Sup, my homies? I apologize for my inconsistent existence… For those who don't know, and those that care to, I have school. And I have work. And then there's homework. Then there's sleep with what leftover time I can scrape together. I am literally out of my house for about 13 hours a day with work and school.
I try to write when I can but… my time is short and it is tight. Please accept my sincerest apologies.
Forgiveness is nice too. Hands and knees and everything. Tears, sobbing mess, the works.
WARNINGS! Language, brief violence THE HORRID MISTAKE IS NOW FIXED... SOME HOW MY COMPUTER EFFED UP BIG TIME
.:.~O3O~.:.
~.:. Chapter Six: The Familiarity of the Forbidden.:.~
Ichigo
Step by step we pressed further into the forest, and I was desperately caught in awe. My heart was racing in my chest, mouth agape, sight never lingering on one spot for long. I had to see everything and anything at once. I kept spinning on my heels to look deeper into the giant canopies. The air was soothing to my aching heart, a nameless void; an unknown festering wound was healing. My chest didn't feel constricted with hate and loathing and my shoulders didn't slouch with the weight of no acceptance.
I just knew, somehow or someway… I belonged here.
Kenpachi glared over at me and sneered, "Kurosaki." My attention snapped to him, my hand slowly lowering from the grip it held on my mother's chain, when it had gotten there gods only knew. His singular eye narrowed. "Quit fuckin' around. We got a job ta do. Pay attention. I'm not gonna be screwed over just because you were goosin' butterflies."
The gigantic man stomped forwards and I glared at his back. Annoying prick. Not that I'd ever say that to his face… I'd rather live to see another day than have my face torn off by a 250 pound ape. Snorting at my own humor, I followed after him. Albeit, rather reluctantly.
Gods know how long we even travelled for on the dirt path, the trees becoming thicker, more old and gnarled. The light in the sky was dimming, not just because of night fall approaching but the towering plants with the impenetrable fans of leaves adorning their crowns. I couldn't help but stare in shock, trees so big I couldn't have imagined their greatness. I could hear the wind whistling through the branches, a merry tune buzzing through the air, tingling my skin with goose bumps.
There was something so… magical about this place. Something so… ether real. I had to fight the urge to run wildly, throw my boots off and roll in the tall grasses. My eyes burned with hot tears. Where was this contentment coming from? Where had it been all these dreadful years? IF I weren't so relieved by it I would most definitely be resentful.
The cool breeze filled my lungs as I breathed as deeply as I could. There was something happening here that made me calm, almost familiar. My eyes alighted upon an abnormality that had danced in my peripheral, catching my fancy. Moving from the old path, I cautiously approached it, listening to Kenpachihuff as he followed angrily. Frowning with thought, I ran my fingertips along it.
Many of the trees had thin, line-like gouges scoured into them criss crossing and in random. Branches, long since dead swinging broken and barely clinging in the pleasant gusts.
"Hm." I jumped in fright, twisting to face the sound, having forgotten Kenpachi was there… and so terrifyingly close. When did he get so close?! I flinched and leaned away. His focus was the tree though, intense and harsh. Was he trying to intimidate the plant? He rean his huge hand down the slices.
"… These cuts are old. Maybe even over a decade in age." He scrubbed at the chipped bark, trying to see the cuts better, glare deepening. "These aren't just scratched. These were done by swords. A long time ago, from what I can tell, there was fight here or something along those lines. Whoever was getting chopped at was losing, judging from the way the gashes become less populated further in the forest." He nodded at the trees further down, less and less battle marks pocked on their surface. "They must have been fleeing that way, trying to escape that way." His finger followed the line of marked trees.
My breath hitched, my heart galloping away from me. I couldn't fight the urge this time, my mind screaming at me to run.
Run. Run.
Why was I panicking? Why was I so scared of what I would see past the trunks, pushing towards the more marked tress. I knew something bad happened here and I need to know if… something was still there. Was okay. Vaguely, I could hear Kenpachi cursing and stamping after me.
As the moonlight spilled into the clearing I burst into, chest heaving and eyes flying wildly about… My breath quickly left me.
Trees blurred past, cloak whipping in the wind, faces popping up from the ground, a smile on my face.
I violently shook my head as I stared at the open circle of half dead trees, many hacked to bits and left to rot. And many were, over the years. Choked up, my breath rushed in and out, my eyes once again burning with sorrowful tears.
