AN PLEASE READ AN
Okay there was some confusion, which I'm sorry about, but Nel didn't become a centaur, she manifested her Zanpakto. Think of it like a dual bladed lance, except green. This is the closest I could find (poplegacy.planets./Weapons/SOT/popweap8.jpg) in case you were wondering. As for the idea of Renji/Nel. Well, I hadn't really thought about it, but maybe...Oh and Soifon's new, bitchy attitude that she's been displaying will be explained...soon.
"What the hell was that?! We were told it would be at least a few days before they were going to display any kind of Spiritual Pressure!"
"I know but—"
"And what the hell was that thing? I thought an Espada's Zanpkato was their former release state!"
"Yes but—"
"It is my belief that Neliel's time spent in an alternate form has, for lack of a better word, enhanced her ability to adapt to the change," Urahara stated, interuptting everyone, "even though she did not carry Gamuza in her alternate form, she did retain enough Spiritual Pressure to take on a Privion-Class Arrancar."
The Shinigami gathered nodded in understanding, though Urhara imagined they did not understand anything. Seconds after awakening Gamuza, Nel had raced off. Renji and Sado had managed to corner her. Gamuza had reverted into a normal dark green Zanpakto, apparently having been summoned by Nel's spiritual power. Upon examination it had been revealed that the green haired woman was far ahead of her peers, her readings were those of a Shinigami between Captain and Vice Captain level and rapidily approaching the former of the two. Of course her emotional maturity was another thing entirely. She physically would not let go of her Zanpakto, unwilling to be separated from Gamuza anymore.
"As for the case of her Zanpakto, it is not unfathomable that their Zanpakto spirits would remain similar if not the same," he said, "though their are some distinct differences between the weapon she carries now and the full form she took on as an Espada. I believe that could be explained by her weapon altering to become a Shinigami weapon instead of a full-body release form."
"And," Commander Yamamoto began, "do you believe if she were to reach Bankai that she would regain her release form?"
"There's no real way to know," Urahara said scratching the back of his neck, "I mean she has no trace of her Hollow in her anymore. She was, quite literally, communicating with her Zanpakto's spirit, no different than what I do with Benihime or you with Ryujin Jakka. Gamuza has stopped being her form and has become her Zanpakto spirit."
"I see," he said quietly, "do you believe her to be a danger?"
"Not her," he said, "if anything I would try to keep her calm, I'd allow Vice Captain Abarai to be her primary guard from now on," he added, "she seems to respond far better to him and the others than she does to her current guards. With her Spiritual Pressure growing so quickly she could inadvertantly harm herself or others."
"Why Vice Captain Abarai?" he demanded, "why not one of the more," he frowned, "experienced, Captains?"
"Vice Captain Abarai achieved Bankai with remarkable speed and fought very well in the battle. It is my belief that he will soon have mastered his Bankai," murmers went up of suprise, only Byakuya didn't seem shocked, "in that time he needs to train. If we wish to fully understand what Nel and Gamuza are capable of she needs to train as well. I fear that with the, uh, prejiduce that is held against her, any other would be ill suited to the task."
"And what of your Bankai?" he asked, "would you be better suited to train her? To understand the changes?"
"With all due respect, Commander General, Benihime does not feel my punishment is complete and refuses me Bankai," he said, "I feel that I would also do better to observe the changes without forcing them myself."
"Yes," he nodded, "very well. Kenpachi was impressed with her fight and has offered one of the spair training grounds on the condition that his subordinates may watch and see 'how a real warrior fights'," he looked up, "is that acceptable?"
"Of course," Urahara bowed, "there is one more thing i wish to discuss with you," he looked around, "a more personal matter."
"Very well," he said, "the rest of you are dismissed."
