chuckled. "I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about, Captain Hitsugaya. I just came here for some fresh air, and maybe acquire a little sake. My stores are a bit low at the moment, and personally, I prefer the stuff they have here in the world of the living above what they sell in the soul society. I can't exactly help it if I just happened to run into you while I am here, can I?"
Toshiro breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for your help, Captain Kyōraku."
The man waved him off. "What are fellow Captains for? If you need any more help with your situation, don't be afraid to ask. But I should warn you though, after last night, Squad 12 has been paying much closer attention to anything that happens here in the world of the living. So, if you plan to keep them from finding out about the woman, I suggest you keep her indoors as much as possible." He stated firmly.
"Thank you for the warning. I appreciate the help, Captain." Toshiro said with a bow.
Shunsui again waved him off. "Anytime, kid. I should get back now. My sweet Nanao is probably worried about right about now." He joked.
The man then drew his short zanpakutō and stuck it into the empty air, half of the blade disappearing, before twisting it a quarter turn clockwise, then turning it back. As he pulled it back, a large, double-door portal appeared in front of him.
The two doors slid apart, revealing a blinging white space beyond, where a hell butterfly flew out and hovered around the Captain's head. Shunsui took a step forward into the light as he sheathed his zanpakutō, but stopped and glanced back over his shoulder.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot; Lieutenant Hinamori woke up a few days ago." He informed, causing Toshiro's eyes to widen.
"Momo?! She's awake?! Is she alright?!" he asked in worry.
Shunsui smiled warmly. "According to Retsu, she's fine. It might be a while before she can resume her duties as Lieutenant, but she'll recover just fine. I'd give her your regards, but then I was never actually here now, was I?"
Toshiro sighed very heavily in relief. "Thank very much for telling me, Captain Kyōraku. I will make an inquiry about her when I deliver my finalized reports to the Head Captain. Thank you for your time."
The taller man smiled wider with a nod, before turning and walking into the while portal. As he cleared them, the doors slowly slid shut before the portal slowly faded from existence; leaving the short man staring into the empty air it left behind.
The Captain turned back towards the river and breathed slowly as he stared at the starry sky above him. He was absolutely relieved to learn that his longtime friend from before he even became a soul reaper was finally awake and getting better.
But at the same time, that relief was countered by the advice the Squad 8 Captain had given him. Shunsui had told him to trust Timothy, basically also telling him to trust Nel as well. He couldn't deny that the woman was trying her hardest to prove herself, but after Aizen had very nearly killed his childhood friend, he found it exceedingly difficult to trust anyone; especially an Arrancar.
He felt bad that he had gone against his promise in a way by telling the man about Nel, but he was so lost on what to do that he 'needed' a second opinion from someone who was not involved. And Captain Kyōraku was only person he could trust to keep the matter a secret.
Toshiro took another deep breath before letting it out slowly. "I suppose I should deliver my report." He mumbled to himself, then flashed away.
Orihime's Apartment, 10 Minutes Later
The Squad 10 Captain was now waiting patiently before the large, staticky screen in the spare room of Orihime's apartment, waiting for the connection to the soul society to be completed. As usual, he didn't have to wait long as the image became clear to show a large, short, green-skinned man.
"Good evening, Captain. Where can I transfer your call?" he asked calmly.
"To the Head Captain's office. I have my finalized reports for him." The Captain answered.
The green man nodded. "One moment please, Captain." He returned.
The screen then went dark and fuzzy for a moment, then swiftly lit back up with the figure of Head Captain Yamamoto standing in his office. Toshiro could tell right away that the powerful man seemed agitated about something, and decided it was best to make his report as quickly as possible.
"Captain Hitsugaya, I am pleased to see you are alive and well after the Arrancar's attacks. I trust that the rest of your team are well?" the man asked kindly.
Toshiro nodded. "Yes, Head Captain, although it can be said that we were very fortunate the matter didn't turn out far worse. It seems that we have greatly underestimated the Arrancar's capabilities. Had it not been for Kisuke Urahara and Ichigo Kurosaki's intervention, it's safe to say that my team and I would have likely been defeated. Please forgive my boldness Head Captain, but why was our request for the removal of our limiters not approved?" he questioned.
Yamamoto stared firmly at the short man. "What do you mean, Captain Hitsugaya? That request never came before me." He stated with surprise.
The short man's eyes widened. "Our request never made it to you?! Are you saying that you were never made aware of our request?!" he asked in shock.
The Head Captain hummed in thought. "No, as far as I am aware, your request was never made. If it had, I would have approved the removal of your spiritual limiters. Are you sure that the request was made?"
Toshiro nodded firmly. "Rangiku assures me that she had insisted heavily that we needed those limiters removed, and I believe her, Head Captain. Did the request even make it to Squad 12?"
Yamamoto turned to his side for a brief moment, then back to him. "I am having my Lieutenant look into the matter as we speak. We will determine what happened with your request and deal with this lack of responsibility immediately. In the meantime, I am hereby approving the release of your spiritual limiters, should you again feel the need for it. But we will discuss more on this at a later time. What of your report on the Arrancar that were present during the battle?"
The young Captain crossed his arms tightly and lowered his head. "As I had said, their powers have been greatly underestimated. There were six of them, one of them being an Espada, whom Lieutenant Durn had fought against."
The powerful man on the screen raised a brow. "Are you saying that our new Lieutenant was the one who fought against this Espada? Why was it he, and not yourself who fought against this foe?" he questioned.
Hitsugaya rose his head to the man. "Lieutenant Durn did not have a limiter placed on him at the time, making him the strongest one here. He was also the closest one to the Espada when they arrived. Considering the circumstances Head Captain, he was the best person to fight against the Espada. But that is not what concerns me at the moment."
Yamamoto's brow dropped. "Please explain, Captain Hitsugaya."
The man took a deep breath. "At the end of the battle, a second Espada appeared. But what is concerning, is what the Espada had said before they left to return to Hueco Mundo."
The powerful man hummed. "And what did this Espada say?"
"He said that their mission was complete. At this time, the other five Arrancar had already been defeated, leaving only the two of them. They had effectively been beaten, but he somehow believed their mission was still a success. We have all come to the conclusion that the attack was actually a distraction, while the second Espada was doing something else inside the city. I am having my team search the entire city to try and determine what that Espada's mission might have been, but so far we have not found anything." He informed.
Yamamoto hummed again as he stroked his long beard in thought. "This is very concerning indeed. I want you to continue with your investigation, Captain Hitsugaya. If Sōsuke Aizen is willing to sacrifice five of his Arrancar, and nearly one of his Espada for this mission, we need to find out what that mission was. I am giving you full authority to do what you feel to be best in order to discover this Espada's true purpose."
Toshiro nodded in understanding. "Yes, Head Captain. However, there one more thing that I believe you should be aware about. Lieutenant Durn stated that during his fight, the Espada had possibly tried to use the zanpakutō sealing device on him again. But for some reason, it didn't seem to work this time." Yamamoto rose a curious brow. "Urahara is running some tests to see if either the Lieutenant has somehow become immune to its effects, or if the device was simply broken at the time. I will keep you informed of what he discovers."
The powerful man nodded. "See that you do. We have also been having Squad 12 look into this strange device as well; however, they have not made any progress on the matter. Thank you for your report, Captain Hitsugaya. You are dismissed."
The man held a hand up. "If I may, Head Captain." He started.
"What is it, Captain Hitsugaya?" the Head Captain pressed.
Toshiro dropped his hand. "I was hoping if I may inquire to the condition of Lieutenant Hinamori." He asked.
