Bleach the Winding road

[Vace]

(note all lines in ittalics is the story in first person, while the rest which is not ittalics is in 3rd person, you will realize the viewpoint of the story will change from time to time.)
Chapter One- The Slums
Vace opened the door into Urahara shop. The rain outside was violent as well as the wind. He carefully took off his soaking coat and placed it on a table next to the main door while walking inside. He looked around to see no lights on or sign of anyone looking over the shop, thus leading him to believe that Urahara was out, which he was.
Vace walked over to a set of sliding doors into Uraharas usually quest waiting room to wait for him. He had been called to the store on business matters, and knowing that to be the reason saw that it truly was urgent.
Vace slid open the door to the dark guest room only to find something truly odd. Laying all rolled up inside a sleeping bag was a bright red headed kid.
Almost immediately he noticed that the kid was out cold, not like in a coma, but from something else. Vace started to use his senses, realizing that the boys soul was recovering from loss of Shinigami powers. Upon noticing this he realizes what he has been called for and takes a seat next to the boy.
Vace places his head on the boys forehead and realizes it is almost dead cold and removes it. The first sign of his recovery is shown thus he relaxes and slumps back a bit.
The rain can be heard echoing through all of the shop and thunder starts to crackle as lighting shoots from the sky.
Vace looked down at the odd haired kid and decided that since he had time he would make the most of it.
Vace- I see you lost your Shinigami stature Kid. That’s never a fun thing, been there and done that. I can’t begin to understand why, but judging from the Spirit Energy I sensed it was Byakuya who did this. Man things sure have changed, you wouldn’t believe it but I remember when he was first starting out as a captain. I may not look old to you but I am just a tad bit younger than Urahara. Id also say I am stronger than him to, but he would lecture me and probably force me to go do Shunpo till my feet bleed or I passed out from exhaustion. Those were some times I’ll tell you… Come to think of it why am I telling you… Here I am, a sad old man talking to himself in the dark waiting for that damned Urahara to come back. Hell maybe I am becoming senile or something. Well since you are out cold and wont be up for a while I guess I can tell you something about being a Shinigami bred and raised in Soul Society. Besides what else am I gonna do, knowing Urahara all his magazines are dated and his board games are probably missing pieces, damned old fool. So anyway where was I? Oh yes where to start.
I guess the only place to start when telling a story is from the beginning. Like all souls I was reborn into soul society and remember absolutely nothing about my life before going there. I guess that is just how it is, but I don’t regret it for if It had gone any differently I may not be the man I am today. I was reborn into Rukongai, but sadly I was born into district 79. If you know anything about anything of Rukongai you know that the higher the number the worse it is. I was born into the second worst district around and everyone knew it. I don’t remember much about the first years except I was raised in and out of bars and whore houses. Its hard to believe that the place up in the sky has those, but sure enough anywhere you have men I guess you will have one of those. The earliest I can really recall is when I was around the age of 4 or at least I think I was 4.
I recall this moment because it is when I realized I was different than other kids, or even people. The bar I happened to be living in at the time was being attacked by looters who had come by for a quick snag. It was ironic because after looting many times criminals would go back the next day and act as if nothing happened. Even spending money they had previously stolen to buy items. This was because law was so poor, and the Shinigami never really cared or meddled into the affairs of the ass end of Rukongai.
Id try and make the place look lighter or nicer but it really was nothing more than the end of the road, and a living wasteland of lowlifes and drunks.
As I recal there were 5 in the gang and each was stronger in all aspect to the owner who was an older burly man who ran the bar with his daughter who watched over most of it. The men had drawn weapons and were ready to strike when suddenly I had realized what was going on and lit up into a blue haze. Upon seeing this they instantly freaked and bolted. That probably surprised me more than the fact that I was glowing, which you must admit is odd on anyone’s own accord.
I latter would learn that it was my Spirit energy and I had lots of it, enough to get me into Seritei and Gotei 13, yet I never once thought about it in my younger years. This is because I was to busy learning how to fend for my life.
It wasn’t that I was a skilled fighter, It was that I was quick. I could hit a decent sized opponent about 5 times before he could retaliate which led to me having an upper hand. This I had always practiced on being fast and ran a lot. This was needed unless I ever by chance tried to bite off more than I could actually chew.
I learned that having a lot of Spiritual energy wasn’t only a blessing but a curse because it meant people would associate me with Shinigami, and in district 79 Shinigami where despised among many other things. It led to a lot of unneeded conflict and quarrels that would never end until one faithful day.
Usually I was known as a muscle for hire. I was unusual since instead of the usual people who would steal to make ends meat. I in tern was a kind more quiet man whose friends were relatively older than me. I would help others out in turn for getting help and favors. This is how I earned places to stay and food to eat. I was find with the arrangement, although I would have much rather had a place to call a home, and some real friends. Yet when you live in such a place as I had you tend to worry only on what problems are present at the time. Thus all I would worry about was getting food and a place to stay while just being a drifter.
I guess fortune for my good deeds would come in the form of Karma for all my bad Karma led to a very important time in my life, the day I was discovered.
For the most part I had a lot of spiritual energy and it seemed to always gradually grow. With this I had taught myself and spent countless days in meditation learning to control my Spirit energy so I wouldn’t stick out in any way. You could say I was rather proficient at it, to the point where it would latter surprise some older and wiser Shinigami.
I was drifting by the outer parts of the district when chance would have it that there was a man running while being chassed by two others. I noticed at once there difference than normal residents, they were dressed in soul reaper attire.
The man who was running had a huge lead and seemed to be faster and usually I never even looked toward a Shinigami, but this time something inside me stirred me on to help. Thus when I felt the need to I would go off Impulse.
The parts that happened next are as clear as day and happened accordingly.