Renji walked back to the Fourth Division, unsure of how he was supposed to take Urahara's comments on his ability. He had achieved Bankai very quickly, sure, but he still hadn't mastered it. Zabimaru seemed, like a lot people in his life, determined to make him work twice as hard as anyone else and then be fucked over in the end. It wasn't his fault that he still could hardly hold his own against Byakuya Kuchiki, not that it mattered anymore. The whole point with surpassing him was to finally prove that he was better than the nobels, that he was worthy. Worthy of what? Rukia had someone else (who hadn't seen that coming a mile away?) and he would always been a street rat from the 78th District. Pushing open the door he barely had time to flatten himself as one end of Gamuza came dangerously close to making him less of a man and embedded itself in the wall behind him.
"What the fuck?! Nel!" he shouted shoving himself up, "watch where you're swinging that thing!"
"Sorry!" she cried running over and yanking it free, "I didn't mean to aim for you!"
"Its fine," he said shaking his head, "come on."
"Come on where?" she asked clutching Gamuza to her considerable chest.
"Would you just come on?" he demanded, his patience worn thin. She pouted but followed him, "we're going to the 11th Division. You're changing faster than anyone else and we need to figure out how strong you really are."
"I'm strong," she said rolling her eyes, "we're all really really strong. That's why Aizen picked us," she looked back over her shoulder, "what about Bel-Bel?"
"The rest of them should begin to regain their Spiritual Power soon," he said.
"Can I come and visit them?"
"Sure."
"Really?"
"Nel—"
"Reji?"
"What?"
"Nothin."
Renji led her to the 11th Division, wondering how he went from being in charge of someone who seemed to be a capable warrior to dealing with a child in the body of a very tall woman. He frowned, a very attractive, very un-showered woman. Knowing that unless Yumichika got his hands on the training ground before they got there the bathroom was not going to be suited for anyone with hair past their shoulders. When he turned to the Sixth Division, Nel seemed to pick up on his frustration and kept her lips tightly pressed together in an almost comical expression of silence. When people started bowing to him her eyes went wide. When they started glaring at her she moved closer to him. He dropped his hand from the hilt of Zabimaru and she immediately grasped his hand, wrapping her arms around his arm like she had before. He led her into the Vice Captain's quarters and inside.
"You need to shower," he told her nodding towards the bathroom.
"Thank you," she said looking at Gamuza, "uh, where should I—"
"Anywhere's fine," he shrugged.
"Mmkay," she placed Gamuza on his bed.
"I'm going to get you something other than the hospital robe to wear," he said, "if I'm not back before you get out of the shower stay here okay?" she nodded and walked into the bathroom, "Captain Soifon!" he gasped.
"I brought her cloths," the Captain said in way of a greeting, holding out the bundle, "I assumed you forgot to get her any," he nodded in response.
"Thanks," he said, "how—"
"I must go see to the separation of my Divison," she cut him off turning around, "goodbye."
"What's wrong with her?" Nel asked softly, her head the only thing visible in the doorframe, "did she loose someone?"
"No," he sighed, "she lost something worse," he hung his head, "she had somone she held in very high regard," he sighed and put the cloths on the bed, "she doesn't anymore."
"That's so sad!" Nel cried, "we never really liked Aizen," she added, "he was always so creepy," she shuddered, "we stayed with him because he'd kill us otherwise but still," she frowned, "that must be hard, she's very sad," she sighed, "I'm going to shower now," she announced, "do you have a headband I could use? My hair keeps getting in the way."
"Sure," he said, "go shower, I'll find one."
Renji managed to locate a headband just as the door to his bathroom opened. If he had thought that Nel with her robe around her waist was bad, he hadn't known that there was a towel shortage in Las Noches, or maybe Nel was just very polite and only taking one. Either way, despite having two in the bathroom the former Espada only had taken one and was currently using it to dry off her hair. Renji choked and averted his eyes, desperately focusing on something—on anything other than the very naked, very attractive woman who was standng in his room. He tried to think of Rukia or of the fact that she was emotionally a child sometimes or of anything but the very obvious thoughts going through his mind.
"Renji?" he felt a wet hand tap him on his shoulder and jumped, "where's my cloths?"
"There!" he pointed at the bed, flinging a hand out. He saw Nel take them and heard the rustling of the towel hitting the floor and the black robes being secured, "next time feel free to use two towels," he added.
