notes: sooooo, no internet, slow access point only early in the morning... time to write some fanfiction.
On a more serious note, I've decided to make a Gaiden for this fic. Give everybody who's training a chance to do so plus what i wanted to do has to be done while folks are sleeping. XD
Ambush Bug meditated in the void, standing next to one of five enormous shapes arranged into a pyramid. A green tiger, a brown turtle with a tree on its back, a black phoenix, a sapphire dragon and a golden dragon at the top of the pyramid. He was sorting through the memories of the girl named Masamune, aka Saya Labeaux Kuchiki.
He needed to find which universe containing the Justice league these children belonged to. So he needed to find, in the case of Masamune, a Hal Jordan that matched her memories of him. Oh it may seem to mortals as if there were no difference between the multiverse's many Hal Jordans, Bruce Waynes, Clark Kents, ecetera. But Ambush bug knew differently. There were subtle changes between the faces of each, between the ages of each, between the friends and team members of each. Ambush bug had seen one universe where Nightwing and Batwoman were still children, and so was Poison Ivy. He'd seen another one ruined by that idiot Batmite who treated the whole thing like it was a game. He'd seen a third, far grittier, far more macabre as far as Gotham city went and a fourth universe where Clark Kent was just a teenager. (1)
Ambush Bug hrmed, the girl's father was friends with Jordan. He just needed to find a Hal that was friends with Anonri Kuchiki.
And then he found it.
Ambush Bug kept himself invisible, imperceptible, as he crept into the cramped ship's bunk room where four bunks in the fast, sleek, small Oan transport ship allowed its inhabitants to get some rest. Ganthet was still awake. And Ambush Bug got the sneaking suspicion that the demi god could sense his presence because he turned from the pilots chair back towards the cabin to look in the door. But the Guardian turned back to the controls after a moment, and Ambush bug breathed a sigh of relief.
The 5th dimensional being did not want to make a scene here, he knew when a direct touch was needed and when a guardian angel was needed instead. Some angel. He thought sarcastically.
Ambush Bug gently placed his hand on the Green Lantern's forehead. Interesting, there was some memory erasure here. Serious memory erasure. A whole year of memories of Saya wiped from him, including one incident... oh well... I suspect the other four I find will be worse.
He began to carefully unblock the year of missing memories from flowing, and when he sensed something else, Ambush bug mentally clucked, irritable and angry. Not only had the memories of the girl who called him "Unkie" been messed with, but so had Hal's ability to think about Saya. It was as if when he thought of her, he quickly became uncomfortable for no reason whatsoever and thought about something else.
This will be quite a job, but I think I can handle it.
~years ago~ (cue "will of the heart" from the Bleach OST here plz!)
I grew up in the shadow of the Green Lantern Corps. Images played in Saya's mind, Hal, her father, Kilowag, Tomar, Katma, Guardian Ganthet and a few others that she'd met. I was taught that honor and bravery are everything not only to family pride, but the corps pride, that will was everything, for without the will to fight, the will to survive, the will to protect, life cannot endure.
The corps were awe inspiring, all important figures in my young mind. A green lantern is all I really wanted to be when I grew up, the way some children grow up and all they want to be is a marine, or an air force pilot.
Saya was six when she'd heard that a new Green Lantern had been assigned to their sector. Although she could barely remember Abin Sur, her memories of the man had been of a kind, wizened face and a quiet faithful demeanor. He'd passed a year ago, and Saya had been disappointed that his ring had not come to her. If it had, it would have been her greatest treasure, she'd never have taken it off.
Saya was understandably upset, both at Abin dying and being replaced, and that she hadn't been picked as his successor, but she ran to join her father on the beach outside of coast city to meet the new arrival.
"Oh I see, on leave, well that explains things." That was the first Saya had seen of the man named Hal Jordan. He was talking to her father, and her father was in his "not on duty with the corps" uniform, Masamune, a uniform she'd wear when she got older. "So you're the legendary "woodland weaponer" huh? I've seen some of the swords you've made in the art museums on Oa." Hal grinned. "good to meet the lantern who made them. I was surprised to see Earth swords on display, much less Japanese ones. I think there was a hindi one in there too?"
