M.S.A.A. pt. 67

I'm SOOO SORRY guys!

I've been so busy that this part took forever to come out.

To make up for it, I'll be posting the next 2 or 3 parts over the weekend, not only to catch up, but to apologize.

Enjoy!

~Maddie

"...I can't remember pretty much anything except for Toshiro. I don't even remember these girls who tell me I'm their best friend, that I'm their Captain, that they're fellow Soul Reapers that I was once close to. I hate this! This world seems to taunt me, letting me see something but keeping it out of arms reach. No matter how hard I beg or pray for my memories to come back, they won't, and all I seem to do is cause pain for someone else. This fight is appalling to watch, I can't take it. Watching all these people who I used to know fight and be slain is too much to take. I have to do something, if anything, I must give the bijuu what they want. I could care less about me now, what's important is protecting everyone that're still trying to fight. Even if that means I have to take matters with my weakened spiritual pressure..."

June
SOUL SOCIETY
Mariya's Perspective
"Damn it, where is she?!" Mariya says, irritated.
"She probably stopped to help someone in the defense group...calm down..." Toshiro trails as he watches Mariya trot back in forth by the coach.
"Well, it's frustrating!" Mariya answers, "You said a half hour ago that she was on her way! And she still isn't here yet!"
"Mariya..." Toshiro trails, "You're becoming bi-polar..."
She blinks, confused, turning towards him.
"Huh?" she asks.
"Well, before...you were quiet and shy...Now, you're all loud and tempered..." he explains.
Mariya looks away, thinking over what he said.
...Damn it...he's right, it looks like even though I've gained more of my memories...I'm still not complete...and god Damn, why do I keep cussing? Crap, I did it again!....Man, this really sucks...
As Mariya trails on in her thoughts, Toshiro chuckles.
"Deep in thought, and easily distracted...at least that's normal..." Toshiro trails.
When she turns back, she notices that Toshiro is no longer looking at her.
"Toshiro?" Mariya says.
He doesn't respond.
She rushes over, kneeling beside the coach.
"Toshiro?" Mariya says again, shaking him.
Once again, he doesn't respond, causing her to get a bit worried.
She stands over him, and gently turns his head back to face her.
Somehow through all this, his unconsciousness has taken him, leaving him out cold, but breathing normally.
Mariya sighs.
"Damn...now we're really screwed." she comments
"Hey, anyone down there?!"
Mariya's eyes widen as she hears the woman's voice, recognizing it a bit.
"Rangiku? Is that you?" Mariya calls.
Her call is quickly followed by quick footsteps, revealing a tall, blonde...great busted...woman.
"Mariya, you're ok." Rangiku says, wrapping her arms around Mariya.
"Y-Yeah Rangiku, I'm fin-" Mariya starts.
"C-Captain!"
Without warning, Rangiku pulls Mariya off of her, hurrying over to Toshiro's side.
"Rangiku, calm  down-" Mariya starts again.
"W-What happened?!" she asks.
Mariya sighs.
"He was injured by some glass when it exploded from the impact of an attack against the barrier." Mariya answers, crossing her arms in front of her, "I healed him up, but he was still pretty beat up, so he needs rest."
Rangiku's eyes widen, turning to face her.
"You what?" Rangiku asks.
Mariya doesn't respond for a moment.
"You used your powers?!" Rangiku asks, "Mariya, your powers are diminished now, you know that right?!"
She looks over at Toshiro, before walking over to his side.
"Sorry man..." Mariya whispers.
Rangiku's eyes widen as Mariya silently turns Toshiro over on his side.
"Wh-What are you-" Rangiku starts, before Mariya steps aside.
She gasps as Mariya reveals the bloodied tears in Toshiro's kimono and haori.
Walking over, Rangiku traces the fabric.
"He protected me..." Mariya trails.
As Rangiku looks up at her, the scenes replay in Mariya's head, causing her to shrink a bit in her skin.
"I...I couldn't...let him suffer...with that poison..."
"Poison?" Rangiku repeats.
"Yeah...they used some forbidden bakudo to put poison into the attack." Mariya answers, "I luckily got it out, but with draw backs..."
"Like what?" Rangiku asks.
Mariya sighs, rubbing her neck.
"Well-" Mariya starts.
Suddenly, the ceiling begins to crack a bit, a loud boom vibrating the building.
Rangiku grunts.
"We need to get you two out of here, the barrier must be beginning to weaken a bit." Rangiku says.
Mariya nods, putting on the flip flops she had worn down, still only in her pjs.
"Yeah, you're right." Mariya responds, before turning back to Toshiro.
