"Any questions?" Musei no Koe asked our audience of Taichou and Fukutaichou at the end of explaining everything to them. She was so damn confident—I wanted to just shrivel being in their presence.
"Of course we have questions," Hirako-Taichou stepped forward with that almost sarcastic skepticism. "According to the report I heard and based on what you've told us, The Shinwa can do more than just heal people; it is able to maneuver objects—and lifeforms—when it sees fit. You also were able to utilize that power yourself in order to provide it a sacrificial offering—meaning that just drawing things to it is just the tip of the iceberg since you were able to manipulate all the bones 'n shit inside those animals. The beakers and other objects in Kurotsuchi's lab were also able to be reformed—implying that it isn't just organic, living things that can be manipulated. Just what powers does this thing have that you really know of?"
"Other than those, I wasn't allowed to delve further into The Shinwa's abilities—my wielder forbade me from any utilization. I went against her to learn about its healing properties in the event of desperation, but other than that, I respected her wishes." Musei no Koe answered.
"Koizumi Fumiko," Kuchiki-Taichou began next. "She had the ability to manipulate time within a certain radius along with creating her own army of independent soldiers—are you able to do this as well?"
"Possibly—it is as unknown to me as it is to you. There is no doubt of Koizumi Fumiko's utilization of The Shinwa's power during our bout, however, it would be unwise to dismiss it as the power of The Shinwa rather than her zanpakutou's ability. Perhaps The Shinwa enhanced it, or perhaps it didn't," Musei no Koe replied.
"Let's delve further into your memories, Musei no Koe," Komamura-Taichou began. "The other abducted Shinigami—did Kiteyama Akinoyo imply any form of a plan with them? With the fact that all of them 'escaped' and joined the Gotei 13, it seems as if the 13 of them were attempting to execute some sort of coup d'etat."
"Let me respond with a question—are you implying my wielder's entry into the Gotei 13 was under the pretense of seizing control of the Soul Society?" Musei no Koe boldly asked with a threatening aura about her.
"We're trying to get everyone to like us, you dolt! Tone it down before you get us into even deeper shit with the Taichous than we already are!" I practically snarled.
"That is not what I am implying of her prior actions specifically; moreover the possibility of an attempted purge." He replied.
"Unfortunately I do not know—on the night my wielder and I were reunited was when I was able to absorb what was happening on the outside. I had, and still have no access to her memories during her initial seven month entrapment. When I regained our connection, she was running to retrieve her adopted sister Kiteyama Mai—as I explained. Soon after her death, she answered the main questions in regard to what happened: they implanted The Shinwa within her, it requires sustenance, and it is an abomination. Aside from learning partial control of it due to the unavoidable, she forbade me from intruding, or listening in on her thoughts. She emphasized that the less I knew the better, and out of respect for her, I abided by it. Any information regarding the other abducted Shinigami is unknown to me as it is to you—next question." She crossed my arms.
"Musei no Koe," Hirako-Taichou began again. "You explained that your plan is to rebuild your wielder's control over her strength and abilities, but it seems almost useless—it took the two of you over 50 years to get a grip on The Shinwa, yet you're trying to accomplish that feat within one month's time?" he questioned.
"What happens if your control slips during the process, or you are unable to prevail in this irrational time-span? The Seireitei then suffers the consequences for your lack of discipline?" Soi Fon-Taichou added.
"The month deadline is unavoidable. With what I know now, it will be far less difficult to bring her up to speed, but it will still be a challenge nevertheless. When the day comes, my plan is to disappear into the mountains of the Rukongai in case we are unable to prevail—" Musei No Koe replied.
"That leaves you open for abduction—you can't be serious!" Murugama-Taichou interrupted.
"Unless you're all open to dying prematurely, there is no alternative." She shot back.
"They seemed to have easily abducted you five years ago—what would be the difference now? Not to mention the fact that you've been dormant for five years—"
"The difference now, Soi Fon-Taichou, is that The Shinwa is active this time—five years ago we relied on our strength alone, with The Shinwa under our control—"
"Here's the part I've been waiting for; you've said multiple times that three years before your capture you were able to seal The Shinwa away—no access to its power, and the need for sustenance stifled. If that is the case, why wouldn't we just seal it now to avoid the senseless slaughters?" Kurotsuchi-Taichou interjected.
