Shunsui woke up to the sound of a sliding door. Neither he nor Nanao moved, but he could tell she was just as awake next to him. Suddenly he felt the kido binding around him drop away, and they both opened their eyes to face Daiki on the other side of the room. The man was carrying a tray of food and tea, and both of them tensed waiting for his next move.
"You requested a fair fight, woman," Daiki said simply, noticing their tension. Daiki moved over to the table that Nanao had used to trip him only yesterday and set the tray down. "Everyone deserves a last meal. We will proceed this afternoon."
"Our swords?" Shunsui asked. He tracked Daiki's movements with his eyes waiting for any sign of attack.
"Will be returned then," Daiki replied. "While I do not see you as a threat, I would prefer that there be no backstabbing involved."
"We wouldn't," Shunsui started to defend.
"You are the descendent of a liar and a thief," Daiki said sharply. "Who knows how much of that resides within you as well?" That said Daiki strode out of the room.
As the door clicked closed Shunsui reached over and tugged his small ex-fukutaicho into a crushing hug. It was wonderful feeling all of her pressed firmly into him and confirming that she was well and in one piece.
"Shunsui," Nanao shouted indignantly, and it was good to still hear the fight in her voice after the conversation they'd had the night before.
"I've been deprived," he murmured burying his face into her neck and hair. For all that they'd joked about death, he just couldn't imagine this woman not existing here. The thought was too much to bear, and he pushed it away quickly while hugging her tighter.
"Really," Nanao huffed sitting stiffly in his arms. "We're in the home of a madman who is going to try to kill us this afternoon and the first thing you do when you're freed is hug me?"
"What would you suggest I do instead?" he asked unrelenting. Her scent was different than usual, and he wished she had other clothes in order to change out of the yukuta Daiki had given her.
"I don't know," Nanao conceded sarcastically. "Maybe eat, or stretch since you've been tied up all night, or even try and find our zanpaktous and get us out of here."
"All in good time," Shunsui replied and smiled into her skin. He'd missed that tone even if it was often aimed at him in annoyance. "Now come on. One sided hugs are sadder than no hugs at all."
Nanao sighed, but knew him better than to think he'd give up on this. He'd decided to stay latched onto her until Daiki came back if she protested. It wasn't like he had any better plans to change their situation, and he could think of worse ways to spend his final hours if that was what they were. She slipped her arms around him and slid more comfortably into his hold. "Can we eat now?" she demanded after a moment.
"Yare, yare, of course we can cruel Nanao-chan," he said releasing her. He stood and winced from the cramped muscles. He really was going to have to work those out before this afternoon.
"You eat," Nanao commanded as they walked over to the table. "I'm going to work some healing through your muscles."
"It's fine, Nanao-chan," he said with a shrug. Of course she'd noticed the wince. His Nanao-chan was ever hawk eyed when it came to these things. She just snorted and pressed some kido down over his shoulder blades as he sat. He held in a groan as his shoulders relaxed. "I lied. This is excellent. Please continue," he teased. She worked her hands down his arms, and Shunsui enjoyed the sensation of all his aches fading away under her ministrations.
"I'm afraid I won't be much help in this fight besides being a shield," Nanao said quietly after a moment. "Daiki just blinks my kido off."
"It'll be fine," Shunsui said. She dug her fingers into a spot on his lower back that made his muscles scream in protest and then sigh in relief. "We were caught by surprise the first time. This time I'll take him out," he assured with more confidence then he really had.
The rest of the morning was spent quietly eating and just being in each other's company. Nanao had started muttering to herself about kido at some point and Shunsui let her concentrate on the off chance it would make a difference. He'd already made his decision in regards to her anyway. He couldn't stand to see one more woman hurt on his account, especially not this woman. His Nanao-chan was quicker and smarter than most people gave her credit for, given enough time she'd find a way out of here. He'd just have to guarantee her the time to find that way, regardless of whether she wanted it or not. On the upside she wouldn't be able to kill him for it if he was already dead.
