Tia walks the hall of the Fifth Division in silence. Six months have passed in a blur of activity and it's taken that long to return each Division to full strength. With the final batch of recruits having come in only a few weeks earlier. The Shark Queen passes several members of the Division, who greet her cheerfully and bow respectfully as she passes. She favors them with a 'Good afternoon' as she heads in the direction of the office.
She approaches the door and slides it open. "Daisuke-" begins Tia, only to stop when she notices he is not behind his desk as she thought he would be. Tia cannot sense his Spiritual Pressure either and turns away from the empty room to face the approaching Kouta. She senses him clear as day after all. "Kouta." He bows respectfully to the Shark Queen.
"Lieutenant Harribel, good afternoon," speaks Kouta.
"Yes. Have you seen Daisuke?"
"No. I haven't seen Captain Arata today, Lieutenant. Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing like that." She glances back into the empty office at the stack of papers upon his desk and then in the direction of Ren, who she had also sensed. The brunette approaches slowly before coming to a stop a few feet away. "Ren...have you seen Daisuke?"
"Arata?" asks Ren. "Yeah, that annoying bastard was headin' deeper into the Rukon last time I saw him. He had a bouquet of flowers in his hand..." Tia narrows her sea-green in response and takes only a single step in that direction before stopping.
"What were you doing in the Rukon, Ren?"
"That's none of your business."
"Finish your Division duties." He scoffs in response and crosses his arms.
"Fuck that! If you're pissed off at Arata then I'm gonna go along with you, Harribel. No way I'm gonna miss a chance to watch him get-" The Shark Queen's fixes him with a cold glare that leaves no room for argument and causes Kouta to shudder in fear.
"Finish your Division duties...now," repeats Tia. A cold bead of sweat winds it way down the back of Ren's neck. If it were Arata he would have most definitely argued with him...but in this case, self-preservation wins out over his temper and he snorts.
"Fine." She disappears with a Sonido far faster then either of them can follow, a burst of static accompanying the move. After a few moments Ren turns in the direction he had come from and starts walking.
"Where are you going, Ren?" asks Kouta.
"To the Rukon. If Harribel is gonna hand that bastard Arata a beating then I wanna see it!" Kouta watches him walk off while remaining silent for a few moments before rushing after him.
"Hey, I'm coming, too...!"
The calling of the cicadas...the chipping of the birds...the cloudless, azure sky...it's a beautiful summer day. In fact, it's too beautiful of a day for such a sad task as this. But such things are lost on the young Captain, as he very slowly ascends the hill in front of him. A massive tree, which over looks the 80th Rukon is perfected at the top, offering shade from the noon heat and a grand view besides.
'Boy...what are you doing here, again?' questions Tenshi. Daisuke is silent in response to her words. 'We left this part of our life behind...stop torturing yourself.' Still he remains silent as the make-shift grave comes into view. It's nothing more then a pile of rocks...and it lacks the remains of Hayate. He hadn't found any, after all. Eventually, he reaches the top of the hill and stands beside the grave.
"I...brought some flowers, Hayate," speaks Daisuke, bending to lean them against the large stone at the head of the grave. When he leans up he releases a small sigh and then glances over at the Shark Queen. She hadn't made a single sound in approaching the young Captain and he chuckles a bit. "Any reason in particular you choose to follow me?"
"I was curious," replies Tia simply. "Six months working with you and you've never once left the Division in the middle of the day."
"I guess I'm becoming too predictable. Hard to believe my mentor is a former member of the Stealth Force..." Tia crosses her arms and nods, having met Kisuke again only a few weeks ago when he and Yoruichi had returned to the Soul Society. From what she can gather it is the first time he's been back in over a century, and a celebration ensued. Naturally, it had ended with Kisuke, Yoruichi, Jushiro, Shunsui and Daisuke completely drunk.
"I remember." The Shark Queen motions towards the grave and the flowers. "Is this...his grave?"
Daisuke nods in the affirmative. "There was nothing to bury but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do at least this much," explains Daisuke. "After all happened, I owed it to him.
So, I come here every year to pay my respects."
"Today is the anniversary."
"Yes."
