Chapter 4: Ignorance is Bliss (so they say)
Ichigo was relieved when Scheherazade agreed to her request to find Aisha. She was even more thankful that she agreed to show her to Atticus's home to hasten their retrieval of her friend. The feeling that something was wrong with her friend was guiding Ichigo to act recklessly again. She thought she had been getting a handle on rushing head first into things, but it seems like her old habits were cropping up again. Trying to calm her racing heartbeat, Ichigo tried to think about her next move.
Saving Aisha was obviously first. Then capturing her second dungeon with Lady Scheherazade. Then bringing Aisha and Grimmjow home with her to Kou, where she'd likely find her irate mother. The thought of her eyes boring into her because Ichigo didn't even have the decency to say goodbye and then didn't return for over six months plus however long it takes them to travel halfway across the world to return home had Ichigo shivering. She briefly wondered what her mother would do to her, but that produced almost as bad a reaction as what she felt for Aisha, so she tried to distract herself on the path they were taking.
They were in the upper districts of Narpolia, the richest people and most expensive homes contained in their own walls between the rest of the city. It was only because of Muu and Scheherazade that she and Grimmjow were allowed through the gated walls. The city streets were more smoothe, there were actual yards attached to the large houses which ranged from a modest two stories to nearly ten. It was the length and width of the houses though that really revealed how large the gap in social class was. Spanning between 30 rooms to almost 1,000, the second home of the elected emperor, there was an obscene amount of waste in Ichigo's opinion. If they aren't using all of the rooms, there is little point of having them.
While Kou's Imperial Palace housed many guest rooms, they were always being filled with important foreign dignitaries, favored officers, and lords and ladies that were essential in gaining support for domestic projects and policies. But the majority of the houses Ichigo saw here looked like just regular homes of merchants and statesmen in the senate, with the occasional General thrown in for some variety. And according to Muu, the Alexius family held three such houses in this district. Why couldn't the family all stay in one home? They had enough rooms where they would never have to see each other again even if they had a falling out.
Their group stopped outside of one of their houses and Ichigo had to say she wasn't impressed. The grounds were certainly nice enough, they were well taken care of, but the house reminded Ichigo of a bank. The limestone walls supported six floors and the thick, heavy double doors were lined with iron straps and studs for further protection. Another rather useless expense in Ichigo's opinion. If anyone were to breach this far into the city, they would certainly have the strength to bust down such a door with hardly more than a light kick.
A servant peeked her head out the door upon their knocking, and nearly stumbled over herself seeing their group's individuals. She quickly escorted them inside to a waiting room.
"Master Atticus is currently occupied. May I offer you anything while you wait. Drinks? Refreshments?"
"No," Ichigo let Scheherazade lead the discussion. "But please tell Atticus that it is vital we speak with him. If he can drop whatever is withholding him, it would be appreciated."
Her lack of use of Atticus's last name was noticed by everyone as the servant bowed and departed to escort her master to their waiting room. Grimmjow took the opportunity to lean against the far wall in the corner. His eyes sweeping the room with a sneer. He likely didn't approve of the overly grandiose paintings, statues, and artifacts littering the walls. There was a nice painted beach though. The water was capturing the sunset so well that it almost glowed off the painting. Despite all of Reim's shortcomings, they did have a great appreciation for the arts.
Atticus came barreling into the room with an angry huff. His clothes were skewed as if he had rushed to put them on.
"Was he with a woman?" Ichigo guessed to herself. It would explain his fowl mood if guests showed up unannounced and cockblocked him. However while Atticus had an angry gleam as he saw Muu, he seemed to wilt as he turned to the magi before him. All his anger vanished as fear replaced his previous bluster.
"My Lady," Atticus bowed deeply. Something Gyokuen taught Ichigo was that those who hate their leaders the most bow the deepest, it hides their expressions of betrayal behind a mask of devotion. "What may I do for you? My servant said it was urgent."
The magi's bright blue eyes evaluated the senator's son before her. While Ignatius pursued the military, his cousin fought in the senate. Atticus has lived his entire life wanting for nothing. It was clear in his voice, his arrogant posture, and his smile that he believed himself untouchable. Except for the magi. Having served the Reim empire for the last 250 years, it was understandable why the people respect her over even the Emperor himself.
"Six months ago you purchased a slave." Atticus frowned at Scheherazade's statement.
"I have purchased many slaves over the last year. Can you be more specific?"
"Yeah," Ichigo cut in. "You bought her the same day as me." Atticus looked down his nose at her as he pretended like he didn't know her.
"I don't remember every slave I walk past. As long as you aren't a runaway of mine, I have no use in remembering such a thing.
A thing? He thought she was a thing? This arrogant shit! Ichigo felt like knocking his head from his shoulders, but the grip Muu placed on her shoulder reminded her of what was important before she could even think about turning her thoughts into actions. She needed his information first before she did anything drastic.
Grimmjow snorted, coming off the wall. "You mean to tell me you don't remember a slave destroying half of the auction's guards? What are you stupid or amnesiac?"
"How dare you speak to me that way, savage beast!" Grimmjow and Muu grew visibly annoyed. They hated when people mocked their race. They were proud of their people. It was why Muu offered a position in his corps to any member of the fanalis who passed through Reim.
"That is no way to speak to your guests, Atticus," Scheherazade rebuked. "And Grimmjow, please apologize for insulting our host," she tried to defuse the situation. Insults were just wasting time for why they came here. Grimmjow scoffed before offering the most insincere apology ever performed in the history of mankind. Ichigo thought it ironic that she, as the youngest person in the room, was acting as the most mature outside of the magi.
"Now, where is Aisha?" asked the magi. Grimmjow's nose wrinkled as he approached. "He smells like blood," the fanalis muttered, but Muu placed a hand over his mouth.
"I told you that I don't know who you're talking about," he said.
"Do not lie to me child. I can see the rukh when you speak. Where is she?" Scheherazade grew angry. Her staff's end started glowing from the intense gathering of rukh that the bird-like creatures grew visible to the non-magicians.
Atticus's face paled. He looked around the room for an escape but the gathering light swirling around the room. A barrier closed off the door. He gulped.
"Lady Scheherazade, surely you know killing me wouldn't be wise. My family-"
"Our family's protection only goes so far," Muu interrupted. "Much less would anyone try to oppose our Lady. Now stop ignoring the question!" He drew his sword and placed it at Atticus's throat.
"Downstairs. The basement," he whimpered. Muu grabbed him by the back of his neck and threw him in front of them.
"Lead the way. I swear you will regret it if you attempt to mislead us." Atticus walked like he was heading to the gallows which only furthered the anxiety in Ichigo. The smell of blood wafted through the stairwell. Ichigo rushed past everyone and slammed her foot against the door separating the dungeons from the upper floors. She choked as she tasted the reek of blood on her tongue.
"What is going on here?" Ichigo asked, looking around at dozens of cells filled with chained men and women. Sobs and moans of pain were echoing throughout the room. Ichigo dashed to each cell looking for the familiar hue of purple hair, but it wasn't there.
