A/N: Thank you guys sssooo much for the reviews on the last chapter! They seriously were amazing!
I'm really really sorry about the tardiness of this chapter its been over 2 months. That's kindof inexcuseable but I'm going to explain for my conscious sake. If ya really don't care just skip this and read on my friends read on... As soon as I began to recover from a case of nasty writers block my father had to take the laptop in for repairs...something about "window's crappy vista system..." Of course he used expletives I'd rather not use seeing as I'm trying to clean up my language... heh... it doesn't help that my dad then denied me access to the computer for a few weeks straight... then life decided to... well life and me don't get along so well right now...
This has been edited and redone close to 12 times now though... it's been a total pain is my white arse.
But enough dribble!
I'm so so very sorry for the monstrous long wait!
So with out further adieu CHAPTER 5 IN AAALLLL ITS GLORY!
XxXxXxXxXxXx
Chapter 5 Now the real fun begins.
The walk through then town passed in silence. Both of us lost in our own thoughts. Shinji with his constant chesshire grin and me with my blank stare. They say that there are five stages of grief. And I can honestly say that it is a load of bull. People make it out that the stages come one at a time and in the order presented to you.
"It will be hard but you'll get through it." They say.
Unconsciously my face contorts into a sneer, hazel eyes glinting malevolently in the early morning sun. As it is I'm experiencing 'anger', 'depression', and 'acceptance' all in one big ball of emotion forced down only by sheer force of will. Living with no parents you have to grow up fast, emotions that are usually expressed freely as a teen are locked up, confined often never to see the light of day outside the confines of what had been my last remaining family member.
'Child.'
How a loud clap of thunder could sound annoyed escapes me.
"Sorry" I sighed.
I caught Shinji glancing at me from the corner of his eyes and, turning to face him, leveled him with a questioning stare. Not realizing we had reached the warehouse in which the Vizards called 'Home'.
The blonde haired man just shook his head and gestured for me to enter the compound.
I stood transfixed for a few moments before stuffing my hands in my pockets while straightening out my posture and raising my chin.
The second I stepped into the ware house though, chills ran up my spine, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. I dismissed the feeling thinking it was just that the warehouse was cold.
I made no more then three strides before the edges of swords were pressed against my throat.
"Wow. I didn't think an 18 year old, untrained, girl posed that much of a threat to trained and battle hardened warriors." I drawled out, eyes rolling in annoyance.
"Oi easy there." Shinji so graciously intervened, earning a sandal to the face that sent him careening into a concrete wall.
"WHAT THE HELL BALDY! WHO IS SHE!" Hiyori yelled, her short stature somewhat imposing as she leaned over the bowl-cut blonde's crumpled figure.
"The name's Alicia Johnson." I droned., highly annoyed at being talked about while I was in the room.
I honestly thought the anime was an exaggeration for comedy... apparently I was wrong. They got her dead on.
Hiyori's head whipped around to face me, pink jacket fluttering slightly at the movement. Her childish form in a crouch, sandal menacingly clutched in her hands.
I couldn't help but smirk slightly at the scene.
"So why the hell do you feel like an Espada?" The girl shot back as she stalked away from the bloody and now apparently unconscious blonde-haired Vizard towards me.
Angry and suspicious muddy brown locked with narrowed hazel. The tension in the room skyrocketed as silence blanked the place.
"I... Grimmjow... He..." I faltered.
I still had no idea how the 6th Espada had my soul traverse across universes or how to even explain it to her. The kitten in question was out-cold somewhere in the far reaches of my soul.
"He's part of my soul. Don't ask me how or why. I can't answer that, I don't have the foggiest idea. I know that I'm technically supposed to be dead. But that's another story." I sighed, my arms crossing over my voluptuous chest in thought.
"How can we trust you not to attack us then?" Lisa asked coldly causing my head to snap over my right shoulder toward her, simultaneously nicking my neck against one of the blades being held at my throat.
I ignored the warm fluid languidly creating a trail of crimson against my sun-abused skin over my collar-bone and shot a glare at the offending pervert.
"I never asked you to trust me now did I? Just because I'm here doesn't mean I trust you either. But I'm exactly like the rest of you, I have an inner hollow. If I didn't I wouldn't be here now would I!" I hissed.
