Author's Note: Hey everyone I just wanted to take a quick chance to send a shout out and a big thank you to DawnPhoenix for giving me the idea for the title of this story. Yay for useless physics classes! Thanks so much Danwzie~ I really owe you for this one!
~Crimson-Moon-Beams (a.k.a. Nikoru-chan)
Chapter Two
The Soul Academy and the New Sensei
Shichiyou opened her eyes to see her ceiling above her head. She let out a long sigh and placed her arm over her eyes.
"It was all a weird dream." She whispered to herself. In one way she was happy, none of it had happened, but at the same time she was disappointed. She loved the surge of strength she had gotten from that strange power, loved the thrill of beating down her enemies. It had felt so good, and above all, she had kept her sister safe. But that was all in her mind, none of it had happened. Shichiyou moved her left arm and put it over her other arm.
She tensed. She slowly pulled her arms away and looked at her left wrist. It had a white ribbon tied around it. Shichiyou felt her heartbeat quicken. She grabbed the covers of the bed and threw them off. She stared down at a black outfit with a white sash around her waist. She looked around the room. Sitting against the corner of the wall she could see the katana. Oh my God, Shichiyou thought to herself, it wasn't a dream. She jumped out of bed. She was about to leave the room when she felt a weird sensation, like she was forgetting something. She looked over at the katana.
It was calling to her. It didn't have a voice, but she could hear it somehow, and it wanted Shichiyou to take it with her. Shichiyou stared at it and reluctantly went towards it. She reached her arm out and grabbed it. A jolt ran through her body. It was like her and the katana were connected, and there couldn't be one without the other. They were two halves that created one whole. Without it, Shichiyou was nothing.
Shichiyou stared at the katana. She grabbed the hilt and slowly pulled it out. The blade was silver and shone in the faint light coming from her lamp. The blade was clean. Someone must have cleaned it, Shichiyou thought thinking of how she had used it to cut the man from before. Shichiyou stared at the blade and then realized something. There were small cracks all along it. The cracks ran through the blade and connected together all the way to the tip. It looked like if she dropped it the entire blade would shatter. The cracks went around and formed ten craggily circles.
There was a sudden knock at the door.
"Shichiyou, sweetheart, are you awake?" Shichiyou quickly sheathed the katana and slid it into the sash. It hung there but didn't fall out.
"I'm awake." Shichiyou replied. The door slowly opened and her mother walked in. Her face looked worn and her eyes looked slightly swollen.
"Mom are you o-" Shichiyou was cut off as her mom ran to her and embraced her in a tight hug. Shichiyou wasn't sure what to do so she hugged her mother back. After a small time Shida stepped back and tried to smile. It slowly faded and a small tear ran down her face.
"Mom what's wrong?" Shichiyou asked worriedly. Her mother just shook her head.
"Nothing, nothing. I was just worried. Asagao had you over her shoulder and there was blood on that katana and I was just so worried. Asagao told us the whole story and I'm just so thankful you're still alive!" Shichiyou's mother burst into tears. Shichiyou smiled, stepped forward, and hugged her mom.
"It's ok mom, Asagao and I are fine. I'm sorry we worried you." Shichiyou said. Shichiyou's mom stepped back and smiled.
"Thank goodness. Now come downstairs, everyone is worried about you, and you know how your father gets." Shichiyou smiled and followed her mother downstairs. They walked into the living room and Shichiyou saw her father, brother, and sister sitting on the couches all looking worried and tired. They all looked up at Shichiyou and smiled. Kabashi got up and hugged his eldest daughter.
"Thank goodness, you're ok. Asagao told us the entire story. I don't know what I'd do if you hadn't saved everyone and had gotten hurt." Shichiyou hugged her father. He was probably more worried than Shida.
"But I'm ok, we both are. Just a little shaken and slightly shocked." Shichiyou told him. She pulled away and smiled. Her father smiled back. They walked over to the couches and sat down.
"So how is it you ended up with Soul Reaper powers anyway?" Ryuukyuukei asked suddenly.
"I'm not sure really. I just wanted to save Asagao and then they randomly came." Shichiyou shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know how else to explain it. Asagao smiled and started rocking, a habit she shared with Shichiyou. Both of them rocked whenever they needed to calm themselves down. It was soothing, much like when a mother rocks her baby to sleep.
"So now the only question that remains is, what are we going to do about your powers?" Ryuukyuukei posed the question and the room became silent and tense. A long silence passed by and Shichiyou couldn't stand it.
"We won't do anything. We'll just forget it ever happened and go back to the way things were." She stated boldly. Ryuukyuukei slowly shook his head.