"Aisha! Aisha! Say something if you can hear me!" She idly noticed Muu smashing Atticus into a wall yelling something, but Ichigo was searching for the throaty tones of Aisha. Where was she?
Scheherazade saw the room filled with black rukh created from the prisoners' hopes being crushed from the cruel master of the house. So many cursed their fate. Enraged, she bound Atticus in a spell to the crater on the wall Muu smashed him into. The red ball prevented him from moving a muscle as he tried flailing his limbs as he lay suspended in the air, feet just skimming the ground. The largest concentration of black rukh led to the back of the dungeon. She saw another door at the end of the prison hallway leading down another stairwell.
Pointing, she said, "Ichigo, this way." The group followed the magi as they descended the stone steps and halted at the horror within. Blood coated every inch of the floor's surface. A servant was trying to clean the wounds of someone laying on the floor. The chains awkwardly bound her arms to the wall as the rest of her body sprawled. Her flesh was peeled exposing the bone in several places. The only part of her body untouched by a blade was the prisoner's face.
"Aisha?" Ichigo asked. She sank to her knees and cradled the face of her friend. "Aisha? Answer me, please. Aisha!" Her green eyes blearily opened. Her gaze focused on something far away, like she was disconnected from the room. They were hollow as Ichigo stared at her. The blankness in her gaze would've made Ichigo think she was dead if it hadn't been for the too slow rising and falling of her chest.
"Can you help her?" Ichigo cried to Scheherazade.
"I'll do what I can," she promised. Her staff glowed a light green as the rukh responded to the magi's will to heal the injured woman. Ever so slowly the cuts in her skin closed. Aisha's breath grew more labored into hard gasps. Her ribs were pierced into her lungs, Ichigo realized. Ichigo directed the magi to fix that first before anything else or Aisha would be lost. The internal bleeding and lack of oxygen was what was killing her.
Over the next ten minutes Ichigo felt her muscles cramping for how tense she had been holding her breath, awaiting any change in her condition. It was only when Aisha's chest regained a steady pace did Ichigo allow herself to sigh in relief. She would be fine. Physically at least, Ichigo remedied. Ichigo, having grown up in a clinic, had seen her fair share of trauma and the slow recovery required to overcome or at least manage said trauma. When Scheherazade finished healing the last of her injuries Ichigo traced her eyes over the scars covering her friend's skin. Tears threatened to drop, but Ichigo allowed her anger to replace the grief. Atticus!
"Lady Scheherazade, his death would be difficult for you, correct?"
"Unfortunately, yes. The Alexius family has prominent support in everything in the Reim Empire. They could possibly revoke their assistance in certain areas that could prove disastrous."
"Then might I provide a solution?" Ichigo grinned a manic smile, all her teeth showing in her temporary restraint from killing the walking corpse bound to the wall. "Dungeons are known to kill most of the people who enter. It would be such a… tragedy…if he were to join us on our trip and…I don't know, be separated from us and surrounded by monsters. Who could say differently? He would just be another number in the long list of deaths. How unfortunate indeed."
The blonde magi's smile almost matched hers in size. She would be getting rid of a thorn in her side and gaining an ally in the process. Yes, her decision to meet with Ichigo was truly the fortunate work of fate. She sent a silent prayer to the holy palace in thanks.
—0—
Ichigo and Scheherazade, and Grimmjow stood in front of the gate to the dungeon the magi had raised twenty miles away from the North edge of the city. It had been the first time Ichigo had seen a tower arrive in this world. The ground had rumbled beneath their feet before the roof of the tower shot out of the surface and it kept going up and up in the sky until the top reached the clouds.
"Amazing," Ichigo breathed in awe. You certainly didn't see that every day. Atticus was at her feet completely bound in chains like a worm. Ichigo was going to make his death painful. She swore it on her brothers' graves.
The three and the prisoner went through the gate and arrived in a corridor with monsters that were mashups of many species, chimera. Some were snakes and goats, while others were a combination of tigers and elephants. And one was an unfortunate mix between a walrus and shark that flopped on the ground and struggling to breathe?
"How scary," Ichigo deadpanned at that one chimera. That was until water started rushing in from the walls and the chimera showed its speed in the water. She jinxed it, didn't she? Drawing her sword, Ichigo waited for the aquatic chimera to get closer, but a red blur shot past her and punted the animal into the wall, its entire side caved in and died before it dropped to the ground. Grimmjow stayed in his pose with his foot outstretched before turning to Ichigo with a smirk.
"I'm faster than you. I'll kill more monsters and then I'll get the metal vessel. You can count on it." He then turned to the other chimera and gave a war cry as he sprinted to finish off the other monsters.
"He's an idiot," Ichigo muttered. It was the Djinn that chose their wielder, not themselves. While technically their performance is being observed by the Djinn, that doesn't mean that is solely what they are looking for. Compatibility, potential, strength of character, there were many characteristics that they look for when choosing their king.
While Ichigo was thinking to herself, Scheherezade was giggling at Grimmjow's antics. He certainly was a spirited one. He also seemed to drag out the irritation Ichigo kept to herself most of the time. They continued following the trail of broken bodies and destruction as Grimmjow led the way through dozens of tunnels filled with more chimera. It was the yelp and crashing that had the two women following increasing their pace. At the end of this hallway was the chimera from Greek myths. Lion body, head of a goat, and serpent's head as a tail. The goat breathed fire, which judging by the burn marks on the ground, Grimmjow had unfortunately found out the hard way. His left arm was slightly scorched. His armor completely melted on his arm and slightly on his left side.
While the goat head used the first magic, heat, it was the serpent that had Ichigo more wary. The poison in its fangs could kill them with one bite. That would be her first target.
"Grimmjow, attack from the left. I'm going for its tail."
"I don't need your help!" he yelled, but he still did as asked and slammed his foot into its massive head. The head was as large as he was tall. The kick had sent the chimera stumbling back as its eyes rattled from the blow. It tried to gore him with its horns, but Grimmjow easily retreated out of reach. Unfortunately it put him in range for its breath which quickly started filling with fire.
"Oh no you don't!" Grimmjow halted his retreat and kicked the underside of its jaw. The act smashed its teeth together and combusted slightly in its mouth. It screamed at the same time as Ichigo, who had seen an opportunity, slid under its snapping snake head and cut off the poisonous head. The dual assault had it distracted for Scheherezade to blast a light construct into its torso similar to a glacier. The stomach exploded as the light burst within its side.
"Talk about overkill," Grimmjow said, the chimera was splattered everywhere. He looked over to see Scheherezade was still pristine from a borg protecting her from the blood and Ichigo had jumped behind her just before the construct exploded. He looked down to the red dripping all over him. Why was he the only one? He didn't pout. Nope he certainly did not get annoyed he was the only one trudging through the dungeon leaving red footprints as they looked at him with benign smiles.
"Assholes," he thought. "Complete assholes."
Ichigo threw the "worm" onto his shoulder as they were walking into the next room. Atticus was screaming through the gag they shoved in his mouth to stop his blabbering mouth of profanities and things he would do to the two women. Ichigo would have knocked him out, it would certainly have made him easier to carry, but it would mean he wouldn't witness his end. Ichigo had thought over a suitable punishment as she held Aisha's hand earlier before dropping her off at Rumal's until they got back. She would make him watch as he was devoured alive by whatever the most painful looking monster there was in the dungeon. With the variety of chimera, she certainly wasn't lacking in options.
