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That Dreaded Word	By : Platinumsabr Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 11539 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or the characters from it. I don't make any money from the writing of this story, but I do enjoy writing it. Any Original Characters are mine however, as is the story itself, and if you see it posted elsewhere pleas

Chapter List
- 14
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- 16
Gone,
But Not Forgotten

She seemed unspectacular, but
something was nagging at Retsu�s memory, and she
couldn�t figure out what. That was until she looked over at Gwydion, whose eyes
were wider than she had ever seen them.

�Ch-Chiaki?�

~~~~~~~~~~

The silence in the room was
suffocating, and even Ichigo was frozen in confusion, oddly enough still in the
process of shaking the woman�s hand. Retsu�s eyes
were wide in stunned disbelief as her gaze whipped back to the new arrival, who
was only looking at them in innocent confusion.

It�it�s not possible. She died
on my operating table� she thought as she took in all the similarities that
she could indeed make to the woman Gwydion had just mentioned.

Dark eyebrows floated above eyes
darker than coal, so deep the pupil itself seemed to disappear into the murky
depths of the iris surrounding it. Stygian hair as smooth as silk shimmered
like the black velvet it resembled under the encompassing light of the room and
the dimming light of the sun coming in through the windows. A crown of hair
kept her long bangs out of her eyes, made from a braid on either side of her
head which were then mended together behind her head to lay back with the rest
of her lengthy mane. Pale skin was pulled taut over athletic muscles typical of
any Shinigami, though she was unnaturally pale even for that designation.

Taking in these features, Gwydion
couldn�t help but notice that there were differences, but they were so small,
so seemingly inconsequential that the only person he could see before him was
the first woman he had ever loved.

There was one large
difference not to be ignored between the two however.

Chiaki was dead.

He had all but watched her die,
witnessed firsthand the blood pouring out of her wounds, the frayed flesh and
bone of her torso from where the monster�s claws had ripped deep into her body,
the one that had eventually killed her despite his best efforts. Those same
claws had shred his shoulder, torn his right arm clean from it in what had to
be the most painful experience he had ever been through as he tried to get her
away from the next strike that would have surely removed her head.

Standing there before her, the
phantom pain of his disembodied arm assaulted him mercilessly as if it had just
been removed, and his hand clutched the seam of his right arm and the
prosthetic as he shivered in effort. Cold sweat beaded down his body as he
wordlessly stood there, glaring fiercely at the thing he knew couldn�t
be existing.

�You�you�re dead,� he
hissed maliciously, and the newcomer shrunk back in fear.

�I-I�m pretty sure I�m still
alive, thank you! M-My name�s Ren Nanashi,
a-and I�m from the Twelfth Division. I-I�m here to s-speak to C-Captain
Kurosaki. I-I don�t know who this Ch-Chiaki is.�

The air must have dropped ten
degrees, and not in the natural sense either like when Toshiro Hitsugaya was
particularly angry, this chill was as if Death itself had floated into the room
in physical form. Even Retsu and Jyushiro were surprised by the sheer malevolence
in what was undoubtedly Gwydion�s reiatsu.

�G.T. Takumi, stand down,�
Ichigo ordered seriously, careful to use his full designation to get the point
across.

At that the woman�s reiatsu
flared angrily, and the violet-eyed man found himself being the one on the
receiving end of the glare this time as the doppelganger stomped forward and
with no hesitation, slapped him across the face. His reiatsu faded in sheer
shock as he glared down at her just for her to give it right back just as
strongly.

�G.T. Takumi?? You
are G.T. Takumi?? You ungrateful bastard, I should go back right now and let
you wallow in whatever the hell those things have planned for you! I�m the
Seventh Seat of the Twelfth Division, and apprentice under Akon!�
That was exceptional, at least for the Twelfth Division; considering they were
split under both the ranking seats and their classification as scientists
within that division. �Respect your superiors you ingrate!!�

At that every other person in the
room besides them became preoccupied with trying to conceal their laughter. If
there was one thing they had thought would never be said to Gwydion, it
would be that.

The person in question however,
wasn�t amused in the slightest. The woman barely came up to his chin, and so
standing to his full height he stepped in front of her and glared,
a very imposing image to be sure. He was not a small man, in height or
strength. �There has not been a day in my life that I have not
done that,� he told her darkly.

She seemed unimpressed with his
display, which said something about her character, though to be honest she was
trying to keep from shaking. Not about to show she was being intimidated, her
admittedly above-average reiatsu flared again to prove that. �Could have fooled
me,� she replied icily, her dark eyes hot with anger.

Unable to decide between the rage
welling inside him and the all-too-realistic observation this abomination to
his first love had made, he ground his teeth together and turned to leave. �I�apologize,
Nanashi-san.�

She sighed like a frustrated
teacher. �Not that that wasn�t the most believable thing I�ve ever
heard, but you�re going to want to stay here no matter what kind of beef you
seem to have with me.� She didn�t seem to like what she said any more than he
did, but he wasn�t about to lose his professionalism. He may dislike it, but
she had a point. Sighing again as she noticed his reluctance, the woman named Ren Nanashi stepped in front of
him and put her hand out to him. �We got off on the wrong foot obviously. I�ve
heard a lot about you from Captain Kurotsuchi, I guess I didn�t expect you to
be like�this. So hello, my name is Ren Nanashi, it�s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.�

Now what am I supposed to do
to that?? He thought miserably. She had owned up and decided to prove
herself the bigger person, and he wouldn�t look any better than he did already
if he decided to snub her now. Every time he looked at her, crystal clear
memories bubbled to the surface and made him want to scream. It wasn�t
possible, it just wasn�t, but they were so close�

He extended his left hand and
just like with Soi-Fong, she had to switch hands to
be able to shake it. �I�m G.T. Takumi. Everyone calls me Gwydion.�

�There. Was that so hard?�

You have no idea. Instead,
he gave a noncommittal shrug. �So what�s so important that I couldn�t leave?�

�Well, I thought Ichigo might
like to know what happened to his officer. If that�s not important to you then
I suppose you can leave if you want.�

Everyone froze.

�I thought so,� she finished
smugly. �Would you mind if we sat down somewhere?�

Ichigo shook himself free of his
shock and rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly. �Jeez, where�re my manners
today? Come on, we�ll go to the living room. I�ll go get Tatsuki, she should
hear this too.�

The raven-haired woman nodded her
understanding.

