bleach diversity writing: section a
— drabble collection with 5 x 100 word drabbles
deification
i.
his first memory as a child is of watching himself in the mirror, watching his vibrant black hair fades away to shimmering bright white, and a single word, Mimihagi. he knows he is very sick.
he does not know why his parents keep praying to the unknown god— gods back then seemed merely like figurines, elusive and just obscure names to be learnt and to be worshipped to keep parents happy.
he does not remember when the shadowy presence has been in his soul. all he knows that it lies there slumbering, waiting.
soon you will be mine, child. soon.
ii.
the other children are afraid of him, but it does not matter. he has always been quiet, enjoying tending to the garden more than playing games. they look at him like something half-human. he is all too happy to stay away.
but there is something dark in him. some nameless creature that creeps at the edges of his thoughts and lingers like a heavy presence, the very essence of time soaking his thought processes.
the gods begin to have an impact on his life, and they take on shape and form in his mind, no longer inanimate and obscure.
iii.
the academy is a haven. he is the only one to have spiritual power in his family, which is a pleasant surprise.
he finds that power comes to him so naturally, and he is the top of his class. he makes friends with the lazy and interesting kyoraku shūnsui, and with time, they become thick as thieves.
the first time he communicates with his zanpakūto, he feels something else present in his mind, watching carefully and silently.
"who are you?" he tries to ask, carefully stepping into the shadows.
I am you. I am the creature you have always been.
iv.
when he watches his young lieutenant fall in battle, filled with despair and grief as one of his division stabs another, it surges up in him, the nameless shadow.
who are you to play god with your fellow humans? it asks. you have not yet earned the right to godhood.
"are you a god?" he replies. "you once told me that you were me. if that is true, then indeed, I am a god."
the voice is silent, but it does not refute the claims.
he hears the name Mimihagi whispered again in passing, and it stirs a distant memory.
v.
it is here. it has come to take him.
it is time, child. time to claim our rightful place as gods in the sky. too long have we lingered here amongst the corrupt halls of pure souls. too long have we waited.
he does not regret a single moment of his life, but he is glad to leave it behind. glad to shake off the tired chains of death, blood and making decisions that are all too hard.
leave it all behind. follow us to the light, where we shall rule together as one.
he closes his eyes, and prays.