Chapter 12: Great Teacher Erza

Written by Greatkingratt88. Once again, thank you.

Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Me? I own JACK SQUAT.

I do believe that this is our first chapter to reach 10,00 words. I have to say, I'm quite pleased at this little fact. Also, this chapter marks the introduction of two cannon characters who will be playing large roles in this story. Who are they? And is Erza cut out for this teaching job at all?

Well, you'll have to read to find out!

Two weeks later, a very hesitant, confused Erza stood back at the entrance of the academy. Once, she had been a student here, feeling anxious, eager, like a child... it had not been a decade, but it felt like a hundred years ago now. So many things she had learned since, so far she had come, so much pain she had felt... and here she was, now expected to pass on knowledge to young, impressionable souls, whose ignorant minds were just waiting to be filled with knowledge.

The notion intimidated her a little. She hadn't ever been a people person- she was a sword person, and the problems she was used to solve were the kind where you could apply gratuitous violence until it went away, and if that failed, all you needed was to apply more violence. Somehow, she reasoned that this was probably not an option when it came to students.

She took a deep breath, and took that first step, resolutely marching into the academy to report to the headmaster, before leading her first class. She was Erza Scarlet, and Erza Scarlet did not let herself be intimidated by a group of children. Leadership, she knew, was half competence and half just acting like you knew what you were doing- and she knew she could manage at least the latter.

After reporting to the principal- the same old man he had been those years ago- and getting some basic information about her classes, her new schedule, she headed down to the classroom. It was fairly simple- today, just give them a lecture on what it means to hold a sword, demonstrate some basic moves, and save the proper teaching for tomorrow. She had been relieved to know that once they had got started, all she had to do was oversee their training, offer some direction- she wasn't expected to do much lecturing. It couldn't be that hard, could it? A class full of children, who had to do whatever she said- well, she knew how to command respect. Maybe it was that easy?

At long last- and much too quickly- Erza was at the door of her old classroom, where once she had been instructed by Shimura-sensei on how to use a sword, now as an authority. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside the room. Thirty-odd pairs of eyes turned towards her, and she looked at her new students- younger, older, girls and boys, each one looking right at her. The boys especially looked impressed- for obvious reasons. Cleavage or not, men had a way of noticing one thing before all else...

All right. Focus. Act like you know what you are doing. You are in charge. She thought, and walked up, standing before the class, folding her arms and putting on a stern look.

"Class One A, I will be your teacher for the foreseeable future," she began. "and I will do my best to pass on the skills you need to advance. You are ignorant now- weak little ducklings. Each one of you would be hollow feed within seconds of meeting one. I am going to change that. Make no mistake- you are not here on a camping trip, or on the road to a comfortable job within the walls. Each one of you will face life and death situations many times to come. Some of you will die."

There was a hard look in her eye, and for a moment, she thought she saw them down in the class- Sensuke, Marisa, Remon, her old friends, and she felt emotion swelling in her chest- but she controlled herself.

"Some of you will not make it," she said, and she noticed an uneasy look in the eyes of the students, "something my sensei was not keen to say much of when I was taught- but you will get no lies from me. I will give you pain and I will give you honesty, and you will listen to everything I have to say. In return, you will gain the skills to live on. Is that understood?"

There were more uneasy looks throughout the class, students looking at each other with uncertainty, murmuring quietly.

"I said," she raised her voice, almost but not quite shouting, "is that understood, students?!"

"Yes, sensei!" her new students cried back, in an imperfect, nervous chorus, but each one with gusto. Act like you knew what you were doing.

"Good." She said, nodding. "Does anybody here know anything about holding a sword?"

A few people raised their hands, and Erza turned to the closest one, a boy with hair as bright red as her own.

"What is your name?"

"Abari Renji, sensei!" He said spiritedly.

"And what is your experience with a sword?"

"I..." He said awkwardly.

"Spit it out." Erza said sternly.

"Back in the rukon, I sometimes had to use a knife to defend myself. And uh, sometimes a wood branch that I cut to look like one. It was useful against... people. Sometimes." He mumbled awkwardly. There were some sniggers in the back of the class, but Erza decided to ignore them.

"Step up, and grab a training sword." She said, and took one of her own from the wall.

"S-sensei?" He said, sounding scared.

"Take one and try to hit me. That is an order."

"But-"

"I will not ask twice." Erza said, holding up her own. "Hit me."

Looking terrified, Renji slowly went and grabbed a sword from the wall, and stood face to face with Erza, in front of the whole class.

"Do you know how to take a stance?" She asked, standing with the training sword held out in front of her, in perfect form. She was not usually one for form; her own style was more directed at whatever suited the situation best, but this was a classroom.

"S-sure," Renji mumbled, and clumsily imitated her own stance.

"Then go." Erza said mercilessly.

Letting out a cry, ranging between nervous and spirited, Renji sprinted forward, bringing his sword down- much too hard, and with no real balance. Erza easily caught his sword, directed it to her side, and slammed the hilt of her own sword into his chest. Renji let out a hollow cough, and sunk to his knees.

"On your feet." She said coldly. This was cruel, but life was cruel- they might as well learn that.

"Y-yes, sensei," Renji said, coughing again. Standing up again, his feet wobbly, he took a more cautious stance, before charging again, feinting a swipe to the side, before stabbing forward. Erza simply side-stepped the stab, caught his wrist, and pressed the point of her sword against his neck.

"And now, you're dead," she said, letting go of his wrist, and pressing the tip of the sword against his neck. Renji wobbled, then fell over, letting out a surprised cry. There were sniggers again, from the back of the classroom, and Erza frowned.

"Pitiful." She said, putting down the sword and putting her arms behind her back. "Each one of you is pitiful and weak. Right now, you are nothing- if you thought you knew anything before, forget it. But when I am done with you, each one of you will have learned how you defend yourselves, and others, how to face another swordsman, or a hollow." She looked sharply towards the back of the classroom. "And for those of you who found this funny- Abarai probably knows more than you do. This is not a game. This is where you learn a skill that may well save your life one day. Is that clear?" She said strictly.

