I ain't afraid of no ghost [closed]

[flight_15]

Characters: Bradley, Zeetha, Ichigo, and a ghost of a certain NPC from a long time ago. You remember, the one that strung Hughes up from the mast of the Winding Way? Yeah.
Content: Ichigo caught one of the ghosts for interrogation, as per Zeetha's request.
Setting: Halls of the Amestris
Time: Near the tail end of the ghost infestation
Warnings:

Comments

[daughterofchump]

Zeetha was sitting her desk, scrolling through her difference engine when suddenly she snapped to alertness, ears straining. Could that faint noise have been her name? Then she heard it again, a little closer, and realized what was happening.

Damned hot-head, she thought. My difference engine is right in front of me, I'd have seen a message if he bothered...but discovery took priority over chewing out, at least for the time being. Besides, maybe ghost-busting meant using both your hands, she had no idea.

She cracked her door open and stuck her head out, cupping her hand to her mouth. "I'LL TELL THE CAPTAIN," she yelled down the hallway, though between both their shouting, probably half the ship had been alerted as well. Both of them had a healthy set of lungs on them. As soon as she had informed Bradley she'd be out to join Ichigo.

[notrueking]

"Oh? Do tell, then..." said Bradley, looking somewhat surprised. "Though, considering you have the ability to see these things without aid in the first place, it makes sense..."

[flight_15]

"It`s me. I`m the one drawing them here," Ichigo said, oblivious to Zeetha`s reservations. "It wasn`t nearly this bad on my last ship, and it`s not something I can control, so I swear I`m not doing it on purpose." He took a deep breath. "Since I`m one of the people who can fight them, I`ll stay long enough to send as many of them to the afterlife as I can, but after that..." Ichigo thrust his chin up, resolved. "If you kick me off the ship, I understand. Hell, that`s what I`d do if it were me."

He hated the situation, but what could he do? Ichigo would find another ship. Not Serenity. Maybe that Convoy thing Jean and Ness were on...

[daughterofchump]

Zeetha hated the situation, too. Ichigo might have told her he got his transformation under control, but this wasn't making her feel any better. What if this was a bad sign, and once he left the ship he turned into a monster and started killing people? Of course, she didn't really want him wrecking havoc on the Amestris either, what she wanted was a solution. Still, it was not ultimately her decision to make.

"Keeping the ship safe is important, but if we don't figure out how to stop this problem, we'd only be sending you out to cause problems everywhere else you go. People won't appreciate it if word gets out we kicked a public nuisance off the ship so he could cause problems for everyone else."

Zeetha glanced towards Bradley, waiting to see if she'd be overruled.

[notrueking]

"Yes... that is quite true," mused Bradley, giving Ichigo a scrutinizing look. This would have to be reported to his superiors either way, though he wasn't sure how potentially useful something like this was.

"It's quite a nuisance for us, as well, but if you know how to deal with them, then by all means, stay. That way the... 'threat' will be contained to a small area, and you'll have an easier time of taking care of things. Furthermore, if you stay here, we have a higher chance of figuring out what's amplifying your tendency to attract spirits and rectifying the matter."

That, and he needed Ichigo to say around so he wouldn't run off before his usefulness had been determined.

[flight_15]

He met Bradley's look with a resolute stare of his own, chin up.

Like hell was Ichigo spilling that the reason the ghosts were worse than usual involved Watanuki. He knew that Watanuki kept the fact that he could see spirits just as secret as Ichigo was used to doing, maybe even more. Zeetha was absolutely right -- he wasn't going to blow Watanuki's cover if he could help it. Ichigo was glad they'd reached that decision, though. He still planned on leaving once he'd taken out the current ghost infestation, but it gave him time to say goodbye to a couple of people.

Giving a firm nod, Ichigo said, "Right. I'll deal with as many as I can." He glanced down at the cowboy under his arm. "...what do you want me to do with this one?"

[daughterofchump]

Zeetha gave the being in Ichigo's grasp a hard look. She still wasn't sure what it was. If it was Diego, would she want to talk to him herself? Were it him, she could not help but wonder if the manner in which she had killed him contributed to his failure to pass on. Perhaps he had been unable to accept the fact that death was his just due for his actions. Unlike someone cut down in an instant by bullet from afar, he would have had time to enough to understand what was happening to him.

