Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. Been VERY busy working two jobs. Anyway, this chapter ended up being WAY longer than I intended, yet I couldn't find a suitable place to end it. Anyway, I really hope you all enjoy.

Chapter 11

Until We Meet Again

Kana asked herself if Aaron would think she was a creepy stalker since she was observing him peacefully snooze in his bed. She had been doing so for the past few hours, and she was honestly losing track of the time. She didn't mind. She wished time would slow to a crawl so she could enjoy peaceful moments such as this for an eternity.

"Aw! He's so cute!" She smiled amicably and parted a bit of hair on his forehead. She anticipated him jumping up at a moment's notice and screaming at her to knock it off, yet he did nothing more than snore. "Ugh. How am I supposed to sleep now? I'm so used to hearing his breathing that it's the only way I can pass out now..."

She sighed. If only sleeping were the worst of her problems.

"Oh yeah! I still gotta text my boss!"

Her fingers furiously pounded against her Denreishinki's keypad while she typed out a final message for her employer at the maid café in downtown Hino. She paused, uncertain on how to delicately inform her manager that she was going to be quitting.

"He's gonna be so disappointed." She exhaled somberly a second time. "Uh...I-I'm sure he'll be able to replace me! Yeah, I'm sure it'll be fine!"

She stuck her tongue out playfully and even giggled.

"Then again, I was bringing in half his clientèle! Poor guy..."

Her thumb hit the 'Send' button. There was no going back now.

"Okay. That takes care of work. I'm pretty sure I've tied up all my loose ends here in the Human World. All except..."

She took a gander around Aaron's bedroom, saddened that this would be her last time there. Her attachment was likely the reason she had yet to inform anyone in the Higuchi household she would be leaving.

"Well, t-they'll figure it out, right? I wasn't even that good of a housekeeper! They don't need me! Right, Chappy?"

Her phone's key chain naturally offered no answer. Pouting, she put the device in her pocket and got to her feet. Her personal feelings aside, she understood perfectly well that she couldn't carry on in the Human World without a care in the world anymore. She no longer had the excuse of some human having stole her Shinigami powers to hold her there.

Although she didn't exactly comprehend his explanation, Urahara told her that while Aaron would survive absorbing a large portion of Ichigo Kurosaki's spirit energy during the incident with the Menos Grade, the teenager had lost the Shinigami powers he accidentally acquired from Kana in the process.

"T-That's good, right? I mean, Mister Hat and Clogs said he would eventually wake up after a couple of days of rest too! Now...CT can just be a normal kid again. That's what he wanted, after all. Y-Yeah. He was only supposed to take over for me temporarily anyway!"

She nodded, reassuring herself this turn of events was indeed for the best.

"Man, I'm tired! I wanna take a nap..."

Yawning and stretching, she noted that finishing all her chores around Aaron's apartment had worn her out. She might have been taking her leave, but she didn't want to disappear on a sour note. The Higuchi family had tasked her with cleaning up the place and making sure everything was in order, so that was precisely what she did before packing up her belongings.

She caught wind of how dark it was outside. Checking her watch, it was already well past midnight. She had been waiting, hoping even that Aaron would awake. She still had so much she wished to tell him, so much she desired to share. She didn't want to go without at least explaining herself to him and most importantly, telling him goodbye. Nevertheless, he continued to sleep like he hadn't a care in the world. Kana envied him.

"Come on! Wake up already!" she cried, punching him in the gut. This usually did the trick whenever she wanted to rouse him. However, the most it did was get a groan out of him before he turned over between his sheets. "You're such a meanie, CT! You have a beautiful girl like me waiting at your bedside, and all you wanna do is sleep?! Jerk!"

She blew him a raspberry. Calming, she saw her anger was misplaced. Aaron hadn't done a thing. Indeed, her current predicament was all her fault.

After the Menos Grande in Karakura Town had been dealt with, Rukia Kuchiki relayed to Kana how dire things were. Soul Society would no doubt investigate all that transpired. Once they did, they would also learn that two of their Shinigami had illegally transferred their powers to humans and send agents to apprehend them. What would happen afterward, neither one were one hundred percent certain, but Rukia made it clear that execution wasn't out of the realm of possibility. All of this made one thing clear: they needed to flee. Not for their own sakes, but for those around them.

"T-They'd probably kill Aaron if they found out he was the one who had my powers these past few months."

The mere thought made her shudder. She had already caught him up in a world he had no business knowing about. The least she could do was vanish before his blood, and the blood of those he held dear, was spilled needlessly because of her selfishness.

"I guess there's no point hanging around here anymore! I gotta meet up with Rukia in Karakura Town. I think there's one more monorail that runs around this time, so I better catch it! I ain't walking! Moonlight is totally bad for my complexion!"

She headed for the door, ignoring the butterflies rumbling in her stomach. She then delayed to get a final glimpse at Aaron. It was more than likely she would never see him again, so she ran over to him, grabbed her phone, and pressed her face next to his.

"Say cheese, CT!"

Holding her phone up, she winked as she snapped a picture. It popped up on the screen of her Denreishinki soon after, and she was entralled at it coming out so well.

"W-Wait a sec! I really am a creepy stalker, aren't I?!"

Her temperament sullied.

"...I wonder who they're gonna send to come after us? Rukia sounded pretty certain we'd get caught. Oh man, I hope it's not the Execution Squad! They'd butcher us on the spot! H-Hopefully, it'll be someone nice like Captain Unohana! Oh, wait. S-She's kinda scary too when she gets upset..."

Her skin became pale at the worst case scenario: her very own Captain showing up to drag her back while she kicked and screamed. Such a thing was improbable, but she wasn't taking any chances.

"Man, I'm getting the hell outta here! Every woman for herself!"

Some knocking at Aaron's door made her shriek. The person on the other end of the doorway figured this as good a sign to enter as any.

"Kana? Oh, there you are!" said Izumi Higuchi, Aaron's older sister. She put her finger on her chin inquisitively at Kana hiding a large suitcase behind her person. "...You going somewhere?"

"Huh? M-Me?! Oh, n-no! Not at all!"

Izumi didn't believe her for a second. She chose not to press the issue however.

"I didn't think anyone else would be in here," she explained. "I usually sneak in here to see if my little bro has any snacks lying around. Heh. Guess I didn't have to considering he's been knocked out since yesterday. Man, that guy sure can sleep. Lazy bum. He's probably just faking it so he doesn't have to go to school!"

Remarks like that tended to send Aaron over the deep end. Because he didn't wake to reprimand her, Izumi deemed that his current behavior really wasn't an act.

"Uh...y-you think he's okay, right? He's not sick or anything?" she asked in a concerned fashion.

"Huh? Oh, don't worry! CT'll wake up eventually! It's like you said, he's just a bum!"

Izumi nodded. "Yeah, you're so right! Well, if he doesn't get up, I'm just gonna have to kick his ass until he does!"

"Y-Yeah!"

The conversation died off, and Kana awkwardly cleared her throat.

"Uh...look, I don't want to sound like I'm being nosy or anything, but it...kinda seems like you've been avoiding me all day," said Izumi. "Is something the matter?"

"H-Huh?! I...uh...have no idea what you're talking about! I've just been busy is all! Yep! There's so much to clean around here that I've been busy, busy, busy!"

Apparently, lying under duress wasn't a specialty of Kana's. Izumi might have found the brunette's odd conduct funny if she hadn't gotten the hunch something really was wrong.

"Um...actually, I am going somewhere!" Kana admitted, twiddling her thumbs. "It's...er...nothing serious! Just a little vacation! Yeah, that's it! A hardworking housekeeper like me needs a break every once in awhile! I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, so don't wait up! Um...I kinda forgot to tell your mom about this, so if you could let her know the next time you see her..."

"Yeah, I got it. Have fun wherever you're going."

"Thanks!"

The room grew quiet again. Kana, on edge, began chewing on a stick of bubblegum to calm her nerves.

"Oh. Thanks, by the way, Kana."

Izumi's random remark of gratitude startled Kana enough that the giant, pink bubble she was blowing burst, spreading sticky gum all over her face.

"Uh...why are you thanking me all of a sudden?" the brunette asked, cleaning her face with a handkerchief.

"I dunno. Just felt like it I guess. Ever since you showed up, things have been a lot more lively around here. Considering Hino is the most boring place on the face of the earth, I really appreciate that. Even my little bro, who's always been sorta quiet and dorky, has been less of a pain in the ass because of you."

Kana, her cheeks becoming rosy, rubbed the back of her head. "Aw! Thanks! I don't really think I did much of anything though. When I think about it, I should be thanking you guys! Ever since I came here to the Human...er...Hino, I've been having the time of my life!"

"S-Seriously? Here?"

"Yeah! You see, at my old job, I was just going through the motions. I never did things to have fun or relax. I just did boring, old work because I was ordered to. Here in Hino, I felt free for the first time...well...ever! That's why I'm so happy I got the chance to meet Aaron here and Sasune, and even you, Izumi! You guys are the best!"

"Y-You're crying..."

Kana gasped. Warm tears were indeed streaming down her face. She made haste to brush them away as she became even more flustered.

"Ah! My mascara's gonna run!"

"Heh. Don't worry about it. Why are you telling me all this though? If that's how you really feel, why not just let my little bro know when he finally gets his lazy ass up?"

"Uh...yeah, about that..." Kana glanced down at her watch and nearly bit her tongue. "Whoa! I-I forgot I need to catch that monorail! S-Sorry, Izumi, but I gotta run!"

"Sure. Take care, alright? And bring back plenty of souvenirs!"

Kana, forcing herself not to erupt into another show of emotion, nodded and dashed past Izumi without looking back.

"...She should've just said she wasn't coming back if that's what she was planning," stated Izumi with a shrug. "I guess she just didn't want to break this dumbass' heart."

Aaron said something incomprehensible and then rolled over to the other side of his bed. Annoyed by this, Izumi was tempted to sock her brother in the head, but out of nowhere, a powerful chill shook her to the core.

"H-Huh?! What in the…?!" Wrapping her arms around herself, her head shot toward a nearby window. "...Something's coming. I don't know what or where, but something is definitely on the way, something bad. ...Be careful out there, Kana.

#

Trekking down a barely lit side street probably wasn't the brightest idea for a 'delicate' person like Kana, but she was left with little choice if she wanted to reach the monorail station in time. Her hurried breathing broke the surrounding silence while she sprinted.

"D-Dangit! How'd I end up running anyway?! I should've called a cab!"

She opted to take a break to catch her breath. Her then senses heightened once she realized she wasn't alone.

"W-Who's there?! I got pepper spray, so don't try anything funny!"

"Eh? Is that you, Miss Mitarashi?" Sasune Ishida stepped out of the shadows and squinted at the squiggly outline of a person. "Man, I wish my new pair of glasses would get here from my optometrist. I'm blind as a bat without them!"

"S-Sasune?! W-What the heck are you doing here?!"

"Ah! It is you, Miss Mitarashi! Good evening! Wait, I guess it would be more appropriate to say good morning considering the time. Anyway, I was just taking my nightly stroll around the neighborhood. I do it to clear my thoughts and make sure our fair town is safe from shady creeps so a fair maiden like you can walk about without fear!"

Kana frowned. "...Are you sure you aren't one of those 'shady creeps?'"

Her remark was like a dagger being plunged into his heart.

"I-I am hurt, Miss Mitarashi!" he replied dramatically. "Not that I'm trying to pry, but why are you out here so late?" He then noticed her suitcase. "...I see. A little midnight escape then?"

"S-Something like that."

Sasune removed his hands from his pockets, giving Kana a clear view of them and everything up to his shoulders being heavily bandaged.

"Oh, this? Don't worry about it," he informed her. "I'll live. Uryuu's gotta deal with the same crap. Having to explain what happened at school though was a total pain. I just told all my teachers I was cosplaying as a mummy. It worked out for the most part."

"A-Ah! I see!"