"Yes, sensei!" The class said, almost as one this time.

"Go back to your place, Abarai," Erza said. "Now, what is a sword? Can anybody tell me what is means to hold a sword?"

One student, a lanky young boy with stripy, brown hair, raised his hand.

"Speak up," Erza said, nodding.

"Excuse me, sensei," he said, and by his accent, Erza placed him as a noble- upper class. "but when are we going to, you know, learn about sword fighting? You've been talking all about how dangerous it is, and how important it is, so why aren't we learning it already? I didn't come here to listen to speeches- I got enough of that at home. I want a sword already."

There was a look of steel in Erza's eyes. "You want your sword, do you?" She said, walking down towards the boy.

"Yes," he said, sounding unaware of her shift in tone, her change of mood, "that's why we're here. Are we just going to talk all day? I want to know what your teaching credentials are."

Erza stood in front of him, and looking somewhat nervous, he continued, "frankly, I don't think-"

Faster than his eye could follow, Erza slammed a fist into his gut. He doubled over, coughing, and Erza punched him in the head, and he sunk to his knees.

"God damn it! Holy hell, that hurt... my father will hear of this!" He wheezed, breathing heavily.

"I am sure he will." Erza said, in her steeliest voice, "and when you tell him, let him know I have no time for punks who question me, and interrupt my lessons." She looked at the whole class, all eyes on her, looking terrified. "This goes for all of you. I don't want to have to beat you down, but if you give me lip, I'll give you what for. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sensei!" The class shouted, now in total chorus.

"Good." Erza nodded, and walked back to the front of the class. "Now, what does it mean to hold a sword? Anybody?"

Her first class was not so difficult after all. After that stern lecture, and a speech about the importance of holding a blade, that it meant the power to destroy or protect, and all those essential things- what an unusual thing it was, to teach somebody ethics- she had settled for demonstrating some basics, and before she knew it, an hour had passed. Her first class cleared, Erza felt relieved- maybe teaching wasn't so bad. She still felt the same after the second class. And the third.

...but after a total of six classes, Erza felt exhausted, all but completely drained emotionally. Controlling children- well, strictly, a fair few were adults, but they might as well be kids, as far as she was concerned- was difficult enough, and constantly wondering whether she was doing it right, teaching them what they needed to know, or just ruining what should be a decent education, was flat out destructive. She kept her head high, her tone stern, and her hand firm, but inwardly she wondered how long it would be before she collapsed. Once the day was over, she walked home towards the division, and fell asleep the moment she hit the bed.

And before she knew it, it was morning, and her alarm clock let off a loud beep. It just wasn't fair- nights should, Erza felt, last at least twice as long. After a quick shower, and a hasty breakfast, Erza headed out to school, back to the uncertainty, back to the feeling of just barely being in control, even though it felt like a complete illusion.

Like this it went on, for three more days, and Erza pondered if she couldn't just appeal to her captain to get out of this. Then again, he might not listen... well, she could always stage an incident. A broken arm sounded like a fair trade at this point.

But then, one evening as she headed back to her room, as if by chance, she came upon Aizen Sousuke, walking towards his division. She gave him a tired wave, and kept walking.

"Not even a 'good evening', miss Scarlet?" He said bemusedly. "Have we become cold to each other without me noticing it?"

"Oh, no, not at all," Erza mumbled, rubbing her eyes. Her eyelids already felt heavy, and her arms and legs felt like they were made of lead. "It's just that, ah, I started teaching swordplay at the academy, and... it um, it's pretty hectic." She yawned. "I'm sure you've places to be, Captain Aizen."

"You know," Aizen said, smiling, "I felt the exact same when I started teaching."

She blinked. "Pardon, Captain?"

"I can see it on you- tired, stressed, and more than a little afraid- of failing your students, and of failing yourself. I wasn't aware they had made you a teacher- did they at least give you a course in how to teach?"

"Uh, no," Erza said, shaking her head, "no, it was more of a last minute sort of deal. Their old teacher is in the hospital, and they needed a replacement."

"So they grabbed the first high-performing officer who wasn't important enough that she couldn't be torn from her duties," Aizen said, and she noticed a slight disapproval in his tone. "It's such incompetence- they should have had the foresight to prepare a replacement, or at the very least teach you the basics of teaching."

"Sir?" She said quizzically. It was unlike him, she thought, to take offense like so.

"Oh, it's nothing," Aizen said nonchalantly, "but I do think it an unfair situation."

"Life's not fair," Erza said, shrugging, "and I think I can do it, if I just get used to it... I hope."

"You know," Aizen said, nodding and smiling, "I was quite terrified when I first taught a class. I had the advantage of training for the position, but it was still quite a nervous experience."

"You, captain?" Erza said doubtfully.

"Oh, I am sure I must seem quite in control today. The great captain Aizen, who runs a whole division... but I too was a beginner once, and I too was once clueless." He smirked. "How are the students reacting to your methods? Any back-talk?"

Erza chuckled, just a little. "I punched out a bratty kid the first day at school. Word spread, and the students know I don't tolerate nonsense."

He nodded understandingly. "Good, good- you need to make them respect you. But... well, you achieve more, I think, by making them respect you out of admiration rather than fear. These are impressionable young minds, and a teacher's job is to shape them, encourage them, and make them grow- like a loving gardener tending to a flowerbed."

"If I were like you, captain, then I'm sure it would be no problem," she said tiredly, but with some sense of appreciation, "but I never was good at understanding people. Hollows, I understand- put me up against a pack of huges with a sword in my hand, and I'll take them down with all I have. Students? They're a much scarier kind of beast."

Aizen laughed. "It's a good sign that you haven't lost your sense of humour, Scarlet."

"I might lose my sanity, though," Erza said, but she couldn't help but crack a smile.

Aizen gave her a solemn, happy look. "Hang in there. You're strong- not just in your arms and legs. This is a new challenge for you, and I've no doubt it will make you stronger. I'll be happy to help you with what I know about pedagogics."

