Hey guys, we're back once again with another chapter of the "Death and Life of Erza Scarlet!" Not much I have to say this time around, just let me know what you all thought in a review.
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.
Erza stood to attention, hands tucked behind her back, staring down the imposing image of Captain-commander Yamamoto. Even through a television screen, broadcast into one of Urahara's back rooms, he exuded a kind of presence that commanded the respect of all who faced him, even Erza. This was compounded by the massive screen giving the commander the appearance of a giant.
"Report," he said flatly.
"Yes, sir," Erza said, saluting briefly. "I assume the report has come through already?"
"Captain Soifon was most diligent," Yamamoto confirmed, "but I want to hear it in your words."
"Of course, captain-commander," Erza replied. "As you are no doubt aware, auxiliary Inoue Orihime was approached less than two days ago by the espada Ulquiorra Cifer, who threatened the life of her and her friends, attempting to coerce her into going with him."
"Your adoptive daughter."
It was a statement, not a question, and Erza knew the implication under it. He wondered whether she was compromised, whether her judgment had been affected. She almost flinched, but kept her composure, and continued.
"Quite. She promptly reported this to me, and after securing the other auxiliaries, I set up counsel with my fellow captains, and our advisor, Urahara Kisuke. Captain Kuchiki suggested we use the opportunity to capture or assassinate the espada, using Inoue Orihime as bait to our trap. She volunteered for the idea, I might add. After some deliberation, we decided to proceed as planned. We managed to surprise and corner the espada, but unfortunately, he was able to escape through negación. He was roundly defeated, but I doubt he sustained any long-lasting injuries."
"You let your daughter do such a dangerous thing?"
A test. It had to be.
"Children do not stay children forever, sir," she said slowly. "They grow up. They must be allowed to take risks in order to do so. I was not keen on the idea, but I felt it was necessary."
Yamamoto nodded approvingly. "I quite agree. But I am concerned about the overlap between your personal life and this mission. I am sure I do not need to remind you of the historic importance of this mission succeeding."
"No, sir."
You old bastard, thought Erza. How many instances of improper behaviour have you had from the other captains? From Kenpachi? From Kyouraku?
"If you feel this is an inappropriate situation, sir," she said coolly, "then feel free to remove me. I am quite sure Captain Kuchiki or Captain Soifon would relish the opportunity to lead."
"One of these days, Captain Scarlet," said Yamamoto dryly, "I am sure we will get through a meeting without you threatening to resign."
"Sir-"
"If I felt it appropriate, I would remove you without fanfare. I do not play games. I must take care, however, to understand the mental state of my captains. Are you sound of mind, Scarlet? Were you dispassionate in this?"
"I… was not, sir," said Erza, dismissing immediately the thought of lying or downplaying her behaviour. "I was infuriated. I let the espada bear the brunt of that wrath."
"Do not be so concerned, commander. I do not expect my captains to behave like automatons. Fury is something we should reserve for our enemies. By Soifon's account, the operation went off smoothly. You sent one of Aizen's strongest running, the last in a string of defeats. That is commendable."
"…Thank you, sir," said Erza, blinking in surprise.
"The report of this incident seals in my mind a recurring theme, commander. Aizen has poked and prodded at our defences over and over, to no avail. None of his plans have panned out. As of right now, he has not shown great strength, lying in wait like a coward."
"Do not be lulled into a false sense of security, sir," warned Erza. "Aizen is a brilliant and dangerous man. War will come, and when it does…"
"I am no journeyman commander, Captain Scarlet," said Yamamoto gruffly. "For a thousand years I have observed, directed, and fought in every conflict the afterlife has had to offer. Such a criminal waste of resources shows only arrogance- and such a rate of failure shows a lack of capability. Aizen is dangerous, and I do not underestimate him- but do not presume to think I have not considered just how much danger we are in."
"…Of course, sir."
"Tell me," said the captain-commander, "we have a good understanding of his domain now, do we not? The defector, Grimmjow, was it?"
"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, sir."
"Him, yes. Have we not learned much from him?"
"Captain Soifon is constructing a map of Las Noches using his information as a baseline, yes."
"And, has Urahara Kisuke not been helpful in analyzing his methods, his sciences, his schematics?"
"He has, sir," said Erza, shifting uncomfortably. She did not like where this was going.
"We know his fortress, we know his plans, and through you we know his aspirations and personality. It sounds to me," said Yamamoto, "as if we know better than ever Aizen Sousuke's position in this."
"I suppose you could say that," said Erza, "but sir, I must insist- nothing is ever simple with that man. If he throws away a few arrancar here and there, it is because he believes he can stand to lose them. He can never be underestimated!"
"Silence, girl," commanded Yamamoto. "Permissive as I may be, know your place."
"…Yes, commander," Erza said, balling a fist. "My apologies."
Yamamoto nodded.
"I consider this briefing concluded. Unless there was anything else?"
"No, sir. If there is anything at all, you will be made aware of it."
"So I trust, captain. Return to your duties. Be aware, though, that I will call a tactical meeting soon."
"Yes, sir. I'll relay the information," said Erza.
"See that you do," said Yamamoto, and with that, the screen went black. Erza bit back a curse. Experienced as Yamamoto was, he did not know the snake behind the illusions like she did. Overconfidence… that would be the death of them all.
Orihime had walked home alongside Tatsuki, who had decided to stay the night. They had been escorted by Rukia, which was certainly less awkward than being shadowed by some masked Stealth Force operative. Erza had taken the threat seriously, and for now, none of them went anywhere without being watched. Orihime didn't like it. She understood the necessity of it, but being watched all the time, even for her own good…
Then again, she remembered staring down Ulquiorra, his emotionless visage looking like death itself… and she knew that no matter what, she never wanted to go through that again.
It was a wake-up call. War really was coming, and it had finally hit their relatively normal everyday lives. For now they'd avoid being alone as much as possible, which was exactly why Tatsuki was staying the night. Orihime had asked for how long this would be the case, and Erza had responded with an honest, 'I don't know'. Until they were safe, at least- which meant until Aizen was defeated. Until war came.
As Orihime and Tatsuki walked through the door of the apartment, Rukia checked outside, looking carefully for any potential enemies. She seemed to decide it was all clear, because she closed the door behind her and joined the two girls on the couch in the living room.
"Everything okay?" said Tatsuki. She sounded relaxed, but Orihime could tell she was on edge. Just the way she spoke, a little quicker than usual, the tone of her voice trying a little too hard to sound at ease…
She was afraid, too. Somehow, that felt wrong. Tatsuki had always been the brave one.
