Recruitment in Rukongai (Closed: Hika/Akimoto)

This was another day for Hikari to go scouting for new members to place in her squad. She wanted to save these future Shinigami from a fate that would not be worthy of their true worth. In her ventures into the 79th Rukon district she came across a young man that showed some potential, he was stealing food form a caravan, but in her endeavors to catch him and send him to the Soul Academy he disappeared at the north end of town. Finally giving up Hikari sat on a barrel, not minding the glares from the residence of this area. They all knew her as the Captain of the 5th Division, they all knew she had taken the spot of the "Demon of the Rukongai", but she didn't mind that at all. She was tired of trying to catch the brat.

Exhaling she opened her eyes to the view above the rickety houses, her exhale stopped. There was a large thicket of trees just beyond the next street. Unconsciously she gripped one of her most treasured items. The Old Mans Mekkyaku, his Quincy Cross. Hikari had promised to look for him when she was able to, and had done so for a long time. She was starting to give up on the prospect of ever meeting him again, it was rare to ever run into someone you knew from the world of the living. Hikari wanted with all her heart to find this man though. He was the man she had fought and killed, a loving spirit that loved the forest. They couldn't stop their fight due to honor. Never had Hikari ever cursed so much at honor in her life, than when she saw the lights disappear from that old man's eyes.

The little Captains feet were moving on their own now, her eyes never straying from the trees she saw. Finally Hikari broke from her unsavory reverie and was standing at a well trodden path in front of the forest. She wanted to go in there and finally find this man and talk with him, find out his name, find out how he was doing, and apologize formally for taking his life. She also wanted to tell him that she is keeping the promise, and that his forest was safe. She was bound by that promise and would never betray his trust, never that one thing. Even if it meant her breaking ties with the Court Guard she loved so much, or if she had to kill her own kind, she would protect the promise.

Hikari sat there and stared into the forest, the Captain looked like a scared little girl. Like a doll that didn't know which way to go, or what to do. Yes this little doll, in her pastel pink Kimono, was standing there motionless with one of her hands clasping the Cross on her wrist, but both in front of her little lips. The only thing that would separate her from being a native of the Rukon district was her Kimono, and her Haori, which was way to big for her frame, yet swayed gently in the almost non-existent wind. Right now this Powerful Captain, this strong Shinigami was a scared little girl, not wanting to be disappointed yet again.

______________
Words: 550
GP: 11
Total GP: 11

As Akimoto stood at the edge of the forest, his stomach raising all sorts of hell, he looked over to his left. There, at the entrance of another pathway into the trees, stood a young girl. Her delicate frame wrapped in a pink kimono, she looked fairly out of place. In fact, she looked downright scared. Maybe he should offer some assistance, he was a native after all. He thought about it for a second or two, then decided to try and help. If nothing else, she was pretty cute. Something was off about her though. There was some little detail he was missing. That was when Aki caught sight of the sword she had with her. Why did she look so afraid if she had that with her?

Before he could even move his foot an inch, he saw something odd. Her hands, held in front of her face, were holding something... It was silver, and it looked like a cross. A very familiar cross. Where had he seen it before? No, he definitely had not seen it with his own eyes. It had been described to him, but by who? He would have to figure it out, otherwise it would nag at him. Not knowing little things like this bothered him a lot.

Strolling up to the little lady, Aki bowed slightly. “Hello there miss, you look a tad lost... Is there anything I could maybe help you with? I am from around these parts, and I would gladly offer any services that could aid you with anything you need.” He gave her a nice warm smile, to show that he was sincere, and he extended his hand, if for nothing else, a handshake. Aki may have been living in the slums of the Rukongai, but he had manners. Aki didn't want to outright ask her about the cross yet, maybe if he got her to bring it up somehow.

Word Count: 323
GP: 6 (12)

“Hello there miss, you look a tad lost... Is there anything I could maybe help you with? I am from around these parts, and I would gladly offer any services that could aid you with anything you need.”

The little girl hardly noticed the approaching man and her heart jumped when he spoke to her. So involved in her thoughts, she didn't even notice the spiritual energy he was putting out. If she was paying any attention, she would have been able to pin the title of "future shinigami" on this man. Alas right now she was just a little girl wrapped up in an internal debate. To go or not to go, she couldn't choose, but the person who announced he was a native may be the solution to her dilemma. He definitely looked nice and polite, and better yet he wasn't trying to shoo her away from the area. He must not have known who she was. This was a relief to Hikari, she needed to be her, much sought after, laid back and friendly self. With the weight of a part of the stress lifted from her shoulders, she decided to ask if he knew about the Old Man.

