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| - What is it about nobles that people love so much? Neve was boggled. Even as she weaved her way through the crowd to get a good look at the passing nobles she found it hard to see what exactly made them so special. Sure, their energy was nothing to scoff at, but really, other than that, what was so amazing? Maybe she was just missing something. But these weren't just any nobles: they were the Kuchiki's, a family famous for turning out some of history's most famous Shinigami. At the moment, there were only three of them: the mother, the father, and the newest addition to the family, their son Hayate Kuchiki. The child's grandfather was the current captain of the Sixth Division, and they had all came here on a 'special trip'. All the high ranking noblemen in Soul Society were meeting to have their yearly party, and as expected anyone captain class or above was invited, including Neve's father. She managed to convince him to let her stay behind, and after much resistance of his part, he gave in. The Kuchiki manor sat at the very north of Seireitei, and with the party being tonight they had to get an early head start. Gaurds flanked every side, careful to make sure none of the precious Kuchiki's got hurt. The mother, a beautiful young woman with curly brown hair, held the little child's hand. Neve almost felt pity for the woman, one look at the kid was enough to tell you he was a hand full. He began to squirm in an attempt to get out of her iron grip. She tried coaxing him to stop, but to no avail. The father offered a piece of candy as penitence for being good, but the child's only response was to knock it out of his hand. Neve scowled; had that been her . . . well, she probably wouldn't do anything. It wasn't in her nature to fight back like that, at least if they're not threatening her life. She made a mental to never have kids. Then they were gone. Slowly, the crowd dispersed, until Neve was the only one left standing. She didn't personally have anything for or against the nobles, there was just something about the way they walked and the way they assumed they were better than everyone that made it hard to like them. It didn't matter though, chances she'd never meet a noble in her life. No, she definitely wouldn't; she'd make sure of it. “Having fun?” Neve nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice. But she'd recognize it anywhere. “Aiden? What are you doing here?” She turned around to face him. He'd actually grown quite a lot in the past few months, both in mind and in body. After the Arrancar incident, Neve was forced out of the academy. As far as they saw it, it was her fault that half the building had been destroyed. Honestly speaking, it wasn't too far off the mark. It's not like she even cared; somewhere inside her mind, she always kind of knew that she'd never make it all the way through the year. But it was still a little depressing when you realized she had only been there for one day. That had to be a record. “Thought I'd come see what all the commotion was about. Must be some funny looking people they attracted this much attention.” His hands were behind his head in the same carefree style he always portrayed. After she had been kicked out of the academy, Aiden had insisted he couldn't stay. They argued about it for awhile, but there was no changing his mind. She didn't go, he didn't go. So basically, things just really went back to normal. During the day Yamamoto would teach his classes and in the evenings he'd train them. So much for a 'new start'. “Ya, now that I think about it, they were pretty funny looking.” Only around him was she this carefree. They made their way back to the house. The sun was already setting and Yamamoto would be angry if they were late for their lessons. Again. In a flash, they took off to the north, the whole scene already behind them. Now that Neve thought about it, there really was nothing specially about the nobles; they were, after all, just people. They had no effect in her life; there was no reason for her to worry about them. To her, they were nothing. That is, before the night really began. ...................................................................................................................................................................................... Neve was almost home when she first spotted him. A little child, no more than eight. He must have been watching her, because the moment she caught him in the corner of her eye and turned her head he disappeared behind a tree. For a second, she thought it might be the Kuchiki kid, but quickly shook that off. He was probably still glued to his mother's side, either at the party or at home. Anyways, this child was much bigger than the Kuchiki one. She considered just walking on and completely ignoring him. She sure as heck didn't know him. But her conscious got the better of her. He was probably lost and no doubt scared. The least she could do was make sure he had a place to sleep and nothing bad happened to him. For a few moments, she argued with herself. Finally, her conscious won, and cautiously she approached the child. Slowly, she rounded the tree, and what she saw left her surprised. Now, Neve had seen a lot of frightened children in her days. Yamamoto did a wonderful job when it came to that. But something was different about this child. He didn't look quite as frightened as he did . . . animalistic. That's really the only way to describe it. He looked at her with wild eyes and his body was crouched, as if he were ready to pounce at any moment. It was hard to tell where he was from, but given the way he was dressed, he most definitely was not nobility. Well, there's only one way to find out. “Hey little boy, are you lost?” Neve asked tentatively. “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,” “Come