Crossover Fan Fiction / Bleach Fan Fiction / Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Aint Nothing But Magick (reverse) ❯ Chapter 36 ( Chapter 36 )

Title: Ain't Nothing But Magick (Reverse)

Authors: J'dee, Mabelle, & Tobias

Rating: NC-17 some chapters, for sexual stuff, but mostly its for the smoking, drinking, and some fowl language.

Genre: Drama / Humor/ Action / Adventure / Romance

Author's Note: ANBM the original was an interactive fic for a 25 + authors in a self insertion in to DBZ/GT anime world…. This is more of the reverse… 25+ anime characters in OUR world…

 

Chapter 36

 

 

Roy walked into Belle and J'dee's apartment. Glancing over he caught Zack sitting on the couch with J'dee's PSP in hand, Reno leaning over his shoulder watching him play a game.

“Yo you're getting your ass handed to you by Sephiroth.” Reno grinned.

“Shuddup okay… I'm not used to this game.”

Roy rolled his eyes. “Crisis Core again?”

Zack looked up. “What? No. J'dee won't let me play that says it'll bring back to many memories.”

“Yeah he's playing this Dissidia thing. Found it hiding in her drawer.”

Roy let out a breath. “He did or you did Reno?”

Reno flashed a grin. “Hey Belle was soundo in there I was curious, testing out her consciousness yo.”

“By raiding J'dee's dresser?” Roy shook his head. “Is Belle awake yet?”

Zack's sigh pretty much answered Roy's question, before he spoke. “Hisagi and Kira are in there, but I don't think either J'dee or Belle have moved all night.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

It was the last great assembly of elemental beings barely a tenth of the population was present, the rest had vanished but the news was shocking, their souls had divided to numerous pieces and flittered across existence.

Belle rested her head against the shoulder of her Air mate while his head was bowed in consideration. Their time was over but there were some that wanted to fight it, Belle's Earth didn't want to divide, but it was time. He was determined not to give up his being but Belle was tired, so tired, all of her offspring had vanished, choosing to become pieces of soul in mortal bodies.

Her mate gently pressed his forehead to hers; they had lost many of their young to this trend. It seemed that the souls could rejoin occasionally, but it was a massive power and very rare. Belle was interested in the fact that the soul pieces that had been parts of mates would often join with their mate's pieces. She looked at her Air mate and he nodded. Belle looked at her Air, Earth, and Fire. The knowledge of her choice was clear in her eyes and her Air wept while her Fire looked shock. Earth was enraged and he charged her, but her Air mate lifted her into the air with him. They would go together into pieces, perhaps they would meet again in another form. Earth's roars followed them as they found a mountain beside the ocean.

Their last kiss was sweet before they both dropped from the mountain. She zoomed through the air faster than him and instead of entering the water Belle shattered as if she were a glass. Her Air mate stared at the water, blowing into pieces long before he hit the water.

 

Belle sobbed in her sleep, but remained unconscious, still too tired to wake.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Ichigo let out a breath out as he pushed himself up from the floor where he was dumped. “What's the meaning of this?”

He glanced round seeing the glimmer of glass from the invisible cage. He saw the tanks had been moved into the room and the three other tanks held forms, a blonde, a red head and another boy his own age with orange hair.

“I'm going to do a little testing.” The man who called himself Air stated. In his hand a glimmering pendant and Ichigo saw the light shimmer for a moment and he watched as a woman seemed to fall from it dumped to the ground, her naked form hitting the ground.

The familiar sound of a soul chain rattled as she let out a groan.

Ichigo blinked for a moment as she glanced up for a moment, brown eyes catching his for a moment making him almost gasp.

“M-Mom?”

Her saw her smile. “I'm glad you're okay…” She let her forehead rest to her arm.

Air knelt down by her side.

“What are you going to do to her?!” Ichigo's hand touched the smooth glass like texture of the cage.

Air seemed to smirk before he stood up.

Ichigo blinked seeing a shadow form from the wall behind air and he made out the glimmer of metal as it seemed to materialize in the darkly dressed shadow's hand.

“Sephiroth…” Air stated. “I want to test out a little theory about how the soul and the body are connected.”

The giant man walked up to her. Ichigo clenched his fist and the sword struck out in a flash causing her entire body to jerk as she gasped, falling back to the ground impaled there by the sword.

“MOM!” His fist rapidly banging the glass.

“How o…original of y-you… Seph.” She groaned before she began to cough, her hand moving to her mouth to look at the blood.

“AERITH!”

Ichigo watched as her eyes widened and she glanced over her shoulder looking to the blonde in the tank, the lack gloved hand touching the glass.

“Oh God Cloud.” Her voice sounded strained filled with worry. “How can he-?”

 

Air moved up to the tank he hadn't become aware the blonde woke up, what was interesting was that Cloud saw her as clearly as Sephiroth, Ichigo and himself could.

“How curious.” He seemed to come to the conclusion why quickly. “I forgot her spirit seemed to frequent you.” He chuckled. “This will be fun… See I find it amusing that even the soul can bleed. Earth didn't…”

“SEPHIROTH! Get away from her!” Cloud banged on the glass of the tank.

Air saw the corner of Sephiroth's mouth tilt up in a smirk, before he twisted the blade round before pulling it out and ramming it through her shoulder causing the pain stricken choked gasp.

“Now you share the same scars…”

 

~*~*~*~

 

“Did you get the bags packed?” Gene asked. Tobias didn't respond, just continued to stare out the windows.

 

“Hey, you paying attention?” Misato asked. She poked her boyfriend in the shoulder, making him blink. He turned to look at her.

 

“I'm sorry, what did you say?” Tobias asked. Misato sighed and shook her head.

 

“Never mind, I'll get them.” She replied before heading down the hall. Gene watched her go before turning his gaze to Tobias who watched her leave.

 

“You've been quiet ever since we found out J'dee was gone.” Gene noted. Tobias shook his head.

