Chapter 10. Crystal Rose of Santo Garden

Ichitaro looked around the garden and it seemed pretty tense because it was filled with exotic trees and magical animals. He could hear the echoes of a flapping wings from the crow at a distance, not even someone like a soul reaper could do.

Hitting on every bulky, thick leaves and branches on every corner and stomping on diminutive twigs, the more he followed it, the more he wondered where it actually taking him. The only thing left in his mind was his parents. He was certain that they were worried about his whereabouts.

Without any physical energy left in his body, Ichitaro rapidly slowed himself down as he dragged his feet feeling exhausted and wanted to rest. He simply sat below the shallow trees when he panted heavily. He closed his eyes and opened them again as he starred at the evergreen leaves dancing with the winds.

Just as he'd finally relaxed, besides his aching body, he turned his head around and saw a light bouncing on his face.

It `nearly` hurt his blue eyes, but he doesn't mind. Curiously, Ichitaro quickly realised that a sun's bouncing light that came towards him were actually a pool of water.

By then, he saw a gorgeous waterfall pouring down like a goddess of water splashes from the river to a pool, using only her invisible colossal jug-like tunnel. Ichitaro didn't care about the waterfall nor anything else because he was hungry and thirsty, even though he only ate breakfast from Kenny's House.

As thirsty as he was, he slowly got up and drew closer to himself towards the water. Even if he could see the reflection of himself, he only wanted to drink water only and rest, so he could gather his energy and find that crow, which it sents him to a wild goose chase.

He scooped out a handful of water, like a hand-sized bowl and drank all the water from his palm of his hand. After finishes the first one, he drank more water as he continued slurping nonstop.

" I see you've drank my water, spirit demon." echoed a feminine voice, caused him to stop what he's doing.

He looked around and asked :

" Who said that? I have a name afterall."

The feminine voice chuckles as she answered :

" I'm talking to you, silly. You need to slow down. I'm looking at you. "

Ichitaro tried his best to locate the mysterious, yet a sly voice onto him.

As soon as he tried to spot it, he could feel a cool paw on his left cheek and could see a little white furred creature right in front of him, as beautiful as it was; Its eyes were bright lime eyes with hints of multi colours. It has golden rings hovering around its tiny feet and its long ears, having different kinds of gems around its chest and on its forehead and its pigtail-like mane was painted azure in colour, in which the wind and sunlight began to play with it.

It glanced at Ichitaro with curiosity as she said :

" I'm right opposite you."

Apart from spotting Hallows and lost souls in Karakuda Town, he had never seen a living magical tiny fox-like creature at his presence. He thought he was dreaming, knowing very well that he's not. The creature asked :

" What's the matter, spirit demon? Cat got your tongue?"

Ichitaro simply answered:

" No. I actually have a name, just as I said earlier."

The creature's eyes shines brighter like an Opal gem as she continues to watch him. She sniffs through the air and realised something.

" Come on, spirit demon. I'll find you a place to sit. My instinct tells me you're in another world. Follow me. " it said, telepathically went straight towards him as it walked on water. Ichitaro felt he might be the only person who can speak to anyone else, even in spirit.

However, he tends to ignore those signs that he's more special - he might be able to communicate beyond spirit entities. So he followed it, the same way the crow did by walking around the pool.

" I'm Ichitaro, by the way." he said after he finally broke his silence.

" it's nice meeting you, Ichitaro. I've gone with many names and I'm a girl. You can call me Celestia." it said.

" It's nice knowing you too, Celestia. Cool name by the way." Ichitaro said, without a single smile on his expressionless face.

