Chapter Seventeen: An Unlikely Leader
As the students stood stock still in horror, the invading creature threw back its head, emitting a terrifying, earth-shattering scream that seemed to vibrate through all of the surrounding area and echo though to the very core of each person's soul. Rippling its way into the campsite, its long, bone-thin legs trampled down the roof of Katai's tent as though it was no more than a pebble underfoot, and it let out another screech, turning its beady, glittering eyes towards the terror-struck Academy students.
For Juushirou, everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.
He had known before it had even appeared that the sensation coursing through his wits was not the same as the dummy hollow they had fought only a week or so before. That had seemed frightening then, but now, with that memory still fresh in his mind, he could feel the difference - the darkness of aura was the same, but the underlying desire to destroy and kill was not. This beast was tormented and suffering, twisted by some terrible event somewhere in its past. The contrast was elementary, yet in his haze of shock and fear, he could not even process this newly acquired level of understanding.
All he knew was that it was there, and that more than anything he wanted to run away from it.
His companions were frightened too, he could sense it in their auras, and somehow he knew that their distress was heightening his own all the more. The atmosphere was prickling with tension, and in an instant he was back home, among the trees, waiting for his Father to come and save him.
"How did it get in here?" He heard Chiyoko's low whisper, and then, just as fearful, Aki's murmured reply.
"Sensei cast a barrier - how could it get through that?"
"Sensei? Where is Sensei?" Kira exclaimed, and then,
"Wherever he is, we need to not panic." Shunsui's voice cut through everyone else's rising hysteria, and somehow his voice was steady. Juushirou, half-ready to panic himself clung to this sudden, surprising anchor, forcing himself to keep a grip on his sanity as he listened to his friend's words.
"We need to keep together...not run off into the forest else it will just chase us. We can't beat it...so we have to get help. And until we have help..."
"We need to hold it off." Ryuu now joined in, his hands already flickering with white light. "We have Kidou. If we all fired...maybe we could push it back."
"Not all of us can do Kidou well." Enishi said apprehensively. "What if it doesn't work? Don't Hollows follow spirit power? In that case...?"
"In that case, we haven't any choice." Juushirou forced himself out of his daze, flexing his own fingers as he tried to remember the words to the spells he had been casting since the first year. "And Hirata should go and find Sensei. He's quick and he can hide better."
"Sending one person off alone, even one with Hirata's skill...that would be dangerous for him." Shunsui frowned, and Juushirou glanced at Hirata, who met his gaze apprehensively.
"If you want me to, I'll go." He said softly, but Juushirou slowly shook his head.
"No. Shunsui's right. I should have realised that much for myself." he admitted, berating his murky judgement as he did so. "Stay here, Hirata. Kazoe-sensei should be able to sense the Hollow, in any case. He'll come here...and in the meantime..."
"We should all drop our reiatsu as much as we can." Shunsui cast Juushirou a quizzical look, and Juushirou nodded.
"Yes." He said grimly. "We should."
If I even can. But I have to at least try.
"But...but..." Kira was visibly shaking, and Ryuu frowned, reaching across and tapping him smartly across the back of the head.
"Your Captain just approved an order." He said sharply, and Juushirou could tell that his friend was just as afraid, even though he was trying not to show it. "Do as you're told. We don't have time for dissenters, so unless you want to be eaten..."
"As many people as can fire Shakkahou, that's what we'll do." Shunsui raised his hands. "Juu, are you all right with that? We can't destroy it - but if we can delay it long enough..."
Juushirou lifted his own hands, nodding his head.
"I'm ready." He said evenly. "Toutai, everyone who can, fire. Everyone who can't, get back behind those who can. Don't hold back. This is not a practice. This is...this is real."
And with that he closed his eyes, allowing the words of the spell to flow through him as he felt his raw, jagged reiatsu surge to the surface. As he completed the incantation, he felt the blaze of hot red energy surge from his fingers, burning them from the inside out as the cannonball of spectral fire seared through the air towards the looming Hollow. All around him, he could feel similar flares from his classmates - from Shunsui and Ryuu's perfectly controlled power blasts to Hirata's neat flare, from Enishi's wild explosion to Kamitani's stuttering spray of energy.
At the sudden onslaught, the creature reeled back, seemingly confused, and buoyed by this, Shunsui cast his companions a grin.
"Guess he wasn't expecting that." He said unnecessarily, and Juushirou frowned.
"But we didn't really hit him. He's a bit scorched, but still coming." He reflected. "We need to aim more clearly. The blasts went all over the place."
"One more time, then." Shunsui raised his hands again. "One more time, everyone - anyone who can, fire! And this time, we're gunning for his body - his legs, his torso - anything to slow him down."
"That's uncharacteristically violent for you, Kyouraku." Kai said wryly. "But I'm not complaining. If we can at least hold him back...Kazoe must've sensed him by now."
