BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Fairytail is owned by Hiro Mashima. I own nothing.
Special thanks to Greatkingrat88 for writing once again.
Here we go again, with yet ANOTHER really long chapter. Im very happy that we've gotten this far. On another note, we are only a few chapters away from reaching cannon! Huzzah! I bet it will take us 3 more chapters. 4 MAX.
As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please, feel free to leave a review. :)
Few things pleased Aizen Sousuke the way a well-executed, complex and carefully considered plan falling into place did. But simple plans were enjoyable, too- you had to eat rice every now and then to remind yourself what made a luxurious sushi so delicious.
But today, it seemed like a mischievous cat had stolen his dish, fish, rice, soy and all.
It had supposed to be a simply executed plan- call in a hollow attack using his connections in Hueco Mundo, let them instill proper terror in the students of his choosing, and swoop in at the last second like a merciful angel, a saviour of outstanding character and greatness. From there on, he would have the undying loyalty of the students with particular potential, all the better to run the divisions under his control as they advanced through the ranks. There wasn't much that was impressive, a critical voice in his head reminded him, about manipulating impressionable children- but with the obnoxious mask he had to wear every day, to hide his true self, he would take entertainment where he found it. As he had stepped out of the portal, he had watched with some amusement as the first two students died, as the brave, brazen and utterly foolish Abarai had attempted to organize a wholly futile defense…
Then, like a bull in a china shop, another angel had swooped in and promptly stolen his thunder, hacking through the hollows with a berserker's tenacity and rage, slaughtering all that didn't flee, in less than two minutes. If Aizen had let himself feel anything like annoyance at his plans being foiled, however inadvertently, it would soon have been replaced with curiosity- yes, curiosity, and interest. Not everything could be accounted for, he knew; the world was a vast place full of X factors- like Erza Scarlet. As he descended towards the building, Ichimaru in tow, the piece fell in place. Scarlet was incapable of the distanced professionalism of a sincerely competent teacher, and had formed deep attachments to several students. Given her past, paranoia would have caused her to come, despite the unlikeliness of an incident- people, he decided, would be so much easier to control if they weren't always so irrational.
But then again, that wouldn't be very entertaining.
Erza was still a crying, sobbing mess, but eventually she composed herself enough to let go of Momo and Renji. It wasn't a very dignified display after what she had just done- but looking cool couldn't have been further from her mind. Renji looked a little awkward, still shocked, Momo just looked… at ease. She wiped her eyes, blew her nose on her shihakusho sleeve, and took deep breaths as she looked over her students. Their faces were a glory to behold, wonder, relief, happiness all around…
Then she sensed it, another signature approaching fast. It was familiar. She looked up, and saw him- Aizen Sousuke, followed by his vice-captain. He landed, with a serious look on his face.
"S-sir," she mumbled, saluting awkwardly, still feeling shaken to her core.
"There was a distress call. I happened to be the closest, and I departed immediately," he said, sounding almost stern, "but it seems my help was not needed. Thank goodness you got here in time, Scarlet." He smiled warmly, and Erza's heart soared. "You appear to be out of uniform, though."
"Yes,I was off duty, an'," she murmured. "I was just, I had a gut feeling, and'…"
"She kicked their asses!" Renji cheered. "We'd all be dead without her!"
There was a cheer from the other students, affirming his words.
"Not all of you, it seems." Aizen said, pointing to the far end of the building's roof, where the corpse of two students lay, students Erza herself had taught, still in a pool of blood.
"Oh god- I couldn't, I was too late-" Erza started to choke up, breathing raggedly, but Aizen put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.
"Because of you, no more died." He said warmly. "This is a tragedy, but what you have done here is nothing short of heroic. Because of you, all of these young men and women will go on living, serving the Gotei, having lives to make something of. Without your arrival, who knows how many more would have died? Please, Erza, I urge you-" he leaned in close, looking her in the eyes- "think not of the good you failed to do, but the good you actually did."
"R-right, right," Erza said, nodding weakly.
"I will personally be commending you for valour to your captain," he said firmly. He then turned to the others. "Students, you have been through a terrible ordeal, but I must ask that four of you help carry the bodies of these two back. They deserve a burial, at least. All of you will be coming with me, to report to fourth division for a medical check-up. Understood?"
There was a chorus of affirmatives, and Erza noticed that there was something about him, an ease of confidence and authority, that made him in control of the situation with just a few words. He was a natural born leader.
"That goes for you too, miss Scarlet," Aizen said, looking back at her. "I think you will need a visit to vice-captain Kotetsu's office."
"…yes." Erza mumbled. This would be a hell of a story to tell…
The next day, after some emergency therapy with Isane, and a good night's sleep, Erza was back on duty. She hadn't so much as finished breakfast before she received a summons, though, a simple note that, in the typical manner of her captain, read:
'Get your ass over to my office posthaste, Scarlet! Sod patrols and all that crap, we got stuff to talk about! Oh, and Aizen'll be there.'
Crude and to the point, just like he always had been. He was a good man, the kind of man who'd have fit right into Fairy Tail- which, in Erza's book, was a badge of honour if there ever was one. So, after just a simple cup of tea and a few crackers, Erza hurried out. Best not to keep him waiting. She wasn't sure what would come, what he'd say, but hopefully it'd be good- Captain Aizen had promised to vouch for her, after all…
Any concern she might have had about a lecture, a rebuke, any criticism, was quickly swept aside as she stepped into her captain's office. The man was in good spirits, talking excitedly to Aizen himself.
"Like that! And that!" He cheered, jabbing with his fists at some imagined enemies. "Tell me again, Sousuke- how'd my gal do? Kicking ass, stickin' it to 'em…" Enthusiastically, he jabbed at the air some more.
"I only caught the faintest glimpse of the tumult," Aizen said diplomatically, a bemused smile on his face, "but I can assure you she fought with vigour and valour."
"Enough with the big words!" Isshin said cheerily. "Tell me how it really happened!"
"Ask her yourself," Aizen said, pointing to Erza, who had stood awkwardly silent as her captain spoke.
"Scarlet!" He exclaimed. Other men might have been embarrassed, caught in such a moment of boyish cheer, but Shiba Isshin didn't even flinch. He walked up to her, firmly taking his hand in hers, shaking it firmly with both hands. "You did some real good out there- I wish I coulda seen it myself!" he exclaimed, still shaking her hand enthusiastically. "Striking down on a buncha hollows, saving the maiden fair- well, the hapless students, but you can't have everything- you did a real great thing out there, the kind any shinigami should- you're a pride to the whole profession, Scarlet!"
"Th-thanks, sir-" Erza managed, feeling a little overwhelmed, and somewhat dizzy from the very eager handshake. Noticing her discomfort, Aizen said,
"You may want to let go of her hand, Shiba-taichou. It wouldn't do for you to tear it off after she fought so bravely with it."
"Oh. Right." Isshin said, letting go of her hand. Not content just yet, he patted Erza on the back- well, 'patted' in the most understated sense of the word; he nearly knocked the wind out of her with one, two, three blows that might have knocked out lesser shinigami. "Real stellar work- I ain't had so much fun hearing about a subordinate for years now!"
