It is very hard to create a Zapakutou! Holy moly! There are so many specifics that need to be used! The overall type of power, the limitations, the negative effects on the user (if any), the shikai (first release), the bankai…And of course, the name! I have been doing research on this for a good while and still see improvements on what I want Kira's to look like. Tite Kubo is a genius in this category! We are coming to the big moment and I still am not ready ack!

The biggest aspect that I knew immediately was the most important aspect of a Zapakutou: the spirit…Yeah I knew that instantly for Kira's blade. That was the only sure part I was certain of. Have you figured it out yet? You might after this chapter. It was pretty easy to pick the overall power type and what the first release will look like (IE the sword transformation) after deciding the initial spirit, but the rest…Whew…

Disclaimers: The Dragonball Franchise and Bleach, their characters, settings, etc., belong to their respective creators. All original characters, settings, etc., belong to ME.

Chapter 25: Whispers

…..ki…ra…

…ki…ra…

..ki..ra…

Kira…

Snapping awake she gasped for breath, pouring it into her lungs. Sweat dripped from her forehead. Looking at the clock on her nightstand she noticed it was 3 in the morning. Groaning, she fell to her sheets, utterly exhausted but unable to sleep. She couldn't remember anything…Except for a sudden urgency that completely enveloped her form. It was keeping her from falling back into dream, though did she really want to? She slowed her beating heart until all was calm.

Never had Gohan slept in before until now. He was practically racing through the entire house, ready to take flight so he would be on time. Giving Videl a quick peck on the cheek he rushed then stopped upon entering the living room.

Kira was on the sofa with a blanket over her form, dead to the world.

"I found her like that this morning." Videl came to his side with deep worry etched in her face. "I've been trying to wake her but…"

Frowning, Gohan approached and gently tapped Kira's shoulder. "Kira?" The girl didn't move. He gave a gentle shove on said shoulder, spoke louder this time. "Kira! Wake up!"

Gohan saw her hand grip his own and instantly he went sprawling to the floor. It was unexpected to say the least. Before he could speak a word or breathe, the end of her Zanpakutou was at his very throat.

"Kira!? What the hell!?" Gohan felt the tip of the weapon barely make a graze at his throat. Instinct had him quickly take her down, sword and all. He held Kira to the carpet and was about to order Videl to get Pan and run when Kira's shout caught his ear.

"Ouch! Gohan you're hurting me!" Kira shouted from below. Immediately Gohan let her go, worried he had hurt her. Kira rose to a sit, rubbing her arms. "What the heck?"

Blinking Gohan sat in front of her shocked. "Kira?" She looked completely relaxed and composed, unlike two seconds ago when she was tense and ready to strike.

Frowning, she stared at Gohan. "Why'd you do that? Gees you're strong!"

"You…Don't remember…?" Gohan gapped. What in the world…!?

She paused. Gohan noticed briefly her eyes, they seemed to stare past him, through him.

"Tournament? What's this about a tournament?" She said when her eyes focused and Gohan blinked again.

"I…Didn't say anything…" Gohan frowned. "Kira…Are you…Are you okay?"

She eyed him. "Yeah…Why…?"

"Why were you sleeping on the couch?" Videl asked and Kira paused.

"I…" She went quiet. "I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep." She stared at them both, their shocked gazes surprising and confusing. "Why…Why are you looking at me like that?"

Gohan shook his head. "It's nothing…Come on I'll walk you to school today."

More oddities began to show at the so-called 'school'. Piccolo, who kept his visual, noticed the shinigami were not responding to Kira's odd behavior. Most of the time she would quite literally stare into space, often times when someone was speaking with her. During her training, she seemed more focused than usual, completely anticipating the movements well before anyone could make a simple move. When Kira's new training began, she could barely move after, nearly dying at one point. Now, she appeared to be used to such…much quicker than anticipated.

"Something is going on with that girl." Piccolo immediately knew this much of a change in such a short time frame was beyond normal. She started this new training regiment a week ago and already showing progress?

"She is communicating with it." Piccolo didn't flinch as Rukia appeared beside him. "Her Zanpakutou."

"You mean this spirit thing." Piccolo grunted. "Well…That makes sense. Is it a real spirit?"

"It depends upon what you perceive to be a spirit." Rukia's cryptic words were her usual flare, making no sense to Piccolo.

"Do Zanpakutous talk to us? In the beginning, yes…" Rukia stated. "Sometimes they continue to speak with us long after the first brush. They start as whispers, words that would seem to come from our thoughts until they grow louder, sounding as if they are a person standing right beside us. It seems Kira is experiencing both at the same time, a rare occurrence."

"So this spirit is basically telling her how to move." Piccolo stated.

"That would seem to be the assumption at the moment." Rukia nodded. "No one's predictability is that flawless unless they are a god themselves."

