Hellfire

[Jeem]

Well, I've always enjoyed writing, so I figured I'd try my hand at making a fanfic. I have a pretty good idea of how things are gonna go; this character is going to be the same one I have on Bleach Hangout, except here I plan to completely chronicle his life. Well...I hope you like it :D
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Chapter The First
It was a scorching day; the sun's radiation seemed to fry the parched earth below it, looking down with scorn upon the tiny figures dotting the large field.

"Looks like the drought isn't going to end anytime soon," sighed one of the dots on the land, "I don't know what we'll do now."

"Now now," replied another voice, "Let's be thankful for what we do have...at least it's been peaceful the last couple of months."

"I suppose that is true." The large field was inhabited by three very thirsty people. One was a young child, who was no more than seven years of age. The second, a woman in her twenties, was tending to the few brown crops the field was willing to concede. The third, the father, stood tall above the rest. His tan skin and tall frame made him somewhat of an imposing figure as he slammed the plow into the parched earth, hoping the crops he was about to plant would somehow support his family.

"Daddy, can I help?" the little one piped up. Before his father could answer, he skipped over to the extra plow. As he strained to pick up the heavy tool, his father couldn't help but chuckle. The boy's brown eyes seemed to bulge out of his head.

"Lemme help you with that son," the father said with a smile, easily lifting the instrument up, "you'll be able to use that someday...for now lets keep those eyes of yours INSIDE your head. You have MY eyes after all."

The boy, who had been pouting over his failure to lift the tool, smiled at that thought. He had always been told he had his "father's eyes", and although he didn't quite grasp what that had meant, he knew his dad was strong....any comparison between himself and the strong man he had the honor of calling father was a compliment as far as he knew.

"I'm sure you'll be able to help your father when you're older," said the boys mother coming over and holding the boy's hand. "But for now, I'd love it if you could help me get dinner ready inside."

"...alright..." was the boy's reply; although he wanted to stay out with his father, he knew arguing with his mom wouldn't get him anywhere. "Hey, dad! When I'm done can I come back out and try to lift the plow up again?"

His father wasn't looking. "Dad!" the boy said, running towards his father, "Can I?" The man still was not paying any attention to his son. His eyes were fixated on the mountains to the east of their home.

"Honey what is..." the woman stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes were now on the same spot as her husbands.

"Daddy, what is it?" the boy said, pulling on his father's pants. It was then that he too noticed it; his eyes immediately widened and looked to the mountains.
Over on the mountains, figures began to appear. First one, then two more, and before long the horizon was filled with the figures. The family had seen these figures before.

"Oh, God...." the woman muttered, too petriefied to move.
The horizon began to move; the sound of hoofs was now detectable to the three observers.

"Ottoman raiders...." said the father dropping the tools he had been usuing. "Son," he said, turning to his boy, urgency apparent in his voice, "you need to get out of here now. Take your mother, and run to the villiage."

"But dad.."

"No buts!" retorted the father in a harsh voice. "This is a very important job; you're finally old enough to help me out. Now take your mother, and run as fast as you can." The son could say nothing; he heeded his father's word and, holding his mother's hand, he made off in the direction of the villiage.

Good," thought the father, I should be able to at least buy them some time. The raiders were within 50 yards of where the man stood. On horseback, the gap was closed in an instant. The boy looked back, only to see one of the Ottomans run a sword through his father.

The boy couldn't help himself. "DAD!!" he screamed as he turned around, horrified as his father's limp body dropped to the earth.

"Son, we need to go!" yelled his mom, tugging him towards their escape route. But, in an unexpected fit of fury, the boy broke free, sprinting towards the huddled mass that was once his father; a vain hope of keeping his dad alive kept him running.

He did not run for long. The horsemen met up with the child. "NO!!!" screamed his mother as she caught up to him. She held him tightly around his waist. She clung with all her might, hoping frantically the twos' hold on life would be as strong as her hold on her child. A hope, of course, that proved to be her last. Eyes wide in horror, the woman watched the blade that spelled her doom crashed down on her.

"MOMMY!" cried the boy, tears now streaming down his face. His cries were cut short; the raider who killed his mother took the action expected of a cold-blooded raider.

The sun continued to blaze in the heavens, but the ground was no longer dry. It had been quenched by the blood of the three dots.
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Well, there's chapter one. I'd love all kinds of comments and criticims; if I don't get too many you sucks, I'll continue the story! If you're wondering how this is a fanfic yet, that'll be clear in the next chapter

[Momo]

lol, looks interesting, keep going~ :3

[Jeem]

Yay, I got a comment!!! I suppose I can keep going now :D
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Chapter the Second
Cold. Everything was cold. That was the first thing the boy noticed...the bleak chill of the world he was now a part of compared to the heat of the one he had just left. His eyes could not see, his ears could not hear. The only sensation he got of any sort was the lonely cold that now consumed his being. It almost seemed as if he were hurtling through empty space, in sort of a half-conscious trance. That half consciousness continued to dwindle and dwindle into nothingness, until it eventually matched the emptiness of the strange place around him. Even after losing any trace of consciousness, the boy continued to travel through the void; some untraceable strings of fate were pulling him towards his destination.

When the boy, at last, regained his consciousness, he felt another chill run down his spine. But this cold was different from the one he had previously encountered....this was not the supernatural bleakness he had perceived moments before. This was a normal cold, no different from the ones he had felt as a boy living on earth. As the boy sat there, stunned, his other senses began to return to him as well. He could hear the patter of rain against buildings, and his eyes perceived that it was night time.

"Wh...where am I?" the boy asked himself as he struggled to sit upright. He rubbed his eyes and looked around again. The buildings surrounding him were like nothing he had ever seen...the closest thing he could think of were the descriptions of the mystical buildings of the Orient he had heard explorers talk of in the spice markets inside of the town. "Where's my mommy?"

The memories flooded back as if they had been restrained by a great dam. The visions of his mother, dying while clinging to her son, rushed back into his mind's eye; every fiber of his being was saturated with the wretched memories of that day. As he thought of it, he began to cry. His father was dead. His mother was dead. He was lost, alone, and confused. His young mind could not handle the despair of the situation he was now faced with; the only thing he found within himself the ability to do was cry. He curled into a pitiful position and cried, the storms coming forth from his eyes matching the waters pouring from the skies.

He had lost all sense of time. The boy had been crying and sobbing until he had no more tears left to shed, and then he simply lay in the street, the rain continuing to pour down on his form. He didn't know how long he had been lying there before the man appeared. It was quite sudden, in fact, as if the man had simply apparated from nothingness. Not many of his features were distinguishable; he wore a large, black cloak that obscured most of his body. The only thing the boy could notice was his relatively large frame...and the strange black markings that covered the few parts of his body that were not covered by the cloak.

"So you are here," the old man said to the huddled body. The boy gave no response. He simply lay there, too drained of spirit to even move. "You're the one we've been waiting for." The man knelt down by the boy, getting a better look at his features. "As expected, you are still quite young. But your eyes tell it all...your eyes clearly show that you are the one we've been so eargerly aniticipating." The old man rolled up his sleeves, revealing an arm covered by more of the strange black markings. "The one who is destined to recieve this power." The long arm stretched out and landed on the head of the young boy. Suddenly, the black markings began to change. The moved, almost as if excited. Then, as if drawn through a straw, all of the markings on the strange man's body flowed off of the old man and onto the boy. They blazed briefly upon their new home, and then disappeared into his skin, now completely unnoticable.

"The prophecy is now fulfilled....as is my duty," the old man said, taking off his cloak and placing it on the boy. "Surely, you will be the One capable of using this power. But how you will use it," the man said as he began to walk off, "well, not even the prophecies know that. That is where your own will and desire comes in." With a chuckle, the old man walked off, leaving the boy to fade out of consciousness. Then, as suddenly as he appeared, the man vanished into thin air. The only trace of his existence that was left was the large black cloak that now covered the exhausted boy, protecting him from the rain and the cold.
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Alright, there's chapter two. Comments are ALWAYS appreciated.

