2. It lives on with you

SIX MONTHS LATER...

UNKNOWN SHINIGAMI:

"Man this beat is tough." I say to myself as I pat my mop of hair. I really should get one of the female captains to sort it out.

I have been assigned to Tokyo for the better half of this century. Although I have only aged about five human years I dread the prospect of growing old like old man Yamma. I need a shave, this stubble is making me feel unattracted to even myself. But I haven't had the chance to. No - in Soul Society business comes first and I must kill hollow after hollow until they give me a well deserved holiday.

Now don't get me wrong. I love the job. I love meeting new people (or wholes), and I have met a lot of new people since the Great Quake all those years ago. But sometimes I just wish I could have a break from all this death and despair. Some people are so torn my loss they are difficult to perform Konso on and some even end up as the hollow I'm also responsible for controlling. Maybe one day I'll come across a Gillian and I'll be so praised for defeating it I'll get a seated position.

What's that I feel...It's a konpaku alright. I better get going. It seems to be around the ruins of Tokyo Tower. There it is. I see it now.

Wait a minute! This doesn't look right. Her chain is far to short and she looks quite inhuman. As I get closer I can see her in better detail.

This is bad. Her body is flashing red then black and with it her hair flashes from white to red. She is a beast and what we in soul society call a Demi-Hollow. Had I got here any later and it might have been to late for her.

I hear her screams. It sound like she is calling someone's name but it is hard to make out as her voice is demonic in nature and seems to double on itself. Her eyes too resemble those of a demonic creature. She seems completely unaware of my presence until...

"Hey you!" I shout at her face.

She stops and focuses her freaky eyes on mine. Her mouth quivers as she tries to say something. What would you say after being in that state for six months?

"Don't worry, I'm here to help you." I offer a hand. "So, can you tell me your name?"

"Ma-ma-Masane." She responds slowly. If not for the strange organic armour covering her body she would be naked. The a partly opened hole is present where here chest is exposed. I must hurry.

"Masane eh? Sounds like a kinky name. O'right I better get this sorted out then." I raise my sword to which she immediately cowers in response. "Oh no. I'm not going to hurt you." I reassure her by rubbing her cheek with my other hand. "This thing here is a zanpakuto. I use it to send people like you to Soul Society.

"Soul...Society?" She responds unsure of these new concepts.

"Yup. So anyway all I have to do is press this part of the sword onto your head and you will go to Soul Society and live your afterlife in the peacefulness of Rukongai."

She seems to nod in agreement so I carry on with the procedure but suddenly her chain erodes. She stops and gasps in shock as her freakish body seems to return to a more normal appearance. Only completely naked now. She appears beautiful as I gaze at her form. But she won't look like this for long if I let her turn onto a hollow.

"Alright here it goes." As she hyperventilates with shock I bang the blunt end of my sword on her head. It's no use. She will inevitably turn into a hollow now. Damn me and my formalities!

But wait! That's right. There is one more solution...but would those guys upstairs allow me to do that? I have never done it before but I heard another Shinigami used it on a boy a long time ago.

She contorts and convulses as I decide in my head. Defy Soul Society and save this girl from a horrible fate, or let her completely hollowfy and deal with her later.

"Ri-Ri-RIHOKO!!!!" She calls out a blasting shockwave that sends me back a few metres.

Rihoko. That was the person she was calling out to before. She must be her daughter or something. Well by all means I can't allow her to grieve any longer over this 'Rihoko' besides if I let her hollowfy she may go after her and eat her, which would be worse.

She pants as she gives me a look. White particles slowly dot her face.

"NO I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN. SCREW SOUL SOCIETY."

"Gnargh." The woman screams as her mask starts forming. This to is strange as normally a person completely dissolves before reshaping as a hollow, but her transformation is the opposite. Rather the shape is forming as she remains whole.

"That's it." I thrust my sword into her exposed abdomen as she wails in a trance. She stops again and peers at the wound I gave her. The white covering her face disappears and she returns to her womanly form. Only this time she has a kimono morph and wrap around her body.

