Chapter Seven

Three Tests of Initiation (Jasmine's 2nd)

Soul Society Training Simulation Room, Twenty Minutes Later...

Nick, his father, Jasmine and Captain Barrett came into the Training Simulation Room. Nick looked around at all the technology around him. "What's with all the tech?"

"It's to assure that you don't get hurt by the enemy. The TSR is made to allow Soul Reapers to train with a simulation that we make as real as possible. It cannot bite you, like an actual Hollow will sometimes attempt, but it can hurt you. If you obtain injuries that can kill you, we will hand you over to the Squad Four members that should already be present." Raymond said, annoyed. "I wonder where they could be?"

"Maybe they're just running late." Nick Sr. suggested.

"Dad, shut up." Jasmine said.

"What did I say?" He said, being thrown across the room the next second.

"Just. Shut. Up." Nick said, his fist still clenched.

"Got it. I'll be quiet." The twins' father said, getting up slowly and going over to the central computer console for the TSR.

"Captain, what should I set the simulation to?" he asked Raymond.

"Something basic, first," Elias nodded while Raymond turned back to the twins. "The second test is you both have to defeat three simulated Hollows in a row. Jasmine should go first, but I believe that Nick is anxious about this part."

Nick nodded. "Yes, that would be correct. But, I would like Jasmine to go first. I had enough of a fight for a bit out there with Lieutenant Szendy."

Raymond nodded. "If you insist. Jasmine, please make your way into the inner chamber." Raymond said, pointing to a wall and flicking his finger, making the wall slide downward to reveal a hidden doorway.

Jasmine nodded and went into the inner room of the TSR. Once she was inside the room, Raymond flicked his finger again to make the doorway close itself. He looked over at Nick Sr. and nodded.

Pressing a few buttons on the console, Jasmine and Nick's father activated an intercom system. "Stand by for Hollow Training Simulation." It said.

Jasmine took a deep breath and waited for the simulation to begin while her father, Nick and Captain Barrett watched on.

Negron household, World of the Living...

Katie looked at the clock and saw that it was about time for lunch. She looked over at Nick's temporarily unused body and sighed. Walking over to the body, she took out Nick's Soul Candy container and popped the Soul Candy into the idle body, causing it to move. The Mod Soul now in Nick's body looked around and saw that he was in Katie's room. His eyes locked on Katie. "Oh, hello, Katie. Is it time to eat, already?" He asked and Katie smiled.

"Yes, Nico. Time to eat. Come on, let's go down." Katie said to the Mod Soul, whom Katie and Tabitha had named Nico.

Nico nodded and stood up, stretching the body to gain feeling in its limbs. Following Nick's girlfriend, the two went downstairs and into the dining room. Tabitha smiled as they entered. "Hello, Nico. Have a nice nap out of the body?" She asked.

"Yes, I did, actually. But, can I ask why you both insist on me staying in this body whenever you want me to?" He asked. "I don't mean to sound rude if I do." he then apologized.

"No, no. It's okay. I really don't think you should be put into Nick's body so much, but I think Katie is the one who started it." She looked at Katie.

The pregnant teenager nodded shyly. "I'm sorry if it's a bad thing that I want to at least think Nick is still here. It helps to let out your feelings and frustrations when you have someone to talk to." She said, her voice sounding a little angry.

"Katie, calm down!" Tabitha's voice said. "Anger is only going to cause stress, and you know stress can be a bad thing for your pregnancy! I understand that you want to think that Nick is still here, but if I know my son and daughter, you won't have much time to wait for him. The two of them should be back in, at the most, three months. I ask of you, Katie, do not use Nico as your only means to let your feelings out. You have me, Megan, and even your friends in school. Do not keep your feelings bottled up and then tell them to a Soul Candy, no offense Nico, for advice! I am not only your guardian until, at least, you give birth, but also one of your friends. If I can get in touch with Nick, will you talk to me more about your problems?"