Sasune's countenance became stern. "...You don't have to run like a helpless animal, you know."

Kana shook her head. "I...really do. I can't stay. It's impossible."

"You're worried about Soul Society coming after you, right? If that's the case, Aaron and myself can protect you. You know we wouldn't let anything happen to you."

Kana forced a laugh. "See? That's exactly why I gotta get outta here! You and CT are too stubborn to listen to me if I told you to run and save yourselves. I don't want you guys getting killed on my account."

Sasune smirked. "Strange. I figured a gal like you wouldn't mind two dashing fellows sacrificing themselves for your love! On the other hand, I personally didn't say anything about throwing my life away for you. You really think I'd go that far just to help a stinkin' Shinigami?"

"Haha! Well, excuse me for living then!"

"...All joking aside, it looks like I'm not changing your mind."

"Nope! Sorry!"

"Heh. I'm not one to keep a bird caged, so do as you please, Miss Mitarashi! I merely wanted to see you off."

"Wait, I thought you were only out here to take a walk?"

Whistling, Sasune danced around the question by walking up to her and placing something in her hand.

"Hmm? What's this?" she queried.

"A good luck charm," the Quincy elucidated. "It was my mother's. She gave it to me to keep me safe, so now, I'll give it to you. Don't worry about giving it back. Something tells me we won't bump into one another after this anyway."

Taking the silver locket and tucking it away safely, Kana planted a kiss on Sasune's cheek.

"Thanks, handsome! You're the best!"

"I know this," boasted Sasune with a wink. "I'll tell Miss Mitsumi goodbye for you."

"You mean that Konoka girl, right? I feel bad I never got the chance to get to talk to her!"

"Not getting to know the Red-Haired Beast isn't such a bad thing, you know?" Sasune opened his mouth to show he was missing a tooth. "Yeah, she got me while I wasn't paying attention. The swelling has gone down at least. I looked really goofy beforehand. Guess this is what I get for leaving her behind like that."

"You might call yourself a ladies man, Sasune, but it seems like you don't know how to treat a woman after all!"

"...You might be onto something. I'll just have to get stronger by the looks of it, strong enough so girls like you don't have to put on such a brave front when they're in trouble."

"I'm sure you'll do fine. Well, I...h-have to go! Take care, Sasune!"

"You as well, Miss Mitarashi."

Kana, sniffling, waved and disappeared down another poorly illuminated street.

"...This really isn't any of my business. She's a Shinigami. She's not even from this world. Only chumps get sad over seeing people like her go." Sasune rubbed his reddened eyes, thankful no one was there to see him almost cry. "...Guess I'm just a chump in the end."

He turned around, at first deciding to head for home before remembering he didn't have school tomorrow.

"Well, since I'm out, I might as well go get hammered! Alright liver and kidneys, prepare yourselves because I'm gonna wear you out tonight!"

He let out a triumphant holler that reverberated throughout the neighborhood.

#

It was sad to say, but Kana wasn't the only one running during the tranquil and otherwise uneventful morning. Rukia Kuchiki, darting through Karakura Town with a heavy heart, bit her bottom lip and held her head low. Having finished a majority of her preparations to leave the Human World, the sole thing remaining was to cast aside any attachments to the beings in this world, anything that could threaten the resolve she had built. Three months had passed since she lost her Shinigami powers to Ichigo Kurosaki, and in that short time span, she could feel her ties to Soul Society and the Shinigami slipping. Beings like her ruled over life and death. Beings like her were supposed to keep the universe in balance. Why then was a being like her having second doubts over leaving everything she had grown accustomed to in such a pitiful amount of time behind? It was disgraceful. Shinigami had no need for emotions like the ones running through her.

"Troublesome..." she said to herself. "Such emotions are troublesome!"

Logic, Shinigami logic anyway, dictated her words were indeed true. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but notice she was trying to convince herself of this more than anything. The truth, whatever it was, escaped her.

"Am I...becoming too attached to this world?"

"Maybe! You know, I've actually been wondering the same thing!"

Rukia swiveled to whoever had stated this and anticipated the worst. However, she lowered her guard when the individual awaiting her was one she expected to bump into. Kana Mitarashi waved and beamed at her fellow Shinigami, unaware of anything being out of the ordinary.

"Y-You scared me half to death, Mitarashi," muttered Rukia, placing her hand on her pounding chest.

"Sorry! I've actually been following you for a while now, but you looked so busy thinking that I didn't want to bother you!" replied Kana sweetly. The brunette then stuck her face close to Rukia's, causing the latter to jump again. "Say, you were thinking about a guy, weren't you?"

"No. It was...nothing like that." Rukia, spying the suitcase Kana had, added, "You...really didn't have to bring that much!"

"Huh? Of course I had to! How come you only brought a backpack?"

"I only brought along the essentials."

"Me too! Let's see, I had to bring all my makeup, a bunch magazines to read for when I get bored, lots of yummy snacks, sanitary items since who knows when we'll get to take a bath or a shower again, a couple month's worth of clothes, all the accessories for my phone..."

Though having a lot more to fill her friend in on, Kana ran out of fingers to count with.

Rukia was grateful. "I-I get the idea, Mitarashi. I really don't think you'll need all those things though."

Kana leered at the petite woman for a short while. "...Aren't you planning to run?"

"'Run?'" The thought never crossed Rukia's mind. "There's...no escape from Soul Society. You should know that as well. I just...want to protect Ichigo and everyone else here in Karakura Town."

"Really? That's all?" Kana frowned at the news. "I left because I feel the same way about CT, but I don't wanna get caught either! I already came up with aliases and back stories for us to use while we're on the lam! You were gonna be an exotic dancer from the Caribbean, while I was gonna be your manager!"

Rukia blushed. "W-What are you even going on about? There's no way something like that would ever work! Soul Society is probably watching us even as we speak!"

"Yeah, but how are they gonna recognize me like this?"

Kana slipped on a false mustache and cackled at her ingenuity. Rukia, on the other hand, sighed and recalled that the brunette was always quirky like this, so there really was no point chastising her.

"Huh? W-Was my idea really that weird?" Kana inquired honestly.

A voice above them stated, "Ha! If you ask me, both of you are pretty strange!"

The girls zeroed in on a grinning, crimson-haired Shinigami standing on a telephone pole. Tribal tattoos littered his forehead, though they were blocked somewhat by an expensive pair of sunglasses. Kana blinked, under the impression the man was a mirage. Rukia though knew without a doubt he was really there.

"Man, you two aren't making any sense," he said as he drew his Zanpakutou. Moonlight glinted off the steel. "Maybe you've been enjoying this world a little too long! How long do you think you both can screw around like this?"

Rukia, stunned beyond belief, uttered, "Y-You?! Renji?! Is that you, Renji Abarai?!"

She got something of a response after Renji slammed his sword down in front of her. He missed, though it was likely on purpose. Strands of her dark hair fluttered to the ground, but Rukia paid them no mind while her body became totally rigid.

"H-Hey, watch where you're aiming that thing, Renji!" cried Kana. He glowered at her, and she hurriedly shot behind Rukia. "J-Jeez! You sure are scary today!"

"I don't believe this!" Renji barked, sweeping his hand through his ponytail. "Me, a hunter from Soul Society, has been standing right behind you two, yet you idiots were too busy shooting the breeze to even notice! You two might be in a pair of strange Gigai, but that ain't no reason for you to have softened up since coming here to the Human World!"

Renji slung his blade over his shoulder, whereas Kana flapped her fingers out of sight to suggest the redhead was yapping too much.

"Alright, ladies, call them!" declared Renji. "Call the humans who stole your powers!"

Rukia was disturbed Renji had so much information at his disposal. Not wanting to trip over her tongue, she carefully concocted her reply.

"W-What are you talking about?" she said, choosing to feign ignorance. "J-Just because we don't have our powers doesn't mean they were stolen!"

Kana tried coming off as guiltless as she added, "Y-Yeah! What she said!"

Renji dropped a bombshell by stating, "Cut the act! It's already been confirmed as a fact by Soul Society agents that your powers were stolen by a pair of humans, mere humans! Well?! Don't either of you have anything to say for yourselves?! Don't just stand there and stare at me with those human-like expressions!"

Fearing they could get into even more trouble, neither Rukia nor Kana dared say a word.

"We all were born and grew up in Rukongai!" Renji continued. "While I could see a ditz like Kana here going off and doing something this stupid…!"

"Hey!" interjected the object of Renji's criticism.

"...You're different, Rukia! You were adopted, educated, and trained by the noble Kuchiki Clan so you could become an elite Shinigami! Someone of your rank and station shouldn't be behaving like some human! You're better than that! Isn't that right, Captain?"

"'C-Captain?'" repeated Kana. It only then occurred to her that Renji wasn't the only guest in Karakura Town. "...Oh boy."

Rukia, picking up on this as well, slowly turned the other way and eyeballed a handsome, black-haired man standing over her. Like Renji, he wore the dark robes of a Shinigami, but unlike his cohort, he was much quieter, having chosen to watch everything from the sidelines thus far.

"B-Brother…!" a numb Rukia stammered.

"...Rukia..." Byakuya Kuchiki quietly retorted, his silk scarf fluttering in the wind.

"Oh...my...god!" Whereas Rukia could hardly even breathe due to the shocking arrival of her older brother, Kana squealed like a little piggy in Byakuya's presence. "I-I can't believe it! The real Byakuya Kuchiki is standing right in front of me! You're such a hottie!"

Inhaling sharply, Kana made haste to grab a pen and pad out of her suitcase ahead of longingly holding it toward the Captain of the Sixth Division.

"C-Could you please give me an autograph?!" she eagerly asked. "I'm like your biggest fan! I know everything about you, and I've got like a thousand pictures of you hung up in my room! You're just so mysterious, you know?"

"W-What the hell do you think you're doing?!" inquired Renji. To say he was baffled would have been the understatement of the century. "Y-You can't just…!"

Byakuya confounded him even further by nodding, taking Kana's notepad, and wordlessly scribbling his signature onto it. He then casually handed it back to her.

Squealing a second time, Kana shouted, "Thank you so much! I'm...I'm never washing this pen again!"

Renji, tired of having to witness such a display, came in out of the blue with a horizontal slash. Rukia was able to react quick enough to shove Kana out of the way before spinning to safety herself. Renji's blade left a minor cut below her eye, and as blood oozed out of it, she eyed the red-haired Shinigami with pure disdain.

"Would you idiots stop screwing around already?!" yelled Renji, grinding his teeth. "Maybe you both have forgotten just how much trouble you're in! Giving away your Shinigami powers is a serious crime! You two are just lucky Soul Society sent us to find you instead of the Execution Squad! You'd already be dead otherwise! Now then, I ain't gonna say it again! Call the humans that stole your powers! I'm gonna kill them, then drag your sorry asses back to the Seireitei!"

Kana blew him a raspberry. "Like we'd ever do that!"

"Tsk! Don't bother trying to protect them, Kana! Do you two really think you can do anything to stop me anyway? Rukia, remember that last attack? You didn't dodge it! I let you avoid it!" Renji took a battle stance, "This time, my attacks will be for real!"

His senses suddenly alerted him to danger. He moved his head back in time to dodge a blue shot of spirit energy. He then took heed of a figure approaching from the darkness.

"...What's this? A man with a weapon is attacking two unarmed women?" the person said, skepticism buzzing through his tone. "This...is a rather bad scene to stumble on."

Uryuu Ishida, with his Kojaku humming in the night, shook his head.

"...I really hate this sort of thing," he added, using a finger to adjust his glasses.

"You…! Who the hell are you?!" growled Renji.

"Just...a friend in Miss Rukia Kuchiki's class who hates Shinigami," Uryuu calmly said. He then eyed Kana, who returned this with a friendly wave. "...While I'm not too familiar with the other woman you're accosting, I'd say that given the circumstances, she's not with you gentlemen."