~~~~~~~~~

After a short wait and drinks had
been offered to everyone, they all sat in the living room, Gwydion as far away
from Ren as he could be.

�Why didn�t Nemu
come personally? She and Soi-Fong are pretty close,
so I can�t see why she�d send�uh, sorry,� Tatsuki muttered after realizing how
insulting she was being.

�It�s okay, I know. Everyone�s
been working nonstop after we found out what was going on, and she just forgot
to come earlier,� Ren said with a shrug. �Frankly I�m
just glad to be out of the lab for a while, too bad it�s already evening.�

It explained why she was so pale.
That happened to a lot of the Twelfth Division members because they were inside
for so much of the time. He had to feel bad for her for that, he didn�t know
what he�d do if he wasn�t allowed to be outside, it was where he had spent most
of his life.

�So you know what happened to
him?� Retsu questioned politely as she cradled her tea on her lap.

�That�s why I�m here. I don�t
understand all of the specifics since I wasn�t a member back when Mayuri Kurotsuchi was still captain, but from what I
understand Captain Kurosaki here fought what he was trying to accomplish.�

Said man grimaced. �Just call me
Ichigo, please. Still feels weird having people call me �captain.� Feels like
they�re calling me Mr. Kurosaki or something, and jeez I�m not that
old.�

Ren
smiled. �As you wish Ichigo-sama.�

He rolled his eyes. �Whatever.
And whaddya mean I �fought what he was trying to
accomplish?��

�According to Captain Kurotsuchi,
the former captain was extremely curious about the Arrancar�s
powers, and if they could be transferred to, or replicated in, their Shinigami
counterpart. As you know, he eventually succeeded in creating Mod-Souls with
both zanpakutous and the power of the Vizard.� The
orange-haired man nodded. He remembered that day well. �In the process of
making those creations, he experimented on many living subjects to see if there
was any way to awaken Hollow powers in Shinigami without the separate
consciousness of the Inner Hollow which plagued the original Vizard. He didn�t
want there to be any will whatsoever, and in the end he found a way to change
the very nature of the Soul Reapers he was testing.�

The silence after that was almost
palpable, before Gwydion finally croaked out, �How?�

She flicked some hair behind her
ear. �What�s the difference between Hollows and Soul Reapers? Soul Reapers
absorb reishi from their surroundings to augment their powers, though it�s a
slow process, they need to eat to continue existing, and what they eat is nothing
more than spiritrons that have taken the form of what
we consider food. Hollows can also use the reishi around them, and they too
need to eat, and they choose to eat reiatsu in the form of Wholes, Hollows, or
in some cases, the atmosphere of Hueco Mundo.

