Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ The Forgotten ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

`Tsk tsk this just won't do, stability of the specimen is dropping too rapidly for me to keep it in this type of `storage' for much longer…,' an irate Mayuri Kurotsuchi commented as he returned back to the 12th division's compound. His comments were directed to the four men currently hauling a delicate looking glass container filled with obscuring liquids. Watching impatiently as his third through sixth seated subordinates carried in the container at a slow, agonizing pace, Mayuri made a mental note to have each of them demoted before calling in his most reliable subordinate.

“Nemu, retrieve the container from these bumbling imbeciles and take it to laboratory two. Post haste!” the frighteningly pale captain ordered.

“Hai Mayuri-sama,” Nemu answered in a respectful monotone, before single handedly lifting the large container above her head and swiftly walking towards the commanded location.

The four men just watched in emasculated awe, as their petite lieutenant carried the tank away without breaking a sweat. However to their embarrassment their captain hadn't moved in inch, and was in fact staring right at them.

“I expect to see the each of you standing with the new recruits at the next division meeting,” Mayuri said in an almost bored tone, not caring that each of men had a shocked and appalled look on their face. Turning towards the direction his lieutenant left in, Mayuri cold dismissed each of the `new recruits' without another word and made his way towards his lab.

Mayuri arrived just as Nemu put the container on the floor, and with a snap of his fingers the young woman stepped away from the tank and a single light came on above the prism in question. Stepping forth into the light, Mayuri paced around the rectangular box looking the liquid filled container up and down with an inquisitive eye.

Running his fingers along the glass Mayuri didn't wince in the slightest at the grating sound of his fingers against the glass. The chaotic chorus continued on as Mayuri circled the container, fingers dancing merrily in weird patterns along the sides before he finally stopped at the point he started.

Nemu could only sit quietly and wonder while her captain looked so amused with running this container, but she got her answer when the lines Mayuri had created with his fingers ignited with reishi creating a complex kido seal that spread all around the tank. The glass soon melted away along with the dark liquids that where inside revealing the unthinkable…

Inside the glass prism, hidden by the dark liquids was a limb form being held up by reishi sealing shackles. Without the presence of the drug filled water around it, the creature stirred quickly and began thrashing against the reishi absorbing chains that bound it to the floor.

Mayuri watched in disinterest for a moment before snapping his fingers once against causing the chains to light up with a subduing lightning kido. The creature fell limp once again, breathing heavily against the ground.

“Pathetic shinigami, just kill me already isn't enough that you stopped me from reaching my true potential?!” the Adjuchas hollow cried before charging at Mayuri again this time drawing a reaction from the sadistic scientist.

“Kukuku really who ever said I stopped you from reaching your potent? No it is quite the opposite my --> empty friend[Author:JDSIII] , you are about to experience a release unlike any other. However to do this I needed you here and not in the bowels of that forsaken hollow kingdom you call home for that dream to be realized,” Mayuri replied excitedly.

“Nemu! Your zanpakuto my dear,” the twelfth division commander called suddenly without once taking his eyes off of the barely alive creature in front of him.

“What are you doing…,” The hollow started before a powerful spiritual pressure descended down on him.

“You, an adjunchas level hollow should understand more than anything what a zanpakuto symbolizes and what it would do to you if I were to destroy your mask,” Mayuri said darkly before edging closer to the chained monster.

“So this is your plan? To try a break me with these idle threats? Foolish shinigami, I realized that this day would come every since my conscious won the right to reign over this body there is nothing you can do to scare… me…,” the hollow started indignantly, only to be interrupted by Mayuri's laughter.

“Oh your simple mind amuses me my empty little friend, but if you think for a moment you are going to be killed so simply then you are sadly mistaken. I'll clue you in to something, and hopefuly your pitiful little mind can understand what I'm saying. Only those I have special interest in get to see my lab and you as a hollow are the first…,” Mayuri said slowly, while running his fingers across the flat edge of Nemu's zanpakuto.

“The reason you may ask? Because you are in between two worlds so to speak, and by that I mean you are in between the phase of becoming a true threat to Soul Society itself and being meager trash that can be deal this by any half-competent shinigami. You are in the middle of your ascension to the highest hollow plane known, you are about to become a Vasto Lorde,” Mayuri finished with a sinister smirk as the hollow eyes widened in shock.

“Didn't think I knew about that did you? Well we shinigami are more informed then you think, however I have never been privileged enough to actually observe the process first hand… And that my empty little friend is where you come in,” Mayuri started as he circled the hollow, like a shark ready to devour its prey.

“Even if you know that how can that help you? You are just like all the foolish, self righteous shinigami around you…,” but that's as far as the hollow got before Mayuri buried Nemu's zanpakuto into stomach, right under his hollow hole.

“You have insulted my intelligence for the second time in this meeting. Do it a third time and you will find this meeting to be far more painful than you can ever hope to image.” Mayuri said coldly before backing away from the shocked creature, zanpakuto still buried in its chest.