"U-Uryuu?! What in the world are you doing here?!" asked Rukia. Judging from his reaction, she could tell he was waiting for her to say that.

"Pure coincidence," he smoothly replied. "Nothing you need to fret over."

"D-Does he really expect us to believe that?" whispered Kana.

Uryuu didn't hear this as he held up a shopping bag. "You see, I needed some supplies for my sewing hobby and decided to head down to a twenty-four hour clothing store in the area. I just happened to pick up on the energy of a Shinigami while I was out and decided to come straight here to investigate. I used my brain of course. I had to be inconspicuous, so I purposely brought this bag with me."

Rukia and Kana gazed at him in total silence while he proudly smirked at his tale. His smile vanished when his bag was cut from his heavily bandaged wrist.

"Stop saying shit, four-eyes," snarled Renji as the bag and all its possessions hit the pavement. "Didn't you hear me when I asked who the hell you were?!"

Uryuu said nothing, prompting the scarlet-haired Shinigami to point his sword at him.

"It's fine if you don't wanna talk! I'll just finish you off!"

Rukia's eyelids broadened "W-Wait, Renji! T-This guy has nothing to do with…!"

"...What are you talking about?" Uryuu asked Renji, cutting the petite woman beside him off. "I already told you. I'm just a classmate of Miss Kuchiki's, and an acquaintance of that brown-haired girl over there. I also believe I mentioned I despise Shinigami."

"I don't care about that shit!" snapped Renji.

Uryuu paused. "...Uryuu Ishida. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Ah! I'm such an idiot!" Kana slapped herself on the forehead. "I thought you looked familiar! You're Sasune's brother, right?"

The mere mention of his older sibling's name made Uryuu's eyelid twitch. "...I would prefer it, Miss, if you did not mention our relationship loud enough for other people to overhear."

"...What the hell are you guys going on about now?" wondered Renji.

"I'm sorry," replied the bespectacled teen, adjusting his frames again. "Since you kept going on about it, I figured I should at least tell you my name. And even though you're just a Shinigami, you'll still want to know the name of the guy that will defeat you!"

Enraged, Renji declared, "Okay, I've made up my mind! I'm gonna kill you!"

"No! Please, Renji! Don't do it!" pleaded Rukia, who was at her wits end.

In contrast, Kana exclaimed, "Yeah, Uryuu! Kick that guy's ass! I want blood!"

"A-Are you insane, Mitarashi?! Don't you get it?! None of us have any hope of beating Renji! He's too strong!"

"Heh! I'm glad at least you get it, Rukia!" Renji stretched his arm, ready to spill the red liquid Kana so desperately craved. "It ain't gonna change things though! This guy is still gonna…!"

Biting his tongue, Renji swiftly flipped around to deflect a red shot of energy.

"W-What the hell is going on now?!"

"Whoa! That was really cool, Uryuu! I didn't know you could shoot red arrows too!" said Kana.

"...I can't," replied the Quincy dejectedly.

The individual who could waddled his way into plain sight, nearly stumbling over himself numerous times. Forced to use a light pole for support, a scarlet-faced Sasune Ishida flared his nostrils at everyone scrutinizing him like he were some demented apparition.

"Back...ugh...away from those three, beautiful women, you...over there with the face!" he blurted in Renji's vicinity. He then clasped his hand over his mouth and retched. Though everyone was positive he was going to blow chunks, he chuckled and proclaimed, "F-False alarm, people! I-I probably shouldn't've had that thirteenth shot of vodka though!"

"Who...is that man?" questioned Rukia in disbelief.

"Hey! Look who it is!" Kana jovially boomed. "How's it going, Sasune?"

"I-Is that you...ugh...M-Miss Mitarashi?! Your lovely face is like...uh...a s-shimmering...uh...s-something in the...erm...night sky!" Sasune managed to belch out.

"Aw! You know exactly what to say to make a lady blush!"

Uryuu began to feel sick himself. He pinched his nose, being able to smell the stench of liquor on his brother even though they were nowhere near one another.

"Y-You smell like a brewery!" he voiced in disgust. "Ugh! You're wasted! What the hell are you even doing here in such a sorry state?!"

"Y-You have nothing to fear, Miss!" Still wobbling around, Sasune held in another urge to throw up. "I-I'll take care of these...erm...p-punks! J-Just give me a minute. T-The room is spinning..."

"W-Would you put on your glasses already, you stupid lush?! I'm not a girl!"

Sasune had to squinch, but he realized his brother was spot on. "Ah! U-Uryuu! That you, buddy?! Where...ugh...w-were you, man?! I've been callin' yer ass like crazy tonight! I was trying to see if you wanted to hang out!"

"I know! That's why I didn't answer!" Uryuu, now visibly shaking, couldn't decide if it was because he was more angered or embarrassed by his sibling's antics. "W-Why are you even drinking anyway?! You're underaged!"

Sasune waved him off. "Psh! I can do what I want! Y-You can't...urgh...t-talk to yer older brother like that! Man, I've got half a mind ta...s-spank ya in front of everyone!"

His drunken rant was cut short when Renji, who Flash Stepped to the side of him, prepared to cut his head off. At the last second, Sasune ducked, backflipped, formed his red spirit bow, and finally pulled back on its string. His target carved the ensuing projectile down the middle.

"...That was rather rude," said Sasune. The Shinigami's surprise attack seemed to have a sobering effect on him. "Then again, I shouldn't have been so thrown off. I'd expect such behavior from a Shinigami. Didn't your whore of a mother ever teach you any manners?"

"Can it, you bum! I don't know where you idiots are popping up from, but it looks like I'm just gonna have to take care of you all!"

"...Is that so? I don't know you, and it's clear you don't know who I am. Allow me to educate you, you ignorant buffoon. My name is Sasune Ishida. I am the world's greatest Quincy and also the guy who's about to teach you a brand new meaning of pain."

Uryuu took offense to this. "...How can a fool like him go on saying such a thing?"

"H-Hey, what was that?! I've got half a mind to pop an arrow in your kneecap too!"

"G-Go home already, Sasune! Take a shower while you're at it! I've got things under control here!"

Sasune wagged his finger. "Now, now, Uryuu! I know you have a habit of doing this to your dear, older brother, but you can't just hog all the ladies to yourself! Besides, if you've got to fight against two enemies, why not have them do the same?"

As much as Uryuu hated to admit it, he acknowledged that was a fair point.

"Fine," he answered. "Just try not to slow me down. I highly doubt you can hit a thing without your glasses."

"Psh! Blame my optometrist! Don't worry about me though! I honestly think you're the one that's going to be unable to keep up!"

The ever mum Byakuya glanced at Sasune curiously, but otherwise remained a spectator.

"Don't you idiots think you're getting ahead of yourselves?!" said Renji. "I don't care what kind of funky weapons you two use! I can take you both on without breaking a sweat!"

"Well, he doesn't lack for confidence, huh?" said Kana. He never did in her opinion. "Come on, Sasune! Uryuu! Knock out one of Renji's teeth for me! I'm tired of lookin' at that dumb mug of his!"

"W-Would you shut up over there already?!" the red-haired Shinigami howled. She never did if he recalled her personality correctly. "Tsk! Looks like you guys have a cheerleader!"

Being just as tightlipped as her elder brother, Rukia regarded the ongoing conflict with an increasing sense of dread .

#

"Seriously. Get up already. You're boring me."

Izumi prodded her index finger into Aaron's cheek, hoping to get some sort of reaction. She did, though it wasn't the one she hoped for. Her brother grunted, pulled his sheets over himself, and then rotated to the far side of his bed. Curling her lips, Izumi changed gears by going back to the thick book in her grasp. None of the words stuck to her mind, and finding herself progressively unable to concentrate, she slammed the literature shut.

"W-Why am I even still up? I have work early in the morning..."

It was nearing 2 AM according to a digital clock resting on Aaron's desk. She yawned, a sure sign she was exhausted from the day's events. Nonetheless, sleep eluded her. She just couldn't shake the feeling that things weren't on the up and up.

"...Whatever it is, it's probably your fault," she uttered to Aaron. He let out a loud snore. "...Okay, Izumi. Calm down. You're just tired. Yeah, tired."

Thinking a walk would clear her thoughts, she got up to do just that. Much to her annoyance, pacing the floor did nothing but make her heart beat even faster. She inched over to the window, theorizing something outside was the cause of her anxiety, but was unable to make anything out because of how dark it was. Street lights were something an old-fashioned town like Hino wasn't teeming with.

"Maybe it's just my imagination?"

The more she denied something was going on, the more the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach grew. Clutching it, she fell to her knees without warning.

"...K-Karakura Town?"

The name came to her out of nowhere, yet it made perfect sense in the jigsaw puzzle that was becoming her psyche.

"Two? There are...two of them…?"

She nodded, certain two mysterious individuals were the source of the disturbance.

"...Kana? Yeah. She's there. Sasune too?"

She gasped. Her friends were in imminent danger.

"...W-Wha?" At last, Aaron came to. He sat up and had trouble opening his heavy eyelids, rubbing them to get them moving. Stretching, he noted his entire body was as stiff as a board. "Huh? What's going on? It feels like I was dead for a little while..."

Considering the whirlwind of chaos his life had become in the past couple of months, he wouldn't have been all that shocked to discover himself actually deceased. He inspected himself and came to the conclusion this wasn't the case.

"Huh?! Izumi?! You alright over there?!"

When she didn't answer, he jumped out of his bed and made his way over to her.

"...Tsk. Now you wanna wake up?" Izumi happily bore her teeth at him. "Welcome back, little bro!"

"D-Don't worry about me! What's up with you?! Why are you on the floor?!"

He helped his sister to her feet and became more out of the loop once Izumi's features hardened.

"L-Listen, Aaron!" she began. "I-I don't get how or why, but I know there's something going down in Karakura Town! It's really bad! Someone has to do something before…!"

"S-Slow down! I can barely understand you! Wait, where is Kana?!"

Izumi chose to zip her lips when it came to that sensitive subject. Unfortunately, Aaron wasn't going to just sit there and accept silence for an answer.

"A-Alright, alright! Y-You don't have to glare at me like that!" said Izumi meekly. "Kana's...gone, bro. She took off about two hours ago. She said she was just going on vacation, but I could tell there was something else bothering her, something she didn't want to tell us about. Listen, I think there's somebody after her! That's why she left, and that's why she's in danger right now!"

Aaron's face lit up with understanding. "T-The Soul Society!"

"Huh? The...wha? Are you feeling okay, bro?"

Aaron felt like an imbecile. Kana had stated the Soul Society would likely come after her once they found out she no longer had her Shinigami powers. They were finally there for her, and he hadn't done a thing to prepare for them.

"Izumi, where is Kana right now?!" he asked almost hysterically. "I need to know!"

"K-Karakura Town! She's in Karakura Town! I don't know why, but Sasune's there too!"

"Y-You've gotta be kidding me! Whenever there's trouble, those two seem to be right in the middle of it!"

Though still feeling somewhat groggy, Aaron slipped on a shirt and a pair of pants and readied to leave on the double.

"W-What do you think you can do if you go?!" Izumi questioned. "Y-You don't have to rush to that girl's side every time she's in trouble, you know! If there really are shady characters after her, it would be better if you didn't get involved, Aaron! You always go out of your way for other people like this! What good does it ever do you?!"

"...You're right. You're absolutely right. I'm just some hapless sap that likes helping people for no damn reason." Aaron gave his sister a wide grin. "Still, I'm supposed to be Kana's knight in shining armor, so I'm sorta obligated to help her when she needs it. It's outta my hands really."

Izumi stuttered prior to shouting, "Y-You idiot!"

The two yelped when something began tapping against Aaron's bedroom window. It loudened when they opted not to find out who or what was behind the noise out of fear, leaving them with little choice but to turn around.

"Yoohoo! I know you two can see me from in there!" said Kisuke Urahara. He hit his cane against the glass a few more times. "Would you mind letting me in?"

