From now on, I'm going to try something new and won't add author notes before each chapter. I might occasionally do one at the end, but it will depend on the situation and what I have to tell you. Furthermore, until it is said, the chapter will be predominantly in Alex's P.O.V.

I do not own anything or anyone from Bleach, only my OCs.

Chapter 25

'Am I . . . dead?' I thought this to be possible when I couldn't open my eyes at first. 'Oh, wait, I can still sense my friends' spiritual pressure. I'm not dead.' A mental sigh was heard in my head. But, if I wasn't dead, then what was going on? And, where was I? 'The last thing I saw before going unconscious was Yoruichi changing back into her original form . . .' With that much information, I automatically assumed and expected myself to be in a cave with Ichigo and Yoruichi. I forced my eyes open and saw that I was right. Ichigo woke up before me and has apparently opened up his wounds, with the blood dyed spot on his lower chest and all. I mentally sighed, knowing that even when in the worst possibly state, he would still do all that he could to help his friends. That's what I admired about Ichigo's personality and looked up to him because of that. Although, I could do without the fights he constantly gets himself involved in and the injuries he is sometimes left with afterwards.

"So, behold! Here is what I really look like!" I heard Yoruichi say. I felt my eyes widen as she began her transformation. And after she was finished, she would be in her birthday suit without caring or reminding herself of the clothes that wasn't present on her body.

And then it hit me: wouldn't this be Ichigo's first time seeing a naked woman? 'Ah, hell no!' With the rejuvenated strength I had, I leaped over to Ichigo and blocked his sight with both hands, accidentally pulling him back and on top of me. Seriously, how much did he friggin' weigh?! Was it the muscles?

"What the hell? Who is this?" a frantic Ichigo asked while trying to pry my hands off of his eyes, but I wouldn't let go that easily and held on no matter what. He may not seem like it, but Strawberry here was as innocent as a little boy when it came to never seeing a nude woman.

"Take a guess, dumbass," I shouted in his ear as I struggled to keep him from seeing a now butt-naked Yoruichi as the smoke cleared. She crossed her arms over her exposed bosoms and cocked her head sideways, wondering why I was so worried about him seeing her like that.

"Oh, I see what's going on!" she exclaimed as an idea popped up in her head. "You're trying to keep Ichigo from seeing any naked women so he won't be disappointed when it's your time to shine, am I right?" Yoruichi winked while teasing me.

I knew that it was just a joke, but seriously! Her boobs were around the same size as my own! Or was it the other way around? Either way, my cheeks immediately became flustered as I threw Ichigo back into a wall without thinking and confronted the smirking woman with an embarrassed look on my face. "What do you mean by 'disappointed'?! My bra size is probably the same as yours! Besides, who said I wanted the little jackass to see me naked? If he even tried to peek under my skirt at school, I would have beaten him to a pulp! So what makes you think that I'm trying to be the first woman he sees with my goodies out for the world to see?!"

Yoruichi was having the time of her life as she laughed at my reaction. Honestly, I didn't get how she saw this amusing. "Calm down, Alex, and you need to be careful when you're throwing people aimlessly around like that. Most of Ichigo's wounds could be opened up again."

I blinked at her with sincere confusion seen in my green eyes. ". . . Huh?" I turned around to find Ichigo crawling out from a rack of weapons that fell on him when I threw him into it. "Oh . . . my bad," I sweat dropped while smiling sheepishly. Maybe I needed to work on that whenever I had time to spare.

"Dammit, what the hell is your problem? You could've killed me, you know!" he yelled as he looked up. Once again, I prevented him from seeing Yoruichi by throwing sheets in his face. Knowing how stupid he can get, I watched as he got himself tangled up in them, letting out a few giggles every now and then.

"Wow, you're even more jealous than I thought!" I snapped my head with steam blowing out of my ears like an engine, obviously becoming fed up with Yoruichi's teasing.

I went into a small fit, stomping my feet while repeatedly jabbing my fists in the air. "I am not jealous! Do you hear me, Yoruichi? Why would I be jealous of other chicks wanting to expose themselves to Ichigo?! They can go ahead for all I care, because it'll prove that he really is a perverted dumbass!"

"What?!" a voice yelled from under the sheets on the other side of the room. Ichigo shot out from underneath them and darted toward me. Luckily, he didn't see – or was too busy being pissed off to notice – Yoruichi. "I am not a pervert, dammit! How many friggin' times do I have to tell to get it through that thick head of yours?! Don't you ever think of me to be that type of man, got it?"

"Oh, excuse me! But just to be sure, would that have really been your first time seeing a woman naked? Wait – correction: a grown woman naked. You've probably already peeked in on girls your age in the past, huh Ichigo?" From the big tick mark growing on his face, I knew that I was pushing his buttons.

Meanwhile, Yoruichi shrugged and went to dress herself, mumbling about the clothes being uncomfortable after being in cat form for so long.

"I am a man that protects others! What the hell would I possibly gain from checking out naked women?"

"Ask your idiot friend, Keigo, when we get back! I'm sure he's done it, or attempted to, plenty of times!"

"Oh, please! Keigo is too stupid and uncoordinated to pull off something as easy as that!"

"Hah! So you admit that you've done it before, or else you wouldn't be saying that it's easy!"

"What, no! That's not what I meant! I was only saying that –."

"Alright, you two, that's enough!" Yoruichi spoke over us, seizing our arguing as we shot our heads in her direction. "I'll let the both of you have some alone time to yourselves after I've informed you about a few things," she said, winking and causing us to blush like bleeding tomatoes.

"Hold on a minute! What are you talking about, Yoruichi?! You think that we're . . .? Oh, no, no, no, no, no," I yelled as I furiously shook my head. Ichigo gaped like an idiot while an eyebrow twitched as fast my head disagreed with her assumption.

All she did was cross her arms and shrugged, continuing to think that it's young, innocent, teenage love. I desperately wanted to jump off of Sokyoku Hill if she kept teasing us like that.

After getting a good look at her, Ichigo final realized something about Yoruichi. "Wait . . . you're a girl?! But, I thought you were a cat?!"

I face palmed at his stupidity. "Ichigo, please start using your head more when it comes to practical things such as common sense."

"Alex is right, Ichigo. Cats don't talk, and I'm sure you know this just like everyone else. Why else would you have reacted the way you did?" Yoruichi said, backing up my point. "But enough playing around; we need to get back to business. Alex," she turned to me, "since you're injuries weren't as serious as Ichigo's, your body is near full recovery. Can you heal Ichigo and his opened wounds?"

Returning back to my normal self, I calmed down and nodded before sitting down on my little mat that lay next to Ichigo's. "Come on, doofus, you need to lie down!"

Ichigo scoffed at me while dragging his feet over to his mat, resting himself back onto it as I started to use Nokutan Tebukuro over his exposed yet bandaged chest. Soon, the area where it was soaked with blood was healed. Yoruichi then stood by Ichigo's right side, holding a long, beige, wand-like artifact with a small bird shaped skull with four protrusions similar to fingers bones extending from the back of its head. "What's that?" Ichigo asked, looking up as she sat down.

"This is the device I used to carry the both of you to this cave. You simply put your spiritual pressure in it to activate it, and it gives you the ability to fly." She handed him the device to examine it further. "There's not another one like it, not even in the Soul Society! Impressive, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah, but I can't imagine how you got your paws on such a valuable device," Ichigo said. "You can change forms and do it so effortlessly, and you have the ability to heal wounds. Now this . . . Yoruichi, who are you?"