"Toutai, get ready!" Juushirou added his voice to the conversation, although as his reiryoku rushed through him again, he felt faintly giddy and sick at the surge of adrenalin and power.
Like before, in the river. As though I can do anything. As though I can kill that Hollow. As though I can...
"Fool!"
You's voice cut through him like a knife.
"Remember where you are. Remember what you're doing. Do not lose control!"
Thus jerked back to reality, Juushirou frowned, forcibly reeling back the wash of energy as he prepared to fire his second spell.
But he knew it was still there, lingering, somewhere in the recesses of his mind.
The second barrage was not as powerful as the first, but even so, this time several of the blasts made contact with the Hollow, shattering through some of its ungainly limbs and scorching marks across its back and its jaw. Juushirou took deep breaths into his lungs, aware that his own blast had knocked a chunk out of the beast's inquisitive antennae, but he knew that he could not fire a third without fully losing control. If they had to fire again, he would not make it. If they had to fire again...
"Suikonde, Seidoiki."
A voice from behind the group made them all turn, and gasps and cries of relief went up from the crowded students as Kazoe made his way between them, sword drawn and glittering with azure light across its tip.
"Stand back, all of you. Engaging a live Hollow is not part of your camping brief." He said curtly, gazing up at the beast as he did so, and the students obediently shuffled back, Kira bursting into tears of relief that finally someone had come to rescue them. It had only been a few minutes, Juushirou knew, yet the pressure had been overwhelming and somehow he knew how his fellow District student felt.
Kazoe, however, did not show even the slightest inkling of fear. He paused a few feet from where the Hollow's front section was gyrating and twisting its way through the trees, stumbling over its broken legs yet continuing in its relentless surge forward nonetheless. It let out another horrific scream, loud enough to almost deafen the frightened students, and at this Kazoe frowned, raising his weapon and sweeping it in an s-like shape through the air.
"Kiryuushuu." He murmured, and sparks of blue danced out once more from the end of his weapon, spreading across the air like tiny specks of blue blossom glinting in the morning sunlight. As the students stared in awe, the tiny fragments began to spread into wispy vapour, surrounding the Hollow in their haze. Kazoe peered at the beast for a moment over the rim of his glasses, then he held up his left hand, a glitter of red light already forming across his palm.
"Hadou no Sanjuu Ichi. Shakkahou." He muttered, and the energy shot out from his aura like a bullet from a gun, igniting the spreading vapour as it did so and causing a huge, sudden flare of eerie purple flame. There was a shriek as the Hollow was engulfed on all sides by the blazing magic, and then, as Kazoe waved his sword again, the haze dispersed, revealing nothing but a cascade of ghostly black ash where the monster had once stood.
He sighed, sealing his weapon and returning it to its sheath.
"That's the second time I've had to use that in twenty four hours." He muttered. "After a good year of not using it in combat at all."
"Sensei!" It was Enishi who called, and soon all the students were gathering around Kazoe, eager and relieved that the danger was over. Only Juushirou did not move from where he stood, fear and awe mingling for dominance over his senses as he processed what he had just seen.
A zanpakutou can be so beautiful as that...and use Kidou so ruthlessly? Kazoe-sensei's sword...it obeys him to the letter. If he wants it to act, it just acts. And with that, he can do...something so easily as that.
"Are you jealous, Juushirou?" You's voice teased at him, and he frowned.
Maybe I am. Maybe I wonder...how far I have to go to hold a blade like that.
"Your blade will be different, Juushirou. Everyone's is. Yours is a part of you. It's your own and no one else's."
That was In, and Juushirou's frown grew darker.
Part of me...then I...I am right. My blade is connected to you two, isn't it? That's what you won't tell me...my zanpakutou...is something to do with you?
But this time there was silence, and Juushirou sighed, rubbing his temples.
So you won't give me an answer so easily as that, huh? Not until I'm ready...ready to hear you name..? Ready to understand what a zanpakutou really is? Or am I miles off? I'm so confused and I don't know what to do about it. If you won't tell me...how can you help me? And if I can't get stronger...what then?
"Ukitake, are you all right?" Kazoe's voice broke through his thoughts and he glanced up, embarrassment flooding his features as he realised everyone was staring at him. Slowly he nodded his head.
"Y...yes, sir. I'm sorry. I think maybe...it was just a shock."
Kazoe sighed, tapping the hilt of his sword absently.
"This exists to defend you. All of you. As an Unohana, I don't use it for anything else." He said quietly. "Seidoiki is a healing sword, not a fighting one - it gathers air to help those struggling to breathe, or stifles the oxygen in fire to prevent houses from burning down. But if I have to, I can use it in other ways too. And while I'm in charge of you, no harm will come to you."
He frowned, gazing up at the sky.
"The barrier here seems secure enough, though. I don't know, yet, how that beast got in. Something must have shattered the shield from the inside - but there was no damage in Katai's camping area when the Senkaimon was opened and as for Toutai, you were here last night. I deliberately fortified the barrier around this site when I brought you back. There's no damage to it now - but there must be damage to it somewhere. That being the case...letting you stay here has just about become impossible."
