"Normal"

'Inner Thoughts'

'Zanpakuto'

This is just something I had floating around in my head and thought I might put to paper...erm, you know what I mean. As always, constructive comments are welcome, but if you're gonna flame I'd appreciate it if you kept it to yourself. Thank you and enjoy.

'They're making you weak, boy.'

Daisuke Arata ignores the voice in his mind. The man walks calmly through the streets of the Rukon, heading back to the Seireite after his final day of patrols for any Hollow's that may have slipped into the Soul Society. Night has settled across the area and the souls have returned to their homes to rest, leaving Daisuke the only one on the roads.

Normally, groups of Shinigami were assigned to patrol a certain area of the Rukon...normally, anyway. Daisuke prefers the silence of a lone patrol to the company of a group, always has. Captain Ukitake understands this, and most often allows him to carry out such simple things on his own. He felt honored that the Captain allowed him to do so unsupervised.

'Don't you ignore me, whelp. You are a thousand years too young to act so arrogantly in the face of my strength.' Daisuke squeezes the white wrapped tsuka of his Zanpakuto a bit tighter in response. A hundred and fifty years. A hundred and fifty years and his Zanpakuto, Tenshi, stills regards him with such a cold attitude. His own Zanpakuto, someone he is supposed to rely upon. 'Oh, forgive me. Perhaps you'd like it if I were to hand hold you instead?'

Still, he doesn't respond to her ranting. It was a normal occurrence, one that had been plaguing him since graduating from the Academy. At first, he had desired nothing more then to speak with his Zanpakuto...now he couldn't figure out how to shut her up! For the entire hundred and fifty years since his graduating at the bottom of the class, he has dedicated his every free moment to training, in secret. But it is never enough for Tenshi.

As always, she demands he practice longer and harder each day. That was was led to his discovery of Shikai, and one-hundred and forty years later, Bankai. Now what time he has is spent perfecting it in secret. 'Perfecting? You call your sloppy foot-work and slow reactions perfecting? You seem to be slowly unlearning how to wield my Bankai, boy.'

Daisuke grips the tsuka of his irritating Zanpakuto tighter in response. 'You should cease your fraternizing with those imbeciles in your Division and focus your attention on more practical pursuits.' He rolls his eyes on response. 'Don't you roll your eyes at me, whelp. Don't forget that it was you who called to me, not the other way around.'

'I remember,' replies Daisuke, slowly coming to a stop in the middle of the street. He adjusts his Zanpakuto a bit and slowly glances in the direction of the Spiritual Pressure. "Now you decide to show yourself. Figures." A Hollow slowly emerges from the shadows between two buildings, a scar from Tenshi marring the white mask. It had been lucky enough to avoid the full brunt attack at the time and chose to flee.

Daisuke had tracked the Hollow through the Rukon for nearly the entire length of his six week patrol, slaying several others in the process. Now it was back for it's revenge, it seems. 'Slaughter that filthy creature. It isn't worthy to stand in our presence, boy.' Daisuke might have argued this point for anyone or anything other then a Hollow, especially given there were very few people...actually, there is no one that Tenshi views as worthy of standing in her presence.

The Hollow hisses, low and dangerous as it creeps out of the shadows further and he grips the tsuka of his Zanpakuto in preparation. Daisuke turns and starts towards it with even steps, a smile appearing on his face as he does so. The Hollow howls and raises one clawed hand, intending to crush him. Daisuke draws his Zanpakuto passing with a fast Shunpo and appearing behind the Hollow.

Black blood taints the silver blade of Tenshi and a dark pleasure radiates from Tenshi. Daisuke cleans the blade with a single flick of his wrist as the Hollow is purified and returns Tenshi to her glossy black saya. "Knew I would get that thing, Tenshi."

'You should have kept up your pursuit regardless, boy.'

'I got the job done, right?' A snort sounds in his head and he turns towards the Seireite, continuing his walk. Far in the distance his goal looms and a sigh sounds from Daisuke as he stares at it. It was going to be a long night of walking before he reaches the Thirteenth Division barracks. He finds himself wishing that Tenshi would simply leave him be for a while and not intrude upon-

'Leave you alone, boy? If I were to leave you alone you would be knee deep in trouble right beside those two imbeciles-'

'They aren't imbeciles, Tenshi.' She scoffs in response, and he can almost see her disapproving and cold gaze on him as she does so. 'You don't approve?'

