Chapter 4

A Bitter Pill To Swallow

"Come on! Hurry up, you two!" Kana beckoned to her associates as they raced toward the mysterious Hollow all of them had felt just minutes ago. All of their hearts were strangely racing, and none of them could say with certainty what awaited them. "We gotta make it before it gobbles someone up, so hurry!"

Hearing her loud and clear, Sasune turned down an alleyway alongside she and Aaron. He could have sworn something was creeping up on them, yet every time he glanced back, he saw nothing. Perhaps his nerves were getting the better of him.

"...Something strange is going on here," he stated.

Aaron replied, "What do you mean?"

"This Hollow we're after is way too strong to be hanging around a place like this. I've been going after these bastards for years, yet I've never sensed one with this much spiritual energy. Something ain't right."

Kana agreed. "This town doesn't even have that many spirits or a lot of people with high spiritual power. That's why Hollows don't really even come here, especially ones that make my stomach all rumbly with its spiritual pressure!"

"I see. The lack of Hollows must work out swell for someone as lazy as you," joked Aaron.

"Yep!" she retorted, not even making an effort to deny his claim. "It gives me more time to spend at the arcade! I've blown a lot of quarters there!"

It was instances such as these that Aaron was actually glad she had unintentionally given him her powers. It wasn't as if she was doing much with them anyway from the sound of it.

"You know, those two Hollows from yesterday were pretty strange too," said Sasune. He winced and held his side when a painful cramp began bothering him. This was the most exercise he had gotten in a while, and it was beginning to show. "One of them could even perform Cero."

"There's no way a Hollow like Fishbone D should've been able to do that! A guy like him should've been a total pipsqueak!" declared Kana.

"What does all this mean then?" asked Aaron.

Rather than indulge him with a proper response, Kana bellowed, "Would you stop being such a slowpoke already?! The Hollow is gonna get away at this rate! Come on! Faster! Faster!"

"Why in the hell are you complaining?!" Aaron barked. "I guess all that's easy for you to say when you don't have to run a lick!"

That was mostly because Aaron was carrying her on his back. Still, she took no pity on him sweating like a dog in a hot car and smacked him upside the head for his insolence.

"No back talk! Just keep going, CT!"

He desired to simply dump her in the closest ditch, but holding in his rage, he did as she requested and prayed his legs wouldn't give in.

"This is what I get for being a good guy and agreeing to help her!" he whispered.

"What was that?! I'm pretty sure it's something people get slapped for!" yelled Kana.

"Nothing! Nothing at all, god dammit!"

#

The three, in spite of their squabbling, made it to the spot they estimated was the Hollow's location. All of them were a little caught off guard to see it was the local elementary school. The playground was devoid of rambunctious students, and from the looks of it, the creature Aaron and the others were hunting as well.

"It's too quiet," uttered Sasune in a low tone.

"Yeah. I don't sense anything anymore either," added Kana.

"Think the Hollow ran off when it felt us coming?" suggested Aaron. "Regardless, I'm glad there isn't anyone here. Looks like the students and staff went home for the day. Things would've gotten messy if they were here when that Hollow was still hanging around."

"Yeah, it would've been like an all you can eat buffet!" chimed Sasune.

"It's kinda weird when you say that so casually," said a frowning Kana.

Even stranger was the Hollow's abrupt disappearance. The three twiddled their thumbs waiting for it to show, but after ten minutes of Sasune being forced to listen to Aaron and Kana argue, they had nothing to show for their efforts other than the Quincy's eardrums possibly being ruptured.

"I said you were being a slowpoke!" blared Kana. "We would've made it in time if you just picked up the pace a little and stopped complaining!"

"You were the one who asked me to carry you in the first place! I could've run a lot faster if you weren't so damn lazy!" screamed Aaron. "Ugh! Why did I even agree to that in the first place?! Oh, that's right! You wouldn't stop crying otherwise!"

Kana was ready to sob again. "Y-You don't have to yell at me, you know!"

"Aw, don't start that crap again! You can't just keep doing that to get your way!"

"Ya huh! How else do you think I convinced my Kidou teacher back at Shinigami Academy to give me a passing grade?!"

Their bickering reminded Sasune of newlyweds. He paid them no mind however as the tension in the air increased just then. Feeling a pair of eyes on him, he suddenly formed his spirit bow and aimed it toward a tall building behind him. There was nothing of interest, prompting him to lower his arm but not his guard.

"Dammit. This whole thing is making me lose my mind."

He wasn't alone from the looks of it. Kana was sitting on Aaron's back and violently wrenching his neck. Her victim, meanwhile, was failing to escape her vice-like grip.

"Camel Clutch! Camel Clutch!" she hollered. "I saw this on TV once!"

"Y-You're killing me! Seriously! S-Stop it already!" Aaron cried. When she refused, he was left with no other choice than to tap out.

"Ha! Gotcha, punk!" She jumped to her feet and held up her arms victoriously. "And still world champion!"

Aaron grunted as he stretched out his aching spine. "Y-You're a lot stronger than you look considering you're so 'delicate!'"

"Though I hesitate to ask, what in the hell are you two doing?" asked Sasune with a deadpan expression.

"He started it!" argued Kana, crossing her arms.

"Well, she…!" started Aaron. He then stopped to scratch his head. "You know what? I don't even remember what we were arguing about!"

