Chapter 18: Lightspeed pt.2

Down a long and dark hallway, Blaze slowly opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. Remaining motionless Blaze looked all around the room and saw nothing but cold black tile; feeling the chill of the tile against his bare skin since he lay in the middle of the floor with no shirt but only pants on. In the top right on the room was a small but barred window that let enough light to let his eyes adjust to the room without feeling stressed.  (My head hurts) Blaze said in thought while he tried to sit up awkwardly, with a look of struggle on his face, Blaze couldn't move his hands to help his body sit up. Blaze felt his hand with the other, his wrists bound behind his back by chains and straps that looked to be welded onto a larger metal strap that secured around his waist; if that wasn't enough, the metal band around his waist was also chained to the floor just giving enough length for Blaze to stand to his feet but not move any further from a standing position.

Blaze slowly but surely pushed his body to stagger into a standing position, his head hanging low once he got to his feet, the air felt heavy and humid in his cell. Across the room Blaze now took notice to a long but thin chest with many padlocks on it, his adjusting eyes letting him make out he details in the box.

(So that's where they are keeping Kewashii Furea locked up). Smiling at the thought Blaze now realized where he was, a special detainment cell in the lockup just beneath the research and development unit, just beneath the careful watch of division 12.  a red light could be barely seen in the flashing down the long hallway through the door's window in Blaze's cell. A camera watched locked on Blaze from outside the door.

“Are you watching Mayuri?” Blaze asked out loud, knowing very well someone would be watching; even if it weren't actually the Captain of the 12th division.  “Was it your sick idea to keep my zanpakuto just feet away from my sight?”  Blaze questioned with curiosity but his expression grew a cocky smirk at an idea of his. (Maybe I should poke fun at them seeing as I'm in this situation anyways).

“Not a very smart move buddy ol' pal. What if i were to get a hold of my zanpakuto? A criminal like myself and all” Blaze thought that would get a nervous look on a few who might be listening in on his cell but as he said the words himself he felt a bit distasteful. Just then a static noise echoed into the room.

The static broke to make out a familiar chuckle; “Haha but I’m sure you've taken a notice to the fog that would activate if need be, the air does feel funny to you doesn't it?” Mayuri spoke through a speaker  but Blaze couldn't make out just exactly where from with the echo of his voice ringing off of each wall in his cell. “Also, I've seen many criminals since my placement.... you don't fool me Blaze Kagayaku...now as for fool, your hair just might-”    at that moment the speakers cut out and the ending comment brought Blaze to laugh ever so slightly and murmer; “Oh Mayuri”.   Blaze felt a feeling of yearning, missing what he left even if it were only for a minute or 2 years, he didn't care much now as long as he was home.

After a few more hours of solitude, Blaze heard people coming closer and closer to his cell with the sound of their sandals slapping against the hard rock floor of the protruding hallway attached to his cell. Blaze who hadn't moved a muscle since his conversation with Mayuri, rose his head to look at the 4 men who entered the cell.  Each man stood with white robes from their shoulders to their toes. Over their heads was red, hanging fabric that had 2 slots for seeing. Blaze took notice to the pole each one of them held tightly, a long pole that separated into a half moon scimitar at the end. The man on Blaze's right that was closest to him pointed the long weapon at Blaze;

“Stand up slowly and carefully!” The man demanded before turning quickly to the others, “Any signs of aggression and use necessary force”.  Before they knew it, Blaze rose to his feet and stood still, his face emotionless and staring off to the darkness of the long hallway before him. He felt the cold touch of the scimitars against his neck and his cuffs and chains rang in the back of Blaze's mind once they hit the floor. Blaze heard his next orders and did exactly as told;

“Walk with us”.


Minutes passed and his shoulders grew heavy, Blaze could feel the hair on the back of his shirtless back standing up; not because he was nervous or anxious but his mind all the time knowing that razor sharp blades guided his every sway in step, thin enough metal to cut air. The convoy of Blaze and the four guards came to a halt before a large metal door with many bars that ran through cuffs to keep the door from always staying shut and secure until opened upon approval.

