Hey all! I know I just put up chapter 1 a few hours ago, but I wanna see if I can boost hits. So far there's only 5, so here's hoping!
Thanks to QuincyArcherIsABadAss for the first favorite!
On with the show!
Disclaimer- Ain't mine.
Chapter 2
She stood back, frowning as she looked over the shinigami around her. Everything here was so busy. She had indeed made a few friends, but she noticed that they were all from the same groups. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, Kyouraku was kind, but she knew that he was still feeling her out. Ukitake seemed nice, but she really hadn't had much of a chance to talk to him, so she found herself standing here, quiet and shy while he stood beside her. "It's just placement. I know you'll rank in the top three of a squad, seeing as you were able to defeat Kempachi, so you should be happy. Just calm down, you'll get something good."
"I don't want to be too high. I don't really know what I'm doing here yet."
A younger man with blond hair came out, eyes wide and looked at her, as if both admiring her and sizing her up. He extended his hands, frowning. "Kira?" Ukitake asked and the man nodded. "I was told she passed the tests, with three other captains watching. Aoi, It's a pleasure to meet you. I'll be your vice captain." In his hands was a white haori.
"Oh, no!" She looked up at Ukitake, fighting to stand. "I can't even run! If they find me they'll kill me! I can't be a captain!" Ukitake frowned and shook his head. "The third squad hasn't had a captain in a while. They really need someone to look up to. I know Kira here has done very well, but they must think you can do something to add to his ability. Be proud that you were able to make captain after just becoming a shinigami!" He smiled at her and she sighed, taking the haori from Kira.
She looked up, seeing his eyes and was suddenly afraid. His eyes were narrowed at her, she could tell instantly that he didn't like her. "I'm sorry to be a burden." She bowed, earning a sigh from the other captain.
"Aoi, tonight, we'll get together and celebrate your passing the exam." Kira's eyes shot over.
"Passing the exam?!" Ukitake nodded, a slight smile on his lip. "She took the shinigami placement examination. She's just officially become a shinigami."
Kira walked with her behind him as he showed her around the third squad's area. She kept the haori under her arm, afraid to put it on after the response she'd gotten from Kira. The area was larger than she'd expected and she knew she was going to be getting lost a bit for the next while. He could see the fear in her eyes, the stance she took against everyone. They reached the office and he opened the door. "This is the captain's office, where the paperwork is done." He closed the door quietly, looking at her as her eyes swept across the floor. "You haven't looked up at all since you took the haori. Is there something wrong?"
"I don't do well with people. I don't know how I'm going to do this." She sighed, running her finger across the edge of the desk. "You sit on the other side." He watched in amusement as she slowly moved to the other chair. "Please, put your haori on. It's part of the uniform." She held it up and sighed, running her fingers across the markings on the back before turning and slowly creeping her arms through the holes. "Kira, how long have you been acting as captain here?"
He sat in the chair opposite her and sighed. "A few years. We did have a captain a while back, but he isn't with us anymore." Aoi's eyes widened. "I- I don't know how to do this." He sighed and leaned back. "It's fine, many people have become captains without real ability-"
"No, I mean it. I have no idea what to do with any of this. I don't understand what's on these papers. I don't know how to lead people, I was barely leading myself. I know you probably wanted someone who could remove the burdens from you, but please, for now, can you keep doing what you've been doing? The best thing I can do for now is to learn about this, and you're the only one here that I'll be around."
"You've spent a while with Ukitake, and I've seen you with Kyouraku and Matsumoto. They all can help you learn about being a captain."
"I'm not even sure of how to be a shinigami."
"First thing, you need to stop panicking. You may have not expected this, but you got it anyway. I'll be here to help you as much as possible. Your room is on the north side of this room, mine is on the south. If you need me, I'll be there. Please, go examine your room." She nodded and stood, knowing she'd angered him. She wandered out and sighed, looking up at the sun before turning.
Kira watched as she entered her room and frowned. She was looking at the sun to tell direction. At least she knew how to navigate. She was so afraid of people, though.
Not to mention she was from nowhere, had no past, no loyalty to the shinigami at all. What was the old man thinking? He stood and sighed as a few of the shinigami ran in. "Kira! We just saw someone wearing the haori! Is she..."
"Our new captain. Aoi-Taicho." They all started talking, and as much as Kira wanted to tell them all to calm down, he knew it was no use. Two captains ended in betrayal, and now there was her. What the hell was he going to do now?
She heard the knock at her door and opened it, seeing Matsumoto smiling at her. "Looks good on you!" She smiled as Aoi stepped back to allow her in. "No, you're coming with me!" Aoi nodded, afraid of leaving the comfort of the room. She stepped out reluctantly before following.
"Your place looks empty."