"We were arguing? I thought you just wanted to wrestle!"

"While I wouldn't mind wrestling with you myself, Miss Mitarashi, could we please try to stay on task here?" Sasune shook his head. He knew things must have been dire if he was acting as the voice of reason. "Well, it looks like we took this little field trip for nothing."

Kana retrieved her Denreishinki. "This thing isn't picking up anything! That's so weird! It wouldn't shut up on the way over here!"

"Maybe it just broke. Again," said Aaron.

"No way! Aren't we all in agreement we felt whatever that was too?!"

Sasune chuckled. "We could just be going senile. There's obviously nothing here. Anyway, I've got a great idea! Since we're out here anyway, what's say we take a stroll downtown and see what's happening?"

Aaron smacked his lips. "You just want to hit on girls."

"You're as transparent as glass!" added a giggling Kana.

Shrugging, Sasune answered, "Well, you two know me!"

As Aaron joined in on Kana's laughter, Sasune wasn't sure why they insisted on ganging up on him like this. He was inclined to ask, but suddenly, his pupils dilated, and though he tried to hold it back, a torrential amount of blood spewed from his mouth. Noticing his plight, Aaron and Kana became both horrified and bewildered. It didn't take them long to discover a lengthy, slimy tongue had pierced the Quincy's midsection. It retracted, and Sasune responded by lurching forward slightly.

"...G-Gonna need a big bandage for...that one...!" he uttered before crashing face first into ground.

"S-SASUNE!"

Without thinking, Aaron made a beeline for his fallen friend. He hadn't the slightest clue what he planned to do, assuming there was anything he could do. He heard Kana tell him not to lower his guard, but he paid her no mind. It was because of this that he didn't see the same appendage that had removed Sasune from the equation now target him.

"Aaron!" Kana shouted at witnessing him get tossed aside into a metal gate. His attacker, while thorough, was nowhere to be seen. "H-Huh?! What in the world is going on?!"

Her Denreishinki gave her an answer when it began to beep frenziedly in her pocket. Grabbing it, her eyes enlarged at it informing her the Hollow from before was present. More specifically, it was only a few feet away from her. She saw visual indication of its presence when the ground trembled. Giant, four-toed footsteps then imprinted themselves into the concrete. One after the other, they drew closer to Kana, inducing a squeak out of her that was meant to be a scream.

"I-It's invisible!" she whispered. "H-Hollows can do that?!"

A groggy Aaron got himself together enough to see Kana's plight. It took him no time at all to come to the same conclusion as her about the Hollow possessing a cloaking ability. What he hadn't determined was how he was going to deal with this fact.

Still shaken up, he said, "Kana! Turn me into a Shinigami! Hurry!"

"O-Oh! Right! I nearly forgot about that part!" She fumbled through her purse, though there was a ton of stuff crammed inside, so the glove that could extract Aaron's soul from his body eluded her. "Uh...tampon! No! Piece of candy! No! Wait, is this a half eaten turkey sandwich? When did I even have a turkey sandwich?!"

"Dammit, Kana! Stop screwing around! The Hollow is right on top of you!"

"W-Would you be quiet?! I totally don't work well under pressure!"

She eventually found what they so desperately required, proudly holding it up for all to see. However, she did so at the same time the Hollow's red tongue was about to slam down on her, giving her no time to avoid it. Realizing this, Aaron sprinted over to her and pushed her aside, leaving a section of the school's playground destroyed in her stead. Incidentally, Aaron made contact with Kana's red glove, splitting his Shinigami form from his body. It only managed to do so partly though, leaving his legs stuck.

"Y-You've gotta be kidding me!" he complained as he jerked his limbs around. Matters worsened when the unrelenting Hollow finally came into plain view. Aaron laid eyes on a giant, crimson-scaled chameleon complete with a coiled tail and a white mask that signified it was indeed a Hollow. The gaping hole in the center of its chest helped too. As Aaron braced himself, it howled menacingly. "Dammit! Why couldn't it have been something like a big ass guinea pig?!"

He sped up his endeavors, whereas the Hollow took the chance to close in on him.

"Huh? W-What happened?" Kana, almost out of it, shook her head and recalled what was occurring. She then caught wind of the Hollow. "HOLY CRAP! Is that a giant lizard?! Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! I'm literally terrified of lizards! They're all slimy and groady and nasty and…!"

"R-Relax! If you've got time to do whatever that is, help me out here!" cried Aaron.

She tried her best to compose herself and did as he asked in the nick of time, enabling Aaron to draw his Zanpakutou and drive the Hollow back with a slash to one of its legs. He then sighted Sasune, who was bleeding out in the distance.

"Okay, I'll take the Hollow! You get over there and try to do something for him!" he shouted toward Kana.

"Um...s-sure! I think I remember some healing Kidou that…!"

"That's good enough! Just go! Go!"

"Okay! Okay! I got it!"

In her haste to move, Kana forgot Aaron's human body was sitting in front of her. She tripped right over it but tried to block out the pain coursing through her stinging nose to focus on more pressing matters.

"Uh...I-I'll try to get this out of your way while I'm at it!" she informed Aaron, placing his lifeless husk over her shoulders. "J-Jeez! You sure are heavy! Maybe cut back on the snacks, yeah?"

