Hey guys!
Chapter 12, finally out! God, I've been so busy lately that, it's not even funny.
Well, I hope you enjoy :-)
"...Who would of guess that I would have to fight for what was mine 14 years ago. I thought that as soon as they it was me, they would through a big party or something. Then, they would just reinstate me as a captain, and that would of been the end of it. But, no, I have to duel against one of the strongest captains of the 13 court guard squads. And not only is he he strong, he's, well, lets just say that when I was in my hay-day as a captain before I died, I could seriously whoop this guy's butt. And I mean that literally..."
November 30, 2010
Toshiro's Perspective
Toshiro stands with the fellow Captains at the top of the Squad 1 training grounds.
He's nervous, and scared for Yattamori.
She stands alone at one end of the training ground, waiting for Captain Kuchiki to appear, and she's invisible, only visible to him, no one else.
She stands tall and brave, but Toshiro can tell that she's a little anxious. She shifts her weight from her left leg to her right, which she normally does when she wanted something to end.
Then, Captain Kuchiki appears from behind the Captains and begins to decend down the steps to the grounds.
Yattamori stiffens, but relaxes moments later, probably trying to come up with a strategy in her head. Captain Kuchiki stops at the other end of the grounds and turns in Yattamori's direction.
"So, where is the nominee? Did they decide to not show up?" Captain Kuchiki says aloud.
"Not in your dreams, Byakuya. I'm not one to run away from a fight." Yattamori says, unsensoring her voice so that he can hear her.
Captain Kuchiki turns towards her voice and his eyes widen. The other Captains react the same.
"Nominee, show yourself to your opponent." the Head Captain instructs.
Yattamori nods and within moments, the invisibilty disipates.
Captain Kuchiki, as well as the other Captains react in surprise. Toshiro can hear a few gasp and whisper amonst themselves.
Yattamori steps closer to Captain Kuchiki.
"Why hello, Byakuya. I bet you didn't expect to see me." Yattamori calls.
"You may start the duel whenever you're ready." the Head Captain says as he sits in a chair brought for him, "If the nominee stays battle active for 15 minutes, she will be able to take her position back as Captain."
"What type of trick is this? Making a illusion fight me. Don't make me laugh." Kuchiki says as he turns away from her.
Madison smirks, then without hesitation, pulls Mamori from thin air, flashsteps to face Kuchiki, slamming the sword down to be met by his Senbonzakura.
"Not so fast Kuchiki. I'm not letting you leave until I've gained back my title. So turn back around and fight me." she says, keeping Kuchiki from raising his sword.
"Impressive, you were able to catch me off guard and you can keep my sword from rasing or pierring your attack. But it will take more then that to defeat me!" Kuchiki says as he frees his sword and tries to stick Yattamori.
Unfortunatly, Yattamori flashsteps out of the way, before quickly returning with a return attack. They clash like that for about 3 more minutes, and Yattamori starts to gain.
"Why aren't you releasing your zampakutou? You could of made this a lot more interesting by now." Yattamori says, pierring his sword.
"Who says I just wasn't gathering information about your attack patterns." he says.
"What?" Yattamori asks, her eyes widening.
"I let you stay on top, to see how you attack and swing your sword." Kuchiki says, suddenly pushing Yattamori back.
"Now, I know exactly how to beat you." Kuchiki says as he lets some of his Spiritual Pressure flow out.
Within seconds, he's glowing with Spritual Pressure.
Yattamori jumps away from Kuchiki and holds her sword in front of her, bracing for any type of attack. Captain Kuchiki holds his sword straight up and it disappears.
Toshiro gasps and runs to the edge over looking the training grounds.
"MADISON, PUT UP A BARRIER NOW!" Toshiro yells.
Yattamori looks up at him, confused.
Toshiro gasps again.
Yattamori doesn't remember her ability to put up barriers to block attacks.
But it's too late, Kuchiki points his hand at Yattamori and the flower petal-looking blades begin to swarm and gain on her, becoming faster with each instant.
"Ah, CRAP!" Yattamori yells as she flashsteps out of the way.
She appears a few yards away, but flashsteps again when the blades immediatly return.
She keeps doing so, just to trapped by the blades. With each pass, Toshiro can tell Yattamori's beginning to slow.
Then, Yattamori is grazed.
The impacts sends Yattamori flying into the rock side of the opposite cliff, sending rocks flying.
"MADISON!" Toshiro yells.
Fortuanltly, Kuchiki doesn't send his blades toward her, but with all the dust in the air, Toshiro can't see if she is ok or not.
Toshiro looks at the other Captains to see Captain Ukitake, Captain Unohana, Captain Aizen, and Captain Kuoraku staring at the dust cloud in horror.
"Head Captain, Madison Yattamori is hurt, we need to-" Captain Ukitake starts to say before being inturupted.
Suddenly, three arrows shoot out from the cloud, made from crystal.
