Chapter Three: Willing and Able.

To make up for the short Chapter Two, Chapter Three is going to be a lot longer, and I mean a lot.

????'s POV~ 

When I had collapsed in the streets, Shūhei brought me to Kurotsuchi’s lab, despite my lack of wanting to go. I was enjoying walking around the city with him-- it was peaceful, how quiet it really was, considering its large size. There were a lot of cherry blossom trees in the private courtyards; the only problem was that they were private, and on one of them, we were caught by one of the captains, who hadn’t been all that happy about us disturbing him. It was my fault, though. I told Shuhei to bring me there, because I could smell the flowers.

The room I was in was really dark. It was difficult to stay awake because it was making me so drowsy. That, and the drip they had me attached to through an IV, so that my ‘spirit energy’ would be stabilized during the treatment. Another thing I was attached to; a machine that connected to the back of a screen that was on the wall. The cords were these little sticky things they put all over my body. They had to brace my wrists and ankles with a thing called ‘kidō’, in case the treatment went wrong.

My eyes had begun to droop when the door burst open, with Kurotsuchi, Unohana, Hanataro, the girl with the orange hair, Shūhei, and two other men that I didn’t know, filing inside.

“Don’t fall asleep on us now,” the man with the brown hair told me. He wore this straw hat and pink floral robe that made his first impression as a ‘laid-back kind of guy’. “You’ll be back to yourself in no time.” I nodded, as if I actually knew what that meant.

“Are you ready?” Unohana asked, putting her hand on my forehead.

“Yeah, I’m ready.” They had already gone through on what they were going to do, and how the procedure would go. Since my soul chain and soul sleep was fixed, they could start it earlier than just waiting two more days. I’d have to be asleep for it to work. The drug that’s in the drip would do that for me in no time, but they wanted it to take it slow, so my body could get used to it while I slept. The sticky things that were attached to me that are attached to the screen are connected to my nerve endings that are connected to my brain. The cords will transfer searched images from my brain and project them onto the screen. Whatever I see, they will, too. The images on the screen will determine what will happen from there.

“I’m going to release the rest of the drug. It is just a sedative that has been modified. You’ll be asleep in about two minutes.” I watched her pinch the clamp that was on the tube that was releasing the drug. She took it off and it began to flow thicker than before. I could already feel myself going out. I held on, so I could hear anything they had left to say to me.

“So, you don’t know anything at all yet?” the man with the white hair asked me. In some way, he looked kind of sick. There were large bags under his eyes that suggested that he hadn’t slept in over thirty years.

“Um, no… n-not really,” I was already slurring, the medicine having gotten into my system. I blinked, forcing myself to stay awake. The man smiled, saying, “Don’t fight it; the sooner, the better.”

I sunk deeper into the pillow that was underneath my head, feeling my heart rate slow and my temperature get colder. It was weird; I had a strange hunch, thinking that I might die.

“You’ll be okay,” Shūhei said to reassure me. I smacked my lips, finally feeling the full strength of the drug entering my system.

“Hey,” said a voice near my ear. It was the girl with the orange hair. “I’ll see you soon... Abaron.”

***

Alright, so, where am I now? I think I’m in the sky… But what am I doing in the sky? It’s awfully cold up here. Am I naked? I wish I had some clothes on.

Pop! That was convenient.

A black robe covered me from my neck to my feet. So I’m dreaming, then?

“No. You’re wide awake.” I jumped, startled by the invisible voice. I searched through the whiteness of the clouds. But there was no one there. I couldn’t have imagined it. I’ve heard it before. But where did I hear it? I can’t even remember the simplest of things. But then a name popped into my head. Abaron. It kept repeating itself, echoing louder and louder each time.

“So, you remember now? Good. So then, I can show myself to you. But first: Do you remember my name?” I think so. “Then say it out loud, so we may be reunited once again.” There was a name that felt like it belonged to the voice, like it was a perfect match.

“Bōkyaku?”

“Bingo!” In a plume of black smoke, a girl in black with gold eyes appeared. “I am Bōkyaku. But, you didn’t sound so sure of your answer; why is that?”

“To be honest, I’m not so sure of anything anymore. I’ve been locked up for so long that I don’t even know who I am, or who I was.”

“Well, that wasn’t your fault. You weren’t the only one stuck in there. I was locked up inside that head of yours, and you sure have some scary thoughts…” A cloud floated up behind her, just low enough for her to sit down on. She crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap.

“Sit,” she said, as a cloud floated up behind me, too. “So…”

“Is this part of the treatment?”
“You could say that. I’m here to restore your powers and your memories. And although that might take time, I’m willing to wait for you. And I’ve been waiting a long time. After all, without you, I wouldn’t exist.”
“Wait, what? You wouldn’t exist without me?” She nodded. “How is that possible?”

“Alright, we’re done talking.” She abruptly stood, the cloud disappearing into the air. “Get up.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.

“Um, what…?”  

“Getting your powers back,” she answered my unfinished question. Letting go of my arm, she raised her hands above her head, clasping them together. The sky began to rumble and shake; clouds started to crumble and fall to the ground below. The clouds that remained were changing color; from a soft white to a blood red. The sky beyond it went dark, as if it were night. And then everything began to shatter. I hopped away, avoiding falling to my death.

“What are you doing?! What is this? What are you?!”

“This is Chi no Sora: the Blood Sky. It represents you, in your current state. When this is all done and finished, it’ll go back to the way it was. And I… am your Zanpakuto.”

Turn Back the Pendulum: Strive~*

“So… a third seat, huh?” Shūhei said, sitting down beside me on the bridge. “Good for you.” I nodded, swinging my feet back and forth over the water, where the moon was reflected off of it. It rippled when my toes skimmed the surface. I took in a deep breath, sucking in the unpolluted air from the Soul Society. It was a lot cleaner here, compared to being in the Rukon District. The skies were always clear; the temperature always the same, warm temperature. It was great.

“It’s pretty demanding,” I admitted to him. “There’s a lot of paper work involved.”

“That should be no problem for you; you’ve had worse things to do.”

“Like when Renji made me eat that bug last week?” We both shuddered, remembering what had happened after I swallowed it. Vomit shouldn’t be pink.