Unknowingly, black tendrils began to crawl across the sclerae of my eyes in response to my sudden flare of anger, giving them all the proof my words couldn't. The palpable tension noticeably waned and the swords were removed from my neck. The group didn't disperse from the loose circle around me but the immediate threats to my life and limb were sheathed. A breath I didn't know I was holding rushed out of me in a tired and weary sigh.
A pregnant silence hung in the air, no one knowing what to say or for that matter what to do.
Minutes passed before the apparent 'leader' of the group stirred in the form of a pained groan. I eyed him suspiciously, I knew that Hiyori couldn't have knocked him out like that.
'I'm willing to bet my life savings that the bastard was hoping for them to accept me into the group.'
I wasn't expecting a response and I didn't receive one from that comforting if not slightly agitating presence in my mind. I looked around at the surrounding Vizard, absently noting that Hachi was missing from the group, and seeing that no one was going to assist the former captain I casually walked over to him, intent on helping his lazy ass up so that he could explain to the antsy group of hybrids. Wishing that I was any where but here I nudged him with my sneaker and scowled slightly as it prompted no response.
"Get up."
No answer.
I scowled and landed an annoyed kick at his bicep, a satisfied smirk dancing at the hem of my mouth from the resounding thunk of foot against arm.
It worked, bastard was on his feet faster then my eyes could follow.
"Alright Alright." He drawled walking over to the slowly dispersing group of exiles.
For my part I stood stunned at the speeds he had just thrown around, my mind was reeling.
'Jesus! I realized they were fast but damn! That's just ridiculous. ' I thought incredulously.
Hiding my surprise through a bored expression I turned toward the group who was now staring at me like I had grown a second head.
"What did I do now?" I practically whined.
'This is really starting to get annoying.'
"Oh nothing! Let's get ya settled in shall we?" Shinji called out slyly as he turned on his heel and walked toward the back of the warehouse itself.
I simply nodded my assent and followed him once more, wary of the attempts at not-so-inconspicuous stares.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXx
I huffed indignantly as I flopped down onto the futon that would technically belong to me for the rest of my now almost endless life time. Whoop-de-freakin-do.
My nose wrinkled as dust invaded my nostrils in an apparent attempt at getting me to sneeze. A few seconds later that invasion was successful as a muffled sneeze rocked my frame slightly.
Shaking my head a few times to rid my self of the 'after-sneeze' I gazed around the spartan room.
No it didn't have shields, wooden walls, spears, or swords.
The only pieces of furniture in the other wise empty concrete box of a room room were a wardrobe like desk and the futon I was currently laying on.
"Feels like home..." I mumbled sarcastically.
My mind flitted back to the conversation in the hall way and groaning slightly at the imminent pain I threw my right arm over my head hiding my eyes in the crook of my elbow.
"Because we're basically startin' from scratch wit' ya', your trainin' in shinigami arts starts as soon as possible. Try and get some sleep."
I needed anything but sleep, I wanted to do something, anything. I never had been one to sit still... Ever.
I always was doing something.
With a disgruntled sigh I rolled off the futon and got to my feet, eyes immediately darting to the sheathed sword resting against the wall. A longing to have it nestled between my shoulders flashed through me. Blinking to adjust to the new found 'need' I strode over and picked it up smiling softly at the contented hum resonating from the weapon the instant my fingers brushed the nylon and satin wrapped hilt. A question flitted through my mind and I couldn't help but vocalize it.
"Hey will normal people be able to see the sword on my back. . . or is it limited to.. the uh... spiritual people..." I mumbled.
I waited silently, hoping for an answer.
The equivalent of a mental shrug brushed against my conscious.
'Good enough for me.' I thought wryly.
Strapping the sheathed weapon to my back I strode almost lazily out of the room. I'd get sleep when I couldn't stand on my own two feet.
Much to the mild amusement and surprise of the Vizard I walked into the main area of the warehouse dead-set on exiting, not thirty minutes after the assumed blonde-haired leader had led me to my own keep. I watched silently as something was exchanged between them, most likely money.
' They were betting... on how long I'd stay in that room?... That's so...'
Three words.
What. The. Hell?
