Summary: The preparations to rescue Nemu continue as she finally comes to her senses
Seven Days Ago
"So what have you found so far?" Tezcatlipoca asked.
"Almost everything taken from the woman is dangerous your holiness."
Ixtlilton was a young up and comer Tezcatlipoca was personally mentoring. He had been entrusted to find out just what all the mysterious substances they recovered from their captive did.
"So far, we've divided them into three categories. Will kill you right away, will kill you slowly and harmless." In the last category, there was only one container.
Tezcatlipoca picked up the container designated harmless. He opened the lid and looked inside.
"It looks like salt." He said.
"It is." Ixtlilton said.
"Why would she have salt stored in her body?" Tezcatlipoca asked
"I believe it was meant to be combined with one of the other substances. Maybe it made something more powerful or served to neutralize something. We'll try combining it to see what happens." Ixtlilton replied. "My biggest concern is how little we have to work with. Every experiment uses up a little more from very limited samples."
"I doubt we'll be able get you any more." Tezcatlipoca said. "You'll just have to be careful with what we've got. So what did you want to show me?'
"We think we know what this one is for."
Ixtlilton held up a container holding a purple looking substance.
"This is what happens with just one grain."
Picking a guinea pig up from a pen on the floor, he carefully fed it a bit of the purple substance with a small wooden paddle. Immediately, the animal began to shake. Ixtlilton put it on the floor. The animal's hair turned white, it rolled over on its side, twitched and stopped breathing.
"That's not all." Ixtlilton said.
As they watched, the animal started to fall in on itself. Soon, it crumbled into a pile of dust.
"This seems to accelerate aging." Ixtlilton said. "Years can pass in minutes. Now let me show you this one"
He picked up a bluish substance this time. Again, he fed a grain to a guinea pig. Tezcatlipoca watched as it continued to wiggle and twitch its nose.
"What's so unusual about this?" He asked.
"Watch." Ixtlilton said.
He threw the animal with all his strength. It shattered like glass landing in shards.
Tezcatlipoca didn't know what to think.
"What kind of people make such potions? Who would even think of such a thing? And why did they put them in her body?"
Ixtlilton didn't try to answer. He picked up the hard, glass like pieces of the guinea pig into a basket for disposal.
"We have several more to show you, your holiness."
Tezcatlipoca frowned. "If they're all like that, I'm not sure I want to see. I just ate breakfast."
Yesterday
Lunch had been as good as Renji had promised. They went back to the barracks afterward to allow Ichigo to pick up his reiatsu suppression coverall, AKA " the bunny suit". They were on their way to the training grounds when they were stopped.
"Hey, I was looking for you guys." Renji said. "Has everyone met Lieutenant Hinomori yet?"
The woman accompanying him didn't look old enough to be a lieutenant. She smiled pleasantly and shook everyone's hands.
"Hello, hello, pleased to meet you, please, call me Momo."
"Since all of you except Rukia here don't know how to suppress your reiatsu, it was decided it would be more beneficial for you to receive training than to participate in the exercise." Renji said.
"Momo here is one of the best at Kido outside of the actual Kido corps. If she can't teach you, no one can!"
"So you'll be training with us Renji?" Ichigo said.
"No, I'm not. Why do you ask?" Renji replied.
"C'mon Renji, everybody knows you're not too good in the Kido department." Ichigo said.
Renji began to turn red. "Well at least I can do Kido, hot shot. I don't see you doing better. You can't even do one spell!"
Ichigo smirked. "I don't need to do spells to kick your ass!"
"Wanna prove it?" Renji shot back.
Ichigo threw down the package containing his suit. "You're on tough guy!"
Lieutenant Hinomori moved between them. "Stop, please! We don't have time for this!"
"Honestly Kurosaki, can't you stay focused?" Ishida said.
"Will you grow up Ichigo! You too Renji!" Rukia added.
