Rukongai Misfits

Resting on his couch, Kamui thought over the events in Captain Kushina Yoshida's lab. "If only I knew what I was truly getting into going there." Kamui sighed as he got up. It was not the time to think about it or dwell on it. Kamui was meeting with somebody. This person was his closest friend, and his fellow Captain. As Kamui stood, he grabbed a bottle of alcohol and two cups. Making his way out of the door, he made his say into the Rukongai districts. After some time walking, he saw a shabby little hut. Opening it's door, Kamui awaited for his friends arrival.

The Gotei 13 was relatively peaceful despite the recent outbreak of rumors about a certain *someone's* monstrous experiments. Knowledge and wisdom were the golden and silver coins meant to be discovered. But there are certain boundaries which one should never cross. Surely the Twelfth Division would find themselves ingulfed for all eternity in some hellish dimmension soon enough. Regardless, the impressively tall and slightly built captain found himself walking through the Rukongai covered in darkness with lamps and candles lighting the small town. He walked the same land upon which he played as a child, fought as a warrior and found his salvation. He saw himself in the children clashing sticks in mock swordfighting before bed and smiled gently. He continued through the town and up a small hill overlooking the village where the shoddy shack sat

"Hope I didn't keep you, Kamui." Yasuke entered the hut and closed the door behind him. He pulled on his light blue scarf lightly, moving it so that it would not come into contact with the dusty table where he sat. His white hair sparkled in the moonlight, seemingly absorbing the energy. But what truly caughtt he heaven's attention was the small horn protruding from Yasuke's head - a natural deformity he inherited at birth. Stretching from his hair onwards were white scales of bone embedded in his skin.

"What was so important to call an emergency meeting? Booze usually goes well with food."

"Not much really, just thought it would be nice to see a friend. Since starting the tests to gain my Captain seat, we haven't been able to hang around as much as argue for who the better Shinigami is. By the way, it is still me." Kamui said with a smirk as he embraced his friend. "Thought our old hangout from when we were mere souls was a good spot."

Kamui poured alcohol into the cups. Unlike the typical sake most Shinigami drank, this was brown. It was not sake at all, in actuality, rather it was whiskey. "Food is close enough by that it shouldn't be an issue. Ramen place around the border, and other street food from the people. Hopefully it's not been tampered with by angry cooks."

Sliding the glass over to his horned companion, Kamui took a sip of the liquid. "Hard to think, years ago, we used this little place to plan pranks and to hideout from those who... didn't take kindly to our antics."

That's right?! How could he forget? After Yasuke ascended to his captaincy, the horned demon was overwhelm with business. He was unable to truly enjoy the smaller things. Paperwork on top of paperwork and regulations which had been forgotten. Restablishing the division upon which a suitable captain had not held rank in over a century was a tough task. The 7th Division was a shadow of its former self under the famous hero Komomura. But now the heavens gifted Yasuke a chance to prove himself.

A slight frown had emerged on his face. But the thought of their childish antics changed it into a loud laughter. The memories of stealing clothes and ruining carts were his greatest treasures.

And soon...they would both serve the Gotei 13 in the second highest position.

"Time sure flies by." Yasuke joked. He took a sip of his whisky. An explosion of heat erupted from his stomach and consumed his insides, warming the shinigami up. "You always know where to get the best stuff. Western drinks are so much stronger than their eastern counterparts." He placed the cup down and took a deep breath. "So you finally lead the 13th division? Took you long enough. Of course they'll lose to the seventh's efficiency but it'll be nice to know whose our next competition."

"The 13th Division will become the most sought after division. With my charm and good looks, I will have all the women after me. With my power, all the men. You have a great bone frame though, very sturdy looking," chided Kamui with a grin. "I waited to become the head of a *good* division, unlike you."

## A Bond is Formed

Kamui poured himself another glass. Sitting back into his seat, Kamui looked up at the ceiling. "Hard to thing we both have done it. Both of us are Captains. Both of us have come a long way from here..."

A young boy ran around the district. Having taken a piece of bread, possibly without permission, a shopkeeper did not seemed please. The black haired boy went into an ally and jumped up to grab a ledge, pulling himself to higher ground quickly before the shopkeeper could see. The boy was named Kamui.

