The True Origins of Tartarus Chapter 06: Yoruichi & Akihiko Discuss the Future!
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~Author's Note::~ Jaguara here! This chapter is going to be in Akihiko Sanada's POV. Enjoy^^ ~JVH~
I was so focused on Anya that I didn't realize everyone else had left. Ishida had told me that my feelings were pretty obvious. Did they leave to give us time alone? I really must thank them later. At least Anya looks better now. She isn't struggling and screaming. But she does look tired all the same. Fighting her Hollow must have tired her out. A lot has happened in such a short time with that Hollow of hers. But the bad part is…this is just the beginning. From what I saw, that…thing is cruel.
There was a slight knock on the door, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned my head away from Anya for a moment to see who it was. "Come in." I called softly, waiting a moment before seeing the door open. Anya's mother, Yoruichi-san, stepped in. She had a serious, concerned expression, which had something else in it, something that I couldn't quite put my finger on. "Yoruichi-san." I greeted her. "She hasn't woken up." Yoruichi-san didn't seem shocked. Then again, she is more used to all this Hollow stuff then I am.
"No need to be so formal. Just 'Yoruichi' will do. I'll also respond to 'Mom'" She responded to me. I felt my cheeks heat up at her last comment. She's teasing me, a little too much. I heard from Urahara-san that Yoruichi-san was very strong. Something about her being a Captain years ago, she was even his Captain. Meaning she was stronger than even he is. Hard to believe someone like her with her looks, and more so, her personality, had such strength.
"I…uh…I'll call you Yoruichi…" I said slowly. I can't really bring myself to call her mom yet. I could tell by her expression, that while she was enjoying teasing me, she did have a reason to come in. "Is there something on your mind? It looks like you want to talk."
"Yes, I do." Yoruichi-san said. "I wanted to talk to you about something important. About you, and Anya." I don't know Yoruichi-san all too well, but I can figure that expression out. "About Anya and myself?" I asked, a bit worried about the topic. "Yes. You made it quite clear about your dedication to Anya, when Tessai used the Kido. I can tell you were willing to fight Anya's Hollow just because you didn't agree to how it talked back to her."
"Well of course I didn't approve of that monster's words!" I said defensively. "I don't appreciate someone talking to her like that." "So I can tell." Yoruichi-san said. "That is why I want to talk to you. I was also talking with Uryuu not long ago. He said some interesting things, not that I was very surprised by them."
I was a bit concerned. "Interesting things? …Like what?" She could see my worry and just smiled. "Oh, don't worry. I wanted to discuss your feelings, and what you have in mind for my daughter."
"Have in mind?" I repeated. With all the talking I have done with Captain Hitsugaya, and Uryuu, I can probably guess what she wants too. "What I have in mind…is to love her and protect her, to do what ever it takes to do just that." I replied.
"How cute." Yoruichi-san smirked. "I had a feeling about that. Anya is my world, and I want to make sure she is well taken care of by someone she loves, and who loves her."
"Well I do love her." I replied. "I can assure you of that." The look on her face was of reflective thought, but also satisfaction. "You're a shy boy, Akihiko. But also very cute. I can see why Anya likes you so much. I approve of you. I can see her with no one but you. She chose her man wisely."
I must have blushed a lot, because Yoruichi-san looked ready to crack up. But what is it with everyone assuming marriage? Not that…it's a bad idea. Just a bit embarrassing to talk about. I never had bonded with a girl this much, and I heard girls at school harping about their perfect marriage. I never imagined even I might be thinking about something like this, something other than boxing and fighting.
"So Uryuu was right, you do want to marry my little Anya?" She asked me. I couldn't really think of any words. How could I? I never was good at talking about this kind of thing. I could do nothing more than nod. Apparently she wanted me to speak my answer because she kept looking at me, waiting for me to speak.
"Well? Your answer, Akihiko?" She asked me again. I looked at Anya, who was still asleep. In reality, how could I say no? Would I even say no? I don't think I could. I needed Anya in my life. I felt empty before her. But now I felt complete. I need her as much as she needs me. "I…I do." I said slowly, without much conscious thought.
I wasn't looking at Yoruichi-san, but I could tell her grin just got that much bigger. "Not a very wordy answer, but I like your tone." She teased me lightly. "I can tell you're being honest."
"I am, but how can you tell?" I asked her as I turned around to look at her. As I suspected, there was a huge smile on her face. I was somewhat dreading the answer, considering how much she enjoyed teasing me.