The Shinigami chased the other one who was out in the lead. He seemed to be using cheep tactics and used innocent bystanders as ways to dodge attacks and swung around them rather quickly as to try and dart out of sight. Sadly the two Shinigami who were chasing him were not slow by any means and were easily behind him.

Vace stood near the edge of town sweeping outside of a local shop which had housed him. He moved the broom back and forth without real relative care to anything happening till he felt something, a disturbance of Spirit energy coming toward him.

Vace jumped from the way and barley managed to dodge a lightning quick fireball of Reitsu that had been launched toward him. He didn’t jump till a bit late which caused him to land all awkward and off balance falling over and hitting hi head on a tree.

Vace got up slowly and whipped the blood from his eyes. He looked back to see the shop up in smoke.
Rushing toward the shop almost instantly he stopped short as he realized the feeling of Reitsu disappearing, which could only mean one thing, they had been killed.

Filled with anger Vace looked over to see in a small clearing where everyone else had moved to avoid getting hurt two Shinigami were taking on another. The two had their Zanpakuto’s drawn while the other one continued to use Kido.

At first he didn’t do anything, just letting the anger and lust for vengeance fill him as the two other Shinigami fell easily to the others attacks.
Vace caught his eye once and could see the cold and callous gleam which had seemed to fill them and instantly couldn’t take it anymore. As much as he had practiced, and as good as he had always been at hiding his Reitsu he could no longer contain it from his anger.

Meanwhile the other two Shinigami fell after a barrage of Kido and the man who they had been chasing just dusted off his cloths and was about ready to walk away when he felt something, something which made shocked him.
A high Reitsu was being summoned, and it wasn’t from him. The man turned to stare the now blue glowing Vace who had rage filled in his eyes and his fists now closed.

Normally a Shinigami with training wouldn’t fear any such act for anyone challenging a Shinigami from Rukongai would easily fall, but Vace was an acceptation. His Reitsu was much larger than a normal applicant at the Soul Academy, and his rage had clouded his mind.

The Shinigami was preparing for an assault when before he knew it Vace had dashed toward him in what seemed like an instant. It was of course no Shunpo technique but it was way to fast for any normal nobody from Rukongai.

Vace had begun hitting him in the face and kicking him hard into the stomach. One even drilled the man so much that he feel over in pain, but before he could get a real rest Vace had once again thrown himself on top of him in a fury of punches and kicks.

The onslaught continued for another minute before the Shinigami found a break and drew his Zanpakuto and stabbed Vace in the shoulder. Vace hung on the end of the mans sword in intolerable pain before the man flung him off to the side.

Shinigami- Look like you got lucky with that surprise attack you useless wasted soul, but nothing of your Reitsu can survive a single cut from m-

Before the Shinigami could finish the sentence Vace had opened his eyes which flickered wildly form the pain and his body started to glow out of control, so much that his body rose form the ground. The blue spirit energy flickered and flowed from him like wild flames and they licked the sides of the Shinigami’s drawn sword.

