Tite Kubo © Bleach

Beyond the Beyond

Chapter 4

by GaleSynch

I wondered if Zanpakuto can read their owner's mind.

I was having one of those rare nights where I couldn't fall asleep so easily. This was the second time since I'd been here that I was unable to sleep once I hit the bed. I rolled over, facing the wall, frowning faintly.

My subconscious habit was entirely mine, there was truly no hint of Arisa's habits or attitude.

I strained my ears but couldn't hear anything. This place was just that peaceful, I liked it, in comparison to the big city where I used to live. I should spend my time figuring a way home. Instead, I rolled out of bed, switched on the lights and pulled open the book Hitsugaya had given me. I couldn't read the title of the textbook (but I assumed it said Learning Japanese: For Idiots' Edition) it was meant to teach me how to understand their language, the Japanese words and illustrations.

I was through the fifth page before I realized I was seriously trying to memorize what was in the book.

It was like... like I was finally accepting I wasn't going to go home.

Home; the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household. Permanently? Don't make me laugh. The brownstone wasn't home ever since Mom managed to sniff out a woman's perfume on Dad's white button up shirt. Mom didn't wear perfumes, period.

The screaming was unbearable.

The last time I asked Hikaru how he was progressing, how close he was to finding a way for us to go home, I could hear his unspoken question in between the lines.

Why go back when this virtual life is perfect so far? What is there to go back to? A broken home, broken family. Comforting baby brother and mom, do I want to be stuck with that again?

I didn't have an answer.

I was very glad Hikaru never asked me point-blank, I wouldn't know how to answer.

:: :: ::

I was surprised to see Hitsugaya in the mess hall. I mean, I knew he had to eat as did every Soul Reaper and spiritually powerful beings but to see him in the mess hall really hit home that he was real.

I still had the impression that using a scissors and cutting them would be all it takes to shatter this illusion. Of course, trying to cut him with a scissors would end with Hyorinmaru jutting out of my chest so I did not try with him. Absentmindedly, I wandered over to him. "Morning, taicho."

"Ah, morning." He didn't look at me, he was looking at the vending machine. It actually spat a ticket for whichever set of meal we wanted. His turquoise eyes flickered to the top before he studied the choices available on the lower most slots. I waited for him to move on but he kept studying his choices, like he had never done it before.

I was in a rather bad mood as I didn't have enough sleep last night and I made an impatient sound. Bloody hell, how hard was it to push one button and move his ass?

I grumbled, "Hurry up, man." My complains were drowned out by a group of Shinigami passing by. They were snickering at a shared joke but it struck me as odd that they were still giggling and didn't move. Were they queuing up? It took me a few seconds to notice they were glancing alternatively at Hitsugaya and snickering.

They were laughing at him. I couldn't see what was so funny. I crossed my arms, tilted to the side and squinted.

Oh it's easy, Hikaru said. I wondered how he could communicate with me so easily. He's short, you see how his eyes flicker upward sometimes? He doesn't like the choices on the lowest slot, but he can't reach the choices up there.

Why doesn't he jump?

It's going to be hilarious. I'm laughing by just imagining it but watching it happen? To-ta-lly priceless.

I suppressed a snort. I approached him, rocked back on my heels and jumped, slapping the particular button he had been eyeing for awhile. "Strawberry-flavored, right Captain?"

His cheeks reddened slightly. "I.. Idiot! The button I was going to press was below it!"

Hikaru sounded ticked off, in response to Hitsugaya's tone. Then why did he take it? he demanded dourly as Hitsugaya flash-stepped away. We should've just let him be a laughing-stock.

Riiight... remind me that the next time we see him in trouble. I want to stay back and laugh it off.

:: :: ::

"How can you two even move like that?" Rangiku's cry of disbelief echoed around the hot-spring. I slid slowly into the hot water. "And you even bathe with it?"

With a cry, Yachiru somersaulted into the water, splashing the both of us. I adjusted the weights Yachiru forced me to wear. I had only removed the weighted vest, but the weights around my arms, thighs and lower legs stay on. Yachiru also wore those into the hot spring.

I watched, amused, as she kicked about, swimming as if we were in a swimming pool.

Yachiru responded to what Rangiku was saying, "Each are about two kilograms, Ken-chan challenged me to it! We're going to keep putting on more weight until he says the challenge is over!"

Rangiku blinked. "Why involve Arisu?"

"She wants to get stronger and I want to be a teacher. You know, when she passed Kira-chan's test," Yachiru stopped swimming, coming to a rest beside me, grinning, "I felt proud. I think this is what every parent feel whenever their kid makes an effort to express themselves!"

