Chapter 1: Enter Ryokou
Being the eldest of the four, Ryokou naturally looked out for his three younger sisters. He grew up on the rough side of town, where people routinely disappeared and very rarely were heard from again. That was life in the city, cold and rough.
The youth of this city either had a gang, family, or street smarts to keep them safe. The few lucky ones in this neighborhood had all three. If a youth were able to make it to see thier 18th birthday, chances were the youth would survive long enough to escape the area.
Ryokou had just turn 17 when he joined the local gym. There wasn't much to this 17 year old; Ryokou was slim and tall, with practically no meat on his bones. The feature that had made the instructor take note of this youth, was the firece intensity of the fire in Ryokou's eyes. This feature matched with that body is what made a kickboxer, inthe instructor's opnion.
It was during one these kickboxing lessons, a year later; the instructor noticed a long thin scar stretching from the 18 year-olds shoulder down to his elbow on the left arm.
"How'd you get that?" The instructor noted in his usual gruff but kind manner. He then signaled it was about time for a break anyways. He sat down on the edge of the ring.
"Knife fight..." Ryokou said in a distracted tone, as he obediantly sat down next to his teacher and friend. He paused for a bit as his eyes got a glossy look in them while he tried to remember the chain of events that day. Starring off into the space beyond the door, he said" ...I got it for protecting some girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
The instructor nodding knowing what Ryokou meant by it, but before he could say anything; Ryokou went on somberly with the same distant look in his eyes "About this time last year, I was on my home after one of our lessons. I had just happen to look down the ally way to see a giant of a man going after the girl. His blade was raised high and it caught the sunlight.
It wasn't hard for me to guess what was going happen next if I did not step in. I snapped at the thought of it; said a few things I shouldn't have, and charged headlong in to fight for her.
I can't recall all of the details of that fight; but he was three times my size and looked to be about twice my age. The girl got away, and I got this scar."
Snapping back to reality, Ryokou saw a black butterfly float by his nose. He glanced at the time, got up, bowed to his teacher and then left with saying "thanks for the lesson, I'll be back tomorrow." As the door shut behind him he noticed the same black butterfly float by, then vanish.
Strange He thought, but continued on towards home in the late setting sunlight.
---
An early golden red sun peeking through the kitchen window finds Ryokou is already awake and busy preparing breakfast. His sisters, Jules, Lisa, and Mara step down off the stairs, which leads back to their respective rooms.
Jules is the second oldest at 17. Lisa and Mara, twins, are 16. The old clock on the far wall of the kicthen tolls, signaling it is time to leave for school. Lisa and Mara rush out the door first. The two of them are always eager to leave when they can, so they could meet up with thier friends before class.
Jules stays back and waits for Ryokou's friends to show. They do and together, along with Ryokou, they all make their way for school. Ryokou falls back and takes up the rear, as is his tendency to do.
Along the way, Ryokou gets a feeling that he is being watched. He glances back to see the girl helped a year ago, only she is wearing a black robe and carrying a sword. He stops to try to get a better look, but she is gone and all he sees in her place is the same black butterfly again which disappears after a few brief moments.
What is with that black butterfly?
Thinking about it, he fails to notice that they had come to the crosswalk that will forever change Ryokou's life for the third time. Lisa and Mara were already on the other side talking about any and everything that comes to mind, when Ryokou and his friends finally arrive to the crosswalk.
The road to the unknowing is deserted of all vehicles aside from the abandoned ones that were left to rust. At this time in the day only those students who own bicycles are on this street. Ryokou's friends and Jules start to make their way across, when Jules' bag has its bottom rip open, her books fall to the ground and scatter in the middle of the road. She, as one would expect, bends down to pick up her fallen books and examine her bag to find a cause for its failure.
It is at this point that out of nowhere, a mid-sized pickup truck soars over the hill's edge. Ryokou hears the truck bottom out, as it lands on the road, the engine revs, and the pick-up accelerates towards Jules. Ryokou yells, but she doesn't seem to hear his warning to run.
He, seeing she is oblivious, runs across the cross walk and knocks her out of the way. Unfortunately, Ryokou isn't fast enough to save himself as well. The pick-up slams into his exposed side, knocking Ryokou's body to the curb and speeds on down the hill.