�The instinct to eat souls is
nothing but the desire to fill the void caused by the descent into their Hollow
transformation, but it could be said that every Hollow is just like a Whole
that�s awakened to their spiritual power. Hell, if need be a Whole or Soul
Reaper for that matter could survive on eating fellow souls if the
comparison was brought down to the basest level. The difference between Hollow
and Shinigami is so miniscule it�s possible for either side to attain the
powers of the other, but what would happen if that power was transplanted
forcefully and not awakened?�

Retsu Ukitake
looked like she was going to be sick. �You can�t mean��

She nodded. �It�s exactly what I
mean. What better way to try and get Hollow power into a Shinigami than by attaching
that power directly? Arrancars are so close to Soul
Reapers it was apparently very easy to transplant limbs, organs, whatever he
thought would have an effect. From what I�ve been told, the transformation was
quite gruesome.�

They had all seen that.

�What went wrong then? How did he
get from that to the Vizard Mod-Souls?� Ichigo asked confusedly.

�Like I said, the transformation
was gruesome. Essentially, it was merging two spiritual beings together, not
like attaching another circuit to draw power from, but adding to the power
supply directly. There�s enough of a difference between the two spiritual
energies for there to be a conflict, and when that happened it all relied on
the power and mental strength of the tested. If they were able to overcome the
initial influx of power it was possible to maintain a human-like form, but if
the strain was too much and they gave in the brain simply dissolved into base
instinct and the transformation took over the body. Hollow, but not Hollow, and unlike the Vizard transformation there was no
chance of turning back because the body�s chemistry had been irreparably
altered.�

�But you said there was a
possibility of them maintaining a normal form, so that means some actually
survived?�

Again, she shrugged. �Apparently. It was all before my time in the division, but
Captain Kurotsuchi said they were able to get very interesting information from
the ones that did. Their bodies changed themselves. It didn�t matter
what the Arrancar�s power might have been before, in
most cases even multiple donors were used, the result never matched up. They merged.
The Shinigami that survived had powers that, for what they observed, matched
their personality. When I think about it it�s amazing really, we�re so close to
each other that given the right stimulus we can make even Hollow body parts our
own! It wasn�t just the limb or whatnot that might have been attached,
the process changed their entire physiology! I would�ve loved to be there!�

At Ichigo�s yellow-eyed glare she
recoiled. �I-I�m sorry. I specialize in gigais, like Akon, so I was fascinated by the specimen when it was
brought it. When I heard what had been done in the past I�well, call it a
scientist�s curiosity.�

Gwydion�s hand clenched. There
was no way the woman in front of him was Chiaki. Her entire way of thinking
went against everything she ever stood for, but the resemblance was absolutely
unnerving. �So basically what came after me was a failed product of that kind
of experimentation?�

Ren
seemed to regain her train of thought at that, and nodded. �In layman�s terms:
yes.�

�But Mayuri�s
dead. I mean, we saw Nemu kill him with our own
eyes,� Tatsuki recounted.

�She didn�t say it was him who
created this one,� Gwydion whispered, teeth clenched as realization hit him.
�The survivors, what happened to the survivors!?�

Four sets of eyes went wide, and Ren smiled approvingly.

�So you aren�t as dumb as I
thought. According to Captain Kurotsuchi, they did extensive testing on the
ones that survived, seeing how much their bodies could take before they broke.
They added experimental drugs, improved muscle tissue; hell, they practically designed
their bodies afterwards! Of course, after the Mod-Souls were created, which
could be controlled at will based on theories from the transformation of the
original Shinigami subjects, they lost their value.�

�Lost their value!?�
Jyushiro raged, an unexpected outburst from the normally kind and calm older
man. It was beyond the man how human beings could lose their value, at any
time.

�Indeed,� a voice from behind him
affirmed sadly. The group started in surprise and looked back to see who other
than Nemu Yamada�better known as Nemu
Kurotsuchi�standing at the entranceway to the living room with untold shame on
her face. �They were too hard to control. If there was one thing that had
become unbreakable on them, it was their minds. My father would have preferred
creating more like them in place of the Mod-Souls, but not only was it too time
consuming, but the process left much to be desired. He wanted to be able to
control them, but in order to survive they had to have a mental strength far
beyond what can be broken. They had to be heavily sedated all of the time, in a
way I think it was more merciful to destroy them than let them continue living
like that. As you know, at the time none of the Gotei
Thirteen knew what my father had been doing, so I quietly ended their lives and
disposed of them in Hueco Mundo,
where they would never be seen again.�

�Let me guess: or so you
thought,� Gwydion extrapolated.

