FicWad

Spoiler Alert: This story is based 20 years after the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. If you haven't read the manga, a lot of the details in this story be spoilers. A lot of it, however, is me filling in the blanks in time. If you want to know what is real about the actual story and what isn't, check out the Bleach Wikia or read up on the rest of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of the ideas present inside the manga or Anime. The use of any materials that were not my own were intended for the purpose of entertainment and nothing more.

This story is probably going to look like a mish-mash of writing styles for the first few chapters until I get a feel for how I want the story to progress. I recently started writing again, so please bear with me and progress through this story as the characters develop. I promise after chapter 3, everything is much easier to read.

Seer

She who Wants More

I stared down at my Zampakuto where it laid across the table. Over the bowl of rice I was eating, the bared blade looked like any other Zampakuto except for hand guard. Crafted like a piece of art work, the hand guard wove intricately like delicate vines leaving a few strands of metal to loop over the hilt and attach at the end. She really was a beautiful sword, but she was such a stubborn little… ugh.

It had been almost five years since I first started talking to my Zampakuto and ten years since I had been able to see her manifestation. Five whole years and my stubborn little Zampakuto hadn't ever told me her name. Every morning I would ask her what her name was. It used to be that my Zampakuto would just look at me in silence, but lately I was getting just the strangest answers. She who waits; She who listens; She who wanders and more. It was really frustrating. The first time my Zampakuto had given me that answer I had thought it was really her name. I had been so excited and had bounced around all day until the next morning when I asked again and it was She Who Assumes.

I hadn't asked my Zampakuto what her name was today. It was still morning, I had time before I was due in the West Rukon district for the day's duties. I still had a lot to do though before I went through the city. Perhaps calling out my Zampakuto would be better done now rather than later… I let out a sigh.

"Zampakuto, what is your name?"

Like she had been standing there the whole time my Zampakuto's manifestation was just there, blocking out the light from the open doorway. Today her kimono was lacking her usual refinement. No beads, no golden charms in her hair, and a distinct lack of refinement loomed around her. Normally was she was elegant, like a princess of the noble houses. The mask that she always wore was covering her entire face like always. Today it was grey with blackened edges, plain and solid without any way to see through. Sometimes I could see my Zampakuto's teal eyes, but on days like today there was nothing to see but mask.

"She Who Wants More," the voice that emanated from my Zampakuto was slow and ominous. I always compared it to the way I imagined a siren would talk to sailors in the Greek legends. Deep, alluring, and perfectly pronounced.

"When am I going to get your real name?"

My Zampakuto tilted her head to the side. I could just imagine the chiding smile under her mask. "She who wants so much more."

I wanted to bash my head against something hard.

A short while later I had cleaned up my breakfast and exited the barracks building. Normally I would have just flash stepped to where I was going, but I had left early this morning. My zampakuto's words were almost always aggravating. Walking through the mostly empty corridors gave me a chance to vent my frustrations, which lately, I had a lot of thanks to her stupid names. Sometimes I was so busy worrying about my names that it made doing my work a chore.

Normally I was assigned to the repair and maintenance of the Seireitei, but when nothing needed to be fixed I was assigned to scouting the Rukon districts for individuals gifted with academy worthy spiritual pressure or sent to the Human World to perform Konso. I had a peaceful life for a soul reaper, not something that most people outside of Squad 4 could boast. I wasn't a combat oriented soul reaper, but someone that sat behind the scenes. This suited me just fine though. I'd have much rather to sit and do my Lieutenant's late paperwork than go confront a hollow.

My zampakuto's abilities acted much like a telekinetic's would, but I could only manipulate reishi so I was rather useless in the Human World. It was great here in the soul society though, so most of my jobs revolved around it.

"There you are Ria!" a cheery and feminine voice called out from behind me.

Turning, I spotted my Lieutenant running towards me, waving an arm enthusiastically.

