FicWad

Seer

She Who Chooses

My Zampakuto was really starting to get on my nerves. I wasted yesterday watching my steps through the Rukon district after she told me her name was She Who Falls, until finally I tripped over a damn step on the way home. My nose was still tender after I face planted on the stone. The day before that it was She Who Sleeps, and I spent the entire day falling asleep at my desk. It didn't help that I was still exhausted from using so much of my spirit energy, but still! It was a struggle not to drool all over the darn papers and that whole tripping incident made me think she was out to get me.

I almost didn't want to ask her today what her freaking name was. With my luck, it would be something like 'She Who Makes a Fool of Herself' or 'She Who Is a Joke'. Ugh, I really wished I could just shake her real name out of her.

This morning I was sitting in the common area of the barracks eating breakfast. Normally I took my food back up to my room, but today Amagi Kyrouni had caught me on my way out. He was the 4th seat in our squad so we saw each other quite often. Amagi was one of those oddly nice guys. In a situation where I would lose my cool, he would still be trying to find a way to make everything work out nicely.

"So," He started to say. "What is your Zampakuto's name today?"

"I haven't asked," I grumbled, looking up at him. He was one of those people with the unique colored hair and eyes. Green hair the color of rich grass and eyes like blooming daffodils, he truly represented everything that was his Zampakuto. His face was soft and in every way, but not like he was packing a few extra pounds. He was just one of those guys that got along with everyone and was always helping others. It made him so easy to talk to.

"Giving up on learning her name already?" He teased.

"No, but I am tired of getting these silly 'She who blah, blah, blah' answers. Why do they have to be so darn vague!" I whined.

"Maybe she's trying to tell you something."

"I dunno. Maybe? But I haven't a clue what." I let out a long sigh and stared down at my half-eaten plate. "I guess I should go ask her before I'm late." Though, it wasn't like Lieutenant Rangiku would care if I was a little late…

"Can't you ask her here?" Amagi asked.

"Not really. She doesn't always hear me if I'm not actually talking to her." Or maybe she's just ignoring me.

"All right then, I will see you tomorrow Yamamoto," Amagi said as I started to get up.

"You know you can call me Ria, Amagi."

"Ria, then," He said with a soft smile.

I smiled back and shook my head as I stood. Depositing my tray on the way out I headed for one of the few garden areas in Squad 10's base of operations. It was on the way to Rangiku's office and people weren't typically there unless there was some sort of an event going on. I went there on occasion to meditate and practice working with my Zampakuto. Working with wood was one of my weaknesses, so spending my time repairing broken branches or scars in the bark was fantastic practice. It was also a side bonus that this particular garden had some of the nicest looking trees now. Hehe.

Rounding the corner to the garden I paused at the sight of the man sitting on one of the rocks. I hadn't ever seen Captain Hitsugaya here before, but sure enough there he was. His Captain's Haori was missing leaving him just in his shihakusho and his teal green scarf. The tip of his Zampakuto was resting on the rock while the blade was propped against his shoulder. His eyes were closed, a peaceful and contemplative expression set in his features. He must have been talking to Hyorinmaru, his Zampakuto.

Realizing that I would be interrupting him, I turned on my heel and started back around the corner.

"Did you need something Yamamoto?" Captain Hitsugaya asked quietly.

I froze on the spot. "N-no sir. I was just going to talk to my Zampakuto before heading to Lieutenant Rangiku's office." I paused, fumbling over my words before I tried to say them. "I'll just be going. I didn't mean to interrupt you."

"Its fine," he replied before I could start to walk away again.

I hesitated before looking back at him. He hadn't moved since I had last looked at him. Even his eyes were still closed. "Sir, how did you know it was me?"

His eyes opened then, pinning me to the spot. "Your kanzashi."

I cupped a hand over the hummingbird and let out a small laugh. "Of course." The hanging metal plates always made a slight jingling sound, but I never noticed the noise anymore. I had been wearing this kanzashi ever since I graduated from the Spiritual Arts Academy. It had been a present from my sister to congratulate me. It had been our mother's, and our grandmother's before that. It was priceless and a reminder of just how honored I was for my sister to pass it to me instead of her own child. We didn't see each other often, so I wore it every day to remind me that she was always there, just on the other side of the Seireitei. It was the one item I carried around that was priceless to me.

His eyes closed and I silently let out a sigh of relief. He could be so darn intimidating sometimes.

