SOUL SOCIETY
Toshiro put the last piece of paper on the side of his table and bound the stack of papers together with a twine and later put a seal using wax on the knot so as to recognize the squad 10 symbol. With a satisfied sigh Toshiro sat back in his chair and smiled in triumph. Finally after days of hard work he was able to put a stop to those infernal demons that were piling up like a mountain on his table. The credit was not solely in his name. With that thought he looked to his side and observed his third seat who was diligently arranging all the completed paperwork into clearly identifiable files to keep it safe in the record room of squad 10. He looked to the opposite side and found his lieutenant fast asleep on the couch.
"Thank you for helping me with all this work Kurosaki san. You may take the rest of the day off." Toshiro offered to his third seat
"Thank you, captain." Indra thanked him and left his office
"You can stop your acting Matsumoto." Toshiro looked at his lieutenant with a frown
"How did you know I was faking it?" Matsumoto asked with a pout as she sat up
"You are very easy to read and besides I know you enough to recognize that much. The question is why are you doing this?" Toshiro asked with a raised eyebrow
"Now that Kurosaki Kun thinks I am sleeping here I can discreetly follow him." Matsumoto stood up from the couch
"Why are you following him?" Toshiro asked confused
"You should know that Anai san and Kurosaki Kun are very chummy now and they both seem to disappear from the squad barracks for an extended period of time." Rangiku said
"So you want to know where they are going. I did not take you for a stalker Matsumoto." Toshiro said
"I already know they are going to Rukongai. I just need to find out what they are doing over there." Rangiku said
"They might be going there because of your prying eyes." Toshiro snorted
"I know they have visited several districts repeatedly. But I don't know what they are doing. Don't you find it a little suspicious captain?" Rangiku asked
"Are you sure they visited multiple districts repeatedly." Toshiro asked
"Yes captain." Rangiku answered
"Tell them both to report before me once they are back. I will ask them myself." Toshiro said as he left the office
XXXXXX
As the sun was setting Indra and Misaki found themselves standing before Toshiro in his office.
"I don't like to interfere in personal matters but the central 46 is looking on the thirteen court guard squads because of Rukia Kuchiki's disappearance. So I have to ensure there are no incidents that can draw the ire of our governing body. What were you both doing in Rukongai." Toshiro asked
Indra and Misaki looked at each other hesitantly.
"I don't want you to lie to me. You both have repeatedly visited many numbers of districts of Rukongai over the many months. I need a clear answer because the situation demands it." Toshiro said
"Misaki has nothing to do with this. I asked for her help to find someone for me in the Rukongai." Indra admitted
"Who were you looking for?" Toshiro asked
"We were looking for his mother, captain." Misaki informed
"Your mother…?" Toshiro looked at Indra
"I have some flashes of memories about my life in the human world. I remember I had a mother but after I arrived in soul society I have not seen her and I am pretty sure she died as well. That's why we were in Rukongai." Indra revealed
"You have memories of your past life?" Toshiro asked incredulously
"They are just snippets and flashes of images. I am slowly losing even that as years pass by. That's why I drew this…." Indra handed over a rolled scroll to Toshiro
The squad 10 captain opened the roll and saw the painting of a woman in it.
"You drew this yourself?" Toshiro asked surprised as he observed the well detailed drawing
"Since my memory is getting a little fuzzy I thought it would be better if I drew my mother's face." Indra shrugged lightly
"I understand your reason but for the time being I want both of you to stop going into Rukongai. At the very least postpone your search until Kuchiki Rukia is found." Toshiro ordered
"Yes captain." Indra and Misaki agreed
"You may take your leave and Misaki, I know you regularly help out the citizens of Rukongai with your salaries but I want you to stop that as well. As I said we are under scrutiny by the central 46 and it would be better if we keep a low profile." Toshiro dismissed them
Indra and Misaki left the office and went straight to the training grounds.