"H-How…?!" Aaron resolved his own confusion upon sighting a large piece of floating paper underneath the humble shopkeeper. "W-What the hell even is that?"

Izumi, her jaw on the floor, mumbled, "W-What the hell is going on…? Am I dreaming?"

"Nope. This is real alright." Aaron sighed. "Uh...I guess I better let him in."

"I'm grabbing the bat just in case!"

Placing the weapon close to her body, Izumi then huddled near her brother while he unlocked his window. Urahara leaped into the room and took a good look around.

"So, this is where you sleep, Mister Higuchi! It's not as spacious as I imagined."

"W-Why were you even wondering what my bedroom looked like in the first place?"

Urahara didn't hear this. "Good morning, you two! I apologize for the intrusion, but I needed to come and see you right away, Mister Higuchi! My, it looks like you've made a full recovery already! I'm pleased to see this!"

"Thanks. I don't really remember why I was passed out to begin with, but something tells me I owe you one again for pulling through."

"It was nothing! I'll have to put the cost of care on your tab though!"

Urahara became a lot more serious following his joke.

"...Mister Higuchi, you've likely already noticed that something most peculiar is happening in Karakura Town. The reason I'm here is to tell you that you would be wise to listen to your sister's words and remain safe and sound in your room for the time being."

"H-Hey, were you...spying on us?!" Izumi asked. Urahara whistled innocently.

"W-Wait a minute, Urahara! You were the one who told me to be there for Kana if she was ever in any danger!" cried Aaron. "Why are you flipping the script like this?"

"Things are different, Mister Higuchi. When I said that, you had the strength to do I asked."

"...Come again?"

"You don't know? You no longer have the Shinigami powers given to you by Miss Mitarashi. You're nothing more than a mere human, Mister Higuchi."

Aaron froze on the spot at this development. Izumi, meanwhile, wasn't sure what the conversation even pertained to anymore.

"Since this is the case, you would be nothing more than a burden if you went check on your friends," the shop owner added.

So, that was it then. Aaron was powerless once more. His blank gaze drifted to the wooden floorboards he was standing on, and it took every ounce of restraint he had not to shout at the top of his lungs out of frustration. He never realized how much making a difference as a Shinigami had meant to him until this moment. He had finally become a person others could count on instead of someone whose efforts were admirable but made him come off as a nothing more than a nuisance. He was now the victim again instead of the savior, a liability that required looking after on a constant basis. He hated it; he despised being so weak with every fiber of his being. He always had; he just hadn't paid this any mind until Kana changed his whole world.

"B-Bro?" Izumi caught him clenching his fists hard enough to draw blood. "Are you…?"

"Urahara! Take me to Karakura Town!" he hollered without hesitation. "I don't care if you think I can't do a damn thing! If I don't go and try to help my friends and something happens to them, I'm gonna regret it for the rest of my life!"

Mister Hat and Clogs scanned Aaron's face and found nothing but determination. It humored him to no end.

"Alright, Mister Higuchi!" he jovially announced. "If that is what your heart is telling you, I'll take you to where all the action is! Of course, I'm going to have to charge you a modest transportation fee!"

"H-Huh?! Seriously?! I don't have any money though! My allowance was kinda short this week..."

Urahara's cheery expression waned. "...I see. Well, I guess I'll just have to put this on Miss Mitarashi's tab! I'm sure she won't mind!"

Aaron didn't think so either as he hopped on Urahara's flying sheet of parchment.

"H-Hold on a sec, bro!" said Izumi.

"If you're gonna tell me to sit back and do nothing again, save it! I'm going!"

Slyly smiling, Izumi replied, "Actually, I was gonna say that I'm not paying your medical bills when you inevitably end up in the hospital!"

"Y-You…!"

He swiped at her though missed thanks to how far she was. She took full advantage of this by blowing him a raspberry, a rather childish act in the face of how much she tended to brag about being more mature than him.

"Oh! Here's a free sample of candy from my store, Miss Higuchi!" Urahara held out a brown satchel, one Izumi wasted little time in scooping up. "Consider it an apology for having bothered you so early in the morning!"

With that, Aaron and Urahara began their journey to Karakura Town. Izumi ogled them soaring away at high speed and then out of sight with a shrug.

"...This really isn't any of my business." She confirmed her statement with a curt nod. "I'm probably dreaming anyway. Yep. All of this is just a really, really strange dream."

She popped a piece of candy into her mouth, her taste buds exploding at how sweet it was. Even so, she was unable to enjoy the treat for long.

"...G-God dammit! Ma is gonna kick my ass if she finds out I let that idiot go and do something this stupid without stopping him!"

She grabbed her coat and rushed out of her brother's bedroom, intending to drag him back even if it killed her.

"Tsk! It's a pain being the oldest sometimes!"

#

A smirking Renji Abarai triumphantly stood over a coughing and bleeding Uryuu Ishida.

"You see? Didn't I tell you this would happen?" the Shinigami bragged.

Sasune, having suffered a similar wound to his torso as his brother, struggled to crawl toward Renji and say, "Y-You bastard! S-Step away from him before…!"

"Before what? Tsk! You and four-eyes over there talk better than you fight by the looks of it! What? You wanna go some more?"

That suited Sasune just fine. Unfortunately, he was unable to make it to his feet, collapsing in the effort.

"Heh. That's what I thought!" Renji stated. He then moved back to Uryuu. "Since you showed up first, four-eyes, I guess I'm killing you before that other loudmouth over there!"

"W-What's going on?! Renji is crazy strong all of a sudden!" gasped Kana.

"I-Indeed. He's clearly been training during our absence," said Rukia.

Renji lifted his Zanpakutou. "My name is Renji Abarai! Remember it well as the name of the man who will you kill you!"

Uryuu grunted at being powerless to stop the inevitable.

"I-I thought I told you to get away from him, you son of a bitch!" hollered Sasune.

The concrete below Renji was torn apart all of a sudden by a shock wave of energy, causing him to lose his balance and interrupting him from finishing one of the Quincy off. Leaping out of harm's way, the flabbergasted Shinigami leered over his shoulder and spotted yet another person arriving on the battlefield.

"W-Who the hell are you?!" the fiery-haired hunter inquired.

Ichigo Kurosaki held his gigantic Zanpakutou out for all to see while he fearlessly replied, "...Ichigo Kurosaki. You should remember it well as the name of the guy that will defeat you!"

Uryuu glanced up at the teenager in astonishment, whereas Sasune's bloodstained lips settled into a grin.

"It's...about damn time..." he muttered.

Renji took note of Ichigo's attire. "A-A Shinigami?! W-Who are you?! Whose orders are you following?! Which Division are you from?! W-Wait a sec?! What the…?! What's with that idiotically huge Zanpakutou?!"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "I guess it is kinda big. Then again, I had nothing to compare it to other than Rukia's, so I wasn't really sure!"

"Ha! You're in trouble now, Renji!" said Kana. "That guy has a crazy amount of spirit power! I've seen it myself, and you can even tell how much just by looking at how big his sword is!"

For once, Renji ignored Kana's taunting. It might have had something to do with him being so unsettled at this turn of events.

"T-That kid is a freak alright! How else could someone just go swinging something that ridiculous around with ease?" said Sasune.

"I-Ichigo…!" Rukia couldn't believe it. Out of all the people she desired to see here, Ichigo Kurosaki was well at the bottom of the list. "T-That fool! Why didn't he just stay put where he was like I asked?!"

"Hmm? What's the matter, Rukia? Now Ichigo can give that jerk Renji what's coming to him!" said Kana poignantly.

"Y-You don't get it, do you?! It doesn't matter how strong Ichigo is! He doesn't have a chance of defeating someone like Renji!"

"H-Huh? B-But Ichigo beat a freakin' Menos Grande! Doesn't that count for something?!"

Evidently, it didn't to Rukia.

"Wait! I get it now!" said Renji. "You! You're the guy that stole Rukia's powers, aren't you?!"

"...So what if I am?" replied Ichigo.

Renji vaulted toward him. "You're dead!"

The two began crossing swords, sending sparks all over. Uryuu, meanwhile, took another crack at standing.

"D-Dammit! I've gotta...help Kurosaki!"

"S-Stay down over there!" Sasune, managing to sit up, exhaled at all the effort it took. "I'll help that orange-haired freak instead!"

"Tsk! Your injuries are a lot worse, Sasune! If anyone should stand aside, it's you!"

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm still the big brother, and big brother says you should just lie there and try not to bleed out, alright? I'm responsible for you, so I can't let you go off and get yourself killed!"

Uryuu growled. "Would you cut it out with this sibling crap?! It doesn't matter which one of us is older or younger in this type of situation! Besides, I never asked you to look after me! Like hell I'd be stupid enough to let the likes of you influence me!"

"A-Alright, alright already! I get the point! How about we just help that Kurosaki out together then?"

"If it'll get you to shut up…!"

The Quincies powered themselves to one knee but then abruptly fell over simultaneously. Their minds might have been willing, yet their flesh was weak.

"Y-You two okay over there?" asked Kana.

"J-Just fine, Miss Mitarashi!" Sasune flashed her a thumbs up. "Just...trying to keep all my internal organs from spilling out of my wound is all!"

"Ugh! This is the worst!" Uryuu irately slammed his fist into the ground.

"Relax there, little bro. Looks like we're just gonna have to watch a little longer."

Sasune soon directed his attention to Byakuya Kuchiki, who still hadn't done anything to assist his Vice-Captain. Rukia apprehensively spied her brother as well and was silently thankful for him staying his hand thus far.

"What's wrong?!" said Renji to Ichigo as the two continued to trade blows. Renji clearly had the upper hand, attacking twice as fast as his foe. "Is that big sword just for decoration or something?!"

"Tsk! You're really annoying!" retorted Ichigo. The most he could do at this point was block. "You're gonna bite your tongue if you keep yapping like this!"

Seeing an opening, Ichigo shouted and brought his sword down. Renji jumped right over it and then slashed the orange-haired teenager's shoulder open on the way up. Ichigo, falling to his knees, clutched the spot and looked as if he weren't sure he were really hurt.

"I've won!" said Renji with confidence. "Now then, you'll die, and Rukia will get her powers back! Afterward, she and Kana will be dragged back to Soul Society for their sentencing!"

Rukia leered away from Ichigo when the latter turned to her for clarification.

"Aw man! You've gotta be kidding me!" shouted a teary-eyed Kana. "I-I'm too young and pretty to go to jail! They'll eat me alive in there!"

"Haha! Of course! Is this what they refer to as justice in the Soul Society? Imprisoning two women who only did what they did out of necessity?" postulated Sasune. "...Why am I not surprised?"

"Shut your mouth over there! A human like you couldn't even comprehend how law and order works in the Soul Society!" snapped Renji. Returning to Ichigo, he added, "You're so stupid! Don't you realize the reason Rukia came here by herself is so you wouldn't be hurt?! I don't know where you came from, kid, but you should've just stayed there! Did you actually believe you could change things by coming here?! A Shinigami like you with no brain couldn't hope to put even a single scratch on a veteran fighter like me!"

Renji's claim didn't seem so absolute once Ichigo's blade left a gash below his lip.

"My bad. I didn't mean to interrupt you," said Ichigo, beaming. "My hand just slipped. Go on. What were you saying about one scratch?"

Renji swiped the trailing blood away and uttered, "Y-You bastard!"

"You were careless, Renji," said Byakuya just then.

The Vice-Captain of the Sixth Division froze up at his Captain's tone. "W-What are you talking about?! T-This scratch I have here is nothing! I…!"

"Now I know why this boy's name sounded familiar," continued Byakuya. "I received a report about thirty-three hours ago that detailed how a human named Ichigo Kurosaki managed to repel an invading Menos Grande. The scar the Hollow received from this boy weakened it enough to allow Shinigami forces later on to destroy it with ease."

"Yeah! Ichigo totally had that thing crying like a little baby!" exclaimed Kana.

