A/N: Hello readers! :D Yay, it's an update! Six months of waiting is way shorter a wait than over a year, yeah? So I don't want complaints that I haven't updated in forever. I have a life outside of this site, okay? *flashes montage of struggling to do AP schoolwork, reading manga/books, playing video games, and watching anime*
Readers: … *sweat drop* LOL, what life?
XD Anyway, here's Grimmjow for the disclaimer.
Grimmjow: How many goddamn times does she gotta fuckin' tell ya that she doesn't fuckin' own Bleach?! All ya dumb-shit humans are deaf as hell!
…Well, that wasn't nice…. I hope you enjoy Chapter Six! *shoves soap into Grimmjow's mouth*
Chapter Six:
Untapped Potential
Miyuki trailed after her master silently, her head bowed as she thought to herself.
Grimmjow had invited her to follow him to one of the training rooms so they could start, well, training her to use her powers correctly. After they had left her room, however, he hadn't said a word to her. She had nothing to say to him either, but felt that the silence between them was awkwardly suffocating.
She had spent the past few minutes thinking of something for the two of them to talk about to break through this barrier, but couldn't come up with a topic.
"How much experience do ya have fightin' with a sword?" Grimmjow asked suddenly, making her jolt.
She hesitated for a moment, but mumbled, "None…."
He scoffed but said, "I figured as much. When yer Resurreción took over ya, it just swung the zanpakuto around like it didn't know what the hell it was doin'. Tried stabbing me too."
Miyuki blushed. Just because she'd never really handled a sword before didn't mean that he should go ahead and point that out. As an Arrancar, this fact was humiliating.
He scratched his head and let out an annoyed sigh. "Goddammit, I gotta teach ya fuckin' everythin'?! That's gonna take forever! And ya don't even know how ta handle yer Hollow side! God fuckin' dammit…."
She scowled at this. "There's no need for such foul words. Can't you express your frustration in a more…eloquent way?"
"The fuck is 'eloquent'?" he growled, glancing back at her.
She fought the urge to strangle him. "Eloquence simply means you speak in a clearer manner. For instance, you could add a touch more sophistication to the way you talk." And not curse every other word, you vulgar—
"Bullshit," he stated simply.
Miyuki blinked. "I'm not lying, you know."
"It's not that. Talkin' 'eloquent' when I'm mad? The fuck kinda sense does that make? 'Sides, I don't need 'eloquence'. I don't care about bein' sophisticated or clear."
Obviously, she thought, pursing her lips. "Forget it then," she grumbled, looking away.
He faced forward again. "Yer fuckin' awkward, ya know that?"
She blushed again and wanted to protest that she wasn't, but found her words stuck in her throat. She sighed and coughed a little before she muttered, "I suppose I am. But I don't really know how to talk to others here, least of all you."
"Just fuckin' talk. I don't give a shit what about."
"This is exactly why I have trouble talking to you. You have unbearable mood swings, and you curse so often, it's hard to understand what you're saying. And, because of all that, it makes you intimidating."
He stopped walking, causing her to pause. Miyuki tensed, sensing danger. Had she offended him somehow? She was only stating the truth….
Grimmjow looked back at her and she jumped a little. "Really?" he questioned. His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.
She blinked at this. Her master really had no idea of how unapproachable he was? Hesitantly, she replied, "Y-Yes…."
He frowned, still looking puzzled. Then he shrugged and started walking again. "My Fracciones before didn't have trouble talkin' to me. Maybe 'cause yer a girl, yer sensitive 'n shit," he said, nodding as if this made sense.
The Fracción straightened, a spark of anger igniting her words, "And that's another thing! You're a sexist prick! You have this image of women in your mind that we're all weak and have to have men do nearly everything for us! Well, we women have had to carry you pigs! If it weren't for us, there'd be no you!"
Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "See, this is what I meant by sensitive. Ya insult a girl and they get all upset and talk about how men are sexist. Ain't it sexist callin' all men sexist?"
"No, it's just true," she stated, crossing her arms.
"Tch!" he exclaimed and glared back at her. "Yer 'n uppity little bitch."
She flushed in rage and reached out to punch him. Quick as lightning, her master twisted around, grabbed her hand, and pinned her against the wall. She gasped in surprise and stared up at him, wide-eyed.
"Another reason I think women are so goddamn sensitive: if they can't think of a good comeback, then they just hit the guy." He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Where's your 'reason' now, Miyuki?"
