Today was the day. My first day as a soul reaper in the soul society. I sped through my training as the soul Reaper academy, training was usually completed after 6 years of grueling konsos but I finished in half the time. I would say I thought I was hot shit… until now. Here I am, standing face to face with Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, Lieutenant Renji Abarai, Rukia Kuchiki and Ichigo Kurosaki. The Captain towered over me. I stand at about 5'2, the captain a lofty 5'11. That's gigantic to me. He seemed to look down at me in disgust. The Captain's air made me shake a little, causing Lieutenant Abarai to send a slanty eyed smirk towards his captain. Ichigo stood there silently, too preoccupied with looking me over then to actually say something. Rukia, who was about my size, broke the awkward, cold silence that surrounded us.
"It is great to have a Soul Reaper of your talent joining our forces in the Soul Society." She stated, clasping her tiny hands around my shoulders. "No one has passed the academy that fast since my brother down there achieved his status in 2 years." she continued as she pointed down the line at the captain. He turned away slightly from her finger.
"I finished a year later then the great captain did?" I thought. I secretly sent a glace down to the captain. He just stood there , stubborn as ever, no emotion and no movement. His shihakusho was blowing slightly in the gentle breeze. Rukia was still talking and welcoming me as ignored her and stared lifelessly at her brother, the man I had heard so much about and aspired to impress. His inert expressions lead me to see he truly belonged to the Kuchiki clan, one of the four noble families of Soul Society. From the few feet I stood away from him I could clearly see the Kenseikan headpiece, which marked his noble rank as the 28th head of the Kuchiki family. His head piece although very impressive, only reminded me of sushi. Along with the Kenseikan, was his beautiful scarf. I heard it was called ginpaku Kazahana no usurious, and was a family air loom, handed down to him. All I heard really heard was that the tiny scarf was worth the amount of ten large houses. I noticed I had been staring at Byakuya and I think he noticed too. The captain was also staring at me a small smirk curling up on his lips. A pale blush appeared on my cheeks, forcing me to look down , quite embarrassed. I then heard Ichigo clear his throat, the first sound he made all day, forcing me to look up quickly. A girl about my size was now standing in front of me. She looked to be much stronger and faster then I ever hoped to be. She was dressed in the traditional black soul reapers kimono but had pink lace around the edges. Her zanpakuto seemed to missing, its sheath laying empty against her body. The girl had dark brown hair and it was arranged in choppy layers resting just above her shoulders. She smiled timidly at me, gaining approval from the other girl next to her. She was much taller then her friend. She had to be at least 5'8. Her long black hair reflected the hot sun and reached the middle of her back. The dark hair complemented her olive complexion and dark eyes. She was too dressed in the traditional kimono of a soul reaper but a red sash held her zanpakuto in place. This zanpakuto was nothing like I had ever seen , I was huge, ever bigger then captain Kuchiki's. It had to be at least 8 feet long and the tip seemed to hover just slightly above the hot pavement. I stood there, awed by the strength and beauty of the two soul reapers before me.
"This is Uta and Mikazuki." The voice I heard shattered any concentration I ever hoped of having. Its deep and haunting tone echoed through every cavity in my body, making me shiver. It could have only belonged to one person, the captain. He continued on, "They will take you to where you will be staying." The two girls took this as my dismissal and grabbed my hands to lead me away. I bowed to each superior as I passed. Byakuya had that same look of disgust present on his face when I looked at him. Before I passed I bowed to him respectfully and he looked away towards the sky. He breathed quietly, "Don't make me have to look after you."
"Yes Captain," I answered quickly. I was glad the girls walked quickly because I wanted to get away from there as fast as possible. Ichigo and Renji were pretty much silent, which was creepy, Rukia was overly friendly… creepy and Captain Kuchiki's eyes burned into my flesh like tiny bullets of fire. The girls in front of me were chattering on as if none of this ridiculous welcoming ceremony had never happened. Their talk reminded me of the halls in the high school I used to go to before I died. They seemed to be happy here, that was comforting at least. We stopped walking about half a mile from where we left the four superiors, in front of a small white house. Even though it was small it looked extremely inviting. We walked inside the tiny doorway and I looked around astounded by the beauty of the small place.
