Disclaimer: I don't own BLEACH. DUH.
Update: Changed for KuraiKaze. You weren't flaming…You were critiquing me, thanks! Frankly, I dooooooonnnnnn't wanna send her to the academy:'P
Forest Level Three:
Soul Society and Dates.
I woke up too see I was in a forest. 'Ah…' My head was pounding, I must've fallen on it. I didn't know what to do. Normally Ayu-chan would be there to help me, or even Kurosaki-kun. But now I was alone. I started to cry. I am such a cry-baby. I'll tell myself that while I cry all the time, but it never helps, the tears keep falling like rain. After five minutes of none stop silent tears, I hear something. A voice, it sounded so familiar. It sent a rush of happiness in me. The faint words were made out into:
'Don't give up, Kaede! Believe in what you can do and do it! And if you can't do that, I'll make you!'
It was Ayu-chan's gentle voice. I remember when she said that to me, at my families funeral. I gulped because I felt guilty that Ayu-chan was always giving me advice and helping me, but I did nothing in return. Even when she wasn't around she helped me. She was the only person in the world who cared about what I thought. After my mother, father and brother died, I had nothing. Life became a sick joke to me.
Flashback
"I'm so sorry, Kaede-chan. I insist you come and stay with me." My Aunt Sachiko always meant good. Being childless and my moms sister, she felt I was her responsibility.
"It's…Alright…Auntie" I paused several times in that sentence to sniffle. I clutched a family photo closed to my chest. 'Mommy…Daddy.' Tears rolled down my cheeks.
"Kaede-chan…" Her eyes started to water. The cold, agonizing wind blew against my knees, the short black dress was plain other than the lace along the bottom. I hadn't gotten anything to put in my hair, not yet.
"Hey! You! Girl!" I guess at the time it was just a black haired little girl. But now it's Ayu-chan. "You have strange hair."
I wasn't offended. I liked my hair. I looked like my mother. She was pretty, I always thought. I wanted to protect her. But I stared at Ayu-chan for the time being.
"Hmm? It mean to stare." She looked at me, confused. I could only wonder two things. How could she be so calm at a funeral and…how stupid I must look compared to her. "I'm Mizuka Ayumi. Nice to meet cha'"
"I'm…Kaede." I whispered. She got in my face.
"Hi, Kaede." She put me hand out. "Let's be friends."
I shook it. "Mmm."
That's how me and Ayu-chan became friends. Her family was in the car that hit my family's. We live together. We are each others family.
.Flashback End.
I had walked a while, but I still could not find a town. An endless forest. I couldn't go on so I just fell to the floor, chest first. I was truly scared. 'I'm in Soul Society. What is it? Purgatory? When shall I be judged…?' I looked up. The place looked like a normal forest in, I heard myself gulp, Human World. I felt like the sun was beating down on me and only me. Though I was the only one around. The heat was too much, each of the suns golden orange rays were on my back. I wanted to hug Kurosaki-kun. I was too hungry to go on keeping my eyes on.
'Kurosaki-kun…'
I guess I blacked out or fainted. I woke up in a room. It was a square, there was a chest in a corner and in a half-dark corner of the room there were bluebell flowers that seemed to be growing out of a red-colored water in a transparent vase. The futon was comfortable. There were soft blankets, a warm pillow, and a linen sheet. Covering the bed was a fine woolen throw that was so lovely. Sewn on it was a beautiful garden full of flowers, birds, and so many other animals flocking in the rose bushes. The colors on it made the rest of the room look so tawdry. I kept on admiring it, picking it up to look at its white back, as the door opened.
"Captain, the report…" the short sand blonde haired girl looked at me, "AHHH!! Captain's been turned into a girl!" The moves were very dynamitic for the scene if I must say so.
Another person appeared at the door, this time a man. He had a triangle dark blue beard that matched his hair. He had a fishers head band that was twisted on his head. "What did you say, Kiyone!?" he said.
"Look, Kotsubaki!" She pointed at me. "Captain was sleeping there half an hour ago and now he's a girl." Her finger trembled as she continued to point. The girl was wearing the same yutaka as Kurosaki-kun except she had a collar on hers and she was wearing white gloves that had a golden trim.
"Kiyone. Be quiet." It was a husky voice from next to blue beard, I guess his hand was on the door opening it farther to revel himself. A pale, tall man that had white hair that matched gray-like eyes. I think that all the store sell the same cloths because he was wearing Kurosaki-kun yutaka and a white coat that went to his heels.
"Captain." She looked up at him "Then…" She looked at me, "Who are you?" She got a suspicious look.
