Cold hands touching her arm caused the cat girl to stir in her sleep, she felt tingly and like her senses were being overloaded. She could feel people moving around near her, like sensing another persons energy was heightened. Two very powerful beings were close by, and there were hundreds nearby, or were they far? She couldn't tell. Her mind raced with thoughts as she blinked a few times and stared up at the man touching her arm.
An ornately decorated captain examined her arm and slid his hands up over her left shoulder and touched her chin. He tilted her head to either side firmly yet gently. She had seen him before, he was in charge of research and development- if she remembered correctly. Ichigo blinked a few times as she took in the presence of the captain with face paint. She was laying flat on her back and her naked form was hidden under a white sheet. Behind Mayuri stood the black haired woman who lead division 4.
Ichigo reached up with her opposite arm towards him and Mayuri immediately seized it and locked hands with her. He interlaced his fingers between hers. A strange sensation came over her, like she could feel his crushing spiritual pressure just by touching him. He spoke with an unusual inflection as Gin did,
"Can you hear me girl? If you can, grab my hand as hard as you can."
The cat girl felt dizzy and as if she had a fever, she mumbled something inaudible and grabbed onto his hand with a firm squeeze. Mayuri muttered to himself and released her hand and leaned over her upper body, he slid down the sheet to expose the center of her chest where she had been pierced with Gin's sword. Unohana quickly spoke up,
"I think that's unneccessary Captain Kurotsuchi-"
"Oh hush woman, I'm just making certain there is no residual injury. It appears there is not..."
The red head clumsily grabbed at the sheet to cover her chest once the male captain had observed where the zanpakuto had pierced her soul. It left no scar or mark, as if she hadn't been stabbed through at all. The memory seemed fuzzy of the cermeony.
Ichigo sat up slowly with a grimace at her body aching and Mayuri again grabbed her chin and firmly turned her head towards him. Energy felt as though it was boiling inside of her. He spoke to her again while looking over her features, specifically into her hazy eyes,
"What does it feel like?"
The girl's tail flicked behind her and she wriggled her ears, taking in the sensation, she felt energized and more powerful, yet dizzy. She felt as though someone ignited something inside her,
"I feel... stronger I guess."
Mayuri scoffed and released her and she wrapped the sheet around her upper body tighter.
"You guess?"
"I think that's enough for now Captain Kurotsuchi, I'll handle it from here."
Unohana urged the unusual looking captain by stepping up beside him. Everyone in the Sereitei knew not to second guess Unohana when she encouraged someone to do something- she was a truly frightening woman to say the least. Mayuri knew she wouldn't let him poke or prod much with the newcomers. He began tittering to himself about experiments as he left the room. As soon as Mayuri exited, Gin appeared like clock work in the doorway. The sly captain wore his trademark smirk as he leaned against the infirmary doorway.
Ichigo glanced over at him as Unohana put her Shihakusho on the bed beside her. The grinning man dare not enter the room without Unohana's request as he addressed his subordinate,
"Glad yer finally awake Ichigo-chan. How are ya feelin'?"
A weak smile appeared on her face and she rolled her shoulders, she felt somewhat stiff. The redhead glanced over at her captain,
"I feel... groggy, but at the same time completely energized. It's weird... I guess that means it worked though right?"
Unohana whispered softly to her and patted the neatly folded Shihakusho,
"If you feel well enough, go ahead and get dressed. Captain Ichimaru will return you to your own barracks so you can get some much needed rest."
...
The faint trace of a familiar soul emanated it's way to the newly freed Aizen. The calm man was seated at his conference table with Deep Blue at the opposite end, the new Espada who filled the ranks were lined along the table on either side of them. Deep Blue was not condsidered among the ranks of the Espada, as he was regarded as Aizen's 'equal'. Aizen was fascinated with Deep Blue's abilities to say the least.
Deep Blue possessed the ability to remove a soul from it's living host and put it into a crystalized form, something akin to a hogyoku. This was a power Aizen had never thought he could come across, and he intended to use it to further their goals.
