"Mizuki Amaya, Please enter the Arena for your battle examination." An older mans voice sounded through the chamber. It was a large room the young woman was currently in, along with the rest of the Soul Academe's Advanced class Graduates. It was time for the last test, the test that would depict her entire future in the soul society. Amaya had not gone to the recruitment fair with the rest of the students when it had come. She had been rather busy with other things and felt she had better handle things that were more important rather than go to a fair. This fight would help determine where in the 13 Court Guard Divisions she would be placed into, if she was even placed. The girl bit back her insecurities and stood from her place where the students knelt in line, determined. She was graduating at the top of her class, she should act it. Dropping down into the gaping crevice down into the testing arena, Amaya padded forward and bowed respectfully to the examiner. Above them other people watched, ready to observe her skills and see if she was worthy of what the Captain General had proposed without the girls knowledge. Captain General Yamamoto himself was among them as well at a few other Captains who had come to watch and encourage the Advanced students as they graduated.
No one had known who she was when she had first showed up to the Seireitei. She had no name, no parents, no future, looked about seven years old though turned out she was just small for her age, was carrying the limp body of a scout easily more than three times her weight, and was almost dead from exhaustion. The scout had been sent out into the Rukon Districts to investigate a curious explosion of Reitsue, the Captains wondering who it belonged to and why it was behaving so wildly. They wanted to know if it was an enemy or friend. Hollow or a potential Soul Reaper. The scout found a strange little girl in the eastern 79th district instead. The man didn't have time to wonder how she had survived in such a horrible area; he needed to bring her back to the Seireitei. He moved quickly to nab the girl before she could run and the child struck out instinctively. With no sword of her own, the child still managed to render the older, trained, and much stronger soul reaper defenseless with her precise aim. The scout fell eyes widened and gurgling as he clutched the family jewels the girl had just struck as hard as she could. Eyes blurred as he tipped forward and fell, but he was able to see her back running from him.
The child waited, hiding behind a pile of junk where she could see the Shinigami. She hadn't really meant to strike out the way she had, but he'd come at her and living in the 79th district you learned a few things to survive when you were as small as she was. Guilt filled her guts as she watched a small group surround the Shinigami and proceeded to beat the shit outta him. Around the outer districts, the soul reapers were never well liked. Seeing one lying around defenseless of course made their day and the people took out their frustrations on him. It started raining not long after the beating commenced and since they were in a low area subjected to major flooding on a regular basis, the people decided it was time to scurry away before the water rose. They left him there to drown.
The little girl crawled out of her hiding place and shot him a mild glare before turning to run away herself and look for high ground. She hadn't gone before she stopped. Something was nagging her. The child turned to look back at the fallen shinigami who was just still in sight and hesitated. He would die if he was just left there... She turned to leave but couldn't move. Stomping her little foot in aggravation, she turned and ran back to him. The scout was still consious, and still moving even if it was just barely. He looked up into the heated glare the child was giving him.
"Get up." the man looked at the child in a daze and did not really hearing her as she demanded him to get up again. She snorted irritably and he still didn't move. The water was collecting fast. The little girl frowned and knelt next to him to grab his arm. "get up or your gonna die here mister!" she cried out starting to get worried and stood up trying to drag him up with her. Several agonizingly painful minuets later the man felt icy water going into his ears and realized the child was trying to save him "GET UP!" she screeched and the scout finally snapped out of his pain induced stupor. With a painful wrench he pulled himself upright. Relieved to a point the girl helped him stand, though he leaned heavily on her small form, not being able to stand up himself. She supported his weight for about a mile before he decided he could try and risk using his flash-step and attempt to put some distance behind them and the bad area..
In his condition it wasn't a good thing to do, but he had to try. The trip would take days, maybe even weeks on foot at the speed they were going at, and he needed help. He would have to trust the child to get him to the Seireitei. Without really knowing what damage he would do to his body he used his shunpo. It wasn't a complete failure, the landing was though. They dropped in mid motion and he automatically took another flash-step with the child scared out of her wits when they landed and tumbled to the ground from a low roof painfully. The girl, still scared kicked him when he was on the ground and fought herself on weather or not she should leave the man behind or chance that he might do it again. Her better half won out and she sat down sobbing for a few minuets in frustration. After several minuets had passed and she hadn't made a sound she stood and tugged on him and called out for someone to help her with him. No one would of course...
