"Hoshi-san, come back with those!" roars the normally indifferent Yuu.
Moriko watches Hoshi appear on one of the rooftops surrounding the flash step training courtyard. Clutched in the younger woman's arms are the Asauchis that belong to their classmates. Hoshi sticks out her tongue before she flash steps out of sight where two classmates crash into each other. Masaru stands besides Moriko.
"Shouldn't that be out of her system?" remarks Masaru.
"The only certainty about Hoshi is her willingness to change at whim," Moriko answers. She slips off her samisen, her katana and her satchel. "We must catch her. Will you help?"
Masaru removes his katana as well. He crouches down into a runner's crouch. He grins and asks, "Ready to hunt, Wolfie?"
"Please do not call me that," Moriko says, grimacing. She also crouches into a runner's crouch beside Masaru. "On three, the Side Attack. One… Two… Three!"
The pair of them flash step after Hoshi. Masaru is on Hoshi's left while Moriko is on Hoshi's right. Hoshi notices her two friends.
"Not gonna catch me this time!" The arrogant girl declares in a sing-song tune.
The pair looks at each other and exchange nods. Masaru drives for Hoshi first who ducks. Moriko catches Masaru before she turns him in the air and throws him javelin-like after Hoshi. Hoshi ducks Masaru. The young man yells while he speeds towards the wall to the Academy. Her red eyes widening, Moriko increases her flash step pace, but her sandal catches on the tile. She manages to roll back into flash stepping after Masaru.
Pick your feet up, Moriko reminds herself of the note's advice before following it. She frowns at the unnatural feeling. Nevertheless, Moriko finds herself able to head off Masaru's flight towards the wall. She catches the boy, but his momentum slams her into the wall. Her head hits the wall hard before her vision turns black.
Her vision slowly shifts back and forth between shadows and light. Moriko hears Yuu's voice above her. "I'm surprised she doesn't have anything more than a huge egg. I appreciate you two trying to help, Endo-sama. But can't you two think of a method that doesn't involve one or both of you getting hurt?"
Moriko fights her way through the headache and heaviness on her eyelids. Her eyes flutter open to find herself lying sideways on a bench. Yuu presses a cold cloth to the back of Moriko's head, somehow managing to occupy the space. Masaru and Hoshi are knelt alongside Moriko. Hoshi spots Moriko awake.
"You idiot! You should know that Masaru's head is nothing but rocks!" scolds Hoshi. "A few more chips won't hurt him! You could have broken your skull!"
"Hey! You're the one that started this nonsense!" Masaru accuses the younger girl. The pair glares at each other. "It's because of your antics that Moriko and I have to take such measures! We're the next fastest in the class with the best shot of stopping you!"
"But you're eating my dust the entire time!" declares Hoshi gleefully. "This time, you didn't catch me! I told ya both you wouldn't!"
Masaru's hands turn into fists, sparking yellow electricity.
"That's because you purposely ducked!" Masaru exclaims. "You knew I couldn't stop myself from hitting the wall."
Moriko winces but attempts to slowly sit up, but Yuu places his free hand on her shoulder briefly. He shifts one of Moriko's hands to the cloth.
"Stay still. You took a hard knock there," he orders her. Yuu stands before he knocks Masaru and Hoshi's heads together. All three yell briefly for Masaru's electricity jolts them. Electricity flicker bath and forth between Hoshi's ears. Yuu's ginger hair sticks up on end.
"What was that for?!" exclaims the two hot headed students.
"To knock sense into the pair of you," Yuu answers. He shakes the hand that touched Masaru, grimacing. "There's got to be a better way to do it."
Moriko takes a deep breath before she sits up. She holds the cold cloth against the throbbing pain on the back of her head.
"How much of class did I miss?" asks Moriko weakly.
The bell rings, answering her question. She grimaces at the pain the bell brings to her head.
"I am sorry for missing class, Sensei Gin," the young woman apologizes to the sensei.
"Just do the usual laps," Yuu sighs out. He stands, shaking his head. "What gods did I piss off to get the three of you in my class together?"
"Bad karma?" asks Hoshi with a slight smirk.
Yuu glares at Hoshi but remains silent for a moment. "Karma does have a way to get its due. Keep that in mind, Hoshi-san."
With that, the sensei leaves the courtyard.
"Maybe you should sit out swordsmanship," Masaru tells Moriko. The three walk down the hall with their belongings on their persons. Masaru wraps an arm around Moriko's waist to support the slightly wavering girl. "Sensei Danno would be able to topple you over with one cane strike now."