[Dexter]

I actually did scan over this once.. but i thought not to C&C in case it seemed like i was being critical. But since you asked I'll see if i can help ^_^

Here's for chapter one.


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Chapter The First
It was a scorching day; the sun's radiation seemed to fry the parched earth below it, looking down with scorn upon the tiny figures dotting the large field. "Looks like the drought isn't going to end anytime soon," sighed one of the dots on the land, "I don't know what we'll do now."

You went from present to past tense in the same sentence.
It should be:
It was a scorching day; the sun's radiation seeming to fry the parched earth below it...

also "looking down" doesn't really denote a sun. better use of word could be used here, but it's not very significant

also: Speech should start with a new line since it's not related to the earlier description.

"Now now," replied another voice, "Let's be thankful for what we DO have...at least it's been peaceful the last couple of months."
Capitals denote shouting. Italics should be used for DO instead, and for all other capitals in the story which I won't mention.


"I suppose that is true." The large field was inhabited by three, very thirsty, people.

last comma isn't needed there for any pause

"Good," thought the father, "I should be able to at least buy them some time."
thoughts should be differentiated from normal speech. Lose the " "

I'd love all kinds of comments and criticims; if I don't get too many you sucks, I'll continue the story! If you're wondering how this is a fanfic yet, that'll be clear in the next chapter

Great opening. It's good so far and I'm liking it

I'll read chapter two soon, and I hope i helped with the minor C&C, since you didn't really need any major C&C cos you're already at a good standard :)

[Jeem]

Thanks for the comments and crit:D As for the first one, though...I think cause I used a semicolon, it's a seperate clause, so basically a seperate sentence. So, if I can remember my grammar right, I think I can use "seemED" because it's an independent clause. But, that's not too big of a thing I suppose.

I appreciate all the comments/critiques, and I also appreciate everyone who reads this! If you do read this, and enjoy it, just leave a quick comment! It doesn't have to be anything big, but an author likes to know when someone is interested in his/her work. I should get Chapter 3 up here in the near future.

[Dexter]

Yeah that's true, and y i missed it the first time. But "looking" is there, which is also present.
I guess either way works


I appreciate all the comments/critiques, and I also appreciate everyone who reads this! If you do read this, and enjoy it, just leave a quick comment! It doesn't have to be anything big, but an author likes to know when someone is interested in his/her work. I should get Chapter 3 up here in the near future.
Couldn't have said it any better myself. I appreciate any comments my readers leave

[Jeem]

Well, I'm in a writing mood again. So here we go! On to chapter 3!!!!
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Chapter the Third
It would be some time before the boy worked his way out of the maze of unconsciousness again. When he finally awoke, he found he was in a place not at all similar to the last area he remembered. This time, however, he remembered his relative position; he knew he was still alone in a foreign area. He could not help but feel more hopelessness, but he also found that he was still not able to cry. His feelings were simply trapped inside him; they were not able to physically manifest themselves. Realizing, perhaps for the first time of many, that he was trapped with these feelings, the boy simply resigned himself to laying down, letting the stimuli of this new place invade his senses.

Here, there was no rain, no cold. In fact, the young boy found he was somewhat comfortable in his new location. Slowly, he creaked his eyes open, but then quickly shut them again in shock. Light. He could not remember the last time he had seen light. Even more slowly this time, the boy opened his brown eyes. What he saw suprised him greatly: he was inside a house...on a bed, in fact. Laboriously, he managed to sit up on the bed. Scanning the room he was in, he noticed that the room was, in fact, the entire abode. Despite the fact that the home was quite humble, the young boy still found it pleasing. There was a small fire in the corner of the room, and the bed upon which he rested was soft. It almost reminded him of....

Home. This thought dawned on the boy as well: he would, in all likelihood, never see his home again. The boy's young mind could barely cope with all of the revelations that seemed to be attacking him. He could simply sat there, in an apparently zoned out state, trying to put into order all the thoughts that were beginning to occur to him. While he was lost in his thought, he suddenly heard a door open. A woman's head peeked in, and a body soon followed. She looked at the young boy and smiled.

"Ah, so you are finally awake," the woman said, approaching the bed. "I can only imagine how exhausted you must be...this is your first day, after all." The boy gave the middle-aged woman a quizzical look as she inspected him from head to toe.

She must be the one who brought me here... he thought to himself. She must know where I am.

"Umm...ma'am," the boy asked, still hesitant to interact much with anyone or anything, "...where am I?"

The old woman smiled and gave a little chuckle, "You, young man, are in the Soul Society. This is the place where those who have died on Earth come to reside."

The boy simply sat there, staring blankly at the woman. So he was dead, after all. He had his suspicions after seeing his mother die in front of him, but it was the effect that hearing someone else say it had on him that truly shocked the boy. He was only seven; hearing that he was dead left him speechless and overwhelmed.

Sensing his unease, the woman continued, "I saw you lying on the street last night, so I decided to take you in. So...I guess you could say I'm your new mother."

New mother? Even to a boy so young, the meaning of that was clear. He was right in what he thought last night...he would never see his mother again.

[hobbes24]

haha that's sweet!
ive only just read the first one tho

(whispers)
if this hasn't been read it was prolly the beginning
i don't know what it was about it.. it was easy to get past that tho

im guessing that bleach is somehow incorporated into this lol.. never read a fanfic
later

[Jeem]

Thanks for the comment! And ya, it starts to relate to bleach in chapter 3, lol.

[Jeem]

Chapter the Fourth
Soul Society....just what was that? This was the question that had been relentlessly plaguing the boy ever since the woman had told him where he was. So...is this heaven? the boy thought to himself. Then, the memories of the earlier night came back to him. No. This could not be heaven. Everyone, especially a child so young, knew that there was no sadness in heaven.

The woman who was, apparently, the boy's new mother had left several hours ago to run some errands. Being still quite drained of energy, the boy had opted to lay in bed. Slowly but surely, however, the boy's youthful stamina and curiosity returned to him. If here was home, he decided, he should certainly explore to figure out exactly what "here" was.

As the boy climbed out of bed, he began to realize just how long he had remained stagnant; he found it difficult to simply move his legs. Shaky at first, the boy descended from his resting place and began to walk towards the door. I'll just go out for a little bit...I'm sure that lady won't mind, he thought to himself as he walked out of the small home. As he opened the door, he shielded his eyes: the sun shone as brightly in this Soul Society as it used to back home. When his vision had adjusted, he started walking down a dusty path. It was, apparently, the middle of the day; it was quite warm outside, and there seemed to be people everywhere he looked. There were merchants on the sides of the streets, and every so often rickshaws would travel down the dusty road. The houses, which the boy earlier noted resmebled those in tales of the Far East, seemed to line the road in two endless rows. Except for the somewhat unusual (to him at least) architecture of the buildings, the boy did not find this new place to be that much different than his former villiage....

Except for the number of people. Compared to his relatively small villiage back in Poland, this Soul Society was a metropolis. As opposed to the occasional merchant shack and the relative quiet he had been used to, this villiage was bustling with the activity of several merchants and laughing children. He also noticed a few others. There were only about two of them he could see, but they definately stood out. These people seemed altogether different than the other people; they were taller, clad in odd black robes with swords dangling from their sides. These people certainly intrigued the young boy, but the swords at their sides made him reluctant to approach them.

Normally, this would have been an ideal society for the young boy; he had always longed for playmates while he was back on earth. However....something had changed in the boy. He no longer yearned for company or companionship as he once had. The boy felt inexplicably seperated from every other being in the town; communication with them would be both uncomfortable and unwanted to the boy. Perhaps it was the fact that it was a new place, or perhaps it was for a different, deeper reason. Perhaps his parents' deaths had affected the boy in ways he was far too naive to comprehend.

Deciding that he had seen enough for one day, and wanting to avoid an unwanted confrontation with anyone, the young boy began to trot back home. Though it still felt strange to the boy to call it "home", that's what it was now. He was dead now. His parents were dead. This Soul Society was his home now. The boy repeated these facts to himself again and again in his head, still only vaguely able to grasp the concepts.

