Author's Note: "I think I'll keep this note short. Rin is cute." - Alex Lawsford


"Guys... Where is the Squad 8 barracks?" Akane asked cheerfully, the only barracks she new the location of were the Squad 6 ones.

"Actually, I don't know." L noted, he looked around at his friends who each had puzzled faces. Apparently nobody knew where they were. "Hattori?"

"Yes, I believe I know where it is.."

"Phew~ For a second there I thought we were never going to find it." Rin commented. You couldn't tell from his face, but her comments annoyed Hattori.

The barracks were pretty far away from where they were originally standing, it was off in a corner. Guided by a silent Hattori the group eventually found it, it's not like they could've asked anybody for directions since everybody was where they should be. Not a Shinigami in sight.

The group arrived slightly late, their captain Shunsui Kyōraku had already begun the ceremony. "Your vice-captain is Nanao Ise, play nice" he laughed. The group snuck into the barracks trying not to be seen just in case Kyōraku was stricter than he seemed, L might've been he only one to notice it but Kyōraku's eye was drawn towards them for a blink. He had noticed them, yet didn't stop his ceremony. "We're a strong and strict Squad but of course we have our days off.. Heh heh~ Be sure to stay focused but have a good time! Now... Let the after-party commence!"

The crowd cheered and Kyōraku had disappeared, only to reappear in front of L and his friends. "Could we speak for a moment? In my quarters?"

"S.. Sure" L stuttered looking the captain in the eyes.

"All of you, there is something important I need to speak to you about. So please, follow.." he said walking away from them into a large building. The large building housed Kyōraku's office and living space, the tall captain sat down and poured himself a drink. L and everyone else remained standing.

"What is it you want to talk to us about Captain?" Ken'ichi asked him politely as the he sipped from a cup.

"Please, call me Kyōraku."

"Sorry.."

"Right, it's been brought to Captain Yamamoto's attention that an Arrancar has managed to escape from the depths of Hueco Mundo."

"..."

"The Arrancar is known as the Principe Espada, the most powerful of all."

"But, Captain Kyōraku..." Rin was hesitant to ask the question on all of their lips "Why are you telling this to us in private?"

"Moreover, why hasn't Captain Yamamoto announced this publicly?" L asked.

"Because, you guys are in the most danger."

"What!"

"Yes, unfortunately for reasons we can't yet explain the Arrancar in question is after L Lawliet and thus, his friends are in danger. For this reason, we ask you to stay out of harms way for the battles in the future."

"Why me..?" L asked himself "Who is this Principe Espada?"

"His name is Beyond Birthday."

Once those words hit his ears L's head began to ring with shrieks and images of murder flashed through his head, but why? Why him? What's the connection? L's nose began to bleed and he awoke from his 'episode'.

"Eru? Are you.. Okay?" Akane asked putting her hand on his back, she had seen this before.

"If this is somehow my fault..."

"Huh?" Kyōraku's eyes flashed to the corner of the room where a window was, but there was nothing there.

"...Then I want to help fix it."

"I'm sorry, L you couldn't tak-"

"THEN WE'LL ALL DO IT!" Akane shouted at the top of her lungs, shocking everyone else in the room. "We can't just sit back while this monster is out looking for us."

"Yeah." Rin said also standing up to Kyōraku's decision.

Ken'ichi put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm in too."

"And me" Hattori added, next to him stood Miya who had been silent for a while. She nodded her head vigorously.

Kyōraku smiled, he expected this. "Nanao?" he called, the vice-captain's head popped up from the window. "You heard me try right?"

"Yes, that's good enough for me."

"Good. Guys, as your captain I grant you permission to fight. But I'm warning you, Beyond is powerful, more powerful tha anything you've ever face. You need to be prepared."

"Yes sir" the chanted in unison.

"Good, now please. Enjoy the rest of the night!" he laughed as he chugged down almost an entire bottle of sake.

XXX - About 15 minuteslater.

Something became very obvious to both Rin and Akane in the past few minutes. Their captain, the famed Shunsui Kyōraku could not hold his liqour at all. He was currently sitting in the middle of them both, attempting to flirt with them however he kept getting their names wrong.

"Captain Kyōraku, haven't you had enough sake?" Rin asked him with a false smile, she was feeling incredibly uncomfortable.

"Nonsense!" he called out almost falling over, "Here join me!".