'If it were up to you, then you'd spend all your time drinking and screwing around with them.' A slight smile curves his lips in response. 'I thought as much. With the War looming you should spend your days and nights training, not getting sloppy drunk, whelp! They are a distraction at best!' His expression sombers as a result. The Winter War is drawing closer and closer.

'They're not distractions, Tenshi. Stop being a pain in my ass!' Daisuke stops walking and in front of him appears a winged figure, a woman wearing white. Her golden eyes burn with such intensity from under her white hood that his breath feels trapped in his chest, his muscles are paralyzed. She wears a white hooded vest and white pants with white boots.

The only black on her entire form is the set of prayer beads wrapped around her right wrist, with a single white feather hanging from it. This is Tenshi, his own Zanpakuto. She approaches, white wings flexing skyward to add to her intimidating, and commanding appearance. She draws closer to Daisuke, stopping inches from him. Her wings flex around to surround him, the feathers giving off an incredible amount of heat in the cool air of the night. 'You have guts to insult me, whelp.' A small smile curves her features. 'Perhaps there is hope for you to master my Bankai after all, boy.'

"Bankai...yeah." Hearing a soft movement to his left he looks over, hand going to the tsuka of Tenshi by reflex. A little girl stands there, looking ragged and worn down as she stares at Daisuke. It wasn't at all uncommon to find homeless souls in the outer Rukon districts as sad a fact as it seemed. In fact, Daisuke had himself come from the 80th North Rukon district.

Daisuke slowly releases the white tsuka of Tenshi, still staring at the little girl who stares right back. The look in her eyes...he imagines it is the same he had given Captain Ukitake all those years ago as a child. 'Captain Ukitake...I remember. How differently things would have turned out if he had not encouraged you to go to the academy.' Sparing that only a single moment of thought, Daisuke slowly approaches the girl.

She doesn't retreat, she seems completely frozen by the strength of his Spiritual Pressure, which he lowers to near nothing to alleviate the problem. He could recall the first time he had gotten a small taste of a powerful Spiritual Pressure, which had belonged to Captain Ukitake. It was enough to render him nearly unconscious at the time, leaving him lying on the ground in fear.

Regaining some sense of herself, she takes a step back and Daisuke pauses a few feet away, kneeling down as he does so. "Here." He produces from under his kosode a few tightly wrapped rice-balls, bought the same morning. "It's not much, but..." The girl doesn't move from her spot. "You aren't hungry?" She responds with a shake of her head and then flushes bright red when her stomach growls loudly. "Eh-heh. Guess your stomach doesn't lie. Take it."

After a few moments she takes the rice-balls from him and Daisuke offers a reassuring smile. "Thank you," mutters the girl, immediately digging into the meal.

"If you're hungry...then you have some Spiritual Pressure." He's silent for a moment. "Where are your parents, girl? Why are they letting you run around here late at night? It's dangerous you know."

"I don't have any," replies the girl, her mouth full and rice sticking to her cheeks.

"That so...me either. You should go home."

"I don't have a home." Daisuke sighs a bit and slowly removes Tenshi from his obi at his left hip. He lets his Zanpakuto fall against the side of his left knee and then his neck as he thinks. The girl finishes off the last of the rice-balls with record speed and he chuckles a bit.

"Still hungry?" She nods and he produces a small pouch of candy from within the folds of his kosode. "Here, girl. Some desert." She eyes him suspiciously for a moment and he cocks his head, several strands shaggy ebony hair shifting into his eyes as he does so. "What?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"I know what it feels like to go without a proper meal." The girl takes the candy without another thought and then looks at Daisuke, then his Zanpakuto. He follows her line of sight to Tenshi. She regards the weapon with both awe and curiosity, the same way he had years ago. "What? My Zanpakuto?"

'Don't you dare let that filthy little girl touch me!' screams Tenshi into his head, causing the man to smile a bit. After a moment he slowly stands and returns Tenshi to his left hip where she belongs and produces a final gift for the girl. He gives her several coins and motions in the direction he had come from.

"There should be an inn in that direction. That'll be enough for two nights and a meal. Go. Quickly." She stares up at him in amazement and then nods, running off in that direction without another word.

'What's gotten into you, boy? Why so generous?'

'I can remember all those nights spent scraping and scrounging for a few scraps to keep me alive. She's just a child...if I can give her just a few days free from that, then I will, Tenshi. Captain Ukitake would have done the same in my place.'

'You're getting soft.'

