Comments will always make me Post XD


Previously:

My eyes peer over the mounds of cover at the black and silver masterpiece Uryu forged for me.

a smile develops.

Tomorrow, I am going to go to the Soul Society, find my friends, kick ass, save Rukia and tell her how fucking lucky she is... to have their love.

How lucky we are.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X

Chapter 12: Joining the ranks.

"Are you ready?" Urahara stakes me with those eyes. Gosh, they're so powerful! How did he get such a powerful gaze?

"Yes," I nod, cause I am. I trained enough, not as much as Ichigo and the others did, apparently, but enough.

"Alright, I'm sure you remember my spiel from when Ichigo and the others went through, so I wont repeat it, but there is something I want to warn you about," he states, and I straighten my back under his scrutiny.

What could be so important?

"The power of a Nekomata is based on how poorly its treated, if you meet up with your friends too soon, if might weaken you, even if only a bit. I suggest you steer clear of them as long as you can, preferably until the fighting stops," he forewarns, and I simply nod, because I had assumed such a thing.

. . .

For a moment we're just standing there, my determined gaze staring into his unreadable dark ones, but then he makes his way towards me with three echoing steps.

He closes the small gap between us, and he drops his mighty hand upon my head. The sheer magnitude of the palm makes me feel so small and cute, and suddenly really hot.

Oh dear... could he feel how warm I was? Does he think it's weird? Crap... I'm fidgeting!

. . .

I wonder if he thinks I look adorable in my neko demon form.

I stiffen when I feel his hand stroke my hair back and forth a couple times.

"Good luck," he wishes, nothing special in his tone for me.

Of course there isn't.

He walks over to his place besides the large rocky square, and they, he and Tesa, begin the opening. My chest tightens up a bit at the size of the portal.

Oh man... what if I get lost? If I had gone with the others, at least I would have had company... But it's just me.

No, I'll handle it! I'll be fine.

"Ready!" I tell them, and tense my legs in final preparation.

"Go!"

I spring forward.

I hit the... ground? running. I'm in some weird melting cooridor, and it kind of gives me the goose bumps, but I focus in.

Even with my speed, I'm still running through this place for a while.

. . .

It's easy for the mind to wander when you're mindlessly moving.

... Wander back to a few minutes ago when a certain smug hatter rubbed my head.

"Ah! I can't believe he did that!" I cup my cheeks in my hands. Ugh, I'm so easlier flustered! It was probably nothing!

"It was just for luck." I tell myself just as the tunnel's end is revealed to me.

Sweet. I front flip through it because I want to look bad ass, but when I land, there's no one there to see me do it.

Disappointing.

Oh well.

During the short fall I had, I saw that this place is laid out oddly, split into four with a center.

...

Well if I was in charge, I'd have the fighters on the outside, after all, they are the defense, but this place doesn't look so combatic.

At all.

So I'm going to assume these people are dicks, and decided having the fighters around the vital information was more important than the lives of citizens.

But... really?

While I get that information can lead to the destruction of more people than those that would be saved if prioritized, the structure is still stupid. Sure you can deploy the help when needed, but that wastes time and causes panic. And to top it all off, as soon as you encounter the enemy, you're already at the final frontier! There's no room for strategic retreat or anything!

You're kind of fucked if you fail.

I think it would be smarter to have layers of fighters throughout the area. Then it would be, fighters, people, fighters, people, fighters people and information.

Anyway, enough talking about shit that doesn't matter.

I take a moment to stretch out my legs. It's going to take me a while to reach the center and I'd hate for my sprinters to cramp or lock up.

"Ok, a couple more waist twists and I'm-" I hault as a wrapped box falls out of my obi.

"When the hell did that get there?" I ask the air, wondering if it had seen the culprit.

"Am I really that unobservant? That's such a problem!" I run my hands over my ears and head.

...

The same way Kisuke did.

"Damn it! Why can't I keep focus!"