Deep Blue cooly spoke up to address Aizen in the practically sterile meeting room,
"I'm leaving to the world of the living. Munishi will accompany me, I have unfinished business with some of those that were left behind in the world of the living."
Aizen lazily tilted his head and grabbed the white tea filled mug in front of him,
"Are you going to kill them?"
The icy alien wasted no time and his tone was laced with disdain as he thought back to his death,
"I'll bring their souls here."
This was certainly a method Aizen wasn't familiar with, but who was he to hinder someone elses revenge. Revenge was something Aizen was not interested in, it was the weak man's way of giving into rage, something he wouldn't stoop to. The brown haired man nodded pleasantly to the alien, who promptly glanced to the number 2 Espada. The black haired woman grinned from ear to ear, pleased to be accompanying one of the two most powerful beings in Hueco Mundo. She was floured and accepted graciously with a wink of flirtation,
"Whatever you wish, Master Deep Blue."
Deep Blue paid no attention to her slight advance on him and his emotionless eyes shot back to Aizen upon sensing the Shinigami. He was not the most skilled at sensing nearby opponents, but it was something he could do if he focused. Someone had entered their realm, uninvited.
The scarce remnance of Hinamori's spiritual pressure in the Hueco Mundo desert again wafted over the powerful group of Arrancar. Aizen guessed she would come for him eventually, but he wasn't expecting her so quickly. The usual calm smirk remained on his face as he glanced to a strange entity seated approximately halfway down the table to his right.
This was the 10th Espada now, and was a truly horrifying being to say the least. He appeared as a medium height thin male who was entirely mummified- as if he had emerged from a carcophagus the day prior. Tarnished looking bandages wrapped him from head to toe, covering his mouth so he could not speak. There was no bit of his flesh visible and no way to read his personality. A disturbing wraspy groan was all it would muster in response to orders or to being addressed. The only thing truly known about him was that he was created by Akhenaten, the arabian appearing number 4 Espada who sat directly across from it.
Aizen spoke to the mummified creature flatly,
"Nephthys."
The being let out a low grumble akin to a snake hiss, earning the attention of the other Espada. The lord of Hueco Mundo again addressed him,
"We have a guest, I have no doubt you can sense her spiritual pressure. Would you collect her for me? Unharmed if possible."
The strange being abruptly dissolved into sand where he sat, the grains poured around the chair and swept across the floor as if there was a phantom breeze. The Espada on either side of him almost leaned away from it as it disentegrated, clearly uneasy with it's presence. Nephthys, by far, was the most unusual in appearance of the new Espada.
It's creator, Akhenaten, calmly inquired at the orders given,
"Lord Aizen, if I may...You seem to be familiar with this intruder, may I ask how?"
This Espada appeared to be arabian in appearance with a white head scarf on his head that billowed behind him. It hid his shoulder length wavy hair under the light scarf. He was tan skinned with narrow eyes and a deep voice- he appeared similar in physicality to Nnoitra, tall and lean.
Aizen addressed the 4th Espada calmly,
"But of course. She was a subordinate from my previous occupancy as a Captain for the Gotei 13. She could prove of use to us, despite her fragile nature. Wouldn't you agree it would greatly demoralize the enemy to see their own fall under our control?"
...
The short girl fumbled in her steps and Gin grabbed her before she tripped and fell. Ichigo still felt extremely disoriented after the immense strain put on her spirit, the way she walked was as if she was intoxicated. The two were paused in a long outdoor corridor with the sound of crickets beginning to chirp now that the sun was down. The silver haired captain leaned her into his right side,
"At this rate we won' get ya back till sunrise."
Before the clumsy cat girl could respond, he swept her up in his arms and darted off in a flash step. Ichigo clung to his haori as he whisked them across rooftops towards their division. As he bounced across the golden plated roofs, the girl in his arms spoke softly,
"I'm sorry... I don't mean to be a burden."
Although she felt groggy, she was well aware of what was taking place and felt immense guilt. It was like she and the other two girls were plopped in the Sereitei and a task dumped on the divisions. He certainly had more important things to be taking care of instead of a girl who could barely walk. She was used to feeling like one of the strongest on her team, and here she was, as weak as ever, it was utterly humiliating to say the least. It was a foreign feeling to her to go from so powerful, to feeling like a toddler learning to walk.
