Tatsuya felt the stirring in his soul, the burning feeling of power seeking a way out. There he stood in the middle of a desolate waste land devoid of any forms of life. He wasn’t sure how hot it was in the middle of the Sahara Desert, he just knew that he should’ve been sweating buckets of water, and he wasn’t. He had always had a tolerance for hot temperatures, but he never could get a proper gauge on how much he could take. Tatsuya took a seat with the sun high above him and the sand beneath him and began to take long deep breathes. He closed his eyes and started to look inside himself for an answer. As he peered inside of himself he felt something change around him. He thought he could hear flames moving in the wind. When he opened his eyes he found the rich brown sand dunes had been replaced by a lake of fire.
- Spoiler:
*Earlier in Seireitei*
Tatsuya walked through the second division courtyard preparing for his daily inspection of the members. He had always taken pride in making sure everyone was prepared for any situation that might arise. Tatsuya was always the first to arrive for morning inspections and took his place at the north end of the courtyard to wait for the others. As he waited for everyone, he could feel something different around him, but he was unsure of what it was. Soon enough squad members started to appear and lined up in formation. When he was sure that all members were counted for he began his morning briefing, which was tedious and redundant, the majority of the time, but necessary. Once finished with the briefing he began to walk by some of the squad members and give them a once-over. When he got close to the members he noticed that they began to sweat a bit even though the morning was relatively cool, though he just passed it off as probably a bug going around. Tatsuya then dismissed them after a short while and continued with the day.
Believing that everything was normal, he didn’t deviate from his duties. Throughout the day he met with other shinigami who also began to sweat as he got closer and that caused him to start wondering what was happening.
“Did you feel that? It felt like we were next to a fire or something.” Tatsuya overheard a squad member whisper to another as he passed by. At that moment Tatsuya decided to go over to the fourth squad healing center for a checkup.
“Who turned on the heat?” He heard a fourth squad member ask around as he walked to Sumiko’s office which was wide open. He still knocked on the door before walking in.
“Hey Sumiko.” They smiled at each other as he walked in.
“Tatsuya. Whoa, why did it get so hot all of a sudden?” She asked out loud as she approached Tatsuya to give him a hug.
“Well now that’s why I’m here. It has been going on all day and I’m not sure what’s causing it.” He answered as she tried to approach him, only to take steps back the closer she got.
“Wow, it feels like I’m standing next to a lave pit. Are you feeling okay?” She went over and opened all her windows to circulate some fresh air.
“Well I feel fine, though I can’t say the same for people around me.” He caught a thermometer that Sumiko tossed over to him.
“Put that in your mouth, I want to check something.” She stated from next to a window, trying to keep cool. Tatsuya did as he was told and left it in his mouth for a few moments before it beeped indicating it finished, and then tossed it back to Sumiko.
“Hmm. Well your body temperature is normal so that’s a good thing. It could just be that you’re getting stronger and your reiatsu is manifesting itself as heat.” She gave Tatsuya her theory, and he gave her an interesting look.
“Well you don’t seem to be too worried.” He jokingly commented.
“Well other then not being able to get close to you there is nothing really wrong. You’re just going to have to work it out on your own, it’s your reiatsu.” She stated before sticking her head out the window to escape the heat.
“Looks like I’m going to do some training then.” He began to walk out of her office.
“Hey, let me know when you got things under control and get back. I’ll cook you a dinner.” She told him just before he left and blew him a kiss. Sumiko sat back in her chair when Tatsuya left and the temperature began to drop. She had an idea about what was happening with Tatsuya and knew that if she was right, he would have to figure it out on his own. After leaving the fourth squad, Tatsuya found himself at the twelfth division. He talked them into opening the gate in the Sahara Desert for him, though it did not take long considering they would have sent him to the moon if just to get him away from them.
*Sahara Desert*
Tatsuya stood up and began to walk through the lake of fire. Every way he turned he saw nothing except for a red sky and fire that rose from beneath.
“Hello.” He called out into the open area.
“Welcome,” a warm female voice said from behind Tatsuya causing him to turn around and take a step back at the sight.
“Whe…Where did you come from?” Tatsuya stared in surprise and wonder as a big majestic bird of different shades of fire looked straight at him.
“That’s a silly question. You should know that answer very well.” Her voice was heard in his head. Tatsuya felt a soothing calmness surround him at the sound of her voice, which allowed him to relax.
“Interesting answer, you make it sound like you…are…my…” Tatsuya drifted off his statement as he made a realization.
“I’m your what?” She wanted to hear the answer from him out loud.
“You’re my zanpaktou.” As he answered a burst of fire came up from beneath him making him use shunpo to escape it.
“Why did you do that?” Her head tilted in confusion as she looked at Tatsuya.
“What are you talking about? I would’ve been roasted with that.” He snapped back at the question.
“That’s not true. There’s no way that you could be hurt by fire when I’m with you and especially not while you’re in here… Watch.” She quickly snapped open her wings causing a gigantic torrent of fire to shoot up instantly from underneath Tatsuya, covering him in flames that reached to the sky. Tatsuya looked over his body in awe as he stood directly inside the fire completely unscathed.