"Should it be a snake? It could eat him whole and kill him by dissolving him in its stomach juices. Or perhaps a scorpion? He'd be left delirious as he hallucinates as the poison painfully courses through his veins into his brain until it shuts off from the pain. Or…" Ichigo thinks with a smirk, "how about a centipede. It digs through the ear canal and eats his brain. Ooooh. That sounds painful enough even for him. Ichigo prayed to the Djinn that he would be nice enough to grant her wish. No, that wasn't a reference to a genie in a bottle despite their blue skin. Or that they live in metal objects, no siree.
As they turned the next hallway Ichigo's face transformed into something akin to a demon. A pit of beetles spanning a hundred meters was their next obstacle.
"Hahahaa!" Ichigo wheezed. Oh, that's perfect. Ichigo slung the "worm" off Grimmjow's shoulder and grabbed him by his hair and forced his head over the edge to look at the pit of flesh eating insects. Atticus jerked his head trying to back away, but Ichigo's strength proved stronger than his.
She placed her lips next to his ear and whispered, "Those beetles will bury into your skin. They will eat your inner organs first, they find it to be the most delicious part. Then when they're done they'll devour your skin. Your legacy will be bones in a vanished tower. The people will forget your name. You were nothing without your forefather's efforts, you have amounted to nothing, and you will be nothing. That is what your actions have led to. It's called karma, bitch."
Ichigo removed his gag as she carefully picked him up and angled his fall so he would break his legs on his landing. She ignored his pleas before she dropped the man into the pit. His howl of pain didn't mask the sound of his bones cracking as his feet impacted the stone, nor did it cover the chittering of the insects as they saw prey fall into their nest.
"Let's go," Ichigo said softly. Once her revenge was complete, she just felt empty. She had no more reason to contemplate the dead man. She would forget him in time, after all she had to keep her promise that his legacy would be forgotten after all.
Grimmjow once again proved his worth as he picked up their smaller forms within his arms and ran and completely cleared the pit by meters in the world's longest long jump. His feet shattering the stone in his "light" lunge. Ichigo was eager to complete this dungeon already.
—0—
"Who is the one who would be king?" asked the Djinn as they reached the treasure after fighting another three "rooms" of monsters. The Djinn Orias was unique even among "his" kind. Their features were constantly shifting from one form to another. The first was a potbelly old man, the next a woman who almost rivaled Paimon in her beauty, the next was a strange mix between wolf and man, then a snake. Ichigo stopped keeping track of his features after that as there were just too many to count.
"Ah, definitely not you," the Djinn said, looking at Grimmjow. "And a magi? How do you do, my dear?" The Djinn said to Scheherazade.
"Just fine Orias. Will you make a contract with my candidate?" Hmm, the Djinn rubbed a scale clawed hand against a rabbit's head. The red haired girl. How interesting.
"I see you have already contracted with one of us," said the Djinn.
"What?" shouted Scheherazade. While it was true her clones couldn't spot the magic stars showing king's candidates, her original body was back in Reim and could temporarily share her senses with her clone if it's close enough. She hadn't seen any vessel on Ichigo. She watched Ichigo give her a sheepish smile in her direction.
"I was going to tell you later?" she half offered an explanation.
"Which magi helped you?"
"None of them. It was just me and my friend who cleared it." Her eyes widened before she laughed. She almost thought Ichigo was turning back on her agreement.
Orias smirked to himself. He had already made his decision, but was curious who the other Djinn was.
"Magi, can you please call forth her other Djinn please?" Ichigo retrieved her ceremonial/war fan from her bag revealing the metal vessel to the curious onlookers. Scheherazade touched a dainty hand to the gold handle where the star was located and another blue skinned being formed in the room. She looked surprised that she had been called forth again so soon before she took in the situation. She saw Orias and raced to communicate telepathically with her fellow Djinn about her wielder about what she'd learned so far about the world and who her king was before anyone could ask what was going on. The human, magi, and half fanalis watched in confusion as they silently communicated with the occasional gesture before Orias burst into laughter.
"I see. Well I've decided." He paused dramatically for effect. He waited as if expecting someone to ask what he'd decided before his face shifted into a dog and the ears pressed down and eyes widened into a "pitifully-beaten-dog" look that they didn't indulge. Realizing they weren't going to play along he cut his act.
"I've chosen you," Orias said, pointing to Ichigo. As if it was not obvious. He had already discarded Grimmjow as a candidate and Scheherazade was a magi. There literally was no other option. Orias sighed again, no one liked his humor.
Ichigo chose a gold and ruby ring as her metal vessel before departing for the dungeon. Ever since those caravan slavers made off with her green lightning bolt earrings she had been searching for a suitable replacement. It looked like a flaming bird with rubies for eyes, so it was a nod to the fact that like the phoenix, she had reincarnated. Ichigo had died or should have died so many times and was still alive and kicking ass. Byakuya should have killed her in Karakura Town, Urahara technically killed her when he cut her chain of fate, Aizen cut her stomach open to her spine, and the less said about Ulquiorra the better. How many times did he blow open her chest? Two? Three? It was hard to keep track at this point. Then she literally died and was reborn, with red hair to boot. So a phoenix was fitting, she decided.
Ichigo would grow jealous when she learned her brother had acquired a Djinn that literally was a phoenix. It was supposed to be hers dammit!
"Very well. I look forward to working with you. If you continue to gather Djinn, might I suggest upgrading your attire? You look like you need some fashion advice." Orias said before he flashed into Ichigo's ring, marking her completed contract with her second Djinn.
Ichigo looked at her torn tunic under her cuirass which had far too many scratches decorating the surface. Rumal had her constantly fighting him, Toto, and the other Yambala fighters over the last several months, so Ichigo hadn't felt like repairing or buying a new shirt everyday. She had a spare change of clothes in her bag this time if it fell completely apart, but she could use a little touch up on her black armor. And by little she means it has to be completely reforged. The thing was practically held together at the seams. She hadn't wanted to waste money on something when she was still growing. It didn't matter how much money she had, if it wasn't immediately a problem Ichigo would put it off.
The trio left the dungeon through the portal and thankfully they were neither separated or teleported someplace else. The tower was gone and they were stuck in the empty crater marking its disappearance. Ichigo sighed wearily. It had been a long day. First her fight, then the bathhouse, then the horrifying image of Aisha, and then completing a dungeon all within 24 hours really wore her out. And the sun was coming up…joy. They didn't even get to sleep in. Or could she? Ichigo looked at Grimmjow's empty back as he stretched an arm in the air to get rid of any strain from fighting all of the dungeon monsters. It was looking awfully inviting to the teenager. So she swung her arms around his chest, placed her thighs around his waist, and laid her head on his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" Grimmjow asked bemused.
"Whaz' it 'ook like," Ichigo mumbled into his shoulder, feeling her eyes already drooping.
