Author's Note: I apologize for practically abandoning this story. But, like I think I have said earlier--if I didn't I should have---I'm in a position where I can't write as much as I like, so please just bear with me. The support I'm getting from peoples are helping me and things seem to be getting better at home. Oh, and the Holy King of Hell is making his grand entrance against the Soul Reapers in this chapter. Again, I apologize for abandoning this for two months.

Toshiro Hitsugaya just couldn't take it anymore. A series of trains to Tokyo was what Rangiku and Momo had forced him to endure. They just couldn't use a senkaimon, oh no! They both just had to take trains. Four trains actually, in case anyone wanted to know. The white-haired captain was nearly bored out of his mind. While the women were talking anything that related to clothes, make-up, and food, Toshiro's mind was traveling more into the subject of why every Soul Reaper in the Seireitei just dropped what they were doing to go off and join a tournament that had absolutely nothing to do with them and why they weren't trying to defend themselves against Aizen.

Speaking of Aizen, did the man just shrivel up and die? The Hollow attacks and Arrancar appearances just suddenly stopped. Hollows were appearing less often to not at all, and the Arrancars just quit cold turkey. Gin and Kaname hadn't come out of their holes either, and the youngest captain was too anxious to be sitting in a train, on the way to Tokyo, to join a tournament he'd be better off staying out of.

"Come on, captain, lighten up!" Rangiku said, breaking his somber thoughts. "This is the Shaman Tournament. This means we can get a break off of paperwork and relax, kick some ass, and have a good time! ...Tell him I said no thanks," she added, turning down the fifth drink. "I don't accept charity."

"But it's a free drink, Rangiku," Momo pointed out. "You love drinking."

"Not when it's from perverted men that I don't know. I only drink with the captain and other Soul Reapers. I remember the last time I drank with the captain..."

"Matsumoto..."

"He started taking his robes off!"

"That's enough, Matsumoto!"

"Oh come on, captain, I'm sure Hinamori would love to see you drunk."

"I'll kick your ass," he threatened, slipping Hyorinmaru from the sheath. When a male attendant walked by, the young captain quickly stashed it back and fixated his attention to the lowering sun outside his window. "One hundred and eighty-six miles an hour isn't fast enough," he griped. "If we used Shunpo, we'd be there in two minutes."

"Then you'd complain of your feet hurting." Momo rolled her eyes. "Besides, we got our Oracle Pagers, didn't we?" Momo held up the light red pager sitting in her lap. Toshiro moved his arm around to look at the deep cerulean sitting on his lap. He didn't have a clue as to how to work the thing. Turning it on or off was beyond him, though Momo and Rangiku seemed to find out how. "Those Patch were pretty tough to take on. I wonder if the tournament will be as hard."

"I hope not. The Patch I fought was too easy. I'd get bored."

The train began to slow down as they entered a small tunnel, and the metallic wheels screeched in protest, still wanting to move, as they train slowly came to a stop inside t tunnel. Toshiro, after being scolded harshly by Matsumoto, swallowed his complaints, now that they were in Tokyo, and stood with Rangiku and Momo and exited the train once the doors opened. He stretched his arms and legs as if he was trying to make himself get taller and sighed audibly. Momo giggled. Rangiku did the same, earning more than her fair share of stares, and sighed happily.

"Alright! We're finally in Tokyo!" she exclaimed as they came out upon the streets. A woman walked by, her little rat of a dog poking its head out of her purse to bark at Toshiro and his group. The woman jumped and petted his head, pushing him back down into the bag. "Time to hit all the local bars and get hammered!" Toshiro dead-legged her, making the woman stumble. Momo rushed to help Rangiku keep her balance.

"No drinking!" he snapped. "We are to conserve the money we were given for food and shelter only. Once we get to the Patch Village, you can spend mindlessly." Rangiku rubbed the skin behind her knee and scowled.

"Ow! No need to kick me!"

"Let's find a place to eat first." Toshiro shoved his hands in his pockets. "You can have only three drinks."

"Three!?"

"Do I have to repeat myself? Very well: three drinks."

"Captaaaaaiiin!!"

"Complain, and I won't let you drink at all." The young captain began to walk towards a yakisoba stand. Rangiku gaped at him, but Momo placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe you could accept a few drinks this time, Rangiku?" she suggested. Rangiku bit the inside of her lip, grabbed Hinamori's hand, and jogged off to join the captain.

"One or two," she agreed.

The trio walked around for what seemed to them like an eternity, when in reality it was only about an hour and a half before they could find a less crowded restaurant and settled down. Rangiku ordered a glass of wine and Momo and Toshiro settled with tea. The evening started out rocky when a waitress handed Toshiro a kid's menu and crayons. Rangiku explained he was fifteen (in her story), and the woman swapped them out with a regular menu. Toshiro now hated Tokyo even more, and decided he'd never ever return. The waitress wasn't going to get such a good tip, said Toshiro. Hinamori simply laughed and sipped at her tea. Rangiku accepted a drink from a man sitting nearby, who somehow thought the the martini he bought for her was an invitation to her table. As he placed himself beside her and put his arm around her, she snuck a "help me!" glance at her companions. Toshiro flashed Hyorinmaru, but Momo shook her head. The group's attention suddenly changed when a beeping sound echoed around the restaurant. Momo jumped and held her arm up. She beamed.

"It's a fight! A fight!" she squealed. "Yay!" Rangiku threw the man's arm--and him--to the side and leaned over across the table.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"I don't know. The stupid message won't o-- Oh, here it is." She cocked her brow and titled her head to the side. "...I can't pronounce that first part."

"Then say his last name!" Rangiku exclaimed. Toshiro leaned over Momo's shoulder.