With those two issues out of his hair, Aaron gave his full and undivided attention to the chameleon Hollow, which roared at him defiantly. It followed this up by vanishing on the spot. His efforts to track it down resulted in him being smacked right into the side of the school building.

"That one had to hurt!" a wincing Kana said.

Although every one of his aching muscles were shouting for him not to, Aaron gradually climbed out of a hole in the wall and shoved some bricks off himself.

"I know I can't see it, but I should still be able to sense it!" he mumbled. "Can it mask its spiritual pressure too?"

His instincts told him to move, allowing him to narrowly roll out of the way when the Hollow's tongue came crashing down from above.

"Man, I wish you would just relax for a second!" he told it as it showed itself once more. Despite his attempts to block it out, fear was sneaking up on him. He guessed it was only natural. It wasn't as if he was accustomed to battling supernatural creatures. "J-Just calm down, Aaron! You have to aim for the mask! You're a Shinigami now, so you can do this!"

The self pep talk was enough to spur him to shout as loud as he could and charge straight for the chameleon Hollow. Just as he brought his sword down on the creature's white mask, it used its camouflaging capabilities to cause him to strike at thin air. He didn't recover from the shock of this fast enough to block an attack that nailed him in the back and knocked him for a loop. A second blow sent him skyward, while a third brought him tumbling back down with force, whipping up dust and dirt.

"Oh man! CT's really having a hard time over there! Maybe it...would've been a good idea to train him before throwing him at his first Hollow. Well, no use crying over spilled milk!" It was hard for Kana to concentrate on Aaron's battle and healing Sasune simultaneously. She chose to divert herself mostly to the Quincy as she held her glowing hands over his grievous wound. Not wanting to admit it out loud, she wasn't sure she could actually do anything to save him. "Come on, you perv! Just hang in there a little longer! I know you wanna hit on more girls before you kick the bucket! Think of all the times you haven't been slapped yet!"

The chameleon Hollow, reappearing, crept its way toward an unmoving Aaron in order to deliver the finishing blow. However, the second it got too close, Aaron revealed that he was merely playing possum by springing to his feet. The Hollow countered by shooting its tongue, yet Aaron sliced a part of it off, raining blood everywhere. The monster recoiled in anguish, and Aaron instantly followed up his offensive by thrusting his wakizashi straight for the Hollow's mask.

"You're mine!"

He found himself eating his words when the chameleon Hollow did the sole thing it could to save itself: letting loose a Cero that a stunned Aaron couldn't do anything to stop. It hit him at point-blank range, scattering a red cloud of smoke all across the playground turned battlefield.

A coughing Kana fanned the stuff away, saying, "Y-You've gotta be kidding me! That's another Hollow below Gillian-class that's used Cero now! Just what the heck is going on?!"

Learning this was indeed a shock, though she understood she should have been more concerned about Aaron and if he were still alive or not. She got her answer when his form came into view from behind the dissipating miasma. Breathing heavily and being able to only open one eye, he smacked his lips at how charred his brown skin was. Not only that, but the top of his Shihakushou, the robes of a Shinigami, had been completely burned off.

"Haha. That was…tricky. I'll give you that. You really caught me...off guard," he muttered. The Hollow howled as a reply. "Didn't I tell you stop being so noisy? Sheesh, you're almost as bad as my older sister."

"Wow! He's tougher than he looks! I can't believe he's still standing!" exclaimed Kana.

Aaron's body violently shook, yet he still managed to hold his wakizashi in front of him. "...L-Let's just end..."

Without warning, his pupils disappeared, and unable to stand under his own weight, he fell backward and hit the ground. His Zanpakutou clattered to a stop next to him. There was no doubt in Kana's mind he was out for the count for sure this time.

"Oh no! His spiritual energy is dropping like a rock!" she proclaimed in dismay.

The Hollow got back down to business and began prepping another Cero. Aaron was its target, a helpless one at that. This left Kana unsure of what to do. If she stopped healing Sasune to help Aaron, the Quincy was sure to perish, though the same could be said if she did nothing to assist Aaron. Unfortunately, there wasn't much time for her to think.

"Okay, this is bad! This is really bad! What am I supposed to do?!"

Her instructors back during her days at the Shinigami Academy always reminded their students never to panic, hammering the point home whenever they could in fact. Panic clouded one's judgement, leading to irrational actions. Nonetheless, she forgot all about this advice as she placed her hands on the sides of her head and frantically searched around for assistance. She would need no less than a miracle to pull something off.

A miracle was what she received, but it came from the last place she expected. The chameleon Hollow was suddenly bombarded by what she deduced was artillery fire from above. Each round made it backpedal, which worked perfectly for her since it meant it was getting farther from Aaron. Someone else then rushed up and whacked the Hollow on the skull with an enormous club. The blow cracked its mask a bit, yet the resilient creature refused to die. A third individual looked to correct this. They dashed in while the Hollow was reeling and nearly shattered its mask with an open palm strike. Even this didn't finish the chameleon off however. It did cause it to shriek at the top of its lungs and fall over though. For the moment, it posed no threat to anyone. Of course, Kana was no longer concerned with it. Rather, she was rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things because her saviors appeared to be none other than the employees of the Urahara Store: Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu.

"We didn't get it," said Ururu in a demure tone. "Mister Urahara is gonna be mad..."

Jinta, grinding his teeth, shouted, "It's all your fault, Ururu! You should've just kept on shooting it while you had the chance!"