"Yes, in a style from the fifteen hundreds." Although he dressed in a green Onmyoji costume as Masamune, Saya's father still wore his Green Lantern ring. To protect his identity, he wore an enchanted, red, bird like mask and he carried a fan of crow feathers.
"DADDY!" Saya pounced him. "Daddy look what I made!" She held up the flint kunai she'd made, with an antler piece for the handle. "Its my very first!"
"And /here/ is the future "woodland weaponer." This is my daughter Saya. Showing off her first blade ever I see."
Saya beamed in pride. "Hai Otoosama." A faint blush came to her cheeks.
Hal grinned. "Hey there scamp, hope you grow into your father's mask!"
"I hope I grow into his kensaiken even more!" Saya beamed. "Since I didn't grow into Abin's ring." She stuck her tongue out at Hal. "/I/ want to be Green Lantern for our sector! Its not fair! I didn't get to say goodbye to Abin-sama!"
Hal chuckled. "is that so... so you've met him."
"Hai... I was four though... I don't remember much, just that too-sama really respected him and he had a very kind face." Saya beamed. "I wanna be in the corps when I grow up! Thats /all/ I wanna be!"
"Is that so... I'm Hal Jordan then, nice to meet you future Green Lantern." He was clearly amused by Saya's impertenance.
"Hajimemashite Jordan-sama." Saya bowed.
"Now Saya, you don't have to call the other Lanterns "sama" you only have to use -sama for me and your mother because we're nobility. A simple "san" will do for Hal. Now if you were addressing the Guardians you'd /better/ use -sama or -dono!"
Saya giggled. "Mkay daddy!"
"Besides that, all Green Lanterns are brothers and sisters to each other." Hal told Saya. "its in here that we're all related." He tapped his chest. "Because of that even though i'm not a noble like your father, you should still treat me like family okay?"
"Mkay! So if you're daddy's Spirit Brother I'mma call you "Unkie"!" Saya giggled.
From that moment on, in private or in front of other lanterns, Saya would always call Hal "Unkie Hal." And the Green Lanterns she met that she took a liking too were frequently called "auntie" or "unkie" by the impertinent child of one of their brothers.
I grew up in the Shadow of the Corps, no, thats not right, I was part of the corps' shadow. Not one of them, but kin all the same. I remember when I was nine, I went to see my father off to go back on duty.
They were standing on the same beach three years later, Hal, Saya, and Anonri. "So... behave little scamp. Hal, when she turns twelve you have my permission to begin her training as a hero. Call her your sidekick or your apprentice if you want."
"Alright. But you've been training her since she was five haven't you?"
"For smithing and weapons play, she hasn't been an active crime fighter. Please take care of her. She is precious to me. I'll make arrangements for her to visit Oa during her summer vacations. There's a temple Michelle the second built on Mogo, well, in his honor really, that she must see."
And so it was, when I got out of school, the Oan transport came for me in the middle of the night. Instead of going for training in the forest forge shrine my father took me too when I was young, the shrine my squad uses to this day, I went to Oa.
"And /what/ are you doing in here lil poozer?" Demanded Kilowag as Saya struggled to open the book of Oa. Hal floated in the doorway behind him laughing. For a ten year old, Saya was small and scrawny. Kilowag's hands were bigger than her head.
Saya looked up at Kilowag with her eyes growing huge. "Gomenasai Unkie, I wanted to read!"
"The book of Oa? its a sacred text, why's a lil poozer like you wanna read a weighty book like that?"
"Cause I'm bored, and I wanna be a Lantern when I grow up." Saya pulled on the book's cover, but it was friggin huge and very heavy. She couldn't move it. "Daddy wants me to run the forge shrine on earth but I dunno, I like the idea of a ring that makes everything I can think of real. I mean... I can make constructs too, I just have to plan them out ahead of time. I have to draw them, and spec them, and design their behavior. Its soooo detail intensive! Power rings are sooooo much more conveinant for invention and design."
"Really, you got any of them on you lil poozer?"
"uhuh! and its not "poozer!" its "Saya!" My dad's Ganthet-sama's secretary." Saya grinned hugely, pausing to offer Kilowag a hand to shake.
Hal just couldn't stop laughing as Saya and Kilowag shook hands.