"Of course the bloody nobles always jump in from somewhere and ruin everything and this time it is pet dog, Rukia Kuchiki." Misaki complained angrily after she made sure they were alone
"You really hate the noble houses of Soul society don't you?" Indra asked
"I do hate them with a passion. Don't tell me you are also one of those goody two shoes that ask to forget and forgive for no good reason." Misaki asked with revulsion
"Far from it actually…. I don't like the noble families either but let me ask you this. Do you like the soul king?" Indra asked as he looked at the moon
Misaki was silent for some time and then cautiously replied.
"The soul king is the linchpin that holds the entire spiritual world in balance. So he is necessary and vital for our existence. That said, I don't like his decision to hand over the running of soul society to a bunch of noble families. Why are you asking me this?" Misaki asked
"Let me tell you a story then. Once upon a time there lived a god who was benevolent and wise. The god ruled over a vast world and under his rule the world remained in peace. There was no hunger, crime, poverty, despair and most importantly there was no death. It was a perfect world in all sense but something happens that disturbed the peace and threatened the very existence of this wonderful world. With no other choice the god decides to split the world into different pieces. To ensure the people living under his rule to be safe he empowered certain people so as to be the protectors of his creations." Indra paused and looked at Misaki to make sure he had her attention
"What happened?" Misaki asked in interest
"As time passed the god entrusted more and more duties to the new protectors. The god saw them as his own children and trusted them too much but the protectors became too greedy. They wanted more power and desired to rule all of creation so they used the very powers that were gifted by the god to strike him down. The god never expected his precious children to betray him so he fell for the trap. The protectors knew that the god is needed to hold up the world and they couldn't kill him as he was an immortal being. So they did the next best thing. They cut up the gods limbs and scattered those body parts across the world and sealed the god forever in a crystal chamber. The god was conscious about what was happening around him but he could not fully awaken himself as he was weak after the betrayal.
The god was forced to watch the atrocities the so called protectors unleashed upon the rest of creation. So with his considerable powers he stored over the millennia he created a son to release him from his sorry state and restore order to the world. The son born to him was so powerful that within years he managed to create a group of extraordinary beings around him to challenge the so called protectors. Like the god his son also had the power to empower other beings. This son of god led an army that he enhanced by his own power against the protectors and tried to conquer Soul Society. By then the protectors were already too powerful and had a large and powerful army of their own. The son of god was defeated in battle and his army was cut down without any mercy. The same fate befall the son as the protectors sealed the son of god in a separate dimension where not even light could penetrate. To this day the god and his son remain sealed while the so called protectors rule the world as we know it." Indra finished the tale
"Then the god in this story is the Soul King." Misaki inquired
"Indeed." Indra agreed
"Then are you the son of Reio." Misaki asked with a little fear
"I did say that the son of Reio is sealed away in a domain Misa chan. No, I am not the son of Reio but I am the reckoning. For every rise there must be a fall. I am the means through which the fall of the corrupt Shinigami is coming. I am here to restore order to chaos. The powerful shall fall from grace and the powerless shall be empowered. This is inevitable and must happen to restore heaven in this place and for that I need your help. Will you help me?" Index asked as he turned to face Misaki
"You yourself said that you plan to bring down the Shinigami. Then why are you asking for the help of a Shinigami?" Misaki asked
"I am not here to exterminate the entire Shinigami. I am here to save the Shinigami and the souls of Rukongai from the tyranny and greed of some of the Shinigami. Don't you want to see poverty and crime to pass from Rukongai. Don't you desire peace for these people who suffer under the crushing weight of despair? Don't you yearn for the freedom of those who are powerless and helpless? I can bring that change and bring about the world the Reio envisioned if you help me. Together we can rebuild the world and bring about real heaven." Indra put his hand on Misaki's shoulder and squeezed lightly
"How do I know you are speaking the truth?" Misaki asked confused by everything
Indra pulled Misaki close to him and placed his hands on her hips.
"My intentions are pure like your heart. If you are with me then I am sure the world I bring about will be just and perfect. I know this because I know your heart." Indra pressed a light kiss on her lips and looked into her eyes. After some time they separated and Indra had a small smile on his face.
Misaki's eyes widened with shock but there was a spark of love in them and she closed the gap between them this time. They remained like that for some time until the need to breathe separated them. Misaki placed her head against Indra's heart and listened to rhythm of his heartbeat. She felt him embrace her and his hand seems to glide through her long black hair.
