Hi fellas. Here is a new story.
FYI this is not an original work. The premise is based off "Hanataro: Prince of Xenomorphs" by Rikion. I give him full credit as to the origin of this story and encourage everyone to view it. This story was not done with Rikon's permission, I tried to contact him/her and received no response.
I am not entirely familiar with the appropriate etiquette, I hope it will not cause a problem.
That being said I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 1
The Queen Mother did not so much awaken but animate into consciousness as if a dozen leaves of psyche suddenly bonded together to form one entity. A big entity, with a rather hostile outlook on the world.
She hissed into the void and the void responded in kind with a desolate echo. Her proboscis-like tongue slowly creeped out of her jaws tasting the air with snapping teeth.
She found herself which was a dark void. It was not a cave or pit or anything that implied walls, ceilings or floors. It was an endless abyss stretching beyond without horizon or reference of time or space. It was devoid of any form of light or life.
Reaching out with her senses, but she could hear nothing, feel nothing, and see nothing. As far as she could tell, she was the only thing alive in this dark desolate place.
The creature was alone. Utterly alone.
That was unacceptable.
How she yearned to have Children. But you cannot have something for nothing; no life meant no host. No hosts! No Children! Nothing! She could do nothing, she was nothing. What is the point of Queen if there is no kingdom?!
The creature opened her jaws and uttered an earthshaking roar that would sent any other creature, running in fear of the massive monster. The shriek carried a message of rage and loneliness to the edge of the abyss.
0o0o0o
Hanataro shot up from his bed, scared out of his wits by whatever nightmare he had. He scanned the room several times on instinct, ensuring whatever he imagined was not alone in the room with him. Relieved at his solitude, Hanataro slumped back onto his bed, taking the time to calm down his heart. What the hell was that?
A sudden clang sent the diminutive Shinigami's heart back into overdrive. "GAH!"
Locking onto the source, he found the cause of the disturbance. His sword fell out of its stand, and landed on the floor with about as much grace as a brick.
Hanataro sighed, pulling the sheets away to get out of bed. He picked up the sword and put it back in its place, after looking it over he could see no reason for his sword to fall.
The blade was nondescript, it looked no different than the blades of the other Academy students. It was not uncommon for him to lose it or mix it with someone else, something he gets chastised for on a regular basis. That being said, something looked different about it now. The noticeable thing he could pick up was the hilt was darker in colour. Strange…. Hanataro shook his head, ugh I'm just imagining things.
The boy yawned and slowly headed back to bed, he had a big day in a few hours. Little did he notice the blade behind him was rattling by an unseen force; a signal that something took notice of the sleeping Shinigami.
0o0o0o
Yamada Hanataro groaned as he woke up. It was only until he got out of bed did he stretch himself out, his body clicking and cracking in both objection and relief. He never enjoyed the generic beds the Academy provided. They were uncomfortable and the mattresses were so thin, Hanataro wondered why they bothered to include them at all. Back pain was a common complaint from the students of the Shinigami Academy, at least the ones who were actually resident in the Academy dormitories the majority of whom could barely afford a new mattress.
Thankfully it is nothing that could not be solved with a hot shower, Hanataro smiled as he headed to the bathroom.
Yamada Hanataro had been at the Academy for almost a year now, something that amazed even him. His size, posture and confidence screamed out 'would not last a month'; there was even a betting pool on it. Naturally many fellow student attempted to weasel him out of the Academy by their 'set date', but he persevered much to their surprise. However, that did not stop the small Yamada from being the target of many pranks and cruel jokes, especially on his birthday.
But despite his treatment he kept pushing forward, relying on two things to keep him going. The first was his intelligence, he may not be the most powerful Shinigami, but he knew his stuff. The same people who picked on him were the same people who 'asked' (i.e. bullied) him to do their homework and assignments.
The second and more important factor was his brother Seinosuke, who wrote to him on a semi-regular basis. The letters were not poetry, mere simple words of encouragement, the odd tip on a particularly hard problem, the offhand compliment on good grades; but they were enough.
Hanataro stepped out of the shower, his body and back soothed. Changing into a fresh uniform he headed for the door, reaching for his blade on the way out.
But something caught his eye that made him pause.
His sword was different; not overly so but enough to catch his eye. He recalled his hilt normally being a generic black colour, the same as all Academy students. Now the hilt had somehow become even more dark, that or an incredibly dark blue. It had glossy and shiny look as if he was composed of a ceramic material. Reaching out he picked up his blade and raised his eyebrows in surprise, it not only looked different it felt different too.
The blade was slightly heavier, not much but definitely not what he was familiar with. The hilt felt sleek and strong in Hanataro's hand, despite the foreign touch it actually felt more comfortable to hold than before.
