"What a beautiful day," I said cheerfully as I stepped into the World of the Living with Sōsuke and Sajin at my side. "Look at that sunrise. Absolutely gorgeous."

Indeed, what a lovely day it was for a massacre. The sun was peeking above the horizon, shining brightly as if in eager anticipation of the blood shed up ahead.

I made no move to hide my reiatsu, blatantly showing all the nearby Quincies that big bad Shinigami had entered their turf. Sōsuke and Sajin followed my lead, each keeping their reiatsu uncloaked.

"All right my lovelies, our task is simple. We need to trim the Quincies up so they stop interfering with our work. We're not looking for a genocide," I said with chirp in my voice. "If they surrender, there's no need to kill them. But I mean like if you kill them before they even get a chance to surrender who's gonna know?"

"You sound very experienced in this type of hunt, Captain," Sōsuke observed.

"Yeppers. Ah, this'll be your guys' first trip here won't it?"

Sajin nodded, sniffing the air. "It has a different taste and smell to it than what I expected."

Sōsuke assessed the dirt roads around us, a hint of disdain in his eyes. "The World of the Living is... not as advanced as I thought it would be."

"Yeah... they don't have plumbing yet so, uh, be careful where you step. There's a genuine chance you'll be stepping in human shit."

At that, Sōsuke did wince. "How... fascinating."

"You can call it gross, So-So. I won't think less of you," I chuckled. "It's okay to admit something is bothering ya."

Sōsuke inclined his head. "As you say, Captain."

Sajin hoisted his zanpakutō. "Ah. Looks we like we have company."

I raised my zanpakutō, using the sheathe to deflect the first arrow shot at me.

"Ara, ara," I said, smiling with coy malice. "Look, already a dozen Quincies."

Below us, dressed in white, was a group of Quincies. The one who shot the arrow at me snarled, "Begone, Shinigami!"

"Both of you have your shikais, so I expect neither of you to run into an issue," I said, ignoring the Quincies. "Whoever collects those most bodies for Kisuke's division gets to pick dinner all next week."

"BBQ," whispered Sajin.

"Mana-buns," disagreed Sōsuke.

"I'll give you one hour. Eliminate the Quincies. I'll clean up the rest after that," I ordered.

Thankfully, the Quincies mostly operated in Japan. Japan had the weakest border between the World of the Living and Soul Society which made it a natural hotspot for Hollows to appear, and consequently, it drew the Quincies. There were other parts in the world that had thin veils, but they were usually reserved to a single city (London, Pretoria, Cape Town, New York, Montreal, Marseille, etc). Japan as a country was a concerning hotspot, and while the veils were thin elsewhere Japan's veil literally broke a few times.

"As you command, Captain," Sajin and Sōsuke said, each unleashing their zanpakutō.

And so the countdown began.

My boys did very well for their first assault. At the one-hour mark, I picked them up. Sajin was the more battered between the two, but even Sōsuke had a few scrapes and bruises. I patted both of their cheeks, praising them.

Sajin said, "The mortals were surprisingly strong."

"There should be no surprise next time, then," I told him. "No matter how strong you feel, you shouldn't underestimate your opponents."

Sajin dipped his head, "Yes, Captain."

Sōsuke sheathed his blade. "You believe you can finish off the rest, Captain Rirī?"

"I know I can," I dismissed.

I pulled out my zanpakutō, holding the dark blade aloft.

"Ruin, Owari."

The black blade glowed white as a swarm of light shaped like butterflies surged from the blade. Within seconds, they had taken over the skies, their forms shining brightly as they fluttered in the breeze.

Owari, my zanpakutō, was a blade that drew power from my previous lives. In its shikai state it cloned a version of my kaleidoscope; butterfly summons I had contracted with very early on in my reincarnation. The kaleidoscope was created by Shiori, my main contract, and it rested in the In Between. Shiori could reform or shape the kaleidoscope based on my needs for that life, so long as she had enough spiritual and physical energy supplied.

My shikai summoned forth a cloned copy of that kaleidoscope, one enhanced directly by my reiatsu. The actual kaleidoscope could be killed or destroyed in battle, but the shikai version could not. My butterflies had a simple, yet versatile ability. Upon contact, they could directly influence cellular regrowth.

For my allies, that meant regeneration.

For my enemies, it meant—

The first butterfly landed upon a Quincy face and that face deteriorated within seconds. Another unfortunate Quincy had a mutation of cells protruding from its shoulder where a butterfly had landed.

Mutation, rapid aging, decay, destruction...

Simple, yet terribly versatile in the many ways it could kill.

Sōsuke raised a finger as one of the butterflies landed delicately upon it.

