TTGL: So this is the Heavens.
Chapter 23: Fight for your very souls.
"To your battle stations!" ordered Hitsugaya as he ran to the central plaza. "Evacuate the civilians and protect the buildings! This is a rank zero threat!"
Fires blazed all around him and newly built structures crumbled before his eyes. He swung his sword, creating a layer of ice over everything in his range, dousing several of the infernos. Nearby a brown haired captain of Squad Seven, Sora Ikai, was extinguishing more fires using his water zanpakuto. Great waves curved through the city, seeking out flames.
The faceless mecha soared high above, dropping their deadly payload down with brutal efficiency. Screams and yells filled the air. None combatants fled wildly, streaming out of the burning city in blind panic.
Low level shinigami directed matters as best as the could but were restricted to ground operations due to lacking in the spiritual energy to stand on air to engage with the flying foes.
One skill that Kamina had learnt in the peace was partial release. He no longer needed his mask to create his flaming wings. They formed on his back in their full glory without any effort on his part. He pushed off and shot into the air toward the closest neon disc. Around him other captains and lieutenants and seated officers rose up into the sky around him.
A laser fired straight at Kamina. He blocked it with Gurren but it was so hot that it turned the metal red. "Living up to your name, eh." joked Kamina to his blade. Another laser was targeted at him but he dodged easily, using his wings to roll and swerve through the air. That wasn't his style though. Instead he used them to boost his speed, shooting at the UFO like a razor tipped bullet.
Something stopped him though. A single foot away from the disc he hit a kind of force field that stopped him dead in his tracks. Now that he was up close though he could truly appreciate the scale of the attackers. They were at a large gunmen level, out sizing Gurren Lagann but not the Dai Gurren.
Kamina pushed against the invisible shield but was hit point blank by the mecha's gun. He recovered before hitting the ground and had time to see how the others were doing. They'd all hit the barriers too and were slowly being picked off one by one. Even Kenpachi and Ichigo's immense strength wasn't enough to break through.
Kamina's mind was racing. Despite his thick headedness, brass and fiery nature and bravery bordering on stupidity, he was actually a pretty good strategist. A battlefield genius. Summing up the situation he made his decision.
"Focus your power on only one of them! Overload its shields through sheer brute force!" he commanded. Despite not being a captain, the other shinigami, most of whom outranked him, obeyed without question.
Without communication the shinigami knew which enemy to attack. The other UFO's opened fire at the soul's backs but Hitsugaya managed to erect an ice wall that completely surrounded the shinigami. The lasers blew it to pieces instantly but it had bought the time needed.
Kamina smashed his sword into his target's shield. Ichigo, Kenpachi, Renji, Byakuya, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Kon attacked with him. The other shinigami were out of earshot, fighting their own desperate battles.
The shield flared into visibility, faltered a moment then collapsed under the immense strain. The eight warriors lurched forward now unimpeded and attacked the main body of the mecha. Their blades passed through it with ease, slicing the drone into several large pieces. These pieces began to crumble, becoming small, rainbow coloured fist sized cubes that fell down to the ground like snow.
Thunder shook the city as the cubes touched down and exploded on impact. Hundreds of explosions lit up the buildings below like a Christmas tree. The screams could be heard even high up in the sky.
"No way!" exclaimed Kamina. "Those bastards! Killing them only makes them more dangerous. What the hell are they?"
"We can't just leave them." shouted Ichigo. "We have to stop them."
Byakuya stepped up to Ichigo's side. "We simply have to contain the after effects. Take down another's shield then leave it to me."
Ichigo nodded. The eight struck out again, collapsing the next mecha's shield then jumped back. Byakuya surrounded the vulnerable enemy with his sword petals, forming a sphere around it. At his command the sphere tightened, grinding the craft within to dust. The destructive cubes exploded instantly, damaging only Byakuya's zanpakuto.
"That will take too long to defeat all of them. Attack like before only clear up the cubes before they hit the floor. We all have ranged attacks we can use to detonate them." pointed out Kamina. "You lot handle things over here, I'm gonna go regroup the others."
As the others charged forward, Kamina moved to the side to where others were fighting. A group of lieutenants including Rukia Kuchiki, Kira Izuru and Rangiku Matsumoto had teamed together but were being outflanked by the machines. They couldn't attack one united without being broken apart by another from behind.