She set her jaw when he pulled back with an infuriatingly irritating grin on his face. So, she did the only thing that she could think of doing. She slammed her head forward against his nose. There was a satisfying, resounding crack and Miyuki smirked.
He staggered back and his hand flew up to his nose. He drew it back a little, only to see a few drops of blood. He stared at it, dumbfounded for a few seconds, before he burst out laughing.
The Fracción's smile dropped. "What? What's so funny?" she wondered, crossing her arms.
He wiped at the trickle of blood trailing down his face with the back of a hand, grinning. "I didn't expect ya ta do that…. Ya got spunk, I'll give ya that. But…." Grimmjow snorted, causing her eye to twitch in disgust. "Ya didn't break my nose. And ya got a lil' bruise formin' there," he pointed out, tapping a finger on the middle of his forehead.
She blinked and put a hand to her head. She grimaced at the tiny wave of pain she got from pressing on this new bruise but soon dismissed it. "It will heal soon enough. As the saying goes, 'No pain, no gain'. And I intend to gain as much skill as I can."
He grinned. "Well, then get ready for a hell of a lotta pain…."
They headed into a dark tunnel carved into the side of a wall. There were no torches hung here for some reason she couldn't fathom, though she could still sense her master walking ahead of her. On either side of her, she felt other presences, some weak, some strong, and some very faint that grew weaker by the second. Miyuki wasn't sure what exactly was happening with her senses, but she knew now that she was attuned to others around her, even if she couldn't see or hear them. It was a little…strange being able to feel others' presences and gauging their power at the same time. She wondered if she could control hers through this training, and intimidate the other Arrancars with this sheer power difference, as Aizen did. Though she knew that rising up to Aizen's level would take much difficult training, and even then, she wasn't sure if she would rise that far.
A tiny light pricked her vision then and she realized that they were coming to the end of the tunnel. She sensed two Arrancars in the room ahead, their presences somewhat similar yet differing in the emotion behind them. One flared with a sort of sadistic glee while the other flickered in submission and allowed itself to weaken. Why the second presence would back down, she had no idea. Giving up wasn't a foreign concept to her, but not fighting back was. How could this Arrancar willingly accept the fact that they were being beaten? One always had to try, even on the brink of death.
Miyuki followed her master through the end of the tunnel and heard a girl laughing loudly and several dull thuds that sounded all too much like someone being beaten. She sidestepped to see if she was correct, only to lay her eyes on a girl with dark hair and pigtails stomping on another girl with messier, blonde hair curled up in a ball on the floor, quivering.
She wondered if she should go and help the poor soul, but soon forgot the idea when Grimmjow yelled, "Oi! Get the hell out!" She supposed he meant this as a sort of greeting. He was much too vulgar to say a simple "Hello" or something nicer.
The dark-haired girl turned her head and glared at him, which was an accomplishment seeing as how she had a Hollow hole where her left eye should be. "Why? We were here first, Grimmjow," she snapped, twisting to fully face him.
"Too bad. Get the fuck out 'fore I kick ya out," he growled.
The dark-haired girl's eye flashed with anger, but she merely smirked. "I heard about your demotion. Does a Privaron Espada really have a right to talk to me like that?" she taunted, flipping her hair back in a way that made her look superior.
"Tch…" he grumbled, his features twisting into a scowl. "Bitch, that don't mean I'm not stronger than ya. I still have as much power as I did when I was 'n Espada. Try gettin' that through yer fuckin' tiny brain."
Her eye twitched at this, and Miyuki feared that she would actually try to fight her master. She sensed that this girl's powers were not even up to par with that of the lowest-numbered Espada; how could she hope to win against the former Sixth?
The girl then flicked her eye to her. Something glimmered within it that Miyuki didn't like. "Oh, I see you brought your bitch with you. What were you planning to do with her here? Fuck her brains out?" she questioned with a disgustingly entertained smile.
Miyuki felt her face heat up immediately. How dare she suggest such an atrocious act! I am not a whore! This…This insolent…! A surge of hate welled up in her chest and she clenched her hands into fists, digging her nails into her palms to stop herself from launching at the other girl.
"Loly…" the girl on the ground coughed in warning.
The pigtailed girl, Loly, whipped her head back and put a hand on her hip. "What? You know how he is! He's only driven by his instincts! An animal like him just wants to kill or fuck something all day long!"
