There she laid; matching the photograph I'd seen previously, albeit her closed eyes and in-patient attire. She was tucked under the white-sheeted linens loosely on top of the mattress, and looked comfortable at the very least aside from her facial expression.
Her expression was pained; reminding me of the contorted expression of someone having a nightmare. With what this woman had probably been through—I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. She breathed somewhat steadily, which made me feel slightly better about her overall health for some reason. I guess I just didn't want her to be hurt; I wanted her to be well enough to be up and about at the very least—something about imagining her being tortured as much as I had made me cringe; I didn't want anyone else to ever go through something like that, and the fact that she probably did made me quiver internally.
"She took treatment well, and now just needs rest," The attendant Toushirou was talking to broke through my thoughts.
"Her injuries were nowhere near life-threatening; we did some quick stitch-work along with replenishing her reiatsu to a sustainable level. She should be waking up at any time now, and when that happens those stationed will take control of the situation in case of anything." She concluded.
"Thank you," Toushirou acknowledged, as well as dismissed her at the same time.
She excused herself with a cordial bow I assumed, and her distanced footsteps told me she was vacating as indirectly instructed. My eyes were still on the recuperating female on the hospital bed; I stared into her vibrant, juniper hair as a result of all the possibilities her mere presence brought screeching to life in my mind. The questions that normally buzzed around in my head I once thought were completely unmanageable—child's play compared to them now.
The moments that Toushirou spent with the attending Squad member felt like they were in slow motion; as if I had been here for hours rather than minutes staring at this practically equal-aged female in pure mental overload. As I repeated each question, they began to resonate with the loud heartbeat in my ears and the clipped breathing in between those beats—the most rhythmic of combined sounds.
"She reminds me of you when you sleep,"
I broke my gaze from the forest-haired female to the snowy-haired male. His eyes were still fixed on her, and the gaze alone told me that there were several thoughts racing through his mind as well as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"You both have similar facial expressions; I'd be a liar if I said yours didn't stir concern."
"Sorry to worry you, I suppose," I set my hand over his bicep.
"Remember, you don't have to apologize for something that isn't your fault; I just wish that you could relax at the very least in your sleep,"
"I'm wondering if I should be gushing over the comment, or concerned that you watch me sleep," I replied back with teasing sass.
While I subconsciously did it, the subtle tease told me that even with what was going on, I was starting to react in accord with my previous mannerisms prior to this situation. My dry humor was always the fallback when I felt the anxiety hit; it was a good sign—the faster I get over this weakling tendency I'd developed the better.
I fully expected an eye-roll from that savior of mine, but I received a small upturn at the corner of his lips instead—maybe he noticed it too?
"Says the one unconscious for over a week," he shot back lightly.
I knew he could've pulled a more intensive comeback out of the hat, but it seemed like he wanted me to have it. I returned that subtle smirk before looking back at the anxiety fuel before me.
"How long do you think she'll be out?"
"I can only guess; it could be a few minutes, or a few more hours." he replied.
"I figured as much, but still thought I'd ask since you're knowledgeable when it comes to recovery—or so you keep implying each day," I patted his bicep with the hand still on him. "Do you think talking to her might help?"
Nixing his comeback, her turned to look back at her. "Sometimes it works, and other times it doesn't. It wouldn't hurt to give it a shot."
"Well, there's no time like the present," I took my other hand and reached toward the female with sudden bravery. I set my hand lightly on her shoulder, and took a deep breath.
"Koizumi—can you hear me?" I lightly shook her. I paused to study her facial reaction, and when I didn't get anything, I tried again. "Fumiko, I'd like to meet you," I tried again.
Her face stirred; making me tense in anticipation with a sudden hollowed feeling in my chest. As I watched her eyelids crease from her now scrunched facial expression, a low sound rumbled deep in her throat—as if she were getting ready to make a clearly audible grunt, but it was still at the low vibration stages. I decided it would be best to call out to her again.
"Koizumi Fumiko—are you awake?"
Her breathing changed to subtle huffs, and her head began moving slightly at the words. I waited for a few more seconds before trying again.
"Fumiko, I'm Kiteyama Akinoyo—I'm here for you," I attempted cooing.
Her breathing stopped right as I finished my sentence. I tried not to panic, but the more seconds that passed by, the more that was unavoidable.
Good Kami. Where was the beeping heart machine I'd seen in the movies? What did I do? Was she suffocating?
