Hello Internet! This is not only my first fic, it is the first thing I've ever written that I don't have to turn in for a grade.

I would like to start this story by saying that there are Original Characters. WAIT! Before you back up or close the tab or window, let me explain my plan for them. This story is about Tatsuki gaining the power and ability to fight alongside Ichigo, Renji, Rukia, Uryu, and everyone else. She needed a teacher, but I didn't want her to become a shinigami or be exclusively trained by Yoruichi. Both of those have been done plenty of times, and I wanted to try something different. That's not to say that Yoruichi won't train her; I just wanted to give Tatsuki her own style. Thus Ken was born. But having a teen with powers that no one noticed living in Karakura Town feels like a cop out. So I moved him out of the country and across the ocean. But I didn't like the idea of a human basically doing a shinigami's job by himself, and so I created the Tutores. Now Tatsuki had a teacher who had a support system and base backing him up. Again, this is meant to be Tatsuki's story, not an OC's that she tags along for. That's part of the reason I uploaded two chapters at once. This one is simply to explain why a random American is in Karakura Town.

So TL;DR Most of these characters won't appear until much later in the story, and the one that does show up early is in a teaching/mentor role. Even when everyone does show up, they're not going to be one-shoting powerhouses. They'll have unique abilities, sure, but in terms of raw power, none of them will be stronger than the Lieutenants.

I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. I do own the members of the Tutores.

I'd like to thank Sen22 for letting me use his sketch.

Bold text is the non-native language (Japanese in this case, but for the rest of the fic, it means English)

Regular text is the native language

What the hell is going on here!? Kennith Greyson wondered as a tremendous roar echoed through town. The teen was confused both at the source of the roar, an enormous lumbering ape-like creature with a white mask and a hole in its chest that stood at least two stories tall, that had just come into view and the apparent lack of concern given by the people around him. This has to be some kind of demon he thought. Though, I gotta say, there's a lot less Hellfire and brimstone than I would've expected. He was snapped out of his thoughts as the creature bellowed again and smashed the side of a building. That got people's attention. All around him, people began panicking and running as buildings were destroyed one after another by seemingly nothing. Ken was about to follow the crowd's example when he saw five forms running toward the monster. As they got closer, he realized they were all kids around his age. He vaguely knew them from school, but one person he recognized instantly. After all, it's pretty much impossible to forget the first friend you make. He still remembered when his family had to move and the promise they shared. He was a little surprised that after his six years absence neither had forgotten their promise to each other to "always be the bestest and closest of friends."

Ken had been shocked at how different Sara McKenzie looked when they first met for the first time after six years a month ago, and as she ran through the crowd getting ready to fight whatever that thing was, because there was no doubt in his mind that was exactly what was about to happen, he thought about both how much she had changed and how much she had stayed the same over the years. She was still every bit "one of the boys" he remembered, but there was no denying that she had definitely matured, both mentally and physically, and had not only become very beautiful, but would continue to do so. As he watched her shoulder-length, dark blonde hair and lithe body that had been toned by hours upon hours of practice in nearly every sport the school district offered, he did his best to ignore the hormones that were welling up inside him. Their friendship was too important to risk it over something like that. Ken still had trouble understanding why she had gone to the lengths she did to close the gap between them after he moved back. She had become a star athlete and her personality allowed her to fit in anywhere. About the only thing he had going for him was that he was tall, around 5'10", but everything else about him broadcasted "weak" from his light brown hair that ran down to the back of his neck, to the glasses that framed his blue eyes, to his very slim build. He did take some amount of pride in that deception though, however strange that was. Spending six years training in Aikido had its advantages. Even if he didn't look like it and was a pacifist by nature, he was confident he could win almost any fight that he was put in without taking more than one or two hits, at least any human fight.

