"-yeah, that'th totally what sthe thaid! I think. Acthually, now I'm pretty thure it was just the sake talking. And maaaaaybe not-even-that."

Tetsuzaemon Iba totally understood where Kyon Mikoto was coming from with that last remark. He passed the bottle to Ikkaku Madarame and said, "I never thought of her as the drinking type, though. Some people just aren't man enough for it, Kyon; that's a fact of life."

Ikkaku took a sip("Hey, that's a gulp!") from the bottle and said, "And how many shinigami do we know of in the Gotei Thirteen that aren't single, anyways?" He passed the bottle to Kyon.

"True 'dat, Ikakku." Kyon drank a little. "I jutht hope- hic- that Captain Komamural never findthz owt. Oh gowth, think of teh rammafuckations..."

Kyon was just sitting there staring into space, so Tetsuzaemon snuck the bottle away and had a sip. "Well, he won't be hearing it from her. I sthaw her papers, and she'll be stationed in th' real world for a few months."

Kyon looked up through the trees in Seventh Squad's training grounds for a moment. Normally he would have been shocked by what he saw there in the sky: a man wearing a fur cloak with Hollow masks on it, and wearing a gazelle-like mask over his face; standing next to him was a woman wearing a blue scarf, with very long dark brown hair that was blowing in the breeze; and she looked familiar. But at the moment the sake was shielding him, and all he said was, "Hey guyths! There's a Vaithard and some totally hot chick standing next to a hole in the sthky!"

Ikkaku looked up, but by then the Garganta had closed and Kari and Ashido had flash stepped away. "Where? They must be invisible, Kyon."

"Trutht me Ikakkukakkukakku, some invisble thingth aren't really invidsble... like last night." Tetsuzaemon and Ikkaku murmured their agreement, and they soon forgot all about Kari and Ashido's entrance.

Kari and Ashido were now at Fifth Squad's buildings. Kari turned to Ashido and said, "I'll talk to Captain Sanjiro first. Which Squad will you be going to?"

"I'll go to Thirteenth, that's where I started."

Before either of them had too much time to think about it, Kari gave Ashido a quick kiss on the cheek. "Okay. Goodbye for now." Kari flash stepped down to the main office, and entered.

She walked up to the reception desk, a where a young woman was busy sorting through papers. "Nakima-chan, is Captain Sanjiro busy?"

Nakima didn't look up from her work, hurriedly writing something down. "No, he should be in his office. There's nothing going on today." Kari looked around, and aside from one shinigami whose jaw and the papers they had been carrying dropped, no one noticed her.

"Okay, thanks." Kari didn't have to walk far; Segato's office was near the front of the building. Other than a nameplate that was little more than a piece of paper with his name on it, there was nothing that indicated this was a Captain's office. Kari knocked.

"Ah, hold on a minute-" There were a few seconds of silence. "-alright, come on in." Kari walked in. At first, Segato didn't recognize her. "K-Kari? Is that really you?"

"Yes, Captain. I was wondering if you would let me start working here again." Kari looked at this as her second chance here; no forbidden spells or releasing Slayer.

"Work here aga- I'll get back to that in a little bit. What I really want to know is how you survived Hueco Mundo!"

"Uh, well..." Some of the things that happened there will have to stay secret, like the fact I used forbidden spells like they were going out of style. And perhaps Slayer's Bankai- well, just that one ability. Hmm. "I accidentally came out in the Forest of Menos. There was a shinigami named Ashido Kano living there, and we moved into Las Noches."

"Ashido Kano... that would be the man the Substitute Shinigami's group met there, right?"

"Uh-huh. He came back with me."

"My math might be wrong on this, but if it isn't he hasn't been in Soul Society for nearly nine hundred years!" Segato looked at Kari, all grown up now. Her hair had grown long, and there was something different in her eyes, but he could still see the cute young girl Shugo had found at a tea shop somewhere in there. "And it's been more than a year since you left. I'm glad you came back."

No, I came home... "I'm glad I made it back, too."

Segato smiled, and nodded. "You said you and Ashido went to Las Noches, what was that like?

Careful! "It was practically deserted when we arrived. A lot of Hollows came around once we got there, though."

"Alright. You said you wanted to start working here again? Well, anyone that can survive Hueco Mundo for over a year can work in my Squad anytime. Welcome back, Kari."

"Thank you, Captain." Segato stood, and opened the door for Kari- to find several people had been listening in. They quickly pretended to be on their way somewhere, and one person even attempted to drink from the empty glass they'd been holding to the door to hear.

He glanced at Kari, then back to the glass. "Oh! I'm out again. Why is the sake always gone?" He shook his head and walked off.

Well, they would have found out sooner or later; I guess sooner will have to do...

If people were surprised by Kari's return, that was nothing compared to what Ashido went through. It was like the second coming of the Substitute Shinigami; he instantly became a hero among the Gotei Thirteen. He took it very well, as someone a milennia old doesn't let too much go to their head.

A part of Kari was jealous of how they treated Ashido. While she had soon settled back into her old routine of doing the cleaning jobs with Fourth Squad and training, people almost worshipped the ground Ashido walked on. He'd tried to help once, saying that Kari was "A masterful swordsman, and amazing with spells, too." but that hadn't worked so great. It was said that if Kari was tough for surviving there a year, Ashido was over eight hundred times as tough because he'd been there over eight hundred years. There was even talk of him becoming an officer and being given a special award.

Or maybe, she was jealous because it had only been the two of them in Hueco Mundo.

It was evening a few days after their return, and Kari was once again at the end of the Ascension Garden. She had simply been enjoying the view, until how Ashido was being treated suddenly illuminated something Kari had wanted to ignore: how the Hollows had treated her at Las Noches. She now recognized their strange howl for what it was, and it turned her mood dark. Who am I, that they would do that? I've never wanted that; I'd just hoped I could have a place and... person to stay with. The thought brought Kari back to her mother. I... I wanted to deserve a place, a place beside you. She heard someone coming into the Garden. Hmm? Oh, it's just him...

Segato walked up behind Kari. She didn't turn around to face him, and sat quietly gazing out over the pool. "Kari, I've invited Ashido over for tea. Would you like to join us?"

Still staring down at the model of Soul Society, Kari said, "Do you know what it's like to be worshipped, Captain?"

Segato involuntarily took a step back. Wha- we're even in the Ascension Garden... "No, Kari. Is this about Ashido?"

"That's been bothering me too, but no it's not about him."

"Then what is it, Kari? I wan- I'm ordering you to tell me." You don't just talk about being worshipped in the Ascension Garden for no reason...

Kari stood and turned to face her Captain. She was as tall as he was now(five foot eight), and she looked him in the eye. "It was the Hollows, Captain Sanjiro. Thousands and thousands of Hollow, and even a Vasto Lorde, they bowed down to me! They followed me everywhere, fighting over who would walk first behind me. They worshipped me for hours, during the night! I was their god, Captain... and what am I here? You don't step down from being a god without feeling that something is missing..."

Segato stared down Kari. That's what's different about her eyes... there's no sparkle to them anymore... "I think a nice cup of tea would help calm you down."

That's it. I have finally had enough of you, Segato Sanjiro. "I would like to become a Captain, someday."

The remark blindsided Segato. "That's possible, Kari. You're certainly skilled enough to be one. But we have all the Captains we need at the moment."

"In three days, sir, I challenge you to Trial by Combat, to become Captain of Fifth Squad."