Miyuki had had enough of this vulgar talk. She stepped forward and yelled, "Enough!"
Both Loly and her master turned to look at her. "Oh, the bitch speaks," she stated as she gave her a once-over. "You must think you're so special just because Aizen-sama gave the order for that animal not to harm you at all," she accused as she gestured at Grimmjow. "Tch, just because you have some privileges here doesn't mean anything! You shouldn't even be a Fracción to a demoted Espada! Aizen-sama should've left you to rot in the desert where you belong."
She started strolling over to her, gaining confidence. "Or maybe the reason Aizen-sama made you into an Arrancar in the first place was so you could keep his loose cannon Grimmjow under control. He only sees you as the slut you are—"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" her master roared, cutting her off. Fortunately, this startled her into silence. "God, I've had enough of listening to yer nasty crap! Fuck this, and fuck that; it just sounds like you wanna fuck something, ya horny slut!"
Miyuki wanted to laugh, though she knew how inappropriate it would be. Still, it was hard to hold in her giggles, so she bit her lip.
Loly blinked several times, her eye very wide in shock. Then, she scowled and shouted, "Grimmjow, you—"
The Fracción stepped forward and slapped her with as much force as she could muster. "Silence," she commanded calmly, glaring down at Loly's fallen form. The girl brought a hand up to her cheek and stared ahead, dazed.
"H-Hey! Loly, are you okay?" the other girl Arrancar wondered. She was now standing, but didn't dare move forward to her friend.
For some reason, Loly glanced back at her with dread. She whispered, somewhat panicked, "Menoly…." She then glowered up at Miyuki, though it was more fearfully confused than furious. "You…You…! How dare you! How dare you have the nerve to slap me! Aizen-sama will punish you severely for this!" she yelled in panic.
Miyuki crouched down. "No, how dare you. How does someone like you have the gall to talk to us like that? A subordinate needs to show more respect to the ones who hold more power."
"S…Subordinate?!" Loly shrieked in outrage. "I'm of higher rank than you or Grimmjow! A Privaron and his Fracción have no—"
She was cut off when the Fracción grabbed one of her pigtails and hefted her up so she was at eye level with her. "You still insist on speaking to us that way? Just how stupid are you?" she asked coolly. Miyuki focused on her power over ice, resisting the urge to smile when she felt it rise within her. The dark-haired girl began to tremble
"C-Cold…. It h-hurts…" she squeaked as ice slithered down her hair to lightly pierce her scalp. She stared up in horror when she noticed Miyuki's eyes were an icy blue and her hands glowed with an intense, eerie light.
Miyuki growled, "Leave now before we decide to kill you." She tossed the girl down and the ice shattered as her head roughly hit the floor. She then stood up and dusted off her hands.
Loly scrambled backwards, ignoring the thin stream of blood trickling down her face. "You…You…" she sputtered but was too furious and afraid to form any other words. Trembling, she carefully stood up. Her friend rushed over to her but made no move to help. Rather, she stared at her nervously, as if waiting for permission.
The pigtailed Arrancar scowled and yelled, "Menoly!" The other girl flinched at being called. It was silent for a moment before she announced, "We're going. We'll leave these freaks to do whatever the hell they want."
"Che…" Grimmjow grumbled with irritation.
Loly sniffed and strutted past them, not giving anybody a second glance. Menoly simply kept her head down as she shuffled behind her.
As soon as she hardly felt their presences, Miyuki dropped her superior act and fell forward. Wielding her ice powers took a lot out of her, even if she only used them for a short while.
She felt an arm wrap around her waist before she could hit the floor. "Tch, how the hell am I supposed ta train ya now if yer already tired? Dumbass…" her master scolded, though she could tell it was half-hearted. She smirked.
He hefted her up and brought her over to a wall, sitting her not too gently against it. She grunted when her head smacked against the stone and brought up a shaky hand to cover the injury.
Grimmjow plopped himself next to her with a sigh. It remained silent for a few moments, which made her feel a little awkward. She wasn't sure if she should say something to break the silence, but fortunately, she didn't have to.
"Back there…that was kinda impressive…" he blurted out and scratched the back of his head.
She blinked in surprise and stared at him. He had…complimented her? Her face flushed a light pink as she stuttered, "Th-Thank you."
It was quiet for another moment before he asked, looking somewhat uncomfortable, "So, why'd ya do that? I mean, I coulda handled those bitches easy."
"By what? Beating them into oblivion? Why exert all your energy on such fools?"
