Bleach Reborn: Shadows Within

Chapter 7

Exams where looming.

I paced inside my dormitory room, the exams where due to start within three hours, I gripped my hands into fists and felt my own sweaty palms against my fingertips. My breathing was heavy and I couldn't help but feel exasperated, as though I couldn't get enough oxygen. Had I learnt enough? Had I studied hard enough? I had tried very hard in my training, but I probably could have tried harder, yes, allot harder in fact.

When the clock began to creep over towards the designated Exam time, I was still to be found, pacing the small area of my dormitory. Upon noticing the time I grabbed my zanpakuto, and ran out to join the other trainee's out in the courtyard. Aroki was soon to join me, taking my hand in his he leaned down and kissed me gently, at once my nerves where soothed, and as our lips broke I smiled at him, turning back to the task at hand.

We were all given a litter from A-G, I was an E, and there were 308 of us, which meant there were large groups containing on average about 50-51 students each. The groups would all take different parts of the test in different orders, rotating the groups around to the different areas, thereby testing everyone in everything, simultaneously.

The groups where told where to go first, I groaned when it came to Group E. We were to go to the kido range. The first Exam would be my worst subject.

As we entered, the familiar academy building loomed over the kido range; I looked around at the area, the soft sand beneath my feet. Sand was stereotypically used for its lack of flammability, and any wayward kido spells merely glassed the ground instead of sending up waves of harmful flying rocks or flames from burning grass, so sand was a very preferred choice in these areas. I had the momentary urge to remove my sandals and walk along the soft ground and feel the grains run through my toes but I held it back, it was hardly the time for indulgence. I waited back while the first 26 of our 51 students stood by the range firing line.

I looked among the faces and smiled at those that I knew, hoping it would give them a little encouragement, it was then that my eyes fell on someone I most certainly didn't want to be compared to in such a test. Her white hair now past her shoulders, her startling blue eyes as cold as the icy expression on her face. Iria Starr.

I let my eyes travel down the range and saw that the usual targets had actually been removed, in its place I saw to my shock a set of 26 cages, towering high with thick rustic bars holding the beings within. Gazing at them, there could be no mistaking their form, their black and skeletal bodies, their animalistic and insectoid appearance, their gleaming white masks and their menacing reiatsu that seemed to chill the air. Hollows.

The examiner came forward, he was a withered man with a long beard, but he seemed to harbour an air of power about himself, he walked forward. His body clothed in a shinigami uniform and a zanpakuto at his side.

"I am Takashi Kudane," he began. "33rd Degree Council Member of Seretai and I'll be your examiner today. Before you, you will find yourself gazing at a few demi-hollows, do not worry, they have been captured specifically for their lack of long range abilities, thus allowing you to be safe." He gestured to some shinigami that where against a wall, looking dignified, their zanpakuto's already harbouring unique designs here and there, but none as unique as my own, feeling a little self-conscious I tried to keep the hilt of my blade out of sight.

"Your aim today," continued the examiner. "Is not to cast the strongest kido you can manage, for many of your level would probably be able to manage quite high levels...though the quality would be incredibly poor, and it is quality that I desire to see. I would like you to caste the kido that you can do most proficiently, you may choose Hado or Bakudo." He said, standing back. "The first group may begin."

Instantly there was a chorus of different incantations, some of them messed up and tried to restart, some were too nervous to actually produce the spell, but the examiner did not look grave about the situation, he sat with polite patience, obviously understanding the anxiety the situation would cause in students. After a while his obvious understanding gave the struggling few the confidence, and they managed to blast or bind their hollows. One girl however, had yet to do anything; the examiner was watching her curiously.

I watched as Iria Starr opened her eyes after concentrating, she placed her hands together and enacted a hand sign and her voice rang out. "O' Lord, mask of flesh and bone, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man, truth and Pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash, baring the wrath of your claws, caste all things asunder unto you, march unto south! Hado San-Juu-Ichi (31): Shakkaho. Hado San-Juu-San (33): Sokatsui!" She thrust out her hands, overlapping each other and suddenly there was a flash of brilliant light, a powerful blue blast of energy, funnelled in a spiral of red energy, the sheer shockwave sent waves of pressure over the sand, the ground erupted as the kido shot forward, striking the hollow in front of her. It gave a deafening roar and a powerful explosion erupted. When the smoke was finally clear and I had finished coughing from the scattered debris, I looked to find that the entire cage had been decimated; a bloodied and torn apart hollow laid there, the entire top half of its body mission, the rest of its form rapidly disintegrated.

