Crispen and Neuria

After yesterday's training, Crispen was worn out. He started the day with a hot bowl of ramen. The water boiling, he opened the tent door to let the steam out. Crispen then busied himself with cleaning the rest of his little hut. He swept the floor, which happened to be some plywood. He then folded his blankets and sheets and placed them on top of his cushions. By now, the water should have been boiling, especially since the room was filled with steam.

"I thought I opened the door..." Crispen thought

He began to cough and his vision became blurred. He instinctively reached for his zanpakuto, which he had placed on his only chair. As he grabbed for it, he could find it. He knew he put it there. It was his only means of protection and he would certainly not lose it.

"What are you looking for?"

Crispen froze. While he may have been distracted, he definitely heard a voice. He was sure there'd be no humans around this area. He set camp in the densest part of the forest. Even if one did happen to come by, they wouldn't see it unless they walked into it. Besides, no human should be able to see Crispen anyway. So whose voice was this?

Crispen tried to escape the tent, which was now completely filled with steam. He moved around the tent, fumbling around things that weren't there and reaching for nonexistent walls. The voice began to laugh maniacally.

"The fuck is going on here?!"

"Oh Crispen, why are you acting coy with me? Using me like that yesterday really got me excited. You've never used me so much. What got you interested?"

Crispen didn't know what the hell this girl was talking about. Yesterday he was alone, training in the woods. Then it hit him.

"You... you're my zanpakuto?"

The steam suddenly evaporated and left behind some kind of dark red atmosphere. His tent was gone. In its place were miniature boulders. A flash of lightning lit the area. Crispen could not find a wall anywhere. He thought he saw stars, and a few meteors. He just realized he wasn't even standing on a floor; he was floating.

"Oh shit!"

He tried in vain to get over to a passing boulder. He thrashed about not knowing what was going on.

"Calm down already. It's embarrassing."

"How the hell am I supposed to move in this place? And where the hell am I?"

"You're in my world. I've lived here ever since you got your powers. I'm an entity that's been dwelling within you. If you think about how you want to move, you'll move."

It seemed ludicrous... Why hadn't this person shown up earlier? As for the moving around in here, well. Crispen thought for a second and came to a conclusion.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Neuria. Perhaps you'd like a more detailed explanation on where you are? This is a place where your fascination with the stars meets with the deepest recesses of your mind. Being your zanpakuto, this is where I reside."

She explained it so calmly. He didn't know what to make of it.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"I brought you here so we could talk. What do you hope to gain from being a soul reaper?"

"I want to be able to protect myself and anyone who needs it. I also want to kill every damn hollow I find."

"Well then. You can't expect to do this without my help. I want to grow with you, Crispen. We need each other to thrive. I think you've earned what I'm about to give you."

Crispen was thoroughly confused now. What power could she be talking about? Crispen, who was lost in his train of thought, was unaware that Neuria had come right in front of him. She got his attention by clapping very loudly.

Crispen looked at her. "What power do you have for me?"

"Have you ever heard a cricket late at night? Or someone squeaking in a rocking chair?" She laughed now. "I'm not going to hand some of my power over to you, you know. You're going to have to earn. And now is your only chance."

"What do I have to do?"

"Take this!" She threw a sword at Crispen. It was his zanpakuto. "Whoever can land the first hit wins."

"I... I have to fight you?"

"Yes, you do. Now I suggest you unsheathe that sword before I cut it out of your hands." She moved fluidly towards Crispen, like a snake.

Crispen was frightened only for a moment. As she sped to him with her sword extended in front of her, Crispen unsheathed his sword and successfully parried her attack.

They stood still, looking at each other. Crispen wasn't sure what was going on, but he had to win. If his zanpakuto would grant him some new power he was sure, no, he was knew he would beat her for it. He studied her pose. She was still, motionless. She rotated very slowly, her sword pointed to her feet.

"AARGH!"

Crispen lunged forward. He was about to strike Neuria when she jumped back to life and slithered away.

"Dammit."

"You'll have to do better than that!" She came back to the battle scene. This time she was standing right side up. "How about I fight you on terms you're used to?"

Crispen began using shunpo to jump all over the place. He went from boulder to boulder, jumping off as soon as he landed. He watched Neuria like a hawk, but she never once moved. Crispen then flashstepped behind Neuria, who immediately turned around to block his strike. Crispen had anticipated something like this though. So right before he used shunpo to get behind her, Crispen began to swing his sword to make her think he would try a sneak attack. But as soon as he got behind her, he used flash step to get behind her yet again. Since she was preoccupied with her front, Crispen was able to cut her back.

"Gotcha."

Silence.

"Hey, you there? Hello?"

Neuria stood still and didn't say a thing. All he could hear was a buzzing noise that he assumed had always been there. Crispen began to worry. What if he had hurt her too bad? What if he got her angry and now she won't help him? His mind began to run off in tangents, and he soon lost focus on Neuria. He hadn't realized that she began to move, or that she was walking toward him.

The buzzing noised stopped, and Crispen regained focus. He didn't see Neuria at all.

"Hey! Neuria!"

"Yes?"She said it a little too softly.

"Ah shit! How'd you get back there?"

"It was Inconsideratus. It's a technique you may use without even releasing your sword. It forces the opponent to listen to an incessant chirping noise that weakens their natural mental barriers. It also makes them lose focus, even if for just a second. You saw first hand of its practical application. Any fears they hold inside them are doubled over in effect. Crispen, you're getting stronger. Now go train."

The smoke surrounding Crispen was suddenly expunged from the area. The stars, comets, meteors, and lightning all vanished. Even Neuria disappeared. Crispen was shrouded in blackness. But then, a small light lit the horizon. It looked like a fire. Crispen tried to focus on the fire. He moved towards it, and what he saw grew. Eventually he saw his makeshift kitchen. The smell of freshly cooked ramen filled his nose. Then he was back in his kitchen, in the chair, with his zanpakuto wrapped in his arms.