"You know a name is usually also proper when telling, an unknown woman, if you would like to help her. I am Miy,... Just call me Hikari." Hikari took the mans hand. Oddly this mans hand was gentle and soft, not like any of the normal people in these run down areas of the Rukongai. "I am sorry if I alarmed you, but I'm not actually lost. I know exactly where I am, but the thing that has made me concerned is the forest.

Hikari braced herself for the worst, yet hoped that he had some knowledge of the Old Man she had been looking for, for such a long time. "I had a friend back in the world of the living... He loved the forest quite a bit, and made it his home. I was wondering if you had by chance heard of a man living in this forest?" Hikari's voice was calm and sweet, but the hint of not expecting much showed in her question. She didn't want to be disappointed yet again, and didn't want to face the fact that she may never meet the Old Man ever again, nor learn his name. She looked up at the man holding her hand, her bright brown eyes pleading for him to know the answer of the question beamed up at him.

Slowly she gripped his hand tighter, perhaps a little too tight, she was by far the strongest Captain in the Court Guards. The anticipation of the answer and the need to hear something good beckoned her grip and compelled her to squeeze. If it wasn't for her own self conscious awareness she might not have noticed the grip getting tighter, but she did and slowly released the pressure building up in his hand. Slightly blushing, she continued to wait for the answer.

______________
Words: 507
GP: 10
Total GP: 21

"You know a name is usually also proper when telling, an unknown woman, if you would like to help her. I am Miy,... Just call me Hikari,” The lady accepted the outstretched hand and continued, "I am sorry if I alarmed you, but I'm not actually lost. I know exactly where I am, but the thing that has made me concerned is the forest. I had a friend back in the world of the living... He loved the forest quite a bit, and made it his home. I was wondering if you had by chance heard of a man living in this forest?"

That was the last thing Akimoto expected to hear. Of course he knew of the old man, but according to the old-timer, nobody else had ever visited him. This was odd to say the least. The man had never spoken about traveling to the world of the living before, so how could she have met him there? Intrigued, Aki found his manners and introduced himself, “My most sincere apologies, how could I be so rude as to not introduce myself. Perhaps the slums are getting to me... My name is Akimoto Nakamura. It is indeed a pleasure to meet you Hikari.” He lifted her hand to his lips and, after gently kissing the back of it, continued on. “Now, to answer your question, I must ask one of my own,” he said as his eyes fell to the cross in her hands. He now remembered where he had heard about it before. The old man was the key. He described his precious cross all the time, claiming to have lost it years ago in a battle.

“How came you by that cross? It is familiar to me, and my curiosity gets the best off me.” As he talked, Aki turned and began walking back down the path, motioning for Hikari to follow him. The young man strolled down the path, feet treading so light they barely made a noise. Many weeks of walking with the old man had taught him how to be silent in the forest, and it showed. He even walked like him. Aki chuckled to himself. The more time he spent with Tim, the more he was slowly becoming like a son to him. Good thing he liked the old-timer.

Every now and again Aki turned to check on the young woman. He didn't want to lose her in here, he may never find her again. He was pretty sure that wouldn't be good. There were no doubts she could take care of herself, especially after feeling her grip. Aki rubbed his hand as the thought passed by. It still kind of hurt, but he didn't want to tell her that. Forgetting to introduce himself was bad enough, but being hurt by a simple gesture was a tad ridiculous. Letting his hands drop to his sides again, his left hand naturally landed on the sheath where his true love was nestled.


Word Count: 500
GP: 10 (22)

“Now, to answer your question, I must ask one of my own, how came you by that cross? It is familiar to me, and my curiosity gets the best off me.”

Hikari was often pretty dense to riddles like this, but this time she knew the answer. Akimoto turned and faced the forest again and motioned for her to follow. Hikari's brain was still trying to put the truth of this together into cohesive thought, but her subconscious knew what to do. Hikari followed him down the path, if it wasn't for her continually looking at him, she would have lost Akimoto. He was quiet, he knew the forest and moved like he belonged in the forest. The most absurd thought crossed Hikari's mind, but it had to be the truth, or he wouldn't have asked about the cross.