"We're good," said Rukia with a nod, sitting down opposite the two of them. "I've warded the apartment with a simple kido spell. If it's broken forcefully, an alarm will go off. My brother will only be a minute away, should the worst occur."
Tatsuki nodded.
"That's good. Yeah. You got the situation under control."
"We do," Rukia assured her. "The commander is taking the situation seriously. It might be nothing at all, but it's not a chance we should take."
"It's okay, Tatsuki," said Orihime gently. "We're safe here. If Erza says we are, then we are. I trust her."
"Of course we're safe. I got it. Nothing to worry about."
"There is something to worry about," said Orihime, "and it's fine to be scared."
Tatsuki shook her head.
"You're pretty incredible, you know that?" she said quietly. "Standing up to that espada, and now you're acting all cool. I… I'm a bit rattled, yeah. But it was, y'know, mostly for you. It was you he came after. If something happened to you…" She trailed off and shook her head. "All I'm saying is, you're braver than I ever thought."
"I'm not," said Orihime, almost whispering the words. "I was completely helpless. Terrified. I almost went with him, because he was so…"
"Overwhelming," said Rukia with a nod. "Terrifying. I've… faced arrancar before. Their power is enormous. I can only imagine what it's like to stand eye-to-eye with Aizen's elite. But," she added firmly, "being terrified does not negate bravery. Fear is natural. Only fools lack it. Bravery is to do what's right even when it's hard, even when you're scared."
"Like you did," Tatsuki added, smiling. "See, like I told you-"
She cut herself off when she saw the tears trailing down Orihime's cheeks.
"Hey, are you okay?" Tatsuki said anxiously, sliding closer to Orihime, putting an arm around her. Orihime nodded, wiping her face clean, but the tears kept on coming. She leaned into Tatsuki, trembling and shaking. Tatsuki, bewildered and concerned, wrapped her arms around her friend.
Rukia nodded. "It couldn't have been easy, could it?"
"No," Orihime whimpered, sniffing. "Oh, god, it was so- I was so-"
"Just let it out, then," said Rukia. "You're not a soldier. You don't have to hold yourself back."
Orihime murmured her assent, and for a couple minutes she wept. Tatsuki held her close, rocking her slightly, and Orihime hugged back, hard.
"It'll be okay, you hear?" said Tatsuki. "We'll all be fine. Everything's okay. You're safe now. We're all safe, hear me?" Orihime sobbed and nodded, the tears flowing freely.
Tatsuki lent what comfort she could, and even though 'It'll be okay' was something that could only be said so many times before it got repetitive, it seemed to do the trick. Eventually, the tears ran dry, and Orihime stopped trembling.
"It's okay," she said quietly after a few minutes, gently breaking the embrace and wiping her face one final time. "I'm- I'm okay now."
"You sure?" said Tatsuki.
"M-hm," Orihime said with a nod. "Oh, gosh, I could use some paper…"
"Here," said Rukia, offering a couple of paper towels. Orihime murmured her thanks and blew her nose, wiping her reddened eyes dry.
"I don't know where that came from," she said quietly. "I was… I was normal all day today. I held it together. Even… even when I faced him that second time, I kept it under control. I thought I was okay, you know?"
"I've seen that before," said Rukia. "A lot of us go through some terrible things in the field, and no matter how well we think we handle it, it catches up with us eventually. You feel better now, don't you?"
Orihime nodded weakly. "A bit, yeah. Um. A lot better, even. I'm still scared, but…"
"But the worst is past you," said Rukia, nodding sagely.
"If this is what being brave is like, then being brave is the worst," Orihime said with a faint smile.
"You must be feeling better if you're cracking jokes, huh?" said Tatsuki. Orihime giggled.
"It really was brave," said Rukia, "but remember… if you decide to stay in this fight, you'll probably see worse."
"Bad timing, Kuchiki," Tatsuki muttered. "We're just getting through the worst here."
"It's unfortunate but true," said Rukia. "You may all have to be brave a lot of times."
"Seriously…" Tatsuki muttered. "I kinda want to quit. But… I won't. No, I refuse."
Rukia smiled. "There is much of your mother in you," she said with an approving nod. "She's very proud of you, you know."
Orihime nodded. "When… when I stopped being terrified, when I went to Ichigo's house… all I was thinking was, 'What would Erza do?' I knew she wouldn't give in. But, she's so much stronger than me. I just… at the end of the day, I knew what I had to do. She wouldn't just roll over and give up. I decided I wouldn't, either."
"That's damn right," said Tatsuki approvingly. "She raised you right, Orihime."
"Sometimes I wonder," Orihime said with a smile. "She's leading me right into war."
"Hey, people our age would go to war all the time just a couple hundred years ago," Tatsuki said with a shrug, "and besides, we're way past normal."
"I was only kidding," said Orihime. "I know she's right. It's just… really scary, and hard to understand the whole thing sometimes. Does… does it get easier?" she asked, turning to Rukia.
"Fighting? You get used to it. But… a war like this? I can't even say," said Rukia solemnly. "I've been around for over a hundred and fifty years, and I've never even heard of something as big as this. Not even my brother has. War… I can't even know how badly this will go. That's the honest truth of it."
"Not exactly reassuring," said Tatsuki.
"I know," Rukia replied.
"Well, it is what it is," Tatsuki muttered. "If Orihime's not backing down, then neither am I."
"We'll be fine," said Orihime. "We'll make it."
She really hoped it wasn't just wishful thinking.
Ichigo had given his chaperone the slip after he left school- that is, he had confronted the stealth corps agent following him and explained that he was meeting some people who'd rather remain anonymous, and if he was followed he'd rip his follower's arms off. Erza would never have let such an act of violence slide, of course, but the terrified agent hadn't known that. Confident he was alone, Ichigo had made his way to the visored's hide-out for one of his regular sessions.
What had once been overwhelmingly difficult and daunting was now reduced to being merely difficult. After two hours of focus training, the first of which had been the dull but necessary routine of meditation and the second the exciting burst of energy that was sparring, Ichigo had finished up. Nearly exhausted, he raised a hand and lowered his blade as the hollow mask on his face cracked, fractured, and then dissipated entirely. It had already been cut in half, partly from the exertion and partly from a particularly vicious cut from Hiyori's blade.
"Damn," he muttered, taking a few breaths. "I heal quick and all, but I'm not invulnerable. You could have taken my head off, you know."
To drive the point home, he rubbed at his cheek, where blood trailed from a fresh cut.
