A Zanpakuto for Tatsui...?

The dark mystery of the soul reaper and art of Kido had always fascinated her. As everything did. So as Tatsui walked up to the doors of The Order, she came in fresh and willing to learn. In the reception room, she took a seat against the wall, hoping someone would come help.

'I wonder what my Zanpakuto would look like...?'

A hooded figure would as always come from nowhere, eyeing the new girl. They hadn't had a newcomer in quite some time. Regardless, he gave a usual greeting.

"Zanpakuto Reception, is it..."

His low and mysterious voice made her jump, her green eyes looking wide. She scrambled to stand up with a blush on her high cheekbones.

"S-Sorry you scared me there! I didn't even notice you come in...do you...erm....work..here?"

The words came out quite strange and a bit mangled, unsure how to assess the person in front of her. Oh well...she approached him cautiously after those words.

"Ah.. I'm one of the ones who oversees this facility."

She was acting more timid than the rest.. interesting. It'd perhaps be just as interesting to see how she responded to the process of recieving a Zanpakuto.

"No need to be alarmed. You wish to learn the ways of a Shinigami; that is why you are here. Correct?"

Tatsui was much more startled at the fact that this man was in charge of Zanpaktou carrying and lessons...she gave a soft mental warning. Afterall he was dressed quite shadily, spoke in such a low voice.

'...What if he's part of some cult or something? Oh geez! I don't want to be a sacrifice! (T~T!)'

She thought, as he spoke. It took her a minute to realize that the man in front of her asked her a question and her lips studdered a response.

"S-Sure! Yes, I want to learn the art."

"Right this way then.."

He was an Order member; this was their practice. To entrust others with their knowledge and to protect them at all costs, including that of hate or fear of themselves. He began walking towards a small doorway, entering a grand hall where even the slightest footstep echoed almost endlessly, eventually inviting her to take a seat, as he did, on a small pillow in the center of the halls.

The grand hall was too quiet for her, rather it was so quiet, Tatsui wouldn't want to disturb anything. In fact, as she followed the Order Member, she found her shoes made more noise than she thought they did. Quietly, she tried to walk on the tips of her toes behind him. The fact that the Zanpaktou registration was in a grand hall like this made her wonder what it was that they'd be doing. Tatsui took her seat quickly, but raised a hand a little to ask a question, her voice coming out a little nervous..

"E-Excuse me but...is there some sort of ceremony or something I didn't hear about..?"

... Well, at least she wasn't about to be manipulated by anyone that easily. Patience..

"In order to wield a Zanpakuto, girl.. you mush unlock the power of Reiatsu within you. Otherwise all teaching of the Shinigami arts will be useless."

He nodded, hoping she got it by now.

"It won't be painful, only.. enlightening. Now. Relax, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Meditate, and focus your energies..."

"Reiatsu?"

The word came out of her before she realized it, then remembered; It was the type of energy that was required to use Kido arts and of course the Zanpakuto itself. She was used to meditation, so Tatsui closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the her aura flaring and engulfing her brightly.

"She's not bad for her rank.."

He began to channel his own Reiatsu, filling the room with it to give her an example of what this energy felt like, but also trying not to pressurize it and intimidate her.

"All people have Reiatsu within them. It'sh only up to them to find it and let it breathe.. Search your soul, and try finding it now.."

There were many different types of energies in her body, she felt, and did what he said however. Soul searching...how else could he describe it, it was only herself that could it. Pulling out a small strand of energy, Tatsui held out her hand, resting it on her knee that was balanced on the pillow. From the strand, she pushed it out, into her energetic "veins" and formed it into a small sphere of energy in her hand. It came out as a soft white color with a tint of green.

"Is that it..?"

"You.. materialized it."

He looked quizzically at her. He hadn't ever seen anyone else pull raw Reiatsu from their body in the first try, but so far Tatsui had only impressed this Order member.

"Mm.. what you just did was performed your first Kido art.. but we can talk about that later. Yes, this is your Reiatsu.. Now all you must do is find your own Zanpakuto's dormant spirit, which still resides in you."

"A dormant spirit...? How am I going to do that...I haven't felt anything in me but myself."

She questioned the shady looking Order member with a strange and embarrassing speech impediment. Tatsui wondered to herself...there wouldn't really be a spirit lying in me...would there? Really? She held back a laugh.

'Of course there can't. Or else I would have felt or noticed by now.'

"It'sh a tad.. hard to explain."

He sat back and thought of a way to describe how a Zanpakuto worked. Resting in her soul didn't quite cover it.

"Each person has a unique Zan spirit assiciated with them. They have.. links all around the soul of a Shinigami, but exist elsewhere until a physical Zanpakuto is manifeshted. You just need to find the link."