Yamamoto hummed lowly. "Lieutenant Hinamori has regained consciousness, and is recovering well. Although, Captain Unohana reports that it will be some time before she will be well enough to return to duty. I will have my Lieutenant send her your regards. Is there anything else?"
The Squad 10 Captain gave him a respectful bow. "Thank you, Head Captain. I have nothing further to report." He said, then rose.
The man nodded, then the screen went dark. The man took a long, calming breath as he thought back on his conversation with the Head Captain. Most notably, the fact that his request for the limiter release was never delivered.
When a soul reaper was on assignment to the world of the living, or basically anywhere that took them outside the Seireitei, any and all communications went through the communication department at Squad 12.
His request for the removal of his team's spiritual limiters would have gone to them, and then transferred over to the Head Captain's office for the final approval, before being sent back to his team.
But if the Head Captain never received the request, that meant that somewhere within Squad 12 his request had gotten lost. Either that, or there was somebody within the communication department that was loyal to Aizen, and had kept the request from the Head Captain.
But then, there was also the very unlikely possibility that Rangiku's transmission could have been intercepted by Aizen. Unlikely, because the frequency the soul reapers used for their communications was very secure, designed by Captain Kurotsuchi himself.
As much as the short Captain hated to admit it, the crazed scientist knew exactly what he was doing, and would never allow his own creations to be used against him. But considering that it was Aizen they were fighting against, it was still possible that the traitor may have found a way around the security of their communications.
The Captain didn't have more time to ponder on the matter, as he was disturbed by a light knock on the door to the room. He lightly growled in annoyance as he turned his head around to the door with an agitated look on his face.
"Yes?" he answered.
The door slowly opened, and Orihime poked her head inside the room. "I have dinner ready, if you're hungry, Toshiro." She informed.
The man sighed as he closed his eyes. "It's 'Captain Hitsugaya', and thank you. I will be out in a moment." He returned.
The teen smiled a bit with a nod. "Alright." She answered, then closed the door.
Toshiro then sighed again. "Something just isn't right about all this. There must be something that we're missing here. But what is it?" he mumbled under his breath.
"Ooohh! Red bean casserole with wasabi sauce! That looks good, Orihime!" Rangiku's voice sounded out from the living room.
The Captain's eyes shot wide open. "Oh no!" His gaze swiftly turned to the door. "What is it with that woman and her atrocious cooking?!" he wondered in fear.
The door then opened, where Rangiku stepped inside. "Hey Captain, dinner's…" she started, but stopped when she saw that the room was empty. "…ready? Hey, Orihime, I thought you said the Captain was in here." She said over her shoulder.
The teen looked at the woman in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean? He was there a second ago. Is he not there anymore?" she questioned.
Rangiku looked back into the room for confirmation, but saw no one. She simply shrugged a shoulder and closed the door.
"Oh well, more for the two of us." She stated, then sat down across from the young girl.
Urahara Shop, Present
Nel sat quietly and calmly on the front porch of the shop, her eyes closed, legs folded underneath her with her hands resting in the space they created. Her breathing was slow, and relaxed as she meditated deeply.
She found herself standing in the familiar wide open, grassy plains of her inner world. The snow from the mountaintops in the far distance gave off a small glint as the sun above her reflected off the white substance.
The woman stared at the rocky 'superstructures', studying them intently and admiring the incredible view they offered; something that she always liked to do whenever she came to her inner world.
"It's changed since you were last here, Nelliel." A voice spoke to her right.
Nel nodded lightly. "I've noticed, although I can't quite place what it is that's different about them. They somehow seem less…imposing…as they were before." She affirmed.
The centaur-like spirit walked up to her and stopped next to her, joining the woman in looking at the scenery out in the distance. Nel looked slightly up at her to see, surprisingly, that the hollow spirit had a calm look on her face.
"I don't too much like it, but whatever." The spirit stated, then turned to Nel. "A lot of things have been changing around here lately, and while they may seem good at a glance Nelliel, I can assure you that they are not." She warned.
Nel tilted her head a bit. "What do you mean?"
The centaur spirit took a few equine steps backwards as she turned her body to face the woman. "I can't give you a straight answer, because I really don't know myself. There's something wrong with your soul, Nelliel, and whatever it is, it's affecting your powers, as well as mine."
The woman's eyes widened a little. "I still don't understand, Gamuza. Affecting our powers how?" she pressed.
Gamuza rose a brow. "Let me tell you a little secret, Nelliel. When I took over your body, and fought the brat…"
"His name is 'Tim', Gamuza." Nel corrected quickly.
The spirit's brow dropped as she gave the woman a deathly glare. "Until I can trust him fully, I'll call that soul reaper whatever the hell I want. Now, as I was saying, when I fought…'Tim'…I used Justa Subsónica against him."
Nel's eyes turned wide as saucers. "Are you mad, Gamuza?! That could've killed him!" he screamed.
Gamuza again rose a brow. "I believe that was the point, Nelliel. Now can you please let me finish?" she insisted, getting a growl from her partner, but also a nod as well. "Thank you. Again, as I was saying, I used Subsónica against him. There's no 'could have' to it Nelliel, it 'should' have killed him. But he somehow survived. At first, I pegged it that I simply underestimated his durability, but it still pretty much left him near dead. But that thought kept weighing on my mind, I couldn't get the notion out of my head that that attack should have killed him. So, I did a little experiment." She informed.
Her partner's head tilted more. "Experiment?"
The spirit nodded, then pointed to her left. Nel followed her gesture, and saw the small rocky outcropping that Gamuza liked to climb and exercise on. At the base, were numerous rocks and boulders of various sizes; some of the larger ones had chucks blown out of them.
"While you were out searching for whatever Ulquiorra was up to, I've been practicing the Subsónica on those rocks. See the condition they're in?" Gamuza questioned.
Nel nodded. "Yes, and I can see that a lot of them are quite damaged. So…what is the problem, Gamuza?"
Gamuza folded her arms tightly and gave the woman a concerned look. "I hit those rocks at max power, Nelliel. Those boulders should not even exist anymore, with half of the area becoming nothing more than a crater, and you know it. My powers have become heavily weakened, Nelliel. The fact that the soul reaper is still breathing is a testament to that."
The teal-haired woman's head quickly shot to the spirit with a glare. "Don't you dare blame this on Tim!" she hissed.
The centaur scoffed heavily. "I never said I did, Nelliel. I'm fully aware that the kid has nothing to do with this…at least not directly. But that's not the only thing that's wrong, Nelliel; you've changed too." She informed.
Nel blinked in confusion. "I have?"
Gamuza pulled an arm out and pointed at the woman's head. "I'm surprised you haven't noticed yet Nelliel. Why don't you take a feel around your mask?" She offered.
The woman was now completely baffled, but did as instructed. She reached up with her right hand and started feeling around on the top of her rams-skull hollow mask. Her confusion only got worse when she felt nothing out of the ordinary.
"What are you talking about, Gamuza? My mask is fine." She stated.
The spirit scoffed lightly. "Wrong side, idiot. Try your 'left' side." She corrected.
Nel was starting to grow concerned, dropping her right hand and raising her left to the adornment on her head. She started at the long teeth of the mask near her eyebrows, and slowly felt around as she worked her hand back.
"Further." Gamuza instructed.
She did as she was told, and placed her hand further back on the mask, near the area where the curved rams' horn protruded from the mask. But as her hand reached to touch the boney horn, she instead felt something soft, something silky.
Her eyes went wide again with a gasp when she actually 'felt' her hand pressing down. Although the mask was a part of her body, it possessed no nerves; meaning that regardless how hard something hit the mask, she wouldn't feel anything, besides the force of the hit on the skull underneath.