"Poozer means rookie you lil poozer." Kilowag scooped Saya up and put her on his shoulder, "I got a better idea, I wanna see what you can do. Lets go to the training room."
Saya let out a loud whoop of joy as Kilowag flew her to the training room. They found a spare practice field and Saya pulled out her book. "its called "The book of Masamune!" it lets my power of fullbring fully manifest itself! Watch!" Saya took a fighting stance and the book began to glow. It turned huge, developing a pair of eyes on one side and paper like teeth. It was attached to her waist by a bookmark like sash. The book opened its mouth, inside of which pages turned and glowed pale green. (a/n: cue music "Number One's One else" from bleach OST for sparring match)
Kilowag's eyebrows went up as the book belched out several living drawings made from ink and rice paper and what looked like pale, yellowish green balls of fire. The drawings depicted Japanese monsters. "The Nue, the Hainu, and the Mori-o!" Saya announced their names. (2) The monsters that appeared, while alien to Kilowag, were nonetheless not lost on a young dark skinned man in his twenties, who paused with his teacher's training to watch.
To a younger John Stewart, and to Hal, who knew earth animals, the creatures depicted were quite odd. Nue was a cross between a baboon, a tiger, and a snake. It had the claws and body of a tiger, the arms of a baboon, and a viper for a tail. The huge winged dog, about the size of a volkswagon beetle, was easily understood even if Nue was not. Mori-o however, was a mystery to Hal, it looked like a rocky giant with trees for antlers and hooves for feet, as if a man and a deer had been crossed and covered with foliage and stone.
"niiiiceee!" Kilowag created a club and swung it amiably, it was easily bigger than Saya. "Lets see how tough they are!" The trio began to do battle with Kilowag, who held back, considering he was sparring with a child.
Saya could hear the black man and the red skinned woman whispering with Hal. "Who's that?"
"Lantern Kin, her name is Saya." Hal grinned. "I know her father, mostly a desk guy but gets summoned to really collosal emergencies. Hard worker, has pieces in Oa's art museum."
"Really? We have an art museum?" The dark skinned man asked, blinking in surprise.
"of course we do John." The red skinned woman replied. "There have been some really talented artists among the lanterns over the years. All of our work with constructs tends to breed other forms of creativity."
"Heh, not in me." "John" sighed. "I just make what has to be done to get the job done." He peered at the ink constructs that Saya was controlling with what looked like taichi moves and a large monk's staff with a brush on the end. "Interesting..."
"So her father, what pieces in the museum did he do?" Katma asked with considerable interest. Art was revered as a form of meditation and discipline among the lanterns, but not everyone had the gift. Or as Ganthet put it "not everyone has the Avra touch."
"Remember the collection of Earth swords?" Hal asked.
"Do I!" Katma grinned hugely. "Pieces of pure beauty, her father made those? Must be a genius! An armorer like that no wonder Ganthet keeps him close."
SWISH CRACK! Kilowag managed to dispatch the Hainu with a simple giant club construct and two good punches. But Hainu's headlong attacks were easy to predict and intercept. "Not bad!" Saya grinned. "Nue is harder to beat though! He can see in all directions thanks to his tail and he's a top rate climber! These constructs aren't just weapons, I can control them remotely like puppets. Its very involved and they don't have much range, but the good thing about being a fullbringer is that with practice comes strength." Saya grinned. "Skill, not raw power is what matters for my powers to grow!"
"is that so? I like the sound of that!" Kilowag closed on Nue, attempting to take a swing from behind it. The snake caught his club in its jaws. The Baboon immediately whirled around, managing a flying leap that wrenched Kilowag around in a complete circle before kicking him clean in the face and making a huge leap in the air. Nue clung to the rafters of the practice hall, hissing and whooping and growling at the trainer below.
"According to legend, the Nue once transformed itself into a black cloud and hovered over a castle." Saya recited. "Making the people inside sick with the miasma that it was hiding in. An Onmyoji was required to exorcise him from the palace." Nue leapt down after Kilowag, ready for a second round. The Tiger's jaws wrapped themselves around Kilowag's club and cracked it clean in half.