Kuchiki dodges all of them, one of them barly grazing him. After the arrows hit the wall behind him, Lime green light begins to surrond the ground, all centering from the place Yattamori hit the cliff. Within seconds, the light grows stronger and Yattamori flys out from the cloud.
She has taken on shikai, in which she's sprout wings and can change her sword into a weapon that represents that month's zodiac sign. And seeing as it was the month of the Sagittarius, Yattamori's sign, Mamori turned into a bow n' arrow.
On top of that, seeing as how it was Yattamori's zodiac sign, she grows stronger because of it.
"I'm not done yet. Trust me." Yattamori calls.
Toshiro examines her for injuries.
A cut on Yattamori's forehead is dripping blood and a blood trail runs from one of the corners of her mouth. There's a minor gash on her right arm and a bigger one of her right leg. As she takes a step on the air, which is an abilitiy of Soul Reapers, her face becomes contorted with a pained look.
She's servirly injured.
"Head Captain, stop the fight. Madison is injured!" Toshiro yells over to the Head Captain.
"Shut up Toshiro!" Yattamori yells down at him.
Toshiro turns towards Yattamori, surprised.
"I have to fight. If I don't, I can't take back what's mine, understand! I have to prove that I can do it!" Yattamori yells as she throws herself down, Mamori changing back into a sword, and meeting Kuchiki's Senbonzakura with a mound of sparks.
"Madison-"
"Stop, Captain Hitsugaya." the Head Captain says.
Toshiro turns toward him.
"Yattamori will be fine. Remember, it's already been 11 minutes, so she just needs to stay in for 4 more and she'll be in. Besides, Yattamori believes that she needs to prove herself to the other captains. She knows that many, like Captain Kuchiki, don't believe that she is truly who she says she is. So, she thinks that is she can beat the clock, some of them might change their minds." the Head Captain explains.
Toshiro looks back at Yattamori, fighting on equal ground with Byakuya Kuchiki.
Firing arrow after arrow, destroying all the of Kuchiki's attacks, she goes in for an attack with Mamori's sword form. That tactic's one of Yattamori's best, one that she had used before her death for years.
He smiles.
It truly is Yattamori down there, and, with hope, he feels she actually has a chance.
Madison's Perspective
Every draw of her bow brings striking pain to Madison's arm. If she had been in the other world, she would of been crying and screaming in pain. But, with all her past strengths returning to her, she feels no need to cry out or even shed a single tear.
She's in control, and she's going to beat the clock.
Kuchiki is striking back hard, and with each blow, Madison can feel herself losing strength. But she can see the same in Kuchiki's eyes too, the same fatigue.
She smiles as they meet in a sword lock.
"Why are you grinning, you're the one covered in blood." Kuchiki remarks.
"I'm smiling because I know that I'm going to beat the clock. Then, I'll be a Captain again, just like you." Madison says.
"We'll just see about that." Kuchiki says as he pushes her back.
Thanks to Madison's wings, she doesn't hit the ground, but when she looks back up, she doesn't see Kuchiki.
"Where did he go?" she says to herself.
Suddenly, a shadow blocks out the sun above her. She looks up and gasps.
Kuchiki's above her and is sending a powerful attack.
"MADISON, use a barrier!" she hears Toshiro yell.
Suddenly, an image comes to her mind.
She sees Toshiro standing in front of her, his arms spread out wide, as if he's trying to defend her. A bigger boy stands above him and is about to punch him.
Without thinking, Madison draws her hand up in front of her face. And, to their amazment, it isn't Toshiro the hand hits, but a glowing wall. Madison and Toshiro look around them to discover that Madison has created a box barrier, making it impossible for the boy to hurt them.
Madison is now drawn back into realty, and looks up to see the blades only yards away.
Quickly she draws her hand in the same position as in the vision, and to her amazment, a great barrier forms, and the blades smash into it until they all vanish.
She looks at Byakuya to see him stund.
Madison, exhausted, calls off the barrier and quickly makes another sign with her hand.
Suddenly the same type of wall appears, but seconds later the millions of blades that once were after her shoot out in all directions towards Kuchiki.
She hears all the Captains gasp as Kuchiki tries to dodge all the direct attacks. Miraculously, he escapes, but he has a few gashes on his arms and legs, resulting from the attack.
Madison smiles.
"I told you I wasn't done." Madison says inbetween breaths.
"TIME! Madison Yattamori has requalified her title of T.P. Captain." the Head Captain calls as he stands from his seat.
Madison smiles and falls to her knees, panting.
...I did it, I won the duel...I'm a Captain again...
Suddenly, Madison sees a shadow.
She looks up to see Kuchiki jumping on her like a lion, his sword over his head.
Madison quickly counters with Mamori, which sends her flying into the other cliff. Kuchiki flashsteps after her, and grabs her by the neck.
