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- HenrexTor'uk
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[Ziamichi] Kitarune Astillon [APPROVED; 2-5/2-5] [Hazard Ranking: D]
Sun Jul 01, 2018 5:49 pm
BASIC INFORMATION
Name: Kitarune Astillon
Former Name: Atsuko (敦, "honest" 子, "child") Hisakawa (久 (hisa) meaning "long time ago" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream")
Titles: The Mage, The Honest Child, Archmage, Daughter of the Mountain "Kit" (Nickname from Katsuhiko)
Host Race: Shinigami
Age: 860
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Bisexual
Affiliation/Rank: N/A
Hazard Rankings
Overall: D-Rank
Power: B-Rank
Influence: F-Rank
Resources: F-Rank
Direct Family
Hisakawa Family: Love and care. Kitarune has very high regard for those in her family, as they are the people that are closer to her than anyone else. For her, they are the people that she can always look to with a smile on her face, grateful that she is related to them. Throughout her very long life, this has only increased. Even with her death and rebirth, she still loves and cares for her family, worrying for them throughout her life as she searched for them. Ergo, there's a very strong connection to them, as something that caused her to feel crushed when she couldn't feel that "connection" when they died. Thus, it's rather obvious that there is something unique about the Hisakawa Family and the connection that the family members have, something that can't be replicated anywhere else.
Asahi Hisakawa: The ties that Kitarune has to her mother, Asahi -- the Rising Sun of Japan -- is one that a daughter would naturally have. She views her mother as the inspiration for what she should do in life and the person that she looks up to the most, outside of her siblings. Although she doesn't have as strong of love as her brother does, Kitarune is still able to derive a semblance of comfort and safety when she is in her presence. Overall, her mother was quite a heavy figure in her life -- and when they lost her, it was just as devastating as it was for Henrex (Yuuto). Thus, this can often cause her to feel a sense of sadness whenever she thinks, as she isn't always sure if she was granted the same gift of reincarnation as she has. Is she gone forever? Or do they still have a chance of finding her? At this point...they still don't know.
Rei Hisakawa: Discomfort. Strangely enough, Kitarune no longer feels the safety that she once did with the topic of her father. As she thought more and more about the past, she remembered the distinct spoiling that she received from the man, and it never ceased to make her feel guilty. As opposed to her younger brother, she was born with talent, able to become a competent samurai without much difficulty. However, her brother had not been as fortunate. Born a disappointment to their father, he refused to pay as much attention to him as he did with Kitarune. Thus, as a result of this, Kitarune often feels guilty and uncomfortable about her father due to this treatment, causing her to nearly forgo conversation about it entirely.
Yuuto Hisakawa [Henrex]: Love, longing, and fear. More than anything, she loves her older brother and misses him greatly. As they wandered the world on their separate ways, entirely unaware that the other had been reborn, they both missed each other greatly. While they were treated differently by their father, they still loved each other as siblings and were incredibly close. Thus, the other dying was something that they both were horrified and grief-stricken by. Ergo, it was only natural that the two would be spending a great deal of time searching for each other, desperately looking to feel the connection that siblings share to reignite, and so they could at least have one of their family members back. Ergo, Kitarune has often felt a great deal of comfort, safety, and happiness when she was in his presence, something that also caused her to tease him relentlessly -- but it's all out of love. As a result of this, the connection between these two should never be trifled with, as the bond siblings share is something that can simply be described as otherworldly.
Affiliates/Associates:
Yoriko Morri: This adorable little student of Yuuto (Henrex) is someone that Kitarune sees a great deal of potential in. Her energy and enthusiasm is something that always brings a smile to this mage's face. She is someone who Kitarune firmly believes to be able to bring smiles to even the gloomiest of moods when it comes to her cheer. Simply put, Kitarune always feels happier and motivated whenever she interacts with Yoriko. But, she does find a bit of personal guilt in the context of Kitarune's specialty. To put things simply, she doesn't have a whole lot that she could attempt to pass down to Yoriko from her. Yuuto (Henrex) is incredibly versatile, having learned various skills, but Kitarune...simply has her magic. Regardless, she may not have a whole lot that she could teach her that would be useful, she will -- at the very least -- be there to support Yoriko, no matter what.