"We can't just 'go back to the way things were'. Those two Soul Reapers aren't just going to act like nothing happened. They're going to report you, and when that happens the Soul Reapers are going to come knocking for answers. Let's face it Shichiyou, souls who were brought to the Soul Society can't have Soul Reaper abilities unless one of their parents is a Soul Reaper. You're an oddity, a rarity, and the Soul Reapers aren't going to stop until they get what they want."
"Ryuukyuukei stop it that's enough." Shida warned.
"But don't you see?! Shichiyou isn't one of us anymore. She isn't a normal soul, she's a Soul Reaper! And they're not going to let her go on as if nothing happened. They are going to take her to that Academy and she is going to be forced to fight Hollows."
"Ryuukyuukei I said that's enough!" Shida yelled. The silence fell over the family again. Shichiyou felt herself shaking but she tried to hide it. Her fight Hollows? There was no way she could do it. After the incident twelve years ago there was no way she could stand up to those creatures.
"But, I don't want Shichiyou to fight those things." Asagao suddenly said.
"None of us do." Shida agreed. There was a long pause before someone spoke up again.
"So, how much time do you think we have left before they come for me?" Shichiyou asked. Everyone turned to look at her. Shida's eyes slowly filled with tears but she tried to wipe them away.
"Who knows, we may have all the time in the world, and then again we may have no time at all." Ryuukyuukei said. Shichiyou looked around the room. Asagao, her mother, father, Ryuukyuukei, they were all so upset. Shichiyou cursed herself. If only she hadn't taken Asagao out and gotten them into that situation! She wouldn't have to even worry about this power and they could get on with their normal lives. It just wasn't fair that her family had to suffer so much because of her.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Everyone's heads lifted and they looked at each other gravely. They knew this moment was coming, but it was so soon, and none of them were ready for it. There was another knock, this one less patient than the one before. Kabashi was the first to rise. He walked to the front door and opened it.
"Can I help you?" He asked trying to keep his voice firm. There were two Soul Reapers standing in the doorway.
"Is this the Hitohana residence?" One of the Soul Reapers asked. He had straight, shoulder length black hair and stared at Kabashi with no emotion.
"Yes it is." Kabashi answered flatly.
"Is Shichiyou Hitohana here?" The other Soul Reaper asked. His hair was midnight blue and tied into a tight ponytail on the back of his head. His eyes didn't show anymore emotion than the other man. Shichiyou took and deep breath and stood.
"I'm here." She replied and walked forward. The two Soul Reapers stared at her and a slight glimmer of shock filled their eyes.
"So they weren't lying." The man with the ponytail said to the straight haired man.
"Guess not." He replied. They both stared at Shichiyou. She felt herself instinctively wishing to reach for her katana but decided against it.
"Miss Hitohana, you have been summoned by the Higher Ones and we have been asked to escort you to see them." The straight haired man explained rather calmly, almost like this happened all the time. Shichiyou felt her heart turn to ice. The Higher Ones wanted to talk to her? This was bad, very bad. The Higher Ones were the leaders of the Soul Society. They controlled what was allowed and what went against the laws and even more impressive than that was the role they played as leaders and overseers of the Soul Academy. They were also considered to be the strongest Soul Reapers in all of the Soul Society.
"Does she have to go now? Can't we wait a few days or-" Kabashi was cut off as the man with the ponytail put up his hand silencing Kabashi.
"I'm afraid we can't do that. The Higher Ones wish to talk to Miss Hitohana as soon as possible. I'm afraid delays are just not in our power to give out at the moment." He explained.
"But maybe just a few hours…"
"Mr. Hitohana I don't think you quite understand the severity of this situation. Your daughter is showing abilities as a Soul Reaper and neither you nor she was born here. Not only that but she is also being charged for attacking two Soul reapers, one of who is in the hospital. This is something that needs to be figured out and dealt with as soon as possible if not sooner. Now, Miss Hitohana, if you would so kind as to come with us, we can't afford to wait much longer." The straight haired man took a step back away from the doorway and so did the man with the ponytail. Kabashi turned to Shichiyou.
"I have no choice. I've been summoned, I have to go." She said. Shichiyou heard a small sob erupt from her mother's mouth and she tried desperately to ignore it. Kabashi went back over to his wife and Shichiyou walked towards the men. She turned back and managed to muster the most convincing smile she could.
"Don't worry about a thing, I'll be back before you know it." She said and stepped out into the chilly night air.
The walk to the Higher Ones' palace was long and very awkward. Neither of the men would look at Shichiyou and all they did was whisper to each other about how they couldn't believe someone so small could cause such an uproar, and wondering about how she had gotten the powers in the first place. Shichiyou tried to tune it out, but at times they made it very difficult.
