Oblivion

Bleach: Finding Lightning and Ice

"I don't... know... Hollow attacked. Don't remember... after that..." Hayate seemed mildly bewildered at his condition, but was in no shape to speak coherently. His words trailed away, his breaths coming in short shallow gasps as he lost consciousness. It was deathly quiet for a while, the only sound being Hayate's waning breaths. After several moments of caution, waiting for Hiroshi or the Hollow to appear, Yue began to relax and knelt down next to Hayate. His body was battered almost beyond recognition, save for most of his face.

His breathing was slowing down and getting shallower to the point where Yue began to think he would give out. She rolled him over carefully so that he lay on his back and began channeling healing Kido through her hands, centering the green glow on his chest. It was weak and barely did anything for the deep wounds, bruises and broken bones but it did slightly speed up his breathing process, estabilishing his respiratory system somewhat. It was all Yue could do not to outwardly panic, not to let a high-ranking individual like Hayate die.

It was then that she saw the dark tendrils emerge from the mist, combined with the heavy feel of foreign, Hollow-like reiatsu. Yue's concentration broke instantly, and the healing glow faded from her hands. "What's that, sensei? Is it that Hollow that attacked Hayate-san?" If the Hollow could have taken over someone of Hayate's caliber, it could certainly have taken them over, too. It was the absolute worst time for Seion no Arashi to stop working, leaving her vulnerable and susceptible to unexpected attacks. The tendrils didn't look entirely solid, either, making it impossible to try Hakuda, apart from the fact that they could tangle her up the moment she let her guard down. What kind of creature was that?

It was then that the creature decided to attack. Yue sprang out of the way and it missed her head by a foot. However, she failed to notice a tendril that had snaked along the ground and grabbed her ankle from the back. In the midst of avoiding a barrage of projectiles that the Hollow had shot, the tendril pulled her in the opposite direction, making her lose her balance and trip. And, waiting her to fall right there was the creature's extended claw, the razor sharp nails identical to spike; only by rolling away and landing awkwardly did Yue avoid getting sliced to ribbons but got the tendril around her ankle even more tangled around her legs.

Bleach: Finding Lightning and Ice

Upon stepping out of the Senkaimon, it all seemed well for a while. They'd emerged farther out than where they'd been last time, for Yue could feel nothing; not even the presence of the Yukihiro clansmen. It was unnaturally silent, leading Yue to wonder whether Hiroshi had opened the Senkaimon at the wrong place.

Then she saw the fog. The temperature dropped the more she approached, uncharacteristic of an autumn's day. After a moment of wandering, Hiroshi's hand on her shoulder, it finally dawned on her; it was Kouta's Shikai. But why would he release it? It was then that she finally heard the sounds of blades clashing and bodies falling. It seemed that there was some conflict right in the middle but the fog made it impossible to see anything within three feet ahead of her, even though she was only on the edge.

As she started venturing into the fog, Hiroshi's presence suddenly vanished from behind her. Alarmed, Yue turned around to face only the forest, with nothing in between, when his hand came down on her shoulder again. Only, his grip was much too tight for comfort, his fingers digging into her shoulder so hard Yue was surprised they hadn't broken through her skin. He whirled her around, and Yue realized his reiatsu was entirely different.

It struck her the moment she tore herself away and backed away several feet that Hiroshi wasn't himself, even as he started to speak. He was something else. "It took so much effort to isolate you two, yet you still don't die! Your meddling family had to interfere; now they pay the price. Shame Isao wasn't one of them. Doesn't seem like the 'hands-on' kind of man, the coward."

The sounds of fighting continued to emerge from the fog. As Hiroshi's words slowly sunk in, Yue's mind was working at an alarming pace, outlining different outcomes based on different actions. Admittedly, it didn't look too good for her at that moment. Foregoing the incantaion, Yue shot a Bakudo spell at the man's form; however, even before it hit something went through his chest from behind and protruded out, instantly killing the man. Hiroshi writhed for a split second, his face frozen in an expression of shock before he went limp and the thing, whatever it was, dragged his lifeless body into the mist.

