#Ajisaihantei

[writingwithryder]

Zanpakuto

Day 6 of barbex‘s fictober “They had made a poor job of hiding the damage.”

It seemed strange in hindsight, the very air of the Seireitei was different, more charged with spirit energy than usual, for almost a week Shiori ignored it -- after everything that had happened with Aizen, and now arguments within the Thirteen Court Guard Divisions about the reinstatement of the Vizards while still trying to control the fallout from Aizen’s defection, it was easy enough to overlook. What she shouldn’t have ignored, however, was the distance that seemed to have appeared between herself and her Zanpakuto, the chair that Shiori had brought with her from her office at the Academy had sat empty in the Captain’s office for the last three days now, and Ajisai never goes that long without some sort of communication with her.

Honestly, part of Shiori thought she was pouting -- angry that she was speaking with Shinji again after all this time, another part was concerned, her Zanpakuto had been there for her through the worst parts of her time in the Seireitei, to not have her now should have caused her greater concern.

Now standing together with the various Captains and Lieutenants on the top of Sokyoku Hill, all brought together by Hell Butterflies sent out by the Head Captain, her stomach started to churn with anxiety. None of this was standard procedure, and the confusion and exasperation on the rest of the officer’s faces told her everything she needed to know. This was a trap. But by then, it was too late -- Lieutenant Sasakibe of Division One appeared before them, only to collapse. She watches her comrades rush forward, anger and distrust flicker through the group, it’s only increased as a tall, lanky man slowly walked forward. He spoke of Zanpakuto and Shinigami, of how now it is the Zanpakuto who will rule the Shinigami.

The attacks that followed were fruitless, distraught and unfocused, there was no way that the Captains and Lieutenants had any chance at this, not without organization and an actual plan, raw anger and frustration would never win here with all of their shikai sealed away with the people standing opposite them. The call for retreat probably came too late -- the Zanpakuto already calling on their bankai in order to attack the Shinigami, Shiori grimaced, it was enough to think that they truly did mean to kill their partners.

She had to do something, though, try to stop at least some of the senseless destruction that was ripping through the Seireitei, more importantly she had to find Ajisaihantei, it being the middle of the night, her bankai could be the most destructive of any in the Seireitei until daybreak came. The thread was easy enough to follow; the feeling of her Zanpakuto one that she had known all her life as a Shinigami and found her in front of the Division Ten Barracks.

Shunpo put her directly in front of her Zanpakuto, muscles made taut and unable to move as she stepped onto the shadows that were so easily controlled by Ajisaihantei. The Judgement of Pride. Her pride. “Lovely night, isn’t it?” Shiori could sense the terror from the unseated Shinigami around her. She was hoping to be enough of a distraction that her Zanpakuto forgot about the others and focus her intent on her. “I must admit, when we spoke of changing the Seireitei for the better this isn’t what I had in mind.”

Ajisaihantei was no longer clad in soft robes of gold and black, instead, now she wore the armor of a samurai, dark as shadow but glinting gold where the hydrangeas were emblazoned across the armor. Her eyes narrowed at the Captain, “You’ve always been such a fool.” Shiori could feel her Zanpakuto’s shikai wane, focusing only on her and giving the men a chance to run, and run they did, “You could have been safe, could have run and hid like the rest of the Captain and Lieutenants, made plans in secret and then come back and foolishly try to stop us.”

She could feel the shadows of the Seireitei encroaching on her now, slowly crawling up her body, binding her, ensuring she couldn’t move, “What? And leave the men and women who have no part in this to suffer on our behalf? That doesn’t sound like me does it, Ajisai?” Despite everything, calm overtook her, the irony of another near death experience in less than a year seemed almost comical to the new Captain.

“Abandonment is your speciality, is it not, Captain?” The words were sneered and the shadows tightened as she continued to speak, “You didn’t check to ensure that the friends you thought were dead and exiled were so, you left them in your own grief, you even forgot about me in your grief, condemning yourself to solitude, forgetting that I would always be here. It’s right that they hate you now, knowing what I know, the feeling of abandonment by you burns.”

Shiori’s usual, unbreakable mask of confidence and restraint broke at that, her eyes softened at the stinging of tears in their corners, “You really think that? That I’ve abandoned you?” She wanted to reach out, to hold her Zanpakuto’s hands, to let her know that no matter what happened, she’d always be there..

Unmoved by the show of emotion in her Captain, Ajisaihantei continued, “Of course you have,” the words were spat at Shiori, and unexpectedly, she physically flinched, “Captain’s duties, returning to the world of the living, reuniting with Yoruichi and Kisuke and even Shinji Hirako. It all put distance between us, because you would always choose me last.”