again?” “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH,” “Well, I'm glad to know.” With that gem of wisdom up her sleeve, she began to slowly back away. He began to make little hopping motions, reaching out to touch her leg. He acted like a curious monkey, picking at her legs as she held deathly still. He looked up at her with big, chocolate brown eyes. Despite his obvious lack of mental facilities, he was kind of cute. Then came the bell. It started as little chime, a small tinkle that pierced through the night. The boy held still, tuning his ears to get a better listen. It got louder and louder, as if it were calling to someone, begging them to come near, and then, just as soon as it appeared, it stopped. A wild look appeared in his eyes, and as quickly as he had shown up, he disappeared. To the untrained eye, he was nothing but a blur, but Neve could vaguely make his outline as he raced north, into the Seireitei. Now, if she had even a lick of common sense, she would have just gone home and pretend like the whole situation had been a bad nightmare. But something was wrong. Who was this child? What was that sound? The questions clawed at her mind, growing bigger and bigger until they drowned out all other thoughts. There was no escaping it. She had to know. In a flash, she took off after the child. It sucked to admit, but he was fast. They hopped from building to building, the recruits currently on duty not even noticing them. She kept waiting for him to stop, to peak into one of the cities many buildings, but he kept going. He was making a bee line for the north. What could possibly be in the north? Then she remembered. The First Division barracks. The place where some of Soul Society's most prestigious people where drinking little cocktails and complaining about how hard it is to be rich. That couldn't be good. The dim lights slowly grew bigger as they approached the barracks at a dangerously fast pace. At this point, she was able to make out the people filtering in and out of the building, the colorful and expensive decorations that covered almost every inch. She thought he was going to run right through, jump into the building and literally crash the party. But at the last second, he turned. She nearly tripped and fell off the low rooftop, but managed to skid to a stop just in time. Jumping back to her feet, she struggled to regain ground. Where is this kid going? No, he was nowhere near. Even when she stretched her senses, she could find no trace of his energy. The sounds of the party were very distant now, and only moon provided lighting to the small yard. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, every instinct warned her that something sinister was near. She slowly walked forward, sure to keep her eyes peeled. Had she been paying closer attention to where she was going, she might have noticed the bodies. ................................................................................................................................................................................... The moment she felt something warm make contact with her feet, she flew back several meters. No, she wasn't delusional. Something had definitely touched her. Her heart pounded in her ears as she cautiously approached the spot she had felt the odd anomaly. Now, being so close she had to look down, she got a good look at what exactly she had felt. It made her want to scream. First was the woman. She had a deep gash that covered her entire back, even though she was long dead blood continued to ooze out of it. Her clothes were covered in a mixture of blood and dirt, and the scratches that lined her arms and legs showed that she had tried to put up a fight. But she was nothing compared to the boy. His body was covered in deep scratches, but nothing that could be fatal. On the other hand, his face, if you could even call it that, was horrific. It looked like it had been torn apart with a weed whacker, vaguely she could make out several pieces of skin that hung off the sides, like someone had torn them off. She stumbled back, the horrid scene etched into her every thought. Who could have done something like this? “I'm glad to see you finally made it.” A large, pale hand draped onto her shoulder. Her first instinct was run away, but she couldn't. Her body was frozen, like it was being held in place by fear. His voice sent shivers down her spine, and every muscle constricted. Her mind was slow to process every detail. She turned her head to look at the intruder, but he was already gone. When she turned back to the bodies, a figure was standing above them, and though she couldn't see it, she knew he was looking right at her. “I can tell your shocked. You should be, these are, after all, the famous Kuchiki's.” He's right. Though it was difficult to tell at first, now she could see it, clear as day. The mother and her little boy, dead. “W-what . . . ?” She didn't know what to say. How could she? “Hm, I suppose it is unfortunate. Young lives, taken long before their day.” His figure was almost indistinguishable, the black cloak that concealed his body causing him to blend in with the night, like he was one with the darkness. