Session 35- Cruel To Be Kind

(note: the song that's in Toshiro's head is a remake of 'Pictures In My Head' from the recent Muppet Movie- hence the title. I heard it when I went to see the movie and it teared me up. I immediately thought it was perfect for Toshiro)

In Soul Society:

Toshiro opened the door of his massive home, stepping aside to let his Grandmother in. Rioko's eyes went wide as he closed the door behind him. "Oh, Sweetheart…what a charming place! You certainly have done well for yourself!"

"Well, to be honest, Grandmother, the Soul Society gives us these homes when we ascend to the rank of Captain. The Lieutenants get nice homes too. You should have seen Rangiku's," he stopped then and swallowed hard to try to get rid of the lump he felt growing in there. Instead he turned toward the dining room. "Would you like a tour, Grandmother?"

"Oh, I'd love one!" She beamed.

"I suppose you're going to brag about this to your friends back in Rakongai?" Toshiro asked.

"Of course, what's a proud Grandmother for?" she smiled.

"Grandmother…that is going to be rather embarrassing.."

"Are you telling your Grandmother what to think now? You're indeed a bad boy," she teased. Toshiro smiled at his grandmother as she lightly tapped him on the ear. "But I can't stay mad at my favorite Grandson for too long."

"Grandmother, Momo and I are your only grandchildren, and Momo's my adopted sister. You have no other grandsons."

"That means you have no competition!" she chucked.

Toshiro reached the dining room. "Here's the dining room, Grandmother," Rioko's breath was taken away. The room was so huge it could fit their entire house in Rakongai! It was colored entirely in gold and had huge pillars that stretched up toward the massive ceiling. The polished wooden table could easily seat 20 and there was a lovely bright red rug on the floor.

"It's lovely, dear," she said. "I hope you weren't eating at this massive place alone."

"Oh no, Grandmother. Momo would eat with me. Several of the Captains would a few times.,…Rangiku mostly…" his face turned away. Rioko gentily touched his wrist.

"Can you show me more, Dear?'

"Of course.." he lead her down the long carpeted hallway. Rioko stared in awe at the cream colored walls with golden framed portraits upon them. She couldn't help but notice that Rangiku was in quite a lot of them. There she was posing with the entire 10th Squad right in front next to Toshiro. She and Toshiro were posing back to back in another one. Toshiro was posing with the other Captains in another….and next to that was a picture of the Lieutenants- one of them Rangiku, of course. Toshiro stopped where he was walking and looked back to see his Grandmother staring. She looked at her Grandson and walked slowly toward him. "Just admiring your portraits," she explained.

"Well…quite a number of them are merely company portraits," he explained to her.

Rioko pointed to a few of them with amuzed eyes. "THESE are company portraits?" Toshiro stared where she was pointing. There was Rangiku sitting on a picnic blanket in tight jeans and a sleeveless blue shirt. There she was again standing in front of as dock in a bright yellow dress with black accents. "You took those pictures, didn't you?" After a bit of hesitation, Toshiro nodded quietly. Rioko gentily took his hand. "Dear? There's no shame in taking pictures of the one you love. It doesn't matter what that horrid Bayakuya or anyone else thinks. This is YOUR house and you have every right to put up any picture that you want."

Toshiro looked down. "I…I could never really look at these pictures for months. Whenever I've had to pass here I've always looked down. Ever since…"

"Ever since she left?" Toshiro nodded. "Honey? There's no shame in missing someone. Just because you're a Captain doesn't mean you're incapable of feeling, and it doesn't mean you can't miss someone ever again."

"When she left…it was like a part of ME was gone. I felt like…half of me was torn away..I still feel that way..like half of me is out there somewhere..and I have no idea where…and I need to find it.." his voice choked up again. Rioko tightened her grip on his shoulder.

"You will, Honey..you will," Toshiro's eyes fell upon the pictures...and stayed there.

Is there more I could have said?

Now you're only a picture in my head.

That's why my green is feeling grey

Sometimes even Captains have rainy days.

