Empty Bites

Nigori let out a tired breath as her feet threaded on the streets after a short shunpo. Another patrol, another day of work. She feared that stack of paperwork to file all by herself when she returned to the Soul Society. The basket in her hand swung back and forth, as she dreaded walking further to find somewhere to eat in peace. Passerbyers ignored her, most not being able to see her as she peered around the corner to see if there were a park or something. Luck had finally found her as she found a shaded area from the sun and grass for her feet to lay out on.

That same luck soon ran out when, in her excitement of finding a place to eat, she used her untalented shunpo incorrectly and tripped on the asphalt. Her right temple collided with the dark road as she let out a little cry of pain. Nigori sat up slowly, rubbing the side of her forehead and squinting her eyes, "Dammit," She hissed, she was grateful that sometimes humans couldn't see her and her stupid stunts.

She shook her head, trying to get back to her previous train of thought, lunch. She gripped her basket in her palm and helped herself to the spot she saw previously. Letting out her legs out in front of her she flipped her basket upside down and realized that was a bad idea, as she remembered how much extra food she had packed. She looked at the amount of food in disgust, knowing she would only eat a decent amount. She sighed, dreading now that humans couldn't see her. She desired for a companion or two to eat with, despite her usual unsociableness.

"Having lunch are we?"

Behind her was aka In his human clothes.

"need some help with all that food?" he chuckled

Nigori stirred from her thoughts and turned around in surprise to find Akasaki. She stuttered, recovering from the fact that her want was answered, "Uh, uhm, yes... I-It's a pleasant day and I wanted to rest my feet," She paused wondering, "What are you doing back there?" She paused again in thought, realizing something. She pointed at him accusingly, "You weren't stalking me or anything were you?!"

"That'd be nice, help yourself. But in return you shall keep me company," She negotiated with him. She bit her lip and looked away from him.

"fine by me" he smirked and came over and sat.

"i was in the neighborhood and then i saw you."

"I guess it's just coincidence then," She said as she handed him a wrapped sandwich and cup of soda. She rubbed her temple once again," You, uh, didn't see me before I sat down did you?"

"hmmm?"

Knowing that he did. He didn't want to tell her.

"no i didn't. Did something happen?"

"Good, erm, I mean, nothing happened!" she waved her hands on impulse, trying to fib.

"hahaha alright."

He took a bite of the sandwich

"this is good!"

"D-don't laugh at me..." She avoided his gaze.

"uh, thanks," She awkwardly smiled back, "It's just a sandwich though.. they aren't that unique or unusual..."

"i know that. But the taste is fonominal! What is in it?"

"It's just ham, mayo, cheese, and bacon though.. " She grew quiet and took a bite of her own sandwich.

"you did A very good job! Its wonderful!"

he ate the rest of his sandwhich and took a sip from his cup.

"Thanks," she smiled at him.

He leaned back closing his eyes.

"My world has brightened up. Thanks to you Nigori."

She laughed "I don't think a sandwich can do something like that silly, but you're welcome," She teased, "Kage and I like our world very dark thank you very much, there's much too scary things in there," She shivered at the thought of her inner world being brighter and actually being able to see everything in that dark bubbling cave.

"heh. that wasnt what i was talking about. Im talking on my out look of life. I was being Dragged down by my past that i couldnt run away from it. so everything got darker and darker..."

he paused for a few seconds.

"But you... You Brightened my Sad little world. and Now i can see the sunshine ."

Nigori smiled, "Well I'm glad I could be of some use, no good feeling down at yourself like that,"

Nigori seemed to get lost in her own thoughts, until her expression drastically changed and she quickly gripped Akasaki's shirt in desperation, "Can you pull a zanpakto out of their inner world!? Not like.. forever, but like.. just for a bit, a hour or so," She turned away from him,brushing over her forehead in thought, talking to herself, "I can't believe I've left her in that place all by herself... It's so scary..." She seemed to be horrified and started crying "Reika.. I'm so sorry.. You must be so lonely," She spoke below a whisper while taking breaths.

"er.. yeah. Have you reached bankai yet? If you havent i can teach you how. And Niikai if you Desire it."

Nigori turned back at him, plead in her eyes as tears were still there, "HOW?! Tell me how to summon her out of there... She deserves better than this.."

