Chapter Six: Reunitions, Unsuspected Surprises, Catch Ups, & Fall Downs.

Abaron's POV

Why does everything happen to me? I’ve tried so hard to avoid unlikable people for practically my whole entire life, including when my life just recently began to start again. I had half-expected that, sooner or later, I’d run into one of them, with one of them being Sosuke, Kaname, or Gin. But I wasn’t ready for that to happen. I was still emotionally unstable from when I last saw Gin. I absolutely despised him for what he let happen to me. I took out Bōkyaku and held her at my side.

“I only came to say hello,” he said with a chuckle.

“Then say ‘hello’ and then let me leave,” I told him as calmly as I could. But it came out as a strangled hiss.

“If I have you have to leave after I say it, then I won’t.” His smile grew wider.

“I can wipe that smile off of your face in an instant,” I said. “You may be a captain, but I’ll still hurt you, even if it means having to go back to being imprisoned, I don’t care.” His smile suddenly faded. “Yeah, you remember now, don’t you? It was your fault that that happened to me.”

“I didn’t want that to happen to you.”

“Then why did you let it? Why, Gin?”

“I can’t tell you. At least, not here,” he added, as I was about to yell at him. He took my hand in his own and pulled me toward Squad 3. His skin was still cold, as it always was. Despite that, a happy memory popped into my mind. It was when we had first met, when he was just a child and I was his guardian. But then it disappeared as I grew angry again.

“I can walk on my own without you having to drag me,” I told him as we entered the building and climbed up three double sets of stairs.”

“I know.”
“Then let go.”

“But what if I don’t want to?” I went red with annoyance—or was it just because I was flattered? I couldn’t tell. I was blinded by the two. He opened a door that I guessed to be his office and let me inside. He motioned for me to take a seat on the couch by his window. He looked both ways down the hall before shutting the door. He sat in the seat beside me, getting a little close. I moved a seat to the right. Thankfully, he got the message and didn’t move, though he looked hurt, which made me even more annoyed.

“So tell me. Why did you let Aizen ruin me like that? Why did you let him destroy my life?”

“I had no choice. If I tried to stop him that night, I would’ve lost his trust.”

“Well how about losing your friend? Which would be worse?” “Both.”

“You are unbelievable.” I stood up and made for the door. With my hand enclosed around the handle, I twisted it. But the door wouldn’t open. I sighed. “Gin, let me out.”

“I can’t.”
“Gin, let me out.”
“I have to talk to you first.”
“You had your chance. Let me out before I break down this door.”

“Go ahead.” I took a step back and let my heel connect with it. It didn’t even budge. The only thing that did budge was my left ankle from its socket. I heard Gin sigh. “You should’ve just listened.” I collapsed onto the ground, holding my dislocated ankle.

“Shut up, idiot,” I said, biting back tears and frustration.
“Oh, I’m the idiot?” he questioned.
“Yes. You are. Who puts a barrier on a door?”
“I did.” “Why...?”

“Because I knew you’d try to leave before I could even start explaining myself.”

“Am I really that predictable?”
“Yes, you are.”
“Don’t patronize me.” Gin got up from the couch and cross over to where I was sitting. “Don’t touch me, either,” I said, trying to slap his head as he bent down to pick me up. He slipped his arms under my legs and pulled me up from the ground. I clenched at his robe, causing him to smile. He was a lot taller than Shūhei. The taller the man, the longer distance it was to fall to the ground.

“You love this, don’t you?” I asked. My eye started to twitch.

“I won’t lie and say that I’m not.” He started carrying me away from the couch, where I had expected him to take me. He was headed toward a door that was behind his desk. “Open it,” he said, prying my fingers from off of his robes. I reached over and pushed on it so that it swung open. I gasped.

“Gin, no, put me down, I--“ He covered my mouth with his hand to stop me from yelling anymore. He had tricked me into opening the door to his balcony. It was about six stories from the ground. He walked over to the edge so that my body was over it. His grin grew wider. It was either I fall, only to crack open my skull, or hold onto the man who was once a close companion but became a traitor to me. How was I going to choose?

“I think I’d rather fall,” I lied, folding my arms awkwardly over my chest.

“Well, alright then.” I started to slip out of his arms. So what if I fell? I could just get Hanataro to heal me again. But if I ended up getting a concussion and then accidently fall into a coma, I might not be awake by the time I intended to leave from the Soul Society, which was when my training was over. That was the excuse I used. But I was utterly terrified.

“No, d-don’t, please don’t drop me!” I cried, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in his chest. I really hated being off of the ground, especially when people try and pick me up. That’s why I freaked out on Shūhei. That’s why I’m freaking out on Gin. He pulled me close again, holding me firm against him. “I hate you.”