"It was crazy alright..." mumbled Sasune. "Speaking of crazy, that Kurosaki guy has to be an absolute lunatic to just charge at a Menos Grande like he did!"

Uryuu added, "Indeed. It's a miracle we're all still alive after something like that."

"Hey, I can hear you all back there!" barked Ichigo.

The news came as nothing less than a shock to Renji Abarai. He churned the tale through his mind over and over, yet it made even less sense to him each time.

"N-No way!" he eventually decried. Then, he began to cackle like someone had told a funny joke. "That report had to be false, Captain! Someone made an error or something because there's no way a punk like that could've taken on a Menos!"

"Renji..." said Byakuya in a scolding intonation.

"That kid's Zanpakutou might be big, but there's no strength behind it! There's no way something like it could destroy a Hollow!"

"This guy sure likes to hear himself talk," chimed Sasune.

"At least you've only been dealing with him for a few minutes! I've had to put up with him blabbering like this for hundreds of years!" said Kana.

Uryuu pushed his glasses up. "People with overinflated ego like him tend to ramble on like this. Perhaps he just like hearing the sound of his own, grating voice."

"Y-You three better put a sock in it before I come over there!" cried Renji as a large vein pulsated on the side of his cranium. He then aimed a finger at Ichigo. "You! What's the name of your Zanpakutou?!"

"Name? I don't do that sort of crap. You're meaning to tell me Shinigami actually go around naming their swords?"

"Ha! I knew it! You talk like you're my equal, kid, but you haven't even asked your sword it's name yet?! Come back and face me after you've trained for another two thousand years!"

Ichigo braced himself for anything once Renji swept his hand over his blade.

"Howl! Zabimaru!"

His Zanpakutou changed shape, becoming a longer, six-part segmented blade. Each piece was wider than the last, and razor sharp protrusions extended from the front and back of them.

"Huh?! Shikai?! That's cheating!" said Kana.

"W-Wait, Renji! Don't…!" cried Rukia.

The distress in her words did nothing to stop Renji from taking to the skies.

"Look in front of you, Zabimaru! There's your prey!"

Unsure of what to expect, Ichigo intuitively lifted his sword to protect himself. Renji's Zabimaru suddenly extended like a whip, gliding over the orange-haired teenager's blade and then slicing its way through his shoulder. Renji wrenched his arm back, dragging every segment of Zabimaru through his opponent's wound as he retracted the Zanpakutou. The strength in Ichigo's legs faded, and he slumped to his knees. His weapon clattered to a halt on the ground soon after.

"This is the end, kid!" affirmed Renji. "You're about to lose to me, Renji Abarai! You'll die here!"

Rukia yearned to cry out for Ichigo, yet nothing left her agape mouth. All the air in her lungs had been swept away.

"T-That's it! I can't sit here and watch this shit anymore!" brayed Sasune.

"...For once, I agree with you." Uryuu didn't notice it, but his bottom lip was quivering in rage, just like Sasune's. "Is there really nothing we can do?!"

"Well, it might be a longshot, but I just thought of something! Can you move now?"

"A-A little better than before! Resting a bit helped!"

The Quincies found some way to rise in spite of their battered bodies.

"Huh? I kinda thought you guys were dead there for a sec!" said Kana.

"N-Not a chance, Miss Mitarashi!" answered Sasune.

"I'm afraid our pride won't allow us to go down just yet!" added Uryuu.

Rukia's eyes widened. "W-What do you two think you're doing?! Just stay down! N-No! If you have the strength to stand, run! Run while you can! I'll...come up with some way to slow Renji down while you do!"

"Y-Yeah! You two are gonna end up like Ichigo if you don't!" chimed Kana.

Sasune, grimacing while grasping at the gash on his torso, said, "S-Sorry, ladies! While I normally hate saying no to gorgeous women, I'm afraid I'm going to have to do so this time. You see, when Quincies like us see Shinigami, something in our blood just boils. We can't help but want to fight!"

"If we're doing this, let's get it over with already," said a panting Uryuu. "I've managed to stop my bleeding, but I don't know how long I can keep it up."

"Yeah, same here, bro. I never was any good at using Blut."

"...And you claim to be 'the world's greatest Quincy?'"

Sasune's nose wrinkled. "L-Let's just do this already!"

"W-Wait a moment, you two!"

Rukia's speech fell on deaf ears. Sasune and Uryuu vanished with Hirenkyaku.

"Oh! T-They're really gone!" said Kana, wonderment etched into her face. "I guess they really don't like Shinigami if they're gonna try to fight in their condition!"

Hatred wouldn't be enough to dispatch Renji, Rukia thought.

"Sorry, kid! Everything that's happened has just been a result of our differing strength!" Renji informed Ichigo. His foe's blood continued to drip from Zabimaru. "A Zanpakutou can change its shape or size depending on the spiritual prowess of its owner! This is my true strength!"

Ichigo, perhaps in a state of shock, said nothing.

Renji went on with, "Farewell, kid! I don't have a personal grudge against you! You just aren't fit to remain in this world! I'll finish you slowly and then head back home!"

Rukia wasn't one to say 'I told you so', yet the expression seemed most appropriate in light of what had ensued. Why Ichigo hadn't fled the instant he detected how big a gap there was in his power compared to Renji's was beyond her.

On the other hand, she felt most of this was her doing. She knew Ichigo well enough to predict he wouldn't run with his tail between his legs even if she begged. It went against his nature of wanting to protect those dear to him.

She was going to have to take matters into her own hands.

"H-Hey, where are you going, Rukia?!" asked Kana once her friend began to sprint into the heart of danger. "Now she wants to fight? We could've been kickin' Renji's butt sooner!"

Rukia's plan was simple: she would hold Renji down to the best of her ability, giving Ichigo and everyone else there the chance to make a break for it. She cared not what happened to her afterward; she figured she was likely dead regardless.

Sasune put a rut into her idea by appearing above an unsuspecting Renji just then.

"Hey, guy with the face! Merry Christmas!"

Renji leered up and discovered his 'present' was an enormous arrow. It scattered red smoke upon impact.

"W-What the hell was that about?!"

Flash Stepping out of the haze unharmed, Renji searched his surroundings and then grunted at the sight of Uryuu awaiting him.

"I really hate using techniques that resemble a Shinigami's, but I suppose there's no pointing in complaining now," said the Quincy. He tossed an item that glimmered in the moonlight: a silver tube. "A silver rod strikes the five-fingered stone bed! Gritz!"

"S-Shit!"

The scarlet-haired Shinigami swatted at the Gintou using his blade but missed. The tube then hit him on the shoulder. Afterward, a blue, pentagon-shaped cross materialized in front of Renji ahead of encasing him in a metallic shell. Quick to move in, Sasune chucked four more silver tubes at the prison.

"You know, you aren't too bright for someone who talks so damn much, Shinigami! Later! Feel the wrath of battle and accept this sacred chalice! Hiezen!"

A large, rectangular, and transparent energy beam crashed into Uryuu's Gritz, shattering it, and likely Renji, to bits.

"W-Whoa! That was amazing!" said a clapping Kana.

Rukia was briefly speechless before daring herself to say, "...I-Is it over?"

Byakuya's eyelids constricted at the remains of the Gritz.

"Tsk! You were off with your timing, Sasune!" scolded Uryuu.

Sasune rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding me? I was amazing like always! If anyone screwed up back there, it was you, little brother! How come you didn't use a stronger Gritz?! I could've had an easier target with my Heizen!"

"There was nothing wrong with my Gritz! You should've used more Gintou for your Heizen!"

Sasune anxiously laughed. "Er...a-about that! I...only brought four Gintou with me!"

Uryuu's face reddened. "Y-You idiot! How could you be so unprepared?!"

"'Unprepared?!' It's not like I expect to get attacked by Shinigami and other weird people on a regular basis! Besides, I was going drinking tonight! I wouldn't need…!"

He held that thought and struggled to hold back the contents of his stomach.

"I-I better stop talking. I really am gonna hurl at this rate!"

The Quincy did vomit, but it was something unexpected: blood. He slowly looked down at Renji's Zabimaru, which was presently through the entirety of his stomach.

"...Ow."

His pupils faded as Renji retracted his sword. The Quincy, like a crumbling edifice, tumbled over. The scene played out in slow motion to his horror-stricken friends.

"S-Sasune!" hollered Uryuu, who had little time to mourn his older sibling's defeat. Zabimaru came rushing at him, inducing him to smack his lips. "Nice try!"

The moment he went to form an arrow, Zabimaru sped around him and left a well-sized cut on his back. He hit the ground, becoming motionless while a pool of blood formed underneath him.

"A-Ah! Uryuu! Sasune!" blared Kana, who flew into a total panic. Her anxiety tripled after she took heed of Renji Abarai standing in the distance. "H-Huh?! H-He's barely even hurt after all that!"

At last, the reality of Renji's overwhelming power clicked in her mind. Her amber eyes shrunk, whereas fear proceeded to take over her thoughts, buzzing in her head like a swarm of locust. Her predicament, along with Rukia's, was slowly but surely becoming hopeless.

"Tsk! I didn't think they could do something like that!" Renji stated, brushing his forehead clean of some trailing blood. "Guess it was pointless in the end!"

"You were only in that situation to begin with, Renji, because you lowered your guard. You should have made certain those two were finished," said Byakuya.

Renji flinched. "R-Right, Captain. I'll finish the job this time!"

Kana prevented him from closing in on Uryuu and Sasune by barring his path.

"Not so fast, buster!" she said.

"Outta the way, Kana! Just what do you think you can do?! Stop it before you make your sentence even worse!"

She wasn't as powerless as he presumed. She loosened the buttons on her blouse, giving him a excellent view of what she was housing inside.

"K-Knock it off!" he hollered, covering his sight. "T-That crap won't work on me!"

"Oh yeah? Then how come you're peeking out of the cracks of your fingers?"

"I-I'm doing nothing of the sort! Seriously, knock it off already!"

Rukia took a different approach to slowing Renji down. She lunged at him and then attached herself to his neck. She held on for dear life as he tried throwing her off by force.

"N-Not you too, Rukia! Would you two cut it out already?!"

"If you can move, Ichigo, get up and run!" Rukia made haste to shout. "Run, you fool!"

Ichigo threw everyone for a loop when he retook his Zanpakutou and gripped the handle tightly.

"What the hell? You still have enough strength to move around? Well, that's good! Finishing off someone who's near death is boring anyway!" said Renji. He grinned from ear to ear and added, "Alright! One more time then! Let's go! Try to enjoy your last moments of combat, kid!"

"Didn't you hear me, Ichigo?! What are you waiting for?! Run!" repeated Rukia in a far more despondent intonation. "ICHIGO!"

"Hey, are you deaf or something?! Hurry up before I catch a cold!" cried Kana.

"J-Just button up your shirt, and you'd be fine!" Renji screamed at her.

Ichigo's gaze stayed glued to the ground.

"What's wrong?" asked Renji. He took a fighting pose. "If you're not gonna attack, then I will!"

Ichigo took the initiative after all, tearing up the concrete as he blasted like a round out of a cannon for the red-haired Shinigami. Caught off guard, Renji lifted his Zabimaru to block whatever was coming, though he was way more troubled by Ichigo's rising spiritual pressure.

By the time he even noticed Ichigo had carved his left shoulder open, the orange-haired teen had already landed on the other side of him.

"Ugh! Y-You bastard!"

He whirled to his foe and was ready to go back on the offensive, but Ichigo once again beat him to the punch. Zabimaru did little to repel Ichigo's next strike, and its master was tossed away like a paper bag in the wind. Renji halted his momentum by sliding his hand against a railing. As his designer sunglasses snapped in half, a fresh wave of blood drizzled out of his skull.

"Uh...w-what's going on? Wasn't...he about to die just seconds ago?" Kana turned her head and endeavored to piece the circumstances together. "Now he's just getting crazy strong like when he went up against that mean, ol' Menos!"

