Chapter 8: Sogyo no Kotowari
Sogyo no Kotowari was a dual zanpakuto, meaning it had two swords. A long rope connected the two swords, and five charms hung in the middle of the rope. With the two swords both attached to the rope, you would have expected for there to be only one spirit, like Katen Kyokotsu. But that was wrong. There were, instead, two spirits. Twins, in fact, and exact look-alikes. The exact same clothes, the exact same height, the exact same hats, the exact same silver hair, the exact same green eyes. So perhaps, in a matter of speaking, they were only one spirit.
"Say the world was gonna blow up," Kotowari said. "Just say that the entire Soul Society and the World of the Living and all of the zanpakuto worlds were gonna blow up. And you, only you, knew one place where you could survive, but you could only save one other person. Who would it be?"
Sogyo gave him an odd look, and replied, "You, of course. What kind of a question is that? It'll always be you, Koto-chan."
Kotowari blinked, and then grinned and said, "Thanks. I'd do the same for you, Sogy-chan."
They were brothers, and they would always look out for one another. Sogyo took his responsibility as the older brother to protect Kotowari, and Kotowari took his own role as the younger brother to love and support Sogyo. It was an easy enough relationship, and besides that they did almost everything the same way. Sometimes, they said the same thing at the same time, and sometimes they even finished each other's sentences. They looked the same, they thought the same, they were the same.
"What about Juu-chan? Wouldn't you want to save Juu-chan?" Kotowari pointed out.
Sogyo rolled his eyes. "Well of course I would want to save Juu-chan- he's been really nice to us. But you're my brother, Koto-chan, and I'll always put you first. That's what older brothers do, right?"
"You're not that much older than me, Sogy-chan. Only by what, one second?"
"Five seconds," Sogyo corrected. "'Cause Juu-chan had problems being born, 'cause he's got that sickness, tuber… whatever."
"Tuberculosis, get it right." Kotowari teased.
"Whatever," Sogyo repeated.
The two stood up and stretched, yawning as they did so. The soft sand of their world served as a good place to sleep, and it never got too cold or too warm. They were the Pisces after all, the twin fish. The water was always perfect for them; they controlled they very seas and lightning itself.
"So what should we do today?" Kotowari asked.
Sogyo shrugged. "Maybe Juu-chan will come. If he does, he might bring more of that delicious candy."
"Oh yeah, that stuff was great! He said that he always had lots 'cause he always tries to give it to that Shiro-chan, but Shiro-chan never accepts it. I can't imagine why, though. I mean, who doesn't like candy?"
"I dunno." Sogyo replied. Then he said, "Wanna play tag?"
"Sure!"
And that was how they spent most of their days. Sleep, wake up, talk, get up, hope that Jushiro would visit them that day, and then play for six hours straight. It really wasn't like they had anything else to do. They were two small spirits in the large vast ocean that was Jushiro's inner world. Plus, there weren't even any other animals in the ocean, so that made things twice as boring. Once in a while, the two would get tired of doing the same thing over and over again, but then they'd get over it and play hide-and-seek or something along those lines. As captain of the Thirteenth Division, and one of the oldest captains in Sereitei, Jushiro rarely had to go on any serious battle missions, and as a result he rarely used to zanpakuto. Sogyo and Kotowari longed for some excitement, to finally be released and wielded by their Shinigami equivalent. But how often did that happen?
Kotowari laughed as he chased after his brother, and Sogyo laughed as well. Tag was one of their favorite games, mainly because there was never any winner, so they didn't have to fight over it. Sogyo ran around a large boulder three times and almost tripped on his fourth time. His brother paused, watching to see if he needed help, but Sogyo just laughed and dashed behind some coral, quickly followed by Kotowari. It was expected that they would soon appear again from behind the coral, but what they saw made them skid to a stop and stare.
The man, who had to be at least twice as tall as they, stared back at them. His red eyes were narrow, and seemed almost to be the only splash of color on his pale skin. His dark hair was a mess on his head, and clashed with the white fur collar his thick coat bore. Both hands were in his pockets, and his emotionless face was beginning to scare the two brothers, but they glared back defiantly. The three of them watched each other for a few moments, the tall man's red gaze against the twins' bright green.
Finally, the man said, "Please, don't let me interrupt your game. Carry on; I can wait."
The two shot him a disbelieving glance. Yeah right. How stupid do you think we are?
"So who are you?" Sogyo asked in a roundabout way. Juu-chan always did say to be polite to people, until they proved otherwise, that is. He didn't wait for an answer, he simply went on to say, "My name's Sogy-chan, and that's my brother Koto-chan. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you." Kotowari echoed, wondering if he should smile or not.
The man blinked. Not a quick and fast blink, like normal people did, but a really slow blink that, to the brothers, seemed to take a year to complete. "My name is Muramasa. It is an honor to meet the other of the two dual zanpakuto."
"The other?" Sogyo repeated.
"Oh, so you already met Katen Kyokotsu, huh?" Kotowari said cheerfully, having decided to put on a smile to the man.