"Ah, you're home Akira," said the woman as the boy walked into the door. The boy stopped in the threshold. Akira? He had certainly never been called that before. He stared at her, his eyes inquiring about the name he had been given.

"Akira...Kasai Akira," the woman continued, "that's what I've decided to call you. I hope you don't mind, but I don't know your real name, and this one seems to fit you." The woman smiled and returned the chair she had previously been sitting on, taking up parchment and an ink and brush for a reason unknown to the boy.

The boy didn't respond, still not altogether excited about an extended communication with anyone. The woman seemed occupied enough with her writing, so he simply walked over to the bed and lay down on it again, the small amount of stamina already exhausted.
Akira.... the boy repeated the name to himself. It wasn't such a bad name.

Kasai Akira... the boy decided a new name for a new life was acceptable.
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Well, there's another chapter. The mods have a new rule and, although I don't agree with it, we should respect it, so if you just want to tell me you enjoyed my writing (without critiquing it), go ahead and pm me (and please, if you do enjoy it, you should DEFINATELY pm me). Hope you all enjoyed this chapter :D

[Jeem]

Well, here comes the next chapter. I see alot of views, so I take that as a good sign, however it is somewhat discouraging to see a lack of comments. So please, if you read this fic, in some way shape or form I'd like to know what you think! It can be a pm, or a post in this thread (as long as it's not spam, can't get the mods angry :p). I really hope that those of you who are reading this and enjoying it will tell me! And as for critiques, I won't be offended by any advice you may have to give.
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Chapter the Fifth
"Well, Akira," said the woman, "I think it's time you learned." Akira had been lying in bed for a few hours, slipping in and out of sleep. The light outside was beginning to fade as dusk approached, and the woman had finished her work. When she began to speak, Akira sat up and listened, interested in what his "mother" had to say.

"As I mentioned earlier, this place is called the Soul Society," she began. "There are three main areas of this Soul Society: the Seretei, the Wilds, and where we are, the Rukongai. The Rukongai is where the majority of souls reside; we happen to be in the 25th district. Mind you, this isn't the richest district, as you may have noticed already, but I'm sure it will suit you just fine....providing you stay on the main roads and away from the alleys."

The boy continued to sit there, not wanting to ask any questions, but taking mental notes on everything the woman told him. At the very least, he wanted to get used to living in this place.

"Beyond the Rukongai lies the Wilds," said the woman. "The Wilds are a vast wilderness, much like a forest, that make up the outskirts of the Soul Society. Not much is known about them, and only few rugged individuals call that place home. However, it is safe to say that the wilderness is also quite a dangerous place to be. What with the recent Hollow sightings and all..."

"Hollows?" Akira made a rare interjection.

"Ah, yes, I forgot dear, you're new. Hollows are, well, monsters to put it quite simply," said the woman quite matter-of-factly. "They prey on souls for sustinence. You can easily recognize them: They all have white masks and giant holes where their hearts used to be."

Needless to say, Akira was quite stunned, almost horrified, at this. There are monsters in this place? If that's true.... he had a mental flashback of his death, then this Soul Society could be worse than Earth. Not only did the existence of such monsters disturb Akira, but the fact that the woman talked of them as if they were nothing to worry about seemed quite odd.

The woman must have noticed the look of shock on Akira's face, for she went on, "Oh, you won't have to worry about the Hollows, dear. You see, we have the Shinigami to protect us. You've probably seen them around; they wear the black robes and carry swords, called Zanpakutohs, by their side. Their job is to protect both the souls in Soul Society and on Earth from Hollows."

Shinigami....protectors. From that point on, those two words became synonomous in Akira's mind. When he thought of protecting, he again remembered his father. He gave his life to protect. Maybe...just maybe...these shinigami were like his father...

The boy's thoughts were interrupted as the woman moved on with her story, "This talk of Shinigami brings me to the third area of Soul Society: the Seretei. You see, the Seretei is where the Shinigami live. Though there are usually one or two patrolling different areas of the Rukongai, the vast majority live in Seretei, awaiting orders to protect souls here or on Earth," at this point, the woman held up the parchment she had been writing on, "...this is also where I come in. You see, I act as somewhat of a messenger for the Shinigami. If they need something known in a district around this one, they will send word to me and I will let everyone else know."

The woman appeared to be done with her explanations. To be sure, she had said many things that were interesting to the boy, and he had certainly taken note of each of them. But, his mind remained fixated on Shinigami. The guardians of souls...something about that appealed to Akira. Perhaps it was a memory of his father that made him so intersted in the Shinigami. Or perhaps...

Perhaps it was his mother. When he thought about it, he believed that he and his mother had both died because he wasn't strong enough to protect them. And these Shinigami...they were, at least to the boy at this point, and embodiment of protection. Perhaps, perhaps, it was the Shinigami strength in the area of his percieved weakness that made him so fixated on them.

"Well, I can see that this is quite alot for you to take in, so I will leave you to it for tonight. I still have quite a few errands to run," said the woman as she got up. "I suppose, then, I will see you tomorrow. Good night, Akira," the woman smiled to the boy as she walked out the door.

Shinigami...protectors... The words continued to flit about Akira's mind as he lay his head down on the pillows once more. He decided that he would like to learn more about these warriors; it would certainly give him something to do. He brought the sheets up over himself and closed his eyes, preparing for another night of respite. However, another thought lingered in the back of his mind as he fell asleep...

It certainly was strange that he hadn't been given anything to eat.

[Momo]

lol, finally I read it all =o!
now, I like it, its interesting until now haha and srly.... WHERE'S FIGHTS!? xDD
i'll wait
fewwww spelling errors and writing the same words... 2 times lawl xD
but I like it <3 this is the first fanfic I've EVER READ.

[Jeem]

Chapter the Sixth
Akira awoke early the next morning. The sun was just beginning to penetrate the horizon, the red light entering the tiny home in the Rukongai. Slowly, Akira sat up in his bed and stretched.

He had dreamed last night.

He was once again in his earthly home, back in the same field he last remembered living. The sun was shining down, and his parents were out in with him. Everyone was...happy. Even Akira was happy and running about, not the quiet boy he had become. Then the bright sky was shattered. Replacing it was Darkness, the empty, lonely void that first carried Akira from Earth to the Soul Society. The smiles were gone from their faces.

As the blackness descended, the soldiers again appeared on the horizon. But, in this dream, they were different than the soldiers Akira remembered from Earth. They did not have the characteristic moustaches or helmets of the Ottoman raiders. In fact, the did not even seem human. Replacing their human faces were groteque white masks, penetrated only by evil yellow eyes. Their bodies were also mishapen, having gaping holes in their core.

Hollow.

Certainly, Akira was reasoning to himself, these are the monsters the woman described. Both his father and his mother were now screaming. The monsters began their charge on the three figures in the blackness. Akira's father and mother were slaughtered before they could even move. Akira could only stand still, frozen in time, overwhelmed by the bloodlust of the incoming horde.

The horde stopped. Almost as suddenly as they had appeard, the army of Hollow halted in their tracks, their bloodthirsty claws only inches away from Akira's heart. At this point, Akira himself disappeared from the field. Instead, a roaring fire took his place. This fire was not a simple blaze, however. It was pitch black; a strange dark flame was now burning in the place where Akira was standing. The flame then began to move this way and that, giving way to a form. It was the form of a man. When this form finally materialized, it was in the shape of a tall male, around 6 feet tall. The man was wearing black robes, two scabbards crossed in an X-shape on his lower back. His face was obscured, but it was clear what he was.

Shinigami. Though Akira's form in the dream was gone, his subconsciousness was clearly percieving it. Standing in the midst of the horde of Hollows was a shinigami. After the death god appeared, time appeared to set itself in motion again. However, as soon as it did, the Hollows simply shattered. As if they were made of porcelain, the monstrous legion simply shattered in the presence of the shinigami.

It was at that point that Akira woke up. He jolted into an upright position, cold sweat permeating out of every pore on his body. Akira had to look around the house, making sure he was still where he thought he was. That, that was so real, Akira thought to himself, breathing hard, Who was that shinigami?