In an instant Kensei was in front of me, a disapproving frown on his face his arms crossed over his chest in slight agitation.
"Where do you think you're going?"
I sighed audibly, already knowing where this was going to go.
"Look I've never been one to just sit around. I've been cooped up for who knows how long at that psycho's shop . And I like my sanity. . . or at least what's left it it. So I'm going to just walk and clear my head. If you need me you know how to find me." I called as I turned around the silver-haired man and walked backwards out of the entrance.
The moment I was past the warehouse I let out a contented sigh.
God it felt good to get out, to get away from everything. In the back of my head a faint rumbling sound akin to an amused chuckle caught my attention. I hadn't made it more then 10 strides when I suddenly jerked to a stop much like a dog on a leash.
"What the hell!" I cried indignantly.
'Pup you won't be able to find your way back. Go back to the ware house and follow my instructions.'
I whipped my head around and glared at the stormy gray and electric blue hilt sticking over my right shoulder. Defiantly I tried walking farther away from the concrete structure only for the leash sensation to come back stronger then the first.
Growling low in annoyance I spun on my heal and trudged back. Upon reaching the large garage-door like entrance I stopped and angrily unsheathed the blade from my back in a sweeping arc.
"Alright now what." I almost spat catching the attention of all inside the building.
Irritation was clawing at my insides, I wanted to run damn it, I wanted that feeling of wind caressing my face and hair as the rhythm of my feet and the pounding of my heart blocked all other sound from my ears.
'Place your palm on the ground, close your eyes and rid your mind of all distractions.' The thunderous baritone instructed.
Sighing I knelt and did just that. I don't know how much time passed but eventually I felt the Vizard slowly converging to my spot on the ground.
'Now what.' I thought.
'Feel the electric current of your body and direct it to the ground under your palm.'
It was harder then he made it sound. For a while I struggled to even find the current let alone manipulate it.
'Ya know, I love how you give me basic ideas for later techniques but won't reveal your name.' I thought sourly as for the umpteenth time the current wouldn't leave the palm of my hand.
Another amused rumble of thunder met my inner ears as he replied.
'You have yet to prove me that you are worthy of my name pup.'
I huffed in slight aggravation and focused on the current in my hand causing it to feel all... tingly and numb.
I paused midway into one of my attempts realizing something.
What if. . . What if instead of forcing it out of my body I made the connection as part of me. . . like. . . like an extension?
With a distant rolling rumble of thunder that oddly sounded like approval I snaked the electricity from my hand latching onto the ground and held it there. I breathed a sigh of relief when the spark stayed attached to the earth. Standing I was able to watch as it arced playfully in and out of the ground staying within a small set space, as if scared to leave it. Almost immediately I felt vaguely fatigued yet I was tempted to laugh in my success, but didn't. I couldn't hold back all my joy though as a smile tried to split my face in half. Seems as if I just might have a knack for this.
Maybe.
Who knows.
I spun sharply on my heel and took off in what could be called a relaxed run willing my feet to take me where ever they saw fit.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
"Here again huh. . ." I mumbled quietly.
I was at the park standing at the fringes of laughing children and chiding parents under a warm midday sun. My feet must hate me. Bringing me to the place where my life ended and yet somehow began anew at the same time. Hesitation to re-renter the park grounded me to my place on the road. Behind me cars whizzed by noisily and a few passers by talked noisily as they went about their daily lives. Running a frustrated hand through my hair I turned and strode away from the park, my destination. . . well I don't think I ever had one.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Walking through the not-so-small town of Karakura, Japan I was able to really see what the town was like. And in some strange way it felt like home. There was the downtown area, immediate suburbs and the more country-like area's with out all the corn fields. With the sun's rays warming my head, shoulders, and arms, even if it was just momentary, I felt as if I could forget where I was. And for a moment I really had. I wasn't walking the streets of Karakura. I was walking through the hazardously paved trailer park me and my brother had called home for so many years. I could see him perched against the front door, a cheesy smile plastered on his face as he rubbed his shoulder in obvious embarrassment. He had lost his key... again.
