| abstract | - Storms raged. The wind howled. A dark night shielded the seas of Soul Society from a calamity which was about to unfold. The murky waters splashed, as they got more and more violent by the minute. And admist the chaos, a solitary figure, motionless and unmoving was thrown around as if they were in a disaster, allowed themselves to go with this surging current. A world full of surprises and revelations was about to unfold, revealing itself and replacing the old Soul Society. A lithe body was thrown onto the grainy beach, motionless like a still doll. The being showed no signs of being amongst the living; though to say that this was incorrect would be a massive understatement. The gentle waves splashed against the body's bare skin, as the rose hair was tainted with sand. Cuts were littered all over the figure's body, and they looked rather empty, complete with empty eyes. Like a porcelain doll, so to speak. All they could do was lay upon the shore, motionless. A faint light shone in their eyes, glimmering in the pale moonlight. This light faded, as the person's irises became dull husks of their former selves. Only a groan was released from their bloodied mouth, as they slipped into a coma. "Ungh..." The figure groaned, as they slowly opened their bright golden eyes. They analyzed the area, noting it to be a hospital. The room was nice and cozy; a desk was near their bed which held a series of potted plants, one of those new-fangled televisions hooked up to the ceiling, and an assortment of other goods layed out in the room. That sandy feeling was all but gone, as the being still felt as if...something was missing. It was if they were hollow, as if there was a void in their heart that could not be filled. The figure gazed out of the window at the deep azure sky, admiring it in all its beauty. The person couldn't have a care in the world, yet something was definitely wrong. "...Where...am I?" The figure questioned, as if asking themselves. All they could remember was being assaulted by a mysterious being and the sensation of water surrounding their very being. That was it; nothing else. They felt as if they were in a daze or a dream from which they could never wake up from. A grumbling sound erupted from their stomach; a sign of hunger. "Ugh...Why is my tummy grumbling?" They clenched their stomach in confusion. Without a moment's notice, the door was opened and a figure walked into the room. Their outward appearance projected an extremely tranquil and gentle atmosphere onto the figure, primarily due to being an androgynous, effiminate, and slender male, whose features were almost completely feminine in appearance. They possessed wide hips, long legs, and droopy eyes with red and emerald; heterochromia, so to speak. Their blonde hair was worn in a bun which spiked up slightly at the top, gently flowing out to the left side, with several strands of hair sticking out at the sides of the bun as sort of waves. They wore a lycrois flower on the right side of their hair. Finally, they were clothed in an elegant and ornate decorated kimono, and black high-heeled stiletto boots. "Who-who are you...?" The figure questioned. The other person slowly walked over to their bedside, handing them a snow-white envelope, prompting them to gaze at who it was addressed to. "Zakura Terui." This is what it read; the figure checked to see if anything was actually inside the envelope, but nada, zero, zip, zilch. Absolutely nothing. Immediately, the figure summarized, "That must be it! My name must be Zakura Terui!" The other figure handed Zakura a mirror, as he gazed upon his figure; Zakura bore the appearance of a young, very feminine male with a petite and slender frame, much like a woman's, and soft light brown eyes. He had rosy light pink hair which reached down to his waist, and was tied up in a simple braid, and had two bangs going down to his chin, adorned with hair ornaments. Of course, that wasn't the focus for Zakura; who exactly was this mysterious person? The amnesiac youth turned to the figure, asking while extending his hand, "...And you are?" The figure's cheeks became a flushed red, as they responded, "...Y-Yuuki Kaburagi." Yuuki's voice was full of hesitation, though nevertheless, he extended his hand, grasping Zakura's. At first, Yuuki's face showed no emotion, gazing away from Zakura, though upon noticing Zakura's smile, he eventually let up and let off one of those rare smiles; truly, Yuuki Kaburagi had changed since that night, the time where he was set free and allowed to live a normal life. Zakura queried, "What am I doing here, exactly?" Yuuki pressed his palm