 

“It's just frustrating is all. These assholes keep coming after us and we do absolutely nothing in response.” Tobias replied and scrubbed at his face with his hands. “Or maybe it just seems that way to me. If was up to me I'd say fuck it and go storming in now. They took my friend, my son, and now some one I view as my sister. I hate sitting idly by.”

 

“Which is why we're meeting up with the others.” Gene replied and shook his head. “I'm of the same opinion but I can see why we need to wait. Trust me Toby, it'll all work out.”

 

“I hope so.” Tobias grunted.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Reno and Zack heard the coughing from J'dee's room. Zack paused the game for a moment before handing the PSP off onto Reno. The dark haired SOLDIER walked into the bedroom.

Ed and Goku were having a match on Budokai Tenkaichi on the PS2, Alphonse watching so Reno had opted to continue to watch Zack to play. Reno flicked the game off pause and continued the match.

 

Zack blinked, J'dee hadn't moved but he saw Kira's curious look, then he saw Hisagi pulling his hand out from under J'dee's body before looking at the blood in confusion.

Belle was stilly lying collapsed over J'dee's legs, unmoving as the blood seemed to seep through the sheets slowly.

“What… Did she-?” Zack began.

“Coughed up blood.” Kira stated.

Zack moved up to the bed crouching down, he saw the blood seeping through the nightshirt she wore directly around her right shoulder.

“Is Air doing this?”

“Her soul and body haven't fully separated so any pain she feels on her astral journey will happen to her body. It's common knowledge really.” Kira explained. “You know the falling off a cliff dream?”

“Yeah then you wake up before you hit the ground… So you're saying this is similar?”

Hisagi nodded his head. “It appears that way.”

Zack heard the moan from Belle and he moved to crouch near her head. “Hey… sleepy head… you feeling better?”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Belle blinked as she heard someone talking to her and she looked at Zack before sitting up. She could feel something under her, her eyes widened as she saw J'dee.

“J'dee!” she cried and suddenly last night's memories returned, she had nearly transformed…into something non-human. She shook that out of her mind. “You left me on her all night?”

“Yeah, we didn't want to disturb you,” Renji said and Belle groaned.

“You all are idiots,” she grumbled as she quickly got off of J'dee and rubbed J'dee's legs. “I couldn't have cut off all the blood flow to her feet, do you have any idea how bad this is?”

“As bad as this,” Kira said, pulling J'dee's shirt over to show a nasty slice in her shoulder.

“Shit, that's Air isn't it? He's attacking her soul,” Belle said and the men nodded. “That asshole!” She quickly moved to J'dee's side, shoving the men out of her way before holding her hand over the wound. The blood responded immediately, the wound closed from the surface down. Belle focused on the water in the blood and the cells. “Get her something to eat, remember when I healed Zack.”

“Got it!” Ed cried as he rushed into the kitchen. “We don't have raw meat.”

“Use eggs,” Belle said as she focused on J'dee's body. If she could keep J'dee's body alive, then there was a chance. With life there was always hope.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Roy heard the vehicles outside the apartment building; He stood on the balcony his cup of coffee in hand Havoc standing next to him cigarette in mouth watching.

“Sir?” Havoc asked.

“No matter what Havoc, neither Toby nor Belle should make any attempts to rescue J'dee's body.” Roy stated.

Havoc blinked for a moment. “SIR! But-”

“No Havoc… It's obviously a trap and they're trying to lure Belle and Toby in sooner than they should be.” Roy stated. “Any idiot can see this plan. Besides you know as well as I do Belle can't see J'dee in her astral form. They might as well be looking for the invisible man if they go in there. They'd have better luck finding him. He at least has substance; a soul doesn't have a physical form.”

Roy watched as Toby's crew left the vehicles heading into the apartment building. He stepped inside moving towards the door.

He opened it just as a hand lifted to knock.

“Come in… I believe Belle will be out in a moment it sounds like she's awake.”

Roy heard Reno cringe. “Then I'll just be away from here… I don't need my balls put on ice yo.” He walked outside with the PSP in hand.

Havoc blinked. “Yeah she's going to be mad you knocked her out, but you did save us from creature Belle.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Roy walked into J'dee's room and he looked to where Belle was before nodding his head slightly.

“Toby and the others have arrived… I'd like for Kira to state what he knows about J'dee's situation to you all and how long we have to retrieve her.” Roy moved to the bedside table to look at the dried blood on a clothe. “Did something happen?”

“It seems Air is testing the link of soul and body.” Zack commented brushing some hair from her face, sitting on the ground by the head of the bed.

Roy let out a breath. “Possibly he's just trying to wind you up Zack.”

“Or kill her.” Zack frowned.

Belle placed a hand on Zack's head. “Not yet they want to do this right they won't kill her until they have all three of us. Besides I'm sure they need her body for the ritual not her soul.”

Roy picked up a book underneath J'dee's lamp turning it round in his hand. “My guess is their plan, is that they think that you and Toby will react irrationally and go racing in there when you find out J'dee's time limit of life left.”

Kira blinked for a moment. “You know about the time limit huh?”

“She's human like most of us… So I'm assuming the body can only function so long without a soul.” Roy looked down as the bookmark fell out of the book and he bent down picking it up looking at a silly picture of him and Havoc with a raised eyebrow.

“It's true.” Kira stated. “She can only function like this for a few more days. But we can't rush in now they'd expect that.”

“They'll be expecting someone regardless…” Roy slipped the bookmark back in the book randomly.

“I took that off her bookshelf last night after Belle… uh… fell asleep. J'dee was telling me about the movie. So I thought maybe if I read some to her she might…” Zack blushed for a bit.

“Hear your voice and come back.” Belle smiled. “That's sweet… but it will take a bit more than that. He trapped her soul otherwise she would be back by now.” She stretched getting off the bed and heading towards the lounge. “Roy lets hear your plan of rescue. We don't have much more time to waste and who knows when Air will strike at her soul again.”