"It- it's nothing, sir," Erza mumbled. "I just uh, had a feeling, and I did whatever any shinigami would have done…"
It was a lame, generic line, but Erza didn't really feel like saying I went berserk and then nearly had a mental breakdown. If only she had been smooth, like Aizen, knowing what to say and when…
"Nothing, my rear!" Isshin exclaimed. "That's the biggest act of heroism I seen since- since- well, since Kaien took a hit for his captain, an' went on to slaughter the adjuchas what did it, with only one arm to use! Now there's a story-"
"An absolutely fascinating tale, I'm sure," Aizen cut in, "but let's stay focused, shall we?"
"Really, sir," Erza mumbled awkwardly, "I just wanted to protect them, and I did. It's not that special- I wouldn't be me if I didn't help my friends."
"Modest, too!" Isshin bellowed. "See this one, Aizen? Knew it when I first laid eyes on her- a real looker, but more importantly, she got as much heart as she got strength of arm!"
Some people would have basked in such praise, felt it well earned, appropriate. Erza just felt uncomfortable- not out of modesty so much as it was… odd. She wasn't used to this at all, and her mind was preoccupied- with the two she couldn't save, with the friends lost so long ago… that she had gotten there in time, in her mind, hadn't been a special or heroic deed- it had just been necessary, nothing more or less. If she had failed, she was sure she would have gone mad. Deep down, this praise felt… undeserved.
As if sensing her discomfort, Aizen cut in,
"What Shiba-taichou is meaning to get to, although he tarries in his excitement, is that your talents by far outstrip your rank. Notions of heroics aside, you slaughtered three high class Huge Hollows, all known to the Gotei by name as vicious shinigami killers. There will be bounty money coming your way for that- but more importantly, you've demonstrated with all clarity that you are strong and competent enough that you do not belong at a petty ninth seat." Seeing the look on her face, he added, "This is not flattery, Scarlet. It is my assessment as a professional Captain of the Gotei Thirteen that your skill and power is, well, what I just said it was. You may have done as you did solely out of a desire to protect, but whether you are comfortable with the role of a hero or not, fact remains that it is obvious to all that you have grown in strength and skill."
"Damn well seconded!" Isshin cheered.
"…thanks." Erza mumbled. "I just- I guess I just… did my best…"
"Aye, you put your back into it, pushed hard and never stopped, and got stronger over time, just like a man- well, like a shinigami should!" Said Isshin, nodding enthusiastically.
"Which is why I would like to offer you a promotion as third seat of my squad five, effective immediately." Aizen said calmly.
"…what?" Erza mumbled.
"We was talkin' before you came," Isshin said, "stiff bugger that he is, he insisted on talkin' business before we got to the fun stuff- but yeah, I agreed that if you want it, you can transfer right away. Don't get me wrong," he said, waving his hands dismissively, "I don't wanna see ya go, we're real proud of ya- but Aizen here's better at the whole mentoring shtick, and you two got a history. You can go real far under him, and… we all want what's best for you." His last sentence sounded a bit more somber, Erza thought.
"I… I don't know what to say." She mumbled. She'd done a lot of mumbling, she realized.
"Say yes." Aizen said warmly. "You'll get the position you deserve- and I have faith that one day, you will be a captain yourself. You have great potential, and it would be my honour to play a part in cultivating it."
"…can I think about it?" She asked.
"Sure, sure," Isshin said dismissively, "but it's prob'ly best if you make up yer mind before the day's over. Less paperwork, and all that."
Erza swallowed. Why would she hesitate like this? It had always been her intention to advance through the ranks. This… this was perfect, wasn't it? To rise up in rank, to be mentored by her old teacher, one of the people she trusted most? Not a goof like Shiba-taichou, or a monster like Kenpachi- a decent, professional man. It was everything she had wanted.
"I'll do it." She said, firmly and loudly, balling her fists. Enough mumbling.
"Right on!" Isshin said. "Hold on, I got the papers here somewhere…"
"Splendid." Aizen said, smiling happily at her. "I look forward to working with you, Erza."
This had been sprung on her on a hard, emotional time in her life, still in the throes of nearly losing some of her most precious people- but unexpected or not, hard or not, she was not going to let such a great opportunity slide. It was hers to seize, if she wanted to move forward- and where else was there to move, but forward? For Erza Scarlet, there was no place else to go.
The papers were signed, and within just hours, her transfer was complete. She said her goodbyes to Lisanna- nothing dramatic; it wasn't as if she wouldn't see her often anyhow. Lisanna had congratulated her, and after a warm hug, Erza was on her merry way to division five, carrying her personal belongings in a cardboard box. And once at her new division, she got all of the things promised- the third seat, along with a better, bigger room, a bigger pay check, greater responsibilities…
In what seemed like the blink of an eye, three years passed. Day after day of hard work passed, always starting with an early rise and a meager breakfast, always ending with a tired Erza falling into bed, sleeping like a rock. It was in no way unfair, nor as exhaustive as her first days of teaching, and she did get free time to herself including one free day each week. There were the perks of being a top ranked officer too, official and unofficial- people showed you respect, gave you free tea and cookies at the shops, and rich men and women would often approach you with ingratiating smiles asking for a favour in this and that matter. Some of it was harmless, and some of it was pure bribery, she knew. Some, she knew, took the bribes without thinking twice. Erza herself rejected each offer without a second thought.
With all this, with hard work and perks, she was content. She had enough direct work to keep her stimulated- she was officially too important for petty chores like patrolling, but on the other hand there was more paperwork…
On the whole, she was in a good place.
Today in particular was special. She stood at the gates of division five, standing tall and firm, but couldn't help but smile a little. Through the years, she had still snuck off to teach her kids- she still thought of her students like that- what she could about sword-fighting, whenever they had the time. But time had passed, and suddenly they had all graduated. And today, she would be welcoming four of them to her division- Izuru Kira, Shuhei Hisagi, Hinamori Momo and Abarai Renji, all of them applying for division five immediately. She would be welcoming them, along with a dozen or so more recruits, and though she kept a stern front, she felt… excited inside.
After waiting for what was officially two forevers, she could see them walking down the street, all of them with that look on them she knew so well- of a rookie, somebody at once excited and nervous, confident and humbled, thrown into a world they thought they were ready for but just quite weren't.
"Recruits!" She bellowed once they were within earshot. "Over here- right this way!"
The new recruits flocked to her, and after giving them all a quick, stern speech about responsibility and how not-responsible people tended to have a disagreement with her fists, she led them to the barracks, signed all of their papers, and gave them the accommodations and assigned duties she was supposed to; all formal, all according to schedule. After a strict frown, and an order to get settled and report to their commanding officer- thankfully not one of her duties- the recruits scuttled away, nervous and eager.
Except four of them, who stayed for just a minute in the dank light in the barracks, face to face with Erza. She kept a stern face, looking down on them with judgment, but not one of them, she knew, took it seriously. When Momo cracked a smile, and quickly walked forward to give Erza a hug, the façade broke instantly, and Erza smiled happily.
"Look at you all," she said softly, "all grown up. And it happened so fast!"
"We ain't little chickens no more, sensei," Renji said cockily, grin on his face. He had got tattoos on his face, she noticed- a couple lines just above his eyes.
"I'm not your sensei anymore, Renji," Erza corrected him.
"Well, I sure don't feel right callin' you 'sir', or somethin' like that." Said Renji.
"You may well have to. And if it's just me… well, call me Erza. Or if you want, just 'sis', I suppose."
"I like the sound of that." Momo said softly, as she broke away from the hug. "A big sister, protecting us from the monsters."
