Death's New Life Chapter 7.
I feel like I've been thrown through a wall. Dizziness and outright disorientation assault me from so many angles that I find it amazing that I can even tell which is up and which is down.
There are times when I wonder why, exactly, I try so damn hard.
The Vizards are oddly quiet, for a normally loud group of people, but at the moment I can't seem to care.
'Just one foot in front of the other Ali.'
As we make our way across the lot behind the shop, I position myself behind the expanded group. Sometime during the long drawn out discussion, Kensei showed up saying that Ichigo had returned home and he was, 'curious,' right... yeah. But I hadn't questioned it. I was to busy answering the onslaught of questions being thrown my way.
I didn't cave... that badly. I had asked for and gotten the best shower in existence.
Though, at the end of it all it was decided that Inoue would stay in Soul Society, no matter what happens here. I definitely did not give information past when Aizen arrived in Karakura Town, and even then I kept it pretty basic, saying that my 'informant' was having issues. I was damn proud of myself, lying is definitely not one of my strong suits.
Reaching one of the major intersections that would either take us back or lead us to some random part of Karakura Town, I suddenly decided that I did not want to go back there right this moment.
I desperately needed to reorganize my thoughts.
So as the Vizards went right, I went left.
Unfortunately, I'm not a ninja.
"Oi! Where do you think you're going!" Kensei yells.
Ya know, I'm really beginning to dislike that silver-haired sonova-
"No where in particular. As long as it's far away from you I think anywhere will suffice." I call scathingly over my shoulder, not at all stopping my walk away from the group.
Part of me realizes that, as a sudden surge of unadulterated anger washes through my system, Kensei isn't in soul form. . . I think. But that thought is batted away when I realize just who Kensei is, I wouldn't have stood a chance in all of candy-land. Yeah, don't ask.
I'm not given any more time to think as the punk-looking hybrid suddenly invades my personal space, almost yelling, questioning me.
I can't take it.
Grabbing the hilt over my shoulder, I growl low in my throat, a low guttural sound, and rip my nameless zanpaktou out of his sheath. Lashing out with a downward arc, blade glowing with white energy.
I want to hurt him, I want to make him bleed.
His eyes widen at the sight of my sudden aggression and he just barely dodges in time to avoid getting an arm forcefully removed, instead receiving an almost pathetically small cut along his cheek.
"Yell at me again and I swear on my brother's soul that I will make sure that you end up in a pool of your own blood! I don't care which part of my fucked up soul does it." I snarl.
Shinji is suddenly between us both, a hand on the hilt of his own zanpaktou, Sakanade, and I replace my weapon with a sharp click.
He turns to face me, eyes hard and uncannily sly but understanding and only slightly sympathetic.
"Alicia, if you want to go gallivanting on your own fine. But if you're attacked by another hollow, I can guarantee that you won't be able to hold it off on your own." He states, for once not slurring or talking in slang.
I grit my teeth and swallow the angry retort threatening to spill from my lips.
'Like I don't already understand that!'
With an indignant huff, I cross my arms and refuse to meet his eyes. Conceding to his statement but not verbally.
Actions speak louder the words, right?
I thought I knew what a tense atmosphere was. Oh, I was way off.
You couldn't cut this with well... Zangetsu. Biggest knife I know.
The moment we entered the warehouse I headed straight for the box I'm forced to call a room. I did not pass GO, and I sure as hell did not collect that two-hundred dollars. . . yen. . . whatever. With a frustrated huff I flopped down onto the futon, absently removing my weapon from my back and placing him next to me.
Anger flooded my veins, reaching almost intolerable levels when she brushed against my mind.
"Why so angry girlie?" Her mocking laugh grated against my inner ear, and my fists clenched at my sides.
"Shut up." I growled into the mattress.
For a moment there was silence and I fleetingly wondered if she actually acquiesced to my demand.
"HAH! Tha's rich! Me obeyin' you? But 'ow could you let tha' wanna-be piss you off? Tha's my job. Yer au natural." She paused and I could literally feel her thinking.
'Her think? That's news to me.' I thought sourly.
"See tha's thin' girlie. You've got a zanpaktou, and me. . . add in a little Espada and bada-bing bada-boom you have power. So much that when all that is uncorked, no one will be able to know what to do with ya. In fact, them Vizards are scared of wha' ya' might become." My hollow cooed.
'Yeah well I don't want any of it. I still don't understand why. . . Why I lived. . . and he didn't.'