A swell of energy burst into Hikari, and she broke into a run towards Akimoto. Jumping at him she pretty much blind-side tackled him. The hugest smile on her face ever grew, yes it had to be him. It didn't happen often, but some times when a human died, their spirit came to the SS in a younger form. She had always looked for an Old Man, but he was right there in front of her, or so she thought. Wrapping him in a gentle hug, and nuzzling her face in his back she spoke. "Finally I found you... I found you... I knew if I wore your cross always, one day we would recognize each other! Akimoto, I am so glad I found you!" She was wetting the back of his shirt with her tears of joy. The bliss that she was feeling was totally unexplainable. She was able to fulfill her promise finally.

She realized instantly that she was probably smothering him a bit with the hug, so she retreated back a bit. Kneeling there with her lower legs pointing outwards, she held the Quincy Cross lovingly and looked at Akimoto. She could finally return the cross to him, and apologize for the kill that should never have happened. This little girl, who's eyes were not only filled with joy, but tears, smiled warmly at the previous old man. Then she noticed it, the Zanpakutou on his hip. This made her even happier! He was going to be a Shinigami too!!!

"Aki-chan! You have a Zanpakutou as well! Now I can show you to the Seitreitei and hopefully you can become a Shinigami like me! The voice was cute and playful and so full of joy. How couldn't it be, she thought she had just met the Old Man, now in his younger spirit form, and now looking at him, he was quite handsome as well.

_____________
Words: 457
GP: 9
Total GP: 30

As the path began to wind and twist its way deeper into the forest, Aki began to try and come up with a way to introduce the girl to the old man. He was sort of hard to get through to sometimes. Not that he was dense or anything, but that he was a bit cold at first. Tim was an interesting character, and hanging out with him all the time was helping Akimoto become accustomed to a lot of weird interactions. Nothing that he had experienced with Tim came close to preparing him for what was about to happen.

The young woman was all of a sudden attached to his back, and the both of them were now on the ground. As Aki tried to wrap his brain around what had just happened and why he had just been tackled, she began crying and rambling about how she had found him at last. What she was talking about was way over his head, but he didn't want to ruin her moment. Luckily for him, he didn't have to.

The old man, perfect timing as always, showed up next to them, walking a trail that conjoined with this one. Aki looked at him, Hikari still on his back, and shrugged. As the lady finally pulled himself away from him, the old man spoke. His voice, which was very hushed and calm, almost sounded like the rustling of leaves more than the voice of an old-timer. “Akimoto, what did you bring back with you this time? And why is it covered in tears?” Aki chuckled, “Pops, I think I may have found your long lost cross. My apologies dear Hikari, but I think it is Tim you are looking for, not I.” With that, Aki pointed at the old man, who was covered in furs. His long hair was gray-white, and his beard fell to his navel. There were four parallel scars across the side of his face, indicating some battle from long ago. Around his neck hung a leather cord. The cord had a spot, in the middle, that was a darker color than the rest of it, a marker that something once hung there.

Timothy, showing politeness for the first time since Aki had known him, bowed to the young lady. “What compelled you to follow this rascal into the forest, and what's this about a cross?”


Word Count: 400
GP: 8 (30)

“Pops, I think I may have found your long lost cross. My apologies dear Hikari, but I think it is Tim you are looking for, not I.”

A voice spoke before that, but it didn't register. It brought her to thoughts of the past, a large man, a tall powerful man, yet frail and old at the same time. The feelings came back into her hands, the feeling as Sasanoha sunk deeply into the flesh of the man. She didn't hear the voice before Aki-chan spoke, but her body and mind knew the voice. It was a voice that haunted her, made her afraid, induced feelings of guilt. She heard Aki-chan call this man Tim. Yes Tim was a more fitting name for the old man she had killed. A name that shared the same kindness of his voice. This was the Old Man, it wasn't Aki-chan, it was Tim.

“What compelled you to follow this rascal into the forest, and what's this about a cross?”

She heard the voice again, it was gentle and polite. At first she asked why he would treat her with such politeness, but she knew the answer to that. This man, even if he didn't remember his past would still trust the little girl who took his life. Reluctantly Hikari looked up at the man, though he didn't remember his life among the mortals, Hikari knew that this man was the same man she fought against so long ago. The emotional roller coaster had just ended, and now it was time to get onto another ride. Hikari started to sob, the same tears that she had when she knelled above his shallow grave.

Slowly she undid the chain, the cross was attached to, slowly she re-clasped it, slowly she lifted it up towards Tim, for him to take it. She was finally going to return an item he valued more than life. Hikari couldn't hold it anymore, she had to say it. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry.... s-sorry... " The girls sobs continued, but the apologies slowly faded from any audible sound, until she could only mouth the words. Hikari didn't know if he understood the reason for the tears, but she would accept any punishment for the crime she had committed.