"I can shower here again?" Nel all but squealed, "thank you! Your shampoo and stuff smells very nice."
"Here," Renji said holding out the hairband.
"Thank you," Nel grinned and pushed her green hair back, "now its not so everywhere."
"Good," Renji couldn't help but return the smile, "get Gamuza, lets go have you kick some ass."
"Can I kick yours?" she asked, securing the Zanpakto to her waist.
"I promise when my ribs are healed we'll fight," he said, "until then something tells me Ikkaku's going to want a rematch."
"But I won," she protested.
"Exactly," he replied, "now do it a couple hundred more times and get your ass kicked a few and we'll be set."
It didn't make sense to Nel but she shrugged and followed him outside anyway.
Break
"Okay, Ulquiorra, just lie down," Orihime said peppily, "this won't hurt."
Ulquiorra glared but made no move to comply. He had enough demonstrations of Orihime's powers to know its effectiveness but still, the thought of just lying there while someone he had held captive had complete control over his very existance was troubling to him. The Six Faries waited patiently in her hairpins, ready to go at a moment's command and heal whatever remaining damage becoming a Shinigami had done to him. Like all of Soul Society, he had felt Nel's burst of Spiritual Pressure as she converted her Zanpakto. Unlike all of them he knew that there was no way in hell Halibel hadn't already done it, she was simply controlling it. He imagined they had some stupid long-winded explanation but when it came down to it Halibel could probably have all of them in body bags before they had time to blink.
It wasn't as though Nnoitra Jiugar had stopped being a sexist pig once Neliel had been defeated. He had attempted to attack Halibel shortly after becoming the Fifth Espada. Apparently she had been having a bad day and was in no mood to indulge him. She beat him within and inch of his life and left him impaled on his own Zanpakto before letting her Fracion play with him for a few days. They left him, still attached to his Zanpakto, in the middle of the Espada meeting room. He hadn't challenged her after that, at least not to an actual battle. Of course every time that he would taunt or make a snide comment he would appear a few days later, more body parts than actual body.
There were few actual laws in Las Noches. Living in a place of chaos, it was nearly impossible to enforce any kind of actual order without a large ammount of bloodshed. Halibel seemed to have a talent for that, that and making the Espada think naughty things. Therefore of the laws he was aware of not invovling obedience to Aizen, probably the most enforced one was do not do anything under any cirumstances to infuriate, anger or otherwise upset Halibel. He had a feeling that even Gin and Tousen weren't going to do anything to infuriate the Espada.
"Ulquiorra?" his eyes narrowed as he turned back to Orihime.
"Don't be such a pussy," Grimmjow growled, "lie down and let her heal you."
Ulquiorra bit back the urge to smack Grimmjow. A week in Soul Society and he was already picking up on words that Ulquiorra had a feeling were not coming out of Orihime's mouth.
"I would prefer-" he began but stopped when Grimmjow opened his mouth, "very well," he walked over to the bed and lay down on it.
"Okay," Orihime smiled, "Soten Kisshun," she said, the two fairies streaking out of her hairpins and enveloping him in a gold sheild, "I reject," she stated firmly.
There was a whirring sound and he felt his Spiritual Power convert instantly, shooting through him as all his injuries vanished with equal speed. The shield retracted itself and soared back into her hairpins.
"There!" Orihime grinned, "all don-"
The words died on her lips as suddenly Ulquiorra was towering over her, his emerald eyes searching her face.
"That was much quicker than I've seen you do it," he stated, she swallowed and nodded before looking down, "how?"
"I guess I'm just getting good?" she said, the words coming out as a question.
"Woman don't try my patience," he snapped, "how?"
"T-they said that we were too strong," she said, her eyes filling, "that we had to remember or that we'd do more harm than good," she bit her lip, "that we'd throw off the balance. We carried Ichigo, he was too hurt, and we found our way back here."
"Woman," he began.
"We died!" her head flew up, her eyes bright with tears that leaked down her cheeks, "we all died fighting Aizen! That's why I couldn't heal you before hand because I just got the Shun Shun Rikka back and we had to wait a little bit because they were adjusting since I don't have a physical body anymore okay?!"
