A lot has changed since that fateful day, and many years have come to pass. Now everything was different, but they had already become accustomed to this new way of life in the Seireitei. It has been six years, a long time to most, but hardly a dent in the lives these young heroes would come to know. There were many more years to come, ones filled with love, joy, and those of despair and tragedy as well. Each of these heroes has a great impact on this story, and each ties a knot in the long thread of time. They will all leave their mark upon the world, good and bad, for they are the ones that will either save the world or herald its destruction. One such individual would earn the title of Destroyer, but this name was not born of evil. Soren Stendahl has good intentions; However, he also has a tendency for anger, and it's not his fault the world is so fragile.

[2]

Fluffy white clouds drifted lazily across the sky, a melody of bird song echoed from all around, and the gentle breeze offered a most welcome comfort. This feeling didn't last long as the sounds of shouting began to echo through the air. Yes, shouting, and then the telltale sounds of metal clashing against metal. This wasn't much of a surprise to anyone at the 11th Division Barracks. This sort of thing was just a daily routine, as someone was always fighting about something, and usually ended in a trip to the infirmary. The only real time for concern was when their Captain and Lieutenant were going at it. Those two hated each other to no limit. Captain Zen Higuchi was a battle-hardened veteran, and the Lieutenant was a hothead quick to lose his temper. His name was Soren Stendahl, and he had only been a Shinigami for three long years.

Soren's reasons for this long-lasting dispute were less than justified, and date all the way back to the day of his graduation ceremony from Shin'ō Academy. He had chosen to finish the entire 6-year curriculum, rather than graduating early and being assigned as a seated officer, despite his overwhelming skill when compared to his classmates. There was nothing Soren hated more than paperwork, so he had initially planned on graduating and applying to the Kidō Corps or Onmitsukidō and couldn't think of anything worse than being assigned to a Division of the Gotei 13. Unfortunately, he had decided to pick a fight with Captain Higuchi at his graduation ceremony. Their fight had destroyed the entire ceremony hall and had to be broken up by two other Captains that were present at the time. Much to Soren's dismay, he was assigned as the new Lieutenant of the 11th Division, something completely unheard of, but apparently the Captain had taken a liking to him and hadn't given the hothead much of a choice.

"I just hate the stupid guy! Him and his stupid white hair. Who even has white hair at his age?! What the hell?! I hate him! I want to kill the bastard!" These were often Soren's thoughts about Captain Higuchi, and this rant would usually result in some poor scrap getting the blunt end of his sword. Not many tried to argue, and even less tried to get in his way. This wasn't exactly easy, as Soren was a half-giant, or at least that's what people called him. He was almost 7 feet tall, just above 210 centimeters, and was easily over 120 kilograms, a tank of muscles and boundless anger. His blood red hair didn't exactly help make friends, especially since he never styled it, and just wore it down, reaching all the way to the small of his back. It wasn't uncommon for his hair to look like a birds nest some mornings, but no one commented on it after the first time. Perhaps his most menacing aspect is his bright golden-yellow eyes, and when enraged, red lightning made of Reishi will dance around him from the release of his Reiatsu. There's a reason people get scared when he and the Captain go at it, and it's not because the Captain is involved.

Now when most people think of giants, they think of big slow and lumbering creatures, but that's not quite what Soren is. He may be big, but he's still human. Well for the most part at least. Sure, he has biceps the size of a normal person's torso, but he is still human, and he's anything but slow. Soren was considered an unrivaled genius during his time at Shin'ō Academy, as he had developed many unique techniques custom tailored to him. The Reishi Lightning was one of these, and he had even developed a modified version of Shunpo that caused a glass-shattering boom like thunder when used, was faster than any known Shunpo to date, and was on par with the Hirenkyaku used by Quincies. Normally a Shinigami should not be able to manipulate Reishi, let alone change its properties, but Soren had always had this ability, and never really questioned it.

[…]

This hothead wasn't always angry though, but it didn't take a lot to set him off. He had his days where that's all he would be, but then there were the days that he wasn't. These were his favorites, so let's talk about the most important one. The day his destiny as a Shinigami truly began. This was the day he met the flower of his life, Jaclyn Hyde.

[…]

It was a cold winter evening, about six years after Jaclyn and Keno's mortal deaths in the World of the Living. There was snow falling from the light grey sky that gave no signs of stopping anytime soon. It gathered on the ground and stacked continuously until the entire Seireitei appeared to be one giant snow globe. Jaclyn loved the snow; in fact, she never felt the cold that came with snow. It always felt like spring to her, and she never understood why people put on extra clothes around this time of year. Every day was like a trip to the beach, except for when she had to wear her Shihakusho. She hated those moments. She preferred to show off her skin, even if she was paler than the moon. Well not literally, but she was rather light skinned compared to most.

She didn't really have a reason for being outside, except for the pure entertainment of watching the snow fall. Everyone that she passed always looked at her with surprise, as any sane person would. She was wearing a green miniskirt, with a white laced short sleeved shirt embroidered with various flower designs, and her hair was pulled back into a French braid held in place by two flower pins that Keno had given her as a graduation gift. This certainly wasn't the attire fitting of a Shinigami, but it wasn't exactly against any written rules either. She hadn't seen Keno in a few months. Since they were in different Divisions, they hardly ever saw each other. He was part of the 6th Division, and she was a member of the 4th Division. She had shown an exceptional affinity for Kaidō during her time at the academy, and the Captain of her Division practically begged her to join.

