Author's Note: A lot of people were missing Aizen last chapter, but not to worry…he is very much in this one!
Back Then
Hiyori barely left Kaede's side for days after the brawl involving the Failsafe. The blond's surly presence was a comfort, but it didn't completely nullify her fear of someone triggering that spell again.
She and Hiyori watched the events of the Captains' visit from a rooftop, both for the improved view (especially for Hiyori) and for the seclusion. Sousuke's performance in particular had been excellent; his demonstration of his Shikai, while not as flashy as some others, had awed the crowd. It had indeed been a fascinating display, but something about it had pricked at Kaede's nerves - a sense of something being "off." She couldn't put her finger on it at the time though, and she had more pressing concerns on her mind.
At mealtimes, though her first instinct was to grab her food and leave, Kaede forced herself to sit at a table with her head held high. It wasn't just to deny her onlookers the satisfaction of seeing her afraid, as Hiyori had said; Kaede almost wanted someone to trigger the Failsafe again here. At the crowded Captains' events, she wouldn't be able to tell who was setting it off; here, where there were only other students, she'd at least be able to narrow down the possible culprits.
Yet there were no further incidents.
When classes resumed for the final weeks of the term, Kaede was more on edge than ever. She had yet to hear anything from Central 46 regarding the incident. This hadn't happened in a classroom during a spar; she'd been in a real fight involving actual Shinigami. Had the presence of a Captain somehow smoothed things over? Hirako Shinji was newly appointed though…would he have the clout for that? Would someone like that even care enough to speak up for her?
These thoughts cycled through Kaede's mind for days. When she and Hiyori headed to Hakuda class, she was so locked inside her own head that she didn't notice anything was strange until Hiyori said something.
"What's going on?"
Kaede looked up. Their fellow classmates were gathered around the dojo door - the closed dojo door. That was odd. Honda-sensei always had that door open.
Hiyori rushed forward, hopping to try and see over everyone else's shoulders. "Hey! C'mon, back off! Not everyone's ten feet tall, ya know!"
As the students parted for her, Kaede saw a note tacked up on the door:
Hakuda training is postponed until further notice pending the appointment of a new instructor.
"Sweet!" Hiyori crowed. "Free period!"
Kaede wasn't so gleeful. There was no hint in the note about why a new instructor was needed, but given recent events…could Honda-sensei have been there days ago? Even if he was the one who'd triggered the Failsafe, he was an instructor. It was within his right to do so if he determined the situation had gotten dangerous. She'd heard rumors that he'd been censured for the last time, and he'd certainly shown some thinly-veiled resentment toward her since, but it hadn't been enough to remove him from his post.
If he'd left voluntarily…was he just reassigned somewhere else? That thought made her even more anxious. It wasn't like he could un-know the Failsafe trigger just by getting reassigned; wherever he was in the Gotei 13, he knew the trigger and could possibly tell others.
She felt the presence arrive just before she heard the voice. It was the strongest reiatsu she'd ever sensed, yet refined and contained like lightning in a bottle.
"Sorano Kaede," said the stern voice that belonged to that presence. "Sarugaki Hiyori."
They turned to see a black-clad shinigami coming toward them. Not just any shinigami: his slicked-back silver hair, thin mustache, and white turtleneck were unmistakable to anyone inside the Seireitei.
Sasakibe Chojiro - vice-captain of the First Division and assistant to Yamamoto himself.
Ignoring the gasps and whispers of the other students, the vice-captain kept his pale, flinty gaze on Kaede and Hiyori. "The two of you are to come with me."
They looked at each other, then back to the older man before wordlessly following him. One did not refuse a command from the lieutenant of the Captain-Commander.
Kaede grew nervous as they were led off the Academy grounds and toward the First Division. She'd expected a summons for herself, though she'd assumed it would be through Urahara. But why was Hiyori being summoned, too? Were they both in trouble for the fight? Kaede started assembling arguments in her head to absolve Hiyori of any wrongdoing; the fight had been her fault, Hiyori had just been defending her, she didn't deserve expulsion or whatever was in store.
Inside the First Division's grounds, Sasakibe-fukutaicho led them not to the Underground Prison, as Kaede was expecting, but into the grand, austere hall above it. Hiyori gazed open-mouthed at their surroundings, and Kaede couldn't blame her; though spartan, this place positively gleamed with prestige and history.
They stopped before a sealed double-door. The vice-captain drew himself up. "Sasakibe Chojiro, entering with the two students in question."
Inside, lined up one side of the room were Unohana, Tessai, Urahara, and Hiyori's friend, Hirako Shinji. Only the latter looked up as they entered, though his expression didn't shift from its bored facade.
And there, standing hunched over a gnarled cane at the head of the room, was the Captain-Commander himself: Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.
Kaede's mouth went dry. Even Hiyori seemed dumbstruck by the situation. They'd seen the Captain-Commander before at important Academy events, but only ever from a distance. He was no less intimidating here, his presence heavy with history and gravitas.
"Sorano Kaede and Sarugaki Hiyori," came Yamamoto's gravelly voice. "Do you know why you've been summoned here?"
"N-no, sir," Kaede answered. Beside her, Hiyori just shook her head.
"Three days ago, you were both involved in a skirmish on the Academy grounds," Yamamoto stated. "During which, a certain Kido spell was used against Sorano-san."
He paused, seeming to wait for a response. Kaede swallowed. "Yes…that's correct, sir."
Yamamoto grunted and turned his gaze to the seemingly empty side of the room. "Were these the ones who attacked you?"
A curtain was drawn across the room, revealing not only that it was larger than it seemed, but about twenty people kneeling on the floor. Kaede's eyes went wide in recognition.
"Now, I need you both to think carefully," Yamamoto commanded. "Is this everyone from that fight?"
Blinking, Kaede forced herself to focus on each face, from the shinigami who'd led the crowd to those of their upperclassmen. All of them sported bruises, bandages, or both on various parts of their bodies.
