Sidelined [Saiko/Solo/Open?] (South Sudan Grasslands)

Location: Somewhere in the grass lands of South Sudan

Dread. That's the only thing Saiko felt while recovering. Hearing everything going down with Africa, the damage done to Henrex, and the uncertainty of how things will turn out on Earth brought uneasiness to her soul.

Still, it was something she had to endure. She could feel her powers steadily coming back day by day, and she was thankful there was such a strong connection between herself and her zanpukto to make this process easier. But Saiko wished she had just gotten this demonic blood out of her a year earlier. It would have saved her a lot of grief, and she'd be helpful when the Gotei needed her.

If nothing else, however, she could feel a great power boiling as the days passed. Training her inner world, pushing her physical body, and re-learning how to use it after that demonic void had left her essence was crucial to ensuring she was stable. There was no sense throwing herself back into the pits of battle only for her to get injured and be unable to use her power when it counted. Yet, she couldn't sit still. With her raw physical prowess back, it was more than enough to dispatch the excess amount of grunt-level hollows that were causing issues in the forestlands of Sudan.

Yet, for the time being, there were no threats. So she soon found herself atop a cliff that overlooked the bounty of the grasslands below her under the glow of the mid-morning sun.

As Saiko exhaled a soft breath and closed her eyes, the woman's body released a gentle pressure as she perceived everything around her many city blocks ahead, even with her physical sight gone. The woman picked up on the conversations taking place without being overwhelmed, the different spiritual energy around her, and the temperature of the environment and just practiced extending her focus. Training her mind was of the utmost importance, even if her physical body was more or less back to normal.

Her task for the day was to contain these emotions of uncertainty, dread, and doubt and rewire them to benefit her. So she sat with them, accepting them and not escaping the unpleasant insights.

"Time will pass, and I will have my chance to fight soon."

Location: Somewhere in the grass lands of South Sudan

As morning turned into afternoon, Saiko continued to sit on a lotus position as she exhaled, and thoughts of her comrades started to flow into her mind. How much had they progressed in the time she had been recovering?

Saiko had heard stories of the dramatic growth Mizu was having. She was growing from a simple seated member to vice-captain status already. That was a significant growth to be celebrated when she had time. And what about Hono? She was steadily developing in her own way and had grown strong enough to get her first shikai. Hell, even Yuuto was pushing himself to be helpful to the Gotei and earning his status as a Captain.

It was an uneasy feeling, but she knew she would have to follow up with them soon. And rather than feeling beat up about it, it would be better to use them as inspiration to follow through with her own recovery and healing. Since as this power grew within herself, she too would push herself to the forefront of affairs in the world and would be with them soon enough.

However, that did eventually raise the question of where all her comrades and friends were in their personal life. How were their relationships growing? What struggles were they going through? And were they finding happiness in this life?

And by that same token: what was the heart of Saiko going through?

Location: Somewhere in the grass lands of South Sudan

Saiko considered her heart open to affection, but it was hard to accept that while being injured. When you aren't fully yourself, you feel like a wounded animal and seek reclusion until you are better. So while everyone was busy with their lives, missions, and objectives, Saiko needed to seek refuge within herself. After all, it WAS her soul going through such a tremendous change.

Time flowed in such a slow way in that inner world of hers. It gave Saiko time to think, spend time with her zanpukto spirit, and sort this out—endless days spent on a rock at sea with only the sun's light to warm them. Yet sparring with her inner spirit, consulting it, and letting that aspect of herself love her was what the woman needed. The further they bonded, the deeper this power within herself became.

But, more importantly, the more she opened up to her spirit; the more of her woes she could unload onto it so that it may give her the guidance to navigate this confusing life. And that's when the notion of closeness and intimacy came up.

Giving this love within herself to another seemed daunting when the reflections of Yuuto and Cala came to mind. Parts of herself felt that the two of them desired a deeper closeness to the woman, but she had to confront whether she was even prepared to give such a thing. Living her life in such ruin, isolation, and doing as she pleased for so long, how could she provide them the care they needed? It was a tricky question to answer as she felt the path to hell was paved with good intentions. Hell, perhaps there was still some doubt deep down from Tenmarin's words about waiting to watch her fall. Moments like these certainly made Saiko question if that would truly take place.

While she cared for both Yuuto and Cala, it was hard to say if she positively or negatively influenced them. So only time could unveil how serious the intentions of the two were and which would be a better option, and if they even shared the sentiment as her. For all Saiko knew, she could just be imagining scenarios that weren't even the reality of the situation. Regardless, she needed to visit them and re-assess where they stood with her, as she still had a deep fondness for them, irrespective of her confused and conflicted emotions.