Shiori wanted to deny it, to scream and yell while crying all the more that she was wrong, “If that’s how you feel.” She was numb now, no mask, no jokes, only emptiness, “What kind of companion am I if that’s how my other half feels?”

The samurai women nodded, “At last we agree on something, it would be so much easier if you were dead.” With that the shadows rose and ran her through, she could feel the blood seeping down the manifested shadows and strangely there was peace, if she had to die, better here and now than at the hands of a hollow or Aizen, or whatever is next on the horizon. Vision blotting black she heard the gasp of her Zanpakuto and her name being called, “Shiori, Shiori I’m so sorry.”

Everything after was filtered in shades of grey, the shadows binding her released and she was caught in the warm hands of her Zanpakuto, gasps and cries continued as she continued to call out her name, “I’m here, Ajisai, please don’t cry.” Pressing their foreheads together, the Zanpakuto whispered something before starting to tear at her white haori, taking the long pieces to try to staunch the bleeding. She couldn’t help but attempt a laugh as she was easily lifted in Ajisai’s arms, “You know, for someone who wanted me dead, you’re doing an awful lot to keep me alive.”

“Idiot.” She could still feel the tears dripping down onto her neck, Shiori felt guilty for so much, she had lost everything once in her life, and now to almost lose it again… Her hand was cold as she reached up to brush the tears away from her Zanpakuto’s face, “Can you stop moving? I swear, if I end up actually killing you before I get you to the fourth, I’m having Unohana bring you back just so I can kill you again.”

Her mind was racing -- five minutes ago her Zanpakuto was ready to kill her in the name of justice, or pride, she pauses, thinking about it now in her hazed blood lost state, and now she was being carried to the Fourth Division, “What changed?” The words were a whisper, and she didn’t expect an answer, not now at least, now her only thoughts were to get word to the world of the living, to put an embargo on travel, so that no more Zanpakuto would be lost this way, “Ajisai, stop.” It was getting harder to breathe, obviously, something vital was hit in that blow, “I have to.. I have to tell them not to come.”

Her Zanpakuto paused, taking only a moment to understand what Shiori was trying to do, “You’re literally dying and you’re more concerned with the people in the world of the living?” She scoffed as the Captain nodded, “You really are an idiot you know that.”

Two shaking fingers rose, she hoped she could do this right, she could barely focus as it was, but as the butterfly gently sat on her fingers she breathed a sigh of relief, “Go to Kisuke. Tell him to stop any travel between the Seireitei and the World of the Living until he receives further word from me.” The small insect rose and fluttered off and Shiori nodded curling further into her Zanpakuto’s arms as they continued towards the fourth.

Consciousness came and went from that point on, she felt so heavy and tired, and knew she had lost far too much blood but she came to as she felt Ajisaihantei stop, “W-who are you and what are you doing with Captain Nakano?”

Words were shouted and she could feel the panic in her Zanpakuto’s reishi, she was truly afraid that her Captain was going to do, “Idiot. Can’t you see she needs help, not a formal inquiry right now?” Her voice was panicked and full of tears and her grip tightened with every word

Shiori’s head lulled as she tried to focus, to be fair, she’s certain that anyone would have made them stop, there wasn’t a whole lot they could do outside the Tenth Division to hide the damage, “It’s okay, Izuru, Shuhei. Please go and inform Unohana that I may be in need of some medical attention and please, don’t hurt her.”

The world was a flash then, Izuru went inside and instantly reappeared with Unohana and a stretcher, questions were asked, but she was so light headed and dazed, she’s certain that none of her answers were correct from the way her Zanpakuto continued to correct her. They wanted to take her inside, but demanded Ajisai wait out here -- there was so much uncertainty about it now, but it wasn’t until she refused to let go of the woman’s hand that it was acquiesced that she could follow.

Her world then went black.

When she awoke light was streaming from the windows, Ajisaihantei was asleep in the chair next to her, hands still laced together. There were a lot of questions that needed answered, but for right now, she supposed she’d pretend to sleep for just a little while longer.

[pathfinderyderss]

紫陽花判定 || Ajisaihantei || Zanpakto of Shiori Nakano

Death-song: Fever-felled half-way, my dreams arose To march again . . . Into a hollow land

[writingwithryder]

Ajisaihantei

Deep in meditation with her Zanpakuto on her lap, doubt coursed through her like ice water in her veins, she had been alone for so long and if she failed at this she would be expelled back out to the Rukongai to fend herself in the abyss that was this afterlife. In the Academy she had hope, hope of a future beyond starving days and cold nights with flashes of a life that had ended in what seemed like nightmares in her sleep that seemed to fade with every passing day. She wanted more. Needed more. Before she faded away to nothingness. “Do you want to know my name, little girl?” Her head jerked up and before her stood a woman samurai, proud and stern and everything she had ever dreamed of being in her past life and now in this one. She nodded, mute from the beauty and grace that seemed to exude from her Zanpakuto, the woman seemed to smile at that, “My name is Ajisaihantei.”