"What are you doing...Kuchiki? The duel is...over!" Madison says as she tries to take in air.
"Captain Kuchiki, let go of her!" she hears Toshiro yell from above.
"I still don't believe you. Anyone can copy a shi-kai. Show me your BanKai, NOW!" Kuchiki says.
Without hesitation, he throws her into the air then meets her at the highest point.
Madison takes the chance to flashstep out of the way, but is quickly followed.
"Quit running imposter! Show me your BanKai!"
"I can't!" she yells.
In truth, if she could, she would of shown him her bankai without thinking. But, theres a problem.
She doesn't remember how to release her bankai.
Just one of the many memories that had been erased with her rebirth.
That, and she had a bad feeling about what would happen if she did.
Right now, her only option is to run. But, when she isn't paying attention, Kuchiki comes to be in front of her.
She gasps.
"Now I've got you." Kuchiki says as he flings his sword from behind his head.
Madison meets it with her own, and the impact sends her flying down to meet the ground with a boom.
On impact, Madison can feel her entire body rattle with pain. It's now that she let out a blood-curdling scream, more rigid and off key then anything she has ever heard come from her body.
"AHHHH, ACK!" Madison screams, cracking in some areas.
Blood spats out from her mouth as she coughs.
She struggles to sit up as Kuchiki comes to stand over her.
Suddenly, rage and hatrid begins to boil inside her, and slowing the lime green glow around her begins to become bright and clear.
But, moments later, a darker purple glow begins to envelop her as well. Without hesitation or regrets, Madison jumps to her feet, and without even looking, hits Kuchiki with a full force punch to the cheeck, sending him flying. Madison follows with a flashstep, and meets him halfway with a diagonal bicycle kick, sending him flying up. Next, she meets him at his highest point, and hits him in the middle of his gut, sending him flying even faster then she her.
Madison floats over the gigantic dust cloud that envelops him as he meets with the earth.
Her mind is cloudy and she can't remember what she's done.
A red filter is glossed over her eyes and she can feel her weakness and pain returning. She looks over at Toshiro, who's now rushing over to her.
There's worry in his eyes.
Slowly the glow around her fades and within moments shes only being suspended in the air by the rythemic beating of her own wings.
Before Toshiro can get to her, Kuchiki rushes up from the clouds and takes hold of her collar.
"What was that? You didn't have that power before. What are you?" Kuchiki yells.
Madison looks over him to see he isn't serverly injured like she is, just a few more gashes and maybe a broken arm.
She's confused and scared.
"What did I do to you?" she asks.
"You don't remember? You're kidding!" Kuchiki yells.
His hand raises from behind his head, prepared to smack her.
She closes her eyes, but when it doesn't come, she opens her eyes to finds Ukitake and Kuoraku holding him back and releasing his grip.
"Captain Kuchiki, stop, can't you see she's serverly injured. She doesn't need more!" Captain Ukitake says as he finally releases her.
She falls slightly, but is caught by Toshiro, who holds her close to his chest.
She closes her eyes, but can feel Toshiro brushing his hand across her cheek, checking for any other injuries under the the dried blood.
"Are you crazy Kuchiki! You could of killed her again!" she hears Toshiro yell at Kuchiki.
"Now's not the time for this. We need to get Captain Yattamori to the squad 4 barricks imediatly, or she'll bleed to death." she hears Captain Unohana say.
Carefully, but quickly, she feels Toshiro cradle her in his arms and pick her up. She rests her head on his chest, hearing his heart beat going crazy with panic.
She frowns.
...I'm scaring Toshiro...
"Toshiro..." She whispers.
"Don't speak Madison, we're going to make you feel better, I promise." Toshiro says back to her as he begins to flashstep.
"Toshiro, I made you a promise. And I'm going to keep it." she says, the world around her growning dim.
"Good, I don't need you dying on me again. I couldn't live with myself."
"You idiot, it was never your fault..." Madison trails.
Suddenly, the world becomes black.
BONUS Funnies ^o^
Yattamori's Info Corner
Her guys! Yattamori here with 'Yattamori's Info Corner'! This week, we're talking about Byakuya's zampakutou, Senbonzakura.
Oh great, how fun.
Toshiro, stop talking. Anyway, Senbonzakura is, as I said before, Captain Byakuya's Kuchiki's zampakutou. Translated, Senbonzakura means 'Thousand Cherry Blossoms', which has never made since to me whatsoever.
What do you mean? His thousand petal attack that he used on you this chapter seamed to describe it perfectly.
No, not that. The fact the english translation is three words and it's one word in japanese, and Mamori Koudoutai's english translation is two words and it's still two words. It makes no sense.
I don't know, maybe it's a translation thing.
That doesn't make sense.
Well, I don't know.
You should.
Why should I know that?
Because you're supposed to be smart!
You're just as smart as I am!
But you've got brains to prove it!
THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?