“Yeah, I guess it falls into that category… but it’s only been two months; how hard can it really get? Besides, it’s only Shinji Hirako.” I scoffed; only…?

“You don’t even know, Shūhei, I’m swamped. In fact, I should go back; my Captain’s probably looking for me. I ditched some files behind my couch; he’s bound to find them soon—“

“Abaron!” a voice shouted. On the other side of the bridge was my captain. I sighed.

“He’s so predictable,” I told Shūhei as I pulled myself up into a standing position. He smiled, shaking his head.

“There you are, Abaron,” he smiled as he crossed over to me. I saw Shūhei run off, back toward the Rukon District. He was recruited the day after me, but since the Captain of his squad was on business, he had to wait to be properly inducted. Rukia, Renji, Momo, Izuru, and Shōri were recruited, too. Rukia went to Squad 13, under Jūshirō Ukitake, and the others would be starting tomorrow, in Squad 5, the same as me. I was a little disappointed when I found out that Rukia wouldn't be with us. It would've made our little group complete.

“Here I am,” I said, forcing a smile. He stopped in front of me. “What is it, Captain?”

“Well, do you know those papers I gave you this morning; the ones I asked you to look through, approve, and sign?” I nodded slowly, not wanting to give up my jig. I didn’t want to start off on a bad foot. “Thank you for finishing them so quickly!”

“Um… pardon me?” I was so lost. I never even started on them.

“I just found them on my desk, all organized and completed so nicely; thanks!”

“But, sir, I-I never—““Why don’t we go out for drinks tonight?” “Pardon me?”

“Come on, Abaron, join me!” He grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from the bridge. Free drinks, huh? That sounds pretty good to me. I do enjoy my sake.

“I—sure, I’ll go.”

“Great! Meet me at my office in an hour, alright?”

***

Only an hour to get ready…? I didn’t have to change. My hair was a mess from having to run back to my room. It was full of knots and tangles that would take forever to pick through. But I didn’t have forever. I had fourteen minutes. Shinji’s office was only two buildings away from the one I lived in. So I’d have seven minutes to fix my hair and seven minutes to get there.

Looking once more in the mirror by my door, I stepped out into the hall and broke into a run. Turning the corner, I hadn’t even seen him standing there a moment ago; I crashed into the broad chest of Squad 5’s Lieutenant. The impact sent me flying to the ground, landing hard on my bottom.

“Lieutenant Aizen, I’m so sorry! I was in a rush and I wasn’t looking to see where I was going, and—“

“It’s alright, Abaron. Here.” He held out his free hand, as the other was full of papers. I took it and he pulled me up. I brushed myself off and smiled up at him.

“Thank you.”

“So, where could you be going at this late hour?” he asked.

“The Captain asked me to come to his office, but I’m not sure why, exactly.” “I think I do.” “What?”

“Don’t you notice how he looks at you?” Now that he mentioned it, he does look at me in a different way. His eyes go blank, and sometimes, when he’s talking to me, he forgets about what he was saying and just ends up staring off into space.

“Well, I…” Sosuke laughed.

“Don’t worry, he’s harmless.” I sighed. That was a relief. “You’d better be going, then. Oh, and Abaron,” he added, as I started to run again. I stopped and looked back over my shoulder. “You’re welcome.”

“For what, Lieutenant?”

“For doing your paperwork for you.”

***

“Come in!” a cheery voice called. I opened the door to see him sitting in the dark at a table, with just a small flame that provided just a little bit of light. It cast his shadow on the wall behind him, making his head look even bigger than it already was. He pointed to a chair across from him and said, “Sit!”

“Okay.” I could tell that he already drunk. Not just from the empty wine glasses that had remnants of the sake. I wish he would’ve waited. I grabbed a clean glass, wiping off the rim just in case, and filled it with blueberry flavoured sake: my favorite kind.

“Sooo…” he was slurring now, making this whole situation a whole lot funnier than it really needed to be. His cheeks turned beet red as he began to laugh, visible through the darkness.

“Sir, maybe you should cut back a bit--?” “Nope!” He was still laughing. I readjusted my position in the chair and took a sip of the sake.

“So, was there some occasion you wanted me here for, sir?”

“Can’t a captain invite a friend to dinner?” “Dinner?” I couldn’t believe that I just realized that there were two plates with lids over them on the table. The scent of pasta was thick in the air, causing me to drool.  

“Well, yeah, but—“

“Shh!” He reached over the table and put his finger to my lips. “Just eat, drink, and relax.” He took the lids off of the plates and used them to waft the smell into the air. I took a deep breath. No, I can’t give in in to temptation... it'd be wrong of me to take advantage of the situation... I won't egg him on; if he's gonna act like this after having a few drinks, I won't help him on getting even more insane.

“Sir, you’re obviously drunk and I think that encouraging you to drink isn’t such a good idea--” There was a knock at the door. Before Shinji said, “Come in!” again, I blew out the candle and ran from the table and into the next room. I heard it open.

“Oh, it’s you Sosuke; what is it?”

“Have you been drinking, sir?” I heard him say, a light flickering on in the room he was in.

“Yes, with—where did she go?” I felt around the dark room, trying to find another door. I finally found a handle that stuck out of the door in the far end of the room, and pulling it open, I saw that it lead outside into the cobbled streets. I took off toward my quarters, my mind set on connecting my head to my pillow.

9 Years Later~ Still a Third Seat~

“Hey. Wake up. Hey, Abaron; get your lazy ass out of bed!” I was startled by the voice who awoken me from my sleep. You don’t just shout in someone’s face when their unconscious. It was my sister.

“Shōri? What are you doing here? Who let you in?”

“I let myself in. Captain Urahara wants to see you. Like, right now.” I got up out of my bed and slipped on my shihakushō over my sleeping gown as Shōri pulled me out toward my window, leaping out and jumping three floors to the ground.

“Hurry up! He’s waiting!”

***

“You wanted to see me, Captain?” He was standing out front of Squad 12’s barracks with a small smile on his face. I climbed up the steps to join him.

