Would You Love Me If You Knew What I was?
Chapter Thirteen: Baka Neko
Jeez...Thirteen already? Damn. Oh, and this is a CRAZY long chapter so don't expect the next one to be long. -sigh- I have no idea how I got this out with school...
Listening to: Bolero del Fuego
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Bleach. However, I do have my boyfriends PS3 hostage! :P
BF(hell no I'm not puttin his name!): Give me back my PS3!!
Mana: That's for showing off, baka!
BF: T.T
Mana: now I kinda feel bad...
Toshiro: That was pathetic.
Yumi: Agreed
Mana: WTF you two agreed on something! It's the end of the world! –Archer pushes author through a window-
Ichigo: Oo
Archer: -smirks- Don't worry. It was on the first floor but there's grass anyway.
Everyone: Ohhh
-Down below on the PAVEMENT-
Mana: -groans- Archer you idiot...I was on the fifth...floor you liar...gah
"Shit."
He couldn't help but repeat the word as the reiatsu from the girl pounded down on him and literally began to crush and grind his bones to dust. Yumi had that evil smirk on her once sweet lips as she made her advance on the paralyzed mercenary. It was then that he knew it wasn't that small innocent girl any longer. A small part of him was almost wishing he never coaxed her into this. Archer took a deep breath to calm his nerves down and when all was silent; he clicked his trusty partner in his hands and took a shot.
The target dodged easily and appeared behind him with Shunpo. His reaction time had been spot on when his arms raised behind him to block the stub of a blade of his gun. Sure, the broken zanpakto was only the length of a slanted six inched ruler, but it could still be used as a potential dagger. Both jumped away from each other only to clash once more, the sparks flying everywhere.
Archer smiled and flicked his wrist, revealing a hidden dagger to her dismay. The knife in turn managed to knick her in the side before she shifted her body and gave him a knee in the stomach. She and Archer growled at each other before repeating their frenzied attacks. Little did this 'outer shell' of the Shinigami know that it was not doing the true test. No, the real test has just begun. If she failed now…Archer swallowed nervously, he might—no.
He would definitely have to kill her before it was too late.
"Mm…"
Yumi groaned at the cold and hard uneven ground beneath her and her violet eyes opened to a dark graying sky. It was supposedly dark out but thanks to the moving clouds, neither the stars nor the moon shone through the darkness. She sat up with a grunt and looked around that eerie yet familiar and empty plain.
"Where am I?" she asked herself, standing up but stumbling at first. She was back in her normal shihaksho. The sleeves were back in place and so were the hakama pants. Unfortunately, when she felt for it her blade was no longer at its place.
"So you have come at last." Said a voice, chillingly monotone and blunt in delivering its words," It was taking you far too long to return to this place."
She tilted her head and turned around to meet with a feminine figure with long raven black hair with a bit of it tied with a red ribbon. Despite the lower half of her face being covered by a cowl made up of loose cloth, dark ruby eyes gleamed and gave her looks of youth. Her outfit was composed of something like an elegant and dress-like kimono of white with black trimmings and sleeves.
Around her waist and stomach was a dark red sash, with which underneath the kimono was the same crimson color on the inside. With the sash keeping her slender form, the extra flowed around her with an almost regal and majestic manner.
Two long and thin blades were sheathed and were tied on her back like an 'X'. Her slender form took strides of noble air towards the young girl who was staring at her beauty in sheer awe and admiration.
"Who…"
"It seems as though you have forgotten about me. In doing so, you have forgotten who you are as well." She replied and silently motioned Yumi to follow her.
With suspicion in her eyes, she followed with her hands ready to cast kido if need be. Without looking behind her, the woman calmly spoke with a hidden amusement in her cerise orbs.
"Do not be troubled, child. Where we are going and the path we will take, you will not be needing demon art spells."
With a slight amount of agitation in her frown from her almost cocky like answer, Yumi grunted silently in response and continued following the stranger. Something felt shockingly…comfortable about this character. It was as if a long lost remnant of glass had begun bringing itself back together again piece by piece in the jaded mind that demanded answers.
The figure inwardly chuckled beneath her cowl. How frail and tense the little girl behind her looked. She would not blame the young Shinigami, however. Fear was not unexpected. It is merely one instinct in the sea of many that we follow.
It was a shame that she will be susceptible to enduring these harsh tortures exceedingly soon. No, not a shame, but a deep sorrow felt for her. The tiny curve on her lips returned thin and gave her that stoic air once more. She would not dwell on the thought any further for now.
After about half an hour of walking in a straight path, she stopped causing Yumi to almost bump into the woman. Yumi stared at her curiously after seeing that the land was still bare and wasted.