I, too, wondered about this, since my memories of the future episodes just happen to fade when I needed them the most. Geez, this wouldn't have been so hard if wasn't for that stupid side effect of being in this universe. 'Speaking of, where did Bobo run off to, anyway? Is she with any of the others? If she is, then that would take a load of worry off of my shoulders. She may be strange at times, but she's like a little sister to me, and I've always wanted to know how that felt.' A slight throbbing in my head pulled me out of my thoughts. I winced at it, but I pushed it aside, thinking that it was only temporary. It happened again, only this time with more pain. "Damn, what the hell is up with the sudden headache? Yoruichi, I hope you didn't hit my head or drop me on the way up here."

"What," she started, playfully seeming to be offended, "how can you say that, Alex? You felt so light that I was worried you would've been blown away by the winds! Besides, you should be worried about whether or not I dropped Ichigo."

"You dropped me!?" Ichigo yelled, but I had to calm him down before he added stress to any of his wounds. "And when were you planning on telling us, dammit!"

Yoruichi laughed at his overreaction. "Relax, Ichigo. I'm much stronger than you think." Another round of pain hit me, getting her and Ichigo's attention. "Is something the matter, Alex? Maybe you hit your head during the battle with Kenpachi. You were near them when they fought, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't remember – hitting my head on anything," I paused in between as I reached to grab my head with one hand. A little bit afterwards, the migraine subsided, for now at least. "I'll be fine, though. So don't worry about it, okay?"

Before she could say anything else, we all sensed a familiar spiritual pressure. It was powerful and would've brought me down to my knees had I not been that strong enough. Ichigo knew that it belonged to none other than Byakuya Kuchiki. Yoruichi stated that it came from the Senzaikyu, or the Repentance Cell.

Without my realizing it, Ichigo shot up from his mat with Zangetsu and the device in hand, ready to leave. But Yoruichi stopped him, saying that in his condition, there wasn't much that he could do, for I didn't heal his injuries completely. He argued that if he couldn't do it, then who else would? I felt a little vein throb in my temple as my mouth twitched in annoyance. "So, the dumbass forgot that I was fully recovered, huh? Just wait until I . . ." I mumbled under my breath as Yoruichi ran to the entrance of the cave, the door of it now demolished from Ichigo's exit. "There goes the world's most determined, hard-headed idiot."

"I appreciate that you're trying to lighten the mood, but Ichigo doesn't understand that he is no match for Byakuya at the moment, even if in full health," Yoruichi said, boring her golden eyes at my semi-bored, comical face. "Besides, I'm sure he knew that the same went for you as well, which is why he didn't ask for you to go instead, especially with those sudden migraines."

I was almost surprised that she somehow heard me say that, but knowing her, it was possible. "Uh, yeah, I guess . . ." My eyes fell from her stare as I trailed off. I found myself fiddling with Ichigo's sheets, puffing my cheeks out in slight frustration.

"Come on now, Alex. Don't be mad at him," Yoruichi started as she came over to pat my head, messing it up a little while also being careful not to worsen the headaches. I kind of felt like a kid who didn't get what they wanted. "He's only looking out for you and making sure that you don't get yourself hurt. I understand that you've become much stronger since the first time you came here, but even if you have beaten a lieutenant, that doesn't mean you've reached the point of actually defeating or going into battle with a captain."

I think sighing had become so natural to me that it was like breathing. "Yoruichi, quit lecturing me like I don't know this already," I retorted comically, avoiding her eyes. I heard her chuckle as she began heading outside. "Hey, what about –?"

"You just stay here until I come back with Ichigo. I can only carry one person when using Flash step, or else we won't be able to get away as fast. If you knew how to use it, I would have let you come along. But when I return," she threw a smirk at me over her orange clothed shoulder, "I'll be sure that the Goddess of Flash teaches you right away."

That's right. Yoruichi was still a beast at Flash Step. Even Byakuya couldn't keep up with her! I smiled up at her just as she disappeared from my sight. I shouldn't be worried then, right? Well, I was concerned for Hanataro and Ganju, especially the Shiba Clan's youngest. Didn't he get himself cut up from Senbonzakura's blades? I'm sure that was it, since he did face Byakuya for a short period of time. I gripped onto the sheets, feeling a little useless at the moment. But I had to remind myself that I wasn't like Orihime: not being able to do much at all. It's not that she couldn't do anything; it's just that she wasn't suited for battle. Sure, she could use a few moves Tatsuki taught her when it came to unseated officers, but she would need her Shun Shun Rikka in other situations that were too much for her to handle by herself.

'Even so, just like the others, I want to become stronger for their sake.' I wished that I was like Renji and could materialize my Zanpakuto into our world. That would mean I was one step closer to achieving or train for the use of Bankai. 'Bankai . . . I wonder what Chishi Setsuko's is like?' I asked myself.

"Why not ask me yourself?" a melodic voice asked. It came from behind me, so I peeked over my shoulder to see who could've gotten inside without my knowing.

My eyes widened in awe. "No way . . ."

I was at a loss for words as the person before me stood in the shadows of the half lit cave. How it happened was beyond me. All that mattered was that I could actually train with Ichigo when he returned. "Chishi Setsuko," I happily whispered. "This is just too cool."

She crossed her arms, and I could tell that there was a smirk forming underneath her mask. "Indeed it is. Again, I must say that your growth in power has improved a great deal since the last time we spoke to one another. And I see that you are doing well with the Nokutan Tebukuro," Chishi Setsuko said while walking over to me, taking a seat down on my mat.

"They sure are! I was even able to try out the defensive techniques during my battle with Shuhei. Although, I think I might have gone a little overboard with that last punch I gave." I sweat dropped at the memory and rubbed the back of my neck. To be honest, the sight of my Hollow mask making an appearance was pretty scary. It was similar to the time when Ichigo went all out with that one final attack against Kenpachi. Just thinking about the psychotic man and his battle with Ichigo gave me the chills. "Not to sound rude, but why are you here, Chishi Setsuko?" I asked as I came out of my thoughts and focused on the main topic.

My Zanpakuto casually and slowly shifted her blue eyes to the side as she sat on her knees. "As you already know, it is about your Bankai training. Though I realize your situation and understand that it is important that you learn it soon, I do not think that you are ready just yet."

"Aw, why not?" my whining little voice said. I pouted with a tick mark throbbing on my head. "Ichigo gets to learn his Bankai in three days, and his Zanpakuto doesn't mind!"

"Quit whining, Alex," she said with a comical straight face. "You need to be more serious about this! Learning Bankai in only three days minimum and maximum is dangerous! To cut the amount of time to such an extremely short period is just madness!"

"You obviously don't know Kisuke Urahara," I said with a straight face. "Madness is his middle name. Nearly everything he does revolves around that term. So, this shouldn't be a surprise, really."

Chishi Setsuko sighed at how lax I was being. "Alex, you are as strange as that Kurosaki kid you're fond of –."

"For Pete's sake, will you stop saying that I like Ichigo?!" I was so sure that the loudness of my voice could be heard throughout the entire Seireitei. After I finished yelling at the top of my lungs, I took slow breaths in and out as my body moved along with them. My hair seemed a little messy from my anger, and my hands were in tight fists resting on my thighs. If one more person said anything related to that subject again, I would be happy to murder them on the spot.

During my cool down session, my Zanpakuto was laughing away, making sure not to lose the calm and relaxed composure she usual portrayed. "You know that it's true, so why not admit it?"