“Yeah, I did. Lately, your spiritual pressure has been fluctuating a little higher than normal. Do you know why?” I thought about it. I think I would’ve felt if it was fluctuating. It was weird of how he just cut straight to the point.

“No, sir, I don’t.”

“Well, I do. Would you like to hear it?” I nodded. “Your Zanpakutō’s soul has become stronger since you officially became a Soul Reaper. It’s been nine years. Do you know what this means?”

“I have absolutely no clue, sir.”

“It means that you have great potential for Bankai.” I gasped.

“For Bankai? But only captains can have a Bankai!” He shook his head, still smiling.

“Before I became a Captain, I had a Bankai. And besides, you’re a third seat like I was. Just think, if you get Bankai, you’ll be able to become a captain whenever. So, that brings me to this: will you allow me to train you for Bankai?”

***

“Bankai…? That’s some pretty big stuff to be dealing with. Don’t rush, or it’ll come out sloppy.” Shūhei and I were on the bridge again, just wasting time until I had to go see Urahara at one. I had two hours left. Shōri said that I should be practicing. I’m not going to listen to her; she shouldn’t be any smarter than I am. Shūhei’s just a persistent pain in my ass, always agreeing with her.

“Who told you that?” I asked him

“Our teacher…? If you had ever listened to him, you would’ve remembered.” He tapped my skull with his knuckles, grinning.

“Well, he was boring. So get over it.” He chuckled, shaking his head.

“You should try and talk to your Zanpakuto. I mean, you know its name and everything, right?”

“Of course I do.” Bōkyaku was her name. It meant ‘oblivion’. She’s a lot like me, even though she was created first, so I guess I mean that ‘m a lot like her, soul-wise. She’s really hyper, she talks a lot, and she loves fighting, just as much as I do.

“Then talk to her. Tell her what’s going on.” I sighed, pulling my Zanpakutō from my belt and taking it out of its sheath. I rested it across my lap. Taking deep breaths, I closed my eyes, the last thing me seeing of the real world were the trees swaying in motion with the breeze before I was blinded by a piercing white light.

***

“What are you doing here? What do you want?”

“Someone’s grouchy today,” I noted, taking a seat on a cloud nearby. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m bored! We haven’t trained in forever!”

“That’s all? Then I think you might like what I’m about to tell you.”

“Ooh, what is it?” She jumped off of her own cloud and came over to me. When something’s in it for her, that’s when she pays close attention.

“Captain Urahara wants us to try for Bankai this afternoon.” “Yes! Finally! Looks like I got through to that old flame head after all!” “Excuse me?” Bōkyaku smiled and clapped her hands.

“Last night when you were sleeping, I, uh, took a trip to the Head Captain’s spirit world to visit Ryuujin. It’s really hot in there! It’s full of lava and torches and all of the walls are scorched and-- back to the point, um… I asked them to ask Urahara to test us for Bankai. I knew you were ready. And you knew I was, too.”

“You still could’ve told me—and since when can you go into other spirit worlds?”

“Since always…?” She is such a pain.

“Next time, I want to go with you.” “What? You can’t!” “Why can’t I?” “Because it’s already hard enough getting me there; it’s a matter of determination and strength. You have to rematerialize into a completely different place, and if your body isn’t compatible with another’s spirit world, we’ll both be burnt to a crisp.”

“Sounds fun…” She groaned. “So, how do we try for Bankai?” She put her hand on her chin.

“I have absolutely no idea.”
“But… you’re a Zanpakutō! You should have an idea!” She shrugged.
“Well I don’t, so get over it.” That sass. That’s where I got it from.

“Whatever.” I got off of the cloud and sat on the flat surface of another. I crossed my legs and closed my eyes. I rested the back of my hands on my knees as I took in short breaths.

“What are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?” I’m taking Shōri’s advice. Don’t judge me. Bōkyaku copied me, sitting across from me on a separate cloud.

“So, Bōkyaku…” I said, opening one eye.

“Yeah…?”

“How did you get into Ryuujin’s spirit world, anyway?”

“Why do you want to know…?”

“I’m just curious.” She eyed me suspiciously, but answered my question.

“Well, you have to have a strong heart in order to get there. You have to know the name of the person who has the Zanpakutō, and the name of the Zanpakutō that you want to see, and how they look. Most times, you need permission, but if they’re sleeping, you can just go inside without it. I just have to picture all of that in my head. It’s pretty easy, considering that I created the technique. But it’s difficult to stay like that for long.”

“That’s pretty cool.”

“C-cool?” She sounded upset. “All you can say is that it’s ‘cool’?!”

“Look at the time, I should go.”

“No, you’re staying right here! Abaron, get back here! I’m not finished yelling at you!”

***

“Abaron? Abaron, you have to get out of there! You’ll be late for your Bankai training.” I was finally able to return to my body, only to see that I was being shaken and stirred by Shūhei.

“Cut it out, I’m awake!” I pushed his hands off of my shoulders.

“What took you so long? It’s been almost two hours.” “What?” He was right. The sun was much higher in the sky now then it was before. I put Bōkyaku back in her sheath and pulled myself off the ground. “Running will take too long; you know how to flash step, right?”

“Yeah, but I’m not very good at it,” I told him as we ran back to the Seireitei. He stopped suddenly and bent over.

“Come on, on my back.”

“Excuse me?” “No time! You’ll be late!” I reluctantly jumped on his back, loosely wrapping my arms around his neck. I was pretty heavy for my small size. But Shūhei was a lot stronger than he looked, so I felt better about not breaking his back. He jumped into the air, landing on a reishi platform. He started running, disappearing and reappearing further and further away than he was before.

In no time at all, we arrived at Squad 12’s barracks. Shūhei set me down, panting and holding the stitch in his chest.

“You dummy,” I said to him. As he was still bent over, he glared up at me.

“I’m… the dummy?” he breathed, shaking his head at me. “You’re the one who can’t flash step.”

“I can flash step, I just suck at it.”

“You do a little more than suck.” I hit him upside the head, leaving him in the court to go to their door. I knocked three times and waited for someone to answer.

“Who’s there?” a girl’s voice suddenly said, making me jump.