The examiner walked forward to Iria and stared at her with wide eyes. "What is your name, child?" He asked in a voice full of awe.

Iria looked at the examiner and gently brushed a single lock of hair from her eyes, attempting to look casually; personally I could see the slight signs of fatigue after a spell like that, though she was doing well to hide it. Her breath seemed controlled, and her form was relaxed and smart, quite the little actress I thought.

"Iria Starr." She claimed, answering the examiner's question.

"Iria, that was a perfectly performed dual incantation kido, and that you used kido over a level thirty makes it even more impressive." He complimented, obviously deeply astounded and impressed by Iria's performance, I stood there watching the exchange and almost felt like retching. She could have aced this class so easily with her abilities, yet she chose to do something that would undoubtedly make everyone else feel superbly insignificant towards. In fact, she may have just ruined the entire examination for everyone else. I sighed gently, watching as Iria came towards me to gather with the others, her shoulder barged into mine and I was sure that I distinctly heard the words, "beat that." Emanate from her lips when she was closest.

I walked out onto the pitch with the others, feeling thoroughly disheartened, at Iria's obviously astounding performance. She had always been the best in the class, but to show them up so bad had been just cruel, but then again, the woman had always been a bit cruel.

I looked out at the pitch as new hollows where placed at the end, the hollow that I had seemed wolfish, my mind raced and I was certain that my heart stopped beating for quite a few moments as I gazed at the being. It snarled in my direction, it wasn't like the other hollow, the one I had previously faced, but its wolfish face and mask was slightly similar, and I felt an inexplicable pain in my chest that I couldn't quite fathom.

It was a moment before I realised that the examiner had already claimed that they could begin, a multitude of incantations where within earshot, a person to my left seemed to be trying to outdo Iria, he was seemingly mixing a series of up to four kido chants, I widened my eyes as he shouted, some of his chosen kido being in the level 60's, a multicoloured ball erupted before his palm, glowed pure white, then green with a dash of red, then seemingly glowed black before exploding without firing, sending the boy rocketing back and crashing into a wall.

I winced, knowing he would be in quite a bit of pain; the examiner did not look amused.

"Enough trying to outshine each other, just show me the best you can do!" He growled at everyone else. I looked up at my hollow and took aim, "Hado Shi (4): Byakurai!" I shouted. My blast was strong, and focused with pinpoint precision, it hurtled forward quickly and tore straight through the hollows forehead, blowing a hole directly between its eyes, it collapsed forward and disintegrated.

I stepped back and the examiner approached me, I turned to him and couldn't help myself. "I'm sorry sir, I can't do very much, and I'm not the best at Kido." I said hesitantly, he looked at the damage I had inflicted and looked back at me.

"Your application was good, your strength was admirable and your control was perfect...beyond perfect even, I probably could not have delivered a better white lightning myself." He said smiling. "Lack of talent does not mean you are no good, if anything, you seem to have a personal knack for controlling your reiatsu, it's your confidence and your expectations of yourself that hold you back. Now you may never be the best with kido, but trust me when I say, I have seen allot worse than yourself in my time." He said, turning and looking at the group of 4th division members carrying away the trainee that had blown himself up on a stretcher. "Present company included." He said with a little amusement. He walked away and gave his opinion on some other trainee's, and by the end of it, I had to admit to myself, that it could have gone allot worse.

The next exam took place in 15 minutes, and a group of fourth division members were on standby to heal those that came out of the examinations, mainly to keep their stamina and spiritual pressure up, this was so that the examiner's could always see our true ability at the peak of our power, instead of us reaching the final exam and collapsing due to exhaustion.

After getting my reiatsu restored by a 4th division member, I made my way to the healing quarters, where we would be tested on our ability to heal wounds. All shinigami where taught healing kido, but only a very limited amount, we could heal grazes and slight cuts, but gashes and severed limbs where highly advanced, and those who wished to study healing further would be able to go to the 4th division.

I did reasonably well on this part, just as good as most of the others, Iria herself proved once again to be highly adept, though in this one situation she was not the best it seemed. The best it turned out was a young boy that wore glasses named Nicholas Darkfury, I had never spoken to the boy, he seemed like a decent lad and his interest in healing would undoubtedly land him in the fourth division, indeed, the Examiner, a one Arianna Kakashi seemed so impressed, she said she would be personally recommending him to the 4th Division Captain.

As the exams wore on, despite the efforts of the fourth division, it became increasingly obvious that the strain was beginning to make people weary. Healing kido couldn't, unfortunately, heal the mind of fatigue, only the body.

