Chapter 7: Katen Kyokotsu
If there was one person Katen Kyokotsu hated the most in the world, it was the Captain of the Eighth Division, Shunsui Kyoraku. He was perhaps the most perverted, horribly-dressed, lazy, lovesick, ignorant, careless excuse for a captain. Every time he visited, which was once a week every week, he always insisted on calling her 'Katen-chan' and hugging her to no end. No other Shinigami visited their zanpakuto every week. Oh, how she envied them. And Shunsui always insisted on her tending to his every little need once he came. Didn't he already have a lieutenant who did that? Katen Kyokotsu felt sorry for that poor Nanao Ise. She had to deal with her drunkard of a captain 24/7; at least Katen Kyokotsu only had to see him once a week. She had never met Nanao, but she knew that the two of them had a lot in common: neither of them could stand the man who ranked above them.
If there was one person Katen Kyokotsu respected the most in the world, it was the Captain of the Eighth Division, Shunsui Kyoraku. He was undoubtedly loyal, brave, caring, kind, strong, and simply amazing. He could wield her twin blades exceptionally well, and she recalled the pride she'd felt when he had first managed to conjure up tornadoes with a simple flick of his wrists. He had a sense of justice, such as when he and his friend, Jushiro Ukitake, had challenged Yamamoto to protect the girl, Rukia Kuchiki. And when he had taken Nanao to safety, after she'd suffocated under the weight of the Captain Commander's reiatsu. He always tried to cheer up anyone who was feeling down, and welcomed any newcomer with a hearty drink. Katen Kyokotsu was proud to be the zanpakuto of such a great man.
Hate and respect were two very different things, although not exactly opposites. It's possible to hate a man, and respect him at the same time, and that is precisely how Katen Kyokotsu felt about her wielder. She hated Shunsui with all her heart. She hated how he always acted so lovey-dovey around her. What kind of sane man wanted to sleep with his own zanpakuto? But at the same time, she respected him. She respected the way he always attempted to lighten everyone's hearts if something depressing had happened. She respected the way he held his own sense of nobility over the ridiculous laws of Central 46. He was a great man in his own special way.
Hatred did not guarantee loyalty, and neither did respect. Oftentimes, Katen Kyokotsu found herself lying the magnificent king-sized bed that was in the casino that served as her world, thinking and wondering how strong her loyalty to her wielder was. The casino was classy; shiny, had a bar that was always empty, had lots of lottery games that never gave you money if you won, had a stage that was never used. In all honesty, it was depressingly empty, and even more so, lonely. What was the point of fancy games, if you had nobody to play them with? Why have a stage, if no performers were ever there? And even worse, why was there a bar, if there was nothing to drink out her sorrows in?
She had at first thought that other dual zanpakuto were just as lonely as she. Then, on one of his many visits, Shunsui had told her of Jushiro's zanpakuto, Sogyo no Kotowari. Much to her surprise, he had told her that they- they, as in two- were also dual zanpakuto. Twins, in fact. Always there for each other, and comforting one another if he needed it. Katen Kyokotsu remembered the jealousy that had burned her stomach that day; why didn't she have a partner? She was a dual zanpakuto, too. So why was it only her here?
And now, she sat at the stupid bar, one elbow propped up on it and her chin resting on her hand. She kicked the bottom of the table rhythmically. She was bored. Nothing to do, no one to talk with, nothing to eat or drink. Of course, being a zanpakuto, she didn't absolutely have to eat. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she'd ate something. Maybe it was that time with the mouse and the bathroom. She shook her head distractedly. She could complain, but she knew that compared to most other zanpakuto, this was actually quite nice. Rumor even had it that Wabisuke, Izuru Kira's zanpakuto, lived in a cell. This casino was definitely better then a cell.
"Loneliness and boredom are terrible things, when mixed together," She muttered to herself. "They cause depression. And depression really isn't fun."
"But if you could prevent both things from happening," A man's voice sounded behind her. "Then happiness would occur."