Takeshi Masamoto: Longing. While she rarely interacted with the man, Kitarune would often see just how excited and motivated her brother was whenever he was around this legendary swordsman. Teacher of the Two Heavens and student of the mythical Musashi, Kitarune always saw something special within that man, something that was able to reignite Yuuto's (Henrex) motivation to better himself. She always was able to smile whenever she saw Takeshi and Yuuto working together on their training...like father and son. Thus, Kitarune longs for the day that the man returns, hoping that he received the same gift that they did and that he can return to her brother's life.
Arianda Vael: Forward is one word that Kitarune would use to describe this devil. The reason for this would be the first thing that Arianda did when she found Kitarune in the Wastelands was...try to kiss her. Not exactly the best first impression for her. Thus, she is a bit wary of this hyperactive demon, as she doesn't feel entirely safe and comfortable around her just yet. However, she does feel grateful for Arianda's part in reuniting the two siblings once again -- that is something that she will never forget.
Appearance
Shifter Form: Overall, this appearance doesn't change a whole lot about Kitarune upon entering and using this form. Retaining her purple hair and eyes, one of the main things that change about her would be the length of her hair, now being extended to her waist, rather than the middle of her back, along with the top of her head being adorned in a set of horn-like protrusions that connect with the band that rests just at the top of her forehead, taking the shape of what appears to be a dragon's head. Furthermore, this shifter form gives her a certain type of appearance that doesn't seem to make a showing anywhere else, which would be the strange, armor-esque attire that she primarily dons whenever she is in this form. For the most part, this attire covers her entire body, outside of small openings at her thighs, as well as the top of her breasts and above.
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True Form: Kitarune's true form is somewhat of an oddity when it comes to her appearance. As opposed to her shifter form, Kitarune's body in her true form is much smaller. She is much more slender, especially so around her midsection, with her bust being only around half the size of her true form. Moreover, Kitarune retains a great deal of the color choice from her shifter form, something that can be very clearly seen in, most prominently, her hair. While her hair is much shorter and less curly than her shifter form, it is still a very deep violet, as are her eyes -- irises and pupils alike. As for the rest of her body, Kitarune's skin tone has been noted to be extremely pale, without so much as a single hint of any bit of her body is tan.
However, that is not the only difference. In this form, Kitarune's clothing is much lighter, both in weight and color. Going from the outside, the first thing that someone would notice would be the long, white hoodie that she wears, the ends of which fall to the end of her waist. This hoodie contains multiple patches and pockets in various places along the sleeves, shoulders, and pockets, all of which carry the same color and design with one another. Additionally, the insides of the sleeves and hem of her jacket contain small, feather-like protrusions that stick out from the sleeves.
Underneath this hoodie, she wears a purple, sleeveless sweater that is directly connected to her skirt, which is -- again -- purple. However, the rim of her skirt has a noticeably lighter shade of pink along with it, completing it with two belts that are hooked to either side of the skirt. Further down her body, one will notice her dark purple, almost see-through thigh-high socks. Small silver and gold items decorate the uppers parts of her socks, although they are neither real silver and gold, nor are they any actual gems. Finally, her appearance is complemented by a pair of white shoes that she can easily slip in and out of.
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PERSONALITY
A Will of Fire: As is the case with her brother, Kitarune possesses the very same will of fire that her brother does. No matter what happens, she will always have the immense will and drive to keep going. It doesn't matter if it's a fight that she's losing, or if it's the possibility of her family is in danger, her willpower shines like the sun. More often than not, this can often loop her in with her brother in the fact that such persistence and unwillingness to go down makes many others view her as stubborn -- and, to that extent, she is. She has no desire to give up, even in the darkest of times -- as she believes that if she even has the slightest sparks of energy left, she will be able to do something, anything to make a difference, no matter how big or small.
Ergo, the potential to make a difference is one of the main driving forces behind this. She knows that she is skilled and that she has the power to make that difference, and if it means that she has to use every last bit of energy that she has to do so, she will do that without hesitation. Furthermore, one of the other main drives for her willpower is none other than her older brother. This is due to the incredibly powerful bond that the two share, as per how close they are to one another. She loves her brother and wants the best for him, and she will fight tooth and nail to do that.
