Hotaru drooled slightly as she slept. "Mhm....Kisuke-kun...that feels good...ung...oh now chocolate sauce with...the whipped cream?...oh...." She rolled on her back and grinned in her sleep.
Ah, she must be having a good dream...I'll leave her to that!
"They can't do it again!" Rin made sure to duck when a random vile of acid was thrown in his direction. Why she even had acid in her kitchen was the question to be asked, but Rin definitely wouldn't be the one to ask it. Not hiding her anger in the least, Hotaru pound her fist through the nearest wall, continuing to shout. "Fourteen days? Fourteen days?! What the hell do they think they're doing?! There shouldn't even be a fucking execution in the first place!!" She raved, now pounding her head against the already damaged wall of her apartment.
Lowering his gaze down into his tea, the brunette spoke up. "I'm sorry that you're friend is going to die, but I don't think there's anything left we can do!"
Her attention was turned back to him as she gave him a look cold enough to rival that of one Kuchiki Byakuya. "Don't you ever say that! Of course there has to be something I can do...I may not have been much help on my own so far, but I know some people are on the way that can help Rukia-chan! And I'll do my best to help her in any way I possibly can."
Smiling shyly up at her, Rin nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry to have doubted that Kuchiki-san will be saved."
"It's okay." The red head smiled momentarily before she realized she threw a vile of acid at her friend. "Oh, Rin! I'm so sorry I threw that at you! Are you alright? I'm really, really sorry! I swear, I didn't mean it!"
As the two of them laughed it off another presence made itself known. "Tsubokura-san, Hiyosu-san requests you return to the Research Institute immediately." Nemu walked into the small, one bedroom apartment and smiled lightly at Hotaru.
"O-oh, alright! Thank you, Nemu-fukutaichō. I'll see you later, Taru-chan. Thank you for the tea!" Quickly, Rin stood, waving at Hotaru for a moment before leaving for the Research Institute.
"Nemu-chan, would you like some tea?" Hotaru really just wanted to go find Yoruichi and whoever else came with her, maybe then they could break Rukia out of the Shrine of Pentinence. But she was a polite host, and decided to at least offer Nemu some tea.
Shaking her head, she frowned sadly. "I'm afraid I can't stay long. A taichō meeting has been called, so I only have so long to do as I please." Taking a seat at the small table, Nemu continued. "In truth, I came her to talk to you about the ryoka invasion."
Hotaru was a bit startled by the fact Nemu wanted to talk to her about the ryoka, but kept her cool. "The ryoka invasion? I'm afraid I don't know too much about it. I heard that there would be people coming to save Rukia, so I'm not too upset about their appearance. But, I digress, what did you wish to speak about?"
"For the amount of time you spent in Karakura Town, and the time of your arrival it's obvious that you must have been involved with some of the things that happened there. I only wish to learn more about these ryoka, and if they truly are a threat."
Sighing, the unseated member stared at her vice captain. "I'm sorry, but I don't know who all came. But I do know that whoever is here should not be taken lightly...I'm also not afraid to admit that they will succeed in saving Rukia-chan. I know it."
Before Nemu could reply, an alarm went off. "They've infiltrated the Seireitei...I must go." Without another word, the vice captain was gone. Knowing this was her chance, Hotaru quickly flash stepped away in search of any of the ryoka.
"Must. Find. SOMEONE!" Hotaru frantically searched for her friends, even checking under the Narrator.
Don't mind Hotaru, she's just a little frustrated....Now can you put me down?
"Where the hell are they?!" Past the point of frustration, Hotaru was now storming through the divisions, using the rooftops to avoid dead ends. There had been fireworks somewhere around the eleventh division, but when she got there she only found two members of the eleventh squad laying defeated on the ground. Apparently an orange haired ryoka had gone through there, along with one of the Shiba clan. "Where is Yoruichi-chan? Did the Quincy come too? How many people am I looking for?! WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY?!"
"You have to save Rukia!" That's Renji...
Landing on the roof by where she heard the shout, she saw them. Renji had obviously lost that fight and was now asking Ichigo to help. She watched in horror as they both crumpled to the ground. "Kurosaki-san!" Jumping down from her perch, she felt them both for a pulse. "Thank goodness..."
"ICHIGO!!!" Turning back she saw two people running towards them. One of them was obviously a shinigami, most likely from the fourth division from the looks of it, and the other had to be the Shiba. "Who the hell're you?!"
"Akimori Hotaru, unseated member of the twelfth squad. But that doesn't matter at the moment, we must help them!" The Shiba was already picking up Ichigo.
Just then the other shinigami spoke up. "Seems....seems like someone is coming! Three people...no, it's four...maybe even five!"
Looking back at Renji, she knew whoever was coming would take care of him. "You could always come to my apartment, but it's so far away..."
