Greetings! Here is my second attempt at writing something short, and it's the first piece I've written in first person point of view. It was harder than I thought it would be, so I hope it turned out well. Any constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.
Spoilers for Hitsugaya's past, Matsumoto's too, to some extent.
There is no canon version of what happened after Matsumoto tells Hitsugaya to become a shinigami, so this is my take on it. I may add a chapter or two as ideas strike me, but it may very well end up being a one shot.
7/10/13
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step" ~ Lao Tsu
I debated about what I wanted to say to her for many days, because I didn't want her to think that I was abandoning her. Nothing I thought of ever seemed right, so I finally decided to just come right out and tell her. I sat on the floor in our modest home, my legs tucked underneath me and my hands planted on the floor in front of me. I was trembling slightly and I hoped that my grandmother couldn't see it.
"Are you sure you want to go to the shinigami academy, Toushirou?"
Am I sure? Of course not. Do I have to go to the academy? Yes.
"Yes, I'm sure, grandmother," I said instead, bowing my head even deeper because I knew that once I left she would be alone to fend for herself. I didn't want to leave her, but I didn't want to be responsible for her death either.
I didn't tell her about my dreams or about the big-breasted woman I had run into all those weeks ago who told me that I should become a shinigami. I had tried to put the encounter out of my head, but the more I tried to forget her words the worse the dreams of the icy plain and the voice I couldn't quite hear became. My grandmother didn't need to know all of that, not until I understood it myself.
"I'm so sorry," I said, my forehead to the ground. "I'm…"
Her hand on my head cut off my apology. She patted it gently and ran her hands through the unruly strands. She motioned for me to raise my head and I complied.
"You have always been very independent," she said, her face warm and kind. "After Momo left to go to the academy, I know that you felt like you had to take on all of the responsibility around here. Don't you worry, Toushirou. I will be fine here by myself. I will miss you and Momo terribly, but I know that you'll come visit me when you can."
I wanted to reassure her and tell her that yes, I would come visit at every opportunity I got, but Momo had said the same thing and she barely came by anymore. The familiar anger when thinking about Momo and her abandonment rose in me, but I squashed it down. Now wasn't the time for that.
"Go with my blessing," grandmother added.
I lowered my head again as tears prickled my eyes because I did not want her to see me cry. She reassured me that everything would be fine, that I should follow my own path, and that she would be fine by herself. I felt like the most selfish person in the world. Even so, I was still going to pack up my belongings and leave first thing in the morning.
I had to.
My grandmother walked with me to Seireitei's western gate. We said our goodbyes and I wearily walked towards the huge hulk of a man that stood guard there. I didn't know what to say. I'd thought long and hard about whether or not I should follow the woman's advice and become a shinigami, but I hadn't thought about what I would do once I actually made the decision. As it was, I stood nervously, wondering if maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.
"What can I do for you, young man?" the big man asked, his voice surprisingly gentle and kind.
"Um… I…" my throat closed in sudden fear. What would this guy do to me if he didn't like what I had to say? "My name is Hitsugaya Toushirou," I finally stammered out. "I'm from Junrinan and I was told by one of the shinigami that I should apply to the academy."
"Is that so," the big man said and peered down at me. I'm painfully aware of how short I am, but this man made me feel like an ant standing underneath an approaching shoe. I didn't like it one bit. "What is the name of the shinigami that talked to you?"
Name? I stood dumbfounded. I hadn't thought to ask her name.
"I don't know," I said. "She was tall with short, strawberry-blonde hair and big…" I trailed off, my cheeks blushing in remembered annoyance and embarrassment at having run into the woman's assets. "She has a big chest."
The giant continued to watch me and I started fidgeting nervously. I nearly jumped out of my skin when he spoke.
"Ah, I know! I'll be right back."
I watched the man disappear into thin air and wondered what it was that he suddenly knew. I didn't have to wait for long.
"She'll be here shortly," the man said when he reappeared. "Please wait patiently."
I nodded and set the bag holding my meager belongings down on the floor. I looked back to Junrinan and saw that a couple of people were standing on the perimeter watching the exchange. They were probably hoping that the giant man would crush me with one of his big hands. I'm sure they'd like to see me gone for good. I turned my back on them and settled for staring at the white wall. All I knew about Seireitei had come from Momo, and she made it out to be this wonderful, magical place full of wonderful people. I was a little too aware of the realities of the world so I didn't entirely believe Momo's interpretation of Seireitei. But, if the woman I'd met was any indication, there were some good people there.