With what looks like ease, Mariya puts Toshiro on her back, then turning back to Rangiku.
"Are you sure you can carry him?" Rangiku asks.
"It's my spiritual pressure that weakened, I think I can still carry the guy that still weighs less then me." Mariya replies with a chuckle.
Again, there's a great boom, causing more of the ceiling to crack off a bit.
"Let's go, move!" Mariya says, running up the stairs.
"R-Right!" Rangiku answers.
Running up the stairs, Mariya's met with glass as it hits the walls around the hall entry.
"Damn it, not good!" Mariya says.
"Mariya!"
Rangiku and Mariya turn as a barrier forms around them.
"Aneko!" Rangiku says.
"Hey, I went by Kayla and Bianca, and they said you were still locked up in here." Aneko says, "What's wrong with Captain Hitsugaya?"
"First tell me something. Where's Cree?" Mariya asks.
Aneko doesn't respond for a moment.
"Aneko?" Rangiku asks.
"Unconscious in a Squad 4 medical room."
Mariya's eyes widen.
"What?..." Mariya trails.
"She killed off the three tails on her own, after he attacked Rikuto...and almost killed him." Aneko trails.
Mariya gasps a bit.
...Rikuto....Cree...both of them were involved in fighting a Bijuu?....
"Cree used her sped healing to save him, but after using the rest of her spiritual pressure to kill the Bijuu, she passed out." Aneko explains, "Apparently she was over-raged by what happened to Rikuto. Though, on the bright side, she has no serious injuries, and Rikuto carried her in to the medical barracks on his own."
"Where's Rikuto now?" Rangiku asks.
Aneko grins.
"Sitting by Cree's bedside waiting for her to wake up." Aneko answers.
Mariya's eyes widen a moment, before she chuckles.
"Oh, and he wanted me to relay you a message." Aneko says.
"Really, what?" Mariya asks, blinking in surprise.
"He said..."Thank you for shooting me down, I think I know what's right now."
Rangiku blinks, confused.
"Huh?" Rangiku asks.
Mariya grins.
"Is that so?" Mariya comments, turning away.
Aneko nods.
"Yeah, but right now, we need to get Captain Hitsugaya to Squad 4, and you out of the Sereitei." Aneko says, "Follow me."
With a nod from both Rangiku and Mariya, they begin running out of the room, another boom taking toll on the building as the ceiling begins to give way a bit.
"Damn it, the building is beginning to fall apart." Mariya comments.
Suddenly, Kayla appears.
"Kayla!" Aneko says.
"Hey, why aren't you guys out yet? And what happened to Toshiro?" Kayla asks.
"He was injured, and Rangiku took longer then we thought." Mariya says, "Where's Bianca?"
"Sorry, I had to help move a person to Squad 4." Rangiku comments.
Kayla sighs.
"Bianca used up her power and is also in Squad 4. She'll be fine. Alright, c'mon, the Bijuu are moving in." Kayla says.
"Right, I'll put up a barrier so they don't see us leave." Aneko replies.
"Sounds good." Rangiku says, "Now let's go!"
Pulling Mariya by the sleeve, the group rush through the home, until they make it to the front door, the windows blown out.
"Crap, they're fighting on this side." Kayla comments.
Mariya's eyes widen as she sees the outside for the first time.
Above, many members of her Squad, Squad 1 and 10, fight against Nekomata, Shukaku, and another Bijuu, though they're failing.
On the ground...are many fallen members, puddles of blood formed around most of them, others trying to get to some of the Squad 4 members so that they can help them.
Trembling, Mariya steps back a bit.
"Oh my God..." Mariya trails.
The others look over at her.
"Mariya?" Kayla asks.
She doesn't respond, too overwhelmed by the sight.
...The Bijuu...they're trying to kill me...These people...
"What's the matter, you idiotic Soul Reapers?!" Nekomata yells from above, a sword drawn in her hand, "Can't you give up that girl, and save yourselves? Don't you see you're just sending yourselves to your deaths?!"
"Quiet Bijuu! Our Captain can't fight, so we will take her place!" one of the Soul Reapers from her squad yells, "Now die in the name of Mariya!"
Mariya watches as he, and about a dozen others from different squads rush at Nekomata, swords prepared and released.
Nekomata laughs.
"You truly are imbeciles!" Nekomata yells.
With that, she slashes across the whole advance at amazing speed, taking them all by surprise as blood suddenly spills from their bodies.
"N-No..." the same Soul Reaper says, before falling to the ground, "Captain....Mariya...we're sorry...."
...These people are dying because of me....
Mariya cracks a bit, her eyes widening as she hears Nekomata laugh above.
