Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.
A/N: Hey, everyone. Sorry it took so long to post this. It's just school happened to get tougher again, so I had to focus on that for a while. But anyways, here ya go.
Chapter 9: Change
"Dani, that's a captain. . "
"Yup!"
"And a lieutenant. . .'
"Mmhm!"
". . . We're actually doing this."
Shunsui glanced over to his comrade with resignation. "Well, I guess this is what I'm doing tonight. Nanao, you take the one with the Shiba-"
Ganju let out a groan.
"-I'll take the girl."
Nanao hesitated with a slight glance to her Captain. "Captain, you can sense her power, right?"
Shunsui nodded. "It's definitely odd. It's almost unnoticeable but her spiritual pressure fluctuates a bit. It's almost as if it's unstable."
Nanao glared up at the Shiba. "Just be careful, Captain."
Shunsui grinned and stretched. "You worry too much."
Nanao hopped onto the building in front of Ganju and unsheathed her sword. "Do not fight this, Shiba, and this will be painless."
Ganju scowled. "To heck with this."
He threw a smoke bomb and bathed the area with the clouds of smoke.
The lieutenant coughed and batted at the encroaching smoke. "D-damn it!"
Dani sighed. "Of course he ran. Kukaku's totally finding out about this."
Nanao ignored her and set off after the escaping criminal, and Dani stared after her.
"Oh well!"
Dani leaped down from the rooftop, landing in front of Shunsui. The clone held her zanpakuto out in front of her, staring the Captain dead in the eyes.
"I don't want to fight you. You don't wanna fight me. How about you just let me take my friend and pretend this never happened?"
Shunsui gripped his two zanpakutos, tightly. "Can't do that."
Dani stepped into a crouched stance, zanpakuto leveled at Shunsui. "Saw that coming."
Dani leaped at Shunsui, sword thrusted. The captain sidestepped the blow and pushed her aside. Dani pushed her feet into the concrete coming to a screeching halt.
"I'd appreciate it if we skipped the warm up."
Dani grinned with a mock salute. "Certainly, Captain my captain."
Dani sheathed her zanpakuto, and drew her Fenton bow. The cloned Fenton pulled out an arrow from her quiver and nocked her arrow.
Shunsui charged at her just as she fired a reishi infused arrow. Shunsui chopped it in half, and was knocked back by the immediate explosion.
The shinigami crashed into an already ruined building behind him, his hat singed. The squad eight captain blinked owlishly as he rose to his feet.
"What the. . ."
"The arrow magnifies the explosive power of the reishi. The reishi just bounces around inside the arrow and bang, giant explosion. Cool stuff."
Shunsui smiled as he dusted himself off. "Good to know."
Clank!
Dani's eyes widened as she saw the top half of her bow lying on the ground. She looked up at her opponent who, unbelievably, was holding up her quiver of Fenton Arrows.
"Seriously!"
Shunsui frowned. "Warm up. Over."
Dani smiled, sadly. "I was really trying to avoid this. I hope, for your sake, you live through this."
Shunsui raised a brow. 'What is she talking about. . ?"
Dani drew her zanpakuto, one hand gripping the hilt the other grasping the blunt side of the blade.
"Rip to pieces, Messatsu!"
Danny leaned back against the cool stone wall of the empty house. His eyes trailed the frame of the wall in front of him. Danny couldn't help but have a bit of respect for the Soul Society's Feudal Japan architecture. So yeah, things were getting a bit stale and monotonous waiting for Nemu and Uryu to come to.
The air shimmered in front of the halfa and his eyes snapped alert. Then, he felt the familiar aura and smiled.
'Danny, do you feel it?'
Danny's brows furrowed at the brisk question as he stared up at the newly formed skull faced spirit. "Yeah, is something wrong in my inner world or something?"
He already had a feeling that he was talking about the link. Dani and he had only began to notice it during the training with Urahara. They'd had asked Urahara about, but even he didn't know how to break it.
'I'm not sure. I've been trying to investigate the problem, but it may be a hollow problem.'
Danny's eyes widened. "How?"
If possible, Karitoriki looked more grim than usual. 'I suspect that hollow from your first day in Karakura Town has done something.'
Danny huffed. "It's always something with me. Ghostly freezing, possessed girlfriends, girlfriends that want me dead, powers in general!" Danny took a deep breath.
"Thanks though, man. I'll be sure to help find the problem tonight."
The zanpakuto spirit nodded as he shimmered and vanished.
"Why did you bring me here?"
Danny jerked at the sudden sound and sank through the floor. He may have also let out a slight scream. It was completely manly, though.
"You almost gave me a heart attack!" yelled the very irritated halfa as he rose from the floor.
Nemu was unfazed. "Why am I here?"
Danny huffed and shrugged. "I just kinda thought that I should bring you away from Mr. Crazy and Abusive. So, here you are in this random, empty hideout."
"He is my master, and I am his tool. There is no abuse, only the enactment of a tool."
Danny scowled. "Does no one stop him?!"
"Many hold my master in disdain, but I am not their business."
Danny's fist clenched and unclenched rapidly as his scowl deepened. These people were absolute monsters.
Danny took a deep breath. "Do you have an antidote for yourself and Uryu?"
"Yes, it is in my pocket."