Ururu lowered the bandaged, multi-barreled cannon she was carrying over her shoulder and replied, "...S-Sorry."

"That's all you gotta say?!" Dropping his gigantic club, Jinta gave Ururu a stern noogie, making her tear up. "You totally ruined our surprise entrance!"

"S-Stop it, Jinta! That really hurts!"

Tessai drove his fist into the top of Jinta's skull abruptly, and the boy writhed on the ground in agony.

"W-Why'd you have to go and do that, ya big brute?!" he whined. He then shuttered when Tessai glowered at him intently. "N-Nevermind…"

Kana blinked, still unsure that everything transpiring around her was actually real. Footsteps sounded off behind her, and though expecting trouble, she gasped when Kisuke Urahara nonchalantly strolled up to her.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Mitarashi!" he said agreeably. "Looks like you and your friends have managed to get yourselves in quite the sticky situation."

"Urahara?! Um...I don't mean to sound rude, but what in the world are you and the others doing here?! I'm starting to think you really are a stalker!"

"Us?" he innocently asked. His gray eyes, partially obscured by the shadow of his bucket hat, concentrated on the wounded Hollow. "We were actually on a little shopping trip here in Hino. The downtown section puts the one in Karakura Town to shame!"

"You expect me to believe that?! Next, you're gonna tell me you just happened to stumble upon us getting our butts kicked!"

Urahara chose to leave her in the dark. "...Why don't you just relax over there, Miss Mitarashi? We'll handle things from here. After all, I can't just have my loyal customers dying on me. It'd be bad for business."

Kana was honestly too mentally exhausted to protest his offer. An unobstructed Urahara took a step forward, attracting the attention of the chameleon Hollow. Astonishing even the humble store keeper was it suddenly regrowing the tongue Aaron had chopped off earlier.

"High speed regeneration?!" Urahara exclaimed. His shock perhaps caused him to lose his focus since he didn't even try to avoid the Hollow's tongue when it came lunging at him. Somewhat mirroring the scene with Sasune, the appendage pierced his right shoulder.

"W-What the…?! I could barely see that last attack!" admitted Kana. "D-Don't tell me he's dead already?!"

That was precisely what Jinta and Ururu were thinking judging from their looks of concern. Tessai though remained stone faced. Kana got why upon Urahara's body bursting into a thick cloud of vapor.

"Ugh! I'm gonna get lung cancer at this rate!" voiced a wheezing Kana. "But wait! What the heck is going on now?!"

"Phew! That was a little close!" Everyone moved to the sound of Urahara speaking and saw him standing on top of a close-by fence. There wasn't a scratch on him. "Looks like my prototype Portable Gigai works like a charm!"

"Okay. I give up. I'm not even gonna try to figure out what's going on anymore!" said Kana, throwing her hands in the air.

"Don't scare us like that, Boss! We really thought you kicked the bucket!" shouted Jinta.

"We were really worried..." quietly added Ururu.

"Sorry about that, you two. How about I get you two something nice as an apology when we head back downtown?" said Urahara.

The chameleon Hollow shot out its tongue again. Urahara easily sidestepped it, then used a burst of Shunpo to pop up in another spot when the organ tried crushing him within its grasp.

"My, my! You sure are an energetic one!" he stated. Grasping his cane, he added, "Looks like I'm gonna have to get serious! I'll admit though that I'm a little rusty."

Kana discovered Urahara's cane was no cane at all when he pulled everything save for the curved handle off, revealing a sword.

"T-That's a Zanpakutou!" Kana asserted. "That means he's a…!"

"Awaken, Benihime," he told his katana. It heeded his call by transforming into polished, medium-sized blade whose tip ended in a slanted, razor-like edge. A U-shaped guard stood above the hilt, which was decorated by black wrapping and curved at the bottom. A crimson tassel polished off the sword's design. "Let's see if you play nice today, Benihime."

"Whoa! He can do Shikai too!" Kana wished she had a bowl of popcorn to snack on. Things were becoming quite entertaining. "So he really is a Shinigami! And a stalker. He's totally got to be a stalker!"

Urahara heard her remarks, but did nothing other than smile. In the meantime, the Hollow became both impatient and aggressive. Like it had done so countless time, it unleashed its elastic-like tongue on Urahara. The shopkeeper delayed until the very last moment to do something.

"Cry, Benihime."

In a sort of 'blink and you would have missed it' moment, the chameleon Hollow was sliced down the middle by a crimson wave of energy. It let out one last, resounding uproar prior to being purified by Urahara's Zanpakutou and fading away.

Kana, rendered almost speechless, could come up with just a single thing to characterize this turn of events. "That...was...awesome!"

#

A yawning Aaron gently awoke from a nap he couldn't recount taking. His entire body felt as if he had just run a marathon, and this was only exacerbated by whatever heavy object was lying on top of him. He lamented opening his heavy eyelids when they were greeted by an incredibly large man peering back at him. The two remained in this position for what felt like forever until Aaron's brain finally kicked in.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" he blared. He discovered solace in a corner of the room, scurrying over to it while panting like a dog in the sun. "W-What in the world are you?! W-Wait a sec! Where the hell am I?!"

Tessai Tsukabishi didn't reply, instead shouting toward the door, "Boss, he's awake!"