"Hi Jidanbou, I was told I needed to come see you?"
I was startled out of my reverie when the woman from before appeared in front of the big man, Jidanbou. Her back was to me, so she hadn't yet seen me.
"You have a visitor," Jidanbou said and pointed at me.
The woman turned, her brows furrowed in thought as she caught a look at me. My heart sank at the thought that she might not remember me; this I had definitely not counted on. She walked towards me slowly, her blue eyes raking over my face as if trying to remember where she'd seen me. Once she was close enough to touch me, she kneeled so that we were at the same height and touched my arm. Her eyes widened.
"I know you, you're the kid that was being bullied by the candy vendor!" she said as she got to her feet. "So you decided to come after all."
"Yes," I said. There was something about this woman's personality that seemed to drown out everything. I wasn't sure how to deal with her.
"Then it's settled," she said, grinning. "Jidanbou, this young man is going to enroll in the academy. Please let him in so that I can go and make the necessary arrangements."
"Very well," Jidanbou said. "Welcome to Seireitei," he said as he opened the big gate for us to enter.
"Thank you," I said as I walked through, propelled forward by a hand on my back.
"What's your name, kid?" the woman asked me as we entered into the city proper. I almost didn't hear her question because I was so busy taking in the huge buildings and beautiful landscaping all around me.
"Hitsugaya Toushirou," I said.
"Well, Hitsugaya Toushirou, I'm Matsumoto Rangiku, 4th seat of the 10th division," she said and held out her hand. I took it and she enclosed my hand in a strong grip. "I'm glad you decided to come."
We walked in silence for a little while longer until my curiosity got the better of me. "Where are we going?"
"Well, the academy is currently in the middle of this term and it doesn't usually admit students in the middle of the year," she said.
My heart sank for the second time. "But you said I should come," I spluttered.
She turned to me and gave me a dizzying smile. "I said we don't usually admit students in the middle of the term, but you're special. I have no doubt they'll make an exception for you."
I wanted to ask her what made me so special and why she was so sure that I could get into the academy, but we arrived at what looked to be the center of the city and my attention was diverted to the many shinigami I saw moving about. Some moved alone and some in pairs and I got a few strange looks as I walked by. Every once in a while someone would greet Matsumoto and she'd return the greeting happily. She was apparently very well known and liked.
We walked for a little while longer until we arrived at a huge building.
"This is my division," she said as she ushered me in.
She walked through the halls quickly and I almost had to jog to keep up with her. We arrived at a room at the front of the complex and Matsumoto knocked on the door. I heard a voice come from inside but couldn't understand what had been said. Matsumoto opened the door and let us both in.
"Ito-fukutaichou," Matsumoto said as we walked inside the big office. There were two desks inside the room, one by the window and one on the other side of the room, with a couch in between them. The room was bright with natural light and looked very official.
"Who's your guest, Matsumoto?" the woman behind the second desk asked as she peered at me. She was petite with dark, wavy hair that came down to her waist.
"He's the kid with the huge reiatsu I told you about," Matsumoto said. "He came to enroll at the academy."
The woman behind the desk studied me for a moment, and I had to force myself not to frown at the intense scrutiny. She got up and came to stand in front of me like Matsumoto had done before. She smelled like lavender and her green eyes shone as they met mine. She was looking for something and, when she found it, nodded.
"You were right in suggesting that he come, Matsumoto."
The two women continued to talk, but the bigger desk by the window drew my attention. There was a bookcase behind it full of books and I wanted to go over there and see what they were. The desk was neat and clean and I wondered whose it was.
"That's the captain's desk," Matsumoto said as she came to stand next to me.
I nodded. No wonder the thing looked so important. Momo had gone on and on about the captains, the one she liked in particular, about how strong and powerful they were. No wonder this captain had such a nice desk.
"Where is the captain now?" I asked, wondering if Matsumoto would get in trouble for bringing me here.
"He's out on a mission," Matsumoto answered. "He'll be back in a few days. I need to go make some arrangements for you," she added. "Can you stay here with Ito-fukutaichou while I go do that?"
