disclaim : manga belongs to Tite Kubo

Chapter 5: Inner peace.

The pain only increases with the time. He eventually needed to come to the conclusion the walls were made especially so no human could get out. The stabbing pain he felt in each and every muscle did most definitely not help.

He laid there on the cold ground covered with a small layer of white. Seeing closer, it looked strangely like ice, but the touch wasn't so cold, well not as cold as what ice should be. Especially when the entire gave was recovered in it. Trying to observe his surroundings by sitting up, he only got the pain stabbing back in his stomach.

He couldn't feel his feet's anymore. It was annoying, but most definitely terrifying. What in the world was going on? The only thing he did know was that up until now, his entire life has been a lie.

"Yeah trust that instinct," said a voice. Opening his eyes surprised, he looked around eager to see if someone could help him. But the only thing he did find, was the pit recovered with solid frozen ice. Now he wasn't imagining it, the temperature was decreasing rapidly.

The idea of thinking everything would be find as long as he stayed still was not going to work, especially if the pit just decided to freeze him to death. Oh no, maybe he was a sort of experiment and it didn't work out and they chose to kill him.

Be rational, was his constant memento. He had just seen to many horror movies. Maybe he was mad and soon he would wake up in a mental hospital where the nurses would tell him this was all a dream. He actually wished that was the case right now.

Convincing himself this was just a dream he managed to fall into a regular respiration routine that his uncle taught him. Well some kind of meditation. He cursed himself for not listening when his mother babbled about it.

Calming down was very complicated when you had the feeling your body was being toured to pieces, even more complicated when he understood that the more he relaxed the more he felt the pain. Every time he was remotely close to being relaxed, he would feel all the pain in his entire body ten time worse than what it was.

"Just accept it," said the voice in the back of his head. He did not imagine that. It was definitely there. Deciding it was better to ignore it than start the entire problem over again, he kept his eyes shut. Damn person could have fun on there own.

Suddenly the pain was gone, as in not there, as in he was standing just find and he hadn't lost the ability to stand. Opening his eyes he was shocked by the view. Where in the world was he?

This wasn't remotely possible either. He was standing on what could be an island if it was made of something else than burning magma. Yep, he was currently standing at the foot of a volcano, a volcano that was sending flying a huge among of lava and a screen of mist around it. And on the opposite of this land was a frozen one. A big huge ice island. The only thing separating the two was water. Water as far the eye could see on both sides.

"You really are making me impatient here," said the voice that talked to him not so long ago. Turning toward the voice he stopped when he saw who he was talking with.

Right there was the one voice that hadn't shut up for the last two days. But seeing him as in real life and not just an image of the back of your mind was terrifying. The serpent thing was currently resting on the huge ice mountain completely relax.

"You," screamed Ryuu.

"I can't believe it took you so long to figure out I was here," said the white creature amused, the eyes still closed.

"What do you want serpent," asked Ryuu really terrified at first, but seemed to calm down when he recognized the familiar way of talking.

"What serpent," asked the animal interested if there were any other there. Turning around to see, he soon figured the boy was talking to him.

"Do I look like a serpent to you ?" He asked hurt. "I have legs and wings you little rascal. Don't you know serpents crawl on their belly?" The voice seemed to start rezoning in a sinister cold way. His words more hash than what Ryuu had ever heard.

"What exactly are you then ?" He screamed back again not wanting to be terrified by a creature that had been turning around in his head for the past ten years. This time he watched the pit black eyes and needed to back away.

"What am I? I'm a dragon you fool. A dragon so cold my scaled started to froze and soon my entire body became a frozen statue." He rested his head back down and returned to his previous position, all the frozen particles in the air vanishing.

"I got the point that you're a dragon, but what are you really? I mean, where in the world am I?" Said the boy after recovering from the shock of what just happened. Not that he understand that, but one thing at the time.

"What do you mean, where is this? Where does it look like you are? In your backyard? Last time I checked you were in a pit doing I don't really now what."