"Well, why did you? Ya used up all yer energy, and that was just one of 'em."
Miyuki sighed and let a small smile play on her lips. "Because…my instincts told me to…."
His cerulean eyes widened. Suddenly, he burst out laughing, making her jump. "Yer…Yer instincts, huh?" he wondered between laughs. "What happened ta…ta usin' reason?" He guffawed some more and she pursed her lips.
"In this particular situation, I couldn't. That…girl wouldn't respond well to reason, no matter how hard I tried, I knew, so…I resorted to following what my instincts wanted, which was to frighten her into leaving us alone," she explained, resisting the urge to smack him every time he let out a snicker.
Her master smirked and taunted, "See? What'd I tell ya? Reason ain't gonna do shit here. Thinkin' it is is a naïve wish. Or denial of yer instincts. Honestly, at this point, I really think yer startin' ta lose 'em…."
"I assure you, they are still intact."
He raised an eyebrow. "Hmph, if ya wanna believe that, go ahead. Ya can't change my opinion though. Yer instincts woulda warned ya away from some of the battles ya almost got into. Ironic that yer so-called 'reason' made ya completely stupid."
She glared heatedly at him. "…If I had the energy right now, I'd freeze you."
Grimmjow did not look the least bit threatened. "Yeah right. Ya can't even control yer Hollow side properly. That's why yer so drained right now; ya drew on its powers without beatin' it inta submission first, so it's fightin' against ya."
It was silent for a moment before the Fracción muttered, "I have no idea what you just said…."
"Pfft…ya don't know shit, do ya?" he grumbled, scowling a little.
Miyuki was too tired to argue. "Not a whole lot, no…" was her weary reply.
He heaved his shoulders in a dramatic sigh and set his jaw. "Ya know…I don't think I have the patience ta train a dumbass." Before she could start yelling at him, he added, "So ask me questions now 'fore we start. I don't wanna have to explain this stuff in the middle of training. That'd be fuckin' annoying."
She frowned at this unexpected show of decency. She really should stop being surprised when he acted nice, as it might piss him off, but she couldn't help it. Though she only knew him a very short time, she suspected that he was the type to not show his good side too often. It was better to take advantage of this while it was offered.
"Um…please start with…the basics. As you said, I do not know…anything about being an Arrancar," she began politely.
"Che…how the hell did ya manage to survive in Hueco Mundo this long not knowin' this shit?" he wondered aloud and shifted in his seat.
"I just…did," Miyuki replied vaguely.
Something about her answer sparked a memory within him. Her words weren't really anything special, just a snarky response, but the way she said them….
His eyes widened, recalling exactly when he had heard her say that before. A memory flickered in the back of his mind and he shut his eyes tightly, putting a hand to his head as he tried to visualize it.
They sat in the stolen Lamborghini without a word. He took in that new car smell, reveled it. If he got caught by the police, at least he got to drive this awesome car, something he'd never be able to do if he continued pretending to be complacent in his old life.
Uncomfortable with the silence, he decided to speak. "Why'd ya stay there for so long?"
She flinched, pulling at the hem of her dress nervously. "Because…it was home…."
He sighed in disgust. "Bullshit….
She merely smiled. "Yes, I suppose it is…."
"Ya coulda ran away."
"But where would I run to? I don't have the money to stay anywhere for a long period of time…."
It was silent again as he continued driving. He figured that either her relatives would return her to her abusive father if she went to them or they were nonexistent. Geez, what a lousy family….
"How'd ya manage to live there all that time?" he blurted out. He almost wanted to take it back when he saw a flash of despair cross her face before it settled back into an emotionless mask.
"I just…did…." She looked out of the window, indicting she would say no more about it. At least for now.
He felt a little disoriented when he opened his eyes again. "…immjow?" Miyuki called and he glanced over at her.
"What?" His voice sounded slurred, so he cleared his throat and tried again, "What?"
She frowned. "I called your name many times, yet you didn't respond. What happened? Are you tired?"
He snickered at this. "Che…no. I just remembered something…." Grimmjow scratched the back of his head, thinking back. Was that really Miyuki or did he just want whoever was in that memory to be her? Just because she happened to say those exact words didn't mean too much if that memory turned out to be some weird fantasy his brain came up with. Better find out….
"Do ya remember…everything 'bout bein' human?" he wondered aloud, glancing over at her.