"I cannot miss more class than I have already," Moriko insists. "I want to be ready when Captain Zaraki returns."
"You still got it in your head to fight him?" exclaims the blue-eyed boy. "He could kill you with one swipe of his zanpakuto."
"How can I know where I stand if I do not test myself?" asks the polite yet determined girl. "You said he was one of the strongest captains of the Gotei 13. What better way to measure my strength than against the strongest?"
"You'll have to get in line," Hoshi says. She jabs a thumb at herself. "I called dibs first on day one of the Academy! You got second dibs."
"You two have no idea what you're in for," remarks Masaru with a sigh. "Fortunately, I doubt he would actually come back. He's a captain that probably is buried in squad duties and paperwork. I also know for a fact he's got a horrible sense of direction. He listens to Yachiru and she's just as bad as him. Don't get your hopes up, you two."
"He made a promise," Moriko says. "And I believe him when he said he would come back to see what lessons have done for us."
"Sheesh," Masaru complains. "Don't say that I didn't warn you."
"Quit acting like our mother hen," Hoshi demands. "I kicked your ass in flash stepping today."
"I won't always be slow!" Masaru warns the young woman, sparking electricity briefly. "And payback bites hard."
Moriko swallows back a whimper before she speaks. "Could the two of you please go without fighting one day?"
"No!" The pair exclaim at the same time.
Sighing, Moriko pries herself from Masaru. "If you two are going to argue, I am going ahead. My head hurts enough as it is. Please do not damage each other or the Academy."
She walks carefully with her hand against the wall.
What is it with those two? The red-eyed girl wonders while she makes her way through the Academy. Can people be friends when they argue with each other so much? She pauses when two scents reach her nose. One smells of candy. The second one is of blood and sweat. Her stomach rolls over at the smell while her heart leaps in her chest. Moriko stumbles but hurries down the hallway. Opening a door, she looks out into the courtyard between the main building and the swordsmanship dojo. The young woman spots Kenpachi and Yachiru standing there facing Banku who leans on his cane.
"Captain Zaraki! Yachiru-sama!" Moriko cries happily. "You two came back!"
Yachiru, Kenpachi, and Banku turn towards Moriko who hurries towards them.
"Mo-Mo!" squeals the pink haired girl. The girl leaps towards Moriko. This time, Moriko catches Yachiru easily and without falling over. Yachiru giggles.
"Good catch!" cheers Yachiru. She scrambles up to stand on Moriko's shoulders. Moriko yelps in pain when Yachiru's hands connect with the egg from flash stepping.
"Are you growing another head, Mo-Mo?" Yachiru asks, feeling the egg in the back of Moriko's head. "It feels like another head."
A shaky, pained laugh escapes Moriko. She takes the young girl off her shoulders and places her down.
"I hit my head during flash stepping," Moriko admits. She touches the egg gingerly and winces. "It is better, but it still hurts."
"Again?" asks Banku. He sighs, shaking his head with a slight smile. He turns his attention back to Kenpachi. "I can't allow you to spar in my class, Captain Zaraki. If my students were graduates, it would be good experience. But these are first year students."
"Spar?" inquires Kenapchi. "I said nothing about sparring."
He points at Moriko, stating, "I promised the girl and her two friends a fight to see what this hole in the wall has done to their potential. Just three: Masaru Endo, Hoshi and Moriko."
"Absolutely not," Banku states.
"Are they bad at swordsmanship?"
"Eh… They're good but not for a fight against a captain."
Moriko hurries forward to stand beside Banku. She waits until Banku looks at her before she starts speaking.
"Sensei Danno, please… You said we can only know our strength when we fight against the strongest. It is an honor that Captain Zaraki wants three of your students to fight. It speaks well of your teachings." Moriko says, only feeling the slightest guilt of playing to Banku's vanity of his teachings.
The sensei flushes slightly. He rubs the back of his neck. "Well… I'll allow it on the condition there are no blades. Bokkens only."
"What do you know?" Kenpachi lifts up a bokken from his shoulder. "I brought mine. Where's yours?" He asks Moriko, leering down at her.
A yowl worthy of a Hellcat echoes around the Academy. Moriko dodges Hoshi who skids in front of Kenpachi. Sweat drips down her face, but the grin is sinister.
"She's at the back of the line, Spiky," Hoshi growls. She jabs her thumb at herself. "I called dibs first!"
To Be Continued…