"As Uryuu stated prior, you're as easy to read as a newspaper." She said. Easy to read as a newspaper? I guess I am predictable when it comes to my feelings. "Besides, I am a mother. I can tell."
I took this opportunity to ask a question that had been bugging me as of late. "What did you mean before, about soul bonding?" The look on her face softened to a much less teasing tone. "You have heard of werewolves, right?" She asked me. I raised a brow to her question. "Yeah, why?" "It's similar to a wolf's imprinting. It's an expression of an eternal bond between two people." She explained, though I had further questions. "So that means…?" "You've heard of love at first sight, and soul mates right?" She asked me. "Yeah, I've heard of those terms and phrases." "It's basically the same thing. Soul Mates and a Soul Bond are the same thing." She explained. I found myself smiling despite the blush on my face. "Good, so in essence, we can't be apart?" I asked.
"Pretty much." Yoruichi-san nodded. She seemed to be pleased with my reaction. Unfortunately, she decided to continue teasing me some more. Does she ever stop? Apparently not.
"Hope you don't mind, but I've already started some of the arrangements." Yoruichi-san said in a playful, proud tone. Arrangements? She apparently enjoys tormenting us….I don't know how I'm going to live with a mother-in-law like this….
I could swear I heard footsteps shuffling away from the door. Apparently, someone must have been listening in, and just left. But why would they spy on Yoruichi-san and myself? I guess we'll find out soon enough. I took the opportunity to ask Yoruichi-san a question. "How long have you been able to tell my intentions?" I asked her with a slight blush on my face.
"For quite awhile now. Even from Anya's letters I could tell. It wasn't really that hard. Spiritual Pressure does carry over onto objects. My daughter truly enjoys spending time with you. No doubt even Captain Hitsugaya figured it out too. He may be a child prodigy, but he lacks any romantic experience. And my daughter's brother…seems to be a loner, but being the observant type he is, he probably figured it out on his first visit here." She responded.
No doubt my face was on fire. "I see where you are coming from, but what about Shinji and the others? I can't be that obvious, can I?" The look she gave me was one of thoughtfulness. "You did say you and Shinjiro grew up together. Mitsuru is also your childhood friend I assume. Those two likely read your behavior. Yukari, Junpei, and Fuuka likely asked them for advice. Hayate seems extremely observant. As for Aigis, she's a robot. Koromaru is a dog. He smelled your intentions."
"My daughter mentioned that Yukari, and Junpei in particular are not as observant as they should be. As for Fuuka, she is a true loner. She doesn't have many friends outside of this dorm. She likely followed their lead. You are quite obvious to anyone with the slightest hint of a brain…son-in-law!" She added. She must take delight in seeing people like me embarrassed. She does seem like a fun mother to have, not that I really ever had one.
She took a look at Anya, and then looked back at me. "All we ask is that you take good care of her." She finished. I noticed her last comment was in a serious tone. I responded in a similar fashion. "That will not be a problem, I assure you." She nodded at me, and then asked me, "You say she hasn't been sleeping well in her own room ever since the incident?"
"Yes, every time we put her in her room, she won't sleep comfortably. Why is that?" The look she gave me was quite serious. "It's simple really. Her Hollow is the reason why. She feels guilty for not only letting you get injured, but also for not being able to save your sister. Kisuke has confirmed what I was explaining to you earlier."
"Ah, so that's why I saw you two talking earlier. Anya would not like to see you in here considering how mad she is. I will let you know when she's able to talk. Thank you for your approval, and tell Captain Hitsugaya the same. He's a little like Shinji. He's like a brother to me. Please tell Uryuu that I appreciate him speaking on my behalf and giving his opinion. Take care of yourself. Oh, and please find out who was just spying on us. I would appreciate it." I said with a slightly dismissing tone.
I noticed Anya was starting to stir. That is why it was so urgent for Yoruichi-san to leave. With a smile, she responded "No problem. And I know who was spying. It was Lieutenant Matsumoto." She said as she headed for the door. "I'll have a small chat with her about spying." I heard the door close behind Yoruichi-san and shortly thereafter, Anya fully began to wake up.
I walked over to the side of the bed, as I saw her eyes slowly opening. "Hey sleepy head. How are you feeling now?" I asked her softly as I could start to see her beautiful red eyes. I could tell she didn't quite catch everything I said, because she didn't fully react. She just smiled at me, in such a way that said she wasn't in any pain, that she was fine.