Was there still time to hope? Rukia wasn't sure. She didn't want to break her resolve, something she had been sharpening all night, just because Ichigo was gaining the upper hand.

"Hey, what's the matter?! You've gotten a lot slower! I'm not sure why, but I feel great! I can't even feel my injury even more!" said an exultant Ichigo. He was the only one who didn't comprehend it was he who had gotten faster rather than Renji becoming sluggish. "Something tells me I'm not gonna lose to you now!"

Stunned into silence, Renji cringed at Ichigo's rising spiritual pressure stinging his skin. It was heavy, heavy enough that a small part of him couldn't help but ponder if he was seriously in a bind.

"Let's end this!" bellowed Ichigo. He charged at Renji, the Shinigami seeming like a defenseless child compared to his opponent's might. "This is it! I'm gonna win!"

Ichigo swung his blade for the fences. Everyone held their breath.

He struck nothing, nothing at all. He discovered the reason upon noting much of his Zanpakutou was gone. Holding the hilt and what little of the blade that remained, his shaking, perplexed eyes shot all about. He quickly determined Renji hadn't been the cause. The Shinigami hadn't moved an inch. His head then pivoted to Byakuya Kuchiki.

"H-Huh?! H-How'd he get Ichigo's sword?!" wondered Kana. She took the words right out of Ichigo's mouth. "I-I didn't even see him move!"

Neither did Ichigo. It made no sense. The Sixth Division Captain had been nowhere near him. It was hard to deny what he was seeing though.

Byakuya silently dropped Ichigo's sword before grabbing the handle of his own Zanpakutou.

"Whoa! Is he finally gonna attack?!" asked Kana.

"S-Shit!" hollered Sasune, who suddenly got a really bad feeling.

"B-Brother, no!" cried Rukia. She already knew what was coming. Byakuya left her no time to warn his target however.

Ichigo stood on as Byakuya nonchalantly passed by him in a nanosecond. The teen then leered down, unsure why blood was now erupting out of horizontal slash on his chest like a water fountain. Watching the liquid pour out was surreal to him. Had he been attacked? If so, from which direction? As he began to fall over, hardly anything was crystal clear. The sole thing he understood was the intense pain now coursing through being.

"...You're slow," said Byakuya. His expression was cold, unmerciful even. "Even when toppling down."

"W-Wait, Brother!" pleaded Rukia.

Byakuya once more paid her words no mind. He followed his initial strike by impaling Ichigo through the chest. More blood spilled out of his foe. Byakuya soon enough removed his blade and sheathed it. Ichigo, unable to stop himself, fell face first into the ground.

"...What the hell...just happened?!" Sasune didn't bother to hide the horror scrawled into every line on his visage by postering like usual. The time for such shenanigans was over. "No, seriously! What was that?! When did he even attack Kurosaki?! I-I didn't see anything!"

"I...only sorta saw him draw his sword!" said Kana, who could hardly speak to begin with.

"D-Dammit! Damn it all to hell!"

Sasune bitterly slammed his fist into the ground. He and the others never stood a chance against the likes of Renji and Byakuya. Only now was that clear to him. Byakuya could have stepped in and ended them all in a flash if that was his desire.

"Pointless!" he growled. "It's pointless! T-They're in another league! DAMMIT!"

Rukia glanced at him and could hardly brag about being right all along. Ichigo was likely dead, and it was without a doubt her fault.

"...If I couldn't even see the Captain move that time, there's no way that kid knows what hit him," said Renji, who took a moment to collect himself. He surveyed Ichigo's unmoving form in the distance and was somewhat bothered by how things had unfolded. "W-What the hell was up with that surge of energy?"

"Is something wrong, Renji?" asked Byakuya.

Admonished, his Vice-Captain replied, "N-No. It's just...you didn't have to step in that time, Captain. I could've finished him myself."

"Don't be like that. If I'm always the one watching, my skills will diminish."

Renji curled his lips. He highly doubted that.

"I-Ichigo!"

Without warning, Rukia made a mad dash for the fallen Shinigami. Renji intercepted her though and grabbed her by the neck ahead of slamming her against a light post.

"Let go, Renji! Ichigo is…! Ichigo is…!"

"What in the world do you think you're doing, Rukia?! Look! He's dead! There's no point in your getting yourself in more trouble over a dead guy!"

"Hey, let her go, you jerk!" cried Kana. Before she could come to her friend's aid, Byakuya Flash Stepped behind her and wrapped his fingers around her arm. "Huh? Hey, who's trying to get all touchy-feely back there?!"

Once she figured out who exactly was restraining her, she had no qualms with being in his midst. In fact, she embraced Byakuya, threatening to break his spine because she was squeezing him so tightly.

"D-Did I say let go? I meant to say never let go!"

Byakuya groaned a bit.

"You pipe down over there too, Kana!" said Renji. He then faced Rukia once more. "Don't you two get it?! If you go near that kid over there, you'll add another twenty years to your sentence!"

"T-Twenty years?!" Kana became pale. "Uh...I-I'll be quiet now!"

Rukia wasn't so willing to be obedient. "I-I don't care about something like that! I-I was the one who dragged Ichigo into this mess! It's my fault he's dead! Since it's my fault he died, is it so wrong to go to him?!"

Renji held his head down and wasn't sure how to respond.

"In other words, even if it means a harsher punishment..." began Byakuya out of the blue. "...you still want to be by the side of this boy. I see now, Rukia. He does resembles him quite a bit."

Now it was Rukia who was left lost for words.

"Huh? Who the heck is he talking about?" asked Kana.

"W-Would you release Captain Kuchiki already, you parasite?!" roared Renji.

"Bite me!"

"I'm gonna do a lot more than that, you little…!"

Taking advantage of the reality no one was paying him any mind, Sasune crawled his way to a nearby railing and used it to prop himself up. He then took a gander at Uryuu, who in turn eyed him curiously.

"W-We gotta do something!" whispered Sasune. "Now that Kurosaki is outta the picture, we gotta make a break for it before we end up like him!"

"H-How in the hell do you suppose we do that?!" replied Uryuu. "I-I can't even move!"

"Tsk! I'm in the same boat! This is what I get for not minding my own business! I should've just kept on getting hammered for the rest of the morning!"

"...Judging by the way you smell, I think you've had enough, Sasune."

The Quincy raised an eyebrow at the voice that had just spoken to him. It didn't belong to Uryuu or anyone else there. He at first thought he was hearing things and blamed it on the alcohol or even his tremendous loss of blood. However, he gathered he wasn't hallucinating when Aaron Higuchi walked in front of him.

"...Am I interrupting something?" he asked everyone around with a rather hard-nosed look. "I'm sorry. I hate being the last one to arrive to something. I would've been here sooner if Urahara weren't so insistent on taking a 'shortcut.' Turns out the way he took was actually longer."

"W-What in the…?! CT, what the heck are you doing here?!" voiced Kana.

"...You should know perfectly well why, Kana."

"Y-You big dummy! N-No one told you to come after me! Can't you take a hint?! You can be really dense sometimes, you know! I bet you think you're really cool, huh?! Well, you're not! You're just a...b-big dummy, you big dummy!"

Aaron sighed once she began flailing her arms here and there.

Sasune said, "...You really are a big dummy, Chocolate Thunder. Then again, we all pretty much saw this coming once Kurosaki showed up. Guess idiots like you two just can't help but jump headfirst into the jaws of defeat."

Aaron retorted, "Funny you say that considering you're the one bleeding out on the ground over there. Just...be quiet, Sasune. Let me handle this."

The Quincy dared not crack another joke, not when his friend was being deathly serious like this.

"...Just how many people are gonna rear their ugly heads here?!" asked Renji. Something then came to him. "Oh, man! This is rich! Lemme guess! You're the human that stole Kana's Shinigami powers, right?"

Kana was frantically gesturing for Aaron to stay silent on the matter.

"...Yeah, that's me," he said instead, making her palm her hand over her face. "My name is Aaron Higuchi. This is quite an honor. I never thought I'd be meeting two Shinigami from Soul Society like this. Too bad we couldn't have bumped into one another under more...pleasant circumstances."

"W-Would you stop chatting them up and get outta here, CT?!" said Kana in a more urgent tone. "You wanna end up like Ichigo over there?! At least he still had his Shinigami powers! Renji and Captain Kuchiki are gonna pound your face in at this rate!"

"She's right, Aaron!" added Sasune. "No one is gonna think of you as a coward if you hightail it outta here! There's no point in all of us dying!"

"I know, you guys. I know. I can't become a Shinigami anymore." Aaron balled his fists and attempted to contain his bubbling ire while he spoke. "Still, I felt I had to come out here. I...have no idea what I'm gonna do. I'm pretty sure there isn't anything I can do, but...I still feel like I had to come!"

"What in the world are you going on about?" said Renji. He had presumed capturing Rukia and Kana in the Human World would be a simple task, but it had escalated into something else entirely. "So, you don't have Kana's powers anymore, huh? I'm still gonna have to kill you though, kid! Your friends are right! You were a fool for coming out here like this!"

Aaron frowned some. "...Yeah, I know. Well, if you're going to kill me then, I suggest you get it over with already. I'm sure you guys have a lot to do since you're important Shinigami from Soul Society and all."

"Tsk! You got a smart mouth for some worthless punk! It ain't even gonna be fun cutting you down!"

A crying Kana sniffled and shouted, "Big dummy! Big dummy! Big dummy!"

"Stop it, Renji!" hollered Rukia. She might not have been shedding tears like the brunette, but she was just as distraught. "That boy over there is nothing but a mere human now! He isn't a threat to anyone!"

"Sorry, but I've got my orders!" replied Renji. "I can't just let this kid off the hook!"

"...If you're going to finish him, do it quickly, Renji. It is about time we returned to Soul Society," said Byakuya.

"Right, Captain!"

Byakuya was prepared to step away, yet he paused when he felt someone grab at his robes. His slate gray eyes made their way to the individual in question.

"How come everyone's talking about me like I'm dead, huh?! And who's this guy you're talking about who's supposed to look like me?" said a beaming Ichigo Kurosaki. His trembling fingers kept a steady grip on Byakuya while he added, "Don't talk about me without my permission!"

Relief washed over Rukia at Ichigo somehow being alive. It vanished in a hurry however once she concluded he was now in fresh danger.

"W-What in the hell?! H-How could that kid still be alive?! He can still move on top of that?!" questioned Renji. It was unfathomable. Never before had anyone survived his Captain's two-strike attack. "Impossible! Where is that bastard getting all of his strength from?!"

"Where indeed?" asked Sasune, overhearing the Shinigami. "Haha! He's one hell of a guy alright! I wouldn't wanna run into him down a dark alley!"

"Yo, Higuchi!" Ichigo said. "Sorry, but I don't have time to talk!"

Aaron nodded. "Nice to see you again, Kurosaki. I guess you aren't so dead after all."

"...Release me, boy," said Byakuya in a placid, albeit imposing, tone.

"What was that? Look at me if you have something to say to me!" answered Ichigo defiantly.

"That's a nice scarf he has there," said Aaron, pointing at Byakuya. "Probably costs a fortune. Maybe his outfit is the same. No wonder he's getting so pissed off at you."

"Q-Quit it already, you two!" screamed Kana. "Y-You aren't fooling anyone with this tough guy act! All you're gonna do is piss these guys off even more!"

That was the idea, Aaron and Ichigo thought.

Robotically, Byakuya rotated his head at the teenagers. "...You must not be all too attached to that arm, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Hearing this and fearing the worst, Rukia sprung into action. She astounded just about everyone by kicking Ichigo's limb off her adoptive brother.

"W-What the hell, Rukia?!" cried the orange-haired teenager. "What's your problem?!"

"Uh...I-I think you just hit the wrong guy," said Aaron, scratching his head.

"You two are just humans! How dare you speak to my brother in such a manner!" she responded, sounding utterly disgusted. "Know your places, rookies!"

