Chapter Six
Kirria
"Ahhhh… A week has passed since Aizen's betrayal and they seem to have moved on well, these shinigami." Kirria chuckled as she walked past the 4th Division's General Medical Facility. She could hear guys with deep voices insisting that they were healed and refusing to listen the 4th Division shinigami. They must be from the 11th Division.
She looked up at the blue sky and began to think back about her past seven days in Soul Society. Time passed way too fast. It was already six days ago that she had been called to report to the Shinigami court. What do THEY know... It was such a waste of time. She sighed.
"Kirria Kajisaki, where have you been residing after you left Soul Society without permission on the 24th of December 6 years ago?"
"In the living world."
"Where? Specifically?"
"The EARTH. Ask me again and I'm refusing to answer anymore questions."
"Then, Kirria Kajisaki. Please explain why your reiatsu was unable to be detected even on... earth?"
"Can you sense my reiatsu now?"
"No."
"Then why bother to ask? No one's been able to sense my reiatsu in the first place. How would you be able to detect it?" The shinigami in charge of asking her the questions was obviously put in a spot. Just when he was about to go on to the next question, Yamamoto waved his hand stop him, and looked Kirria straight in the eyes.
"Kirria Kajisaki, please cooperate with us and stop trying to escape telling the truth." Kirria did not divert her gaze.
She didn't feel like she had done anything wrong to be questioned in front of all the captains like this. She didn't understand why they had to care so much about what she had been doing. Wasn't it good enough that she had came back? It made her feel like she had been the one who had betrayed everyone and ran away to Hueco Mundo.
She slumped in her seat and looked away from Yamamoto's accusing eyes.
"Just because the one who betrayed you ran away doesn't mean you should start questioning me like that just to try and fulfill your desire for answers. I'm not the one you really want to question am I." It was almost a whisper, but was loud enough for everyone in the pin-drop silent room to hear. All the captains looked at Yamamoto for his reaction and were surprised to see that he wasn't angered.
"Meeting's over. You may leave."
"I wasn't planning on staying anyway." Kirria got out of her seat and left the court. Yamamoto's gaze was still fixed on her but she didn't even once look at him as she left.
And since then, the two of them had been having a cold war. Yamamoto hadn't called her back for another questioning, and she had no desire to answer any of his questions anyway.
She looked around at her surroundings. Sigh, once again I'm so lost in recollection that I've subconsciously walked into this forest and didn't realize it. Kirria! You've got to wake up! You could end up in places you don't want to go! Like Yamamoto's headquarters! No no no no no no… Better wake up. She left the forest trail and walked into the dense trees. She didn't need a path to guide her to the river.
Sure enough, she soon broke out of the dense trees onto the river bank. It was nostalgic. The water rippled softly down the pebble-filled river, and the trees, well, she could almost remember every single tree in that area. How many times had she visited this place to think back on things, to seek comfort, just to stare at the sky? Too many times to count.
She sat down in the shade underneath a tree and leaned back on its trunk. She closed her eyes.
She'd found this river since she first stepped in Soul Society. Even after she'd entered the Sereitei, she always visited the river in the middle of the night and fell asleep there. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto always lectured her for running off and not being in bed when they went to wake her up. She knew they were concerned but never told them where she had gone.
That is, until that one time when she invited Hitsugaya into this comfort zone of hers. Momo was busy helping her Captain with work and was unable to join them. With the two of them alone, they opened up easily to one another, spending that entire night sitting on the river bank and sharing about their experiences. He was a friend she could entrust her secrets to, and she was a friend he could entrust his secrets to. That's when he told me about what had happened. Then the next day, I left.
"I wonder if he ever blamed himself, for telling me his past, only to see me leaving the very next day."
"Who?"
Kirria's eyes jerked open at the girl's voice, and she pushed herself upright immediately. She looked to her left and saw Kuchiki Rukia looking at her from behind the same tree.
"Ru-ru-Rukia! What are you doing here?" Rukia laughed.
"I've been sitting here since early morning! I didn't even notice you came until you spoke! When did you get here?"
"Just. How come you know this place too?"
"Found it a year or two ago. You?"
"Six years ago. So I'm its original founder!" Rukia smiled.
"Then I guess that can't be helped! You own the place." The two girls burst out laughing.
"Say, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be helping your Nii-san, while he's recuperating?"
"He's got Renji to help him. I just came here to think about… stuff."
Kirria looked at Rukia and sensed sadness and confusion in her eyes. She had an inkling feeling she knew exactly what Rukia was troubled about. But she knew she couldn't just say it straight out to Rukia. Ukitake Tai-chou had told her how sensitive Rukia was regarding this issue that involved Shiba Kaien, and had warned her never to mention it in front of Rukia. From what Kirria had heard about this Kaien guy, he seemed like someone Kirria would have really liked to meet. Kirria smiled and turned to look at the blue sky as she spoke.
"I'm not sure exactly what you're troubled about, and I know I'm not someone who should be saying this but, sometimes, you just have to go out there and say it. The longer you hold back what you actually have to say, the harder it gets to do it." Kirria turned to look at Rukia who was staring at her with surprise. Oh no… Don't tell me she suspects that I know all about the incident! Rukia suddenly broke into laughter.
"I think I should be the one telling you that! When are you going to tell the whole Shinigami Court about what happened during your absence?"
"Aish… Don't bring it up please… Well, I'm heading back to the Seireitei first. See you around Rukia!" Kirria stood up and began walking back into the forest.
"Hai. And Kirria," Kirria stopped in her tracks and turned around, looking at the back of Rukia.
"Thanks for your… advice." Kirria smiled widely at Rukia's words and walked into the forest. She looked forward to the next time she'd meet Rukia, to see her worry-free face, after Rukia had lifted the burden she'd been carrying for so long. Looks like the Shiba's will be having a very important visitor today.
Kirria smiled as she broke out of the forest and onto the forest trail.