'Yeah, maybe.' He begins his walking again, the Seireite still FAR away and the walk not getting any shorter with him stopping here and there. Regardless, it allows him some time to reflect on the past.

'You really do respect him, don't you, boy?' Daisuke sighs in annoyance. Among the many names she uses to refer him, 'boy' is her absolute favorite. It doesn't seem to matter that he can use Bankai or that he's one-hundred and seventy years old.

'More then anyone I know. Even more then the Head Captain.'

'Wouldn't let anyone hear you say that out loud, boy. Might cause a few problems with those fools in First Division.' Daisuke nods in agreement, paying no mind to the 'fool' part of her words. Always insulting others, as though they were entirely beneath her...that was Tenshi. 'They are fools...of course, I could make an exception here or there. I do appreciate someone who has a strong will and the know how to exert it.'

'You're referring to Head Captain Yamamoto?'

'But of course. If you were more like him then perhaps you'd have mastered my Bankai by now, boy.'

'...You're on the right path to finding yourself at the bottom of a very deep lake, Tenshi. Keep on pushing.' That was his favorite threat and one had had used many times in the past.

'You'd best find a way to totally destroy me rather then do that, whelp! Because if you don't, you will experience such a nightmare of consequences that it will make the upcoming Winter War look like a vacation!'

'Is that right?' challenges Daisuke, defiant smirk appearing in full force on his face. 'Well, I'm just dying to see that, Tenshi.'

'Don't tempt forces beyond your comprehension, boy,' replies Tenshi matter-of-factly. Of course that was her answer, it was always her answer to his challenges and he had a feeling that one day he might push her a bit too far and actually end up facing her...again. THAT wasn't a road he cared to go down again if he could help it. He could recall, with clarity, the numerous beatings given to him at the hands of Tenshi during his attempts to learn Bankai.

Hours pass and the moon has risen over head, bathing the Soul Society in it's beautiful silver glow. Silence has fallen between Tenshi and Daisuke, neither speaking with each other and simply basking in the other's presence. But as much as Tenshi pushes him, she is aware of Daisuke's limitations. 'There,' finally speaks Tenshi, causing him to look around quickly. 'Go to that Inn and get some rest before you fall asleep in the street.'

'I can keep going,' counters Daisuke.

'And be useless for fighting in a few more hours when you exhaust yourself, boy. No. You need rest. Go. Now.' A sigh escapes him and he approaches the Inn without another protest...

In the silence of her own world, Tenshi watches over her partner's sleeping form. Ever observant and calm, she remains at the ready to rouse him for combat should the need arise. The darkness of an endless and crumbling graveyard surrounds the angelic spirit, who stands on top of a large marble cross in silence. A soft wind blows through the world, the mist that floats almost dreamily across the ground swirling this way and that in a graceful dance.

The moonlight bathes the world in it's balmy glow, attempting in vain to assuage the sorrow that accompanies such a barren, life-less landscape at this. Again, the wind blows through the world, gently ruffling the white feathers of Tenshi's relaxed wings. It is enough to cause her golden eyes to open ever so slightly, and slowly drink in the familiar surroundings.

Yes, Daisuke could sleep peacefully with her to stand watch on through the darkness of the night, as she always has. He has, after all, earned an undisturbed rest...at least in her opinion. 'Best he does it while he can,' Tenshi tells herself, watching him turn onto his side. A scar mars the pale skin of his left shoulder, a hold over from one of his many attempts to earn her Bankai.

He groans a bit in his sleep, turning onto his back and then onto his right side. It only took a moment to realize he was dreaming about the day he had earned his Bankai...

- Ten Years Ago -

It had taken time. More time then Tenshi would have liked for him to even begin to grasp the concept of materializing her into the world around them and after that it was only for a few seconds at a time. No, he had struggled and worked hard for every little bit of progress until finally he was able to hold the materialization long enough to actually challenge her. And now, they stand across from one another.

Blood streams from a cut above his left eye, his kosode is torn to shreds and falling away from his torso uselessly. He stands across from a pristeen Tenshi, only his blood marring her white vest in several places and weilding the o-katana that makes up his Shikai, Otsuge no Inori. Daisuke grips the now black and white tsuka a bit tighter as she stares at him.

His first fight with her had resulted in a merciless beating that had landed him in the Fourth Division barracks for more then two months. It was only Tenshi's pity that had spared him death. She has never believed in holding back during a fight, prefering to crush those who oppose her from the very beginning. They'd had countless fights since and had still never come close to besting her.

