Nemu's Trials Chap 4

Summary:  The trial begins in earnest with both sides making compelling arguments.  Which will prevail?

Asleep in her cell, Nemu shifted and moved making small sounds as she dreamed.

"Catch the ball." Nemu said as she rolled it towards the little boy. Barely able to walk, the child waddled excitedly towards the ball, his wide grin showing two little teeth. He stopped it with his chubby hands, giggling as he looked up to his mother.

"You caught it! Good boy!" Nemu crooned as she picked up the ball. "Did you record that Uryuu?"

Her husband smiled at her from behind the camera. "I got it. Let's try one more time."

Nemu smiled back. It was a perfect day for a picnic in the meadow, the sun bright overhead, a cool breeze gently blowing, and best of all, her wonderful family. Things couldn't be better.

"All right we'll try it again." She said. She bent over to roll the ball once more. The baby was missing. Looking up, she saw him toddling into the woods. How could the child have moved so fast? She had only taken her eyes off of him for a second.

"No, don't go in there." She called out.

Not listening to his mother, the boy soon disappeared in the underbrush.

"I'll get him." She told Uryuu as she ran after her son.

Entering the woods, she couldn't see him. If he was crawling, he could be anywhere under the shrubs and ferns that lined the forest floor. She began a methodical search, pushing aside branches and tall plants, growing more and more frantic inside as she failed to find any sign of him. She began to call his name as she moved faster and faster, desperation fueling her search. Then she heard it. A carefree laugh only a toddler could produce. Running towards the sound, she was relieved to see him waving some leaves he had clutched in his chubby fists, giggling in delight.

"There you are." She said sweeping him up in her arms. "You scared me. Mama is very angry with you now."

The baby wasn't the least bit sorry, laughing and waving the leaves in her face. She couldn't really get angry at him. She hugged him close and kissed his cheek.

"We have to get back to Daddy." She informed him.

She began to walk back the way they came, only to realize she couldn't see anything but trees. How had they gotten so deep into the woods? Clouds started pouring across the sky, making the forest dark. It made her feel uneasy. She picked the most likely direction and began to walk, the baby on her hip. The breeze began to pick up, making the trees creak and groan. She ignored the sounds even as they got louder and louder. The baby began to fuss.

"It's all right." Nemu said, bouncing him up and down. "We'll be out of here soon."

She didn't see any way out of the woods yet. The noises from the rubbing branches and flailing leaves were even louder now. In fact, she could have sworn she heard a voice.

"Nemu…"

She knew that voice. She feared that voice. She began to run. The trees and undergrowth seemed to be trying to hold her back, snagging on her clothes and tangling around her ankles. She pressed on, going as fast as she could without risking the baby. The voice was louder now, seeming to come from all around her.

"You can't hide from me Nemu. I want what is mine."

He's not yours, she thought as she struggled to bring air into her straining lungs, he's mine! I won't let you touch him!

The baby began to cry, sounding impossibly loud, his screams echoing off the dense forest around them. Nemu struggled all the harder. The voice only laughed.

"You cannot escape me, you foolish girl. Give up and bring the child to me!"

She ignored the voice. She was so close to their goal. There! She could start to see it now. A gap in the trees ahead. A meadow bathed in light. Once she left the forest, they would be safe. Shadows raced beside her, their forms indistinct and terrifying. She focused only on the light ahead, clinging tightly to her child. She had to make it. Anything else was unthinkable. Still, even pushing her body to the limit, she seemed to get slower and slower, the sunny meadow never getting closer as the dark forms closed in. A shape appeared in the light before her. The familiar silhouette was unmistakable. Uryuu. She had to get to him. Together, they could keep their child safe. She had to get to him!

She cried out in her sleep and woke up, her eyes flying open in terror. She laid on her bed in a cold sweat, staring at the ceiling as she gasped for breath, her pulse pounding in her ears. She'd been having dreams like that for days. Sometimes she would remember them, sometimes not. Perhaps it was only her mind reacting to her stress. She hoped it was nothing more.


Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri took his place in the center of the chamber.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the council." He began, "What my esteemed colleague will try to do today will be to persuade you that my daughter, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi Nemu, deserves to simply be allowed to leave Soul Society to live the rest of her existence as a mortal in the real world to raise her child. It is my duty as a captain and as a scientist to show you the danger such a short sighted and foolish action would unleash."

He began to pace back and forth, waving his hands to emphasize his points.

