meant to upload this quite a bit sooner but for some reason FF was going all wonky
An emergency meeting of the captains was called to discuss the situation and decide what action if any would be taken.
"4th seat Reitoushin of Squad 10 is a great asset to the thirteen court guard squads in addition to that we have reliable witnesses that state she didn't go to Hueco Mundo of her own free will Captain Hitsugaya may begin preparations for a rescue mission to Hueco Mundo immediately. Any who are free to assist Captain Hitsugaya in the retrieval of his subordinate have my blessings to go as I know from previous experience that you will go with or without my blessings." Captain-commander Yamamoto said hiding his concern for the girl he had grown to think of as a granddaughter almost.
Kasumi woke to the sensation of someone putting something heavy around her neck. Feebly she batted their hands away before she felt a jolt of pain that lit her body up like fireworks on the 4th of July.
"Now, now my pet there will be none of that." she heard a voice say.
"What the hell do you want with me?" Kasumi croaked angrily.
"Nothing my pet…you see I was merely reclaiming my property." The voice laughed "I took a young human girl with overwhelming untapped potential from her family for an experiment many years ago but those cursed Shinigami stole her and hid her away before I could really get any real results."
"You're nuts you freaking whack job. Taking me to punish the thirteen court guard squads for disrupting your sick experiments won't work hell I doubt they'll even try to rescue me even if I am a ranked officer." she spat trying to get the collar he had put around her neck off.
"My silly little pet you are the experiment the Shinigami stole from me. They probably made it so you'd forget our time together...which makes me very disappointed my pet…" The voice said as he triggered the collar to shock Kasumi again this time she howled with pain "Now let's pick up where we left off…" the voice said gleefully dragging her by the collar once the pain had died down.
"URAHARA! What is taking so long to open a garganta to Hueco Mundo?!" Karin shouted irritably landing beside the former captain three weeks after the emergency captains meeting.
"They've reinforced the ways into Hueco Mundo so I'm having to break down the defenses as well as trying to open the garganta." Urahara said calmly as another layer of Hueco Mundo's defenses fell prey to his genius "It's going to take more time than usual to open so just go play with your ice king."
Kasumi was tossed like a broken rag doll into her cell she lay on the cold floor shivering and whimpering in pain after the latest rounds of experiments on her body. She reached up to touch the upper part of her face half covered in a hollow-like mask in the shape of a wolf's head before letting her hand drop to the ground again. Kasumi had given up trying to escape each time only brought painful shocks from that damned collar her eyes once crackling with life and energy were dull and dead. Slowly but surely the Kasumi Reitoushin her friends knew was dying leaving only a living shell that obeyed orders from the Master out of fear of the pain disobedience brought. A few hours later she whimpered scooting her broken body into a corner when she heard footsteps outside her prison.
"Come now my pet won't you greet your master?" the Master asked sweetly "No? Ah well that last round of tests were rather painful I imagine. I came to see how the latest modifications were taking hold."
Kasumi growled at the hand the Master had put near her face that with each experiment was becoming more and more wolf-like causing him to trigger the collar to shock her tearing a howl of pain from the very depths of her soul as he continued his examination.
"Excellent my pet those last modifications seem to really be working wonderfully though I will have to do something about what remains of your temper. You may rest now my pet I will send some food in later." The Master said leaving.
Kasumi collapsed in her corner with a whimper wishing for a rescue that she was sure would never come. When Urahara finally got a garganta opened the rescue team which consisted of Toshiro his lieutenant and 3rd seat, Captain Komamura, Captain Ukitake, Captain Unohana, and Captain Kurosaki immediately went through met by their allies Grimjow and Nel on the other side in Hueco Mundo.
"Take us to her." Toshiro stated.
"Whatever shrimp she's being held in the ruins of Los Noches though you may not like what you find. The place is frequently filled with howls of pain the sound somewhere between human and wolf...and becoming closer to a wolf every day." Grimjow said shrugging.
"Come my pet it seems you have visitors." The Master said sweetly.
Kasumi was led to the central courtyard where she was chained and beaten severely to make her reiatsu flare which in turn would make the intruders speed up. The sight that awaited Toshiro and the others was truly heart breaking a creature somewhere between a human and a wolf lay broken and bloody in the center of the central courtyard half its face covered in a hollow-like mask its cold blue eyes totally devoid of any traces of life or humanity chained next to the Master.
"What have you done with Kasumi?" Karin yelled running towards the Master Zanpakuto drawn only to be stopped by Toshiro.
"She is right here foolish girl. Look closely at the magnificent creature beside me." Kasumi heard the Master say backing away to allow them to examine her.
She felt everyone looking intently at her Kasumi looked nothing like the human she had once been she had patches snow white fur that popped up between pieces of bone like armor fused to her body, her eyes remained their unusual icy blue/grey and devoid of all life, she stood easily six feet high at the shoulder but Kasumi still wore the black and white rags that was left of what used to be her shihakusho and her scarf.
"Kasumi..." Karin said softly reaching to touch the lower half of Kasumi's face which was not covered by the mask.
