My name is Tai Rosuto and I am a soul reaper. I am the captain of 7th guard squad which is the special operations of the soul reapers. One of the reasons I'm the captain of this squad is that I am still among the living. That's right, I'm still alive but I became a soul reaper anyway and that's a story for later on. I went to the academy with Rukia and Renji and have been captain for a year and a half. Everything was going great until I got a call from the Soul Society one day…
-Captain of 7th squad, Tai Rosuto
"Ok class now let's talk about advanced trigonometry now…" Tai's math teacher was the most boring person in the entire world. Whether it was because he spoke with a monotone voice or the fact that Tai had taken this course countless times over, he was not sure. Then as the teacher turned his back to write problems on the chalkboard Tai's soul pager watch went off and everybody turned to look.
'Saved by the bell,' Tai thought. He quickly made up an excuse of "That's one of my appointments, I'm sorry but I must be going." And he got up and made his way across the room to the door. As he opened it he said, "And yes, I won't forget the quiz tomorrow." He walked out of the room and made the door shut silently as he walked down the long hallway to a safe place. He rounded the corner and headed into the boys bathroom and pressed a button on the watch.
Then the ordinary display of the watch turned into what looked like a TV display and the face of one of his squad members flashed onto the screen. It was Motoko his 3rd seat in the squad; she had black highlighted hair and deep blue-purple eyes.
"What is it Motoko? This had better be good to call me in the middle of school…" Her response came in her same challenging tone.
"Of course it's good Tai! You have to come to the soul society immediately!" she shouted through the watch. Tai was surprised by this news.
"What!? Come to the soul society now!?" he replied. 'This must be good…' He thought. "Ok, I'll be right there. Oh and Motoko…"
"Yes sir?" Motoko answered
"You are supposed to call me captain!" Tai screeched.
A look of defiance spread across her face and all she said was "Whatever!" And the screen went blank. Finally, Tai pulled himself together. "Ok, time to go." He said faintly. So Tai ran out of school down the street and to his apartment. Once he was inside he pressed a button on his watch and his soul was knocked out of his body. His body fell limply on the floor and his soul was standing there in full Shihakusho with the captain's uniform on him and ready. He drew one of his two Zanpakto and opened the gate to the soul society and he stepped through it so that he was standing inside the sayraytay.
He slowly made his way to the squad 7 barracks and he saw many members of other squads but none of his own. As he drew nearer his pace quickened as he remembered Motoko's worried and hurried tone of voice. He saw it in the distance now, the grass and tree laden barracks of the 7th squad. He stepped onto the soft and squishy grass and the doors flung open to give way to Motoko walking across the grass to meet him. "Tai! I mean…Captain." She said hurriedly.
"Hello Motoko, now what is this all about?" She responded while walking right past him. Absently, she seemed to talk to herself. "I was just about to head there; all of the squad is there already." She said. He rounded and followed her down the streets.
"Where are we going?" Tai yelled at her. Her tone suddenly became more sullen, "To squad four barracks, it's the Lt." This took Tai by surprise. "What? The Lt. is at the squad four barracks, what happened?" Motoko stopped walking and turned to face Tai, "He went on a routine mission to the human world with some new academy graduates that might have been placed in our squad." She said, still quite doleful.
"What, why wasn't I notified?" Tai yelled again. His anger was beginning to act up on him.
"The Lt. thought you didn't need to be bothered with something so trivial. So he left with the three graduates a couple of days ago. Only the Lt. returned today."
Tai was shocked, "Then why are we standing around, let's go!" he said quickly and without hesitation.
Together they raced off to the squad four barracks. They arrived a few minutes later and squad four's captain, Unohana Retsu, greeted them. "Captain Tai, you're here." Unohana said. She sounded surprised even though she obviously knew this would be coming.
"Does that come as a surprise to you Unohana?! I came to see my Lt.!" Tai sort of semi-yelled, semi-told her. She turned down a hallway, "Follow me." And the two squad seven members followed her down a short hallway. She led them into a large medical room on the left. Inside was crowded with members of squad 7 and in the middle was a medical bed with Lt. Oakshii on the bed wearing a bloody Shihakusho and not moving very much. Tai spoke in a solemn tone.
"I'm sorry you all, but I need to talk with the Lt. alone." All the members of squad 7 began to file out of the room but Tai caught her and said "Except for you Motoko." It was only now that Tai showed his true feelings; he rushed over to his Lt. Oakshii's side. Motoko was caught off guard at his sudden change of heart. 'Well,' she thought 'Tai and Oakshii went to the academy together and are still good friends. So it is not uncommon for Tai to be so worried. But she was still slightly bothered for an odd reason.
Motoko and captain Unohana pulled up chairs for all of them to sit by his side. Tai sat in his chair and looked worried when Unohana spoke, "He's been unconscious since one of our patrols found him in the human world."