"Ahh. Umm." I moved out of the bed, "I 'm Shirakawa Kaede. Nice to meet you." I mumbled
"I found her lying in the forest when I went walking. I couldn't just leave her there." He started scratching the back of his head, "Something could have happened to her."
I blushed. 'Something…' I scrambled to my feet, but I couldn't feel the floor on my knees. 'Have I lost my legs again?' I noticed that I was in the same clothes as them. The black yutaka. He changed my clothes for me…that means he saw…he's a…he's a… they're… "Perverts!" I said aloud.
"Eh?!" all three of them said at the same time. "N-no, that's not what you think, see it was raining and your clothes were ripped and wet so I had to change them…or…you…would…have…gotten…sick…" He slowed down at the end when he saw I wasn't mad.
"Sorry for accusing you." I said my head hanging down, "You see…Umm…I'm new to this dead thing…" I stopped not knowing how to go on, "and I got lost in the forest."
I heard him smile while the others chuckled. "I see. Well…" his voice trailed off, "You could stay here." Are they some kind of yakuza? Using me as a scape-goat? A decoy?
"But Taicho… She's not a…." Said the girl, looking back at him
"Oh…" I gulped, "It's alright." I avoided eye contact with them, "I can go somewhere else." I felt them stare
"Shirakawa Kaede!" It was Kotsubaki-san, if I heard right, "I'm Kotsubaki Sentarou! And this is Captain Ukitake Joshirou." He said pointing to the long, white haired man, "And this is Kiyone." He pointed to her bored like, his passion stripped from him. "As long as you keep yourself hidden, you can stay here. But now you are warned that this option comes with death."
I had gotten the explanations I wanted. What this place was, why I was here. Soul Society, were people go after they die. The after life basically. Souls land in Rokungai, where I was before I came here, and live their life there. There are 80 districts in all the higher you go the worst it becomes. Murder, stealing, rape. According to my rescuer I was in Kinaki, the 12th district, not so bad but still not the best. There are two types of people too. Death Gods, shinigamis, and Rokungai people. Shinigami's go to an academy to fight off evil, disfigured spirits called Hollows (You know the thing in the hospital Kurosaki-kun fought off.) with that they live in the Court of Pure Souls (Are you really pure if you kill?), their life is easier. But to be a shinigami you need reiatsu, spirit energy (Something I apparently lack). Then there are Rokungai people. The souls that don't have spirit energy and stay in Rokungai all their lives.
Those were the only things I was told other than a bunch of excuses for any situation. Ukitake-kun was nice enough to let me stay in his room until he got me to be a "official" shinigami. Though I still should be cautious, I've never slept in the same room as a guy before, other than Ryosuke-oniichan. But he seems really nice, I shouldn't think like that. If it wasn't for him I'd be dead. Then again I could die if they found out I wasn't a shinigami. They would get in trouble too…Kiyone-chan and Sentarou-kun said they did it because Ukitake-kun said so. But he blew the question right off. Why are you doing this, Ukitake-kun?
"Kaede-chan, to help blend you, I should give you a job." Ukitake-kun's voice pierced my thoughts . Just an hour ago he blew off my question. He reached for a paper on a nearby table and read it, "Ah! Give this to Captain Byakuya of Sixth Squad." I nodded and took the letter. Ukitake-kun guided me to the door. As we walked members of the squad, whom had already acknowledged me being a one of them (Which I felt bad for deceiving them, but I should get over it sooner or later.), waved and smiled. I couldn't help but smile even more as I walked away from the building.
I've been walking for what seemed like hours. The streets were a giant maze, not only that but I didn't even know where Byakuya-san's barrack was. It was useless to go on not knowing where to go. I should wait until someone comes, I could ask them for directions. But would that seem suspicious? For someone to claims to be a shinigami to not know where the other barracks are? Sigh. I'm doomed.
"Hey! You, what are you doing loitering 11th squad!?" I looked up to see a man, who had…a "shaved" head. He had a femi-male looking guy next to him.
"I'm Kaede…" He was sort of scary, "of 13th squad." Yeah, They are soooo going to believe that. All they did was stare. Not a 'Yeah, you're lying stare' more like 'there is something about you that doesn't fit your role' I couldn't say anything. Then again this is a whole new place. No one knows me, I could be who I wanted. Then again this is off-topic and I'm forgetting that two men probably ninety my age are suspicious of me.
"So some punk from Rokungai managed to sneak in…" his voice was low and cruel. I stayed quiet as he took my shirt collar. I guess chivalry really is dead. "You don't have a lick of spirit energy but you still insist of saying that." Ukitake-kun told me something about this, spirit energy I mean. He told me that if anyone should question it I should say I have little and I've hidden it. My job is rank and filing. It should work, he said. "I admire that." He broke my thoughts. "You came this far and no one has been alerted." I should show him the letter! I'm so stupid!