______________
Words: 377
GP: 6
Total GP: 36

The young lady looked up at Timothy and almost immediately burst into tears. These were much different than the ones that had soaked up into the back of Aki's shirt. They were not of joy, but of a deep sadness. Akimoto hear the grief in her voice and wondered what was going on. He knew what she was doing, and was fairly certain he had a grasp on why she was crying, but he was still out of the loop. As her sobs rolled on, she took the cross and held it out towards the old-timer. Aki could do nothing but look at Tim to see what he would do next.

The grizzled old man's eyes seemingly glazed over. He was remembering something, but Aki didn't have the slightest clue as to what. Tim came around again, shaking his head a little bit. The frown upon his face disappeared in an instant, replaced by a warm smile. His wrinkled hands took the chain and cross, and held them for a moment. He then unclasped the chain and, kneeling before the girl, slowly put the chain around her neck, re-clasping it in the back. Tim then swooped Hikari up into his arms, standing back up. As he held her up off the ground in a wonderous embrace, tears formed at the corners of his eyes. As he set her back down, he spoke to her. “Whatever you are sorry for, know that you are forgiven. I need no explanation, nor reasoning. As for the cross... you keep it. You need it more than I do anyways.” His smile widened as he patted her on the head.

Akimoto had no idea what to do. This beautiful scene was unfolding before him, and he felt so out of place. He shouldn't be here, this moment was not for him to share. Then old man brought him into the moment. Tim put his arm around the young man and pulled him close. “Young lady, may I ask that you promise me something? I would like you to promise to take care of this man. Aki is a good lad, but he needs guidance. The kind I know you will be able to give.” Hikari nodded her head in agreement, and in turn, the old man smiled again. Tim released Aki and began to walk back into the forest. As he went, he spoke one last time, “I know you will be able to keep your promise, Hikari Miyazaki. Both of them.”

"Wait, how do you know her name?" Aki said to the old man. Instead of a reply, the old man simply continued walking, vanishing into the forest. Akimoto looked at Hikari, "How does he know your name?"


Word Count: 457
GP: 9 (39)

The small girl was stood up, and the man gently said that there was no reason to apologize and all was forgiven. Hikari could only guess that he didn't remember what she had done to him in his past life. She would accept that apology until he would remember and give her the one in his heart, then again she would apologize for the injustice she committed against him. Tim gently put the cross back around her neck and told her to keep it. Touching as it was, she didn't know if it would be proper, but she would accept the gift unconditionally.

“Young lady, may I ask that you promise me something? I would like you to promise to take care of this man. Aki is a good lad, but he needs guidance. The kind I know you will be able to give. I know you will be able to keep your promise, Hikari Miyazaki. Both of them.”

After the cross was reunited with the Shinigami, Tim spoke surprising words to her. He knew her, and had remembered her fully. The little girls eyes opened wide, and a most surprising thing happened. Something she was even surprised about. She giggled. It wasn't a nervous giggle, not a pretend giggle. This was a giggle that came from her heart, one of pure joy. Her task of gaining forgiveness, returning the cross, everything was now done. Hikari was happy and a weight was lifted from her shoulders. Tim was happy again in his domain, in his home, the forest. With a little jump and a wave she watched him disappear into his kingdom. Tim Ojii-chan! I will! I will keep 'em both!!! She yelled into the forest.

"Wait, how do you know her name?... How does he know your name?"

Hikari would be honest with Aki-chan, she would share with her the burden that she had carried for so long. She hoped that he wouldn't think ill of her, but from the looks of it Aki-chan trusted the old man, and was his friend, so she would trust that he wouldn't think too ill of her. "A long time ago I was sent to the world of the living to cleanse a horrid monster, unfortunately I was too late in killing it. One of Tim's traps killed it. Well at the time he had some trust issues, I think due to his past when he was a younger human, but we ended up fighting. It was a rough battle, and we had both sustained quite a bit of injury." Hikari turned to Aki and opened her kimono slightly so he could see the injury. There was a large deep slash like scar starting at the tip of her shoulder, then went down in a cross like way. It continued down further you could tell, but Hikari wasn't going to show this man her chest. The other scar was ugly, and deep. It was a crater on the silky smooth skin, that Hikari had, right below her clavicle. This one was definitely caused by a sword like object, and left the skin cauterized and marred. These were the tokens of her battle with Tim, her penance to always remind her of her sin. "I ended up killing him, but we couldn't stop fighting even though we saw eye to eye, and trusted each other. Our honor dictated that we end the battle in one of our deaths. I have been seeking him out so I could ask for him to forgive me for taking his life, and give him back his Mekkyaku.... And you know what? I have done it now, but it looks like I have yet another promise to keep, and it is you!" Hikari closed up her kimono, and turned to walk away, this time offering her hand to Aki-chan.