Huh… Hanataro puzzled, what's going on? Then the alarm when. "AGH! I'm late for class!"
0o0o0o
The creature had no idea who it was but she knew this child was important.
The creature gazed through the eyes of this strange and arguably pathetic boy. She could sense his fear and uncertainty; a dismal despair that he hid so well he does not even notice it himself.
No wonder this place was so dark and vacant, the creature thought.
He had no teeth, no claws, no bladed tail, no inner mouth, nothing deadly! He seemed helpless as a lamb among lions. He was intelligent sure, his mind was full of information. But intelligent does not mean smart; he is clumsy and easily duped. Then the creature saw two males larger than this boy bothering him with insults. It caused him pain, it made him suffer. How disappointing…
But then she felt it, a strength in him. It shrugged off the pain, it kept the void from growing darker. The boy remained standing despite the taunts and teasing and that one of them smacked his books out of his hand.
Hmm, the creature clicker he inner tongue, not so weak after all.
0o0o0o
"Now everyone, before we wrap up today's lesson," the imposing Ōnabara Gengorō turned to face the class, his gaze forcing everyone back into their seats, "I have one more thing to discuss."
Several of the young Shinigami shifted uncomfortably but made no movement. "How many of you have managed to communicate with your Zampakutou?"
Many confused looks graced the class, some even looked ashamed. That was all their instructor needed. "I am not impressed people; you were given your swords a year ago." The large instructor seemed to almost tower over everyone in the class, even the people who were obviously taller than him. "You should have at least been able to sense something by now. I want you, all of you, to perform the Jinzen as often as you can. You can consider this your homework, and rest assured, I will be following up. Dismissed."
The students left one by one, Ōnabara Gengorō began rubbing out today's lesson on the chalk board. Kids these days, no respect for the art. His thoughts were brought back when he heard a diminutive sound.
"Um…ummm…sir?" Gengorō turned to face the source, a young man of small stature. His demeanour was flawed and his face forgettable. The look on his face was one of terror and concern, as if he made a horrifying mistake. Ōnabara Gengorō was not a man who looked welcoming, he knew this. But he was a teacher and this was his student.
"Yes?" He spoke calmly.
"Uh…I'm sorry Ōnabara -sensei, but ummm I was hoping to talk about the final part of your class." The student fumbled. "About communicating with our Zamaputou?"
"Yes." Gengorō brightened up; so it seems some people have being making progress. "I take it you have already met yours, why didn't you pipe up?"
"Umm, it's just I'm not exactly sure I have." The student whispered. "I was hoping to seek your…counsel on this matter."
Gengorō's timetable was free and judging from this young initiate, so was he. "What is your name?"
"M-my name? It's Hanatarō. Yamada Hanatarō."
"Yamada?" The instructor looked the nervous academy student again. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Seinosuke would you?"
"He's my brother sir." The younger Yamada blinked. "You know him?"
"I taught him." Gengorō straightened his uniform. Hmm, the resemblance is barely noticeable but it is there. Who would have thought someone so forgettable would be related to the vice-captain of the Forth? "Well, Hanataro, how can I help? Can you hear it? Has it started talking in riddles?"
"No, umm, I don't think so." Hanataro looked at his sword at his side, a mixture of confusion and fear. "I see it when I'm asleep."
"Sleep is when our mind is at our most flexible. Our mind and your Zampakutou's inner world begin bridge, albeit temporarily. It's very common to meet our Zampakutou's in our dreams."
"It wasn't a dream." Hanatarō voice sounded grating, very unlike the boy himself. It actually took the instructor back a little bit. "It's a…it's a nightmare."
A nightmare? Gengorō blinked. That is very unusual. Looking at Hanatarō with fresh eyes, he noticed something was off. The student's hair was a little unkempt, his skin slightly off white, but his eyes sealed it. His eyes had grey rings almost black, he has been having trouble sleeping for some time. "It normally it happens and night, but recently I have been…hearing things during the day. Sounds with no obvious source."
"Sounds?" The sensei raised a brow. "What do you hear?"
"Hissing." Hanatarō whispered, his eyes darting to the exit. "Screeching…"
"Maybe…"Gengorō licked his lips. "Maybe you should tell me from the top?"
"Yes sir." The boy sounded grateful for the prompting. "It's when I'm asleep. I'm surrounded by darkness, it's hot and humid. I see strange bulbs standing out of the ground. Then I see…"
Gengorō prompted, placing a reassuring hand on the student's shoulder. "You see…?"
"I look up and see," Hanatarō shivered, "I see something…big. Teeth." The boy took in a deep breath. "It looks at me…It doesn't have eyes but I know it is looking at me…"
"…and?"
"I scream and I wake up." Gengorō could actually feel Hanatarō sweat under his hand. "It's so vivid…it feels so real."