Aaron was conflicted when Tessai got up to leave. He still had numerous questions, yet he also had no wish to be devoured. The giant opened a close-at-hand sliding door, and Kana of all people came skipping in with a chocolate and vanilla ice cream cone in hand. Trailing her was Ururu, who had strawberry and vanilla cone.

"...This is really good," she gingerly said.

"I know, right?!" replied Kana. "It's like there's a party in my mouth! Urahara sure was nice to treat us after everything that happened!"

The highlight of her day however was seeing Aaron up and about. Nearly dropping her snack, she threw her arms around him and shed tears of joy.

"K-Kana! Please...stop it! Y-You're killing me!" he stated, trying not to scream. His whole body was wracked with pain, though the more he thought about it, the more he wasn't sure why. Regardless, instead of halting, Kana squeezed him even tighter. "S-Seriously! Knock it off already!"

"Oh my God, CT! You're alive! You're really alive!" she cried.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

He then remembered there was a very good reason for her fretting over him like this. The image of the chameleon-shaped Hollow that handily defeated him flashed in his mind just then, and balling his fists, he also recalled how helpless he had been to stop it.

"...Where's Sasune?" he bitterly inquired. "Just tell me he made it! He made it, right?!"

Kana paused because of his tone. "Uh...he's..."

"Present and accounted for!" With a salute, a shirtless Sasune Ishida limped his way into the room. Bandages were strewn around his torso, and judging from the anguish outlining his features, Aaron could tell his wounds were bothering him greatly. The Quincy beamed nonetheless, perhaps trying to reassure his friends he was alright. "Would you mind keeping it down, Aaron? I've kinda got a migraine right now, and this building has really good acoustics."

"This guy gets stabbed through the chest, and he's complaining about a headache." Aaron got a good laugh out of that one. "Alright, Kana. What in the world is going on? Where are we? What happened to that Hollow? Did you finish it off?"

Ururu silenced him by abruptly holding out her ice cream cone. As he stared at her in silence, he garnered she wanted him to take it. He kindly smiled and declined the nice gesture.

"I'm actually lactose intolerant," he explained. "Thanks anyway."

"I'm glad he said something this time," said Sasune. "I still remember the last time he had...I think it was milk or something. Anyway, it was only one glass, but he absolutely manhandled the bathroom at school! They were busy plunging that thing for a week!"

'Embarrassing' didn't even begin to describe how Aaron felt at the moment. His ire at his friend's loose lips was worsened when Kana began cracking up from imagining him glued to a toilet seat. Even Ururu let out a tiny titter.

"Alright, everyone but Mister Higuchi is allowed to use the toilet here from now on."

Behind that remark, Kisuke Urahara stepped before the others with the aid of his cane. Aaron got a good look at the man, unsure what to think of him. The manner in which he dressed was peculiar to say the least, but even more so than that, Urahara gave off a certain aura. Whether it was a pleasant one or something to be wary of, Aaron wasn't sure.

"Mister Hat and Clogs!" exclaimed Kana. Urahara's eyebrow rose at the nickname. "Look who's up!"

"So, this is Mister Higuchi." Urahara prodded at Aaron using his cane, forcing the latter to swat it aside. "He's a lot skinnier than I imagined!"

Aaron quickly replied, "...You're trying to pick a fight with me, aren't you?"

"Hmm? Nothing of the sort! Anywho, it's good to see you up and about!"

Tessai, sensing his Boss desired privacy, uttered, "Ururu, let's go."

Glancing back at Aaron once last time, Ururu did as Tessai asked.

"Hey, what's going on?! Come on! Let me get a peek inside!" said Jinta, who was trying to peer around and over Tessai. The task was easier said than done; the man might as well have been a mountain. "W-Would you get outta the way already, ya big brute?!"

Tessai, shaking his head, snagged Jinta by the hair and pulled him aside. Urahara and the others could hear the boy complaining down the hallway even with the door to their room tightly shut.

"You don't seem to be much of a knight in shining armor either," stated Urahara to Aaron. Stroking the stubble on his chin, he apparently wasn't done inspecting his newly conscious guest.

"Excuse me?" retorted Aaron sharply.

"You were supposed to lay your life on the line for Miss Mitarashi after everything that's happened between you two, yet instead, she was the one nearly sacrificing herself for you!" Urahara responded, being a dramatic as possible in the process. He then pulled out a fan to cool himself down.

"...How come that big guy from before seems more sane than you?"

Urahara smirked and removed his hat. "My apologies. I should at least introduce myself before scolding you. My name is Kisuke Urahara. I am the humble owner of the store you and your friends are presently in."

"So you're Urahara. I figured as much when you came in. I'm not really sure what's going on, but I guess I should be thanking you for taking us in like this and treating our injuries."

"If you're going to thank someone, thank Tessai! He's been taking very good care of you the whole time!"

Aaron's face grew pale. "...I don't even want to know what that's supposed to mean considering that guy was sitting on top of me just a couple of minutes ago."

"Miss Mitarashi," began Urahara, startling the person in question. "You've been telling people about my wonderful establishment, right?"

Kana twiddled her thumbs. "Uh...a-about that! I really haven't gotten the chance to considering all the madness that's been going on! Don't worry though! I'm still your number one customer!"

"I guess I'm just going to have to take your word for it!"

Aaron eyed the two like they were insane. "Um...could we please talk about something relevant here?!"

"Of course! My apologies. You likely want to know why you're here," said Urahara.