The Shinigami took a step back and started to sweat as Vace stayed floating and his Reitsu kept rising. Then in one final instant it stopped its rapid flow and then ignited.

The explosion reached out across much of the street blowing things near and far from there place on the ground. After the blue energy had stopped from coming there was nothing else but debris and dust kicking up from all directions from where Vace had been. Then in what seemed like an instant the violent wind and debris had stopped and the are was just left in a hazy layer of dirt which seemed to cover the ground.

In the immediate area Vace lay in a crater completely unconscious and the Shinigami who had assaulted him was missing half of his arm and his Zanpakuto was completely gone.

There was a few moments of nothing as the sound of t he kicking dust ceased and the sound of crickets rose in the cool night air till two men walked out from their place of hiding in the forest. The two men had been watching the entire ordeal from the sidelines and hadn’t shown themselves till now.
The first one had black short hair and the remains of some facial hair on his chin which appeared to be ill treated. To his side was a Zanpakuto and he wore a big white coat over his black Kimono which on the back had the number 10 written out in a diamond. The other man was wearing a similar coat with the number 12 on his back instead. He had dirty blond hair which seemed to cover his head in a mess of a way. He also carried a cane as we walked as opposed to the other one who wore a sword to his side.
The two men looked down at Vace and over to the barley breathing and patting Shinigami.

Urahara- My my Isshin looks like that was quite a show now don’t you think.
The black haired man looked down at Vace again and knelt over to feel his head which was cold.

Isshin- Looks like he released a lot of Spirit energy when his body isn’t use to handling that much.

Urahara- Still for just a kid from Rukongai he does seem to have quite a bit of spirit energy to throw around.

Isshin- Humm seems like he always has yet since his body has constantly strained to hide it when he let it loose he couldn’t handle it.

Urahara- At least he was able to hold some of it back or that explosion could have reached us.

Isshin- What are you complaining about, you would hide behind that lovely blood wall of yours while I would take it like a man.

Urahara gave a friendly smile toward Isshin realizing he had only been kidding and then diverted his attention to the other Shinigami.
Isshin- What of that one?

Urahara- He was on the run from my squad members when I discovered he had been attempting to access secret files in my database.

Isshin- On what?

Urahara- If I told you then they wouldn’t be secret would they?

Isshin- Well if you cant tell your best friend who can you tell?

Urahara- My Zanpakuto, its more man than you to talk to.
This was an obvious slam to Isshin for he knew that Uraharas Zanpakuto spirit was a female as he had told him countless times, even making reference to its gender by calling it old girl all the time.

Isshin- What of this kid?

Urahara- I say we take him to the Shinigami Academy, don’t you agree?

Isshin- Yea but some straggling bum from Rukongai 79th district, you know how the underclass is treated in that place. I mean do you think he will make it?

Urahara- Are you saying we don’t do anything, If I recall correctly Isshin we are both from Rukongai, and look at us now, Captains.

Isshin- That is true, who would have thought all those years ago we would be here now.

Urahara- I say we give him a chance, who knows maybe we will end up benefiting from this sometime in the future.

Isshin- Please tell me you wont experiment on him.

Urahara gave a half assed smile toward Isshin at the joke about his department and then reached into a pocket and flicked a little clicker. From the shadow came a small boy with white hair. The Boy had a Zanpakuto slung over his shoulder and an arm band with the number 10 on it.

Isshin- Toshiro could you please call up a few members from the squad and begging sweeping the area and taking in the traitor to the cell’s.

Toshiro- Yes sir…

Urahara- Something seems to be getting to you young Toshiro.

Toshiro- It is nothing, but this boy…

Isshin- Don’t worry about him my hardy Leutenant, ee is to be taken to the
Shinigami Academy for processing.

Toshiro- Processing?

Urahara- His Spirit energy is something seldom seen isn’t it. Usually someone who has this much at this age on the outside has been found by now by soul society. He is young but he will soon grow up, and into a fine Shinigami.

Toshiro- But he is so untamed and rabid.

Urahara- Precisely, that is why he needs schooling, that is the way of things.

Urahara picked Vace up from the ground with one hand and tossed him over to Isshin who caught him barley, being caught almost entirely off guard.