Kamina swooped down, throwing himself in front of one of the lasers. The lieutenants turned to him and seeing their chance they tried again to break the saucer's defences. The shield held for a few seconds, flickered, then fell. They attacked its main body, destroying it easily but were unprepared for the cascade of colourful blocks.
"Destroy the cubes!" roared Kamina as he blocked a second laser bolt. "If they fall the city will be destroyed!"
Many blocks were frozen in place as large beams of ice shot out from Rukia's snow white zanpakuto. Others were disintegrated by the fine dust that snaked through them from Rangiku's Haineko. Kira shot at them with kido, his Zanpakuto too impractical for such a job.
"Kamina, what's happening? Who are these guys?" panted Rukia.
"Haven't got a clue." he answered while weathering yet another laser strike. "Fancy helping me out? Even I can't take many more of these."
They quickly reduced this foe to smoke. Looking around the discs were being systematically destroyed. The other captains and lieutenants had all worked out how to defeat them easily. It was now only a matter of time before the city was clear.
Kamina swept in to finish off the last enemy a few minutes later then threw several shades to help shoot down the block explosives. He had been involved with killing six while another twenty four had been accounted for.
Hitsugaya flash-stepped to his side, his face stern. "We're holding a Captain and Lieutenant's meeting in the great hall. The Eleventh Division lieutenant doesn't want to go, nor does their Third Seat. That means you can sit in."
Everyone mode their way to the great hall through the still smouldering city. The buildings had sustained heavy damage but most remained standing. Teams of shinigami sped through the streets dousing fires and rescuing the injured or trapped.
The Great Hall was a bare room that had been rebuilt to look identical to the former version. Kamina took his place behind Kenpachi. Twenty six shinigami stood grimly facing each other from opposite sides of the room, twelve on one side, twelve on the other with Hitsugaya and Rangiku in between them. There was also a screen near to Hitsugaya that depicted the four eyed quincy master, Ishida.
Hitsugaya addressed the assembly. "The Anti-Spiral threat is finally upon us. This is a war that we cannot take slowly. We all remember what happened the last time they waged war with humanity."
"What I don't get is why they are attacking us here. We are souls. They seek to destroy life, evolution, this Spiral Nemesis. Why would he want to destroy us too?" mused Ichigo. He had fought them the first time around and did not relish facing them again.
"Motive is unimportant at the moment. What we need is prevention." scowled Hitsugaya. "And for that we need intel. Captain Kurotsuchi, what have you found?"
Nemu raised her head from its meek dip. She wore one of her father's white scientist robes embodied with the Division's badge over her usual short cut shinigami robe. She stood taller somehow her presence still passive but now solid rather than a void.
"Between records of the last Anti-Spiral invasion and the recent battle I have been able to compile a sizable fact file. The flying mecha that attacked us we have codenamed Mugann due to their faceless appearance. I have studied them and found that their mass is highly unstable, the cause of their disintegration and explosions after destruction."
"What they are doesn't concern me and we already know how to kill them. Do you have anything useful to say." growled Kenpachi.
"I believe so." answered Nemu, silencing the growing conversations. "I have only had time to run preliminary tests but it appears that the Mugann have homing beacons built inside of them. If one could be captured intact, I could pinpoint where they are coming from."
"That's more like it!" grinned Kenpachi. "Looks like its time to go hunting."
Nemu held up a small device. "Hunting is unnecessary. Their signals indicate that there is another, larger group on their way to us even as we speak. ETA seven minutes and thirty two seconds."
"How many?" asked Hitsugaya.
"I make it out to be in the region of seventy five mugann."
"We simply don't have the man power to attack that many using our current method." seethed the Head Captain. "Master Ishida, how soon can you get your forces here?"
"I'm sorry Head Captain." said the quincy, shaking his head slightly. "It will take us just over an hour even at our fastest. Its down to you shinigami to be able to hold that long for reinforcements."
"We understand. Preparations have been made for just such an event. We should be able to hold."
Nemu stepped forward, holding out a new devise that looked like a bulky wrist watch. "This is a shield displacer. My father designed it many years ago and I have adjusted it enough so that it should work on the Mugann's shields. Without their barriers their bodies are weak and easily destroyable. The only problem remaining being their destructive matter."
Hitsugaya's face brightened. I have a plan to deal with that.
