Into The Sunlight [Rita/Kegare]

Bathed in sunlight, Rita allowed the gentle warmth to seep into her skin, a soothing balm for the lingering shadows that clung to her psyche. The soft glow of the sun stood in stark contrast to the oppressive darkness she had endured, and for a fleeting moment, she found solace in its embrace as this simple pleasure was something she took for granted not too long ago.

Resting upon a cliff overlooking Karakura's lush forestland below, Rita drew her arms tighter around herself—a physical barrier against the world’s uncertainties. It's here, amidst nature's serenity, that she was to meet Kegare; an endeavor which pushed her nerves on edge.

The comfort of her home in recovery was something she had grown attached to but was also limiting her. It was a refuge where she sought to mend her fractured spirit with training and momentary escapes into her vices. So to be forced out of that bubble after losing the assurance her ego once shielded her proved to be unnerving, to say the least.

Yet, trust and strength aren't made by running away from the world or people. That entire failure of her mission into Africa and being kidnapped would have been avoided if she had learned to just trust someone to have her side. With a deep inhalation that filled her lungs with the crisp mountain air, she released the pent-up anxiety in one long, deliberate exhale. That anxiety wasn't going to serve her and she needed to let it go.

As Rita pulled herself out of her thoughts, Kegare was right on time with her arrival. Rising to her feet, Rita gave a greeting to the familiar presence with an outstretched hand and a voice steadier than she felt.

"Long time no see. Happy to hear you wanted to see me again."

Rita's gaze, heavy with reflection, met Kegare's inquiry. A myriad of unspoken thoughts clouded her eyes before she exhaled a burdened sigh, the weight of her ordeal pressing the air from her lungs.

"It...didn't go as planned. Guess you can say shit went south."

Her voice was a careful measure of restraint as those memories of hers were far from pleasant. And as her weary gaze lingered on Kegare, she questioned what her response to any of this would even be; adding another layer of unwanted dread to her already exhausted mind.

This whole situation was akin to picking needles out of her skin for Rita. And so, a nervous tick manifested as her fingers trailed over the skin of her arm, tracing the invisible scars left by invisible shackles.

"I had been taken against my own will after that loss."

Voice drenched in loathing and tiredness, Rita shook her head and continued.

"I was held captive in Hueco Mundo until Kenichi arrived with help."

After admitting that out in the open, Rita's voice was a low murmur as she flicked a stray strand of hair from her face, her movements betraying the strain of reassembling the fragments of her fractured reality.

"Sure, I could have contacted you sooner, but I still have a business, people, and responsibilities to manage. So I'm sorry if I let things fall out of my hands, but one person can only shoulder so much before something falls through the cracks."

There was a defensive edge sharpening her words. Rita felt as if she was being confronted and it made her uncertain, fearful, and second-guess herself as her ego felt bruised and damaged. This is why, In Rita's eyes, Kegare might have glimpsed the storm of self-doubt and the sting of vulnerability laid bare and it made Rita loathe that weakness of herself.

Rita's brows furrowed, a visible sign of her internal struggle. The words of Kegare didn't spark her irritation; rather, it was the challenge of revisiting a painful memory she desperately wished to leave behind. Yet, she recognized the fairness in sharing these details, understanding that clarity was essential for Kegare to grasp the full picture.

Drawing in a deep, resigned breath, Rita gathered her thoughts, her voice steadying despite the clear undercurrent of unease.

"Well, Gracen Arms has had more involvement with Africa before then. Helping neighboring countries, providing supplies, medical relief; y'know, trying to make a new for ourselves."


Her tone became firmer than before, but she was still mildly unnerved. Despite that, she continued.

"It's just I took it upon myself to see if I could use my powers for good, let my ego get to my head and got fucked up and taken to Hueco Mundo by an Arrancar and we ended up taking some losses because of my fuck-up."

Pausing, Rita's eyes drifted away from Kegare, lost in the waves of guilt and remorse that washed over her. The silence lingered as she processed these heavy emotions, the weight of her decisions hanging palpably in the air.