Isshin- Hey what was that for?

Urahara- If I remember correctly it was I last time who carried what we needed is it not.

Isshin- What! you dumb ass we both carried it and taking the kid to the
Shinigami Academy was your idea.

Urahara- Really you wouldn’t let someone such as I with back problems to have to carry to much weight.

Isshin- To much weight look at this kid, he looks half starved, and besides you don’t really have back problems your damn Zanpakuto is a cane sword, thus why you hold a cane all the time.

Urahara- Ah I guess it cant be helped.

Urahara dashed off into the darkness using the flash step technique. Isshin groaned and placed Vace over his back before dashing off in pursuit. Toshiro just stood there still a bit confused yet not really thinking to much before walking over to the traitor and whistling which revealed some other members from his squad who surrounded him and started to check out the scene.
I don’t remember much of the next day only the first look I gave myself while looking into of the mirror of the room I had awoken in. the clothing I was wearing didn’t fit my body at all and was all rather large, and considering that I was rather scrawny and my hair covered almost my entire head I kinda looked like a joke. I woke up to find myself being stared down on by and old man and Urahara himself who for some reason had taken an interest in my case.

All he did was stare at to me and say hello in one of the weirdest ways which really had caught me quite off guard. I slumped back a bit and got up.
I sat there for what seemed like hours listening to both the old man and Urahara talk about me and my special abilities. It was hard to concentrate or recall anything because all I felt was delirious.

After that I only remember a feeling of repetitive movements. I was led down the same white hall countless times to different room to meet other people. Most of them where old with an exception of a few younger ones. This went on for half of a day and usually the just would talk about my high spiritual presence and my odd ability and knack for being able to control the flow of it for my age, and without any training prior. Then suddenly I was whisked away from that building across to another one which was different and had lots of other kids my age running around in it. I can remember Urahara being praised and bowed at by everyone and as I was led on by him there was countless chatter that followed. I knew that they were talking and most likely spreading rumors about me, but I was to delirious to really care.
The next room that he led me to was a bed room. The room was near the end of a long hall and it had little in it. It was a basic square room with a bed a closet, a small white desk and chair, and also a rectangular window. On the bed was a few sets of robes and on the table were countless books. Urahara said something, yet I forget what he said and then he was gone.
I guess it was at this time it really sank in, and it finally came to me I was to become a Shinigami. I don’t remember much else of that day, but for the first time in my life I can say I felt accomplished, I felt like I had a purpose and that feeling is the greatest feeling I had ever felt.

[Ai]

its a story...seriously write more...but maybe change the way you show how they talk..its kinda annoying..

[Vace]

Chapter Two- Schoolside Blues

One would usually expect anyone from Rukongai to dislike school and to give up first chance they got, but I was different. I wasn’t there to get stronger or to kill better, I was there to learn. Growing up in a district where books are only seen as wastes of money and blood is more valued than a weeks worth of labor, I guess it made me weird.

I spent most of my days alone to studying and flipping through pages of a book as if they were days and moments in my life. Many people walked past me without notice to a scrawny kid like me. I look back and I don’t blame them. My scrawny arms and legs barley allowing the dress robes I had been given to stay up on my body. Also my hair which seemed to cover my head in all directions was like an ill fit rug which dangled over my face and covered most of my eyes.

I found myself to be the ridicule of jokes from other kids, but didn’t mind it much. Some girls who had been looked at to be nerdy like me found comfort in my lack of care, and sometimes would seldom talk to me or come to my room to discuss notes on a previous class. I was fine with the company and really wasn’t to judgmental of anyone, well yet that is.

I had realized the gist of this place and by spending time there I had realized that there were social groups in which one was always associated with no matter what, which is true for any school on any part of any planet.

At the top of the chain was the nobles who were sons, and daughters of Noble families and are the most respected and praised at the academy. They are usually the most popular due to their status. If anything you can compare them to jocks and rich kids which they practically where, or in other words assholes.

Next you had the royal families. Royal families worked a lot like the Noble families but were not as high up as them. They were either the same way or more mellow which was a nice relaxation. I could get along with them on seldom occasion, but most of them were still just bad excuses for living souls.

Then you had the high commoners. High commoners were determined over all others. They were from well known or high districts of Rukongai and were well appraised. They typically became book worms, bullies, or nothing more than slackers.

