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There were six of us there.

Six students chosen to attempt to find their Zanpakutos.

Mai stood before the cave, the one that they used for this sort of thing and had for the last thousands of years. Where Shinigami found themselves.

"Mai." Rukia whispered to me, as we stood before the entrance. "For the entire time you've been here, you've stayed with us. Nii-Sama and I admire your quick progress, and have decided something."

I glanced at Rukia curiously.

"A Zanpakuto," Ukitake, the one leading us six, said to us all, "Is the physical manifestation of your soul in another form. Your Zanpakuto's consciousness is a representation of your true self. Find who you are, truly, and you find your Zanpakuto."

"We've decided to help you find yourself, as Captain Juushiro so aptly put it. The first step to finding yourself is knowing what's important to you. Why you're fighting. Part of what makes that is who you consider your family, where you call home. Wether you achieve your Zanpakuto today or in ten years is irrelevant in this matter. We want to give you that, Mai. Would you like to be a Kuchiki?"

Those whispered words changed my views of reality.

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