Recovery

To make up for making you wait for so damn long please enjoy another chapter. Remember to review!

Sunlight streamed through Alice's eyes and she pried them open, only to be momentarily blinded. A window high up on the timber wall allowed a rift of bright light into the large room. It was simply furnished with tatami mats spread across a bamboo floor. Several futons were spread around her.

With great effort she propped herself up on her elbows and studied the still resting people beside her.

To her left, Karin lay curled up in a ball. Her small fingers dug into the futon, tearing it in some places. Her teeth were grinding together and her eyes were squeezed so tightly shut they may have been pushed back into her head.

Nightmares.

They were inescapable, especially for a child living through such horrors. Alice had managed to steel herself against the worst of her ordeal but even she faced violent night terrors as she lay down to sleep on whatever rare occasion allowed her the luxury. Not that is was much of a luxury. She was as afraid of her own dreams as she was the nightmarish reality she was forced to face.

She had managed with her fears as best she could and maintained her sanity thus far, but Karin suffered every time she closed her eyes. Memories of all of her family being torn apart flashed through her mind over and over. Images of her twin sister Yuzu, skull cracked open like a melon, wide eyes staring even as they spilled out of her shattered face. Blood and slimy grey stuff seeping down what remained of her head. She had been shot to death by her older brother Ichigo, who had also bludgeoned his father. He was only doing it to protect his family; Karin had known but even so the sights she bore witness to would haunt her for the rest of her life...

However long that may be...

Even Ichigo had been taken away from her. However he was not really dead. He was still moving around somewhere. He was still lurking out there somewhere, hunting and feeding and preying upon whatever scraps of meat he found. His skin had gone a hideous grey and his eyes were sunken in and clouded over like frosted glass, his teeth rotten and black, gums bleeding much like the many porous open wounds all over his crippled body.

But he was still alive!

That only frightened Karin more. His smile, now a disfigured monstrosity haunted her dreams too, a fresh addition to her traumatic experiences.

Alice truly sympathised with the child. How she could still put on a brave face each day and keep on going...She was far braver than any other person she had ever met.

A sad smile crossed Alice's features. She felt like she had aged ten years in just a few months. She didn't want to look at herself in the mirror, certain she would look just like the walking dead she was fighting against. Her hair was a deep amber colour before the mess but she had seen grey clumps fall out in her times of stress. Even if she survived this mess she would surely look like a haggard old witch in the end...

But then the apocalypse was never meant to be easy...

Even death wasn't an escape.

Rukia lay to her right. Honestly she had never thought to see Rukia ever again, having watched her die at the Karakura high school. It had been the place of their final stand against the undead hordes when it had first happened what felt like an eternity ago. They had fought valiantly but it was a losing battle that was bound to end in tragedy.

As the dead had broken through every last barrier they had put in place and when morale was at its lowest they had huddled in a tiny classroom fearing the inevitable end. Rukia had been cradling her close friend, Abarai Renji, whom had been killed in the fight against the monstrous horde. They never saw it coming, not until it was too late. Not until Renji had sunk his fangs deep into her neck.

Alice had watched the blood flow in thick rivulets down her chest. She had seen her eyes roll back, her skin go pale. She had watched Rukia die.

And then months later, just when Alice was about to fall victim to a ghoul with a still beating heart, she had appeared. A grim spectre of death, she looked just like those monsters, but her strength was incredible. She had saved Alice then, though she wasn't sure whether she was genuinely rescuing her or had just not noticed she was there. Alice assumed it was the latter.

Still, Rukia was there. She was a zombie, no doubt about it.

And yet there she was lying right next to her, an angelic smile, so perfectly human.

That psychopath with the painted face had done something to Rukia. He's cured her. He had brought her back to life! And yet he had discarded her in disgust while dragging a rotting, disgusting corpse named Ichigo around like a pet.

That man wanted slaves. He wanted to create some kind of monster that would conquer the world for him. He had made Rukia human and so she had refused. She was useless to that madman but she was a priceless ally to Alice and Karin. With another warrior in their ranks they stood a little more chance of surviving.

