Headmaster Blackwood : Dying Friend

Jacob sighed from the long trip, england was not the place it was back when he was younger, he visited a dying friend, for medicine he could not produce, its only a matter time, before they depart from this world, but maybe it was to early to say so.

He looks out the window of the carriage, a lonely road it was filled with trees that sings in symphony, the trees, they sing to him, sweet melodies of a lonely tune, he could hear it, no one else could, maybe it's what age did him good.

Alas, he was back, from a long journeys past, he returns the same head master, how time caught him fast.

On the front gate he was, entering, the carriage stopped on the main building, the rain was strong, he needed an umbrella which was provided by the chauffeur. "Thank you" He smiled, he was rather mature today, he didnt pull any prank, nor did he wear funny clothes.

Having been given little to do during a study session as she was well enough prepared, Hotaru was trying to resist the urge to fall asleep as she sat at a window. She was gazing out on a familiar scene, yet another rainy day. She was able to snap out of her daze though as she watched the carriage pull up to the main entrance. Hotaru didn't look away as she recognized the passenger, even from where she was seated.

"Headmaster's back?"

In hopes of confirming what she had just seen, the girl jumped out nimbly from the windowsill that she had propped herself on through the opened window and ran toward the entrance to the Academy.

His concentration fell all over the place as a student jumped from the 2nd floor window, surprising him. "aa... ano..." a bit scared he asked, "Dont you have class young lady?" Recovering from the shock, he coughed, as if he wasnt scared at all. "Wanna share an umbrella with this old man?" he asked, with a friendly welcoming smile. "But your going to have to hold it, im quite the small man you see."

The jump down had been little issue for the girl, though she admittedly stumbled at first before she ran. As she neared the headmaster, Hotaru's pace slowed down before coming to a stop as she heard his words. She seemed nonplussed at her actions even managing a small smile as she took the umbrella and gave her response.

"I'll gladly hold it. It's free study right now and I'm confident enough to not need the extra time. Plus it is good to see you back at the Academy again, Headmaster."

Once she had the handle to the umbrella in her hand she had held it at a decent height, making sure that he was protected from the elements more than she as they approached the school. After all her rather rash decision had allowed her to get wet already from the area's perpetual rain.

Jacob smiled at her and started walking at a steady phase matching hers. "It's good to be back, but I'm afraid change maybe happening soon." Before he was able to say anything more, his assistant greeted them. "Head Master, you have a guest waiting for you at your office, they... they dont look like they mean good." Jacob sighs turning to the student who personally greeted him back. "Thanks for welcoming me, Hotaru-chan." He smiled at her walking ahead. "You can keep the umbrella, a young girl should always keep an umbrella with her, especially on this parts."

What was this urgent matter about, and what did the head master mean by change? Was the change coming as early as his return?

"It was a pleasure, Headmaster. And if you say so."

As they parted ways, Hotaru sent him off with another smile. She was perplexed though, as to what he had meant by change happening soon. After all in a place like this even the weather rarely changed so it was hard to believe such a thing could happen. Unfortunately it seemed as though the mystery would remain for Hotaru as Headmaster Blackwood went to attend to other important business. He had been gone for a bit so it was almost to be expected.

'Since I made such a rash exit it almost seems like there's no point to me going back to class. Not that I was doing anything to begin with. Wonder what that was about though...'

With nothing better to do the girl brought her umbrella over her head and carefully sat on the stoop of the Academy, despite it being wet. It was like this that she remained, gazing at the rainy terrain about her before realizing one rather important fact.

"It's cold out here..."

Time did after all move differently where they lived, the shinigami, his friend, the captain and commander of Gotei 13. He didnt listen to the opinion he gave, he still came to visit despite the fact that he asked him not to.

Walking along the long dark hallways, he can see the light from the small opening on his office's door, the crack of light reminded him of long ago, when he first came here after escaping... from that dreaded place.

He kept on waling, silently, entered the room, and sat on his chair, neatly placed infront if his desk.

"Hanzo." He started. "You're really suborn, you know that?"

Running fast like the winds, he was being chased yet again, and by who? The quincy elite guards, that's who.

"Geddahell of my back!!" Ryuu yelped for help, they were chasing him for days non stop, and his investigation lead him here of all places, the Quinciy academy.

He went through all sorts of trouble just to get here, and theres no way he's backing down now, he needed to find the legendary war hero, and he heard he's the Head Master of the academy, he has no choice.

But he didn't know getting entry was tough, so he infiltrated the area, but was caught immediately.


And so, it takes us back to when he's running.

"Leave me alone!!!" he was using shunpo, but they were fast, hella fast, he used all sorts of diversion techniques, cloaking, hiding, cloning, nothing worked, they were like mindless dogs eating for pray, chasing him... the arrows of the elite guards, the Dog guardian.