"Beautiful," he softly praised, admiring the way the light shimmered on its wings. I smiled at him, as I sensed he was sincere in that compliment.

Owari might have been inherently Evil™ and the bankai state was just... oof. Oof. But yes, my shikai kaleidoscope was terribly pretty and I was awfully proud of it. With each wave of my zanpakutō I could conjure another swarm.

More of my butterflies fluttered around Sajin and I heard the werewolf sigh with relief as they healed his injuries.

Within an hour my butterflies, invisible to the human eye, had covered Japan and devoured a good portion of the Quincies. It wasn't a total genocide—I wasn't about to murder the ones that surrendered, or were defenseless—but it was certainly massacre. Their bodies were picked up by the swarms and escorted to Kisuke's laboratory in Soul Society.

'I wonder if I killed too much,' I thought. 'Guess we'll find out.'

I sheathed my blade as I stared down at the mutilated corpses. "We're done here. Let's head back and send in the clean up crew who'll tally up your kills."

(◕▾◕✿)

1815 a.d.

It was a cool autumn morning in Soul Society. I had opened the windows to my office, letting in the crisp breeze. In the distance I could hear my lovely sheep mewling at one another and I knew it would soon be time to trip them down again. I had recently added some alpacas. It'd take a few generations of extra pampering to get their fur on the same level as my sheep, but it'd be worth it.

My barracks had the warm scents of cinnamon, honey, and apple as I had recently been on a baking binge. On the kotatsu in my main office there was a plate of cinnamon-apple-honey soft baked granola bars.

Normally I would have sat at my kotatsu table, nibbling on my treats while reviewing paperwork.

Thankfully, it was not a normal morning. All due to my surprise visitor.

Yoruichi and I stared intently at one another.

She, a black cat with amber eyes.

I, a pale pink cat with blue eyes.

As cats, our expressions were limited, so staring was all we could do.

In our hearts we were grinning because at long, long last Yoruichi had finally perfected her transformation technique. The technique was developed solely to be able to transform into a fluffy wuffy kitty cat. As soon as she showed off her form, I transformed to match her and now we could be fluffy cuddle buddies!

"This is amazing," she purred. She was still practicing modifying her voice as a cat, so it defaulted to her normal voice. Cats didn't have lips to speak as humans did, so we were forced to use something similar to telepathy. It was a projection of our voice through our reiatsu—like using a megaphone—so it only worked in the surrounding area. It was how Ulquiorra to spoke prior to his evolution since he didn't have a traditional voice box. 'Course that didn't matter now since he evolved and looked exactly as his anime counterpart now.

"We can literally be lap cats!" I cheered. "We can fit under the kotatsu table and nap all day. No one will find us."

Yoruichi gasped. "I want to nap under the kotatsu table right now."

We dove under the thick blanket and plopped next to the heater. The instant warmth caused us to groan in pleasure. "Oh, praise the Maker being a cat next to a heater is the best."

Yoruichi curled up beside me. "All those decades spent training... all of it has become validated with this one moment."

"Yes..."

We purred, cuddling together by the heater as we enjoyed our victory nap.

(◕▾◕✿)

Blinking slowly, I returned to the world of the awake feeling refreshed. To my surprise, I was not still curled up with Yoruichi under the kotatsu. Judging how warm and comfy I was though, I wasn't immediately startled.

I guess we got discovered, I thought, looking up to find that Sōsuke had me in his lap and was idly scratching the back of my head with one hand while he reviewed paperwork at my desk. I purred at him, reaching up to gently lick his fingers. "Good day my darling."

Sōsuke smiled in amusement. "Good morning, Captain Rirī."

"How did you find us?" I asked him, rolling over because belly rubs were the best thing ever.

A quiet snort escaped my lieutenant as he humored me by rubbing my belly. "It wasn't easy. We were looking for you two for twenty hours."

"Ahh. Good nap."

"Quite. Captain Yoruichi has been sent back to her division, but you slept through the scolding."

"Yay me."

"Is this going to become a regular form?" he asked.

I cocked my head then morphed into the body of a gorgeous twenty-year-old woman. I smirked coyly at him, still in his lap. "I dunno. Are you a cat person, my dear So-So?"

Sōsuke, nonplussed, reached around me and held out the report he was working on. "I'm a I wish my dear captain would finish her paperwork before disappearing kind of person."

Feeling pouty that he didn't react to having such a beautiful lady like myself in his lap, I sighed and turned back into a cat. Being a cat was the best. "Boo, So-So, boo."

Sōsuke chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint, Captain Rirī."

I flicked my tail in annoyance. "If you were sorry you'd make it up to me!"

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow.

I purred. "How about in private you stop calling me captain?"

"Miss Rirī, then?"

"So formal! How hurtful, So-So."