"Look!" I grabbed it out of my pocket, "It's to Byakuya-san!"
He took it roughly. "To Kuchiki-taicho…" he read, "This letter is concerning my rank and filing girl, Shirakawa Kaede…I believe she would do better in your squad than mine…" The femi-male had huddled at his shoulder reading along, "signed Ukitake Joushirou." He looked at me and held out his hand. "Sorry 'bout that."
"No problem…" I wasn't fully aware of the situation but I went along with it. "The least you could do is escort me to Sixth squad for your rudeness." The femi-male sighed and muttered something to the bald man.
"Fine, just stop calling her cute…" he said, clearly annoyed
"Is this it, Ikkaku-kun?" I said looking up at the building labeled with a six.
"Yeah." Ikkaku-kun replied
"Alright then, you two stop slacking off, and go back to work." I waved at them. I giggle once they are out of ear-shot. Their personalities are a mix of Ryosuke-oniichan's. Some times, like Yumichika-kun, he inflates his own importance. And sometimes he funny like Ikkaku-kun. But Oniichan was kind and sweet all the time. That's why I loved him so much. Also he-
"Who?" I jolted to see who called had interrupted me. A man who was as tall as Ukitake-kun was there. He had black hair with white things in them, I think they show a sign of nobility. I just realized I had been waving and smiling and ignoring him.
I gulped. This man was so intimidating. "B-B-B-Byakuya-san…?" His onyx eyes fell on me like bricks. "U-U-U-Ukitake-kun wanted me to give this to you!" I held out the letter, but he didn't take it.
"Who are you?"
"Ah. Um! I'm the rank and filing of Ukitake-kun's squad, Kaede. Pleased to meet you." I bowed as he took the letter and opened it. His stone eyes scanned it.
"Ukitake is making decision's unwisely. Where is your Zanpakto?" He questioned after some time. This man…truly and honestly scared me. Not like Ikkaku-kun, he's seen what pain is and it reflects in his cold eyes. It hurts, doesn't it, Byakuya-san?
"I-I left it…at the barrack." I whispered, not knowing what a Zanpakto is (I should ask when I get back). Hoping it was something you could leave.
He looked on me, his stone face didn't change. "Foolish girl. You are not suitable to be a shinigami. Not even ranking."
"I don't think that you have the right to say that!" I said. I didn't think something other than me said it. 'Well, one of us had to say something. That guy pisses me off anyway.' Who?
"Hmph." He said as he walked away from me. 'AH! Don't let him do that! Tell him off! Do it!' The voice was a mixture of mine, a child's and bitterness, it sounded as if more than one person was talking. I couldn't do what she/it wanted me to do. I started to cry, like the baby I was. Though wet eyes I saw Byakuya-san stop and turn around. 'Geez…'
"What are you doing?"
"You made me cry, you big meanie." my voice came out of my mouth un-willingly. He curled his nose in disgust.
"Follow me." He said walking into his barrack doors. I obeyed him. Slowly walking behind him, I kept my head down as people stared me walking behind their captain. "Renji." He said to a red head in front of him. Bearing tattoos along his hair line, he looked like Kurosaki-kun. You know in that boyish, stubborn way.
"Yeah, Taicho?" he replied
"Take care of the girl." He said walking past "Renji" 'The nerve of that guy!' The other girl
"My name is Kaede. Nice to meet you, Renji-san." I felt comfortable around him, he looked like Kurosaki-kun but wasn't. Though it made me yearn to hear Kurosaki-kun's voice.
"Yo." He said looking over me, "What do you want?"
"I don't know. I think I was transferred here." I avoided eye contact with him.
"What squad were you in before?"
"13th , Rank and filing" 'Ho. Nice. You act like you've been here all your life. Go You! Me? Us?' Thank you. I wanted that reaction from people.
"I guess…" he said like he was being burdened, "You new?" He added as he looked down on me
"Yes…I just graduated." I replied
"Hmmm." He said in a sigh, "I guess I'll show you around…" He looked at me, "Being transferred after just a little while…You must suck."
"Just show me around already!" Again with this voice…I really, really want to know who or what it is.
"F-fine…" he said in a shock. I smiled to lighten the mood and take everyone's eyes off of us.
Renji-sama is a nice guy, really! He could be mean sometimes though, I mean I was with him for two minutes and he insults me. I guess it was fun being with him, instead of explaining things to me he took me all round Soul Society to see and do things. It was so cool. Matsumoto-chan, a vice-captain like Renji-sama, said it was a date. I started to blush along with Renji-sama. To tell you the truth it was the first time I've been alone with a boy…Was it a date? I kind of hope it was…my first date.