_____________
Words: 651
GP: 13
Total GP: 49

((OOC: Sorry it took so long, I had a lot of stuff come up at once. Also, sorry about the shoddiness of the post, I write better when we are doing our 'back and forth' posting.))


Disappering into the woods, the old man left Akimoto and Hikari alone once more. The blond Shinigami had no idea what to do next, his confusion filling his mind to the point that he could hardly think. So many questions, so little answers. How did they know each other? Why did she have his cross? All the questions he had faded away, however, when the young girl began giggling. It wasn't a creepy sort of giggle, but it wasn't a nervous one either. Aki knew elation when he heard it, and this was definitely one of those types of giggle. She was extremely happy about something, and Aki was dying to find out.

Hikari turned to him and began telling him a tale of how she had met Tim in the world of the living. How they fought against one another, and how the old man's inability to trust was part of the reason they were fighting. At this point she fully turned to face him, and began opening her kimono. Aki felt a bead of sweat form on his brow, and began blushing profusely. Why was she opening her kimono like that? Then he saw the scars. She showed him the battle marks that had been acquired in her fight with the old man. They looked very serious, and Aki realized how intense the fight must have been.

She finished telling Akimoto about how she had to kill him, because pride dictated he couldn't stop. Aki smiled a bit, that sounded like the old-timer. Her mission of finding the man to ask forgiveness and return his cross complete, she now had another promise to fulfill, him. What was that supposed to mean? Hikari closed her kimono and, turning to leave, offered her hand to him. Aki took it and began following her through the forest. She was obviously happier than before, her steps filled with joy. Aki was curious as to what he was bieng taken away for, and if there would be food there. “Where are we going Hikari,” he inquired, head tilted to the side a bit, “and what do you plan on doing?” His stomach growling voraciously again, he added, “Also, will there be food there?”


Word Count: 373
GP: 7 (46)

Hikari didn’t quite understand the blushing, but the stomach growl, she did understand. Covering her mouth with her free hand, she muffled the giggling. It wasn’t a surprise where she was taking him, but Hikari supposed that a good meal would be a better thing to announce to him for now. Then she would be able to talk about the Spiritual Arts Academy to him while they ate some lunch.

”Well first I think it will be in order to get you some food. There is a restaurant that I love to go to, but it is a bit of a walk. You don’t mind do you?” Both answers would mean the same thing to Hikari, and that was meal time at this little Raman shop outside of the 15th district of the Rukongai. Of course she would treat him to the meal; he probably hadn’t had a meal like this since he had died.

On the way down to the shop Hikari hummed a cute little tune, and timed the swinging of Aki-chan’s arm and hers to the beat of the tune. It looked as if this man was taking his little sister out to town. At least that is what Hikari thought it would look like, but for some reason this man still looked a bit flushed in the face. Of course Hikari didn’t have much clue when it came to male/female relationships; she had never really had one of those. She had heard about it once and it sounded absurd to her, she didn’t understand the flighty feelings that made these girls act the way they did. She was a warrior, so in turn acting like this would hamper her duties, and her focus, so she just passed it off as a stupid girly thing.

After a good hour long walk, they had finally gotten to the Raman shop. The smell of the noodles and the Shiru oozed into Hikari’s nose, and in reply her stomach let out a slight growl. The little girl and the tall blonde man sat down at one of the outer seats. It didn’t take long for the shop owner to come out and greet Hikari by name. He looked over to the man and put up his hand, only showing his pinky finger, to this Hikari laughed. ”Haha! Nope Eijii 0jii-chan! Just a recruit, I am picking up the bill so let him order what he wants, oh and my normal please.” The old shop owner produced a wooden menu and handed it to Aki-chan. As he handed it to him, he gave this man a wink, to which Hikari just thought it to be a form of silent male bonding.

