Chapter 7:
It was early morning when a soft knock sounded against a sliding door, the sun barely beginning to peek through one of the windows. It went completely unnoticed, however, as the current occupant of the room was currently engaged in a powerful inner struggle.
"Stop!" Yukiko collapsed onto her knees panting heavily as tears streamed unendingly down her cheeks.
It was several minutes before she finally stopped crying and looked up. Above her Soyokaze was flitting about her and there. "Yukiko, are you alright?" she asked worriedly. "You really shouldn't have tried to do three in one night. I think one is the safe limit right now."
Yukiko hiccuped as she moved into a seated position with her back leaning against the nearest door. "No, I don't have time to be doing only one a day," she argued, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I have to try and get through as many as possible."
"Yes, but not all at once," Soyokaze pointed out. "As you are right now you haven't been able to finish revisiting all the memories for a single person. You have hundreds to go through, what you should do is pick a group and go through them one at a time. Don't move on until you've finished the first."
"I can't!" Yukiko dropped her head into her hand as she fought to keep the tears from coming back. "Soyokaze, It would take years just to finish the captains I know at the rate you're suggesting. I can't wait that long. You know what'll happen if I don't start making some noticeable progress."
"I know, but that's why you are being sent to the human world," Soyokaze reminded her. "A place where you should be able to concentrate easier."
Yukiko didn't answer as she continued to breathe, feeling the door behind her shift slightly. Even without trying she was able to sense the presence of a dozen or so soul reapers from her past. Every time their reiatsu washed over her, she felt and saw the corresponding doors groan under the increased pressure.
"Maybe you're right," she groaned as the shuddering doors slowed to a stop. "When am I leaving again?"
"I think right now," Soykaze snickered. "You still haven't noticed the person knocking on your door after all."
"Someone's knocking?!" Yukiko exclaimed jumping to her feet. "Why didn't you tell me that sooner?"
"Because you needed to get a hold of yourself before answering the door," her sword explained easily.
Yukiko groaned again before opening her eyes and getting up off the floor of her bedroom. She took a moment to check her appearance in the mirror and get rid of the tears left on her cheeks before heading over to the door. When she opened it, she wasn't too surprised to see Kouga standing there.
"Finally, I was starting to get worried," he greeted rubbing his head. "You alright, Ume?"
All the tension built up inside of her slipped out of her the moment he used the name and she smiled at him. "I'm alright," she told him easily. "Is there something you needed?"
He raised an eyebrow at her. "You're supposed to be at the senkaimon," he answered. "Everyone's already there waiting on you."
Yukiko glanced out the window and saw it was early morning. "Right, I'm supposed to be going to the world of the living today," she sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Too bad I can't take you guys with me."
"Heh, yeah we'd love that too," Kouga agreed. "Oh, just so you know it'll only Harris and me there today. Sakagi and Darui are off on a mission and won't be back in time."
"Thanks for telling me," Yukiko murmured. "I assume this means you're here to escort me?"
"Yeah, if you want that is."
"Thanks, Kouga."
The ex-soul reaper moved around her room gathering up what she thought she might need and fit them in a bag she tied to her waist. Then she followed her old friend out of the barracks and toward the senkaimon in the squad 6 area.
As they approached, Yukiko became very aware of the familiar presences that awaited them. The feeling of the four familiar captain came upon her, eliciting the feeling of cold steel pressing against her skin. As they continued to draw closer, the feeling of the steel pressed harder and harder against her. Just as the gate was coming into view, she could feel the sting of a blade painfully slowly splitting her skin. Then when she spotted three of the captains she felt, the blade suddenly drove all the way through a lung; removing her ability to breathe properly.
"You alright, Ume?" Kouga asked from beside her.
His words were like a ray of hope as the blade-like sensation vanished, allowing her to breathe once more. "Yeah...I'm fine," she returned with a forced smile.
Her companion obviously didn't fully buy her answer, but thought it better not to press it as he came to a halt in front of the small gathering.
"You nervous, Yukiko?" the captain to her left asked as he tilted his large sugegasa* in her direction.
She looked over at him and felt her skin crawl as the door within shuddered. The man smiling at her had a long ripple stretching across his face, with nothing behind it. Her first instinct was to turn and run in the opposite direction, but then she realized the wind wasn't blowing at the moment, and her own reiatsu wasn't stirring. The appearance of the ripple should be impossible in these conditions. She tried to use this reasoning to calm the increased beating of her heart, but it wasn't working.
"I guess I'll just have to let it slide," Yukiko thought, forcing down her fear with every ounce of strength she could muster. To the man before her, she put on a hesitant smile and offered him her hand. "Maybe a little, Captain Shunsui," she admitted as he took her hand in his own. "But maybe when I get back we can have a drink for real."
"I'll accept that," he smiled lightly.
She internally winced when he smiled in response. It seemed a bit too lopsided a grin to her, sending a chill down her spine that made her hair stand on end. Still she didn't pull away until he released her hand. Next to him stood a female she was familiar with, though she'd probably changed more than anyone else.
"Nanao, maybe we can exchange favorite stories," the ex-soul reaper suggested lightly. "If you're still into reading books anyway."
The younger soul reaper nodded curtly and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "So long as your taste doesn't mirror...hers," she acknowledged.
Yukiko grinned a little in exasperation, knowing exactly what the other was referring to and nodded. "I promise that's not the case."
Nanao nodded in acceptance before moving to the side of her captain. To her right was standing another captain she knew would be present. His soft smile started to ease a little of her stress, before increasing it once more as a ripple ripped open over his chest. She forced a smile on her face for him as well.
"Captain Ukitake, I'm glad you came," she expressed. "I just wanted to tell you how sorry I was about our visit."