"Alright."

'Here goes nothing.'

Tatsui ventured deep in herself, further than she ever had until she hit what she felt was the brick wall. That strange brick wall she felt when she was trying to exert a concentrated amount of energy. Energetically, she felt herself manifest next to her soul, then shout at it.

"Heyyy, anyone in there?"

It was silent on all ends, the physical world's end, the mental world's and finally, definitely the soul world which she come to see had nothing to offer to her. Quietly, her projection of energy at her soul turned away to return back to herself--

ABOUT TIME--

Tatsui gasped and opened her eyes as soon she heard the male voice, perhaps startling her host. What in hell was that. It had faded though, the minute she returned to focus upon the physical world. It was loud and brash.

'I probably...imagined it, was remembering something...'

Nervously, she didn't venture further though, instead telling the Order member,

"Don't think there's anything there. I don't hear anything there..."

"Ishat so?"

He knew she was lying. He felt the flash of a Zanpakuto's spirit quite clearly, and even the instantaneous effect had been enough.

"Then what's this that I found just now?"

He held a basic Katana in its sheath, and clearly was not his own.

"Certainly this sword can't have appeared in front of you for now reason..."

"...A katana, correct?"

She at least knew the basics of weaponry and this one was definitely a katana. For the first time, she looked at the Order member in the face, her green eyes searching for his approval.

"Can I...touch it? You didn't pull your own out to make me feel better did ya?"

Tatsui joked a little, chuckling, but her eyes were fixed on the katana in his hands, curious and focused.

"Go on and hold it. This is your Zan, and you'll know I'm not pulling a fasht one when you do."

He put it back on the ground where it had appeared, waiting for her to accept the first step in learning these ways.

Her hands picked up the katana...it was lighter than she expected. Slowly she placed it in her lap, closed her eyes, took a breath and--

OI GIRLY. Nice for you to FINALLY VISIT EH? WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!

"Gaaaah!"

Tatsui was ready to throw the katana across the room by the sheer volume it emitted. She placed it very quickly on the floor instead, a shudder running through her bones. She cowered a little on her pillow, a bit unsure of what to do.

"Erm..."

Well, this at least wasn't the first time such a thing happened. Though the Order member certainly did sympathize with Tatsui...

"Eh.. Believe it or not, there's no such thing as a mismatched Zanpakuto. You two are perfect matches for one another, and will eventually develop and bond.. s-somehow."

"No way..."

Tatsui felt like crying. Her fingers inched to the katana not yet touching it. One finger was held out...then placed on the sheath. She cringed by reflex...but it was quiet...just quiet.

"Maybe....I broke 'im--

"Oi, girly. Sorry, I'll tone it down. I won't be so loud."

Tatsui heard the voice, sounding a bit harsh, yet now normally speaking. Energetically she must have raised a brow.

"Jus' a little excited you finally can see me, bian."

"But-But-But I say 'da-bian'!"

Her voice came out perhaps a little desperate and protective...perhaps even childish.

"YOU got it from SOMEWHERE, BI. AN."

The voice was a little more harsh this time, as if talking back to her. Instantly Tatsui huffed stubbornly.

"You're just a katana though."

"Are you DENSE, girly?! I've been in you all this time. And if you don't wanna know me, then you don't get to learn Kido, bian.

Tatsui stiffened immediately...this damn..thing knew what she wanted most out of this. How could it? Just a katana...she sighed.

"What do I need to know about you then."

"My name isn't KATANA! It's Kaza! Remember it, bian!

'K-Kaza...'

Tatsui repeated to herself in her head to remember.

"That's right. Kaza.

"But I didn't even speak outloud, how did you--

"I'm in you remember?! Come on girly, I've been with you for many years now, bian!"

"That's right...what do I do next, Kaza?"

"Ask the hoodman over there to see how you can see in your head! I dressed up for this occasion, bian."

Kaza sounded smug and confident, to her amusement. But now that she was given an assignment, it was then Tatsui realized she had been speaking outloud without even knowing it, and now this man in front of her must think she was absolutely insane. She blushed, not saying anything. Instead, she moved the katana on her lap, setting both hands on it, generating an even deeper blush. Her hands ran across the sheath slowly...the guard was a strange shape, like a cloud with many intricate patterns in the inside. The handle looked as if it were wrapped carefully with a dark green cloth, and the diamond shape it made was a white. Finally, Tatsui looked up at the man.

"So...I...You see...His name is Kaza. And he asked me to...to ask you how I could see him physically in my mind."

The man chuckled. It was genuinely relieving to see her talk like a madwoman to her Zanpa-- to Kaza.

"He's talking about your inner world. It'sh easy to go there, just do the same as you would meditation. Except, instead of going to your soul, go into your mind."