"Girlie. I'd gladly take it from ya, but I like living. And to be honest this forrest o' yer's is kinda homely. As long as it don' get to damn cold and wet. But it'll be a nice day in hell before I give you my power." She sneered.
'What, go through my memories?' I quipped back.
"Actually yeah. I did. I don't like them options."
'Wow, you might actually have a brain in there somewhere.'
"Ey! I'm smar'er than ya' think!" Her obvious amusement, somehow, lightened my own mood.
'Sure, and pigs fly.'
"OI! Tha' O-dude. . . from tha'. . . secon' squad. . . Can't he stan' on air? Tha' counts." She stated seriously, like her life depended on it.
I couldn't help it. Bursting into uncontrollable laughter, I tried valiantly to muffle my mirth into the mattress.
'Oh God, that was funny.' Even as the thought drifted across my mind, I lapsed into a giggle fit.
Once I was able to come to some semblance of coherency, I closed my eyes and took a risk.
After a brief falling sensation, I opened them. For being here only two times before, the sight of my own inner world still sends an indescribable amount of calm through me.
Yet, this time it's different. The smell of fresh rain permeates the air, and there's a heavy mist clinging to the ground. And as I stand from my seated position against one of the many Red Wood Tree's, my eyes are irrevocably drawn to the pale white figure watching me from her spot leaned against one of the expansive trunks, arms crossed and an indiscernible look on her face. . . or is it my face. . .
With a frighteningly predatory grace, she shrugs away and strides toward me, and all I can do is watch. Completely rooted to my spot.
Almost immediately I begin to search for the presence that was here originally, my heart rockets to unhealthy speeds as I find that he is no where to be seen.
Panic and doubt begins to set in faster then I can blink.
"Ya' came here. . . why." She demands, stopping only a few paces away, easily within arms reach.
Her stance is cold, her black and gold eyes search my face, my eyes.
"I. . . I don't know." Realizing that it is the utter truth, I resist the urge to step backwards.
I can only watch as she grinds her teeth together, obvious irritation coursing through her. She pins me with a glare, and if looks could kill I'm positive that I would be dead on my feet. Suddenly she throws up her hands in irritation and spins harshly on her heel, releasing a cry of frustration.
"Yer bloody impossible woman." She growls, facing away from me.
For a second, I feel bad for the tree receiving the hollow's glare.
And then it hits me.
I can't just keep calling her 'hollow'... or 'you'.
I wrack my mind for a name. But not just any name. Something that fits. . . the reversal of my name won't work either... I mean come on Aicila? No. Just no.
Unconsciously, I raised my head to stare at the tree tops, something I often do when I find something worth thinking about.
As if it had always been there, a single six letter word literally pops in my head.
"Hailey. . ."
At the sound her her new name rolling off of my tongue, Hailey whirls on her heel and begins stalking towards me. Her eyes burning with confused and irrational anger.
Inwardly, I snort. When had I ever been rational?
Oh right, before all of this.
. . .
Well. . . sort of. . . kind of. . . not really.
"What did you just call me?" She snarled, getting her face with inches of my own.
"Hailey." I stated firmly, not budging in my stance.
I returned her glare with one of my own, projecting annoyance and defiance. But that small trickle of fear down my spine was a stark reminder that she could and probably would kick my ass into next week.
"It's your name. I won't be like the others and simply call you 'Hollow'. I'm stupid, but I'm not that stupid. You are a part of my soul. And I'd have to be deaf, blind, and have half of my own brain missing not to realize that a soul divided will tear it self apart. My case in point, a certain strawberry." Getting my point across via boredom laced tone, as if it was common knowledge. . . which it was. . . but it seemed to work.
Hailey took a few steps back, giving me this strange once over that. . . to put it simply it weird-ed me out to the nth degree.
Then she did something that would forever give me nightmares.
She laughed.
How she was able to mix relief, joy, annoyance, sarcasm, and sheer anger caused a splitting migraine to take root between my temples just thinking about it.
To be honest. . . think my ears started bleeding.
"I jus' migh' let ya' live girly fer tha' reas'n alone." She got out between giggles.
I flinched, however, when the distorted and grating warble to her tone caused the growing throbbing in my head to flare.
Nodding in response I turned and promptly set my white arse on the ground next to one of the many trees, then proceeded to lean against the wonderfully cool bark and sigh contently.
Hailey, stared at me for a few seconds before shaking her head and disappearing into the haze.
Peace at last.
Okay I lied.
