As promised, here's your weekly installment a few days early. :) So, for the next month and a half roughly, I'll have limited internet access and I'm not sure how often I'll be able to get on. However, I've got three more chapters in reserve to just post. However... Chev seems to be lacking motivation to write... we've hit a slower spot, but I'm not sure what's up. Crossing my fingers we'll get through this minor bump in the road. -Airumel 8/09/12
-Chapter 12-
Zezuri was the last to enter the throne room. It had been three days since she'd seen anyone other than the Szayel. After he'd brought her to a room deep in the basement of Las Noches, she'd done nothing other than contemplate all the information Grimmjow had given her. At first, she simply fixated on her own potential self-destruction, but by day two, she realized that it wasn't going to be spontaneous; the shards were the obvious catalyst. Even Szayel wasn't scared to approach her and the fact that Szayel didn't seem concerned for his own safety around her strangely soothed her fears. Only on one occasion did he take a blood sample, but it came in the form of a small finger prick, after that, he'd just scribbled stuff in his notebook and served her meals.
She glanced around the bleak room, Grimmjow and his fraccion were all assembled. They looked at her nervously, save for the Espada himself, who was staring at the floor, but as soon as she looked away, she felt his blue gaze focus on her.
Airi was standing alone, off to the side, no hint of emotion showed on her face, yet she met her friend's eyes. She looked slightly battered and bruised, Zezuri knew her friend used to bruise with the smallest of injuries, but wondered if her human tendencies were preserved in Airi's arrancar body.
The blonde watched as Zezuri came to stand beside her, "Hey," she greeted the brunette quietly. Inwardly, she was glad, but at the same time really annoyed she had been forbidden to express any emotion. Ulquiorra had made his dislike of the heart and emotions quite clear over the past training sessions. In fact, he had gone as far as to repeatedly point out that arrancar lacked a heart and therefore, emotions were completely meaningless and false from those who displayed them. She didn't want to believe any of what he was saying, but his words held total power over her.
"Good, now that you all have gathered, you may proceed, Grimmjow," Aizen addressed the Sixth Espada directly, who nodded in understanding.
"Let's do this!" he shouted to the group and opened a rift.
The group proceeded forward. When it was Zezuri's turn to enter, she felt Grimmjow's hand give her a small push on her back as she hesitated, wondering if she should speak to the Espada or not.
As the pitch blackness of the portal receded, she again found herself falling. Before she could scream, Airi flashed under her, "Still no control?" she asked, but without any emotion, Zezuri couldn't tell if she was concerned or mocking her.
"T-thanks," she managed as they quickly reached the ground.
Tonight's mission was on the outskirts of a town. The downtown lights glimmered in the distance while fireflies lit up a densely overgrown park. Temporarily distracted by the wild beauty of it, Zezuri almost missed Airi's attempt to catch one of the glowing bugs.
The arrancar's eyes flicked to the nearest firefly as it lit up briefly, as it went out, she carefully reached out and cupped the insect in her hands, "Want it?" she asked her friend.
"UGH! NO!" squealed Zezuri, "You know I hate bugs!" How many times had she gotten Airi to remove various bugs from her room, even back before they had gone to Japan?
"Okay," Airi let the firefly go with total indifference.
Suddenly, it clicked together in Zezuri's mind. Airi was trying to prove that she was still herself, just lacking the ability to show any emotion.
"Hey you two!" Grimmjow shouted down to them, "Be serious or I'll tell Szayel to dissect you!"
Zezuri gasped in horror, he wouldn't!
Airi put a hand on her shoulder, "He's bluffing. You are too important to Aizen and I'm Ulquiorra's fraccion. However, time is of importance, we should find that shard."
The brunette nodded and shut her eyes to focus on the direction of the shard.
"Hmmm this one seems really faint... I am having trouble locating it..." Zezuri reported. "I feel like some sort of psychic..." she thought to herself. "Hold on! It's getting closer!" finally sensing the shard she darted around a corner to find a young boy, holding the shard and crying.
"U-ummm hello?" she asked, rushing up to him.
"He can't see you! You're a spirit!" Grimmjow shouted out to her.
But the small child heard them and looked right up at Zezuri, surprising them both.
"W-who are you?" the boy asked, tears still pouring from his eyes, and his nose was red and sticky.
"C-can you see me?" she asked waving a hand in front of his face.
"Yes... I'm lost!" he answered then cried out.
"You can't find your way home?" just then she felt someone beside her.
"Hey kid, give me that shard." Grimmjow loomed over him.
The small boy began to cry again as Grimmjow's appearance had frightened him. Zezuri gave Grimmjow a scolding look and kneeled down to the child.
"Don't worry about him. Say, if I help you find your way home, will you give us that thing you are holding?" she asked as kindly as possible.
"This?" the boy handed it out to her as it glowed. Zezuri felt a strong sensation from it and looked away.
"You have to give it to this man for me. You see, It's dangerous for me to touch it." she explained.
"B-but he is scary!" the child exclaimed.