"Because I am not the one who sealed it—it is as simple as that."
"If you and Kiteyama Akinoyo aren't the ones who sealed it—"
"The man partially responsible for this plague we're currently dealing with did—Oshirou Hiroshi."
A wave of silence fell upon the entire room with this additional tidbit of news Musei no Koe just dropped. After about five seconds of letting the room process, she continued.
"Eight years ago, we were approached within the Seireitei by a man I'd never seen before. Upon my wielder viewing him, instantly her demeanor changed—her demeanor heavy as it was during the first few years of dealing with The Shinwa. With a single glance from him, she understood to follow him inconspicuously—to which she did. She walked toward him—seemingly as if she were just passing by—and took a folded piece of paper from him mid-stride with a simple brush against him. Several hours later after her daily Squad duties were complete, she opened the note—a location of where to meet and when scribbled on the paper. That evening she met the man in District 17 of the Rukongai; a short, yet important conversation changing everything."
"He began the conversation by offering aid in regard to The Shinwa—saying that after several years of research, he developed a way stifle it completely. He told her that his time was limited, and at the very least he wanted to perform the procedure before the organization caught wind. Settling on his brevity, she took the offer even without pressing for information as she originally intended. He proceeded with it, assuring they would reconvene at a later time to inform her of the current status of the organization. Before the procedure, he gave her a small journal in the event of his plans going awry. The man was fearful of the unknown, entrusting her with that journal as if his life depended on it. He was supposed to contact her in the same fashion, but never again surfaced—his fears more than likely coming to fruition." She explained.
Well. I didn't see that one coming.
"How? How was he able to seal it away?" Hirako-Taichou stepped forward.
"He began by having my wielder activate The Shinwa. Once it was active, he chanted words of a foreign language, and summoned his own reiatsu to combat The Shinwa's. Once he did that, in a blink, my wielder and I were on the floor—unconscious. Once we woke, he was gone—nothing left behind aside from his journal."
"Kurotsuchi, how much longer until the journal is deciphered?" Toushirou stepped forward.
"No." Musei no Koe interjected—earning very appalled expressions from several in the room.
"What do ya mean 'no?' That damn thing needs to be stopped!" Hirako-Taichou stomped forward.
"I know it does, however—"
"However what, zanpakutou? Are you endorsing sacrificing innocent souls to satisfy your lust for power? What could you—"
"Hold on, Kurotsuchi-Taichou—let her finish." The Soutaichou rose his hand in a soft, calm gesture to stifle the Taichou. Musei no Koe nodded at the Soutaichou in thanks, and the man nodded back for her to continue.
"I agree that The Shinwa needs to be stopped, it needs to be sealed again so as not to cause unnecessary slaughter of the innocent, however, it would be unwise to do so right now. Koizumi Fumiko was sent by the organization for our capture—one of the 13 abductees. Within her—as proven twice—was another Shinwa. The difference between her Shinwa and the one within us were different—when my wielder sustains injury, The Shinwa has the ability to cure her to the point of heavy exhaustion. Not once with Koizumi Fumiko did I see any of The Shinwa's healing properties utilized—leaving me at two conclusions. 1—Each Shinwa possess different abilities, or 2—Koizumi Fumiko's Shinwa was not as powerful as our own."
"With the help of the Gotei 13, we were able to escape with minimal damage—the mistress of luck on our side for the event. However, who is to say the Organization will not send the other 11 after us? If they all possess Shinwa—the battle would end in our demise. I cannot guarantee any of this, however, I speculate that the organization's purpose in collecting and implanting Shinwa must be for the sole purpose of overthrowing the Soul Society and World of the Living as we know it. With that being said, we need all the strength we can get. With our possession of The Shinwa, we can fight fire with fire, and perhaps end all of this madness quickly. Wouldn't you agree?"