Chipper: One of the main traits that Kitarune possesses that makes her very unlike her brother is her extreme carefree and happy nature. Rather than the very gloomy and placid nature of her brother, Kitarune is someone who sees the good and light in everything. To put things simply, she is a major optimist, often seeing the best and hoping for the best. She always has a grin on her face and always is trying to lighten a dreary mood. Incredibly hyper and always filled to the brim with energy, Kitarune’s cheer is something that always has a habit of brightening up at least someone’s day. Ergo, it should be obvious that it can be rather hard to take her to an extremely negative mood, as this level of energy and happiness is something that pretty widely defines her, leaving her, in general, a very, very happy person by default.
However, while she is cheerful and happy, Kitarune is not carefree. She is fully aware of the world around her, and is very capable of getting serious, should it be needed. When this happens, her normal personality is still there, but she is a lot more down-to-earth about it. For the most part, the overall tone that she has changed drastically, something that can cause anyone, regardless of whether or not they know her or not, to know when she gets serious. Ergo, Kitarune might be incredibly happy and chipper, but there is a more serious side to her that if by no means secretive.
A Motherly Kindness: While Kitarune’s happiness is a defining trait of hers, there is another that she adopted from her mother, and something that she openly shares with her brother in that regard. Kitarune, like her mother and brother, has the same kindness and tenderness. While her temper is something that doesn’t give this off at first, Kitarune is just as kind and loving as her brother can be. Ergo, those that she gets close to are people that she often will treat like family, showering them with affection and praise. This often leads to an empathic sense of love and affection, as she is someone that has a natural intuition to the emotions of others.
As a result of this, she understands what someone can feel and why, leading her to be able to properly respond and assess the situation the best she can. Ergo, this is something that allows her to truly tap into the motherly kindness that she adapted from -- well, her mother. She is someone who is easily able to act in a way similar to how her mother did, the only example that she has to call from. This, again, leads her to shower others in affection, as she believes that the physical touch of another is the prime cure for the negative emotions that people feel, and she will do everything she can to make sure that she can make people feel better.
Furthermore, two traits are also spawned as a result of this, one of which is a very deep level of empathy. While Kitarune is kind, this kindness goes a step further -- the ability to feel and understand the emotions of others. As someone who, like her brother, has experienced a lot of various emotions throughout their lives, she can tap into that and use this in combination with her kind heart to put herself in the shoes of someone else. Doing this, she can sympathize with them, as she very well knows just what it's like to deal with the complicated things that are our emotions.
Additionally, this often leads her to be rather affectionate towards those that she's close to, or even to those that go through these complicated emotions, as her kindness is the main drive for her to wish to do this. She wants others to know that they are loved and that she is one of those people who love them. For her, when it comes to those that she is close to, it allows her to be able to show the emotions that simply cannot be explained in words. Furthermore, this is amplified even more when it comes to her family, as it is one of the things that are most precious to her -- especially so after the sudden death of so many of her family.
For her, this desire is also out of fear. She wants to show that she loves her family and give them the love and affection that they need and deserve, as she is outright terrified that she will lose them again. The pain that she and her brother went through was overwhelming, and Kitarune knows that neither of them wants to feel that same pain again -- as it is the worst thing that could ever possibly happen to them. Thus, she can be extremely affectionate around them -- not only out of love but out of pure, unadulterated terror.
Fiery Temper: The one trait that separates her from her mother and brother, and is something that came more from her father. While she is kind-hearted, she has one of the shortest fuses to ever exist. It is astonishing how often she can get irritated, as well as how severe this can become. But, she isn’t someone to just scream and cry like a child when she gets mad. Rather, she is someone that tends to lash out at the nearest person -- which is likely the person who made her mad. It doesn’t matter if it’s family, friend, or an enemy in the middle of combat. If she’s mad, and she needs to vent, she will vent -- and it is never pretty.
However, her vicious outbursts are rarely without reason, and they’re not exactly uncontrolled. While she does get angry easily, she doesn’t start screaming and yelling at someone whenever they, for example, disturb a movie. Over the course of her life, Kitarune has slowly been working on ending that habit, and as a result, it has led her to be able to control it a bit better than she could as a child, allowing her to be able to sort of “choose” whenever she gets mad, by doing what most people would consider unhealthy -- bottling it in. She chooses to keep her anger in, as to keep herself from lashing out at the people close to her.