He had just begun to worry about how Sara and his classmates were going to fight the thing when suddenly, three swords and four guns appeared out of nowhere in their hands. Sara surprisingly, or not, considering her heritage Ken mentally added, was wielding a claymore. Well, technically, it looks more Germanic than Highland, so maybe a zwei-hander would be a better...DAMMIT! Get out of my head Mom and Dad! Such was the burden of having both parents with Doctorates in history whose collective knowledge spanned from before the founding of Rome to the start of the European Industrial Revolution. Focusing back on the others, Ken slowly put names to the other faces, or backs, as was the case now. The easiest to pick out of the group was Gustav Edwards. He went by Gus, and was the definition of a gentle giant. Built like a wall of muscle, with close-cropped, black hair and brown eyes, he stood at just over six feet. He could have very easily been an ace on the football team's defensive line, but he instead chose to spend his time drawing and writing. The sword that appeared in his hand was only barely a sword by technical definition. That thing's as big as he is! Ken thought as he moved to the next person. Once he realized who it was, he groaned internally. There was only one person he could think of that had such light-colored hair that it looked almost translucent as it hung down to his ears. He didn't need to see his face to imagine the bright blue eyes that were bright only in color. Ken had felt those eyes on him multiple times since he had moved back and the best way he could describe the feeling was looking into an iceberg or a glacier. He had no idea why Seth Griffon held the amount of animosity, maybe cold indifference was a better phrase, towards him that he did. Ken had only moved back at the start of the school year, so he was pretty sure it wasn't something he did in the past. They hadn't come to blows yet; Ken was grateful for that, but he still wished that if Seth had a problem with him, he'd just come out and say it instead of giving glares or completely ignoring him. Even if there was bad blood between them, Ken had to admit that Seth looked both intimidating and elegant with his French Cavalry officer's saber. Looks like it's from the late 19th, early 20th...this is going to stick with me for the rest of my life; I just know it. Pushing back the annoyance at his parents, Ken looked at the last two members of the strange group. He remembered they were twins, though they certainly didn't look like it. About the only things they shared were their family name, height, only a couple of inches shorter than Ken, and their lean, toned build. One twin had bleached, straightened hair down to his jaw and was very outgoing, cocky, and a smart-ass. He was also a genius with all things electronic. Whether fixing a microwave or hacking a government mainframe, he could probably get it done before anyone else could figure out where to start. The other had kept his hair the way he was born with it, black and shaggy, which he kept about as long as Ken's hair. He was the opposite of his brother, being rather withdrawn and humble. Ken didn't know much about him, but Alex shared his brother's genius. His area of expertise was in strategy and tactics. He routinely played strategy games, and was always able to win no matter how unfairly he tipped the AI and difficulty against him. Together, Damien and Alexander Alighieri seemed to complement and balance each other. Even their guns follow the whole 'Yin-Yang' thing they have going on. Ken noted. Both wielded one black and one chrome pistol which, if he had the knowledge, Ken might have recognized as being very heavily modified M1911s.

Ken was too far away to hear what was happening, but someone must have started giving orders. That or they had done this so often that it was second nature to them. As the group closed in on the monster, the twins broke off, took the flanks, and began firing at the creature. The shots didn't seem to do much more than irritate it though. As the monster was distracted by the peppering fire, it didn't notice the two swordsmen as they ran up and while Seth was able to cut deep enough to wound it, Gus nearly took the entire leg with him. The monster let out a loud cry as it fell to the ground. As soon as it began falling, the twins changed their aim from distraction to causing as much pain as possible, aiming for weak points, but focusing on the holes in the mask that would have held eyes and the hole in the middle of the beast's chest. Going on instinct, the creature tried to brace its fall with its hands. All it accomplished was more pain as Gus and Seth were there waiting to slice across what would be its wrists if it was human. The cry released was distinctly different from the first one Ken had heard. This was a wail of pain. The cry was cut short as Sara appeared on the thing's back just below its neck. With movements that could only be trained by combat, she slid her sword into the neck and jumped off the back. As she came down, her blade spun through the demon's throat, ending with a remarkably clean, almost surgical, decapitation.

As the creature dissolved into nothingness and the weapons used to defeat it likewise vanished, Ken wanted to go and figure out exactly what had just happened. But something held him back. He had just seen people he knew as well as his best friend fight something out of fantasy with near military precision. Just what would he say to them? While he stood fighting with himself, the moment passed. The group had begun to walk away from the sight of the battle that Ken had witnessed. Sighing and hanging is head in resignation, he turned and began walking home. He failed to notice the balding old man who had been sitting in a chair that had been abandoned when the crowd panicked and not only saw his internal struggle, but had watched the fight like a teacher or coach watching his charges to see how much they had learned.

