You Need My Name

“On the contrary little Hyorinmaru,” He chuckles softly, offers a hand to him. “You’ve been working very hard to receive your Zanpakuto,” He says wih a smile, flits closer. “Top of your year in the Academy.” He leans in, gently taps a fingernail against his nose. “Don’t fret little one. I know who I speak to.”

The boy fidgits, hesitantly taking the man’s hand. It was cold, but not unberably cold. “How do you know my name? Wait...I never show anyone that I’m working on my zanpakuto...you, you are my zanpakuto then?” He questions, staring up at the regal spirit curiously.

Hyorinmaru flinches minutely, not expecting to suddenly be poked on his nose. “But how can you be my zanpakuto?”

You Need My Name

He’d been waiting a very long time. It had not been anything for him, really - he had lived eons before he had been chosen to guide a young soul, loan his strength. Not that he himself looked like much, Toshiro thought with a sigh. He was a small dragon, and smaller physically in the comfortable confines of a human frame. But he was here now, and his own concerns were to be pushed aside, to greet his reincarnated soul with open arms.

“Hello.” He greets quietly. “It’s been a long time, young master.”

Confused, frightened, and...curious. That’s how Hyorinmaru felt, waking up on that plane of ice again. The one from his dreams, and that voice, he’d not heard it before, but it sounded like he’d been hearing it for years. -Perhaps he had.

“-ello. It’s been a long time-”

That voice! Who was it? Hyorinmaru whipped around, long hair swishing behind him. He stopped in awe of the being before him. “Y-young master? Me? Mister...I think you’ve got the wrong person.” He muttered, shaking his head a negative.

“Yeah I guess I am, oh you place it into your mouth and chew it it’s really good.” Akemi said noticing him staring down at the chip before him, a chuckle escaping her lips as she grabbed another for herself biting into it.

Hyorinmaru nodded in aknowledgement of her instructions, carefully placing the piece in his mouth and slowly chewing, making a surprised face at the strange taste of the food. “It is...interesting?” He replied quietly, dropping his arms to his sides, not taking another piece.

The zanpakuto patiently waited as Ichigo thought out his answer, not minding in the slightest if he would have asked for a change of topic or more time to think. He had many things that he could think about in the meantime. “No relationship is perfect, and surely not right away. One should expect little scrapes and bumps along the way. But I am certainly very glad that you are working with Zangetsu-san, to try and make the most of your positions.” He smiled, nodding slowly, carefully choosing words to make sense of his thoughts.

    “Whatever you are doing, is certainly a good thing. No one should be alone Kurosaki-san.”

Blinked at the sudden snap from the Dragon, before laughter pulled itself from his lips. He didn’t mind the outburst, instead found it rather funny, seeing the proper dragon lose that sense of propriety. He clicked his tongue at the apology though, those golden eyes flickering lightly. “Don’t be so stiff.” He hissed, though the tone was more in jest than anything. “Trust me, I don’t know the answer ether.”

“Sh-shut up Shiro!” He growled, glaring half-heartedly at the spirit. He didn’t like getting laughed at, no matter the person.

   “I will when you act like a proper gentleman. So, never.” Hyorinmaru muttered sarcastically, honestly not believing that Shiro would ever act like that. It was more of a challenge than anything, an unconscious one of course. “You don’t? Well...I suppose that’s to be expected. I’ve never heard of such a thing other than the Visored, but their spirits aren’t very welcoming...”

“Oh so you chose to look like this?” She grinned at him, looking the zanpakuto up and down approvingly. “I admit I’m intrigued by what this true form of yours looks like, but I expect I’d only want to see from a safe distance. It’s hard to believe that you used to be a sword wielded by a child.”

“I’d like to think that it was me, but I believe it was a subconsious guess as to what my master would have liked, though I didn’t know who my master was at the time...” Hyorinmaru muttered softly, embarrassed. “Ah, it is quite close to Toshiro’s form when he releases my bankai...it is a great hint to my true form. Though, I believe I’d be able to be smaller if I wished. I never had before, so I didn’t try.”

   “Toshiro? Yes, I must say he was more of a child before going to the academy. He never had much of a childhood, growing up in the Rukongai allows a childhood not.”

Alright! I want to start off by saying one thing.                                      I have no idea what this is supposed to be called.                 I’ve heard Bias List, Follow Forever, something else. So I decided Honorable Mentions is best. Without these people, I would have dumped this account in the garbage long ago. This list is by no means a favorites, or an order of importance. These are just the people that made an influential impact on Shirosaki, and Me!

♣ –

                      It became suddenly cold when the unfamiliar person had                       showed up out of the blue, Tsukishima attempted to try                       and read him but to no avail. The book worm was more                       than curious as to who he was.                                                                                ❝Hm, I cannot seem to read you,                                                                                    you are definitely not human, so,                                                                                    who or what are you?❞

        “Certainly, I agree...I am not human, nor living. I am Hyorinmaru. A                   pleasure to meet you...?”