Shiori smiled at that, “Judgement of Hydrangeas, huh? That’s a beautiful name. I’m Shiori Nakano, but I guess you knew that already...” The Zanpakuto smiled at that before sitting next to Shiori, “I always wanted to be a samurai -- I was from a small village in the north, so we didn’t often see samurai especially because the shogunate was in decline and the samurai weren’t often paid and therefore stayed in their compounds…” Her voice drifted, lost in half forgotten memories and knowledge in a life long forgotten, “Did you know that in hanakotoba hydrangeas are known to be the flower of pride?”

The Zanpakuto laughed at that, “Kind of telling then, isn’t it? The true defining feature of your soul is your pride, hidden in some ancient flower language.” Shiori grinned at that, a truly beautiful sword with a hidden meaning that most could never hope to understand. It was… appropriate. “You musn’t let your indecisiveness and fear guide you, Shiori. I am your will, your beliefs; the more you deny your feelings or have any sort of conflict within yourself, it weakens us both. You are strong, and together we’ll become stronger, you just have to trust me.”

And she did.

Ajisaihantei was seated on her bed when Shiori made it back to her quarters, looking both dazed and well sated as she collapsed on top of her once well made bed, “I don’t like him. He’s a captain. You shouldn’t be sleeping with him.” The Zanpakuto watched as Shiori rolled her eyes and snuggled up into her bed, “Are you listening to me?” Shiori just hummed, her mind was obviously back at the Captain’s quarters -- and Ajisaihantei’s eyes narrowed at the sight of a line of bruises that ran in a line down her neck all the way to her collarbone. Foolish girl.

A rustling of clothes from under the sheets brought the Zanpakuto’s attention back to the bed and she couldn’t help but smile at how gingerly she placed her sword in the soft cushioned box she had made. It was decorated so carefully with gold stenciled hydrangeas on a matte black box, inside is carefully held with black silk with gold embroidery, it was truly everything she could have ever wanted and it made her smile so gently that her Master cared quite so much. “Relax, Ajisai. It’s just sex.” She said it in such a matter of fact way that Ajisai was inclined to believe her, “Shinji and I would make a terrible couple, we both realize that, but sex? Sex we can do to ease tension and because we’re not in the same Division there’s no conflict of interest.”

The Zanpakuto smiled at that, so clinical, so confident in who she was and what she wanted, “You’re so cold, you know that, Shiori?” The girl chuckled and mumbled something into her sheets before falling asleep, “Please sleep well, and I promise, I’ll always be there for you.”

“...They’re all dead?” Sitting at her desk in the officer’s quarters of Division Six as her Captain gave her the news, her eyes drifted towards the corner of the room -- Shinji and Hiyori and Love and Kensei and Rojuro and Lisa and… they were all gone. A scream itched at the back of her throat, her chest ached and nothing seemed real; Shinji and Hiyori cut the deepest, they were closest and most dear to her and their loss was tangible. “Lieutenant Nakano, are you listening to me?” The words snapped from Captain Kuchiki’s mouth and made her eyes return to him and she nodded almost imperceptibly, “It is also worth noting that Kisuke Urahara has also been exiled from the Soul Society and Yoruichi Shihoin has disappeared as well.” With that, the Captain turned on his heel and exited the office, leaving her alone with the paperwork again. Kisuke and Yoruichi were the final blow -- everyone whom she loved was now gone, and she was once again left alone in the cold world that was their afterlife.

A woman’s voice snorted from the opposing side of the room at her thoughts, “Alone, huh?” Ajisaihantei was lounging on the couch, in full samurai armor and a mocking smile on her lips, “You know in any other situation I’d take that as an insult.” Shiori scowled at the woman as she approached her desk, her eyes scanned the papers on her Master’s desk before meeting the Soul Reaper’s eyes once more, “So what are you going to do, Shiori?” It was a good question; what she wanted to do was cry and scream, maybe break some things anything to make this aching in her chest go away but there was so much to do… “You’re going to do nothing, aren’t you?” Scoffing her Zanpakuto merely rolled her eyes, “You’re such a fool, Shiori.”

She smiled while continuing to fill out her paperwork, “That I am.” Perhaps there is something she could do, it would take some thought; even more time and consideration but it may be the best option. Getting away from the Court Guard, to take any sort of position away from everything that she had lost, and she’s certain that the Head Captain and her own Captain wouldn’t miss her too dearly. Ajisaihantei smiled, her Zanpakuto knew her better than she knew herself -- and they both knew that this would be the best decision.