Surviving...

Last she remembered, Alice was sure she was going to die. She had faced death many times but it was then that she really believed it was the end.

So where the Hell was she and why wasn't she dead?

She was bandaged up in many places. In fact there were more bandages on her than clothes. But that wasn't saying much since she was completely naked. She felt a slight heat in her cheeks and bashfully drew her sheets over her bare body.

"There's no need to be embarrassed. I've seen enough women in my time so you're nothing special."

Alice blushed more, though part of her was angry. "Was that supposed to make me feel better or insult me?"

"Whichever you choose, I suppose. Make of it what you will." A tall man approached her. Ragged blonde hair spilled out from under a silly looking striped hat that covered his eyes. He wore thick sandals like samurais of old and a dark green kimono. He smiled at her in a way that seemed kind yet patronising all at the same time.

"Who are you and where am I?" Alice snarled, her fists clenching in anticipation. Last time she was saved by some kind stranger he tried to rape her and hack her up into little pieces. She sure as Hell wasn't falling for that mistake ever again.

"Relax," he cooed, somehow picking up on her concealed aggression, "I mean you no harm. None of you were bitten so I have no need to chop off your heads!" He laughed at that but Alice didn't even smile. "My name is Kisuke Urahara and this is my shop!" he waved around as if showing off a prize on a game show.

"This is a shop?" Alice asked in a slur, "There aren't any shelves..."

Urahara laughed to himself again, "Well I cleared out most of our stock to build the barrier so it's pretty bare at the moment. But I don't mind. I haven't had a customer in months." He laughed again, by himself as usual.

"What happened?"

"Well everyone turned into zombies all of a sudden so-"

"I meant why am I here? Stop being a smart-ass and answer me!"

The man frowned and brought a little folding fan up over his lips. When he moved it away he was smirking. "You're quite a fiery young woman. No wonder you've made it this far. But I guess you don't feel any need for flattery right now. You want answers-"

"Yes, answers you aren't giving. Get to the damn point!"

With a sigh, Urahara began to explain, "Well I haven't sensed much life in this place for some time now. You get the occasional group stumbling by but they never last. They either head underground or hole up somewhere in the neighbourhood and try to fight. They are noisy to say the least but not for very long. Soon enough I don't feel anything again."

Alice was really beginning to hate this man. She made sure he could sense that.

"Anyway," he went on, "I noticed something nearby. A shinigami, actually a few of them. It's been a long time but I recognised them instantly. Mayuri has been ducking in and out of this world for a while now so that wasn't a surprise, but the other one...Well needless to say I fell off my chair."

Alice noticed there were no chairs in the shop.

"Rukia Kuchiki died. I felt that. I was terribly upset about that. I've had a fair share of customers in my time but she was my favourite. We were good friends so it was a terrible loss for me. That was why...When I felt her presence once again I just couldn't resist investigating. It's a good thing I did; she would have died a second time if I hadn't crossed your path."

"So you're the one who saved us? And you brought us back here..."

"Well it wasn't just me. I have my own little army here in my shop."

As if on cue several strangers entered the room through a sliding panel door at the far end. One was a giant of a man with thick muscles that bulged out of his shoddy staff uniform which had been torn in many places, no doubt from many hard battles. His eyes were hidden behind thick glasses and his smile concealed behind a thick beard but somehow Alice could feel him smiling if only slightly. Behind him, cowering behind his tree-trunk legs was a tiny girl. She must have only been around Karin's age but she appeared to be awfully weak. Unlike Karin, not all girls were made of steel. Her large eyes were moist with tears and a trembling line of a mouth seemed to shift between a forced smile and a frown.

"These are my comrades," Urahara beamed, pointing at them with his folded up fan, "This is Tessai and Ururu."

The two bowed politely and sat down away from the group as if they were afraid of Alice.

"Tessai over there managed to carry you all back without any troubles and Ururu was the one who wiped out the whole darn horde of those nasty monsters."

Alice raised her brows, "Her?" Even just looking over in her direction made the girl cower in fear.