Care, affection, love, and all those types of emotions and sentiments like that were often messy, after all.

Location: Somewhere in the grass lands of South Sudan

Eventually, the day gave way to night, and she spent that time reflecting in silence with her zanpukto spirit until slumber finally came. It was during these periods that the two bonded with one another. Her inner world was changing, and the world within herself was becoming filled with plant life, grass, trees, and vivid sunlight, bringing a sense of peace within her spirit.

For once in Saiko's life, her inner world had known comfort because she had friends, those she cared for, and a reason to exist that wasn't just being a slave to the whims of another. And since she could smile on her own, that is what her inner world reflected. Even if Tansouji believed another period of hell and pain was inevitable in this life, protecting his wielders' inner happiness would be a goal worth striving toward. These two would have each other until her life ended, and it morphed into whatever form the gods will it to be at death.

So, as the two went down the road of recovery, they would be holding one another's hand in a lush grass meadow as the two witnessed the sun rising upon their newly forged world. They could feel this greatness boiling in them, so Tansouji patted the head of Saiko and looked softly down at her.

"Oi, lassy, this is nice. Seeing you smiling, our powers returning, and feeling peace in this world? Man, that's all I ever wanted for ya. But...."

After pausing momentarily, Tansouji pondered how to convey his sentiments before shrugging and just going for it.

"....I can't promise this shit forever. Life just doesn't work that way. So I'll support you through the ups and downs, but at some point, I feel our world will know another period of darkness. So enjoy the moment, but know I'll be here for ya if it ever gets dark again like that."

Snorting to himself, he looked down at Saiko as she closed her eyes and rested against his shoulder. After remaining quiet for a few moments, she nodded and spoke back with a smile:

"That's true, Tansouji. Life is a series of ups and downs. And at some point, we will go down again. But I know you: you aren't worried about that. You care about me, our goals, and this life enough to set those feelings aside and press ahead. And I trust you above anyone else in my life to be able to pick me up when I fall. That's why we are a team, and I'll have faith in myself as we are one in the same, Tansouji."

And was Saiko wrong with this sentiment? Even If a Zanpakutō spirit had its own will, personality, and separate power, they were still ultimately a part of a shinigami's soul. So, after spending so many years proving her strength to him, progressing and evolving to the point where they gained their pure-blooded nature as a shinigami back, how could she fail to understand her own Zanpakutō?

With a laugh, he felt that sentiment of care, closeness, and understanding boiling over in Saiko. And it's for this reason, Tansouji flicked her nose softly before speaking with a smug smirk.

"Jesus, you are fucking sappy as hell, but I guess that's why you are the mistress of glum, eh? Yeah, we'll find a way to keep pushing ahead no matter what happens. Even if I have to drag your ass out of the abyss myself, I'll always be there for you. You've proven yourself worthy of that much."

Location: Somewhere in the grass lands of South Sudan

As the days spiraled on, Saiko continued to adjust to her new body. Being forced out onto the field seemed to be the best thing for her as she could continue to press both her physical skills and those as a shinigami even if she couldn't correctly access her shikai and bankai powers yet. Every encounter brought back muscle memory as she could feel herself growing faster with each movement of her legs, while that infamous strength she yielded was returning with every strike she landed against these invasive hollow targets.

Saiko had faith in Tansouji to restore the balance with their Zanpakutō powers, so she had to do her part and push forward with the physical. Tanking cero blasts, acidic rains, and strikes, Saiko knew that her body was back to its pristine state of durability as it was hard to wear the woman down and tire her out. And as she mowed down more of these pests, the inner passion of both her and Tansouji's will was still there as she got a feel for this new body. So again, again and again, she continued to use this prowess until she was sure they had returned.

The woman had even gone as far as to see what kido she could conjure up, as these hollows were the perfect test dummies to measure just how much of herself was returning. Seals were conjured, barriers were made to protect her squad mates, and restraints were made to subdue and capture other interesting subjects on behalf of the Gotei. Disspaointely, since she didn't have that demonic blood amping her power, she lost the potency boost it gave her. It didn't remove her knowledge, but she felt a loss in pure destructive force, which she would have to work on in time.

Still, it felt as if her Zanjutsu was there, kido was intact, hoho sharper than ever, and her Hakuda was more than enough to prove a threat even without her shikai and bankai. So she felt confident that when the work within her soul was finished, Tansouji would guide them both to glory and victory. There wasn't a reality where that didn't take place in her mind, and she just needed to be patient, train, and soon she would be a great asset to the Gotei and those who were friends and allies alike. But she had to get better soon.