"But, I didn't," said Hiyori, sticking her tongue out, "so deal with it."
"Is she always like this?" said Ichigo, a little exasperated, as he turned to Shinji.
"Yup," said Shinji, sheathing his blade. "If I'm honest, I'm not sure how I haven't killed myself yet."
"It's because you're a masochist, obviously," said Lisa, adjusting her glasses.
"Still," Ichigo muttered, "I'm… getting better. Aren't I?"
"Whaddaya want, a freaking medal?" Hiyori snorted.
"He's not wrong," said Kensei. The stoic, muscular visored had only observed this time around, standing by the side lines with his arms crossed. He looked over at Ichigo. "Your focus is improving. You're maintaining your mask longer with each week. You went from ten seconds to how many now?"
"Almost forty," said Ichigo, "but it's hard. When I'm approaching my limit, it feels like… I dunno, like I'm swimming underwater and I'm running out of air."
Kensei nodded. "Normal enough. The hollow will never really submit to you, and taming it comes through practice. Still, I'd almost say you're a natural. In a relatively short time, you have achieved considerable control."
"Thanks," Ichigo muttered.
"Give it a couple years, and you might not need us at all," said Lisa.
"Can't wait to be rid of me, eh?" said Ichigo with a grin.
"A-freakin'-men," Hiyori muttered.
"You're a good kid," said Shinji, "but we're doing this as a favour for Urahara. I'm not saying we never wanna see you again when it's done, but we're not exactly the social types, if you catch my drift."
"Yeah, I get ya," said Ichigo with a nod. "Back to camping out in this old warehouse for the rest of eternity, right?"
"Worked so far," said Shinji with a shrug.
"You know," said Ichigo, his brows furrowing as he thought, "the old man, Yamamoto… he just recently pardoned a bunch of people for treason. My friends and I had invaded the Seireitei, and we got off with being allies. The truth about Aizen is known now. I bet… I bet if you stepped forward, they'd be happy to hear you out. It's not your fault you got hollow powers. We already have an arrancar prisoner working for us-"
"Listen, pal," said Shinji sharply, "I know you mean well, but lemme stop you right fuckin' there. We were with the Gotei. Committed enough to give our lives for it. They were ready to throw our lives aside without even tryin' to save us. We don't trust 'em, and that's why we hide here."
"I get it. I get it," said Ichigo, "but haven't you thought about it?"
"From what we've heard, they're not exactly reliable," said Kensei. "They don't like people who could challenge their power. All the shit they've done, it happened under old Yama. Going back… hell, maybe, but that's not a maybe I'd stake my life on."
"It's unfortunate, but true," said Rose with a sigh. "Suppose we came forward and got some sort of amnesty. What's to say they won't change their mind after Aizen's done with?"
"Look, I'm not going to get into a big argument," said Ichigo, holding up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "I get it. You do you. But…"
"Of course there's a but," said Hiyori, rolling her eyes.
"Four former captains and four former vice-captains," said Ichigo, "that could make a hell of a difference. And if Aizen wins… well, he's really ruthless, and you better hope he never finds out about you."
"He won't," said Shinji stubbornly.
"You do as you wish," said Lisa. "Fight all you want. But, this is not our battle."
"I kinda do miss home, though…"
The one who had spoken up was Mashiro, sounding uncharacteristically serious.
"This is home," said Shinji firmly. "Home is wherever we live."
"Yeah, yeah," said Mashiro, "but don't you sometimes wish it was different?"
"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride," said Shinji with a shrug.
"I guess," Mashiro said with a sigh.
"Well, I'm fighting," said Ichigo firmly. "It's my home, this town. It's yours, too. Isn't it worth defending?"
"Save the Boy Scout pep talk, pal," said Shinji with a sneer. "The starry eyed bullshit might work on the guys still drinking the propaganda down, but that ain't us."
"Alright, alright," said Ichigo with a sigh. "I won't push it. It was just a thought, really. But, do you really wanna, um, live like this your whole life? Just… hiding?"
"Watch it," said Shinji, his tone harsh.
"I left some people behind…" said Lisa ponderously. "Shinji, he's got a point. Hiding when we had to is one thing, but if there is a chance…"
"We all left people behind," barked Shinji. "A whole life that each and every one of us had, gone! Do I want it back? Sure, but life ain't nice and comfy like that. We've stayed alive by keeping our heads down. You wanna stick your neck out? Go right ahead- but don't expect me to bail ya out."
"Relax, Shinji," Lisa said firmly. "You're not wrong. But, maybe he isn't either."
"I can tell this is a sensitive topic," said Ichigo apologetically. "I won't bring it up again."
"I think that may be for the best," said Kensei with a nod.
"Well… I'll get going, then," said Ichigo awkwardly. "See ya in two days, I guess."
"See you then," said Shinji, giving him a hard stare.
It really was a shame. Then again, this was their choice to make, not his. If it had to be this way, fine. They had already done plenty for him.
But, as he turned around to watch, he caught a glance at Lisa and Mashiro, and neither of them seemed angry or severe. In fact, Mashiro had something like longing in her eyes, whereas Lisa looked conflicted.
Maybe he'd planted a seed. Or, not. Only time would tell.
In another space, whose existence was a strange realm more hypothetical than actual, where space existed without really doing so, in a manner that would have made a theoretical physicist pull his hair out, a gathering of extraordinary beings stared out at the world around them. One sat on a throne that seemed to follow wherever he moved, his golden armour gleaming, his arrogant, superior stare rivaled by the stoic entity opposite him. The entity staring down the golden figure wore elegant blue robes, partly covered by ornate, traditional Japanese armour, complete with the mask of a samurai. To contrast their joylessness, there were two less severe figures, although only by comparison to their imposing companions. One wore long, flowing robes that moved lazily as if following some unseen stream of water, a pale figure that brought to mind an odd dream, whereas the fourth of the group was, at least on the surface, the least forbidding of them all. She was small in stature, only half the size of any of her companions, and her skin was dark and her features lean. A cloak of black and yellow billowed from her shoulders. Her fingers were long, ending in sharp, needle-like nails, and four insectoid wings stirred at her back.
"Hagana no Tamashii," said the masked figure, "your insistence on superiority is unbecoming of your relative youth. For all your power, you lack the dignity of a servant."
The golden figure gave a prideful snort. "We do not all cower and kowtow to our masters, Senbonzakura. Despite your master's best efforts, it is not he who leads the course of battle, despite your considerable age."
"Are you calling me old?"
"Are you not?"