And finally the group which I was associated with, the low life’s although I can’t really say I fit in. These kids loved to fight, and had always found pleasure in bullying, taking, and scarring everyone who wasn’t with them. There were few of them, but those that were there were just brutal savages, which on this planet I guess you can call them rednecks. In comparison I was far and way below them, for I was from the same place but was not even brutish. I was way to flimsy but I at least had strength.

I guess it is what made me realize after so long that the reason why I was so strong was not for my physical strength which one could easily notice I lacked, but for my high spirit energy. It had just taken me a lot longer to notice I guess.

I had found within 4 months I had established a lot of close friends which I would keep for a long time to come.

The first was surprisingly a Royal family member by the name of Intake Toshino. He was praised highly for his father who was a real wealthy man. He was not a big jock but ill admit he was rather full of himself. Sadly he was frowned down upon because he wasn’t exactly to bright, but I found that through him I would slowly become more popular and with my help he would become smarter. This system seemed to work out for us and around him I found I was more relaxed and finally acting like a kid.

Another friend of mine went by the name of Kacari Zensho. He had a knack for getting into trouble, not for his attitude but for being a relative smart ass all of the time. He also had a family of Royals from which he hailed, but they sadly had a bad rep which caused many to poke fun at him. If anything he was the guy who just didn’t fit in with his group and was rather smart for his age, more so than even me. I had found that he read books more than I did and that he constantly got in trouble for reading books out of our level.

The final person to entwine herself into our group was Intake Toshino’s Girlfriend Tentake Flay. Flay was from the higher parts of Rukongai so she was the closest one in the group to me. She was rather loud mouthed and self reliant, usually beating up people who didn’t agree with her. How Toshino ever got her to be so lady like around him is beyond me, but I didn’t care because they were happy. She would be the one who surprisingly would push me to be more of a man. It was ironic because it was coming from the least manly of us all, a woman.

They were my real core of friends and even though I had others they were who I would hold onto for most of the years at the academy.

Repetition in living seemed apparent. Years would come and go and when summer time rolled around everyone was off to home except for me and Flay. We were orphans and with no home, family, or real place to go. We found that during the two breaks in a year summer and winter we were constantly training.

Flay and I would go on long runs, and lift weights. Also we would take some time in practicing our hand to hand combat. We would study what we could and from our dorm rooms we practically roamed the deserted school as if we were Captains and this was the part of Seritei which we resided in. We sometimes would even run around in the forest just outside the school and fight with sticks pretending that they were our Zanpaku-to’s. This was funny to us latter and when one got a huge stick or a weird shaped one we would always describe it as us calling out its name and it turning into Shikai form. She would always give it a name but I never did for I wasn’t like her. I didn’t want to pretend anymore that I had a Zanpaku-to, I wanted my own with its own real name.
Year passed and soon we were out of basic and on to the real deal, the classes that would train us to become real Shinigami. I was now 16 and I had after all the years of training and pushing myself finally grown up and filled out my body. This was something that not only I had relatively noticed.

My hair was still very long and bushy and covered my head as it had before, but I was no longer scrawny and I had a body to fill out my uniform. I hadn’t really noticed it and don’t want to sound conceded but I had become rather attractive and was now catching the eyes of many females my own age, and tons of them from the lower classes.

Now I had my share of girlfriends in my time, but none really meant much and the relationships were rather typical, but there was one girl which through my four years of schooling I had continued to notice. Her name was Tetsoko Miako, and she was in my class.

Sadly due to my relative shyness around her for the past four years I had only seldom admired her from afar and she had rarely ever noticed a scrawny little kid like me, but now I wasn’t what I use to be. Some of her close friends had even mentioned me to her once or twice for they had taken notice of me, but I wasn’t interested in them, I was interested in her.

I can remember one day that fall in which we really started talking.


Vace was walking outside and near the fountain of his dorm building where he sat and pulled from his sleeve a small black book. On the cover it read simplicity and he thumbed through a few of his entries and studies. This book was used to keep track of things he had learned while training, and were his most important notes compared to any of the others.

While thumbing through the pages a slip of paper which he had left between the pages of the book flew from its place and Vace got up and clumsily chased after it. He was knelt over running and throwing his arm forward trying to grab it when he felt something hit his side and he fell over. As he did a pile of books and many papers fell on top of him, covering him where he lay.