"Sure," I said, glancing at the other woman. She wasn't exactly unfriendly, but she didn't seem too open either and I wondered if she was freaked out about my appearance.
Matsumoto leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Don't worry, Ito-fukutaichou isn't going to eat you. She's already had her lunch."
My eyes widened and Matsumoto giggled. "I'll be back!" she said and left the room.
"Is she always like that?" I asked before I could stop myself.
The woman at the desk nodded. "You have no idea," she said. "Have a seat, this is probably going to take a while."
I sat on the comfortable couch and clutched my belongings to my chest. What the hell had I gotten myself into?
Matsumoto was gone a long time. People came in and out of the office to speak to Ito-fukutaichou and, while they were very discreet about it, I had no doubt that they asked questions about my presence there. The shinigami were polite to me, but I could see trepidation in their eyes when they looked at me. I should have known that things wouldn't be any different around here. Prejudice was the same no matter what your social status was.
I wished Matsumoto had told me what she was going to do and what I was waiting for. Was I waiting for permission to stay and enter the academy or was I waiting for dismissal? I didn't know what I was going to do if the shinigami wouldn't take me. I couldn't go back home to my grandmother… not when there was still a chance that I could kill her with this reiatsu that Matsumoto had told me about. I guess I could go back to living alone like I did before I met grandmother and Momo. The thought of that hurt, because I didn't want to go back to being alone.
"Sorry we took so long!" Matsumoto exclaimed as she walked into the office.
A tall man wearing a white haori walked in behind her, and I was shocked to see that he also had white hair. He exuded authority and power, and Momo's words about the shinigami captains crossed my mind at that moment. She had a point. They were cool.
Greetings with Ito-fukutaichou were exchanged before Matsumoto came over to me. "Ukitake-taichou, this is the kid I was telling you about," Matsumoto said and led the captain over to me. "Hitsugaya Toushirou."
"Hello, Toushirou-kun," the captain said as he sat on the couch next to me. "I'm Ukitake Juushirou, captain of the 13th division. Matsumoto-san has told me a lot about you."
I took the offered hand. Ukitake-taichou's hand was warm and callused, and the man smiled at me unreservedly. His friendliness was genuine, and I found myself relaxing just a little bit.
"Has anyone explained to you what's going to happen?" he asked.
"No," I replied.
"Ah, that's my fault," Matsumoto chimed in. "I was too excited about him being here."
"Is there somewhere we can talk privately?" Ukitake-taichou asked Ito-fukutaichou.
"You can use this office," she said as she got up from her desk, her hands full of paperwork. "I need to head over to the 5th division for a meeting with their officers and our captain is on a mission and not due back for a while. Matsumoto will make sure you're not interrupted."
"Thank you, Ito-fukutaichou," he said. Once Ito-fukutaichou had left the room and shut the door behind her, Ukitake-taichou turned to me.
"The Shinou Academy typically accepts students only once a year at the beginning of the term," Ukitake-taichou explained. "However, there is some room for exceptional cases like yours. If a captain-class shinigami is willing to sponsor you and you pass the entrance exam, you will be admitted."
I looked from Ukitake-taichou to Matsumoto and back again. I debated whether I should keep my mouth shut and let the captain continue his explanation, but the fact was that I was confused and I still didn't understand why these people who didn't even know me were willing to help me. What could they possibly want in return?
"What makes me so special," I finally asked. "Matsumoto said I had high reiatsu, but I don't even know what that is. Why would you care? Why are you even willing to help?"
I said more than I probably should have and waited for the reprimand to come. It didn't. Instead, Ukitake-taichou smiled kindly at me. He seemed to concentrate for a little bit and then I started to feel something warm around me. It wasn't uncomfortable, but instead soothing.
"Do you feel that, Toushirou-kun?" Ukitake-taichou asked.
"Feel what?" I asked him. "I feel warm, like being covered by a blanket…" I trailed off as his smile widened.
"That's the first time I've had my reiatsu described that way," he said, his eyes shining with mirth. "Matsumoto-san, your turn."
Matsumoto came to sit on my other side. I felt something prickling my skin, like little ants crawling all over me. It wasn't uncomfortable.
"I smell ash," I said. "Is there a fire going out?"
Matsumoto grinned. "Nope, that's my reiatsu," she said.