Her wings flex, now peppered with several black feathers to mimic the tsuka of Otsuge no Inori. With a single powerful beat she crosses the distance between the two and Daisuke reacts, turning to avoid her thrust. He brings the o-katana down towards her exposed neck, but she's far too quick for such a slow attack. Tenshi turns, cutting a wide arc with the o-katana intending to slice his head clean off of his shoulders.

Daisuke Flash-Steps away, crashing to the ground several feet away with a loud grunt. He slides across the ground, throws his feet towards his head and tumbles out of the slide to his feet. "Is that all you're good for, whelp?" questions Tenshi. "Running away?" Blood streams down from a cut on the side of his neck. "You will never be worthy of Bankai if you don't stand and-"

Tenshi jerks her head back, putting distance between the two of them with a powerful beat of her wings and landing several yards away. A single split appears in the white hood covering her face, entirely insignificant when compared against what Daisuke had intended. "Impatient little brat, aren't you?"

"What's wrong? You always said my speed was my greatest asset. I'm just playing on my strengths, Tenshi."

"I see." A cruel smile appears on her Tenshi's face. "Perhaps I should play on my strengths, then." Her eyes meet his and for all intents and purposes, times ceases to exist for Daisuke. Tenshi's reitasu is absolutely suffocating, more so then ever before as it attempts to choke the life out of him.

"Guh...nuh...!" Daisuke grits his teeth as he releases his own reiatsu to counter her deadly stare. "Unh...Rend!" Surprise registers on what little bit of Tenshi's face that's visible as the wave of golden energy races across the distance from the blade of Otsuge no Inori. The wave is split completely in two by a simple back hand from the Spirit.

"You-" She jerks her golden gaze down sharply at Daisuke, blade ready to cleave her from hip to shoulder with a single stroke. There's a loud 'crash' and a he recoils, the surprise of what had just happened completely taking over his expression. She blocked the attack with her wing, not a single feather out of place from the attack. "Foolish boy." She lunges and he jerks backwards, switching to defense immediately in the face of her overwhelming power.

Tenshi rains down an onslaught of blows, each hitting harder then the next as she pushes him harder and harder still. His palms are stinging, his arms feel weighted down with lead and his breathing is coming in gasps as he avoids or otherwise parry's each blow. 'C'mon, c'mon!' Daisuke silently screams. 'Show me that...' Tenshi draws her blade back and he lunges forward. "...opening!"

Rather then surprise as he has expected, she simply smirks bringing the blade down faster then he thought possible for her final strike. He whips Otsuge no Inori up to guard, the blades colliding with a loud 'crash' only inches from his face. "Foolishness." With a single arm she imparts enough physical strength to cause him to slide back across the loose soil of their battlefield. "Did you honestly believe I had an opening in my defense?"

"I was, unh...kinda hopin'!"

"You should never commit until you're sure you know for sure your opponent's defense is open, boy. Else you might be lured...in!" A powerful kick to the side cauess his body to arch at an unnatural angle before being thrown across the battlefield, tumbling cross the ground for several long yards before smashing through a large boulder. A small cloud of dust and rubble obscures Tenshi's vision, her golden eyes searching. "Get up, whelp...and come out to fight! Else you'll never be worthy of my power!"

There's a soft ruffle of her feathers, as though the wind is shifting and she turns sharply. Her blade cuts a wide arc towards Daisuke's rib-cage, intending to slice him in half at the upperchest, while he aims for her neck. Time slows as their blades near and Tenshi prepares for his escape, plotting his next move...but he doesn't flee as his blade draws closer and closer still to her neck.

There's a single powerful beat of wings followed by a resounding explosion as Daisuke's attack collides not with Tenshi but with the earth, creating a rather large crater where she had been standing only moments ago. Golden energy crackles from Otsuge no Inori as though it's electified and Daisuke pants slightly, the prayer beads on his right hand slowly losing their golden glow.

Opposite him stands Tenshi, a shakey breath escaping her as she gazes at the male. Blood streams freely from a slash on her shoulder staining the left side of her vest crimson, but the wound is superficial at worst. "You were willing to throw your life away to land that attack..."

"I knew I was going to hit first, and besides-" Daisuke extracts Otsuge no Inori from the earth. "-wasn't it you who said that sometimes you have to take a hit to land one in return?" She narrows her golden eyes in response, a rather dark smile appearing on her face.