"That'll be easy, I practically live in my mind."

She joked, placing her hands on the katana's sheath. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deep, concentrating...it was easy. Her mind's world was of a beautiful house in a wonderful city with many, many books she can study. Her home was practically a library; in the back lay a good sized courtyard, where she could practice whatever arts she wanted to. Close by there was a lake or better yet, the ocean, shadowed by trees from a forest which she had to follow the path through in order to get to the shores--

"Don't be stupid, girly! Don't get confused with your fantasy world, bian!!"

Kaza's voice echoed in her mind and instantly she felt her mind being dragged off, as if he had held her hand to lead her somewhere else. The scene slowly was washed away, as if an artist ran white paint to start the canvas over once again. She was led to a path she never thought she'd go through, as if it were hidden by a curtain or something of another. It wasn't comfortable...Tatsui didn't want to go through. But she oddly...trusted Kaza enough to follow him. She was also getting used to his different kind of energy, sporadic and a bit untamed. And natural ,as if it had been there all along.

Suddenly the scene unfolded in front of her; a man's face looking directly into hers. He was handsome in his own right: His sharp eyes were a deep purple, royal and confident, purely enthusiastic and excited as they looked into her green ones. She swore she saw stars. His nose was nearly touching hers, a evenly pointed one, while his lips had a grin so wide, she could see his canines. Actually, now that she thought about it, he reminded Tatsui of a....wolf. Either way, she he was too close for comfort, being nose to nose made her face flush.

"Too close, too close!"

Kaza stumbled away, but caught himself quickly. Apologizing, his grin faded just a little bit as he scratched his head nervously.

"Got too excited again, bian."

It was when she could fully see him. His hair was silver gray and of medium length, a light invisible part in the middle. It seemed to be fixed, per say, slicked back further than where it was used to. Wait...his hair was silver? Tatsui laughed mentally.

'What is this...some kind of anime or something?'

Tatsui looked at his attire. Simple black trouser trousers with a black belt with a white stripe, and a tan-green shirt with a large and soft looking collar. It popped out of the black jacket that he wore, loose and comfortable, a chain that seemed to be coming out of the inside of the left side of his jacket dipped upwards to attach to the right side of his jacket. It was pinned there with a graphic button. Around the collar, a slack black tie lie under two chain necklaces, one in the shape of a curved sword and another in the shape of a..cylinder. Or something like it.

After realizing she was looking at him so intently, Kaza smiled mischeviously, his eyebrows seemed always to look concentrated...or angry. One or the other. He spoke with confidence and pride.

"I'm glad you like how I decided to clean up a little for you!"

"Your tie is still a bit loose."

Tatsui casually pointed out, though still generally pleased. It seemed he really did have quite an arrogant side. She had to laugh...if Kaza would be proud of how he looked, he could be if he'd like. Immediately Kaza's expression changed.

"IT'S JUST UNCOMFORTABLE!"

"Yes yes. Well now that I've actually seen you..."

She finally took a look around. It was more desolate than she thought it wuold be. The landscape was of valleys, patches of green, some patches of dying yellows and sometimes just dark blacks. In the distance she could see a large crater of black, whatever it could be. There was a cottage with a large water wheel that wasn't spinning, some planks on the roof coming off.

"Welcome to your mind's world, bian. You created it."

Tatsui heard Kaza say as he put his hands in his pockets and turned his back to her to look the same direction. This wasn't exactly she expected. Where on the map would this be?

"In your MIND of course, idiot!"

"You heard me again..."

Kaza turned to her and he rolled his eyes, sighing.

"YOU keep forgetting I'm part of you, bian! I have been. FOREVER."

Tatsui nodded as she remembered. It was just something oddly strange to her. Something like that she didn't particularly understand. It was too soon, too random, right when she thought she had a system, a foothold on things, suddenly something that was supposed to be in her and plain as day appeared. Surprisingly though, Kaza's expression softened.

"Oi..you should be getting back. At least you know what your mind world looks like. You can come back here any time you want, but for now there are things you need to learn and use my power. Till next time, bian."

He took his hand out of his pocket to give her a wave and again that handsome devilish smile, and then disappeared. She let the world go, focusing now to the things around her. Looking up to the Order member, it took her a while to realize she was back in the 'real world'. Blinking her lashes a few times, Tatsui took another breath of air to concentrate and speak.

"I seen him. He's an interesting person..."

Tatsui blushed, as the Order member probably knew that based upon how Kaza had already presented himself.

"What do I need to do next...?"

"You're done~"

He stood up, stretching a bit, and nodded in her direction.

"Next step is to train with Kaza, and as you get stronger, come back to me and we'll work on your Shikai."