By the time the two arrived at the gate of the Seireitei, it had been two days. The little girl was half dead from exhaustion and stood there supporting the mans entire weight with her small frame. The Gate keeper of the North gate stared down at the sight before him, unsure of what he should do before calling for someone to get General Captain Yamamoto. A small crowd formed as he waited. The elderly Captain appeared shortly, wondering what was the reason he needed to be summoned. With him were two other Captains, the two who'd been with him the longest, Captain Kyoroku of the 8th division, and Captain Ukitake of the 13th division. Both had been having tea with the elderly Captain when the request for his presence had been sent.
"Hogosha... what was so important you felt you needed my direct guidance." the elderly man voiced as he approached. The guardian bowed respectfully before turning to point at the base of the gates.
"I am sorry to disturb you Sir, but I felt you might need to see this..." he said as the Captain stepped forward.
The General Captains white brows shot up and he stopped in his tracks before ordering the gates to be opened. In stumbled the child, covered in blood and struggling to hold up the body of the unconscious man she was supporting. Her feet were a bloody mess, shredded. Reitsue flared around the pair that belonged to the small form yet seemed impossible. Yamamoto didn't flinch as the shaking childs eyes bored into his own. Violet, determined eyes. He felt her reitsue flutter a moment in her effort to keep the scout up. Another white haori appeared from the crowd and there was a slight gasp as the 4th division Captain, Retsu Unohana rushed forward.
The two Captains who were already there were faster however, Captain Kyoroku pulled the man off of the child and lifted him up easily. As soon as the mans weight was relinquished the child pitched forward into the mud of the courtyard, or she would have if Captain Ukitake hadn't caught the childs form and cradled her gently. Captain Unohana quickly barked out orders and several people from the crowed leaped forward to take the man to the 4th division to be healed. She glanced down at the child who lay unconscious in the white haired Captains arms before looking at Commander Yamamoto. "Sir... what shall we do with the child...?" The female Captain asked quietly as the small group toted the man off.
Captain Yamamoto looked down at the child, dressed in nothing but a sack and still covered in blood. "She saved one of our men apparently... We cannot throw her out in the street in this condition." The Captain mused a moment.
Ukitake looked up at his long time friend Captain Kyoroku who was staring at the child. Pushing up his hat the man went to one knee next to Ukitake and tilted the girls face to him. Pulling a handkerchief from his uniform, Ukitake handed it to him and Kyoroku proceeded to wipe some of the blood off the little girls face.
"I believe the girl would be a threat to herself and us if we didn't take her in and raise her. The childs Reitsue is incredible for her size and age." Murmured Captain Ukitake.
"Dress her wounds and Clean her up, give her something to wear aside from that rag and send someone with her to my office when she is able." Captain Yamamoto said sounding tired. Captain Unohana nodded and took the child from Captain Ukitake's arms before carrying her out of sight. The two friends exchanged glances and followed their elder as he began to walk back to the 1st division.
A week later the child came too. She panicked immediately and two nearby 4th division members moved to restrain her, one gaining a black eye and another was bitten before Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu bustled in wondering what was going on and used a gentle restraining kido on the girl. Moments later the 4th division Captain Unohana entered. Taking one glance at the little girls wild eyes and heavy breathing as she struggled against her glowing bonds, she went over making soothing sounds and telling her to calm down. Reaching out to pet the child on the head she winced when the child clamped down on her hand with her teeth. Stopping her Lieutenant from trying to pry the child off she merely kept talking to the girl. It seemed to work after a few moments and the child took on a guilty look on her face before releasing Captain Unohanas hand and pushing her face to it in apology. Isane released the kido on the girl at her Captains request and Unohana pulled the child into her lap while the girl cradled her hand saying she was sorry over and over again.
Once the child had everything explained to her she was given food, and ate like she'd never had a decent meal in her life, because she most likely hadn't. Fed, clothed, and bandaged up for the most part, the child was sent with Hanataro to the first division despite the female Captains worries that the child might not be ready to face such a thing. With Hanataro, the folder was also sent containing the childs medical information that had been gathered.