______________
Words: 450
GP: 9
Total GP: 58

Hikari asked him if he minded that they go eat at a restaurant she liked. Without waiting for a response, she drug him along, obviously not caring about what he wanted. Not that it mattered, as he wanted to eat anyways. They were headed in the direction of the lower numbered districts, which Aki found quite appealing. It was about time he got out of the slums. He had lived there far too long and needed the adventure. The food was probably really good in these districts too. Man, was he hungry.

As the two of them walked, Hikari began to hum a cute little melody. Akimoto found it very appealing, and was going to ask her about it when she began swinging their arms to the beat. Struggling to not laugh a bit, Aki began to blush. This girl was parading them around like a couple, but seemed oblivious to the fact. She looked a little too old for being a child, and most people would just assume they were dating or something since they looked nothing alike. Not that Aki would mind. Hikari was a very cute girl, and she seemed nice enough.

After quite the walk they came across a raman shop in one of the districts closer to the Seireitei. Fifteen, was it? As they seated themselves a man came over, calling out to the young girl by name. He made a gesture, which Aki couldn't quite see, and Hikari laughed. She told the man that Aki was a recruit. Immediately, Akimoto's mind began to race. What was she recruiting him for? Why hadn't she told him? Was this a part of her promise to Tim? The man handed him a menu and winked at him. Just going with the flow, the blond haired man nodded at the owner (at least he assumed it was), and told him to bring another bowl of whatever Hikari was having.

Waiting for the food to arrive, Aki couldn't help but ask, “What exactly am I a recruit of, and why does the man think we are a couple?”


Word Count: 350
GP: 7 (53)

“What exactly am I a recruit of, and why does the man think we are a couple?”

The old man smiled as he walked back to the shop to make their dinner. While she watched him disappear into the back kitchen area, Aki-chan asked tow questions, one of which she was going to answer, the other throwing her off kilter a bit. Without meaning to let it slip, she blushed and covered her mouth. "A couple? Huh?" Embarrassed by this a bit, she took a pair of chopsticks and plopped them in her mouth, trying to hide her uncharacteristic blush. After a while of not being able to look at Aki-chan, she shrugged her shoulders. Thinking that as the motions of finality, she regathered herself and answered the first question.

"Well you see, you have spiritual powers, thus why you have that Zanpakutou." Hikari pointed at the katana resting at his side. "I am taking you to the Spiritual Arts Academy in order to turn you into a Shinigami. That was the second promise Tim asked me to do. He wants me to show you how to harness your powers, and eventually get you into a squad where you can use those powers to protect the world from the monsters we call Hollows." Hikari didn't care if most of this stuff went over his head, he would learn most of it in his own time in the Spiritual Arts Academy.

The food had finally arrived, both bowls the size of a mixing saucer, chuck full of noodles, shrimp, beef, and Komoboko (compressed Cod, or aka steamed fish paste.). This meal looked wonderful to Hikari and she plucked the chopsticks from her mouth and started to dig in. Midway though her first few bites she asked Aki-chan another question. "So what's its name?" Pointing at the sword with her chopsticks.

____________
Words: 307
GP: 6
Total GP: 64

Akimoto couldn't help smiling at the expression that flooded Hikari's face when he mentioned the word 'couple'. Her cheeks flushed while she put her chopsticks into her mouth to try and hide it. It was kind of cute to watch, this girl being embarrassed. Aki liked it, she should do it more often. She seemed to mumble to herself, “A couple? Huh?” She couldn't even look at him, let alone answer him.

Once she finally got a hold of herself, she began describing what she was recruiting him for. There was something called the Spiritual Arts Academy. Obviously that was where they were headed after their meal. She wanted to train him, or have other people train him, to become a Shinigami and protect people from Hollows. He knew what Hollows were, and had fought a few before. Hikari was basically going to take him and make him into a Hollow killing machine. Aki was okay with that. Then he could protect his friends. All of them.

The old man came back, delivering their food to them in large bowls. It smelled absolutely beautiful, and Akimoto couldn't wait to dig in. He grabbed his chopsicks and began popping delicious morsels into his mouth. His taste-buds were swimming in flavor, and he wanted to thank the man who delivered his food to him. Alas, he was already gone, he had disappeared into the back to continue working. Hikari looked up at him, pointing her chopsticks at his Zanpakuto. “So what's its name?”

Aki looked down at his hip, where his Zan was sheathed. “Her name is Masshirona Seishin. She is like a sister to me. We have been through quite a lot together. What is the name of your Zanpakuto?” Aki looked at Hikari, almost forgetting about his meal. He smiled warmly at her, waiting for her response. He liked talking to her. She was a lot nicer than most of the people he was used to talking to again.