Shaking my head, I pick up the box and unwrap it. It's a bento box, but I had already suspected that. On top there's a note:

"Food...Kisuke," I mumble, my face curling up at the lack of effort he put into these words.

"T...thanks I guess?" I don't know why I'm saying all of this outloud... There's no one near by.

I suppose I should eat a bit of something...

I open it up to see its full of rice balls and sushi.

...

"Did he put sushi in here cause I'm a cat? I am offended!" I huff, pulling one of them out to eat. "But I do love sushi, so I'll shut up,"

Ok, now I'm ready.

...

"Should I really run? I mean, with my speed, I might just call a lot of attention to myself," I furrow my brows. I'm sure it's fine, but I worry. Then again, the smug hatter did said say my biology is composed just so where I remain just under everyone's rador.

Like I don't exist.

It should be fine.

Kicking up dust, I fling myself into a dash, closing up the bento and tucking it safely into my obi.

only it wont stay there.

TINK! Tink!tink.

Damn it. I skid to a halt and back track to get the little fucker. Ok. Now!

TINK! Tink!tink.

Fuck.

TINK! Tink!tink.

Shit.

TINK! Tink!tink.

Really?

TINK! Tink!tink.

How did Kisuke get it to stay! And do so without drawing my attention!?

You know what?

I untie the box's cloth and retie it onto the obijime. Hopefully this will work...

I reclaim my speed, and am pleased when the little metal box finally stays in place.

Finally.

~x~

Whoo! I'm out of breath. I think I'll walk for a bit.

I'm about halfway there, but it's really hard to manuever these streets at such a high pace. For one thing, I don't know this place, so every turn is abrupt and barely executed. I tried taking to the roofs, but not knowing their layout leads to clumsy leaps, and oh, fun fact. I didn't get the cat ability to always land on my feet.

Stupid right?

I've got the eyes, the ears, the speed, and the tail, but not that one.

Another problem when running through here is that I keep getting distracted by the smells. Really distracted.

...

...

I may have run into a couple walls.

Anyway! After all of that! I am huffy and puffy, and now I want a break...

I sit on my tush in a cozy little corner I find. It's clean, I've checked! And I look around.

I wonder if Ichigo and the guys came through here... Did they make it past? If so, how did they get through?

Did they rush through the area, not giving a single fuck about those they passed? Did they lock themselves in that glass barrier I've been trying to enter? Or maybe they hurt people to get what they wanted.

Of course they didn't.

Knowing them, their wacky combination probably got them all sorts of attention. Maybe Ichigo shot off in a firey rage at something Yoruichi said. Then Oreo laughed her tingly little bell laugh while the ever so rational Udyu tried to defuse the situation with logic.

With no luck.

I-go-chi doesn't listen to reason. If he did, he wouldn't be so cool. And, of course, Sado would just stand there in all his calm quiet.

Maybe he'd grunt a few words.

They probably made friends along the way.

I smile at the thought of them and their company.

"Hey lady, why do you have cat ears?"

I perk at the voice, it's small but masculine. I lift my head to see two boys standing before me. They're twins, one has red hair and is frowning curiously at me head, why the other has blue hair and is tucked behind his brother.

"Becuase I do," I respond. I mean, kids are accepting and all, but saying 'I'm a demon' to a couple souls sounds like a bad idea.

"You're weird lady, you're making my brother uncomfortable, go away," Red barks at me.

Ok, first of all, ow. That legitimately hurt my feels. Children tell the truth, and he just told me that no one wants me here. Second of all, why did he think this was a good idea? Just walking up to a stranger and telling them off? I mean, I suppose I don't look like I'm armed, but I could still beat the shit out both of them. And where is their mother?

"I make everyone uncomfortable, I'll move when I feel like it," I bit down on the 'you little shit' that wants to follow the statement, and tuck my head back into my fortress of curled up arms and legs. There's this weird twisting in my side. I can tell I'm being more of a prick than I need to be. I could just vacate the area, but something tells me doing so will just fuel the cycle. I don't want to do that.