Roy nodded setting the book down before walking into the lounge.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Belle looked at Toby and nodded at him. They were known to annoy each other, but she honestly enjoyed hanging out with Toby when he was not in pervert mode. The look they shared was the look of friends in a dire situation who knew how to speak without speaking. It would have been more meaningful, but then such looks were often more powerful when the individuals exchanging the look were of the same gender.

Without saying anything Toby approached Belle and she led him to J'dee's room. Zack looked at them and nodded, moving to stand on the balcony. The two friends looked down on their third elemental.

“Shit,” Toby growled and Belle could feel the heat from over a foot away. She quickly dropped the temperature in the room around Toby. Steam began to fill the air and slowly he focused and as the heat let up, Belle let go of the temperature of the air. “We got to get them for this.”

“That's what they want and you know it. Don't think I'm not torn up about this either, I nearly…I don't know, became what I originally was,” Belle sighed as she rubbed her forehead.

“What the hell?” Toby growled and Belle gave him a look.

“I guess the best name for it would be Pure Elemental. It wasn't anything of this world; I was coating myself with ice. Hakkai said I had claws, a tail with fins, wings, and paws,” she said and Toby stared, his anger forgotten for a moment.

“How the fuck is that a Pure Elemental?” he asked and Belle shrugged.

“I roared and I was flinging the guys around like they were ragdolls. Reno had to fry me to get me back to human form,” Belle whispered and Toby stared.

“Shit,” he muttered.

“Tell me about it. This is not a time for you or I to be alone, we need to stay with the groups. We have massive power, but Air, Earth, Fire, and Water have the same powers and they know how to use them. We need to hear Roy's plan…for J'dee,” Belle said, squeezing Toby's hand. He squeezed it back.

“I don't like it, but you're right,” he growled and Belle wondered if she was some sort of winged, furred water beast, what the hell would Toby's form be? What animals were fire?

 

~*~*~*~

 

“We're gonna talk with Kira in a few Toby.” Belle said. Tobias nodded, not looking away from where J'dee lay.

 

“Be there in a moment.” Tobias said. Belle nodded and patted him on the shoulder before leaving. Tobias waited till Belle left, before sitting on the edge of the bed and taking J'dee's hand in both of his.

 

“Be safe.” He murmured. He closed his eyes and tried to convey how much he wanted his friend back to her. After a few minutes Tobias opened his eyes and gently set her hand back down. He quietly left before Zack came back in.

 

~*~*~*~

 

J'dee's hand moved across her stomach looking down at the wound that had seemed to self heal.

“Belle.” She smiled slightly. “Thank-you.”

Glancing up she saw the concern on Ichigo's face lessen as he seemed to notice that the blood had dried up.

“Mom are you-?”

“I'm alright.” She nodded.

J'dee looked over her shoulder to where Sephiroth was standing in front of Cloud's tank. The blonde glaring at the silver haired man, the obvious hatred plastered over his face.

“Who are these people?” Ichigo asked. “Where did they take me that you still seem to be alive?” His hand moved over the glass.

J'dee felt her heart soften for a moment. “It's another dimension. One that runs faster in time but parallel to your world and there's.” She motioned to the tanks. “Those three there I've got links to their world too, this soul is part of something greater that got separated into various worlds but Air wants them all to combine with him to make him stronger, God like.”

Ichigo looked to the tanks for a moment. “Did I get the ability to see ghosts from you?”

J'dee smiled. “Well this form of me can see them I don't know much about the other form since my brain is nearly overloaded from images from other life times. But possibly. Belle is always calling me Ichigo. It's not my choice to have this gift… it's just a genetic thing I got from my mother. But I always thought if I had a son in this world I'd want him to be as strong and gifted as you are.”

 

Air moved up to where J'dee lay speaking with the son from another lifetime.

“Now isn't this a cute scene… bonding are we?”

“Stay away from her!”

Air grinned at Ichigo. He flipped a dagger out of his pocket before crouching over J'dee and bringing the dagger to her shoulder as he began carving into the skin of her soul.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“I believe we have a maximum time limit of three days.” Kira stated. “That started as of yesterday.”

Zack frowned. “Doesn't give us much time to plan.”

Roy motioned to the map laid out on the tables. “Well our reconnaissance missions proved useful we have several entrances. But there were shadow guards at the entrance,” Roy motioned to the map “this side of the lake is where they are less, it takes longer to get to but I think that's why the guards are less. Havel managed to get past in his cloaked form right up to tunnels Cloud used to help us escape last time J'dee was captured.”

“Last time.” Reno blinked and looked at Zack.

Zack sighed. “Air charged this apartment down while Belle was trapped in our world. Roy managed to get her out.”

“This time is different though. Unless your Espada or Shinigami we won't be able to see her.” Belle pointed out.

“We will need to assign a small team to hopefully sneak in and out with J'dee's soul, without disrupting anything or getting caught.” Roy stated.

“How small a team we talking about yo?” Reno asked.

“Four, maybe five.” Roy remarked. “With another team on the other side. We need them to cause a big enough distraction for the four to slip in unnoticed.” He looked up over at Ed.

“Hey why you looking at me like that?” Ed growled.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“Because you can make the most powerful distraction,” Belle said, a sky blue blanket wrapped around her shoulders. “You just need to clap your hands and you can do long distance damage. Not a bad skill in an offensive attack.”

“The question is what are we going to do about you two?” Hakkai said and Belle and Toby shared a look.

“We've discussed it already, Tobias and I will not be going with you,” she sighed.

“What?” Misato cried and Toby grimaced.

“It's too dangerous,” he grunted, obviously having trouble admitting it.

“If Air has J'dee's soul, he's just begging us to come and we would walk right into Fire and Water's waiting hands,” Belle said.

“She nearly got me before. I'm not making it easier on her!” Toby snarled, his hands clenching and unclenching rhythmically. Belle placed a hand on his shoulder and could feel his muscles were tight.

