Rebirthing (Center of the Universe)

A/N: I decided to get rid of 'MockingBird' because frankly, I didn't like the way the chapter turned out. The first chapter is solely for my MySpace RP, but since a friend liked it and told me to continue.. I'm going to continue a second chapter. But I'm going to change the title, then.

Maybe Rebirthing, or Never Too Late.. or even Bye Bye..

Heh, I love those songs.....

Anyway, let's be about it, then. Figure out what to write. This new story is not related to my MySpace, though the main OC is Jade. It's... an AU of my mind, and yep. Guess what? The reincarnated Shinigami is.... *da da dummm....* RISA! XD So here we go. The AU of Reincarnation, also known as Rebirthing.

Song from Skillet. Love it.
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UPDATES:
1) GODDAMMIT, DANTE!!!! >.< YOU SET ME UP WITH VERGIL!!!
2) Oh Lord, Vergil! I'm so sorry for waking you up!
3) It's your fault I'm so so embarrassed now, Dante!
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Show me sign of paradise
A place we all would like to go to
Tell me what to sacrifice
So there's a chance for me to want you
~Center of the Universe~
~Kamelot~

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Rebirthing
Chapter 2- Center of the Universe
MazdaKitsune

A foot kicked the door open, and a young woman about 20 stomped grumpily into the shop, covered head to toe in black goop. Her emerald eyes flashed in annoyance as she tried to rake a hand through her hair to get rid of the demonic remains. In front of her, a man with blue eyes and silver hair grinned. "I take it was a job well done, babe?"

"Dante Sparda, don't you ever dare trick me to take another job like that again, ever." She flicked her hand at him, splattering some of the goop on his face, earning a startled and indigant "Hey!" from said man. "You KNOW I hate taking on demons that bleed! Do you know how HARD it is to wash off the blood? Ugh.. I wonder how Lady handles it..." Jade Castero grumbled as she fished out a whole wad of money, slamming it down on the table in front of Dante before heading upstairs. "I'll be in the shower. Don't expect me out for another two hours or so."

Dante glared as sniggers came from the twin swords that were hanging from the wall as he scraped the goop of his face and rose to wash it down the sink. "No talking, Agni.. Rudra... I mean it." He had just reached the sink when the door opened and Trish walked in.

"Dante, are you in?"

"In the back!" Dante called out as he splashed water on his face. "What have you got for me, Trish?"

The blonde clone of his mother appeared, leaning against the doorframe. "There is a way to bring your father back. And I dropped by Vergil's just now. He seems better."

Dante turned around, intrest piqued. "Alright, tell me."

Seven months ago, he had rescued Vergil from Hell after the fall of Mundus, the soul of his twin trapped whithin his own sword, Yamato. The process of bringing him back had been long and hard, but eventually, the totured and terrified half-devil had responded, especially when Jade came into the picture.

Nero Angelo, the brainwashed and totured-beyond-repair Vergil Sparda, was weak and skeletal once the armor had been taken off him. He had refused to eat, refused to talk and recoiled when anybody else other than Dante came near him. He had a perpetually wide-eyed terrified look rather than the cold, confident scowl he always wore, and it tore at Dante to see his brother so bewildered and fearful like this. Trish and Lady had helped him the best he could, but then Jade came back to Devil May Cry, and Vergil improved drasticly after meeting her.

Due to his toture in Hell, Vergil's growth had been stunted, looking more like an 18 year old anorexic teen. He couldn't eat human food and clung to Dante desprately, or barricaded himself in his room, buried under blankets and pillows, hiding himself. Dante had fed him with his own blood, but Jade offered him her blood willingly, knowing that whatever it was, Dante still had to earn his living.

It took seven months of patience, but in the end, they brought Vergil back.

How long would it take if Sparda became like his brother?

"Lady got this spell that should reawaken Sparda without the complications we had while bringing Vergil back. It requires lots of gold orbs, though... and an offering," Trish informed hesitantly.

"An offering, huh?" Dante frowned slightly. "You mean we have to spill blood?"

"The blood of the summoner." Trish looked apprehensive. "As far as I know, the only person with enough knowledge of ancient magic is Vergil. But we can't use him to bring your father back."

"Hell no." Dante instantly shook his head. "With the shit Verge has been through, I don't even know if he's well enough to do this. Jade might help, but she's currently pissed and barricading the bath."

"Does it have to do with this demon blood you're clogging the sink with?" Trish pointed. "I'll go get Jade. Dante.. why don't you give Vergil a call? Maybe he's well enough to do this."

Dante grimaced. Damn, he forgot that the pipes would get blocked. "Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks for helping me out, Trish."

"No problem." She smiled. "It's the best I can do to make up for what I did to you."

"Bullshit. That was a long time ago. Get over it already." Dante waved a hand. "God, you're starting to sound like Vergil."

She snorted and made a rude gesture at him before leaving to head up the stairs. Dante shook his head and went back to the desk to pick up his phone, dailing up Vergil. His brother picked up on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hey, Verge." Dante tried to sound cheerful, carefree as if he wasn't so desprately worried about his brother. "How're you doing?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone, then Vergil answered, voice quavering slightly. "I'm.. fine. What about you?"

