Bleach -17Prelude for the Diverging Stars
"I saw that, Renji! Didn't I tell you to quit sleeping in trees!?" -Kuchiki RukiaBlue sky, green earth.
Eyes reflecting
The Path we must walk.
~*~*~
We will not halt in our step, even when the time comes that the path is about to diverge.
~*~*~
"Well, I'm out of here, Shiro-chan!" Hinamori Momo, a young woman in pigtails, bids farewell to a scowling child by mussing up his spiky white hair.
"Quit calling me Shiro-chan!" the boy retorts.(1)
Momo calls back as she leaves him under the attentions of an elderly woman and jogs out of the Rukongai village, "When you're able to get admitted into the academy like me, I'll call you by your surname!"
"Gimme a break!" the kid hollers back with his arms crossed stubbornly. "Who the hell would want to go to some Shinigami school anyhow!!"
Momo ignores his rude comments as she sprints toward a small open door within the the large gateway, "Even though I'll be in a dorm, I'll come over to play when I have a break!"
The boy cups a hand near his mouth to make sure she hears him, "Don't come back, Bed-wetter Momo~~~~~"
~*~*~
In a wooded area, the name "Kira Shitzuka" is carved in a large oval-shaped stone set into an elaborate podium.. Izuru, a young man with short blond hair and heavily-lidded eyes, stands in front of the grave marker with his head bowed solemnly and his hands pressed together in prayer, "...Well, I shall be going now, Father. Mother."
There is a rustling in the branches overhead and Izuru's peaceful moment is shattered when a large branch breaks - causing a young man with bright red hair to tumble out of the tree and land stomach-first on the large gravestone, "GUOH!?"
Izuru steps back, mortified, "Wha... wha... wha..."
The injured young man lying over the stone can only manage a few tortured words past his foaming mouth, "Ughm... suh... solar plexus...."
"I saw that, Renji!" Kuchiki Rukia pops out of a nearby bush as Renji slowly manages to push off the stone while clutching his stomach in pain, "Didn't I tell you to quit sleeping in trees!?"(2)
"UWAH!?" Izuru yells in confusion. "Wha-what!? What's with you guys!?"
"Huh?" Renji gives Izuru a clueless look, tears of pain pricking at the corners of his eyes and drool trailing down his chin. Rukia's expression is equally innocent, though some leaves are still stuck in her hair.
~*~*~
It continues to go around without any hesitation.
We have never stopped and paused above that place...
But one day we shall know of fear,
If the time arrives to look back.
~*~*~
"Welcome, new students!" The academy PA system calls out as students file into the huge, three-story building complex. A flowery vertical welcome sign leans beside the main gate. "The Central Spirit Academy holds 2,000 years of history in its honor. Our academy maintains a heritage of training young folk who shall be the future Demon Arts Practitioners, Secret Maneuver Agents, and members of the 13 Divisions! Ladies and gentlemen, so as not to disgrace such a heritage..."
~*~*~
We could call that destiny, perhaps.
~*~*~
Bleach -17. Prelude for the Diverging Stars
"I am your homeroom teacher, Oounabara Gengorou!!" announces a broad-shouldered bald man with thick eyebrows and frameless glasses. He stands behind a desk, facing a class of about 30 students. "This is 1st Year Group 1, where all who received the finest scores in the exam have been gathered together. A special advanced class, so to speak."
Izuru listens intently as the instructor drones on.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, without straying from your future enlistment into the Divisions -"
Renji sits there with his chin resting on his hand. A smudge of dirt on his cheek accompanies the bored scowl on his face.
"- I want all of you to strive for discipline in order to eventually reach for your goals."
Momo listens to the speech with her head bowed shamefully. Her instructor's voice sounds muffled through the closed door.
"In order to do that, one's own daily -"
"This is bad," Momo frets to herself as she stands outside in the hallway under the sign for 'Group 1' with her hands clutching the textbook in front of her nervously. She seems reluctant to step into the classroom late while her instructor is busy lecturing on discipline and responsibility. "It looks like he'll get mad at me no matter what excuse I give..."
Inside the classroom, the instructor yells, "Dismissed!!"
~*~*~
And so we begin to walk the same path.
~*~*~
Rukia pauses by one of the windows that line the corridors, staring out at the vast sky while her mind begins to wander.
Unfortunately, this leaves her vulnerable for a random ass-kicking. Renji appears behind her and does just that, "HEY!!"
"Kyaa!" Rukia hops away, covering her bruised bottom protectively. "What the hell did you do that for, Renji!?" she snaps.
"What's with you zoning out?" Renji asks dryly. "Don't tell me that after 2 whole months you still haven't gotten used to your classes."