"I'm not a bed or your mother. Get off!"
"Pillows don't talk," Ichigo grumbled and lightly smacked his injured arm. He hissed but did nothing else.
"Good kitty." Grimmjow's jaw tensed. He was going to murder her one of these days. It didn't matter what happened to him, but it would be the last thing he ever did. Unfortunately fate didn't favor Grimmjow and his desire would go unfulfilled.
Grimmjow dropped Ichigo back at Rumal's and was treated to a bunk of his own while Lady Scheherazade left to her own quarters. She informed him to tell Ichigo that she would be around to speak to her tomorrow before she was to travel to the capital and meet with the emperor. An ally wielding a metal vessel was important enough for the emperor to be personally informed. Luckily for the magi, she was skilled in teleportation magic so it wouldn't take her long to depart or return should she need to.
Grimmjow lay on his bed thinking about the changes happening to and around him. If there was one thing he loved more than anything else, it was the promise of a good fight. Ichigo had a tendency of attracting trouble and he reckoned that whoever she faced off against next was bound to be more interesting than whoever came into the arena. So when Ichigo decided to leave he would join her, whether she wanted him to or not.
—0—
Aisha's recovery was coming…slowly. She had broken out of her near catatonic state about three days after Ichigo rescued her, but she was still mostly silent, watching around the room for threats as if Atticus would come creeping out of the shadows. But perhaps the worst thing afflicting her was the sight of her scars. The light in her eyes seemed to fade whenever she looked at the white flesh around her wrists and throat from where the shackles rubbed against her in her struggles.
Ichigo knew one way to help a trauma victim was to distance them from what affected them, and then to slowly reintroduce them to the problem. It helps them from feeling overwhelmed at the beginning that they would never get better if you try and force them, and gently overcoming obstacles with baby steps regains a sense of confidence within. Whenever Ichigo wasn't training with Rumal, she would never be far from Aisha's side. Ichigo thought the best way for Aisha to distance herself from even her own scars was to turn them into something else. Ichigo bought her two large gold cuffs to cover her wrists and a leather lined gold choker for her throat. Ichigo even retrieved a few black feathers from that hippogryph to attach to them.
"This way a piece of me will always be with you," Ichigo had said with a beaming smile. It was the first positive sign Ichigo had seen when Aisha's tears came out in joy as she shook in her arms. Ichigo held her throughout the night as she rubbed her back with soothing tones. When she finally fell asleep, her features weren't scrunched up in pain or plagued by nightmares. That isn't to say Aisha never had them again, but Ichigo was quick to race into the next room to help her whenever she started screaming. It…was going to take some time, but Ichigo could see it in her eyes. Aisha would recover from this and be stronger for it.
The day before they departed Reim Ichigo paid off her debt to Rumal with the promise she'd visit one day. Something told her their paths would cross again one day. A surprise happened at breakfast that morning when Aisha's choker glowed as an eight pointed star appeared on the surface. Ichigo had been practicing with her newest Djinn and found it quite odd to experience her body morphing into different forms and sizes. She had shifted temporarily into what she looked like in her previous life as a carrot top and brown eyes to fuck with Grimmjow. The juice he sprayed was up there in terms of glorious spit takes. What she had found odd about the usage of her Djinn was other than the activation and change, there wasn't any use of magoi, there was no cost to retain the changes. However Rumal proved that disturbing her magoi reset her shift. There went her idea of cheating by increasing her muscles strength just by shifting.
Though it wasn't a complete loss. Using her medical knowledge of how muscles are exposed and composed of actin and myoglobin and the intake of hemoglobin through the blood, she figured out a way to slowly increase her muscles without losing on flexibility or speed. It was slow going, she first had to figure out how to change only specific parts of her blood to react to her muscles without throwing her entire system out of whack, the coughing blood she spit up the first couple days almost made Ichigo change her mind, but she was stubborn and refused to let a little spilled blood get in the way.
However, knowing Aisha was now a member of her household, she offered the idea that Aisha use her vessel to change her skin back to normal. Aisha willingly vanished the evidence of all the scars except the ones covered by her new jewelry.
"As a reminder that I survived," she said to Ichigo. Her smooth, blemish free skin was something Ichigo had taken delight in running her hands over. Aisha stopped flinching to her touch after the first three minutes and just sat back to enjoyI it. Her green eyes focused on her warm hands as they turned into a massage for the older woman.
"Thanks little sis'," she said to Ichigo. "For taking care of me. For caring about me even when I gave up on myself." The black rukh that had been born from her despair steadily gave way to their counterpart as Aisha gave thanks to whoever above let them cross paths.
On the day of their group's departure, Scheherazade had come by to whisper her plan of infiltrating Magnostadt. She wanted Ichigo's assistance in learning what is happening in the turbulent country. While not saying it, Ichigo was thinking back to her infiltration of Soul Society and Heuco Mundo, both of which had ended in chaos and violence. Did she really want to get involved? But she stuck to her word, so Ichigo only nodded her assent and the group departed to the docks to visit Balbadd and then relay over to Kou.
The weather was just right for traveling, the sun was high in the sky, there were enough clouds in the sky to occasionally provide shade, the land breeze was strong providing a quick departure out to sea, and Ichigo had a bad feeling.
"Just one trip," she thought, "just one bloody trip without something crazy happening. Is that too much to ask?"
"I am so borrrrred," Grimmjow whined two weeks later. They were passing a scattering of tiny islands, so they had to reduce their speed lest they crash into a sandbar. Ichigo grabbed an empty cup and threw it at his nose. She ignored his complaints as she internally ranted.
"Fucking asshole! Why? Why did you do that?" Ichigo screamed in her mind. "How could you be so cruel?"
"Three ships to the portside!" Shouted the lookout in the crows nest. Ichigo gave a death glare to the fanalis. Is it her? Is it her bad luck? Did she do something to piss off someone in a previous life…don't answer that, of course she did.
The crew gathered on the deck to see the incoming sea vessels. Ichigo grabbed a spyglass and found their decks full of scarred individuals holding some form of weapon. They were pirates, of course they were pirates. One of the ships dropped an anchor as they got near to swivel their ship to the side, their magic cannons primed and ready to fire. The other two rushed trying to cut off their escape as the islands started increasing in number.
"Steady!" the captain yelled. "Brace yourselves!" The captain aimed the ship to rail the second ship sending everyone stumbling just as the first shot their cannons. The salvo echoed between the islands, the stone doing nothing to muffle the noise as Ichigo gripped the railing trying to overcome the ringing in her ears. Retrieving her fan, Ichigo unleashed her Djinn's weapon equip just in time to create a barrier of wind, the cannon blasts of heat magic turning the barrier into a flaming tornado. Ichigo sent a second gust to direct the pillar of flame towards the attacking vessel and refocused on the other ships.
The pirates threw ropes securing their vessel to the travelers' before they boarded in mass. Grimmjow was already there punching the first pirate in the jaw, sending the man overboard before he noticed two swinging swords coming for his chest. He slapped the wrist of one before jumping in the air and burying his foot into the other's skull. Ew. A couple pirates saw what he'd done to their crew mate and hastily looked back to their own ship before shaking themselves and shouted out a war cry.