"Because it isn't true, dammit!" I growled through clenched teeth. It took me a minute or two, but I finally came out of my murderous phase and became lax once more. "Now, back to the Bankai training, I need to achieve it so that I can –." I doubled over in pain. The headaches were getting dangerously worse by the second. What was going on, anyway? I didn't remember seeing Shuhei use a Kido on me, so what could it have been?

Chishi Setsuko noticed this and checked to see if I was alright. "You should probably lie down now, Alex. Whatever you are going through, the best thing to do is rest for a while."

"No, it's okay. I probably just need some . . ." I trailed off without finishing my sentence. Everything became blurry, and I soon fell back onto Ichigo's mat, knocked out from the intense pain. Chishi Setsuko tried to wake me up, but I couldn't move my body or use my voice. Even though my eyes were open, they gave off a dead and lifeless stare. I couldn't see nor hear anything. 'What the hell is happening to me? Why can't I . . . do anything?'

Seconds after I said that, images of the past came flowing into my mind. It wasn't of the past episodes but the past of the Soul Reapers I knew today. They were flashbacks of Yoruichi, Soifon, Momo Hinamori, Izuru Kira, Renji, Toshiro, Gin, and that bastard Aizen. I expected it to stop there, but then it kept going. These must have been my memories coming back to me. I had hoped that most of them would return. Sadly, it stopped at Ichigo's victory against Byakuya. I watched as he screamed out to the world of the Soul Society and then fell back, banging the back of his head against Orihime's forehead. If I could, I would've laughed my behind off.

After that, the memories seized their flow, leaving me with the ones I just received. The migraines went away, and I could move around again. I woke up, clutching onto Ichigo's sheets. My eyes blinked open as I sat up, rubbing my head from the present soreness as a result of my memories coming back to me. 'I don't understand. I thought Bobo said that the longer I stayed here, the more I forget of my old life back in my old home, which also included the episodes of Bleach I watched?' I sighed, letting my shoulders droop in confusion. 'I'll just have to ask her the next time I see her. But until then, I'll put them to good use, starting with saving Toshiro and Momo.' "Shi e no Setsuka, I need you to let me go through Kisuke's method of achieving Bankai. If not, then you can at least teach me the third and final move of your Shikai. You only told me two of them and which ones were the strongest."

Her red eyebrows went up, a little surprised at me for getting straight to the point. "If I tell and teach you the last technique, then . . . I might as well let you go through Bankai training," she said with a slight smile.

"R-Really? You'll actually let me?" I was shocked that she gave up turning me down. But so what? Ichigo and I were going to get stronger, and then we'll go our separate ways. He'll stop Rukia's execution and fight Byakuya, and I'll stop Aizen from nearly killing Momo and Toshiro. A part of me felt a bit scared at the thought of possibly fighting the soon-to-be known traitor, but it's normal to get nervous before a big event, right? Please say 'right'.

"Alex, could you help me? I need you to take Ichigo while I fix the . . . Who is that?" Yoruichi stared at Shi e no Setsuka.

I quickly got up and carefully took Ichigo from her, laying him down on his mat. "She's my Zanpakuto, Shi e no Setsuka," I simply answered, already working on an unconscious Ichigo.

The former Head of the Stealth Force went to the other side of the room and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her breasts. "So, when were you going to tell me that you were capable of materializing your Zanpakuto? Or did you plan on showing it off to Ichigo before he left?"

This chick was beginning to get on my last nerves with the damn teasing! "You and Chishi Setsuko both need to quick teasing me about him. I don't have those kinds of feelings for him, okay? We're at a mutual relationship; nothing more."

"Somebody's in denial," both sang in unison while smiling.

My head hung low as a huge sweat drop appeared over it. 'These people are seriously asking for a death wish.'

"This place sure does bring back memories," I said as we entered the secret training grounds Yoruichi brought us to. The terrain looked similar; the size was the same; the fact that we couldn't really tell day from night down here was the same. "Oh yeah, I'm feeling the nostalgia."

"Shut up," Ichigo spat at me with a straight face. "You sound like you're some old lady – OW!"

"Didn't I tell you not to tick me off?" His head formed a swelled bump after my hand every so delicately chopped it. "You really are hard-headed. Your skull is so thick that even a million Zanpakuto can't slice through it!" Just before Ichigo regained consciousness back in the cave, Shi e no Setsuka returned to my inner world. So, neither Ichigo nor I had to hear any of her teasing comments. It's already bad enough that we had to deal with a shape-shifting badass that apparently loved messing with our heads.

Anyway, I helped Ichigo stand back up on his feet so that he would listen to Yoruichi's instructions. She was going to tell him about the consequences of not achieving Bankai in the three days given until he went ahead and stabbed the strange looking cut-out. It's amazing how I didn't notice when he left my side and ended up there. Kisuke's invention then came to life as a materialized Zangetsu manifested before us. He seemed even cooler up close than from watching him on a television screen.

"I'm assuming you overheard our conversation," Yoruichi said with her arms crossed. "If so, then I'll leave the method of fighting to you."

"Of course," Zangetsu replied, summoning a massive sea of his own swords but with different blades and hilts of varied shapes and sizes. He then explained to Ichigo what must happen in order for him to go into submission, thus completing Ichigo's Bankai. Soon after, they chose their weapons and commenced the training.

As I watched the two of them fight, Yoruichi came up to me. "When you are ready to begin your own training, just let me know. I'll be over here watching over Ichigo." She was on her way to a raised area before stopping in place. "Actually, there's something I've been meaning to ask of you."

Cold sweats went down my spine as she stared at me with those golden irises of hers, and the look in them wasn't all that welcoming. "Uh, y-yeah?"

"I remember that when I reverted back to my original form, you immediately jumped on Ichigo, trying to stop him from seeing me without any clothes on. I'll admit that it was funny, but then I asked myself: how did she already know I was going to be naked, or the fact that I was a woman?"

"Uh, well, you see, what had happened was . . . Oh my, look at the time? I should be getting started on my own Bankai training," I said while scurrying off to another area, sweat dropping while laughing nervously.

Yoruichi smirked as I backed away. "These kids sure are strange."

I wiped my forehead in relief, glad that I avoided that question. 'I should really try coming up with some answers for these kinds of situations if I don't want to get caught.' While standing straight again, I unsheathed my Zanpakuto and held it out in front of me horizontally, concentrating on manifesting Chishi Setsuko. A few seconds later, the sound of a flute played as she appeared. She was on one knee as one arm rested on it while the other was on the ground in the form of a fist. Her blue eyes went up to meet with my green ones. "Are you ready to learn Bankai?"

I nodded, "Yes. I'm ready when you are."

"Good, then let us begin." Chishi Setsuko stood up before clapping her hands together. She formed a large void that surrounded and separated us from the others. I quietly gulped as everything became dark. Once complete, I could no longer see anything, but I still picked up the sounds of Ichigo's fight. It didn't matter though. What's the point if I was so stricken with fear? "What's the matter, Alex? Can't handle a little darkness?"

She was toying with me, and I knew it. This was part of her method of fighting after all. Even so, I didn't respond. I only hugged myself tight as I trembled while sliding down against a gigantic wall of earth. And when I said that I couldn't see anything, I literally meant it. It was pitch black in there; not even a speck of light was seen in the void. How the hell was I supposed to train in something like this? Chishi Setsuko must've lost her mind if she thought that this was going to work.

"So I see that it's already affecting you, the darkness. For many years, you feared the dark you see now, not once trying to conquer it. That is why I chose this to be the method of forcing me into submission. Not only will it help you overcome your fear, but it will also help you realize that your eyes are useless when it comes to these sorts of surroundings and situations. You need to rely more on the sense of hearing if you want to defeat me. If not, then you might as well sit there and hear your own blood curdling screams as I kill you. I do not have the tolerance or patience for those who cannot go a minute without the use of their sight." I knew that she was serious about killing me, just like how Kisuke was when he and Ichigo fought back in the training grounds under his shop. "Get up."