“I know.” It seemed like forever, the time of which he held me in his arms for. In reality, it was probably just minutes. But as it dragged on, I began to grow sleepy, as I was becoming more and more comfortable. I was mad at myself for being tricked and seduced all at the same time. From being an annoying little kid, he became this total ‘Hot-Rod’, as he had called it back then, just to irritate me. His powers as a snake have grown stronger. But this time, he was the charmer, and I was the snake getting charmed.

“Gin…” I mumbled, trying to stay conscious for just a few moments longer.

“Yes?” He sounded proudly amused of his accomplishment.

“You still owe me… an explanation…” And I was out.

***

I was still mad at myself for letting him control me like that. Well, it wasn’t exactly like being controlled, but more like being blackmailed. He was good at stuff like that. As was I, but I’ve lost my touch. Did he bring me home last night? I couldn’t be sure. There was the dresser and the window and the closet… I was sleeping in the same sheets as I was the night before. The only thing that cast away it being my room was that there was someone sleeping beside me on the floor. I couldn’t see them but I knew who it was by their spirit energy. No, I wasn’t taken home to my room last night. I wasn’t sleeping in my own bed. It wasn’t my dresser that sat in the corner, or the closet, which was left open ajar, or the window, which was looking up at the bright blue sky from six stories above the ground. This was Gin’s room. This was Gin’s bed. That was Gin’s dresser and Gin’s open closet and Gin’s window that looked up at the sky from six stories above the ground. And the person who was sleeping next to me was Gin himself. And it wasn’t like he put me in a separate bed or gave me a separate blanket or pillow; no, we shared those things. And apparently, we also shared personal space, as he was curled up behind me, his hand over my side and his knees tucked into mine. I felt myself heating up and going red. I wanted to jump up and run back to Squad 9, but I was held down my Gin’s heavy arm. If I moved it and tried to leave, he would’ve just got up and then bring me back here.  I heard him groan in his sleep as he moved closer, giving me the upper hand.

I flipped on my side as slowly and carefully as I could, to try and not to wake him up. I slowly lifted his arm from my side and placed it on his own. Using the wall beside me for balance, I pulled myself up of the floor and stepped over him. I cringed as I stepped with my bad foot. Tiptoeing to the door as best I could, I slid it open, and slipped out into the hall, closing the door behind me. That’s when I came face to face with none other than Izuru.

“I-I um, I…” I seemed unable to weave a sentence together and Izuru looked like he might faint. He clutched tighter at the files under his arm.

“What were you doing in Captain Ichimaru’s room?” he asked, and at that exact moment, the door opened again. Gin stood in the doorway, a grin plastered on his face.

“Good morning, Lieutenant Kira,” he said, rubbing his eyes.
“Um… good morning, Captain,” He looked at me, then Gin, then back at me again. “Um… Abaron, what were you doing in there?” Before I could explain, Gin cut me off.

“There is no need to worry, Izuru,” he answered, placing a hand on my right shoulder. I pushed it off. “She was harmless.”  
“Yeah, I was, but you on the other hand…” I trailed off, noticing Izuru’s bewildered expression through the corner of my eyes. “But you really don’t need to worry.” He nodded quickly, though I could tell he wasn’t all that reassured.

“Abaron, where are you going?” said Gin from a few feet behind me. I had begun to walk away when his sharp voice pierced my back.

“I was… uh, going to take a shower,” I lied quickly. Izuru brushed past me, turning down the corner muttering quietly under his breath to himself. “What was that about?” I said, turning back to Gin.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with,” he replied, smiling. “But why are you leaving? I still have to talk to you.”

“Wha…? Oh, that’s right!” How could I forget? How could I forget that I was mad at him? Was it because I was still exhausted from the day before? Or was it because that when I figured Izuru to think the worst of what occurred in Gin’s room? But he owed me that explanation and I was going to get it. He led me inside his room and shut the door behind me. I sat on the armrest of his green couch while he sat in his desk chair. “Start talking.” He hesitated. After all the time he had to think, I figured that he’d come up with some reason. But no; he just stared at me with that super dopey stressed-out look on his face.

“Since you came back, I tried to think of a way to make things right between us, like they used to be.”
“You mean before you betrayed me,” I stated. “Before you stopped caring about me.”
“I-I never stopped caring. I’m just not sure if I should tell you the whole story, or just the parts that had involved you.”

“If you want me to even look your way in the future, you best make like your guts and spill.”
“But what if I don’t have any?” I was taken aback by his choice of words. Gin—gutless…? I couldn’t believe that, even if I tried.

“You aren’t gutless. Don’t you ever say that again.”
“But, I am. My choices have made that pretty obvious.”
“You aren’t,” I insisted. “Do you remember the first day you met Rangiku? Do you remember the first day you met me?” I know I did. When Rangiku had been attacked by those men, I never forgave myself for not helping her. All I had done was run. Gin had been the one who saved her. And me, her coward of a guardian, stood by and watched while it happened. Maybe Byakuya was right. Maybe I was a coward. Maybe I did run when I know I’ve lost.