"Interesting," Ichigo mused. "He fears his captain or someone else on board more than Grimmjow." Ichigo felt like she'd been out of the fight long enough as she assisted Grimmjow in throwing the grunts overboard or dispatching them with ease. Ichigo jumped to the next ship to continue her assault when the door slammed open from their captain's quarters.
A man over seven feet tall and nearly three times wider than Ichigo barged through the opening with a snarl. His face had several old scars across his face and he wore an eyepatch on his left eye and had blue hair. Both his height and hair color allowed Ichigo to deduce he came from the northern lands. One of the five clans with autonomous rule within each settlement, all of which hold their own laws and practices. With her sword in one hand and the other fan in her other Ichigo was more than ready to defeat the pirate captain, however the weapon he pulled from his back sent an instinctual shiver down her spine.
The blade was completely black and had nine "branches" splitting out of the sides to create its edge including its point. The sword felt like it was releasing an aura of rage and murder, as if all who were killed by the blade still remained and were bound to the sword, fueling the wielder in performing greater feats of strength. A dark metal vessel. It had been a while since Ichigo had witnessed one. Her mother had taken one out to describe the capabilities it has in comparison to a metal vessel from the dungeons.
"You look strong," said the pirate captain. "Don't die before I have my fun!" He swung his sword right handed into the deck sending wood shrapnel flying towards her face. Ichigo responded by using her fan as a shield and a blade of wind in revenge. The branched sword cleaved through the wind slash and the captain shouted in joy as he tried to impale Ichigo thrusting quickly before trying to backhand her with his free left hand. Ichigo ducked under the huge arm and sliced along his wrist hoping to sever a tendon or muscle. The captain paid his injury no mind as he attempted to split Ichigo from the middle in his overhead position. Ichigo jumped against the captain's quarters and managed to scrape his back before he inhumanly turned around and parried her slash.
After Ichigo had revealed she had another metal vessel to Scheherazade back in Reim, Ichigo had taken to practicing and trying to recreate some moves she had in her previous life. Now while she couldn't recreate the flash step, she was able to mimic Hirenkyaku, the quincy high movement technique. Standing on a platform of wind under her feet, she would ride the gust to her feet for steady controlled movements or she could blast wind under her feet like a rocket for an immediate burst of speed, though she was having difficulty in not overshooting her destination and balance was difficult to maintain when it felt like three g's were pressing on her body.
With her sudden increase of speed, the pirate was having difficulty in tracking her movements and Ichigo kept slashing his sides. However it looked like no matter how much Ichigo cut the captain, only his skin was being affected. There was far too little blood from the injuries Ichigo kept giving him. Ichigo noticed a steady supply of magoi channeling between the man and sword, the sword was maintaining his body. It allowed him to tank wounds that would otherwise be fatal. As she observed his skin, it looked like it was steadily growing darker around his wounds.
"A time limit?" Ichigo wondered. Most weapons had tradeoffs for the power they wield. However, instead of a time limit like Ichigo was expecting, the wounds instead were filled with the shadowy substance and his blood stopped flowing out of the cuts.
"Fuck," Ichigo swore. "This is going to be a lot harder than I thought." Ichigo's thoughts raced for a way to defeat him before his sword could help him heal. Ichigo's eyes just glimpsed the sword in time to place her weapons in between them. Her arms shook as the behemoth bore down on her with a savage smile. "Why do I keep meeting the crazy battle maniacs?" Ichigo thought, forced to her knees under his strength.
Ichigo changed her Djinn from Paimon to Orias shifting her muscle strength to greater heights. Ichigo slapped his next slash to the side before slicing from his hip to the left shoulder before kicking the pirate away.
"Hahaha! This is what I'm talking about. More. Give me more. I haven't had a good fight since those Quincies."
Quincy. You've got to be shitting me? He was from her world too? Ichigo looked at the man again, and slowly the puzzle pieces were placed together. Eyepatched berserker who wields enormous strength with only one hand, the crazy smile, his tall height and stature.
"God damn it Zaraki!" Ichigo shouted. The berserker paid no mind that Ichigo knew his name, he was filled with excitement that at last there was someone able to provide a challenge. If there was one person Ichigo didn't want to be reborn that wasn't Juha Bach or Aizen, it was Zaraki Kenpachi. His constant attempts to fight her without taking no for an answer led to hours of playing the scariest (read most annoying) game of hide and seek or whack-a-mole. Sometimes she just wanted to sit back and drink some saké with Kyoraku-sensei or drink some tea with Rukia and Ukitake-"taicho," as Rukia insisted with kicks to her shin when she refused. Whenever she found that perfect moment of peace, Zaraki would always come tramping along to shatter those blissful moments of heaven…literally.
As Ichigo continued to battle Zaraki she considered the likelihood of him stopping the fight if she shifted her features to match those of her previous life. No, it would likely only encourage him to continue. Ichigo sighed because she had to physically stop the instinctual fighter with a head stronger than diamond. Throwing herself back into the fight with renewed resolve, Ichigo matched his swings, the grating of the metal sending sparks as they stared into each other's eyes.
"Zaraki's eyes were bloodshot," she noted. "But the weirdest thing had to be his smile." It was growing larger as the two increased their pace, with Ichigo giving way as Zaraki received more power from his dark metal vessel.
"Hahaha! Yes! This was what I was missing. Where have you been all my life? The northern tribes only had a few strong people, but they had almost nothing on you! Show me more! I can go on for days. Fight. Fight me. Fight!"
"Something was different about him," Ichigo thought. "Zaraki was always crazy, but now it's like he's completely unstable." Ichigo jumped up onto the sail to gain some distance, shifting back to her other Djinn's weapon. As Ichigo looked at the branched blade in his hands, Ichigo guessed that the weapon was the cause of his deteriorating mind. The further the fight went on, the worse it became. He would become a mad beast of rage until only his instincts are left, forcing him to lash out at anything he sees. No wonder his crew was afraid of him. Ichigo saw how just after he retrieved more magoi from the sword, his sanity paid the price.
This meant that there was now a time limit in this fight. If she failed to reach Zaraki in time he would fight until his instincts tell him to turn himself into a dark Djinn. An even more dangerous monster with no master to guide it. Ichigo clenched her fist feeling her heart rushing in the adrenaline of battle.
"Now or never," she said to herself. Putting her fan in front of her chest while sheathing her sword, Ichigo called out her Djinn's release.
"The Spirit of Maniacal Love and Chaos, I order thine ancestors, To use my Magoi to give me power, Come Out, Paimon!"
Enveloped in a flash of light and a tornado of wind, Ichigo revealed herself adorned in a set of black robes with gold trim that barely covered her bust and stopped just short of her mid thigh with the same gold jewelry as Paimon. She had a crimson sash, her skin lightened a few tones, and her hair turned as white as the real Zangetsu's done up in a high ponytail bearing a gold and ruby band and crown. Chains attached between her bedecked arms to connect to her nipple area and black and red feathers grew out of her arms and legs, her traveling boots vanished leaving her feet bare showing an anklet holding similarly colored feathers, and a third eye appeared in the center of her forehead right between the ends of her winged motif crown. In addition to her change in outfit, her fan changed into a flabellum that held a greater resemblance to a trident.