'But I can't get up! Don't you understand how bad my phobia is? The only movements my body can do are tremble and shake. I can't fight under these conditions!' I wanted to say it, but I guess it had gotten so bad that I lost the ability to speak. And if I were to talk, the words would only come out in silent whispers, barely forming anything at all. Something appeared in front of me. I heard a single note play as it did.

"Get up!" she repeated herself, reaching for my robes as she lifted me off the ground. I was then thrown across the space and into another large rock. The impact was painful, but it didn't leave as many injuries as I thought, although I did feel my back crack a little. My body slid off the crater it formed and fell to the floor. "Maybe you need a little motivation. Sairen no uta (Siren's Song)," Chishi Setsuko called out as she conducted with her hands instead of a baton. The sounds of a harp played throughout the void, each note coming from the vibrating strings that were plucked by an invisible instrumentalist. It was so melodious and soothing that it became addicting.

I felt my limbs move in response to the beautiful music. They helped me stand on my feet, but I had no control over them. My eyes were still no help whatsoever, so my ears served as my body's guide, navigating it through the blackness and to the source of the harp. 'Stop moving, dammit! It's a trap!' This technique was ranked 3rd out the three when it came to power, yet its effects should be placed in 1st. The respective colors are dark orange and red-orange, because while the person is attracted to the song from desire and pleasure, they end up being deceived and distrusted after learning that it was that same desire leading them into a trap. But it would be too late once the one using this move delivered a fatal blow to their enemy while they were under its spell. That's why I was confused when Chishi Setsuko told me that Sairen no uta was the weakest attack. In my opinion, it would best fit in second, or possibly even first!

But enough opinionating on Sairen no uta's abilities; I couldn't allow myself to fall under its intoxicating sounds. I tried forcing my legs to stop, but they kept going toward the source. If I wanted to live a little longer, I needed to concentrate hard enough to regain control over my body. I shut my eyes closed and used all my might, feeling as if I was getting somewhere when one of my feet halted. I tried it again, and the other foot stopped as I sighed in relief. "I'm not letting myself succumb to your Sairen no uta anytime soon!"

If it wasn't for the dark space, I would've been able to see her smirking underneath her mask. "I don't know, are you sure your little friend there won't get his feelings hurt?" she asked, indicating to . . . to . . .

"This isn't happening . . ." I whispered to myself, rapidly blinking my eyes as I hoped that it wasn't real. But I could see him right there, even in the dark!

"Alex . . ." Ichigo said as he stared at me with those chocolate eyes of his. The reason why I was hoping that it wasn't real was because of how he was . . . ahem, wearing only tight pants. Okay, don't think that I'm a strange person for wanting a shirtless Ichigo. It wasn't my doing! It was the fangirl side of me, which was by the way getting on my very last nerves! "Why don't we have a little fun?"

"U-Uh . . ." Curse my developing body and its hormones! Now I was blushing, and the fact that I lost control of my feet again didn't exactly help. And what kind of fun was he talking about? . . . Oh! "Um, t-that's okay! I'm not really in the mood for anything fun related at the moment," I stuttered out while trying to force my body to back away.

"I wonder how Ichigo will respond when I tell him that you fantasize of him like this. I'm sure both Yoruichi and I will definitely get a good laugh out of his reaction!"

"What?! Don't you dare tell anyone about this!" I flailed my arms aimlessly, surprised that I had control of my arms. Now if only the same went for my feet.

"Oh? So you admit that you have such sexual thoughts about him! I never imagined a bright girl like you to be so perverted and dirty! You should know better."

"Hey! It's not my fault that I had access to hot pictures of him in my other universe! I was young and full of curiosity! Can you really blame a girl? What would you do if you were in my shoes?"

"Well, for starters, I would –."

"On second thought," I stopped her, getting a bad feeling about her answer, "You probably shouldn't tell me."

"You have such a negative mind. I wasn't even going to say an answer anywhere near what you were thinking about," Chishi Setsuko said, obviously ticking me off.

"Wha – ."

"Hey, how long are you gonna keep me waiting? I'm dying to show you a few tricks that you would surely love to see," Ichigo interrupted, making the blush on my face reach a whole new shade of red.

I furiously shook my head, desperately trying to keep my sanity. "A-Absolutely not! What the hell do you think I am?!"

"Oh, come on. Are you chickening out just because it's me? I never figured that to be you. You seem more like a willing and adventurous type of girl." He used a seductive tone to convince me, but it wouldn't work on me. I knew Ichigo, and he would never in a billion years try to seduce anyone, let alone use a seductive voice!

"I said "no", dammit!" I shrieked in a high pitched voice. Yeah, that only happened when I got too freaked out or scared for my life. I would honestly rather choose a beating from my Zanpakuto than to do whatever this guy had in mind. My spine tingled and shivered at the mere thought of it!

Just then, my ears picked up the sounds of plucked violin strings. It's kind of like when a cartoon was tip-toeing, and they would use that sound effect. I whipped my head in that direction just in time to catch the swing of Chishi Setsuko's blade. I dodged it by performing a series of back flips, landing a few yards away from her and the now faded desire. Honestly, why the hell would I want a half-naked Ichigo? 'Okay, if I was still in my other universe, then maybe.' "Hold on," I flexed my hands and threw a few punches out in an empty space, "I can move again? But . . ."

A flashback of when Kukaku first showed us her Flower Crane Cannon's launch pad replayed in my head. I remembered how dark it was in there. That's when I chose a random person that was nearest to me and held on to them as a sort of assurance, letting me know that as long as I was with them that there was nothing to be afraid of. I almost smiled and shook my head at the idiot boy I picked. It was no wonder why I felt safe when I saw him as my fangirl's desire. He might have actually deserved a thank you or an apology for most of the abuse given to him. But hey, someone had to take over Rukia's job; don't blame me for being thoughtful!

Sairen no uta's harp continued to play, so the spell was still in effect. So, if I thought about Ichigo and how he always protected his friends, then this was surely in the bag. I straightened up and turned my body so that it would seem sideways while my head stayed forward. As a way to mess with Chishi Setsuko, I raised my hand and gestured for her to come at me in quick motion. Expecting to hear any sound effects representing her actions, I waited patiently for her to make the first move. Once she did, I instantly heard a rush of piano notes in harmony. My Zanpakuto jumped off from the high point of a small rock mountain and prepared to swing her scythe down on me. With the notes aiding me in pinpointing where she would attack, I spun around with my foot out and sent a flying kick toward her chest after using my hand to grab the staff of her weapon. I smirked at how tense she must have felt. "Looks like I have the upper hand now, Shi e no Setsuka."

"Don't get so arrogant." I didn't have time to retort, for the ribbons on the staff glowed red. Immediately, I leaped back to put distance in between, since this was a color I haven't seen yet. With the glowing ribbons, I was able to see for a little while.

So far, Chishi Setsuko only informed me of two colors and the meanings behind them, which were the personalities of each technique. Shi no komori-uta, Death's Lullaby, was represented by the color black. Its meanings were death, mystery, elegance, and is a symbol of grief, hence the sorrowful sounds it played. Sairen no uta was a mixture of dark and red-orange, as said before with their characteristics. This was what I that knew, and with red being the third one, I guessed that it must have been the final and most powerful attack of her Shikai. 'If she's using this now, then I'm screwed,' I thought to myself, bearing a comical expression on the chibi face I now had.