"Hectic as usual." Dante smiled in relief. "So... you want to come back and stay with me? Jade misses you."

"I... No, I don't think so. Having you save me and bring me back to life is bad enough. I don't want to leech off your money anymore. Besides, I'm already earning my pay by taking hunting jobs."

"Damn, did you and Trish hook up or something? Because you sound really alike when it comes to this "sorry" stuff. Look, I know you feel guilty for this killing shit and all, but I'm your brother. I love you and you're not a bother to me."

"I know I'm not, but would you at least let me salvage what I have of my pride left?" Vergil seethed on the other end of the line, sounding very much like his own self. Dante smiled. Good, there was improvement. He had been apprehensive to let Vergil live on his own for a while, but his brother had insisted, and Trish agreed to keep an eye out for him. The independence had done him good, then.

"Well well... look who's back. Welcome back, my brother," he teased. "You cocky little bastard. Seven months ago, I was the one feeding you and cleaning you up... now you're turning your back on me?"

Silence. And immedieately, Dante regretted saying that. "Look, Vergil... I'm sorry I brought that up, and I-"

"Dante." Vergil cut him off. "It's okay. I realise I was a fool to jump into Hell and suffer at the hands of Mundus. You're stronger than I ever was, and I expected you to hate me, but you never did. Instead, you welcomed me back and took care of me, nursing me until I was back to perfect health. I'm grateful for that and I admit everything was my mistake. So don't apologize."

"Vergil-"

"You have something else to ask of me? Because I'm rather busy right now."

"I think I have a way to bring dad back."

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It had been far too long, Kuchiki Byakuya decided as he picked up a picture of his dead fiance, a woman with long black hair, emerald green eyes and a great smile. The 6th Division Captain wore normal clothes; jeans and a white shirt, ready to leave on a mission. Senbonzakura was against the wall, the zanpakutoh silent, giving his charge some privacy. Today was the day Risa had died, having killed herself after Byakuya had broken up with her. The man had been devastated, blaming himself for her death, but there was no time to mourn as Soul Society invaded Hueco Mundo to go against Aizen.

The war had lasted ten years, and it took Sereitei another ten to recover.

A tear slid down Byakuya's cheek and he took a deep breath to compose himself, carressing the picture with his thumb. Memories fade away, but you will always be in my heart. I love you still, Risa. I love you still. I regret my actions. I never should've left you.

Setting the picture down and taking Senbonzakura, he turned and left the room. I am a fool...
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Jade woke with a start as Trish pounded on the door, finding that she had fallen asleep in the bath. The hot water had washed off all the thick blood, carressing her skin and relaxing her knotted muscles, chasing away her tension. Turning off the water, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body, opening the door. "Trish?"

"At last. I was knocking for almost an hour." Trish rolled her eyes, hands on her hips. "Were you sleeping in there?"

"I'm sorry. The hunt really tired me out," Jade said sheepishly. "You want to bathe, Trish?"

"Nah. I'm here to pass you some good news." Trish waved a hand. "Lady found a spell to summon demon lords and modified it for Dante to ressurect Sparda. Unfortunately... we need a blood offering, and Vergil is the only person who can take what's going to happen because he's of royal blood and is strong enough. Besides, Dante's the one controlling the spell in case anything goes wrong."

Jade's heart almost stopped beating for a second. "Vergil?" Her voice came out as a whisper as memories flooded her mind. His half-dead state, eyes full of terror and fear, his helpless sobs and whimpers, his lips clamping on her neck like a remora, sucking out her blood greedily...

"We need you there for him."

She nodded mutely, not really listening to Trish. She had fallen in love with the blue-clad half-devil, and he could feel his fierce passion for her, so much so that it scared them both. Vergil, being nursed back to health and his cold, frozen state, left to gather what dignity he had left, and she felt like he had taken a part of her then. Dante had once said that there was something about her, something that made Vergil recover instantly after they'd met.

And there was no mistaking the jealous protectiveness she had seen in his eyes when they swept over her before.

Jade shivered. Had he inadvertly claimed her as his mate when she offered her blood to him?
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Vergil stood by the window of his darkened room, his piercing blue eyes staring out into the night. He swirled a glass of wine almost thoughtfully, lost in his thoughts. So... Dante was going to bring their father back. He sounded almost bitter in his mind, knowing that his younger brother had truly inherited their father's ultimate power, while he, the eldest and the one destined for it, had ended up in Hell as a slave to Mundus, becoming a pawn for him.

His hand trembled and he almost smashed the glass, but Vergil forced himself to calm down. The reason why he had left was because he couldn't stand the happiness that his brother had. Dante, the one who had pushed away his heritage. How could he, have become the true son of Sparda?!

Vergil gave a growl and set the glass down on a nearby table, folding his arms to calm himself. The horrors Mundus had inflicted on him always came back to haunt him in his dreams at night, flitting infuriatingly through the shadows, evading all his efforts to banish them. But.. there was one person who could chase them away easily, just by holding him in her arms.

Jade...

He unfolded his arms and shoved his hands into his pockets, staring out at the street in the direction of Devil May Cry. The fearless young woman who had sassed him more than once, facing the threat of Yamato without fear, offering her blood for him without hesitation. Inside him, the demon seemed to calm, no longer restless, but settling down at the mere thought of her.