Vace pushed the ones on him aside and sat up looking toward who had run into him. It was in fact Miako and she had spilled all of her books and papers all because he had carelessly run into her.

Vace turned a bright red in the face and hurried to pick up her belongings which had dropped due to him.

Vace- Sorry, sorry, Aren’t I the klutz today I should probably pay more attention.

Miako- Well if I wasn’t such a klutz today as well then it probably wouldn’t have happened at all, I guess we just share that much in common.

At this Vace’s face turned an even brighter red, and he tried to hide it from her sight but she noticed.

Vace picked up her books and stacked her papers handing them back to her as she fumbled through them and sorted them into various folders.

Vace then took time to notice here features.

She wore the typical female trainee kimono which was white and red. Her hair was long and flowed in the wind easily, and she had a flower on the top part of her ear. It was purple like always and she had stopped every morning to pick one outside her dorm. She also had her hair tied back with a purple cloth which had a white flower design on it and a necklace around her neck which had purple flower engravings.

She took the books back and smiled as Vace, got up and brushed off his cloths.

Vace- If you need me to help you ca-

Flay- Yo Vace what are you doing.

Vace turned to see Flay, Toshino and Zensho walking behind him. They walked up and Flay placed her hand on him.

Flay- You do not have to time be running around with girly here when we had promised to brush up on our studies for the beginning of classes today.

Vace- I was just trying to be a nice and he-

Flay- But nothing you promised.

Miako- No its fine, it is fine ill just be on my way its not much really.

Miako bowed to Vace who once again blushed. Flay caught this and threw her arm around him and flipped him around.

Flay- We will be on our way now, buy little miss clumsy.

Vace- Hey it was my fault.

Flay- Shut up you honest mug why cant you ever blame someone else.

The two argued as Flay dragged him away with the others. Miako stood there watching and then noticed a piece of paper land next to her feet. The parchment looked like it had been folded to fit between the pages of a small book. Miako picked it up and opened it, and read it.

“And just like the Purple flowers the girl of stories always looks to the gleaming sun and never back at the fading moon.” Miako’s face grew red and she touched the flower on her ear and looked toward Vace as he was being dragged away and smiled.

Vace looked at Flay who threw him aside next to a tree.

Vace- What the hell are you doing I never made such a promise!

Flay- I know its called a lie you fool!

Vace- Then why the hell did you lie then!

Toshino- Can we all just get along here?

Flay- Shut up your in enough trouble as it is for forgetting to come by yesterday like we had talked about.

Toshino- Me why I was simply just busy.

Flay- Busy medaling with that slut and her friends I take it.

Toshino- It was his damn idea.

Zensho- Don’t drag me into this you lazy bum.

Vace- Hey are we not forgetting the point why did you drag me away.

Flay looked at Vace and only gave a slight smile.

Flay- Need you really ask. Vace you still are as sad and pathetic as you were when you crawled from the streets of Rukongai.

Vace- What are you getting at.

Flay- If I hadn’t have stopped you, you would have probably made a fool of yourself to the girl you obviously like.

Vace- Bu…how did you know?

Zensho- You only pick the same flowers as her everyday and you constantly walk by her and stare the other way as you do so she cant see your face. To the untrained eye yea no one would notice, but to us three it is so easy.

Vace- oh…

Flay- Vace just think about it, a girl like that from the upper class to a guy like you, just isn’t right.

Toshino- Hey I am from the upper class now.

Flay- Yea but she is a nobleman’s daughters. She was born to be a leader, and that she will. And I highly doubt that any low life scum will be approved by her father.

Vace realized that she was right and slumped back yet he didn’t take it to much to heart and decided that he wouldn’t care what everyone else said or about the reality of it. He was going to follow his heart and do what was right, even if it killed him.


I remember the first class of that first day. It was Kido class, and how could one forget such a class. Kido is formerly known as Demon arts, and its practitioners are usually cunning. It is an art form of combat which I had been interested in my first trial days of being in the academy. Yet this class would show me a painful truth, I was terrible at using Kido.

From the very first day to the last I was at the bottom to middle of my class at all times, and was even once called by the instructor a boundless fool.

The one part of the entire course I passed was subduing my spirit energy, other than that I had practically failed or barley gotten by.

