Comrades

From: Native American Folklore

Warnings: None

Main Cast: Kensei (as Rabbit), Shuuhei

Also: Aaroneiro (as Double-Face) Mashiro, Chojiro

Kensei was a very brave man, and despite being a great warrior, could have a very kindly disposition when people were in need.

While hunting he heard a cry of a baby, and he ran towards it, finding a person standing over the child, hitting it with whips and pinching him harshly.

"Stop!" Kensei called out. "What kind of coward attacks a child?"

"Oh, I am just teasing the poor thing," the person said, his face now serene and peaceful looking. "I didn't mean any harm."

Kensei wasn't fooled at all by the man's mild manner, he knew that the man was Aaroneiro, feared as the Double-Faced man who would torment many people in the village just for the sheer joy of chaos and pain.

"Give the baby to me," Kensei ordered Aaroneiro.

"No. He is mine. And if you try to take him from me, you'll only find pain!" Aaroneiro said back.

Kensei growled, changing instantly into a great beast, attacking the two faced demon and defeating him easily, all without harming the child.

"Where do you live?" he asked the child, who wasn't of talking age. Eventually Kensei found the nearest village, and found an elderly couple who had lost all of their children and grandchildren to Aaroneiro. "Come, I have your grandchild!" he called out, but the elderly couple had been tricked too many times by Double-Face, and assumed that it was yet another ruse. They refused to let Kensei come in, and refused to take the child.

"Well, kid, I guess you're stuck with me," Kensei said as he lay next to his night fire, holding the child close to him as he slept.

In the morning he was surprised to find his arm around a full grown man.

"Where is the child that was here?" Kensei asked.

"I am him. Thank you for rescuing me," the young man said. "My name is Shuuhei."

"Remarkable."

"From now on, we are comrades for life," Shuuhei said. "We will both go out and do our duties, trying to bring good to this world, but if you ever need me, or if I ever need you, we will always be there for each other."

Kensei agreed. "I've never had a brother," he said. "Although you look like enough to me to be related."

"Good luck on your travels," Shuuhei wished him with a small salute.

It wasn't too long before Kensei found a woman caught up in a tree, which had practically swallowed her whole. She was crying out in pain as the tree pressed on her.

"Please, I will take your place," Kensei said.

"My name is Mashiro, thank you," the girl said, able to move once the tree released her and went for Kensei instead.

Kensei gasped as the tree clasped around him.

"Are you going to be ok?" Mashiro asked.

"I'm...fine..." Kensei grunted.

After she left he finally gave in to the pain, sweat rolling down his face as he cried out to the heavens. "Shuuhei!" he cried out.

Shuuhei was there, almost as if on the breeze itself.

"I'd hate to have to ask how this happened," Shuuhei said with a small smile.

"Then don't," Kensei grimaced.

Shuuhei lifted up his zanpakuto and struck the tree once, and it instantly opened up, freeing Kensei.

Once again the two parted, but it wasn't too long after that that Kensei spotted a small cottage near the river. Inside was an old blind man.

"Hello, grandfather, can I help you?" Kensei asked.

"My name is Chojiro. Although the people of the village have left me much dried meat and other food, and have tied a rope to led me to the river, no one comes and visits me. I am so lonely and wish to see my friends again," the old man complained.

"Please, have my eyes. I am young and strong and can do without them," Kensei claimed.

The man gladly took Kensei's eyes and left.

Kensei was ok at first, able to eat the food from the storage containers, but one day while following the rope that led to the river, he fell in. As he felt the water begin to rise over his head, he struggled to get to shore. Finally making it, he tried to find his way back to the cottage, the vines and thorns of the trees and plants scratching at his face and hands and feet as he tried to find his way. Eventually, in exhaustion, still wet and cold, and covered in bloody scratches, he called out, "Shuuhei!"

It was but a moment when Shuuhei showed up, and helped him to the cottage.

"Here," Shuuhei said, and Kensei could see once again.

"I know that you want to help people sometimes, but be careful of what you do, don't offer more than you can afford to give," Shuuhei offered by way of advice.

"Mmm," Kensei replied, warming himself by the fire. "I'm saving you next time, right?"

"Ha, yeah, I'll make sure to get into trouble just so that we can even things up," Shuuhei laughed.

Next up: By request – Gin and Rangiku. I have a couple of ideas about this but haven't worked out the details yet.