So, Chapter Eleven is now here! As promised, on time :D! I hope you enjoy reading this and please read and review!
Chapter 11: Black Fire
Drakerla found himself waking up in his room at Kuchiki Manor, recalling the events of the past day. He groaned as he sat up in his bed, "Glad to see that you're finally awake." Came a voice from the chair next to the bed. Drakerla looked over and saw Byakuya sitting there with a smile on his face. "Byakuya, how long have you been here?" he asked,
"Since I brought you in here, why?" He replied, Drakerla sighed, and said,
"You didn't need to stay here the whole time, I'm sure you've got Squad Six paperwork or something to be getting on with. I can look after myself you know." Byakuya chuckled at his younger brother's statement,
"Yes, you may be able to look after yourself. But I'm your brother, and I care about you. Ever since Hisana died, I haven't been the same, I know. And I apologise for that." Byakuya said,
"Well, you still have Rukia, so not all the traces of Hisana are gone, are they? And you have me as well, and I know that you care about me. But you have to let me be more independent, otherwise I'll never grow up to be the best that I can be. Anyways, I need to go to Head Captain Yammamoto and give in my report of the mission." Drakerla said, Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "How can you possibly go and report to the Head Captain when you don't know what was going on half of the time?"
"Hey! Ichigo has to hand in a report as well, so the Head Captain knows everything that went on, whether I knew what was going on or not! I'm meeting Ichigo outside if you want to come and see him."
"No thank you. As you said earlier, I have Squad Six stuff to be getting on with." Byakuya then left the room. Drakerla got out of bed and put on his shihakusho and his captain's haori and then left for the Squad One barracks after meeting Ichigo outside.
Once they had arrived, Drakerla and Ichigo knocked on the door to the Head Captain's office. "Enter." Came a voice from within. Drakerla swung the doors open and they entered the room. "Captain Kuchiki, Ichigo Kurosaki, I gather that you are here to report your mission." Head Captain Yammamoto said,
"Yes Head Captain." Drakerla replied, the Head Captain told Drakerla to wait outside whilst Ichigo gave his report. After Ichigo had finished, the Head Captain sent him out of the room and told him to bring Drakerla in. Ichigo left and told Drakerla, who was sitting down in a chair outside of the office, that he could go in. Drakerla got up and walked into the room, he then gave his report to the Head Captain. After finishing, the Head Captain informed Drakerla of a new mission. "I would like you and the rest of Squad Nine to investigate these reports of strange fires appearing in the Seireitei. Leave immediately."
"Yes, Head Captain." Drakerla left the room. Outside, Ichigo got up and walked with Drakerla to the Squad Nine barracks. "So, what did the Head Captain want? You were in there for a lot longer than I was." Ichigo asked,
"Oh a mission for Squad Nine. There's been strange fires appearing in the Seireitei, and my squad are investigating them."
"I'll come with you and help."
"No Ichigo, you can't. It's for Squad Nine only. Go back to the World of the Living, I'm sure your family and friends will all be missing you."
"Oh ok then, well I'll see you soon!" Ichigo left for the Senkaimon. Drakerla then flash-stepped to the Squad Nine barracks, where he was greeted by Shuhei Hisagi.
"Captain Kuchiki you're back!"
"Indeed I have Lieutenant Hisagi. We've been given a mission from the Head Captain. He's requested for us all to investigate some strange fires that have been appearing around the Seireitei. We are to leave immediately. Move out!" Drakerla commanded, all the squad members vacated the barracks to start their own investigations. "Captain, I have to ask, are you sure that you're up for this? It hasn't been long since the events with Aizen, and you looked pretty beaten up at the end of it."
"Are you questioning me, Lieutenant?"
"No Captain! I'm just a little concerned, that's all."
"Well, I'm fine. And Sosuke Aizen was one powerful enemy, so yes, I probably bit look a bit beaten up! Know your place Lieutenant, and never question me again, understood?!"
"Yes, Captain Kuchiki."
"Good. Move out." Drakerla and Shuhei left the barracks and split up to investigate by themselves.
Drakerla was nearby the Squad Three barracks when he started to sense a very familiar spiritual pressure. Izuru Kira's. "Izuru, you can't sneak up on me. I know you're hiding behind that pillar. Izuru, having been found so quickly, emerged from the pillar with an impressed look on his face. "Wow Captain Kuchiki, you're even better than Byakuya at sensing spiritual pressure!"
