Yay yay! Its finally here! I'm sorry its taking so long but I'm having terrible WiFi issues. I am taking more initiative to write though! I got my very first review as a fanfiction writer! It makes me happy!

I'm just wanting to let you guys know that I appreciate reviews.. whether they may be positive or negative... I don't care! I just love reviews!

Disclaimer: All of the original Bleach characters and their badassness belong to Tite Kubo

A FAILURE

She was a disaster. It only took her a couple of months into training for her to discover this. As far as her skills with her blade were concerned, she was great. However, when it came to using Kido, she fails miserably. When she first learned of the art of Kido, she was fascinated. When she got started practicing how to use it, she learned that it wasn't everybody's specialty. It had taken her only two months to try to keep it together and finally blow up half of the academy building.

She BLEW UP the academy! It was something she would have never expected to happen. Of course the instructors were not happy in the least. With the expenses it would take to repair the damage and finding a temporary place to train their students, they have decided that they wanted her to leave.

At that, she was expelled.

Feeling heartbroken, she returned home in the Rukongai where she was greeted back with open arms. Nick was more than happy to have her back. In fact, he was ecstatic! She, however, would never be the same. She was so determined to become a Shinigami. She was so determined to be able to protect and help others that she began training on her own.

Of course, she hid this from Nick. Although he was happy to have her back, he still frowns upon the idea of her becoming a Shinigami. So every night, she would sneak out with her Zanpactou and train to improve her swordsman skills in the woods.

She had completely given up on Kido. There isn't any way in hell she was going to go back to using a skill she completely failed at. Instead she focused on trying to reach the next stage of her Zanpactou; Shikai.

"Xepher?" a familiar voice called out and she turned to see Shuihei approaching her.

"Lieutenant Hisagi…" she greeted, lowering her blade.

"Don't we know each other a little more than for you to greet me formally like that? You can just call me Shuihei you know."

Xepher sighed and decided a she needed to take a break. As she leaned against the nearest tree, the lieutenant walked over closer to her and took a seat beside her. A minute passed by awkwardly between the two until he decided to speak up.

"I heard what happened by the way."

Xepher quickly looked at him in shock, "They told you?"

"Well… no… not exactly…" He cleared his throat, "It kind of brought the whole Seretei's attention to the academy whenever that explosion went off. I was able recognized your reatsu, or spiritual pressure, from where I was. I ended up being one of a few who had been sent to investigate what happened." He paused for a second, "I thought it was hilarious."

"Are you serious? You think it's funny that I utterly failed at becoming a Shinigami?"

"To tell you the truth, the place needed some renovations a long time ago. You made it look a little better by adding a little flare to it."

She couldn't help but laugh a little at this. Shuihei smiled that he was able to bring such a small feat to the surface.

"Everyone has their flaws. But that only means that it will be a little harder to get around them. Have you heard about our Squad Five captain?

"No… I… Didn't get to stick around long to learn much out of my classes…"

"Captain Kurosaki Ichigo used to be just an ordinary human who had been given his power by another Shinigami. Granted… it isn't a favorable method of gaining power to the Gotei 13… but it was in an emergency situation. Anyway, he ended up being one of the most powerful Shinigami in the Soul Society. Even he had his flaw; he was terrible about controlling his reatsu."

"He was? Are you serious? That's like saying I have trouble walking!"

"Well… He still is…" He smiled again, "But he still managed to become a Captain. Your case isn't any different. Truth be told, a lot of Shinigami have trouble using Kido. Only a handful of those are really skilled at it. So don't get your panties in a knot."

She blushed at his last statement and, out of impulse, tugged downward at her kimono, "I still managed to get expelled from the academy…"

"The academy can be picky at times! Tell you what…" He stood and offered his hand, "I'll help you out while I'm off duty. Granted it won't be every night, but it would be nice for you to have a sparring partner once in a while."

"What?"

"That's what you're doing out here in the first place right? You're continuing you training on your own. I think it's very admirable and inspirational. You have such a drive to become a Shinigami and so much potential to become someone great. Plus, I promised you that I would help you become who you want to be. It's kind of my duty to see it that way."

She took his hand and he stood her on her feet. After brushing herself off a bit, she looked at him with gratitude and gave him a wide grin before swinging her sword at him. He jumped back just in time.

"Hey now!"

"Don't go too easy on me just because I'm a rookie!" Xepher smirked.