000
The Head Captain had rushed through the explanation of his plan then ordered everyone to their stations. Kamina stood at the eastern gates of the city and watched the rapidly growing dots that were the muganns. The displacer on his wrist hummed quietly to itself.
He was tense, he always was before a fight but he extruded calm and relaxed vibes to the shinigami around him. All he could do for now was wait, the plan was in other peoples hands for now and all he could do was trust them to perform well.
The muganns came into their firing range and began their attack. Seventy five mega lasers shot out toward the city, eclipsing the sun under their splendorous light. Kamina stood and watched calmly as they sped toward him. Suddenly the sky above turned a transparent orange, a mammoth triangle shielding the city like an umbrella. Lasers struck it, shaking the very air with their impact but the shield held.
Kamina gazed over the rooftops behind him and saw a distant figure stood upon a tall building, a clearly well endowed women with flowing orange hair. She had her arms outstretched toward the shield. Even from this distance Kamina could see that she was struggling to maintain the defence.
He turned back to the invaders. The mugann were charging their cannons for another burst of energy. From behind the mecha, a group of shadowy figures leapt up into the air. Kamina's advanced eyes could see that it was Captain Soifon and a group of her ninja. Soifon took the lead, passing straight through the rear-most mugann's shield and landing upon its neon surface. She was on it for only a moment before she jumped back off. The droid froze and fell, getting caught by the other ninja and quickly carried back to the Seireitei.
Step one: capturing an enemy mecha for homing beacon - check. Now all that remained was staying alive long enough for Nemu to extract a location.
Another volley of lasers hit the orange shield, shattering it like glass. This was the shinigami's cue. The officers leapt into the air to engage the enemies, bypassing the shields and ripping through the mechanical bodies like paper. As they dematerialised into the explosive cubes, the lower level shinigami below opened fire with kido, shooting the cubes down before they could inflict damage.
The front line of mugann were devastated within seconds but then a ramble of souls, bandits mostly, all embedded with black gears, marched upon the Seireitei's gates. The unseated shinigami had to combat this new threat, reducing the firepower at the cubes. Larger mugann appeared on the horizon, drawing away several of the shinigami captains.
"Damn, we're being spread too thin! That Anti-Spiral knows that we need to work together to win so he is purposely splitting us up." snarled Kamina. He had moved to fight the new, bigger mugann's who's size surpassed even the Dai-Gurren. This though gave him an idea.
He fiddled in his ear, adjusting the communication device. "Kenpi, Myu, get into the Dai-Gurren. Nemu kept it in working order so it should be fine. Grab as many crew as you need. Get those cannons firing at the smaller mugann before we're overwhelmed."
"On it!" came Kenpi's panting voice.
Kamina focused on the enemy before him. He could still pass through its shields easy enough but its sheer size made Kamina's attacks like simple scratches rather than lethal cuts. Ichigo, Kenpachi and the squad Thirteen captain, Elie Elric fought along side him to hold back the ten super mugann.
"This is taking too long." Kamina growled as he hammered his zanpakuto into a super mugann with all of his strength which only achieved a slight cut. "Bankai!"
The crimson armour of Gurren grew around him sealing him inside its metal body. The gunmen still didn't measure up to the super mugann but its attacks definitely did. He slashed, rending a giant gash through the mugann's disc. A plasma shot finished it off, melting through to its core. Like a volcano the broken mecha erupted explosive cubes. Kamina swapped Gurren's cannon with duel machine guns and mowed down the blocks.
Another super mugann fired at him from behind, its laser far surpassing that of its smaller brethren. Kamina had no time to dodge. From below a second cannon fired, narrowly missing Kamina to meet with the mugann projectile. The two connected and exploded harmlessly. Kamina looked down to see the Dai-Gurren stomping around, its main cannon aimed up toward the super mugann.
Static flared up in his ear. Nemu's voice entered his head. "I have the coordinates for where the mugann are coming from. These results are one hundred percent accurate, I have already triple checked them. Their origin is…the moon."
Kamina seemed taken aback. "The moon?" A face splitting grin formed across his mouth. "I always said that one day I'd go there."
"How are we suppose to get up there." interrupted Ichigo.
"Kick reason to the curb and do the impossible!" shouted Kamina.