Again Tia is silent before sighing. "Well...I'm sure you know but Ren and Kouta are following us." The young Captain nods. "I had hoped that Ren would actually listen to common sense and begin his Division duties." The Shark Queen glances back. "Come out."
"I told you, Ren!" exclaims Kouta.
"Fuck off!" retorts Ren, as the two of them approach. "What in the hell you doin' all the way out here, Arata?" With no response in forth-coming from Daisuke, Ren growls a bit in response. "I asked you a question! Don't ignore me!"
"Now is not a good time, Ren," replies Daisuke simply.
"Huh...the fuck is yer problem?"
"Return to the Fifth Division, Ren. Now," speaks Tia, again fixing him with a glare cold enough to freeze Hell over. Both Ren and Kouta beat a hasty retreat moments later and the young Captain chuckles a bit in response.
"That would have put Unohana to shame," remarks Daisuke. Neither speaks for several long minutes as Tia allows Daisuke to silently pay his respects. A sigh finally escapes him and he turns away from the grave.
"Are you alright, Daisuke?"
"Yeah. Just saying my final goodbye, Tia."
"Final?"
"Yes. This is the final time I'm going to visit the grave. I thought I would bring flowers this time." He pauses for a moment and then smiles at the Shark Queen. "Come on. Let's go back."
"Yeah..."
A cool wind blows across the Seireitei, carrying the gentle scent of the summer night with it. Fireflies flit this way and that in a beautiful dance that illuminates the garden in front of the young Captain. All in all, he appears completely defenseless and blind to the world around him...except he knows that he is being approached. "Shouldn't you be in bed like the rest of the Division?" asks Tia, approaching slowly.
"Probably," admits Daisuke. "But it's been such a long time since I just watched the fireflies that I just couldn't resist the opportunity. What about you?" The Shark Queen glances over at the garden and fireflies. "Come to enjoy the fireflies like me?"
"Maybe." Tia sits down beside him. Much like the young Captain, Tia is dressed in a light sleeping yukata in response to summer heat. "There's nothing even close to this in Hueco Mundo, you know."
"Really?"
"It's always the same in Hueco Mundo, Daisuke. Not like here..." Tia raises one hand and watches as a firefly floats over and lands on the tip of her index finger. "...things change so often here in the Soul Society. The seasons...the weather changes. It doesn't seem like things stay the same for long." Daisuke chuckles a bit in response.
"Finding yourself overwhelmed, Tia?"
"Hardly. I'm just saying that it's interesting, that's all. Much more so then in Hueco Mundo." The firefly flits away and Tia gently leans against Daisuke, lowering her hand as she does so. "It's been rather peaceful lately, hasn't it?"
"Yeah." The young Captain glances over at Tia and then chuckles a bit. He captures her hand in his and raises it to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles as he does so. "What's wrong? Worried about getting soft?"
"Hardly," scoffs Tia. "It's take more then a few months of peace to make me lose my edge."
"Then enjoy it, Tia. I know I am."
"I'm sure." Neither of them speak for the longest time before Daisuke sighs.
"So...seasons never change, it's always night and kinda cold in Hueco Mundo...sounds really boring. What did you do for fun, exactly?"
"I read."
"That's all?"
"What else would I do, Daisuke? I told you before that I didn't like the other members of the Espada...well, I didn't really like or dislike Starrk because he spent most of his time sleeping." Daisuke nods in understanding.
"Sounds fun."
"You asked."
"Yes. Yes, I did." Tia crosses her arms and slowly lifts her head to gaze up at the low hanging moon. "Tia...have you noticed Ren acting a little strange, lately?" The Shark Queen glances over at him.
"You'll have to be more specific." Daisuke simply grins in response. "In a manner of speaking, yes. I do find it rather strange that he hasn't been in any fights lately. Must have something to do with the company he's been keeping lately."
"Well, Shunsui is a very good teacher...it's just getting him motivated to teach you something that can be a problem. Like Kisuke, Shunsui does things in his own time." She actually chuckles and Daisuke arches a brow, a smile appearing on his face. "What's this? A chuckle? Someone is in a good mood."