The room was silent after Musei no Koe's explanation—a grim atmosphere engulfing everyone.
A grunt came from a rather large, muscular Taichou that honest to Kami scared me—I wouldn't want to catch him in a dark alley on a bad night. "Sounds like you're saying we're a bunch of weaklings—ne, zanpakutou? You're actin' like this wuss of a flower has enough strength to wipe us all out, but I say you're lying. You don't even know it's power aside from feeding it—all you do is fend it off half-assed. Now with what you've said about that other woman—The Shinwa is nothing but a stupid weed. Before I bend to a weakling's demands, I'm gonna need better proof than just your word," he reached up to the hilt of his zanpakutou—initiate my internal panic attack. "Why don't we put it to the test, zanpakutou? Why don't you show me you're not full of it?" Zaraki-Taichou grinned.
"Zaraki, the witness of The Shinwa's power by myself and Kurotsuchi warrants her words whether you personally agree with it or not—your un—"
"Save it!" Zaraki-Taichou brushed him off. "Neither of you actually fought it, so I can't take your word on how powerful it is. Aside from that the two of you—"
"Yes, yes, that's enough, Zaraki-Taichou. I would much rather—"
"Three days." Musei no Koe cut off the Soutaichou—making me internally die—earning stunned silence from the entire room.
"It seems the lot of you are unconvinced—I'd be more than willing to enlighten those of you that haven't absorbed my words through my very thorough explanation. It's insulting really—the thought of you simpletons believing that you could possibly conquer The Shinwa with strength alone. What would a demonstration with the strong, eager Zaraki-Taichou hurt? The Shinwa awakened only yesterday, and already it's power has restored rapidly—give it three days, and I will be able to maneuver it to my current full potential. However, I will remind you; I will only have partial control of it—The Shinwa's full capabilities are still unknown to me, however in three days time, I will silence all doubt by displaying a fraction of its power. Objections?"
"None!" Zaraki-Taichou practically licked his lips.
"Yes, I object," Toushirou cut in through the celebratory spirit Zaraki-Taichou and his Fukutaichou were now in. "You said it yourself—Kiteyama is not ready for any battle whether it's against an enemy or sparring. It would be unwise to—"
"What better way to kick start her training, Hitsugaya-Taichou? I have as little as a month to bring her back to her full potential; I will be the one at the helm for our battle with Zaraki-Taichou—my wielder will observe and become all the wiser,"
"I like your style, Musei no Koe," Shihouin smirked; crossing her arms and turning to the Soutaichou. "She's right—all of us need to witness just what it is we're dealing with before our enemy decides to make a move. It's a wonderful idea—wouldn't you say, Soutaichou?"
All eyes zeroed in on the one-eyed Soutaichou; a small grin surfacing on his lips. "If both parties consent—I have no issue with it," he shrugged. "I have been wanting to see just what it is we're dealing with—it is a great opportunity."
Musei no Koe let a grin escape before turning to face the Soutaichou—a small bow of acknowledgment before she spoke. "You have my gratitude—is there any more you need from me at the moment?"
"No, that about sums it up for now—please follow through with your plan, and inform Hitsugaya-Taichou of your progress." He replied almost light-heartedly.
"Hai, you have my word," she responded. Her eyes set on Zaraki-Taichou, and she spoke to him next. "Three days—you have my word on my pride as a zanpakutou."
"Prepare your coffin, zanpakutou," the man grinned with his challenging words.
"Words expected from a ruffian-natured man such as yourself—I'll make sure to remember that as I smear your face in the dirt," she smirked.
"Kami-fucking-damnit! What the fuck are you doing?" I screeched.
"Until next time," she bowed.
Once she rose me back up from the bow, I was back at the helm—everyone staring at me like I was the biggest fucking ass they'd ever seen. Immediately I did the only thing I could do to remedy the situation—I brought my hands together and bowed.
"My sincerest apologies for my zanpakutou's condescending and blunt nature!"
"My condescending and blunt nature? There is no need—"
"I've heard enough from you today—shut it!" I barked back internally.