Nemu continued to speak over the intercom. "Kamina, there is a flight device aboard the Dai-Gurren. Attach it to your bankai and you can make it up there since the Gurren is airtight."
"Got it." said Kamina, speeding down toward the battleship. Kenpi met him on deck, a large container at his side. Kamina opened it up to find a man sized drill. Over the headset, Nemu told him to shove it into Gurren's back. He complied and as the drill entered the zanpakuto the two merged together, the drill spreading out throughout the mecha and transforming into a jetpack like device.
"Hell yeah! Time to stick it to that Anti-Spiral bastard!"
Ichigo appeared before him. "Hey, open up. I'm going with you. You can't go to the enemy stronghold all alone."
Kenpachi landed beside them. "Forget that. You can't steal all of the fun and glory like that time with Aizen.
"Just open the hell up!" screamed a female voice. Captain Elric was sprinting towards them as fast as her legs would carry her, the host of super muganns right behind her. She clapped her hands and giant metal hands rose out of the Dai-Gurren's deck, prying open Gurren's teeth to allow access into the cockpit.
The three captains piled in, nearly crushing Kamina in the process. The jaws clamped shut and the jetpack roared to life. Gurren boosted into the sky a second before a hail of lasers ripped into the Dai-Gurren, gutting it like a fish.
"No! My battleship!" roared Kamina. "I'm gonna kill those faceless bastards. Lemme turn this thing around."
"That'll have to wait." snapped Ichigo, yanking at the controls. "We need to get to the moon and put a stop to all this."
"Fine! This is why I can't have nice things." grumbled Kamina angrily. He pulled on the throttle and Gurren rocketed toward the stars.
"Dear god it's cramped in here." squealed Elie. Having four people inside a one man vessel was bad enough but when one of those was the hulking Kenpachi, things were uncomfortable to say the least.
"Damn! More mugann ahead!" shouted Ichigo. Kamina's view was blocked by Elie's behind, not that he was complaining.
"Screw them, we don't have time!" Kamina spat, increasing Gurren's power outage to its max.
These mugann were smaller than the usual kind which made them faster. They zipped around Gurren, peppering it with rapid fire lasers. More and more streamed out from the moon, blocking their path.
"I can't maintain this speed and shoot! We're sitting ducks!"
Elie pushed her way forward. "Leave it to me. Open up!"
"A crazy one. I like that in a girl." chuckled Kamina. "We'll I won't stop you. Enjoy the small fry!"
He thumped open the cockpit doors and Elie threw herself out. She landed on one of the mugann then clapped her hands before placing them upon the neon disc. The mugann rippled then started to change like a giant rubix cube. It flattened itself, becoming a surfboard like device.
She darted through the other mugann, slicing at them with a neon spear that she had changed another foe into. A wave of them gave chase to her, bombarding her with the machine gun lasers.
Kamina clutched the controls with sheer determination, his eyes blazing. "Now! Let's bust through the heavens of the heavens!"
Gurren flew straight into the diminished swarm. Kamina knew that this would be easy with Simon's drills but that wasn't an option. He would have to create his own path forwards this time. His machine guns blared, their aim none existent.
All of the displays became dark and Gurren shuddered and groaned. Kamina grit his teeth and pushed the controls beyond maximum. There were several loud clanks from within the mecha then colour returned to the screens. Tiny stars formed a backdrop to the tranquil darkness. Below them swirled a mass of neon blue like an angry wasp hive, ahead of them lay the cream orb of the moon.
Kamina aimed toward the moon but warning signals began to beep throughout the cockpit. Red submerged his sensors. From behind the moon emerged a new fleet of ships that did not resemble the mugann in the slightest. They were all hands and feet seemingly carved from stone that were each double the size of the average mugann. Despite this they moved with a speed that surpassed any foe they had yet encountered.
"We can't get through them. They may as well have built a damn wall around it!" cursed Ichigo. "It's like they knew we would come here."
"A trap, eh." said Kenpachi, looking amused. He glanced over at the screen readout beside him. "Ten thousand battleships. Ha ha ha ha! Poor bastards won't know what hit 'em." he boomed, opening the door with his bare energy flared up around him like a golden flame. Laughing like a madman possessed by the devil himself he sprang forward.
"Follow him." said Ichigo. "If anyone in the universe can carve a path through an enemy army then its him."