"I don't know. Maybe...or maybe I am getting soft, Daisuke."
"I wouldn't say that. I'd say that you're finally starting to loosen up. Now if only I could get you to make a joke." The Shark Queen levels a glare on the young Captain and he holds up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Now, now...no need to get so worked up, I was only kidding." After several moments she looks away and then stands. Daisuke follows her movements, watching as she heads towards the end of the hall.
The Shark Queen stops before rounding the corner. "This is your last chance..."
"Last chance...?"
"To tuck me in, I mean. I don't extend this offer to just anyone, Daisuke," Tia tells him. She glances back at him, mischief sparkling in her sea-green eyes before she disappears around the corner.
"No...I'm sure you don't." Daisuke stands, picking up Tenshi as he does so and follows quickly...
Moonlight splashes onto the floor of room, illuminating a head of blond hair and tangled sheets for only a moment before it's closed. The young Captain rolls his shoulders and tip-toes away from the room so as not to wake the sleeping Shark Queen. As soon as he's a safe distance away he walks calmly back towards his own room. Daisuke rounds a corner and comes to a stop as he finds Ren and Kouta enjoying the fireflies.
It takes several moments for them to notice him standing but Kouta turns and bows. "Captain-" begins Kouta, only to be cut off as Daisuke raises a hand and presses a finger to his lips. Kouta nods in understanding and Daisuke approaches the two of them.
"Enjoying the fire-flies?" asks Daisuke.
"Yes, Captain Arata." He sits down beside the two of them, resting the white tsuka of Tenshi against his neck and lightly gripping the black saya. The young Captain glances at the two of them out of the corner of his eye. They'd come so far in six months that it is almost hard for him to believe that they are the same two they used to be. And considering Ren's exceptional skill in Zanjutsu and Kouta's in Kido, they're quite the team.
It's something that's seen him send the two of them on missions usually reserved only for more experienced Seated Officers. Ren glances over at Daisuke and then snorts. "What, Arata?" asks Ren.
"I heard that you've been training with Captain Kyoraku," speaks Daisuke.
"I had a feeling he told you. What of it?"
"Nothing. Just glad to see that you're making friends, that's all." Sensing a faint Spiritual Pressure around the garden, Daisuke shifts his eyes in its direction. 'Stealth Force?' Daisuke asks himself silently. 'Is that Lieutenant Omaeda? What in the hell is he doing here?' He expands his senses but can sense no other members or otherwise they are well hidden and escape him. The young Captain taps a finger against the glossy saya of Tenshi as he focuses discreetly on the man hiding in the shadows. 'Hmm...what should I do?'
"Is everything alright, Captain Arata?" asks Kouta. "You seem preoccupied."
"Yes, everything is fine, Kouta. You two should head on to the barracks before it gets too late." Kouta and Ren stand a moment later and head in the direction of the barracks without any complaints. He waits until their Spiritual Pressure moves further and further away and then sighs heavily, closing his eyes as he does so.
'So he's following Ren and Kouta. Interesting.' Daisuke taps his finger against Tenshi's saya again before slowly standing. 'Guess I should go wake Tia. She is going to be pissed...'
'Aw, man,' complains Marechiyo silently as he approaches the arch of the roof. 'How come Captain Soifon sent me to do this? That Espada hates my guts...and Captain Arata is a close second. If either of them finds me here...' A cold sweat breaks out across the Lieutenant as he imagines what may happen to him if he's found out. Hearing a soft noise behind him he freezes and slowly turns...to gaze across and empty roof-top. "...Whew. For a second I thought-"
He turns and strikes the tiles flat on his back only seconds later. He stares wide-eyed up past an orange blade covering the black saya of the young Captain's Zanpakuto. Beyond him stands the Shark Queen, gazing down her nose at the now shaking Lieutenant as though he's little more then an insect.
"Care to explain why you're following Ren and Kouta?" questions Daisuke. When no response is forth-coming he lowers the blade closer. "Quickly, now. We are not patient people."
"I-I-I was ordered to!" admits Marechiyo.
"By who?" asks Tia, crossing her arms as she continues to stare down at him. Sensing a presence rapidly approaching, Tia turns to face the person and then narrows her eyes at the arrival of Shunsui.