Gods, he didn't deserve her! Vergil turned away and sat at the table, lifting the glass to his lips to take a sip. He had known, seen it from the invisible mark on her shoulder with demon sight, seen the mark of an aggressive male demon marking her as his mate. She had been Dante's mate during the last mating season, though it only lasted through that period. Dante respected her and didn't claim her for life, but it still irked Vergil to see his brother's mark on her.

Why did Dante always have to get everything?

Vergil....

He almost started to hear Jade's whisper in his mind. She sounded close, almost as if they had a special connection between then. Of course, he had marked her when she had willingly bared her neck to him. It was enough to forge a bond between them, and now there was this blossoming feeling he was reluctant to admit.

Vergil shook his head. Devils couldn't love, could they? Thoughtfully, he swirled the wine again. But he loved her. It was true...

Vergil had fallen in love with Jade, and he didn't know why and how. All he wanted to do was to desprately grasp her in his arms and whisper that he loved her over and over again, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Why? He closed his eyes and bitterly finished the wine in one gulp. Why can't I show her that I love her? Am I really that destined to keep on hurting others? Jade... Dante... even mother...

Tell me what I have to do. Tell me what I have to give to have you see that I love you.

(tsuzuku)

Reincarnation

A/N: Side storyline for my MySpace RP character since Zero asked me why I changed my character. Since I'm too imaginative for a simple "Cause I'm obsessed with Devil May Cry" answer, I decided to create a little storyline that can generate a bit of RP with the others. But oh Gods.... I don't know if I can write this within an hour....

UPDATES:
1) Got Dante's phone number. Damn, he actually called me!
2) Uh, we're still in love with each other on MySpace though he has Trish and I have Vergil
3) I'm Little Red Riding Hood now?!
4) No, I'm not afraid of you. In fact, I think that I rather like the position of being pinned against the wall between your arms. I'd just take the oppurtunity to turn you on while nibbling on your neck.
5) Awkward talk on the phone. Let's just stick to MySpace for the time being.
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...Rebirthing now
I wanna live for love, I wanna live for you and me
Breathe for the first time now
I come alive somehow...
~Rebirthing~
~Skillet~

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Reincarnation
Chapter1-Prolouge
MazdaKitsune

Floating... she was floating in darkness again, for the second time. The first time, she had been brought out of this darkness by the person she loved, but not now. Now she would stay here, floating, seemingly asleep, for months, years, days... centuries, even decades, maybe. What was this? It wasn't hell.... it wasn't heaven... and it certainly wasn't Soul Society. Maybe it was all a dream, a neverending dream where she'll just just float in this sea of darkness, the Land of Nowhere.

Kuchiki Rukia was tired. So tired. But she could not sleep, though her eyes were closed.

Ashes to ashes and dust to dust...

Naked ye was made and naked ye shall return...

How true. Rukia felt weightless, with not a scrap of cloth on her, yet she wasn't cold, though she sensed that her landscapes were of water. It was complicated. She could not feel, yet she could. She could not see, but she could sense. She had no voice, but her mind reverbrated across the darkness as if she were screaming, or talking, or singing.

She remembered vaugely of tears, of an unbearable weight on her chest, of her vision seeing in black and white, the days passing by so quickly she didn't regconise time. She remembered seeing a tall, aristocratic man with long black locks, almost like a god himself. She remembered calling him brother, then more than that, the love that she had felt while with him.

Rukia remembered how he had ended it all, and how she, in despair, had ran herself through with her own sword. She remembered the pain. She remembered dying.

It was days, or maybe even years or decades that had passed while she drifted asleep that she began to sense the tinest hint of color in the blackness surrounding her. It flashed by so fast, she thought it was just her imagination, and she was getting delusional from seeing endless black day by day. But then it happened again. A flash of red thread, warm and inviting to the touch appeared, swirling about in the darkness. Soon after followed a blue thread this one cold but giving off a large sense of power, then a purple thread and a green one, both welcoming and protective, colors interwining.

Rukia was roused out of her sleep, and for the first time, she opened her eyes. Light assulted her, and she cringed, wanting to crawl back into the darkness where she had floated for almost all her life as she knew. But a pink thread, connected to her wrist, reached out to the other threads, forming an intricate knot, a bond that was to hold in the time to come.

This is the future. This is what you will be in the time to come. Embrace it, for you have a new life to live, young nestling. Remember this feeling well, remember these colors, for these threads are the links to your destiny, of who you will be and what you will become. Hold on to it tightly, for this fragile bond will lead you to your home, and your new familly. Kuchiki Rukia, open your eyes and awaken...

Warmth fled her, and she screamed, crying in fear. Instantly, hands embraced her and held her closely to a warm chest, calming her down. When she was brave enough to open eyes that were a beautiful shade of emerald green, she found herself staring up into two loving smiles.

"It's a baby girl. Our baby girl. What will we name her?"

Name? Rukia was confused. She had a name, didn't she?

She was....

She was...

She blinked again.

She had no name.

"Look at her eyes... they're so beautiful. Let's name her Jade... for these pair of beautiful green eyes."

Jade smiled back up at them, and in the instant she recieved her name, she forgot.
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"Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting; The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star, Hath had elsewhere it's setting. And cometh from afar."