Daiki returned promptly at midday with their swords, and Shunsui felt whole again strapping Katen Kyoukotsu around his waist once more. It'd been a long time since he'd been separated from his blades. Nanao argued with Daiki for a while until the man begrudgingly returned the clothes she'd arrived in and let her change in the hallway before they proceeded. Shunsui would have liked to believe she was as upset by Daiki's scent on her as he was, but knowing his practical Nanao-chan she probably just thought her fitted clothes would be better for fighting in. They followed the man out of the house and across a carefully tended garden to an open training field.
"I need a word with you," Shunsui said casually when they arrived. "Family business."
Daiki gave him a bored look and Nanao gave him a suspicious one, but in the end they took a few steps away from her.
"Well?" Daiki asked.
"You want Nanao alive," Shunsui stated and the man nodded his assent. "I also want her unharmed."
"Your point being?" Daiki asked.
"This fight is between me and you," Shunsui said. "She plans on using herself as a shield. I would prefer if you could take her safely out of the fight with a binding kido at the start."
Daiki glanced over at Nanao who was now openly glaring at them both and then looked back at him. "You are more honorable than your ancestor ever was. I will comply with this request. The woman will not be harmed. I will bind her at the start, and then you and I will end this."
Shunsui nodded and made his way back over to Nanao. "What was that?" she hissed as Daiki strode to the other side of the field.
"Just man talk, sweet Nanao-chan," Shunsui said trying to keep his tone light. "Nothing to worry yourself about."
"Whatever it was," she said glaring. "I'm going to want to kill you for it later, aren't I?"
He released an honest chuckle and shot her a fond smile. "Perhaps," he said, but he would be happy just to have a later for her to try to kill him in. "Get ready."
Both of them drew their blades and prepared for the fight. With Daiki's power level there was no point in starting with them sheathed.
Nanao drew Kage and threw another cautious look at Shunsui. She knew him well enough to know that whatever he'd said to Daiki she wasn't going to like. They would have to end this quickly or not at all. Shunsui took a side step that put him half in front of her and she rolled her eyes. Some things never changed.
Nanao switched her focus and reached out to her blade's spirit. Can we fire off an attack fast enough that he won't be able to counter?
He countered even when we had the element of surprise on our side, Kage answered coolly. Hide behind your Taicho like always, Kage advised.
Nanao snarled at that comment and felt Shunsui's eyes flicker towards her. She shrugged and they both turned their attention back to Daiki as he took his position across from them. A moment later Daiki fired off the first attack and Nanao was shocked when Shunsui hesitated and then moved into its path.
Nanao didn't pause, she slammed into his side and shoved him a half step out of the way taking the kido directly and feeling it slam down around her limbs and toss her a few feet out of the main training field. She saw the apology in Shunsui's eyes and cursed him as she realized she'd done exactly what he'd expected and gotten herself taken out of the fight in the first blow.
"Now we begin," Daiki said quietly. Shunsui turned his back on her moving into his first release without hesitation as his opponent started his charge. Power washed over the field and Nanao tried to focus on the current problem instead of how she was going to seriously beat Shunsui senseless when they got out of this.
Fool, her zanpaktuo said.
Shut up, she growled already angry enough at herself. Can we break it?
Of course, Kage said. Simply move the binding to another spot in space.
At least the element of surprise will be back on our side, Nanao thought bitterly as she released Kage and concentrated. She'd never have broken the kido if she'd been bound without her sword in her hand, and she thanked kami for small favors. As it was she wouldn't have to break the spell, simply move it wholly intact off of her. Nanao reached out and felt the space around her. It's strange, she noticed frowning. The whole area is strange.
We are within an alternate dimension with a small finite space, her blade commented, of course it is different.
Nanao felt a shockwave throw the ground below her into upheaval and her eyes went back to the fight. Both men were already bleeding and Shunsui had the serious face on that she'd so rarely seen in the past. Shunsui called a color and charged forward. Daiki hadn't even released yet. Despite Shunsui obviously having landed hits Nanao just didn't see how they could win when Daiki decided to get serious. The power levels were just too unevenly matched. If the idiot hadn't of felt the overbearing need to get her out of the fight she could at least be helping as a distraction. Honestly the fact that he'd chosen to do that was more telling than anything. He had let her fight at his side before when he was assured of a win. He must already be convinced there was a possibility of defeat if he thought the best option was to keep her out of it completely. It was the Winter War all over again.