"Whoa, there, Daisuke," speaks Shunsui, causing the young Captain to glance back. "There's no need to go torturing, uh...uh..."
"Omaeda! Lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda!" exclaims Marechiyo.
"That's it! Don't torture him, I'll tell you everything." The blade disappears and Daisuke stands, turning his back on the large Lieutenant as he faces Shunsui with the Shark Queen.
"What's going on?" demands Tia. "Obviously...you were expecting this fool to get himself caught.
"Well...I have to say that I was hoping. That way I would be able to tell you everything without feeling guilty. Lucky for me he did get himself caught." The Shark Queen glances back at him and then back to Shunsui.
"Tell is what, Shunsui?" presses Daisuke. "Why is Omaeda following Ren and Kouta."
"No...not Kouta. Just Ren. Come with me. The Head Captain will want to speak with you while Lieutenant...uh..."
"Omaeda!" cries Marechiyo.
"Sorry, sorry. If it's a man's name, I have trouble remembering." Daisuke smirks in response to Shunsui's rather obvious lie but Marechiyo seems to accept it as truth. "Anyway, old man Yama is definitely going to want to talk with you about this while Lieutenant Omaeda informs Captain Soifon of his failure."
"Talk about what, exactly?" questions the Shark Queen.
"I can't tell you here, sorry. You'll just have to come with me, Miss Harribel." The two exchange glances and then nod in agreement. "Good! Then let's-"
"How about a minute to get ourselves dressed, Kyoraku."
"Oh...yeah, that would probably be a good idea..."
The Shark Queen and the young Captain follow Shunsui in silence through the halls of the First Division. Even if he hadn't told them that the Head Captain would want to speak with them they would know where they are headed. A final turn finds them approaching the doors of his office and as before Shunsui doesn't even knock before pushing the doors open. Yamamoto slowly glances up from the paperwork on his desk at the three of them.
"Hm?" grunts Yamamoto. "What is the meaning of this, Shunsui?"
"Ahh, well, you see Lieutenant Omaeda ended up getting himself caught by Daisuke here," Shunsui tells him. "And he started asking questions so I figured I would bring him to you for answers, old man Yama."
"Head Captain," speaks Daisuke. "Why is the Stealth Force targeting Ren Kazuki?"
"More importantly, why weren't we informed that he was being tailed?" Tia asks him. "He is a member of our Division, after all. When did this begin?" Shunsui glances over at Yamamoto who nods slowly and Shunsui sighs a bit.
"I'm sure you know that for the past six months I've been working with him," replies Shunsui. "And they began watching him four months ago."
"Why?" presses the young Captain.
"Well...I suppose it's because he reminds everyone so much of his father." Tia and Daisuke narrow their eyes in confusion. "Perhaps I should be a bit more clear. Ren Kazuki is actually Ren Aizen."
"Ren...is Aizen's son? How...?" Shunsui smiles a bit and Daisuke shakes his head. "I mean, how do you know that for certain, Shunsui?"
"I've spent six long months running down his past as well as his blood-line. It took a little work but I managed to get a sample of Ren's blood and then had Mayuri compare it to a sample of Aizen's that he collected in the Fake Karakura Town."
"It was a match," asserts Tia.
"Beyond a shadow of a doubt Ren is Aizen's direct blood descendant...his own son." Shunsui glances over at Yamamoto and then back before sighing again. "Now that you know I'm sure you under why I couldn't just come out and tell either of you."
"Does he know?"
"I questioned him about his parents and he told me that he never knew either of them. So in all probability, he has no idea that Aizen is...was his father."
"Then why have the Stealth Force tail him?"
"Orders," calls a voice to their right. They look over at the approach of Soifon. The tiny Captain comes to a stop a few feet away from them. "Orders from Central Fourty-Six are to keep an eye on Aizen's child."
"Why?"
"Prevention," Daisuke tells Tia. "Central Fourty-Six means to hide the truth from Ren and everyone else in the Soul Society. And the Stealth Force is there to make sure that he doesn't uncover the truth...or eliminate him if it appears he means to follow in father's footsteps. Am I right, Head Captain Yamamoto?" The ancient Captain turns his gaze to the young Captain.