Furthermore, this is something that allows her to tap into her kindness through the people that she is around. In a way, they are the ones who can cool her off. People like her brother, or any variety of her siblings and family are the reasons that she can forgo her anger, be happier, and can be kind to them in return. In essence, the love of others is what alleviates her anger, as it is a trigger to her kindness and allows her to calm down, giving way back to what makes the core of her personality.
Tease: While this is a trait that usually shows around close friends or family, it is still rather significant to Kitarune’s personality. In the presence of her family, she has a rather big habit of teasing them relentlessly. Whether it be about their actions, their choice of attire, or perhaps something a bit more personal about them, she will always find something to poke fun at, regardless of how embarrassing it is. While this seems like it would be malicious, it is nothing of the sort. As a way to tie into her kindness and chipper nature, this is more of a way for her to show to the people that she loves that she does love them. For her, it’s all in good fun, mostly as a way to try and cheer people up and make a bit of a lighthearted mood, to keep things a bit more fun and cheery.
Creative: As per her nature as a mage, it is only natural that Kitarune would have a large deal of thoughtfulness when it came to life as a whole. For the most part, she can display a level of ingenuity with the usage of her magic, able to adapt and adjust herself in every way that she possibly can. However, this trait doesn’t just stem from a combat perspective. For her, this also encompasses the very same love for the arts as her brother does. Kitarune is a complete and total bookworm, something that very well shows, as she always has a book with her. Whether it be a tome, a sci-fi novel, a murder mystery, an ancient book filled with curses and evil spells, it doesn’t matter. She seeks the knowledge that books always grant her, which leads to the next part of this trait, another part that she mimics of her older brother.
Kitarune adores to write -- another part of her that can heavily be influenced through her magic. The ability to write is one of the things that truly make her feel less bored and generally more relaxed. It allows her to truly show how she feels and often can be used as a vent -- as she doesn’t need to hurt others by revealing what she says. This causes Kitarune's love for reading to be directly connected, as the intake of knowledge is something that she believes can always benefit her -- although it's not always just for the sake of gaining.
Sometimes, it could simply just to enjoy the contents of a book, something that has improved her mood and added to her chipper tone and actions, as the various genres of the books that she reads has, most of the time, caused her to feel a great deal relaxed, as she feels comfortable and safe whenever she indulges in the literary immersion of a book, something that lets her break away from reality and abandon the troubles and stress of her life so that she can truly enjoy her book -- so much so that it can even lead to her becoming zoned out, and leaving little for anyone to be able to break her out of this trance. Ergo, it's rather obvious that this is another defining trait that, overall, keeps her from feeling as overly pressured as she very well could be.
Longing, Fear & Sorrow: Behind the smile, the motherly kindness, and love, there is immense fear, sorrow, and pain. Similar to her brother, there is inner darkness that Kitarune contains and buries deep within herself as a result of her past. Having lived a long time, there are many things that she has seen throughout her long life, and it has had its toll on her, mentally. In these times of stress and pain, Kitarune can often find herself waking up in the middle of the night -- or even not sleep at all -- crying.
Everything that she has experienced can sometimes come rushing back toward her whenever she closes her eyes at night. Nightmares of the war that she fought in before remaining away from it all, the blood that she watched spill and spilled herself, the people that she's lost in her life. All of these things that she is deeply afraid of happening again.
She misses the old days of her life, where her family were still with her, and she still had a home and lifestyle that she was familiar with -- especially when it comes to her elder brother, likely the one person that she misses above all else. The one that she could confide in and seek comfort with during the darker times of her life, and the person that always protected her. Ergo, should she ever come across him again, this is something that will fill her with a great deal of hope.
However, this also will bring a deep sense of possessiveness out of this fear of loss. As, now that she has found her dear brother, it isn't hard for her to be overcome with the sense to protect him as to keep him from being taken from her again. She is afraid of losing him again -- perhaps, being permanent this time. Yet, at the same time, there is a deep sense of longing and nostalgia in these times, as she often reminisces on the times long since gone.
She misses the times when she was young and carefree, playing and spending time with her brother. Times where life was simpler, and she wasn't thrust into this strange world of Shinigami, Hollow, and Demon. Thus, as a result of these feelings of longing and nostalgia, these are also times where she can burst into tears, as these sentiments are something that she holds very, very deep to her heart.