All was going well, the little girl didn't speak at all until they neared the first division and a huge shadow loomed over them. Her instinct kicked in and she moved to run instantly only for a large hand grabbing her by the back of the robes. "Where the hell you running off too kid?" growled the voice behind her. She froze and curled submissively as she was turned in the air to face the large man before her with a glare despite her submissive position.
"C-C-Captain Zaraki, sir. We just reporting to Captain General Yamamoto sir." Hanatoro stuttered nervously, obviously scared of the man.
The Captain ignored the stuttering man, "I said, Where the hell you running off too kid." he growled again tightening the grip on the back of her white yukata.
"Away from you...Sir." the little girl snarled back, spitting out the sir almost like she regretted it. Captain Zaraki bellowed his laughter before plopping the girl down, keeping a firm grip on her shoulder so she wouldn't run again. "Hanataro, where'd you guys find this runt? She didn't come from around here, I can see it in her eyes that comes from the outer districts." he rumbled amused.
Hanataro stuttered out that she had came in supporting one of the scouts from the 7th division and half dead, he didn't know much more about her because that information wasn't disclosed to the lower ranks. Grunting, Captain Zaraki let the girl go and she didn't run, she bowed to him before shuffling behind Hanataro to stare out at the man.
Being left alone the pair made their way to Captain Yamamoto's office and were allowed in shortly. The girl bowed before the Captain before Hanataro could even tell her too. The elderly man nodded and offered them to take a seat in front of his desk. Looking down at the respectful child he wondered where she had learned such good manners living in the northern 79th district. She was weary of her surroundings even so, and fidgeted only slightly when Lieutenant Sasakibe entered carrying the tea. She seemed nervous for a minuet until she realized he wasn't going to lunge at them and attack.
"Welcome to the Seireitei young one... I am General Captain Yamamoto... Do you have a name I might address you by?" the elderly captain asked gingerly.
The child bowed her head apologetically and shook it slightly, causing her crimson colored hair to catch the Captains eye. "I'm sorry sir, I haven't a name to give you..." she said almost sounding ashamed and not able to meet his eye. I am not worthy of a name after all... she thought to herself quietly studying the tea-cup before her.
"Fine then, we shall call you... Shinku until we can find you a proper name." the elderly captain said with a sigh, the childs head snapped up startled. They were going to give her a name. Captain Yamamotos eyebrows rose seeing the childs elated face before it fell. "It means crimson, like the color of your hair." He added wondering why she was sad so suddenly.
The now dubbed Shinku sighed. "Thank you sir, but I am not worthy of a name." she said causing Hanataro to quail beside her. Who refuses a name and says that they aren't worthy of one? Both men stared at the little girl who turned her violet eyes from one to the other and back again before explaining. "I'm just a nameless whelp living on the streets of one of the worst districts... I'm not worthy of mention, and therefore I need no name." she added as if it would clear up their confusion. The people back in her village never acted like this, it was somewhat common for children in the outer districts to not have names, well what few children that lived there, she'd yet to meet anyone her age out there. They were usually dead before she could meet them and she didn't get to go outside much for a long time.
Captain Yamamoto chuckled, it was a straight forward explanation but one he couldn't allow to go on. "You also happen to be the nameless child who has survived one of the toughest areas in our world, You are the nameless child with seemingly inhuman determination and a great amount of spirit energy, and you are also the nameless child who has come out of one of the worst districts with kindness and saved one of our scouts. You carried him most of the way to us despite he was easily more than three times your size." the General Captain watched her face as he named off what she had done. Hanataro blanched surprised, no one had told him the details of the child, so all this was new news to him. "In our books that makes you a bit of a hero. Every hero is worthy of a name." Captain Yamamoto added. Shinku hung her head as if there was more to the story of her that made her doubt his words but said nothing.
The Captain reached for her medical folder and opened it gently curious as to what had been found on her. After a few moments he frowned and furrowed his eyebrows after reading the summarized note written by Captain Unohana..
