Soul Dive Part 2: Shinkaen
(Hey, just so you know…this is a sequel, so make sure you read Soul Dive. The story is understandable without, but it works a lot better if you know the background.)
Prologue: What Came Before
She stood in the training grounds waiting for the arrival of the Master, just as she had countless times before. Time meant nothing to her. She had little sense of its passing because the days in the training grounds were all that she knew. She had no family, no friends, no connections to any but the master. When he arrived, her life had its only meaning…preparation.
Sometimes they trained together in swordplay, sometimes in endurance, speed, or sleight of hand. The Master often spoke of a world outside, one that she would join soon, but even as he said the words, they had no meaning for her.
"You have learned all I have to share with you," he had said the last time he had come to her, "When I come here again, it will be time for you to join them."
He hadn't explained who "they" were, nor had she asked. She simply accepted what he said without comment. She did feel something different when she heard those words…a chill in her body, a cold feeling in her stomach. She felt it again as he appeared in the distance.
"Ah, there you are," he said in a soft voice, "You look well."
"I am fine," she answered as always.
"I have finished preparations for you. All is in place. There is work for you to do out there. There is a great wrong to be made right."
He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek, which made her smile back at him.
"Do not worry," he told her, "You will know what to do when you arrive at your destination. I have made certain that all of the knowledge and power you will require will be available to you when you reach your destination. And I will watch you from here. You will not be alone."
He placed a hand firmly on her shoulder.
"I have great hopes for you. You have trained for this for a very long time."
He slipped a hand under her chin and raised her eyes to his. She returned his gaze calmly, although inside her heart pounded with anticipation and uncertainty. He looked at her for a moment longer, and then bent slightly and kissed her gently on the mouth. Her heart raced faster.
"I will be with you. Now, it is time. Look, the door opens."
Indeed, before them, a doorway was shimmering into being. A black butterfly rose up into the air before her and she followed it through the door. The door closed behind her, darkening the training ground. The Master sighed.
"Do your work well, Shinkaen," he whispered, smiling, "I have waited eighteen years for this to begin. He has no idea this is coming…it will end before he knows what has happened!"
XXXXXXXXXX
"The power surges occurred somewhere near here, Captain Kuchiki," Renji said, gesturing toward the rushing river behind him, "Kenkasai…I mean, Captain Kuchiki of Squad 3, took his men over that way to check it out. Our group went to the other side of the river and down the embankment. Captain Kuchiki's group should be returning any time now. Do you want me to…"
"No, Renji, that will not be necessary. I'm certain Kenkasai will do a thorough search. The reiatsu surges probably left remnants somewhere. If we find those we can study the markers and figure out just who was trying to get into the Sereitei. Continue your search and report your findings to Head Captain Yamamoto. He will be waiting for your messenger."
"Yes, Captain," Renji replied, turning away to rejoin the others.
Renji exchanged words with the other searchers, and then returned to Byakuya, shaking his head in annoyance.
"What is it, Renji?" Byakuya asked calmly, "Is there a problem?"
"The search groups have all returned and none has found any sign of the invaders' reiatsu. We also noticed several power surges outside the search area, so we are expanding the search area."
Byakuya nodded.
"Mhmm, well, keep monitoring their efforts. Hold your messenger until you complete your search."
Byakuya Kuchiki stood for a moment longer, his eyes scanning the horizon in the direction his son had gone. Then he turned away and started back across the dark and hazy field.
Chapter 1: Meeting at the Waterfall
She appeared in a sudden blaze of light, floating down to land gracefully at the foot of a cherry tree. Before her, a huge waterfall rained down into a moonlit pond. Cherry trees surrounded the waterfall area, the blossoms falling in the gentle breeze all around her. She wondered suddenly, how she knew what kind of trees they were, how she knew about waterfalls, and she couldn't remember. She tried to remember where she was before the flash of light that brought her here…and failed. The only thing she knew for certain was her name.
"Shinkaen," she whispered.
Feeling suddenly that she was being watched, she turned to see a man standing silently on a nearby trail, his dark eyes narrowed and fixed on her. He was tall and dressed in black save for a white and black haori, a white kenseikan, and a light colored scarf that waved in the breeze around him. At his waist, he wore a sheathed katana with a light blue and gold hilt. His black hair was long and flowing at his back, but restrained in the front and on the right side by the kenseikan. He remained still on the trail, as though waiting for something from her. Before she could react, the world started to spin around her, sending the cherry blossoms into a hazy circle. Her vision dimmed and her head was alight with a strange buzzing. Her knees went weak and she started to fall. She was dimly aware of strong arms catching her in mid-fall, and deep cobalt eyes gazing down into hers. Then everything faded.
Byakuya Kuchiki gazed down sternly at the girl who laid unconscious in his arms. She was small and slight, looking to be in her late teens. She was small boned and fair-skinned. Her dark auburn hair was long and fell in waves to her waist. Her clothing marked her as a soul reaper, but he could not remember ever having seen her in any of the squads. He sensed strong spiritual pressure around her, but it was unfamiliar to him.