The demure captain nodded.
�Thinking back, I think some part of me wanted them to survive. They and I were
much alike, perhaps that was why I didn�t simply behead and cremate them. Their
will to live was so strong they didn�t give in even with the unspeakable
tortures we inflicted on them, so I suppose I shouldn�t be surprised that at
least one of them survived even death. It�s quite ironic really, the day after
I disposed of their bodies I found out I was pregnant, and I was very nearly
disposed of.�

�And you�re sure it was one of
them?� Ichigo asked.

�There is little doubt in my
mind. We found all of the drugs we had put in them in the body you brought to
us, as well as a meticulous care in burned pain receptors too precise to be
accidental. Whoever did that knew exactly what they were doing, from the
attachment of the body parts to the added machinations put in later. It was one
of them; my father took twisted pleasure in explaining every thing he was going
to do to them in graphic detail. They were aware, heavily sedated, and at some
times merely paralyzed, but they were aware.�

�That�bastard�!!�

�I�m sorry I wasn�t here earlier,
I didn�t think I would be able to get away. When I could, I thought I should
come regardless. You deserve to hear what has happened from me, after all,
you�ve been target specifically,� she explained softly, bowing to Gwydion
lowly. �Please forgive me.�

The violet-eyed man sighed.
�Forgive you? For what, having mercy? Being human? Who
am I of all people, to condemn you? I can�t speak for them, and I
won�t even try to think that my pain can be compared to theirs, but I think I
can understand them, at least a little. You were just going along with a man
you couldn�t say no to, and at least in the end you tried to show your remorse.
From what you�ve said, there was no way anything short of cutting off their
heads or burning them out of existence would kill them, and I�d be a hypocrite
if I said they didn�t deserve a second chance after what they went through.�

The Twelfth Division captain gave
a sad, tormented smile. �You may be right, though I fear I was much too late.�

Gwydion squeezed his fingers into
his right shoulder with dark understanding. �The pain from something like that
never goes away, Captain, I know. But I can say this,
at least they had one person who cared from them enough when it mattered.�

Ren
looked at him curiously after he said that, an unknowable emotion of her face,
but it was Jyushiro who broke the ensuing silence. �Have you figured out why
he�s being targeted?�

�Sadly, I do have some idea,
yes.�

�Really!?�
Ichigo exclaimed in surprise. �How?�

�To put everything in
perspective, I should tell you this: according to my father, back when Aizen and the others were first trying to break the barrier
between Hollow and Shinigami, many souls were unable to maintain their forms
and simply evaporated, whereas Soul Reapers on the other hand changed into
Hollows with particularly peculiar abilities. However, those of lieutenant
class and above were able to keep their original bodies as the transformation
took place. In essence, only those with great amounts of spiritual pressure are
even able to become Vizards without the aid of the Hougyoku, and even then the chance is slim.�

Ichigo�s scowl was so fierce no
one would have been surprised if the coffee table spontaneously burst into
flames. �And you found that the only ones able to survive Mayuri�s
messed up experiments fit the same criteria.�

Nemu
looked like she was about to cry as she closed her eyes and nodded again. �Yes.�

�And you�ve reached captain-class
by now, no doubts about that,� Tatsuki said to Gwydion, who rolled his eyes.
She stiffened then, struck by something she could barely bring herself to
voice. �Oh god.�

�What�s wrong?� Her husband asked
worriedly.

�What if�I mean just what if
they haven�t moved in so long because they�re waiting for him to become
strong enough to survive�without fail?� The ensuing silence was all but
suffocating. �I mean, you�ve seen how much stronger he�s gotten the past few
months. He�s surrounded by at least one captain every day, and that�s not
taking into account other captain-class people! Sure, he was around lieutenant
class before, but he�s no where near where he used to be!�

The others�excluding Ren naturally�nodded in agreement, and Gwydion looked
around in disbelief.