"I will not shirk back from a challenge, arrogant one," said the prideful spirit firmly. "Hold your tongue, lest I cut it out."
"Calm down, the both of you," said the winged spirit, flying level to their heights with a buzz. Shadows moved about her as she did so, as if she was not anchored to this reality, such as it was. "Why is it that men always see the need to compare whose sword is bigger?"
"It is their nature as men," said the pale figure. "They are made as warriors, not thinkers, after all."
"Suzumebachi," said the masked spirit, "you would remember, perhaps, that I only defend my honour from the prideful accusations of Hagane no Tamashii. It is certainly not my nature to seek conflict. He lives for glory; I live to serve. Therein lies the difference."
"Bah," said Hagana no Tamashii. "That is exactly why my master commands, and yours does not."
"They both answer to the same lord," said Suzumebachi. "Neither of you can boast rank- especially as it isn't yours to claim."
"She has a point," said the figure in the flowing robes. "We're all servants, after all. No less you, master of the golden throne."
"Spoken like a lapdog, Tobiume," said Hagane no Tamashii dismissively. "At least my master is set on her path without having to be led by the nose."
An irritable expression passed Tobiume's face. "She is coming along," she retorted. "Slowly, but she is."
"Do not play his game," Suzumebachi said, shrugging. "Rise to the bait at your own peril. You wouldn't want to stoop to his level, after all."
"Stoop?" said the golden zanpakutou angrily. "Stoop? Rich, coming from the smallest of us all!"
"Petty insults, hmm?" said Suzumebachi playfully. "A king of kings, you are not."
"Let us not bicker," said Senbonzakura. "It is unbecoming. Each one of us could be in our own realms if we so chose. We are here in each other's company by our own free will- even Hagane no Tamashii."
The armoured zanpakutou remained silent, although his stare was quite severe.
"All our masters are flawed in their own way," continued the masked zanpakutou. "Mine own was blinded by pride much like yours was. Yet… as of late, he has begun to learn the values of humility and family. Your master is a good example, Hagane no Tamashii, even if you are not."
"At least we agree on one thing," muttered the golden zanpakutou.
"If you disapproved of his actions, why did you not tell him?" asked Suzumebachi.
"I did not disapprove," said Senbonzakura. "He was true to himself, and honourable. Yet, the path he is on now… it makes more sense to me. Even I cannot know everything about him, it seems."
Suzumebachi cocked her head. "Funny you should say that. I'm the opposite. I've known what my master should have done for ages," she said, rolling her eyes, "but it's only now that she's started to get somewhere."
"You both have such ideas for your masters," said Tobiume, "yet you leave them be?"
"It's not for us to meddle in their personal lives," said Suzumebachi with a shrug. "If she honours her contract with me, that's all I need. It's not my job to make her a better person to herself or others, only a better master."
"I can see the sense in that, I suppose," said Tobiume thoughtfully, "but I must confess, I find it rather tempting to… I don't know, shake some sense into my master sometimes. This juvenile fixation on others…"
"Don't I know it," said Suzumebachi with a grimace. "First it's, 'Oh, look at me, I love Lady Yoruichi more than life itself,' then it's, 'I hate her and I want her to die,' and then it swings right back around just like that."
"You make your master sound like an indecisive little girl," said Senbonzakura.
"You think she isn't?" snorted Suzumebachi. "She's good at what she does, but she's a mess inside. But, then again, that's most of our masters, right?"
"I do wonder," said Senbonzakura thoughtfully, "if everyone who reaches greatness must be so… wounded. Is it necessary to become strong?"
"Not everyone's a mess," said Tobiume, "but now that you mention it… well, it does describe most masters, now that I think about it. Even yours, golden one."
"I resent such accusations," said Hagane no Tamashii haughtily. "Your masters may be weak, but mine is not."
"Really?" said Suzumebachi with a smirk. "No little doubts of her own? No little internal conflicts that make you roll your eyes and wish, 'My god, won't she just make her mind up?'"
"…None at all."
"A spirit as demanding as you, fully content with his master?" said Senbonzakura, his dispassionate voice as close to mirthful as any of them had ever heard it. "Somehow, I find that difficult to believe."
"So what if she was?" muttered the golden zanpakutou. "Yes, yes, she can be indecisive, and self-doubting despite her excellence, but she is most certainly accomplished. Worthy of me. She is on a path to glory, whether she seeks it or not."
"Not that you'd ever let her know, eh?" said Suzumebachi cheekily.
"Of course not," said Hagane no Tamashii. "It wouldn't do to let one's master get ideas in their head. Ideas like, 'I'm good enough'. That kind of complacency would be dangerous."
To that, in a strange show of unanimity, the zanpakutou all nodded and murmured their assent.
"Well," said Tobiume, "I'm glad we agree on at least one thing."
"That is our role," said Hagane no Tamashii, "to always spur our masters forward to be better, to do better. What else are we for? Until they reach the end of our potential, there is not much else to do or say."
"Well spoken," said Senbonzakura.
"Still," sighed Tobiume, "I often wish we could get there a little faster."
"Wishes will avail us nothing," said the golden zanpakutou. "We are none of us in control of our fates. To be a blade, as we are, is to be in the hands of somebody else entirely- literally and metaphorically."
"There is wisdom in you after all, despite your excessive pride," admitted Senbonzakura.
"Of course," said Hagane no Tamashii. "After all, I will stand above each and every one of you in time."
"You were almost there," said Tobiume, shaking her head. "For a second, you were almost tolerable."
"I care not for your pleasantries."
"Then I'd like to remind you, throne-sitter, that my master has defeated your master," said Suzumebachi with a smirk, "since we are comparing, and all. You cannot boast the same, can you?"
Hagane no Tamashii's fists clenched. "Bait," he muttered, "obvious as there ever was…"
"And yet you're so eager to take it," said Suzumebachi teasingly.
"Enough chatter," said Senbonzakura. "I believe I can sense something of… interest."
"What, then?" asked Tobume.
"The newcomer," said Senbonzakura, "Zangetsu."
"What of him?" asked Suzumebachi.
"Observe. Through my master…" said Senbonzakura. Their bickering forgotten, the spirits turned their attention outward, to where one Kurosaki Ichigo was working, as he always was these days, on improving himself…
"Hear the sound of my voice. You see it, do you not? The spark of power, there to grasp if you would make a fist."
