Restarting Reality [Henrex/Saiko]

Stabilized.

That single word was left on the report of Saiko Mori's condition after having undergone an incredible transformation. Ripping out demonic blood from the essence of a shinigami's body was not exactly the kind of thing the Gotei was used to dealing with. However, despite that, they were able to treat many of the bodily injuries that Saiko sustained.

There were bruises, cuts, mild internal bleeding, and massive blood loss, but they could get her under control with their care as these were the types of injuries they were more than used to dealing with. After hours of care, they eventually let the woman rest under an IV drip, and she soon woke up to the sight of a morning sun gently coming across her face.

"....he....did it?"

Confused, Saiko looked around as she hadn't recalled when her mind passed out, but she touched herself and her white hospital gown to ensure everything was right. Then, after taking a few blinks from her eyes, she tried to make sense of this new reality as her body felt lighter and more...free? Honestly, it was weird not having that static of her demonic blood in her body, but that thought was ignored as she looked at a sheet next to her and pondered who was on the other side.

With her powers out of wack, she relied on her wits and assumed it was Henrex. So, with a gentle call out, she spoke:

"Uhm....Henrex...is that you over there?"

Stable.

That word gave him more relief than anything else today.

Even with his regeneration, the medical division had insisted to patch him up. Frankly, with how tired he was, how much pain he had been in, and how badly he had destroyed his own body to do this, he was hardly in a place to argue. Just about half his body had been sacrificed and burned to exorcise that demon, but it was beyond worth it to hear that one word.

Then, he heard her, asking if he was there. Slowly, he sat up, making sure that the bandages on him didn't get disturbed. Turning to face her with the side of his face that was still uncovered, he managed a smile and wave as he stood up, his footsteps muted as he went over to Saiko's bedside and sat down next to her. His voice, even with everything that they had went through, still held that gentle timber.

"Good afternoon, sleepyhead. You have no idea how relieved I am to see you okay and awake."

"You have no idea how shocked I am to be awake."

Saiko giggled back as Henrex sat next to her. Truth be told, she wasn't sure what would happen after that flash of bright light. But, at that moment, the former hybrid wasn't scared. Instead, it felt like a warm, spring glow enveloped her and that the woman's body was being bathed in pure, holy bliss before waking up.

Yeah, her body felt stiff, her mind was a bit hazy, and she was undoubtedly in pain from the radical loss and change of her body, but for once, she felt like herself. There was no demonic buzzing in her head, only a calm and empty thought that was her own. There was no telling what her inner world may alter to, but right now, she wasn't focused on her power. She knew it was there, and that was all that mattered.

Instead, her aqua eye gave Henrex and tight hug, and she squealed.

"Thhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhannnnnnnkkkkkkkkkkkk yoooooooooooouuuu so much! I really appreciate that, Henny. I was super friggin' scared, but we pulled through somehow. Aren't you surprised as well?"

With the expunging of her demon half, he could sense the quiet still that had once been so chaotic and neverendingly loud. For the storm to finally clear probably meant so much more for her than it did for him, yet he still felt at ease. As she hugged him, he chuckled softly, feeling a few stings of pain, but he hugged her back, gently ruffling her hair.

"Of course, Saiko. I'm more surprised that...well, it didn't cost me more."

He let her go, gestured to himself and the bandages wrapped around him. The power was gone, the last sparks of it having gone to her to help accelerate her recovery and ensure that she was stable, but, with what the results were? He had no qualms with losing it. Even with what it cost him, he'd heal in time. He was trying his best to purge what holy essence was left out of him so that he could heal, but it was a tiring process, one that would likely take him a fair bit of time.

"But, I'm glad that we did it. You were so brave, Saiko, and I'm so happy that we were able to do this. How does it feel?"

"I dunno. I think the past few decades have my life has been the cost."

A bit of dark humor? Perhaps, but she found a way to chuckle through the pain. The physical pain sucked at the moment, but the mental pain she endured being a hybrid, serving under shadow fall, and being a demon slave was far greater than whatever happened yesterday. Even now, she still felt there was a way to grow and become a proper shinigami now that the hellish influence of that devilish energy was gone.

Still, it wasn't as if that entire emotion consumed her body. With that demonic influence gone, she could at least think better and knew she had people to help her through this new period and ground her in reality. So when Henrex asked her how she felt, a simple nod of her head was given in response, and she spoke in a relatively calm and gentle tone:

"Heavenly. I finally feel like myself, Henrex. It feels like I've finally awakened from a nightmare...."