"Dunno about you, but I'd rather learn to protect myself," Hisagi said, arms crossed over his chest.
"Well said," Erza said, nodding, "and you will be soldiers from now on. You will start doing the lowest chores, just like I did- you'll go on endless patrols, you'll clean latrines, you'll do kitchen duty, you'll do laundry, you'll do everything the division needs you to."
"Ah, the glamour of shinigami life…" Kira mumbled sarcastically.
"You start at the bottom, all of you," Erza said firmly, "because you can't appreciate anything without earning it first. I've faith in all of you- you will go far, but to climb high you must start at the lowest point. Is that understood?"
"Listen to you, all official…" Renji grumbled. "All right, scrubbing floors an' doing laundry it is, I guess. I'd argue, but I learned that's not an option with you, sens- sis."
"You're a good learner, Renji," Erza said, smiling grimly, "even though it took loads of pain for the lessons to sink in."
"Don't I know it." Renji said, flexing his muscles as if recalling one injury after another.
"Well, I can't be standing here coddling you all day," she said, making a motion to leave, "you all know who to report to, and…" she stopped herself.
"There's just one thing."
"What, Erza?" Momo asked.
"It's… a bit of a, how do I put it…" Erza said hesitantly. "Basically, stay away from Ichimaru Gin." She had worked with the man every now and then these last three years, got to know what he was like, and… he was a creep. To put it mildly. He was lean, lanky, with silver grey hair and eyes that seemed constantly shut, and always with a mean-spirited smile on his face. Something seemed wrong about him. He never did anything that was unambiguously questionable, but… he reeked of cruelty, his laid-back attitude showing hints of sadism every now and then. Completely cold, as if lacking any sort of empathy… he was like a serpent, Erza thought.
"Isn't he the vice-captain?" Kira said. "One of the best officers in the division?"
"Just… trust me on this, all right?" Erza said. "I've got a sense for these things, and that man… he's bad news all around. Stay away from him, as much as you can."
"Sure, sure," Renji said. "We got it. Now come on guys, duty's waitin'- boring patrols, and whatnot."
Momo gave her a hesitant look, and then the four of them went on their way, and Erza went on hers.
Her new position meant some interesting things, like high-level hollow hunts, and some less interesting things, like running errands from division to division making courtesy calls about interdivisional co-operations, schedules, having papers signed this and that way…
Everyone knew the road to success was paved with failure, with blood, sweat and tears, with pain and endurance, with the perseverance to overcome whatever life threw your way. What most people didn't know was that success also came with bureaucracy, whose lifeblood was paperwork- to no end. In this particular instance, it was an errand to twelfth division, to sign for a hollow captured by their division and subsequently handed to the research division. Along with her was Isane, on a similar errand herself- somebody had been injured, and of course there was some paper that needed signing for that, too.
As she walked there, it occurred to her that she had never visited the place before- well, except the one time with Isane, but she had hardly seen anything of the division itself. She had never had cause to- her duties had had her spend much time in the field, and divisions did not frequently make joint operations; few situations called for deploying soldiers on that big of a scale. She'd met a few twelvers here and there, and they seemed all right to her. It was a place of learning, she knew, the home of the one and only science organization in the Gotei, as well as an extensive data bank and library.
Before long, the two of them were inside the division, heading towards the information desk. They were in luck; the captain himself stood there, angrily lecturing the receptionist over something. She hadn't met the man before; he was an elusive sort who didn't often stray outside his lab. She had heard he was a ruthless sort, very no-nonsense, but didn't know much else. As they approached, she noticed his strange appearance- skin painted white, with black linings- painted, or naturally coloured that way?
"No, you imbecile!" The captain sneered at the receptionist, his voice shrill enough to almost be a shriek. "The specimens were supposed to have come through half an hour ago, and it's only your incompetence keeping me from discovering all their secrets! Should I take you down to the labs, strap you down and dissect you instead?"
The receptionist seemed too frightened to answer, looking to be on the verge of tears, so the captain continued his litany.
"Honestly, the incompetence on you all! How am I expected to conduct my research when I am surrounded by fools?"
"Mayuri-sama," said a tall woman standing by his side, who Erza hadn't noticed until now. She was pretty, she noticed- black, straight hair hanging down in a neat cut, pale, well sculpted legs, and a calm, almost detached expression on her face.
"What?" He snarled, turning at her. "What could you add, you pathetic ingrate?"
"I believe this is a simple miscommunication, sir," the woman said, taking the abuse without flinching, "I have been told that the specimens have been delivered to section three, lab four. We simply haven't received word of it until thirty-two minutes ago."
"Thirty-two minutes?" Captain Kurotsuchi spat. "It has been here for over half an hour, and you haven't told me yet?!"
"You specifically ordered me to keep quiet as you left your lab, sir," the woman said.
"Nemu, you useless bitch!" He spat, and slapped her across the face. "I graciously let you live as my assistant, and this is how you repay me? Undermining my efforts?" As he screamed the words out, he hit her, again and again, until finally Nemu staggered back, leaned against a wall. Erza felt her fists balling, anger rising in her chest- but she could feel an arm on her shoulder, holding her back.
"Don't." Isane said. "You can't stop him. Nothing good will come of stepping up here."
"But he- but he's-" Erza said, fury preventing her from forming a proper sentence, as the captain hit, insulted, struck his assistant, over and over, not stopping when he drew blood, not stopping when she collapsed, sitting down against the wall as he hit her, again and again.
"You can't," Isane said, her grip tightening as Erza tried taking a step forward, "because he is a captain, and he has a right to run his division however he wants. If we step in here, then we're the ones breaking the rules- not him. And that would be if he didn't decide to kill us for insulting him."
"The man is a monster!" Erza hissed between her teeth.
"He is." Isane hissed back, "but there's nothing we can do. Not right now."
Erza's nails dug into her palms, hard enough to draw blood, as she watched the captain hit her, his hand finally slowing down out of exertion. He spat at the woman, then turned to face them, as if noticing them only now.
"Oh," he said, casually fixing his hat, "what the devil do you two want?" He looked at his hands, and his coat, and mumbled angrily, "Damn it, now I got blood on my clothes… what a useless bitch. Well, spit it out, the two of you!"
Erza said nothing, just barely managing to keep her mouth shut, just barely managing to not hit him with all the strength she had. Quickly, Isane spoke up:
"We are here to sign for some specimens- and an injured member from your division. Please, sir, if you would take just a moment?"
"You're from four, aren't you?" He said, looking at them like they were vermin. "Fine, fine- hand me the damn papers. I have research to conduct, you plebeians."
Papers were signed, all while Erza's willpower was tested to their limits against herself, and finally, the captain turned to leave. He stopped by his assistant, and gave her a malicious look.
"Pick yourself up and be down in the lab in ten minutes, or I am dismantling you."
"Yes… sir." Nemu managed, looking frighteningly accepting. Did she take this all the time, was she this used to it?
The moment the captain turned around, Isane rushed over to Nemu, pulling out a medical kit from her pocket, treating her injuries with a feverish quickness.
"So you do care," Erza spat, finally managing to get a word out, taking several deep breaths to calm herself."
"That's not fair." Isane said, dabbing a cut on Nemu's face with alcohol. "Here, come help me."
"Yeah… sorry." Erza mumbled, walking over. It had been an unkind thing to say, but this… was a different experience, one she hadn't been at all prepared for.
