Chapter Two: Parole
"Prisoner Kotetsu, Kai-dono."
The guard spoke abruptly, bowing his head before the room's only occupant, before turning to glare at his companion. "Lower your head, Kotetsu! Show proper respect!"
His companion, who had automatically bowed his head the moment he stepped into the chamber bit back the retort he knew was bubbling on the edge of his lips, swallowing it before he did anything that could be considered defiance. Convicted of assault five years earlier, Kotetsu Tenichi had learned over his time in Shihouin confinement that there were guards who would take umbridge at the least thing, and he was not about to jeopardise his right to parole by arguing over how deep a bow was appropriate to greet the man inside the office.
At least, he mused dryly, the thick reddish hair which had grown longer in captivity fell over his face in heavy enough waves to conceal any irritation in his expression, and a few seconds of silence passed with both men still standing in a suitably bent position before the desk.
"Hashimoto, you're dismissed. You can leave Kotetsu to me." At length a clear voice rang out in a command, and the guard grunted, lowering his head once more before turning on his heel and leaving the chamber. As he passed Tenichi, he gave him a jab in the ribs, as though giving him a final reminder to mind his manners, and Tenichi clenched his jaws together, inwardly seething at the rough and ready treatment. Guards might hit you, but if you hit them back there was hell to pay, and as a prisoner of the Shihouin, there was rarely any such thing as 'prisoner's rights' to consider. Tenichi had absorbed this culture of domination and submission for the past five years, perfecting his survival technique to a fine art, and he had no mind to ruin it on account of one overbearing gaoler. Prisoners acted only when they were told to - at least outwardly - and so he did not move, waiting for the instruction to stand.
"Well, Kotetsu? Raise your head and look at me."
Finally it came, and Tenichi obediently straightened his back, lifting his gaze to meet the golden eyes of the Vice Captain of the Second Division. Despite his Division rank, he was robed in the all-black uniform of the Onmitsukidou, and instead of the Vice Captain's badge adorning his left arm, the crest of the Shihouin Clan was embroidered above the two stark interlocking rectangles of the secret corps themselves. It was an understated appearance, but Tenichi knew that it belied the fact that before him stood the younger brother of the Shihouin Clan leader, a man with significant political and military influence and an individual who had the power to determine his own future from this moment on.
As though sensing Tenichi's thoughts, the Shihouin offered a grin.
"You have something you'd like to say, Kotetsu?" he asked lightly.
"No, sir," Tenichi responded promptly.
"Really?" Kai pursed his lips pensively. "I wonder about that. I see it in your eyes, you know. The frustration and wounded pride that's bubbling up there, ready to explode. It's something I see often in the eyes of prisoners in places like this - so you shouldn't think you can hide it from me."
Wisely, Tenichi kept silent, and Kai laughed, pushing back his seat and getting to his feet. At full height, Tenichi was the taller, but despite his smaller stature, Kai's military skills were legendary among most of Seireitei, and so even though Tenichi had to lower his gaze slightly, it did not feel for a moment as though he was looking down on his companion. A moment of silence passed between them, and then Kai nodded his head.
"Prison isn't a nice place, is it, Kotetsu?" he asked softly.
"Sir?" Tenichi's question was wary, and Kai unfolded his arms, resting his left hand on Tenichi's shoulder.
"It's all right," he said evenly. "I sent Hashimoto away because I intend to talk with you and I want you to be frank. You know that the reason I'm here this week is that I'm hearing the probation cases of various prisoners, not just yours...but you are unlike the others, and so, in your case, I wanted to see for myself what five years of labour confinement had done for you."
Tenichi pressed his lips together, looking doubtful.
"You want me to be...frank, sir?" he asked hesitantly. "With all respect, sir, this meeting determines whether I stay or whether I return to Inner Seireitei and try to rebuild my life. As fearsome as that task seems to me right now, I don't really have any desire to lengthen my stay here either, not if it can be avoided."
"Mm," Kai turned back towards the desk. "Kotetsu, you see all these documents piled up here? Enough to bury me, I'm sure, if I was to accidentally knock them down."
"Kai-dono?" Tenichi's brows furrowed in confusion, and Kai patted one pile lightly on the top.
"These are your records from your time here at Shihouin pleasure," he continued evenly. "Every weekly report, every disciplinary hearing, every labour log, not to mention any other pieces of information guards have thought it pertinent to bring to my attention. If you look, you can see that its a comprehensive pile. I have had you most carefully monitored from the start, Kotetsu Tenichi. It is unusual for a shinigami to come here - and in order to know if you're safe to send back, I have to be sure of your mental state as well as your physical penance."