"You see, Toushirou-kun, those of us with high spiritual power have what we call reiatsu, or spiritual energy. It's unique to each of us and, once you learn to control it, should be unnoticeable to those around you. You have a lot of it, raw and untamed. I felt it the moment I walked into the room." He paused for a moment. "People have been giving you strange looks since you came in here, haven't they?"
"Yes, but that's normal," I replied. "Everyone gives me strange looks because of how I look."
"You do have unusual looks, but I bet you that everyone that came into this room could feel your spiritual energy."
"So what does mine feel like?" I asked.
"What do you think? Can you concentrate and tell me what you think it feels like?" Ukitake-taichou asked.
I closed my eyes and did as he asked. Thinking back to what I felt from the two shinigami, I tried to feel something similar in myself. It didn't take long for me to notice a cold aura around me. It was like a winter wind, cold and clean. It hung around me like a shield, sometimes calm but sometimes harsh and out of control.
I snapped my eyes open to find the two shinigami starting at me intently.
"Well?" Matsumoto asked.
"It feels cold," I said. "Like winter."
"That's what it feels like to me," Matsumoto said. "Like Ukitake-taichou said, you have a lot of it and the academy can help you learn to control it. You'll also learn other skills to hone your powers. You have a lot of potential, Toushirou-kun. That's why I wanted you to come."
"Why are you willing to help me?" I asked her. Then I turned to Ukitake-taichou. "Why are you willing to sponsor me? I don't have anything to give you in return."
"We don't want anything in return, Toushirou-kun," Ukitake-taichou said. "I think that you have incredible spiritual energy and, with some training and education on what it is to be a shinigami, you can become a great one."
"So what do you say, Toushirou-kun. Will you do it?" Matsumoto asked.
"Of course," I said. I'd made my decision when I left grandmother's house. There was no going back now.
"Very well, let's get started."
Ukitake-taichou had arranged for me to take the entrance exam the next day, so I was staying in one of the guest rooms in the 13th division overnight. Matsumoto had wished me luck and said goodbye when we left the 10th division, and a part of me was sad to see her go. Ukitake-taichou had introduced me to a couple of his officers and they'd been polite and friendly. One had taken me to the kitchen to get something to eat, but I was so nervous that I hadn't been able to eat much of it.
What if I didn't pass the exam? I hadn't had any formal schooling in Junrinan so I really didn't know all that much. I read a lot and grandmother had taught Momo and I how to write, but I'd never attended a classroom in my life. What if I was too ignorant to get into the academy?
I got up and paced around the small room in an effort to work off some of the nervous energy I felt coursing through me. Thoughts of Momo entered my mind and I wondered if I should look her up and tell her that I was here. Would she even care? I'd told her that I didn't want anything to do with shinigami, so would she think that I was a hypocrite because I ended up coming anyway? Would she think that I'd copied her or, worse yet, couldn't handle being alone with grandmother so I'd left instead?
I shook my head. No, thinking about Momo was useless right now. She had followed her own path and I would follow mine, wherever that may lead.
Finally tired, I lay on the bed and tried to shut my brain down. It wouldn't do me any good to worry about things now when it was too late to change the course of events. I was going to take that test the next day and I was going to give it my all.
With that thought I finally succumbed to an uneasy sleep.
Matsumoto had come by to pick me up at the 13th division and she'd walked with me to the Shinou Academy. It was a huge complex and I saw many students going about their business as we walked though the courtyard. Everyone seemed so much older than me and, for the first time, I wondered if maybe I was too young for this. Should I have waited?
We arrived at a building that was set apart from the others. The sign out front said "Administration" and Matsumoto led me through the corridors until we arrived at the headmaster's office. She ushered me inside and a tall, stern man with gray hair met us. He looked regal, and his immaculate clothing gave me the impression that this man was of high status. The man looked down his nose at me, as if he was bothered that he had to make this special exception for me.
"Yoshida-sensei is the headmaster of the Shinou Academy," Matsumoto explained. "He will administer the entrance exam."
I nodded and bowed respectfully. Matsumoto excused herself and closed the door behind her as she left.
"I've heard about you from both Ukitake-taichou and Yamamoto-soutaichou," Yoshida-sensei said as I straightened. He glared at me, his voice like nails on a chalkboard. "They seem to think that you have a lot of potential, but we'll see about that. Brats from Rukongai don't always have what it takes, no matter who they've convinced into believing in them."