The strain on her body was difficult to fight past the initial barrier in achieving the full Djinn Equip. When the wind disappeared from her transformation, Ichigo peered down in an imperious manner at Zaraki. The transformation sent her emotions running wild, her control slipping free in the rush of power. Ichigo knew with a negligible flick of her finger she could destroy every ship in the vicinity and the islands surrounding them with a single swing of her weapon. The feeling of becoming one with the sky blossomed so Ichigo walked off the sail… and flew in the air like a fallen angel. Adorned in black feathers and her clothing a seductive tease, it was as if she was tempting any who gazed upon her to draw near, their lust blinding them until it was too late and wind would tear their flesh and bones to dust. Ichigo felt a pleasurable shiver run up her spine as the power coursed through her veins. Ichigo looked down at the mad dog below her howling as his disgusting dark metal vessel gained a purple hue from the enormous amounts of magoi traversing through and around the blade's edges. She was going to destroy…what was she doing?
No, she was going to help him. Ichigo placed a hand to her skull to fight off the splitting headache raging through her skull like two rams fighting over a potential mate. Ichigo fought through the pain to focus on the changes happening within her. Putting a mental leash on her emotions swirling in her chest and head like the winds raging around her, Ichigo forced them into a ball near her heart and wrapped a golden chain around them. Instantly she felt the headache slow into an ebbing flow and then disappear as she calmly exhaled and reopened eyes she didn't know she'd closed. What the fuck was that? Ichigo shook her head again and refocused on the fight. She didn't have the time to be distracted.
Ichigo created a magic wind drill above her head, steadily gaining more speed and power and sent the piercing blow down on Zaraki. His vessel burst a purple light right before his arms became painted back and he swung his sword at the incoming drill. With both gravity and her own will forcing the drill downwards Ichigo created a wind hand to slamdown on top of the drill like a hammer and nail. Zaraki's knees bent beneath the attack, but he did not fall. Turning his manic eyes to her the berserker yelled and his sword cleaved through the wind drill scattering the wind in all directions. The attack was too strong for the wooden ship as the sea vessel shredded against the howling winds, adding to the attack with the additional shrapnel. Ichigo swung her war fan and all of the shrapnel gathered in a ball before she unleashed a jet stream centered on Zaraki's floating body. Bombarded on all sides, blood gushed from his skin as the skin was literally air blasted under the compressed wind.
As Zaraki lay stunned in pain, Ichigo rocketed herself to his right arm and clamped her hand around his wrist. Putting all her training to good use, Ichigo forced the black rukh out of his body back into its vessel. With the loss of connection Zaraki fell unconscious as his wounds reopened with the disappearance of the shadowy substance that was clotting them. In her Djinn Equip Ichigo's enhanced strength allowed her to easily hold him in the air with one hand despite their size difference. Ichigo observed the battle going on below, Grimmjow and her crew defeated every pirate on their ship, but the other blocking the bay still had its crew. Deciding to end it there, Ichigo created one more tornado and buried it in the center of their ship. The crew was forced to jump overboard or risk ending up in a similar state to their captain. With the battle over, Ichigo floated down to her crew and dropped Zaraki on the deck of their ship.
The captain looked like he wanted to ask why she let him live, but her glare shut him before he could ask. Pissing of a dungeon capturer who just saved his life and those of his crew would be a bad idea, so he thought it wiser to silence his protests. His life was far more important than that of a pirate after all, so who was he to refute such an act? Ichigo let her Djinn Equip fade and sighed, taking a seat on a barrel beside the mast. A bloody Grimmjow sat beside her a moment later but Ichigo noticed none of it was his.
The rest of the passengers came clammering up the stairs when they heard the battle was over and won. The dozens of islands which dotted the ocean were completely gone. Ichigo saw her attacks against Zaraki were actually stronger than she thought and the tiny islands littering their path were destroyed in her lapse of control. Their ship was the only surface above water for dozens of miles until they reached another inhabited island. The passengers didn't believe the captain or his crew as they retold their battle judging by the shock and glancing eyes asking their friends, "Are you hearing this?"
The only few who seemed to believe it was a group of merchants who traveled to Sindria regularly. Ichigo had heard they had contacts within the Sindria Trading Company, but held a hint of suspicion. Many wannabe merchants claimed they were a part of the famous trade group to help draw attention to their wares and she was often disappointed. The group looked like they wanted to talk to her, but before they reached them Ichigo heard a cry from outside the ship.
Ichigo stared over the edge where the splashing and cries for help echoed. The remaining pirates were treading alongside the hull in fear. Ichigo smirked. "Hey, do you need some help?" she called in false innocence, the teasing note just barely restrained.
"Please help us!" One pirate cried in terror. "There's a monster near here. I don't wanna die!"
"A monster?" Ichigo continued her naïve facade. "How awful. Is it the man eating kind?"
The pirate nodded hard. "Yes, please hurry. You and the captain probably attracted it after destroying the islands."
"I could let you up…" Ichigo drawled, the surviving pirates smirked thinking they were getting one over on her not realizing who she was because of her different skin tone and hair, "but you're going to have to do something for me first," Ichigo continued.
"Anything," they lied, turning Ichigo's smile sinister.
"I am going to throw a crab cage over the side. Place your weapons in them and I'll let you up."
The pirates frowned at her offer. They might be able to use a surprise attack to capture the little girl and have one of their crew retrieve their weapons, it was still a risk with that fanalis up there. And wherever that dungeon capturer had disappeared to. They were too far away to see her clearly through the wind and debris as well as the sheer speed the person was moving. About all they could discern was that she was female.
"Fine," one pirate said, taking the lead. "Just make sure you throw down the ladder.
He turned to his mates and said, "keep your knives hidden. Just hand over your swords and we'll be fine. They'll never notice." One should never discount the senses of a fanalis. Grimmjow had followed after Ichigo upon noticing she was talking to someone overboard and grew curious. He heard every word the pirates said to each other. He cracked a fist getting ready to pummel them the second they got on board. However, Ichigo saw his reaction and placed a hand on his arm and shook her head. She had another idea for them.
With their main weapons taken away, the pirates were surprised and incapable of reacting when Ichigo and Grimmjow brought them down as soon as they all reached the deck. Ichigo had a crew member tie them up around the mast with their arms behind their back sitting down. Ichigo circled around them, inspecting for weaknesses. She found one particular one who couldn't meet the intensity of her gaze. Perfect, a cowardly rat. She wouldn't have to apply a lot of pressure to get him squealing.
The man was thin, the life of an unsuccessful pirate made purchasing the necessary goods harder, especially when first starting out and they don't have the crew. However this man wasn't even a pirate. He was a leech, following after the other pirates who fought and taking their spoils as his own. He only ever fought to protect himself and killed the weak or downed foes. His crew likely knew his tendencies and gave him only the scraps leftover in loot and food. The perfect person to ask questions from. He was in it only for himself, damn any thoughts of loyalty or friendship with his crew. Ichigo leant over him with a predatory smile. She would enjoy this.
