Here is the fifth chapter in "Shining Angel"! Personally, I think that it's the best one so far! I've completed chapter 6, too, but I'm going to be an evil dude and wait for a few days before updating! MWAHAHA! *Coughs* Ahem... That aside, thanks to strawberryshini for reviewing! I still want more, though! Remember, I don't have a Beta Reader, so I proofread all by myself, so forgive me if I've made any mistakes! Also, I'm going to start a 'Comment Reply' section at the end of every story, right after the traditional Omake! So, without further ado, enjoy chapter five! ^.^
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Hunger Games, they belong to Tite Kubo and Suzanne Collins, respectively. If I owned them, girls would get an insane power-up in Bleach and the characters in the Hunger Games would have various powers... just like the X-Men! ^_^
"Shining Angel"
Talking/Actions
Thoughts/ Emphasis
Zanpakuto Conversation/Release
When they finished descending the mountain, they stood in front of the forest part of the training ground.
"So… Which way should we go when we enter the forest," Tiffany questioned, "Right or left?"
Toshiro said "Left.", just as Emmanuel said "Right." They both looked at each other with glares and 'hn'ed. Tiffany sighed, Please. I don't really want to deal with a bunch of testosterone in the air!
"Guys, just relax," Tiffany chimed, just as the wind blew from left to right, "The wind is going right. Let's follow it."
Tiffany set off, leaving the two boys staring after her back, unused to seeing her make decisions. She put a hand up and made the 'come on' gesture, and the boys followed after her.
XXX
They were walking for a while now, the sun would soon reach the center of the sky, signaling that it was noon, and they were nowhere close to finding the first gem. She could see that the guys were starting to get tired, and were sweating lightly. As for her, she was panting and sweating moderately.
Tiffany said, "Let's take a break, guys."
Both boys nodded and proceeded to settle themselves on a log, with room between them for Tiffany to sit. She thanked them and sat down. A thought hit her:
"Guys! I just realized! What about water and food? We need them!"
Both guys' eyes opened wide and turned to look at each other, proving that they didn't think of it at all, either. However, Emmanuel suddenly smirked, as if he had something up his sleeve.
Acting all smug, Emmanuel stated, "You guys are lucky that I've already achieved Shikai! My first Shikai ability will help us out here, for sure! Exist, Yōso no hon (Book of Elements)! Manipulation of Water!"
With that said, his wakizashi began to transform into a book. First, the hilt started to protrude, becoming thinner and flatter, until it looked like the cover of a book, then the blade twisted into the hilt, fusing until it looked like a single page standing upright. Then it split into hundreds of pages and crimson ink started to flow across the pages, making up words of a long lost language and chants. The book flipped to a page, where parts of the text glowed and Emmanuel stuck out his hand in the air, as if he was trying to pick up something using telekinesis. He started to chant under his breath and water began to form, most likely from water molecules in the air being forced to collide and grow denser.
Emmanuel then added, "Manipulation of Earth!"
The ground then started to shift a little, and pebbles flew out, clumping together until there was three cup-like shapes. The pebbles then started merging, smoothing out until they looked like a mug, a dirty, mud-spotted mug, but a mug, nonetheless. The water he created earlier came down and encased the three cups, cleaning it efficiently. The water then splashed to the ground, where the earth soaked it up. More water was created, completely fresh, of course, and they settled into the cups. Emmanuel then directed two of the cups to float towards Tiffany and Toshiro, who caught it carefully, and then directed the last cup to him, letting it settle into his hands.
To say that Tiffany was impressed would be an understatement. She was thoroughly impressed and even proud, with a smile on her face as she exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! That was awesome, Emmanuel! You're so amazing!"
Toshiro just nodded his approval and drank his water. Emmanuel sat on the log with an audible thud.
"Doing this leaves me winded," Emmanuel explained, "It's only for a short while, though. I'll be fine in a few minutes."
Tiffany nodded, and the three continued to drink the water.
XXX
The three were once again walking through the forest, following the blowing of winds. Tiffany kept thinking about how they might have figured out the first gem's location.
Flashback
The three had just finished their drinks and were discussing about the first gem's location.
Tiffany wondered aloud, "Winds have been blowing a lot, which is strange, as seeing we are in a forest."
Emmanuel's eyes widened, "Wait a minute! Mom said that the gem of wind is in a location where 'winds caress it'! Winds do blow a lot here, but not too strongly… almost as if a caress. The wind gem should be around here somewhere! What do you think, Toshiro?"
The quiet Cifer looked at the two and nodded, "I agree. Why not try and attempt following the winds' direction? They may converge around the gem?"
Tiffany exclaimed, "Yeah! That's great thinking! Let's go!"
Flashback ends
Emmanuel whispered, "I sense something. A strong spiritual pressure, with another one, but this one is full of malicious intent."
Tiffany stopped in her tracks and knitted her eyebrows together, trying to sense anything. She looked at Emmanuel and shook her head.
"I don't sense anything. You might have confused the intent with an animal's hunting," Tiffany said. "After all, it's not like there're Hollows around… Right?"