An obvious invitation to introduce himself was given to the strange man,           the man with slightly off reiatsu, he decided. Hyorinmaru bowed to such a       degree that it was not mocking, nor was it given to ‘someone of a higher class’. He could not read this stranger very well, and he was wary because of it

“I know that, but you guys still share a soul together. No matter how apart you guys are. The same goes for me and Zangetzu.” ichigo remembered how his Zanpakuto would challenge him at every turn. = Still he would randomly due to test his skill, but Ichigo knew that he wouldn’t let that guy control him.

“True, very true, Kurosaki-san.” The teal haired man agreed, closing his eyes thoughtfully. “I am content with my relationship with my wielder, are you content with your relationship with Zangetsu-san?” He asked. Hyorinmaru was content, although he’d like a few small changes for sure.

“A Zanpakuto? Huh, I thought that was just a weird rumor going around. So the shinigami really lost control of their sword did they?” Laughing she waved lazily at the box behind her marked with the Shiba clan spiral. “So is the squad captain your master then? I’d have thought you’d be… smaller?”

“That was a while ago.” He replied shortly, not really wanting to bring up Muramasa’s effects on the Seireitei and her inhabitants-specifically the Zanpakuto. “Yes, he is. Me? Smaller? Not quite...I am truthfully much, much bigger than I am now. This is simply a form I took so that I would not destroy the city...”

Akemi smiled opening the bag of chips she handed it to him. “I am not most people really, I’ve been able to see spirits since I was 4 years old.” She said before grabbing a few chips biting into them the crunches easily being heard.

“I see, so you are a spiritually-aware child....how interesting. I’ve not met someone like you yet.” Hyorinmaru nodded, as if confirming his statement. He stopped, staring down at the bag curiously, hesitantly reaching in to grab whatever was in the bag, freezing the piece in the process.

“Hyorinmaru? So you’re just a soul then? Well if you’re in charge you can take this delivery of fireworks the squad 10 lieutenant ordered.” 

“Ah, that’s not it either....I am a Zanpakuto....Oh, yes. I remember that order. She seemed very excited when writing the note. I have been told she very much likes the Shiba fireworks, Shiba-sama.”

“Yeah it’s kind of hard not to, and this thing? Have you ever seen a vending machine before?” Akemi said inserting a dollar she pushed a few buttons F4, this caused the snack to fall down which Akemi grabbed from the flap. 

“Not many can actually see me...” The man sighed, watching the girl’s actions. “No, I’ve never seen this...’vending machine’ before...it’s strange...” A bag of what he supposed was food came out of such a device? A small vendor without a person running it? How strange.

“Hey dude! Are you gonna buy something or just stand there?”

“Haah? Y-you can see me? But, ah no...I’m not going to buy anything. What is this strange thing?”

Karin looked at Hyorinmaru in confusion. “What do you mean? Is this someone I know? Is it Ichi-nii? Tell me, please..” she pleaded. Ichigo never told her a thing. She needed to gather all that she could from these random meetings with people of the other realm that Ichigo was linked with. 

She gasped at the mention of the name of this particular Zanpakuto’s owner. “Toshiro?!” she exclaimed. “Oh gosh, you’re his Zanpakuto? No wonder you’re all cool and icy!” she grinned, extremely excited by the revelation. “Wow, how is that little guy? I haven’t seen him in ages! I hope he’s doing okay. I kinda miss him sometimes, he plays such excellent soccer, it’s like all my other opponents are crap compared to him, although I’ve only played alongside him!” she rambled. “Would you ask him to come over sometime and play with me? I mean, come on, one should keep in touch with friends. He can’t be such a loser, not bothering to even come over once in a while” she rolled her eyes. 

“That is not mine to say...my apologies.” He shouldn’t have even brought it up. It wasn’t even his to talk about. How stupid of him. He’d have to let Kurosaki know...just in case his sister asked..How could he have been so stupid?!

“What is that supposed to mean, if I may ask. Wielders and Zanpakuto are not always alike...” Hyorinmaru muttered, trailing off as he listened to her ranting about Toshiro. “Toshiro...He is fine.” Perhaps I should tell her that he uses small amounts of shunpo and reiatsu while playing this ‘soccer’? “I could make the attempt to ask him. But, you must understand this: Hitsugaya Toshiro is the Captain of the Tenth Company. He runs this division all by himself, save some help by his Lieutenant and seated officers. He doesn’t have the time to relax as much as I would like. I assure you, I will at least try to get him to come from his office. I cannot promise such a thing though...”

“Hmph I’m not about to tell my business to… wait who and what exactly are you? You don’t look like a shinigami.”

“I am Hyorinmaru...Hitsugaya-taicho left me in charge while he was out. Ah, well...I’m not exactly a Shinigami ma’am...”