Katen Kyokotsu blinked her one eye slowly, and then glanced over her shoulder. A dark-haired pale-skinned blank-faced man was staring at her, one hand in the pocket of his weird-looking coat, and the other dangling by his side. The only thing that really caught her attention was the sake bottle hanging from his free hand.
"Hello, stranger," She greeted, turning around fully with a charming smile on her face. "Not too often that I get visitors around here. Care to join?" She gestured at the long empty table beside her with a wave of her arm.
The man looked almost amused by her tone. He gave a half-smile and held up his bottle. "If it's not too much of a bother."
"Oh, not at all." Katen Kyokotsu crooned. "Please, have a seat. It gets awful lonely in here, sometimes."
"I can imagine," The man replied, sitting down on the seat right next to her. He placed the sake bottle on the bar, and pushed it towards Katen Kyokotsu. "For the mistress of this house. You keep the place clean, for one who comes down here every night."
Katen Kyokotsu gratefully accepted the bottle. This man didn't seem half bad. "Please, I rarely come down here. Why should I? The bar's always empty."
"Oh my, what a pity." The man said sympathetically. He nodded to the bottle. "It's a good thing I was thoughtful enough to bring a gift."
"Yes, thank you for this." Katen Kyokotsu lifted it, and then took a huge swig without even bothering to pour it in a cup. She placed the bottle down, licking her lips with satisfaction. "Thank you so much."
"One would have thought for one to pour it in a cup before drinking it." The man pointed out.
"I must be too excited, then."
"Most likely."
Katen Kyokotsu purred. "How about introducing yourself, stranger?"
"My name is Muramasa. And I'm quite sure I already know yours." The man fixed her in his blank, red gaze. "You are Katen Kyokotsu, dual zanpakuto belonging to the captain of the Eighth Division, Shunsui Kyoraku."
She stared at him, then took a small sip from the sake bottle. "You've done your research, haven't you?"
"I know much more then you would think, Ms. Katen Kyokotsu."
She frowned, disliking his sudden cold tone. She pushed her bottle away, and placed both hands on her lap. "So why are you here, Muramasa? Surely it couldn't just have been to grace me with one bottle of sake."
"You are correct, I do have a reason for being here," Muramasa said. "The Shinigami have been neglecting their zanpakuto. We fight with them, we fight for them, and what do they do? Their fellow Shinigami don't congratulate the sword, they congratulate the man, even though all he did was hold his zanpakuto. When have we ever gotten the credit we deserve? We never have, and I suspect we never will. So that is why I have defected from my wielder. And I am going around, gathering the other zanpakuto to build an army. An unbeatable army. And together, we shall conquer the weak Shinigami, and rule Soul Society."
Katen Kyokotsu blinked. That sounded interesting. "Rule Soul Society, huh? You've got big ideas, you know that?"
"It's not a mere idea. It's a plan- a plan that will work. The Shinigami are nothing without their zanpakuto; without us, they can hardly fight. That's why this battle will be so easy to win. And once we have emerged victorious, the ones who were once our masters will be our slaves. We will be the rulers. We will be the kings." Muramasa had been speaking quicker and quicker as he said this, his voice rising along the way. He sounded as excited a child in an amusement park.
"That sounds… fun." Katen Kyokotsu said for lack of a better word.
Muramasa watched her, his voice back to its low volume. "Tell me, Katen Kyokotsu. Have you never felt annoyed with your wielder? I know for a fact that he is a lazy, perverted man. Look at his inner world. A bar without drinks; a stage without a singer; games without money. It's an outrage. You deserve much better than this, Katen Kyokotsu. You know you do."
"Yes, I know I do." Katen Kyokotsu agreed. "But that doesn't meant it's all that easy. For one thing, I'm still questioning my own loyalty to Shunsui."
"Don't question it. Know it. Shunsui has obviously been treating you roughly, but if you come with me, there will be no more of that. The other zanpakuto will welcome you warmly, I'm sure they will. Won't you join us, Katen Kyokotsu?"