At Karin's warm touch a tiny spark of life flickered in Kasumi's eyes as she remembered all of the good times they had had together giving the others hope that she was not totally lost. The Master disliked the thought that all his careful work was being undermined and triggered Kasumi's collar to shock her worse than any other time before Kasumi reared back from Karin's touch howling with pain clutching at the collar until she collapsed. When Kasumi crawled to her feet on her accursed Master's command the spark of life that had been returned to her eyes was extinguished and her eyes were even more lifeless if at all possible than before.
"Better my pet. Now you will attack your visitors…quickly if you please." The Master said mildly Kasumi hurried to obey fearing the pain should she fail to please snarling and straining against the chains that restrained her till she began to bleed from where the shackles were cutting into her wrists and ankles.
"Stop this now or you will regret it." Toshiro said dangerously looking at the animal Kasumi had been turned into his hand moving to Hyōrinmaru's hilt.
"You will have to go through your precious human to get to me Shinigami." The Master said triggering another setting on Kasumi's collar.
She howled in pain but this time everything she saw was colored in shades of red and Kasumi was filled with the rage but try as she might she couldn't make her body attack the true source of her rage instead Kasumi found herself among her friends attacking them the chains restraining her snapped like dry twigs.
"Argh! Komamura Ukitake Kurosaki take that bastard out while the rest of us try to bring Kasumi to her senses!" Toshiro yelled as Kasumi sank her elongated fangs into his sword arm.
When the Master was killed Kasumi was still a feral beast but the collar shattered causing her to halt her attack on Grimjow long enough for Toshiro to knock her unconscious shattering Kasumi's mask at the same time.
"I could kill him a thousand times over for what he did to her…"
"Calm down Karin the bastard is dead and Kasumi is safe."
"CALM DOWN! Ichigo did you see her eyes they were dead empty devoid of all humanity and everything that made Kasumi who she was."
"Yes Karin we all saw the beast he had turned Kasumi into but hopefully that psycho Kurotsuchi can reverse the physical damage done to her and with time maybe we can reverse the psychological damage…"
All conversation ceased when Kasumi groaned opening her eyes to see her rescuers hovering over her anxiously.
"Thank god…" was all Kasumi could say before sliding back into unconsciousness.
"How is she Captain Unohana?" Toshiro asked.
"Much better physically we've lifted the sedation now that the 12th squad has finished reversing what they could thanks to the data we brought back with us. Reitoushin-san should wake any time now if you wish to visit for a bit. It might be beneficial to Reitoushin-san to have one of her rescuers in the room with her when she wakes doubtless she will be scared and confused." Unohana replied.
"I agree…I will stay and visit for a bit then I will have Karin sit with her you might want to have your nurses ready to perform a binding spell in case Kasumi isn't fully herself." Toshiro advised.
"Agreed I have already informed those in contact with Reitoushin-san of the possibility but with your permission to use binding kido it will make things much easier on my staff." Unohana said gesturing for Toshiro to enter Kasumi's room first.
He breathed a sigh of relief seeing that she was back to her old self for the most part Kasumi's claws and fangs were a little longer her ears and features little more wolf like but she was human again. Toshiro sat at Kasumi's bedside contemplating what she had gone through in the weeks that she had been held prisoner in Hueco Mundo he was amazed she had managed to survive the experiments she was put through. He had had squad 12's lieutenant give him the short version of what had been done to Kasumi to him.
"You better to wake up soon Karin is worried sick about you…" Toshiro said once Unohana had left the room "if it were anyone but you I'd be sorely tempted to bankai their ass for making Karin worry like this."
Toshiro found he couldn't stand to sit still so he rose to pace until a hell butterfly came requesting that he report to the 12th squad for a full briefing on what had been done to his 4th seat and possible plans once all experiments had been completed. He left quickly but not before informing the nurse specially assigned to Kasumi that should it become necessary they had his full permission to use any binding kido needed to restrain her should she wake disoriented and combative. About an hour later Kasumi woke up to someone's hand on her forehead without thinking she shot out of the bed and headed for a corner where she crouched growling ready to attack if they took one step in her direction. Unfortunately the nurse didn't seem to understand that Kasumi wanted them nowhere near her and approached wanting to put her back to bed. Kasumi launched herself at them raking her claws down one of the nurse's arms before leaping through the window that had been left open to provide fresh air the nurse recovered from the shock of being attacked and attempted to use a low level binding spell with no effect on Kasumi's fleeing form.
"Captains Unohana and Hitsugaya please report to the squad 4 infirmary 10th squad 4th seat Kasumi Reitoushin has woken and has escaped…"
Toshiro didn't bother to hear the rest of the message the hell butterfly relayed. He tracked Kasumi's reiatsu to a small alley in a little used area of the Seireitei one look at her and Toshiro knew they had a long road ahead. He approached Kasumi slowly halting when she uttered a warning growl flexing her claws. Karin appeared shortly after Toshiro did and approached Kasumi stopping within two feet of the tired and frightened shinigami.