As expected, she looked astonished. "Wh-Why do you want to know?"
The former Espada scowled. "Tch, figured you'd answer my question with a question…."
She furrowed her eyebrows. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Just answer the damn question."
Why is he being so persistent about this all of a sudden? she wondered to herself. She held back the urge to sigh and focused her attention on a point across the room. He continued to stare at her, and she could almost feel his gaze burning holes into her skin.
"Not…everything…" she replied with a small frown. "I remember…my mother…and…my stepfather. I hated him. He didn't care about my mother, or me. He didn't even cry at her funeral, and he didn't bother faking it either. He was a disgusting drunk and he…hit me…." Miyuki found that some of her energy had returned, so she stood up.
"I don't want to talk about him anymore. Let's just start training…." She clenched her hands into tight fists. Just talking about her stepfather made a bubbling rage swell within her. She needed to distract herself, to pretend that those memories burned deep into her had never happened.
He got up from his spot with a resigned grunt. "Anything…else?" he asked, cursing himself when he sounded too hopeful. Why did he care so much?
The Fracción's gaze fell, fixated on the individual particles of sand on the ground. "…No, nothing else. After my mother's death, my memories become blurred…."
His scowl grew deeper. "Tch…."
She looked back at him, her eyebrows raised. "Why are you so upset? My memories are of no concern to you…." As she said that, however, she realized how foolish it sounded. Obviously, they were; he wouldn't be asking about them otherwise.
"Grimmjow, do you…have memories of me?" she asked, turning around with wide eyes.
He walked past her without answering. His head was bowed as if he didn't want to look at her. He paused in the middle of the room then looked up at the ceiling.
She ventured a step forward. "Grimmjow—"
"…No. Shut up and get out yer zanpakuto," he growled, kicking up a small cloud of dust around his feet in frustration.
She frowned and wondered if her master was lying or not. But then if he had…why? And why had he suddenly asked her something so personal? He couldn't possibly care for her that much, if at all.
With a sigh, she unsheathed her sword. It rang in her hands, as if calling for battle. Grimmjow turned around, expressionless, then raised an eyebrow at her.
"Is yer left hand over yer right hand on the hilt?" he wondered aloud.
She blinked at the random question but nodded. "Yes…. Why, is that important?"
He wrinkled his nose. "Uh…yeah. Yer holdin' yer zanpakuto wrong. Switch yer hands and yer good."
Miyuki did as she was told. "Is this to help me have a better grip on the hilt?" she asked and tilted the sword around experimentally to get a feel for it.
He scratched the back of his head, looking bored out of his mind. "I guess it does, but it's more ta help ya have more precision when ya cut somethin'." He stuffed his hand in his pocket with a yawn. "Now…show me how ya block 'n attack, if ya even know how…."
The Fracción scowled at his attitude. He was the one who suggested training, so he had no right to be so irritated about how she learned. "I do! Watch!" she protested as she began moving her right hand to the back of her blade.
"Wrong," he blurted out and she flinched to a halt. "Never use yer dominant hand to block the attack, otherwise yer counterattack's gonna suck."
Her expression soured further as she proceeded to do it correctly. "Is this to your liking, master?" she spat out angrily.
He frowned. "What're ya so upset about? I'm teachin' ya how to fight and yer makin' mad faces at me."
"I'm making these faces because you're criticizing me! You're treating me like an idiot!" Miyuki shouted, lowering her sword.
Grimmjow scoffed. "That's 'cause ya are one. You don't know shit about usin' a sword, so don't backtalk to the guy tryin' ta teach ya. In fact, ya should feel honored 'm even wastin' my time doin' this for ya."
"You're not even an Espada anymore! So why should I honored?" the Fracción inquired nastily.
She knew she hit a nerve with that one, and it almost made her laugh when his eyes widened in shock. He scowled then, narrowing his eyes at her. "Say that again, bitch," he challenged, stepping towards her.
Miyuki knew she shouldn't, that she should swallow her pride and humbly apologize, but she couldn't help but repeat slowly, "You. Are. Not. An Espada. Anymore."
Her master suddenly disappeared from in front of her. She found she couldn't even sense his presence, unlike before. She blinked and scanned the area around her, wondering where he went.
Just then, she felt a calloused hand wrap around her neck, dragging her backwards at such an alarming speed that her katana flew out of her hands. She shut her eyes tightly and just had enough time to think, I'm going to hit the wall!