“Of course I remember,” Gin answered, causing me to derail my Train of Thought.
“What you did took guts, Gin. Anyone who knows you knows that—well, unless they’re me.” He sighed. “You aren’t gutless.”

“But the things I’ve done since then make me gutless—“”Like what?” I interrupted. He hung his head.

“The men who Aizen had used for the hollowfication experiments… were killed by me.” Somewhere inside me, a vein popped. Blood spewed and dripped off each bone until it reached the bottom of my body.
“Y-you… killed them?” I had to repeat it, or otherwise I couldn’t have believed it. “But… you were… just a kid!”

“I was a prodigy; one that had been trained elsewhere to become a soul reaper.”
“It was Aizen who trained you, wasn’t it?” It was a statement, not a question.
“Yes.” I grumbled into my hand. “Abaron, what is it?”

“It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with.” He glared at me, as I used the same sassy remark on him that he had used on me. “So, I guess you’re going to use the excuse of saying ‘kids will be kids’, right?”

“No, that isn’t it, either! It was more of an influential thing. He told me that he’d make me stronger, and give me the power to protect… but all he did was destroy things. That’s all he ever did. I got strong on my own.” I stopped myself from saying something I’d probably regret.  “I used the motivation from the day when you were taken to the Maggot’s Nest and willed myself to grow stronger, just so I could save you, when the time came, and just so I could protect Rangiku from getting hurt anymore.”

“You mean… you were going to save me?”
“Yes, I was.” I was feeling strange, like something deep inside of me woke up and began bouncing around in my stomach. That’s when I couldn’t hold myself back any longer. I got up off the couch and walked behind Gin’s desk so that I stood in front of him. Still sitting in his chair, he looked confused.

“T-thank you,” I managed to say. So, in the end, it wasn’t really betrayal. He had made an oath to himself to get stronger, to protect the people he cared about. It wasn’t really betrayal. It was more like self-preservation, where he could never forgive himself if something happened to us. I felt the same way toward Shōri and Shūhei and maybe even Gin, now, because he had redeemed himself. A single tear made its way to the top of my eyes. This guy was something else.

“Y-you’re welcome…?” He was unsure of what was happening. To make it clear, I bent down and hugged him. He stood up and held me to him tightly. He placed his chin on the top of my head and let out a relieved breath. “Does that mean you forgive me?”

“Not completely,” I said, letting go of him and then sitting on the corner of his desk. “I want to know what Aizen is up to.”

“Pardon me?”
“With all of the experiments and tests he did back then, I know he’s not done with it. I want to know what you know. What is he planning, and why?”

“Abaron, I don’t—“”Gin. You have to tell me.”
“But I don’t want you getting hurt again.” I placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I’m not weak anymore,” I assured him, watching his eyes as they dared to open. “I can take care of myself now. Please, Gin; tell me.” He stared momentarily at my hand, only to take it into his own. He clasped it gently between them and looked back up at me.

“Do you remember the Hogyoku?” How couldn’t I? That little ball of light; that glass orb that that bastard Aizen created to end mine and my friend’s lives… I would never forget it. If I ever got my hands on it, I would destroy it on the spot, whatever it would take. “I guess the short story is that Aizen plans on taking it to Hueco Mundo to turn hollows into Soul Reapers. That sounds simple enough,” he added under his breath.

“Hueco Mundo...? You mean the Hollow world?” He nodded. “He’s going to turn them into Soul Reapers? Is that even possible?”

“The Hogyoku is a power of which one’s inner most desires may become a reality. The catch: you have to be strong enough to sustain its power.”

“And Aizen’s strong enough…”
“Yes.”
“So, what can we do?”

“Nothing at the moment, but I have certain hopes for the future. I figure that I should tell you something that includes that Kurosaki boy.” My eyes widened. No one should know about that. Not Gin. Nobody but Shūhei and Shōri and Unohana and Kurotsuchi should know.

“What about him?”
“Aizen has been watching him. Over the course of the past two months, he’s studied everything about him: his abilities, his strengths, his faults and weaknesses… but there was something that I saw, no one else, which was surprising.”
“What was it?” He reached under his desk and pulled open a hidden drawer. In that drawer, there was a small disk that could fit into the palm of my hand. “What is that?”

“It’s a piece of footage recorded from Aizen’s surveillance. Watch it.”  
“And where am I supposed to do that?”
“You have training with Captain Kuchiki this afternoon, correct?” I nodded. “Go to Squad 4 right after. Watch it, and then burn it. Aizen doesn’t know that this even exists. Got it?” I nodded again. He sighed and slouched into his chair. “You’re such a handful.”

“Look who’s talking,” I said, punching him lightly in the arm. He smiled.
“It’s good to have you back.”
“I know.”

 ***

“Byakuya, I’m here!” I looked around the yard. “Byakuya…?” There was no one in sight. Not Byakuya and not even Renji. There was no one standing by the pond or on the bridge; no one standing under the sweet shade of their blossom trees. I pulled one from a branch and inhaled it. So then where were they?

