Web of Schemes

Part 2: Chapter 1

An ocean breeze blows over the face of Yasuke, the smell of salt water fills his nostrils. The young Soul Reaper opens his eyes and looks around frantically only remembering his fight with the Hollow but he quickly calms down when he recognizes his surroundings. He wiggles his toes and he sinks into the warm sand. Yasuke notices his zanpakuto, scabbard, and sandals are gone. He is standing on the beach in his blue and white academy clothes, only. Yasuke squints his eyes and turns his face toward the bright star in his own mind. His tan skin absorbs the light from the sun, the warm glow brings a sense of comfort. With a sigh of relief, he turns away from the water and sun and faces the wooden cabin he saw the last time he was in his own mind. Yasuke remembers how it didn't open and how he was rejected by his spirits.

Yasuke sighs and says, "Let's try this again." He walks toward the cabin weary but with determination. Yasuke stomps his way through the sand but stops when he hears a loud deep yell from a woman and the sound of trees snapping. He looks at the treeline and quickly finds out what was breaking the trees. The large shape of a crocodile rockets out from the trees and lands right in front of him kicking sand into the air and burying Yasuke's shins in the sand from how much the large beast displaced. The female spirit lands on top of the crocodile pushing the large beast further into the sand. Yasuke looks up, shocked and confused by what's going on. Yasuke notices her dress color changed from the blue dress and white flowers to a black dress and white flowers. The lower part of her dress still has the double thigh slit and her long braids are tied up, making her look different from before.

The female spirit has an angry expression twisting her face. However when she sees Yasuke her expression changes. She smiles down at him and hops off of the upturned crocodile. Yasuke notes he looks bigger than last time as he yanks his own legs from the sand. "Yasuke!" She hugs him in a tight embrace. "I'm glad you're here."

Yasuke looks at the seemingly knocked out crocodile. "Can I ask what's going on?"

"Yes you may." She says with a disturbingly chipper tone.

"Why did you beat him up and dump him here in front of me?" Yasuke asks, pointing at the crocodile who is beginning to stir. Yasuke's face shows clear confusion.

"I'll let IT tell you." She digs her feet in the sand with a hand on her hip. Yasuke turns to look at the creature rolling onto its belly. It turns around and faces both Yasuke and the female spirit, saying nothing.

Yasuke gets impatient. "Well?"

The crocodile settles into the warm sand. And begins to speak. "I am not a Zanpakuto spirit like your friend here. I am the manifestation of a kido spell that your father wove into your soul while you were a child. I omitted the truth from you both. I exist solely to limit your power." The response is monotone and direct.

The wind whips up around them and the beach gets hotter. Yasuke can feel the anger coming from the female spirit next to him. "This THING is why you almost died fighting that Hollow! It held back your power before the fight! You slowed down because IT was tiring your body out!" Yasuke holds the female spirit back from attacking the crocodile.

While Yasuke is holding her back the crocodile responds. "His body had a hard time with the spirit energy he already had, if I let out any more of his power it would've damaged his body. Spirit, you were born after Yasuke's father died. I represent his will and he did not want his son to be a Soul Reaper, I was crafted for the sole purpose to limit his potential.''

Hearing the Crocodile verbalize what Yasuke knew isn't what shocked Yasuke, it's the fact that his father went to such drastic measures and that he himself had no idea. Yasuke doesn't know if he's angry, sad, or disappointed. The female spirit forgets her anger on behalf of Yasuke and tries to comfort him. She looks at the Crocodile, "Your wrong beast. I've been with Yasuke since the day he was born."