Finally they arrived at the palace where Shichiyou would meet with the Higher Ones. The palace itself was huge and Japanese-styled. It looked very eerie and foreboding in the darkness. The two men walked up the front steps and entered with Shichiyou trailing behind. They turned down many hallways and corridors and finally came to a room. The sliding doors were closed but Shichiyou could make out silhouettes of people on the other side.
The two men stood on either side of the door and moved their hands towards the doors as if inviting Shichiyou in. Shichiyou swallowed hard and stepped forward. She opened the door and saw many staring, blank eyes following her every movement. She slowly walked into the room, got down on her knees, and bowed to the Higher Ones. She heard someone sigh.
"You do not need to bow, you're wasting time." Shichiyou looked up to see an older man sitting in the center of the room. He was bald but had a long white beard that went to two fine points. His eyebrows were also silver and long. His face looked worn but Shichiyou could also see the strength beneath the wrinkles. He had scars on his head and body, and he looked very muscular for his age. Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryusai was his name. Shichiyou knew that, everyone in the Soul Society knew that. Shichiyou swallowed hard and stared at her hands.
"State your name." A voice suddenly sounded out. Shichiyou dared not move her head to see who had spoken. She sat on her knees with her fists clenched on her legs.
"Shichiyou Hitohana." She said. Her voice cracked slightly but she tried to remain calm.
"Squad number and captain."
"Excuse me?" She asked confused.
"Squad number and captain." The voice repeated. It sounded annoyed.
"I-I don't know." Shichiyou replied. She stared down at her hands and felt her face turn red. She had never felt so dumb and out of place in her entire life.
"So you don't know your squad number or captain?" Shigekuni asked.
"N-no I don't. To be honest I didn't even know I was a Soul Reaper until today." Shichiyou replied. She was shaking.
"Shichiyou Hitohana," the same voice from before rang out, "you have been charged with attacking two Soul Reapers, and causing one injuries that led to him being hospitalized. Also you have been charged with hiding your identity as a Soul Reaper before attacking. How do you plead?" The voice asked.
"But I didn't even know I was a Soul Reaper until-"
"How do you plead?" The voice asked again cutting Shichiyou off. Shichiyou swallowed hard. What could she say? There was no way to prove her innocence and too much evidence to prove her guilt. She swallowed again and sighed.
"I plead guilty to the charges laid against me for attacking and injuring the Soul Reapers but I plead innocent to the charges set against me for attempting to hide my identity as a Soul Reaper." Shichiyou finished staring Shigekuni. There was an uproar of whispers.
"Very well, state your case." Shigekuni said motioning for her to being.
"Um, well, I didn't know I was a Soul Reaper until the moment when I attacked the two Soul Reapers. The only reason I even attacked them was because they were trying to…assault my sister and I." Shichiyou stated firmly. Shigekuni nodded and there were small whispers of protest around the room.
"So you're saying you just got your powers?" Shigekuni asked. Shichiyou didn't answer but nodded her head.
"Impossible. According to our records she is a soul that was brought to the Soul Society twelve years ago. Neither of her parents are Soul Reapers, there is no way she could have the abilities." A new voice said. Shichiyou tensed.
"And yet the proof is right in front of us. She has the robes as well as a Zanpaku-to. She is just as much a Soul Reaper as you or me, she just lacks the training which also proves that she didn't have any idea she was a Soul Reaper until today. A girl her age would have done more damage in a more inconspicuous way if she had proper training would you not all agree?" Shichiyou looked around the room as the people gathered nodded and agreed. They had no choice, the proof was right there. Shichiyou looked up and stared at Shigekuni. He was defending her she realized. A sudden hope blossomed in her. If he was on her side, maybe she had a chance of making it through this after all.
"That may be true, but it doesn't explain how she got the powers. We also need to deal with the fact that she attacked not only one but two Soul Reapers and sent one of them to the hospital." The same voice said. Shichiyou was starting to hate whoever it was.
"You are right. Shichiyou, could you tell us how you got your powers and why you attacked the Soul Reapers? Please do not leave out any details." Shigekuni said. Shichiyou slowly nodded and thought back.
"I was, out with my sister and we were on our way back home. It was late but we didn't think anything could go wrong. Then we ran into the two Soul Reapers. They were drunk and they…tried to have their way with us. They separated my sister and I and all I could hear was her screaming. All I really remember was wishing with my entire being that I could somehow get a strength or some kind of power to save my sister and then use that power to protect others. Then I was suddenly engulfed in a bright light, and I then ended up with the abilities of a Soul Reaper. I then attacked the Soul Reapers not because I was trying to purposely hurt them, I was juts trying to protect myself and my sister." Shichiyou explained.
