The Star of the Shihōin

by the Kitsune Magus

Disclaimer: While I do not own Bleach or the characters, locales and events associated with the series; I DO own this twist on the story, and the unique character (Shihōin Traysheia) I chose to write for myself. There will be some romance elements involved, particularly due to my love of Soi Fon's and Kuchiki Rukia's strong personalities. Any commentary or words of encouragement are appreciated, and flames will be read, and laughed at thoroughly, then used to make a comfy little nest in my fox burrow!

" " - spoken words
' ' - thoughts, internal monologues
bold typeface - foreign languages

- Prologue - The Hand of Fate; and the Shadow of the Soul

Shihōin Yoruichi was many things. Princess and Twenty-Second Head of her Family, newly appointed Captain of the 2nd Division of the Gotei 13 of the Seireitei, Commander of the Onmitsukidō, and the self-proclaimed "Queen of Flash". But she never fancied herself a motherly figure; but the young child she had found orphaned by a surprise Hollow attack on the Rukongai West's 78th district. The child had bizarre reiatsu; almost alien to Yoruichi and already developed into applied force, rather than the raw potential of simple reiryoku; and still it felt as though much more lay behind a wall, waiting for him to mature.

Yoruichi must have frightened the boy, as she felt his reiatsu change, becoming more 'normal'. "Are you okay?", she asked simply, trying to sound kind. The boy shrank against the wall, sobbing. Yoruichi approached slowly and she knelt down near him, "My name is Captain Shihōin Yoruichi, 2nd Division of the Gotei 13. Normally we don't get called in, but apparently this warranted my attention. Do you have a name, little one?" The boy timidly stood, showing that he had soft features and a slim build, like that of a girl. He cast his gaze downward and bowed deeply, as a commoner was supposed to when addressed by one of higher station, and said, "M-my name is Tray, but that's short for Traysheia... but now I fear that my name may not matter; as I have nothing left..."

The boy was indeed of slender, almost feminine build; with shoulder-length brown hair with streaks of blood-red through it, as though some modern hair-stylist highlighted his hair sloppily with the crimson coloration. His shining, almond-shaped purple eyes were staring into Yoruichi's own eyes, and his skin was pale like alabaster. His overall appearance was that of a youth that had a uniqueness in gender to him; as though he could be either a handsome boy, or a beautiful girl. The strangest thing was a star-shaped mark around his left eye, barely visible to the naked eye, but it was there if one looked closely. It was also plain to note that in the darkness of the dimly-lit shanty-house, she could not make out much more detail about the boy.

Yoruichi rested her hand upon his small shoulder, and raised his face to gaze into her eyes. "If you will let me, I can offer you a home and family." Seeing the boy's face brightening, she continued, "I promise you that you will have a family; that you will live and become strong so you may protect others, little one." She paused, and thought, 'I'm a Captain-level Shinigami and a trained assassin, and yet this child... I can't help but care for him... why?' Finally she finished, "I know I can never replace your mother, but if you wish to come with me, I will try to be a mother to you." The boy stood fully, little more than about four in maturity, and nodded affirmation. Yoruichi offered her hand to him, which he grasped firmly, and said, with a smile, "Thank you... mother". They walked away from the Rukongai together...

Ten years later, Yoruichi was watching Tray practice with his 'uncle', Urahara Kisuke, third seat of 2nd Division. Urahara was drilling Tray in the arts of Zanjutsu; the Shinigami weapon arts, Tray himself was about the age of six in maturity now and was doing his level best to keep up with his swordmaster 'uncle'. "Widen your stance a bit... you keep your feet too close together and your opponent will have an easy time tripping you up... like this!" Urahara punctuated his instruction to his young 'nephew' by swinging the scabbard of his Zanpakutō, Benihime at Tray's legs. Tray, in response, kicked off the attacking hand, whirling like a top, and lashed out with his training bokken. Urahara blocked effortlessly, but smiled, "Very good... leaving a perceived opening to set up a countermove... you're learning fast, nephew..." Tray, smiling, bowed and brushed his now back-length hair out of his shimmering purple eyes, so as to never let his eyes leave his opponent, "Thank you, uncle... it is your masterful tutelage that makes me so impressive..." His skin in contrast had darkened considerably, almost matching Yoruichi's bronzed tone. However, the star-mark around his left eye had vanished, as though it was some sort of skin imperfection of youth.

After a short break, Tray went to bathe. He felt stronger, but something held him back. While in the bath, he focused his thoughts inward. Inside his own mindscape of the bath house, he saw someone's silhouette in the steam. 'Who are you? Show yourself!', he demanded. 'Are you sure you are ready to see me? You are scarcely matured...' a feminine voice replied and giggled mischievously. Angrily, he stormed forward and grabbed for the person, growling, 'I said show yourself!' He yanked the now-obviously female figure to him, and found... himself! Not truly him, but a female version of him. The muscle tone and body definition of a much younger version of Yoruichi, the same hair but longer and pulled into two thick pigtails, her left eye with a bright crimson star-mark around it, full lips, and a strange circular mark just above her breasts, like someone had gouged into her very being and left it pitted.