Kenpachi glared around at the clearing, his arms crossing and turning to me. "Is there a reason as to why you took off running here? 'Cuz if so, I really wanna hear it."
Heartbroken. I was heartbroken and I couldn't even tell why. All I knew was that this place was dear to me. But how? I'd never been here before, never been in the forest before. What as I forgetting?
"HEY!"
I jumped and stared wild eyed, having forgotten about Kenpachi again. He was stalking closer to me menacingly. "I hate being ignored. If this place makes you so distracted, why did you even volunteer? So far, all I've seen you be is a liability."
MY breath was still wheezing s he ranted and raved, calling me a disgrace and unworthy of manhood when a glimmer in the dark caught my attention. What… What was that? Kenpachi continued complaining as I stared in confusion at the spot. What could it-
It pulled back and I heard the telltale sound of creaking wood and strtched twine. I knocked the massive man aside just as the shine shot towards us, whizzing past my ear, a slight sting pulling across the according cheek. Kenpachi struggled to his feet, face red with anger. "What the hell are you do-!"
Screams leapt from the foliage lining and with it came terror in forms of shadowed figures wielding spears and bows, faces hidden behind giant masks. Kenpachi and I gasped, slammed back to back, our own weapons drawn. At least 30 of the figures danced about us, calling and shouting in a language I couldn't understand.
Well fuck… Were we dead already?
.:. .:.
Masked Leader
That stench, by the gods did I know it well. I memorized it, obsessed over it, engrained it into my memory. There was no mistaking.
Human.
The pungent smell was all over them. It was disgusting and putrid and vile.
Hatred that often left me breathless and blinded filled me. My comrade standing beside me spit at their feet.
"Humans? I haven't seen any in quite some time. They must be stupid to think we'd allow them here, especially on sacred ground."
He chuckled darkly Sparing him a glance, my attention and ire turned tenfold to the bigger of the two as he threateningly shifted forwards.
"C'mon then! I haven't got all day! I've got things ta do and you're all holding me up!"
Revulsion near felled me, my nose curling in disgust. Even their language was atrocious. But no matter, they'd be mere history shortly. Readying my staff, vision quickly being swallowed by red, I turned to face them head on. As a dark chuckle escaped me, the shorter one shifted to the side to stare terrified at my own person. Orange locks caught in moon rays and brown tired eyes niggled at something behind the crimson haze but I would not be swayed.
From across the clearing, I saw one of my men flinch and stagger back. Glaring –I would speak to her later –we struck.
The monster of a man slammed and hacked and was brutal, trying to cleave flesh from bone as a manic grin split his face. Laughter poured from his lips as he knocked brother after brother, sister after sister aside. A kindred spirit? Well, I'd only be so happy as to oblige. I leapt at him, cruel laughter spilling from my own lips, we began our wicked dance.
With each lunge and charge he instituted, I parried and blocked and evaded, nicking skin in bits and small slices. Those small injuries were nothing at first, but the fatigue and progression would make them shortly unbearable. I struck for important areas, the bend in the elbows, the fingers, the shoulder. Anything that would render his sword arm useless.
Getting in close, I brought my blade up, hoping to hack straight through the main vein when his bloodied elbow came crashing down on my crown, his giant boot kicking me away. As the world spun about me, air knocked from my lungs, my vision cleared enough to focus on the smaller of the two. He deflecting and dodging arrow after arrow, ducking and spinning out of imminent danger but not attacking.
Such compassion, too sweet. How sad that the sentiments were not mutual. Snagging my weapon –as the behemoth was distracted by my archers –I staggered to the young man. His brown eyes, so full of horror spun to me, face nicked red and fingers bloody.
I laughed as I leapt through the air, blade poised to kill.
"NO!"
And I was slammed into sideways midair. We both fell to the ground. As I shoved her off, a snarl on my tongue, standing to finish the young man, she tackled again.
"No, stop it! Cease fighting! Cease fighting!"
My men confusedly stopped and turned to stare at her, her arms waving hysterically. The two humans stood, panting but watching and weary for the next attack. She staggered towards the younger human, spear all but forgotten on the ground. Her arms lifted and removed her mask, it too falling from numb fingers.
Her face was scrunched in suspicious confusion, her eyes alight with tears and… hope?