I turned to Toushirou in my sudden panic.
"T-Toushi—"
"Kite…yama…" she slurred.
My head snapped back to her—her scrunched facial expression immediately dissipated to a dormant one.
"Fumiko?" I prompted.
She took a soft, yet deep breath—her shoulders pressing into the pillow propping her up as her chest rose—and then she settled in a way that reminded me of the dead. Flashbacks of the two that died in front of me made me shiver, and I quickly had to dismiss the thoughts to retain my progress.
"Fumiko?" I called again.
She stopped breathing again.
The flickering flame of my panic began to flourish again. Seconds went by again with no movement. When her face began changing color, I fully panicked.
"Oi! Fumiko! Breathe!" I shook her—nothing.
Toushirou quickly went to the door.
"We need a medic immediately!" he shouted as he opened the door.
I did the only thing I could think of; I opened her mouth, plugged her nose, and breathed into her. I didn't know proper CPR, but giving her air was better than nothing. After two seconds, I disconnected to study her facial expression—her face was scrunched again, and that heated red color spread more through her cheeks.
"Come on, Fumiko! Don't do this!" I went in again as Toushirou exited to the hallway.
As my mind raced in flurries of panic of the recollection of my own suffocating episode, I couldn't help but feel like something was amiss—what caused her to stop breathing? Her chest was rising with the air, why did—
The smooth feeling of something on my neck caused me to jolt, but before I could fully execute the action, the smooth touch turned into a rough grip that kept me in place. My lips separated from hers, and another hand plucked mine at her nose before death-gripping my wrist.
"F-Fumi—"
The tip of her tongue traced along my hovering lips in a sadistic slither; cutting off my words with the tender touch.
"They didn't tell me you would taste sweet,"
My body went limp as soon as she ended her sentence. She held me up by my throat, as she quietly slipped her hand over my torso to take hold of my obi.
Her lips brushed against my own; the light pressure the last thing I was able to feel. "And your lips are as a soft as the flower's petals,"
Glass collided with my head faster than I could blink. We were outside—the wind audibly rushing against me as she raced with my limp body as far away as possible.
The lack of control not only affected my limbs, but my vocal chords as well—the only screaming I was able to do was inside my head. Through my racing heartbeat from the new panic, the repetition of confusing questions made me feel like I was going to pass out. Wasn't she like me? Wasn't she one of the abducted Shinigami from long ago? Wasn't she tortured and used as a meat sack? Wasn't she ultimately being utilized for evil?
Although primary functionality along with touch were both gone, my hearing and sight were still in tact. I was slung over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes—my chest pressing against her back—and although my head was bobbing around like a damn toy-bobble head, I had a full view of the ground far below us. At the sight of small, white particles rushing toward her before falling to the ground in a hasty fashion, I realized this woman was fast…but not fast enough.
An overwhelming, familiar reiatsu cemented my thoughts—Kami how I wish I had control of my face to smile.
A loud, terrifying roar reverberated through the air; the creature I'd never had the pleasure of seeing, but was briefly described the characteristics of previously. He'd made it sound like no big deal, but the sound of that roar just now told me he was far too modest about it—if I could shiver externally, I definitely still would be.
She evaded the ice dragon I'd assumed was rushing toward us by dropping altitude and changing direction. My head and limbs bashed against her back with the change of pace, to which she promptly shifted my position on her shoulder so I wouldn't thrash as much. I could hear several more roars erupt furiously in the distance, and it already translated to me that this woman didn't have much of chance.
The only thing about it was that I was in the way of everything due to my current position. I needed to move and I needed to do it fast, but the damn paralytic saliva—or however the fuck she did it—was some serious toxin. Granted, the time range since the injection had only been two—at the max three—minutes. Just how long was this supposed to last? It'd spread so fast it was unreal; I'd dealt with injections and drugs before, and those had taken at least 5-10 minutes to kick in, and lasted for at least 30-60 minutes—if this was the same and lasted forever I was screwed. The way that I'd gotten over the paralyzed state in the past was by focusing on moving one, small body part; a finger, a toe, my tongue—It helped when I had a visual, and in this case I only had one.
Before I could do anything; my female assailant came to a screeching halt—the sudden stop making me face-plant against her back.
"Koizumi Fumiko, you're under arrest. Hand her over and come quietly, or risk your own safety."
