The Lost and Forgotten (Darkness)

Cass stood at the bar slowly cleaning the mugs for the evening rush, today had been uneventful just as everyday had been for him since the day he had been kicked out of the Spirit Academy. It had been a year since he had lost his temper with the shinigami and then made a promise he would come to regret; the only things that Cass had from his short time where his asauchi and the student robes he kept folded up under his small bed at the back of the tavern. Sure he had a job and a guaranteed meal at the end of the day which was more than other wash outs had, but still he longed for the chance to be a fighter for those who couldn't fight for themselves. Everyday that he sat here behind this bar was another day his heart died a little for the broken promise to himself.

I will be a protector someday, just watch me...I will find another way to join the Gotie 13 some other way surely the Academy isn't the only way to join. Cass was brought back to the real world by the owner putting his big meaty hand on his shoulder, “Cass, my boy, are you day dreaming again? Leave the past buried where it belongs, you can't change it so look towards the present and plan for the future.” The old man said with a grim look on his face, this man had seen more in his years than his rough voice let on.

“What gave me away?” Cass looked at the old man with a smirk.

“You've been cleaning that same glass for nearly an hour, now stop brooding over what you can't change and go clean the tables.” The old man handed him a clean rag and took the glass from him as Cass made his way out to the tables.

“Heh I bet most shino academy students don't envision their future as this...I bet they think that they are guaranteed a place in the squads as soon as they enter the academy.” Cass grumbled as he wiped down the tables.

Kuroi slung his badge of office off his back for the first time. No one mentioned the amount of writing he would have to do as a Vice Captain. And he skipped his lunch break... 'Urgh' Kuroi moaned, he wanted to go eat. He had recently gotten a pay raise, so he could go out... or he could stay in and save some... Ahh damn it all, he was hungry, and his paws hurt after so much writing, cooking was out of the question.

Kuroi had heard of a tavern in the 8th northern district that was pretty good, eating, and had drinks a plenty. Oh hell, Kuroi could afford to celebrate this once right?

--

Kuroi carried only his sword, strapped to his right side so he could run on all fours, and jump with relative ease. The sun was setting, a cold wind blowing in from the east. It would be raining soon. Better make it there before it starts. Kuroi shunpo'ed across Sereitei, making it to the Rukongai in a matter of moments, if leaving him a bit winded. Kuroi then took to the rooftops of the Rukon districts, hopping over roofs until he was until he was in the 8th district. He paused, trying to find the tavern, and he wondered, should he suppress his reiatsu? Yeah, that's a safe bet, concentrating, he lowered his power output, so as to not overwhelm any faint souls.

Kuroi then took to an alley, jumping down from the rooftop that he perched. Slowly, he made his way to the tavern, sticking to the edge of the street, he finally reached the tavern. He followed a customer in, as he couldn't very well reach the handle by himself, and he made his way to a corner table.

He sat, in the most comfortable way possible for him, like a goddamn cat. His head reaching just above the table, he waited for the barkeep cleaning tables to get to his...

Cass continued his working on the tables when he heard the door swing open and one of the regulars walked in and right up to the bar. “Give me just a moment, and I will have your drinks right out.” Cass said with a small meaningless smile. “You starting a tab this evening, Sir?” Cass got up and threw the towel he had been using over his shoulder and quickly made his way back to the bar and fetched the man's drinks. When it was all squared away Cass went back out to the tables surprised to find a small cat sitting there. “Well hello there, little guy, where did you come from?” Cass spoke softly as he wiped down the occupied table, “How about I get you a nice saucer of cream my treat.” Cass chuckled as he went back to the kitchen only to quickly come back with a saucer of milk and some dried meat strips for the stray cat that occupied the booth.

As he set them both on the table Cass studied the cat for a moment, “You know there used to be a cat that looked remarkably like you that ran around the academy. Some of the students even said that the cat was a teacher and could even talk if you had the proper power to hear what he was saying, but me I just chalk all that up to some upperclassmen trying to make the younger students ridiculous following around a cat.” Cass chuckled, even though he wanted to reach out and scratch the cat behind the ears he knew from many a scratched hand that strays where very jumpy.

Looking out the window Cass frowned, the weather was about to turn rather nasty, “So, little guy, thats why you came in here huh? Didn't want to get caught in the rain...Not that I can blame you; I'd do the same thing.”

Kuroi waited, and waited... Man he was impatient. He turned his head and groomed himself, the impending rain set him on edge. He got his coat to lay down, and watched as the human customers were served, "Why hello there, little guy"

Unusually familiar service. Kuroi waited for the waiter to return, and he brought milk! He smelled it before he had even left behind the bar. This man knew cats, he was getting tipped well. As the milk was set upon the table, Kuroi hopped a top it, and began devouring the food set in front of him. He was famished. He started on the meat, then washed it down with the milk. Man this guy was nice.