She closed her hand around the silky substance, and started pulling gently towards her face. As she did, it felt like something was being pulled through her fingers. She finally brought her hand in front of her, and gasped again when she saw her teal-colored hair in her grasp.
"What?!" she choked.
Gamuza pointed over to her right, at a small pond nearby. "See for yourself."
Nel didn't need any further encouragement, as she was already running the short distance to the small collection of water and was kneeling down at the pond's edge, leaning her upper body over the water and looking straight down into it.
She turned her head this way and that, trying to get the right angle; but she finally found it and gasped loudly at what she saw in the water's reflection. While the rest of her mask was just fine, the entirety of her left horn was completely gone, vanished.
"What?! What happened?!" she yelled out. "I don't remember getting hit there! When did this happen?!" she yelled further in absolute shock, before turning back to the spirit. "Why didn't anybody say anything?! Surely 'someone' should have noticed!" she fretted.
Gamuza crossed her arms again as she started walking forward. "That's because this body, and your real body are two separate things, Nelliel. The body outside of here is your 'physical' body, while this one is the body of your soul." She informed as she came to stand next to her. "Nothing in regards to your physical body has changed. If you were to leave now, and touch that exact same spot, you'll find that your whole mask is actually intact. That's why no one said anything out there; and I didn't say anything, because I simply didn't know. I can't exactly see your soul's body if you're not in here, Nelliel."
Nel turned back to the reflection and closely studied the missing portion of her mask. "How did this happen? How can my mask just break like that?"
The spirit scoffed with a roll of the eyes. "Look again, Nelliel. Look at the edges where the piece is missing." She instructed.
Nel looked back at her reflection, and studied the edges of where the chuck of her mask was missing. Instead of jagged edges, that would have resulted if the mask had broken, they were instead even and smooth.
"Tell me, does that 'look' like it broke? If you ask me, it looks more like it dissolved, or just simply vanished." She corrected.
The woman then stood up and glared at the spirit. "That still doesn't explain 'how' it happened, Gamuza. What the hell is happening to me? Please, tell me." She begged.
Gamuza scoffed again. "How the hell am 'I' supposed to know what the hell's going on, Nelliel? I'm the embodiment of your hollow powers, not your soul. I'm just as lost as you are on this. All I can say is that a chuck of your mask is just…gone, and your powers have weakened. I know nothing in regards to all this nonsense. As much as I hate the man, you're better off asking that Kisuke guy. But to be honest, I doubt that even he would know."
Nel clasped her head in her hands as tears began to form. "What is going on…Why is all this happening?" she mumbled.
The spirit rested a hand on her shoulder and sighed. "I told you, I've got no idea, Nelliel. But this is serious, so I really think you should talk to that scientist about this. Now you need to leave; that damned soul reaper Captain just showed up and is trying to get your attention." She informed.
The woman nodded and wiped the tears away. "Please…if you notice anything else, please tell me immediately." She pleaded.
Gamuza nodded firmly. "I'm a part of you, Nelliel. So whatever happens to you, happens to me as well. I'll let you know if I notice anything else, but you really need to get going. That Captain is just staring at you, and it's beginning to get on my last nerves." She stated.
Nel nodded once more, then closed her eyes and pushed herself back out from her inner world.
She opened her eyes again, and was almost surprised to see Toshiro standing in front of her and giving her an odd look. She quickly reached up with her left hand and touched the area where her mask had vanished in her inner world.
The woman breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the bone-like piece was there, causing the man to raise a brow. "Something wrong?" he inquired.
Nel shook her head. "No, you just startled me is all, Captain." She lied, then looked at him. "Is there something you needed?"
Toshiro lowered his brows just a bit. "Not really. I just found it a bit odd to see you sitting there like that. What were you doing?"
"I was talking with Gamuza. Her and I had some things we needed to discuss about what happened the other day." She answered.
"…I see. So, does that mean you have it all straightened out?" he pressed.
She sighed and shook her head slowly. "Not yet. It will still take a little more time, but she has calmed down quite a bit since then. So why are you here, if you don't mind me asking, Captain?"
The man's face instantly fell. "Saving myself from an agonizing death. I honestly can't understand how Rangiku can stand that woman's cooking." He moaned.
Nel's face dropped as well. "If you're talking about Orihime's cooking, trust me, I understand your pain, Captain. She brought some of her cooking over one time to cheer me up…It didn't work. I like her, but I think the world could do without such a…unique style of cooking."
Toshiro rolled his eyes to her. "At least we can agree on one thing, Nel."
"That reminds me, do you have a moment, Captain? There is something I would like to ask you." She inquired.
The Captain nodded. "I'm listening."
Nel took a deep, slow breath as she prepared her words. "I've been thinking about last night, about how the fracción had nearly killed you and your whole team, no offense…"
He narrowed his gaze dangerously. "Your point?" he questioned.
She took another calming breath before going on. "I was thinking, if you and your team had better training in fighting Arrancars, the situation might not have ended the way it did. So, I wanted to propose something to you, if you would hear me out."
The Captain crossed his arms. "Go on."
"I was thinking…what if your team trains with me? Use me as an opponent in your matches?" she offered, causing the man to raise a brow in surprise. "I know it sounds odd to you Captain, but I really want to help you and your team. And what better way than to let your team fight against me, an Arrancar and former Espada?"
Toshiro closed his eyes and sighed. "Let me see if I have this straight…you are offering to let my men train, using 'you' as a target?"
Nel nodded firmly. "Yes. There's not much else I can do to help, besides walking around during your search of the city. Think about it Captain, where else are you going to get combat experience against an Espada, besides waiting for one to show up? At least this way, you can control the fight and ensure that nothing bad happens."
The man opened his eyes to her. "I suppose you will be wanting you zanpakutō for this as well?" he questioned.
She sighed heavily, but shook her head. "Considering that me and Gamuza still have some things to work out, I don't think it would be a wise idea to use my Resurrección right now. And I am a far better fighter if I use my fists while sealed. So, unless you prefer otherwise, it would be best to not use my zanpakutō."
Hitsugaya watched her closely, trying to determine if there might be an ulterior motive to her request. But the calm look in her eyes told him that her words were genuine. And the fact was that she was right; he and his team 'did' need more experience in dealing with Espada. As much as he disliked the idea, it was simply too good of an opportunity to pass up.
The man sighed heavily in defeat. "Very well. You and I will have a match in the morning before we continue our search. 'If' I am satisfied with the results, I will allow it."
The woman smiled warmly and nodded. "Thank you, Captain. Please understand, I'm just trying to help however I can."
He nodded back. "If you will excuse me, I am going to see if Urahara has anything left over that I can eat. I would rather die than be a victim of Orihime's cooking."
Nel grinned at him. "There's still some of Kit's 'special' ice cream." She teased.
Toshiro growled in annoyance. "I honestly have no idea how Tim can stand the two of you. He may have a temper, but he clearly has more patience than I do." He moaned.
She chuckled at his remark. "There's leftovers in the fridge, Captain. Tessai made some chicken potpie, and it was pretty good. There's also some tea on the table, if you want some."
The man nodded, then walked past her and into the shop. Once he was gone, her face dropped as she turned back forward and rested a hand on the spot where her 'inner mask' was damaged; feeling the boney structure.
'I need to talk to Kisuke soon. Real soon. I pray that he can tell me what's going on, or at least give me some idea on what's happening to me and Gamuza. Please…let it be something simple.' She fretted.
"Hey Nel." A voice to her side.
The Arrancar turned to the voice as Timothy sat down next to her, leaning his head back against the wall with a relaxing sigh.
"Hi Tim." she returned with a smile. "Did you find Kit?"