"Does that mean...camp is over?" Despite the excitement, Enishi sounded disappointed, and Kazoe sighed.
"Nobody is going to let you children camp here if there's a risk of it not being safe." He said quietly. "So yes, I'm afraid that is what it means. It may take time to discover where the breach is - and if it's been broken once, it might be again."
"Maybe it was last night's storm. That broke through the barrier and set fire to our camp." Chiyoko shivered, and at this, Juushirou's eyes widened, a stricken expression crossing his gaze as he met Shunsui's startled dark ones across the grass.
"Should lightning be able to penetrate the barrier, Sensei?" Ryuu asked. "Perhaps Saitani is correct. Could that be the point of weakness to allow a Hollow access?"
"My barrier shouldn't be affected by an ordinary storm." Kazoe shook his head. "But even so...we will look into it."
He glanced around at the devastated campsite, then,
"Gather together what you can of your belongings. I will report to Genryuusai-sensei and he will understand my reasons for bringing you back sooner than expected."
He paused, then smiled.
"But I was impressed with your team spirit against the Hollow. Kyouraku, you especially. I take back my criticism of your leadership. It seems that when there is a need for it, you can meet that expectation after all."
With that he was gone towards the mess tent, and as the students slowly began to gather up the remains of their belongings, Shunsui crossed the grass, putting a hand on Juushirou's shoulder.
"Don't. Whatever you're thinking, it's not your fault. Accidents happen. And even if you caused this one, no harm was done."
"Shunsui..." Juushirou turned, his expression troubled, and Shunsui nodded.
"Yes, I know. I can read your thoughts as though you'd said them out loud." He said frankly. "But listen. We weren't in danger. You may or may not have noticed, but Kazoe was on the scene almost as soon as the Hollow was. What he said just then proves it. He saw what we did...he was watching us. It was never out of his control - he wanted to see what we did."
"Then you think...he did set it up?" Juushirou was startled, and Shunsui shook his head.
"No. I don't think that. It would be reckless and Kazoe's not really like that." He said thoughtfully. "He seemed genuinely surprised, too. But I'm just saying, even if you did accidentally make a storm and break the barrier - nobody would have been hurt. So don't fret on it, okay? Just think about what you're going to do now."
Juushirou was silent for a moment, then he nodded.
"I think...I'm going to talk to Ryuu-kun." He said slowly, his gaze flitting to where his Vice Captain was busy organising other members of Toutai into some kind of order. "Because...I think...maybe he might know things that might help me. Being a Kuchiki and all...his family line and mine are connected, after all. Also, he was camping with me this whole last week and he was the one who was awake when the storm happened last night. And I think...there are a lot of things he knows about...well...spirit power and stuff. So I think...before I do anything...maybe I'm going to talk to him."
"Well, hopefully he can say something of sense to help you." Shunsui said pragmatically, and Juushirou eyed him quizzically.
"It won't bother you...if I ask him things...I'm not asking you?"
Shunsui grinned, patting his companion lightly on the head.
"I'm not the jealous type." He said playfully. "Besides, I'm more worried about you than I am who has dibs on helping you. If something in Ryuu-kun's immense mental archive of useless information is something that can put your mind at rest, then that's fine with me. But listen, Juu. If he can't help - don't keep fighting it on your own. You don't have to - whatever is causing it, there are a lot of people here who'd think you more of a burden if you did that than if you reached out and asked someone to give you a hand."
At this, Juushirou's lips twitched into a feeble smile and he nodded his head.
"I know. I'll remember." He said firmly. "Thank you, Shunsui. I'll do my best. And now I better go - Ryuu-kun probably needs my help and I'm being a terrible Captain, standing here and complaining to you instead of doing my bit. We'll talk more back at school - for now, let's at least try and finish our duty!"
The ground was still thick with ash.
Keitarou walked slowly up the path towards the village, every step he made bringing more and more trepidation deep into his heart.
Had he, then, so miscalculated after all?
But then he knew, in this volatile world, nowhere was ever completely safe.
Everything was quiet now, but it was a deathly quiet, and as he reached the entrance to the settlement, he drew breath sharply into his lungs, gazing around him in genuine horror at the devastation before him.
Not a single building had been left unscathed.
Where there had been a cluster of impoverished hovels, now there were only blackened stumps of what had once been wood supports, and though grass and trees flourished around the outer area, the entirety of this section was swathed in black, as though it had been thrust forcibly into mourning for its unprepared residents.
As he walked along the uneven pathway, Keitarou could make out charred remains of human and animal corpses mingled and twisted in with the remains of their homes, and every so often a faint breeze blew through the settlement, sending small flurries of ash across the ground.
This place was death, and Keitarou's eyes narrowed.
Fire, like the fire which had burnt Urahara after Urahara in the attempt to eliminate all those who had ever dabbled with reidoku.
