Okay! These are my A/Ns!! There will be none during the story, so get over it! Here are the word meanings:

Enmaki: Garden of Hemp and Mallow.

Aigou: Wail… Well, technically, it’s ‘wailing’, but the English translation isn’t accurate, so I can get away with saying it’s ‘wail’. So… Aigou means ‘wail’.

Shirajirashii: Pure White.

Rouzeki: Outrage. I had been looking for ‘rage’, but this is just as good.

Shitsureishimashita: Excuse me.

Sumimasen: Sorry.

Originally, Enmaki’s zanpakutou was named ‘White Rage’, but I couldn’t find ‘rage’, so I used outrage. I mean, doesn’t Shirajirashii Rouzeki sound so much better than Shiroi Rokujou, or Shiroi Rouzeki?

Shiroi: White.

Rokujou: Anger

Anyway, read the damn story already…

The Crystal Shinigami

Chapter one:

Battles

-

Once every thousand years, a special shinigami comes into existence. This shinigami has the power to either destroy the world, or save it from the fall of darkness. Whomever becomes an ally with this special shinigami will almost certainly be on the winning side. This shinigami must decide which side they will choose, and will only be free of this duty if they were to fall in love and give themselves wholly, body and spirit, to the one they love.

This shinigami is called a ‘Crystal Shinigami’. On their left arm is a pattern, a mark. A four pointed star. This is the symbol of the Crystal Shinigami.

-

Gin’s customary grin stayed in place, perhaps even becoming wider, as Aizen spoke. “We must find this Crystal Shinigami first.” The former fifth division captain insisted. “Before Seireitei.”

Gin nodded slowly, still not speaking.

“Are you confident you can get him? Or should I allow Kaname to assist you?”

Gin shook his head, grin firmly in place. “I can get ‘im.”

“Good. I have it under excellent knowledge that he’s hiding somewhere in the East Rukon district. Any questions?”

Gin nodded; again slowly. “Are ya sure it’s a ‘he’? Coudn’t he be a ‘she’?”

Sousuke frowned. “That is one piece of information that I have not been able to obtain. Whether a man or woman, they will have the mark of the Crystal Shinigami, a four pointed star. It will be on their forearm.”

“Aight.” Gin turned. “I’m goin’. See ya later.” He left the room.

-

Enmaki loved her garden. There were all sorts of edible and non-edible plants in it. Her favorite, however, were the blue mallows. An irony, I’m sure. Her name did mean ‘Garden of Hemp and Mallow’, after all. But all of this didn’t really matter to her. She existed solely to protect her garden.

That meant getting rid of pesky insects and- Hallows. She hated Hallows with a vengeance. Like the creepy cat-like one trying to get to her garden. She probably shouldn’t have planted that catnip. She’d remember that next time… Probably.

The Hallow leapt at her.

Rather than bother with it, she flitted her hand through the air, grabbing hold of a sword that materialized in front of her. “Aigou, Rouzeki!” She cried.

An ultrasonic wave of sound attacked the Hallow. Surprisingly, Enmaki wasn’t effected by it, only the Hallow.

Enmaki sighed. She hadn’t even needed to pull the sword from its sheath this time. That’s how weak the Hallow was. She sighed and decided not to send Rouzeki away again and slid the plain leather sheath into her obi. “Well, it’s better than last time, that’s for sure. Maybe I really should get rid of that catnip.” She frowned, pondering the situation.

“Shitsureishimashita.” Someone said behind her.

She whirled on them, the tip of her zanpakutou landing neatly against his collarbone. “Who are you?”

The redhead before her gulped. “Put that thing away!”

Enmaki whirled again, realizing she was neatly trapped. On her other side was a black-haired man wearing shinigami captain’s robes. “You will come with us.” He said calmly.

“Who are you?” She repeated.

“You heard taichou. Anyway, it doesn’t matter who we are.” The redhead said pompously.

“What do you want with me?” She demanded.

“We have been instructed to bring you to Shigekuni Yamamoto.” The shinigami captain said boredly. “By force, if necessary.”

“No. They want your power.” A lilting voice announced.

Enmaki frowned. “My power? That’s what you want? I can’t allow it. No way, no how.” She shot the two shinigami a glare.

They weren’t paying attention to her anymore. Instead, they had both drawn zanpakutou and were pointing it at a third party. Enmaki studied him. Ear length bluish hair, creepy grin, closed eyes, and an almost crushing reiatsu.

What was it about her garden that seemed to attract so many different life forms? Or was it just her? She’d probably never know.