Sōsuke pretended to ponder, placing a hand over his chin as if in deep thought. "Madam Rirī?"

"Boo!"

"Lady Rirī?"

"Boo!"

"Then how about..." Sōsuke tapped on my nose. "Gatita?"

My ears flicked forward. Gatita was the feminine Spanish word for kitten. I had been aiming for just Rirī but a little nickname was a pleasant surprise. I hadn't thought my somber lieutenant had enough playfulness in him for such a thing. Not terribly creative, but it would be a callback to the moment it was made—a little inside joke.

It was personal.

Purring, I said, "I love it, dear So-So."

(◕▾◕✿)

1845 a.d.

Being a kitty cat was something I only did sparingly. As a troll by nature, I always relished in keeping secrets for others to find out.

Yoruichi, Kisuke, Genryūsai, Sōsuke, Jūshirō, and Shunsui were the only Shinigami to know the truth about my cat form. It was a delight to sneak out and eavesdrop on gossiping nobles or other Shinigami. On cold dreary days Yoruichi and I would cuddle near a fire or under the heated kotatsu, just to wake up either in Kisuke's or Sōsuke's lap hours later.

Genryūsai gave the best chin-scritches by a long shot though.

On another day I decided to visit Kisuke in his lab. The pale blond like to keep his office orderly, but when he got caught up in something fascinating it'd turn into a chaotic mess. He'd get frazzled, stressing out over small things which caused him to miss the obvious solutions. As his friend, it was up to me to soothe his anxiety.

I snuc—I mean—I headed out, transforming into a cat along the way. Kisuke's office was at the back of the twelfth division barracks. It was a corner room with the outside being made up of shoji (Japanese sliding doors). As it was a temperate day, Kisuke had opened all the doors which made it easy to slip inside.

Kisuke was at his desk, ink smudges on his fingers and face. As I entered the room he looked up and spotted me immediately. With my head and tail held high, I bounded over to my friend. Kisuke picked me up, cradling me as he took a seat in his office chair. He held me as he said, "You can't keep hiding out here, Rirī."

"Why not? It's so lovely here."

"I think your cute little lieutenant might get jealous if you spend more time here than at home," Kisuke teased.

"Don't be silly. So-So isn't like that."

Kisuke adjusted to hold me with one arm while he used his free hand to wipe off the ink from his fingers and face. "Mm-hmm. Next week you'll need to stay away. I'm closing it off from outsiders as I'll be doing some dangerous experiments."

I let out a scandalized gasp, rolling over onto my back—a clear signal that it was time to give me belly rubs because belly rubs were the best—in his lap. "Are you implying I'm an outsider?"

"You do not work in my lab, ergo you are an outsider," Kisuke pointed out.

To show my displeasure, I stared him down and bit on the tip of his index and middle finger, not letting go.

Kisuke met my gaze, unperturbed that I was biting him. In fact, he started to chuckle.

"What? What are you so amused by?" I asked as I continued to bite his fingers.

"I know where my hand has been," he said with a smirk.

'He's trying to make me uncomfortable so I'll let go. How dare he think he can make me uncomfortable. ME!'

Still in his lap, and still biting his fingers, I transformed into an adult woman. Glaring defiantly up at him, I raised my eyebrows in a clear show, 'Whatchu gonna do now?'

But Kisuke Urahara had been my companion for centuries by that point and was well equipped to dealing with my bullshit.

His smirked stretched. Abruptly, he shoved his fingers down my throat, eliciting a reflexive gag. I spasmed out of his lap onto the floor, coughing violently.

"And the victory goes to me," he said cheerfully.

"Fuck—you—" I wheezed, gagging.

"I'll have to decline your advances for now, Rirī," Kisuke laughed joyfully.

Spitefully, I kicked his chair legs hard enough to knock him forward and out of the chair. He flopped on top of me in a way that really only ever happened in anime universes. One did not see that kind of tomfoolery in DC-verse or Potterverse.

And because, yeah, anime-world, it was at that moment Sōsuke opened the door asking, "Urahara have you seen Rirī—"

Sōsuke stopped as he stared at the situation.

'Wow. I bet this looks super scandalous and compromising,' I thought, biting my bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud.

Kisuke must have realized that as well because he deadpanned, "This is exactly what it looks like."

Sōsuke blinked. "Don't you want to say this is not what it looks like?"

"No. I know Rirī better than that. If I said that, she'd either start moaning erotically or start crying and run into your arms."

"Awww. You know me so well," I cooed.

Sōsuke tilted his head, quiet for a few seconds. He bent down, grabbed my shoulders, then yanked me out from under Kisuke. Kisuke fell to the floor entirely while Sōsuke picked me up. Kisuke and I looked at each other before we burst out into laughter as Sōsuke carried me away.