Ichigo nodded. Byakuya was speaking continuously in a monotonous voice. What Ichigo had first assumed was just chatter had turned out to be a mantra-esque set of words, repeated over and over with subtle variations, spoken in a flat tone of voice that, in his meditative state, was soothing, almost rhythmic in its execution. It was a specific technique, the noble captain had explained, for a mentor to guide his student. Now that his meditation skills were up to par, the captain had taken it to the next level, his calm voice directing Ichigo's process.
The picture he saw was not a literal image, and he would be hard pressed to put words to it. What he had was a clear image of the spirit particles he attempted to move by force of will, and how they warped and changed as he overturned the metaphorical stone and transformed it into something that could be used to fuel a spell.
"The spark of power, there to grasp if you would make a fist," Ichigo repeated in a murmur.
"So, slowly extend your hand and close it. Seize the power."
"Seize the power," Ichigo repeated.
He was almost there now. The reishi he was focusing on were morphing, changing. He focused his will, imagined a hand closing over them. Little beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He was on the verge of making something, creating that basic core of power…
There was a crack, almost like a thunderclap, and Ichigo snapped out of his trance, falling on his back with a yelp. The noise, he realized, had only been as loud as it was because it had been so close to him. It was power, his own power, exploding into real space like a fire cracker.
"Too much force," said Byakuya neutrally. "You must learn to control yourself better."
"Damn it," Ichigo muttered. "I was almost there…"
"Almost," Byakuya admitted, "but 'almost' is never enough."
"Yeah, yeah. Again?" said Ichigo, surprised to realize he was actually keen on trying one more time. He had been close to getting it right.
"No. We are about finished for now," said the captain, subtly shaking his head. "Our time is up. Next time, I expect you will have mastered your energy output to at least contain the kido you create without discharging it prematurely."
"Yes, sir," Ichigo muttered, standing up. Praise and encouragement were not Kuchiki Byakuya's style, but there seemed to be some approval there, if only for the lack of admonishment and criticism.
"I have duties to attend," said the captain, turning around. "I will see you again tomorrow. Do not be late."
It's pretty weird, though Ichigo, how I don't want to punch him in the face nearly as much as I used to.
It hadn't been that many sessions, but already he found it hard to despise Byakuya the way he had used to. The captain kept his distance, but realizing that underneath the ice, however hard it was to spot, there was a person, it had put a serious dent in his resentments. A little frustrated with his near success, and confused about his newfound lack of contempt, Ichigo headed away from the spot in Urahara's basement where they had been training. He only got a few paces, though, before he sensed a familiar presence. Perched on a rock, lazily splayed out like a cat, lay the blue-haired arrancar, staring at him with a malicious grin on his face. Ichigo stopped, frowning.
"You been staring at us this whole time?"
"Hey, man, this whole place is my cage," said Grimmjow mockingly. "Far as I'm concerned, you two are the ones intruding."
"Funny," Ichigo muttered.
"You were so damn lost in your own head, anyway," said Grimmjow lazily. "Wouldn't have noticed me coming from a mile away."
"That's meditation for you," said Ichigo, wondering whether he should even engage with the arrancar at all. He knew Orihime had a soft spot for him, but for all he knew the guy was still a psychotic monster with just a little bit of charm- and petty, at that. "You focus all your attention inward. It's necessary."
"You call it 'meditation'; I call it 'good way to get yourself killed real fast'. You wouldn't last five minutes out in the wastes of Hueco Mundo, falling asleep like that."
"Yeah, I get it," said Ichigo sarcastically. "I'm a great big softy who hasn't gone through the school of hard knocks, and that makes me weak. A real man like you can survive out in the wild, kills his own meat and everything in his way. About right?"
"You're smarter than you look," said Grimmjow with a chuckle.
"Yeah, well," said Ichigo, "no offense, but you got your ass kicked by my aunt when she wasn't even going all out, and I beat a captain at his best. You can take that macho survivalist crap and shove it, because I'd kick your ass any day."
"Well," said Grimmjow, leaping to his feet in one quick, smooth move, approaching Ichigo with the slow grace of a predator at rest, "them's fighting words."
"You wanna go?" said Ichigo, refusing to back down.
"Oh, I couldn't possibly," said Grimmjow innocently. "Sure, I got Red to tone down the seal a bit on account of being a good boy and all, but one word from you and I'm crawling on the ground. I can't beat that."
"I'm not the one who'd fight dirty," said Ichigo stubbornly. Grimmjow was getting close now, only a foot away, deliberately invading Ichigo's personal space.
"Yeah, well," said Grimmjow, staring Ichigo in the eye, "I'd like to teach you a lesson or two, but… hell, I pull something like that on you, and I'm in the dog house."
"Sounds like you're scared."
"Scared?" Grimmjow snorted. "I ain't scared of you, boy. I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast."
"You eat pieces of shit for breakfast?"
"Wow, and quick-witted too," Grimmjow said with a malicious grin. "You should be one of them rap artists. Bet you'd fight harder with words than with a sword. Would probably hurt more, too."
"You know," said Ichigo, hand on the hilt of his blade, "I'd have no trouble whatsoever kicking your ass. I won't even tell Erza. But, if you're going to be all talk, get the hell outta my way."
"…Tell you what," said Grimmjow, "no swords, no fancy shinigami magic, no telling Red what we're doing. Then I'm game."
"Done," said Ichigo, throwing his sword aside. "I gotta vent, anyhow. You look like you'd make a great punching bag."
Grimmjow nodded, balling his fists. Then his jaw dropped open in shock, and he looked over Ichigo's shoulder.
"Ah, shit, Commander Scarlet!" he called out. Ichigo, perplexed, turned to look. That was his first mistake. There was no-one there, of course, and the next instant his face met the dirty, dusty ground as Grimmjow's fist slammed into his skull.
"First rule of fightin'," said Grimmjow, flexing his fist, "never take your eyes off the one you're pummelling."
He walked up to give Ichigo a kick for good measure, but as his leg swung down, Ichigo caught him by the ankle. Grabbing it firmly, he pushed upward. Grimmjow, surprised, lost his footing, and Ichigo lashed out with his own foot, catching the former espada in the head as he fell. He tumbled back, and by the time he got to his feet, Ichigo stood up with his guard raised.
"Neat damn trick," growled the teenager. "You really are a bastard."
"Toldja," said Grimmjow, fists raised to match Ichigo's, "you wouldn't have lasted five minutes in Hueco Mundo, boy."
"You're like a broken record," Ichigo spat. "'Oh, look at me, I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, and I'm a badass. I'm so cool and strong, and unlike you, I went through the school of hard knocks! I think all shinigami are weaklings!'"