As though they were afraid to bury their corpses…as though somehow they think the fire can purify an evil that they don't understand. Superstitions are rife, even now…nothing has changed at all.
But it was dangerous to remain here now. Much as Keitarou wanted to sift through every burnt out corner in search of his cousin and his precious charge, he knew that any activity in such a destroyed space would soon cause suspicion from local guards. Most likely they were watching for him, he reasoned, and perhaps they had even seen him come here before. Either way, the place had probably been put in jeopardy by Daisuke's presence – yet Keitarou felt more anger for the intrusion than he did grief for the villagers.
They knew the risk they took, protecting us. They became martyrs because of it. Such a death is not a bad one. It at least carries more honour than the squalor of starvation and the unpleasantness of plague.
He bit his lip, scanning the horizon once more for any clue as to what had happened to his associate.
But where are you, Daisuke? Did you die here, as well? Somehow I can't see you staying, but…with Shikiki…did I consign you both to a fiery death in this place after all?
In that moment, something faint penetrated his senses and he froze, locking into the signal with all his will as he tried to discern from where it had come. It was feeble and fluctuating, full of fear, weariness and desperation, yet even so, Keitarou recognised it. It was a distress cry from a child begging to be rescued from her hell, and despite his other fears, the scientist breathed a sigh of relief.
Shikiki.
So Daisuke had, somehow, managed to protect her after all.
Moving quickly, he crossed the ash-coated ground, heading for the remains of what had been Daisuke's own temporary shelter. It was as badly burnt as the others – perhaps worse, for nothing recognisable of it at all had survived and what was left was a pile of splintered, charred fragments of wood, clustered in the middle like the first preparations of a funeral pyre.
At first glance, there was no sign of the child. Yet Keitarou knew his senses did not lie. He had picked up her reiatsu and he knew she was here. And if that was the case…
Swiftly he bent, dashing aside the broken, burnt wood and letting out an exclamation as he registered the flickering glow of pink energy below. Huddled beneath the translucent flare was the balled-up form of his young stray, her eyes screwed up tight and her fists clenched as she struggled to defend herself from the danger.
A flicker of excitement stirred in Keitarou's heart.
How long she had managed to maintain her barrier this time, he didn't know. Yet that she had produced it and maintained it in such a crisis situation…had she survived the fire because of it? Had it been that special, particular gift that had preserved her after all?
Ironic if so, since that was one of the reasons I took you in in the first place.
Keitarou put his hand gently against the barrier and at the suddenness of his touch, Shikiki's eyes snapped open, the pink haze beginning to fluctuate again as she stared up at him in disbelief.
So she had recognised his reiatsu, too. Another positive. She really was coming on.
"It's all right, Shikiki." He said gently. "I've come to take you away from here. It's all right now."
At his words, Shikiki's barrier dissipated into nothing and she stumbled forward, flinging herself on him and burying her head in his worn robes as her body shook with heavy sobs. Gently Keitarou stroked her messy hair, allowing her to cry out her emotion for a while, but then, as the tears began to quiet, he held her at arm's length.
"Soldiers came and burnt the village?" He asked quietly, and wordlessly Shikiki nodded.
"And Daisuke? What about Daisuke?"
"The…shinigami…took him 'way." Shikiki managed to mumble, her words thick with exhaustion and confusion, but Keitarou's eyes narrowed.
"Shinigami? A Shinigami came here?"
Shikiki nodded.
"A man with a seven on his arm. I saw him an' then the house fell on me some more but Dai-nii said to stay so I stayed an' I used my magic, only it was cold an' I was scared, Kei-nii"
Keitarou's heart clenched.
Then Shouichi's stepping up his search. If he's even co-opting members of his Gotei squad into hunting for Urahara, that means it must be me he came here to track down. And it means he intends to use deadly force to capture me – so he's aware, then, that his normal retinue are simply fodder for my spells and sword. This becomes more serious…it suggests he knows far more about me already than I would like.
His eyes became slits as he contemplated this.
Perhaps some of those he executed gave him information before he killed them. Maybe not all of them were prepared to take it to their graves, if they thought they could somehow buy back their life. Foolish people. All you do is create more work and trouble for those left behind. Shouichi is not the kind of man who barters terms when he can silence a problem permanently.
He sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Daisuke was alive, then, after the fire?"
"I…think so." Shikiki looked up at him plaintively, her eyes still swimming with tears. "But he wasn't fighting back. The Shinigami did something to him an' he…flopped."
"Bakudou." Keitarou pursed his lips. "Then probably they want to interrogate him. Someone will have passed on the information that he's the one I trust most – at worst they will try to use him to lure me out of hiding, and at best they will believe they can get him to talk about my whereabouts and work."
But at least I know one thing. Daisuke would sooner die a thousand deaths than betray me or any of his kinsfolk. Still, I won't betray him either. From what Shikiki said, I hope I have a little time.