She stepped back and stood up straight, placing her zanpakutou back in its sheath. Both the Seireitei shinigami were completely fixated on this new person. Time to make her escape. Sumimasen, but I gotta go. She thought, then slipped into the surrounding forest.

-

Gin came upon the scene too late it appeared. Captain Kuchiki Byakuya and Lieutenant Abarai Renji had already gotten to the Crystal Shinigami, who was indeed a woman. She was short, with long red hair that had a black tint to it, making it seem a deeper red than it really was. Her eyes were a crystalline gray color with green specks. Her face was twisted with anger and a slight fear, but it was clear. She’d never been cut on her face or had teenage acne.

Right now, she was facing down the Shinigami before her as if they were vermin. Gin noticed, quite to his amusement, that she was in an ideal position to keep them from entering the small garden behind her. That’s what she was doing, he realized. She was protecting her garden.

“Who are you?” She demanded of the men on either side of her.

Her voice’s fragile. Like tiny silver bells afraid to ring. Gin mentally patted himself on the back for the wise sounding idiom.

“You heard taichou. Anyway, it doesn’t matter who we are.” Renji said pompously.

He always was an idiot. Gin thought.

“What do you want with me?” She demanded.

Oh, so fragile. Gin sang in his mind.

“We have been instructed to bring you to Shigekuni Yamamoto.” Byakuya said boredly. “By force, if necessary.”

Gin decided to join the party. “No. They want your power.” He announced in a sing-song voice.

Her eyes flicked in his direction, then settled on Byakuya once more. She frowned. “My power? That’s what you want? I can’t allow it. No way, no how.” She shot them a glare.

They both ignored her now on the account that they were by far more concerned with Gin’s presence. He noted with satisfaction that even Byakuya drew his zanpakuto, though he kept it by his side. Gin’s grin grew wider when he saw that she’d noted this and was now studying him, her face serene, but blank.

She seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, but then stepped back and straightened from the fighting stance she’d been in. Re-sheathing her zanpakutou, she blinked slowly, her eyes flickering toward the captain and lieutenant, landing on Gin last. She ducked her head and slipped into the forest, leaving everyone but Gin none-the-wiser.

He decided to have a little fun with the ignorant, high-ranking shinigami before him. His grin widened. “I wunder wha’ trouble ya’ve got in store fer ya. Wha’ with the whole Crystal Shinigami bit an’ ‘er bein’ missin’.” He sniggered when Renji gasped.

“Taichou! She’s gone!” He cried, looking around frantically.

Byakuya’s eyes narrowed. “I know. Go after her. I’ll deal with Ichimaru.”

Renji crashed into the forest after her, not knowing he’d probably have quite a fight ahead of him.

Gin grinned at the sixth division captain. “Just us, now. Wou’d ya care ta dance?” He unsheathed Shinso.

“I don’t dance.” Byakuya quipped. “But I will stop you.” He held his zanpakutou closer to him.

“Ooh! You gonna sick Kageyoshi on me?” Gin teased. “I wonder if your flower boy’s fragile? We’ll ‘ave ta see, huh?”

“You will regret ever taking me on, Ichimaru.” Byakuya raised his sword, tip pointing down.

Gin’s customary grinned vanished. “So ser’ous already, Bya-kun?” He pointed Shinso at the other shinigami. “Aight. Le’s do this.”

Byakuya didn’t answer. He simply let go of his sword. “Bankai; Kageyoshi Senbonzakura.” He said.

Gin frowned as the zanpakutou vanished into the ground, only to be replaced by a hundred of the swords all around them. The sky darkened until it vanished. The only light came from Kageyoshi Senbonzakura’s bankai form. “How’d I know ya’d sick flowery Kageyoshi on me?” Gin sighed.

He smirked. “My turn. Impale him, Shinso!” His zanpakutou quickly extended, only to be blocked by one of the swords. Gin didn’t seem surprised. Instead, the sword returned to its normal size only to be slammed into the ground tip first. “Aight. Bankai, Shinso.”

Byakuya narrowly avoided the sword as it came up out of the ground where he’d been standing seconds previously. The many swords surrounding them shot at Gin. There was only one way out of this. “No more fun, huh? Aight. Bankai; Kira-Shinso.”

This time Gin shot his zanpakutou up into the air. There was a flash of light and several Shinso look-a-likes appeared. “Did ya like my fake Bankai, Bya-kun?” Gin shot a truly terrifying grin at the other shinigami. “I did. Been workin’ on it fer a while, now.” The swords dropped from their suspended positions in the sky.

-

Renji found it annoyingly hard to track the girl. She’d only left behind her scent, which Zabimaru was quickly following. The zanpakutou stopped, looking straight ahead. Renji ran into him.