~William Wordsworth~

Grief, Death and Pain

A/N: This was based 5 years before DMC 3, when Vergil and Dante were living together, and Vergil was in love with my OC. I imagined that Vergil's thirst for power and his constantly being upstaged by Dante made him leave with a vengeance, leaving both his love and his familly behind. Jade wasn't with them in the fight at Temen-Ni-Gru because Dante told her to stay back, and she did.
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Grief, Death and Pain
MazdaKitsune

The atmosphere of the bar was pretty quiet, not many people out that night. A group of men sat playing poker, the only noise were the taunts from the winner and the grumbles from the losers. The bartender stood cleaning a shot-glass while a woman sat drinking whiskey at the bar.

She had long black hair, slightly tanned skin and emerald green eyes. A real beauty if you looked closely at her, and someone looking out for fun, with her hair tied up in two ponytails. But theis night, Jade Castero was far from looking for fun. Already half-wasted, her bangs covered her eyes as the bottle slammed down on the bar with a loud 'thunk', louder than she meant to. Long legs taunted the men under her short black skirt, but they knew better than to mess with her.

Two Colt M1911s were strapped to her thighs, a wicked looking katana leaned against her stool. She was a partner of Dante's, lover of Vergil, and a female mercenary not to be taken lightly. She was drunk this night, but if anything happened, she would remember it tomorrow. And no one wanted to die by the hands of one of the sons of Sparda.

"Hey, Joe..." Jade's slurred voice brought the bartender out of his thoughts. "Play that song for me, will ya? That slow one on the jukebox...."

Joe cast a worried eye over her before complying, giving the jukebox a small thump before a slow song floated out.


...She put him out like the burnin' end of a midnight cigarette
She broke his heart he spent his whole life tryin' to forget
We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time
But he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mind
Until the night ...

Whiskey Lullaby. Jade smiled as she leaned her forehead against the chilled bottle, letting the glass chill her flushed skin. Why was she so depressed tonight? She didn't know. But she did feel rather depressed. Was it because Vergil had gone to Hell, though he promised that he'll be back? Maybe she feared his safety. Maybe she feared that he never would return after all.

What was happiness, then? Was the happiness she felt when she was with Vergil real? Or was it just a maya, an illusion? She didn't know.

The door opened and slow footsteps approached her. She smiled again without turning. "Hey, Dante... what is it? Another hunt?"

Warm hands rested on her shoulders, sliding down to grasp her elbows gently. "Let's get home, Jade. It's getting late." The warmth of a body enveloped her, coaxing her to release the whiskey bottle. Dante's bangs shadowed his eyes as he picked up Insurga, slinging it on his back as he helped Jade stand.

"Did you know.. Insurga's real name is Hizoku?" She slurred, leaning on him for support. "I just changed the name because I thought Yamato would get jealous... that another sword that looked like it had a Japanese name..."

"I know, Jade. I know. C'mon now." Dante guided her out, throwing a grateful look at Joe before opening the door. The bartender lifted the glass he was polishing at him, giving the half-devil a look that was clearly concerned, telling him to 'look after her'.

The trip back was rather uneventful, Dante sullenly lost in his thoughts and Jade singing Whiskey Lullaby under her breath in a rather off-key tone. Once they had crossed the threshold of Devil May Cry, he let go of her, setting the weapons in their respected places before turning once again.

Jade leaned against the wall, silent now, and almost in tears. "Why..?"

"I wish I knew, Jade." Dante's arms crept around her, pulling her into him, chin resting on her head. "I wish I knew...."

"He's such an idiot," her voice broke and she began crying. "Vergil is the biggest idiot ever! I don't even know why I fell in love with him! And it hurts.... frankly, it hurts....."

"You're not the only one hurting inside..." Dante lifted her, and she saw that his clear blue eyes were totured. "I'm hurt too."

With a start, Jade realised that while she had been too busy with her sorrows, she had only added to Dante's hurt feelings with all her disappearing acts and her drinking. That's right. Dante is Vergil's twin brother. Of course he's going to hurt inside... I'm not the only one...

Worldlessly, she looked up at him, and he looked back at her before capturing her lips in a kiss.
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The next morning, Jade woke up to a pounding headache that quickly subsided when her demonic powers slowly worked it's magic. She was lying on Dante's chest, his arms wrapped reassuringly around her. What was happiness to her? Was it in her life as a Huntress? Would she even find it now that she was a half-breed? She knew that when she died, she'd still go to Hell. Devils weren't allowed in Heaven, so there was a high chance of finding Vergil again, living together in eternal damnation.

She sighed, shifting as Dante sleepily pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Last night had passed like a whirlwind, anger, hurt and desperation released in their lovemaking. It was anything but gentle, and truth be told, he was rough with her and she returned it likewise.

They both relished and reveled in the pain the other caused, using the pleasure-pain to drown out the grief of Vergil's departure.

But would she ever be happy? She didn't know....
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(5 years later)

You've heard of it, haven't you? The legend of Sparda. When I was young, my father would tell me stories about it. Long ago, in ancient times, a demon rebelled against his own kind for the sake of the human race. With his sword, he shut off the portal to the demonic world, and sealed the evil entities off from our human world. But since he was a demon himself, his powers were also trapped on the other side.

