Our fading memories

[Anadwen]

"Oh, that sword. Isako took that to show it to father." she explained. "We only left your Zanpakuto by your side." The most popular belief among the warriors of the house was that one's soul-cutter should not be taken away from the owner if not necessary, and she followed that. The sheathed blade was put by his side.

"What kind of spirit could have done that? Was it... One of those?" she whispered. "The spirits that are... Little larger from us, but powerful enough to tear you to pieces with a single strike?"

[Wicked Basket]

"That's what it appeared to be," Sozen told her. "It was incredibly powerful. Seiki struck it repeatedly, but it just refused to fall. It took human shape and was armed with the blade that I brought back."

[Anadwen]

Shinobu's face paled as he confirmed it. Those spirits were something horrible... She had the pleasure - or misfortune - to battle one only once, and even then, she was not alone, but with both her brother, father, and mother.

"You are fortunate to remain in the shape of a man." she uttered, suddenly even more cold and stiff than before. "Did he... Unleash Blood-red Blossom?"

[Wicked Basket]

"Yes," Sozen answered.

Now that she mentioned, they were both fortunate to have survived in...mostly...one piece. Seiki has almost turned into two, but Haru would take care of that. She was the most skilled healer in the family. Sozen just wanted his shoulder to heal so that he could train again. He would need to be ready should a spirit like that ever show up again.

[Anadwen]

She could hardly fathom something so powerful. Really, they were fortunate to be alive... A sigh escaped her as she finished treating him, and sat into the corner of the room. "You should rest for now. There should be no permanent consequences... You were lucky."

As she spoke, her voice sounded tired, and her gaze was aimed away from him, but soon, a different idea appeared in her mind. The violet in her eyes was lit up with embers of fire, and she looked back at Sozen. "Tell me... What exactly happened there? Do you remember it all?"

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen shut his eyes as he replayed the event in his mind.

"It tried to trick us. It took the form of a young girl and said that there was something in forest, but we were not so easily fooled. It then turned into the form of a man and a mask appeared on his face. Seiki unleashed Blood-Red Blossom almost immediately, but the spirit just shook it off. It shook off everything we hit it with.

"When we were about to finish it, it released an explosion of energy, throwing us backward and giving us these injuries. I attracted the spirit's attention to give Seiki time to recover and it attempted to run me through. Seiki, however, pushed me out of the way and took it himself, which completely ruined the whole purpose for me doing that in the first place.

"After it had stabbed Seiki, I unleashed my own Kido and killed the spirit. I then carried Seiki until Haru found us and now we're here."

[Anadwen]

Shinobu gave him a sad nod. "I see." she spoke silently. "It must have been very strong. I admire you two... You went so far just to defeat it." She didn't lie when she said that - she really admired them. The courage and strength to fight till the very end. The resolve... That was exactly what they all needed. The resolve to fight.

Then, she grew silent, deep in her thoughts. "Try to sleep, if you can. It will help you." she advised Sozen before, and that was the last thing she said for a long time.

And the door opened. The figure in red that stood in it was well known to both of them.

[Wicked Basket]

"Haru," Sozen said as he saw who just appeared in the doorway. "How is Seiki?"

Sozen could still feel Seiki's presence, so he was definitely alive. He just wanted to know if he would remain that way.

[Anadwen]

"I have treated him. The bones and tendons in his hand should regrow, although it will take some time. The sword may have heavily damaged a part of his intestines, but I managed to repair the damage that was done. All it needs is time... Seiki has a will to live, and so he shall. I know that now." she replied calmly. A few steps towards him, her kimono a trail of red and she squatted between Sozen and Shinobu.

"What about you? I see Shinobu did her job well..." Her hands handled him softly as always as she looked over what Shinobu managed to treat. Yes, it appears that she did all as she should have. "You took a fair deal of damage yourself."

[Wicked Basket]

"Nothing serious," Sozen told her.

He couldn't afford to be seriously injured. He had work to do. What if another spirit like that last one showed up? With Seiki and him incapacitated, taking it down would be difficult. Sozen hated being bedridden.