"Oh yes! She may be very shy but she's a deadly shot! And besides, it doesn't matter how scared you are when you've got the weapons we have." Urahara waved his fan at the wall behind Alice which held a set of shelves holding all sorts of weapons. There were guns and swords and something big wrapped up in white cloth.

"We used to have a lot more but after so long we're beginning to run low on supplies. This is the last of our stock so unfortunately we will be forced to leave after a while." The eccentric store-owner seemed downhearted then but all Alice saw were guns blazing. After facing the undead scourge bare-handed Alice had never been more excited to see a weapons cache, especially one that big.

"So, who might you be young lady? I'm already familiar with your friends here, but I've never seen you before. You aren't Japanese are you?"

"American." Alice replied, "It all started there. I thought I could escape. Instead I brought it with me. Sorry about that..."

"Oh it was bound to happen. Diseases like that would have spread eventually anyway, but I doubt we could have prepared for it whether we had been warned or not. The apocalypse is inevitable, of course that isn't to say that we have to give in!"

Alice liked Urahara a lot more now.

"If you wouldn't mind...Could we fight with you?" she asked gently.

"Of course! The more hands on deck, the faster we can sail past the River Styx!"

Their conversation stopped abruptly when Rukia and Karin began to stir.

Mayuri approached the hall of the captain commander. A trail of blood left splattered stains behind him. He had dug his razor-sharp talons through his own flesh to appear wounded. He made sure none of his self-inflicted wounds looked like bite marks, for that would have been problematic. When he was satisfied he made his way to the hall, limping after intentionally dislocating his left knee-cap. He dragged the useless limb behind himself as he collapsed through the doors and tumbled into Ukitake's throne room.

The silver-haired commander looked down upon Mayuri with wide eyes, his jaw dropping in shock as he rushed towards him.

A remarkable performance. I will make sure to reward myself later...

"Captain Kurotsuchi! My god, what happened?" The gentle and kind warrior helped Mayuri into a seated position.

"T-Those damned ghouls..." Mayuri rasped, blood trickling down his chin. He had sliced the inside of his cheek just enough to fill his mouth with blood, for theatrical purposes of course. "They are getting smarter...We underestimated them..."

"No...We never even thought of this. How could the infection have mutated so?"

"Forgive me, captain commander...For not having an answer right now...But please...understand..."

"Of course, of course. Come now, Mayuri. You need help!" Ukitake tried to lead his companion to the helping hands of squad four but Mayuri held back.

"Please...I need to work on the cure!"

"What? But you didn't get any-"

"There were other survivors." Mayuri gasped, "I did not know they had been bitten...I brought them back. They turned on me, but I have them sealed away now. As sad as it may be...Those valiant soldiers...Their sacrifice must not be in vain! I can use them...To...To..."

"Very well, I understand but I cannot let you die when you are so close to the answer! You must go to the infirmary and-"

"Send someone...From fourth squad, to my quarters. They can treat me there...If you so insist." Mayuri stared at Ukitake with eyes burning with spirit and determination. He painted a magnificent facade of a man who refused to give in. Once again his hidden acting talents worked perfectly.

Ukitake rose to his feet, helping his friend up and then led him to the door where a guard stood by to take over. "Very well. I shall have them meet you in your quarters immediately. Just don't push yourself too hard doctor Kurotsuchi. I know we are all wishing for an answer to this horrible situation...But, we believe in you. I know you can bring an end to this nightmare! I know how hard you have been working and I don't want you to wear yourself out. Especially after facing such awful circumstances. Please just rest for a while."

Mayuri nodded weakly and limped away under the arms of two guards.

Ukitake watched him go with a grave expression. As strange as he was, Mayuri stood as Soul Society's only hope of ever finding a cure to the infection. The threat of losing such a brilliant scientist and ultimately their only hope for any future at all was terrifying to say the least.

But there was a ray of hope regardless of the grave situation. According to Mayuri, he had made a breakthrough. According to Mayuri, it was almost time...

Time to build a new world...