So I stay put like I said I would.

Man, is it me, or am I more angry in Nekomata form?

I just feel like when I'm in... human form? Can you call it that? I'm going to call it that. I feel like when I'm in human form that I'm so tolerant and just happy to be included, but as a cat demon, I just feel like there's this caldron in my soul that stays just below boiling, maybe a degree or two before, but when the temperature is raised ever so slightly, the contents bubble over, each pop flecking bad tithing and violance on those responsible.

I need to keep that shit in check.

. . .

Did that little turd just hit me with a rock?

Peering up, I see the red head with a gang of pebbles cuffed in one arm, while the other is flinging the earthy bullets right at me. Besides him, Blue seems to be attempting to dissuade the attack, to no avail.

"Get out of here!" Red luggs more rocks at me.

POP!

"We don't want to be uncomfy!"

POP! POP!

I take a deep breath, trying not to lose myself in my unnecessary rage. Why couldn't they just fuck off and go home? I'm not doing anything wrong! I never do anything wrong, but somehow, it's still my fault. But at the same time, they don't blame me. It's a weird paradox...

POP! POP! POP!

FwooSH!

I rise to my feet, feeling a weird, external warmth around my ankles.

"Child, do you hate me?" I look down at him, and only him. Blue has moved to shield his foolish other half from my gaze with out spread arms and a determined look in his eyes, but I don't care.

"...no..." Red answers, and the response raises my brows curiously.

"I see. Do you love me?"

"...no..."

"Then you do not care about me. Why would you bother something you don't care about? Leave me be," I fall back into myself, still leaving my feline green eyes on them to discontinue any other ideas of attacking me.

Why are people so annoying?

The blue boy is frowning at me as he takes up his brother's shoulders to guide him away. Though Red doesn't want to leave. He's pauses in time with a gawking expression that wont budge, just like him.

"That was awesome!"

I flinch as Red springs to life and full on glomps me.

...Wha?

"You were so cool! With your eyes all glowy and the fire around your feet! Oh my gosh! You gotta show me how to do that!"

...Children are weird.

"I...can't," I admit, because it's true, those things are just me. I can't share them, even if I wanted to.

"Aw man... Then at least do it again! Come on!" Red begs, but I deny him.

"No..." I frown. It was nice they weren't throwing rocks and all, but I kind of still want them to fuck off...

"Turns out you're pretty neat! And my brother isn't scared of you anymore! You should totally come have dinner at our place!" red bounces around excitedly.

Excuse me?

"Thank you, but I'm alright..." I decline their offer; I know if I were their parent and they came home with a very strange looking individual; I'd probably kicked their asses- the stranger and the children.

"Oh. Really?" Red's expression deflates to a more indifferent one. "Ok, alright," and he takes his brother and leaves.

Just like that...

No attempt to change my mind or anything. They just left.

...

I guess it was a bit rude to just turn them down like that... Plus it wouldn't be so bad to eat something, right?

...

I pick myself off the ground and follow after the children. Red imediately beems at my presence while Blue still doesn't seem to like me much.

"Wow! You decided to come?!" Red boasts and I scoff at his over enthusiam.

"Of course not." I turn my nose up at the very idea, peeking down to see him deflate a bit, "But I figured you two might need help staying out of trouble, I mean seriously who attacks random strangers?" I mumble the last bit.

"Thanks miss, you're pretty cool," Red folds his arms behind his head and continues forward.

"You too little Red,"

~X~

"We're Home!" Red calls into the abode, and I have to duck under jagged wood to get inside.

"Welcome Darlings!" A melodic voice swims through the air and brings with it the smell of a home cooked dish.

"Ma! Ma! We guided another soul today!" Red and Blue run to the emerging figure. She has the face as beautiful as her voice and a body with curves that can't be rivaled.