By the time the day wore on, 4 of the 5 hours had passed, and I had so far been very pleased with my results. The soul burial exam had been a synch, I had managed to soul bury a total of five souls in the time it took anyone else to do three, but the speed test had unfortunately gone downhill. My shunpo it seemed was in great need, my natural control over my own spiritual energy meant that my shunpo just wasn't being given enough power as my body naturally withheld it, this meant I didn't go as far, or as fast as the other students, I ended up being tenth to last, out of 51 students it was certainly an abysmal thing to contemplate. But it had picked up, especially when they did a spiritual endurance exam, this was an exam where they forced you to release your spiritual pressure as high as you could, for as long as you could, seeing how long it took before you became exhausted. In the end it proved to be a stand-off between myself and Iria Starr, both of us glaring at each other, trying to not let fatigue get to us. In the end Iria finally collapsed and I whooped for joy, or at least tried to, but my lack of strength meant I lost my balance on my pedestal and collapsed onto the dirt.

The final exam finally loomed, an entire hour's break would be taken so that people could prepare for it, and I was very excited, it seemed it was going to be in my best subject...Zanjutsu.

I grinned as the gong sounded out and the last remaining class of Group E went to the training ring at the other end of the academy, I gripped my zanpakuto, I knew the details of this exam, we all did. It would be the first time we would face each other with real blades, and we would even be allowed to deal damage on each other, of course certain rules applied, restraint was to be shown so that we don't actually kill each other, and when the examiner asked them to stop, they were to stop immediately. I didn't really want to consider what might happen to those that didn't follow these rules.

As we lined up along the bleachers of the white stone ring I gazed down and smiled, we were to be called out in two's and face each other, and all marked on our abilities.

The first ones to be chosen was the healer boy named Nicholas Darkfury and a girl by the name of Kaname Takishika. Looking down at them I thought that for sure the girl would win, after all, Nicholas was a healer, I sincerely doubted him to be very pronounced in combat ability. It turned out I was wrong.

The moment the gong was rung, he leapt forward, I blinked my eyes eagerly as he moved gracefully, slashing against his opponents stomach, she had only just moved out of the way and counter attacked with a slash down at his shoulder, he blocked rapidly, my eyes widening at his skill.

As I watched I had to conclude that this Nicholas knew not only how to heal, but certainly how to fight, his combat skill was impressive as he almost danced gracefully around his opponent, parrying blows with perfect precision, sending sparks to the ground and around him as the blades collided.

The battle was ended with a flash of light, Nicholas had rapidly, through a muttered incantation, blocked Kaname's blade with a kido, span round her in a sort of pirouette and pointed his hand at her back, before she could turn, a large red blast erupted from his hand and struck her back, she was thrown forward and smashed straight through the kido shield, her body crumpling to the floor bleeding. The examiners called the healers forward who quickly set about repairing the damage, Nicholas sheathed his zanpakuto, and amidst a clapping audience, he returned to the bleachers with an air of indifference.

After such a profound battle, other people showed a bit more nervousness in the ring, worried that they wouldn't meet the same standard, this affected their performance unfortunately. Some it seemed, where already very good combatants, a particular blood thirsty trainee by the name of Kanazuru, who's second name I didn't know, seemed to revel in the combat, he had seemed a somewhat polite and kind boy at first, but the moment he was called to the ring he had shown a new side of him that Izzaria had never glimpsed during previous training exercises. By the time he left, his opponent had to be taken away on a stretcher hurriedly for a seated member of fourth to deal with his injuries.

At last it came to my turn, I stole myself for the moment and stepped out, the moment my opponent was called my heart skipped a beat. "Aroki Miru Samiru!" The voice called clearly, as my boyfriend stepped down and gazed at me, a wry smile fell upon his face, try as I might, I found myself unable to return it.

I thought that he wouldn't, that he may ask to face a different opponent, but he didn't, instead he drew out his two swords, their golden blades glinting in the light. Among the trainee's, very few swords had become unique yet, some had, some remained static in their appearance. Mine and Aroki's had been the most dramatic of changes. His swords handles and hilts where that of a standard katanas, but the blades had a very scimitar look about them, and their surface was a pale gold that glinted in an almost ethereal fashion as they flashed in the sunlight.

The examiner called the match to begin, but we just stood there facing each other. I opened my mouth to speak to him, but before I could say anything he was right next to me, instinctive reaction controlled my hand, and in a flash my zanpakuto was drawn, a soft murmured awe filled my ears from the examiner's as they saw my sword for the first time, its black surface glinting in the light and giving off a somewhat oppressive feeling. I gazed at Aroki, his blade against mine, sparks issuing between us, a large grin adorning his face. "Come on Izzy, show me what you can do, love." He said with a smirk, and it was then that I realised...he was taking this seriously...and he was enjoying it.