"Wow, you may have something with that one poozer. What about the giant over there?" Kilowag dispelled the broken construct and summoned a sledgehammer instead.
"He's defensive. That crouch he's in is intended to deflect ranged attacks aimed at me. Deal with Nue and then try to come directly at me." She told him.
"Sure thing lil poozer."
Hal was trying to keep his voice low, but Saya had keen ears. "The dad's got a plush job, none of the other Guardians have ever picked a personal errand boy and secretary."
"Her dad is /that/ guy? The quiet, kindly one that tends to keep to himself and always seems to be close to Ganthet?" John asked.
"Yeah. He's Japanese I think. But something's off, his service record says he's been on duty on ten year tours with ten year leave in between for TWO HUNDRED years." Hal told them. "Humans have never lived for longer than a hundred and twenty. But he lives on earth and he speaks fluent Japanese and he understands the culture like he's lived there all his life."
"Maybe its some kind of accident."
Kilowag finally got under the Nue's guard, dispelling it with a powerful kick and pounced on the giant. "put all your force on him sir, I'm tolerance testing this construct for how many pounds per square inch it can deflect before it buckles. The book keeps a record so just keep hammering!"
"You got it!"
"It could be a mutation." Katma mused. "What's the word on your planet for such people, Meta humans?"
"Yeah. Not sure really." Hal mused.
CRUNCH! Kilowag had been hammering furiously on the giant. Saya's construct was standing strong however. Mori-o shattered into shreds of paper and spatters of ink after a full five minutes. Saya recalled the debris and bowed. "Domo arigatou gozaimasu Kilowag-sensei!"
"not bad lil poozer, you're pretty tough for your size."
"thanks! my dad says that all the time! I may not be a lantern but I try to keep as close to the code of honor as i can!" She flounced over to the three adults. "I could hear you you know! Dah's not a human, but he's evolved from them!"
"aaah, so he /is/ a metahuman!" Katma chuckled at the girl's impertinence.
"nope, he's a shinigami." Beamed Saya.
"a /what/?" John, Katma and Kilowag looked at her cluelessly.
"A shinigami!?" Hal's jaw hit the floor. "That fits with the sword obsession."
"What are /they/?" Katma demanded. "I've never heard of that species."
"They're supposed to be a myth. See, humans have their own version of the Black Lanterns, we call them "Grim Reapers." "Shinigami" is the Japanese word for them." Hal explained.
"So wait a minute, are you even human?" Saya would later learn that these sorts of moments happen with every species. John was looking down at her with mild surprise and a certain amount of curiosity.
"yep, i inherited my mum's tendencies." Saya's eyes darkened slightly, the light of joy in them dimming a bit. "Mum's human, voodoo queen. But..."
"What is it."
"My power is viewed as cursed by the shinigami. A species that is the shinigami's mortal enemy attacked my mother when she was pregnant with me. It left a piece of its power behind in her, and thats what I got only made human." Saya's look was quite dejected. "Dad tries to hide it. I guess he thinks I'm too young. But my power comes from his people's enemies, how could his people not think it to be cursed?"
"Are you telling me you've /never/ met your father's species?" Katma bent down a bit to be on eye level.
"Kinda, there's a bunch of us on earth in hiding but... the place he came from before he was in the corps. I've never been there or met anyone from there. He was one of their nobles but... its a pocket dimension, not a planet. He's /stuck/ here."
"And the Corps took your father in when he had nothing but his will to survive huh?" John was quiet, but Katma was patting the girl on the head with an almost motherly air to her. "Right, Kilowag you'd say her fighting skills are above average for a child?"
"Way above average. Her construct held up to my best punch for five whole minutes, and the second one, Nue, took /eight/ for me to catch, slippery lil thing."
"Then its decided, though she's not to be allowed in battle or on official business, when she's here on Oa Saya will train with the two of us." Katma grinned. "Okay?"
"yaaaaay!" Saya's face lit up and she kicked up her heals in joy.
"Some skills kid, never figured someone your size could last even five minutes against Kilowag, you managed twenty seven." John finally spoke. "Guy packs a mean left hook. I agree though, you may not be one of us but if you're that strong, you can train with us."
Saya was all but doing a victory dance of glee.