to his forehead, responding, "...Well, I found you washed ashore a day ago. You were holding that envelope. That's...that's all I know, really. Sorry, I can't help you on that one." Zakura sighed, resigned to his fate. "...Where am I, anyway?" He questioned, as Yuuki responded, "Currently, we're in Amanogawa City, the third largest area in Soul Society, next to Rukongai and Seireitei. Unlike those two, Amanogawa is technologically advanced, though..." Yuuki froze up for a brief moment; perhaps something was amiss? Zakura was concerned, as he asked, "...Hm, what's wrong Modigliani-ki?" Yuuki recoiled in shock, such a lame nickname. "...Modigliani...ki...? What's that about?" Zakura gave Yuuki a smile, responding, "Sorry. Um, it's just you remind me of the masterpieces by Amedeo Modigliani, an Italian painter who was famous for elongated portraits particularly around the neck area, with your long neck." Yuuki gave Zakura a 'blink-and-you'll-miss-it' look of 'oh god that's soo creepy', before putting on that sweet smile once again, responding, "Uh...yeah. Please try not to call me that again, got it?" Zakura nodded submissively, actually quite fearful of invoking the wrath of Yuuki Kaburagi despite only having known him for the span of a few meager minutes. The amnesiac youth was bloody well aware that Yuuki was scary as hell when sufficiently pissed off. "Anyway, I'll be going now. I've got things to tend to." Yuuki told Zakura, his words as cold as steel. As the Shinigami began to walk out, Zakura grasped for him, asking, "...Um, wait. I don't know how I could cope with everything now that I've lost everything. So can you...please stay with me, and help me readjust to this world?" Zakura was really, really adamant on keeping Yuuki by his side, as if it was love at fight sight...probably. Yuuki sighed, responding, "...Haa. I guess leaving you to fend for youself would make me a bitch." He smiled sweetly once again, aiding Zakura in properly standing up. Zakura felt light on his feet; as if he could collapse at any given moment. His mind was on a new high. Though Yuuki's company and air kept him from completely passing out. He rested against the Shinigami's side, absolutely exhausted. It felt that losing his memories also caused him to lose his physical stamina- as if a loss of identity resulted in an increase in his heart rate. Though this probably wasn't the case. Probably. As the two left the hospital which Yuuki dragged Zakura to, all Yuuki could think of was where to stay. It wasn't like he had an apartment in Amanogawa City or anything. So the only logical conclusion was to go scouting for one. The wind smashed against Zakura's body, who felt as if he could be sent flying to the winds by such a seemingly strong gale. "First things first...Alright, if you're gonna stay with me, we need to find somewhere to crash. So, please don't complain about where it is, got that?" Yuuki affirmed, as Zakura weakly nodded in compliance. As the two trudged down the futuristic streets, the voices of civillians rang throughout the air. "...Did you hear? There's been a new breakthrough in technology. They say that a bunch of scientists have developed something called a Reisōbi, which can help us rid Amanogawa City of those cursed Crimson Soverigns." Zakura was incredibly clueless as to what the topic was; what the heck was a "Reisōbi" anyways? Sounded like a kind of noodle dish, to be honest. As Yuuki, clutching Zakura brushed past a crowd, Zakura felt something brush up against him; like something was thrown around his waist and tied tightly before he could react. "...!" The belt clicked in place. While he weakly reached down in an attempt to tear it off, it wouldn't budge. As he gazed down, he noticed that the belt had several odd symbols, though they weren't too noticable to the point that people would stop and stare. "What is this...?" The touch of the belt upon Zakura's waist felt...familiar. It was as if old emotions were re-awoken, a burning sensation welled up inside of his body. No, it wasn't hot blood. Well, not yet it wasn't hot blood. The hotbloodedness and manly screaming would be saved for battle. Yuuki remained oblivious, though Zakura was incredibly wary. "Uh, hey, Yuuki..." Yuuki Kaburagi gave Zakura a quick glance, as Zakura continued, "...Do you have no idea what this is?" The Shinigami remained quiet, before responding, "...I'm not sure. I think I've seen something similar in Nika's office, but other than that, I'm not sure." The amnesiac youth sighed, though this mysterious belt was bound to bring misfortune to him.
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