A/N: HEYO! PLEASE ENJOY !


Previously:

A yawn slurrs her words, "Good night,"

I wave.

Tomorrow I enter the war.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Chapter 13: Entrance

"Inhale... Exhale" I make my mind aware of what is about to happen.

"You're going to jump that stupid wall, and find your stupid friends. Oh! And Don't forget to kick any ass that gets in the way..." I take my runner's start, but I don't take off.

Not yet.

...

..

.

NOW!

My legs tense and slam me forward. Buildings that get in my way are jumped over, any people in my path are barely spared, and I race the wind. The only things I can think about are the ones this pounding heart beats for.

There!

I pounce, and the height I get frightens even me, but I shouldn't be surprised. I mean, I have been feeling weightless, and I'm pretty my speed has been twice that of before.

The smell of dust and home made meals fades, conquered by the odor of metal and expensive fragrances, but then the wind drowns me: taking my sight, my hearing, and my sense of smell. My breaths are hollowed out and all I can do is feel. I

feel the roaring heat erupting from my core. I feel it rush to feed the orb in my hands, I feel the forging of a membrane surround me and I blink the teary dryness out my eyes. The bubble around me is just that, keeping even the strongest of gusts off me and tinting my view green.

My protection challenges the one before it, but both refused to crumble. Lightning shoots off, running from the altercation, but there will be no violent outcome. Soon, the two shells merge, creating a mouth that opens just wide enough for me.

. . .

I take a moment to look out into the maze of what I can only assume are homes, and the rest of the layout.

The smell of melting plastic begins to dwindle and that means its time I move out.

With one more deep breath, I'm off.

flitflitflitfltifltiflit!

My garments catch the wind, the flowy nature flaring it out about me.

I descend upon the war zone, and I make sure to do one thing: Get attention.

. . .

. .

. .

.

.

B

o

O

M

!

I allow my fire to rampage on impact. It overtakes me, challenging the highest peaks with an insatiable roar.

My form tumbles over in exhaustion.

Air is seeming hard to come by,"There... if they were in battle, that should have given them an opening, it should draw attention here and... shit! I should leave. People will be here in a second," I force myself up and in some direction.

"I should be faster than most of them? So maybe I can avoid conflict for a while," I ramble.

"It came form the gate! Is it another ryoka?" I see them approaching, but I speed past them without hesitation.

Their presence fades into the distance as I race off.

"Holy shit, did anyone else feel that? Was that the wind!?" I smirk. I was just fast enough for them to miss my signature.

Good.

I'm in the clear for now.. I don't know how far along everyone else is. Kira says it was a few days ago that they broke in, but they could be anywhere depending on how many enemies they ran into and the strength of said foe.

Emerald eyes roll.

Knowing Ichigo he's been blowing through them since he got here...

I wonder if they're even here still... For all I know that jack asses already saved Rukia.

Or they...

No.

I should try to sense their energy... After all. I could use a short little break. Sure. I haven't heard their spiritual pressure before, but maybe it sticks out like a sore thumb?I duck around some corner and close my eyes to focus.

Slowly the music comes forth, and I frown.

There are a lot less sounds than I expected...

I expected a mess of instruments and tempos that attempt to tear each other down for clarity, but I don't... I hear mostly just nine...

My tail wiggles curiously.

"Oh wow... can spiritual pressures actually merge to make one song?" I can't see my own face, but I'm certain it's shocked. And beautiful...

most of the songs aren't just simple melodies. They're too complex to be called such an unsophisticated term. These are art performed by several musicians with one maestro per piece. Each one seems to embody a message...

I grimace at the last one.

Anyway, Urahara mentioned there were 13 squads of soul reapers, and there are 13 orchestra's playing...

Now I may not be a genius, but I'm pretty sure merging sounds is possible now...

I wonder how that works. Did Kira know this?

I perk up. There are Six songs that are simpler. Not only that, but five of those six are more modern day genres, where as the rest are more traditional like Kira's...

"Are those five my people?" I look off in the direction of the closest one.

Each song, not even just the five strange ones, are ruled by a certain instrument, or a specific part of the songs' composition.

My five people are ruled with either Bongos, guitar, piano, harp or a base line...

But who is who?

Well I'm probably going to find out...

My ear twitches upon my head, and my tail swipes the air once as well.

I'll chill for another few minutes, then I'll head out.

Opening my eyes I leaned into the wall material.

"I hear somebody nearby, but it looks like they're not heading this way... so I should be fine for a bit," I cat stretch a little. That sounds was weird. Most of the sounds here are Japanese by origin, but the one near me is actually a pan flute...

Strange.

"My my, and what do we have here?"

green eyes slide up to meet milk white eyelids. His hand is planted on the wall above me, and his smiling face is all up in my space.