Hiyori beat her to the punch for answering. "Yep, that's all of 'em. I don't forget a face."
Kaede nodded in assent, apprehensive of where this was going. She thought she and Hiyori might be punished for the fight, but being asked to identify the other participants…that almost sounded like something else entirely.
Yamamoto glanced at the captains. "Well?"
Shinji's eyes turned steely as they slowly swept over the kneeling group. "Yep. Most of 'em ran off when I showed up, but I was watchin' for a bit before that. Doesn't take a genius to see they outnumbered these two, though the ladies were holdin' their own pretty well until someone used that weird Kido thing. Hardly a fair play, if you ask me."
The way he emphasized "someone" made Kaede think he'd seen exactly who triggered the Failsafe. She was dying to ask him who it was, but this was hardly the time or place.
"And is this," Yamamoto signaled to someone out of sight, "the Hakuda instructor who previously triggered the Failsafe?"
Kaede stared open-mouthed as Honda-sensei was escorted out into the open. She could only nod.
"Honda Makoto," Yamamoto pronounced. "You were not present when the Failsafe was triggered three days ago. That much has been confirmed by witnesses, including your fellow faculty members. However: did you knowingly divulge the trigger for the Failsafe seal on Sorano Kaede to anyone outside of the Academy's faculty?"
"I-" Honda-sensei sputtered, glancing around the room with quick, ferret-like eyes. "No, of course not! I would never -"
"But you did." This time, it was Urahara who spoke. "Forgive my intrusion, Captain-Commander. I will not reveal the identity of the persons present who gave their sworn testimony to this, but more than one identified Honda-san as the person who taught them the trigger."
"I didn't!" Honda protested, eyes wide and brow beading with sweat. "I swear, I haven't used it since that one time!"
"Maybe not," Urahara said, his voice polite and laced with frost. "But you shared it with others, opening up Sorano-san to petty attacks that could, in the wrong circumstances, put her life in danger."
"Put her life-" Honda's face twisted in incredulity. He pointed at Kaede. "She killed thousands, and you're worried about her life? That thing shouldn't even be around people, let alone-"
"Enough!" Yamamoto pounded his cane once on the floor, silencing the man. "It is not your place to decide such things, nor was it your place to put any student of the Shin'o Academy in danger! You have intentionally sown discord among those students, the same who will make the next generation of Shinigami. As such, you have failed as a teacher to these young people, setting an example that would see our Soul Society fall to ruin and chaos! Such a person is unfit for any position in the Gotei 13!"
His eyes peered out from beneath his thick, elongated brows, and Kaede could feel the infernal rage they aimed at the instructor. "Sorano Kaede's fate is in the hands of Central 46, but your fate is in my hands. I hereby strip you of your post, Honda Makoto, along with the posts of those Shinigami who participated in this ignominious endeavor. Those students involved are henceforth expelled."
His cane struck the ground again like a gavel. Kaede watched dumbstruck as Honda and the ambushers were led out of the room. Some of them shot hate-filled glares at her as they went, but a few just looked ashamed.
"As for you, Sarugaki Hiyori," Yamamoto continued once the perpetrators had left.
Kaede found her voice again and rushed to speak up. "Sir, she was only-"
"Silence!" he snapped. "You will be dealt with shortly." Looking to Hiyori, he said, "Young lady. It was reported that you released Shikai against that crowd. Is that true?"
To her credit, Hiyori didn't try to be snarky, but nor did she shrink under the Commander's searing gaze. "Yeah - yes, sir."
"You are a third-year?"
"Yes, sir."
"Your Zanpakuto's name?"
"Ah - Kubikiri Orochi, sir."
"Kubikiri Orochi…" He let out what sounded like a short bark of…laughter? "What a name. Young people these days with their strange Zanpakuto… However, do you understand the weight of responsibility you now bear as a wielder of an awakened Zanpakuto?"
Hiyori looked taken aback. "I, uh…"
"Of course you don't," Yamamoto muttered. "What are those instructors doing these days… Sarugaki Hiyori. A Shinigami must only wield their Shikai against an enemy of Soul Society, or in defense of those who cannot defend themselves. Any other situation is unacceptable for a true Shinigami!"
His chin dipped down. "Seeing as you were, in fact, defending one who was unable to defend themselves at the time-" He glanced to Kaede. "-you have shown that you do have at least an inkling of that responsibility. I expect to only hear similar reports about you in the future."
Hiyori straightened, her mouth opening and closing a few times like a fish. "I - uh - yes, sir!"
"Sorano Kaede."
Kaede's pulse raced. Here it came…no matter how much this event had turned seemingly in her favor, she doubted she'd receive the sort of praise Hiyori just got.
"You are remanded to the custody of Urahara Kisuke," Yamamoto stated. "He will escort you to another location for your review." He struck the floor with his cane. "Dismissed!"
As soon as the Captain-Commander's back was turned, Shinji let his posture revert to its natural, slouchy state. What a bother this was…and the icing on the cake was that one of the Shinigami that had just been condemned was in his squad. Sure, he just became captain like, a week ago, but it probably wasn't a good sign that some of his subordinates were already acting up.
His eyes slid across the room to watch the "Catastrophe" girl being escorted from the building by - what was his name? Urahara? Some Squad Two grunt, by the looks of it. Sorano Kaede…she wasn't what he'd expected, by far. Her reiatsu was so obscured by whatever she'd been sealed with that it barely felt like a Shinigami's. Her hand-to-hand skills were fearsome, though…he'd hate to run afoul of someone like her in the Stealth Corps, or anywhere else, that was for sure. Not that he cared much for rumors, but this tall wisp of a young woman hardly struck him as the ticking time bomb the stories made her out to be.
Well, she'd befriended Hiyori, of all people. That alone made her a rare creature.
