Byakuya: ......... -_-"'............
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Warmth of a Phoenix
Chapter 2- Akamatsu Arisa
MazdaKitsune
And she falls darker than night
She shines as light as these days
And she fades faster than time
Phoenix in flames
~Phoenix in flames~
~Converge~
The first thing he saw was the flames.
The next thing he heard was the screams of the people in the building.
A fire had broken out in the neighbourhood, in one of the hotels in the area. People were pushing each other, trampling on those that had fallen in their haste to escape the burning inferno instead of moving orderly.
Byakuya only watched emotionlessly at the Living beings that rushed all around him, jostling each other uncerimonously, without any sign of order. Uncivillized... he thought absently to himself. In Sereitei, if such a thing happened even at the Academy, the students know better than to panic and run about screaming like this. They would've organized themselves into orderly lines and walked out without a fuss. There wouldn't be chaos as for something as petty as a fire. Now where was I...?
Obvlious to the raging fire about him, he continued walking on, wondering if Mayuri had purposely given him the wrong coordinates out of spite. But Ukitake had been watching and opening the Gate as the 12th Division's Captain prattled on about 'taking extra care when handling her' and other nonsense, and certainly Ukitake of all people wouldn't have a grudge against him.
To exit the Gate in the middle of a raging fire. Incredible... Byakuya pulled out his cell phone to double check his location, and found his coordinates matching those prepared for him by Yamamoto.
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(Flashback) "There was a flaw in Kurotsuchi-taichou's gigai. One that he failed to see when he created it," Yamamoto explained, leaning on Ryuujin Jakka as he spoke. "He wanted to create a rieatsu-absorbing gigai, much like the one Kisuke Urahara used on your sister, Kuchiki Rukia. I believe the man even took some samples on the gigai before we had it destroyed in order to create his version of it. Apparently, Akamatsu Arisa was assinged for patrol duty in Karakura at that time, and he sent me a request, asking if he could test his gigai out on her. Akamatsu-san initially refused at first, but after some persuading by Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou, she reluctantly agreed to help him try it out." "Unfourtunately, it absorbed too much of her rieatsu, trapping her in the Living World. Things were going rather smoothly, but Akamatsu-san sent back a report saying that she was unable to open the Gate to Soul Society in her Shinigami form. Therefore, I have to send someone to open the Gate and escort her back." "Such a task can be assigned to an unranked Shinigami," Byakuya reasoned. "Why should a captain be bothered by this?" "This was Kurotsuchi-taichou's request. He requested that a captain be given the task, because according to him, he didn't want his, I quote, 'precious gigai to be hurt.'" Yaamoto's look was slightly apologetic. Slightly. "I could only think of you, Kuchiki-taichou, because you are one that will give me the least problems. Besides, it would help in the bonding between the Akamatsu Clan and yours." Byakuya resisted the urge to sigh. Of course the General-Captain would choose him. His effiency and capability of completing a task with minor problems, no matter how menial would've already selected him as the best candidate to... retrieve Kurotsuchi Mayuri's gigai. His eyesbrows creased. Akamatsu. Akamatsu Arisa. Was fate trying to play some kind of twisted game with him? First, he had an audience with the Head of the Akamatsu Clan, and now... he had a task to escort one of their members back to Soul Society? She had to be a noble, no doubt. Her name gave that away. "Yamamoto-soutaichou. May I please have some details about Akamatsu-san's appearance?" Yamamoto looked at him strangely for a while, as if contemplating, a silent question on his face. 'Do you not remember her?' he seemed to ask, but when he opened his motuh to speak, he said, "She will know how you look like, Kuchiki Byakuya. You need not have to worry. Dismissed" Byakuya frowned openly at this as he turned. Had Yamamoto and Akamatsu Hachiro planned something behind his back, setting him up on this mission? There was definitely something suspicious here.... (End of Flashback)
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Suspicious indeed... Byakuya felt like snorting dersively. The Elders of the different Clans were close to Yamamoto, so it wasn't a surprise that the Head of that degraded Clan would have met him right before arriving for his audience with Byakuya.
/There is no time to think about this, little one.../Senbonsakura's gentle voice chided him. /Focus on the task ahead.../
Byakuya resisted the urge to roll his eyes when he heard Senbonsakura's words. The zanpakutoh had not given up the habit of calling him 'little one' though he was in his twenties right now, about 200 years old by Shinigami standards. True, he had obtained his zanpakutoh at the tender age of 10, but-
"Ah!"
A woman gave a surprised cry as she ran headlong into him, almost causing him to drop his cell-phone. Byakuya stumbled back with her in his arms, and hurriedly let go of her, straightening as he stowed his phone back into his uniform, giving her a glare. To his surprise, her eyes immedieately met his, shining with unspoken apology for stumbling into him. You can see me...? He wanted to ask, and implusively reached out a hand to her, but the woman's eyes shifted to a female teenager about 17 who had fallen beside him, bending down to help her up.