Akira knew he did not have the answer to that question. Still exhausted and unable to explain his strange vision, Akira went back to sleep to await the dawn.

Now it was morning again. As Akira sat up in bed, he was still trying to shake off the feeling of the dream. Looking around, he saw that the woman, his "mother", was not present in the home. Good, he thought to himself, I definately won't have to talk about that dream to her.



His energy now restored from the night of rest, Akira hopped out of his bed. As he jumped down, he noticed that there were some garments by his bed, folded up in a neat fashion. That woman must have left them here for me, he thought. Akira picked up the neatly folded pile and began to put his clothes on. He soon found these were nothing like his old clothes; these seemed more liked robes than a shirt. Nonetheless, the did fit him and, upon reflection, Akira realized that everyone else in the Soul Society wore dress of a similar style.

After he had dressed himself, Akira decided that he would venture out into the streets of the Rukongai again. Though he didn't neccesarily desire anyone's company, his youthful energy would not allow him to sit inside all day.

The sun was shining high in the sky by the time Akira peeked out the door. Though it was quite bright out, Akira realized it was still relatively early; few people were outdoors as of yet. Good, Akira thought to himself, happy that he could explore the town in solitude.

For about a half hour, Akira wandered down the main street of the the Rukongai. Aside from a few merchants tending to steet-side stand and one or two souls wandering the streets, there was nothing to be seen. Bored with this, Akira tried to remember everything the woman had told him about the Soul Society. He remembered her talking about the Wilds, the shinigami, the alleys.

The alleys... Akira suddenly thought, noticing a dark back road to the left of where he now stood. Though he knew the lady had called the alleys dangerous, Akira's curiosity simply got the best of him. Slightly cautious because of the woman's warning, Akira slowly trotted towards the alleyway. Before he entered, he peeked around the corner, checking for anything suspicious. Not noticing anything, he continued on into the dark corridor.

This isn't so bad...it's a relief from the sun, and there aren't any other people here, Akira thought as he wandered down the alley. He had entered the path almost 10 minutes ago, and he was surprised that the alley went on for this long. I'll bet all the alleyways in this district are connected... he thought. Akira continued down the twisting path, turning this way and that, going wherever he felt lead to wander.

Another 20 minutes of walking had gone by. Akira no longer knew where in the alleys he was. Not scared, but slightly nervous, Akira began searching for the path he had taken to arrive at his current location. As he was backtracking, he thought he heard something. At first, he dismissed it as an alley rat, or simply a beggar finding his way back out to the main road. But the sound came again. It sounded almost as if whatever was making the sound was close to Akira. He quickened up his pace now, hoping silently that he was simply imagining sounds. But the odd noise persisted. Now, Akira could distinguish the sound. It was a low pitched hissing sound. If he didn't know any better, Akira would have thought it a snake. But this hiss was different somehow. Somehow, Akira knew that this sound could not be anything good.

Akira increased his speed again, almost jogging down the alley now. Aimlessly, he tried to find his way out of the maze of back roads. He now admitted to himself that he was completely and entirely lost. Akira forced himself to stop, trying to regain his bearings. It was then that the hissing suddenly stopped. Akira breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that whatever threat he had been imagining had simply disappeared. He thought he was safe once again from the malevolent presence.

That is, until he saw it materialize from around the corner.

[Dexter]

been a while since i commented, so i'll start commenting from where i left off - Chapter 2 :)


His eyes could not see, his ears could not here.
hear
=p

The boy had been crying and sobbing until he had no more tears left to shed, and then he simply lie in the street, the rain continuing to pour down on his form.
lay

The boy gave no response. He simply lie there, too drained of spirit to even move.
lay - need of past tense again


the marking on the arm transfer reminded me of FMA =p


Excellent chapter. Described very well, and well written :)

[Jeem]

Thanks for the correction on "lay" and "lie"; I was pretty confused about the two while I was writing :p And tbh, I got the symbols on the arm inspiration from Star Ocean III

[Dexter]

damn comp got hit by a virus. laggin like crazy -_____-" which was the reason for my triple post...

anyway, i'll go back and comment on cahp 3 now :)


His feelings were still trapped inside him, yet they were not able to physically manifest themselves.
"Yet" opposes the previous statement, whereas both statements support each other.


He could simply sat there, in an apparently zoned out state, trying to put into order all the thoughts that were beginning to occur to him.
sit - still present tense =)



another great piece jeem, GJ <--- and i never say that to just anyone in regard to fics :)

[rei]

jeem: still reading your fanfic bear with me. i'll post comments later on. this slot is reserved.

[Jeem]

Chapter the Seventh
As if it had at once melded with the shadow itself, the creature emerged from the darkness. Akira froze. First an arm. Then the torso and legs. Then, much to the shock of Akira, a tail. Soon, the entire grotesque form of the creature was visible before Akira.

Akira wanted to run. He wanted to scream. He wanted to do anything but simply stand in the alleyway staring at this...thing. But he could not. The only ability he found in his possesion at the moment was to freeze in fear.

As the monster stood before him for a moment longer, Akira began to make out the finer details of its form. The creature stood at roughly 7 feet tall, large by any standard, a giant to the timid frame of Akira. This thing also lacked garments of any sort; its feet and hands, which seemed more like claws, simply hung there motionless.

It was then that Akira noticed the one detail that caused his heart to sink. There, right in the center of the monster's body, was a gaping hole. Akira began to shake. No... Akira thought, his body now shaking as if he were once again out in the cold rain. He could barely bring himself to look any farther up on the body of the beast. But he had to know; he had to be sure.

Slowly, slowly, Akira raised his eyes to meet those of the beast. Two blaring yellow dots returned the boy's stare, as did a white mask that covered the face of the creature.

"Well, well," said the Hollow, his voice taking the same hiss-like tone that Akira had heard before, "it looks like you are to be my meal today, young one."

After the short time that seemed like an eternity, the Hollow began to move towards Akira. The ten feet that seperated the two began to close. Akira remained motionless, rendered completely immoble by fear.

"I thought I smelled some sort of spiritual presence coming from this district," its mask forming something that vaguely resembled a sick smile. "It is unfortunate for you, boy, that your home is so close to the Wilds."

The Hollow had moved closer now, going at a slow pace to fully feel the ecstasy of the boy's fear. It was less than five feet away from Akira now. The boy had an increasingly sick feeling in his stomach as his thoughts began to focus on the last moment of intense fear he had experienced.

"Your soul, I believe, is going to be simply delectible," hissed the creature, licking its sickening lips.

Once again, he was on Earth. He was standing in the field. Evil was encroaching upon him, and he could do nothing. He was helpless, frozen and weak. There was nothing he could do, and his world once again erupted into despair.

Until the despair gave way to Hope; Hope in the form of a man wearing black robes. As Akira stood without moving with a Hollow close to two feet away, a figure suddenly descended from out of the sky.

"I thought somethin' didn't seem right," said the man, putting a hand to the hilt of the sword slung onto his left thigh. "You Hollows really should learn to hid your reiatsu better."

"A..are you..a Shinigami?" Akira asked, the words barely able to escape from his mouth.

The man in black turned to face the small voice. With a grin he replied, "You got that right, kid." The death god turned back to face his foe. "And I'm here to take care of this guy; you don't need to be scared anymore."

"Big talk from Shinigami trash," hissed the Hollow, it's beady yellow eyes narrowing in hate. "I shall consume your soul along with the boy's!"

No longer willing to waste any time, the Hollow charged the Shinigami. The death god quickly drew his blade and readied himself.

"Hmph, fool. It's time to cleanse your sins," sneered the Shinigami. Without warning, he ducked underneath the arms of the incoming Hollow, using the dull end of his blade to trip the beast up. With a crash, the Hollow fell onto the ground, Akira barely able to sidestep and avoid the falling creature.

"But," said the death god, holding his sword above Hollow, the point facing its arm, "who's to say I can't make you regret those sins before I cleanse them." With all of his might, the Shinigami brought the sword down, piercing straight through the Hollow's arm.

