"...Virginia is probably one of my closest friends in the world. She and I have been through a lot together, from the stupidest arguments to some of the biggest problems of my teenage life. After I lost a friend that was close to me, Virginia became my rock, and soon after, Cree joined our close friendship, making us a strong trio. In return for all she has done for me, I decided I would not put her in danger by introducing her to the Soul Society, which I've done to Cree, who I brought with no choice, as well as Kayla and Bianca, who brought themselves into this mess. But, now that I know that Kenta...that scheming bastard who tried to kill me...is trying to mess with her head, and she's now even showing signs of owning a zanpakuto, not to mention Spiritual Pressure...I'm finding that I no longer have a choice in the matter of if she goes or not...and frankly, neither does she...."
January 11
OUR WORLD
Mariya's Perspective
"Hey, Mariya."
She blinks, and turns to see Toshiro, looking as Tomas in his disguise for this world, walking up to her.
"Hey Toshiro." she says as she closes her locker.
"Well, have you seen Virginia today?" he asks.
"No, not yet, I don't have any classes with her before lunch." she replies.
He sighs, and looks ahead as they walk down the main stairs.
"Do you think she might be here today?" Mariya asks.
"Yeah, she can't hide at home forever, she has to come back to school eventually."
Mariya turns, thinking to herself for a few minutes as they come to enter the cafeteria .
...She's avoiding me...after I looked into her mind and saw that memory, she hasn't been answering any of my messages or calls, even her mom called to tell me that until she returns to normal, I shouldn't try to get ahold of her...
Still thinking, she sits, Toshiro sitting beside her.
...Maybe I made the wrong move by trying to read her mind...But hey, I was worried...I wanted to make sure no one had tried to injure her mentally...
She sighs.
...Damn it...I have no choice now...but to introduce her to the Soul Society-
"MARIYA!"
She blinks, throwing her head up to see Kayla looking at her, now in the seat across from her.
"H-Huh?!" Mariya stutters.
"Dude, we said your name like ten times!" Kayla says.
"Y-You did?" she asks.
"Yes, what's wrong with you?" Bianca asks.
Mariya doesn't respond for a moment.
"I'm worried about Virginia." she replies.
"Mariya, we're all worried, but you can't just zone out like that." Cree says, sitting on the other side of Mariya, besides Bianca.
"Still..." Mariya trails.
Without warning, Bianca gasps, catching everyone's attention.
Mariya raises an eyebrow.
"Bianca, what's up..." Mariya trails, looking where Bianca is.
Her eyes widen.
Virginia....
She stays silent as she sits besides Kayla, looking only at her bag lunch. Her eyes are dull, not full of their usual life, bags under them, making it look like she hasn't been sleeping well lately.
Her outfit just says she's not in the mood for a conversation, being a baggy hoodie with sweat pants, her hair up in a messy bun, the only thing correct being her oval glasses.
"V-Virginia...you're here today." Cree trails.
Virginia stops trying to open her stapled bag, looking up at Cree.
"Yeah...my mom said I can't use up anymore days to just lay around.." Virginia replies, her voice a bit cracked.
"Are you feeling better?" Toshiro asks.
Virginia looks over at him, and shrugs.
"I guess..." she trails.
A awkward silence fills the atmosphere, making them all uncomfortable.
"Hey guys!" Kaylee says with a smile, sitting beside Toshiro.
"Virginia, you're back!" Hannah says, hugging Virginia after setting her tray down.
Virginia tries her best to smile, though it's a bad excuse for what she usually can give.
"Yeah...I'm back..." she trails.
Kaylee blinks.
"Still feeling off Virginia?" Kaylee asks.
"Yeah..."
Hannah looks over to see Mariya staring at Virginia, her mind trailing off again.
....Should I enter her mind?...Since she's so close, I have a good chance of making connection without making contact....But then again, right now, she's so sensitive...I don't know whether or not to risk making it even more strained then it already is....
"Mariya?"
Her eyes widen, and she looks over at Hannah.
"Hmm?" Mariya asks.
"Dude, you're zoning out." Kaylee comments.