Despite myself I had to admit that the adrenaline rush felt great, and it wasn't long before I myself was grinning, our blades flashed eerily as we shunpoed against each other, dancing around each other's forms, parrying blow after blow. Our swords clashed and glinted in the soft sunlight as dusk began to fall over the horizon, bathing our battle in tints of orange and blood red. This foreboding atmosphere didn't faze me or Aroki, and it became obvious that our battle was going on the longest, yet the examiners had made no move to halt it.

We broke apart after a particularly vicious clash, landing back and skidding along the ground, dust surrounding us now, Aroki looked at me, a large gash along his cheek, and I myself had a cut along my right shoulder. I seethed my teeth at the pain, trying not to focus on it, I looked at Aroki and he held his blades ready.

"Care to take it up a notch?" He asked with a smirk that I couldn't help but duplicate along my own features, this had, of course, been the most thrilling battle I had ever been in.

"Only if we can finish this?" I said firmly to which Aroki nodded in agreement. He stood stock still and suddenly his spiritual pressure rose around him, he was letting a little out of his seal, and it glowed about him like a yellow aura of power. The Examiner's where watching closely, enraptured by our battle and the possible ending it was about to show. "Why are you letting go of your seal?" I asked him with a little fear. "You know I can't stand a chance if you do." I said chastising, feeling that he wasn't fighting fair.

"Really? Because last I checked it were you that had sliced through an adjuchas cero with nothing more than a borrowed sword, sheer nerve and your own reiatsu. You're a lot stronger than you think, its time you showed it!" He called, his reiatsu increased, the ground below him seemed to start to crack slightly, but less out of pressure, more out of effect. A despairing wave of displeasure spread along those in the bleachers as Aroki's cancerous reiatsu flowed over them.

I listened to his words and tried to believe them. I personally had no idea how I had managed to face down that Adjuchas, it was a personal mystery that had been occupying my mind for quite some time now, I had spoken to Aroki about my thoughts and fears from that time and how I was confused that I had managed to defeat, or at least drive away, something that had been so strong. Of course he reminded me that the moment in discussion had almost killed me, a fact I had not forgotten.

I looked at Aroki as the yellow aura streaked in strange dark green threads plummeted out of him at quite a high rate; I held my zanpakuto steady and closed my eyes.

Everything seemed still, trying to gather my energy proved difficult, I kept getting the feeling of emptiness, a cold chill that sent shivers down my body, after about a minute I realised that the air was still warm, and the reason for this chill seemed to not really exist, so I concentrated on the feeling, delving into it, trying to find out where it came from. Suddenly I felt as though a door had opened and it was like a floodgate of water flowing out of me, I opened my eyes and saw my blade imbibed with black tendrils that flowed over its form, black reiatsu was pouring out of every part of my being, I felt frightened by it, it seemed dark, ominous, yet somehow...comforting. The feeling of Aroki's reiatsu stole over me and I sighed, finding that I greatly enjoyed the feeling of its gentle and yet sinister caress. In fact...I more than enjoyed it; it was with a blush that I realised I was getting excited by it.

I gazed at Aroki and mimicked his grin again, holding my blade in a combat position.

We both charged.

Everything seemed in slow motion, sound wasn't there, as Aroki got close, he swung both his large blades, my blade met his and sparks highlighted both our features, his soft handsome features gazing intently at me, as though delving into my soul, the glint of the gentle fireworks sparkling in his red demonic eyes. My blade rolled under his, slipping through his dual zanpakuto's, and in the last moment, I shunpoed at the same time he did, I dragged my blade with me, slicing straight through his body. I felt a sting as his blade sliced right through my shoulder.

The entire charge took less than two seconds, and we both stood back to back at opposite ends of the training ring. We didn't speak, we didn't move. It was a moment before anything happened, but suddenly a large torrent of blood erupted from my shoulder and I stumbled, digging my blade into the ground to steady myself. I gasped for breath; pain wracked my body as the crimson flow stained my trainee robes.

I thought I had been beaten for a single moment before I heard a gasp behind me, Aroki's body had also began erupting blood, and within a second he was on his knees, falling face first onto the sand.

No one said anything for a while, there were no cheers or applauses, but it was not long before we were joined by members of the fourth division. The person that helped me was a mousy brown haired youth that wore glasses; I didn't take in much more of his appearance as my eyesight was getting blurry. Thankfully I felt better when he finally began healing my wound and I was eventually able to sit down on the bleachers again.