After the spirit teased them about them having kids, Timothy had spent the past half hour chasing the conniving fox all around the shop. But time after time, when he would get so close to catching the elusive vixen, she would dart out of the way and run the opposite direction.
After the first twenty minutes, he had lost sight of the spirit and was completely unable to locate her again.
"No, the damn fox is 'somewhere' close by though. She's not in my inner world at the moment, and she can only go so far before she'll collapse and be forced back inside. I'll find her, I just gotta think of where I haven't checked yet." He informed.
"Can't you sense her?" she inquired.
He moaned lowly. "No, and that's what's making this so damn hard."
The woman chuckled as she grasped his hand in hers, where he grabbed back. "I'm sure you will."
He rolled his head to her. "I still can't believe you got her back like that, Nel. I never would have thought of using ice cream to get back at her. That was just too good." He complemented.
She nodded slowly. "Thanks, but the idea was Rukia's. She's the one who told me what to do, I just thought it was a good idea and went with it. Anyway, how are your injuries, the ones Orihime couldn't get to in time?"
He shrugged a shoulder. "Still sore, but I'll live. I saw the Captain inside; did you get a chance to talk with him about what we discussed?"
Nel nodded again. "I did, and he surprisingly accepted…for the most part. Him and I are going to have a match in the morning, so he can determine if it is worth it or not."
"That's good. I'm sure he'll approve of it, Nel. At least you'll be able to help us in your own way. And what about Gamuza? You talk with her?" he asked further.
The woman sighed. "I started to, but then the Captain arrived, and I had to cut our conversation short. I'll try again tomorrow though. But for now, I think I'm going to turn in for the night."
Timothy nodded slightly. "Before you do, I was thinking that maybe we could go to the arcade again tomorrow evening. Perhaps grab some dinner afterwards. Wanna go?" he offered.
Nel smiled brightly and nodded. "I'd like that." She said, then leaned over and planted her lips to his.
He returned the gesture as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder in a side hug. They remained in that position for a few moments, before she broke the kiss and leaned even closer to where her mouth was next to his ear.
"She's on the roof." The woman whispered, causing Timothy to go wide eyed.
"That witch!" he growled very lowly.
Nel then kissed him once more and swiftly stood up. "Good luck on your 'fox hunt', Tim. Let me know how it goes, okay?" she teased with a smile.
He glared at her and nodded firmly. "Oh, I will."
They released hands where she waved to him. "Night Tim. See you in the morning."
Timothy slowly lifted his head to look at the ceiling with a deathly glare. "Night Nel, sleep tight." He returned in a 'calm' voice.
The woman chuckled and walked inside the shop. She proceeded to her room, quickly changing before lifting the covers from her futon and climbing into bed with a relaxing sigh. But the instant her head touched the soft pillow underneath, she heard a loud banging sound coming from the roof.
"There you are! You think you can hide from me?! Think again, you damn fox!" Timothy's muffled voice sounded out from above.
"H…How the hell did you know I was here?!" Kitsune's voice followed, quite obviously in a very panicked state.
"It don't matter how the fuck I found you, all that matters is that I 'did'; and now that I have, you're dead!" he followed.
This was followed by numerous bangs and crashes, along with several series of rapid footsteps as Timothy chased the poor spirit all over the roof of the shop.
"Come here, you fucking fox! Pay for your crimes! Take it like a man!" he yelled.
"I'm not a man, I'm a woman, you idiot! And I'm not going to sit there and get beat on by you!" she defended.
"It's a figure of speech, you moron! And you're not a woman, you're a 'witch'! Stop running like a coward and accept your punishment!" he screamed back.
The room shook when a very loud thud rang out right above Nel's room, followed by rumbling and tumbling; telling her that Timothy must have finally caught the elusive fox.
"No! Mercy!" the spirit pleaded.
"Oh, I'll give you mercy, the same mercy you've shown me and Nel! Now quit squirming!" he commanded.
"No!"
There was one, loud, final thump on the ceiling, then everything went quiet. The only sound anyone inside the house could hear, was the very evil sounding snicker that was coming from the former Quinto Espada's room.
Underground Training Area, The Next Morning
"Cero"
Toshiro flashed out of the way several yards at the last second, letting the powerful beam of raw, pink spirit energy sail through the spot where he was just at. The beam crashed into a distant boulder, obliterating the top of it.
The Captain immediately turned to face his opponent, but froze when he saw that the person was no longer there.
"Still too slow, Captain." A voice stated from behind. "Cero." The voice followed.
Hitsugaya quickly turned around to face his opponent to see Nel standing behind him, a dangerous glare in her eyes as she held her two outstretched fingers to the Captain's back. He looked down to see that the woman didn't actually have a Cero charged.
He then looked back into her eyes where she narrowed her brows. "Had I actually charged my Cero, Captain, you would be dead right now." She stated in a deathly voice.
He glared right back with slightly widened eyes as she dropped her hand and took a step back. The woman then crossed her arms firmly and sighed.
"You're not taking this serious enough Captain, and I can see why." She informed in a calmer voice.
The man growled slightly at her comment. "And what is that?"
Nel closed her eyes and took a breath. "I can tell you have not been a Captain for very long, and I'm sure it would safe to say that you only have experience in fighting regular hollows." She observed, causing him to growl even louder at her accurate assumption.
She opened her eyes back to him. "I know you've noticed that this is a whole new level, Captain. You are not fighting simple hollows with mediocre intelligence and abilities anymore, you are fighting against Arrancars and Espadas. So stop trying to approach me like you are fighting regular hollows."
"I'm not!" he asserted. "I still have my limiter on me, per your demands. And I still fail to see how you believe I stand a chance against you, when I couldn't stand against the fracción." He stated further in anger.
Nel rose a brow at him. "Sometimes, the smallest prey can kill the largest hunter. The hunter is quite obviously bigger and stronger than the prey, yet the prey can still manage to kill said hunter. How do you think that is, Captain?" she questioned.
He narrowed his stare at her. "The only way is if that prey somehow outsmarts the hunter." He answered.
She rose a finger next to her head. "That's right. In this situation, you are the prey, while I am the hunter." She pointed out, then crossed her arms. "You are correct, Captain; with your limiter, you have absolutely no chance in beating me in terms of power. But is power the only thing you have? If you can't beat your opponent in one way, then fight them another way. Stop trying to fight their power with your power, and force them to fight on a level that you know you can beat them on."
The woman held a hand out to her side. "The small prey uses its small size to outmaneuver the larger hunter…" she said, then held out the other hand. "…the larger hunter uses up all of its energy trying to catch the smaller prey, and collapses from exhaustion." She finished, then crossed her arms again. "You may not be able to beat me in terms of power Captain, but I'm sure you can figure out another way to fight me that would work in your favor. The problem you have to solve, is what that way is."
Nel then entered a combat stance with her fists clenched tightly. "Now stop trying to overcome me with your limited strength, and figure out another way to beat me." She demanded firmly.
The Captain nodded before vanishing and reappearing right in front of the woman, delivering a series of quick attacks with his blade. Nel shifted arms around this way and that, blocking the man's attacks with her forearms, using her enhanced Hierro to protect her.
In the distance, Timothy stood on top of a large boulder with his arms crossed, watching the match with deep interest. Standing next to him was Kisuke and Rukia, her with her own arms crossed, and him with his fan over his mouth.
"I must say, miss Nel is really giving the Captain a run for his money." The shop owner commented. He then rolled his eyes to the Lieutenant. "Don't you agree, Tim?"
The younger man nodded slightly. "Yeah, she is. Considering that the Captain's never faced an Espada before, it does make sense that she would go all out on their first match, just to show him exactly what he's up against. But I'm also a little concerned that if she pushes him too hard at once, he may think twice about trusting her; 'really' start viewing her as a threat." He fretted.