"Whatever you do just promise me one thing." Misaki looked into his eyes
"Promise me that you will never liee to me." She requested
"You have my word Misa chan. I will never lie to you." Indra placed a small peck on her forehead. She smiled and embraced him more tightly. They stood like that for some time enjoying the presence of each other.
"So what is the plan and what is my role in it?" Misaki asked after sometime
"The plan is not ready but I need your help in a very different matter." Indra smirked looking at the moon
"How may I help?" Misaki asked as she raised her head to look into his eyes
"You are my queen so I will require you to remove a very serious threat to your king. I want you to steal something from a noble house." Indra cupped her cheeks and smiled
"What is this thing that can threaten you?" Misaki asked
Indra pressed a kiss next to her earlobe and began to whisper into her about her target. Misaki's eyes widened as she had never heard of such a thing existing in soul society and the cruel history behind it. She looked at her lover with resolve and nodded firmly showing her agreement.
"To execute such a daring mission you need to be more powerful and that's why I will be training you from now on in Kido and all other shinigami arts. If you prove to be able to master your powers then I will enhance you with a gift of my own. The queen must be equal or at least close in power to the king in the new world." Indra smiled and took a stance with his Zanpakuto.
"Let's begin…" Indra and Misaki disappeared in a flash step and the sounds of clashing swords filled the training grounds
KARAKURA TOWN
Ichigo stood before the two headstones that marked the graves of his mother and brother. He placed a fresh set of flowers on both graves. He closed his eyes and thought about the memories he had of these two most important people that influenced him in his life. Halfway through his thoughts shifted to the recent happenings in his life which immediately made him suspect the cause of death of his mother and brother on that rainy day.
His life changed when he was forced to become a shinigami to protect his family from the hollows. He became indebted to Kuchiki Rukia as she was the reason his family survived that day by transferring her powers to him and turning him into a shinigami. The only problem was that he had to her duties as a shinigami until her powers returned. Rukia then joined the same school he studied in and that too in his own class so as to be near him to deal with any hollows quickly. From that day onwards Ichigo had to face different hollows on different occasions with a sword as tall as his body. He managed to save Orihime Inoue who was a classmate from a hollow who turned out to be her brother that died when she was a little girl. Then there was that hollow Shrieker who was dragged into hell for his crimes.
All these fights with hollows made him think there was perhaps more to the story behind his mother's and brother's death.
"Is that your mother and brother, Ichigo?" a female voice asked from his back
"Yeah... I was nine when they died." Ichigo looked at the smaller grave
"What happened?" Rukia asked as she stood next to him
"The three of us were walking along the riverside next to the park and I saw a girl jump into the river or at least I thought I did. I ran towards the spot but I couldn't find anyone and the next thing I know was being taken down by mother and I lost consciousness. When I woke up my mother and brother were dead and I was covered in their blood. Later when I grew up I realized what I saw was perhaps a soul or ghost." Ichigo monotonously said
"Ichigo if you were seeing souls as early as that age then perhaps it was an hollow attack." Rukia lightly said
"I had that same thought but that will not explain how that soul just appeared on the riverside." Ichigo asked
"There is a hollow that has the ability to project the souls of its victims to lure the prey it is targeting. That hollow was notorious for its ability to escape the shinigami. Unfortunately we have not heard of the hollow for some years." Rukia looked at Ichigo who stood up
"What was that hollows name." Ichigo asked
"Its name was Grand Fisher." Rukia answered
She heard the sound of the rest of Kurosaki family approaching so she immediately hid herself behind a row of trees so as to give the family some privacy.
After some time, Ichigo walked up to where she was hiding with a serious look on his face.
"Are your powers returning Rukia." Ichigo asked
"Not yet but soon it will return." Rukia replied
"Even if your power returns allow me to be shinigami a little longer. I want to be stronger so as to protect my family and other souls and one day I will find the hollow that took my mother and brother and destroy it." Ichigo looked at her with a resolve that she had never seen on his face. She nodded and they both went back to the Kurosaki house and Ichigo was back to normal as he began to argue with Kon over some silly things.