Though Hiroshi was gone, Yue had a million and one thoughts running through her mind. She could escape; the Sekaimon still stood open a few feet away, though she could not see it. But whatever was happening in the mist sounded bad; had that thing or Hiroshi killed off her clansmen? Was Kouta handling a surge of Hollows by himself? That thought didn't sit well with her and, though she knew the man was more than capable of handling Hollows, the fact that he'd released his Shikai signified something bad.

With those alarming thoughts nagging at her mind, Yue approached the sounds of fighting; bodies littered the ground at her feet and as she bent down to examine them. She realized with a sickening, horrifying feeling that these were Yukihiro clansmen. The feeling of unease grew on her more and more every second.

It was barely a minute or so before she made out two misty silhouettes in the fog. "Kouta-sensei?" She whispered, unable to raise her voice past a whisper. The two forms clashed again and again, Yue unable to make out anything, not even the words one of them seemed to be yelling. At first it was impossible to tell who was who; but then, Yue slowly discerned the distinct Yukihiro fighting style one of them was utilizing. And the fact that he was still standing up against Kouta meant that he was one of the more talented members as most that had been sent were of low tier. It had to be Hayate, Yue could feel it. Yet she said nothing, standing in the fog a mere ten feet away watching the fight unfold.

After what seemed like an eternity, Yue inched closer, careful not to get in the way. Now that she was closer, she could make out Hayate's vacant expression; his face devoid of an expression and his distinct reiatsu gone. Something was wrong.

"Hayate-san?" That was her mistake. In an instant, Hayate's blade was at her throat. Kouta was there immediately after, his large hand clasping Hayate's forearm to push away the blade. Instinctively Yue ducked away from Hayate and came up behind him, one hand on her Zanpakuto. "Split the heavens, Seion no Arashi." Nothing happened. The Zanpakuto remained sealed, Yue staring at it in alarm.

Up ahead, Hayate had whirled around and was advancing towards her, his blade once again about to bear down on her. "Disintergrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! Bakudo # 9: Geki!" The flash of red light that engulfed Hayate blinded her but the air whistled next to her ear, the man's blade coming dangerously close to her head, making her doubt the spell's success. Once again, Yue narrowly avoided his katana and dashed out of the way, knowing she couldn't keep it up any longer with her nonexistent knowledge of Zanjutsu. Kouta was, luckily, directly behind her to deflect another one of his strikes he made with blinding speed. Even he had difficulty following the man's movements within his mist.

Apparently their game of cat and mouse wasn't of any interest to Hayate anymore as he went back to targeting Kouta, whom he'd decided was the more dangerous adversary. However, he'd realized that his left arm and part of his torso was paralyzed too late; his leg was also slowly succumbing to the paralysis. Kouta had just become used to the Yukihiro's speed, but it had diminished significantly.

Bleach: Finding Lightning and Ice

Knowing that he'd left the clearing of the area in very good hands, Isao departed back to Seireitei before the Gotei got involved. It had been his House's issue to find his daughter and Akimoto-sensei's son but now that it was done, it was no longer a personal concern of his. As he arrived back in Seireitei, he took Yue straight to the Yukihiro compound instead of the Fourth Division, knowing his own Healers were more than capable of handling a few bruises and a badly cut leg.

The courtyard was nearly deserted, for most of the members were either training in their own dojo, in Akimoto-sensei's dojo, resting or in the Human world. Taking Yue directly to the medical ward, he laid her down on a futon in an empty room, taking away her Zanpakuto to be sent back to her room. A young boy no older than twelve was sent to summon the Healer who, after quite a while, showed up to face a very impatient Isao. "Take care of any injuries she might have. When you're done, send her to her quarters and tell her to come see me when she feels better." The Healer nodded and Isao turned on his heel, his Shinigami robes billowing imposingly around him.

The next time Yue woke up she was back in her room, wearing a yukata instead of her Academy uniform and her Zanpakuto nowhere to be seen. According to the elderly maid, Hanako, Isao had ordered strict rest until further notice, which didn't bode well with Yue at all. She had little recollection of what happened beyond her father's appearance back in the Human world, nor what had happened to Kouta and the boy.

She took the opportunity of being summoned in Isao's office to get out of her room; it was becoming increasingly stifling remaining in the same place for extended periods of time. As she changed into a more formal kimono, Yue noticed the bandages around her left thigh but she could barely feel a thing. The hallways were strangely deserted and even though they were lighted, Yue couldn't tell what time it was.

