Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN BLEACH! BLEACH belongs to Tite Kubo D
Ebony eyes scanned about her surroundings. At five foot eight, she wasn't very equipped for watching herself. The place was a forest of buildings. The streets wove about like a maze. It was a wonder anyone could navigate them.
She surveyed carefully. Things she thought she saw sometimes were not. Instead of her eyes, she usually used her ears. Eyes could be deceiving. Her physique was that of an hourglass, thin and curvy. Her hair was as black as coal. She wasn't one for genial conversation. She wanted fights. Tatakai Zaraki was her name, and battling with a sword was her game. She was skilled, never lost a battle, even to her father.
Tatakai, or Kai as she was often called, gripped the hilt of her blade as her eyes and ears cooperated. She heard something in an alley. When she looked, she saw a man, clad in a drab grey trench coat that was sprinkled in bits of torn cloth, such as her uniform. He had indigo hair with a cold, unfeeling silver eye and one hued with a blue eye, which was clouded over with a white film. Upon his head was a straw hat, sheltering much of he features. At his side was a sheath with a hilt exposed from under the coat, implying he had a weapon. His body was littered with scars about his shadowy skin. This man was apparently just as much a fighter as she herself was. A new challenge, she thought, elated at the very idea of a challenger. Perfect. She placed her thumb against the cool hilt of her zanpakuto and slowly slid the razor-sharp blade from its protective scabbard. A smirk that bore her sharp fangs crossed her face as the thought of the combat put her in a euphoric state of mind.
"You plan to fight me?" the man questioned. His voice was low and thick, heavy with the feel of melancholy. His eyes flashed with a slight hint of elation. He lifted his hands from the pockets of the long jacket and took hold of the hilt of his own weapon.
"Yeah," Kai chimed. She held the thick decorated hilt tightly in her shaking hand. She wasn't nervous. Oh no. She was feeling arrogant and she was ready. She was shaking because she couldn't wait. She wanted to fight. She was itching to fight this new challenger. He drew his sword from its casing and held it before his tall, lanky body. Kai chuckled lightly at his confident gesture. Has he never heard of me? The great daughter of Kenpachi Zaraki? The new captain of the 11th division? He must live under the thickest rock in the Seireitei, she thought, amusing herself with the thought of someone that even became close to a challenge that she could kill.
Sparks flew from nowhere. The metallic ring of their blades crashing sang through the area. The soft cry of the thin edges scraping against each other sent a wonderful chill down Kai's spine. She laughed at the assault. So he'd made the first move. She could easily make up for that. It's not like she cared, as he didn't even hit her. She jumped back, drawing her sword from his, as did he. Kai cackled as she then threw herself at him, sword slicing through the air like butter. She took a great swing at him, catching part of his coat. Her laugh had become breathless, though she was nowhere near exhausted. She threw a series of quick attacks at him, quickly swiping back and forth so he couldn't react. She butchered his coat and hat and had torn a medley of different sized tourniquets in his arms, abdomen, and legs. He fell to his hands and knees in submission.
"Ah you fight well, Zaraki-Taichou. Then again you are captain of the 11th company," the man said, smiling up at her.
"Yeah yeah. I know that. So… Who're you?"
"Oh yes. I'm Negai Buke."
"Hm. Well yeah. You weren't really much of a challenge," Kai mumbled disappointedly.
"Ah but I have something else to give that you might enjoy."
"What's that?"
"Must I tell you?"
"Oi! Tell me! Don't you dare defy me or I won't spare you!"
"Yes yes. Alright. I have three wishes to present to you. Would you like them?"
"Like hell I would! Who wouldn't?" With that answer, Negai turned to into a small glowing circle, a wisp if you will, and engulfed her in his tuft. It closed up on her, shaping to her form, and dissolved into her skin. Kai gave a grin. "Well well well… My first wish. I wish… For an opponent." With that, a thin woman, about six feet tall, dropped from a building. Her hair was dark and short with half-lidded, faded, and almost entranced looking, ebony eyes and her skin was extremely pale. Kai had an odd feeling about this, but she was happy nonetheless. Kai held her blade to the woman's throat. "Draw your sword," she ordered. The woman didn't comply with her orders. This exasperated Kai. She moved it closer, causing the woman to squeak. "I said draw your sword!" She listened this time, albeit reluctantly. Kai removed her blade from the female's gullet and grinned. She flung her weapon towards the lady's body, slicing her with a cut so thin it could be mistaken for a paper cut, forcing out a squeal of displeasure from her. The fight was over before it started when Kai stabbed her. Kai sighed.