“While we both believe that attacking them goes without question, we don't want to make it easier on them. Water and Fire are no doubt waiting for Toby and I to waltz in. We can't let them get two of us,” Belle said.

“No duh,” Ed muttered and Belle smiled slightly.

“We're going to stay out of the actual attack, but we are damn well going to help with planning this!” Toby snarled and the heat began to go up and Belle focused on cooling the air. “Are you going to do that every time I get mad?”

“Only when you make my apartment too hot, I rather you not melt anything,” she retorted and he rolled his eyes.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“Are you scared?” J'dee glanced up at Sephiroth standing over her, the blood tricking down her shoulder as the over six foot silver haired man crouched down to look at her.

“Well if she is I can't say I fucken blame her!” Ichigo shouted. “You assholes kidnapped her soul!”

Sephiroth's sword glimmered for a moment before he struck it back through the cage.

J'dee gasped but Ichigo rolled out of the way just in time to shoot a glare at Sephiroth's back.

“My Sephiroth, you look like you're ready to kill someone.” Air snickered.

Sephiroth huffed. “Did you have to mark her in such a vile manner?”

“To remind you, she is to stay alive as long as possible. Torture is fine but I need her alive.” Air stated.

“I'll try to restrain myself.” Sephiroth's answer was simple, almost ordinary but J'dee could see that look in his eyes that made her worry more than what she should have.

J'dee had no idea what Air had done to the back of her shoulder, but she guessed it wasn't something to be impressed about according to Sephiroth.

The former general crouched down looking at her; she blinked for a moment looking into the brightly lit mako green eyes.

“What does it say?” She asked the general hoping he would tell her that much at least.

“Property of Air.” He stated. His voice was low, “Know this, if he devours your soul I will kill him but not out of revenge because you can not exist in any form and I will make sure of that.”

J'dee saw Sephiroth bring his sword round before he pulled her left arm out pinning it to the ground. The strength wasn't a comfort, neither was the impending situation her arm was about to get impaled.

“SEPHIROTH!!!” Cloud's voice echoed through the closed of cave they were trapped in.

J'dee's body jerked as the sword pinned her arm to the floor. The nails of her right hand raked across the dirt floor.

“B-Bastard…”

“Insults will not stop me.” Sephiroth stated.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“So we head out in the morning then!” Zack stood up.

“Not you Zack.” Belle held her hand up. “If my guess is right Air's protection on her will be elemental.”

Roy nodded for a moment. “More than likely so the four to go in will need to cover the four base elements.”

Reno lent back into the chair. “How do you know whose what?”

“Well we can only assume the elements know whose linked to what element.” Roy stated.

Zack frowned. “Great let me get out my phone and I'll just ask Air now shall I?” his sarcasm obvious in the drawl.

Roy sighed. “Not those elements.” He glanced to Belle and Toby.

Zack blinked and looked over his shoulder. “So they get to pick who goes?”

“Pretty much.” Roy replied.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Belle closed her eyes and sighed.

“Why not let Zack go then?” Toby muttered and she shook her head as she looked at him.

“No, he's too close to J'dee, we would be asking for something to go wrong,” Belle said.

“Hey!” Zack cried and Belle shook he head again.

“I said no, you're too attached to J'dee and don't forget that Cloud's in there,” she said. “If it came down to J'dee or Cloud could you choose?” Zack stared at her and then dropped his head.

“I don't like this,” he said and Belle sighed as she stared at the group.

“Reno will go,” Belle said and the Turk blinked.

“Uh, I know Cloud too, yo,” he said and Belle smiled.

“You're also a Turk; you did what you had to when you dropped the plate, Reno. I also know you are a Water soul, I can feel it in you and have since I met you, you have the fluidity to make it around their tricks and versatile enough to make things work to your advantage,” Belle said as she looked at him, locking her eyes with his. “You will go in and you'll do your best to get J'dee's soul out of there.”

“Uh, I can't see souls,” he said and Belle smiled.

“I doubt you'll have trouble, besides, Air will probably make it easy enough to find where J'dee's soul is,” she said.

“How can you know that?” Hakkai asked and Belle smiled.

“Simple, Air is a braggart, he'll rub it into your faces if he can,” she said.

“How do you know that?” Goku asked and Belle shook her head.

“We are a group of four, I know things about J'dee and she's not a braggart, if this Air is part of J'dee, he has to have the ugly things she won't do in him,” Belle said. “He'll make it easy for you.”

“That's one down,” Roy stated and Belle looked at him before smiling.

“Roy goes as a Fire soul,” Belle said and Toby snorted.

“So I'm like Roy?” he cooed, teasing Belle about her attraction to Roy without saying anything.

“No, Roy is a Fire, but he's only part, his temper, while not fast, burns hot and burns for an extended time,” Belle stated with a sniff.

“Who is Earth and Air?” Kira asked and Belle sighed as she looked at the men. Her eyes fell on Goku and for a moment she nearly chose him until she felt the rock solid will of Hakkai. She locked her eyes with him.

“Hakkai will represent Earth,” she said and Hakkai blinked.

“Goku is much more an Earth Spirit,” he said and Belle shook her head.

“Not the only one, you are also Earth and I need your soul,” she said, clutching the blanket in one hand. “You are rock solid in will and smooth as stone in motion. Will you help J'dee?” Hakkai looked at her, remembering that in those tunnels somewhere there was a tube that had Kanan's name on it and two more tubes holding Sanzo and Gojyo.

“Of course,” he said and Belle smiled before turning her eyes to Hisagi.

“Will you serve as Air?” Belle asked and Hisagi blinked in surprise.

“Are you sure, I know I have Kazishini, but that doesn't mean…” he paused as Belle's hand cupped his face.