I didn't want to tell them /all/ about the hollows and shinigami. The hollows were a rarity on this world anyway. But they were there. They did happen. And I knew from my dad's stories that two hundred years ago, several of them appeared on Oa, including an adjuchas that looked like a dragon and that a witch joined with the guardians to curse the dragon hollow back to Hueco mundo, cursed him to wear the tears of the Lanterns he'd murdered for all time and for his reiatsu to be tinged with the color of the one emotion his cause of death could destroy.
Will is not just the enemy of fear, it is also the enemy of despair. This my father taught me from the time I could understand what he did.
Under Hal's tutelage during the school year, and Kilowag's during the summer, my skills advanced massively over just a few years. It was when I was fourteen, two years ago... it happened.
Over Coast city the battle between Hal Jordan and Gin Ichimaru raged. From the sidelines, Tousen kept Saya bound with Kidou.
He was fighting for my freedom, maybe even my life.
Saya lay there on the beach below it, slack in the bakudo as she began to chant a shingon buddhist sutra.
Death surrounds
My heartbeat's slowing down
I won't take this world's abuse
I won't give up, I refuse!
This is how it feels when you're bent and broken
This is how it feels when your dignity's stolen
When everything you love is leaving
You hold on to what you believe in
The thud as Hal hit the ground seemed to Saya to be so much louder than it was. "Unkie Hal!" Saya struggled against the Bakudo. Gin raised his sword. "HYAKKI YAKO! DEMON PARADE!" Saya had been focusing her mind and power. The demonic ink and paper constructs in festival clothes and carrying traditional japanese musical instruments funneled straight up from her, piling on Gin and beating him with traditional japanese instruments and taiko drums.
Gin whirled on Saya, Shinso stopped an inch from her throat.
"If you kill him you've lost your only bargaining chip. Captain or not, if I get the chance I /will/ kill you Gin Ichimaru." Saya snarled.
"is that so girl... you'd support that cursed color so much?" A figure slipped from the shadows. Humanoid, with a horned helmet for a mask.
"you..." Saya's look instantly became one of utter loathing. "You nearly killed the guardians, you lead them here didn't you?" The facial markings were all the warning Saya needed. So was this to be the beginning of Ulquiorra's long anticipated revenge on the guardians?
The last thing I heard was you whispering goodbye
And then I heard you flat line
No, not gonna die tonight
We're gonna stand and fight forever
"He was very helpful." Aizen smirked. "Showed us how to adjust the Garganta to invade this world. That said, Coast city doesn't quite have what we're looking for. I think we'll move on to Metropolis and find out if that city fits our needs."
"Go ahead, your funeral." Superman's city, they were going there next? MIKA! She had to be warned! Mika was a shunko user, surely she could do something!
"you will shut your mouth woman." Ulquiorra growled. "You won't hesitate, you will come with us, or Hal Jordan will die tonight." He pointed a glowing greenish blue cero straight at Hal.
"Before I go with you, there's a few things I wanna do."
Ulquiorra quirked a brow.
(Don't close your eyes)
No, not gonna die tonight
We're gonna fight for us together
No, we're not gonna die tonight
Saya walked up to him and kicked Ulquiorra in the balls, hard, putting her reiatsu behind that kick. "I hate you." Ulquiorra grimaced, his cheeks turning red with embarassment and irritation. He looked up at Aizen, pulsing the cero to larger size against his finger tips. Aizen shook his head ever so slightly and Ulquiorra stopped.
Saya walked over to Hal and began to draw a circle of purification and healing magic on the ground around him. Then she slipped off her coat, and covered him with it. She slipped something from her hair, and slipped it into the collar of Hal's uniform with this, sad, sad look on her face.
The pin was a glass enameled Tsubaki, or red camelia flower. It was a clan symbol, one of many, indicating that a Kuchiki had been either killed in battle or captured in the same, and wished for the wearer to be protected as a friend and ally of the clan.
Saya muttered a buddhist prayer over the unconscious Green Lantern, and her reiatsu and his slipped into the pin, identifying him as the one for whom the pin was intended and she as the one who had given it to him. Any kuchiki would know, upon seeing that pin, to check that the reiatsu matched.
