"The past two years have been trying. Your original class of one hundred and fifty students has dwindled down to a mere sixty. You are the prime of the year. The best of the crop. Today you have your final exam. Those of you who walk out of the caves with a sword in your hand will pass. Those of you who don't will not. You have the whole day to find your blade. By dusk, if you have not come out of the caves, we are to assume that you are dead. You are to leave your bags at the cave entrance. You must not walk in pairs when you get in the caves. Are your instructions clear," our instructor yelled at our class.
Immediately my classmates and I yelled in return, "Hai, Sensei."
"Then you may begin."
As the class slowly started to make its way into the caves I grabbed Kameko's wrist and pulled her through the crowd to the front.
"Arina, wait! I don't want to go in there so fast. Besides no one has even gone in yet," she said to me as we got near the front.
"Exactly Kameko. The sooner we get in there the sooner we can start searching for our blade. And that means it's the sooner we can get out of there," I said back right as we got to the very front of the class.
Not a single person had walked in yet. So I did something that most people were used to by now. I made a scene.
I left Kameko at the edge of the crowd and took a few steps forward. "What are you all, a bunch of wussies? This is what we've been training for. Don't any of you want a zanpakuto? Let's go," and with that I walked into the caves.
I could hear everyone muttering behind me, then steps running to catch up with me. I was already in the caves when Kameko grabbed my shoulder.
"You probably shouldn't have done that. Sensei didn't look very pleased. If you're not careful, he might talk to your father about all the things you've done," she told me as we walked further into the caves.
"I don't care. Sensei can't do anything. It's our graduation tomorrow," I replied.
We had reached a point in the cave where the path forked to the left and right.
"But still, you..," Kameko started but I interrupted her.
"See you later Kameko."
Now I was on my own. As I ran I noticed other tunnels branching off of the one I was in. After a few minutes I took one that branched off to the right. I started to walk down this tunnel listening to the sounds in there. I could hear water dripping up ahead. Following the sound, I came upon a cavern with a small pond on the far end. After I entered the cavern, I felt a rumbling in the ground. When I looked back to check, the entrance where I came in was closed, completely blocked off. I stayed calm, remembering my brothers' words from only the night before.
Since I was stuck in the cavern for the time being, I went over to the pond to meditate. As the quiet surrounded me, I noticed another noise. It was very subtle. So quiet, that if I hadn't been meditating, I would never have noticed it. I listened closely, trying to discern where it was coming from. It was then I noticed two shapes moving in sync with each other in the water before me. Next thing I knew there was a bright flash and the cave was gone.
Instead, it was replaced with a green meadow with trees and flowers in the distance.
"Who are you and why do you seek us, the twins of life and death," the large and certainly fearless voice said.
I was a little scared but I kept my own voice from shaking. "My name is Arina, Princess of the Seireitei. I come in search of my second blade as I already wield Flying Spirit."
"It is not often we see a member of the royal family looking for a second blade. Tell us, is your mother still alive," the voice asked.
"No. She died during childbirth, not long after I was born fresh out of the womb. She gave me her spirit that I may live as I almost died when I was born," I replied quietly.
"So you really weren't supposed to be alive. You should have died," two voices one on each side of my head said in unison.
I jumped up and turned away from the source. It was two wolves, one white and the other black.
"Are you afraid, Princess? It has been quite a long time since anyone has come to see us. The last one didn't even last an hour," the one on my right, the white one said stepping closer to me. The voice was female, penetrating me to the soul.
I took a step back.
"And how are we supposed to believe that you are truly the princess? Every time we make a move to get closer to you, you move away. A member of the royal family is supposed to be fearless," the one on my left, the black one said. This voice was that of a male, giving me the shivers down my spine. He jumped into the air, and when he came down he push me to the ground, his front paws on my shoulders.
"How can you expect to wield us, the twins of all life and all death, if you can not even stand your ground against one of us," he asked with a growl.
I stayed quiet. Then an answer came to my head. "In class, before the final exam, we are taught that the paths we take in these caves are predestined, that we do not choose them ourselves. I am not sure why I am here. Perhaps it is to meet my end. Or perhaps it is to master the twins of all life and all death so that I may walk out of these caves to be a true soul reaper."
The black one moved off of me and I sat up. He rejoined the white wolf not far from me, maybe five feet or so.
"My name is Ayame," the white one said coming over to sniff me. "And that is my brother Hiroshi. You are the first to have given a correct answer to the question that many people have been asked. It is true that many have come and tried, and they have all come close."
"Do you honestly believe that you could control the two of us," Hiroshi asked coming over and once again joining Ayame.
I thought for a moment. "Yes I believe I can," I answered.
"Then we are in your service," Ayame and Hiroshi replied in unison.
Once again there was a bright light and I was back by the pond. I glanced to my right and left and sure enough were two identical blades, both of the same length and silver steel. The only difference between the two were the hilts. Once was wrapped in white silk, the other black silk.
I stood up, grabbed my new swords, and headed back to the entrance where the rock that had blocked my escape earlier was now gone. I left and remembering the path I had used to get there, was able to find my way entirely out of the caves.
When I stepped out into the open, I noticed that the sun was almost entirely set. I started looking around for Kameko. I could see other members of my class congratulating each other on their successes. But I couldn't find the splash of ice white that was Kameko's hair. Just then the sun's last rays disappeared on the horizon and the gong signaling the end of the exam echoed through the arena. If Kameko didn't come out by the time the echoes were gone, she would be considered dead. I turned around and head back toward the cave's entrance. Just as I reached the edge of my class, I saw Kameko walking out of the cave with her head down. Something was wrong. Just as I was about to run forward to Kameko, Renji appeared in front of me with Zabimaru drawn and in his hands.