He set her down at the foot of a cherry tree and walked to the waterfall. Reaching down into the creek that fed the waterfall, he gathered water into his cupped hands and carried it back to the girl. Kneeling next to her, he brushed some onto her face and throat, and then massaged her wrists gently. Obtaining no response, Byakuya lifted the girl into his arms and carried her back down the moonlit forest pathway. The path continued for roughly half a mile before turning into the Kuchiki family home. He pushed the gate open and walked through, closing it with his heel. The walkway creaked softly under his feet as he made his way down the hallway to a guest room. He laid the girl down on the bed, removed her shoes and slipped a blanket over her. He stepped out of the room for a moment to summon an attendant. The attendant appeared out of the darkness.
"Yes, Captain Kuchiki," she said quietly.
"The girl in this room, I want you to stay with her for the night. She doesn't appear to be injured, but she did lose consciousness, so watch her carefully. If she wakes, feed her and make her comfortable. I will speak with her in the morning,"
"Yes, sir," the attendant replied.
"And be certain that she does not leave," he added.
"Yes, sir."
Byakuya retraced his steps down the hallway, pausing as Rukia's voice issued softly from her room.
"Byakuya?"
"Yes," he replied.
"Is everything okay? I heard voices in the hallway."
"It is nothing," he assured her, "Sleep, Rukia, all is well."
He continued down the hallway, stopping at his own room. The door stood open and his bed had been turned down. Yoruichi lay sleeping on one side. He stepped inside the room, pausing to remove his haori and place it on a peg near the door. In the dressing area, he removed his kenseikan and scarf, and slipped out of his uniform. He put on the sky blue night robes that lay waiting for him. Walking back out into his room, he laid down next to his wife, gazing out at the nighttime sky. The full moon seemed to overpower the stars, dimming their usual shine. Beneath the evening sky, moonlit blossoms fell from the cherry trees in the garden. The only sound seemed to be the soft breeze that ruffled the tree branches. It brought with it a sense of calm and peace that lulled Byakuya slowly toward sleep.
"You're here," Yoruichi said sleepily, turning to curl her body around his.
"Sorry I'm late. I heard that there was a disturbance and Kenkasai was investigating with Renji."
"You weren't looking over his shoulder again, were you?" she said reprovingly, "He hates it when you do that, Byakuya."
"No, actually I was only there to check in with Renji, then I left them to their work. Something odd happened on the way back, though."
"Hmm?"
"There was a girl who appeared near the waterfall."
"A girl?" Yoruichi said, sitting up.
"Yes, a girl. She lost consciousness, so I brought her here to recover." He said sleepily, "Don't worry, she's being watched. You can meet her in the morning."
"I guess it is a bit late for an interrogation."
"Mhmm."
Yoruichi laid down, curling around him again. He sank into her embrace and welcomed the peaceful descent into sleep that followed.
XXXXXXXXXX
Head Captain Yamamoto turned to face the messenger as he entered the room to make his report.
"Sir, Squad 6 Lieutenant Abarai sends the following message: We have scouted the area in which the unusual spiritual pressure was sensed and could find nothing out of the ordinary. The area has been cleared and deemed safe. Unfortunately, the occurrences of the spiritual pressure were so sudden and of such short duration that it is impossible to locate the exact origin. Captain Kenkasai Kuchiki set guards on the boundaries to watch for any additional occurrences," the messenger reported.
"Very well," the head captain replied, "Tell Lieutenant Abarai to monitor the situation and to report any new information."
"Yes, sir."
The messenger turned and disappeared out the door, leaving Yamamoto buried in thought.
"Intense bursts of spiritual pressure that felt vaguely familiar to me…then nothing," he murmured, "Odd…"
He walked over to his window and gazed out at the darkness. All around, the sereitei lay in near silence, save for the soft breeze. The old man breathed in and out, searching the very air with his senses. He felt a vague sense that something unexpected was about to happen, but his vision was clouded. He relaxed and reached out into the night. All was calm and quiet in the sereitei. It unnerved Yamamoto that things could look so serene, but that beneath that calm, something prepared to emerge that would break the calm and send them spiraling into chaos. Sighing in frustration, the head captain turned away from the window and made his way to his bed. Strangely, despite his concerns, sleep came quickly.
Four captains left the world of light and fell under a cloak of darkness, their spiritual pressure declining and distorting. A great light rose into the sky over them, but the light could not reach their faces. They knelt beneath the brightness, unseeing, unable to move. He strained to see their faces or forms, but the darkness that encircled them was too deep. The light in the sky burned golden, rising higher and higher. Slowly, it turned in the sky and started to fall toward the captains. It plummeted toward the captains, unchecked, and landed among them, shaking the earth, spewing dirt and rock that struck a barrier before them, but was unable to reach them. The earth rumbled and shook beneath them, throwing them to the ground behind the barrier. Then, from the center of the circle, a sharp white blast rose up, shattering ground and barrier alike, sending the room into blackness and filling the air with terrified cries. The room became a blinding white inferno that vaporized everything around. The spiritual pressure of the captains raged, and then fell away into nothingness.
Head Captain Yamamoto sat up, his eyes still clouded with the dream. His old heart pounded in his chest. Knowing there was no action he could take at the moment to stop the threat that moved toward them, he deepened his breathing and forced himself to fall into a dreamless sleep.