Ryokou finds himself standing there over his body, looking over his sisters and friends who are shocked at what has just happened in front of them.
"What is going on?." Ryokou asks aloud. "Why can I see myself, and they can't hear me?"
"That is because..." A sneering voice comes from behind him "...your dead. That severed chain dangling from your chest is a key clue to it." Jules is fear stricken at what she is hearing and seeing, but her knowing is oblivious to both Ryokou and Shoubin.
Without turning around to see the face from whence the words originated, Ryokou knew the owner of that voice. It was one voice he would and could never forget. The owner of it; he would never forgive.
"Why are you here?
Shoubin" Ryokou states putting a disgusted emphisis on his father's name. He quickly turns around and lands a punch hard in the nose of the man. The unanticipated blow knocks the figure backwards to the ground.
The figure is slow to get back up. Ryokou waits until Shoubin is standing again, and Ryokou continues to say "I thought I told you to never show your face around me again, especially after what you did to mom."
"She aimed that car and hit me...," Shoubin retorts angrily then calms quickly down and says "but don't worry about that child of mine. This face you see now will soon cease to be." As he speaks, he gestures to a dark hole in his chest, from whence a chain disintegrates from.
"I knew I would be transforming soon and would need food afterwards. I had intended Jules to be the first of you four, but I will make do with you for now."
Ryokou starring at Shoubin through his cold eyes. He was quickly relearning a feeling he had tried to surpress for years, as the person who stands before him begins to change. First the body is covered by a black goop-like substance that spews out of the hole in the chest and encases the body. The black stuff takes a form of a giant widow spider, and the back spurts out several blackish-green tentacles. The head is laughing, and the voice is changing as it begins to have its own echo.
"What... are... you?" Ryokou says slowly trying to subdue the fear that had risen inside of him, unsure of what to do at this point. The figure is about to say something, but a white substance flows from the eyes and mouth of his father, Shoubin, The substance forms an indescribably ugly mask that strangely seems suited for spider-like body.
"I am complete now." The beast booms and continues on with the same echo-like voice "Now I will eat your soul!" The beast charges at Ryokou. Ryokou reacts instinctively and leaps over the beast, as he did his eye catches Jules, who appears like she is seeing what is happening.
At that moment, Ryokou's fear is replaced by an even more powerful emotion, one that told him he has to protect his sisters.
I can't let them get caught in this fight. If this thing wants my soul, it'll have to fight me for it. Ryokou thought with his newly found determination.
But how do I lure it away, with out it going for one of them?
The hollow and him soon begin circling each other. The hollow waiting for an opening, and Ryokou waiting for the impending attack. All the while Ryokou is thinking,
How do I lure this thing away, and be sure it will only come after me?
At that moment the hollow hurls one its tentacle towards Ryokou, who barely dodges it by diving to the ground. This action gives Ryokou his answer.
"Of course, I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner" Ryokou blurts aloud as he scrambles to his feet to dodge another incoming tentacle attack.
Sneering in its echo voice the hollow asks mockingly "Think of what sooner?"
"Nothing just reflecting on your aim, hasn't improved much has it?" Ryokou comments both hoping and fearing it would. The hollow's eyes narrows and it growls something fierce.
Great, it does still work...shoot! It does work Ryokou thought realizing the padora's box he is about to open.
Reminded of the fury that Shoubin can unleash, Ryokou gets prepared for the ensuing chase and says "I must admit I am surprised you had four children with an aim like that."
The hollow is now completely consumed with rage and runs headlong for Ryokou. Ryokou takes that as his queue to run and run as fast as he could is what he does for the only place he knew that would be both close and empty at this time, the gym.
Ryokou eludes the oversized hollow just right. He is close enough so as to be seen, but far enough so that he is not hit. Ryokou arrives at the gym and passes through the door with out thinking.
"Great job, Ryokou, you got him away from there. Now how do you intend to escape that wrath he has?" He thinks aloud. The hollow smashes through the wall, with an eerie smile on its face.
"End of the line, boy I have you cornered."
