Academy Arc: Starting Anew

Will the Sun Ever Come Again?
It was a dark, horrible day.

It was the day after that...

''The day that it seems all was lost.. For nothing..''

''The sky is mourning, it was all grey. The clouds are mourning, it was crying.''

Asuka, the girl with the red eyes and black-shiny hair. It didn't seem she was suffering but Ciel, the man walking beside her, knew that deep inside she was having one of the most painful minutes of her life. He didn't speak to her nor gaze upon her; his eyes was focused on the road they were taking.

The rain hid Asuka's tears, something she is thankful about...

Nothing... Nothing is there to smile about..

Walking through the rain with his sister, Haruki spotted a girl and fairly tall man. "Hm. Hey Azami, I wonder if they're ok. I mean we're on our way home and they look a bit worn you think we should invite them over to get them out of this weather?"

Azami sighed as she knew that no matter what she said, her brother was going to do as pleased regardless. "Feh. Do as you please, it doesn't rea-"

Before she could finish, Haruki was already running over with his umbrella, "Hi there."

Ciel and Asuka stopped walking and both had looked into the man with a rather cold stare but Ciel quickly smiled to change the atmosphere. "Hello, do you need anything?" Asked Ciel, trying to be as polite as he can while Asuka changed her point of view towards Azami.

"Ciel... Can we go home?" Asuka's emotions was blank but her voice was just sweet, she's just a young girl afterall.

"You and I both know we can't anymore... Asuka... At the moment we have no home... Don't worry I'll do something about that." Ciel replied, trying to cheer Asuka but he knew it was clearly no use.

"Oh? Are you homeless?" Haruki asked inquisitively, completely ignoring the tone of the situation. "If you need somewhere to stay I think my parents would let you live with us for awhile. Or until you feel like leaving. Come on! It'll be fun! What do you say?"

Azami approached the conversation with her gaze meeting Asuka's "Hmph. Just make sure its ok with mom and dad when we get there."

Ciel bowed down while he forced Asuka to do too by pushing her head with his hand. "Thank you.. We are forever in your debt.." Though it was a little embarrasing, Ciel had to say yes for the sake of Asuka; the current weather wasn't that nice and he wouldn't want her to get a cold.

"Well let's get going then!" Grabbing Asuka by the hand, Haruki pulled her along the winding streets toward his home. "So I never got your name miss. Mine is Haruki. And that's my sister Azami."

Asuka remained quiet as she was being pulled along. She simply let Haruki drag her to wherever it is there going. "Her name is Asuka... Asuka Heart.. Sorry but she doesn't really speak that much." Ciel said in Asuka's behalf. He followed them, thankful Asuka will get under a roof. "Also my name's Ciel."

"Oh. Sorry Nice to meet you as well...Seel was it? Odd name. Haha" Haruki joked before being slapped in the head by Azami

Turning to face the two newcomers Azami spoke, "Don't mind him, he tends to not think before he talks. So what brings you two around here?"

Ciel and Asuka remained quiet, obviously not wanted to talk about it but to cover such; Ciel spoke. "We're travellers... Going there and there..." An obvious lie, atleast for Asuka.

Smiling, Haruki seemingly accepted the answer with no questions. "Ohhh ok. That works. Well we're almost to my home and we can sit and talk more as we get warm."

"Don't just assume mom and dad are gonna just let them stay. We still have to ask permission....stupid Haruki." Azami sighed as she tailed behind.

Asuka started cough blood, forcing her to fall in her knees. "Asuka!" Cried Ciel. Quickly, he got over to Asuka and tried healing her by the use of Kido. "You've been using it again.... Haven't you?" Ciel knew that Asuka had been training with her zanpakuto even though she knew what kind of drawbacks it causes.

Asuka didn't answer, she didn't want Ciel to worry. Ciel sighed and carried her on his back. "You really are stubborn..."

Panicked, Haruki ran into his home as he pointed to a small chair. "Lay her here." Shouting for his parents, Haruki waited for them to run in.

Scratching his head Van waled in as he yawned "You're finally got ho--oh? Who are these people?" Looking at the unconcious girl Van squinted "Why does she look so familiar?"

"Van are the kids home?" Anna came around the corner of their home from the kitchen. "Oh my! What happened here?"

Ciel quickly layed Asuka down and grabbed her zanpakuto, throwing it away. "Ciel.... What... Are you doing?" Asuka mumbled, she didn't understand why Ciel had to do that.

"Shut up for a moment, Asuka..." Ciel reached for Asuka's lips with his index finger which glowed red. He pulled out some kind of blackk liquid out of her mouth. "I know its painful... Hang on for a sec.."

Standing on edge, the Satonaka family looked on in awe before Van spoke with a grim look on his face. "That's the Dark Matter, isn't it? Hm..I saw this once before and learned about it's effects. But why does this girl have it?"