As the girl continued to sit at the entrance to the Academy, she soon became aware of some disturbance, a yelling that she could just barely make out. On her guard, the girl stood up and took the umbrella into her left hand. Hotaru then held her right out to the side, ready to manifest her bow at any time. She really didn't want to fight though, as evidenced by the fact that she still was holding onto the umbrella given to her. Regardless of her will though, she yelled out.

"Who's there?!"

He was going so fast, he barely noticed the cute girl with the umbrella, he jumped high, and on mid-air, there he saw her, he had to do something quick, the arrows are so close, and they could hit her by mistake, he grinds his teeth still on mid air. Spinning his body enough to face her, with quick movements he came out his Gigai from the back.

His gigai tackled the girl enough to take her away from any sort of harm.

Ryuu unsheathed his Zanpakuto and did two quick slashes before landing back first on the wet muddy grass. The dog spirited arrows ricocheted before completely disappearing. It left marks of devastation where it hit, if anyone took a direct hit, it would've been serious.

Before Hotaru could fully register just what was happening, she looked out from under the umbrella just in time to notice the body falling. In almost a state of shock she felt herself being knocked down by the gigai, which of course fell right on top of her.

"Ow...really. I know it's raining but raining men? I thought that was just in some weird song."

Not noticing the shinigami or the fact that she had just barely missed possibly being hit by arrows of her own kind, Hotaru focused on the body above her. Discarding the umbrella for now, she pushed the body up and off of her, sitting up slowly to take a look at it. The first thing she noticed was that the body seemed to be unconscious, which led her to feel for a pulse. She began to panic as she didn't find one, fearing the worst as she didn't know it was a gigai.

"Oh goodness...did I...did I kill him?"

Unsure of what to do and with her focus entirely on the body that had fallen on top of her, she gently slapped the "man's" cheeks as though that would do anything to possibly wake or revive him.

"Wake up...please... I don't know how I could have possibly killed you but please wake up?"

It was raining, he was soaked, but he was forgetting something, still just lying on the cold wet ground, it was such a relieve to finally be able to lay down after days of running non-stop, but he didnt know the next flow of events would cripple him forever, sitting up, he heard someone in need of help, he turned only to see a very cute girl in panic, not knowing what to do.

He was in a daze for a moment or two, then the gravity of the situation kicked in, finally, he recalls releasing his Gigai to save someone, and now this girl was so lost and confused, he reached out his hand to her, the sad warrior song of defeat playing inside his head. "What... what have i done?" He was weakened, he was so weak that he could only cry tears... of sorrow. "How.. how can i do this... to such a cute girl."

He felt the thud in his heart, his heart was failing him, the scene was too much to bear for what very little information his brain can function.

"Im a failure!!!" Kneeling under the pouring rain couldnt be anymore dramatic, "Im a failure as a man!!!" he yelled.

Just the tale of his lonesome life.... filled with sorrow and regrets.. over women.

As Ryuu yelled out in his agonizing and dramatic sorrow, Hotaru stopped her futile attempts to awaken the body that was never truly alive to begin with. Looking up toward the source of the yell, she spotted the spitting image of the man whose body had hit her. Doing a double take between the two confirmed this. However what she hadn't fully expected was to see that he was a shinigami, which forced another double take. Though she had never seen one herself before she had been told of what they wore and other basic facts about them.

"Shinigami?"

Hotaru could see the tears that he wept for whatever reason and left his body aside to go to the soul. Her almost golden eyes were fixated on the soul version of him with curiosity for a moment, the shock of what had just happened not lessening though she was more confused than anything now.

"Why are you crying, Shinigami-san? And um...I didn't just kill you to make you into an Instant Shinigami somehow, did I?"

Ryuus gaze was still fixated over a far distant, if he were the ground, he would've dissolved the moment she wept for his body with all her cuteness. He had a clear image of his life going through his head, tears still slowly, dramatically falling down like water work. Until, a voice woke him up, the cute girl now standing before him, like sunshine, she shun over his sorrowful soul. "I... I'm useless" he sighed and turned to her once more. "Im sorry about that."

Slowly, he regains his real state. "I've been long dead for my own liking, but no creature as beautiful as you could ever do harm to a being such as I. YES! But if ever so you will it, kill me, here, take it!" he was force handing her his zanpakuto. "Kill the useless me so that i can never see the light, the day, of your warm welcoming smile."

He was speaking all weird, that it wouldn't make sense to anyone, but he knew she could snap him back to his right thinking, someway somehow. She could do it.