However, this is something that she has come to accept. While she may long for the past, feel sadness in these moments of nostalgia and painful remembrance, she knows that she must face it head-on to move forward and grow stronger in this deadly world. She may experience these emotions, but she knows that she can never let them control her -- lest it is the end of her.
Likes
- Chocolate
- Books
- Sleep
- Quiet
Dislikes
- Egomaniacs
- Spiders
- Cockroaches
Fears
- Death
- Needles
- Separation (Family)
HISTORY
Chapter One - The Prodigal Daughter
"Sekai e yōkoso, Atsuko Hisakawa."
The first words that she heard -- just like her older brother. And, just like her brother, she doesn't remember very much from her birth, outside of when and where. A child born of the lust of consummation born nowhere else than on the top of a mountain. Amid Toba, Japan, at the very peak of a mountain named in the likeness of the one in China, Wudang Mountain. The cries of the newborn filled the mountain, and many of the family who was available gathered in the mass to see them.
Like Yuuto, Atsuko Hisakawa was a perfectly healthy baby girl.
But, like Yuuto, she already was showing development. Like her brother, Atsuko has shown the very same wings and extreme lack of weight -- but she also had something unique to her. Rather than the expected black hair of both her parents, Atsuko's hair color was entirely purple. While they weren't worried about this small detail about their child, they did have a feeling that this wouldn't be the only thing that would develop from their new daughter: Atsuko Hisakawa.
As the child reached the tender age of seven, her father believed that it was time for her to begin the training that she would need throughout her life to become a samurai. Starting her off with a simple wooden sword -- a bokken -- her father, Rei, set her against her brother to see how well she would fare against someone that he saw as a disappointment. Thus, as the sparring match started, it wasn't a surprise that Atsuko's skill was rather clumsy at first. But, it didn't take long for her to gain a sense of adjustment to the mock weapon and immediately lash out.
While she didn't inflict any serious wounds, she did surprise the likes of her father, mother, and even brother in how effortless it all seemed to her. Pitting them against one another once more, the same thing happened. While Asahi, her mother, was a mixture of impressed and worried, her father was simply overjoyed -- albeit he never let it show. After the abysmal showcasing of this from her brother, Rei saw the natural talent and skill that Atsuko possessed -- something that her older brother simply didn't have.
It wasn't just in the art of the sword, nearly everything that Atsuko was able to get her hands on, she could use without much of a problem. However, this did not make her arrogant or prideful like her father. She didn't let it go to her head. Quite the opposite happened. As the days, weeks, and months went by, Atsuko was able to notice the attention that she was getting from her father, whereas her older brother -- was treated as if he didn't exist. As a result of this, she found herself being overwhelmed by...guilt.
This stinging guilt caused by the revelation that her brother had been completely ignored in favor of her natural talent. As a result of this, she felt more empathic towards her older brother. Yes, she was talented, but at her core -- she was kind and loving, just like her mother. Thus, she found it hard to truly feel proud of her accomplishments because of how menial they had become as a result of this. Thus, she went to her brother, soothing and comforting him. However, this was only the beginning for the two siblings. Most siblings would be constantly at war with one another...but, not these two.
Rather, they grew closer. Their equally kind natures essentially made them unable to be mad, or hate one another for it. Simply put, Yuuto could not bring himself to be mad at his sister -- he knew that it wasn't her fault. Thus, the two would often spend time with each other. With the comfort and solace that his sister and mother would give him, Yuuto would often be able to smile and feel happy, despite the rather unfortunate and damaging situation that he was forced into.
But, this did not stop the two's determination, nor did it halt their training. Rather, it motivated them. The two would practice and refine their skills for hours on end, repeating the same steps over and over again until it was so deeply engraved into their minds that they need not think about it when they executed their techniques. However, no matter how much they trained and practiced -- they could never be prepared for the actual event of war.
As time passed and the siblings grew, there were rumors that a war was coming; an invasion. Atsuko, her brother, and her father all were called out to aid in this invasion. However, it wasn't long before the trio came back home, six years later -- defeated. While her father and brother were simply disappointed and a bit ashamed at their defeat, Atsuko had felt something entirely different: terror.