And Saya's haori, with which she covered Hal, would tell him and her father instantly who had given him that pin.
"For the record, if I get the chance Gin Ichimaru, I will kill you for what you've done tonight. And /you./" She glared up at Ulquiorra. "The same, if I get the chance, I will kill you for harming the guardians and attacking Oa. You are an enemy of the Green Lantern Corps, by association, these captains are /also/ enemies of the Corps because they have attacked one of its members and are working under /you./"
Break their hold
'Cause I won't be controlled
They can't keep their chains on me
When the truth has set me free
"you've got it all wrong..." Gin smirked. "We ain't workin for him, he's workin for us..."
Saya stared at Gin in horror, then in utter and complete loathing. "The healing spell is a time delay." She sneered at Aizen as Hal slowly started to stir from unconsciousness. "You are enemies of the Corps, tresspassing on a world that isn't yours. In my mind, that makes you criminals."
Ulquiorra watched impassively while Gin rebound Saya in the bakudo she'd broken free of.
This is how it feels when you take your life back
This is how it feels when you finally fight back
When life pushes me I push harder
What doesn't kill me makes me stronger
The last thing I heard was you whispering goodbye
And then I heard you flat line
Aizen remained behind, and drew his zanpakuto. "In case you have any delusions of managing a heroic rescue..." Behind him an enormous figure, a huge pale green tiger, rose from the bay in Coast City. "...you won't even remember we were here tonight." He said impassively. "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu..."
Every brightest day must have a sun, every darkest night a missing moon
Through leaves of green, though I hide unseen
I will stand and fight behind you
Family of my heart, brothers of my will
Though chained and bound, you are in my heart still
~ present day ~
No, not gonna die tonight
We're gonna stand and fight forever
(Don't close your eyes)
No, not gonna die tonight
We're gonna fight for us together
No, we're not gonna die tonight
Hal Jordan woke up screaming and thrashing in mental and emotional agony in his bunk in the Oan transport. Aizen's influence was lifted, and while Ambush Bug breathed a sigh of relief, Hal toppled to the floor, in a cold sweat, twitching and sobbing softly.
It brought his comrades awake in an instant. Ganthet couldn't get up from his chair, but he used his telepathy to try to soothe Hal's anguish.
"Saya! Anonri! Kilowag! I remember what happened to her! Ulquiorra, two years ago, he and some shinigami Saya called Captains came and took her away. Took her to a giant green tiger in the bay and... they threatened to kill me if she didn't go!" Hal was panting hard.
"That explains what you found when you woke up on the beach but... the green tiger. I don't understand I..." Anonri had tears in his eyes, tears matched by the man he called his brother.
Hal held out a hand to Anonri. "We'll find the shinigami that were responsible for this."
"perhaps, but I have not yet achieved the ultimate level of a shinigami's strength my friend. It will be an uphill battle. I have been trying very hard my past leave but my Zanpakuto will not leave his world."
"Not sure exactly how that works again but I'll help you. I promise."
Kilowag grinned. "And now we know which stupid poozers to pound into dust, we're one step closer to rescuing Saya right?"
"hai." Anonri grinned weakly. The two men looked at each other, then at Kilowag, and then Anonri extended a hand into the middle of the three of them. "We'll get her back together guys. Right?"
"Promise." Hal grinned, dabbing at his eyes and putting his hand in to grasp Anonri's.
Kilowag mimicked the gesture, though his ham sized hands could easily envelop both theirs. "Cross my heart and hope to die. We're comin for ya lil Poozer!" he shook his fist in the direction of Earth.
1. In order, The Batman, Batman the brave and the bold, the Batman movies with Tim Burton directing (sorry, the Dark Knight trilogy is not coming in here. I haven't seen it and i have a thing for Tim Burton's work,) and Smallville, which my mother would be disappointed if I didn't include because she's a smallville fan. x.x
2. The nue is the same sort of creature as Zabimaru, baboon, tiger and snake crossed together, the Hainu is a huge winged dog, think Sesshoumaru's demon form with wings, and Mori-o means forest king.
Final note: The song is "not gonna die" by Skillet, and was picked to show that Saya was accepted as family by the Corps despite her not being one of them and that she would do anything for one of them, even sacrifice her freedom.