The moment I was able to even begin relaxing, the mist next to me began to coalesce into a large cloud. I could only watch, enraptured, as the light grey darkened into a stormy black, streaks of blue electricity arcing toward the ground with vicious intent.
"You have finally learned, pup." I've said this once I'll say it again, how rolling thunder could hold the sound of approval will forever cause my brain to leak out of my ears in fluffy pink clumps.
". . . Learned what exactly?"
"Though you may not have realized it, you trusted your true hollow half enough to deign her with a name. And in order to control me, you must learn to trust the element you now wield."
For a moment I just stared, unable to really wrap my head around what he just said.
I trusted her? Ah. . . No. . . I didn't. But, hey, what do I know in the face of a really large wolf that could electrocute me with a single touch.. or he could just think about it and I'd be struck by lightning... that would really hurt. Wait... 'the element I now wield'? What?
"But, for now you must sleep."
"Hey wait!" I yelled right as I was consumed by a warm darkness.
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The dull light that radiated off of the sliver of a moon felt amazing. If it was a drug, he never wanted this high to end. His long red hair drifted behind him like a river of wine. His mask, covering all of his face, depicted a tiger's skull. His four inch long canines shone in the silver radiance, distracting from the hole through his chest where his heart used to be. The muscular build, covered in blood striped armor was nothing short of terrifying to all those who laid eyes on him. He had devoured countless hollow, and achieved the ultimate evolution.
Vasto Lorde.
It had been a fluke, all had been completely miffed by his growth rate, by his sheer anger and fury as he ripped into his brethren's hide. Merciless to all who stood in his way, it had taken a mere month for him to surpass all those in the Menos Forrest and beyond. Not even some of Aizen's own faux Arrancar could touch him.
Of course with power comes popularity.
He had been approached by several other Vasto Lordes already. Most had tried to kill him on sight. And it was sheer luck, that he survived. The scars riddling the pink flesh underneath his second skin attested to that. The momentary boost in power the rapid evolutions gave him allowed such luck.
Yet, the swell of raw energy in the distance gave him pause. Something about it just screamed wrong,
and every fiber in his being screamed run! But his curiosity would not be denied.
So he waited and watched as a trio of white clad men strode calmly, confidently, over to his perch atop one of the many dunes in the dessert. On the left bore this grin that made David's infamous anger flare to existence. With ear length silver hair, squinted eyes, and a snake-like aura. . . it made the tiger-like humanoid hollow want to snap the man's head off of his neck. The one on his right with his dark skin and long black hair reminded the youth of the kids at his former high school. . . wait. . . high school?
"What do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Gentlemen?" His voice held a note of regality gained only from one such as he, and knowledge of just who they were caused ice to coat his veins.
"Ara, seems like we've found one with some manners, ne? Aizen-taicho." The silver-haired man chirped.
Ah. The man in the middle. Abruptly his hackles raised and a low growl slipped past his maw.
Wrong.
The slicked back brown atop a pair of dusty, powerful, and commanding brown eyes shot a thrill of fear straight to his core. A sense of complete and utter authority rolled off of this man in waves, it did not sit right with the highly evolved hollow.
"It seems we have. I am Aizen Sousuke, the man to my right is Ichimaru Gin, and to left is Tousen Kaname." A momentary pause, enough to send David's insides coiling with apprehension. "What I am interested in however, is who you are." His oily voice coated his ears, and the urge to furiously claw at his head was nearly overwhelming.
Yet, as he struggled to think of the many alias' he'd been given, not one seemed to fit enough to fool this travesty of life. So in a rare feat of submission and acceptance, he met the other's eyes.
"David Johnson. . . and you know what I am. Other wise you wouldn't be here." Cool, calm and powerful. Everything the smallest of beings wished to accomplish.
Wonder flashed the tyrant's eyes, and David suddenly expected the worst.
He would either leave here with them alive, or die where he stood.
Hatred pooled in his abdomen, and he fought with the loathing snarl that wished to rip past his vocal chords.
His freedom gone in mere minutes.
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"Children, meet the newest member to our family, Sexta Espada David Johnson."
The doors to the only entrance of the Grand Hall in Las Noches opened fluidly to reveal the hollow behind them. The arrival is met with silence, and even the taps from the new Sexta's sandals are strangely muffled as if afraid to penetrate the quiet.
Walking alone the two lines of highly powered hollows, David pays them no mind as he comes to a halt only a few paces away from the King of the white palace.
Kneeling on one knee the Sexta proclaims his loyalty to Aizen in front of the conglomerate of arrancar.
