Okay, I have a big problem- tomorrow i might be going to my uncle's place for a week- that means no updates. sorry guys! i might not even be going though, so don't get your knickers in a twist.
Chapter Twenty Eight:
Rhinos, Frogs, and Rabaeth, Oh My!
"Today, we're working on claiming and releasing our zanpakutoh. The essential spirit sword of a shinigami, it is their main weapon. The sword is actually a reflection of the inner soul, or the alter ego or guardian of oneself. The sword varies from person to person, as the alter ego or guardian…"
Valencia sighed, bored. She looked at Kisuke, who was actually looking alertly at the professor as she lectured on the properties of the zanpakutoh. They were in a large auditorium, reminiscent of a college classroom.
She wished Kisuke would stop listening so she could talk to him.
He was three seats down from her. In between there was a young blonde girl, and a tall, dark-haired boy.
Valencia sighed and played with her bangs lazily. This really was so boring.
"… And so, I'd like everyone to try to release their shikai. First, you must meditate so you can communicate with it." Valencia looked around, confused as everyone around her stood up, and walked down the stairs. She sighed, then followed.
She sat down on the floor, next to the tall dark-haired boy. He was a good friend, and very funny. A typical class clown. He joked with her a lot.
Kisuke maintained that he liked her. She told him very funny.
"Oh yeah, Valencia, I bet I'll get a huge rhino for a zanpakutoh! That would be great!" He was busy mimicking a rhino, with exaggerated arm waves and faking he had a horn.
"Shut up, Darth." The petite blonde next to him said. "I'm trying to concentrate. And you'll probably get a butterfly for your zanpakutoh!" "And you'll get a great big, fat frog for yours, Hiyori!" Darth countered.
"Darth, please quiet down. People are trying to concentrate," the teacher yelled from across the room.
Hiyori smirked at Darth, who muttered under his breath. "Teacher's pet."
Valencia sighed. She sank into the teacher's instructions, concentrating.
"Now, everyone, breathe in, breathe out. Deeply, slowly. Count to ten. Now sink into the back of your mind…"
Gradually her words faded out as Valencia closed her eyes and let her mind drift. It kept getting stuck on the end of the year graduation. It was the big party of the year, with dates, dinners, dancing, ceremony, and graduation for the first years. Valencia couldn't believe she'd almost been here a year. It sure didn't feel like that.
She noticed a bright light out of the corner of her eye. In her mind, she turned around to look at it closer, but it evaded her grasp. Frustrated, she followed it stubbornly. Stop running away! She thought.
"Alright, then." The light suddenly flared in a burst. Valencia watched, shocked.
Out of the bright white light, a man in a white shinigami uniform stepped out of the light, as if by magic.
Valencia froze, shocked, unable to think.
"My name is Rabaeth," the man said. "And I am your zanpakutoh."
Valencia stared, wide-eyed, goggling like a fish out of water. "W-what? Rabeath?"
"Yes, but you mustn't tell anyone else what my name is. You will call me Fuerda. If anyone gains control of my name, they will have control over your powers."
"My powers?" Valencia asked. "What powers?"
"You will see." His eyes twinkled. "Call me," he said. "Say my name."
Seren tossed and turned on the couch. She was sweating fiercely, and her hands were balled into fists.
Ulquiorra turned around and walked to her side.
"Seren…?"
Seren's eyes opened wide as she gasped.
"Rabaeth!"
"Fuerda!" Suddenly, a long cross-like sword appeared in Valencia's hands. She looked at it, shocked. She looked around. "F-fuerda!"
The teacher turned around. "A-amazing!" She cheered. "You already got it!"
Call my name again. Count to seven.
"Fuerda! Ichi, nii, san, shi, go-"
The room erupted. The floor started rumbling, flames appeared out of the air and danced around Valencia. The air whipped viciously, as the other students in the room stood, shocked.
"Oh no! She's releasing! Valencia, stop, it isn't safe-"
"Roku, sh'chi!" Valencia screamed. The sword plunged into the ground, and the entire auditorium was engulfed in a burning circle.
Everything slowed. The wind stopped blowing, the flames extinguished, and the floor started rippling, like a massive sheet.
The air suddenly grew heavy as molten lead, swirling in eddies of weight. Everyone found it hard to breathe.
Valencia looked up, shocked.
"Valencia. Breathe. Breathe, relax. Pull your sword out of the ground…" The teacher instructed calmly.
She panicked.
Screaming, she yelled "Fuerda" and suddenly the world was dark…
Then it was light again. Valencia looked up. All of her classmates opened their eyes, astounded.
"Look." Darth said. "Everything's in black and white." He pointed to the background. It was true. All of their surroundings were in black and white; but the students themselves were in color. They were someplace new.
Valencia recognized it as the 13th Rukongai.
She looked around, shocked, to find Kisuke also staring at her with shock.
"Valencia…?" He asked.
Suddenly a pair of kids came running from the faded background. They laughed as they chased each other. It was like watching an old movie.
"That's not fair!" The girl yelled. "You're older!"
"Nah, nah, nah!" The boy teased. "It's because you're a slowpoke!"
The girl gave chase again, and the boy ran away, laughing.
Count down from seven to one.
"Sh'chi, roku, go, shi, san, nii, ichi-" Valencia started-
Immediately she felt a rush as though being pulled through dimensions. The floor stopped rippling, the air grew weightless again, and color flowed back into everything.
Valencia yanked her zanpakutoh out of the ground. She panted.
Darth looked at her. "Wh-wh-what was that?"
"I don't know." Valencia stared straight ahead, shocked.
She looked up at Kisuke, who stared back at her.
They both knew what the other was thinking.
How had they been able to witness their past, something that had happened several years ago?
Kimi sighed for what felt like the thousandth time.
She had run into Ulquiorra, and asked him if Seren had woken up yet.
"No," he'd said simply, then continued on his way, leaving Kimi with unanswered questions.