"I see," Tenichi faltered for a moment, then he sighed, slowly shaking his head.
"I don't like being here," he admitted honestly. "I'm sure nobody does, because that's not what it's here for. I came here to be punished and I know I deserved that punishment. I tried to hurt an innocent girl and I put my brother in an impossible position. I created havoc for a lot of people and so I've never doubted the justice in my sentence. But life here is hard. And its harder when you're a shinigami and people know it...you stick out like a sore thumb."
He raised his left arm, running the index finger of his right over the silver band that was clamped against his skin.
"This gives it away," he added bitterly. "The moment they see cuffs, they know. They know you've come from Inner Seireitei, and that's all they need. Nothing else is important. Once they know, that's it."
"The prisoners, Kotetsu? Or the guards?" Kai asked evenly, and Tenichi pulled a face.
"Both. Either. It's not really much of a distinction," he said bluntly, then sharply inhaled as he realised how direct his statement had been. Kai chuckled at his stricken expression, picking up the top volume from the pile of records and beginning to flick through it.
"I told you, didn't I? I wanted you to be frank with me," he repeated calmly. "Your fate has already been decided, so nothing you say to me now will change it in either regard. Your records have spoken for you - that's why we keep them, so that we can make judgements in cold, clinical detachment. If we start considering each prisoner as a person when we judge them, how can we stay objective?"
"With all respect, sir, then why are you speaking to me now?" Tenichi asked uncertainly, and Kai snapped the book shut, dropping it back down onto the pile with a soft thud.
"Because you belong to the squad of someone I consider a dear personal friend," he said quietly, and suddenly the humour was gone from the golden eyes. "Hirata lost his son five years ago, and you were irrevocably connected to that incident. You and I both know that you were not found culpable in Souja's death, nor do I think you ever meant your Vice Captain harm, but the fact is, Souja died. Hirata has stated to me that, when you're released, he wants you back. I have given him my word that when we release you, you will be in good enough mental state to be of use to the Seventh Division. For that reason, I've put usual protocol on the back burner. I remember the miserable specimen you made in my deep cells before you were put on trial, and if that's who I'm sending back into service, you'd do better staying here."
Tenichi lowered his gaze, his cheeks blazing red with shame despite himself, and Kai nodded.
"As I said, I've decided your fate, and I will come to it in a moment," he added. "In the meantime, I wanted to talk. I needed to talk to you. Your record shows that you've not found it easy, here, not always. You've been involved in fights. You've had two or three incidents where other inmates have tried to take you down with weapons they've fashioned of their own design. You've been in confinement and isolation a few times - and on one occasion, you assaulted a guard. I wanted to hear your reasoning...so I could adjudge your reactions for myself."
"The guard..."
Tenichi's eyes narrowed, as he remembered the incident. It had been a brawny man of Hashimoto's stature, swaggering and arrogant, who had pushed him about once too often. He had lost his temper, and the result had been an all out brawl in the corridors between the mess hall and his cell. Tenichi had fought his corner until other guards had come to pull him off and throw him in confinement, and there he had nursed his bruises, bolstered only by a stark diet of bread and water.
"I didn't do it a second time," he said aloud now, meeting Kai's gaze head on. "It was a silly thing to do, and I was angry, but I learned from it. Guards don't like shinigami, here. They make it clear and then they hassle you. Other inmates, too. Like you said, they want to attack you. They think if they can take you down, they gain status. I've taken scars in here, and shed blood. But any mistakes I made, I never made them twice. And I never started a fight, Kai-dono. Except that one with the guard, I didn't begin any of them."
"I see," Kai leant back against the wall of the office, fixing Tenichi with a searching gaze. Slowly he nodded, and Tenichi was surprised to see faint approval in his expression.
"I like those eyes better," he decided. "They're not the sorry eyes of someone who's given up, or who's lost his pride and his purpose. You've doubtless broken rules, and yes, you've probably been victimised as much as you say you have, but you haven't let it push you down. Before we locked you up, you told me that you'd changed and you didn't know yourself any more. Now I see that's not the case. You know who you are, now. It might not be the same man you were when you came in, but you know who Kotetsu Tenichi is now. The man I confined here was emotionally unsteady, but I don't see that now."
Tenichi let out a heavy sigh, flexing and clenching his knuckles and glancing at the scars that adorned them.
"Probably that's true," he admitted. "I've tried to keep out of trouble, though, and I have worked hard. I realised when Suzuki took me hostage that my physical strength and skills let me down. I decided that, since I was here, and since I was going to be worked pretty much to death day and night on the land and lugging stuff about, I ought to take advantage and build up my strength. Maybe I didn't begin fights, Kai-dono, but I sure as heck finished them. All of them, and without my sword, too."