"So that's your story? You were covered with light and got the powers?" A voice asked.
"Yes that's what I'm saying." Shichiyou replied. She heard someone chuckle.
"What a story." She heard someone else whisper. They don't believe me, Shichiyou thought all hope draining away.
"Very interesting." Shigekuni said. Shichiyou looked up at him as tears were beginning to form at the corners of her eyes.
"From the story we heard from the two Soul Reapers they said that they were attacked by a rogue Soul Reaper who had hidden her identity from them and then attacked without warning. Apparently neither of them was prepared and ended up the way they are now." He explained.
"Then what do we do? We can't just let this all go. It's this girl's word against two Soul Reapers." Another voice said.
"That is true, so I have a proposition, a sort of compromise if you will. Shichiyou you are 16 correct?" Shigekuni asked.
"Yes, sir, I am." Shichiyou replied trying to be polite.
"Sixteen is the graduating year for many of our Soul Reapers at the Academy depending, of course, on their own skill level. The new year of training began a few days ago. I want you to go attend the Soul Academy for one full year so you can train yourself properly. If you can get to the level of skill where you can graduate right from the Academy in that one year then you will be able to do whatever you wish. If you want to return to your normal life then I will allow it, or if you wish you can stay and join us as an official Soul Reaper. I can tell you right now it won't be that easy. You will have to join a class of Soul Reapers your own age who have been training since they were children. Do you accept the proposition?" Shigekuni asked. Shichiyou felt all eyes on her. What was she going to do? There was no way she could graduate the Academy with only one year of training. It took years to hone skills good enough to graduate, but she had to do it within one year?! Impossible.
"What if I fail to graduate?" She asked.
"If you fail to graduate then you will be tried in Soul Society court as a rogue Soul Reaper who attacked two other Soul Reapers and hid your identity from them. Such a crime has only one punishment." Shigekuni explained and his face became grave. He didn't need to say anymore. Shichiyou knew exactly what the punishment was if she failed, death.
"So I have two choices, either attend the Academy, or die?" She asked looking down at her hands again. She started shaking all over and her throat felt tight, like she was about to cry.
"Yes those are your choices." Shigekuni replied. Shichiyou felt a smile cross her face. What else could she do?
"Alright I accept your proposition. There's no point in having these powers if I'm just going to die without a proper fight." She replied. She found a new determination in herself, something she thought she had lost long ago.
Shigekuni nodded. "Then tomorrow your training begins. I'll enroll you myself and you will be training under the careful supervision of Toushirou Hitsugaya, captain of the tenth division." Toushirou Hitsugaya? Shichiyou didn't know of him. Then again the only Soul Reapers Shichiyou did know about were Shigekuni, and Byakuya. Shichiyou nodded.
"Captain Yamamoto-Genryusai! We can't just accept this girl into the Academy! She has broken our laws!" A voice yelled angrily.
"As far as I'm concerned this girl only did what any Soul Reaper would do, she protected the ones she cares about. She has accepted my proposition so unless she fails to meet my conditions she will be welcomed to our ranks as a Soul Reaper. That is final." Shigekuni's voice was strong and commanding. It wasn't surprising he was the head captain.
"Shichiyou come to the Academy tomorrow morning and you will begin your training. You may go now." Shigekuni waved his hand motioning for Shichiyou to leave. Shichiyou bowed, stood up, and left the room. The two same Soul Reapers were waiting for her and they escorted her out of the palace and back to her house. She got to the door and bowed to the two men.
"Thank you for escorting me." She said politely. The two men just nodded and left. Shichiyou took a deep breath, turned around, and went into her house. Shida, Kabashi, Ryuukyuukei, and Asagao were sitting in the living room the exact same way they had when she had left. Shida was up in an instant and wrapped her arms around Shichiyou.
"Mom, I can't breathe." Shichiyou said trying to push her mom back.
"Oh, Shichiyou honey, thank goodness, they didn't do anything to you did they?" She asked.
"Mom if you let Shichiyou sit down then she'll explain what happened." Ryuukyuukei said. Shida nodded and went back over to her seat. Shichiyou sat in the arm chair across from the rest of her family and took a deep breath.
"So what did they say?" Ryuukyuukei asked.
"I…have to attend the Soul Academy and train to be a proper Soul Reaper." Shichiyou said. She clenched her fists on her legs and stared at the floor.
"Well, that doesn't seem so bad." Asagao said.
"No, you don't understand. I have to join a class my own age, and graduate from the Soul Academy within one year, or else…" Shichiyou trailed off. How was she supposed to explain anymore? Her family was already suffering enough.