"Are you okay?" Isane said to Nemu, not seeming to care much about the insult. "Does it hurt much? Anywhere specific?"
"I… need to go help… Mayuri-sama…" Nemu mumbled, clumsily attempting to stand.
"Out of the question." Isane said firmly. Sighing, remembering who she was dealing with, she said, "At least let me treat you, all right? You're no use, bleeding from your face."
Nemu said nothing, but sat back against the wall, letting Isane treat her. Soon- too soon, Erza knew- she got up, just barely treated for the injuries she had just taken.
"She is, ah, a mod soul," Isane mumbled. "He made her. She is his 'daughter'. He legally owns her. Beats her whenever he gets angry." She had a haunted look on her face. "It's… not right."
"Damn straight!" Erza growled. "How can people just… let this go on? How can nobody protest?"
"He's a captain." Isane said simply. "Practically, there's no position more powerful than that in all of the soul society. And if you hold that, without having any sense of good…" she trailed off, but the meaning was clear.
"Let's get out of here," Erza mumbled, pulling Isane by the arm. Nodding weakly, she followed her out.
As the two of them left, Erza thought she could hear, very faintly, a distorted sound from below, sounding like… a scream. She hoped it was her imagination.
Startling as some parts of Gotei life were- like the revelation that one of its highest officers was an abusive monster- there was still much good to be found. Her pillar of strength was her friends- Lisanna, Rangiku, Isane, Renji, Momo… they were what kept her going.
Which was why, now in her room after hours, sitting on her bed, she was paying the likes of Mayuri no mind, because Momo sat across her, an excited smile on her face.
"Well, show it then," Erza said, smiling back. "It's not every day you achieve shikai, is it?"
"T-technically I did it the day before yesterday," Momo stuttered, teeming with a subdued eagerness, so typical to the shy little Momo Erza had first gotten to know, "but- but I had to try it again and again, just to make sure it wouldn't go away."
Erza giggled. "You know, they usually don't change their mind."
"I know, I know!" Momo said fussily. "But… I had to make sure. You know?"
"I know," Erza said, nodding. "Go on then."
Slowly and carefully, taking a deep breath, Momo pulled her zanpakutou out of its sheath, cautiously holding it straight up, grasping the hilt with both hands. She took a second deep breath, and said, a bit nervously,
"Snap, Tobiume!"
There was a flare of red light, and the hilt straightened, and from each side a second and third blade jutted out, one lower down on the blade, and one higher up. It looked more like a tuning fork than a sword- but then again, you couldn't judge by appearance alone. With a curious look, Erza said,
"Well, that's brilliant. What can it do?"
"It's sort of a kido weapon," Momo said, licking her lips nervously, "I can channel energy through it. Right now, all I can do is make things explode."
As if to accentuate her words, a jolt of red energy overflowed from the blade's tip, shooting into the roof with a small bang, leaving a small crater. Momo gave a shriek, and instantly sealed her sword again.
"That was not supposed to happen!" She said, holding a hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry- I should have better control, I really should!"
"It's all right," Erza said, looking at the hole in her roof. There was a red spark of residual energy there, dying out the moment she looked at it. "It's good. You've got a strong blade. You just need to practice with it."
"S-Sure," Momo mumbled. "I should be able to do some really interesting things with this… I just don't know much yet."
"It's the same for everyone." Erza said, reaching for her own Tetsu no Tama. "I had to try for a very long time before this one right here let me unlock its power. And if I don't live up to his standards, he'll take it away- he's a bit of a grump." She could feel the disapproval of her sword's spirit in her head, but she paid it no mind. She stepped off the bed, and slowly unsheathed the blade in its full length, a good deal bigger than Momo's- or for that part, most zanpakutou.
"Let me show you." Erza said.
"Sure!" Momo said, nodding happily.
"Strike," she said, her tone assertive, and the sword glowed faintly in response. Nothing much else seemed to happen, though.
"Um…" Momo said, after a pause long enough that it was almost awkward.
"Dual." Erza said, and in both her hands appeared two long swords, with red hilts, but not looking extraordinary aside from that.
"In battle, I can call these out easily, just with a thought. But here… it's a bit less compliant," Erza explained. "Back when I was alive, I had magic- I could switch around between any weapon or armour in my arsenal. I used to think my shikai would work the same way."
"But it doesn't?" Momo said, looking curious.
"No," said Erza, shaking her head, "I have a fixed number of weapons, and… well, each one looks like it's an aspect of combat, generated by my emotions. It was… subtler than I first expected. I only recently realized."
"And these two swords?"
"They are Balance," Erza said, weighing them in her hands, moving them around a little. "Using two swords at once takes extremely good hand-to-eye co-ordination- you have to do twice as much, and do it right all the time. As such, it's a sword combination used only by very skilled swordsmen. Because it requires the user to be very dexterous, they represent a good balance." She smiled, and let the weapons dissipate. "To be honest, they aren't very strong, because I'm not the calmest of swordspeople- I'm passionate, I live in the moment… if I could learn to distance myself, be more stoic, they would be much stronger."
The weapon changed, now taking the form of a bearded axe, with a very long hilt.
"Breaker." Erza said simple, running her thumb down the axe's blade. "They represent determination, the willpower to crush your enemy no matter what. It hits slow, but hard, and crushes through the toughest defense when it does. This one… is strong. But it's limited."
Again it changed, now turning into a great spear and a big, round shield, inscribed with the regalia of Fairy Tail itself.
"Sentinel." Said Erza. "Born of my will to help others, to protect them from harm, it represents the aspect of defense."
She let it dissipate, and again the weapon changed, now taking the form of a black, jagged blade, a gigantic, thick greatsword that left a big dent in the floor as it materialized.
"Render." Erza mumbled.
"It looks… different."
"It is." Erza said, looking intently at the weapon. "It's the strongest one. It's… the aspect of chaos. Of going berserk, wanting nothing more than to fight, fight, fight, to hit your enemy and never stop…"
Ponderously, she let her eyes wander up and down the sword. "It's born from my hate, my anger, my sadness. It's the strongest, because… I had some… rough times before I reached my shikai. It's grown and changed since I first got it."
"It looks scary." Momo said quietly.
"It is." Erza agreed, letting the blade vanish, and her zanpakutou return to its sealed form. "But sometimes, I have to use it. I… want to make weapons like Dual or Sentinel the strongest, not Render. When I can do that, I think I will be truly strong."
"I'm sure you can do it." Momo said, and nodded.
"Sorry- I shouldn't have brought this out." Erza said apologetically. "Why don't we go out, celebrate your new sword?"
"Sure." Momo said, smiling slightly.
Aizen Sousuke was a planner of plans, a hatcher of schemes, a manipulator, a puppet master who tugged at strings from the shadows, hiding in plain sight. He was, however, not opposed to get his hands a little dirty, metaphorically speaking. Spend too much time sitting down, and you would lose your touch.
Which was why he was out here in the Rukongai. When he had first started his infiltration, so much younger than now, he had sometimes fantasized that there might be more people like him- strong-willed, driven, with a goal and smarts to get there…
But sadly- or not- he had never seen anybody much like himself, with perhaps just the one exception… he seemed to be alone in his brilliance, the only one with the will to change the world. Which was why he felt the smallest hint of irritation when he found people who had seen past this veil, only to create one of their own- like Inaba Kageroza. He was the seventh seat of division twelve, and one of its chief scientists, and he had run secret experiments out here, in this lab hidden far out in a half-dead forest. That in itself wasn't strange by twelfth division standards- it wasn't uncommon for more dangerous, unethical research to be carried out covertly, so that the Gotei could wash its hands off of it, should the secrets be unveiled.