"Akihiko…Thank the heavens you're alright…" She said to me softly. "I might say the same to you." I replied with a soft chuckle. "I'm not the one who was in and out of consciousness for the past few days." "So you know about my Hollow?" She asked me, a bit sad. I couldn't help but change my expression to a slightly more serious tone. "Yes, I do. We all do. But that doesn't change anything to me. Tessai-san showed us your soul after the battle with that…thing the other day. He used something he called Kido. I was surprised that Edogawa-sensei was right in his lectures. I didn't think Kido existed. I guess he knows more then he lets on. What is that attack you used the other day?"
"Kido…it is also translated to 'Demon Magic'. Kido has 3 forms: Hado, Bakudo, and Medical. Hado is destructive attack magic, Bakudo is used for defense and restriction of movement and Medical is self-explanatory." Anya started to explain.
"Right…I remember hearing you call out Hado. So it was a Hado attack?" I asked, trying to fully understand one of a Soul Reaper's methods of attacking. Being a fighter myself, I did find it personally interesting as well.
"Yes. Hado number 63…Thunder Roar Cannon. Aka, Raikoho." She continued. "Raiko…that's thunder…" I started, thinking. She seemed to understand what was going through my head. "Yes, it's a Soul Reaper's Zio attack. More like Ziodyne." She clarified. "How did you know I was going to ask?" I asked her.
She just smiled. "I know you well enough. You are a Zio user. You use thunder. It was easy. If you are wondering about my Zanpakuto, its name is Kage no mirādoragon-shin, aka, Mirror Dragon God of Shadows. That is its Shikai form. I have mastered Bankai as well. Thunder Mirror Dragon God of Shadows aka, Kage no sandāmirādoragon-shin. It has two elements, ice and electricity." She explained.
"Wait, ice? That's what I'm weak against…does that mean that if someone is attacking me with ice, if you countered it, it would nullify the attack?" I asked. "Close…these elements are born of Soul Reaper power. I can, and will counter it, but it won't fully nullify it. I would still take most of the hit. But, due to my training with Toshiro, I am able to withstand ice and the cold in general. His Zanpakuto is ice based as well. If you didn't notice, even his Spiritual Pressure is ice based. If someone doesn't have a high enough Spiritual Pressure, his power can freeze them." She explained.
She leaned up against the wall and motioned for me to sit beside her, which I did. "My mother is thunder based. Uncle Urahara is likely fire based. I don't know much about his Zanpakuto, Benihime. That cane you see him carry? That is Benihime."
"That thing is a sword?" I asked. She nodded in response. "Yes. It is a sword. It also has the ability to separate a living person from their body, or a Soul Reaper from their Gigai." I was quite surprised, to say the least. That innocent looking cane was a sword? Hard to believe. But if Anya said it, it has to be right.
"By the way, I've been meaning to ask, I've been learning about Soul Reapers, but I also heard you are also Quincy. What are Quincys anyways?" I asked her. Her reaction was not as joyful as I would have thought.
"To be honest, if it wasn't for Uryuu, I would completely hate this heritage of mine. Quincys are humans. But they developed special anti-Hollow powers. When I am better, I will show you how a Quincy works. But to be honest, Quincys and Soul Reapers are complete opposites. Soul Reaper Zanpakutos are meant to cleanse a Hollow of the sins it committed as a Hollow, then send its true soul to the Soul Society. Quincys on the other hand, were created by the relatives of infuriated humans who lost loved ones by the hands of Hollows. In rage, they found a way to completely destroy a Hollow. The Soul Reaper method allows a soul to continue its existence, while the Quincys completely destroy its existence on the spot. The Quincys never understood the Soul Reapers due to rage, and thought of all Hollows as evil creatures, instead of innocent souls who failed to pass on in time. Because of this difference, they never got along. That is why when father found out mother was a Soul Reaper, he left her. He left her in disgust." She ended, sounding a bit disappointed.
I couldn't help but look stunned. That was an amazing background. I guess I could sort of see why her parents split…not that I liked it. I guess her father was just a stickler for traditional ways. She looked at me and asked, "Do you want to know what happened on that day, ten years ago?" I was surprised by her question. "If you want to talk about it, alright, but don't force yourself if it's too sensitive of a subject."