Nightmares ensued -- ones so vivid and real that she felt like she was in that hell all over again. All of the screaming, the sounds of the weapons -- and so, so much blood...all of it was just too much for her. As a result of this, she often would find herself confiding to her older brother, telling him about her nightmares and that she never wanted to go back and do something like that -- ever again. Thus, through this, Atsuko was able to draw a sense of safety, comfort, and relief when she vented to her brother, as he also went through that emotional train, the trauma, and terror that had encompassed his sister.
Ergo, the siblings were able to use this as a means to grow closer to one another, to better understand the other as they grew older. Thus, as the world went into a constant shifting between peace and war, Atsuko opted to stay away from all of the fighting, instead choosing to remain home with her mother -- as most women did. Now equipped with a naginata, rather than a blade, she felt...relaxed. Now, she would be able to aid her family -- even if she wasn't directly out on the front lines. Because of this, Atsuko would often spend a great deal of her time around her mother, caring for the house and maintaining it.
Through this, the two women were able to see this as a bit of a bonding experience, and they grew closer and closer with each passing day -- akin to that of what the stereotypical father and daughter relationship would be. But, despite this, Atsuko -- using the bond and connection that she and her brother shared -- was able to keep in touch with him, and -- again, despite the physical distance between them, they were still able to become even closer with one another.
Eventually, after so long, the siblings, along with the rest of the family could rest easily. They had entered a time of peace. Not very long after the wars that encompassed Japan had ended, the country was entering a time of peace. For them, it was a massive sigh of relief -- no more bloodshed, no more death. It was a time of evolution, prosperity, and progression.
However, the coming months would be nothing but bleak. Their mother had fallen ill from some form of poison in her drink. While not immediately fatal, it caused the last months of her life to be a constant drain. Every day, her strength grew weaker and weaker, as if it sought out to drain her of every last drop of strength she had, like cancer.
Every day felt more drab and melancholic than the last as her condition never improved. Their father and brother brought some of the best doctors and physicians they could get, and yet, it only seemed to serve to keep it at bay. But, those months went by as if they were nothing, and their mother's condition never improved. With Asahi bedridden, it felt as if that sickness had not just sucked the life out of her, but sucked the life out of everything around her. The mountain felt dull and depressing, the light and beauty that it seemed to hold were slowly disappearing.
And then...she was gone. The Light of Japan faded away, with her last embers of life spent in the care and arms of her children and husband. For a while, that dreary atmosphere remained. It felt like happiness was taken with Asahi when she died. However, life must go on -- and, while it was hard for them, they were slowly able to start living life normally again.
But, hiding away like they did when they were children, the siblings shared in their grief, comforting the other as best they could. But, they both knew that they had to move on, no matter how pointless and hopeless it seemed.
Part Two - Life's Final Breath
Everybody knows that everybody dies. The scariest part is that many never know when.
And, for Atsuko, that night came much sooner than both her, as well as her brother and the rest of her family, ever thought it would. Retiring to bed early as Yuuto stayed up late, as he had done for the last few weeks, Atsuko laid down and quickly fell under the spell of sleep. She didn't know how long she had been asleep before she was awoken by the scent of smoke and blood.
Her eyes snapped open, smoke immediately assailing her eyes and causing her to start tearing up. Wiping her eyes and squinting into the blaze, she saw a shadow slowly creeping into the room. Slowly rising to her feet and reaching for a nearby weapon, a glint of steel came from the smoke, a throwing star whirling toward her and into her arm. Crying out in pain as the limb fell back to her side, she saw the shadow throw another star, embedding itself into her other arm.
With both of her arms wounded and unable to lift a weapon properly, there was little she could do. But, even then, she remained defiant. Taking a step forward to try and kick at her attacker, before stumbling as the shadow stepped into the light. The stars had been coated in a fast-acting poison that was gradually paralyzing each of her limbs.
Falling onto her back, Atsuko turned her head up to look at her assassin. An emerald-colored eye glared back at her, with as much cold as a winter wind. Turning her head back to the ground, she let out one last sigh as he grabbed her hair, forcing her head back up, raising his weapon, and slit her throat. In little more than a few minutes, the Daughter of the Mountain's life was snuffed out, her body left to burn with her family and home.