Kai chuckled.
"You almost sound like an Onmitsukidou recruit, talking like that," he teased. "But you're not, and I think you've probably spent enough time here for one lifetime. Your disciplinary record is chequered, but it's been some time since you got into a proper fight and two years since you were last confined. You've not clashed with any of the guards since that one incident four years ago - and I can see that, as you say, you've learned from your mistakes. That's why keeping prisoners alive is so much better than executing them - then they have the chance to atone. I think you've done your time. I intend to cut you free."
"Sir?" Tenichi's green eyes lit up briefly with hope, then clouded with apprehension. "You're going to release me? Back to...Inner Seireitei?"
"Unless you've somewhere else you think you should be serving probation," Kai's eyes twinkled. "I told Seventh my intentions last night, that providing the man I spoke to this morning was in his wits and worthy of returning to action, I would be releasing him this afternoon. You'll need to go to the Fourth to have the cuffs off, because it'd be dangerous for me to do it without any proper medical precautions - but I made it clear that I didn't have a room for you in my cells any longer, so they'd better decide if they really wanted you. Apparently Kikyue-hime has some sense to knock into you - but they did send over something that should confirm to you their intention to give you one last chance."
He crossed the office to the corner where Tenichi could see a white box lay propped up against the wall. Deftly he lifted it up onto the edge of the desk, pushing back the lid and Tenichi drew breath sharply as he realised what was inside.
"Shi...hakushou?"
"As you say, your uniform," Kai patted the black fabric with a nod. "Fresh and pressed and ready for wearing. That," he gestured to the pale blue prison uniform Tenichi wore, "belongs to me and here, and so unless you intend to go out of here naked, I suggest you take this back to your cell and get changed. I don't suppose anyone will be able to have confidence in your mental state if you turn up back at barracks in the nude."
Despite himself, Tenichi managed an amused grin.
"Yes, sir," he agreed warmly. "I'll do that. Did you say this afternoon? That seems soon."
"Too soon?" Kai arched an eyebrow, and Tenichi shook his head.
"No. I'll be glad to be out," he admitted. "I'm a bit afraid of outside, and whether the world - or I - have changed more in the time I've been here, but I can't be useful to anyone stuck away in here. Sooner or later I have to face up to everything, so I will. Probably better I don't have ages to dwell on everything...if it's today, then I'll go today."
"Good choice," Kai's eyes twinkled. "Someone from Seventh will probably come for you. Hirata said he planned to send someone to meet you at the gate - probably he thinks you'll get lost, or chicken out, so prove him wrong, all right? I told him you've grown a spine since last he saw you - make sure you don't make a liar out of me, understood?"
"I promise," Tenichi assured him. "You've been fair to me from the start, Kai-dono. I won't let you down, you have my word."
"This time I'm going to put full faith in that word," Kai said frankly. "Well? Take the uniform and get lost with you. You can find your own cell - I don't suppose there's a need for a guard to escort you. Nobody is stupid enough to try and fashion a breakout on the day they're being officially released, not even you."
With this parting riposte he shoved the box in Tenichi's direction, gesturing with his free hand towards the door. Tenichi's lips twitched into a wry smile, but he took the hint, gathering up the black robes and bowing before his superior officer before withdrawing from the office. He slid the door shut behind him, pausing for a moment to exhale as he considered everything that had been said within the stark walls of the chamber. It was as he had said, he reviewed pensively. The prison might be run by Shihouin and Onmitsukidou guardsfolk who were short on sympathy and quick to provoke, but their overall leader and chief was a fair-minded man and someone whose word could be trusted. His orders were also to be immediately obeyed, as was evident by the fact that Hashimoto was long gone, and the grey corridor was empty of any guard waiting to haul him physically back to his cell. Hashimoto was the kind of guard who listened at keyholes and told tales on prisoners, but even he didn't dare defy Kai's authority, so Tenichi found that the short walk back to the cell block which had been his home for the past five years was unmolested.
Much of the scenery inside the prison was the same, and it was easy to make a wrong turning. In the early days, Tenichi had preferred being marshalled back to his cell after labour hours were done, because he had been tired enough to drop and not in the mood for altercations with other inmates whose cells he might confuse with his own. Now, however, he was familiar enough with the few small features that marked out his cell block from the others, and so it was without a moment of hesitation that he reached the grilled door, noting absently as he did so that it had been left ajar and that, once again, there was no guard on duty outside.