"Bastard," she muttered. She refocused and shifted the bindings off of her. The fight had both men so thoroughly distracted they didn't seem to even notice her initial release. Given there was so much reiatsu flooding the area that she felt nearly smothered by it without it even being aimed at her. Another shockwave rattled the ground as the men's swords met and Nanao struggled to keep her feet.
We can't win this way, she thought desperately.
And if you can't win in a fair fight, her blade prompted.
Fight dirty, she admitted falling back on old Rukongai schools of thought. But how? A shot of kido went flying by her nearly scorching her right side as she threw herself back and out of the way. Idiot men. If she'd still been tied up she'd be in more danger then if she could move freely in the fight.
We'll only get one shot at this, Nanao thought watching the men clash again and Shunsui take a vicious cut to his right side. His second blade came up and took a good slice out of Daiki's face before they separated again. At this rate he was going to have to go bankai soon and Daiki was barely looking beat. She felt another flood of power and the rocks and shrubs nearest to the field got torn up and thrown back. Nanao had to crouch and plant her feet and fist into the ground to hold her position. Kyouraku danced through it but she quickly realized Daiki had performed his first release. A kido barrier went up around Daiki and Shunsui's blades barely nicked it.
He'll shrug off my shikai, Nanao realized with horror.
You can't beat him, her blade agreed.
"Not helpful," she growled. Kage fell silent and Nanao desperately tried to think of a spell combo or maneuver that could turn the tide of battle. Power rolled over her again as Shunsui finally shattered the barrier and their blades met. She felt the power swirl and bounce back and she cursed the confined space of the dimension they were trapped in. Her mind stuck on that thought and then she had it. Concentrating, she slipped into her own inner world and hoped no wild attacks would get her while she was not focusing on the fight.
Inky black night engulfed her, and Nanao could see her breath on the air as she stood in the bare forest of her inner soul. The stripped branches of the trees above her didn't move in the slightest despite a cold wind brushing past her. The moon and the blue blaze of a fire at the center of the forest were the only light and the fire the only movement besides her. Stepping into the circle of light cast by the hot blue flame she saw the shadowed and hooded figure of her soul slayer. She'd never gotten a proper look at him and wasn't sure she ever wanted to. She'd always thought it said something about her that her inner world was so barren. She'd once rudely asked Shunsui about his when she was a child and didn't know any better, and he'd laughingly told her it felt like the best and brightest spring day that ever existed. She'd lied and told him hers felt like the library. She was sure he'd seen through it, but she couldn't possibly admit to how dark her inner world was. Only the solitary fire burned hot and bright.
"Can we break the dimension?" Nanao asked Kage as she stood opposite him. He made no move to come closer to the light and she respected his space.
"Your release is limited," Kage said in that voice that sounded so much like a memory and an echo that it still always made her question if he'd spoken at all or if she'd simply being talking to herself all these years. "You've moved energy to where you wanted it within space, never moved space itself, and never from one dimension to another. You might as well have tried to open a gate to the living world from Soul Society. You don't have the power or the control, not in shikai."
"So help me," Nanao said. "We're going to lose. If we can break through the dimension we'll have all of the Gotei 13 at our back."
"Your fear of what you could become if you wield me has hobbled you," Kage said, and the cold around her sank deeper into Nanao's bones. "I am not a toy to be played with when it suits your need."
"You know this kind of power is illegal," Nanao growled having had this fight many times over the years with her zanpakutou. "We'd either be thrown in the Maggot's Nest or be made into the Gotei 13's assassin and be assigned to slaughtering people in their beds.
"It's not them you are afraid of," Kage said simply.
"Then what am I afraid of?" she yelled. She needed bankai and she needed it now.
"Until you can answer that, I cannot aid you," Kage answered. Suddenly Nanao found herself back on the battlefield, being unceremoniously thrown out of her own inner world.