It had been an unexpected treat to watch them fight together. He'd never seen Hiyori so…happy. Like she was perfectly in her element, back-to-back with someone a foot taller than her, the two of them against the world. Shinji had often wondered if the tiny blond would ever be able to find a friend, given her aggressive nature. Maybe it made sense that she'd find companionship in someone the rest of the world saw as a monster.
Actually, now that Shinji thought about it…it was pretty lucky that he'd seen that fight at all. The timing had been perfect: he'd been trudging around campus in his freshly-pressed haori, looking for Hiyori as he'd said, and just so happened to run into someone who knew exactly where she was at that moment.
That student - Aizen Sousuke, as Kaede identified him…Shinji had seen him among the soon-to-be graduates later that same day. He'd given exemplary performances throughout the Captains' Visit, demonstrating exactly the amount of skill one would look for in a high-ranking officer. From the very brief conversation they'd had that first morning, the brown-haired, glasses-wearing kid had seemed respectful, intelligent, well-spoken, and helpful.
He'd raised the hairs on the back of Shinji's neck instantly.
No one was that perfectly put-together, that perfectly polite, unless they had some reason to be so. At least, that was Shinji's experience, and he considered himself to be appropriately world-weary for his age.
Well…he was down one seated officer in Division Five. Maybe he'd be filling that seat sooner rather than later.
Kaede blinked several times at Urahara, not sure she'd heard him right. "…eh?"
They were standing in an exam room, but for once, Urahara hadn't retreated behind the observation glass. This wasn't a check-up, nor were there to be any tests whatsoever - but that wasn't what Kaede couldn't comprehend.
"I said…" He gave her a lop-sided grin. "The Failsafe's coming off, once Tessai gets here."
Kaede shook her head. That couldn't be what he actually said. "What - why - how-"
"Where, when, and who? Well, I guess those are pretty obvious…" Seeing her incredulous expression, Urahara took on a more serious tone - though the grin stayed. "It seems that Central 46 has had a change of heart - or at least, they can't find any reason to not lift the Failsafe altogether, given how it's now been abused and exploited. We found the source of the leak and the specific people he told, but we can't know for sure that those people didn't tell anyone else."
Kaede nodded numbly. Yes, she was aware of that; it had been her waking nightmare for three days now.
"It's not like we can just change the trigger incantation and call it a day, either. So between that," Urahara started ticking off his fingers. "And me, Tessai, and Unohana-taicho very firmly insisting that repeated use of the Failsafe would be bad for your health, and that new captain's testimony about how you weren't exhibiting signs of reiatsu overload…well, they came around. That's one seal down."
Kaede had to sit down to take it in.
"I'm not…being punished?" she asked, unable to form a more coherent statement.
"Of course not!" Urahara looked surprised at her question. "Why would you be punished? You obviously weren't at fault."
When had that ever been a consideration before? It never mattered if she started a fight or not; the assumption was that she was always the one "at fault" by virtue of the power she held, sealed or not.
Her hands drifted to grasp her forearms. "And…the Failsafe…will it be replaced?"
Urahara sobered. "I'll be honest: I don't know yet. Central may still decide a replacement is needed, but as far as any of us - me, Tessai, Unohana-taicho, even the Captain-Commander himself - are concerned, it's unnecessary. You've done good, kid."
He patted her on the head, something he hadn't done since she was a child. Kaede felt detached from her own body, like this was someone else's good news and she just happened to be witnessing it. She'd borne the Failsafe for over a century now. The idea of it suddenly not being there, no longer a threat or a twisted form of security…it was inconceivable.
"Oh! And there's more!" Urahara's grin returned. "You'll be happy to know that Central also reconsidered your travel restrictions! I don't know what happened in the past few days to change their minds, but they've decided you should be allowed to get the same hours and experience as other students. For now, this is only for class trips, but it's a hell of an improvement, right?"
Kaede could only gawk at him silently. She was still trying to grasp the fact that she wasn't being disciplined, or expelled, or thrown back in the Nest. Getting rid of the Failsafe and now she could join her classmates on field trips to the Human World or the Rukongai for training?
It was too good to be true.
"What's the catch?" she asked - because there had to be one.
Urahara's face melted into sympathetic understanding. "There isn't one. Not this time. You're just finally getting what you deserve."
The final days of her third year were surreal. Word had gotten around about the expulsions, and at first, Kaede was sure there would be retaliation. Those students must have friends or pseudo-family who would blame her for their lot - but nothing happened. She felt the stares, heard the whispers, but no one approached her, much less challenged her. Instead, they kept their distance. Even the wall of names was gone, having been thoroughly whitewashed the day Yamamoto passed his judgment on the perpetrators.
It was refreshing, but she still waited for the other shoe to drop. Central 46's rulings were absolute, immutable - unless they themselves overruled them. Any day now, she was sure Urahara would return for her with a look of resignation. She'd be deemed more trouble than she was worth, or made to wear a new Failsafe.
But the days passed by, and Urahara never came.
Then, just before the term officially ended, something did happen - but it was far from what she'd expected.
She and Hiyori were at breakfast when they each received a notice: that day, they were to report not to their usual classes, but to a special trip meant for the advanced class.
"Whaaaat?" Hiyori groaned when they read the notices delivered to them at breakfast. "I'm barely passing Kido as it is!"
"Must be because of your Shikai," Kaede muttered, staring at the updated schedule they were to follow. "But why would they move us just when the term is about to end…?"
This was too much. Every part of her rebelled at so many ostensibly good things happening all at once. There had to be something more going on. As she and Hiyori made their way to meet the advanced group, Kaede's every sense was on high alert. Any second, someone would jump out and confirm that this was a dumb prank. Or they'd arrive at the class and be turned away, pursued by laughter and now in trouble for missing their actual class.
Yet they arrived at the training grounds with no such incident. The instructor was even expecting them. There were a few wary glances her way from the other students, and as always they were quick to give her a wide berth…but they were supposed to be here.