"Oh, s-sorry..." Mariya trails.
"Virginia, you apparently haven't been replying to texts the last few days?" Toshiro says.
Virginia blinks.
"Y-Yeah, I couldn't find it until last night." Virginia says.
Mariya's eyes narrow.
...I may not be fully able to enter her mind right now, but I know for a fact that she's lying...I know that I saw her phone right beside the couch when we were over at her house...in plain sight...
Virginia looks over at Mariya, cutting off her thoughts.
For a moment, they just stare at one another, Mariya taking a gulp before opening her mouth.
"I'm glad...you're back...Gin." Mariya trails, grinning bitter-sweetly.
Virginia just looks at her.
Mariya sighs.
...I need to enter her mind...Now!..
With a small change of blue flashing in her eye, she easily enters Virginia's open mind, slipping through without Virginia noticing.
...Alright, what are you thinking...
Virginia's thoughts take over her mind.
...What was that?...Am I hallucinating?...I thought...I saw Mariya's eyes...flash blue...
Mariya blinks in surprise, not believing that Virginia caught that.
...Man...I thought that everything was over after that flashback to that meeting with that guy...Now...everything's...feeling weird again...
...You silly child...can't realize that this is natural....
Mariya and Virginia's eyes widen.
She just heard the voice of Virginia's zanpakuto.
...W-What's going on?!....
...Virginia...It's almost time...to go...
...Wh-What?! Go where?!...
...She with the fire...of both Red...and Blue...in her eyes...will guide you...
Red...and blue?
Mariya suddenly pulls back, feeling that her presence may be discovered by the zanpakuto's spirit.
She blinks a few times, before looking back at Virginia, her face pale.
"V-Virginia?" Cree says, getting up and hurrying to Virginia's side.
"...I-I'm fine...Really." Virginia replies.
"You sure, you're even whiter then before." Kayla comments.
Virginia chuckles, standing.
"I've always been pale, it's just the lighting..." Virginia trails, "I'll be back in a minute.."
"A-Alright, at least let us come with." Kaylee says, standing with Hannah.
"...Fine." Virginia agrees, walking off.
As Virginia, Hannah, and Kaylee vanish, all at the table, except Mariya, give out a sigh.
"Man, she looks like a ghost." Bianca comments.
"Considering how pale she got, she almost is." Toshiro says.
"What do we do? She'll just keep deteriorating if we leave her be." Kayla asks.
Cree looks over at Mariya, blinking as she sees the look in Mariya's narrowed eyes.
"Mariya?..." Cree trails.
"She...must be helped...but unfortunately for us, that means we'll have to use means that I had originally hoped I wouldn't have to carry out, considering the consequences that follow." Mariya says, her tone changed in a way, more...commanding.
"Yattamori, what are you talking about?" Toshiro asks, referring to Mariya as he usually does.
She looks at him.
"Her zanpakuto...has already begun to speak to her." Mariya says.
Their eyes widen.
"What?" Cree says.
"But our zanpakutos didn't say anything until we were in the Soul Society." Bianca comments.
"And she hasn't been in any battle, much less a serious confrontation. So how could it of woken up already?" Kayla asks.
After a moment, Mariya grits her teeth.
"Kenta..." she trails, her tone changed once again, a bit of anger lingering in her voice.
Toshiro's eyes narrow.
"Kenta? Who's Kenta?" Cree asks.
"He's bad news, that's what he is." Toshiro comments.
"Guys, do you remember that weird guy that you met in the mall before you were introduced to the Soul Society?" Mariya asks.
The trio blink.
"You mean grey eyed guy? Yeah, he was off-WAIT! Was that-" Kayla starts.
"Kenta was that guy, and since, he's had more interactions with Virginia." Mariya explains, "I believe that somehow he's been influencing her power to take affect prematurely. Because of that, her body is rejecting her powers, and unless we get her that help I already mentioned, she'll just get worse."
"So, what do we do?" Bianca asks.
"Hey, we're back." Kaylee says, Virginia, now not as pale, following behind with Hannah.
The group grins, hiding their true intentions.
"You all better Virginia?" Cree asks as the three sit back down.