Kenpachi hit the body part army like a full speed train hitting a tightly packed flock of sheep. Despite him looking like an ant among a pack of wolves, he cleaved through rock like butter, spiritual energy oozing from his body. Beams tore through him but he pushed on with a terrifying blood lust.
Gurren followed close behind, barging aside anything that Kenpachi missed. With a final plasma barrage Gurren pulled away from the captain and swerved at full speed directly to the moon.
It hit the white dust coated ground hard sending a plume of moon powder into the low gravity air. It clogged up Gurren's joints and obstructed the view screens. Everything was barren, the only features the comet caused craters that dotted the surface.
"The co-ordinates say its this way." said Ichigo, pointing to the east.
Kamina twitched the controls and Gurren started to bound across the ground, moon jumping with every giant step. The signal grew stronger and stronger until a particularly large crater appeared on the horizon. In its centre was a black hole leading into the bowles of the satellite. No enemies were visible.
"I finally find my way to the moon and the first thing that I have to do is go back underground." Kamina sighed. He eyed the hole sceptically then stepped into it. Falling down a hole in low gravity was certainly an interesting experience.
Gravity suddenly returned half way down the massive drop, causing Gurren to plummet to the bottom. It hit a metal floor, its legs buckling and snapping under the impact. Both Kamina and Ichigo were thrown around, battering themselves within the tight confines of the cockpit like pinballs.
Kamina thumbed open the door and rolled out to sprawl across the floor. Ichigo followed suit. When his vision returned to normal he looked around and admired the colossal metal dome that they were no within. He also admired the impressive army of beasmen that surrounded them. Thousands of them circled the two shinigami, every one armed to the teeth and fully armoured.
At the far side of the dome was another patch of darkness that looked to be a tunnel of some kind. That was the only logical way to go.
"How are we splitting them?" grinned Kamina. "You want to take the several thousand to the right while I cover the few thousand on the left?"
"Brace yourself." ordered Ichigo, the hollow mask appearing on his face.
"What?"
Ichigo grabbed Kamina by his hair and lifted him off the ground. Kamina was about to shout out a complaint when the orange haired captain spring into motion, sprinting straight toward the tunnel. His sword slaughtered every foe in reach with deadly precision. While still moving he threw Kamina, sending him flying over the beastmen and into the tunnel with a skin grinding skid.
Kamina was on his feet and running back to the battle in an instant. Waves of black energy surrounded Ichigo and powered out into the walls, tearing through metal and the stone beyond. Before Kamina could re-enter the dome, the tunnel entrance became blocked with a solid layer of debris. His light sight of Ichigo was of him being swamped by furry bodies and steel.
The obstacle could be destroyed if he had tried but Kamina knew that that was not what Ichigo wanted. Angrily he turned and ran down the tunnel, paying no heed to his surroundings. His footsteps echoed loudly but other than that there was an ear splitting silence that seemed louder than an explosion.
The tunnel ended without warning and Kamina stepped out into another, smaller domed room. Opposite him at the other side sat a simple wooden stool and upon it the shadowy figure of the Anti-Spiral. Beside it stood four men that looked the epitome of killing machines.
"You spiral beings never cease to push your own luck. You should not have come here for it shall do you no good. Your destruction is written in the stars." said the Anti-Spiral in the tone of voice that suggested the statement was fact rather than opinion.
"The stars themselves are our enemies then? We'll just have to outshine them with our own burning spirits!" shouted Kamina with equal resolve.
"Foolish." scathed the Anti-Spiral. "Your evolution ends here, Kamina Giha. The four beings at my side are my bastions of purgatory, specially built to wipe out spiral warriors. Gan is as fast as the speed of light. Shan has skin harder than your sturdiest material. Lan can hide in plain sight and Van cannot be killed. Your fate is sealed, pathetic spiral being.
The four men started forward. One disappeared completely from sight while another began to run predatory circles around Kamina. The other two strode toward him directly without any emotion. All of them looked identical except for different hair colours. They were clear clones of a muscled man with short spiky hair and piercing hawk like eyes.
Kamina was feeling pretty angry and wasn't about to take shit from some unoriginal wannabes. He stomped forward and head butted the black haired Van, the unkillable. "Do the impossible!" The blow was so powerful that his skull shattered, the fragments imbedding in his brain. The man spasmed and fell.