"Well, it was certainly on my mind."

"Let's see. Candy. Shinigami supplies. Strange employees. Maybe this places doubles as a hospital too," chided Sasune.

Kana chose to put their fears to rest. "Yo, yo! Remember dat playa hatin' Hollow from before? Well, Urahara and his squad totally got all up in the grill of that mofo and put his mark ass in da ground, yo! Fo sho!"

Aaron, thinking his brain was going to explode, uttered, "...What?"

"Why are you...talking like that?" Sasune had to know.

Kana became disheartened that her speech didn't have the effect she hoped. "S-Sorry! I saw some guys talking like that when I was watching TV with Jinta and Ururu! I was thinking all the kids around here probably spoke like that too, so I thought I'd try it out! I needed something to do since I was bored outta my mind waiting for you two to wake up!"

"All day and night in fact," chimed Sasune.

Their claims sunk into Aaron's psyche, and he exclaimed, "W-Wait! What do you mean 'all day and night?!' Just how long have I been out for?!"

Kana took a moment to think. "Let's see! I'd say about two or three days!"

"I'm a pretty good healer, so it was only two days for me!" said Sasune. It almost sounded like he was bragging.

"Three days?!" This development made Aaron's blood run cold. "...Mom is going to kill me!"

"No need to worry! I already called your household to inform your family of your situation! I simply told them you would be out on a class trip for a few days!" said Urahara cheerily. "I believe it was your sister I spoke with!"

"Izumi? Did she say anything?"

"Nothing specific, though I did think I heard her say something like 'Good riddance!'"

That was his older sister alright. Grumbling under his breath, Aaron was positive she wouldn't have even bothered to call around and see if he was alright if it weren't for Urahara doing it for her.

"Ouch!" he proclaimed, feeling every nerve in his body burn. "I think I need another three days of rest..."

"I forgot that Hollow really did a number on you!" said Kana. Aaron was tempted to let her know she hadn't done him any favors either with that bear hug from earlier.

"Him?! I'm the one that could've been missing a stomach!" voiced Sasune.

"That nasty Hollow is actually why I wanted to talk to you all," said Urahara. Moments later, Tessai reentered the room holding a tray with four cups of piping hot green tea. He set them down in front of everyone ahead of bowing and taking his leave once more.

"Something about that guy really creeps me out," admitted Sasune as he took a sip of his beverage. His countenance then brightened. "He sure can brew a cup of tea though!"

Urahara, exhaling in satisfaction after drinking his own beverage, agreed. "You all may have noticed that each one of the Hollows you've encountered these last couple of days have been rather...peculiar."

"You can say that again! There's way more of them popping up than there should be! Not to mention they're like super strong! They can even do stuff like Cero!" said Kana.

"Only Gillian-class Hollows should be able to do that," remarked Sasune. "Has it been the same here in Karakura Town, Urahara?"

The shopkeeper shook his head. "The only Hollows we've had here have been of the common variety! Whatever is occurring seems to be isolated to Hino. That in itself is quite strange. I have a few theories on what's going on but nothing concrete."

"This is bad! If Aaron runs into another Hollow like that lizard-looking one, he's gonna die for sure!" hollered Kana.

"...I'm glad to see you have such confidence in me," Aaron sarcastically told her.

"As much as I hate to admit it, she has a point." Sasune sighed and crossed his arms. "Even I was taken off guard, and I've been hunting Hollows all my life. The two of us are going to be in for a rough time if we have to keep fighting enemies this powerful, especially when you're still so green, Aaron."

Now Aaron was growing upset. "Look, I've been a Shinigami for like two days! Cut me some slack!"

Despite him saying that, even he was beginning to get down on himself after being utterly humiliated by that last Hollow. It was no wonder Sasune was speaking like he were nothing more than a burden.

"Now, now! Let's all calm down here!" advised Urahara. "There's no need to panic."

"That's right! Urahara and the others came to save us, so it all worked out in the end!" Kana declared. Her claim did little to cheer Aaron or Sasune up, causing her to frown. "Oh, come on already! You two can't just keep moping around like this!"

"Heh. Sorry. I'm a bit of a sore loser," commented Sasune. "Well, at least there was only one girl there to see me get my ass handed to me. I'd hate to have seen the reaction from all my adoring fans!"

The Quincy was as upbeat as ever. Although Aaron was pleased to see this, he didn't have the same resolve to get over his thrashing so easily. The sole thing lingering in his head was getting stronger, strong enough that he wouldn't have to rely on total strangers bailing him out of a life or death scenario.

"Why do I even care so much about this?" he then muttered. Indeed, he was only going to be a Shinigami on a temporary basis until Kana got her powers back. He didn't consider himself the type of guy that took pride in accomplishing anything, often shirking himself out of as many responsibilities as he could. This aspect caused people, including his sister and teachers at school, to refer to him as 'lazy.' He rarely denied it. Here was though, whining like an infant over something that had for whatever reason gotten his full attention. Maybe Sasune was right. Maybe he did just like having power. Maybe being able to make a difference for once in his life had affected his mindset. For once, he didn't crave to give up at the first possible instance. He craved to keep fighting. "...I guess I'm not as lazy as I thought."

"What in the world are you muttering to yourself over there?" wondered Kana.

"N-Nothing. Don't worry about it..."

