YAY! Quick update! Not much to say here, I hope you enjoy.
Oh yeah, just in case somebody is confused, Maia's name is Maia INAZUMI and Wanateshi's name is Wanateshi IMASUKI.
MrsKurosaki xxx
--
Run. Don't look back. Run as fast as you can. Don't let them get you. Don't let them devour your soul and use it as a tool to develop their sinful plans.
She ran, not knowing where to. She thought that her heart would jump out of her chest. She didn't know where she was or whom she was trying escape from but she knew they were evil and set on killing her. She looked around while she ran, everything was dark and the hallway was lit up by dim candles. There were doors on each side, she didn't know how many there were, she lost count somewhere after forty. Sweat was forming on her skin, she didn't know how long she was running but her eyes were set straight in front of her. When she squinted her eyes to try and look further down the hallway, relief washed over her body when she spotted an opening at the very end of the tunnel-like passage. Once she got close enough she jumped through and found herself in a bright abyss. There was nothing there, just white and she seemed to be floating in nothingness, her eyes shut tightly from the strong light which seemed to shine directly over her. Then…everything started spinning and the sense of panic and adrenaline rushed through her being. She heard voices screaming in the distance, there were at least a fifty of them of who she couldn't recognise. She was in another dimension. This time it was pitch black. She held her arm out in front of her but she couldn't see it. She started waving both of arms around to check if she could feel anything but she could not feeling anything but air. She seemed to be standing now because with each step she took a light blue ripple formed in the blackness from around her, she watched as the circles of liquid spread further away until it disappeared. It was like she was walking on water.
"Can anybody hear me?" Her reply was more bloodcurdling screams, she winced and covered her ears. They seemed to be tortured in the most gruesome ways. She could not see anything, she could not feel, smell or taste anything. Her feet started walking towards to the screams.
"Help!"
"Get me out of here!"
"Save our souls!"
"Kill the King!!"
"You're gonna die!!"
"Get the fuck out of here!!"
She hesitated to go any further, she wanted to help but didn't know how, she couldn't see anything. Each voice was terrifying. They were drowning in blood, but she could make out the voices of males, females, elders and even children. Their screams were more distant and muffled as if some one was pulling them away further and further into the darkness. It was pure torture, she couldn't bear it anymore…
-
Rukia shot up like a bullet and immediately surveyed her surroundings. She was in her room at her brothers mansion, she squinted in the dark, it must have been still night time. Wiping off the cold sweat from her forehead, she slowly stood up and put the yukata that lay neatly folded on a small table nearby. She knew that she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep after that nightmare so she didn't even bother to try to rest.
She walked out of her large room, down the long hallway, brushed her hands against the cool walls for guidance in the dark, turned left and walked into a room with a lot of candles, fancy plants and statues of elder Kuchikis, her legs made their way through the room until she reached the huge cherry blossom patterned shoji doors; she slid them open enough for her to get through and immediately stepped onto the wooden porch and looked out on the colourful garden, even if it was night. The moon shone down onto her face, giving her an almost angelic look and she let her hands rest on the wood. She loved this side of the garden, it was always lit up by fireflies dancing everywhere. Closing her eyes, she let herself relax and listen to the gentle nature.
She never would have known that she would become so vulnerable, especially since she was a Kuchiki which meant to uphold the rules and never show any unnecessary emotion, no matter what, she failed both of those tests but she didn't care anymore. She had stopped caring years ago. She opened her eyes and let them look down to the refection of the moon in the large pond below. However, she had come to realise, that didn't mean that she should let her emotions break and live in a world of grief and nightmares. She had to pull herself together and be strong for the ones she cares most about, for the man she has ever let into her heart. Rukia sighed once again before looking up to the sky, her eyes softened when she saw the star that shone proudly and stood out from all the rest. It won't be easy, but she could try.
--
Not many hours later, Maia's emerald eyes fluttered open and looked outside of her window, it was nearly sunrise. Without even yawning, she stepped out of her tatami bed, washed herself and put on her normal hakama and gi. As she tied her hair up her eyes wandered to a picture sealed within a wooden frame. She didn't move for a moment as she was looking the item that showed a man with short dirt blonde hair tied up in a small, spiky pony tail with two cheek bone length bangs at each side of his slightly tanned face. His brown eyes were looking directly at the camera and his lips showed an genuine smile that fit his features perfectly. He looked the same age as Maia, maybe older. Her eyes narrowed glared at picture, she thought that she burned every evidence of his existence from her life and yet here she was looking at some buffoon that broke all his promises he ever made to her. Her hand reached for the frame and threw it against the opposite wall, cracking the glass and letting the picture inside fall onto the table before getting ripped into four parts by delicate hands.