Shiori’s eye twitched. Ajisaihantei wanted a chair in her office -- just for her. “You know, you’re such a pain sometimes.” Today she was dressed in a casual kimono, coy smile playing at the corners of her lips -- she got what she wanted and more so why shouldn’t she be happy? Honestly though, Shiori was happy to have her here -- thirty years of solitude would have been miserable without her around. “This is going to make my students want to come sit up in my office now you know. I’m supposed to be the stern advanced placement teacher -- the one that strikes fear in the heart of my students. Now there’s a chair here, I’m just asking for my students to come in and want to talk to me about their problems and their fears.”

Her Zanpakuto laughed at that, “That makes this all the more worthwhile,” Ajisaihantei stroked the arms of her chair in an almost loving matter; obviously entertaining herself at the thought of Shiori’s students piling into the tiny broom closet that is her office in order to ask her questions or gain an upper hand in their classes -- hell, the zanpakuto’s favorite students were the ones that hit on her Master, the moments when Shiori’s hackles rose were few and far between but every time one of her students tried to flirt with her were always at the top of her list. “Honestly, Nakano sensei I don’t understand why you would ever have a problem with becoming close friends with your students, some of them seem like such lovely people.” She couldn’t help but cackle at the glare that appeared on the woman’s face at her words.

“Keep it up and I’ll be sure to cover the damn chair with books so that it’s miserably uncomfortable to sit on.” The Zanpakuto stuck her tongue out at the teacher, “You think I'm kidding, I've asked the Twelfth Division for another dozen books on the development of new kido techniques. I'm expecting the collection by the the end of the week. That new chair seems like the most appropriate place to put them.” Her tone was teasing for the most part, enjoying the stern glares that her Ajisai gave her.

“You wouldn't.” Shiori simply shrugged and returned to her paperwork. They both know she wouldn't -- she loved her Zanpakuto too much to ever do something like that.

“You shouldn't have done that.” Ajisaihantei’s teasing tone echoed through the office. Shiori rolled her eyes -- no one else in the entirety of the Soul Society would dare stand up to Byakuya Kuchiki, well, no one but her if the red hand shaped welt that had began to appear on his face before she stormed out of the Sixth Division Offices said anything.

Shiori scoffed as she unceremoniously dropped back behind her desk, “That boy has too much ingrained masculine honor to ever report the fact that he got slapped in the face by a woman, especially a non-seated woman.” She had to do it -- the Thirteen Court Guard Squads were always too willing to turn a blind eye to injustices, especially within their own ranks. “Someone needed to remind him that he's more than just the Captain of Squad Six. His younger sister deserves so much more than to be condemned by the people whom she's loved most all her life.”

Ajisaihantei sighed, sinking deeper into her chair, she agreed of course but she can't help but be concerned for her Master’s safety -- there had been people who had been locked away for the rest of their lives for less. “It was still foolish.” Shiori laughed, that it was, but they both knew that if she would have sat by and done nothing it would have weakened both of them. “Please just be careful, Shiori.”

A hand was placed on Ajisaihantei’s head, “I promise. Nothing will happen to me, Ajisai.”

There was a scream that ripped through her as she flew from Shiori’s hands, what a foolish girl she was -- charging head in against this man who literally had caused all of the problems in the Seireitei over the last two weeks. She was going to die and there was nothing she could do to help, only watch with horror and pray that her Master was as skilled as she claimed in Kido. Aizen was obviously playing with her, a cat who cornered a mouse until… there was a flash step and she felt Shiori’s hands wrap around her once more Worried were you? Don't worry I won't tell anyone. The Zanpakuto scoffed but couldn't hide the relief that washed through her. No more playing around, Ajisaihantei. We stop him now. “Bankai. Kageshibari Ajisaihantei”

The Zanpakuto couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the incredulity -- first time they used their bankai in combat and it was in front at least five captains and three or more lieutenants, so much for going unnoticed, Shiori but her Master was already too focused on the task at hand. Long shadows that extended down the mountainside swirled, pulling up from the ground and began enveloping the battlefield “My, my, who would have thought that the quiet former Lieutenant of Squad Six would have such a power?” They both scoffed at his patronizing tone, Aizen was paranoid enough to expect anything -- even an inconsequential woman who had disappeared for a hundred years to come back just protect some girl.

He was an illusion -- Shiori wanted to know when and where, but right now she was back on the defensive, shadows rippling with her flash step to keep her from Aizen’s sword until… Gin appeared behind her, shifting her blade so that the shadows would shift his sword’s thrust she was still run through, but at least now, it isn’t through a vital spot. She was still bleeding heavily -- he must have nicked her lung; with the last of her consciousness she spit in Aizen’s face. “You’ll pay for this one day, Aizen. I promise.”

Even though they lost here, Ajisaihantei was proud of Shiori’s resolve -- she just hoped that they’d live to see another day.