SOUL SOCIETY
Misaki sat down exhausted in the shade of a tree from the moonlight after their intense training session. Indra sat next to her and handed her a bottle of water. She greedily drank it as she was thirsty.
"Your Zanpakuto is very unique Misaki. It speaks a lot about your character." Indra commented
"I don't understand."Misaki asked
"Your Zanpakuto has the ability to manipulate the environment. But the roots, flowers and trees that spring up when you use your shikai is essentially because you inserted a portion of your reitsu into the ground. That means your reitsu has a special property that is different and unique to yourself." Indra said
"Captain Hitsugaya has the ability to summon a ice dragon inn his shikai. His reitsu sometimes even reflect intense cold. I hardly think I am the only person that is special, Indra." Misaki snorted
"Toshiro Hitsugaya has great power but your power is at another level. Consider you are in a desert and you used your shikai for combat. Do you think your powers will be able to awaken the plants in the desert?" Indra asked
"I suppose, maybe." Misaki looked confused
"There is no need for any confusion Misaki. You will be able to do it because as I said you are not essentially manipulating the plants and trees when you unleash your shikai. Your shikai is literally control all life under the ground. In simple terms you are manipulating the very essence of life and when you use your power with this realization you can master your shikai and then start Bankai training." Indra explained
"I never thought about it like that. I always thought Shizen no megami was controlling the trees and plants. How did you realize what my power was?" Misaki asked in wonder
"When I heard that you were helping the poor in Rukongai with your salary everything immediately clicked in my mind about your power." Indra said
"I don't give my salary away just like that. I merely use a portion of it to help some people to start some business there." Misaki shrugged
"You are beautiful in many ways Misa chan and you can count on my help as well. I don't usually use much of my salary for anything other than food." Indra took her hand and squeezed lightly showing his support.
"I appreciate it. So tell me, how goes your Bankai training?" Misaki asked
Indra concentrated and Kagetsu appeared in front of them startling Misaki.
"This is the first time we are meeting. My name is Kagetsu." The Zanpakuto introduced himself to Misaki
"Hi." Misaki waved back at the spirit in greeting as she had yet to recover from the surprise
"As you can see I can summon him out of my inner world but to obtain my Bankai he has a condition." Indra said
"What's that?" Misaki asked
"My Bankai has a unique nature Misaki. Unlike other Zanpakutos I need someone other than my wielder for the Bankai to work." Kagetsu said
"I don't understand. How can someone else activate your Bankai?" Misaki asked
"I don't need anyone to activate but rather I need someone that can be trusted to hold a special key and that person is you." Kagetsu replied pointing at Misaki
"Key, what key?" Misaki asked
Indra and Kagetsu looked at each other for some time and Indra nodded.
"The key is a focal point to the reality we are living in and the key must be with someone that Indra trust to summon my Bankai into the real world." Kagetsu explained
"You consider me the person that you trust most?" Misaki asked as she looked at Indra
"I don't know why but I think I can trust you." Indra said as he brought her hands to his lips and pressed a kiss on her fingers
"So, will you accept the key?" Kagetsu asked
"Yes." Misaki said with a smile
Kagetsu raised his hand and reishi condensed on his right hand and began to take the form of a silver white key.
"Shinjitsu no kagi (Key of Truth)" Kagetsu gave the key to Indra
Indra took the key from his Zanpakuto and pressed the key to Misaki's heart. With a bright light the key sunk into her body.
"What? Where did it go?" Misaki asked
"The key is in your inner world. The key will ensure you will not be affected by my Bankai." Indra said
"What kind of Bankai is this?" Misaki asked curiously
"Let's just say that my Bankai is a wide area affecting one." Kagatsu said as he began to dissolve into reishi and entered back into Indra's inner world.
Misaki blinked at the spot where the Zanpakuto occupied before with confusion.
"Don't mind him. He is rude like that sometimes. Let's go and take a shower and I am sure you are hungry as well." Indra helped Misaki stand up and together they returned back to their squad quarters. The moon shined brightly in the sky as the sole witness to this exchange.