Memories of a Shinigami (BLEACH Club Members only)

[Kuradic]

Kuragari’s body emerged from the shadows of the hallway and found himself outside staring at a large open area. The leaves in the trees rustled calmly, flowing with the calming wind. The breeze was just as gentle to his face as it was to the leaves. Kuragari stretched his arms out wide as he leaned back onto the soft padded dirt. Maybe I shouldn’t have skipped breakfast he thought to himself. His eyes weighed heavy as the continuous breeze calmed and relaxed his muscles. I’ll just eat brunch he thought as his vision turned to darkness. He awoke shortly after at the sound of someone screaming. He yawned heavily and saw a student running in the direction of the cafeteria. This might prove interesting. He pushed off the ground and started off after the student. He seemed to be in a real rush; Kuragari kept behind him though, eager to find out what was happening. He stopped his chase as the student barged through a pair of double doors. Kuragari rested behind the door his arms crossed, his ears pressed against the wall. He heard a muffled shout, all saying the same thing, but he couldn’t make it out. The student seemed to be right across the wall when he screamed the final time. Kuragari made out the words “Nyuu-chan is being beaten up!” Tch I came all the way here just to find out some person’s being bullied? What a waste of time. He was about to start heading back when the doors were thrown open again. As the door swayed back and forth, he noticed the student had a new companion by his side. Shino! he screamed in his head. Heh, I spoke to soon, as always. He followed behind silently. It was a quick run leading to small outside area. Kuragari remained in the hallway’s masking shadow as Shino ran out to help a young boy with a bloodstained shirt.

“If there's one thing I don't like more than rap music, it's people like you. Bullies, are what you are.” Shino called out to the group of guys. How’d the kid get beat by those three? he laughed to himself.

“What of it, woman? You going to do something to stop us? You're out numbered.” screamed what seemed to be the leader.

“Numbers aren't important right now. Your skills combined don't even compare to mine. Either leave quietly or in a stretcher. Take your pick,” Shino called out to them again, much more threateningly.

“Cocky, are we? Then it's time for us to teach you a lesson! Get her, guys!”

“Yeah!” they all called out in unison, their stomping feet matching their loud voices. Idiots…Kuragari thought again shifting his head back and forth. A few minutes passed before Shino successfully knocked down all 3 of the bullies. A teacher came running into the scene throwing accusations at Shino.


“Relax, sensei. They're not injured. I just put them to sleep,” Shino said innocently. She responded rather quickly, as she had already anticipated the accusation.

“...Oh. Well, then. Good work. Breakfast is almost over and it's almost time for your Kidou class, so get ready,” the teacher said, slightly taken back.

“Yes, sensei.” Shino said as she bowed. Shino turned on the boy covered in blood. They exchanged a few sentences before he was hoisted onto her back. Through it all however, Kuragari only cared about one thing he saw. She blushed. Ha-ha, she must like him. I feel sorry for whoever that is he thought to himself covering his mouth. His gaze came back up as Shino began to near his location. And at that moment he saw who she was carrying. Steph! She likes Steph? Ah great, I have to live with someone who’s girl friend is a total whore. Caught up in his own thoughts Kuragari didn’t notice Shino was getting even closer. Soon she would be able to see him. Gah! I need to get out of here. Kuragari closed shut his eyes tightly. I wish I was back at the open field. With this thought came the image the of field, and a bright white flash. Kuragari’s head spun and he found himself driving face first into a hard concrete wall.

“Owl!!! What the hell was that,” he screamed wiping off some blood from his nearly broken nose. Oh no, Shino. He spun on his heels to see that they were gone. He was back in the open field, the sun’s rays bearing down on his beaten face. “How did I-, What’s going on.”

“You used shunpo,” came a voice from behind.

“Huh?” Kuragari turned around and found the teacher that found Shino gazing down at him.

“Shunpo I said. It allows you to move much faster then normal. You’re surprisingly faster then me,” pushing up her glasses with her left index finger.