XXXXX

"And so, I hold you to these oaths you have sworn. I officially accept you into the Tutores. Welcome to the family Ken." Sara said as the two friends gave each other a hug.

"Congrats man," Damien said while slapping Ken on the back, "now let's get some food. I want pizza!"

"You always want pizza. I'm surprised that you don't weigh more than Gus by now." Alex remarked while turning to face the newest member of their group. "I hope you realize exactly what you're getting into. This is dangerous work."

"Aw, lay off the newbie for a while and let's enjoy the party. We'll have plenty of time to haze him later." With that, the bleached twin headed off to the kitchen.

"You are welcome to anything in there, but clean up after yourself." Gus commented as Damien passed by. Looking over to Ken, he added "I'm glad you've joined, but Alex is right. This is dangerous."

"If he dies, it's his own fault for being weak and foolish." Seth commented from the couch.

"Seth, leave him alone. You weren't exactly a model fighter when you first joined." a new voice said. "You still aren't." the same voice mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll leave him alone. Quit nagging, old man." Seth replied to the man who had walked in.

"Come on Seth; show Chekhov at least a little respect." Sara scolded.

The man in question just blew the remark off. "It's okay, Sara. It doesn't bother me." Yerik Chekhov was a very short, balding old man with white tufts of hair on either side of his head and a white mustache. He was born in Russia and spent the vast majority of his life traveling the world. Despite his age, which Ken couldn't really guess, over 60 at least, Yerik was amazingly spry and active. He could be rather eccentric, Ken had found out, but he meant well and cared for each member of the Tutores like one of his own children. "Now, let's follow Damien's example and PARTY! GUS, WHERE DO YOUR PARENTS KEEP THE BOOZE?" Yerik yelled as he ran off towards the kitchen laughing the whole way.

"You might want to go keep an eye on him Gus. I know your family's rich and all, but I don't think that your parents would be willing to pay for how much alcohol he can go through." Sara said. Gus shared her sentiment and hurriedly followed after the old man. "Hey Ken, follow me. I want to talk to you alone." Not really questioning it, Ken got up and followed Sara out onto the second floor terrace leaving Seth and Alex in the living room everyone had just been in.

Once they were outside, Ken leaned back against the railing as Sara shut the door and looked at him with a very serious look in her eye.

Ken was a little confused. "What's up? I don't think I've ever seen that look before. Is everything okay?"

Sara uncharacteristically seemed to crumple and dropped to the floor like she couldn't bear some crushing weight anymore. "I just want to apologize." she breathed out almost as if the words were going to hurt her. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about all of this sooner, but I wanted to keep you safe." Ken could almost see the sadness and self-loathing coming off of her in waves. "You're the first friend I ever made and you represented my old, normal life, the one before I began fighting Demons. I—"

"It's okay. I forgive you." Ken cut in as he walked over and joined her on the floor. He didn't like seeing his best friend like this. Sara was supposed to make a whole room smile and help those who were feeling down, not be the one who needed cheering up. "I forgave you the instant you told me what all of this" he gestured toward the house and its current occupants "was about. You don't need to keep beating yourself up over it. It's in the past. Just forget about it."

"I can't! And how can you forgive me?! If I had told you sooner you wouldn't have..." Sara stopped and stared at Ken's left shoulder and side.

Ken moved his right hand up to his shoulder and noticed tears beginning to well up in her eyes. That was too much for him. If there was one thing that he didn't want to see, it was Sara crying. "Hey! This was NOT your fault. Remember that. I got this because of my own stupidity. If anything, I should be thanking you for saving my life."

"But—"

"No 'but's." Ken interrupted and put an arm around his closest friend. "You apologized, I forgave you. That's how friendship works, simple as that. We don't need to bring it up again, okay?"

Sara still looked upset, but sighed and when she looked back at him, she seemed better. "Fine, just be careful. I don't want to lose my best friend. I worry about you." She then moved over and hugged Ken, who returned it while enjoying the feeling of having her in his arms. It had become harder and harder to suppress his emotions as time had passed and the current situation, the two of them alone on a terrace in the moonlight, wasn't helping. He was able to get out "You be careful too. You're not the only one who worries." before Damien stuck his head out the door. And I care about you more than I'll ever be able to express.