Doing my best to pretend he wasn't there I stepped onto the grass and moved over to a shaded area under one of the trees. I glanced back at the Captain to make sure that I had some distance from him. I had to actually talk out loud to my Zampakuto, I couldn't just think at her like most Soul Reapers could. It was another reason why I had to wonder at my position in the squad. I was so horribly far behind the seats below me.

Shaking my head I pulled my Zampakuto from her sheath and hung her hand guard from one of the branches. I pinched her blade between my fingers and turned her so I could see my reflection.

"Zampakuto," I called to her. A breeze made the leaves of the tree shift and sway. With the changing shadows, she appeared, dark and supremely more ominous than she normally was. I took a step back as she filled the space between my shoulder and out stretched hand.

"Soul Reaper," She replied quietly. Her Kimono this morning was black like a never-ending darkness with splashes of crimson and faint blue. Her mask looked like it was cracked down the side, but instead of her skin there was more darkness shadowing her face. Only her teal eyes remained normal, but even their expression was hardened and serious.

"Seeing you like this makes me not want to ask for your name today," I commented as I took another step back.

"She who bleeds," Her voice was dark and more serious than her eyes. "She who fades," She continued, her arm reaching out towards me. "She who dies," Her fingers brushed my cheek and a chilling wave of her power shot through me. My knees buckled and I almost fell to my knees before I caught myself and locked my knees back.

"What do you mean?" I asked her, my voice shaking.

"You choose your fate today, Soul Reaper." Her fingers drifted down my cheek, neck, and shoulder to stop just over my breasts. Her eyes softened as she stared at a spot on my chest. "Try not to die." She vanished just as abruptly as she had appeared.

I stared at the empty space, my hand lifting to cover the spot she had touched. My Zampakuto had never actually touched me before. I didn't even know that she could touch me. I had always thought she was just a vision, something I could see but couldn't interact with. But three predictions in one day, and… and death being one of them.

"Yamamoto," Captain Hitsugaya's voice came from behind me. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I quickly replied. Reaching for my Zampakuto I snatched it from the branch I had hooked it on. In my haste the blade slipped from my grasp before I freed it from the branch and it dug into my palm as the blade snapped back up. The pain wasn't something new, it was the same palm that I used to active my Shikai, but it was a surprise. I snapped my hand back and stared at my palm in shock.

She Who Bleeds

"One down," I mumbled to myself. Watching the blood drip from my hand I lost track of time. I couldn't die today. I mean, I was supposed to be helping Rangiku today. I wasn't going to the Human World or the Rukon district. There was nothing dangerous in the Seireitei besides the other Soul Reapers. There was just no way…

"Ria."

I startled when I heard my name and jumped as I noticed Captain Hitsugaya standing right in front of me. I was at a loss for words when I looked up to meet his gaze. My mouth struggled to produce any words as I tried to come up with something.

"I've been calling you for a while now," He explained. His eyes drifted down to my bleeding hand then back to my eyes. "What happened?"

My mouth continued to not work for a moment longer. How could I tell him what my Zampakuto said? I was a Soul Reaper. We were supposed to risk our lives to protect the Soul Society, Souls, and Humans in the Human World. It was out purpose, but hearing my Zampakuto tell me that I would die today was terrifying. I was scared to die… How could I tell my Captain that?

"She who bleeds," I blurted out, finally getting my lips to make words. "My Zampakuto told me that today. I just wasn't expecting it so soon."

His brow quirked as he watched my face. "Is that all she told you?"

"Yes," I lied. It came out of my mouth before I could stop myself. "Then she proceeded to mock me, as usual." I tried to force a laugh and smile, but it came out shaky and wrong.

His eyes narrowed for a moment, but he stopped watching my expressions and turned his gaze down to my hand. He started to reach for it, but I quickly snatched my hand to my side. I whipped out the cloth I kept on me for performing Shikai and quickly wound it around my hand. "Sorry," I mumbled.

"I don't think you are telling me everything." His voice was soft and not at all accusing like I would have expected. "But, you should know that if you need help it is my duty to be there."

I didn't really know what to say, so I nodded instead of giving him a verbal answer. His eyes met mine once more before he walked around me. I listened to him until his footsteps weren't audible any more. Knowing I was alone I finally fell to my knees. I was going to die today…

Entering Lieutenant Rangiku's office a short time later I looked around at the empty room. I had composed myself after collecting my Zampakuto. There was just no way I was going to die today. I mean, I was going to sit in an office all day then go back to my room and sleep. I would avoid food so I wouldn't choke, and I would avoid anyone from Squad 11. I was perfectly safe so long as I did that.