"That was poor swordsmanship," Kai groaned. "Fighting a fourthy would've been harder!" A further observation at her opponent led her to a new conclusion. This was in fact someone from the fourth company. She could tell by the pack she was carrying. She sighed and looked away from the body. "Alright more specific this time. I wish for a challenging opponent." From behind came the flow of air. Her backdrop was different, a bit less elegant. Buildings were placed differently and people hid in alleyways. Up came a man, devoid of emotion, with long dark hair, about to his shoulders that was just let hang, and grayish yellow eyes that seemed spellbound, as did the woman she fought not too long before. He was clothed in a black hakama, like her with a long cloth covering his abdomen. In his hand was a long sword that had jagged edges. A long scar ran down over his left eye. He was tan and well built, good for fighting. Kai nodded. Yeah he'll do. He seems like a good fighter. Kind of reminds me of Dad, she thought. "Hey! I want to fight you!" she bellowed at him. He turned with that same sort of dazed look the woman had carried.
"You got it," he said in a low voice. It was almost happy. His voice was slightly raspy and thick with a slight laziness to it. "Take me! I dare you! I've never lost a battle!" He walked towards her, arm at ease by his side. Kai took his dare. She whipped her sword to his body and almost hitting. He dodged skillfully, then blocked on her back swing. She pulled out a trick by turning, scraping blades and slashing at him then. He couldn't block that one, but the second time she tried, he could. Yes, he was indeed very skilled in fighting.
The man was now lying on the ground, dead. Kai stood, grinning wildly. She had scratches all over her now that this opponent was about as strong as she was.
"Yes!" Kai exclaimed. "That was an awesome battle! That guy fought just like Dad." She was then back where she was by the dead body of the woman. She made her way home, where her mother and father should've been waiting. The barracks lacked her parents, yet had her two older siblings, Kuro and Yachiru. Kuro looked much like their father. Dark brownish-black hair with gray-yellow eyes and a large stature. He was tan and was wide set, making room for muscle. Yachiru looked nothing like either of their parents due to the fact that she was adopted. She had pink hair and mahogany eyes with a cute face.
Hours later, the captain of the Fourth Company entered. Her head was bent low and she had a serious air about her. She had dark hair that wrapped around her neck to the front and was braided carefully under her chin and she was graced with indigo eyes. Her name was Retsu Unohana, or as she was formally called Unohana-Taichou.
"Hey something wrong, Unohana-Taichou?" Kuro piped. He had a concerned look draped over his usually happy expression.
"I regret to inform you that both of your parents are dead," she said to them. "Your mother was found laying down with a wound through her heart and her hair was cut short. She seems to have attempted to fight back as her zanpakuto was out." Kai was silent. This must have been a coincidence! Yeah that was it. Purely coincidence. "Your father was found in the Rukongai lying face down. He was wounded many times before he was killed. I don't understand why but his hair was down as well." Kai's eyes had widened by now to the size of watermelons.
"You're kidding right? Tell me you're kidding!" Kai babbled, grabbing Retsu's haori and tugging on it desperately.
"I am not, Zaraki-Taichou." Kai shoved Retsu from her path, marching outside and staring at the trail before her. She felt a tremendous guilt on her. How could she not have known? That was like not knowing Yachiru. For the first time in years, she cried. She sobbed her eyes out. This was her fault and she knew it. How could she let this happen? She looked around and blinked away the tears that just kept pouring down her cheeks. She had to make a third wish. A happy ending. That's what she wanted. She smiled before her last wish.
"I know what to wish for," she mumbled. "My last wish. The final wish. I wish I'd never found that man and gotten those wishes and no one but be remembered what happened." There was a swirl of a pale blue, yet bright, light and the corpse of her mother, Ichi, was no longer in the street in the distance, but behind her, back to her old self. Not far was her father, Kenpachi, standing with Kuro and Yachiru near the entrance to the 11th division barracks. So there was a happy ending after all. Or was it?
The man stood in an alleyway, catching Yachiru's eye…