“What the Hell, Zabimaru?! You could warn me first, you stupid sword!” He scolded, following the two-headed creature’s gaze. “Aw, man. Is that… a dragon?”

It was. A long, silvery-white dragon. It had icy purple eyes that were staring at Renji thoughtfully. Along it’s back were small spines, not longer than an inch, sticking up straight. There were slight ridges above its eyes, as if for eyebrows, and the rest of the creature was shaped much like a kamoto dragon. A very big Kamoto dragon.

The girl walked around the dragon to peer at him thoughtfully. “Do you like my Shirajirashii Rouzeki?” She asked. “She’s beautiful, is she not?”

“’Pure White Outrage’, right?” He murmured. This is her Bankai. He realized.

She nodded and smiled. “Yes. That’s right. You’re smart. And what is his name?” She asked, indicating Renji’s companion.

He blinked and looked over at it. He’d completely forgotten his zanpakutou’s presence. “Oh. Zabimaru.” He replied. The monkey/snake… thing… shot him an indignant glare.

She smiled again, and Renji found he liked her smiles. “I’m Yasuraka Enmaki. What’s your name?”

He smiled slightly. “Abarai Renji. Why?”

The kind girl’s smile vanished as she spoke. “Because I like to know the names of those I kill so I can bury them properly.”

This jolted him back to the present. He gaped at her. “’Kill’?” He echoed.

The smile returned to her face. It was smooth, soothing, gentle. Kind. “Don’t worry. You won’t die in vain, Renji. You had a purpose.” She held her arms out to him. “Come to Mother, Renji-chan.”

He started toward her, dropping his zanpakutou and deaf to Zabimaru’s cries as he did so. He was a foot away from her now.

“Renji!” Someone shouted. “Renji!” He was yanked away from her right as he touched her. “Dammit, Renji! How can you stand this sound?!” Hisagi Shou hei demanded irritably as they both hit the ground.

A loud, grating wail filled Renji’s ears suddenly and he covered them. Enmaki was holding up a sword, an annoyed look on her face.

“What happened?!” Renji shouted as Hisagi yanked him to his feet and took off in the opposite direction.

“She had you under some kind of spell.” The other lieutenant explained. “You were about to impale yourself on her sword. It must be the effect of her zanpakutou.”

Renji easily kept up with his friend. “A spell?”

Hisagi nodded. “Yeah. I read about shinigami like that a couple days ago. Captain Ukitaka told me I might need the knowledge. Guess he was right.”

“How did she do it?” Renji asked, skipping over a fallen tree branch.

“She’s called a Crystal Shinigami. They have powers beyond normal shinigami. Not necessarily better, just more of them. In her case, it’s sound, illusion, and seduction. Did I miss anything?”

“She’s a good actress.”

Hisagi laughed. “Not a power, just a talent.”

“Says you.” Renji muttered irritably.

“Here. You almost left this.” Hisagi said, handing him Zabimaru.

“Shit. Thanks, man.” Renji sheathed the sword.

They both came to a stop at the edge of the clearing Byakuya had been in.

“I can’t see a thing.” Hisagi said.

The clearing was covered with kicked up dirt. The sandy fog started to clear, giving them the sight of two figures, one fallen, the other standing.

“I win.” A familiar voice announced.

-

Enmaki smiled. There was no need to kill. No need to fight. She looked at her silent companion. “That was close. Who’d have thought those acting lessons would pay off?”

Shirajirashii Rouzeki looked like she was smiling. You are lucky you practice your powers so often. He could have caught you if you didn’t. The acting just added to the effect. She said in her partner’s mind.

“Uh-huh.” Enmaki said in a disbelieving way. “Sure. Let’s go to the other house.”

-

I’m sorry, but you’re just going to have to come back for more. Sorry if she’s a bit Mary Sue, but I don’t think Gin will care. She’s not superior, for all you sticklers, just acting and in good practice with her abilities. No, I’m not telling you what they are just yet. However, I will tell you that she has ten of them.

Sound manipulation.

Illusionary tactics.

Seduction.

And that’s all that has been and will be revealed for now. Keep reading!

Gin: Hiyas!

Ariel: …

Gin: Review!

Ariel: You are so much more agreeable and willing to talk than Hiei…

Gin: No, I’m just getting something out of it.

Ariel: …

Gin: I’ll be waiting… He he.

Ariel: … O.o Okay, then. I’ll keep that in mind. If you have any questions about the story, ask and I’ll let you know. Yasuraka means tranquil. I hope you liked it!