A/N: What's that, up in the sky?! (Hell if I know)

Is it a BIRD?! (NO)

Is it a PLANE?! (STILL NO)

HEAVENS ABOVE!!!!IT'S CREATING A CURE CHAPTER 13!!! HOLY CRAP, DUDE!!!! (Like, duuuuuuuuude!!!!)

*coughs awkwardly* Um.... HEEEEEEEYS everyone..... long time no see, huh? Like, four months long.... erm, uh.... YEAAAAAH I'M REALLY SORRY about that.... but, y'know RL and lucky shit like that.... other fics...

uh.... DON'T KILL ME? *puppy dog eyes*

I come in peace! I come with chapter and a picture for you at the end!!! YOU LOVE ME, RIGHT? NO KILLING ME!!! The fic is ALMOST over, and I PROMISE I won't leave it like that again, I SWEAR!

...so AFTER MUCH TO DO AND DELAY, I GIVE YOU, CAC 13!!! ENJOY! XD

-THREE MONTHS LATER-

Sai woke to the sound of thunder in the distance. Beside her, she heard Erekiteru whispering his glee about the coming storm. She reached out and rubbed a hand absently on the engraved kanji on the scabbard.

Electricity. Erekiteru.

She closed her eyes again and let herself wander in her mind. Soon, she found herself in the blackness of her subconscious. It was slightly different from the last time she had truly been here, which had been almost twenty-one years ago after she had just healed Ukitake. The edges of the world glowed, and looked like a surreal daybreak.

And in the middle of that day break was a man.

Sai walked towards him, not in rage as if someone had breached her subconscious private world, but with an easy gait that suggested friendship. "It's been a long time since I've seen you in that form, Erekiteru."

The man smiled, gold eyes flashing. "It's been a while since you've been here, Sai."

The pink-haired shinigami nodded. "True enough. Care to commingle?"

Erekiteru's grin widened. "Certainly." He reached out, and touched her forehead with his hand. The effect was instantaneous. Sai's eyes widened and blue flashed gold. Her body twitched, as if electrocuted and she sighed contently.

"Ah, that's the stuff," Sai grinned, cracking her neck as Erekiteru pulled away. "So that's what you're thinking."

Erekiteru nodded solemnly and patted the dusky ground beside him. "Please, sit." Sai did as her zanpakuto bid and sat. They sat in silence for a while. "Are you worried?" the golden-haired man asked after some time, looking her straight in the eye.

Sai shrugged. "I guess. But not really."

Erekiteru grinned. "How many timed have I told you, you cannot lie to your heart?"

"A lot of times," Sai said, smiling ruefully. "I can try, can't I?"

Erekiteru sighed and twinned a beaded strand of golden locks around his long fingers. "You don't have to worry. I'm scared too."

"Who said I'm scared?!" Sai yelped, flailing slightly.

Erekiteru grinned again, wider this time. "You did, just now."

Sai scowled. "I hate it when you do that."

"I have a good teacher," the zanpakuto replied cheekily.

Sai was quite. ". . . So do I." she said finally. "But he's still a jerk sometimes."

Erekiteru clapped a hand to his golden-colored yukata. "You're words wound me."

"What are you, Geta-Boshi?" Sai snapped. "Cut it out, Erekiteru!!"

Erekiteru grinned and reached over and yanked one of her beaded strands. "I love you, too."

Sai slapped his hand away. "Stop that."

Her zankauto's spirit sighed. "No fun."

"You bet," Sai growled. "We've still got too much work to do to act foolish."

"We do," allowed Erekiteru, "but like Ukitake-sensei says, every now and then you've got to take a break from work to play."

"You know that isn't how I run," Sai snapped, standing.

"Yes," Erekiteru said, standing as well. He was taller then Sai, and he loomed over her. "And that's why you get beaten to unconciousness so often."

"Yes, I do," Sai growled, blue eyes flashing. "But you're the same. You used to work me death when we were training!"

"You asked for it," her zanpakuto told her. "You told me not to go easy on you."

Pink brows met together as Sai scowled. "Shut up."