The sun beat uninhibitedly on my head, a few beads of sweat gathering along my hair line before they slowly fell down my neck. A cool breeze caressed my skin leaving goosebumps in it's wake and causing me to freeze mid-stride. The sounds of running water drifted to my ears. Slowly I turned my head and the simplistic beauty of this spot was breath taking. The sun was slowly sinking behind the skyscraper laden horizon creating a painting filled with smudged hues of yellow,pink,read, and orange on the waters on the stream just a few meters away from me.
I was unknowingly walking along the sidewalk on the same banks of the river where Ichigo had lost his mother. I had been so caught up in thought that not only had the day passed by in one huge blur of motion, color, and sound but I had stumbled upon this deceptively serene place in the middle of it all.
"Damn it all to hell." I grumbled as I meandered down the stairs, eyes scanning the grass.
I reached the bottom and a feeling of cold dread settled itself in my chest causing me to stagger back a few paces.
'What the hell was that?'
I suddenly wanted to get as far away as possible from this spot but... and there always is a but... I'm a walking contradiction... another part of me was rooted to where I was standing. Sighing heavily, I seem to be doing a lot of that lately, I cautiously walked along the edge of the river eying the lazily moving water. Its funny how such a peaceful scene could be plagued by horrors some wouldn't dare to imagine. My vision began to blur as I continued to stare into the murky waters my muscles involuntarily becoming lax. Unbidden memories once again rose to fore front of my mind, swamping me with emotions. I gasped under the weight of them all and fell to my knees as helplessness and regret threatened to swallow me whole. I could barely think, barely breathe, barely function. It was as if someone had hit a lock down button in my mind.
'What. . . The. . . Hell. . .' I thought blearily.
Slowly so very slowly I lowered myself onto my side my body slowly succumbing to the weight that had so suddenly been placed upon it. It was when my eyes began to flutter shut that I realized something was terribly wrong. I jolted upright, wincing as my head began swimming, and looked around.
Something didn't feel right, yes this place had a slight ominous feel to it, most likely why nnot many people are around this spot but... this amount of chill... it's just not right.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as something screamed at me to...
"MOVE YOU IDIOT WOMAN!"
Out of shock and fear I leaped forward obeying the feminine distorted voice in my head and missing the edge of something that impacted where I had been standing just moments before.
I whirled to see what it was that had just attempted to smush me through a cloud of dust.
I really wish I hadn't.
A wave of blood-lust, hunger, and feral anger washed over me like a tidal wave. Take a lion, turn its skin the most disgusting color of grey-green you can think of, put a face-fitting mask on with over sized canines, and a whole through its chest and you have the hollow that was currently staring at me like I was the most delectable 5 course meal in the universe. And when you think of how many entities are in my soul... 'ts not that far fetched.
This hollow didn't just stay still and monologue like the first, oh no. This one immediately began circling me like the predator its form represented. I felt like a gazelle in head lights. I couldn't move, I could barely breathe. The pressure on my lungs from the power of the beast was almost unbearable. Each breath was strained and labored, I was already sweating, auburn hair sticking uncomfortably to my neck and shoulders.
I needed to move. I needed to get away from here. There was no way in hell could handle this hollow... not like I am now.
I suddenly remembered the small pill in my jeans butt pocket.
'The Gikongon...'
Suddenly everything kicked into over drive. My fingers drove into the fabric and grasped the pill then fluidly popped it into my mouth. As my shihaksho clad soul was freed from its confines the hollow stopped waiting and lunged forward in a silent attack.
I was hit with bone white mask and thrown away from the faux body and into the ground a few dozen meters away creating a small crater in the process.
With a groan I slowly scrambled to my feat, hastily drawing my yet-to-be-named zanpaktou. Grimacing as blood trailed down the side of my face from some unseen injury I watched the slowly approaching hollow fear slowly coiling in my gut and overriding any and all of the other swirling emotions.
What was I thinking. I hadn't held a sword for longer then.. well just now. It was a foreign and astoundingly comfortable presence in my hands. Fleetingly I wondered if any of the other Shinigami would show before the 'lion' raced toward me. It was taking all my concentration and effort just to dodge the torpedo like thing. It seemed incapable of doing anything other then randomly charging and trying to knock me once more to the ground in hopes of incapacitating me. And I was only capable of dodging. Every time I tried to block or ward off an attack I would end up air borne. Not fun.