They both backed off under the hard stares of their disapproving nakama. Renji tried to regain his composure as befitting a Lieutenant of the 6th division.
"Anyway, you, Ishida and Chad will go with Lieutenant Hinomori for training. You will be guided during the mission to your position by experienced shinigami, like myself, so it's more important you learn skills all real shinigami know."
Ishida and Chad looked at each other. They could see those remarks were aimed squarely at Ichigo to emphasize his inexperience and took no offense.
"Reiatsu suppression, eh?" Ichigo said. "So that means I won't need this suit?"
"If you master the technique, your reiatsu will be undetectable." Momo replied.
"Cool." Ichigo said. "Rukia, can you do me a favor? Since I won't be training in this thing, can you take it back to the barracks?"
"Sure" Rukia replied. "It's not too far out of my way."
"OK then." He said picking up the package from the ground and handing it to her.
"I'll see you later. Shame we had to lug this thing all the way here for nothing."
Rukia had her suspicions but kept them to herself. Who knows? He might actually learn the technique.
"Please follow me gentlemen." Momo said as she led them to the 6th divisions training hall.
Rukia slowly walked away as the guys left with Momo. As soon as they were out of sight, she placed the package on the ground and knelt down beside it.
A bunny suit, eh? She thought. I'm sure he won't mind if I just take a quick peek at it.
She pulled all the components out of the bag and laid them out on the ground. What she saw was a khaki colored suit with boots, trousers, jacket, gloves and a hooded mask that covered the face.
Urahara was right, she thought. This doesn't look bunny-like at all!
Suddenly, she had an idea. She looked carefully to the left then to the right. There was still nobody around. She pulled her trusty sharpie marker out of her sleeve.
It may not look bunny-like now, she thought, but I can soon change that!
After several hours of training, Momo felt it was a good time to put them to the test. She stood in the center of the room and got a good fix on where the three men were standing. Visualizing their positions in her mind, she put on a blindfold.
"Now, just like I showed you, suppress your reiatsu as best you can."
She walked across the room to stand in front of Ishida. She concentrated to see if she could "see" his spirit energy.
"Very good Ishida-san. I can't tell you're there."
She turned and moved in front of Chad.
"Oh, Yatsutora-san, I see some leakage."
She placed her hands on his chest.
"Breath in deeply, breath out slowly,…that's it. Focus in your mind on a circle of perfect stillness. Yes, that's better."
She took a few steps back and concentrated.
"Perfect!" she said. "Keep practicing and soon, you won't even have to think about it."
She didn't need to remember where Ichigo was to move in front of him. His reiatsu shone so brightly it almost hurt.
"Alright Kurosaki-san, you can start whenever you're ready." She said.
"I already did." Ichigo said through clenched teeth.
"No, no." Momo said, "You have to relax in order to gain control."
"How can you control something if you're relaxed?" he asked.
"Just try." Momo replied. "Focus your mind on the image I described and relax your breathing."
Ichigo did try to do as she said, and for a few seconds, he seemed to be getting it. He still leaked like crazy, but the leakage was slowly, surely starting to fade. Then he tensed up again.
"I can't do it!" He said.
With that, he released all the energy he had tried to suppress. The sheer volume of reiatsu released caught Momo off guard. She felt faint and her knees buckled.
"Lieutenant!" Ishida shouted.
Before she could hit the ground, a huge hand was at her back supporting her. Chad could be surprisingly fast, and he kept her from falling as he gently pulled the blindfold away. She looked up to see his dark eyes filled with concern.
"Are you all right?' he said.
She could feel her cheeks heat up as she blushed.
"Ah, yes, I'm fine. I was just a little overwhelmed that's all." She got back on her feet. "Thank you for your help, Yatsutora-san,"
The clock on the wall began to sound the hour.
"Oh dear, that's all the time we have for today." Momo said. "I'm sorry Kurosaki-san. I'm sure you can learn the technique in time, but you will not be able to do so in time for tomorrow morning."
