"Sora-chan, oh Sora-chan," Matsumoto called, wandering around the halls of the squad 13's barracks. She turned another corner and sighed.
"Sora-chan," she called again.
"Yes Matsumoto-fukutaichou?" a small voice asked and Matsumoto whirled around, putting a hand to her heart. She stared down at the small woman and smiled.
"There you are, I've been calling for you," she said and the short woman laughed.
"Yes, I know, I could hear you from my captain's office," she said with a light, bell like laugh. Matsumoto smiled at her.
"Did I disturb any one?" she asked and the woman, Sora, nodded.
"Yes, the only reason I came to find you is because we got many complaints about to much noise, what do you need at such an ungodly hour?" she asked, her voice still kind and gentle. Sora reminded her lot of Retsu Unohana. Like the way she acted and the fact that she wears an obi instead of a sash.
"I hear you're a pretty good drinking partner," she said in a quiet tone and Sora frowned.
"You came here at 11 at night to ask me to go drinking with you?" she asked, her tone disbelieving. Matsumoto smiled and nodded.
"That's why," she said and Sora smiled before turning and walking away. Matsumoto frowned at her reaction and followed.
"Please," she begged and Sora shook her head.
"I'm sorry but my captain is sick again and, though I trust Kotetsu-san and Kotsubaki-san, it is a lieutenant's job to take over when the Captain is unable to perform his duties," she said and Matsumoto sighed, hanging her head low.
"I truly am sorry Matsumoto-san," she said bowing slightly before walking away. Matsumoto frowned after her as the quiet woman seemed to dissipate.
"She always was a little weird," she said before smiling, shrugging and walking away.
Sora sighed as she got away from Matsumoto and looked up at the dark sky. She shook her head and headed back to her room. Her feet padded lightly against the wood as she walked, every reminding her that she was alone in the darkness. Her heart fluttered like a bird in its cage as fear consumed her. She hated the dark.
"Sora-chan, what are you doing out so late?" a cool voice asked her and she whirled around to see the calm face of Aizen, captain of squad 5.
"Aizen-taichou, you startled me!" she exclaimed, holding an elegant hand to her chest. She truly hoped her couldn't hear her erratic heartbeat. He smiled kindly at her.
"I apologize Sora-chan, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, walking up to her, "I was merely curious as to why you're out and about at such a late hour."
"If I may so bold as to ask, what are you doing out here Aizen-taichou?" she asked and he laughed.
"I couldn't sleep so I thought I might enjoy a stroll," he explained and Sora nodded.
"Matsumoto-fukutaichou decided that she would wake up my entire squad to get me to go drinking with her," she explained and Aizen laughed.
"Would you like me to walk you back to your room?" he asked and Sora nodded. He smiled at her and they began walking again. It was silent for a while before Aizen spoke.
"Are you afraid of the dark Sora-chan?" he asked and Sora blushed before nodding.
"Only a little Aizen-taichou," she said and he laughed as they got to her room. She turned to him and bowed.
"Thank you for walking me back to my room Aizen-taichou," she said and he patted her head.
"Have a good night's sleep Sora-chan," he said before leaving. She straightened up and walked into her room. She quickly stripped herself of her shihakusho leaving her in the small white Kimono. She let her long curly white hair down before placing her zanpaktou next to her bed and laying down. She quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.
.:next day:.
Sora blinked as the morning sunlight streamed through her window. She lay in bed for a while before tilting her head back to look out of the window. She cursed as she saw the light sunlight of early morning and quickly hopped up and began dressing. She changed her kimono and her shihakusho before flinging her zanpaktou onto her back and running towards her captain's office. She paused as she got to the door and knocked on the door. She entered and her captain, Jushiro Ukitake, smiled up at her.
"Ah, Sora-chan, there you are, did you sleep well?" he asked and she nodded.
"Gomen nasai," she said, bowing. Jushiro laughed.
"Always so formal, come, have some tea with me," he said and she frowned before doing so. He handed her a cup, which she took gently.
"Arigato, Ukitake-taichou," she said and he nodded at her. She took a sip of the tea before putting her hands in her lap and looking down into the cup.
"Are you feeling better Ukitake-taichou?" she asked and he smiled at her.
"Very much, thank you for asking Sora-chan," he said and she nodded.
"Hayashi-fukutaichou, we found you," Kiyone yelled, barging into the room and making the small woman jump about half a foot into the air. She had a hand at her back, ready to pull out her zanpaktou as the two 3rd seats burst into the office. She visibly relaxed when she realized it was just them.
"Yes, you found me, and you also scared me half to death," she said and Kiyone laughed.
"Sorry about that Sora-chan, can you come train with Sentaro-baka and I?" she asked and Sora nodded.
"I would love to," she said, getting up and setting her unfinished tea back onto the desk. She bid goodbye to her captain before following her subordinates to the training grounds.
"Sora-chan, which one do you like best?" Kiyone asked and Sora looked up at the sky, putting a finger to her chin in thought. They had started this when she had been forced to take the empty lieutenants spot. Even with her, they pined for attention like two little puppies.
"I can't chose, I like you both," she said and yet again the two started fighting about who respected her more and who loved her more. She sighed. She could never win with these two. They stopped as they neared the training grounds and starred at the pair already there. As if sensing them, Momo looked up and waved, ignoring her captain. Sora giggled and waved back at the small woman. She liked the fact that she and Momo were the same height and that fact had caused her to warm up to the 5th squad's lieutenant rather quickly.
"Hayashi-fukutaichou, are you here to train as well?" she asked and Sora laughed.
"That would explain why I'm here," she yelled back and she could see Momo's blush from where she was standing. She laughed before walking down to them. She bowed lightly to Aizen and the man smiled at her. She could feel Momo's angry gaze on her back. She turned back to the woman and shook her head slightly, making her relax. Sora knew of Momo's crush on her captain, and she kept it a secret between them, though half of the seireitei already knew.
"Hayashi-fukutaichou, how are you and Katsu?" Momo asked and Sora stiffened. Momo frowned at her reaction to her boyfriend's name. She reached up slowly and touched a spot on her arm before shaking her head and smiling. It never reached her eyes.
"We're fine," she said, her voice quiet, melodic, and hollow. Momo decided not to point this out and smiled.
"That's good," she said and Sora nodded, not meeting her questioning gaze.
"I'm sorry Kotetsu-san, Kotsubaki-san, I'm not in the mood to train any more, if you'll excuse me," she said, her voice breaking before she left quickly. Momo frowned and looked back at the two 3rd seats who looked just as confused as she did.
"Is she okay?" she asked and they shrugged before Momo went running after her. She caught up to Sora quickly and pulled her to a stop.
"Sora-can what's wrong?" she asked but the woman didn't look at her.
"Momo-chan, please just leave me alone, I can't guarantee if you put yourself into this that you won't get hurt," she said, her voice low and Momo let her go. She quickly walked away from Momo, her head down.