Remember when we protected those child souls in Kurakawa Town?

Who'd have thought your singing would be hard to live without?

If we could do it all again, just another chance to protect,

Would anybody complain or even care?

Or did something break we cant repair?

Your eternal optimism, it always gave me hope.

They may have been unbearable but I still loved your jokes

Is there more I could have said?

Now you're only a picture in my head.

Could we do it all again, protect together like we did then?

It seems to me like it's been so long…

We could harmonise for one more song

But I'm standing here instead.

Now you're only a picture in my head.

In Ichigo's House…

Orihime was sitting on Ichigo's bed with scraps of paper on her lap, in which she'd written sentences. Ichigo was in front of her with a video camera. He nodded at his girlfriend. "You ready, Orihime?"

"I think so.." she blushed. "I just hope this video works."

"It's worth a try."

"I…I dunno..I'm not too good in front of cameras.."

"You won't even have to say anything. Everything you wanted to say you wrote down on this slips of paper, so just hold them up to the camera and I'll do the rest."

"Ok. If this helps find Rangiku, I'm willing to do anything."

Ichigo nodded and pushed a button on this radio. Adjusting the camera he held up three fingers…then two…then one..then pointed to Orihime just as the song 'if I Die Young' began to play. Taking a deep breath Orihime held up pieces of paper one by one. This is what each paper said on it.

HELLO.

MY NAME IS ORIHIME INOUNE.

YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING WHAT THIS VIDEO IS ABOUT.

THIS IS ACTUALLY ABOUT MY DEAR FRIEND RANGIKU MATSUMOTO.

SHE'S VERY BEAUTIFUL. SEE? (at this Orihime held up a picture of Rangiku in her yellow and black dress she herself had taken)

SHE'S SWEET AND KIND AS WELL AS LOVELY. I THINK OF HER AS MY OWN GUARDIAN ANGEL.

SHE'S ONE OF THE BRAVEST PEOPLE I HAVE EVER KNOWN.

SHE'S BEEN THROUGH A WHOLE LOT IN HER LIFE.

SHE HAD A CHILDHOOD OF POVERTY AND ABANDONMENT.

BUT ROSE FROM THAT TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL MILITARY LIEUTENANT.

BUT IN THE PROCESS SHE LOST HER BEST FRIEND WHEN HE TURNED TRAITOR.

AND THEN SHE SAW HIM KILLED IN FRONT OF HER.

WE DIDN'T KNOW IF SHE WAS GOING TO MAKE IT.

BUT A YEAR LATER SHE FOUND LOVE AGAIN!

SHE WAS PULLING OUT OF THE FUNK AND STARTING TO SMILE.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE PERSON WHO HELPED HER AND WHO SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH…

WAS HER CAPTAIN TOSHUIRO HITSUGAYA.

BUT BECAUSE HE WAS HER CAPTAIN , IT WAS AGAINST THE RULES..

AND ANOTHER CAPTAIN DISCOVERED THIS AND YELLED AT BOTH OF THEM.

SHE LEFT IN TEARS.

AND DISAPPEARED THE NEXT DAY!

NO ONE KNEW WHERE SHE WENT.

EVERYONE IS SO WORRIED ABOUT HER!

ESPECIALLY ME.

EVERYONE IS LOOKING FOR HER!

SHE'S SUCH A SWEET KIND PERSON AND SHE DIDN'T DESERVE WHAT SHE'S BEEN DELT.

SHE DESERVES TO BE HAPPY!

THE HEAD CAPTAIN HAS OFFERED A 80,000 WOOLONG REWARD FOR HER RETURN.

HE EVEN GAVE PERMISSION FOR THE TWO OF THEM TO BE TOGETHER.

ANYONE WHO HAS SEEN HER PLEASE CALL KISUKE URAHARA

(HOLDS UP HIS PHONE NUMBER)

RANGIKU, IF YOU'RE WATCHING, PLEASE, PLEASE COME HOME!

EVERYONE IS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU! INCLUDING ME.