Celestia, on the other hand, smiled at him.

~~~~~~~

A glorious, lovely auras suppressed the atmospheric condition. The sky was crystal blue and the sun casting its golden rays on an elegant garden. The wind blew slightly as birds with a happily chirping sounds around the area. Magical little creatures were hovering above and bellow the trees with cheerfulness around.

Ichitaro kept on looking at the sky that `matches` his eyes, along with clouds marching in like the herds of buffaloes. He simply lay his body on a bed of smooth rocks and a shade from the palm tree's shadow near the riverbank.

As he turned his head around, he saw the crow again. But this time, it splashes a pool of water, yet he didn't want to chase it away because it's not in his nature. He kept on glancing at it as it continues to have fun, even Celestia starred at him, with a basket full of unknown, exotic fruits on its mouth.

It disturbed him as it said :

" You seem pretty keen on Excallibur."

" Who's Excallibur?" he asked.

" That crow is actually Excallibur. He's the reason why he brought you here in the first place."

Ichitaro felt like everything came to a halt.

' That crow is Excallibur? How does Celestia knew it, anyway?' he thought.

" I can hear you, Ichitaro. Of course the crow is Excallibur. I've brought you something. It may not be so called `food` from the world of the living, but I guess it's a lot healthier.", said Celestia.

Ichitaro remained stunned as he learnt that Celestia had that kind of ability. Without asking her on how she done it, he simply sat up straight, just to see what she bought for today. Every exotic fruits were rare, fresh and ripe in each individual on the basket.

With different kinds of fruits that he finds it impossible to pick, because of his hunger, he simply picked one fruit with black and white in colour. It's similar to a grapefruit, but he decided to enjoy it. By the time he was about to peel off its excess skin, Celestia said :

" You know, you have to eat it straight away. It's not the same as those other `human fruits `. Think of it as peach."

Ichitaro looked at Celestia, at first, then he saw the fruit again. He seems to doesn't care what it was as he took a bite of a first piece like an apple.

" It kinda taste like a grapefruit. " he said after finishes eating that first piece as it bursted with sweetness. He continued to take one bite after another, until the fruit was left nothing, but leaving auras inside him.

" It's funny how there aren't any seedlings.", said Ichitaro as he took another fruit.

" That's because they're different from the world of the living.", said Celestia.

" Thanks for the fruits. I am really starving after all. But I still don't get why would these bald headed weirdos were chasing after me and calling me `spirit demon`. And why would that lady tried to silence me. "

Celestia chuckles as she answered Ichitaro :

" That's because you are a spirit demon. Isn't it a coincidence? I haven't seen one since hundreds of years ago. "

Ichitaro was definitely disappointed. He thought that she was only joking as he said without even chuckled at himself nor her jokes :

" If it's a joke, just say it. I'll probably laugh. "

Celestia sighed in disbelief in Ichitaro's personality.

" I wish I could, but it's true. You are a spirit demon.", she answered.

Ichitaro remained silence over the garden as the wind whistles an intensified tune. He didn't realise that his own identity - he's not a human at all.

" Don't be sad, Ichitaro. Your parents were spirit demons too----" said Celestia

" Along with Tanjiro, Rangiku and Yoshimura. Shouldn't she kill my family too?" Ichitaro asked, disturbing her speech.

" Actually, she was meant to slaughter your mother, even when she was pregnant with her first born. "

" But, Koro protected her."

Celestia shook her head and said :

" No, it's not a Soul reaper. It's someone else, someone with a Quincy powers. "

' It could be Masaki or Ryuuken. But my question is why?' Ichitaro asked himself.

" You're correct with that Kurosaki person. She was the reason she saved her."

Ichitaro had many unanswered questions about the spirit demons, rubbing his yellow hair when he's stressed out.

" What are they? The spirit demons?"

" I'm glad you wanted your true identity. It all started over thousands of years ago, as the battle between angels and demons were terrifying. There are demons that ruled both worlds - the underworld and the world of the living. All are stronger than Hallows and humans. Spirit demons are one of them and they are related. But what separated them from other demons, that they practice magic and are illusionists. Plus they looked exactly like humans. Although their origins is officially a secret, the Soul society were the ones visiting their home - The gospel death kingdom. Sometimes they wanted to learn more about their culture and spread their words to the Authorities. After a few deliberations, one of the Authorities had no other choice but to ask the spirit demons for help, in which case peace was finally restored. "

" But what really happened to them?"