"Oh! And who did you guide today my little soul-reapers-in-training?" she ruffles the flatness of their hair before peering up at me. She musters a smile, "Oh! You're different aren't you?" she straightens her posture. I widen my eyes. On the way here, I was sure to loot a hat to cover my furry ears and to wrap my tail around my hips under my Kimono, so she can't be talking about that...

"You feel different, I mean," she pushes black strands from her face,

"Ma! Ma! You shoulda seen it! She used these cool green flames! and her eyes were like glowy and stuff!" Red boasts.

Something glimmers in her eyes as she registrars the child's words. Humming, she glances down at them."Hey babies! Do you think you can handle cleaning yourselves up for the dinner?" she requests, and the little tikes eagerly accept the challenge, rushing off deeper into the home.

"What are you?" she inquires, her face still as brightly lit as before, "I used to be a soul reaper, so I know you're not one of those, your spiritual pressure is different, and your spirit ribbon is... off color," she cuts off any possible lies that I could think of.

Aw fuck it.

I take off my skull cap while unwraveling my furry limb from around me. Her blue eyes displays her astonishment.

"A nekomata... can't say I'm thrilled about that.. What are you doing here?"

I raised a brow, "Whoa whoa whoa... I just came into your house and told you I'm half cat demon and you don't immediately attack?" I place my hands on my hips, swaying the shit out of them, "It sounds to me like you don't want to cause a scene. Which means you're hiding in plain sight," I throw my theories at her.

Her smile drops, and she mimicks my sass.

"Listen, I have it good here, good kids who want to be soul reapers, no one is bothering me. Is there anyway I can get you get out of here before dinner?" she waves her hand dismissively as if I didn't just figure her out.

"Depends, you got a way into the middle of this place?" I raises a white brow.

An eye roll. "The Seireitei? Depends, you strong enough to lift that gate up there?" She tosses the idea to me, and I frown.

"What gate?"

"There's this Huge gate thing that drops around the boarder that makes a protective barrier around the entire thing." she briefly explains. "I was joking anyway, you're a Cat based demon, strength isn't usally you guys' strong suit," she shrugs.

"So any other ideas?"

. . .

She ponders.

"Jidambo was defeated by the orange haired rouge soul reaper a couple of days ago... and I think they broke through in some other weird way? At least I'm pretty sure that was that jerk's pyro technics at work..." she frowns deeply at the thought of someone I don't know or care about.

"I can't believe that Shiba clan princess. I showed her my designs when I was younger and she just HAD to replicate it!" she stomps once, and it is the weirdest thing to see her turn from caring mother to spoiled child. "My version is far more subtle and superior!" she gives the most maniacal laugh. She disappears for a bit before reappearing with a glass orb.

"Here you go, just channel your spiritual pressure into that, and hop up there, your spirit energy will merge with the barrier and you should be able to walk right in!" she beams.

"Awesome! How do I do the spiritual thingy?" I look at her.

"...You're joking," she stares at my unwavering countenance to verify my seriousness. "Uh.. You just, push your power into it!" she beams nervously, still uncertain if my ignorance is feigned.

"...How?" I observe the object.

"Ugggh.. it's a stupid trick, but image a black hole and jump into it," she crosses her arms.

"Um.. Ok...?" Brown eyelids close. Jumping into the dark cirlce in my mind, I feel heat be birthed from my bowls before conquering my entire it spreads out, covering everything around me.

"Hey! You're going to burn my fucking house down! Stop!"

My eyes fling open and I'm greeted with the green flames encasing my very being.

"Focus it into the ball damnit!"

Oh shit!

I beckon all the fire to the orb and it devours it, spouting out a sphere of green to protect my person.

"There you go!" she beams, "Now go!"

Something pangs in my gut.

"Sorry, I promised the red one I'd stay longer," I shrug.