She nods, opening her bag.
"Yeah, much better." she replies.
Mariya sighs as takes a sip of her pepsi, slipping into the minds of her friends that know of the Soul Society.
...Tonight...we must do what I've been avoiding since the beginning...we must take her to the Soul Society...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Virginia's Perspective
She yawns, turning on the other side as she shifts under the covers in her bed.
Blinking, she finds that her clock is staring her in the face, reading 2:36 a.m. She sighs, and rubs her forehead.
"Man...another night with no sleep..." she trails, coughing on the end.
She looks around her room.
A bit of light shines through the blinds, the moonlight beating in lines across the foot of her bed. The night is clear, most of the stars blinking in the sky. Though dark, she can see the outlines of most of the things in her room, even the trees blowing in the breeze outside her window have some shape.
Her eyes widen slightly.
"That's weird...I've never seen the moon...so bright." she thinks out loud.
Without warning, a breeze moves her hair, taking her by surprise.
She turns, to see nothing.
Her heart speeds up.
...Wh-What was that?...
The breeze comes again, causing her to sit up in her bed.
"Alright...what's going on?" she asks herself.
She looks over at her window, then after a moment, she sighs.
...I must be paranoid...It's probably just the wind....
She lays back down, and pulls her sheets close, closing her eyes.
"Just....the wind..." she trails.
....Do you really believe that?....
Her eyes burst wide open, immediately sitting up and looking around, trying to find who owns the voice.
She pants.
...That voice...that's the same one from earlier today...
...Child...it is time...
Virginia begins to tremble.
"Time...time for what?" she asks.
Suddenly, a chill goes through the air, causing Virginia to clutch her sheets closer to her.
"Wh-Why is it suddenly f-freezing?..." she stutters.
...Your powers...are beginning to develop...
"P-Powers? I don't have any powers, leave me alone!" Virginia says.
The breeze comes again, chilling her to the bone.
...Darn it...What's...happening?...
....It's alright....Virginia....
Virginia blinks, suddenly finding herself in a void, a red, seemingly endless void, in which she's floating in, not touching anything, and what's worse, still in her pjs.
"W-What the-?!" she starts.
"Virginia...it's alright."
Her eyes widen, and she turns to see someone.
She gasps, recognizing the girl.
January 11
OUR WORLD
Mariya's Perspective
"Hey, Mariya."
She blinks, and turns to see Toshiro, looking as Tomas in his disguise for this world, walking up to her.
"Hey Toshiro." she says as she closes her locker.
"Well, have you seen Virginia today?" he asks.
"No, not yet, I don't have any classes with her before lunch." she replies.
He sighs, and looks ahead as they walk down the main stairs.
"Do you think she might be here today?" Mariya asks.
"Yeah, she can't hide at home forever, she has to come back to school eventually."
Mariya turns, thinking to herself for a few minutes as they come to enter the cafeteria .
...She's avoiding me...after I looked into her mind and saw that memory, she hasn't been answering any of my messages or calls, even her mom called to tell me that until she returns to normal, I shouldn't try to get ahold of her...
Still thinking, she sits, Toshiro sitting beside her.
...Maybe I made the wrong move by trying to read her mind...But hey, I was worried...I wanted to make sure no one had tried to injure her mentally...
She sighs.
...Damn it...I have no choice now...but to introduce her to the Soul Society-
"MARIYA!"
She blinks, throwing her head up to see Kayla looking at her, now in the seat across from her.
"H-Huh?!" Mariya stutters.
"Dude, we said your name like ten times!" Kayla says.
"Y-You did?" she asks.
"Yes, what's wrong with you?" Bianca asks.
Mariya doesn't respond for a moment.
"I'm worried about Virginia." she replies.
"Mariya, we're all worried, but you can't just zone out like that." Cree says, sitting on the other side of Mariya, besides Bianca.
"Still..." Mariya trails.
Without warning, Bianca gasps, catching everyone's attention.
Mariya raises an eyebrow.
"Bianca, what's up..." Mariya trails, looking where Bianca is.
Her eyes widen.
Virginia....
