Author's note: You may wonder "what the hell is this freak doing? Writing a this when she could be updating!" In answer…I have no idea. This just popped into my head and so I wrote it.
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"You wish to fight?"
"Yes, sir."
"No."
Rangiku fought back a hiss of fury.
"No?" she demanded, totally forgetting she was speaking to the captain commander.
"I believe you feelings for the ex-captain of the third squad will get in the way," he said simply. To her dismay, a blush formed on Ragiku's face.
"I don't—we never—I—" she stuttered and the captain commander sighed. He held up his hand and Rangiku was silent.
"It will be decided tomorrow when I make my announcement," he said and with that Rangiku was made to leave. And Rangiku did what she did whenever she felt like this—got drunk.
The war was coming. Rangiku knew this well even in her drunken state as she stared out at the moon as if it might bring her closer to—no. She wanted to fight in this war and to do that, she had to completely forget Gin. The captain commander was such an jerk, she decided. Like hell she would say it to his face though. Rangiku actually chuckled as she thought about the many things she would've said if she could when she was speaking with the old man himself.
"How'd it go?" asked Rukia softly, appearing from nowhere. Rangiku sighed.
"He said he'd tell me at the 'announcement' tomorrow," she grumbled as Rukia gathered up empty—and not empty—sake bottles and moved them so she could sit. At the word announcement, Rukia stiffened noticeably.
"The announcement is tomorrow," Rukia reminded herself faintly and put her face in her hands.
"What is the announcement anyway?" asked Rangiku. Kurosaki and Rukia had come to the souls society because of 'important business' that was later announced to be an 'announcement' for captains and vice-captains. Then it would be told to the whole soul society.
"You'll see tomorrow," Rukia muttered from her covered face.
"Do you think he'll let me fight?" asked Rangiku quietly. Rukia was silent for a long time and continued examining Rangiku.
"Could you kill him?" asked Rukia gently. Rangiku froze. It was obvious who 'him' was, and she thought hard. No one had ever put it like that.
Could Rangiku kill Gin? Her childhood friend? Her savior? She had loved him at a point. But he betrayed everyone. Including Rangiku, and as she reminded herself of this, Rangiku pictured his face the day he left. And then she told Rukia—and her heart—the biggest lie she could think of: "I hate him now."
"It's not really up to the captain commander to decide," Rukia said slowly as if she was letting out a big secret.
"Then who?" demanded Rangiku forcefully and Rukia shook her head.
"Tomorrow," she said and vanished into the night. Rangiku stared at the moon again.
"Are you seeing the same moon as me?" she asked Gin. Stupid, stupid, stupid! she screamed at herself. Gin couldn't hear her! But if he could…would he answer?
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All the captains and vice-captains gathered around in the meeting room and waited for the captain commander to speak.
"I know this is inconvenient timing, but I am leaving my post as captain of the first squad," the old shinigami said and the room was filled with cries and gasps.
"Then who will lead us?" asked Ukitake, one of the only people who was keeping his head along with a couple of the other captains including Hitsugaya and Unohana.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, with Kuchiki Rukia as his lieutenant" the now ex-captain commander said and Ichigo stepped up with Rukia half a step behind him.
"This is so sudden though!" argued Soi Fong and several other voices agreed with her and nods could be seen in the crowd.
"So what?" yelled Ikkaku and Yumichika nodded. Rangiku stared at wondered how they managed to get it. She turned to the door and saw several shinigami—no doubt the ones who had tried to stop them—out cold on the floor.
"Kurosaki could lead us anywhere!" Zaraki hollered and for the first time anyone could remember, the captain commander nodded.
"Kurosaki has shown great power, more power than I could be, and I believe he is more fit to lead you under this war than any of us," he said firmly and walked away. Everyone was silent as they waited for their new orange-headed captain commander to speak.
"Alright, so I temporarily replaced some captains for this and they could stay if they want I guess," Ichigo said and Yoruichi, Urahara, and Isshin and appeared.
"Yoruichi will be captain of the fifth division, Urahara of the ninth and my—Ichigo winced slight—"dad of the third." Rangiku watched the usually insane man who was Ichigo's father stand still and serious. Nice to know he could be. Rangiku also noticed that Soi Fong had stopped protesting when Yoruichi had appeared. Some seemed to think it odd, however, that Ichigo had chosen two of his captains to be two of the people exiled from the soul society.
"That's pretty much it," Ichigo said with a shrug and people moved toward him, Zaraki, Yumichika, Ikkaku and Yachiru to congratulate and others to ask him questions, including Rangiku.
"Kurosaki-soutai—" Rangiku began hesitantly but the boy stopped her quickly.
"Please don't call me that," he said. "Just Ichigo because 'soutachiou' makes me feel old."
"Alright then, Ichigo please tell me, can I fight or not?" Rangiku began again. Rukia whispered something in Ichigo's ear quickly and he looked thoughtful. Almost old.
"Yes, I don't see why not. You're a strong woman, Rangiku-san and I trust you to do the right thing, no matter what the right thing is," Ichigo said solemnly and captain commander or not, Rangiku couldn't resist squishing him in her large bosom.
"Thank you!" she squealed and danced off.
"Do you think that was a wise decision?" asked Rukia to Ichigo when Rangiku was gone.
"I told the truth when I said I trusted her," Ichigo said firmly.
"By the way, looking thoughtful you just did is going to give you wrinkles," Rukia said chuckling.
"Rukia can I tell you something," Ichigo said to her in a very low voice. Rukia looked slightly surprised.
"You can tell me anything," she told him.
"Right, well um, I just want you to know that—" Ichigo began but was quickly seized by Renji and Shunsui and dragged off to the bar because "every new captain needs a drink."
Rukia stood there frowning, wondering what on earth Ichigo was going to tell her. He looked pretty damn serious about it, too.
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But not everyone was jumping for joy, drinking or training for the battle to come. In fact, a short white-haired captain was sitting in the fourth division's medical room, watching someone sleep.
"So, now Kurosaki is the captain commander and Yoruichi is your new temporary captain," Toushirou finished wearily and stared at Momo sleep. Her hair was down and all over the pillow and a single strand fell across her face. He pulled it back and closed his eyes.
"Will she ever wake up?" he asked her bedside table sadly.
"Shiro-chan?" it replied in her sweet voice, sounding very confused. Toushirou groaned.
"Now I'm hearing things!" he said irritably. The table gave a weak giggle that sounded a bit wheezed.
"It's me," it said and this time Toushirou turned to his sleeping friend. She wasn't sleeping anymore.
"You—you're awake!"
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Interesting time for her to wake up i guess. And I don't own Bleach. REVIEW (cuz you already read it...right?)!!