"I'll give all of my love to you, I promise, forever…"
"Tch." She glared at the pieces of paper in her hands before walking to the window and disposing them to the wind. She put on her haori and walked out of her house and into the small but elegant garden. In the very middle there was a koi pond, the water twinkled in the early morning sun and rippled when a few petals from one of the sakura trees landed gracefully onto the surface. She glanced at her moving reflection.
"Inazumi Maia, I pronounce you the official captain of the ninth division of the thirteen protection squads…"
She held her index finger above the water and lightly swirled it in circular motions making a faint breeze of air as she did so, the water started moving too and soon formed a small whirlpool around her finger, her eyes followed the moving liquid and made the whirlpool slightly wider. After a few minutes, the whirlpool got bigger and bigger until she retracted her hand and let it fall limply to her side.The war was over but she couldn't fight the feeling that something was going to happen and force soul society into another battle. With once last glance at the cloudless sky, she walked out of her garden and to the ninth division for the rest of the day.
--
"So?"
"It dangerous! No offence but it's clear that you're not over the war and Ich- uh, well, you know. If your mind drifts of any minute you'll be dead!" He tried make eye contact with her to prove his point but she was still just as stubborn as always. Instead he put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze urging her not to go to that cursed world.
"Renji, it's just to check anything unusual, any hollow activity. There is nothing there, majority of Las Noches has been blown up," she sighed lightly and looked up at him, "plus, You, Hitsugaya-taicho, Matsumoto-fukutaicho and Iba-fukutaicho will be going too, it's just an investigation." Rolling her eyes, she turned to walk the opposite direction.
"Fine." He drawled out, he didn't like the idea but he knew there was a reason why Rukia was a fukutaicho and she was strong enough to take care of herself. However, he couldn't stop worrying, she always spaced out at random times and a small trigger like a phrase or word could break her emotions into pieces, she tried to hide her condition but he, a person she had known for many years, could see right through her. He didn't force her into sharing her thoughts although he wanted to know more to help, he already knew that it was Ichigo's death and he wanted to comfort her but she was gradually building a new wall around her heart. Clenching his fists tightly, he followed her to the meeting place for the mission to Hueco Mundo, he didn't want her to go there by all means.
-
The five shingiami stumbled out into the desert of Hueco Mundo.
"Alright, let's do the job and get back to soul society…" Iba looked around; there was nothing but sand. Everywhere. A few dead trees but mostly sand. "How the hell are we supposed to find hollows in this shit hole?!" The red head groaned, clearly disappointed.
"Shut it, Renji," Rukia snapped, equally annoyed that there was nothing around, "Stop moaning, it won't help."
"Sorry, but you see anything worth looking- OW! What the fuck!" He turned around while rubbing his pain inflicted head and was surprised to see Matsumoto was the one who hit him and not Rukia although the said midget had her fist ready to hit someone if needed. He glared at the big-busted beauty who was smiling ever-so sweetly at him. He could hear Iba snigger next him and glared furiously at the three.
"What's so funny, Iba-fukutaicho…" He spat out the last bit as if it were venom.
The man in question rose an eyebrow form underneath his sunglasses, "Renji Abarai, sixth squad lieutenant, gets the shit knocked out of him by girls." He continued to chuckle as Renji lifted his fist up at him with an unrecognizable expression oh his frustrated face and gritted teeth.
"Urusai, teme…" He growled.
"Both of you shut up!" Matsumoto started to glare at the two.
"You're the one talk, Rangiku!"
"WHY DON'T YOU ALL SHUT UP AND GET ON WITH THE MISSION?!"
Silence.
Feeling the pulsing vain cool down, the young captain secretly smirked proudly at his ability to shut anyone up and started walking towards where the white palace once been.
"Aizen-taicho, Aizen-taicho, where is he?" Hinamori murmured. She looked at up Hitsugaya with wide eyes.
"He's gone, Hinamori, that blast would of killed anyone…" He looked at her bleeding form leaning against the wall, she was cut everywhere and her blade lay beside her, covered in arrancars blood.
"No," she gasped and winced from the pain in her stomach, "No! No! Aizen-taicho did nothing! Nothing! He was tricked, I know he was…" She trailed of, all that wasn't true. She realized that but far too late. She wasn't going to cry. No.
"Hinamori…" She looked at Hitsugaya- Shiro-chan- and blinked away tears that the she tried to force back.
The hot tears prickled from her eyes from the realization, looking behind the best friends shoulder, she could see silhouettes and bodies of comrades and enemies. Everyone seemed to be yelling and pointing to different directions and seemed to be giving out orders. Before she knew it she felt herself be lifted up and carried towards an opening in the ruins. Clutching his blood stained haori, she leaned against him and ignored the pain that ran through her body. She tried to calm herself and breathe normaly.
"I'm sorry…" He heard her mumble before her mind started blacking out.
Hitsugayas eyes stretched wider and dullness disappeared with a small icy glint instead. He turned his head side to see who asked the question.