A deafening boom sounded behind her and she let out a strangled gasp when she felt herself come to a halt. The hand around her throat twitched then slid back, like it was satisfied it had done its job. Except….
She felt no pain. No shattered ribs, no broken neck, no spilt blood. Only…cold. Had she died on impact? Wait, she was already dead, so…had she dissolved into tiny spirit particles? No, that couldn't be; she maintained consciousness without effort. So she must be….
Miyuki dared crack open an eye. She felt relieved to see her master standing before her, even if he was the one to cause her such distress in the first place with his violent tendencies. She blinked then, realizing that he was staring at her, startled.
"Wh…What?" she wondered.
Rather than answering aloud, he pointed behind her. She raised an eyebrow and hesitantly looked turned her head. Her eyes widened and she sucked in a stunned breath.
A giant ice claw towered over her, its talons curled in closely around her as if protecting her. But if that was the case then…why did it look like it meant to harm her? It looked as if it had wanted to overcome her, and would only be too happy to do so if that meant ensnaring her enemy as well.
Was this what power could do to someone who had no idea how to control it?
She whipped her head back to him, still taken aback. Her mouth worked, but no coherent sentences poured forth.
Grimmjow blinked then made a face. "What? Say what yer gonna say; don't just stare at me openin' and closin' yer mouth like a dyin' fish."
This nonchalant comment was enough to break her out of her stupor. She frowned, but, rather than snap back at him, questioned, "Why didn't you kill me? You—"
"'Cause 'm not stupid. I know I can only go so far with ya without Aizen orderin' me ta get beat too. 'Sides, yer reactions 'r always funny…" he cut in with a mocking grin.
Miyuki set her jaw, but, before she could yell at him, he continued, "Also, ya should be thankin' me right now. I figured out a shortcut for ya ta tap inta yer reiatsu a little bit."
"Reiatsu?" she repeated, immediately feeling stupid when his smile dissolved back into his usual scowl.
"Yer…spiritual powers, I guess. It's like the place within ya where ya draw yer powers from. Ya can sense other people's reiatsu if ya open yer Pesquisa. That makes us different from Shinigami 'cause they do it naturally all the time. We gotta put in a conscious effort to do that," he explained and brought his arm across his chest. He glanced down in surprise when it slipped down a little, then deadpanned when he remembered he only had one arm. Dammit, and he was so used to crossing his arms too….
She furrowed her eyebrows at his words. "Does that apply to all Arrancars?"
"As far as I know, yeah. It's kinda a downgrade from when we were Hollows 'cause we could do that when we were Hollows too. Sense reiatsu without tryin' too hard, I mean. But now…." He shrugged. "I dunno why it got reduced to this stupid Pesquisa thing."
"Could an Arrancar still…sense reiatsu without activating their Pesquisa, though?" she persisted.
He raised an eyebrow. "Not…usually…. When we become Arrancars, we want more strength, so we willin'ly give up our regenerative powers and that ability to sense reiatsu whenever. Then, there're those few like ya, who keep those useless powers and actually give up the chance to get more strength."
He shook his head. "It's a really stupid choice. Most Hollows, even if they become Gillians or even Adjuchas, aren't that powerful to begin with."
"But what if an Arrancar like me could train enough to acquire the strength they would have otherwise obtained if they chose the latter option?" she wondered, stepping towards him almost desperately. She needed to know if the power she had right now was all she would ever possess. If not, then she—
Suddenly, a talon crashed to the floor in front of her. If she had moved just a step closer, it would have skewered her. Her eyes widened and she whipped her head back. The claw she had made was beginning to crumble. Flecks of ice chipped off and landed on her face. The biting frost felt like it pierced her right to her very bones.
She caught her alarmed reflection in the ice just before it shifted, rumbling deeply above her. Her pupils dilated and she sensed it would collapse on her at any moment.
A strange yet familiar sensation welled up inside her, one that felt…freezing…and…powerful. She realized that this was the power she felt when her inner Hollow nearly took her over after her master insulted her strength. She focused on it, willing it to do as she commanded, not her Hollow.
Miyuki wanted to remove herself away from the ice claw and ordered this power within her to do so, thinking of that "Sonído" technique Grimmjow had explained to her a few days ago. She believed that she could now perform it, or attempt to, at least.
However, she had no clear destination in mind when she felt her power move her away from crumbling ice, so she ended up rushing forward until she hurtled straight into her master.