I'd never heard such a threatening tone come out of Toushirou before—was I really that special?
I could feel the vibrations rumbling in her chest as they progressed to an audible chuckle.
"And if I refuse—what are you going to do about it? You think your ice sculptures are enough to defeat me? You're nothing but a child in comparison,"
Something was coming.
I clearly didn't know what it was, but a sudden wave of fear crashed over me, and submerged me under the rushing water that followed. I needed to get out of here quick—Something terrible was going to happen. I looked at my right hand in view beneath me.
"Move your index finger," I told myself.
My brain sent the signal for it to adhere, but it jammed and dissipated with the blockade.
I kept repeating the phrase over and over again in my head, but still to no avail against the strong paralytic contagion I assumed centralized in my throat. It was no use—this could be in full effect for hours. I was useless; a rag doll being tossed around yet again.
"Don't say you weren't warned," Toushirou responded back.
The rush of wind told me the Ice King was making a move; he was charging her either with one of the circling ice dragons around us, or himself. I felt Koizumi move her arm.
"Degluttiat," she whispered.
That terrible feeling from before now erupted as soon as the last syllable of her word sizzled out. My vision clouded with stars as a result of the immense fear surging through me. I didn't know what she was doing, but I wanted to scream; scream for Toushirou to run, scream at the fear of my life finally bring taken from me, scream at the fact…that this felt familiar to me.
Everything slowed.
My mind raced miles per minute, but my heart and breathing slowed so significantly that the precipice of death felt like it was upon me. I couldn't comprehend what was happening. The air felt thick, and the mere effort of my chest rising for the intake of oxygen was such strain that the stars already clouding my vision became shrouded with thick cumulonimbus.
While my panic was in full effect, the two things I focused on the most was the reason why this aura felt so Kami-damned familiar, and why my mind was able to process what was even happening. With all my other functions at this slowed rate—why wasn't my mind? Or—alternatively—why didn't everything stay the same and she gain super speed or something ridiculous?
She walked forward without a problem, and I already knew what she was going to do without the huge advantage.
"Please, no! Don't do this! Someone! Help! Fuck!" I screamed internally.
I focused hard at moving any part of me that would listen; my tongue, my fingers, my toes, anything that would listen. I concentrated so hard my head felt like it would rupture; the struggle to breathe and deflecting the shooting stars in my vision not helping any.
"Move your fucking finger, Akinoyo!" I screeched looking at my finger.
Nothing. No movement.
Why was she doing this? Why couldn't she just leave him frozen here and just leave with me? I didn't want to get him involved; I didn't want him to get hurt; I…I…
The malicious intent radiating from her flourished as she rose her hand.
This was it.
This was the beginning of my end.
She was going to kill the one thing in this life I clung to; the one person that toppled over everyone; the man that was there for me; the one person that made me…
"More of a weakling than you already were."
An audible scream ripped through my throat at a normal-paced speed. My insides felt like they were exploding, but in an odd, surreal way, my mind couldn't be any more clear in that moment.
"We're in luck—don't let her touch you again,"
Koizumi was blown back by the force of my reiatsu, and in that moment, her dominance of what seemed like space and time cracked at my force—allowing Toushirou enough leeway to execute his attack.
As I fell, I watched as he slightly adjusted his momentum attack to make a cleaner cut; the downward slash aimed at the center of her body rather than her right-side only. Due to that last second adjustment, along with the fact that my force pushed her, she was able to partially evade the strike. She took in damage, but not as much as she would've without the subtle changes.
"Akinoyo!"
Oh shi—
Toushirou plowed into me mid-descent; forcing me to his chest and turning over so I was on top of him.
"Toush—"
"Bankai!"
I couldn't see what was happening, but I knew what he was doing—he'd opted to take the impact of the fall for me. I was already too close to the ground for him to make a successful recovery—there was no alternative. We hit the ground so hard that even with my head buried in his chest and held firmly in place against him while his arms wrapped around me, the impact reverberated through him and knocked my head against him hard. Cold gushes of air and wet particles spread over me like fresh, but blizzardy snow; the particles a mystery to me until I began to push myself up.
Massive, semi-broken wings lay underneath us; fractals of broken ice around us dissipating into water to begin reforming the wings. Before I could even do anything, Toushirou pulled me into him, and those broken wings came up faster than I could believe to shield us from the next attack. Koizumi had some type of weapon I had yet to see, but she swung at the ice wings that furled over us in protection.
