Episode 26: Orihime Explores Squad Five

After the battle, Orihime was standing in Squad Five's Barracks, along with Momo and Lilynette.

"Hey, Momo. Where'd Starrk go?" Asked Lilynette.

"He told me he was going to see Commander Yamada."

"Oh boy, that crazy guy." Lilynette sighed, and then turned to Orihime. "Make yourself at home. Mi casa tu casa... and all that jazz. Don't let any unseated Soul Reapers mess with you."*

"What?" Orihime asked.

"You can do whatever you want." Lilynette put her hands in her pockets, and started walking away.

"Lilynette, we should go around with her."

She sighed. "Fine..."

"What would you like to do?" Asked Momo.

Starrk knocked on the barracks of the Kido Corps. A young woman opened the door. She had brown and blond striped hair, and a blue kimono instead of a black one. She wielded no Zanpakuto.

"Hi, Captain." She nodded to him. "How can I help you?"

"Hello, Corporal Shiming. Is Commander Yamada busy?"

"I'll go find him. Would you like to come with me?" She asked.

Starrk shrugged. "Sure."

The two searched for Hikaru.

"Comander Yamada!" She called.

"Comander Yamada, I would like to speak with you." Starrk stated.

"Hazan, gimme a second!"

I thought that Comander Yamada couldn't talk to women? Starrk thought.

Yamada came out, his hands in his pockets. "Hey Captain Starrk. Hello Hazan."

Hazan nodded. "I must be off, then."

She walked away.

"I thought you couldn't speak with women?" Asked Starrk.

"Hikaru realized when you cured him of that by making him think that he was related with Lilynette- and when he realized that he wasn't... Hikaru got to thinking. Hikaru wasn't actually related to her, then he'd be completely fine. So as soon as he realized this, he went and filled his Corporal position with Hazan."

"Ah, good. I need some help with a Kido spell. I want to learn how to seal my Spirit energy so I don't accidentally kill people."

"Hey, why don't you just use the seal that the Head Captain seals on you?"

"That is classified."

"Huh, alright I'll help you."

Kai and Mizu were walking around, Kai leaning his sword against his shoulders.

Kai was bopping his head back and forth. He was mumbling the words to an Iron Maiden song under his breath.

Eventually Kai and Mizu came across their Lieutenants and Orihime walking along their division.

Mizu nodded to them. "Hello, Lieutenant Hinamori and Gingerbuck. Hello new comer. Welcome to our division, I hope you join up with our Squad."

"Yo, Mizu." Kai said.

"What?" Mizu responded.

"She's that human girl. She's not gonna join our squad."

Mizu nodded. "My apologizes. I did not know."

"It is alright." Orihime responded. "But how did you know?" She asked Kai.

Kai smiled slightly. "I like to keep up with the things that go on in the Soul Society. Especially when pretty girls are involved."

Orihime's face reddened slightly. "Thanks..."

"Why do you gotta sound so creepy, Kai?" Asked Lilynette.

Kai shrugged. "I didn't mean for it to sound creepy. I just wanted her to know I thought she was pretty. Oh well." He nodded. "See ya later Lieutenant Lilynette." He started walking away, and started singing the Iron Maiden song again. "And as I lay there gazing at the sky... my body's numb and throat is dry..."

Mizu nodded, walking away with him.

The three girls continued walking, and then they came across a group of unseated Soul Reapers.

"Move it!" Lilynette said. "We're trying to get passed you."

The Soul Reapers turned. "Hey, you brought us another girl. She's pretty hot too."

"Shut up, and let us through. Or Captain Starrk will kick your asses."

"Cap'n Starrk ain't here." Said a second Soul Reaper. "It's just the three of you... and the twenty of us." A creepy smile spread across his face.

"Jesus, you guys are creeper than Kai. Let us through." Lilynette demanded. "Now!"

The unseated Soul Reapers stepped towards them. The Lieutenants went for their swords, and Orihime took a step backwards, raising both her hands.

"What the hell do you guys think you're doing?" Asked a voice.

The unseated Soul Reapers' eyes widened. "Oh God!"

There stood Kai, his sword up on his shoulder and Mizu standing beside him.

"Can I ask you guys what you were doing?"

"We weren't doin' nothing! We were just-"

Kai stepped towards them. They all took a step backwards. "Listen. Your Lieutenants are to be respected. You disrespect them- and they'll kill you. Don't screw with them again." He turned to the girls. His eyes softened slightly. "You can't allow them to walk all over you. You're Lieutenants. They're unseated. You are more powerful than they are- don't let them walk all over you." Kai then turned back to the unseated Soul Reapers. "You guys leave, or I'll split your skulls open."

They all retreated- knowing that he wasn't not bluffing.