�You can�t be serious. I may be
stronger than I was before, but are you sure you aren�t giving me too much
credit?�

�Will you wake up and open your
goddamn eyes already!?� Tatsuki roared angrily, which caused him to back into
his chair on impulse. �You need to get it through that unbelievably thick skull
of yours that you�re a contender out there! For god�s sake even I have
trouble seeing when you draw your sword! All I ever hear from you are denials,
and okay, I admit a good deal of Soul Reapers could learn something about being
humble from you; but seriously, Gwydion you�ve got to pull your head outta wherever you stuck it, because all I see whenever you
deny it anymore is a pile of crap!�

He bristled, trying valiantly to
contain his harsh rebuttal. �I�d love to stay and keep being insulted, but I�m
afraid I have better things to do with my time. By your
leave, Captain?�

Tatsuki gave her husband an
exasperated look, but all Ichigo could do was shrug helplessly. The important
parts of the conversation had all been dealt with, he wasn�t required to
stay. Heck, he hadn�t been required to stay from the get-go, the only reason he
was even allowed in the room was because he was directly involved in the
situation.

�Sure, you can go if you want.�

With a bow of gratitude, Gwydion
stood to exit the room. His head was nearly pounding with all of the
information he had taken in, and he found himself feeling bad for Ai. If she really
was one of the survivors, which he strongly suspected, than he couldn�t begin
to imagine the horrors she must have gone through. He had seriously misjudged
her. How she maintained her perky, seductive demeanor then was hard to
comprehend, that or she was clinically insane and that was merely a side-effect
of it.

�It was a pleasure to meet you,
Gwydion,� a voice said happily as he was leaving, and his back tensed. No
matter how familiar the voice sounded, all it brought was pain now.

He wouldn�t turn back to look at
her. He wouldn�t. He could barely stand to look at her any more than was
absolutely necessary. It hurt too much. �Normally I would say the same thing,�
he replied gently, his back still turned. �But in this case I�d be lying.�

Thus, he left everyone in the
room stunned.

No one seemed to know what to say
after he left, and Ren certainly wasn�t looking very
happy.

�I�I apologize for his behavior,�
Tatsuki stammered quickly. �He�s usually the most polite man you�d ever meet, I don�t know what�s wrong with him today.�

Jyushiro and Retsu did, though
they wisely kept their silence on the matter.

�His circumstances would make
anyone have a bad day every now and then,� the white-haired captain offered
genially, and mostly everyone agreed with that assessment.

Again, with the
exception of Ren. �Oh please, the guy stayed
as far away from me as he could! He took one look at me when he came in the
door and looked like he was going to be sick! I don�t know if anyone else
noticed obviously, but that chill in the air wasn�t caused by a winter breeze!�

�Leave it be, officer,� Retsu
ordered softly as she raised her teacup to her lips.

�But�� She stopped dead when the
gentle captain�s eyes hardened, and she gulped nervously. �U-Understood,
Captain.�

�Very good.�

Not about to be completely
silenced, the obsidian-haired lookalike turned to
Ichigo and Tatsuki. �Has he really reached captain class? I thought he was just
another targeted unseated officer, and a disrespectful one at that!�

Ichigo gave his wife a
questioning look. �Well, I�m not the one he�s been training with, so I can�t
really say anything on the subject. There�s only been one time the guy�s
actually raised his reiatsu around me, and that was months ago. He�s been
training like a madman since then, so hell if I know!�

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. �Like
Ichigo said, he really doesn�t make it a point to raise his reiatsu that often.
His strength lies more in his skill than sheer power, but I�ll be honest here
and say he�s not lacking that in any way. He�s got a drive to become stronger
and an inferiority complex the size of a small continent, so no matter how
strong he gets he�ll never recognize it. The scary thing is he hasn�t reached
his limit yet. While most Soul Reapers rely on the size of their reiatsu, even
if he has topped out he just finds another technique to focus on, which starts
the whole process over again!�

The look on Ren�s
face was all they needed to see she was reevaluating her opinion of him. �That
doesn�t sound like any of the men that graduated with me,� she stated with a
chuckle, and Retsu and Jyushiro nearly flinched in unease. �But then again
looks can be deceiving can�t they? I�m still a newbie myself, though compared
to you two captains he could probably be considered a newbie too!�

They chuckled at that. She had
absolutely no idea how old he was. Counting his time in Rukongai, he could very well be close to their age,
give or take a few centuries.

�So you�re new to being a
Shinigami?� Tatsuki inquired, relieved that she had actually met someone who had
been at this less than she and Ichigo, which was quite a feat considering the
age of most of the Soul Reapers they encountered.