“You are the Air, Hisagi; you are swift and capable of outmaneuvering like the wind. Will you help save J'dee for me?” she asked and her eyes held that horrible, aged look. He looked at her for a moment before he caught her hand on his cheek and pulled it away, holding her hand for a moment. While Belle was almost as tall as he was her hand seemed so frail in his, like a good squeeze and he could hurt her, even though just the previous night she had thrown Zack like he was nothing.

Hisagi looked at her sad eyes and the age behind them. She was confident that he was truly the one for the job. For once he could remove that age from Belle's eyes and he could see that age slip from her eyes as he nodded.

“Thank you, all four of you,” she said and for a moment her eyes fell on her hand in Hisagi's. There was a momentary shock and Hisagi was certain he had seen Belle blush and slip from his grasp like that before. It was gone in a moment but the goosebumps on his arms took a moment longer.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“Gene, Aisha, Misato, and Melfina.” Tobias said simply. Everyone just blinked.

 

“I can see why the others should go but why me?” Melfina asked, nervously. Tobias smiled and shook his head.

 

“Gene is very much water, passionate, steady, ever moving, going around, over and even through things to get to those who needs him. He's always flexible. Aisha is very much the wind that howls at your door, never relenting and capable of knocking over the strongest tree.” Tobias said and his smile widened as he turned to face Misato. “Misato is very much fire, also passionate but uncontrollably so. Once she sets on a course of action she's much like a wild fire, burning everything in her way until she set her goal. You are the only Earth amongst the Outlaw Star's crew. Warm, caring, a solid rock for the others to lean against. Even Jim doesn't have those traits as much as you do, he's very much water, as is Suzuka. It needs to be you.”

 

“Just point and shoot, Mel.” Gene said, grinning. “Just like a taught you.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

“SEPHIROTH!”

J'dee cringed as she heard Cloud's voice shouting, looking over her shoulder she watched as the glass in Cloud's tank shattered. The blonde moved directly towards Sephiroth.

The sword was yanked from her arm which caused her to cry out in pain, her right hand moving to the arm to grip it.

“Mom… are you?” Ichigo looked at her crouching down.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

The clang of metal echoed through the room. “Well there's no lack of strong fighters around, but this will be my battle in the end.” She looked at Ichigo and smiled. Her hand using some of her blood to draw a pattern in the dirt.

 

Ichigo looked at the symbol and he watched as her mouth stared moving slowly at first before he realized it was a chant and he felt the temperature drop in the air. The blonde who had captured him spun round shooting her a glare before holding up the pendant.

“That's enough of that!”

Ichigo heard the crack of glass and he saw the crack creep over the glass cage lifting his elbow up he brought it through the glass breaking his way out.

His body covered hers as the flash of light struck.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“I can't go!”

“Zack remember what happened last time Air struck you and went after Gojyo?” Hawke-eye shot him a look, her arms crossing.

Reno's snicker could be heard. “Man she's about as tough as Elena yo.”

“Reno don't you have to be preparing to go somewhere?” Zack snapped.

Reno raised a brow. “Touché just cause I got picked to go after your girlfriend.”

Zack just growled in frustration, Cloud and the last remaining part of Aerith's soul trapped in those underground passages for Air's personal entertainment, it didn't make him feel comfortable, especially with Sephiroth wandering those same caverns.

Turning round he just walked into J'dee's room and he stopped for a moment seeing the blood.

“What the hell again?!” He raced up to the bed and he rolled up the sleeve of the left arm of her jersey she wore as a night shirt, the blood coming from the wound looked similar to stab wounds. “BELLE! HAKKAI!”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Belle was closing the door after Toby when she heard her named called. She didn't know how much she could take as she entered J'dee's room.

“They're torturing her,” Zack growled and Belle fisted her hand, the air temperature dropped. Toby wasn't the only one having trouble but that seemed to be a trend with the group.

“What is it?” she asked and Zack pulled J'dee's shirt off her shoulder and Belle stared at the `Property of Air' carved into her friend's flesh. “Well, that won't do.” She moved up and placed her hands over J'dee's shoulder. Her eyes closed and she could watch as the platelets began to close the flesh, leaving behind no clue that J'dee's shoulder had been used as a post it note.

“She's beat up,” Zack whispered and Belle nodded.

“I know, just don't point it out too much or I'm going to go Water Monster on you again,” she growled and Zack looked up. Belle's eyes were glowing blue and mist was coming off her flesh. “We don't want me going nuts. That won't help anything.”

“Gotcha,” Zack whispered as he watched J'dee's wounds vanish.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“We staying here for the night?” Jim asked. Tobias nodded, unrolling the sleeping bags Gene had asked about earlier this morning.

 

“Find some floor; I don't want everyone to be apart until we get them back.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

J'dee felt the ghost like feeling of her body being healed and she watched as the wounds on her arm started to close up. She looked up from under Ichigo and she blinked seeing his body draped over hers, but his Shinigami form was separate holding the zanpakto above his head blocking the light from the pendant.

“Ichi-go? What are you doing? You could get sucked into that thing!”

“It won't happen trust me.”

 

The light seemed to fade and Air pulled the pendant away. “You're in the way brat.”

J'dee looked completely confused. Didn't Ichigo need that skull pendant thing to jump into Shinigami mode, how could he do that without it?

She looked up down for a moment blinking seeing the symbol that had formed in the dirt of the ground the familiar skull shape.

Her fingers ran over the symbol and the air blew about her as the symbol seemed to dissipate with the gust of wind.

Ichigo stepped back and she watched as he returned to his body, his arm slipping through hers.

“Lets go!”

“Ichigo wait what about-?” She saw the flash of blonde hair followed by silver before the swords met in a metal clang again.

Cloud spun round avoiding the large whistling swoop of the Masumune and she watched the buster sword strike Gojyo's tank before he twisted it round causing the tank to shatter.

“What the hell?!” Air growled.

“Get her out of here, Kid!” Cloud shouted in their direction.

J'dee eeped as Ichigo picked her up like she was nothing and he was off down the halls.