An exaggerated sigh leaves her lips, "First of all, the red one is named Akai and the blue one is Ai; Second, You're a demon, especially a cat demon, you're suppose to be heartless! Who cares if a child asked you to stay" she throws her arms about in inexplicable confusion.

"...I'm... sorry?" my ears flop about while I tilt my head.

Composing herself into a woman, she matches her blues with my greens, "Alright, Dinner wont be ready for another five minutes," she smiles, pulling herself back into that well crafted mother persona.

The kids must be near...

As if on a cue, the little bundles come speeding around the legs of the Shiba-hater and they hold tiny wooden swords in their hands.

"Are we gonna get to practice with our zampakto, Ma?" Akai takes hold of her apron and she gives the sweetest smile in her repatoir.

"Not tonight my ruby, tomorrow morning for sure." She coos. She takes up their hands to guide them to the kitchen, but Red pulls free, running over to me and throwing those tiny little arms around my own.

Adoration thumps in my chest, and the need to protect has never branded itself on me like this before.

I can't let anything happen to this child.

but I don't let my face tell him that.

...

I still lift him into my arms though...

Red chuckles as he adjusts himself to sit on my forearm and flexes his biceps, "Look at my muscles! I'm going to be a super strong soul reaper!" he roars.

Ok I'd be lying if I said I'm not fighting off a smile.

"Your muscles are big, but you gotta work on your game face and your battle cry," I tell him.

"Yeah! You're right!" he scruches up the tiny features of his face, "You better watch out! Rawr!"

Oh my heart!

"There you go," I grin lazily and he beams at the praise.

"Come on do it with me!" he roars again and my eyes can't help but pronounce my glee.

"roar," I make a claw with my free hand.

"Louder! Rawr!"

"Roar.."

"Louder! RAWR!" he throws his head back, and I shake my own at the silliness I'm about to do. I take a deep breath and reach deep into my throat!

ROAR!

. . .

Holy shit I can actually roar like a tiger...

"Why can I do that?" I whisper to myself, but Akai hears me easily.

"Because you're awesome!" He tries to shake me but ends up shaking himself.

"How little do you know of your origins...?" The mother raises a perfect black brow.

"Absolutely nothing... I just know what I am," I shrug.

"Oh dear..." she breaths.

Sitting little red in a chair, I take one for myself and wait patiently for a serving.

They're a family of three but have a fourth chair that matches the rest... The kids must bring home guest quite often...

Isn't that a little dangerous?

I look to the women across the plain wood table.

My guess is that she's pretty strong and keeps tabs on the little one's spiritual pressure when they're out...

"So... Is the kitty or the human round?" The hostess speaks up.

...What?

kitty or the... Is this her way of speaking in code around the kids? Is she asking me about my parents?

"No. Never seen either, honestly," I shrug.

"I didn't think so..."

what is happening?

She doesn't ask me anymore questions over dinner, and afterwards I help carry the small ones to their room.

Freezing in the doorway, I feel disgusting and gross. I feel like I don't have a right to take a step past the threshold.

"That's the barrier I put on their room, I'll take it from here," the mother hums, taking her child from me to put red and blue into bed and leaving me to stand awkwardly in the door.

"Ma... Ai wants a story," Akai speaks for his blue brother, and the woman seems to have a moment of panic.

"Sure sweety!" blue eyes dart about the area while she tucks her dress close to her legs. She sits on a posted chair and barely catches me in her sight.

"Ok! This is the story about the lepards!" she starts. My shoudlers tense and my tail bristles, thrashing a bit wildly around me in discomfort.

Why did she look at me?

"Once upon a time there were lepards that dressed like white bunnies so that they could live among them! They were nasty things that used to make white bunnies be mean so that they would be bannished from the group" she tucks them in, and Akai yawns, fighting his eyelids to keep those ruby red pupils free.

"This is the story about a hard decision." She starts, her smooth lips conjuring the story as she goes, "Once there were leopards and Bunnies. There were Black bunnies that protecting everything thing, and white bunnies which could be good or bad. The leopards lived in the under Burrows, and they wanted the bunnies to join them, but only bad bunnies go to the under burrows."