�Oh no!�
She laughed, and Tatsuki�s hopes were dashed instantly. �I�ve been a Soul
Reaper for a few decades now; I meant I was new to the Twelfth Division! I seem
to have something in common with Gwydion, because I got bored of the same ol� same ol� too and decided to
change to something I wasn�t so familiar with. It was pretty easy to become a
seated officer in a non-combat oriented division, so I can�t say the pay raise
wasn�t a gratifying change of pace either, but it�s taken some time to get used
to using my brain instead of my sword all the time now! I was lucky Akon decided I looked promising, because damn I was worried
I would be back to go-fer status when I switched divisions!�

It wasn�t exactly what she had
been hoping for, but it was nice to see someone was less experienced than her
in something at least, so Tatsuki didn�t find it hard to laugh. �No
kidding? I think my worst nightmare is being stuck looking at a computer screen
all day! I�m much better out there kicking ass! It�s been nice having Kin and
Kaien home lately, so they can take care of Senna while
I train Gwydion and Ichigo does his rounds at the clinic. It�s a weird balance;
fight as a soul during the day and have regular family time in the evening.�

The other woman laughed brightly.
�Yeah, I can guess that since you were just a regular human before all this. I
have to wonder what that would be like, going from one realm to the other
without actually dying first. Talk about throwing off your sense of time! I�ve
thought about having kids, but I haven�t found the right man yet. Not for lack
of trying mind you.�

Tatsuki smiled there. �I was
unbelievably lucky in that department. Turned out my soul-mate was the one who
had been there all along!�

Her liquid night eyes softened
warmly. �Funny how that�s usually the case, isn�t it? Oh well, I�m still in the
mood for some fun before I settle down!�

Ichigo coughed with a grin. �Now
why does that sound familiar?� For some reason, a bronze-skinned princess came
to mind. It had taken her over a century of the nomad lifestyle to figure out
she wanted to stay with her blonde-haired best friend.

�She�d hit you if she were here
you know,� Retsu commented teasingly, and the orange-haired man smiled widely.

�But she ain�t,
now is she?�

The woman conceded that with a
nod. �Credit due.�

Nemu
was silently enjoying the mindless chatter of the group least likely to give
the smallest of a damn to internal policy and most likely to defend what they
thought was right to the foremost of their ability. Considering she was
referring to four of the strongest beings any of the realms had ever seen, her
morale was high despite the memory that she had spent the past few months
painstakingly disassembling an unfortunate casualty of the collateral damage
brought on by her father�s greatest curiosity and her greatest shame. Even in
times such as these, Soi-Fong had managed to find
love of all things, and for that Nemu couldn�t help
but be grateful. She needed a silver lining about now.

Unfortunately, another woman in
the room wasn�t quite ready to dismiss the coldness that had been directed her
way, even though she too had been enjoying the conversation around her. That
might have been because she was awed to be around so much power and authority,
but that couldn�t be known for sure. �I hate to bring this up again, but did
anyone else find it strange how easily he sympathized with the things that, for
lack of any other lead, are probably the ones out to kidnap him?�

Retsu Ukitake
was quick to pounce on the question. �Sympathy is something not enough of our
Soul Reapers seem to understand when it comes to a perceived threat. Only the
na�ve and the war-torn seem to be capable of it, and since you asked the
question so thoughtlessly, I would be inclined to think that you are no longer
na�ve but not experienced enough to understand the pain of injustice and
betrayal.� The harsh words veiled in her normal, honeyed voice made Ren jerk back as if slapped. �A word of advice: apathy will
serve you well if you simply want to burn out as a peon, but if you want to
last as a human being and a soldier you are going to have to see both
the picture in front of you and the larger picture through another�s eyes, not
just your own or the military�s.�

�Y-Yes, of
course. I apologize for my carelessness.�

Jyushiro offered another of his
benevolent smiles at the shaken soldier-turned-scientist. �Think nothing of it.
Good judgment is only gained from experience, which sadly, comes from bad
judgment.�

�Ain�t
that the truth,� Ichigo muttered. Parenthood had taught him that very well.

�Just out of curiosity then,� Ren interjected carefully, �what classification would he
fall under?� They all knew who she was referring to, and the way she had said
the word left the distinct impression of distaste. Well, he hadn�t exactly
wooed her after all.

�You saw his eye didn�t you?�
Tatsuki answered matter-of-factly. �Let�s just say he�s been around the block a
few times.� If that wasn�t the understatement of the year she didn�t know what
was.