2 more guards stood at each ends of the large doors but Blaze hadn't noticed their presence because of their dark black robes and motionless stance. After removing his glance to the guards, Blaze noticed in his peripheral vision that the guard on the right of the large doors pointed his hand to the door and sure enough that was the signal because suddenly and rapidly the large bars that secured the doors in place separated, the bars starting from the very top of the doors and making it's way in sequence to the bottom. “At least I know my house is safe” teased Blaze with a smirk to all of the surrounding guards, Blaze swore he heard one stifle a laugh but he couldn't tell who or even if it had happened.  The doors started to shake the entire structure with their opening, dust falling from the elevated portions of it's opening. Light blinded Blaze and his unadjusted eyes, Squinting in a fit of distaste to his eyes adjustment, Blaze solely relied on the continuous demand of his surrounding escorts to speak;

“Left foot” quickly followed by “right foot”. Slowly but surely Blaze left the cell he had been detained within behind his back but the guards at the door who dressed in black stepped out in sight and watched as he walked off.

Both guards in black looking to each other.  The guard on the right of the door brought up his right sleeve and shoved the cloth on his arm back to show an electrical arm brace that had a speaker and a button....nothing else.   “Target has been escorted by the direct trustees of Central Fourty-six” The man let go of the button but kept his finger and arm still, turning his head to his ally in black to give a nod in gesture of confirming their mission.  “Tell the head captain that operation return the fire has been successful”.  After about 2 minutes the man who hadn't been communicating walked to his ally carrying a normal looking Zanpakuto....normal to them but Kewashii Furea was recognized for the colour of it's dormant blade's steel.

{Central 46: main hall}

Returned to containment of steel chains and cuffs, Blaze Kagayaku found himself in a room filled with unfamiliar faces yet they knew of him all too well. Blaze stood with his arms behind his back but now he wore a plain black t-shirt (provided as a request before this hearing began). The nervousness finally settled in blaze's core with the memories of his escape from the very room he stood in now; Blaze waited to hear from the whispering banter of the 46 council members hidden in shaded stands above. Blaze fiddled his hands around in his steel cuffs behind his back and images of his escape flashed in his mind;  Yuki and his fullbring disguising Blaze in a separate dimension, Yuki and his trusted words of promising a life that Blaze could continue his duties, Yuki and his distrustful intentions which had their hidden truth.  Blaze snapped out of thought when a man in the stands cleared his throat wit ha cough rather loudly, but Blaze his stare remained on a place of the floor beneath his feet, bright lights from all direction kept Blaze from seeing anyone of the council members even if he tried.  A deep voice called out;

“Blaze Kagayaku, you are hereby found with treason and abandonment of the Soul Society you once swore to protect as a captain of it's thirteen court guard squads, resisting sentencing by superiors and many more counts of endangering the residents within the entire Soul Society....what do you have to say for your-”

“And you're in much more danger if you don't listen to what this traitor has to say!” Blaze yelled with anger in his tone at the reading of his hearing, all the words said with no act of surprise in the council members tone... Blaze read the tone to a 'T' as predicting the council members treated his situation as they would have his father, Kogeta Kagayaku if they had caught him.

More whispers bickered from many council members before a soft girls voice took its turn;

“What on earth do you mean? You and whoever assisted you in your escape of detainment is the only threat to our Soul Society”  before Blaze could get a word in another voice spoke out among the stands from a different man from before, “He means the reports of mischievous activity within Hueco Mundo, dozens of our units have been slain by rebellious individuals”

Once again Blaze opened his mouth but another person beat him to the punch;

“It's those renegades that are still loose! Lucia and Helen Kasashi I tell you!” After that statement many others argued amongst themselves high above Blaze Kagayaku before a deep roar silenced all witha mighty shout; “QUIET!”. The room fell silent instantly.