Erekiteru grinned again. "You want to leave, don't you?"

Sai didn't even blinked at his statement. "Yes."

"I'll see you the next release then," Erekiteru said, holding his hand out to her, like someone would to high-five a friend. Sai blinked, then help her hand out too and met hands with him, twining fingers with her zanpakuto.

"Yeah. See you then."

Her inner world dissolved as she opened her eyes. Beside her, her sheathed zanpakuto was quite. She ran a hand down its length, then rolled off her futon and stood. A few stretched later she bent down and made her bed, then set her sword on top of it.

She left her room and wandered down the halls of Urahara's house to the kitchen, where Tessai was making breaking.

"Ohayo, Iratsuku-san," he said, scooping rice into a bowl and setting it down in front of her place at the table.

"Ohayo, Tessai-san," Sai replied, sitting down and picking up her set of chopsticks. "Where is everyone else? Still sleeping?"

Tessai raised a brow. "No. You're the last one up."

"What?" Sai stopped eating to gawk at him. She was almost always the first one awake. "What time is it?!"

"Almost noon~!" said a voice from behind her, causing her to jump.

"Goddamit, Geta-Boshi, I've told you not to do that!" Sai cursed, flinging her chopsticks at the storeowner, pointed end first.

He dodged them then grinned broadly. "Temper, temper, Iratsuku-cha~n. I would have thought your discussions with your zanpakuto this morning would have worn you out, but apparently no~t!"

Sai scowled as Tessai went to retrieve her chopsticks for her. "How do you know about that?"

"You just told me!" Urahara grinned. Sai flushed. Erekiteru had said the same thing in their conversation together. She needed to work on that.

Sai took her chopsticks back from Tessai. "Thank you." She began eating but not before asking, "So what do you want, Geta-Boshi?"

Urahara sat down across the table from her, and propped his Benihime-cane on the wall. "Those last gigai's you made. What did you do to them?"

"You mean the ones for the Vaizards?" Sai asked, not missing a beat. She had learned quickly the dirty business Urahara meddled in but decided it was none of her business. She had needed a way to pay Urahara back for letting her stay with him, and the scientific meddling with gigai's was better then manual labor or paperwork by far.

Urahara nodded. "What did you do to them?"

"I strengthened the soul connection it can have with a person," Sai replied. "It makes it so it's easier to hide reiatsu and extends the life of the gigai. Why? They not like it."

"On the contrary," Urahara replied. "They asked me to have you make more. They find them easier to use."

"That's because of the soul connection," Sai replied, putting her chopsticks down on her empty bowl. "It makes wearing it easier. It makes it a bit harder to get out of, but I'm working on that."

"Well, since your done here~," Urahara grinned, "you can get straight to work on them!"

Sai frowned but said nothing. "Thank you for the meal, Tessai." She stood, bowed slightly. "I'll get on 'em. Later." She ambled out of the room and down the hall to Urahara's lab. She slid the door open and entered.

She flicked on the lights and headed over to the table that held the uncompleted gigai she had been last working on. With a sigh, she sat down at her stool and began the delicate task of attaching muscles to fake bones.

-/-

Sai sat back with a sigh. The last gigai was finally done. Five hours of blood, sweat, and tears later she had finished the gigais, and was currently regretting her work ethic. She wiped her hands on a towel. At least she was done.

She was turning to leave when a voice boomed, "Do not leave yet, Iratsuku Sai," from behind her. She froze in place and slowly turned. There was a large communicator screen behind her, and the Captain-Commander was on the screen.

Sai was going to have to kill Kisuke. He said that thing hadn't worked for a century or so.

"Y-Yamamato-soutaichou!" she stuttered, bowing low. "Why have you called, sir?"

"I want a report on what is going on in the Human World," the soutaichou rumbled.

"Yes, sir," she said. "Everything has been stable here. No Arrancar sightings to be reported. Just the occasional hollow, but the substitute soul reaper has been dealing with them."

"Very good," Yamamoto nodded. "Is there anything else to report?"

"No sir."