“Um, it’s Abaron Kakaku of Squad 5. I’m here to see Captain Urahara for training.” The door swung open. A girl with light blonde hair stood behind it with her arms crossed over her chest. It was Hiyori Sarugaki; the Lieutenant of Squad 12. She was a friend of Shōri’s.

“Oh, it's you." Somehow I knew she didn't like me. "He told us about you.”

“He… did?” Well, okay, then.

“Yeah; he’s in the courtyard. Follow me.” Hiyori led me through the barracks until we reached another large door. It opened just as we approached it, revealing a large grassy garden. On the other side, a man with blond hair was fiddling with something white that looked like a surfboard.

“Captain, she’s here.” The man turned around. It was Urahara.

“Hello, Captain,” I said. He wasn’t all that bad. Maybe a bit lazy sometimes, and lax when it came to responsibility, but he was smart. He had a good sense of humor, too. I usually talk to him whenever I see him, or whenever Shinji asks me to relay a message to him.

“Welcome!” he said, smiling. “Thanks for bringing her here, Hiyori.” She nodded and ran off. “"So, how are you?" 

"I'm great, actually! And you, Sir?" He only smiled. 

I knew you had the potential for Bankai the day I first saw you. He walked back to where he was before, motioning me to follow him. “In order to achieve it, you have to be able to get your zanpakutō to come out from its spirit world. The power of Bankai increases a soul reapers power by a factor of five to ten. Now, keeping the Bankai awake for long periods of time isn’t as easy as you’d think. It’s taxing for a Soul Reaper. Captain class are able to keep their Bankai for more than two hours—though it depends on the strength of the enemy you’re up against. Your zanpakutō has a direct connection to the soul, which means that it can tell if you are at your breaking point. If that happens, your Bankai will disappear, and you will be unable to use it for some time.”

“What is that for?” I asked as he picked up the surfboard thing. Up close I noticed that it had short arms and legs that it stood up on.

He scratched the back of his head. “It's Tenshintai. Its main function is to help materialize a soul reaper’s Zanpakutō.”

“Is… that even possible?” I was aghast. I’ve never heard of anything like that before.

“Anything’s possible,” he told me. “But, we can’t do it here.”

“Why not?”

“There isn’t enough room, and besides, if worse comes to worst… I don’t want you exploding on my pagodas.”

***

“What is this place?” It was a giant cave, with large peaks and dunes all around. It felt moist in here, as if there were a lake or something built in. Urahara climbed up on one of the peaks.

“When we were kids, a friend and I built this place. We would train here in secret. This is where I learned my Bankai, and this is where you’ll learn yours.” He shoved the Tenshintai deep into the ground, so that its legs held it up.

“So… back at the barracks… when you said that you didn’t want me ‘exploding on the pagodas’… you were joking, right?” But his expression stated otherwise.

“This method of Bankai is time-sensitive. You have three days to complete the training. If you do not complete it in that time, you—““I don’t want to hear it.” “What?”

“I don’t want to hear the details.”

“But, Abaron—“

“Captain, just tell me what I have to do.” He sighed, glancing at the surfboard.

“By stabbing the Tenshintai with your Zanpakutō, it forces its spirit out into materialized form.”

“So if I do this…” I threw Bōkyaku at the surfboard. It was lodged in the center. The Tenshintai started crack, and through them, a black light was emitted; the color of my spirit energy. It rose up into the air. I followed it with my eyes, watching it land on the ground behind me. “… Bōkyaku will come out?” The light began to take Bōkyaku’s spirit form: the one of a girl wearing a black jacket and leather pants, owning long black hair and golden eyes. But she was see-through. If I wasn’t pinching my leg with my nails so hard that I could draw blood, I’d swear that I was either dreaming or back in Chi no Sora. She blinked, confused about where she was. She looked up at Urahara and then back at me. Her confused expression disappeared when she saw that I was here, too.

“You!” she shouted, appearing in front of my face without warning. She grabbed the front of my robe and pulled me off my feet. “You left before I could finish yelling at you!”

“I know I did!” I brought up my feet and kicked off of her stomach, forcing her backwards and getting her to let go at the same time. “This is serious! And besides; hearing you scold me isn’t what I had in mind for my Thursday morning. If I wanted that, I’d stay at my sister’s place.”

“Well, it was insulting—where are we, exactly?” She looked back to Urahara.

“Hello,” he said, waving. “Are you ready?”

“For what…?” “You’re an idiot.” I swatted her head, with the result of her glaring at me. “This is Bankai training.” Her lips formed into the shape of an ‘o’. I shook my head. “You eavesdrop any other time, so you just suddenly decide not to now?”

“I was sleeping. So, just repeat everything you told her,” she added. After he finished telling her, she groaned.

“Three days without sleep…? I dunno, Aba; is this worth it?” I rolled my eyes.

“Yes, it is. You’re just lazy.”

“I’m not lazy, here; I’ll prove it to you. Alright, Old Man; let’s start.”

“I’m not old…” He held onto the head of the surfboard with his right hand. It began to glow.

“Is that kidō?” I asked him, feeling the strange energy that came from it. He nodded.

“It’s the only way I can keep your Zanpakutō out long enough for you to complete the training.”

“Won’t you get tired? Three days; that’s seventy-two hours.”

“I know. So hurry up.” Bōkyaku led me toward a large, empty space without any of the mounts. From the opposite side, she faced me. She stuck out her right hand as she knelt down on her knee and foot. She glanced at me.

“You ready?” I nodded. She placed it on the floor and almost instantly, it began to shake. Pieces of rubble bounced against the ground. I saw Urahara watching intently from his cliff as the ground around me started to change its shape and color. It looked like space, with all the stars and planets in the universe circling me like I was the sun. But then I fell. The stars and planets disappeared, leaving me enshrouded by darkness. I was alone.

“Bōkyaku?” I called out, hoping for an answer. “Captain Urahara?”

***

“W-what happened next?” I knew what they were now: flashbacks. They were flashbacks from my missing past. And I could remember them now, unlike before when I’d pass out. I could remember everyone’s faces and names. There was Bōkyaku, my zanpakutō. We were training for a thing called Bankai. There was Kisuke Urahara; he was a captain. But I don’t remember seeing him around the city since I’ve been here. Shūhei was there, too, and a guy named Shinji, who was my captain at the time.