But Inaba was different. He had first looked into him only out of mild curiosity, as a way of passing the time- but the more he had looked, the more he had seen an oddball, somebody outside the norm, somebody with something to hide…
It hadn't been hard to find. Inaba's greatest protection was his status as an officer, being beyond reproach as a researcher- but he was not good at covering his tracks. Irregularities in materials sent to his lab, strange work hours, and he hadn't even bothered to suppress his reiatsu by much going out here. Here, in the Rukongai, close to Erza's home village… what a quaint coincidence that was.
And out here, he had found exactly what. Row upon row of modified souls, clones of several officers from the Gotei, kept in tubes of glass. Some were failures, and others… he sensed the reiatsu signatures, and despite himself, he felt a little impressed. Not only were there some excellent copies, but they mimicked the signature- and power- of several captains. Yet, Inaba's vision was flawed. How could it not be? What could he possibly hope to do with an experiment like this, if not some plebeian idea like taking the Gotei over with force- or destroying it? Inwardly, he shook his head and sighed. People thought genius was something extraordinary, something special, yet they failed to see that genius was pointless without vision… not that these dolls were genial in particular. Masterfully crafted, but even a casual look at the designs told him they could be improved upon.
Well, no point in wasting time. If successful, these dolls could cause havoc, more than he was interested in dealing with. He'd have to slip the second division a discreet tip, without it being traceable back to him- let them deal with it. Or…
A train of thought that was spawning an idea was interrupted by something that caught his eye. A mod soul, in a glass container just like the rest. He approached it. Female, green hair, short, dressed simply yet in typically human fashion… and, he felt as he prodded for its signature, seemingly unique. The others were all copies, but this one… it had a subtlety to it. It had been created, with much care, to be something else, something unique. He smiled. This was most likely Inaba's prized possession. So… why not find out how prized a possession she was?
He opened the container, bypassing the simple kido lock put on it, and the mod soul began to wake up, slowly opening its eyes. Aizen held up his Kyoka Suigetsu, wordlessly letting the shikai activate- the mod soul would be seeing a frail old man dressed in rags, looking frightened.
"What?" She murmured. "Who- who are… who are you…"
She stood up out of the container, stepping out on the floor.
"Go." Aizen murmured, mimicking the words of a frightened old man. "Just- just go."
And so, the illusory old man ran out of there at all speed. Aizen himself stood still where he was, quite invisible to the girl. He watched as she took a couple of cautious steps out on the floor- and then ran herself, away. Inaba was a good craftsman, but it seemed he instilled no love or loyalty. Typical.
Well, at least it made for a new opportunity. This could be an interesting test for Erza- she was quite close now, to being somebody he'd make one of his own. And as it happened, she was out on visit there, in her old village- just by coincidence.
Every so often- although, Erza admitted to herself with a little shame, not often enough- she would come back to visit her village. It was good to be reminded who she was fighting for, where her roots were. She was strong now, and so very different from the girl that had once spawned in this afterlife, weak and ignorant, but she was still the same Erza who loved the company of others, cared about the weak and needing, and protected those she could. In this case, protection came in the form of some money, and any local bandit knowing that all hell would break loose if the village was targeted by anything bigger than petty theft.
So it was that now, after a day off well spent in the company of the village children, who had watched with awe as she showed them her sword and regaled them with tales of her hunts- carefully censored to take out the more horrible bits- that she was walking home. Shunpo could take her there in a tenth of the time, but a good walk was nothing to waste- it gave her time to think, to enjoy the scenery, and just be left by herself.
Her tranquil walk, though, was interrupted. Not far from her village, she saw a girl, lying in a ditch just next to the road. Her clothes were strange, much better made than that of the typical Rukon dweller, and her hair was green. Quickly, Erza walked over, and checked for a pulse. She was alive, at the least- just unconscious, it seemed. Erza frowned, sensing carefully this mysterious soul. She had power, it seemed- quite a bit of it; at least the equivalent of a twentieth seat, putting her miles above the typical Rukon dweller.
Carefully, she lifted her up, and put her under a tree by the road. She took out a simple water bottle from her pack- always useful on a trip like this- and splashed some of it on the girl's face, gently. It took a minute or so, but then the girl stirred, her eyes opening.
"Where…" She mumbled weakly.
"Drink." Erza said, holding the bottle to the girl's face. "Easy now- you must be exhausted." Carefully holding her head up with one hand, she put the bottle to her lips. The girl drank greedily, reaching up with one hand to hold it by herself. Erza let her, and sat back as the girl got up in a sitting position, taking deep gulps. Finally, she put the bottle down, and took a deep breath, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.
"Who are you?" She asked shyly, looking at Erza with suspicion. Strange as she were, Erza couldn't blame her- the Rukon could be a hostile place.
"I mean you no harm," Erza said, making what she hoped was a friendly gesture with her arms. "You want that water? You can have it."
"…that doesn't answer my question." The girl mumbled.
"Oh. Right, that. I am Erza Scarlet, third seat of division five, of the Gotei Thirteen," she proclaimed, speaking quietly.
"…I am Nozomi," the girl said, clutching the water bottle and hugging her legs to her body. "My name is Kujo Nozomi."
"Where are you from?" Erza asked. "Where did you come from? When I found you, you were unconscious by the road. You must have walked for a very long time."
The girl just kept hugging her legs, looking into the ground.
"All right, all right," Erza said, making sure to keep an even, quiet tone, "I'm not going to force you to talk. I know a lot of people out here don't like us shinigami- some think we don't care, some think we're just like the gangs out there, only bigger and stronger… but I try to be better than that. I'm not going to force you to say anything- if it's your business, it's your business."
The girl just looked at her, with a curious expression, as if veering between suspicion, disbelief, and plain old confusion.
"…there's a village up that road." Erza said, pointing to where she had come from. "I'll walk you there- or not, if you don't want to. If you tell them Erza Scarlet sent you, they'll give you a meal and a place to stay. It's a good place to start. It's where I started."
The girl- Nozomi- sat quiet for a while, and Erza began to wonder for how long she could stay. She had to get back to the Gotei before sundown, and while helping a stranger was the kind thing to do, she couldn't hold herself up all day.
"…I'm afraid." Nozomi said at last. "He'll come hurt me if I…"
"Who will?" Erza asked.
"I can't tell." Nozomi said. "He kept me- he made me- it's not long from here…"
She trailed off.
"Like I said," Erza said carefully, "you don't have to tell me anything. I'm not here to bully you around. I just want to help."
"Why?"
Erza blinked. She was strange. "…because I think it's the decent thing to do."
"And why is that?"
"I don't need a reason to be kind," Erza said, smiling at her, "it's just enough that people need a kindness, and I have the time to give it."
"That's all?" She sounded suspicious, almost hostile.
"That's all." Erza said affirmatively. "But I'm not going to force it on you if you don't want it. So…" She stood up, as if to leave.
"His name is Inaba." Nozomi said quietly.
"…really?" Erza said, sitting herself down again.
"You'll protect me?" Nozomi said. "If he comes for me?"