"I know I was in a pit you reptile, I asked where am I now? This doesn't even get close to be my backyard. Especially since it so freaking huge."

"If you know you're in the pit why in the world do you ask me where you are? Just relax and stay here while your body desintegrer."

"Well I don't see the pit anywhere?" The dragon just looked at him from one eye.

"Are you trying to pull a prank on me? Of course you can't see the pit when you are in your inner world. Any potential soul reaper should know that." Ryuu just gaped at that.

"I... I... What in the world is that supposed to mean?"

"You have had a lot of tension in your body I see, but please don't take that out on me. I am but a sweet soul in your mind." To this Ryuu exploded.

"Would someone just tell me what on earth is going on?" Panic touched for moment the dragon's eyes.

"I wouldn't scream that much if I was you. Of all people, don't wake hfuiserugr on the other side. She is sleeping and better if she is." Having a good idea he just screamed back.

"Well if you don't want me to wake who-ever you don't want me to wake, what about you start telling me what is going on."

"Shuush. Okay, okay, just don't scream. You're not the one that need to listen to her horrible singing all day. "

"There is another one like you?" The dragon looked surprised.

"Well yes. Haven't you seen her before?"

"I've only seen you. You and Hyorinmaru." The name of the older one didn't seem to brightened the dragoons mood.

"Oh the old man left, thank you. I was having a headache about his constant dominance on the isle. Well what to tell you first? Sit down I suppose." The voice changed again to a emotionless voice with no feelings.

"So this is your inner world. A place I suppose you created with a good help from the old man. And I'm a humble dragon with the mission to watch over you." At that, a crack was heard and a huge plouf. Looking past the dragon, Ryuu could see a bit of the ice falling of.

"Oh don't worry about that, it means your body and souls are not really on good terms. But I suppose they never had since you're not human."

"If I'm not human, then what exactly am I?"

"A soul off course. Which bring us to the next subject. Since both your parents are soul reaper, you are a potential soul reaper."

"Am fairly sure my mothers a human," Ryuu said holding his hands to his temples. This just got weirder for each sentence the reptile said.

"Maybe your current one is, but trust me the one that conceived you is a soul reaper." Ryuu made a face to that.

"So what exactly are soul reapers? And if I was really one like that why didn't I know before know?"

"Soul reaper is a huge word for defining a special type of souls and every thing that I have no intention of telling you."

"Is that it?" Asked Ryuu seeing as the dragon was on the way to sleep. "No telling me what exactly is going on? I am thrown down a pit by my sensei, my uncle brought me here in the first place and apparently both my parents are souls? The only thing that actually make sense is why I can see spirits."

"You know, instead of screaming at me you should try to get out of the pit before it eats you up. I mean, the others would probably be better at telling you what is going on."

"Well mighty dragon how do you suppose I do that?" He screamed with all he had. Suddenly the volcano that was actually calm minutes ago started roaring. Oh wait it wasn't the volcano, it was some sort of dragon too. So that was the woman he supposed.

It was a pair of clear blue eyes that looked back at him, nearly white. He didn't understand a single word that was said but apparently the two dragons were having a small discussion if that is what you can call it.

Then everything begun to explode. The ice started to melt and few icicle were seen floating in the air. And on the other side, the volcano started to burn, literally burning, and the water that was calmly in between the two islands were moving upward. What? It did not help that two dragons were currently fighting. One white as ice and one black as ash currently soaring in the what you might call sky around each other.

"Stop it," screamed the teen apparently scared, terrified, angry, annoyed, hurt and possibly every bit of feelings in between. Oh, and confused. The dragons looked at him before falling down beside him on the ground watching him.

"What's going on?" He screamed again. "How do I get out? How do I wake up, and how in the world am I supposed to get out of this pit?"

"Well you find you zanpakuto," said the white dragon as a matter of fact.

"And how do I do that? Isn't that what I got from my uncle?"