Wanting to assure his safety, Kamui darted into a closed off area, something of a fence to hid stay low. As he did this, he saw rustling nearby, seeing a figure of a younger boy like himself. Kamui began to approach the child in curiosity.

"Hey demon!" The harshness of childhood vibrated through the empty ally. Four kids, each manned with wooden stricks and pieces of metal, surrounded the famous horned child. "You've terrorized this town long enough, we've come here to slay you once and for all."

"I'd love to see you try." Yasuke retorted with a sly grin. A demon in human form said to have been the result of his parent's sin. His face was embedded with bone scales that matched his white hair which flowed well beneath his hip. His stoic face lacked emotion or fear. Instead, he faced his attackers with pride. He pulled on his tattered robes and smiled upon revealing a small knife. "I wonder how well blunt objects do agaisnt actual weapons." Yasuke teased.

"Y-y-y-you fucking monster! Run!" The leader of the gang roared in fear. "We'll be back for your head demon." It was a promise he heard millions of times before. But those words were actually excited, for at least once, he had people who cared about him. Even it was the care that exterminators held for insects, some attention still made his day better than it was. Yasuke bent over and retrieved his groceries which had dropped in the scuffle.

"Great. Fucking great." He moaned.

Kamui saw a bag of dropped grooves and a haunched over figure. Opting to help out, Kamui bent over to grab the bag that had slid away. "You missed this-" Kamui stopped speaking as the saw the figure. Seeing the bones and the horn, Kamui remembered different rumors. A monster, an ogre, some monster that inhabited the Rukongai. Kamui always imagined him as much larger.

"-bag. Hi, I'm Kamui." The boy didn't show fear as he approached to hand the bag off. He had already seen enough in his life. The horn merely threw him off momentarily.

Someone unknowingly coming to assist me, how great! Yasuke thought to himself. I wonder how long till he drops it and runs off. But something was different from the other children. This one's presence felt more akin to his own.

*You can trust him.* An ambigious voice pushed him. The young demon could feel it pushing him forward, causing him to smile slightly. It was this same mysterious voice that told Yasuke to walk with his knife. To practice his stances and prepare for war. Maybe he was a demon afterall? Whatever the case may be, it kept the young child alive all this time.

"Yasuke." He answered. Hesitant to take the bag at first, he eventually retrieved his groceries. "Thank you." His words were flat, without any sort of emotion. He neither feared nor trusted Kamui. But just as Yasuke was about to walk pass the child, a man emerged from the street.

"Got you now punk!" The shopkeeper stopped. "I'll teach you about coming to my shop and stealing. That bread is the best grain in this district!" He took a second and looked to the second figure, a tad bit taller "I see, you bums are in cahoots-"

Yasuke looked at their new visitor with annoyance. He just wanted to go home and cook for himself. But now he had to deal with this foolishness. His infamous horn shined in a ray of escaped sunlight when he made eye contact with the shopkeeper.

"A friend of the demon child huh?!" The shopkeeper stumbled backwards. "The others might be afraid of you, but i ain't scared of no oni's kid." He launched forward. It took less than a second for Yasuke to drop his groceries and react. His movements were basic and simple for souls accustomed to war. But for a child, it established one of the reasons why the townsfolk feared him. Yasuke slid by his attacker and drew his knife, slightly gliding the edge against the shopkeepers leg. He roared in pain, fell over and held the fresh wound.

"You bastard! I'm gonna call the shinigami on you! They'll rid this land of your kind." He managed to return to his feet and stumble out of the alley, albeit falling a few times.

Yasuke turned to Kamui and smiled shyly. "Thank you for earlier." He picked up his bags and started walking off.

"Thank you too, he has been after me for the past hour. For a simple merchant, he sure is quick. Good bread though." Kamui said with a smile. "Good aim with that knife too, see you around." Kamui was about to wave goodbye, but in that instant, he stomach growled. "I guess he ran the bread right out of me, gotta find something else."

Yasuke heard the large growl and realized the bread was probably the only thing he had to eat. A fellow starving soul, Yasuke could not leave this boy without food. He turned around and pulled out a can of meat. It wasn't much, but Yasuke's job as a hired sword was just beginning. He protected small time lords and noblemen from minor threats. He was the cheap option while his companions were more expensive. "Here." He said quietly. "I have enough for the day, you can take this."

