Chapter 17: Reprimand
"What the hell is wrong with you Tora-chan? Going against orders, even if I haven't told you what Ulqouirra has told us, isn't right. What the hell were you thinking?" Madoka screamed as she stood next to Aizen as he stared down at the female arrancar.
Tora bowed farther until she was ready to touch the floor. She wouldn't cry just yet even if she knew she had a right to. She never saw Madoka like this before and it scared her.
"I think I know what she tried to do. You were just showing how loyal you are even if you froze up at the end. Am I right Tora?" Aizen questioned as he watched the arrancar look up at him quickly. Seeing the fear that was set in her eyes, he smiled a little more. "Am I?"
"Yes Aizen-sama." She said, wanting it to fall into a whisper. Looking at her master, seeing the anger that was causing the dark blue orbs to harden, she flinched away. It made her wonder if she was all right to be Madoka's subordinate. Closing her eyes, trying to not feel the glare that was pointed at her, Tora opened them to stare at her masters once more.
It hurt to think that Madoka was angry at her for something that was happening. "May I go Aizen-sama?"
"Yes. Next time you do something like this then do it when I assign a team. I'll make sure you'll be put in a group next time if you want." The brunette haired ex captain commented as he watched her rise from where she was kneeling. Seeing the fear still lodged in the green eyes, he continued to smile. Glancing over at the female shinigami next to him, seeing the glare in her own orbs, he knew why the arrancar was scared.
"Thank you for the consideration but that won't be necessary Aizen-sama." Tora thanked and started out of the room that was filled with tension. She wanted to run out but she had to look like she had control over herself. Once the door was shut behind her, she started to sprint to her room. The more distance she put between her and her master, then she'll be happy. It scared her to even think back to how Madoka was looking.
"Baka! I'm such a baka for thinking that she would be proud of something that was so stupid and careless. I tried, isn't that good enough? Trying is good enough instead of just sitting back and not experiencing something." Tora tried to convince herself as she threw open her bedroom door and slammed it shut once she was inside. "Maybe it's the fact that Grimmjow led the team without Aizen's approval? That has to be it. She doesn't like him, I know she doesn't."
Grabbing a hold of a cushion to a chair, she threw it at a wall like a teenager that didn't get what she wanted to do. Closing her eyes as she shook her head, the female arrancar fell into the chair that she emptied. Burying her face in her hands, feeling the wetness that was coming from her eyes, she knew that she was lost. "I shouldn't be Madoka-hime's subordinate. She hates me too much to even consider me a friend."
Flashes of how they met ran through her mind but that was it. She buried her face deeper in her hands, trying to forget everything that was going on. The sooner it was in the back of her mind, the sooner she can act like there was nothing wrong. Everything would seem okay to her instead of making her cry when she shouldn't.
Getting up from where she sat, she strolled over to her circular bed and dove into the softness. Closing her eyes as she grabbed a pillow and stuck it under her head, Tora's body stayed still as if she was already asleep. The sooner she fell into a slumber, the better.
"Damn you Grimmjow. Why did you ask me to tag along if I was just going to get in trouble by everyone? Luckily Tôsen wasn't here then he would definitely do something. Probably kill me since Madoka-hime hates me now. I hate you." She grumbled to herself as she rolled over with her face facing away from the door. It was better in case Madoka came in to yell at her again. Even though the curtain was around the unusual bed, it wouldn't stop the female shinigami from doing what she wanted to do.
If she had the chance then the long-haired arrancar would lock herself up in her room for the rest of time. It would seem better since she wouldn't anger anyone. The next time she did see the espada, if she didn't stay in her room for the rest of her life, then she'll give him an earful. That would probably lead to another fight that hasn't happened in a long time but it would be better than feeling like crap.
Opening her eyes, the feline woman stared at her bare wall. Blinking, her mind tried to remind her that Madoka was quick tempered at times but this was a new side of her. She rarely got yelled at by her master because of something she done. "Fuck."
Burying her face into the pillow she had a hold of, the brunette haired woman closed her eyes so she could shut the world off. It would be better if she was asleep for the rest of time.
She woke whenever she did, making the female look around her room. Like every other room or building, you couldn't tell if it was day or night. Her gaze was glazed over by sleep that was still in her eyes. Rubbing it out of her verde eyes, Tora rose until she was sitting on the circular object.