"Euh no. You got a reservoir of some sort, you're supposed to pull the zanpakutou out of the shelter for most of us, but you have to put it inside."

"Wait you are telling me this sword thing is an actual living thing."

"We are your zanpakutou you idiot. I thought you knew that?"

"No, absolutely not. The only thing you are ever telling me is how bored you are, how stupid you think I am and how dark it is in your world. How do I pull you inside the sword?" He said coming back on the subject when the soil he stood on started to disappear.

"The zanpakutou is somewhere, find it. Pull us inside it to give the shelter a soul, that what this is about? I thought they though you that before throwing you down here?"

"And I thought you knew everything I was doing?" He returned to the white dragon, the black having disappeared a long time ago probably back to the volcano.

"I never said that. And I was sleeping."

This dragon was really getting on his nerves. Starting to run he soon noticed the dragon was gone to. Losing foothold, he sank lower into the water. Trying to keep his head over the water he felt like something dragged him deeper down. Great.

The sea in it self looked normal, well apart from the threads that tried to drag him deeper and deeper.

"What are you doing," said the dragon floating right in front of his face. To his great wonder, he managed to speak, under water.

"I'm trying not to drown, what do you think I'm doing?"

"Boy, I feel you really have no idea what is going on."

"That's what I've been telling you for I don't know how long now."

"Oh," was the only reply of the reptile before disappearing.

"Hey wait. Help me out," he screamed to no use. Well he wasn't drowning yet. The treads started to loosen around him, and he found he could see all the treads floating around him like they where alive.

"That's you body and what you are made up of," said the calm and composed voice of his, dare he say, friend. " you need to find that part of your life that connects you to us, or the old man. Find the part that created us."

Looking around he soon found a thread that was remotely different from all the others, but watching the white tread float away, he just knew that wasn't the one since it was slowly burning as he watch it. So the white threads were the one that connected him to his body. Then what about the red ones?

Coming closer he soon found a red threads with the tip frozen and starting to crack up. Reaching, he pulled until he was face to a sword white and pure with the red thread wrapped around the hilt. Touching the blade he felt the surge of energy bursting through his vein.

In front of him, he recognized the feature of the reptile smiling.

"That's me," he mouthed. "Take care." And then everything when black. He could see the contours of people watching him, but to tired, he landed head first not even feeling the pain.

The light was painful for him and he needed to concentrate to not reach out and hit the idiot who woke him up this early. He sat up, or tried to anyway, when he noticed this was not his bed. Nor his chamber. Trying to sit up again he needed to face the fact his head hurt too much.

"Look who's waking up," came a voice that would tranquilize him if said voice hadn't been belonging to someone that had just dragged him down a pit.

"I know you probably hate me right now, but we thought it was better that I was here now than Urahara. You need to stay calm." Opening his eyes and turning his head he found his uncle resting against the wall, every other muscle to sore to actually move. He glared back at those brown eyes.

"Can I just know how long you intend to give me the cold shoulder so I can come back then?" This just seemed to piss of the kid more.

"Okay, okay, I stay here until you intend to talk to me." They stayed in a somehow comfortable silence until Ryuu noticed what his uncle was wearing. His usual cloth, that looked like he stole them from his parents old closet, were replaced by some kind of kendo outfit.

"What are you wearing?" He asked in a whisper. Seems like the muscles of his through didn't work well either.

"Ready to speak to me then?" Asked the uncle with a smug smile.

"I was just wondering what in the world you were wearing." He said flatly looking back at the sealing.

"I've told you before kid, no comment on my outfit." He stood up and took something from the wall. When he came back, Ryuu could see he was holding that zanpa something and put it beside him before sitting down that way Ryuu didn't have to turn his head to much to see him.

"Your zanpakutou, keep it with you." Looking serious at Ryuu he commented: "So what do you want to know?"

"Everything," stated the boy icy.