I never believed it. I thought it was just a child's fairy tale. But I discovered that this so called legend wasn't a myth at all. Sparda existed. How do I know? I met the sons of Sparda, both of them.

Though the same blood of their father flowed through their veins, the two battled each other fiercely, like arch-enemies. It seemed like they derived some sort of twisted pleasure through this brotherly fighting. But in the end, only one was left standing....

Dante fell back as Yamato stabbed through him, landing on his back with a hard thump, eyes wide and disbelieving. Vergil swept back his hair and picked up Rebellion. "Foolishness, Dante. Foolishness."

He walked away, sword scraping against the ground. Dante's fingers twitched as a vision of Jade flashed through his mind and he tried to call out to Vergil, to tell him about her. Vergil stopped, pain suddenly imbedding itself in his heart as the thought was projected at him.

Jade... Forgive me... But I need more power... I swear, I will come back for you when I've become the ruler of Hell... but for now.. stay dead.

He turned and with one swift thrust, buried Rebellion into Dante, cutting off the happy memories of his past. A warrior needed no distractions, but a cold heart.

Somewhere in the city, Jade felt her heart die.

The Sparda Legacy

A/N: Annnndddddddddd.... yeah, here it is. The idea came into my head after a little tiff I had with Vergil for sassing him. Mmmm mmm... the Sparda twins are hot... not to mention Papa Sparda as well!!!!! XD WHHHEEEE!!!!!! I LOVE CHUS, PAPA SPARDA!!!!!! XD

Sparda: ^/////^ M' lady...
Vergil: ....... >.>
Dante: GODDAMMIT!!! QUIT HOGGING MY GIRL, DAD!!!!

Jade's weapons:
Umbra- Black gun, designed for her right hand
Levis- White gun, designed for her left hand
(Both guns are Colt M1911's, a gift from Dante after her beloved Baby Eagles (Jericho 941) wore themselves out during a tiring hunt)
Insurga- A sword (japanese type. Yeah, given by Vergil???!! Nooooo!!!! Okay, he found it, she broke her sword, he threw it at her and told her to take it)
Sentis- A whip (original weapon)

And now, let the insaneness begin!!!!!!
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The Sparda Legacy
MazdaKitsune
Chapter 1- Faded Memories of a Jade

It had been years, many years since she ever saw that man with his silver hair and blue eyes that seemed to pierce through your soul though it shone with playfulness. Jade sighed, her pencil tapping quietly against the table. A blue tear-drop like stone hung between her breasts, a present from the aforementioned man. It glowed softly and sparkled when the light caught it, but she paid it no mind as she yawned, stretching slightly.

Jade was a girl of twenty that had long black hair and mysterious emerald eyes. Her skin was slightly tanned, the product of fighting in the sun. But wait, fighting? Well.... on the outside, this young woman looked like a normal, everyday girl that was harmless and could only be sitting in one place; behind a table, studying. What no one knew, was that this particular girl had a job. A dangerous job at that.

Devil/Demon hunting.

She was no odinary human. While she did play the part of a human girl and went to college, she hunted demons when the sun went down and took on cleaning jobs for people. A mercenary, one could say.

But you must be wondering by now. Why was she in the dangerous business of hunting demons?

It all started with one man....

Dante Sparda.
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Years ago, Jade used to be a normal girl, living with a normal family and leading a normal life. Then everything went wrong when demons attacked her house one day, killing both her parents and everyone she knew.

The young, plump girl with overlage green eyes sat in terror by her father's dead body, watching as her mother attempted to deflect the horrible, ugly creatures with long scythes trying to come at them. She didn't know what her mother was doing, maybe she was trying to put out the fire that raged around them as well, by splashing water at both the monsters and the flames.

A shadowy mist rose up behind the woman, and the child tried to call out, tried to scream a warning, but all she could do was sit there, watching with a kind of horrified fascination as the long, wicked curve of the blade rose and fell in a smooth, graceful manner, cutting through her mother's body, which twisted and fell, as if caught in some macabre dance. The blood reached her legs and the edge of her tattered nightdress, yet the child just sat quietly by, either too afraid to move, or too bewildered to understand what was going on. Death, as she now called the monsters, remembering a picture she had seen in a picture Bible, loomed closer to her, their scythes gleaming in the dancing flames.

Then he came.

Bursting through the flames in dramactic bravado, the silver-haired stranger let off a series of gunshots, which to the girl sounded like thunder, dispelling the Death monsters into dust. His boots clicked on the wooden floor as he walked closer and kneeled to inspect the bodies. "Shit... looks like I came too late.... Nothing can be done for these people now..." he muttered, running a gloved hand through his hair. He lifted his head, and his gaze fell upon the young child, who had her hands over her ears and her eyes squeezed shut. "Hold on a second there.... you're still alive, kid?!"

She opened her eyes to a face full of disbelief and blue eyes that shone with warmth. Gazing at this stranger for a while, she finally decided that she liked him and nodded. "Great. Then we'll have to get you somewhere safe. C' mon now." He picked her up and nestled her in his arms as he made his way through the fire, using his red coat as a shield.