She stays silent as she sits besides Kayla, looking only at her bag lunch. Her eyes are dull, not full of their usual life, bags under them, making it look like she hasn't been sleeping well lately.
Her outfit just says she's not in the mood for a conversation, being a baggy hoodie with sweat pants, her hair up in a messy bun, the only thing correct being her oval glasses.
"V-Virginia...you're here today." Cree trails.
Virginia stops trying to open her stapled bag, looking up at Cree.
"Yeah...my mom said I can't use up anymore days to just lay around.." Virginia replies, her voice a bit cracked.
"Are you feeling better?" Toshiro asks.
Virginia looks over at him, and shrugs.
"I guess..." she trails.
A awkward silence fills the atmosphere, making them all uncomfortable.
"Hey guys!" Kaylee says with a smile, sitting beside Toshiro.
"Virginia, you're back!" Hannah says, hugging Virginia after setting her tray down.
Virginia tries her best to smile, though it's a bad excuse for what she usually can give.
"Yeah...I'm back..." she trails.
Kaylee blinks.
"Still feeling off Virginia?" Kaylee asks.
"Yeah..."
Hannah looks over to see Mariya staring at Virginia, her mind trailing off again.
....Should I enter her mind?...Since she's so close, I have a good chance of making connection without making contact....But then again, right now, she's so sensitive...I don't know whether or not to risk making it even more strained then it already is....
"Mariya?"
Her eyes widen, and she looks over at Hannah.
"Hmm?" Mariya asks.
"Dude, you're zoning out." Kaylee comments.
"Oh, s-sorry..." Mariya trails.
"Virginia, you apparently haven't been replying to texts the last few days?" Toshiro says.
Virginia blinks.
"Y-Yeah, I couldn't find it until last night." Virginia says.
Mariya's eyes narrow.
...I may not be fully able to enter her mind right now, but I know for a fact that she's lying...I know that I saw her phone right beside the couch when we were over at her house...in plain sight...
Virginia looks over at Mariya, cutting off her thoughts.
For a moment, they just stare at one another, Mariya taking a gulp before opening her mouth.
"I'm glad...you're back...Gin." Mariya trails, grinning bitter-sweetly.
Virginia just looks at her.
Mariya sighs.
...I need to enter her mind...Now!..
With a small change of blue flashing in her eye, she easily enters Virginia's open mind, slipping through without Virginia noticing.
...Alright, what are you thinking...
Virginia's thoughts take over her mind.
...What was that?...Am I hallucinating?...I thought...I saw Mariya's eyes...flash blue...
Mariya blinks in surprise, not believing that Virginia caught that.
...Man...I thought that everything was over after that flashback to that meeting with that guy...Now...everything's...feeling weird again...
...You silly child...can't realize that this is natural....
Mariya and Virginia's eyes widen.
She just heard the voice of Virginia's zanpakuto.
...W-What's going on?!....
...Virginia...It's almost time...to go...
...Wh-What?! Go where?!...
...She with the fire...of both Red...and Blue...in her eyes...will guide you...
Red...and blue?
Mariya suddenly pulls back, feeling that her presence may be discovered by the zanpakuto's spirit.
She blinks a few times, before looking back at Virginia, her face pale.
"V-Virginia?" Cree says, getting up and hurrying to Virginia's side.
"...I-I'm fine...Really." Virginia replies.
"You sure, you're even whiter then before." Kayla comments.
Virginia chuckles, standing.
"I've always been pale, it's just the lighting..." Virginia trails, "I'll be back in a minute.."
"A-Alright, at least let us come with." Kaylee says, standing with Hannah.
"...Fine." Virginia agrees, walking off.
As Virginia, Hannah, and Kaylee vanish, all at the table, except Mariya, give out a sigh.
"Man, she looks like a ghost." Bianca comments.
"Considering how pale she got, she almost is." Toshiro says.
"What do we do? She'll just keep deteriorating if we leave her be." Kayla asks.
Cree looks over at Mariya, blinking as she sees the look in Mariya's narrowed eyes.
"Mariya?..." Cree trails.