"Well, shit, if you keep telling it like it is, I might have to give ya some respect," said Grimmjow with a grin, and began to circle Ichigo, looking for an opening.
"Yeah, except there's the part where I point out that you're mighty full of yourself for somebody who's a shinigami's little bitch. This whole 'tougher than you' shtick doesn't rhyme so well with somebody who has to beg just to get a night out!"
Grimmjow snarled and surged forward with a right hook. Ichigo deflected the blow, slamming a fist into the arrancar's solar plexus as he did so. Grimmjow grunted, stumbling back a step, and Ichigo followed up with a series of punches. Grimmjow blocked and dodged, but he had lost the momentum, and his guard was broken at last when Ichigo, pushing his advantage, slammed a fist into Grimmjow's jaw. Grimmjow stumbled back, and Ichigo let him recover.
The arrancar shook his head as if to clear his mind a bit, and spat out some blood. Then he gave an unsettling grin, and laughed.
"Look at you, playing dirty!" he said, looking like a cat about to toy with the mouse he had just cornered. "Going for the low blows just to get me off my guard. Fuck, you are more like a hollow than I thought. Decent punches, too."
"I'm nothing like you," Ichigo growled.
"Sure you is," said Grimmjow calmly, circling around the teen again. "You think I can't sense it underneath? That little monster you're feedin'? I hear it screamin'. If you gave into that, maybe you wouldn't throw sissy punches."
This time Ichigo surged forward. He told himself he wasn't being provoked, but reality caught up soon; Grimmjow anticipated his movements, dodged under the first swing, and caught Ichigo with an uppercut. His fist lashed out again, catching Ichigo in the gut, and he rained down blow after blow with his fists, his arms moving in a blur. Ichigo barely blocked any, pushed back by the sheer ferocity of the assault. He took hit after hit, to the face, the chest, anywhere the arrancar could find his mark. Growling, at his back foot, Ichigo lashed out with a kick to the arrancar's knee. It broke Grimmjow's stride, at least, causing him to wobble on his feet long enough for Ichigo to take a step back and get a much needed reprieve.
"See, boy?" said Grimmjow maliciously. "Fancy moves or not, beast inside or not, you're still a punk kid, and I was an espada. I've lived through fights you couldn't even imagine."
"Yeah, well, Byakuya was pretty damn sure of himself, and he had decades on me," said Ichigo stubbornly, "so if it's all the same to you, I'm not gonna roll over and give up."
"Good boy," Grimmjow purred, before leaping forward. Reading his movements, Ichigo caught the arrancar with a kick to the chest, sending him flying to the ground. Smoothly, he rolled up to his feet and launched into another charge. Ichigo caught the first of his fists, then the second, but he didn't anticipate the headbutt. Grimmjow's skull slammed into his, and Ichigo saw stars. A second later, he felt a fist bury in his gut, before another slammed into his cheek, and the taste of dust filled his mouth once more as he went face first into the ground.
"Get the fuck up!" Grimmjow hollered with cheer, a kick sending Ichigo flying. "Come on, let loose, already! I thought you were gonna show me what for, huh?"
Ichigo got up, unsteady on his feet. The world took a second to stop wobbling; he felt dizzy, a little nauseous, but more than anything angry. He was angry with himself for giving in to the arrancar's goads, for letting himself take this kind of beating for no reason at all. And, more than a little, he was angry with the obnoxious hollow in front of him.
"You want me to let loose?" said Ichigo darkly, raising a hand to his face. He made a claw, he quickly pulled down, and in an instant the mask materialized, bone white and red trim over his human face. Yellow shone from his eyes, and his voice reverberated wickedly as he charged forward with a battle-cry.
"Go on, hit me with your best shot!" Grimmjow taunted him.
He had cause to regret his words an instant later when Ichigo closed the distance, found an opening in Grimmjow's guard, and drove a punch into his gut hard enough to push the air out of his lungs. The arrancar gasped, stumbling back, and Ichigo hit him with a kick to the head, keeping him off balance. Ichigo surged forward again, punching him in the throat, in the side, in the head twice over, raining down blow after calculated blow, mercilessly. Grimmjow, gasping for air, found himself driven back, the punishment he had dealt before returned twice over. Snarling, he launched a counterattack through the furious strikes, heedless of how it left him open. Ichigo was caught by surprise, and the punch connected solidly with his mask.
"Son of a bitch…" Grimmjow panted, a grin still creeping across his lips. "See, ain't this more fun?"
Even now, even with his face bruised and bloodied, he was enjoying himself. It was easy enough to forget, but he was a monster.
"This is fun?" said Ichigo with distaste. "Beaten bloody?"
"Hell yeah," said Grimmjow, nodding approvingly, "and don't tell me you ain't into it, too. I feel it in ya. You're a fighter, too, even if you're tryin' to act like you're above it. It's why you're here slugging it out with me, even if you don't have to. Even if you could bring me to my knees with a word. You like fighting. You like the rush. Maybe you tell yourself it's all necessary, that it's only for when you absolutely have to… but deep down, there's a real simple, real primal part of you that hoots and cheers. 'Punch him hard, punch him in the face! Shut him up!'"
Ichigo paused, suddenly uneasy. "I told you, I'm nothing like you-"
"Yeah, yeah," said Grimmjow, taking a stance, "but the thing is… I think that's bullshit. I've seen some of humanity since I been here, and fact of the matter is, they ain't just weak. They're also nasty, underhanded bastards sometimes. Some of 'em really like fighting. I'm thinking maybe I ain't so different as I thought. I'm thinking you can't just say, 'He's just a monster,' because there's probably people nastier than me among the humans."
Ichigo felt surprised. That was an admission he had never expected to hear- the arrancar had always been vocal about his contempt for humanity.
"That's why I know yer full of shit," shouted Grimmjow, surging forward, fist raised, "'cause the only difference between us is I ain't afraid to be what I am!"
Ichigo reacted instinctively, catching the arrancar's arm in a disabling grip, lashing out with a foot at his kneecap, forcing him down to one knee. Grimmjow, at the same time, grabbed Ichigo by the throat, keeping a firm grip. The two of them stood still like that for a moment, straining against each other, and Ichigo realized he couldn't breathe.
"Toldja, punk" hissed Grimmjow maniacally. "The rough life I had, that might be predictable to you, but it ain't untrue!"
Ichigo stared at him through his mask, and a little panic began to surge through him. I can't breathe. I can't break free. He'll kill me!