I didn't even look down at Toushirou; I was so furious at myself that he had to go to the length of injuring himself to save me. Hell, my zanpakutou was the only reason I was even able to break free from the clutches of the enemy. I was worthless; pure scum that didn't deserve the help. And now that Toushirou's injured, he still is protecting the two of us.
I was so angry that I couldn't control myself. I took hold of the hilt, and unsheathed the blade before I could be stopped.
"Come out now!" I yelled—no response.
"Akinoyo, don't do this!" Toushirou urged.
"I refuse to assist any more than I already have," My zanpakutou denied.
The thing about it was—I was done playing this game with her.
Quickly, I maneuvered the tip of her blade at my side, and plunged the blade into myself enough to make my adrenaline spike.
"Akinoyo!" Toushirou shouted.
I grit my teeth, and closed my eyes with the pain of the cold metal within me.
"Change now, or it's over—you know I'm not fucking around."I threatened aloud.
I could feel the overwhelming hate seeping from the hilt of the blade; my defiance infuriating the sophisticated Queen enough to make her blood boil from succumbing to my will. The two blades formed in my hands as the cautious words of my zanpakutou trumped over the panicked Toushirou.
"You're going to regret calling me before you're ready, Akinoyo,"
"Save it!"
Without another moment to lose, I took the right knife to my arm; slicing open my inner forearm as I grit my teeth and let the blood collect.
"Akinoyo, stop!" Toushirou tried to restrain me.
Quickly, I took the blood and scribbled the kanji as best I could over the pulsating veins in my wrist.
"She said that you can't do this!" He took the wrist of my scribbling hand. "Trust in me, Akinoyo! Wait!"
Those serious, and struggling hues pierced mine, and while I knew he was right, I couldn't sit back any longer.
"I do trust you, Toushirou,"
I rose my bloodied wrist and finished the kanji by bringing it to my bloodied finger.
"But right now, I need you to trust me,"
I remembered the feeling of our encounter; the encounter that put me in a coma, yet began to fill the hole within me that I thought impossible to fill. She was my power; my ticket to helping others, and finding peace within myself—the borrowed source that made the helplessness diminish a fraction even though I had only a vague concept of how to wield her.
The feeling of the calling reiatsu; when my very being called into the earth, and cooed the element to rise above to accept my essence; the power given to the dormant soul.
"You're not ready to wield me, Akinoyo; you will lose all control!" Her voice of urgency pierced through my thoughts, but I didn't let them make me tremble.
I needed this to stop. Koizumi needed to be stopped. No one knew just how malevolent that power of hers is; the familiarity invoked such dread within me that couldn't be left alone—I couldn't afford to standby any longer.
I focused my thoughts under the earth; imagining the roots underneath the concrete, and letting myself feel the connection as my zanpakutou did the last time. I concentrated my reiatsu as I'd felt her do, and I knew that all I had to do was assert it.
I turned to look above me, and narrowed in on her position. My hand dropped low, and with an opened palm, I lifted up the spirit of the underground dweller; as if uprooting them myself from the deep. The earth trembled at my command, at which Toushirou took hold of my torso again.
The roots shot up around us, and with a sharp motion of my hand, I instructed them to take Koizumi out. I reveled in the fact that it indeed followed my whim—my zanpakutou didn't know what she was talking about. Koizumi saw it coming however, and evaded before it made the connect—Toushirou utilized the moment to flash-step the two of us out of there.
As soon as we stopped, the Stealth Force I'd heard so much about were on the scene; surrounding the viciously smirking female that stared straight into me.
As the Stealth Force shouted at her, Toushirou took my shoulders and turned me to him.
"Drop your Shikai now, Akinoyo. You need to stay out of this, and let us handle it." That firm, icy-tone told me he wasn't joking around, but then again, neither was I.
"Toushirou, you don'tunderstand; she's monstrous—none of you can handle her alone! Trust me—I've felt this reiatsu before and it id not something to take lightly! I'm not going stand here and watch you run to your slaughter, Toushirou!" I shot back; doing my utmost to keep my emotion out of it.
While I was still somewhat wary of the forewarning of my zanpakutou and knew that I wasn't very strong, I was far more wary about Koizumi Fumiko, and the strange, horrifying reiatsu bubbling about her. She wasn't like the others we'd dealt with; she was malevolent, and far too unpredictable to be underestimated. I couldn't get over the fear that she invoked with that damn reiatsu; all I wanted to do was run, but I knew that wasn't an option.