She rubbed her eyes, "I.. have bankai, I-I don't to ever want to use it though..." She started shaking at the thought of even using that power again, "I-It's so frightening, that power... It'd be unstable if I tried again... And you wouldn't ever want to see it, I assure you," She spoke quietly with a shaky breath, "N-Niikai? W-what's that? Will it bring her back?! I-I'll do anything! Whatever it takes!"

She flinched back, gripping her head as loud, large headaches hit her head from Kage yelling at her. "It hurts.. It hurts..." Nigori's tears returned, this time more so for the pain in her head.

"Niikai is a state of the melding of your zanpaktou and your self. In simpler terms, its where you become Your zanpaktou."

"Nigori! are you alright?"

he quickly put his hands on her to make sure she was ok.

Nigori shook her head, closing her eyes in rejection, "I don't want Niikai at all then! I'd just lose her more than I already have... unless that's like.. She takes over me,"

Nigori panted, the pain still continuing. She gripped on to Akasaki and leaned into him "I-I'm fine, There's just, just two of her yelling at me... I just want to help her... I just want to manifest her for a bit..."

"Well. Your Niikai is just you becoming your attack. Like when the Great Kurosaki Ichigo Fought against Aizen. That is Niikai. His Side effect was that he lost his powers due to his Mixed breeding. in away its just a bankai you have more control over basically."

he rubbed her back.

"Want me to teach you how now? To bring her into this world?"

"That... d-doesn't sound like it would work for what I want it to... " She remembered reading that story, but she played it off as something no one else could achieve, something left to the fables of time. "W-we already know something similar to that.."

"Only if it's gonna work... I tried meditating once to see her here instead of me in her world, it didn't go well... She's a real special case.. I don't know what works and what doesn't," Nigori whispered. She sucked in a breath, having Kage yelling at her again for saying so much. Nigori closed her eyes for a second, trying to communicate to Kage briefly and opened them again "Whatever works, I guess" She sniffled.

"it will work. Trust me. I dont know Your abilities, but in Niikai its you with your zanpaktou at a 100% sync."

He sat up straight and criss crossed his legs and had his body facing her. his hands where folded up on his lap. in a meditatiove pose.

"Try what im doing."

"you want to Take deep breaths. and visualize the will of your zanpaktou. And Setting it in our world."

he took out his zanapaktous and stabbed them in the grass away from teh picnic cloth and did what he said. Slowly his zanpaktou took form of a older gentalmen in a modified samurai out fit with the jin tachi hanging from his obi.

"Greetings Lieutenant Nigori of Squad 5." said Kenshi in a very polite voice.

"A-alright.." Nigori mimicked him hesitantly, unsure of success. "Is this right?" She asked unsure if she was doing it properly. She took slow breaths, trying to calm down. "The will of my zanpakto?"

Nigori jumped at seeing his zanpakto show up so suddenly. She faked a smile and waved,"H-hello, Y-you don't have to adress me so formerly.."

"Of course Nigori-sama. You know. Aka here has a Cru-" Aka emidetly covered Kenshis mouth before he could finish. he was slightly blushing.

"Dont talk about that baka!" he said Whispering low.

She continued her her fake smile, and scratched her head awkwardly, unsure of what the two were talking about. "Y-You don't have to call me Nigori-sama either.. Just Nigori is fine. And your name is?"

" I am Kenshi, Also known as Tengetsu Mangetsu at your service Ms. Nigori"

kenshi made a bow to Nigori then sat down samurai style on the grass.


"face it Nigori... he Always uses honorifics when talking to people other than family."

Aka whispered to her

Nigori bowed in return, "Uhm, nice to meet you Kenshi-san"

"ooh I see, I don't..." She stopped herself from speaking any farther. She didn't like being addressed so highly.

"mind if i take your zanpaktou for a walk? Ma'am?" kenshi asked politely.

"Uhm, She's not pre-" Nigori caught herself from making a rude remark against her zanpakto outloud. She switched to being shy and quiet, regaining her composure," J-Just Nigori please.." She asked again, using it as an excuse to drop what she was saying previously. "You can try... and uhm, take her for a walk, but I don't know if she'll like that... If I can even summon her right..." She mumbled and ended her ramblings with a sigh. She felt demotivated. "I don't think I can do it though.."