Luckily, Isao was in the main sitting room, doing his usual calligraphy as he did during his free time. "Sit, Yue." Yue obeyed, taking a seat directly opposite him on a cushion five feet away. Isao wasted no time in making her explain everything right from the initial attack, including the Hollows' abnormal behaviour and her time with Kouta. It almost felt like an interrogation session.

Just before he dismissed her, Yue spoke up, already dreading the answer. "Otou-sama, can I go help with the clean-up?"

"No." Isao answered, not looking up from his calligraphy. "Do you think I'm going to let you out after what happened?"

That was what Yue had expected all along, but she couldn't bear to spend another day cooped up in her room. "I feel perfectly fine, Otou-sama. Please let me go assist Kouta-sensei. He's done so much for me."

Isao looked up at her, contemplating the information she'd given him over the past hour. "Only for a day. I'll notify you whenever I see fit. Considering what you've told me, we're quite possibly in his debt. Make sure you go and thank him personally, and I'm sending someone with you to make sure you don't get into trouble." Yue smiled and got up, bowing before exiting the room.

Over the next few days, there was no word from Isao or anyone in paticular, which only served to increase her anxiety. Furthermore, one side of Seion no Arashi seemed to be extremely mad at her, refusing to connect with her whenever she attempted to train with the Zanpakuto. While at first it started out as random sparks and weak currents, it quickly escalated to heavy charges that not only posed a threat to those within her immediate surroundings, but herself as well.

It was inconvenient to say the least. After enduring another painful near-electrocution, Yue had finally had enough and sealed Seion no Arashi back into wakizashi. Leaving the training courtyard behind, she retreated back into her chambers and, taking a series of turns and long hallways, emerged into one of the japanese gardens scattered across the compound, this one located behind the main house. It had an air of tranquility to it, the soft tinkling of the stream and faint morning sunlight making it a perfect place to meditate.

Stabbing the wakizashi into the ground hilt up, Yue sat down in front of the blades, trying to connect to the spirits within. Initially they didn't even bother hearing her out but after persistent trying over the course of an hour, Yue felt herself being pulled into their inner world.

The blizzard-like atmosphere was the first thing that registered, the harsh, biting winds hitting her face and making it hard to see. The fact that the entire place was upside-down was next, and, after a moment of panicked scrambling Yue managed to regain her direction orientation. A jagged, winding path led towards a castle, whose highest point was being consumed by a maelstrom of sorts. While it wasn't her ideal place to be, Yue had no choice but to venture out towards it and cross the path, for she knew that it was within the castle that Seion no Arashi resided. The path has nothing on either side, leading down to a seemingly bottomless abyss that made her run across as fast as possible, heaving a sigh of relief the moment she was within the glassy walls' safety.

Yue made out Seion no Arashi's lounging form the moment she entered the main hall. On the main platform only one man was present, stretched out on the near-transparent floor and his eyes fixed on the ceiling. He remained in that position for some time, seemingly taking no notice of Yue at the other end of the hall. In response, Yue cautiously neared the man, her eyes scanning the entire hall for the other half. Why wouldn't they just merge together and make it easier for both parties involved?

"He's not happy with you, you know." Seion no Arashi suddenly spoke, his head turning to look at her. His glassy blue eyes were piercing and uncomfortable. "Nor am I, for that matter, but I don't see the point of throwing hissy fits."

"I already apologized, I didn't mean to. It's all so new to me -" Yue started but Seion no Arashi cut her off.

"Excuses, excuses." He waved his hand as if to silence her. "It never does anyone any good to make excuses, does it?" At that moment, the other half materialized right behind Yue, startling her. She attributed this to the fact that this was their inner world, something they controlled freely.

"How many times have you carelessly neglected us?" The second one spoke, visibly angrier than the first. "You've dropped us countless times yet when you fight, you never think twice about us. Are your skills that superior that you don't need our power?" To that, Yue replied with a vigorous shake of her head.

"Then why do you continue to treat us as a mere object? Are we a hindrance to you?"