"Ahahahaha—b-b-bye Ri—ahahaha—Rirī!" called out Kisuke.

"Snrrt—hahaha—b-bye—"

"I really wish you'd finish your paperwork before disappearing," sighed Sōsuke.

"Hehehehe—b-but then you won't go—heheheh—looking for me," I giggled.

"Not everyone enjoys the chase, Gatita," evenly said Sōsuke.

I smirked. "Are you saying you don't enjoy the hunt, my dear So-So?"

Sōsuke's lips twitched as he fought back a smile. He didn't say anything in response, he didn't need to.

(◕▾◕✿)

Hueco Mundo was a desolate barren of white sand and starless night sky. Nothing could grow there, and it was an overall dull place.

The only part of Hueco Mundo that was close to entertaining was the mansion I had built with Starrk and Lilynette. Naturally, it was heavily cloaked and protected by my reiatsu so not anyone could find it. It started as a humble abode, but over the centuries it had morphed into a Frankenstein mansion. Lilynette's obsession with story telling evolved into writing stories, drawing artwork, and making video games. She filled up several rooms already from her hobby. Starrk's obsession with reading stories and playing war games had turned him into a fanboy for shogi, chess, and Warhammer. The dude had two rooms dedicated to his figurine collection.

And then, of course, we had to have a room dedicated to our DnD campaigns.

Ulquiorra hadn't found a hobby that particularly interested him enough to have a room for it. He tended to filter through a variety of things, never settling on one. The only consistent thing he liked to do was read.

Grimmjow... sweet, sweet kitty boy... he was obsessed with power for the moment. I figured once he felt like he was on equal standing with everyone else in the family he'd relax enough to find a hobby.

I hoped that would be the case at least.

Despite how massive the mansion was, most of the time, everyone could be found in the same living room. Starrk liked to play chess with himself at his favorite couch, Ulquiorra liked to read at his favorite recliner, Lilynette liked to play Chase the Kitty with Grimmjow. It was a good time.

I flopped into Starrk's lap. "My friend."

"Yes, my friend?"

"I think it's time for one of our children to evolve," I said, gesturing over to a kitty Grimmjow. He was seated before us on the living room rug. His chest was puffed up with pride.

Starrk nodded, accepting this. "I suppose it is."

"About time!" howled Grimmjow. "Ulquiorra got to last week. It's my turn, my turn!"

"Yes, yes," I soothed. "As soon as Lilynette comes back with the last Hollow I'll help you evolve."

Grimmjow stomped on the ground. "FINALLY."

"Then I can start teaching you how to use a sword!"

"What? Why would I want to learn that? I have claws."

"You won't after you evolve."

"THAT'S BULLSHIT."

"But you'll become like a thousand times hotter," I chirped.

"FUCK THAT I WANNA KEEP MY CLAWS."

Starrk whispered in my ear, "My friend, our child is becoming unruly."

I patted his back. "He gets it from his mother."

"Don't let her hear you say that," Starrk warned. "She might think you're calling her unruly."

"Stop talking about me when I am literally sitting in front of you both," growled Grimmjow. "I am not your child."

We gasped.

"Ulquiorra, baby, you're my future son in law aren't you?" I called over to Ulquiorra who was quite happy to be sitting in his recliner reading Name of the Wind.

Ulquiorra did not even look up. "Yes."

"That's my boy," I sniffled. "I'mma go cuddle with him now."

Starrk cheerfully picked me up off his lap and sat me on the floor. I hopped over to Ulquiorra who accepted me in his lap with patience that came the decades of putting up with me. I kissed his cheek and patted his head. "Do you want me to read to you now?"

Grimmjow snapped, "Oi! No getting distracted. Lilynette will be back any minute and then I'm evolving."

"I do enjoy the voices," said Ulquiorra, ignoring Grimmjow and holding the book out to me.

"I'll do the voices then," I assured him.

"OI! STOP IGNORING ME."

"Thank you," said Ulquiorra, offering me one of his smiles. It was still awkward and twitchy, but the darling was working on it. Gosh, I was so proud of him!

"STOP. IGNORING. ME."

I glanced over at Grimmjow with a raised eyebrow. "Are you gonna be a cuddle buddy now?"

He glowered. "Fuck you."

"No cuddles, no evolution since apparently I'm not one of your moms."

Grimmjow groaned in despair, dramatically flopping to the ground. "Fine. We can... ugh... cuddle."

"That's my boy."

(◕▾◕✿)

Was tempted for Kitten, but given Aizen's penchant for using Spanish terminology I went with Gatita.

Answer: Mangekyō (means kaleidoscope)

Question: What would be your shikai & bankai?

Reviews are love!