"W-What?!" stammered Ichigo.

"C-Come again?" replied Aaron in the same baffled voice. "W-Where is all this coming from?! H-How can you just talk to Ichigo like that after he almost died trying to save you?!"

"I never asked to be saved!" she snapped. "Neither did Kana! You two really are fools for thinking you could do anything to change what's about to happen!"

Her sharp tongue induced bitter grumbling out of Aaron because he knew she had a point. Maybe he was just acting tough in order to drown this notion out.

Shifting away from them, Rukia said, "Let's go, Brother! The crude behavior of these humans has opened my eyes! Please take me to Soul Society! I'll humbly accept my sins and my punishment, whatever it may be."

It took Kana a few moments to understand why Rukia was doing what she was.

"Y-Yeah! Take me too!" she stated. "I can't believe how jerky all these lowly humans can be! They don't know the first meaning of respect!"

"N-Not you too, Kana!" said Aaron.

"Yeah, did you hit your head or something?!" said Sasune. "You were the one who said you didn't want to go back to Soul Society!"

"Can it, jerks!" she shot back. "We're through talking!"

She cemented her claim by crossing her arms and facing the other way.

"Y-You idiot!"

Aaron wasn't willing to to just accept this. He made his way toward Kana, intending to slap some sense into her if he had to. He skidded to a halt though when Renji barred his path, and his eyes became as wide as saucers after the Shinigami jabbed the hilt of his Zanpakutou into his stomach. The blow was enough to render him unconscious. He got one last look at Kana before he passed out, and he momentarily scanned her morbid expression for answers. Kana, attempting to hide it, flinched at him being dispatched.

"H-Higuchi!" bellowed Ichigo. "Y-You're gonna pay for that!"

"Would you shut the hell up already?!" said Renji, stomping his foot into Ichigo's back to get him to cease and desist. "It's over, kid! There's nothing more you can do! Can't you get that through that thick skull of yours?!"

"...There's no point in killing him and sullying your blade," said Rukia harshly. "He'll stop breathing on his own eventually if you leave him like that."

"Yeah! You don't have to worry about the other one either!" said Kana without remorse. "He's just some stinkin' human! I'm done using him!"

"'U-Using him?!'" The remark set Sasune off. In fact, he would've pounced on Kana if he could expend the energy to do so. "Y-You bitch! W-Was Aaron just some tool for you to use as you saw fit?! Dammit! I should've seen this coming! I guess all Shinigami are alike in the end, even you!"

Kana chewed on her bottom lip but otherwise offered these stinging accusations no reply.

"Hold on a sec, Rukia! I-Is this some sort of sick joke?! You can't just…!"

"Don't move!" shouted Rukia. As she faced Ichigo one last time, the tears trickling down her cheeks prompted him to pause more than her declaration. "If you take even one more step or try to follow me, I'll never forgive you! You're going to die there anyway, so save whatever strength you have and live a moment longer!"

Byakuya glanced at the agonizing faces of Kana and Rukia ahead of removing his fingers from the hilt of his Zanpakutou.

"...Very well," he said. It began to rain at that moment, first being nothing more than a drizzle before erupting into a downpour that drenched everything and everyone. "We shall take our leave then. Neither of those two with the strange weapons can move, and the human that once held Mitarashi's Shinigami powers is of no concern to us now."

Byakuya's ice gaze rested on Ichigo, who growled like a rabid animal.

"...As for him, I slashed both his chest and his collarbone. The injuries from these vital points should kill him within the hour. Even if he does live, not a speck of the Shinigami powers he gained from Rukia will remain. Now then, Renji..."

"S-Sir!"

Renji wasted no time in thrusting his Zabimaru into an invisible lock and turning it as if it were a key. This fashioned a Senkaimon, and the brilliant light stemming from it obscured the surroundings.

"Let's go, you two!" he said to Rukia and Kana while four Hell Butterflies fluttered out of the pathway. "And I don't wanna hear any lip from you on the way back, Kana!"

"Oh, bite me already, you insufferable…!"

Rukia covered Kana's mouth with her hand to prevent the brunette from making things worse. On the other hand, she wasn't sure that was even possible.

"A-Are we really just gonna sit back and watch them go?! Are we really that powerless to stop this from happening?!" howled Sasune, driving his fists into a puddle of water. His pride had been shattered like glass, and seething, he was starting to see nothing but red as he wrathfully stared at Kana. "You! Don't you ever show your face in this world again! I'll kill you myself if you do! You're not hurting my best friend ever again!"

Kana's lips quivered. She knew that for once, the Quincy wasn't kidding around. She just hoped he would be grateful to discover she had no intention of intruding upon Hino, Karakura Town, or any other abode in the Human World in the future. Following Rukia and the others into the Senkaimon, she wiped her burning eyelids and found a small bit of comfort in knowing she would never trouble Aaron with her problems again.

Ichigo and Sasune were alone now. It took minutes for them to process this. Meanwhile, the unrelenting rain persisted, with thunder and lightning entering the mix. The weather, while not unusual, was almost mocking. Listening to the droplets make contact with the pavement, a blank-faced Sasune wearily took a gander at Ichigo, who was yelling at the top of his lungs. That was precisely what the Quincy craved to do, yet he hadn't any vigor left to do much of anything other than rest his head onto the ground.

"...I need a drink."

Heavy footsteps sloshed through the wet street and approached the bodies strewn about. Kisuke Urahara, holding an umbrella to keep himself dry, then knelt down to Ichigo.

"Y-You..." mumbled Sasune. His voice barely traveled to Urahara's ears since it was so feeble. "...I bet this is real funny to you, huh? We must look like a bunch of idiots, huh? You wanna yell at us? Tsk. Whatever. Do it. Do it already!"

Urahara declined. Rather, he lifted his bucket hat slightly, allowing Sasune to spy how dour he was. He didn't seem like a man about to scold a bunch of teenagers for going out and half near getting themselves killed.

#

"Where…?"

Darkness permeated the space encircling Aaron. He without a doubt wasn't in Karakura Town anymore. A bevy of inquisitions flooded his mind, but he put them all on hold at the sound of distinct giggling off in the distance. He recognized who it was on the spot.

"K-Kana!"

The girl came into plain view. She then cheerily waved at him before dashing off in a hurry.

"W-Wait a second! Hold up! Where are you going?!"

She gave him no explanation, forcing him to go after her. However, no matter how hard and fast he ran, he couldn't close the gap between them. Not only was he now becoming distraught but out of breath as well.

"D-Dammit! You can't just leave like this, Kana! That's selfish!"

It was no use. Gasping for fresh oxygen, Aaron frantically combed all around him to no avail. Kana was gone. He bitterly ground the rows of his teeth and wondered if there was something he could have said or done to convince his friend to return by his side.

Just then, illumination replaced the enclosing shadows. Aaron's interest was piqued after a different young woman, one he had never seen before, took Kana's place. She wore nothing more than a white, tattered cloth that covered her tan skin, and it clashed with the neon blue shade of her short, spiky hair. The two leered at one another in complete silence for what felt like forever.

At some point, Aaron collect himself enough to say, "...Why do I get the feeling I know you?"

The girl gave him a playful smirk, implying he wasn't off base. He wasn't allowed the chance to prove his theory. Everything around him began to dissipate, whereas his mind became foggy.

#

Aaron was yanked out of his sweet dreams by an earsplitting cry. He sat up and loosed one of his own.

"Why are we screaming?!"

He got a full comprehension of why upon discerning Tessai Tsukabishi pressing his weight on a squirming Ichigo Kurosaki in a scene that was all too familiar.

"W-Would you get off of me already?!" roared Ichigo.

"Good! You're getting goosebumps! What a relief!" said Tessai happily.

"W-Why in the hell would something like that be a good thing?" mumbled Aaron.

Ichigo cried, "Seriously! You're too damn close!"

Words failed to do the trick, so he began shoving at the giant crushing him. His strength failed him however, and Aaron had a hunch the orange-haired teen was doing more to reopen his many injuries rather than saving himself.

"Boss, he's awake!" an oblivious Tessai yelled at the door.

"Oh, I see. We're at Urahara's then," said Aaron with a nod. "Man, I'm beginning to see more of this place than my own room."

"W-Wait a sec! You work for Mister Hat and Clogs, right?!" Ichigo asked Tessai. "W-Why the hell are you in bed with me?!"

"Heh. I kinda feel like an asshole for being glad it's not me who has to wake up and see that guy for once."

Ichigo's worming around came back to haunt him in the form an intense pain shooting across one of his shoulders. He clutched the area and was startled to find it and most of his torso dressed in bandages.

"W-Wait, I'm not dead?" Ichigo patted himself down just to be sure. "How?"

"That's what I wanna know. You had to have lost a couple gallons of blood."

"H-Huh?! Where the hell am I?! This isn't my house!"

Aaron sighed. "...You're a bit slow on the uptake, aren't you? This is the Urahara Store. Wait, you've...never been here before?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "'Urahara Store?' Wait, this is Mister Hat and Clogs place?"

Aaron nodded. "...Slow on the uptake indeed. That's weird though. How in the world did we end up here? The last thing I remember is going after Kana and bumping into those Shinigami."

Hearing this, Ichigo scowled.

"S-Sorry!" Aaron made haste to say. "I-I was just thinking out loud!"

"...Don't worry about it. It's not like I was the only one who lost a friend."

"W-What?! You're not saying…!"

"That is correct, Mister Higuchi! Oh! And I wouldn't move around so much if I were you, Mister Kurosaki! You're liable to die!" chimed a voice entering the small room. Aaron and Ichigo swirled to it, both crimping their mouths at Kisuke Urahara. "My, my! Aren't you two scary? If looks could kill! Anyway, Miss Mitarashi and Miss Kuchiki are gone. They are no doubt in Soul Society by now."

"...I see." Aaron put his head down and struggled to soak in this development without losing his temper. "...So, we couldn't do anything in the end, huh? Man, some knight in shining armor I am."

Urahara cooled himself off with his green fan. He afterward prodded at Aaron using his cane, causing the latter to swat it away.

"W-What's the big idea?!"

"Please try not to look so depressed, Mister Higuchi! While you might not have been as gravely hurt like Mister Kurosaki here, your own wounds won't heal with your heart so heavy!"

"...Yeah, that doesn't even make any sense. Anyway, I'm sorry you keep having to save and patch me up like this. I swear I'm not doing it on purpose."

"How the hell many times have you been here?" questioned Ichigo.

Urahara agreeably said, "No need to fret about that, Mister Higuchi! Nevertheless, I wonder if I should begin charging you rent! This store doesn't play for itself, after all!"

"So, you really were the one that saved us, Mister Hat and Clogs?"

"That is also correct, Mister Kurosaki! You sound rather dejected though, almost like you're disappointed I came to yours and Mister Higuchi's aid."

Perhaps out of pride, Ichigo chose to keep Urahara in the dark.

"Wait, what about Ishida?! Did you find him too?! Is he alright?!"

"Er...how about the other Ishida? Is he okay too?" asked Aaron. "Is he here?"

"Neither Quincy is here," explained Urahara. "They left shortly after I brought them here. The younger brother's wounds weren't too severe. He likely could've lied in the middle of that street for another two days before dying. The older sibling though was on the verge of death. Those Shinigami really did a number on him. Neither one of them allowed me to treat them much. They were far more worried about you two. I implored for both of them to remain here and recuperate, but they declined. I suppose they're just the sort that would rather look after one another."

"Tsk. Knowing them, they're probably screaming each other's heads off while bleeding out on some street corner," joked Aaron. His smile quickly faded and was replaced by genuine concern. "...Dammit. I can't figure out which of them is more stubborn."

"The only thing they requested from me is that I take care of you both."

"Huh? Why?"

"...Because they seem to believe you two are the only one who have a shot at rescuing Miss Kuchiki and Miss Mitarashi."