“Scatter, Senbonzakura.” The direction of the wind changed drastically. Instead of blowing toward me, it tried to blow me away. I held on to the trunk of the tree for support, squinting through the dust and debris that floated through the air in front of me. Along with the debris came several shimmering blossom petals that circled around me and the tree. That’s when I saw the swish of Byakuya’s long black hair and his sword branded and being pointed at my throat, as I had been too slow to take out my own. If he was my real enemy, I would’ve been dead at his feet. He pressed the blade lightly against my throat and stepped into my square. “You’re reaction has decreased. Why?”

“I have a lot on my mind,” I said, looking up into his grey eyes. He seemed to have a lot on his mind, too; I could tell by the way the light swam inside them. He lowered his sword at his side and my hand immediately shot up to check if I was actually cut. But I was alright.

“I know.” He walked toward the pond, with me on his heels.

“So, that was your Shikai; Senbonzakura, right?” I asked, stopping to kneel down at the edge of the pond. I stuck a finger into the water and wiggled it to try and get the fish closest to me to come to it. One dared to come up to it, but swam away when I touched its fin. When Byakuya didn’t reply, I added, “It was beautiful.” He stood at the peak of the bridge, staring off into the sky without saying a word. I started getting irritated. How can I make small talk with someone who barely even talks at all?

“What’s wrong?” he asked suddenly, making me jump. Although he didn’t show any change in his emotion, the change was in his voice. It made me miss the old days, of when he was full of laughter, instead of being in a constant, uptight mood.

“It’s nothing. Can I… ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Well, I’m not trying to invade your privacy at all, but…” he raised a suspicious eyebrow at my hesitation. “Why don’t you smile anymore?” He looked back up at the sky, though I could tell he was thinking something over in his head. And then he stared down at his feet. “Byakuya; are you alright?”

“Many things have happened since when I was just a child,” he stated. “There could be many reasons of which I cannot smile.”

“When you were younger… I remember that Yoruichi used to tease you all the time. You’d get so mad at her for it and your cheeks would puff up and your face would go red and…” I trailed off as Byakuya’s bored expression lifted, only to reveal a more heated one. I smiled. “Yeah, it was just like that! But then, I also remember, before I was imprisoned… there was… Hisana…” I felt a little empty inside. Hisana was Byakuya’s wife… and Rukia’s older sister. She became ill long ago and died from that illness. Rukia, she… never knew her, aside from when she was just a baby. Memories of her funeral flashed before my eyes. I shook it off. It was too depressing to think about. I looked to Byakuya, who was looking to me. Was it for an answer? Or was it just so I could feel the exact feelings as he could? But even without him staring at me, I felt every single one of them. “Byakuya, I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“It is alright.” He walked off of the bridge. “Let us continue your training.”
“Okay.” I followed after him, and took a stance with my feet spread apart. “Wait, you aren’t going to--?”

“Scatter, Senbonzakura.” I jumped into the air to avoid a thick stream of petals which were directed straight at my chest. But then they followed me, twisting in a cyclone of pink light. And it was coming at me too fast. I stood upside down, hanging off of a platform of reishi to hold my ground for impact. I placed Bōkyaku out in front of me and put my palm of the flat of the blade to brace myself, but at the last second, the jet of petals split apart and enclosed me in in bright, swirling ball.

“How the hell am I supposed to—damn it!” He had gotten me from behind, at the very moment where I lost my concentration. I fell from the sky, holding the ball of my right shoulder when I landed roughly on the railing of the bridge, breaking it and crashing into the water. A sharp pain rippled through my spine—was it broken? If it was, then I knew that I wasn’t up to par. I wasn’t better yet. I shouldn’t have been in this much pain. With my back facing the sun, I floated in the water, unable to move. I think I got whiplash, from the strength and force put on my neck during the impact. From the floor of the pond, I could see Byakuya’s tall shadow-like figure standing over me. His hand closed over the folded material of the neck of my shihakushō and pulled me out from the water. Pulling me onto the grass, he laid me on my back. I coughed out the water that forcefully entered my lungs, along with a bit of vomit. Too bad it wasn’t blueberry flavoured. It would’ve tasted better. It was like sand and fish. How disgusting.

“You lost focus and failed,” said Byakuya, who was standing on the grass behind my head. I couldn’t turn to look at him, as my neck had become disabled. “You allowed your enemy to incapacitate you.”

“You… weren’t my enemy,” I croaked, trying to ignore the pain of my vocal chords rubbing up against my neck. But it was too great to overcome.

“If I had been, I doubt that I would be merciful.”
“Well, then, I’m glad you aren’t. Byakuya, I can’t move.” I couldn’t even feel my fingers, or wiggle the toes that were restless in my shoes. It was even hard to keep my eyes open. It was hurting too much; I don’t think that I ever felt this bad before in my life. “Byakuya…” Was he even there? “No, don’t…” Another bone in my neck cracked as he lifted me up slowly from the ground. He held me loosely in his arms so that it hurt less. I was too tired to try and hold on. He carried me out of the courtyard and back into Squad 6. He walked down several hallways until he stopped, upon seeing a familiar face.