Blaze knew just where that voice came from and looked to its direction even if he couldn't see who it was.  “Go ahead Blaze Kagayaku” the man spoke allowing Blaze to give more insight to what he said. “The man who aided in my escape had a silver tongue that easily made even the worst or craziest of ideas sound sane.... I look to all you so called superiors and wish to ask before i continue any further, what actual damage have i ever cause the Soul Society?” Blaze asked and gave everyone 10 seconds to think of an answer and reply but nothing but silence spoke in return.  “You have had the last two years easy even in my absence because my plan was to stay under your radar that seeked me out and continue the duties not as a Captain but as a Soul Reaper.... every day I stealthily and swiftly took out as many hollows as I could and tried to help out any Soul Reaper by shortening his quota day by day.... Not once did I or ever would I try to hurt my people!” Blaze exclaimed, continuing with the ears of the Council all to his voice. Blaze felt the heat of frustration wanting to explode in his chest.  “Thinking that I was always helping the Soul Society by fending off Hollows, the man who helped my escape....Yuki Takeshi.... tricked me into thinking I'd be helping a great deal if I went to Hueco Mundo and slew Hollow their....he wanted help and when I was very vulnerable he revealed his true intentions and that he had an organization that was focused on seeking greater power than seen before....but they needed me” Blaze finished to take a breathe when one curious council member asked out, “Specifically needed you?”  And Blaze answered with a nod of his head.

“They needed my flame to be specific.... the same flame you once convicted me for being... blessed with” Blaze smiled acknowledging just how grateful he was and always will be fore having Kewashii Furea as his Zanpakuto. “You convicted me without questioning my love for protecting and guarding the Soul Society...with my life, and all because you all feared what you had no clue about! Just like Lucia and just like Helen” Blaze felt his anger calming down as he spoke out to those that crucified him with their thoughts at his outbreak.  “Am I a renegade to you?” Blaze asked the council before him.

“Continue, please”

“AM I A RENEGADE?” Blaze spoke louder and more affirmative, stubborn to hear an answer before releasing any more information.  The same voice of the woman from earlier gave Blaze the answer he had searched for;

“We question just how faithful you are...renegade is not the proper word but the word potential ally should be put to test”.

Laughter. Laughter came from Blaze but he took their judgement as nothing less then a challenge to himself. “Fine” answered Blaze. “They needed my flame to melt something, no other flame or use of force was said to melt ah, uh... well it was a large mass of ice, I couldn't see just how big it was because Yuki Takeshi has a fullbring allowing him to take things out of sight from the world and place them in another dimension, sight and sense is obstructed within his fullbring but touch is still connected... that fullbring allowed my escape to be successful” Blaze grinned a little bit as he assumed many of the council members were astonished that he was in another dimension when he left their custody 2 years ago.  “The flames of Kewashii Furea melted the ice and revealed a man...an arrancar to be exact. This arrancar was called lord Korren, but the name he used was Korren Septimus....his presence made my spiritual energy feel like it was heavy... my body was tired just being within seeing distance of that arrancar and his own spiritual energy. I was tricked in to releasing this evil from whatever it was he was sealed from but I can honestly say that he has no good intentions towards the Soul Society and seeing as how it is indeed my fault, I am to be the one to right my wrongs” honour and responsibility flowing with Blaze's voice.  “You doubt my alliance with the Soul Society then let me take baby steps to showing you I never had bad intentions...allow me to prove my worth to my people!” feint gasps filled the room as Blaze felt to his knees and bowed his head. Blazes eyes widened and his head darted upwards when hearing the next words of the council;

“You are doing good so far....tell us more, we've been on scout and confirmed about this arrancar that you say does in fact exist....we must know more before any bit of trust between you and the entire Seireitei starts to rebuild the bond you once shared”.

Blaze stood to his feet and his stare shouted determination and pride to rebuild that bond.

“Help us Blaze Kagayaku. Tell us everything”.


{Hours later, outside the Central 46 headquarters}

Doors opened and the guards that guided Blaze Kagayaku to that very building emerged, after exiting the building they stood idle by the doors and out walked Blaze Kagayaku.... Blaze had in his possession no weapon but a Soul Reaper uniform with a red symbol that was printed on the back that meant 'probation'.  Blaze took sight to dozens of Soul Reapers that stood all around outside, they had all been awaiting to hear about Blaze's conviction, life or death and were shocked to see the robes he wore. Blaze awkwardly made eye contact with everyone and slowly walked past them, wind being the only thing to be heard besides silence.