“Shunpo? Where have I heard that before?” Kuragari tried to re-call the moment he first heard that word. With the shinigami! When he brought me to my dorm. “Ah, just like the shinigami said.”

“What was that?”

“Uh, nothing. Just reminiscing. How’d you know I’d come here anyway?”

“I didn’t. I said you were faster, doesn’t mean I can’t keep up,” the teacher responded curling her lips into a small smile. “You’ll be late for you Kidou class,” she said after a pause. She pointed behind her saying, “It’s where Shino was. Just go inside and take a left from there.”

“I’m not going to another class,” Kuragari said through pursed lips.

“You’ll need it to beat Shino,” she returned mockingly

“Eh… How’d you- never mind,” Kuragari said stubbornly, crossing his arms again. “Fine… I’ll go. Just lea-” Kuragari stared at the empty space where the teacher had stood before. How un-original. He stared into the floating white cotton placed into the deep blue sky. The rays of the sun causing different colors of the spectrum to appear. Each beautifully adorned off of the sun’s location. Such a nice view… I guess I can miss class once more. Just to…see…this…view. Though he would have enjoyed to stare forever onto the beautiful scene, it abruptly came to and end as the shining bright sun was replaced with a white glowing globe. What! What’s going on? The bright blue sky was replaced just as quickly with a blanket of the night sky. It would have been another good view, if the moon wasn’t quickly changing into a bright red color. Kuragari staggered back at the view, and stared down at his strange hands. From the tips of his fingers came the same color as the moon, pouring down to the floor. Out from the midst of the shadows formed a blade. The blade hovered about motionless, however the blood wasn’t so unresponsive. It shot out from its puddle and streamed towards the tip of the sword. It spiraled around the sword and wrapped it in its glowing red color. The blade accepted it like a welcomed visitor, taking it into its home. Silence grew as Kuragari could not find the courage to move. The sword broke this silence with an eerie screech. It rang aloud, and echoed throughout the soundless night sky. Shortly after the blade began to shift and swerve, attempting to take some type of shape. Kuragari stared bewildered at the monstrosity that stood before him. It was a behemoth. Large in size, bearing fangs larger then that of a dinosaur. Its gray fur grew out from the base of its neck, its brown fur streaked with the color of Kuragari’s blood.

For the first time, in who knows how long, Kuragari felt fear. Real fear deep within his heart. This creature’s reiatsu was more then he could have ever imagined. Though he hardly knew anything of reiatsu, he knows what it can do to someone of inferiority to it. And right now, Kuragari was the inferior being. Nothing moved, not one finger, and the air seemed stiff, chocking him, stripping him of what remaining air he had left. The behemoth stared deeply into his eyes, its yellow orbs taking in everything about him. Kuragari gasped desperately for air, wheezing at ever pitiful attempt. His vision blurred every second he stayed in this condition. The behemoths law claws shattered the ground with ever step it took closer to Kuragari. Kuragari could no longer hold his conscious, his vision failed him, and the behemoth was stripped from his sight. He heard the beast utter one sentence before he lost conscious. “My name is…”

[Andromeda]

He had been ready to accept what was going to happen to him and survive through it. The Rukongai provided plenty of skirmishes for him that he had been used to taking a beating. It was not something that he relished, but he also did not like fighting. He never fought back against anyone that bullied him; he just did not have it in him to swing his fist. Steph could barely even get angry with them he did not care enough. It would be gone eventually and he would move along.

This time however, he was rescued by the warrior woman from earlier. She had a fierce look in her eyes one that he could not empathize with, anger and rage. The three men that were ganging up on him were taken out quickly without much further injury that he had initially received. It amounted to mostly bruises and minor cuts, his clothes were dirtier than his appearance.

“Do you need a hand, Nyuu-chan?” the woman said looking down at him. He was short to begin with being on the ground only furthered to make his appearance more childlike and meek.

