First Lesson (Solo) ((Unfinished))

The feel of the eye-patch was something he'd gotten used to. He had taken to not using it when he was in his dorm, but he just couldn't concentrate when viewing both worlds. He remembered Fo-Kasu saying that he couldn't tap into his full power and abilities with it on, but he wasn't as well trained with it. Suddenly, he had a thought. He put his eye-patch back on, gathered his blade, and then headed out, in some old clothes he had worn in Rukongai, the same suit, as he remembered, that he had shown up to the meeting of he and several others with. He didn't bother with shoes, which he never seemed to get used to since he'd never worn them before. Hibiki brushed a stray bit of hair from obscuring his eye and proceeded to find Fo-Kasu, in order to ask him for a lesson.

He didn't have to look long. He was in the same room he always seemed to be in; the Jinzen Classroom. However, at this time of day, the classroom was empty. Fo sat in far off portion of the humongous room, in a terrain of lush forestry, with a large stone structure in it. He had his left eye closed and an expression of serenity etched into his features. He sat so unmoving, it was almost as if he were stone. Hibiki made his way back, to the place he had been before, with the dark sands and black spires, which was located right in front of the place Fo-Kasu was currently sitting, and sat atop a spire with a portion jutting out, and waited.

After an hour of waiting, Fo still had not moved a millimeter. With a sigh, he figured he'd wait, and pass his time on his own venture. Without a word, he unsheathed his blade and held it in his lap, as Fo was doing. He then closed his right eye and removed the eye-patch keeping both eyes closed. Then, he began to meditate. First, he took in as much as he could with scent.

Due to the various sections and unique biomes of the Jinzen room, there was an abundance of differing smells. First he scented the earthy, metallic smell of his immediate area. Then he began to smell the soft scent of forestry and stone, coming from Fo's station. He began to smell Fo himself, soon after. He had a strong scent, consisting first of a light film of sweat, which emanated a sweet saline scent. He next smelled age, which was thick as well, and not overpowering, like those of books. Next he began to smell forestry again, as if it were a part of the man. The last smell was soft and strong at the same time. It was the smell of earthy rock, thousands of years old, as if it had been removed from deep underground, though it was soft with the smell of flora and fauna, as if covered in scented flowers and vines. It was intoxicating and powerful. Somehow, Hibiki placed this to be the man's Reiatsu. His attention was then drawn back to himself, as he began to scent the strong smell of what he could only say was lava, similar to fire, but on a much stronger scale, mixed with another scent he couldn't quite place and was softer, but balanced out the powerful scent perfectly, so they sang with harmony.

Without intention, his body began listening to the virtually silent room. The first thing he heard was his breathing. It was slightly erratic and altered in heaviness and softness. He focused on steadying it, and got into a rhythmic, carefully measured pace. Satisfied, his ears homed in on the next sound; Fo's breathing. The sound matched his own breathing, though at a slightly slower rate, as the elder obviously had stronger lungs, and needed less breathing for as much oxygen. He next heard various sounds around the room, such as the gurgling call of a steadily running brook a ways off, and the crackling of a fire behind him. The walls were sound proofed, but he could hear the loud noises outside, explosions from the Kidou range and the sparring grounds and such. He then began to hear his heartbeat, which, like his breathing beforehand, was acutely erratic. He calmed his heart, which took several minutes, and finally he managed to slow it to a steady beat that was suitable for him. He then began to hear something odd, as if it were right there with him, in surround sound; It was music, sung by a voice like that of an angel, flowing like molten silk and hitting every note with miraculous precision. There were no words to the tune, but Hibiki could imagine them, as the tune fit perfectly any lyrics possible to place with it. He could feel the tune, he heard it so well, and he traced the source, miraculously, but somehow not unexpectedly, back to his immediate area. Slowly, he felt his surroundings begin to change, becoming more real.

Slowly and steadily, he opened his right eye, the silver beneath coming into steady vision, like a sunrise. As it opened fully, he saw, about three feet in front of him, singing with ease, the figure of his Zanpakutou, in all her lethal grace. She had her eyes closed, and Hibiki felt his heart yearning as he realized she was coming to the end of her song. After another 45 seconds, she held the final note, and it came to a close, leaving the space devoid of sound, save the wind that seemed to be blowing eternally. The silence hung heavy for another thirty seconds, before she even opened her eyes, whilst taking a deep breath. Her eyes, an opposite of his own, meaning her right was the same shade of silver as his own left eye, and her left was the same shade as his right, shone beautifully. She smiled lightly and then seemed to break apart, as she had done the very first time.

This time he was ready for something if the sort, and took a step forward, anticipating her move. He felt her presence reform behind him, and the kick landed on empty space, just an inch from his back. He then ducked, and a sweeping kick went over his head. He proceeded to end the combo with a backwards roll and then he moved into a planch as her leg shot out once more, and he successfully connected and pushed it up. Using his strength, he continued into a spring and knocked his Zanpakutou's spirit into the air and into a spin. He landed on the ground behind her and drew his blade, holding it at her back. The entire scenario had lasted only a matter of seconds. However, it wasn't enough to contend with her, as she landed gracefully, though with her back to him.

"Open your left eye." she stated without looking. Hibiki was puzzled, and didn't make a move. With a flash, she had turned around and was too far within his reach to be able to make a move. "Open. Your. Left. Eye. Now." she hissed. Hibiki was shaken. Slowly, he backed up and sheathed his blade.

"But... I won't be able to see..." He said.

"Then I shall show you how. Now, open your eye." she replied, her voice silken and unable to be denied. Slowly, Hibiki began to open his eye. As he did, he could slowly see the other room start to come into focus. He saw that Fo still had not moved a centimeter. He wanted badly to close his eye, as it made his focus divided, and it was uncomfortable as well as put him off balance. His focus was drawn to either one or the other world, unable to concentrate on both simultaneously. As he was focused unconsciously in the real world, he suddenly felt pressure on his chest, and pain shot through him as his attention was drawn back to his mindscape. He focused back in enough time to land against the desert dunes with a thud and pain in his chest from the foot that had connected with it.

"Tell me what Fo-Kasu is doing." She said. Hibiki made to focus on the other world, to get a look at Fo's face, to explain it. However, as soon as he did so, he felt hands grasp him and he was thrown back to where he had started, tumbling and rolling through the sand. He stood up, angry, confused, and slightly scared. "Focus on me! Tell me what's to Fo-Kasu's right!"