On one of its many head-long rushes it suddenly changed tactics using its tail for the first time. The whip like appendage shot out and ripped into the flesh of my left rib cage. I grit my teeth against the sudden white hot pain from the laceration and skid against the dirt in an attempt to stabilize my balance. Twin pairs of drag marks carved into the ground one lined with a trail of crimson. I hissed in pain as each heart beat expunged more of my life's fluid out of my body and onto my skin and the ground beneath my sandal clad feet.
'This has to end NOW!' I mentally roared as I gripped the hilt and sprinted toward the heartless being intent on slashing it's mask in two.
I had taken kendo one or two times before I died. Enough to know how to basically handle the weapon... but not.. DEFINITELY not enough to defeat this... thing. Each slash was either dodged or glanced off iron like skin.
"WHY CAN'T I FUCKING CUT YOU!" I roared in frustration as I lunged one final time.
It was all I had left. With the amount of blood I was losing fatigue was setting in faster then I had ever thought possible. My body was screaming for rest while my head was determined to survive... but more importantly to win. Fleeing never came up as an option.
Electricity erupted around the blade and went unnoticed as I closed the distance between me and the hollow.
It struck out with a clawed paw I simply swung my blade to intercept. To my surprise the limb erupted in a shower of crimson dousing the both of us. For the first time since the hollow appeared a high pitched and warbled howl of agony ripped from its masked maw and flinching at the sound I diverted my attention to the ground only to gasp in shock as to what I found.
I stared in shock and amazement at the blade in my hands and the winding arcs of electricity dancing across the luminescent edge.
'Are you...'
'I couldn't let you die because you alone lack the skill, training, and experience to defeat this hollow.'
I exhaled in agitation and situated the blade parallel to the ground, my hazel eyes glaring metaphorical daggers at the lion-looking thing in front of me as it cradled its stump of a leg to its 'chest'.
'Thanks for the help.'
I received no reply and I leaped forward and began to attack in earnest. This time my blows rained down like hell's fire. Each strike connecting and weakening the beast. Though I wasn't doing any better if anything I was getting slower by the second.
Attack, block, dodge, attack, block, counter. . .
'THERE!'
With a flourish of my sword I side-stepped the paw aimed for my abdomen and impaled the white mask, embedding my electrified weapon all the way up to the hilt and resting my forehead on the cool bone above the right eye.
"I'm sorry... I can't... can't die. Not now. At least you went down with a fight." I murmured in apology.
A rumble emitted from the hollows chest sounding oddly like a purr before his body disappeared in a plume of black and light blue particles. With nothing holding me up I collapsed to my knees, weakly gripping the hilt of my sword, muscles quivering from exertion. An all encompassing sadness filled me from the death of that hollow and it stunned me as a single tear fell from my wide melancholy hazel eyes.
This was definitely not normal. . . But then again ever since I arrived here nothing had been normal.
'I have a feeling that nothing will ever be "normal" for me ever again.' I thought absent-mindedly as darkness encroached on my vision and in one fell swoop snatched me from the realm of the conscious.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
A.N: AND DONE! FINALLY! -rejoices in corner-
So about 9 pages if you take out these authors notes. I hope that this is good... It got deleted 2x while I was editing it... ended up writing the entire thing over. So I grabbed the openoffice program and VIOALA! Instant happiness on a pixel :P
Thank you all for the wonderful reviews last chapter!
And once again I AM SSOOOOO VERY SORRY about the lateness of this chapter. With school started and me being more focused... I might be able to churn out chapter 6 faster... possibly I'm not entirely sure. My father leaves for the Philippians this Wednesday for three months. That'll be a little hard. But none the less I'll try my hardest to get the next chapter out ASAP!
If ya liked what ya read. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! Your input is what honestly drives me to even post these chapters :D
Oh and be fore ya go. Preview for the next chapter :P
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
Before I could even reply Hiyori was on me sword drawn eyebrows drawn into a glare.
"What the hell!" I yelped, simultaneously drawing my blade from the sheath on my back.
I barely got him up in time to block. The impact jarring my arms and shoulders, muscles straining to hold back the blade wielding attacker.