Ichigo sighed. "That's OK. At least I still have the suit."
Dinner had been huge, with a wide variety of dishes. Richiki acted as their personal manservant, bringing their food and drink and keeping the table tidy. He assured them they didn't eat like this every day. They only feasted before going off on big missions. For some, it would be the last meal they would ever eat.
Ishida thought about that as he lay on the bunk and tried to sleep. For some reason, he felt nervous. True he had been in dangerous situations many times before. He'd even spent days in preparation and training before assaulting Soul Society. That wasn't so odd. Why was this mission different? Just like rescuing Rukia and Orihime, he was going into a strange dimension facing ridiculous odds. This time, he even had support and back up. What was making him so nervous? After a while, he realized what it was. What was he going to say when he saw Nemu?
"Hi Nemu-san. Sorry I didn't try to contact you. How've you been?"
No, that sounded ridiculous. What would she say to him? Would she be glad to see him, or would she be angry he let her return to Soul Society without a struggle? Once again, he saw in his mind's eye her turning away and fleeing into the gate. He had just stood there. He really wasn't good at understanding women, not to mention Nemu was not like other women in the first place. Should he have tried to contact her? What did it mean since she didn't try to contact him? He decided he wasn't going to find any answers that night and to stop thinking about it and just concentrate on getting some rest. He did his best to shut out the snores of his temporary roommates and closed his eyes.
Seven Days Ago
The sound of movement roused her from sleep. She opened her eyes to see a ceiling carved from stone. Her hair was unbraided and lay on top of the blanket to either side of her head. Looking to her right, she saw a middle aged woman arranging a tray next to her bed.
"Ah, I figured you'd wake up about now." She said. "Care for some tea?"
"Where am I?" Nemu croaked. Her voice barely came out.
"Now, now dear, don't try to do too much at once. Here, drink your tea. You really had us worried. You were delirious for several days."
The woman held her head up and helped her drink. The tea was a weak brown color and had a slightly bitter taste.
"Oh where are my manners? I haven't introduced myself. I am Mayahuel, wife of Patecatl. Do you remember him? Slightly chubby fellow, has a red stripe down his face? I made him take a break when it was obvious your fever broke. You are in the city of Mictlan now. Do you know where that is?"
The name of their location meant nothing to Nemu, but she was able to piece things together as her memories came flooding back. She remembered leading a survey team and taking samples from the newly discovered dimension. She remembered being attacked and ordering a retreat. After that, she knew nothing. The woman standing over her didn't dress like the warriors who attacked her, but her features were the same. She was most likely in the city where her attackers lived.
"I don't know this place." She said.
"That's all right dear." Mayahuel said. "You'll get to know it soon enough. You will have servants and status and be in demand in the highest social circles."
Nemu rapidly began to feel stronger. The tea eased her thirst and she could feel her body growing more responsive.
"I am honored by your generosity." Nemu said "I would much rather go home."
"You remember your home?" Mayahuel said. "Do you also remember your name? The only thing we could get out of your men was 'lieutenant' "
Her men? So some of her people had been captured as well.
"Yes." Nemu said. "I am Lieutenant Kurotsuchi Nemu of the twelfth division of the Gotei 13. Bring me to my men and we will depart immediately."
Mayahuel gave a rueful laugh,
"Neither you nor your men are going anywhere your Lieutenantness. You were captured. The warriors who took you have already been awarded land and titles. You are soon to join the Emperor's household as his latest concubine."
That was an interesting point of data indeed.
"I don't recall asking to be a concubine." Nemu said. "Perhaps while I was delirious?"
Mayahuel laugh was more genuine this time.
"That's funny! Nobody can ask to be the Emperor's concubine. You have to be chosen. And as far as I'm concerned, we couldn't have chosen better."
She leaned back and looked Nemu over with a critical eye.