Aaron and Ichigo, sullen-faced, glanced at one another prior to shifting their gaze to the floor.

"...That's not true," said Aaron after a long break in the discussion. "D-Didn't you see what happened when those Shinigami showed up? Even Kurosaki here couldn't do a thing! Even if I had my powers back then, I would've..."

"Besides, those two are already back in Soul Society by now!" shouted Ichigo. "There's no way we can follow them there!"

Aaron shook his head. "It really is out of our hands this time around. There's...nothing we can do but accept the fact those two are gone for good."

Urahara surveyed the teenagers and came off as somewhat upset in Aaron's opinion.

"...Do you both truly believe there is no way to get into Soul Society?" the shop owner queried. His intonation implied he had some knowledge on the matter.

Ichigo got to his feet. "So there is a way?! How?! How can we get there?! Tell us how!"

"T-This isn't another one of your corny jokes is it, Urahara?" asked Aaron with an air of skepticism. "Because I'm really not in the mood to hear them right now."

"Of course I'll tell you two! And I'm always serious, Mister Higuchi!" said Urahara. The way he was grinning like a kid in a candy store didn't hammer home his last claim. "However, only under one condition. Starting now and for ten days, the two of you will train with me so you both can learn how to fight properly."

"T-Training?" Aaron blinked. That was the absolute last thing he anticipated hearing from the humble shopkeeper. "Uh...o-okay? I guess that's fair considering what we'll probably have to face to get Kana and Rukia back. How are we gonna…?"

"Shit! You're seriously asking us to train with you?!" cried Ichigo out of the blue. Obviously, he wasn't as content with Urahara's terms. "Do you think we actually have time for crap like that?! We don't know when Rukia and this Kana are going to be executed! We should try to get there as soon as possible!"

"...What did you just say?! E-Executed?!" Aaron's entire face grew pale. "T-That can't be! Why would Soul Society…?!"

"Oh, you didn't know, Mister Higuchi? Giving away one's Shinigami powers is quite a severe crime in Soul Society. Being executed over it is nothing strange, and that is likely the fate that will befall Miss Kuchiki and Miss Mitarashi," Urahara informed him.

Aaron felt like someone had just kicked him in the gut. Now he got why Ichigo was so desperate, so unwilling to sit idly by and allow his friend to perish without lifting a finger.

"W-We have to go!" he blurted out. "We have to go to Soul Society right now! I don't care what Kana said back then! I have to rescue her!"

"...You two are exasperating people," mumbled Urahara. He jabbed his cane at Ichigo's forehead, stopping mere inches from it. Feeling as if a sword had just been pointed at him, the orange-haired teen slammed hard into the floor, his trembling eyes leering at the cane continue to hover over him. "...Neither of you seem to get it. The point I am trying to make is that if you two will die if you go to Soul Society in your current conditions. Do you seriously think you have a chance of victory if you depart now?"

"W-We have to try, don't we?!" interjected Aaron. He could hardly speak; it was like there was something in his throat, drying it up and taking the vigor out of his speech. He realized Urahara's harsh and icy facial features was the source of his discomfort. He had never before seen the man like this. "W-We have to try..."

Urahara turned to him. "This isn't a game, Mister Higuchi. I don't care how brave you two believe yourselves to be. With you and Mister Kurosaki's current skill levels, you two would be cut down the second you stepped into Soul Society! I purposely let Mister Kurosaki here to go up against those Shinigami because I thought it would drive home the point of how powerful they are. It's the very same reason I allowed you to see the battle firsthand, Mister Higuchi. You two are weak. Weaklings barging into enemy territory with only simple emotions such as 'courage' at their side is suicide. You two are merely being childish. If you wish to die, that's fine, but don't use others as an excuse to go off and get yourselves killed."

The shop owner's talk was like daggers, and neither Ichigo nor Aaron couldn't think of much to counter with.

Acknowledging his talk sink into their faces, Urahara moved his cane away from Ichigo. "...The Soul Society usually allows a grace period of one month when it comes to executing so-called criminals like Miss Kuchiki and Miss Mitarashi. Therefore, ten days should be sufficient to make preparations to rescue them. It will take me seven days to open the doorway to Soul Society, so the two of you will then have thirteen to rescue your friends. This is plenty of time."

Aaron nodded. "R-Right! Thanks a lot, Urahara! We're really gonna owe you one for this! Er...s-sorry for flying off the handle back then. Guess I really was freaking out over this whole thing."

"Ten days, huh? I wonder if we can really get stronger in that time," muttered Ichigo.

"Of course," said Urahara matter-of-factually. "That is, if you both truly desire to save your friends. A strong will is stronger than steel. If your determination is anything less that whole-hearted, throw it away. Can you two harden yourselves to train for ten days?"

Aaron thought the inquisition silly. "We don't have much of a choice!"

"No one else is gonna help Rukia or Kana if we don't!" added an impassioned Ichigo. "Let's give it a try!"

The room's door creaked open, and another individual came inside.

"Eh? What's with all this shouting? I-It's already hard enough to carry this junk without being distracted! Ugh! I'm really not fit for this kind of work! That Tessai guy should've just done this himself!"

Izumi Higuchi was having difficulty carrying a tray holding cups of red-hot green tea, causing her to carefully waddle her way toward Urahara and his guests. She stopped in her tracks though after catching wind of her little brother.

"A-Aaron?!"

Her face brightened, and she spilled all the drinks in her rush to wrap her arms around her sibling. Some of it splashed on Ichigo's foot. Aaron was certain he had never seen the man, or any man for that matter, howl so loudly.

"A-Ah! I'm sorry!" cried Izumi as her victim began hopping around on one leg.

"It's no problem, Miss Higuchi! I'll have Tessai clean the floor latter!" said Urahara.

"Huh? That's...not what I'm apologizing for..."

"Y-You're killing me!" Aaron, changing between all the colors of the rainbow, couldn't breathe. His sister's arms were clamping down on him like a vice grip. He promptly shoved her away, enabling him to ask, "W-Wait a sec! What are you doing here?!"

"What kinda question is that?!" Izumi replied. She snatched his head under her arms and began ruffling his hair and his feathers. "It's only natural for an older sister to be there when their kid brother is in trouble!"

"Y-You sound like Sasune when he's talking to Uryuu. A-And would you let me go already?!"

Once again, Aaron escaped his sister's clutches. This time, he made sure to keep his distance.

"Oh? Who's this?" said Izumi, pointing at Ichigo. "He's kinda cute! How come all your friends are hot, little bro?"

Aaron snarled. "S-Stop hitting on Kurosaki already and just tell me why you're here! H-Have you been following me or something?!"

"Of course!" replied Izumi proudly. "Like I said, it's my job to keep you outta trouble! I went after you right after you and Urahara headed off to Karakura Town. By the time I got there though, all the action was over! That's when I bumped into Urahara and a lot of blood! I'm just glad we managed to drag you guys back here in time! I'm really upset with you, Aaron! Why didn't you tell me about this business with Kana, Hollows, and Shinigami?! I had to hear everything from Urahara!"

Ready to spill blood, Aaron shot the shop owner a sharp glare, one that induced anxious chuckling out of the focus of his anger.

"Don't you know how dangerous it was for you to go after Kana like that?!" continued Izumi. For once, her concern sounded wholly serious. With that in mind, Aaron faltered with a response.

"I-I didn't have much of a choice. She..."

"Of course you did! You know, you can be a real idiot sometimes! And don't even get me started with that Kana! I can't believe she took advantage of my innocent but naive little brother like that! And to think we let her into our household with open arms!"

"...I-It's not..."

"Don't give me that! Why are you still trying to defend her?! Just forget about that hussy, alright?! She's nothing but trouble!"

That was as apt of description of Kana Mitarashi if there ever was one, Aaron thought. Nevertheless, it was difficult for him to sit idly by while someone insulted her, even if his sister was the one doing it.

"...This whole thing was as much my fault as it was Kana's," he stated. One of Izumi's eyebrows heightened at this. "I'm the one who said yes when she asked me if I could take on her duties as a Shinigami. Maybe it is because I'm too nice. Don't you see? That's why I can't just pretend like everything that's happened has nothing to do with me! Kana is going to get executed because of me, so it's only right I try to go after her! Sorry, Izumi, but nothing you say or do is going to change my mind!"

"...I feel the same way," said Ichigo just then. "Rukia gave me her Shinigami powers so I could save my family! If it weren't for her, they'd all be dead! I'm indebted to her! She did all that while knowing the risks! How could I not try to save her after that?!"

"Wow! You know, this whole thing is starting to sound kinda romantic!" said a winking Izumi. "I-I didn't think you guys would be so passionate! This is like something out of a novel! It's like you two and the girls you're going after are star crossed lovers that were separated under cruel circumstances, and now, you both are plunging straight into the heart of danger to get them back!"

"It's not like that at all!" hollered Aaron and Ichigo in unison.

"I-I was only kidding!" replied a startled Izumi. "D-Don't you guys think going off into some world none of us could even hope to understand is kinda crazy though? There are more strong guys there like the ones that whooped your butts, right? Are Kana and Rukia really worth all that trouble? It really does sound like suicide going there to me! No one is gonna think badly of you guys if you just stay here!"

"I can't do that!" said Ichigo as he stood. "I might not know a damn thing about this Soul Society, but I don't care! All I wanna do is save Rukia!"

"Jeez. You sure do have a one track mind..."

Aaron, also getting to his feet, remarked, "It's just like I said, sis. You aren't changing our minds. Just do me a favor and don't tell Mom about this, alright? I haven't come up with an explanation for why I'll be gone for a little while, but she's absolutely gonna freak if she finds out the real reason!"

Izumi crossed her arms. "Well, I really don't like this, but I guess I don't have a choice, huh? She really would have a heart attack. On the other hand, she likely wouldn't believe me telling her about all his anyway. Don't worry! I'll think of something!"

Aaron didn't doubt that. If being a liar were a profession, his sister would be a millionaire.

With that settled, he extended his hand to Ichigo. "Looks like we'll be working together for the time being! Uh...w-while I don't know Rukia that well, I'll do my best to try to save her and Kana! I still owe you one for taking care of that Menos Grande."

Ichigo firmly shook Aaron's hand. "Sounds good! I'll do the same for this Kana of yours, Higuchi!"

"Well, I guess I have no choice then!" declared Izumi suddenly. "I'm gonna have to stick around and watch after you kids for the time being! I'll have to call off work for a few days, but I've saved up some vacation time, so it shouldn't be a problem!"

"H-Huh?! Y-You really don't have to…!"

"That's a great idea, Miss Higuchi! The more, the merrier as they say!" exclaimed Urahara, cutting a mortified Aaron off. "I think it's rather sweet you have someone to look after you, Mister Higuchi!"

The shop owner could tell Aaron didn't share this opinion, mostly from the way the latter appeared ready to burst into tears.

Cheering up a little, Aaron guessed there wasn't much for him to distress over anymore. Although Kana had been taken from him, Urahara was giving him an opportunity to do something about this turn of events. No matter what obstacles stood in his path from that point onward, he was determined to charge right through them. He would have to if he had even the remotest of shot of seeing Kana alive again.

Still, he wasn't sure how he would fare with a person such as Kisuke Urahara as his mentor. As much as he tried, he could never get a read on the man or what was going through his mind.

"Hmm? Is something wrong, Mister Higuchi?" asked Urahara.

"Huh? N-No. Sorry. Guess I'm just hoping Kana can hang in there a little longer without us. Uh...by the way, are you sure you can't just go back home, Izumi? I'm pretty sure Kurosaki and I will be fine without..."

"Absolutely not!" she snapped. "I know how stupid boys act when they're in love, so I'm gonna watch over you two for your own good!"

"I'm not doing this out of love!" shouted Aaron and Ichigo simultaneously. Their outburst did nothing more than incite cackling out of the devilish Izumi.

"Ugh. Now I'm more worried about her than any training," groaned Aaron.

It was going to be along, ten days.

END