"And how would you know that my brother can't sense your spiritual pressure when you're hiding? Have you been spying on the Squad Six captain?" Izuru paused for a minute or so, before admitting his crime. "Maybe? Listen, it's not what you think. Rangiku wanted me to spy on him to see if he looks `hot` or not. That was how she put it!" Drakerla raised an eyebrow, before bursting out laughing. "Ahahaha! Rangiku seriously thinks that Byakuya looks `hot`?! What has she been drinking lately?!" Drakerla continued to laugh, before sensing an immense spiritual pressure that was very familiar to him. Drakerla stopped laughing instantly and now had a serious look on his face. "Uh, Captain Kuchiki? Is everything OK?" Izuru asked, Drakerla looked up to the sky, to see if the familiar object that the very familiar spiritual pressure belonged to was there. But it wasn't. Suddenly, the Squad Three Third Seat, Riku Togakushi came running out of the barracks yelling, "Lieutenant Kira! Captain Kuchiki! There's a strange fire that has appeared in the training grounds! Please, come quickly!" Drakerla and Izuru, along with the Third Seat, flash-stepped to the training grounds, where the strange fire had appeared. When they arrived, Drakerla saw this huge wall of black fire that had sprouted up in the grounds! So I did feel the same spiritual pressure... damn it! What do I do?
You're going to have to think of something, because you know that you can't use me! Remember what happened last time?
Yeah, yeah. I still remember what happened, Moeru Fenikkusu. So how are we going to extinguish this then?
For once… I don't know.
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki! Tsugi No Mai, Hakuren!" Suddenly, a wall of ice appeared. But the fire was too strong, and the ice melted with ease. Rukia came running over to Drakerla and Izuru. "Rukia! What are you doing here?" Drakerla asked,
"Well, I heard about these strange fires appearing, and I thought, since my zanpakuto is an ice-based one, that I should help to put them out. But clearly, it's not working!" She replied,
"Yeah well fire isn't usually black and it doesn't usually have its own spiritual pressure either." Drakerla stated, Rukia and Izuru both stared at him in surprise, as they could not sense any spiritual pressure emanating from the fire. "What, you can't feel it? I guess, that whatever this is, it's more powerful than your senses of awareness. Damn it! I don't know what to do about this. I'll get Byakuya here, he might have an idea." Drakerla sent a Hell Butterfly with the message for his brother. A few minutes later, Byakuya arrived at the scene. Drakerla, it's the same spiritual pressure as before." He stated, Izuru and Rukia stared at Byakuya in surprise as well. "You two need to heighten your senses more. Seeing how you are both lieutenants, you should be better than this. Even Renji would be able to sense this."
"And Shuhei as well." Drakerla piped up, Izuru and Rukia looked embarrassed. "So, Byakuya, what are we going to do about this?" He said, pointing to the strange, black fire. "Rukia, have you tried using Sode no Shirayuki?" Byakuya asked his younger sister, Rukia nodded her head and said, "The fire was too strong, it melted the ice and then even the water didn't do any harm to it!" Byakuya thought for a minute,
"Hmm… Well then, I suppose all that we can do is report this to the Head Captain."
"Yeah, I suppose that is the only proper course of action. And the fire's not actually spreading which is a bit odd, but handy for us! I'll go and report it, it's my squad's mission." Drakerla said, he then flash-stepped out of the training grounds and out of the barracks and made his way to the Squad One barracks.
Once he had arrived, he knocked on the door to the Head Captain, where he was then permitted entry. "Head Captain, I'm here to report my findings of the strange fires that have been appearing. I encountered one in the Squad Three training grounds, and I found that, it had a spiritual pressure. And it was quite strong, Rukia Kuchiki's zanpakuto couldn't even do anything about it. Also, the fire wasn't actually spreading, it was just this big wall." Drakerla stated, the Head Captain got up from his chair and said to Drakerla, "Come, I need to see this for myself. I will meet you at the Squad Three training grounds." Head Captain Yammamoto then flash stepped to the Squad Three barracks. "Yes Head Captain." Drakerla then also did the same. When they had both arrived, the Head Captain went closer to the fire, until he was almost about to get burnt! He put his hand out towards the fire, and suddenly, a hand came out from the fire and grabbed the Head Captain! It then pulled him into the fire. "That's fire's alive!" Izuru exclaimed,
"Byakuya, let's go." Said Drakerla, he and Byakuya then went into the fire to rescue the Head Captain.
So I'm sorry to have to say that there will definitely be a wait for Chapter Twelve. The good news about it is that it has a title :D but there is nothing in the chapter yet except that. So yes, I might be able to get it up during the school term or I might not be able to get it up. It depends on how busy I'll be! If I can't get it up during the school term then I will try my hardest to get it up during the next half term (which is only a week unfortunately)! So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please, read and review!