“Now where was I…ah yes, you role as a fledging Vasto Lorde is to become the opening I need to complete an old fool's work,” the scientist said wistfully as he remember a time when he was just a vice-captain.

“What are you talking about shinigami?” the hollow asked, sure not to insult the man yet again.

“I'm glad you asked, maybe you aren't as stupid as I first thought. However that is trivial to the matter at hand, you are the key the unlocks a world of potential no one, not even that old fool could ever image,” Mayuri said aloud not even talking to hollow anymore but the heavens above.

“You my empty little friend will by the beginning of a new era, where the powers of the death gods and death itself are fused together and made into one,” Mayuri said while calming down.

“What!? I will not be a part of this twisted fusion fantasy of yours you deluded foo...,” but the hollows words stopped short of his last breath.

“Thrice you insult me, and now you pay for it. However in your death you may prove to be more useful than in life,” Mayuri said coolly as the reishi coated blade lay embedded in the hollow's mask.

`Now we will see Uraha,a whose fusion is more complete,' Mayuri thought to himself as the hollow energies were siphoned into his lieutenant's zanpakuto. Shortly after the glowing faded and the power of the fledge Vasto Lorde had been successfully contained in Nemu's zanpakuto.

“Nemu!” Mayuri called loudly summoning his lieutenant by his side without another word.

“This experiment is of grave importance so I am trusting you, to keep this zanpakuto sealed at all times no matter the cost,” Mayuri said with a serious look in his eyes.

“Hai Mayuri-sama,” Nemu said before bowing and leaving her captain's presence.

“Now all we have to do is wait,” Mayuri said to no one in particular as he went about destroying the hollow's remains.

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Kasumi was an energetic baby, always crawling around and getting into things that probably, she should avoid. Even when she began to walk, at a very young age much to Yoruichi's delight, she would waddle and later on, run around until she either had to stop or her mother came and collected her. Due to exposure to the hogyoku, Kasumi had almost no reiatsu, therefore her ability to use kido, shunpo or even to manifest a zanpakuto even though she was so young, were almost non existent. Probably the biggest surprise came on the girls second birthday.

While she had been separated from Soul Society for a while, Yoruichi had adjusted well enough, but she did have one indulgence she couldn't do without, a good competition. Weather it was a race at the local high school, or a martial arts tournament, she would go and watch, unseen by the masses as they competed against each other, often to the former shinigami's delight and humor. Kasumi, it seemed, had taken up the same interest, though she tended to enjoy the martial arts tournaments much more than anything else. As part of her little girl's second birthday, Yoruichi and Kisuke had decided to take her to the national tournament being held that coming weekend. It would be the first time that she would be forced to use a gigai, but both parents thought it was time she learned how to get around in one. As was typical for any two year old, weather they were a shinigami or human, you can't just force them to do anything, and Kasumi was no exception. She was looking forward to seeing the fights and was too excited to wait while Kisuke rummaged around the back of his shop looking for the specially crafted gigai he had made for her.

“C'mon Mamma!” She whined and pulled on the sleeve of the shirt Yoruichi was wearing.

“It'll be just a minute more honey; your `father' seems to have gotten lost IN HIS OWN WORKSHOP!” Yoruichi yelled into the back where Kisuke was. While Yoruichi wasn't sure she wanted Kasumi to look at Kisuke like a father, when the girl's first words were directed at the loveable, if not laughable shop owner, there was no going back.

“But I don' wanna wear that dum dum suit.” Kasumi pleaded, large brown eyes glistening with tears as she tried her best to sway her mother. Sadly for the new two year old, her mom was made of some stern stuff and didn't crack.

“Sorry Kasumi-chan, but you'll have to wear this, at least for the night.”

Said toddler crossed her arms and pouted rather cutely, causing her shirt to lift from her waist just a tiny bit.

“I wish I dinn't hafta wear that thing.” She half spoke half whispered. Before her mother could respond or even turn around, a soft glow suddenly lit up the tiny store and scaring the living daylights out of Yoruichi, who immediately spun around and found that…nothing seemed to have changed. She kneeled to get down to eye level with her daughter and was astounded to find that she was perfectly healthy, except that was…solid. She had a physical form that she hadn't had until just now.

“KISUKE GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!” She screamed as authoritatively as she could, and not cuss in front of her child. The startled man stumbled from the back of his shop, still without the special gigai. He looked at the girl who considered him a father and was a bit perplexed to see that she was physically present, but without the new kimono he had dressed the gigai in. It was a beautiful black and red formal kimono with some golden accents.

“Oh good, where did you find it…and where's the kimono I bought?” He asked, forgetting that Kasumi hated to wear formal the formal clothes. Thus, he missed the disgusted look that flashed across her face.

“I didn't find it. She did that on her own.” Yoruichi explained before leaning into her friend and whispering in his ear. “Is it possible for the orb to change a shinigami into a human?”

