Chapter 21 – A Walk Down Memory Lane (A bit of history about Haruka)

She opened her eyes at last, expecting pain but it didn't come. She was lying on the cold hard concrete ground. She stood up and noticed that she was at the end of a hallway with a solid stone wall behind her and another one about fifty in front. The hallway was completely made of stones placed in an orderly arrangement.

'Where am I?' she asked herself although she had a distinct feeling that she knows this place. She stood up and walked forwards. The hallway was lit by many torches that hung on the walls on either side. She walked a few metres forward and as soon as she put her put down a door appeared to her left. 'What's this?' as she turned around her instinct opened the door (well obviously I mean what would you do if you were in her shoes).

She stepped into a dark room and the door closed behind her. As soon as the door closed a scene flashed through the room and she found her self in a familiar long street full of people.

'Hey wait, I know this place,' she thought as someone came behind her and walked straight through her. 'What the hell?' She looked around, 'Did I take a trip back in time? Or is this just a memory?' As if to answer that thought two young girls came running down the street. They were wearing kimono's which made them look out of place as they were wearing clean and pretty and the which made the other people look poor as they were wearing just normal Japanese clothes. Both girls had blue eyes and long blonde hair, but their faces looked nothing alike. One of them Haruka recognized as herself when she was younger about mid twenties and the other was Hikari also mid twenties.

They looked as if they were running away from something but they were both smiling and laughing. The younger Hikari shouted behind her, 'Ket, hurry it up we haven't got all day you know.'

A young boy appeared from a crowd of people, it was Ketu when he was younger about sixteen. He was wearing a white yukata with a white hakama. He ran after Haruka and Hikari.

'Hey wait up, this isn't fair I'm younger than you both. Slow down.'

Hikari stopped and looked back, 'hurry it up you slow coach, you're slowing us down.'

'What the big rush, it's only a shogi tournament.'

'Well if you didn't know I'm an expert at shogi and I would like to learn more, after being beat about three hundred times in a row maybe you can learn a thing or two from this tournament.'

'I only got beat cos I don't have any interest in shogi, and it's not like I play it everyday like you.'

'That doesn't matter, just hurry it up.'

Haruka was at the end of the streets and shouted, 'Are you two coming or should I go without you?'

'Whoa, whoa whoa, you can't go without me, I am the returning champion,' Hikari shouted back and raced after her. Ketu sighed and ran as well.

The memory suddenly changed scenes and Haruka was standing in the middle of a massive hall with shogi tables everywhere and there was no one present. The door on one side of the hall opened and many people stormed in and lined themselves on each side of the hall. There was Haruka, Hikari and Ketu lined up next to each other, they sorta stuck out a bit in their fancy clothes while a large portion of the other people looked like they just crawled out of the gutter. But there are some people who are properly dressed. Ketu had the expression on his face that he'd rather not be here. An announcer took the stage on the far side of the hall with a microphone. Basically he said a few rules and then he made a small speech, introduced the returning champion (Hikari) and said that they were going to do a random draw to see who faces who.

The tournament began, Ketu was knocked out in the first round by a weird old guy who looks as if he was blind because all he did was look upwards and say where his pieces are going to move to and someone else did it for him. Haruka and Hikari both made it to the semi-finals and that's when something fun happened.

Haruka was still playing her match when Hikari just won (she was against a huge muscley brute who looked as if he won his matches just by scaring his opponents). Hikari had no time to be intimidated by him however, she was too sucked into the game. As soon as she won the guy who lost stood up very quickly and looked murderous in his face. Hikari, being the good sport she is held out her hand for a game well played. Her opponent looked at her hand and smacked it out of the way.

'Hey there was no need for that,' said Hikari politely holding her hand.

The large man stood in front of her sizing her up and shouted in her face, 'there was no need for you to win this but you don't see me complaining.' The entire hall just suddenly went quiet and everyone was staring at Hikari and her opponent, no one dared move or utter a sound.

'Actually you are complaining right now so what you just said didn't make any sense.'

'Are you trying to be funny, you bitch?' he spat at Hikari's feet.

'No, I was just pointing out your mistakes.'

'Don't try and be clever, or I'll mash that pretty face of yours.'

Ketu who just realized what was happening (a bit slow isn't he) rushed between Hikari and the big man. 'Hey, hey there's no need to be violent. It's only a game calm down.' Two people behind the big man stood up, it looks as if they are his 'accomplices'.

'Hey nobody told you to butt in shorty.' And he smashed Ketu out of the way, who went flying into a wall and slid down and sat still, eyes closed. Many of the girls screamed and gasped.

'Ket,' screamed Hikari and tried to go to his aid.