"She...must be helped...but unfortunately for us, that means we'll have to use means that I had originally hoped I wouldn't have to carry out, considering the consequences that follow." Mariya says, her tone changed in a way, more...commanding.
"Yattamori, what are you talking about?" Toshiro asks, referring to Mariya as he usually does.
She looks at him.
"Her zanpakuto...has already begun to speak to her." Mariya says.
Their eyes widen.
"What?" Cree says.
"But our zanpakutos didn't say anything until we were in the Soul Society." Bianca comments.
"And she hasn't been in any battle, much less a serious confrontation. So how could it of woken up already?" Kayla asks.
After a moment, Mariya grits her teeth.
"Kenta..." she trails, her tone changed once again, a bit of anger lingering in her voice.
Toshiro's eyes narrow.
"Kenta? Who's Kenta?" Cree asks.
"He's bad news, that's what he is." Toshiro comments.
"Guys, do you remember that weird guy that you met in the mall before you were introduced to the Soul Society?" Mariya asks.
The trio blink.
"You mean grey eyed guy? Yeah, he was off-WAIT! Was that-" Kayla starts.
"Kenta was that guy, and since, he's had more interactions with Virginia." Mariya explains, "I believe that somehow he's been influencing her power to take affect prematurely. Because of that, her body is rejecting her powers, and unless we get her that help I already mentioned, she'll just get worse."
"So, what do we do?" Bianca asks.
"Hey, we're back." Kaylee says, Virginia, now not as pale, following behind with Hannah.
The group grins, hiding their true intentions.
"You all better Virginia?" Cree asks as the three sit back down.
She nods, opening her bag.
"Yeah, much better." she replies.
Mariya sighs as takes a sip of her pepsi, slipping into the minds of her friends that know of the Soul Society.
...Tonight...we must do what I've been avoiding since the beginning...we must take her to the Soul Society...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Virginia's Perspective
She yawns, turning on the other side as she shifts under the covers in her bed.
Blinking, she finds that her clock is staring her in the face, reading 2:36 a.m. She sighs, and rubs her forehead.
"Man...another night with no sleep..." she trails, coughing on the end.
She looks around her room.
A bit of light shines through the blinds, the moonlight beating in lines across the foot of her bed. The night is clear, most of the stars blinking in the sky. Though dark, she can see the outlines of most of the things in her room, even the trees blowing in the breeze outside her window have some shape.
Her eyes widen slightly.
"That's weird...I've never seen the moon...so bright." she thinks out loud.
Without warning, a breeze moves her hair, taking her by surprise.
She turns, to see nothing.
Her heart speeds up.
...Wh-What was that?...
The breeze comes again, causing her to sit up in her bed.
"Alright...what's going on?" she asks herself.
She looks over at her window, then after a moment, she sighs.
...I must be paranoid...It's probably just the wind....
She lays back down, and pulls her sheets close, closing her eyes.
"Just....the wind..." she trails.
....Do you really believe that?....
Her eyes burst wide open, immediately sitting up and looking around, trying to find who owns the voice.
She pants.
...That voice...that's the same one from earlier today...
...Child...it is time...
Virginia begins to tremble.
"Time...time for what?" she asks.
Suddenly, a chill goes through the air, causing Virginia to clutch her sheets closer to her.
"Wh-Why is it suddenly f-freezing?..." she stutters.
...Your powers...are beginning to develop...
"P-Powers? I don't have any powers, leave me alone!" Virginia says.
The breeze comes again, chilling her to the bone.
...Darn it...What's...happening?...
....It's alright....Virginia....
Virginia blinks, suddenly finding herself in a void, a red, seemingly endless void, in which she's floating in, not touching anything, and what's worse, still in her pjs.
"W-What the-?!" she starts.
"Virginia...it's alright."
Her eyes widen, and she turns to see someone.
She gasps, recognizing the girl.
