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This article, Lightning from Heaven 2, is an extra chapter of the Hueco Mundo arc, which is part of Bleach: War for the King's Seal, and serves as a sequel to Requiem. Hikari Raiotto serves as the POV character, with Shiratori acting as deuteragonist. This chapter was authored by Brave.
As I slipped from the inky blackness of the shadow, I found myself staring at a sprawling office that could double as a library. Mahogany...everything, from the huge desk, to the bookcase, and even the floors. The only splash of color was the deep brown leather chair behind the desk. And the stone-faced scarlet-haired woman sitting in it.
"Before you lecture me," I started, "I didn't fight Averian, the thunderstorm over Hueco Mundo was because of some other guy that I've never seen before." I hurriedly explained, not wanting to have to face Tori's wrath.
She held up a hand. "I'm not angry, Hikari. You promised not to fight Averian, and I know you'd never break a promise." Tori spoke calmly, though her face remained pinched. "Just like I know I should have made you promise not to fight any of his Fracción as well, but that's beside the point."
I exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding at her words, before a ragged cough tore through me in retaliation. I don't know why I doubted her, it must be the exhaustion getting to my head. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, my knees buckled and I would have fell face first into the dirt had Tori not caught me.
"Easy, Hikari." She spoke soothingly as she helped me to my feet. She flung my arm over her shoulder and nearly carried me to her desk. For a woman who could barely reach my shoulders and was so much lighter than me, Tori didn't so much as flinch from my almost dead weight. As she sat me down on the table she extended her hand. green reiryoku emanated from her into me.
My breathing was beginning to even out as my various injuries began to disappear. "Thanks." I spoke, cracking my stiff neck and rolling my shoulders. Tori didn't say anything but turned to sit beside me.
"No problem," Tori spoke simply, after a few beats.
"Oh, and thanks for bailing me out. It would have been bad had that other Arrancar joined the fight." I spoke, remembering the venom-laced threat she spat at me before retreating.
"Again, no problem." she flatly let out.
I turned to her, curious, a bit of concern forming in me. "Is there something wrong?" I finally asked.
Tori put her head in her hands before letting out a tired sigh. "It's just, we've been going at Averian for what felt like ages. It feels like we've been trying to climb Mt. Everest with both hands tied behind our back. We've made no progress. We're flies at best, Hikari; just there as a minor inconvenience for Averian. He could swat us down at any moment."
She hopped from the desk to start pacing around the office space. "And now, even his Fracción have grown almost too powerful for us to handle. He now has two Vasto Lorde under his command, who knows what else he has up his sleeve?" Her shoulders dropped. "What hope do we have?"
As I listened to her vent, a memory flashed through my mind, and in blur of movement I stood before her. Clasping my hands on her shoulders to stop her pacing, I exclaimed: "I'll tell you what hope we have Tori, the Shinigami that created the storm over Hueco Mundo? He's got a son, and his son is working with our old pal, Gunner."
Tori went stiff all of a sudden, a blush streaking across her face. Suddenly she cleared her throat, "The grouchy Arrancar? He has allies?"
I nodded confidently, wondering why she was blushing so hard now. "Yep, come to think of it, I saw Gunner with the Three Pillars before I started throwing down with Clarion. Seems like he has a lot of allies we didn't know about."
Tori nodded in understanding. "Makes sense, Averian would be considered a threat to them as well."
"Yeah," I agreed "And it looks like all signs point pointing to the cranky old bastard."
"If he's willing to work with us." Tori pointed out.
I stepped back, "He might throw me out on my ass before I get within a hundred feet of him, but you? I'm sure he'll be willing to lend his ear for at least a few seconds. Besides, he owes you that much after you gave him one of your medallions."
Tori nodded her agreement. "I suppose that's true. To be frank, the idea that he had any allies at all is certainly surprising." She said, a little more energy in her voice now.
That drew a laugh from me, "It surprised me too, and now, I say we pay our dear pal a visit."
"I'm sure that will certainly brighten his day." Tori chuckled.
"Yeah, I have that effect on people." I bragged as we headed out of the office room.