"I live to serve you, Lord Aizen." His monotone rivals that of the fourth, and that alone sends chills down the spines of most. (1)
Rising from his spot on the floor, he turns and faces the crowd, giving all a good view of his appearance.
Bloody red eyes sit on a hard angled face just under a mane of long, mid-back length, red wine-colored hair. A white and black striped tiger skull, missing it's lower mandible, rests almost like a crown on his head, with its long canines curving down the side of his face to end just below his jaw. A contrasting white vest adorns his torso, the only modification to the uniform, the 'V' coming to a stop just below his sternum revealing a muscled chest and the scars decorating his skin. The katana hanging loosely off of his black obi seemed to radiate a vicious blood lust.
His strides were predatory, each movement having meaning, having purpose, as he walked over to his spot in-between the black-haired statue and the flamboyant. . . thing.
'If that isn't gay. . . then I don't know what is.' David thought with an inward snicker.
Zoning out while acting the part of paying attention, the rest of the meeting passed and sometime after that passed into a indistinguishable blur of colors and sounds... or lack there of. Soon enough the newly enslaved Espada found himself laying on a ridiculously large four-post bed staring at the nauseatingly blank ceiling thoughts of his past life flying through his head faster then he could fully comprehend.
"I'm so sorry. . . I'm so sorry David. If I hadn't-!"
"Alicia! Stop. . . please it wasn't your fault, you didn't know. So please stop apologizing."
"I'm so sorry."
Her tears on his shoulder felt like the weight of a thousand oceans. Sorrow, grief, and loss intertwined to become one mass of raw emotion and he too found himself letting lose the damn onto her all to welcoming shoulder.
They were truly alone.
"Hey you want to get some Icecream? I heard that there's a great little cone place just down the road."
Her smile a ray of hope in their dreary existence. Yet, the haunted look in her once joyous pools of color caused his heart to clench painfully in his chest. But, that did not stop the smile that crept across his face and the nod of acceptance that his body seemed to create on its own.
They weren't fine, but one day they would be.
The sounds of harsh breathing, and muffled taps of feet impacting rubber mats assaulted his ears. The smells of sweat and the occasional bitter tang of blood that flooded his nose.
"Come on Dave! Your slowing down! Don't make me go bankai on your ass just to get you to try harder!"
Her laughter is an unwritten symphony. Every note bringing a level of joy that he can't quite understand. In response he twists around her guard and levels a punch to her ribs, and a satisfied smile curls the edges of his lips.
"Come on Ali, don't make me go bankai on your ass." He laughs in return.
David's fists clench at his sides, his heart pounding furiously in its cage. Of all the things he remembers, why can't he remember her face? It's his sister.
"In due time young one. In due time." A faint voice whispers like a mother to her child in his ears, and he has to strain to make it all out.
"But I miss her. I know she's there, our. . . bond is telling me that much." He sighs weakly. (2)
He waits for an answer, some part of him knowing he won't get one. It hadn't been till he reached Vasto Lorde that her voice came. Smooth and rhythmic. Calming and supportive. Yet, he hadn't the foggiest as to who she belonged to. For now she was categorized under strange voice in my head and conscious.
With nothing but four walls and a ceiling for company, David rolled over and promptly fell into a comfortable sleep with only one thought drifting in his mind.
'Where are you Ali?'
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'Where are you Ali?'
The thought was a mere whisper, but the emotion contained in those four simple words was enough to send me to my knees. A strangled cry escaped my throat as I curled into a ball, my chest was on fire. And not in the "Damn it, heartburn." kinda way. Longing, sorrow, and feelings of being caged all raged through me with the sensitivity of a tsunami.
Minutes passed seeming like eternity, and finally, finally, it all let up and I could breathe again.
"What the hell was that?" I yelled, slowly getting to my feet.
"You're asking me? I'm just adding it to my mental list of what's weird about you." Yoruichi called playfully from behind me.
I nearly jumped out of my skin, yelping as I whirled to face her, sending a scathing glare to the irritatingly fast woman. I mean, hell, how fast can one woman. . .cat. . . thing get?
"Up for round four-hundred fifty-three?"
Her taunting was endless. I'm never going to be able to live this day down for the rest of my now unnaturally long life.
"Yeah, because I find it so fun chasing around a crotchety perverted cat." I laughed, slipping into a hasty shunpo to avoid her punch to my gut.
"Damn it that would've hurt!"