"Very well. I want weekly reports. Sai-fukutaichou, good da—"

"Wait!" Sai cried out, just before Yamamoto terminated the link. "MY apologies, soutaichou, for shouting, but I was wondering if I could ask you a favor?"

"A favor?" Yamamoto rumbled. "What is this favor?"

"I—I was wondering, if I could talk to Yonbantai fukutaichou, Isane Kotetsu, sir?"

Yamamoto surveyed her for a moment then nodded. "Very well. I will send someone for her."

"Thank you, soutaichou."

Ten or so minutes later, Sai's girlfriend appeared on the screen. She double over, panting for breath. She had obviously run all the way from Yonbantai to the Ichibantai. Yamamoto disappeared from the room, obviously to give them some privacy.

"Isane!" Sai said, a grin breaking out on her face.

The silver-haired lieutenant smiled as well. "Sai. I miss you."

"I miss you too," Sai muttered softly, going up to the screen, wishing she could dive through and be with her other.

"What are you wearing?" Isane asked, looking amused. "And where are you?"

"Oh, this?" Sai asked, looking down at the clothes she was wearing. "Human clothes. Give me a shihakusho any day. And I'm at Urahara Shoten."

"Urahara Shoten?" Isane asked, a question in her voice. "Why?"

"It's the only place to stay?" Sai said with a shrug. "I stay for free as long as I help around the shop."

Isane nodded. "I see. What were you doing?"

"Working on gigai's," Sai replied. "It's great because I get some of my old Niibantai training out of it. I did do stuff other then sit in front of a computer."

"You just did that most of the time," Isane said with a laugh.

Sai shrugged. The Juusanbantai fukutaichou grabbed the stool she'd been sitting on earlier and sat down in front of the screen. "How's everything in the Soul Society?"

"It's fine," Isane replied. "Juuichi is still getting into trouble, Hachi is still lazy, everything's fine. Ukitake-taichou told me to tell you he misses you around the division."

"You talked with the taichou?" Sai asked.

Isane nodded. "Yes. He was in for hid yearly check up. I saw him as I left."

"Ah, okay." Sai nodded her head. "Good. And how are you?"

Isane paused. "I—I'm okay. Everything's been fine, if a bit busy at times. I really miss you."

"I miss you too," Sai said quietly. "Hopefully I'll be able to come home soon."

Isane nodded. "Yes, hopefully."

"And when I do, I'll take you out," Sai grinned as she said it. "Whereever you want, 'Sane, I promise."

Isane's grey eyes sparkled. "I'd like that."

"I thought you would. And I'll have lots of money 'cause of this mission so you can order anythi—" The door burst open before Sai could finish her sentace, revealing a panicked looking Jinta.

"Iratsuku!!" he gasped. "Arrancar!! They-They're here!!"

Sai shot up, sending the stool clattering to the ground. "WHAT?!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't I feel anything?!"

"The room's spiritual pressure proof!!" Jinta said hurriedly. "Boss made it that way. Now hurry up! They're wreaking havoc!"

"Right!" Sai nodded and turned to the screen. "Isane, inform the soutaichou of the situation! I've got to go!"

Isane nodded. "I will. And Sai!!"

Sai stopped at the doorway. "Yes?"

"Be careful, okay?"

Sai nodded. "I will, promise. Love you."

"Love you too." Sai ran from the room and towards where she was sleeping. She popped a gikongan in her mouth as she ran. She scooped up her zanpakuto from her room, instructed her gigai to stay put, and ran outside.

Outside, it was chaotic. There were bodies everywhere, and all of the forms of Hollows ran amuck, killing people and eating their souls. Sai pulled out her sword and cleaved throught the mask of the nearest Hollow. Before it dissolved she had landed on the other side and saw the soul of the little girl it had tried to eat.

"Run!" Sai ordered her. "Run as fast as you can, and hide! Don't come out until someone like me finds you!"

She sprinted away towards the nearest Hollow, not watching to see if the little girl followed her orders. She cleaved through two more of the monsters, then managed to drip over the body of someone. As she went down, she saw a Hollow fly straight towards her.

