I sighed heavily, slumping down into the slick, rain covered roof of Urahara’s shop. My chest felt constricted and my head felt light. There was no mistaking it. The war with Aizen was over. But, I wondered as the icy cool dampness of the crystallized water soaked through my jeans, did the ends really justify the means?
‘So melancholy, Mistress. I thought you’d be happy now that war is finally over?’ His deep baritone voice was not unexpected with the way my emotions were fluctuating but nonetheless, I was still annoyed with his tone.
‘Why should I be happy. Many lives were lost, and for what? For the power struggle of others? There is nothing glorious about what happened here today.’ I replied with conviction.
I could feel him stalking through my mind, his tail swishing this way and that in his sheer annoyance with my logic. 'A poetic and foolish sentiment. How you could ever feel remorse for even one of those evil creatures is beyond me.’ He growled softly.
I knew what was coming. It was not unusual for him to do so and even if I had tried to stop it, the bastard was too stubborn and I was presently not up to giving a shit. The air around me churned and crackled, the snow kicking up into the familiar cyclone I’d seen many times before in my lifetime. As the winds calmed and the snow parted a smoky gray gaze met mine and I frowned.
He whimpered dejectedly and the sound stung my ears. Guilt ebbed away my anger and I fully intended to apologize until he spoke again. ’I do not disregard life, Mistress, only those that mean to disrupt the lives of the good. Those creatures were born of hate and malice.’
‘So,’ I sneered, my teeth mashing together to contain my temper. ’You mean to tell me that you believe all those who fought against us today, Arrancar or not, were solely evil?’ With my anger rising I turned to him, crossing my arms across my chest. When he made no reply, my pale brow raised. ’Well?’
‘That was not what I said, Mistress.’ he growled, the spotted fur of his hackles raising with his own flaring temper.
“That’s exactly what you said!” The look of hurt that passed through his eyes was enough to falter my steps but not enough to derail me from my course. “You sound every bit the neanderthal the Captain Commander wishes his people to be; Shinigami good, Arrancar bad, Visord bad, Bount bad! Did I miss anyone? Oh yes, demons are bad, too.” I spit.
His face was set in stone, whiskered brow furrowed together before a look of understanding softened his face. ‘This is not about you, girl.’
I could feel my face heating with the emotions that boiled just under the surface, waiting to blow like a stewing volcano. “The Hell it’s not!”
He whimpered again, lowering his head in submission. It was a look of defeat that I absolutely hated to see. Get yourself together Mari, I thought to myself. He knows that he's in the wrong.
But the saddened look on his face ate away at me all the same. I knew from the moment he appeared that I was being too harsh with him. I was already angry at the stupidity of this battle as it was and he just happened to pop up at the right time to receive it. He was my most trusted friend, my companion, my protector. With a groan of indignation I turned on my heals and sank once again into the slushy wet roof.
‘Jun?’ I called, sliding my hands through his thick glossy fur, stroking and petting him just the way he liked.
“I’m sorry. I never meant to snap at you, I’m just frustrated with the mindset of certain individuals. Will you forgive me?” I asked as I found his favorite spot behind his right ear and he purred in satisfaction.
‘Only if you scratch a little to the left, Mistress.’ He chuckled in a teasing tone, though I was fairly certain he was serious. Giving to his wishes for once I did as he asked and the soft rumbling that vibrated the whole rooftop strengthened with his pleasure.
‘Forgive me yet?” I giggled, as he flopped onto his back, his massive paws hanging in the air.
‘If I must.’ He whined and I swatted his head.
‘Big baby.’
We sat in silence for a long while. I was thoroughly soaked and the wind was starting to pick up but all in all, I was comfortable. It was no secret to those around me that I enjoyed the winter nip and frost. As my soul spirit was in fact, a snow leopard, the harsh weather of wintertime months never bothered me much. We said very little as was our custom, never feeling the need to drone on aimlessly about petty things that meant little to either of us. When something was important we discussed, if not we usually were happy just being in the presence of each others company.
When the sun started it’s descent from the sky I turned to my dosing companion. ’We might as well get inside and make sure things are prepared. We might not have any casualties on our end but I’m sure there are more than enough wounded.’