Out loud he added,
"But I'll see about getting him back, so don't look so worried. You'll come back with me now and I'll protect you from the soldiers and the shinigami. After all, they're all enemies…you see it now, don't you? How dangerous these people can be."
Shikiki nodded her head jerkily, and Keitarou patted her gently on the shoulder.
"But I'm quite dangerous too, if people hurt me." He added softly. "And I made you a promise which I won't break. You're far too important to me, Shikiki. So long as you're with me, you won't be in any danger again."
He stood, lifting the small girl more comfortably in his arms.
"We should leave here now." He added. "Hold on tight. Where we're going is somewhere far more hidden – while I begin to think out the best way of dealing with this situation."
"You know, you have not been at all yourself these past couple of days."
As Ryuu and Juushirou left the library, Ryuu cast his classmate a searching look, pulling the door shut behind him. It was two days since their impromptu return from camp and, in the buzz of activity that had followed, Juushirou had not yet had a chance to speak to his classmate alone. Consequently he had volunteered to come to the library to help Ryuu track down a specific reference – but engrossed in the work, Ryuu had not given him any particular openings and Juushirou had felt awkward, not knowing how to intrude.
Now, however, the grey eyes were fixed directly on him, and Juushirou knew that despite Ryuu's fixation with his studies, he had also noticed his friend's preoccupation, too.
"You do not seem to be sleeping well and you have shadows under your eyes. Are you unwell? I wondered if the shock of the camp incident had upset you – since I remember you do not particularly like Hollows, do you?"
At this, Juushirou managed a rueful smile.
"I don't think many people like them." He said frankly, and Ryuu snorted.
"You know, I think, what I mean." He responded. "And it is nothing to be ashamed of – if you are afraid, I mean. You are certainly not the only one who was unsettled by it. Most of us were startled at the time – it is only natural for students to be afraid when encountering a real Hollow for the first time."
His eyes narrowed.
"Although, in your case, it is not the first time, is it?"
"Third." Juushirou shook his head. "But you're right, Ryuu-kun. I guess it has unsettled me."
"Even though we've come back to school, things are different since then." Ryuu reflected, leading the way up the stairs to the dormitory. "Everyone is working much harder at their skills. Houjou is talking about improving his Kidou. Mitsuki has been so busy I have barely seen her – and I must admit a new respect for Kyouraku, since he took charge so calmly in such an alarming time."
"He did the same thing, last summer, when we were stranded in the forest." Juushirou remembered. "He took control of the situation and got me to safety. If things are serious, Ryuu-kun – he is someone you can rely on."
"Clearly more so than most people thought. Myself included." Ryuu allowed himself a wry smile. "But to be honest, I was glad to see that the top ranked student in our class does have a sense of responsibility."
"You said…Edogawa-san…has also been busy?"
"Yes. Though I don't know, precisely, with what." Ryuu admitted. "She and Shikibu and Sora have more or less pulled away into a huddle over something – but I wouldn't like to guess what. Girls are strange creatures. I will not try to understand their ways."
Juushirou pursed his lips for a moment, then he sighed.
"True enough." He owned. "Probably you're right."
He pushed back the door of the dormitory, standing back to let his companion enter. To his relief the room was empty, and he gathered his thoughts together, offering his friend a faint smile as the other boy dumped his pile of books down on his bed.
"Well?" Ryuu looked quizzical. "Shall we go join the others downstairs, or is there something else you wish to do?"
"It's not so much something I want to do. Just…I suppose…there's something still on my mind." Juushirou grimaced, sinking down onto the end of his bed.
"Something?" Ryuu was startled. "Something other than the Hollow? You aren't worried about our grades, I hope? I don't think any of us are going to fail the assignment simply because we came back early. You shouldn't concern yourself too much, if it's that."
"No..something other than that."
Juushirou paused, then,
"I hoped to talk to you about it, actually. I'm sorry, Ryuu-kun - but I think I need your advice."
"There's no reason to apologise for something like that." Ryuu pursed his lips, confusion glittering in his grey eyes. "But I am surprised, however, that it is me you seek such a thing from. What of Kyouraku? You usually speak to him, don't you, about things that trouble you?"
"This one's difficult." Juushirou ran his fingers through his messy hair. "It's not that I haven't spoken to Shunsui - I have, and I know I can again if I want to. It's just...this is something that I think I should speak to you about. For a few reasons. He...understands that too. So if you don't mind..."
"I do not." Ryuu shrugged his shoulders, sitting down on the end of his companion's bunk. "What is the problem?"
"I think...it's to do with...zanpakutou." Juushirou admitted, and Ryuu's brows knitted together.
"Zanpakutou? Someone's in particular? Or just in general?"
"Someone's in particular." Juushirou bit his lip, then, "Mine, actually. I think."
"Yours?" Ryuu stared, taken off guard, and Juushirou nodded, burying his head in his hands.