Nemu
closed her eyes serenely. �Only sorrow can make a person understand what real
joy is, Nanashi-san. Otherwise it is taken for
granted.�

The scientist raised an eyebrow
in confusion. �You know, why does it sound like so many of you are personally
defensive of him? I�ve never even heard of him before his name was brought up
in the division, when did he befriend so many captains?�

The seemingly innocent question
had many of the group shocked at the intrusive, and
possibly compromising question, though once again Nemu
took everything in stride. �Captain Kurosaki has many friends among the upper
echelons of the Gotei Thirteen, and we do like to
visit. Gwydion-san has been in his division long enough to be unaffected by our
presence.�

Everyone present had to admit,
the calm woman had a skill so refined in twisting the truth that even the
outright lie she had just told was based in enough believability to go
unquestioned. It wasn�t until the recent year that they had even begun seeing
Gwydion at the headquarters on a regular basis, all the years before then he
had barely spoken two words to them.

�Besides,� she added with an
almost imperceptible smile, �I speak for many people when I say we all have a
deep respect for him.�

That went completely over the
other woman�s head, who responded with an eloquent, �Huh?�

This time Nemu
Yamada�she had tried to keep her name as such, but even then everyone continued
to call her Captain Kurotsuchi, and so she had long given up trying to persuade
people otherwise�did smile, and it wasn�t unlike the ones the other members
of the Association had had a couple of hours earlier. �It takes an exceptional
man to be with Soi-Fong.�

Face burning just at the mention,
Retsu tried to keep herself from giggling like a schoolgirl. �Just wait until
tonight�s meeting, Nemu-san, I guarantee you won�t be
disappointed.�

Now Ren
looked truly startled. �Wait wait wait!
Just a second here, you mean to tell me he�s HIM? The
one in all those rumors about Captain Soi-Fong!?�

�Who ever said they were rumors?
He and Soi-Fong have been going out for months now.
The only reason we even know about these attacks is because she was there with
him. Had he been in his usual routine that day he might already be gone and we
would be none the wiser. That�s not saying he couldn�t have defeated it without
her help, but I think it served well as an eye-opener for young Soi-Fong if I do say so myself.�

�And what do you mean by that?�

�Apathy is usually a defense
mechanism,� the Fourth Division captain explained simply. �War and conflict can
have one of two effects: either the person learns from their pain and gains the
ability to sympathize, or they let the pain rule them and become numb to
everything. Generally, the former only comes after the latter has been worked
through. It is rarely done alone.�

�And sometimes the only person
that can help someone with a chip on their shoulder is someone with one just as
big,� her once-sickly husband completed.

Ren
smiled then, a sad, almost bittersweet grin that reflected in her eyes. �No
surprise there. Is it even possible to �love� when you can�t understand each
other? He must really be different around you for you to defend him so
earnestly.�

Ichigo gave a cocky, disbelieving
smirk to the young scientist. �Nah, he�s pretty much how you saw him all the
time. Personally I don�t know much about the guy at all, but it�s not hard to
see he�s been hurt. The guy�s a frigg�n rock, hell,
he talked just about as much as one until Soi-Fong
started coming around! The thing with that is it�s almost easier to figure out
someone like that then someone that�s smilin� and laughin� all the time. A smile�s way easier to hide behind
than a frown even when you�re creepy enough to scare people with a glare! A man
that can make Soi-Fong feel the way he has can�t be
someone that�s really like that. A rock can�t bring out things it hasn�t felt
itself,� he illustrated casually.

�He�s the kind of guy you�d want
at your back when you�re in a jam. That�s really all there is to it. He kinda reminds me of Ichigo to be perfectly honest,� Tatsuki
summarized proudly, and that image was all that needed to be said.

�Ah, okay. I think I understand
now,� Ren said, comprehension gleaming in her coal
eyes. �Because he�s experienced something similar, he tries to help anyone he
thinks is in the same situation. Even though he tries to stick to himself, he
unintentionally reaches out to others and impacts them with his life alone when
words would never have worked. Basically: he�s a natural leader.�

�But he�ll still deny it kicking
and screaming,� Jyushiro added, grinning widely at the indignant look that
suddenly overtook Ichigo�s face.

�Hey!�

The conversation took off yet
again, laughter in the face of the ever-impending danger. For Ren Nanashi however, her thoughts
weren�t all on the jovial chattering around her. Now, she was curious.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soi-Fong
awoke with a start at the wild screaming of a spiritual wavelength meant
exactly for such a situation. There was no concern given to the condition she
had been in, what she might have done before she found herself sleeping on the
couch, no, this time the dual-braided woman woke up completely in her �captain�
mode�

�to the
screeching of her headset.