"As the council has generously allowed me more time to think about the situation, I see now that my initial call to have Lieutenant Kurotsuchi executed was an error. If anyone can be blamed for my daughter's misdeeds, it would have to be me. I did my best to raise her properly and ensure she would serve honorably as an officer of the Goeti 13. I tutored her in the sciences and in her duties and responsibilities as a shinigami. Alas, in my shortsightedness, I failed to teach my daughter about the honeyed lies and false promises men use to lure innocent and unsuspecting girls like her into sinful and illegal actions like that which brought her to this terrible fate."

He stopped in the middle of the room, spreading his hands out in appeal as he finished his opening statement.

"Council members, I intend to prove that the best course of action will be to return Lieutenant Kurotsuchi to my care not only to monitor and control this potentially monstrous new life form she carries, but also to make up for my mistake. I wish to atone for being a poor excuse for a father and not providing my daughter the tools she needed to recognize the vile, predatory actions of that loathsome quincy. By the end of this trial, ladies and gentlemen, I am sure you will be convinced to rule in my favor."

There was murmuring from behind the council's screens as they took in Mayuri's speech.

"Thank you Captain Kurotsuchi. You may stand down. Captain Kyōraku, step forward and give us your opening remarks."

Captain Kyōraku Shunsui squeezed Nemu's shoulder before casually ambling into place. He looked up at the council, sweeping his gaze from one side of the room to the other with a warm relaxed smile on his face.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the council. You sure did give me a tough act to follow. Captain Kurotsuchi is right on one thing. I am going to do my best to ensure Lieutenant Kurotsuchi gets the punishment she deserves."

Like Captain Kurotsuchi did, he also paced before the council seats, peering upward into the gloom as if he was making eye contact with the shadowy figures behind the screens, projecting confidence and certitude.

"Let us not forget council members, banishment is not a reward, it is punishment. Life in the real world is not as easy as it is here in Seireitai. Lieutenant Kurotsuchi will have to suffer and struggle to get the necessities of life like food and shelter. She will be trapped in a weak, powerless body that is prone to disease and easily damaged. Her life will be short and filled with pain. She won't even have a guarantee her spirit will make it back to Soul Society when she dies. We all know the many ways things can go wrong with that. On the other hand, like all fitting punishments, it also gives her a chance at redemption."

He took off his hat and held it in front of his chest as he concluded.

"A good punishment should not only fit the crime, it should provide for rehabilitation and redemption. In the real world, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi will spend her mortal existence learning, changing and growing. When she passes on, she may end up right back here in Soul Society, stronger and wiser. She may become a shinigami again, even more powerful and effective for spending time as a mortal. You may argue that there are many outcomes possible, not just this one, and you would be right. However, don't we owe Lieutenant Kurotsuchi that chance? She won't have the freedom to learn her lesson trapped in a glass tube in her father's laboratory. Not to mention that such a punishment also takes away the rights and freedoms of the child, the rights and freedoms we guarantee for all the living. I ask you members of the council, as you consider your ruling, be sure that the punishment you will bestow is both appropriate and humane. Thank you."

There was a pause as Shunsui went back to his side of the room, whispers and murmurs going back and forth behind the council's screens.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, you will present your testimony first. Do you have any witnesses or experts who will testify?"

"None, council members." He replied. "Instead, I will be using this."

He set a plain grey cube on the floor. Giving it a tap, the square extruded rubbery, bird-like legs raising it off the ground. The top extruded a pseudopod that swelled then sprouted a large wide eye with a cat-like horizontal pupil. Turning the eye towards the ceiling, a strange light emitted from the device. Soon it was possible to make out images. The first was a static picture of Nemu in her uniform. Mayuri stepped in front of it to begin his lecture.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we all know that the amount of spirit energy a hybrid is born with is directly proportional to the strength of the shinigmai parent. Take this individual for example."

With a snap of his fingers, the picture changed to footage of Kurosaki Ichigo in action, battling first hollows then shinigami, finishing with his bankai transformation. The image then went to split-screen, displaying Kurosaki Isshin.

"With a strong shinigami for a father, Kurosaki Ichigo displayed his spiritual gifts quite early and is now captain class in strength and abilities. His two younger siblings display similar abilities and most likely will continue to grow stronger as they reach maturity. This leads us to ask, how strong is Lieutenant Kurotsuchi?"

With another snap of his fingers, footage of Nemu being run through her paces appeared. The council saw her running, leaping and lifting heavy objects. A graphic on the side displayed speed, weight and energy expended from her actions.

"As you can see, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi is unusually strong even for an officer class shinigami."