Rukia's words rang true. Kira was showing signs of premonition at this point. Whatever spirit was guiding her knew well before anything could happen. Piccolo's deductive reasonings made him conclude this… 'spirit' thing, whatever it truly was…Had warrior aspects to it. Only a trained warrior could quickly gauge an opponent's next move as quickly as Kira was now expressing.

"All Zanpakutous have a vise of sorts…a…point of power. Mine is ice and snow." Rukia explained. "It appears Kira's is time."

Piccolo whipped his head to Rukia who shrugged. "It makes sense…Premonition is usually the first occurrence. We studied this thousands of years ago when we encountered an ability user with a similar power. Premonition is a form of the time ability. The big question is how much time ability does Kira have."

Time!? Kira's power involved time!? Piccolo gapped. That was…unheard of…Right? From his knowledge, only angels held the power of time and it was only to move it back a few minutes. He gazed back at the training before him. A shinigami with the powers of time…?

Kira suddenly stopped moving, awareness setting in. Her eyes widened and she looked around, as if looking for someone.

"What is it saying, Kira?" Rukia called out. "What is your zanpakutou telling you?"

Kira shook her head. "I…I…"

"What are you feeling in this moment? Think of it, it will help you understand the message your spirit is trying to tell you." Rukia coached.

"I'm…anxious…" Kira blurted out. "Not the…full of dread type but…"

"As if you will be attacked at any second." Piccolo added and Kira slowly nodded.

"A sense of urgency…It appears your spirit wants you to call its name as quickly as possible." Rukia raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps it knows something…Focus your senses, Kira…Breathe slowly and close your eyes…Listen…"

Kira did as asked, trying her best to relax. Everyone fell silent around her, giving her that moment of clarity.

Kira

It was a whisper, barely audible, but it was definitely her name. It was hard to hear if the voice sounded female or male, or even human at this point.

T…our…ment….world…

"Something…about a tournament…and world?" Kira spoke the words she could barely hear.

Not but several days later, Gohan had been asked to come to Capsule Corporations by his father. He stopped by the school where he knew Piccolo was watching Kira's training high atop the school roof.

"There's a tournament about to happen in three days." He told Piccolo. "We need fighters."

Piccolo stared at his former student then his spine went cold.

"A tournament about a world…right?" He asked and Gohan's eyes widened.

"Not..exactly." He told Piccolo of the World's Tournament happening in three days' time. Fighters from several dimensions would be duking it out for their dimension's survival for any losing dimension would be wiped from existence…Permanently. Furring his eyebrows, Piccolo descended into the training camp below. Without a word he dropped his cape.

"Enough of this crap!" He barked out, causing all to pause. He eyed Rukia "Did you know about the World's Tournament?"

She paused. "What?"

"Kuchiki-san!" Hanatarou came barreling through the crowd. Out of breath, he handed Rukia a rolled up parchment. "News from the Commander!"

Taking it she unfurled it, read the contents. She handed it to Hitsygaya Toushirou, who had come to her side upon hearing Hantarou's words. He too read the parchment and frowned.

"Utter nonsense." He muttered under his breath. "Oi!" He shouted to everyone. "We are returning to the Seireitei, IMMEDIATELY."

At his words, forms began to disappear, the shinigami had been given the order to return home.. The only two that remained were Rukia and Hitsugaya.

"You are to be entered into the tournament." Rukia told Kira. "But not with Universe 7."

Confused, Kira frowned. "What's going on?"

Rukia's eyes sparkled and that caused Kira to shutter. Anytime her grandmother held that look, it meant she would be in for a world of hurting.

"There is to be a tournament of epic proportions and it seems your grandfather wishes to use this opportunity to reveal shinigami to the masses." Rukia explained. "He wants you to enter the tournament, as yourself. Without a team."

Gohan felt compelled to say something. This tournament was, according to his father, going to be an all out brawl of epic proportions. Was Kira truly ready for such an intense atmosphere? And for that matter, didn't Kira's grandfather not want people to know of her lineage!?

"Kira…" He looked at his sister. "This…Isn't going to be like when you went to the future." He wanted to explain more but Rukia started up again.

"No…This will be something much worse." Rukia nodded in agreement then turned her eyes to Kira. "Remember when I told you your grandfather received his Zapankutou spirit during a moment of impending death? He has this strong belief that you will need the same."

Her next words seemed to still the very air itself.

"By the order of the Captain Commander, Kurosaki Kira, in three days, you will be representing the Seireitei in the World's Tournament. If you do not achieve Bankai by the end of the tournament, you will be slated for immediate destruction." She eyed her granddaughter. "To put it simply...Use this tournament to power up…Or you will receive a shinigami death…And that, granddaughter, is far worse than anything for as your soul begins to fade, you will beg a god of destruction to wipe you out of existence…And he will not be permitted to give it to you."

Next Time: Confrontation