"What! You're the one who..." Rukia halts mid-rant, noticing that Renji and his fellow classmates in Group 1, including the smiling Izuru, are carrying wrapped lunches. They also have covered swords strapped to each of their backs.
"...That's... a lot of stuff..." Rukia notes, curious, "Are you doing some sort of exercise today...?"
"Yup!" Renji walks past her with his classmate, Izuru, and jerks a thumb at himself proudly, "Today we're gonna go over to the living world and have our first Soul Burial practice!"
Hearing this catches Rukia off-guard, but she quickly hides her reaction under annoyance, "Wha... Th... that's so unfair, Renji! You're the only class doing it!"
"It ain't unfair!" Renji makes a face at her from over his shoulder, "It's a matter of achievement!"
Renji waves back at her as he heads down the corridor, leaving Rukia behind. "See ya! When I get back, I'll have a huge lead over you!! Just you wait and see!"
"Y... you fool!" Rukia yells at his retreating figure. "I'll be the one with a huge... lead..." Her words drift off now that he is gone. She stands there silently, her eyes wide and sad.
~*~*~
The class for Group 1 assembles on the roof of one of the buildings. The students face a raised platform, which three upperclassmen are standing on with their arms crossed behind their backs.
"Let's start with a simple self-introduction," The middle of the 3 upperclassmen speaks to the group of first-years. He has sharp narrow eyes and spiky long, black hair. He also has a black studded choker around his neck and a 69 tattoo on his left cheek. "I am Hisagi, a 6th year. The small one behind me is Kanisawa," he says, identifying the blonde girl on his left with a portion of her hair in a pig tail. "The huge guy is Aoga," Hisagi adds, meaning the tall guy on his right with small eyes and a large chin. "The three of us will be your leaders today."
The class immediatly starts to fuss and talk to each other.
"Quiet down!" Hisagi warns them. "People who talk too much in class will get left behind!"
Renji leans over towards Izuru, curious about the sudden ruckus, "What? Are those upperclassmen famous or something?"
"Don't you know!?" Izuru snaps at him in surprise. "It's not all of them - just the one in the center! And it's not just that he's famous!"
"He is Hisagi Shuuhei," Izuru explains. "He's a 6th year who is being chosen to enter the 13 Divisions years before graduation. They say he’s a hot prospect for making his way into the upper ranks."
Renji looks up at the podium, impressed, "Hehhh..."
"As a minor note, he failed this school's entrance exam twice," Izuru adds with a look of self-mockery, "So if that really means anything, then we who passed at the top of our class would supposedly have more talent than him."
Renji spares him a flat look, "...Hehh..."
"Well then, let's organize everyone into groups of three," one of the seniors, Kanisawa, speaks up. "Take a look at the lots each of you drew beforehand in the classroom. There's a symbol written on them, isn't there? Please find the people with the same symbol as yours to form a group."
Renji compares his crumbled paper lot with Izuru's unwrinkled one. Both slips of paper have an adorably sad black skull drawn on them.
"So that was what these were for, huh," Renji studies his paper slip grumpily.
"But it's a three-person group." Izuru wonders aloud. "Who is the last one...?"
A third student walks up to the trio, "...Umm..." It is none other than Hinamori Momo, "H... Hello..."
"Oh, it's you Hinamori," Renji says. "Hey, there."
Izuru stands silently behind Renji, blushing slightly as Momo approaches them. His spirit seems to brighten at the sight of her.
"Don't get overexcited and mess up," Renji warns Izuru under his breath and discreetly gives his friend a sharp kick.
Momo watches in bewilderment as Izuru yelps, "OW!"
"Do each of you have a Hell's Butterfly with you?" Hisagi calls out the assembled students to make sure they are prepared. "Let's go!"
He heads toward the doorway, "Unlock!"
~*~*~
In the land of the living...
A ghost looks up at the life-death seal imprinted on his forehead.
"Alright. That's not too bad," Hisagi tells a team of nervous first-years. "It's just that you exerted yourself a little too much. If you don't restrain your strength a little bit more..."
"Uwoah..." The ghost grimaces as he is being forced into the dementional void. The pain intensifies, "WOAH OWOWOWOWOW!? IT HURTS!!!"
"See," Hisagi points out to the unsettled students, "The spirits will complain of the pain while disappearing."
"...What the hell... This was a lot easier than I expected," Renji props his blade over his shoulder and looks around in boredom, ignoring the screams of ghostly pain coming from somewhere nearby. "I thought Soul Burial would be a lot trickier."
"Yeah... you're right," Izuru darts his gaze around apprehensively as he slides his zanpaku sword in and out of its sheath erratically.