 

Sephiroth smirked in his direction and Cloud swung his sword round pointing it in Sephiroth's direction.

“This ends Sephiroth.”

Cloud heard the footsteps land on the ground behind him. It was followed by the sound of a weapon summoned out of thin air.

“Dude that shit ruined my last packet of smokes… somebody owes me a refund…”

“Get that other kid out of there Gojyo, and get him away from here…”

“Oiy since when do I listen to you?!” Gojyo snapped.

“Since Aerith's soul was captured and all they need is her body and us to power him up.” Cloud jerked his head towards where Air stood glaring.

“Fucken pushy pretty boy blondes.” Gojyo grumbled and spun the weapon round knocking the top of the glass tube with the crescent blade end of his jakujou.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Water felt the release of Air's hostages more than heard and he shook his head. No doubt the fool had let his sadistic games go too far and he was going to lose a lot of his headway. It was no matter, as long as Water's `guests' remained where they were he couldn't care less how Air and Fire screwed up.

The takes with his hostages were safe and the four were sleeping in fitful nightmares of Water's creation. He got up from his ice throne, moving to the doorway of the chamber. With a wave of his hand the water vapor began to turn to ice making a thick wall between him and anyone attempting to escape.

“Keep me up to date on the location of Air's playthings,” he ordered a shadow before it flitted away. Water moved back to his seat and smiled, even if Air fucked up now, no doubt his woman was preparing to rush in to save her friend's soul. Soon Water would be whole again and Earth would regret her treatment of him.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Things were NOT going as Kari planned. She had wanted to put a spell on Air's bitch but she couldn't get even close enough with those damnable shadows watching. She scowled to herself and focused on laying her own little traps and surprises in her portion of the cave. If Air was going to play his little game then she could as well.

 

Anyone passing through here would experience the very fires of hell.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Ichigo stopped in a cavern ducking behind several rocks, he turned round looking at the ghost like form of his mother she sat there with her arms across her chest flushing seemingly embarrassed by her nakedness.

“Are you alright?”

“I think so… I feel a like I'm gunna throw up…”

“Is it the blood loss?”

She coughed flushing more her hand moving to her mouth. “That and probably alota bright lights and fast movements in this form… I haven't had time to perfect anything except…” She trailed off and Ichigo jumped as wings seems to shoot out of her back and they then wrapped around her body like a cloak. “This.”

“What the hell-?” Ichigo blinked for a moment.

He peeked round the corner in time to see the red head from one of the tubes running down the hall the unconscious teenage boy over his shoulder.

“Gojyo!” She stood up.

The red head stopped for a moment and looked round. “Honey? Shit where the hell are you?”

“Over here by Ichigo.”

Ichigo blinked for a moment before motioning him over. “Only I can see her right now.”

“Damn… what the hell is going on?” He walked over slipping behind the rocks and setting the teenager down.

“They stole my mother's soul right from her body.” Ichigo replied.

Gojyo sighed. “Dude no offence but she's not your mother, she's not Aerith, Kougyoku or whoever she is to this kid. Honey explain to me how the hell I can hear you but not see you?”

 

J'dee sighed. “Air broke my soul chain. The one that connects my living body to my astral.”

Gojyo let out a breath. “Honey is there another way you can do that astral whatever without leaving your body?”

“Gojyo that's why they call it astral projection, two places at once.” J'dee pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Sooo.” Gojyo began. “If one form of you is wearing clothes… is this one naked?”

Ichigo's foot shot out connecting with the side of Gojyo's head.

“OIY! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR YOU LITTLE BRAT?!”

J'dee groaned. “Yes Gojyo I'm naked but you can't see. Please keep it down… we need to get out of here… but I'm afraid Cloud knows these tunnels.”

Gojyo reached into his jacket pocket pulling out the packet of hi-lites. He stuck one in his mouth and lit it up.

“That's drenched you know.” Ichigo pointed out.

“Fuck it I need a smoke… Honey?” He held up the packet.

Ichigo sighed. “So now we just gotta wait on that blonde guy? How long could this take?”

J'dee took one of the smokes and used the air around to dry it through sticking it in her mouth and lighting it. “Cloud and Seph when they fight… it takes some time. All we can do is rest…” She sat down next to Gojyo taking a drag of the smoke. “God I needed nicotine.”

“Amen honey…”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Belle was standing on her balcony, her bright blue blanket around her shoulders as she stared into the night. She looked up at Grimmjow; he was standing on the balcony above hers like a Hollow version of Zengatsu.

“Here kitty, kitty, would you like some milk?” she asked and he stared at her, a strangely serious expression on his face.

“What the fuck are you?” he asked and Belle shook her head.

“I wish I knew,” she turned her eyes to the night sky. “Do you like your body, Grimmjow?” He was behind her, not with the sexual tension but with the suspicious, warrior tension.

“I know you do,” he leered but Belle kept staring at the stars.

“Was it hard to go from an adjuchas to an arrancar?” she asked and he seemed stunned.

“It was familiar. Like that feeling you've done something before,” Grimmjow said and Belle rubbed her arms.

“It makes sense. Hollows are human souls that lose human rational and form, menos and adjuchas are merged Hollows that have non-human form. Becoming an arrancar gave you a humanoid form again,” she said.

“Whatever you were becoming, it wasn't human,” Grimmjow stated and Belle sighed.

“I know, shouldn't it feel good to become what you were originally?” she asked turning her eyes to him and Grimmjow realized she was asking him.

“How the fuck should I know?” he asked before realizing she had just asked him and explained her train of thought. “Shit.” He rubbed the back of his head. “It was nice to have hands again, I can't say I'm glad I'm this shape, but it was familiar.” Belle sighed and looked at a hand in front of her.

“I've been online, trying not to think about tomorrow, I can't find a damn animal with wings, a finned tale, and paws. Whatever I am, it doesn't qualify as normal at all, and I'm not looking forward to becoming it,” she said and Grimmjow blinked.