As Blaze walked the final decision of his sentencing rang in his conscious, he thought about it over and over again;

(You took part in un-official duties of a Soul Reaper while outside our guidelines...so that is exactly what you will be until further progress is decided. Blaze Kagayaku will become not a Captain ofcourse but a average Soul Reaper. I'm sure you will enjoy placement within your already familiar Squad fourteen....baby steps Blaze Kagayaku)  

Though he couldn't feel happier to be home, Blaze felt exactly as many thought he had been when he left... a traitor. Every eye staring in his direction; Blaze walked along the familiar path to an un-familiar building.  Blaze approached 2 large wooden gated doors that had 3 very tall buildings, the one in the middle having it's roof with many wooden beams and scaffolding attached. The sign on the right of the gates indicated that this was; “Squad 14's barracks. (Expansion in progress)”. The doors opened and no one spoke to Blaze or welcomed his presence, when Blaze looked around for directions to where to go, one Soul Reaper that sat near a koi pond at the gates entrance pointed to a small but long building that wasn't visible from outside the walls of Squad 14 and the building had the symbol of housing. Blaze walked passed many awkward glares and whispers to open the door to the living quarters for unseated squadmates.  As Blaze walked to his bed he felt a sickness developing in the pit of his stomach...anxiety at confronting Kibo again but also Tsuyoi and Tessa. Blaze shook his head from the thought and even though there was still a good hour or two before it was to become dark, Blaze crawled into his bed at the far back corner of the room, shut his eyes and fell asleep.

The sound of rain hitting against the wooden roof of the building and the chatter of other squad members that slept in the same building that he was had kept Blaze awake. Blaze, eager to talk to them had just sat up and fixed his sheets before fully standing and walking towards the now quiet and staring squad mates. Blaze approached the members of his squad when the doors tot he living quarters flung open so fast that the right door almost came off it's hinge, standing in the doorway was a man looking around frantically. His entire body was soaking wet and water flew off his head with every glance about the room in which he tried to make out who was who and look for someone. Just then lightning accompanied the rain and allowed Blaze to see Kuro standing at the doorway, holding his side that was bandaged from being at squad 4's medical wing after his fight with the Seiga members and Yuki's team.

Kuro in that flash of light took notice to Blaze;

“I came.... the moment.... I heard you were here” Kuro spoke in gasps.


{The lowest level of the “Maggot's Nest” detention centre}

2 men walked down a flight of spiralling staircases to a long and dark,damp and cold hallway with nothing but a torch to light their way, the torch being the only source of light to guide the 2 closer to a cell door up in the distance.  The man holding the torch had a black glove gripping onto the torch very tightly, nothing was to be in contact with the prisoner behind the cell door ahead...no one could ever even have a close conversation but must talk through the barred window on the door.

“Aren't you the slightest bit nervous Ichiro?” A short soul reaper with ruffled brown hair and circular glasses asked the taller individual while he adjusted his glasses. Ichiro looked around to make sure no item would be left behind in their trip to a certain inmate, not the glasses were to fall off of his companions face, nor' the white stoned necklace around Ichiro's own neck.

“I'll do all the talking, you must show nothing but confidence and control in front of this man...or so I’ve heard, That man Blaze Kagayaku gave Central forty-six stuff to think about with his confessions apparently” Ichiro spoke before withdrawing to his own thoughts. (That Arrancar that used ice... that very arrancar is something of great interest, I wonder if this guy can help shine some light as to who he was).

As Ichiro and his shorter friend approached the door, Ichiro went up close to the door's window by himself and peered in. The dark cell was visible and so was it's resident when Ichiro brought up the torch that showed a man tied down to a chair in all black strapping. Only a portion of shaggy brown hair and brown eyes were visible.

“Now now, a visitor...what a treat”

Ichiro smirked at the comment. “Don't get ahead of yourself Aizen Sosuke”.

Aizen teased with a depressed sounding sigh, “Aw well...what brings a descendent of Yamamoto to my doorstep?” Aizen narrowed his visible eye to Ichiro, Ichiro returning the glare...not questioning as to how Aizen knew about his personal life and family.

Ichiro took a piece of paper from his pocket and read Korren's name to spark his memory. “What exactly would you know about an arrancar called Korren Sept-”  

“My my my” Before Ichiro could even finish the name Aizen had already cut him off, “Let's make a small trade...I'll tell you everything about Korren Septimus on one condition” Aizen proposed to ichiro, Ichiro tried to read Aizen's expressions but he didn't notice anything suspicious about Aizen.... Aizen was nothing less than curious himself. “What is it?” Ichiro asked puzzled.

“Seeing as how after our fight I tried everything to get to him.... how on earth did he get out of that ice?” Aizen asked with a serious tone and expression.