‘Nyuu-chan…even she’s calling me it. And it’s a name that sticks too, I’ll never be rid of it now…’ Steph sighed softly to himself as he wiped some dirt from his hands. “I have a name…Please call me Steph.” His chest was feeling tight suddenly around his throat causing him to cough in his speech. “By the way…who are you? I saw you in class before.”

“Oh, me? My name’s Shino.”

“…Why did you help me?”

“Because I hate bullies, Steph-kun.”

‘Well lets hope that name sticks. I’d rather forget the memories of the past if possible…’ He caught a glimpse of the woman turning red for a moment leaving Steph confused. It seemed a little strange that such a strong woman would be shy about something. ‘Guess she’s human after all.’ After shaking it off Shino picked him up and started to carry him back into the academy. ‘I’m not that injured.’ They arrived in the medical ward of the academy smaller than the one that he had visited; it was more like a nurse’s office than complete facilities.

Shino finally let him walk on his own into the office. “Thank you, but you didn’t have to carry me,” Steph said bowing to her.

“Yeah, well…”

“Is there something wrong?” the woman at the desk said as Steph approached. As he approached it became clear to the woman. “Oh dear, poor child you’ve been hurt. Come around back.” Steph followed, though with some reluctance with his last visit. He did not think that his injuries were very severe to require tending. The nurse had him lay down the bed removing his shirt to tend to the bruises. He had several small cuts that he did not realize with his shirt covering them up.

“You get into a fight with someone bigger than you?” the nurse said making idle conversation while Shino remained at the entrance.

“Uh no…it was one sided.”

“Bullied huh? I guess children like yourself are easy targets being so small.”

“Its alright, I’m used to it.”

“That’s not something I like to hear.” The nurse finished up with his cuts and let him dress himself. Steph stood up quickly tucking his shirt in at the waist. “Now I don’t want to see you in here again, okay?”

“Alright, thank you,” Steph said bowing to the woman.

“At least not without someone else to tend to as well,” she said teasing him lightly.

Steph smiled to her and returned to the front of the office. ‘Waiting on me?’ He gave Shino a smile as well as thanks. She took the lead walking him to their next class. While they were on their walk Steph untied his hair. It had become a mess from being tossed around by those men that attacked him. He let his hair fall down around his shoulders while he smoothed it out with his fingers. “Thanks again for stopping them,” Steph said smiling up at Shino.

Shino looked away again softly coughing to herself to regain her composure. “Just can’t stand bullies.”

They reached the class finding some students already gathered inside. The instructor was standing in front watching the students as they entered. It was an aging man, though still with some youthful shine in his face still. He waited until everyone had arrived before beginning the class. Steph had found his own place a distance away from Shino who had departed company shortly after they reached the room.

“Welcome to the Kidou class, I’ll be your instructor. What you’ll learn here is foundation knowledge and basic execution of a kidou spell. You will not learn every spell. The lowest spells will be enough to train you. You should know that there are two types of kidou spells binding and destructive. In addition is healing, but that works a little differently.”

The man continued for a little longer talking about theory and explaining how to control spirit energy, but Steph became lost at that point. He had done it briefly when being examined, but he did not even know if it was the same method. Steph tried to concentrate and follow the instructions hoping that some of it would eventually make sense to him, but it was all abstract. ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever understand this…’

“You child!” the instructor said suddenly snapping Steph out of his internal debate. He looked down at the instructor from the large lecture hall. “Yes, you come down here.”

“Yes, sir!” Steph did not hesitate in moving quickly to the front of the hall uncertain why he had been called. ‘I wasn’t talking out loud was I?’ The instructor placed a hand on Steph’s shoulder firmly shaking him to the core. He quickly pulled down the shoulder of his shirt revealing the few bandages that he had on. The audience laughed at Steph’s embarrassment.

“Quiet!” the man shouted making his voice suddenly reverberate through the walls enough to make the dust shake. “Now I noticed when you came in that you had some recent injuries. You’ll make a perfect example. I shall demonstrate the difference between healing and binding spells.” The man’s hand began to glow blue suddenly as he placed his palm against one of the small cuts Steph had. When his hand pulled away the wound was gone completely.