Part Three - The Afterlife
The cold embrace of death had its grip on her for a much shorter time than she expected. As not long after the chilling white had taken her, she awoke once again in far-off districts of the Rukongai in tatters of what her clothes had been. Given a ticket and sent off to the 78th District of the Rukongai. With a hazy memory, she almost blindly wandered throughout the impoverished lands of the district to try and get a grasp of where she was and how she had gotten here. The last thing she could remember was the fire, the assassin in her room, and...everything going cold and white.
She tried to remember more of her former life, but was unsuccessful, and resulted in many large gaps of her memory with only the names of her family being within them. Even her name was lost to her. Thus, naturally, she spent time trying to recall anything she could, no matter how small or insignificant, she just wanted to remember something about the life before and the people who meant so much to her during that time.
And yet, there was nothing.
But, she knew that she couldn't just wallow in this forever. So, she chose a new name: Kitarune, northern magic. So, with a new name and a new life to live, Kitarune kept these fragments close to her heart as she lived in the slums of the Rukongai. These pieces of what she so desperately wanted to remember soon became her primary source of motivation. Constantly having to fight for either necessities or her life, it was this desire to find what these fragments connected to that kept her going.
Never remaining in one place for long, Kitarune constantly moved around between the districts as a way of scoping out the landscape and learning more about where she was. Eventually finding herself in the Zaraki District, it didn't take long for her to discover it's brutality. Almost everywhere she went, there was a trail of blood and a pile of bodies. Picking up one of the many swords from the corpse pile, it didn't take long for her to end up in the center of this brutality. The empathy in her was able to discern one thing from their eyes:
"I want you dead."
While she was still fairly rusty and clumsy with a sword compared to her living days, it wasn't hard for her to dodge and avoid their swings, allowing her to learn their fighting style and get away, only for them to give chase. It didn't matter where she went, they always pursued. So, she ran and ran, even out of the Zaraki District and ran closer and closer to the Seireitei. Continually running and hiding, she just kept trying to avoid her pursuers, even if she had a weapon to defend herself, as well as them very clearly wanting her dead.
But, as she felt that she would just be on the run from these people for the rest of however long this new life of hers would last, a light managed to shine through the darkness. Someone found her, a young swordsman with black hair. It almost looked like...
"Yuuto...?"
No, it wasn't him. At that moment, she went from happy to terrified in an instant. What if he wanted to hurt her too? What if he was like the others, or knew them and allied with them? But, rather than attack her, he comforted her. Cold, hungry, tired and alone, Kitarune hadn't felt this level of kindness in so, so very long. It overwhelmed her and she cried without shame at someone finally, after so long, showing compassion to her.
Eventually warming up to the kind stranger, he let her stay at his home and took her to his dojo, teaching her the principles of Kendo and Bushido, sparking a memory to awaken within her. The principles had seemed familiar, with many of the movements and techniques, even the act of holding a wooden sword and shinai coming as almost second nature to her and allowing Katsuhiko's teachings to come across without much issue.
It didn't take her terribly long to come to a near-mastery of the weapon and principles. As a result of this practice with both Katsuhiko and the rest of the dojo, Kitarune's gentle and loving nature allowed her to bond with Katsuhiko and the rest of the dojo, treating them all as if they were family. But, above all, Katsuhiko was without question the one she was closest to. After all, he had saved her from the lifestyle of the slums most of the Rukongai was. She helped her remember aspects of her life and re-learn how to defend herself -- even if Kendo wasn't directly made for that purpose.
So, when Katsuhiko was training and honing his skills in order to obtain Reiryoku, she gladly went to help him. It wasn't too hard of a concept to understand, though the actual method of obtaining it was rather unclear. Nevertheless, she sought to help him as a way of repaying him for everything that he had done for her. Eventually, it came time for Katsuhiko to try out for the Academy. With many good wishes, good lucks, and a very anxiety-filled and tearful goodbye from the Daughter of the Mountain, he left, entrusting the dojo to her.
The first few days were...hard for her. Katsuhiko was someone she trusted and cared about, someone that she hardly ever wanted to leave her side sometimes, and now, here she was, the feeling of loneliness tightening around her neck like a vice. But, as the people who trained at that dojo came to her, comforting her and reassuring her that both she and Katsuhiko would be perfectly fine.