The other prisoners were all still out at work, Tenichi decided, stepping into the chamber and, as an afterthought, kicking the door shut behind him. If he looked out of the small, square barred window, he would probably be able to make out his fellows working the fields that surrounded the complex, and beyond, the big warehouse where the harvests were processed and the equipment was maintained. It was spring, which meant tilling fields and preparing crops, and Tenichi grimaced ruefully as he remembered the long days tethered to a particular work position, repeating the same action over and over while his back ached and his arms became numb. The tools were chained to the ground too - and no prisoner was put within reach of one another when working with potentially dangerous weapons, but Tenichi associated such days with the empty threats of his prison companions about what they would like to do if the guard on duty was looking the other way. To begin with it had frightened him, but over time he had realised that it was the other inmates who feared him and the silver bands at his wrists that marked him out as spiritually gifted.
Well, no more. Gently he laid out the black uniform on the hard pallet bed, smoothing it out carefully before standing back to admire the well-stitched fabric and smooth lines. The obi, crisp and white, had been starched and folded in the middle, and as he gazed at it, he felt a sudden swell of emotion rise up inside of him.
He was going home. Home to Inner Seireitei. Home to Seventh Division. Home to the place where shinigami belonged.
But do I still belong there?
Hesitantly he brushed his fingers against the sleeve of the shihakushou, then he gritted his teeth, clasping the soft fabric tightly in his hand.
No matter if I do or I don't. Kai-dono is right when he said I know who I am...at least, who I am now. Whether it was prison which settled me that way, or whether I was already heading in this direction before I came here, I suppose I don't know - but I can't hide from the person I've become and I don't intend to. No doubt there'll be people who will say things. Probably I'll have to earn back my rank, but I don't care. I'm a good shinigami, and I always was. Whether the world has changed or whether it's just me, it doesn't matter. If my niche doesn't exist any more, I'll carve out a new one. I promised myself I wouldn't look back, the day I was sentenced. I haven't, so there's no point in doing so now. I get to change and leave this place completely and I don't intend on ever coming back. Whoever Endou-taichou sends for me, I'll be ready to greet them - in full uniform, as a shinigami should be.
It was turning into a sunny day.
On the grass that flanked the barracks of the Thirteenth Division, a lone shinigami stretched out on the thick green grass, enjoying the feel of the warm sun against the dark fabric of his customary shihakushou. There had been a heavy dew the night before, but, although it was still only spring, the bright sunlight of the morning had dried the ground with startling speed and so, for once, he knew that he would not be scolded for indulging in his favourite pastime - reading among the flowers and trees of the Division gardens. In the past five years, he had been scolded numerous times for turning up to afternoon drill or patrol with grass stains on a fresh obi, but there was little risk of that today, and as he turned the pages of his book, he allowed himself to be fully absorbed in the words that decorated the page, devouring each eagerly before moving on to the next with anticipation.
Kohaku had always loved reading, and even as an active member of the Thirteenth Division, the novelty of the hobby had not worn off at all. Raised in Rukongai, the son of a wanted outlaw who had lost his life to Seireitei's justice five years earlier, Kohaku had come to Seireitei as a refugee, but had soon found a home and a family to which he could really belong. Adopted as the protege of the Thirteenth Division Captain, Ukitake Juushirou, he had embraced his new lifestyle with genuine enthusiasm, but old habits still died hard, and even now his favourite place to go was the Division archive, simply to stare at the rows and rows of books. It would take him more than his lifetime to read them all, he knew, but it had not put him off trying all the same.
Free time for a ranked member of Juushirou's Division was a rare commodity, even in a peaceful Seireitei, for there were patrols to undertake and drills to participate in, but to Kohaku, who had grown up with little in the way of structure, that only made free time all the more to be enjoyed.
He was just finishing the second chapter of his current book when the silence was shattered by the sound of something whipping through the air towards him. He started as a sandal, much like the ones that lay haphazardly on the grass beside him, came flying past his left eye, colliding with the ground a foot or so from where he lay. It rolled through the blades of grass, coming to a stop a mere inch from a nearby daisy.
"Damn it. Missed."
The surprise missile was followed by the sound of someone's clear disappointment, and Kohaku gathered his wits, pushing his book aside and wheeling around in indignation to confront the person who had intruded on his quiet time. Across the grass, looking like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth was his room-mate and close friend, Kayashima Eiji, his thick dark hair pulled back from his face in a messy ribbon. His expression was the picture of innocence, but Kohaku's eyes were sharp, and he quickly noticed the fact that one of the other's sandals was conspicuously missing from his right foot.
"Kayashima!" he exclaimed, reaching his free hand for the discarded sandal and raising it over his head in a threatening gesture. "What are you doing, trying to brain me? I was reading - I had no idea you were there!"