Shaking those depressing thoughts from my head I set to getting some work done, though technically it was Rangiku's work… Sitting at her desk I began reading over the stack that was set in the center of the desk. She at least put in enough effort to put the important papers first.

Rangiku was absent most of the day, coming in only once or twice to check on me. Apparently, she was off running errands with the Squad 1 Lieutenant and wouldn't be back until later tonight. That worked just fine with me. Getting paperwork done without her hanging all over me was much faster. It made the time fly by and gave me no chance to get distracted.

In fact, before I knew it darkness was eating the sky. Rangiku hadn't returned yet from her errands so I was left to excuse myself from work. I really didn't mind. I left her desk with papers in neat stacks, separated by what she needed to read, what she needed to sign, and what needed to go up to the Captain's desk. If there was more to do tomorrow I was going to be surprised.

Stepping out of her office I headed for my room, only to be stopped by the beeping of my cell phone. Without even thinking about it I pulled the small device from one of my pockets and turned the screen on. I read the screen and smiled to myself. I really was going to die today.

"Report to the Human World," I read to myself. "Perform Konso on wandering soul."

I laughed to myself. It was just a Konso that they wanted me to perform. The sinking feeling in my gut told me that it would be so much more.

Turning back to Rangiku's office I walked calmly inside and sat at her desk. Pushing one of the stacks of paper to the side I pulled a note pad from her desk and quickly jotted down a note on it. By the time she got back it would probably be too late, but I had to let someone know. Even if… Shaking my head I left her office. A hell butterfly greeted me as I left the building. Knowing it was there to escort me through the Precipice World I tried to keep my face calm. No use in freaking out.

Emerging in the Human World was much like stepping through a door. The hell butterfly that had guided me here fluttered back through the doors the closed behind me, leaving me to stand alone above a darkened city. It was the middle of the night here, the perfect time to spot the subtle glow of a wandering soul. There was no hint of a Hollow in the area, so maybe I really would come out of here unscathed. I mean, I already bled. That was part of my Zampakuto's prediction. Maybe it would stop there.

Pulling out my phone I looked up the location of the soul I was supposed to find. It wasn't too far away, just a few blocks by the look of it. Taking in a deep breath I followed the little blinking light on my phone.

Rangiku let out an exhausted sigh as she climbed the stairs leading to her office. Running around with Lieutenant Nanao had been exhausting, even if it was all in preparation for the festival next week. Buying sake was always fun, but carrying it back was another matter entirely. Why hadn't there been a few other people assigned to their task? It would have been so much easier.

"Ria," She called out as she crested the stairs. "I'm sorry I took so long. Heaving those casks was exhausting!"

The lack of reply from Ria wasn't surprising. The 3rd seat was probably annoyed with her, or maybe she had gone home for the night. It was getting awfully late. Pushing the door open Rangiku glanced around the room and let out a sigh. Of course, she was gone.

Flopping back into her desk chair Rangiku kicked her feet up onto her desk and let her head fall back. If it wasn't so late she would consider taking a nap. Stretching out she assumed the most comfortable pose she could on the chair and closed her eyes. Thank goodness for Ria's knack for paper work or else nothing would have gotten done today. Toshiro refused to do her paperwork for her any more, and she just didn't have the attention span for it. If only Ria could write her reports for her too, then everything would actually get done.

Groaning, Rangiku sat up in her chair and put her feet back on the ground. She supposed that she should actually read over what Ria had done today. Just as she was reaching for the first stack of papers, a piece of paper on the ground caught her eye. It wasn't the full-sized sheet that everything on the desk was, but maybe the size of a note pad paper. She supposed that Ria had left instructions, which would make reviewing the work go so much faster.

Picking it up off the floor she scanned over the shaky writing. At first glance she couldn't read it because the writing was skewed, so she placed it on the desk and really looked at it.

"Orders to Human World, left early," She read aloud as she scanned down the note. "Zampakuto told me She Who Dies today." Rangiku blinked down at the note, not believing she had read it correctly. "I'm sorry I lied."

"Oh no, Ria." Rangiku jumped from her chair and dashed out of her office. She knew that Ria wasn't able to fight very well with her Zampakuto. She was skilled with Kido, but if she encountered a Hollow that was stronger than average there was no way she could defeat it. Unlike most Soul Reapers she wasn't combat trained outside of her experience in the academy.

