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“Now strike, Tsuenoraiden!”
As I chanted, I twirled my zanpakuto behind me, the blade transforming from a chokuto sword to a three-quarter staff with golden-yellow and white lightning swirling around the length. After the transformation was finished, I held it out in front of me horizontally with my left hand over my right.
I stood high up in the air, the training grounds of the Koriyama palace directly below me. My zanpakuto was not exactly safe for training in closed spaces, so I always practiced somewhere up high, even if the result was that I had to practice mid air. Further off, Raiden floated around in his human form, watching me intently, his arms crossed over his plated chest. I breathed deeply before beginning my practices.
I raised the staff above my head, spinning it quickly, lightning charging the wooden staff with each rotation. I then flourished it down like a sword and the charge of lightning cracked from the staff, shooting forward in a golden arc, sailing at least a mile before dissipating.
“Form the dragon!” Raiden shouted to me.
I did as he said and spun the staff in front of me as fast as I could, gathering as much charged energy in the staff as it would hold. Once it had gathered as much as it possibly could, I swiped it sideways and a winged dragon made of pure lightning screeched from the staff and glided around us, lightning crackling as it moved.
Suddenly, Raiden summoned the dragon to him and launched it back at me. I responded without hesitation. I pointed my staff at the dragon and directed it through the air like a maestro conducting an orchestra. I made it dance through the air before suddenly speeding up my movements and pointing the staff at Raiden. The dragon roared like thunder and struck him with blinding speed. Raiden easily reflected it and nullified its charge, but he turned to me and nodded in satisfaction.
“Suisenro!”
I looked down to see my older, adoptive sister, Suigetsu, leaping up to me. She was dressed in a lavender and blue kimono and a dark blue skirt with gold sewing. Her skirt fell to mid shin and had slits up the sides. Underneath she wore black training shorts. Underneath her kimono was a long sleeved, black, skintight shirt. Her kimono gaped open at the chest and if it were not for the undershirt, the skin of her breasts would have definitely been showing. Her silverish-white hair with black bangs was pulled back into a tight, high ponytail. She wore white leg and foot wrappings on her feet. At the small of her waist were her dual shikomizue swords, “Yin and Yang.” One was black with a white hilt, the other was the reverse of that. As she stopped next to me she crossed her arms underneath her ample chest. Her cobalt-grey eyes were sharp, as always. She always dressed like this. Despite being our clan’s head, she refused to dress like royalty. I guess it stemmed from being adopted.
“Suigetsu-neesama, was there something you needed?” I asked politely, returning my zanpakuto to its sealed form.
“Just one thing: stop calling me ‘neesama!’” She growled at me and placed her hands on her hips.
I laughed lightly as I placed Tsuenoraiden in his sheath. His spirit still floated off to the side, waiting for me.
“Anyway,” Suigetsu-nee replaced her arms under her chest. “I just came to see how you’re doing. I haven’t seen you since they made you captain of the Ninth. How’s it going?”
I lowered my head then gazed out over the distance at the tall towers of the first district. “Things are stirring. Bad things. One of the other captains, Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya of the Tenth Division has been killed. There are many people who want the seraph’s blood for it. The Head Captain will most likely call a meeting of captains soon. I have heard that Las Noches is reawakening as well. This does not bode well. I hope no one else has to die before we stop Sousuke Aizen.”
I felt both Suigetsu’s and Raiden’s eyes on me as I continued to stare out into the distance.
“Then you must keep training for when hell does reach us,” Raiden said suddenly.
I turned to him, then Suigetsu-nee said, “He’s right. It’s your job to protect the Soul Society and the world of the living. That means you have to keep your skills in tip top shape. What you do here and now will make all the difference later.”
I nodded and smiled at her. “Thank you, Neesama.”
She smiled back. “You’re welcome little brother.” Then she growled a mean scowl and cuffed me on the head. “And stop calling me Neesama!”
I sat on the bench by the pond, my bare feet dangling in the water. The water was cool and refreshing against my skin. Koi and other fish of all kinds swam around in the water, darting here then there. Beside me lay my zanpakuto--my partner--Tsuenoraiden. In my mind I could hear him bantering on about how electricity and water did not mix and to get my feet out of the pool this instant. I just internally laughed at him and swished my feet around in the water.
The Division Nine garden was directly behind my captain's quarters. I could look out of my window in the mornings and gaze at it, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers. It was a quiet contrast to the busy, bustling and noisy Seireitei Communication offices in the heart of the barracks, which I had visited earlier.
Speaking of the offices, when I had walked in earlier, wearing my captain's haori, most of the shinigami had halted in their places, some running into others, and gazed at me in disbelief. I did not blame them. I was very young--almost too young--for a captain. I was even younger than the youngest among us. I smiled at the fact that I had broken the record. It was childish to find triumph in that small fact, but I was a child, and so I did.
That train of thought turned to my training growing up. My clan's advisers specifically picked me and trained me to be--not just a shinigami--but a shinigami captain. Even thought the seats were already filled at the time, they had faith that I would make it to the top. I did not disagree with their desires. It would not have been wise to, and I was not the head of the clan. My adoptive sister, Suigetsu, was. I knew the moment I had heard that she caught wind of her advisers' idea, that my destiny was sealed. Of course, she came up to me and said specifically, "Suisenro, you're gonna do this even if I have to force you to!"
So that was that, and, by the unfortunate chance of Sousuke Aizen betraying Soul Society, here I was: Captain of the Ninth.
Raiden glowed and out he popped in human form, clad in white, gold and blue robes, silver armor plating, long, white hair with part of it up in a ponytail, royalty style adornments all across his clothing and hair, and a red and gold demon samurai mask with white horns covering his handsomely beautiful and young face. His all white eyes with electric yellow-gold paint over his eyelids shone brightly through his mask. His legs were crossed and one arm laid in his lap. His other hand was planted firmly on one knee. He sat on the bench next to me, his back towards me.
Raiden was, in a sense, my mind's rendition of the god of lightning and thunder the humans prayed to. As such, he both spoke and looked like a god.
He spoke in a deep voice that sounded like thunder and struck from his mouth like lightning from the sky. "Stop thinking about how you got here and focus on why you're here."
I was silent, gazing down at my feet.
"Why are you here, Suisenro?" Raiden asked me.
"To make my family proud and bring honor to my clan's name."
"Wrong!" he thundered. He repeated, "Why are you here?"
I thought carefully before answering. "To serve and protect the souls of the realms. To withhold the balance of the realms. To follow the Head Captain's orders and to lead my division with diligence, integrity and efficiency. And, most of all, to maintain peace, even in the time of war."
I saw Raiden nod out of the corner of my eye. "Correct. So focus on that. Right now you have work to do. You have to show the people of this division that you are not a mere child. You are the captain of the Ninth Division. You are a protector of souls and a keeper of peace and balance. You are their leader and their idol. So be what you are meant to be. Do not look back. Do not bow to anyone weaker than yourself. Demand respect, then show that you are worthy of that respect."
I closed my eyes. "Yes, Raiden. I understand."
He nodded again. "Then go forth and show them..."
With that, he was gone, and I was left to my thoughts, the cool water of the pond and the scents of the garden behind my captain's quarters at Division Nine.
Well, since I doubt I completed this for no particular reason, here's my profile. It's rather long, as Head Captain Yamamoto called for a lot of info. -.-"
Name: Suisenro Koriyama
Age: about 75 (look...
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