"It's hard to exactly explain why I'm thinking this way, because it's something I know so little about, really.." He murmured. "But the truth is, something is happening to me of late, and seeing Kazoe-sensei use his sword made me...sort of...wonder. I don't know how to describe it any other way – it's just this feeling I have with things being how they are of late. So I want to run it by someone else. I want you to see...if you think...that's what it is."
"What what is, exactly?" Ryuu asked, and Juushirou sighed.
"After my Father died, I had a dream." He said softly. "At least, I was never sure if it was a dream or if it was real. But I had been ill for a long time and had about given up on ever getting better. I was depressed, I suppose. Grieving. And I was fighting against my spiritual power in ways I'd never had to before. I'd really given up on everything, in fact."
"Somehow I can't imagine you that way." Despite himself, Ryuu offered a faint smile, and Juushirou grinned sheepishly.
"I've put it behind me, now. Father was dear to me and still is, but he'd want me to move on and make something of my life." He responded. "It was some time back now, after all."
"And you had a dream during this time? What kind of dream do you mean?"
"There was sea. Sea all around." Juushirou closed his eyes, allowing the pictures to wash over him once more. "Someone or something led me there - to the sea. I went under the water but even though I'd never learnt how to swim, I could breathe and see and it was...safe. And there were two fish. One was black, and one was white. The white one spoke with Father's voice, and they told me they were my parents' love and strength living on inside of me - but part of me as well. They said they had another name, and came from the deepest part of my soul. And then I woke up."
"I see." Ryuu looked thoughtful. "And you were what age, when you had this dream?"
"Fifteen, or thereabouts." Juushirou sighed, opening his eyes as he felt the faint swishing of waves brushing against the fringes of his consciousness. "But it didn't happen again, no matter how many nights I tried to search them out. I thought it must've been imagination, but Genryuusai-sensei said he could sense waves about me, and when I mentioned fish he didn't laugh but sounded interested. He wanted to know about them, so I told him what little I could. But that was all I did know, and they hadn't come back."
He shrugged.
"When Shunsui and I were stranded in the forest that first semester, after I let my power slip out of control, I saw them again." He continued slowly. "They were...agitated, I think, because I was in such bad state. It was almost like they appeared to bring me back from a different type of brink this time. A...a physical one, instead of a mental one. And though I asked them about their name, they told me that...that they didn't think I was ready and I shouldn't hurry to perfect my strength. They said that I had a lot of potential but that that was all it was until I'd learnt how to master it properly."
"And now?"
"In the last month or two, I keep having dreams." Juushirou gazed at his friend pensively. "Or whatever they are - they keep on being there. Just at the back of my senses, butting in sometimes when I'm trying to think or sleep. My health's also been more funny lately. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm able to focus, because there's something trying to call me away to somewhere else. And I'm tired and battling against my reiryoku a lot more than I was before."
He sighed.
"To be completely blunt, at the moment I'm a lot more not well than I'd like." He said sadly. "And it bothers me more than it should."
"Unwell?" Ryuu was surprised. "You don't seem unwell, if I may say it. You're not coughing blood, and you don't seem to be having fevers."
"It's more...something inside that I know, rather than something that's manifesting itself." Juushirou paused, then, "I've always been ill and I'm used to what the normal boundaries are. And sometimes it is as though I'm doing better. But then that's also unrealistic, given the state of my lungs and everything else. So I'm starting to realise...it's a false calm. Although I'm not being actively unwell...it's as though...something is driving me on. And it's not something I have a lot of control over, so really...deep down...it's doing more damage than my normal haibyou episodes would. Perhaps...permanent damage."
"In short, you're being controlled by your spirit power and not the other way about." Ryuu looked grave, and Juushirou nodded.
"Something like that."
"Mmm. I have heard of that happening before, on poorly trained clansfolk." Ryuu pursed his lips. "You would qualify under that term too, since your bloodline may be broken but your reiryoku is at least equivalent to a lower Clan level and your training with it sorely lacking until you came to this place. And I have noticed...your reiatsu had changed. But I had not realised it was so complex. I suppose I thought that if you seemed well, you were well. Spirit power I understand, yet haibyou even now I confess I do not."
"Complex is probably the right word." Juushirou rubbed his temples. "So much so that even thinking about it is enough to give me a headache."
He bit his lip, then,
"There is one other thing." He murmured. "Ryuu-kun, the night in camp…when Toutai's copse burnt down."
"The fire?" Ryuu looked taken aback, as if this was an avenue he had not expected, and Juushirou gazed at his hands, slowly nodding his head.
"I was dreaming, that night, about a storm." He whispered. "And lightning…crashing down towards my body. I don't know if it was attacking me or whether I was attracting it to me because the next thing I knew, you were waking me and…"
"And the tent was on fire." Ryuu's eyes narrowed.
Juushirou nodded.
"Part of me wants to follow common sense." He said haltingly. "That I was dreaming about the storm because one was happening, and sometimes that can filter through into dreams as well. But I don't…think that that's right. Ryuu-kun, the fish were also in my dream. They were talking to me about my strength and I'm sure the storm…the one in my dream…had something to do with me."
