nine

Ivy wavered in and out of consciousness, the only indicator that time passed was the small silver haired boy was turning into a man. At some point in-between hazy wake ups the walls changed from a dull grey to a stark white. She only noticed because the lights blinding reflection in the water. Cascades if rainbows would appear when the overhead light was turned on. The water had changed at some point too going from a light murky blue to crystal clear. One of the many times she had drifted into conciseness the boy had been a teen. She had tried to move only to feel new needles in her arms and hands. The haze in her brain grew stronger as time passed causing her to wake less and less often.

With the amount of drugs they've pumped into you all this time, Doka's bored voice slithered into her ear, the hiss of every exaggerated s drawn out with the flicking of his tounge, you would've been dead long before now. It could be addicting to some. Luckily you heal yourself quicker than most. I wonder if they are testing your healing abilities. Ivy grumbled through her sigh. She sat cross-legged in front of the tree that Doka hung from. She had been traveling between her inner world and sleep for the biggest part of her incarceration. She concentrated on healing her ever deteriorating leg muscles and tried not to think about how long it had been since one of the trio had wandered into the room.

They were two Captain's and a lieutenant now if their robes were any indication of their positions. Her brows furrowed thinking about how Aizen was a Captain now. The dark man had been wearing Captain Muguruma's robe too which meant something had happened him and Shinji. Doka hummed in her ear and her eyes snapped open. "Please stop," She hissed back at him. Doka raised a scaly brow. The snake opened his mouth to speak but turned his head instead. There's another one, I thought they gave up on sending those hollows here or is that the same one as before? He said squinting and looking in the distance where a roar of torment erupted. Ivy sighed and stood, her sword appearing in her hand. Uindokattā slid up her leg and around her waist almost like a belt. As they made their way across the forest floor she thought back to the last time they had sent one into her system. It had been awhile. She had hoped they had forgotten about her but she guessed she had been wrong.

~~~~~

With each passing year the hope to find the healer got smaller and smaller. He had helped the vizards learn how to control their new powers and set up a shop on the outskirts of a tiny village. Through the passing years the small village had grown into a quaint town. Kisuke had watched the city rise from the ground. On many of those nights throughout the years Kisuke would hold a flame to the bowl of his pipe and inhale the sweet smoke from his pipe. He would blow out small grey rings and smile at the dark skinned woman walking toward him. Yoruichi would visit the shop every now and then to give him updates on what was happening in the soup society, about anything suspicious or anything that Aizen and his cronies got into. Latley she had been showing up less and less with no news. Today had been no different though the visit had been pleasent enough.

No news was good news or at least that's what he kept telling himself. The words he had told Ivy ages ago rang in his memory. Any news is better than not knowing. He closed his eyes and inhaled more smoke as warm caramel brown eyes flashed in his mind. Her sweet smile invaded his thoughts and he tried to put them back in the box where he held his most precious memories. He knew she was still alive, he wasn't sure how or why he knew but he did. Benihime would assure him that he was right. She would say, It would be difficult for anyone to kill that girl especially with Uindokattā at her side. His zanpakto had been sweet on Ivy's he had found out later. Kisuke had never known that they could communicate with eachother but Benihime had informed him that when soul reapers are connected their zanpakto are as well. Apparently they had talked many times.

~~~~~

Kisuke's eyes scanned the sky when he felt the odd energy above the city. It felt like a hollow but something was off. It was too powerful but there was something different. He had encountered many hollows and variations of them through the years and never felt a signature like this. He slid the door open beside him and leaned into the opening from where he sat outside the door. "Tessai start the analysis." The large man inside jogged down the hallway into the lab and Kisuke could hear the machines whirring to life. He wasn't quite sure what this was but he needed to figure it out. As the reishi from two soul reapers vanished and a third seemed to be going down he wondered if he and Tessai needed to go help.

There was an explosion and a flash of light then energy disappeared causing the data to be unfinished. He mulled over the sheets of numbers that fluctuating for the short time whatever it was had been there. What was it? Where did it go? Where did it come from? He was missing something, something important. "Sometimes you look at something so hard for so long that you don't see the obvious." Ivy's gentle voice floated in his ears. He sat the paper down and rubbed his eyes before looking at the time. They had been at this all night. He turned to tell his friend that they should take a break only to find the larger man asleep at his desk. Kisuke smiled at Tessai and covered him with one of the blankets they kept in the usually cold room.

The streets this morning were a bit crowded but nothing to bad. Mostly teens heading to school. He let his mind go blank as the three girls walked twords him laughing. He had forgotten what it was like to be that carefree. The brown haired girl in the middle suddenly went pale and fell into his shoulder. "Oh I'm sorry." She said with a laugh as some of the color filled back into her cheeks. "Oh no it's ok." He said back waving her off. "Actually are you alright?" She nodded and smiled answering his question silently. As she moved back to her friends he felt a spike in her spiritual pressure. It couldn't be, he thought looking back at the carefree girl and her friends. This was the same kind of spike as last night. It couldn't be, he thought watching her disappear into the gates of the school. But what if? He ran back to his lab to run more tests..

~~~~~~

It took no time to make the new gigai. After he reread the sheets from the fight last night he had quickly made a special one. With the special mods in place and the girl safe in his shop he explained to the two men what was needed. This situation had Aizen written all over it. Too bad he didn't have the proof, well he could probably use the girl as proof but what would it accomplish. The second they found out she was a Quincy they would have her head. She had saved many people while putting herself in danger. He needed to know what Aizen was planning. He had his suspicions but he wasn't certain about any of them. He would have to talk to Yoruichi when she visited again.