—0—
Grimmjow would never look at Ichigo the same way again. Apparently she had learned some new tricks in this new life. She had the shitstain of a man babbling information within three minutes after dragging him away from the rest of the prisoners with a scream. The terror the pirates felt as they realized the "little girl" was actually the monster who faced their captain was sure to bring a laugh to Grimmjow for months to come. A mixture of pained acceptance that they could do nothing and horror that they would be next.
That night Grimmjow and Ichigo discussed what she'd discovered. Apparently the crew was part of a large illegal slave ring off the coast of Akita. The former captain before Zaraki had killed him had been supplying children to a woman named Madaar Umm Mariadel, the head merchant in the Mariadel Trading Company before Sinbad destroyed it. Zaraki had no interest in money, he just liked fighting, so after he killed the captain he forced the crew to constantly attack any vessel they came across. While the crew was initially angry they lost the revenue from slaves given to Madaar, who apparently was now renamed Umm Madaura, the loot they pilaged from any ships they crossed quickly started to surpass even that. They never had to worry about an enemy because no one was stronger than their new captain, or at least that was what they thought. So they recklessly attacked any ship with no fear in their hearts.
Ichigo was tempted to help stop her, but there were two facts that were inescapable: the first being she was on a submarine fortress and the other was how far it would take the ship out of the way even if the captain agreed to reroute to their destination. The submarine was also sure to have powerful defenses which more than outmatched their ship meant for traveling passengers. Ichigo bit her tongue as the realization passed her that she could do nothing to help at this time. She could potentially get a crew to take her there when she reaches Balbadd, but that would mean almost a month of backtracking and it was likely the submarine would have shifted locations by then. She would need a magician's help to track her down.
Shelving her rescue plan for later, Ichigo thought about a more pressing issue as their ship neared the docks of Balbadd eight days later, where was she going to stay? Her prayers were answered by the merchants who claimed they were part of Sindria.
"L-Lady Ichigo," called the youngest of the group of three. He was a brunette with a half bob haircut and had what looked like some heavy anxiety problems in public. An odd thing to have considering his business, but why he would pursue such a career Ichigo had no idea.
"As a thank you for saving us, we would like to invite you to join us in our stay at Balbadd's most luxurious hotel," he spoke fast without taking a breath of air, his eyes planted firmly on the ground. For some reason he never would look her in the eyes. The one time it happened by accident, he panicked and shame filled his features. She had only ever seen herself or Yoruichi move as fast as him before he retreated to his room slamming the door with a bang, his ears red and pouring out steam. What an odd boy, she thought.
"I don't have any lodgings yet, so thank you. Can Grimmjow and Zaraki join us?" The boy froze.
"Y-you want to invite the pirate who tried to kill you?"
"He's not as bad as he looks. He just likes fighting strong opponents. Luckily Grimmjow does too, so they should be able to keep each other in line," Ichigo said aloud. "Or they'll get into trouble when someone pisses them off and bring everyone else around them into the fight," Ichigo continued mentally. "But if that happens, I can just say I don't know them."
She had pulled a similar stunt with Isshin whenever his over dramatic acting got out of hand. Distance yourself and claim denial. Words to live by when dealing with annoying topics or people.
"Have you been to Balbadd before…I am sorry, I do not think I have caught your name."
"It is Sandro, and yes, I visited two years ago. I asked to follow my cousin Mystras in his duties as a diplomat in Sindria. Instead we were forced to alter our journey here when we ran into a storm and our ship was damaged. We were forced to trade our goods we had on board in order to get the parts we needed to rebuild. The process of selling what little we had for as much as I could bargain for was both fun and fulfilling. It turned out I had more interest in trade than I do in diplomatic relations, so I asked my parents to train under someone in Sindria's Trading Company," said Sandro, thankful to find a topic unrelated to the two battle fiends. Mystras, one of Sindria's Eight Generals, and Sandro was his cousin. That makes things interesting, Ichigo thought as he led Ichigo to the grandest hotel in Balbadd.
"So what brings you to Balbadd this time? If it is not too personal to ask?"
"I had business in Reim and I wasn't going to return home for another three months, but then I received a letter asking to meet King Sinbad here about a project." Ichigo could tell he either didn't know what the project was or he had absolutely no intention of telling her from the frown on his lips and frustration in his eyes. Or he was just annoyed that his king pulled him away from Reim. From the rumors it was quite difficult dealing with the enigmatic ruler, he was simultaneously charismatic and made you want to pull out your hair at the same time. Certainly an odd combination for a king, but Ichigo was in no position to judge, she knew she was…difficult…sometimes.
"King Sinbad is here, in Balbadd?" Ichigo asked.
"No, he arrives at the beginning of next week. Mahrajan's Festival ended this week and he was required to be there."
"I see. I think I would quite like to be there one day. I heard the Southern Creature's meat is to die for."
"Yes! It is delicious. My favorite is when it's prepared in a stew. The meat gets so juicy that it dissolves in your mouth."
Ichigo's stomach rumbled at the mention of food. She pinked and turned away.
"Are you hungry?" the formerly shy boy asked. Of all times for him to get over his anxiety it happens at her expense, typical.
"Yes please."
"I'll order us some food," he laughed good naturedly and departed.
"Please kill me now," Ichigo groaned into her hand.
"That can be arranged Princess." Ichigo jumped at the voice right behind her. Standing before her was Ithnan, her other occasional teacher in magic when "The Banker" and her mother were doing business.
"Please don't call me that here," Ichigo whispered, glancing around. It wasn't fear but wariness of the knowledge botching her attempts to go unseen and explore Balbadd to the fullest before her return home. Her father, the former emperor, had told her that sometimes it was an excellent idea to travel in disguise to meet your future political partners or country to understand them and their motivations. If it is obvious their country is struggling financially then he was able to stand in a greater position of authority in negotiating deals that would benefit Kou. It would also let you see beneath the veneer of civility in how they treat their friends and family away from the business.
Ithnan was a rather cold and stoic man. Ichigo had never once seen him smile in all of her time studying under him. She had tried everything at one point to get a rise. Insults, humor, even a couple pranks to humiliate him, but nadda. He retained his unflappable attitude of arrogance and monotone. He was like Byakuya before becoming open to Rukia. She had once called Ithnan by Byakuya's name accidentally in one of her rants and he looked cool as a cucumber.
"Um, am I interrupting something?" Sandro asked, his hands full of trays of food. "Yum," Ichigo thought, taking in the spread.
"No, we met briefly during my travels to Kou. It was a surprise to see him here," Ichigo lied.
"Balbadd is the center of the world in travel and trade. While it lacks the sheer wealth of Reim's land and resources, the location alone demands any merchant or traveler stop to resupply," Ithnan explained in his holier-than-thou manner. Putting a hand into his robes, he retrieved a letter and said, "Your mother asks for you to return. She worries for you." His tone could not have been any more insincere, a robot or doll could have put more inflection in their tone. It made it difficult for her to trust his words even if she knew it was true.