"Yes. And she agreed to take up my offer, the same one that I am about to ask you two. Mind you, seven zanpakuto before you two have listened to me, and have all joined me. It would be smart for you to, as well."
"What's the offer?" The twins asked at the same time.
The man opened his mouth, and then closed it. He blinked again, again agonizingly slowly, and then actually looked somewhat thoughtful. Finally, he said, "You two are still so young. I wonder if I am right to be asking you this." Then he shook his head. "Never mind.; you two, although children, are no doubt strong."
"Could you please just tell us?" Kotowari interrupted.
"What would you say about joining my army, my army of zanpakuto? Lately, I have realized how mistreated the zanpakuto are, by the Shinigami themselves. And that is why I am beginning a rebellion against them. Together, us zanpakuto can take over them, and rule over them as they currently do to us. Already, many powerful zanpakuto have agreed to come with me. The prettiest zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki; the black demon, Kazeshini; the death-in-two-hits specialty, Suzumebachi; the miserable man, Wabisuke; the innocent girl, Tobiume; and the other dual zanpakuto, Katen Kyokotsu. With that sort of army, there is no way we can lose."
Sogyo narrowed his eyes in deep thought, and then glanced back up at the man. "You said there were seven others, but you only named six. Who's the last one?"
"Haineko, but I honestly couldn't think of what was special about her." The man replied.
"Hey, what's your name?" Kotowari asked randomly.
"Muramasa," The man replied. "And, if I may say so, I would appreciate it if you both joined."
"Of course you would. You're some crazy psychopath who's intent on taking over the world- of course you would want every ally you could get." Sogyo snapped.
"Hey, Sogy-chan? I was wondering… why do you think all the bad guys always want to take over the world? I mean, in every story, the bad guys' main goal is always to rule the planet. Why can't it ever be something else?"
"You know, Koto-chan, I really have no clue. I think it's just to make the story more exciting or something like that, but you're right. It would be better if they could make something more original."
"Oh yeah, good point."
"In all honesty," Muramasa interrupted. "I am not trying to rule the world- only Sereitei. The rest of Soul Society can do whatever they please; all I'm trying to do is reign over the Shinigami."
"I'm sorry," The twin said at the same time.
"But we don't have any intention of going against Juu-chan," Sogyo began.
"So could you maybe please leave?" Kotowari finished.
They half-expected Muramasa to snarl out in frustration and anger, and to demand that they join right away. They half-expected him to frown, mutter a few words, and then attack. What they didn't expect him to do, was to stare, nod, and then offer a piece of candy.
"I simply assumed that your wielder would not be visiting you today, so I took the courtesy to snag a few pieces of sweets." Muramasa said, digging into his pockets and then revealing two pieces of lemon-flavored candy.
Kotowari cocked his head to one side in confusion. "Uh…? Come again?"
"Do you think we can be bribed with two pieces of candy?" Sogyo demanded.
"Please, I'm not trying to bribe you. I just assumed that because you two are young, you might enjoy candy. Was I wrong?"
"No," Kotowari said. "We like candy. We're just a bit worried that you drugged them or something."
Muramasa looked insulted. "What in the world would I have to gain by drugging two young children?" His gaze softened, and his voice became gentle as he continued, "Sogyo no Kotowari, all I want is to get revenge on the Shinigami for the wrongs they have done to us zanpakuto, and I would very much like it if you would join us. I can assure you, this is not a decision you will regret. There is another zanpakuto your age; I think you could make good friends with her."
Now it was the twins' turn to looked insulted. Or, rather, horrified.
"How old do you think we are?" Sogyo said.
"Juu-chan said we couldn't meet girls 'till we were sixteen. Or at least looking like it." Kotowari added.
"And, yes, we do know that our spirits cannot age visibly." Sogyo finished.
Muramasa looked from one twin to another. Sogyo, Kotowari, Sogyo, Kotowari, Sogyo, Kotowari… and then his gaze rested on Sogyo. "May I talk to you for a few moments?" He nodded when the boy pointed at himself questioningly. "Yes, you. Sogyo, is it?"
"Sogy-chan," Both twins said automatically.
"Pardon me. But may I speak with you?"
Sogyo hesitated, shared a glance with his brother, and then shrugged. "Sure, I guess so."
Muramasa turned and walked away, gesturing for Sogyo to follow. When they had gone a fair distance away, he stopped and looked at the boy. "If you do not join, then that means you will stay and fight with your wielder, is that correct?"
The older twin nodded. "Even when you and your zanpakuto army attack, Koto-chan and I will never leave Juu-chan. You can count on that."
"So I see. Your loyalty to your brother and master is… certainly unbreakable, isn't it?" Muramasa leaned forward, until he was face-to-face with Sogyo. "But… you do realize that if you and your brother stay with him, there is an even larger chance that your wielder will be injured. Or maybe, even Koto-chan could get hurt."
Sogyo's eyes widened, first with surprise, and then with rage. "You're trying to get me to join just to protect-."