"Welcome home," said Uta
"I live here alone?" I asked, perplexed by the situation.
"Of course not!" Mikazuki answered back. "You live with us." I felt rude living with girls I never even introduced myself too.
"Oh, by the way my name is Sayuri," I told them bowing slightly.
"That name suits you perfectly," Uta laughed, "because your small, like me." She giggled again and clasped her hands together. I smiled a bit more, feeling even better. They then showed me to my new room. I was small but very nice. The bed was neatly made and upon the white blanket was the same symbol that Captain Kuchiki wears upon his back.
"That Symbol means your part of the 6th division with us," Mikazuki said smiling at me.
"And Byakuya Kuchiki is your Captain, so be prepared." Uta finished and she handed me my new black kimono.
"Thank… I started, as her hand came up to my lips.
"Hey Mikazuki, did you hear that?" Uta asked her counterpart. The two girls stared at each other for what seemed like 10 minuets without blinking or moving. Just then the glass from the sky window above us broke sending shards of dagger like glass tumbling all around us.
"Komomaru sing!" Uta shouted out as I saw a gleaming zanpakuto of silver, and a flash of red and black fall from the broken sky light. The man fell fast as Uta blocked herself with what I thought was her zanpakuto. The sound of metal meeting metal resonated in the small house and I looked up from the debris to see Renji being held of by little Uta and what seemed to be an invisible zanpakuto. This was insane.
"Renji you dumbass what the hell are you doing?" Uta asked through gritted teeth.
"Captain K sent me to see how you girls were getting along," Renji answered back sounding a little more winded then little Uta.
"Aww, that's bullshit Renji, you just wanted to barge in here hoping to see someone naked and be a damn perve!" Mikazuki yelled.
"Damn, you girls know me too well," Renji laughed as he and Uta broke from the position they were holding. As he turned to leave, I heard a swift movement, my eyes could not catch up to the speed of the movement but it seemed a sword was being wielded. A slice was next and a lock of Renji's red hair fell to the marble floor. It floated to his feet gently and looked behind him with a boastful smirk to see Uta putting away what seemed to be her imaginary sword.
"Fast," Renji said his smile growing wider as he stared at his severed hair on the floor.
"Yeah and the next time you barge in here un-invited it will be that pretty little face of yours cut instead of your hair," Uta growled.
"Yes Uta," Renji said bowing slightly and without another word he was gone.
"What an asshole," Mikazuki said beginning to sweep up the glass.
"Yeah, but that's Renji," agreed Uta bringing over a garbage can.
" Is he always like that?" I asked the girls. They looked at me and laughed.
"Yes!" they said together. I began to laugh with them.
"Hey how are we gonna fix this crap," Mikazuki asked pointing to the hole in the ceiling.
"Oh the Captain will have someone take care of it," Uta answered her. I heard this conversation from the bathroom because I was told to go put on my shihaksho. It was plain, just black but on the inside sleeve the same symbol on my blanket was neatly stitched into it. I smiled and thought of my Captain. I don't know why, but I couldn't stop thinking of that face and it frightened me. I exited the bathroom, to oohs and ahhs from Uta and Mikazuki.
"Wait till the Captain sees you!" Uta exclaimed. This comment caught my attention.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked as I slowly rubbed a wrinkle away from my Shihaksho.
"He will just be proud of you, that's all," Mikazuki answered, sending a quick glance down to Uta who looked away with one turn of her head. I found that a little odd but I decided that wasn't something to worry about. I had some questions for these Shinagamis.
"Uta," I started, following here into the kitchen. "Can I ask you about your zanpakuto?"