"Hey!" offended, Grimmjow wanted to pulverize the child.
"You're not helping!" Zezuri glared. "Don't worry, I won't let the scary man hurt you. I think if you give him the shard, he will leave you alone."
"O-okay..." the boy wiped away his tears, then held out the shard with both of his hands, and shut his eyes tightly, as Grimmjow took it from him with little irritation.
Just then another figure came rushing from the darkness, it appeared to be the boy's mother.
"Takashi! There you are! I was worried sick!" she rushed past the strange group clad in white. It seemed that she could not see Grimmjow or Zezuri as she picked up her son.
"This lady was going to help me find my house." the boy replied.
"W-what lady? I told you not to talk to strangers!" the woman looked around suspiciously.
"But she is standing right here!" the boy pointed to Zezuri, but as his mother looked, she saw nothing.
"You must begin seeing ghosts..." she joked as her son looked at Zezuri horrified. "Now let's go home, your father is also worried." they walked off into the shadows as Zezuri looked at the ground.
"This existence is cruel... I always forget that I am dead..." she said quietly.
Grimmjow went to put his hand on her shoulder again, but stopped as he felt another presence from above. "They're here!" he exclaimed.
"Got that right!" shouted a gruff voice, "We never got to finish that battle, Espada!" The large spiky haired Shinigami they had encountered in their last mission charged downward sword drawn.
Grimmjow drew his sword and took the attack head on. The force of impact caused him to drop the shard. It clinked softly on the ground.
"Hey Kenny! That girl's alive!" shouted the pink haired girl as she landed on a low branch of a nearby tree, "Hey! How are you still living!" she yelled at Zezuri.
Zezuri stepped back, unsure of what the small Shinigami wanted.
"And why are you with them?"
"Yachiru," another voice announced the arrival of Ikkaku.
"What is it, Baldy?"
The bald Shinigami glared at his comrade, "Ever consider that she works for Aizen?"
Yachiru put a hand up to her chin contemplating the thought, "Nope. She doesn't."
"WHAT?"
"I said she doesn't. Are you stupid?"
As the two Shinigami bickered, Airi made for the forgotten shard lying forgotten a short distance away. Grimmjow and Kenpachi fought a good distance off and the others seemed to have completely forgotten it.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," a voice made the blonde spin on her heel to come almost face to face with another Shinigami. In the brief second she glanced up at him, she saw his face turn from threatening to very confused. She too would have had the same expression had she been able to show any emotion. Before either could say a word a blue arrow of energy shot near the arrancar's feet and she flashed away.
The shinigami stood in bewilderment at what he thought he'd just seen. The gleam of the shard at his feet signaled him back to reality as he picked it up and pocketed it wordlessly.
"Kurosaki! Are you just going to stare down the enemy or are you going to fight?" yelled a young man with dark hair and glasses. He ran in the direction Airi had fled in, white and blue outfit billowing behind him.
"Ishida! Hold up!" the orange-haired Shinigami called causing the other to stop in his tracks.
"It's getting away," annoyance ran through his voice.
"I know," Ichigo sheathed his sword, "And it's not 'it', it's a her."
"Why do you care?"
"I think I know her."
Airi sped off away from everyone. She knew that guy; he'd been the one who'd bumped into Zezuri the day before they'd been kidnapped! But how was he here? And why was he a Shinigami? Questions swirled around in her mind at a frightening speed but it all came down to one thing: she needed to talk to him. However, first she needed to find Zezuri.
"Well? Are you?" the pink haired girl asked Zezuri, gazing down at her intently from her perch.
"I... uh, I'm not on Aizen's side..." she managed to answer the question.
"Ha! I told you so, BALDY!" she laughed.
Ikkaku ignored the young girl, the look of uncertainty still on his face, "Then why did you attack me last time?"
"I did?" Zezuri's memory of the prior mission were blurry at best, "I-I'm sorry."
The bald man raised an eyebrow at Zezuri and then looked up at his comrade, "I'm still not convinced, but I think we should let the Tenth Division know."
"Zezuri," Airi spoke appearing beside her friend suddenly.
The brunette flinched in surprize; Airi was really starting to become more and more like Ulquiorra, wasn't she?
"I believe I ran into some of our classmates. The orange-haired one that ran into you in the hallway. He's here. He's a Shinigami," Airi reported, struggling against her orders to have no emotion.
"He's what!"
Yachiru and Ikkaku exchanged a silent agreement upon hearing the exchange of words between Airi and Zezuri, "Get the captain," Ikkaku told his comrade and both flashed out of the area.
"Are you sure?" Zezuri asked.
"I would not have said anything if I wasn't."
Grimmjow suddenly flashed over to the two girls, "I don't know what just happened," he growled, "But you'd better have the shard."
"What happened?" Zezuri asked.
"The Shinigami ran away again! Now where's the shard?" he looked at Airi.
"I believe that Ichigo Kurosaki had it last."
"WHAT! YOU LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT?" Airi's emotionless tone only made the Sixth Espada more upset.