So the game of cat and. . . mouse begins again. This time my goal was to catch her and then hopefully get her into a cat carrier and have Hachi seal it with Kido. Hey, a girl can dream can't she?
Hours passed and I had yet to catch the cat, but I was spent.
With a loud most likely over-dramatic sigh I collapsed onto the nearest boulder, happy that today's training was finally over.
"Ya' know. For only properly training for two weeks, your picking things up amazingly fast." A certain naked lady said from beside me.
I yelped but refused to look her direction, her suddenly not-manly voice keyed me off. Stupid fast old women.
"Well, I kinda already had an idea as to what I'm supposed to do. I mean I wa- listened as I was told what Ichigo was doing and even had a glimpse of when Renji and Rukia were at the Academy. I'd call my self a bad fan if I didn't have at least an idea." I responded calmly.
I was speed. That's all I really was though. I couldn't coordinate an attack to save my white arse if my life counted on it... well I probably could life or death situation going on and all but. . . still fact is I suck at zanjutsu. And I mean suck. Of course, I'm going up against people who have centuries of battle experience. Hakuda and Shunpo on the other hand, those are fun. Painful. But definitely fun.
Kido. . . just no. I can get up to byakurai with out blowing up, past then its like someone's handed me a lit bomb with a shiny red button. You know I'm going to push it.
A phantom pain in my chest causes me to gasp slightly and my hand flies to the spot, as if the contact alone will stop the sudden ache.
With a weary sigh, I get off my boulder and head for the stairs. Something is wrong, and I can't pinpoint what. But I do know that my brother has never left my mind for long, causing me to train to the point of excessive exhaustion just so that I don't have to deal with the agonizing thoughts.
My room comes in sight and I can't seem to get there fast enough, the sight of my zanpaktou resting on the cushions sends relief through me.
At least he will always be there.
"Hey Raiju, miss me?"
Did any one get my reference in the quote I used? It had me giggling, I was watching the movie as I typed this. So, I couldn't help it.
Alright, so because of my current obsession with anything mechanical and alive... I've incorporated a sibling bond into this. And drastically changed one of the battles in my head. If you wish to have more of an explanation on this please send me a PM, I'll be glad to explain.
A.N: OH GOD GUYS I'M SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY!
Don't read the ranting below if your not interested. Just needed to feel better... kinda XD But it is so very true also it was written before my A.N.
Writers block, heavy distractions, and failing computers are horrible for my muse!
This was irritatingly hard to write. I know where I want it to go.. but the bits in-between are literally killing me. You have no idea how many time's I've re-written this, and how many time's I stayed up all night working on it only to realize I've made her a Mary-Sue. I like cried.
But distractions EVERYWHERE! From school. . . to stepping into a new fandom ** cough ** Transformers ** cough **. I think I've watched the first movie seven times through, and the second movie three... I hated watching Optimus die.. I cried every time. But yeah delving into a new fandom and becoming completely immersed... didn't help.. it also doesn't help that my muse ended up providing me with a Bleach/Transformers cross-over. . . yeah explain to me how that works.. I have like... 15 pages typed up.. and that was just one sitting. And after reading the 7th HP book... I was blindsided by a HpBleach cross over.. that one I'm also working on.. Oh as well as a COMPLETELY new story idea for the mechanical universe... I have that one all planned out to the end.. its dark and dank and dreary.. but has definite happy ending.. This fic on the other hand... you'll have to wait and see I'm weird I know. I'm pretty sure all of you want to throw inanimate/animate objects at me. And I totally deserve it. I really and completely sorry for this being 3 months late. I feel so horrible!
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/angst
Thank you all so so much for the reviews on chapter 6 and the support on my Author's Note. Ya'll have no idea how much that meant to me.
Well, it's not as long as I wanted it to me but I've rewritten it four times now. I still don't like it but I'll just have to deal for now.
I have thank all of you who reviewed: kitsunelover300, ShadowGOUF, JadeKurosaki, Amastreu Solaris, Soccerstar7, and 7.
All of you are amazing, thank you so much for taking time to leave a review.
But I also have to thank those who have added this story on to their Alerts and/or Favorites. Having my inbox flooded with those made me feel amazing. Thank you all so much.
I even got a few Favorite Author thing-a-ma-bobs. -squeals in delight-
I HAVE to send a HUGE thanks to Kitsunelover300 for providing the name of Alicia's hollow. It just fit. Oh and a few other things that come farther down the line... possibly.
If you liked the product of hours of frustration and angst please please leave a review!
I live on them!
Much Love:
~Animelover