Stunned, he could not speak. The female version of him stated, 'I told you... you weren't ready to see me yet...' She turned and began to walk away, back into the now thickening steam. Finally Tray stammered, 'W-wait! Who are you? Please tell me...' Halting and casting a sultry gaze over her shoulder, the female form whispered, 'I am you... you're other soul-half. The rest of your power and potential... but only by identifying with both yourself and me... can we truly be unlocked fully. You aren't ready yet... but soon...' With that he awoke... looking at himself reflected in the water's surface, see both images... his male persona... and the female one he just spoke to. His mother, Yoruichi stood behind him, smiling. "You saw her, didn't you? Your half-soul that gives you the soft looks and almost feminine features?" Tray nodded, "Yeah... I did..."

Yoruichi sat and began to scrub his back, intent on finding out more. "So... what am I to do, mother? I've always known there was something holding back my full potential, but now..." Tray asked as his mother, to which Yoruichi smiled, "... I mean, I'm a guy. How does a guy identify with a female side of himself?" Yoruichi chose to remain silent until she knew exactly the root of his frustrations. Tray sighed and looked at his dual reflection again. Yoruichi's smile broadened a bit and said, "You are my son. Ever since that day you have been as my own flesh and blood. And yet... there have been times when you have the subtlest hints of being just like me... as though I have both a son and a daughter in one child." She rested her arms around his neck, nuzzling his hair with her cheek, and continued, "I know not how you will approach your dilemma, but I do know this... whether a normal masculine boy, an effeminate boy, a tomboyish girl, or a proper little lady; you will always be my child... and I will always love you, as will your uncles." Tray, quiet for a moment, sighed almost happily; as if his mother had gave him his answer, "Thanks, mother... you always know what to say to quell my inner turmoil... and for that I am eternally grateful..."

Approximately four months later, Tray took the Shino Academy entrance exam on a whim. He told this uncles and his mother, and they all applauded his initiative. His training had progressed some. He was starting to study kidō under his 'uncle', Tsukabishi Tessai, the Kidō Corps Captain. His skill with the demon arts lead him to try a damaging and dangerous experiment one day while his mother was training him in Hakuda, the unarmed arts. Focusing and compressing kidō energy, he concentrated his reiatsu to accept the energy into his body, and in a flash; his training shitagi's sleeves and back were blown away, but he felt his muscles were throbbing painfully all over. His mother, fear in her eyes, darted forward and struck once. His body stopped coursing with power, and she hugged him close. "Please... my son... please never use that technique again! Even I cannot control it fully..."

Tray felt her tears on his back and shoulders, and he held her. "Mom... what was that? I've... never felt anything like it..." Yoruichi kissed his forehead and said, "It was a technique that is used by all Commanders of Onmitsukidō: Shunko... the Flash Cry. Did you ever wonder why my shihakusho and your uncles' were different? Why I wear one with no sleeves or back? Your shitagi is evidence enough... when using that technique, your back and arms become so charged with kidō energy that the fabric blows apart, so why wear something that will not last?" Tray looked into his mother's eyes, and made a request that both made his mother happy and sad all at once, "Mother... please... teach me to harness that power. Teach me Shunko, please."

Yoruichi kissed his forehead again, and made him a bittersweet promise, "When you can walk in your true form, I will. When you are whole, my child... my son... my daughter... I will teach you my arts completely. But in doing so, you will become my Hand... an instrument of my will as the Commander of Onmitsukidō. You will be my successor and my double. Will you accept this?" Tray nodded and smiled, "I do, mother... I accept." With that, they separated from their hug and began anew, and his Hakuda training proceeded smoothly afterward. Tray was becoming more and more like Yoruichi by the day, and it did not bother him at all.

After two years of near-constant training under his mother and uncles, Tray entered the Shino Academy at a physical age of about seven, alongside a young boy with silver hair named Ichimaru Gin. His preparation training led him to be lauded as a young genius, easily almost the equal to Shiba Kaien. He himself somewhat idolized Kaien, and on one occasion, in which the famous prodigy was overseeing one of the Zanjutsu classes in progress; Tray heard a whisper in his mind, a distracting one. 'Prrrrrr... Masterrrr... please come to see me... nya~. Please come and play with your BLANK, nya~.' He flinched for a moment, just as his opponent was striking at his face. The next few seconds were a blur, but it ended with him being held from falling over by Kaien, and his instructor angrily yelling at his opponent... something about "... that swing could have killed someone, even with a training bokken!"? Yet the instructor was standing over the boy holding a broken bokken handle, and the rest of it was laying on the floor near where Tray was moments ago. Confused, he looked up to who was holding him, and stammered for a moment, "K-K-Kaien-dono! I apologize for my clumsiness and lack of attentiveness!" He bowed quickly in apology, and felt a bit light-headed and felt a painful throb in his skull, causing him to clutch his head.