"And because of that, you believe the fire was your fault?" Ryuu asked softly. "For this reason, you ensured that you were the last one out of danger? And for this reason, when we returned to camp, you did not sleep?"
"I didn't really connect it that way, when I was helping you evacuate. I wanted to make sure everyone was outside because of the threat." Juushirou shook his head. "But it wasn't…like the storm continued afterwards. There was no rain…and the clouds began to clear, too. So it seemed…odd to me."
He sighed.
"Shunsui's said before that he's sensed electricity in my aura." He murmured. "And of all the spells we've learnt, Byakurai is the one I picked up the skill for most naturally. Then there's also my mother's name – Raiko – Child of Lightning. I don't know...but…"
"You see a connection." Ryuu pursed his lips.
Juushirou nodded.
"If the fire was my fault, I put everyone in danger." He said miserably. "And I don't like that thought. It frightens me. It's not what I meant to do at all."
Ryuu sighed.
"I have also picked up electricity in your aura, but till now had not thought of it in terms of a storm." He murmured. "Still, even if you were to be correct – Ukitake, you were quite asleep when I came to rouse you. I heard thunder and I saw lightning – but they were in the sky and outside of the copse. Unless you are capable of manipulating the heavens in your sleep, even untrained as you are, I don't think you should blame yourself for an accidental tent fire. We do not have them in District Six, but brief summer flashes are not uncommon in District One. Kazoe-sensei was unsurprised by the occurrence – so I do not think you should be, either."
"I'm not sure it's that simple" Juushirou looked doubtful, and Ryuu shrugged.
"Unless your spiritual power is of an unusually high level, I would not expect it." He said frankly. "And you are powerful, Ukitake, but you are still not from the inner degrees of any Clan. Lower Clan - perhaps, but the kind of power you are intimating...I think even diluted Kuchiki blood should not be enough for you to wield that kind of strength."
Juushirou bit his lip, considering this for a moment.
"I hope you're right." He said at length.
"As for the dreams – you have communicated with these fish entities often?"
"More and more often of late." Juushirou agreed. "And…they haven't told me directly, but I'm starting to think…"
He sighed.
"All the things I've heard about zanpakutou say everyone's encounter with theirs is different, and Shunsui and Hirata have said that too." He added. "It might not be so easy to tell from what I've told you, in any case. But your Clan know a lot about things like that, and so do you. And you've always been honest with things, Ryuu-kun. So I'd like your honest opinion, please. Of what you think is happening to me."
Ryuu was silent for a moment, and Juushirou could tell he was thinking things over very carefully in his mind. At length he sighed, nodding his head.
"I won't pretend I don't feel a certain amount of envy, speaking to you like this." He admitted. "But I would not be surprised if your assumptions were correct. Even if I do not believe the storm was more than coincidence, it does sound to me like the first visitations of a zanpakutou's spirit raising its head inside of you. Admittedly, there being two presences instead of one is unusual - I've never heard of that before. But even so, it's what it sounds like. And if you saw it first as young as fifteen, there seems no reason to me why you shouldn't be approaching a time when your blade may yet bend to your command and allow you to summon it properly. However..."
"They've only ever been supporting me, but sometimes now they seem to be pushing me." Juushirou said sadly. "It's not the same feeling at all. I feel less like they're watching over me and more like they're going to overwhelm me if I don't find a way to get it in check soon. Since the camp began, it's happened more and more often, and I'm getting tired just from keeping it in its place. It's difficult, Ryuu-kun. And it honestly scares me. No one else in our class is like this, after all."
"That's simply because you are a special case." Ryuu eyed him soberly. "Your family has no past precedent to compare with, so your situation is largely unknown and must be approached as such, I suppose. You are still very young - some Shinigami even in my own Clan do not summon their swords before they have been in training for far longer than you have. Yet I can believe you capable of such a thing, even so. The thing is, Ukitake, you are the first in our class to manifest anything of this nature. The others do not speak of it because it has not happened to them yet. You are leading the way - and that is why you are so confused. There is no one with whom to compare your experiences. It is, I believe, unheard of for a student to do such things in second year - you may well be the first ever."
"I suppose that's true." Juushirou acknowledged. "So what do you suppose I should do? I'm shorter tempered at the moment and it means that I'm jumping to conclusions and becoming more irrational when I should be looking at everything level headed. I just...I am scared, Ryuu-kun. Terrified, if you want the truth. I had no idea that something inside of me could have this kind of effect. And if the storm…if there's any possibility that I…could put people in danger…I…"
"Have you spoken to Sensei yet?"
"No." Juushirou looked reluctant. "Because of the storm and the camp fire and everything, I didn't know how to. It seems so silly, either way, and…so I just didn't tell him. But…you think that I should?"