Rukia turned to the man as well. "Don't be so quick to think that, Tim. The fact that he's even accepted her offer to train, without any of us having to get involved, shows that he trusts her at least a little. Besides, now that's the Captain is witnessing what an Espada's strength is like firsthand, he's far more than likely to want all of us to get in on this." She pointed out.
"I have to agree with her, Tim. And if this all works out, we would at least have Captain Hitsugaya to testify in miss Nel's defense, if the soul society discovers her." Kisuke added.
"What the hell is going on here?" a fourth voice asked.
The group turned around to see Renji and Ikkaku walking up while staring at Nel and Toshiro's match. The two men stopped next to Timothy, where the red-headed Lieutenant turned to him with a confused look.
"Nel offered to train with the Captain, so that he could get some experience in fighting against an Espada." Rukia answered.
Renji rose a brow in surprise. "And he accepted? Well that's unexpected." He remarked.
Ikkaku chuckled lowly. "Yeah, I just hope he lets the rest of us have some of the fun. She must be pretty tough if she's taking on the Captain's Bankai with her bare hands." He said with a wide grin.
Timothy glanced at the 3rd seat. "Don't worry Ikkaku, I'm sure you'll get your turn. It still amazes me though that you managed to beat your opponent the other night. But then again, you're in the same squad as that brute of a Captain, Kenpachi. So I guess it would make sense that you're stronger than you look." He commented.
The 3rd seat glanced at the man. "I'm still waiting for our 'real' match, Tim. Not one of the Captain's play sessions." He taunted.
The Lieutenant scoffed with a roll of the eyes. "Keeping running your mouth like that, and I'll gladly oblige you. You haven't met my Bankai yet, Ikkaku." He shot back.
"Yeah, and I can't wait until I do. I just hope you won't hold back on me." Ikkaku said with a wide smile.
Rukia then sighed before stepping in between the two men. "Alright boys, break it up. Save your insults for another time." She instructed.
Timothy rose a brow at her. "They weren't insults, Rukia; just some…friendly words between adversaries." He corrected with a grin of his own.
A loud crashing sound in the distance brought everyone's attention back to the fight between Nel and Toshiro. The two combatants were each standing on top of their own boulder, Nel in a crouched position with one hand on the ground, and Toshiro with the tip of his blade pointing at her.
"You think she's noticed yet?" Renji inquired.
Timothy turned his eyes to him. "Noticed what?"
Rukia then raised her head to the younger man. "Over the past few minutes, the Captain's been slowly pulling all of the moisture in the room into a small area above them. Haven't you noticed that the air around us has become much drier?" she questioned.
The man rose a brow in surprise, then took in a deep breath of air. His nostrils started to itch and sting as the dry air was pulled through them. His eyes then widened a bit before he shot back towards the two combatants.
"Wait, he can do that? Absorb the moisture?" he inquired.
The woman nodded firmly. "The Captain's zanpakutō is an ice-type. Not only that, it basically also gives him full control of any water around him, turning it into ice and using it as a weapon."
Timothy turned back to her. "So…why would he gather all of the moisture into one area?"
Rukia grinned at him before returning to the fight. "You'll see."
Her friend turned to look at the teal-haired woman in the distance, now starting to fret on what the Captain could have in store for the woman.
Back with the fighters, Nel was patiently waiting, watching the Captain closely. After seeing him fight in the past, and experiencing it herself, she knew that the man was slightly faster than she was. And after her 'words of advice', it was likely he would try to use that to his advantage.
But deep in her mind, she knew that something just wasn't right. She couldn't determine why, but it seemed to her that the Captain was waiting for something. Considering that he only had four of his original twelve ice petals that hung above his head left, time was obviously not a luxury he had. So why wait?
She tilted her head a bit at him curiously. "Is something wrong, Captain? Are you having a hard time finding a weakness?" she taunted.
Toshiro furrowed his brows at her. "Nothing is wrong, I am simply determining my next strategy." He corrected.
"I see. Well, if you won't attack, then I will." She stated.
The woman suddenly launched herself from the boulder she was standing on, flying through the air at speed towards the Captain. He narrowed his gaze at the incoming woman, then twisted and swung his blade up and across at her.
"Hyōryū Senbi!" he commanded, sending a wave of ice at his attacker.
Nel quickly stopped her charge, flipping back and away from the attack. As the wave reached its max range, coming to a stop and floating in the air, Toshiro punched straight through it in his own charge at the teal-haired woman.
She came to a stop on the side on the boulder she was standing on previously, and held her arm up. The Captain's blade hit her forearm and pushed it back a few inches, allowing the two of them to come face to face.
"You need to do better this, if you want to have even the slightest chance at beating me, Captain." She stated in a cold voice.
She then threw her other fist out at his exposed sternum. Her fist hit him square in the chest, but her eyes immediately went wide with shock when the appendage not only hit him, it 'broke' him.
The man's torso split apart from his lower body as her hand continued through him. Her shock became even more evident when the two halves suddenly stopped falling and started freezing back together, with her clenched fist now stuck inside.
"What?!" she asked in low tone.
The Captain's body then became transparent, his bodily features quickly fading away as ice began traveling up her stuck arm at a very rapid pace. She watched in horror as the ice swiftly started going around her body, and freezing her to the boulder behind her.
"What is this?!" she asked aloud.
"I'm aware that I can't beat you in that manner, Nel." The man's voice spoke, but not from in front of her, but 'above' her.
Nel gasped as she lifted her head to the sky. Her eyes went even wider when she saw 'another' Toshiro several feet in the air directly above her. His body was facing her fully, and his zanpakutō held at his side with the tip pointing at her.
"That's why I forced you exactly where I wanted you." He finished.
Several dozens of icy daggers began forming all around him, each one with its tip aiming right for her.
"Guncho Tsurara!" he called as he thrusted his blade forward.
Every one of the daggers suddenly shot forth towards the trapped woman at an incredible speed. Nel knew that she had no time to try and break free from her icy shackles. The woman closed her eyes and awaited the oncoming pain.
The daggers rained down on the boulder like a hail storm, destroying everything in the area. In all, the intense barrage of ice lasted for nearly five seconds, before the attack finally finished and left a small cloud of dust in its wake.
It confused Nel when everything stopped, but she didn't feel anything. Besides the coldness of the ice surrounding her body, she felt no pain, not even the force of impact from the multiple weapons of ice.
She slowly opened her eyes halfway, then quickly opened them fully when she saw that the entire area, except for the exact spot she was in, was littered with the numerous daggers that where stuck in the ground.
"If I did not have my limiter, and had I been trying to actually hit you, Nel, that attack would have killed you." He mocked with a firm glare.
The woman looked up at him with a shocked look on her face. She stared at him for a few moments, then slightly smiled.
"You made a copy of yourself with the ice, and I assume you switched out with it while your ice wave was blocking my view?" she observed.
He nodded at her, then flicked his zanpakutō. The ice around the woman's body instantly shattered and freed her from the 'prison', where she started rubbing the arm that was trapped to warm it back up.
"And I guess it would be safe to also assume that while you were waiting earlier, you were gathering the moisture around us into that one spot. You then used your copy to pin me in place, so you could use that attack, right?" she inquired further.
Toshiro sealed his Bankai and returned his zanpakutō back to its scabbard on his back. "Correct. It's as you said, the prey runs around until the hunter can no longer hunt him. In this case, I lured you to where I could trap you, and then use a high-powered attack to defeat you while you were unable to defend yourself."
Nel folded her arms loosely and gave him a warm smile. "It was a nice trick, Captain. However, and I hope you can forgive me for saying this, but even at full power, that attack would not have killed me. It would have easily hurt, and done a lot damage, but not kill me."