Once again, Yue shook her head. "I'm still learning -"

"Didn't we say no excuses? Regardless, you're not going to be using our power until you learn to appreciate what you've been given."

Had this ever happened before? Had a Zanpakuto ever cut ties with its master over a conflict? Yue had just opened her mouth to protest before she was suddenly ejected from their inner world. While at first she attributed this to Seion no Arashi, she realized the shadow hanging over her was infact Isao himself, who'd come with a man she barely recognized as Yukihiro Hiroshi.

Without any acknowledgment that he'd just interrupted her conversation, Isao gave her a hard look and pointed to the main house. "You're leaving tomorrow and Hiroshi is going with you. Try not to damage your Academy uniform beyond repair this time."

Bleach: Finding Lightning and Ice

It wasn't working properly; Seion no Arashi was clearly angry at her - well, one half anyway. The right side continuously malfunctioned, sending weaker and weaker bolts of lightning; the numbing ability was also weaker which worked against her. She knew the scope of her Zanpakuto's abilities but it absolutely refused to do its job properly, to the point where Yue started wondering whether it really was trying to kill her.

A Hollow's large arm started bearing down on her, pinning her onto the ground while another prepared to slash her in two with its razor-sharp, abnormally large claws. In a moment of panic, Yue dug Seion no Arashi into the arm, right when it decided to release a heavy charge no doubt intended to electrocute her had she only made minimal contact with the Hollow. It spasmed and the arm on her went limp, allowing her to roll out of the way of the second Hollow's nails. A well-placed kick sent it flying into its fellow Hollows, but there were more.

Kouta's yell broke her concentration; she whirled around to see a smaller yet much more agile Hollow with Seamus in his grip. Immediately, Yue felt something was off and leapt up after Kouta, getting her leg slashed in the process. The pain didn't immediately sink in, allowing her to chase both Seamus and Kouta down, thanking her lucky stars for being fast. Miraculously, the Hollows behind her didn't pursue her like she'd expected; wails, screeches and howls sounded among the ring of metal. However, she didn't look back. "Kouta-sensei! No!"

She was only a few feet away, arm outstretched to grip his shoulder and somehow pull him back but her leg started slowing her down. Without much thought, Yue swore and pushed on, knowing the small Hollow couldn't do much damage to the boy, unless it was taking him to a larger nest of Hollows and leading Kouta and herself on with him. "Kouta-sensei, stop!" Full-blown panic started to seep in and among the muddle of thoughts, she wondered where this chase would lead to. There was still no pursuit behind her and with a painful burst of energy, Yue leapt forward and pulled at Kouta's shoulder. "Stop, something's not right!" She didn't have the strength to pull him back and lost her grip, flailing for a second before wrapping her arms securely around a tree trunk.

"Yes," he replied strongly and defiantly. "The boy has been taken by a Hollow!" It was a condescending answer but a valid answer, nonetheless. She was injured but he couldn't do much about it now.

A wail broke through the tree-tops, chilling Yue to the bone. Kouta's head jerked in a direction he believed might be where the sound originated. It was impossible to tell whether it was the boy or the Hollow.

Arms wrapped around her midsection and Yue shrieked, lashing out with her limbs before the form pulled her down. "Yue!" Kouta shouted. "Stay still, Yue." Isao's voice sounded right behind her, his arms loosening as soon as she managed to stay upright. "Isao-sama," Kouta said to himself. He exhaled in relief and descended down the tree himself.

"Otou-sama, what was that wail?!" Her voice was panicked, eyes up in the treetops.

Isao pulled her down, making her sit and lean against a tree. He then looked at Kouta with a look of pride in the man's eyes. "Calm down, Hayate knows which one to kill," he said to Yue. He was uncharacteristically gentle, possibly because he could tell his daughter was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He was in full Shinigami garb instead of his usual robes, with his Zanpakuto fastened to one side. Kouta found this outfit strange yet unusually fitting for the man.

As if right on cue, Hayate dropped down out of the trees, holding a limp Seamus in his arms. "I had to knock him out, Isao-sama. He wouldn't stop screaming, thinking I was a Hollow." Isao nodded, his eyes examining the unconscious boy carefully, obviously interested in the boy's heightened spiritual perception.

