[BleachITP] Episode 23: "Reborn! The Goddess of Beauty Emerges"

[Zarah]

"Since the day that Shinigami powers were bestowed unto me, my world changed forever. Substitute Shinigami Masato Shinichi, to protect my friends I will let my powerful feelings explode and release the blade of my soul!"

Opening Titles

It always seemed to rain. Every time she made the trip she was so accustomed to, no matter what the sky looked like when she left, it would always find a way to rain. Naturally, every time it did, all the painful memories of that same day came rushing back just as the water rushed down the streets of J-City in small torrents. It was as if someone knew exactly what she was thinking and adjusted the atmosphere to fit the situation. As if there was a god watching over her every step.

Miharu let out a weak chuckle, knowing the rain would drown out any sound she could make. It was a ludicrous thought, but her mind was likely doing everything it could to keep her away from the memories. It wouldn't work, however. It never did. No matter how much she tried to lock them away and ignore them, they never simply disappeared. They were always there, just as fresh as they were the day it all happened.

Her eyes reached up from the pavement and looked straight forward, struggling to make anything through the rain. Despite the sheets of water blocking her vision, she knew she was getting closer to the gate. She was nearly there....

Spoiler

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"Oi! Miharu!!" the boy called out as he playfully ran up to his friend. He had his hands mischievously tucked behind his back and had a wide grin plastered on his face. Once the two were close enough, he simply stopped and waited for her response.

"Riku, what are you hiding?" she asked, trying to peer around him, but he leaned out of the way when she did. "C'mon, tell me! You have to! It's my birthday!"

Riku's grin grew even wider. "Exactly! It's your birthday present!" He suddenly whipped his hands around in front of himself, revealing a small bouquet of pink roses. "I picked them all myself! I almost got caught in Obana-san's garden, but I can run faster than her!"

Miharu said as she took the small bouquet with a brief "thank you," then spent a long time admiring them. While she was staring, Riku jumped in to add, "There's eleven of them! That's the same age as you!"

The two children wandered about for a bit before finally laying down in a patch of grass. They felt they could spend the rest of their lives simply watching the clouds come and go. Nothing else in the world mattered right then.

"You're so lucky," Riku suddenly said, breaking the peaceful silence. "I have to wait another six months before I turn eleven."

"Don't worry. I'll be sure to get you some flowers too," Miharu teased, a big smile forming as she spoke the words. The two continued to tease each other for a short while, both of them smiling the entire time. It was a turning out to be a great birthday.

A strong gust of wind blew past, making the flowers in Miharu's hand flutter about. It was like they were trying to dance to a song that no one could hear, as if nothing else mattered to them. It was the same feeling she had whenever she was with Riku, even after their five long years of friendship. They were the best friends each of them had, and they both knew it well.

They joked about spending the rest of their lives together, just travelling the world and exploring the unknown. One by one, Riku explained the adventures they would have and how they would fight their way out of trouble. He always told the story in such a way that made him into a hero, and when Miharu would ask why, he always replied with the same thing, "Because I have to protect you!"

As the day winded down, Miharu and Riku spent the last moments they could spare under the shade of a huge tree. The sun was low in the sky, and their parents would likely be looking for them soon. Although they didn't have any more stories to share, they simply sat in silence, not wanting the peace to end.

But the peace would be shattered when the tree behind them exploded. Thousands of splinters rained down over them as they scrambled to their feet and ran for cover. Once they were far enough away, they spun around to survey the damage. "What was that?!" Miharu cried, trying to find any clues she could. Riku meanwhile, didn't respond. He seemed to be focused on something beyond the tree. Something that Miharu couldn't make out.

And then his eyes shot open. He whipped his head toward his friend and screamed, "Miharu! Run!!" She spent a moment looking at her friend in awe before following his orders. However, she only got a few steps before the ground seemed to erupt under her feet and send her flying to the side. The roses she still clutched slipped out of her hand as she landed hard on the grass. They scattered over a small area aside from one she managed to hold on to.

Slowly, she pulled herself back to her feet, but froze as soon as she looked up. Amazingly, she could see the outline of a huge creature before her. It was fuzzy, but it was certainly there. Some sort of animal was attacking them and it was unlike anything she had ever seen before. However, she didn't get much more time to analyze it before Riku leaped between them, brandishing a large piece of shrapnel from the tree as a weapon.

