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With soft steps landing up wind swept grass Aidoneus gazed out upon the vast sea of stone graves, islands of mausoleums the only thing to break up to sorrowful existence of this landmark to the Soul Society's triumphs, and defeats. For all the somberness, the stench of death that seemingly clung to the air all around him he felt strangely at piece. He wasn't the only one his zanpakuto resonating with the atmosphere of the surrounding reishi. Certainly Shinigami had a certain connection with the cycle of life and death it was after all a cycle they oversaw their role in the universe to see to the passing of souls. Still their was a connection beyond that he could feel it in the very core of his soul, even if he would never truly know why he felt that way those memories long since gone before he even awoke in the Rukon District.

Walking between the rows that stretch on, and on over the soft rolling hills a haze of incense was starting to settle low close to the ground of the graveyard. He breathed in deep the heady scent of he incense letting it wash of him as he moved deeper still the grave markers becoming older, and older with every step until surprisingly he came across an empty spot a bare patch between two graves. This was the spot he could feel it."Rule From Below, Mienaimono." drawing forth his zanpakuto the blade for a brief moment absorbed the light of the lanterns around him taking on a black oily uniform color the blade breaking into two pointed tops, the hilt extending into a long shaft until he was holding a bident in hand. It was certainly a strange weapon born of ancient times in the crater of civilization, but it had served him well like an old friend you could always rely on indeed over the years he had come to form a special relationship with Mienaimono.

-"Well then....I forgot you have a certain flare for theatrics, despite that cold air about you."- from Aidoneus' shadow a well dressed man stepped out from behind him he was maybe about half a foot taller then the shinigami with black hair sweeping over eyes cold as death. Upon his brow sat a crown not gold in splendor, or bejeweled in majesty it was simply made a band of blackened metal that seemed devoid of all light that not even the lanterns brightly lit could cast their radiance upon it. This was Mienaimono manifested The Unseen One, Master of Darkness, his very zanpakuto spirit. Swinging an umbrella in hand round, and round Mienaimono lightly leapt up onto one of the grave markers spinning on one foot a predatory look about him.

"It just felt appropriate for the two of us to do this here is all, after all in all the time we have known each other the shadowy veil of death has been no stranger." He stared up at Mienaimono barely a twitch to his expression as he regarded his zanpakauto spirit with professional respect. -"Yes yes...you know you really need to lighten up...I know much more cheery gods of death...and trust me I know a thing or two about them not just you Shinigami."- stepping through the air he walked right over Aidoneus' well polished shoes clicking down onto ceramic tiles that covered one of the mausoleums. -"Still though I know why you have come a calling I should know after all we share the same name, different of course, but one person can have as many names as the stars themselves some given others their own making."- they way he smiled as he spoke it was enough to send a shiver down even Aidoneus' spine. "Yes believe myself ready to learn more of your power to further our bond as Shinigami, and Zanpakuto." he stated matter of fact turning sharply on his heels to face him.

-Whoosh- lantern light flickered, and ribbons of remembrance danced in a sudden bluster of a gust eventually it died down alongside the smile of Mienaimono. Holding out his hand the umbrella's handle hook around his wrist hanging from it as he stared right though Aidoneus. -"Quite so though this will not be the kind of bond other's have no if you wish to have more of my power the bond you will attempt to forge will be thicker then blood."- His voice grew cold a chill that permeated the very air around them and one by one the light of the lanterns were snuffed out. In Mienaimono's outstretched hand a helm began to form out the darkness it took a moment for Aidoneus to the lack of light, but soon enough he could see well enough to notice the archaic helmet he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the strange relic. -"Oh noticed it have you.. you won't be seeing it or me for long."-chuckling he held the helm up high, and down from below his shadow split off into nine shadow copies of Aidoneus each one with a similar helm in their hand. -"Your task is simple in understanding, but difficult in practice to use darkness you must face your own darkness and not be swallowed up by it in the process find yourself and you will succeed. That is if you can survive my attacks long enough to do so."- Donning the helm Mienaimono along with the nine shadows of Aidoneus' winked out of sight.

