Bleach: La Garda

Chapter 2: Forged in Steel

(Hueco Mundo)

A warrior is one with their weapon, willing to stand at the gates and stand their ground against the armies of Hell. I do not know retreat nor surrender, and neither do my fracciones. For three hours everyday, I train them to use their swords for fighting both single and multiple opponents, "Again, slash 1 and 2, now stab and turn," I instructed.

"Always use a high guard, so when I attack," I stabbed at Consuela, whom turned to the side and her blade came down on mine, "muy bien," I circled her blade and continued attacking her. Consuela blocked my every attack, the result of proper training. Iva came in and attacked from behind. I turned and blocked her blade with a parry.

I know they are tired, and I nodded to signal the end of training. Iva and Consuela are sisters, born as Gillian only minutes apart. Now they have risen to become my fracciones. They wear a uniform consisting of waist-length halter tops and fitted pants. Their hollow masks cover a corner of one side of their heads, and have a narrow eye slit.

Iva has her mask on the right while Consuela has her mask on the left. Their hair styles are the same as well, spiky with a long mullet tail. Their Zanpakuto are named Turón and Tejón. Iva carries her broadsword on the right, and Consuela on the left. We bowed our bow to signal the end of training lightly touching our forehead to the flat steel.

"You care for them, as you would your family," Halibel said appearing at my side. Only the strong survive to prey upon the weak. That is the way of Hueco Mundo. I look now at the human world. The world my fracciones and I now live in. There is a great task ahead us, La Garda, to break the boundaries that divide the our world and the shinigami.

The only way to do that is to prove our worth in battle. I nodded to Halibel's statement, and watched as my fracciones were interacting with Halibel's and teaching them my ways with some success between Iva and Mila Rose as she parried Mila Rose's sword with ease, "I said stab me not tickle me," Iva scolded the tallest of Halibel's fracciones.

"If you are going to show that much contempt toward me, then you best be on your knees and have Aizen piss on your face," Iva added forcefully. If there is anything that Iva is at best it is a motivational speaker. Mila Rose did seem to take those words of hers too lightly, "oh? you're angry? That's good, but even a mere Gillian can throw a fit,"

Mila Rose growled, "Shut up and die!" she blasted, and attacked her only to take a pommel of Iva's sword to the face. Mila Rose fell on her back with a bloody nose, and the tip of Iva's sword at her neck. Now it was time to see how well she has done under my tutelage. Iva paused grasping her broadsword at hand. I could hear Mila Rose gulp.

Iva nodded a single nod, and pulled back her broadsword and put it back in her sheath, "There is no shame in it, mi hermana," Iva said holding out her hand to the tallest fraccion. Mila Rise smirked and took the hand up. It is good to see such progress among our underlings. One virtue I see lacking in arrancar and shinigami alike is chivalry.

Even though she cannot speak physically, Consuela developed another way of communicating through the use of her own spiritual energy. She can focus her energy to her mind, and aim it toward anyone she wishes to talk to. In a sense, the receiver's mind will hear the voice, but Consuela's mouth will not move. Consuela was facing Apacci.

"C'mon, Consuela, say something!" Apacci barked attacking my fraccion, but Consuela remained calm and parried every strike until she found an opening and pushed her back, "oh I forgot you can't!" she added sarcastically. Consuela used her sonido and appeared in front of her, and attacked Apacci again. Consuela is very wise in her words.

'Loud words belay a weak cause' Consuela said into her mind. I can hear because of where Consuela directed her spiritual energy for speech. She can direct it toward a single person, or a multitude depending on where she focuses her energy. I am thinking she wants us to hear her words. Apacci is the most lacking in maturity out of everyone.

"Who're you calling weak, I'll show you weak, Thrust...CIERVA!" Apacci appeared in her released form, but Consuela was not phased by her action. Consuela turned her blade with the pommel facing forward, "that's right, give it up, Mutie, I'm stronger than you," Apacci charged and attacked the seemingly helpless fraccion, until she used sonido.

Apacci launched a cero at her. Consuela appeared in front of her to the shock of her opponent, and slammed the pommel of her sword into her gut and a second strike with the pommel to her back sending her down to the sands below. As her released form faded, Consuela appeared with the tip of her sword at Apacci's neck, "But I am smarter"

In battle, it is not how much power you have that determines the outcome, but how you use it. You can have power, but all power can be wasted and once that happens then you have met defeat. You would have nothing left to use against your opponent, as Apacci has shown. Consuela offered her a hand up, but Apacci tapped her hand away.

Consuela bowed to her opponent in the way I taught her. She seemed to take no offense to the fact Apacci rejected the hand offered to her. I do have a released form, but the only time I will ever use it is if my opponent is worthy enough. If you can grant me proper contest by the sword alone, then I will fight you in my most powerful state.