Shunsui was bleeding heavily from one side. Daiki was sporting wounds too, but nothing like Shunsui. If he didn't go bankai soon he'd be defeated. It didn't appear that Daiki had even been taxed yet so it would be a waste regardless. They were outmatched. Their only chance was breaking through the dimension.
"Help me," she hissed, but only received silence as a response. She knew it would come to this one day. Shunsui himself had occasionally pressed her for why she didn't try harder to achieve bankai. She'd told him her zanpakutou was difficult to converse with, but it'd never being completely true. Kage had always urged her to use him more, but the problem with her soul slayer was that it always demanded absolute honesty. For a woman who had spent most of her life lying about who she was and how she felt, who had been trained since day one to always be in control, letting that kind of honesty out had always been difficult.
Shunsui took a hit and blood splattered across the field. He went down to his knees and barely regained his footing in time to avoid the next attack.
"Lay down and die with honor," Daiki snarled, backing off a pace as Shunsui threw the spinning top wind blades at him.
"This doesn't have to be this way," Shunsui argued, still trying to make the man see reason. "No one has to die here. The man you want revenge on is long since dead."
"Not to me," Daiki said stonily before dodging another attack and firing off a kido that Nanao could feel the heat from even out of its direct line of fire. Shunsui's right sleeve caught fire and he ripped the fabric loose without blinking.
I'm afraid of losing him, Nanao admitted quietly. I'm afraid of loosing all of it. I'm afraid of being totally alone and abandoned. I'm afraid that if I do what my zanpakutou will allow, they'll put me in a solitary jail cell or ship me off to the Covert Ops to be a lone assassin. I'm afraid that I'll lose everything I've gained, friends and family. That I'll be truly alone. And I'm afraid of what I could become if not for their influence, of what my father saw in me, of what the soutaicho saw in me as a child. I'm frightened of the killer I could be if given the opportunity.
The killer is in us all, Kage whispered back.
Yes, but I would have the power to be so very good at it, Nanao answered calmly knowing the truth in her own confession. I'm not like Shunsui. I don't see the good in everyone. It would be easy.
It would have been easy, Kage corrected. All those years ago when you were so very frightened and so very alone, when your only source of support had been taken from you by circumstance. It would have been easy when you had not known love and kindness, when you were a moldable child. Your Taicho destroyed that possibility in you though. You fear things that will never come to pass.
They will never happen because I will not let them, Nanao agreed. Because I will not become that creature that follows orders without thought. Because I was his and the 8th's and I was taught more than to be a soldier. And if they try to take me, if they try to put me away in some quiet secret corner, Shunsui won't stop until he's found me. Nor will my brother, or Rangiku, or Jyuushiro. No matter what happens there are people that love me and will split the world in two to be at my side, as would I to be at theirs. I have nothing left to fear.
Yes, Kage crowed in her mind. You have nothing to fear.
"Help me," Nanao whispered quietly, changing the hold on her tanto. She felt Kage surround her and fill her, felt the power welling up in her and screaming to come out. Shadowed hands fell on her own, strengthened her hold and the power surged up around her. "Bankai."
The men must have felt it at the last moment, that shriek of power being let loose. Their attention shifted to her and Daiki took a defensive stance, but it was not him she was interested in.
Nanao could feel the space around her humming, each molecule singing its location. She let her eyes slip closed as she made sense of all the tingling energy and matter. There. She slammed her blade into open air and felt the contact as it sliced through the very fabric of space sinking into it up to the hilt.
Follow your instinct, Kage instructed. Space bends to your will. Make it kneel.
"Shunsui," she said quietly, forcing her eyes back open again. He was at her side in an instant.
"Nanao-chan," he started, worry creasing his bloodied face.
"Hold on," she said cutting him off shortly. She could feel Daiki starting an attack. He obviously didn't know what was happening, but disliked it either way. She could literally sense the spiritual particles moving and being gathered and formed into a kido of his control. If she'd had more time she would have simply reveled in the feel of it, but she did not. Nanao fisted her free hand into Shunsui's uniform and then screamed as she ripped her blade across the fabric of space itself. There was a moment when she thought it would resist her, when she could feel Daiki's kido rushing at them and thought all was lost, but Kage's hand on her own steadied her and together they rent the outer shell of the dimension apart. She could only pray that their dimension lay on the other side and not some horrible void.