"All right, everyone here?" the instructor called out. "Let's head out, then. Ukitake-taicho is waiting for us at Division Thirteen. Be sure to show your appreciation - he doesn't often host third-years, this is a rare privilege!"
Kaede and Hiyori exchanged shocked looks. Ukitake Jushiro? Captain of the Thirteenth Division? He was every student's dream captain, known for his patience, kindness, and nurturing demeanor. Everyone wanted to join his division upon graduating, but only a select few were ever invited.
Getting to meet him so early on in their studies like this wasn't just a privilege - it was an opportunity to make an impression.
Kaede was too jittery to even pay attention to the fact that she was leaving Academy grounds. Was this going to be a demonstration? A training exercise? Were they expected to show off their own abilities? Her hand drifted to the hilt of her asauchi, but as always, she felt nothing from it. Her swordsmanship had improved over the last year, largely thanks to sparring with Sousuke, but if this was about their Zanpakuto's powers or spirit…she wouldn't be able to do anything.
Ukitake-taicho himself was there to greet them when they arrived on the training grounds of Division Thirteen, but he wasn't alone. Next to him stood a figure that sparked surprised mutterings from the rest of the class.
"Who is that?" Kaede whispered to Hiyori, nodding to the handsome, dark-haired Shinigami next to the captain.
"You don't know?" Hiyori hissed back. "That's Shiba Kaien! He set the record for graduating from the Academy in, like, two years!"
"Welcome," greeted Ukitake-taicho with a warm smile. "It's my honor to have you all here today for this demonstration! Please, allow me to introduce my third seat - though I imagine some of you already know of him: Shiba Kaien."
"Aww, taicho," Kaien rubbed the back of his neck, a charming half-smile on his handsome face. "You make me sound like some sorta celebrity!"
"Helps that he's pretty easy on the eyes," Hiyori hissed to Kaede, nudging her with her elbow. Kaede half-heartedly shushed her, inwardly melting with relief. This was just a demonstration. She wouldn't have to show everyone how inept she still was.
Once the relief wore off, excitement pooled in her stomach. Did this mean she'd get to see a Captain's Zanpakuto in action? Even if it was only going to be Kaien doing the demonstrating, Kaede resolved to continue a little experiment she'd been conducting on and off for the past year, whenever she had the chance to witness a Zanpakuto's release. It had been a rare occurrence within the Academy; an instructor might demonstrate a Shikai's release, but nothing more, since the Academy grounds were too compact for a full display of power. Even during the Captains' Visit, those few students who showed off their Shikai had to be incredibly restrained - which was part of the point, as the exemplary control that required indicated their maturity as soon-to-be Shinigami.
For a real display of what a Zanpakuto could do, one had to leave the Academy grounds - and now, Kaede could finally, officially, do that.
"You've probably already learned about the different types of Zanpakuto," Ukitake-taicho began, his demeanor that of a natural mentor, open and inviting. "Who can name them all?"
Hands shot up immediately. Kaede tentatively raised her own after a second, though she doubted she'd be the one he called on. Hiyori just crossed her arms.
Ukitake's dark eyes scanned the class before settling. "Ah - in the back! Yes, don't be shy."
He'd landed on Kaede, who at first glanced behind her to make sure she'd heard him right. Her face warmed as the rest of the class turned to look at her, many with affronted expressions. She swallowed. "Um…Melee, Kido…"
"Gonna have to speak up there," Kaien called, though his friendly smile made it sound more encouraging than admonishing. "Can't hear you."
Swallowing, Kaede cleared her throat and tried to project her voice. "Melee, Kido, and Elemental, though some consider Elemental to be a type of Kido…and there are a lot of Kido sub-types…" She trailed off, not sure if she was supposed to elaborate further.
"That's right!" Ukitake-taicho nodded and addressed the rest of the class. "There are many sub-types in each category, Kido especially, though those three are considered to be the main ones. You've witnessed some melee-types already, from what I understand; we're here today to demonstrate a Water- and Kido-type for you."
Kaede's excitement rose. She'd gotten to see a few Elemental-types from the students at the Captains' visit. There'd been a couple of Fire-based Shikai, including one made anything it touched hotter with every strike; a Wind-type that created small tornadoes; one was even Lightning-based, though it was less combat-ready and more suited to medical applications. Each had, to her senses, felt like their respective elements: searing heat, dizzying wind, the staticky zap of electricity.
The only one she hadn't felt as its element was Sousuke's Water-type Zanpakuto. He'd used it to summon a mist that refracted light, creating optical illusions (something that hilariously frustrated Hiyori, who'd been watching with her); but as interesting as it was to see, it just hadn't felt like water to her, not in the way the other elements had.
Maybe seeing another Water-type Zanpakuto today would clear up her confusion.
After a brief review of Zanpakuto basics, the Captain and his third seat finally got to the demonstration. Kaede and her classmates were instructed to stand a good distance back, which only made everyone's anticipation more palpable.
Kaien started it off, spinning his Zanpakuto in his hand. As he spoke its command, it elongated, forming three distinct spikes at one end.
"Rage Through the Seas and the Heavens, Nejibana!"
Crashing waves, the scent of the sea - at least, that's what Kaede imagined she was sensing, having never actually seen the sea. The feeling of deep, turbulent waters surrounding her was unmistakable; as if that hadn't been enough to convince her, she saw that the sword had transformed into a trident with water flowing off both ends.
This was a Water-type Zanpakuto.
Hiyori nudged her with a smirk. "You okay there? You look pretty thirsty all of a sudden!"
Kaede realized then that her mouth was hanging open and she was barely breathing. The rush of power had taken her breath away and made her heart pound. This was well beyond the scope of anything she'd seen at the Academy.
And they hadn't even seen the Captain's Shikai yet.
Ukitake-taicho drew his blade, and with it, the entire class's attention. Closing his eyes, he uttered his command:
"All ye waves, become my shield; all ye thunder, become my blade…Sogyo no Kotowari!"