Her vision swirled at the quick
redirection of her blood as she shot into Gwydion�s bedroom, where she had last
placed the small device, and shoved it against her ear.

�-----Captain--------lp------pabble--------!!!�

�Group Three! Come in Group
Three!!� The tiny captain ordered loudly. The sounds of battle blasted into her
ear, making almost all communication all but completely impossible.

�----Here----------Rea--------ackup!---eed---backup!-----She�s----onster!!�

A rattling explosion forced her
to shove the headset away on impulse, and she hastily moved it back. �Group
Three!�

The silence of static was all she
heard for what seemed like hours, before once again the speaker sparked to life.
A slow numbness seeped into the very depths of her marrow when a deep, throaty
chuckle resonating into her eardrum. The amused laughter was that of a woman
who just by voice alone exuded an aura of confident sexuality, and dark fingers
gripped her heart.

There was no woman among Group
Three.

�Chibi-chan,
is that you over there?� The voice purred haughtily.

Soi-Fong
steeled herself, her scowl so fierce it should have been felt on the other end
of the connection. �This is the captain of the Second Division, Soi-Fong. State your name,� she ground out icily.

A squeal on the other side told
that was exactly what she wanted to hear. �Ah! So it is Chibi-chan! We haven�t had the honor
of meeting yet, but you can call me Ai!�

The fingers around her heart
squeezed, and the ensuing chill rocked the stony captain to her core. �What
have you done to my soldiers?� She ordered brusquely, allowing none of her
emotions to show in her voice.

�Six for the
price of one! You really are too kind, Chibi-chan,
to give us such a great gift!� Ai crowed in her tone of perpetual sensuality. �They�ll
make wonderful additions to our friends!�

Her glare hardened, if at all
possible by that point. �If they were too weak to beat you, I have no use for
them.�

The chuckle deepened darkly, a
sultry rumble that made her anger flare viciously despite her desire to contain
it. �They weren�t all that bad actually, I�m impressed with your training, Your
Chibiness. They�ll come in handy.�

Every word the womanly voice purred
made Soi-Fong�s teeth clench harder. �I know who you
are. I�ll never let you have him.�

Again, another
low laugh. �He was never yours to begin with. Call it�a loan of sorts.�

�You bitch��

�Tut!�
Ai chided mockingly. �Such language! Unbecoming of a
captain such as yourself, isn�t it?�

�Not if it�s the truth it isn�t,�
another, far darker voice hissed, and Soi-Fong nearly
crashed into the wall at Gwydion�s sudden appearance.

When did he get here!? And how had she not noticed him when he
did!?

�Gwydion, baby is that you!?� The
other end chirped excitedly.

�I know what you are now, Ai.�

His lover froze and the other end
went quiet, but only for a moment. �You only figured that out now? I thought
for sure the dolly would have come to you right away. She saw many of our friends
like that, there shouldn�t have been any delay. Maybe
she didn�t because she knew you were already destined for us.�

Just like that, the fire of his
anger was joined by a cold of fear. �I�ll never give in to you.�

Oh but that infuriating chuckle
resounded once more from the other side. �And that, my dear Gwydion, is why you
already have.�

There were no words to describe
what was going on in him anymore, and one look at Soi-Fong
told the same story. Their eyes met, and suddenly he only had these words, and
they weren�t to the headset.

�I believe you have a promise to
keep.�

Lust melded with anger as Soi-Fong�s new grin turned feral; vengeance and desire suddenly
alight into the perfect solution.

The only sounds that came were
the wet noises of tongues and teeth, and flesh meeting flesh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ai stood among the blood and
destruction, soon aware she was being paid no mind. Her sharp teeth clenched
ferociously as the easily discernable sounds started coming through the headset
she held, and with a vicious snarl she crushed the device.

�You are mine, Gwydion Torisuna.�

It was time to make it so.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author�s Notes: Okay, last time I got barely any reviews and it
seems like the hits are continuing to go down as well. I don�t know what I can
do to change that, so I�ll just keep writing. If people enjoy my work, they
enjoy my work. If not, well, what can I do?

Gatita,
you seem to be the one with the most emotional investment in this story other
than myself, LOL, and so I dedicate this chapter to you! Since I enjoyed writing
the last chapter as much as you seemed to enjoy it, I wouldn�t be sad to give
you that one too! Thank you for your encouragement, it means a lot to me.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed the
chapter!
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That Dreaded Word