[Anadwen]

"You are both lucky. I recognized the wounds caused by highly concentrated spiritual energy on Seiki... Such blast could definitely kill someone with ease. How did you manage to carry him afterwards?" she questioned him further, shifting into a sitting position on her bent legs.

Shinobu, in the meantime, silently watched from the corner. She felt like sleeping... The previous night she slept little. Seiki made her train almost till morning. Though, she couldn't afford to sleep now.

"Is anyone with Seiki now?" she yawned after a moment.
"Isako and Takuya are there." Haru replied. The black-garbed girl nodded, and stood up again, making her way out of the room. She'd rather make sure how her brother was doing by herself.

[Wicked Basket]

"I carried him over my shoulders," Sozen replied simply.

He wasn't sure how to take that question. Should he have not been able to carry him? Leaving him just didn't seem like an option, so he carried him. It was that simple. Sozen had given no thought to the possibility that he would be unable to carry him.

[Anadwen]

"I see." Haru replied, simply shrugging. It was that simple. She'd understand what he meant - a long time ago, she was a warrior herself. She knew what he spoke of.

"You should rest. I will come in the morning to see if everything is alright. Someone will bring you food, but don't try to stand up yet." she informed him, and with that, her tall figure disappeared like a flash of crimson.

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen sighed. Now what? He was stuck. Sozen placed his hand on his zanpakuto and wrapped his fingers around it. That wasn't the right spirit. It was the same kind, but it wasn't the one that killed his family. Now that he knew what he would be against when he finally did meet that spirit, he would have to train all the harder so that he was prepared. For now, though, his blade would remain nameless.

[Anadwen]

The morning was still very early and bright, shrouded in fog, when Haru returned to  Sozen's room as she promised. Only the sound of her kimono being dragged on the floor foretold her coming - otherwise, she was completely noiseless.

She bent over, checking if all was well. It was surprising how she was always there when someone needed her - and always ready. Whether she really slept and ate was a mystery.

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen's night was the same as any other: plagued by nightmares. They usually involved the spirit, his family, death, the usual. His eyes snapped awake as the nightmare concluded, revealing Haru's presence. Sozen wiped the sleep from his eyes with his right hand and didn't say anything, simply letting Haru do whatever she needed to do.

[Anadwen]

"Good morning." she greeted him as she noticed him opening his eyes. He was awake... That was good. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him, not after a short examination.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked, sitting down in the same way as yesterday, and putting her hands down onto her knees.

[Wicked Basket]

Sozen still had the nightmare playing over in his head and did not respond to Haru. He was not ready for that spirit to return. He wasn't even remotely close.

Sozen immediately began trying to struggle to his feet. There was no way he could just lay around and do nothing, even if he was injured. He needed to be ready.

[Anadwen]

Haru softly pushed him back to stop him from standing up right away. It wasn't yet the time for him to get up - not alone. "No, don't try to stand up yet." she warned him. "Someone will bring you food. Wait at least till then, if you're so impatient." The last word was said with a slightly joking tone, but she was completely serious.

It was bright in the room where Seiki awoke. It was a room he knew well... It was disturbingly familiar to him. And still somehow... Calming. The fact that he was here meant that he was alive. Most definitely, alive and awake. No dream would feel like that.

He turned his head to the side, looking over his surroundings. Which were almost nonexistent, if not counting the walls and hard floor. He himself was just a little higher above it, set on a somewhat thicker mat than that on which he slept. Even through that he could feel the floor. Fortunately enough, the layers of bandages over his hand, shoulder and chest were thick enough to make the greatest discomfort disappear. That was, as long as he didn't move.

He wasn't going to move even if he wanted. Even then, he was too exhausted to do so.

[Wicked Basket]

"I can't wait," Sozen told her. "I need to be ready for when he returns so that I can avenge what has been taken from me."

Sozen continued in his attempt to stand. He wasn't ready. He wasn't good enough. He should be. He needed to be, but he wasn't. He failed his family when they were alive, he couldn't fail them again after their deaths.