Her hair is chestnut brown and wavy, held up in a high ponytail by a lime green ribbon, bangs covering her right eye and thick locks of hair all that hang down freely, covering her ears. Her eyes are a warm hazel, somehow reminding her of Mariya. She's wears a lime green pendant necklace, along with a pink ribbon choker with another lime green gem attached to it around the base of her neck. She wears a white, sleeveless, over-thing over a kimono with black curly-lined designs and black trimming, a dark gray bodice which seems to be a long wrapped sash is tied tight around her flat middle, tied at the left side in a ok sized bow. Lime green arm bands transcending from underneath the sleeves of the kimono, along with sandals worn over white sock-like things on her feet.
This girl...the girl she killed in a vision.
"Y-You..." Virginia trails.
"Calm down, listen, I'm an ally." the girl says, stepping closer.
"W-Where am I?" Virginia asks, "W-Who are you?!"
The girl sighs, then looks at her.
"Virginia, you really don't recognize me?..." the girl trails, her tone changed.
Virginia gasps, recognizing the voice instantly.
"M-Mariya?!"
She grins.
"So you do recognize me..." Mariya trails.
Virginia just stands there in shock.
...No...T-This isn't possible...this girl....she can't be Mariya!...
She blinks, and steps back, seeing that Mariya has vanished.
"H-Huh?!"
"Virginia...I hope that one day you'll forgive me..." Mariya's voice trails.
"For what?!"
Without warning, a great gust of chilling wind blows past her face, causing her to shutter.
She holds herself, trying to keep warm.
Though, she suddenly sees a light...a blue light forming in front of her chest.
...What...is happening?!...
The light morphs into a diamond shaped pendant, a leather cord appearing around her neck, running through the pendant.
"What's this?" Virginia says as the necklace falls against her skin.
"That pendant will become your key...keep it safe...unless you want to die."
The life flashes out of Virginia's eyes for a moment, shaken by Mariya's strong words.
...D-Die?!...
"Virginia, there's something...that I've been keeping secret from you..."
"What's that?"
"There's a lot of stuff you don't know about me....or even yourself."
"Huh?"
Another blast of air causing her to shutter once more.
"Dang, why is it so cold?!" Virginia comments.
"Virginia...this is your power...your developing abilities..."
Her eyes widen.
"Powers?! Oh, don't give me that crap Mari."
"This isn't a joke Virginia." Mariya says, her tone serious.
"Hmph, well, I don't believe it."
Mariya doesn't respond for a moment.
Then, Virginia's eyes widen as she feels her clothing shift. She looks down to see her clothes are transforming, the bottoms already looking like that which resembles something close to what Mariya has on. To her dismay, she watches as she's fully enveloped by the change, her pjs now what looks like a samurai uniform, the trim the same pattern as Mariya's. She wears gloves similar to Mariya's, but they're much shorter, and are blue. Her uniform is tied similar to Mariya's but smaller, focused more at her hips then anything, tied at the opposite side of Mariya's.
She becomes speechless, not able to comprehend it still as her hair, which was in a ponytail, goes free, falling nicely around her shoulders.
Mariya appears only moments after the end of the transformation, walking closer.
She grins.
"So...you're in my squad...like Cree..." Mariya trails.
Virginia blinks.
"C-Cree? What does Cree have to do with..." Virginia trails, before she gasps, "Wait, you did the same thing to Cree?!"
"Her's I must admit, was much easier." Mariya replies.
Virginia just stands there, shocked.
....Mariya...Cree...who else is involved in what the heck is going on?!....
"Alright Virginia, the time has come..." Mariya trails.
"Huh?.."
Mariya's eyes suddenly begin to glow light blue, causing Virginia to back up.
"It's time...for you to know the truth...about the Soul Society...and about my secret identity....Mariya Yattamori." Mariya explains, the void fading.
"...Secret...Identity?..." Virginia trails.
Mariya nods, beginning to become consumed by the fading light.
"Everything...will be alright....Gin."
With that, Mariya is gone, leaving Virginia floating on her own for a few moments.
...I don't understand...what's going on?...
...Master...you're learning the truth...
Virginia's eyes widen a bit, as the world fades, seeing just one thing...something that even in the white world...stands out...amazingly...
...What...are you?...
...Remember me....Remember...Yukitora...
"Yukitora...huh?..."
With that, she's left with only one sight.
The power in the eyes of the tiger....
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