Her smile then turned to a frown. "That is what you are up against, Captain. You may not choose to believe it, but the fact is, is that the Espada are easily more powerful than a Captain. Not only in terms of power, but also in terms of combat abilities. Remember what I said, Captain. Fight them in the way that best works for 'you', not them. Ignore the methods and rules of combat that the soul society teaches you, and fight 'your' way."
Toshiro narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you telling me to fight like a coward?" he questioned.
"I'm telling you to fight to win. Granted, there are a couple of the Espada who would fight with honor, me being one of them, but even they would abandon that in order to win. They do not care how others view them, what they think of them. As long as they win the fight, they simply do not care." She informed, then sighed lightly. "So, are you pleased with this training, Captain?" she asked calmly.
The captain crossed his arms tightly with a low growl. "I do not approve of your methods of fighting the Espada. They generally go against the ways of the 13 Court Guard Squads doctrines. However, I cannot deny that our methods are somewhat ineffective against them. With that in mind…" He paused to take a deep breath. "…I'll allow you to train the others in fighting against the Espada. How this training is conducted, I will leave to you. Now, if you will excuse me, my men and I need to continue our search of the city."
The man then vanished, leaving Nel behind to stare at the empty space above her. The woman closed her eyes and took a deep and calming breath, letting it out slowly to relax her nerves just as Timothy, Rukia, and Kisuke flashed into place next to her.
"Good fight, Nel. So, what did the Captain say?" Timothy asked with a bit of worry.
She turned and opened her eyes to him with another smile. "Well, he's not too happy about the methods of fighting, but he did accept."
He smiled back and rested a hand on her shoulder. "That's great, Nel. I'm glad. Hopefully by you training the team, he'll start trusting you more."
The woman nodded. "I hope so."
Rukia turned to the Lieutenant with a firm face. "We should get going and get started on the search, Tim. Renji went back upstairs and is waiting for you, Nel." She informed, now looking at the woman.
Nel started rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Actually, I have a few things I need Kisuke's help with, so could you tell him to go on without me?"
The short woman nodded. "If you insist. Everything alright?" she inquired.
"Yes, everything's fine. Just a few simple matters is all. I can help him out again tomorrow, or later today if he is willing to come pick me up." Nel replied.
"I'll let him know. See ya." Rukia finished, then vanished.
Timothy gave Nel a look of concern. "You sure everything is alright?" he pressed.
Nel sighed in annoyance. "Tim, I'm fine. I'm not a child, and I can take care of myself. So please stop worrying so much." She pleaded.
Kisuke chuckled as Timothy held both hands up in surrender. "Okay okay, I just don't want anything to happen to you, Nel. You know how protective I get towards others, so it's only right if I did the same for you. Right?"
The woman smiled again and nodded. "You're right, sorry about that. But really Tim, everything is fine. It's just a few simple things I need Kisuke's help with is all. Promise." She asserted.
He dropped his hands and nodded back. "Alright. See you this evening then. Later, Nel." He said then turned to leave.
She waved at him as he walked away. "Bye Tim."
The man then looked over his shoulder as he walked. "Oh, by the way, thanks for your help last night with Kit." He remarked.
It wasn't even a second later when the said spirit materialized beside him, her face contorted in pure anger. "It was you?! You traitor!" she yelled.
She moved to charge at the woman, but was stopped and pulled backwards when Timothy swiftly grabbed her tightly by the scruff of her neck, dragging the spirit behind him as he continued walking towards the ladder.
"I don't think so. You got what you deserved, and I'm glad she told on you. Now shut the hell up and get back inside." He demanded.
The spirit then started kicking and screaming like a child, yelling words that Nel couldn't understand, but had assumed to be insults with very 'colorful' words involved, as she was dragged on.
Nel chuckled loudly at the sight, until Kisuke turned to her with a serious face. "I assume that whatever it is you wish to speak with me about is serious?" he asked.
She instantly stopped and looked back at him with a similar face. "Yes…and to be honest…I really don't know how begin."
The man nodded slowly. "How about starting from the beginning?" he offered.
The woman sighed heavily and crossed her arms with a worried look on her face. "I don't really want to tell you this, but I don't know what else to do. There's something wrong with me, Kisuke." She started.
The shop owner rose a brow behind his fan. "In what way, might I ask?" he pressed.
"In the way that something is happening to my hollow powers, and my soul." She informed.
His other brow rose in surprise. "Care to elaborate?"
"My powers are starting to weaken, according to Gamuza. You saw the fight between her and Tim, didn't you?" she asked, getting a nod. "Do you remember seeing her use an attack where she charged at him with my lance at an incredible speed? It would have been much faster than a sonído or flash step."
"I do. If I remember correctly, she almost killed Tim with that attack." He affirmed.
She swiftly closed her eyes to avoid thinking about it. "Yes, well, that attack 'should' have killed him, Kisuke." She then opened her eyes back to him. "It is easy to miss with it, but Justa Subsónica is exceedingly powerful. Even at reduced power, Tim should not have survived that. Hence why I say that my powers have somehow gotten weaker."
Kisuke started fanning himself slowly. "Have you noticed any change in your basic powers, like your Ceros?"
Nel turned away a bit. "I have not noticed anything yet, it seems that my Ceros and sonído are unaffected at the moment. But I don't know how long that will last though. My powers are not the only thing that have changed, Kisuke." She looked back at him with a very concerning look on her face. "You may not see it here in the real world, but in my inner world, a portion of my mask is missing."
The shop owner's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, but did you say that in your inner world, some of your hollow mask is gone?" he asked in shock.
The woman nodded firmly. "Yes." She affirmed, then raised her left hand to the left horn of her mask. "This entire area of my mask is gone in my inner world. And it does not look like it was broken. Gamuza stated that it looked like it dissolved, or simply vanished."
Kisuke stared at her for a few moments, before dropping his fan hand to his side with a heavy sigh. "I was hoping to avoid telling you this, at least until after we have dealt with Aizen. Not to mention that it would very likely make Gamuza very upset. But the fact is, is that I've been closely watching you for a while now. And during that time, I've noticed that your spiritual pressure has been very steadily changing. So slow in fact, that had it not been for your change in personality, I would have likely missed it." He informed.
Nel rose a brow at him. "What do you mean 'change in personality'? I haven't changed." She insisted.
Urahara rose a finger. "Oh, but you have, miss Nel. You just haven't realized it yet." He corrected, then dropped his hand again. "Think about it; over the past few weeks, you've slowly grown more and more docile. And I'm not talking about adjusting to a new life miss Nel, I'm talking about how you have gone from being a killer, to a lover. From being a dangerous Espada, to a warming and caring woman. Your personality, who you are, has over time been changing, and it seems that my hypothesis is correct that your soul is the cause." He stated.
The woman closed her eyes again. "Kisuke…please…just stop dragging all of this out, and just tell me what is wrong with me…please." She begged.
Urahara sighed again. "Basically, miss Nel…your soul, essentially 'you', is becoming more and more human."
Her eyes instantly shot wide open to him. "What?!" she asked in absolute shock.
The man nodded slowly. "I honestly can't say with full certainty 'how', or 'why' this is happening miss Nel, but your human side is slowly becoming the dominant part of your soul. That would explain why a portion of your mask is missing. Your hollow half is slowly being subdued by your human half. That's also why your powers, and through you, Gamuza's as well, are slowly diminishing."
"This is bullshit! There is no way I am going to let that happen! You are a hollow, Nelliel! Not a pitiful human!" Gamuza yelled.
Nel quickly slapped a hand to the side of her head in slight pain from the spirit's yelling. Kisuke gave the woman a knowing stare.
