Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo, not me.
Note: Finally, the competition begins. Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 36:
The morning of the challenge dawned bright and clear.
"I never knew Seireitei had a horse-race stadium", Shihana whispered to Rukia on their way in the rattling coach. "What would bored nobles do if it hadn't?", gave Rukia back and rolled her eyes.
It took about half an hour until everybody had settled down in their places.
The horses had been assigned to the contestants the night before, decided by lot. It struck Shihana as fitting that Reki rode a pure white horse, making him seem like a prince from a cheesy fairytale with his fine clothes and hair flowing in the breeze.
A feeling of dread fell upon her when she saw Renji walk out with his horse. It was a chestnut coloured one, but it seemed nervous and agitated. She held back a smile when she gazed at him in the riding clothes he had hurriedly lent from Kyouraku-taichou. The tight trousers and light shirt fitted him quite well.
Renji gazed at the horse. It almost seemed as if the big wet eyes were filled with pain. He grabbed the harness more tightly and whispered in its ear. "I know you don't want this, pal. But please, just give it your best shot and don't let me down!"
When he mounted the horse he almost fell down again, because it whinnied and rose on its hind-legs.
"Easy now", he mumbled and patted its neck in a soothing manner. The horse shivered and sweated.
Obviously something was very wrong, even Renji who didn't have any experience with horses, felt that. Yet, there was no time to voice his doubts.
The two riders were approaching the starting line, Reki's mount docile as a lamb, Renji's neighing and prancing.
Whispering went up in the crowd.
"What's wrong with Renji's horse?", said Shihana in a hushed voice to Rukia who sat on her left.
"I don't know, but this doesn't look good", whispered the other woman back. "Let's hope Kyouraku-taichou has prepared him for the worst."
Both fell silent when the signal sounded and the riders sped forward.
After a few metres the chestnut horse broke away and made to stop. Renji tried desperately to motivate it.
"You have to hold out only a few metres. Run away from the pain, I promise, I swear I'll help you after that. Please! This is way too important!"
As if it had understood his words, his mount snuffed, bowed its head and began to run in earnest.
Soon Renji's initial relief made way to panic when he realized that it had totally gone out of control, galloping madly on as if death was on its track. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop it. He felt the muscles twitch under the brown fur.
Then the inevitably happened: he had already passed a stunned Reki and was fast approaching the goal, when the horse shied at something invisible and threw him off with tremendous force. Only his years of training and fast reflexes saved him from the sharp hooves, as they came down on his face.
Reki went past him in a cloud of dust and moments later it was over.
The crowd clapped politely for the winner. "How disappointing!", said Aunt Himeno loud enough for everyone to hear.
Shihana gritted her teeth. This had been set up. Yet, she knew it would only make things worse if she spoke up now. There were still five disciplines to go, Renji would still win.
"We will meet again at the east salon for the calligraphy and history challenges in one hour", announced Byakuya.
Every one stood up and made their ways to coaches and palanquins.
"Are you all right?", asked Shihana concerned when she walked past Renji.
"Sure, just a few bruises", he answered with a crooked grin. "I promise I'll win the next one for ya."
She smiled and longed to give him a kiss, but had been forbidden to do it.
"I would be very pleased", she said instead.
When they arrived at the east salon an hour later, the two men were already seated at low tables covered by paper, inkwell and brush. Renji was in his shikakusho, Reki in a perfectly wrinkle-less silk kimono.
Three members of the elder council went to wait in the next room. Then the council's speaker raised his voice.
"The words you shall write will be 'pride and honour' as fitting to the Kuchiki family."
For the next minutes, nothing was heard except the soft sound of the brushes against paper and the wind rustling outside the door.
When they were done, the three judges were called in and were presented with the works without knowing who had done which.
They contemplated them a long time, whispered among themselves, shook heads and nodded.
Finally, one of them broke the silence.
"We have decided", he said. "This one is finely done and without flaw. But the other one has a strength and yet graceful elegance that it lacks. The writer of this one shall be the victor."
Renji stood up and bowed to the judges. "Thank you for your kind decision", he said.
Reki's mother stared in disbelief. This commoner, doing such fine calligraphy? Impossible! Her gaze fell on Shihana's carefully expressionless face.
"This is cheating!", she cried out, furious. "Shihana-san has helped him prepare."
"As I have assisted your son", came Byakuya's smooth voice from behind her. "It was not forbidden to seek help when needed. Yet the work was done by Abarai-fukutaichou and not Shihana-san."
An older uncle nodded. "Indeed", he said.
With that, they entered the next discipline: history of Seireitei.
It was a boring task and soon Shihana found her mind drifting. She started counting how many times Reki blinked in a minute. It lost its charm after five minutes. Still the questions went on. She went through the guest list to the wedding-eve party and tried to calculate how much alcohol would be needed.
A slight nudge from Rukia brought her back to reality.
"A difficult decision", mumbled the elder who had tested them. He regarded them for a moment. "I choose Shihoin Reki", he said at last. "I felt there was more verve in his answers."
"There will be a two hour lunch break to give the contestants time to prepare for their kendo match", stated Byakuya.
They assembled again in the 6th squad training hall.
Shihana felt Renji's reiatsu swirling around him, as if eager for the fight, yet carefully leashed in.
Byakuya stood up and the hall fell silent.
"The first to achieve three hits will win. Abarai Renji, please refrain from using shunpo to not put your opponent at disadvantage. Now begin."
The two bowed formally, then took their stance.
Ten seconds later, it was over.
"Pathetic, Shihoin", mocked Renji.
"How can this be?", marveled Shihoin Yashin. "He received the same training as Abarai-fukutaichou, yet he did not even stand a chance."
Renji turned around to him, his shinai casually on his shoulder.
"I can easily explain this", he said. "It is simply the way Kuchiki-taichou has trained me. He never showed me any techniques or special moves. He only ever duelled me and showed me the unbridgeable gap between our powers. It spurred me on to train harder than anyone and to exceed my limits just to be one day able to beat him. He didn't need to teach me anything. Just standing up there on his impossible high pedestal, looking down on me, was all it took for me to become as strong as I am now. Of course, Reki-kun can't benefit from such training, because of the simple reason that it never was his wish to surpass Kuchiki-taichou."
"Formidable", smiled Yashin, while his wife seethed with anger.
"I have not foreseen the match to be this short", commented Byakuya. "But this allows some free time until we will have dinner at the grand dining room at 8 o'clock. I will await you both back in good spirits." He nodded to Renji and Reki who were bowing their after match bow.
"Understood, taichou!", replied Renji and gave Byakuya and the elders another bow.
"The scores are even so far", remarked Shihana while she walked in the garden with her cousin.
Byakuya gazed ahead. "True", he said almost absent. "Much depends now on how they perform at the last two tasks."
"I pray for Renji not to mess things up at the dinner", said Shihana. Then she shook her head lightly. "No, I do not think he will do so. He showed impeccable behaviour yesterday."
"You forget that he did not have to join in small talk", reminded Byakuya. "There will be some sharp comments, I am sure of it. I hope Abarai can handle it."
"I do not doubt that he can remain calm where he himself is concerned", stated Shihana. "It might be another question whether he can bear anyone denigrating those dear to him."
"That is my fear, too", agreed Byakuya.
They continued walking in companionable silence.
I hope you liked the first part of the Renji-Reki duel. The next chapter was fun to write, because the nasty aloof comments of nobles are kind of funny to think up. Until then, please review!