Renji pauses before his temper suddenly snaps. He gives Izuru a hard punch on his side, knocking the boy over, "Quit fidgeting all the time. It's annoying!"
"Oof!"
"S... stop it! Abarai-kun! Kira-kun!" the third member of their team, Momo, panics.
Meanwhile, Hisagi double-checks the instruction manual in his hand thoughtfully, Each of the 30 students had 2 tries... That should be good enough for their first exercise at least...(3)
"Alright! Assemble together!" Hisagi snaps the book shut. "That's all for today's exercise -"
He is interrupted by a terrified scream behind him, "...hi... Hisagi-ku... AAGHH!!"
Hisagi spins around and sees the bloodied form of the girl, Kanisawa. Two long sharp claws have rammed through her chest, holding her limp body in mid-air.
"U...UWAAAAAAHHHH!!!" many of the first-years shriek, "Our senior, she's been killed!!!" Renji's team looks up in horror, "Wha... what is that!? What the hell is that...!?"
Below the crescent moon, Kanisawa hangs from a set of pinchers that belong to a gigantic Hollow that towers over the building rooftop where everyone is gathered. It has a set of long horns, insect-like wings, and a bloated lower abdomen. Saliva dribbles down the Hollow's lip-less mouth.
A... Huge Hollow...!! Hisagi grips the hilt of his sword.
The Hollow swings out its pinchers, casting away Kanisawa's corpse like garbage.
"Uuoh.... OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Aoga, the 3rd upperclassmen, charges recklessly at the humongous creature with his sword drawn, "How dare you do that to Kanisawa, you bastard!!!"
"Don't do it, Aoga!!!" Hisagi shouts.
Too late - the Hollow's pinchers slash through Aoga easily.
"Damn... it!!" Hisagi draws his blade and barks out orders, "Draw back, First-years!! As fast as you can!! Run away as far as possible!!!"
"Uhh... UWAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" the students make a break for it as the Hollow starts to charge at them.
Shit...! A Huge Hollow!? Un-fucking-believable!! Despite being dwarfed in size by the giant, Hisagi stands his ground, Why didn't I sense this thing approach!? Shit...!!
He doesn't have many options left. He reaches for a thin necklace hanging below the studded choker on his neck and clicks on a small transmitter attached to it, "I request aid from Soul Society!! This is 6th Year Leader, Hisagi Shuuhei!! Huge Hollow attack in the living world - fixed point #1026, Northwest point 2128..."
A second Hollow crawls up to the rooftop on Hisagi's right - it has half a dozen bundles of numerous claws sprouting out of its fat body.
Another one...!? Hisagi realizes much too late. The Hollow raises its claws.
Farther away on the rooftop, Momo looks back and sees the spray of blood. She stops running and stares at her fallen upperclassman with wide eyes.
"Wha... What are you doing, Hinamori-kun!? Don't stop!" Izuru yells back at her as he and Renji keep running.
Momo stands there, wondering aloud as if she were pondering the most baffling question she's ever faced, "...Why ...are we all running away...?" Her words stop Renji and Izuru in their tracks.
"What are you talking about? We were told to run away, weren't we!?" Izuru calls to her in panic. "During an exercise, the leader's word is law!!"
"Don't think you can manage to rescue him!" Renji tries to reason with her. "You saw it too, didn't you!? Two 6th years were taken down in an instant! No matter how many of us are sacrificed..."
Momo isn't listening to him. She swallows down the lump of fear in her throat, draws her sword, and charges forward to save her senior.
"Ah! Hinamori-kun!!!" Izuru shouts.
"SHIT!!!" Renji and Izuru charge after her.
Blood drips down the side of Hisagi's face and splatters against the ground as he glares up at the two Hollow looming above him. These guys... can quench spiritual pressure, huh...!! That's why I wasn't aware of them... Shit...!!
The Hollow with claws sprouting from its body lunges at him. Hisagi leaps at him in rage, "Don't underestimate me!!"
Claws and blades clash - but Hisagi didn't even have the chance to strike his enemy. Renji and Izuru flank him at either side, blocking the descending claws by holding their blades overhead. Momo stands in front of him, blocking the sharp claws attacking up from near the ground with her sword.
"You guys...!!" Hisagi exclaims.
"We apologize for this breach of orders!" Izuru says.
"Since we came to the rescue, you'll overlook this, right Upperclassman!?" Renji adds.