The boys were already asleep, but she kept talking, and I kept listening.

"So the Leopards started making the white bunnies do mean things so they'd get banished to the burrows. The black bunnies noticed this and realized there would soon be more more bad bunnies than good, so the black bunnies made a decision, a really hard one, and scared the leopards away. The leopards were never seen again."

"The end" she plants a kiss on their bangs.

The woman stands to her feet, and makes her way to me.

"Was that the story of what happened to the demons?" I ask her as she passes by like a breeze. I feel a rage ignite in me, but I quiet it. Smother it. "Did the Soul Reapers kill them all?" I hush myself, inhabiting the woman's shadow as she retreats.

"No!" She hisses, stopping short and glaring at me. "The soul reapers are not what killed the demons." she rushes forward, rounding a corner.

"But that doesn't mean they weren't planning to," her words lag behind her.

I frown. Why does that matter? I catch up on quieted steps, the flicker of my kimono the only audio cue of my movement. Behind me a forked line of white fur sways over the air like a water serpent, and I wonder; there has to be a reason she mentioned it...

"Then why tell the story like they did," I whisper, and the silence makes me wonder if she heard me from so far ahead, but as I emerge into the living-room, I'm awarded an answer.

"Sure, the shinigami didn't get to kill the demons, but we spent years researching each breed carefully, finding their weaknesses so that the genocide would be executed smoothly. I would know. I spend all my life researching demons..." she devolves to slurred mutters, but adjusting my ears articulates every syllable.

"Demons were going to destroy everything and had to be dealt with, but they didn't deserve to go out like that," the tired mother plops on the couch, allowing the weight of her day to crash upon her. A regretful atmosphere spills around her.

"Their deaths weren't meant to be enjoyed," she finally adds, returning to the conversation outside herself.

"I get that their deaths were unavoidable..." I trail off, more confused than I had been in a while. I had suspected after hearing Uryu's story that such a fate was not beyond my kind, but apparently not...?"You're talking like I know everything, tell me something!" I grow closer to her.

"I was one of the researchers tasked with finding out everything I could about the demons." she speaks into the distance. She blinks out of her trance. "So at the very least I can help you understand your demon side a bit better," she smiles at me but it's not like her mom smile, nor her mischievous one. Instead it's apologetic, rueful. Exhausted.

She clears something from her eyes.

"Hey... uh.." I search for a name, but one does not appear in my memory.

"Kira. Kira Shiba," she stretches her body.

Shiba? But wasn't she just ranting about their princess?

...Maybe she's an out cast?

"Ms. Kira, maybe you should go to sleep... you have children who will be up bright and early..." I trail off. Kira shakes her head, awakening the motherly love in her features as she hops to her feet.

"For instance, do you know how to sense spiritual pressure?" she whispers, guiding me outside.

"No..."

"Well, the cool thing is that Nekomata don't 'sense' it. They actually hear it! It's how you know how to dance to raise your enemy's allies," Her chirpy voice nips any argument from my throat. She's going to teach me whether I want her to or not.

Though her words do fetch my intrigue and brighten my green orbs. So my dance is unique to each person? I would have thought it to be the same...

"Close your eyes..." she instructs, and I do, sealing off the darkened lot of overgrown grass and embracing darkness.

. . .

. .

.

. . . !

My posture stiffens and Kira notices. "You heard it! In the distance." her hands fall on my shoulders like a security blanket. "Don't lock up, you have to relax into it.." she directs, and it's hard, but I manage. The notes rush in, almost ecstatic at their acceptance and they fill me. The measures replace my breath, pushing any air out in a content sigh, and the octaves mingle with my blood and excite my pulse.

"Wait! You have to stop! I know it's natural to move with it but please," a desperation is birthed in the voice of the Shiba reject. "I can't face him... please stop..." her fingers almost dig holes in the black material of my gown.