“Well, I suppose it is possible, but it'll take some time to figure that out. Time that could be better spent getting to the tournament.” He smiled at the young girl whose eyes picked up at getting to the fights sooner.

“Not until she's dressed better. It's not everyday that your birthday comes around.” Yoruichi stopped any celebrating and began the arduous task of getting her little girl into a kimono.

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It turned out the Orb of Distortion was responsible for the transformation of Kasumi and it seemed to be permanent. Eventually Kisuke hoped to be able to remove the orb completely, as it was still separate from her soul, but for now, she was a human, devoid of all her shinigami powers and equipped with only the ability to see hollows and other shinigami. This transformation was necessarily wasn't a bad thing, as Yoruichi had immediately insisted on training Kasumi in hand to hand combat, the only real form of self-defense she would have until Kisuke figured out what was happening.

What with her love of the fights she would watch with her mother, and considering who her mother was, both biological and self-appointed, it was no shock that Kasumi took to fighting like a fish takes to water. Very quickly she became proficient enough for her mother to consider entering her in tournaments. The very first time she entered a competition, at the age of five, any fears Yoruichi had quickly vanished as her daughter ran roughshod through the other children, defeating them with little trouble. While most of the children took the loss like kids, there was one girl, roughly the same age who seemed to have a spark of jealousy in her eyes, promising for an interesting rivalry between the two girls. Over the next many years and even more tournaments, the two did start up a rivalry…though Kasumi never lost to the girl, Arisawa Tatsuki, and by the time the two were 11, Kasumi had been allowed to move up an age division where she proceeded to dominate in similar fashion.

The one drawback, at least as Kasumi saw it, to her new found humanity, was the fact that she had to…attend school. Apparently it was illegal for a child to not be enrolled in a school, at least up to a certain age. So she had to go to school, wear stupid school uniforms and do homework. Only once that was all done could she go train with her mother, the one thing she truly loved to do.

There were a few of her classmates that she had been keeping tabs on, as they seemed to be more spiritually aware than the others, or at least showed a little bit of ability to sense hollows and thus, they might become targets themselves. There was Tatsuki, the girl that always treated her with indifference and after getting beaten so many times, Kasumi wasn't sure she'd be any different had the roles been reversed. There was Yasutora Sado, who was a gigantic boy, but the gentlest person she had ever met. His awareness was lower than any of the others, but the amount of Reiatsu he had would surely make him a target sooner rather than later. Uryu Ishida was the smartest student in the class and always seemed to be a little uptight. He was always on time and sat quietly in the class long before it was to begin. Though she had no proof, Kasumi believed him to be a Quincy, as his reiatsu levels were very large and he had an almost perfect ability to sense reiatsu. Inoue Orihime was a very nice girl, who despite being very close to Tatsuki, had approached Kasumi and offered friendship, back when Kasumi had first met her. She was a very close friend and had tried many times to get Tatsuki and Kasumi to resolve the conflict between them, but to no avail.

Kasumi was sitting in her seat near the back of the class as the final person she had been watching walked into the room. She had the bad habit of chewing on her hair, which was spiky but hang down to her shoulder blades, held up in a ponytail with the exception of her bangs which framed her face and allowed her to indulge in this rather damaging vice. She looked up to the doorway and saw the unmistakable orange hair of Kurosaki Ichigo, the boy with the most reiatsu she had ever felt in a human and almost no ability to sense it.

She had been a little surprised to see him today, there had been a large amount of reiatsu released the night before right by his family's house, enough to draw Kasumi and her mother out into the night, though any fighting was over by the time they arrived and the pair slunk away at the sight of a shinigami repair crew repairing large craters in the road, as well as half of the Kurosaki's house. Something must have happened, because he seemed very detached today and barely even murmured a greeting to Orihime. The object, or perhaps cause of his detachment was reveled when the door opened shortly after he sat down. A tiny girl with short black hair that poofed around her head and then flared outward at her neck walked in and sat down in front of Kasumi.

Rukia sat down at a desk next to Ichigo. She would be damned if she didn't watch him so long as he had HER powers. She turned to face the girl behind her who was currently staring at a book on her desk and chewing on her dark blue, almost black hair.

“Good morning, my name is Kuchiki Rukia.” She offered as politely as she could. At first the girl didn't raise her head, though Rukia thought she caught her eyes flash upwards for a second. Eventually she raised her head and Rukia gazed into a pair of light brown eyes that held a certain warmth that Rukia couldn't place. She didn't know it, but that warmth was more of a fire, trying to burn out what a Kuchiki was doing in a human school.

“Shihoin Kasumi. Nice to meet you.” Kasumi grunted out before returning to her book.

Though she tried to hide it best she could, Rukia was dumbfounded. There was a member of the Shihoin family here? No…this had to be a coincidence that was all. Shaking off the curt greeting, Rukia turned her attention back to watching Ichigo and making sure he didn't kill himself prematurely.

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