“You tell me. Enough of your memories have returned for you to answer your own question. I don’t think you need me to find it out. Just think. Try and remember…”

***

“We’re still here,” Bōkyaku said. She was nowhere in sight, but I could feel her presence. “Just pay attention. This is my infinite space; where I was locked in while you were stored away for all of those years. I knew that you would be freed sooner or later, so I expanded this place, making it into Chi no Sora: Sky of Blood. This place is just an extension. Inside here, your fears will become a reality. This is only the first test of learning my Bankai; the test of mental capability. You still have a ways to go.”

“So what do I have to do?”

“Close your mind. Chi no Sora feeds on your worst nightmares. If even a single thought escapes from your mind, it will become a nightmare.”

“Um, metaphorically… what would happen to me then?”

“You would have to fight them off,” she said with a laugh. “But seeing as you don’t have your sword, and kidō doesn’t work in this place, you’ll be dead in no time.”

“What?”

“That is, unless, you can use that nightmare to your advantage.” “How do I do that?”

“Transform it with your mind. You can make a fake me, if you want. You have twenty-four hours. So, are you ready? You should know the consequence if this doesn’t work.” Yeah. I do. It’s obsolete. Death is the only real consequence. But I didn’t want to hear them say that. It would give me things to think about. And I didn’t want to think right at this moment.

“Let’s do it.” I sat down and started emptying my mind. I thought of a black void, a void that was almost as black as the extension I was in.

“Okay.” I felt a large wave of energy come from her and Urahara, no doubt preparing for the worst. Breathing in and out, I sat alone in an eerie silence. I kept my mind as blank as I possibly could—but then a thought slipped through.

“You idiot!” Bōkyaku shouted. It echoed in the space, making me jump and open my eyes. And I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. “You opened your mind!”

“S-Shūhei…?” But it wasn’t at the same time. It looked like him, but this was a nightmare; a fear. It was just a shadow, however real it might’ve looked. He was walking toward me, his lips curved into a devilish grin. “Bōkyaku, what do I do?” I cried. Even if it was just a shadow, I didn’t want to hurt it. It was the thought of me ever doing so that made me terrified. But if this place feeds off of my fears, does that mean that I’m afraid of Shūhei?

“Transform him! It’s the only way you’ll stay alive!” But how do I do that? “Picture him as something else!” I shut my eyes tightly, willing the shadow to turn into my zanpakutō. There was a loud whistle, followed by a pop! I opened my eyes once more. The Shadow Shūhei was gone, and in its place was a sword in it sheath, its hilt bound with red ribbon.

“You did it! That was so quick, too! Wasn’t that great, Old Man?” I heard Urahara groan.

“I’m not old, and yes, it was.” “But it’s not over yet!” I sighed. “Abaron, I want you to think of your worst fear now.”

“But I have to keep my mind closed!”

“Not anymore. Since you let that thought of Shūhei through and turned it into me, your mind can be free again. So… what are you most afraid of?” I could think of a whole list of things that I was afraid of. That was just one of the joys of being me.

“Big, fat, hairy spiders…” I shivered just thinking of them.

“Pay attention!” Through the darkness, the form of a large arachnid came to in front of me. I backed away, my grip on the fake Bōkyaku sliding. It was eight long legs of ugly. Its big beady eyes swiveled toward me, narrowing as they adjusted to the darkness of the void. I took a deep breath and another step back. For some reason, it took my movement as a threat. It ran at me as fast as his creepy little legs would carry him. I closed my eyes and raised the sword, poised to strike. It snapped it pincers at me, hissing. It was less than five meters away. I lunged at it, feeling the blade connect. I looked up at it and—

“No!” It was Shōri. But it was Shōri with a sword pierced into her head, blood trickling down her cheeks and nose and onto her socks. The light no longer lingered in her eyes. “No!”

“Abaron, it isn’t real! It’s a fear!” I blinked away the tears, looking closer at my bloodied sister. She was just a fear. But the feeling of relief didn’t come. How could I even make that mistake? I had taken my eyes off of the enemy. What if this was an actually fight with a real opponent? What if something like this happened? No. I wouldn’t ever let that happen. I pulled my zanpakutō from the shadow and watched it dissolve into the air.

“Abaron, are you okay?” Urahara shouted, sounding anxious. “Do you need a break or…?”

“I—no, I’m fine.” But was I really…? That isn’t how I felt on the inside. “There’s no going back now, anyways.” I heard a grunt of approval from behind me. I turned on the spot to see a boy, about my physical age but much taller, with orange spiky hair. He was wearing a shihakushō—a Soul Reaper? He had what looked to be a zanpakutō, too, strapped onto his back by a thin red chain. It didn’t have a hilt or a guard. I’ve never seen him in the Soul Society before. I’ve never seen him anywhere. Who is he, then…?

“Bōkyaku… this is a fear, right?” He was too clear to look like a fear. The spider that was just here was almost transparent. This worried me.

“Bōkyaku, you have visions, don’t you?” It was Urahara who said it. It wasn’t a question, but a statement, as if he already knew the answer.

“I… yes, I do. But usually they’re of people I’ve seen. I’ve never seen him before. Abaron… destroy it.” I sheathed the sword. What if he was real? I reached forward to touch his cheek. He was definitely solid. His skin was warm, heating my frozen voided skin.

“Abaron, don’t touch him! Get rid of him!” Bōkyaku was frantic.

“No!” I shouted back. “He’s real! It’s a real person!”

“Abaron, you aren’t listening to me! He’s being projected from my head; he’s just a vision! What you do now could affect the future!” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him move his hand. It came up to mine, his fingertips resting on my knuckles.

“Who are you?” He smiled down at me. There was a flash of white light that engulfed us.

“I’m…“ He suddenly disappeared into the air, his smile, the light, and everything else turning into small specs of dust. I watched as the void began to fade along with him.

“Bōkyaku, what—“

“She isn’t here now.” Urahara came into view, no longer on the peak. Bōkyaku was back in her sword form, being held in his hand. The surfboard was on the ground beside him. “She returned to her spirit world. You should’ve listened to her, Abaron. You just changed yours and that boy’s Line of Fate.”