" Well, the cold War started after some of the angels refused to sign in. The peace treaty. Until, miraculously, they were all slaughtered by the angels. Not even a single clan survived this brutal annihilation. But learning the fact that your family were the only ones that survived, this could mean there's hope for a better future. Ichitaro, I know that soul reaper died protecting you and you still haven't had powers yet, but please.... "

Celestia grabbed a white cloth wrapped along with three of those swords that left it from the shallow lake after a whimsical battle with Deki and Kakuzu, and placed his hooded jacket from his left side as she continued, ".....please save us from darkness. I may be the strongest dragon, but my powers alone won't be enough. Not even the substitute soul reaper can defeat darkness."

Seeing how sad she was, Ichitaro simply said to her :

" I will. I promise".

Suddenly, he senses an incredible amount of spirit energy. He may have seen ghost, but it's his first time sensing a spirit energy from the distance and he even noticed a change in the sky. The flapping sounds from the birds echoes at the garden. The slight, playful wind turned into a ferocious wind. It blew so heavy and eerily, that the sky darkened.

" It's here. Ichitaro, we have to leave here immediately. Take your things and get out of here." said Celestia as she turned herself into a beautiful golden dragon.

A glorious happy paradise changes into a dark sunless sky, filled with fogs covering the entire garden. Little creatures took cover from the shelter and even the waterfall stopped itself with magic.

Then a dark aura suppressed the joyful atmospheric condition. Ichitaro took everything, including the basket, his jacket and three zanpakutos* onto Celestia's shoulder.

" Alright, which place are you going to take me?" he asked.

" The Soul society. You'll be safe there." she answered. Unexpectedly, a mysterious man stood still as they were planning on escaping. Ichitaro then calculated that the anonymous spirit energy was actually onto that figure.

Then it spoke in a masculine voice :

" I see you've protected him. "

" WHAT DO YOU WANT, BOY!?" roared Celestia in an angry tone.

" I'm not here to destroy you or this place. I'm here for the boy.", it said as it continues, " I'm just following orders."

" You wanted to kill him, aren't you?"

"Just as I said, I'm just following orders."

" Listen up, you creep or whatever ever your name is. Just get out of my way before anyone gets hurt." said Ichitaro.

The figure laughed and said :

" You know you have a good sense of humour, spirit demon-----. "

" Cut the crap!!! " Ichitaro disrupted the figure as he drew the black zanpakuto from a white cloth and charged at him.

[ Bakudo* no. 26 - Kyokko ]

He activated a spell, finding it hard to sense his spirit energy along with thick fogs covering his tracks . Ichitaro couldn't even see Excallibur from above.

' Damn, couldn't see anything.' he thought until he picked up a certain hearing signal from the area. He tried to listen very closely when he heard him again and this time, it was an incantation. The figure placed both his hands and chanted:

« WALLS OF IRON SAND, A PRIESTLY PADOGA GLOWING IRONCLAD FIREFLIES. STANDING UPRIGHT SILENT THE---»

The figure was interrupted by Ichitaro as he slashed his arm and went for the neck.

" Oh, sorry. You were saying?" Ichitaro said.

He saw that figure was at last, but didn't get to know who he truly was. He was wearing an old raggedy soul reaper clothes with a deer- skull mask, decorated in black fur and feathers.

" A spirit demon that could hear even a spiritual pressure?! What are you?" he asked.

" What annoyed me today, is to find someone who talks too much." he answered.

" I may have acknowledged your new set of skills. I bet Keitaro had thought you the Wills of Kishida. "

The figure's eyes shimmered blue miniature sparks as he grabbed, what it appears to be, a dagger and sliced Ichitaro's right leg. He winced in pain as the figure slowly melts away from darkness, laughing hysterically.

Ichitaro grabbed his right leg from bleeding and tried wrapping around his leg with his jacket. Thankfully, he was wearing black jeans. Meaning the dagger didn't cut him deep enough.

" Are you alright, Ichitaro?" asked Celestia.

" It hurts like a bitch.", he answered, " Let's go to the Soul society."

~~~~~~~

The sun got swallowed by the rapid falling night and the sky got freckled by shimmering stars. The moon was halfway through to full as Ichitaro stared at the dark sky, whilst Celestia's galactic coral wings flapped quietly.

Little does he know his leg began to swollen, turning his peachy colour to a mere purple. Celestia, spotted a place further from the Soul society as she landed safely to a nearby house. Ichitaro, quickly realised that it wasn't what he thought it was.

" Are you sure, it's a soul society?"he later asked

" No. But I have to fulfill my duties as a god.", she answered.," But we'll meet again soon. "

" Oh thanks for the lift, Celestia. " Ichitaro said as he took all of his stuff before her body turned into dust. Ichitaro looked at the signs which was written :

« STAR RAGE 97'»

' What the hell is this place?' he thought.