"I know, which is why you make such a perfect target," the interloper sauntered across the grass towards him, offering his friend an unrepentant smile. "I know you when you've got your head stuck in a book, so I thought I'd bypass all the usual formalities of yelling your name and try a more direct means of communication. Which," he continued, as he bent to pluck the stray sandal from his friend's grasp, "as you can see, had a perfect return first time. You're wide awake, and my voice is saved from being shouted hoarse. A win all round, I think - don't you?"
"What are you doing here, anyway?" Kohaku shot his companion a glare, and Kayashima chuckled, dropping down on the ground beside him.
"Looking for you, obviously," he said comfortably. "I knew you'd be hiding away here with a book, and so I came to find you."
"Yes, obviously, but why?" Kohaku insisted. "If you knew I was reading, you'd know I didn't want to be disturbed. Unless you're bringing some kind of message...?"
"Message?" Kayashima looked surprised, then shook his head. "No, not really. To be honest, I was looking for somewhere safe to hide out for an hour or two."
"Hide out...what did you do?" Despite his annoyance, Kohaku was intrigued, and Kayashima shrugged.
"Nothing, yet," he said cautiously. "I was taking evasive action, since I heard Hikifune-san ripping bits out of Furuta for being late to morning drill, and since I know I'm on patrol with her later, I decided not to risk doing anything that might get her cross again. She's clearly in one of those moods...and I'd rather not experience it if I can help it."
"Kirio-san? In a bad mood?" Kohaku looked startled. "That's unusual. Furuta must've been very late."
"No, it's not that," Kayashima shook his head. "It's something else completely. Taichou's been summoned to a Captain's meeting, but coming past his office, I heard Atsudane-san talking to Fukutaichou. Today's that day - the day Tenichi-san's parole is reviewed and stuff. They decide whether he's going to be let go today. Hikifune-san's friends with Tenichi-san, isn't she? I guess she's thinking about that, and whether it's all all right. She looked horrible, to be honest - like she hadn't slept at all last night, so I decided not to cross her path. Last thing I want is her turning into a hell demon on my tail for no apparent reason."
"Tenichi-dono," Kohaku's expression became thoughtful as he remembered the series of events that had led to the Seventh Division officer's incarceration five years before, and he frowned. "I see. I didn't think about it, but I guess it has been that long, hasn't it? I came to Seireitei first five years ago. I met Tenichi-dono five years ago, and he met Father, and everything spiralled from there. I hope that he gets released, Kayashima. I know that what happened wasn't really my fault, but a lot of people got hurt and messed up by the things Father did, and I'd hate to think that Tenichi-dono's punishment got dragged out longer than it's already been."
"Mm," Kayashima's cheeky features became uncharacteristically serious, and he nodded his head. "I wondered why Taichou chose Ketsui-san to go with Shikibu-san to scout that settlement in the Real World, but this makes sense now. If he's there, doing that, he can't be here worrying about his brother. A lot of stuff happened, didn't it? Not that I know even now exactly what, but I do know that Ketsui-san, when he wanted to go see Tenichi-san, sometimes he couldn't because Tenichi-san had broken a rule and they'd put him in confinement. I don't know what goes on in a Shihouin prison, but it's probably not a lot of fun."
"No..." Kohaku rested his chin in his hands, the book forgotten. "I like Tenichi-dono. He's not a bad person."
"He'd left Thirteenth by the time I recruited, but I never heard bad about him either, before all that happened," Kayashima agreed. "I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm sure they'll let him out."
He slipped his fingers into the folds of his obi, pulling out a small paper bag which he proffered in Kohaku's direction. "Candy? I got them from town yesterday, on the way back from patrol. We had a few minutes and Fukutaichou said we could. I wish I could patrol with Fukutaichou every time - he's so much more easy going than some of the others."
"Candy, huh?" Kohaku arched an eyebrow, nonetheless accepting one of the small sugary treats from the bag and popping it into his mouth. "Were you patrolling or going on a sightseeing trip?"
"It was dead-dull, and there were no hollows," Kayashima pulled a graphic face, dumping the bag down on the grass between them. "Help yourself, there's plenty and I don't mind sharing. We didn't even have a cat to rescue from a tree, that's how quiet it was. I think Fukutaichou let us buy snacks just because we needed something to keep us awake. Seriously, I like that Seireitei is peaceful now, but there's not a lot of point in patrolling if there's nothing for us to do."