Nigori resigned herself to at least try and mimic Akasaki in summoning his zanpakto. She straightened her posture and placed her palms together with a deep breath. She mumbled incoherent words under her breath as she focused. Her brows furrowed in concentration.

It was in that moment when a figure human figure faded into view in the back of the trees behind the group's picnic. The figure seemed to pause and look around lost for a second until it spotted the group. It creeped closer, each step slow and deliberate, as it seemed every foot needed a second to disconnect from the ground. silhouetted in the sun until it was behind Nigori. The figure now was seen to be a person with purple slime hair that went to her shoulders in a purple flowing nightgown with accented black lace. The same slime that formed her hair covered her feet. A long, snake-like tail trailed behind her and anger glistened in her dark eyes. Nigori, unknown of her success or failure, was still concentrated on her previous task as the now shown figure proceeded to hit Nigori with a fist to the head.

In the that split moment between getting bonked on the head and the fist still in the air that another figure appeared, this time much closer to the group, right next to Akasaki. This figure was identical to the new slimish figure, except when she opened her eyes, they were like a hollows.

When the fist collided the violent slime figure spoke, "Dammit Nigori! I said I was fine, now stop-" The slime figure noticed the other slime figure, as Nigori rubbed her head from the hit, "Shit, I'm too late," Kage facepalmed in her failure. It wasn't til she took away that hand from her face that she noticed Akasaki, she seemed disinterested. "Oh, it's you. And...?" She questioned as she pointed to Kenshi.

Both of the nearly identical slime figures approached Kenshi, looking him keenly in the eye, they did the exactly the same thing. Nigori tried to speak, "Kage, I thought you'd like to be out of that cave for once... and That's uhm, " She stopped herself from introducing Kenshi, looking towards Akasaki for him to do so.

The Dark eyed Kage replied to Nigori "I know," She crossed her arms, and looked about at the world that Kage had missed being in, She sighed and pointed to her clone, "But you bought, my- er, THIS!"

The clone confronted Kage, "I'm not a THIS! I'm a person as much as you are sweet heart!" The two pressed foreheads together, looking angrilly at the other, making it almost seem like a mirror.

Nigori smiled back at Akasaki sheepishly as the two argued.

"welcome ms. Kusaru Kage i am kenshi and this is my nephew Akasaki mangetsu"

Aka waved smiling sheepishly

"Two spirits. How odd, one with hollow Powers and.... Shinigami powers"

Kage peered at Kenshi with a uninterested gaze, "Hi..." she quickly turned her interest towards Nigori and whispered in her ear,being loud enough to be easily overheard, "Why are you hanging out with these losers?"

Nigori whispered back in her ear,"Oh, I don't know, I guess I was just a little lonely.. They're nice though,"

Trying not to be rude, Nigori took a moment to answer towards Akasaki and his comment, "I, uhm, didn't know there were two of them..."

Hollow Kage shrugged and sat down behind Nigori, placing her arms over Nigori's shoulder, "We've had plenty of talks hun. You just didn't know it was me," Hollow Kage purred, getting into Nigori's comfort zone. Kage didn't like those actions and removed Hollow Kage's arms from Nigori. Hollow Kage gave a pout.

Kage took the moment to take a spot between Nigori and Akasaki, directing cold serious eyes at him, and grasping a drink in her clutches,"I don't like the way you act with Nigori sometimes. It makes her uncomfortable, and you act too familiar with her," She let out a small growl, "She doesn't like people as much as you, and if you hurt her... There will be hell to pay,"

"That's not true Kage! I like Akasaki" Nigori defended, a hint of blush on her cheeks, and rubbing her elbow.

"It's alright honey, your soul is on my list of possessions," The hollow Kage picked up Nigori, hands under her knees and holding her back. "I would never want to lose my little treasure," Hollow Kage teased, sticking out a split snake-like tongue and pressing it against Nigori's cheek. "Much less to someone like him," Nigori did not like these advances and pressed her hands against Hollow Kage's chest, trying to gain some distance between herself and Hollow Kage.

"settle down harpies."

Akas head went into his hand creating a face palm. His controlled hollow came out.

"oh god not now...."

"yes god now. You know how long it is to get out now and then? IMPOSSIBLE. I swear one of these days kid, POW in the nuts."