The beast let out a pool of blood and a horrific roar. As the Shinigami reclaimed his blade and backed away, the moster got back to his feet. Blood now flowing from the back of its left arm, the Hollow fixed its gaze upon the despised Shinigami.

"You..." the Hollow stuggled to articulate in between gasps of pain, "I will KILL YOU."

This last charge proved to be fatal. Blinded by rage, the Hollow was not able to react as the Shinigami sidestepped its attack. As he moved, the sword of the warrior carved across the chest of the Hollow. It's lifeblood quickly gushed out of the wound, the Hollow once again falling on its face.

"Now, you die," stated the Shinigami. The sword pierced the back of the Hollow's head, puncturing its evil white mask. As suddenly as the creature had appeared, it disintegrated. Again, at least for the moment, it was at one with the Shadow from which it came.

The Shinigami wiped his blade on the ground. Once it was cleansed of Hollow blood, it was sheathed once more.

"Well, that's the last we'll see of him," said the Shinigami, turning back to Akira. Akira hadn't move since evading the crashing Hollow, his eyes fixated on the Shinigami the entire time. "I suppose it's time for me to go."

With a quick bound, the Shinigami lifted himself up onto the roof. As he was about to head out, he turned back to the child once more.

"Oh, and kid," said the Shinigami with another smile, "Stay out of the alleyways."

With that, the death god disappeard from sight, leavin a stunned Akira in his wake.


Shinigami...Protectors... Akira once again recalled the two words that seemed so intertwined. Certainly, the ability to protect was something Akira was beginning to see as almost a divine property. Divine...and almost unreachable.

Akira could not shake the fact that he lacked this property, this divine ability to protect. He could not protect his family from the raiders, and he could not even protect himself from a Hollow. Helpless, he felt totally helpless once again. Akira came to the realization that he was utterly defenseless.

For a moment, Akira sank into despair, the dark pit that had been threatening to consume him ever since he came to the Soul Society.

But then, a light appeared. Before Akira could lose himself in his own despair, he came to another realization: that Shinigami had made him remember something about himself.

He remembered that he was one who persevered. Though he had never really been very physically able, on Earth he was not one to quit so easily. He recalled trying to help in the field; he recalled running to save his father from the raiders. Surely, at least some of his will had been carried over to this life.

Though he was not strong, he could be stronger. This was the light that retrieved Akira from the darkness. He may not have gotten rid of any of the coldness he felt toward people, but Akira had certainly regained his purpose.

The light of Hope had grabbed him, and it was not about to loosen its grip.

[Momo]

OMG, a fight finally!
jeem, nice! keep going plz <3 <3
its getting interesting ya know!? =o

[Dexter]

well i got some more time away from uni, my novel, and slacking out of laziness, so here's wat i saw of chapter 4
only minor stuff, which doesn't affect ur writing.

There were only about two of them he could see, but they definately stood out.
definitely

He no longer yearned for company or companionship as he once had. The boy felt inexplicably seperated from every other being in the town; communication with the would
them?

be both uncomfortable and unwanted to the boy. Perhaps it was the fact that it was new place
was a new

----------------------------

another good chapter Jeem. Your descriptions and use of vocab is good to see
i'll read the rest as soon as i get time :)

[Jeem]

As always, thanks for the comments and critiques Momo and Dec. Hope I can keep it interesting so everyone will continue to read :D Get ready for chapter 8!!!!
================================================== ========

Chapter the Eighth
Dusk had begun to fall when Akira finally wandered his way out of the maze of alleyways. Upon emerging from the shadows, he noticed that there were few people on the streets, and the weather had cooled down to a pleasant temperature; Akira decided to take his time on the walk back home.

Slowly wandering down the dusty road of the Rukongai, Akira's mind could not help but wander back to the events that had transpired just hours ago. He thought about the Hollow, the Shinigami, but most importantly his resolution.

I have to become stong, he thought to himself. He stopped momentarily, looking down at his fist as he clenched and then unclenched it.

"Well, I'm definately not very strong right now..." he muttered to himself. As he resumed his leisurely walk towards his home, the obvious question began to flutter about his mind.

Just how am I supposed to become stronger? he thought to himself. The odds certainly seemed against him: he was small and timid, and for all he knew he might stay like that forever in this place. On top of that, these Shinigami seemed to be at a level of power that exceeded human ability; Akira certainly didn't have any unique abilities that he could name. The boy was totally at a loss.

Suprisingly, this fact did not seem to deter Akira. His present hoplesness did not seem to get him down as much he expected it to. True, it did somewhat put a damper on his plans of grandeur, but he was not to be swayed from his resolve so easily.

Unable to come up with any answers to his dilemma, Akira simply continued to walk, alone with his thoughts.

Well...I guess I'll think of something, is what he kept telling himself. The only problem was, he kept telling himself that for a few hours and never seemed to actually think of something.

Akira's impatience began to flare. Why couldn't he think of anything? Certainly, a child could not handle waiting for something for any extended period of time. Quite frustrated, Akira made another stop and leaned against a building.

Night had fallen. Akira was now the only one on the streets, and the moon shone brightly down as if it were the sun. A cool breeze blew from the north, and the shadows of trees danced along the ground. Akira had been standing with his eyes closed, trying to come up with some way to get stronger, or at least a way to ease his frustration.

An idea struck him, perhaps stirred by the placid scenery Akira was a part of. He pushed himself off from the wall and proceeded to walk a few feet away from them.

Once under the moonlight, Akira slowly dropped down onto his knees. Clasping his hands and looking up at the moon he said, "Oh merciful Father in Heaven, please now here me."

It certainly seemed strange, praying in a place like Soul Society. But if God could hear him on Earth, Akira figured, surely He would hear him in this place. Akira continued his plea, carefully trying to mimic the way his own parents would pray.

"Lord, you have seen me. You know what I wish. My only request is this, God: Give me the strength to protect." Akira got up onto his feet, wiping the dust from his pants. "Amen," he quietly said, still looking up at the moon.

Akira stood there for quite some time, half expecting a voice from heaven to split the sky. When no such miracle occured, Akira began on his way again, his innocent faith somewhat dejected from the lack of an audible signal from on high.

Well, that was the best I could do, Akira thought to himself as he continued on. He was nearing his home now; he would not have to walk much longer to get there. When he had almost reached his house, an interesting thing happened. A figure hopped from a rooftop right in frong of him. Perfectly eclipsing the moon, the figure became visible to Akira: it was a Shinigami.

Whether it was a Holy sign or not, Akira certainly took the sighting as a word from above.

"Thank you, Lord," Akira whispered as he approached the door of his house. What better way to learn how to become strong that by observing those that embodied strenth: the Shinigami.

When Akira entered his home, he found that the woman had still not returned from her errands. Tired, and still quite curious as to why he had not been offered anything to eat again, Akira climbed into bed.

During his last few moment of consciousness, Akira made his plan. He would explore the Rukongai again tomorrow, and the day after that. In fact, he would make sure to walk about his new home every chance he could. But it would no longer be out of blind curiosity; Akira knew that there were some things in specific that he needed to see.

From now on, Akira would make it a priority to observe the Shingami. Surely, if anyone could show him how to obtain strength, they could.
================================================== ========
Yep, it's kinda short, but this is still all character development (and will be for quite some time). The post size will probably increase alot when I start progressing into more of the main plot (i.e. there will be more fighting :p)

[Jeem]

Chapter the Ninth
Akira dreamed again that night. This dream was almost identical to the other one; Hollows showed up in the field of his death, and when things looked grim his figure was replaced by a mysterious warrior who defeated the Hollows.

So strange... he thought as he awoke with a headache early that morning. He looked around his abode, scanning for the woman. As he had come to expect, she was not there.

This business of hers certainly keeps her busy, he thought with a slight chuckle. Not that her absence really bothered him; her presence of lack thereof really made no difference at all to him.

After dressing himself, Akira hopped out of bed and headed towards the door. Suprisingly enough, Akira had begun to become accustomed to life in the Soul Society. He had only been there a few days, but the original stigma and awkwardness he associated with the place itself was beggining to ease away. Though he could not say the same for the people of this place.