Rangiku didn't call out to her Captain when she threw open the door to his office. Captain Hitsugaya's instant words of annoyance were overwhelmed by Rangiku as she slapped the note on his desk. "It's Ria."

The Captain's eyes scanned over the note. He didn't seem to have any trouble reading it as he stood only a moment later. "When did she go to the Human World?"

"I don't know," Rangiku quickly replied. "She was gone when I got back just a few minutes ago."

"Damn it," he cursed, running for the door.

This soul was seriously elusive. I had been looking for it for a while now. Down on the street level it was hard to search a wide area, but it was supposed to be nearby. I had pocketed my cell phone just a few minutes ago, but the lack of divided attention wasn't helping like I thought it would.

I walked the streets for a while longer until I came upon an open lot where a house used to have been. I pause on the street, trying to see through the over grown vegetation. There was something there… But I didn't think it was the soul I was searching for. Despite knowing what my Zampakuto had said, I stepped onto what had been a drive way and made my way through the bushes.

The sky around me seemed to darken as I moved further in. I didn't feel anything with a spiritual pressure nearby, so I was pretty sure I was walking into nothing. Or, I thought I was until I almost tripped over a soul. Dancing out of the way of the small boy I turned on him and looked him over. He couldn't have been more than five or six years old when he died.

"Hi," he greeted me with a wide grin.

"Hi there," I replied as I composed myself. "What are you doing hiding back here?"

The boy looked up at the sky, a sad look in his eyes. "I died here."

I knelt beside the boy, making myself shorter than him as I said, "I'm sorry. Was this a happy place for you?"

"Yeah."

I smiled softly at him as I held my hand out. "Do you want to go to another happy place?"

The boy looked at me, a curious expression on his pudgy little face. "There's somewhere else where I can be happy?"

"Yes, it's called the Soul Society," I explained. "There you can have a new family and be happy."

The boy eyed me for a moment before asking, "Can I bring my dog?"

I had to pause for a moment to understand what he had said. "Your dog?"

"Yeah!" He said excitedly. Turning from me he cupped his hands around his mouth to make his voice project. "Come here boy!"

On command, a small dog emerged from the bushes. For a moment, I thought it was just another soul. It looked like a dog from the side, it even barked like one. But then the boy stepped aside for me to see it and I froze. A Hollow mask covered the dogs face and neck, smiling at me with a toothy grin.

"Yes," I said to the boy, my eyes never leaving the Hollow. "You can bring your dog, but you have to go first."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise."

The boy cheered and walked back to me, taking my hand with a firm grip. The Hollow sat and watched me, his red eyes gleaming maliciously in the sparse moonlight. Keeping my attention focused on him, I drew my Zampakuto and pressed the end of the hilt to the boy's forehead. With a large smile on his face he faded into white light and vanished.

I didn't waste any time lingering on the spot that the boy had been in. Turning my Zampakuto in my hand so the blade faced the Hollow, I stood and took a few steps back.

"Why didn't you eat that boy?" I asked the Hollow.

It quirked its head at me, like I had asked a silly question. "Soul Reapers are so much tastier," his voice was high pitched and edged with malice.

I tried to hide the fear that shot through me. This wasn't just any Hollow. If his statement was correct, he'd killed at least one Soul Reaper before. He wasn't mindless either, being able to respond to me and hold himself back from eating that boy. I couldn't even feel its spiritual pressure.

Before I could respond to his words, he lunged at me. I did the first thing I could think of and Flash Stepped away, running from his attack. As soon as he moved to follow me, I could feel his spiritual pressure. It was like using any abilities brought it out. If I could feel him, I could run for a while. I didn't know how to mask my presence entirely so hiding wasn't an option.

"Scared little Soul Reaper!" The Hollow taunted from just behind me.

I flinched at the sound of his voice and turned to look over my shoulder. That was when I felt his teeth sink into my thigh. I swung my Zampakuto at him and he dashed away unscathed. Turning to run from him again I felt the sear of pulling on the wounded flesh. I held in the shout of pain as it ate through my hyped up senses, and decided then that I needed to defend myself.

Turning back to him I caught his movements in time to block his reaching canines with my Zampakuto. He bounced back from me and started to circle around. Aiming the palm of my hand at the Hollow I shouted, "Hado#33. Sokatsui!"

The Hollow yowled and jumped back as the blue flames spilled from my palm. I used the distraction to tear away the cloth I had wrapped around my hand. Without a thought, I drew my hand down the blade of my Zampakuto and called out, "Okurimono no Kontororu!"