Rangiku looked surprised, a brow arched. "Er, really? Don't you think you're too young to have a kid? And Arisu is taller than you—though barely."

Yachiru patted my head. I suppressed the urge to send her flying with my fist—I wasn't a kid. No need to appear ungrateful, right?

I scrubbed my skin and cleaned the weights, watching them with a twisted smirk.

This world might not be so bad.

:: :: ::

I started training harder. Rangiku often slacked off, training only thrice a week. I wasn't too sure about Hitsugaya's schedule but I figured he was also taking it very easy. Of course, they didn't know there was a very big threat looming over Soul Society.

Sweat beaded down my cheek. "Ne, Yachiru?"

A grunt of exertion. "Yeah?" she called back.

"Isn't this endurance training too much?"

"First one to give up loses!" she cried.

It was surprising to look at a calender and realized that I had been here for half a year. I spent most of it with three person only: Hitsugaya, Rangiku and Yachiru. I did everything I could to avoid Aizen, Gin and Tosen. I'd taken off running away when I nearly ran into the blind Shinigami.

Hitsugaya was walking beside me when it happened so he must've been surprised; he went back to the office to find me hiding behind the sofa. He wandered off without saying anything thought I could feel his puzzlement.

The second time this happened, but with Gin, Yachiru was beside me. She was under the impression ever since then that he was a monster (from what I could piece together) and often pranked his division in retaliation. Yachiru was a very skilled infiltrator and she often brought me on her pranking crusades.

I was ashamed to say I was clumsy and that the chains made it practically impossible to maneuver swiftly and silently.

I was furious at myself and more than a little pissed at Hikaru. There, I admit it. I resented Hikaru for making these chains. It drew people's stares and I hated it. A group of Shinigami had tried to apprehend me and drag me to the dungeons (or wherever their prison was) because they assumed I was an escaped prisoner, I retaliated by beating them into a pulp and the rest of the Shingami witnessing this charged in to 'apprehend' me.

I ended up with a bruised cheek and a broken arm. Hitsugaya (who had to bail me out) ranted at me for a very, very long time. I wasn't too upset; you should've seen the other guys if you think I came off worse.

Perhaps Hikaru sensed my mounting frustration and resentment because the times he reached out for me grew less and less. I couldn't hear his voice anymore. Actually, it had been four months since I last heard his voice and I didn't bother trying to reach the inner world we shared.

I tried to make a conscious effort to converse with Arisa's Zanpakuto Hikaru called Baby. The last time I saw him, I nearly chucked him into the water myself.

What special ability does his Shikai possess? Cuddling?

I snorted and instantly regretted it. I wobbled. Currently, Yachiru and I were doing push-ups with only our palms supporting us on a freaking stalagmite. I figured we had been at it for nearly fifteen minutes. My arms screamed in protest but I took a moment to be awed; my old body wouldn't have even be able to lift up.

I doubt I would have unnecessary fats ever again.

:: :: ::

I squinted at the words. "Um... mission... right, right... er, exterminate Hollows in the Human realm... uh-huh. I get it."

Hitsugaya snorted. "Right. I didn't know when I taught you how to read upside down." I stared at him quizzically. He snatched the paper out of my hand and turned it over before handing it to me. "Read again."

"Kill Hollows," I concluded without glancing at the paper's contents. How hard was it to draw such a conclusion? Shinigami existed to destroy Hollows and restore balance—those stuff. "Human world?" I added when Hitsugaya pinned me with a glare.

"No," he said. "I want you to patrol the Rukongai. You'll be going with three others of this division. Do you understand?"

I nodded. I recognized 'three others' and his most often used phrase around me: do you understand? I admit, I felt a little irk that he ended nearly all of his sentence with that phrase: as if I was a particularly idiotic kid. I felt like kicking him but figured that wasn't too wise of me.

I was used to suppressing anger, so I swallowed and endured the act. It wasn't that I didn't try—okay, I usually didn't pay attention—but it was boring and whenever I looked at it, my brain short-circuited and the words started swimming around me.

I learned more from actions than words; Rangiku patted my head and wished me good luck.

It was a simple mission, patrol the Zaraki district that had been reported to be swarming with Hollows lately. The number of Souls were dying at such a rapid pace that the Soul Reapers, to restore balance, had to go and destroy them. Since I had no idea how to get there, I lagged behind them as they talked rapidly and laughed often, more than once, I caught them looking at me and I wondered if they were laughing at me.

I resisted the urge to throttle them.

Not for the first time, I wished Hikaru would stop avoiding me. I usually distracted myself by cracking jokes with him, he made boring stuff such as studying, and taxing stuff such as training funny and more bearable. I might or might not miss him. I like his character but the abilities he granted me were useless.