"I don't really own anything. I didn't have anything to bring with me here. They tried to wash my outfit while I was in the bath and it fell apart. All I have now is this." She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the material.
"It's comfortable, though, isn't it?" Matsumoto looked over, a half grin as Aoi stopped, felt the material some more, cocked her head and nodded.
There were a few more people at the gathering than Aoi had thought. Ukitake and Kyouraku were there, with Nanao, Renji, Hitsugaya, Kira, even Byakuya was there with Rukia to meet her.
She was quiet, not knowing a few of the faces, and after her pathetic introduction to Kira she was too embarrassed to speak for a while. She noticed the tall, intimidating man on the other end of the table looked bemused, and tried to smile at him.
Byakuya was thinking about a new technique he was about to start practicing when he looked over at Rukia. He sighed, knowing she'd developed feelings for the human, Kurosaki Ichigo. The thought made him cringe. He really didn't want him spending any more time in Seireitei, but he knew the choice wasn't up to him. He sighed as he reached down for his tea and looked up at the guest of honor, the girl, he figured her to only be about two hundred years old, looked up at him and smiled.
He was a little surprised, as no one, especially one in a taicho's haori, had smiled at him in a long time. Everyone was a little surprised when one more waltzed into the restaurant, sitting at the table. "I hear that there's a party for the new third squad captain. Way to go, Kira!" He grinned, sending chills down Kira's spine as he shook his head. Kempachi's eyes followed Kira's pointed finger to the girl sitting at the head of the table. Her eyes were wide, she was visibly shaken at the sight of him. "Hey, I recognize you. Ready for round two?" Kira looked over at Aoi who shook her head violently. "I detest violence."
"You're good at it, though. Not to mention, if you're a captain, you're definitely in the wrong line of work. We might as well go at it. Settle up. I can't let you stay on top." Kira's eyes widened as he looked over. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't let you kill me. I don't want to fight you."
"I still can't figure out what you did. I woke up hours later. I remember something about a rainbow. Let me see it again!" He grinned and Aoi stood, stepping back, catching Kira's interest again.
"You beat Kempachi-Taicho?" Kira nearly whispered and she frowned, turning and walked quickly away. She wasn't surprised when Kempachi was there in a flash before her. "I can't let you go. Pull out your Zampactoh." She reached for her sword and was surprised to see the other from earlier there before her. "Kempachi, please behave yourself. This is a gathering of friends, there will be no fighting today."
"Hai, hai, whatever. Looks like you like the new girl." Kempachi grinned over as Byakuya sat back down. "You've been drinking. Please watch your behavior tonight, and don't say anything else unnecessary." Byakuya sat back down and Aoi, sensing that the moment had passed, returned to her seat.
She noticed Kira kept looking over at her, but she kept quiet for the rest of the day, just observing the others.
At the end of the day she walked back to her room, quickly getting lost. She knew she was somewhere in the third squad's area, but she couldn't tell one building from the next. She jumped up to the roof of one of the buildings, knowing it was late she tried to be quiet as she looked around, seeing if she noticed anything that looked familiar.
Unfortunately, she didn't notice anything and was about to head back to the tower to look at the maps. She turned and fell back, nearly screaming as the man before her sighed, shaking his head. "I think I finally figured out why you're so freaked out by this." Kira sighed as she looked down. "This life goes against everything you believe in, as well as everything you're used to."
"I lived in a house in a tree. I always hated violence, I'm just... getting used to this." Kira nodded holding out his hand to help her up. "Matsumoto told me she'll be over tomorrow morning to take you out to the shops. She said you didn't bring anything with you here." Aoi nodded, taking his hand and standing, brushing herself off. "Come on, I'll show you back to your room."
Kira woke in the early morning, expecting to get some of the paperwork done early, and was surprised to find Aoi sitting at the desk, looking through the papers. She looked up and smiled before looking back down, eyes wide as she looked over the papers. "What are you doing?" He walked over, seeing as she just looked at the papers then went to the next. "I'm trying to figure this out. I don't want to be a burden." Kira sat across from her, watching as she looked carefully, shook her head then went to the next.
After a few minutes he started pointing out random things, what some of the initials at the top stood for, what some of the numbers stood for, and watched as she started piecing the rest together, asking about this and that before she went to the next. Within an hour she was restarting the papers, actually filling in what was needed.
Kira figured that until Matsumoto got there he'd wait, just unless she needed a little more explanation of something. Of course, in true Matsumoto style, early in the morning meant ten till noon. Aoi stood, placing the pen carefully on the desk before turning to Kira. "Are you sure this is alright?"
"I've been handling the paperwork for a long time, I think I can handle the rest without you." He smiled and she nodded, feeling a little embarrassed at asking such a question, after thinking about it. "Alright. I'll be back later." She bowed before headed out. Kira watched as she passed the glass.