"Time to see what the Shinigami are up to today," he said to himself as he walked out into the street.

The day was slightly overcast, and Akira thought that he could smell rain coming over the horizon. For the time being, however, the weather was ideal; Akira never had been a fan of the heat of a scorching summer's day. The threat of rain did not seem to deter anyone from the streets of the Rukongai; much like the first time he had ventured into the streets, the dusty road was bustling with all sorts of activity.

Although he couldn't exactly say he was thrilled at the congestion of the streets, Akira did count his blessings.

With all these people, I'm much more likely to see Shinigami today, he thought, excited at the prospect of being able to observe more Death Gods.

Akira began his walk down the street, moving fast enough to avoid conversation, but slow enough to look out for the tell-tale black robes of the Shinigami. He soon found out that Shinigami didn't exactly pack the streets of Rukongai; Akira felt as if he had been wandering aimlessly for hours without seeing so much as a hint of black in anyone's clothes.

As usual, Akira's impatience began to get the best of him. "I really wish I could find a Shinigami..." Akira thought out loud. He sighed. Perhaps his visions of grandeur were a bit too high. But, just as stubborn as he was impatient, Akira continued to trod the dusty road, inaudibly praying that he would at least see a Shinigami.

The clouds were beginning to thicken overhead, the threat of rain becoming all the more obvious to the inhabitants of Rukongai. Akira, however, was unaffected by the impending storm. He was quite determined to find where the Shinigami were hiding.

"A strong person wouldn't run away from the rain," he thought to himself. "If a bit of rain scares me off, I'll never be as good as the Shinigami."

Akira's will may have been strong, but his body was still quite frail. He had been walking for hours, and his legs were beginning to burn. Being somewhat winded as well, Akira decided to take a seat against one of the buildings. As he rested, he decided to watch the people walk by. Even with several people gone due to the cloud cover, the streets remained somewhat busy.

It was here that Akira got what he wished for. After sitting down for a couple of minutes, Akira noticed something that made his heart leap. There, walking through the crowd, was a man wearing large billowing black robes. A Shinigami had finally appeared.

But something wasn't right. As Akira stood up to get a better view of the man, he saw something that disturbed him. This Shinigami acted differently than the one who had saved him. He walked with an air of arrogance, pushing people out of his way. When he arrived at a certain merchant's shack, the proprieter began shaking. Akira could not make out what the two were saying, but they did not seem on friendly terms. In fact, at one point, the Shinigami grabbed the man by the shirt, muttering what looked like threats.

Akira had seen enough. Heading back in the direction he had come from, Akira began to run back home.


That man...was a bully, Akira thought while running back home. The rain had begun to fall now. How could that be? How could his heros, the noble Shinigami, be capable of such low down acts as bullying humble merchants? Questions began to flood into Akira's head; his dream was beginning to crumble.

Tired of running, Akira slowed down. He tried to sort through his thoughts, hoping the slower pace would allow him to make sense of things. From what he had gathered of the few Shinigami he had seen, they were all quite powerful (judging by the deference paid to them). But, it also seemed as if their motives were not as pure as Akira had earlier believed. What did this mean...were the Shinigami not as great as Akira had originally thought?

Walking for hours, that question continued to run itself over and over again inside the mind of Akira. The rain was still pounding down, but the young boy was too far absorbed in thought to pay the incliment conditions any mind. It seemed, at some points, as if he could never agree on an answer within himself.

However, an answer did come. This answer would prove to be one that would define Akira's attitude for a while to come. As Akira came within view of his house, he stopped momentarily, and answered himself out loud.

"I guess..." he stammered, rethinking his answer over and over to make sure he was not lying to himself, "I guess the Shinigami still are worth watching. Even though some of them are jerks, they are still strong." It was true; strength, after all, was the reason Akira wanted to watch Shinigami in the first place.

"But," articulated Akira, finishing up his thought, "I certainly can't go around trusting them too terribly much. I wouldn't want to end up too close to a Shinigami like the one I just saw." With that, Akira entered his house, finally getting shelter from the rain.

Surprisingly, the woman greeted him when he passed over the threshold.

"Well, aren't you a wet one," she said, smiling at the drenched child that was standing before her. "I'll get you some dry clothes."

When she returned, Akira greatfully accepted the warm and dry clothes.

"So, what did you do today, young man?" the woman asked Akira.

The boy simply shrugged and replied, "Nothing." He still wore the same, emotionless face he had come to keep on almost all the time.

The woman laughed quietly as the boy went to sit and watch the storm from the window.

"Kasai Akira..." she said under her breath, "you certainly are a melancholy child." With that, she resigned herself to the rocking chair in the corner of the room, looking for any work she may have neglected to do.

[BWoods]

Nice fanfic you have going here, it's refreashing to see a story that doesn't center arounda Shinigami, rather just a normal person trying to cope with their new life a lot like Shiba the parakeet (if that was the right name.)

I'll keep an eye out on this story, it's got my attention.

[Jeem]

Thanks for the compliment, tough I do have to say that he becomes a Shinigami later (he is my Bleach Hangout character, after all :p). But for at least a little while more he'll be just a normal kid.

And Spring Break has officially started for me, so for those of you who read, look forward to some updates in the upcoming week :D

[Jeem]

Just a quick note: I've finally decided upon a novel for this fic of mine(long overdue, I know). The title is gonna be: Hellfire.

Pretty, cool right? For those of you thinking "wth does that have to do with the story?" you'll just have to read on to find out :p

Also, just wanted to take a quick minute to say if you're enjoying this (or even if you think it's total crap...in which case I'm not sure why you're on chapter 10), and you're lookin for something else to read, I'd recommend Memento Mori by Kaze (another fic), Moonblade by Decado (an original story), or Chance by BWoods (also an original story).

/end "Reading Rainbow" moment.
================================================== =
Chapter the Tenth
The rain persisted throughout the remainder of the dismal day. Resigned to sitting by the window, Akira began to let his mind wander; namely, his mind began to wander, once again to the Shinigami. The thoughts were nothing new, nothing that had not already been in mind. However, these familiar images remained in the mind of the young boy.

The good, the bad, and the ugly; the Shinigami that defeated the Hollow in the alleyway, the one that had the confrontation with the street merchant, and the Hollows from whom people needed to be protected. The rain pouring outside seemed to form a surface onto which Akira’s thoughts could be projected; it felt as if he relived his experiences with each while slumped in a chair in front of the window. Certainly, the one worth emulating was the first Shinigami: the protector. Also obvious was the thing that people most needed protecting from: the Hollows. The easiest way to deal with them would be to kill them.

But what to do with the bully of a Shinigami? This was perhaps the first new question to pop into Akira’s head all day.

That probably won’t be the only one I’ll ever have to face… he thought to himself, hands folded beneath his chin. Quickly, it was decided that a confrontation would not be the best policy; if there was one thing that was less appealing that jerks, it was having to deal with jerks. So, that left only one logical option, even to a seven-year-old.

Maybe…maybe I just have to keep my distance, Akira figured. In that case…it’d probably be best to distance myself from all of them.

The plan seemed relatively sound; so far, it didn’t seem like he had needed to be close to anyone to survive in the Soul Society. Even the woman didn’t require any real “relationship” to continue to shelter the boy. Interacting with others couldn’t be avoided, especially if they needed to be protected from Hollow. But closeness, deep relationships…these were things that the boy did not need.

After about as much reflection as Akira could take, he decided it was once again time to retire. The rain was obviously not going to let up any time soon, meaning there was not much else that could be done. On top of that, the boy’s energy had been dwindling ever since his long run through the rain.

Why have I been so tired lately? he thought to himself as he crawled underneath his sheets. He did not have time to ponder the question; he phased out of reality within the next few seconds.

The rising of the sun awakened the boy, the shafts of light striking his face and bringing him back into consciousness. Following the same pattern he had yesterday, he climbed out of bed and set out in search of Shingami. This day proved to be less fruitful than the previous day had been; no Death Gods were to be found anywhere in the surrounding area. In fact, the Shinigami proved to be quite elusive. Within the course of the next three months, Akira only managed to observe around 10 of the warriors. And, much to the strong distaste of the boy, there seemed to be more corrupt Death Gods than upright ones.