Although barely any time had passed at all, Keno was already in the 3rd Seat position of his Division, and Jaclyn was recently named the 5th Seat of hers. This upset her at times, but then she thought about the snow and became happy again. Jaclyn was lost in thought, usually Keno's specialty, when she ended up running straight into the biggest guy she had ever seen. She may have been a Shinigami for almost two years now, but she hardly knew the names of anyone outside her Division. So of course, she had no idea who she had just bumped into. Bumped? No that's not the right word. She hit the guy with enough force to put him on his back. She was surprisingly strong for her fragile looking frame, and most underestimated her just because she was in the 4th Division.

Soren had to think for a second about how he ended up on the ground. He too had been lost in thought, but he couldn't even remember what he was thinking about anymore. He pushed himself back on his feet in a single movement and then stared down at the girl in front of him. Suddenly it all came together. She just bumped right into him. A girl knocked him on his ass. "A GIRL?!" He shouted this out without realizing it. He quickly looked around, hoping none of his Division had been around to see that happen. Luckily, they seemed to be alone, and so he turned his attention back to Jaclyn, continuing to glare down at her.

Jaclyn looked terrified, even more so when the giant unsheathed his Zanpakutō. He held his sword in his left hand, and that's when Jaclyn noticed the Lieutenants Sash on his arm. Her face went white, well if that was even possible with her complexion. She was struggling to think, but now she remembered who he was, as she had been present for his graduation ceremony at Shin'ō Academy. Should she run away, should she fight him, would she even stand a chance of winning? Countless questions bounced around her head, but she couldn't find the answers. Her hand dropped down to where the hilt of her Zanpakutō should be, but then she remembered, and about smacked herself over the head for being so stupid. She had left it back at the 4th Division Barracks, and so she came to a simple conclusion: She was screwed.

The Reiatsu released from Soren drawing his Zanpakutō caught the attention of a lot of people. Already there was a crowd of onlookers forming, curious as to who would be stupid enough to pick a fight with the 11th Division Lieutenant. Soren knew he shouldn't fight this girl, but he had instinctually drawn his sword, and he never backed out of a fight. He would be disgracing his Division if he did, so he was going to fight this girl whether he liked it or not. All he was waiting for was for her to draw her Zanpakutō. Oh shit, he thought to himself, realizing she doesn't have one on her. What was he going to do now? He shrugged as he finally made up his mind. Eh oh well. She doesn't look important. He smiled to himself as red lightning started to dance around him, destroying whatever it touched.

Soren raised his Zanpakutō and prepared to strike down the girl that had defiled his pride. He saw the blood drain from her face, and her body beginning to shake. His desire to fight kicked in, and there was no turning back. He disliked picking on girls, but he loved the look of a terrified foe even more. It made him feel invincible, and nothing could take that away from him, or so he thought at least.

The air shook with his Reiatsu, and in one fell swoop he brought his sword down on top of Jaclyn. The dust cloud was enormous, and it took a minute or two to clear away. He smiled and laughed. "What an easy victory." He whispered this to himself. Yes, he whispered. He was capable of other things besides just yelling. The dust finally settled, and his face turned into one of surprise rather than one of victory. The girl was still alive, but he was sure he had hit her. There was even a crater in the ground where his sword had hit. "What the fu-" A foot hit him square in the stomach and sent him flying backwards. He crashed into a wall and was instantly knocked unconscious by the force of the impact. It would be hours before he woke, but he would never forget the girl that humiliated him that day. It would be a long time before he learned what had really happened that evening.

It wasn't Jaclyn that kicked him. Though in the future, she would often wish she had. The person responsible was standing in front of Jaclyn, and the first thing she noticed was that her rescuer was wearing a white Haori with the number 10 on the back. This was the only thing she noticed at first of her rescuer, as it was an absolute baffling thought. Why would a Captain waste their time saving her? It made no sense, but then it did.

The 10th Division Captain turned around and greeted the young girl sitting on the ground with a familiar smile. Jaclyn's face instantly lit up with pure and utter joy. She couldn't climb to her feet fast enough, practically scrambling to stand and tackled the Captain with a hug, holding on for perhaps a little too long, but neither seemed to care. The Captain had returned the hug, and both refused to let go. Jaclyn looked so happy, the happiest she had ever been in her entire life, and the reason was because of the woman she had wrapped in the best hug of her life. She had finally been reunited with her older sister, someone she thought she would never see again. "Katheryn, I've missed you so much…"

Katheryn Hyde, 10th Division Captain, smiled, tears falling from her eyes at the sound of her sister's voice. "I've missed you too, Jaclyn." She finally pulled away from the hug, holding her sister at arm's length, almost like she was afraid to let go. "There's so much I have to tell you," She laughed, wiping the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform. "and I want to hear all about how you've been." The two sisters would spend the rest of the night talking about the many years they were apart, and eventually fall asleep in each other's arms.

[TO BE CONTINUED]

A small defeat for one, but a large victory for another. The Hyde sisters have been reunited after almost an entire decade apart, and their fates have now become entwined. The Savior, Keno Sol; The Destroyer, Soren Stendahl; The Fairy, Jaclyn Hyde; and The Seer, Katheryn Hyde. These are just some of the heroes that this world will come to know. There are two more, and their stories are coming next. Soon all their destinies will converge, and then the fate of the universe will be decided. The Dæmons are coming, and they're running out of time.