Confronting the knight.

“You will spend all day down here today.” Soifon said as she guided me down the steps once again. I wasn’t surprised, as I told you my improvements were lacking in the one department that would make or break my actual promotion.

“If you don’t manage to make any improvements today I can guarantee you that you won’t reach out goal in seven days’ time. Actually it might not even give in within the next three weeks then.” That was grave news but I stayed silent.

We reached the stone room and Soifon turned to me. “Remember, Zanpakuto’s want you to act on your potential, they don’t care for what you are but what you could be.” She shook her head, “I can’t give you more advice, the whole thing is a giant headache for every Shinigami.”

“I understand, captain.” She must have felt my darkened mood and put a hand on my shoulder. Her usual disciplined behaviour softened up a little bit and in what might be the most unfitting encouragement ever she said: “Just make it happen, if you fail you will have wasted both of our time.” And went off.

It was a pretty much a verbal slap but I understood. Basically today would decide whether or not I was worthy of rising in the ranks. I sat down and started meditating.

Quickly I stood before the castle gate and looked up. The blue orbs shone through helmet while the golden cross reflected the sunlight. I stood there in silence and waited for him to speak up. He didn’t. Neither did me.

Now, I will tell you something I have learned in this exact moment, and that was that the guy was truly my Zanpakuto. He was to stubborn to change his plan of waiting for me to speak and I was to disciplined to change the usual routine. Basically we were both idiots.

I didn’t know how much time had passed but eventually we both cleared our throat and lived with the fact that neither would do what was expected. He spoke up first, “So tell me Nize, what have you learned.”

“Nothing actually, I only was reminded of the values I had learned in life. Obedience, discipline and the obligation of everyone to strive to be as perfect at their occupation that they could be.”

The knight nodded, “Yes, these are the values of the soldier I wanted to remind you off. But are you sure you didn’t learn a single thing?”

Of course it wouldn’t have been that easy. I thought back on my experiences. If the guy was as bad at subtlety in his metaphors as me it shouldn’t take long.

“You are thinking to long about something that is not even hidden.” The knight shouted from above the gate. “I know that you have found out already, stop denying it.”

Well there was one thing, but surely he couldn’t mean something that went that far against my very being? I continued to think about. “This is taking too long.” The knight said, to my surprise his voice was filled with anger. “Stop wasting time!”

Interestingly enough the sky filled with dark clouds as I felt anger rise inside me. “I am not wasting time, I don’t know yet.” I shouted. “You DO know, now answer me before I cast you out once again.”

My mind was racing but there was only one answer in my mind and every fibre of my being was against giving it. Then I felt a sudden push, the guy seriously tried to push me out of my inner world. Thankfully a week of training made me much more able and I clawed myself into this world.

The knight seemed surprise at my resilience and doubled his efforts, “Answer me or lose your chance at everything you ever wanted. Stop holding yourself back.” He shouted angrily.

“I don’t hold myself back.” I shouted back just as angry. “STOP WASTING OUR TIME.” He shouted again. The phrase reminded me of Soifon’s advice and that’s when understood. He really wanted the answer I didn’t want to give, simply because he didn’t cared for my current core values.

He cared for what I could be if I threw these aside and grew as a person. “I have the answer.” I screamed. Immediately the pressure was gone, as my rage subsided the sky slowly cleared.

I took a deep breath and gave the knight a sinister look, “You know, I really hate what I am about to say.” The knight nodded, “As you should, you have been a loyal soldier for 170 years, never questioning orders, always faithful to your crown, to the cause.”

I closed my eyes and slowly formulated the sentence in my head before saying it. “A leader is not always right, sometimes you have to question your orders, sometimes your enemy might be the one doing the correct thing and sometimes you will have to stand up and disobey.”

The noise of old wood creaking made me open my eyes, the castle gates opened. “You were reminded of the values of servitude, may you never forget them, but if you are to succeed in becoming truly great you must adopt the values of leadership.”

The knight said and jumped down the wall and landed in front of the gate, with a gesture he invited me inside. “You may enter and start the third trial.”