Chisaki punched his fist into an empty hand.

"chi, be nice to the boy he is with his girlfriend."

Ken said to chi.

"GIRLFRIEND?!"

Both aka and chi said at the same time.

Chi looked over to the three girls.

".... Which one? The sluty one, The bitchy one, Or the patchy one?"

Aka face palmed again.

"The one with Shinigami robes genious!"

Aka then blushed ear to ear notifying that she was his girlfriend.

Kage twiched in anger at the nickname of harpie "YOU BETTER WATCH WHAT YOU SAY BOY! I'm one move away from cutting your arm off!" She threatened, drawing her claws out.

Nigori looked in concern as Akasaki clutched his head "Aka..?" She spoke lowly, stil in hollow Kage's arms.

Nigori didn't quite understand what was going on. She tilted her head at the mention of the word girlfriend, and she looked to Kenshi for guidance. "What are you...?"

Nigori laughed loudly, almost obnoxiously, "Haha! Patchey? What am I a pirate? I'm not his girlfriend either, hehe!" She giggled and smiled at the strange turn of conversation

Kage clutched her drink in pure bitterness at the second nickname and at the familiarity of calling Nigori his girlfriend, slicing the cup in 10 pieces in her grasp. "WHAT?! I don't approve of this at all! How dare you say something like that! Let me give you some nightmare fuel kid!" Kage stretched her arm out, close in to reach of Akasaki with her claw, but she stopped right before contact. She took herself calmly up from her spot, and she settled herself in front of Akasaki, putting her claws surrounding his head, like a cage. "A Vizard... huh? One move and the nightmare begins.. Watch yourself," She growled with a glare directly in his eyes with hate.

Hollow Kage spat in Akasaki's direction and held Nigori close to her, rubbing her "I ain't no ssslut. Your quite distasteful aren't you? I ssssaid her soul was mine, That means she ain't yours!" She stuck her tongue out at him with a snake hiss

"Im not afraid of you kage. You can do it if you think it will even work. But i promise you that it won't work."

Chi looked over the hollow kage.

"damn girl your one hot piece of Ass you know that?"

"Im his uncle nigori-san. "

Ken just sat their still sipping his tea

"chi... Shut up. Your appearance was un necessary..."

Aka sat embarrassed slightly.

"what? She is the hottest zanpaktou i met. With a hollow. Maybe its fate?"

Chi said holding his chin with a big smirk on his face looking at hollow kage still.

Nigori sweatdropped at Kenshi's answer, "I didn't mean what you were, I meant.. what were you getting at with calling me his girlfriend but now I can see it's some kind of joke," she laughs lightly.

Hollow Kage peers over at Chi, playing innocent,"Who? Me?"

"Is that so?" Kage whispers lowly to Akasaki, as she grinned evilly, looking directly in Akasaki's eyes, tilting her head. "Let's put that to a point then," She took the single claw on her pointer finger and slowly dragged it across his cheek, drawing a streak of blood. "That's a light dose, idiot. And if that doesn't work.." Kage stood up and lifted her leg up so that her slimed foot came in contact with Nigori's arm, watching with her arms crossed as the fabric burned.

"Kage, what are you do-" Nigori was cut off with sleep, as she seemed to almost faint in hollow Kage's arms.

"I want to see you suffer," She spoke with spite on her tongue to Akasaki.

Kage glared at Chi and approached him, before promptly smacking him with her palm "As if! You don't understand anything, stupid! Like you could ever! NO ONE COULD UNDERSTAND!" She barked at him, majorly offended, she was taking deep breaths from releasing her pent up anger.

"it was no joke nigori san"

Ken said with his eyes closed.

"my reishi is already breaking down your poison. But if you want to see me suffer. Ill show you suffering."

Aka mumbled something as he made hand signs.

"bakudo 116: Dreamscape."

He brought kage into his mind and played his nightmare over as she played as me and had my emotions at the time. He played it over over and over adding more detail and feeling to every play back.

"That's fine. I didn't expect it to really work on getting into your system. So I made sure your sweet little Nigori-chan is having some pretty nightmares over there. I'm sure that's a little suffering.. If you really care about her" Kage glared and mumbled a few words afterwards, but they were out of hearing.