"Judging your actions, I can assume that Gamuza is quite furious about this, right?" he inquired.
The woman swiftly nodded. "She is very mad about it. Is there any way to reverse this, Kisuke? Or at the very least stop it?"
He shook his head. "Without the means to conduct more research on the matter, I can't give you a solid answer, miss Nel."
"It's that damn brat's fault! He did this! I should have just killed him!" the spirit raged.
Nel held a hand to her head again. "Gamuza, please stop! It's not his fault!" she defended.
Kisuke narrowed his eyes a bit. "I see that Gamuza must be blaming Tim for this. Well, I can assure you Gamuza, that Tim is 'not' the cause of this. In fact, I'm willing to bet that this started even before miss Nel met him. This is not something that started just recently, this is something that has been going on for quite a while. Granted, being around Tim could have possibly accelerated the rate of change, but Tim is in no way responsible for what is happening. I strongly believe that this was caused by your exposure to the Hōgyoku." He stated firmly.
"What will happen to me if this continues, Kisuke? What will happen to Gamuza? I can't lose her." She insisted.
The shop owner shook his head. "And you won't. You and Gamuza are two halves to a single soul. The two of you 'are' the same soul, just simply split apart with two different personalities. I seriously doubt it's even possible for one of you to live without the other. If one of you were to die, the soul would basically kill itself, known as soul suicide. So I guess it would no longer surprise you to know that if you 'had' killed miss Nel when you took over her body, Gamuza, you would have died as well. Tell me, besides her powers weakening, is there anything different about Gamuza herself, miss Nel? Such as appearance?" he questioned.
Nel shook her head slowly. "Not that I saw of. As far as we know, it's only her powers that have been affected."
"I see. That does make sense. As I had said, the two of you are individual halves to a single soul. Gamuza is one hundred percent hollow. You however, miss Nel, used to be half hollow, and half human. Therefor, your soul was basically three quarters hollow, and one quarter human. That human part is basically your overall appearance, and your human emotions. As the human part of you becomes more and more dominant, the soul itself becomes less and less hollow-like. Because of this, both of your powers are steadily becoming weaker. Gamuza is the essence of your powers, miss Nel, but she draws her energy for those powers through you. So as your half of the soul becomes more human, you hollow powers will steadily become weaker as a result." He educated.
The woman scratched her head in confusion. "Wait, so you're saying that as 'I' become more human, the soul that Gamuza and I share becomes more human and less hollow?" she asked for clarity, getting a nod back. "So…what would happen to us if I became…full human? And is that even possible?" she asked further, not in worry.
"Normally, it shouldn't be possible. None of this should be happening. But it is. As far as what would happen if you became a full human, I can only give you a hypothesis. I believe the most likely result would be you being in a similar situation as Ichigo." He offered.
Nel rose a brow. "Ichigo? But…Ichigo's a soul reaper."
The man nodded. "Who also just happens to have an inner hollow." He added, causing her eyes to widen. "Ichigo 'is' a soul reaper, with a zanpakutō spirit residing within his inner world. But along with his zanpakutō spirit, is also an inner hollow. That is where Ichigo has been for the past few weeks, training with some acquaintances of mine to control that inner hollow. If you, miss Nel, were to indeed become a full human spirit, you would be one with access to an inner hollow. Again, this is all just a theory. Without anything to use as research, I cannot give you a definitive answer."
She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. "So…you're saying that…I'll lose my hollow powers?"
"I can't answer that either, miss Nel. It's possible, but I can't say for sure that will be the case. As far as Gamuza, I seriously doubt that this will affect her in any way. It's likely that it won't even have any effect on you two's relationship regarding your soul." He reassured.
Nel opened her eyes back to him. "Use me, Kisuke. If you need to run tests, or whatever, use me. I need to find out exactly what will happen to me. More specifically, Gamuza." She asserted.
"I'm afraid it's not that easy, miss Nel. Understand that this is not a sickness, or injury; this is a complete reconstruction of your entire being. Your being is somehow crossing a boundary that is simply impossible to cross, from a hollow to a human. Kit may have been in a similar situation, but her particular situation had a simple solution. Yours on the other hand, may not even have a solution. There may be absolutely nothing that 'can' be done to stop this." He fretted.
"Bullshit! You mean to tell me that I'd be stuck in a 'human's' inner world?! Not happening!" Gamuza screamed.
Nel growled in heavy annoyance. "What the hell are you complaining about?! 'I'm' the one who's changing here, Gamuza! Not you! I'm the one who's going to end up becoming useless! Not you!"
"I beg to differ, miss Nel." Kisuke interrupted.
"What do you mean, Kisuke? If I become a full human, that means I can't use any of my powers, meaning that I would be useless to all of you, especially Tim." she returned.
"This' half of you, perhaps; however, you and Gamuza are still linked to each other by your soul. You have already proven that either of you can inhabit your body, but you can also inhabit each other's powers. True, you may not possess any powers if you did become a human spirit, but you would likely still be able to access Gamuza's. Now, if she does not mind, I have a question for Gamuza herself." He finished.
"Heh. What does that man want now?" the spirit hissed.
Nel sighed heavily at her. "She's listening, Kisuke." She affirmed in a depressed tone.
Kisuke stared at the woman for a moment before continuing. "If a solution cannot be found, and miss Nel does indeed become human, how would you respond to it, Gamuza? Would you try and kill her again? Try to go after Tim again, even though this is clearly not his fault? What exactly 'would' you do?"
Nel was starting to become worried when the spirit didn't answer. The seconds ticked by, and the spirit was dead silent. But after a few moments, she finally spoke up.
"What's it to him? What the hell does he care? He's not the one who has to suffer here. He's not the one who has to be stuck in a human's inner world, like a reject. Hollows and humans don't mix, so why the hell should I be the one to be a slave to one?" she hissed dangerously.
The teal-haired woman dropped her head. "You are not a slave, Gamuza. We are partners. We're supposed to work together, regardless of what I am. Now answer the question. Do you intend to take over again?" she asked inwardly.
The spirit scoffed heavily. "That would be pointless. I may hate the kid, but if what that Urahara guy says is true, what's happening to you isn't his fault; so I still have to keep up my side of the deal to him. And it's like he said, if you die, 'I' die. So unfortunately, I have no fucking choice in the matter, do I? He's dead certain that this shit ain't gonna affect me in any way, except my powers getting a little weaker?" she demanded.
"Kisuke…you're sure that what's happening to me will have no effect on Gamuza?" she transferred.
The man lifted his hand and fanned himself slowly with a serious face. "As I said, there is no way to know for certain until it happens. I am simply saying that while your being is changing miss Nel, Gamuza's seems to be so far unaffected. I doubt that I need to stress to you how important it is that you keep me informed on everything that happens with you, right?"
Nel nodded firmly. "I let you know everything that happens, Kisuke."
Gamuza scoffed again. "That didn't answer my damn question, Nelliel. But if the guy doesn't know, then I guess I really have no choice but to ride this shit out for now. But know this Nelliel, I am in no fucking way pleased about any of this shit. And to answer the guy's question about what I plan to do, as long as you don't become a weak and pathetic being that I have to keep saving, I'll deal with it. But that does 'not' mean that I am not expecting him to keep trying to find a solution to this…problem, as he calls it. He had better work his ass off in trying to find a way to reverse this, or so help me, I will 'give' him a reason to work hard." She threatened.
The Arrancar shook her head slowly. "Sparing you from her insults Kisuke, she basically said that she won't do anything as long as I don't become weak. She also insists that you find a way to fix this problem. And I'm sure you know by now that she does not make idle threats." She warned.