PLEASE LET US KNOW YOU'RE ALL RIGHT.

THE HEAD CAPTAIN SAID YOU CAN BE WITH CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA.

SO PLEASE LET US KNOW YOU'RE OK.

HE'S SO MISERABLE WITHOUT YOU.

HE LOVES YOU!

AS DO WE!

IF ANYONE WHO'S WATCHING THIS HAS SEEN HER, PLEASE CALL KISUKE URAHARA.

PLEASE LET US KNOW WHERE SHE IS!

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

RANGIKU…I LOVE YOU!

She ended with holding up the picture of Rangiku and putting Kisuke's number underneath it.

"And we're clear!" Ichigo said, stopping the tape. "That was beautiful, Orihime. Karin can have this up[ on the internet tomorrow.'

"I hope it works, Ichigo," Orihime said.

Ichigo went to his girlfriend and put his arm around her. "We're trying, Orihime. That's all we can do."

On the Bebop…

Faye walked into the bedroom she shared with Rangiku, her arms full of bags. She and Rangiku had decided to have a 'girls-night-in.' and Faye had already gotten the snacks and drinks they would need as well as the DVDs. "Rangiku?" she called out. She heard flowing water and smiled, knowing that meant she was in the shower. She walked to the bathroom. "Rangiku? I got the snacks and DVD's for tonight."

"Great!" was the reply.

Faye eagerly returned to her room, glancing at the sword that was lieing on Rangiku's bed and began to unpack her bags, for the first time in a long time not wanting to go out or to go to any racetracks. Spike was out getting some groceries and had taken Ed with him so she could check out a computer store, and Jet was at a plant store looking at new Banzai trees. For once she wanted nothing more than to watch old movies on DVD and pig out on chips, salsa, and dip with her best friend. "Hope she hurries up and gets out," Faye said to herself.

"Ha, THAT old hag? Don't bet on it," came a voice from right across from Faye. Faye quickly whipped around…but no one was there. Ein had trotted into the room at the same time.

"What was that?" she asked. Finally she turned back to her unpacking.

"You're gonna be waiting awhile," the voice came again. "That lazybones is probably gonna be in there …like a few hours! That old hag just loves to lounge around and not do too much of anything!"

"You BETTER NOT BE TALKING ABOUT WHO I THINK YOU ARE!" Faye snapped. She turned around to the sound of the voice again..but nothing was there. "Who….OK, I know I didn't hear things…who was that?" In answer Ein barked harshly at the direction of the sword on the bed. "Don't be stupid, Ein," Faye snapped. "Swords don't talk!" A loud laughter seemed to echo through the room.

"Oh, if you only knew what I knew…especially when it comes to her! She thinks I'M lazy…but SHE'S the laziest one of all!"

"OK, that's IT!" Faye grabbed her gun and whipped around. "I DUNNO WHO YOU ARE BUT YOU BETTER TAKE ALL THAT BACK RIGHT NOW!"

"What? Take back the truth about that piece of Christmas Cake? Old hag that she is?"

Faye began to storm in the direction of the voice. "RANGIKU IS NOT AN OLD HAG AND SHE IS NOT CHRISTMAS CAKE! WHERE ARE YOU? WHO SENT YOU….DID ONE OF THE BOUNTIES WE PUT IN JAIL SEND YOU HERE?" Ein once again started barking at the direction of the sword. "Ein, shut up! Get out here right now!"

"I AM out here! It's soo stuffy in there I just HAD to come out and get some air. I was soo bored."

"What are you, some sort of spy? Come out here where I can see you. I'm in no mood to play games, especially when it comes to Rangiku!"

"Hah, the old hag loves to play herself! Like the way she plays that she's still desirable?"

"What the hell are you talking about? She's still desirable!"

"She's nothing but a lazy flirt who's as vain as the day is long.."