"Hey guys, get in here! Chekhov's got himself plastered. It's priceless." He stopped when he saw the two of them sitting on the floor. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, we're good. Just had some stuff to get out in the open." Sara replied.

"Reeeeaaly?" Damien got a dangerous glint in his eye and a Cheshire grin crept on his face. "You sure I didn't just miss a confession of a love that's existed since Time Eternal!? The unleashing of a passion burning with the fury of a thousand suns!? An offer of that which is most precious, an unblemished maidenhood, to be taken by-"

"NO! NOTHING HAPPENED!" both voices on the floor cut him off.

"Alright then. But seriously Ken, you need to come see this. Deuces!" Shrugging his shoulders and flashing the peace sign, he returned to wherever the old man was.

"Well, shall we go see what drunken rant it is this time?" Sara asked while standing up, blushing at the implications of Damien's teasing.

"You mean this is an everyday occurrence?" Ken shot back as they both headed back into the house, his cheeks also gaining a rosy hue.

"Well, usually it's only one a day, but sometimes we're treated to a double feature. It depends on how much alcohol he can get." Sara giggled.

"I'sh tellin' ya Imma wishard. I can do hall schorts'a magic. I'm da Great Wishard Master Makarov!"

"You're name's Chekhov, not Makarov ya drunk." Sara corrected as she and Ken entered the room to see Yerik standing on the table. "But just what kinds of magic can you do?"

"I can *hic* I can make ma-self dishappear. Jus'you watch. Three, t-two, one, blashoff!" With that Yerik proceeded to fall face-first off the table only to be caught by Gus who had been standing at the ready since this whole thing started. "Huh, where'd everyone go? Yoooohoooo, where'd ya go kidsh?"

XXXXX

"Do tibi Crepidae Paces" a spectral figure stated as it began to glow and morph into a ball of energy before floating and stopping in front of Ken. "Are you sure you don't want them Seth? You've been a member longer." Ken asked.

"Keep 'em. Now that we have five, the only one left is the Sword. I can wait." was the gruff reply.

"Okay then." Ken said as he drew the orb close and watched as it began to merge with his body. There was a flash of light and after it faded, the only noticeable change was a new pair of books Ken was wearing.

"Why don't you try going through the stages, Ken?" Yerik questioned while all of the Tutores watched.

"Sure. Let's hope I remember how." As Ken focused, the boots began to glow and morphed into two silver anklets.

"Aw, how cute! I have a pair of bracelets that would go perfect with those." Sara teased once everyone saw their new state.

"Ha ha, very funny." Ken responded dryly. Well, not my first choice, but I can live with it. Focus on fighting. A battle. Again, the anklets began to glow and morph. Once the glow was gone, Ken looked down and gave a low whistle. Now each leg was encased in a tight leather boot with sabatons and greaves riveted to them. The greaves had jagged gold cracks engraved on black metal and ran up his shin, stopping just above the knee.

"Okay, I take back the bracelet joke. Those look awesome!" Sara exclaimed.

"No kidding, all I get are a pair of goggles. At least you get some actual armor." Alex added.

"How about we test their abilities?" Yerik said after coughing to get everyone's attention.

"I don't have a problem with that, but what exactly do the Sandals do?" Ken asked.

"What do you think a pair of ancient, magical footwear would let you do?" was the deadpan reply.

"Fine, I'll figure it out on my own." Let's see, maybe flight? "Woah!" On cue, the armored boots began to rise. "This will take some getting used to." Ken said as he wobbled in midair.

"This definitely opens new possibilities." Alex mused. "Can they do anything else?"

"I don't know. Chekhov, you said 'ancient'. How far back are we talking?"

"What do you have in mind?"

In response, the boots began to morph again, this time they became sandals with leather straps running up Ken's shins and had small wings attached to the heels. "I was thinking Hermes. It's time for a speed test. I'm headed that way." He pointed and with that, Ken literally disappeared followed shortly by a very loud boom.