"Good morning Lieutenant Rangiku," I greeted her with a small bow of my head.

"I am so glad I caught you before you left the Seireitei!" Rangiku exclaimed as she stopped before me. Just like she had always been, Rangiku was radiating beauty. Her golden blonde waves were glimmering in the sun, her blue eyes big and friendly. Her outfit hadn't changed either, looking like it was a few sizes too small for the size of her chest and exposing much of her feminine gifts. Whenever I was around her, I couldn't help but to feel like a shadow in her radiating presence. I looked like an average soul reaper, the only things standing out were my longer sleeves and the hummingbird kanzashi I wore in my chignon. Even my silky black hair and vibrant chocolate eyes were dull in her presence.

"Did you need something Lieutenant?" I asked as Rangiku affectionately grabbed my upper arm.

"I am so glad you asked," She said as she spun me around and began leading me back towards the barracks. "You see, last night we had a little too much fun drinking and broke a few things. I was hoping that you could fix them for us?"

I let out a small laugh, understanding all too well how her drinking spells tended to turn out. I didn't even need to ask who she had been drinking with, because whenever something was 'damaged' during a drinking spell it was always with someone from Squad 11, probably Lieutenant Madarame.

"So, is this an order or a favor? I'm expected in the Rukon District-"

"It's an order!" Rangiku quickly interrupted Ria. "Toshiro yelled at me this morning," She said with a pout. "Told me to fix it, and I figured you were the fastest option!"

"Well, thank you for thinking of me," I tried not to grumble. These sorts of little tasks always seemed to pop up when there were no disasters to recover from. I didn't really mind though. I may have been 3rd seat in Squad 10, but most of the time I minded my own business. Being brought in to help the Squad secretly made me happy, even if I tried to act like it was a bother.

"Speaking of you," Rangiku cooed. "What is your Zampakuto's name today?" Oh yes, Rangiku knew about my Zampakuto's little name issue. So did all of the other seat holders in the squad...

"She Who Wants More," I grumbled. "Then she proceeded to mock me!" I half shouted. "I swear she thinks it's funny that she won't tell me. Instead she says these things that are just down right predictive!"

"How so?"

"Yesterday it was She Who Seeks, and I spent all day looking for my kanzashi after some kid in the Rukon District stole it." I complained, exaggerating the details with my hands. "Then the day before that it was She Who Hungers and I spent all day craving Sushi. It's horrible! I can't tell if her words are predictions, or if she makes me think things so they happen!"

Rangiku laughed hysterically, dragging my arm down as she folded over with her laughs. I let out of huff.

"At least," Rangiku said between laughs. "Your Zampakuto isn't as lazy and as full of herself like my Haineko."

Rangiku and I laughed and joked all the way to the Squad 10 headquarters. I had always liked Rangiku. She was what I could imagine an older sister would be like. Well, and older sister who enjoyed exposing herself and flaunting her drinking passions. She was easy to talk to, easy to get along with and almost always in good spirits. She had looked out for me ever since I transferred into Squad 10. Maybe its because I was the only other female officer in the squad, or maybe it was because we got along so well from the start.

"Ah, here we are!" Rangiku cheered as we rounded a corner.

I stopped upon seeing what she expected me to 'fix'. Compared to the disasters that had befallen the Seireitei in the past, it wasn't horrible... but for a drinking game gone awry it was terrible. The entire side of Captain's office was crumbled on the ground, most of the furniture broken in one way or another and bottles scattered about the floor.

"You were drinking… In the Captain's office?"

"Well, you know how it is. Ikkaku and Yumichika came over looking for the Captain and one thing lead to another…" Rangiku shrugged.

"And they got into a pissing contest," I said dully.

"You got it," She said with a large smile. "So, you can fix this right?"

"Yeah, but it's going to take me a while. The building is easy, but fixing the furniture and other items will take time."