"Thank you, captain. I mean... so far, I've made them do excercises, just teaching basics, but... I'm good. I hate to sound arrogant, but I am really, really good at swordfighting. Lowering myself to the right level, not forgetting that they don't know anything, it's really... akward." She mumbled, scratching her head.

"Acknowledging your own skills is neither arrogant nor boastful." Aizen said reassuringly. "Nevertheless, these are people relying on you. It may not have been handled right- and I'll certainly have a word or two with the principal, I think- but for now, they depend on you. The most heroic of efforts are sometimes made simply because they must be, because nobody else will do it."

"I'm not sure it's very heroic to stand in a classroom looking stern while fighting off a panic attack," Erza mumbled.

"On the contrary, I can think of nothing more heroic," Aizen said calmly and emphatically. "People think a hero is just a man- or woman- who will slay the dragon, save the day, and look fancy in a cape- but violence doesn't achieve anything. Impacting dozens of young minds... does. If you want heroes, look no further than teachers, engineers, scientists, philosophers... these are the people who make a difference. And you have a chance to be one of them."

"I hadn't thought of it like that," Erza mumbled. "...thanks, Aizen. Sir."

"No 'sirs', please," Aizen said, waving his hand dismissively with a chuckle, "and you're welcome. I'm all too glad to help a promising colleague like yourself."

"I appreciate it," Erza said. "Well, I better..." she trailed off, making a vague gesture toward her division.

"By all means," Aizen said, "go get some sleep. Goodness knows you will need it."

Erza nodded, saluted awkwardly, and walked off. Still, tired as she was, she felt a little uplifted.

School, Renji had learned, was hard. Not as hard as life in the Rukon, though- but between all kinds of annoyingly difficult subjects, like history, literature or math- who the hell needed to know what happened twelve thousand years ago, anyway?- he almost found himself missing his old home.

Almost. Until he remembered what it felt like to starve, or that he'd never had a home out there at all, or the friends he and Rukia had buried, and that school was hard but you never went hungry, and everyone had their own damn bed. Calling it luxury, for a poor sod like himself, was an understatement.

Which didn't really make mathematics any less obnoxious.

And then there was that harpy of a woman who taught them zanjutsu. He still remembered the first day, the humiliation he had gone through- although, in her defense, she had shown no tolerance whatsoever for bullies, and she didn't let anyone off easy even if their parents were rich- and that was more than could be said for some other teachers. A harpy she was, but there were worse harpies out there.

Right now, he was walking the corridors toward kido class, a dreaded subject he'd be entirely lost in if it weren't for Hinamori, who was walking beside him right now. She was a sweet girl, and though he'd only known her for a week or so, she had already offered him help, for no reason other than that he needed it. Maybe, if he worked hard, there was still that chance of making it, all the way to the top as a shinigami...

Well, kido class first, top later, he decided.

"Hurry up," Hinamori said, "you can not be late again, Abarai-kun!"

"Don't sweat it," Renji mumbled, "I don't want to fail, all right?"

"But you don't want to do kido either," she shot back.

"...true." He grumbled.

"It's very important!" She nagged. "It's a sublime, subtle power, magic that can-

"Magic that can alter reality and bend the power of spirituality to your will, the greatest and most complicated art there ever was, yada yada yada," Renji grumbled, quoting their kido teacher. "I got it, I got it. It's just... not my thing."

"Of course a crude street rat like you couldn't appreciate anything with subtlety to it."

The voice was familiar- it was that guy who Scarlet had given a beating on day one. Renji didn't remember his full name, didn't have to- nobs were all the same. Akamura something, maybe?

"You got something to say?" Renji sneered, stopping to face him. He stood with his back against a wall, lazily leaning against it as if he owned the place.

"Abari-kun, we don't have the time for this," Hinamori pleaded, but Renji didn't listen.

"I believe I just did. Or were you thick enough to miss that?" Akamura said, sneering.

"Why don't you say all you've got to say, and we'll see what happens next," Renji shot back, balling his fist.

"How typical of street trash, threatening violence over the smallest things," Akamura said condescendingly, "but I'm not afraid of you. I don't think anybody is, after what sensei did to you this monday." He chuckled, and Renji clenched his fist.

"Keep talkin', and I'll show you what street trash do to survive," he said angrily.

"I was trained by father's retainer, a master martial artist," Akamura said, standing up straight, "and I'd gladly teach you a lesson, you inferior. Rats like you shame this school. Society really has let itself go, when trash with no manners or talent can go to school just because they've got the smallest iota of spiritual power."

"Right, that's enough!" Renji snapped, moving forward, raising his fist. Akamura took a stance, looking smugly confident. However, before either one could do anything, Hinamori had put herself between them, her arms outstretched to keep them from getting any closer to each other. She wasn't exactly likely to succeed; she was a small girl, and Renji was easily a head taller than her, and so was Akamura. Still, that didn't seem to bother her.

"Stop it, the both of you!" She demanded with an air of authority far beyond what you'd expect of a student. She almost sounded like a teacher, Renji thought.

"I'm going to show 'im what for, so don't get in the way!" Renji growled.

"Yes, go on- or are you going to let a little girl get in your way?" Akamura said mockingly.

"This is a school!" Hinamori cried emphatically. "We are here to learn, not fight! And maybe you don't like each other, but that's no excuse. Abarai-kun, you need to be better than this. Be the bigger person!"

"I..." Renji said, frowning. Something about her tone did make him hesitate. However, before a decision could be made, there was a sharp voice interrupting them.

"You two!" It was, to Renji's dread- and visibly, Akamura's as well- Erza Scarlet, the red-haired fury. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing at all!" Renji blurted out. "We uh, just had a small disagreement."

"...yes. A, uh, friendly discussion." Akamura said, his tone changed entirely.

"Oh, really." Scarlet said, with that you-are-lying-and-I-know-you-know-I-know-you-are-lying look that only teachers seemed to be able to produce. "Hinamori, is this true?"