"Yes," replies Yamamoto. "I have ordered the Stealth Force to keep him under surveillance."
"I'll do it, instead...and so will Tia. We'll look after him." Yamamoto opens a single eye slightly wider as he gazes at the Shark Queen and young Captain. "I'm his Captain. So, I'll handle it."
"That's not your decision to make, Arata," Soifon tells him.
"And not yours, either, Soifon," counters Tia. "Ren Kazuki is a member of the Fifth Division and solely our responsibility. If you consider that the only times we're not in contact with him is when he is training with Kyoraku then it is far easier is for us to look after him. Furthermore, if he were to discover that he is being shadowed by the Stealth Force how would he react? It might serve to spark his curiosity as to what makes him so special."
"She has a point, old man Yama," agrees Shunsui. "Ren has grown rather close to the two of them since he came to the Seireitei. It'll also be easier for them to notice any strange behavior because they're around him constantly."
"You can lie to him?" questions Yamamoto.
"Head Captain?" asks Daisuke.
"I am well aware that over the past six months both of you have become rather close to Ren Kazuki. And now that you have acquired his trust...you are willing to betray it so easily and lie to the boy?"
"It's not lying if he doesn't ask the questions to begin with, Head Captain," reasons the young Captain. "And anyway Ren isn't the kind of person to ask others for help in personal matters no matter how close he is or isn't to someone."
"He's too proud," adds Tia. "All we have to do is make sure that he doesn't go snooping in Mayuri's lab which should be easy enough considering he can't stand that painted freak of a Captain." Shunsui and Daisuke grin in response.
"I second that." The Head Captain remains silent for the longest time before slowly nodding.
"Very well," Yamamoto tells them. "Ren Kazuki will be left to those closest to him to deal with as they see fit while the Stealth Force remains on stand-by. If it appears as though he means to follow in his father footsteps...he will be eliminated. You are dismissed..."
Both walk in silence with the words of the Head Captain still in front of their minds. The Shark Queen comes to a sudden stop in front of the stairs to the Fifth Division and Daisuke glances back at her. "Is something wrong, Tia?" Daisuke asks her.
"Why did you volunteer us for this, Daisuke?" Tia counters. "It's none of our concern."
"It became our concern when Ren became a member of the Fifth Division. Now...I understand what he did to you. But you're not going to allow his actions to color your opinion of Ren, are you?"
"The sins of the father do not reflect upon son in my opinion. But that's not what I meant." Tia crosses her arms slowly, gazing up the staircase at him. "Over the past six months you've become close to Ren. Closer then you are to Jushiro and Shunsui. The hour he spends with Shunsui is nothing compared to the hours you've spent with Ren and Kouta on the training grounds."
"Tia..."
"You've taught him...guided him...bonded with him and been there to watch him triumph in combat against regular Hollows and even Menos. You've experienced the pride only a mentor can feel, the same pride your own mentor, Urahara, felt watching you grow strong."
"Is there a point to this?"
"Could you do it?" Daisuke slowly turns away from the piercing eyes of the Shark Queen; eyes that see through him with such ease. "If you had to...could you kill Ren? If he began to walk that path could you take his life?"
"It won't come to that."
"And if it should? Then what?" presses the Shark Queen. "If it came down to it would you be able to kill Ren to save the Soul Society?"
Daisuke balls his hands into fists and then lifts his head to stare at the moon. "Taking the life of your disciple...seeing what they've twisted into...that is a pain...a torture reserved only for a mentor. One that I accept may be visited upon me if I fail Ren like I failed Hayate." He glances back at the Shark Queen. "So...I will do whatever I have to do to ensure he doesn't follow in his footsteps."
"And if you should fail?"
"If it comes to that...then, I'll do what I have to do, Tia." The Shark Queen nods and begins up the stairs to the Fifth Division. She passes Daisuke by only a few steps before she stops again.
"If you can't do what has to be done...then I will, Daisuke. Rest assured." It's the young Captain's turn to nod and then follows her up the stairs as well...