Author's Notes: My friend wanted me to write something about horses, so I decided on doing this. Hell, if they have birds in the soul society, why can't they have horses?


Horseback

Being a captain at such a young age is quite troubling often, everyone looks down upon you, people think your 'cute', and they always misjudge how strong you really are. But that's what morning rides are for. If there was one hobby I've love to do, it's horseback riding. I'm no samurai in a great epic battle, riding his faithful war steed into battle. When I'm riding this horse, named Flicker, I'm just another Konpaku riding a horse.

Matsumoto, my Vice, has always said that I look heroic riding a horse, that she could imagine me in traditional Japanese clothing, my katana around my back, riding through the sunset to rescue some damsel in distress. Damn her and her romantic dreams, but it's a compliment nonetheless to look so gallant riding Flicker.

There's something about the wind in my face, the brown fur underneath my legs, the galloping, the sudden stop, the horse suddenly rearing up that gives me some kind of peace in a world that is always changing. Sometimes I do delight myself into taking along other people on the back, namely Hinamori and Matsumoto. I don't mind either of them, when I'm riding my horse, I just forget my problems, my paperwork, my Zanpakuto, my duties as a soul reaper and just let loose and roam free.

My horse is a full grown stallion, I gave him the name flicker due to how his vital signs were flickering when I first found him. His eyes are a deep black, as if there is something deeper to him. His fur is a deep, dark brown like the bark of an old sycamore tree. Something I've never done was put a saddle and stirrup on him, it ruins his natural beauty in my opnion.

It's that Feel of the being free that really lets me feel free from the paperwork of my division; now if only my Vice-Captain would do a little more work and stop laying there looking pretty.