Kage shook her her head rapidly, let out a pained growl at the switch of vision to the nightmares. But stayed still afterwards, with no expression on her face. It wasn't til after a few playthroughs til she covered her face with her claws, scratching her face, drawing blood from gashes around her eyes. But she made no attempt to speak.

After the nightmares playthroughs ended, Kage removed her claws from her face, having no expression "Maybe I was a little wrong about ya kid. A little." she spoke the words softly. She sighed as she laid back on the grass. "It's funny... This poison works plenty of fine on Nigori, but odd enough it doesn't affect me. Ya think a proper zanpakto would have it's owner be unsuceptable to it's poison." She laughed "Haha, just shows ya I screwed up." She let tears roll down her eyes, looking at the sky she hadn't seen in centuries, " I'm a failure as a zanpakto, and a pretty ugly one too."

"no zanpaktou is a failure kage. They are all different on many different levels. But maybe niikai can help your bond. I care alot about nigori, that includes her zanpaktou. "

He put a hand on kages shoulder.

"im not trying to tear you two apart. I will admit... I do love nigori. And i will protect her from any sort of harm. That is why i want to help you two. You are a part of nigori so i love you too. Understand?"

Aka then released nigori from her zanpaktous nightmare.

"HA! That's a lie. I'm a failure cause I'm not really a zanpakto. A horrible ugly fake. I don't question my bond with Nigori. Not one bit. We're close, and always have been." Kage smiled, recollecting her thoughts, "But I question what I did to get here, and that's something you'll never understand. I-I refuse to believe you could understand at the very least." she showed a hint of doubt, but remained serious.

Kage batted his hand off her shoulder coldly "Don't make me laugh, you act so familiar but you know nothing. That's what I hate about you. You can say you'll love me cause I'm a part of her, but we're not a part of each other. I say me and her have a bond, but we're two very separate beings. Unlike your zanpakto and yourself, we.. we're different. I understand your feelings for her, but.." after a pause she shook her head "Nah, I guess it's fine, I won't get between you two, but I won't stop twin-girl over there." Kage pointed to hollow Kage who smirked and waved at her mention, "Wait, do you think I'm harmful to the girl or something?" She cackled, "We, me and Nigori, have no problem kid, there's a reason why I'm around. End of story, we don't need help. "

Kage furiously put her slimy foot touching Nigori's ankle, glaring at Aka, "Don't wake her up! She needs more training, I'm her master, I know what's best, you shouldn't go against what I do... I don't like you overpowering what I can do." She looked at her claws solemnly, "If I know I'm that weak... these claws may as well shatter, and I may as well not be here, and that was all for naught..." As if to go with that, she clashed both her claws against each other, peering to see damage had been done, but finding scratches on the blades. Kage sighed sadly seeing the scratches.

"Kage you are not understanding what niikai is. It is the true technique of the zanpaktou. You and her become one. Not just spiritually. But physically. When you two merge she will become resistant to your poison. And you can stop tormenting her with the nightmares."

Aka had kenshi and chisaki go back inside.

"Why Dont i show you what you can achieve?"

Black fire swirled around him eating and replacing his clothes temporarily. Soon the black chainswrapped around his body and latched to the ground. The black fire fully formed and had a similar version of his bankai but the flames, were true flames. He walked forward the chains broke off from the ground. But seemed to display antigravity. By floating in mid air.

"do you see the power you can gain? When you two are in sync you will be the strongest you will ever become."

Kage grumbled, "And I can see your not listening to me at all. I'm not that girl's zanpakto. We can't do that. You think a zanpakto would know if they can use the final technique. And I say we can't. We're different people from the start. Technically you could say we already merged like that a long time ago." Kage growled under her breath, "I only torment her with such things because she needs to get over them. If anything, that's the first step."

Kage grew frustrated, "I don't need you to show me! As whatever being I even am, I should know my limits and what I can do! I'm sure our powers would be drastically different anyways. " She seemed to pout, upon him entering Niikai anyways.

"Yes. I see it already, so would you just stop? Your appearance sickens me. "Kage grew more distasteful as the conversation went.

"Do you think a person without nightmares is something that should be? A thing without fear or nightmares, is something to me that's not even human anymore. And that's me, I don't dream nightmares, and I never will no more. Me and Nigori can't relate in that sense anymore." She quieted her voice, "so achieving something like that is hopeless."