He grunted as he skidded back a little from her momentum. He gripped her right shoulder and the warmth exuding from that single touch was enough to startle her into a stop. Her power dissipated and she realized just how close to her master she had ended up. Her face was practically burrowed into his chest and she could feel his chin scrape the top of her head as he glanced down at her in surprise.
Her face flushed red as she dared look up at him, only to meet his blazing cerulean eyes staring in confusion at her. Her breath caught in her throat and she was about to apologize when the ice behind her thundered down to the ground, cutting her off. She blinked and took a step back to look at what happened.
"Yer eyes…" she caught him mutter and she whipped her head back to him.
"What?"
He narrowed his eyes as if he was making sure of something. "When ya use yer powers, yer eyes change color. Like, they turn white 'r somethin'. I dunno." He shrugged. "Anyway, ya kept interruptin' me with yer dumb questions earlier, so I didn't get ta tell ya how to work yer powers the way ya want 'em to."
Miyuki straightened and stared up at him eagerly. "Yes, how?" she asked and clasped her hands together excitedly.
He snorted at this but replied, "Yer emotions…. I noticed ya get stronger if ya feel mad or scared or whatever. They're probably not as good as they should be, but, for now, ya gotta feel somethin' pretty damn strong to control yer powers. First, though, ya gotta focus on swordfightin' techniques and gettin' that fuckin' Hollow ta willin'ly lend its powers ta ya. I have no fuckin' idea how long yer gonna take with this shit, so don't ask me 'bout that."
She frowned, trying to digest that information. It sounded simple enough, but…it's not as if she could feel something just like that. She couldn't command herself to feel a certain way in order to activate her powers…. The Fracción sighed in frustration. Would she really have to have Grimmjow insult her or some other activity of the like just so she could use her powers? That was too much of a hassle, not to mention an irritating experience for the both of them.
"I know, it's not the best way ta use yer powers, but that's all I got right now," he said, as if he had read her mind. She raised an eyebrow yet didn't question how he knew what she was thiking. It was probably written all over her face.
"Thank you very much, Grimmjow. This is a huge step forward for me," she responded with a polite bow.
He scoffed but wondered, "Didn't ya have a question 'fore ya tried usin' Sonído earlier?"
Her eyes widened. She hadn't really expected him to remember, even if it was hardly a minute ago. It wasn't that she thought he was stupid or forgetful; it was just that recalling such a thing after the distractions that occurred implied he cared, and she knew for a fact that Grimmjow Jeagerjaques did not care for anyone.
When she didn't speak, his habitual scowl returned to twist his features once again. She flinched, cursing herself for hesitating, and asked, "Ah, yes…. Um, I mean, would an Arrancar like me have the potential to grow stronger than we are now, perhaps even to the rank of Espada, and still retain our regenerative powers?"
At this abrupt question, her master's scowl was replaced by a mildly stunned expression. He frowned in thought as he scratched the back of his head. It remained silent for quite some time before he grimaced and answered, "…Yeah. The only reason I know that is 'cause of that bastard Ulquiorra." His eye twitched at the mere mention of his name.
She blinked bewilderedly. "Ulquiorra?" she repeated, dumbfounded.
Grimmjow wrinkled his nose. "Yeah…. The fucker's the Quarto Espada…and he's not even that strong! Aizen's whole damn system is fucked up," he commented, so blatantly she nearly winced.
What if someone had overheard them? It seemed like anyone in Las Noches would be more than happy to report Grimmjow's badmouthing to Aizen-sama. It was a win-win situation really. They would get on Aizen's good side while having a sadistic powerhouse taken care of without them doing a thing. Sure, it was the coward's way of dealing with enemies, but one could not deny the plan's effectiveness.
Instead of scolding him, (she was wary of his bad mood escalating any further) she commented, "So…an Arrancar like me can rise that far up the ranks…. Who knew the so-called 'weak' Arrancars held so much untapped potential?"
He glared at her, something she didn't expect. "I don't think ya can…" he grumbled and stuffed a hand in his pocket.
She furrowed her eyebrows, taken aback. "What? But you said—"
"I don't think Ulquiorra's like ya, or any of the other Arrancars either…. He's fuckin' weird…. Nobody's seen his Resurrección, other than Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tosen, 'n he's always callin' other people 'trash' or some shit like that like he's better than everyone else, even though he's only the fuckin' Quarto. And the thing is…I don't think it's his arrogance talkin'. Nah, that guy's emo as hell, so he ain't the type to brag 'bout that type of shit. He hardly talks period." He bowed his head and his eyes seemed to disappear in shadow.