I only used his special ability to re-energize myself to continue training. Did I mention how that ability could only be used after twenty-fours had passed?

Why the time limit, dude?

Zaraki was one of the most pathetic place I've ever been to. The streets were littered with haggard, emaciated men and a few children. There were very few women and I wondered why. They leered at me, cat-calling. My fellow Soul Reapers sneered and jeered at them.

It was a boring, non-stimulating work. I focused my attention on my personal training. I knew about Hierro, the Arrancars condensed spiritual energy into an invisible armor around them. I was wondering if I could do the same thing. Firstly though, I need to gather them around my whole body instead of my feet only.

I must've looked pretty odd, flash-stepping here and there for no reason (to them) but I was failing to compress spiritual particles around my whole body. My face was flushed but I ignored the Soul Reapers' sniggers and whispers. I was having a not-so-terrific time, accidentally gathering everything to the soles of my feet instead of enveloping my body.

"Oi, Arisu!"

I turned, mildly surprised that they knew my name. The brunette Soul Reaper waved me over. "Come here! We're going to have lunch!"

I looked up at the building. This was, by far, the most fancy building though it was nothing on the buildings in the Seireitei. I wondered why everyone looked starved when the owner of this place could provide us with a feast. My stomach grumbled and I cast those thoughts away; what the heck, I was hungry.

Then, when I raised my head, one of the attendants sauntered over.

The brunette Shinigami—Kaito, I think was his name—grinned, seized her wrist and pulled her into his lap. She shrieked.

Then everything when to hell from there.

:: :: ::

If it wasn't for my quick reflexes, Hitsugaya probably would've landed a hand-print on my face. As it was, he barely missed. He clenched his fist, allowing it to drop to his side again. I shuffled away; behind Hitsugaya, Rangiku grimaced, worry in her eyes.

"Ne, taicho—"

"Silence, Matsumoto," Hitsugaya's voice was frosty, telling me that he wasn't in a good mood. "Arisu, do you know what you've done?" I shuffled my feet, looking at the ground. "Not only did you fail to protect the Souls in that district, you nearly destroyed a building, injured the Souls and allowed the Hollows to consume no less than half a dozen Souls. And you attacked your own comrades—what is wrong with you?"

"Taicho, we should ask for Arisu's side of the story—" Rangiku started but a sharp burst of spiritual pressure from Hitsugaya silenced her.

I felt the room's temperature drop several degrees.

Kaito, that bastard of a Shinigami, was a molester. At least, that seemed to be it. I didn't know why Hitsugaya was so pissed when I just tried to protect an innocent girl's dignity. It was obvious she couldn't protect herself, I had acted accordingly. I bit my lip.

I admit, it had been chaotic when I punched Kaito in the nose and started beating him into the ground. His two other buddies had came at me and since they each had a girl in their laps, I had not hesitated to deliver judgement.

Kaito's face was swollen twice its size before I realized there were about three Hollows in the area. I had finished them off with Kaito's sealed Zanpakuto (it was a swifter method than reciting the poetry needed to summon Hikaru). The Hollows weren't dangerous at all, just low-leveled shit that managed to sneak into that shitty district.

As far as I was concerned, I did my job pretty well. After all, wasn't it Soul Society's job to protect the Souls? Regardless of who the enemy was?

I frowned, wondering how I was going to explain this to Hitsugaya. My Japanese wasn't fluent and times like these made me wish I had put more effort into learning it.

Could someone speak Japanese fluently only after eight months learning it? No, it was impossible for me. It would take at least, er, a few years?

I bowed my head, deciding to swallow the injustice of it all, and spat out, "I'm sorry. I was just—protect—souls."

"See? She's trying to help them! Taicho, we both know that Kaito isn't exactly honorable so maybe—"

"She just increased my workload," Hitsugaya hissed in response to what Rangiku had to say. "I have to finish her report on her behalf, I have to pay for the damage she did, and I'm expected to explain to Kaito's noble family how their precious heir got injured by his division-mate. Not to mention the other two, all from noble families. Our division is going to have to compensate this with money." Hitsugaya massaged his temples. "Why did I even vouch for her in the first place?" he grumbled.

Rangiku laughed nervously, casting me a hang in there look. "Haha, Kaito in a full-body cast. He's been hitting on me since forever, thanks for bruising his ego, Arisu." She winked at me and it made me feel better.

"Don't encourage her!" snapped Hitsugaya. "Stay right where you are, Arisu—don't even think of escaping! I'm not through with you yet. You're going to apologize to Kaito and I have yet to assign you a proper punishment—"

Rangiku patted my shoulder as she passed me; Hitsugaya seemed to have an endless supply of saliva because he ranted until midnight. Which was impressive.