Chishi Setsuko stood tall as she smirked underneath her mask. "I'll make a deal with you right now. If you can stay standing on both feet after this attack, I will gladly teach it to you, following the achievement of your Bankai."

I broke out of my chibi daze and held my fists up, ready for whatever she would throw at me. "Bring it," I simply answered, accepting her little deal.

"I didn't expect anything less from my wielder . . . *Prestissimo," she quietly said before disappearing into thin air. The light went away with her, so it became dark once more.

Automatically, I listened out for any sounds that might help me pinpoint where she would be or where she would be coming from. A long, shallow cut was felt on my left arm. My other hand shot itself onto it as I was confused as to how it got there. Another one was made on my leg. A few more could be felt on my cheeks before a painful slash of a blade went across my torso. "What the . . . hell?" I coughed out, a few drops of blood dripping from the corner of my mouth. 'Why can't I hear her presence through the musical sounds? Was she too fast for them to detect her –?' My thoughts were cut short as something plunged itself in my back, sending me flying towards a boulder. After crashing in it, I hurried back on my feet, not allowing myself to be defeated so easily. But the attacks didn't stop there.

As I struggled to stand with my injuries, multiple kicks were aimed at the top half of my body. The pain each one left was excruciating. They were so strong yet so swift and fast. I never knew that such a combination could be possible, but it was proven that it could, and I was a witness. The final kick forced me out of the void Shi e no Setsuka formed, which had (thankfully) blocked out any sounds from leaving it. So while we heard Ichigo and Zangetsu battle, they were only aware of the space created for my training. Now that my body had shattered most of the void, we were once again seen and heard by all.

I wondered how far I would go until making contact with a hard surface. I flew over Ichigo, his Zanpakuto, and Yoruichi, all of which had noticed me with slight worry of how my landing would turn out. Not wanting to see that happen, Yoruichi flash stepped behind me just in time before my body made impact with a mountain of earth. Even though I was relieved that she caught me, the severe injuries on my body sent shots of pain throughout it. I cringed as a reaction and gritted my teeth so that a scream didn't come out. My warm, crimson blood stained my robes as it flowed from my wounds. I could even taste the metallic liquid in my mouth as I coughed out more but not much of it, only a little. "Thank you – Yoruichi," I forced out as I gently turned my head to her.

"No need to thank me. Let's just hurry up and tend to those wounds," she quietly replied, returning back to the ground before carefully setting me down where she stood while monitoring Ichigo's Bankai training. "Don't talk so much, alright? And be sure to stay still."

"Yeah, okay," I answered, resting my head on the hard ground. Yoruichi began healing most of my wounds when Chishi Setsuko appeared by my side. 'Haven't I suffered enough . . .?' I mentally sighed.

"You failed to stay on your feet, Alex. I cannot teach you something so powerful if are you not able to withstand it yourself, let alone use it. Aside from that, your new ability to sense your opponents using musical sounds is impressive but still at an amateur level. But, it still shows that you have actually learned to use your ears and not your eyes during battle. And finally," she bent down next to my ear, switching to a whisper, "be glad that I won't say anything about your fantasies."

"Why you –!" my eye twitched as she chuckled. Apparently, teasing us was the only thing these two loved to do best. "Whatever! Anyway, I want to continue fighting after Yoruichi heals my wounds –."

Chishi Setsuko closed her eyes as she dismissed her scythe. "You will not, and that is final."

"What? But I –!" I cringed in pain, hoping that Yoruichi would hurry so that I could relax a little.

"I shall not repeat myself! Do not push yourself so much. There is still time for you to defeat me in order to gain Bankai. But as of right now, we are stopping until tomorrow. Besides, if you haven't realized it, it is late, and you have been fighting for hours. Rest, Alex."

It's already been hours since we started? I could never tell the time when we're in this place. Either way, she was right. I needed to take it easy for a while. "By the way, when are you going to teach me Flash Step, Yoruichi? You did say that you would when you came back with the idiot Fruit Pop," I asked, feeling a little better as she continued to use her Kido.

A playful smirk spread across her dark skin. "You're just full of energy today, aren't you? Well, alright, I guess I can after taking care of most of your wounds."

"Okay," I smiled while nodding. I then brought my eyes back on Chishi Setsuko. "So, since you're done for the day, do you go back to my inner world on your own, or am I supposed to do that?"

She crossed her arms, "I expected you to know this yourself by now, but I guess that it cannot be helped."

I shot an annoyed glare at her. "Shut up! No one told me this!" She soon dissipated as she returned to the meadow of Creeping Myrtles; a strange inner world that I still couldn't understand the significance of why it had the appearance of a meadow.

"Dammit, Yoruichi, are you – trying to kill me?!" I panted out as I plopped down onto the ground. After healing most of my wounds, we had begun my second training to master Shunpo. We started when Yoruichi ended Ichigo's first day of Bankai training and told him to rest for a bit. She didn't tell him of the hot spring, so I guessed that she would save that until the both of us were finished for the day. And because I asked if she could help me master Flash Step, my training wasn't entirely over just yet. Well, it was now, since I was seriously out of breath. "I know you said that you – weren't going to go easy on me but – this is overkill!"

"Aw, quit complaining," the Goddess of Flash said while using Shunpo to reappear by my tired, aching body. "I haven't even put you through that much. But hey, on the bright side, you're getting better at a fast rate, almost as quick as Ichigo refining his fighting abilities." She stretched her arms out as if she were getting rusty from being inactive for a century. Oh wait, that's right . . .

"So, the perverted Fruit Pop is improving? That's a surprise," I deadpanned, finally able to talk normally after catching my breath. "Speaking of, where is he –?"

"I'm not a 'Fruit Pop'!" a voice growled as I turned to find the source standing a few meters off from where I sat.

Pretending that I didn't hear that, "Oh, hey there, Fruit Pop!"

"What are you deaf?!"

"And what are you, rude and stupid? I said "hey" and you completely ignore the greeting," I said, sounding a little hurt. A pout was added to make it seem real.

"U – Uh, yeah, hey," Ichigo said before thinking it over. He figured out that he let himself get fooled. "Hey, wait a sec!"

"Too late; you already said it." I stood up and went over to him, flicking him on the head with my pointer finger. "Man you are a sucker for a hurt person, or a hurt female for that matter."

He rubbed the sore spot on his forehead, glaring at me through pissed-off, brown eyes. "At least that shows I actually care about your feelings, along with other people," he retorted, turning to face Yoruichi. "So, what now?"

She placed her hands on her hips as a grin appeared. "I have a little treat for the two of you. It's right over there," she said while pointing east of us.

Assuming that the treat was the hot spring, I smiled and rushed over there, showing off a little as I used my new acquired skill, Flash Step. A laugh came out as I heard Ichigo yelling at me for being unfair, thinking that I would claim the treat all to myself. I wasn't that kind of person, you know. I knew how to share most things, keyword being most. But, lucky for him, hot springs were amongst the things I shared. Besides, who could hog something as big as that to themselves?

Upon reaching our treat, I stripped down to the undergarments I made recently after being healed by Yoruichi. Well, I only had to make one for the bra since I wasn't wearing one for some reason. It's weird how I'm already wearing panties but not something for my breasts when I became a Soul Reaper. Actually, that made me think about whether or not the other Soul Reapers wore any undergarments. 'Now I'm curious . . . Though I'm sure Yoruichi wore undergarments, right? . . . Right?' "Whatever, as long as I have something to cover up, I don't care." I dipped my toe into the springs, receiving relaxing sensations that I would definitely enjoy when fully submerged in the water. A long, relieved sigh left my soothed body as I rested my head on a rock. There was steam rising from the spring as it made it feel like a spa. "Hm," I said as I noticed my injuries being healed in an instant from the touch of the waters. 'Oh, so that's why she let Ichigo come here! I always wondered why she didn't heal his wounds herself, but it probably makes sense if she wants him to be in tip-top shape for tomorrow.'