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something familiar about his voice. “Y-you . . . ?” Who are you? Was the question she was trying to ask, but if came out jumbled and mixed. “Who am I? Or who did this? I can answer both those questions.” He took a step towards her. “Me.” He was right in front of her now. She couldn't make out a single one of his details, the cloak keeping him well hidden. There was no energy signature from him, it was almost like he didn't even exist. “Don't worry, I won't bother you for long. There's just one last thing I need to take care of.” From under his robes, he pulled out a thin, long needle. She was too shocked to move. It wasn't even her own body doing this, it was him. Somehow, he had paralyzed her, like he was controlling her body. Gently, he inserted the needle into her neck and pushed the liquid inside her veins. She could feel it spread, taking over every inch. He dropped the syringe and stepped back. She couldn't see it, but she knew he was smiling. This had to be a nightmare. “There, looks like everything's been taken care of.” Fog cornered her every thought, giving her the feeling that she was seeing the world through someone else eyes. He walked to the edge of the yard, turning to give her one final farewell. “Come, child.” He wasn't calling to her. From behind the bushes, the small child she had been following earlier hopped out and rushed to his master's side. He appeared frightened of the figure, but obeyed his commands. A small portal opened up behind him, leading back to his gray palace. He turned to Neve. “Until next time.” Then he was gone. What had he said? It sounded like she had heard it before. But in her daze, she couldn't make out anything. What happened next was all a blur. She could vaguely remember stumbling back to the direction she guessed the barracks to be, the horrified screams as she crashed her way through party goers, and finally, off in the distance, someone familiar calling her name. Her mind began letting go, and before she could crash to the floor, someone caught her. The last thing she remembered was someone calling her name. ................................................................................................................................................................................... The bright sun nudged Neve out of her sleep. She opened her eyes and quickly closed them. The sun gave much needed light to the quaint room, and it took her eyes a second to adjust. When she finally did open them again, she took a second to examine the area. It was porcelain white from the walls to the tile, and the smell of disinfectant seemed to seep into everything. There were small needles hooked up to bags that traced in and out of her body, causing her muscles to ache. She felt something hard and warm move against her stomach. Looking down, her eyes were met with the sight of a soft sleeping face topped by mopy white hair. He didn't even seem to notice she had awaken, his arms wrapped around his head as a make-shift pillow. The bottom half of his body was seated on a small stool. She tentatively reached out and shook his shoulder. “Aiden?” She said it so low it was almost inaudible. “What?” His eyes were droopy as he slowly came out of his slumber. “Where am I?” The night was still fresh in her mind, and the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a nightmare. His eyes were filled with compassion and remorse, crushing her hopes that it had all just been a bad dream. “You're in the hospital. Are you okay?” He looked at her with a million different emotions. Pity, anxiety, sorrow, doubt. “I don't know.” She didn't know if she knew anything anymore. “Well, there are probably some things you should know about . . .” He trailed off, and was saved when the door creaked open. Four figures stepped through and entered the small room. She recognized the first three: there was Kalle, looking uncomfortable, Lucia, looking worried beyond a doubt, and of course, her father. The last person, though, was a mystery. “Hey, so how ya feeling?” Her father was rubbing the back of his neck, and for the first time in a long time, seemed uncertain. The mystery man cleared his throat. Lucia turned and gave him a sharp glare, which seemed to put him in his place, before turning back to Neve. “Is everything alright?” She spoke in the motherly tone reserved only for Neve. “What happened?” A somber presence seemed to fill the air. No one was willing to look her in the eyes; with the exception of the man, who was eying her like he was trying to determine whether she was a threat. “That mother and her son from the Kuchiki's were killed.” Aiden was the first to answer her. From the look in his eyes, she could tell that something was missing. This wasn't about the Kuchiki's. This was about her. “And what's the problem?” It seemed like a stupid question on the surface, but there was another meaning: What does this mean for me? Her father tentatively stepped forward and sat at the foot of the bed. “You stumbled into the party last night. You were covered in blood and looked completely disoriented. I caught you before anything bad could happen, but what we're really concerned about is what happened before that.” Somewhere in her mind, the events of the previous night connected back together. They were so jumbled and mixed when she had first woken up, but now it seemed silly that she could even forget. It was all so horrifying, and even more confusing. Even if she could visibly see the scene, she couldn't quite piece it together in a way that made sense. So many things didn't fit, so many vital questions left unanswered. “It's all so . . .” She couldn't think of a way to properly finish. There wasn't really a way she could describe it. “Don't worry. That's what we're here for. Just tell us all you know-” “I think that's enough, Ms. Pastrana. We can baby her later. Right now, we need answers, while all the memories are still fresh.” Lucia gave him a glare that could have sent lions running for their mommy, but backed down nonetheless. The man stepped forward, allowing Neve to get a good look at him. He was dressed in an extravagant Kimono decorated with jewelry of all sorts, his soft skin and slightly plump belly showing that he was from wealth. His expression was demeaning, like he was looking down at them from his high saddle. It only took one look for Neve to know she was not going to like him. “Now, from the beginning, I want you to tell us