With closed eyes, the woman took out a black flute with a gold band near the blow hole. With a silent intake of breath, her fingers danced on the twelve holes on the smooth instrument.
At first, the song seemed mysterious and soft but grew with power and virtue like a flickering flame about to die out at first but spread with intensity and heat.
A wind picked up, startling Yumi as that would be the first sign of life there that was not human. Some dead leaves rolled to her spot and danced around her in a circle, her joining in with small sways of her hips and pivots on the ball of her foot.
Suddenly Yumi felt waves of nausea hit her and her knees buckled. She fell to the soil with a grunt, her hand to her knee to keep balanced as a pulsating pain rippled throughout her entire body. Her chest burned and she fought to remain conscious.
Yumi's hand flew to her torso as if trying to dull and sooth the pain as much as possible. It hurt, mentally and physically. Her head felt like it was going to split as well as something being torn deep within her. How could it from something such as harmless as a flute's song?
The song stopped abruptly but the pain did not cease. It took all of Yumi's willpower not to scream and thrash about on the cool soil that was seemingly taunting her since her gaze remained on it.
Just when she was going to black out, a hand cupped her cheek and snapped her out of her nightmarish experience. Her violet eyes remained hidden under closed lids from the sudden coolness from just one touch of a complete stranger.
The feminine hand then trailed down to her neck and a soft chaste kiss was given upon her slightly sweaty forehead. Yumi's eyes then shot open at the sensation but the woman had already pulled away and placed something within her small hands.
"You have now experienced what humans would like the call the instinct of pain. It is one that some may fear and others may salvage. To know the difference of another's pain is a different matter, however." She spoke softly," Do not forget what you have just felt." Her tone was that of motherly affection, if not of concern or threat of what was to come.
Archer had just been thrown into a large boulder with his head bleeding. Drops of crimson trickled down his cheek and he was keenly aware of the shitty pain in his left arm which was probably broken, if not shattered from impact.
Now he really regretted getting into a fight but stood back up nonetheless. His opponent was now casually walking towards him with that evil yet playful glint in her eyes once more. Half a mask was beginning to form on her face.
An eerie white mask
"Giving up already?"
He let out a pain-filled grunt before kneeling over and falling to the ground. Archer was pretty sure he had cracked (If not broken) a few ribs as well as his broken right arm. Damn, this wasn't good.
A few footsteps were made towards him and he managed to look up. The mask was almost complete now, three red streak marks near the left eye and something like fox ears with black tips at the top of it.
"See you later," she said blankly and pointed her finger at him for a cero. Archer growled and quickly got his gun and charged reiatsu for a killing blow.
'Sorry, Dai, but I have to.'
"Don't even—"her sentence was cut short when the mask on her face began to crack," What the…Hey, stop!"
'Disappear damn it! I don't…need you!'
"Kit, I swear you will regret trying to—"
"Shut up!" Yumi struggled and her free hand snapped up to the mask and began pulling," Freaking…Disappear!"
A scream ripped out and the mask was pulled away, leaving white debris and a tired Yumi panting in exhaustion on the dirt ground.
"You pass, brat. However…"
Archer had gotten back up and stood over her whilst holding his broken arm. His face held that playful grin as he knelt down on his knees.
"If you stay like that, you're going to die of exhaustion."
"You're no better."
He shrugged, wincing a little at the injuries in the process," Well, a cat got nine lives, right?"
She scoffed with a low growl and gave him a small smile," Shut up, baka neko…"
"I see…so Kuchiki Rukia's Gigai was destroyed and she is currently in her cell."
Renji was giving a report to the tenth division and was feeling a little…squeamish.
"Yeah, and there was some orange haired kid there trying to save her. Jeez, he was so stubborn!" Renji tried being a little like his usual self to hide his anxiety, but it didn't go past the captain.
Hitsugaya quirked his brow before looking back at his paperwork," Did you see anyone else there?"
"Pardon?"
"Did you see anyone else there?" he repeated a little impatiently," In the Karakura area."
"I…" he trailed off on thought," N-No I didn't see anyone."
"Ah," Hitsugaya surmised," Thank you, Abarai, for your report. You didn't have to, though."
"I thought it was best, since Yumi still wasn't found yet."
"Alright. By the way, shouldn't you be in the fourth division checking on your wounds?"
Renji scratched the back of his head," Nah, I'll be alright. It was just that kid that injured me. Lucky shot, that bastard…"
The captain allowed a small roll of his eyes and a gesture for him to leave. Once the lieutenant was gone, he let out a sigh and took a sip of his tea.