He grasped the hilt with two hands, and before their eyes, the blade began to split and peel apart. Between them, a rope formed, connecting the twins; five metal squares hung from the rope, a light ringing piercing the air as they formed.
Kaede's brow furrowed. While she'd felt the release of reiatsu that came with any Shikai, she couldn't easily identify what made this one a Kido-type. There was something to those metal squares, a jingling of potential that reminded her of the faint sound of children's laughter…like the sword was waiting for a game to begin.
The demonstration wasn't to stop with release, though; the two Shinigami faced each other in a clear fighting stance. The whole class went completely silent, breath held in anticipation.
Kaien was the one to attack, sweeping his trident and sending a monstrous wave crashing down on his captain. Kaede gasped along with the rest of the class. There was no way to avoid that wave - it was too big, came down too fast, and Ukitake-taicho wasn't even moving!
The Captain did move at the last second, but only to raise his left sword. As the students watched with bated breath and wide eyes, the blade seemed to suck up the immense torrent until there was nothing left. The rest of the class breathed again, the danger clearly over.
"Huh…" Hiyori slumped. "Well, that was-"
Kaede stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. It wasn't over yet.
It barely took a second, but she felt every fraction: the energy from Kaien's attack wasn't gone at all. It had been absorbed. One by one, the metal shingles between the Ukitake's twin blades lit up, and she felt it, a sensation so much like when Unohana would neutralize or suppress her energy during a check-up, yet completely opposite: The Zanpakuto was enhancing what it had absorbed, bouncing it through the metal charms, building it up like so much pressure until it had to burst. Kaede's heart raced, this sensation too familiar, too much like -
Ukitake calmly raised his right hand. The blade in it glowed, filling with that pressure - and then, from its tip, came a torrent of water that made the original wave seem like a splash from a puddle by comparison.
Kaede barely noticed how Kaien got out of the way. She was too caught up in what she'd just witnessed, trying to make sense of her own senses. All around her, the other students - even Hiyori - were whispering in awe, coming up with theories of what had just happened.
"So," Ukitake turned to the excited crowd. "Who can guess what my Zanpakuto did?"
Once again, hands shot into the air, though no one waited to be called on this time before offering their answers.
"It's a mimic," one person shouted. "It copied the attack!"
Others nodded and voiced their assent, but Ukitake merely smiled patiently and shook his head. "A good guess, but not quite."
The class muttered amongst themselves, wondering where they'd gone wrong.
"It was the same attack," Kaede found herself saying. "It wasn't a copy - that was Shiba Kaien's attack…"
Ukitake's brows rose, and he gave her an encouraging nod. "Go on."
Again, all eyes turned to her, and she felt the weight of their gazes. Kaede scrambled to put her thoughts in order.
"It was the same attack," she reiterated, "but…enhanced. Like…it wasn't at its full power before, but your Zanpakuto brought it to full force. That's what it does - what those charms do. It's like…when you apply enough heat to water, you excite the molecules and it boils as a result. But instead of heat, it's your Zanpakuto's influence, and instead of water, well…it kind of was water here, but it was actually exciting the spiritual energy and particles to their fullest potential. Then…boom."
Ukitake laughed, nodding enthusiastically. "That's exactly it! Perfect assessment, no one ever gets it on their first try!"
Kaede was once more all too aware of the sour glances being shot her way. This…wasn't obvious? Rather than be proud, she wanted to sink into a hole, just to get away from the hot stares of her classmates.
Ukitake invited the students to a nearby pavilion where tea was served. As they sat together in the shade, he continued the lecture, explaining the finer points of how Kido-type Zanpakuto usually worked: how rather than transforming reishi like an Elemental, they manipulated that energy.
As he spoke, Hiyori nudged her. "Hey - how'd you know all that stuff about his Zanpakuto?"
Kaede shrugged. "I just…felt it."
"You felt it?"
"Yeah…is that weird?"
Someone shushed them, and both girls turned their attention back to the 13th Captain. Kaede was too distracted to take in much else, though.
Was it weird to feel a Zanpakuto's energy the way she did? She thought back to that first time, when Sousuke invited her to touch Kyoka Suigetsu's blade. He'd said it was out of the ordinary, though at the time, she hadn't thought much of it. Was this something unique to her, or at least to, as he put it, to captain-level Shinigami?
There was something else, too, something that clicked only now: Sousuke's Zanpakuto…it wasn't a Water-type, like he'd told everyone at the Captain's visit. It didn't feel like water at all. There was no distinct transformation of reishi, even when the mist appeared. No…what she'd felt was far more subtle, a shift that had nothing to do with mist or refracted light.
It was manipulation.
Kyoka Suigetsu wasn't an Elemental Zanpakuto at all. It was a Kido-type - and for whatever reason, he was lying to everyone about it.
The rest of the term went by in a blur, and the graduation ceremony came far too quickly for Kaede's liking. She attended with the rest of the Academy, but afterward, while everyone else gathered on the grounds to celebrate, she retreated to the barracks.
Her roommates came and went, packing for trips home or to elsewhere in Soul Society during the two-week break between terms. Some left that very afternoon. Even Hiyori would be leaving the following day for a visit to her "Auntie" in her old district.
Through it all, Kaede was in a haze. She wasn't going anywhere - her lifted restrictions only applied to class trips, after all, and there was no way in hell she wanted to visit the Nest. While she knew she'd miss Hiyori's presence for the next couple weeks, she wasn't too bothered by the prospect; Hiyori would be back after that.
Sousuke wouldn't, though - and that made everything else feel dulled by comparison.
Tired of being inside, Kaede waited until Hiyori was snoring and sneaked out to the darkened grounds. It was a chilly night, a hint of late frost in the air. Kaede chose a spot on the roof of one of the dojos and leaned back against the shingles, gazing up. The moon was in its new phase, so there was nothing to upstage the wash of stars that flooded the sky.