Katie's eyes started tearing. "It's not that I don't want to keep my feelings inside, but I feel that I can only talk about them to Nick! Even if I have to do it by talking to a weird pill that allows his body to move and interact with me!" She realized what she had said. "Oh, I'm sorry about that, Nico! You know I didn't mean to."

Nico put his arms up. "it's okay, Katie. I know you don't mean it. It's your hormones making you act like this. I don't need you to apologize. Can we please eat? I'm hungry."

"Yes, yes, alright. Here you both go." Tabitha handed them both a plate of food.

Katie wiped the tears away from her eyes and picked her fork up. They now ate in silence due to Katie's little outburst. Tabitha looked over at her and sighed. Nick, I hope you come back quickly. Katie doesn't want you away from her, anymore, and I don't know if I can allow her to remain safe for much longer. Her Spiritual Pressure is growing rapidly, and it's not coming from the child still in her womb. Her own Spiritual Pressure is growing, and I don't know how long we have until the Hollows start coming after her for her own Spiritual Pressure. She thought as a Hell Butterfly came out of the back of her head, unseen by either Nico or Katie, and disappear into thin air on its way to report the message to nick back in the Soul Society.

Training Simulation Room, Ten Minutes Later...

Jasmine had just finished her second Hollow. Raymond looked at her father. "Turn it up another level. She should be able to handle it," He pressed the intercom button. "Jasmine, revert your Zanpaku-to back to its unreleased form so you can fight this battle on your own strength before relying on your Zanpaku-to's strength added to it," Jasmine nodded and reverted Evathon'dala back into its katana form. "In addition, use the Kido spells Lieutenant Kaelin taught you to increase your success rate." Jasmine nodded again and breathed to calm her nerves.

Nick looked at Captain Barrett and asked. "Do you think that she has an actual chance of failure? If her strength is supposed to be as strong as my own, shouldn't she have no problem?"

"Yes, you have a point. But, your sister does not act as you do."

"Just what is that supposed to mean?" Nick asked, annoyed.

"I don't mean to sound hostile, but I'm only saying that you tend to rush into battle without thinking. In order to be a successful Soul Reaper, you have to be able to think as fast as you can move. Jasmine thinks, but her actions are a bit slower than yours. I think it may have to do with the fact that your Zanpaku-to, being a reflection of your own Spiritual Pressure even while in Shikai form, is so great that you don't realize it is supposed to be a lot heavier than it is when you wield it. Her weapon is heavy, but she can handle that weight because her Zanpaku-to's ability is related to snow and ice, meaning that she can make it weigh as little or as much as she wants it to."

"That doesn't explain what that has to do with her movements being slow." Nick stated.

"Yes. I believe that is because she is not as aware of everything around her as you are. Close your eyes and tell me what you sense."

"Alright," Nick closed his eyes. "I feel the Reiatsu being generated by everyone in this building, and even those of Tai and the others in the Training Grounds outside," Nick's eyes seem to tighten. "Wait a second. I also feel a much more powerful source of Spiritual Pressure and Reiatsu approaching us. What is that?"

"I guess it must be the Spirit King." Raymond said simply.

"The... Spirit King?" Nick asked, sounding confused and frightened at the same time.

Raymond laughed. "Also known as the King of the Soul Society. Don't worry, though. I asked for him personally. You may have actually heard of him from Lora, but what you don't know is that you happen to be related to him," Nick looked at him with an even more confused look now on his face. "However, it is not a priority to discuss right now. When the time is right, you'll know, I promise you."

Nick nodded, still uncertain. "Okay, I won't ask, then. Has Jasmine's third match started, yet? I haven't heard anything."

"It's started. Right now, however, the sound system is malfunctioning because of the Spirit King's close proximity to the TSR. Thank His Majesty that the computers have been modified to be immune to the effect of his immense amount of Reiatsu. Now, let's watch. Momentarily, we should get the sound back.

Inside the Inner Room of the TSR...