"...yes." Hinamori whispered, almost squealing. While Renji and Akamura were not terribly convincing, Hinamori was possibly the worst liar in all of existence.

"So they weren't trying to start a fight?" Scarlet demanded harshly.

Hinamori just stared, looking paralysed. Renji felt sweat forming at his brow. Shit...

"Get to class, all of you!" She said, her tone still harsh. "And report to the principal for detention once the school day is done. If you don't, I will find you, and I will make you regret ever coming to this school."

"B-but, that's unfair-" Akamura began.

"Akamura, do not try my patience," Scarlet said, giving him a cold look, "or I will make it two days of detention."

"B-but,"

"How about three?"

"...yes, sensei." he mumbled.

"We'll go to class! Right away!" Renji said, bowing deeply.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go!" Scarlet snapped, and the three of them all but ran away from the scene.

Erza watched as they made their way towards their classes. Abarai was a bit of a troublemaker, and Akamura too- but Hinamori had been the one that tried to step between them. Good to know that not all of her students were punks.

"Miss Scarlet."

The scene was the principal's office. It was evening, that same afternoon, and after finishing her last class, the principal had asked her to come into his office. She wasn't nervous- adults, she could handle, and she was fairly sure her teaching so far hadn't been catastrophic.

"Principal Kateyama." She said, nodding politely. Formality was not her forte, but for the moment, she might as well be polite.

"Do you know why I called you in here?" He said, taking a seat behind his desk. "Sit down, please."

Erza sat down opposite of him. "I haven't the slightest clue, principal."

He sighed. "I know of your record as a fighter, and I realize that you might not be accustomed to some of the... subtleties of school life. I realize you were drafted into this very quickly, with little preparation, so that's understandable."

What on earth was he talking about?

"Sir?"

"Today, you gave Jinto Akamura detention, did you not?"

"And Abarai Renji, and Hinamori Momo," Erza nodded. "What about it?"

"Sanbei Akamura is the head of the Akamura clan, and they are of some notability. Not as reputable as the Kuchiki or Shihoin, but wealthy and influential no less. They are a major contributor to school activities-"

"Tell me, principal," Erza cut him off, "if you saw three students involved in a fight, what would you do?"

"Miss Scarlet, stay on the subject, please-"

"I am staying on the subject," Erza said, steel in her voice, "and I ask that you answer my question. Please."

'Please', she might have said, but somehow it sounded more like 'or else' to Principal Kateyama.

"Miss Scarlet, I don't think-"

"Answer the question." There was no room for argument in her voice.

He sighed again. "...I suppose I would break up the fight, and discipline all students involved."

"That is exactly what I did." Erza said, nodding. "Is that a problem?"

"You have to understand the reality of the situation, Miss Scarlet," Kateyama retorted. "This, on top of abusing him the first day-"

"I had a look at the teacher guide lines before," Erza said firmly, "and, I quote, 'a teacher has the right to discipline a student who misbehaves at any time, verbally or physically'. Do you call that abuse?"

"That is all well and good," the principal groaned, "but I've been receiving some very angry complaints from his father. I really must ask that this stops."

"What exactly are you asking? That I look the other way when he bullies somebody? That I ignore him disrupting my classes? That I teach him nothing in the way of discipline, and ignore his lacking results?"

"You have to understand, the situation is complicated," the principal said, looking tired.

"It doesn't look complicated to me," Erza said angrily. "You're asking me to give him special treatment because his father is rich. Well, I'm not going to. If he behaves, there won't be a problem. If he doesn't, he will be disciplined just like anybody else. And if his father has a problem with it, he can take it up with me personally. Go ahead- tell him I refused."

"Miss Scarlet, you're treading on dangerous ground. You had best adapt, or you may be forced to suffer the consequences."

Erza gave a short laugh. "What, like being fired from a job I didn't want in the first place? A job that you don't have a replacement for?" She stood up, fists clenched. "Tell his father that I'm not impressed by his money, or his status. And if you can't handle what he has to throw at me, then good luck finding a new teacher."

With that, she turned around, walked out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

The next day, Erza surveyed her class, all of them doing basic swings with wooden swords for the moment. It had been three weeks since she had started now, and while it was still an exhausting job, it had stabilized somewhat. She showed students the way, followed the teaching plan, and mostly just kept watch as they exercised.

Some stood out. Izuru Kira, for example, showed excellent form, while Abarai Renji showed a strong endurance. He was slow to take in form, but seemed to have an intuition for what he needed to do.

And others still stood out for less flattering reasons. Somebody always had to be the last, and Hinamori Momo was that somebody. She was struggling- her physique was not well trained, and she seemed poorly suited to swing a sword around. But as Erza knew well, even a pitiful soul could grow up to become a mighty warrior. Still, she wasn't looking good at the moment...

Erza waited until the class was over, and as she dismissed them, the students poured out of the classroom, relieved that their intense training was over. Erza tolerated no slacking from anybody, and her students would more often than not walk out with sore muscles.

When most of the students had left, Erza called out to Hinamori.

"Hinamori, come here."

She was sweaty, breathing heavily, wisps of hair hanging raggedly from her head.

"Yes... sensei?" She huffed.

"Do you have a moment?"

She nodded. "Uh, huh... yeah. It's, hah, half an hour till our next class." She was taking long, deep breaths.

"I've been looking at you in class," Erza said.

"I'm... I'm so sorry, sensei," Hinamori said, sounding disappointed. "I... I know I'm not very good at this..."

"You're not." Erza said bluntly. "Which is why I want to give you the help you need. How about some extra lessons?"

"Sensei?" Hinamori mumbled.

"I'll be honest with you- if this keeps up, you will not pass this class." She saw the look on Hinamori's face as she said it, and almost regretted her forthrightness, but it had to be said. "You work hard, but sometimes, that's not enough."

"...oh." She mumbled. "But... I don't want the others..." She trailed off.

"You don't want what, Hinamori?"

She was quiet for a bit, until Erza's steely gaze got the better of her. "I don't want the others to think I'm getting special treatment."