"N.. No thanks" she refused the bottle of sake he handed her, in hindsight she probably should've accepted it just to take it from her alcoholic captain.

"So, Ayame~"

"My name is Akane" she told him.

"Are you seeing anyone at the moment?"

"Uh.. OH! Miya-chan!" she called out to the twin who had already escaped the captains grasp.

"Ahh! Miya-tan~" he called out, getting up to go talk to her.

"Close call 'eh Rin-chan?" Akane turned to see her but Rin had already disappeared making sure that Kyōraku wouldn't come back to her. "Hmm, goodidea" she thought to herself deciding to get up and go outside for a little while.

When she had made it passed the other Shinigami who seemed to find her a lot more attractive now than before she found L sitting alone in his usual chest-to-knees position. She sat down next to him and looked up to the sky as he was. "Y'know, you never told me why you sat like that.."

"It's hard to explain, I guess it helps me think."

"Really?"

"You should try it, all your ideas will fall into place."

She decided to change the subject, L seemed upset. Who could blame him? "Eru-kun, did I ever thank you for saving me that one time?"

"That was nothing Akane.. You needed help, I couldn't let you die." he smiled.

"It wasn't nothing!" she shouted, it started back in her first year at the academy during her first battle. L was partnered with her and she was told to use Kidō to defeat the rather large Hollow in front of her, when she attempted it her Kidō backfired and injured her seriously. When the Hollow came in to finish her off, L was able to activate his Shikai, allowing him to kill the Hollow and save her.

"It was nothing compared to what you did.. I mean, you took me in."

"How long are you going to keep babbling on about that? Did you want me to leave out in the street?" she laughed.

As did he.

It was an awkward laugh, but it was pleasant. L could feel his eyes being drawn to Akane's, the gray of his meeting the blue-green of hers. She smiled and then blushed and their heads moved closer.

She loved him, not that she could say it. People who have been friends for so long shouldn't get together, right? It'd end in chaos.. Or, that's what she thought at least.

Their faces drew closer until his rough lips touched the soft of hers.

"Do you guys want a-"

"Huh? Ooof!" From the sudden shock of Hattori's voice the two had jumped and banged their heads together.

"My apologies." he said leaving.

Silence.

Now it was awkward, they almost kissed. But now neither of them knew what to do or say. Akane stood up and walked away, "Sorry Eru~"

"No. Don't apologise"

"Such a cheesy line" she told him with a smile, however as the rain began to fall on them from the sky she felt herself crying inside. "Dumbass."

XXX

"What could Ken'ichi want?" L asked himself as he walked down the corridor to the Squad 8 dojo, where Ken'ichi told him to go. He said he would be waiting for him. But why? L pulled open the screen door and standing in the middle of the room with his Zanpakuto drawn was Ken'ichi with a serious look on his face. "What's up?" L asked him.

"How was your night?" Ken'ichi asked. L's head was suddenly filled with thoughts that Ken'ichi might be jealous that L had kissed Akane. He decided to just ask him rather than let it wait out.

"Why are you here?"

"If we're going to take on the 'Prince of Arrancar's' then we should get training right?" Ken'ichi smiled "Let's spar!"

L understood, it's not like he didn't enjoy the occasional fight. He always had a little tick in his head when he was fighting that made him enjoy the thrill. He smirked "If you're ready?"

"I was born ready!" Ken'ichi pointed his blade at L with his left hand over it "Blow over, Kaze-Enkei! (Wind Circles)" he shouted. A large white light appeared around his weapon and wind somehow began to pick up, despite them being in an indoors dojo. When the light faded L saw Ken'ichi's Zanpakuto for the first time and he was rather surprised; the medium sized katana had become two large, green chakrams. Both had four pointed spikes in the shape of a cross through them, Ken'ichi pointed them at his foe "Show me yours?".

L drew his sealed Zanpakuto, an extended katana with no guard. He pointed it to the sky and called out "Tame the wicked, Hatsuyume!". L's katana quickly became a large white broadsword detailed with a black cross on the blade. He shook the light off the blade and smiled.

"Let's go!"

"HYAH!" L shouted slamming his blade into the side of Ken'ichi's weapon, he didn't budge.

"My turn!" he shouted "Harikēn!". L looked around, around the two of them a large tornado had begun to brew, he could tell this was bad news.

"Damn" he sighed, he decided to throw himself backwards through the tornado in order to escape. However by then, the tornado was spinning too fast and there was no escape.