"...Finally." He narrows his eyes a bit. "After all of these battles you-" Her sentence is left unfinished as Daisuke disappears from her view. Tenshi sharpens her senses, preparing for him. There's a ruffle of her feathers and she turns faster then before. "Too predicible!" But he isn't there, and the moment she senses his Spirital Pressure it's behind her again.

She glances over her shoulder before casting a wing out to use as a shield against his attack. Again he disappears, this time appearing to her right. "Rend!" Tenshi turns towards the wave of golden energy and splits it in two. His moves were becoming FAR too predictible to stand against her, and she raises her blade preparing to make him suffer as she casts her eyes down, only to be struck with a wave of energy from behind.

It casts her forward to the earth with a loud explosion following, and her blade flying out of her hand as a result. Tenshi actually spits up a mouthful of blood as a result and turns over moments before Daisuke lunges for her. His blade bites deep, pinning her to the earth below and skewering her heart perfectly only moments before she disappears in a blinding burst of light. Surprise is etched into every line of Daisuke's face.

"It seems I have been bested," sounds a voice from behind. He draws Otsuge no Inori free of the earth and turns to face Tenshi, standing on top of the blade she'd been weilding without so much as a single mark on her anymore. "I guess you have some talent after all...who would have thought that a whelp like you would have what it takes to beat me? You seem to constantly surprise me, boy." A tick mark appears at his temple.

"The loser doesn't get to taunt the winner, you know." She steps down from the blade and the weapon in Daisuke's hand disappears immediately, causing him to look down sharply and then back at Tenshi. "What in the hell do you think you're doing? I beat you, Tenshi!"

"Exactly." She motions towards the blade beside her. "Pick me up, boy." He approaches slowly, eyes never leaving Tenshi as he draws near and stops in front of the blade.

"Well?" Daisuke stares at Otsuge no Inori in front of him, the weapon as pristeen as ever. The young man grasps the black and white tsuka firmly, feeling a pulse of Spirital Pressure flow through him as Tenshi accepts his touch. She's behind him, wings flexing to wrap around him as he grips the tsuka.

"Now what?"

"Call my name. Only you can, Daisuke." He feels the command, it swells in his soul, filling him with energy and life. "Say it..."

"Fall from the Heavens! Kurayami no Tenshi!" The release was instant, the effect more so as Tenshi completely disappears and the familiar weight of Otsuge no Inori follows suit. His golden reiatsu swirling around him in a violent torrent for only a moment before clearing to reveal a now healed Daisuke and Tenshi standing across from him.

'Very impressive.' He looks at himself and then recalls Tenshi. He is dressed nearly the same except that his clothes are all black. A black hooded vest, black pants and black boots. He glances over his shoulder at the now completely black tsuka of his Zanpakuto, Kurayami no Tenshi. The silver tsuba resembles Tenshi's wings, extended for flight in a complete circle. The o-katana is held to his back by a single black strap stretching across his chest. 'Black is your color.'

'Hmm...' Daisuke taps the tip of his boot against the soil, not liking just how loose they felt on his feet. '...could have included some kind of lace, you know. I feel like these things are going to fall off if I run.'

'Stop your whining, boy.' The youth looks up at her in response and flashes an apologetic smile from under his black hood. 'With my Bankai, you'll be able to maxamize your speed. You'll surpass even Kuchiki in Flash-Step, and it helps to conceal your Spirital Pressure. Only the most experienced opponents will sense your Spirital Pressure.' Daisuke arches a brow and reaches back for his Zanpakuto, drawing it with remarkable ease.

'I'm pretty stealthy now, huh? That kicks a little ass.'

'And stronger.' He whistles in appreciation.

"Anything else?" His Bankai disappears completely and Tenshi appears standing across from him. "What is it?"

"It is not a toy, Daisuke." The actual use of his name holds more weight then he thought and he listens more fully. He watches as she removes the white feather from her prayer beads and holds it out to him. "Take this-" He reaches for it and she moves it back.

"What?"

"Know this...if you accept this, then you seal our fates. We are partners for all time...and I won't allow you to die peacefully as an old man, boy. We'll die on the battlefield and nowhere else, am I understood? The moment you turn and run from a fight is the moment I take my Bankai away from you." Daisuke is still for only a moment before taking it from her hand. The feather itself disappears a moment later. "We are bonded. From this day forward, we live or we die together, boy..."