"STOP TALKING ABOUT RANGIKU THAT WAY WHOEVER YOU ARE!" Faye glanced around the room angrily. "YOU'RE LIEING, YOU DAMN BITCH! RANGIKU IS NOT VAIN AND SHE'S NOT AN OLD HANG! SHE'S BEAUTIFUL AND KIND AND…" Faye stopped as the sound of laughter rang out and seemed to fill the room with it's taunting.

"Oh please, you don't know her real age…you think you know all about her, but you don't even know half!"

"I know all I need to know! Get out here and tell me who sent you here. " Ein started barking even more harshly right in the direction of the sword. "Ein, get away from there, that's Rangiku's sword." Ein by that time has jumped on Rangiku's bed and was making for the sword. "Ein, get off! That's Rangiku's bed. Get OFF!" she lightly patted his behind to get him off. The laughter rang out again and this time Ein dashed to the corner of the room and barked harshly. "Finally, you're catching on. Where is she, boy? Who's that brat?" As if in answer a girl suddenly appeared in the corner where Ein was barking. Faye stared a bit, confused. On the surface that girl looked like an ordinary teenage girl, but had what looked like pink fur on her dress. Her hair was short and bright red, and her eyes were bright green. But the thing that intrigued Faye the most was the top of her head. The hair came to points on either side, almost like cat ears, and it looked like she had a tail! "Who are you?" Faye asked, incrediously.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, amused. "I'm Haineko."

"Haineko? Haineko what?" Faye asked.

"Just Haineko. Ya know..sometimes one name says it all,"

"Yeah…like Trash!"

"You talking about me? Or you?" She asked teasingly.

Wait a minute…Haineko? Like…Rangiku's sword, Haineko?"

"That's right. Nice outfit you got there! Where can I get one of those?"

"Like I'm really gonna tell you you little jerk after what you said about Rangiku!"

"Oh come on, I talk to her like that all the time!"

"She KNOWS you?"

"Yeah..intimately," she giggled.

"Hey, you better not be insinuating…"

"Insinuating what? You gotta admit she's gorgeous. I oughta know! I even try to make her sexier!"

"Her? You mean the one you just called 'old hag'?"

"Hey, that's all the more reason why she needs me! Old bags like her need to constantly be in denial…"

"SHUT UP!" Faye screamed, pointing the gun at her. Ein followed that up by barking and growling menacingly, causing Haineko to backup against the wall nervously. "You better be careful. Ein's hungry and I haven't fed him yet. Ein, back off," she waited until he did so. "I don't know how you got in here or why you have the same name as Rangiku's sword…"

"Oh come on, isn't it obvious? I AM the sword!"

"Wha…what the hell are you talking about? That's a SWORD, you're a ….a…..whatever you are…"

"Zanpakuto."

"Yeah…right..OK…Zanpakto or whatever. Point is you think I'm gonna buy that? You've been sent here by one of our bounties, you snuck on the ship to get revenge. We'll you're not getting it. Turn arpound and put your hand against the wall!"

"Oooh!" she smiled flirtatiously. "Gladly for you!"

"Stop that! What you are is your own business, but you're not touching Rangiku!"

"HA, I been touching her for a long time…or SHE'S been touching ME.."

"OK, that's it, you're history! I don't care how much you're worth, so help me if you're not quiet I'll shoot you!"

"Ok, shoot!"

"Why you little…" Faye pulled the trigger angrily. But to her surprise the holes that should have been in Haineko's back were on the wall…and Haineko was perfectly fine! She turned around and smil"

"Huh…but…how…"

"I TOLD you..I'M the sword! I'm that!" she pointed to Rangiku's sword resting on the bed. " I'm the spirit of that. I'm the one that makes it go..operates it's powers..""

"What are you talking about? That sword HAS no powers! It doesn't operate, it's just a sword!"

Haineko looked slightly offended by those words. "ORDINARY SWORD? ME? I am NOT an ordinary sword!"

"You're not a sword at all! You're a damn bounty sent by one of the people we threw into jail. I'm gonna have Jet look you up as soon as he gets back.."

"Oh? Is he cute?"

"I thought you were into the same sex."

"I'm not picky," Haineko licked her lips slowly.

