Bleach(fan fiction): Secret Love

      I sigh and brush my silver hair away from my face as I watch the sun escape behind the clouds through the window. I think of all the things I could be doing right now, like drinking sake with Captain Kyōraku, but instead I am cleaning the barracks. 

      "Ardain!!! Quit lolly-gaging and get to work!! You have to patrol the Rukon district in an hour!" Nanao Ise is staring at me with her hands on her hips. "Between you and the Captain we will never get anything done around here!"

       "Sorry Lieutenant Ise!" I quickly apologize and start sweeping again.

      "Honestly Ardain! That's not how you sweep!" Nanao snatches the broom from me. "Just go and find the Captain for me! You should know where he is!" Nanao turns and starts to sweep.

     "It looks like I was doing a better job then you," I mutter as I step out the door into the warm sunlight. I start off toward Captain Kyōraku's favorite hiding spot from Nanao in the Rukon District . There I find him sitting at a table with his back to me drinking sake as usual. "Hey Captain. Mind if I join you?" I stand behind the chair next to him.

      "Of course! And what did i tell you about calling me captain when it's just us?"Shunsui Kyōraku hands me a drink as I sit down.

       "Sorry. Old habit," I say, taking a sip of the sake.

       "So, did Nanao give you a hard time again?" Shunsui asks, poring himself another glass of sake.

     "Yes, but I'm not complaining to much. At least i'm getting to sit here and drink a little before patrol," I take another sip.

       "If it was anyone else, I would ask them if it was such a good idea to be drinking before going out on patrol, but you can hold your alcohol as well as I can," Shunsui pores more sake into my empty glass and takes another sip of his own. "And that's saying something."

       "I wonder, who will be on patrol with me today?" I ask before downing the rest of my cup of sake.

      "Actually, I'm going to be patrolling with you," Shunsui downs the rest of his sake too and stands up. "Come on. As much as I hate to say it, it's time to go on patrol." I get up and follow Shunsui through the winding streets of the Rukon District until we reach the most dangerous division in the Rukon District, Division 80, Zaraki.

    "I wondered why you were on patrol with me... I never expected to be assigned to the most dangerous division in the Rukon District," I impulsively reach for my zanpakuto for comfort.

     "Don't worry. Just keep your wits about you and you should be fine," Shunsui assures me after seeing my reaction to my surroundings. Suddenly, I feel a sudden spike of spiritual pressure coming from a little ways to the north of me.

       "Captain!" I cry.

       "I know. Just calm down Ardain and follow me," Shunsui starts running in the direction the spiritual preasure is coming from. I follow and then stop. The picture in front of me is hard to believe. I'm frozen to the spot as I look up at a Menos Grande that is smashing Division 80 to bits. I desperately look around for Shunsui and spot him as he is sent flying into the nearest building after a failed attempt at attacking the Menos.

       "Captain!!" Suddenly I'm not scared anymore as adrenaline rushes through me and I start running at the Menos. I reach down and unsheathe my zanpakuto. "Whisper Amagumo!!!" My normal looking zanpakuto shimmers and changes to a thin cloud grey blade that blurs if you try to look straight at it. I jump into the air and use flash step to run across the buildings that weren't destroyed. Finally, I reach the Menos Grande and attack. The Menos looks down at me and readies a cero.0

       "Look out, Ardain!" Shunsui cries from where he has fallen. I look up but can't move. Somehow, my foot got stuck in a pile of rubble when I landed on the burning house that I'm standing on. I look at Shunsui with terrified eyes as the cero hits me point blank.