"I like that it's that way. I don't like conflict if it can be avoided," Kohaku said reflectively. "Patrol is fine, even if there aren't hollows. There are people to meet and things to see and there's a lot of Seireitei I haven't seen, even now. I don't mind, Kayashima. If you don't want to go next time, I will. It's nice, visiting the villages and talking to the local folk there. I never really got to do that before."
"Meh," Kayashima rolled his eyes, leaning over to pick up Kohaku's forgotten book. "That's you, always in a dream. What are you reading this time, anyway? Another book of ancient legends? Seriously, haven't you run out of those yet?"
"Apparently not," Kohaku was amused, and he shook his head. "This is a book from Yamamoto-dono, though. Taichou brought it back for me when he came back from the Academy early this morning. He gave it to me before breakfast, and I decided that, since I had some time, I might as well take a look."
"Genryuusai-sensei?" Kayashima glanced up in surprise, and Kohaku nodded.
"It's because of Kyouka," he said reflectively. "Yamamoto-dono thinks that my sword probably told the truth - it probably has lived lives before and, with the kind of ability it and I have, there's a chance it might remember details of those past lives. Yamamoto-dono also has a sword that's been reincarnated, so he said he'd find me some stuff to read on the history and legends and so on. Just in case it mattered. Kyouka and I get along better than we did, but its still an unpredictable blade, and Yamamoto-dono wants me to be prepared, just in case those past memories interfere with the present."
He sighed, shrugging his shoulders.
"Not that I'd notice the difference," he added wryly, "but the book is interesting. I like history. I like knowing how all these broken fragments of information tie together, so I don't mind reading it."
"Sometimes at the Academy, Sensei talked about balance and rebirth in different forms," Kayashima admitted, flicking through the pages of the book. "I didn't pay a lot of attention, since to me the only bit that mattered was the fact that Pluses in the Real World had to be soul buried by us and that was our job and the rest kinda just happened whether we did anything about it or not. But I don't remember anyone saying anything specifically about it in regards to swords."
"Well, this is quite an old book," Kohaku admitted, retrieving the volume and spreading it out on the grass, turning to a particular section and smoothing the paper down so that Kayashima could see it. "Taichou said Yamamoto-dono had it in his private library - it isn't an Academy syllabus book, so you wouldn't have seen it."
"His private...?" Kayashima's eyes widened, and he hurriedly withdrew the hand he had extended to touch the faded paper, causing his friend to laugh, nodding.
"I'm taking very good care of it," he agreed playfully. "Apparently it belonged to his father, who acquired it when it became clear that Yamamoto-dono's sword was something special. Taichou said its a really old book - older, probably, than Yamamoto-dono is, even. A lot of time has passed since then, of course, but it's still interesting to read. I don't know anything about this Soul King entity, or whether it's even true that swords like mine and like Yamamoto-dono's originally came from fragments of some Royal Sword, but it's kinda nice to think of. You know, swords forged to save this world and bring balance and reason to chaos and despair."
"Like a god that vanquishes demons," Kayashima's eyes twinkled with humour. "Yes, I see. You're off in another daydream already."
"It's not a daydream," Kohaku defended himself. "It's homework! Kyouka and I need to be able to work together. Otherwise...well, let's not think of the otherwise, huh? I've experienced what it's like when it's cross with me. I'm not really prepared to repeat the experience."
"I room with you, so I second that motion," Kayashima said fervently. "We're friends, but there are some things you should definitely not share with your nearest and dearest. We've all had some odd dreams since you came to live at Thirteenth - and that I can handle - but I've heard the kind of thing it made you see before, and honestly? I'd rather not have a front seat view."
"Me either," Kohaku sighed heavily. "But enough of that. Something else in here was interesting to me - but I haven't had a chance to ask Taichou about it yet. I wonder if you know anything? You went to the Academy, so I guess maybe you do?"
"I'm not big on old legends," Kayashima admitted. "I did read a bunch of dusty stuff when I had to, for exams and the like, but..."
"Well, it's something that probably relates to that," Kohaku rested his chin in his hands, gazing at the old pages pensively. "When we first met here at the Thirteenth five years ago, Yamamoto-dono told me that it's very rare for all of the swords to be reincarnated into living souls at the same time. In fact, he said that generally it was to be avoided, as they're quite powerful in the right - or wrong - hands. This book talks about these swords as though they created and destroyed whole worlds and civilisations in the ancient past, and were often things to be feared. I don't really understand what it means for me and Kyouka, but it's almost as though the original incarnations of these swords divided our world into the different planes - the Real World, this world, the place where the Soul King lives, and also something the book calls the Void World. I never heard of that before - have you?"
"Void World? Hrm. Maybe," Kayashima rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I guess you mean the Hollow's world? Although I've never been there. We can't go there. I don't suppose any shinigami ever has, so I don't know anything about it."