Without warning, Kana began unbuttoning her blouse. Aaron had no clue what she was up to and had no intention of finding out. He shielded his vision within his palms and willed himself not to look. A blushing Urahara did the same, leaving Sasune as the sole one bold enough to catch a peek.

"A-Are you insane, woman?!" Aaron blurted.

"Huh? Well, you still seemed kinda down, so I thought I'd use my body to…!"

"Okay! Okay! I get it! I'm fine, alright, so please put your clothes back on!"

Kana smacked her lips at having her fun prematurely ruined yet did as he asked.

"T-This is a family store, so I'll have to ask you not to do things like that so spontaneously, Miss Mitarashi." Urahara fanned himself feverishly prior to setting his sights on Aaron. He could see resolve painting his countenance, something that pleased the humble shop owner greatly. "Looks like you've cheered up after all, Mister Higuchi! That's good! You're Miss Mitarashi's knight in shining armor, so we can't have you moping around forever! I'll be very upset if you let anything happen to my number one customer!"

"Sure. Whatever," answered Aaron unenthusiastically. He still found it difficult to believe Urahara was the one to save he and his friends when the man came off as so laid back and unattentive. "I should probably head on home. I know you told my family I was on some field trip, but I'd feel better if they were sure I'm alright."

"W-Whoa! Take it easy there!" said Kana when he stood. "You really think you should be moving around so soon?"

He nodded. "I think my pride is more injured than anything. Anyway, thanks again for all your help, Mister Urahara. If there's anyway I can pay you back..."

"Money would be nice!" Mister Hat and Clogs chimed. He cleared his throat when it was obvious Aaron didn't get he was only kidding. "No need to worry about that, Mister Higuchi! Just keep Miss Mitarashi here safe and sound. That'll be enough for me."

Aaron nodded. "Fair enough. Take care."

"H-Hey! W-Wait for me, CT!" cried Kana after Aaron put his clothes on and walked out the door. "Uh...I-I'll probably back soon for more supplies, Mister Hat and Clogs! I better get that discount like you said!"

She then hurried to catch up to Aaron.

"S-Seriously? I was the most hurt, yet they just leave me here!" Sniffling, Sasune guessed he would just have to see himself home. Before he did though, he stopped right next to Urahara, and without glancing at the man, he stated, "...I'll only say this once since the mere idea of my life being rescued by a Shinigami like you is enough to make me gag, but...thank you. I may not like your kind, but Sasune Ishida repays his debts. I'll find some way to repay this one sooner rather than later."

"...Is that so?" Urahara, amused, replied. "Then I'll tell you the same thing I said to Mister Higuchi: make sure nothing happens to Miss Mitarashi. That's all I ask of you."

"Ha! You want me of all people to stick my neck out for a Shinigami?"

"Haven't you already done so more than you've liked, Mister Quincy?"

Sasune felt that remark was check. "Fair enough. Still, you seem to be rather interested in Miss Mitarashi. And don't tell me it's just because she's your 'number one customer.' You probably say that to everyone that shops here anyway."

Urahara chose not to confirm or deny that his intentions were suspicious. That was checkmate, Sasune thought. In spite of becoming irked, he had a feeling things were going to turn out like this.

"...I've honestly grown quite fond of Miss Mitarashi, likely because she's not a Shinigami anymore, so I'll make sure to keep an eye on her for you. I wouldn't be much of a man if I left a helpless girl to fend for herself anyway. I don't know what it is you're planning, but if you do anything that puts either of my friends in danger, I'm coming back to kill you myself, 'Mister Hat and Clogs.' That isn't a threat either. It's a promise."

Again, Urahara stayed tightlipped. In the wake of Sasune's departure, his upbeat demeanor that Aaron had remarked on previously vanished, replaced by something that could solely be called sadness.

"...Things are only going to get rougher from here. Here's hoping Mister Higuchi, and everyone else for that matter, can handle what's coming their way."

#

Three whole days might have passed him by, but everything seemed business as usual to Aaron. Lying in his bedroom, he gazed around it and noted all his belongings were exactly as he left them. There was still no food in the refrigerator thanks to Izumi, and the garbage he was tasked with taking out remained sitting in the kitchen. It was as if his battle with that Hollow had merely been a dream, something he had imagined. A part of him wished it had been.

"...I can't sleep."

He sat up and grabbed the digital alarm clock at his bedside. It was a minute after midnight. He had school the next morning, yet his mind and his body were restless. Although literally everyone had told him to stop worrying about it, he couldn't help but theorize if he could have done something differently against the chameleon Hollow. Perhaps moving quicker in one instance or not hesitating in another would have helped him to prevail.

"Dammit! Just...stop it already!" he told himself. He then forced his limbs to relax and lie back down. "...I missed that huge algebra test yesterday."

He saw little point in celebrating this fact since he would likely have to take it at some point in the future anyway. It counted for thirty percent of his grade. Screaming into his pillow, Aaron again attempted to empty his mind from thoughts such as Hollows and stupid tests. His heavy eyelids demanded some downtime, and he intended to give it to them.

"...I need something to drink," he then said after resting in his bed for minutes without sleep. He felt guilty for giving up so easily though figured he would forget about it after a cold glass of apple juice. Stepping out in the hall, he yawned and leered toward his sister's room. He could hear her gently snoring behind her closed door, making him chuckle.

"Well, it's nice to see someone around here can get some shut eye."