She became better as the days passed by. Shuihei did as he promised and came by once in a while to spar with her. She'd meditate once a week to bond a little more with her Zanpactou spirit and, though she had little chance of becoming an official Shinigami, she began to feel more positive about herself now that her skills were improving. Who needs the academy when you have the initiative to train on your own?

She was now slashing at the trees in the nearby forest. Shuihei had recently taught her to flash step and she was trying her best to master the ability. To her, it was a lot like driving; you're scared of trying it first because you don't know how you will do but once you get the hang of it, it's like second nature. Of course, she hasn't driven a car since before the day she died... Nor has she seen her parents… her past friends…

She stopped at these thoughts and sheathed her sword deciding it was time for a break. She had not really thought about it much since living here in the Rukongai… but she wondered what was going on with her old life.

Wait… did she even have a life before this one? She couldn't remember even if she thought hard enough. No… She can recall the night she died, the face of the one who had murdered her. That definitely means something… But as far as whether or not she had friends or family before Nick, Sai, and Shuihei, she could not recall. This was really bothering her but not for long as she suddenly heard rustling in the bushes not too far from her and she stood to face the new intruder.

"Xepher?"

Sai stepped out before her and she relaxed, taking her hand off the hilt of her sword, "Sai? What are you doing here?"

"Coming out here to ask you the same thing." She answered, smiling. Unlike Nick, she was cool with Xepher's decisions and was completely respectful towards her ambitions."I take it you haven't told Nick yet?" She nodded toward her hip that her Zanpactou rested on.

Xepher sighed, "No… I don't want to worry him… I already upset him enough by joining the academy… I don't want him thinking I'm being too rebellious against him…"

"You know… He does care for you… a lot."

"Figured… that's why he's so clingy and overprotective…"

Sai chuckled at this and they both sat down across from each other on the grassy ground. Xepher had something that had been bothering her since before she left the academy and since nobody else was around it was finally time to ask her about it.

"Hey… Sai?" She looked at her, curiously, "Can you tell me about your sister, Sakura?"

She stopped smiling and looked to the ground, her look of kindness turned into complete sorrow,"Sakura was my real little sister… We both lived in Miyazaki, Japan and died together in a car accident. I guess you can say she was a lot like me except she was a lot more cheerful and more energetic. She was always willing to help anyone in need. She was always there for me when I needed her most and she acted more like the older sibling than I ever was… We lived here together for several decades with another older woman before she died of old age not too long after we met… Several years after, Nick joined us and ended up falling in love with Sakura."

"I had a feeling he had stronger feelings for her…"

"Indeed… But she never returned them. She respected his feelings but she only saw him as a brother figure. This didn't bother him much though… He… was happy as long as he was by her side. Fifty years after that, she decided that she wanted to become a Shinigami so she could gain the ability to help more people. It hurt him a little knowing that she will be away but he decided to support her decisions whatever they may be. She was the one we could trust with our lives. So it completely broke Nick when we were told she disappeared on a mission that required her to go to the Hollow Realm: Hueco Mundo."

"That would explain why he's so against Shinigami…"

"But he does respect what they do and the security they give us. He just doesn't want anyone else he cares go through the same risks Sakura did."

"He… He doesn't have the same feelings for me as he did with Sakura does he?!" Xepher begun to worry and Sai laughed out loud.

"No he doesn't!" She replied through giggles, "You have just become very important to him in the short amount of time that you have known each other. To him, you're another chance at not screwing things up. Don't take that the wrong way. He wants to be a very loving and caring older brother. He won't admit it but that's all he ever wanted to be."

They became silent once again as Xepher thought long and hard. She looked at the lake when she spoke next, "I should talk to him… He may not like the idea of be doing what I am now, but I want him to understand that I respect his concerns… It may sound selfish of me to continue trying to become a Shinigami but I am going to do this for him and for you."

"How so?"

She looked from the lake to Sai in a more serious manner, "I am going to find out what happened to Sakura. I'm going to do my best to find her if she's still out there somewhere. When push comes to shove and it turns out she no longer exists, I will find some way of bringing a piece of her to you. Whether it'll be an arm or belonging, you guys deserve to see some part of your sister once again."

Sai began to tear up at her proposal. Before she could fling herself at Xepher in a tight embrace, they heard loud screams behind them. They turned to see a two little girls running for their lives, and right at their tails was a very large, blood thirsty monster.

END

Tell me what you guys think!? Too slow? Too fast? Needs a little more? Please REVIEW!

I know we are already into the fourth chapter but after this, Xepher's real story will begin ;)