The childs current injuries are mostly exhaustion and damage from over exertion and malnutrition. Her feet were cut into ribbons and shards of glass and rock were embedded deeply in them. The child had a wound that was partially healed on her back from a blade, most likely an old sword as there were slivers of rust still in the wound. Other curiosities included deep scars upon the childs wrists and ankles as if she were tied or chained for long periods of time. Also noted were several bruises, mostly old upon her neck, arms and legs. Further examination detailed that the childs Hymnal had been broken for quite some time. My guess is that the child was raped repeatedly for many years and kept under captivity. I would suggest you not to bring that up as it may provoke some sort of emotional breakdown.
-Captain Retsu Unohana-
General Captain Yamamoto looked up at the girl across the table, This child...has gone through a lot more than I had thought apparently... he thought to himself still frowning. It still doesn't explain her good manners... he added to his thoughts before sighing and closing the folder. After a few minuets of silence, he ordered Hanataro to wait outside the door. When the door closed he turned to Shinku.
"Child... show me your wrists..." he said simply.
The girl hesitated a moment and Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe took up the cups and left the room, leaving them alone. She held out her arms nervously, letting the too-long sleeves slide back to reveal her wrists. The scars were there alright. "And on your ankles... there are scars there too.." he asked quietly. The girl nodded with a quick jerk of her head as she pulled her arms back swiftly hiding them in her sleeves again. The Captain frowned. "You have no name, so I believe it's safe to assume you have no family...?" he asked again. The girl shook her head saying he was right.
A few minuets later the child exited the room to join Hanataro, who took her back. She carried a letter to Captain Unohana, asking that the fourth division raised the girl until he decided. Unohana readily accepted, already somewhat attached to the child. Unfortunately she still had no name. It was another week before she was given one. What had been the deciding factor for her name was slightly amusing, it was the first real smile anyone had seen on the girl and it had been because of the rain. It was just nighttime, and the girl was following Hanataro as he delivered Captain Ukitakes Medicine to him as a favor and was his last run for the day. It started raining so he was quick to duck under the covered walkways. What stopped him and caused the door to the 13th division office to open was the peal of laughter that rang out. Turning around wide eyed he saw the child giggling up at the night sky with her arms wide out spinning in the rain. It was a cute sight to see, Lieutenant Kiba and Captain Ukitake smiled with Hanataro at her actions before Hanataro thought to pull her out of the rain before the girl got sick. It became a small game of catch the little girl for him a few minuets but finally he managed to get her under cover before she bubbled out. "It's raining Hanataro!" as happy as could be, drawing smiles from all three of the older persons again.
Hanataro reported the incident to Captain Unohana and she to Captain Yamamoto. Soon the child was name Amaya, which translated out to night rain. The days progressed into weeks and the people of the fourth division began to get worried when the child would collapse from apparent exhaustion and lack of sleep. They had tried everything to get the child to sleep at night, but she would lay there with her eyes wide open and weary. They had put in a night light the first night so she wouldn't be afraid of the dark, tried giving her warm milk and read her stories even but Amaya... she just wouldn't sleep. Isane Kotesu wondered if it was more a matter of Couldn't rather than Wouldn't, and so took matters into her own hands.
She decided to brave mentioning that Amaya couldn't sleep to little pink haired Yachiru, thinking since they were about the same size she would know something, but Yachiru claimed to never have had trouble sleeping, "Cause Kenny's always there to keep me safe!" she would giggle. What Isane wasn't planning on for that evening was 'Kenny' going out of his way and into the fourth division when his little lieutenant told him what was going on. Captain Unohana believed it might actually be a good idea.
Turning to a pale Isane who was startled seeing the large Captain of the 11th division enter the office with a grunt asking where the runt was, Unohana smiled. "they are from similar districts... perhaps he can help." she said calmly, not really helping Isanes quailing feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Following the frightening looking captain Isane pointed out the way to the room the child was staying in and then pitied the girl as she flung herself to scramble over Hanataro who'd been snoring slightly in the chair next to her bed and succeed in scaring the lights out of him when he woke up to see Kenpachi Zaraki looming over him. Zaraki went to work immediately, catching Amaya by the back of her sleeping yukata he dumped her back onto the bed cursing. "why the hell do you always gotta run away from me kid?" he grumbled and looked about the room. Narrowing his eyes he smashed the night-light with his foot. "There's your problem right there." he grumbled. "If she really grew up in the outer districts then she'd be more afraid of the light than the darkness at night time." he growled and stalked out of the room. It appeared to be a miracle, the next few nights Amaya slept peacefully and appeared to be recovering from her zombiness. When asked later on Kenpachi did explain what he'd meant to why she'd be more afraid in the light.