"Or else what?" Her mom asked. Shichiyou lowered her face so her eyes were hidden.
"I'll have to go to court. As of right now I'm charged with being a rogue Soul Reaper and I'm also charged with attacking two Soul Reapers as well as hiding my identity. If I fail to graduate the Academy within a year, I'll be put to death." Shichiyou heard a sob escape from her mother's throat. Tears formed at the corners of Shichiyou's eyes. Before simply hearing she could potentially be put to death had scared her, but to now have to explain it before her family…she could barely stand it.
"But, they can't do that! You were attacked by them! You were defending yourself!" Ryuukyuukei protested angrily.
"It doesn't matter. It's the word of two Soul Reapers against me. I can barely explain how I got my powers in the first place. To everyone else I may look like a normal girl who just happened on some unexpected powers, but in their eyes I'm a rogue Soul Reaper, no one will listen to me." Shichiyou said.
"Then get Asagao to testify as well! The two of you could plea your case!" Ryuukyuukei continued becoming more distressed.
Shichiyou shook her head. "I can't let you do that. For all I know they could just turn that around and charge all of you or housing a rogue Soul Reaper or some stupid thing like that and then you'll all be put to death because of me. I can't let that happen." Shichiyou's nails dug into her skin. Tears fell down her face. Shichiyou heard sobs from her mother. Shichiyou looked up as she saw two small feet come into her field of view. She looked up to see Asagao staring down at her.
"So what are you going to do?" She asked. She had some tears falling down her face but she was acting like nothing was happening.
"What?" Shichiyou asked confused.
"What are you going to do? You have to graduate within a year, so are you just going to sit there, or are you going to do what you can to prove yourself to those jerks?" Shichiyou was shocked. She had never seen her sister so determined before. Shichiyou smiled and wiped away the tears.
"Alright, I guess I'll try my best." Asagao smiled. Shichiyou looked at the rest of her family. Her mother was still crying but she smiled slightly beneath the tears. Her father just looked at her approvingly. Ryuukyuukei just leaned his head back. Shichiyou knew he was trying to hide how upset he was and she smiled at him.
"Well, if you have to be at the Academy I guess you should be getting to bed. Come on everyone, we have work tomorrow as well, let's go." Shida suddenly said. Shichiyou smiled. When her mother was upset or stressed she always liked to take control to calm herself down. Shichiyou stood, said goodnight to her family, and went up to her room. She closed the door and sighed. She slid down and sat on the floor bringing her knees up to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin against her knees.
"Shichiyou, are you still awake?" Ryuukyuukei whispered on the other side of the door.
"Yeah, I'm here." Shichiyou replied. She heard a slide as Ryuukyuukei sat down on the floor. They sat in silence. Ryuukyuukei was the first one to speak.
"So you're really going to do it? You're going to go along with their plans?" He asked.
"What choice do I have? I can't beat them, so I have no choice but to join them, or at least try to." Shichiyou sighed.
"But Shichiyou, do you honestly think you could do it? It takes years of training to reach the level some of those Soul Reapers are at. You really think you have a chance?" He asked. Shichiyou felt tears fall down her face.
"I don't know what chance I have, I don't know if I can do it, but I'm going to try. It's the only thing I can do." She replied. She heard Ryuukyuukei chuckle.
"That's so like you, so stubborn and always wanting to prove yourself." Shichiyou smiled. "I think it's because I take after you." She replied. She heard Ryuukyuukei laughed.
"I guess that's true." They fell into silence again. Shichiyou yawned. She was so tired.
"Shichiyou, do me a favour?" Ryuukyuukei suddenly asked.
"What?" Shichiyou asked.
"Don't get yourself killed before the year is up. And if anyone messes with you let me know. I may not be a Soul Reaper but that doesn't mean I can't kick someone's ass."
Shichiyou laughed. "Thanks Ryuu." She replied.
"I mean it though. I'm not your older brother for nothing. It doesn't matter how old you are you'll always be my little sister."
"And you'll always be my older brother, no matter how old you get." Shichiyou replied teasingly.
"Hey watch yourself. I'm not that old." Ryuukyuukei said.
"Yet." Shichiyou replied. They both laughed.
"I guess I better let you go to sleep. It's going to be so quiet around here. I wonder how mom's going to handle the fact that now she has to do the cleaning."
"I'm sure she'll do fine, or make you or Asagao do it."
Ryuukyuukei chuckled. "That much is true," he sighed, "Goodnight Shichiyou. I guess I'll see you in the morning."