Casting the spells and remembering the incantation in the right amount of time and during someone’s attack was more difficult than I could have ever imagined. I learned that I had practically no aim with the way of destruction spells and that with the simple binding spells I had even once managed to tangle myself with the spell I had myself cast.

In that class I was a relative joke even compared to Flay and Toshino who were also in a similar boat as me.

Zensho was a natural however and was 2nd in the class only to one other person who was better, Miako. Miako had excelled in the course ever since she had started out with it. Her aim and precision got her appraised by all in the class. She was a natural and it only made her more popular and acclaimed than she already was. I felt as if I was and imbursement and with this in mind I realized that to her I was probably the biggest joke ever now, and it disturbed me.

As terrible as I was in Kido class I was great in the next class which was fighting. The next class started out with us training and fighting with wooden swords and even sometimes real weapons. The use of blades was at first prohibited to first year students, but was latter lifted after our class was shown to have promise. Unlike Toshino, and Zensho, me and Flay flourished in this class. Me and her were thought to be the best for our age, and we were. Constantly people would challenge us to be allowed the right to say they were better, but all the challengers met there end to a wooden beating to the face.

We had learned that Zanpaku-to battle was the main form of fighting, and for that we trained at it as if it was the only type.

There were many different fighting styles one could master in the art of Zanpaku-to fighting. Since all Zanpaku-to’s start of relatively the same basic size and shape the forms revolved around that. There were ten in total and each one was built upon a principle of fighting.

Form 1 was known as Sho, and was the first and most basic of the forms. While being the easiest to get down it is rather hard to master. While its movements, attacks and defensive moves are relatively simple it can become deadly in the hands of someone who is skilled with it. Even though it is said to be a weaker form, a master of the form is feared for they are easily aggressive. The style is a two handed style and is much like the combat seen in Kendo fighting. It doesn’t rely on flashy moves rather than basic attacks and blocks.

Form 2 is a lot more difficult and is on of the hardest forms to master. Only known as Ashi, the form is built specifically on one on one combat. The forum relies on excellent control over your weapon and is an advanced form of an elegant fencing style of fighting. One must be able to relatively fling their Zanpaku-to around there hands in order to easily overcome a single opponent. Practitioners of this form are usually very skilled and only care for battle. Its hard to master movements make it a seldom used form. If mastered it is probably the second most deadly of all the fighting forums.

The third form of combat is known as Esu and is a defensive form. The form utilizes its moves to defend the wielder rather than attack. The form is very easy to learn and if applied correctly by the wielder makes it hard to attack them. This form was common for newer recruits to shoot for and was something I wasn’t really interested in learning because it wasn’t my style of fighting.

The forth form was known to us as Taeru. This form utilized one’s Reitsu and some Kido and fused it with Zanpaku-to battle. This was a tricky form to master for one would constantly have to rely on there ability to adapt there Reitsu to attack patterns and defense patters. Practitioners of this form were deadly if they could master it the way it was meant to be used.

The most common form was the fifth one and it was named Do Shien. This was the form most students would pick up for it was mostly an attack form and its movements and patterns were easy to break down and use. It was a more brutal form of fighting which relied heavily on parrying, and attacking. Though many took up the form as their style of fighting, only few ever mastered it truly.

The Sixth form is one seldom used by those who want to learn how to fight, and is taken in by most passive people. Probably why Miako took it up. It combines elements of the other forms but doesn’t specifically concentrate on one for fighting. Its practitioners usually kept to Kido and studying, and was known as the 4th squads combat style.

Form seven was named Juapo, and is used by those who prefer to switch hands. I took up many movements and principles of this form but never called it my true form. If anyone was to try and wield this form they would have to be able to time there strikes and plan them out mid battle for it requires precise timing, and knowing when to strike or block.

The eighth form of combat was naturally built for Flay, as she used it well. It was the form which required finesse and speed. The name of this form was Senpnzaku. It used the surroundings of a person to better fight, and prey upon an opponent while using quick fast paced strikes to bring down an enemy.