"Are you sure? Thank you very much!" Kamui beamed a bright smile as he took the can from Yasuke gingerly. "So your name is Yasuke? I'll be sure to remember that name. Can I do anything to pay you back for helping me with the merchant and for the food. At least help you carry things to where your live?" Kamui slipped the can into his belt and pulled it tight to hold it in place. This freed up his hands to move baggage with the horned figure should he accept the offer.

It simply how Kamui was, something kind was done for him and he wanted to return the favor. Having heard rumors about the "ogre", Kamui wasn't sure what to expect. However, Kamui didn't see a monster before him, he saw another soul trying to survive the Rukongai. His appearance didn't scare him, but Yasuke's bravery drew Kamui towards him. He wanted to get to know the "Oni of the Rukongai".

"I don't need anything." Yasuke responded plainly. Although he appeared rather bothered, the kindness Kamui radiated warmed his heart. He felt appreciated, wanted and actually cared about. Perhaps this would have been his life if he was normal. A sharer of food and defender of the weak. Watching Kamui offer to help made him smile slightly. "A kind gesture loses its purpose when someone takes payment, Kamui." He nodded his head. "Though if you want to walk with me, I wouldn't mind some company."

Yasuke spoke as if he was that much older than Kamui...But the truth was there was only a few years between the two of them. *Should I trust him that much?* He thought, almost awaiting for his answer. *Oh now you choose to go to sleep.* Or so Yasuke thought.

"Unless you live far. Don't want your parents to come hunting after me."

Kamui twitched at the comment. "That won't be an issue. I don't... know my parents. I've been on my own for a long time. I am more than happy to walk though." Vague memories flooded to Kamui. Figures of a distant past, before they passed away. The people taking care of him afterwards died during the Quincy attack. Kamui did not know a family of his own. He was alone with no one to talk to but himself many nights. Kamui felt a wave of sadness, but he masked it with a smile.

"I hope your family doesn't mind a stranger."

Yasuke frowned. "Sorry for mentioning your family then." His words were sincere and understanding, for he lived the very same life for the past few years. His mother died and afterwards, his father took his sister and married into a richer family in the Rukongai. Yasuke could have followed but he chose to make his own name, instead of selling his soul for money. "I abandoned my family not too long ago. Decided to make a name for myself...you could say I've managed to do that." He joked.

"Family isn't worth it honestly."

"Maybe, though I would like to know the feeling of one some day." Kamui said as the two walked forth.

## A Bet to Last

"To think, I was a little thief back then and you struck fear into everyone with a simple look. Granted, you still do that now, but your division loves you anyway," Kamui said with a smile. It was strange, acknowledging a little boy with nothing to his name rose to became a Captain, and that a loner who denounced family accepted a group to be his own. Such was the power of time, guiding the paths of those who walked in it.

Kamui again thought of the fear Yasuke struck into others for his strange appearance. *I wonder what they would think of me now, for in me is something far more monstrous in appearance and behavior,* Kamui thought with a grim expression. He kept his face down before looking up with a smile.

Yasuke laughed. "Who knew we'd become such saps." His voice was filled with cheer and joy. He saw the sadness in his friend's face and knew something plagued him. But Yasuke also knew Kamui's personality - one impossible to pry information from. If he wanted to tell Yasuke something, Kamui would tell him on his own time. So the Oni of the Gotei 13 could only laugh in hopes of spreading his contagious happiness. Or perhaps it was the whisky he managed to drink half of without noticing. A small blush lightened his dark face. "I-I mean..." Yasuke slurred. "It's not like we're done growing! Shit. We still have to settle that bet!"

Kamui looked towards Yasuke with a blank expression. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Kamui seemed to not remember it. "Yeah, the bet. The betty bet. I definitely remember it," Kamui said in a flat tone as he took a sip of his drink. "But to be sure you remember it, why don't you tell me about!"

"Kamui!" Yasuke roared over the battlefield. Clashing metal, screams of the wounded and horses trampling on the earth mingled with the aroma of death and destruction. Who would think two poor districts would have enough ambition to try and destroy each other over nothing. But he was filled with cheer and happiness. The kind of enjoyment one born of war would experience. "Don't tell me you're getting tired already?" He parried two approaching swordsmen and struck them down with foreign elegance - an excellent riposte.