"That wasn't necessary, Kai." Lilynette rolled her eyes. "We could've handled them."

"I know. But I wasn't about to stand by and watch. They are afraid of me, and it's about time that they're afraid of you guys as well."

"They should be, because you're Lieutenants." Mizu said. "But they aren't because they're sexist pigs- they aren't afraid of you because you're girls. I am not saying you need to act less feminine- but you need to stand up for yourself. Kai's not going to be here to tell them off every single time."

"You guys preach about making them afraid of us... but you yourselves aren't afraid of us!" Growled Lilynette. "That's a bit of a contradiction, don't you think?"

"That's the thing." Kai said. "I'm not afraid of anyone. Have them be some one lower in rank than I, or someone higher. If they challenge me, I'll fight them without a shred of fear in my heart... even if I know that I'll lose." He cracked his neck. "I'm sorry for that, lecturing is usually Mizu's job. He did get in on it a bit though. See you guys later." He walked away.

"If you wish to speak with Hideki, he's performing Jinzen in his room." Mizu said before he started walking away.

Later that day, Starrk finished training with Hikaru.

"Thank you." Starrk nodded.

"Hikaru will train you any time you want- because you helped him." Hikaru smiled.

Starrk teleported to his barracks, and found Lilynette, Momo, and Orihime walking around.

"Hello, Miss Inoue, Lieutenant Hinamori and Lilynette."

"You can just call me Orihime..."

"Starrk is just like that." Lilynette said.

"When shall we go, Miss Inoue? Shall we go now- or wait until morning?"

"I think we should wait until morning."

Starrk nodded.

The next day, Starrk was sleeping on the couch. Lilynette noticed that he was now wearing a pair of white gloves, but she didn't bother with them.

"Starrk." Lilynette said. No response.

Orihime was standing next to her, ready to go back to the World of the Living.

Lilynette suddenly punched him hard in the stomach, and he jerked forwards. He then groaned. "Hmm?"

"Orihime's ready to go."

"I said we could let him sleep longer, though..."

"Whatever." He grabbed his sword.

Lilynette nodded. "Let's go!"

"No, Lilynette. You're saying here."

"Wh- why?"

"I'm not going to take you with me. I'm going under my own authority, and I am going to get in trouble for this."

"Why didn't you just ask the Head Captain if you were allowed to go?"

"He would not except. The only reason why I'm going is because I have a bad feeling, he's not going to let me go for a feeling."

Before the argument could continue, Starrk and Orihime went out.

Starrk and Inoue were walking through the Dangi to get to the Human World.

The two walked in silence- for the most part. They almost made it to the gate.

"We're nearly there. Maybe my bad feeling was for nothing." Starrk said.

Just as Orihime was about to say something, a ripple appeared on the wall. Starrk held his arm out in front of her, to protect her. Then a small portal appeared, and it got bigger and bigger until it was big enough for a grown man to walk through.

And so one did. He had black hair, and green eyes- with green lines going down from his face. He was extremely pale, as if he'd never seen the sun a day in his life. He was wearing a white jacket, his hands in his pockets.

The man looked at Starrk.

"It would seem that there's only one of you- so I suggest you leave." He looked at Starrk's attire, unimpressed. "So they filled Lord Aizen's Captain Seat with someone as weak as you? Your spirit energy isn't even strong enough to be a Lieutenant."

"Then my spell did my job. If you come any close, I'll release my energy." He lifted his hand, and then readied to take his glove off.

"I am here for the girl, I have no interest in fighting a mock Captain." He stepped forwards.

"What is your name?" Starrk asked.

"Ulquiorra Cifer. Though, you won't live enough enough to put that name to use." Ulquiorra charged, and Starrk grabbed Orihime by the shoulder and leapt backwards.

He then ripped off his glove, revealing the kanji for Los Lobos (群狼). It glowed blue for a second, and then it disappeared and Starrk's spirit energy went to it's normal height.

Ulquiorra nodded. "So you are Captain level? This might actually be interesting, then." He took his hand from his pocket.

Starrk drew his sword. I don't have Lilynette here to release the Los Lobos... He thought. So I'll just have to hold him with my swordsmanship.

Notes: *Mi casa tu casa is a Spanish phrase that mean 'my house is your house'. You might recognize it as 'mi casa su casa'. Tù means you. Tu (without the accent mark) means your- informal. Su is formal. There ya go, Spanish Class with Hungry Derp.

I was thinking before writing this chapter, and I figured that Starrk and Lilynette should know some Spanish, so occasionally I'll have them speak in Spanish. Do not worry, non-Spanish speaking people. Most of them will be pretty simple (I'm not exactly a master at Spanish myself) and I will put a translation in the author notes.