The examiner approached her, his hands behind his back. "Izzaria Dragovar is it?" He asked, checking his list. I nodded at him, feeling my wound stitch itself together as the fourth division member healed me. "Can I see your blade?" He asked.

I looked at him trepidatious for a moment before lifting up my sheathed zanpakuto. He took it from me gingerly, gazing over its form and taking in a slight intake of breath. His fingers trailed around the ring of my hilt, slipping his fist inside and then pulling it back out, probably testing how wide it was. He looked on the inside of the ring and widened his eyes. "Have you ever noticed that the inside surface of this wring doesn't reflect...it seems to be made of black satin...but seems metal to the touch, interesting."

I looked at him confused for a moment, of course I knew what he was on about, but I didn't really see much relevance to it.

"Also, this small red jewel at the base of the blade, inset here...it warm to the touch, and almost feels...like it's got something moving inside of it, very interesting indeed."

"Erm, can I have my zanpakuto back now?" I asked, hoping I wouldn't sound rude.

He looked up at me and smiled. "This is a very interesting blade, I like it very much. Look after it though, every cell in my brain is telling me that this blade must be a shikai blade due to its design and shape, yet when I look at you, how you wield it, and how it feels in my hands, I see that it is a sealed." He said handing it back. "I would love to see you attain higher levels of power, your abilities will be quite interesting. You may go." I grinned, moving up the bleachers and over the back, following the 4th division members that where currently carrying Aroki via a stretcher.

As I walked, the next contestants where called, Iria Star versus someone named Kunamiya, but I didn't turn around, I didn't care how well Iria did, I knew I had done well and I wanted to spend time with Aroki now.

It was a few days later that our exam results came through, Aroki was hoping to become part of 12th division, and I myself was thinking of heading to 11th. Unfortunately, trainee's where not able to choose the divisions they wanted, they were placed where they were most suited. Of course, we could appeal, and if the Taicho of the division we were delegated to agreed, we could transfer to our desired division if the Taicho of our desired division also agreed.

We waited with bated breath by the open window, me and Aroki had started staying inside the same room, technically it wasn't really allowed, but none of our teachers ever really enforced the rule. On the horizon we saw a swarm of hell butterflies going out as we had the year before, and the year before that, this time two of those butterflies where for us. We didn't know how the butterflies worked, but they always found their mark.

We stood by the window, looking out eagerly as two of the butterflies got closer, my hand gripping Aroki's tightly. As they came in, we lifted our hands and the butterflies landed on our wrists. At once the words floated into our minds, there were three kinds of hell butterfly. Internal, External and Emergency. The Internal hell butterflies landed on its target and quietly gave them info that only they could hear, an External hell butterfly was for wide announcements, it broadcasted its message loudly. And an Emergency hell butterfly was used when on earth, and was apparently sent off with details of where you were, and a request for immediate backup if the shinigami found themselves in a position where they were unable to manually send out word via a standard butterfly.

As my results came in, I widened my eyes. They were as follows:

Kido: Acceptable.

Speed: Poor.

Reiatsu Control: Excellent.

Reiatsu Pressure: Excellent.

Healing: Acceptable.

Zanjutsu: Superb.

I looked at Aroki who grinned at me back, he pulled out a piece of paper and I did the same, we swapped and looked at each other's results we had written down. Aroki had gotten:

Kido: Poor.

Speed: Excellent

Reiatsu Control: Poor.

Reiatsu Pressure: Excellent.

Healing: Poor.

Zanjutsu: Superb.

I smiled at him. "You did very well." I grinned. He looked up at me and grinned. "And so did you, an acceptable on you're so called worst subject, you did worse in Speed." He chuckled. I found myself glaring and I threw his paper at him with a chuckle.

We looked back to the hell butterflies waiting for the rest of the information.

The words floated into my mind easily, my body felt cold at the news.

Izzaria Dragovar assigned to 13th Division Report to Leon Taicho at 8:45AM tomorrow.

I didn't get into 11th. I sighed gently and looked at Aroki, who was grinning from ear to ear. I felt myself smile slightly; I could already tell he had got into the division he wanted.

"I got 12th." He said with a smile before his face become somewhat long as he noticed my expression. "You didn't get 11th did you?" I shook my head.

"They've put me in 13th." I said with a shrug.

"Don't worry; I hear Captain Leon's a good guy." Aroki counselled with a smile.

I gave him a slight smile and leant against him, he smiled at me back, lifted my chin and kissed me, I moaned slightly, feeling his body press against mine. He pushed me back on the bed, and slowly I surrendered to his embrace.

Chapter 7 Finished