“That’s incredible.” He waited for the flames to die down.
- Spoiler:
Tatsuya was so distracted by the current events that he had almost forgotten the reason he came here. Well, maybe not here exactly.
“Before I forget, why is my reiatsu emitting so much heat?” He managed to ask when he remembered.
“The heat is the true manifestation of your reiatsu set loose with a little help from me so that I could get your attention. It worked, though I must admit, I probably pushed a little too much. People might notice it get a little warm when next to you, but not nearly as much as this time, unless you want them to really feel it.” She answered before getting distracted and looked up into the air.
“What is it?” Tatsuya was concerned.
“You’re in danger. Leave…now.” She ordered looking back at Tatsuya.
“Wait, I haven’t even heard your…” He was cut off when she opened her mouth and let out power shriek making Tatsuya close his eyes. Tatsuya opened his eyes once the shrieking stopped and found himself back in the desert before feeling a powerful reiatsu. Tatsuya realized his zanpakuto was right, when he felt a thirst for blood in the reiatsu.
“A hollow?! Out here?” He looked around and unsheathed his zanpakuto, unable to find the hollow. Tatsuya almost realized too late as he used shunpo to get in the air as the giant worm like hollow attacked from under the sand and floated in the air.
“You’re a fast one shinigami. I thought I felt a strong one way out here, but I wasn’t quite sure. I’m glad I decided to check it out.” It spoke as if it already won.
“You’d do well to just leave hollow. You don’t stand a chance against me.” He retorted before quickly moving next to it and swinging his zanpaktou at its body.
“What the…?” Tatsuya thought as his sword stopped on contact with the hollow. The hollow’s back end took a swat at Tatsuya sending him down into the sand.
“My scales are stronger than any shinigami’s sword, boy.” The hollow confidently commented before diving down towards Tatsuya to eat him. Tatsuya pushed himself off the ground and out of the way just as the hollow made it down, and swung his zanpakuto with both hands at its body only to have it stopped once again as the hollow disappeared into the sand.
“Heh heh heh, you’re a stupid shinigami. I already told you, that sword can’t cut me.” The hollow could be heard from under the sand.
The hollow moved with great speed while under the sand as Tatsuya used shunpo to keep from getting swallowed from underneath.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and release me.” He heard his zanpakuto around him as he kept evading. Tatsuya stopped evading and brought his zanpakuto parallel to the ground with his right hand. He didn’t know why he first wanted to hear her name from her own voice, because he already knew it deep in his soul. He placed his left hand behind the blade and dragged it along its length.
“Rise from the ashes, Suzaku.” His sword disappeared and it was replaced by entirely fire covered gauntlets on both of his arms. The gauntlets covered his hands all the way up to just before his elbows and had one short claw like blade protruding from the top of each and two smaller blades on the edges of both hands.
“Got you.” The hollow said from beneath Tatsuya just as he was about to devour him. Tatsuya moved to his left just barely evading the attack and punched at hollow with his right as it went skyward, piercing the scales.
“What?!” The hollow muttered before Tatsuya punched with his left, having the same result. Tatsuya blocked the hollow’s swatting motion with its back end and took to the sky as well. Without saying anything, Tatsuya extended both of his arms and had several softball sized fireballs form from the fire on his gauntlets. He fired them at the charging hollow making it evade to protect its face and get barraged on its side with no visible damage.
“Those fireflies don’t hurt me shinigami. You may have punched through my scales with those weapons, but if that’s all you can do, you won’t stand a chance.” He charged at Tatsuya once more. Tatsuya opened his fists and kept his arms extended as the hollow got closer. Fire gathered in front of his hands creating a barrier just as the hollow collided with Tatsuya trying to devour him once more, but instead pushing him back through the air. He kept his left hand on a cracking barrier and extended his right arm behind him to gather fire. Tatsuya gathered the fire around his right hand as the barrier reached its limits, creating a beach ball sized fireball. With the hollow’s mouth wide open around the barrier and the barrier itself beginning to crack Tatsuya made a comment.
“Those scales might protect you from the outside, but will they protect you on the inside.” He threw the fireball forward just as the barrier disappeared, sending it straight down the hollow’s throat. With that attack the hollow let out a howl before dissipating. Tatsuya landed on the ground and stared at his arms.
“Wow. Suzaku, you are amazing. But, what were those techniques that I used?” He asked his new partner.
“Those techniques were your Hinote Soujuu. You can form the fire to your heart’s desire.” She informed Tatsuya without hesitation.
“Thank you for lending me your power.” He returned his zanpakuto back to its sword form.
“My power is your power. I will always be here for you.” Tatsuya heard Suzaku as her voice faded back to the depths of his soul.
“Good to know.” He thought as he opened the gate to Seireitei. He was on his way back to see Sumiko for the dinner she promised.
Subject: Burning Desire (Solo + Shikai App) 
Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:41 pm