"Ten years ago…at that time, I spent half the time with Toshiro and my mother. The rest of the time, I spent with my brother and grandfather, as well as the remaining Quincys, whom at that time were also still few in numbers. But that all changed. One night, just outside Karakura Town, my grandfather received word about some Hollows and went to investigate with the rest of the Quincys, leaving my brother and me hiding behind a tree. Being young and foolish, we decided to follow them. What we saw, I will never forget. A large group of Hollows of the classification Menos Grande had attacked, about seven or eight. While they were all destroyed…it wasn't without casualties. If help had come in time, there would have been survivors. But one Soul Reaper, a Captain, had purposely delayed a rescue team to wait until the last of the Quincys had died of blood loss, that one being my grandfather. I learned from brother recently, that the one who delayed the rescue, was Captain Kurotsuchi of Squad 12, the Research and Development Squad. They were trying to get data on Quincys, our grandfather had his last breath on his death bed, in Kurotsuchi's operating room." She started her story, not looking the least bit happy. Just mentioning the death of her grandfather clearly upset her.
She took a deep breath before continuing. "I ran. Bumping into a man named Aizen. I guess it was some kind of instinct, but I felt evil from this man. My Uncle showed up and opened a Senkaimon, a gate Soul Reapers use to travel from Soul Society to this world. However, the other end wasn't Soul Society; it was the orphanage you grew up in…" My eyes widened a bit as she reached that point. But I didn't say anything, to let her continue, "By the time I arrived, it was well past dark. I caught the smell of smoke and ran to where ever it came from. When I got there, it was the orphanage, up in flames. Sensing someone alive, I ran inside to try to save them, however at the time, I was not used to intense heat, nor was I able to contact Toshiro for help. I was forced out by the smoke and flames, helpless to watch. I heard a young boy's scream, and when I saw who it was, and how much pain he was going through, I vowed to become strong enough to be able to help next time. The boy I saw was you."
I was floored. So that was our connection. She lost her grandfather, the same day I lost my sister. I still didn't understand why she felt guilty. Not everyone can stand intense heat. She didn't even know Miki, she had no obligations. She shouldn't be feeling guilty at all. "You were reaching out to me, but why? You didn't know me. I do appreciate that you tried saving Miki, more then you know…" I said, kissing Anya's forehead. "And I thank you for the thought on her behalf."
She leaned into me, giving me a hug and replied, "Because I didn't want you to be in pain. I had to watch grandfather die, I didn't want any one else to go through that pain, I didn't want to see any one else die. When you got attacked the other day, and you were knocked unconscious, my Hollow took advantage of my fears of losing you…and ending up alone. I saw blood, and that is what triggered it."
I subconsciously rubbed the back of my head where I had gotten injured, remembering that there was a small bandage there. Her heart really knew no bounds, if a small injury like that could cause her to worry so much. "I've been through worse in the boxing ring, although I appreciate the concern. No one really cared before, because I had no family. Shinji had his own issues, and Mitsuru had her family issues, her mother having just passed."
She looked at me in amazement. "No one cared if you were injured? That isn't right. That won't happen anymore!" She finished with a smile. "Why do you find this room so comfortable over your own room?" I asked out of curiosity. "You sleep a lot better in here." "This room has a feeling of you. It even smells of you." she answered me honestly, her face pink. I gave a small laugh. "So I stink eh? Must be all the workouts and sweating I do in here." I tried not to laugh as her face turned red.
"Aki! You're almost as bad as mom!" She gave a cute whine at me. "No, you don't stink! Actually, you smell really nice…if you don't mind me saying so. You seem tired. Do you want to rest with me? It looks like you haven't gotten much sleep. Is it because I took your bed?"
I blinked a little before responding. "I would love to rest beside you, if Yoruichi-san won't kill me for it…" I told her. "AKIHIKO SANADA! I GAVE YOU AN ORDER TO CALL ME MOM!" My hand met my face in a blush, before I slowly turned to Anya, who was also blushing, but looked confused. She saw my reaction and asked. "What did I miss while I was out? Do I even WANT to know….?"
"The answer to your previous question is no. I couldn't sleep not only because I didn't have time, nor did I feel like it was necessary and I was worried about you. The answer to your second question depends on what context you want that answer in. Your mother and I did have a talk earlier, as well as Uryuu and myself. Beyond that…not much. However, mom is forcing me to call her mom. I don't know why. Maybe because we are dating. In retrospect, I am tired. I'll be right back, I need to get something to drink, and ask mom's permission. Would you like me to get you anything?" I asked.