After a long moment, he nodded in the direction leading out of the clump of trees. "Take him back to his parents, wherever they are. And make sure he's awake." He added, well aware that the man would most possibly just dump the boy on the doorstep. With a nod, Hayate flung the boy over his shoulder and Flash Stepped in the direction of the town.

As soon as the man was no longer in sight, Isao turned towards Kouta. "You... that was impressive. You're Akimoto Taiki's son, yes? Your skills are remarkable." He was impressed as to how the man had fought without activating Shikai. "Thank you, Isao-sama," he said with great self-confidence, bowing deeply much like his father would to most anyone. "Please make sure that boy is safe, Isao-sama," he continued, skeptical of whether or not the head of the Yukihiro House would rather test and train the boy for their own ends rather than let him live peacefully with his family, assuming he had one that was peaceful.

Isao nodded once in acknowledgement before leaning down to pick Yue up. She was half-conscious, and by this point the entire conversation was flying over her head.

Seion no Arashi had sealed itself sometime during the chase as her Reiryoku was completely used up, reverting back to its wakizashi form and dropping to the ground. Unfortunately, once again, Yue had failed to notice. Several metres away, one of the wakizashi stood embedded into the ground, and the other nowhere to be seen. Kouta walked over to eject it from the ground and return it to Yue's side. "Please, don't be too upset with her. She fought well against you and the Hollows," he whispered to the Zanpakuto.

Bleach: Finding Lightning and Ice

For a fleeting moment, Yue felt something. What, she couldn't tell. But a split second later, it was gone. She reassured herself with the thoughts of it just being a rescue squad but despite that, her uneasiness grew within her. She thought back to the initial attack; the way the Hollows remained undetected despite their proximity, until the very last second.

However, Yue didn't want to scare the child or alarm Kouta with that information. As Kouta had arrived moments after the attack, he probably hadn't noticed that unsettling characteristic. Her paranoia grew, until it just spilled past her lips. "They're nearly undetectable. No one, not even the instructor could sense them until it was too late." Yue's mind replayed the frightening scenario in an endless loop, and she knew Kouta would be angry at her, very angry, for not sharing that information.

"Are you telling me you sensed one just now?" His eyes darted around them. He wasn't able to see anything other than leaves and branches twitching in the cooling autumn breezes. His hand jolted to the hilt of his Zanpakuto, hoping to gain the upper hand by being prepared rather than exerting any more spiritural pressure than he needed to.

"I think so," She replied. There it was again, that strage, uneasy feeling. Yue could practically see the Hollows scaling downn the trees, one by one, swarming in until they were overwhelmed. After a moment of panicked searching, Yue located one of the wakizashi at her side and the other was nowhere to be seen.

Worriedly, she got up and walked a little distance away from Kouta and Seamus looking for the other half of her Zanpakuto, inwardly berating herself for being so stupid as to lose it. In the distance, a glint caught her eye and after a moment of squinting through the bright sunlight, Yue made out the mint-colored handle of her Zanpakuto. Crossing the twenty or so metres to get it, she bent down to pick it up before a chill ran through her. The same kind of chill she'd felt moments before the first attack.

Turning on her heel, Yue darted back towards Kouta and Seamus. "They're coming!" Her hand gripped the hilt of her Zanpakuto and as the first of the Hollows materialized, she pushed Seamus behind her, out of sight, on instinct. In less than a moment, Yue made the split-second decision. She had little Reiryoku left for enough Kido. Nor could she fight efficiently without that Kido so she did the next best thing: "Split the heavens, Seion no Arashi!" A blinding lavender light flashed from the disintergrating wakizashi, before it materialized back onto her hands into a much more useful weapon. Her gigai was gone; the dummy had exploded outward into dust the moment Yue's soul had exited.

The distorted bodies of the Hollows lunged - every single one Yue took down, another took its place. Deaden Nerves was of little use; numbing didn't stop the masses of Hollows from storming forward, in an alarmingly uniform manner. Slash after slash released a small bolt of lightning incinerating those in its path into ashes. It kept her from getting too overwhelmed on her side; even so, Yue kept an eye on Kouta although she knew he didn't need it, but her concern didn't stop her from worrying about the man. Seamus was miraculously ignored at this point, due to his spiritual pressure being dwarfed by Yue's released Reiatsu.