The images continued, showing her in a practice sparring session taking down an entire armed squad bare handed. It then switched to show her at kido practice, light blasting from her hands.

"I can guarantee any hybrid descended from Lieutenant Kurotsuchi will indeed be very spiritually gifted. The child may even develop full shinigami powers much like Kurosaki Ichigo. That would be the case with a normal human father. However, that is not the case in this instance."

The next image was a static shot of Ishida Uryuu.

"The father of this child is no ordinary human. Ishida Uryuu calls himself "The Last Quincy". Would that it were so. With the quincy gone, the lingering threat of existence once again being thrown out of alignment would be gone with them. My esteemed colleague has said that allowing one or two quincy to survive will have no ill effects at all on the balance between worlds. This might be true, if Ishida Uryuu were an ordinary quincy."

The image changed to show footage of Uryuu using his old bow, Kojaku, fighting hollows back to back with Ichigo.

"While it pains me to admit it, Ishida Uryuu is a genius of his kind. Most quincys fought as you see here, using their bow to destroy hollows at a rate of five or six shots per minute, a rate many couldn't maintain for long. This is a limitation he soon surpassed."

The footage changed to show Uryuu using his new bow, Ginrei Kojaku, striking down hollows by the dozens.

"Where before he could fire five or six bolts per minute, he can now fire five or six hundred! He is limited now to 1,200 consecutive shots. That's more destruction than a score of ordinary quincys could do working as a team for a year. He can even concentrate this ability to unimaginable effect."

Right on cue, Uryuu was shown using the technique of Licht Regen, unleashing a firestorm of arrows.

"He is also the master of techniques and abilities that we have never observed or known other quincys to be able to do."

Uryuu was shown using his force of will to change arrows in mid flight, using Gintō techniques to defeat enemies and wielding a Seele Schneider.

"Finally, he has the potential to actually become a transcendental form."

This brought a startled gasp from the council.

"Yes, it is indeed shocking." Mayuri said nodding and smiling. "The state of being beyond shinigami or hollow that Aizen Sōsuke sought, this talented young man could possibly achieve."

On the screen, the council watched as Uryuu removed his Sanrei Glove. Light danced around him as his form shifted and changed. The image froze showing Uryuu standing tall, a wave of reishi pouring into his body making it appear as though he had a wing on his right shoulder.

"This was something completely unprecedented ladies and gentlemen." He said gesturing to the picture. "The ultimate expression of quincy power. For a brief moment, the boy exceeded even the strongest captains to a degree I have yet to calculate. See here, how he absorbed matter directly from the buildings surrounding him. Even using bankai, I barely escaped with my life."

The footage resumed with Uryuu channeling all his energy into striking Mayuri down. After the fantastic explosion of light and smoke, the screen faded to black.

"Keep in mind council members, Ishida Uryuu's powers are still growing! Who knows what he may yet achieve? Perhaps he may perfect the ultimate Quincy form. Perhaps he may even move beyond, into the forbidden realm of transcendence. Some may say we owe this boy a debt of gratitude for the assistance he has rendered us fighting on our side against the rogue Aizen Souske and the arrancar. I say he is a menace as great as or greater than Aizen ever was."

He tapped the boxy device again to make it fold in on itself then turned back to the council.

"In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, is that what we wish to unleash upon the world? Ten more like that would be as disastrous as a thousand quincy. And if their number grows to be a thousand? We cannot take this risk. Council members, we cannot allow for humans with that level of power to multiply unchecked. For the good of Soul Society and the safety real world, I must have control of this child. Only then can I guarantee the nightmare of a quincy apocalypse will not befall us once again."

Mayuri bowed to the council and picked up the device, now a featureless cube again, and went back to his side. He grinned at the effectiveness of his presentation. The whispers from behind the screens had a worried tone.

"Captain Kyōraku, you may now testify for the defense." A council member announced.

"Well I don't have anything fancy like Captain Kurotsuchi's little toy." Shunsui admitted. "I'm doing this the old fashioned way with expert testimony."

"Very well," A voice allowed. "You may call your first witness."

"For my first witness, I call Captain Unohana Retsu."

The door opened in the rear of the chamber allowing Captain Unohana to enter. She made her way gracefully across the floor to join Shunsui, taking her place next to him with a smile on her face, bowing in greeting to the faceless council.

"Captain Unohana, as the chief medical officer of the Gotei 13, you have examined Lieutenant Kurotsuchi thoroughly?" Shunsui asked

"Yes, I have." She replied. "Both mother and child are strong and in good health."