"I'll share whatever you are having, if that's alright?" She asked me in return. "Its alright, I was just going to get some juice, so I'll bring some extra. Sit tight, I'll be right back." I answered. Giving her a hug, I exited the room.
Upon reaching the first floor of the dorm, I was greeted by Yoruichi-san. Uryuu was sitting behind her on the couch.
"I heard what you were talking about." Yoruichi-san started with a smirk on her face. "Yes you may. Just be gentle with her." …Why did Anya have to have a mother with this personality? She loves to torment people, me in particular.
Seeing my expression, Uryuu made a comment of his own. "She's like this to Ichigo Kurosaki too. Worse even from what I've heard. She's being nice to you."
I really didn't know what to say. Gentle? Nice? If this is the pre-marriage torment, I hate to see after the honeymoon…..I hope she doesn't expect kids right away. We can hardly handle Ken as it is.
"Don't push him too fast, Yoruichi." Uryuu said with a neutral tone behind her. "You're not technically a Noble anymore…." "I know, I know…" Yoruichi-san said, waving her hand dismissively. "However as a mother I can still urge them to hurry it along."
"I think you've done enough damage for one day." Captain Hitsugaya said with crossed arms. "I heard from Rangiku that you asked Captain Kuchiki a favor. That's going a bit far if you ask me."
Favor? I'm too scared to ask. Although I want to know, I'm too scared to ask. Maybe this is the reason I'm scared of most women? I heard Captain Hitsugaya continue speaking. "You asked him to set up the wedding itself, using his power as a Noble, knowing that what he sets up is set in stone by Soul Society hierarchy laws. Anya is now the official Shihoin heir."
"Heir?" I asked. "I don't get it." "The Shihoins were a well known Noble house in the Soul Society, like the Kuchikis. But when Yoruichi left, the Shihoin family name and rank just died. But with a daughter and son-in-law-to-be, Yoruichi has her heir to continue the family name and title. In some way, you could call Anya the 'Shihoin Princess'."
"Wait…'Shihoin Princess'?...So what does that make me?" I asked out of curiosity. "The soon to be King of the Shihoin clan." Yoruichi-san said with a smile. "What about Uryuu?" I asked. "He's not my son. And he's a full Quincy. To the Soul Society, he has nothing to do with me." Yoruichi-san explained. "He's not an heir."
I rubbed the back of my head. "So if Yoruichi-san is now my mother…" I started, turning to Captain Hitsugaya, "What does that make me to you?" "Anya calls me a brother. I guess that means I'm the same to you." He replied, though not looking too pleased at the idea of being called anything but his official title.
"Which would you like me to call you?" I asked him out of respect. The question seemed to surprise him. "I would rather be called by my title until you are married. Out of respect for Anya, I will allow you to call me brother. Sorry about my Lieutenant spying on you earlier. She has good intentions, but sometimes has a bad way of going about them."
"I will ask Anya what she prefers me to call you. I just want to be on the same page as everyone. I'm getting Anya and myself some juice, and then we're heading to bed. Since it's the weekend, we'll be getting some more sleep. If you need us, please let us know. Good night, everyone." I responded.
I vaguely heard everyone saying good night as I headed back upstairs with drinks in hand. As I opened the door, Anya smiled at me. "Welcome back." She greeted me. "Thanks. I have our drink." I said as I walked over to the bed and gave her one of the cups of juice. I drank mine as she started to drink hers. When we were done, I set the cups on the night stand next to us and got into bed, curling up next to the brunette girl I loved so much. Her smile could only make me do the same. I suppose a few things had been settled on our relationship, some that even Anya didn't know herself. But she would know soon enough. For now, we were calling it a night. Tomorrow would bring a new day of surprises.
We both softly said goodnight and I felt her head move to my chest to listen to my heart. I smiled a bit more and stroked her hair with one hand, as I held her close with my other hand. With that, we both quickly fell asleep. I'm so glad I have Anya in my life; I would do anything for her.
*Author's Note:* Tigress_Luna here. So that ends chapter 6! So sweet, isn't it? : ) Sadly Jag isn't here to comment right now…she isn't feeling too well. Stupid cold season… This is her favorite chapter so far; hope the rest of you like it too! Stay tuned for the next chapter! It will be called "Sting of the Sealed Wasp! Arrival of Soifon, Captain of the Punishment Force!" Please read and review everyone!