With this, it gave Kitarune solace and confidence that she could take care of the dojo in her place. After all, he had entrusted it to her -- she had to show that she could handle it and live up to what he most likely expected of her. Eventually, she became confident enough to help and bolster the skill of the various others who came to the dojo. The months passed, and while it was rocky and tough, she did come to get a handle on how to teach.
Before she knew it, a few years had passed, and not only had she become a fairly competent teacher. Not only that, but she had discovered something new about herself -- the maternal instinct in her. Over time, she grew to love and care for the other unfortunate people that lived nearby, particularly children. Thus, she took them in and took care of them under the roof of the dojo, and did what Katsuhiko had done for her, trained them in Kendo in order to give them the ability to defend themselves, understand the sword, and give them a place to stay.
As if they were her own children, she took care of each and every one of them. It warmed her heart to see them grow and gave her more confidence to keep teaching. Sure, she became a bit lenient, but she believed that as long as they were able to progress, she could afford to be a little bit lenient...sometimes. Thus, as the fifth year passed, Kitarune found herself in a mix of running a pseudo-daycare, and mentoring people in the art of Kendo.
When Katsuhiko came home, he was met with an overjoyed Kitarune, and many happy faces, both new and old. He wasn't happy at first, but he warmed up to it, albeit lightly scolding her for her occasional leniency. Hearing of his success in the Academy, Kitarune almost immediately went to work on a celebration. Even if he hadn't finished his time at the Academy, the fact that he was able to get this far in the span of time that it had taken was a monumental feat to her.
Not long after the celebration, Katsuhiko approached her about one of the skills that he was struggling in during his time at the Academy, Kido. While she didn't practice it and had no formal training, it wasn't hard to understand the concept and begin attempting to apply it in practice, with her discovering how much of it felt like second nature. But, again, while she had no formal training, there was a certain mindset that allowed her to efficiently tap into the mystical arts of Kido.
Thus, the two of them grew as they taught one another, giving Kitarune new skills to hone as Katsuhiko bid yet another farewell to return to the Academy and finalize his education as a Shinigami. As Katsu went through his final year in Shin'o Academy, Kitarune continued to teach at the dojo, while also making sure to take some time for herself in order to hone the new skills that she had. Life continued as it had, and eventually, she got the news that Katsu had graduated from the academy and was placed within the Gotei, leaving her overjoyed at his success.
As time went on, it wasn't hard for Kitarune to notice the changes that his placement in the Gotei was having on Katsu. He did his best to hide the wounds he received from Hollows, especially a scar around his neck. He was growing colder by the day, and it worried her. He rarely, if ever showed it to her, but she knew and could tell that there was a shadow that clutched at his heart and mind. This worry fermented and grew when Katsu told her that he wanted to leave the Soul Society, smuggling her out with him.
Arriving at the World of the Living, Kitarune stuck with Katsuhiko, going under the radar and accompanying him as he took care of a group of Hollows in China and eventually settled in Japan. It was there that the fragments began to piece themselves together and Kitarune's memory was finally, at least partially, recovered. She remembered her brother and the dying embers of their bond that she could feel in her heart. Her mother and the love that she showered her and her brother with, as children.
But, it was also then that Katsuhiko's cynicism became more and more outward, and his struggle to hold down a job for long eventually caused Kitarune to separate from him in an attempt to find her brother, as well as to find somewhere that they could at least have a stable life. Having learned how to properly kill Hollows and perform Konso with her Zanpakuto, Kitarune began the journey on her own.
Due to her not being a formalized Shinigami and with a Zanpakuto that was essentially useless without her having imprinted on it and discovering its name, being alone in the World of the Living made her feel as if she were back in the Rukongai, fighting for her life once again. But, that experience gave her the ability to fight back. Over and over, she defended herself from Hollows and purified them just like how Katsu had told her, and purified wayward souls that she came across.
A few years later, she was able to obtain her Shikai. Almost immediately after, she set to work on trying to figure out as much as possible about the powers that it granted her and how far her creativity could be pushed. To this day, she's still wandering the world in search of her brother, as well as to test her limits and learn more about herself and her Zanpakuto. Learning how to apply the effects of her powers to the weapon itself and increase its power, creating something unique behind it and learning how to apply that to make it even stronger.
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