Banners of light flooded around me as my Zampakuto's Shikai activated. I didn't hesitate this time when I saw the Hollow coming for me. I reached into the earth with my power and heaved a wall of concrete and stone between us. Without the material being made of reishi I had to pour my own power into the ground and move the power rather than the concrete itself. It took far more energy to do, but without worrying about having to fix things I didn't have to waste energy on making it pretty. I almost started to smile at myself for my quick action when the bits of rebar in the wall began to glow red. Steam began to rise in a vertical line in the middle of the wall as the material heated. I started backing up, but before I got far the wall exploded in clumps of searing metal and smoking concrete. A chunk of the wall the size of my fist cracked into the side of my head, but I shook it off as best as I could.

Once the dust from the explosion settled the Hollow stood where my wall had been. It wasn't just a dog any more, in fact it looked like a beast of nightmares. Where its feet had been, circular blades spun like saw blades. Sparks glimmered around the edges of the blades like hellish fireworks, lighting up the area around it. What had once been its tail was now a scythe shaped blade engulfed in flames. The head of the Hollow was the only thing that looked similar, except for the flames that licked between its huge set of teeth every time it exhaled.

Just looking at the beast sucked all the hope I had for surviving out of me. There was just no way…

The Hollow moved before I could even think to react. I was frozen in fear as its tail sunk deep into my back and punctured through my chest, its feet slicing through my shoulder and waist. The tail vanished as soon as it stabbed through me, letting blood gush out from the wound. I couldn't react, the surprise of it and the sudden lack of breath were paralyzing. The Hollow appeared in front of me, only a few feet away. A hyena like laugh barked from its throat.

The sound jarred me, and I did the one thing I could think of. I pushed my power into my surroundings and wrapped myself in a ball made of the concrete around me. I couldn't move much, the injuries disabling my free arm, but with my hand still on my zampakuto I could still manipulate objects. I wrapped myself in concrete and stone, refusing to stop adding to my ball until my sword hand lost its strength and the hilt slipped from my grasp. My shikai fell when my fingers left my zampakuto, but it wasn't like I could do much more. At the very least, what I had built up around me should take some time for the Hollow to break through… I fell to my knees and slowly fell the rest of the way to the ground. I couldn't seem to breathe right, my breaths coming in and our in short pants. My head was swimming in the darkness of my ball as I tried to think. What could I do?

Spiritual pressure crashed over me, stealing what little breath I had away. It was so much that I almost didn't recognize who it belonged to, but slowly I came to recognize it. Captain Hitsugaya…

I tried to move to grab my Zampakuto, but the strength just wasn't in my arm. Even if I could grab it, I lost my Shikai when I had dropped the blade. I was starting to feel panicked, knowing that my Captain was on the other side of my shield and I couldn't even get myself out. If I had just lasted a little bit longer out there instead of being such wimp, I wouldn't have been in this situation.

The temperature around me suddenly started to shift. In my weakened state, I couldn't tell if it was getting hotter or colder. I wanted to know what was happening. Was the Hollow melting through my walls? Or was there some sort of battle going on outside and I was just getting caught in the cross fire? This was horrible. If I lived through this I was never, ever trapping myself in a ball of doom again.

A distinct cracking sound came from the walls around me. Anticipation welled inside of me, waiting to see if I was about to die or if I was being saved. I desperately prayed that I wasn't going to die. I didn't want to die.

The walls of my ball cracked and fell apart, leaving me to fall over the side and to crash in a heap on the ice-covered floor. My head was spinning with the sudden movement as I tried to roll myself over. I lacked the strength to move though, my body refusing to do as I wanted. Arms slid around me and I felt myself be turned and lifted from the ground. I knew it wasn't the hollow, but helpless as I was the urge to struggle came to the front of my mind. Captain Hitsugaya's face came into my view and that urge to struggle melted away. He settled me in the curve of his arm, my head resting on his bicep.

"I've got you, Ria," he murmured as he tilted my chin up and pushed away my mused hair. "You are not going to die, not today." His eyes flicked from side to side, watching my eyes as I acknowledged him. "Mild concussion," He said to himself.

"C-Captain," I whispered.

"Save your strength," He said as his eyes darted over my body. I could only guess he was looking at my wounds. In that moment, he looked so… I pushed the thoughts away. I had something I needed to say, to say to him.

"I'm sorry," my words were slurred with the effort it took to make them.