The girl turned back to her parents. "What about mama and papa? Aren't they coming too?"

The man paused. "Sorry, kiddo. I can't do anything for them. They'll have to stay."

She seemed to understand what he was saying. "Are you an angel, then? Mama always said angels had fair hair and blue eyes. You look like one I saw in my picture Bible."

"An angel, huh?" A painful look passed across her rescuer's face. "I wish I was one, kid. I really wish I was..." Without giving her time to say anything else, he forged a way through the flames and soon emerged into the cool night air. There, in the street, he got a chance to study his little friend's face. Her hair was in two pigtails, and a double chin stuck out from a plump face. But her green eyes shone clear and innocent, her dirty face bearing no streaks of tears whatsoever. "No tears. You didn't cry, even when faced with those Death Scythes," he said in wonder. "You're a spunky one, kid. I admit, you have guts for one so young. Well, you'll have to come home with me before I find you a new home. I wonder if Nina wants you..." The man started walking away.

For the rest of the night, she slept next to her angel in his home. The next day, he cleaned her up, offered her strawberry sundae sheepishly for breakfast, and brought her to see a woman in a cafe. The girl sat eating a strawberry cheese-cake, swinging her legs back and forth as he talked to the woman. "Remember how you said you always wanted a daughter or a son to take over from you? Well, I have a kid I rescued from a demon attack yesterday, Nina. Her whole familly was killed, but she held strong. She's got spunk."

Nina ran an eye over the child, expression softening. "Her familly was killed you say? Poor thing.... it came out in the papers this morning. The house was burnt down to the ground... little Jade here was presumed dead as well. She doesn't seem too traumatized though, Dante."

"I told you, she's got spunk. She just sat there and watched those Death Scythes kill her parents, then watched me get rid of those pests before calling me an angel." Dante seemed to grin at that. "And she didn't even cry nor get any nightmares last night. She may be young, but she's got the spirit of a possible hunter."

"Angel, huh?" Nina smirked. "I'll take her under my wing, Dante. It's only me and the big mansion and I'm lonely. Let me go clear things up with the police, then I'll legally adopt her as my daughter."

"Alright, then. Thanks, babe." "No problem. I've always wanted a kid at home." Nina stood and held out her hand to Jade. "C'mon, child. It's a long way back home and I want to get there in time for lunch."

Jade looked at Dante and after a nod, slid off her stool and took Nina's hand. "Home?" Nina smiled. "Yeah. Your new home. And I'm your new mom." She regarded Nina with childish seriousness before nodding. "Mom."

Jade grew up as Jade Castero after Nina adopted her, and she never saw Dante, her angel again. Though she did meet him again when she was sixteen, she didn't remember him as her angel or her rescuer until he mentioned it.
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"Jade Castero!"

The girl shot up straight in her seat as her lecturer called her name. "Yes, sir?"

He frowned slightly at her and she cringed, knowing full well that she had been dreaming again. "What are the advantages of employers adhering to the company ethics? Give me one example."

It only took her a moment to think before answering. "The employers gain the loyalty of the employees, who in result will stay with the company and produce a lower labour turnover."

The lecturer's face broke into a smile. "Good answer. And so class, we see that........."

Jade gave a sigh. They could throw any question at her, but she always made sure she read her notes beforehand to answer their questions.
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Demons. There were always demons trailing her for some reason. Jade scowled as she lashed out with her whip, Sentis. It was Latin for thorn, and could cut through the demons that surrounded her, leaving dust in it's wake. "Dammit, dammit.... leave me alone, you jerks!" More Death Scythes lunged at her and she bit down on the handle of her whip, whipping out two Baby Eagles, Jericho 941s, that she had bought out of her own money. Lifting the guns to eye level, she released the safety.

"Eat metal, uglies."

Dinner With Her

A/N: Um... another ByakuyaXRyorin pairing. Don't ask why, but the idea of Bya having a rather.... violent wife is..... *giggles* cute. ^^
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Sounds of fighting came from the Eleventh Division's yard, and Ikkaku's voice echoed around the confines, yelling at the unseated Shinigami that he was training. "Hora, hora, hora!! Get up and fight, ya wimps! It ain't time t' rest yet!"

"Wimps don' make it in here, geddit?! So up on yer feet and fight me!"

The rough female voice made Byakuya falter in his steps as his head involutarily turned towards the source of the voice. Ryorin stood in a ring of groaning Shinigami, one hand on her hip with a boken on her shoulder, looking both eager and irritated. Ikkaku was yelling again, waving his boken at them. All of the trainees had wounded looks, almost as if Ryorin had beaten out their prides with her boken.... which she probably did.

Byakuya turned his whole body to face her, deciding to talk to her for a while. He hadn't spoken to her even after she had left the 4th Division, though he knew unleashing his shikai on her had caused Zaraki's rage to blow up. Walking towards them, his silent footfalls naking no sound, he took a deep breath.

"Kamaitachi-san. May I have a word?"