"Oh, about Komomaru?" she answered blissfully. I nodded to her. "Well my constantly flowing spirit energy creates the opportunity for my zanpakuto to go unseen."
"Your sword is invisible?" I asked the little shinagami in disbelief. The thought of wielding an invisible sword astounded me.
"Yes, until komomaru enters into Bankai he hides his true face."
"Yeah no need to hide in Bankai form," I added. Uta smiled at me and shook her head in agreement. A silence fell over us but as soon as I notice it was happening something interrupted it. A small bell resonated throughout the house.
"Uta, Mikazuki!" a voice came through a small speaker from the ceiling above us. "Captain Kuchiki wants to see you in the front quarter for your orders immediately!"
"Yes Renji, we will be right there."
"Good you freakin' smart asses," he answered them back.
"Hey Renji," they called up into the speaker. "Next time you are going to insult us you might want to remember to take your finger of that damn button." A quick click and no answer was the only thing returned from Renji. The girls laughed at him uproariously. I truly believed they love to piss of Renji as much as possible. It was awfully amusing. Mikazuki picked up her zanpakuto from its resting place on her bed and placed it in the sash attached to her shihaksho. Uta checked herself in the mirror before coming to me.
"Sayuri, we have to go meet with the captain so you can just hang out here for a little while and maybe get some rest.
"Sure," I answered her accompanying my answer with a little nod. Truth was I wanted to go see the Captain. I still didn't understand what it was about Byakuya-Sama that made me of think of him constantly, maybe it was those eyes. I just played it off as his superiority made me feel most important for because after all I was his squad. This was obviously a lie.
The girls finished getting ready to leave, making sure they looked presentable and perfect in front of the captain. I was sitting on my bed listening to the commotion of them downstairs. They called their final goodbyes to me as they opened the door. My sharpened senses heard a key enter the door and a lock click. I sighed as I relieved I was alone, alone to think, alone to breath, alone to let my mind wander. Where is he first place my mind went? Not to my new surroundings, not my new family, not my home in the soul society but right on to captain Kuchiki, the one and only. What the hell was wrong with me? My thoughts became flooded with his image, his strong jaw which seemed to be chiseled from stone, and his dark eyes smoldering into every crevice of my brain.
"Ugh, what the hell?" my mind screamed to me. I threw my body down flat on my bed, face into the pillows trying to smother the feeling out of me. I kicked my feet in protest, like a 3 year old child not getting their way. I must be going insane. My stomach grew tense as I imagined my first mission by the Captain's side. My face went red with heated blood and it formed a pink blush on my cheeks. I lifted my body up to slam it back down with increasing force, hoping the collision would knock any thoughts of Byakuya Kuchiki out of me. It didn't instead I got I kind of sick. I sat up, anchoring myself on to the bed trying to keep the whole room from spinning. I leaned up against the backboard of my bed, thinking, just random thoughts trying anything to clear my head of Kuchiki. After all he was an ass, a freaking jerk. The only time I had ever felt this way was when I was alive. I was in love, a violent, painful love, if that makes any since at all. He was the reason I died. We got into an argument, physical and brutal, until he completely over powered me. I was thrown from 2 flights of stairs to come crashing down at the bottom of the stairs, a crumpled mass of flesh and bone. Blood was seeping from my body and I remember drawing my last breath staring up at a water stained ceiling. My family which consisted of my older sister and younger brother could get no justice for me and no peace for themselves because the coward who killed me jumped from a 3 story building, splattering his sins on the pavement below. Lucky for me though I was not stuck in the middle ground between the earth and the soul society but went directly into the academy because of my high level of spiritual energy. I came to a place where I can move on but left my sister and brother alone because of my choices. This makes me feel like just maybe I can understand Byakuya Kuchiki and what he is hiding behind those eyes. His pain is evident and his isolation most certainly isn't just because of pride and arrogance. His sorrow breaks my heart.