Ringing filled my ears and pain exploded in my head. I clutched it and gasped with my teeth clenched. I opened my eyes and I squinted, the light didn't really help my massive head ache. I gradually remembered that I wasn't in Heco Mundo, which happened every so often when I woke up after a good night's rest. Someone walked into my line of view; I sat up still clutching my head. The person was Captain Unohana. She smiled at me, which I guess was meant to be warm and calming but I just found it creepy.

"Ah you're up, Lieutenant Shiraga." She said calmly. I nodded, looking around. We were in a large room; there was a row of beds next to mine although they were empty. Shinigami were rushing around everywhere, carrying stacks of papers, some with brooms and some were looking very frazzled. I felt like helping all of them although I knew that was their job. "We realised that this wasn't an ordinary head ache due to what Lieutenant Abarai told us. So we did some tests and we couldn't find out what caused it but they were all inconclusive." I shrugged, I knew exactly what made that happen and I was going to straighten it out.

"That's okay Captain Unohanna I'm fine now. I'm sure it won't happen again." I muttered angrily. This was Szayels fault; he should have tested the drug, not made me the guinea pig. I stepped out of the bed hastily and grabbed my zanpaktou from the bed side table. I walked shakily to the door; I felt like the room was spinning, I leaned on the wall trying to use it for balance. I was about to fall flat on the ground when someone grabbed my shoulders and pulled me up to my feet.

"Um, Lieutenant Shiraga, are you okay?" I nodded and shrugged the persons grip off. They sounded very self conscious and not very confident. I looked at guy and his voice mirrored his looks. He had longish dark blue hair, dark eyes, slightly taller than me and didn't make eyes contact with me at all. "You might be feeling dizzy for a while as a result of all the kido we had to use to heal you." The guy mumbled. I nodded again and asked, clutching my head again.

"Who are you?" I was quite blunt but I couldn't care less about manners. He cleared his throat,

"I'm 7th seat of the fourth squad Hanatarou Yamada. As I was saying if you get any other symptoms please come back because we would like to know what's wrong as soon as possible." All of a sudden an image flashed in my mind, Szayel, Ulquiorra, Aizen, Ichimaru and I were sitting at a table, in the background was Tosen leaning against the wall. I remembered what this was, after I had just become an arrancar Szayel wanted to know if there was side effects to the drug he had used on me. I nodded again and walked out the door leaving Hanatarou standing in the middle of the room looking worried and confused.

I stumbled around the Seireitei for a while, my head painfully throbbing but not as painful as when I first woke up. At the meadow thing the pain felt like my head was exploding, I couldn't escape the pain which was the worst thing, every ones voices were amplifies tenfold. My throat swelled up so much that I couldn't breathe. As I was walking I remembered something I needed to mention to Kami no Seigi,

"Hey are you there?" I asked, not really caring if people heard me.

'Yes child, are you okay?'

"Just fine. Can you promise me never to take over my body again? I don't like people having that power."

'Is that all you wanted to ask me?' I nodded and she laughed, she seemed to find me very amusing. 'I promise not to control you body, okay?' I couldn't be bothered answering that, I didn't have much patience for people that day.

Eventually the pain receded; I was walking towards some place secluded which was hard since people were running around everywhere. Just when I had found the perfect place Renji and Hisagi turned a corner. Renji looked surprised to see me and Rukia had the same look of loathing on her face.

"Hey Mai, shouldn't you be in the 4th squad barracks?" Renji asked grabbing my shoulders and turning me around to try and make me go back the way I came. I muttered a vague excuse and jumped onto the roof of the closest building to get away, I wasn't in the mood for polite exchanges.

I ran across the rooftops for five minutes after I found a place completely deserted. I was sitting on top of the 2nd squad barracks but today the 2nd squad was out on a mission. I sat down thankfully and rested my head on my knees for a second. I needed to rest for a bit, the running had started up a headache. One I had collected myself I pulled out the phone and pressed the call button, I waited for Ulquiorra to greet me.

"What?" He asked rather sharply.

"I need to speak to Szayel, now!" I said, irritated. I knew i was taking my anger out on the wrong person but it was just slowly leaking out and I couldn't fill the hole.

"Why?"

"Just tell him that there are side effects."

"What! What side effects?"

"Just get him!" I snapped. I had to wait a while for Szayel. While I waited I stared out at the Seireitei, it went on for ages and once it stopped a giant wall surrounded the place. I had never seen the wall or what's outside the wall, meaning Rukongai.

"What is it?" Szayel yelled almost as harsh as me. The abruptness of him speaking made me jump.

"There are side effects to the drug." I said flatly. After escaping into my mind for a few minutes my anger had been suppressed.

"What?" The fact that he was not surprised made my anger bubble up again.

"What! Is that all you have to say? What! It felt like my head was exploding, I couldn't breathe, I collapsed and all you say once you find out that there are side effects is what!" I screamed maybe a bit too loud.

"Calm down Akiko. There's nothing we can do about it but try and work around it." I was about to yell back a reply when he hung up. I had the urge to throw the phone off the roof and stomp on its remains but I managed to get out my anger in another way,

"YOU IDIOT SZAYEL!"

Suddenly I saw Renji and Rukia out of the corner of my eye; they were standing at the edge of the roof that I was sitting on. I waved awkwardly at them, of course they heard my outburst, hopefully they didn't recognise the name.

"Why are you up here, Mai?" He moved closer just as I realised that if they made it onto the roof that quickly maybe they heard my conversation with Szayel. I scanned over my conversation with Szayel and realised that if he heard he would have mentioned it, plus there wasn't much I could do about it now.

"Who's Szayel?" Rukia asked, staring at me suspiciously. God damn her, I don't know what her problem is with me.

"Um he's my... cousin. He stole some food in Rukongai." I lied, badly. But Renji seemed convinced, although Rukia didn't.

"Well come down Mai, Ukitake sent us to look for you, he needs help with some work." I nodded and jumped off the roof, with the two of them behind me.