'Hey blondy, I'm not done with you yet,' the big man stepped in her way. Now Hikari was looking frightened and stunned. She was unable to move, just stood there with wide eyes of fear.

Haruka stood up and left her game. She walked calmly in front of the big man. She didn't even look up when she talked, 'hey don't bully my friends, otherwise I'm going to have to do something about it.'

'Tch, another weakling. But I must say you're rather cu-' He didn't get to finish as Haruka (in half a second) formed a ball of spiritual energy in the palm of her hands and shoved it into the big man blasting him through the wall of this hall.

'If you were about to say cute then you're lucky I attacked before you finished, cos if you had said cute, I would have vaporized you,' stormed Haruka.

The two people who were behind the big man ran to him, 'hey boss are you alright.' They both lifted him up and steadied him on his feet as he woke.

'How dare you just hit me,' the big man roared, 'I'll teach you a thing or two about fighting.' He went straight for Haruka who just stood here calmly waiting.

'You people just don't learn,' she said and looked up. She immediately withdrew one hand behind her back as another ball of spiritual energy formed and she blasted it forwards just as the big man was about to make contact. The big man was blasted off his feet and into the sky. 'Bullies like you shouldn't be allowed to live. Hado number four, pale lightning.' She pointed a finger and him and shot out a beam of lightning which pierced his stomach and shoved him onwards even further.

'Oh no, boss.' The two men ran after him and disappeared.

Then suddenly the hall erupted in cheers. Haruka went to Ketu and looked at him.

'Hey wake up, I know you're fine,' she shouted down his ear.

'How the hell did you know that?' he asked as he opened his eyes.

'It's not hard, especially when I saw you put up a spiritual energy barrier just at the last second when he hit you.'

'Oh so you saw, ah well. By the way, shouldn't you go finish you're match?'

'Oh right, I nearly forgot.' She went back to her seat, 'Sorry about that, let's carry on shall we. And everything around Haruka (the one who's viewing all of this) went black and the same door appeared behind her. (By the way, if you were wondering who won the tournament it was obviously Hikari, Haruka made it to the finals but got owned by Hikari). She stepped back into the hallway again and another door had appeared to the right of her.

'What is this suppose to be?' she thought to herself. 'Am I dead and viewing all the wrong things I've done in the past?'

A female voice came out of no where said, 'Don't be silly, you're not dead, and you haven't done anything wrong, just go through the doors as they come and you'll find what you need.'

Haruka shrugged and walked through the second door.

She found herself in her old house where she, Ketu and Hikari used to live (and Ratiasu as well later when Ketu finds her). She was standing in the hallway where there was two bags lying on the floor full of clothes and other necessity needed to go away for a while.

'I remember this, it's when me and Hikari were about to leave for the soul reaper academy.' And to verify that remark her younger self came down from the stairs dressed in academy uniform, Hikari came a few seconds later.

'Hey we're leaving now, won't be back for at least five months or so.'

Ketu came down slowly smiling. 'Going off eh? I'm really proud to have you two as my friends.'

'Awww, thanks Ket,' said Hikari as she bent down and kissed him and Ketu's face went a shade of scarlet.

A sound of a horse came from outside and they knew their carriage as arrived. A woman came from another room and had tears in her eyes, 'I'm so proud of you, you go and show them all what you can do.' She went and hugged Hikari.

'Yeah we'll show 'em. Don't worry mum, we'll be back before you know it.'

The women smiled, blew her nose and smiled.

'Come on, let's go Kari. We don't want to make them wait too long,' said Haruka as she threw her bag onto her shoulders and left.

'Alright, I'm coming, wait up.'

'See you two soon, don't forget me,' shouted Ketu after them.

'Don't worry, a part of you will always be with us, we can never forget you Ket. Don't tell me you're going to cry,' said Hikari.

'Of course not, what do you take me for.' Hikari and Haruka got into the carriage and waved at everyone who's gathered in the streets to see them leave.

'Bye bye Ket, don't get lonely,' shouted Haruka as the carriage pulled out and sped off.

'I'll be waiting for you when you return,' shouted Ketu. As the carriage left his sight he whispered, 'be back soon please,' and he broke into tears.

'Poor Ket, I never knew he really cared. Now here's a sensitive side of him I haven't seen. Makes me almost want to cry as well,' she sniffed. The scene blacked out and the door appeared behind her. She opened it and went out.

The familiar hallway surrounded her again. As she stepped forwards another door appeared in front of her to the right.

'I may as well, I can't get out of here otherwise,' she thought to herself so she opened the door and went in.