"I'd do the same thing..." The man finished speaking, he seemed incredibly relieved to be have something to talk to, to vent to. Something was troubling this young man's mind. Kuroi tried to recall which class he was in. He... he was one of that... oh hell what was his name... oh fuck it. He was one of the ones that teacher sends off. Wonder when he was gonna make his return to the Academy, he'd been on a leave for a while...

"Well, really, I came in here to get a drink to celebrate my promotion, but yeah, I didn't want to get caught in the rain. And rumor about a cat being a teacher, it was true."

"Well, really, I came in here to get a drink to celebrate my promotion, but yeah, I didn't want to get caught in the rain. And rumor about a cat being a teacher, it was true."

Cass started to respond to the cat's words when everything clicked into place. That...cat...just...talked. Flying to his feet Cass back peddled away from the creature. His hand instinctively flying to his right hip to the sword that wasn't there. When he realized that he couldn't just kill this talking monster outright his mind suddenly started thinking rationality once more. “You...You're a talking cat...You're the talking cat...” Cass sputtered and tripped over his own words as he righted a chair he had knocked over in his shock.

Looking around the bar Cass frowned as the one or two people there were staring at him unable to see the cat hidden in the shadows of the corner table. “What the hell you guys looking at?” Cass pointed two fingers at one of them threatening and suddenly they turned white and went back to their meal, they knew he knew some kido, but they didn't realize how limited his power was.

Turning back to the cat Cass bowed in apology, “I am sorry, sir. I didn't realize who you were, or even that you really existed. Please fill free to order what ever you want, its on me, consider it an apology for all my ramblings on the past. The owner always tells me that I am to listen to others and never let the patrons here my own troubles for they come to the bar to forget not to pile more trouble onto their shoulders.” Cass frowned as he made his way back towards the bar only to turn back, “If you need anything else just ask for Cass I will take care of it.”

Kuroi's smirk turned into a grin, and a grin into a smile, this poor kid's reaction was priceless. With a small chuckle, and a full stomache, the feline shinigami gave his waiter a dissmissive wave. "How could you have possibly accomodated me, if you hadn't known I existed?" Kuroi inquired, still jubilant from the free meal he had gotten, but perhaps, now he could do something for this kid.

"Come here then, as I need a bit of your time."

Kuroi paused, waiting for him to approach, before beginning, "I remember seeing your fight, and you had real potential, and I remember what the result of it was. But you have something on your mind, maybe this former teacher could help you out with it?"

Cass sat down at the table with the cat and frowned, What could he possibly want from me? When he brought up the fight with that red haired shinigami, Cass just hung his head in disgrace. “There is nothing you could do sir, what I did was my own fault and it got me expelled from the academy; I couldn't control my anger and so I maliciously attacked a shinigami and ended up injuring other student's in the process.” Cass' voice was trembling, “Besides I said that if I lost that match that I would leave the academy.

“So unless you know of a way I can become part of the Gotei 13 without first having to go through the academy you can't help me sir.” Cass gestured to the bar around him, “I may work at this little hole in the wall, but I am a man of my word, I won't go back to the academy even if I could.” Cass leaned back in the chair enjoying the break from being on his feet. “Sir, if you don't mind me asking...how exactly did a cat become a teacher at the academy anyway? I mean...well how did you learn to talk and manipulate your spiritual-”

He could help you...He could show you how to push that potential even farther. Cass had stopped mid-sentence as something had suddenly forced its way into his thoughts. Closing his eyes he tried to not become nauseous from the invasion of his mind. “Um...excuse me sir...” Cass got up and stumbled back to his room feeling like he was going to be sick, as soon as his door was closed he collapsed on the floor.

“Get...Out...Of...My...Head.” Cass spoke through gritted teeth.

I am only here to help you...to make sure you survive...to help you keep your promise... The voice was cold and distant and felt like it was jabbing a sword into Cass' conscience.

“LEAVE ME BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Cass yelled, his mind felt close to splintering.

Kuroi listened words catching his ears, "expelled", "wouldn't go back". As far as Kuroi knew, no one had been "expelled" from the academy for years, most trouble makers fail to make the cut anyway, although, he was just a teacher, not a true administrator.

"I..."

“Um...excuse me sir...”

Kuroi closed his mouth, and his brow scrunched as best he could in his feline state, as he stumbled away, Kuroi's fur ruffled, as the flash of lightning brightened the room. The pitter patter of rain filled the tavern, and Kuroi listened for the thunder. He was not greeted with it's reply.

“LEAVE ME BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” was what he heard. Something he had no intention of doing.

Kuroi vanished from the table,, the shuffling of shunpo echo'ed through the now rapidly filling tavern, as people took shelter from the downpour.