"I think…he's tryin' ta hide the fact that he's a Vasto Lordes, the strongest Hollow evolution in Hueco Mundo…. I don't know why he wants to hide it. If he is one, he'll be even more irritatin' than he already is, the bastard. He should show his full strength so I can prove ta 'm how puny his previous status really was…" he growled, clenching his hands into tight fists. She was close enough to him to see the whites of his knuckles through his skin.
"So, in terms of Hollow evolution…what were you?" Miyuki wondered. She had very little grasp on how this "evolution" system worked, but to her master, it seemed like a very big deal. She wanted to understand it, understand why it was so important to him and Arrancars in general.
He took a deep breath and lifted his head to look at her. "I tried becomin' a Vasto Lordes, but Aizen fuckin' took me in when I was still a goddamn Adjuchas. He offered me what I wanted at the time: more power. I should've skipped out on that fuckin' faulty bait. Sure, I got stronger, but it wasn't by much. And I still had to train and shit to get the hang of bein' an Arrancar. It was annoyin' as hell."
The Privaron shook his head. "Sometimes, when I see his smug, little grin, I regret I ever made this damn decision. When I saw him in the desert, I should've tried mauling his fuckin' face off. I probably woulda died, but I woulda died fightin', dammit. Now, even if I do try, some of the dumb-shit Arrancars are gonna get in my way 'cause they actually believe in that damn Shinigami's promise to take them to the top with him." He ran his hand through his hair and exhaled loudly. "And I don't wanna have to deal with their shit when I'm tryin' ta die fightin', ya know? Kills the mood…."
Miyuki hugged her elbows, unsure of how to take information that seemed too…private. Why did he feel the need to rant to her? It was strange. It was as if he saw them as…friends or something of the like. That couldn't be…could it?
He continued staring at her, waiting for a response. Well, what did he want her to do, comfort him? If she did, he'd probably get mad at her for treating him as if he were weak. She did not want to piss him off another time.
She took a cautious step towards him and, when he didn't say anything against that, took another step forward. "You…want to die, Grimmjow?" she wondered, unsure whether the expression on her face right now portrayed confusion or concern.
He rolled his eyes. "Hell no. The only people who wanna die are weaklings who don't know how to face their problems. 'm just sayin', that's how I wanna die, if I had a choice in the matter."
She frowned at this. "So…you fight…to die?" Why was she so troubled by this? If she were honest with herself, she didn't care a whole lot about what happened to him. If his death happened in front of her, yes, she would be horrified. But it wouldn't take that long for her to move on after the fact either.
He made a face as he glanced down at her again. "Ya know, for a chick that asks a hell of a lotta questions, ya don't seem to listen to the answers…" he muttered, smirking when he caught her scowl.
Grimmjow sighed then turned around, walking slowly to the other side of the room. "Let's get back to trainin' now, yeah? I don't wanna have to be doin' this for too long…." He then twisted on his heel to face her.
Miyuki looked around and spotted her zanpakuto not too far away from where she stood. She went over to pick it up and noticed that the ice claw, or rather, the pile of ice, was gone. She raised an eyebrow and briefly wondered how so much ice could melt so fast before turning around again.
"So…what are we going to work on now?" she wondered, gripping her sword tightly in anticipation.
He grinned, as if he expected her to ask that. He pointed at himself and simply said, "Attack."
A/N: …There was a lot more dialogue in this chapter than I planned initially…. Really, when I was typing this, it sort of just…happened…. I apologize if this chapter got too long for you. *sweat drop*
So how'd you readers enjoy the tiny bits of fluff (as subtle as I could manage 'cause it's freaking Grimmjow; there's no subtle about him)? :D Hey, as an author (and fan of Bleach), I need my share of fluff every now and then, okay? As long as it isn't cheesy as hell.
…I didn't really like how this chapter turned out to be honest…. I don't know why, but it felt…off to me. *shrugs*
P.S. About the comment Grimmjow made about suicidal people, I apologize. I did not write that with the intention of making fun of suicidal people or those who have been suicidal in the past. I do not believe that statement; I only wrote that to fit with Grimmjow's character. I understand that when people are suicidal, they are at a truly low point in their lives, and it is not to be joked around about. If I have offended anyone in any way with this, I am truly sorry.