“Ya ain't going to become it,” he snorted and Belle looked at him.

“Why do you think that?” she asked and he snorted.

“That Earth bitch ain't a monster is she?” he asked and Belle blinked. She didn't know, but it seemed like Earth was humanoid as well.

“No, I don't think she is beyond being a psychopath like Water, Air, and Fire,” Belle said and Grimmjow nodded as if that explained everything.

“You sure as hell ain't human, but you're not that thing you nearly became,” he snorted. “It's like a resurrection, you let it go and became that thing, but its not you.” Belle looked at him for a moment and thought about the sense to the statement. It seemed genuine, after all, how many of the characters did she know to have other forms when they got angry or `released' their hidden powers? She smiled at Grimmjow before noticing his obvious discomfort.

“Why Grimmjow, are you being nice to me?” she asked and he glared at her before leering again.

“You seem to like the nice boys,” he cooed and Belle laughed before she smiled at him.

“Thanks Grimmjow, I needed that, now go to the living room before I lock you out here,” she ordered and the Espada made a big show of climbing onto her bed and curling up under the covers. “I didn't invite you to spend the night!” There was a light snoring noise from the blankets. “Oh you did not fall asleep that fast you liar!”

 

~*~*~*~

 

“You been quiet tonight.” Misato said. Tobias said nothing, running his finger tips along her arms. They were alone on the balcony, wrapped in a large sleeping bag together. They did nothing but lay together, not speaking. Tobias had a pensive look on his face.

 

“Sorry, I've just been thinking.”

 

“It'll be okay Toby, we'll get them back.”

 

“I hope so.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Cloud managed to escape round a corner before he was yanked into the shadows. Sephiroth seemed to shoot past.

He glanced over his shoulder and looked at Gojyo, the unconscious orange haired teen lying on the ground, Aerith seemed to be crouched over him, she had Ichigo's jacket slung over her shoulders, it was probably for Gojyo's sake so he knew where she was.

They remained silent for the most part, but the small pile of cigarette butts seemed to state that the four had been there for a while.

Cloud moved next to Aerith and looked at her. “Who is he?”

“Kyo Sohma…” She replied. “In one life I had a daughter called Tohru, this is who she falls in love with and marries. But before that version of me died, he was the one who pulled me from the car wreck.”

“And she was your mother in another?” Cloud looked to the other orange hair teenager.

He nodded slowly, “Yeah.”

“It should be morning why aren't you four out of here?” Cloud asked.

“Dude you're the only one who lived in these caves for a week or however like hell we know how to get out. It was J'dee's idea to wait for you. Besides hottie or not I don't trust her sense of direction.”

 

*thwack*

 

Gojyo grabbed his head. “Oiy honey that hurt!”

J'dee huffed. “Shut up okay… I just want to…” Her body seemed to slump forward for a while. “Rest for a bit.”

Ichigo frowned. “She's losing strength the longer she's away from her body…”

“The more chance Air will win.” J'dee sighed.

Cloud glanced at her. “There is a back way out I know of… but getting there is a problem…”

“How big a problem?” Gojyo asked.

“Too many shadow minions… but if we slip by Fire's area they seem to stay away from her…” Cloud explained.
“She probably burned a few of them…” J'dee snickered.

“Its times like this Kon would come in handy so I could help out more…” Ichigo sighed.

“This is our world… Renji and the others have physical forms I'm sure there's a way it could work for you too. When we get out I'm sure they could show you.” J'dee offered.

Ichigo blinked. “Wait Renji's here?”

“Worry about that later, we need to get moving.” Cloud stood up.

 

~*~*~*~

 

The four men stood in Belle's apartment going over the final plans when Belle emerged from her room, rubbing her eyes and cursing Grimmjow before she saw the men. She looked at them for a moment before going back into her room and grabbing a bag.

“Belle, you look tired, you should rest more,” Kira said and she smiled, but the skin around her eyes was a dark purple. “Grimmjow didn't hit you did he?”

“No, he was good, no, I'm just tense. I wanted to give you guys something while you head into battle,” Belle said as she looked at Roy and handed him a flip-top lighter. Roy opened it and there was a spark when he spun the wheel but there was nothing to hold a flame.

“It's broken,” he said and Belle rolled her eyes.

“You don't need something to burn, in case Water gets involved you can use this to make a spark,” she said as she handed Hakkai a large crystal. It looked as if there was dirt inside of the crystal.

“What is this?” he asked and Belle blushed.

“It's probably useless but it's a Herkimer Diamond, they're a type of quartz crystal, but they are said to be able to attune to a person. I'm hoping it's actually true if someone from another world uses them and it can help you find…them,” she said and Hakkai stared at the stone and nodded.

“Thank you,” he said and she nodded before handing Reno a flask.

“Ooo liquor, thanks yo,” he grinned before Belle put her hand over the flask.

“It's my blood,” she said and Reno stared. “If you run into Water, dump that into his water. I want to know if he can control the water in my blood or not. If it just dissipates into his water he can control my blood and I can do the same to him, but if he can't then our blood is a weapon against each other.”

“Gotcha, I get to be the lab rat,” he said and Belle nodded. “You're the one most likely to get away from Water. You've faced him once already.”

“Yea, yeah, I got it yo,” Reno sighed. “You so owe me a kiss when I get back.” Belle hit him in the shoulder before looking at Hisagi. She took out a bandana, it was blue and white, looking like the sky or water, Hisagi wasn't sure which. As he accepted it he could smell Belle on the fabric.

“A favor from your lady,” Hakkai teased and Belle shook her head as she look at them.

“Bring her home, bring as many of them home as you can, but please bring her back,” she whispered, large tears sliding down her cheeks as her face flushed.

“We will,” Hisagi said as he tucked the bandana against his chest, above his heart. They turned and headed out, Belle standing in the kitchen watching them go.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“You're a little more important than my sword… but just a little, ha.”

 

Zack stirred at the voice and rolled over tiredly. “A-Angeal?”