"Leave her alone!" he cried, but received no response. The beast swung at Riku and while he tried to dodge, it was no use. Like a ragdoll, he soared for a short distance through the air, and rolled across the ground until finally stopping. To Miharu's horror, he wasn't moving and she could feel tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

As if sensing something else nearby, the creature suddenly turned away and disappeared, leaving the children in silence again. However, their peace was still as broken as the tree. Taking her chance to run, Miharu sprinted towards Riku's limp body and rolled him over. He was still breathing, but it was weak. She cried for him to say something to her, anything at all, and even tried shaking him in anger. Although he was obviously struggling, nothing came out. He could only mouth "protect you," before finally slipping away.

Miharu stared into his lifeless eyes for a long time, her brain not even processing what to do anymore. After what felt like an eternity, her tears began pouring down her cheeks and she simply broke down crying. She could hear others rushing to the scene and trying to ask if she was all right, but she didn't answer. There was someone screaming as well, which Miharu soon realized was herself, crying out Riku's name in vain.

Over the next hour, she was eventually pried away from her friend and taken to the hospital. She had no serious injuries and the doctor claimed she would be "back to normal in a few days." However, she knew she would never be back to normal. She had lost her best friend to something she couldn't even see, much less fight.

When her crying finally subsided, all she could do was stare into space and go over her memories. As she looked down at the single pink rose still clutched tightly in her hand, she simply whispered to herself, "Now who'll protect me?"

Miharu entered the graveyard as the rain seemed to begin pouring even harder. Her hands were tucked inside her coat and she felt a shiver run up her spine. Whether it was from the cold or something else entirely, she didn't know. Nor did she care. Just like on that fateful day, nothing else seemed to matter anymore.

Finally, she reached a single headstone and spent a long time staring at the ground in front of it. Slowly, her eyes moved up and looked at the writing within the stone. "Mizushima Riku." After reading the words for seemingly forever, her hand slid out from under her coat, bearing a single pink rose. She bent down and laid it next to the headstone as delicately as she could.

Although she felt the need to say something, she didn't know what, so decided to remain quiet. She could already feel the tears welling up in her eyes, but did everything she could to keep from crying. After all, she knew what Riku would have told her.

"You shouldn't be crying on your birthday."

He was right, but Miharu knew she couldn't stop it. "I hope you understand," she whispered before closing her eyes and letting her emotions take over.

[Fan]

Far away, in realms of darkness, of sorrow unending, Harubo observed the girl. This.. Girl. Had been a subject of great interest to him. One as close to this new anomaly "Masato" would logically be nearly as powerful, yet for some unfathomable reason she had been denied the power that was her hereditary right.

Harubo raised a hand, a sound of metal shearing apart as he swept his hand through the air near him, a purple void portal showing Miharu, mourning one she had cared deeply for, rain falling in a soft flow from the sky. He had never liked rain, it had always seemed so dreary, and brought back bad memories for him.

He rose from the seat on Olympus Mons, the powdered stone reforming even as he stood to it's immaculate, nay perfect, shape that had been crafted by Hephaestus himself. He moved forward towards the portal, starlight wreathing his form, wrapping it in the essence of gentleness, and forgiveness. He smiled as he looked down at his clothing, and felt the raven black hair descend from it's normally cropped, and short state to flow down his back.

This was a guise he frequently took, one that took back to his time as a Captain in reality 0, his chitinous plating then cracked, and melded back into his form, replaced by a pure black haori, a crimson sash around his waist, and the circlet of star light still present on his forehead.

Satisfied with the guise, he took his steps through the portal, a purple rift tearing itself through reality, and taking him to the graveyard where Miharu mourned the long ago loss. He shook his head in sadness, he understood full well what it was to lose, he had lost everything, all because of the Shinigami, and Espada in his first reality, before THIS.

Sighing, he moved up behind her, his footsteps silent as a cats foot fall, no more then a whisper on the wind, a immaculate hand, white as ivory, and unmarred in any form, placed itself upon her shoulder. Harubo knelt beside her, voice filled with a millenia of compassion few could hope to understand, as he said.