“Hi, Renji,” I said weakly, managing to lift the corner of my mouth to smile. His own lip was twitching.

“Captain Kuchiki, what happened?”

“She foolishly let down her guard during training and inflicted a great amount of damage to both herself and the courtyard.”

“It was more like a sneak attack,” I muttered to myself. I figured he heard me, as he had strengthened his grip on my body. He squeezed me, making the pain intensify. “Ow.”

“Find some men off-duty to prepare a room for her and bring a healer from Squad 4 to tend to her injuries.”

“Uh, y-yes, sir…” Renji took off down the same hall, looking nervous. When he left, Byakuya looked down at me with a cold glaze in his eyes.

“It is disgraceful to attack someone with their head turned,” he said.
“So then you disgraced yourself.” That earned me another rough squeeze. “I’m sorry.”

“But you simply weren’t paying attention.” He began to walk again, more slowly this time around. He turned down a long hallway that was covered in a sick, green color. I shut my eyes as I started feeling nauseous.

“Captain Kuchiki, sir,” said a timid voice from behind. I felt Byakuya turn around. “Abaron…?” My eyes shot open at the sound of a different voice.

“Shōri, what are you doing here?” Her brown eyes were wide with curiosity as they flickered back and forth between me and Byakuya. She then got a devious look on her face. I sighed, which resulted in me coughing. Byakuya looked down at me, and what I saw wasn’t normal for him. He looked almost worried, or something along the lines of that. But then I realized that he gave Hisana when she was ill. He was worried about me. I could tell. I just knew that he wouldn’t admit it. It made me happy that he cared. I looked at Shōri again and asked the same question again.

“I ran into Renji, who said he was looking for a healer from Squad 4. Clearly, I’m not from Squad 4,” she added, pointing to the badge on her left arm. “But I am a healer. Allow me to take care of my sister, Captain.”

“Very well. Is her room ready?”

“Yes, sir,” replied the same timid voice from before. A young girl stepped around Shōri, Byakuya and I, and beckoned for us to follow her. Leading us down another green-painted hall, she stopped at a door on the right and slid it open. In the middle of the floor was a bed about three feet up from the ground. A thick blanket covered the mattress, while a thin sheet was spread out over top. The girl ran over and uncovered it so Byakuya could put me down. Shōri took a seat in the small chair on the opposite side of the bed and rolled up her sleeves. A blue light enveloped in the palm over hands, until it grew wider and brighter, covering them whole. She placed her one hand lightly against my neck and the other on my shoulder, which immediately began feeling better. The wound began to close until it was just scar that blended in with my skin tone. The bones in my neck were realigned, along with multiple broken tendons and several dislocated disks in my spine.

“I don’t know how you could do something like that so fast,” I said, sitting up. Shōri smiled at Byakuya as he pulled the sheet over top of me. “What are you doing?”

“If I wasn’t clear about it before, I said that your reaction time is too slow. The balance between you and your zanpakutō are uneven. Fix that. Third Seat Kakaku, you have five minutes.”

“Yes, sir,” Byakuya left the room, leaving me completely confused.

“What was that about?”

“I guess it can’t be helped,” she muttered to herself, ignoring my question. Her hazel eyes pierced my violet ones. “Abaron, I have to tell you something and you have to promise me that you won’t act rashly about it.” The level of seriousness in her voice was a little nerve-wracking. Mostly because I knew that she never took anything seriously, not once in her life. 

“What’s this about?”

“It’s about our hollowfication.” Did she say our hollowfication?

“Shōri, what are you talking abou--?” Before I could even finish my sentence, Shōri got up out of her chair and held her hand in front of her face, just so that it was a few inches away from it. Closing her eyes, she dragged it across. I sat in shock at what was going on. Out of a dark orange light that I recognized to be Shōri’s spiritual pressure, a white mask began to form in her hands. Now I knew exactly what she had meant when she said “our hollowfication”. Shōri was part-hollow.

“No way…” Though it was happening right in front of my eyes, I knew that I wasn’t just seeing things. Aizen had gotten to her, too. My heart shattered in my chest. I didn’t care anymore that he got me, but that bastard touched my little sister. And that bastard was going to pay for his mistake.

“Abaron, are you okay?”
“Don’t talk,” I told her. “I don’t want to hear your voice like that. It’s too soon.” Through the eye holes in the hollow mask, I saw that her eyes were no longer brown, but a bright yellow. It pained me just to see her like this. And her voice, it made me want to cry. Aizen took her innocence away from her, and left behind this… creature. I could feel this deep blackness that came from within her. It had entangled itself with her spirit energy, too.

