Continued From: Out of Nowhere
When Kita opened her eyes she felt much better. She looked around seeing Tsukiro and of course Orihime out cold.
“I am sure healing me took a lot out of the poor thing.” Kita smiled softly as she went to stand. She cringed slightly as she tried putting her full weight on her left leg. “That’s not going to work.” Kita said more to herself then any one person in the room. She placed her hand to the wall next to her for support and hobbled forward.
Tsukiro awoke to the sound of shuffling. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and looked around, his eyes landing on Kita trying to stand up. He shot to his feet and went over to her. “Careful before you hurt yourself,” he said, grabbing her arms to keep her upright.
Kita looked to Tsukiro and smiled. “Thank you. I guess the dislocation will have to heal in its own time.” She shuffled her feet around and turned to face him wrapping her arms around his torso and hugged him tightly. “Thank you for coming.” She pulled slightly back and looked up to him and smiled brightly. “We might be dead right now if it were not for you.”
Tsukiro hugged her back tightly, though not too tightly, and placed one hand on the top of her head, wrapping the other around her waist. “I told you weren’t alone. If you had been alone, you’d be dead. But you have me. And so long as I’m breathing, I’ll come whenever you call.”
With a bright smile she nodded to him. “We need to figure out what we are going to do. It is not safe for any of us here in Las Noches. It is not even safe for me anymore.”
Tsukiro nodded in agreement. “Well, I have a few ideas, but knowing you, you won’t like any of them.”
He sighed and listed their options. “Our primary option is getting out of Hueco Mundo and to Kisuke’s shop. We can hide out there, plus, with me, Kisuke and possibly Yoruichi on hand, you and Orihime will be more than safe. Also, Orihime belongs in Karakura Town anyway.
“Or, I know a place in the human realm where we can go. I discovered it when I was training in Karakura Town while in the Academy. We’ll be safe there. No one knows it’s there. It’s practically abandoned.
“And my last option is probably out of the question, but I’m keeping it on as a last resort. And that’s hiding you somewhere in Soul Society, which is the last place anyone would look for you, since the Head Captain has every Soul Reaper practically gunning for you. I have friends I trust in Soul Society who could hide you and cover for you with no questions asked. But, like I said, this is most likely out of the question.”
Kita thought about each and everyone one of Tsukiro options careful; however, the one she was not hip on. “The Soul Society is out of the question. If they run things anything like Aizen does here in Las Noches they will know the second a foreign power or person enters their area. I am sure the security there is tight already because of Aizen. So there is no way to get me in there without someone knowing.” She paused looking at the floor. “There is no such place that Aizen is not aware of if he wants something.” She looked back to Tsukiro. “So your secret hiding place is a no as well.”
Their last option weighed on her mind, looking into Tsukiro’s eyes she asked him. “How mad are Kisuke and the others at me for what I did?”
“Kisuke is more stubborn than an ox. He believes you had a damn good reason for killing Hitsugaya-taicho. And Ukitake-taicho… well, he’s upset, but he doesn’t blame you. He blames Aizen for starting all this in the first place. He wants to believe that Kisuke is right.”
Tsukiro pulled back slightly and grinned at her. “It was me you had to worry about. I was dead set on destroying you. But since we’re past that point, it’s all downhill with the others from here on out.”
Kita nodded her head a slight shocked look on her face. “I figured they would be more upset with me like you were.” She looked up to Tsukiro. “I do not blame you for wanting to rip me apart. If the roles were switched I would have felt the same way.”
She looked over to Orihime which was still fast asleep. “I guess Kisuke’s it is then.”
Tsukiro nodded and released Kita. He made sure she was steady on her feet and leaning against the wall before kneeling down next to Orihime. “Hey, Miss Orihime. Wake up, we’re getting out of here.”
Orihime stirred opening her eyes blinking them a few times to get focus on what was around her. “What?” She rubbed her eyes. “Where are we going?”
“Home, Hime. Well, you're going to your home. Tsukiro and I will be at Kisuke’s.” Kita looked to Tsukiro. “Second thought. Maybe Hime should hang out at Kisuke’s for a bit too. At least until the heat clears.”
Tsukiro agreed. “Alright, now to get out of here.” He turned to Kita. “You can open the gate out of here, right?”
Kita nodded. “I can open the gate I believe. I feel strong enough, but I am not strong enough to direct it.”