Unprovoked he jumped into the air and roundhouse kicked a patch of solid thin air behind him. "See the Invisible!" The solid air made a blood chilling cracking noise then a thud.
He continued forward without breaking stride. "Row row fight the power!"
Like a striking snake his hand shot forward, grabbing blue haired Gan the super fast by the throat without even looking. "Touch the untouchable!" He brought his fingers together, snapping his spine.
The last clone tackled him, pinning him to the ground. He smiled menacingly down, his red hair looking as solid as horn. Kamina slid his zanpakuto into Shan's mouth but the man simply smiled, not even showing signs of discomfort. The redhead moved to slash at Kamina's face.
"Bankai!" Kamina said under his breath. His zanpakuto grew inside the indestructible man, splitting him open as a giant mecha emerged from his gut. "Break the unbreakable."
Kamina began to run now, straight at the Anti-Spiral. "Row row fight the POWAH!"
Black tendrils wrapped around him from every direction with such speed that even he couldn't react. He was hauled off of the floor and couldn't free himself however hard he tried.
"You cannot stop me. Very soon my forces will have destroyed all spiral life in the universe. All of that deceased life comes here, to the Soul society until it is reborn in the real world. By destroying souls here once and for all I can completely annihilate Spiral energy. Spiritual Energy as you shinigami call it.
"I'll stop you, mark my words you shadowy freak."
The Anti-Spiral pulled him close, the swirling eyes boring into Kamina's soul. "You have come far, spiral warrior. You were marked as a potential Spiral Nemesis for the past ten of your earth years."
"Ten years? But that was before I left Giha." muttered the brawler.
"Indeed. Your goal to venture to the surface and your ability to influence others to do the same was very dangerous. I sent a Gunmen to your village through Lordgenome in order to quell your evolution before it could develop butt that only spurred you on. From then on you evolved too fast. You needed stopping quickly so I arranged your encounter with the beastman general."
"You got me killed!"
"Yes. Everything that the Spiral King did was because of my orders. He wanted to fight you himself but that would allow you far too much time to evolve and become stronger. Little did we realise that removing you only made the true threat stronger. The boy Simon Giha is now in line to become Spiral Nemisis, but not for much longer."
"Simon. WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO MY LITTLE BRO!"
"See for yourself." smirked the Anti-Spiral. An image appeared on the wall beside them. It showed an adult Simon, seemingly asleep. Around him were older versions of the rest of Team Dai-Gurren, all sleeping too.
The vision zoomed in on Simon's head, going straight into it. The image became foggy, revealing a featureless area filled only by a large box, a young Simon, three beastmen dressed like policemen and a warped version of Kamina himself who was bowing like a cowered toward the beastmen.
"We're sorry! What we did was wrong, forgive us! Okay, look. I'm on my knees. Have mercy on us. What we did was wrong. We'll do whatever you say. If you say to bow a million times we'll do it, alright! We're sorry we're sorry we're sorry we're sorry!" ranted and begged the fake Kamina.
The Anti-Spiral smiled. "He and your friends are all trapped in multidimensional space. While ever he can think he will be unable to awake to reality. Everything he ever knew will be rewritten, including your memory. With him trapped, the universe is ours unopposed once more."
"You bastard." Kamina growled, his voice dangerously low. "First you destroy my life now you seek to destroy Simon's too. Unforgivable! Nobody screws with my little bro while I'm around. HIS IS THE DRILL THAT WILL PIERCE THE HEAVENS, THE EARTH AND THROUGH TO TOMORROW! I'LL ALWAYS BE THERE TO MAKE SURE IT HAPPENS! JUST WHO IN THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE!"
Fiery wings burst into existence upon his back. With ungodly determination he pushed against the tendrils, reaching out towards the image of Simon before him, inch by inch getting closer.
"Impossible!" howled the Anti-Spiral. He doubled his efforts to restrain his captive but it made no difference. With a final, heaven defying roar, Kamina pushed himself out of the afterlife's reality and into a fictitious multidimensional within the world of the living.
"Please don't kill us! Please! We wanna live! Just spare our lives!" grovelled the love heart shirted Kamina pathetically. He bowed again and again the beastmen, putting on quiet the show.