"How are you already in the water? You just got here, didn't you?" Ichigo said, panting a little from the run.

I smirked as I watched him catch his breath. "What? You expected me to wait for you? Yeah right," I replied while lowering myself more in the waters. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come on in; the water's great! Or are you feeling a little nervous just because I'm a girl?"

There was a tint of pink on his cheeks as he blushed from my question. "Shut up! Just don't look at me while I'm taking my clothes off, got it?"

"Aw, are you afraid of showing off?" Honestly, I felt Yoruichi and Shi e no Setsuka's teasing rubbing off on me. I would have gladly complied and looked the other way. "I'm just kidding, calm down. Don't worry; I won't look." I turned around as he disrobed himself before jumping in, making a loud splash in the process. "Wow that was fast."

Ichigo was too busy staring at the bandages on my chest that served as a bra. I saw that he seemed a little troubled as he barely bowed his head. To grab his attention, I splashed some water in his face, bringing him out of his stupor. "W-What?"

"You okay there, Strawberry? I hope you weren't dozing off."

"No, I just . . ." he trailed off, sighing. "Are you sure that you want to go through with this Bankai training? I mean, you don't have to just because I'm doing it."

"Hm?" I stared at Ichigo, pushing myself up from the rock I leaned on. "That's not why I'm doing this. You're not the only one who wants to become stronger, Ichigo. And it's not just me, but everyone else that came here, too." A smile formed on my face as I gently closed my eyes. "And why are you worried about me? You scared that I'll reach Bankai before you do?"

As I reopened my eyes, Ichigo chuckled while lightly shaking his head. "Yeah, sure am I, Knucklehead." He felt his cuts and scars heal as well, wondering what was going on. "What the hell? My wounds are healing like crazy! Is it the hot spring?" He continued to splash around in it as the others started to fade away. "This is friggin' awesome! I wonder what'll happen if I drink it . . ."

Just as he was about to, I smacked him upside the head, watching as the water he scooped up fell back in the spring. "Stop being so damn stupid, Ichigo! I'm pretty sure that it's just regular water when you consume it."

"You didn't have to hit my head, you know! You could've just told me not to drink it!"

"If I used words and not actions, your hard-headed self would've just done it anyways!"

"How do you know that?" he argued, bearing a comical face as did I.

"Because you're just that predictable, dumbass! And I bet you were expecting me to be fully naked, too, ya pervert!"

"What! That is so not true!" Yeah right. That blush on his face said otherwise. "Besides, how was I supposed to know that you wear underwear and whatnot while bathing?"

"What are you talking about! I only kept the bandages on! I'm not stupid enough to keep something I need dry on when diving into a hot spring or anything of the sort!"

"Then what's the point in keeping your bandages on if they're gonna get soaked?"

"It's a little something I like to call "Replacement"! If they aren't dry by the time I'm finished, I'll switch them out and put on new bandages, Fruit Pop!"

"So, are you two enjoying the treat?" Yoruichi asked. Neither Ichigo nor I had answered, because we were too caught up in our petty argument.

"I told you to stop calling me that, Knucklehead!" Ichigo banged his forehead against mine while he shouted in my face.

I returned the favor and added more force in my head-butt, but we both kept the other in place as we insulted each other. "Then I'll just call you Perverted Strawberry!"

"Don't call me that, either!"

"What are you going do about it, Perverted Strawberry!"

Yoruichi sighed, seeing that we were at it again. An animated sign flashed over her head as an idea popped up in her mind. "Well, since you are both too busy to care, I'll just join in and –."

"Wait, what?!" we both yelled unison, Ichigo being the only one bearing a blush on his face.

"Is something wrong?" Yoruichi smiled innocently.

"Yeah something's wrong! You took your pants off!" Ichigo said, pointing a shaky finger at the undressing woman.

I dunked his head in the water as she went for her top. "So you really are a pervert, huh Fruit Pop? I should've known!" He tried to bring himself back up for air, but I wouldn't let him and forced him back down. It didn't last for long as he shoved me off his head.

"What is the matter with you? Do you want me to suffocate?!"

"I'm coming in now!" Yoruichi announced, making Ichigo cover his eyes to prepare himself. It wasn't needed, anyway, because she transformed into a cat again. Her yellow eyes watched as Ichigo and I stared blankly at her, confused and annoyed at her teasing. "What? You a little disappointed, Ichigo? Come on, be honest." She still didn't get a reply and jumped to a conclusion. "You are, aren't you? You little pervert."

"I am going to drown you," Ichigo threatened with an evident blush painted on his cheeks. "Right after I drown you for attempting to kill me!" He swam after me as I yelped in response, scurrying away from the determined boy.

"Hey, cut it out! I'm sorry, alright? I only did that so you wouldn't see Yoruichi naked!" I shouted while being chased by him.

"I don't care! I could've drowned myself if I hadn't have pushed you off of me! Now you're gonna pay!"

While he chased me around in circles and other shapes, Yoruichi was amused the entire time, thinking it to be a comedy skit. "See? Didn't I tell you that you were jealous? It's alright if you are. It's bound to happen sometime during a person's life."

"Quiet, you! And can't you even help me out here? I'm too young to be killed by a perverted idiot!"

"Why you little . . .!" Ichigo was stopped by a tail whacking his face. "What the hell, Yoruichi! I almost had her!"

"Oh please, you would have gone at it for hours and still end up empty-handed," she deadpanned. "The whole point of this hot spring is to rejuvenate your bodies for the next day's training. Quit fooling around and relax for once. You both have done enough playing around."

"Fine," he and I said as we leaned next to each other against the rocks. I rested on my upper back while Ichigo rested on his elbows, both of us staring at nothing in particular.

"You know, this place looks familiar . . ." Ichigo said, breaking the silence.

"How's that?" Yoruichi asked.

"I've been thinking about it for a while now, and I finally figured out what it reminds me of," he started as he brought his eyes down on me, "Didn't you notice it too, Alex?"

I blinked at him before realizing what he meant. I might as well play along, since it did give me a sense of nostalgia. "Oh yeah, I know what you're talking about. It kinds of like a replica of the training room under Urahara's Shop."

"Actually, it's the other way around," the black cat said. "We tried to model that place after this one when we built it."

"You built this place?" Ichigo was a bit surprised and probably impressed at their handiwork.

"Yeah, when Kisuke and I were kids, we needed a place to play. So, we snuck off and built this place. It was our little secret hideout."

I smiled as I straightened up, hearing Ichigo say that it was insane being able to hide something as huge as this. "I don't know, Ichigo. If they can build something like this, I'm sure they're capable of hiding it."

"Well . . . I guess. What I wanna know is how they did it."

"It's a very long story . . . Back when the two of us were kids, we used to play here all the time. When we got older, he joined the 13 Court Guard Squads, and I joined the Stealth Force. But we still came here to hone our skills."

"Wait, you and Urahara used to –." I interrupted Ichigo by repeating the same thing I did earlier, preventing him from seeing Yoruichi free as ever and with her legs apart.

"For the billionth time, quit doing that, Yoruichi!" I comically shouted at said person while she laughed. "That wasn't funny!"