He sluggishly made his way down the corridor leading to the kitchen, using an adjacent wall to feel himself through it amongst the darkness. When he reached what he ascertained was the fridge, he opened it and located a carton of apple juice. The liquid was like the ambrosia of the gods as it danced against his throat, but he nearly suffocated on it when he realized he wasn't alone. The refrigerator's light allowed him to spot a dark-skinned woman in a nurse's attire napping at the kitchen table. She greatly resembled Izumi, right down to having the same curly, waist-length hair and alluring features, although Aaron could just barely make them out because her head was down. Presuming he was viewing a mirage, Aaron did a double take.

"Mom?" he asked softly. She didn't respond, so he shook her arm gently.

"Huh?! I'll be right there, Doctor! I'll…!" His mother, recognizing she wasn't in the middle of a hospital ward, stared at her surroundings in confusion. "A-Aaron?"

Aaron laughed. "It really is you, Mom. Well, you sure are a sight for sore eyes."

"Heh. I suppose so. Sorry I haven't been around much, kiddo." Her weary expression was also apologetic. "Things at the hospital have been pretty insane lately. For whatever reason, there are lot more people getting hurt or sick. In fact, it's gotten so bad, we've hardly had enough doctors and nurses on hand. We've had to ask for extras from Karakura Town."

"I see."

He had no inclination to assume so, but Aaron questioned if the abrupt increase in hospital patients had any relation to so many powerful Hollows showing up in Hino.

"Would you mind keeping it down, CT? We're trying to sleep over here!"

Robotically, Aaron shifted his head over to the other individual he had neglected to notice sleeping at the table. Kana Mitarashi, stretching and yawning in a fashion Aaron found strangely adorable, pouted her lips at him for disturbing her slumber. He paid little mind to this, more perplexed as to why she was in his home at this hour.

"You're not a catburglar on the side, are you?" he seriously inquired.

"Oh! Kana and I were just chatting! We must've dozed off in the middle of our conversation!" his mother explained.

"I guess we did, Lyra!" replied Kana. The way she chuckled afterward came off as phony to Aaron, and he frowned as such. "Your mom is such a sweetheart, CT!"

"'CT?'" Lyra echoed.

"Oh, that's just a little pet name I've come up with! I guess CT hasn't come up with mine yet!"

Lyra gasped. "Wait! Does that mean you and Aaron are…!"

"That's right!" replied Kana. "Isn't he just the cutest?"

Striving to maintain his composure, Aaron guzzled down the rest of the apple juice. It did nothing to make his cheeks any less hot.

"Would you stop making up strange stuff again?!" he hollered. "And how do you two even know each other?!"

"Well, I was on my way home from work when I happened to bump into your friend here!" Lyra clarified. "She startled me at first! I thought she was trying to sell something, but then she told me you two were friends! Judging from what she's saying now though, I guess it's a bit more than that!"

Aaron growled at what she was implying. "Y-You sound as bad as Izumi! Just pay no mind to anything Kana says! Anyway, you two must've been talking for quite a while if you just fell asleep in the kitchen."

"We were just discussing something rather important!" replied Kana.

"...Are you being that vague on purpose?"

Lyra said, "Well, the two of us have talked it over, and I've agreed! Kana has volunteered to be our new housekeeper! She even said she'll work for absolutely free! Isn't this wonderful?"

Was it? Aaron's mind was too busy self imploding from this stunning revelation for him to think properly.

"I've noticed the apartment is absolutely filthy, and since you and your older sister are too busy to straighten up the place, and with me working, I think a housekeeper is just what we need! Plus, it would be a great comfort to me to know someone as dependable as Kana here will be looking after you two!" continued Lyra.

Though Aaron tried to speak, nothing but incomprehensible stammering exited his agape mouth.

"Wow! You sure are lucky!" said Kana playfully. "Boys your age would kill to have such a beautiful maid taking care of you! You better treat me well, CT!"

Aaron placed his hand on his chest in the belief he was about to have a heart attack. All this was too much to take, and he wasn't sure whether to be outraged or positively enthralled. He settled on the latter, mostly to keep his sanity. Kana did bring up a good point. How many other kids his age could claim to have a housekeeper like her?

"W-Wait! What the hell am I complaining for?!" he whispered. He then began snickering like a madman, sounding remarkably similar to Sasune. "This is like something out of a crappily written manga!"

Kana handed him a handkerchief. "Your nose is bleeding."

Ashamed of his momentary lapse of judgement, Aaron took the cloth and quietly slunk back toward his bedroom. Perhaps some sleep would do him some good. Then again, maybe he was still dreaming.

"Man, that kid sure is weird!" said Kana.

"He gets it from his father. That's for sure!" added Lyra.

#

The full moon hanging over Hino was the perfect welcoming for the man known far and wide as Don Kanonji. For whatever reason, he was standing atop the tallest building in town by his lonesome. A strong breeze swept past his exotic, black clothing while he lowered his rounded sunglasses to get a better look at his surroundings.

"Hino, Japan! The Century's Premiere Spiritualist, Don Kanonji, has finally graced you with his presence! Oh yeah!" he shouted to the heavens. Bridging his arms across his chest, he then amiably added, "WAHAHAHAHA!"

His voice resounded throughout, truly establishing his arrival. There was no doubt the quiet, little village of Hino would never been the same.

END