I grit my teeth and avoided looking the man in the eyes. I was used to this type of prejudice, but even though I'd grown up with it, I was still angered by it. I'd run into so many nice people in Seireitei that I'd hoped people here were different. I should have known better.
I was led to a table at the back of the office where a computer terminal had been set up. I had never used a computer and my stomach did a little flip flop at the thought that this, too, could be part of the test. Rukongai brats, as the headmaster had put it, didn't have access to computers.
I sat down and placed my hands in my lap to hide their shaking. They were already sweaty and the test hadn't even started yet.
"Do you know how to use a computer?" Yoshida-sensei asked me.
"No, sir," I replied.
He quickly showed me how to use the keyboard, how to page through the exam, and how to record my answers. It seemed pretty straightforward.
"Alright, Hitsugaya Toushirou, you may begin your exam."
Four hours later, I walked out of the administration building with a raging headache. The exam had been a blur to me and I had no feeling as to how I did. The questions ranged in topics from mathematics to etiquette and I felt woefully undereducated and stupid right about now. I hadn't been paying attention to where I was going and I bumped into someone hard. I lost my balance and we both went down.
"Watch where you're going, shorty!" a male student said as he picked himself up off the floor. He looked at me and smirked. "What do we have here, another Rukongai brat wanting to join the ranks of the academy? Go home kid, this is no place for the likes of you."
The anger from my earlier encounter with the headmaster raged through me. I got up and took several steps forward until I was in the student's personal space. I ignored the fact that I had to look up at him.
"The likes of me?" I said. "What makes you think that you're any better than me?"
The student laughed. "I'm a noble, while you're just trash from the outside. That's what makes me better than you."
"Ah, so that means that you're here because your family got you in, not because you really deserve it," I countered.
The student's pale face flushed in anger and his dark eyes flashed dangerously. A part of me was screaming at me to stop, to just walk away and not make any trouble for myself, but another part was angry at this treatment and didn't want to back down.
"You little brat," the student said. He came at me with a right hook, but I easily got underneath it and got out of the way.
"Is that all you got?" I said. "I've run into girls that hit better than you."
We'd attracted a crowd of students by now and most of them were on the other guy's side. They were encouraging him to put me in my place and other such nonsense. I stood as tall as I could, my hands in fists at my side, waiting for the next move. I wasn't going to hit first, not unless it became absolutely necessary, but I wasn't going to back down either.
The student came at me again, much quicker than before. He seemed to disappear for a moment and reappeared in front of me before I could defend myself. He caught me by the shoulders and threw me. I flipped in mid air and managed to land on my feet, to the astonishment of the crowd. The student disappeared again, but this time I was able to catch a glimpse of him before he appeared in front of me. He crouched low; ready to sweep my legs out from under me. I jumped out of the way and avoided the sweep, but I wasn't able to avoid the follow through kick that caught me in the back as I flipped to avoid him. It knocked me off balance and I landed awkwardly on my hands and knees, hissing as skin was scraped off my palms, and probably my knees as well. The student came at me again, but a roaring command stopped him before his fist connected with my face.
"Enough!"
The crowd of students parted to let the headmaster and Matsumoto through. The headmaster looked angry and I got to my feet, breathing heavily. I had done enough damage already. Whatever the man had to say to me, I'd take it silently.
"You should be ashamed of yourself," the headmaster said, but the man wasn't talking to me, he was talking to the student that I had been fighting with. "You're a fifth-year student, and you felt that you had to resort to shunpo to defend yourself against an untrained child? You're lucky he could defend himself, if not you'd be looking at assault charges."
The student glared daggers at me, before he turned his attention to the headmaster. He bowed deeply. "I apologize, headmaster. It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't," Yoshida-sensei said. "The rest of you, get out of here. Don't you have classes to go to?"
The group scattered quickly, and the student that I had been fighting with gave me one last glare that promised retribution before he left. The headmaster also left without a word to Matsumoto or me.
"Making friends already, Toushirou-kun?" Matsumoto said. "I came to pick you up and, when I couldn't find you, started looking around. It wasn't hard to find you with your reiatsu going so crazy. Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," I lied. The truth was that my knees and hands were aching and my back throbbed where the student had kicked me. I hoped he hadn't bruised my kidneys.