Jasmine panted, already having to jump around to avoid being hit by the large Adjuchas Class Hollow. Sure, it was smaller than the one she and her family had fought in the World of the Living, this one was a lot more powerful, and oddly enough, more human in appearance. She held her hand out as she dodged another attack, which the Hollow called 'Cero'. "Hadou Thirty-Three: Sokatsui." She said, and released a burst of blue energy at the enemy.

Upon contact with the Hollow, it screamed in pain, but was not yet defeated. Jasmine had to think. Well, since that was the only Kido Lora taught us, I guess I'll have to use Evathon'dala. "Roar, Evathon'dala!" She said, and her Zanpaku-to turned into its Shikai form.

The Hollow laughed. "Do you think that you can stop me with that puny little staff made of glass? You truly are a pathetic Soul Reaper."

Jasmine was then pissed off. "If you think that this ''puny' staff of glass is pathetic, you are sadly mistaken. Frozen tundra of the Arctic, freeze my enemies and purge their souls! Evathon'dala, Prayer One: freezing Wind Tunnel!" Jasmine said and waved her staff around in a circle in front of her, causing the air to become a tunnel of wind that could chill a regular person to the bone.

Once the wind reached the Hollow, it was suddenly surrounded and frozen in place, its face in terror as it wondered how it could have been beaten by an attack that came from a glass staff. Jasmine went over and touched the Hollow turned frozen statue, turning it to dust in front of her. She smiled as she looked at the pile of crushed ice as she said. "And, just so you know, my staff is made of ICE, asshole!" She proclaimed.

Outer Room...

They had gotten sound back just as Jasmine made her last statement. Nick burst out laughing and began rolling on the floor. "I can't believe a Hollow actually called her out on what her staff was made of! Shit, that was awesome. I wish I could have heard what that attack was, though. I know I don't want to be caught in the middle of that one." He regained his composure as Jasmine came back into the room. "So, sis, did he manage to piss you off?" He asked stupidly, causing Jasmine to punch him straight into a wall. "Ouch." Nick groaned.

"Do not bring this up again, you hear me, Nick?" Nick nodded. "Good. Well, it's your turn."

"Hold on a moment," said an unknown voice. "I think you have a message from the World of the Living."

Everyone looked toward the door and saw that there was man standing there with a Hell Butterfly flying around his right shoulder. The man was dressed in robes that made him seem like he was just a Soul Reaper, but Nick knew better. He knew that this man was the King of the Soul Society because he could still feel his Reiatsu as the very source he had needed to ask Captain Barrett about only minutes earlier. His hair was an unusual orange color, and he had his Zanpaku-to slung onto his back in what looked like bandages.

Captain Barrett and Nick's father both bowed their heads and said the same thing at the same time. "Welcome, King Kurosaki!"

Ichigo Kurosaki, King of the Soul Society, held his hand up. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't want those formalities used with me?" He looked over at Nick and Jasmine. "Well, you must be Nick Negron. The man who is supposed to be the next King of the Soul Society. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, nice to meet you."

A/N: Okay, did anyone see Ichigo coming? I bet not! Well, I got the idea of him being King of the Soul Society from another fan fiction story I read by an author named Theresa Crane called Inner Hollow. I suggest that people who enjoy this one notion read it, but only if you can handle multiple lemons per chapter (At least most of them). I have asked her permission to use this one idea, which happens late in the already existing chapters of Inner Hollow, but she may or may not have gotten my request to use it, yet. Also, there will be another development that happens in Inner Hollow that will come up in this story when it seems fit. Until next time.

Next Time: Nick and Jasmine have now met their relative of unknown relation, Ichigo Kurosaki. Not only that, but it seems that Nick is supposed to become the King of the Soul Society! But first, he must prove that he has the potential to be a Soul Reaper, but why does Nick get the feeling that Ichigo is hiding something from him? And why has a Hell Butterfly come with a message for Nick? Where did it come from? Find out next time on Bleach: Fire of Kyubi.