Momo raises two fingers to focus her spell, "'Conqueror'! 'Mask of Flesh and Blood - Ten Thousand Shapes - Flutter - Those Who Crown a Person's Name'!" She raises both of her hands and her blade overhead, "'Inferno and Chaos' 'Head toward the South and comb the remote waters'!" She directs her hands at the Hollow's head, "Defensive Art 31!! Crimson Artillery!!!" The spell explodes in the creature's face.
"You did it!" Izuru says in a mixture of surprise and relief.
The smoke clears around the Hollow and Hisagi glares up at it, "...No..." Not only does the Hollow survive the blast, but now they can see several more grotesque Hollows appear and join their comrades. There's about a dozen of them now.
"It's no use," Hisagi says.
"N... no way," Izuru utters in disbelief as he and his companions lose their hard-earned courage, "Th... this can't be... No, I don't want to die..." Izuru sees the main Hollow open its jaws wide and he screams, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
The Huge Hollow's head suddenly splits in two, tumbles away from the roof, and vanishes.
The sword that killed it is impossibly long and had stretched all the way across the rooftop to meet its enemy.
"Hyaah," someone walks up behind the small band of Shinigami-in-training with a sigh. "There's quite a lot of 'em."
"...Sorry to keep you waitin'," the speaker walks up alongside another newcomer who is wearing a white captain's coat. "We've come to lend a hand."
"Ah... aah... You guys are..." Hisagi stares at the two men in amazement, "Captain... Aizen... of the 5th Division..." Aizen approaches them with a kind smile on his face, the same as ever.
Behind Aizen is the man who defeated the Hollow and spoke up earlier. The young man is wearing the standard black Shinigami uniform with the vice-captain badge fastened to his left arm. Hisagi recognizes this man as well, "Vice-Captain... Ichimaru...!"(4)
Renji, Momo, and Izuru stare at them. This is most likely their first ever encounter with a Captain and Vice Captain. The two men are smiling at them and Aizen even pats Momo on the head as they pass by. "...You all did very well," He says. "You must have been very frightened, but it's alright now. You should take a break and leave the rest to us."
Vice Captain Gin trails behind his captain and offers the students a parting grin before facing the horde of Hollows.
~*~*~
Time passes as the crescent moon nears the horizon of the living world. The trio of first-years walk back together; their shadows falling across the roof.
"...That was amazing, wasn't it," Momo says.
"Hm? ...yeah," Renji admits. "Well, that's a captain after all..."
"Yeah, that was amazing," Izuru smiles slightly.
Momo looks up at him as they walk, "...I wonder if we could ever become like that."
"Hah," Renji looks away from them scornfully, "There's no way we could be like them. Captains and Vice-captains are total monsters."
"Abarai-kun!" Momo scolds him. "Geez..."
"...I will become one," Izuru speaks up, gaining both of their attention. He looks up with a glint of determination in his half-lidded eyes, "...I'll try and prove that I can."
"...Yeah," Momo says, as hopeful as Izuru.
Renji frowns thoughtfully.
"Hey! First-years!!" Hisagi calls over to them from the open doorway - a set of paper-screen sliding doors in front of a round portal which leads to Soul Society. "You guys are the only ones left!" Hisagi says; the left side of his face is wrapped in bandages but otherwise he seems alright. "C'mon, hurry up or you'll get left behind!!"
"Yes, sir!" Momo and Izuru reply as they walk towards the gateway.
That's right.
The trio steps through the sliding doors.
So we won't halt in our step.
Three black butterflies mysteriously appear and flutter around each of their heads as they walk through the portal.
Even if that path is about to diverge,
The doors begin to slide shut behind them.
We will not halt in our step
The doors shut completely.
Even if that path were to close up behind us.
The trio, wearing Shinigami garb, walk away in different directions... heading down three different paths.
(1)"Shiro" means "white" - as in the boy's white hair. And yes, the kid is actually the younger, ruder version of Hitsugaya himself. No mistake about that. Kawaii~
(2)That. Is. PRICELESS!!! XD
(3)Daaaammnnn... 60 Soul Burials in one night? Whoa, that's alot... how come Ichigo never had to do any Soul Burial work? Was that stuff designated to a separate group?
(4)I think my first reaction to this was "OMFG!!!!" ...yeah, I'm sure you're having that moment too.
Notes:
-There is a hell of a lot I could say about this chapter - paticularly theorizing about the culture and set up of Soul Society - but I'd like to see what everyone else's reactions and ideas are before I put my two cents in (plus, I'm kinda tired from summary draft editing all afternoon - it's kinda tough to string two thoughts together... -_-;)
-Darci-san says she'll give me a 'shirtless Renji sleeping in a tree' drawing! Yay! Me want!! XD
-I ♥ flashback chapters!!