"You are demented! Now stay against that wall and quit lieing to me you little brat! You're obviously a spy, and I don't care what your damn story is, but if you don't take back everything you said about Rangiku right NOW, I'll beat you so fast you and your bag of magic tricks won't be able to stop me!"

"HA, if that old vain hag would only think long enough to activate me in the months I've been here I wouldn't BE so bored and you'd believe me…"

"STOP TALKING ABOUT MY FRIEND THAT WAY!" Faye practically roared. "YOU SHUT UP! THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH RANGIKU AT ALL! SHE IS NOT OLD, SHE'S NOT VAIN,SHE IS NOT A HAG! SHE'S BEAUTIFUL, SHE'S KIND, SWEET, THOUGHTFUL, SHE'S MY BEST FRIEND! You say that one more time…"

"Hag, hag, old hag! Can't seem to dress as sexy as she could.."

"Why you little…" Faye tried to grab Haineko, but the catlike girl kept slipping out of her grasp with a giggle and tried to hide herself. Faye began to practically tear the room apart looking for her. "Where are you? You damn creep, where did you disappear to? You get out here NOW, you show yourself. How DARE YOU, YOU BRAT! HOW DARE YOU, YOU SAYING THOSE THINGS ABOUT HER..I'LL TEAR YOU UP YOU LIAR!" Ein then barked angrily from behind Faye's bed. "There? Good boy!" Ein dashed behind there…and proceeded to pull Haineko out from behind the bed, by her tail.

"Ow, ow, ow…get away…get away…stop.."

"Good boy, Ein," Faye grabbed her by her neck and pointed the gun at her arm. "Now you little devil, let's see you get out of THIS," she pulled the trigger…but the bullet went right through the arm and out the other side.

"I TOLD you, you can't attack a sword's soul!" She giggled.

"Ok…I don't know how you did that, but.." Just then Ein barked loudly, bumping into Rangiku's bed…causing the sword to fall down on the floor with a loud bump!

"Ow!" Haineko cried, rubbing her leg. Faye stared, confused. She didn't even touch Haineko's leg! Her gaze went from Haineko to the sword….back to Haineko again! Dragging Haineko to where the sword lie, she picked it up…stared at it curiously…and softly hit it against the bed…seeing Haineko recoil in pain. Faye raised her eyebrows…and did it again. Again she yelped in pain. Faye did it again. "Ow…ow…stop that! Geez, stop that will ya?"

"So…you CAN feel that?"

"Yes, yes…OW..yes! I told you…I'm the sword. I feel what you do to that, that's me! Stop DOING that!"

Faye stared incrediously. "So…wait…you…this…you.."

"Like I TOLD you, I'M the sword. If she would have only ACTIVATED me, my powers would have been known to you and to all.."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah….so wait…let's say for just one floating moment that I believe you and you ARE the sword. If THAT'S true…WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SO DISREPECTFUL TO YOUR MASTER?"

"Are you kidding? That lazybones? She could do so much more with me if she only had the chance! Besides, it's fun to tease her and to get her goat. You should see her face whenever I call her old hag! Oh that's priceless!"

Faye banged the sword again to shut her up, causing her to yelp in pain again. "This woman is your master, you little brat! You're her sword and you depend on her to live. I see her take care of you all the time! She makes sure you're polished, she always puts you in that special case, I see her practice with you..and you DARE say those things about her? You DARE?"

"Oh, she's just.."

"She's just been nothing but wonderful to you as far as I can see!" Faye screamed. "Would you rather she didn't look after you and didn't take care of you? You owe that woman a lot you ungrateful little beast!"

"She owes me a lot more fun for all the time I've been on this place with you.."

Faye by this time had had it, giving Haineko a resounding slap with surprised her, following up with a punch in the stomach. "SHE IS NOT ANY OF THOSE THINGS YOU'VE BEEN SAYING, AND SHE DESERVES ALL YOUR LOVE AND ATTENTION FOR HOW WELL SHE TAKES CARE OF YOU YOU DAMN HORRID, WICKED LITTLE BITCH!" She carried the sword over to her bed and lit her lighter. She brushed it lightly over the sword.