Pressure exploded like a burst balloon and both her and Shunsui were thrown through the ragged slash between worlds to the ground on the other side. Nanao felt Shunsui roll them and crush her body beneath his as a blazing kido burned above their heads where they had been standing not moments before. They both moved just as quickly to regain their feet and comprehend their new surroundings.
Before them stood a jagged gash in the air, almost like the ones a Menos created when entering the living world. Through it they could see a stunned Daiki, and they took advantage of his astonishment to glance around.
"It's Kyouraku lands," Shunsui said panting next to her. "About a kilometer from the shrine. What did you do?"
"I don't know that now is the time," Nanao said feeling her legs wobble as the power surge she'd just used drained out of her.
"Running away like cowards," Daiki screeched pacing towards them.
"Can you close it?" Shunsui demanded.
Nanao took internal stock of her power levels and the exhausted burn working its way through her system and shook her head. "I doubt it. I barely managed the first move."
Shunsui pressed her back behind him and raised his swords again as Daiki approached. "Go and get help," he ordered.
"I'm not leaving you," Nanao argued back. "And you aren't my Taicho so you can't make me."
"Nanao," he roared at her. "We can't win like this."
"Then run with me," she said and tugged on the back of his uniform hard.
"I can't risk him killing innocents in between," Shunsui answered.
"Then I guess we're still getting reincarnated together," she bit out stubbornly. They both shuffled back across the field as Daiki advanced on the tear. Nanao lit a kido in her hand and cursed silently as it flickered. She was exhausted and she wasn't sure she'd even be able to use Kage successfully anymore at this rate. Guess this is why people prefer to find their bankai during training instead of in the middle of an important fight, she though sarcastically to herself.
Daiki threw another horrendously powerful kido at them and they dodged in opposite directions as the kido burned into the ground where they'd been standing and threw up bits of earth in every direction. "My name will be cleansed," Daiki growled. "I will not let you walk away from this."
"Come on then," Shunsui said trying to pull the man's attention to himself. "End this."
Daiki raised his sword and released his bankai. The force of it drove Nanao to her knees without it ever being directed at her. Shunsui fared a bit better, but the power was insane.
Several things happened at once then. Daiki charged into an attack just as blurs of white and black took up positions around the field they were standing in. Nanao recognized Ukitake landing at Shunsui's side and breathed out a sigh of relief. Backup had made it after all. Jyuushiro's own blades came out and Nanao gratefully let the wash of familiar power flood over her.
Then Daiki crossed the threshold between dimensions and everything paused in his headlong rush. The two Taicho's raised their blades, but it was unnecessary as the man decayed right before their eyes. Hair and eyes were the first to fall and disintegrate. Skin shriveled and flaked. Bone was exposed and then crumbled. In a few moments time only dust and a rusted blade remained. The wind picked up and Nanao felt the last of Daiki's remains brush against her face and exposed arms as the wind rushed the pile of dust away.
"What the hell was that?" Rangiku's voice demanded from behind her and Nanao blinked to find her friend so close.
"Was that you?" Shunsui asked turning to look at Nanao in shock.
"The stasis spell," Nanao said feeling woozy, but her brain racing over all the possibilities. "When he stepped between dimensions he stepped out of the stasis spell that had been keeping him alive and un-aging for all that time. The years of decay he would have suffered in this dimension simply must have caught up to him all at once."
"You're sure?" Shunsui asked, seemingly ready for Daiki to pop out from anywhere and declare it all a trick.
"How should I know?" Nanao demanded trying clumsily to get to her feet and feeling her energy just pour out of her. "But I don't see you coming up with any better theories," she got out before the world went blurry. She heard Kage calmly say, rest now. Then everything went black.
A/N: As always tell me what you think! And shameless self-plug, if you haven't read my new one-shot An Affair check it out and let me know if you like it.