Toshiro's face suddenly looked wary.
He said, "Remember, Brenda said that there were monsters lurking in the darkness. She could have been referring to Hollows."
Emmanuel nodded and took out his Zanpakutō, holding it in front of him diagonally, with the blade's tip pointing to the ground. Toshiro proceeded to take out his Zanpakutō, holding the sword in front of him, ready to guard or attack at moment's notice. Tiffany looked to the two of them nervously.
She asked, "Really? But I don't want to have to hurt anyone."
Toshiro sighed, "They're not people anymore. They've surrendered to their negative emotions and become a threat to Soul Society and the World of Living. Not just this dimension, but all other places out there. It's our job to perform Konsō and protect souls and humans. We will be doing this more frequently after we win the Zanpakutō Tournament, anyway, so this might be good practice."
"You two really need to work in your ability to sense Reiastu and Reiryoku," Emmanuel added hastily, "As seeing that the Hollow is maybe less than a quarter of a mile away!"
The two pale-skinned teens looked towards the trees in front of them, finally sensing the intimidating spiritual pressure approaching. Tiffany reluctantly took out her Zanpakutō, trembling in anticipation of fighting a dangerous creature. The treetops in front of them started to shake roughly, some of them falling. The trio finally heard the harsh breathing of the approaching beast and got into a fighting position.
The Hollow broke out of the line of trees, skidding to a stop few meters away from the three teens, all holding Zanpakutōs menacingly.
The Hollow spoke, "Hah! I sensed some strong spiritual pressure, and this is what I get? Three weak-looking teenagers who could barely be a challenge to me? I'm the Forest Predator! The strongest Hollow in this forest! You puny souls don't stand a chance against me! HAHAHA!"
Emmanuel rolled his eyes and shouted, "Are you done with that annoying monologue? It was terrible!"
The Forest Predator glared at him, killing intent rolling off it in waves. Emmanuel just stared at it defiantly, obviously issuing a challenge. The Forest Predator roared and charged forward. Both boys leaped out of the way, but the Forest Predator laughed:
"You two aren't my target, the scared little girlie is!"
The boys' head snapped to Tiffany, who was still staring at her first real, live Hollow, not making any indication to move at all. The Forest Predator was shaped like an ape, so it had extremely bulking arms and legs, along with the usual Hollow mask; It lashed out it's right arm and hit Tiffany. She flew through the air and slammed heavily into a tree trunk, her shock and pain rendering her unable to move. She groaned before slumping to the ground. The Forest Predator then turned to face Toshiro, who glared at it dangerously and pointed his Zanpakutō to its face.
The Hollow jumped into the air, planning to pounce into Toshiro, but he did a dodging roll. When it landed on the ground, Toshiro leapt, piercing his Zanpakutō through the Hollow's side. The Forest Predator roared in pain and proceeded to lash out at him. Its arm hit Toshiro square in the face, causing him to fly over Emmanuel's head, crashing into a tree headfirst, promptly rendering him unconscious.
Tiffany- who had blood coming out the back of her head- screamed, "TOSHIRO!"
Emmanuel looked in Toshiro's direction worriedly, unaware of the Forest Predator looming up behind him.
"You should pay attention to your enemy," The Forest Predator cackled as it set itself upon Emmanuel.
Emmanuel didn't stand a chance. Since he already had his back to the Hollow and he wasn't holding his Zanpakutō tightly, when the Forest Predator hit him, he just sailed in the air and dropped his Zanpakutō when he hit the ground with a crash.
Tiffany whispered, "No… Emmanuel!"
The disgusting Hollow once again cackled, "I knew it! You all were weak! Now, which one should I eat first? Maybe this Toshiro boy?"
"I don't think so," Emmanuel shouted.
Tiffany turned her head weakly to where Emmanuel stood, left hand holding his chest tightly, which signaled that one or more of his ribs were broken, and right hand holding his Zanpakutō tightly. Blood was trickling out of his mouth and nose, presumably from the impact.
The Forest Predator growled, "You're not dead? I expected your spinal column to break and leave you staring at the ground, hopeless. But, no matter, I will kill you now, and then eat you- before devouring your other friends!"
Emmanuel staggered as he tried to walk- or more accurately, limp- towards the Hollow.
He raised his wakizashi in front of him and called out, "Exist, Yōso no hon (Book of Elements)! Manipulation of Earth!"
His face contorted in pain, as if it hurt him to speak. However, his Zanpakutō still successfully transformed and he let go of his chest with his left hand and opened his palm, the flat of his palm facing the ground beneath the Hollow. As he did that, the ground below the Forest Predator began to shake, and dirt flew out, forming a hand twice the size of the Hollow. The earthen hand grasped the Forest Predator and lifted him, holding him in mid-air.
Emmanuel gasped, "Manipulation of Heat!"
Blood flew out of his mouth as he fell to his knees. He still had a look of determination on his face, though. He clenched his teeth and his left hand formed a fist. Tiffany could feel the heat around the surroundings rising and saw the earthen hand starting to become harder, no longer a hand of dirt and mud, but transforming into clay. She felt tears forming in her eyes.