"She has her grandfather's zanpakuto and all of its abilities, including its effects." Ciel continued to remove the Dark matter out of Asuka as if its left inside, noone knows what might happen. "Van Satonaka, you've met him..." Ciel's eyes turned to Van's as if he knew him.

"Ah...that zanpakuto. So I take it she's related to Zen and is the son of Margin. Correct?" Van looked on with asomber expression.

Turning to Azami, Haruki whispered "What's going on?"

"I have no clue." Azami whispered softly.

"Im... Sorry... Ciel.." Asuka could barely speak anymore, tears was flowing from her eyes either from the pain or from being useless.

"I told you... Shut up for a moment..." Ciel continued with the healing, there was more to it that it seemed. "Unfortunately...She is part of the Hearts... The last one.."

Van's face expressed great shock. "Did you just the last one? No...what happened to Margin!?"

"His...dead." Ciel's face was not in its usual appearance, it was stern and different. He didn't want to say he took part on his death, somehow he didn't want Asuka to hear it from him.

Grabbing Ciel by the collar Van looked enraged "HOW!? Margin is one of the strongest people I know! Who could have possibly killed him!?"

"I did.." Two words, two words that may have changed everything. Fortunately, Asuka was unconscious and she apparently didn't hear him. "I killed Margin Heart..."

"You better choose your next words carefully." Van started to form a crystal lance in his hands. "If you don't I will skewer you right here"

Anna looked on with Azami and Haruki in sorrow. "Van....you must really be upset to threaten someone like that."

"He killed Yuki...His wife...and threatened to kill Asuka..." Ciel held Van's arm that grabbed his collar. "You couldn't blame me...Van. I have to do what I had to do." His eyes looked right through Van's, giving him a rather serious stare. "He became a monster..."

"He's not like that. Margin.....was a good man. When we fought we promised each other another bout. Something must have happened in order to make him lose it." Van dispersed the crystal absorbing it back into his body. He then released Ciel's collar as he collected himself. "I'm sorry about that. I just lost myself"

"It wasn't quite him....No, it wasn't him at all." Ciel shook off the dirt from his vest and sighed. "I guess it was his conscious-reiatsu...." The way Ciel acts right now is pretty unusual, very unlikely for a devil to act.

"Was it that adaptive-ness that finally got to him? I can't believe it. When and where did it happen?" Van sat in a chair as he looked down at Asuka

"From what I had observed..... His soul was already gone but his body was active....For whatever reason, it didn't go well.." Ciel continued the healing session, Asuka is in a pretty bad shape but is now out of danger.

Van sighed as he took himself to the kitchen before shouting out "Do you and Asuka drink tea? And Azami! Why haven't you fetched our guests some warm blankets?"

"Why do I have to gooooooo?" Azami began to whine before catching a glance from her mother. "Er...nevermind I'll get right on that."

Asuka suddenly gained consciousness and looked for Ciel right away. Ciel changed his expression as Asuka looked at him, faking a gentle smile. "Are you ok milady?"

"What did I tell you about saying that, Ciel?"

Sitting at her side, Haruki smiled. "Oh! You're finally awake! Thank goodness. I was afraid something bad happened and you might not ever wake up."

Asuka glanced over at Haruki with an indifferent expression. No words came out to reply at Haruki's statement.

"You're being rude again, Asuka." Ciel remarked. Asuka tried to stand up but fell, she didn't have that much strength. "Asuka!"

Grabbing her, Haruki assisted her in sitting back down in the chair. "No need to rush yourself. My mother an father will allow you to stay here for quite some time if needed."

Placing a chair behind Ciel, Anna spoke "Sit Ciel, no need for you to wear yourself out more than you have to. And if there's anything else you need just let me know."

"Ciel, your...acting wierd." Asuka knew something was odd about CIel, the way he acts was out of character. "Don't worry about me."

Van returned with tea in hand as he poured seven different cups. "So tell me about yourself Asuka, you as well Ciel. And don't leave anything out." Van had a stern look on his face hegan forming a crystal sword in his hand before spotting Azami coming down the stairs.

"I have their blankets, happy now?" Azami sighed as she threw the blankets on top of Ciel and Asuka's heads "Here. Get warm already."

Asuka and Ciel looked at each other with Ciel putting up a smirk. "There's nothing much to tell.... Van, you're no idiot.. You know exactly what I am, don't you? And Asuka, what else to know... She's the daughter of two of the most dangerous individuals that had existed."

Van laughed. "Heh. You could tell? I don't like jumping to conlusions before asking questions but since we both already know, let's just cut to the chase. What's a demon and a power shinigami like her doing around these parts?"