"How long have you been having this…event?"
"It started a few weeks ago, it happens every night. But the sounds have only occurred in the past two days." Hanatarō sighed, ignorant that his instructor's eyebrows shot up to comic heights. "Sir could my Zampakutou be…defective? Am I losing my mind?"
"No." Gengorō nearly laughed; it was a naïve question, but at the same time a legitimate one. "I have never heard of a defective Zampakutou in my lifetime and I have been around for a while."
"So what is happening?"
"Hmmm…." The head instructor puzzled, that was a good question, it is mighty unusual for a Zampakutou to give off such visions. Could it be possible? "Can I hold your Zampakutou for a minute?" Hanatarō eagerly complied, handing it to him as if he would love nothing more than to be free of it. "Okay, do you clearly recall what this 'creature' of yours looks like?"
Hanatarō nodded reluctantly. Gengorō returned with a similar motion and placed the sword on the flat of his palms. "Good, close your eyes."
His student initially hesitant closed his eyes in compliance. "Here is what I want you to do," Gengorō instructed, "I want you to picture it now and hold that image no matter how much you don't want to. I want you to imagine charging forward and trying to touch it." Hanatarō squirmed slightly but made no further motion.
The result was instantaneous, Gengorō was surprised to actually feel reiatsu leak from the Zamapakutou in his hands, and it was not a little bit either. Okay, so this 'nightmare' is definitely his Zamapakutou trying to communicate with him. "Good, now I want you to imagine that creature, and the surroundings you found it in. Every detail you remember: the darkness, the humidity, the strange bulbs in the ground; leaving nothing out."
The effect strengthened tenfold, the reiatsu flooded the room like a tidal wave. Gengorō could actually feel heat; the kind that was beginning to hurt. "Amazing…" he whispered, for someone so young to possess a Zampakutou this strong so soon… This Zampakutou warranted a final test, something that could confirm his suspicions. It required Hanatarō, and more importantly his Zampakutou to be unaware of Gengorō's intentions.
The Ha-kyō, the test of strength of the Zampakutou itself. If the spirit that dwelled within the sword was weak its reiatsu would be suppressed with minimal effort, like waves breaking against the shore. But if it was strong, it will try to fight back. The instructor channelled his own reiatsu into the Zamapakutou in his hands.
Gengorō shrieked in pain dropping the sword to the ground with an unpleasant 'clang'. Hanatarō's eyes shot open in horror. Gengorō was hoping around as if he was set alight. The reitsu that flooded out of the sword came to grinding halt.
"Ōnabara-sensei?!" Hanatarō panicked, ready to head out and call for help. He ran for the door to get someone.
"Hold Hanatarō." Gengorō's command caught the young student mid-step. "No need to worry."
Hanatarō's hand reluctantly moved away from the door slowly approaching his injured sensei. "Well I got good news Hanatarō," Gengorō mused delicately staring at the offending sword, "you have awoken your Zamapakutou. The first in your class. Congratulations."
"Sensei are you alright?" Hanatarō eyes teared up in panic and at the fear of it being his fault.
"Not exactly." Gengorō held up his hands for inspection. Hanatarō paled at the damage; his instructor's hands had been mauled, almost torn. Most of the skin had been stripped clean off. Large gashes danced around the flesh, some so deep Hanatarō could actually see bone and tendon.
"Oh no, sensei I am so sorry! I didn't mean it-" Yamada the younger's heartfelt apology was quickly cut short by a sly chuckle. "Sir?"
"You have nothing to be sorry about Hanatarō." Gengorō smirked as he looked at his injured hands. "The injuries I've sustained are all repairable. But it will require the attention of the best medic in all of Seretei."
"B-but-"
"It's okay. I'm not angry. I was counting on it," Gengorō chuckled, "your Zampakutou fought back." Though honestly, fighting back was a tame way to put it.
The last time the instructor received an injury that severe he was testing out the Zampakutou of one Tōshirō Hitsugaya. The frost bite on his hands were so bad, it warranted the undivided attention of Unohana Retsu herself. If Gengorō tried the Ha-kyō on the famed 'ice-dragon' now it would probably turn his hands into a cold mist. Looking at his hands as they bled, the instructor realised that Hyōrinmaru was probably being polite back then.
This one however, Gengorō gazed at the blade which lay on the floor, the very ground bubbling and melting away from it, this one has a certain malevolent viciousness about it. It is more than a fighter, it was a predator. Ōnabara Gengorō had been at the academy a very long time. Many students come and go, dull and bleak, but every now and then a star shows up.
"Yamada Hanatarō," Gengorō looked up to the young student and despite the pain, smiled. "I'm expecting great things from you."
0o0o0o
Well fellas there you go. I hope you enjoyed.
Read and Review please.