"Holy shit! That was the sound barrier! Are you kidding me? Man, Ken's picked up some serious speed. Over/under on how long it'll take him to get good at it? Anyone?" Damien questioned.

"Not now, what if he seriously hurt himself? The human body isn't designed to handle that kind of acceleration." Sara rebuked.

"Careful Boss, your feelings are showing. Wouldn't want us to get the wrong impression." Damien snarked back.

"If he can control that speed, I can't wait to try out some new ideas." Alex began mumbling to himself as plan after plan began forming in his head.

"Enough. Sara's right, we should go find him." Gus said.

The group eventually found Ken, a couple of miles away passed out with both legs broken amid a pile of broken tree branches and a few cracked trunks.

As he slowly regained consciousness, he saw Sara kneeling at his legs, her belt gone, but a ball of energy in her hands. "Hey guys, took you long enough." he hissed in pain. "Ow! Damn this hurts."

"Oh great, he's already making speed jokes." grumbled Seth.

Sara shot him a look and turned back to Ken. "Don't ever try that again! You were less than an inch away from multiple compound fractures. It's tough enough to deal with our usual injuries. I'm not in any hurry to find out just how good my healing abilities are."

Ken raised his hand in a mock salute. "Sir, yes sir. Now, I'm going to pass out again. Don't draw anything on my face."

XXXXX

May 17, 7:13PM; Karakura Town, Japan

"Give me the sword, shinigami!" Ichigo said. "Let's give your idea a try!"

"It's not 'Shinigami.' It's 'Kuchiki Rukia.'" the petite shinigami replied.

"I see…I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. Let's pray this doesn't become the last greeting for the both of us. The Hollow's coming, if we don't hurry…"

The teen and the spirit both braced themselves as the Hollow roared and began to charge at them.

"Let's do it." Ichigo said.

"Right." was Rukia's reply. With that she shoved the sword through the orange-haired teen, releasing an enormous explosion of spiritual energy.

XXX

A man in a lab that could only come from a mad scientist's wet dream stopped on what he was working on. "It seems that Kuchiki-san has done something rash. I guess I'll have to move my timetable up." The man turned back to a cadaver of a teen-aged girl and continued to work, installing a crystal into the body with a large flash of power.

XXX

May 17, 4:13AM; Texas, USA

Ken awoke with a gasp and broke out in a cold sweat. This ki, it's familiar. It feels like it's a piece of the Armor. The Sword is the only one left. Thank you Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I gotta make sure to tell the others tomorrow. He then looked over at the clock. Scratch that, today. Well, at least it's a Saturday.

"You sure you sensed the Sword? Every piece of my equipment, thanks for buying it by the way Gus, is telling me you're wrong." Damien questioned after all the Tutores had gathered at Gus's house, their unofficial headquarters.

Ken and Alex were sitting on one of the couches playing chess. As expected, Alex was dominating.

"Are you doubting my perception ability? Besides, why would I lie about something like this? Though, something did feel off and it seemed far away. Not like 'across-town' or 'across-the-state' far. More like 'across-the-country.' Wherever it is, we'll probably need passports to get there." Ken replied as he moved one of his knights.

"No, if anyone could have sensed a piece of the Armor, it'd be you, but why didn't you tell me about the distance beforehand? That changes everything! I set the search radius way too small! And what do you mean by it felt 'off''?" Damien questioned as he spun back around and began typing.

Alex looked over the board and moved a bishop. "Checkmate."

Ken sighed and leaned back. "Well, we all knew it was going to happen. But hey, I got two more pieces than last time. I count that as progress." Ken got up and walked over to Damien. "It's hard to explain. I guess the pieces we already have feel…raw…that's a bad way to explain it, but this felt manufactured, if that makes any sense."

"No it doesn't, but thanks for telling us anyway. I'm glad you brought this to our attention. Even if it's not the Sword, at least you found something." Sara said from a chair. "In any case, Damien, keep up the search. Alex, you, Seth, and Gus try to dig up as much info on the Sword as possible. I want to know as much as possible about what kind of Guardians we might come across. Ken, see if you can narrow down where you felt the Sword."

A chorus of "You got it." and its many variants answered her as everyone broke off to do their assigned jobs. Ken walked over and sat down by Yerik.