A rational part of him knew that the arrancar couldn't possibly, not without bringing down the wrath of the Gotei on him, but he was a wild animal. Could he even be trusted to act reasonably? Would he even think that far?
He felt the hollow stir inside him, gleeful, evil, willing to take over the moment his control slipped. Ichigo focused, refusing to yield control over himself. Without thinking about it, without being sure of how he did it, he opened his masked jaws, and with a surge of power, he began shaping a cero at the edge of his mouth. It grew in power, wild and dangerous. Suddenly, Grimmjow's expression, somewhere in between determined, gleeful, and furious, changed. There was a sudden fear in his face, his eyes widening, and his grip slackened. Ichigo took a welcome breath of air, and looked down on the arrancar. A hit this close up…
…was out of the question. He did not kill people on their knees.
Then Grimmjow's expression changed, his cocky grin returning.
"For a second there, ya kinda had me," he said triumphantly, "but then I remembered. You ain't got the balls. Do ya, kid?"
Ichigo bit down, and the cero vanished, its power dissipating into the air. A second later, the mask shattered and disappeared. He took a step back, and Grimmjow got to his feet.
"Well, that was fun," said Grimmjow, quite carefree. "Round two?"
"You're a bastard," Ichigo growled.
"Damn right. Then again, ain't nobody you can fight that'll give you the kinda workout I can."
Ichigo balled a fist. It was very tempting to shut him up properly- but truth be told, he wasn't sure he could. The arrancar was very powerful on his own, and he could fight like a daemon, dish it out as much as he could take it.
However, before he could make a decision, they were cut off.
"Ichigo!"
The concerned, angry voice was familiar; it was Erza's. She was running toward them, and Ichigo just realized he was in trouble. To his surprise, Grimmjow looked much the same, startled and dismayed.
"Ichigo, are you alright?" Erza demanded, landing next to the both of them, hand on her blade. "I sensed a commotion, and-"
"I'm fine," Ichigo reassured her. He was bruised and bleeding in a couple places, but his body would heal that soon, he was sure.
"You," snarled Erza, pointing at Grimmjow. "You and I are going to have a long, long talk later. Forget those evenings out- when I'm done with you, you'll-"
"It's okay!" Ichigo blurted out. Grimmjow, whose face had gone from shocked to angry went to naked surprise.
"He offered to show me this fighting trick," Ichigo said, improvising, "and I figured, 'Hey, he's a hollow, he probably knows his stuff.' I needed to vent some steam anyway, so I asked him to show me a good fight, and he did. Nothing's wrong here."
Erza gave Grimmjow a very skeptical look.
"And, that's the story you're sticking with?" she said sharply, turning to look at Ichigo. Behind her, Grimmjow recovered from his surprise enough to give Ichigo a grateful nod.
"It's the truth," said Ichigo stubbornly. "If he assaulted me, I'd tell you."
Erza sighed. "You're sure?"
"I told you, everything's fine."
"Your mom will throw a fit when she sees you like this."
"Give it a couple hours and most of it'll be gone," said Ichigo dismissively.
"Well… alright, then," said Erza. "I have work to do, so… if you're okay…"
"I'm fine. Really," Ichigo insisted.
Erza nodded hesitantly. "Alright. And, you," she said, turning to Grimmjow, "you'd better damn well watch yourself. One step out of line, and you're mincemeat!"
"Got it, Red," said Grimmjow, sounding uncharacteristically tractable.
"Right, then," said Erza. "See you around later."
As she left, Grimmjow gave Ichigo a look.
"What?" he said. "You expect me to get down on my knees and thank you? You're a shinigami. You're supposed to do nice things."
"You'd be surprised," muttered Ichigo. "See you around, bastard."
"Come back any time, asshole," said Grimmjow, his grin returning. As Ichigo walked away, the arrancar couldn't resist getting the last word in. "And, the next time I'll show you how to not punch like a sissy!"
It had eaten at her in the oddest of ways. What Captain Soifon had said- wanting to be her own, wanting to not be defined by somebody else even if it was somebody she loved…
It had stayed with Momo. It had annoyed her, in ways that felt odd. Unreasonable. It really was none of her business, and it had nothing to do with her. Yet, in the day that had passed, the exchange had kept coming into her mind over and over, distracting her, irritating her. After realizing she had drifted off into an annoyed little rant inside her head for the fourth time in two hours, Momo had sat back from the work at her desk and stared out into space.
This was ridiculous. She had to figure out why this irritated her. Logically, she saw no reason. As she'd told herself over and over: nothing to do with her, not her business, not her anything. It wasn't even wrong.
Except, it felt wrong. Introspecting, Momo began to think to herself. It did feel wrong to her, because… she was doing just that. She had lived for somebody else's sake for a very long time- most of her life, actually, since that fateful day when Erza had delivered her and her friends from a certain death in that freak hollow attack.
So, when Soifon had said that something like that was… not wrong as such, but unhealthy, it had felt like an insult. Like she had been given a slap to the face. Like the little captain had told her that the way she lived her life wasn't good enough, that what she had based her life around was wrong.
Momo had never stopped to consider that it was anything but right. She had believed in Erza when nobody else had, when Erza was branded a traitor, and that had only ever seemed noble. Which, of course, it was. Believing in one's friends no matter what, that wasn't just a romantic ideal. That was good.
Right?
She didn't get much further than that. She felt confused. Was… was this what Tobiume had meant? Being yourself? Be who you were without being defined by somebody else?
But… nobody became a person in a vacuum. Everyone became who they were by interacting with other people. So, what was wrong with dedication like that?
Momo didn't get much further during the day. Somehow, she forced herself through work, even though it was a slow and pains-taking slog compared to her usual efficiency. At the end of the day she left for Erza's apartment by herself. Her girlfriend was already home when she got there, but Momo didn't even stop to say hallo, heading right for bed. For some reason, she wanted to be left alone right now.
After some time, though, Erza went to bed, too, and Momo couldn't very well walk away from that. What would she say? 'I'm feeling really annoyed, it's not about you, except it kind of is'? She'd just make it weird, and she had enough of that as it was.
As Erza slipped into the bed, she lay down next to Momo, and playfully ran a few fingers through her hair. Momo turned over wordlessly, staring into the wall, hoping Erza would just take it as her being tired. Maybe she'd just go to sleep.
"Momo?" said Erza, a little puzzled. Momo grunted something incoherent in response.
"Are you okay?" asked Erza.
I'm fine. Leave me alone.
"Whatever," Momo muttered, trying not to sound annoyed. Whatever her efforts, they seemed to have been insufficient, because Erza insisted.