She now arrived in what looks to be the original seireitei and she saw herself waiting on the 'streets' of seireitei in the middle of the night. She looks the same as she does now, so this must be near the present time, (when I mean near I mean about a few tens of years in seireitei)

'Hmm? I don't recall doing this. Maybe it's just my bad memory then.' The Haruka she was watching was randomly pacing around the same area, as if she was waiting for someone.

Then suddenly there was a movement in the darkness and a flash of red and Ratiasu appeared right next to her.

'Hey Rika, first again are ya?' said Ratiasu smiling politely.

'Of course, I'm always punctual.'

'Well being an unranked soul reaper you get more leeway so you don't have to make sure you're not seen.'

'You make a fair point, but still, with your kind of speed you should be able to get here in a second.'

'Well…' she scratched her head and trailed off. There was a slight jangle of metal and Ketu appeared in front of Ratiasu.

'Well, well, you should be less noisy eh? Captain Zakura?' said Ratiasu in a gloating slow way (like when you're patronizing someone, sort of).

'Yeah, yeah whatever. I'm not bothered, after all I am a captain, they can't do anything if they tried.' Ketu looked at Ratiasu and Haruka, 'Looks like Kari's last again.'

'Guess you're right,' said Hikari who just randomly appeared from the shadows behind Ketu. Ketu jumped with shock.

'Ack, don't sneak up on people like that,' he said backing off a bit.

'Yeah, what is it with you captains always having to be so sneaky,' said Ratiasu in a wondering way.

'We like it, right Ket?'

'Yeah, I guess.' Hikari sighed and suddenly everyone became serious.

'So, a big fight for us all tomorrow,' said Hikari. The four of them now stood in a kite shape with one person at each side.

'Yes, off to the human world,' said Haruka.

'We'll be fighting in different areas, but we'll still be looking out for each other in different ways,' said Ratiasu.

'Yes, today, all of us shall become as one, we shall each of us give a bit of our own spiritual energy to the others, this way we'll be able to feel if anyone is in trouble and go to their aid. And also, we'll truly become friends forever and we'll stick with each other no matter what happens.'

'Oh I remember, this is when there was a huge hollow invasion in the human world and squads, five, seven and thirteen got called to clear them out. This only happened recently as well, how the hell did I forget, this was one of the most important days of my life,' thought the real Haruka as she just remembered where she was and what she was doing.

'Let's do this,' Ketu carried on and put out his hand in the middle, the other three put their hands on top. Everyone glowed with their colour of spiritual energy and you could see the streams of colour going to each person. A minute or two later the energy died down and they broke apart. 'Now we can all count on each other. Together forever.'

'Yeah,' said Haruka.

'Well looks like it's time to go back to sleep, we have got a lot of hollows to kill tomorrow,' said Hikari.

'Good luck to everyone, I know we'll make it out of their alive and we're going to win as well,' said Ratiasu.

'Uh huh, as they say all for one and one for all,' said Ketu punching the air above him and the other three joined in. At that all of them flash stepped and was gone within a second. The scene then went black and the door appeared behind Haruka's back and she walked back into the hallway.

The wall at the end of the hall wall had turned into a door and there was a picture of Hidoragon engraved on the doors frame. She walked closer to it.

'You see, you've got friends who are counting on you, they would do anything for you, and they care for you so much. You can't just say you've failed them, you can't just give up now, you have everything to fight for. You were able to help them out in many other cases before so why not now. You have the power, so don't hesitate to use it, if not for yourself for your friends. Do it for them, it's just as Ketu said, all for one and one for all, NOW OPEN THAT DOOR AND CRUSH HISAIGO,' shouted the female voice which Haruka only just realized it was herself speaking. She felt a sudden surge of power within her as her friends' spiritual pressure surfaced with hers and she pulled open the door. Inside was a dragon, asleep. It was Hidoragon.

The dragon made a small sound and woke up. 'Is nap time over already?' asked Hidoragon.

'You got that right Hidoragon, now it's time to unleash my power, this is for MY FRIENDS,' she screamed as Hidoragon smirked and roared.

She woke up at last and found her self standing up and has blocked Hisaigo's final attack with the palm of her hand. Her wound had healed and her spiritual energy was practically exploding out with massive strength.

'What is this?' screamed Hisaigo over the noises Haruka's spiritual energy is making. He backed off more and more as Haruka straightened up.

Hidoragon's shape appeared above Haruka made from her humongous spiritual pressure. 'I'll teach you to mess with my friends, now it's time to awaken and annihilate all that is dark,Hidoragon time to rise and win this fight. BANKAI'

Tomorrow morning is my last exam so i should be back to normal writing this from now on, unless something else pops up, but i'll let you know if something does