"Squad 4 is waiting Captain," Rangiku's voice sounded so distant to me. It was then that I realized that my vision was going dark. The Captain's expression was so concerned as his eyes met mine.

My eyes started fluttering closed, but I felt someone shake me. "Stay with me Ria, just a little bit longer." It was my Captain's voice, but I couldn't seem to open my eyes. Ice seared across my skin startling me and making my body jerk. I was held in place by a strong grip as my wounds seem to freeze over. My hands clenched in fabric as the cold settled in, making my bones ache.

"I sealed her wounds," he said, his voice sounding so close to me. "Let's get her back to the Seireitei."

Pain radiated through my body. It woke me so suddenly that I was completely disoriented when I looked around. Tight bindings pulled at my skin as I tried to sit up. It took me a few moments to realize that the bindings were just bandages that covered me from shoulder to waist. Just bandages… What happening the night before hit me and everything suddenly hurt even more. My hand pressed lightly over where the Hollow had skewered me, and I realized it was the exact same place that my Zampakuto had rested her hand on. If I had only been less of a coward, I might have asked for help and avoided all of this.

"You shouldn't move too much yet," A familiar male voice said from my right.

I turned my head just enough to see Captain Hitsugaya sitting outside the open set of doors. He was facing the court yard that I knew was inside the Squad 4 infirmary. Despite his back being to my room, I could feel his attention on me. Glancing around I found a simple white robe lying beside my bed roll. Stiffly I slipped it on, struggling not to hurt my shoulder wound in the process.

When I was finally dressed, I stood after a few attempts and walked out of the room to stand beside my Captain. It took a bit of effort, but I managed to sit down without wincing. I avoided looking at him, though the urge to see his face was eating away at me in the back of my mind.

"Sir," I started to say but he lifted his hand in a gesture to quiet me.

"Why didn't you say something?" His voice was soft as he spoke. It made me cringe knowing I had to answer.

I fumbled over my words for a moment before I looked down at my hands. "I was scared, and I didn't want to believe my Zampakuto," I paused for a moment to puzzle the few words out. "She told me that I would choose my fate. To bleed, to fade or to die. I thought, 'if I just stay in the Soul Society, I don't have to worry about anything,' and up until I was notified of my new orders I was confident that I could avoid anything dangerous."

"Why didn't you seek out of the other officers, Lieutenant Rangiku or myself?"

"I sorta resigned myself to my fate," I mumbled more to myself than him. "I'm the 3rd seat in the squad. Turning to a lower ranked officer would be like admitting that I'm not suited for the position, which when it comes to combat I am not. Lieutenant Rangiku is normally a few bottles in by that time of night, and you…" I had to hesitate on that answer. "I didn't want to admit that I didn't tell you about my Zampakuto's words."

I heard him shift beside me, so I glanced over to see he had turned fully to look at me. I shrank under his gaze, knowing full well I was going to get an ear full.

"When you are healed, I want you to start training with Rangiku and I."

"Um, what?" I asked, completely baffled by his words.

"Tomorrow, actually. You'll start training with us."

I looked at him then, a disbelieving look on my face. For the first time since I had met him, I wasn't intimidated by his presence. Right now, in this moment, I felt like I could relax with him. His gaze was intent on me, but it wasn't intense. It was patient, waiting... We stared at each other for a long moment, waiting for one another to say something. There was a lot I wanted to try and explain, but running over the words in my head it sounded like excuses or complaints. I didn't want to complain about things to him though. I wanted him to understand how I felt, but I couldn't express it in words at that moment.

Finally, he broke the silence. "Ria, you may see yourself as inferior to the other officers, but you aren't. Your power is just different from them. I believe that you just haven't realized what you can do."

"I don't mean to sound argumentative sir, but I don't see what you do. I'm just a dysfunctional Soul Reaper with a Zampakuto that likes to mess with me."

"You are a Soul Reaper who can perform Shikai without knowing the name of her Zampakuto," he corrected.

"But, I still have no combat abilities when it comes to my Shikai's powers. I'm not even very fast with Kido and I lack any sort of combat training since I graduated-"

"Then I'll teach you," He interrupted me. "So at the very least you can defend yourself."

I blinked at him, shocked for a moment at his offer. But, what else could I say but yes? Letting my one good shoulder shrug I gave him a small smile. "Who could turn down an offer like that, sir?"

"Not you," He replied. "This is an order."

I started to laugh, but had to stop when my chest told me that laughing hurt. "What time tomorrow, sir?"