"Oh!" Haineko said, clutching her arm.

"You feel that too?"

"Oh, don't DO that!"

"Why not, after the way you treat your own master like the spoiled brat you are! Does she DESERVE such treatment at YOUR hands?" She brushed the lighter over the sword again, being careful not to let it touch the surface. Haineko reacted each time, rubbing her hands over her arms, looking nervously at Faye. "Rangiku is beautiful and kind. She's loving and tender, and she deserves a lot better than YOU! She's been through a LOT in her life, and the last thing she needs is the horrid disrespect that you give to her constantly!" With that she marched to the window and threw it open as Ein continued to bark angrily at Haineko, practically forcing her to where Faye was.

"Where…wha…what are you.." Faye glared at her and held the sword out the window, knowing the Bebop was parked in a river. "What…what…what are you doing…wha.."

'Hope you know how to swim, brat!"

"Where…no…don't.."

"I'm gonna throw this sword right into the river..with YOU going with it, dammit! I'm gonna do it..and she'll believe anything I tell her."

"No…no. no…please…no..I can't swim…"

"Oh, THAT'S good to know…I'm about to let you fall.."

"NO, please, I'll do ANYTHING…"

Faye glared at her. "Then you better get back into this sword RIGHT NOW! And listen to me, if you don't start shaping up, behaving like a good sword, and give your master the love and attention she deserves, you KNOW what I'll do! Dammit, I mean it! Now get into this sword!"

Hainkeo pouted. "O..KAY.."

"NOW! I MEAN it, and don't you EVER call Rangiku an old hag again! NEVER, even in fun! You got it! Now get IN!" before Faye's eyes Haineko turned into ash and floated right into the sword. Out of breath Faye carefully put the sword back on the bed and both she and Ein collapsed on her own bed.

"Faye? Faye?" came Rangiku's gentile voice. Faye opened her eyes to find Rangiku smiling happily over her.

"Oh..Rangiku.."

"Yiou and Ein were asleep," she smiled. Faye grinned back and untangled herself from the sleeping Ein.

"Guess I did fall asleep waiting for you."

"Hope I didn't take that long in the shower."

"No..no..guess it was a long day," she sighed. "But I had a very weird dream."

Rangiku curled up on her own bed. "Oh?"

"Yeah..someone was here..had some convoluted story …and was calling you all kinds of names."

"Oh, really? That person didnlt happen to mention my…attire…did she?" She gestured to what she was wearing. Basically tight black pants and an extremely low cut put that exposed a good deal of her breasts. She smiled. "That's OK, let them. Doesn't bother me anymore. The way I see it…well…" she uindicated her breasts. "I was given these things. Like I said, they ARE real. When they blossomed out this big…you'd never believe it, but I was actually embarrassed by them."

"No.." faye teased.

'I know, you'd never think it, right? But I honestly was, I could never get a lot of the boys to have decent conversations with me, if they talked at all. Mainly they just stared. And hey, they were soo big that even when I dressed in shirts to cover them, they STILL stuck out. I just couldn't hide them no matter how hard I tried. So, after a while, I stopped trying. Hey, you're gonna look anyway, may as well give them what they want. Look all you want..but don't touch or you lose your hand! Honestly, I only went so far. I am still a virgin."

"You are?"

"Mmm-hmm. Still am. I can't hide them, but that doesn't make me lose…contrary to popular belief." Faye laughed at that. "So…what kind of chips did ya get?" Faye smiled and took out the chips. Rangiku opened them while Faye opened the salsa and cans of soda. "Oh, I LOVE this movie! Let's play this first!"

"OK!" Faye smiled and she and Rangiku huddled on her bed, watching out for the sleeping Ein. Faye glanced over at the sword that was still on Rangiku's bed and shook her head. "It HAD to be a dream," Faye thought. "After all, who ever heard of a talking sword?"