“Is that a bad thing?” I wondered aloud.

“It could be. Now, go see her. She’s mad at you.”

***

“Hey! Bōkyaku! I’m here! You can yell at me now—ow!” She had come up behind me to punch me in the back of the head. “What was that for?”

“You just broke the timeline!” she shouted at me, getting dangerously close to biting off my nose. The clouds below and above me rumble, turning darker and blacker each time; lightning flashed not too far away from us. “Do you know what this means?”

“No, I—““It means your fates are linked! That boy wasn’t a Soul Reaper. He was a human from the future, and once he’s born, everything will change. I’m not training for Bankai now. Man, you really screwed up baaaad…”

“How was I supposed to know what would happen? If he actually was real, how could I make the mistake of killing him? I couldn’t do that unless I was sure that he wasn’t.”

“I had told you a long time ago; if you mess with the past, you ruin up the future. For all we know, he could die at birth, or become diseased, or, or—““Calm down!” “I can’t calm down! It’ll be your fault if the future is destroyed!”

“Bōkyaku, please, I promise, I’ll listen to you next time! Can we please just go back…?”

“That kid is going to have a really rough time because of you. He won’t belong to just himself anymore. Everything that once belonged to you will now belong to him: your thoughts and dreams; your hearts and minds—everything. Jeez, you’re such a handful.”

***

“Time’s almost up!” she called out. It echoed in the void, distracting the fear that I was fighting against for a moment that was just long enough for me to cut it in half. It was a poisonous scorpion, even larger than the spider was. There was a loud blaring siren that bounced off the walls. “You finished the first test, even faster than I expected.” The void collapse; Urahara and Bōkyaku stood nearby.

“And I’m guessing that the second test will be harder?” I asked. She nodded.

“Of course,” Her grin was so big that it began to scare me. She was terrifyingly happy right now. “Are you up for it, Old Man?” He sighed.

“Only if you stop calling me ‘Old Man’,” he compromised.

“Yeah, alright; but you take all the fun out of my job, you buzz kill. Alright, Abaron: you’ll be in the extension again, but no fears this time. This test will be your physical strength: how hard you fight and how long you can fight hard for. You’ll be fighting me.” My eyes widened farther then I thought they were even able to.

“That doesn’t seem fair.”

“You scared?” “No, I’m not.” “Then let’s go.” She pulled me over to another clearing, seeing as the previous void destroyed the first one.

“Here.” She threw something at me. I caught it on the tip of my finger before it could fall. It was a necklace. A large ruby hung off of the middle of the black chain. On the back of the gem was a cross-shaped imprint.

“What’s this for?” I asked.

“It’s a sub-in for me. You can use it as a zanpakutō while we fight. But there’s a catch: the only way to use it is to find the box that has your missing spirit energy.”

“My missing spirit energy…?” She was right. I couldn’t find a trace of it. It was all gone. “How did you--?”

“Your goal is to land a hit on me. So… let’s begin!” Instantly, the void was up again, enveloping everything around us. Out of nowhere, Bōkyaku (the sword, I meant) flashed in her hands, the long, red blade gleaming in the dark. I could just make out her figure underneath the light of the stars as she held her sword up. I heard a snap! And saw several dozen boxes appear to be floating in midair. “Find the box!” I jumped in the air just in time, to avoid the edge of the sword come swinging down on my neck.

“You’re serious about this!” I shouted down to her. She sprung up after me as I started running toward the nearest box. I grabbed it, still running, and flipped it open. It was empty, aside from a small Hell Butterfly, which fluttered up to the top of the void. As soon as it touched, it exploded. The pieces that fell down toward me transformed into five more boxes.

“I think you left out some useful information!”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right; the ones you open multiply. It’s more fun that way.” Out of nowhere, she jumped in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. I turned away from getting stabbed in the stomach, coming out with just a long graze against my rib cage.

“Okay, that was a little too close,” I muttered to myself, clutching my side while running to grab the box furthest away from Bōkyaku. I have to end this quickly or it could be fatal. Which one has my spiritual pressure? How do I find it?

She was coming after me, running as fast as she could. She was at the other end of the void, which meant I’d have only about thirty seconds until she would reach me. I skidded to a stop and closed my eyes. I was going to have to use Reiroku; a technique that I learned at the Academy in my first year that could find traces of spiritual energy. I could hear her getting closer. I stuck my hand out in front of me and waited. Finally, a silk ribbon slid around it. I took hold and pulled it, opening my eyes. It suddenly turned from red to yellow, the color of my spirit energy. Instead of me pulling the object, the object pulled me toward it. It dragged me along, tugging me away just as Bōkyaku arrived at the spot I previously was. It let go and I landed in front of a black box. I snatched it from the air and pried it open.

“Got it!” It was a miniature form of my Zanpakutō, and the exact same shape as the spot in the back of the gem. I flipped the chain over in my hand and placed the mini sword inside of it. It began to glow and shake, until suddenly, it grew into my full-size zanpakutō. I held it up, so that Bōkyaku’s sword connected with the blade instead of my skull.

“Good,” she said, putting all of her weight on top of our swords as they were crossed. “You found it even quicker than I expected. Now, come at me with all you got!” She jumped backwards, landing in a stance.

“You know, I think you and Kenpachi would get along great…” She smirked as I bounded after her.

***

It’s been four and a half hours since we began the second test. Mentally, I was unscathed. It doesn’t even feel like I’ve broken a sweat. Physically, well…

“You call that an injury?” she said mockingly as I hobbled away from her, holding onto my left shoulder. She sliced its ligaments, missing my vital veins by inches, making it useless. I tucked it into my robe and tightened the belt around my waist, making sure that my arm wouldn’t fall out. I turned back around. She was standing in the middle of the void.

“So, you said that I have to land one hit on you in order for the second test to finish?” I confirmed. I was getting tired of the same routine, though I could feel myself getting stronger.

“Yeah…?” I grinned at her.