Getting out of bed, the brunette haired woman that wasn't human started across the room. Looking around once more, noticing that the pillow that was in the chair was still on the floor told her that no one had entered the room. That also meant that Madoka was still pissed at her for what she had done.
Stepping out and not noticing her master's spirit energy, she started out around the hall. She wanted to get outside. It seemed perfect since it was peaceful out there most of the time unless you ran into a hollow or another arrancar. Mostly Nnoitora liked to lurk around there since he wanted to rise in rank. Rolling her eyes at the thought of the man, she opened the door that would take her out to her paradise.
It was dark but the light of the moon gave her enough light to see where she was going. Some days there was a gust but that night there wasn't one that would toss her hair. It made her wonder if she was the only one out in the moonlight. If she was then it was fine even if it hurt a bit. Having company from someone other than someone she knew meant that they didn't know what happened to her.
The need to be herself without constriction made her wonder if it was true for her to be an arrancar. Being an adjucha almost seemed fitting since she wasn't worrying about pleasing anyone. She just pleased herself. Closing her verde eyes off from anyone's sight, the arrancar that stood in the sand grasped her sword's hilt.
Opening her eyes to glance down at her blade, she smiled a little. It reminded her of what she truly was. She – like the others – was just monsters that wanted to eat everyone else for more power. Squeezing the brown hilt that reminded her what the female arrancar used to look like, she smiled a little. Memories of whom she used to be flashed in her mind. "If only the good days could come back to me."
The thoughts of being an adjucha echoed in her subconscious, telling her that she could return to it when she went to her resurrección. The idea of being freer, even if she didn't have that much power, enticed her.
Running her hand across the blade that could cut flesh if she willed it to, the thoughts echoed in her mind. Gritting her teeth, Tora gripped the hilt tighter and placed the tip of her fingers on the side of the blade. That feeling of energy welling up inside her, binding together until it was just a ball made the feeling of excitement hit her. Glancing down at the blade again, wondering if this was what she truly wanted, the feline arrancar nodded. It was. She wanted this to happen
"Merodear Tigre!"
That surge of power hit her, causing her body to change from the humanoid look it had. Feeling her teeth sharper into something that could cut flesh, she smiled. Everything about it made her body ache in the new power that was so old but new to her. Her hair shortened until it rested on her shoulders with two ears resting on her head. The whites of her eyes were gone with her irises shown by the green color that dominated her entire eye.
Whisker like marks stretched across her cheeks as her tail that was brunette with orange stripes in it flickered in impatience. Her bottom was a short skirt that was in the same color as her tail with a patch on the front that was in white. The ivory shade trailed up from her bottom, onto her stomach, and her top that was in almost a corset fashion. Almost everything screamed power along with feline of some sort.
Feeling the sand in between her toes, it made the feline arrancar sigh out in contentment. Her senses were almost heightened to what they used to be before she was turned into whom she was then. Purring out in content, the rumbling that it was coming from her chest was almost foreign to her. "How I missed being like this."
As the brunette haired woman that was in her resurrección form walked around in the darkness that was known as night, she smiled to herself. It felt so weird to be in the form that closely resembled her adjucha form but at the same time it felt so right.
Leaning against one of the dead trees that were around the area, her eyes closed. "If I could, I would run. Run until I couldn't run anymore, until I collapse from exhaustion. Maybe then I'll understand how I came to be who I am with Madoka-hime's help."
Opening her verde eyes with her pupils wide like a cat's at night, she continued to wander the area that was deserted from any life. The feeling of being free was ended by the feeling of being in trouble again. As she remembered how Madoka treated her that day for doing what she done, it made her hiss in agony.
"Why worry?" Tora asked herself. Blinking, she clawed at the tree that was closest. Why worry about what Madoka wanted, the feline arrancar thought as she tossed her head in annoyance. "Dammit."
Closing her eyes, she wanted to forget what happened that day. That's all she wanted to do. Enjoy the night that was seldom quiet since there were others that wandered around at night since most arrancar – including the espada – was asleep. Tilting her head up, enjoying the kiss of the night rays that were from the moon, she smiled until something crossed her back, making it scream out in pain.
I know that tigers have round pupils but I thought it would be cool and different if she didn't have round. And I ended it in a cliffy since I wanted to and I'm tired. At least I got another chapter done. It's better then nothing. *sighs* I want some chex mix muddy buddies or whatever they're called. Please review.