"I saw that, Renji! Didn't I tell you to quit sleeping in trees!?" -Kuchiki Rukia
Abarai Renji, Kira Izuru, and Hinamori Momo walk down a path together in their academy uniforms with textbooks in their hands.
Eyes reflecting
The Path we must walk.
~*~*~
We will not halt in our step, even when the time comes that the path is about to diverge.
~*~*~
"Well, I'm out of here, Shiro-chan!" Hinamori Momo, a young woman in pigtails, bids farewell to a scowling child by mussing up his spiky white hair.
"Quit calling me Shiro-chan!" the boy retorts.(1)
Momo calls back as she leaves him under the attentions of an elderly woman and jogs out of the Rukongai village, "When you're able to get admitted into the academy like me, I'll call you by your surname!"
"Gimme a break!" the kid hollers back with his arms crossed stubbornly. "Who the hell would want to go to some Shinigami school anyhow!!"
Momo ignores his rude comments as she sprints toward a small open door within the the large gateway, "Even though I'll be in a dorm, I'll come over to play when I have a break!"
The boy cups a hand near his mouth to make sure she hears him, "Don't come back, Bed-wetter Momo~~~~~"
~*~*~
In a wooded area, the name "Kira Shitzuka" is carved in a large oval-shaped stone set into an elaborate podium.. Izuru, a young man with short blond hair and heavily-lidded eyes, stands in front of the grave marker with his head bowed solemnly and his hands pressed together in prayer, "...Well, I shall be going now, Father. Mother."
There is a rustling in the branches overhead and Izuru's peaceful moment is shattered when a large branch breaks - causing a young man with bright red hair to tumble out of the tree and land stomach-first on the large gravestone, "GUOH!?"
Izuru steps back, mortified, "Wha... wha... wha..."
The injured young man lying over the stone can only manage a few tortured words past his foaming mouth, "Ughm... suh... solar plexus...."
"I saw that, Renji!" Kuchiki Rukia pops out of a nearby bush as Renji slowly manages to push off the stone while clutching his stomach in pain, "Didn't I tell you to quit sleeping in trees!?"(2)
"UWAH!?" Izuru yells in confusion. "Wha-what!? What's with you guys!?"
"Huh?" Renji gives Izuru a clueless look, tears of pain pricking at the corners of his eyes and drool trailing down his chin. Rukia's expression is equally innocent, though some leaves are still stuck in her hair.
~*~*~
It continues to go around without any hesitation.
We have never stopped and paused above that place...
But one day we shall know of fear,
If the time arrives to look back.
~*~*~
"Welcome, new students!" The academy PA system calls out as students file into the huge, three-story building complex. A flowery vertical welcome sign leans beside the main gate. "The Central Spirit Academy holds 2,000 years of history in its honor. Our academy maintains a heritage of training young folk who shall be the future Demon Arts Practitioners, Secret Maneuver Agents, and members of the 13 Divisions! Ladies and gentlemen, so as not to disgrace such a heritage..."
~*~*~
We could call that destiny, perhaps.
~*~*~
Bleach -17. Prelude for the Diverging Stars
"I am your homeroom teacher, Oounabara Gengorou!!" announces a broad-shouldered bald man with thick eyebrows and frameless glasses. He stands behind a desk, facing a class of about 30 students. "This is 1st Year Group 1, where all who received the finest scores in the exam have been gathered together. A special advanced class, so to speak."
Izuru listens intently as the instructor drones on.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, without straying from your future enlistment into the Divisions -"
Renji sits there with his chin resting on his hand. A smudge of dirt on his cheek accompanies the bored scowl on his face.
"- I want all of you to strive for discipline in order to eventually reach for your goals."
Momo listens to the speech with her head bowed shamefully. Her instructor's voice sounds muffled through the closed door.
"In order to do that, one's own daily -"
"This is bad," Momo frets to herself as she stands outside in the hallway under the sign for 'Group 1' with her hands clutching the textbook in front of her nervously. She seems reluctant to step into the classroom late while her instructor is busy lecturing on discipline and responsibility. "It looks like he'll get mad at me no matter what excuse I give..."
Inside the classroom, the instructor yells, "Dismissed!!"
~*~*~
And so we begin to walk the same path.
~*~*~
Rukia pauses by one of the windows that line the corridors, staring out at the vast sky while her mind begins to wander.
Unfortunately, this leaves her vulnerable for a random ass-kicking. Renji appears behind her and does just that, "HEY!!"
"Kyaa!" Rukia hops away, covering her bruised bottom protectively. "What the hell did you do that for, Renji!?" she snaps.