Danny stepped over and, awkwardly, rummaged through her pocket and pulled out the tiny antidote. Danny dribbled some into Nemu's mouth, and then did the same for Uryu.
By the time he'd finished with Uryu, Nemu was already standing and walking away to leave.
"Hey Nemu," called Danny.
She paused and turned her head. "Tell Mayuri that I'm changing all of this. No one is going to walk over anyone. Especially him."
With a slight nod, Nemu walked off into the night.
"Rip to pieces, Messatsu!"
Dani's zanpakuto glowed a blinding light that caused Shunsui to raise his arm to block. Soon, the glow was gone just as soon as it came. Shunsui dropped his arm to see his adversary's new shikai.
Dani's sword had been replaced with two white gloves that fit seamlessly over her hands. There were lines that spider-webbed out from the palms of her gloves that were a vibrant neon green. The kanji for annihilation was scrawled out upon her finger tips.
Shunsui raised a brow. "Gloves?"
Shunsui seemed almost bemused by this new outcome, however, Dani did not share his sentiments.
"Please, end this fight now. Just let me take Chad."
Shunsui almost took a step back at the utter despair on her face. His brows furrowed in concern. 'I feel like this shikai ability of hers is gonna hurt me a lot more than it hurts her. She clearly doesn't want to fight me yet she persists.'
Shunsui dropped low into a stance, one sword high the other lowered. "Just turn yourself in and this fight will be over. You don't have to do this."
Dani shook her head, resignedly. She charged at the Captain with partially ghost enhanced speed, catching Shunsui off guard.
Dani kicked Shunsui square in the chest, sending him straight into a building. Shunsui stepped out the wreckage, dusting himself off.
"You're good, kid. Let's see how you handle this."
Shunsui thrust his blades to either side of him. "BushÅgoma!"
Shunsui spun as he was enveloped by a whirling, cyclone of wind. It took a while to register, but Dani realized that the cyclone was headed straight for her.
Dani leaped away from the attack and let it sail harmlessly over her head. The ghost child stood up ready for the next attack, but found no one. Her head began to swivel as she stretched out her senses.
"Look, man. I don't wanna fight you!"
Dani shivered as she felt a familiar itch tickle the back of her spine. It wasn't unlike her ghost sense, however, it definitely felt more sinister. Dani groaned "Not now."
'Use me.'
Dani shook her head, fiercely. "No! I won't! The damage that could happen if I can't contr-"
'Foolish child, just use me!'
"I don't want to kill him!"
'You won't. Just find Orihime.'
"There's no telling how fast the erosion would happen if I-"
"Black."
Dani's eyes widened in shock. She glanced down in horror to see the sword of her opponent protruding out of her stomach.
Danny's eyes widened in shock as a shiver ran down his spine. A wave of a mixture between horror and disbelief washed over him. He couldn't explain it, but it was as if an extra sense was warning of danger to his ghostly friend.
"Dani!"
"It's just as I suspected," remarked Shunsui, retracting his sword. "You are a ghost."
Dani looked back at Shunsui in shock as her self-made stomach hole closed up. "I-I'm not a gh-"
"You know the history of Shinigami and ghosts."
Dani's mouth shut as she nodded.
"And you still came here? You must really love your friend."
Dani shrugged, eyeing the Shinigami, warily. "I don't really know her, but I'm here with Danny. Besides, no one deserves what's about to happen to her."
Shunsui gave a small smile. "You ryoka are a good group."
"You don't have to fight us. Just let us take Rukia and leave."
Shunsui stilled, seemingly mulling over the idea. "I'm sorry, but I can't."
Dani sighed, defeated.
The ghost dropped into a crouch as her feet began to glow with Reiatsu. At the same time initiating Hirenkyaku alongside her ghost speed. The result was a blazing burst of speed that would've made Yoruichi jealous.
Shunsui's eyes widened as Dani landed next to the unconscious form of Chad and stooped to pick him up, but Shunsui knocked her away with a heel kick to the head.
Dani grunted as she pushed herself up to her feet. "Darn it! Just let me take my friend!"
Dani didn't even notice when Shunsui rematerialized in behind her. With one reiryoku infused chop to the neck, Dani dropped, unceremoniously, to the ground out cold.
"I'm sorry," muttered Shunsui, standing over the the child.
Shunsui didn't turn when he heard the thud of a body hitting the ground behind him. "Nanao," muttered Shunsui as he stepped toward his hat. "I see your battle went well."
Nanao huffed. "Not even close to well, but the offender has been indeed been captured. Should we kill them?"
Shunsui paused just short of his hat. "No."
"What?"
Shunsui stooped down and fitted his hat upon his head. "We're going to keep them in Squad 8 barracks."
Nanao made a choked sound in the back of her throat. "You can't be serious."
The flower dressed man began to walk away. "I'm completely serious. Tell one of our shinigami to go out searching for the leader of the ryoka. We all need to be on the same page for this. If anyone needs me, tell them I am visiting Unohana."
"Wh-what is this all about?!" sputtered Nanao to a retreating Shunsui. He turned over his shoulder with his usual small, reassuring grin.
"Change."
A/N: My apologies if this seemed a bit off. I really didn't know how to write this chapter for the longest. I'm extremely excited to write the next chapter, though.
Have a good one, y'all.