*"Don't get cocky, Yasuke."* The ominous voice boomed from his subconscious. He diverted a strike from his blind spot without thought. The Horned Oni of Rukongai simply smirked, he was used to this demon possessing his body. Hell, one could say it was a blessing hidden as a curse.

"They're starting to retreat." He noticed the small time plunderers starting to turn tail, choosing to run for the sun set rather than face the righteous power of the towns people. A small militia gathered to protect their loved ones.

Kamui lunged forth with a spear, taking out one of their attackers. While killing and fighting other souls was not his favorite, Kamui fought to defend the district he lived in and loved and its people. "I'm not tired at all, I'm just getting warmed up." Kamui threw the spear through another enemy's abdomen before drawing his sword to continue his battle.

Much time had passed since the two first met. The befriended each other, and supported each other. This carried over to Kamui's present situation. Fighting alongside his one true friend, and fighting to survive to see another day. Why the Shinigami, in their ivory tower, did not step in was beyond Kamui. It didn't matter though, Kamui stepped in with his allies and friends to fight. He did not lead the cause but he would help it with all he had. Slashing with his blade, Kamui peered at his friend from the corner of his eye. "Gotta give these people this, they sure don't back down!"

"They can't." Yasuke had reverted to his brutish behavior - dropping the knife and using his massive claws and bone covered knuckles to bash his enemy's faces in. He evaded their spears and danced around their swords with a battle-loving smile plastered on his face. "They're no different from us."

The battle waged on for days, only ending once both sides grew tired of the bloodshed. Those who hadn't died retreated, and those who did continued their spiritual journey elsewhere. But contrary to the previous catastropehe, the nearby inn was rather lively. People jumped and sang. Flirt and held. Hard to belive most of htese people had lost their loved one's days before. However, Yasuke knew more than anyone the meaing behind this weird behavior. A celebration for life. That is for their life and the lives of those that fell. So Yasuke embraced the alchohol and sung his own songs. Laughing while sitting cross Kamui.

"K-kamui!" He took a swig. "I can't believe that we survived that...that...battle - sorry - I thought you were going to get an axe in the head at one point." He slurred.

"I did too! Thankfully I'm pretty quick on my feet. Ended up hitting his own ally and I got him in his confusion." Kamui let out a breath of air. This moment did shake him a little bit. Had he been any slower, he would have died in that instant. "Weird part of those battles was the heat of them. Seemed to rise the more it went on, and not just from all the movement. I even saw burns on some people."

As Kamui drank a bit more, he began to succumb to alcohol's power. His mental state became slurred a bit, and became looser. As an untrained spirit, this also led to his spiritual power starting to fluctuate. Kamui didn't notice or care. "A lot of those big guys gunned towards you, I heard a lot of them shout some pretty mean things. Good t-thing we taught them a lesson." Kamui grinned as he gave thumbs up to his friend.

"I-it wasn't that hot out today. You probably had too much adrenaline in your veins. I mean...I mean it was so windy." He remembered, through the misty fog of his alchoholic mind, looking over his shoulder and seeing Kamui quite a few feet away from him at one point. While there were moments of sporadic heat, the clouds covered the sun and surrounding trees whispered their hushed tales. Ironically, he noticed that he sweating. "Not as hot as it is in here." He took another sip. "Must be this booze...I heard it does that to you. Colder districts use it to stay warm during their harsh winters." He took a bite of his meal and smiled. "I can't believe it..." His eyes narrowed, almost hinting at Kamui.

Kamui thought on it more. He could feel and recognize the heat, but it didn't really bother him. It even seemed to help him keep moving forward. "I guess you're right, maybe I was imagining it. Combat fatigue." Kamui finished his drink and ordered a plate of food. A simple bowl of rice with an egg, but Kamui ate it rapidly.

Sure Yasuke was right. The heat was in his head, and the heat currently was from drinking. "I'm happy we avoided the cold districts personally. Already was hard enough to sneak bread away. A warm jacket or blanket? I would have been beaten and left to the ice by those shop keepers!" Kamui broke into laugh thinking on the life he once held. Going from a little thief to a fighter with a monstrous looking friend. Kamui did not regret these events. As he ate and calmed down, the heat of the bar began to drop.