"Night Ryuukyuukei." Shichiyou replied. She listened as Ryuukyuukei stood back up and walked down the hall. Shichiyou rested her head against her door. She sighed and slowly lifted herself up. She walked over to her bed and lied down. She stared at her ceiling. Shichiyou wasn't sure how long it took, but she eventually allowed herself to slowly drift into darkness.
Shichiyou woke up to the warmth of the sun on her skin and the chirping of birds outside her window. The weather was the exact opposite of how she felt. Shichiyou figured it should be raining, maybe even a good thunderstorm, but the sun just shone brightly hurting her eyes. She hadn't slept well, her dreams were filled with horrible images of the Soul Reapers searching for her and killing her in horrible ways. Shichiyou shivered trying to erase the images. She slowly slid out of bed and walked into her washroom. Her hair was messier than usual and she had black rings under her eyes. She slowly slipped out of her Soul Reaper uniform and slid into her shower.
"Shichiyou breakfast!" Her mother called as Shichiyou was slowly getting dressed. Her shower had woken her up, but that didn't mean she was ready to start her day any sooner. Shichiyou walked down the stairs and smiled at her family as sincerely as she could. Everyone smiled back but no one said anything. Shichiyou and her family ate their breakfast in silence, only looking up at each other every few minutes.
"Shichiyou I made you some lunch." Shida suddenly said handing Shichiyou a brown paper bag.
"Thanks mom." Shichiyou replied smiling. She walked over and grabbed it. "Well, I guess I'm off." She said standing in the doorway.
"Have a good day." Her mother said.
"See you later." Ryuukyuukei said waving. Suddenly Kabashi and Asagao rushed Shichiyou. They were both crying.
"Shichiyou you can't leave us. My little girl is too big to leave me!" Shichiyou's father whined.
"Shichi, if you go who's going to play with Asagao?" Asagao asked. Suddenly a paper fan came out of nowhere and smacked Kabashi in the head.
"Knock it off both of you! We all have to make sacrifices now that Shichiyou isn't going to be around! I'm not happy about cleaning but you don't see me complaining! Now get back in the kitchen and finish your breakfast!" Shida yelled. She pointed to the kitchen angrily with one hand on her hip. Kabashi and Asagao slowly went back into the kitchen with sullen looks on their faces.
"Now have a good day sweetie." Shichiyou's mother said pleasantly. Shichiyou smiled and went out the door. The sun was warm and the birds were chirping happily. Shichiyou looked around. No one was on the street which was good. She didn't want anyone seeing her going to the Soul Academy. News traveled around this small area quickly and the few people who knew about Shichiyou being a Soul Reaper the better.
"No way, Shichiyou is that you?" Shichiyou tensed and slowly turned around. Standing behind her with the biggest smile on his face was Aserisk. Shichiyou felt her heart drop, he looked amazing in this light.
"A-Aserisk…" She said with a small smile.
"Since when were you a Soul Reaper? Last time I checked you were a waitress at that café."
"Well…uh…since yesterday…I guess." Shichiyou replied. She felt her face go red. She felt so stupid.
"Really? How did you get your powers exactly?" He asked. Why was he asking her so many questions?!
"Well, I don't know, they just sort of came. It's hard to explain." Shichiyou told him. She didn't feel like spilling all her secrets and stories to Aserisk, all she wanted to do was get this day over with.
"Oh, well, I guess we better get going." Aserisk said walking forward.
"Oh, uh, right." Shichiyou agreed walking behind him like a lost puppy. She looked down as she walked behind Aserisk. She glanced up at the back of his head every now and then but mostly stared at the ground. Suddenly she walked into his back. Aserisk turned his head to the side and looked down at her. Suddenly and in one fluid movement he was facing her, his nose so close to hers the tips almost touched. Shichiyou let out a small yelp and jumped back. Her face was glowing bright red.
Aserisk laughed. "You always do that when I get too close. It's funny, and kind of cute." He said. If Shichiyou's face wasn't already bright red, it would be now. He had called her cute. Her, Shichiyou, cute! No one had ever called Shichiyou cute in her life.
"You alright in there?" He asked making a fist and lightly tapping Shichiyou on the forehead. She instinctively reached up and covered her forehead.
"Yeah, you just caught me off guard." She replied rubbing the spot. It was easier to talk to him when she wasn't actually looking at him.
"Well get used to it, it's going to happen more often now that we're in the same class." He put his hands on his hips and another bright smile filled his face.
"Wait, what?" Shichiyou asked looking surprised.
"We're in the same class. You're 16 right?" He asked.
"Yeah." Shichiyou replied nodded.
"Well so am I. They usually always put the students in with the same age groups unless someone shows exceptional skills. So since we're both 16, we'll be in the same class." He explained happily. A sudden hope filled Shichiyou. Maybe this wasn't going to be such a bad day after all. Aserisk walked behind her and put his hands on her back pushing her forward.