“Okay then.” I ran toward her, my sword tucked behind my back. She came at me, looking confused at my sudden burst of energy. I closed the distance between us. We would’ve collided if I hadn’t jumped in the air above her. I took the sword from behind my back and curled into a ball, so that I could somersault over her head. I held it at my side, leaving myself completely unprotected. I felt a weak pressure hit the tip of the blade. I knew that I finally got her.

“Good job,” she said, holding her wrist in her other hand. A thin stream of blood flowed down it. “It took you long enough. Let’s take a break though, okay? I’m pooped.” She brought down the void. Urahara was still perched on that peak of his, leaning against the surfboard with a bored expression on his face.

“Hey, send me back, okay?” she called up to him, looking exhausted.

“Will do,” he replied. He let the board fall out of his hand, sighing. “Hey, Abaron; there’s a hot spring on the other side of that dune; go heal up those wounds of yours.”

I stalked away, dragging my feet across the dirt. I heard bubbling as I got closer to where he said the hot spring was. Forgetting about my injuries, I followed the sound.

“Oh man…” Just by standing next to it, I already felt better. Pulling off my robe so that I was standing in my pajamas from the night before, I dropped it to the ground and jumped in. The affects were instantaneous; whatever was in this water, it must’ve been magic of some sort. I sunk deeper so that my shoulder went underwater, holding onto the edge at the same time. I watched, as the cut began to seal itself.

“Mind if I join you?” I looked up and behind me. Urahara wasn’t wearing his captain’s haori, or his shihakushō, but a green pair of shorts that I was hoping he wore here instead of just changing into them.

“No; go ahead.” He crossed to the other side, sitting on the edge and slipping in.

“So, how are you feeling after the past two days?”

“Uh, pretty much the same as when I first came in here,” I admitted. I wasn’t even tired. I might’ve been a little freaked out from when I thought I stabbed Shōri, or when that guy appeared, but I wasn’t in pain. Well, maybe besides the cut in my shoulder. But it had already healed up.

“Good. That means you’re almost ready. If your body was unaffected by the training, it means that you and your zanpakutō have grown stronger since then. I have a feeling of what your Bankai will be like.”

“That’s good,” I said, leaning back, with my head resting on the edge of the hot spring. “I thought I was doing something wrong.”

“Not at all; you’re getting through this even faster than I did.”
“Really?” He nodded.

“You’re a strong girl, with great potential. Even as a Third Seat, people look up to you. The same can’t be said for me, though.” Before he became the Captain of Squad 12, he was the Third Seat of Squad 2. From then, people always ragged on him for being so laid-back. The reason that someone would even say that was beyond me. I’ve always admired him. I swam over to the moping Kisuke and leaned against the wall beside him.

“I look up to you, Captain.” I smiled at his reaction. “Really, I do. You shouldn’t listen to what they say. You’re strong, your smart, and you’ve got a great sense of humor--” Realizing of what I just said, I started blushing.

“Thanks, Abaron,” he said, slinging an arm over my shoulder. He grinned down at me, making my face burn even more. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t look away. “What’s wrong?”

“I-it’s nothing,” I said, squirming slightly as he pulled me into his chest. He was still grinning. Was this hot spring getting a little too hot?

***

“Uh, what was that?” Bōkyaku snickered.

“Just some friendly colleague communiqué—“”No, it wasn’t! That was something completely different! Why was he holding onto me like that? Why was I blushing? Why?”

***

“Abaron, wake up.” Bōkyaku and Urahara were standing over me.

“Is it morning already…?” They nodded.  I got up off of my robe that I had set out to sleep on and shook off all of the dirt. I pulled it on, tying the belt so it was snug against my waist. “So, what’s the last test?”

“It’s the test of Ability. In order for you to achieve Bankai, you have to bring me out of Chi no Sora yourself, without the Old Man’s little toy. You have seventeen hours until the three-day limit is up. The quicker you bring me out, the stronger the Bankai can become. At first, it will be uncontrollable. And, if you don’t bring me out in time, well…” She shrugged. “Alright, send me back in.” Urahara let go again, and Bōkyaku disappeared.

“Now, using Kidō is a big help with materializing a zanpakutō. It helps create its full form, its true form. If you can forcibly bring out your zanpakutō, she will be in her full form of Bankai. To use the Bankai, you have to know its proper name. Until you know it, you won’t be able to control it. Once you find the name, say it out loud. Are you ready?”

“Let’s do it.” Urahara left as I set myself back down on the ground.

And how long have I been doing this for?  Am I even getting anywhere with this?

“Abaron, it’s working,” Urahara whispered coincidentally. He was somewhere close by. How does he know that? I didn’t want to ask him, in case I broke the connection. “You’re almost there.” I pushed my strength further, suddenly feeling this strange rush of energy flow through me. Through my eyelids, the light that had streamed in through the top of the cave disappeared, and was filled by an obsolete darkness. I got chills through my whole body. It crawled up and down my neck until I was forced to open my eyes to see what was doing it.

“What--?” Through the swirling black mist, I could see Urahara swinging his arms around him, trying to push it all back, and in his left hand, he held his zanpakutō. There was a flash of red that just barely pushed it away from him. His right hand clutched at his throat. Was he suffocating? I called to him. He didn’t reply. I watched him fall to his knees. Terrified for his life, I ran through the mist. For some reason, it was effortless for me. Wait… could this be my Bankai…?

“Bōkyaku, where are you?” I shouted out, searching for her black hair through the mist. But I couldn’t find it. The mist was getting thicker; making it hard for me to breathe, as well. And then a soft voice spoke in my mind, echoing the same words, over and over and over; I couldn’t hear it as well as I wish I could’ve. I tried to focus, keeping my mind set on just the words. This could be a matter of life or death for Kisuke Urahara. And I didn’t want to be the one to decide it for him. The echoing slowed, along with the words. The fog in my head cleared. I could finally hear it. I ran to the dead center of the mist and shouted out the words that were inside me.

“Bankai! Junsuin Bōkyaku!”

 (A/N: ‘Pure Oblivion' ^^)

Shūhei's POV~

“What is that?” The images on the screen completely blocked my view of seeing her.  Whatever that black stuff was that came from her, it made her disappear from sight. But I could still hear her voice. She sounded scared. It made my heart ache. I couldn’t stand hearing her like that.