"Let's let the medic determine that," she said and guided me into yet another building. This one smelled like antiseptic.
"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Matsumoto asked.
"People everywhere are prejudiced," I said and left it at that. She didn't need to know anything else.
Matsumoto didn't push the issue. We walked into a small room with a desk and a bed. A woman about Matsumoto's age came inside the room and greeted us.
"This young man just got into a scuffle outside," Matsumoto said. "Can you please check him out to make sure that there are no serious injuries?"
"Of course," the woman said and she instructed me to lie on the bed.
She said some sort of incantation and then her hands glowed green. Fascinated, I couldn't stop watching her as she ran her hands up and down my body. When she was finished, she lifted the legs of my hakama to look at my knees. The green glow returned and then the pain in my knees went away. She did the same thing to my hands and, when she was done, the split skin from the fall was gone and my hands were healed.
"Can you turn onto your stomach?" she asked and I did as instructed. "I'm going to take a look at your back, ok?"
I nodded and she pulled the kosode out of my hakama. She touched my back, down by the waist, and I yelped.
"He got you good," Matsumoto said.
Warmth surrounded my back and, when it was gone, so was the pain. The medic touched the spot again but I didn't feel any pain. She patted my upper back to let me know that she was finished and I quickly tucked my kosode back in place.
"Thank you," I said.
"You're welcome," she said, smiling. "Don't get into any more fights."
"Yes, ma'am," I said as she left the room.
"So how was the test?" Matsumoto asked as we left the academy complex.
I walked behind her, unsure of where we were going. I wanted to stop and ask her, but figured I'd caused enough trouble already.
"I don't know," I finally answered. "It was a lot of information to take in at once."
"It can be pretty intimidating," she said. "I still remember mine. I left feeling pretty convinced that I had failed it."
We walked some more until we came upon the retail district of the city. Shops and restaurants lined the streets and shinigami walked about.
"What are we doing here?" I asked.
Matsumoto pointed to a food cart set up down the street. "We have some time to kill before your results are ready. I thought we'd get something sweet to celebrate."
"I haven't gotten in yet," I said, and followed her.
"You will!" she said, a huge grin on her face. "I have no doubt that you will."
When they got to the vendor, the man waved at Matsumoto. "Rangiku-san, what a pleasure to see you today."
"Sato-san, it's always a pleasure to come for your cakes!"
She got two of them and handed one to me. The pastry did smell wonderful and my stomach rumbled, a reminder that I had skipped breakfast that morning. We settled down to eat our pastries and were almost done when a strange, black butterfly settled on Matsumoto's shoulder. She seemed to listen to something and then nodded. The butterfly took off and Matsumoto stood.
"Your test results are ready," she told me. "We need to get back to the academy."
My stomach did little flip-flops as we made our way back and I wished I hadn't eaten that pastry. Once at the administration building, we were ushered immediately into the headmaster's office where Ukitake-taichou was waiting. The headmaster walked over to me and handed me a piece of paper. I glanced at it, but all the numbers and graphs on it made little sense to me.
"Hitsugaya Toushirou, you have posted one of the highest scores on the entrance exam that we have seen in a long time. It is my pleasure to offer you admittance into the academy, starting next week."
I gaped at the man and then glanced at Ukitake-taichou and Matsumoto, both of who were grinning widely. I got accepted, and with a high score? I couldn't believe it.
"You will be placed in our first class, which is an advanced class for the brightest students. You'll have a lot to catch up on, so be prepared for a lot of extra work."
"Thank you," I said, dumfounded. I wasn't sure whether to jump for joy at having been admitted or cringe under the man's heavy glare. I was saved form having to decide by Ukitake-taichou, who patted me on the back.
"Congratulations, Toushirou-kun! What a marvelous achievement. Not many students qualify for the first class, and those that do are usually of noble heritage. You should be proud of yourself."
"I knew you'd pass," Matsumoto said and gave me a quick hug.
Ukitake-taichou and Matsumoto ushered me out of the headmaster's office talking about books and uniforms, but I stopped paying attention. My mind was still processing the fact that I had been accepted.
This is it. There is no turning back now. Whatever happens, my path has been chosen.
A small smile broke out on my face as I followed the two shinigami. I would handle this like I handled everything else: with hard work and determination. I'd decided to become a shinigami, and I was going to become the damn best one I could be.
To be continued?