"As much as she doesn't want it, she's a natural-born leader." Yerik commented as Sara went over to help the research team.

"She's been like that since we were little. She would always take charge and others naturally followed her. I'm kinda surprised she's not interested in getting a military commission. She would make an incredible officer." Ken added.

"No doubt." Yerik turned and looked at Ken. "By the way, what happened to your eye?"

"Oh, this?" Ken asked as he pointed to his face. For one thing, his glasses were nowhere to be found. For another, one eye was his normal dark blue, but the other was a dim green. "I've started wearing contacts. As for the color, it happened soon after I got the Sandals and crashed into those trees. Turns out that blunt force trauma can change a person's eye color. Who knew? I like to think that they make me more memorable. And besides, it's kinda fun to mess with people's heads. You wouldn't believe some of the stares I get now whenever I meet someone."

"I'll agree with the first point and plead the Fifth on the second. I'm just glad you've become such close friends with everyone."

Ken sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Most of them are fine. I trust Gus with my life. I'd let Sara lead me blindfolded through a minefield. Damien can be tough to deal with, but he'll be there if you really need him, and I trust Alex to not send me in over my head. I still don't know what Seth's problem is though. I try to be friendly, but he acts like I'm waiting to stab him in the back."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. He's like that towards everyone. Maybe he just has a problem dealing socially. But a serious question. What do you think this 'manufactured' feeling means?"

"I don't know. I just hope that whatever happens, we all stay safe."

XXXXX

Several months passed without much incident as the Tutores kept searching for the source of the disturbance Ken felt and researching the Sword of the Spirit until one day in late July when they were all at Gus's house: "Hey, Ken, you know any Japanese?" Damien shouted across the room.

"I know a little, you trigger-happy excuse for a miserable gunman. Why?"

At this, Yerik did a spit-take and had to fight to keep from bursting out laughing; earning him confused looks from everybody except Ken, who just looked surprised.

"I'm gonna go ahead and ignore what I'm sure was a personal insult because I'm just that nice of a person and answer your question. I asked because damn Ken, your perception ability is terrifying. Hope you like rice, cause you're headed to Japan."

"Wait, why me? And why Japan? Are you telling me I sensed the Sword from the other side of the world?"

"Because you're still the newbie here and you were the one who started this hunt; I can't say for certain, but there's definitely some weird readings coming from there, ignoring the usual weirdness that comes from Japan, and, if the Sword really is there, yes you did, which I believe qualifies for a 'damn." was Damien's reply.

"You know that second comment was incredibly racist, right?" Gus asked the out-going twin.

"Ain't racist if it's true. Case in point: ganguro."

"If it pleases the court, may I present: ethnocentrism exhibit A." Alex quipped.

"Actually, I'm with Damien on this one. Fake tans and bleached hair looks fine in black and white and decent when animated, but in real life, ugh." Yerik chimed in, leaving everyone in the room speechless.

"Ignoring the dumb comments, can I assume that you've pinpointed the Sword?" Sara cut in.

"Like I said, I have no idea if the Sword is even there. All I know is that there are some really strange waves coming from near Tokyo," he glanced at one of the many computer monitors he had hooked up "some place called Karakura Town, and Ken said what he sensed, which we believe is the Sword, was far away. I'm just assuming that they are one in the same." Damien answered.

"It'll have to do for now." She then turned to his brother. "Alex, what have you found out?"

The quieter twin stood and began his presentation. "The Sword of the Spirit. The last piece of the Armor of God we're missing. As far as we've been able to tell, it is very likely that you already know what kind of power it has. Excalibur, Mjölnir, Zeus's thunderbolts, Gáe Bolg, the Lance of Longinus, almost every famous weapon from mythology is probably one of its pseudonyms. As such, any Guardian you meet will probably be more inclined to fight than talk and will be very strong, so you better hope that your speed will be enough to deal with them, Ken."

"You make it sound like you won't be there with me." Ken said.

"That's because we won't. We have no idea if the Sword is even there. You're the one who sensed it, so you're going there to try to find it. Me and Alex are decent, but your ability to sense things blows both of us out of the water. Compared to you, everyone else can't tell what's inches in front of their face." Sara explained.