"We better go, we don't want to be late, Hitsugaya-sensei won't be happy if we're late and if we are then we're really in for it." Shichiyou just nodded and allowed Aserisk to push her forward. After awhile he stopped and they just walked beside each other. Shichiyou's heart slowly calmed down as they walked and spoke to each other. Aserisk was so nice and funny, Shichiyou had never met anyone like him before.
Finally they both came to the large Japanese-style building that was the Soul Academy. Shichiyou had seen it many times on her walks but she had never been in it nor did she ever think she would. I guess there's a first time for everything, Shichiyou thought looking up at the building.
"Beautiful isn't it? To think that the great heroes of the Soul Society all went here just like us." Shichiyou looked at Aserisk. He was staring at the building with such awe it warmed her heart. She smiled sweetly. Aserisk suddenly looked at her and blushed slightly.
"Well, I guess we better go." He said scratching the side of his face with one finger trying to hide the redness in his cheeks. Shichiyou smiled again. She had never made a boy blush before.
"You lead the way." She said and Aserisk immediately walked forward with Shichiyou following behind. They walked into the front doors and through many hallways. Aserisk was constantly being stopped in the hallways being greeted by other Soul Reaper trainees, and even sometimes by teachers. Shichiyou followed behind silently with a few people giving her confused stares and some people whispering while looking in her direction.
They passed many classrooms and finally came to two large sliding doors. Aserisk opened them and they walked out into a beautiful courtyard. There was a large oak tree in the far corner, a small stone path in front of them, and a large open area with what looked like scarecrows and wooden pillars with other wooden bars hanging off them.
"That's the training field." Aserisk suddenly said. Shichiyou saw he was motioning towards the large open area.
She nodded. "It's huge."
"It has to be. Actually for the amount of us that is actually pretty small, if it were any smaller, we'd have fewer graduates." Aserisk said with a small laugh. Shichiyou just smiled but swallowed hard. She didn't like it when people mentioned death around her, especially now.
"That huge oak tree over there has been here since I was a kid. It's really nice to have naps under there during breaks."
"You take naps?" Shichiyou asked cocking an eyebrow. Aserisk blushed again and turned away with a slight pout.
"I need my sleep or I get really irritable. Naps are the only way I can get through the day." He replied shrugging his shoulders. Shichiyou smiled and let out a small giggle.
"Uh, anyway moving on I guess." Shichiyou smiled and followed Aserisk through the courtyard. I embarrassed him, Shichiyou thought with a small self-satisfaction. If he was going to tease her, she was going to tease him right back. Shichiyou followed Aserisk through the courtyard as he pointed things out to her. She looked up to the sky and smiled as the sun warmed her face. Maybe this was going to be a good day after all, she thought to herself. At least that was what she did think, until a high-pitched voice rang out and chilled Shichiyou to the bone.
"Aserisk!" Shichiyou looked forward to see a girl with long, flowing brown hair draping herself over Aserisk's shoulders. She rubbed her face against his like a cat.
"Where have you been I've been looking everywhere for you." She purred a satisfied smile on her face.
"Sorry Yuki, I've been a bit busy." Aserisk replied. Shichiyou looked at him and cocked her head to the side. She had never heard him sound so distant and uninterested before. Yuki suddenly looked up. A slight darkness filled her hazel eyes. Shichiyou stared at her. Yuki was beautiful, one of the most beautiful girls Shichiyou had ever seen.
"Who's this Aserisk?" She asked not taking her eyes off of Shichiyou.
"This is Shichiyou Hitohana, she's new." Aserisk replied. His voice sounded lighter when he said her name, but immediately fell back down again.
"Oh, hi." Yuki said. She slowly slipped off Aserisk's shoulders. She walked around Shichiyou and seemed to be observing her. She stopped in front of Shichiyou. She smiled brightly.
"Hello, my name is Yuki Kurobara." She stated. Shichiyou looked at her. Yuki was at least five foot and was slender. She looked like she considered herself better than those around her, but she seemed nice enough. Never judge a book by its cover, Shichiyou reminded herself.
"Hi, I'm Shichiyou Hitohana." Shichiyou replied.
"Yeah I know Aserisk already told me." Yuki said looking at her nails.
"O-oh." Shichiyou just didn't know what to say. This girl was probably the most ridiculously self-centered girl Shichiyou had ever met. Yuki suddenly bent down so her eyes were level with Shichiyou's.
"So you're this new student who wasn't born in the Soul Society and yet you have Soul Reaper capabilities." Yuki said eyeing Shichiyou up and down. Shichiyou didn't like the way Yuki looked at her. It was like she was weighing Shichiyou, seeing if she was even worthy of her time.