"We have someone who likes her personal space," I answer his inquiry, placing a finger on his head and shoving his cranium back on his shoulders while leaning further into ground. "I heard you earlier, but you were heading away from here. Decided to stop by?" a smirk is on my lips and a sass in my voice.

"Is that smug I hear? I was honestly expecting a little more shock or fear," he tilts his curtain of lavender, and I shrug, getting comfortable laying on my side since he doesn't seem to want to move.

I support my head and drape an arm over my waist.

"Well, I was going to be intimidating, but no one is scared of the half cat girl laying on the floor," I shrug with my lips,

"You're not wrong. Speaking of which, You may be dressed in black, but those are not Soul Reaper garbs." he interrogates me.

I turn my gaze quizzical, "At least I'm wearing black, you're the one with the white flowy thing," I throw back, but he catches it easily.

"Well I'm a captain, so I get to wear the special captain's jacket. What's your excuse? Are you a ryoka?"

A Cheshire grin, "You know, sir. I am no habitual liar, so I'll answer you honestly," my tail bounces behind me.

"Yes," I admit

This seems to throw the man before me for a loop, even temporarily disrupting his foxy grin.

"You actually told the truth..." shaking his head, "You know I could kill you, right?" he checks my level of sanity with his questions.

"Yes, but I also know you would have by now if you were going to," I look past the curve of my hip at him.

"Smart girl..." he claps.

"Captain Ichimaru! Have you found what was responsible for the fire? Was it another ryoka?" I hear the clacking of sandles and foreign voices, but they stop as soon as that head of lavender hair peers around the corner at them. It's a little strange, I can kind of hear the man before me, Ichimaru, conduct the instruments of the... four people that approach.

"Ooh! Looks like company," Ichimaru is facing who I can only assume are members of his squad. "I wonder what would happen if I called them over to see you," he taunts, but I reward him nothing but my nonchalance.

"You can if you want to. I can probably kick their ass or outrun them.. so there's that," I inform him.

"You're right... So maybe I should just kill them to save you the trouble,"

...

What?

"You do you dude," I relinquish control. "I'm almost done recovering from my stunt, so I'll be on my way pretty soon,"I sit up properly.

"Then there's no real point then, is there?"

"I...guess?"

"Well, enjoy causing mayhem!" he almost sings it and I raise white brows. Ichimaru heads toward his people and from what I can hear, he guides them away.

"That was weird," I get to my feet. I go to dust myself off but find no powder of any sort on me... "I guess the smug hatter was right. You don't get as dirty in the soul society..." I take a moment to determine a path of least resistance that leads to the closest ally.

Bongos. That's who is closer..

Relaxing into my stride I keep up with my enemies, but splitting my attention makes it almost impossible to navigate this stupid maze.

"Why is there even a fucking maze?" I grumble. If this keeps up I'm going to run into something.

But I'm relatively lucky. My shoulder isn't, but the rest of me is.

The more I snip at the distance separating me and the bongos, the more the song pronounces itself, the more I can hear the tropical influences it holds. It makes my think of get away cruises and tranquility. The bongos bounce around in their moderato beat, and I don't even notice when my steps synchronize with the quick base line.

A grin graces my face.

I can't wait to see them.

tat!tat!tat!tat!tat!tat!tat!

my steps are all that accompany me in my journey, but that does not subside my excitement in the slightest.

Ok!

All I have to do now is turn this corner and. . .!

TH-THUMP!

The world silences itself for this, not wanting to disrupt this moment in fear of tainting its purity.

TH-THUMP!

I pounce, arms stretched wide, and tackle the tall figure.

"Sad doe!" we crash to the ground, but even with all my force I don't earn a grunt from him. The metallic medallion jingles in protest when its master wont, and I almost get high on that aroma of beach that wafts off him.

He's like my vacation escape from my harsh reality.

"You're alive!" I bare my insecurities for all to see. I need him to know how his absence hurt me, how his presence now would heal even the most terminal of wounds.

"I know you're happy... but we might kill this guy..." Sado supports us getting to his feet while I hang on to his waist.

"What guy?" green eyes peer around him.

"..." he points to a crushed mess of a soul reaper in a Sado shaped imprint on the ground.

Oops...

I didn't even hear the reaper's silly little song...

Welp.

One more squeeze and I finally let go of him as he turns to face me.

"Shiro... You're a cat?" he seems almost horrified by my furry additions, and that gaze makes my tail strike the ground in beat with my aching heart.

"A Nekomata really. Turns out I'm half demon..."

I shrug, glaring at the ground with puffed brown cheeks.

Did he find me disgusting now? Is this how everyone is going to react?

Did I come here for no reason?

No...

Even if they turn on me, even if they hate me. . .

My hands curl into balls of rage at my sides, replacing those who I hold dear. So much for my vacation escape...

"Let's go," the words escapes me before taking up the lead.

"Did you find out where Rukia is being held?" I listen for the music, but the closest is pretty far ahead.