"I will depart next week. There is someone I must meet here in this hotel. Once I've completed my business I will return."
He dipped his head in a small bow and departed. Unseen by Ichigo, he left to the roof of the hotel and cast clairvoyance magic to find who she wished to meet. The orb in his hand was created from alchemy and aided in the control of what he was trying to focus on. An image of a purple-haired man with jewelry and white robes shined briefly on the orb before disappearing. The first Singularity. It was difficult trying to observe the future around him. By their very nature they could "feel" fate itself and guide themselves to the most favorable outcome. Sinbad was Al-Thaman's greatest threat in creating their own future and reviving Ill Llah. And his leader's next vessel was coming into contact with him. Two singularities meeting at the same time, how much further would their plans crumble if their abilities fed off each other? It could not happen. He would not allow it to happen. He looked to the slums, the trash and landfill extending for miles, and observed as more and more black rukh was appearing. It was a long way off, but the foundation was set.
—0—
Ichigo felt rejuvenated waking up in an actual bed that wasn't moving. While her quarters were nice on the ship, it certainly couldn't match sinking into the plush feather bed and pillows. Despite Balbadd being on the equator and therefore hot most of the year, the weather was unnaturally chilly that morning as they were in the coldest month of the year. Ichigo could see the unease in the people's faces. Wrapping themselves in the warmest clothes they could find and praying for the month to be over already so the heat could warm their desert bones.
Despite the cold weather Ichigo left the hotel and bought a suitable cloak as she found the marketplace. The fur and leather were a godsend to stave off the chill as she walked the windy streets. Ichigo heard someone's parents saying to not go near the slums to play as she walked down an alley. The children ran past her to disappear from their parents' view to likely do exactly that. Didn't they know that saying don't do something is only more likely to make them want to do it?
Ichigo found the slums a couple of blocks later as the filth and garbage piled on for miles. Do people live here? Ichigo covered her nose with her scarf hoping to block the smell of months old excrement and rotted food wafted through the air. Almost tempted to turn back, Ichigo trudged through the slums as she looked around at the people. Underfed, freezing, but not altogether unhappy. Their community stuck together and helped sustain each other in a way that even noble lords should try to live up to. Their desperation for survival necessitates all pitch in and help wherever possible. From shining shoes back in the market to recycling garbage and making something new or selling spare parts, the people in the slums were all finding some way to make money.
"None of you are worth a damn!" Ichigo hears a man shouting as she turns a corner. Two children with purple dreadlocks were on the ground and the boy was holding his cheek which was inflamed. The man stomped by and almost slammed into her shoulder as he passed. Ichigo studied his ugly face as the bald man with an untamed beard cursed for some liquor.
The boy was looking over his sister as he ignored his injury. Ichigo was reminded of herself as she inspected Karin and Yuzu whenever something happened.
"Are you alright, little boy," Ichigo asked as he rubbed his cheek after smiling at his sister. The child planted his feet in front of his sister as he spun around in surprise. Her feet were quiet as she walked to stand beside him. Cute, he thought he could do anything should she want to hurt him or his sister. He was brave at least. Ichigo knelt beside the boy and asked again, "are you alright?" He adorably pouted in what he thought was a tough expression, crossing his arms and turning his head to the side not letting her see the scratches.
"I'm fine," he said.
Ichigo suppressed the smile creeping up as she pulled out a bottle of water and a bandage. "You sure?" She said, waving the supplies. "Getting that cute face of yours infected would be a tragedy," she teased, enjoying the red spreading across his face as she finally let her smile free.
"I'm only taking this because I don't want to dunk my head in the river later," he said, letting his suspicions fade as he realized that yes, she was actually worried about him.
"I'm Ichigo. What's your name?" She introduced herself.
"Cassim. This is Mariam." Ichigo took a towel and sunk it into the water before wiping away the blood and dirt from his face. The towel stained a deep brown as she removed the layers on layers of dirt. His skin visibly lightened as the dirt was cleaned, sending Marian into a fit of giggles at seeing her older brother's left side of his face so clean while the right still had brown patches. When the last of the dirt Ichigo could wipe away was gone she carefully pressed the bandage over the scrapes. Ichigo felt like she was back in Karakura for a moment taking care of the mild injuries under Isshin and Masaki's guidance helping the youngest children.
Cassim looked up at the red-haired girl as a beautifully sad smile overtook her features. He didn't know how it happened. Only a minute ago, she was a stranger and now he wanted to give her back her smile.
"Are you doing anything else today?" Cassim asked, smiling when she shook her head. "Great! You need to see my friend Alibaba. But don't tell him I think he's a friend. He's my greatest rival." Ichigo bit her lip as she stood up to follow him as Cassim took her by the hand and Mariam stole her other hand as she looked up with a shy smile asking for permission. Ichigo would have ruffled her head if she had a free hand.
Ichigo found their destination to be a tent insulated with cardboard between two buildings housing a beautiful woman and a blonde child similar in age to Cassim. Ichigo looked between the two and they couldn't be further opposites. Where Cassim tried to maintain a hard exterior as support for his sister, Alibaba held all the childish innocence that can be had with a loving mother. Alibaba was like the shining sun to Cassim's dark shadow, both are unnoticed without the other.
Ichigo found Anise to be a wonderful woman. Despite her poverty, when she saw she had guests she offered them what food she had. Ichigo firmly denied not wanting to inconvenience her more than she already had. The hijinks between Alibaba and Cassim had Ichigo thinking about Uryū and her rivalry with him. The two jumped on top of each other and wrestled on the floor, noticeably not throwing any punches within the hawklike gaze of Anise. It looked like they loved her as much as they feared disappointing her, Ichigo mused.
As the sun started setting Ichigo left back to her hotel with the promise she would visit again. Before she left though, Ichigo said to Cassim, "There will always be darkness in this world, always something or someone to fight against to protect your little sister. Just make sure you live for yourself a little. There is a light in everyone, no matter how stained their hands or souls are. For me, Anise, Alibaba, and Mariam, please don't give up hope of something better happening in your future. I can tell you are made for great things. You just need someone to open the door for you to show the world."
Ichigo returned the next day with heavy blankets and a crate of food for the new family to share. Cassim and Mariam never saw their father again after that day. He never heard how Ichigo tracked his father down in an alley and threatened to force-feed him his own balls for hurting his own children. He never heard Ichigo snap his neck when he thought his kids had put her up to this and was going to "kill his good-for-nothing brats" and she dumped his body in the bay under a rock. Cassim and Mariam were just happy to be out from under his thumb and live with the wonderful light named Anise and Alibaba.
Ichigo never knew how her words affected Cassim, making him believe he was destined for greatness and grew bitter when his family started leaving him. She never knew Alibaba would be brought into the royal palace a couple of years after Anise died of sickness. She never knew the plague would kill almost everyone in the slums. She wouldn't get to say "goodbye'' to the new friends she had made because she had said, "See you later," when she left, promising her return one day.
Ichigo left Balbadd the day before Sinbad arrived as another message from her mother demanded she returns because of an emergency with a smile as the black rukh grew in number from the despair flowing through the slums. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.
—0—