But then Lt. Oakshii began to stir and he coughed. "Lt. Oakshii!" Motoko exclaimed as Oakshii tried to sit up, but it was Unohana that stopped him. "Lay down now, you need to rest. After all you've been out for days probably." She told him, trying to force him down. He did not heed the warning whatsoever.
"None of that matters anymore because I know that my time is at a end." Motoko looked at Tai. His hair hid his eyes from her but then Tai spoke. "Don't say such stupid things Oakshii. Now lie down and tell us what happened." Oakshii looked stricken, but to everyone's relief he nodded and lay down.
"Yes captain, well it all went well, or so we thought." He began. "We were standing in a deserted clearing in the mountains and I had just placed a shield around us."
Flashback
Oakshii was standing in a clearing with three other soul reapers who were standing together. Oakshii spoke, "Ok, now go around and tell me your names and an overview of your abilities." The one to his left leaning against a tree spoke first. "I am Ryoumi Datesha," he said. "And I wield the Zanpakto Satsubatsu and I was the best swordsman in my class." The next was sitting on a large bolder in the middle of the clearing. This one was more out-of-it. "Uh…Guess I'm next. My name is Kiokure Hisakata. I wield the Zanpakto Tarento and I am not particularly good at swordsmanship or Kedo, but I had good test scores." The third and final student was sitting in the top of a tree at the edge of the clearing; "My name is Kirai Rousoku." He said. Oakshii waited for a while before becoming frustrated. "And?!" He yelled. Kirai's reply was in the same cool manner, "That's it, I'm not telling anything else."
'He's an odd one, like Motoko…' Oakshii thought as he moved to the rock in the center of the clearing and called them all to it. "Ok, now that you are all full-fledged soul reapers its time to put you into a squad so I'm here to test your abilities. When I say go, attack me in anyway you see fit and I'll gauge your strength that way…Go!" The three burst and lashed out at him suddenly. The fighting went on for about an hour or so until all three soul reapers were defeated by Oakshii.
"Is that all you got? Man the academy really has slipped these day." Oakshii taunted them. In reality Oakshii was very impressed with their abilities. "Ok now let's go home." He finished. Right as he was about to open the gate to the soul society he heard it, the shriek of a hollow! Kiokure spoke up, "A hollow, and not your average one." Then a horrible yell came from behind them both and Ryoumi lay on the ground, dead. A horrible hairy bird looking hallow stood over him laughing his head off. 'Grand Fisher!' Thought Oakshii as he drew his sword.
"Am I lucky today or what! Three soul reapers in one place, I hit the jackpot!" Grand Fisher teased. Kirai rushed towards him and attempted to stab him. "What?" he yelled out in surprise when Grand Fisher disappeared.
'Where did he go?' Oakshii thought to himself. Then he heard a horrible ripping sound as Grand Fisher burst from the brush. "Ha-ha-ah!" Grand Fisher laughed menacingly. He extended his hair into little spears that were rushing towards Kiokure.
'Damn, I won't make it there in time.' Oakshii thought but he did and took the blow for Kiokure. "Lt. Oakshii! Why?!" Kiokure screamed. Oakshii boomed out heroically. "Because it's my responsibility to look after all of you, one is already dead and I won't lose anymore!" He drew his sword and cut Grand Fisher's hair spears then charged at the hollow. Grand Fisher effortlessly jumped up into the air and plunged down. He landed right on top of Kirai who was still in shock, killing him in one effortless move.
"What was that Soul Reaper? You're not letting anymore others die?" Grand Fisher taunted Oakshii but it was Kiokure who came to his defense. "Shut up you!" Kiokure yelled rushing at Grand Fisher. But Grand Fisher had prepared for this. Oakshii watched the lure on his head turn into a young blue-eyed, blonde haired, human male. Kiokure stopped in his tracks and stared at the lure with an expression of pure fear. The human lure began to talk, it had a deep voice and it sounded almost angelic, he was wearing a pirate hat but without the skull and crossbones and behind the lure's smooth talking Grand Fisher was getting ready to attack. "Kiokure, move!" As Grand Fisher's next attack came Oakshii, once again, took the blow for Kiokure. Then Oakshii collapsed.
End Flashback"And that's," Oakshii coughed, "All I can remember." He was clearly strained by telling the story. "And that's not all Captain." He took Tai's ears close and whispered, "The lure was alive, and it had a heart beat."
'What?!' Thought Tai. 'How could Grand Fisher get a live human body as a lure?' Then Oakshii took in a deep breath. "Captain, chose a good Lt. to take my place." And his body grew limp, the muscles pulling their last great effort. Tai felt hot rage welling up in his mind and he yelled to the heavens. "Damn you Grand Fisher!"