"Hello. Miharu."

[Zarah]

It took her mind a moment to process the voice, but as soon as it did, her eyes shot open with the realization that he had said her name. Her head snapped around to see the figure kneeling beside her. Although she tried to reply with something, she could only stutter a few times in vain before finally managing to get out a simple question.

"Who are you?"

[Fan]

As if from nowhere, Harubo produced a dozen black roses, wrapped in immaculate white paper, and set them down at Riku's grave, his black haori billowing in one of the rains small winds, a look of serene contempt on his face as he sat down beside Miharu, examining the grave marker with a bit of curiosity, and sadness, as if deep in memories long forgotten, as he said.

"A like minded spirit, but you may call me Harubo Higure."

[Zarah]

Miharu stared at the roses in wonder for a moment before rocketing back to reality. It was obvious that this strange man knew a lot more about her than he was letting on, but just how much did he really know? Even more importantly, how did he uncover her secrets?

"I... I'm Miharu. Miharu Shinichi," she replied. For some reason, she felt compelled to tell him her name, even though every sense in her body was screaming otherwise. There was something terribly wrong about the situation, but she couldn't stop herself from walking straight into the fire.

"Like-minded?" she asked meekly.

[Fan]

Miharu stared at the roses in wonder for a moment before rocketing back to reality. It was obvious that this strange man knew a lot more about her than he was letting on, but just how much did he really know? Even more importantly, how did he uncover her secrets?

"I... I'm Miharu. Miharu Shinichi," she replied. For some reason, she felt compelled to tell him her name, even though every sense in her body was screaming otherwise. There was something terribly wrong about the situation, but she couldn't stop herself from walking straight into the fire.

"Like-minded?" she asked meekly.

"I too have had the thing most important taken from me by forces I could nary understand at the time."

Harubo says, eyes now downcast sadly for a moment, a flicker of memory in his currently... purple eyes? Before he resumed speaking, black haori now more then a little drenched now, and water now freely flowed from the drenched garment, but Harubo spoke unabated anyways.

"I too felt anger, I felt sorrow, but as I was at the time. There was nothing I could do. What if I told you I could help you find, and get revenge on Riku's killer?"

[Zarah]

Revenge. As she repeated the word in her mind, it sounded both sour and sweet at the same time. A prospect that both appealed to her and drove her away. She knew that even if she could take revenge, it wouldn't do any good. She might feel better herself, but what would it really accomplish in the long run? Would the feeling last? How much would it cost her?

"No," she quietly answered, "I c-can't. He wouldn't want me taking that kind of a road. Not anymore." As she spoke, she could only think of the family that still waited for her. Especially her little brother.

[Fan]

Harubo sighs, this one was a mite tougher then he expected, the revenge line got a lot of them. Figures that one so interesting would be so challenging.

"Revenge doesn't mean killing him Miharu. A simple atonement, make him ask you for forgiveness for what he did. I can help you achieve that goal. At the very least do Riku that much honor by making his killer beg for forgiveness for what he did. Doesn't Riku's memory deserve that much?"

He says this with no belittling tone in his voice, no pleading, just a simple question underlined with worry.

[Zarah]

The rain was slowly beginning clear, as was Miharu's mind. Perhaps the man was right. Perhaps forgiveness is something that was needed, if not for Riku's sake then for her own. As she came to the realization, she did everything in her power to deny it at the same time. She wasn't going to give in that easily. She had a brother to protect.

Get out of here, alright? Find somewhere safe to hide! I'll take care of this!

The memory rushed back in a split second. That fateful night that she had nearly been killed by another of the same monsters that took Riku's life, but Masato was the one who stood in the way and saved her. Once again, she was helpless to do anything and with Masato still missing, she knew there was only one choice left, as much as she hated to admit it.

With heavy eyes, she lifted them up and looked upon Harubo for a long while before simply saying, "I can't be helpless anymore."

[Fan]

Harubo smiled, a purple portal opening up behind him, the pulsing purple void portal not showing what was beyond, but a obvious portal none the less as he said.

"Then follow me, and you shall see. Miharu. All you need do, to end your helplessness for all eternity is take my hand."