The ninth form, Kai, was the one I picked up and required special training. Naturally like my way of living, the form was built to be full of surprises and used advanced movements. The form was not taught in the class normally, but I was made an acceptation because I had easily flown through the basics of the other forms. This form was like the sixth form, yet it is a lot more stressful. It combines flashy movements, with switching of hands. The body also becomes an essential weapon as not all the attacks in this form came from the sword itself. I had to train to be able to easily move about my surrounding and also learn control not only over my weapon but my body as well. This form was built to make the Zanpaku-to and the wielder one. It was the form I wanted because in essence like all Shinigami they are truly intertwined with their Zanpaku-to, thus I felt my fighting style should hint that.

The final form was not taught either for it was a duel wielding form, and since so few people ever had a Zanpaku-to pair it was cut from the teachings. Although those who end up with a Zanpaku-to pair are taught it regardless and are known to be extremely deadly.

I loved that class and I would wield my trainees Zanpaku-to like it was my own, yet I knew it wasn’t.

As time went on Miako and I talked even more and had even started to spend time together outside of class. She even went as far as to one time rush through a crowd just to say hello and give me a hug. It wasn’t quite the relationship I had hoped for but in time it wound up that way.

Due to her father being rather judgmental and picky we had decided to live out a relationship in secret, thus meaning no one would know but us. We would constantly meet outside of the usual crowded areas to go on long walks holding hands, and sometimes stopped to make out under a cherry blossom tree.

We had begun our friendship by aiding each other in the area we were weak in, and yet it grew into much more. I trained her to use the sword, and she trained me to use Kido. We would spend what seemed like lifetime’s training and spending more time with one another, and that was fine with me.

No one caught on not even my friends who just thought that we were common friends helping one another much the way we had originally done before we all got close.

Flay seemed uncomfortable with the arrangement but allowed it, as long as I was weary of what I could be getting myself into.

As time past I shrugged of her warnings. Years seemed to pass by and we had the same close bond we had always had. I guess in my mind nothing could be better and the time was getting close to when I would finally become a Shinigami. Yet on the day right before the Shinigami trials I had learned just exactly what Flay was warning me of.


The day was cloudy and the wind had constantly been blowing. It looked like a storm was coming which was typical for that time of year. The cherry blossoms had been in full bloom and the brilliant pink petals were flown everywhere, just fluttering down from the sky like little pieces of heaven.

Vace sat outside the main building like usual on the fountains outer rim and was writing frivolously in his Black journal as he always had. Marking where he was, was a single purple flower which Miako had given him when they had first started spending time together. The fresh spring breeze fluttered by and fill Vace’s lungs with cool air.

He sat back looking up at the blossom petals fall before he turned to see Miako walking toward him. She wasn’t carrying anything with her which was awkward because usually when Miako was in between classes she would always be trying to run around carrying at least a dozen books.

Vace waved and smiled but she didn’t return them and kept on walking toward him. Vace wondering what was wrong watched as she took a seat next to him.

A single tear fell from her eyes and hit the ground next to a single petal from a cherry blossom.

Vace- What i-

Miako- I’m sorry….Vace… I can’t see you anymore…

Vace looked at her, his eyes filled with concern and shock.

Miako- One of the instructors told my father about us, and how we were always together and he didn’t take…well he didn’t like it… I am to take my Shinigami entrance exam today… a day early… and am to be wed in a week…

Vace almost jumped back in surprise and looked at the ground as the wind scattered the petals away.

Vace- Who is he?

Miako- Lieutenant of the third squad Ventano Kiase…

Vace- I see…

Miako- Vace I-

Vace- What are you saying sorry for. Look how great this is… your marrying a lieutenant… Also I heard he is a nobleman’s son… You have a bright future ahead of you. Miako this is great for you… Just don’t forget me…

Vace got up from his seat trying to hold back from crying or screaming, and started walking clear into the forest. Miako burst into tears behind him as from Vace’s journal fell the purple flower.

Vace ran and ran until he was almost out of breath and had reached the far wall to the Academy and he sat next to it knelt over in utter anger and pain.

He hit the wall with his fists until his hands started bleeding and then he put his hands down and stopped.

Vace- I will become a Shinigami no matter what. I will become the most powerful Shinigami ever known!


At that point I had sworn that I would become a Shinigami. To prove to not Miako, but to everyone that I was worth a damn. At first I was to full of rage to realize how I would get there, but then I realized I didn’t care. The Shinigami final exams where tomorrow and if I passed id become a Shinigami. I wanted it more than anything in the world, more than life itself.