what happened.” His pen was held firmly in his hand. “I . . .” Her mind scrambled to put it into words, but the more she tried to focus the more she lost track. Her mind and body seemed to be working out of sync, the moment she could form a coherent sentence the words came out garbled. After a few seconds at trying to explain it – and failing horribly – she gave up. “I'm sorry, I don't believe I caught any of that.” He scribbled something on his board. Aiden squeezed her hand in reassurance. Now it was her father's turn to speak. “Listen, I understand it's your job to over see these things, but cut her a break. For all we know, she could have gone through something traumatizing. We don't even know if she's the killer.” That last part wasn't meant to come out, and not a second after he said it did he realize his mistake. Neve felt all emotions escape her body like hot steam. Now it made sense. That must have been it, it explained so much, yet so little. She knew she never killed them, but they didn't know that. That man, the one with the black cloak, he knew all this. He did it on purpose. He killed them, and now he was trying to frame her for it. And why not suspect her? Everyone knew she was different, even if they didn't see it, their instincts warned them. There was no escaping this; even if they believed her, it would always be the mark that separated her from everyone else. Then she did something she hadn't done in a long time. She cried. “Hey! What happened?” Everyone just stared; they didn't even know what to make of the sudden outburst. Slowly, Aiden reached out and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He didn't give her words of reassurance or empty promises, he knew it would do her no good. Everything was so still, and eventually, her tears subsided. “I think it's time you leave.” Kalle directed at their guest. “No, not yet. We need to get everything down before it's too late. For all we know she could be faking it.” That was the last straw. Kalle walked over and yanked the pen out of his hands. “I said, I think it's time to go.” He crushed the pen to dust. The man swallow the lump that had built in his throat. Kalle was easily six inches taller than him, and that mixed with his now almost red eyes gave him a very intimidating look. The man made a move to step back. He was too slow, and before he could even process it, Kalle had thrown him out the door. Literally. “This is why I can't stand Central 46. Just a bunch of snot nosed nobles who think they know better than everyone else.” Lucia huffed. Her smirk made it evident that she had enjoyed the scene. By now, Neve had calmed down and her tears subsided. Aiden unwrapped his arms and took a seat at the edge of the bed, in case he was needed again. An awkward silence filled the room. What were they supposed to say? They were almost as dumb struck as she was. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Aiden broke the silence. “So, what are we going to do? We all know she didn't do it, but Central 46 are just begging for an easy conviction. This is going to end badly of someone doesn't step up.” This seemed to jolt them out of their revere, and Lucia was the first to respond. “I know, I thought about it, and I have some theories on what may have happened. Hopefully Central 46 will be willing to listen.” “Theories?” “Yes, when I was going on her records, I found something very interesting. We found traces of some kind of drug in her blood, but we're not quite sure what it is. It was incredibly strong though, which means a number of things.” As she was saying this she pulled out several pictures from under a small counter, handing them to Kalle and Hiaro. “So, what's your theory?” Kalle asked as he tossed the papers aside. “Well, I've narrowed it down to two. The first one is that she maybe stumbled across the bodies and someone drugged her to disorient her, or;” She paused for a moment, a scowl growing on her face, “someone found her, drugged her, tricked her into killing the people, and then left.” No one spoke, instead allowing it to all sink in. Neve knew she had hit the head on the nail with the first theory, but knew better than to speak up. Even if she could tell her she was right, there were so many questions, important questions, that she couldn't answer. If she was put on the spot and couldn't give them the information they needed this would only make her look more guilty, something she preferred not doing. So she lied there, waiting for someone to speak. “I understand the second theory, but it doesn't make much sense. How she even be capable of killing someone in that state? She could barely even walk straight. And she would never kill someone unless given good reason too, and I can't imagine they had done something to her worthy of being killed over. I just don't buy it.” Neve turned to her father. She barely knew the man, and yet here he was, defending her in what could be one of the most important judgments of her life. But it wasn't totally out of the blue: it was kindness that defined Hiaro. It's how he had came to lead the Tianxia Guard despite being so young, anyone that got in his way he killed with kindness, and if that didn't work, there was always mind games. Sometimes Neve found it hard to believe she was related to him. “I know. I thought that too, but you know the moment I bring these drugs up to Central they're going to think just that.” Lucia collected the papers. “Then we'll just have to make sure they don't try anything fishy.” Kalle added with a smirk, of which earned him a smack to the head by Lucia. “Well, then I guess we're settled. If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Neve alone.” Everyone gave Aiden a suspicious look. He just returned with a pleading expression. It wasn't anything personal he wanted to say, they just wouldn't understand. After a