"Alright, alright," she complied while crossing one leg over the other, doing the same with her arms as they covered her exposed chest. "You can pull him out now. I covered my 'areas'."

Seeing that she wouldn't try anything – or I at least hoped that she wouldn't – I let go of Ichigo and allowed him to breathe again.

As he took in the sweet air that he missed, he shot a death glare that was aimed directly at me. "Will. You. Stop. Doing that!?" he yelled in my face, making my hair blow back from his powerful voice.

"It was either that or a butt-naked Yoruichi with her legs spread," I deadpanned with a chibi expression. "Oh, I get it. You're mad at me because I'm always there to stop you from seeing your prize, Perverted Strawberry."

"I'm not even going to waste my breath with you anymore! I won't repeat myself, so stop accusing me of being a perv!" He growled even more as I stuck my tongue out, ticking him off. "Why you –."

"What? You mad bro?" I grinned deviously as he gave up.

"Forget it! Just tell me more about Hat and Clogs, Yoruichi, the truth now." Ichigo didn't hear her reply and told her his suspicions. "The guy's a Soul Reaper, isn't he?"

Yoruichi nodded and waited for him to go on.

He didn't seem all that surprised from her answer, for the clues made it a little obvious. "I always wondered how he knew so much about the Soul Society; not to mention the fact that he had a Zanpakuto . . . I wanna know, Yoruichi. I wanna know the truth about the guy who trained me."

"Alright," she started, "he's the former captain of Squad 12 of the 13 Court Guard Squads. In addition, he is the one who conceived and found the Department of Research and Development, serving as its first chief."

Ichigo's eyes widened, shocked that he had done so much during his time in the Soul Society. "Are you serious? I had no idea he was such a hot shot!"

'Yeah, but take that away and you have a crazy guy that always come up with methods filled with pure madness,' I sweat dropped while mentally sighing, remembering that at the same time, Urahara was sick with a cold and had Tessai trying to give him an expired 'remedy'. "I think I'm gonna go ahead and get some fresh air. Is that alright with you, Yoruichi?"

"Just be sure to conceal your Spiritual Pressure. We wouldn't want any guests paying us a visit, now do we?"

"Believe me when I say that that is the last thing I want," I said, getting ready to get out until remembering that my lower body wasn't covered. "Ichigo, you pervert, don't watch me while I'm getting out!"

Said boy blushed madly as he groaned in frustration, tired of hearing me say that he was that kind of man. "I am not a pervert! Can't you get that through your head?!"

"Shut up and just cover your eyes!"

"Okay, okay, I'm closing them!" He did as he was told and made sure that he didn't peek through his fingers. Once I grabbed my clothes and put on my underwear and hakama pants, or shorts in my case, I allowed him to see again. "Are you happy now?" he grumbled.

"Hell no!"

"What!"

"Yoruichi is still using the hot spring, so get out!" I demanded, getting an annoyed look from him.

"Why should I leave when I was here first?" he argued, wanting to stay in the relaxing and soothing waters.

I crossed my arms over my bandaged chest. "Technically, I was here first, plus she was the one who built this place. So, as I said before, get out!"

Ichigo angrily yet comically gritted his teeth at me, pissed off that two women continued to order him around. Man, this brought back memories of when Rukia was in the World of Living, constantly being the boss of Ichigo since he did have her Soul Reaper powers at the time. "Fine, but you gotta look away, too!"

"Aw, where's the fun in that?"

"Yoruichi!" I warned. Seriously, did she ever pass up an opportunity to play around?

She giggled and turned the other way. "Alright, I'll let Ichigo have his privacy. But don't think I don't know what this is really about!"

My mouth and eyebrow twitched as a tick mark throbbed on my head. "Will you drop that! I don't like him!"

"Mhm, sure you don't," she winked at me.

Right before I said anything, Ichigo announced that he was done. I looked up to see that he too only had on his pants. I raised a brow and wondered why he didn't put on the whole uniform. "Aren't you gonna put the top half on?"

"Yeah, but I'm letting myself dry off a little so I don't get it wet," he answered matter-of-factly.

I blankly stared at him, apparently not understanding the point in that. "It shouldn't matter. You're pants are getting wet, too, so the kisode wouldn't make a difference."

Ichigo returned the same stare, blinking a few times in the process. "True, but since I'm wearing boxers underneath, the pants won't get as soaked as the kisode."

"Wait, you're actually wearing underwear? I didn't know the uniform for men came with boxers! I thought they just might have let it hang out!"

His entire face went red at the mere thought of himself letting his manhood free. "Are you crazy? And these are my own boxers!" Ichigo said, turning around while stomping away. "Look who's the pervert now, Alex!"

I so wanted to dropkick his ass into a rock mountain, but that would mean another trip back in the spring. "Whatever," I growled under my breath, making my way toward the ladder.

As I reached the top using Flash Step, I kept going and landed on a hill with a platform, which allowed me to see most of the Seireitei. I sat down on the edge and let my legs dangle, swinging them back and forth as I always did while sitting on high places as a child. Not the kind that are dangerous, but things like high chairs or countertops. Yoruichi was right about the time though, for the moon was out and shined down its lunar rays. The clouds floated in the evening sky as some of them would occasionally block out the moon for a bit. A waterfall on the right of the hill brought a sense of Zen to my nerves as my ears overheard its water flowing. There was a nice breeze that tickled my bare yet bandaged torso. I ignored the urge to shiver a little from the water still present on my body and just absorbed the calmness of the night. It's pretty ironic though, with all the chaos that happened over the past few days.

I repeated that last part to myself, shocked that it really has been days since we first arrived to the Soul Society. 'I wonder how Jidanbo, the elder, and Kukaku are doing back in the Rukon District.' My hair was still soaked from the spring, so I went ahead and wringed it out, shaking it to air-dry it a little. I noticed that I only had my tabi on and not the sandals. I must have forgotten them while Ichigo was being annoying, again. "Which reminds me . . . I still haven't seen any sign of Bobo. Did she get caught?" I lied down on my kisode with my arms stretched out, letting a sigh escape as a way to stop worrying myself. "I'm sure she's fine. Besides, I shouldn't underestimate her abilities. That staff of hers might be more powerful than it looks."

"Who are you talking to?"

"HOLY CRAP!" I yelped, snapping my head around only to find Ichigo with a hand on his hip as the other one held something as it hanged by his side. By now, he was fully dressed. A huge tick mark throbbed on my temple while steam came out of my ears. "Ichigo, you dumbass, why the hell are you up here?" I yelled, also making sure that I wasn't too loud so that I wouldn't attract any attention from Soul Reapers on night duty.

"Calm down, Knucklehead. You forgot your hair-tie and shoes, so I brought them up here with me in case you were looking for them," he replied flatly as he walked toward me to hand them over.

When he mentioned my hair-tie, I realized that my hair was down instead of being in a ponytail. I felt a little slow for not figuring that out sooner. But had I really left it along with my sandals? "Oh, thank you." I opened my hands as he placed the items in them, careful not to let the smaller item fall. Now that I had the bunny hair-tie again, my hair went back into its usual hairstyle.

Ichigo took a seat next me and let his legs hang, too. "By the looks of the bunny, I'm guessing that Rukia gave it to you, huh?" he asked while staring out at the city of Soul Reapers.

"Yeah, it was a birthday present. Since I didn't like having my hair down all the time, she thought it would be the perfect gift. The bunny was her idea, of course. But because she has done so much for me, I cherished it, saying that I will always wear it every chance I got." I went back on my kisode to watch the fluffy beds above go by. I wondered why the Soul Society didn't have any stars out during the night like our home.