She turned to smile at Nemu who couldn't help but smile back.

Shunsui continued. "Tell me Captain, in your examination of the patient have you found anything unusual? Is there any reason to feel the child may be a threat?"

She shook her head. "None whatsoever. The child is registering within developmental norms for a shinigami/human hybrid."

"So you would say that Captain Kurotsuchi's claim that this child may be some kind of monster are unfounded?"

"At this time, yes." She affirmed. "As far as I can tell, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi will give birth to a healthy child with strong spiritual potential. I can see nothing to indicate it will be more threatening than any other hybrid child we've observed."

"Thank you Captain." Shunsui said. "I have no further questions."

"Permission to cross-examine?" Mayuri requested.

"You may do so." A council member replied.

"Captain Unohana." Mayuri began. "I can't help but notice you used phrases such as 'At this time' and 'As far as I can tell'. Are you saying that things could change later?"

The smile soon faded from Unohana's face.

"I have to allow for that possibility." She answered. "Later on, new genetic expressions may activate affecting the child's growth, although this is a low probability."

"So I may not be correct now, but I could still be right. The child could still grow into some kind of overpowered freak?"

"I cannot deny that it is a slight possibility." She admitted.

"What about the opposite?" He asked "What about the possibility of debilitating deformities?"

Unohana's looked decidedly upset now.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Unfavorable mutations." Mayuri clarified. "Incompatible hybridization, environmental pollution, plain old bad luck, any of these alone or in combination could produce a deformed, crippled offspring, could they not? Can you say this will not happen to Lieutenant Kurotsuchi? Isn't it possible she will give birth to something with malformed limbs, improperly functioning organs, brain damage that would make it a useless liability for the length of its wretched life?"

"Objection!" Shunsui protested. "Captain Kurotsuchi is clearly doing this simply to inflict mental anguish on the Lieutenant."

Indeed, Nemu was visibly upset by her father's questions, holding her abdomen protectively.

"I am not." Mayuri refuted. "This is a legitimate concern. If the child is born debilitated, it will need round-the-clock care, the kind my laboratory could easily provide. It is yet another reason to give custody of Lieutenant Kurotsuchi to me."

"Objection overruled." The council stated. "Captain Unohana, you must answer the question."

Although she frowned, Unohana obeyed.

"There is the possibility in any pregnancy for…"

"Simply answer yes or no, Captain Unohana." Mayuri interrupted. "Is it possible the child will be deformed?"

She glared at him, visibly angry.

"Yes." She said. "Although I must point out the error in your logic."

"And what would that be?" He asked

"If the child is born deformed and needing constant care, it would be far more likely they would be assigned to my custody. Permanently."

She gave Mayuri a triumphant smile. He sniffed and looked away.

"One last question." Mayuri said. "I have expressed to the council my concern that this couple will not stop at one child. What actions can we take to ensure this doesn't happen?"

"I'm not sure I follow." Unohana said.

"Sterilization." Mayuri stated. "To keep disruption to a minimum, we must keep the quincy menace from spreading. Can we surgically remove Lieutenant Kurotsuchi's ability to reproduce?"

Unohana was horrified. "Absolutely not! I will not perform any such surgery without the patient's consent! Even if I had consent, I would not be able to perform that procedure until after she has given birth and at that time she will most likely no longer be under Soul Society's jurisdiction."

"There you have it, council members." Mayuri said. "If the young fools want to repopulate the world with quincys, there is nothing we can do about it once Lieutenant Kurotsuchi becomes mortal. No further questions."

"Captain Kyōraku, do you have anything further to ask your witness?"

Shunsui sighed. "No council members, I do not."

"Captain Unohana. Thank you for your testimony. You may stand down."

Unohana bowed politely to the council, then made her way to the exit, glaring at Mayuri the whole way.

"Captain Kyōraku, you may call in your next witness if you have any."

"I do." Shunsui answered. "I call Lieutenant Sasakibe Chōjirō"

Hearing his name called, the First Division Lieutenant entered carrying himself with the dignity his years and position afforded him, bowing respectfully before the council.

"Lieutenant Sasakibe," Shunsui began, "the First Division is responsible for upholding the traditions and customs of the Gotei 13 and in fact created many of the institutions we honor today. Can you recall the time when the law forbidding shinigami to consort with humans was created?"

Chōjirō nodded his snowy head. "I was a low ranking shinigami at the time, but I can remember."

