Dragged out of bed from early dawn, Hichigo and I followed Hotaru into the training room. We weren't going out on the front lines just yet, since something came up. Hotaru's words. Hichigo has been silent ever since last night. Not even looking me in the eye to say something, not even a smug comment. 

My mind continued to drift around the place until we reached the training grounds. Other Quinces trained inside but stopped once they saw me. Everyone's stare rose the hairs on my arms, I could feel them analyzing me from the tip of my head to the power inside me. It was unsettling, considering half of them would kill me on the spot if I wasn't the princess.

Hotaru stopped and spun around, summoning his Qunicy bow. "Prepare yourself."

I walked backwards until I considered the distances between us. Hichigo silently transform in his zanpakuto form. Zettai kuin and him formed as one, both Soul Reaper and Quincy powers mix together to form the Yin and Yang of each other.

I waited for Hichigo to make a snarky comment. Nothing. I began to worry at the lack of communication between us. Hotaru words snapped me out of it, but I didn't hear the whole question.

"Begin!" He shouted across the room.

I switched to defensive, remembering his power to camouflage. Hotaru pulled his arm back and released a hoard of arrows towards my direction. I took my advantage and summoned the reshi around me, putting up a wall between us. The arrows disappeared upon impact, making Hotaru click in tongue.

'That isn't going to work for long,' Hichigo spoke inside my mind. I jumped a little from the sudden harshness of his voice. 'You need to get close to him without him having to activate his powers.'

"Quick question, why are you only answering me just now?"

Silence.

"Damn you," I whispered to myself.

Hotaru increased his arrow power as it broke through my barrier. I panicked and swung my sword around, deflecting the arrows as quick as I could. One struck me in the stomach, making me flip backwards onto my face. 

His laugh sounded as venous as his power. He chuckled and stopped shooting, only to vanish in midair. "Try to attack me now, princess."

Everyone's stare wasn't helping my situation as I quickly regained my standing. I closed my eyes and listened to the ground, hoping for some indication for his whereabouts. Faintly, I heard a single step from my left ear. I twisted and swung with all my strength, only to swing at air.

Hotaru laughed at my attempt, with me next falling on my ass. He appeared from behind me and swept my legs from under me. But, how could he quickly change his steps within a second? I didn't have a reaction time as I a kick in the face send my head flying behind to slam towards the ground.

Within the dizziness, I summoned another sword with the reshi and sliced in front of me. Thick, ruby blood sprayed from the air. Hotaru cursed and quickly covered the wound with is ability. With two swords in hand I stood up, Zettai kuin in attack and my reshi sword for offensive. Hotaru steps were quiet and crafty. He could sound he's in another place when really, he can slice across your back.

"What's wrong," I taunted him, carefully choosing my words as I speak, "afraid to strike at me? You are a reptile, you slither away at the face of danger given the chance."

Within a split second I hear the scraping of dirt upon impact of shoes at my backside. I swung with Zettai kuin, defending my right with the reshi sword. I felt the impact of his bow nick at my neck, causing me to hesitate and slip my guard. In the fraction of a second, my coughed out my own saliva as his leg kicked my neck. I felt to the ground, hitting my face first. My body felt numb as I couldn't move my neck. 

"D-Damn you!" I cursed at him. He must have hit a nerve in my neck if I couldn't move it and it wasn't broken either.

Hotaru let himself repaper. The slice in his chest was visible now, but looking upon closer inspection... I didn't get deep enough to open a wound. He chuckled and helped me up. "Sorry about making your body tense."

I bit the growl down in my throat. "Fuck you."

"With pleasure." He teased. 

The others near us snickered at my comment, making Hotaru beam with pride. I rolled my eyes and let him help me to my room. About half way there my legs began working again, so he let me walk on my own now while walking with me.

"You're not strong enough on the field." He said, making my muscle tense with anger. "I would suggest hiring the Uryu guy to protect you incase."

I stopped at my door and whirled around to face him. "I'm sorry to break it too you, but I'm highly capable to protect myself. If it weren't for you sucking half of my power I would be able to kick your tiny, nonexistent ass."

He grabbed my chin and forced me to look him straight into his eyes. Their ocean deep showed the anger he hid inside. I could feel he wanted to smack me, but that wouldn't go well with the majesty right now. He pulled me closer as part of his bangs covered his left eye. 

His ocean washed over me, consuming the fear I held inside. "You should be grateful I lock half of your powers. You know why? You can't control half of the reshi around you. If you used full power of the reshi surrounding you, why, you would be easily killed from the amount flooding inside your system."

I clawed at his eye, hearing a satisfactory yelp out of him and opened the door, closing it in time before I could feel his entire wrath. He didn't say anything, but the huge punch to the door made sure I knew the anger he wanted to express. When I turned around Hichigo stood inches apart from me.

I screamed a little. "Don't you ever give a warning about that kind of stuff?"

He didn't say anything, only stared as he grabbed my wrist. He was gentle than Hotaru, his fingers looking at the lines of my hands. I didn't say anything as I was afraid if I spoke, he would snap at me.

He sighed and let my hand drop at my side. "You're not getting any stronger because of him. But, he was also right about the reshi."

"Then what do you suppose I do?" I asked.

"I don't know." He answered, hole and simple. "But you need to kick that son of a bitch's ass and take back that power. Because I won't be reduced to nothing before this war does kick it off."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Air whisked past me at flying speed. I landed on the ground, but my impact was soft rather than hard and bone shattering. The universe was pitch black, no other colors in sight but me. I lifted my head, turning left and right. 

Nothing.

I decided to look up, finding a white line. It was like the white string of fate type of deal. I reached up and pulled on it, snapping it from its long line. At the end of the line, it slowly turned black and disappeared. My heart sunk in the deep as it disappeared faster than I could wrap it around my wrist.

I felt alone, cold and soulless inside this place. I looked up to see my hand was fading away, seeing a (f/c) string wrapped around my wrist. It was my string of fate. What was left of the white string was wrapped around my string.

"Always stick together." 

I jumped and saw it was Zettai kuin. He stood a few feet in front of me. I tried to speak but no words came out. His eyes held a long time of mournful pain. It reminded me of... someone in the past.

"The string of fate will soon come true. None but both of you will be able to help the other. Retrieve your lost power and fight the war. You must save the Living World and the other two." He walked up and touched my cheek, a single tear sliding down to the darkness. "Remember. I maybe a sword and so is Hichigo, but you are not alone in this war."