She turned around angrily and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
"Good one," Grimmjow snorted, "way to fuck it up."
"Shut up," Ulquiorra glared.
"What? You gonna start working on replacing those tear marks of yours?" he smirked crossing his arms. Ulquiorra glared and suddenly the right side of Grimmjow's vision exploded in stars, "what the fuck?!"
"Be quiet," Ulquiorra snapped. Grimmjow growled and clenched his fist angrily in response
"Why don't you both be quiet?"
They both turned around to see Captain Soifon standing there looking, as usual, ready to kill them both. The fact that she had Halibel next to her did not help matters. He did not recognize anyone else. Wisely they both stopped and stepped away from each other. Soifon walked fully into the room, her eyes sending daggers up and down both of their spines. Halibel stood with her usual expression of detachment. Grimmjow narrowed his eyes, trying to see if he could see the outline of her Zanpakto anywhere. If it was somewhere she was doing a very good job of keeping it concealed.
"What the hell are you smiling about?" Soifon was in front of him instantly, her eyes narrowed and angry.
"Uh—" he shrugged, "I'm wondering where Halibel's keeping her Zanpakto these days. She can get very, uh, creative with her placement," he added, "hey didn't you have two braids?"
She stiffined but made no move to turn around. Ulquiorra looked rather smug and Grimmjow quickly planned that he could at least put Ulquiorra in a bodycast for a bit before Soifon murdered him.
"I suggest," she hissed, her voice making it clear that it was not a suggestion, "that you learn not to question things that do not concern you," she turned around, the sheer force of her Spiritual Power making his mind blank, "before I decide that I would like an animal print for my next rug! Is that clear?!"
Grimmjow nodded.
"Good, now Orihime healed Ulquiorra and you clearly don't require that so," she glared at the three of them, "you three idiots are coming with me, now—" instantly a flowering crest appeared on their upper arms, "there's one on Neliel as well. I assume you know what this means. Any funny business and—"
"New carpets?" Grimmjow suggested.
"Exactly. Now then, Ulquiorra knows the location of Aizen's study, Gin Ichimaru has told us what to look for. It is my job to get you three up to your inital release as soon as possible so we can go to Las Noches and try to—"
"We're all going?" Grimmjow demanded, "why all of us?"
"What did i tell you about questioning?" Soifon hissed.
"Carpet?"
"Very good," she turned back to them, "We are going to the 11th Division where their members have been kind enough to agree to beat you all until you attain some kind of release form. You will be monitored by the 2nd Division and—yes, what now?"
"What if we win?" Grimmjow asked smugly.
A second later something pierced though the skin of his arm. He looked down to see a crest blossoming on the unmarked skin of his arm and realized that it could mean nothing good.
"Don't worry," she said, the stinger on her hand glinting in the light, "that won't be a problem."
Break
Gin collapsed into the chair next to Matsumoto's bedside, feeling like he had run all the way to Las Noches and back rather than taken three steps. Shakily he ran a hand through his unkempt hair, hoping he was not going to start coughing up blood. His eyes turned to Matsumoto's face and he wondered how something that looked so perfect could be so broken. If anyone would understand that it would be him. But he was broken somewhere else, somewhere a good deal darker, somewhere that couldn't be fixed. Unohana could fix Matsumoto, she just had to be able too.
"Hey Ran," he whispered, his voice unable to raise itself to a higher volume, "I know you don't want to but its time to wake up," he looked at her, "come on, I'll—" he stopped for a moment before charging ahead, "I'll tell you anything—I'll tell you everything just, please," he closed his eyes, "don't let go."
"Sorry," came the breathless reply.
"Rangiku?" Gin's eyes widened and despite his body's protests he leaned forward watching as her eyes fluttered open. They were clouded with pain and drugs and sleep but they were the most beautiful things that Gin had ever seen.
"Gin," she smiled, "you came back," her eyes began to close and something cold and terrifying made all his wounds stop aching.