"If you want to know who, it was a woman named Sabre. They did it because we tried to clear out some of the Hollows in the area that were invading the Vastime capital at the time."

Now looking up at Kegare, she held a stare before she could speak more.

"I....just fucked it up. I dragged Kenichi into this mess since he was the one who brought me back, and changed the course of other men's lives in the process and it wasn't a successful operation. I can see that he and others have been hurt through all of this, and I don't feel super confident at the moment. My actions caused so much pain, and I'm struggling to come to terms with it."

Rita did not run from those furious feelings Kegare had. Although Rita was battered and worse for wear, she wasn't a fool and knew it was an absurdly risky thing fueled by her pride and ego. And sometimes that same ego can get you killed in pursuit of such grandiose desires. So despite the fury she could sense from Kegare, she knew it was from a place of concern and that's why she let out a soft exhale before speaking.

"I got in over my head. I'm not some defenseless damsel in distress by any means, but that entire conflict just showed me I have to get better if I do decide to go back."


Her gaze drifted to her right hand, and with a pointed gesture, a force of energy obliterated a cliffside nearby as it seemed to be a release of her tension, nerves, and churning fire of emotions that was brewing in her. Not at Kegare, but more so at herself as she tried to cling on to anything to give her a semblance of control or power.

"I've had the luxury of this power and it's always gotten me what I wanted, so it needs to be more focused it seems."

Narrowing in, her gaze never left Kegare as she continued.

"I've always fought solo, striving for wealth and success. But this ordeal has shown me the cost of neglecting the trust and reliance on others. If it had been just her and me, I believe I could've taken her down and killed her. Her tactic of involving others... it exposed my lack of trust and how it could be my downfall.."

Admitting that felt like swallowing a bitter pill, her tone tinged with an undercurrent of defeat.

"So you're right. This has changed me. I don't have all the answers yet, but it's clear I need to learn to work better with others before I go back out there. I never realized just how alone I'd been until now.

There was a look of mild shock that reflected in the eyes of Rita. The re-framing of Kegare's words seemed to jolt a moment of contemplation as Rita briefly stared off into space. After remaining quiet for a moment, she nodded and came back to her senses.

"When you put it like that, perhaps you have a point there."

Scratching her head for a moment, her internal thoughts felt conflicted. It was more of a question of whether her relentless pursuit of resources and power was fulfilling, or if she was just trying to fill a void left by her past insecurities. There was a lot of joy from helping bring out the potential of others, supporting them, investing in her company, and watching it grow; was there a need for her to fight in a war after having already gotten the spoils of the previous World War?

"Can't see myself being deterred from wanting to grow stronger."

She mused aloud, more to herself than to Kegare.

"But, maybe it doesn't have to be fighting in another war. I mean, I already profited more than most others can ever dream from the last world war we had."

Rubbing her temples, a gesture betraying her inner turmoil, Rita sank into silence. It was a rare pause, a moment of self-reflection that she seldom showed. When she finally spoke again, her voice carried a mix of resolve and uncertainty.

"Because, honestly, I know I can achieve everything I aspire to without setting foot on the front lines. I've proven that much to myself. But....something in me says I should still fight. Not sure if it's pride, ego or insecurities; but It's like a part of me is still tethered to the battlefield, even when logic, like what you've just laid out, tells me otherwise"

Her eyes reflected a storm of emotions – doubt, fear, perhaps even a hint of excitement at the unknown paths her life could take.

It was more than just a question of what she wanted to do; it was a question of who Rita wanted to be. Her strength had always been her shield, her armor against the world and she always liked to imagine herself as strong and resourceful. But now, in the quiet aftermath of Kegare's words and the unsatisfying conclusion to Africa as a whole, she conflicted with her self-image. Rita wondered if there were other, unexplored forms of strength she had yet to discover within herself; if she could cease holding on to that idealized self.

" As a friend, what do you think I should do then?"