She smirked. She liked the pleading note in his voice. Men were always so weak like this. So she played with him. She said, "It's possible. This whole rebellion thing sounds interesting enough. I'll join you, Muramasa, but on one condition."
The pleased expression he wore only a few seconds ago melted in a frown when he heard her last two words. "A condition?"
Katen Kyokotsu nodded, trying hard not to burst out laughing as she realized how much power she had over him. "You will bring me drinks every day at eight pm. Do that, and I'll join your little army or whatever."
Muramasa blinked, looking somewhat relieved. "That sounds simple enough. It's a deal. Now then, I'll have to take you to our hideaway. We cannot simply leave you here, after all. If you will, take my hand." He outstretched his arm, waiting patiently.
She didn't even hesitate when she touched it. She couldn't wait to get out of her horrible world; this seemed like the best deal she'd ever made in her life.
As soon as her fingers met his, the dim lights of the casino faded away, quickly replaced by a bright blinding light. She swayed slightly, caught by surprise, but other than a very slight dizzying feeling, the ride was okay. When she landed on solid ground once again, she stumbled briefly, but Muramasa quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back to her own two feet. She exhaled, and muttered a thank you, to which he only replied with a slow nod.
He then gestured over to a staircase, and instructed her to go down, saying that he would follow. She obliged, and walked down, making sure to keep her back straight and tall as a symbol of her pride.
When they'd reached the bottom of the steps, Muramasa called out, and a flurry of voices answered.
"Man, that was the quickest trip ever!" A half-cat half-lady mewed.
"You said Katen Kyokotsu was real stubborn." A black demon said accusingly.
"I'm pleased to see it turned out so well." A beautiful lady in white robes added.
"She looks kinda scary." A small glowing fairy commented.
"Suzumebachi, it is unkind to make such comments on one's appearance." An anorexic-looking man reprimanded her.
"Welcome back." A young girl finished.
Katen Kyokotsu let out a long, slow breath. She was overwhelmed by their sudden appearances; she hadn't realized just how serious Muramasa was taking this rebellion thing. But, again, it did sound interesting. "Hi. Like you already know, I'm Katen Kyokotsu. Nice to meet you all."
"It's nice to meet you too," The pretty lady returned.
"The conversation turned out easier than I had expected to." Muramasa told them. "And much shorter, too. I hope you all had an enjoyable time while I was gone? Did Tobiume warm up to all of you?"
"Relax, Muramasa. Tobiume's fine." The cat-human hybrid said, sounding quite agitated.
The young girl nodded, as if agreeing.
"Good. Now then, I must get going. Next on my list is Sogyo no Kotowari, and this time I swear that it will take a while." Muramasa murmured a quick farewell to Katen Kyokotsu, and then quickly headed back up the stairs. A loud snapping sound followed his leave, signaling that he was gone.
"Welcome to the Zanpakuto Hideout!" The cat-human hybrid said warmly. "My name is Haineko, and I will be your hostess this evening. Allow me to introduce you to everyone else working here. This right here is Kazeshini, and don't worry if he begins to act a little violent- that's just him. That lovely lady right there is Sode no Shirayuki, prettiest zanpakuto you will ever meet. And right next to her is Suzumebachi, that tiny fairy. You ought to be careful with her- she's a bit sensitive. That there is Wabisuke, and he's the one who you can pour out all your troubles too; he's a good listener. And finally, that's Tobiume. Watch out that you don't hurt her feeling- Muramasa's become real protective over her. So that's everyone so far, and you make seven. Any questions?"
Katen Kyokotsu stared at Haineko in disbelief. She had barely understood any of that; the crazy cat-lady had spoken so quickly. She opened her mouth to say ask her to repeat it, but Haineko just waved her off.
"Enjoy your stay!"
Katen Kyokotsu sighed as the other zanpakuto began walking away. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea, after all.