"I definitely will," Erza said, nodding. At this point, she knew of few people who could outfight her- vice-captains, captains, and not many others; certainly no Inaba.
"…all right then," The girl murmured. "Listen closely…"
What she told Erza had her at first nodding understandingly, then raising her eyebrows, then drawing a sharp breath of surprise- the girl, Nozomi was a purely artificial creation, grown in a lab not far from here. More alarmingly, said lab was full of copies of Gotei officers of the highest rank, powerful and intended to do harm… Erza could scarcely believe it as she heard the tale, but if the girl was lying, then she was a fantastic actor. A quick tour back to the lab, after some instructions, confirmed it- a secret lab, full of devious things…
Erza had returned to Nozomi not an hour later, picked her up in her arms, and carried her with her as she sped towards the Gotei Thirteen as fast as her legs could carry her. After placing Nozomi in official custody- that is, in her own room- she had reported directly to Aizen. He had listened, nodded, and sent word to the second division immediately.
That had been yesterday. Now, today, she stood to attention in his office, called in by her captain personally.
"At ease, please," Aizen said, standing up from behind his desk. Erza relaxed herself a little.
"The report came back this morning. It seems this Nozomi girl was one in a line of dozens of creations. They are being dismantled and destroyed as we speak, of course- terribly dangerous."
"What will happen to Nozomi herself?" Erza said stiffly. Would they want to do the same to her, dismantle her?
"I argued for her case. I can say with some confidence that she will not face the same fate- she has a mind of her own. She is a soul, even if artificially created. She will be kept under surveillance, but I can say with some confidence that she will be allowed to live."
"Good." Erza said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"More importantly, Inaba is still at large." Aizen said gravely. "His goal, it seems, was not a hostile takeover, but the complete destruction of the Gotei Thirteen. His research, 'Project Spear'- a mod soul program for combat purposes- was rejected. For that petty a reason, he decided to use his genius for the sake of destroying all we hold dear." He sighed. "A wanted order has been put on him, dead or alive, but due to the level of strength he possesses, a regular kill team is out of the question."
"Sir?"
"I'd like you to hunt him down." Aizen said, giving her a smile. "We have a fix on his last known position, out in the Rukon, and it's continuously monitored."
"Yes, sir." Erza said, nodding.
"I know you will do fine. But don't delay- go out there now. Everything you need to know will be in this file." He said, handing her a file, not especially thick. She looked inside; there were some sheets of information, and some photos.
"Read on your way there. Now, go."
Erza nodded, and walked out.
Out she was in the Rukon, in a rugged forest littered with half-dead trees. It was a gloomy place, even with the sun shining down on it; most appropriate, Erza felt, for traitorous scum like Inaba Kageroza.
She walked cross the forest floor for an hour or so, carefully sensing for reiatsu. She was watched, most likely, by intelligence agents- they left nothing to chance. She would solve this herself, though- Aizen was counting on her, and she would not let him down.
Eventually, she sensed it- emissions of reiatsu, well hidden but not concealed enough, too close to be masked. Confidently, she stepped up towards where it came from. She came upon a rock formation, with an entrance to a small cave. Hiding in the dark? It would do him no good. Boldly, she stepped forward, unsheathing her sword. She murmured the release for her shikai, and felt the blade change, manifesting as Dual, one sword in each hand. She stepped towards the mouth of the cave, feeling the reiatsu source. No letting her guard down; there was no telling what-
The assault was sudden, out of nowhere, and only many decades' worth of trained reflexes let her react in time. From above, a series of jagged, rock-like projectile rained down on her, and just at the last second she slipped into a shunpo, moving away. She had been hit, though; several of the projectiles had slammed into her left arm and shoulder. It hurt, but nothing seemed broken. Sliding to a halt some twenty strides back, Erza looked up at her attacker.
"This is who they send for me?" Said Inaba, standing above the cave. "Pitiful."
He stood tall, wearing yellow robes, and he wore the creepiest spectacles. His hair was green, like Nozomi's, with a blond streak in it. In his hand was a double-bladed sort of staff, with a sword blade at each end, held with the casual ease of a trained swordsman.
Erza did not indulge him with a reply, instead dashing forward into a zig-zagging run, shunpo carrying her at breakneck speed. Inaba spun his sword-staff, though, forming a grey circle of some sort, from which more stone-like projectiles flew. Erza was forced to jump aside, her charge halting. Inaba did not let up, sending hailstorm after hailstorm of rocks at her. As she jumped, dodged, she tried to think- there seemed to be no end to these things, and though they dissolved very quickly after hitting, they did hit hard. His spiritual pressure was absurd, for a supposed seventh seat- easily at the level of a vice-captain. Quickly, to test him, Erza sent out a mid-level kido spell at him.
"Hado number thirty-three: Sokatsui!" She cried, and the white lightning formed in her palm, flying directly at Inaba. He did not even move; the grey circle just formed in front of him, blocking her attack with ease. Damn. She was getting nowhere like this.
"Sentinel." She murmured, and her weapons shifted into the round shield and spear. Standing her ground, she waited for Inaba to make his move. Spinning his sword again, the grey circle appeared, raining down another barrage of pointy projectiles. Bracing herself, Erza lowered her centre of gravity, and held her shield up high, absorbing the attack. It hammered on her hard, and her shield arm screamed in protest against the unrelenting assault, but she had to endure. It couldn't last forever, right?
She hoped it wouldn't.
Luckily, it didn't- after what felt like an eternity, the barrage stopped for just a second. It was all Erza needed. Raising her spear arm for a throw, she could see Inaba looking down on her, as if to see if she was still standing. Then, she let her arm lash out, and the spear flew from her hand, and in just the blink of an eye, it hit home. She heard the dull thud of flesh being pierced, and a grunt from Inaba. The spear and shield dissolved, once again re-shaping as dual blades, and she leapt forward in a step of shunpo, crossing the distance in but a second. Inaba was staggering back, bleeding heavily from his side, but he still managed to parry her strike, skillfully wielding his stave-sword. He was hurting though, Erza knew it, and up close she had the advantage. Mercilessly, she hacked and slashed at him, with all the speed and grace she was capable of, her arms weaving an artful, well-practiced pattern of slashes, stabs, upward and downward cuts. None of these were meant to hit so much as keep him on the defensive.
He was defending though, just barely, seeming far more resilient than she would have expected. After nearly two minutes of trying to break his guard, she decided to try something else. Pushing down hard with both swords, she locked the both of them in place, pushing against each other.
Then, letting go of one sword, she thrust her palm forward, under his guard and right against his chest.
"Hado number one: Shou!" She cried, putting all she had behind the simple kido spell. It slammed into him with full force, knocking him over, sending him tumbling. To his credit, he was almost at his feet when she came at him, but it was too late. Slashing upwards with both swords, she cut him across the chest and arm, feeling flesh give way to the sharpness of her blades. He cried out in pain, and still managed to get to his feet, but Erza gave him no pause, kicking him in the gut. He staggered back, and Erza prepared to attack again. Now to hurt him just badly enough that he'd live-
Then he reached for something by her waist, and suddenly there was a puff of smoke, and Erza's eyes hurt. Coughing, tears running from her eyes from the chemical smoke bomb, Erza fell over. By the time she got to her feet, Inaba was already on the run.
Inaba grunted through his teeth, biting back the pain. He had administered as strong of a painkiller as he dared, and kept running. He was bleeding from at least three places- the damned woman had pierced his side with a spear, and cut him twice with swords, catching his chest and arms. Blood was soiling his robes, and the pain still burned through the drugs he had injected.