Rangiku clapped me on the back hard enough to make cough. "Great! The Captain is going to be back in an hour so I trust you'll have it done!" With that Rangiku vanished with a flash step. I hung my head in defeat. She'd ditched me so she didn't have to be around to explain why this stuff wasn't fixed by the time the Captain returned. I should have expected it.

Letting out a sigh I sat on the ground and drew my Zampakuto from its sheath. Drawing it across my lap I drew my palm down the blade, coating the metal in crimson. She hummed in my hands, the hilt and blade becoming warm to the touch as she absorbed the blood. This was how I got my blade to work with me despite not knowing her name. I fed her, and she allowed me to use her shikai state.

"Okurimono no Kontorōru," I whispered. Power flooded through me, coursing around me in banners of light. I focused those banners, turning them towards the rubble on the ground. I needed the extra might of my first movements to put the walls back in place. I was used to fixing buildings. They seemed to break around here like wooden practice swords.

The rubble on the ground lifted and began piecing itself back together. The bonds that held the mortar together were easy to reactivate. They were so stiff and unforgiving, so loosening them up just a little was enough to rejoin them. A little Reishi here, a little Reishi there and even the plaster that covered the brick was easy to mend.

It couldn't have been more than twenty minutes before I had the wall repaired and looking untouched. The strain of using my Shikai had worn on me during that time, forcing me to release it to regain my strength. I took that time and used it to move into the still destroyed Captain's office. The only things that remained un-smashed or brutalized were the Captain's desk and the book shelves. I silently thanked my lucky stars that I didn't have to try and reassemble all those books.

Letting out a sigh I found a spot devoid of debris and took a seat. Rubbing my eyes I leaned against the wall at my back. Feeling liquid slide down my face I startled and looked at my hand. I had forgotten to bind the wound on my hand after feeding my Zampakuto. Even still, blood was oozing from the wound across my palm. I looked back towards the door and groaned as I saw the trail of blood I had left behind. I would have to clean that up before I was done.

Shaking my head I drew my Zampakuto and drew my palm across the back of the blade. No need to cut myself again if I was still bleeding like this. My first cut must have been a lot deeper than I intended. Giving my Zampakuto a moment to soak up my blood I used a cloth I had stashed in my sleeve to wrap my hand. It would stop bleeding eventually and I would make a trip to the infirmary once I was done here.

"Okurimono no Kontorōru," I whispered once more. It literally meant Gift of Control. It really made me wonder what my Bankai would look like.

Sighing I turned my attention to the mauled couches. They would be easier than the coffee table. Wood was such a pain in the ass to repair. Most people would think it's easy, but if you didn't align the grain just right the thing would just fall apart as soon as any pressure was applied. It was really frustrating and tedious work.

I closed my eyes and began focusing on repairing what was damaged. The cushions were first, re-weaving the fabric and mending the broken threads with a touch of reishi. They didn't need much. Moving onto the wooden base I lost myself in weaving the grain back together. I made several mistakes during the process that I had to tear apart and redo. Just finishing the first couch took me nearly twenty minutes. When I was done I seamlessly moved onto the next couch, never opening my eyes to discourage myself from finishing. It was tiring work, with every repaired break I wanted more and more to drop my Shikai and take a break. But, I had a time limit to meet. I forced myself to finish the second couch before I let myself give in and dropped my Shikai.

I fell back against the wall feeling drained. If only my stubborn Zampakuto would tell me her name, I just knew this would be easy instead of so tiring. Maybe I should come back tomorrow and finish the table. Rangiku would understand, right? And maybe Captain Hitsu-

"You spent too much energy," a distinct voice said. I startled and looked around wildly before my eyes settled on the figure at the desk.

"C-Captain," I stumbled over the word. "I didn't realize you were here."

"I've been here for a half hour or so," He said as he skimmed over a small stack of papers in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry for taking so long. Lieutenant Rangiku told me you would be back in an hour- " My rambling cut off when he looked at me. Those aquamarine eyes were no longer set in the body of a child.

