Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo.
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Rating: M
Genre: Adventure, Action, Romance, Supernatural
Summary: Sometimes you need to take the leap and build your wings on the way down. A Shinigami fresh out of the academy soon discovers this. Why did Captain Kurosaki pick her for his elite 14th Division?
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Bleach
Flap Your Wings
By Cyberweasel89
Prologue: Graduation
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What I am about to write to you is a memoir of not my life, but the life of someone I once knew. Through these writings, you will be able to know this person from the inside out. How she was born, how she lived, how she died, how she loved, her relationships and bonds with others, her hopes and dreams, her ideals, and most importantly, how she, through a series of both fortunate and unfortunate events, rose to the center of attention in all planes of existence. Through these writings of mine, I hope to show you the one thing that led to her downfall. Lust? Greed? Pride? Ambition? Charity? Kindness? Or just blind ignorance? The assumption is up to you. But know this: What I write are not sins. They are tragedies.
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"I would like to congratulate everyone! You all stand before me today as full-fledged Shinigami!"
Oh, she was so nervous!
"Each and every one of you has successfully passed through the phase of mere fledglings to a group of fine young men and women worthy of the title of Shinigami!"
The head of the academy, who right now sounded akin to a drill instructor, paced back and forth in front of the long line of graduating students. And all the students, one of them in particular, had to stand at attention for the graduating ceremony.
"But your journey to better yourselves is not over! It will be a long and winding trail down the road to becoming a truly great Shinigami! Zanjutsu! Hakuda! Kidou! Hohou! Remember their lessons well!"
Not to mention that all the Captains and Lieutenants of the Gotei Thirteen were lined up just on the other side of the courtyard!
"Zanjutsu grants teamwork! Hakuda grants courage! Kidou grants wisdom! Hohou grants discipline!"
Oh no! One of the Captains was looking directly at her!
"And now for the most important part of the ceremony! The Gotei thirteen will be introduced, and they shall individually choose which of you to include in their division!"
This was it! She was so nervous!
"Commander-General and Captain of the First Division! Yamamoto-Genryuusai Shigekuni!"
The imperturbable Captain of the First Division stepped forward from the lineup, an unmovable pivot.
"Lieutenant of the First Division! Sasakibe Choujirou!"
The man of few words stepped forward to stand by his captain's side in waiting.
"Captain of the Second Division and Commander-in-Chief of the Special Forces! Soifon!"
The Second Division Captain stepped forward, eyeing the graduates with a vicious glare.
"Lieutenant of the Second Division and Corps Commander of the Patrol Corps! Oumaeda Marechiyo!"
The hulking Second Division Lieutenant stepped forward, munching on a bag of fried rice crackers. Soifon elbowed him in the hip when some of the crumbs fell on her hair.
"Captain of the Third Division! Shihouin Yoruichi!"
Yoruichi herself stepped forward, scratching at her chest in a manner that pushed her kosode opened to the near point of exposure. Whether she was aware of it or not was definitely questionable.
"Lieutenant of the Third Division! Kira Izuru!"
The Third Division Lieutenant stepped up next to his beautiful captain, blushing, fidgeting with his hands, and trying to look anywhere but at his captain.
"Captain of the Fourth Division and leader of the Medical and Supply Relief Corps! Unohana Retsu!"
The Fourth Division Captain stepped forward, genuine elegance as always.
"Lieutenant of the Fourth Division! Kotetsu Isane!"
The Fourth Division Lieutenant stepped forward, holding her Captain's Zanpakutou and looking somewhat worried.
"Unfortunately, Captain of the Fifth Division, Tojiro Zukia, could not be here today, nor could his Lieutenant. We have been informed that he would like to convey his apologies and hopes he can come next time. Now where was I? Ah, yes. Captain of the Sixth Divison! Kuchiki Byakuya!"
The Sixth Division Captain stepped forward, his eyes narrowed at the graduates.
"Lieutenant of the Sixth Division, Hinamori Momo!"
The Sixth Division Lieutenant stepped forward, her hands clasped in front of her waist and looking rather humble.
"Captain of the Seventh Division! Komamura Sajin!"
The massive, canine-like figure of the Seventh Divison Captain stepped forward, his unshakeable loyalty evident in his eyes.
"Lieutenant of the Seventh Division and President of the Shinigami Men's Association! Iba Tetsuzaemon!"
The Seventh Division Lieutenant stepped forward, sticking his chest out in what was no doubt his attempt to look manlier.
"Captain of the Eighth Division! Kyouraku Shunsui!"
The Eighth Division Captain stepped forward, lifting his straw hat with his index finger to send a knowing smile at the female graduates, a glimmer in his eye.