Bleach: Finding Lightning and Ice

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the child clinging onto her like his life depended on it, Yue gently pried his hands away and knelt down next to him at eye level. He was still crying, and she suspected that it was also partly because he was probably intimidated by Kouta. "What's your name?" She inquired as gently as possible, but he continued to cry from the shock of the Hollow. Seeing no other alternative, Yue drew him into her arms in an attempt to calm him down and while at first it seemed to have no effect, his shaking form graully stilled.

Kouta wasn't surprised by her warmth. She possessed a childishness that deeply cared for others, even if she didn't know it. He stood back, caring little to intervene further in a situation that was beyond a human child to be caught up within.

"What's your name?" Yue repeated but didn't let go of the boy.

He didn't seem too inclined to answer but, exhausted from all the running, gave in. "Seamus," He managed, not looking up at Kouta or Yue. She patted him on the back and stood up, keeping hold of the boy's hand.

"Where do you live?" Yue asked, not too repulsed at the idea of taking care of an unknown child. "Do your parents know you're here?"

Seamus shook his head. "I'm not sure, miss. I live there," He pointed towards the rather large town and Yue knew that unless someone came looking for him, it would be impossible to find his family - they couldn't go knocking at every house until they found the one that he lived in. "I was with my dad when the monster came, I ran away," Yue sighed and gave Kouta a helpless look. Now what?

She had no clue what to do with the kid, having lived a sheltered life for so long and fending for herself prior to that. No matter what she knew the rational thing to do was - ditch the kid to avoid any more danger - Yue just couldn't let him go all by himself. He was aware of spiritual beings, as he'd demonstrated while running from the Hollow but that just meant he'd attract even more. It was risky, but she could tell Seamus didn't want to be left behind either.

"Do you want to stay with us until someone comes to find you?" Seamus nodded in response, and Yue sighed. "Okay then. Are you hungry?" He nodded once again, so Yue gently tugged on his hand in the direction of the barn. "Come on, let's go." Yue could tell he was mildly suspicious but in no place to deny food, for he had probably missed breakfast and by the looks of him, he most likely came from one of he poorer families. And that spelt trouble, for the poor families rarely ever cared enough to search for their missing children, as they probably had too many to handle.

Minutes later, Seamus sat on one of the haystack, devouring one biscuit after the other at an alarming pace until Yue took the packet away from him and handed them to him instead. While he was eating, he kept up a stream of constant questions that Yue had to deal with, as she knew Kouta probably wasn't too keen on answering. It was hard, as she had to come up with new identities for both on the spot, and Yue was soon thanking the heavens for her "gift".

"Where do you live, miss?"

"In a small village a few miles away."

"...Then why are you living in a barn?"

"We're not living here, I just don't like the sun much. And please don't call me miss, I'm not that old."

"What's your name then?"

"Hannah."

"What about him?" Seamus inclined his head towards Kouta. "Why is he with you? Do you know him? Why are you traveling with a stranger?"

"I'm not traveling, Seamus. And he's not a stranger. He's my... brother."

"He doesn't look like your brother..."

"I was adopted?" That came out as more of a question than a statement but the young child didn't pick up on it.

"What's your name, mister?" Seamus turned towards Kouta.

Yue poked the boy's arm to get his attention and handed him another biscuit. "Hush now, enough questions. Eat up."

By the time Seamus was done eating, quite a bit of time had elapsed. His questions had thankfully stopped while he ate but now that he had nothing to do, they started up again.

"Hannah?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you dressed like that?"

Bleach: Finding Lightning and Ice

"Please don't look yet," Though Kouta-sensei had turned away, she repeated her earlier request as she sorted out through the clothes he'd brought for her. She contemplated over her choices for a few moments, the sundress' floral pattern appealing to her much more than the cargo-like pants. Foregoing the shirt, Yue slipped into the trousers that were slightly too small for her, reaching her knees and then pulled the sundress over her head. It didn't look as bad as the knee-length skirt covered her pants quite well.

Pushing the barn's doors open, Yue turned and addressed Kouta. "I'll go look for food, sensei. I'll be back in a little while." With that, she walked out into the faint sunlight, her eyes quickly adjusting to the light.