"I-I know somewhere we can go!"
Making her way slowly through the sewers, the red head returned from unsuccessfully searching for the rest of their group. Knowing Ichigo was in his current state, it seemed okay to leave him, just for a bit. "I hope the others will be able to survive...If they stay together they should be fine, though..." As she came back to their hide out, she saw Ichigo walking away. "Oi! Kurosaki-san!!"
He stopped when he heard her calls and looked back. "Akimori? What are you doing here?"
Calmly, she walked over to the overeager teen and punched him in the face. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Hotaru shouted, picking up the boy and shaking him. "You. Are. Injured. Injured!! What don't you understand about that?! How are you gonna help Rukia if you can barely walk!? You freakin' idiot!"
Hanatarō tried to stop the bosomy red head from killing the boy. "P-please! Akimori-san!! D-don't hurt him..."
"That's enough, Hotaru." Ganju said, grabbing Ichigo from her surprisingly strong grasps. "You don't have to worry 'bout it, I'll take care of this idiot."
"Good, keep him down. He'll never be able to save Rukia-chan like that." As Ganju set Ichigo back down in the small room, Hotaru sat down next to the fourth squad member. "Hanatarō-kun, you know the way to the Shrine of Pentinence...I've been thinking, running back and forth between searching for the others and checking up on you guys isn't all too easy. So why don't you guys get Ichigo to the Shrine and I'll go find the others?"
The youngest Shiba scoffed as he joined them. "Che. We'll be just fine without you."
Smiling sweetly enough to make a light blush appear on his cheeks, she nodded. "I honestly don't doubt you in any way, Ganju-kun!" He mumbled something about her being embarrassing and turned away. She continued as she turned her attention back to Hanatarō. "I'd like you to know that I don't doubt you either, Hanatarō-kun. The fourth squad does have strength, it's just not always as obvious."
A light blush spread across Hanatarō's cheeks also. He never seemed to ever get any compliments, and hearing that from a former third seat was a big thing to him. "Th-thank you, Akimori-san...But I'm only good for healing..."
"Please, call me by my first name." She began, before giving him a light rap on the head. "And stop downing yourself! You are strong, you just don't use that strength..." A sad smile covered her features as she recalled how Kisuke was the one who actually told her about peoples inner strength. Pulling the small charm off of her zanpakutō, she placed it on Hanatarō's bag. "...There! Now if you ever need to remember your strength, just think of the charm. Now, night should be falling soon, and I'd rather get some searching done before then." Standing and turning her back to them, Hotaru began to walk away. Leaving them with one last promise, "I will come back for you though. Pinky promise!"
Finding people was much harder than most assumed. Nightfall had come and left, and the next day had already started. The young shinigami was exhausted, physically and mentally, but her will was much too strong for her just to give up. Trudging onward, she decided to head back to her own division, and see if anything new had happened.
But that was when a scream that could be heard throughout all of Soul Society pierced her ears. "AIZEN-TAICHŌ!!!!"
That was obviously the screech of the fifth division vice captain, Hinamori Momo. None of Ichigo's friends would be around there, they had to be more intelligent than to get involved with a captain. Ignoring the screams and shouts that were coming from whatever was going on there, Hotaru continued to her own division.
"Akon-kun! I need to talk to you!" Despite being in the middle of directing some of the Research Institute members, Akon let the red headed shinigami pull him into the hall so they could speak in privet.
"What is it, Taru-chan?" He never understood why he would drop everything to please Hotaru, but, quite honestly, he didn't care.
Panting lightly, she rested against the wall to catch her breath. These sleepless nights, and lack of meals were really taking a toll on her body. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to know anything about the ryoka invasion. Has there been any news?"
Skeptically gazing at her, Akon nodded. "A lot has happened for the amount of time they've been here. Apparently one ryoka has defeated Madarame-san and Ayasegawa-san of the eleventh division, and even Abarai-fukutaichō. Another two of them defeated one of the seventh division members. That's all so far, but before you came we were learning of Aizen-taichō's death."
"He's dead...?" Things were getting completely out of hand! With so much going on, it almost seems like things had been premeditated. "What are we all going to do? Things are going crazy!"
Placing his hand on her shoulder in a calming manner, he sighed. "I don't really know what's going to happen. But I do know that you should be careful, I don't want you getting caught up in this ryoka situation."
"You don't have to worry about me!" Hotaru grinned, taking his hand in hers. "I'm a big girl now, Akon-kun! I can take care of myself!"
Sighing lightly, he shook his head and ruffled her hair. "If you say so...just be sure to watch yourself."
"Oh...so....tired...." Hotaru said, as she leaned against the Narrator's shoulder, quickly falling asleep.
Oh, ew, EW! She's drooling on me!!