"Lieutenant of the Eighth Division and Vice-President of the Shinigami Women's Association! Ise Nanao!"
The Eighth Division Lieutenant stepped forward, clutching a thick book in her arm and adjusting her glasses with a stern look on her face.
"Captain of the Ninth Division and Head Editor of the Seireitei News Magazine! Kurosaki Isshin!"
The re-instated Captain stepped forward, grinning widely and waving his hand energetically at the line-up of students.
"Lieutenant of the Ninth Division! Hisagi Shuuhei!"
The Ninth Division Lieutenant stepped forward. He seemed somewhat annoyed...
"Captain of the Tenth Division, Hitsugaya Toushirou!"
The tall Captain stepped forward, his arms crossed over his bare and muscled chest, his haori and kosode left hanging open. He was looking about as annoyed as Hisagi.
"Lieutenant of the Tenth Division! Matsumoto Rangiku!"
The voluptuous blonde beauty stepped forward, her arms crossed beneath her ample bosom. She was gazing off into the distance, as if something was weighing on her mind.
"Captain of the Eleventh Division and head of the Melee Combat Division! Zaraki Kenpachi!"
The Eleventh Division Captain stepped forward, his single eye seeming to weigh and judge the graduates like meat on display for the picking.
"Lieutenant of the Eleventh Division and President of the Shinigami Women's Association! Kusajishi Yachiru!"
The pink-haired girl hopped up from behind Kenpachi to sit on his shoulder, her long legs dangling in front of his chest. To those that noticed, they were surprised with how much of a beauty the girl had become over the past few centuries, especially the way she filled in the chest of her kosode. Of course, no one dared give the teenage girl an admiring look, not with Captain Kenpachi around.
"Captain of the Twelfth Division and President of the Science Bureau! Kurotsuchi Mayuri!"
The Twelfth Division Captain stepped forward. His face had a genuinely warm, pleasant smile upon it, his eyes almost twinkling with delight.
"Lieutenant of the Twelfth Division and Vice-President of the Science Bureau! Kurotsuchi Seiji!"
A head of light purple hair poked out from behind the Twelfth Division Captain. Kurotsuchi Mayuri reached a hand back and patted the boy's head, gently urging him out into the open. He appeared no more than five years old, with light purple hair tied in a low ponytail behind him, but with two long strands framing his face and hanging down in front of his chest. His hair also stuck out a bit above his ears. His eyes were a rosey pink color, gentle and thoughtful. He wore the standard Shinigami uniform, albeit tailored to suit his small size. On his back was his Zanpakutou, a long, straight blade, somewhat like a ninjatou. Overall, he was absolutely adorable. It was hard to believe that someone like him could be the grandson of Kurutsuchi Mayuri. He had his mother's thoughtful expressions, his father's intelligence, and his grandfather's thirst for scientific knowledge, which was likely what lead him to the position of the Twelfth Division's Lieutenant.
"Captain of the Thirteenth Division, Urahara Kisuke!"
The green-and-white striped hat-wearing man stepped forward, tossing his cane in the air and catching it before bowing at the students.
"Um… Urahara-sama, where are your lieutenants?"
The hat-wearer looked pensive for a moment. "Not sure. I think I told them to clean my office at about the same time as the ceremony. Pretty inconvenient, huh?"
Several of the Captains sighed. They knew he just didn't want Jinta and Ururu to interfere with who he picked for his division.
"Very well. That's everyone except-"
The gates at the end of the courtyard opened up, two figures standing there. They both began walking forward, slowing approaching the group of Shinigami.
"Oh, it looks like he's arrived after all. Last, but not least, Captain of the Fourteenth Division and head of the Special Interest Division, along with his Lieutenant! Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia!"
And in walked the most famous Shinigami Captain of all, dressed in a standard Shinigami uniform. But wrapped around his neck and billowing dramatically in the wind behind him and reaching to the ground was a drab brown mantle. The collar of the mantle, with a large rope drawstring and fastened with a wooden brooch marked with the Shihouin family crest, was raised high so that most of his face was covered, and his eyes were obscured by his long, shaggy orange hair. On his back was a large, oversized katana in an equally oversized sheath. The handle was red, the tsuba was rectangular, and a red tassel was on the end of the handle. This was definitely Kurosaki Ichigo.
The famous Fourteenth Division Captain walked up to the group, his Lieutenant close behind him, a distant look in her eyes. Though his eyes could not be seen, all could feel his gaze upon them. It was weighing them, looking right through them. After what seemed like an eternity of his weighing gaze, he and his lieutenant lined up next to the Thirteenth Division Captain.
