Chapter 2-Visitors

Stepping out of the barracks I was immediately met by my captain, Katie Jones with a stranger I don't know, however this unknown is wearing a captains haori so I concluded she must be one of the mysterious Japanese captains, sizing her up I couldn't help but notice the steel in her eyes and the curves of her body. This could be interesting...

'Hello miss'

I know as soon as my head starts to hurt that Katie has slapped me, only her and Amelia, her sister, can slap me that fast. I'm forced to stand through the humiliation of Katie explaning im a womanizer while I concentrate on stopping my face turning scarlet. As it turns out this stranger is the Japanese 2nd squad captain, Soi Fon, immediately my thoughts go to how pleased Amelia will be to have someone other than me to practice Japanese on however im still in the dark about her purpose here.

'May I ask captain, why you are here?' I ask

'I suppose you may. We are here to hold a captains exam. You see, we need three new captains and your soul society has many more captain level shinigami. We will, however, be entering our legitimate candidates as well, to give them a Fair chance at what is really, rightfully theirs.' Soi Fon explained.

A captains exam... uh oh

'And I will be entering you.' Katie cut in. 'you had best get training. Maybe Soi Fon will let you train with her if you ask nice enough.' I could see the sly glint in Katie's eyes but glanced at Soi Fon to get her reaction, from the cold in her eyes I doubted I would be sparring with anyone new anytime soon.

'I have to deliver this paperwork. I'll find someone to train with after.' I quickly put in to cover the awkward moment, then move off towards the central barracks, flash stepping lightly from rooftop to rooftop.

The sun beat down with pounding heat as I made my way to deliver my monthly paperwork to the head captain, Soi Fon's message about a captain's exam revolved in my head, along with Katie's announcement that she was going to enter me, this time next week I could be a captain.... I reflected on how far I had come... Katie and her sister Amelia, who is vice of the 10th squad and my best friend, grew up with me under the protection of the Head Captain, Hetta Goodwin, after we both lost our parents. We all owe a lot to Hetta, she showed us who we are and helped us put our lives back together and gave me the most treasured gift of all, a true friend.

The 1st squad barracks looms before me, like normal im late but I know that Hetta won't mind, never know I may even run into Amelia.

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Sitting there, lonely, deserted, desperate. The chill beginning to come to my bones that I know will lead to my death; I welcome it with open arms. The holes in my heart send me shooting into the darkness.

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The 1st squad barracks are reasonably quiet; everyone not on duty is outside enjoying one of the first days of true summer, as I ascend to the top of the building I take time to appreciate the delicate wall hangings, even after walking through this space so many times it still fills me with a sense of calm and wonder.

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My eyes open to a tall girl with glowing blonde hair halfway down her back; she seems to radiate warmth and peace. I believe that she is my angel, in a way I am right.

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I knock on the office door and enter as I am called; pleased to see Amy as I walk in and put my paper next to an identical stack I assume she has just delivered. Hetta is sitting at the desk like normal, smiling at me just like the day we first met...

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The angel smiles, that smile radiates confidence and calm. I believe that I am dead and im in heaven. She scoops me up into her arms and carries me. At some point along the way I must lose consciousness as the next thing I see is a pair of deep aqua blue eyes augmented with years of experience gazing down on me while I lay in that soft warm room.

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'Talk later Hetta? Amy asks, striking me out of my revelry and once our friend has nodded a dismissal we rush to the training ground, like normal Amy is beating me before we have left the barracks and remains in the lead, in a combat situation I can keep up with her but in a straight race it's no competition. Like normal she arrives before me and makes sure I know it:

'I won, sucker!' She informs me once I arrive.

'Of course you did; you always do.' I state flatly.

I feel the vibration behind me that gives me a split seconds warning to the blade whistling towards my back. Amy stops it with her sword before I get a chance to dodge; she had a split second more reaction time because she was facing me and my attacker.

'God, if Amy wasn't here to protect you you'd be dead!' she cried in a high, scathing tone. I know immediately who owns that voice and turn around to my sometime nemesis and sometime friend, obviously having a nemesis day, Leah Benning the 8th squad vice captain and one of the other captain level soul reapers, though I have never seen her Ban Kai

'What do you want?' I ask in the special tone I reserve for her, not patronising as such but a delicate and well thought through blend of patronising, insulting and complementary that experience has shown tends to show what mood she is in well.

'Why should I tell you?' she asked in a disgusted tone. Ok so definitely a bad mood then, I wonder which boy has annoyed her, better be on my guard...

Leah is prone to mood swings like this, sometime she can be a brilliant friend but that has been becoming rarer and rarer recently, sometimes I even catch myself missing her company in our days.

Amy, ever the diplomat, distracts Leah with an offer to spar and I quietly watch the pair trading blows from a nearby roof. After a few seconds of crossing blades Leah decides its time to take it up a level, which is a shame really as im enjoying watching Amy beat Leah to pulp in standard combat.

'Let's take this up a notch shall we?'

Leah raised her soul slayer before her face and yelled 'Hiss, Death Star!' The sword became alive with power as it grew into a distinctly non-feminine large blade, the only deminine attribute it held was the pink that its blade glowed, her sword being one of the fed that was made of vibrating spirit power rather than cold steel.

When Amy moves her blade to her lips I subtlety summon a kido barrier in front of me to protect me from any other the lost power of her Shi Kai release. I see her lips move and though not even my fine detail hearing can hear what she says I know. 'Bleed Akane-Yuki' I notice how she has managed to improve the technique even in the few days since we last sparred.

The blade of her sword shimmers and the metal itself appears to bleed until she holds a brilliant, blood red sword with matching ribbon trailing behind, in front of her. I feel a prickle above my heart and know that this is her full shi kai, or as full as she can get within her seal.

Me, Amelia and the 5th squad vice captain, Damian are the only soul reapers in history to have semi-permanent seals on our power both in the soul society and the real world. Several years ago it was decided that we were becoming too powerful for vice captains and needed to be sealed so we all had the power that we shouldn't need on a day to day basis or even in moderate fights sealed and a tattoo above our heart placed to allow us to request the seal is lifted temporarily. Above my hear resides a dragon and though we are not supposed to know what the others are due to some drunken nights from the glimpses I gathered from the top of Amy's dress I would guess hers is some kind of flower, after all she always seems to have an affinity with pretty flowers, rather like her personality I think...

I become aware of two more figures that have masked spirit power and have also come to watch the fight which I note with some satisfaction Amelia is winning easily. Looking up at the unexpected guests I see that one is Amy's captain, Antonia and the other is a boy who looks barely old enough to be a soul reaper but wearing a captain's haori, a Japanese haori. So this is the infamous Tochiro Hitsugaya...

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Please read and review, im aware im getting a bit behind Amy here but I have some more time now