'Shit!' Sai tried to move, but was pinned by the creature. 'Goddammit!'

There was a bright light and Sai closed her eyes out of reflex. When she opened them, the Hollow was gone and the body she had tripped over was sitting up.

"You okay, shinigami?" Uryu Ishida asked, whipping a trickle of blood from his mouth.

Sai blinked twice then sat up. "Y-Yes. . . Thank you, Quincy."

"Don't mention it." Uryu went to stand up but collapsed. Sai lept forwards and caught him.

"You're hurt!" Sai gasped. "Don't move! Let me heal you!" She laid the quincy out and pull chalk and charcoal. A quick sketch of a circle later, she placed a kido-covered hand on Uryu's chest.

"Heal!!"

The marks glowed and with the help of Sai's kido, helped mend all of Uryu's maladies. She helped him sit up and picked up her sword again. Uryu flexed his hand, looking amazed.

"What was that?" he asked. "What did you use?"

Sai grinned. "Trade secret. Be careful!" And she was gone, headed towards the next downed person. She healed for a while, and felt her strength slowly dissipating. 'Dammit,' she thought. 'This needs to end!'

Suddenly, she felt an increase in spiritual pressure and saw a spirit gate open right in front of her. She squinted and saw a squad of fourth division file out, led by Isane. Sai grinned slightly. Isane.

Then, from nowhere, cackling sounded. Sai saw a speeding blue blur head towards the group and she cursed. 'No!' She shunpo'd as fast as she could, and intercepted the blurr at the group. The clash of metal-on-metal rang around, and the eyes of Isane and her fellow Fourth division grew wide.

"Sai!!" she exclaimed loudly.

"Erekiteru, Spark 5!" The explosion from the close range was deafening and threw everyone back a good five feet from the blast radius, Sai included. Coughing, she watched through the smoke.

" all you got, shinigami?" said a voice from the haze.

"N-No way!" Sai whispered as the haze cleared to reveal a blue-haired Espada. "Our most powerful attack . . . did nothing? From that close a range?!"

The Espada scowled slightly and brushed soot off his clothes, which were tattered from the explosion. "Was that supposed to hurt, shinigami? I barley felt a thing!"

'This is bad, Sai!' Erekiteru hissed.

"Tell me something I don't know!" Sai told her zanpakuto. "Who are you?" she asked the Arrancar.

He smirked. "Who am I? I'm Espada Sexta, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Nice to meet you, Shinigami."

Sai bit her lip. This wasn't good. There weren't any other captain's in sight, and they were the only one's powerful enough to fight Espada. She closed her eyes and exhaled. When she opened them again, her eyes were powerful blue daggers

"Isane, stand back."

"What?"

"Stand back!" Sai ordered, sliding into a stance. Isane nodded and hurried the members of her division backwards.

"Well, Grimmjow," Sai growled, gaining the Espada's attention back to herself. "My name is Sai Iratsuku, and I'm fukutaichou of Juusanbantai. I wonder if you'll be smirking after this. BANKAI!"

A/N: Wait, what's that?! BANKAI?! REALLY?! (YEAH, TOTALLY DUDE!!!) YEAH BANKAI! WHOO HOO!!!

...now.... I have to find my reference sheet for Sai's bankai I wrote a coupla months ago..... dammit...

either that or rewrite it.... *sweatdrop* BUT I WILL GET IT DONE SOON, I SWEAR!

AND AND AND AND I had a present for you guys!!! Remember I said I had one, right?! Well, HERE YOU GO:

http://toastweaselofdoom(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Spark-Erekiteru-134067303

I drew Human!Erekiteru!!! YAAAY! XDD The only reason I really decide to finish this chapter was because I saw the zanpakuto spirits in the new Bleach epi's and got inspired.... YOU LOVE ME RIGHT?

Review and tell me you still love me, or to express you hatred, whichever....

Only a few more chapters to go and you'll NEVER have to worry about this fic again, I PROMISE!!

-Luffles, a VERY sorry Toasty