Following one of the rare days in which a helpful Shinigami was seen, Akira returned home feeling particularly winded. What seemed even odder was the fact that that particular day had not been very physically exhausting; the Reaper in question had been found within about a ten minute walk. Despite the fact that the evening still seemed rather young, the tired boy felt he needed a rest. Not even bothering to change out of his clothes, he sank onto his bead and quickly fell asleep.

Again, the dream came. The vision had not visited him at all for the three months he had been out observing the Shinigami. As real as they had been the first time, the Hollows stormed the field. And, once again, the enigmatic protector replaced Akira’s form.

However, one thing about this dream was different than the others. At the very end of the nightmare, after the Hollows had all been defeated, a sound came forth, seemingly from the sky. In fact, it was not simply a sound, it was a voice.

Akira… the voice was faint, but it managed to echo throughout the dream realm. Chilling and mysterious, the call was enough to awaken the boy.

Breathing frantically, the cold sweat once again erupting from his pores, Akira jolted upright in his bed.

“Akira?” the voice was the woman’s; night had fallen and she was once again in her favorite chair. The boy began to move, but suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Doubled over in pain and clutching his stomach, he began to groan.

He was starving. Before, the hunger pangs were only slight and passing, but now the pain was constant. Akira needed something to eat.

“What’s wrong?” the woman inquired, a look of concern on her face as she approached the boy. “Did you have a nightmare?”

“So…hungry,” was the reply.

The look of concern upon the woman’s face suddenly transformed itself into a sly smile. Akira was taken aback by this; was this woman really such a sadist as to find amusement at his pain? Before, he could long dwell on that thought, however, the woman walked over to a small table and produced a chunk of bread.

“I bought this for you as soon as I met you, in case this happened,” the woman explained, handing the bread to the boy. He immediately took it, tearing into the only sustenance he had received since he had died.

“You may have been wondering why this is the first time you’ve really been hungry since arriving here,” the woman continued, watching the boy eat with amusement. “To put it simply, this hunger means you’re special.”

Akira stopped eating momentarily. Special?

“You see, only those who have spiritual power ever get hungry in the Soul Society. And possessing spiritual power,” said the woman, shifting her gaze straight into Akira’s eyes, “means you are destined to become a Shinigami.”

The bread was practically dropped onto the floor. The boy had stumbled upon the secret he had been longing to discover without so much as lifting a finger. He, the frail little boy, was “destined” to become a Shinigami, a protector. Perhaps God really had heard his prayer.

“So what do I do now,” asked Akira, eyes aglow with excitement.

With a giggle and a smile, the woman answered, “Well, it generally follows a pattern; in my business as a messenger of the Seireitei, I’ve seen plenty of young souls begin their journey to becoming Shinigami. You see, for now there is not much you yourself can do. Right now, your body is simply adjusting to the amount of spiritual energy…you may notice a lack in stamina. In other words, your body is growing, growing at a very fast rate for a soul.”

“How long will I be growing?”

“I’d give it about 10 years,” replied the woman. Noticing a slightly dejected look on the impatient boy’s face, she continued, “Don’t worry; your body changing at all in 10 years is remarkably fast in Soul Society. So fast, in fact, that the aging you’ll be undergoing for the next 10 years will be equitable to aging 10 years on Earth!”

“But why, why do I have to age?” asked Akira, still not thrilled about 10 years of waiting.

“Like I mentioned earlier, your body needs to adjust to its amount of spiritual energy. In order to control, or even use, your reiatsu, it must be in equilibrium with the rest of the systems in your body. Without that balance, your body would not be able to withstand the manipulation of the energy inside it. Thus, the reiatsu inside you forces you to age and grow. Though the end size of the initial growth is different for every Shinigami, due to a variety of different factors, you can only become a Shinigami once you can physically cope with the energy inside you.”

“How will I know when I’m ready, and what will I do then?” The boy was now frantically grasping at all the facts that had just been thrown at him.

The woman laughed outright this time, “Believe me, you’ll know when your ready. Once that time has come, I’ll see to it that you know what to do. Don’t worry about a thing; with a hunger like that, a life as a Shinigami is certainly in your future.

[BWoods]

I liked this latest chapter, it shows a turning point in Akira, though I would have figured he would be more troubled emotionally over the total loss of his family and former life. Though he seems to have rebounded fairly well to the situation.

Keep me posted on new chapters along the way.

[Jeem]

Well, to tell you the truth, the whole "getting over it thing" is designed to show the stubborness of Akira; as soon as he found a goal to follow after (becoming a "protector"), he began to commit himself to that rather than sulking.

[Jeem]

Chapter the Tenth (continued)

When the explanation was over, the woman returned to her chair. “I’m going
to need to work a lot more if I’m to provide for an appetite like that.”

Finishing up the bread he had been allotted, Akira lay down in an attempt to return to a peaceful respite. With a full stomach, he found, this was a much simpler task. Satisfied and sleepy, the young boy drifted away once more.

He would not be interrupted; a new period in his life was close to beginning.

Part II

Prelude to a New Life

As the woman had guessed, it would be almost ten years exactly until the boy’s body had matured to the point where he would be able to control his reiatsu. During those ten years, Akira continued to watch the Shinigami, preparing himself for a life among them. His body was prepared as well. With little else to do to kill time, Akira turned to simple exercises such as running and push-ups. Much to his surprise, he found he was becoming capable of feats no normal person could accomplish. As the spiritual pressure began to grow and release itself, extraordinary speeds and feats of strength came within the boy’s grasp.

The woman had also been of some help. With her knowledge of the Death Gods, she closely monitored Akira’s progress, in some ways helping him to prepare.

“Try and put your reiatsu into a ball, in your hands,” she had said one day when the boy was about 11. “It may not be very stable or powerful, but your body is beginning to develop to the point where it can control limited amounts of energy.”

Akira remembered struggling to bring out strange force he was beginning to feel inside of him. Pushing as hard as he could, he eventually managed to force a small bit out. The pale ball of energy hovered above his hand for a fleeting moment, and then quickly disappeared. This had been the boy’s first experience in controlling his energy.

Over the years, this control developed more and more, along with the boy’s physical prowess. His constant observation of the world around him allowed him a great deal of insight as well; Akira found he could be quite intelligent, especially when it came to reading people. Physically and mentally, the boy was certainly developing quite a bit in his years of waiting. But the decade had finally passed; the headstrong young boy had become a headstrong young adult. What was once a frail little child had evolved into a tall and built man. The time had finally come.


Chapter the Eleventh
“I’m ready,” Akira told the woman one afternoon, walking in after an early morning run.

“Oh?” she replied, a sly grin spreading across her face. “And how do you know this?”

He did not give a verbal response, but rather lifted his arm, palm up. Before the woman’s eyes, he effortlessly created a ball of energy that gently hung suspended above his hand. The mass of reiatsu was perfectly stable, showing no signs of weakening.

“Ah, so your body really has matured that much,” she said, getting up from the familiar chair she had been seated upon. “Has it really been ten years?” Looking the boy from head to toe, she smiled; the body of the young man in front of her was evidence enough of the passage of a decade.

“You said you’d let me know what to do,” Akira said matter-of-factly.

I see you’re still every bit as cold and aloof as you were ten years ago. The woman sighed, and handed him a piece of parchment. “These are directions to the nearest Shinigami acceptance facility. It is there that they will determine whether or not you are a candidate for the Academy.”

Without a word, the packet was taken and skimmed over. Looking back to the woman, he uttered two simple words: “Thank you.”

“Here, take this as well,” the woman said as she handed Akira another loaf of bread. “We can’t have you getting hungry right before your examination.”

Taking a bite out of the bread, Akira turned and walked out the door, crossing the familiar threshold once more. The woman simply watched as he walked out the door.

He may have never thought of me as his mother…but, a tear began to roll down her cheek as she realized she would never see the boy again, I always thought of you as my son. Kasai Akira…I wish you all the luck in the world.