A chuckle from the Soutaichou had my eyes crack open like a fucking mummy's sarcophagus.
"I'd say she was quite the entertaining one," he replied.
"She seems like she'd be a fun drinking partner—"
"Matsumoto," Toushirou growled at his grinning Fukutaichou.
"Anything else anyone would like to add?" The Soutaichou prompted—silence.
"Meeting adjourned."
-x-x-
"So I was thinking," Rangiku began as the three of us entered into Toushirou's office. "I think it would be a good day today for a little R&R."
I sat down on the couch slowly rather than plopping down as I usually did—my attention directed at the strawberry blonde about to insinuate a pouting fit when her Taichou rejected her idea immediately.
"No. There's too much going on right now for a day off—you should already know that." He half-heartedly dejected as he sat down at his desk.
"Don't you think you're being a bit harsh, Taichou?" Lo and behold.
While listening to these type of arguments between them generally brightened my mood; I just couldn't pay attention. With the outcome of the meeting and the extremities I was now forced to face, the weight from it all felt like a skyscraper fell directly on top of me.
Not only did I have a deadline that I felt was tied around my neck and ready to just pull me over a tree branch until I choked and died, I also had to fight someone completely above and beyond my league to prove myself. Damn her and that snarky confidence of hers…I had pride once, but damn, I knew when to say when.
"You needn't worry about our upcoming bout with Zaraki or mock my decision—I for one know just what we are capable of."
While I knew she was right, I just couldn't escape the hesitance and all-around fear of facing him. It was unfortunate, but I agreed to trust her—much to my dismay.
"If you say so," I mustered.
She didn't respond, and with the silence I fell back into the trance of my own inner ramblings of just how in the Hell I was going to deal with all of this. The low muttered blur of Toushirou and Rangiku's bickering finally sizzled down to a complete stop, and after a few minutes of just complete silence, I negotiated a tobacco break, in which Toushirou allowed, saying he would accompany me shortly.
I watched the branches of the leafless tree ahead of me rattle against one another as the wind sifted through, the motion they made a visual representation of how I was inside—nerve-wracked and fragile. I focused so intently that I barely heard the footsteps approaching.
"So," Rangiku's voice surprised me as she gracefully sat down next to me. "You've got quite the catch there, Akinoyo-chan!"
I looked over at her cute, almost cat-like face as she smiled that innocent, yet border-line gush-like smile.
"What?" I questioned.
"Taichou." She responded.
Oh. Ensue the blush.
"I'm really happy for the two of you! I feel like now more than ever the two of you need each other—you have to tell me just how everything went down! Don't leave out any details!"
Okay screw the blush, my face was straight up almost entirely red—I could feel it through the heat in my cheeks.
I peered around to see if anyone was around, and internally cursed that there wasn't—I wasn't good with this sort of thing at all. Even though there wasn't anyone, I still had to give it a shot.
"I don't think here's a good place—"
"Oh, nonsense! There's no one out here—it's safe to talk," she cut in with that devilish giddiness of hers. "Let's focus on the good, and get our minds off all this. Trust me, it's good to take a breather from that kind of stuff—if only Taichou would let us have drinks, then we could truly take five,"
Kami, beer did sound amazing. But I guess she was right—I did need to calm down and get my mind off everything before I trigger myself into a breakdown.
"I don't really know where to start…he's the only male that's ever been this kind to me—I guess I kinda just starting falling for that Prince Charming aura his. With everything going on, the type of support he provided me was…what I needed." I shyly explained.
"His type of support? Oooh, this is good! What kind of support? What would he do?" She pressed.
She reminded me of a teenage girl—it made me laugh that she had the type of personality that purred with this sort of thing, yet was able to flip herself so quickly into that epitome of woman she displayed most of the time—it was cute. I felt like I only really had two modes—sarcastic asshole, or crybaby. It'd be nice to have half the personality and mannerisms she had.
"Uh," I drew out.
"Quit beating around the bush!"