He made no move to get up, but as his ears flattened against his head I knew why. He was thinking. ’Mistress?’ He questioned after a moment. ’Why did you not participate in the battle? Our gift would have been infallible against Aizen.’
It was a good question and frankly one that I thought he would have asked long before now. ’For that exact reason. Kisuke didn't want to risk us. He said that with our unique ability we would have been singled out as a threat, by both sides.’
He lurched to his feet suddenly, whipping around so fast it nearly made my head spin. His eyes were cold and drawn and I knew in that instant he understood my earlier breakdown. ’Fools! They would dare to attack my Mistress?’
I let my silence be the omission he needed. He had to understand that even if the Soul Societies ideals where in the right place, that didn’t necessarily mean they were as good as they claimed to be. I had done nothing to disprove my fealty to them. I had always been a devoted soldier, taking my commands with an easy stride and yet they would seek to strike me down for fear that I could possibly defect. Personally, even that excuse was hard for me to swallow, knowing all the while what bullshit it was. They were scared of me. Scared of my differences. Scared of the truth.
A sharp tugging of my pant legs stopped me, however and I turned my gaze downwards. “What are you-”
‘You still mean to help them?’ he asked incredulously, cutting me off and blocking my path.
“Of course.” I replied easily, though I was minutely confused at why he would ask such a question to begin with.
Anger flashed through the steel gray of his eyes as his ears flattened. ‘Why?’
I sighed and squatted down, stroking his muzzle to comfort him. “Because, I have friends in this battle too, friends who give fuck all about what I am. Unlike most humans I will not hate them all because of the transgressions of a few.” ’I’m sorry, Jun Takeo, but I refuse to be like them. I will help those who are in need and defend myself when I can.’‘As you wish, Mistress.’ He whispered and with a gust of the freezing air he was gone. I knew he was still angry but I was pleased he wouldn’t defy me in this. ’As if I could deny you anything, my Mistress.’
~
The assumption that I would be needed in the days that followed the great battle of the false Karakura Town was a gross understatement. Unohana-Taicho was up to her ears in bodies back in the Seireitei and everyone seemed to be suffering an ailment of some kind. Mostly I tended to the hung-over and the minor flesh wounds of the bored, so the members of the Eleventh were my usual.
I still couldn’t understand their creed. I was always up for a good fight but I found that beating each other to a pulp not days after most of them had nearly died seemed a little stupid to me.
‘They are nothing but mindless brutes, Mistress, pay them no mind as you will never understand their reasoning.’ Jun growled from the depths of my mind. No big surprise there. If there were any Jun disliked it was members of the Eleventh, though he cared little for the Fukutaicho of the Sixth as well. But as much as he grumbled on about them being brutes I knew his excuse was all smoke and mirrors. I knew the real reason he threatened to eat them on a daily bases.
‘Do enlighten me, Mistress.’
‘You know damn well if Renji or Ikkaku looked like Ömaeda-Fukutaicho, you would have nothing to say about them.’ I smirked as he faltered, knowing damn well I was right.
‘That’s not true, Mistress. If Abarai or Madarame looked anything like Ömaeda-Fukutaicho I would say they looked like pigs.’ He snorted indignantly, like I was the one who was jealous and in the wrong.
I ignored him after that as he continued to drone on about the barbarity of Madarame and Abarai’s lack of charisma.
“Talkin’ to yourself again?”
I whirled around with a smile, “Pretty much. You know how crazy we demons are?”
He slumped to the floor beside me, “Mind if I join ya?” Ikkaku asked, gesturing to the sake set I had set before me. “Not at all, but where is Yumichika and Renji? I set out plenty for all of us.” I said looking around him to see if I spotted feathers or crimson hair.
Ikkaku’s grin widened at the proffered cup in my hands, already poured and waiting for consumption. “Appreciate it,” he said gulping down the contents of his choko in one gulp. Wiping his mouth he turned to me. “Don’t you go worrying your pretty head about the others, those idiots are still talkin’ to Urahara about something, they’ll be around soon.”