Word Count: 332
GP: 6 (59)

“Her name is Masshirona Seishin. She is like a sister to me. We have been through quite a lot together. What is the name of your Zanpakuto?”

That was a nice name, and Hikari liked it a lot, and to think that he had a relationship with her like that. She on the other hand looked down at her lazy Zanpakutou. Their relationship was built out of respect and love, she would consider him being like the annoyingly wise, lazy, perverted, old man master. With a smile she looked at Sasanoha. All though their relationship was strong and unbreakable, they fought like older and younger siblings and this was something that Hikari wouldn't trade for the whole world.

"This here is Sasanoha. He is more like an annoying pest to me, but he is by far one of the only people I trust with my life. Without him and his teachings, I don't think I would have been able to survive this long." Hikari reverently rubbed the polished wood of her Zanpakutou. All though it looked like a polished bamboo stock and had no guard, anyone could tell that this Zanpakutou held a lot of power. "Well I don't suppose you have gotten your first release, your shikai have you. You will learn about that later, but yeah,..."

The cute girl sitting across from Aki-chan seemed to get lost in thought, or remembering things that happened in the past, her eyes shined with happiness, sadness, frustration, grief, and strength all at once. One wouldn't be able to deny that she had gone through a lot with this blade, not after seeing her look at her blade in such a way. Breaking from the visions of her past, she started to eat again, the food seemed to disappear in a flash. Holding up the bowl, that was now almost dry, in one hand above her head she proclaimed she needed another.

"Aki-chan, you can have more as well! It is on me, so don't hold back! Hikari proclaimed to this man happily. The old man came back, picked up her empty bowl and looked at Akimoto to see if he was ready for another.

______________
Words: 363
GP: 7
Total GP: 71

"This here is Sasanoha. He is more like an annoying pest to me, but he is by far one of the only people I trust with my life. Without him and his teachings, I don't think I would have been able to survive this long." 

Akimoto admired that kind of relationship. His was one more along the lines of him ans his Zan learning together, or at least that is how Masshirona played it out to be. He knew that she was more wise than she let on, but he savored the thought that they were both on the path of knowledge. As he looked at her Zanpakuto, he smiled. It looked more like a fancy stick than a sword, but looks are most often deceiving. He knew that the Zan at her hip would probably decimate him if they were to begin combat at this instant.

The eyes of the girl sitting across from him seemed to glaze over. Hikari was obviously lost in thought, and Aki did not wish to disturb her. He quietly finished his meal, and waited for her to come back to reality. I a whirl, she snapped back to the present and downed what was left of her bowl, holding it up for the old man to bring more. Aki politely refused, as his meal had filled him up quite nicely. As another bowl was brought to the young lady, Aki couldn't help but ask. “What is this Shikai you speak of? Masshirona has not yet spoken of it to me, and I am now curious. For that matter, I am curious about a lot of what you have told me. I would very much like to see this 'Academy' when we are done, if that would be alright with you.”

He smiled again at the girl, who now had begun on her second helping. Even when she was lost in thought, or voraciously devouring a bowl of raman, she was very cute. Especially when she blushed. Still, however he believed there was something she wasn't telling him. She had a secret, and he wanted to know it. Better to just drop it and leave it alone, lest he get himself into trouble again. That was something he absolutely didn't want. Trouble with a Shinigami.

Handing his empty bowl to the old man, he added “You are very cute by the way.”


Word Count: 400
GP: 8 (67)

“What is this Shikai you speak of? Masshirona has not yet spoken of it to me, and I am now curious. For that matter, I am curious about a lot of what you have told me. I would very much like to see this 'Academy' when we are done, if that would be alright with you.”

She wished that someone had talked to her about the different releases of her Zanpakutou before entering the Academy, so she didn't shy way from the question. "Your Zanpakutou has 3 different phases, meaning it transforms into three different types of weapons, well kinda, it really depends on the Zanpakutou. Each level has an increased level of power. The Shikai, or second release, is the next form it can take. When you reach shikai you will gain additional powers. Here let me show you." Even though it wasn't advisable for shinigami to release their Zanpakutou, she wasn't in the Seireitei, so there wouldn't be any consequence to her releasing her Shikai. Hikari wouldn't put her full strength into the release either.