"The Hollows have their own world?" Kohaku blinked, and Kayashima offered him a rueful smile.
"That's the prevailing theory. The argument is that, if they didn't come from somewhere, why would there be so many of them?"
"Because the people in the Real World keep having wars and killing each other over stupid things?" Kohaku asked. Kayashima shrugged.
"There is that," he agreed, "but that's the ones in the Real World - where, incidentally, you and I have yet to be deployed. What about the ones here? How do they get here? They must come from the Hollow World, right?"
"I see," Kohaku looked thoughtful. "I never really considered that. Yamamoto-dono did say that the Void sword is the only one that has never, ever been reincarnated in all the milennia since the first age, which makes sense, I suppose, if it actually created their world, not ours. Maybe it was never even here at all. But it still seems very confusing to me. If there is such a place - a Hollow world - and if they can come here from it, why can't we go there? Why has nobody ever been there? Why doesn't anyone know for certain if it even exists? Shinigami go to the Real World on regular rotation. You said that you even did it when at the Academy. So why not go to the Hollow World and prevent them coming here? I don't get it - what's the difference?"
"I don't know that," Kayashima grinned at him. "I'm just an eleventh seated officer, and it's not something that they teach at the Academy. Maybe Taichou would know, or Genryuusai-sensei himself. Either way, I don't see as it matters. We don't need to go there - its bad enough they come here. At least they're of a low enough level that we can pick them off - though they seem to seep into Rukongai. Not that there has been much activity there lately, either - which I'm sure you're happy about."
"I am, and that things are improving, even though there's a long way to go," Kohaku pursed his lips, reaching over to close the book gently. "I suspect that Father probably contributed to the quantity of Hollows here with his experiments, and that's one reason the number has dropped. Maybe that's why I assumed they all came from here - because Father was fascinated with them and with the possibility of turning souls into Hollows through one method or another. I didn't stop to think that perhaps there were other types of Hollows - ones that came from outside here."
"Somehow I think I've predicted your next reading project," Kayashima rolled his eyes. "Nobody's ever seen this Void World, so it's really all just speculation. We assume they come from there, because they must come from somewhere - but I doubt you'll find a lot of detailed information, even in our Archive. Like as not the term 'World' has probably been exaggerated. It's possible that what we think of as the Hollow World is just the Dangai, and the souls are ones who got trapped there mid-transfer, turned because of it and seeped back into our plane of existence. I might not know about ancient Soul King swords and world creating magic hoodoo, but I do know that in the ancient warring ages, the Dangai was used as a form of punishment. They'd throw people in there, and they wouldn't come out...so like as not that's why we have Hollows now?"
"Threw...them in?" Kohaku paled, and Kayashima chuckled at his friend's reaction. He nodded.
"It's an ancient punishment. They don't use it any more, so don't worry," he said frankly. "I remember reading about it, though, when we did a class on the Dangai and I needed background for one of Sensei's papers. The Senkaimon have meant that the Dangai is more of a transfer route than a punishment oubliette these days. Of course, the Dangai's still pretty dangerous if you don't know what you're doing - but it would probably clog up our trips to places if there were corpses littering the place here, there and everywhere, so they stopped using it that way."
"Stop it," Kohaku shivered. "You're giving me chills, and chills for me often end in hallucinations. It might just be words on paper to you, but I have a bad habit of seeing past things, and I don't really want to see that one. I'm glad they've stopped doing it, so let's change the subject. We were talking about the Hollows, and whether or not they have a world of their own."
"And as I said, I'm not totally convinced they do." Kayashima repeated. "As I said, nobody's seen it or been there. I think the Dangai is it, though since your nightmares keep all of us awake, I'll stop talking about that possibility."
"You really think it might not be true?" Kohaku pressed his lips together thoughtfully. "Dangai horror tales aside, I don't know. Just because we've not seen something doesn't mean it isn't there. Yamamoto-dono was sure that there was a Void sword. It must have gone somewhere, if it isn't here, so where is it?"
"It's a Void sword. I'd say it's in a black hole somewhere," Kayashima was amused, and Kohaku groaned, giving his friend a little shove.
"Be serious! This is interesting to me. It's stuff I haven't heard about before, and it's not like shinigami know everything. You didn't know I was in Rukongai until I came here with Souja-dono, and Rukongai is a place shinigami go. Why shouldn't there be other places, just because shinigami don't go there?"