“Abaron, stop it.” I stared at her, wide-eyed as her voice echoed horribly in the back of her throat. She sighed and removed the mask at my insistence. “I’m not some little kid anymore. I’ve already accepted this. And to be honest, it has actually made things a whole lot better.”

“But, Shōri—“”Shut up and let me finish!” I shrunk back. Tucking my hands under my legs to stop me from reaching out and pulling the mask off of her face, I let her continue. “I want to tell you everything, so shut up and don’t interrupt me. It had been a month after the incident had occurred. Several captains and their lieutenants were discharged from their posts, as they had been victims of the experiments. They were originally to be executed, but thankfully, someone came to their rescue.” I reflected back on the day I woke up in the Repentance Cell, where the guards said that they had escaped. So someone saved them? It looks like I owe them one, too, for saving my friends.

“Who was it that saved them?” I dared to ask.

“It was Tessai Tsukabishi, Yoruichi Shihōin, and Kisuke Urahara. They fled to the World of the Living and went into hiding, taking the others with them.”

“How do you know that?” I wondered.

“My zanpakutō told me.”
“Y-you know your zanpakutō’s name?” She nodded. Clearly, I had missed out on a lot of things. A mixture of spite, misery, and jealousy churned in my heart.

“I have a secret to tell you,” she said in my ear. “Only a handful of people know this, but not only do I know my zanpakutō’s name… I have Bankai.” As she drew back, I saw that she couldn’t stop grinning, no doubt because of the shocked look on my face.

“B-but… when did this happen? Who taught you?” She rubbed the back of her head.
“I achieved Bankai just over ten years ago. And surprisingly enough, I taught myself. I didn’t want anybody knowing that I was trying for Bankai, but naturally, Shūhei stuck his big pointy nose in my business. Anyway, I’m getting off topic. A couple of weeks after their departure, Sosuke Aizen, Kaname Tōsen, and Gin Ichimaru became the new captains of Squads 5, 9, and 3. And you know Captain Kurotsuchi, the crazy guy with the painted face? Well, he became the captain of Squad 12 at just around the same time. A few years after that, I had received my first assignment to the World of the Living, and you’ll never guess who I bumped into there!” I shrugged, as I already knew who it was. “It was Shinji and the others!”

I couldn’t help but smile at the gleeful look on her face. But then it disappeared, becoming serious again. “I told them about how they weren’t the only ones that Aizen experimented on. It turns out that each one of them were able to control their inner hollows, which was at least four times stronger than their own selves. Although mine was pretty much dormant, I wanted to make sure that if it ever woke up, that I’d be able to control it. I had no idea what they did to me, but it worked. I can control my hollow and bring up the mask at will. Not once has my hollow ever taken over. Which means it’s only a matter of time before yours awakens, too. I know that you’re going to the World of the Living, Abaron. I don’t know exactly what for, but while you’re there, I want you to find them. They’ll help you.” Shōri looked over her shoulder and at a small grandfather clock in the corner of the room. “It looks like my five minutes are up. Take it easy next time, alright? We both know how accident prone you can be.” She winked at me and left the room, at the same time when Byakuya entered.

“Are you ready to train again?” I hopped out of bed and joined him at the door.
“Yes sir!”

***

“Has it really been two weeks already?” I asked Shūhei as he took a bite from my bun. I smacked him on the nose with it, causing him to choke on his steal.

“Time flies when you’re at risk of death,” he mocked, earning him another slap with my bun. He grabbed my hand at the last second and ripped a large chunk off of the bun. “Thank you very much.”

“Get your own, Scarface,” I said, grinning. No longer hungry, I handed him the rest.
“So I get insulted, but in the end, I get the food, anyway?”
“That’s pretty much how it works. I don’t like having the feeling of guilt on my chest.” He shoved the rest of the bun in his mouth and stood up. “Where are you going?”

“Do you even know what time it is?” he asked, pointing up into the sky. The moon was already at its peak. It poked through the clouds, daring to come out. But it never did. “I’ve been out all day; I’m surprised that Shōri hasn’t shown up yet.” It was true; lately, Shōri had been tagging us or following us from a safe distance. I knew it had nothing to do with Shūhei. It was me, and how this night could very well be the last night for me here. The two weeks were up, which meant it would be time for me to go. Shōri didn’t want to miss out on saying goodbye to me again, and I felt the exact same way. “Well, are you coming?” I shook my head.

“No, I think I’ll just hang out here for a little while longer. I’ll see you later, okay?” He seemed confused at my refusal. I almost always say yes to things that he asks. But tonight was a completely different circumstance. It all came down to Rukia and Ichigo, and what might happen. I realized that I had never gotten to watch the disk that Gin gave me, and I haven’t seen him since that morning. I laid back on the rooftop as Shūhei disappeared into the night. I let out a deep breath and shut my eyes, hoping to fall asleep here rather than my barracks.

Around the corner, I heard several pairs of footsteps colliding with the paved streets of the Seireitei. I sat up again and peered over the roof.