Aidoneus took an instinctual step back witnessing them all disappear out of thin air. Right in front of him where he had just been standing two holes formed into the ground that surely were meant for him. -"Best get to finding yourself..before you wake up in Hades."- He only a moment to react side stepping out of the way of a second strike. He didn't even know where to begin how was he supposed to find himself, and deal with attacks when in both cases he could not see where either was. It was beyond frustrating an impossible challenge for now he just had to do his best to survive long enough to think of a solution. For now the best way to go about surviving that long was running which was exactly what he started to do. Using flash step he wanted to put as much distance between him and Mienaimono as possible so he could start tracking down the shadows of himself one of them had to be his darkness he was supposed to face, and find.

It certainly wasn't going to be easy already he could hear the foot steps of Mienaimono following quickly behind him perhaps picking such a wide open space was not the best of ideas so many places as is for things to hide which didn't even take into account them being invisible. Between dodging, weaving though grave markers, and dealing with the unending amount of taunts it was taking the majority of his concentrations just to keep moving . There out of the corner of his eye through a gap between the grave stones he could see something swirling through the thick clouds of incense in the air. That was his chance diving out of the way off another one of Mienaimono's attacks he leapt into the other row eyes locked on the tell tale movement of a body through the incense. That was all he needed for his mind to do the rest of the work calculating exactly where the shadow was going to be next.

His hope that knowledge this would get him one step closer to the end was dashed in a single moment his hands coming into contact with the invisible shadow. For a brief second he could see it before it was just gone sucked up back into the shadow from which it come. He was stunned in his confusion for just long enough that by the time he moved to dodge the attack he knew was coming he didn't get out of the way in time the blade of one of the points cutting across his rib cage not deep enough to seriously wound, but enough to bleed heavily. Hissing in pain he pulled back vaulting over another grave stone he needed distance to at least think there was something he was missing something so simple about all of this that it was the last thing you would have thought of. As he once more went on the move the same old song and dance as before the pain in his side was giving him a new sense of clarity that cut through the fog of his thoughts.

He thought about what Mienaimono had said word by word going it analyzing it from every which direction. The clue was their it would be staring him right in the face, and he would admonish himself when he realized just what Mienaimono had meant all along. Then it dawned on him he had been played the shadows had nothing to do with this they were simply a red herring to draw his focus away from what he really needed to do. They were the obvious solution, and he had jumped right on that path of thinking so quickly he hadn't even given it a second thought until now. He couldn't help give a slight smile his movement beginning to slow until he came to a full stop of course Mienaimono would make things this easy just knowing he couldn't help but make it all the harder for himself.

Metal clattered on stone Aidoneus' bident falling to the cobblestone path beneath him turning around he had the most amused expression on his face arms held out to the side. Part of him knew what he was attempting to do was a massive gamble his very life on the line no one said it was going to be easy facing your darkness never was. Closing his eyes he was ready to accept what was about to happen to him. He was fully expecting to feel the white hot pain of being skewered by his own zanpkauto it never came though seconds went by or at least it felt like seconds as the anticipation weighed down on him.

A hand fell upon his shoulder causing him to jump cracking open his eyes slowly he was met with the sight of Mienaimono smiling at him the helm gone. -"You did well Aidoneus...you actually surprised me I was expecting you to go through more of my shadows before you realized the trick to it all....before you realized that your darkness is my darkness that we are one in the same connected more to each other than we are to anyone else in this world."- with his smile, and words of praise the lantern lights throughout the graveyard started to find their radiance again casting the two in their warm somber light.

"I have to admit you would be the one out of anyone to stump me the way you did..what would you have done if I hadn't caught on by the last shadow."

-"Kill you of course for being that stupid."- it gave him a pause however he should have expected that answer in the first place still he at least wanted to confirm his suspicion either way. -"Just remember we face the darkness together for with me in your hand you shall Lord over my realm such is our union, our covenant."- he gave him one moment pat on the shoulder suddenly moving into a hug his form starting to dissipate wrapping arond Aidoneus' settling his shape into that of a pitch black robe. That was no where near what he had expected though that just showed even when you tried to prepare for everything when it came down to it something unexpected could still very well blindside you. Bending down he retrieved his zanpakuto letting the release fade returning the blade to it's sheath. "Let's go see how well the other Ryoka can handle this."

[Exits]