Silently she said the release phrase, and Sasanoha changed. The wooden sword with no guard turned into a standard looking Katana. The sheath was a shiny metalic black and much thinner than a standard katana, with the hilt in matching colors, but wrapped in white ties. The guard was a celtic knot made of bamboo. Hikari pulled out the blade and showed him that it was no longer a metal blade, but a wooden one. It looked like a ceremonial bokuden, then she sheathed it quickly and resealed it. The power of reiatsu was still powerful enough to gain the attention and fear of some of the residents of the area. Once they saw this little girl they let down their guard, luckily Hikari was familiar in this area and had helped out many of these people with one thing or another.

"That is my shikai, and as you could tell, even with me putting no spiritual pressure into the sword, it was much more powerful. The next phase is the final and second release. This is called a Bankai, and something that not many have mastered. I cannot tell you how to gain this second release, because it is up to your Masshirona Seishin to decide how to reach that level. No one will release their bankai to show people, due to the fact that the amount of spiritual pressure needed to release it would level this town." Hikari patted Sasanoha's sheath, then put it back into the small of her back. She wouldn't tell Aki-chan that she had reached bankai some time ago. It was a power that many sought after, but without the right training, the consequences would prove to be lethal.

Hikari felt like a teacher and it felt kind of annoying. Hikari was a warrior, a person who talked with her blade and her strength, not with words. She decided to let it pass, and continue to answer all of his questions the best she could. If Tim trusted him, and wanted her to lead him down a path that would be better for him, then she would do without complaint, and do it right. Vowing this to herself once more, she was broke to the normal world once it again, this time by seven simple words.

“You are very cute by the way.”

Good thing she didn't have any food in her mouth at that moment, or Aki-chan would have been wearing it now. For some odd reason her heart skipped a beat, and she could feel the blood rush to her head. Hikari had never really had anyone tell her that. She was of course by far the scariest female Shinigami in the Court Guard, and considered by many to be a ruthless, blood loving monster. Due to this anyone who did think her to be cute kept it to themselves, thinking it wise to just keep that opinion in their head. To say Hikari was totally embarrassed was a huge understatement, she was beat red, from neck to ears. Hikari had to admit to herself she was still a girl, no matter how much of a tough warrior she was. Aki-chan had just told her she was cute and had no way to defend herself from the redness.

The red colored girl put her hands in her lap and looked down. Not even knowing how to correctly respond to this she sat there in silence waiting for her food. Deciding the silence was even more awkward she spoke with a shaky small voice. "Th-Thank.... You."

_____________
Words: 771
GP: 15
Total GP: 86

 "Your Zanpakutou has 3 different phases, meaning it transforms into three different types of weapons, well kinda, it really depends on the Zanpakutou. Each level has an increased level of power. The Shikai, or second release, is the next form it can take. When you reach shikai you will gain additional powers. Here let me show you."

With that the young girl muttered a few words which caused her sword to transform. The blade was pulled from its sheath, and instead regular looking blade made of metal, it was almost like a bamboo sword. It had a guard made of bamboo as well. The sheath had changed as well. It was now a very shiny metallic black, and had a few white ties upon it. Aki looked on in amazement, but at the same time, he had a hard time breathing. It was like something very heavy was placed upon his entire body, and he wasn't sure how to get it off. At this point it almost hurt, and he was about to ask what was going on when Hikari re-sheathed the blade and the feeling went away.

Hikari spoke once again, "That is my shikai, and as you could tell, even with me putting no spiritual pressure into the sword, it was much more powerful. The next phase is the final and second release. This is called a Bankai, and something that not many have mastered. I cannot tell you how to gain this second release, because it is up to your Masshirona Seishin to decide how to reach that level. No one will release their bankai to show people, due to the fact that the amount of spiritual pressure needed to release it would level this town." Aki was intrigued by the thought of this 'Bankai', and immediately wanted to know more. He did not want to force her to answer any more of his silly questions, however, and so he kept his inquiries to himself. Instead he decided to point out the obvious, “You are very cute by the way.”

The girl immediately flushed, her entire face becoming red. Aki smiled again, as it amused him that she was so easy to fluster. She put her hands in her lap and looked down. She stuttered out a quick and unsure 'thank you', and continued trying to hide her blushing. Akimoto reached across the table and, with one finger, lifted her chin very slowly. He didn't want her to hide anymore. “There's no reason to hide that beautiful face of yours Hikari. It was a simple observation.” With that, he looked her dead in the eye, and smiled one of the warmest smiles he had ever smiled.


Word Count: 451
GP: 9 (76)