"True, you are a bit on the tall and skinny side, you're very pale and your face it a bit strange, but that's not important. What IS important is how strong you are. With the queen childless, we've been trying with every royal family we know. Every girl we chose before died."
"You killed them if they didn't produce an heir?" Nemu asked.
Mayahuel frowned.
"That's not funny." She said. "We would never do that. A barren girl would still live out her life in the palace. No, the girls all died because the child was simply too strong."
She looked away as she remembered the poor girls. She had been the midwife for all of them.
"When they were only half way through their pregnancies, each one of them miscarried. Nothing I could do could save the mother or the child. We buried each one with honor and many sacrifices."
"Sacrifices?" Nemu said. "What kind of sacrifices?"
"You know, "Mayahuel replied, "servants and handmaidens to serve her in the afterlife. Don't you know about that?"
Nemu felt well enough to prop herself up on her elbows. She reached over and picked up the cup of tea.
"My people have different customs." Nemu said. "We don't sacrifice anyone."
She drank some more. In a few more minutes, she felt she may be able to stand.
"Hmm. Strange people" Mayahuel said. "It doesn't matter. You belong to us now. It's not so bad. I was captured myself as a young girl. I expect I would be working the fields right now if it hadn't been for Patecatl. He took one look at me and offered the warrior who captured me everything he had to get me. He didn't have much, but he gave it all and served that warrior for a year besides. In time, I forgot about my old life and came to love being with him. I've borne him four sons. They're all grown up now, but I remember the happiest days of my life watching them running around. Sometimes it seemed like we had four hundred! You'll see your Lieutenantness, this will soon be your new home too."
"You may call me Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, or simply Lieutenant." Nemu said. "Again, I am flattered by your offer, but I must refuse. I will not be the Emperor's concubine and I will not bear any children."
Mayahuel looked shocked "Of course you will dear! I examined you myself. You have excellent hips for children. In fact, you should be fertile right about the time we conduct the ceremony. It wouldn't be hard at all for you to get pregnant the very first time! And being in an 'untouched' state is definitely a plus."
Untouched? Nemu thought. She supposed it made sense they had examined her while she was out, but a sense of violation was building up inside. Lifting up her blanket, she could see she was naked underneath it.
Mayahuel continued. "As for refusing the emperor, that's not for you to decide. You will join his household. It's already been decided. You have no choice."
With great effort, Nemu sat up and put her feet on the floor.
"You are wrong." She said. "I do have a choice."
She stood up and wrapped the blanket around her torso in a makeshift sarong.
"I choose to leave."
As best she could without a comb, she braided her hair. She knew that she was extremely weak. Attempting to escape would burn up what little reserves she had. She also knew this was probably going to be her best chance before they knew what she could do. Finishing her hair, she gave a challenging stare to the older woman.
"Do you believe you can stop me?"
Mayahuel snorted. "Not me." She said.
Nemu concentrated, pulling up all of her strength in preparation to run. The technique was dangerous and only used in emergencies as it would drain all her energy to allow her to operate normally. It would punish her body and only last a short while. Opening the door, her eyes were level with a rather large man's chest.
With a laugh, Mayahuel continued, "He might!"
Nemu slowly looked up, seeing a warrior's fierce painted face grinning down at her. She tilted her head.
After several days of worrying, Tezcatlipoca felt relieved. Patecatl had told him before going home that their prisoners fever was gone and she should wake up today. He walked down the hall towards her room looking forward to seeing the young woman better. He turned the corner just in time to see a body fly out the door. The hall actually shook as a huge warrior bounced off the wall in front of him. The big man groaned in pain as he lay in a tangled heap on the floor. Stalking out of the room, wearing what appeared to be a blanket, the Lieutenant looked to the left and right scanning for threats. She quickly spotted him. With a glare, she flickered and disappeared.
Well. That was something you didn't see every day. Tezcatlipoca thought.