Erza smiled, and walked up closer to her. "Listen, Hinamori, we're all different. Some students need more attention than others. Some people take longer to learn. And there's no shame in that." She put a hand on her shoulder. "At any rate, I'm not giving you a choice. When is the next time you have a free hour?"

"Er, tomorrow. Eleven in the morning."

Erza nodded. "I'll make some arrangements. Meet me here tomorrow, and we'll figure out how to improve your style."

"Th-thanks, sensei," she mumbled, and bowed shyly.

"Well, off with you," Erza said, in what she hoped was an encouraging tone. "Go do your... student-y stuff."

The next day, at eleven sharp, Hinamori Momo stood outside the kendo classroom, feeling a little nervous. Her sensei was an intimidating person, hard and harsh and with no tolerance for goofing off. She hadn't imagined she was a very caring person- but here she was, about to receive extra help just because she needed it. Out of all the teachers she had met so far, Miss Scarlet was not one she had expected to do that- she had seemed like most of the others, who either passed you or failed you, not seeming to care much which one it was, so long as most did well enough.

Feeling that sinking feeling in her gut, she stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind her. The room was empty, seeming so very large without all the students filling it, and by her desk sat Miss Scarlet.

"You're on time. Good."

"Yes, sensei," Momo all but whispered.

"Come on, don't be so damn quiet- I won't bite," Miss Scarlet said, but somehow, something inside Momo was not entirely convinced. Miss Scarlet walked up to one of the training mats, two wooden swords in hand, and gestured to Momo.

"We haven't got all day. Come on, take one."

"Y-yes!" Momo squealed, hurrying up to her sensei. Apprehensively, she took one of the swords in hand. "S-so..."

"Show me how you do a basic downward swing." Miss Scarlet said.

Eagerly, Momo obeyed, gripping the sword in both hands, and swinging down hard. Her sensei shook her head.

"Again."

Again, Momo swung the sword, down, as hard as she could.

"Keep going," sensei said, "until I tell you to stop."

Obediently, she swung her sword, down, down, over and over, as fast and hard as she could manage. She felt herself getting warm, sweat forming under her clothes.

"Stop." Miss Scarlet said. "This just is no good."

"Sorry, sensei," Momo mumbled.

"Here, look at me," She said, holding her own sword high, and elegantly bringing it down. It was fast and forceful, everything Momo's own swing was not.

"Can you tell the difference between my swing and yours?"

"Er..." Momo said, desperately trying to think of one. She wished with all her will that this had been kido; that subject made sense, it was deductible and elegant...

"N-no..." She murmured at last.

"It looks the same to you, yes? That is your problem." She held her sword up again. "Look at me. Now, hold up your sword like I do." Momo obeyed.

"You grip it too tightly," Miss Scarlet explained, "and you swing too hard. Put your lower hand further down the hilt, ease your grip, and swing down."

Trying her best to adjust, Momo did as she said.

"But, sensei," she murmured, after bringing the sword down, "my swing just becomes too weak. I couldn't hurt anybody this way."

"Always adjust your training after your level of strength and endurance," Miss Scarlet explained calmly. "Exhausting yourself needlessly can get you killed all too easily. Strength, endurance, those things come with time if you train regularly. Hit weakly, but without tiring yourself too much, until you feel you can go the full hour without hurting yourself. When you can do that, up the pace. Now, with me- we'll go slow. For now, I'll show you the basic swing, until you can do it right."

For almost the full hour they kept going, Miss Scarlet adjusting herself to Momo's pace. Every now and then, she'd correct her, show her what she was doing wrong. So they kept going, without Momo overworking herself, and ten minutes before the hour was done, Miss Scarlet stopped her.

"All right, that will do for now."

"I'm sorry, sensei," Momo mumbled, hanging her head. "I'm not getting it right at all. I'm wasting your time."

To her surprise, Miss Scarlet threw her head back, and laughed.

"Sensei?" She said quizzically.

"Do you think you can learn a basic strike in just an hour?" Sensei said, smiling widely. "A novice must practice it for hours on end to get it right. A swordsmaster can practice it for decades before truly perfecting it. Do you think I'm doing it perfectly? The Gotei is full of people much better than I am."

"I-I can't believe that, sensei," Momo mumbled, feeling confused.

"Well, it's the truth. To be honest, you are doing fine for a beginner. There is not putting enough effort in, but there's also trying too hard. Exercise your body, work hard, and practice with me when you have the time, and I'll at least make you proficient with a blade. That much, I can promise you."

"R-really, sensei?" Momo asked, relief flooding her mind. "You really think that..."

"I know it." Miss Scarlet said, nodding encouragingly. "To be honest, I'm not a very good teacher. I don't know the first thing about handling a bunch of kids like you. But I figured, helping the ones who need it was a good place to start. I'll see to it that everyone who can pass, will pass. People like you, who need more than just standing around in class, swinging a sword at random."

"You're not a bad teacher, sensei," Momo mumbled shyly, a small smile on her face.

"That's very kind of you. I haven't done this for a month, though... so I don't know."

"Well..." Momo said, daring to open up a little, "if you want to be a better teacher, then..."

"Then what? Go on, speak up."

"M-maybe," Momo stuttered, "m-maybe you should be a little friendlier. I-I mean, the students are all afraid of you, and that means they don't act up in class, b-but, if they l-liked you, maybe-maybe they'd think you were a better teacher..." She choked up. "S-sorry, I said too much.

Miss Scarlet frowned, and Momo felt afraid that she might have messed up, angered her after all had been going so well.

"They're afraid of me?"

"Y-yes!" Momo squealed.

"...I can't say I'm surprised, although I hadn't thought of it," her sensei mumbled, "and why is that?"

"B-because you beat students who act up, sensei,"

"Oh. That." Erza said, sounding absent-minded. "What would I do to seem less... beastly, then?"

"You're asking me, sensei?"

"Well, you are a student, are you not?"