"Wow you're pretty short huh." She suddenly said completely throwing Shichiyou off guard. Shichiyou's face burned bright red.
"Oh, uh, well…" Shichiyou couldn't form a coherent sentence.
"Oh isn't that cute, she's shy too." Yuki said standing back up straight and smiling. Shichiyou just looked to the side. There were so many things she wanted to say but couldn't make the words come out.
"Yuki I think that's enough." Aserisk said with so much malice he even scared Shichiyou.
"Oh Aserisk calm yourself. I was just introducing myself. I'm trying to be polite and look at how rude you're being." Yuki said shaking her head. "But don't worry, I still love you." She said with a sweet smile. Aserisk glared at her. Yuki suddenly pouted and threw her arms around Aserisk.
"Don't look at me like that it hurts my feelings. But I'll forgive you if you give me a kiss." Yuki smiled mischievously and puckered her lips. Shichiyou stared dumbfounded. She had never seen anyone so compulsive around a boy before. It was like Yuki had no fears. Aserisk looked up at Shichiyou staring shocked and his face turned red slightly. He looked to the side.
"Yuki don't you have some poisonous reptiles to play with or something?" Aserisk asked coldly. Shichiyou was completely amazed at how much Aserisk had changed. It was like he had pulled a 360 when she wasn't paying attention. She had never seen him like this before. Not that she had seen him that often but it was still odd. Suddenly a ringing sound filled the air. Other Soul Reapers suddenly appeared and they all lined up. They lined up in six lines with four people in each line. Shichiyou stood in her place completely confused. Yuki's face fell.
"Figures." She whispered under her breath.
"Saved by the bell." Aserisk whispered under his. Yuki walked up to the side of Shichiyou. She turned her head to the side and whispered in Shichiyou's ear.
"You should watch yourself, Shichiyou Hitohana, this Academy only has room for one queen, and I can't exactly have you trying to take away my king can I?" Shichiyou looked at her shocked. Yuki smiled evilly and walked away to join the lines.
"Did she say something to you?" Aserisk suddenly asked. Shichiyou's head was spinning. She slowly shook her head. Great, I just started and I already have an enemy, she thought.
Aserisk just sighed. "Come on we should go join the others."
"But I don't know where to stand." Shichiyou said.
"That's ok, just stand beside me." Aserisk said smiling. He seemed happier than before but Shichiyou had a feeling if Yuki came over again that was going to disappear as quickly as it came. Aserisk walked forward and Shichiyou followed behind. He stopped at the end of the second line beside Yuki and Shichiyou took a position at the end of the third line on the other side of him. Yuki leaned forward and glared at her but Shichiyou tried to ignore her.
"Good morning students." A voice sounded out. It was stern and commanding.
"Good morning Hitsugaya-sensei." All the students said in unison. Shichiyou looked around. She tried to see if she could find the sensei but thanks to her 4'6" height and the students in front of her she couldn't see anything.
"Alright, we'll begin with a few basic techniques to warm ourselves up." The sensei said. Suddenly Yuki's hand was flying in the air like crazy. Shichiyou heard a sigh.
"What is it Kurobara?" The sensei said.
"I don't know if you were informed or not Hitsugaya-sensei but we have a new student joining us today." Yuki said. She threw Shichiyou a dark smile and Shichiyou's heart beat increased.
"Yes Kurobara I was informed but I don't see why this has to interrupt my lesson." Hitsugaya-sensei said.
"Well I just figured since she's new and she somehow got Soul Reaper abilities even though she's an outside soul I thought it might interest the class if she introduced herself and told her story." Yuki said looking as innocent as possible. Interested whispering voices filled the area. Shichiyou wanted to glare at Yuki, wanted to pull out her katana and stab her right in that smug smile of hers but all she could focus on was her distressed heart. She heard another sigh.
"Fine, Shichiyou Hitohana would you come forward please?" Shichiyou tensed when she heard her name. She knew she needed to move but her feet just weren't listening to her.
"Shichiyou Hitohana?" The voice asked again.
"Shichiyou are you ok?" Aserisk whispered to her. Shichiyou nodded and suddenly felt her legs carrying her forward. She walked past the people in front of her who looked at her and the whispered to the people beside them. She felt so insanely awkward and without Aserisk beside her she felt completely alone. She continued to walk forward and then walked into the open courtyard. She looked up instinctively but was shocked when she couldn't see her new sensei. She looked to the left, right, and then down. She stood shocked. Her new sensei, who she was supposed to look up to and respect as her superior, was shorter than she was!