It had been over forty years since he had taken over the position of captain, and those eyes of his fit his striking features. He was nearly six foot tall and built with lean muscle. His face wasn't so much chiseled with angles as it was sculpted with high cheek bones and a sharp jaw line. His famously white hair was cut a little long, his bangs falling just over his eye as they swooped off to the side. Even with the same old captain's haori and his greenish blue scarf and sash he still looked every bit the man that he was. Everything about his personality finally fit the body. It was kind of humorous to think about it, actually. Since I had been in the squad he had always looked like he did now, but I had seen old photos from the Captain Photo Collections that Rangiku had stashed in her office. The difference between then and now was simply striking.

"When I told Rangiku to clean up her mess, I didn't intend for her to con you into it Yamamoto."

"It's alright. I don't mind," I defended. "Wood is just the hardest thing to get right. All those grain patterns are hard to fix with reishi. If it had just been the building, you wouldn't have seen me here."

"Take the rest of the day off," He said casually.

"Captain?" I couldn't help but to question him. "I'm fine, I can return to duty-"

"Can you even get up?"

He had me there…

"I didn't think so," he said as he glanced back at his papers.

I let out a sigh. "I'll get up when I don't feel like I might fall over, sir." I sheathed my Zampakuto and made a point to not look at my captain again.

I wasn't exactly weak for a 3rd seat officer, but I wasn't anywhere near Rangiku's level, let alone Captain Hitsugaya. Learning your Zampakuto's name was one of the first steps in power for a Soul Reaper. Without it, most people couldn't do anything but swing a sword around. It was a blessing and a curse that I could perform shikai, but more frustrating than anything. There were a lot of other people in the squad who could perform a perfectly good shikai, so why I managed to hold the 3rd seat was a baffling thought.

"Ria, I hope you're done in there!" Rangiku called from somewhere outside. "The Captain's meeting just got out, so Toshiro will be back soon."

The door to the office slid open and Rangiku started through the door way. She froze in place at seeing our captain at his desk. "Oh," She quickly threw on a big smile. "Hi Captain!" she cheered.

"Rangiku," Captain Hitsugaya's voice darkened with his expression. "Care to explain why you made Yamamoto clean up after your mess?" He half shouted. "That is a total misuse of your rank!"

"But Captain," Rangiku whined. "You told me to have everything fixed by the time you got back. Ria was the only one who could do that!"

"I told you to have your mess cleaned up, not fixed!" His voice hiked up a few decibels. "Why don't you ever listen to what I say?"

"I listen! But you can't expect me to have moved all that rubble on my own! It wasn't my fault!"

I had to cough to hide my laugh at their bickering. Trying my best to ignore the rest of their dispute I used my Zampakuto to help me stand. I managed to hobble all the way to the door before I was noticed.

"Yamamoto, you should rest a while longer."

"I'm fine. I'm just," I had to pause to take a breath. "Going back to my room."

I didn't wait to hear a response to my words and headed into the hallway. So long as I didn't lose my balance, or let my legs shake any worse than they were I'd be just fine. Ha…

I ended up having to stop halfway back to my room. I felt like I was going to pass out if I had walked any further. I'd passed by a small gathering area on the way and occupied a bench in the corner. If I just took a nap, I'd be feeling better in thirty minutes or so. Most people were off fulfilling their duties by now anyway, and lunch wasn't for several hours from now. It wasn't like I really had anything to worry about inside the Seireitei anyway. Lying down on the bench I don't think I was awake long enough to even get comfortable.

I had only intended to take a nap. Really, even my dreams were short. Dreams of wind and softness like no other fabric I had ever felt. It had been a fantastic sensation. However, despite how short it was I found myself waking to darkness. Sheets covered me and the feeling was so disorienting that it took me almost a minute to figure out that I had somehow ended up in the bed in my room. How on earth…