Ryorin turned, and her eyebrows rose in surprise. Sending a glare back at the trainees, she thumped her boken on the ground. "What are you guys starin' at?! BACK T' WORK!" Her roar was enough to send them scrambling to their feet, and Ikkaku, ever eager for a fight, eargerly took her place. Byakuya almost smiled. While having such a small and seemingly fragile frame, this young woman was formidable, and could project her voice in a roar similar to Zaraki's to control her subordinates. He hid the small twitching of his lips when she approached him to pull him to a shaded area under a tree, well away from the sparring that was going on, though. Ryorin's emerald eyes glowed with vibrant health and energy, though she had just had an intensive sparring session.

"I see you're all healed, Kamaitachi-san. But shouldn't you be resting instead of sparing so vigourously?"

"Nothing I can't handle, Kuchiki-taichou." Ryorin flashed him a grin. "Besides, I went easy on those guys."

Byakuya nodded. "About last time...."

"No need to apologize." She chuckled. "I went into shikai first, so it's only fair that you release yours. I've felt pain worse than that, don't worry about it. Demo.... I should apologize for Taichou going after you in the 4th Division." Her head lowered as she sighed. "It wasn't your fault after all... It was me who wanted a sparring."

He shook his head slightly. "No. Don't apologize. It was bound to happen. I shouldn't have unleashed shikai on you. If anything, I would like to apologize for hurting you badly and making you end up unconsious in the 4th Division. Is there... anything I can do to compensate?"

Ryorin had opened her mouth to protest, but she closed it slowly at thought for a while. "How about.... coming over to my quarters for dinner tonight? If you want to apologize, Kuchiki-taichou, you can do it by gracing me with your presence over dinner."

Byakuya's eyes widened in surprise, then he nodded. "So be it. And... another thing, Kamaitachi-san."

"Nani?"

"In doing so, you must allow me to address you as Ryorin. You may address me simply as Byakuya as well, but only in private."

"Ehhh...." A blush crept up Ryorin's neck, and she nodded shyly before abruptly turning and running over to the fight, hollering at Ikkaku long enough to get him to pause before she promptly threw herself into the dust, her two ponytails swishing about her shoulders. Byakuya allowed a small smile to briefly flash across his lips before his cold mask settled on again, and he left the vicinity of the 11th's training grounds.
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6pm sharp. The quarters of the seated Shinigami were the size of a small house, and private, unlike the barracks that the other Shinigami shared. It was one of the things Ryorin was thankful for, being a girl. It wasn't as if she couldn't live with the other men, but she needed privacy... especially when she was always stricken with "illness" each month that required her to run to the ladies every two hours or so.

Thankfully, Unohana and Zaraki always gave her leave on those days.

She was still cooking when there was a quiet knock on the door, and she gasped, scurrying to open it. Byakuya stood before her, wearing a dark blue yukata and carrying a bottle of sake in the crook of an arm. "Kuchiki-taichou! You're early!"

"I take it that I wasn't expected till much later?" Byakuya's smooth baritone carried a hint of amusement in it.

"No, not for another another." Ryorin opened the door wider and let him in. "Come in."

Byakuya slipped out of his sandals and took a step into the quarters, casting his eye about. To his surprise, it was neat for someone so active and rough. Ryorin herself had her hair up into a ponytail, and was wearing a white camisole and shorts, something of her purchase in the Living World, no doubt. The rumours about her addiction to the Living World was true after all.

"Surprised?" Ryorin came back out of the kitchen with a tray, bearing two cups and a pot of tea. "I've been living in Ichigo's world for so long, it doesn't seem right without having some stuff to remind me of it here."

"Iie. I'm mostly surprised by the... neatness of your home." Byakuya watched as she poured out the tea for him with skill. "Compared to others... Yumichika included, I'd say that yours is the neatest I've ever seen before."

"I AM a girl, Kuchiki-taichou," Ryorin reprimanded teasingly as she offered the cup to him. Music was coming from her computer, the type that Ichigo and his friends listened to often, and the type that Rukia enjoyed nowadays. The girl winced and got up, fiddling around with the contraption before the rock music turned into soft piano.

Moonlight Sonata

A/N: Moonlight Sonata. Composed by Beethoven. First movement: Adiago Sostenuto. Play it to your heart's content, till you fall asleep.
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She sat playing at the piano, the whole room dark except for the moonlight coming in through the window, illuminating both the Grand Piano and it's player. A bitter smile was on her lips, her long black hair falling down her face in a curtain. Her simple white gown was dotted with blood, the same crimson trail running down her fingers to mar the pristine white keys of the piano. Dull emerald eyes closed, then opened again in a half-hearted effort to stay awake, as if a part of her told her to cling so desprately to life, even if she didn't want it. But she still played the song, over and over again, on autopilot.

The Moonlight Sonata.
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His presence filled the room as he appeared in the room with her in a ghostly presence, a chill ran through the air, followed by the room having a small breeze of cherry blossom petals as they flowed to her from behind, making his presnce known to her silently. She stiffened slightly because of the chill, but she made no acknowledegement of his presence, and kept on playing, playing to her heart's content.

Inwardly, he frowned, but kept his expression neutral, instead raising his spiritual pressure to catch her attention, slightly irritated at being ignored. The air around her got heavier, the Sakura petals that swirled around her leaving small scratches on the mahogany wood of the glossy Grand Piano.

Still, she didn't face him, and he wondered if he should treat her likewise, and silently take her, but she suddenly spoke.