"No, no," he grabbed the call button, desperate for Unohana, desperate for her not to slip under again, "Ran keep your eyes open," he demanded, attempting a different tactic, "you hear me? Don't close your eyes," he looked at her, "Ran come on, you can't die now, the war's over."
"Thanks to you 'n Momo," she slurred out, "'bout time you two came 'round 'n opened your eyes."
"I know! I'm sorry," he heard the machines monitoring her begin to wail, "oh God Ran, please don't do this!" he cried, raw pain burning through his chest.
"Die? Sorry," she offered a weak smile as her hand came up, her fingers touching his hair, "now don't go back to being so evil, okay Gin? Everyone's going to need you now."
"They need you!" he gasped out through the block in his throat as his eyes stung, "I need you!"
"No," she smiled as her hand dropped to the bed, "don't you see? I've always needed you."
And then she was gone. For a moment there was nothing, no wailing monitors, no downcast Unohana, nothing but him and the very still Rangiku. And then the world came slamming back into focus. Gin folded into himself over Rangiku's body, the sounds coming from his lips far moe those of a wild animal than of a man. Unohana felt her own eyes sting. It wasn't often that she lost people but to loose someone like Rangiku Matsumoto, well those were the death's that hurt the worst. She turned to the sky and watched the ominus black clouds roll in.
"Would you please prepare our buildings for a flood?" she spoke without turning around to the men behind her, "and alert the other divisions to do the same? And ask for Captain Hinamori quickly."
Hinamori had felt Gin's Spiritual Pressure rise and Matsumoto's vanish. She had been in the process of redecorating her office, getting rid of the last traces of Aizen as best she could. The second she saw the clouds start to roll in she dropped what she was doing, grabbed Tobiume and taken off for the Tenth Division. When she got there it was already raining, her Captain's robe was soaked through but she couldn't care about such things at the moment. On her way there she had seen people trying to keep the buildings from being destroyed by the flood that was quickly taking over Soul Society. Raising a hand she knocked on the door but was greeted with silence. Pushing open the door fully she was careful when she stepped in, considering patches of ice were rapidly forming all over the walls and ceiling.
"Shiro?" she called.
"It's Captain Hitsugaya!" he practically screamed at her.
She found him hunched over his desk in a room that looked like it belonged in a fairytale about an ice princess rather than in the middle of Soul Society. Carefully she walked forward, feeling the agony rolling off of him and Hyorinmaru. She wrapped her arms around her wet robe in a failed attempt at warmth and approached him anyway. Either he didn't hear her or he pretended he didn't because she was able to come next to him and lay a hand on his shoulder. His entire body stiffened at the contact before he shrugged her off and continued to work.
"The flood's getting really high now," she said softly.
"Good," he snapped, "someone else—" he growled angrily, "she shouldn't have died, not for anyone but especially not for him! She saved me, she convinced me to become a Soul Reaper, she saved Granny too. Its—its not fair!"
"No, its not," Hinamori agreed, gently pulling the ink brush from his fingers.
"I have to finish this," he protested.
"You're getting it wet," she replied.
"But I—" he looked up at the ice free ceiling above him and realized what she was talking about, "I—" he let out a choked sob, "I miss her so much," Hinamori pulled him to her. He wrapped his arms around her, the warmth of his tears soaking through her robe, "don't go," he whispered, his voice muffled. Hinamori shook her head and tightened her arms. He was taller than her now and soon they were both on the ground in a tangle of limbs. Slowly, as Hitsugaya let himself feel the rain outside began to slow to a trickle and then the clouds rolled back.
Hitsugaya cried himself to sleep in the circle of Hinamori's arms. Even when he was alseep he held her against him tightly, as if she was the one thing that was keeping him sane. Hinamori turned carefuly and laid next to him without breaking his grip. Wrapping her arms around him she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
It was Unohana who found them, curled in each other's embraces with Hinamori shivering. She covered them as best she could without breaking their hold and stepped back.
"Oh Aizen," she shook her head, "why do you still fight us?"