"Time's up..." Ciel's skin started to burn away, as part of the 72 princes of Hell, he couldn't stay that long here anymore. "Ciel, what's happening?" Asuka asked out loud. A dark aura covered Ciel as he fades away slowly. "Seems like I'm being called back.... You know how the empress could get." Asuka hated Fukienzeru as much as she loved Ciel, some sort of jealousy one might say.

Ciel turned to Van and muttered. "Yueng.." Before he could finish, he was gone.

Van smirked as he looked down to the floor. "I haven't heard about any demons around these parts in sometime. Not since he helped us out sometime ago. Heh."

Haruki jumped back toward a wall as he looked around in amazement. "D-D-demons!? What!? Seriously dad...do they actually exist?"

"What I'm actually interested in is what he said before he vanished. What does Yueng mean? Hmmm..." Azami questioned as she watched her brother's suprised reaction.

Anna stepped foward meeting Van's gaze before she spoke waiting for his nod of approval. "He meant the Yuengiri Academy. I didn't want to inform you of this yet but I think you all might be ready for this after all. " Before she could finish, Van stood prompting Anna to let him take over.

Van walked toward a windowas he began talking "The Yuengiri Academy is an instituion built to help shape young minds and allows the rest oftheir senses to grow as well. Your mother is a teacher there if you didn't know and one of my dear friends Kenji Hiroshi has had a great deal to do with the place."

Haruki jumped up in excitement. "Did you say Hiroshi!? As in Kentaro Hiroshi? I met him and had a sparring session which ended in my loss."

Van smiled. "Ah. I take it that may be his son. Well honestly Haruki...at your current level, I'm not surprised you didn't win. I myself have trouble dealing with Kenji sometimes but that in itself should tell you not to worry. Eventually one day you'll grow in strength." Turning to Asuka, Van continued. "Hm..Asuka. I think Ciel wanted me to enroll you into the Academy as well. If you want to I should say."

"Ok.." A simple answer with a simple meaning but Asuka spoke it with such cold voice. Asuka's eyes were rolling over, observing everyone's action and the place she was in.

''"Vaaaaan...." ''A spooky voice whispered right through Van's thoughts. It should sound pretty familiar for him especially the girl right in front of him should should refresh his memory of the person whose voice was echoing on his mind. ''"How've you been? It's been long since we last... spoke. No matter, I was...just checking on my little girl... I do hope you'd take care of her..." ''

Asuka seems ignorant of what was occuring though the voice was pretty loud, atleast for Van.

Van's face seemingly lit up as he began responding to the voice. "No....no way! Is this some kind of sick joke or is this who I actually think it is!?"

''"Having doubts? Even though we only met once, Van... I knew I took part in that brain of yours, haven't i? And it seems I can no longer call *my* body *mine*... So don't be alarmed, I'm just a talking nonesense and all..." ''

"I reckon wemet on the field of combat at least twice. And once outside of that. But I suppose it can't be helped that one forgets after all these years. Where are you? If you don't mind me asking."

''"Take a guess my friend..." ''Asuka unexpectedly stood up. Her gaze went upon Haruki as she slowly walked towards him. To everyone's surprise, she suddenly hugged him and tackled him to the ground while she fell asleep. Events like this happens more often after that event and mostly happens to Ciel but with him not around, Asuka needed a replacement and Haruki was the closest person to her.

Blushing, Haruki began to panic as his hands slowly moved toward Asuka's waist. "''She's soooooo cute! I wonder if she's taken?" ''Lifting the two of them up, Haruki began smiling as he held her in his arms.

"''Oh? So you're in the girl? Hm...Is there anything we should know?" ''Van inquired.

''"Hmmm.... Well, Van... All I could say now is... always remember... She's a Heart.. In her veins is a cold merciless-killer worse than I was... Or not." ''The voice did a malicious laugh which faded away a few seconds later. The voice was then...

gone...

Van smiled. "A merciless killer huh? Than wouldn't that make her more than suitable to train at the Yuengiri academy and become a skiled shinigami? " Looking down at Asuka, Van spoke to Haruki "Take care of her until I get back. I'm going to go the store and retrieve some items for her. When I get back you all better be prepared for your journey to the Academy, you may be there for awhile."

Azami jumped up in excitement "Hell yea!! That's the way to go! Thanks dad! I'm gonna go get ready right now, Haruki, you show Asuka the bath when she wakes up again." Running up the stairs, Azami could be heard singing a tune as she swung her blade in practice.

Asuka snuggled up to Haruki, thinking of him as some kind of teddy bear of some sort. "Cieru.." Her lips whispered.

Looking at his mom, Haruki began to panic. "Um....what am I supposed to do with her? She's still asleep and well....she's super cute!"