It worked. I saved her from becoming a hollowfy making her a Shinigami. But she seems to not have a zanpakuto. Only a strange bracelet on her wrist. A red jewel is embedded in it. How pretty?

She smiles weakly before collapsing into my arms.

"It's over, for now."

*****

SOME TIME LATER IN A STRANGE NEW WORLD...

MASANE:

Rihoko...Rihoko...Rihoko please can you hear me...

"Mama?"

Yes where are you?

"Hahaha silly mum, I'm over here. Come on. Hahaha hahaha."

Yes I'm coming Rihoko. I'm trying to find you but all I see is black.

"Hahahaha....come on mum..."

Wait! NO Rihoko I'm so close I know you're there...I know you're...

"...Here..." Where am I? What is this place? As I gather my surroundings I appear to be in a cosy feudal style Japanese room. A vase of water lies next to my bed. Rose flower patterns dot the curtain as it dances in the incoming breeze. This place feels peaceful.

"Excuse me."

A VOICE! "Yikes." I hide under my sheets, too scared to face the nasty voice. It sounds manly.

I slowly withdraw my sheets and reveal my eyes to the deep-voiced figure. It is a man alright. Medium built, terrible hair, much like mine and a dirty stubble. But what strikes me the most is his clothing. Why is he wearing black kimono, and – WHAT'S HE GOING TO DO WITH THAT SWORD IN HIS GRASP?

"Who are you." I talk nervously past the sheets.

"Name's Higouchi. I saved you from becoming a hollow. Don't you remember?"

Wait. I do remember. I felt this strange pulse running through my body a while ago. It was nothing like the Witchblade's power, it was even more dark than that. He must have been the guy who stabbed me...and...saved me.

"Am I...dead?" I come out with.

"Yes you are.' He seems to get to the point fast. "But it's okay, we all are here in Soul Society."

"Gnah!" I shuffle back a little bit in by bed until I back up against a wall.

"Relax Masane you will be fine here."

Oh my god! He knows my name? This is creepy...I better make a break for it.

"Hey Masane! Where are you going?"

As I jump out the window and run outside away from the freaky man I gain a quick observation of my surroundings. Large white buildings tower over all directions and the people around here also wear strange clothing, all black kimonos. But why are they looking at me like that.

"Hey why don't ya all get a picture it'll last longer." I blast my strange enemies as they continue with their cringing gaze. As I settle from my rushing energy burst I now understand why they are giving me such an odd look.

My body. My breasts. My sacred parts...bared for all to see.

"Agh!!!" I desperately rush to cover my naked body but it's too late.

The man from before pants as he rushes behind me with a spare kimono. "Sorry...but I forgot to...give you this..."

I blush as I quickly slip on the strange outfit. It doesn't do a well job hiding my melons though. Maybe I should have just stayed naked. I'm so ashamed.

"Hey Higouchi, what is this place and why do you all wear strange outfits."

"I will tell you once you come back inside. We need to assess you first before you can go." he guides me back into the building which has a kanji number 4 decorated on the entrance.

"So your...I'm a...Shinigami?" I'm shocked at the new revelation. The moppy man explained to me about the whole universe of Soul Society and how the dead arrive here and live in Rukongai. Then he also briefed me about the Shinigami and their role in maintaining the balance in the two worlds.

"That's right. I had to make you a Shinigami after you started hollowfying." he also previously explained to me about the hollows. Misguided souls who must eat others to satisfy their hunger and grief.

"Well thank you for that." I speak softly looking down at the man's sandals.

"Now I have one more thing to reveal to you. I'm surprised in all your commotion you haven't noticed it already." The man sits up. "When I found you initially your body looked different to the way it does now. You seemed demonic. I also noticed that when I made you a Shinigami you had no zanpakuto but instead I noticed this on your arm." He pulls up my sleeve to reveal me the nightmare I thought I had escaped from. "Does this remind you of anything?"

So in the end the thing did come with me. I couldn't escape. It will remain with me even in my afterlife...

"Yes I remember it...All too well..."