Having aready journeyed far enough away from the barn, he'd already come to the conclusion that any threats nearby were minimal to non-existant. This put his mind at rest that Yue would come to no harm on a short journey for some food. He welcomed the rest, as well.

The town wasn't quite far off, so she set out into a comfortable pace and within and hour or so, reached the outskirts. Most of the buildings were low farmhouses with fields stretching out over vast distances at their rear. As it was already near noon, people were bustling in and out of their houses, preparing lunch and the like. Yue blended in pretty well among the people, appearing as a regular passerby.

The quietest house was smaller than the others but with a gate as high as Yue herself barricading outsiders away. Beyond the drawn curtains, Yue made out every room she could see was empy but even then she made minimal noise. She lifted herself up and over the fence surrounding the side, careful not to be spotted by neighbours or passersby. It was fairly easy to break in, as the back door was wide open. On the far side of the house, a few feet away, was a dog kennel which most likely housed a guard dog. Hearing the deep growls coming from the kennel, Yue silently tiptoed past he threshold and entered the house. To her luck, it was empty, save for an occupant that was clearly taking a bath in where Yue assumed was the bathroom.

The house had a bright, happily decorated appearance yet it was quiet, almost unnervingly so, as Yue moved along the wooden floors like a shadow. Moving past several doors made her hasten her steps as she reached the kitchen, raiding the cupboards and fridge in silent yet hurried movements. She was careful to take only an unnoticeable amount of food, something she could easily carry and left everything in its place prior to her intrusion. Yue was out of the house in a matter of minutes and legged it back to the barn, worried that she'd been gone far too long to care about the man that had spotted her and cried out after her.

The sun was quite bright by now, the warm sunlight flooding into the barn as she quietly slipped in, her arms full of packed lunch of sorts and a couple of packets of biscuits of some kind. Human food was decidedly weird as she set the food down in a cleaner corner of the barn with not so much hay strewn about. Yue herself hadn't had much of an appetite since she'd woken up, so she decided to sit a few feet away, slipping back into her usual mannerisms.

The barn being small and quite run-down, even the faintest of sounds could be heard from the surroundings. However, the sound that nearly shook the structure from its intensity was all-too-familiar. Another Hollow cry reverbrated through the air and Yue was quickly on her feet, alert. Listening closely, however, revealed another, different cry from the Hollow's, that of a child. The Hollow nearing, Yue made a snap decision and dashed out the door, out into the open. The sunlight blinded her momentarily, but a large shadow was quickly cast over it as the Hollow loomed overhead.

Her guess had been correct: a small child, seeming no older than five was running at a breakneck speed in the barn's direction, the Hollow trampling along at an alarmingly fast pace behind it. Yue didn't react for a few moments, only watching the Hollow chase the child. It was obvious the child had some spiritual power as it had attracted one of the larger Hollows, a Hollow that was quickly gaining on it.

Seeing that the child was nearing, Yue felt a bit of panic creep over her. What was she supposed to do? Help the child? She didn't even know how to get out of the darn gigai. Thankfully, the Hollow hadn't spotted her yet, but the child did, and altered its direction towards Yue. Alarmed, Yue made another split second decision and let the child run past. The Hollow neared, just in time to get hit by Shakkaho. However, as the Hollow moved in the last second, it only severed its right arm and a portion of the shoulder. A terrible cry rumbled through the air before the Hollow somewhat recovered and continued its path towards the kid and now Yue. She backed away, keeping the child out of sight behind her as she started chanting another spell, aware that her Reiryoku was running dangerously low.

Bleach: Finding Lightning and Ice

While she'd intended to follow Kouta-sensei's actions and enter the gigai, Yue turned rather hurriedly away a moment after he'd emerged stark naked, her face coloring at the unexpected sight and decided against trying the gigai. She was thankful for the fact that he'd left to find some clothes for her before she entered the gigai, something she could've unknowingly done had he not gone first.

While he was out, Yue tried to heal her shoulder and ribs with the one, low-level Kaido spell she knew. It was fairly slow but the green glow around her hand healed her well enough for most of the pain to subside, after half an hour or so of constant healing. The only indication of her injuries were dark, purpling bruises that Yue reckoned would fade soon enough. However, as much as she wanted to try out the Kaido spell onto the seniors, she knew it was a futile attempt.