She was even quieter than him. He didn't know whether it was empowering or unnerving. About three minutes after she left a few of the men came in, curious. "So, since we have a new captain, are we going to have a welcome party?"
"Yes, at ten tonight. We'll be meeting in the main hall. Please let everyone know." He sighed as he looked down at the papers. "Also, please set a watch during the party for Kempachi-Taicho. Seems he holds a grudge, though endearing, against our captain." One of the three that came in looked at him confused. "Endearing?"
"You know Kempachi-Taicho. He was beat by a woman, We'll be lucky if he doesn't blow us all away then try and give her chocolates." The eyes of another of the men widened. "Our new captain beat Kempachi-Taicho?! What, is it that Ichigo in disguise?!"
"Nah, it's gotta be Yorichi!" Kira stood, straightening the papers one more time. "She is neither, trust me. Our new captain is quite shy, and detests violence." The eyes of the three widened. She detests violence?"
"This ought to be interesting. I wonder how long she'll stick around." Kira nodded absently. "I don't think she'll be leaving as soon as you'd think. I know a little about her life before this, and she's trying to find her place here. Unlike the others who were influenced by power and revenge, she doesn't have a want of power, and she has no reason for revenge. I think we're stuck with her." He rolled his eyes, causing the others to stop and look. "What do you think of her?"
"I think she's interesting. She'll be easy to mold into one of us, but whatever you do, don't ever attack her. Kempachi-Taicho doesn't even know how she beat him, he said something about a rainbow."
"A rainbow?" One of the others asked and Kira nodded. "A bankai, I wonder..."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" One of them asked and Kira nodded. "Actually, can you please go and make sure that the main hall is set, and you," He looked to another of them. "Please go and ask the people in the mess hall if they'll be ready by ten?"
"Hai, Fukutaicho!" He laid the papers down when the last of the three sighed. "Do you think we can really trust her?"
"I do. I can't figure out why, but for some reason I really think we can."
"But out of habit you won't yet, will you?" Kira sighed and turned, looking the other in the eye. "I have work to do. If you'll excuse me." He turned and walked out of the office.
He was halfway to the assignment room when he stopped and leaned against the wall. He didn't trust her. As much as he wanted to, as much as his instincts told him to trust her, he knew he couldn't. Not yet...
"Kira?" He turned to see Hitsugaya beside him. "Do you know where Matsumoto and Aoi have gone?"
"They went to do some shopping." Hitsugaya nodded. "Follow me. We have a mission."
Kira handed the papers to someone passing by. "Take these to the assignment room, please!" The young man nodded and grabbed the papers and running. Kira nodded before turning to Hitsugaya and followed him to the shopping area.
They were fast to find, as they hadn't gotten far into the district.
Aoi was walking beside Matsumoto, talking quite animatedly about something, a bright smile on her face. Kira froze for a second. He didn't know she could look so happy.
"Aoi! Matsumoto! We have a mission!" Hitsugaya called and Aoi turned to him, a bright smile as she nodded, reaching up to finger the tip of her hair stick. She noticed Kira and her smile faltered. She bowed lightly as his feet hit the ground beside her. "It'll be a pleasure working with you." Hitsugaya looked at her, sighing before bowing, his head below hers, looking up. "You're being too formal. Let's go." Aoi blushed before nodding and they headed out.
Kira and Matsumoto stayed back a few steps as they headed to the Senkai gate. "Why is she so open with you two and not with the rest of us?"
"She's good with Kyouraku and getting better with Ukitake. She takes a while to get used to people, but Hitsugaya-Taicho was the one who talked her into coming here. She's most open with him, and second with me. I was there for her studying for the shinigami exams and such, so we've gotten to know each other a bit. Once she gets to know you she'll get better. I still can't believe the old codger made her a captain, though! We'll be lucky if she doesn't break under the pressure!"
"You don't think she can handle the work?"
"The work's the easy part! I don't think she can handle everyone looking at her!" Matsumoto sighed before they landed at the gate. Hitsugaya stilled before looking over at Aoi. "Have you ever seen a hollow?" She shook her head and Kira gasped, his hand reaching for his head. "My captain's never seen a hollow?! Is this a joke??" Matsumoto reached out, smacking him in the back of the head. "We're there to help out, but there's apparently six Menos Grande running loose. We need to take out as many as possible. Do you think you and Aoi can handle three?" He looked over at Kira who shrugged. "I don't know! I don't know what she can do!" Aoi sighed and looked back at the village. "They can. If she can take out Kempachi-Taicho, she can probably handle all six of the Menos Grande herself." Matsumoto winked at her, earning a thankful smile. Hitsugaya realized why the interruption and sighed, wishing he hadn't asked. "Sorry, Aoi. Let's go."