He looked to J'dee's body and shivered his hand moved to the side of her face.

“It's her phone.” He heard Kira's voice and blinked seeing a flashing purple light on her phone and he reached over picking it up flipping it open.

“huh picture of Angeal,” he read the message for a moment blinking. “Oh it's just a friend of hers…”

“The others have left by the way.” Kira stated.

Zack nodded his head slowly. “I hope they get her back.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Roy looked over the entrance way from where he was crouched the four shadow minions seemed to pace in a regular guard mode in front of the entrance.

Hakkai glanced at his watch. “The others should be there now.”

Roy smirked as if on cue the four seemed to be distracted by something at once of the other entrances and the minions as if stupidity was their programming ran towards the commotion.

“Now.” Hisagi hissed and the four made their way into the entrance ducking behind the natural resources of rocks and whatever else was large enough for them to take cover behind.

Reno looked back to the entrance seeing it remain open and his brows knotted together. “It's too easy yo… they're expecting us.”

“Not us… Belle and Toby.” Roy corrected.

“We'll be a nice little surprise I think.” Hakkai smiled for that moment.

“Hakkai… I know you want Gojyo back but remember J'dee is the priority here.” Hisagi looked to the green eyed healer.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Belle entered J'dee's room and looked at Zack as he sat by her bed, reading a book to her. His head was hanging and his shoulders were hunched, he looked like a man broken. Belle rested against the door frame and listened to him read, his voice was soft, like a man barely holding together. He stopped and closed the book, leaving a hand on it while the other hand rubbed his face.

“Don't stop,” Belle said and Zack jumped before looking at her.

“I…uh…” he started as Belle moved out of the door way into her room, snagging her desk chair and rolling it in next to Zack's chair.

“She might not be able to hear us, but sometimes we need to do these things for ourselves,” Belle said and Zack stared at her. “It's like a tombstone, the dead don't really need reminders of who they are, they are reminders for the living so that the dead aren't forgotten. J'dee isn't dead, she can't hear you reading, but the act of reading is good for you.”

“It seems silly when you say it like that and Belle smiled sadly.

“It wasn't meant to make you feel silly, it makes me very happy that you're here with her,” Belle said as she took J'dee's hand. “She would freak out if she knew though.”

“Huh? Why?” he asked and Belle grinned.

“Cause this is serious relationship territory and nothing scares her more. She really is the wind,” Belle laughed as she shook her head. “Not that some winds aren't dependable.”

“You know, it's kind of weird when you mutter like that, like I'm not supposed to hear,” Zack said and Belle gave him a look.

“I'm doing that a lot lately. Keep reading, she might not be able to hear you, but it's doing us both some good,” Belle said and Zack nodded as he picked the book back up.

 

~*~*~*~

 

J'dee looked to Cloud as he stayed low watching several of the shadow minions racing down the hall.

“What's going on dude?” Gojyo asked pausing in lighting another smoke, so not to attract the minions to them.

“Intruders…” Cloud stated.

Ichigo blinked. “You mean her friends are coming to get her?”

“No I told Zack not to have Belle and Toby come get me if this happened.” She looked at Cloud. “Zack normally listens well.”

Cloud seemed to smile as if he found that amusing. “More like sometimes listens.”

“So what happens now then?” Ichigo glanced to the still unconscious Kyo.

“We just have to wait.” Cloud replied.

Gojyo frowned. “Dude I hate waiting.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

“This is going to be fun. No danger, just causing a distraction.” Gene said. Misato and Aisha exchanged a grin with him as Melfina rolled her eyes.

 

“Just focus on the job at hand.” She chastised and Gene gave her a salute with his gun. Melfina sighed and hefted the first of many canning jars filled with kerosene.

 

“PULL!” Misato shouted and Melfina and Aisha tossed a jar each as Gene and Misato took aim…

 

~*~*~*~

 

Hakkai slipped around another corner the path was clear, too clear. “Hmmm I believe this screams trap…”

Roy looked behind at the clear path. “Even so there is this way or out, and we promised Belle and Toby we would come back with J'dee and if we could Shinji or Washu.”

Reno moved first out of his hiding position, tapping his EMR across the back of his neck. “Well who cares yo… We're only going forward and it's obvious they know someone's coming might as well make it obvious it's not who they want.”

He made the first few steps forward.

 

“RENO!” Hakkai jumped up pulling him back as a shadow minion zipped out from the wall and the four were surrounded.

Reno blinked seeing the strange shadow begin to take shape of a woman. “What the-?”

The figure looked familiar but only from a photograph he had seen in Denzel's room.

“It was you…” The woman's voice was low. “It was your fault I died…”

Hakkai looked at Reno and he saw the conflict cross the red head's face. “You know this woman?” He asked as the shadow began to form color pigmentation of a human woman, brown hair, the eye color lost to the black pools.

“I've known plenty of women yo… but she looks a little plain to me.”

“My son's name… is Denzel and you killed me!” She let out an ear covering shriek before charging at the red head.

 

Roy jumped up snapping his fingers and gust of fire shot out towards her. Hakkai listed his hands up placing the barrier round the four of them. He stopped seeing two child-like figures form and Roy heard Hisagi's intake of breath.

“It can't be…” Hisagi seemed to be staring beyond at one of the children.

Roy blinked seeing the other child, a very familiar looking Isbahal child he has seen once before, when he had his gun raised to the child.

“It seems they've taken on the forms of people who want to do us harm.” Hakkai offered with a closed eye smile.

“Not only people.” A voice hissed from behind Hakkai.

Roy looked to Hakkai at the healer seemed to freeze.

“Hakkai?” Roy questioned, the painful memory seemed to flash across his features.

“Ooooh boy… well then… I guess I have to kill you again don't I?”

“Who is it?” Roy asked.

Hakkai's smile turned sad for a moment. “The one responsible for Kanan killing herself…”

 

 

 

To Be Continued…