moment of hesitation, they gave in. “We'll be watching you.” Kalle pointed to his eyes and then to them. His serious demeanor was wearing off and slowly being replaced by his playful childish one, just like it should be. The door closed behind him, and they were left to be bathed in their own thoughts. “What is it you wanted to say?” “It's about the person who did this.” Neve felt her heart sink. She knew she was innocent, but truthfully speaking, he didn't. He hadn't been there to watch, and there was no firm evidence pointing for or against her. Yet he still believed wholeheartedly that she was innocent. It was hard to imagine what she'd do without him. “What about him?” “Well, first, how much can you tell me?” “What do you want to know?” “Was he an Arrancar?” She caught on quickly. It seemed silly she hadn't thought of it before. Could he be one of the minions who had attacked her at the academy? Or even a new one? It was worth a shot. “I don't know, it's really difficult to tell. I couldn't feel anything from this guy. He was wearing this cloak that kept him hidden from view, and it was so dark out I couldn't make out any of his features. The way he spoke, too . . .” She trailed off. “What?” Don't call me crazy, but there was something about his voice. Like I'd heard it before, but couldn't put a face to it.”“Maybe he was one of the Arrancars, and you were so confused you didn't recognize it.” “No, it wasn't. It's like an old song; the moment you hear it you immediately recognize the lyrics and know you had heard it before, but can't remember when or how. There was something so familiar, I just can't figure it out.” Aiden paused to contemplate this information. “How old were you, when you first met them?” “What do you mean?” “I mean, those Arrancars. We first met when we were ten, so I only know so much about your life before then.” She stopped to think. Her earliest memory was of Cirocco, when he had come to her house to give her that odd rock. But could something have happened before then? Them watching but her not paying close enough attention? It hadn't crossed her mind before, but now she was curious. “The earliest memory was from when I was six and they came to give me that odd rock. The only other time I saw them was at the academy. I mean . . . do you think they knew me before all that?” “Probably. But this isn't helping us. Is there anything else that could help us find this guy?” She forced herself to focus on every detail of the night. No, there was something she had left out. “A kid.” “What?” “There was a kid. He had lead me to the bodies. I didn't see him after until the guy was leaving. He looked almost scared of him, but obeyed his commands like a dog . . .” Something clicked, and she came to a conclusion that made every muscle in her body tightened. “No, he wasn't an Arrancar. He couldn't be.” “What are you talking about.” “I mean, it makes sense now. Maybe he wasn't one of the Arrancars, maybe he was their master. That would explain why we couldn't recognize him. And if he had been watching me before, it seems logical that he would be familiar.” Unlike so many silences before, this one was different. It was one of thought, one a realization. He was coming to the same conclusion she was. They connected eyes, and right there, they knew it was true. It was the only reasonable explanation. But even if they were so close, they were also so far. Even if they knew it was true, Central 46 would never buy it. Now all they could do was hope Lucia and her father were smart enough to help her out of this. Aiden opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when the door suddenly opened. “Oh, my apologies. I thought everyone had left.” An elderly female nurse was standing in the door, holding a small syringe. “No, it's okay. I was just going to leave anyways.” He got up from the bed and slid out the door, turning at the very last second to look at Neve. His eyes spoke words he couldn't. He understood, and he wouldn't give up. The nurse stepped over and injected the syringe's contents into her arm. “This will help dull some of the pain. You'll be out for some time, but should feel a lot better when you wake up.” Her voice was low and sweet, something she had probably perfected over the years at Squad 4. “Thanks.” Neve could already feel herself drifting off, more from the stress of the past hour than the medicine. “So, he was kind of cute, eh?” “Ummm . . . I guess.” Aiden was attractive, but he was more like a brother to her than anything. Legally speaking, he was her brother. “Well, hold on to him, good guys are so far and few in between these days.” She set a small cup of water on her bedside table before taking off out the door. Now Neve was left alone to drown in her thoughts. What was going on here? She didn't understand any of it. What made her so special that someone was willing to go through all the trouble to do these things to her? But, most importantly of all, how long would it be before she found out? Who knows. Everything seemed so surreal. Maybe there was really nothing she could do. Maybe she was forever bound to be a pawn in someone else game. But she had to have some control over her life, the decisions she made, where they took her. Right? But if she were to find out what was going on, there are only two approaches: tread carefully through the tall grasses and hope to not get bitten by the snake, or make a dash and hope she's quick enough to avoid it. In both scenarios, the snake still had the upper hand. It was almost like a question of which way she wanted to die. But there was nothing she could do now. She needed to focus on the immediate threat, and worry about the long term one later. She really did hate snakes. Previous Chapter > Morning Rememberance Next Chapter > Forgotten Crisis
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