I scoffed at him and teased him for calling me pretty. He frowned. “Why the hell would ya say that? You are pretty.”
I scoffed again. “Ikkaku, not for nothing but I think you need your head examined or possibly your eyes. Not many men find me attractive for obvious reasons.” I told him sourly, gesturing to the scar on my face.
“Then they’re idiots. I don’t give a fuck about that shit on your face, you’re still pretty.” he said forcefully.
I sighed, “Maybe to you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He yelled, shaking his fist in my face. “My opinion not good enough for you?”
I giggled at his attempts to frighten me, knowing all the while that we were evenly matched when it came to battle. “Simmer down, Mr. Testy. I only meant that you are bias. You’re one of my best friends, of course you don’t want me to feel bad.”
His face was priceless. Astonished was the only way I could describe it. “You really don’t see it, do you?”
“See what?” Renji asked as he plopped down on my other side with all the grace of a newborn colt. “What are we arguing about this time?”
“Nothing.” I murmured hoping Ikkaku would drop the subject. Thankfully he did, I really didn’t want to discuss my moment of self-loathing with a man I found that attractive.
‘I think it is you who needs their head examined.’
‘Shut up, baka neko.’
As the night wore on we were joined by Yumichika, Kisuke, Hana and Yoruichi. Even Tessai stopped for a moment to share in a celebratory drink after Ginta and Ururu were put to bed, which was almost unheard of. And after his lone drink I think it was apparent to us all why Tessai never indulged in our impromptu parties. Never in a million years would I have guessed that a man of his size would be such a lightweight. The effects of his one drink was almost instantaneous, one moment he was erect and jovially laughing with the others, the next he broke out into a song that was even older than me as he swayed about the room on shaky legs. By the end of the night Hana had also shown his lack of stamina when it came to strong alcohol and had to be carried off to bed by Yoruichi. I knew she wouldn’t return, Hanatarou was a kind man but a terrible patient when he was ill.
“Ikkaku, why don’t you and Yumi take my room. You’re both still injured and I think I’m going to sit up for a while longer.” I told him as he nodded off again.
His head shot up and his eyes jerked open. “Wha’d bout you?” he slurred.
I covered my mouth with my hand in hopes to cover the laughter bubbling up in my throat as I spotted the long string of drool hanging from the corner of his mouth. “Don’t worry about me, if I get tired I can always take a cat nap out here in the sun. Or,” I paused dramatically, leaning forward across the patio table knowing that my cleavage would show through the rumbled part in my robes. “I could always crawl in bed with you.” I added saucily.
“What the Hell?” Renji barked, standing up.
‘Mistress! A Garganta!’
“No fucking way. Here?” I asked dumbly, clamoring to my feet and nearly colliding with Renji as the shop below shook again.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Ikkaku shouted wide awake and pulling a unsteady Yumichika from the roofs ledge. “What’s here?”
Ignoring him for the moment I took my time scenting the air, and there it was ‘The smell of lost souls.’ Looking him dead in the eye I replied. “A Garganta.”
“What?” The three shouted in unison and I nearly had to cover my ears from their tone.
“Who in the Hell would open a Garganta around here?” Renji asked, his eyes scouting the sky looking for the rip in the Earth’s barrier, I supposed.
For some reason I knew it wasn’t in the sky. I just knew it. ‘Where is it, Jun? Can you tell?’ I asked my companion, knowing that while stuck in this horrible gigai there was only so much I could sense.
‘The smell is coming from the basement, Mistress.’
“The basement,” I growled. Startled Yumichika who had seemed to fully recover from his drunken state looked to me with wide eyes. “That motherfucker. What’s he up to now!”
Taking a step forward I had half a mind to show that louse of a man what I thought about him and whatever debauchery he was into now, when Renji grabbed my shoulder. “What’s going on?” He asked softly.
Shrugging his hand away I started forward again. “Mari?”
Sighing I turned to face him. “Jun said he could smell the Garganta in the basement and there only one way I know for it to have gotten there.
The light bulb clicked and at the same time the three males surrounding me all shouted again. “Urahara!”
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