It wasn't long before she felt a familiar presence join her, his reiatsu muted as it always was.
"Thought I might find you here," Sousuke greeted, sitting down beside her. "I was hoping to see you sooner."
"You've been busy," she replied, staring down at the darkened courtyard below. "I didn't want to bother you. Oh - congratulations on the appointment, by the way."
"You heard?"
"Everyone heard," she replied. "But no one can agree on which seat it was. Tenth? Fifth?"
"Seventh," he supplied. "Though Hirako-taicho said that will likely change before long. He was only recently appointed and is still getting to know the division."
Seventh seat, Division Five…under Hirako Shinji. She'd been a little surprised to learn that Hiyori's lanky, lazy-faced friend was to be Sousuke's captain. "So seventh seat was the best offer?"
"Hardly. But it's a good match for me."
She snorted. That was hardly what she'd call it; Shinji was the last person she imagined Sousuke choosing, especially if the seat being offered was anything less than the top five. "Making another investment?"
"In a sense." He glanced down at her. "I heard about that fight. It seems those involved haven't been seen since."
"They were expelled," Kaede said simply.
"Good."
"Is it?" she asked. She'd been turning the situation around in her head ever since it happened, and while she hardly felt sympathy for the people who'd attacked her, she could sort of understand why they had. "One could argue that they were just trying to get justice."
"Is that what you think?"
"I don't know what to think," she admitted, her face scrunching in thought. "So much changed all at once…besides the fight, I mean." She looked down at her arms. "I'm down one seal - they took off the Failsafe because of the leak. A hundred-some-odd years I had that thing, and all it took was one instance of someone using it who wasn't supposed to. On top of that, I can leave campus now, for class at least. And the Academy bumped me into the advanced class. Hiyori, too, so at least I'm not alone there."
Sousuke studied her for a moment. "You don't seem particularly happy about any of this."
"Don't get me wrong," Kaede quickly amended. "I'm…grateful. Relieved."
"But?"
"It's…" She cut herself off from saying, It's nothing, when he shot her a knowing look. "It's something Urahara-san said when he told me about Central 46's new decision. He said there's no catch this time, that I'm finally…getting what I deserve."
Sousuke's mouth turned down in a thoughtful frown. "I see…"
"I know he meant well," she insisted. "So before you try to spin this as something it's not, just…don't."
"I'm sensing another form of 'however.'"
Her lips pursed. "Is this what I deserve? I mean…it's the most Central 46 has allowed me, well, ever. At least, all at once. And I still don't understand why they changed their minds."
"Does it matter?"
"It does to me," she said. "I'd like to know where I stand."
"So you can jump through their hoops that much more efficiently?"
Kaede bristled. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You keep asking what it'll take for them to give you what you want," Sousuke pointed out. "What do you need to do, how do you need to behave. Not once have you questioned whether their opinion is worth your while."
"Considering they hold the keys to these?" She held up her forearms. "I'd say their opinion is worth a good deal. Look, don't start this again, okay? As nice as it is to imagine a world where I'm not constantly at their whim, it doesn't change what is."
"A victor must speak not of the current state of the world," Sousuke responded, "but of how it should rightfully be."
"A victor?" Kaede laughed. "I'll settle for 'survivor,' thanks."
"Why settle?" Sousuke looked at her without a trace of bemusement. "What do you think you deserve?"
She fell quiet. What she deserved, what she was worth… "Does it even matter what I think?"
"It's the only thing that truly matters."
It was still a foreign concept to her - the idea that her opinion was the only one that mattered. Even now, faced with the question of what she deserved, Kaede's first impulse was to make Sousuke answer it for her.
No. It was about time she decided what she deserved.
"I'll never get to be 'like everyone else,'" she mused. "Will I?"
It was less a question than a statement, a realization that she was finally facing. When she first came to the Academy, she thought that she'd be joining something - a group of peers, a society that she was supposed to have a role in. She'd thought that meant she would be treated like anyone else, that she should be treated like anyone else.
"I'm not like everyone else," she continued, the weight of it pressing on her heart. "It doesn't matter if I want to be…I'm just not."
This feeling…it was what she felt when a beloved character died in one of her books. She'd grown attached to this idea, hoped for its continuance and future, but really…it was always meant to die.
So if she wasn't like everyone else - what did that mean as far as what she deserved?
She deserved the high marks she got for her academics. She deserved every victory she scored in Hakuda training. She deserved to use the few Kido spells she'd finally mastered. All of these were things that she'd worked for, things she'd earned. In that way, she was like "everyone else."
But she had the potential for more, didn't she? She was being held back from that potential, maybe in an effort to make her more ordinary. But she wasn't ordinary. So maybe what she really deserved was opportunity - the chance to earn more, become more. To become what she could be.
What she didn't deserve was being chained to a single incident that she'd had no control over.
It came in a rush that took her breath away: She didn't deserve to be continually blamed and punished for her part in the Catastrophe. She felt sad for those who died or got hurt, but she hadn't meant for that to happen, nor had she meant to release that level of power. She couldn't even imagine herself wanting to do that to so many people.
She didn't deserve to be constantly shoved back into shame.
"I deserve the freedom to be me," Kaede concluded aloud. Saying it made her feel like a fawn trying to walk on its spindly legs for the first time; this was something she was meant to do, to say, to believe, but it was still her first time exercising it. "I…deserve to know who and what that is, and to not be ashamed of it."
Sousuke's smile, with its hint of pride, only served to strengthen her resolve. "Exactly. What you deserve has nothing to do with the rulings of old fools guided by fear and self-preservation. So tell me…what is it you want?"
What did she want?
"I want…to know what I'm actually capable of." Every word was a surer step, a strengthened limb, making the next ones easier. "I want to not be afraid of my own power. I want to be able to use it for something…something good. I don't even know what that means exactly, but…"
"What else?"