Kuroi jumped at the door handle, unlatching it and proceding inside. He found the waiter collapsed on the ground, clutching his head. Kuroi cautiously stepped next to him, putting a paw on his chest. He closed his eyes, focusing on his Reiatsu.

It was unstable, and... untapped. And it was being interfered with from a source from outside... What could be doing that? Kuroi thoughts raced through his head; there wasn't any physical injury afflicting him, so kido was out of the question.

"LEAVE ME BE" Voices in his head? Untapped potential? This kid wasn't out of the academy, so he didn't know his zanpaktou's... Where's his zanpaktou? Kuroi scanned the room, Kuroi performed a quick scan, and found this poor waiters sword, he dragged it to his side. That should be close enough...

Now for the words to the pained shinigami. "Let it speak"

“Let it speak” someone was talking to Cass, but when he opened his eyes all he could see was blurs of blue and green around him.

Castiel, I mean you know harm, but if you keep trying to force me out you are going to end up inadvertently hurting yourself. The voice spoke a little louder now, but still Cass was resisting and tried to get away. You cannot escape me as much as you try Cass; just as I cannot escape you we are separate yet we are whole, without you I am not complete just like you are only half without me. Something was starting to form in the blue-green haze it was moving closer to Cass as it reached out and took him arm pulling him upright. I won't harm you just as I wouldn't harm myself; now stand with me for together we are the masters of this world.

Cass looked around and realized that it wasn't a haze he was trying to look through but he was under the water looking at a massive sunken city. “What...where is this?” Cass sputtered as he looked around at the city. When he looked to his side he saw a man floating beside him seeming to form out of the water itself.

This is the you...the city is you...it mimics your physical and mental state....you have fallen so far that this once great city now sits bellow the ocean. It used to sit above this mighty ocean like a lone island...and one day it will rise again...I will see to it, but you will have to help me to make it rise...you will have to control the very tides themselves. The spirit turned to Cass and put a finger on his forehead, You have been gone too long...When you wake call my name and we will start this city rising once more.

Cass' eyes flew open as he found himself laying on the floor of his small room his sword clutched tightly in his hand. When he looked around his room he notice the shinigami cat curled up on the bed seemingly asleep. “How...how long was I out this time?” he asked hinting that this wouldn't of been the first time he passed out for hours at a time because of the voice in his head.

Kuroi had a vague idea of what was going on, but each student was different in their spiritual awakening. However, there was one thing that he knew for sure, was that it would take a while, every time, it took hours. Kuroi had several students take a day or more at this spiritual chit-chat. So Kuroi made the kid comfortable, pulling the pillow off the bed, and sliding it under his head.

Usually Kuroi would have something to do while his student's had, or faked, having conversations with their zanpaktou. But he had just had dinner, and that rain just made the perfect white noise to sleep too... Kuroi unstrapped his own zanpaktou, setting it beside him, and his eyes closed...

--Sleepland--

Kuroi sat up, his feet planting rock solid in the sandy waste... Mudashu's realm.

"The kid has power you know, it's not raining by any coincidence..."

"Really? His zanpaktou is making it rain?"

"Out of pain, it's expressing it's power in the only way it knows, water... I'd be wary to fight him, it would be a tough one." His zanpaktou warned.

--Not sleepyland--

“How...how long was I out this time?”

Kuroi heard as his zanpaktou kicked him out of his realm. What an asshole...

"I honestly don't know... I took a nice little nap myself..." Kuroi paused to stretch, "So how'd meeting your zanpaktou spirit go?" Kuroi asked, mabye a bit of a pointed question, but hopefully he'd respond favorably...

Cass looked at Kuroi with an odd expression of amusement mixed with fatigue on his face, “I guess it went okay, he was kind of cryptic about all of it. Said he wanted me to help him make the drowned city rise to the surface once more...” Cass shook his head as he tried to make sense of it and each time he thought of the man that formed out of the water there was a word that seem to ring at the back of his mind.

You know my name, call me forth. The man's voice whispered in his mind.

“I don't really understand any of it though...It wants me to know its name and from what I gather from what I learned during my brief time at the academ these zanpakuto are living things a completely separate soul yet they resonate with the soul of their wielder so that they act like two halves of the same power.” Cass picked up his zanpakuto and frowned as he looked it over. “They also said when we were able to learn its name is the day we graduated from the academy and joined the Gotei 13.” He frowned. “What I am trying to say is...Why did my zanpakuto choose to speak to me when it knows that I have disgraced it and myself by getting expelled from the academy?”

Cass looked at the cat sitting on his floor, “You were a teacher at the Shino Academy once...have you ever heard of a former student ever being able to communicate with his sword without anymore instruction than I have had?”