~~~~

Helping Isshin set up his practice hadn't been too difficult and had helped him keep his mind busy. He would keep an eye on both of them though he knew she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Isshin was passionate, he could tell just by interacting with him. He could also see the Captain had taken a shine to the young girl. It would make the fact that Isshin had to stay close to her easier. Any children they had would be quite interesting. Do you know who else's children would've been amazing? Benihime asked as Ivy flashed through his mind again. "I would appreciate it if you would stop reminding me." He spoke out loud causing Tessai to turn and give him a curious look. He shook his head and waved off his friends attention. "Perhaps you should get some rest boss, you've been awake for a while." Tessai's worried look bore into his back. He supposed a nap wouldn't hurt. As he plopped down on his bed he sighed and slid the hat off into his hands. He sat it gently on the table beside his bed and stared at it feeling his gut clench. He sighed and lay back, closing his eyes and drifting off into the darkness.

~~

The young girl that had watched Isshin's son with a softness that only innocence could bring reminded him of his redheaded healer. He knew it was the right decision to let Yoruichi train her but he thought it would've been nice to have her around. Tessai had told him it would've made things worse but he wasn't so sure bout that. They had come back from the soul society successful in getting Rukia out of trouble. She was really their only customer so it was for the best that they help. There was a knock on the shop door and Jinta yelled he would get it.

Kisuke sat at the table in their living room and ran all the recent events in his mind. Aizen was out in the open now. The Head Captain had sent. butterfly the day the teens had returned to let him know that they weren't outlaws anymore and had even asked for their help. Of course he and Tessai would help even if the head Captain hadn't asked. He tried not to dwell in the past but there were some things that Aizen had to pay for. As he listened to the mumbles of the gravely male voice speaking to Tessai andJinta, he started making a list of things he needed to do.

"Yeah right," Jinta's carefree tone brought him out of this musings. "Boss will never let him stay here. He wouldn't let the girl but if you wanna waist your time and ask." The boy and Ururu entered and joined him at the table. A soul reaper wanted to stay here? Not likely, he would help them but not house them. Keep them at arms length was the agreement he and his friends had come to long ago. It was better for everyone. Kisuke flipped his fan out effectly covering the bottom of his face. He had gotten it years ago and quite liked the way it felt to flick it open. Like the women that he had read about in the books from England. They had a whole language built around the fans. He was learning them but without someone who also knew them they weren't as fun.

Tessai walked into the room, hand extended as he lead their guest inside. Why didn't he just tell the guy no at the door? His body went rigid as the man followed Tessai inside and took a seat across from him. It couldn't be. The man took a deep breath and looked at Kisuke earnestly. "My name is Renji Abarai lieutenant of squad six." The red headed man bowed but Kisuke didnt miss his eyes. They weren't as soft as Ivy's but they were the same shade of honey brown. She had said her sister had a son. It was an odd coincidence that the boy had ended up on their stoop.

Ivy's nephew needed a place to stay. He knew just as Tessai did that this was the only exception to their rule. Kisuke looked to his old friend who nodded and stopped Renji's speech. "I'll show you to the room you will be staying in while you're here." Jinta stood looking outraged. ",What?" He screeched as Tessai and Renji left the room, "We're letting him stay? Why?" He and Ururu looked to Kisuke in question. It was the least he could do, he thought. "He's family." He told the children and stood heading into the lab.

~~~~~~~

The pillars were in place around the city and after fixing the fluctuations from all the fighting he stood to leave. Ichigo was strong but he knew the boy would need help. Yoruichi was waiting to meet up with him so they could join the fight. As he passed a mirror he stopped and looked at his reflection. He remembered how the green and white striped hat sat on her head, how she smiled up at him when he put it on her. He would help capture that bastard and then he would find out what happened. He would take Aizen down if it was the last thing he did.

~~~~~~~~

The water in her prison sloshed as the fighting on the outside of the large white castle raged between the three men. Something's up. Doka perked up. I think you should try and wake up. She could feel her body sway as the secret lab shook. "Yeah you might be right."

She cracked open her eyes to the dim room. There was broken glass on the floor and one of the machines was sitting sideways but other than that it was the same dark room it had been for a while. No one had entered this lab in a while. So when the wall moved illuminating 5 silhouette her eyes immediately closed. She squinted trying to make out who had come inside. There was always three or less. Were these not Aizen and his goons? Would there be more people to visit her now? More tests? Ivy grimiced as one of the dark shapes made their way toward her tank. It waved a hand and one of the other shapes at the door ran.

She could make out two blobs at the base of her tank now. She closed her eyes and when she opened them one of the figures had their hand on the glass. A wave of relief washed over her when she realized it was her Captain. She would never join Aizen which meant. She felt her eyes burn as the tears threatened to mix with the water around her. The other figure, a young girl with long red hair and a white dress, looked up at her with concern. Someone in a white lab coat rushed into the room and stopped beside Unahona. The man did a double take and looked up at Ivy in amazement. The four small horns protruding from his forehead reminded her of Akon but that couldn't be right. He was so small the last time she had seen him.

The warmth of the liquid that she had constantly felt running through her system slowly faded as the man's hand flew across the keyboard on the base of her tank. There was a click under her and she could feel the water swirling near her feet. She closed her eyes and gave into the darkness once again this time knowing that when she woke she would be out of this hellhole.