"When you're living amongst this worlds most ruthless killers, rapists, and thieves. You have to be able to fight. If you can't fight you find someone who can." Yachiru interrupted his explanation giggling.
"I was lucky, Kenny found me instead!" she said grinning brightly. "I wouldn't have lasted if he hadn't found me!" she spouted.
Kenpachi rolled his eyes, "Shut it squirt, I'm talking." he snapped lightly before turning to face Captain Ukitake, who ended up being the one asking when he'd heard the story from Isane's little sister who was in his division. "If you find yourself unable to fight, small, and without someone who's generous enough to shelter you from the world, you end up like that kid. She don't trust anyone yet, sure she's grown attached to that Hanataro wimp, but she doesn't trust him enough to let her guard down around him or she'd have no trouble sleeping around him." he grunted. "Living out there, at night, seeing a light means there's someone there. If you're not completely hidden out of sight and away from the light, you are an easy target for a lot of the bastards out there." he muttered stretching out and looking out at some of the 4th division people scurrying past glancing at him with fearful looks before hurrying away. If it bothered him any he didn't show it. He wasn't there for anything special, Yachiru had scraped her knees playing so he brought her over. Ukitake was recovering from a coughing spell brought on by his tuberculosis. "Hell, it's a damn wonder she's lived this long out there alone, kids gotta have nerves of steel or something."he grunted as Yachiru sailed across the wooden walkway to latch onto him, her knees soundly bandaged and cleaned and no longer sniffling as she was when brought in by her father-like Captain.
Captain Ukitake smiled and waved them off as they left shortly afterwords, Ukitake a half a pound lighter after giving the pink haired child a good amount of candy to her Captains annoyance. Chuckling he returned back to his reading watching Amaya come out of her hiding spot to watch them leave from the corner of his eye. It wasn't likely she'd heard what they had been talking about.
That evening, feeling strong enough to leave and return to his own home Captain Ukitake parted. Spotting Amaya sitting curled against a wall looking bored on his way, he walked over to her and knelt next to her feeling her tense up he smiled softly. "It's okay young one, I'm not going to hurt you..." he said and offered her candy. She refused it outright, not know what it was. She remembered how happy the Pink haired girl had been receiving it herself and was determined that the wrapped piece of something was something too good for her. Ukitake suspected as much by her look as he put the candy away with a shrug. Standing up to leave he left his book next her. Halfway at the gate he heard quick footsteps behind him and turned when there was a tug on his Haori and he turned and smiled at Amaya who was holding up his book to him. "Keep it, it wants you to read it." he said walking away leaving her confused. How could a book want her to read it. She looked down at the title. Sōgyō no Okotowari!... Amaya blinked and said the name aloud startling herself into looking up again. The kind man was gone, But it's his name in it... she thought to herself as she read the authors name. Her eyes widened as she realized something else much more important at the moment. Amaya ran back to the fourth division and attacked Hanataro.
"I CAN READ!" she shrieked, startling the man into dropping everything he was carrying as she tackled him, and scarring several people who stared seeing the timid 7th seat flat on his back with a child sitting on his chest grinning clutching a book to her chest. The book became her favorite possession, her only possession for a long time.
A few years passed, only three really, and to many people shock the girl grew fast. It was clear she didn't die young, and just hadn't taken on her true appearance just yet, but while the girl finally learned to open up and to somewhat trust people the people in the 4th division were sad to see her leave. She was summoned to the 1st division one day with a note. She hugged Captain Unohana and tackled Hanataro with a stronger hug. She had grown attached to the man, he was like an older brother of sorts. When she left she appeared a young teenage woman.
They were shocked when she returned 100 years later.