"What's with you zoning out?" Renji asks dryly. "Don't tell me that after 2 whole months you still haven't gotten used to your classes."
"What! You're the one who..." Rukia halts mid-rant, noticing that Renji and his fellow classmates in Group 1, including the smiling Izuru, are carrying wrapped lunches. They also have covered swords strapped to each of their backs.
"...That's... a lot of stuff..." Rukia notes, curious, "Are you doing some sort of exercise today...?"
"Yup!" Renji walks past her with his classmate, Izuru, and jerks a thumb at himself proudly, "Today we're gonna go over to the living world and have our first Soul Burial practice!"
Hearing this catches Rukia off-guard, but she quickly hides her reaction under annoyance, "Wha... Th... that's so unfair, Renji! You're the only class doing it!"
"It ain't unfair!" Renji makes a face at her from over his shoulder, "It's a matter of achievement!"
Renji waves back at her as he heads down the corridor, leaving Rukia behind. "See ya! When I get back, I'll have a huge lead over you!! Just you wait and see!"
"Y... you fool!" Rukia yells at his retreating figure. "I'll be the one with a huge... lead..." Her words drift off now that he is gone. She stands there silently, her eyes wide and sad.
~*~*~
The class for Group 1 assembles on the roof of one of the buildings. The students face a raised platform, which three upperclassmen are standing on with their arms crossed behind their backs.
"Let's start with a simple self-introduction," The middle of the 3 upperclassmen speaks to the group of first-years. He has sharp narrow eyes and spiky long, black hair. He also has a black studded choker around his neck and a 69 tattoo on his left cheek. "I am Hisagi, a 6th year. The small one behind me is Kanisawa," he says, identifying the blonde girl on his left with a portion of her hair in a pig tail. "The huge guy is Aoga," Hisagi adds, meaning the tall guy on his right with small eyes and a large chin. "The three of us will be your leaders today."
The class immediatly starts to fuss and talk to each other.
"Quiet down!" Hisagi warns them. "People who talk too much in class will get left behind!"
Renji leans over towards Izuru, curious about the sudden ruckus, "What? Are those upperclassmen famous or something?"
"Don't you know!?" Izuru snaps at him in surprise. "It's not all of them - just the one in the center! And it's not just that he's famous!"
"He is Hisagi Shuuhei," Izuru explains. "He's a 6th year who is being chosen to enter the 13 Divisions years before graduation. They say he’s a hot prospect for making his way into the upper ranks."
Renji looks up at the podium, impressed, "Hehhh..."
"As a minor note, he failed this school's entrance exam twice," Izuru adds with a look of self-mockery, "So if that really means anything, then we who passed at the top of our class would supposedly have more talent than him."
Renji spares him a flat look, "...Hehh..."
"Well then, let's organize everyone into groups of three," one of the seniors, Kanisawa, speaks up. "Take a look at the lots each of you drew beforehand in the classroom. There's a symbol written on them, isn't there? Please find the people with the same symbol as yours to form a group."
Renji compares his crumbled paper lot with Izuru's unwrinkled one. Both slips of paper have an adorably sad black skull drawn on them.
"So that was what these were for, huh," Renji studies his paper slip grumpily.
"But it's a three-person group." Izuru wonders aloud. "Who is the last one...?"
A third student walks up to the trio, "...Umm..." It is none other than Hinamori Momo, "H... Hello..."
"Oh, it's you Hinamori," Renji says. "Hey, there."
Izuru stands silently behind Renji, blushing slightly as Momo approaches them. His spirit seems to brighten at the sight of her.
"Don't get overexcited and mess up," Renji warns Izuru under his breath and discreetly gives his friend a sharp kick.
Momo watches in bewilderment as Izuru yelps, "OW!"
"Do each of you have a Hell's Butterfly with you?" Hisagi calls out the assembled students to make sure they are prepared. "Let's go!"
He heads toward the doorway, "Unlock!"
~*~*~
In the land of the living...
A ghost looks up at the life-death seal imprinted on his forehead.
"Alright. That's not too bad," Hisagi tells a team of nervous first-years. "It's just that you exerted yourself a little too much. If you don't restrain your strength a little bit more..."
"Uwoah..." The ghost grimaces as he is being forced into the dementional void. The pain intensifies, "WOAH OWOWOWOWOW!? IT HURTS!!!"
"See," Hisagi points out to the unsettled students, "The spirits will complain of the pain while disappearing."
"...What the hell... This was a lot easier than I expected," Renji props his blade over his shoulder and looks around in boredom, ignoring the screams of ghostly pain coming from somewhere nearby. "I thought Soul Burial would be a lot trickier."