"Is everything alright?"
I need to be alone. Just say it.
"I'm… fine," she muttered.
"If… if you say so," said Erza, confused. There was almost a little hurt in her tone. "Did I do something wrong?"
That was a bit too much. It was one thing to keep to herself, to try to sort out her own issues, but having Erza think she had wronged her, somehow? No. She couldn't do that.
I could just tell her I need some time alone, that everything is fine, she thought to herself.
Or, maybe, another voice argued, you should actually talk to your girlfriend about what's bothering you. Communicate, make an effort. Do that, you coward!
"I'm fine," said Momo, slowly turning around to face Erza. "It's not you."
"Oh. Okay. That's… good," said Erza with a nod.
"Well…" said Momo, swallowing nervously, "it's a little you."
"What did I do?"
"You didn't do anything," Momo said hastily. "Nothing's wrong with you. I'm just…"
"What's wrong, Momo?"
Momo sighed, and shook her head. "Somebody said… something, and it sort of got to me. It's… complicated."
"You know you can tell me anything, right?" said Erza, concern in her voice.
"I know, I know," Momo muttered. "It's just, um…"
"What?"
"Do you think I'm clingy?"
She blurted the words quickly, before her courage to speak them ran out.
Erza blinked. "Um. No?"
"I… it's, well," Momo said, trying to find the words.
"Breathe. Take a moment to piece it together," said Erza gently.
Momo nodded. The die had been cast now. She couldn't just walk back on this, not now, not after saying this much.
"It's like this," she said, struggling to put it together. "I've been… thinking, lately. I'm… I'm trying to be a good girlfriend."
"You are, though," said Erza, sounding more confused than ever.
"It's not that, really," said Momo, sounding pained. "It's just…" She took a deep breath. "I've wanted nothing more than to be with you and support you ever since you saved my life that one day, so many years ago. I've been… completely dedicated to you. Devoted. Loyal. But… I've started to wonder if that's the right way to think. If I'm maybe… too dedicated."
Erza blinked. "Huh. I see. Well… I don't, actually, but go on."
"It's just," said Momo desperately, "I always thought that it was a good thing, but now my zanpakutou is telling me I need to 'be myself,' and I'm wondering if she thinks I'm too close to you. I mean, if I'm focusing too much on you and too little on me, and…"
She ran out of breath and ideas at the same time. Helplessly, she trailed off.
Suddenly there was a strange look on Erza's face.
"…Huh," she said, and Momo dreaded what that might mean.
"There was this one thing Nemu told me a while back," Erza said thoughtfully. "I thought it was… insensitive and wrong at the time, but…"
"But, what?"
"I mean…" Erza said, thinking back, "she said…"
"What?" said Momo, keen to know.
"She said it was… weird that you were so sure I was right all that time when I was gone. That you believed despite the evidence against me. That when the evidence is that strong and you still won't accept it… I got the sense she thought that wasn't right. Not healthy."
"What did you think?"
"I… always thought it was romantic," Erza murmured, sounding a little annoyed at herself, "that it was sweet. It made me happy, knowing that someone still thought I was for real. But… I guess it's more logical to believe what looks to be true. What do you think?"
"I was so certain," said Momo, "so absolutely sure. It was like… faith. Nothing could have convinced me I was wrong."
"Is that so bad?"
"What if it were?" said Momo quietly. "If you believe that much in somebody, is there anything you wouldn't do for them? I… I believed in Aizen. Not as strongly as I did you, but if it had been him there that day and not you…"
She shuddered.
"There's nothing wrong with having faith in your friends and family," said Erza.
"But, it was more like… zealotry," said Momo, "wasn't it? To believe so strongly that nothing can change your mind? You're a good person, you'd never ask me to do anything wrong, but… what if you had turned out not to be?"
"I don't understand," said Erza, shaking her head. "We're doing good, aren't we?"
Momo nodded. "We are fine. But, maybe I'm not."
Erza furrowed her brows, and took a deep breath.
"Well," she said, "as far as I understand it, you're not satisfied with the way you look at things, right?"
Momo nodded. "I think so."
"So… what do you want to do about it? What do you need to change?"
Momo blinked. She hadn't thought that far.
"Um…" she said sheepishly, "maybe try to do things more for myself, I guess. I'll still be with you, but… well, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Maybe find some ambition of my own? I… don't want anything to change between us, really."
Erza breathed out. "Oh, good. For a second there, I thought you were going to dump me."
"What?!" Momo burst out, shocked at the thought. "No, never! I want to be with you. It's all I want- well, something I really do want even if it's not literally everything, but you know…"
"And, if Tobiume wanted you to leave me?"
"Then she could go suck an egg," said Momo defiantly. "If I'm supposed to do things for me, then that means I shouldn't let her tell me what to do, either."
Erza smiled, and nodded. "So… well, you do what you think is best, then."
"I have to do some figuring out as to what that is," said Momo, brows furrowed, "but it's a start. It's silly, I guess… in the end, not a whole lot is going to be all that different."
"It's not silly," said Erza, shaking her head. "If you had that going on inside your head, it's better you figured it out. Better out than in, right?"
"I guess," said Momo, lying back. She extended a hand to Erza, who took it and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I just felt like… I dunno, I shouldn't burden people with stuff like this."
"If you can't talk to me, who can you talk to?" said Erza dismissively. "I'm good at burdens. I've got shoulders like an ox."
Momo laughed at that. "You're not an ox. More like… an amazon, I think. A great, strong, beautiful amazon…"
"I can live with that comparison," said Erza with a smile. "Anyway, I'm tired. Want to get some sleep?"
"Yeah," said Momo. She yawned. "Now that you mention it… I feel pretty tired."
Momo, when she fell asleep a few minutes later, slept soundly. Her heart, which had been confounded and stormy like a restless sea, had been calmed. She didn't know exactly where to go from here- but she was sure she had taken the first step on whatever road she needed to head down.
And there we have it. It seems that Momo has finally made some progress on what Tobiume has asked of her. Hopefuly she'll continue on the right path. Speaking of paths, which will the vizards take? The path of fighting Aizen, or remaining neutral? Hard to say at this point.
Ichigo's beginning to slowly pick up on his kido training, and now some Cero's thanks to Grimmjow.
As for the scene with the zanpaktou spirits, its one I've always kinda wanted. Glad I finally got it in. Sure it may not add much to the plot, but I think it's cool to see these spirits interact with one another.
Anyways, that's all I have for this time around. Hope you all enjoed it.