"Well, er, yes," Momo said, feeling a little bolder. "Maybe you could show them you're not always harsh? Praise them when they're doing well? They should be doing the right thing because it's right, not because they are afraid."

"Yes, that... makes sense. Thank you, Hinamori."

Momo took a deep breath. It hadn't backfired after all? Then, her eyes wandered to the clock.

"Oh dear!" She exclaimed. "Shoot- I'll be late for class!"

"Well, all right- run off with you then. We'll see about more training when we can." Miss Scarlet said, in a friendly tone.

"Thanks! See you, sensei! Thanks again!" Momo cried, as she hurried out of the classroom. She felt upset, shaken deeply- but not entirely in a bad way.

Renji had, in his time so far, found that making friends was possible even without the need for survival, as it had been in the Rukongai. He had gotten familiar with Kira Izuru, a low-ranking noble kid, and Hisagi Shuhei, a punk like himself, and a good few others that he were on somewhat friendly terms with. School life, maths aside, was turning out all right. Currently, they were discussing the crimson terror of the school: Miss Erza Scarlet the dreaded.

"I heard she beat up a guy so bad, he had to be sent to the hospital," one of the guys- Renji wasn't sure what his name was- said.

"Yeah, and I heard she eats children and lives in a gingerbread house." Hisagi shot back snarkily. "Get real, will ya?"

"You gotta say, though, she's pretty hardcore," Renji mumbled.

"Oh yeah, like when she beat down that punk on day one," Hisagi sniggered. "now that was a blast. Plus," he added, "you have to admit, she's kind of a bomb shell." He said, making a gesture with both hands towards his chest."

"Maybe that's where you look, but all I can think of when I see her is her fists," Renji shot back, grinning. There was a general chuckling from the boys around them.

"She's an elite shinigami." Kira cut in calmly, with that same restrained, polite voice he always had. "Tenth division, seventh seat."

"How'd you know that?" Hisagi cut in. "You a stalker, or something?"

"Official records, available to the public," Kira said, sounding bored. "It's no harder than visiting the school library. They have a whole index for every seated officer in the Gotei."

"No shit." Renji said. "So what's she doing here, teaching?"

"Temporary replacement," Kira said, shrugging. "She has an interesting history, too- over a hundred extermination missions, every one of them successful. Went from unranked soldier to ranked officer to single digit seat in just a few years."

"Sounds like she'd know how to swing a sword, then," Hisagi quipped.

"There's a cherry on top," Kira said, almost sounding smug.

"Well, spit it out!" Renji shot back. "Don't keep us in suspense, ya twit!"

Kira smirked. "I don't suppose you've heard of the... Scarlet... massacre?"

"Uh, duh," Renji said. "A whole class got murdered, including the officers who were with 'em, and there were only two survivors. Everyone knows that story. The teachers tell it to us so we'll take life more seriously." Then, something dawned on him. "Wait, the Scarlet massacre- you don't mean-"

"Two survivors, one of them was her," Kira said contentedly, "and since then, she's done nothing but climb upwards by killing hollows. I don't know about you, Hisagi, but I wouldn't let her catch me staring at her chest."

"Shit." Hisagi said, sounding impressed. "That's... kinda hot, actually."

"You mean to tell me our teacher's a bad-ass veteran like that? Really?" Renji said.

"No doubt." Kira said. "You could always check the records if you don't believe me."

"Shit..." he mumbled.

Renji had, since the first week, been at the top of his class in kendo. He sucked at math, he sucked at history, he was a wreck in kido, but with a sword in his hand, he was better than most. Up till now, he hadn't thought much of their teacher- she seemed content just watching them do exercises, not really interfering much herself... and all this time, they had been watched by a veteran, a real fighter who had overcome things that would kill most men.

It was an exhilarating thought.

The next day, after his class in zanjutsu had ended, Renji lingered behind, as all the students eagerly drained from the classroom. For all of class, all day long, he had thought of nothing else- he was good with a sword, and he was being trained by an elite- and he wanted more than just being overseen.

He wasn't sure what he was going to say. Improvisation would have to be the way, although that meant he'd fuck up for sure- but there was no good way to phrase what he wanted, because he couldn't quite put words to it himself.

"Abarai?" Miss Scarlet said, frowning. "Why haven't you left yet?"

"Er, um," Renji began. God damn the idea of improvising... "Well, you see, er,"

"Stop blabbering and either explain yourself, or be on your way. I have another class in ten minutes."

"I know you're one of the best hollow hunters in your division," Renji blurted out. Confident that he was messing up somehow, he decided to throw himself off the proverbial cliff, and continued, "you're one of the best there is. And I want to learn from that."

"You are learning from me, Abarai," Miss Scarlet said dismissively, "now if that was all, be on your way."

"I mean really learn!" Renji almost shouted. "In class, you just make us do these... normal things. Form, strikes, practicing with each other, and you only correct us if we do something wrong. I want to learn how to really fight, fight like you do out there! Fighting the real thing, not just learning how to swing a sword up and down!"

"You learn to walk before you learn to run, and you learn to crawl before you learn to walk."

"It's been two months, sensei, and I think I can do better. In fact, I know I can! But I need somebody who will-"

"Enough." She said. "You'll learn what everyone else learns."

"I know about the massacre." He blurted out, realizing he was crossing a line the moment he said it. "I know that you hunted more hollows than anybody beneath vice-captain rank- you're strong, really strong, and-"

There was a fierce glare in her eye, and Erza's hand shot out, grabbing him by the rim of his shirt, pulling him up close. With fury in her voice, she hissed,

"What the hell do you know, you stalking little bastard? You think you know what I've seen, what I've done, what I've been through? You come here, throwing that in my face, and expect me to give you special treatment?"

"I-I'm not a stalker!" Renji spat out, almost choking on his words, "One of the guys told me! It's all in the official records in the library, I promise! I didn't go poking my nose in this, I swear!"

Still staring at him with rage, she let go of his shirt, almost shoving him backward. "So why the hell should I teach you especially? You're already at the top of your class- that's just selfish."