"Kasumi…" Karin said softly causing her to flinch and cower even tighter into her corner as Karin reached out to touch her cheek "it's alright now the bastard that hurt you is gone Captains Komamura, Ukitake, and Kurosaki took care of him you're safe now…"
Kasumi flinched at Karin's warm touch but it had the effect Karin had hoped for she relaxed a tiny fraction allowing a glimmer of the old Kasumi to break through.
"So much pain…"Kasumi whispered barely loud enough to be heard by the two shinigami her voice rough from disuse "Couldn't get away…tried…had to stop…Master didn't like…hurt me more every time I tried…gave up hope…"
"It's ok we're all here let's get you back to the 4th squad I promise one of the group of us that rescued you will be with you all the time till you feel safe again…" Toshiro said softly.
"Please…I want to go home…home to the 10th…" Kasumi whispered uncurling from the ball she had been in.
"I'm sure that Captain Unohana wouldn't have a problem with that let me send a hell butterfly to her and Yamamoto and we'll go back to the 10th and get you settled in your room with some of your favorite tea…how does that sound Kasumi?" Karin asked offering Kasumi a hand up.
"That sounds good…I'm sorry I worried you…I tried to get away…the Master didn't like his "pet" trying to run away…used that damn collar to shock me…lit me up like a fireworks show on the 4th of July…" Kasumi said softly her eyes beginning to show some of their old light and life as Karin lead the way back to the 10th squad barracks.
Toshiro sent hell butterflies to Captain Unohana and Captain-commander Yamamoto as promised but sent a third to his lieutenant to warn her they were coming and to clear the area of anyone unfamiliar to Kasumi. When they finally reached the 10th squad everything was clear and quiet Toshiro and Karin brought Kasumi to her quarters and made her some of her favorite Mango Ceylon tea before Captains Unohana and Ukitake arrived.
"I'm glad to see you're doing better Kasumi…we were worried we had lost you." Ukitake said softly resting a hand on Kasumi's shoulder causing her to flinch.
She looked up from her tea and stated "I was lost…I was sure no one was going to come for me my rank and future position as a captain aside…I had given up hope…"
"Reitoushin-san I'm going to ask that you rest Captain Ukitake will stay with you for the time being…" Captain Unohana said softly.
"Alright…I will try to rest…I make no promises…I'm afraid of reliving everything in my sleep…" Kasumi said softly.
"Oh! There's someone that wants to see you…" Toshiro said pulling out Kasumi's zanpakuto.
"Yoru…" Kasumi said as he materialized in her lap the size of a large fox terrier.
Kasumi embraced the other half of her soul and with a soft sigh promptly fell asleep on her couch curling protectively around Yoru daring anyone to try to pry him from her arms.
"Rest easy Kasumi we're here…" Jushiro said softly with a smile before opening his book on a shelf watching over Kasumi was the stuffed arctic wolf he had given her all those years ago he noted.
Slowly as months and years passed Kasumi recovered from the traumas suffered in Hueco Mundo at the hands of the arrancar Kasumi knew only as the master with the help of her friends and her zanpakuto spirit.
"How are you today Reitoushin-san?" Unohana asked handing Kasumi a cup of hot tea while they watched the flowers wave in the breeze.
"Better…I haven't had a nightmare in weeks…and I managed to get through my mission in the real world without any real collateral damage to the area I was exterminating hollows in." Kasumi replied accepting the steaming cup.
"That's excellent…I'm glad you're feeling relatively safe again…" Unohana said smiling and sipping her tea.
"I am too…especially since Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Matsumoto are headed to the real world in a couple weeks for their rotation of protecting Karakura town… which means Karin and I will be in charge of the squad for the duration of their absence." Kasumi said sipping her tea feeling the warmth of the liquid spreading throughout her chest as she swallowed.
"Yes I had almost forgotten it was almost time for their rotation…" Unohana stated tiredly "after dealing with so many casualties from the 11th lately I've hardly had the time to rest much less think about upcoming rotations."
Captain Unohana and Kasumi sat there for a bit drinking their tea in companionable silence until Kasumi stood saying "Well I should get going I'm supposed to see Captain Komamura soon since he's supposed to start preparing me to become a captain…I kinda wish I could wait a little longer but a deal is a deal especially when it's with Captain-commander Yamamoto…ah well at least I like my lieutenant. Momo is really sweet and hardworking…"
"Indeed she is and she needs a captain she can rely on without fearing a double cross like with her previous captain." Unohana said rising to see Kasumi off.
"See you later Captain Unohana…" Kasumi said before flash stepping off to Squad 7.
"Reitoushin-san your promotion may seem too early for you but your skills and deeds prove that your promotion to the vacant captain seat of squad 5 is far too long overdue." Unohana mused watching Kasumi speed off.
In Hueco Mundo…
"I know you wanted to fulfill your promise to Aizen…but look at what it has cost you…never mind that we will avenge your death…the shinigami and your precious little wolf cub will feel our wrath for what they've done won't they…Brother…" a voice growled standing over the stilled form of her twin waiting for the time when her brother would awaken.
Is it the end? nah the first part is done...On to the second!