"Many shinigami had to be punished when that law went into effect, is that not true Lieutenant?"

Again Chōjirō nodded. "Drastic action had to be taken. Many shinigami were exiled or executed."

"Tell me Lieutenant Sasakibe, out of all the shinigami who were executed, were any of them female?"

"Very few." Chōjirō said.

"And why is that?" Shunsui asked. "Surely it wouldn't make a difference who violated the law? Why were males disproportionately executed?"

"For many reasons." Chōjirō said. "There were far fewer women offenders than men. Women were more likely to cease and desist once their behavior was found out. It was uncommon for women's case to be bad enough to warrant execution. When it did, it also depended a great deal on whether the female was pregnant at the time. Even if the mother had blatantly and knowingly violated the law, we still have to abide by the Gotei 13's charter."

"Really?" Shunsui said with feigned confusion. "How would being pregnant invoke the Gotei 13's charter?"

"We are forbidden to interfere with the lives of the living." Chōjirō stated. "While it is our duty to protect them from hollows and help maintain the balance of souls, we may not take direct action against the living without receiving an exemption from this council. Executing the mother would be the same as executing a member of the living world. We had no choice but to respect their rights as living humans and allow them to be born in the living world. Banishing the mother was the only real option."

"Banishment was the only real option." Shunsui repeated. "And has the law changed in any significant way?"

Chōjirō shook his head. "No, it still exists the same way it was originally written."

Shunsui smiled "No further questions."

"Permission to cross-examine?" Mayuri requested sourly.

"You may do so Captain Kurotsuchi."

"Lieutenant Sasakibe," He began, "You say that according to the Gotei 13's charter, shinigami may not take action against the living unless granted an exemption by the council. When was the last time an exemption was granted?"

Chōjirō was loathe to answer the question. Unfortunately, he had no choice.

"The last time we sought an exemption was the destruction of the quincy."

"The destruction of the quincy you say?" Mayuri said. "Aren't they living human beings? Why did we feel the need to interfere with their lives?"

"You know very well why we had to do that Captain Kurotsuchi." Chōjirō replied.

"Indeed I do." Mayuri said with a grin. "We had to get rid of them to protect the very fabric of existence. So let me ask you Lieutenant Sasakibe, what's difference in interfering with the quincy as a whole and interfering with this child?"

"We declared a truce with the quincy when their numbers dropped to a manageable level." Chōjirō said. "They now have the same right to non-interference as any other human."

"But that could change it if the quincy become a threat, could it not?" Mayuri pressed.

Chōjirō scowled and kept silent.

"As the agent of prosecution, you are obliged to answer me Lieutenant." Mayuri insisted.

"Yes, if the child poses a threat to existence, you may petition to take any necessary actions." Chōjirō answered.

Mayuri's grin increased. "No further questions council members."

"Captain Kyōraku, do you have anything further to ask your witness?"

Shunsui shook his head. "No council members, I do not."

"Thank you for your testimony Lieutenant Sasakibe. You may stand down."

With a disgruntled glance at Mayuri, the old Lieutenant made his exit from the chamber.

"Captain Kyōraku, do you have any more witnesses you wish to call?"

Shunsui took off his hat and scratched his head.

"I thought I had a solid case for allowing Lieutenant Kurotsuchi's banishment with the expert testimony you've already heard." He said. "It looks like my esteemed colleague has made a strong rebuttal every time. I didn't want to take up your whole day council members, but it looks like I have no choice."

He put his hat back on his head and drew himself up to his full height.

"For my next and final witness, I call on the Last Quincy, Ishida Uryuu."

Nemu whipped her head around to the entrance behind her. Sure enough, there he was, walking in with his head held high.

"Uryuu!" She gasped

He glanced at her, giving her a quick smile as he took his place besides Shunsui.

"Council members, I must protest!" Mauri shouted. "By what right does Captain Kyōraku bring a member of the living world into these proceedings? It is highly irregular!"

"Hey, I didn't have much of a choice." Shunsui said holding up his hands. "It's not like there's a lot of quincys around these days. He's the only subject matter expert left. Surely you understand council members, I have to do everything I can to defend Lieutenant Kurotsuchi. You must allow Ishida-san to testify."

"Very well Captain Kyōraku" The council responded. "The quincy may testify."

You could almost hear Mayuri grinding his teeth.

"With all due respect council members, are you joking? This can hardly be called an unbiased witness. He is the father of Lieutenant Kurotsuchi child!"

"That's right!" Uryuu interrupted. "And I've come to take them home."