"Hey kid…hey, wake up, will ya? C'mon!" A red haired kid around seventeen shook a girl in tattered clothes on the streets of Hanging Dog. She was unresponsive and most likely starving. That meant only one thing in this world where you weren't able to feel hunger or pain…She had it. She had Spiritual pressure.
She felt herself being jostled around as she was roughly carried by this guy, slightly older than her. He was running, and fast. So fast she couldn't tell where they were going, but the dirty streets of Hanging Dog quickly disappeared before her eyes and transformed into neat, clean, stone streets surrounded by clean white buildings. "Wh-where? Why?" She managed weakly.
"You just recently died, didn't you?" He asked and she weakly nodded, a flash of pain shooting through her as she remembered her final moment. "This world is called the Soul Society, its s'posed to be like Heaven…but trust me, it ain't. I found ya in Hanging Dog…that's where I grew up. In this world ya ain't s'posed to feel hunger or pain, but you do, don't ya?" again she nodded.
"Name's Renji, and you feeling that stuff means you're like me. You got power inside, and you can be a Soul Reaper. This place, this city, is called the Seireitei, or the Court of Pure Souls. It's where Soul Reapers live. I'm taking you to see the Captain. Maybe he'll know what ta do."
That had been just a few months ago…and she saw Renji near daily now. She was a part of the sixth company, the company of Justice. Their leader, Captain Kuchiki, was the head of the noble Kuchiki clan. He was rich and powerful, as well as beautiful. Their Lieutenant, Renji, was rough and strong, but just as loving and gentle. It was a good place to be, much nicer than her life in the Living World.
"Yo, Keki-chan? Can you help me out over here?" She heard the familiar voice of her fellow unseated officer, Rikichi, calling out to her.
"Another of those Hell Butterflies get loose, Rikichi-kun?" The boy in front of her laughed nervously, so she went to go find a net to help out. Walking down the hallway she bumped right into the elegant, handsome Captain, whom she respected greatly for allowing her to stay in his division.
She found herself holding onto his pristine white Captain's Haori for balance and immediately let go, lowering her eyes as a sign of respect. Byakuya Kuchiki's hard glare softened upon seeing the girl.
He remembered the day she came, tattered and dirty, weak with hunger. Renji had come rushing desperately, holding tight to this skinny girl in a bunny patterned kimono. "Keki…" he said gently, "You're looking for something right?" he asked in his quiet yet firm voice.
She nodded but didn't say anything, not wanting to get her friend in trouble. He was always getting scolded for letting out the magic butterflies whose sole purpose was to open the gate between the Soul Society and the Living World.
"U-um Captain…th-the net." She said quietly. "Th-they got out again."
Her Captain let out a sigh rolling his eyes, which to most of the sixth company was a rare sight. Their Captain always seemed so aloof and emotionless, like a stone wall holding up the division. To see him acting like a normal person was rare indeed. "Rikichi let one get out again?" he asked amusement in his voice. "Binding Spell #4, Hainawa." He muttered calmly as a crawling white rope of energy shot from his fingertip and wrapped itself around the fluttering insect. "It is taken care of." He turned around hiding a smirk that the two unseated officers definitely didn't miss.
"Hey Captain!" Keki called out cheerfully, "You laughed! Renji, Renji!" she called out for the Lieutenant. "Renji! The Captain LAUGHED!"
The red haired boy barked out a laugh walking down the hallway towards his superior and upon reaching Captain Kuchiki, rested an arm on his head, making their height difference obvious. "'s that so? Gee Captain, ain't that something you Nobles ain't s'posed to do?"
Byakuya scoffed, "Is there something you needed, Lt. Abarai?"
"We got a mission demanding a squad of four including a Captain and another high rankin' officer. I figured you an' me could go but…" he trailed off seeing the two kids in front of him purposely making puppy dog eyes. "Aw alright ya can go…" Renji set loose the butterfly from his Captain's spell easily controlling and manipulating it into opening the Senkaimon* to the Living world.
"After you Lt. Abarai…" Byakuya stated quietly. "What is the mission?"
"We're ta purify the tainted souls in the Karakura area in order fer 'em ta pass on to the Soul Society. Ya know, the usual…but they're expectin' a Menos Grande* ta show its ugly face so we need some higher ranks ta protect the small fry."
"We needed four officers for that?" The captain arced an eyebrow in surprise. "Surely they're expecting an Arrancar* if my presence is needed."
"Renji…are we gonna get hurt?" Keki asked nervously, Rikichi hiding behind her for protection.
"Nah…not with me around!" seeing a hollow* he called out his battle cry, summoning the spirit of his blade into battle. "Now Roar! Zabimaru!"
The Captain summoned his blade as well though not as brashly as Renji had. "Scatter, Senbonzakura."
The Squad of Justice, sixth company, has a symbol. The Camellia, its meaning is Noble Reason. Reason and purpose that doesn't falter no matter how hard the circumstances, the sixth division never deviated from their beliefs. They would stand strong, together, just like the beautiful Camellia's growing on the bushes outside the barracks.
Definitions of words with *'s by them
* Senkaimon- The gate between the dimensions of the Soul Society and The Living World
* Menos Grande-A large Hollow capable of easily killing a lower ranked officer
* Arrancar- A hollow with Soul Reaper powers, very powerful and capable of killing a Lieutenant or lower level Soul Reaper
* Hollow- A tainted soul. Hollows used to be innocent spirits of the dead who were consumed with grief and other powerful emotions, or consumed by another hollow that then turned into the creatures themselves.