"I apologize. I was distracted."
The other members of the group were arriving now, "Did any of you grab that shard?"
All the responses were negative.
"What good are any of you?" he muttered opening a rift back to Las Noches.
They returned silently into the night world of Las Noches, Aizen waiting for them in the throne room.
"I see you have failed this time, Grimmjow. I recall us having a deal where I let you live despite your earlier betrayal, as long as you can complete the tasks I give you," Aizen sounded disappointed but made no move to carry through on his threats.
"The Shinigami are up to something. I'm not sure if they are after the shard or not but they know something about our captives. They keep running from us," Grimmjow reported.
"I suppose the trip for the final shard I shall require more assistance to you. Be prepared first thing in the morning, I will send a higher force along with you," Aizen waved his hand for them to leave.
In the halls the group split, Airi tried to stay by Zezuri, but felt an unnerving calling that beckoned her to the 4th Espada. She left the two without saying anything, as
Zezuri watched her go wordlessly before turning to the blue haired espada, who looked like a ticking time bomb.
"So tomorrow-" she was cut off as the espada finally exploded.
"Damn him! I can't take this anymore! I'LL KILL HIM!" Grimmjow slammed his fist into the nearest wall, as a large hole crumbled in front of them.
Zezuri watched the frustrated man with caution, hoping he wouldn't turn on her.
"We're all better dead anyway! He'll finish us off once he is done getting these damn things!" he continued to rant.
"Please calm down, I doubt he will get anything out of killing us. Maybe he'll leave us alone," Zezuri tried to persuade the espada from breaking any more walls.
Grimmjow became silent before looking the brunette straight in the eyes. "Don't get your hopes up. You and your friend won't get out of this alive. Whatever he is planning has everything to do with you!" he grabbed her shoulders, startling her. He then let go and looked around bewildered. "What the hell is wrong with me...?" he muttered. "You should get some sleep," he said quietly and left her alone in the hall.
Zezuri did not want to be left alone, tomorrow could be then end of everything for all she knew. Aizen could kill them, but even if he didn't, what would happen if they failed to bring back the next shard? What was it about those shinigami, they were up to something from the sounds of it. And learning that Ichigo Kurosaki was a shinigami was even more surprising. She felt a small bit of hope that if she could reach him, he could help them get away from Aizen forever. The shinigami were powerful and running into them again would cause problems, but Zezuri hoped she would get a chance to run into the orange haired boy.
She was so lost in thought she didn't hear the footsteps of the pink-haired Espada until she almost ran into him. "Oh, hello Zezuri, back from your quest?"
Zezuri peered up at Szayel fearfully. She'd completely forgotten about solitary confinement with the events of today. Was she still a danger to everyone? She wondered as the Espada led her back to her cell. Would the Shinigami be able to help her at all?
Airi dreaded every step she took towards the Fourth Espada's domain. She knew what was awaiting her; the fathomless green eyes of her master and his gaze of disappointment and maybe even disgust. She never could figure out why he'd even chosen to take her as his fraccion in the first place. He'd never said a good thing about her once.
As she entered into the large black room Ulquiorra turned to look at her. Two pairs of green eyes met, but to Airi's surprise, it was not displeasure in her master's eyes at all. "I know you are expecting me to be displeased with your performance this past mission. However, the failure of the mission rests on the leader, which you were not."
The fraccion looked away from the Espada quickly. What was it in his eyes that was making her so uncomfortable?
Ulquiorra continued, "This next mission, I will be the leader. Stay close to me and there is no way that petty Sixth can fail Aizen-sama's wishes again."
Airi began to fidget with her hair. Emotion still absent from her face, she wasn't sure what she was feeling right now. Pride? Joy? Relief? But why? She hated this man, if she could even call an arrancar one, but then again, she too was an arrancar. Wishing for nothing more than to rush back to the safety of hers and Zezuri's room, Airi tried to push her thoughts aside.
The Fourth Espada reached out and touched her mask fragments on the side of Airi's head and let his hand slowly travel down through her long blonde hair.
What the hell? Airi was completely bewildered, all further thoughts became too jumbled to be coherent.
"You've done well, rest up. You will need to be at your best tomorrow. The Shinigami are planning to make a move."
An emergency captains meeting had been called in the Seireitei. Despite the pre-dawn hour, all of the captains were in attendance in the meeting hall of the First Division. Hours passed as they listened in length to the 11th Squad's recounting of the past encounters with Aizen's forces.
By the time the sun was well past the rooftops of the surrounding buildings they had come to a decision. The strange girl must be taken, alive or dead.
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and you'll stick around for the next installment. Should I not be able to access this site, Wong will be doing my weekly update. Or Chev. Hopefully. Anyways, you're getting closer to what we've written up to so any suggestions at this point for plot or any crazy randomness you'd like to maybe see happen might if you let us know! Even if the characters haven't made it into the story yet. Trust me, I can pull in any of the cannon Bleach characters. Until next time! -Airumel