"Yes, thank you, Kurosaki-sama. That's everyone. Now... graduates! The Gotei Thirteen will now inspect each of you and discuss who will go to which Division! Stand at attention and hold your heads high!"
The Fourteenth Division Captain, Kurosaki Ichigo, and his lieutenant, Kuchiki Rukia, were the first to walk forward. And they headed directly for one person: The graduate known as Yumi. The young girl looked back and forth frantically, wondering if they were heading to someone near her. But no, the Fourteenth Division Captain and his lieutenant were heading directly for her! The large, menacing man came to stand right in front of her, his lieutenant just a pace behind and to his right. Yumi stared up at this intimidating figure of a man. Even though she could not see his eyes, she could feel his gaze upon her. Testing her. Weighing her. Observing her. Inspecting her. Judging her. Even though the other captains and lieutenants were studying the line of graduates, they all went directly past her. None dared examine her while the Fourteenth Division Captain was at work. But the young girl did not notice. She chanced an awkward glance up at the man's face, and the entire world fell away, leaving her standing in a dark void. Only her and the Fourteenth Division Captain stood in this space. She could feel his gaze weighing down on her. It was pushing on her shoulders, trying to force her to the ground. But she would not give in. She struggled to stay standing under the ever increasing weight. A thick sweat formed all over her body as the weight became unbearable. She stared directly into the Captain's hidden face. A surge of power sprung up around them, and the Captain's shaggy orange hair lifted, revealing not a face, but an endless void far darker than the one both currently stood in. The girl gasped at the sight, but felt her eyes drawn to this faceless void. She was almost pulled in, but came to her senses and shook herself free. As she recoiled back, her foot slipped, and she began falling backwards in what seemed like slow motion. Instead of hitting the floor, she fell deeper into the dark abyss. Looking up, she saw the Fourteenth Division Captain standing on thin air, gazing down at her with a dark void for a face.
"Excuse me? Sir?"
She opened her eyes with a start to find that she was back in the academy court yard. She was breathing heavily, and a thick, cold sweat covered her body. The Captain of the Fourteenth Division stood before her, his mantle and hair obscuring his entire face.
"Sir? You have been staring at that graduate for quite some time now. All the other captains have made their decisions."
Yumi chanced a glance back up at his face, and even though she could not see the features of it, she could have sworn she felt a vague smile directed at her, but it quickly vanished.
"I want this one." came the rough, hard voice. It was the first words she had heard the Fourteenth Division Captain say.
"Um... You just want this one?"
"I want this one." he repeated.
"But... Kurosaki-sama. Just this one? You can pick more than one. There are plenty of other graduates. Are you su-"
The Captain slowly reached behind his back and gripped the handle of the oversized sword hanging there. With a clanking sound, he pulled just a few inches of it from the scabbard, revealing a rusted, chipped blade.
"Cut the chains of fate, Zangetsu."
The sword and scabbard began glowing, and a mighty explosion of light filled the courtyard. When the light settled, the Captain stood there holding an elegant cleaver-like sword with bandages trailing from the handle. It was pointed directly at Umi's throat, causing the girl to tremble in fear.
"I want this one." he again repeated.
The Academy head laughed uneasily, visibly sweating. "Ye-Yes sir! I'll write the paperwork up immediately! I'm sure Akakawa Yumi-san will be happy to be in your Division!"
The Fourteenth Division Captain hoisted the cleaver-like sword over his shoulder and turned to walk away. His lieutenant followed wordlessly behind him.
The girl breathed a sigh of relief as the captain left. That was... very unusual. She had never imagined that a Gotei Thirteen captain could be so terrifying... What was in store for her in the Fourteenth Division? And why would such an elite captain show an interest in her and her alone?
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Through these writings of mine, I hope to show you the one thing that led to her downfall. Lust? Greed? Pride? Ambition? Charity? Kindness? Or just blind ignorance? The assumption is up to you. But know this: What I write are not sins. They are tragedies.
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Next chapter
"Hey there. Welcome to the Fourteenth Divison. The name's Kon. Just Kon."
"Iaijutsu? I don't know. I've just always wielded my sword this way."
"Captain Kurosaki isn't around much, is he?"
"Why is there a Quincy here?"
"Thanks for being so nice to me, Inoue-sama. I was so worried about not fitting in..."
"Who, Sado-san? We call him Chad. Don't worry. He's big, but he's a softy."
"You're new, so let me just tell you this. Stay out of my way. If you get out of line, I won't hesitate to come down on you. I may only be Third Seat, but I have Bankai."
"The Fourteenth Division may be small, but every seated officer in it is a one-man army. We're the Special Interest Division for a reason."