She barely finished her sentence before Seth slammed his fists into the table beside him, his whole body quivering. "I won't let that comment slide. I refuse to let anyone belittle me!"

"Yeah, yeah 'I am the strongest. I'm the best. I can do anything.' You know she's right, Seth. We suck at sensing just about anything. Before he joined, we had trouble knowing when a Demon showed up. Now we almost know where they'll be before they show up." Damien interrupted, putting a hand on Seth's shoulder and turning toward Sara. "Though did you have to be so blunt? What if you hurt my delicate feelings? You know I'm a sensitive soul." he exclaimed throwing the back of his hand to his forehead in an overly dramatic fashion.

Sara just sighed "Your concern has been duly noted and will be taken into consideration. I consider you an idiot. Anyway, Ken, if you do find the Sword, contact us and we'll all head get there as soon as we can. Do NOT try to take on the Guardian alone; none of us can handle a guardian one-on-one except maybe Chekhov."

"Hey, don't over-estimate me. I might have been able to handle one in my hay-day, but I'm just an old man now! The only reason you got the Belt was because its Guardian had no desire to fight. It just wanted someone to talk to." Yerik quickly stated

XXXXX

The morning of August 7th found the Tutores at George Bush Intercontinental Airport ready to see Ken off.

"Have fun! And bring me back the weirdest thing you can find." Damien asked.

"Sure. I'll buy you a big body pillow with some dude on it. It'll keep you warm at night." Ken replied.

"Never mind. Forget I said anything then. By the way, how's your 'secret technique' coming along?" Damien quickly asked, trying to change the subject.

"Not bad. I'd say that I'm done working out all the principles. All that's left is field testing. And don't worry. If all goes well, you can get something yourself." Ken glanced at his watch. "Almost time for my flight."

As Ken was getting ready to board, he heard a shout behind him. When he turned around, all six people had their right hand in an "L" shape with the back of their hands facing him. He smiled and turned back towards the plane. As he walked away, he repeated the action over his shoulder toward his friends.

While over the Pacific, Ken thought about what it was he was doing. I'm flying to another country because of what's at best a shaky possibility to try to find the most powerful weapon in the history of the world. I should start keeping a journal, my life would make for an interesting story. Well, I'm getting closer anyway. Might as well see if I can get any more details before I arrive. He focused and began to meditate. It took a some time, but he was able to sense several impossibly strong kis. Wow, Damien was right about my ability to sense presences. I'm scaring myself. Several of them, maybe five or six, were gathered together, but it was hard to say exactly. It felt like something was between them and him, like looking at something through frosted glass. There was also another one by itself. It couldn't compare to the other kis he sensed, but it was still incredibly strong for a normal human. Suddenly, most of the grouped presences simply vanished. What the… That was enough to break his concentration, and try as he might, he couldn't find the presences that had been there just a second anywhere.

After he had landed and made his way to Karakura Town, he realized just how unprepared he was. He had set up a small apartment and Gus agreed to pay the rent, but none of them had thought about how he was going to get all of his luggage there. This meant that he had to carry everything while searching in a new town for a place he had never been to. Now I know why they call it 'lug'gage. Ow! That pun actually hurt. Still, at least I pack relatively light. Only a suitcase and two duffel bags. That's good in my opinion. Even though he was focused on the weight of his clothes and amenities, it didn't stop him from sensing the same ki that had been alone while on the plane.

"Hey, are you lost or something? Do you need some help?"

Ken turned and saw the source of the ki that had been approaching. A girl his age with black, spiky hair and dark eyes. "Slower please. It's my first time in Japan." he replied.

"You look out-of-place. Do you need some help with anything?" The girl repeated.

"Is it that obvious? Yes, I'm completely lost. Any help would be great." Ken thanked the girl as she grabbed one of his bags. "I'm Kennith Greyson. You can call me Ken." he said as he stuck out his hand.

The girl stared at it long enough for Ken to realize that a handshake wasn't the best way to introduce yourself in Japan before taking it. "I'm Arisawa Tatsuki."

So that's the first chapter/prologue. Are you in any way intrigued? Did I set up the Tutores alright? Am I in danger of making Mary Sues/Gary Stus?