I was suddenly glad that I didn't understand 99% of what he was saying because it sounded harsh and I probably would've been in tears. I struggled to look remorseful instead of bored, which I was.

Oh, he's worse than an old man.

I started. Hikaru? I couldn't stop the smile from surfacing.

Unfortunately, Hitsugaya got the wrong message—he probably thought I was enjoying this—because what seemed to be the epilogue of his lecture passed into the part two of his epilogue.

Brace yourself, Hikaru told me. Captain Gramps is just revving his engine.

I failed to contain my laugh.

:: :: ::

Things were awkward between me and Hitsugaya—or frosty if you'd prefer. He was still pissed with me, it was quite obvious I didn't really understood his lecture so I hadn't repented. Rangiku must've done a lot of begging and whining on my behalf to ensure I got off easy. I was Kaito's personal slave for the rest of his recovery.

The arm I broke was in a cast even after Unohana-taicho worked her magic. She shot me a sympathetic look that told me she knew Kaito was only faking the pain to get even with me.

Speaking of Unohana, did I mention how much I admire her? The woman that could match Kenpachi Zaraki in terms of power. When I gazed at her, it was with respect. Complete and utter respect.

It was hard for me obey all of Kaito's command. Firstly, my pride was in the way. Secondly, the language barrier was in the way. I expected it to be a hindrance but no, he expected me to go do what I assumed he wanted me to do and forced me to make repeated trips to get his 'coat'.

That wasn't all.

He'd purposefully tripped his tray of food countless times and had me re-fill. He forbid me from using flash-step because it would only ruffle whatever item I was bringing to him. He also made me wash my hands about a half a dozen times to wash the filth away before touching his stuff.

And now?

He wanted to eat some sort of dish that I've never heard before (and probably non-existent), but he lacked an ingredient and made me traipse to the northern Rukongai where the ingredient (he was holding up a carrot and gesturing to it so I assumed) was located.

I wasn't scared of the dark by any means but my goosebumps were rising.

I grew restless as I went deeper into the forest; strips of moonlight occasionally made its way through the canopy of trees, lighting my path, but I was still disturbed. I was about to give up and run for it (I had a strong sixth sense that rang alarm bells) when I heard a roar in the distance.

Was there a standard reaction to this?

I was the sort to look and assess before deciding what to do. If it seemed dangerous, the screamer was on his or her own. If I could do something, I'd lend a hand.

I flash-stepped forward, starting to feel spiritual pressure warring against one another. I peered over the trunk, hidden nearly completely behind the tree, to see what had happened.

His captain haori made my eyebrows climb to my hairline, especially seeing as he was defeated, coughing blood into his fist. His sword was embedded into the ground, his left hand gripping the hilt weakly.

Ukitake-taicho...?

I swiveled my head to look at his opponent and recoiled. It was a Soul Reaper, yet not. Green-skinned and eyes rimmed orange, like glasses but burned into his skin, he was terrifying. His spiritual pressure was not something to sneeze at.

Right. This was way out of my league.

I better run for help.

"What's this?" hissed a voice. I stiffened, feeling the prickling sensation of being concentrated heavily upon. "Ne, ojou-san, why don't you come out and play? There's... still plenty of room for you in my stomach!"

Cold sweat broke through; I whirled around just in time to see the Hollow Metastacia ripping through the tree I was hiding behind earlier into half.

"O searing light—" The Hollow slammed into, knocking and pinning me to the ground. I flailed. "—burn bright, Hikaru!" The chains around my wrists began to glow; I squeezed my eyes shut as it got too bright.

I heard the Hollows' howl of agony and the weight on my body was twice heavier. I grunted, blinking rapidly to try and clear the spots in my eyes. Shiba Kaien was unconscious on top of me, his skin human tan once more. I was baffled.

"What the—?" Then it clicked. Of course, Hikaru's partly offensive ability was to negate my opponent's special skill. This must also work on Hollows so the Hollow possessing Kaien had been kicked out. I shoved the Shinigami off me, scrambling to my feet. My palms were sweaty and clammy; I needed a weapon, something to cut the Hollow in half.

I gulped, feeling my body moving despite the fear, I burst through the clearing. Ukitake was staggering to his feet, clutching his chest; blood smeared his haori and chin. "Behind you!" he shouted, eyes wide.

I whipped around, heart in throat—

:: :: ::

[A/N]: Did anyone expected Kaien to be saved?

Updated: 3/8/2014

Status: Unbeta'ed

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