"It's actually peaceful and quiet up here," Ichigo said softly. "It's no wonder why you wanted to come up here."

To be honest, this was probably the first time we sat down with each other without having someone tell us to behave and not fight. Since we weren't arguing, I might as well tell him. "Hey, Ichigo, can I share something with you?" From the corner of my eye, I saw him nod. "When I was a little girl, about four years old, I developed a fear of the dark. One of the terms for it is nyctophobia, but there are others as well. Anyway, back when I lived in America, someone tried to break into our home one night. The only things they brought were their bare hands for weapons and a bag for the loot. As he searched for any valuables throughout my house, the noises he occasionally made eventually woke me up. I was curious and left the safety of my bedroom to see what caused the racket. When I reached the robber, my sleepy eyes couldn't tell that a criminal was stealing our things. I asked the man, "Why are you taking Mommy and Daddy's stuff away? Won't they get mad when they that see that it's all gone?". He didn't answer me and advanced toward me, seeing that I was still tired and probably not knowing what was happening. Just before he grabbed me though, I became fully alert and saw that I was in trouble. So, I did what any kid would have done and ran away from him. I didn't know where I was supposed to go; I just wanted to get away."

I paused to see if Ichigo was still listening. He was, and his hands twitched every now and then, daring not to tighten into clenched fists. I continued, "Because there weren't any lights on, I couldn't see that much, and the clouds outside blocked out the moon for long periods of time. As I reached the door to my bedroom once again, my nightgown was the only thing stopping me, for the man had used his foot to hold me back. I tried and tried to break free, but his burly, sweaty hands took me by the neck. I was forced down on the floor while he squeezed my throat. The life inside of me was slowly fading. Everything around me became darker than before. I was so scared about dying so young; the worst part was that I couldn't do a single thing about it, for I lost feeling in my arms and legs. He saw this and let go, thinking that I wouldn't get in his way a second time. But what the man didn't know was that I could still use my vocal chords at the very least and scream for help. It was hoarse at first, but it soon improved as I kept trying. He started to panic at my attempts and hurried to the kitchen, only to come back with a knife to end my life with.

"The sick bastard would actually kill an innocent child just to so he could go back to his robbery and come out victorious. Even now, whether he was dead or not, I wondered if he ever thought about what he was doing and if he truly wanted to kill me. But he must have been a heartless fool, for he still planned to slit my throat. It was funny how it became pitch black just as the blade almost came down on me. But thankfully, my dad heard my hoarse screams and came just in time to knock the robber out cold with his own hands. Before he became a silly, overprotective father, he was usually kind yet serious and would never allow anyone to hurt his family." 'Well, at least that's what I've heard from Rosa about the father in this universe. The dad I grew up with was always like that,' I thought to myself. "I was treated at home, since my injuries weren't life threatening, and recovered a few days later. But the true scars that never healed or went away were the memories of that night: the night when I nearly died and couldn't do anything to change it because I was stripped from being able to use my body from lack of air. But the thing that triggered the memory every time was the darkness. Any time a room dimmed, I got a little nervous. Every night I tried to sleep, I would fail and stay up all night with the lights on. My parents had to let me sleep with them for a while so that I would sleep soundly and not have any nightmares about the most terrifying of them all. This went on for two to three years straight. It would've continued had it not been for a blissful song that saved me one night.

"My mom thought it would help me sleep. She sang it with such a soothing voice, and the stars and moon were shining their brightest that evening, illuminating everything below, allowing their light to seep through the darkest and thickest of forests and places. And it did work, because I slept like a baby and had sweet dreams. So, every night before going to bed, I would sing the lullaby to myself while the stars came out. Do you want to hear how it goes?" Ichigo gave a curt nod and sat there, waiting to hear the song. "It went a little something like this:

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are.

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky…

When the blazing sun is gone,

When there's nothing he shines upon.

Then you show your little light,

And twinkle, twinkle through the night…

In the dark blue sky you keep,

And through my curtains you often peek.

For you never shut your eyes,

Till the sun is in the sky…

Then a traveler in the dark,

Thank you for your tiny spark.

He couldn't see which way to go,

If you didn't twinkle so.

No, I don't know what you are,

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are . . ."

I hadn't realized that I imagined the sky above being filled with numerous, twinkling stars. It made the moon pop out more, really.

"So, do you sing that to yourself every night before going to bed?" Ichigo asked, bringing me out of my daze. "Didn't that get old as you grew up?"

"No. It became a part of me eventually. But then, something – or should I say someone – had helped me find another way to conquer my fears," I smiled, trying not to make it too obvious. "Do you wanna know who?"

He just had to nearly ruin the moment with his comical expression, along with his reply, "What kind of a question is that? You think I'm gonna say "no" and find out myself? I'm not a psychic, Knucklehead."

"A simple "Yeah" would've been fine, Fruit Pop," I said through gritted teeth. "Anyway, it was you that helped me."

Ichigo needed a moment to sink it in. Afterwards, he turned and gave me a confused look. "Me? You sure about that? What did I ever do to help with your phobia? You never said anything about it to anyone 'til now."

I sat up while putting my kisode on, tying the obi sash behind my back. "Do you remember what happened back at Kukaku's?"

"Uh . . . Well, that depends on what I'm supposed to remember. Be a little more specific."

"Okay, how about when we were in the dark room while Kukaku told us that she would get us in the Seireitei through the air?"

"Oh yeah, I could still remember how I thought that it was the craziest idea ever. But how did that help you?"

While staring at the idiot, a frustrated sigh came from me. Was he seriously that clueless? "Dammit, you ninny, try thinking about what I did while Kukaku said what she said!"

" . . . You stood there next to me," he began, for once actually getting somewhere. I motioned for him to continue, hoping that he would remember. "And . . . Uh . . ."

"For the love of Crud, Ichigo, I held on to you because you gave me a sense of protection and I felt at ease as long as I was with you. And because of that, any time I saw you or thought about you, I would forget about my fears. Damn, you are stupid!" I plopped my body down on the hill beneath us. I didn't wait for an answer or a reaction. It stayed quiet like that for a little while, save for the waterfall on our right.

" . . . You didn't have to be so harsh about it, you know. It's your fault for not dropping enough hints in the first place," Ichigo said in a calm tone, bearing a comical face.

This boy was surely asking me to kick him off of the hill! "Really, Ichigo? Really?" I wanted to gladly tell him off, but it was too late for fighting. "Ah, forget it. I'll tell you off in the morning," I said while standing up. "Right now, I'm exhausted and would like to get some rest." I was about to jump off when Ichigo stopped me.

"How long have you kept that locket on?" I could tell that he was sincere about it. Not once was there a hint of annoyance or irritation in his tone. "Even in the hot spring, you had it on the whole time. Don't you ever take it off?"

My hand subconsciously reached up to touch the silver trinket, its spade shaped body reflected off the moon light. " . . . It's too valuable and important for me to take it off. Besides, if I did, then I wouldn't be reminded of the person who changed my life the most." I didn't turn around to see Ichigo face me, but I could sense that he was either smirking or giving a slight smile in my direction. I thought myself to be wrong, so I went ahead and checked to see if there was a change in expression.

"What?" he asked, and was indeed bearing a small smile.

" . . . Nothing, Perverted Strawberry," I playfully smirked as I was chased back to the training room with a confused Yoruichi watching and a ticked off Ichigo on my tail. I guess Ichigo was just that kind of person that you couldn't live without, once you got to know him.

*Prestissimo: as fast as possible or in a very quick tempo.