Simon stood a few foot away, looking uncertain and confused, his eyes looking like they hadn't slept for days. He felt at his chest like he know something should be their but couldn't remember what it was. His fingers ran across the white chest behind him, feeling at the cone shaped hole at its centre.
The space-time-continuum ruptured above the scene, unnoticed by all. The real Kamina emerged through a crack in the sky, landing lightly upon the chest. In one fluid move he sat down with his legs crossed and gazed upon Simon's lost soul.
"What's the matter, Simon."
Simon made a startled sound and turned, eyes wide open when they saw the caped Kamina from his real past.
"You lose your drill? Too bad."
"T-there's another bro here?" the boy uttered in confusion.
"Dumbass!" Kamina rose to his feet and drew his blade. "The reputation of Team Gurren echoes far and wide! Its badass leader, a man of spirit! A paragon of total masculinity! As if there could be more than one of the mighty Kamina!"
Simon was becoming frantic now, his head spinning. He kept turning from one Kamina to the other in rapid succession. "But, well, there's two of you here."
"Exactly! Pick the one you want!"
"But that's crazy, bro!" whined Simon.
Kamina leaned down so that he was face to face with his brother. "Hey, don't you remember, you were the method to my madness? The one who made all my big talk more than words. Your drill ought to be totally different from that pebble over there." he said, pointing to his double. His finger moved to Simon's chest. "Your drill is right here. You can't keep wasting time in this place forever. What's that drill of yours meant to do?"
Simon's eyes were starting to water. "Is it…really you?"
The other Kamina suddenly reared up, grabbing Simon by the shoulder and pulling him to his knees. "What are you doing? Get your ass down here and start bowing! Bow and beg and grovel on your knees and just pretend to apologise to them. If they let us go we can always come up with something else!"
Simon was fighting his own internal battle. His whole little body was shaking. "My… my drill… my drill is…"
The real Kamina watched silently. He'd done his part, now it was up to his bro.
"My drill is… my drill is the drill… THAT WILL PIERCE THE HEAVENS!" Simon screamed as he punched the fake Kamina flying into the air. He punched him again sending the wannabe crashing to the dirt.
Kamina grinned savagely. That was his little bro alright. He laughed as he hopped down from the chest and stood beside Simon.
"My drill is the heart of my soul." stated Simon. He unclenched his fist revealing the core drill. Without another word he slid the drill into the slot on the chest. The lid slid open, releasing a light that cleared the fog and cloud.
"Get going, Simon." said Kamina lightly. Just don't be distracted by the 'what ifs' and the 'should ofs' and 'if onlys'. The one thing you choose yourself, that is the truth of your universe."
A grown Simon stood proudly before him. Kamina could see a lot of himself in his little bro, or not so little as it now seemed. He was a real man now, and a damn good one too.
"Yeah. You're right. Exactly right."
"Don't forget, my universe is the universe that's in here." Kamina said, pointing again at Simon's heart.
"Right, bro."
Something caught Kamina's eye off in the background and he smiled a sad little smile. "Its not just me." He turned, allowing Simon sight to a familiar group of brawlers half way through a trap door in the ground. Kittan, Makken, Kid, Jorgun and Balinbow, Iraak and Zorthy. Not that Kamina could remember most of their names. "These bozos too."
The two brothers stood on the hilltop, man to man. Simon had changed so much while Kamina had remained forever the same. His little bro had grown in height as well as masculinity.
"Hey, when the hell did you get taller than me?"
Simon sniggered a bit. "Wow, your right." They both shared a short laugh.
Simon turned fully towards Kamina, locking eyes with him. Kamina could see the flames of his burning soul. "Gotta go. It's time."
"Yeah. This time though, its really goodbye. Get going, blood brother!"
"This isn't goodbye. Your always here." Simon answered, stabbing his thumb at his chest.
"Yeah!" Kamina confirmed. He strode over to the other Dai-Gurren members and watched as Simon turned his back with a manly swish of his coat. He held his core drill in the air and was wrapped in light. Crimson armour wrapped around him until a Simon sized Gurren Lagann stood atop the hill.
"Let's go, buddy!" Simon said before launching into the sky and flying beyond the horizon.
Kittan slapped Kamina hard on the back. "Long time no see, you crazy bastard."