Worried, the others try to calm her by holding her shoulders, but it doesn't stop the trembling.
Then, she takes them all by surprise as she puts Toshiro down, holding him by his arm.
"Rangiku, take Toshiro." Mariya says.
She nods, quickly taking her unconscious Captain from Mariya as she turns back to look at the outside.
"Mariya, what are you doing?" Aneko asks.
Mariya doesn't answer for a minute.
Without warning, Mamori Koudoutai flashes past their eyes, held in her sheath on Mariya back, though she soon disappears with a blink.
"Finishing what I started." Mariya comments.
Their eyes widen.
"Mariya, no!-" Rangiku yells.
But it's too late, as Mariya disappears.
Aneko clutches her fist tight.
"That idiot!" Rangiku says.
"What?" Kayla asks.
"She's gonna try to fight Nekomata." Rangiku answers.
Aneko's eyes widen.
"She can't, her powers will diminish!-" Aneko starts.
"They already have!" Rangiku snaps.
Aneko blinks in surprise.
"You mean she already used her powers?!" Kayla asks.
Rangiku nods.
"For what?! What could be so important that she'd-" Aneko starts.
She immediately stops as Rangiku turns around to show Kayla and her the bloodied rips down the back of Toshiro's haori and kimono.
"He would of bled out...." Rangiku trails.
Aneko stares in shock, before trembling.
"Mariya...." Aneko trails, before looking out to the outside, "YOU'RE RUSHING TO YOUR OWN DEATH!"
Above, not knowing the commotion, laughs, loving the Soul Reapers helplessness.
"This is just rich!" Nekomata comments, looking around at all the fallen Soul Reapers.
She stops as her eye spots the one Soul Reaper from before moving, still conscious.
She raises an eyebrow.
"Hmm? You idiot of a man, you should of stayed still..." Nekomata says, pulling her sword out, pointing it at him, "Now, I'll finish you for having the guts to try to escape. DIE!-"
"STOP!"
Nekomata's eyes widen as Mariya's voice sounds from behind her.
She turns, seeing Mariya standing out in the open, alone.
Her eye brow raises.
"You came out...." Nekomata trails.
"Leave them alone Nekomata, they're not who you're after." Mariya comments, "Right now you're just making useless slaughter."
Nekomata laughs.
"Well, well, big talk from little Mariya." Nekomata says, "You do realize that I'm killing because I wanted you to come out, correct?" 
Mariya nods.
"I assumed that you were trying to bait me out by doing this, but I decided that I would just come." Mariya replies, "But now that I'm here, you shouldn't attack them anymore."
"You're such a good person, aren't you? Caring more about others then yourself. It is admirable. But why make such a decision when it comes to the life of those below you?-"
"No one is below me! A life is a life, no matter who's it is!" Mariya snaps, "One of their lives is just as important of a life as mine, Toshiro's, or even the Head Captain's! You don't deserve to freely take their lives away with such a pathetic excuse as the value of the person's life!"
Nekomata stands and watches her for a moment, stunned a bit by Mariya's outburst.
Then, she grins.
"Alright, so what are you going to do about it? You're too weak to kill me, so what's the big idea behind coming out to face me?" 
Mariya doesn't respond for a moment.
Without warning, Mamori Koudoutai, away in her sheath on Mariya's back, hanging by a blue sash around Mariya's chest, appears, taking Nekomata by surprise.
"Yes, I may be weak, but that's only in the pretense of my physical strength. My Spiritual Pressure has no effect on the strength of my mental strength." Mariya says.
Suddenly, she glows lime green, though a bit dimmer then usual, it still burns with an intense glow as Mariya's eyes begin to glow a sight light blue.
Nekomata blinks in surprise.
"I'm can still fight you...though I'm not promising anyone that I'll succeed."
Without warning, Nekomata breaks into histaric laughter.
"So, you pretty much know you're going to die? Ha! Well, I'll give you credit for having guts, but that's all you're getting from me. Especially when you're still in your pajamas!"
She pulls out her own sword, leading to Mariya pulling her's.
Below, Aneko, Rangiku, and Kayla walk out to see the horror of Mariya setting herself up for her own doom.
Though, as they watch, no one seems to see Toshiro stir.
He blinks a few times, before looking around.
"I'm happy..."
His eyes widen as he hears Nekomata, looking up as everyone else.
"Just get this over with. Soon, you won't have to worry about me." Mariya comments.
Nekomata smiles.
"I'll be the one to kill you!"
Toshiro goes pale, his first sight to behold...watching Mariya ultimately kill herself...for the sake of protecting.