Tsukiro nodded. “That’s alright. If you can get us close, I can get us the rest of the way.”
Kita used the wall and moved farther away from them. Carefully she steadied yourself and started walking, more hobbling, toward the center of the room. Wavering a few times Kita caught her balance and kept moving toward the center of the room. Finally getting where she needed to have room to open the gate Kita snapped her fingers and the gate slowly opened behind her. She turned looking at Tsukiro and Orihime.
“Your gate awaits.” Kita motioned toward the opening gate entrance.
Tsukiro stepped forward and put one arm around Kita’s back, placing the other behind her knees and swept her up, carrying her bridal style. “Our gate,” he said. “Don’t think I’m leaving you here.” He turned to Orihime. “Ready to go?”
Kita smiled at Tsukiro. “I was not planning on stay here. All of you are right. I don’t belong here. At least not as weak as I am.”
Kita looked Orihime’s way as she walked up to them. “You ready?”
Orihime gave a slight nod. “It is going to be so nice to get back home.”
Kita thought Orihime looked a little nervous. “Are you going to be ok?”
With a nod Orihime smiled wide. “Yes. I will be fine.”
Kita watched as Orihime stepped forward into the gate. She then looked to Tsukiro. “Our turn.”
Tsukiro smiled and nodded. “Let’s get you to your real home.”
Tsukiro stepped forward through the black gate, Kita in his arms.
The group moved slowly through the gate headed to the human realm. As Tsukiro carried Kita in his arms she remained silent. Her eyes distance and her mind even more distance. She knew this was not going to last long. Someone was surely going to figure out where she was. Be it Aizen or the Soul Reapers. Kita’s time at Kisuke’s will be short lived. Like everywhere she has settled. It has always been short lived. Kita did not know what a home was, not even the godly realm was home to her. She was never there long enough to settle in and make it a home. She looked back over Tsukiro’s shoulder. Farther and farther Las Noches grew from them. Was that her home? Its the first place Kita has truly settled for longer than a few days, weeks or months. Three years Las Noches was home to her. Three years of following her master. Three years of only knowing the voice, touch and look of one man. Ulquiorra. And now. Now that all the truth has come forth she finds it was all a lie. A lie to keep her trapped there so she can be used then tossed away.
Her eyes glanced up at Tsukiro as his eyes looked forward as they pushed on in the tunnel. But what now? Yet another vow to keep her safe if she were to leave Las Noches. But was he aware of the danger of that vow. For now Kita not only had Aizen on the hunt for her. The Soul Society seeked her out as well. In the beginning it was not so bad. They just wanted to remove her from Aizen, but now. Now Kita was a killer in their eyes. Not just some random killer that kills the ones that step up, but a betrayer, one that will win you over then stab you in the back with your own blade. Kita lowered her eyes as they started to sting with tears and looked at her hands that were folded in her lap.
“I am so sorry Toshiro. I never meant for things to end this way.” Kita spoke softly thinking no one heard her.
"He's not stupid, Kita," Tsukiro assured her. "If you prove to him that you never meant any ill will towards him, I'm sure he'll forgive you. You just have to make him listen."
Kita looked up quickly as Tsukiro spoke. “Is this before or after he removes my head I make him listen to me?” Kita gave a half laugh. “I know. I just hope…” She sighed softly closing her eyes. “I just hope.”
"You hope that he is able to trust you after this?" Tsukiro nodded. "It will be difficult, but not impossible, to gain his trust again. But I believe in you. And if he feels the same, he will forgive and trust you again with time."
Kita sighed as her heart sunk with his last words. “He don’t. How could he like or even love someone such as me. I am nothing. I am not even a god any more. Just an arrancar with a heart and emotions. That alone makes me worthless. At least as the Arrancar believe. I deserve nothing more than death for what I have doen.”
Tsukiro shook his head and kissed her cheek. "You are not worthless. You're strong willed and resolute. You're amazing. Both Hitsugaya and I are lucky to know you. Trust in him, and he will come to trust you."
Kita gave him a soft but sad smile. “Thank you.” She looked ahead of them seeing the light of the opening. “Almost there.”
She felt Tsukiro pick up his pace slightly as the light grew closer to them.
They hurried forward and appeared from the gate.
Continued To: You're Coming with ME!; Part Two