"What?"
"I asked, what the heck are we going to find here and how?"
"First of all, you should know why you're on mission in the first place, Matsumoto, instead of getting drunk." The strawberry-blonde shinigami rolled her eyes but her face gave of the amused look she had at her captain strictness. "We are here to find any hollow activity, where ever it may be and investigate anything unusual." He looked at the others sternly.
"Kuchiki, do happen to remember how to get into the Menos Forest?" Rukia's head lifted slightly upon the mention of her name.
She thought about it, she and the others got there only because of that sand monster. "There was a sand creature that sucked us in but it had been destroyed years ago as far as I know, however, there might be an entrance connected to the ruins…" The captain nodded.
"What if there is no way or passage?" Matsumoto put a finger to her chin and looked up at the starless sky.
"First, we'll check any cracks in the remaining floors and…"
Rukia's mind already drifted off and her eyes went blank. She didn't hear Hitsugaya-taichos anymore and she looked towards the direction of the ruins.
"You ready for this?" They were standing in front of the huge doors blocked their way from the main hall with Aizen and his followers inside. There were screams and battles everywhere, blood was smeared all over ground and they both panted for breath in the smoke. Flames were burning at their robes and licking their ankles.
"Ichigo, please, don't play a hero," She whispered softly. He turned his head to her and they looked at each other for a few moments before he took her hand in his. His eyes showed determination and affection at the same time. She smiled at the familiar sight. "Ah." He confirmed and she gently squeezed his hand before they blasted the doors.
"Welcome, my dear love birds…" There he sat, in his mighty throne, expecting them. Aizen.
"Hey, Rukia!"
Snapping out of her own short day dream, her eyes met Renji's gaze quickly and before she had a chance to speak, he started before her. "See, I told that you would happen, your mind is loosing it's track quickly!" She rolled her eyes at his continuous rambling.
"Renji," she cut him of in mid sentence, "I'll. Be. Fine. Your not my baby-sitter, I know how to take care of my self, okay? It's not like I'm going to switch off, just like that."
"But-" That glare was enough to make his mouth open and close like a fish. And so they all walked on in wordlessness.
--
"They're here…"
"Hmm…"
"What should we do?"
The eerie voices communicated with each other in the large underground territory. The area was lit by a hologram showing the five intruders nearing the ruins. Each one of figures looked at it, still waiting for an answer.
"Since when did I have to decide, I recall that you said every one of my decisions would be wrong and be troublesome for us…"
"Whatever, just tell us what to do!"
"Temper, temper…" A cheeky voice added.
"Shut it, Itamaru, or I'll blow your goddamn head off…"
"Were not here to argue, fools!" This time it was female voice.
"I agree." Everyone looked towards the voice. It seemed that it was the eldest male in the group.
"Well, well, well, Raiden has spoken for once…"
The said man got up from his lazy position. He eyed his so-called comrade with a raised eyebrow. He dusted his cloak from the dirt with his hands and brushed of the unseen dust from his shoulders. Smirking, he looked at the rash and arrogant idiot, "Well, Grimmjow, I would say that my lack of speech actually helps us keep in disguise unlike your unreasonable yelling that would bring the whole of soul society here, without any navigation."
"Fuck you…" Grimmjow growled. Raiden's face showed much amusement which pissed him of to no end.
"If you're done with your little verbal war then can we continue with the important discussion?" The men looked at the youngest member plainly but nodded anyway.
"Thank you." The young Itamaru smirked and then looked at the one who was to give out the decision. "Well? What do we do?" All heads turned to him.
"We do nothing for now, if they get too close then let a few hollows out, adjuchas or menos- doesn't matter, as long as it keeps them busy. We do not kill them though, that'll bring more shinigami here."
"And if they defeat the hollows?"
"They probably will, but for we'll see how they get on…" Raiden commented.
"Can we follow them?"
"What's the point?"
"Well, it's not like there's anything better to do here…"
"Grimmjow, all you're gonna is start a fight…" He rolled his eyes.
"Oh, for fucks sake… I won't…"
"You better not…"
--
"Found anythin'?" Iba looked around, bored as hell. He flipped over some rubble with his blade only to find more rubble.
Renji sighed. They had been in the ruins for what seemed like forever. They have been looking through wreckage, pushed through blocked passages that ended up being dead-ends, looked for any tunnels leading to the menos forest, they even released more reiastu in order to attract any hollows.
"Nothin', seems like there's no point in continuing, we ain't gonna find anythin'."
All of a sudden, a weak pulse of reiastu was felt. It was faint but they all felt it. They fell silent and tried to make out where it was coming from. It pulsed through the air every few seconds, it looked like it was coming from all around them. They looked around to see if they could find anything in view of the desert.