"Who are you all again?" asked Kamina, scratching his head. Angry looks glared at him and he laughed. "I'm just kidding. Listen up, the fight aint over yet! The Anti-Spirals are attacking the afterlife too so you guys can't retire just yet. Get your asses over there and show them how Team Dai-Gurren rolls!"
"What about you?"
"Me? I have something to do first. I'll join you as soon as I've sorted something out."
"Got it, boss!" said the group as one before disappearing.
Kamina was unsure how he'd manage his next idea but that had never stopped him before. With an image in his head he ran his eyes were closed but his mind was open with all of his determination he would do the impossible.
He opened his eyes and was in a very familiar location. Behind him was a forest, before him distant volcanoes. This was the cliff where he and Yoko had kissed, just before his death. There was a television nestled in a tree that showed constant images of Yoko. The women herself stood mesmerised by the images, her body slightly shaking.
She was oblivious to his presence. Slowly, Kamina picked up the television and held it in his arms. Yoko continued to watch it. He could see its contents through her beautiful eyes, tiny reflections of her in a stunning white wedding dress and a suited Kittan beside her.
Almost in a trance, Yoko leaned forward and switched the monitor off. "Thank you." she said softly.
For the first time in his life, he wasn't sure what to say. Stood facing him was the only girl he had ever loved, a girl whom he had promised so much and given so little. Seven years had passed, could he really expect her to have not moved on, found someone new. Kamina was little more than a memory and he knew it.
She smiled sweetly up at him. "You finally came back to see me. Took you long enough."
"Yoko, I…"
"It's okay. I know that you did what was best for us. Without the Dai-Gurren we would never have got to where we are today. I only wish that it didn't have to be you. You were my first kiss. You brought me happiness then disappeared as fast as you came. I just wanted us to have more time together." she confessed, her eyes tearing up slightly.
Kamina remained silent. After a few seconds he cursed under his breath. "Damn. I spoke with Simon before I came here and it was like we'd never been apart. Then I come here and I can't think of a thing to say. How can a face someone who I broke a promise to? I spout the same lines about believing in me then go and betray everyone by getting myself killed by some fat guerrilla. I…"
Yoko leaned in and kissed him lightly, a gentle caress from a rose. Her scent flooded his nostrils, her breath brushed his skin.
"I do believe in you. I always have and I always will. Just who the hell do you think you are anyway. You are the mighty Kamina, Team Gurren's badass and manly leader. A man with a rugged body of steel and a heart of gold. You are the man that I love."
Kamina smiled warmly and embraced Yoko. In a whisper she spoke into his ear. "I want this moment to last forever. All of the problems and pain seem to fade away in your arms."
"I will still protect you, even if it is from beyond the grave. I've seen the other side and I know that when the time come, we'll be together again and I'll finally be able to fulfil my promise to you."
Yoko blushed at his speech. "You'll repay me ten times over. I think that I deserve interest on that, for the wait."
"One hundred times over ought to cut it. That is, if you can handle me at a hundred times more intense." His words were light hearted but his tone was serious, filled with a rough compassion.
"Only one way to find out." breathed Yoko bitter sweetly. "I'll look forward to it."
"Me too. We'll, I guess its time to part again. The universe won't save itself."
They released each other, their eyes still locked. "Yeah. Well, I'm off now."
Kamina nodded. Again he watched as another person close to him disappeared into the sky in a streak of green energy to return to the world of the living.
"Just one it would be nice for the fate of humanity not to rest on my shoulders. The universe is helpless without me." he muttered to himself. Focusing his mind, he forced reality to shift around him, opening a path back to the Soul Society.
"The sentimental crap is outta the way. Now its time to kick ass and avenge my own death for the second time. Hope you're ready, Anti-Spiral.
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A/N: I'm pretty happy with this chapter, hope you all are too. Nice word count, fair amount of story progression and some emotional scenes.
Sorry it's a little late, I haven't been in the writing mood the past few days. My university turned me down despite having 100 points over what they wanted, bastards. So yeah…my life is ruined at this point, my future uncertain. Some pompous Uni nobs aren't gonna stop me from following my writing dream no matter how much they screw up my well laid plans.
Winner of this week's omake is archsage328, the first person to win it twice. Congratulations. If you have any preferences just say.
So yeah, tough times but I enjoyed writing this chapter. Please review or PM me with your comments and questions. Hope everyone else if they got their results got what they wanted. Sayonara.
-FWF