"Where is she? It's already past her five day restriction…" he growled and put his cup in the sink. "I'm actually surprised that Abarai didn't see her anywhere, despite searching everywhere for Kuchiki."
His eyes furrowed when he replayed the texture of that reiatsu surrounding Renji's wound. It was almost like…
"Taicho!"
Who else has that bouncy of a tone?
"Matsumoto…"
"Oh, did I come at a bad time?" she asked innocently," Well, I came to inform you that a new load of newbies are going to be put into their squads."
"Ah, the new recruits. I almost forgot about them." He said and stood up," I need you to get me some of the recruits that you believe fit with our squad."
"Hai!"
"Wait," he said just before she pranced out the room. Hitsugaya shook his head and added," And for heaven's sake, this time don't get them because they're good for drinking with you."
She placed a sly smile on her lips and rolled her eyes secretly," Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, Taicho."
The captain commander hit his staff against the hard floor to adjourn the end of the meeting. Once more it had been about trivial matters such as hollow activity and such.
No one would have guessed that it wasn't just Kenpachi and Mayuri that weren't listening carefully. Hell, Kenpachi was probably either plotting his next victim or fast asleep, if not already. As for the other division captain, he was probably scheming up some foul plan regarding some poor helpless test subjects. Well, that or he's wondering when he was going to get his newest issue of 'Mad Scientists Digest'. And before you ask, yes, it exists frighteningly enough.
And no, it wasn't only our little Toshiro. I don't even need to get into what he's thinking.
Kuchiki Byakuya
If you guessed it right, then either your psychic or you've just been Lucky.
It was surprising enough when he was thinking back to Karakura, but it hit to a dangerous level when he remained lost in thought during a meeting.
Important or not, it was the captain commander speaking.
It was stranger still with his encounter with that strange Reiatsu. It hadn't been felt in centuries, or so he thought. 'How could such a child wield that so unconsciously? Of course, there is the child prodigy Hitsugaya Toshiro, but…?'
"Kuchiki-Taicho."
He looked at the person in front of him to see Hitsugaya.
"I trust Abarai in all sense, but somehow something is bothering me about his injuries he sustained in the human world."
Byakuya nodded," Yes, it did seem strange that he was injured by a mere human with stolen Shinigami powers."
"But…"
He paused in thought.
"Even if a human were to actually inflict damage on your lieutenant, it wouldn't go to such a degree to a reiatsu based wound. I've heard of Kido, sword wounds, and more, but this is the first time for this…"
"…Hitsugaya-Taicho."
"Yes?"
"Are you familiar with the ancient war between the Shinigami and the Hollows?"
"Well, I know enough about it. It was also called the War of the Demons' Fall," he answered with a confused frown on his face," But it was proved to be folklore a long time ago. Surely you don't believe it, Kuchiki-Taicho, right?"
Omake Theatre
Hitsu: You leave off with a folktale? How original
Ichigo: Your sarcasm never ceases to amaze me
Yumi: At least you're not the one getting shot over and over –glares at Archer-
Archer: Hey!
Ichigo: What the hell were in those bullets anyway?
Everyone: -stares at Archer-
Archer: -sweats nervously- l-lets save that for another time. Maybe the Author with explain later
Yumi: Speaking of which, where is she?
Everyone: …
-Random person walks in-
??: Due to unfortunate circumstances, Mana was not able to make it to this part. She was, however, able to write this down whilst the draft was finished. I simply just did the revising and such. Oh, and I'm Akatsu by the way. Mana's somewhat alter ego at times but I am also somewhat as a cousin and an advisor to her.
Oh, and she also recorded this for an Archer.
Archer: That's me!
Akatsu: Alright, here's the tape:
Mana: Like I said before…Archer I was on the fifth floor you bastard son of a—
Archer: -clicks off- …
Akatsu: …
Archer…So…Wanna grab a bite to eat?
Akatsu: -slaps-
-cough- Anyway, …Here it is:
Mana: Holy crap! I actually made Byakuya talk!!
Byakuya: …
Mana: Aw, now I made him feel bad.
Byakuya: No, you are just exceedingly annoying and an eyesore.
Mana: Ouch, I just got dissed by a noble.
Byakuya: Scatter…
GAH! I'm outta here! REVIEWS ARE LOVED! Plus they save me when I'm running for my life in situations like this which has increased drastically. Hey, this wasn't in my writing contract…Oh well, it gives me something to do. Besides, it's not like I'm bed-ridden or anything!
Akatsu: Oh my, it looks like Kuchiki-san will actually catch her this time. Pity…