He then held out a hand to help Miharu up from her sitting position, one polite gesture among many, but one with purpose, as his hand now glowed with the pure creation stuff of the universe.

[Zarah]

Her hand floated out in front of her as if moving in slow-motion until finally touching Harubo's outstretched palm. Like nothing she had ever felt before, a small surge of new energy flowed throughout her entire body. She raised to her feet, turned around and stared deep into the purple void, not even certain what she was looking at. She was curious and terrified at the same time, but despite her fears, she looked at Harubo and nodded.

[Fan]

He smiles as Miharu takes his hand, and he leads them through the void portal, into Cronus's temple, a verdant garden where children play with imaginary monsters, and the tinkling of a little girls laughter fills the entire temple. It's a much better place then she likely expected.

Harubo turns from the beautiful scene, a look of determination on his face as he says.

"Welcome to Olympus Mons. Home of the Gods. I am Zeus, King of Olympus. You said you were tired of being helpless. Now. With your consent. I will give you the power to stand on your own, I will make you a Goddess."

[Zarah]

Miharu watched in awe. Nothing she could have prepared herself for would have been adequate for something like what she had seen. No, this was something other-worldly. Something foreign and beautiful and the only thing she knew is that she had to embrace every moment she had with it.

Once Harubo revealed the secret, her head whipped around to his. Her expression had drastically morphed from wonder into one of shock.

"A goddess?" she asked in a curious tone. "H...How? Can you even do that?"

[Fan]

Miharu watched in awe. Nothing she could have prepared herself for would have been adequate for something like what she had seen. No, this was something other-worldly. Something foreign and beautiful and the only thing she knew is that she had to embrace every moment she had with it.

Once Harubo revealed the secret, her head whipped around to his. Her expression had drastically morphed from wonder into one of shock.

"A goddess?" she asked in a curious tone. "H...How? Can you even do that?"

Harubo chuckled, this one certainly did learn slow, but no slower then Nukari, or any of the other's from this reality.

"By giving you a drink of Ambrosia fused with with my Ichor you will ascend petty mortality, and become that which you were destined to embody Miharu, but it cannot happen without your consent, so I need your word on this. Make your choice wisely Miharu."

As if from no where, a cup filled with golden liquid was delivered by a woman in earthy green tones, the jeweled goblet taking a single drop of Harubo's purple ichor, which fused with the golden liquid, darkening it, and transforming it into a platnium liquid, which he proffered to Miharu.

[Zarah]

She watched him perform his small ritual for some time, carefully keeping her eyes on the goblet in his hands. When he offered it to her, she lifted her arms up and cautiously slid it from his hand. Her eyes flicked between the cup and the slight smile perched on the corners of Harubo's lips.

After staring deep into the platinum fluid and seemingly losing herself in the wonder of everything around her, she brought it to her lips and let it flow into her mouth. She was careful only to take a small sip at first, hoping that maybe it would be enough to complete whatever it was that it was supposed to be doing. As she continued to wait for any effects with the cup still hanging from the edge of her mouth, she closed her eyes.

[Fan]

She takes a small sip from the golden goblet, Harubo tilting it forward, and a splash coming from the expected move, the platinum liquid evaporating quickly from the spill that flowed down her clothing , but a small droplet of shadow was left clinging to Miharu's skin, she looked at it, and suddenly, it grew, running like water along her skin, it burnt her, it rushed upward, along her arm, up her neck, it charged for her face. The young girl screamed, it hurt, it hurt so much, in all ways thinkable and unthinkable as the black liquid forced itself through her tear-cannals, through her eyesockets, her ears, her nostrils and her mouth.

The black drop of shadow forced it's way through every opening, and orifice it could find, as the droplet of Harubo himself infested her very soul, the goblet clattering to the floor as the black liquid spread like some sort of infection, coating her in some gel like fluid that writhed, and sought entrance to her very soul. As this happened, Harubo's guise fell like a set of clothes being taken off, revealing him in all his terrible majesty, but she wouldn't remember this, nor would she care as the shadow infested her soul changing her, nay stripping her of her mortality, and giving her the power of a GOD. What shape, how much, and what form it took is up to her soul.