“… And the Senkaimon is ready?” Is that Byakuya?
“Yes, Captain; all preparations have been completed.”
“Is the supportive barrier up and running?” Renji, what’s going on?
“All requests made by both Squads 6 and 1 have been affirmed; the Dangai Precipice World should be safe for Miss Kuchiki to cross.” Miss Kuchiki…? They mean Rukia! It looks like tonight is that night, I told myself with a sigh. I jumped up and grabbed my zanpakutō from off the roof. Strapping it onto my back, I followed Byakuya and Renji in the direction of the Senkaimon. I suppressed the urge to shout after them by holding in as much spiritual energy of mine that I could, so that they couldn’t tell if I was following them.

Several members of the Kidō Core stood in a row, waiting to be given the orders to open the doors to the World of the Living. I was hiding behind one of the pillars, watching from behind the scenes when I was grabbed from behind.

“Hey, let me go!” I said, struggling against my mysterious attacker.
“Miss Kakaku, please!” said an unfamiliar voice. “Do not struggle; I do not want to hurt you. Captain Kuchiki and Lieutenant Abarai requested for me to watch you until their departure and return to the World of the Living is completed.” They know me too well. But how did they figure it out? Only one person seemed to know of my plan, and that was Shōri. Was it possible that she told Byakuya? Or had he eavesdropped on our conversation? What do I do? Finally getting free of the man’s grip, I ran toward Byakuya and Renji, who were about ready to step in through the doors.

“Byakuya, stop!” I called, hoping he would hear me. “Renji, wait!” The both of them turned around.

“Abaron, what do you think you’re doing?” Renji asked, staring at me with uncertainty.

“I’m stopping you; you can’t hurt Rukia!” Byakuya stared right at me while showing absolutely no emotion whatsoever. Renji, on the other hand…

“This is none of your business, Abaron; leave.”
“You couldn’t make me if you tried. Please, Byakuya; Rukia did nothing wrong!”

“That will be for Central 46 to decide,” he answered. I folded my arms over my chest.
“Central 46 is just a group of old people who think death or punishment is the only solution to the problems,” I rebutted. “They don’t know Rukia like I do, or like Renji does, or like you, Byakuya!” The man from before finally caught up; he grabbed my arms again and forced them painfully behind my back. “Let me go!”

“Orders given out by Central 46 are obsolete. Personal reasons or other events have no say in the matter.” I stared at Byakuya as if I were looking at an alien.

“We will bring the traitor back to the Soul Society where her punishment will be decided.”
“Renji, you can’t—“”Let’s go, Captain.” “Renji, stop! Come back! Byakuya!” But it was too late. They stepped through and the doors swung shut. The members of the Kidō Corp then turned to me, seeing if I was going to try and fight them or something.

There has to be something that I can do… Out of nowhere, I watched as a Garganta appeared in front of me. It was Bōkyaku’s: she was back. The man released me out of shock and fell backwards onto the ground. The others began to disperse and back away from me as I approached it.

“Tell the Head Captain I’m sorry,” I told the man behind me as I stepped through the Garganta. Everything behind me became enclosed by sparkling darkness, along with the opening to the Soul Society.

***

“Bōkyaku, where are you?” The Garganta had come from her, so why hadn’t she appeared when I called? The bridge of reishi underneath me was becoming unstable from my lack of concentration. It began to crumble behind me with each step I took. I sped up, as I saw the exit just up ahead. The closer I got, the dimmer the light became. I stopped just at the edge of the end of the Garganta. It was night in the World of the Living, too. I looked down into the dark street below and what I saw was shocking. Byakuya and Renji had already gotten ahead of me. Rukia had been apprehended, but she was standing beside them, staring down at the person behind her. But who was it? I couldn’t make out his face, as it was turned the other way. Nothing about him stood out from where I was watching. No matter how much I just wanted to jump down and save her, I couldn’t. I wasn’t so sure about Renji’s abilities now, but I knew full well that I wouldn’t last in a fight against Byakuya. She said something to Renji, but her voice came back to a whisper as she spoke to Byakuya. The person lying on the ground made to get up.

“Don’t move!” she shouted. I felt the full force of her tone and my body froze. “Take even one step from there… Try to come after me… and I’ll… I’ll…” She looked down at him, with tears glazing her big blue eyes. “I’ll never forgive you. You are going to die, so why not live for just a few moments longer?” She sounded choked up, as if she was afraid. What can I do? She turned away from the figure and walked to Byakuya’s side.