"Yeah... you're right," Izuru darts his gaze around apprehensively as he slides his zanpaku sword in and out of its sheath erratically.
Renji pauses before his temper suddenly snaps. He gives Izuru a hard punch on his side, knocking the boy over, "Quit fidgeting all the time. It's annoying!"
"Oof!"
"S... stop it! Abarai-kun! Kira-kun!" the third member of their team, Momo, panics.
Meanwhile, Hisagi double-checks the instruction manual in his hand thoughtfully, Each of the 30 students had 2 tries... That should be good enough for their first exercise at least...(3)
"Alright! Assemble together!" Hisagi snaps the book shut. "That's all for today's exercise -"
He is interrupted by a terrified scream behind him, "...hi... Hisagi-ku... AAGHH!!"
Hisagi spins around and sees the bloodied form of the girl, Kanisawa. Two long sharp claws have rammed through her chest, holding her limp body in mid-air.
"U...UWAAAAAAHHHH!!!" many of the first-years shriek, "Our senior, she's been killed!!!" Renji's team looks up in horror, "Wha... what is that!? What the hell is that...!?"
Below the crescent moon, Kanisawa hangs from a set of pinchers that belong to a gigantic Hollow that towers over the building rooftop where everyone is gathered. It has a set of long horns, insect-like wings, and a bloated lower abdomen. Saliva dribbles down the Hollow's lip-less mouth.
A... Huge Hollow...!! Hisagi grips the hilt of his sword.
The Hollow swings out its pinchers, casting away Kanisawa's corpse like garbage.
"Uuoh.... OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Aoga, the 3rd upperclassmen, charges recklessly at the humongous creature with his sword drawn, "How dare you do that to Kanisawa, you bastard!!!"
"Don't do it, Aoga!!!" Hisagi shouts.
Too late - the Hollow's pinchers slash through Aoga easily.
"Damn... it!!" Hisagi draws his blade and barks out orders, "Draw back, First-years!! As fast as you can!! Run away as far as possible!!!"
"Uhh... UWAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" the students make a break for it as the Hollow starts to charge at them.
Shit...! A Huge Hollow!? Un-fucking-believable!! Despite being dwarfed in size by the giant, Hisagi stands his ground, Why didn't I sense this thing approach!? Shit...!!
He doesn't have many options left. He reaches for a thin necklace hanging below the studded choker on his neck and clicks on a small transmitter attached to it, "I request aid from Soul Society!! This is 6th Year Leader, Hisagi Shuuhei!! Huge Hollow attack in the living world - fixed point #1026, Northwest point 2128..."
A second Hollow crawls up to the rooftop on Hisagi's right - it has half a dozen bundles of numerous claws sprouting out of its fat body.
Another one...!? Hisagi realizes much too late. The Hollow raises its claws.
Farther away on the rooftop, Momo looks back and sees the spray of blood. She stops running and stares at her fallen upperclassman with wide eyes.
"Wha... What are you doing, Hinamori-kun!? Don't stop!" Izuru yells back at her as he and Renji keep running.
Momo stands there, wondering aloud as if she were pondering the most baffling question she's ever faced, "...Why ...are we all running away...?" Her words stop Renji and Izuru in their tracks.
"What are you talking about? We were told to run away, weren't we!?" Izuru calls to her in panic. "During an exercise, the leader's word is law!!"
"Don't think you can manage to rescue him!" Renji tries to reason with her. "You saw it too, didn't you!? Two 6th years were taken down in an instant! No matter how many of us are sacrificed..."
Momo isn't listening to him. She swallows down the lump of fear in her throat, draws her sword, and charges forward to save her senior.
"Ah! Hinamori-kun!!!" Izuru shouts.
"SHIT!!!" Renji and Izuru charge after her.
Blood drips down the side of Hisagi's face and splatters against the ground as he glares up at the two Hollow looming above him. These guys... can quench spiritual pressure, huh...!! That's why I wasn't aware of them... Shit...!!
The Hollow with claws sprouting from its body lunges at him. Hisagi leaps at him in rage, "Don't underestimate me!!"
Claws and blades clash - but Hisagi didn't even have the chance to strike his enemy. Renji and Izuru flank him at either side, blocking the descending claws by holding their blades overhead. Momo stands in front of him, blocking the sharp claws attacking up from near the ground with her sword.
"You guys...!!" Hisagi exclaims.
"We apologize for this breach of orders!" Izuru says.
"Since we came to the rescue, you'll overlook this, right Upperclassman!?" Renji adds.