"Akinoyo, listen to me—you are in no condition to continue fighting. You're injured, you don't know how to wield your zanpakutou, nor do you have any experience in a battle like this one. I'm not going to let you go in there to get even more injured and that's the end—"
"Toushirou, please listen to me! She isn't normal! Do you even realize that she can control time? Did you even see what she almost got away with while you were under her radar?"
His facial expression changed into confusion, but before he could answer, the entire Stealth Force that surrounded Koizumi was down; the immense drop in reiatsu telling us she'd killed them rather than their muffled screams.
"Get behind me, now." He ordered.
I grit my teeth and did what he said, the overwhelming anxiety over what just happened making my heart leap in fear.
"So, after decommissioning all those surrounding me in less than 10 seconds, you still have the gall to face me?" Koizumi's pompous voice chuckled. "If you wish to keep your life, hand over Kiteyama Akinoyo."
"Koizumi Fumiko, tell me—if you were abducted, why surrender to Stockholm syndrome? What do you benefit from her capture?"
She laughed hoarsely at his question; the rhythm of her laugh causing me to shiver as if the strings of a violin were being scraped violently.
"What do I benefit? Now why would I ever reveal that to my enemy? Your naivety is priceless," she snickered. "Move aside."
The ice wings protruding from his spine reflected the fear in my face back to me; my hot breath fogging up the crystal reflection. I didn't understand; I didn't get it at all—why…with what they'd done to us…
"Degluttiat!" she shouted again.
In that moment, the air stood still.
"T-Toushirou?" I whispered—not even a flinch.
"Oi, Kiteyama!" Koizumi shouted at me—my eyes widened as my stomach dropped.
"Tell me, is it because of them, or your zanpakutou that you can still move?"
Her footsteps sounding made my breathing hasten. There was no point in hiding behind Toushirou anymore; the Ice King I loved was frozen in her control, and now I needed to protect him. I walked around his ice wings and stood out in front of him; my Trench Knives held out defensively in front of me in an unknown position that felt familiar.
She stopped about 10 paces in front of us, and I summoned every last ounce of courage within me to not brake my resolve and bravado. The smirk on her face told me she already saw through me, but I wasn't going to let her piercing mind games affect me.
"I asked you a question, Kiteyama." She crossed her arms.
Her weapon was no where to be found, but I studied the rest of her for any type of clues as to what she was up to. It didn't seem like she needed any form of concentration to keep up her radius of control; she looked relaxed rather than on edge, and I could feel the lack of actual concern coming from her. The only thing I felt coming for her, was that sickening familiar force from before—that monstrous, ravenous reiatsu that radiated from her very core. Just…what was she?
"I don't know how I'm able to stand before you, Koizumi, but what I do know, is that I refuse to go back to the organization with you. I don't know what you gain from helping those life-sucking fuckers, but I'll tell you that what you're doing is wrong. You should be over here with me on the side of the Shinigami because that's what you are—a Shinigami. Have you lost your memories as well?"
"That's right!" she had a sudden recollection, "I forgot that you don't have your memories—that's right. Well, if you'd like to be filled in, I can arrange that, Kiteyama; all you have to do is come with me, and I will explain everything to you personally." She smiled and outstretched her hand. "I'll even make the male's death quick if you come quietly,"
"You're a fool, Koizumi."
Her facial features disgruntled at my response, and that outstretched hand made a miniscule twitch at the defiance in my voice.
"If you have your memories, then you should know well that what the organization is doing is corrupt, and sinister. You should feel how I feel, and you should utilize that hurt and hate to get back at them for doing this to us—not act like their fucking dog to do all their dirty work!" I shouted, tears already formulated in my eyes.
"Akinoyo, we need to run. You're no match for her in your current state; I can help you—"
"No. Not without Toushirou."
I couldn't shiver here any longer; I couldn't lose another person again. I didn't save Miyuki—I will not let that happen again.
I inhaled deeply to steel myself, and focused on utilizing this immense anger and fear as my fuel.
"If you still feel this way, then you leave me no choice, Koizumi—I will not help you, and I will not let you harm anyone else!" I slashed at the air, and pointed my blade at her.
"I came here today to help you but, if this is what you've chosen…then you leave me no choice."