[Zarah]

It was a pain that no mortal could possibly have bared, and yet she remained awake throughout the entire experience. As her screams grew ever louder and refused to stop, she dropped to her hands and knees, staring into the ground and simply trying to keep her focus from the pain. No matter what she tried to focus on, however, she could feel nothing else. Soon, her screams and pleading for help seemed to slowly fade away, as if it was becoming more and more distant. She could still feel herself gasping for air, but no longer could she hear anything. A brief moment later, everything faded to black and she seemed to leave her mortal body behind.

What have I done...



However, her body was still there. The fluid seemed to retreat from her form, flowing down her arms and to the ground below, where it dissipated shortly after. Once it had all flowed away, she pulled herself back to her feet with heavy breathing now replacing the screams from just a moment ago.

As she returned to standing up straight, her new form seemed to unravel before Harubo. Her dark hair had somehow grown a considerable distance down her back and she now bore a large, blood-red rose hairpin to the left side of her forehead. The modern clothes she had been wearing had apparently vanished and had now transformed into a pale green furisode kimono which stretched down to cover her now bare feet. A red and pink floral pattern ran along the bottom of the dress and the sleeves and a wide red sash kept the outfit in place, ending in a large bow on her back. Her beautiful visage was the final piece which completed the image of perfection. Finally, her breathing slowed and eventually returned to normal before she opened her hypnotic eyes and looked upon the universe for the first time as an Olympian.

Miharu was no more.

[Fan]

It was a pain that no mortal could possibly have bared, and yet she remained awake throughout the entire experience. As her screams grew ever louder and refused to stop, she dropped to her hands and knees, staring into the ground and simply trying to keep her focus from the pain. No matter what she tried to focus on, however, she could feel nothing else. Soon, her screams and pleading for help seemed to slowly fade away, as if it was becoming more and more distant. She could still feel herself gasping for air, but no longer could she hear anything. A brief moment later, everything faded to black and she seemed to leave her mortal body behind.

What have I done...



However, her body was still there. The fluid seemed to retreat from her form, flowing down her arms and to the ground below, where it dissipated shortly after. Once it had all flowed away, she pulled herself back to her feet with heavy breathing now replacing the screams from just a moment ago.

As she returned to standing up straight, her new form seemed to unravel before Harubo. Her dark hair had somehow grown a considerable distance down her back and she now bore a large, blood-red rose hairpin to the left side of her forehead. The modern clothes she had been wearing had apparently vanished and had now transformed into a pale green furisode kimono which stretched down to cover her now bare feet. A red and pink floral pattern ran along the bottom of the dress and the sleeves and a wide red sash kept the outfit in place, ending in a large bow on her back. Her beautiful visage was the final piece which completed the image of perfection. Finally, her breathing slowed and eventually returned to normal before she opened her hypnotic eyes and looked upon the universe for the first time as an Olympian.

Miharu was no more.

Harubo chuckled, softly, at first, but it soon evolved it full on maleovent laughter as the transformation occured, her form writhing, and morphing her flesh into something new, and to Harubo, something exciting. His chitin tingling as the shadow wrapped her in fell, revealing Aphrodite, a rarity among Olympians. The only one who has become noticeably beautiful among them. Nukari turned into a furry, Cronus... Well he didn't count. Hades face was rejected by reality. Yet here, was a work of art. This one would need to be marked down in all honesty.

He then looked down on her, still managing to do this despite her having stood, his powerful height still looming over her, as he spoke.

"Welcome to your home child. What is your name?"

[Zarah]

With a slow, elegant sweep of her hand, she brushed aside a few stray hairs, then turned her gaze to Harubo. She slowly blinked, letting her almost magical eyelashes bat back and forth before opening her mouth and unleashing her song-like voice. Although she still sounded like Miharu, it came out as a twisted version of her former self, almost as if it echoed across invisible walls.

"Aphrodite," she answered in an emotionless tone. After stating her name, she raised her hands and spent a long time tracing over every detail with her eyes, eventually running up her arms and down to her feet. Once she was satisfied with what she saw, she looked back to Harubo and didn't even bother to wait for him to say anything else. She knew what she was, and there was no denying it.

"The Goddess of Beauty."