Glancing down at the map once more, Akira sighed. “The 7th District…that’s quite a distance from here,” he said to himself. “Well, I suppose it can’t be helped then.” At a speed only slightly under shunpo, he took off towards his destination, leaving quite a few surprised onlookers in his wake.

The 7th District was certainly a different area. Here, the homes looked to be in much better shape, and the merchant “shacks” were more like full fledged markets. It was quite obvious that this district was dominated by lesser nobles and others far more well off than ninety percent of the rest of the inhabitants of the Rukongai.

“These nobles certainly are showy,” Akira commented under his breath, looking at some of the more massive estates that dominated the landscape. Having returned to normal speed, he walked somewhat slowly, not wanting to miss the exam location. After a few minutes of walking, the building finally came into view. About the size of a modest, medium-sized home, the testing area was quickly given away by the sign on the doorway.

Shinigami Hopeful, Enter Here the sign read.

“Humph, guess that means me,” he said. Not noticing any others present, nor seeing any special stipulations mentioned on the sign or on the map he had been given, he entered the building with anticipation. Now was the time to truly see if he was “gifted”.

[Dexter]

damn uni and novel.. i'm falling behind on C&C :face82:
but dw, i've been reading

chapter 5 is great

but the fac that the woman talked of them as if they were nothing to worry about seemed quite odd.
fact =p
called Zanpakutohs, by their side. Their job is to protect both the souls in Soul Society and on Earth from Hollows."
up to you really, but i always saw this as "Zanpakutou" :)

nonetheless a good chapter, and i like the rising of his reiatsu already, the way renji and rukia discovered theres

/me remembers Hitsugaya eating furiously XD


It certainly was strange that he hadn't been given anything to eat.
:)

[Jeem]

YES! Someone picked up on the little bit of suspense at the end of that chappy :p And I appreciate you takin time out of uni and such to read the fic, Dec.

And, as always, thanks to everyone who reads this; if you're not a writer, having someone enjoy your work means more than you can imagine :D

[BWoods]

I forgot to reply when I read the latest chapter.... and I forgot what I was going to say. I've slept since then.

Anyway the jump between years really shows the change in Akira's personality. He seemed exploritive and kind of awe stricken at a lot of things when he was younger, now he seems dead-set on his goal and confident (maybe a little over-confident. :D)

I really starting to wonder what's going happen next chapter. I think he'll either get a rude awakening at discovering so many people that are as powerful or more powerful than him. Or he'll be a stand-out in the group and will be talked about by the recruiters or whoever.

[Jeem]

Here's a pretty quick post to finish up chapter 11. And as a bit of self-advertising moment, I'd like to let any of you who read this know that I started writing an original story (check the link in my sig), so if you like this, you'll probably enjoy my original work :D
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Chapter the Eleventh (cont.)
The interior of the building wasn’t anything spectacular; all that was located in the lobby were a few small chairs, a couch, and a large wooden desk, behind which sat a small Shinigami wearing spectacles that seemed disproportionate to his size.

So this is the place? I was expecting something a bit more grandiose, thought Akira as he scanned the building. He approached the tiny man at the desk, hoping he would be the proctor who could tell him what he needed to do next.

“Name?” the little Death God asked, his eyes remaining fixated upon the parchment he was scribbling upon.

“Kasai Akira.”

“District?”

“Twenty-Fifth.”

For the first time, the man looked up at Akira. He looked over the youth for a brief second, then simply sat there and stared at him as if he were trying to see through his gut. Shooting the old man a slightly puzzled look, Akira simply stood there, wondering what the small person in front of him was trying to accomplish.

“Hmmm…you definitely have some spiritual presence, Mr. Kasai,” said the Shinigami after a few minutes. “I suppose I can let you take the test.”

Well, that’s a start, he thought, a slight grin showing his satisfaction.

The man at the desk gestured to a door behind him, “Go in that room and shut the door. If you can manage to awaken your Shinigami abilities within five days, you will be admitted into the Academy.”

“Awaken my Shinigami abilities?” Akira asked, somewhat displeased with the ambiguity of the explanation he was given.

“If you have what it takes, you’ll figure out what to do,” said the man, returning to the pile of parchments on his desk.

With a sigh, the youth left the desk, walking towards the door he had been directed to enter. Pushing on the heavy wooden door, Akira entered the testing room. Upon entering the room, he found it to be even less decorated than the lobby. The place measured about 100 square feet and was adorned only by wood on all sides.

The door shutting behind him, the room seemed almost infinitely small.

“What the heck am I supposed to do?” Akira began pacing. Five days to ‘awaken his powers’? The old man couldn’t have possibly been more vague than that. He sighed, and chuckled in spite of his situation. “I really have no idea what I’m supposed to do.”

So he did the only thing he could think to do. Closing his eyes, he sat down cross-legged on the floor. Though it wasn’t the most exciting way to solve his problem (nor the fastest, he thought with a grimace), concentration and meditation seemed the most logical solution at the moment. If what the old man had said was true, the answer was sure to come to him eventually.

[Jeem]

Chapter the Twelfth
Sitting and waiting, waiting and sitting…Akira could think of very few things he despised more. By his approximation, he had been in this state of intense meditation for over a day now, getting up only a few times to stretch his legs and get a drink from the canteen that had been in the room when he got there.

“I’m waiting…but I don’t even know what I’m waiting for,” he muttered angrily to himself. “How much more time am I going to have to waste here before something actually gets accomplished?”


With a sigh, he regained his composure and closed his eyes once again. Now was not the time to lose control of his emotions. With renewed peace of mind, he began another period of intense meditation.

Akira began to look inward, convinced now that the only place he could find the power he needed was inside of him. Searching, searching the infinity of his being, he calmly waited to find it. It would be the key to his power. It was what he needed to find to become a Shingami.

What was IT?

For hours more he sat there, looking for the thing inside of him that would allow him to realize his potential. Somehow, he felt he was getting closer; an unexplainable sensation told him that what he desired was right at the edge of his fingertips. So close…

He felt it.

Something, something deep inside of him was beginning to make its presence known. Akira began to concentrate upon it. He found it to be taking root in his abdomen, in the very core of his body. He focused all his energy, all of his reiatsu, all of his being to bringing out this power.

It was surging now. Like wildfire ignited by his energy, this presence began to spread all over his body. Expanding outward, the sensation was felt in the rest of his stomach, then his arms and legs, until finally the power had traveled along invisible pathways to the uttermost extent of his body parts.

Akira stood up. At first it had been his energy that manipulated the feeling, but now it was moving of its own accord. His breathing became shortened; sweat began beading on his forehead. It felt…

It felt good.

The power continued to augment itself. It grew and grew, a raging firestorm within the young man’s body. Soon, it would not be able to contain itself. Soon, it would burst forth inside Akira and manifest itself. Soon…so very soon.

The time had come; the energy had reached a critical limit. With a shout, Akira began to let it out. Stretching out his arms, he could feel power coming from every pore of his body; it was a sensation like no other. It leaked out slowly at first, manifesting itself as small wisps of energy.

But more would come. He could feel that soon this power would erupt from inside him; it would no longer be denied.

Awaken The voice, the voice that had not been heard for years pierced through air, startling the depths of Akira’s mind and soul.

The final surge came. In one last thrust, the energy released itself. Finally, it had happened.

Certainly, the proctor outside heard the yells from within; the triumphant adrenaline-fueled shouts that could only be brought on by the ecstasy of power.

There were two things he could not notice, however.

While the energy released itself, something odd happened to Akira’s body. Strange, black, rune-like markings appeared all over his body; the markings completely covered him, materializing as if they were shadows that once hid under his skin

Stranger still was the shape that the power now took. Pale blue wisps had transformed into a consuming fire, a fire that was by no means natural.

Hellfire.

Akira would now know this term until much later, but that is what the feeling inside him had become. The Hellfire raged around his closed eyes; it and the runes had finally emerged to become physical incarnations of the boy’s powers. A Shinigami had been born.

[Momo]

Jeem, keep going with this fic. You know...? its really exciting and I like how you describe... how Akira became a shinigami :)