"...Yeah.. she's in that tower," the big guy points and my gaze stretches into the distance to hit the tall cylinder of white barely freckled with rectangle holes masquerading as windows.

Well. Now we have a direction..

...

..

.

Silence consumes us, and my anger festers in every little bit of it. I'm not usually the type to keep things bottled up. So I should ask Sad doe for clarification, right?

But a part of me doesn't want to. A part of me is too scared of being right. And who knows how my demon side would react to such a damnation? How would I react? What if it makes me not want to save them anymore?

I don't want that to happen, I'll just wait till its all over. Maybe, at the very least, spending time with everyone in my demon form will help them see I'm still the same protective Shiro as before.

Or not. I dunno. Whatever.

We're moving forward, almost in perfect sync with Sado's bongos. Part of me wonders what who would appear if I danced to his song...

Maybe the grand father he mentioned before?

~..!

I hear someone coming and grimace. Gross, bag pipes... Guess I can just zip by real quick.

As I tense my legs, I remember the big guy isn't much of a speeder.

Ok, different strategy.

"Hey, Sado, I hear someone, I'mma zip by and disorient them, you go in for the K.O" a grunt in approval is all I need before I zoom.

The little blonde reaper turns the corner as I past him, and his neck cracks to try and follow me.

"WHa...?"

Too bad he doesn't see the giant ready to pummel him

BAM!

Brown lips grin. That was well executed!

"Let's go," I return to the lead, my ears twitching about to pick up on any nearing foe.

With my abilities, its easier than expected to avoid the hostile masses. Those we can't avoid are dealt with almost too quickly.

So for the most part, its just me and the big guy.

In silence,

I know Sado, So I'm more than aware that this lack of conversation means little to nothing. Which honestly just makes it harder for me to read him and how he really feels about the complete me.

Gosh. I feel like such a hypocrite.

All those times i told him and the others not to beat around the bush with me and here i am doing the exact same.

But it's not like I plan to keep it this way! I just don't want to risk a bad answer that could mess up my focus!

True,,,,

Well, then i need to just push all of this out of my head until I'm proven one way or another right?

RIIIIP!

Emerald widens and I whip around to see Sado toss a reaper that brings half of his shirt with him as a souvenir.

Shit-!

My foot is planted deep into the intruder's face before Conscious thoughts are back with me,

"Sado!" I rush to him and he faces me with his back to the setting sun.

I get on the tips of my bare feet, my fingers digging into his hair to search for injuries.

"Are you ok!?" Jeez i don't think my heart has ever been this loud.

"...Yeah" The gentle giant removes the tatters of this top. "...see." he bares his chest and I'm quick to wash my eyes over it.

No cuts no blood, not even a forming bruise.

Thank goodness.

I almost start floating with relief.

I focus on him and my mind drags me through memories of this friend before me, slowing birthing a smile upon my features.

He's ok.

"Are you ok Shiro?,,,,,,,, You seem off,,,," Sado looks down at me. Crap. Why does he have to be so perceptive? Cant he just... not notice things when I don't want him to?

My tail sweeps around the ground.

"If I can ask you anything... You can ask me too" Sado assures. Curse him for being such a dope ass dude.

That has to mean something right? The fact he noticed I'm off? The fact he still wants me to be open? Maybe he doesn't hate me. At least maybe not as much as I thought,,

A breath is pulled in between my teeth and brown hands are allowed to roam brown locks. My toes don't ache from the constant use, but my heart does.

Even thought I'll protect him regardless. I can't seem to bring myself to ask... I can't seem to allow him to hate me.

"There!"

I whip around with a hiss in my throat, my gently cupped hands becoming fearsome claws. I briefly note the small beads of blood on my nails.

Crap. I hope Sado is ok.

The furry triangles on my head twitch. How had I allowed this many to get close to us? Was my hearing dulled by our soft hearted moment?

They're closing in...

But I'm pretty sure we can take them if we stick together.

vvhoooOOOAAAH!

fwoOSH!

I produce a ring of flames, turning back to Sado. His flesh has darken against the light, making him a towering sculpture of pure carbon with highlights of emerald on the mounds of his features.

Grapping his arm, I guide him to my left, "Come on," I breathe beneath the constant crackle, beneath the thumps of my heart.

We have to get out of here before that they show up.

Pointing at the wall, Sado charges his blast, but he's taking too long. my stomach squirms and I pick up the slightest shift from those outside our membrane.

vhooooooooooOOAAAAAAAAH!

My hairs lift, a roar rips from my chest and the fire rises to the challenge, scraping the skies as Sado rushes through the escape.

They're getting closer.

My feet bite into the ground, sparking just a bit as I propel forward.

Sssssssssssss.

I fear my flames die and curse what ever may be.

They're here.

BAM!


A/N: HIYA! Sorry I disappeared! I hope you enjoyed reading!