Anna gave Haruki a stare for what seemed like an eternity before laughing. "Well....just do what you want. Nothing inappropriate, she is a young lady after all. And if you think she's cute just ask her what she thinks of you when she wakes." Walking upstairs after Azami, she stopped before shouting back to Haruki. "Now go get her some fresh clothes from the guest room, she looks to be about a small but to be safe get her a medium."

Haruki sighed as he looked at Asuka sleep. Placing her back in the chair to rest, he ran to the back room to fetch her some clothes. Returning shortly, Haruki placed the clothes on a chair next to her feet as he sat next to her head. "Hmm...I wonder you actually do think of me. I hope you're ok and are able to wake up soon. I can't wait to get to know you more."

Tears then fell to Asuka's cheeks, her dreams was not known but it looks like it was painful at the moment. She closed her arms and legs, locked in the middle of her body. The tears then turned into blood, for a girl her age, she sure had a lot of sickness with her zanpakuto to blame.

Panicked, Haruki began wiping the blood from her face as he lifted her into his lap. Shaking her lightly as to not make things worse, he began whispering into her ear, "Please wake up!"

Opening her eyes, Haruki was the first person Asuka saw with a red blur due to the blood on her eyes. She weep all the blood left and licked it. "Don't panic..." She said calmly, mostly because this might actually happen more often. Asuka then displayed a rare smile, seeing how Haruki reacted.

"Don't panic!? I was afraid something was wrong, but I'm glad to see that you're fine. Besides licing the blood but oddly enough I found that to be cute haha." Haruki spoke as he pulled Asuka close for a hug. "Oh yea. If you want to clean up we have some spare clothes for you."

"Do I look bad already? Haruki-chan?" Chan... It was obvious that Asuka had grown fond of Haruki for short span of time. She continued to smile, it was like Haruki had this special ability to make her lighten up.

"Look bad? No way! You're beauti....er....you look really nice." Haruki spoke as he began blushing. "We all just thought that you may want to get out of your wet clothes and into some warmer ones."

"Ok" Asuka giggled. She went closer to Haruki and stared at his face for a few seconds. "Just noticed... You got awefully cute eyes..." She giggled once more.

Leaning foward, Haruki blushed once more. "T-T-Thank you. You do too. You have really pretty lips and hair as well." Taking a big gulp, Haruki looked around the room for any sign of his mom or sister.

Asuke reached out her hand and pinched Haruki's nose. She tilted her head a bit to the left, she wondered why Haruki seemed nervous. "Are you ok Haruki-chan?"

Laughing as Asuka pinched his nose, Haruki smiled "Y-Yea I'm fine. I was just astonished by you. Youre really pretty even when you're asleep. Well uh you know....what do you want to do now? Do you want me to show you where you can change or well er...maybe...nevermind."

"You stared at me while I was sleeping?" Asuka asked, wondering if she had done that again... worse is that if she had done it to Haruki which she had.

"Well I couldn't help it." Haruki spoke in an apologetic tone. "You were just there and I was attracted to you so i became worried about your safety...I'm sorry if that freaked you out."

Asuka chuckled and smiled. "No worries.. It was kinda sweet." She started to look around then stared back at Haruki. "Soooo.... I can change my clothes?"

"O-O-Oh yea! Just go around that corner there and you can shower and change in there. I think my dad will be back soon so I hope you're ready to go in the morning." Haruki smiled as he pointed toward a dimly lit hall. "I can't wait to spend more time with you Asuka!"

Hearing a snapping sound, Asuka quickly changed her expression and tone from the cheery type back to her gloomy and empty one. "I'll go right ahead then.. Haruki-san." Changing honorifics also highlighted her quick convertion. She stood up and went ahead to the bath room.

"San? ''Did I do something wrong?" ''Haruki scratched his head as he thought about what could have changed. "Well when she gets out me an her can talk more." Yawning, Haruki turned just as Van returned home.

"Heh. Haruki.I hope you're ready." Van smirked as he walked in with a few large bags of an assortment of items. Turning his attention toward the dim hall, Van began to speak. "I take it Asuka is in the shower and Anna is with Azami right?"

Haruki smiled with a sleepy expression. "Yup! I was here with Asuka so she wasn't alone."

"Good. But Haruki..." Van eyes had a menacing look to them. "Watch her closely. I know her family and if she's spewing dark matter, you have to be careful because she can lose control at any time."

The water from the shower started to run, the shadow of Asuka taking a bath can be see but not much clearly. Her clothes was wet from the rain so she hanged them up on wall of the bathroom. After a few minutes, the water had stopped. Asuka grabbed a towel in the room and used it to dry herself. She went outside with only a towel wrapped around her. Having just finished a shower, Asuka had this unusual look that most girls get after taking a bath; a wet-look one might say. Her eyes turned to Van and she bowed her head a bit, a gesture to show respect.