"Ah well, that is a long thing," he said scratching the back of his head. "And here I was hoping your Zanpakutou had told you everything. Did you at least speak to him?"

"If you mean the giant dragon that apparently lives inside my head then yes."

"Do you know his name?" His uncle asked curiously.

"No, he barely gave me a glance and thought I knew everything, whatever that is." After thinking a bit the youngster continued. "But uncle there is one thing I want to know more than the rest: who are my parents?" He sifted at that.

"Kid, that's the only thing I have absolutely no right to tell you. You should ask your mother when you feel better. But," he said taking on his good mode face again, "I can tell you what they are."

"Reptile already told me they were soul reapers, meaning I apparently am a potential soul reaper."

"Well nearly. You're no longer a potential soul reaper, you are a soul reaper in training." Seeing as the boy just didn't get it at all he added. "I think I'm going to take it from the top."

For the next hour or so the oldest try the best he could to explain about soul society, soul reapers, the academy, the job of a soul reaper, hollows and everything he could fandom would be of any importance to the kid. He did tell him about the gotei 13, his identity along with Rangiku's.

"She's here too by the way. She just need to do some errands." Finished his uncle.

"Technically she is killing those hollow thingy," muttered the teen trying the hardest to wrap his mind around this.

"Yeah that's what she's doing. But listen kid, you're abnormal."

"Really," asked the boy sarcastic, "tell me one thing in your entire dialogue that isn't abnormal for a human being?"

"Well you're not a human, nor are you dead. In fact you have never been what human call 'alive'. You were born a soul and that is why you are growing so slow apparently."

"What do you mean?" He asked carefully. He knew he was one of the small folks, he didn't think growing problem had anything to do with this. His uncle helped him up so he could take a closer look in the mirror in the bathroom.

The first shock he got when he stood up were his cloth. Is was some sort of black thing looking like his uncle, but without the arms. The second shock was the weakness in his body. He felt so tired. The third shock was when he was watching himself in the mirror. With horror he noted the boy looking back at him was indeed himself.

"What happened to me?" He asked starting to freak out. It was that precise moment that Urahara decided to come in.

"Hello," he sang from the door, "how's our little Kurosaki today. Feeling any better?" Ryuu looked at the man that was now much taller than what he remembered him to be. Oh wait, had he lost that much height? He wasn't high already why did he lose his height?

"What happened to me?" He screamed racing into the room. "Why am I 5 again?" Urahara gave a questioning look in Renji's direction before turning back to the youngster indicating to sit.

"Your age is still the same, Kurosaki, your body is not. Your uncle should have told you by now that you are a soul."

"He has." Renji was ushed out of the room to get something to eat for the kid.

"Then you should know that souls don't grow or act like humans. True, they are much alike, but on the contrary to humans, souls don't take a simple hundred years to grow old. Since you are a soul, you should be prepared to stay a child for perhaps the next 50 years."

Ryuu watched in horror as Urahara talked about all the new adjustment he needed to do in his life. Mostly one: gigais. Apparently Ryuu had always lived inside a self growing gigai that permitted him to live like a human. But since that sheal just burned away in the pit, he would need a new one.

"Don't worry about your gigai, I'll make it exactly like you were in the other one." That didn't help him feel small. "You are also practically a kid but since you've grown up with humans your mind is more mature. So, we will start your training when you are rested."

"What?" He shocked looking at the feature turning the corner.

He did eat, and rest, but didn't get anymore information about his condition. And most of all, he didn't learn a single thing about his parents. Looking at the blade that laid beside him, he slowly touched the hilt.

"How are you feeling?" He heard the voice nice and clear before even touching the blade. He retrieved his hand skeptically. "You should know by now kid that touching the hilt is not what makes me capable to talk to you."

"then what is?" He said out load. Closing his eyes and resting back.

"Mediate," said the voice. "Close your eyes and relax." Doing as he said he opened his eyes only to stare into a pair of black eyes. "Welcome back," smiled the dragon deviously.

Thanks for reading :D