"You may have me cornered, but I can still fight." Ryokou spurts out, trying to hide the fear that has resurfaced with the knowledge of his sisters being safe.
"We'll see about that. I can smell your fear. Your to afraid to attack." The hollow launches all seven tentacles. Even Ryokou couldn't avoid them all at once as he dives to the ground again. He fells four of the tentacles hit him and soon finds himself starring into the eyes of fear itself. Getting up as much courage as he can muster he comments.
"I take it back, your aim has improved."
"It is too late for flattery, Boy."
The hollow backs up so it can lunge forward, but before anything else happens, Ryokou feels the blackened blood splash on his body. Ryokou looks up to see the girl in a black robe standing with her sword drawn, facing the hollow in front of him. The hollow is missing its front two legs. The hollow roars in pain, and disappears in to what can best be described as a tear in reality.
The girl turns and faces Ryokou. She notices the scar on his left arm and smiles.
Ryokou looks at her and solemnly says "Thank-you for saving me."
"No, I should be thanking you for saving me that day. I never had the chance until now to do it properly. Now I must repay your kindness."
Puzzled as Ryokou is, he makes no attempt to argue. He can not even move to properly bow to her. He smiles and she lifts her sword and taps his forehead with the hilt. As she does so she says "My name is Rose, I am a Shinagami now, and so you should be as well."
---
In the early morning light Ryokou is found mindlessly playing the violin, while reflecting on all that has happened since Rose sent him here to Soul Society; Ryokou is naturally caught off guard when Tharion jumps him from behind.
Ryokou had first met Tharion when he arrived into Soul Society 10 years ago. Thar had died in a similar way that Ryokou did, trying to protect a loved one, and so after a light conversation that day Thar convinced his grandfather to take Ryokou in the family. From what Ryokou had heard that day, Thar had died three days after he took two shots to the lung for his brother.
"What were you thinking about, Ry?"
"Nothing much"
"That's a load of crap, if I have ever heard any. You are always thinking about something when you play that violin of yours." Thar then begins to put on an act like he could read Ryokou's mind.
"You were thinking...about...wait, hold on, I almost have it" He dramatically puts his hand over Ryokou's face, the other on his forehead, and says with eyes wide open "Your sisters!"
"Yeah, you caught me" Ryokou shoots back, in a somber tone.
"Ry, man, you can not keep doing this, you have focus now on graduating." Thar said in a more concerned tone. "Your best chance to find out about them is to graduate and hope you get placed into the 13th squad. They are the ones who primarily deal with that sort of thing. Trust me your sisters are doing fine."
Ryokou looks at him, and gives him a comical look saying "and how exactly do you know that?"
Thar smiles and says "Ry...Ry...Ry, how many times must I tell you this, I have connections that allow me to know about these things." Ryokou laughs, he could not help but laugh when Thar was around, that was Thar's personal mission. The wierd thing about Thar is that he usually is right about things.
" And why do I not ever meet these connections of yours?"
"Because If you did, then we would have no other choice but to kill you. By the way, incase you haven't noticed, I like more as a brother than an enemy." They both laugh remembering the times that they had sparred against each other.
The laughter subsides and Thar contiues to say, "Come on, Ry, put that violin away and let us enjoy our last day as students. You know as well as I do that once we get assigned to a squad that we won't be able to have as much fun. I mean, you and I are supposedly going to 13th squad. They have squad training routinely, so let us enjoy our last day."
Ryokou looks at him "How do...? No, never mind. Your connections I guess." Smiling, Ryokou gets up, puts the violin away and continues with "Come, oh brother of mine, let us chase after all the women we wish on our last day of being students"
"Cut the sarcasm Ry, I know what you mean by that. I will be the one chasing women, wearing myself out, and you will sneak off to go see your love, Jasmine."
"And your point is what?"
"I am tired of being tired, so we are going to skip the screaming girls, me being winded and slapped silly, and just go over to Jasmine's place."
"Oh, you are letting me down man. It never gets old to see how slaps you get before they leave. "
"Let's get going already, you got your cards on you?"
Ryokou pulls out a deck, "When don't I?"
The two of them laugh as they walk towards the female's dorm.