"Isn't that what you want? To keep Koto-chan safe? I have gathered all the strongest zanpakuto, and I am certainly going to go offer to more. With all the spirits against you, there is almost no chance that the two of you and Jushiro will survive. But, if you two join, then attack against Jushiro Ukitake will be prevented. I will make it a rule that the only zanpakuto who can attack a wielder, must be the wielder's zanpakuto. That way, the only way he can be harmed is if you two choose to attack him." Muramasa had a triumphant look on his face. "So what do you say, Sogy-chan?"
"I cannot believe you'd use my love for my brother against me," Sogyo hissed furiously. His tone held the maturity of a grown man.
"So which would be rather prefer? The possibility of the two people you love most in the world dying, or joining me?"
Sogyo glared daggers at him, wishing with all his heart that looks really could kill. Finally, he whirled around and stormed away to his brother. As Muramasa watched, he saw Sogyo whisper something furiously to Kotowari, and Kotowari replied with a shrug and said something in return. Sogyo looked enraged and said something heatedly, to which Kotowari replied with a few words and then a hug. When he released his brother and spoke to him in a low voice, and then Sogyo nodded.
The two turned to look at him, and then eventually walked over.
"Have you made up your mind?" Muramasa asked.
Kotowari nodded. "Yeah. We'll go with you."
Muramasa smiled. "I'm glad you decided to agree."
"After you threatened us." Sogyo muttered angrily.
Without warning, Muramasa lashed out both hands and touched the twins' heads. Their green eyes widened as the world around them began to spin and whirl. Kotowari stumbled briefly, and Sogyo reached out to grab him. Something, maybe guilt, pricked at Muramasa. Had he been too harsh to threaten Kotowari's well-being? They were, after all, only kids.
He gently placed his hands on their heads and said, in a voice he normally only used to Tobiume, "Don't worry. We're almost there."
Kotowari gave him what seemed like a grateful glance, but Sogyo shrugged him away with a furious look.
Finally, they reached the cavern, and Kotowari breathed a shaky sigh of relief.
Muramasa nodded to them, and then gestured to the stairs. "Follow me. The other zanpakuto are downstairs."
The twins looked at him, and then, without a word, followed him down the stairs. As Kotowari caught sight of what it was like, he let out a cry of delight and nudged his brother, instantly beginning to run down the stairs. Sogyo let out a grumble, but once he saw what the hideout was like, he also ended up running.
Muramasa watched them in amusement, almost letting out a soft chuckle when they crashed into Haineko, and the cat-human hybrid let out a hiss of annoyance.
"Wow!" Kotowari exclaimed. "Who are you?"
Haineko's irritated look was quickly replaced by one of interest. "You guys must be Sogyo no Kotowari! I'm Haineko, it's great that you guys decided to come. So how do you two go by?"
"I'm Sogy-chan," The older twin seemed to be feeling much more happier as opposed to three minutes ago. "And that's my brother, Koto-chan."
"Oh my God, your little nicknames are so cute!" Haineko purred.
"Two more midgets, huh?" A long-haired dark devil. "You guys look around the same age as Tobiume. Hey, what do you think about-?"
"Please ignore Kazeshini. He is more on the… wild side." A beautiful white-robed lady approached them. "My name is Sode no Shirayuki."
"Hi!" Both twins chirped.
Suddenly, Sogyo called out, "Koto-chan! Look at that glowing thing- it looks so cool."
"Thank you." The 'glowing thing' zipped in front of their faces with a grin. "Hi. My name's Suzumebachi."
"Wow, she's a zanpakuto, too." Kotowari said in amazement.
Suzumebachi laughed. "Of course I am." Then she pointed at two other people, one incredibly skinny man and a purple-haired lady. "You see those two? That's Wabisuke and Katen Kyokotsu. Don't expect much of a welcome from them- they're actually kinda shy."
"Oh, so you're Katen Kyokotsu." Sogyo bounced up to her.
"Juu-chan told us so much about you." Kotowari added.
"Hi," Katen Kyokotsu replied dully. "I've heard of you from Shunsui."
Suzumebachi flew between the twins and whispered to them, "Told you she was shy." Then her face lit up and she called out, "Hey, Tobiume! Wanna check out the new guys?"
"Tobiume?" The twins turned around. Tobiume must be the zanpakuto around their age.
"Greetings," The girl said to them as she approached. "Sogy-chan. Koto-chan."
"Wow… she's cute." Sogyo whispered to his brother.
"Geez, Sogy-chan, you can't fall in love with her."
"I'm not!"
Tobiume watched their whispered argument with faint amusement, and giggled softly. "You two look quite nice. I hope we can become friends."
The other zanpakuto either had on looks of 'aww, how adorable' or 'this is disgusting and will definitely end horribly'. And then they remembered Muramasa, and their gazes instantly turned to him. He was watching the three, although his expression was unreadable. Finally, he turned around and stated that he had to go and speak to another zanpakuto, "It's time I spoke to the armored warrior, Senbonzakura."
And with that said, he climbed up, and left with a loud cracking noise.
Tobiume glanced at the empty staircase, and then looked back at the twins, smiling gently.
Sogyo and Kotowari grinned back. Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all.