But, personal closure aside, could she really afford to have such a highly personal talk in front of her new Captain? It was one thing for him to know her skill as a warrior. It was another to rub in his face the fact that she killed people, and also unthinkable to ask him to step outside for a moment.

Pushing down her own feelings and whatever portion of pity was mixed with her contempt for that being, she turned to look at the Captain. He was the one who had the power to make the final decision.

[notrueking]

"Hmmm... well, everything's been resolved as far as I'm concerned," said Bradley with a relieved smile. "Is there anything you want to ask this... ex-person before Ichigo deals with him, Zeetha?"

He didn't give any impression that he'd picked up on her change in demeanor... though, he was certainly intrigued by her reaction to the spirit.

[flight_15]

"Ex-person?" Diego demanded. "That's discrimination against the deceased, that is!"

Ichigo wasn't paying attention, though. "Resolved? How is anything resolved? You don't have any way of preventing another wave of ghosts the second we touch ground again. What if someone...what if someone dies next time?" He couldn't stay quiet, not in good conscience. He looked from one to the other. "How can you just say I can stay on the ship?"

[daughterofchump]

Zeetha paused, uncertain how to respond to Bradley, when Diego piped up, followed by Ichigo. She decided to simply let the matter drop for the time being, until Ichigo unwadded his pants.

"Use some sense!" she snapped, slightly impatient. "How can we 'just say' you should leave the ship? What if walking through the town we dump you in, you attract enough spirits that someone dies over there? With that logic, our only choice would be to drop you off in the middle of the desert." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose a little before continuing. Why did young people have to be so impulsive and thoughtless? Surely she had never been that hard headed, right? Okay, maybe. No wonder her superiors had barked out orders so much

[notrueking]

"You certainly made it sound like it was resolved," said Bradley. "In any case... Zeetha's right. Actually... given Zeetha's points, it's safer for the general populace if we prevent you from leaving."

He turned to Zeetha, his expression slightly more serious than it had previously been.

"Keep those people you know of who are capable of dealing with spirits on high alert. When we touch down in Bydan... perhaps it would be a good idea to see if there are any exorcists in the city.]

[flight_15]

Ichigo opened his mouth...then closed it again. He knew that this was only happening because he and Watanuki were in the same place, and if he left, the problem would cease to be. But he wasn't going to say that, not in front of the captain.

The idea of the Amestris finding a solution, a way for him to stay on board the ship, was tempting. It was good of Zeetha to offer something like that. It...it made Ichigo want to stay twice as badly. Maybe he could...

...but what if they didn't find a solution? What if someone died before they found a way to repel the ghosts? Ichigo couldn't take that chance. Quietly, he resolved to leave. Before they touched down.

Outwardly, Ichigo nodded. "Thanks, Zeetha. Captain. If you do find out anything, any way to stop this from happening again...I want to know."

[daughterofchump]

"Yes sir," Zeetha replied to Bradley obediently. Despite concealing certain information from him, there was still a strong part of her that wanted to be dutiful. And a very strong part of her that wanted to serve the ship well and protect it.

She felt pleased her logic had worked on Ichigo. For a moment it had looked like he was going to argue, but then he seemed to understand the sense of what she said. Maybe he trusts me now, she thought. Of course, he'll probably get impatient and mouthy if this takes more than a week, but you take what you can get.

"Of course you do!" she told him. "We'll let you know first thing!"

She smiled. "Don't worry, we'll figure something out."

LATE TAG IS INCREDIBLY LATE

[notrueking]

"You'll be the first to know," said Bradley with a reassuring smile. "I'm sure there might be someone in the more esoteric branches of the military who I can ask about it... of course, I'll leave your identity completely confidential."

It was a lie, though considering that neither of these two could possibly know anything about that.

[flight_15]

...Ichigo felt a strong surge of guilt. He was a lucky guy, he thought, to have so many people willing to help him. Yoruichi, the Vizards, Zeetha, and even the captain of this ship...

...he wouldn't run. He'd leave, but he wouldn't go without saying anything this time. He'd say goodbye.

Crushing the feelings down to keep them off his face, he nodded again. "So I'm guessing you want me to send this guy to whatever afterlife he's headed to, right?"