Gin cooed in his usual odd manner,
"Oh Ichigo-Chan, ya ain't a burden! I really like havin' ya in my division. And yer not so bad on the eyes either."
His compliment made her blush, she kept her head locked down against his chest and didn't look up at him in hopes he wouldn't see. Gin couldn't possibly think anything of her in a romantic sense, there was no way, they had just met! Her pondering then strayed and gave her a chill- Wait, what about Masaya? Ichigo felt suddenly more embarrassed and leaned into Gin's chest harder, her small fist clenched the fabric of his haori.
She felt mortified to even consider the prospect of another relationship, but she and Masaya hadn't spoken in so long. It felt like months, maybe years, since she had seen him. It was hard to tell how much time had passed since she came here, which brought up another disturbing thought.
Why wasn't he here yet? Why hadn't he come for her? What was he doing that was so important to have refused her calls when she tried to get in touch with him prior to coming here? She hadn't seen him in so long, it almost felt like a memory of a past relationship. The searing hot love and adoration for Masaya had never felt so far from her mind. Ichigo's head was spinning as the man carrying her slid to a halt and began to walk through the division barracks with her still in his arms.
The redhead wriggled slightly in his grip,
"I- I could walk Captain Ichimaru!"
The grinning man glanced down at her as he kept his pace through the long corridors,
"Oh Imma put ya in bed, ya need some rest. The rest of your trainin' is happening this week starting tomorrow. Better get some good sleep!"
Gin entered her room and Ichigo felt relieved to be back but anxious that her captain was carrying her to bed. She still felt embarrassed and her nerves made her feel more clear minded. The man set her down on the edge of the bed and Ichigo stood up abruptly in some feigned confidence to show she was all right,
"Th-Thank you! I'll be better tomorrow I promise!"
Gin's smile never faded and he leaned down close to her, causing her heart to pound in her chest. He was inches from her face, for just a moment, Ichigo was sure he was about to kiss her. The faint glimmer of the moonlight illuminated his narrow face and eyes. Ichigo was breathless for just a moment before the man calmly bid farewell to her,
"We'll see ya in the mornin' then."
Without another word he turned on his heel and meandered out of the room, waving at her as she stood frozen by her bed. Ichigo wanted to laugh at herself for thinking her captain was about to kiss her. But was he?
...
A distracted white haired captain stared out at the dimming sun through the window of his office. It was unlike Hitsugaya to have neglected paperwork and other captain's duties, but Kyouraku's words were burning in his mind. He knew the Head Captain was being reasonable and objective, but it stung nonetheless and made him angry that he couldn't go bring Hinamori back. If it was even possible. Worry for his dear friend consumed him, he had feelings he couldn't quite articulate.
Hinamori hadn't been gone but for a few hours and he had to wonder if she was still alive. Surely she had become stronger after the final war with Aizen, but she wasn't ready to face an Espada on her own. He dropped his head and leaned over in his chair, propping his upper body with his elbows on the tops of his knees. Images of her running through the pale desert sent a shiver up his spine- not a sensation he so easily felt. She was all alone, and there was a good chance she'd die simply trying to get her answers from Aizen.
The young captain didn't move when the doors to his office were opened, he recognized Rangiku's spiritual pressure approaching. He ignored her as she meandered in, she stared at the hurt young man in front of her for a few moments.
"Captain... You haven't left your office all day."
Her statement earned her a more bitter response than she expected,
"Where would I go Rangiku?"
The icy tone in his voice was stemmed from the anguish he was feeling. The curvaceous woman ignored his dismissive attitude and circled his desk, leaning against it beside him. A gentle hand reached over and grazed his upper back, he was very still. Rangiku deeply frowned, knowing how it was hurting him to have Hinamori gone. She had always speculated the woman was more special to Hitsugaya than he lead on, but he always let his position as a captain come first.