As she neared, the young man jerked upright, eyes wide with fright. He glanced left and right then back to her, his scowl lifting slightly in shock.
She turned her head with his and moved to stay in his line of sight, studying his face ardently.
Taking what must have been a leap of faith, her lips quirked in a happily surprised grin, eyes wide with unbelieving shock. "I…Itsugo?"
I jerked forwards in shock myself to stare at the young man in horror.
No… It couldn't be…
.:. .:.
Ichigo
As the woman approached, I feared she was going to finish the job that the more masculine man had started. As her mask dropped, I couldn't help but stare a bit. For one, she was inhumanly gorgeous. Long wavy green locks flared in the wind, a chest far too big and curves that would make any man swoon. Honestly, I tried to kep my eyes anywhere but on her, though it was for naught as she simply kept stepping back into my sight.
That's when I saw the long scar running down the middle of her forehead. In the midst of all this beauty, that mark seemed like such an insult. A smile slowly grew hesitantly on her face, standing a mere foot away.
"I… Itsugo?"
Shock made me throw my head back. Was that… Was that a butchered rendition of my name? My scowl deepened as her eyes took more of me in, smile growing. With more certainty she spoke again. "Itsugo."
She stepped forwards, other masked attackers ripping their masks off and staring in wide eyed horror. I looked back to her as her fingers rested upon my mother's chain. I slapped away her hand angrily and turned so she could not touch it again. After her shock wore off, she began giggling hysterically.
"Itsugo! You're definitely Itsugo! You wouldn't let me touch that, even back then." She skipped to stand in front of me, leaning down to stare up into my eyes. Laughter made her eyes glitter, "And even if your protective possessiveness and orange hair didn't give it away… Your continued silence sure did."
My confusion –I'm quite sure –was palpable. Who was she to claim such things? Pointed ears poked out from her waves, she certainly wasn't human. Despair was heady as I stared into her mischievous eyes. What all had I possibly forgotten?
"Kurosaki." All heads snapped to stare at Kenpachi, panting and leaning his bloodied arms against his sword stabbed deep within the ground. His eyes was narrowed in suspicion. He nodded to the woman. "You know her?" His voice was laced with promised harm. Frantically, I shook my head in the negative, confusion growing.
"Itsugo!" Her hand landed on my shoulder and I jumped away as if burned. We stared at each other, my breath gasping. Her hand slowly lowered to her side as water filled her eyes. "Do you not know who I am? Can you not recognize me?"
Once again, I was denying accusations that were false in my mind. She hugged herself tightly, bravado slipping through the cracks of her sorrow. "Neliel? Your friend, Nel? Ya know, the little sprite you used to play tricks and games with when you were young?" And again, my answer was the same, albeit more slowly.
Could I have done such a thing? What have I forgotten? A melancholy sigh passed her lips and she stared at the ground. "Do you remember nothing..?" She whispered to no one in general. It bothered me to see her so upset, though as to why, I had no idea.
But then again, considering what she said as true… Perhaps I had the tiniest inkling.
"Nel." A male voice called out from the short distance. The man that had last attacked me was moving closer, I readied myself with a racing heart. As he pulled the mask from his face, pink hair spilling to his shoulders, he barely spared me a glance. He looked back to his Nel.
He sighed and spoke in a language I did not know to her, her eyes lifting tearfully to stare into his. Sudden determination lifted her features and a grin that I was suddenly nervous about split her face. She responded in kind with some sort of decree.
And then those mischievous eyes slithered to me; I couldn't help but swallow. She stood staring, contemplating and then laughed loudly. "Szayel here, brother dearest that he is… Says that a curse was cast upon your village. Everyone's past obliterated." She eyed me up and down. "Now that I pay attention, I can still smell the old residue of it." Nel stepped forwards, her head shaking and her nose curled in disgust. "It's vile smelling; dark and insidious." Cocking her head for a different angle, "Only way I know how to break a curse dealing with memory is to immerse the victim with familiar objects and actions sooooo…"
She suddenly squealed and threw her arms wide open as she leapt at me, the blood running from my face in absolute terror. "ITSUGOOOOOOOO!" And as we smacked into the ground, my face was smothered in her chest, arms locked tight around my waist. Surrounded by all that was her, the scent of her skin and petal dress enveloped my senses as I flailed for desperate breath. It reminded me of… home.