“With simple injures like this one can heal quickly, larger injures will require more effort and bandages even afterwards. Now for the binding spell.” The instructor stood in front of Steph suddenly placing his hand out at his body. “Bakudo number one, Restrain!”

Steph had his arms pulled back behind him unable to move them an inch. The swiftness nearly knocked him off his feet. He stopped straining against the invisible force knowing that he would not be able to pull free of it. It was uncomfortable as his shoulders were tense against the joints. Though it was more uncomfortable being in front of everyone.

“A well trained shinigami can use Kidou without the need of the incantation, however I doubt any of you are at such a level that you are able to do that.” After he finished speaking Steph was released from his bonds holding his wrists to regain the feeling back. “Since you’re here anyway, lets see what you got. First concentrate your spirit energy.”

‘Put on the spot…it took me so long the last time and it was embarrassing.’ Steph nodded to the instructor buying himself time to try to remember what he needed to do. If all he had to do was what he did last time he figured eventually he would be able to do it. He closed his eyes bringing an image in his mind, at least trying to do that, for him to focus around. Time passed and there were whispers in the quickly disinterested audience of the hall, but the instructor silenced them with a look. Steph held his focus uninterrupted finally producing a very small sphere in his palm, marginally larger than before.

“Well its better than nothing…” the instructor said before having to silence the laughs. “Now try to heal yourself as I did. Remember what I said.”

Steph knew that he could not even speak as his mind was already becoming distracted. He did not even allow himself a nod to acknowledge the man. The thought of healing the wounds was an encouraging feeling for him; it would remove the signs from his body. He would not have to have people looking at him needlessly and the slight pain would be gone. His lip still hurt every time he spoke as it cracked open breathing the stinging air.

His hand that was holding the sphere allowed it to fall into his palm absorbing it in his palm as the instructor had said. Steph could feel the warmth flowing through is hand easing the pain, but before he could place it on his wound it covered his arm. Then it surrounded his shoulder and chest until it covered his body. In a moment all of his wounds closed up quickly and released the tension from his muscles. All over his body there was a warmth internally that felt as though there was a bon fire burning inside him soothing his injuries.

The instructor stepped back in surprise. “Uh, well that was unexpected. You seem to have some talent for this in spite of your rather little spirit energy. One last thing before I let you return to you seat to practice. Put a binding spell on me.”

“Sir? But I…”

“Its practice, you won’t hurt me. Let’s see what you got. You have me curious.”

“Well I…” Steph timidly approach the man holding his hands in each other. He did not think that he would be able to do something so complex. It seemed simple for the man, but he was skilled. He could barely focus his own spirit energy. The instructor insisted further grabbing his hand and putting it in place facing himself. Steph weakly swallowed before he recited what the instructor had said for the spell, but he paused and stuttered frequently.

“You aren’t focused, try again!” Steph tried again, but he faired no better. “Quit being scared and just do it!” the instructor yelled at him frightening Steph that he forgot what to say.

“Bakudo number one, Restrain!” Steph said hastely not even thinking correctly and forgetting the incantation. However, the spell activated and the instructor’s hands were bound behind his back to the surprise of the students. Steph was relieved, but he saw that the instructor was having trouble. There was pain across the man’s face as the bindings grew tighter. The man kept a stoic figure even though he was sweating.

“Good…release…it…”

“I-I…” Steph looked around worried what he was doing. ‘I don’t know how to do that.’ He pulled his hand back trying to break his hold. His muscles tensed up with stress making him sweat. The ground seemed to lift up on him as his equilibrium was broken. Steph fell back against the ground passing out and releasing the instructor.

“Nearly broke my arms…first lessons!” the instructor said turned away towards the class. “First focus your spirit energy into a ball, repeat this exercise until you are confident. The next step will be partnering up and practicing the first bakodu spell that I demonstrated here. Begin!”