Kaien looked on concerned, and asked, "Are you alright, cadet Traysheia? That was a nasty hit to the head you just took, you may want to go see the 4th Division's medics to get it checked out." Tray nodded sheepishly, and said, "Of course, Kaien-dono. Again, my apologies for being thoughtless while in combat." Kaien smiled, "Not a problem, bjust be more mindful next time. Letting your mind wander in a fight is the easiest way to get killed. Bah... I'll see to it you get to the 4th Division's barracks safely... you're mother would have my hide if I didn't. Hey!" Kaien called to the instructor, "I'm taking cadet Traysheia to the 4th Division for a medical exam, to ensure he's not injured. Is that okay, instructor?" The instructor nodded and said, "Of course... be safe, Kaien-san." Kaien walked silently with Tray out of the Academy and as they were heading to the 4th Division's barracks he asked, "So... what distracted you? You aren't some punk kid from the Rukongai anymore... so spill it. What made you go blank and stare into space like that?"

Tray softly spoke, "Kaien-dono... something within me spoke. It was a voice, unlike any other I've heard. I think she tried to tell me her name, but I could not make it out. It was like it was... silenced." Kaien smiled and said, "Aah... now it makes a bit more sense... you weren't ready for it." Tray looked up at him, and paused slightly. "Ready for what, Kaien-dono?" Kaien turned and looked him over, before saying, "Hmm... is your head okay? Or does it still hurt?" Tray rubbed the spot he took the hit at, and winced. "Right... first to see Unohana-san... then I'll show you!" Tray confusedly followed silently. Captain Unohana was more than happy to examine his injury, "And you say the other boy struck him full force, Kaien-san? Enough to break the bokken? My my... this young man's head should be split wide open then..." Tray fidgeted a bit nervously. Captain Unohana was a very matronly woman, but sometimes had a rather icy or morbid way of putting things. "Yeah, but it was the weirdest thing... it was like his reiatsu... changed for a moment... became dense, almost like stone. Not fast enough for him to avoid all injury, but it surely kept him from getting killed." Kaien remarked, puzzling things out a bit. Unohana healed Tray's bruised forehead, and kissed it lightly, "There... all better. Try not to break a bokken with your head again.

After the short interlude with Captain Unohana, Kaien led Tray to a training field. "Watch carefully... you've been taught what a Zanpakutō is, right?" He drew his sword, and slowly whirled it in his hand like a baton, saying, "Rankle the seas and skies... Nejibana!" Tray watched as his idol's Zanpakutō transformed into a trident-like weapon, with flowing water coming from it's bottom tip and the tassel and tines of the trident head. "This is my Zanpakutō, Nejibana... notice how it changed when I called it." He stopped twirling it for a moment, and a circle of water formed around him. "Notice how it's powers are always in effect? Mine is an elemental Zanpakutō, a kidō-type with an elemental trait. In my Nejibana's case... Water..." Kaien sealed his Zanpakutō, and walked over to Tray, who was amazed. "I believe your Zanpakutō's spirit was trying to reach out to you. Try meditating to see if she tries to contact you again."

Tray calmed himself, and began to meditate. Kaien had already informed Captain Unohana that Tray 'would not be going back to the Academy until the next day, as he wanted to observe the boy to ensure he was alright.' She acquiesced, and sent word to the instructors. Kaien's suspicions were confirmed after about ten minutes; when a beautiful shirasaya kodachi, nearly katana-length and obviously meant to be quick-drawn, formed upon his crossed legs in it's scabbard. It had no hand-guard; with only ten claw-like indents in the brass-colored metallic ring that joined the scabbard as adornment. The pommel cap had a tassel of royal blue horse-hair, similar to his Nejibana when it was in it's released state.

Tray's eyes twitched every so often, as if he were dreaming. Then, out of nowhere, his voice rang out as he stood up, "Shine in the moonlight... Kurohyoumegami!" He drew the blade in an Iaidō-style quick-draw slash, and a flash of bluish-white light and cold reiatsu momentarily caught Kaien off guard. When he looked up, Tray stood, with a pair of claw-gauntlets on his fingers, looking like they were stylized out of pure ice, but gleamed like metal. Tray reflexively flexed his fingers, and Kaien could see what could only be a set of retractable cat-claws of ice out of the already sharp-looking claw-tips of his gauntlets. "I found her... my Zanpakutō... Kurohyoumegami. Thanks to you, Kaien-dono... no, Kaien-sensei." He bowed politely and had a pride glowing in him like only three other days of his life.

Kurohyoumegami = Panther Goddess