Post by Nanami on Dec 6, 2016 18:38:27 GMT -5
She emerged amidst a still ocean in the heart of her own soul. She found her footing atop the surface which tried now desperately to suck her down like it had the first time she found her way here. Unlike before, she did not falter this time and stayed on the surface with ease feeling renewed confidence in her decision.
The world had changed.
It was no longer the peaceful scene, no single tree in the middle of an endless blue ocean enjoying an endless summer sky with only the faint wisp of clouds to interrupt its beautiful light. Gone was the peaceful scent of life brought by the gentle breeze. The surface of the ocean was no longer the clear blue water but poisoned a deep red color which betrayed any attempts to see below the surface. The sky was a stormy dull grey, the clouds thick and featureless.
Her eyes scanned left and right, turned to look in all directions but there was no sign of Gamikira's bright face to greet her.
A figure pulled itself up from the bloody surface of the water, a set of ripples cascading out as the stood erected, coated in blood from head to toe obscuring their features but began to drain downward revealing the familiar face. Its face was her own with a sleek near featureless mask. Ashen gray robes showed themselves as the bloody water it pulled itself up from poured off of it. This fueled the ripples across the surface of the water stopping a foot around Nanami in all directions.
At the Hollow’s hip was her Zanpakuto and Nanami flinched upon seeing it, instinctively reached for her own and found nothing. She straightened up and pushed any surprise from her face, took a deep breath of stale decaying air and inclined her head slightly sizing up her imitation. When it spoke its voice was an imitation of her own, only shrill with the influence of the Hollow nature. Her own voice as if made to resemble nails on a chalkboard.
“What with that face, Nanami? You know you had me worried for a little while. Casting me out was a no brainer, but you even had the foresight not to poke your nose around inside again for so long. I thought that was it for our little game, two hundred more years of watching you waste our potential.”
Nanami’s jaw tightened. “Where is she?”
The Hollow laughed, a bright twisted mocking laughter the echoed around them before dying away. When it faded she looked at Nanami as if confused. “Who?”
A flame of anger fanned by her hatred of that thing ignited and she shot back, “Gamikira!”
The Hollow grinned wickedly, tapped its chin with an audible clack, clack, clack and shrugged. “Sorry, doesn’t ring any bells.”
“I’m not playing your stupid games, monster, this world, that sword, they are hers! Mine! Where is she!?”
“You really don’t get it?” Shrieking laughter broke out again this time cut short by the creature’s own inclination. “This sword, the world, you, me, her. All the same! Gamikira was your hope for a different future, and even she couldn’t believe in you. Not that it matters, you banished her out of here anyway, don’t you remember?”
A shiver ran down her spine. Gamikira told her that there was no hope for Nanami to reject that monster that she must make peace with the thing inside her or become it. Nanami refused then, turned away from Gamikira and refused her power and in the same token Gamikira refused hers to Nanami for fear of what kind of monster she’d become in the end. To believe that that would be the end of Gamikira? Gamikira's fears were her own, and they should have faced them together. Had the realization come too late? Had the monster inside truly taken over? Was her last defense, a refusal to look into her inner soul, just been wasted for a last chance she no longer had?
“Too late, kiddo. But, don’t worry! I’ll take real good care of you!” The Hollow lurched forward, vanishing in a charge. A flash of steel signaled the drawing of a blade and Nanami stood frozen.
The world had changed.
It was no longer the peaceful scene, no single tree in the middle of an endless blue ocean enjoying an endless summer sky with only the faint wisp of clouds to interrupt its beautiful light. Gone was the peaceful scent of life brought by the gentle breeze. The surface of the ocean was no longer the clear blue water but poisoned a deep red color which betrayed any attempts to see below the surface. The sky was a stormy dull grey, the clouds thick and featureless.
Her eyes scanned left and right, turned to look in all directions but there was no sign of Gamikira's bright face to greet her.
A figure pulled itself up from the bloody surface of the water, a set of ripples cascading out as the stood erected, coated in blood from head to toe obscuring their features but began to drain downward revealing the familiar face. Its face was her own with a sleek near featureless mask. Ashen gray robes showed themselves as the bloody water it pulled itself up from poured off of it. This fueled the ripples across the surface of the water stopping a foot around Nanami in all directions.
At the Hollow’s hip was her Zanpakuto and Nanami flinched upon seeing it, instinctively reached for her own and found nothing. She straightened up and pushed any surprise from her face, took a deep breath of stale decaying air and inclined her head slightly sizing up her imitation. When it spoke its voice was an imitation of her own, only shrill with the influence of the Hollow nature. Her own voice as if made to resemble nails on a chalkboard.
“What with that face, Nanami? You know you had me worried for a little while. Casting me out was a no brainer, but you even had the foresight not to poke your nose around inside again for so long. I thought that was it for our little game, two hundred more years of watching you waste our potential.”
Nanami’s jaw tightened. “Where is she?”
The Hollow laughed, a bright twisted mocking laughter the echoed around them before dying away. When it faded she looked at Nanami as if confused. “Who?”
A flame of anger fanned by her hatred of that thing ignited and she shot back, “Gamikira!”
The Hollow grinned wickedly, tapped its chin with an audible clack, clack, clack and shrugged. “Sorry, doesn’t ring any bells.”
“I’m not playing your stupid games, monster, this world, that sword, they are hers! Mine! Where is she!?”
“You really don’t get it?” Shrieking laughter broke out again this time cut short by the creature’s own inclination. “This sword, the world, you, me, her. All the same! Gamikira was your hope for a different future, and even she couldn’t believe in you. Not that it matters, you banished her out of here anyway, don’t you remember?”
A shiver ran down her spine. Gamikira told her that there was no hope for Nanami to reject that monster that she must make peace with the thing inside her or become it. Nanami refused then, turned away from Gamikira and refused her power and in the same token Gamikira refused hers to Nanami for fear of what kind of monster she’d become in the end. To believe that that would be the end of Gamikira? Gamikira's fears were her own, and they should have faced them together. Had the realization come too late? Had the monster inside truly taken over? Was her last defense, a refusal to look into her inner soul, just been wasted for a last chance she no longer had?
“Too late, kiddo. But, don’t worry! I’ll take real good care of you!” The Hollow lurched forward, vanishing in a charge. A flash of steel signaled the drawing of a blade and Nanami stood frozen.