They both sacrificed themselves to protect their dear friends, and what am I doing? Just sitting here. I haven't even made an attempt to fight it like Toshiro did… And now, both my dear friends are paying the price… Tiffany thought sadly.
Tiffany struggled to get to her knees, but to no avail as she fell over. She took a deep breath and looked over to see how Emmanuel was faring. She didn't like what she saw: Emmanuel looked ready to faint from exhaustion and looked even worse than she did. What happened next did nothing to alleviate her fears.
The Forest Predator roared and it started struggling against the hand even more. The hand started cracking, signaling that it wouldn't be able to keep its grip on the Hollow any longer. The moment the hand broke, pieces flying all over the area, Emmanuel immediately fainted.
The Hollow landed with a grunt and roared, "You are dead, you puny soul!"
It walked up to Emmanuel's unconscious body and lifted its foot.
It cackled, "Good bye!"
At that moment, the world stopped for Tiffany- literally. Everything became a brilliant shade of white and she squinted against the light. The whole forest blurred, until it no longer existed.
XXX
When she came to, was lying on a cloud, an expanse of white, rolling across the azure blue sky. She sat up groggily, and looked around.
"Where… Where am I," Tiffany wondered aloud.
"In your beautiful mind, my Maiden," A beautiful voice called out. It sounded like waves breaking on a shore and a harp strumming, intermingling until it became a peculiar sound.
Tiffany looked around with wide eyes, until she saw a person standing a few feet across from her. She didn't see the man earlier. He was handsome, outfitted in a shining white two-piece suit and had a halo of golden blond hair. He had eyes to match the color of the sky above and a smile that could melt any girl's heart. His face looked like it had the most perfect features on the planet and his body seemed muscular, even under his suit. He bowed and announced:
"My Maiden, I am your protector. Your wish is my command."
He smiled, showing a set of perfect, shining, white teeth.
Tiffany blinked, dazzled, "Uhh… Nice to meet you? Wait a minute. Who are you?"
The man smirked and replied, "I'm your protector, as I just said."
Tiffany mumbled, "Yeah, I know. I mean, why am I on a cloud? That and you didn't tell me your name."
Her 'Protector'- beautifully- sighed, "You should know my name. After all, I'm your Zanpakutō and this is your mindscape, also my home."
Tiffany's eyes widened. "You… You're my Zanpakutō?" She stood up slowly.
Her Zanpakutō nodded. "Not just me, but you also have four other Zanpakutō spirits residing in you. I'm here because I represent you the best in the situation you are currently in," he explained.
The memories of what happened came flowing into Tiffany's mind and she cursed herself internally, feeling horrible that she forgot about Emmanuel and Toshiro, even if just for a moment. The azure sky started to darken, and everything dimmed.
Her Zanpakutō said, "Don't be angry with yourself. Whenever you experience negative emotions, you darken your mindscape. I… I despite the dark. Tiffany, can you promise me something?" Tiffany nodded. "I will send you back to reality, but please try your best to be happy and make this a bright place for me and your four other Zanpakutō spirits."
Tiffany hung her head and apologized, "I'm sorry." She then raised her head and added, "I will try my best. I will work alongside you and keep my promise!"
She and her Zanpakutō smiled at each other before her Zanpakutō nodded and sighed.
"Thank you for your promise, Tiffany," Her Zanpakutō said, "Now, I hope that you're prepared for reality! Shout it out loud! My name is-"
Omake #5
Me: BOOYAH! *coughs* Chappie five is done! Sorry for the cliffhanger, everyone!
Tiffany: *skips in glee* I finally got my Zanpakutō! What's its name, though?
Me: That's for you to find out next chapter!
Tiffany: Just thinking of him makes me melt! *hisses at me* WHAT IS HIS NAME!
Me: *gulps loudly* I-I won't tell you!
Tiffany: TELL ME! TELL ME! Is it Byakua? Edward? Itachi? Kyo? Sebastain?
Me:... No. Its no one from Bleach, Full Metal Alchemist, Naruto, Fruits Basket, or Kuroshitsuji! Just chill!
Tiffany: I'm your Taichou! You're supposed to listen to whatever I say!
Me: Yeah, but I'm the author! I do whatever I want! Like this!
*I develop psychic powers like Jean Grey from X-Men and raise Tiffany in the air*
Tiffany: NO FAIR!
Me: Nothing is fair in life!
Tiffany: *eyes gleam* You're going to get karma!
Me: Oh ple *turns and slips on a banana peel* eeaasse!
Tiffany: *cackles as her psychic grip looses; looks down* Oh crap. *falls* AIEEEE!
*Emmanuel appears from underground, head sticking out*
Emmanuel: Review if you like this! Please! My dear author needs inspiration! *Puppy Dog Eyes Attack!*
Comment Reply
strawberryshini: Thanks for reviewing! It means a lot to me!... Even though you're the only one! ^_^
Tiffany: Thanks for texting me your reviews! As I said to strawberryshini earlier, it means a lot to me!