Which couldn't make sense seeing as how the village smelled nothing of floweres but of fresh cut cedar and pine. She lifted her head and pulled back just enough to uncover my face. Greedily, I sucked air into my lungs, face burning red with embarrassment, I pushed valiantly at her shoulders to no avail.
Nel smiled and laughed. "Oh, Itsugo. Even when you don't remember yourself, you're still so similar." She looed around the clearing. "EVERYONE RELAX, IT'S ITSUGO!"
The gathered people flinched as they slowly lowered their weapons staring in awe at… ME?! Kenpachi still slouched, watching wearily in case of danger, his whole body screaming with tension. I noted with surprise as he lowered himself to one knee, gripping his arm with a manic grin; shaking his head in appreciation of well executed blows. The hiss of stifled laughter reached our ears and Nel stared dispassionately at his wounds then mine.
"Let's get you both fixed up, shall we?"
Kenpachi glared venomously. "I'll not have you touching any part of me devil!"
She huffed in annoyance. "Devil? Please. We are sprites and if you'd like, I could let my brother here," the pink haired man sneered in contempt, "Finish you off. How bad are you gonna be with a lame arm?" We watched as my fellow adventurer ground his teeth together, but kept his silence.
.:. .:.
Nel
I sat there upon the lush grass, my dear estranged friend sitting facing me. I had already cleaned and bandaged his fingers, now working on wiping the blood from his face. My sheer excitement at seeing him again was dampened only by the fact that he no longer remembered me. But I was determined to help him remember once more.
I looked closer in his downcast eyes, the liveliness that made him so youthful completely gone. They were blank and cold, hardened. Sighing, I tilted his head to get at the blood smeared on his neck. His tired eyes lifted to stare at me questioningly. I went back to studiously cleaning his neck.
"You've been gone quite some time, Itsugo. So much has changed, so much is darker. This forest… Something has turned it evil, twisted. It is not safe for anyone or anything. Even the trees have turned or withered away… Many forest folk have lost their lives or have left to further lands."
His eyes watched me almost as bored, pathetic even. I hated it. There was nothing I wouldn't do to wipe that horrible numbness from his face.
"Do you have any idea as to what has caused this?"
My attention jumped to the huge man my friend was travelling with, his eye burning on my person. Is wounds were open to the air, having knocked away vey last attempt for help. Thoughtful contempt forced me to study him closely.
"A great evil." I glanced at my brother as he sneered at the monstrous man. "An evil so ancient, it has set itself in its ways and there is no way to change it. The evil has no face remembered, only this pure darkness; an all consuming hatred. It obliterates all that it chooses. Oh we know, for we are always trying to outrun it."
The clipped tone and condescending flow had the human's jaw set on edge. Itsugo merely glanced and kept his eyes pointedly away. The one eyed man rose to his feet menacingly.
"Where does it reside?" E began pacing the clearing, arms crossed angrily. My brother smirked and laughed in his unhinged way. I couldn't help but wince.
"Where does it reside? Where does it reside?!" He threw open his arms. "Oh my dear sweet stupid human." His look turned dark, hazy as he started o lose focus. I felt Itsugo tense under my fingers and I gently began petting his neck. Confused eyes looked to me and I smiled sadly. It would be okay.
My brother continued, as the human snarled viciously like a beast. "If we even knew that, we would have already attempted to eradicate it." Brother shook his head to clear it, expression crumpling in exhaustion. "Why do you wish to know?"
The man stomped towards him, teeth bared in a vicious smirk. "Because that shit is killing our village. We've lost so many children to this." Sadness filled me and I felt Itsugo tense once more. "Ichigo and I were sent out to find, stop and destroy this… whatever the fuck it is."
My heart galloped further away from me, terror making me glance between Itsugo and my suddenly pale brother. His eyes flicked briefly to the young man I was clutching in my arms. "You're to stop this?" My voice was tremulous, tears making my vision blurry. All human eyes turned to me, the bigger man nodding. Breathless, I held on tighter. "That's… That's suicide. Did you have no choice?"
The long hair laying upon his neck swung as he shook his head. "We volunteered."
Glancing back at Itsugo, I sighed and smiled… Still so noble I see. Nodding in acquiesce, I looked back to the man. "Very well. This road is treacherous, filled with unknown terror. I shall help you find a means to an end."
