Look towards the past, and head towards the future

Saera whistled a formless, but contented, tune as she strolled through the forest. It had been far too long since she'd had a chance to make it out to her fathers old dojo, and she was determined to make the best of it, revelling in the sights, scents, and sounds of the forest that she used to call home before...

Well, before. She still didn't like to think of what had happened those many years ago, and she refused to allow that memory to sour her time here. For a time the sound of her whistling and the crunch of her feet trodding along the undergrowth, for once she wasn't trying to hover just above the ground and in fact had removed her shoes so she could further immerse herself in the various sensations of her old home. In fact, anyone looking at her wouldn't be able to tell she was anything other than another, somewhat scruffy, resident of the Rukongai based on her clothing as she had grabbed some old. The only thing that set her apart from the regular citizens was her Zanpakutou, and to those who couldn't sense spiritual pressure even that wasn't necessarily a tell unless she released her Shikai.

Saera spent quite a bit of time like this, she wasn't hurrying since she had all day, but after a couple of hours she made a turn down the path and suddenly she saw the home she'd shared with her father for so long. The building was... well frankly it was a mess, and seeing it like that made Saera cringe internally. She knew that her father wouldn't blame her for letting the place fall into disrepair, he'd been a Shinigami himself once after all, but she couldn't help but feel that not being able to keep it at in at least somewhat decent shape was somehow disrespectful to his memory.

Well, nothing for it now, the only thing she could do was start working on cleaning the place up as best she could before she got to training.​

Staring up at the building Saera couldn't help but be briefly swept away by the tide of memories that welled up within her.

Clearing out more of the forest around their home for a bigger garden.

Running up the path, arms weighed down by bags full of supplies, excited to tell her father about the deal she'd gotten on their favorite foods.

Crouching in the underbrush with her father, covered in dirt, spear in hand as he guided her through her first boar hunt in the forest.

Her first lesson in martial arts, her father's weathered face lighting up with a mixture of pride and old fears as she showed talent in the skills he taught.

The first day of lessons after she convinced him to open an official dojo.

Saera shook her head to clear her mind from the rush of memories, they were happy, and she treasured them, but if she allowed herself to get lost in them, she wouldn't be able to stop from-

Blood everywhere, bodies crumpled against the wall, choking the doors and hallways, the smell of death and fresh blood cloyingly powerful in the air. She desperately pushes past the bodies and makes it into the dojo at the back of the home, and she sees him. Her father, surrounded by corpses, with one slumped against him, their blade piercing her father's chest as blood seeps to the ground...

This time the shaking was far more violent as Saera desperately tried to clear her mind, her breathing rapidly growing heavier as she began to hyperventilate. Dropping to her knees Saera gripped her shoulders as she heaved deep shuddering breaths, desperately trying to bring herself back under control.

Coming here alone was a mistake, why didn't Ah get someone ta come with me?"

Suddenly Saera felt a gentle, soothing touch on her mind, Tsuki no Ryu was pressing down on her spirit, providing a dignified strength that Saera suddenly found herself lacking. Slowly, the presence of her zanpakutou's spiritual touch helped to pull Saera out of her sudden influx of panic, the reminder that no matter what she was never alone, not anymore, calmed her down, allowing her to pull herself together and stand back up. Gently she laid her hand on the pommel of her blade, whispering a "Thank you" to the spirit as it slowly withdrew it's presence back into her inner world.

Saera took one more moment to gird herself, then strode forwards to get to work.