"It's my birthday today."

"You don't say... Happy Birthday, then." He softly spoke in a calm tone as he walked around the piano to face her.

"Arigatou.. you know.. I just turned eighteen today..." The young girl looked up at him with tired, lifeless eyes, but a smile twitched the corners of her lips. "It's ironic, isn't it? You, who I've been chasing after, coming to me on my birthday."

He wasn't surprised that she knew him. After all, he had been watching her, waiting for her, waiting for the perfect moment where she would finally travel over to his world one day. She intrigued him, fascinated him, for he had never seen a human so eager to court Death, calling for him patiently without giving up in the past years. "Why do you wish.. for Death?" He slowly stepped up to her, his silver-grey eyes calm, betraying no emotion as he gazes into her faded emerald irises, gently placing a hand on the side of her face.

The girl shuddered slightly at his cold touch, and her bloodied fingers stopped moving, silence reigning in the room. "Because life is so full of despair. I... I want something that cannot be found in Life, something only Death can offer me." She raised a hand, her fingers, bleeding after playing for hours on end, leaving imprints of blood on his ivory skin.

"I see..." His eyes focused on hers as he gently caressed the side of her face. "Would you die without regret?"

"No regrets... I have no regrets... I just want to leave this world, which is so full of despair, behind..." Her eyes flicked between his and the empty bottle of pills on the floor. "I saw you.. Death... I saw you, a long time ago at my grandmother's funeral, and at the pool where my friend drowned. I could never forget how you looked like... pale ivory skin, long black hair... I wished I could see you one more time, to end all my depression, my suffering."

Death said nothing, but the piano began to play on it's own, the soft strains of Moonlight Sonata rising from the unmoving keys as he raised her into his arms, holding her closely to him. It was almost time now.

The girl sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder, suddenly feeling weariness creep upon her lithe form. "What will happen after this?"

He kept her in his embrace, closing his eyes, pulling a withered lily out of nowhere and placing it in her hair. "Do you... tuly wish for death?" The funeral flower fitted her, a flora mourning a girl that was alive yet dead.

She gave him a laugh, liliting and bitter. "Death is holding me in his arms even now." She sucked in a shaky rattling breath. "Tell me your name, Death."

"My name.. is Byakuya." Death leaned down in a mocking gesture of a dance move, gazing into her eyes as his lips lightly brushed against hers, sending a deadly chill throughout her body. "and what is your name, little dead girl walking?"

"Risa..." she murmured. Yes, she was a little dead girl walking. She had been that, for the past four years. She could feel her body shutting down even now, the unbearable tiredness creeping into her voice and making it soft. "Tell me... what will happen to me after this?"

"You will depart from this world... And find peace in my kingdom, the Soul Society." Byakuya closed his eyes, keeping her pressed against him as he straightened, almost overwhelmed by the sweet smell of a one who was nearing her last breath.

"Will I be with you?" Risa murmured, already drifting away with the soothing melody of her favourite song.

"You will." Oh, he was so close now...

She closed her eyes, smiling bitterly as the lily dropped from her hair, shattering into pieces of glass at their feet. "I feel so tired, Byakuya-sama.... just so tired...."

Triumph sang in both their veins as he tilted her head up with a finger, his icy touch and breath ghosting over her skin. He knew this was her final cry to him, a final cry for her death and to be at peace. But still he teased her, wanting to savour this sweet last moment. "Shall I help you to rest.... for now?"

"Please..." She opened her eyes and looked up at him, and he inwardly smiled. "Make me your Queen."

"And so you shall be." He held her closely as he gazed into her eyes, and devoured her soul, sucking out her last breath with a Kiss of Death, ending her mortal life in a kiss of cold, fiery passion.

Her very last breath left her in a silent gasp, stolen by him, and she couldn't reply, eyes lifeless and unseeing, her body cold and unmoving, already dead.

Her heart had stopped beating, and the little dead girl walked no more, truly in Death's clutches now.

Death turned and walked away, holding her body gently against him as he disappeared in a flurry of Sakura petals and cold wind.

And Risa ceased to exist.
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The room slowly fell silent as the piano played itself out, the moon's soft rays falling on the still body of a young girl that had died on her birthday to her favourite song. At her feet lay eighteen withered flowers.

Lilies, a sign of mourning.
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Byakuya kept her in his arms, even after he had laid her down to rest on his bed, watching the time as it went by. And why not, when he now had her and they had all the time in the world to wait? From now on, she was his and would only be his. "You are mine, my white Queen, for all eternity, and I will be your Black King."

Risa's emerald eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him, a spark of life in her irises. "Will I always be with you?"

He nodded slightly and kissed her forehead, spreading a comforting iciness throughout her body, marking her as his.

She gave him an empty smile as her eyes slid shut again, and his rose to play the piano. "Thank you... Death."

Moonlight Sonata rose in the air again.

Warmth of a Phoenix

A/N: I redid Chapter 2 cause the other one was crappy. Jeez... sorry for the totally long update, but I had some issues that were not easily solved.... Would a hug from Byakuya compensate?

Byakuya: ......... -_-"'............
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Warmth of a Phoenix
Chapter 2- Akamatsu Arisa
MazdaKitsune

She burns as bright as the sun
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../