She was supposed to want more? Kaede fell back against the rooftop and stared up at the starry sky, at a loss. What did people usually - no. It wasn't "what did people want," it was "what did she want."
Right now…there was one thing she wanted from him.
"I want to know something about you," she said, "if you're willing to tell me."
He raised a brow at her, signaling her to continue. It struck her then that she didn't know much about Sousuke at all. She rarely asked him about himself; it had never seemed necessary, somehow. She knew what he was like, and she liked to think that she knew him - that had always felt more important than knowing things like where he came from or who he considered to be his "family."
Kaede hoped she'd get the chance to ask him about such things after this, though she had a feeling that the best case scenario for this was that she'd drive him away for good.
She licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry. "At the Captains' visit…why did you lie about Kyoka Suigetsu's nature?"
Sousuke tilted his head to one side. "What makes you think I lied?"
Kaede took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "After you let me touch Kyoka Suigetsu, I was curious to see if I could sense other zanpakuto as well. The best opportunities I had were the Captains' visits at the end of the year. You know what I noticed?" She lifted a hand and traced a line of stars with her finger. "Elemental Zanpakuto feel like, well, their elements, at least when they're in Shikai. Yours didn't feel much like water to me, but I figured each Zanpakuto was different."
She let her fingers hover over a particularly bright star in the nonsensical pattern she was drawing. "The other day…I got to visit Division Thirteen. We met Ukitake-taicho and Shiba Kaien, and they did a demonstration for us. Kaien-dono…he had a Water-type, and it felt exactly as I expected it to. Ukitake-taicho's was the first Kido-type I've seen…or so I thought."
Having finished connecting the glowing dots above her head, Kaede dropped her hand to her stomach. "Guess which one yours reminded me more of."
Sousuke was quiet and still. Kaede wondered just how quickly the gears in his head were turning right now. Was he disturbed by her assessment? Intrigued? Trying to find a way to explain it?
"I haven't told anyone about this," she told him, sitting up. "It's your business how much you want people to know about your Zanpakuto. I'm sure there are plenty of others in the Gotei 13 who aren't exactly forthcoming with what they can do, either. But…I want to know why. Why you downplay yourself to everyone else, why you hide your own nature when you've told me again and again that I shouldn't."
He dipped his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "There is a difference here: you hide from yourself and let others choose how you should act. I have always known my own nature and have chosen for myself how to present it."
"That doesn't explain why you hide your true strength." She rolled her eyes at his innocent glance. "Another thing I noticed about Zanpakuto? They usually only have as much reiatsu as their wielder. When I felt Kyoka Suigetsu's blade, there was a huge difference with yours. You're constantly holding back. Why?"
"I would think you, of all people, would know the answer to that."
Her brow furrowed. "You haven't destroyed entire districts. For you, strength would be seen as an asset, not a liability. They wouldn't imprison you for it. If anything, you'd be promoted even faster."
"Exactly."
Kaede stared at him in confusion. Why wouldn't he want to take advantage of his abilities for his own benefit? If she was right in assuming that what she'd felt from his blade was only a taste of his true strength, then he should easily be a vice-captain already.
Her eyes narrowed. Come to think of it…he probably could have graduated much earlier had he allowed his full potential to show. Considering his intelligence, he might have even broken Shiba Kaien's record for graduating in just two years. So what did he gain by slowing down that process and keeping a closer pace to everyone around him?
She thought back to one of their first conversations. What most people called "friends," he'd referred to as "necessary acquaintances" and "investments." He'd tutored people from the highest tier to the lowest, getting to know their interests and needs, then moving them like pieces on a game board into positions that could benefit him in the long run. Had he fast-tracked his way into the Gotei 13, he wouldn't have had the time for such an endeavor.
"You've been building something," she surmised. "Connections. 'Investments,' whatever you want to call them. Fast and flashy isn't your style - you prefer the long-con."
His lips stretched into a bemused grin. "Again with the con-artist interpretation…though it's less a matter of preference than of convenience."
Kaede considered what he was saying. How could it be convenient to take more time, do more work than was necessary?
Again, Kaien's face flashed through her mind. He was famous for his record, admired, given accolades and rank to match. Even if he wasn't a vice-captain, he was still clearly his captain's right hand, destined for greatness. All eyes were on him, watching for what he did next.
"You don't want the attention," she said. "You want the conveniences of a higher seat - the access, the respect, maybe even the responsibility - but not the attention."
She looked up at him, not to gauge his reaction, but to confirm a new suspicion - something that had been right in front of her this whole time. One of the reasons Kaien was so admired was, as Hiyori had put it, that he was "easy on the eyes." And he was, with his striking blue eyes, long lashes, handsome face, and lean, toned figure.
Sousuke was also good-looking, but not as striking - at least, not the way he usually appeared. The glasses, even the way he styled his hair…both obscured a face that could have been sculpted by a Renaissance artist. Even the way he wore his clothes - always proper, never a thread out of place - concealed his figure to the point of making him seem almost homely. Ordinary. Unremarkable.
He didn't just act a certain way; his entire presentation was intentional.
"It's all a misdirect," she realized. "Everything about you - the way you look, the way you act…even your Zanpakuto. It's all…an illusion…"
She trailed off, remembering how he'd presented Kyoka Suigetsu at the Captains' visit. She couldn't be sure without seeing it again, but assuming it was a Kido-type…what had he been manipulating? Ukitake's manipulated the reishi of whatever attack was thrown at him, amplifying it and sending it back at full force. She'd felt the process in the moment.
What had she felt when Sousuke used Kyoka Suigetsu? She'd seen the mist, seen the effect of the refracted light just like everyone else. She'd even smelled the dampness in the air, felt the humidity on her skin. All of her physical senses confirmed what she'd witnessed.
But what if that had all been the point?
"Was there really a mist that day?" Kaede asked him, watching his face.
"What do you think?" he replied. He was guarded, watching her with the same intensity, probably gauging her own reactions.