"Is it a hollow?" Rukia was the first one to speak up. Matsumoto closed her eyes in concentration, "Yes, I think it is…"
"Maybe we should split up in different directions?" She looked at the only captain in the group.
He opened his eyes and nodded, "That would be a good idea, I will check the north end with Matsumoto, Abarai, you go to the west, Iba-You'll check out the east and Kuchiki, I want you to search through the main passages and find any underground entrances but I want you to stay closer to the west in case something were to happen. Everybody understand?"
"Hai!"
-
About an hour passed and he could feel the reiastu getting stronger, even though it was still no where near a 7th seats. Renji stopped in front of a pile of rubble, this was the eleventh time he had break through the blockage and it was getting more frequent. Frowning, he blast through the rubble using a light kidou as continued his way.
Then, he felt it. It was so strong that he had not realised that he was already on his knees or gasping for breath. That reiastu…His eyes were wide, that was not a hollow, it last for only a few seconds but he felt like he had been drained from all his energy in two seconds. One moment he was running and the next, he felt his air way slam shut and gravity roughly pull him down to the ground. He panted and fits of coughing followed. "What the hell was that?" He wondered if the others felt it or if they were okay. If an unseated shinigami were in his place, they wouldn't of survived. The force came back, only weaker this time, as if it knew he was in pain. That didn't make much of a difference though, he couldn't fucking breathe! He gasped for air and tried to shield himself with his own reiastu. The only problem was: he couldn't feel it.
The energy gradually eased down to nothing and he was able to breathe again. Pushing himself off the ground, he slowly started walking. The uneasiness was still there.
He felt something behind him, following him. Or someone… He cocked his head to the left and turned his head slightly to see if he could hear anything. Nothing. He tried to sense any reiastu but he could only feel his friends' which was a relief to him to know that they were okay.
He stopped walking.
"Who's there?" He turned around completely. There was spine-chilling darkness and a few rays of moonlight seeping through the cracks.
He could hear the sound of a chain being dangled.
A figure stepped out .
His -he decided that it was a male- head was completely covered by hat and a chin length cloak so his identity was a mystery. Renji could only see the glimmer in his eyes as he was standing directly in the path a moonlight ray. He could see the three ornaments from the left side of the hat swaying slightly from the silent movement.
"Who are you?" He narrowed his eyes. They never left the sight of the strange guy. "Answer my question!" He demanded. The figure spoke no words, instead he walked up to Renji who was on his guard the whole time and stopped so that they were standing opposite directions, shoulder to shoulder. He showed no signs of attack.
Renji gritted his teeth, this person was completely ignoring him and standing beside as if he was no threat. Without warning he swung down the released from of Zabimaru, aiming for the shoulder.
His eyes widened.
With barely any movement at all, the man had blocked his attack without breaking a sweat. His index and middle fingers were lightly pressed against Zabimaru as if he had just caught a feather. He was standing in the same position but his left arm was inches above his right shoulder balancing the whip-like blade in the tip of his fingers.
"I'm not here to fight…yet." He finally said in a low whisper. His eyes were cast down.
Renji pulled the sword away. "Who or what are you?" He now was about five metres away from him. His eyes hardened and gripped Zabimaru tighter. A few moments pasted and the man hadn't spoken yet. Renji was losing his patience.
"I wish I knew…"
His head snapped up. "What do you mean? Why are you here anyway and what is your name?"
"The answers are irrelevant…"
"Then why the fuck did you come here?!"
He didn't reply, he looked at Renji an unreadable emotion in his eyes. Renji gulped, he didn't know if this was an enemy or ally. He highly doubted the latter.
"You should be dead by now, Renji…" He smirked behind the cloak.
"How do you know my name?" Renji's eyes narrowed into slits, this guy was pissing him off to no end.
"I know a lot about you…" His tone was emotionless but he was still staring at Renji. "I thought you would become captain by now…"
"Piss off, I don't need to be a captain…"
"Or you just can't surpass Byakuya…"
"Fuck you!" He had no idea how the bastard knew about him, but he was really tempted to slash his head off. Lifting up Zabimaru, he swung his blade at his abdomen only for it to be blocked again.
The man sighed, "We might meet again but I might not be so generous to spare your life," he stared walking away but just as Renji was going to yell at him, everything started shaking, "Let's see if you can get out of this one…" Everything started closing in on him, the man was already gone leaving him to find a way to get out by himself.
He couldn't find an opening.
He couldn't escape.
With a loud yell, he blasted a kidou to the wall to his right in hope of getting free.
--
DONE!
Well, a lot of things were important here. I hoped you enjoyed!
Please tell me what you think of Maia, I'm trying to write her as I imagine her but it's pretty hard so your opinions really matter!
Some IchiRuki and HitsuHina, I didn't want to write anything big. Rukia's dream was VERY important and OMG, Renji encounters the enemy :O
Reviews are love!