Renji took a deep breath, and though feeling intimidated still, he dared talk back with spirit.

"I'm not like the others. I want to really do my best- to the next level. I don't want to just pass, I want to excel! I want to be the best there is, and if you won't help me, I will find someone else who will!"

He breathed heavily, fearful that he had stepped in it one time too many, that a beating was coming his way, that he'd be thrown out, failed, expelled...

But nothing happened. For nearly two minutes of unbearable silence, nothing happened, and Renji's mind raced like it never had before. He forced himself to stay calm, to not go crazy- but it was futile, of course, as one fear ran after another.

And then, after what felt like an eternity, she said,

"Tomorrow evening, before midnight. This room. I'll see if you're worth my time."

"B-but that's after light's out- I'd be breaking curfew-"

"Too cowardly to break a few rules?" Miss Scarlet said sardonically, glancing at him with contempt. "Sneak out. It's not difficult. If you don't even have the courage to do that, I have no time to waste on you."

"Y-yes, sensei!" Renji snapped, bowing deeply. "Thank you, sensei!"

"Get the hell out of here before I change my mind." She snarled. Not one to try his luck any further, Renji ran out the door.

Erza leaned back against her desk, sighing. Why had she done that? For a moment, she had wanted to rip his spine out- the idea that the massacre was well known, that this is what she was known for, did not sit well with her, and being reminded of it... it brought back a dark place insider her head. But even with his clumsiness, with his stupidity, there was something familiar. She saw Abarai Renji, and somehow, she remembered a pink-haired knucklehead, with little brains but more than enough heart, a young man who would do anything for his friends, who even if things seemed hopeless would never lose faith.

They were not alike, not really, but there was something about that spirit- about defying her, against all common sense, just because he wanted to be the best he could be...

Dark memories aside, it brought back bright ones too. Was age just making her sentimental- or had she always been this way?

It was not quite midnight- in fact, the time was closer to just past ten- but it might as well have been, as far as Renji was concerned. The dojo was pitch black, illuminated only by a few rays of moonlight. It was funny how different everything looked- all the mats folded up and stacked against the walls, leaving the room... empty. Empty, aside from his sensei- he hoped. She had told him to meet him here, but he couldn't quite see anybody...

But then he saw something move, and what he had thought to be just a shadow was Erza Scarlet-sensei, standing in the dark. Her bright red hair looked almost black in the moonlight, and she looked eerie- she had the same stern expression she always had in class, but here, now, she reminded him of an unforgiving wraith.

Luckily she wasn't, he reminded himself.

"Sensei?" He began. He tried not to sound nervous, but doubted he was successful- he wasn't quite sure what he was doing, or what would come of this.

"You're on time. Good." She said, and slid open the door facing outside, bathing the room in the pale moonlight.

"Wouldn't miss it." Renji said, trying to sound confident as he held up his wooden training sword.

"You wish to learn from me?"

"Of course, sensei!" He exclaimed. "I want to learn what it's like to really ifight/i- not just wave sticks at each other, practicing form!"

"Maybe I can teach you that- but it will hurt," Erza said coolly.

"No pain, no gain, right?" Renji mumbled.

"True." Erza said, nodding. Renji watched confusedly, as she opened the top of her shihakusho, sliding it off her body. He could see her naked shoulders underneath it, and her...

His face reddened.

"Sensei, I ur, I-" He mumbled, not knowing what to think. "I don't think-"

In the blink of an eye, she had crossed the distance between them, and slammed a fist into his gut. As he doubled over, trying to stand up straight, Erza slowly and deliberately raised her wooden sword, and slammed its flat side into his face, hard, sending him tumbling across the floor. Renji saw stars, and hoped to all the gods that his jaw wasn't broken- or that he wasn't about to break anything bigger. As soon as he could manage, he worked himself up on all fours, trying to see straight. He fumbled about with his arm, trying to reach for his sword- he'd lost it, dropped it from his hands...

And then Erza's strong hand grabbed him by the wrist, and pulled him up to his feet. Renji blinked. Up close, he could see it- she was wearing wraps around her chest, sarashi. Suddenly, he felt very stupid.

"Rule number one of fighting properly: never get distracted," Erza said harshly, and gently rested the flat side of her sword against his cheek, where it had hit home. "This is a wooden sword. It cannot kill you. Had it been a real sword, you would be dead now."

"Yes, sensei!" Renji exclaimed.

"I will not go easy on you, and if you break, it might be worse for you. This, just now- that's just a first taste. Do you still wish to learn?"

"Yes, sensei!" Renji cried resolutely. His cheekbone hurt, madly so, and he would have a nasty red mark on his face for weeks to be sure, but he finally had it- the attention of his teacher, an experienced warrior.

That night, after having ended a very painful first session- for Renji, not her- Erza lay in her bed, unable to sleep, her mind stuck reflecting on the past and the present both. She wasn't a very good teacher, she realized- she might be one day, but not as she was now. And what bothered her about that- well, many things did, but specifically at the moment- was how the academy's other teachers didn't seem to care. Hinamori had been right- treating her students more kindly, with more understanding, that had been better. It's what she should have done from day one- not that she blamed herself, she had done her best... but even so, even being harsh and unforgiving, nobody had so much as complained about her methods, aside from that rich kid. If anything, she got the idea that they approved- that shouting, bullying and beating was the right way to go. Shinpachi-sensei had never done that unless it was necessary; he had been firm, attentive, focused... but then again, he was different. Gentle.

She had always been a harsh woman, at least when facing the world. Sure, she had let herself relax in the company of friends, but her past had made her hard- tough, unflinching, and cold. Come to think of it, how often had she beaten Natsu and Gray, back when she was alive? How many times had they been afraid of her? She hadn't thought much about it before- but now, she was in charge of people not unlike them. Young people, looking to her for guidance. Young people who were afraid of her.

Was she worth calling herself teacher at all? Was she even worth calling herself shinigami?

Closing her eyes, she thought back to a good few months earlier, when she had been out on a mission with Ikkaku...