Rangiku stroked his upper back in a comforting manner,
"I know what it feels like, and I'm sorry."
Before Hitsugaya bit back, he swallowed hard, knowing she was being genuine. Rangiku seemed to have healed from the battle with Aizen both emotionally and physically quite well. He learned She and Gin had a past as children and teenagers, but the Soul Society pulled them away and transformed them into different people. Regardless, Hitsugaya was firmly against the pardoning of Gin, not seeing him as trustworthy whatsoever. But Rangiku had shared the entire tale to him after the War, and it granted him a further understanding of why Gin was pardoned.
The gentle petting to his upper back was only slight comfort to the seething emotional pain consuming him. Hinamori up and left without a word, and it stung to know someone so dear to him would abandon everything she worked for- and abandon him. He had blindly hoped her devotion to Aizen would have faded over time- but he had to accept he could be wrong. There was only speculation, and no concrete word from her about why she did such a thing, which was unlike her entirely.
As if a light flicked on, the white haired man jolted up in his seat. Rangiku gasped and retracted her hand quickly, staring at him as he then hopped to his feet and his eyes met hers. Hitsugaya almost showed a hint of relief on his face,
"Come with me, I think I know where we could get more information about why she did it."
...
Stifled cries earned Aizen's attention as he walked alongside the Primero Espada, Socrates, in one of the main thoroughfares of the Las Noches castle. The whirring of sand sliding through the hall caused the two to turn around, they were met with a partially disentegrated Nephthys approaching them with something wrapped in bandages.
Nephthys' lower body was a huge whirling mound of sand and his upper body had long strips of bandages reached out in front of him. The sliding of sand across the pale concrete was almost deafening as he approached in a flurry. A familiar black haired girl was tied in the bandages and squirming to get free. Her eyes and mouth were wrapped ferociously as well as her limbs which were sinched behind her. Her sword was spat onto the ground at Aizen's feet from the moving sand heap beneath Nephtys' upper body. The sword clanked across the concrete and Socrates stepped in to gather her Zanpakuto.
The mummified Espada paused when Aizen nodded towards him, he appeared like a loyal dog bringing something he dug from the yard. The older espada seemed grimmaced at the sight of the girl struggling in the bandages while he stood up from collecting her sword. Aizen enjoyed the sight for a moment too long, prompting Socrates to make a humble request,
"Nepthys, why don't you set her down? She's no threat to us."
The creature complied gruffly without so much as a groan. The bandages whipped away from the girl, dumping her hard into a heap on the floor. She sputtered and coughed as she collected herself, pushing her upper body up off of the hard floor. Immediately, several searing emotions took over her when her eyes met with Aizen. Hinamori began to tear up, her lower lip quivered. She began shaking and felt stuck between the urge to attack him and the urge to hug him. She knelt frozen in the conflicted emotions she had, and opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find words as Aizen gracefully stepped up to her.
Her former captain sunk to one knee in front of her and reached out with a gentle hand- grazing her chin. It felt alien and familiar at the same time. The girl's glassy eyes met his calm ones,
"Ah, Hinamori. It's been so long, you look good. You've grown so much since I last saw you."
His scent, his comforting voice, everything then felt the same. Hinamori's gut wrenched, feeling afraid to reach out to him because of what happened to her previously. The memories of his betrayal were fresh in her mind and so seethingly painful to relive. She swallowed hard, still staring at him with a genuine expression of worry and desire,
"C-Captain Aizen, please... Tell me it's really you."
The powerful man smiled widely to her and nodded, earning a sudden embrace from the girl. Aizen recalled vividly spearing her through the chest before, he wouldn't do so this time around. Her small arms clung around him in desperation and she sobbed heavily into his chest. She was so enthralled in her former captain's person she failed to notice behind her, Nephthys slink away into the halls. Socrates stood solemnly behind Aizen as he allowed Hinamori to hug him for several moments.
Aizen finally spoke softly to her,
"I'm truly sorry for all the strife I've caused you. You have to understand, it wasn't aimed at you. It was for the greater good, I'll help you understand, if you'll stay with me for a while."
...