"You'll be alright," the woman murmured as she helped the girl up and pushed her into the arms of a man, presumably her boyfriend. "Keep going and don't look at the flames."
As the man thanked her and rushed away, Byakuya turned, dismissing the earlier incident as coincedence. There was no way she was looking at me. I must've been mistaken...
"Kuchiki-taichou...?"
The woman's soft voice caused the noble to whirl around in shock. She was standing clamly there, looking at him, and by the look on her face, it was clear that she was apologizing for bumping into him. After all.... she was looking straight... at him.
She was almost his height, slender in build, with slightly narrow emerald eyes and long, black hair held loosely in a topknot ponytail. There was an aura of thoughtfulness about her, showing in her features. Getting over his inital shock, Byakuya cleared his throat and nodded at her. "Akamatsu Arisa, I presume?"
Her face broke into a smile of relief. "Yes. Gomen, Kuchiki-taichou.. for not greeting you earlier because I was helping that girl.. and forgive me for stumbling into you."
"Apology accepted," Byakuya said curtly. "It surprises me that I didn't sense your rieatsu, though, Akamatsu-san."
"Not didn't.. couldn't is more like it," Risa corrected. "The gigai's power is a bit too potent, eating up most of my power. If I didn't send a message to Yamamoto-soutaichou, I would've been rendered a normal human whithin a day."
"Sou ka.... I see it now.." Byakuya murmured as he unsheathed Senbonsakura and opened the Gate to Soul Society, watching her out of the corner of his eye. Clearly she was of noble upbringing. He could see it in her posture, the proud way in which she held herself and the quiet air about her that most noble ladies had. "After you, Akamatsu-san."
"Arigatou, Kuchiki-taichou." Risa was about to step in as two Jigoku Chou fluttered out of the shoji-like doors, but froze when a male voice called out to her.
"Risa!" A male voice shouted and a man burst into the burning area, his long ebony hair falling about his face. "Risa!! Come on!! You'll die if you don't move!!"
She paused in her steps, biting her lower lip slightly as she turned around. "I apologize, Kuchiki-taichou... I had forgotten about.... a minor problem."
Byakuya nodded. "Do not take long." He vanished into the Gate.
"Risa!!" The man yelled again, frustration and fear evident in his voice. "Are you mad?! You'll die if you stay any longer!!"
Risa composed herself and turned calmly, one hand moving behind her back. "I'm sorry, Leon.... but I can't..." A wistful but slightly fond smile lifted the corner of her lips. "How can I leave, when I'm about to go home?"
From whithin the Gate,Byakuya watched as she discreetly made a motion with her hand, and the flames in front of her grew higher, causing the ceiling to collaspe, effectively blocking her from Leon's view, noting the uncanny way in which she controlled the fire. So... she wasn't really in danger from the fire after all. "Akamatsu-san."
"Hai?" She looked inquiringly at him as she turned back to join him.
"Strangely, the fire obeys you. When you made that gesture, it was more of a controlling motion than just a simple move of a hand. You've had this ability, I suppose?"
"Yes." A small smile found it's way to her lips as she stepped through the Gate. "My zanpakutoh, Houkatori (Firebird), has the element of fire, therefore I have the ability to control this particular element as well. It's the same way Hitsugaya-taichou can effect the temprature wih Hoyrinmaru... Houkatori allows me to control heat however I like it."
A pyrokinetic. Byakuya was starting to become rather curious about her. As the shoji doors closed, Leon's howl of despair reached their ears and a look of regret flitted across Risa's face. "Sakurai Leon.. Gomen ne.."
"I take it that your stay in Karakura got you... attached to him?" Byakuya stated mildly.
"Iie. I simply regret allowing Sakurai Leon to get too close to me," Risa replied softly. "He got to know me when I took a job at this hotel, working as a secetary. I had noticed the signs of him having a.. 'crush' on me, as the humans would put it, but I regret not doing anything to stop it in time. My heart, still belongs to Soul Society and it's occupants."
She gave him a smile and quickened her pace so that he was staring at her back and hair, which swished gently from side to side with each step she took. Intriguing... this Akamatsu Arisa, he thought. What do you think, Sen?
/What I'm thinking... is that my young charge is curious about her and wants to get to know her more./ Senbonsakura's tinkling laughter rang at the back of his mind with a gust of pink sakura petals as the zanpakutoh teased him.
Stop that. Irritation rippled through Byakuya's reiatsu, effectively stopping Sebonsakura's laughter, but still.. the young noble could not help but remember the first time he had met Risa's eyes. Those emerald eyes.... held a thousand and one mysteries to him that made him want to explore it.
/In due time.../Senbonsakura purred lightly. /All in due time.. Byakuya-bo../
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