“Fine,” he said. “I will not kill him.” He strapped his zanpakutō back onto his belt. “With the two attacks just now, I have shattered both his soul chain and his soul sleep; the two most vital spots of the soul.” Oh no… “He should die in less than an hour. And even if he does survive, his powers will be lost, as well as his spiritual energy. Renji…”

“Yes.” Renji stepped ahead of them and held his zanpakutō straight up in front of him. It began to glow a brilliant red, until he lowered it and plunged it into the air. “Unlock!” Out of the air, a Senkaimon appeared and opened. Three butterflies flew out of it and waited for them. Renji returned his zanpakutō to his original state and sheathed it. He and a butterfly disappeared as they passed through the doors. Byakuya followed, with Rukia close behind. Before the doors closed completely, she sent a look down at the figure on the ground.

He slammed his fist against the sidewalk at the same time the streetlight above him flickered on. Then he went still. I heard footsteps from not too far away. I jumped down to the street and ran over to his side. I gasped as I realized who it was.

“Y-you’re… Ichigo,” I said weakly, dropping to my knees. Yes, there was no mistaking it. This was definitely Ichigo. His spiky orange hair made that abundantly clear. I pulled off the strap where his sword would go and set it on the ground beside him. I took off my own and set it beside his. I flipped him over on his back and set him against my knees so I could get a good look at the damages. “Oh my god…” I recognized the swiftness of the injury to have belonged to Byakuya’s zanpakutō. I pulled the hair that was matted to my forehead and tucked it behind my ears. Looking at Ichigo’s face, I saw how much pain he was feeling. But the pain didn’t come from the injuries. It was the pain of losing Rukia. It was the same pain that I was feeling, too. I wasn’t sure if he could hear me or not. “Don’t worry, Ichigo; you’re going to be—ah!” Sharp pains ripped through my stomach, making me double over onto Ichigo. The same pain was felt on my left shoulder. I touched where it hurt and then retracted it. I stared at my blood covered fingertips. I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. Bōkyaku was right; I’m feeling everything that he feels, now, both his emotions and his physical pain.

A circular shadow was cast over the two of us, shielding us from the rain. I looked up.

“Who are you?” I asked. He was wearing practically all green; a robe, a pair of pants, and the matching shirt. But the hat he wore and the shoes… they were vaguely familiar. His face was shadowed, but I could just make out the color of the hair that hung in front of his face and over his shoulders. I smiled up at him, feeling unbelievably lucky for this coincidental run in.

“Long time, no see, Abaron,” Kisuke said with a grin. “What have you been up to after all of this time?”
“Nothing, really,” I looked down at Ichigo and put a hand over the skin on his chest. Miraculously, he was only unconscious. But I knew that his body was unstable, though his heart wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer. “Kisuke, you have to help him.” He knelt down beside me and put a hand on my shoulder. I cringed, as it was my bad shoulder.

“You aren’t doing so well, yourself, Abaron. Tessai, grab the boy.” A man with a handlebar mustache appeared in front of us. I recognized him as the ex-Commander of the Kidō Corps from over a hundred years ago, Tessai Tsukabishi. Taking Ichigo from my cradled arms, he pulled him onto his back, his body flopping almost doll-like over his shoulder. I held my stomach as Kisuke lifted me to my feet. I grabbed onto his arm for support as he helped me down the street. Somehow, I was feeling better as we went along. That was until I realized that Kisuke was using some kidō to heal my wounds. But because we were still moving, the pain remained strong.

We ended up stopping in front of a large store. Tessai walked up to the doors, unlocked them, and stepped aside so that Kisuke could help me inside. Two kids ran out from the back room. The girl looked scared and boy’s scowl seemed to lift a little.

“Ururu, Jinta, make room in the back for these two.” They left, grabbing a pile of what looked like blankets from a cupboard before they returned to the same room. Kisuke set me on the floor against the wall and walked after them, slipping off the clog-like sandals before getting onto the carpet. Tessai followed him after leaving Ichigo in my arms. An idea suddenly popped into my head. Now, I’ve never been that great at it, but there’s still a chance that I might be able to heal him with some kidō. I tested my idea on a small cut on his forehead where dried blood had washed away under the rain. I touched it with my finger, and a small blue light emitted from the tip. The cut sealed up until it blended as a scar into the color of his skin. I wanted to touch his hair. I mean, come on; how does he get it to stay like that? He doesn’t use gel, I know that much, otherwise it would’ve washed out in the rain. The color was pretty amazing; somehow I knew that it was naturally orange, like Shōri’s. Weirdly enough, he could’ve been her older, taller, male counterpart. I poked the tip of one of his bangs. It was surprisingly soft. I flicked it and it just fell back into place. I tapped my chin. Taking my whole hand, I brushed his hair all the way back.

“Geez, you have a fat head,” I muttered. His lip twitched. But… he’s asleep, isn’t he? Did he really hear me? “Hey, Ichigo, can you hear me?” His lip twitched again. I placed my hand on his chest and emitted a little more energy. The feeling I got from touching his skin was weirdly familiar. It felt like my own spiritual pressure and his were all jumbled up together. “If you can’t, then what I’m about to say just might go in through one ear and then out the other. But if you can, then try and listen. I swear on my life to you that I won’t let anything happen to Rukia.”

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