The shop owned nodded firmly. "I can't promise either of you two anything, miss Nel, but I'll do what I can. Again, it's paramount that you notify me of any changes either of you experience, both here and in your inner world."
"Kisuke…please…don't tell Tim." she pleaded with a saddened look in her eyes.
He nodded again. "Not a word. Now, with all that out of the way…" he began, then covered his mouth with his fan. "…I believe you should get to work on fixing up the roof of my shop." He instructed.
The woman's eyes turned to saucers. "What?! That wasn't me, Kisuke! That was Tim and Kit!" she defended, her fists clenched at her sides.
"They may have actually done the damage, but 'you' instigated it, knowing how the two of them would act when you told him where she was. Therefor, it becomes 'your' fault. Or would you rather have Tim pay for it out of his pocket? I'm pretty sure he would be quite upset at that." he twisted.
Nel clenched her teeth and growled. "Damn it! Fine! I'll fix your damn roof!" she hissed lowly.
Kisuke snapped his fan shut, revealing a very wide smile. "Excellent! Thanks for your help, miss Nel! I'll have Tessai bring the tools for you to use!" he said very joyfully.
"I hate that man! If it weren't for the fact that we need him for our little problem, I'd kill him!" Gamuza sneered.
Nel turned around and started walking swiftly towards the ladder. "You're not the only one Gamuza, and that's only if I don't kill him first! Tim's lucky that I love him, or I'd…"
She instantly stopped with wide eyes as she slapped a hand to the side of her head in shock of what she just said to the spirit. In the woman's inner world, Gamuza had wide eyes on her own.
"Excuse me?" she demanded.
The teal-haired woman dropped her head a bit as she brought her other hand up to her head. "Did I…just say that…I loved him?!" she asked in shock.
Gamuza nodded in her head. "Yes, you did. Please tell me that you didn't 'actually' mean it." She demanded further.
Nel grabbed her hair in her hands loosely. "I…I don't…I don't know, Gamuza! It just…It just came out! I didn't even think about it! The words just…jumped at me! Like I knew exactly what I was saying, and meant it! I care for him a lot, and he's told me he loves me, but do I…really love him back?! Is what Kisuke said really true?! Am I really becoming…a human?!" she fretted.
The spirit narrowed her eyes dangerously. That Kisuke guy had better find a way to fix this, and 'soon'. If your stupid feelings for that soul reaper wasn't bad enough, now you're openly admitting that you 'love' him? My patience is wearing exceedingly thin, Nelliel, I hope you're aware of that." She stated.
The woman closed her eyes tightly. "Why are you so against us being together, Gamuza? I admit that I'm just as shocked as you are about me saying that just now, but is it really such a horrible thing to you that he and I want to be together? Would you be the same way if Tim were a hollow?" she interrogated.
Gamuza scoffed. "Don't give me that shit. That's an entirely different situation, and you know it."
Nel was now starting to get very annoyed. "Different to you perhaps, but not to me. I would have the same feelings for Tim even if he was a hollow. Are you jealous that you can't have the same happiness I do?" she accused.
The spirit rose a brow in disbelief. "Me? Jealous of the brat? Please tell me you're fucking joking, Nelliel. Why the hell would I ever want to have feelings for the brat, or anyone else for that matter? A bolt of lighting could strike the fool, and I would 'happily' stand there and laugh at him. And I've already told you, provided the brat doesn't do anything to hurt you, or cause you pain in any way, I'll let him be. You openly stating that you 'love' him, is just making the very thin line he's walking on several times thinner. Now, if that damn man doesn't stop looking at you like that, I'm going to take over and beat him senseless." She warned.
The woman turned around with raised brows to see that the shop owner was indeed staring at her with a very intent look in his eyes, hiding his lower face with his fan again.
"Are you alright, miss Nel?" he inquired.
Nel dropped her hands and nodded. "I'm fine…considering everything we discussed. I was just having a talk with Gamuza is all. Sorry to worry you."
The man nodded in acknowledgment. "It's fine, miss Nel. Just remember what I said; if you notice anything different, regardless of how minor it may seem, please be sure to let me know. I need to keep an accurate record of everything, that way I may be able to discern something." He instructed.
She nodded back and turned back to the stairs, hiding the deep scowl on her face. "Tim may be walking a thin line to you Gamuza, but to me, Kit is walking on noting but empty air. She breaks that damn roof, and 'I' have to fix it? It makes me want to kill her."
Gamuza rose a brow with a grin. "I'd be more than happy to do that for you." She offered.
Nel rolled her eyes as she began her ascent up the ladder. "No Gamuza, you're not going to kill her. Kisuke 'did' have a point; this was, in a way, my fault as well. I knew that those two would get destructive once he found her, and I still told him. I just find it completely unfair that they don't have to help."
The spirit scoffed at her. "Bullshit. It don't matter whether you knew it or not, you were not the one who 'actually' damaged his 'precious shop'. He should be making 'them' fix it. Are you trying to piss me off? Cause I gotta tell ya Nelliel, it's working very well." She warned.
The woman came to the top of the ladder and turned to see Tessai standing in the kitchen making tea. She sighed heavily before walking up to the large man and tapping him on the shoulder. He turned around and rose both brows.
"Miss Nel, can I help you?" he asked.
She sighed again, but in a deep growl. "Do you have some tools I can use to fix Kisuke's stupid roof?"
Tessai nodded. "Of course. One moment." He answered, then walked out of the kitchen and out of sight.
Nel held an arm across her chest while rubbing her temples with the other hand. "No, I'm not trying to piss you off, Gamuza. Now will you please drop the subject? I really don't want to do any arguing about this." She pleaded.
Gamuza scoffed once more. "Whatever, Nelliel. If you wanna keep cleaning up after the brat's messes, fine by me. But you better not complain to me about it, because I am not going to listen to you when I've warned you several times about the brat."
Tessai then walked back into the kitchen, carrying a small tool box in his hand. "Here you are, miss Nel. If you require any assistance, please let me know." He instructed.
The woman offered him a warm smile. "Thank you, but I think I can manage it…hopefully."
The man nodded, then returned to his previous task, while Nel walked out of the room and towards the front door. As she stepped out the front door and into the empty lot, she turned around to get a first look at the damage.
She suddenly froze in place, her eyes widened to great proportions as the toolbox slipped from her grip and landed on the ground; the lid popping open and dumping the assorted tools on the ground.
While there were no actual holes in the roof, there was still a very considerable amount of damage to the exterior. The wooden sign for the shop was split in two, with one of the halves lying on the sloped surface of the roof.
A large number of the clay shingles were either shattered, or outright missing on both levels, and the gutter system for the second level was in multiple pieces, each one hanging on by only a few nails.
"Holy shit! What the hell did those two fools do?!" Gamuza yelled with wide eyes of her own.
"…Gamuza…is your offer to kill the fox still on the table?" she inquired, her face fallen into despair.
The spirit growled. "Why? Are you wanting me to kill her now?" she questioned.
Nel sighed heavily as she closed her eyes and tilted her head back and to the side. "…I am…seriously starting to consider it, Gamuza."
She breathed a sigh of defeat, then started picking up the tools and placing them back in the box. "Stupid…perverted…annoying…demon fox…" she grumbled, placing the last tool back into the box.
Okay, so now Shunsui is somewhat in the loop about Tim and Nel's situation, but not fully. Nel has finally found a way to help Toshiro's team in the fight by giving them much needed experience, and Kit finally learns the error of her 'ways'…or maybe not.
As mentioned before, time is very tight here for me, but I'm still writing whenever I get some time to do so. The next chapter will be in two weeks, so please continue to bear with me fellas.
Till next time, laters.
