BLEACH, Night of the full moon

Episode VI: Mangetsu

Everyday, every moment, there's a battle within me; who I am versus who I want to be -#Episode VI synopsis.

As the sun began to rise, it unleashed a new day upon the soul society. A day that promised to be wonderful but at the same time retained its mysteries which could turn out to be unfavourable. There had been a long time in the soul society when there had been peace but that time had gone and suddenly too. The evening of serenity had come and gone and then the morning of uncertainty-possible peril-had arrived. Once, many had longed for an end to the boring peace but all they got was a pause and it did not taste as sweet as they had imagined.
He was strolling through the squad barracks very early in the morning in a rush to attend a captains’ meeting announced prior.
“Good morning captain.” He was greeted by a squad member.
“Good morning Mariyoshi…you are up early!” The captain responded jollily.
“Good morning captain.” Another squad member greeted him.
“Yo, Sado. Good morning. I need to talk to you, meet me after the captains’ meeting.” The captain said to him.
“Alright captain.” The big guy said and bowed.
“One more thing, Sado.” Jabbered the captain, “There’s no need to bow all the time!-honestly, it’s depressing. And I told you to call me Ichigo.”
“No captain, I’d never disrespect you like that.” Sado insisted.
“You were always so uptight!” Ichigo remarked as he walked on. “We’ll continue this conversation after the captains meeting.”
“Good morning, captain.” A female shinigami greeted him.
“Good morning, Karin.” Ichigo responded. “When did you start calling me captain?”
“Umm…I need to talk to you.” Karin spoke. Ichigo instantly became worried when he heard her statement.
“Sure…but you will have to do that as we move.” Ichigo replied. “I have a meeting in a few minutes.”
“I was thinking…” Karin began to speak but she stopped midway through her sentence. On noticing her hesitation, Ichigo paused and turned to look her way.
“Is something the matter, Karin?” He asked with concern.
“No, nothing. I was just…can I go to Karakura…for a-” Karin murmured but the words failed her.
“Are you fully healed?” Ichigo asked.
“Yes.” She answered.
“Then you can go to Karakura whenever you want.” He approved her request.
“Thank you.” She said to him and then turned to leave.
“Karin…” he called out.
“Do not forget your zanpakuto.” He said to her once she had turned. Ichigo watched his younger sister as she walked away and he could not help worrying about her wellbeing even though she had assured him that she was fine.
“Why are you spacing out, Ichigo?” Someone asked from behind him unexpectedly-prompting Ichigo’s heart to skip a bit. The voice was unmistakable.
“You scared me, Rukia!” Ichigo exclaimed. “Why do you sneak up on me like that?!”
“I did not sneak up on you.” Rukia denied. “C’mon let’s go for the meeting.”
“Yeah…that’s where I was heading.” Ichigo agreed.
“You woke quite early today!” She remarked.
“What’s that supposed to mean? I wake up early a lot of times!” he argued.
“No you do not.” She insisted.
“Yes, I do.” He too insisted. And so the two friends argued on their way to the 1st squad barracks. It was a true friendship between the death and the strawberry, a friendship born of fate, sustained by destiny.
As soon as she stepped out of the senkaimon and the gate disappeared from behind her, she took a very deep breath to feel the air of home. Instantly, she was re-energised and the smile, which had disappeared from her face a while back, returned once more. It was a good time of the year, autumn, and the ground was filled with orange leaves-the colour of her brother’s hair. Was she really meant to be a shinigami? Karakura town was the place where she felt happy, where she preserved her smile. The soul society was meant to be her new home but she had found it rather hard to let go of the town. She found herself at the doorstep of the Kurosaki clinic and before she could knock, the door opened and Yuzu stepped out in her white doctor’s gown. Karin was glad to see her sister again and she could not wait to give her a hug.
“Hello! Is anybody there?” Yuzu asked as her eyes wandered about. Karin was standing right in front of her and yet she seemed to be invisible.
“Huh! That’s strange. I thought I felt someone out there.” Yuzu remarked as she retreated into the house and shut the door behind her. Karin was struck by the reality that she and her sister were now of different worlds. Just as she was contemplating her next move, she heard a very loud hollow scream and felt a huge reiatsu from the same direction. She immediately began to run towards the direction of the reiatsu to answer the call of duty.
It was a very big black vasto lorde with bright red eyes and several white markings on its face mask down to its abdomen. The hollow had its hands around the neck of a male soul; strangling the life force out of him when Karin arrived. She immediately drew her zanpakuto out of its sheath. ‘Of course Ichigo was right,’ She thought, ‘I always have to carry my zanpakuto.’
“Get your filthy hands off that soul, you filthy hollow!” She barracked. The hollow turned slowly and stared at her with his scary red eyes. Surprisingly, he obliged and let go of the human soul who immediately fled for his life.
“As you wish.” The hollow spoke as he approached her position. “I prefer shinigami souls anyway.”
The monster then pounced on her with his claws drawn prompting her to block the attack with her sword. A series of attacks were launched and the fight moved back and forth. Another person appeared but he remained hidden amongst the trees observing the fight carefully.
“Well, Kurosaki…I hope you can handle this on your own.” He murmured while fondling his glasses. Karin was trying her best but the opponent had a bit of an edge over her. She was already exhausted and yet her attacks had barely done any damage.
“Is that all you have? Shinigami.” The hollow taunted her. “I might have been wrong…that pathetic man’s soul might be more delicious than yours.”  
“My name…is Kurosaki Karin.” She responded amidst heavy panting. “And there’s one more name I want you to hear…”
Her reiatsu increased exponentially and wildly.
“LIGHT UP THE SKIES, MANGETSU!!” she shouted.
“That’s more like it…Kurosaki.” The man who was hiding amongst the trees murmured before he turned to leave. To him, the fight was now over and the man was probably right.

Hey!! Thanks for your time. I finally decided how many episodes this story is going to be. I hope I'll be able to give you everything you're hoping for in the end;) Have an awesome day.

-Constino