"So are you saying we can't go back?"

"For a while, no. We would get in trouble."

"Aww, come on." Emily pouted. Shinji shook his head in denial. "What makes you think that anyway?"

"I know this kind of people."

"Yeah, sure." Silence engulfed them both and neither dared break it for a long while.


"Hey Shinji, how come you know JJ?" Shinji sighed at Emily's question. Emily's eyes widened at his reaction. He seemed rather nostalgic, somehow haunted by memories he deeply regretted.

"He… well, he was my friend back when I lived in Rukongai." He took her confused look as an invitation to continue. "Emily, not everyone is like you. You went to the Academy the day after you arrived in Rukongai. In my case, there were decades. I lived a life led by the worst depravities. I somehow managed to get some money together, so I built a club."

Emily gasped. "That club?"

Shinji nodded. "Yes. Well, it was easy at first. Don't you dare think that I didn't know I had reiatsu. I did. But I thought that shinigami life was boring. After all, in that world power is everything and I had it all. Money, strength, knowledge. There were very few who would dare mess up with me and they would all die easily when I unsheathed Sakanade. Yes, I knew Shikai. It was perfect, or so JJ thought. Unlike me, he was born for this kind of life."

"What happened? Why did you enroll in the Academy?"

"I got sick of it. It all started to feel… wrong, like I didn't belong there anymore. I shared my feelings with JJ and he suggested that I should become a shinigami. I left everything to him under one condition. If I ever want to go back, he will give me everything he has gathered while I was away."

Emily tilted her head in confusion. "Were you some kind of boss for him?"

Shinji sighed. "Yes. From all points of view."

Emily's eyes widened in shock. "All points… of view?"

Her mind immediately traveled back to her encounter with JJ, to his lecherous behavior. Her mind replaced JJ's hands with Shinji's and the image quickly formed. She placed him smoking herbs with the men that tempted her and everywhere in the club. 'Depravities… smoke, drugs… and sex, right?' She could hardly believe that someone could leave a life like that completely. Her eyes then drifted to Shinji, he seemed to be waiting for the worst, probably for her to tell him to leave and never talk to her again, but it just seemed wrong. She would never do that. The past was just some sort of story, it didn't describe him anymore, he was right to leave it behind, but still there was something confusing her.

"Why did you take me there?"

Shinji shrugged. "Every once in a while doesn't kill. Besides, I knew you would love it. For a certain reason, you seem to enjoy this sort of life."

Emily read between the lines. 'I did it for you.' was the main point. "You didn't have to."

Shinji chuckled. "Didn't have to? Of course not. But it felt one-sided. You told me everything and I promised to do the same. I could very well hide it. People forget there in a matter of seconds. Your past is painful and sad, my past is full of things I'm not too proud of. So why should I hide it?"

Emily gulped. "When you put it like that…"

Shinji chuckled. To Emily, it felt bitter. "Is there any other way to put it? Of course I wish I could just forget, but life doesn't work that way."

"I… don't pity you too much. You enjoyed it for a while and when you wanted to change things you did. Past is not real anymore and you shouldn't let it affect you." Emily sighed. "I won't judge you based on what you did, Shinji, but on what you will do from now on. And I will listen to you when you tell me what not to do there."

He avoided her eyes on him. "Thank you."


Emily smiled, running her hand over his cheek to force him to look at her. "Can you please get me some water?" Shinji raised an eyebrow at the randomness but complied nonetheless.

Emily watched him leave. She hadn't lied before. 'It's so weird. Almost impossible for him to do all that. Maybe he changed a lot. He can't have been so protective and caring before.' Shinji came back and helped her up.

"How do you feel?"

"Shitty."

"Can I open a window? It's past sunset."

Emily nodded. The cold air made her feel better. She saw the red moon and shivered.

"Cold?"

"No."

"Red moon?" Shinji asked. Emily nodded and he walked up to her, pulling her close. "Relax. Nothing bad can happen. You should just sleep for now."

"But… I'll have nightmares."

He kissed her forehead. "I won't leave."

Finally, she nodded, convinced.


~~~~~Somewhere in the woods~~~~

Four shadows ran across the trees, hurrying towards Sereitei. They stopped just in front of the big walls defending the Shinigami.

"Otou-san…" a male voice said shyly.

"What are you waiting for? Open!" another voice barked. Two shadows jumped to the top of the walls and the rest soon followed. They reached the barracks of the 5th Division and stopped once more. "Hmm…"

"Otou-san…" a woman began, being interrupted rudely.

"Nande?"

"There's a Taicho with her, in the same room."

"Tch. We need to wait for tomorrow then. I am not strong enough for that and neither are you kids."

"But… will we act during daylight?" a trembling boy asked.

"Yes! Got anything against it?"

"B-but… my abilities…"

"I don't give a shit! Can you kill a Taicho in an instant? No! So we'll wait and get Jyubi when the Shinigami is alone."

"Yes, Otou-san. Demo… what is our gain? You will get strong and stuff, but in our case…"

"You'll each get a tail. At full power, each tail is a Captain-level power boost."

"Then how are we supposed to defeat the owner of the 10 tails?"

"Jyubi doesn't give his full power to his Shinigami. She's a weak woman, unlike you, my daughter."

"Arigato, Otou-san. I will make sure to stay strong and be able to open the Hueco Mundo temple. Jyubi, the strongest Zanpakutou, will give us his power."