"Well, I'm sceptical of things I haven't ever seen," Kayashima owned. "I'm different to you that way. For me reality is something that I can confirm with my eyes or my senses. I believe you see the past, present and future because I've seen it happen, and I know you can see things other people can't, even if that's difficult to explain sometimes. You're easily corroborated, but something as vague as this? It's just theories. With the technology we have now, compared to then - you'd think that we'd have nailed it, if the place was really there."
"I guess..." Kohaku looked doubtful, his gaze straying back to the book. "I don't think I ever heard Father talk about something like that, either, and I can't imagine he didn't know, if it really was there. For a minute it sounded kind of interesting, them having their own world and society and stuff - but I can't really imagine what kind of society Hollows have, given how they act here."
He shrugged.
"I don't suppose we'll ever know, anyway. Nobody's looking, now. The book was published a very long time ago...and I haven't finished reading it yet, anyway. I do find it interesting, though. Even things that aren't true completely often have bits and pieces that make sense, so I'm going to keep reading and see what else I find out."
He glanced at the cover of the book with a sigh.
"But while you're here, I won't get that done," he said resignedly. "You want to talk, and I guess I'll give in."
"We could talk and walk," Kayashima said hopefully. "We're not on duty, so we don't have to stay here."
"Fine," Kohaku got reluctantly to his feet, sliding the book into the folds of his uniform, and slipping his feet back into his discarded sandals. "You'd better put your shoe on, though, else you'll be scolded later for turning up lopsided to your patrol squad."
"With the mood Kirio-san is in today, I imagine everyone is going to get scolded just for being here," Kayashima said dryly, nonetheless doing as he was bidden. "Still, it's fine. Soon enough there'll be a new intake of eager recruits scurrying around, and they can take the bulk of the chores. I like intake, Koku. It means there are more people to sweep the training grounds, polish the equipment and weed the koi pond."
"I don't miss weeding the koi pond," despite himself, Kohaku laughed ruefully at this remark. "One of you always liked to come up behind me and push me in."
"We were only teaching you to swim," Kayashima adopted an innocent expression, and Kohaku snorted.
"Yes, of course. By trying to drown me."
"But it inspired you to ask Ketsui-san to teach you to swim, so it had the right end result," Kayashima was unconcerned. "You wouldn't have drowned in all those reeds, anyway. You are being overly dramatic, as usual."
"Meh," Kohaku pulled a graphic face.
"In any case, that's a recruit chore," Kayashima chuckled. "They'll do it, not us. And that's how it should be. Which is why it will be good when they come. They'll be too raw, new and in awe of Taichou to complain."
"Maybe," Kohaku's expression became thoughtful. "It's a bit different for me, though, when it comes to recruits. You spent six years training at the Academy, and so do most of the recruits we get. Some are quicker, and finish in five. All of them have had more training than I had before I joined - and, in fact, probably have more than I even have now. I might not be a recruit any more, but I still don't feel in a position to give new intake members orders, let alone pushing chores on them."
"You're the Twelfth Seat now, though," Kayashima reminded him, with a friendly nudge in the ribs. "They'll have to stand up and respect you. Kohaku-senpai. Try it out - see how it sounds?"
"Idiot," Kohaku grimaced. "I'm Twelfth Seat, but I'm nobody's senpai and I'm not going to expect to be called it by anyone. Still, you're right about one thing. If we're going to take advantage of free time, it's better done when the newcomers aren't here. I like to appear vaguely competent when the recruits arrive...or, if possible, to not appear at all. New people means new spiritual footprints to get used to and new questions about why my surname is Aizen and whether I am related to the rebel Keitarou. If you don't mind, I'd rather relax while I have that chance."
"If they give you crap for it, punch them and tell them to mind their superiors," Kayashima reflected. "Eleventh and Twelfth Seat means we might even lead sub-patrols. You won't be able to hide from them then, and you shouldn't want to. Taichou gave us these ranks for a reason, not just to make up numbers. Especially you," he shot his friend a sidelong glance. "Taichou might be letting you edge along at the same pace as the rest of us, because you don't have the Academy background and you didn't grow up here. But we all know that, if it came to it, you've got the best spiritual potential of all of us. Even if your shunpo is still...worrying at times...we all still know. So the new recruits should be grateful you're not the kind to stamp it all over them. If they have sense, they'll treat you with the proper respect."
He clenched his fist speculatively.
"And if they don't, let me know. You might be opposed to violence, but I can punch a moron or two before breakfast if I have to. It makes for a good morning appetite, and I'm not scared of using my rank if it shuts up precocious brats who think they know more than they do!"
Author's Note: Happy Holidays!
Wishing everyone who celebrates a Happy Christmas and everyone who doesn't a Happy Holiday season from Team Stupid. Wow, it seems a while since I posted that...