She slowly shook her head as her theory took shape. "No…there wasn't a mist. You told us there was - you told us it would refract light and make optical illusions, and that's exactly what we all saw!"
Her face split into an excited grin as it all came together, like a puzzle she finally had the solution for. "It's not that you created an illusion - you used suggestion. People see what they want, what they expect, and that's exactly what happened. You gave us the basic idea, and our own brains filled in the rest. It's hypnosis!"
Kaede's eyes shone with the thrill of discovery as she turned back to him for confirmation. Sousuke's face remained carefully blank, neither affirming nor denying her assertion.
"It's strange," he mused. "You'd think that, upon learning one has been deceived, one would have a more negative reaction."
"Oh, I still want an explanation," Kaede said. "This is all fascinating, but…why? I get that you want to hold back and misdirect people's attention. It's easier, isn't it, getting around when no one's paying that much attention to you."
Her grin faded as she thought of all the times she purposely kept attention away from herself. She'd had her own reasons: she'd wanted privacy, or peace, or - sometimes - to just get around the Academy or the Nest unimpeded. But Sousuke never struck her as the type to avoid attention purely out of a wish for solitude.
"What do you want, Sousuke?" Kaede asked, coming back to his original question to her - though really, hadn't that been her first question to him two years ago? "Not just 'why are you doing things this way.' That's a process, not a reason. So what do you want?"
For once, he didn't smile, or deflect, or reply immediately with another question. He seemed to be thinking, and as he did, she saw a shadow fall over his face. Not the type that obscured, but the type that revealed, that toned down the distracting brightness and provided clarity.
"What I want," he began, slow and solemn - but then his mouth lifted at the corners. "Is to take you to the hanami in the Rukongai."
If Kaede hadn't been firmly planted along the root's shingles, she'd have slid right off. "Eh? Wait - the cherry blossom festival? What does that have to do with anything?"
"I realize that's not the sort of answer you're looking for," Sousuke said, "but it is difficult to define in simple terms what I want. To understand properly, I need you to see the world as I do."
His explanation soothed any annoyance she had at his non-answer, converting it to curiosity. "Aren't you forgetting something, though? I still need permission to leave the grounds."
"Are you forgetting," he retorted with a smirk, "that this has never been a problem for us before?"
Kaede dipped her head in assent. True, sneaking out for a Rukongai festival was a far cry from bringing her through a highly-regulated gate to the Human World…but something else ate at her. When she imagined a festival, she saw people - lots of them. She'd experienced plenty of crowds at the Academy, but there was always organization to them, purpose. The prospect of a mass of people not guided by any sense of order made her heart pound and her hands sweat.
Plus…this was a far more mundane concern, probably not even worth bringing up, but… "Don't people usually…like…dress up for those kinds of things?"
Sousuke blinked at her, his brows rising into his bangs. Normally, she'd have been delighted to provoke such a surprised reaction in him - he was always so collected, so aware of everything, that shocking him in any way was a treat.
"You haven't been to a festival before, have you?" he asked. Then he shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. "No, I suppose you wouldn't have…strange, the things one takes for granted. Don't worry, no one will notice if you're dressed casually. Besides," he added with a glint of mischief in his eyes. "If you'd like, I could make you appear to be wearing an extravagant kimono. Or a paper bag, if you'd prefer."
Kaede reached to tuck her hair behind her ear, unconsciously covering the side of her face as she muttered, "And if I'm only wearing my uniform?"
His teasing grin faded. "Would you like to 'dress up,' Kaede?"
Right now, she wanted to disappear into a hole in the ground. "No, it's just…you're right, I've never been to a festival before, and…I dunno. It just seems wrong to go in this." She waved her hand over her uniform. "Nevermind. I don't even know why I'm bringing this up, it's not like I can do anything about it, and like you said, it's not necessarily going to give me away because apparently you can take care of that…"
Maybe she shouldn't have cared so much if he knew that her only clothes were her uniforms and a simple robe for sleeping in. He knew her situation, it shouldn't come as a surprise that she had so little. He probably didn't even care - it wasn't like this was some sort of romantic outing…
Right?
But it wasn't just that she was embarrassed. Once the prospect of "dressing up" had entered her mind…she kind of wanted to. She couldn't banish the idea now: Sousuke with a haori draped over his shoulders, she in a colorful kimono, her hair pulled up…It was a silly, frivolous idea, and she was ashamed to have entertained it at all.
As she ducked her head toward her knees in an unconscious effort to mimic a hedgehog, she felt Sousuke's cool finger at her temple, brushing aside the curtain of hair obscuring her face.
"I'd like to see you in a kimono," he said.
Kaede peeked out at him, expecting signs of mockery - but while there was amusement in his eyes, he seemed…sincere.
Her face went hot, her heart fluttering in her chest - but anything she felt about this pronouncement was quickly overshadowed by disappointment. "That's a shame, because I don't have one."
Sousuke hummed thoughtfully. "Then we'll have to fix that."
She snorted. "How?"
"Leave it to me," he said - a refrain she'd become accustomed to over the past year and a half. "And keep next Saturday afternoon clear."
So…
Lots happening this chapter. Kaede actually gets a break or three, though given C46's track record she's understandably skeptical. We got to see Ukitake and Kaien, always a fun time, as well as Kaede's natural sensory talent…leading her to realize that Aizen's Zanpakuto is more than he lets on.
And now he's asked her out on a date. Only in fanfiction, am I right? XD
Next Time: Hanami. Aizen sends Kaede a gift and they go to the cherry blossom festival. About as close to "slice of life" as I get, plus a presumably long-anticipated leap is taken in their relationship…
Let me know what you think of this chapter! I was kinda nervous about a lot of stuff in it and about the overall structure, but given where things are about to go I'm pretty happy with it. Wouldn't have posted it otherwise :P Comments are love, and as always…
Stay tuned!