"Ukitake, with your lack of training and experience, I think it's imperative that you do so as soon as possible." Ryuu said frankly. "With your weak physical constitution, you are by your own admission only doing yourself more damage by bottling it up inside and trying to suppress it instead of obtaining guidance on how best to deal with it. Sensei will know, after all. He's already talked to you about it, didn't you say? He's probably waiting for the time you need to speak to him about it. I imagine he brought you here in the confident knowledge that your zanpakutou's spirit had already stirred inside of you. And it was just a matter of time before it manifested itself properly. Why else would he ask you to come here? He wants to be on hand when that happens, so that you do not lose control of what is likely to be an extremely powerful weapon."
He hesitated for a moment, then got to his feet, taking Juushirou by the arm and pulling him up too.
"We'll go now. I'll come with you." He added softly. "Because it is unlike you to have that much apprehension in your eyes, Ukitake - and I confess I do not like it. You have asked for my help and advice and this is, I think, the best thing I can do in response. If we go together, perhaps I can help further in explaining to Sensei the things you've said to me."
Juushirou stared at the boy for a moment, taking in the uncharacteristic sympathy in the grey eyes, and he sighed, offering a feeble smile as he nodded his head.
"I suppose you're right." He murmured. "Thank you, Ryuu-kun. I'm sorry I've burdened you - but glad that I did. I feel better for having talked to you."
"You have no reason to be sorry." Ryuu flashed him a smile, the austerity of his features softening in a moment. "You should be proud that such a thing is beginning. After all, all Shinigami require a zanpakutou. Just because you have begun to feel yours fluctuating sooner than everyone else is not a cause for embarrassment or shame. You are indeed an enigma - but you are not at fault for it in any way."
"I suppose all of this is new to me, that's all." Juushirou admitted, as the boys walked through the hallways, making their way to the Principal's office. "And I didn't expect to be the first person to encounter it. Honestly, till now, I never thought about In and You being connected to a zanpakutou at all. I wasn't even sure if it would be possible for me to summon a sword, to be honest, with my patchy training and ill health."
"I have no idea why you would think that." Ryuu said categorically. "Despite your low birth, Ukitake, you have proven on multiple occasions that you are possessed of superior spiritual ability. The only reason for you not managing to summon a zanpakutou would have to be extreme laziness on your part - and it is not in your nature to address anything in that way. Therefore it is a matter of common sense. Sooner or later this was bound to occur. And you should be glad of it, now. If nothing else it's the firm proof that you do belong with us after all."
He smiled.
"And though none of us who study with you doubt that fact after so much time in close contact with you, there may yet be uneducated Clan individuals who still believe it impossible for a District boy to be a Shinigami."
"I expect there are a lot of those." Juushirou agreed. "One thing I've learnt is that in the eyes of the Clans I have to work for and prove everything before they accept me even a little bit. But it drives me forward, too, having that kind of mentality. That I need to work hard...oh!"
He cast his friend a glance.
"Do you think that's why this has been happening? Because I've been working so hard?"
"It would be a sensible conclusion to draw, yes." Ryuu agreed. "But I think that you are worrying far too much about it, Ukitake. Summoning your sword indicates control over it. If you can manage to do that, I think you will find it less frightening and more easy to deal with. That is the norm, after all. That once you master a zanpakutou, that zanpakutou is then a part of your spirit power yet also separate from it, too. And with all the reiryoku you have, it would probably not hurt to confine some of it to a blade."
He shrugged.
"Or, maybe, two. If there are as you say, two consciousnesses instead of one."
"There are definitely two fish." Juushirou nodded. "But...is that possible? People only have one zanpakutou, after all."
"I have never heard of it." Ryuu spread his hands. "But then, nor have I ever heard of a District boy summoning a sword, so there is no precedent. I do not see why not. You have a lot of reiryoku, after all. Perhaps there is enough of it for that."
He gave Juushirou a little tug on the arm, then,
"But Sensei will be able to tell us more. Come on. If anyone can put your mind at rest, after all, I'm sure it will be he."
Author's Note: Seidoiki.
Yay, Kazoe has a zanpakutou! Are people surprised? He's the only other 'sensei' who does - Minabe and Uebashi do not.
There's not a lot really for me to explain here, since Kazoe has more or less explained the purpose of his sword and its ability in the plot already. Just a couple of things of note, though...
The sword is called Seidoiki聖吐息, which means 'Blessed Sigh' or "Holy Sigh".For anyone wondering, given the kanji, toiki seemed more appropriate than tameiki for Kazoe's type of technique.
It's release is 'Suikonde' 吸い込んでwhich means 'inhale'.
Although I wouldn't call it necessarily an attack, the technique he used to surround the Hollow was Kiryuushuu気流集。 Roughly this means gathering air current or gathering air flow. Unlike when he simply put out the fire, this technique absorbs air from the atmosphere around it. Kazoe then used his Kidou to set fire to it, creating a chain reaction to destroy the Hollow.
I imagine his weapon is quite a pretty one, all in all, if rarely used in combat situations.