“She… never told me she had a Bankai.” Shōri turned away from the screen and down at Abaron’s unconscious figure.  Seeing her in this state made my heart hurt even more, knowing that Shōri had been without her older for much longer than necessary.

“That can’t be her Bankai,” I stated, looking up at Captain Ukitake. He, too, was unsure of it.

“It is much different than the Bankai that Shunsui and I have. Hers isn’t an element. I could think of only one person whose might be even remotely similar.”

“Hanataro,” Captain Unohana looked over at him, who was sitting on the right side of Abaron, dabbing a wet cloth on her forehead.

“Yes, Captain?” He put the cloth back in the ice bucket.

“I want you to find Captain Kuchiki and request that he comes here. It is urgent; go quickly.” “Yes, Captain!” Hanataro left the room looking anxious, and possibly constipated. I looked back to the screen.

Abaron's POV~

“Bankai! Junsuin Bōkyaku!”

At once, the fierce swirling of blackness stopped in motion. I heard the stiff, wheezing hacks of Kisuke. I ran toward him, the black mist separating from where I moved. It twirled around my arms as the swayed back and forth by my side. I reached him, pulling him off the ground and into a standing position.

“I’m so sorry, Captain! I didn’t expect it to go out of control like that! Are you okay?” I propped him up against the nearest peak.

“I… I’m alright.” He didn’t seem alright, so I assumed he was lying. “Abaron, you really need to hurry. You have to absorb your Bankai and release it in its true form.”

“Okay, I got it!” I turned around; pulling my hair that was being blasted by the wind from my face, I looked up at the now swirling ball of Black Death, searching for any sign of Bōkyaku inside of it. But I couldn’t see anything from down here. I had to get closer. Jumping up above, I landed on the tallest peak, which was just high enough from the ground that I could look inside—but I still couldn’t. It had become too thick for me to even remotely see through. There was only one way I would know for sure if she was in there. Taking a deep breath, I jumped inside.

It was like being inside iced fire-- it was so cold, it burned. I paddled through the dense mist, searching for any sign of her. And then I saw a figure. For a moment, it looked like her, but when I got closer, I realized that it didn’t look anything like her. It was completely the opposite: it was a boy. He was wearing almost the same outfit as her. The weirdest thing was how much he looked like the guy from Bōkyaku’s vision, but with black spiked hair instead of orange. He was scrunched up into a ball, with his head tucked under his arms and his legs brought up to his chest. Suddenly, his body jolted and his eyes flashed open. His arms and legs went straight. He glanced over at me, looking terrified. Even weirder, he reached out to me, his fingertips outstretched to touch mine.

I began to panic: I was running out of air. I was too far away from where I entered to go back and get more. Let go… a voice whispered in my head. Let go! I couldn’t resist the urge not to. I opened my mouth, releasing all of the built up pressure inside me into the dark. Why didn’t I test this before? It would’ve saved me so much trouble, in the end. It was easier to breathe in here than it was when it was out there. I assumed that it was because I was inside of my own Bankai; my own heart. But I couldn’t take my time in here. The day was almost over. I waded as fast as I could through the dense mist, to get to the guy in the middle. He, too, was trying, but with not as much success as me. I finally reached him. Now that I was up close, the resemblance between Bōkyaku and the orange-haired guy was uncanny. I hesitated in taking his hand, wondering if this was another vision from her. But it wouldn’t matter anyway. If I didn’t achieve Bankai, none of it would. I took his hand, holding it so that he wouldn’t slip away from me.

It all happened very quickly: the wicked sensation that flowed through me when our skin touched, making my hair stand on end, the rush of adrenalin that pumped wildly through my veins, making my heart beat at the same speed as a hummingbird’s wing, and the bright red and black light that flashed before my eyes, engulfing me and sucking me in. I watched as the black ball of death disappeared all around me, and the boy along with it. The next thing I knew was that I was falling to the ground, landing on my feet.

“Abaron, you did it! You have your Bankai!” Kisuke staggered over to me, holding the Tenshintai under his arm. But then he stopped. “Who are—”

“Hey, Old Man, why are you staring at me like that?” a voice said. It wasn’t in my head anymore.
“That wasn’t me,” I told him quickly, trying to protect myself from him thinking that it was me calling him ‘old’.
“Of course it wasn’t you, dummy! That’s because it was me.”

“Abaron, I think you absorbed a little too much of your Bankai,” Kisuke said with a laugh.

“Is that even possible?” He shrugged, leaning on the surfboard.

“In certain cases, yes, depending on the strength of the spirit energy between Zanpakutō and Soul Reaper… yeah, it is. I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never seen it for myself. Your minds, hearts, and souls have been connected. Your Bankai is a compacted melee-type, which means that your fighting style is close-up combat, right?”

“Yeah.” We had both answered it. It was so weird, not being of my own voice anymore.

I feel the same way. It’s so strange, my seeing what you’re seeing. But the outfit, I kinda like it.

Get out of my head.

It’s my head, too.

Then I guess I’ll just get out of Bankai, if you won’t go willingly.

Please! Not yet! I don’t want to—

“How exactly do I get out of Bankai?” I asked Urahara, cutting Bōkyaku’s thoughts off completely.

“Go see what you look like first!” I raised an eyebrow as he pulled me in the direction of the hot spring. I got down on my knees by the water’s edge, and bent over to look at my reflection.

Wow.
Wow.

I never thought that our Bankai would look like this.

It wasn’t even supposed to look like this at all. But it still looks good on us.

Yeah...

Our black hair was even blacker now, and longer. My one purple eye and her one gold eye were the only things that actually made us look like us. I was wrapped in what looked like bandages they would wrap mummies in. A strange energy flew through me, making the short hair on my arms and neck stand up on end. I was so jumpy for some weird reason. I couldn’t stand still for much more than a minute.

This is Junsuin Bōkyaku-- Pure Oblivion. It increases the strength of all of your previous abilities. As you grow stronger in your regular for, your Bankai’s strength increases three times as much. It has its own abilities, abilities that we have to discover for ourselves. It will take time.

And I’m willing to waste it.