Szayel's eyes flew to me, the scar running down his arm turned white as he clenched his fist. "Nel." He barked authoritatively. I silenced him with a placating palm.
"Peace, brother. This is my choice. It must be done, this you know. I will be safe, of this I swear to you." I bowed my head in deference to him. His glassy eyes –eyes never quite fully there –stared at me. But he clenched his jaw and nodded once, stepping back. He gave his silent blessing, for that I was thankful.
Looking at the young man held in my arms, face now clean, sleepy, and tilted in muted wonder I smiled. "I know where we can start. Start like all adventures should at the beginning." Releasing my hold on his neck, I tapped my chin as he sat up straight obviously relieved. "I suppose we can make a short detour to pick up Pesche and Dondochakka. They'd definitely want to help and might know some other connections. Oh! And Bowabowa too. Can't go anywhere without Bowabowa."
Ignoring the unimpressed and completely confused glances I received from my human would be companions I looked at the tall man, eyeing him up and down suspiciously. "Ya know, I know Itsugo's name but not yours and since we are going to be travelling together…" The man sneered at that, making me grin. "What's your name? As you know, mine's Nel."
Looking my person up and down, he smirked. "Kenpachi."
Glancing at the ground, I frowned as I looked back up to him. "But… That's not a name…"
A shark tooth grin cracked his face. "I made it mine."
Pursing my lips I stared him down. "Ya know, I bet you aren't even completely human."
His eye darkened and Itsugo jumped a bit behind me, eyes flying to his comrade. "What did you just say, maggot?" The fist around his sword creaked against the leather as it tightened. I threw my hands up in surrender.
"No, hear me out! You're s confrontational… And huge. By the gods, you're too huge to simply be human and this fight mentality… So single minded." I leaned closer, nose lifted to the air, inhaling what I could of his scent. My eyes popped open and I snapped my fingers with clarity. "Hell, you don't even smell completely human now that I've had a better whiff of you. I BET you had a giant as a parent! Judging by how you made a name for yourself and the size you are, it makes perfect sense! You're much too big for the giant lineage to be any further back than direct. Where did the humans find you, or was your human parent still breathing?"
His teeth grit and he stomped closer with threat Szayel leapt to my side, staff wielded too, Itsugo watching from the sidelines. "Listen, you bitch. I don't care what you say but if you ever, ever call me something like that again… I'll hack your head from your shoulders.
With a huff, I gave him a look clearly telling him that he just proved my point more. Studying him, I smiled vindictively. "I haven't seen giants in these lands in even my lifetime. Szayel, have you?" At his negative response, I looked Kenpachi up and down with interest. "My word… It must have been at least 300 years since the last giant stepped foot this side of the mountain…"
His gaze darkened more as I stepped to him, my hand resting on his bandaged chest. "How old are you really, I wonder? What has that terrible curse made you forget? How much life have you lost?"
Kenpachi glared at my offending hand –not caring one bit about his past –and I let it drop, deeming I had pushed hard enough for one day. "I suppose it matters not. Come, we must reach our destination before daybreak."
Bowing to my brother and fellow sprites, I hefted up my bow and began collecting Itsugo's things. As we all gathered ourselves, my pack near bursting with dry goods, I pointed us in the direction away from the travelled path. "The forest is less suspicious of those that wander at night, the darkness shields us better from would be attackers. Often, creatures that wish us harm mistake us for one of them in this dreary blackness."
The half human-half giant –as I will forever refer to him as… mostly to make him mad –glared as he stepped up. "And where would we be going?"
I smirked at him mischievously. Pointing my finger at Itsugo, he jumped and stared at my finger with wide eyes, glancing from it to my face in utter confusion. My smirk grew. "To his beginning."
~.:. End of Chapter Six: The Familiarity of the Forbidden.:.~
… I realize that it has been a long time since I have updated. Already a year since I posed the first chapter of In Remembrance?! My god, I am so sorry.
I am trying though, I hope to have that one or this story updated by next week.
Those who were hoping Grimmpa would show his face… Don't worry, it's coming. 8) Be excited. It's gonna be amazing.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, LOVE YA GUYS, TELL ME WHAT CHYA THOUGHT TOO!
~8DRainbowManVan8D