I slap my hands down to my side. I hadn't even realized I started moving...

"Whoops.." I shrug. SPLSHK! I jerk at the sound. Something tickles the tip of my nose and I rub at it. Behind me Kira allows a sigh to shake itself loose. What happened? Did something start to form?

"But you heard it right?" her voice is quaking, and I can't help feeling responsible.

"I don't want to keep this up if it's affecting you-" "Just let me help! Tomorrow you're going to go out to fight for something precious to you! You're going to hurt, and you may even lose. But I want to help you fight as hard as you can. I want to give you a chance," the last word snuffs out all sound in the air, creating that moment of loud silence in my furry ears.

"Fine..."

"Don't act like you had a choice, now, from what I understand, each person has a unique song playing in their energy that can vary in tempo, genre, age, and really anything else," she notes.

"But you'll figure that out as you go! Though, if you could try to describe my song for me I will love you forever because I have always wanted to know!" She bounces in place, containing herself as much as she can.

A grin stretches on my lips and I take a moment to focus in on her.

"Uh... It's a pretty fast pace. It's a more traditional and while it has a few different instruments, there's a string instrument that's the main focus," I attempt. The focal instrument is definitely Japanese in origin. The tones it makes are a bit on the higher scale with rounded notes that make me think of the American banjo.

"Oh that's cool! Clearly the speed is a metaphor for my amazing and bubbly personality!" she beams brighter than the crescent moon above us.

"Right," I shrug.

"Ok next! I want to focus on your flames, without your weapons. You need to know how to use them," she gestures to the empty lot. "Your flames will burn the grass, but they don't really linger after they've been cut off from you. Though I have seen Nekomata able to sustain flames outside themselves in moments of extreme anger." a drop of the shoulders.

After mild directions I take my stance before my enemy: grass. I pick up my dukes.

"No no, As a cat demon you're super strong, but it's mostly in your legs, so it's best to use them as your hands," she points.

Fight with my feet...?

I mean.. ok I guess..

I shift my weight to rise a knee to my chest and it's odd how comfortable it is, it kind of feels like I've been walking around with my shoes on the wrong feet this entire time, but now they're in the right place.

"This is weird..." I mumble. "Why is that what was instinct before powers has changed? How can instinct change? It's supposed to be implanted in you from the get-go,"

"Well? Go on!" Kira coaxes."You should already know where your spiritual core is! So just direct your spiritual pressure from the center to your desired limp! Chop chop!" she rushes me, way more eager than I am.

I frown. There's a core? I would have though that the power would be around my body all the time...

"Where would my core be?" I ask the night breeze and it responds by tickling over my stomach.

My gut.

"Alright.."

fwoosh! Fwoosh Fwoosh!FwoOOSH!

It starts as simple kicks, but they evolve themselves flinging my body into spins and flips that my mind has to slow down to keep me oriented.

"Holy shit... I'm awesome," my lips gain the sassiest perk.

Kira claps, only further fueling the ego of my demon side. Even my tail curls and uncurls around my legs in a display of dominance.

"Ok, that's all we'll be able to get into tonight, you'll have to leave early-ish tomorrow because the boys want to practice their zanpakto tomorrow morning, and we have to travel pretty far, They're too young, and if one big mouth spills that they can already unleash their weapons, they'll not only be taken from me, but I may be killed as well... so yeah," her blue eyes glimmer.

"neat..."

I lead the charge for the beds.

"Also, does the blue one not talk to me because he doesn't like me or is mute his default setting?" I inquire.

"Ai speaks, but very rarely. He probably averages 3 words a year. but Akai seems to know what he wants even when he says nothing.. so yeah," The Shiba pulls some blankets and a pillow from a crevice and plops them on the couch.

A yawn slurs her words, "Good night,"

I wave.

Tomorrow I enter the war.


Thanks for reading! Stay safe :D