Bleach: Finding Lightning and Ice

It was quite a while until Yue woke up, the sun's rays not bothering her a tiny bit. What had disturbed her slumber was the persistent cold, something she noted had not faded overnight. Whether it was her own Reiryoku or Kouta-sensei's Shikai, she didn't know. The hay had offered little warmth, but it had been quite comfortable nonetheless. As the light streamed through the cracks in the run-down barn, Yue stretched, careful not to damage her uniform any further as she brushed a stray bug or two away.

The previous day's events were all one unpleasant blur and that was something Yue quickly shoved out of her mind in favour of getting up and out of the pile of hay. Kouta-sensei's words barely registered in her clouded mind at first, but then looking closer, Yue could tell he was tired.

"You should sleep, sensei. I could go look for food in the meantime, while it is still early." She spoke, subtly inching away as far as she could from the dead seniors.

Bleach: Finding Lightning and Ice

Yue winced at the hand placed on her shoulder; it felt bruised, sending a dull throb of pain through her shoulder. She turned to glance back at the place where they'd last performed Konso and up at the buildings where she'd seen the Hollows emerge from; she could feel nothing, nothing foreign except Kouta-sensei. Even the most miniscule of pressure was absent. "No, sensei."

His heavy steps, again, much unlike his father's light, graceful steps, drove him to the lifeless bodies now cold with death. He managed to easily fling them over each shoulder and motion to Yue to follow him further away from the swarm site. "Do you know any good places we can hide while we wait for the Gotei?"

As she led Kouta-sensei to a barn she'd spotten nearby, Yue found her mind wandering back to the attack a few minutes prior. Kido that small hadn't taxed her Reiryoku reserves but it had still tired her out, and after accidentally electrocuting herself alongside getting smacked around like a ragdoll, Yue felt pretty beat up. Her Zanpakuto remained untouched at her side, barely hanging on as her uniform's sash was heavily torn a few inches away along one side.

It was spoken with such a foreign taste it was like Kouta didn't relate himself with the Gotei even as he worked for them now. Regardless, his steps remained heavy, almost forced, as he was led to a lone barn within the forest nearby. "Tsuki no Urotsuku Ōkami, Unari," he mumbled to himself. Immediately, the temperature dropped at least 10C and the fog became heavier. He found it was more useful to sense with his Shikai than his own ability to sense Reiatsu. It was more accurate anyway and with such an excessive amount of Reiryoku, it wasn't difficult for him to keep up in the least.

The Senkaimon's disappearance was unnerving to say the least; she'd never been away from the gate, ever. The prospect of waiting out here, in the Human world, was less than reassuring. However, Yue knew that she would not be taken as dead until her 'dead body' was found, something she knew her father would dedicate most of his energy to. They wouldn't be stuck out here for long, not before some Shinigami or the other - most likely dispached by her own House - traced their location.

The inside of the barn was surprisingly warm and dry, the interior devoid of anything but a few small piles of hay in the far corner. It was a welcome change, as they stepped in away from the mist that had formed outside. Yue had noted Kouta-sensei releasing his Zanpakuto as they had neared the barn, effectively dropping the temperature by a significant amount and combined with Yue's own freezing Reiatsu, she reckoned that if the temperature dropped any lower, they'd be close to subzero. It was getting highly uncomfortable on Yue's part - the biting cold was nearly too much to bear, despite her being used to it.

She waited for Kouta-sensei to put the seniors down to one side, pointedly ignoring the bodies as she felt another wave of mild nausea pass through her from only thinking about it. A moment later, she kneeled on the hard floor and bowed low to the man who'd most probably saved her life. "Thank you, Kouta-sensei." Yue said simply, the gratitude in her voice speaking for itself.

Though several long years had passed since she'd last set foot in Akimoto-sensei's dojo, Yue couldn't drop the -sensei suffix in place of -san; it was hard for her to think of Kouta as anyone else except her teacher, the teacher that she'd had for so long and had taught her so much. He was someone she looked up to, quite possibly more than anyone else, apart from his father.