Damn them all! He had given the Gotei his truest genius, allowed them the finest project imaginable, and this was the thanks he got? They deserved to die. Every last one of them deserved to die, for rejecting him, for refusing an intellectual superior out of ignorance. Mongrel apes, the lot of them, stuck in their archaic beliefs of power and authority…
But of course, being a genius, Inaba had taken precautions. The moment he started his revenge scheme, he had known this was a possibility. There were contingencies. There were safe houses out there, deep in the Rukon, according to his own design, well hidden from all prying eyes. He'd run, he'd lick his wounds, and he'd do whatever was necessary to get his revenge. One day… one day, they'd all see. Letting out a wheezing chuckle, he pictured the death of each captain, powerless to stop his brilliant plan…
And then, as he staggered forward, he noticed a figure standing in his way. He had almost bumped into his chest, so preoccupied had he been.
"Aizen!" He burst out, cursing his luck.
"It's the strangest thing, ambition," Aizen said. His tone was different- in fact, all about him seemed subtly different. He wasn't wearing his glasses; he was holding them in his left hand, his hair was combed back, and he sounded so… cold.
"It's a good thing to have," he continued, as Inaba staggered, forcing himself to stay upright despite the pain, "how else will you get anywhere in life? Too many settle for less than they are capable of. Out of laziness, out of security, out of contentedness. Even among the best officers, this is true. Few are those who do not settle."
"What is this?" Inaba snarled. He was a wanted man, a traitor- yet Aizen had neither killed him, nor made a move to subdue him.
"Your work." Aizen said, smiling as if he was thinking of a funny joke. "I liked it. I almost admired it. It's all being destroyed now, of course, but I saved some blueprints for personal use."
A look of horror crossed Inaba's face, as he imagined all his research- his brilliant knowledge, unearthed only to be buried again- being destroyed. Aizen only looked more amused now, seeing his face.
"You had ambition, power, and nearly was careful enough to cause a ruckus. You even made a copy of myself. I'd have felt insulted- but then again, I cannot be copied. I am one of a kind. Your crude effigy was the copy of a fantasy- so I'll let that slide." He put his hand on his sword, and slowly pulled it out. Inaba took a sharp breath, preparing himself for the worst.
"What I cannot abide is having ambition, power, seeing past the illusion everyone else does… and then making a pitfall of your own the moment you gained clarity." He sighed, casually waving his sword in Inaba's direction. "Really, destruction? For the sake of petty revenge? I could respect wanting to tear it all down to build a new tomorrow, according to your own vision, but you didn't even think that far, did you?"
"If you're going to kill me, kill me." Inaba sneered, clutching at his side.
"No." Aizen said flatly. "We'll get there. But first, I think you need to know why you failed. Not just because you were careless, but because you attracted a bigger fish- that is, myself- without even knowing I was there." He narrowed his eyebrows. "You are a petty, second-rate schemer. You are a child whose reaction to adversity was throwing a tantrum and wanting to kill all your detractors. You are a little fish who dared to swim in my waters without looking further than right ahead of you."
"What are you?" Inaba hissed, breathing heavily. "If you're a 'big fish'- what does that make you?"
"A bringer of change. I'd explain, but what I want is far beyond your limited spectrum. You put yourself in my way, as if you could possibly be a worthy rival. I am the man who will topple the Gotei- and when I do, it will have meaning."
"And they said I was mad-" Inaba started, but before he could continue, Aizen was right in front of him, his sword smoothly sliding into Inaba's chest. He let out a gurgle, as he watched his heart's blood pour out. What had happened? There had been no shunpo, no hint of movement- one moment, he had just been there, right in front of him, before he had had a chance to raise his guard.
"Madness is what lesser men call a true genius that they cannot understand." Aizen said, his eyes staring right into Inaba's. "On that point alone, I think we agree."
Those were the last words Inaba ever heard, and he sunk to his knees and slumped over, quite dead. Shooting a content smile, Aizen dried his blade with a handkerchief, sheathed it, and put his glasses back on. Well, this had been a fun distraction…
The next day, Erza reported back to her captain's office. The mission was, on paper, a success- Inaba had been found a few miles down the line, having bled to death. It did not feel like success, though- she had wanted to take him alive, bring him to justice. She sort of expected a chewing out, and she felt like she would deserve it. Walking in to the office, she stood to attention before her captain.
"Erza Scarlet reporting, sir." She said stiffly, in an unusually formal tone.
"Report, then," Aizen said, from behind his desk.
"I pursued Kageroza Inaba to the indicated location. He used his zanpakutou's abilities to launch a surprise attack, but was unable to deal any significant damage." Her shoulder still ached, though. "After overcoming his shikai's ability, I was able to close the distance, and finally outfight him. I cut him a total of three times, although in my opinion, with the physique of a shinigami of his level, it should not have been fatal." She lowered her gaze to the floor. "I was mistaken, sir."
"Please, Erza," Aizen said, smiling at her, "look at me." Reluctantly, she obliged.
"Inaba was unstable." Aizen explained. "He had performed much experimentation on himself, to some success- but his body was unable to adjust in such a high stress situation. He chose to run, and due to a self-induced chemical imbalance, he bled to death. You had no way of knowing. You did your duty admirably, as I knew you would."
She really wished he had just scolded her. "Sir?"
"It's an ugly business." He said, shaking his head. "Some would say it is better this way. Not myself, of course," he added hastily, seeing Erza's look. "No, I'd rather have seen him brought to justice… the Gotei was not without blame, benefitting from his research for so long without seeing him go… extreme."
Erza nodded. "I tried my best."
"You always do." He said, smiling warmly. "Now, I believe there is something else you'd like to ask me…?"
Erza nodded again. "Yes- Nozomi."
Aizen sighed. "Right now, only a limited number of people know of her existence. I had hoped to save her- but the second division is rather… insistent on cleaning this mess up. And by 'clean up', I mean 'purge with fire'. Twelfth was furious- they purged all the mod souls they could find, along with any data. If they find out about Nozomi…"
"They would kill her." Erza said sharply.
"They would call it termination." Aizen said soberly. "To them, it's no different from scrapping a machine. The law would agree with them."
"It's not right!" Erza burst out. "She's a person- she has thoughts and dreams and- and- and- she's not just some toy-"
"Calm down." Aizen said sharply. "What is there to do?"
"I'll take her and run if I have to." Erza said stubbornly.
"You really mean it, don't you?"
"Yes." Erza said, taking a deep breath, realizing that she did, that she'd walk out on her entire life over just a principle. Damn ethics…
"You do realize you just confessed intent of treason to a captain, yes?"
"…so be it." Erza said coldly, feeling like she was standing next to a cliff, ready to take the plunge, to crash and burn. What would he do? He was dutiful, she knew- understanding, kind, reasonable, but not a traitor.
But Aizen just smiled. "Calm down- there's no need to be so drastic. I'm not about to report you for having a moral spine."
Erza breathed a sigh of relief. "So you agree, then?"
"Do I agree that she deserves more than indiscriminate termination? Yes. I do. But officially speaking, I cannot do much. Legally, my hands are tied. This is a second division matter."
"Then-" Erza started angrily, but Aizen raised his hand, silencing her.
"I said officially."
"…sir?" She said uncertainly.