"Renji! What are you doing? It's just Kameko," I said trying to push my way past him, but two members of the 6thDivision stood in my way blocking me. "Renji! Let me go to her!"
"No Princess Arina. Something is wrong. I can't sense her spiritual pressure. Until we know for certain what is going on, you are going to stay there," Renji replied taking a few steps away from me and closer to the spot where Kameko had stopped walking just inside the cave entrance.
By now most of the class and the instructors had noticed what was going on. There were murmured whispers behind my back. I fought the urge to scream at all of them. Just then Kameko spoke, only it wasn't Kameko's voice.
"There is only one person here that I wish to fight. She carries the twins of all life and all death. Ayame and Hiroshi. Let her step forward and face me. For if she doesn't, she'll lose the only friend that she has in this world," the voice yelled to everyone in the arena.
Renji looked back at me. His eyes conveyed the message he wanted to say out loud, but couldn't. If you even make one move forward I will kill you before whatever that thing is does. So I did the opposite of what he wanted. No one, not even Renji, was going to stop me from saving Kameko.
I jumped into the air surprising my class, instructors, Renji, and the two other member of the 6thDivision. I landed about ten feet away from Kameko.
"Why do you want to fight me," I asked calmly, making sure that my voice didn't show the fear I was feeling.
"My master wishes it," the voice replied. "And what my master wishes, he gets. So now you die!"
A sword appeared in Kameko's hand from nowhere and before I knew what was happening Ayame was drawn and in my hand ready defend. I couldn't remember if I had drawn her or not.
Come Princess. We will fight him together. And we will win, Ayame's thought rang throughout my head.
I gave a small nod. She was right we would fight and we would win. I looked back at Kameko. "If I win you let Kameko go. She doesn't have a part of this. If you win you can kill me," I yelled to the creature inside of her.
"Princess! I don't really think this is the time to be bartering with your life," Renji yelled from behind me.
"It's not like I really have a choice Renji. Besides I know what I'm doing," I yelled back giving him our secret signal. If I told him I knew what I was doing, he knew he could trust me to win.
Silence reigned. I waited for the creature in Kameko's body to make the first move. My patience paid off. After about two minutes the creature charged at me. I waited for the last second to raise my blade in defense, jumping up and twisting to the side at the same time. I landed behind Kameko, calm and collected. It was then I realized what was happening. Hiroshi and Ayame were controlling my movement. Trust us Princess. We won't lead you astray, Hiroshi's voice rang in my head. Again I nodded. Kameko turned around glaring at me, as if whatever was controlling her hadn't expected me to be able to fight back.
"No matter how hard you try, you will die," the creature yelled again. It charged again this time I was prepared ahead of time.
As our blades collided the ring of steel on steel echoed in the arena. We fought for a good five minutes before I started to notice a change in the way the creature was fighting. Not only was it fighting me on the outside, it seemed like Kameko was fighting back on the inside. I grinned. It would be easier for me to defeat this creature if his attention was focused in two different areas.
"Ayame, bringer of death, sing," I whispered. The next thing I knew I was charging at the creature. I was ready for me. I moved to my right and as I did his blade sliced open a small cut in my left cheek. It stung.
"Princess," Renji yelled. He was upset that I had gotten hurt. I could tell.
Even as his blade cut my cheek, I was turning back around to try and cut his arm. It worked. Blood came seeping out from the wound. I didn't like hurting Kameko's body, but it was the only option I had.
"How dare you cut me like a piece of meat? I will kill you," the creature yelled yet again.
I was getting annoyed by all of his yelling. He charged at me and this was when I decided to finish it. The creature charged at me. I drew Hiroshi in me left hand, turned the swords so the blade tips were pointed behind me and just as the creature was about to strike at me I ducked and putting the two butt caps on Kameko's stomach yelled, "Bringer of life, Hiroshi, rise. Bringer of death, Ayame, strike."
There was a flash of light and I was thrown backward. Renji caught me in his arms. The creature was showing his true face now. It was a hollow, a simple hollow that had taken over Kameko. He was about to be finished off by the 6thDivision guards when I came up and told them to wait. I asked him who had had sent him. He didn't answer. He grabbed the blades of the soul reapers and pulled them into his body. That was the end of him. Then I ran over to Kameko. She wasn't moving. Renji held me back as the two members of the 6thDivision took her to the Medical Center. She hadn't been breathing.
"Tell me she's going to make it Renji," I whispered to him.
"I don't know Arina. I just don't know," He told me grabbing my blades and me and leaving the arena.
When Renji arrived back at the palace that night, I had already heard the news. Kameko had died. Renji found me in my room.
"Princess…," Renji said as he walked over to the window where I was sitting.
"I…I killed her Renji. I'm the one that killed her," I whispered lunging myself into his arms. He caught me, just like he always did and held me.
"No…you didn't kill her. That hollow killed her. You saved her life."
"How Renji? How could I have saved her life?"
"I don't know Arina. When she arrived at the Medical Corps she was barely breathing. If anything you did her a favor by getting that hollow out of her soul. Captain Unohana said that if it hadn't been for you her soul wouldn't have been able to move on."
I wiped the tears from my face. "So? She didn't live. I lost one of my only friends in this world."
Renji sighed. "You still have me. As long as I'm around you will always have me. As a friend, brother….whatever you want me to be."
I squeezed Renji tighter into a bear hug. "Thank you."