Momo raises two fingers to focus her spell, "'Conqueror'! 'Mask of Flesh and Blood - Ten Thousand Shapes - Flutter - Those Who Crown a Person's Name'!" She raises both of her hands and her blade overhead, "'Inferno and Chaos' 'Head toward the South and comb the remote waters'!" She directs her hands at the Hollow's head, "Defensive Art 31!! Crimson Artillery!!!" The spell explodes in the creature's face.
"You did it!" Izuru says in a mixture of surprise and relief.
The smoke clears around the Hollow and Hisagi glares up at it, "...No..." Not only does the Hollow survive the blast, but now they can see several more grotesque Hollows appear and join their comrades. There's about a dozen of them now.
"It's no use," Hisagi says.
"N... no way," Izuru utters in disbelief as he and his companions lose their hard-earned courage, "Th... this can't be... No, I don't want to die..." Izuru sees the main Hollow open its jaws wide and he screams, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
The Huge Hollow's head suddenly splits in two, tumbles away from the roof, and vanishes.
The sword that killed it is impossibly long and had stretched all the way across the rooftop to meet its enemy.
"Hyaah," someone walks up behind the small band of Shinigami-in-training with a sigh. "There's quite a lot of 'em."
"...Sorry to keep you waitin'," the speaker walks up alongside another newcomer who is wearing a white captain's coat. "We've come to lend a hand."
"Ah... aah... You guys are..." Hisagi stares at the two men in amazement, "Captain... Aizen... of the 5th Division..." Aizen approaches them with a kind smile on his face, the same as ever.
Behind Aizen is the man who defeated the Hollow and spoke up earlier. The young man is wearing the standard black Shinigami uniform with the vice-captain badge fastened to his left arm. Hisagi recognizes this man as well, "Vice-Captain... Ichimaru...!"(4)
Renji, Momo, and Izuru stare at them. This is most likely their first ever encounter with a Captain and Vice Captain. The two men are smiling at them and Aizen even pats Momo on the head as they pass by. "...You all did very well," He says. "You must have been very frightened, but it's alright now. You should take a break and leave the rest to us."
Vice Captain Gin trails behind his captain and offers the students a parting grin before facing the horde of Hollows.
~*~*~
Time passes as the crescent moon nears the horizon of the living world. The trio of first-years walk back together; their shadows falling across the roof.
"...That was amazing, wasn't it," Momo says.
"Hm? ...yeah," Renji admits. "Well, that's a captain after all..."
"Yeah, that was amazing," Izuru smiles slightly.
Momo looks up at him as they walk, "...I wonder if we could ever become like that."
"Hah," Renji looks away from them scornfully, "There's no way we could be like them. Captains and Vice-captains are total monsters."
"Abarai-kun!" Momo scolds him. "Geez..."
"...I will become one," Izuru speaks up, gaining both of their attention. He looks up with a glint of determination in his half-lidded eyes, "...I'll try and prove that I can."
"...Yeah," Momo says, as hopeful as Izuru.
Renji frowns thoughtfully.
"Hey! First-years!!" Hisagi calls over to them from the open doorway - a set of paper-screen sliding doors in front of a round portal which leads to Soul Society. "You guys are the only ones left!" Hisagi says; the left side of his face is wrapped in bandages but otherwise he seems alright. "C'mon, hurry up or you'll get left behind!!"
"Yes, sir!" Momo and Izuru reply as they walk towards the gateway.
That's right.
The trio steps through the sliding doors.
So we won't halt in our step.
Three black butterflies mysteriously appear and flutter around each of their heads as they walk through the portal.
Even if that path is about to diverge,
The doors begin to slide shut behind them.
We will not halt in our step
The doors shut completely.
Even if that path were to close up behind us.
The trio, wearing Shinigami garb, walk away in different directions... heading down three different paths.
(1)"Shiro" means "white" - as in the boy's white hair. And yes, the kid is actually the younger, ruder version of Hitsugaya himself. No mistake about that. Kawaii~
(2)That. Is. PRICELESS!!! XD
(3)Daaaammnnn... 60 Soul Burials in one night? Whoa, that's alot... how come Ichigo never had to do any Soul Burial work? Was that stuff designated to a separate group?
(4)I think my first reaction to this was "OMFG!!!!" ...yeah, I'm sure you're having that moment too.
Notes:
-There is a hell of a lot I could say about this chapter - paticularly theorizing about the culture and set up of Soul Society - but I'd like to see what everyone else's reactions and ideas are before I put my two cents in (plus, I'm kinda tired from summary draft editing all afternoon - it's kinda tough to string two thoughts together... -_-;)
-Darci-san says she'll give me a 'shirtless Renji sleeping in a tree' drawing! Yay! Me want!! XD
-I ♥ flashback chapters!!