"Erza, ever since the first time I saw you, I knew you were different." He said, leaning back in his chair, crossing his fingers. "You are intelligent, driven, and you know right from wrong. I always knew you would go far. To be honest, I am proud to have you under my wing- proud to see you standing here, in the face of your superior, choosing right over law no matter the cost. You have integrity. It is people like you who make society worthwhile."
"..sir?" She said, feeling surprised. That was high praise, and it rather came out of nowhere- it was wonderful to hear, sure, but it didn't have much to do with Nozomi.
He sighed, and shrugged. "I suppose what I am trying to say, in my roundabout way, is that I like you. Integrity, backbone… that's hard to come by."
Erza nodded. "You said… officially."
"Clever girl," Aizen said, nodding and pointing a finger at her. "Yes, officially I can do nothing. But as you know, being a captain comes with considerable power. We are expected to never abuse it- but when it's something obviously right, like saving a life from merciless bureaucracy, is that abuse?"
"No, sir." Erza said firmly, looking him in the eye.
"It's not, no." Aizen said. He rummaged through his desk, finding a file of papers. "I could… I could call in a few favours, silence a few voices- with money, maybe a bit of threats… I could make some reports go away. I could save her. Yes, I could save her."
A look of joy on her face, Erza shot forward, putting her hands on his desk. "You could? Then please, I beg you, captain! You must!"
"You barely know her." Aizen said. "She could become a villain no better than Inaba, for all you know."
"She deserves a chance at life. It doesn't matter if she is my best friend, or a stranger on the street- she deserves a chance. Everyone does."
"Remarkable." Aizen mumbled. "There is the fire of conviction in your eyes- of a kind I haven't seen in a long time. You really believe it?"
"I believe she deserves better." Erza said, standing herself tall. "I'm not a philosopher- I'm not that smart. But I believe everyone deserves a chance."
"This would come at great personal risk." Aizen said hesitantly. "If it were found out… captains can be cut a lot of slack, but it only goes so far. If it were exposed, I could be imprisoned, maybe even executed…"
"I-I know, sir," Erza swallowed. "I could just-"
"No, you're not going to grab her and run, you silly girl," Aizen said dismissively, chuckling. "You'd get found in two weeks' time, max. You are strong, but you are no good at hiding."
Feeling embarrassed, Erza nodded. "But still-"
"I'll do it." Aizen said. "But… remember that, when it counts the most, you owe me one. A big favour. Anything I can care to ask. Is that understood?"
"I accept." Erza said, nodding.
"And you would never go back on your word."
"Not once."
"It is done, then," Aizen said, nodding. "Don't worry- I am confident that when I am through, she will be just another soul recruited from the Rukon. She will have to attend academy, of course."
"Of course." Erza said, breathing out with relief again. "Thank you so much, sir- thank you so much!"
"It's all right." He said cheerfully. "Really, I'll think of it as a mental exercise."
"Yes- so-"
"You should probably run along now- go tell Nozomi the score. She is a soul from the twenty-third district of the Rukongai. She lived in a village called Rakutei, with an old man named Jaken, and you spotted her there and offered her a place. She accepted. Can you memorize that?"
"Twenty-third district, village Rakutei, old man Jaken," Erza said, nodding excitedly. "I'll- I'll go tell her right away."
With that, she turned around, and practically ran out of there. Aizen sat back in his chair, smiling a genuine smile. It felt good when things progressed smoothly, yes it did…
A week later, with some hasty paperwork having been filed left and right, Nozomi stood outside the shinigami academy, dressed in a women's academy uniform. Aizen had been true to his word- nobody seemed to have any idea, and all the official documents said the same: soul with spirit potential found in district twenty-three, by Erza Scarlet. If anybody knew, they did nothing about it- which made it unlikely; second division was very no-nonsense when it came to professional murder.
Nozomi looked excited- the fear had left her eyes, with her creator now dead and her future secured.
"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Erza said. She knew she wasn't her mother, her older sister- that she hardly even knew her- but somehow, she couldn't help but fuss. She had found her, saved her… she felt oddly responsible.
"I'll be fine, Erza," Nozomi said happily.
"You don't think- you don't think being, er, like you are, that will stop you…?"
"Being a mod soul?" Nozomi said. "It's all right, you can say it. Just not very loudly."
"Right."
"Really, I'll be fine. Souls are just a mess of spirit particles to begin with- anything they can do, I can do. Actually, being designed is an advantage- I'm better built, not just the result of a random process. No offense." She said hastily.
"It's fine." Erza said, laughing. "So… you're sure you can handle this?"
"Anything they can do, I can do better." Nozomi said resolutely. "Besides, it's not like I have anywhere else to go. I become a shinigami, or else- that was the deal, right?"
"Yeah…" Erza said, shifting uncomfortably. In an ideal world, Nozomi would have had her freedom, not needing to hide- but the world was anything but ideal.
"I'm going to try and be like you." Nozomi said, looking her in the eye. "No, better- I'm going to study hard, train, give it my all, and one day I'll be a captain. Then, you'll have to call me 'sir'." She shot her a grin. She had grown an attitude, that was for sure.
"Yeah?" Erza said, grinning back. "I'll be a captain long before that, just you wait."
"It's a deal, then," Nozomi said happily. "One day, we'll both be captains together."
"Go as far as you can. And if you fail to get to the top- that's all right, so long as you did your best." Erza said, nodding. "Now, go ahead- you've got school to go to."
"You'll come see me, right?" Nozomi said hesitantly. "I don't know anyone else…"
"Of course I will." Erza said, nodding. "I don't abandon my friends."
"Friends…" Nozomi mumbled. "Yes, of course… all right. I'll see you later, Erza.
And with that, Nozomi walked away, through the academy's gates, with a spirited gait, almost bouncing, skipping. She had a tomorrow to get to. It didn't make Erza feel big, didn't make her feel like a savior, but it did make her happy. She could make a difference, she knew it- and with good people like Aizen at her side, there was hope for this world after all. One day she'd wear a jacked just like his, have power just like his, and she would help everyone she could…
Well, that was a long way away. For now, paperwork awaited- reports didn't write themselves, however much she wished they would.
As the title of that chapter said, interesting developments indeed!
I've always liked Nozomi as a character. Strong, willing to fight for her friends, and has quite a bit of a backbone to her. Not to mention cute as all hell. However, despite that, I really didn't want to do a few chapters JUST do get her involved, because as much as I like HER, the arc she was in...Not so much. Not the worst filler ever, but after that reigai Momo episode...Yeah. Hope you all liked How Aizen dealt with Kageroza. One of my favorite scenes so far. :)And we finally get introduced to one of the main issues that I find with the gotie 13. Mayuri. I wont deny that the man is brilliant, no one can, and he does have the power needed to be a captain...But my god do I HATE him. Any character who abuses their own children will be a character I despise. I know he made her and all that, but...still, that's just not right! That's not even touching on the OTHER things he's done.
Also, the screams Erza heard in that laboratory...REMEMBER this. That's all Ill say for now.
Last but not least, I decided to go a bit more into detail as to how Erza's shikai works. Its a bit different from the original idea, which was just her being able to think of any close quarters weapon and her sword would turn into it. You can all thank GreatKingRat88 for the new, and in my opinion, improved, version.
Thanks for reading! Please leave any of your thoughts in a review, I LOVE hearing what people think of what we've done!