He pulled his obsidian mirror out of its pouch and muttered an incantation over it. The surface swirled and glowed, showing him a large green dot. The dot represented the lieutenant's location. It was moving very rapidly. What an interesting technique. It must eat up power like crazy. Watching the pattern, he could see she was not trying to find an exit. She was moving in a clockwise circle, searching every room and tunnel. He realized she must be looking for her men. It seemed to fit. Her people sent a rescue team for her, it only made sense she would try to save her warriors. Finally, the green dot stopped. Ah, he thought. She hit a dead end. He pulled a small green stone out of a pocket in his cape. He sighed. Making these was a real chore and it was his last one. He held the stone up above his head and spoke the activation word. In a flash, he was gone.
Nemu paused facing a blank wall. She was breathing hard. If she had run for an exit, she could have been miles away by now. She couldn't do that. Several twelfth division members had been captured with her. She couldn't leave without them. She knew her father would have abandoned them without a second thought. Shinigami with no skills in the sciences were less than ants in his opinion, identical, interchangeable and expendable. More and more, she realized she was not like her father. Even before the horrifying dreams had shown her the consequences of her actions, she had started to believe there was something wrong with the things her father made her do. Now she could see things with greater clarity. She knew her father was wrong in the values he wanted her to share with him. People were important. All lives have value. She would not abandon her men. With her knees shaking, she realized she was using up her strength too quickly. She needed to think and plan her moves carefully until she fully recovered. She would not get that time. If she was lucky, she would be able to act for about another fifteen minutes.
Suddenly, there was a strange noise behind her, followed by two strong hands grabbing her by the wrists and forcing them behind her back.
"Glad to see you're feeling better lieutenant." A man said, "You shouldn't overdo it though. Let me take you back to your room."
She was not about to let that happen.
"I am Lieutenant Kurotsuchi Nemu of the twelfth division of the Gotei 13. You will let me go!"
Holding the lieutenant, he could see she was panting and sweating freely. As he suspected, the technique she used wore her out. That was good. It would make her easier to handle. It had been a long time since Tezcatlipoca had been a warrior. He knew he was nowhere near as strong and as fast as he used to be, but he liked to think he still able to take care of himself. Holding the Lieutenant's wrists behind her back he was sure he could keep her still until help showed up. To his astonishment, she began to move her arms, straining against his grip. Slowly, though he strained mightily, she moved her hands from behind her back to her sides.
She's powering out? He thought. But how?
Before he knew what was happening, she sort of twisted her body and he went flying against the wall at the end of the tunnel. In his youth, he would have sprung to his feet in an instant like his jaguar totem. Now, it took a bit longer and he only managed to get to his knees. He looked up to see the young woman's back as she walked out of the tunnel. At least she hadn't tried that rapid movement technique again. He held up his mirror.
"Sorry to have to do this to you lieutenant." He said.
Speaking a long, guttural, ominous incantation, a cloud of smoke spilled forth from the mirror. Quickly, it wrapped itself around the woman, causing her to freeze in her tracks. It grew thicker and darker, squeezing in on her from all sides. Her world became enveloped in agony and darkness. Tezcatlipoca held the spell on her for several minutes until he was sure she had enough. He recalled the smoke into his mirror, expecting her to slump to the ground unconscious. He would get help and have them carry her back to her room. To his surprise, she was still on her feet. She straightened up, then turned around to face him. She did not look happy. He looked at his mirror, then back at her.
"Funny," he said, "That usually works."
She was walking towards him in a very deliberate fashion. He figured she wasn't going to let him have another shot. The look in her eyes was blood chilling. Fortunately, at that moment, a huge warrior tacked her from behind, knocking her to the ground. Another landed on top of her, then another. Soon she was struggling under a pile of strong, trained and, most importantly, heavy warriors. He got to his feet, found his walking stick and went to stand over the young woman who still glared at him.
"Oh yes." He said, "She's definitely the one we want."