"...'Asa...kura'?" she guessed. Toshiro examined it.

"Yeah, it's Asakura. What a weird name," he added. Momo scowled.

"Hitsugaya isn't a common name either!"

"Oh shut up!"

As the group fought, a body in the back corner was examining them, a large grin on his face as the temperature dropped the angrier Toshiro got. The waitress had to turn the heat up. He crossed his legs and sipped at the black coffee in front of him, placing his hand on the bottom so that the cup balanced in his palm, and the lukewarm liquid began to steam and bubble.

(After the scene at the restaurant)

Toshiro sifted through the money provided by the Soul Society and pulled out money to pay for their dinner. Rangiku had had about four drinks and wasn't quite hammered just yet. But she was close. Her giggle fits had started up. Toshiro was ready to just send her ass back to the Seireitei, but Momo reassured him that it wasn't all too bad. She's stop in about an hour. ...Maybe.

"I couldn't care less when she stops, I just want her to shut the hell up!" he complained.

"There you are...hic...griping again captain!" Rangiku teased, blush coloring her cheeks.

"...You're right, she's becoming annoying," Momo said as the older woman pulled her into a suffocating hug, courtesy of the woman's huge breasts. "She gets a little clingy when she's drunk."

"A little?"

"Okay, maybe a lot. She's very clingy."

Toshiro was trying to pry Rangiku's arms from around his neck before a small laugh was heard behind him. Momo and he turned around, seeing a boy with long, chocolate brown hair standing a few inches away. He had onyx eyes and was wearing a white dress shirt, complete with black pants and dress shoes. A small, gold orb was floating aimlessly around his left shoulder. His hand was inconspicuously placed near his mouth. He was beaming at them, but in a sort of teasing light. He cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," he said in a smooth voice. "It's just that, seeing you, I can't take Soul Reapers seriously. You guys are such..." The boy took a deep breath, the light in his eyes slowly fading, and his smile turned into more of a frown. "...posers." He grinned as Toshiro reached for Hyorinmaru, which was slung over his shoulder in a baldric. Rangiku snapped her hand out, grabbing his wrist. Toshiro looked behind him at her, surprised to see her looking seriously at the newcomer. He laughed again.

"See? You Soul Reapers are too violent. Any sign of danger and your swords unsheathe themselves." The golden spirit bobbed up and down, as if mocking them as well. "As for us shamans... We usually only bring out our weapons if someone else attacks, and we put ghosts to good use. You just let them run around free. That's wasteful." The boy shook his finger like a mother scolding her child.

"You're in the tournament, aren't you?" Rangiku asked, stepping in front of her captain. The boy cocked a brow, interest sparking in his eyes. "Just what do you want?"

"A few things," he admitted, shifting his weight. "For one, I just wanted to meet my opponent, in case they might be a challenge for me." His eyes shot over to Momo, who jumped under his gaze. "I know it won't be a challenge now."

"Hey! You take that back!" Momo shrieked. "I'm a good fighter!!" The boy shook his head, his eyes closed in comic relief.

"And the second thing I want is you, Toshiro Hitsugaya," he said. Toshiro jumped back. "I know that you have an overwhelmingly large amount of spirit energy. And I'd like to put it to good use." Toshiro stepped back, unconsciously pressing himself against Rangiku.

"W-What would you do?" he stammered. The boy smiled and pointed with his head to the people around them.

"See these humans? They're destroying what the Lord gave them. Pollution, poaching, cutting down trees... They're taking the planet for granted, not to mention they're killing their own kind. I'm tired of seeing such cold, soulless people walking around everywhere I go." The boy's voice became gruff as he spoke and any friendliness he showed before was gone now. His eyes could practically melt anything if he wished so. "So I've decided that when I become Shaman King, I'll rid this world of humans and allow only Shamans to roam the earth. Soul Reapers will be allowed as well, but only if you agree to help me." The boy held his hand out.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Toshiro broke from his gaze and jerked his head to his right where a woman's husband or boyfriend was lying down on his side, his eyes clouded but open in shock, as a Hollow was eating his soul. The woman screamed, but her voice was cut off as the Hollow ripped out her soul and devoured it. Toshiro began to move, but a small block of fire made him jump back.

"Answer me, Toshiro Hitsugaya," the boy growled. "I want you to tell me if you'll join me or not. If you won't, you'll pay dearly. Very dearly..." The boy's eyes shined with a menacing fire like Toshiro had never seen. His legs began shaking. "Will you help me rid the world of it's lethal parasites, or will you help them? Your choice." He watched their movements carefully. Toshiro clenched his fists, pulled out a container of Soul Candy and bit the pill into small bits, shooting out of his body and slicing the mask of the Hollow clean into two parts. The boy sighed heavily, defeated, and shook his head in shame. The soul possessing Toshiro looked around, confused, but stilled as the golden orb took the form of a lion and ripped it out, devouring it whole, smacking and licking its lips. Rangiku gagged and Hinamori covered her mouth. Toshiro entered his body once again before it hit the ground, a pain forming in his stomach, and he scowled at the boy. He cocked his head back.

"My name is pronounced 'how' Asakura, bitch," he spat. "Next time we meet, I won't be as merciful." Hao whipped around, his hair billowing out as he stepped over the disappearing body of the Hollow, and the flames dissipated. The couple plus one lay dead on the ground, their eyes dimmed and emotionless from their souls being eaten. Toshiro stared at the spirit beside Hao, now in its dormant state, with wide, shocked eyes. Could that thing have something to do with the seldom number of Hollow attacks? Whatever it was, it made his legs weak, and he clung to Matsumoto's arm for support until the trio was capable of checking into a hotel for the night.