"Okay, okay!" I took another drag. "Well, I guess it just started off with him being acceptant of me with this new type of personality and traits that I've developed; I've only ever expressed emotion with one other person, and was honestly scared to do so with anyone else. I'm afraid of showing weakness, yet he welcomes it so that I can be comfortable. Anything I feel like opening up about, he'd welcome me with open arms. Any time I can't handle something—which these days is a lot—he was there to help me through it. It's a little embarrassing on my end, but he continually assures me that it's okay to be this way. It's the fact that he's so warm toward me that I developed feelings for him—I can tell that he's normally a cold person based on what you described, but he hasn't once acted that way toward me. I guess it just makes me feel…special for lack of a better word." I explained before another uncomfortable drag.
"It's true—I haven't seen him act like this in years. You are special to him, and it makes me happy that the Taichou I've known for such a long time has once again been able to open up to someone," she smiled.
Her words threw me off. What did she mean?
"What do you mean again?" I questioned—now it was my turn to press. "Was there someone before me that he was close to?"
For some reason it just didn't sit well with me…was this what jealously was?
"He hasn't told you?" Her facial expression changed—empowering this new emotion I felt.
"Told me what?" I asked.
She leaned back and held herself up by her palms behind her—I had a feeling I wasn't going to like where this was going.
"I'll let him fill you in on the details—as much as I love to gossip, Taichou is too important to me to go spilling out something as deep as his personal life."
Well that made me feel better.
"I'm sure he'll tell you in time—there isn't anything to worry about, Akinoyo-chan," she attempted to coo—unluckily for me, it wasn't something that could be quieted as simply as that. "The past is unimportant—it's the now, and the future that is the most important, and right now it looks to me that it's you," she turned her head to smile at me. "The bottom line is that I'm happy for the two of you, and I believe that right now, the two of you need each other more than ever. Before you got here, things were different. I was fearful of how he'd become, and I was trying to do all in my power as not only his Fukutaichou, but as his friend to stop him from submerging deeper into it. Now with you here—even though everything is difficult for everyone—you've given him the chance to change. You've given him—"
The sound of the shouji opening cut off her words—causing my spine to stiffen from the conversation we shouldn't have even been having.
"Taichou!" Rangiku greeted.
I turned to look up at him behind us—his expression formal as it always was while we were at his Squad's operational building, yet I couldn't help but feel like there was more behind it. He looked at me for a moment before coming closer, and I turned back to frontal face toward the beautifully slumbering winter garden ahead of us.
"It's almost noon," he said as he stood behind me and leaned against the wall next to us. "I told Nankai earlier today that we would reconvene for your check-up at noon—we get going." He told me.
I nodded, and took another drag. Rangiku excused herself, and just as soon as she did, I ashed out my kiseru to prepare for our own departure. He held his hand out to me, and when I took it, he pulled me into an embrace.
I soaked him in, trying my utmost to stamp out that lingering feeling from Rangiku and I's conversation—that warmth of his combatting the cold wind caressing us.
"Are you okay?" he asked me.
Kami, how in the Hell was I lucky enough?
I nodded into him, taking a deep breath and nuzzling myself against him.
"Yeah…I'm okay," I replied.
He pulled back to look at me—my face probably as unconvincing as my words.
"You're sure?" he questioned—I couldn't meet his gaze without giving myself away. I had to think of something—
On cue, a growl of my stomach intruded—a blush of embarrassment accompanied afterward.
"Just hungry if you couldn't tell," I attempted sheepishly. At least it got me out of bringing up anything inappropriate.
"We'll have lunch after the visit with Nankai," he tucked a stray hair behind my ear as he spoke. "Can you hold off until then?"
"Y-Yep!" I answered quickly.
Please let him take it as embarrassment rather than a subject change…
"All right," he released me and turned. "Let's get going then,"
"Sounds good," I followed him back into the building.
I strode behind him, staring at that Kanji on his haori that he proudly wore in thought. Before he stepped into my life, Miyuki had been my entire world. I'd been too wrapped up with the situation at hand, and letting him console me without even once diving into his own world.
Was there someone before me that was his world?