With elegant ferocity, Erza leaped towards the hollows. There were three of them, but she couldn't care less about the numbers. Flawlessly, her weapons shifted according to her will- after dispatching the first beast with a swipe of her double blades, her weapon became a great axe, smashing the skull of the next monster, before turning it into a spear, thrusting forward right into the mask of the last hollow. The process took no longer than five seconds, and the monsters were purified before they had a chance to fight back.

Breathing heavily, she looked around for more enemies to kill. To her disappointment, there were none- Ikkaku had just dispatched the last one, a big, ugly beast in the shape of a badger. As it disintegrated, Erza took a deep breath, and let her zanpakutou slip back into its sealed form. Wiping some blood off her blade with her sleeve, she calmly sheathed her swords.

"You really got a knack for this," Ikkaku mumbled, resting his spear over his shoulder.

"It's nothing," she mumbled, and shrugged. "they were weak. I was faster, stronger- not even a challenge. You got the big one."

"And a rowdy beast he was at that, aye," Ikkaku said, nodding. He paused for a while, and gave her a look.

"You... all right there, Scarlet?"

"I'm fine, senpai." She said questioningly. "Why do you ask?"

"'Cause you got hollow blood all over you, and you don't seem to even notice."

"Do I?" Erza said, examining her clothes. She touched her cheek; there was blood there, and not her own, and plenty more on her shihakusho. "Oh. I suppose I do. What about it? More work for the men on laundry duty, I guess."

"I wonder about you..." Ikkaku said, and there was something... different to his tone.

"What?"

"How many hunts you been on so far?"

"Seventy-three," Erza said, shrugging. "Or it could be sixty-eight. Or seventy-nine. I'm not really sure."

"And how much time do you spend back at the division?"

"...what about it?" Erza said irritably. Now that she thought about it- she didn't spend much time there, not as of late. She had taken every extermination mission she could get her hands on; it had been one hunt to the next.

"I'm sayin'," Ikkaku said, grimacing, "and I can't believe it's me sayin' it, 'cos I'm not one to be lecturin' on shit like this,"

"Spit it out." Erza said bluntly.

"Scarlet, why are you a shinigami?"

"What sort of question is that? Do you think I'm bad at this?"

"Take it as a straightforward question. No jokes, no shit-talking, no nothing. Just that question- why are you a shinigami?"

"We're shinigami," Erza said, grinding her teeth, "to kill- purify- hollows. That's why we're around. That is why," she said, gesturing to the place around them, "we've come here in the first place."

Ikkaku made a face again. "I really ain't the right person for this sort of thing- but no, that ain't the purpose of a shinigami. The reason we exist, accordin' to the lore of old, is to send souls on their way to the afterlife, and protect the balance between the worlds. We're supposed to be guardians." He spat at the ground. "Now, I realize I ain't much of a guardian- I joined to kick ass and take names, and the whole guarding thing's a job, but for me, it's the fun of fighting that does it."

"So what's the issue?" Erza shot back. "Why'd you criticize me for doing what you do?"

"Because you ain't me, Scarlet," Ikkaku said, gravely. "Yer different. Yer... moral, I suppose. The kind that cares about others. And moreover, I'd bet you my left nut you ain't doin' all these hunts because you love fightin'. I know fightin', and I know why people do it- some for the fun of it like me, some to protect, some to advance themselves..."

"And what, exactly, do you think I do it for?"

"See, that's the issue- I don't know anymore. That's the dumbest kind of fighting- where you do a lotta fightin' for no reason, 'cos you don't know what else to do."

"And that's what I am doing?" Erza said angrily.

"You got a better reason for me? 'Cos I'm all ears," Ikkaku shot back.

"I... I'm doing it to protect! Every hollow I kill is one that won't feed on an innocent soul!"

"You really believe that, or is it just what you tell yourself?"

"What the hell are you saying?"

"I'm saying you're losing your way!" Ikkaku snapped. "You're a goody-two-shoes, a nice, caring softie, who kicks ass because it's necessary! That's who you are, that's the Erza Scarlet I got to know. This... living for the hunt, staying back at home only until you can kill again, is that really you? Is that who you want to be? Or is it just what you do 'cos you lost your friends?"

Furiously, Erza lunged forward, and slugged Ikkaku in the face. He staggered backward, but kept himself upright.

"Don't you dare!" She shouted. "Don't you dare judge me like this!"

"Maybe that's what you need!" Sneered Ikkaku. "And maybe you just hit me right now 'cos you know I'm right!"

"I'll-"

"Do what? Beat the snot outta me? Kill me? Go on!" Ikkaku said, dropping his spear, and holding his hands out. "If that's who you want to be, go right ahead!"

Erza stood there, staring at him, fists clenched. "To hell with you," she whispered, and turned around. Drawing her zanpakutou, she opened a portal back to the soul society. "Go to hell, Madarame!"

"Already been there!" Ikkaku shot back, "and it's not the place for you!"

As the portal closed behind her, a tear ran down her cheek. She was supposed to have moved on. She was supposed to have become... functioning again. Not forgetting them, but... move on.

So why was he right?

It had been a good few months since, and Erza had taken fewer missions. She had spent more time at home, more time with Isane, and even Rangiku. And now... she was a teacher.

Maybe, when all was said and done, this was what she needed.

Well, that turned out to be quite the long chapter didn't it? Still, im very satisfied with how this went.

And, in case you didn't figure this out, Renji and Momo are the characters that will play large roles in this story. The latter especially, given she is my personal favorite character for BLEACH. I think you, the readers, will enjoy what I have in mind for both her and Renji.

Aizen is still offering good advice, and Erza is slowly yet surly learning how to teach her students correctly, which I think if a good thing. After all, its good practice before running an entire division, don't you agree?

Anyways, thanks for taking your time to read this chapter. If you liked it, please, feel free to leave a review and tell us what you thought or ask questions in Private Messages. Reviews are motivate us to write more and to do better and tell us if we're making any mistakes.

Once again, thank you.