He quickly held up his hand to stop her apology. "It's fine, Yukiko, it would be foolish of me to expect any different considering your circumstances," he murmured softly. "I'm just pleased you seem to be doing better. I just wish you didn't need to leave to continue progressing."
"I know, me too," she agreed dipping her head toward him in the smallest of bows. She'd wanted to give him a deeper one, but the fear of what he'd do if she took her eyes off him kept her from doing so. Inside she could feel the doors shuddering again and she had to mentally shake her head to try and clear the sound from her mind.
"Ume, you should probably keep going," Kouga pointed out from behind her.
This calmed the shuddering just enough to where she was able to think a little clearer. Thanking her friend, she stepped closer to the senkaimon moving closer to the third captain she'd felt. "Captain Unohana," she greeted. "Thank you for everything. I may not like the idea of leaving the seireitei, but I do see the benefits of it. I just hope we don't have to resort to the backup plan."
"As do I, Yukiko," the squad 4 captain replied. "Do not hesitate to seek help if it becomes a necessity. There's no shame in it."
"I know. I'll make sure to keep that in mind," Yukiko promised. For some reason, the shuddering in her mind wasn't nearly as strong as it was with the others. She was able to smile a little more comfortable than with the other three.
After speaking with the three captains, she took a look around trying to find the last one, but for some reason couldn't find them anywhere. She supposed they just weren't at the senkaimon. They didn't really have a reason to show up after all. Turning back toward the gate, she spotted the one person she was most happy to see...Harris.
"Good luck out there," he murmured as the two exchanged a tight hug. "Don't forget, the seireitei is just a phone call away."
"I know...I'm going to miss the four of you," she mumbled reluctantly pulling away. "It's not going to be easy doing this without you."
"Well, maybe we'll be able to get Lieutenant Hisagi to let us take a day to come visit," Kouga suggested.
"I doubt it, we're all preparing for a possible war," Harris cut in. "There is no reason for him to allow us to go somewhere to relax."
Before the two could go any farther with their discussion, Yukiko pulled them into a hug once more. "Just try not to give him too much grief. He's taking a lot onto his shoulders and needs his seated officers to give him support and take some of the burden," she murmured. "He needs you."
The two nodded wordlessly, feeling too embarrassed to respond. Knowing she'd drawn out her departure long enough, she stepped away from the two and over to the open enormous double doors.
"Hold on! You're going to need one of these!"
Yukiko paused in her walk to turn and see a familiar head of firery red hair. "Ah, Lieutenant Abarai," she greeted. That's when she noticed he had a small black butterfly on his shoulder. "A hell butterfly...I haven't used one in years. Thank you."
"Uh, you can leave it as just Renji," he told her scratching the back of his head. "You're close enough to being a friend...so I'll let you use it, Ume."
Yukiko giggled despite herself at his answer and nodded. "Very well then, Renji. Thank you for the hell butterfly," she told him, allowing said creature to perch on her own shoulder. "Is your captain coming?"
"Uh, Captain Kuchiki? I think he's still in the recovery process," he answered trying to remember where he'd last seen the stoic captain.
"I'm well enough for this."
Yukiko glanced up and smiled, almost warmly, at the squad 6 captain as he stood a ways away. She lifted one hand in greeting and waved. "You've really grown," she said loudly. "I know I never had the chance to say it before but...congratulations on becoming a captain, Captain Kuchiki."
He nodded without a word and she sighed. Looked as if he'd managed to gain control over his emotions. She couldn't deny that it disappointed her she wouldn't be able to see the irritated look he used to give her. Ignoring the creaking of the squad 6 captain's door, she decided to see if she could manage to at least crack his calm facade.
"Well, I guess it's time to go," she murmured looking at all the faces of those that cared enough to see her off. "No worries, I'll definitely find a way to fix this...and be back stronger than ever. So...I'll see ya around, Bya-chan!" With that she got a good look at the expression he was making, giggled a little, spun around toward the senkaimon, and disappeared inside. "Now that, was the Bya-chan I remember."
It took about an hour for Yukiko to make her way to the other end of the senkaimon as she was walking the entire way. Plus, she was kind of stalling for as long as she could. The space was so devoid of reiatsu from other people, that for the first time since her imprisonment, she felt safe. Her mind was able to relax, she didn't fear anything she was seeing, and she was able to converse with her blade without a single relapse. The entire trip, made her feel like the plan to go to the world of the living could really work.
As she exited the passage between the two worlds, she inhaled the air from the bright sunny world and smiled. "It's so nice," she murmured. "And smells so good." Then she opened her eyes and scanned the city below. "Wow...I didn't think a hundred years would change this place that much. It's so different and...bigger."
"Well this is the human world," a voice chuckled lightly.
Yukiko blinked as she shot a look to her left and spotted the source. When the voice sounded, and when she spotted who it was, she forced down the shout of surprise and the rising bile from her stomach. "You're right, Youruichi, the human world always was in fluctuation even while we were in the seireitei," she murmured.
"This world isn't the only thing that's changed," the purple haired woman pointed out. "Why don't we move on? I know you're dying to see them again."
"Poor choice of wording, but yes...I am," the younger muttered in reply. "I want to see Kisuke and Tessai."
Shippoman: So the first scene here ended up being a lot longer than I anticipated and wasn't able to fit the rest of the intro into the human world in, but I wanted to make sure it ended on a rather good note. But rest assured you'll get to see some awesome familiar faces in the next chapter. Kisuke and Tessai get to see her again, and she starts going to school to take a break from her constant struggle of mental control. But will it really be that easy? stay tuned and please remember to R&R.
*Sugegasa - the japanese name for an asian straw conical.