Smiling and looking out the window, she continued.

"...and today begins the start of my new life, wouldn't you agree?"

He wasn't normally one for dark humor, but after the day they had, it was a surprisingly welcome change of pace. He chuckled softly, reaching over and gently resting a hand on her shoulder as she reported how she felt right now: heavenly, as if she was finally awake and could think clearly. The nightmare was finally over -- she could get on with her new life, now free of Shadow Fall forever.

"Yes. As of today, you're now a full Shinigami again. Please, do be careful though. Even when you recover, you're still going to need to break the habits you might have had from being a half-demon."

He gently patted her back, before leaning back in the chair, sighing softly, before smiling.

"But, I and many others will be there to help you, every step of the way. I'm not sure how much your Zanpakuto will have changed with this, but, if you need to, we'll work on getting your Shikai and Bankai all over again if we need to."

"Probably. I'm ready for the change, however. I'm sure it will even itself out."

There was a nonchalant shrug as she knew there would be mental, physical, and spiritual adjustments that would happen over time. Still, she was ready to deal with them when the time was right.

"Honestly, I'm not in a rush to use my power the day after I just got back to being a shinigami. My body needs time to heal, but it tells me my power is still there. That's all the comfort in the world I need right now."

After stretching her arm upwards, Saiko let out a small yawn before adding on.

"I appreciate your concern all the same, though, Henny. I think for you, I'll document the process so that when we get that demon out of you it won't be as confusing and unknown as it is for me. How does that sound?"

Her power still being there was a relief -- it made things a bit less complicated. The real question was figuring out how much it changed. But, he was in no rush to figure that out, it would all come with time. But, as Saiko mentioned documenting the process for him, his smile faded, and his head lowered slightly. His expression turned awkward as he went to look back at her.

"There's...a problem with that, Saiko."

He stopped for a moment, looking back to the floor. Sighing softly, he readjusted his posture in his chair before looking back toward her.

"I can't turn back. If I could have gotten rid of this, I would have done so a long, long time ago. There isn't...for lack of better words, a 'template' of a pure Shinigami for me as there was for you. I've always been like this, since the day I was born, even if it was dormant for so long. If someone were to try and remove such a bound and integral part of my existence...I would almost certainly die as a result."

He lifted his bandaged arm, looking at it with a melancholic smile.

"This was the price I paid for helping you, one I would gladly pay a thousand times again. You're free. You can live a normal, happy life. Nothing would make me happier than to see that."

It was a tough pill to swallow for Saiko when Henrex explained the circumstances behind his demonic blood. Still, given how absurd the world they lived in was, there had to be a way that such a feat could be done. In the reborn Shinigami's mind, she felt that if there were beings that could alter the constructs of reality, there had to be something in this god-forsaken world that could help him. So, she nodded and spoke those thoughts aloud to Henrex.

"It's a grim reality, but there has to be something that can help you. I refuse to believe that in a fucked up supernatural world like this, there is NOTHING that exists that can help you."

Shaking her head, Saiko continued and gently stroked his hair.

"But, before getting too lost in the negative, I do want to genuinely thank you for pulling me out of that hell."

With a gentle smile, she coughed a bit before slowly getting out of bed and taking the first steps as a Shinigami. Her body felt light at the moment, so this was a feeling she would have to get used to, but she wanted some fresh air. So, her eye lingered on Henrex before asking him a question.

"If you are well enough, do you want to take a walk and get some fresh air? I think that'll cheer both of us up."

"

There was a small degree of hope that still remained as Saiko shook her head, refusing to accept his circumstance, and declaring that she would help him regardless. He smiled, chuckling softly as she stroked his hair. Perhaps there was some hope for him, somewhere in the world -- he had seen much of it, but what he hadn't seen may have had something hidden away that could help him.

"Of course, Saiko. I'd do it a thousand times over, without hesitation."

As she got out of bed and took a few steps, Henrex was quick to stand and be there, should she need any help. But, thankfully, she seemed to be doing fine in that regard. He slipped a hand under the bandages on his face, lightly feeling the rough, rugged skin that still was taking its time to heal. With a quiet sigh, he nodded, smiling again as he gently patted her on the head.

"I'd like that. I think we both could use that after the day we've had."