"Just because your the best in what you do, doesn't mean your right." Hanzo grunted, his voice dry, his gigai was young, it was how he really looked, back 5 years ago that is. "Its been weeks in Soul Society, it appears it's only been days for you here."

Hanzo walked towards the window and looked outside. "This was what you were looking at for the last 5 years, Jacob, i cant believe you diminished this low.. just because. Well, who cares.." Hanzo stopped before revealing anything.

Jacob sighed a long deep one, he closed his eyes slow, then opened it again. "I can remember clearly, and by the looks of it, you still do too." Jacob didn't know what Hanzo's real intention is this time, but he knew it had something to do with hollows.

"So what's the purpose of your visit, Hanzo."

"If you think i came here for revenge, not quite." Hanzo threw an opened envelope, inside it a letter. "Have you ever seen one of this before?" Hanzo conjoined his hands together and rested his palms over his bended knees. "I got this the other day, i thought it was a prank at first, but when the messenger from 3rd division killed her self after i neglected this letter, it became a serious matter."

Pulling the letter close with his pen, Jacob investigated it by looking for any suspicious markings or anything, but it was clean. "Whoever sent this knew what he was doing." Touching it now, he opened the envelop, and instantaneously covered the lower part of his face. "Hanzo, i think i know what happened to that shinigami, this really is serious, if they're starting to make a move." Pushing it away with his pen, the envelop opening closed and so did the scent he disliked. "What does the letter say?"

Hotaru's confusion grew as she tried to make sense of what the shinigami was saying as he handed her his sword. He seemed rather distraught about the matter while saying she could kill him if she wished it now. Shaking her head, she pressed the sword back to his hands.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Shinigami-san, but I'm not going to kill you like that. I'd rather not kill you ever at all. But I must ask just what you're doing here. This is a protected area, in a way."

Recalling his mission, he turned to her with alert eyes. "Move" he said taking his zanpakuto and doing quick slashes again, he made several Quincy arrows ricochet. "For give me, Kawaii-chan, I didnt mean to infiltrate this place like this, but they gave me no choice, i just want to speak with the head master, but this guard wont let me."

The guard he was talking about stood atop a very tall tree, looking down at them with his face covered by a mask.

Spoiler:

A blue haired man slowly let himself take a step and then stop. Another step and then stopped once more. He held in his hand a single book in which seemed to have his eyes locked on it with a deep passion. He placed his hand at the bottom of the book as his fingers latched onto a tab and pulled. A small little archer figure popped up from the page.

He couldn't help but let a light smile cross over his face as he remembered the good old days. He only stopped to take a look at all the words that covered under the figure before he pushed it back down and flipped the page. But this was not to last as he stopped and raised his attention up and let out a sigh, pushing his glasses up onto his face

"And here I was in hope that nothing bad would come of this."

*without warning the guard fell from the tree..
His body was limp, but undamaged; he was merely unconscious..

from all accounts it appeared as if he simply passed out and fell...

Within a few moments, a figure approached the shinigami, his hands tucked neatly in the pockets of his coat; his watch cap pulled low*

"You're just determined to get yourself killed aren't you kid?"

*the man spoke*

Shocked but mostly amazed, Ryuu gulped seeing the old man again. "Ossan!" he yells pointing at him, half happy, half unsure as to how the guardian easily fell the way he did.

He placed his right hand behind his head and smiled. "My investigation sent me here." Explaining like a school boy, he realized something in between. "But why are you here? Weren't you back in that place far in the south?"

*leaning back to stretch out for a moment, Afscheid spoke*

"Yeah but I decided it was time to get out and travel a bit; and since I had a pretty good idea where you were going I decided to tag along...
Or more specifically, I followed you..."

*Noticing a young standing across from ryuu, he said*

"Sorry to barg in miss..."

*pointing over his shoulder back to the slowly waking guard*

"Don't worry about him... He's just groggy..."

Hotaru had been standing there almost dumbfoundedly as the arrows were fired without regard for her being beside the shinigami. Thankfully though, he had deflected them easily enough. As another new arrival took out the guard though she had to hold off on checking on the quincy who had shot, as she was soon reassured to his condition.

"If you say he is... But wouldn't an appointment have been easier for you guys? Gate crashing on a protected area like that,no wonder you're being shot at. You don't seem like you'd be lying to me at least."

Turning from the two, she reached down and picked up the umbrella, no longer deciding to ask about the body that had fallen on her to begin with. Looking back at the duo she gave a carefree smile as she spoke.

"He went off on what I can only assume is business but I'll lead you to his office where you can figure things out from there. Try not to fight anymore, 'kay? I don't want to get expelled for this."

Turning from the duo to the nearby entrance, Hotaru made her way into the building expecting them to follow.